INICIAR SESIÓNAlexander POVBy the time I returned to the hotel, someone else occupied the room.I stood outside the door, checked my phone, and found no missed call or message from her. I didn't have her number. Disappointment settled in my chest, but I pushed it aside and headed for the reception desk."The room I stayed in last night. When did the previous guest leave?"The receptionist checked her screen. "This morning, sir."Something about the way she said it caught my attention. Her eyes flicked toward me, then away, as though she wanted to say something but had decided silence offered better odds of survival."Find her."Her fingers tightened around the edge of the desk."Sir, I don't know her.""Is she in this building?"She swallowed.A nervous glance toward the manager's office told me enough. She hurried off, half walking, half running, and came back with a man who looked as though he'd been dragged out of bed before he finished waking up.He straightened when he saw me, forcing a smile
Emma POVI stared at Anita as she picked at the food on the tray, took a bite, and hummed in approval."Hm. It's actually good."I gave her a narrowed look. "You're eating food brought to you by the people who kidnapped you. They could have poisoned it."Anita chewed slowly, and I was almost sure she'd spit it out, but she didn't. "Then at least I die with a full stomach."I glared at her."Emma, we were dragged into those vans while we were still dealing with last night's drinks. I have a headache, my mouth tastes horrible, and I feel like someone kicked me in the skull. Let me eat."She reached for my portion. I pushed it toward her without arguing.My mind returned to the same question that had been eating at me since I woke up.Why hadn't the Rogue Alpha come?If he really wanted to make a mockery of me, surely he'd have shown up by now.The memory of last night slipped through my mind before I could stop it. Pleasure moved through me, followed by a wave of shame so sharp I squeez
Emma POVThree hours had passed since I'd been left at the abandoned gas station, and every minute had made me angrier.I sat on the concrete seat beneath the faded shelter, staring at my phone, watching the time crawl forward. No sign of anyone coming for me. Heat had settled over the road, but I barely noticed it anymore. My thoughts had become their own kind of furnace.That man had fooled me.He had approached me at the bar, looked into my eyes, claimed me as his mate, slept with me, and disappeared before I woke. His people had taken Anita, and everyone on this island feared him.A bitter laugh escaped me.I had thought falling for Charlie was humiliating. At least with Charlie, I'd known exactly where I stood. I loved him for years while he insisted we were siblings, and now he wanted friendship.Charlie's rejection paled next to this.I had met a stranger, believed the mate bond, trusted what my wolf told me, and handed him the one thing I'd never given anyone. Now I couldn't e
Alexander POVI checked the IV again, making sure the fluid was still flowing through the line into Kamala's hand. The old woman's breathing remained steady, but the sight of her lying beneath a hospital blanket felt wrong. Kamala had spent most of her life healing other people. Now she was the one lying in a bed while someone watched her breathe.She had turned ninety-eight, and age had begun demanding its price. There was still strength in her, the kind that had kept her alive through things that would have broken younger wolves, but her body needed help. I had managed to get her into the clinic in the neighboring pack without attracting attention. They were one of the few places willing to treat rogues without asking too many questions, which made them useful to people like us. In return, I made sure the boys never bothered them.The clock on the wall was approaching eleven. My thoughts returned to the woman I had left sleeping in the suite.My mate.I hoped she had found my note a
I turned away from the man who had given me the answer, unable to make sense of what I had just heard.The words refused to fit together. I had spent the night in a rogue's arms. I had given my body to a rogue, believing the moon had finally decided to stop laughing at me. Now I stood in a resort where people were afraid to even say his name, while my cousin had been taken by his people.Had it all been a setup?Had he known exactly who I was before he approached me? Had the entire thing been planned so he could get close to me, use the mate bond to lower my guard, and then humiliate me?Perhaps he'd recorded me. Taken photographs.Oh goddess.I'd walked straight into his trap because I was desperate enough to believe I had finally found someone who wanted me.My eyes burned.I had spent years wondering why love always seemed to pass me by. Men noticed my face, my money, my family, my position. They saw the Alpha's niece, the pack accountant, the assistant head of projects. They saw e
I woke with no idea where I was.An unfamiliar ceiling came into focus above me, then the warmth trapped beneath the sheets, then the soreness running through my body. My mind felt pleasantly fogged, as though sleep had wrapped itself around every thought and refused to let go.Then I smelled him. His scent clung to the sheets and lingered on my skin. I drew in a deep breath before I could stop myself, and last night flooded back.My mate.I smiled and turned my head.The other side of the bed was empty.The smile died. I pushed myself upright, clutching the sheet against my body as I searched the room. No sign of him, only his scent still thick in the air.My heart sank.Where did he go?A folded piece of paper sat on the bedside table. I reached for it and read it.*Good morning, darling.*My mouth curved despite myself. Even his handwriting was elegant.*An emergency came up. I didn't want to wake you. If you're awake when you read this, wait for me. I'll be back as soon as I can.
Lisa POVI sat in the back seat while Franklin drove, my hands folded in my lap like a child being brought home from school.The hospital disappeared behind us, but I could still feel Evangeline’s cold fingers wrapped around mine.She had called me sister.I stared through the window as the city sli
The Alpha house felt like I was entering it for the first time. Maids walked past me. Guards were posted at every corner, their eyes scanning the corridors. One thing was clear. Alpha Cameron was in the building.The four of us were in the main corridor like a line of silent competitors. Brianna had
LISA POVThe digital numbers on my alarm clock glowed a steady red. I watched them tick by from 5:59 to 6:00. My skin felt cold, and a dull ache rested at the back of my eyes after spending the night awake. I could hear the muffled sound of the television.I headed for the door. The living room was
CAMERON POVRage tightened in my ribs, making breathing feel like an effort. I turned away from my sister and mate and leaned against the wall. "I won't do it. I have no interest in this absurd contract, and nothing you say will change my mind."Nadia stepped closer and placed her hand between my sh







