LOGIN"What if I just have to leave?" I snapped, trying to force my way through the main entrance.Two massive guards immediately shifted, their shoulders overlapping to form a wall of muscle. Instead of snarling back, they looked at me with desperate, pleading eyes."Lanka, please," one muttered. "I’m a single father. My pup’s other parent is a gambler and a drunk—totally unreliable. Jobs in this pack are hard to find. If you walk out, Andrew will have my head. Have a heart.""Sir, you're known for being fair," the other added, his voice cracking. "My mother is half-paralyzed back at the village. I can't afford to be cast out."I stood there, the wind knocked out of my sails.I knew that pain. I’d survived a father who traded his dignity for a bottle and a brother who was little more than a ghost in a hospital bed. I didn't know if they were playing me, but the familiar scent of desperation coming off them made it impossible to push.I turned on my heel and marched back up the stairs, feel
"What are you staring at me like that for? You don't recognize me after just one night?"The voice was unmistakable—deep, resonant, and carrying that familiar edge of cool authority. I blinked, my heart hammering against my ribs. I felt like I was caught in the middle of a fever dream, unsure if the dawn light was tricking my eyes."Did I open my eyes the wrong way or something?" I muttered, my voice raspy from sleep.I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that when I opened them, the phantom of Andrew Wolfe would be gone. But when I snapped them open, he was still there, looming over me with a slight, amused lift of his brow. This wasn't supposed to happen. Things like this—waking up to the Alpha's possessive gaze—only happened in the fantasies I'd long since buried.I reached out a trembling hand, wanting to touch the sharp line of his jaw, yet terrified that my fingers would pass right through him like a bubble popping. Before I could pull back, Andrew caught my wrist. He guided my palm
"So, you regret it?" I bit back, the words tasting like copper. "You regret letting me walk out of those gates and now you just want to keep me as your toy? Fine. If you aren't done breaking me, then finish it. Just drop me at the airfield once you've had your fill!"I stopped fighting him then. I knew I couldn't win a physical struggle against an Alpha like Andrew Wolfe. My spine hit the leather seat, and a treacherous warmth began to bloom deep in my gut. I hated how my body betrayed me; maybe it was the pregnancy making me hyper-aware, but I wasn't as repulsed as I should have been.I was past the first trimester. The healers at Silverline said I was stable. If giving him what he wanted was the price of a ticket to Havenport, I’d pay it.But my words only stoked the fire in Andrew's eyes. His massive hand slid from my chin to my throat, his thumb grazing the pulse point that was fluttering like a trapped bird."Done with you? Ha. With a body this responsive, this enticing... how co
Andrew isn't going to tell me a damn thing," I muttered to myself, watching the Alpha's grip on Carllo’s shoulder finally slacken.My heart was hammering against my ribs. I knew Andrew wasn't stupid. He’d already done the math. If I wasn't at the main terminal, and Carllo was here playing decoy with some random person, there was only one place I could be. I was at the private hanger, or on a different strip entirely."You’re just stalling," Andrew growled at Carllo, his voice vibrating with a dangerous frequency. "He’s at the airfield. I know it."Carllo didn't blink. "No comment, Wolfe."But Andrew didn't need a confirmation. He turned on his heel, his pack of black-clad guards falling into formation behind him as they stormed toward Gate 3.I watched him go from a distance, my stomach twisting into a knot. I was already on the small regional craft bound for Havenport. My skin felt clammy, and I couldn't stop checking my watch. The memory of Andrew and Lydiasa Hawthorne back at the e
"Julian, what is the meaning of this? You’re carrying a pup?"Director Harriet’s voice cut through the air like a whip, his brow furrowed as he pinned Julian with a look that could melt lead. If the second lead was secretly expecting and trying to hide it from the production, the insurance nightmare alone would sink the project.Julian looked like he was about to faint. Landing a role in a high-fantasy werewolf epic was his only shot at going mainstream, and if this rumor stuck, his career was over before it started. He shook his head frantically, his voice caught in his throat.I stepped in front of Julian, giving him a sharp nudge. "Director, I’m the one in the loop here. Julian had a miscarriage last week!"Julian caught on instantly, his eyes brimming with fake, tragic tears. "Yes... yes, I lost the pup for the sake of my career! It was a sacrifice for the art!"But Andrew just let out a low, guttural snort of pure derision. "A miscarriage? Truly? Which lunar healer did you see, J
"Since when can expectant mothers indulge in heavy drinking, Julian?"I stood in the doorway of the Savory Seasons private room, my presence like a sudden frost. The air in the room, thick with the scent of vintage liquor and the low hum of deals being made, turned ice-cold. My eyes were locked on Julian Park, who was currently tilting a glass back.Beside him, Carllo’s smile froze. He looked at me, then at the half-empty glass in his hand, his heart clearly hammering against his ribs."Andrew... what are you doing here?" Carllo stammered.I stepped closer, the pressure of my aura silencing the room. Even Director Harriet, a man who feared little, set his glass down. I didn't care about the director. I didn't care about the business. I looked directly at Julian, my voice heavy and dangerous."You were the one who told me you were expecting, weren't you? Is this how you care for a new life? Or is the 'pregnancy' just a script for your next drama?"Carllo’s face went pale. He knew. With
Serena scrambled off the sofa, her scent sharp with a metallic, envious tang. She began throwing wild, weak punches at the air where I had been standing, her desperation clawing through her sweet facade.I didn't stay to watch. I vaulted into Carllo’s battered old Chevy, the engine roaring to life.
I glared at him, my eyes narrowing until they felt like they might spark. "Can’t you tell I’m talking about swallowing gunpowder? I'm five seconds away from exploding."Andrew barely moved, though one corner of his mouth twitched upward. "If you’re so full of fire, Lanka, just try not to blow me up
I let out a shaky breath, pressing my face into the solid, warm expanse of Andrew’s chest. My damp hair clung to his skin, the cold droplets creating a sharp, stinging itch against his collarbone.Andrew’s jaw tightened, his pulse drumming a steady, heavy rhythm beneath my ear. "Stop the performanc
"Lanka, I bought this bracelet myself. How could it possibly belong to your family? Framing me with such a pathetic excuse... it's not a good look for you."Serena’s voice broke into fresh sobs, but I didn't let go of her wrist. I pulled it closer, my eyes narrowing as I scrutinized the stone. At a







