LOGINCaleb’s POVThe capital vault drive was gone. The operating cash was frozen.Every financial ledger, reserve account and liquidity pipeline controlled by Red Leaf was completely locked behind a biometric barrier I could not breach.My empire was a paper ghost. Fifty-five percent meant nothing when the safes were empty and my men were beginning to ask when their next payroll installment would clear.Panic and rage warred inside my chest, driving me past the boundaries of reason. I could not afford a single whispered doubt among the ranks. If the pack smelled blood in the water, my control would collapse entirely.So I ruled by terror, if they continue to fear me then they wouldn't question me.Over the past forty-eight hours, I had converted Red Leaf into an armed police state.I placed the high council under twenty-four-hour surveillance, stationing guards at every exit of the wing.The elders were barred from communicating with the outer sectors, forced to sit in silence while I draf
Merikh’s POVThe first thing I reached for when consciousness returned was not my weapon, nor my secure comms, nor the intelligence reports from the perimeter.My hand moved blindly across the sheets, searching the empty space beside me until my fingers brushed against the warm linen of the pillows.My eyes snapped open.Maya was sitting in the corner chair, her head resting in her hands.The exhaustion in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a fear that melted into breathless relief."Merikh," she choked out, springing to her feet and rushing to the side of the bed.She didn't wait for me to struggle upward. She braced her hands beneath my shoulders, helping me sit against the headboard.Before I could mask the dull ache throbbing through my chest, she caught my face in both of her hands, her thumbs trembling against my skin."You fool," she whispered, her voice cracking as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You scared me half to death. Dr. Evan said your wolf nearly tore your neural
Maya's POVI turned my head to look at him, keeping my expression neutral. "Caleb will still try to fight with whatever loyalists he has left. But without liquid capital, his regime has no foundation.""Exactly," Kenneth agreed, turning his head to meet my gaze. "Which brings us to the next reality. With Caleb dismantled and the corporate board paralyzed, the elders and true bloodline members of Red Leaf will look to the only surviving heir to step forward."He paused, letting the weight of his words settle between us."They will look to you, Maya," Kenneth continued, his voice firm. "They will demand that you return to Red Leaf, take your seat at the head of the council, and reclaim your rightful pack."I felt my muscles tense. I looked away from him, letting my eyes drift across the spires of Merikh’s pack in the distance, where Merikh was still recovering under Dr. Evan’s medical lockdown.I wondered how he was recovering? Would his wolf continue to torture him? A part of me had be
Maya's POVUncle Kenneth stepped out into the corridor, wearing a fresh coat provided by Merikh’s ward.His skin still held a pale, tired gray undertone and dark circles lingered beneath his eyes but the cough from the night before was gone.Dr. Evan had administered a strong course of treatments and fluids through the night, stabilizing his condition."How do you feel?" I asked, stepping forward to check his pulse point at his wrist.Kenneth pulled his hand back with a faint smile, shaking his head. "I feel fifty years younger than I did yesterday, Maya. That physician of yours is a miracle worker. The air in Red Leaf tasted like ash. Here... the air is clean.""Good," I said, looping my arm through his. "Then you are coming with me. You’ve spent too many months locked inside that office. Let me show you where I live now."We walked down the steps leading from the wing into the main grounds of the Lycan territory.The contrast between this territory and Red Leaf was apparent. There w
Caleb's POVTwo days ago, my position had felt fragile. I had ordered Maya’s execution, fully expecting her to be eliminated from the board, only for Merikh's military forces, snatch her away, and upend my entire operation.For days, fury had eaten at my gut, knowing she was breathing and plotting behind Merikh’s walls.But that panic was gone. It disappeared the moment my attorneys finalized the acquisition of fifty-five percent of Red Leaf’s shares.It did not matter if Merikh kept Maya locked inside his pack or if the lower district rioted over false arrests.Legal ownership of the majority stake meant I controlled the structure. The territory belonged to whoever held the ledger, and the ledger bore my name.I pushed open the doors of the high council chamber with a weep of my hand.Around the long table sat the twelve senior elders and financial executives.Their faces were pale and their posture stiff. They looked up at me with apprehension, exactly as they should.I walked strai
Maya's POVI stood by the window of Merikh’s suite, staring out at the lights of the capital.Behind me, Merikh lay deep in a sleep, Dr. Evan’s bio-monitors clicking softly in the quiet room.My original plan had been simple: walk into Red Leaf’s corporate headquarters, bypass the security of my late father’s old study and retrieve the capital key.But looking at the map of the corporate sector, the reality of the trap set in.Caleb’s security forces patrolled every corridor of the Red Leaf building. If I walked through those front doors, I would be captured or killed before I even reached the ground floor.I needed another way.I walked over to the secure desk in the corner of the room, picked up a device, and dialed a set frequencies that hadn’t been active since my father’s death.The line hissed with static for three long seconds before a rasped voice answered."State identification," the voice said. It was Uncle Kenneth."Kenneth, it’s Maya," I said, keeping my voice low and urge







