MasukVioletI stared at the mirror like it owed me something. Hours of prepping and this was it. This was the dress, the hair, the face I was about to walk into war with.I ran my hands down the red fabric clinging to my body. It hugged every curve like it knew exactly what it was doing. The V-neck pressed against my cleavage, deep enough to make a statement, but the diamond necklace covered most of my neck so it didn't look too desperate. Just desperate enough.I pressed my lips together, smoothing the lipstick one last time.A knock hit the door. I didn't even turn around."The Alpha demands your presence," the maid said, head down like she was scared to look at me. "The dinner is about to start.""Okay," I said. My voice came out steadier than I felt.I looked back at the mirror one more time. This wasn't about dinner. This wasn't about ration reports or elders or whatever boring pack business they had lined up tonight.This was about getting Dante back.I knew what I was doing. I knew
VioletI woke up early because I knew today was going to be the start of the real chaos with the annual pack gala preparation. I went downstairs straight to the small office near the kitchen because that was where I kept all the delivery receipts and the vendor contracts locked up in my drawer. I sat down and pulled out the list for the catering orders because my instincts were screaming at me that something was going to go wrong if I did not look over the numbers again. I had been checking everything twice since Rose handed me this nightmare because I knew that old woman was just waiting for me to trip over my own feet and look like a total idiot in front of the pack.I ran my finger down the column for the silver valley suppliers and my heart dropped into my stomach when I noticed a massive discrepancy on the fresh meat invoice. The original order for three hundred pounds of prime steak had been canceled and replaced with a tiny delivery order for fifty pounds of cheap chicken st
VioletThe hallway smelled heavily of burnt wax and cheap wicks, a thick, gut-wrenching scent that clung to the stone walls like a physical entity. It was just the usual for this time of day, yet it made my stomach turn. I exhaled shakily, forcing my legs to move, narrowing my path through the dimly lit corridors.One minute, I had everything. For the first time in my life, it felt like I had truly found something forever—a sense of belonging, a glimpse of peace. The next minute, it shattered right before my eyes. All I could do was sit in the wreckage and watch the cold wind blow away the crushed, unrecoverable pieces of what we used to be.I inhaled the humid, suffocating air of the pack house and took a sharp turn around the corner. I was so lost in the labyrinth of my mind that I barely noticed the imposing figure stepping into my path until it was too late.Our shoulders collided. Thankfully, I steadied myself quickly, lessening the impact of the crash, and so did she.“I am so
VioletI stood hidden behind the heavy velvet curtains near the grand ballroom entrance, holding my breath because I needed to see exactly how Ron was going to handle his side of our deal. My fingers gripped the smooth fabric tightly as the sound of footsteps echoed down the long hallway, and then I heard Ron’s deep voice speaking in a rushed, slightly stressed tone that sounded natural."I'm telling you, Alex, the seating charts for the northern pack elders are a disaster because apparently what's in the file don't match the actual floor space," Ron said as he walked into the room, gesturing wildly with a stack of blueprints in his hands. "I'm out of my depth with this venue setup.""You've been a bodyguard for years, Ron, so I find it very hard to believe that a few tables are throwing you off this badly," Alex said as she followed him into the ballroom, her arms crossed tightly over her chest while her sharp eyes scanned the empty space. "But fine, let me see the paperwork becau
VioletI stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom and adjusted the front of my shirt because the black V-neck top cut lower than what I usually wore around the pack house. I took a deep breath and smoothed down the fabric because I needed to make sure everything looked completely accidental when it was actually totally planned out. I looked down at the thick leather binder resting on my vanity table and picked it up with a firm grip because this paperwork was my golden ticket past Dante's heavy office doors. I checked my reflection one last time to make sure my hair fell perfectly over my shoulders and left the room with a confident stride because the time for crying like a pathetic little victim was officially over.I walked down the long carpeted hallway toward the Alpha wing of the estate and noticed that the pack house felt unusually quiet today. My boots made soft clicking sounds against the hardwood floor edges and my heart began to thud a little faster against m
VioletAfter leaving Ron by the training grounds, I turned around and headed back toward the pack house. My head was spinning with all the things I needed to do, but my chest felt a little lighter than before. I walked through the back entrance and started making my way upstairs to my separate bedroom. I just wanted to get to my space, close the door, and think about how to handle the next steps. But of course, the universe wasn't going to make things that easy for me.As I reached the top of the grand staircase, a sharp, familiar voice cut through the quiet hallway."There you are," Rose said, stepping out from the shadows near the library doors. "I have been looking all over this house for you."I stopped dead in my tracks, my muscles instantly tightening up. I took a slow breath to calm my racing heart and looked at her. She was holding a massive, thick leather binder in her arms, her manicured fingers gripping the edges tightly. Her face had that same old look of complete disgu
VioletThe air outside the pack house was heavy with the smell of coming rain. I stood by the black SUV, my back straight, my hands tucked behind me in the standard rest position. My skin was still buzzing from what had happened on the island. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel the cool woo
DanteThe trip back from the island was a blur. I didn't speak to Violet the entire way. I sat in the leather seat with my laptop open, staring at transaction logs and security feeds, but my mind was stuck on what Bret had told me over the phone. A rat. A leak. Someone sitting at my table had sol
DanteIsabella had been attached to my arm since breakfast and I was getting irritated. "You’re so quiet this morning, Dante," she murmured, leaning her head against my shoulder.I just looked at her briefly before turning my gaze away. My eyes didn't find the water first; they found the shadow st
RonThe stairs groaned under my boots, a rhythmic, heavy sound that shadowed her frantic pace. Alex didn't look back. She never did. She treated me like a piece of furniture until she needed someone to bleed for her, but tonight, the air between us was screaming. The beach house was a tomb of glas







