LOGINEthan's POVThe drive into Willowbrook City had already been enough to remind me that this place lived by different rules. Every street was spotless. Every building looked like it belonged on the cover of some luxury magazine. The roads were lined with trees trimmed so perfectly they didn't seem real, and expensive cars glided through traffic without the endless honking that usually filled cities.I'd heard stories about Willowbrook all my life. A city where power wasn't measured by physical strength or the size of a pack, but by influence, wealth, and information. A place where humans and our kind crossed paths every single day without realizing it.Still...I hadn't expected this.Marcus followed behind me as one of the hotel's attendants led us through polished marble hallways that reflected the warm glow of crystal chandeliers hanging overhead. Even the air smelled expensive, carrying a faint scent of cedar and fresh lilies.We stopped before an elegant dark oak door."This will be
Ethan's POVThe banquet hall had somehow become even more crowded. I could sense the Alphas from different packs. They stood in small groups discussing. I could blink a thousand times and all I'd see is Ruby. I wasn't even interested in making conversations. The orchestra continued its elegant waltz, creating an atmosphere that almost made everyone forget why they were truly here.I accepted a glass from one of the servers but never took a sip. My mind wasn't on the banquet. It was on Ruby.Every woman with dark hair caught my attention for a second before I realized she wasn't the one I was looking for.I was beginning to think tonight would be another disappointment.Then…I saw her. Near the far end of the banquet room. A woman in a long purple sparkling gown. She wasn't facing me completely, but that profile...My heart skipped.Ruby?She was walking away. Without thinking, I set the untouched glass on a passing tray."Alpha?" Marcus called.I didn't answer. I was already moving th
Ethan's POVThe banquet hall had somehow become even more crowded. I could sense the Alphas from different packs. They stood in small groups discussing. I could blink a thousand times and all I'd see is Ruby. I wasn't even interested in making conversations. The orchestra continued its elegant waltz, creating an atmosphere that almost made everyone forget why they were truly here.I accepted a glass from one of the servers but never took a sip. My mind wasn't on the banquet. It was on Ruby.Every woman with dark hair caught my attention for a second before I realized she wasn't the one I was looking for.I was beginning to think tonight would be another disappointment.Then…I saw her. Near the far end of the banquet room. A woman in a long purple sparkling gown. She wasn't facing me completely, but that profile...My heart skipped.Ruby?She was walking away. Without thinking, I set the untouched glass on a passing tray."Alpha?" Marcus called.I didn't answer. I was already moving th
Ruby's POVI stood in front of the towering entrance to the banquet hall, smoothing the wrinkles from my dress for what felt like the hundredth time.The building looked even grander than it had from the outside. Tall marble pillars framed the entrance, while crystal lights spilled a warm glow across the polished steps leading inside. Guests arrived one after another in elegant gowns and tailored suits, each of them looking like they belonged here.Emily stood beside me, adjusting the bracelet around my wrist before stepping back to inspect me."There," she said with satisfaction. "Perfect."I gave her a look. "You've said that three times already.""Because you keep touching everything."She reached toward my neck and brushed away an invisible speck before lowering her voice."And don't worry. Your scent is covered."I sighed.She had insisted on masking the scent of my pup before we left. According to her, there would be people attending tonight who possessed sharper senses than ordi
Ethan's POVThe drive into Willowbrook City had already been enough to remind me that this place lived by different rules. Every street was spotless. Every building looked like it belonged on the cover of some luxury magazine. The roads were lined with trees trimmed so perfectly they didn't seem real, and expensive cars glided through traffic without the endless honking that usually filled cities.I'd heard stories about Willowbrook all my life. A city where power wasn't measured by physical strength or the size of a pack, but by influence, wealth, and information. A place where humans and our kind crossed paths every single day without realizing it.Still...I hadn't expected this.Marcus followed behind me as one of the hotel's attendants led us through polished marble hallways that reflected the warm glow of crystal chandeliers hanging overhead. Even the air smelled expensive, carrying a faint scent of cedar and fresh lilies.We stopped before an elegant dark oak door."This will be
Ethan's POVBy the time Marcus and I returned to the pack, the sun had already begun its slow descent beyond the trees. The gates came into view, but instead of feeling like home, they reminded me of everything I had nearly lost.I stepped out of the vehicle, expecting the evening to end quietly. Instead, I found my grandfather standing in front of the pack house.His hands were clasped behind his back, his posture as straight as ever despite his age. He looked as though he had been waiting for me.Marcus bowed his head respectfully to him. Grandfather acknowledged him with a slight nod before his sharp gaze settled on me."So," he said after a long silence, "it seems you're finally coming back to your senses."A faint smile tugged at my lips. "I suppose I am."He studied me for another moment, searching my face for any sign that I was lying. Grandfather had always been able to see through people, especially me. There had been times as a child when I thought he could read minds. Appare
Ruby’s POVI looked at the ceiling, staring at a water stain that shaped itself like a broken heart. It was funny, really. Or maybe it was just pathetic. My hands were resting on my stomach, pressing down hard as if I could somehow force the emptiness inside.The doctor had just left. His words we
Ethan’s POVI rubbed my temples as Vivian’s sobbing echoed through the speaker of my phone. She had been crying for the past twenty minutes, her voice high and breathless as she went over the details of what happened at the hospital again."She literally had the guards throw me out, Ethan," Vivian
Ruby’s POVA gasp tore out of my throat, and my hands flew to my mouth as the tears started flowing all over again. But this time, they weren't tears of grief. They were tears of shock.Emily let out a loud squeal next to me, her fingers squeezing mine so hard she was practically cutting off my cir
Ruby’s POVThe leather seat of the taxi was cold against my bare legs, and every bump in the road sent a sharp, agonizing jolt straight through my lower abdomen. I stared out the window, watching the streetlights blur into long streaks of yellow and white. I didn't care where the driver was taking







