LOGINThird Person's POV"The vibe at the winter camp was actually amazing," Melanie said. As she recalled the bonfire from the night before, her eyes softened with a warmth Archer hadn't seen in a long time—a spark that had been missing for years. "We had snowball fights, built snowmen, played hide-and-seek... everyone had a blast. There's a sense of freedom out there that you just can't find in the city."She was telling the truth.By that mountain fire, when she briefly forgot she was Archer's neglected mate, she had finally felt that unrestrained freedom an Alpha is supposed to have.Archer's hand, which had been flipping through a newspaper, went rigid.He stared at her, his dark eyes filled with a deep, cold scrutiny.This feeling of things slipping out of his control made the Alpha, who was used to being worshipped, feel a sudden, inexplicable restlessness.Trista, hearing all this, felt a flash of longing followed by an even b
Third Person's POVOnce upon a time, Trista used to cling to her just like this.Back then, a little woven basket or a simple paper airplane was enough to keep her excited for an entire day.But those days of total, unspoken trust had been buried under last year's snow in Los Angeles, right alongside that "Mommy" title.That night, Myra insisted on sleeping in Melanie's tent.Dwight looked at Melanie, his deep eyes silently asking for permission.Melanie looked down at Myra's pleading face and finally gave a small nod.The werewolf pup scrambled into her arms, bringing a wave of warm, milky scent with her.Even though they shared a tent, they had their own sleeping bags.Myra's plan to burrow into Melanie's bag for a cuddle was shot down, so she had to settle for grabbing Melanie's hand through the thick down layers before finally drifting off.Myra's constitution was definitely on the weaker side for a werewolf.
Third Person's POVAs the sky bruised into a deep purple, the campsite lights flickered on one by one. The charcoal grills started to sizzle, sending up the smell of searing meat and seafood that mixed perfectly with the crisp mountain air."You like shrimp?" Dwight asked, handing her a couple of freshly grilled skewers."Thanks," Melanie said, taking them. The warmth of the food felt good against the chill.The campsite was starting to buzz. In a nearby clearing, people were stacking logs for the night's bonfire.Dwight looked at her. "Want to join in?""I'm up for whatever."Dwight was about to say something when his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Edric.He stepped away a few paces before answering."Drinks later?" Edric shouted over the line."Pass. You guys have fun.""What are you doing? It's the weekend..."Before he could finish, Myra came bouncing over with a chicken wing in her hand. "Un
Third Person's POVAfter hitting send, Melanie tossed her phone aside. She was done letting "past" drama clutter up her head.Across town at the estate, Trista was messing around on Archer's phone.When she saw the reply, she literally jumped off the sofa. Her pent-up "pup" energy exploded into the room, making the heavy air in the study feel instantly lighter."Daddy! Mommy said she's busy! That means I can ask Camille to come to the parent-teacher conference, right?"Archer, head down and buried in paperwork, paused for a heartbeat. He gave a non-committal "Mhm.""Yes! Awesome!" Trista cheered. Her pupils narrowed into tiny slits—a flash of gold that only happens when a werewolf is truly hyped."I'll be going, too," Archer added.Trista stuck her tongue out and gave him a huge grin. "Duh! If Camille's going, there's no way you're staying home."The next day at Hilltop Tech.Melanie was double-checking syst
Third Person's POVAt the track, Archer and Camille naturally became the center of gravity.Staff members scurried over, bowing slightly—an instinctive display of submission to a high-ranking Alpha. "Alpha Archer, Ms. Haines, everything is ready."The gesture was unmistakable; they were already treating Camille like the future lady of the house.Archer gave a slight nod, his eyes fixed on the track ahead. "Begin."On command, the test vehicle tore down the raceway.Standing before the monitors, the crowd could clearly track the car's high-speed performance.After the professional driver successfully completed a lap, Dominic turned to Archer and Camille, asking if they'd like to experience it firsthand.Archer agreed.He and Camille slid into the same car. On the monitors, they could be seen talking in low voices. The way Archer tilted his head toward her radiated a rare tenderness—a protective Alpha aura that
Third Person's POVBack at her apartment after the lunch, Melanie's phone rang right on time. It was Elmer.After she gave him the rundown of the high-level meeting Marcus had dragged her to, Elmer let out a playful, mocking snort over the line. "Brigham and Spike? Those two old foxes? Yeah, I've had my fair share of dealings with them."Then, he dropped a bombshell. "By the way, Evander is actually Brigham's son. Seriously, with a father who's a legend in the Royal Military, you'd think the son wouldn't have such trash taste at such a young age."Melanie hadn't expected Evander to have that kind of background.But to her, it didn't change a thing.Tuesday morning, Swift Tech held its first road test for their self-driving vehicles.Melanie and Elmer arrived at the testing grounds in the valley early.Evander, Simon, and their crew were already there, looking as cold as ever. They gave Melanie and Elmer a dismissive glance befo
Third Person's POVOn the other end of the phone, Trista was on a video call with Camille, with Archer sitting nearby.Trista pouted, "You guys are so mean, having lunch together again without me.""Because you have school. When school is out, I'll pick you up myself. How about the three of us have
Third Person's POVAfter Trista hung up, she figured Melanie would rush right home to make the food for her.But she waited for over an hour, and by almost eight p.m., Melanie still wasn't back.Shannon worried Trista was hungry and tried to convince her, "Since Luna Melanie is busy, why don't you
Melanie's POVSeveral race cars zoomed past, vanishing in a blink and setting off a wave of screams from the crowd.Erasmus watched for a moment through the binoculars, then shoved them back at me. "Check this out! She's driving so daring and steady—it's super cool! Seriously, look!"I took them an
Third Person's POVTrista genuinely missed Melanie.Her eyes welled up with tears because she didn't get what she wanted. "No! I want you to take me! Except for yesterday, Mom, you haven't taken me to school for days—"Since Trista was being so insistent, Melanie had to cave. "Okay, Mom gets it. I







