LOGINOLIVIAI didn’t realize how much I’d missed him until that moment.Seeing him standing there in my restaurant made something warm bloom in my chest. It had only been two months, but it felt longer. And without him, I wouldn’t be standing here.I pulled back slightly, still smiling, my hands resting lightly on his arms. “I’m really happy to see you,” I said honestly. “You have no idea.”He studied my face, then nodded once. “You look… settled,” he said. “That’s good.”I laughed softly. “That’s one way to put it.”Another way was: I survived. I built something. I didn’t fall apart.He glanced around the dining area, taking everything in- the full tables, the laughter, the plates moving smoothly from kitchen to guests. His lips curved upward slowly. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “You didn’t waste time. You didn’t waste resources. You took what you had and turned it into something real.”My throat tightened a little.“Thank you,” I said quietly. “And… thank you for the help. The money. I
TWO MONTHS LATEROLIVIA“Table seven needs their seafood paella in three minutes, not ten!” I called out, clapping my hands once. “If I wanted people to wait forever, I would’ve opened a museum, not a restaurant.”“Yes, boss!” Marco shouted back, already sliding shrimp onto a sizzling pan.The kitchen was alive with pure controlled chaos. Pans clanged, oil hissed, knives moved fast, and the rich scent of garlic, paprika, grilled fish, and fresh bread filled the air. The kind of madness that made my heart beat right.I moved between stations with ease, the apron tied snug around my waist, my sleeves rolled up.“Sofia,” I said, peeking into a pot, “why does this sauce look like it’s still deciding what it wants to be in life?”She groaned. “Olivia, don’t do this to me today.”I tasted it, tilted my head, then nodded. “Okay. Almost there. Add just a pinch of salt and a little smoked paprika. Not too much. Seduce it… don’t attack it.”Laughter rippled through the kitchen.“Chef, order up!
ALPHA HUNTERThe door shut behind me on its own.The sound echoed through the house, sealing me inside. My guards halted at the threshold instinctively, but I lifted a hand without looking back. “Wait here.”They obeyed immediately.The air inside was cold. It crawled beneath my coat and pressed against my skin like damp fingers. The walls seemed to breathe, shadows shifting where there should have been none.Then, torches flared to life one after the other, flames igniting without a single hand touching them.My jaw tightened.I hated this place.Footsteps sounded above me, and my wolf stirred again, uneasy now, pressing against my ribs in warning.Then the smoke came. It poured into the parlor from every corner… thick white smoke, swirling and coiling along the floor.I exhaled sharply through my nose. “Oh gods,” I muttered. “He’s started with his madness already.”The footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs, the smoke parted, and he appeared.Tall and thin, dressed in layered da
ALPHA HUNTER (OLIVIA’S FATHER)I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling my strength seep out of me little by little.My body was weak. So weak it frightened me. Every breath felt heavier than the last, every movement like I was dragging chains through my bones. The healers had come and gone, whispering to each other, feeding me bitter concoctions that did nothing. No answers. No cure. Just pity in their eyes.I was tired.Everything had been going wrong ever since I sent Olivia out of the pack.I frowned, a sharp pain blooming in my chest at the thought of her name. She committed an abomination. A disgrace no Alpha could overlook. The laws were clear. The punishment was necessary. I had done what an Alpha was supposed to do.So why… why was the pack paying the price?Warriors were falling sick for no reason. Strong men who had never missed a fight were suddenly collapsing in training yards. Our borders were being breached. Our enemies… enemies we had defeated countless times,
RYANMy heart leaped so hard I thought it would tear out of my chest.She came back.Joy slammed into me so fast I almost got dizzy. Oh God… when I had lost hope, when I thought she meant every last word, when I thought she didn’t care about what we shared at the beach… she came back.I wiped my face immediately, aggressively, using both palms to clear the tears away. I dragged my sleeve across my cheeks, making sure not a drop was left. Then I stood from the floor so fast I nearly fell again. I smoothed my clothes, straightened my shirt, fixed the collar, pushed my hair back, inhaled deeply.My smiling uncle stared at me like I had just resurrected. “Oh,” he said, clapping slowly with the widest grin, “so he can smile now? Fantastic. This is good. This is VERY good.”I ignored him. My chest was too full, because she he came back for me.I stepped quickly toward the window with excitement pulsing through my veins. I needed to see her. Just one glimpse. Just…My eyes reached the window
OLIVIAI drove straight to the hotel.My hands were still a little shaky on the steering, but I kept going.One turn after another, one breath after another, until I finally pulled into the parking lot.I walked into my room and began packing the last of my things- my folded dresses, my skincare bag, the little notebook I kept under the pillow. I zipped the suitcase slowly and let my hands rest on it for a moment.I took a deep, steadying breath. “This is it,” I whispered to myself. I turned toward the door, and nearly screamed when I saw someone standing inside my room.My heart flew out of my chest.“What the…??” I yelled, clutching my chest. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”Daisy stood there. Her arms crossed, lip gloss shining. Smiling like she was posing for a magazine cover.“What are you doing here?” I demanded, still holding my chest. “Are you mad?! You scared the hell out of me!”She shrugged casually. “Oh relax. I knocked twice. You didn’t answer. So I let myself in.”“You LET YOURSELF IN







