SYRA
“Are you serious right now?” Neema yelled the second they walked in.
I kept packing. “Getting a divorce makes sense since he’s a douchebag,” she continued, “but marrying the guy you dumped ten years ago today and moving in with him?!”
I chuckled. “Yeah, classic, right?”
“No freaking way!” Neema cried, grabbing my bag. “Agness, talk some sense into her!”
Agness just giggled and flopped onto the bed. “This is so epic! I’m putting it in my next novel!”
“Seriously, girl?” Neema groaned.
“It’s fine, Neema. She’s grown now—she can make her own questionable decisions,” Agness teased as I took my bag back.
She eyed me with a grin. “But for real, how did this even happen? Adrian’s not the type to just... agree, especially after everything.”
There was no backing out now. These two were MoonClaw wolves—my only ties left—and powerful ones at that.
I dropped the last of my clothes into the bag. “He wants to mark me at the upcoming Mate Ceremony.”
“What?!” Neema screeched. “You ran from MoonClaw and now you wanna join Moonhart? Syra, have you lost your damn mind?”
“Wait—you agreed?” Agness gasped, bouncing like a kid. “Spill! Give me the spice!”
I exhaled heavily. “I’m desperate, not stupid. I suggested a game.”
“A game?” Neema echoed, suspicious.
Agness started dancing on the bed, squealing, “This keeps getting better!”
“He has three months to seduce and flirt with me. If I fall, he gets to mark me. If not—I use him for a year to get what I want.”
Agness grabbed my shoulders, eyes sparkling. “What kind of flirting? Wordplay? Physical? Both?”
“That’s enough!” Neema barked, throwing up her hands. “Is that why you’re moving in?”
“Exactly.” I checked my watch. “And I’m running late.”
I rushed toward the door—and into the living room where Mike waved from the couch.
“Hi, Syra.”
“What’s with the look?” I asked, grabbing my pet fish.
“We heard everything,” Jake said, approaching. He was my father’s adopted son, one of the few constants after the fallout. “You’re rushing into this. You can’t just accept that man.”
“I can handle it,” I said sharply.
Neema scoffed. “Still stubborn. Do you really think the Steinhart Corporation will just welcome you? That his family will accept you?”
“No,” I said honestly. “But they’re giving me a chance... if I complete a project. The Solace Heights Development Project.”
Silence. Heavy. Their faces dropped—and I smelled trouble.
“What’s going on, Neema?” I asked, a chill creeping in.
“Oh, God,” she muttered. “They’re using you.”
“Using me? What are you talking about?”
Mike stepped in grimly. “Syra... MoonClaw and Moonhart packs aren’t exactly on friendly terms anymore.”
I froze. “What?”
Neema exhaled shakily. “After you ran, things between the packs... fell apart. Now they’re rivals. Always at each other’s throats.”
“It so happens that the two packs are after this project.”
_______________________________________________________________________
“Oh, that!” Adrian smirked when I brought it up, stretching lazily against the sofa as I tossed my bag onto it.
“Oh that?” I echoed, shooting him a glare. “Seriously? You didn’t think maybe giving me a heads-up would have been, I don’t know... common decency?”
He chuckled low and deep, rubbing his chin like he found me entertaining. “I see now.”
“See now?” I snapped, stepping in front of him, one hand on my hip, the other gesturing wildly. “Are you even trying to take this seriously, Adrian?”
He grinned shamelessly. “My bad, sunshine. Honestly, when you suggested this whole marriage thing, I figured you were still in that... adorably reckless phase. Still, you cut ties with them, I didn’t realize they cut you off completely.”
I huffed loudly, letting my head fall back slightly as I rolled my eyes throwing in a playful side tilt of my head.
When I looked back at him through my lashes, his smirk had deepened.“God help me,” he groaned dramatically, dragging a hand down his face. “The way you roll those eyes... pure torture.”
I barely bit back a smirk.
“Huh! Wordplay really doesn’t suit you,” I said with a sweet, fake smile.He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, voice dropping lower. “Oh, sunshine... you should know by now I’m much better with my hands than my words.”
Heat prickled across my skin, but I masked it with another eye roll, this one slower, more teasing.
He clutched his chest and gasped like I’d shot him. “Enough! You’re going to kill me with those damn eyes.”
“You’re seriously messed up!” I huffed. “Now tell me — where the hell is my room?”
He blinked at me, genuinely confused. “Room?”
“Yes. My room. You know, the place where I will be sleeping. Alone.”
He burst into laughter like I had just cracked the joke of the century. “Sunshine, you’re hilarious.”
I glared daggers at him while he struggled to breathe through his laughter.
“We’re husband and wife now,” he said between chuckles. “Even without a dumb wedding ceremony. One room. That’s the deal.”
“What? Are you insane?” I snapped.
“Oh, absolutely,” he grinned. “And before you get any ideas about the sofa no can do. I need you close, remember?”
I turned and looked around the colossal house, two stories towering above us. Two damn floors... and he’s claiming there’s only one room?
“In this house?” I asked, pointing upward.
He nodded, absolutely serious. “Yep. One bedroom. Rest are study rooms, game rooms, storage.”
I huffed, snatching up my bag in frustration. He’s a damn piece of work!
What happened to the cold, self-centered man everyone talks about? The Adrian who used to avoid me like the plague at parties — wouldn’t even toss me a passing glance?I needed the cold-hearted Adrian...
"Hey?"
A light tap on my arm made me snap my eyes open."What now?" I snapped, turning over, only to find Adrian lying on his side, head propped up on his palm, watching me.
"I get you're pissed about the whole room situation," he said, his voice low and teasing. "But... was the pillow barricade really necessary?"
I clutched the pillow tighter, shoving it back into place with a dramatic slam between us.
"Sorry playboy," I grumbled. "That’s how it’s going to be. You stay on your side, I stay on mine. Don’t like it? The couch is free."He chuckled — a slow, amused sound that made my skin prickle.
"What?" I growled, tossing him a glare."Anyone ever told you how insanely hot you are when you're all worked up?" he said, flashing a grin.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" I clapped sarcastically. "Nice try, Romeo. Doesn’t work."
"Oh, sure it doesn’t," he rumbled, voice dripping with mock sincerity — then his gaze dropped lower. His smirk widened.
"Oh my. I like the view."My blood froze.
I looked down — and felt my soul leave my body.Four buttons. The oversized shirt I had thrown on had popped open, revealing a scandalous amount of skin."You—!" I shrieked, grabbing the nearest pillow and whacking him square across his stupidly handsome face.
"Perv!" I hissed, yanking the duvet up to my chin and turning my back to him.
His laughter rumbled behind me.
And before I could calm down, I felt a tug on the duvet.
"Hey, Sunshine," he said, mischief dancing in his voice.
I ignored him, clutching the covers like a lifeline.
Another tug. Another, more forceful pull.Burning with fury, I turned around, ready to throw another pillow —
Only to find he'd already obliterated my precious pillow barrier.And somehow he grabbed my pillow too, using it to yank me straight into his chest.
"What the hell!" I gasped, squirming, trying to push away.But Adrian only smiled — a slow, lazy, devastating thing — as his arms locked around me tighter, trapping me against him like a damn teddy bear.
"Couldn't resist," he murmured, pressing my head flat against his chest with infuriating gentleness. "Much better."
He had the audacity to pat my head like I was some grumpy cat.
I fought like hell, shoving, wriggling.
"Adrian! Let me go!" I growled, thrashing uselessly.Finally, he loosened his grip just enough for me to pull back and glare at him —
Only to find his expression had shifted.Gone was the teasing smirk.
What replaced it was darker, heavier, almost predatory."Sunshine," he rasped, voice a low growl that raked down my spine. "There are only two ways this night’s ending... and you’re choosing which."
I blinked, throat dry.
His hand brushed up, fingers tilting my chin toward him. His lips ghosted against mine — the lightest, slowest, most dangerous tease.
"Option one," he murmured, "you stay right here. Head on my chest. I pet your pretty little head all night."
My heart hammered violently.
"Or..." His voice dropped even lower, lips brushing along mine again — hot, feather-light, maddening.
"I pin you down, sunshine," he whispered, "and kiss you so hard you forget your own damn name."His nose brushed mine, a breath away, his hand slipping around my waist, drawing me even closer.
"Honestly," he rasped, almost to himself, "I can still taste you from last time... and it’s driving me fucking crazy."
He hovered there, barely touching — his warmth curling around me like smoke, his mouth so close I could almost feel it again. His fingers tightened just slightly at my hip.
"So," he whispered, "what’s it gonna be, Syra?"
ALPHA LUIMER"Shall we begin? We don't have a lot of time," I mutter, my voice cutting through the humid silence like a blade.Justus, the last of the GreenMoonPack's bloodline, stands with clenched fists. You see, guardians always reappear from the old roots—the same pack, the same blood. You trace the past, you find the future. It was inevitable."If I do this—""I'll keep my bargain," I cut him off, my smirk a stain across my face. "Bring them in."Three are dragged in, struggling and snarling. Nathan, the Guardian from Naivasha, is among them. I’d been tracking him like a ghost in the dark, waiting for this moment."What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Nathan growls, thrashing against his binds.But I’m Alpha. And he knows what that means.I stroll forward, eyes locked, and with a single hand, I lift the girl beside him by the collar, raising her effortlessly off the ground."Perform the ritual," I bark. "Or they both die.""You're insane. We can't force—""You have no choic
ALPHA STEINHART“Don’t listen to it, son!” I roared from the sidelines, lungs burning, voice thunderous. Because hell—if there was ever a moment I was proud, this was it. Adrian—my boy, my blood—glowing like a fucking sun, his light wrapping around the beast, pinning it inside its host’s twisted body. The fakes, the possessed… all handled. Handled like a goddamn warrior.The monster—still smirking, blood dripping from the cracks of its stolen face—spat back with a laugh, “Are you sure you wanna do this?”His smile stretched unnaturally wide—vile and gleaming.“Shut up! You’re the main threat. Fuck you!” Adrian snarled, each word sharp as blade.He stepped forward, body surging with divine heat, every step cracking the ice below.“Let’s end this—”“Too bad…” the bastard chuckled darkly. “Because you should be more worried about your fucking mate.”Everything stilled.Adrian froze. The fire dimmed.“What the hell are you talking about?” he barked.“Don’t listen to him, Adrian!” I
ALPHA LUCIANThe mountain quaked again—this time, not like a tremor, but like the land itself was being torn open.A violent gush of power burst from the crater, glowing crimson red before being instantly devoured by a blue, nightmare-infused energy. It surged outward, swallowing the air, the ground, everything—a storm of dread and raw, terrifying force.The shockwave hit like a god’s breath. All of us—Alpha, Hunter, Guardian, Wolf—were hurled back, bodies slamming to the frozen earth as though gravity had tripled in an instant.Then— It roared.Not just a roar. A shrieking wail of hatred, fury, and age-old hunger that ripped through bone and marrow.Our knees buckled. Our ears screamed. And before us stood the stuff of legend turned nightmare.Seven feet tall.A colossal wolf, its skin forged like black iron, glinting with a metallic sheen. Blue glowing eyes burned like frozen stars—void of mercy, filled with wrath. Its breath steamed with shadow, and from its very core, the v
OSCARI’ve seen a lot of shitty things.Hell, I’ve done a lot of shitty things.But this? This shit was weird.Land mine goes BOOM, and instead of me getting blown to meat confetti—or you know, losing a damn leg—I open my eyes and I'm inside a damn red glowing room.The air vibrates. The ground pulses beneath my boots like a heart pumping rage."What the fuck—""What the fuck?" Luiz grumbles as he scrambles up beside me, blinking like he just got kicked out of a bad dream.Yeah, he’s here.And so is Lucy, dusting herself off, her glare matching the crimson walls around us."What the hell is going on? What is this place—" Luiz continues."Shut it!" I snap, already pissed. “Do I look like I fucking know? You think I brought us here for the view, dumbass?”I grab my gun, check the mag—fully loaded. I slide it into place with a sharp click, roll my shoulders, and light up a cigar.The scent of smoke barely masks the copper tang in the air.Bloodlust.Something else is here.Then they step
SYRAAn agonizing throb pulses behind my eyes. Like needles clawing through my skull.A high-pitched ringing shrieks in my ears—sharp, screeching—like glass grinding against bone.My body aches. My fingers twitch as sensation slowly returns. I reach up, rubbing my temples, wincing at the sting blooming across my scalp. My mind is chaos, fragments crashing into one another—gunfire… screaming… the explosion… darkness.What happened?My eyelids flutter open.Bright. White. Unforgiving.A sterile smell—bleach, chemicals, and cold metal—wafts through the air. My throat feels dry. The mattress beneath me is stiff, unfamiliar. My clothes… different. A plain white shirt and linen pants. Everything is off. Too clean. Too quiet. Where the hell am I?I turn my head—there’s a woman beside me. Dressed in grey scrubs, her face expressionless, unmoving. She stares ahead, not at me.I jerk upright.“Who the hell are you? Where am I?” I demand, my voice hoarse but firm.No response.“Where are the o
ALPHA LUMIERA grin carved its way onto my face as the full view of the Steinhart mansion emerged through the trees. Grand. Regal. Expensive. Exactly the kind of place fools think will protect them.I leaned back against the door of the armored truck, pulling a cigar from my pocket. The flame danced on the tip as I lit it, inhaling the thick burn before exhaling toward the Nairobi sky. This was too easy.“I stayed back for a reason,” I muttered under my breath. “Let Gregory enjoy the glory of Mount Kenya—I prefer something more… intimate.”Danny, my scout, crept closer, lifting his binoculars.“How is it?” I asked.“Five Alphas patrolling. Fifteen guards. She’s in the living room. Front left corner. Curtains are drawn but she hasn’t moved in minutes. Looks like she’s alone in there.” He lowered his binoculars. “They’re not expecting anything.”I chuckled darkly.“Knew they’d leave her behind—overconfident little bastards.”I turned to the truck behind me. Inside, a dozen of my finest