Chapter Six

SYRA

"Deep breath.

Exhale."

I clenched the finalized documents in my hand.

One full day of burning through contracts and regulations without anyone’s help, and finally, I had a rough outline of what needed to be done.

Still, as I strode into Blue Mall, one question kept hammering through my head—

Who would Moonclaw send?

Four companies were selected for the final showdown. Only two would walk away with the contract.

The stakes were brutal—and I was ready.

Or so I thought.

I pushed open the door to the conference room after being directed inside—

and almost dropped my jaw.

"Syra?!"

Asher's voice boomed from across the long, polished conference table.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Two executives flanked him—faces from my past, faces I once trusted.

I scoffed, tossing my hair over my shoulder with a cold flick.

"None of your business," I snapped, stalking toward the seats furthest from him.

There were four companies competing, but Moonclaw’s representatives hadn’t arrived yet.

I wondered who they'd—

"Brother!"

The word burst out before I could stop it as Lucien walked in, flanked by Mark and Jane—my cousins.

Lucien's smile was tight.

"Hello, Syra. It’s been a while," he said coolly.

Mark and Jane didn't even spare me a glance.

And the surprises didn’t stop there.

Jake entered next, a towering presence beside a woman so striking she seemed to warp the very air around her.

Tanned skin, tall frame, a fall of golden hair, and piercing blue eyes—

And her aura—

Gods—

She was a she-wolf, and a powerful one. The sheer force of her presence pressed down on the room like a gathering storm.

She strode confidently to the head chair as Jake stood silently behind her.

"Now that you're all here..." her voice was smooth, rich with an undercurrent of amusement.

She turned her gaze, sharp as a blade, first to Asher—then let it linger on me.

"A&S," she said with a slight nod toward Asher.

"And you?" she asked, her attention cutting into me like a scalpel.

I straightened my spine.

"Steinhart Corporation," I replied crisply.

"Steinhart?!" Asher choked, whipping toward me. "What the hell are you doing?!"

I didn’t dignify him with a response—just offered him a lazy side-eye that clearly said ‘fuck off.’

The woman chuckled, a sound that held both charm and warning.

"I received word that Steinhart would be sending a new negotiator," she said, steepling her fingers together. "But judging by the looks in this room..."

Her gaze swept us all, amusement flickering in her sharp blue eyes.

"You all seem... acquainted."

She leaned back in her chair, a smile curling on her lips—

"This," she purred, "is going to be fun."

A pause.

Her sharp gaze scanned each of us.

"The official negotiation begins today," she announced coolly.

"Like I said, CrownStar will only work with the best two companies. After a month, you’ll contact Jude with your proposed designs. The total development must be budgeted at five hundred and fifty million dollars—"

She smirked, folding her arms, "—and the lower your budget, the better it’ll be for you."

Her eyes gleamed.

"And above all—" her voice dipped, rich with warning, "—we want originality. A new vision. Not some recycled shadow of our past projects."

She leaned back in her chair, satisfied.

Outside, the corridor buzzed faintly with noise.

I had just stepped into the hallway when—

"Syra!"

Asher’s voice lashed out behind me.

Before I could escape, he grabbed my wrist, forcing me to a halt.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he barked, his grip tightening.

"I already told you," I snapped, yanking my hand free.

"It’s none of your goddamn business!"

"Enough, Syra!" he roared, his chest heaving.

"You promised to stay away! You never wanted Anythiny! So what the actual fuck are you doing now—Steinhart, seriously?!"

I let out a bitter chuckle, shaking my head.

"You know what, Asher? You're right."

I took a step closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"I never wanted to split things equally with you."

His expression flickered.

"What?"

I leaned in until he could feel the heat of my breath.

"Let’s be real for once, Asher. Ten years ago, you had nothing. Your pack was crumbling. Everything A&S owns now belongs to me."

I pulled back, folding my arms.

"And you think you deserve half?" I laughed coldly. "Does that even make sense?"

He stared at me, stunned, the words hitting harder than he expected.

"So what?" he finally ground out.

"So what?" I repeated mockingly, tilting my head.

I smirked.

"I’m taking it all back."

Every word I spoke dripped venom.

"Every damn penny. You’re going to regret what you did to me."

He scoffed, recovering with a lazy shrug.

"Seriously, Syra? We had an agreement. Ten years ago—you said if I didn’t fall in love with you, and Kate came back, we'd go our separate ways. I kept my end. I didn’t fall for you. Let’s just stick to the fucking promise."

My nails dug into my palms, rage blurring my vision.

"Syra!"

Lucien’s voice cut through the tension before I could explode.

I turned sharply, breathing hard, ignoring Asher’s smug look as I stalked toward Lucien.

We hadn't spoken in ten years.

He hadn’t even shown up at my wedding.

None of them had.

In every event, every gathering—they treated me like a ghost, like I had never been part of the pack.

Maybe they were right.

After all, I had abandoned my membership.

I had torn off my Moonstone, severing the bond to my wolf bloodline.

For ten long years, I hadn't felt my wolf truly breathe within me.

All for that bastard.

For a man who wasn’t even worth the empty, aching void he left behind.

Lucien fell into step beside me as we descended the marble stairs.

"You sure do have a way with surprises," he muttered.

Then he glanced at me with a crooked half-smile.

"You know... you haven’t changed a bit. You still look exactly like you did ten years ago."

I chuckled dryly.

"You jest, brother."

His smirk faded.

"And Father?" I asked quietly.

Lucien exhaled heavily, his jaw clenching.

"How do you think he is?" he muttered.

Right.

What answer was I expecting?

We neared the exit when he suddenly stopped.

His voice dropped low, serious.

"Listen, Syra. I want you to come back to the pack."

I blinked at him, stunned.

"Come back?" I exhaled. "You’re kidding, right?"

Lucien adjusted his coat with a frustrated sigh.

"I know what you're thinking. You think Father would never allow it. But it’s not his call anymore."

He met my gaze steadily.

"I’m the new Pack Leader. And I want you back."

"Lucien, it’s not that simple—"

"Stop."

His voice hardened, cutting through my excuses.

"Stop being that naïve little girl. You still don’t get it, do you?"

My throat tightened.

"Get what?"

"You’re stuck, Syra," he said bluntly.

"You haven’t grown. You haven’t aged."

I stared at him, confused.

"We of wolf blood," he continued, "we stop maturing when we cut off our bond to our wolves. It’s been ten years—and you're still frozen in time. Haven’t you even noticed?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I whispered, my heart pounding painfully against my ribs.

He exhaled harshly.

"You're endangering yourself. The longer you stay severed from your wolf, the more your body... your soul... will start to break down."

I stumbled back a step, shaking my head.

"No—no, that's not possible—"

"It is."

His eyes softened, voice dropping.

"Just consider it, Syra. Come back—before it’s too late."

He reached into his coat and pulled something out—

A small velvet pouch.

"I kept your Moonstone," he said quietly.

"As long as you and I share blood, you’re still part of the Moonclaw pack."

His voice drops before striding away, “You have to make a quick decision, it really means alot and for the future of our pack, I really wish you come back! Our pack depends on it,”