CHAPTER 5

I called my second-in-command before the elevator doors even hissed shut. "Sierra Vaughn was just airlifted off Steele land. I want a tail on that bird. Find out which Alpha is funding this circus."

"Do you actually care, Cam?" Lexi’s voice was a jagged needle. She clung to my arm, her scent sour with jealousy. "She left with another man the second you cut her loose. She’s probably been warming his bed for months."

I shook her off, my jaw tightening until the bone felt like it would snap. "Shut it, Lexi. I have to report this to Naomi. If the pack elders find out I let a 'relic' Avanish into another Alpha’s territory, it looks like a security breach. Sierra is a nobody, but the Steele reputation isn't."

Lexi gnashed her teeth, a low growl vibrating in her throat. She hated that even in exile, Sierra’s shadow loomed over the Residence.

The Northlands blurred beneath us, a vast expanse of dark pines and jagged peaks. Freedom tasted like the biting wind whipping through the cabin.

Thirty minutes later, we hovered over a fortress-like structure carved directly into the mountain—the Vaughn Estates. As the skids touched down, two rows of wolves in obsidian tactical gear snapped to attention.

"Welcome home, Lady Sierra!" their voices boomed, a unified roar that vibrated in my very marrow.

I stumbled back. This wasn't a rescue; it was a military honors ceremony.

At the end of the line stood Patricia, looking fragile against the wind, and a man who looked like he had been sculpted from ancient stone. He wore a dark, tailored suit that couldn't hide the massive frame of a high-ranking predator.

"Sierra, you're here." Patricia rushed forward, her hug nearly crushing my ribs. "I knew those Steele bastards were draining you. Thank the Moon it’s over. You can start over now. No more hiding."

I nodded, my throat too thick with unshed tears to speak.

"Come," Patricia said, wiping her eyes. "Meet your eldest. This is Landon Vaughn."

I looked up at Landon. He was beautiful in a terrifying way—stark, arrogant, radiating a dominant power that made the air feel heavy. He looked like the kind of Alpha who broke worlds before breakfast.

Landon scanned me. I felt the weight of his gaze on my thin wrists, my ragged clothes, the exhaustion etched into my skin. His knuckles whitened as he balled his fists, his scent turning sharp and jagged with a protective fury he was clearly trying to suppress.

"Um... hi," I whispered. My voice sounded tiny. "Nice to meet you."

Landon winced. The distance in my tone seemed to hit him harder than a physical blow. He moved toward me tentatively, like I was a wounded animal that might bolt.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked, his voice a low, vibrating rumble. "Anything at all. Name it."

I looked at my scuffed boots. "I want to go home."

Landon’s eyes darkened. He probably thought of the Steele Residence. He didn't know that for me, home was a tiny, drafty room where I’d spent three years hiding from the world.

"We’re not going back there," Patricia intervened, sensing the tension. "Your brothers and the rest of the Vaughn Circle are converging. You’ll meet them, and then we go to the inner territories. Home is where the blood is, Sierra."

Landon led us toward the private elevators. "I've secured the top floors. We'll eat first. You look like you haven't seen a meal in weeks."

We descended into a lavish dining hall. It was all gold leaf and ancient stone. Landon stepped away to take a call. A woman’s voice—bright and sharp—came through the speaker.

"Landon? I’ve got the deeds to the valley, the silver-fox furs, and the keys to the armored fleet. What does she like?"

Landon sighed, rubbing his temples. "Set it aside, Ivy."

"Why?"

"She isn't interested in the gold, Ivy. I think... I've already messed this up. She looks at me like I’m a stranger. Because I am."

"Of course you are, you idiot! You lost her for twenty years. You can't just throw estates at her and expect a hug. Try being a human for once. Or at least a brother."

In the restaurant lobby, Patricia squeezed my hand. "Landon’s rich, Sierra. Beyond Steele's wildest dreams. You'll never have to scrap again."

"Rich families are just bigger cages, Auntie," I muttered. "I was dumped once. Who says they won't do it again?"

"Don't you dare say that! You’re a Vaughn."

Suddenly, the glass doors hissed open. Two people I never wanted to see again stormed in: Bob and Mary, my adoptive parents.

"There she is! The ungrateful little bitch!" Mary shrieked, her voice echoing off the marble.

"You found your gold mine and forgot the people who kept you alive?" Bob spat on the floor. "We took you in when you were a stray! We saved you!"

I stepped in front of Patricia, my eyes cold. "You didn't save me. You used me as a slave. You let me starve until Aunt Patricia forced you to give me up. And Uncle James? He’s dying because you refused to pay his debts."

Mary lunged forward, her claws half-extended. "I'll teach you some respect, you brat—"

"Who thinks they're touching my sister?"

Landon’s voice didn't just carry; it commanded. He strode over, the air around him crackling with Alpha pressure. The bodyguards moved like shadows behind him.

Mary froze, looking up at Landon’s towering frame. "I'm her mother! I'm disciplining my child!"

"She is a Vaughn," Landon said, his voice deathly quiet. "She was never yours."

Bob’s eyes lit up with sudden greed. "Oh, so you're the rich brother? Look, raising a kid isn't cheap. We want compensation. Five million. Cash."

Mary nodded frantically. "Yeah! Five million or we tell the pack elders you're harboring a runaway!"

Landon tilted his head, a dark, amused smirk playing on his lips. "Only five million? You're insulting her."

He stepped closer, his shadow swallowing them both. "My sister is worth at least a hundred million in blood-debt alone. Tell me... how would you like to be paid? In gold... or in broken bones?"

Dominic sent Bob flying with a single kick. The man hit the marble floor and didn't get back up. Mary shrieked, cowering against a pillar.

"Go to the table, Sierra," Landon said, his voice suddenly gentle as he turned to me. "I'll handle the trash."

I hesitated, then led Patricia away. I heard the muffled sounds of a struggle behind me, the heavy thud of fists, and then silence. When Landon joined us ten minutes later, he was wiping a stray drop of blood from his knuckles with a silk napkin.

"They've left," he said simply. "They felt... ashamed of their behavior."

I looked at him, then at the lavish menu. "Are you really that rich?"

Landon remembered Ivy's warning. He didn't want to scare me away with his status. "No," he lied smoothly. "I just work in real estate. I'm a broker. I rented the helicopter to make a good first impression."

"And the bodyguards?"

"Hired by the hour," he said, handing the lead guard a stack of cash. "Thanks for the help, boys. You're dismissed."

The guard looked confused but took the money and scrambled out.

"What about the rest of the family?" I asked.

"Well," Landon started, "Miles works in tech—he's a bit of a geek. Aaron is a vet. Julian teaches piano. Cole is a junior lawyer at a firm. And Ryder? He’s just an extra in movies. We’re all just regular wolves, Sierra. Just like you."

I felt a wave of relief. No billionaires. No high-stakes pack politics. Just a family of regular guys. "That's... that's actually better. I don't like rich people."

Landon smiled, though it looked a bit pained. "Good. Then let's eat. Tomorrow, we go to my 'small' apartment."

I fell asleep in the hotel suite feeling safe for the first time in years. At 7:00 AM, my alarm went off. Habit. For three years, I’d woken up at this time to cook for Cameron.

I reached out and smashed the 'off' button.

Cameron Steele could starve for all I cared. I was a Vaughn now.