Chapter 4

Anna

Anna sat cross-legged on the edge of her couch, Michael’s black card lying on the coffee table like it was mocking her.

She’d been staring at it for ten minutes.

Every time she reached for her phone, her fingers hovered above the screen but wouldn’t type. What would she even say? “Hi, I’m the woman you approached in a hotel bar because your eyes basically melted me alive”? No. That was ridiculous.

She sighed and leaned back, running her hands through her hair.

The clatter of toy cars snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Mommy, look! It’s a race!”

Her son, Ethan, sat on the carpet, his chubby little hands pushing two cars—one red, one blue—across the rug with all the enthusiasm of a five-year-old who believed the fate of the world depended on which car made it to the coffee table first.

“Red’s winning!” he announced, his brown eyes lighting up.

Anna smiled, instantly softening. “You sure? I think blue’s catching up.”

“Nope. Red’s faster. Super speed.” Ethan made a loud “vroom” sound as the car skidded into the leg of the table. “See? Red wins again!”

Anna laughed, scooping him up from the floor and planting a kiss on his messy dark curls. “Red is lucky to have a driver like you.”

He giggled, wriggling out of her arms. “Again! But now you have to pick a car, Mommy.”

“Alright,” she said, sliding off the couch to sit with him. She picked up the blue car, still glancing at Michael’s card in the corner of her eye. “Blue’s coming for you this time.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes like a tiny, serious competitor. “Not gonna happen.”

For the next fifteen minutes, the hotel bar, Michael’s piercing blue eyes, and the strange pull she felt all faded as she let Ethan’s laughter fill the room. He was her world. Her reason for everything. Every late night at the office, every stressful contract review, every fight to give him a life she hadn’t had.

But when he finally collapsed in her lap, yawning and mumbling about superheroes, her mind returned to the black card on the table.

She traced the edge of it with her fingers while Ethan dozed against her. What if Michael wasn’t just some stranger? What if this pull meant something?

Her phone buzzed with a text—just a reminder from work about an upcoming filing deadline. She almost laughed. It was like life itself was telling her, stay in your lane.

But she couldn’t shake him.

The way his voice had dropped when he said her name. The way he’d looked at her, like he saw something beyond what anyone else ever noticed.

“Mommy?” Ethan murmured, half-asleep.

“Yes, baby?”

“Who’s Michael?”

Anna blinked, startled. “What? Where’d you hear that name?”

“You said it,” Ethan mumbled, his eyes already closing again.

Anna froze. She hadn’t said his name out loud—had she?

Her chest tightened. She glanced at the card again.

⸻

Anna’s heart hadn’t stopped racing since Ethan drifted off in her lap.

Did I really say his name out loud? she wondered, gently lifting her sleeping son and carrying him to his room. She tucked him in, brushing a curl from his forehead. He murmured something incoherent and rolled onto his side, hugging his stuffed wolf like always.

Back in the living room, she stood over the card.

It was just cardboard.

But it felt like a door.

She picked up her phone again, thumb hovering. Then she paced. Then sat. Then stood again. She didn’t do this. She didn’t get flustered by men—especially not mysterious, commanding, way-out-of-her-league men who exuded power like it was stitched into their bones.

But Michael had gotten under her skin from the moment he spoke. And if she didn’t at least try…

Anna took a breath and typed:

Anna:

Hi… it’s Anna. From the Ritz. I wasn’t sure if I should reach out, but… here I am.

She hit send before she could delete it. Immediately, she regretted every word.

“Ugh,” she muttered, setting the phone down like it had burned her. She headed to the kitchen, opened the fridge, stared inside like a snack would give her answers. It hadn’t even been thirty seconds. She refused to look at her phone again.

It buzzed.

She froze.

It buzzed again.

She practically tripped over herself getting back to the couch, unlocking her phone with shaking hands.

Michael:

I was hoping you would.

Another message came in, seconds later:

Michael:

I haven’t stopped thinking about you.

Anna blinked, staring at the screen.

Her stomach flipped.

Before she could even form a reply, a third message arrived.

Michael:

When can I see you again?

She exhaled slowly and let herself lean into the couch cushions, fingers pressed against her lips.

The last time someone had made her feel this way, it ended in disappointment and heartache. But Michael didn’t feel like a risk. He felt like a force—steady, sure, and unrelenting.

And something in her—the quiet, intuitive part that often saved her before logic could catch up—told her she wouldn’t regret saying yes.

Her thumbs tapped quickly before she could change her mind.

Anna:

I’m free Friday night after I put my son to bed.

Would that work?

The response came almost immediately.

Michael:

Tell me when and where. I’ll be there.

And just like that, the line was crossed.

She wasn’t sure where it would lead.

But she had the feeling she wouldn’t be walking alone.

⸻

Michael

The sun had barely started to set beyond the tree line, casting a golden hue across the back windows of the estate. Michael stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall in his study, nursing a glass of aged whiskey as his thoughts drifted—not to business, not to Pack matters, but to her.

Anna.

He didn’t know what to make of it. Of her. Of the way his entire body had reacted the moment he saw her. The way his wolf had recognized her before his mind had caught up. And now, after just one meeting, it was like something inside him had settled—but in the same breath, a tension had begun to build beneath the surface.

Because she didn’t know the truth.

Not yet.

And she wasn’t one of them.

A soft knock pulled him from his thoughts.

“Come in,” he said, voice low.

The door creaked open, and Lydia, his housekeeper—and the closest thing he had to family besides his blood—stepped in holding his phone. “Your mother again,” she said, her expression unreadable. “Third time in the last hour.”

Michael closed his eyes briefly, steeling himself. “Put her through.”

Lydia handed him the phone and disappeared without another word.

He answered with a quiet, “Mother.”

“Michael,” she said, her voice regal and crisp as always. “I know you’re busy, but I’m coming by this weekend.”

He didn’t respond.

“I’ve arranged a visit with Alina. She’s excited to see you again. She’s just returned from her studies in Switzerland and is—well, breathtaking, honestly. Strong bloodline. Fluent in three languages. She’ll make a wonderful Luna.”

Michael exhaled through his nose. “You shouldn’t be involving yourself in this.”

“Nonsense. You’re Alpha. It’s time you consider your legacy. The Pack needs stability.”

“I am stability.”

“And what comes after you?” she pushed. “You’ve spent years avoiding the matter. You’re not getting younger, and—”

“I’m not discussing this now.”

“Fine,” she said coolly. “Just know I’ll be at the estate on Saturday. You can at least be polite.”

The call ended before he could say another word.

Michael let out a low growl and set the phone down hard on his desk. His wolf stirred inside him—not with rage, but with restlessness. Territorial.

He walked to the grand fireplace and stared into the unlit hearth, fists flexing.

He hadn’t told his mother about Anna. About the pull. About the fact that his wolf had claimed someone already.

Because to her—and to most of the Pack—mate bonds were sacred, yes, but not always respected when they involved humans. And if the Council caught wind that their Alpha’s fated mate was not of their kind…

It would raise questions.

Challenge his authority.

Maybe even threaten her.

Michael’s jaw clenched.

He wasn’t ready to share Anna with that world yet. Not until she knew everything. And not until he was sure she would choose to stay once she did.

But there was one thing he was sure of.

He had no interest in meeting Alina. Or anyone else his mother deemed “perfect.”

Because he’d already found the one meant for him.

And whether she was ready or not…

She was his.

—————

Anna

Anna stared at the clothes spread out across her bed like a crime scene.

Three dresses, two pairs of jeans, one skirt, and a blouse she hadn’t worn since her cousin’s engagement party. And none of them felt right.

What does one wear to see a man who looks like he commands empires before breakfast?

She ran her fingers through her curls, letting out a frustrated groan as she collapsed onto the mattress. A soft thump came from the hallway.

“Mommy,” Ethan’s small voice called, followed by the soft padding of his feet.

She sat up quickly. “What’s up, baby?”

He peeked into the room, pajama-clad and clutching his stuffed wolf. “Are you going somewhere?”

Anna’s heart tugged. “Just for a little while. Aunt Dawn is going to stay here with you, remember?”

He nodded slowly, then squinted at the pile of clothes. “You’re getting fancy.”

She laughed. “Not that fancy.”

Ethan walked up to the bed and pointed to the simple black dress she’d nearly ignored. “I like this one. You look like a superhero in it.”

Anna blinked, then smiled. “Do I?”

He nodded solemnly, clearly serious.

“Then black dress it is,” she said, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Thank you, little man.”

As Ethan wandered off to the living room for movie night prep, her phone rang. She grabbed it off the dresser and grinned at the name on the screen.

Dawn.

“Tell me you’re not still stress-changing,” Dawn said before Anna could say hello.

“I was done… until I wasn’t.”

“You already chose the first one, didn’t you?”

Anna flopped back on the bed. “Okay, maybe.”

“I knew it. What are you wearing now?”

“The black dress. The one with the square neckline.”

“Oh, good choice. It’s like ‘I’m classy, but I might break your heart if you’re not careful.’”

Anna laughed, holding the phone to her ear as she stood and walked to the mirror. “Is this insane?”

“Yes,” Dawn said. “But so was going out with that guy who owned seven cats and still lived with his mom, and you survived that.”

“This feels… different,” Anna admitted softly.

Dawn’s tone shifted. “Yeah. Because it is. This isn’t some guy from an app. This man made you forget you were in public. You haven’t smiled like that in forever.”

“I don’t know anything about him,” Anna murmured, tugging slightly at the hem of her dress.

“You know enough. He makes you feel seen. That’s a damn good start.”

Anna looked at her reflection, biting her lip. “I just… I feel like I’m standing at the edge of something. And once I step off, there’s no going back.”

There was a pause.

“Then take the step,” Dawn said. “You’ve spent the last five years being careful. Maybe now it’s time to be a little bold.”

Anna swallowed, nodding even though her friend couldn’t see her.

“You’ll be okay,” Dawn added, soft now. “And if he hurts you, I’ll flatten his tires and key his car.”

Anna laughed. “Thank you for your support, as always.”

“Anytime. Now go knock him dead. I’ll be here eating popcorn and keeping your superhero sidekick entertained.”

Anna ended the call, her nerves steadier than before. She finished her light makeup, slid on her jacket, and grabbed her purse.

As she stood in the doorway, she looked back once at Ethan—already curled on the couch with his movie playing and a blanket up to his chin.

“I’ll be home in a few hours, okay?”

“Okay. Tell your friend I said hi.”

Her heart squeezed again. She didn’t know what this night would bring. But she knew one thing—

She was ready to find out.