LOGIN"Rise and shine, Ivy. We're breaking camp before the sun hits the ridge."I sat up in my furs, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I watched Noah Pierce frantically stuff my spare tunics into my satchel."Is the moon even down yet? I thought we had the whole morning for the run.""The Alpha of the Programming Pack just got a howl from the elders. A massive security breach in the territory’s digital wards. Ryder Global needs them back at the Spire immediately."I sighed, feeling the weight of a night poorly spent. "I bet Cole Ryder has his fingerprints all over those 'bugs' just to cut our time short.""Next time, Ivy," Noah promised, pressing a quick, supportive palm to my forehead. "I'll make sure we get our retreat without the Alpha's shadow hanging over us.""Just get the bags to the transport," I muttered, still feeling the phantom heat of Cole's stare from the night before.On the trek back to the city, the air in the coach was suffocating. Cole and his shadow, Mason Clark, were al
"Are you pledged to him?"The golden hue in Cole’s eyes flared, hunting for a lie as I struggled in the shade of the jungle. I met his gaze with a sharp, defiant smile."He respects my scent, Cole. He doesn't force a claim. He provides for the pack and makes sure I’m fed and sheltered without making me beg for scraps of his attention. Compared to an Alpha who thrives on silence and riddles, it wasn’t hard to choose him."I didn't give him the satisfaction of a direct 'yes,' but my words bit like a challenge. Cole’s fingers dug into my chin, his grip tightening with a sudden, possessive heat that made me wince. I snarled, wrenching my face away from his hand."Alpha Ryder, I assume a wolf of your stature has too much pride to play the role of a secret lover to another man’s mate."I didn't wait for his roar. I turned and bolted back toward the huts, leaving him standing in the shadows, his aura so heavy with gloom it felt like the trees themselves were wilting.By the time the moon beg
“I told you I’d handle it, Cole. Look at them.”I stood by the window of the SUV, my heart hammering against my ribs as I watched the pack gather near the entrance of Pacific Heights Medical Center. Ivy was there—my Ivy—standing beside that pup, Noah. He had set up a ridiculous display of glowing moon-lilies in the shape of a heart right on the transit path to the ER.Cole’s gaze met mine in the rearview mirror, his eyes flashing a dangerous, predatory gold. The air in the car turned heavy, thick with the scent of a dominant Alpha’s brewing rage. If glares could shred skin, Noah would have been a pile of bones.Noah realized it, too. He went stiff, his tail practically tucked, and wisely shut his mouth. He probably thought the tension would just simmer out. He was wrong.I watched Cole pull out his phone, his voice a low, terrifying growl.“Enforcer? I’m reporting a public disturbance near the medical center. Some omega is blocking the emergency run with a fire hazard. Clear it. Now.”
"If I have to sell my soul to pay for a piece of jewelry I didn’t even want to touch, then so be it. But don't think for a second that putting me in a cage will make you any more of a Luna."The air in the ballroom of the Ryder Family Gala felt like it was thickening into lead. I stood there, my fingers trembling as I gripped my phone, staring at the screen. A million dollars. That was the starting price for a sapphire relic like the one Jane Yoris had worn. I felt the walls of the world closing in—the same walls that had crushed my father, Richard Mercer."In that case, the Enforcers can deal with you," Sara Yoris sneered, her eyes gleaming with the triumph of a predator who finally had its prey cornered. She reached for her own device, ready to summon the pack police."It’s just a trinket, Sara. There’s no need to hunt Ivy down over a broken stone. Let it go."William Yoris stepped from the shadows of the pillars, his voice weary. I saw the way he looked at me—a flicker of the same
"You want a tribute? Is that it? Does the High Alpha of the West Coast truly need a parting gift from the girl who has nothing left?"The words were a jagged blade in my chest. For weeks, I’d been fighting the ghosts of our nights together—shoving them into the dark corners of the Ryder Penthouse. I’d convinced myself I was over the man with the slate-grey eyes. But the moment Cole Ryder spoke, those two months of silence shattered like cheap glass.The scent of cedar and ozone hit me first. He looked thinner, his jawline sharper, like he’d been starving himself of more than just sleep."It’s been quite some time, Ivy," he said.I looked at the elevator doors, my fingers digging into my palms. I wasn't going to let him see the wreckage he’d left behind."So it has," I replied, my voice a forced melody of indifference. "I hear the Ryder-Yoris union is moving at a gallop. Congratulations, High Alpha.""Ivy—""Actually, you should be the one congratulating me," I interrupted, flashing a
"He looks half-starved," I thought, my heart doing a traitorous leap. "Does he even have time to breathe, or is he just too busy preparing for a life with someone else to remember to eat?"The elevator doors had barely finished sliding open when I saw him. Cole. It had been nearly eight weeks of silence—eight weeks of me trying to scrub the scent of cedar and dark musk from my skin and my memories. He stood there, the undisputed High Alpha of the West Coast, looking sharper and more lethal than ever, yet there was a gauntness to his face that made his amber eyes seem twice as predatory."Good afternoon, Ivy," he said, his voice a cool, detached rasp that made the hair on my arms stand up. "It’s been quite some time."I adjusted the strap of my bag, my fingers digging into the leather to keep from trembling. I’d spent two months convincing myself I was over him. I’d worked double shifts at Pacific Heights until my vision blurred, spent my weekends helping Gabe navigate the legal remain
I didn’t need to see the cold calculation in Jane Yoris’s eyes to know she was marking her territory. She turned to Talia Brooks, her voice a sharp whip. "I don’t pay for your anxiety, Talia. If you have energy to waste, spend it on making sure Blake actually follows through on the mating ceremony.
"Don't cause any more scenes. You'd better find a way to make that 'pregnancy' disappear before the Ryders realize they're being played."Talia’s heart sank. Jane was cutting her loose. But she had no leverage left, so she simply nodded and retreated.As soon as Talia was gone, Jane dialed the admi
“So what? You lack any concrete evidence to prove I’m not carrying a pup. You can’t topple me, and I certainly won’t be helping you with the board. In fact, I’ll make sure your life becomes a living nightmare if you dare breathe a single word of this to anyone.”In Talia’s mind, I was just a quiet
Cole knew he should leave, but the way I was looking at him—like a lost pup seeking shelter in a storm—made it impossible to walk away.We didn't leave the bathroom for three hours. By the time he finally carried me out, steam still clinging to our skin, I was already drifting into an exhausted sle







