LOGIN“Don’t worry about how well you carve the lines. Consider it an exchange of pack knowledge.”“Chloe Hurst!” Noah roared, his throat vibrating with a suppressed warning rumble. He could see through her cruel game, knowing she was trying to drag me to the middle of the pavilion to turn me into a laughingstock for the entire regional territory.“Mr. Pierce, don't let your inner wolf get defensive,” Chloe said, her voice dropping into a smooth, political purr that didn't match the malice in her eyes. “I am merely inviting Dr. Mercer to strike a few runes for our mutual growth. You know the Grand Mistress, Emily Quinn, demands traditional lineage rituals. These gatherings will be a weekly requirement once she joins the Quinn pack circle. If she is this thin-skinned over a simple quill, how will she ever bear the weight of our ancestral laws?”Chloe’s logic was seamlessly wrapped in tribal protocol, leaving Noah’s jaw locked. He couldn't find a loophole to counter her words without disrespe
“Walking the neutral grounds looking like meat will get you hunted, little wolf.”The slurs from the lower-ranked strays lingering outside the theater theater weren’t whispered. They sniffed the air, tracking my scent, eyes flashing a dirty yellow in the dim light of the alley.“Hey, gorgeous! Lost your pack?” a brute in a scarred pickup truck yelled, pulling up to the curb.“You look cold in that silk dress. Why don't you hop in the back? We can keep each other warm before the moon sets.”The trucks circled me, their engines growling, trapping me against the brick wall. My breath hitched. I cursed myself for dressing up for Noah Pierce like a naive omega. Just as I was calculating my chances of shifted combat in heels, a massive, midnight-black modified tank of a truck swerved from the main road, slamming directly into the lead pickup’s rear axle with a deafening screech of tearing metal.I flinched, shielding my face from the flying glass.The hazard lights of the massive rig pulsed
"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
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
"What do you want, Cole?" I asked, my voice as flat and cold as the river stones beneath the ferry.I didn't answer his question. I didn't want to explain why a Mercer was drinking alone at the site of her family’s ruin. My coldness seemed to catch him off guard; I could see the subtle shift in his
My skin prickled as Cole pressed me back against the leather. Was the Alpha of the West Coast really doing this in a hospital lot? In the shadow of his own dying father’s ward?Blake’s scent—sharp with anxiety and unearned pride—lingered just outside the glass. I could see his silhouette bending, t
Yes, this male didn’t offer to hand over billions in territory and titles because he felt some sudden fated-mate bond. He simply believed she was incapable of carrying a pup!"Forget it. I have no desire to bring a new life into this world with you."I forced my gaze toward the car window, letting







