CHAPTER 4

It was Monday. I raced toward Pacific Heights Medical Center. While the Ryder world thrived on power and territory, I spent my days as a low-level healer-in-training, an intern in the frantic chaos of the Emergency Ward. My stipend was barely enough to keep me in wolf-kibble, let alone pay for elite life support.

Sally Gray, my fellow intern and the only one who hadn't abandoned me when my father, Richard, was imprisoned, handed me a breakfast wrap.

"You're late, Ivy. Oversleep?"

"Something like that," I muttered, pulling on my white medical coat.

Sally leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You're glowing, though. Did you finally let a certain someone past your scent-guard?"

My face burned. I could almost feel the weight of Cole’s hands on my waist from the night before. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Liar. I’ve seen enough mating marks to know that flush. And girl... pull up your collar. You’ve got a shadow on your neck that looks suspiciously like a high-ranking bite."

I yanked the fabric up. "Fine. You caught me."

"Oh my Goddess! You finally did it? Was it Blake? I know he's a snake, but he's a well-built snake. How was the... stamina?"

The name felt like a slap. "Sally, it wasn't Blake. Not by a long shot."

Sally’s jaw dropped. She checked the hallway for eavesdropping nurses. "Ivy, I love you, but the pack elders will have your head if they find out you’re seeing someone else while the engagement contract is still being litigated. If Blake catches you—"

"Blake is irrelevant. He cast me out, Sally. The bond is severed."

I told her everything—the betrayal, Talia, and the fall of the Mercer name. Sally’s fury was instant. "That mangy cur! You dodged a silver bullet, Ivy. You're better off without a Ryder in your bed."

I smiled, though it felt hollow. "Exactly. I’m just focusing on survival now."

During my lunch break, I met with Noah Pierce in the hospital’s glass-walled cafe. He was every bit the Ryder Global elite—sharp, efficient, and wearing a suit that cost more than my apartment building.

"Sign here," Noah said, sliding a parchment across the table. "This grants you a percentage of the moon-essence whiskey sold at SkyDeck 71. The credits will be deposited directly into your mother’s medical account."

It happened so fast. By the time Sally walked past and saw me with the heir of the Pierce family, the deal was done.

"Was that the Noah Pierce?" Sally hissed once he left. "What were you two doing?"

"Business," I said. I'm sleeping with his boss, I thought, but the words stayed trapped in my throat.

Sally’s eyes went wide. "Business? Right. Just remember to use protection, Ivy. High-Alpha bloodlines are potent—you don't want an unplanned pup while you're still an intern!"

"It's not like that!" I groaned. "It’s a contract for the SkyDeck."

"Sure, and I'm a mermaid," Sally winked. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to mention Cole. Whether it was because he was Blake’s uncle or because I wanted to keep the memory of his scent to myself, I stayed silent.

That evening, Sally insisted on taking me to our favorite spot—a high-end restaurant on the edge of the neutral territory.

"Do you have a reservation?" the waiter asked, his tone cool as he scanned our faded coats.

"We do," Sally said. But before we could step inside, a shrill, familiar voice cut through the air.

"Since when does this place allow strays from the lower wards? Can they even afford the water here?"

Talia Brooks was standing there, draped in designer furs and flanked by her personal attendants. The manager practically tripped over his own feet to greet her.

"Miss Brooks! Welcome back!"

"Talia," Sally snapped, "did you forget to wash your pelt? You smell like desperate ambition."

Talia’s face twisted. "Manager, these two are nobodies. Their presence ruins the atmosphere for the High Pack. Throw them out."

The manager looked at us with disdain. "Ladies, we don't welcome troublemakers. Please find a... more appropriate alleyway to eat in."

"She started it!" I argued, but it didn't matter. Talia was a VIP; I was a Mercer.

"Leave now," the manager sneered, "or I’ll have you blacklisted from every establishment in the territory."

Talia laughed, her eyes gleaming with malice. "See? No money, no power, just two bitches barking at the moon. You're nothing but Blake's sloppy seconds, Ivy."

Sally went for her throat, but the waiters intervened, shoving us toward the door. I stumbled, my ankle twisting as I was pushed, and I braced for the hard pavement.

Instead, I fell into a solid wall of heat. A scent of winter pine and ancient forest flooded my senses. My heart hammered against my ribs.

I turned and looked up into the icy, golden eyes of Cole Ryder.

"Are you harmed?" he asked. I didn't imagine it—there was a flicker of genuine concern beneath his frozen exterior.

"I'm fine," I whispered.

The manager rushed over, his face pale. "Mr. Ryder! These women were causing a scene, we were just—"

"Are you sure the scene wasn't of your own making?" Cole’s voice was a low, dangerous rumble.

Talia scrambled forward, trying to look innocent. "Uncle Cole! I can explain. These two were being unreasonable, and the manager was just protecting your family's interests."

She stared at him, her pupils dilating. She had always been obsessed with the Alpha of Alphas. Cole gave her a look so cold it could have withered a forest.

"Do I know you?"

Talia froze. "I... I'm Talia Brooks. Blake's fiancée."

"The Elders haven't announced a new engagement," Cole remarked, his words like a slap to her face. "And don't call me Uncle. You haven't earned the right to address a Ryder, and at this rate, you never will."

The surrounding guests began to whisper. Talia was trembling with humiliation, especially when she saw Sally and me stifling our laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" she shrieked at us.

"The truth is usually funny," I replied.

Cole frowned at the commotion. Noah Pierce appeared behind him, having just parked the car. "Mr. Ryder, what is the delay?"

"Noah, what kind of management are we allowing in our partnered venues?"

Noah took one look at the cowering manager and sighed. "I'll handle the termination and the blacklist immediately."

"Wait!" Talia tried to flee, but Cole’s voice pinned her to the spot. "Indeed, it's unpleasant to see a scavenger in a place of fine dining. Noah, add Miss Brooks to the list. She is no longer welcome in any Ryder-affiliated establishment."

Talia shrieked as the bouncers—who had been ready to throw us out—now escorted her to the curb. In the scuffle, her expensive dress caught on the door and tore, leaving her looking as disheveled as the 'strays' she’d mocked.

Cole didn't wait for a thank you. He walked toward a private VIP suite, Noah following closely behind. But as Noah passed me, he stopped.

"Miss Mercer, your private table is ready. The Alpha has waived all expenses for you and your friend tonight. Enjoy the moonrise."

Sally was practically vibrating with excitement. "Ivy! Your 'business partner' is amazing! Noah Pierce is so handsome—I guess sleeping with the elite has its perks!"

I realized then that Sally still thought Noah was the one I was seeing. Before I could correct her, she looked at Cole’s retreating back.

"But God... Mr. Ryder is on another level. That power? Those eyes? I wonder what it’s like to be claimed by a man like that."

I looked at the closed door of the VIP suite and whispered, "Not bad."

Sally stared at me. "How would you know?"

"I... I’m just guessing," I stammered, my face turning crimson.