All Chapters of The Untamed Matriarch : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I leaned against the cold concrete of the Pacific Behavioral Unit, the metallic tang of the silver-lined walls scraping the back of my throat. My wolf was a frantic mess under my skin, pacing and whimpering at the heavy magnetic dampeners that kept our shifting side on a leash.“Julian’s father is Mason Cross,” I whispered to the empty air, the realization hitting like a physical blow.The "rich kid" from the bookstore was the heir to the most ruthless Alpha in the West Coast Territories. Of course Julian needed a bodyguard. Of course he had Lunar Diamonds. And of course he’d been using me—a "plain" psychologist with a buried bloodline—as a shield to hide his true nature from a father who demanded a pure, traditional legacy. Julian didn't want a soulmate; he wanted a mask.The heavy titanium door groaned open. Two Betas, their hands twitching near their silver-tipped batons, escorted a man into the room.I stood up, my chair screeching against the floor. I expected a monster. I expect

"What's the problem with that?" I snapped. The air in the kitchen felt too thick. My wolf was a silent, restless ghost under my skin, but my human side was starting to burn.Harper leaned over her plate, a sharp grin cutting across her face. "Rowan, come on. Don’t you want a male who makes your blood boil? Not some pup who gives you a dry peck on the cheek, but an Alpha who pins you down, who makes you want to claw his back until—""Alright, that’s enough." Samuel held up a hand, though a dry chuckle escaped him. "More than a father needs to hear over breakfast."Harper laughed, but her eyes were like flint. "Sorry, Dad. But seriously, Rowan. Are you sure Julian isn't... playing for the other team?"My face went scorched earth. I stared at my eggs, my throat tightening. How the hell did she sniff it out that fast?"Oh my god," she breathed, her fork clattering. "He is, isn't he?""No!" I barked, stabbing a piece of ham. "He’s just—"Harper’s roar of laughter drowned me out."Enough, H

"Grab her," Mason barked.Nikolai, his Enforcer, didn't hesitate. He stepped into the strobe lights, snatched me by the waist, and heaved me over his shoulder like a kill from a hunt."Let go! What the hell? Mason!" I thrashed, my fists drumming against Nikolai’s back. My silver silk dress rode up, exposing the pale skin of my thighs to the crowded club. "Please! My sister!"Mason didn't even look back. He carved a path through the sea of shifters, his presence so suffocating the crowd parted like a wounded beast. Nikolai gave me a sharp, bone-rattling shake. The air left my lungs in a pathetic whimper. I went still, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his shoulder blades.Not a single soul moved to stop the King of the West Coast from dragging a female out into the salt-thick night.His black SUV sat idling at the curb. Nikolai tossed me into the leather interior—hard—and slammed the door. The locks engaged with a heavy, metallic snick. Mason rounded the hood, his movements f

My mother’s face in my mind was always a blur of laughter and copper hair just like mine. How could that woman—the one who tucked me in with stories of old forests—be the mistress of a Syndicate shark?"This is... mine?" I rasped, taking the parchment from Mason’s hand.The clinical black ink was a death warrant for my old life. Subject A: Rowan Blake. Subject B: Victor Aldridge. Match: 99.9%. Paternity Confirmed."You're lucky I'm the one who tracked you," Mason said, his arms folding over his massive chest, the fabric of his shirt straining against his shoulders.I looked up, a bitter laugh bubbling in my throat. "Lucky? To be hunted in a den, tossed over an Enforcer's shoulder, and bled like a lab rat? You have a twisted definition of luck, Cross."A ghost of a smirk twitched at his mouth. He didn't deny it."Information is the only currency that matters, Rowan," he continued. "If a scavenger like Dean had sniffed this out, he wouldn't be giving you a room with a view. He’d be mail

"Like each other? Julian, you like—""Quiet!" He threw his hand out, eyes darting to the heavy oak door with a flash of genuine anxiety. "Rowan, be careful. The walls in the Cross Estate have ears, and my brother’s are the sharpest."I looked at the door, my skin crawling. "He bugs the guest suites?""He doesn't need tech. He has Enforcers and his own instincts," Julian murmured. He turned back to me, his expression softening. "Are you furious with me?"I exhaled, sitting up on the silk duvet. My first love had been a lie, a shield he used to hide his true nature from a hyper-masculine Syndicate. Now, he was asking me to step back into the cage."I'm not mad, Julian," I said softly. "I’m just... tired. I want a mate who chooses me. Not an Alpha who claims me because our fathers signed a blood-treaty twenty years ago. And certainly not someone who—"He winced, and I bit back the rest."—someone who isn't wired to want me," I finished.He sat on the edge of the bed, tentatively reaching