Alexander’s POV
The business dinner with Alpha Malcolm was proceeding exactly as planned, but something felt off. I couldn’t pinpoint the source of my unease.
Suzanna, Alpha Malcolm’s mistress, kept giving me strange looks across the table.
There was something in her eyes that unsettled my wolf–recognition, perhaps, or calculation.
“So we’re agreed on the territorial boundaries for the joint venture?” Malcolm was saying, his fingers drumming against his whiskey glass. “Your pack handles security, mine handles logistics?”
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral despite my wolf’s growing agitation. “The terms are acceptable.”
The female wolf Malcolm had brought along as entertainment–a voluptuous redhead–slid closer to me on the leather booth, her thigh pressing against mine.
Her heavy perfume assaulted my senses, making my wolf snarl in rejection.
“Alpha Blackwood,” she purred, trailing her fingers along my forearm, “I’ve heard so much about your… strength.”
I shifted away subtly, my wolf bristling at her unwanted touch.
Ever since I’d broken off my engagement with Isabelle Laurent three months ago, females had been even more aggressive in their pursuit.
“Excuse me,” I said abruptly, rising to my feet. “I need some air.”
Alpha Malcolm raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Of course, Alexander. Take your time.”
I strode from the private room, ignoring Suzanna’s piercing stare following my departure.
The main restaurant was busy, filled with the quiet murmur of conversation and the clink of silverware against
fine china.
As I approached the entrance, intending to step outside for a smoke I rarely indulged in, I spotted him–the Alpha from the airport. Alpha Nate, if I remembered correctly.
He was at the payment counter, smiling as he handed over his credit card. The sight triggered the memory of the airport–him walking beside that woman, Sarah, their easy camaraderie as she laughed at something he said.
My wolf growled possessively, though I had no logical reason for such a reaction.
Just two nights ago, that same woman had been beneath me in my bed, her tear–stained face turned up to mine as she sobbed my name over and over.
“Alexander, Alexander,” she had cried, her voice breaking with each repetition, as if my name was both
salvation and damnation.
Yet less than forty–eight hours later, everything had turned upside down.
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She was suddenly surrounded by new faces–a childhood friend who had grown up alongside her, and a young girl who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
The situation sounded so much like a family of three.
Was the girl truly adopted?
Without conscious thought, I pulled out my phone and dialed Ethan, my most trusted Beta.
“Sir?” he answered immediately.
“That woman–Sarah Winters. Get me everything you can find on her daughter. I want clear photos sent to my phone immediately.”
“Right away, Alpha.”
I ended the call, my eyes still fixed on Nate as he collected his receipt.
My wolf was restless, agitated by possibilities I couldn’t yet articulate.
But one thing was clear–there was more to Sarah Winters than met the eye, and I was determined to uncover every last secret she was keeping.
Sarah’s POV
Elena was deep in conversation with me about Alpha David. “He’s finalizing everything for the ceremony next week,” she said, her eyes glowing with quiet joy.
“After we’re married, I’ll be taking my place as Luna of the Eastern Ridge Pack, focusing entirely on my duties there.”
“He’s been so busy these past few days I’ve barely seen him,” she continued, “but I understand completely.”
“He’s preparing everything himself–the sacred bonding grounds, the pack gathering, the traditional ceremonies.
He wants it all to be perfect when I step into my role as his Luna. He feels he owes it to the pack to handle these final preparations with the proper reverence.”
I felt a twinge of surprise mingled with a deeper ache. Having once been a Luna myself, I knew exactly what Elena was giving up–her freedom, her individual identity.
She would be stepping into a role that would consume her entire being.
“Won’t you miss your healing practice?” I asked softly. “You’ve worked so hard to build your reputation as one of the most gifted healers in North America. To give that up completely…”
Elena shook her head, her copper hair catching the light. “I’ve already discussed this with David. I’ll still maintain some of my healing work, but within the pack structure.”
“I think he understands that deep down, I’ve always longed for that sense of belonging—to be part of
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something larger than myself. To have a true home and family.”
Her eyes flickered briefly to me, “and he doesn’t want us to be separated. He’s seen too many Alpha–Luna pairs grow distant when their duties pull them in different directions.”
“So he’s restructuring the entire pack hierarchy to make space for my healing gifts alongside my Luna duties. I’ll be able to serve the pack in multiple ways,” she finished with a soft smile. “When someone values you that much, what more could I ask for?”
I felt my eyes grow damp, a complicated emotion rising within me. “I’m genuinely happy for you, Elena,” I whispered, meaning every word despite the pain it caused me.
“Alpha David always seemed so stern and focused on tradition. I never imagined him being so… accommodating.
“He’s different when it’s just us,” Elena said, her cheeks coloring slightly. “That fierce exterior hides a surprisingly tender heart.”
She turned her attention to Nate, who had been standing quietly nearby. “You’ve been awfully silent since you came back. Care to join the conversation?”
Nate’s hazel eyes crinkled as he smiled. “And interrupt this sisterly heart–to–heart? I know better than that.”
“You’ve always been such a gentleman,” Elena laughed, shaking her head.
I glanced at my daughter, noticing her eyes drooping as she fought sleep. Elena caught my look and reached for her purse. “We should go. Look at poor Aria fighting to stay awake.”
I reached over to ruffle my daughter’s dark curls. “Come on, sweetie. Time to head home.”
I scooped Aria into my arms, her little head nestling against my shoulder as we made our way out of the restaurant and into the parking lot.
The weight of her in my arms was comforting–a reminder of what I still had, even after all I’d lost.
A few yards away, the sound of laughter broke through the quiet night air. “So, Alpha Alexander, where to next?
་་
a female voice called out playfully.
My head snapped up at the sound, and I instinctively turned Aria’s face against my chest, hiding her features.
Through the dimly lit parking lot, I could see him–Alexander–his powerful frame impossible to mistake even
at this distance.
He was leaning against his Bentley, a voluptuous redhead hanging on his arm, her body language speaking volumes about their relationship.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched them together.
Her fingers trailed along his arm with practiced familiarity, and something primal and possessive surged through me before I could stop it.
“Alexander!” His name tore from my lips before I could stop myself.
I watched as his hand, which had been casually stroking his jawline, suddenly froze.
The redhead beside him looked in my direction, her perfectly sculpted eyebrows raising in surprise.
“Who’s that woman?” I heard her ask, her voice carrying in the still night air. “Why is she calling you by your full name like she knows you?”
Chapter 252
