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“I’m already on it, Alpha.”

“Good.” He exhales heavily. “Unite our bloodlines. The Blackwood Pack will legally inherit the Moonlight Pack’s assets through the werewolf council. This will solidify our power. That's the beauty of our world, you see. We play the human game, blend in, wear suits, run thriving companies, but the council and I see what really matters. And that's lineage and power.”

He's right, of course. Humans have never understood our power games. To the human eye, we are businessmen, politicians, and the brains behind some of the biggest corporations. Inheriting those assets means more power shifts, not only to the pack, but to us werewolves.

He hesitates for a moment, then adds, “And, Alaric?”

“Yes, Alpha?”

“There is a healer a few miles from here.” His voice grows softer, distant. “She claims to have treated Irene before she disappeared. Maybe she might help in your search for her.”

My pulse slows.

I might be able to finally find Irene.

The thought of finding Irene is dulled when my wolf reminds me of the green-eyed woman I hurled accusations at right before she spat in my face that she regretted being in my bed.

He beckons me to find her, but I shoot the idea down just as quickly.

Lila was an accident.

Irene is who I should be focused on. Irene is my future.

Chapter Three

LILA WINTER

The morning air had been crisp, but it had done nothing to cool the burn of humiliation on my cheeks. My heels had clicked against Alaric’s penthouse floor as I raced for the elevator, trying not to let him see what his accusations had done to me.

My dress was wrinkled from our night together. My heart was racing, not from pleasure like a few hours ago, but from sheer shock. The space between my legs throbbed and ached, but the warmth that had been there was replaced by a hollow gnawing pain in my chest.

His accusations had sliced through me, raw and merciless, leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.

Alaric Hells had looked at me like dirt under his foot. I have no idea how I made it down the elevator and into a cab in one piece, but I did right before I let a waterfall of tears choke my throat.

When I arrived at my apartment, completely shattered, Julian was gone and so were his belongings. A fitting goodbye, I guess. The bastard didn’t even leave a note or anything.

Sighing, back to reality, I shake the thoughts of what happened that morning away.

I can’t continue to think about that when I have more pressing matters to attend to, such as my past.

My past has always been painful to me. So much so that I grew tired and started to accept it.

I have no knowledge of my past. No knowledge of my family or who I am.

I started looking for my family and origins a few years ago, but with all the dead ends, I grew disappointed and hurt.

But was it the dead ends, though?

Six years ago, I found a clue about where I might have come from, but I didn't act on it because, apart from being disappointed, I was blinded by faux love.

I had been alone so long that I started looking for my family, and when I fell in love with Julian and moved in with him, Goddess, I thought he was family.

I thought I didn't need anyone anymore because I had Julian freaking Hells as my family, my knight in shining armor and my world.

I was wrong.

If that’s not pitiful, now I’ve met my so-called Fated Mate. The man the Goddess had crafted just for me.