Page 3

Adrian

I stared at the stack of papers on my desk, but the words blurred together, a jumble of meaningless text against crisp white. Contracts, pack agreements, ceremony logistics—each line was supposed to bring order, to keep everything running smoothly. Control. I liked control. Needed it.

But she was chaos.

Olivia .

The moment she stepped out of that hotel, all sharp words and careless laughter, she’d shattered the quiet order of my morning. My wolf bristled beneath my skin even now, pacing restlessly, his growl a low, constant rumble in the back of my mind. He didn’t like her. Didn’t trust her.

And neither did I.

I didn’t trust what I couldn’t smell. That was the problem. Wolves were creatures of scent—identity, emotion, truth, all laid bare in a single breath. But Olivia? She was a puzzle. Wrapped in floral perfume, laundry detergent, and the acidic bite of stale whiskey. Beneath it all— nothing . No true scent. No hint of her wolf. Just a void where her soul should be.

My wolf hated it. Hated the way she looked at me, her smile sharp and teasing, her voice a constant dare. Hated the way she spoke without deference, challenged without fear. A creature born without submission, a spark that refused to be smothered.

And yet I couldn’t stop thinking about her. The way she leaned against me in the elevator, that flash of vulnerability when she didn’t know who I was. The defiance that danced in her eyes the moment she found out.

I slammed the pen down, leaning back in my chair, the leather groaning beneath me. Focus. The ceremony was in three days. Sophie’s ceremony. My brother’s future. My pack’s stability. That was all that mattered.

But her voice lingered in the corners of my mind, sharp and mocking. A challenge.

The door swung open without a knock—Karl’s style, always the polite wrecking ball. He strode in, a garment bag slung over his shoulder, his grin wide and easy. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a face that could charm a storm into a sunny day. We shared the same blood, the same title, but where I was a storm, he was the calm.

“Got the suits,” he announced, dropping the garment bag onto the leather couch with a casual flick of his wrist. “Tailor did a great job. Mine actually fits, and yours is… well, black, serious, and brooding. Perfect.”

“Fantastic.” I leaned forward, grabbing the pen again, hoping the motion would force my mind back to where it needed to be.

Karl’s gaze slid over me, too perceptive for my liking. “You look like hell.”

“Just handling last-minute details.”

“Uh-huh. Is one of those details a certain sharp-tongued brunette who made you look like you were ready to commit murder this morning?”

I shot him a glare. “Did Sophie tell you?”

“Yeah, she did. That poor girl had no idea who you were, did she?”

“She does now.”

Karl laughed, throwing himself onto the couch, his legs swinging over the armrest in his usual display of casual chaos. “I like her. Reminds me of a wildfire. Completely unpredictable. And apparently, she’s already gotten under your skin.”

“She’s reckless. Disrespectful. She has no sense of her place here.”

“She’s Sophie’s sister.”

“That doesn’t make her less of a problem.”

“She’s only a problem because you can’t figure her out.” Karl’s grin widened, like he’d just cracked the code to the universe. “Not used to that, huh? The big, bad Alpha can’t read someone?”

“I can read her just fine. I just don’t trust her.”

I glared at him, and he just chuckled, leaning back. “I picked up the suits, by the way. We need to go over some details before the ceremony. And then afterward, Sophie and I are heading straight to Italy. Three weeks of blissful, mate-bonded love. You’re going to miss me.”

“Or I’ll enjoy the silence.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

I sighed, but I couldn’t hide the faint smile tugging at my lips. Beneath the constant banter, the reckless grin, Karl had always been the light in this pack’s storm. And somehow, he’d found someone who loved him as fiercely as he deserved.

“Just don’t burn down the entire country while you’re gone,” I muttered, leaning back.

“Oh, please. Italy will be just fine. You, on the other hand…” He grinned, standing and slinging the suit bag over his shoulder. “Good luck running the pack without me by your side. I’m gonna go find Sophie.”

Karl turned to leave, but I couldn’t resist. “No plans for a bachelor party?”

He stopped, half-turning with a lopsided grin. “Oh, come on. You know me. The ceremony and the party are more a formality—just a way to make it all official and celebrate with the family.”

“Right. The sacred union.” I leaned back in my chair, letting the sarcasm drip into my voice. “Legalized in the eyes of the pack, blessed by the Moon Goddess, celebrated with three hundred of your closest friends.”

“Hey, it’s only two hundred. And we both know the bond snapped into place the second we claimed each other.” His hand unconsciously brushed the side of his neck, where the mark would be hidden beneath his collar.

“Of course. But I’m just saying, I hired ten strippers. What am I supposed to do with them now?”

Karl’s laughter rang out, loud and carefree, and for a moment, the weight of the day seemed to lift. “I’m off to find Sophie. Gotta grab her, swing by the hotel, and pick up Olivia for the dinner.”

And just like that, the knot in my chest tightened again. “Olivia,” I muttered, the name a low growl on my lips.

“You know, you don’t have to come tonight. Sophie’s just worried Olivia will feel out of place, and I thought you being there might help keep the peace. After all you are the leader of the pack.”

“No,” I snapped, a little too quickly. “I’ll be there.”

“You sure? Because you look like you’d rather eat glass than spend another minute with her.”

I clenched my jaw, forcing a slow, steady breath. He wasn’t wrong. I hated that I had to attend the dinner. Hated the idea of sitting through polite conversation while she tossed out her sharp, sarcastic jabs, stirring up trouble just because she could. But I’d rather be there, keeping an eye on her, than let her run her mouth unchecked.

Someone needed to keep her in line.

But even as I tried to convince myself that this was just another duty, another responsibility to the pack, the image flashed through my mind again—Olivia, leaning against my arm, her head resting against me, her breath warm against my sleeve, that lazy, mocking smile I wanted to wipe off her face.

And worse—my wolf’s reaction. Not just anger. Not just annoyance. Something else. A pull. A need to provoke, to challenge, to see that fire in her eyes burn hotter.

I pushed the thought away, shoved it into the darkest corner of my mind where it belonged.

“Alright, I’ll see you tonight,” Karl said, already halfway out the door. “Try not to growl at her too much. I think Sophie would prefer her sister in one piece for the ceremony.”

“No promises.”

He laughed, his voice fading down the hallway, leaving me alone with the pile of paperwork I had no hope of finishing.

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling, trying to banish the image of her stubborn face, the feel of her hand gripping my arm.

Chaos . That’s what she was.

And I’d be damned if I let her ruin this.

I leaned back in my chair, the weight of responsibility pressing down like an iron mantle. The screen in front of me glowed with a flood of emails—territory updates, security reports, disputes between neighboring packs that required careful negotiation. Real problems. Problems that mattered.

Not floral arrangements. Not seating charts. Not the endless, glittering chaos of Sophie’s mating ceremony. That was Karl’s world—bright, cheerful, romantic. Mine was here, in this office, where decisions weren’t made with smiles and champagne but with strategy and steel.

The phone rang, a crisp, efficient chime that cut through the silence. I answered without hesitation.

“Yes?”

“Alpha, the report from the southern perimeter just came in,” came the voice of Ethan, one of my most trusted scouts. “No signs of rogue activity, but there’s been increased movement near the border. Unaffiliated wolves.”

“Keep a close watch. I want hourly updates.”

“Understood.”

I ended the call, my gaze drifting to the map of our territory pinned on the wall—lines drawn with precision, each border marked with care. Territory was power. Safety. Order. The kind of order I fought for every day, the kind that kept the pack secure.

Not like the chaos Olivia brought with her.

The thought slipped in, unwanted, but stubborn. Her sharp smile, her careless words, the way she leaned against me in the elevator, that reckless spark in her eyes. A wildfire. Unpredictable, untamed.

A threat.

My wolf snarled in agreement, a low, restless growl beneath my skin. He didn’t trust her. Didn’t trust what he couldn’t smell. She was a mystery wrapped in a sarcastic smile, and I didn’t have time for mysteries. Not when they walked into my territory, tangled in family drama and sharp-tongued chaos.

A soft knock at the door broke the tense quiet.

“Come in.”

The door swung open, and Mrs. Reyes stepped in with her usual calm efficiency. Short silver hair, sharp blue eyes that seemed to see through everyone, and the quiet, unshakeable confidence of someone who had spent years keeping this pack in line.

“Alpha,” she began, a gentle smile softening her lined face. “I’ve arranged for the security teams to double-check the guest list for the ceremony. Your instructions have been passed to the perimeter patrols, and the supply chain for the eastern sector has been re-established.”

“Good.” I nodded, some of the tension in my chest easing. “Anything else?”

“Just the flowers you requested for Sophie.” She stepped aside, revealing a delicate arrangement of white roses, lilies, and soft green leaves resting on the side table.

“Perfect.”

“And there are smaller arrangements for her mother and her sister.”

A frown tugged at my mouth. “Lena’s coming? I thought she and Olivia didn’t get along.”

Mrs. Reyes’s smile softened, though there was a trace of wariness in her eyes. “Sophie insisted. She wants to mend the rift between them. A fresh start, she called it.”

“A fresh start .” I leaned back, the leather chair groaning beneath me. “With Olivia?”

“It’s her family.”

“Barely. Olivia turned her back on this pack. Ran off to marry a human.” The words came out sharper than I intended, but they were true. Olivia was a stranger in this world—an outsider who wore her rebellion like a badge of honor.

“Perhaps she’s here to find her way back.”

“Or to light another fire and watch it burn.”

Mrs. Reyes chuckled lightly. “You always see the worst in people.”

“I see what they are,” I corrected. “And Olivia is chaos. If Sophie thinks she can fix this family with a handful of flowers and a smile, she’s in for a rude awakening.”

“She’s an optimist,” Mrs. Reyes replied, her voice calm, her gaze steady. “Not all of us are built for shadows and storms, Alpha.”

I didn’t respond. Mrs. Reyes adjusted the flowers, smoothing a few petals with the care of a mother tending her child. I watched her, the calm of her presence a sharp contrast to the restless thoughts clawing at my mind.

“Would you like me to bring these to Sophie’s suite now?” she asked.

“Yes. Make sure everything is ready for tonight’s dinner as well. I don’t want any surprises.”

“Of course.” She smiled, offering a respectful nod before leaving, the door clicking shut behind her.

Alone again, I turned back to the map, but my thoughts refused to settle. I shut the laptop with a decisive click, the final report neatly sent, the last call made. The afternoon sun was already dipping toward the horizon, casting a warm, amber glow over the town, but my thoughts were anything but warm. Order. Control. Those were the cornerstones of my world, but one sarcastic, sharp-tongued woman had a way of dragging chaos in her wake.