Page 9

Adrian

The steady, rhythmic clank of iron weights and the low hum of the hotel gym’s air conditioning were the only sounds that kept my focus. Sweat dripped down my brow, my muscles straining beneath the barbell I lifted, every controlled movement a distraction from the chaos twisting in my mind.

I’d been here for an hour, pushing myself through one brutal set after another. Chest presses, deadlifts, a punishing series of pull-ups that left my shoulders burning. The familiar ache was a comfort—something I could control, something I could conquer.

“Still at it, huh?”

Karl’s voice cut through the silence, a warm, cheerful contrast to the low, grunting breaths of the other gym-goers. I didn’t bother looking up as I set the barbell back onto the rack, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from my face.

“Could say the same for you. I thought you’d be busy picking out flowers or taste-testing cakes.”

He laughed, a bright, booming sound as he grabbed a pair of dumbbells and settled beside me. “That’s Sophie’s domain. She’s the mastermind behind all of it. I just show up, smile, and try not to spill anything on my suit.”

“Smart man.”

“Exactly.” He leaned back, curling the weights with an easy, practiced rhythm. “So, you excited?”

“For what? Your wedding?” I raised an eyebrow, grabbing another set of weights. “Or the inevitable chaos that comes with shoving two hundred wolves into one room?”

“Both, actually.” He grinned, his blue eyes—so much lighter than mine—practically glowing with excitement. “You have to admit, it’s going to be amazing. Family, friends, the pack all together. A perfect day.”

“Sure. Perfect.” I grunted, lifting the weights, feeling the familiar burn settle into my arms.

“And you know, the Valery family is coming too,” Karl added, his tone turning just a bit too casual.

I didn’t miss the hint of something beneath his words, and I shot him a glare. “Should I be impressed?”

“Well, they’re bringing their daughter. The unclaimed Omega.”

A low, warning growl slipped from me before I could stop it. “Karl.”

“What? I’m just saying.” He shrugged, switching to a different set, but I could see the grin tugging at his mouth. “Maybe it’s time you considered settling down. You’re pushing forty, brother.”

I dropped the weights with a loud, controlled thud. “Mating is the last thing on my mind.”

“Really?” Karl’s grin widened, his gaze shifting to me, sharp with that familiar teasing glint. “And what’s wrong with a perfectly sweet, submissive Omega? Valery’s daughter is practically perfect—twenty-five, polite, trained to be the perfect mate. And she’d be more than happy to serve an Alpha.”

“Oh, yes, the dream.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “An obedient little Omega who wants nothing more than to pop out pups and bow at my feet.”

“Horrifying,” Karl mocked, rolling his eyes. “The tragedy of being adored.”

“I’m not interested.” My voice was sharp, a low snarl threading beneath the words. “If I were to even consider someone, it wouldn’t be some wide-eyed girl who thinks being an Alpha’s mate is a fairy tale.”

“Oh? So what would it be then?” Karl leaned against the bench, his grin shifting to something more curious. “Come on, big brother. What’s your type, then?”

“My type?” I exhaled, my fingers tightening around the towel. “Someone with a backbone. Someone who won’t just smile and nod, who can actually hold a conversation without blushing every five seconds. Someone who’s lived a little, who knows how to stand on her own two feet.”

Karl’s grin grew wider. “So… not a doe-eyed Omega, then?”

“Not even close.” I leaned back, the tension in my chest easing slightly. “She’d have to be smart, sharp-witted. Not afraid to argue. Not afraid to tell me when I’m being an ass. And she wouldn’t be interested in spending my money at every opportunity.”

“Wow. I didn’t realize you were looking for a challenge, big brother.”

“I’m not looking for anything.” I muttered, grabbing my water bottle and taking a long, slow sip. But even as the cold water slid down my throat, my mind was racing—an image flickering behind my eyelids.

Dark, wild hair. Sharp green eyes that seemed to dance with every sarcastic remark. A fierce, wicked smile that could cut like a knife. And the way she stood toe-to-toe with me, never backing down, always pushing, always challenging.

Olivia .

No. No, that was ridiculous. She was chaos wrapped in leather and a sharp tongue. A temporary mistake. A distraction.

“You look like you’re thinking way too hard.” Karl’s voice broke through the haze of my thoughts.

“I’m thinking you should stop trying to play matchmaker,” I snapped, a little too harshly.

“Touchy,” Karl teased, but he set the dumbbells aside, grabbing his towel. “Fine, fine. But seriously, Adrian, you can’t just spend your whole life in this hotel, running the pack and pretending you don’t want anything more.”

“I’m not pretending. I’m just not desperate enough to settle for a twenty-five-year-old Omega with stars in her eyes.”

Karl chuckled, standing and stretching, his expression still light, but his voice softened just a bit. “Whatever you say. Just don’t wait too long, big brother. The perfect one might slip right through your fingers.”

I watched him stroll out of the gym, his lighthearted laughter fading as the door swung shut behind him.

Perfect. Right. As if I even believed in that. As if I wanted that.

But Karl didn’t seem ready to let the conversation drop. He leaned against the wall, stretching his arms, that familiar, easy smile still on his face. “So, Olivia’s staying at the hotel, huh? Thanks for letting her crash here. I know she’s… well, she’s had a rough time.”

“She’s not crashing. She’s a guest like anyone else.” I kept my voice calm, neutral, but even I could hear the faint edge in my tone.

“Sure, but it’s nice of you. Especially since you two… well, let’s just say you don’t exactly get along.”

I snorted, wiping the sweat from my brow with the towel. “She’s… spirited.”

“Spirited?” Karl chuckled. “That’s one way to put it. I was worried she’d be miserable here, but… I don’t know. Maybe she just needs some time.”

“Time for what?”

“To feel like she belongs.” Karl’s voice softened, and something in his expression changed—warmer, a little sad. “Liv’s been through a lot. More than she lets on.”

I remembered the scene at my parents’ house, the subtle, venomous way Lena had smiled, the casual, sharp remarks she’d thrown at Olivia like daggers.

“And how’s that divorce going with your human?” Lena had asked, her voice dripping with fake concern.

I’d watched the way Olivia’s shoulders tightened, the way her smile became brittle. But it was the next comment that made something in me snap.

“Is he picking you clean? ” Lena had pressed, her tone light, almost cheerful. “Humans are so… selfish. Always taking. That’s why mating is different. It’s sacred.”

I’d never seen Olivia’s face so pale, her jaw so tight. But she didn’t break. Not there. Not in front of them.

My wolf, however, had snapped to attention. A low, possessive growl rumbling in my chest, sharp and sudden. Because that was the moment I realized—she was free. Unclaimed. Not tied to anyone. Not bound by a mate.

Fair game.

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand human marriages. I knew the concept, understood the vows they exchanged, the bonds they claimed to share. But wolves? Wolves were different. Mates were sacred. Lifelong. Untouchable. And even the most reckless, Alpha-hole side of me would never touch another’s mate.

But Olivia was no one’s. Not anymore. And when I’d seen the way Lena had twisted that knife in her, the way she’d made Olivia feel small, feel worthless… my wolf had snapped to another decision.

If Lena ever disrespected her daughter like that in front of me again, I wouldn’t hesitate. My wolf was ready to rip out Lena’s throat.

“Adrian?” Karl’s voice pulled me back, his smile fading slightly, concern flickering in his blue eyes. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” I lied, forcing the tension in my shoulders to relax. “And Olivia will be fine too. She’s tough. Stronger than most give her credit for.”

Something softened in Karl’s gaze, a hint of relief. “I’m glad you see that. Just… try to make her feel comfortable, okay? She’s been through hell. And Sophie… well, Sophie worries about her.”

“I will.”

Karl smiled, his usual cheerful demeanor returning as he grabbed his towel. “Good. Now, come on. Let’s see if you still remember how to spar, old man.”

The mats were a familiar comfort beneath my bare feet—soft enough to prevent any serious injury but firm enough to ground me, to remind me of every sparring match I’d ever won, every lesson in control and power. And Karl, of course, was grinning like a fool, his towel tossed aside, his stance light and easy.

“You’re sure you’re ready for this, old man?” he taunted, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his arms loose, ready.

“I was ready before you were born.” I smirked, rolling my shoulders, letting the familiar focus settle over me. “Try not to cry when you lose.”

“Oh, I won’t cry. But you might.”

He moved first, fast and low, aiming a sharp jab at my midsection. I twisted, sidestepping, catching his wrist and yanking him forward, using his own momentum to send him stumbling. But Karl recovered with the ease of someone who’d been doing this since he could walk. He spun, his leg sweeping out in a low arc.

I jumped, narrowly avoiding his kick, and threw a punch that he blocked, our forearms clashing with a sharp, satisfying crack. The grin never left his face.

“Not bad,” he panted, circling me. “But you’re slowing down, big brother.”

“Or maybe you’re just getting predictable.” I lunged, feinting a right hook before ducking low, sweeping his legs out from under him. He crashed to the mat, laughing even as I lunged to pin him.

But he twisted, rolling us both, his knee pressing against my ribs, one arm trying to lock my shoulder.

“You know,” he grunted, his breath hot against my ear, “I should probably apologize.”

“For what? Making a fool of yourself?”

“For suggesting the Valery Omega.”

I twisted, my shoulder slipping free, and I drove an elbow into his side, knocking him off me. We both scrambled to our feet, breath coming faster, sweat slicking our skin.

“Finally came to your senses?” I shot back, my voice sharp, and I lunged again, landing a solid jab against his shoulder.

“Not me—Sophie.” Karl’s grin faded slightly, his gaze fixed on mine. “She’s got the same idea. For Olivia.”

“What?” I snapped, the word coming out like a snarl.

“She thinks Liv needs… I don’t know, stability. Someone who’ll treat her right.” Karl ducked, dodging my punch, but I followed up with a quick kick that grazed his thigh. “So she wants to introduce her to some Beta she knows. Think they went out to lunch together.”

A laugh burst out of me, wild and sharp, even as I landed another punch against Karl’s arm. “A Beta? A Beta can’t handle that wildfire.”

“Wildfire?” Karl laughed, even as he blocked another jab. “You’re one to talk.”

“She’s… unpredictable. Reckless.” I grunted, grabbing his arm and twisting, but he twisted with me, our bodies spinning in a tight, brutal dance of strikes and blocks. “She’d eat some nice, polite Beta alive.”

“Maybe. Or maybe she just needs someone who’ll be patient. Someone who won’t turn her life into chaos.”

“I don’t see chaos as a problem.” I drove a knee toward his side, but he caught it, pushing back, and we crashed against the mat, both of us panting, muscles burning.

“Yeah, because you like it.” Karl grinned, his voice breathless. “And you think you can handle it?”

“I know I can.” My voice was a low, rough growl, the possessive pulse of my wolf thrumming beneath my skin.

We froze, our hands locked, my body pinning his, and Karl’s grin shifted, turning slow, lazy, almost smug.

“Yeah?” His voice was a low, teasing murmur. “You sure?”

“Yes.” The word slipped out before I could stop it, a fierce, unyielding declaration.

Karl laughed, his head falling back against the mat, his chest rising and falling with each breath. “Wow. Okay. So that’s why you’re all wound up.”

I pushed off him, standing, trying to catch my breath, trying to force the wild, possessive fire in my chest to settle.

“You’re imagining her with someone else, aren’t you?” Karl taunted, rolling to his feet, brushing the sweat from his forehead. “Some nice, polite Beta, taking her out to dinner, holding her hand, whispering sweet nothings—”

“Shut up.” I snarled, grabbing the towel and rubbing it over my face, trying to hide the furious heat blooming in my chest.

“Or hey,” Karl’s voice was still that light, teasing lilt, but it grated against my fraying nerves. “Think of it this way—if you do end up with her, that’s a hell of a way to get back at Mom and Dad. Bringing home a Zeta.”

Something snapped.

I didn’t think. I didn’t plan. My body moved on pure, furious instinct. My hand shot out, grabbing Karl by the front of his shirt, and with a roar that seemed to tear itself out of my chest, I slammed him against the wall.

The impact was brutal, the thud echoing through the gym, and Karl’s eyes widened, his breath catching, his usual smile gone, replaced by shock.

“Say Zeta again like it’s an insult,” I growled, my voice a low, vicious snarl. “And I’ll rip your fucking tongue out.”

My hands trembled, the tight, crushing grip I had on his shirt doing nothing to stop the violent, burning rage twisting inside me. My vision blurred, red pulsing at the edges, my wolf snarling, clawing at my control, demanding to protect, to defend, to tear anyone apart who dared to look down on her.

“Adrian.” Karl’s voice was calm now, too calm, but there was a careful, almost hesitant edge to it. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

I forced my grip to loosen, the trembling in my hands refusing to stop. I took a step back, breathing hard, the fury still clawing at my chest. But I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t meet his gaze.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, but the words were a lie. I wasn’t fine. I was anything but fine.

I turned, stalking toward the door, desperate to escape before I did something I’d regret. But as I reached the doorway, Karl’s voice rang out behind me, sharp and clear.

“You know who reacts like that, Adrian?” he shouted. “Alphas with their mates. So what the fuck is going on?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t look back.

Because the answer was already clawing at me, wild and undeniable.