Page 2

Chapter Two

A LARIC HELLS

Her scent clings to my skin and the air.

I sit on the couch opposite the bed. One hand drags through my hair, and the other grips the small and white plastic card that fell from her purse. The one I found on the floor.

I’d find it amusing if I weren’t reeling from the situation.

The woman who was catnip for my cock last night, the one whose moans I devoured and body I claimed, is sleeping in my bed.

Light seeps through the curtains, spilling across her petite, slender frame. The same long brown hair I fisted in my hands as I fucked her sprawls across my pillows and sheets. My wolf stirs at the sight, humming with satisfaction.

I clench my jaw. He shouldn’t be feeling anything for her.

Because this…she…shouldn’t have happened.

I had no intention of interfering with her night at the bar, but the moment I saw her, everything came to a standstill, and my wolf and I recognized what she meant to us.

A single taste, and all rational thought jumped out the window. I didn’t think twice before I took her raw, despite knowing exactly what was at stake.

And now, even hours later, my wolf still hums from the memory of her touch and thirsts to take her again.

Something he shouldn’t be doing because the woman tangled in my sheets isn’t just some stranger like I initially thought.

She’s Julian’s ex-girlfriend. And to be more precise, my nephew's ex.

Damn it.

I exhale sharply, forcing down the growl rising in my throat. My grip tightens around the ID in my hand as I read the name again.

Lila Winter.

Of all the women in that bar, she was the one I took home. She was the one who had me undone and had all my fucking attention.

Coincidence?

I don’t believe in fucking coincidences.

Julian played his cards, and I walked right into his game.

I smirk, the bitterness tasting like acid on my tongue. The kid played well. Even I have to admit that.

But if he thinks this will compromise my claim to the Alpha title, he’s mistaken.

I look at her again, drinking in her delicate features, willing myself to forget how good it felt to mark her skin, to claim her. My wolf snarls at the thought, but I shove the feeling down.

This ends now.

I stand up from the couch and cross the room, my voice cold as I wake the cunning little beauty.

“Lila.”

Her name feels like ash on my tongue.

She stirs in her sleep, lifting her hands above her head to stretch a little. Then her lashes flutter open, revealing the same green eyes that I wanted on me last night as I showed her a slice of heaven.

It takes her a minute to recognize she’s not in her home. A minute more to see me standing on the other side of the room.

I watch the realization sink in, the way her body stiffens, the way her fingers clutch the sheet to her tits in feigned panic and modesty.

I can’t even deny the feeling of her tits in my hands is something I can’t get out of my mind.

I should’ve paid attention to her face. I’d seen her with Julian once, but that was before the Alpha of the Blackwood pack gave us a mission to find Irene and marry her so we would claim the Alpha title. I thought Julian cut ties with Lila back then.

Maybe if I paid more attention to her features and etched them to memory, I wouldn’t be here.

She swallows hard. “A-Alaric?”

I let the silence stretch between us, let her squirm under my stare before I toss the plastic card onto the bed.

“How much did my nephew pay you, sweetheart?”

Her brow furrows. “Excuse me?”

“I’ll pay you more than whatever that bastard offered.”

Her breath catches, but I don’t miss the anger in those bewitching green eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Stepping closer and watching her reaction, I state the obvious, “You’re Julian’s ex-girlfriend.”

“Yes, but how did you—”

“How much did he pay you to fake cry, snag my attention, and get into my bed?”

Her lips part, disbelief clouding her expression. “I didn’t even know you were…Julian’s uncle until right now.”

Her voice is sharp, defensive.

I let out a humorless chuckle. “Yeah? And you don’t find it suspicious that out of all the women in that bar, you’re the one who ended up in my bed?” I tilt my head, studying her. “You’re the perfect tool that Julian would use to compromise my claim to the Alpha title.”

Her eyes glisten with tears, her bottom lip trembling as she fights for words. Then, with a cruel little laugh, she murmurs, “You really think I’d let Julian decide who I get to sleep with?”

I close the remaining space between us, my wolf buzzing from the proximity.

I ignore him.

I lean down, grip her wobbling chin between my fingers, and force her to look at me.

“With the right price, any woman will spread her legs if a man so much as asks.” My voice drops lower. “Whatever plan you and Julian have hatched, I will crush him. And I will crush you tenfold, wild one. Do not test me.”

She slaps my hand away, furious.

The tears she fought so hard to hold back fall down her cheeks, but she wipes them away quickly.

I say nothing as she gets up from the bed, hurriedly putting on her dress and gathering her belongings from the floor.

I watch her in silence.

When she’s done, she turns to face me, shoulders squared, chin high.

Last night, she cried for pleasure.

Now, she cries for something else entirely.

Her voice is raw, choked, when she finally speaks.

“You and Julian are the same.”

I tense.

“You don’t care who you hurt as long as you get to be Alphas.”

Her words strike deeper than they should.

And then, quieter with a lethality she doesn’t know she lays claim to, she adds, “And don’t worry, Alaric. I regret last night more than you ever could.”

The door slams shut behind her a minute later.

Pain rips through my chest, sharp and unrelenting.

My wolf howls.

I grit my teeth, shove the feeling down, and remind my wolf where our loyalty lies.

“She’s not the one. Our Mate will always be Irene, and we’ll find her soon.”

The scent of roasted meat and wine wafts through the air, the rich laughter of some of the Betas in Blackwood pack as well as the aristocrats stirs heavily in the grand hall.

To the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, this is what constitutes a family gathering: wolves united under one roof, pretending loyalty, swearing devotion. But only two names matter tonight.

Mine and Julian’s.

There are a lot of wolves who would kill for him in this very room, but he chose us to fight for the throne. I was honored, of course.

But pitting me against my nephew? That’s a disaster waiting to happen. We’ll both do whatever it takes to win.

Julian already played his hand once, sending his ex to ruin me. I have no doubt he has more cards up his sleeve.

We sit at the long, fifty-six-seater table, a feast spread before us. The Alpha occupies the head chair, his presence diminished by the blood he coughs into his handkerchief every five minutes.

He’s dying. That’s reason number one why he needs to see who is worthy to take up his mantle.

And speaking of my dear nephew, my grip tightens around the flute of my glass the moment Julian stands.

Here we go.

I expect him to bring up Lila. To turn the room against me.

But even I can’t predict the move he chooses to make.

Julian raises his glass, his voice as smug as his face. “Alpha, allow me to end the suspense. The reason I wanted everyone here tonight is because I have found the lost daughter of the Moonlight Pack’s Alpha.” He pauses for theatrics. “Allow me to introduce Irene.”

Heavy silence crashes over the room, then bursts into murmurs and gasps.

I remain still.

Surprised? Yes.

Patient enough to see the so-called Irene? Also, yes.

My wolf stirs, howling at the possibility that it’s her.

I scoff. The odds are slim.

Then the doors to the hall are opened, and a woman steps in.

She is draped in a silk dress, the finest I’ve ever seen. Golden-brown hair cascades over her shoulders, and her lips are painted the same red shade as her gown.

She plays the part well—poised, demure, an image of how the daughter of an Alpha should behave.

It only takes me a second to see through the lie.

A few gasps sound around the room.

The Alpha looks at me.

I look at my nephew.

“She is not Irene.” I rise to my feet, my voice cutting through the murmurs like a blade.

Julian smirks. “And how would you know that, uncle?”

I don’t answer him. My eyes are locked on the woman.

“She is Aisha Black,” I announce, my voice cold. “The same woman you’ve been fucking for weeks at Melbour Hotel.”

My nephew's always had a filthy fucking habit of luring women into his bed, using their loyalty to him as a weapon. Hell, he doesn't just sleep with them, he grooms them to do his dirty bidding, and I'm not surprised he's roped yet another woman he's slept with into his schemes.

Julian’s smirk wavers for half a second before he masks the stumble with mockery. “You have no proof of your accusations, Alaric. It’s—”

“You are willing to do anything to win, Julian,” I cut him off. “Using women to reach your goals, having your lovers do your dirty bidding—all cheap moves, nephew. You want proof? I can get today’s CCTV footage of you and Aisha from the hotel’s security feeds.” I pause. “Just say the word.”

Julian falters.

And that’s when I see it.

The flicker of confusion. The lack of recognition when I disguised my mention of Lila.

If he had known about Lila and me, he would have used it by now to bring me down. He would have made a scene the moment he walked in.

But he doesn’t.

Because he has no idea.

I was wrong about Lila.

The realization is like a punch to the gut. The memory of her tears tightens around my throat. I was wrong.

Fuck.

Aisha trembles beside Julian. She knows she’s been caught.

Julian starts to counter with another excuse, another pathetic attempt to save his lie.

He never gets the chance.

“Enough.”

The Alpha’s voice, though weak, brings the room to silence.

He wipes the blood from his lips, his gaze burning into Julian before shifting to me.

“I will not leave this pack in the hands of fools and liars.” His tone is final. Then, he turns to me. “I name Alaric Hells as interim Alpha.”

Julian’s mask finally cracks. His face contorts in rage. “You can’t do—”

“I can.” The Alpha’s voice is steel. “And I have.” His gaze hardens. “Alaric has proven himself more capable than you, Julian. My decision is final.”

Julian storms out. Aisha follows after him like a loyal pup.

I sit back down, and the Alpha leans in, his voice dropping low.

“You are interim Alpha, but that title can change at any moment.” His sharp eyes hold mine. “Find Irene and marry her.”

A muscle in my jaw twitches.

“I made a promise to my friend, Chris,” he continues. “I vowed to find his daughter, even if it killed me. I am tasking you with this, Alaric.”

“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.