Inside a study crafted from rich oak wood, where towering bookshelves stretched across the rear wall, a middle-aged man sat behind a massive desk buried under a mountain of paperwork. The smooth, melancholic notes of jazz drifted softly from a record player in the corner, creating an atmosphere of calm that was abruptly shattered by the shrill ringing of the telephone.
"Speak," the man grunted, his voice raspy, deep, and rough—as if he had spent decades destroying his throat with smoke. He offered no greeting and no name. In his mind, anyone who managed to reach him directly already knew exactly who they were addressing. It was pure arrogance, but he saw no reason to prove himself to anyone.
"Sir, it is Anna," a female voice quivered from the other end. He recognized her instantly; she was one of his pawns, placed specifically to work at Gray In-house. As an Omega, her existence was meant to serve his will, regardless of her own desires or dreams. "I possess information you will desperately want to hear."
"Stop dancing around it!" he snapped, his patience evaporating instantly. "I do not have the entire day to waste on your hesitation!" His snarl was so fierce that it seemed to travel through the line, and his inner wolf purred with satisfaction at the fear he could sense radiating from her.
"Not until you swear to release me and my mate!" she retorted, surprising herself and him by finding a spark of courage she hadn't shown in years. "We demand to leave this pack forever."
"Why on earth would I grant you such freedom?" the man scoffed, utterly unmoved by her plea.
"Because I know the location of what you desire above all else," Anna declared, her tone turning hard and unyielding. "If you refuse, I will end my own life right here and now, and you will never know."
"Fine," he growled reluctantly, his curiosity piqued. "Speak. Now."
Anna wasted no time. She revealed that the Luna of the Moonlit Pack had arrived at the tavern for lunch, accompanied by her highest-ranking females and a young girl. The man scoffed internally at the mention of Luna Caroline; everyone knew she was merely a mindless shopaholic, a useless woman in his eyes.
However, the moment Anna began to describe the teenage girl in detail, the man slowly leaned back in his leather chair, his interest igniting like wildfire.
"This girl," he interrogated, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "How old would you estimate her to be?"
"No older than eighteen," Anna answered swiftly. "And she will be present at Alpha Drake's birthday ball."
"And does she bear a resemblance to Catherine?" he pressured, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"She is the exact replica of our for—" She cut herself off instantly as a thunderous, lethal growl erupted from the other end of the line, warning her of her fatal mistake.
"That woman is NOT your Luna anymore!" he roared, venom dripping from every word. "Remember that well! Be at the territory borders at dawn tomorrow. That is when you and your mate can depart."
Without waiting for a reply, he slammed the receiver down with brutal force.
Immediately, he summoned his Beta and the Beta's heir into his office. As they stood before him, a wicked, triumphant sneer curved his lips, his entire being vibrating with dark excitement at the news he had just received.
"At sunrise," he commanded coldly, "take the Omega Eduardo Smith to the border. When his mate Anna appears to collect him, you will execute him right in front of her eyes. And once she witnesses his death… you will silence her permanently."
"As you command, Alpha," both men responded in unison, their faces masks of stone, showing absolutely no shock or mercy at the horrific order.
"Afterward," the man continued, reaching for a decanter and pouring himself a generous glass of amber whisky, "contact my son-in-law and order him to return immediately. I have a brand new destination for him to visit."
He raised the glass and downed the burning liquid in one powerful gulp.
The object he had coveted for so long, the prize stolen by his greatest enemy, was finally within his grasp. It would not be long now before he claimed everything that once belonged to him.
—----
Drake could scarcely believe this was his final day at the training compound. A savage restlessness burned in his veins, an undeniable urge to return to their territory and reclaim control. His wolf, Stand, roared in absolute agreement; if it were solely up to the beast, they would have deserted this place after the first three agonizing days.
Stand had been seething with fury, driven to the brink of madness by the sheer torture of not knowing exactly what Belle was doing in their absence. Back at the Pack Residence, tracking her every movement was effortless, second nature. But here, miles away with his army beside him, he had no eyes on the ground to spy and report back to him.
It was impossible to command his father's warriors for such a task. Instead, he was forced to beg for crumbs of information, relying entirely on the sparse details his mother doled out during her calls. She never offered anything freely, forcing him to pry every word from her lips. He fought desperately to mask his interest, terrified she would suspect how deeply that insignificant orphan consumed his thoughts.
He wanted absolutely nothing to do with that red-haired, green-eyed witch. It was all Stand who was obsessed. He tried to shun her existence, to treat her like a plague he must avoid, but his wolf made it damn near impossible. Stupid beast. He failed to understand the fixation; she wasn't even that beautiful.
'I am not the one who forced you to steal her shirts and hoard them,'Standmocked viciously from the depths of his mind, instantly retreating into the shadows before Drake could unleash his fury upon him.
Stupid mutt.
His phone suddenly blared to life, ripping his thoughts away from her. Glancing at the screen, he saw his mother's name illuminating the display.
"Speak," Drake answered sharply. He knew better than to ignore her; if he failed to pick up, she would simply harassAlvin or Marvin until she got what she wanted. He understood her anxiety. It was nerve-wracking for an Alpha and Luna to send their only heir and his pack away, even to a place that was supposed to be secure. But danger is always lurking, waiting to strike.
"Hello, darling," she greeted warmly. "Your father and I were just wondering if you and the men have departed yet?" Her voice brimmed with excitement; he knew she and the other females were desperate to have their boys back within their walls.
"Not just yet," Drake replied, turning back to his gear. "I am finalizing my things now. We will grab sustenance and march straight to the airport." He recited the itinerary he had told her a dozen times already, his tone bored. "Our flight leaves at 5 PM. We land around 9, then immediately board the connecting flight. From there, we drive back. Do not expect us on pack land until midnight."
"Oh dear," she exclaimed, disappointment heavy in her tone. "That means the girls and I won't get to see you until late tomorrow night then."
"Why?" Drake demanded, not caring about their schedule. He missed her, of course, but he was no longer a whimpering pup; enduring one more day without her affection was hardly a trial.