Erica'sPOV
The smell of eucalyptus and lavender filled the air around me, but even the calming oils couldn't soothe my heart after that call. I picked up the phone and called Hayley right after I hung up with my mom. Just thinking about how quiet she's been for the past two weeks made my claws want to push through the flesh around my fingertips. She had gone dark; her store had closed without warning. No news. No howl. Nothing.
She picked up on the third ring. "Hi, Erica."
"Where the hell have you been, Hayley?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from getting too sharp. "Nobody's seen you and your shop is closed."
"Oh! "I'm traveling," she stuttered too fast. "Is something wrong?"
Something cold curled up in my stomach. "You won't like this. Anastasia is back. She went back to her home country.
There was a loud thud on the other end, and then her breath came out in short bursts. My lips moved in a way that might have been satisfaction.
"When?" Her voice was tense. "Why did she come back?"
"Why are you so anxious?" I laughed. "Are you really still afraid of her?"
She said "no" too quickly. "I just wanted to know."
I sat back on the lounger and looked up at the mist that was swirling over the spa pool. "My dad said she's back." I don't know what her plan is yet, but I'm confident she's come to fight for the pack's inheritance. She could also come for you.
There was a period of stillness between us. Then I heard her breathe out slowly and shakily.
She was very scared. Okay.
Hayley had always been careful, like a fox escaping a trap by disguising her tracks. But what about Anastasia's return? That was a firestorm, and Hayley had soaked herself in gasoline years before.
"Erica," she finally murmured in a quiet voice, "if she comes after me, you'll tell me, right? I have to be ready.
I grinned with no warmth. "Of course." We'll take her down as a team.
The telephone went silent, and I pictured her now: in silk, sitting in an expensive villa, shaking even though her personal maid was massaging her feet. She had gotten too used to being the lady of the manor, drinking the power she stole like it was fine wine. It was all because of Anastasia. Because of what we did to her.
And now she was in a panic.
Hayley didn't just want money anymore; she wanted Elliot. The Alpha himself. His name. His sign. His link.
But she didn't know how dangerous Anastasia could be if she remembered everything. If she changed into the wolf she was destined to be.
Hayley wouldn't even let me know the truth. I could see it clearly: she was afraid I would grow envious and tell everyone how bad her betrayal was. She wanted to shut Anastasia up for good.
That made me think: how far would she go?
..
Anastatia's POV
As I waited at the kindergarten gates, the sun was low and turning the sky gold by five. When I saw Jared run across the yard with his little arms outstretched, my heart raced.
"Mommy!"
I knelt down to catch him, and I laughed as he hit me. His smell sweet, warm, and familiar washed over me and relaxed the knots in my chest.
"How was school today, sweetheart?"
He smiled and said, "It was great! The teacher says I'm really smart."
I ran my fingers through his hair to keep it out of his face. "How about having noodles for dinner?"
"Yes!"
I couldn't have asked for a nicer pup from the moon. Jared has been a beacon in the darkest years of my life since the day he was born. He didn't complain, whine, or make me regret the night that changed everything.
On the way home, we stopped at the market. He acted like helping me pick out tomatoes and green onions was the most essential thing in the world. And when we arrived back to our small apartment, the kitchen smelled like broth and spices, and Jared was building a Lego fortress on the floor.
This place wasn't fancy. It wasn't wealthy. But it belonged to us. And that meant something sacred in a world where allegiance changed all the time.
"Mommy?" he yelled as he was halfway through making a small tower that looked like a wolf. "Was work okay?"
I smiled as I stirred the pot and said, "It went well. Nothing I can't handle."
I never told Jared about the tough times. He didn't need that extra weight on his little shoulders. I just ever needed his laughing to make me feel better.
After dinner, I snuggled up with him under the lovely comforter, with his little hand on my heart. As he fell asleep, the moonlight came in through the window and covered the room in silver.
"Maybe we can see Grandpa in a few days," I said to myself. Would you like that?
"Yes," he said in a low voice, still half asleep. "I miss Grandpa."
But the thought made my heart hurt.
Naomi and Erica would never want him. They would ultimately find out the truth, and then the questions would come. I couldn't tell them the truth about how Jared was born. Not that night five years ago. Not the guy whose smell still haunted my nightmares.
I'd tell my dad that he was born out of love. And that might have been true. I would never regret him, even if the world said it was a mistake. Not for anything.
Jared's heartbeat was steady against mine, and the stars outside were shining. I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Calm.
But peace doesn't stay long in our planet. Not with predators lurking and secrets coming to light.
And Anastasia Tillman was back. Not merely to stay alive.
She was coming back to get what was hers.
When I saw my son off, the sun had just barely risen above the horizon. I kissed him on the forehead and then watched him go through the school gates. The pain in my chest never went away, even after a while. But responsibility pulled at me more than sadness did, so I got a cab and went to the center of the city.
The Bourgeois building stood quietly among the tall giants. It was only eight floors tall, but the sleek glass buildings around it made it look little. It still had weight, though. Since QR bought us, our reputation has gained sharp teeth. We weren't simply getting by; we were doing well. A month later, we were asked to show off our ideas at a well-known jewelry event in the area. Some of my works had been picked. I put my blood, sweat, and soul into each one of them. I told myself it was for branding, but deep down, it felt like it was about me. It felt like a test to see if I belonged.
As the cab came to a stop, I thanked the driver and got out, holding my luggage in one hand and a warm, slightly squished breakfast bun in the other. I was already running late since I had to drop Jared off at school and then rush to clock in at 9 a.m. I took quick bites as I walked to the door of the building.
The elevator was ahead, all mirrored steel and faint hums. I only needed a couple more bites to be ready for the day. I shoved the last piece of bread into my mouth, and my cheeks ballooned up like a squirrel's winter stockpile.
Then the doors of the elevator opened.
I stopped.
Elliot Presgrave stood inside, surrounded by steel and light like a ghost from a dream or a nightmare. It was more than just good-looking. His aura filled the little area, and there was something ancient and powerful in his scent that stirred instincts I didn't want to admit.
I made myself swallow, which was a poor decision. The piece of bread scratched against my throat like a boulder, and I had to blink away tears.
"Morning," he whispered, his voice low and smooth, with something in it that made my wolf stir under my skin.
I managed to say, "M-Morning," but then I hiccupped right away. Very loudly.
Oh, Goddess.
Another hiccup came out of me like a protest from my lungs. There were mirrors all over the elevator, and there I was, red-faced, cheeks puffed out, and hiccuping like a puppy caught in the middle of a shift. I put my palm over my mouth to attempt to stop it. I could tell that Elliot was looking at me. Not directly no, that would have been too kind but through the mirror, his black stare followed every awkward step I made.
I wanted the elevator to fall and end my pain.
When I got to the sixth floor, I ran away like prey that knew it was in danger. I squeezed through the space between the doors and ran away, my heart racing in my ears. I thought I heard a faint chuckle behind me.
He thought that was funny. Of course he was.
And even worse, he didn't disguise it.
I drank a lot of water at my desk, like if my life depended on it, to calm my hiccups and the scorching shame that was still on my skin. It was silly. I had been betrayed, heartbroken, and faced the cold edges of the pack court, but one elevator trip with Elliot Presgrave had left me speechless.
Why did it have to be him?
What made him have this effect on me?
By 10:30, I was basically back to normal. Most of the time.
Someone down the corridor said, "Anastasia, department meeting."
"Coming," I said, straightening my jacket and smoothing down my skirt. I have to pay attention. There was no place for diversions during work. Not the sort that smiles that make you feel bad and have alpha dominance coming off of them like heat waves.
Felicia sat at the far end of the conference room, calm and collected. Eight designers, including me, sat down at the big table. We weren't just coworkers; we were rivals, circling each other like wolves looking for a weak spot.
Felicia said, "President Presgrave will be with us soon," her voice tense with nervousness. She wasn't safe from his presence either.
Alice leaned in with a sneer across from me. "Anastasia, did you know President Presgrave before you got this job?"
I didn't move. "No.Why?"
"Then why did he look at you like he knew you yesterday?" another designer said, his voice full of anger.
I smiled, cool and crisp. "Maybe you should ask him that."
Felicia clapped her hands once. "That's enough." This is a work space. We aren't here to make friends or get ahead. Anyone who does this will have to answer to me.
Alice laughed but didn't fight back. I detected a flash of something in her eyes, maybe envy. Or doubt. In any case, she thought I was a threat.
The door opened. And just like that, the room's temperature changed.
He came in.
Elliot Presgrave didn't just go into a room; he took it over. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked. His steps were sure and fluid, like a predator who knows he's at the top of the food chain.
I couldn't take my eyes off him for a moment as he sat at the head of the table. His aura surrounded all of us, old and powerful, as if he had been born under a different moon than the rest of us. My wolf moved again, making me feel restless.
Felicia even stood up, and her fingers twitched toward her hair. She was 35, but the way she looked at him? She may have been a schoolgirl wanting to be picked.
"Let's get started," Elliot murmured in a low voice that sounded like he was in charge.