Three days passed.
Lyla went to work. The twins went to school. The gray wolf watched from the edges. And every night, Lyla dreamed of Kael—of the masquerade, of the balcony, of the note that had promised he would find her.
On the fourth day, her phone rang.
"Ms. Blackwood? This is Patricia from Vance Industries. Mr. Vance would like to schedule a follow-up meeting. Your proposal was... compelling. He would like to discuss it in more detail."
Lyla's heart raced. "Of course. When?"
"Today. 3 PM. His private office, 46th floor. He's cleared his schedule for you."
"I'll be there."
She hung up and immediately called Mia. "I need you to pick up the twins from school. Something came up."
"Something came up? Lyla, what's happening? You sound weird."
"I have a meeting. With Kael Vance."
Mia was silent for a moment. Then: "Kael Vance? As in the billionaire? As in the man who owns half of Manhattan? Lyla, that's amazing!"
"You don't understand. He's—" She stopped. How could she explain? "He's the one, Mia. The man from five years ago. The father of my children."
Silence. Then: "Oh my God. Lyla. OH MY GOD."
"I know."
"Are you okay? Do you need me to come with you? I can be your assistant. I'll carry a briefcase and look important."
Lyla laughed despite her nerves. "I need you to get the twins. That's enough."
"You've got this. Go get your billionaire. And Lyla? Whatever happens, you're amazing. You've raised those kids alone for five years. You don't need him. But if you want him—go get him."
At 2:55 PM, Lyla stood outside Kael Vance's private office, trying to breathe.
The door opened.
"Ms. Blackwood." Kael stood in the doorway, wearing a dark suit, his golden eyes unreadable. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing forearms corded with muscle, and there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before. "Thank you for coming."
"Mr. Vance."
"Please. Come in."
His office was enormous—windows on three sides, views of the entire city. A sitting area with leather chairs. A desk that probably cost more than her car. And on the walls, photographs. Wolves. Forests. Mountains. Nothing personal, nothing human. Just wild places and wild things.
"Can I get you something? Coffee? Water? I can have Patricia bring anything you'd like."
"I'm fine." She sat in one of the leather chairs, clutching her portfolio like a shield. "You said my proposal was compelling?"
"It was." He sat across from her, closer than necessary, his knees almost brushing hers. "But that's not why I asked you here."
Lyla's throat tightened. "It isn't?"
"Lyla." He said her name like it hurt, like each syllable cost him something. "Do you remember me?"
The question hung between them. She could lie. Could pretend she didn't know. Could keep the walls up and protect herself from whatever was coming.
But she was tired of lying. Tired of pretending. Tired of raising their children alone while he sat in this tower, not knowing they existed.
"Yes," she whispered. "I remember."
Kael closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were glowing—faintly, barely, but undeniably gold.
"I didn't recognize you at first," he said roughly. "My mind refused to accept it. But my wolf knew. He's been screaming for five years, and I didn't listen. I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"For leaving. For not finding you. For—" He stood abruptly, pacing to the window. "For not knowing about our children."
Lyla's heart stopped. "How do you know about them?"
"I had you investigated. After the board meeting. I needed to understand why my wolf was reacting to you. I needed to know—" He turned back to her, and his eyes were fully golden now, blazing with something ancient and fierce. "I needed to know if I had a family I didn't know about."
"You had me investigated?" Anger flared through her fear. "You had no right—"
"I had every right." He took a step toward her, and she felt the power radiating off him, the sheer presence of a man who was used to commanding rooms. "You're my mate. The children are mine. I have the right to know."
"Mate." She stood, facing him, her hands clenched at her sides. "You said that before. At the masquerade. What does it mean? Really?"
Kael's expression shifted. Confusion. Hope. Fear. All of them flickering across his face in the space of a heartbeat.
"You really don't know?"
"I really don't know anything except that I had twins with a man who disappeared, and now those twins can turn into wolves during full moons and talk to animals and make bowls vibrate when they think too hard. And now there's a wolf watching my apartment, and my son says it's yours, and I don't know what's real anymore."
Kael stared at her. "They've shifted?"
"Since they were one. The first time, I thought I was losing my mind. I thought they were sick. Or cursed. Or something was wrong with them." Her voice cracked. "I've been hiding them for four years. Moving apartments. Changing schools. Always afraid someone would find out."
"Nothing is wrong with them." He crossed to her, close enough to touch, his voice rough with emotion. "They're perfect. They're hybrids—the first in centuries. And you..." He reached for her face, then stopped, his hand hovering just above her skin. "You're a Moon Spirit."
"A what?"
"An ancient bloodline. Extinct for two hundred years. Or so we thought." His eyes searched hers, looking for something she didn't understand. "When you shift—"
"I don't shift. I'm human."
"You're not. You're dormant. The Spirit is sleeping inside you. It's why our bond formed, why my wolf recognized you instantly. You're not just my mate. You're the most powerful wolf in existence."
Lyla laughed. Actually laughed, sharp and hysterical. "This is insane. Werewolves? Spirits? I'm an architect. I have a mortgage. I don't—"
"Lyla." He caught her hands, his grip warm and solid. "Look at me."
She did.
"Feel what's between us. The pull. The heat. The way your heart races when I'm close. That's the bond. It's real. I'm real. And I swear to you, I will explain everything. But first—" His voice softened. "First, I need to see them. Our children. Please."
Lyla wanted to say no. Wanted to protect them, keep them safe, keep them hers. But she thought of Luna asking about her daddy. Leo saying "he's loud." The gray wolf watching over them night after night.
"They're at school," she said quietly. "They get out at 4:30."
Kael's face transformed. Hope. Joy. Terror. All of it written there for her to see.
"Can I come? Just to see them. I won't—I won't say anything. I just need to see them."
"Can you behave? No glowing eyes? No mentioning werewolves until I say so?"
He nodded solemnly. "I'll be completely human."
"That's what I'm afraid of."