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The moment I set my phone down, the forced lightness I’d been clinging to crumbled completely.
For the next hour, my phone buzzed nonstop, calls flooding in.
I should’ve been grateful none were from my parents-they probably hadn’t heard yet. But they would. And the thought of their heartbroken faces when they saw the news twisted my gut like a red-hot knife.
I hated myself for ignoring my parents’ warnings.
I hated how love had blinded me.
While the world spiraled into chaos, Alpha Adrian was just waking up in a hotel bed, his head throbbing from
a hangover.
He hadn’t gone home.
His phone was dead.
He hadn’t shown up at the pack office.
Helixon was in an uproar over the scandal, and he was blissfully clueless.
When Ryan tracked him down and broke the news, it hit him like a thunderbolt.
Alpha Gideon, meanwhile, was leaving a lunch meeting.
As he slid into his car, Elliot handed him the latest juicy gossip-because it involved me.
Alpha Gideon skimmed it, his face calm as ever, but a cold, invisible aura radiated from him.
“The Blackwoods and Quinns are so cozy now, they’ll probably never want for funds again,” he said lightly, his
tone laced with rare venom.
“Cut off their project loan.”
Elliot frowned.
“We’ve already released the first phase, and the second’s about to go through. If we pull the plug now, their funding chain could collapse. The project might tank.”
“You think so little of them?”
Alpha Gideon’s voice was mockingly sweet.
“This is Alpha Adrian and Vanessa’s ‘destined mate’ project. They’d sell their own blood to keep it afloat. I
believe in them.”
Elliot fell silent.
Alpha Gideon, you can’t let personal grudges dictate decisions!
His palms sweat.
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He knew Alpha Gideon had just taken over the stateside operations, and this loan had been approved under Julian Marks. The connections were already smoothed over.
If Alpha Gideon halted it now, Julian and his lackeys would see it as a direct attack.
But arguing was pointless.
Alpha Gideon had made up his mind.
On the drive back to the office, he issued the order: re-evaluate the loan.
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The excuse? The project’s pack was mired in a PR disaster, which could jeopardize repayment.
A reassessment was “necessary.”
Whether it passed? Well, that depended on Alpha Gideon’s mood.
The Cloud Pack’s most powerful alpha could afford a little impulsivity.
Meanwhile, Alistair and Evelyn were at the Quinn pack, dining with the jubilant Quinns.
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Vanessa clung to Evelyn, as cozy as could be.
Evelyn forced a smile, looking like a marionette with strings pulled taut.
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Alistair wasn’t happy about Evelyn’s unilateral push for this alliance.
They’d argued on the way over, but he’d cooled off, figuring the bond with the Quinns was inevitable now.
“Where’s Alpha Adrian? Why can’t we reach him? He’s not still with Vivian, is he? That shameless she-wolf!” Vanessa’s voice dripped with jealousy.
The Quinns piled on, their accusations bold and self-righteous.
“Vivian’s the type who trades looks for power. Alpha Adrian never should’ve fallen for her tricks.”
“All that charm? Just a facade. She’s trouble.”
“Talking about her makes me feel dirty.”
They were mid-tirade.
Alpha Adrian stormed in.
Vanessa’s eyes lit up the second she saw him.
“Alpha Adrian!” she trilled, practically leaping from her seat to rush toward him.
But three feet away, Alpha Adrian held up a hand to stop her, his gaze thick with disgust.
He sidestepped her, ignoring the Quinn pack entirely, and strode straight to his parents.
Facing Evelyn, he growled, “Who gave you the right to spin these lies? You think I’ve screwed up enough, or are you trying to make me look even more like a spineless coward?”
Evelyn stared at her son, her pupils trembling faintly.
The Quinns’ faces darkened.
What the hell was he saying?
His words seemed aimed at Evelyn, but they were really for the Quinns.
The mess blowing up online?
The Blackwoods could’ve stayed out of it, let it fade.
But no-they’d dived in headfirst, making it look like they were tight with the Quinns-old pack allies, some might think.
Those who knew about the charity gala drama would assume the two packs had struck a deal.
But only the Blackwoods and Quinns knew the truth: this was all Evelyn, strong-armed by the Quinns into
playing along.
Alpha Adrian’s words were a pointed jab, calling them out without saying it outright.
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“No one made me say anything,” Evelyn shot back, her neck stiff.
“I decided it myself. Things have gone too far, and Vanessa deserves a proper place. If you two want to form a sacred bond with any dignity, we need to turn this around. It’s the only way, and I’m doing this for everyone’s
sake.”
Alpha Adrian narrowed his eyes, looking at his mother with pure confusion.
After the gala fiasco, Evelyn wouldn’t even let Vanessa near the Blackwood.
A few days later, and she’d done a complete change? What had changed?
Alistair chimed in from the side.
“What’s done is done, Adrian. Stop blaming your mother. Focus on what needs to happen next.”
Before Alpha Adrian could respond, Lydia, Vanessa’s mother, jumped in.
“Exactly, Alistair. Love takes two, doesn’t it? My daughter might’ve been reckless, but your son’s no saint either. You can’t expect her to carry this alone-one she-wolf against the pack’s judgment.”
