Moon's Betrayal

Chapter2

Adrian's POV

I'd been driving aimlessly for two hours, trying to escape another screaming match with my parents about Kelly Morrison and the arranged mating contract. The Knight family legacy, they called it. A business merger disguised as romance.

Bullshit.

My father's ultimatum echoed in my head: "Win the Best Record Label Award this year, or marry Kelly Morrison. The company needs that alliance, Adrian. Either prove you can make Knight Records number one, or secure our position through marriage."

Kelly Morrison. Beautiful, obsessed, and completely f*****g crazy when it comes to me. She'd been calling nonstop since the engagement announcement, leaving voicemails about how "perfect" we'd be together and how she'd "make me forget every other woman." The thought made my skin crawl.

I was about to head back to my penthouse when her scent hit me.

Every muscle in my body went rigid. My wolf, usually controlled and disciplined, started pacing frantically in my mind. That scent – vanilla and jasmine with something wild underneath – it was impossible to ignore.

I followed it like a man possessed, my Lamborghini purring through the empty streets until I found the source.

A girl. No, a woman. Sitting alone in a dark alley with nothing but an old guitar and a voice that could bring angels to their knees.

She was singing in a language I recognized but couldn't quite place. Something ancient. Something that made my Alpha blood sing in response.

When she opened her eyes and saw me, I caught my first real look at her face. Beautiful, yes, but it was more than that. She looked... broken and lost. Like she'd been crying for days.

Perfect.

I stepped out of my car, adjusting my suit jacket. Even at midnight, appearances mattered. Especially when making business deals.

"You've got quite a voice," I said, keeping my tone neutral. Professional.

She looked tense, her hands were moving to close the guitar case. defensive and smart girl.

"Thank you." Her voice was hoarse from singing, but even rough, it had a quality that made my chest tight. "I should go."

"Wait." I pulled out my wallet, extracting a business card. "I'm Adrian Knight. Knight Records."

Her eyes widened slightly. Good, She knew the name because everyone in LA did.

"I don't understand," she said, but I could see the hunger in her eyes. Not s****l – though there was attraction there, I could smell it – but the desperate hunger of someone who had nothing left to lose.

"I'm looking for new talent. Raw, authentic voices that can move people." I stepped closer, and caught her full scent. My wolf nearly howled. Mate. The word echoed in my mind, but I pushed it down. Business first. Always business first.

"I'm not... I mean, I don't have any professional training," she stammered.

"What's your name?"

"Elena. Elena Rivera."

"Elena Rivera," I repeated, liking the way it sounded. "I'm going to make you an offer that could change your life. One year contract with Knight Records. Guaranteed salary, housing, and at the end of it, enough money to never worry about sleeping in alleys again."

She stared at me like I'd offered her the moon.

"Why?" she whispered. "You don't even know me."

Because you're mine, I thought. Because my wolf is clawing at my ribs trying to get to you. Because I haven't felt anything this intense since... ever.

"Because I know talent when I hear it," I said instead. "And because I need to win the Best Record Label Award this year. Your voice could help me do that."

At least that part was true. My parents had made it clear – prove myself worthy of the Knight legacy by winning the industry's most prestigious award, or accept the mating arrangement with Kelly. They thought pairing me with the Morrison Alpha bloodline would strengthen our family's position.

They had no idea I'd already found something infinitely more valuable than Kelly Morrison's connections.

"I..." Elena looked down at her guitar case, where I could see a few crumpled dollar bills. She was desperate. Homeless, maybe. Definitely hungry.

"Think about it," I said, pulling out my phone. "But don't think too long. I'm leaving for New York tomorrow afternoon for a business meeting. If you're interested, call me before noon."

I turned to walk back to my car, then paused.

"Elena?"

"Yes?"

"Don't sleep in any more alleys. LA isn't safe for girls like you."

As I drove away, I watched her in my rearview mirror, still sitting in that alley, holding my business card like it might disappear.

My phone buzzed with a text from my mother: Kelly's father called. They're willing to discuss terms again. Don't mess this up, Adrian.

I deleted the message without responding.

I had bigger plans now.