CHAPTER 001
Leila.
I sit at the edge of the bed watching Ryan pull his shirt over his head, the muscles in his back flexing and rippling with every movement. His body is a work of art. I can’t help but stare longer. He finishes in silence, unbuckles his belt and when he is finally in only his undies, he slips into bed, right next to me. In silence as usual.
We’ve been married for one year, and for the past recent months, Ryan has been keeping his distance from me. But tonight, I can’t take it anymore. I want to be touched, adored. I want to be wanted by him again.
My wolf, Dina, agrees with me as I let the thin strap of my nightgown fall off my shoulder. I approach Ryan and ran my fingers along his chest. He didn’t stop me, so I took it even further, and kissed his broad back, gently, carefully, as if I was marking him. I can hear him breathing heavily before he catches my wandering hands firmly in his.
“Not tonight, Leila.” He groans in frustration and drops my hand back to my side. “I’ve had a long day and I just want to sleep.”
And that is how the night ends as usual. I can’t stop the ache growing in my heart.
I can’t sleep. I stare at the ceiling wide awake for the whole night. And when morning arrives, Ryan is gone as usual, to handle his Beta duties.
I groan as I get out of bed, knowing it’s going to be another long day by myself in his big mansion. I am the wife to the Beta of Emberhowl pack, one of the most prominent packs in Moon Vale city. But we do not live in the pack house like many others. Ryan says he prefers a small, quiet place where he won’t have to be forced to interact with anyone. But that choice—that decision, is becoming a nightmare to me.
I have no friends here. I am bored out of my senses every day and even Ryan who I always look forward to seeing everyday rarely talks to me now.
I start freshening up for the day but when I’m done taking my bath, I notice the envelope sitting on the table. Ryan must’ve forgotten it in his haste. I pick it up and see it is a report addressed to the Alpha.
CONFIDENTIAL is written all over it in bold letters, but it’s too late to drop it. I have already seen the content of it and my heart is beating fast. This is sensitive information regarding our pack!
I put the documents back in the envelope and seal it close. I need to get this to Ryan as soon as possible. He might think he has lost it and will get in trouble. Or maybe this just happens to be an excuse to visit the pack house myself. I haven’t been there since last year, after I married Ryan and a new Alpha replaced the old one.
I hurriedly put on my clothes and soon, I am ready to head out. I arrive at the pack house. It is a gigantic tall building that resembles a castle but has a more modern vibe to it. I’ve been here a few times when mom use to work here as a doctor. I try to ask someone about where to find Ryan but the whole place is chaotic. The omega maids are running around, whispering to each other.
“The Alpha is mad. How can Ryan lose something so important?”
“Last time, Derek made the same mistake and the Alpha almost choked him to death. What will happen to Ryan now?”
My heart is beating fast as I overhear them. Ryan is in trouble just like I suspected. I quickly block one of them before she can move.
“Hey, my name is Leila, I am Beta Ryan’s wife. Where can I find him? I need to give him something important.”
The two maids look at me as if I had a death wish but at the end, they point me in a direction and I hurry there. There are guards blocking the way, but when I tell them who I am, they open the thick double doors and allow me enter, not without throwing me strange glances. My wolf is on edge, pacing in my head as if something disastrous is about to happen but I can barely pay attention as I walk inside the hall, interrupting what seems to be a meeting. Several heads turned towards me at once.
“Who are you?” one person asks but my eyes only move around, searching for Ryan. I find him in the midst of these men, on his knees, sweating profusely in front of a man that is sitting above all the others.
“Ryan.” My heart instantly breaks seeing him in this position so I rush to help him up.
“What are you doing here?” Ryan snaps at me once he sees me.
I show him the file quickly. “You forgot this at home so I brought it to you.”
Ryan takes the file from me, looking terrified as he whispers. “You need to leave. Now.”
“Who is this?” one of them asks just as Ryan is pushing me to the door.
“This is my wife, Cassian. She brought me the file. It turns out I didn’t lose it.” He chuckles awkwardly, mouthing for me to leave.
So I bowed one time and turned to take my leave only for a voice to ring out behind me.
“Stop.” My feet stops on its own, and even the air seem to still.
‘Leila, it’s him.’ Dina tells me. ‘We found him. We found our mate!’
I can feel her excitement even before her words register in my head. Him? My mate? MY MATE???
I can’t believe it. I slowly turn around only to meet the eyes of the person sitting on the raised platform. The Alpha of the Emberhowl pack.
His gaze flickers with surprise, then confusion and followed by it ishunger. Raw, intense hunger. His gaze is burning me now. Quietly. Then it drops to my husband kneeling in front of him. A chuckle suddenly slips past his lips and he says to me,
“Come here.”
I swallow hard, and take two steps forward. Stunned and confused. I’ve never expected to find my mate like this. But the Alpha of my pack? Impossible!
“Alpha, Leila only brought it to me because I left it at home. I assure you she has nothing to do with this.” Ryan quickly starts but is silenced.
“Quiet, Ryan. Why don’t we hear from her?”
What… what were they talking about? What do they need from me?
“Give that to me.” The Alpha raises his hand to Ryan and Ryan offers him the file I just brought in. He takes one look at it and his expression changes just like mine had when I also saw it. He threw the file against Ryan’s face. “You left something this important in the hands of someone else?”
“She knows nothing. I promise you!”
“Nothing?” the Alpha smirks wickedly and points at me. “Did you read the content?”
Knowing how serious this is, I refrain from talking. The hall is quiet, everyone seems to be holding their breath.
“Did you read it?” he asks again, voice stern, and somehow, I find it attractive. f**k. No, Leila, get a grip. You’re married!
“I—“ I start, knowing the right answer is to deny opening the file but he cuts me off.
“Think twice about your answer. If you lie to me, I’ll kill your husband.”
The ways he says it with such malice, I know it’s not a joke, but a threat.
Or a promise.
