Oh em gee, REALLY? Brielle’s jaw hung open in shock. She pulled Margaret close and whispered excitedly, “Didn’t you say that Alpha Knight wasn’t interested in women? Sounds like he might have a secret love! And she’s the future head of our firm!?” Margaret patted Brielle’s hand with a smile. “You really should try to be more informed about these things, Brielle.
How can you work here and not know all this hot gossip? Our jobs literally revolve around pack politics.” “Well, come on, hurry and tell me now. I’m all ears!” Brielle said, tugging at Margaret’s sleeve. Margaret lowered her voice. “Alpha Knight and Elder Thorin’s daughter were childhood sweethearts. Rumor has it, Alpha asked her to be his Luna five years ago. But she turned him down to focus on her studies, said she didn’t want the responsibility of that, so they split up. They haven’t spoken since. But as soon as Ms. Thorin returned to the country, Alpha Knight personally went to the airport to pick her up. That’s enough to prove that he still has strong feelings for her.” Brielle covered her mouth, her big, round eyes wide. “Oh my god! It’s like the perfect romance!” My heart spasmed, and misery spread through me. So, the truth was that Griffon had terminated our contract early because his long-lost love-his real love-had come back. But if he was already in love with someone, why did he force me to sign a contract to continue our “relationship” after sleeping with me only once? And whenever he touched me, he went so crazy that he couldn’t control his wolf. He was unable to keep his hands off me, and we’d spend hours and hours in bed. Those weren’t the actions of a man who didn’t want someone. Just as I was about to ask Margaret where she’d heard this, the elevator opened with a ding.
The executive assistant to the head of the firm, Lila, and several department managers walked out first. Right after, a man with a face and body carved and chiseled by the goddess herself walked out. He seemed almost unreal, like he’d stepped out of an oil painting, a mix of power, refinement, and indifference, always keeping a distance from others. Unlike other Alphas who were warm and friendly while maintaining their position of authority, this Alpha was aloof, Stoic…unattainable. I would recognize him anywhere. Lila gestured to the shifters who’d stepped off the elevator. Alpha Knight, Ms. Thorin, this way, please.” Why is he here? I thought, watching Griffon turn and offer his hand to someone in the elevator. Then, a delicate, fair hand was placed in his, and a woman stepped out. The moment I saw her face, I understood why Griffon bought me for the night and drew up that contract five years ago. Except for a few minor differences, I had almost the same face as Griffon’s former lover, the woman he’d wanted to make. His Luna. I used to think Griffon would return my feelings one day and love me for who I was, although I had no wolf and could never truly be his Luna, but now I knew… I was only a temporary substitute. My chest tightened almost to the point I couldn’t breathe, and pain swept through my body, turning my face pale even despite the makeup I wore. Brielle immediately asked with concern, “Taya? What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick? I shook my head, and before Brielle could say anything else, Lila led Griffon and Ms. Thorin over. I quickly lowered my eyes and didn’t dare look Griffon or the woman in the eye. I couldn’t stop my hands from trembling on.
The keyboard, as Lila introduced them. The assistants here are available to help you with anything you need, Ms. Thorin.” Ms. Thorin nodded, looked at us, and said softly, “Good Morning, everyone. My name is Tara Thorin. Starting today, I’ll be the new CEO of the Midwest Packs Association.” Tara… I couldn’t seem to get enough air into my lungs, and I felt lightheaded. Memories started flooding back of me and Griffon, our bodies writhing and entwined in bed. Every time, he’d softly call out my name. So softly I could barely hear it. Only now did I realize that he wasn’t calling out to me, but to Tara… I clenched my fists. My long nails dug into my flesh, but I felt no pain. Suffocating feelings of humiliation and abandonment overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t fight back the tears. I was so stupid to have fallen in love with Griffon, the wolf who would never love me back. After exchanging pleasantries, Tara took Griffon’s arm and followed Lila to the CEO’s office. Brielle craned her neck and looked at their backs with envy. “Alpha Knight personally picked her up and escorted her into the office on her first day of work? That HAS to mean he still loves her!” Margaret patted her shoulder and said, “It’s not just that. She’s only just returned to the country, and she’s already taking over as CEO.
The rest of the elderly may not be completely convinced she’s up to the task. By personally escorting her on her first day, Alpha Knight is warning everyone that she has the backing of the Knight Pack.” “He’s so quick to show his love and support for her. Alpha Knight really is the perfect mate.” Brielle sighed. Margaret’s eyes were also full of jealousy. “If she weren’t Elder Thorin’s daughter, she wouldn’t have been chosen by the most powerful Alpha in the Midwest Packs,” she said. Brielle shook her head disapprovingly. “I don’t think so. Ms. Thorin is accomplished, too. She’s highly educated and refined, and she's obviously beautiful. She’ll make a perfect Luna for him. Speaking of her looks…” Brielle looked at me. “Taya… don’t you think you look kind of similar to our new CEO?” Margaret came over to take a closer look. “Goddess. You do look a bit like her, Taya.
But honestly, I think you’re way prettier!”“Don’t be ridiculous, I said abruptly, and then I got up and went to the bathroom. I heard Brielle behind me. “What’s up with her?” Margaret chimed in. “Maybe she’s jealous because she thinks Tara is so much luckier than her, even though they practically have the same face. After all, Tara is a true she-wolf.” Mortification washed over me at her words, and I walked faster. I entered the bathroom and quickly took out my heart medication, turning on the faucet and scooping up a handful of water to swallow it down. After calming down for a few long moments, I splashed my face with cold water and looked up at my reflection. It was clear that illness was ravaging my body; my cheeks were sunken, my skin dull. But Tara… While I was in a daze, the bathroom door opened, and in came Tara, her high heels clicking with each step. Her face was soft and delicate, with a rosy glow, and she exuded an effortless elegance.It was like Brielle said. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was Educated, classy, successful… The perfect she-wolf who would make the perfect Luna. Everything that I wasn’t. When her eyes met mine, inferiority pierced through me. I quickly lowered my head, pulled out a tissue, and turned to leave. “Wait a minute,” Tara called out.
A strange sense of shame flowed through me, after spending so many years as this woman’s “substitute”. Tara walked up and smiled gently. “You’re an assistant in the CEO’s office, right? Was it Taya?” I tried to calm my pounding heart, lowered my head, and nodded. “Yes, that’s right, Ms. Thorin. Nice to meet you, Taya.” Tara looked at the time on her watch. “ I’m going to hold a board meeting in half an hour.Can you make me a coffee and bring it to my office? I need a little pick-me-up.” I was a little hesitant. Griffon was still there, after all. But I hadn’t resigned yet, so I had to do whatever Tara asked. I had no choice but to nod, thinking I would ask Brielle to bring the coffee to my place. “Thank you. Tara walked out with her head held high, the textbook image of a confident, powerful she-wolf. Her self-assurance and brilliance were a stark contrast to me. I was a counterfeit Tara. Useless, something to be discarded once the real thing was attainable. I stood there motionless
When I heard that name, my body stiffened. I slowly turned from Roman’s unwanted embrace and looked toward Griffon, who was standing in the elevator. I couldn’t see his expression clearly because I was too far away, but I felt his eyes staring at me without blinking, could see the glow of his wolf in them. The coldness emanating from his gaze seemed like it could devour me instantly. As soon as Brooks Thorin, an elder and the chairperson of Midwest Packs Corporation, walked in, he saw Griffon.He quickly walked over. “Griffon, why are you here today?” Only then did Griffon look away and reply to Elder Thorin. “I brought Tara here.” Gone was the cold wolf, and instead I watched as his “mask” came on and his demeanor changed. Elder Thorin nodded satisfactorily and said, “Thank you for your time. Tara hasn’t even been back twenty-four hours, and you have already run her around.” “It’s my pleasure to escort your daughter, Elder Thorin.” Griffon nodded his head politely. Go on ahead. Don’t
Roman wasn't concerned about my feelings and tore off my pajamas. When his calloused hand touched my lower back, I screamed in fear. “Roman!” The deafening scream stopped Roman’s wandering hand. But he only paused for a moment before pulling at my clothes again. I could sense that his wolf was taking over, and if that happened even more, I wouldn’t be able to get through to him. I’d experienced it when Griffon’s wolf took over, and no words could get through to the animal. Likewise, I regretted not bringing a baseball bat to the door to beat him to death.“Roman, if you dare to rape me tonight, I promise you’ll see me back in court tomorrow!” Roman’s hand paused again, but then he sneered, as if he had heard a great joke. “You think I’d be afraid of seeing you in court? A Beta against a Little girl with no wolf?” he scoffed.I clenched my fists. “I know your pack is powerful, but I swear I’ll make your scandal public!!” “Sure, go ahead. It’s been awhile since I made headlines anyway.”
Just as I was done with my preparations, Roman sent his assistant, Mason, to pick me up. Sitting in that Maybach, I thought Mason would drive me to Roman’s place, but I was taken to a mall. Stylists and makeup artists surrounded me, curling up my waist-length hair and applying exquisite makeup to my face. I was dressed in an expensive evening gown, tailored to fit me perfectly. A diamond necklace that was worth millions was placed on my neck. I looked at myself in the mirror. Noble, elegant, and refined. But I didn’t feel like myself. I looked more like Tara.If Griffon had seen me like this, he might have thought I was trying to mimic her. I smiled bitterly. Finally, I was all dressed up, and Mason took me to Nightshade. It was the largest nightclub in Arcadia. The people who came Here, they were either rich or powerful, both human and shifters alike. Species didn’t matter…only money and power. The place could guarantee these people their privacy. There were virtually no security cam
It seemed that Griffon was not interested in Roman's comparisons. Roman said nothing more and led me to sit opposite him. As soon as we sat down, a man in an expensive suit opened a bottle of wine and handed it to me “Taya Palmer, right? Can you drink? I didn’t know who this man was, and the suddenness of his offer made me feel uneasy. I hesitated, unsure of what to do. I wasn’t sure if he was a wolf or not, so I didn’t know if he was offering me regular wine, or wine laced with wolfsbane. Wolfsbane would kill me. Seeing me hesitate, the man suddenly smiled. “Don’t worry. There isn’t any wolfsbane in this.” The man’s gentle demeanor put me at ease. I accepted the wine and took a small sip, but I still felt unsure about drinking it.The woman sitting next to the man noticed my hesitation and began to sneer. “Beta Starke, the girlfriend you found is awful. Preston kindly poured her a drink, but she was too scared to drink it. How rude.” Preston… This must be Griffon’s cousin, Preston Kn
Let’s draw lots now. Each pair that draws the same number has. To switch seals. And no sitting next to each other! Khloe put the paper balls on the table and paired up those who drew the same number automatically. There were four players in the first round, and the others would line up. Those who got the numbers 1 or 2 played first. Unfortunately, I got number 2. I raised my eyes to look at the other side. It turned out that Griffon had gotten the number 1, which meant we were in a hostile situation. Khloe, who had also gotten the number 1, raised her eyebrows at me as if to say, “Wait and see.” “What about the other 2? Who got it? After hesitating momentarily, Preston opened the paper ball in his hand. He smiled at me and said, “I’m not good at playing cards.I have to count on you.” I responded with a smile that was uglier than crying. I was a well-behaved girl who always listened to the orphanage director when I was young, listened to my teachers in school, listened to my boss, and
Roman took the opportunity to hand over a bottle of wine. “Alpha Knight, why don’t you let Taya pour a glass of wine for you?” Roman had wanted to see me undress in front of everyone, but he quickly realized that I was his date and that he had publicly referred to me as his girlfriend. He would look like a fool if I took my clothes off in front of everyone-especially an Alpha. And that was the only thing that saved me. Preston reacted quickly and agreed with Roman. “Let her buy a glass of wine as punishment. Pour After that, he signaled me to pour wine for Griffon. How…how was pouring him wine a punishment? I looked up at Griffon.His face was blank, and I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking…if he was thinking anything at all. He’d been holding a glass of wine all evening, but I’d yet to see him take a sip of it. I didn’t know what kind of wine was in his glass, if it was laced with wolves bane or not. I mustered the courage to pick up the expensive red wine on the table, walked
As I kneeled, Khloe laughed with delight, while Preston frowned and the others looked on as if they were watching a show. Roman showed no emotion, only ambivalence. Only Griffon, leaning back against the sofa with one arm stretched across it and his legs spread wide, looked down at me with a smug look across his face. There was no mistaking who the Alpha in the room was, and Griffon clearly knew it. I couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of days and nights we had spent together, but suddenly, it all felt like it wasn’t worth it. I’d thought I could leave with dignity, to escape this place and these people, but I should have known better. This was the cruel reality of our different social statuses. I had slept with him for five years, destined to be trampled under his feet. Stomped down by his status as an Alpha, wolf, and billionaire. However, I had only a few months left to endure. With this thought, I found a sense of calm. I kneeled, poured the wine, and handed the glass to Grif