LOGINMisha bit her lip and looked down, completely defeated. "I get it, Dad."
You had to give it to Lycan Algernon—the guy just put on a masterclass in damage control. He saved face for the Rios family while locking in his image as a loving father and an open-minded leader. It was a flawless move; nobody could call him out on it.
Talk about playing chess, not checkers.
In a cutthroat city like L.A., t
"You two just aren't meant to be, Misha. I let you run wild for too long, always thinking that since he hadn't found a new Luna and stayed single, maybe you still had a shot. But looking at it now, you're not a kid anymore. It's time to grow up and look at the bigger picture.""But Mom... I've lived all these years and he's the only one who has ever been in my heart!"Bonnie let out a bittersweet sigh and pulled Misha into a tight hug. "Silley girl, this world is full of things we can't have. Especially when it comes to love and fate—you can't buy or force a bond with money and power. And if there are two things the Black Thorns has never run out of, it's those two."Misha buried her face in her mother's shoulder and sobbed, crying like a child who had lost her favorite toy.Derek... he was her only dream throughout her entire youth.She had followed him around like a shadow for so many years.To prove she was worthy of the Black Thorn
Misha bit her lip and looked down, completely defeated. "I get it, Dad."You had to give it to Lycan Algernon—the guy just put on a masterclass in damage control. He saved face for the Rios family while locking in his image as a loving father and an open-minded leader. It was a flawless move; nobody could call him out on it.Talk about playing chess, not checkers.In a cutthroat city like L.A., three months was a lifetime; anything could happen.Algernon called the shots on the West Coast, and even if the Rios were political thugs, they wouldn't dare push him too hard without a guaranteed win.So, no matter how pissed off and suffocated Bentley felt inside, he had to swallow his pride and take the deal.Three months... A dark, nasty plan formed in his head. All he needed to do over the next ninety days was play his cards right and get her knocked up. Onc
Bonnie chimed in with a sweet smile. "Mrs. Rios, the only people who know about this are the few of us in the Holmes family and everyone in this room. I'm sure no one here would ever let a scandal like this leak, right?""She's right, Auntie," Misha added, suddenly acting remarkably poised and clear-headed."Bentley is a great guy, but I just don't have feelings for him. Forcing a wedding won't make either of us happy. It would only bring endless drama to both our families. What happened last night... was just a mistake we both made under the influence. It wasn't entirely one person's fault."Kneeling in his own blood, Bentley snapped his head up, his eyes darkening with malice.He never expected Misha—usually a brainless, arrogant brat—to be coached into playing it this cool so fast.The Holmes family was clearly willing to swallow their pride just to keep from being tied to the Rios.Seeing the mother-daughter duo turn the tables, the silent Rios patriarch, Alpha Spike, tightened hi
"Algernon, don't stop me!"Ulric's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked so worked up he practically had to be pinned down by the surrounding elders. "I am beating this piece of trash to death right here on Holmes ground! I'll kill you, you animal!"Meanwhile, Bentley's mother was a total wreck. Shaking and crying, she threw herself forward, grabbing a fistful of Bonnie's skirt. "We are so incredibly sorry... I'm a useless mother for not raising him right. But the boy has been secretly in love with Misha for too many years. He just lost his head last night, he couldn't control himself... I'm to blame for this too! Ma'am, if you're too angry to breathe, just beat me to death along with him!"Bonnie stood there, watching this Oscar-level performance from the Rios family, shaking with pure rage.Bentley crashing the party last night had completely blown up her entire plan.She loathed this slimy young Alpha with every fiber of her being, yet she had no choice but to stand before her elders
He whispered it into her ear over and over, his burning breath making her shrink back. "Tabitha, stop trying to push me out of your world. You're my everything."Tabitha felt a bit helpless. She reached up and unceremoniously flicked the smooth forehead of the Black Thorn Alpha."Derek, please control yourself. This is Holmes territory. If the guards on patrol catch you shamelessly hiding out in my room, how exactly do you plan to explain this to those old farts outside?""If you kick me out right now, wouldn't that just prove to everyone that the Black Thorn Alpha never left the Holmes estate last night?" Derek tightened his arms around her like a brat, looking completely unbothered.Tabitha's temples throbbed. "...Then what do you suggest we do?""Wait for dark." A sly glint flashed in his dark gold eyes. "I'll bypass all the infrared security and scale the wall.""The outside is crawling with Lycan-level sentries.""Compared to the
Derek let out a cold laugh, his tone completely dead. "If apologies actually worked, you wouldn't be crying to me right now like a stray dog, Misha. There's an old rule in this world: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When you and your mother were planning to trap me, did you ever stop to think about how incredibly unfair your cheap little stunt was to me?"Misha choked on her tears, her chest heaving violently. "I regret it... Derek, I swear I regret it so much! Please...""The rule of the pack has always been simple: you pay your own debts, Misha. Besides, do you think I'm crazy or stupid? Why would I waste Black Thorn resources to help a woman who tried to set me up?"Derek's freezing, brutal voice cut through the line like a judge's gavel, smashing Misha's last delusion to pieces. "As an old friend, I'll be sure to send a massive gift to the Rios on your mating day. Let me be the first to say congratulations on the wedding.""No&mdash
Tabitha's POVFrom Poison and Wolf Shadow to Elena, I thought I had already found the answer.It didn't seem like that now.Yet, Dad was unaware of what had happened later."Tabitha, don't you trust your old man? Even if I wanted to find a new Luna for the pack, I would ask fo
Tabitha's POVI meant what I said.My love for him was long gone. And all that was left was hatred.Just then, Crystal groaned in my mind, as if trying to comfort me.I stared at Derek, looking forward to hearing what chicanery he was gonna use this time."I know," he fin
Tabitha's POVI somehow walked in.I remember that this place was used as a guest room for entertaining visitors at Hope Ranch.Now, it had been transformed into a large space, with one half painted a soft pink and the other half a gentle sky blue.The floor was covered in a p
Tabitha's POVDerek stopped right in front of me, reaching out his hand, whispering, "Come on, be a good girl and follow me."He sounded so gentle like he was trying to calm a child, but it sent chills down my spine.Even Joanna sensed that something was wrong and instinctively sto







