CHAPTER 5; The Pull

Rose's POV

The hotel glittered like a palace of glass and gold.

Every chandelier sparkled above us, raining light over men in suits and women wrapped in satin and laughter. I followed behind my colleagues, trying to look composed even though my stomach twisted with nerves.

I wasn't used to this kind of life …the kind where people casually drank wine that cost more than my monthly rent or laughed like they owned the city.

But this wasn't just any event. It was a celebration … a partnership dinner between our company and Wolfe Enterprises. And the man himself, Adrian Wolfe, was hosting it.

I had seen him once, on the cover of Forbes. Billionaire. Mysterious. The kind of man who made people nervous just by walking into a room.

And when he finally appeared, stepping onto the stage, the air changed.

The crowd quieted instantly, as if the world had been waiting for him to speak.

"Thank you all for being part of this journey," he said, voice deep, calm, and commanding. "Tonight, we celebrate more than success. We celebrate loyalty... trust... power."

His words rolled through me like thunder.

Something about his voice made my skin prickle … it felt too familiar. Like a whisper from a dream I'd forgotten but couldn't shake.

And when he looked across the room... I swore his eyes met mine.

Gray. Cold. Intense.

For a second, I couldn't breathe.

My heart pounded. My palms went cold.

I told myself it was ridiculous. I'd never met him before. But then, why did my pulse race as if it remembered him? My head begins to hurt.

I sipped more wine. And then another.

The lights blurred a little, the sound of music swelling around me. I tried to laugh with my coworkers, but I couldn't focus. Every time I blinked, I saw him. That face. Those eyes.

Something was wrong. I felt dizzy. Hot.

Like my blood was boiling from the inside.

"I just... need some air," I mumbled, excusing myself before anyone noticed the tremble in my voice.

The elevator doors slid shut behind me with a soft chime. My reflection stared back at me … flushed, confused, a little drunk. I hit the button for the lobby... but the elevator moved upward instead.

When the doors opened again, I gasped.

The top floor.

This wasn't the lobby. What am I doing here?

The hallway stretched ahead, lined with sleek black marble and silver lights. The air was colder here … quiet, expensive, private. I wandered forward, half-amazed, half lost. One door stood slightly ajar. Curiosity tugged at me before logic could stop it.

I pushed it open … and froze.

The penthouse was breathtaking. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the glittering city below. Everything screamed luxury … black velvet, crystal, and gold.

Then I saw him.

Adrian's POV

The moment I stepped off that stage, I knew something was wrong.

The scent hit me first …faint, soft, familiar. Her scent?

Her.

No, impossible. It couldn't be.

I'd wiped her memory. Sent her home. She was safe. Humans didn't wander into my world twice.

But the ache in my chest said otherwise. The heat crawling under my skin, the burn in my veins … it was her. The one I'd tried to forget.

Caleb noticed my expression and frowned. "You okay, man? You look pale."

"I'm fine," I lied. My voice came out rough. "Handle the dinner. I'm going upstairs."

He opened his mouth to argue, but I was already walking away.

By the time I reached the penthouse, the pain was unbearable. My control slipped … claws itching beneath my skin, heartbeat erratic. The bond was tugging at me, louder than ever, crueler.

I poured a glass of whiskey, downed it, and sat in the dark. The city lights blinked beyond the glass wall.

I thought I was hallucinating when I heard the door creak open.

And then I saw her.

Rose.

She stood there like a vision … hair tousled, cheeks flushed, eyes wide as the moonlight poured over her. Dressed in a fitted cloth, revealing her curves.. She's so sexy.

For a moment, everything stopped.

"Why..." My voice faltered. "Why are you here?"

She blinked, clearly drunk, confused. "I… I'm sorry. I thought this was the lobby. I didn't mean to…"

Her voice trembled, and I felt my control slipping again. She's drunk.

Her scent filled the room … honey and storm. The same scent from the woods.

"Leave," I whispered, though part of me screamed the opposite.

She took a shaky step forward. "You look... sick. Are you okay?"

I almost laughed. The irony of a werewolf looking sick.

But when she reached out, her fingers brushed mine …and the world roared back to life.

The pain vanished. Just like that. Her touch…

Her touch burned and soothed at once. My vision cleared. My strength surged back.

She gasped, realizing the same thing I did.

"What…what was that?" she whispered.

I stared at her, my voice low, raw. "You shouldn't be here."

And yet, I didn't move away. I couldn't.

Her heartbeat echoed in my head, steady and wild. Her eyes glistened, reflecting the city lights.

I reached up, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She didn't pull back.

Something in the air shifted …heavier, warmer.

Every instinct inside me howled: mine.

"Adrian?..." she breathed. Hearing my name from her lips nearly broke me.

Her fingers trembled against my chest. I could feel her pulse racing beneath them. She looked dazed, like she couldn't tell dream from reality.

I leaned closer, close enough to feel her breath. "You should go, before I do something," I murmured again, but even I didn't believe it.

Because when her eyes lifted to meet mine …wide, uncertain, and burning … I knew I was lost.

Rose's POV

I didn't know why I didn't run. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was the way he looked at me …like I was something he'd been searching for his entire life.

When his hand brushed my face, the world stopped spinning. The headache, the heat … all gone. All that remained was him.

"I feel like I've met you before," I whispered, voice trembling.

He closed his eyes for a moment, pain flickering behind them. "You have no idea." He moves closer, staring at my lips like he wants to devour them… I didn't run.

Before I could ask what he meant, his forehead rested gently against mine, and he grabs my waist. My breath caught.

Everything about him screamed danger … the sharpness in his jaw, the power in his silence. But there was something else beneath it. Something soft. Broken.

"Why does it feel like this?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

"Because it's not supposed to," he whispered. "But it does."

For a moment, neither of us moved. The air between us pulsed, alive. The city lights flickered below, wrapping us in gold. Then his mouth moves down my neck, his hands moving from my waist to my neck.

Then he pulled away … slow, hesitant. His gaze lingered on me like a promise.

"You should leave," he said, voice rough. "Forget you came here."

I wanted to ask why. But I couldn't form the words. Then he got back to his pain. "Leave before I do anything."

I could not just watch him; I held his hands, and he got better instantly.

"What's going on?" He suddenly grabbed me by the waist and kissed my lips, a deep kiss. I didn't push him, I weirdly enjoyed it, and somehow we got on the bed and boom, our bodies on each other. I know I'm going to regret this, but somehow I'm enjoying this.