LOGINAlpha Zedd’s POV
Karyk Moonbane never failed to prove that he was a foolish man.
I sat at the head of the long obsidian table, my fingers playing idly with a pen.
Karyk Moonbane droned on, gesturing at slides that meant nothing to me. His voice carried that rehearsed cadence, with pauses timed for emphasis and inflections he probably believed would make him look smart. I knew exactly whose fingerprints were all over this pitch. Delilah’s. It was all hers.
How tedious.
I leaned back in the leather chair, letting my gaze drift across the room of suits who were pretending they mattered.
They didn’t.
None of them did.
I had built empires while men like Karyk were still learning how to tie their own shoes. He had assembled pieces, her pieces, like a child playing with someone else’s puzzle. Cold contempt settled in my chest.
I had watched Delilah Moonbane for years with a special kind of attention that I had never given anyone else. She built things that lasted. She turned chaos into systems that generated power.
And this fool had worn her work like a tailored suit while treating her like an accessory.
I checked my watch and decided to let him finish one more slide. His voice rose with false confidence as he reviewed the final numbers.
Enough.
I rose slowly. The room stilled instantly, and Karyk’s words faltered mid-sentence.
“Mr. Vale—” he started.
“Bored,” I said, my voice clipped. “This meeting is over.”
No one argued. They never did. I walked out without another glance, my assistant falling into step beside me like a shadow.
“Clear my afternoon,” I told him at the elevator. “I want to be alone.”
He nodded and disappeared. Good. I rarely craved solitude, but today the air felt different, charged even. The memory of soft, desperate moans still lingered in the back of my mind, little storm breaking apart in my hands.
Delilah was free now and dangerous in the way only intelligent, wounded women could be. I had always been curious about her, and last night had done nothing to dull that edge. If anything, it sharpened it.
The elevator chimed. The doors slid open.
And there she was.
Delilah stood in the center of the elevator, emerald blouse slightly rumpled, black pencil skirt hugging curves I had mapped with my mouth only hours ago. Her green eyes widened, shock flashing across her face before she tried to school it. Then heat followed. A dark, unwilling, and delicious heat. Her cheeks flushed, and her pulse jumped at the base of her throat. I drank it in, letting the silence stretch between us. Neither of us moved.
I stepped inside. The doors closed with a whisper, sealing us in.
We were alone.
The air thickened instantly, heavy with the scent of her—jasmine, lingering whiskey from the night before, and beneath it all, the unmistakable scent of her arousal, already betraying her.
My little storm.
“Morning,” I said casually, as if we had bumped into each other at brunch. I moved closer, towering over her in the confined space. “Sleep well, little storm?”
Her breath hitched. She pressed her back against the wall, chin lifting in defiance even as her nipples visibly hardened against the silk of her blouse. “This is inappropriate.”
“Is it?” I murmured, stepping into her space until only inches separated us. I braced one hand beside her head, leaning in until my lips brushed the shell of her ear. “You didn’t seem to mind the inappropriateness last night. Not when you were falling apart on my fingers in the back of my car, sobbing my name like I owned you.”
A visible shiver ran through her. Her thighs pressed together. I smiled against her ear.
“Married woman,” I continued, voice dropping lower, “waking up naked in an Alpha’s bed with another man’s ring still on her finger. Bold choice. I like it.”
“I’m not—” she started, voice breathy, but I cut her off by trailing my fingers down her side, settling possessively on her waist. She fit perfectly there, as if she had been made for my hands.
“You’re not what?” I asked, pulling back just enough to watch her face. Her green eyes were furious, hungry. “Not wet right now? Not remembering how hard you came when I fucked you through that second orgasm? Tell me, Delilah. Lie to me. I enjoy watching you try.”
Her hand came up, pressing against my chest. She was not pushing me away, but not pulling me closer either. My little storm was testing me. “You’re arrogant.”
“Confident,” I corrected, sliding my hand higher, cupping the underside of her breast through the silk. My thumb brushed over her nipple, the movement slow. It pebbled instantly. A soft sound escaped her throat. “And you like it. Your body doesn’t lie, little storm. It never did.”
I rolled her nipple between my fingers, watching her lashes flutter. She bit her lip hard, trying to hold back, but her hips twitched forward despite herself. I took my time, kneading her breast, learning the weight of it again in the sober light of day. Her breathing had changed. It was shorter and shallower, and she had stopped pretending she wanted me to stop.
“Zedd—” she whispered, half protest, half plea.
“Shh.” I dragged my thumb over her nipple one last time before letting my hand travel slowly down the curve of her waist, over the flare of her hip, fingers trailing the hem of her skirt. I felt her stomach tighten under my touch. Felt her hold her breath.
“Still want me to stop?” I murmured against her ear.
She said nothing, which was its own answer.
My hand slipped beneath the hem, fingers walking up the inside of her thigh with a psychotic level of patience. Her skin was impossibly soft. She trembled slightly as I climbed higher, taking my time, making her feel every inch of the journey before I arrived.
When I finally reached the lace of her underwear, it was already ruined.
Last night had been alcohol and desperation. Today, we were both in complete control.
I pushed the lace aside and slid two fingers through her folds slowly, watching her face as I did. Her mouth fell open. Her walls clenched around nothing, already desperate. Then I pushed inside
I pumped my fingers deeper, thumb pressing firmly on her clit, watching her face the entire time. Flushed cheeks. Parted lips. Eyes glassy with pleasure and humiliation.
“You’re going to come for me again, Delilah. Right here. In this elevator. Knowing anyone could be waiting on the other side of those doors.”
“Arrogant bastard,” she hissed, but her voice cracked as I added a third finger, stretching her.
I chuckled darkly, nipping at her earlobe. “Yes. But I’m the bastard who made you come harder than he ever could. Tell me I’m wrong.”
She didn’t. Couldn’t. Her breathing turned ragged, hips grinding shamelessly now. I worked her with relentless precision. My fingers curled, stroked, and pressed until her thighs began to tremble.
“Look at me,” I commanded softly.
Her eyes met mine, wild and desperate. In that moment, with her falling apart on my fingers, I saw her fully. She was the woman who had built empires while the man who claimed her slept through her brilliance.
“You’re magnificent,” I murmured against her lips, not quite kissing her. “The things you could do with real power… I see you, little storm. All of you.”
Her orgasm hit like a breaking wave. She cried out, body arching hard against me, walls pulsing violently around my fingers. I kept stroking her through it, drawing it out, watching every flicker of pleasure and shame cross her face. She was beautiful when she shattered. Truly beautiful.
The elevator chimed.
I withdrew my hand slowly, licking my fingers clean while holding her gaze. She stared at me, flushed, wrecked, chest heaving, fury and raw want warring in her eyes. I straightened my jacket, calm as ever.
I pulled a black card from my pocket and held it out to her.
“Come have a conversation with me, little storm. A friendly one.”
The doors slid open. I stepped out without looking back, the taste of her still on my tongue.
Behind me, Delilah stood alone in the elevator, card clutched in her trembling fingers, body still shaking with aftershocks.
She would come.
I had no doubt.
Isabella’s POVHis two thick fingers thrust deeper, curling mercilessly against that devastating spot inside my soaked cunt with every stroke. The wet, obscene sounds of my slick were hidden only by the noise of the feast, but I could hear them. Gods, I could feel them. My walls clenched greedily around his invading fingers, fluttering and pulsing as fresh gushes of slick coated his hand and dripped down my trembling thighs.His thumb never stopped its relentless circles over my swollen, aching bud—slow at first, then faster, firmer, pressing down with perfect, devastating pressure. Every precise stroke sent white-hot lightning racing up my spine. My hips jerked involuntarily against his hand, chasing more, always more.A broken moan slipped from my lips before I could catch it.I quickly turned it into a weak cough, lowering my head as heat flooded my cheeks. “Forgive me,” I whispered hoarsely to no one in particular. “I… I am not feeling too well.”Lucan’s fingers never faltered. I
“What happened to the age-old war between werewolves and hunters?” I whispered, my voice unsteady.His thumb drifted over the inside of my wrist, warm against my skin."You just helped me and my people win a much bigger war tonight, little hunter. I think my ancestors will be all right with that."A breathless laugh escaped me, softened by the tears burning behind my eyes."If you weren't my recovering patient right now, I would have taken you up on that offer."The corner of his mouth lifted despite the pain etched across his face.I smiled before I could stop myself.Resting my free hand against his forehead, I brushed the damp strands of hair away from his face. His skin was still far too warm beneath my palm."Rest, Lucan," I murmured, my voice barely louder than a whisper. "Please. Just rest."He searched my face for another quiet moment, as though committing it to memory. Then the tension slowly left his features, and his eyelids drifted closed.Lucan’s fingers gradually slipped
Isabella’s POVThe battlefield was a blur of blood and noise.Steel rang through the night as wolves howled and men cried out in pain, but I had stopped trying to separate one sound from another. My world had narrowed to the wounded laid out before me. My hands were stained with blood, wolf blood, enemy blood, and my own where a blade had grazed my palm. The healer's tent was thick with the smell of herbs, iron, and fear."More yarrow! Press harder on that shoulder. That's it!"The healers no longer hesitated when I gave an order. Whatever doubts they had carried into the night had been buried beneath the growing line of wolves who were still alive because we had acted quickly.Three silver arrows. Two poisoned wounds. A shattered femur. I barely had time to breathe before another patient was carried into the tent. My father's knowledge guided every movement, every decision, every command that left my lips.Wolves who should have been dead were opening their eyes again.The realizatio
Isabella’s POVI looked up at him through my lashes, taking him deeper, letting the head brush the back of my throat. His grip tightened in my hair. For one glorious moment I thought he would spill down my throat.Instead he pulled me off him with a harsh curse, dragging me to my feet. His eyes were wild, chest heaving.“Not here,” he growled, though his cock still glistened with my saliva, angry and untouched. “Not like this.”He tucked himself away with visible effort, then took my hand and led me back toward the gathering. My lips felt swollen. My nipples were still painfully hard against the wet dress. The scent of our combined arousal clung to us like smoke.When we rejoined the circle, several heads turned. Nostrils flared. No one spoke. The silence around us was deafening. They knew. They could smell exactly what we had been doing at the edge of their sacred ritual.Lucan’s hand stayed possessively on my lower back as we resumed the dance. His touch burned.I should have been a
Isabella’s POVDays had passed since Lucan walked out of our chamber without looking back. A new healer — an older, stern woman from the pack — tended his wounds now. I told myself it was better this way. The distance would protect us both from the madness we had nearly become. I lied to myself every single hour.The war with EdgePoint pressed heavier on the pack with every passing day. Scouts reported silver weapons advancing toward our borders. Tension had thickened the air until breathing felt like an effort. And yet tonight the Fertility Ritual could not be cancelled. It was smaller than usual, stripped back because of the threat, but still mandatory. Only established couples. No outsiders. No excuses. The pack needed its blessing even in wartime, and appearances had to be maintained. I dressed with care and dread in equal measure, slipping into a deep crimson gown that hugged my body a little too well. Its neckline dipped low enough to draw attention, and by the time Lucan arr
Isabella’s POVI waited in our shared chamber, the fire burning low and casting long shadows across the large bed. The nightdress I wore was thin, far too thin for anything resembling modesty. The fabric clung to my skin, my nipples already hardened into tight peaks from the cool air and the anticipation I refused to name. Lucan had not yet returned from the training grounds. I had prepared fresh bandages and salves, telling myself it was only duty. Only the bargain. Only the need to keep him alive so I could survive.Yet my body knew the truth. It ached for him. For the dangerous game we played every time I tended his wounds.The door finally opened. Lucan stepped inside, still carrying the faint scent of the training fields, sweat, steel, and that wild masculine essence that made my core tighten. His eyes found me immediately, darkening as they traced the outline of my body beneath the sheer nightdress. My nipples stood obvious, begging for attention I should not crave.“You wait
Delilah’s POVI stepped out of Zedd’s private bathroom with my heart hammering against my ribs. The sleek, discreet vibrator was now nestled firmly against my clit, the soft silicone warm from my body heat. I had barely taken two steps into the office when it buzzed to life without warning.A low,
Delilah’s POVThe elevator doors slid shut again, sealing me in sudden silence. The charged electricity of thirty seconds ago vanished as if it had never existed. My fingers trembled around the black card. My thighs were slick, my underwear ruined, my core still pulsing with the aftershocks of wha
I jumped to my feet fast.Grabbing my clothes as fast as I could, I pulled them on in silence, fingers fumbling with buttons, not bothering with anything I couldn't find in under ten seconds. Maggie remained at the door, head turned toward the bed.Zedd shifted.We both went completely still.He re
I lay beneath him, legs spread, body moving in the rhythm he set, but my mind had already drifted somewhere far above the ceiling. Karyk’s hips slapped against mine like he was forced to finish a chore. Thrust, Retreat, Thrust. My mate’s eyes were fixed on the headboard, never once meeting mine.







