LOGINMaddison’s POVI stared at the page for so long that the letters began to blur.My father’s name was written in the same faded ink as Adrian Cross’s, carefully written in the visitor’s ledger as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.It wasn’t.My father had never spoken about Crescent Pack unless it was necessary. He kept to himself, worked quietly, and believed problems were solved through patience instead of power. Even after I became Fernando’s mate, he rarely visited the pack house unless there was an official summon.So why was his name here?And why had he visited so many years before I ever met Fernando?“There has to be a mistake,” I whispered.Rowan shook his head. “I checked the original ledger twice. The handwriting is genuine.”I reached for the file with trembling fingers. There were four entries in total, spread across several years. Each visit had been approved by the same person.Lisa.My stomach tightened.The room felt smaller than it had a moment ago.
Damian’s POVThe flashlight disappeared.For a split second, the archive was swallowed by complete darkness. The only sounds were hurried footsteps echoing through the narrow aisles and the faint rustle of old documents as someone brushed against the shelves.“Rowan,” I called quietly.“I’m on your left.”“Henry?”“Still here.”The stranger had already reached the exit.I took off after him, weaving between rows of towering cabinets that held decades of Crescent Pack records. By the time I burst through the archive door, I caught only a glimpse of a dark figure disappearing around the corner of the administration building.“Stop!”The command echoed across the courtyard, but the man never looked back.He was fast—not like an ordinary wolf trying to escape, but like someone who already knew every inch of the grounds.I followed him through the empty streets of Crescent Pack. The morning sun had barely risen, leaving the roads deserted except for a few early patrols who stepped aside in
Maddison’s POVNobody spoke.Liam’s small finger was still pointing at the television. The image remained frozen on the screen—a grainy shot of the man Henry had called Adrian Cross.“I know him.”His quiet voice echoed through the room. Katie slowly looked at me, and suddenly it felt like all the air had been sucked from my lungs.I knelt in front of Liam, gently brushing his curls away from his forehead. “Sweetheart…” I kept my voice as calm as I could. “When did you see him?”Liam frowned, trying to remember. “A long time ago.”“At the pack house?”He nodded. “Yes.”“Was Daddy there?”He nodded again.“And Grandma?”“She was crying.”The room fell into a heavy silence.I looked at Damian. His expression had changed. He wasn’t watching Liam anymore. His eyes had that distant look they always got whenever he was piecing together a puzzle.“Liam,” Damian said gently, making sure his voice wouldn’t frighten him, “do you remember why Grandma was crying?”Liam shook his head. “No.”He lo
Damian’s POV Nobody moved. The three masked men stood at the entrance of the mausoleum, cutting off the only way out. Their weapons were raised, their movements disciplined. They weren’t ordinary rogues. They knew exactly what they were doing. The man in the middle smiled beneath his mask. “You’ve come farther than we expected, Alpha Damian.” His voice echoed through the chamber. Rowan shifted beside me without taking his eyes off them. “Want me to count them?” “There are more outside,” I said quietly. Henry glanced at me. “How do you know?” “I can hear them.” My wolf had picked up their heartbeats the moment the first man spoke. They were five in total. No… Seven. Four outside. Three in front of us. This wasn’t an ambush thrown together overnight. They had been waiting. The leader tilted his head. “You’re observant.” “You’ve been following us since we left the penthouse.” He chuckled. “We’ve been following you much longer than that.” A silence settled over the
Damian’s POVThe mausoleum had been abandoned for almost thirty years.At least, that’s what everyone believed.The ancient stone structure sat beyond the eastern forest of Crescent Pack, hidden beneath towering oak trees and thick vines that had swallowed most of the path leading to it. Only few wolves came here. The younger generation hardly knew it existed.That was exactly why we came before sunrise.The less attention we drew, the better.Rowan drove while Henry sat in the passenger seat, studying photographs of the symbol we had found inside the pendant. Maddison and Liam remained at the penthouse under the protection of six of my best guards.I hadn’t wanted to leave them.Not after Emma had somehow reached the penthouse.But bringing Liam here wasn’t an option.Neither was bringing Maddison into unknown danger.“We’re here,” Rowan said quietly.The SUV rolled to a stop far away from the entrance.The forest was unnaturally silent.No birds.No insects.Only the wind moving thr
Maddison’s POVI couldn’t shake the feeling that Emma had wanted me to see her.Not Fernando.Not Damian.Me.That thought stayed with me long after the alarm stopped and the penthouse settled back into an uneasy silence.No one slept again that night.Liam refused to let go of my hand. Even after he drifted off, his fingers remained wrapped around mine as though he was afraid I would disappear the moment he closed his eyes.I sat beside him until dawn, only then did I quietly slip out of the room.The penthouse was unusually busy.Guards moved through the halls with quiet efficiency while Rowan spoke into an earpiece near the entrance. Two men I had never seen before were dusting the balcony doors for fingerprints.The place felt less like a home now.It was more like a crime scene.“Morning.”I turned.Damian stood a few steps away, holding two cups of coffee.He looked as though he hadn’t slept either.There were faint shadows beneath his eyes, but his posture remained straight, ca
Damian's POV“Put them on the desk.”I told Rowan immediately he entered with files in hand.“These are the reports from the human branch managers and also there are reports of the financial review from the last quarter of the year.” He said as he placed them on my desk.Then he remained rooted, giv
Maddison's POV“I am almost done please, just give me a minute.” I said quickly as Fernando pushed the door open.I flinched when the door slammed against the wall, my hands began to shake and I tried so hard to keep it stable. The foundation that I was applying had shown a different shade.I turne
Maddison’s POVThe silence after Elias disappeared didn’t feel like peace. It felt like pressure building inside a sealed room.Damian didn’t speak much after that night. He just moved around and people moved with him.By morning, the penthouse had changed. Security at every exit. Guards I didn’t r
Maddison's POV“Fernando, please wait just let me talk, let me explain!” I cried out immediately as the door clicked shut behind us.Fernando brushed past me with a huge force, my eyes followed him as he walked upstairs with Liam in his arms who was sleeping. My heartbeat pounded heavily, I knew it







