Kadaryo ve pratis kint have to come all this way add hard handled everything og my men I cair, warebing my pick
by then the domes and place them carefully in a fere. Ar had catione gande around the hense the came day th pack acne, ban of reuse, he never mentioned that part
She stiled soft in more than happy to be here. And you should know by now that when the Alpha decides something. saving no is just a wave of breath”
She had been around for a few hours, helping me park, and everything felt easy between us. Nothing awkward, it didn’t feel like we were meeting for just the second time. She had this calm kindness about her, but also fierce at the same time. I remembered the way she bugged me at the office that day, calling my name like she had known me since forever.
That thought stayed with me, so I cleared my throat. “Um the called me your best friend.” I looked at her. “You know who I and
her day at the office, I started slowly. “You hugged me and right?” I asked, my voice filled with curiosity.
Her face suddenly went pale, the words she was saying dying right on her lips. She took a long moment before answering. playing with her hands. “I thought you were someone I knew,” she finally said. “But I was wrong.”
She wouldn’t look at my face anymore. “The Charlotte you knew I pressed gently. “Your best friend. Tell me about her.”
A faint sad smile tugged at her lips. “It wasn’t easy with her, it took a long time before she believed I actually liked her and wasn’t trying to mock her. At first, she thought I was just another person playing games with her.” She paused. “Long story short, she agreed to be my friend. Almost too reluctantly.” She let out a breath. “We went through a lot together at the pack. A lot of shit.” The way she said it told me she didn’t want to dig any deeper.
That bitter smile stayed on her face, and I could tell she cared deeply about the girl she was talking about. She sounded like a loyal friend, the kind you don’t easily forget.
From my dreams. I knew I hadn’t had it easy at my old pack either. There was pain there, so much of it. I just hoped that when things got unbearable, I had at least one person like Kathryn who stood beside me.
After everything was put together, we all headed straight to the new mansion Ace got. I gasped when we drove into the property. The gates opened slowly, revealing the house, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.
„Liam’s nanny and two of my other staff stood in awe, mouths open as they stared at the mansion. It was a tall glass house, wide and tall, with clear walls that showed the lights glowing warmly inside. The glass reflected the night sky, making the place look calm and unreal at the same time.
When we stepped in, it looked even more beautiful. The ceiling was high, with a large chandelier hanging in the middle, shining softly over the space. Everything inside looked clean and neat, white and glass everywhere, with smooth floors and open spaces that made the house feel endless. It was quiet, elegant, and carefully built, the kind of place that made you slow your steps without. Liam would definitely love this place when he comes back from school and Leslie, she’s always been a sucker for luxurious houses, she’s never going to want to leave this house again.
“The Alpha always outdoes himself when it comes to luxury,” Kathryn muttered, giving me a quick glance. “You should see the new villa he’s building at the pack, very far from the pack house. The Alpha has always wanted his privacy since his mate…” She stopped suddenly, the words dying on her tongue, like she had crossed a line she wasn’t meant to.
It looked like they weren’t allowed to talk about his mate, the one he rejected. The way the words stopped in Kathryn’s mouth told me that much. But I really wanted to know about her I wanted to know what she was like, what it was like between them. Maybe if I learned about his mate, I would finally understand Ace a little better.
What if he finds his mate and wants to go back to her? He can divorce his wife, yes, but then what happens to my son and me? The thought made me feel a fool, like I was worrying about things I had no right to worry about.
Ace never told me he loved me. He only said he wanted to be with me. And the truth was, I didn’t even understand what my
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Chapter 48
own heart wanted. Did I really want to be with him! And then there was his mares The one he’s still searching for, the possible cure to his curse.
The guards helped us inside, taking my bag upstairs to the penthouse, I was given a big room, twice the size of my old one at the mansion, Everything was white and clean exactly the way I lied it. There was another room very close to mine, and 1 found myself wondering what was in there.
Liam and Leslie’s room were directly below us. If you came down from the penthouse, their rooms were on the first floor.
KATHRYN’S POV
I felt terrible lying to her. If there was one thing I had wanted for the past six years, it was to find Charlotte wherever she was and somehow go back to how things used to be between us. I never imagined my best friend would have an accident that would take her memories away.
When she asked if I knew her, the truth sat right at the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell her everything. But I couldn’t. Ace had begged me not to say a word. He said if she learned the truth, she would hate him and leave forever, taking his son with her.
Everything in me wanted to go against him. I had hated Ace for what he did to my friend, I really did. But he had paid for it. He was still paying for it every single day. The curse eating him up, the pain of seeing his mate all the time, loving her and his son, yet being unable to claim them. Nothing compared to that kind of suffering. And as an Alpha, it was even worse for him.
I kept wondering how the mark on her face had disappeared. If I hadn’t been her best friend for years, I probably wouldn’t have recognized her. She looked different now. More beautiful and breathtakingly sophisticated. She was no longer that thin girl hiding in baggy jeans. She had gained a little weight, and it suited her so well. And those curves… I didn’t even know she had them.
Seeing her like this hurt in a quiet way. She was right in front of me, yet she didn’t remember us. And I was forced to pretend I was just someone new.
It was around five in the evening when we finally finished. Ace’s driver was already waiting to take me home. That was how Ace was, anytime he sent you to do something for him, he made sure his driver handled the movement. Lately, the man had been driving me everywhere I went.
We were already deep into the woods that led to the Brownleague pack when the car suddenly jerked hard and came to a rough stop. The driver cursed under his breath and stepped out. I followed him, stretching a little. I had been working on my laptop the whole ride, barely looking up. It was dark and quiet.
I checked my phone and frowned when I saw several missed calls from Damien.
“Why was that asshole calling me?” I muttered with a sigh.
I was still debating whether to call him back when my phone rang again. I picked it up and pressed it to my ear.
“Six missed calls, Damien. Woah,” I said dryly, sounding very sarcastic. He was always trying to get under my skin.
“Where are you?” he asked, his voice was serious. The playful mood on my face faded instantly.
“Okay, you sound way too serious. What’s going on? I’m almost at the pack, but our car suddenly broke down. I’m just waiting while the driver tries to fix it.”
“Tell the driver, both of you, get out of there. Shift into your wolves and run. Run as fast as you can.” His voice shook with panic.
“Slow down, Damien, what are you talking about…?”
Before I could finish, my phone was ripped from my hand. I turned to see who it was, but I didn’t get a good look. A hard punch landed square on my face, and the world went black.
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10:43 Tue, Feb TD
Chapter as
When I woke up, I was in a dark ramped in Hai anelled like ro. My hands were red tight with regie. I was struggling to breathe Langeland, belving and putting trying to risen the badings while keeping my voice low Falled out for thr driver in a hushed voice, careful not to intake a sound that someone outside comuld hear But he was nowhere to be first
Then Theard footsteps and voices outside the mam
Why didn’t you tell me Charlotte was alive? a woman snapped lex voice was sharp, full of frustration. “I killed her that night. I hit her with my car and pushed her off the cliff outside e pack borders. There’s no way she could’ve survived without help”
Why are you taking this out on me?” a man replied. His voice sanded tired, almost irritated. “What you did, you did on your own. Don’t try to blame me for not telling you she was alive You never told me you tried to kill her. For six years, we all thought she disappeared by herself. Little did we know you tried to wipe her off the face of the earth.”
My heart started pounding hard against my chest. I didn’t reconize either voice.
I noticed a small hole in the door and leaned closer, peeping through it. I could only see their legs. I pressed my ear against the door, afraid to miss a single word.
“You already took everything that belonged to her,” the man continued. “You took everything. She didn’t even have a family to fall back on.”
My breath caught in my throat as his words sank in.
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that,” the woman snapped. “I did the right thing. If I hadn’t taken her out, she would’ve come back to claim what wasn’t hers to claim.”
“You took her out,” the man said quietly, his voice dropping, “and now she’s back from the dead, taking exactly what belongs to you.” He paused. “What do you think will happen if the Alpha finds out what you did that night? You really think he’ll let you live? You tried to kill his mate.”
They kept arguing as their footsteps moved farther away. My chest felt tight, but I forced myself to stay still and listen.
Then I heard the woman speak again, her voice cold, like she was giving an order. “Feed those weak wolves to the Rougarous. They need the energy.”
My blood ran cold.
started struggling against the ropes, panic taking over. I knew that if I didn’t get out of there, I wouldn’t just be trapped. anymore. I would become food to the beasts.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
