Chapter 8

Richard

The ride back to my penthouse was a blur. Everything that happened at the club kept replaying in my mind—that mysterious Omega who appeared and vanished like a ghost, leaving all three of us stunned. Isabella Hart. A name I wouldn't forget.

I tossed my keys onto the marble countertop, the sound echoing through the empty space. "Fucking hell," I muttered to myself, loosening my tie.

Every night I returned to this beautiful yet hollow shell, with no one waiting. I stood by the window, gazing at the near-full moon hanging in the night sky. The wolf inside me was restless, still agitated from the encounter at the club.

Where the hell did she come from? An Omega with that kind of presence, suddenly appearing on her coming-of-age night? And why did she leave so abruptly?

The coincidence troubled me. Something felt off about the whole situation. Diana's "forgetfulness" about the registration, the girl's sudden departure—all of it reeked of interference.

I yanked open the refrigerator, pulling out yesterday's leftover cold steak. I didn't bother heating it, tearing into it with my bare hands, wolfing it down in large, rapid bites. Blood dripped down my chin, and I didn't care. The beast needed feeding.

After satisfying my immediate hunger, I took out my phone and scrolled through the club's security footage, pausing on a frame showing her walking away. Even from this angle, something about her was different from the typical Omegas who frequented the club.

I texted Marcus,my exclusive investigator, Gamma Werewolf:

Need everything on Isabella Hart. NOW.

Setting the phone down, I paced around the apartment, unable to settle. My skin felt too tight, as if my wolf was trying to break through.

\---

The shrill ring of my alarm jolted me from a dream so vivid I could still feel her skin against mine.

In the dream, Isabella stood naked in a moonlit forest clearing, her porcelain-white skin radiating a soft golden glow. Her raven hair cascaded over her bare shoulders, partially covering those perfect, full breasts that rose and fell with each breath. Her scent—that intoxicating mixture of forest wildness and sweet innocence—filled my senses, making my cock throb painfully.

"Come and get me," she whispered, her voice like honey, then turned and ran deeper into the forest, her perfect ass swaying hypnotically.

I wasn't alone in the pursuit. Kevin and Michael flanked me, all three of us naked, our bodies partially transformed into our wolf states—muscles rippling, eyes glowing in the darkness. We moved together like a well-coordinated pack, communicating without words, united in our singular purpose: to catch her.

We cornered her against an ancient tree, its trunk carved with wolf totems similar to those in my bathroom. Her chest heaved, nipples hardened in the cool night air, thighs slick with her arousal. Instead of fear, her eyes showed excitement, anticipation.

"Which one of you will claim me first?" she purred, arching her back to expose her throat in submission while her hands provocatively slid down her body.

What followed was primal and raw—our bodies entangled in a frenzy of lust, taking turns claiming her mouth, her breasts, between her thighs. Her moans echoed through the forest as she took each of us, sometimes simultaneously, her body somehow accommodating all three of us in impossible ways. With each climax, the golden glow of her skin intensified, bonds of light stretching between our bodies, connecting us spiritually as well as physically.

These fragments of images lingered—her lips parted in ecstasy, her nails digging into my back, the taste of her skin, and how perfectly our bodies fit together. The sensations had been so real I could almost believe they were more than just a dream.

I blinked at the ceiling, my breathing ragged. Looking down, I found myself partially shifted—my nails had lengthened into claws that had torn my expensive sheets, and I could feel my extended canines pressing against my lower lip. Catching my reflection in the mirror across the room, I saw my eyes glowing a deep, dangerous red.

"Damn it," I growled. "Get it together."

I ran my hands over the torn sheets, irritated at my lack of control. Even for an Alpha approaching full moon, this reaction was excessive.

I stumbled to the shower, turning the water to its coldest setting, letting it cascade over my body. The cold helped clear my head, washing away the lingering effects of the dream. I needed to think rationally, not let my wolf dictate my actions.

After toweling off, I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My eyes were slowly returning to their normal amber color, the wolf receding beneath my skin. The ancient wolf totems carved into the bathroom walls seemed to watch me knowingly.

The buzz of my phone broke the silence. Marcus. I answered immediately.

"What did you find?" My voice was still rough with the lingering effects of my partial shift.

"I've gathered all the information on that lady, sir," Marcus replied efficiently.

"So quickly?" My claws unconsciously scraped against the marble countertop, leaving faint marks.

"She wasn't hiding, and our network covers all of Silver Moon City."

I gripped the phone tighter. "Tell me everything."

Marcus cleared his throat slightly. "Isabella Hart, eighteen years old, from a remote village in the Forest Domain. Both parents are low-ranking Omegas. She's studying business management at Silver Moon University and lives in a rundown apartment in the New Moon complex. To support herself, she works two jobs—bartender at the Howling Night Bar and waitress at Twilight Café. And—"

"Wait," I interrupted, holding my breath. "Did you say the Howling Night Bar?"

"Yes, sir."

"That's Kevin's territory..." My eyes flashed red again as realization dawned.

"Correct. And she attends Silver Moon University, where Michael teaches."

I fell silent, processing this information. The coincidence was too perfect, too precise to be random chance.

"Well, fuck," I finally said. "What about yesterday? What happened?"

"Yesterday was her eighteenth birthday, her coming-of-age ceremony night. She spent some time at Erotic Paradise but left early. According to the doorman, she appeared upset when she departed."

My jaw clenched. Diana. I'd deal with her later for driving Isabella away.

"Send me everything immediately," I commanded. "Her schedule, her routes, everything."

"Already done, sir."

I ended the call, staring at my reflection as my mind raced. The connection between Isabella and the three of us couldn't be dismissed as mere coincidence. Kevin, Michael, and I—three powerful Alphas, each controlling different territories in Silver Moon City, all suddenly linked to the same Omega on her coming-of-age night.

I needed to get her back to the club, but carefully. This required finesse, strategy. I couldn't make her feel undignified or like I was doing her a favor. Perhaps an exclusive invitation, a personal tour of the facilities without Diana's interference. Or maybe leverage her connection to Kevin or Michael?

How the fuck do I convince her to give Erotic Paradise another chance? She was clearly interested enough to show up on her own, but something drove her away. I need to fix that.

I took out my phone again, my mind already formulating plans. Can our little wolf really escape us?