Damien Blackwood thought my monthly absences were a liability. He handed me a "Performance Improvement Plan" to cure my lycanthropy. He scheduled the board meeting for the night of the full moon, a symbol of his strength. Little did he know, I'd RSVP'd 'yes'—and I was bringing the pack.

The champagne tower caught the light from the crystal chandelier, sending sparkles dancing across the room, while the air reeked of cold hors d'oeuvres and cloying perfume. I was Leah Thorne, standing in the most out-of-the-way corner of the ballroom—like some old forgotten furniture nobody even bothered to haul away. The outdated dress I had on? Marcus Bloodclaw just tossed it to me three years back, no thought at all.

"Mrs. Palmer, do you really want to terminate this pregnancy? You know Mr. Palmer's situation. If you go through with this, it'll be very difficult for him to have children in the future. Once the abortion is done, there's no turning back!"The doctor looked at me in disbelief and even took out Henry's medical report.

“Elise Avignon, right? Call your husband to get his private plane to save us before the earthquake!”My eyes flew open in shock at the impatient prodding.Beside me, Josie, my mother-in-law, was gripping the hem of my top. She had been startled by the fleeing tourists all around us.

I decided to stop treatment—I couldn’t afford the crushing medical bills.  As I was checking out of the hospital, my attending doctor rushed over.  “Miss Simmons, you don’t have to leave. Someone covered your medical expenses.”  

I turned off the TV and coaxed my son to sleep.  Tomorrow was the day of his check-up. It was also his birthday.  After leaving the hospital, I took him to the mall to pick out a gift.  A commotion erupted not far away.  

The hovering rescue helicopter flew my father and cousin farther away.I was half-submerged in the water, my hands weakly clinging to the driftwood. Blood had seeped out between my fingers, and my broken ribs were hurting violently.

In the deathly silent ward, only the sound of the ventilator could be heard. Outside in the corridor, the doctor couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

A resilient waitress, scarred by a traumatic past, finds her mundane life upended when she catches the eye of the city's most enigmatic and feared crime lord. Thrust into a world of danger and dark power, she becomes both a pawn and a treasure in a deadly game. As threats from rival factions close in, an intense and protective bond forms between the hunted and her unlikely protector, promising both salvation and peril.

Lily, scarred by a childhood tragedy that turned her pack against her, endures years of abuse as the Alpha's outcast daughter. Her world shatters further when her destined mate, her longtime tormentor Kyle, cruelly rejects her on her eighteenth birthday. Broken but not defeated, Lily vows revenge, forging new alliances and discovering an inner strength to challenge the oppressive hierarchy that has defined her life.A gripping tale of resilience, retribution, and self-discovery within a rigid werewolf society, exploring the dark consequences of pack mentality and the fierce fight to reclaim one's identity.