In the bustling epicenter of South Rivers City, Sarina stood before the towering glass building of Skyline Towers, her reflection staring back at her.

This was it.

A new beginning.

She inhaled deeply before stepping inside.

Luxury surrounded her immediately. Glistening marble floors, golden chandeliers and soft music drifting through the air.

It felt like stepping into another world.

She almost bumped into a strict looking woman at the entrance if she hadn't stopped herself. Seeing the badge on the woman's chest that said; Manager, Sarina immediately greeted her.

"Hello, I'm Sarina Dawson."

"Yes, I've been expecting you." The woman said dryly. Her gorgeous dark eyes taking in Sarina from head to toe. "Follow me."

Elena Hastings, the manager, didn't bother with pleasantries as she led Sarina through the hotel.

"Your job is to clean. Only to clean," she said sharply as she gave Sarina a brief tour, "Skyline Towers has strict policies so make sure to read the handbook to understand it all even more."

Sarina nodded quickly. "Yes, Miss Hastings."

"Elena," the woman corrected coldly. "Just call me Elena. And remember this..."

She stopped, turning to face Sarina fully. "The only person you answer to here is me."

Sarina stiffened slightly, for some reason the woman's tone held a strict threat Sarina couldn't understand.

"Get on my bad side," Elena continued, her gaze narrowing, "and you won't last a day."

"Understood." Sarina nodded. She would just have to stay out of the cranky Manager's way and everything would be fine.

"Good. Get to work." Elena ordered authoritatively.

Sarina immediately turned to leave, but it seemed Elena wasn't done yet as her sharp voice reached over again...

"One more thing."

She paused, then turned around inquisitively, "Yes?"

Elena's eyes flicked over her face, then down her whole body something like disdain flashing across her expression.

"That pretty face of yours might distract our guests," she said bluntly. "We don't tolerate staff trying to seduce clients."

Sarina blinked, stunned. Her face was a problem? What was she supposed to do about that?

"Before you get any ideas about trapping a rich man, remember you'll lose your job."

Sarina swallowed nervously, she couldn't accord to lose this job, she wanted a comfortable life for her and Asher but she had no intentions of chasing any rich men.

"I understand." Sarina replied.

"Good."

---

Work began quickly and she found it quite easy. Sarina focused on cleaning, letting the routine settle into her nerves.

She dragged the cleaning cart she had been given to different places, humming to herself as she got her work done. She had been nervous last night knowing today would be her first day, thinking working here would be challenging, but being here Sarina realized that it was a lot easier than she thought.

"Things will be fine from now on." She sighed to herself having finished cleaning one particular section, "I just know it."

Sarina was about to pull her cart somewhere else when a set of other staff rushed down the hallway, she quickly dragged her cart to the side. They walked hurriedly, their voices excited as they chattered,

"Hurry! The new owner is coming!" One of them said.

"What? I didn't even know the hotel was sold!" Another replied.

"You won't be able to guess who the new owner is." The first girl said mysteriously.

"Who...?"

"He's handsome, rich and famous as well. And he's not from around here."

"Stop with the suspense Rachel, just tell me who he is!"

"Alright, alright, the new owner is..."

Their voices faded as they turned the corner. Sarina frowned slightly, she hadn't been able to overhear who the new owner was as the girls already rounded the corner.

Curiosity stirred within her despite herself. She pushed her cart toward the lower floor, hoping to catch a glimpse when someone suddenly yelled, making her jump alert.

"What are you doing?!" Elena stormed toward her, her expression sharp with irritation.

"You're ruining the aesthetic with that cart! Get it out of here before the new owner sees it!" Elena snapped.

"I was just trying to..."

"Save it. Move!"

Sarina bit back her response, seeing that Elena wasn't interested in hearing whatever she had to say.

"Yes, Elena." She turned away, pushing the cart quickly, she took one last look down to the lobby but it seemed the new owner still hadn't arrived. When she felt Elena's sharp gaze on her, she quickly looked away, pushing the cart hastily.

The lobby buzzed with excitement.

Whispers carried through the air, bouncing from one staff member to another like wildfire.

Elena slowed her steps as she passed a group of female employees gathered near the front desk. Their voices dropped slightly when they noticed her.

"Oh my gosh, I heard the new owner is Alpha Leonard Kane from Blue Moon Pack!"

Another girl gasped softly. "Isn't he that insanely handsome alpha from the ads?"

"Yes!" the first replied eagerly. "I tried registering, but the site crashed. I don't even know what happened."

"Imagine being chosen as his wife..."

The group of girls sighed dreamily.

"That's literally every human girl's dream," another added. "These alphas aren't just hot, they're filthy rich. One lucky woman could go from cleaning floors to becoming queen of this entire place."

Elena's lips curled slowly into a smirk. One would think she was receiving a sweet compliment from someone.

"I don't care if the registration site crashed, when that Alpha steps through those doors, I'll definitely shoot my shot, do you think he'll be able to resist any of this?"

The smile on Elena's face fell immediately, her eyes turned dark, settling on the girl who just finished speaking. She stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

"Do you actually think you stand a chance with Alpha Leonard Kane?" Elena's words were sharp, derision evident in her gaze as she sized the girl up. "You might as well go back to sleep."

The girls stiffened immediately they spotted Elena, forming a straight line as if struck by lightning with their heads lowered.

They fell completely silent, none of them uttering a word. Elena Hastings was a demoness no one wanted to mess with among the staff.

"Alpha Kane doesn't just want a child, he wants a wife. And do you honestly think he'd look at you...or any of you..." she paused, her lips curving faintly, her dark eyes swept across them, full of quiet superiority. "...while I'm here?"

No one spoke, they didn't dare to even look at her.

So even Elena Hastings with all her superiority had her sights set on the alpha. With Elena in the picture, everyone secretly harboring thoughts that they could get the alpha completely dismissed that thought. Elena wasn't just beautiful, she was classy and elegant as well, men usually couldn't resist her. No one stood a chance, if Elena wanted the alpha, many thought she could get him.

"Keep your eyes off him," she added coldly. "He's mine."

A chorus of soft "Yes, Elena" followed.

Satisfied that she had laid her claim, Elena turned away, already preparing herself.

This was her moment, she wouldn't just rule over this place as a manager, she would become the queen of it all, once that alpha falls right into her lap.

The revolving glass doors of the entrance moved and the air suddenly shifted.

"He's here!" Someone whispered and all the staff straightened instantly.

The man stepped into the hotel with crisp black shoes, his every step commanding, and powerful.

"Alpha Kane, welcome to the Skyline Tower Hotels."

Leonard took off the dark glasses that shadowed his eyes, his silver orbs sharp and cold. He stiffened, the moment he stepped into the hotel, his wolf suddenly became alert, there was a strange scent in the air...it felt like that scent was calling him...

"Alpha, is everything alright?" Timothy, Leonard's beta noticed him stop abruptly, and came forward to ask.

Just like that, the strange scent that stopped Leonard in his tracks disappeared, he frowned.

'What was that?' he wondered internally. Immediately, strange scents filled his senses instead. Cheap, overly seductive feminine perfumes that irritated him. His gaze barely skimmed over the women, excitedly watching him with eager lustful eyes as if they wanted to devour him whole.

Tim," Leo said, his voice low but clear enough to carry across the vast lobby, "find someone who can give me a proper debriefing. I want full stats, staff numbers, operations, everything. Upgrades are needed here."

Elena felt her breath catch. The man she had been fantasizing about was standing right in front of her!

She had only ever seen him in screens, and magazines, but seeing the man in reality was.. different.

"God... he's hot," she whispered under her breath, completely forgetting herself for a moment, but when she saw him walking away, not acknowledging anyone who came to welcome him, she came forward quickly, gathering her confidence.

"Alpha Kane," she greeted with a bright, polished smile as she stepped forward. "I'm Elena, the manager, and I..."

Her words cut off as he walked past her. He didn't stop, didn't even slow down or look at her for a second.

Elena froze, her smile cracked instantly and heat rose to her face, embarrassment burning a hole in her chest.

She composed herself and glared sharply at the other staff lined up behind her before walking away with a straight posture.

---

Sarina stood in the quiet space of the staff restroom, washing her hands slowly, the cool water helped steady her, it helped her breathe.

She suddenly felt a sharp pang in her chest. "Asher must be missing me so much." She muttered to herself.

After drying her hands, she pulled out her phone and dialed quickly.

"Hello?" Avery's voice came through.

"Hi, it's Sarina," she said softly. "I just wanted to check on Asher."

"Oh, he's doing perfectly fine," Avery replied warmly. "You should hear him right now, he's been giggling nonstop."

As if on cue, a soft, familiar giggle echoed faintly through the phone. Sarina's lips curved into a smile and relief flooded her chest.

It seemed he was doing just fine without her.

"Thank you," she whispered, and after a brief exchange, she hung up.

The knowledge of Asher being safe, and happy made her feel even more determined to focus on her work.

"Shit, I'm supposed to clean up the penthouse floor. If Elena finds out I'm not done yet..." Sarina didn't even want to think about the things Elena would say to her.

She hurried into the elevator, pressing the button for the penthouse floor.

She exhaled softly, her shoulders relaxing, but as she glanced down.

Her brows furrowed, the strap of her shoe had come undone.

"...Great," she muttered under her breath bending slightly to reach down and fix it, but just as the elevator doors began to close, a hand shot forward stopping them and the doors slid open again.

Sarina froze, slowly looking up from where she was fixing her shoe and her breath stopped. Time itself seemed to have come to a sharp halt.

A man was standing there, right outside the elevator, he was tall, broad and overwhelmingly handsome...a lot more handsome than she remembered.

Those steel-grey eyes locked onto hers cold, and unforgiving.

It was him! The man she dreaded seeing again. Alpha Leonard Kane!

His eyes narrowed onto her, and something electric seemed to surge through her veins.

She took two steps back when a cold recognition suddenly settled in his eyes and something unknown flickered in them, those familiar steel grey eyes and her heart slammed violently against her chest.

No, no, no, this can't be happening!

"You...!" He growled furiously, stepping into the elevator and caging her inside it's glass walls.

"You!" A raw and sharp growl echoed into the elevator and Sarina stepped backwards, her back almost slamming against the glass walls of the elevator.

Leonard Kane...how could he be here?

'Oh God, he said he never ever wanted to see me again!'

Alpha Kane's eyes locked onto hers, shock flashing openly before it hardened into something far more dangerous as he stepped into the elevator his presence filled the confined space completely and the doors slid shut behind him with a soft ding, sealing them inside together.

He caged her in without touching her, one hand braced beside her head, his towering frame blocking any possible escape.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

Her heart slammed violently against her chest as his voice, hot and angry settled into her ears.

Though she had told herself she would never let herself meet him again, in some moments she had imagined this...meeting him again unexpectedly.

She had wondered what would happen if she ever saw him again, but she had never truly prepared for it, because she had never believed it would actually happen.

Her throat went dry and words refused to come.

"I..." she faltered, forcing herself to stay calm. "I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

He had told her he never wanted to see her again right? It was best she pretended never to have met him before, like that night had never happened.

He scoffed, low and disdainful.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Sarina Dawson." he said coldly.

Her breath hitched.

Her name...

He knew her name?

That night he hadn't even known who she was even though she had known him for years. A wolfless nobody in his pack, of course he wouldn't see her even if she saw no one else but him back then. But all of that was over now.

However, hearing her name from him...it felt like a blade twisting deep into her chest.

Sarina Dawson.

The name she had once carried with pride. The name that had been stripped from her the night her life fell apart.

Had he asked for her name just to know the woman he believed had deceived him?

His jaw tightened as he stared down at her. Every familiar feature on her face he remembered very vividly, this woman's image had haunted his dreams, his reality, he had never been able to get her out of his mind.

He could remember that one time he'd sent out men to search for her, against his better judgment.

After nights of restless thoughts and unanswered questions, he had done the one thing he had sworn he wouldn't, he had asked his beta to give him every information about her, and Tim had told him everything, she was the daughter of his late father's beta.

Everyone said she was a quiet girl. She was barely seen. Many didn't even know she existed.

She was a nobody in his pack and yet she had somehow managed to entangle herself in his life in the worst possible way.

Had she really drugged him to get into his bed out of greed because she was after his money?

"Why are you here?" He demanded, his eyes narrowing. "You saw the ad, didn't you? You came running straight to my hotel to try again after you failed two years ago. Are you that desperate to have me? Are you that desperate for my money?"

It had to be it, if she was really after his money this was the perfect moment for her to return for it.

Each word he said struck her like a slap. For a moment she was silent, but something inside her snapped.

"Stop thinking so highly of yourself, Alpha Kane."

Her voice cut through the air, sharp and steady, unyielding. She dropped the act of trying to pretend not to know him, there was no point anymore.

His eyes flickered slightly at her words, surprise in his silver eyes.

"Trust me, I lost all interest, and all respect for you the moment you destroyed my life."

Back then, she had held a candle quietly for him, but he ended up believing everything when Emily and her father lied to him about the fact that she'd drugged him.

It still hurt, her vision blurred and tears welled up despite her efforts to hold them back.

Because once the memories started coming back to her, they didn't stop.

All those moments she had silently been by his side and he never really saw her until that night, the cold and disgusted look in his eyes as he looked at her with hatred.

She'd lost her family, lost the right to remain in a pack. She had wandered the woods barefoot until she stumbled out into a human city. She could recall being drenched in the rain, her footsteps heavy, cold had engulfed her entirely and eventually she had passed out on the streets. If Hailey and her brother hadn't found her lying there, she would have died.

The hurt in her eyes stopped him dead, the anger in his gaze stiffened. That sad look on her face caused his heart to wrench tightly.

Why was the sight of her tears making his heart hurt so painfully?

"I'm only here because I work here, in housekeeping." She explained. "It doesn't matter to me who owns this hotel, I'll focus on my job and rest assured, you won't have to see my face. I will stay out of your path and please stay out of mine."

There was distance in her gaze now, a very cold distance.

Leonard was struck by her words and the look in her eyes, his wolf suddenly became restless, pushing towards the surface as he felt a familiar ache in his chest. The ache one felt towards one person alone if they were in pain.

A mate...

Why was he having these feelings for her if she wasn't his mate? Her scent was irresistible to him, her pain made him hurt equally, he tightened his hands into fists resisting the urge to wipe her tears and draw her into his arms.

She moved to leave pushing at his chest but her foot suddenly caught on the loose strap of her shoe.

"Ah...!"

Her body lurched forward and before she could fall, his arms wrapped around her waist instinctively pulling her against him.

Sarina almost tripped, it all happened so suddenly and her hand already reached forward to steady herself but he suddenly caught her around the waist, accidentally she grabbed his shirt and his buttons tore open, the fabric of his shirt pulled open under her grip.

Her scent assaulted him again and his wolf growled in his head.

'Claim her! She's ours!'

'She is not our mate Revan!'

Ding.

The elevator doors suddenly slid open and everything shattered.

Right outside the elevator, Elena Hastings along with several staff members, all stood frozen, all staring, because what they saw was unmistakable.

The powerful Alpha of Blue Moon Pack was holding a woman close her hands gripping his shirt, his chest exposed, her body pressed against his.

It looked, intimate.

This only meant one thing...

Elena's expression darkened instantly.

Shock surfaced in her eyes, this man hadn't even looked at her a while ago, yet here he was already with this...

Her gaze narrowed onto Sarina, and something ugly reared its head within her,

Jealousy.

Sarina stood frozen in his arms, her heart pounding before she suddenly tried to push out of his arms but he held onto her, his arms tightening even more around her waist.

Shocked gasps echoed outside the elevator.