Sunlight slipped through the blinds like a thief, laying gold stripes across the sleek sheets of the penthouse bed. Lauretta Owens stirred, a soft groan leaving her lips as she blinked awake.

For one suspended heartbeat, she didn't know where she was.

Then it came back - the velvet lights, the bourbon burn, the way his eyes had pinned her like she was something rare. Savior Hunt.

She turned, half expecting to find him still there. But the other side of the bed was empty, cool.

No note. No goodbye. Not even the faint sound of running water.

Lauretta smiled to herself, a small, ironic curve of her lips.

Of course. That was how men like him operated - sweep in, scorch the earth, and vanish before sunrise.

Fine by her.

She slipped from the bed, her robe clinging to her shoulders as she crossed to the window. The Manhattan skyline glittered below, morning light turning glass towers into blades of fire.

Her reflection stared back at her - sharp, composed, dangerous.

"You did what you came for," she whispered. "No regrets."

The words were steady, but her heartbeat wasn't.

Some part of her - the wild, wolf part - wanted to chase his scent through the city until she found him again. It annoyed her how much she noticed the lingering trace of him on her skin.

She shook her head. "No. You wanted strength, not sentiment."

And yet... sentiment had teeth.

Stupid sentiments.

"Ahh..." Lauretta touches her waist.

A little sore.

"Oh he went all out..." She smirks and walks out the door.

---

By eight-thirty, Lauretta was in her office - Lune Artistry Inc., a sprawling glass-and-stone building overlooking the river. Her assistant, Jules, greeted her with a nervous smile, clutching a stack of reports.

"Morning, Ms. Owens. You look-uh-rested?"

Lauretta arched a brow. "Rested?"

Jules cleared her throat. "I mean-productive."

"Good save," Lauretta said dryly, taking the papers.

Her office was minimalist but warm - sunlight cutting across modern sculptures and watercolor pieces by up-and-coming artists. Art was her language, her therapy, her empire.

She'd built this company from scratch after returning from studying abroad - and she ruled it like she ruled everything else: precisely.

Except her thoughts weren't focused today.

Every signature, every meeting memo blurred behind flashes of gray eyes and that maddening smile.

At one point, she caught herself doodling the letter S in the margin of a report.

She stared at it, snorted softly, then ripped the page in half.

"Pathetic," she muttered. "You're not that girl."

Can't let a stranger mess with my mind.

---

Her phone buzzed. The screen flashed: Angela.

Lauretta groaned. "Speak of the chaos," she murmured, answering. "Yes, Angie?"

"Don't 'yes, Angie' me," Angela's voice sang through the line, bright and teasing. "You disappeared after work last night. Tell me you didn't go all rogue wolf in the city again."

Lauretta smirked. "Define rogue."

"Oh my God," Angela gasped dramatically. "You did. You totally did. You went out. With that look. Tell me everything."

"There's nothing to tell."

Angela laughed. "Liar. You've got that tone - the 'I did something I'm pretending not to care about but secretly can't stop thinking about' tone."

Lauretta leaned back in her chair, gazing out the window. "You have an overactive imagination."

"Mm-hmm. So, what's his name?"

Lauretta hesitated. "...Savior."

Angela choked. "Savior? Who names their kid that? Is he a preacher or a stripper?"

Lauretta actually laughed, the sound surprising her. "Neither. He's... complicated."

"Complicated as in emotionally unavailable or complicated as in you're already naming your future child?"

Lauretta rolled her eyes. "Angela."

"What? I'm just asking! You've been single for, like, forever. The last guy you liked ran off to Europe to 'find himself,' remember?"

"Unfortunately."

"So, this Savior guy - was he at least worth it?"

Lauretta paused, her expression softening. "Yeah," she said quietly. "He was."

There was a beat of silence. Then Angela's tone shifted - softer now. "You sound... different."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You're glowing. I can hear it."

Lauretta smirked. "You're ridiculous."

"Maybe," Angela said. "But I know you. Be careful, Lau. You have a habit of chasing things that burn."

Lauretta looked down at her hands - steady, elegant, but faintly trembling. "Maybe I like the fire."

Angela sighed. "Just promise me you won't let this guy mess with your head."

"I won't," Lauretta said. "It was one night. He's probably already forgotten me."

"Or he is masturbating and thinking about you right now?"

Lauretta squeezes her face in disgust, "Eww Angela, you really need a check up, what's wrong with you?"

Laughter could be heard from the phone.

"Anyways, eat well, sleep well and I will call you back later to disturb you as usual" Angela said.

Lauretta sighs, "Please don't call me again "

"In your dreams baby"

---

But miles away, Savior Hunt sat in his hotel suite, the morning light cutting through the curtains. His phone buzzed with messages from his father's assistant, from Dew, from the company board.

He ignored them all.

On the table sat his untouched coffee.

He'd been staring at the skyline for an hour, trying to shake her from his mind.

It wasn't working.

He could still smell her - faintly, maddeningly - the mix of roses and something wild. Her eyes had haunted him all night, golden and defiant.

He rubbed the back of his neck, muttering, "Get it together, Hunt."

But when he closed his eyes, he saw her again - that smirk, that strength. The way she'd said his name like she was testing its worth.

And for the first time in a long time, Savior felt something he didn't like to admit.

He wanted her.

Not as a passing curiosity. Not as a challenge.

He needed to see her again.

"I can't possibly want a stranger" he mutters.

---

Lauretta ended her call with Angela, smiling faintly. "He's probably already forgotten me," she repeated under her breath.

But deep down, she knew the truth - and so did the wolf inside her.

Whatever had happened between her and Savior Hunt wasn't done.

Not even close.

Or maybe it has.

Silvercrest City rose beneath the clouds like a kingdom carved from steel and ambition. Neon reflections glimmered off the river, skyscrapers pierced the sky, and the streets hummed with restless life - human and wolf alike.

Lauretta Owens stepped out of the airport terminal, her red coat flaring behind her like a cape. She inhaled the air of her birth city - crisp, electric, tinged with the faintest scent of pine and moonlight. The scent of a place that remembered her family... and had not forgiven them.

She straightened her shoulders. Let the city remember all it wanted. She was not the same girl who left in shame.

She was a CEO now.

She was powerful.

She was dangerous.

And she had a secret blooming in her belly she wasn't ready to name.

---

LuneArt Studios

The elevator doors opened to the top floor of LuneArt Studios, her artistic empire - modern black marble floors, illuminated moon-themed sculptures, walls showcasing rotating exhibitions. The place felt alive, pulsing with the creativity she commanded.

Her employees immediately straightened. Even the air seemed to tighten under her dominance.

"M-Ms. Owens!" her assistant, Mara, stumbled forward, holding a tablet and a triple-shot latte like they were holy offerings. "Welcome back! We weren't expecting you this early!"

"I don't like being predictable," Lauretta replied, slipping out of her coat.

Mara nodded frantically. "I'll alert the team! And your best friend has called - five times."

Lauretta sighed. "Let me guess - she said it's urgent?"

"She said," Mara cleared her throat and imitated Angela perfectly, "'Tell that woman to call me back before I break into her office with pastries and violence.'"

Lauretta actually laughed. "Sounds like her."

---

Inside her private office - all glass walls, clean lines, city skyline - Lauretta finally allowed herself a moment to breathe.

Except her mind wasn't quiet.

Her fingers drifted subconsciously to her neck, remembering Savior Hunt's breath on her skin. His hands gripping her hips. His voice whispering her name as if he owned it.

She clenched her jaw.

She did NOT have time for this.

She was here to rebuild her family's reputation.

She was here to lead an empire.

She was NOT here thinking about a man she'd known for only a few hours.

...even if those hours still pulsed under her skin.

What have you done Savior?

Her phone buzzed. Angela. Again.

Lauretta groaned and answered. "If this is about brunch-"

"Don't you dare," Angela snapped. "Lauretta Owens, don't play with me. You think you can disappear for a whole weekend and act like you didn't leave a piece of your soul in Manhattan?"

Lauretta rolled her eyes. "You're being dramatic."

"Oh, am I?" Angela hissed. "Let me refresh your memory, Miss Selective Amnesia. You called me at two in the morning whispering - WHISPERING - about some man named Savior Hunt!"

Lauretta slapped a hand over her face. "Angela-"

"No, no, shut up. I'm not finished." Angela inhaled deeply like she was preparing for battle. "You described him like he was carved by the moon goddess herself. You said he smelled like firewood, whiskey, and sin-"

"I did not."

"You did! And I quote: 'Angela, his voice alone could get me pregnant.'"

Lauretta sank into her chair, mortified. "Okay, that sounds like me."

Angela cackled. "So who is this man? Where does he live? Do I need to stalk his social media?"

"There is NO social media to stalk," Lauretta snapped. "I checked."

"Oh my god, you checked?!"

Lauretta froze.

Angela screamed, "YOU'RE OBSESSED!"

"I am NOT obsessed."

"You are! You looked for him online! This is phase three obsession!"

Lauretta groaned. "Angela, it was one night. I went to that club with a mission, and he happened to fit the criteria."

"And the criteria was what? Hot, intimidating, and guaranteed to make your knees tremble?"

Lauretta glared at the wall. "I needed a baby, remember? You told me to just... find someone suitable."

"Yes, but I didn't say find a man so fine he'd haunt your dreams AND your hormones."

Lauretta said nothing.

Which only encouraged Angela.

"So?"

"So what?"

Angela grinned through the phone. "So when's the second round?"

"There isn't going to be a second round."

Angela scoffed. "Mhmm. And I'm the queen of France. Girl, your wolf has been pacing since last night."

Lauretta closed her eyes. Because yes - her wolf was pacing.

Restless.

Agitated.

Searching.

But she wasn't about to admit that.

"I have work to do."

"You can ignore it now but not for long" Angela laughed like a villain. "Call me later, Lovergirl."

She hung up before Lauretta could protest.

---

The Pull

The day rolled on - meetings, deadlines, two gallery arguments, and a designer crying because gold paint looked "too gold." Lauretta handled it all with precision and ice.

But every quiet moment felt invaded by memories of Savior.

His heat.

His hands.

His scent.

The way her wolf reacted to him - not just attracted but recognizing.

"You really need to chill out" she mutters to her wolf.

"If I need a man to warm my bed I can always find one "

"Nothing special about him "

By evening, the office was empty except for her.

She exhaled slowly... then suddenly winced.

A wave of nausea.

Followed by heat spiraling through her blood.

Then - a tug.

A warm, magnetic tug deep inside her body.

Lauretta pressed a hand to her abdomen.

"...no."

But another pulse answered under her palm.

Soft.

Alive.

Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened.

"Oh my god..."

She wasn't imagining it.

The connection was real.

She was pregnant.

Already.

Her wolf hummed in satisfaction.

Lauretta stared at the floor, stunned and speechless.

She had wanted this.

She had planned for this.

But the reality - the immediacy - the intensity - shook her.

Savior Hunt's child.

No.

Mine.

Her chest tightened.

Her throat warmed.

And she whispered to the empty office:

"...this is insane."

"Though I wanted it, I wasn't expecting it to be this fast"

She stares at the air.

---

Across the City

At that exact moment, in a high-rise suite on the opposite side of Silvercrest, Savior Hunt jolted awake at his desk.

His heart hammered.

His wolf snarled.

He pressed a hand to his chest, breathing hard.

Something had changed.

Something vital.

"Damn it," he whispered. "What are you doing to me, Lauretta Owens?"

He had no idea where she was now.

No way to reach her.

Not even her last name.

But he could feel her.

In his blood.

In his bones.

In every restless breath.

He leaned back, staring at the moon through the window - silver, sharp, unforgiving.

And he knew one thing with absolute certainty:

Their night wasn't over.

Their story hadn't even begun.

An SUV rolled into Silvercrest's residential district just as the sun dipped behind the high-rises, casting the neighborhood in shades of gold and shadow. Lauretta stared out the window in silence, fingers tapping lightly against her bag.

Her stomach felt... different today. Not painful - just warm. Connected.

Like her body knew something her mind was still catching up to.

The car stops and she stepped out in front of the Owens family home - a neat, two-story building with trimmed hedges and a warm porch light that flickered annoyingly. She grimaced.

Home.

She loved them.

But they were a lot.

She took a breath, stepped inside-

"LAURETTA! My child! You didn't tell me you were coming today!" her mother, Keisha Owens, shouted from the kitchen before she even saw her face. "Ah-ah, is this how you visit your mother now? So you want me to collapse unexpectedly one day? Is that it?"

Lauretta pinched her nose and dropped her bag. "Good evening, Mom."

Keisha rushed forward, wiping her hands on her apron. "Let me see you. Has Manhattan changed your eye shape? Why are you fine like this? What are you hiding?"

"Jesus," Lauretta muttered.

From the living room, her father's voice boomed, "Keisha, leave the girl alone! Let her breathe!"

Then he turned his glare on Lauretta. "Where have you been? You couldn't call? You couldn't text? Your mother has been pacing the house like someone threw hot water at her."

"I was WORKING," Lauretta said, hanging her coat.

Before either parent could resume their chorus, her brother bounded down the stairs.

"Ah, the prodigal womb returns!" Isaac Owens announced dramatically. "Did Manhattan finally tire of your wickedness?"

Lauretta smacked the back of his head.

He yelped.

Her mom pointed. "Good! Hit him again!"

"Mom!!" Isaac cries out.

Lauretta rolled her eyes. "I didn't come here to fight all of you."

Isaac grinned like a devil. "Then why are you here? You look guilty."

"I don't look guilty," she snapped.

"Exactly! Which means you ARE."

Her father stepped closer. "Lauretta, are you in trouble? Tell me now before I start sweating."

She opened her mouth - then closed it again.

She wasn't ready for this.

Not ready to say it out loud.

Not ready for the world to shift violently around her.

But her wolf nudged her gently, almost reassuringly.

"Dad... Mom... I need to talk to you."

"But can we at least go inside, you guys corner me like a thief"

Her parents exchanged a look - the kind that said: Something is coming. Prepare for battle.

"Alright let's go in dear" Keisha said.

---

They all sat in the living room. Isaac perched eagerly like it was movie night. Her mom clutched a throw pillow like a life vest. Her dad folded his arms and stared her down.

Lauretta inhaled. "I... think I might be pregnant."

SILENCE.

Complete.

Utter.

Bone-deep silence.

Then-

"HEAVEN HAVE MERCY!" Keisha screamed, throwing the pillow into the air.

Isaac fell off the couch dramatically.

Larry Owens slapped both hands on his knees. "Pregnant?! Since when?! By who?!"

Lauretta winced. "It was intentional."

"INTENTIONAL?!" Her mother staggered like she'd been shot. "So you planned to give me high blood pressure? You scheduled it?!"

Isaac was wheezing with laughter. "Oh my God, yes! My sister said 'baby by force!' I love it here!"

Lauretta glared at him. He quieted instantly.

Keisha fanned herself. "I am shocked. My spirit has left my body."

Her father stared at Lauretta, his voice softer. "Are you sure, baby?"

Lauretta placed a hand gently over her abdomen.

"I'm sure."

For a moment, their parents' panic melted into awe - a quiet, emotional pause as Keisha covered her mouth and Larry looked at his daughter like seeing her in a new light.

But Isaac broke the calm.

"So... who's the lucky - or unlucky - guy?"

Lauretta stiffened.

And her quiet reaction was all the confirmation Isaac needed.

"Aha! So there IS a man!" Isaac grins.

Her father leaned forward suspiciously. "Which pack is he from?"

Lauretta froze.

Keisha gasped. "Is he even from Silvercrest? Or did you go and carry some man from the streets of Manhattan?"

Lauretta looked away. "He's... not from Manhattan."

Her father's aura shifted. "Lauretta... what are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything-"

"Don't LIE," Larry thundered. "Your tail always twitches when you're lying!"

"Dad-I don't HAVE a tail."

"Your metaphorical tail!"

Isaac leaned forward like a gossiping auntie. "What's his name? Come on, say it."

Lauretta swallowed. "...His name is Savior."

The entire room went still.

Like someone hit a cosmic pause button.

Keisha blinked. "Savior WHAT?"

Lauretta looked away. "He didn't give me his last name."

Her father exploded.

"Ehn?! So a man slept with you and did not even give you his surname? Is he MAD?! Is he sensible at all?! What kind of upbringing-"

"Dad!" Lauretta snapped. "It was one night! I wasn't exactly asking for a family tree!"

Her father paced the room, muttering curses, sweating dramatically. "Lord... this girl will be the end of me..."

Then, without warning, he spun around and shouted:

"If this man is anything like those HUNT wolves, I swear-"

Silence.

The world stopped.

Lauretta's heart stopped.

"Hunt?" she whispered. "What did you just say?"

Larry froze mid-rant.

Too late.

Lauretta stood slowly. "Dad... why did you mention the Hunts?"

Keisha covered her face.

Isaac suddenly looked nervous.

Larry swallowed hard.

"Lauretta," her father said carefully, "there's... something you must understand-"

"NO," she cut him off sharply. "Don't soften it."

He looked at her with guilt so deep it carved new lines into his face.

"Lauretta... the Hunt family is the reason we were exiled."

Her breath caught. "What?"

Her father ran his hand over his face. "Their Alpha - Hexta Hunt - banished us from the pack. Years ago. Because of a mistake I made."

"Dad..." Lauretta whispered. "Why am I just hearing this?"

"For how long?"

Larry sank heavily onto the couch, voice raw.

"I was trying to protect you. To protect all of you."

Lauretta stepped back, her chest tightening.

Her father continued, voice shaking:

"I wronged the Hunt pack in the worst way. I cost them something valuable - something sacred. And Hexta Hunt vowed we would never be welcome again."

Lauretta shook her head. "I don't understand-"

"That family hates us, Lauretta."

He looked straight into her eyes.

"If your child's father is a Hunt, we are FINISHED."

The blood drained from her face.

Savior.

Savior Hunt.

The man who branded her with his scent.

The man whose touch she couldn't forget.

The man whose child now grew inside her.

Her knees almost gave out.

Keisha reached for her. "Baby, breathe. BREATHE."

Lauretta stumbled back. "No... no, no... it can't be him... there are other Saviors-"

Isaac cut her off quietly.

"...nobody else in this city is named Savior except Savior Hunt."

Her stomach dropped.

Savior.

Alpha-born.

Hexta Hunt's only son.

The heir.

"Oh my God," Lauretta whispered, sinking onto the couch. "I slept with a Hunt."

Her father clutched his chest. "I SAID IT! THIS GIRL WILL KILL ME!"

Keisha fanned him. "Larry, calm down, you're gonna have a heart attack!"

Isaac whispered, "We're dead."

Lauretta stared at nothing.

"Why didn't you guys say anything to me?!"

"Now look!"

"Is not our fault you couldn't control your..." Isaac cuts in.

Lauretta glares at him.

"Say one more f*cking word!" She stares at Isaac.

Isaac looks away.

She hates the way he can't control his tongue sometimes.

She breathes out.

Her bloodline.

His bloodline.

Enemies.

Forbidden.

Banished.

And now tied by the strongest bond imaginable.

A child.

Her child.

His child.

Lauretta buried her face in her hands as her wolf rose in panic and fierce protectiveness.

She whispered through trembling lips:

"...what have I done?

Larry calms down, "This is what we are going to do okay? "

"Listen Lauretta, since you said it's intentional, you really want this baby...then keep it, but you must never tell this to anyone else, this news shouldn't reach the ears of others"

"Understand?" He said looking at her directly.

Lauretta gives a sad smile, "Yes Dad "

"But... Angela knows "

Keisha scoffs, "Of course, I'm not surprised she's always the first person to know"

"Just make sure she doesn't tell anyone else " Larry said seriously.

"Sure"

"If anyone asks, just make up a man" Larry said.

"A really good one too" Keisha said.

Lauretta nods, worry etched on her face.