Even in human form, his presence was as commanding as that of his wolf. His gaze burned into mine, a mix of relief and frustration swirling in his amber eyes.

“We need to move,” his touch sent a jolt through me.

We sprinted away from the rogue’s lifeless body, his grip firm but not painful. As we ran, memories of the past flooded my mind, unbidden but vivid.

I remember us running through the forests of the Redwolf pack, our wolves chasing each other, rolling in the grass, and stealing kisses under the canopy of trees.

We’d dreamt of a future together. When my father arranged my marriage to someone else, Harry begged me to run away with him and to cross into another pack’s territory. I wanted to but the fear of my father’s influence held me back. I rejected him. Then he came to my wedding to ask me to live with humans, but I said no for the second time.

*He’s here again for the third time* my wolf said excitedly.

When we were finally far enough from the rogue’s scent, Harry slowed, his breath coming in short bursts.

I leaned against a wall, trying to steady my racing heart. Then it hit me.

“The bakery!” I panic. “ Oh no! No!”

“Seriously? You were nearly killed, and you’re worried about your damn job?” Harry said, annoyed.

I stared at him as if he was crazy. “Of course, I am! I live in the human world now, Harry. They don’t care about rogues or werewolves. All they’ll see is a destroyed storefront and blame me. And who’s going to pay for it?”

His jaw clenched. “You’re unbelievable.” He stepped closer, and continued, “You’ve been hiding here, pretending to be one of them, and now you’re more concerned about a paycheck than the fact that a rogue almost tore you apart.”

I bristled at his tone. “I’ve built a life here, Harry. You don’t get to judge me for surviving the only way I know how.”

“Why are you living in the human world, Princess?” he asked again, emphasizing the last word.

The way he said the title laced with sarcasm, sent a surge of anger through me.

I hated that word. Without thinking, I tried to smack him across the face but Harry didn’t flinch and held my fist. His gaze darkened into mine.

I turned to run, to put distance between us, but I should have known better.

In seconds, he was on me, his speed and strength overwhelming. He caught my wrist, spinning me around and pinning me against the brick wall of a narrow alley.

His body was too close, and the heat radiating off him was suffocating. His hands were firm on my wrist above my head, holding me in place without hurting me.

“Let me go,” I growled.

“I have limited patience,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “And right now, your scent is sending my wolf insane.”

I shoved Harry with both hands, to have enough space between us and clear my head.

My wolf, however, wasn’t cooperating. Her tail wagged due to the excitement of being close to Harry.

I took a deep breath and straightened my posture. “I’m in the human world because I needed to get away from pack life. I needed peace, Harry.” I stopped short of mentioning the twins. They had to stay hidden, even from him.

He studied me. “I get it. You’ve been through a lot today. Come with me. I have other matters to attend to.”

I shook my head firmly. “I can’t. I need to report what happened at the bakery. If I don’t, my boss will assume I have something to do with the attack.”

Harry’s expression darkened. “You are coming with me.”

With that, Harry grabbed my body and threw me over his shoulders like I didn’t weight anything.

“Harry! Put me down!” I yelled, pounding my fists against his back.

He ignored me completely, striding down the empty street toward a sleek black car parked at the curb. He dumped me into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. Defeated, I crossed my arms and glared at him as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

The ride was tense, neither of us speaking. When we pulled up to a massive wrought-iron gate, intricately designed with twisting vines, my breath caught seeing a sprawling vintage mansion.

“Is this your house?” I blurted out, unable to hide my surprise. “I knew you were rich, but this? It’s as big as the pack house.”

“How did you know I'm rich?” He wondered.

I bit my lower lip and didn't answer. It would be too embarrassing to say that I read the magazine article about him.

When we stopped in front of the grand entrance, he finally spoke. “Get out.”

I bristled at his tone but complied, following him into the house.

The inside was just as impressive as the exterior—high ceilings, ornate chandeliers, and walls lined with art that screamed wealth.

“Where are we going?” I asked as he led me up a winding staircase and down a long corridor.

“To my office,” he said curtly.

When we entered, a young woman rushed over to Harry. Her concern was obvious. “Are you okay? We heard about the rogue attack.”

Harry passed by her before she could even touch his skin, which made me raise an eyebrow.

“What's the news about the rogue attacks in the city?” He asked the other people in the room.

They started discussing packs, territories, and conspiracies that made my head spin.

“Uh, what is happening?” I voiced it out loud instead of just asking my wolf.

Before Harry could answer, several other people in the room turned to look at me. Their conversations stopped, and an uncomfortable silence filled the space.

I offered an awkward smile, feeling completely out of place. “Uh, hi. I'm not sure why I'm here though.”

No one responded. Their eyes flicked between me and Harry.

Harry stepped forward, his voice steady but commanding, like an Alpha. “Everyone, this is Elina Hale.” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

Gasps, murmurs, and a few outright scowls rippled through the room.

I stiffened. Clearly, my father’s reputation had followed me even here.

“Harry,” I said, stepping forward, “maybe this was a mistake. I should go—”

“No,” he cut me off. “You’re staying.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the determined look in his eyes stopped me. He wasn’t going to let this go.

“You all have a job to do,” Harry addressed the room. “Focus on that and leave the rest to me.”

Reluctantly, the group dispersed, though not without a few lingering glances in my direction. The young woman who had rushed to Harry earlier lingered for a moment before giving me a curt nod and leaving.

When the door finally closed behind them, I turned to Harry. “What was that?”

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. “Necessary. They need to know who you are.”

“Why? So they can hate me like everyone else does?”

“They don’t hate you. They’re cautious, that’s all,” he explained.

“Cautious?” I laughed bitterly. “Harry, I’m the daughter of an Alpha who rules with fear and manipulation. They think I’m just like him.”

“But you’re not,” he said firmly, stepping closer.

I hate how his eyes looked at me intensely.

“That rogue today wasn’t random, Elina,” he said worriedly.

“What do you mean?”

He hesitated as if weighing how much to tell me. “Rogues have been moving through the city for weeks. Organized, and coordinated. They’re not just passing through—they’re looking for someone.”

A cold chill ran down my spine after hearing that. “You think they’re looking for me?”

Before he could answer, the door burst open, and the young woman from earlier rushed in, her face pale.

“Harry,” she said urgently, “we’ve got a situation.”

“What is it?” He asked, his voice immediately sharp.

“Another rogue attack in the city,” she said. “This one’s bigger, meaner. It’s heading straight for the school.”

The twins!

I almost blurted those words out, but I bit my lips so hard not to spill the secret.

Harry’s jaw tightened, and he turned to me. “Stay here.”

“Like hell, I will,” I shot back. Not when there’s a possibility that my twins are in danger.

“Elina—”

“I’m an Alpha’s daughter, Harry. I think you forgot how strong I could be.”

Harry looked at me for a long time and suddenly walked out of the door. I followed him and then he turned back at me.

“I’m sorry Elina. You’re staying here. That’s an order.” After saying that, he pushed me away from the door and locked it.

“Harry! No!!!” I shouted and pounded the door, trying to twist the knob open. But it won’t budge. I kept calling for help, but who would even dare to go against Harry’s orders?

I was packing back and forth when I saw the window across the room. I took a deep breath and adjusted my distance from it.

“I guess I need to pay for another broken window,” I muttered and jumped through the window while I underwent a werewolf transformation.

The school was close, and the rogues were closing in, their foul scent carried on the wind. My heart raced at the thought of the twins—nothing could happen to them.

I burst through the trees, just as the rogue appeared, its massive, enhanced frame barreling toward the school gates. It was larger and more savage than any I’d seen, its glowing red eyes full of malice.

*Forbidden magic!* My wolf expressed.

Snarling, I intercepted its path, my wolf ready for the fight. We clashed violently, claws and teeth tearing into each other.

The rogue charged again, and this time, I met its attack head-on. We collided with a force, my teeth sinking into its shoulder as its claws raked across my side. Pain seared through me.

Just as I began to falter, a piercing howl split the air. Harry’s wolf charged into the fray with his pack, their coordinated assault quickly overpowering the rogue. Within moments, it lay lifeless. Shifting back, I met Harry’s blazing gaze as he stormed toward me. “What the hell were you thinking?” he snapped.

“I was thinking I couldn’t let you handle this alone,” I shot back, clutching my bleeding side. “And clearly, I was right.”

He growled, his wolf still close to the surface. “You’re reckless, Elina. You could’ve been killed.”

“So could you!”

“Why do you care?” Harry shot back, his chest heaving up and down.

“I don’t,” I replied quickly before even thinking.

*Lie* my wolf shouts laughing.

I swallowed hard and continued, “I could say the same thing to you.”

“Yes. I do care about you, Princess,” Harry said without hesitation.

Before I could respond, the sound of sirens filled the air.

“We need to go.” I followed him while looking at the school gate.

It wasn’t my twins’ school. I’m glad they’re safe.

The ride back to his house was tense. He led me to his office and saw what I did to his window.

I smiled awkwardly and mouthed sorry. “Sit,” he ordered, pointing to a chair.

Reluctantly, I sat, wincing as the movement pulled at my wound. Harry grabbed a first aid kit and knelt in front of me, his hands surprisingly gentle as he cleaned the gash.

“You need to start telling me the truth,” he said after a long silence.

I got tense. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He looked up, his eyes locking onto mine. “Don’t play dumb, Elina. You were desperate to stop that rogue from reaching the school. Why?”

I swallowed hard, my mind scrambling for an excuse.

“Is there someone there you’re protecting?” he pressed.

I averted my gaze and refused to answer.

Just tell him about the twins, even my wolf was trying to convince me to be honest with our true mate. But I can’t drop the bomb like this.

Before either of us could say another word, my phone rang showing the name ‘my loves’.

When Harry saw the name, he instantly rose to his feet and put back the first aid kit to where he got it.

“Answer it,” he ordered. His voice sounded jealous but more like he was mad.

So, I did answer and was careful to say any word that would give Harry a hint. He isn’t stupid to not figure it out.

“Okay. Remember that I love you,” I finally said. When I ended a call, it sank into me.

*Harry just heard you saying I love you over the phone*

‘I know. Just shut up!’ I told my wolf who was teasing me with her side comments and being Team Harry in this current situation.

“So, your human toy is working at the school? Is that why you’re desperate earlier?” Harry asked, pretending to be busy.

“I have no human toy and it was just a nice female friend,” I lied.

Harry didn’t talk for a long time. He turned to look at me with a smirk plastered on his face. Then he moved closer and lifted my chin before saying, “I’m still you’re true mate. Being with a human will just give you a painful death.”

Harry was right. Rejecting a true mate will lead to our deaths. So, I stayed quiet, scared that if I kept talking I would blurt out about the twins.

I stayed the rest of the day at his mansion and sent a message to my boss that I was in the hospital due to the rabid wolf attack at the bakery.

While walking in the garden at the back of Harry’s mansion, I saw a young boy running towards me. He wrapped his arms around me tightly. I looked around but no one was there.

I leveled myself to the child and asked him, “Are you lost? Where’s your mom?”

He gave me a big smile and hugged my neck while saying, “You came back, Mommy!”