KAIA

I push open the door to Moonbean Café and breathe in the rich aroma of coffee and fresh pastries. The little café sits just down the street from Moonfang Construction, tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop. It's become our unofficial meeting spot since I started working here two weeks ago.

Talia waves at me from a corner booth, already nursing what looks like her third espresso of the day. I slide into the seat across from her, grateful for the familiar warmth of her presence. Sometimes it feels like I never left, like we're still seventeen and planning our weekend adventures.

"Large caramel macchiato," I tell the waitress who appears beside our table. "Extra shot."

"Rough day?" Talia asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You could say that." I pull off my blazer and hang it on the back of my chair. The navy fabric is wrinkled from sitting hunched over spreadsheets all afternoon.

Talia leans forward, her dark eyes bright with curiosity. "So what did you and Vincent talk about the other day? You've been dodging that question all week."

I take a sip of my coffee when it arrives, buying myself time. "Nothing important. Just work stuff."

"Kaia." Her voice carries that familiar note of exasperation. "I've known you since we were kids. Try again."

I sigh, knowing she won't let this go. "He wanted to know why I left. I told him it wasn't his business."

Talia's eyes widen. "You said that to Vincent? To the Alpha?"

"He's not my Alpha," I say, my voice sharper than I intended.

"Still." She shakes her head, but there's amusement in her expression. "I can't believe you spoke to him like that. Though knowing my brother, he probably loved every second of it. He always had a soft spot for you."

I try to ignore the flutter in my stomach at her words. "That's ridiculous."

Before Talia can respond, my phone buzzes against the table. Mom's name flashes on the screen, and my chest tightens. I swipe to read the message.

Feeling fine today. Don't worry about me.

The words should comfort me, but they don't. This morning she could barely lift her head from the pillow, her skin gray and clammy. The new treatment isn't working. I can see it in the way she moves, the way she winces when she thinks I'm not looking.

It pisses me off that even as werewolves, we still have to deal with shit like cancer. Our enhanced healing should protect us from this kind of thing, but apparently, the universe doesn't care about supernatural advantages when it comes to the worst diseases.

"Everything okay?" Talia asks, noticing my expression.

"Yeah. Mom's just checking in." I slip the phone back into my purse, forcing a smile. "She worries too much."

Talia studies my face like she's trying to read between the lines, but she doesn't push. That's one of the things I've always loved about her-she knows when to give me space.

My mind drifts to this morning, and I hate that it does.

I'm standing by the elevator bank, waiting for the doors to open, when Vincent appears beside me. The enclosed space amplifies everything-his scent, the heat radiating from his body, the sound of his breathing that seems to sync with mine.

I swear I can hear his heartbeat. Slow and steady, like thunder in the distance. When our hands accidentally brush reaching for the same button, sparks shoot up my arm. Actual sparks, electric and burning.

I pull away like I've been scalded, but the damage is done. My wolf whimpers, pressing against my ribs like she's trying to get closer to him. The mate bond's pull is so strong I nearly stumble.

I hate myself for still wanting him. Hate that my body responds to his presence like he's oxygen and I'm drowning. Time apart should have been enough to break whatever hold he has on me, but apparently, my wolf didn't get the memo.

The worst part is, I think he could tell. His dark eyes had tracked every reaction, cataloguing each tell-tale sign of my attraction. By the time the elevator doors opened, I was practically running to escape.

He probably thinks I'm pathetic. The same desperate omega who fell for his lies once before.

"You're thinking about him," Talia observes, pulling me back to the present.

"I am not."

"Your jaw does this thing when you're annoyed." She taps her own chin. "Vincent does the same thing when he's frustrated."

"We're nothing alike."

"Maybe not. But you're both stubborn as hell."

The bell above the door chimes, and I glance up, grateful for the distraction. A tall man walks in, bringing with him a gust of cool air and something else-a scent that makes my wolf instantly alert. Werewolf. And not just any werewolf-an Alpha.

His scent is unfamiliar-woodsy and sharp. Different from Vincent's more intense, smoky aroma.

The stranger is handsome in a classical way, with sandy brown hair and green eyes that scan the café like he's looking for someone. He's wearing a leather jacket over dark jeans, and there's something about his posture that screams danger.

"Shit," Talia mutters under her breath.

"What?"

"That's Lewis Thornfield. Alpha of the Ravenclaw Pack."

My blood runs cold. Ravenclaw territory borders ours to the east, and the relationship between our packs has always been tense. What's an Alpha from a rival pack doing in Moonfang territory?

He orders coffee, his voice a pleasant baritone as he chats with the barista. Her scent shifts subtly-the sweet note of attraction evident even from where I sit. I don't blame her; objectively speaking, he's gorgeous. Tall and muscular with defined cheekbones that could cut glass.

But it's more than physical appearance drawing her in-it's the natural magnetism of an Alpha, the charisma that makes others want to please them.

I turn away and continue to check my phone for other messages, but then I feel it-that prickle at the back of my neck that tells me I'm being watched.

I turn instinctively, meeting his gaze across the café. He's leaning against the counter, coffee in hand, studying me with open interest. A slow smile spreads across his face, and he pushes off from the counter, walking directly toward me.

My wolf bristles, not with fear exactly, but with caution. I straighten up, drawing myself to my full height-a pitiful defense mechanism against an Alpha, but instinctive nonetheless.

"Excuse me," he says as he approaches, his voice friendly but with that underlying note of authority that all Alphas seem to possess.

"Can I help you?" I ask, keeping my voice neutral, professional.

He tilts his head slightly, assessing me. Up close, I can see the flecks of silver in his piercing blue eyes. "I was hoping this table might be available." He gestures to the empty seat beside Talia. "It has the best view."

It's a transparent excuse-there are at least four empty tables with comparable views-but I nod anyway.

"You'd better be smoking to think you could sit here," Talia says, and it's like he just realizes who I was sitting with. No Alpha families hated one another more than Lopez and Thornfield.

"I wasn't talking to you." He turns away from her and extends his hand. "I'm Lewis."

I look at his hand, really wondering if he thinks I will take it. Talia beats me to it, slapping his hand away from me. "Get your filthy ass out of here."

But again, he ignores her, turning to me with a smile.

"From your ID I should call you Kaia. What a beautiful name you have," he says, smiling as he gazes at me with a look in his eyes I couldn't decipher.

I don't know if I should be impressed or annoyed with his actions.

"I think you should leave," I say gently, uncertain how to navigate this interaction.

"You know," he says, lowering his voice slightly, "there's a wonderful restaurant just down the street-Bella's. They make an incredible risotto." He pauses, those blue eyes studying my reaction. "Perhaps you'd join me for dinner sometime? I'd love to learn more about you."

I blink, caught off guard by his words. After everything I just said and Talia looking so close to chopping his head off, he's asking me out?

"I-I don't-" I stammer, uncharacteristically flustered.

He holds up a hand, his expression softening. "No pressure. I know it can be... complicated. Especially for someone in your position."

Then why the fuck did you just ask me out then? I want to blurt out, but I'm too stunned to speak.

"My position?" I finally manage to ask.

"An omega in Moonfang territory." His smile turns predatory. "It must be... challenging. Especially working so closely with Vincent Lopez."

The way he says Vincent's name makes my skin crawl. There's something underneath it, something that feels like a threat.

"Vincent is my boss," I say carefully. "Nothing more."

"Of course." But his eyes say he doesn't believe me. "Still, if you ever need... protection from the Lopez family's particular brand of hospitality, I'd be happy to offer alternatives."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Talia snaps, half-rising from her seat.

Lewis doesn't even glance at her. His attention is fixed entirely on me, and there's something in his gaze that makes my wolf pace nervously.

Before I can respond, he straightens up, his charming smile returning. "Think about my offer, Kaia. Dinner. When you're ready."

He turns and walks away, leaving me staring after him in complete confusion. What the hell just happened?

"What a creep," Talia mutters, but I can hear the tension in her voice. "I can't believe he had the balls to come into our territory and hit on you right in front of me."

I'm still processing the entire bizarre encounter. "Do you know him well?"

"Lewis Thornfield? Unfortunately, yes. Our packs have been at each other's throats for decades. Border disputes, territory claims-the usual Alpha bullshit." She takes a long sip of her coffee. "He's dangerous, Kaia. Stay away from him."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of going to dinner with a rival Alpha." I shake my head, still trying to make sense of it all. "But why would he even ask? What could he possibly want with me?"

Talia shrugs, but something flickers across her face-uncertainty, maybe? "Who knows what goes through that psycho's head. Maybe he thinks getting involved with you would piss off Vincent."

The thought makes my stomach twist. Am I really just a pawn in some territorial pissing contest between Alphas?

"I should get back to work," I say, suddenly needing to escape this conversation. "Vincent's probably wondering where his assistant disappeared to."

"Probably." Talia gathers her things. "But Kaia? Be careful, okay? Something about this whole thing feels off."

"I will"

KAIA

The Moonfang Construction building is eerily quiet at nine PM. Most of the staff cleared out hours ago, leaving just the security lights casting long shadows across the empty cubicles. I should have left too, but the quarterly reports won't finish themselves, and Vincent needs them for the board meeting first thing tomorrow morning.

At least Lewis Thornfield hasn't shown up again since that bizarre encounter at the café last week. One less thing to worry about while I'm drowning in spreadsheets and trying to ignore how the past few days of professional tension with Vincent have left me feeling like a live wire.

Every interaction we've had since I started has been charged with this underlying current of... something. The way he watches me during meetings. How his jaw ticks when other wolves dismiss my suggestions. The careful distance he maintains, like he's afraid of what might happen if he gets too close.

I'm hunched over my computer, squinting at numbers that are starting to blur together, when I hear footsteps in the hallway. Heavy, measured, familiar. My wolf perks up before my brain catches up, and I curse under my breath.

Vincent appears in the doorway to the main office area, his tie loosened and the top button of his white dress shirt undone. His dark hair is slightly mussed, like he's been running his hands through it. Even exhausted, he's devastatingly handsome.

"You're still here," he says, his voice carrying easily across the empty space.

"So are you." I don't look up from my screen, determined not to give him the satisfaction of my attention.

His footsteps draw closer until he's standing beside my desk. I can smell his cologne-that warm, spicy scent that makes my pulse quicken despite my best efforts.

"You don't have to stay this late, Kaia. The reports can wait until tomorrow."

"You said you needed them first thing in the morning." I finally glance up, meeting his dark eyes. "I'm just doing my job."

Something flickers across his face-frustration, maybe, or hurt. "When I said first thing, I didn't mean you had to kill yourself to get them done."

"I'm not killing myself. I'm being thorough."

He leans against the edge of my desk, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. "You always were a perfectionist."

The casual familiarity in his tone makes my chest tighten. Like we're still those teenagers who used to study together, who shared inside jokes and stolen kisses. Like he didn't destroy everything between us with his cruel game.

"Don't," I say quietly.

"Don't what?"

"Don't talk to me like you know me. Like we're friends."

His jaw clenches. "I know you won't tell me what happened. You made that clear the other day."

I save my work and stand abruptly, needing distance between us. But Vincent moves too, stepping into my path. We're suddenly face to face, close enough that I can see the exhaustion in his eyes, the slight stubble along his jaw.

"Move," I say, my voice steadier than I feel.

"You can't keep pretending there's nothing between us." His voice is low, dangerous. "I see the way you react when I'm near. Your pulse races, your scent changes. You can lie with words, Kaia, but your body tells the truth."

Heat floods my cheeks because he's right, and we both know it. "That doesn't mean anything."

"Doesn't it?" He steps closer, and I can feel the heat radiating from his body. "Then why are you running?"

"I'm not running. I'm leaving. There's a difference."

"Is there?" His dark eyes search mine. "Because it looks the same from where I'm standing."

I try to move around him, but he shifts, blocking my path without actually touching me. "You can hate me all you want," he says quietly. "But don't pretend you don't feel this too."

Before I can respond, he reaches out and catches my wrist gently.

The moment his skin touches mine, electricity shoots up my arm. My wolf whimpers, pressing against my ribs like she's trying to get closer to him. The feelings I've spent years denying roar to life, flooding my system with want and need.

Vincent's eyes widen, and I know he feels it too. The pull between us, the connection that defies logic and reason. His grip on my wrist tightens slightly, his thumb brushing over my pulse point.

"Kaia," he whispers, my name falling from his lips like a prayer.

For a heartbeat, we just stare at each other. The air between us is charged, electric, crackling with so much unresolved tension. He's so close I can see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes, can feel his breath against my cheek. My body remembers what it felt like to be in his arms, remembers the way he used to hold me like I was something precious.

But then reality crashes back. The memory of his laughter, his cruel words about omegas being easy, the way he collected my heart like a trophy.

I jerk my hand away, breaking the connection. "Don't touch me."

The words hit him like a slap. He stumbles back a step, his hand falling to his side.

"Kaia-"

"I said don't." I grab my purse and coat, desperate to escape before I do something stupid. "The reports will be on your desk in the morning."

I rush toward the elevator, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. All that distance, all that time apart, and one touch nearly undid everything. I'm in so much trouble.