Liam

The moon was out early that evening, hovering above the glass roof of SilverCorp Tower like an uninvited witness. I hated nights like this—when the pull was strongest and my control felt thinner than paper.

I sat behind my desk, the city lights flickering beneath my office windows, pretending to focus on the reports in front of me. But my mind wasn’t on numbers. It was on her.

Hazel Moore.

The new assistant with steady eyes and a heartbeat that threw mine off rhythm every time she stepped into a room.

She shouldn’t have been here.

I’d hired her against my better judgment—because of the calm in her voice, the honesty in her eyes, and the strange way her scent cut through the chaos in my head. There was something in her blood that called to me. Too much like before.

I shut my laptop harder than necessary, pushing the memory away.

The past was a ghost I didn’t need tonight.

A soft knock on the door snapped me out of thought. “Come in.”

Hazel stepped in, holding a folder. Her brown hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, a few strands falling against her neck. Her scent hit me instantly—warm vanilla and something wild beneath it. My wolf stirred.

“Sorry,” she said quietly. “Clara asked me to leave this for your signature before I go.”

I leaned back, forcing my voice to stay even. “It’s after sunset, Ms. Moore.”

She froze, glancing at the clock. “Oh, I didn’t realize—”

“You should have been home half an hour ago.”

“I just wanted to finish—”

“That’s not how we do things here.” I stood, my tone sharper than intended. Her eyes widened, and I saw the flicker of hurt before she masked it. Guilt twisted in my chest.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You’re new. I’ll let it slide this once.”

She nodded, clutching the folder tighter. “I didn’t mean to break any rules. I just thought—”

“Don’t think,” I said, softer now. “Just follow the rules.”

She stared at me for a moment, as if trying to read something behind my calm expression. Then she said, almost in a whisper, “You talk about rules like they’re protecting me from something.”

I looked up sharply. “Maybe they are.”

Her brows knit together. “From what?”

I should have said something safe—security risks, company confidentiality, anything. But the words that came out were the truth buried in disguise.

“From things that don’t belong in your world.”

The silence that followed was heavy. I could hear her heartbeat quicken. Her scent changed, tinged with curiosity instead of fear.

“I’m not easily frightened,” she said quietly.

That same phrase she’d used in her interview. I’d asked it then as a test. Now it felt like a dare.

She placed the folder on my desk and turned to leave, but something in me snapped—an instinct older than language.

“Hazel,” I said before I could stop myself.

She turned. The moonlight poured through the window, catching her face just right, turning her skin to pale gold.

“You shouldn’t walk home alone tonight,” I said. “Take the driver.”

Her lips parted. “It’s just a few blocks.”

“Still,” I said, stepping closer. “Humor me.”

She hesitated, searching my eyes for the reason behind the warning. I couldn’t give it to her. Not without giving away everything else.

Finally, she nodded. “Okay.”

When the door closed behind her, I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My wolf snarled under my skin, restless, pacing.

She smells like her.

The voice inside me wasn’t human—it was the animal half of my soul.

Like the one we killed.

I growled low, the sound rumbling through the empty office. “Enough.”

The lights flickered as if the building itself responded. My claws itched to surface. I turned away from the window, fighting for control.

I’d made a promise years ago: no more attachments. No mate, no bond, no weakness. The last time I’d trusted my instincts, it ended in blood.

And yet here I was, breaking every rule I’d built for myself.

The elevator chimed. My Beta, Ryan, stepped out, carrying two phones and a grim look.

“She’s gone?” he asked.

I nodded. “Just left.”

“Good. We’ve got a problem. Arthur Williams was at the charity gala tonight. He’s been asking questions about SilverCorp’s new staff—specifically about her.”

My body went cold. “Hazel?”

Ryan nodded. “He heard you hired someone human. Says he wants to meet her.”

A growl tore from my chest before I could stop it. The windows rattled. Ryan didn’t flinch; he’d seen worse.

“I’ll handle it,” I said.

“You sure? If he finds out what she is—”

“She doesn’t even know what she is,” I cut in. “And she’s going to stay that way.”

Ryan looked doubtful. “For how long? The bond—”

“There is no bond.”

The lie burned my tongue.

He studied me for a long moment. “Whatever you say, Alpha.”

When he left, the silence returned, thick and electric. I could still smell Hazel in the air—soft, human, maddening.

I turned back toward the window and saw the city spread out beneath me like a living map of secrets. Somewhere down there, she was probably walking through the quiet streets, unaware that another predator might already be watching her.

Arthur Williams had always wanted what was mine—my company, my influence, my control. Now he was circling something far more dangerous: my restraint.

I reached for my phone and called the driver. No answer. My pulse kicked.

“Dammit.”

I grabbed my coat and headed for the west elevator—the one no one was allowed to use but me. The doors slid open with a metallic sigh, and I stepped in, my reflection fractured across the mirrored walls.

The moment the elevator descended, my eyes flashed silver. The wolf was already pushing forward.

Hold it together, I told myself. Don’t lose control again. Not tonight.

When the doors opened to the underground parking lot, I caught her scent immediately—fresh, light, with a trace of adrenaline.

She was standing by her car, talking to someone. The man was tall, dressed too sharply for a stranger. My wolf bristled.

Arthur.

Even from a distance, I could feel his aura—the smug calm of a rival who knew he’d crossed a line.

Hazel turned first, surprised. “Mr. Taylor?”

Arthur smiled, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. “Ah, the famous CEO himself. Small world.”

I walked toward them, voice low and cold. “Not small enough.”

Hazel looked between us, clearly confused. “You two know each other?”

Arthur chuckled. “Old business rivals. I was just offering her a ride since her driver didn’t show.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I said, stepping between them. “She’s with me.”

Arthur’s smile widened, his gaze flicking to Hazel. “With you, huh? Interesting choice of words.”

I ignored him. “Get in the car, Hazel.”

She hesitated, reading the tension that buzzed like static in the air. Finally, she obeyed, slipping into the back seat.

Arthur leaned in close as I opened the driver’s door. “Careful, Liam. The last time you let a human too close, it didn’t end well.”

My hands clenched around the steering wheel. “Touch her, and I’ll end you myself.”

His grin didn’t fade. “We’ll see.”

I drove off before my control snapped entirely. Hazel sat silent beside me, staring out the window, probably wondering what kind of world she’d just stepped into.

The city lights blurred past us. The moon followed, full and bright.

And for the first time in years, I felt something dangerous stir beneath my skin.

Not the beast.

Hope.