Noleen’s POV

“Please…” she whispered, her voice wavering and pleading, eyes wide with fear.

The silence shattered as the door swung open. I spun around, anger bubbling up, but the sight of Adel standing there stalled my reaction.

I clenched my jaw, stepping back from Shivani, who stumbled forward with palpable relief, clutching her clothes as she struggled to her feet.

“Hah!” she gasped, breaths uneven as she scrambled to cover herself. Without a second look, she fled, her hurried footsteps echoing down the hall.

I pulled on my trousers, anger simmering beneath the surface.

“Next time, knock, Adel,” I snapped, pouring a drink, ice clinking as it hit the glass. “You know I don’t tolerate interruptions.”

Adel stepped in, shutting the door behind him.

“You almost killed her,” he noted, his voice calm but with a quiet undertone of judgment, his steady gaze unfazed by my glare.

“None of your business adel.” I drained the whiskey in one go, feeling its burn settle, though it did little to ease the irritation gnawing inside me, one I didn’t care to understand.

Adel’s calmness bordered on insolence. He was the only one who could speak to me like this and live.

Anyone else wouldn’t be so lucky. But he knew how to push just enough — a trait I admired, occasionally.

“Are you aware,” he began, his tone steady, “that your pack was attacked last night? Two of your betas are missing.”

I didn’t react. “Of course I know.” My voice came out harsher than intended, but I forced a smirk, deflecting the tension gnawing beneath the surface. “I’m already handling it.”

Adel remained unmoved. “It’s Melinda again. She won’t stop, Noleen. Her mission is to see you fall.”

“She’s been trying for years,” I muttered, a cold smile tugging at my lips. “Let her try. I’ve prepared a surprise for her.”

Adel raised an eyebrow, intrigued but smart enough not to ask further. We both understood there were things he’d rather not know. He paused, then crossed his arms.

“I’m actually here for another reason today.”

I raised an eyebrow, waiting. He rarely wasted time, but something was different, something he was holding back.

“Time’s running out, Noleen,” he said quietly. “You need an heir. Someone to continue the line after you’re gone.”

The absurdity of it almost made me laugh. An heir? I’d avoided that idea for years, yet now it was staring me down, heavy with inevitability.

“You think I don’t know that?” My voice dropped, tinged with bitterness. “What do you suggest? You know none of the she-wolves here can give birth. The curse made sure of that.”

Adel met my gaze, unwavering.

“That’s why we need to go somewhere else. A place where the curse doesn’t touch the women. A bride.”

The word felt foreign, even absurd, yet… something in it held a strange allure, though I resisted the pull.

“A bride,” I echoed sarcastically, turning away as I finished my whiskey. The idea of letting anyone that close — of sharing my life, even temporarily — was something I’d cast aside long ago. But if it meant an heir…

“And where exactly would I find this bride?”

“There’s a place,” he replied, his tone calm, but his gaze held a warning, daring me to dismiss it.

“The Brothel Hotel. The women there aren’t bound by our curse.”

I froze, the name jarring me, disdain flickering across my face.

“A brothel?” I repeated incredulously.

“Yes Alpha.” He said

“You think I’d father a child with a prostitute?”

He met my gaze, unshaken.

“You nearly killed one tonight,” Adel replied, steady, his jaw clenched and his words tight..

He wasn’t just my friend right now; he was challenging me, something no one dared to do.

But the truth of it struck harder than I wanted to admit.

“Adel,” I warned, voice low and dangerous.

He didn’t flinch, but inclined his head slightly.

“Apologies, Alpha.” A pause hung between us, acknowledging the line he’d crossed, yet he held his ground.

“But consider it. You don’t have to keep her. Just long enough to secure an heir. After that, you’re free to do as you please.”

The silence that followed his words dared me to deny the practicality of it.

I tightened my grip on the glass, envisioning it — bringing someone in just long enough to serve my purpose, then letting her go once she’d fulfilled her role. No ties. No vulnerabilities. Just a body, a vessel.

I’d never intended to share my life with anyone, but if this could mean the survival of my pack, one less weakness for Melinda to exploit… maybe Adel’s plan had some merit.

“I’ll be leaving for Australia tomorrow,” Adel continued, his voice now calm, his usual edge absent. “We can stop by the hotel first thing in the morning.”

I let the silence linger, the whiskey’s burn still on my tongue. My mind raced. A bride. An heir. The pack’s future. It all balanced on this, demanding something I’d sworn never to give.

Finally, I nodded slowly, a cold smile curving my lips. “Fine. We leave in the morning.”

Adel inclined his head, perhaps relieved, before he turned toward the door. Just before leaving, he glanced back, something lingering in his eyes — a silent understanding, maybe even pity.

I met his gaze, unflinching.

“Be ready.” And with that, he left.

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Part B

Melinda’s POV

“We’ve located her, Alpha,” he announced, voice low and reverberating off the high stone walls.

Joshua entered, head down, shoulders slouched, a hint of fear rippling through him — a reaction I savored.

I felt a spark of excitement. “Then bring her here,” I replied, a grin tugging at my lips, though I kept my tone measured.

He hesitated, his gaze flickering as he remained bowed. “Alpha Noleen is already on his way to claim her.”

A surge of anger flared up, and I was on my feet before he could react. My fury must have been evident because he stumbled back, nearly tripping.

“Are you dense, Joshua?” I growled, my voice low but forceful enough to make him flinch. “If Noleen takes her, you’re as good as dead. Understand?”

He swallowed hard, Adam’s apple bobbing. “I won’t fail you, Alpha. I swear—”

“Save it.” I cut him off, dismissing him with a wave. “Now go. And don’t come back without her.”

He bolted, the door slamming shut behind him, but silence didn’t last long.

Morris burst in, breathing heavily, his face pale and streaked with dried blood. He dropped to his knees, urgency clear in his movements.

“Alpha… It’s Landon,” he said, voice strained, body hunched under the weight of his words. “He’s dead.”

A coldness settled over me, freezing me in place. “What did you just say?” My voice was a venomous whisper.

“Landon is dead,” he repeated, voice trembling.

Landon. Loyal, skilled, my best warrior. Gone. The finality of it crashed over me like a wave, and under the grief, anger simmered, growing hotter with each moment. I narrowed my gaze, seeking answers in Morris’s eyes.

“Who did this?” My tone was icy, deliberate, brimming with barely restrained fury.

“The rogues — they ambushed us on the training grounds. They attacked ruthlessly, but we managed to capture one,” Morris said, desperation clear in his face. His shoulders shook, barely upheld by the pride he once wore like armor.

I narrowed my eyes, calculating, anticipating.

My hands clenched into fists.

“Take me to him.”