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Mask and moonrise - Chapter 4



Chapter 4


His wolf growled to a shapeshifter, eyes turned red, his human form to turn to a wolf in no time. The orbs were as sharp as a lion's, locked onto hers.

Safia was spellshocked, horrified, and dread surrounded her as she took steps back, ultimately hitting the wall.

A strange, unreadable emotion flared in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a dark hunger. He suddenly bent forward, his hand wrapping around her upper arm, and the grip was so tight that it turned to bruising.

"Why are you silent? I know you're the biggest drama queen, acting innocent to take control of powerful men. You use them and discard them like trash. But let me earn you in advance, you can't handle a beast because you are only a human. Tell me how many men you slept with."

Safia hissed in pain. "You're hurting me! Let go!"

Her other hand reached his which was holding her.

The plea seemed to snap him out of his drunken rage. He released her arm with a jerk, and she stumbled backward.

"You talk as if you know everything about me, but our marriage isn't even a day old," she said, finally finding her voice. "Why are you so irritated? To the best of my knowledge, I've never met you before. I've even checked my pack's records. We have no connection to the Silver Pack. Why are you suddenly in my life?"

Sion's eyes went cold again.

"Get out of my room. I'm not your servant, and I don't owe you any clarifications. Be ready at six tomorrow morning. We start work early."

He threw a card at her.

"Beggars like you aren't allowed on my premises without this."

He slammed the door behind her, and Safia’s body trembled. She sank to the floor, the humiliation was as sharp as a knife, cutting her nerves that were bleeding with pain.

She finally crawled into the bed of the guest bedroom, her pillow soaking with tears until she fell into an exhausted sleep.



The next day, Safia woke up to the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

Safia woke up like a zombie, the bitter scent of last night's humiliation clinging to her like a second skin. Her body, still aching from a night of restless tears, moved on autopilot, performing her morning routine like a machine.

Suddenly a piercing, white-hot agony tore through Safia's spine as the moonlight touched her skin. She fell to her knees, gasping for air as her muscles began to coil and spasm, pulling taut as if being stretched on a rack.

A low growl, foreign and deep, rumbled in her chest, frightening her more than the pain itself.

She looked down, horrified, as dark, wiry hair began to push through the pores on her arms. Her fingers, once slender, twisted into monstrous claws, the sound of her bones cracking and reforming echoing in her ears.

Her jaw unhinged, the sickening crunch of bone a symphony of terror, as her teeth elongated into jagged fangs.

She tried to scream, but the sound that tore from her throat was a mournful, guttural howl, a cry of loss and primal rage directed at the full moon.

Her mind was a battlefield, her own thoughts fighting against the raw, animal hunger that was swallowing her.

Is this what her dad meant earlier?

Soren told her once she marries Sion, her weak human form will get the healing powers of a werewolf. But he didn't tell her she would change into a werewolf.

It was a sudden and overwhelming change she was noticing within her. Safia didn't know how to react.

She immediately called her father.

“Now that you're the wife of Alpha Sion, you will gradually acquire the privileges of being his Luna. Transforming into a werewolf is a major one among them. Until you get accustomed to this new form this change will come and go transforming you to a complete werewolf in the near future.”

Safia cried. “Dad, why did you do this to me?”

“Everything that I do is only for your own good, Safia. You were born weak. On the insistence of your mother, the moon Goddess granted her a boon and you were born. But subsequently you were supposed to turn into a werewolf one day or the other.

You are lucky Alpha Sion came with a proposal on his own. The silver pack is very powerful. Instead of being the wife of a slave in the pack, you married the Alpha himself. Be happy the moon Goddess has been considerate about you once again.”

Safia was still not fluent with the powers of shapeshifter. But she knew she would learn it soon with the boon of Moon Goddess.

Quickly she did her daily routine.

By the time she was ready, breakfast was already on the dining table, a lavish spread she couldn't bring herself to touch.

“Good morning, Luna. I'm Freya the head maid. I cook and clean for the Alpha, I hope you had a good night’s sleep.” the woman said with respect but with a slightly wary bow of her head.

“Good morning! I'm late for work, so I'll grab something for lunch. Sorry, Freya” Safia said in a hurry, glancing at her watch before almost running for the door.

The title Luna felt foreign on her tongue, an ill-fitting costume she was forced to wear.

“I apologize for interrupting, Luna, but the Alpha told me you must finish breakfast before coming to the office. You’re going to have a long day,” the maid said politely but her gaze was firm on her.

“What kind of mood is your Alpha in? Tell me more about him, what ticks him and what keeps him in control.” Safia couldn't help but ask, her voice was contemplative in a low murmur.

“I believe your start was not green. He is not the least friendly,” Freya’s precise information was enough to send a shiver down Safia’s spine.







Chapter 5 

Half an hour later, she was at the Silver Pack’s head office. The air, even inside the gleaming high-rise, was thick with the scent of pine and rich earth, the unmistakable aroma of a powerful Alpha’s territory.

"Good morning. Alpha Sion asked me to meet him today,” Safia told the receptionist, showing her the card Sion had thrown in her face the night before. She didn't want anyone to know she was his mate until he wanted them to.

The receptionist with a respectful scent nodded, checked a register, and informed her, “Please go straight and turn left. Take the employee elevator to the 12th floor.”

The buzzing neon lights above her only heightened her anxiety. Wiping droplets of sweat from her forehead, she felt a strange, primal tension building in her chest.

No sooner had she stepped onto the designated floor than she was hit by a sickening, cloying scent, sweet perfume clashing with the sharp, musky scent of a male in her gut. It was the smell of infidelity.

The place was eerily quiet. With each step she took, her heart beat faster, a frantic drum against her ribs.

When she reached a certain door, she began to hear a woman's soft moans followed by a man's heavy grunts, the unmistakable sounds of a rutting wolf. Something ignited in her, a mix of fury and primal pain that made her wolf stir deep inside her.

Safia twisted the doorknob. It didn't open at first. But then, as she tried again, it did and the world crumbled before her.

“Who told you to enter without permission?” Sion demanded, his voice a low snarl, standing before her without shame while zipping his pants.

Safia was beyond furious. His scent was heavy with the other woman’s perfume, a blatant betrayal. He had no remorse for mating with another woman, and was, on the contrary, blaming her for entering his office without permission.

“You should have locked the door when you do shameless things like this in the office,” she retorted, pointing to the naked woman with lipstick smudged all over her face and hair like a bird’s nest.

"It's none of your business. Don’t you dare question me when you’re the one at fault. Who comes to the office first? Is it the Alpha or his employees?” He roared with his inner wolf surfacing.

“I’m only a little late, that's a mistake. But you? You're committing a blunder,” she said, eyeing the woman beside him with disgust. “I can’t have a boyfriend, can’t date, and no sex…” Safia huffed, looking past him. “But you can kiss and have sex with another woman. What kind of equity is in our contract?”

“Psst, you’re missing it all, aren't you? After living twenty-four years of your life with a new man every day to warm your bed, your current position must be awful. I can understand,” Sion said with mock pity.

“Shut up! Stop blaming me for being a whore that I have never been. I was a virgin until you.”

Safia was about to add more, but before she could, his assistant rushed in.

“Sorry for the trouble, Alpha.”

“What were you doing all this while? Baking cookies? Don’t you know when you're supposed to allow visitors into my office?” Sion bombarded his assistant with questions.

“I went to the washroom for a nature call,” the woman meekly said, her scent filled with a mix of fear and apology.

“Forget nature's call! Are you a baby who can't hold it until lunch?”

Sion was narcissistic, insensitive, and brutal towards his pack employees. An unsaid slogan at the company was that if he didn't fill their pockets, nobody would work for him. But did Alpha Sion care?

The she-wolf he was with gave him a peck on the lips, got dressed, and walked out throwing daggers at Safia.

“He is mine. Get lost from his life before I throw you out.”

She covered her face with a smile while looking back at Sion. “Bye, darling. Call me when you want to see me again,” she said sweetly, her eyes lingering on Safia once again with a cruel smirk before she left.

Furious was a small word to describe Safia’s emotions at that moment. But Sion beat her to bombard negative statements.

“This is not your father’s pack where you can walk in and out whenever you want. You should be here on time. Otherwise, I will not allow you to work here and will withdraw my shares from your company. Your pack will be your enemy’s territory. So be disciplined and dutiful. And now, you will get me a warm cup of coffee. I feel worn out,” Sion said, walking to the floor-to-ceiling window and lit a cigarette.

His Alpha command was making her body instinctively shiver on her heels. But she wasn't ready to be his slave in the office too along with the house.

“Layla would make it, wouldn't she? Isn’t she your assistant?” Safia said, pointing to the door where the employee had left. “I’m not here to bring you coffee. I’m here to learn about work. Although, I think I’m competent enough to put my pack back on track and also my company,” Safia said confidently though her own self was fighting for assertion.

“Oh, is that so? Then why are you here? Bring your pack on track and your company back to profit before the court’s next hearing. No one is forcing you to work here. I have many better employees than you to work for me,” Sion said in arrogance, taking a seat to look at the files on his desk.

Safia looked defeated. If not for her, she needed to do this at least for her dad.

She stomped out, grabbing the cup on the table without another word.

Sion had an egotistical grin, the satisfied smirk of a wolf who had just out maneuvered his prey. He was getting his full vengeance on her.

“Cut the power to the elevator for the next ten minutes,” he informed one of the company's maintenance staff as soon as Safia left.

The cruel joke was the final sting of his victory.







Chapter 6

Safia felt the burn in her calves with every step up the endless staircase. The elevator was out of order, and the scent of coffee, a potent mix of dark roast and Alpha command, was on the twenty-ninth floor.

By the time she reached her destination, the line of pack members was out the door. She waited, her patience wearing thin, until she finally made it to the front.

She prepared Sion’s coffee exactly as Layla had instructed: black.

“People with black hearts always prefer black coffee,” she muttered to herself, the bitter scent of the beans a fitting metaphor for her mood as she dragged her exhausted feet and high heels back down the stairs.

When she finally returned to the office, a full twenty minutes had passed, and Sion’s scent of impatience was thick in the air.

“Why are you so late? Does making a simple coffee take twenty minutes? Or were you trying to impress some male to clear your company’s debts?” Sion’s voice cut through the air, a low growl as his hand outstretched for the cup.

Safia's lips tightened into a thin line.

“The elevator broke. I had to take the stairs. And there was a long line at the coffee machine.”

“You are no longer the Princess of the Moon Pack that people will part for you like the Red Sea to bring your turn above all. Here you are nobody, and I am not going to introduce you to anyone as my Luna,” he sneered, taking a sip.

His face twisted in disgust. He spat the liquid back into the cup and then threw the whole thing into the dustbin.

“What is this? I have never tasted such bitter coffee in my life. Don't you know how to make a simple cup of coffee?”

Safia wanted to smash his face with her hands. She was frustrated and annoyed by his mood swings.

Is he some teenager in periods?

“Firstly, I don't want you to announce to all that I am your Luna. You are only my temporary husband. I hate your smell and loathe your presence. Secondly, I wrote down Layla's instructions and made it exactly the way she said.”

Within a blink he was before her in the avatar of a beast, hissing with canines showing out. His wolf was growling with anger.

“Whether I am your temporary or a permanent husband is not something you will determine. It's my choice. And I will use you like my slave, keep you like my pimp as long as I want. Coming to your excellent coffee according to Layla’s instructions, is that why it's so perfect?” he said maliciously, pointing to the liquid now in the dustbin.

“Make another soon because I can't function without my morning coffee.”

He turned back to his computer, already typing and not giving her a chance to speak.

Safia stood frozen, her legs screaming for rest. She wanted to ask for a break, but the words died in her throat. She knew the heartless monster before her would never agree.

“Why are you standing there like a statue? Get to work.”

He didn't even look up, feigning ignorance of her misery.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, his lips stretched into a wide, vainglorious smile.

He's a rogue.

The thought echoed in Safia's mind. He married her for revenge and wanted to make her life miserable. He couldn't stand to see her happy, not even at work, which was why he had brought her to his office to torture her.

The whole day was a repeat of the morning. Sion made her run around the office on various errands, forcing her to use the stairs for every single one.

By the time she got home, her legs were swollen, and every step was a fresh agony.

As she collapsed onto the bed wondering how she would survive in his office and save her pack, her body slowly began to experience changes. Her wolf was slowly taking over.

Is this what her dad said?

She would develop slow but continuous changes in her body after getting married to an Alpha.

Tonight, for a change, Safia was glad to welcome the new form of hers. She needed to heal fast from the savage she endured since the day.

A New Day, A New Strategy

Safia chose flats over her usual pencil heels. She wasn't taking any chances with the devil she unfortunately called her husband.

At 5:30 a.m., dressed in a pink blouse and black trousers, her hair in a tight bun, she sat in the dining hall, sipping her coffee. The maid hadn't arrived yet, so she prepared a simple breakfast of fried eggs and toast.

After waiting for half an hour with no sign of Sion, she decided to head to the office before he could accuse her of being late again.

Outside, a fleet of Sion’s cars was parked by the lobby. Drivers in pristine white uniforms were waiting. One of them stepped forward to take her bag, but Safia waved him off.

“Thank you, but I've already booked an Uber,” she said, pointing to the taxi waiting a few feet away.

She refused to accept any of the benefits of being Sion Canes’s wife. Their marriage was a contract, nothing more.

When she arrived at the Silver Pack head office, the building was eerily quiet, the air absent of the usual mix of scents that signified a bustling pack.

“Luna, you're here early,” the security guard, a gentle older wolf, said, clearly surprised. “The pack doesn't arrive until nine.”

Safia's heart sank. She realized it was all a part of his game. While he was home sleeping soundly, she was expected to be at the office by six.

She forced a smile. “I have a heavy workload and wanted to get a head start before the Alpha arrives.”

The guard returned her friendly smile and let her through.

Back at the house, Freya the maid told Sion that Safia had already left for work. A sadistic grin spread across his face, his scent of cruel satisfaction filling the room.

Thirty minutes later, dressed in a crisp black suit, Sion settled into his leather chair and rang for his personal assistant.

But instead of Layla, Safia rushed in, her mind now filled with the determined edge that was pushed up to high limits.

“Why are you here? I don't want to start my day looking at your ugly face. Where is Layla?” he snapped.

That comment was the last straw.

“The feeling is mutual. I don't want to see your mucky face either. You told me to be here by six because we start work early. But I've since learned that everyone else starts at nine. Why do you make me come in so early when you loathe the sight of me?”

“This is the special advantage you have over others,” he said with a cruel, sardonically sweet smile. “Everyone else comes at nine, but you'll be here at six because you're my favorite employee.”

Safia's rage was a hot, bitter taste in her mouth, her inner self snarling in frustration. She'd gladly murder him if she could get away with it.

“Here is your coffee,” she said, her voice tight. “It's perfect, just according to your taste. No sugar, two teaspoons of freshly ground coffee beans, and half a cup of water.”

Sion took a slow, deliberate sip.

“Hmm, good. You learned how to make coffee.”

For the first time, Sion had said something positive. Safia felt a rush of pride, a fleeting sense of victory. But the feeling vanished faster than it came.

As Sion reached for his keyboard, a piece of paper slipped from beneath a stack of files and fluttered to the floor.

Before he could stop her, Safia’s hand shot out, her instincts taking over as she picked it up.

It wasn’t a work document.

It was a photograph.

A photograph of a woman with long, dark hair and an unmistakable, devastatingly familiar smile.

A photograph of her mother.

The truth of his revenge, the reason for his hatred, was suddenly, sickeningly clear.







Chapter 7

“Why do you have the picture of my mom with you?”

“Your mom?” He feigned innocence. “That's just a random photo. When we add anyone in our payroll, it is the rule of the company to get all the details of the employee.”

"But I didn't give you any of her pictures. You collect facts, not pictures of the relatives who work for you.” Safia dismissed Sion’s explanation.

“Look,” he raised a finger at her. “I don't have to give you an explanation of everything that goes on as a practice in my company. There is nobody forcing you to work here.”

“You can leave right at this moment if you want.” Safia completed Sion’s statement. “Is there anything else you have to say other than blackmailing me? If not for my father, I hate to even see your face. So save yourself from repeating the same story every day.”

It was a huge blow to his ego. Sion couldn't stand the raging reply of Safia. He pushed the cup away that she had earlier brought.

“But today, I wish to have a latte."

Sion leaned back in his super-soft leather chair, a lazy, insolent smile on his face as he stared at her. It was a dare, and they both knew it. The rich, earthy scent of his Alpha command filled the air, a silent challenge that made her bristle.

Safia scowled at him with tight lips, her voice tense.

"Look, I'm here to learn about work. I don't have time to be your personal barista."

Sion’s smile widened. He raised a single brow.

"My office, my rules. If you don't want to do it, you can—"

"Stop." Safia cut him off, knowing exactly what he was about to say. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of dismissing her.

"I'll get your latte."

She turned and marched out, thankful the elevator was working today. Yesterday, it had refused to acknowledge her existence, forcing her to take the stairs—just another one of his little tortures. The devil was enjoying every minute of her suffering, the scent of his cruel satisfaction like a sickening perfume.

Safia returned with the latte in under five minutes.

Sion took a slow sip, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Hmm, it's good. So, what's my schedule today?"

"Schedule? I thought Layla made your schedule."

He set the mug down, his expression turning to bored indifference.

"I don't have a money-printing machine to feed two assistants. Since you're here, Layla has been moved to another department. I need my schedule for today in ten minutes. If you're a minute late, you'll find the door locked. You can go home then."

"Such an asshole," she muttered under her breath, turning on her heel.

She practically ran back to her desk and began working at a frantic pace. Though she had been here only a day, she pulled up files, made quick calls to other departments, and pieced together a schedule.

With only a minute to spare, she burst back into his office.

Sion had a hard time suppressing his smirk. Her frantic state, the features of fear and desperation, was exactly what he was going for.

Safia took a deep breath and began to read from the paper in her hand.

"At 10:30, you meet the Russian delegates at Park Avenue Square, and at 12:00, you're back at the office for the shareholders' meeting."

He held up a hand to silence her.

"Stop right there. Park Avenue Square to my office at peak traffic? That's at least an hour's travel time. Where, precisely, is my time to prepare for a major shareholders' meeting? You can't even make a simple schedule for me, and you think you can save your pack without my help?"

He let his gaze drift slowly over her from head to toe, a look of pure ridicule on his face.

"It's obvious now how you managed to keep your company afloat all these years."

Safia's eyes stung, threatening to swell with tears. She understood what he was implying—that she’d used her body to gain an advantage—and the humiliation burned hotter than any anger. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

"Please, sir, just two more minutes. I'll fix it." Her voice trembled despite her best efforts to keep it steady.

A flicker of something—sadness, perhaps—crossed Sion’s face, a scent of old pain briefly mixing with his anger, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by a cold resolve.

He had suffered for over a decade because of her. It had been less than ten days since she joined his company. He would make her suffer until her forefathers came out of their graves to plead for her.



A Week Later, Sunday Afternoon

"So what's your analysis for the third-quarter numbers?" Karen asked, lining up a shot on the billiards table.

"They've been improving, Dad, since we took over the Sangria Pack. Soon we'll be the richest and most powerful winemakers in the country..."

"Not so fast, son." Karen interrupted, her eyes never leaving the red ball as it disappeared into the pocket.

"Los Santos is the one vineyard that slipped through our fingers, but now it's on the market. Fifty acres tied up in probate, and the executor is required to sell by December 24th. The first showing is tomorrow at 3 p.m., but this won't be a simple transaction. We'll need to go undercover. If anyone catches wind that the Silver Pack is interested, we'll find ourselves in a bidding war that we can't afford to lose."

Sion took his turn, lining up his shot.

"Okay, Dad. I'll have Layla book our private jet for tomorrow morning."

Karen smiled, reaching out to high-five his son.

"Good job. Take Layla with you. She's experienced and will be a great help at Los Santos. The mission name is the HoneyBee Vineyard."

Later, as they stood by a large window, Karen poured two glasses of wine.

"It's a Shiraz blend from the Yarra Valley. The oldest wine in our winery. How does it taste?"

Sion held the glass at arm's length, admiring its color before taking a sip. He took a moment, letting the flavors unfold on his palate, the delicate notes a welcome contrast to the bitter taste of his revenge.

"Blueberry, black pepper, and earthy. I like it."

"Your palate is incredible, son. I wish I could relax now and have you take over the entire company."

"Don't say that, Dad. You have a long way to go." Sion hugged his father.

Karen held his son's shoulders and looked him in the eye.

“I am proud of you, son. I don't have to worry about anything because I know you will manage everything well.”

"I'd like to add something to our conversation," Sion said, his voice hesitant. "Instead of Layla, Safia will be coming with me."

Karen dropped his hands and stared at his son in stunned disbelief. His scent turned to one of worry and parental fear.

"You were a destructive kid. I bore it, but I can't be silent anymore. The game you are playing is dangerous. Some wolves take years to sketch out their plan against an enemy, but you brought her to live under your own roof. You had a registered marriage with her, and no one knows about it. What are you going to tell the media? I heard you've already promised a press conference."

Karen held his son's arms again, this time in a tight, desperate grip.

"Your mother and I have already suffered for years, losing your sister. We can't afford to lose you, too."

Sion took a slow sip of his wine, his gaze distant.

The scent of revenge was a powerful motivator, a primal drive.

"Dad," he said with finality, his voice low and unwavering, "there is no fun in a game with no challenge. I have suffered enough because of her. This time, the victory will be mine."







Chapter 8

The next day

"Don't get too comfortable sleeping like a log just because I announced a Christmas vacation for the pack," Sion said, his voice a low rumble that carried the scent of pine and frustration as he passed her door.

"The vacation is for my wolves, not for famous personalities like you whom I love dearly and always want by my side. We're going to Los Santos tomorrow on an early morning flight."

Safia bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from rolling her eyes. He spoke as if he were doing her a great favor. It had been fifteen days since she'd joined his company, and she hadn't had a single weekend or holiday. Her life was a blur of 4:30 a.m. alarms, rushing through her routine, and being at the Silver Pack head office by six.

"I thought I was your employee, too," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Since I don't seem to be getting any of the 'extra benefits' of being your favorite person."

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the caller ID, and the fury that flashed across his face was so swift and cold it made her take a small step back.

"Beat him to a pulp," he snarled into the phone. Sion's wolf was on full display. "We're not going to spare him until he gives us the truth. Got it?"

Safia’s blood ran cold. So cruel? This man was a monster, a fact she saw with terrifying clarity every time he dropped his polished façade.

"Why are we going to Los Santos?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, contemplating whether he'd even bother to answer her.

"It's an official tour. Our wedding is only on paper, so don't get your hopes up about a honeymoon," he sneered, turning on his heel and striding toward his room.

If she had the rights of a true Luna, she’d pull his tongue out, cut it into pieces, and throw it in the dustbin. But all she could do was chase after him, her shorter strides struggling to keep pace with his long, confident ones.

"How long are we going to stay?"

"Why? Do you need to stay here to lay eggs?" he asked with arrogance as he unclasped the Rolex from his wrist.

A lump formed in her throat, and this time, Safia couldn't hold back the sadness that flooded her features.

"Don't I need to pack my bag? Why do you always have to take all my questions the negative way?"

"This is how I am. If you can't live with me, I'm not begging you to. You're free to repay the money I paid for your sinking company and walk out of this marriage."

Safia's breath hitched, the terror of his threat a heavy weight on her chest.

"We'll stay there until I finish my deal. The time we return isn't fixed. Now, if you'll allow me some privacy..." He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and his gaze dropped pointedly to the door.

Safia's eyes, despite her fear, were drawn to the glimpse of his hairy, muscled chest. A hot flush crept up her neck, her wolf surfaced reacting to his primal male presence. How could she be attracted to a man who did nothing but insult her? And yet, despite the terrible way he treated her, something about him held a strange pull. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as harsh as he appeared.

As she walked back to her room, her phone rang.

"Hey, Dad, how are you?" Safia forced a bright smile into her voice, a mask for the gloom she felt. "Guess what? We're going to Los Santos tomorrow morning."

"Good evening, my princess," Soren's cheerful voice filled her ears. "I knew it! It’s your honeymoon, isn't it? See, I told you Sion isn't a bad man. You just have to give him time. Believe me, you two will be a wonderful couple."

Safia pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling a sob. She dabbed at the tears with a handkerchief, letting her father revel in his happiness. She didn't have the heart to tell him it was a business trip, not a honeymoon.

"Los Santos has beautiful weather this time of year. It’s famous for its grapes and wine. You must visit a winery there," he said, his voice full of nostalgic warmth. "They also have a wonderful wine festival. Ask Sion to take you. As a kid, I used to go there often because my grandparents lived there."

Safia could almost see her father's eyes glistening with happiness. She understood now why Sion was going to Los Santos; it was the heart of the wine industry, and he was a wine mogul.

"I hope you've learned a lot about how to get our family business back on track," Soren said cheerily.

"Of course, Daddy. I've learned many important things from Sion," Safia replied, her heart aching. All she'd done in the last fifteen days was schedule his meetings and make his coffee. Layla, his actual assistant, handled everything else. Safia felt more like a maid than an employee. Sion wasn't teaching her anything; he was simply taking his revenge.


The next morning, they were ready at six.

Safia descended the stairs in a white off-the-shoulder dress that reached just above her knees, carrying a matching handbag and wearing white stilettos. For a single, fleeting moment, she thought she saw a spark in his eyes, a reaction her inner wolf was keen to note.

Sion’s gaze swept over her from head to toe, but he said nothing except simply turning and walking to the entrance. Is this man always so devoid of feeling, like a robot?

The driver, a Beta wolf with a polite demeanor, took her bag, placing it in the trunk alongside Sion’s, and held the door open for her.

The drive to the airport was long, and she didn't realize when her eyelids had grown heavy. She drifted into a deep sleep, and in the middle of it, she became aware of a new sensation. She smelled his scent—a clean, masculine aroma—and felt the soft, steady rhythm of his heart beneath her head. A large, warm hand was cupped around her cheek, as if he were shielding her from the world.

Whatever this moment was, Safia never wanted it to end. She snuggled deeper into the warmth, feeling safe and protected, until she was jolted awake by a low growl from someone.

A moment later, she felt a gentle tap on her cheek, followed by a voice calling her name.

When her eyes finally fluttered open, she was met with the fierce gaze of Sion.

"Were you planning to sleep all day like a lazy panda?" he grumbled.

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