Chapter 1 #Chapter 1 Divorce

Jane “Focus.” Ethan’s harsh voice pierces the haze of my thoughts, drawing my attention back to his face. “If I wanted to rut a wooden board, I would.” Ethan snaps, gripping my hair so tightly I’m afraid he’ll rip it out of my head. “What’s wrong, Jane, can you not feel me inside you?” He demands, slamming his hips into mine so forcefully I feel sure he’ll leave a bruise. “Am I not fucking you hard enough?” Still I don’t respond. All I can do is imagine him with Eve, kissing and making love to her, giving her all the affection he used to give me. I can see their writhing bodies in my minds eye, naked and moaning, tangling the sheets of the Alpha’s bed. It makes me feel sick to my stomach to know my husband was inside the other woman mere hours ago; is his libido really so profound that one she-wolf is not enough for him? How does he even have the energy to use me this way when Eve was pleasuring him all night long? The only blessing is that he must have showered in between trysts, because I cannot smell her on him. Still, I’m sure I’ll hear all about it before long, Eve never lets me forget just how much my husband enjoys her body. Ethan doesn’t think I know. In fact he hides their relationship incredibly well. I’d never know if it wasn’t for Eve. She loves torturing me with every sordid detail of their sex life: how much pleasure he gives her, how they laugh about me when my back is turned. Ethan’s muscular body glistens with sweat above me, so rugged and handsome it makes me ache with desire. My body responds to him out of instinct, brought to life by his powerful pheromones and skillful hands even though I want to cry knowing how little I matter to him now. Ethan used to say I was his entire world; now I’m nothing but a sex toy to him. I’m not sure how much longer I can bear it. One way or another, I have to find a way out of this, or I’ll spend the rest of my days being tortured by these images in my head. I feel like I’m about to explode – inside and out. All my horrible imaginings bringing Ethan and Eve’s affair to life in my head, and the relentless pounding of his hardness into my most intimate flesh. “Ahh!” I can’t contain my moan as Ethan rams into that special spot deep inside me. “Oh you like that, do you?” He smirks, making the same movement again and chuckling at my helpless whimpers, “That’s right Janey, tell me how much you love it." I bite down on my lip, forcing myself to stay quiet. Growling, his pace increases again, and I know he’s close. I stare sightlessly up at the ceiling while he spills himself into my womb with a low growl. Afterwards his lips seek mine, but before he can kiss me, I turn my head away. “No!” His oversized hand, still fisted in my hair, pulls my face forward. “No?” He repeats in an ominous rumble. “Do you kiss Eve when you’re done with her too?” I ask bitterly. I can’t believe my own daring, I’ve wanted to ask him about his affair – to confront him for almost a year now. Yet Ethan barely registers my remark, he simply shakes his head and pushes away from me, muttering, “crazy woman,” under his breath. Sitting up and curling my legs into my chest, I take a few deep, fortifying breaths. “That wasn’t worth a kiss.” I hiss. “That wasn’t worth anything. Honestly, you’re so bad in bed we should just get a divorce.” When he turns back, I feel a rush of pure triumph. He looks furious, but I relish his anger. The truth is that he’s so skilled in bed that he has to work very hard not to give me pleasure, if it wasn’t for his betrayal with Eve I could probably find release just looking at his handsome features. He wants to punish me, but he can’t have it both ways, he can’t treat me like dirt and also have the willing sex slave he desires. Ethan turns back with a lethal expression, “Excuse me?” He barks, fighting to remain in control. Now that I’ve found my courage, I can’t lose my momentum. I’ve been trying to work up the courage to leave him for a long time now, I’ve known for a while that the person Ethan truly loves is Eve. Eve, the she-wolf who saved his mother while I stood by and watched. Eve, the woman who loved him for his personality, when I only married him for his money. Sure he might have thought he loved me when we were young, but now that everyone around him has convinced him that I’m just a worthless, gold-digging omega Ethan must have decided I’m not worthy of being his luna after all. Maybe that’s why he always turns to Eve – he may still be attracted to me enough to keep me around, but she’s the one who will bear his pups. With a splitting headache, I staggered over to the dresser, pulled open the second drawer, and rummaged through what's inside until I found a large envelope. I pulled it out and handed it to Ethan. He scanned it down and then glared at me in shock and anger, "You're actually leaving me?!"“Does that truly surprise you?” I ask, gesturing to the bed. “You can’t have thought I was happy in this marriage.” Dark clouds roll into his eyes, and he flips through the packet, stopping at the financial terms, “Everyone always said you were only with me for money.” Ethan hisses. “Was this your plan from the beginning? Did you marry me just so you could rob me blind in the divorce? Is that why you’ve been so cruel to Mom and Eve?” He accuses. “Because they were getting in the way of your plan?” I’m cruel! I think in outrage, He’s calling me cruel. I’m sure the “everyone” he’s talking about are the same women he’s accusing me of abusing, the ones who have been whispering poison in his ear from the day we wed. He never believed it until Eve’s scheme “proved” I was a selfish, hateful little gold digger - as she so diplomatically puts it. Three years ago the accusation would have infuriated me, now it feels like nothing compared to the suffering he’s already inflicted. I don’t care what he thinks of me anymore. I just want out, and if this will convince him to sign the papers, so be it. “ That’s right.” I bite back, “you should have listened to their warnings.” When my words land, Ethan’s already livid expression turns absolutely terrifying. Suddenly I realize provoking him might have been a very bad idea. After all, signing the papers or refusing aren’t his only options here. . He prowled toward me with a thunderous expression, looking furious beyond belief. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, and my inner wolf cowers in fear. Does he hate me so much that he’d attack me? Could he kill me?

Chapter 2 #Chapter 2 I am pregnant

Jane Looking at my husband now, whose eyes glow and claws extend as he fights to keep his own wolf in check… I think he just might. Ethan is gulping in livid breaths of air, his chest rapidly rising and falling as he glares at me with abject fury. His rage is so palpable that undiluted fear rushes through my veins and I find myself paralyzed, frozen in place like a startled rabbit. If I move will he attack? My inner wolf is cowering with her tail tucked between her legs, our every submissive instinct triggered by my husband’s threatening demeanor. However, instead of lunging towards me or shifting, Ethan simply slams the document onto the dresser and slashes a pen across it, savagely signing the papers without another word. He throws them towards me, then turns on his heel without another word, storming from the room. A wave of relief floods over me, and for the first time since I said those horrible, thoughtless words, I’m able to breathe. My heart is still pounding in my chest, but it feels stronger than it has in years. Even as it slams against my ribs so forcefully I fear they might break, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of elation. Am I really free? Is it really over? Bending to retrieve the papers at my feet, I run my fingers over Ethan’s hastily scrawled signature with a featherlight touch. In less than five minutes, I’ve gone from being an omega slave to a liberated woman. My life is finally my own again, and I have my entire future ahead of me. I still can’t believe it the next morning as I pack my bags. I’ve been smiling from the moment I woke up. I’m so happy that not even Eve’s sour face and nasal voice can ruin my mood. She’s standing in my doorway, cradling a cup of hot coffee in her palms and watching me transfer clothing from my dresser into my bags, “So he finally did it.” She sneers, smugly sipping the aromatic liquid. “I should have known. When Ethan came to my room last night he was so excited we didn’t even make it to the bed. I must have had three orgasms in a row - right there against the door.” Eve brags, swinging her hips as she sashays into the room. Setting her mug on the side table, the curvy she-wolf perches on the edge of the bed next to my suitcase, looking me up and down with obvious disgust. “He should have kicked you to the curb a long time ago. I suppose he felt sorry for you.” Eve theorizes. “Poor, ugly omega’ No one’s ever going to want you now, used up by the alpha like an old condom.” Yesterday her words would have cut me to the core. Today they make me want to laugh. I never have to see this horrible bitch again. I’m not only free of enslavement, I’m free of her bullying, free of her games. Arching my brow, I stroll to the bedside table and retrieve her steaming coffee. Somehow the woman is so delusional she seems to think I’m about to hand it to her. Eve extends her hand expectantly, but rather than placing the cup in her palm, I dump it right over her head. The hot brew cascades over the horrible woman and her pristine white blouse, then Eve is surging off the bed with an ear curdling shriek. The next thing I know Ethan is running into the room, looking between us with surprise and concern. He immediately rushes to Eve’s side, “What happened? Are you alright?” Sobbing theatrically, Eve points at me and wails. “Sh-she scalded m-me, just for c-coming to wish her f-farewell!” Throwing her arms around my ex-husbands neck, the she-wolf buries her face in his neck and weeps hopelessly. Holding her so tenderly my stomach churns, Ethan glowers at me. “What the hell is wrong with you Jane?” I roll my eyes skyward, and the Alpha reaches deep into his pockets. “Get out.” He growls, extracting a huge wad of cash and throwing it onto my neatly folded clothes, “There - your payment for laying on your back all these years. Now go!” A flush blooms over my cheeks as his insult lands. I’d like to throw the money back in his face, after all the divorce settlement included financial terms set by law. This has nothing to do with satisfying our agreement, and everything to do with shaming me for enduring his own mistreatment. However I’m not in any position to turn the money away. My mother has been sick for a long time now. She needs surgery, and even with the settlement, I’m barely going to be able to afford it. To an omega, pride is not an option. There is only survival, and that requires money. “As you wish.” I tell Ethan. Bending down and zipping up the suitcase, I pull it from the bed and walk out of the room with my head held high. I don’t look back. _____________________ One month later. A strange bright light is floating above me, moving from left to right through my blurry vision. Slowly I realize it’s a penlight, brandished in the hands of the doctor standing over my hospital bed. “What happened?” I ask hoarsely. The last thing I remember, I was waiting for my mother to come out of surgery. If anyone should be in this bed, it’s her. “Jane, you’ve had a shock.” The doctor said gently. “You fainted.” A sense of foreboding slices straight through me. “Where’s my mother?”“I’m very sorry,” The doctor says in that same, pitying tone. “She didn’t make it.”“What?” I reply in a small voice, the words not truly sinking in. “Is… is that why I fainted?”“No actually.” I can’t imagine why, but the physician is smiling now. “You fainted because you’re pregnant.” _____________________ Six Months Later Quadruplets. When you first find out you’re pregnant, the very last thing you ever assume is that you’re going to have four babies instead of one. But that’s exactly what happened to me. No sooner had I gotten used to the idea of becoming a parent and recovered from my own mother’s death, that I learned I was going to be giving birth to a veritable litter of pups. I barely had enough money left over after all the hospital bills to welcome one baby, but by the time I discovered the truth I was already so in love with the tiny beings growing inside me that I couldn’t dream of giving them up. I sheltered them through the last few months with all the love and care I possess, but now I’m learning that my best efforts hadn’t been enough. After a traumatic c-section and more stitches than I can count, the nurses finally introduced me to my babies: two boys and two girls - for now at least. The smallest girl, only two-thirds the size of the other babies, is not long for this world. They told me as gently as they could, but there’s no softening this kind of blow. My youngest was born with a life-threatening heart condition, and even if she somehow survives, she has no werewolf features at all. That doesn’t matter to me of course, I would love her even if she was born with two heads. Unfortunately I probably won’t have the chance to love her for very long. Unless a miracle happens, my daughter will die before the night is out.

Chapter 3 #Chapter 3 Four years later

Jane I thought I knew grief. When my husband turned me into a slave and fell for another woman, I imagined nothing could be more painful. Then my mother died. I lost all the money I won in the divorce trying to save her, and still it wasn’t enough. I was alone and heartbroken, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. My babies and hopes for the future got me through the worst of my mourning, they were a balm for my twice broken heart - becoming my entire world after the one I knew crumbled beneath my feet. I had one brief flash of joy when my children were born, filled with a light so radiant and all-consuming I thought I might burst. Then I discovered what grief truly is. It turns out I didn’t even know what love was until I became a mother myself. My daughter is slipping away before I’ve even gotten the chance to know her, to show her all the love I feel. My wolf is howling mournfully in my head as I rock back and forth, cradling the fragile bundle against my breast. She can’t die. I won’t let it happen. “There has to be a way.” I cry, pressing my lips to the baby’s downy head. “There has to be something you can try.”“Jane,” my doctor begins softly. “We’ve done everything we can here. There is only one surgeon on the continent who could possibly help her, and…”“What?” I demand, the taste of my own tears linger on my tongue. “If they can help her, why aren’t we trying to get them?” My doctor purses her lips. “Jane,” She says again, in a placating tone I’m beginning to hate. “You can’t afford him.” Righteous, maternal fury consumes me in a great explosion of flames. Is everything about money? Even saving lives? “I might not be able to afford him,” I growl angrily, “but her father can.”“You made us promise never to notify Ethan.” The physician reminds me tentatively. Staring down at my tiny, perfect daughter, I know none of my past feelings or concerns are important anymore. My children are the only things that matter now. I can’t let her die, this miracle who I haven’t even had a chance to name. “That was before.” I hiccup, feeling fresh tears slide down my cheeks. “If it means she can live… I’ll do whatever it takes.”“I understand. We’ll notify him right away.” She replies. “Wait!” I catch her arm. “I- I’m an omega. If he knows about the other babies he’ll take them from me. He’ll make me his slave again and I’ll let him in order to be near them.” I implore her to understand, “I can give her up to save her life, but Ethan can’t know about the others. He can’t know I’m alive.”“You’re asking me to lie to an Alpha?” The doctor clarifies warily. “I’m asking you to help me save my daughter’s life.” I correct, “and prevent my other babies from being separated from their mother. So, will you help me, or not?” _________________ Ethan “That’s not possible.” I insist, staring at the tiny creature the nurse just pushed into my arms. The world is spinning around me in a sickening whir. In the space of thirty seconds I learned that my wife died bearing me a daughter, when I didn’t even know she was pregnant. “I’m very sorry, Alpha.” The doctor murmurs, “but it’s true. I’ve been caring for Jane for the last six months.”“Where is she?” I choke, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “I want to see her.” I don’t believe this. I would feel it if Jane was dead. I’d be able to tell, I know I would. My wolf is in a complete rage, clawing at the surface of my skin, demanding to be let out, to track down our chosen mate and prove this ridiculous woman wrong. “I’m sorry, Ethan.” She answers, “Jane donated her body to science. You can’t see it. But I assure you, this is your daughter.”“I know that!” I snarl. There’s no doubting it. She looks exactly like my Jane, tiny as she is. She even smells like Jane, despite all the strange, sterile hospital scents muddying her sweet aroma. “That isn’t what’s in question.” The woman flinches at my harsh tone, but I don’t care. “I would know if my wife was dead. I’m telling you, you’ve made a mistake.”“It’s natural, not to want to believe a loved one is gone.” The doctor analyzes. “We all like to think we’d be able to feel it, but the truth is we can’t. Jane is gone, but this baby is not. She needs help. She needs her father.” The baby has been sleeping from the moment the nurse placed her in my arms, but now her eyes crack open: glazed, drowsy, and as green as the forest. Jane’s eyes. My daughter blinks and coos softly, opening her mouth into a wide yawn that makes my heart wrench in my chest. “What do I have to do?” _______________________ Four Years Later Jane Giving up my daughter was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I don’t regret it one bit. Ethan saved our baby just as I prayed he would, and one day I’ll find a way to bring her home where she belongs. In the years since we parted, I’ve come into my own. Finally able to put my chemistry degree to good use, I started my own high-end perfume business and made my way in the world, slowly building the power I need to one day confront my ex-husband and reunite my young family. When Ethan and I meet again he’ll find a very different woman than the one he once enslaved, but that is all a long way off. For now I’m focused on raising my pups and building my reputation as the most exclusive perfume designer on the continent. Stepping out of the bustling airport in the Nightfang pack’s capital city, I immediately see my old friend Linda waiting for us in the passenger pick up area. She’s leaning against a sleek black SUV, idly chatting with the chauffeur and checking her watch. After a moment she looks up, and a wide smile stretches across her face. My pups, Ryder, Parker, and Riley dash ahead of me, recognizing their beloved aunt Linda from our frequent video calls. “Linda!” They shout in unison. My friend drops to a kneeling position, opening her arms to the toddling pups and gathering them up in a bear hug. “Oh my goodness, you’re all so big! How are you?!” While my children chatter excitedly, sharing news of our adventures on the plane, I catch Linda in my own hug. “I’m so glad to see you,” I breathe. “I know, I’ve missed you like crazy.” She answers, leaning her forehead against mine. As we pile our luggage into the car, Linda pulls me aside. “The boys…” She begins, seeming unable to find the words. “I know.” I sigh, “They look just like Ethan.”

Chapter 4 #Chapter 4 From omega to alpha

Jane Gazing at my sons, who share their father’s bronze skin, dark hair and eyes, I assess. “It’s going to be difficult to keep our presence here a secret.” This is an understatement. My boys look so much like Ethan it’s actually laughable. We’re going to have to be very careful. “You said it.” My friend quips lightheartedly. Glancing at Linda out of the corner of my eye, I hedge, “Have you seen…?”“Yes.” Linda answers immediately, needing no explanation. “She’s perfect, Jane. Healthy and beautiful, your perfect miniature.”“And Ethan?” I ask, hating myself for asking. “Still with Eve.” Linda relates, “But he dotes on Paisley like she’s the sun, moon and all the stars. Whatever else has happened between you, he’s a wonderful father.”“Good.” I breathe, comforted to hear my other daughter is in such good hands, yet longing to see her with my own eyes. “You think he’ll give her up, when the time comes?” Linda’s face falls, “Jane, she’s his entire world. I don’t know what you’re planning, but I don’t think reuniting your family is going to be as easy as you think.”“We’ll see.” I reply coolly. Linda may have been my eyes and ears in the city since I left, but she doesn’t know Ethan like I do. I know how cruel he can be, I know how good he can be at faking emotion when he really feels nothing. After all, how many years did he pretend to love me before he showed his true colors? In the years that have passed since we parted, I’ve kept my distance so that Paisley can benefit from all the world class medical care her father can obtain, but now we’re nearing the end of her treatment. She needs one more major operation. One more, and then I won’t need to hide anymore, I won’t need to pretend. “Jane, I love you.” Linda broaches carefully, “But I’m begging you, please don’t underestimate how much Ethan cares about Paisley. You haven’t seen them together. I have.”“And he hasn’t seen me since I left.” I remind my friend. “I’m not going to let him walk all over me this time. I’m not going to let him take my daughter from me. He might think a father’s devotion is strong, but he has no idea the power of a mother’s love.” ______________ Linda I barely recognize my friend. The Jane I knew was a meek omega, too timid to speak up in school even though she was smarter than anyone else in the class. But this woman - this being - is a force of nature who bends the elements themselves to her will. She holds herself like an alpha, giving off a scent of authority and power befitting any Luna. Becoming a mother seems to have suited my friend very well. I can only imagine that if she’d been this strong during her marriage to Ethan, Eve would never have been able to get her claws into the imposing alpha. Even her appearance has changed. Jane has always been beautiful, with her long golden hair and flawless porcelain skin, but where she used to downplay her looks, she now embraces them. Even dressed in simple work clothes, she looks so effortlessly lovely I feel like a slob standing next to her. “I made an appointment for you at the atelier later today.” I share, unused to serving such a supportive role to my gentle friend. “Thank you.” Jane smiles, with absolute grace. She might be a strong, independent she-wolf now, but Jane still started out at the bottom of the food chain. She knows what it takes to do hard work, to defy one’s destiny. “You know Eve owns the shop?” I caution her. “Oh, I know,” Jane grins, “I’m looking forward to seeing her face when she realizes whose perfume she’s been peddling all these years.”“You aren’t worried she’ll spill the beans to Ethan?” I ask anxiously. “Not even Eve is that stupid,” she snorts. “Trust me, she’s going to do anything she can to ensure we never cross paths.” Her stunning green eyes light with mischief, “which is just fine by me.” ___________________ Jane Eve’s overpriced, over-styled shop is an absolute eyesore. Like so many unfortunate she-wolves who assume wealth is the same as class, my ex-husband’s mistress filled her store with the most gaudy, extravagant items she could find, regardless of whether they hold true artistic value. My perfumes, anonymously designated with the french word for she-wolf: La Louve , line her counters. I’m sure Eve has no idea the exclusive scents she’s given prime placement on her shelves are my creations, and though I can’t criticize her taste in perfume, I know she’s only selling them because they’re so in demand. When I try to enter the atelier, dressed casually in the same clothes I don in the laboratory, the snooty sales women look down their long noses at me. “Miss, are you lost?”“No.” I assure them confidently, “I have an appointment.”“We don’t offer appointments to muts like you.” The sales woman answers, her lip curled in disgust. Raising my brows, I counter. “Is this how you greet all your customers? It’s a wonder you’re still in business.”“Don’t make us call security.” The second she-wolf threatens, circling behind the cash register and brandishing a cordless phone at me. “Would you at least like to know my name, before you decide whether or not to throw me out?” I question archly, thoroughly enjoying their outraged expressions. “There’s no need.” The first sales woman replies snidely. “You clearly can’t afford our merchandise, and we don’t let just anyone into our boutique.” The she-wolf must think I have an appointment to shop, not to investigate the reports which brought me to the city in the first place, of a high-end boutique trying to pass off cheap imitations as my luxury brand. “Is that so?” I remark coolly, lifting one of the delicate glass bottles bearing my chic logo to my nose. Scenting the spray nozzle, I instantly realize the reports were true. Instead of the ethereal blend of night-blooming flowers and dark spices that comprise my signature aroma, there is a sharp, metallic undertone to the fragrance. This is not my perfume. I can see the women opening their mouths to continue arguing out of the corner of my eye, but I press on before they can get a word in. “If you’re that concerned about your image, you might be interested to know that this perfume is fake.”“Excuse me?” One of the she-wolves snaps. “How would you know, you couldn’t afford to buy an ounce of La Louve if you saved your entire life!”“Appearances can be deceiving.” I announce simply, setting the bottle back down on the counter and leveling the shallow she-wolves with my gaze. “This might look like the real thing, but I assure you it is not.” The womens’ faces are flushed crimson with barely contained fury, and I continue, “Though you are right I’m not a client - my appointment is with your sales manager. My name is Elise Carrington, and I own La Louve .”

Chapter 5 #Chapter 5 My little angel

Jane “You’re lying!” The sales woman immediately argues. “Elise Carrington is one of the wealthiest women in the world. She would never set a foot outside in such drab clothes.” Glancing down at my jeans and fitted black top, I press my hand to my cheek in faux shock, “How strange!” I exclaim, “I was sure I’d worn my ball gown today. I always try to be as uncomfortable as possible when I fly.” The women’s faces scrunch up in confusion. Clearly they don’t understand sarcasm. “I was traveling today.” I drawl derisively, “I’m rich, not crazy.”“What you are, is a liar!” The indignant she-wolf accuses, turning towards her colleague with the phone. “Call security right now.”“As I said, I know what my perfumes smell like, and this is a fake - as is the one you’re wearing.” I add calmly "That's not possible!” She objects swiftly. “My boyfriend bought this for me last year, and he spent thousands of dollars." She eagerly called the security guard over, "Get this liar out of here!""Suit yourself.” I scoff, “It’s your funeral.” "What are you talking about?” She hisses. “What does a lowly bitch like you know about any of this?”"I'm helping you." I inform her simply. “Let me guess, your boyfriend bought that bottle here?” Sighing, I remove a travel-sized bottle of perfume from my purse. "This is the real product." Snatching up a strip of test paper, I spray a bit on the end, then do the same on another paper with the fake. Handing the first to the mortified she-wolf, I explain, “Top notes of moonflower, night-blooming jasmine, and rare orchids, with basenotes of wolfswood and patchouli.” Exchanging the papers I elaborate, “But this one doesn’t have the orchids or wolfswood, which are extremely expensive and difficult to find. Instead it has aconite, which smells similar and is infinitely cheaper, but it can also be quite toxic if you have long-term exposure.” The woman’s skin is turning a sickly shade of green as her sharp wolf nose notes the distinct difference. “A-aconite?” She repeats nervously. Nodding I purse my lips, “More commonly known as wolfsbane. Whoever created this counterfeit obviously thought it could only harm you if ingested, but I assure you it can be absorbed through the skin. Have you had any symptoms of illness lately?”“No.” She gulps, “I...”"She fainted last week!" One of her colleagues steps forward, the woman clearly possessing more sense than my accuser. The woman in question could no longer speak, clearly refusing to accept that she’d been fooled, but unable to come up with an alternate explanation. “Oh my Goddess.” The second saleswoman gasps, “We’ve got to get these off the shelves immediately.”"You do.” I agree, “and you should get a medical exam right away." I inform the first woman, adding, “I would also advise washing off the fragrance.”As she runs to the restrooms, I turn to her colleague. “And now I’d like a word with your superior.” ___________________ Eve When I finally stroll into the boutique an hour later, I stop dead in my tracks. Everyone is in an uproar, and all the La Louve fragrance counters are empty. “What is the meaning of this?!” I demand. I’ve never seen a picture of Elise Carrington. She’s famously secretive and never lets herself be photographed or interviewed by the press. I always assumed she must be hideously deformed or something, but the woman in front of me now is anything but. I can only see her back, but a cascade of lustrous golden hair falls down her back and while she’s quite petite, her lithe figure is curved in all the right places. She turns when she hears my voice, and my heart stops in my chest. It can’t be. The woman offers me a lethal smile and strides forward, extending her hand. “Elise Carrington, La Louve Founder and CEO.” Shaking myself out of my stupor, I take her hand. She looks exactly like Jane, but Ethan’s ex-wife died years ago. Besides she was nothing like the strong, confident woman standing in front of me now… still, their resemblance is absolutely uncanny. “Eve LaRue.” I introduce myself, straightening my shoulders, taking control again. “Would you like to tell me what’s going on?”“Well it would seem you’ve been selling counterfeit perfumes, with toxic ingredients no less.” She replies smoothly. Her voice is the same too, those light, lyrical notes Ethan always adored. Shit. I think anxiously, how the hell did she find out. Feigning ignorance, I clasp my hand over my mouth, “What?” I cry, “That can’t be!” The ghost of Jane narrows her eyes, and I’m sure she sees through my act. “I’m sorry to tell you it’s the truth.” She gives me a cunning smile. “But once you’ve gotten rid of the fakes, I’d be happy to strike a deal with you to carry the line in your lovely shop.” Fury pulses through me, I can’t afford to continue selling the fake fragrances now that La Louve knows about the fraud, and I can’t enter a deal with this woman. I’m more convinced she’s Ethan’s ex-wife with every moment that passes, and I can’t risk having her around. I’m this close to finally winning the Alpha’s affection, and that will never happen if Jane returns. Politely apologizing and making a vague, entirely false, promise about connecting with her office to discuss the deal, I usher her out of the shop. The moment she’s gone I whip out my cell and dial my private investigator. “Drop everything, I need you to investigate someone for me, and it can’t wait.” Jane When I step out of Eve’s boutique, relieved to have the matter solved without any disasters, I’m scarcely paying attention to my surroundings. That was close . I couldn’t let the toxic perfumes continue to be sold under my label, as such a scandal could destroy my entire business and livelihood. Still it was risky, I wasn’t sure Eve would buy my act - fake name or not. I’m so distracted going back over every word of our conversation that I almost run straight into a little girl in a pink dress. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” I exclaim, looking down at the pup in surprise. Doing a double take, I say, “Riley?” I realize with a jolt that this girl looks exactly like my daughter, but she couldn't be. I stare at her so intently that I forgot to breathe. I know she isn’t Riley... which can only mean one thing. "You’re pretty.” The pup tilts her head up and smiles so widely I can’t help but grin as well. “I can't find my daddy, can you help me find him?"