Chapter 22
Lucas
Things have been going well. Better than I ever dared to hope.
Since that last dinner with Alison, the one where the tension simmered just beneath the surface and something unspoken flickered in her eyes, we've been in regular contact.
At first, it was all about Leo: updates on his routines, his moods.
But somewhere along the way, our conversations began to shift.
They'd start with him and end with us.
The messages stretched longer. The silences between them grew shorter. And in the spaces between her words, in the softness of her tone when she said my name, in the unguarded laugh she let slip when I teased her, I could feel it. I was winning.
She was letting me in.
Bit by bit, thread by fragile thread, I was weaving my way back into her world. And every time she didn't shut the door, every time she lingered in a call a few seconds longer, I knew—deep in my bones—that I hadn't lost her forever.
She's not mine yet. Not completely. But her voice has stopped carrying that edge of resistance, and now, there's warmth. Curiosity. A flicker of something that looks a lot like longing.
It's taken patience. Time. Work. I've had to hold back when every instinct screamed at me to claim her, to demand what I once turned away from. But she's worth every ounce of restraint. Every hour of waiting.
For her? I'd do it all again.
Because when she finally chooses me—freely, fully—I won't just have her.
I'll have everything.
My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was James.
"Lucas," he greeted, his tone grave. "We have a situation."
I pulled over, instantly alert. "Report."
"Victor's been spotted meeting with several pack Alphas from neighboring territories. Sources say he's spreading rumors about you and the Black heiress."
My jaw clenched. "What rumors?"
"That you're only pursuing her for the Black family alliance and wealth. That your sudden interest only came after her identity as the true heiress was revealed."
Fury coursed through me, hot and primal. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, eager to hunt down the man who dared threaten my mate and cub.
"There's more," James continued. "Victoria's making public statements that she's willing to forgive you for the engagement party incident. She's playing the wounded but magnanimous ex, claiming you two are working things out privately."
I growled, my fingers tightening on the steering wheel until the leather creaked in protest. "She's working with Victor."
"That's our assessment as well, Alpha."
Victoria's schemes no longer surprised me, but her alliance with Victor was dangerous. The Black family was one of the most influential in the country.. Alison, as the true heiress, held considerable power—power that Victor would love to control.
"Double the security detail on Alison and Leo," I ordered. "And gather the pack leaders for an emergency council tomorrow night. It's time we reminded Victor why the Moonshadow Pack has ruled this territory for generations."
"Consider it done."
I ended the call and pulled back onto the road, my mind racing with strategies.
Victor's company was already weakened from our recent business maneuvers.
One more push would bring it to its knees.
As for Victoria, she was hurting and really couldn't do much on her own, which was why she was working with Victor.
When I arrived home, my assistant met me with a stack of urgent messages.
"Sir, there's been a major security breach at the UK branch," she informed me, her expression worried. "Several key accounts were compromised. The authorities are involved, and they're requesting your immediate presence."
I cursed under my breath. The timing couldn't be worse. "Book me on the next flight to London. And get me the head of cybersecurity on the phone."
For the next several hours, I worked tirelessly, coordinating the response to the breach while also setting in motion my plans against Victor. When dawn broke, I had mere hours before my flight.
I couldn't leave without warning Alison.
I considered calling, but this felt too important for a phone conversation.
And given the recent developments, there was every possibility that our phones were tapped.
Until we could ascertain that they weren't, communication would stay off it.
Instead, I sat at my desk and penned a letter.
Alison,
I must leave urgently for London to handle a crisis at our UK branch. I expect to be gone for at least a week.
Before I go, I need you to know that Victor is spreading rumors about us, claiming I'm only interested in you for the Black family connections. He's working with Victoria, who's now pretending she's willing to reconcile with me.
None of it is true. My feelings for you haven't changed—they've only deepened since finding Leo, since seeing the remarkable woman and mother you've become.
Don't trust Victor if he approaches you. He wants the Black family influence and will say anything to drive a wedge between us. And please, keep Leo close to the mansion. My pack will be watching over you both, but these are dangerous times.
I'll try to contact you as soon as I land. Wait for me, Alison. We have so much more to discover together.
Lucas
I sealed the letter in an envelope and summoned one of my most trusted pack members, Elijah, to deliver it personally to Alison.
"Make sure she receives this directly," I instructed, handing him the envelope. "Don't leave it with the staff. Don't give it to William. Put it in Alison's hands only."
"Understood, Alpha," Elijah nodded, tucking the envelope inside his jacket.
As I boarded the private jet hours later, the wolf in me paced restlessly, hating to leave Alison when things were beginning to look up.
The moment we landed in London, I tried calling Alison, willing to take the risk of having our conversation listened to. I just wanted to talk to her, but her phone went straight to voicemail. Unease crawled up my spine. I texted her instead:
Landed safely. Call me when you can. Miss you and Leo.
The cybersecurity crisis was even worse than reported. Someone had targeted our systems with military-grade precision, extracting client data and financial records. The attack bore all the hallmarks of Victor's methods—he'd used similar tactics against competitors before.
As I worked with the team to contain the damage, my phone remained silent.
No response from Alison. No updates from my pack about her whereabouts.
I tried to get in contact with Elijah but couldn't. Even James was out of reach.
Something felt wrong, but I couldn't focus on it as the work to be done engulfed me immediately, and I was suddenly swarmed, all my attention and time stolen from me.