The moment Gabriel shuffled out of the room, Anna dropped onto our couch with a sigh. “Okay, spill. What the hell happened? You married the Alpha’s brother, for crying out loud. You should be living in a mansion, not this… whatever this is.”
I settled beside her, grateful to finally have someone who understood my frustration. “It’s complicated. Gabriel isn’t exactly the golden child of the family. More like the family disappointment that everyone tries to ignore.”
“Including his Alpha brother?”
“Especially his Alpha brother.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice.
Anna was quiet for a moment, her sharp mind clearly working through the implications. “So you’re broke.”
“Worse than broke. My parents are demanding money for Dad’s medical bills, and I’ve maxed out every credit card trying to maintain appearances.” I buried my face in my hands. “God, Anna, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I had a plan, you know? I was going to make Damien notice me, make him fall for me. But then that bitch Seraphina showed up and ruined everything.”
“Seraphina?” Anna’s voice sharpened with interest. “Seraphina Knight? Our favorite little omega punching bag?”
“The same one.” I looked up, seeing the familiar gleam in Anna’s eyes that had always preceded our most creative torments. “She’s working as Damien’s senior assistant now. Can you believe it? That pathetic little omega reject, sitting right outside the Alpha’s office like she belongs there.”
“How… interesting.” Anna’s smile was slow and predatory. “You know, Val, I think the universe might have just handed us exactly what we need.”
“What do you mean?”
Anna reached into her cleaning caddy and pulled out something that made my heart stop. A golden pendant, obviously expensive, with intricate engravings that caught the afternoon light streaming through our dirty windows.
“I found this five years ago,” Anna said, holding the pendant up so I could see it clearly. “I was working a cleaning job at the Moonlight Hotel during the Lunar Assembly weekend. Some rich asshole had left it in one of the suites, and housekeeping was just going to turn it into lost and found.”
She paused, her smile widening. “But I figured, what they don’t know won’t hurt them. So I kept it.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said, though I wasn’t sure why she was showing it to me. “But Anna, what does this have to do with -“
“Everything,” she interrupted, her eyes blazing with excitement. “Valerie, do you have any idea what this pendant represents? Do you know why I’m about to become the luckiest woman in Silver Moon Harbor?”
I shook my head, confused.
“Your brother-in-law, the mighty Alpha Damien Nightshadow, has been searching for this pendant’s owner for five years. He’s put out notices through every pawn shop, jewelry store, and antique dealer in three territories. He’s offering a position at his company, a significant financial reward, and…” Anna’s voice dropped to a whisper, “the chance to be by his side.”
The pieces clicked into place so suddenly I actually gasped. “You’re going to pretend to be the woman he’s looking for.”
“I’m not going to pretend anything,” Anna said with mock innocence. “I am the woman with his pendant. That makes me exactly who he’s been searching for.”
My mind was racing now, seeing possibilities that I hadn’t imagined just minutes before. “But what about Seraphina?”
“What about her?” Anna’s smile turned vicious. “That little omega bitch thinks she can waltz into our territory and steal what rightfully belongs to us? I don’t think so.”
She leaned closer, her voice taking on the conspiratorial tone I remembered so well from our school days. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to present myself to your brother-in-law as his long-lost love. I’m going to take the position he’s offering, work right alongside little Sera, and make her life absolutely miserable until she quits.”
“And then?”
“And then, once I’m established as the Alpha’s mate and future Luna, I’m going to use his resources to make sure you get everything you deserve. Money for your parents’ medical bills, a proper home, the respect that’s been denied to you.” Anna’s eyes glittered with ambition. “We’re going to be queens, Val. Both of us.”
Valerie’s POV
Anna had been working at Nightshadow Industries for three days now, and every evening brought delicious updates that made my vindictive heart sing with satisfaction. She’d call me after work, her voice bubbling with malicious excitement as she described how perfectly her plan was unfolding.
“You should see her face, Val,” Anna had whispered into the phone last night, her voice carrying that familiar note of cruel pleasure I remembered so well from our school days. “Every time I dump more work on her desk, every time I make her fetch my coffee, she looks like she wants to strangle me. But she can’t do anything about it because precious Damien thinks I’m his long-lost love.”
I’d laughed until my sides hurt, imagining that pathetic omega bitch scrambling to keep up with Anna’s demands while pretending everything was fine. After years of watching Seraphina somehow land on her feet despite every obstacle thrown her way, it was deeply satisfying to know she was finally getting what she deserved.
But Anna’s best discovery had come yesterday afternoon.
“I found her address,” Anna had announced triumphantly. “And get this -I know where her little bastard goes to school. Silver Moon Harbor Elementary, just fifteen minutes from the office. The kid gets picked up every day at three-thirty by some woman named Ophelia.”
The information had sparked an idea so perfect, so beautifully cruel, that I’d actually shivered with anticipation. If there was one thing I knew about Seraphina Knight, it was that she would do absolutely anything to protect that child of hers. Anything.
Which was exactly what I was counting on.
Now, sitting in Gabriel’s pathetic excuse for a car outside our cramped apartment, I dialed my mother’s number with steady fingers. The phone rang twice before Elizabeth’s familiar voice answered.
“Valerie? What do you want? I’m busy.”
“Hello to you too, Mother,” I said sweetly, injecting just enough sarcasm to let her know I wasn’t intimidated. “I called because I have some interesting news about our dear adopted daughter.”
There was a pause, and I could practically hear Elizabeth’s mental gears shifting. “Seraphina? What about her? I thought we agreed that ungrateful little bitch was dead to us.”
“Oh, she’s very much alive,” I said, settling back in the passenger seat with a satisfied smile. “In fact, she’s doing quite well for herself. Working at one of the most prestigious companies in Silver Moon Harbor, living in her own apartment, raising her little bastard son.”
“I don’t care if she’s the CEO of the entire damn company,” Elizabeth snapped. “That girl chose to walk away from this family. She made her bed, and now “”
“What if I told you she could still be useful to us?” I interrupted, knowing I had to play this carefully. Elizabeth was greedy, but she was also stubborn. I needed to make her think the idea was coming from her.
Another pause, longer this time. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it, Mother. Dad’s medical bills are getting worse every month. But Seraphina… she’s young, healthy, and apparently quite beautiful according to my friend who works with her.” I paused for effect. “There are men out there who would pay handsomely for a woman like that.”
The silence that followed was so complete I wondered if the call had dropped. Then Elizabeth’s voice came back, lower and more interested than before.
“What kind of men?”
“The kind with deep pockets and flexible morals,” I said, my pulse quickening as I sensed her taking the bait. “Gabriel knows someone from his… wilder days. A businessman named Harold Morrison. Very successful, very wealthy. He’s been looking for a wife for years.”
Elizabeth was quiet for a long moment, and I could practically hear her calculating. “How wealthy are we talking?”
“Wealthy enough to cover Dad’s medical bills ten times over,” I said, knowing I had her now. “Wealthy enough to buy you that house you’ve always wanted in the nice part of town. Wealthy enough to make sure you never have to worry about money again.”
“And this Harold person would be interested in Seraphina?”
“Mother, she’s twenty-three years old, beautiful, and has already proven she can bear children. Harold wouldn’t just be interested -he’d be grateful.” I paused, playing my trump card. “The only problem is getting her to agree.
“She’d never agree,” Elizabeth said immediately.
“Not if she had the right motivation.” I said carefully.
I could hear Elizabeth’s sharp intake of breath as understanding dawned. “The child.”
“I have her address,” I said, triumph flooding through my veins. “And I know where the boy goes to school.”
“Good. I’ll handle the rest.” Elizabeth’s voice had taken on that brisk, businesslike tone she used when she was planning something particularly unpleasant. “You’ve done well, Valerie. This could solve all our problems.”
The next day, I checked my appearance in the car’s rearview mirror, making sure I looked appropriately respectable. My blonde hair was pulled back in a conservative style. Most importantly, I’d brought my identification -the driver’s license that clearly showed my legal name as Valerie Knight Nightshadow.
Same last name as Seraphina’s. Perfect.
The school day was ending, and I could see children beginning to emerge from the building in small groups, their backpacks bouncing as they ran toward waiting parents and caregivers. I made my way to the main entrance, where a tired-looking teacher with graying hair was checking off names on a clipboard.
“Excuse me,” I said, approaching her with my most winning smile. “I’m here to pick up my nephew, Adrian Knight. His mother had an emergency at work and asked me to collect him.”
The teacher looked up from her clipboard, her expression politely curious. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Mrs. Henderson, Adrian’s teacher. And you are?”
“Valerie Knight,” I said, emphasizing the shared surname as I pulled out my driver’s license. “Seraphina’s sister. Well, stepsister technically, but we’re very close.”
Mrs. Henderson examined my identification carefully, noting the matching last name. “I see. And Seraphina called to arrange this?”
“She tried to call the school, but the line was busy,” I said, my voice taking on just the right note of concern. “She’s absolutely frantic about this work emergency, and she knew Adrian would be worried if no one showed up to get him.”
“Well,” she said, glancing at her clipboard, “I suppose it’s alright. Adrian!” she called out toward the playground. “Your aunt is here to pick you up!”
A small figure detached itself from a group of children and came running toward us, his dark curls bouncing with each step.
“Hi,” Adrian said cautiously as he approached, his little backpack slung over one shoulder. His eyes were wary as they studied my face, clearly not recognizing me. “Are you really my aunt?”
“I am,” I said, crouching down to his eye level and speaking in the gentle tone I’d perfected during my brief stint babysitting neighborhood kids for extra cash. “Your mommy had to work late today, so she asked me to come get you.”
Adrian’s expression remained skeptical. “Mommy said only Aunt Ophelia is allowed to pick me up. She said I should never go with strangers.”
“You’re absolutely right to be careful,” I said approvingly, pulling out my driver’s license again. “That’s exactly what smart boys do. But look -see my name? It says Valerie Knight. Just like your mommy’s name. That means we’re family.”
Adrian studied the identification with the intense concentration only four-year-olds could manage, sounding out the letters with obvious effort. “V-A-L… Valerie. K-N-I… Knight.” He looked up at me with those devastating blue eyes. “You have the same last name as Mommy.”
“That’s right. I’m your mommy’s sister.” The lie came easily, sweetened with just enough truth to be believable. “She’s at work right now, but she asked me to pick you up because I have something very special to tell you.”
“What kind of special?”
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply