Laila POV

Six years later.

I caught myself in the bathroom mirror and had to just stop. Stare.

The woman looking back at me didn't feel like me. Not the me I used to know anyway.

I tilted my head, studying how my face had changed. The girl who ran from Jason's pack was long gone. That skinny, pale thing who could barely hold herself together.

This body now? It was curvier in all the right places. Stronger too. My skin held warmth, color. I actually looked alive. The supernatural grace and power that should have come with my wolf at fourteen had finally arrived.

My hair wasn't that lifeless mousy blonde anymore. Now it was dyed chocolate brown, falling in thick waves that moved with an otherworldly fluidity I never used to have.

I leaned closer to the glass. Searching for scraps of the old me. The girl desperate for Jason's approval.

I almost laughed because I couldn't find her. Good. She was better off buried.

The turning point came after Ava. My wolf finally appeared during the week after I gave birth to her. My wolf told me she had been suppressed by something before that had kept her locked away. The pain and desperation of giving birth alone seemed to break whatever chains had held her back, freeing her to protect both me and my daughter.

Something inside me woke up then. Healing faster. Senses sharpening. My body shifting bit by bit into what it was meant to be.

And with those changes came a new name. Laila died the night I gave birth to Ava. Vanessa Harper had to be born in her place. Vanessa was not weak. Not small. She was someone who could walk into a room and people listened.

More importantly, with the new name, Jason and his pack would never find out my secret Ava, even if they suddenly wanted to.

Ava was my daughter and only MY daughter. I didn't want to make things complicated.

A knock pulled me out of my head.

I called "Come in," Marcus poked his head in, holding up yet another envelope—cream paper, flowing script, same damn sender.

Jason.

I didn't even have to look. Jason's pack had been sending proposal after proposal. Stacking them up like bricks in my drawer.

"File it," I said without blinking.

He shifted, still standing there. "But Vanessa, this could be huge. Moon Ridge has connections everywhere—"

I cut him off. "I said file it."

My tone left no cracks for him to slip through. He went, probably chewing on it the whole way out.

I turned back to my computer. Six years I'd been living in the human world building something solid. Being caught between two worlds had given me insight no one else had.

Humans wanted werewolf products. Werewolves wanted things that humans specialized in. My little company was the bridge between them.

Everyone wanted to work with Vanessa Harper.

Everyone, including Jason's pack. But I never let that happen.

My phone buzzed on the desk. A text from Ava's school. Emergency - please come immediately.

I grabbed my keys, my heart already racing. By the time I reached the school, I was prepared for the worst.

Mrs. Henry met me at the infirmary door, her face grave. "Ava collapsed during recess. She's stable now, but..."

I pushed past her to see my daughter lying on the small cot, pale and too still. Ava's eyes fluttered open when she heard my voice.

"Mama? I got dizzy and everything went dark."

My throat tightened. "It's okay, baby. Mama's here."

Mrs. Henry pulled me aside while the school nurse checked Ava's vitals. "This isn't the first time, Vanessa. She's been more tired lately, smaller than other children her age. That's unusual for werewolf children - they're typically stronger than human kids."

She hesitated before continuing. "I know this is personal, but... have you considered that Ava's father might have answers? About her heritage, her health?"

Each question was a knife. "Ava's father isn't in the picture."

"I understand. It's just... she asks about him constantly. Draws pictures of a man with green eyes. Calls him 'the Alpha.'"

My blood went ice cold. Mrs. Henry continued explaining Ava's dreams about a big house in the forest, details she should never know.

Because Ava was describing Jason's pack house.

After getting Ava settled at home, I called Dr. Martinez. His nurse said the test results from last week were ready.

My chest went tight before I even heard the news. Dr. Martinez's voice was gentle but serious. "Ava has a rare congenital heart condition. She'll need surgery, and soon. We need to admit her to Mercy General immediately for pre-surgical preparation."

The drive to Mercy General felt endless. Ava sat in the backseat, quiet but alert. She'd been asking fewer questions lately. More tired. That scared me more than anything.

The hospital was impressive. State-of-the-art equipment. The best werewolf medical facility on the East Coast. It was also expensive as hell. But Ava was worth every penny.

We checked in at the front desk. The nurse explained that Dr. Martinez wanted to run a full panel. Blood work, imaging, the whole nine yards.

"How long will we be here?" I asked.

"The doctor will want to keep her for observation. Probably a week minimum before we can schedule the surgery."

My heart sank. One week of worry and waiting, then the surgery itself.

After getting Ava settled in her room, I went downstairs to handle the paperwork. Insurance forms, medical histories, emergency contacts. All the bureaucracy that came with crisis.

I was exhausted already. Emotionally drained from pretending everything was fine when nothing felt fine at all.

The elevator doors opened on the ground floor. I stepped inside, already thinking about coffee and how to rearrange my work schedule.

That's when I saw him.

Jason Bradshaw.

The world stopped.

Six years melted away like they'd never happened. I was eighteen again, standing on his doorstep with a pregnancy test hidden in my pocket and hope bleeding from my chest.

Did he remember me? What would he say? What would I say?

Laila POV

Turns out, I didn't have to worry about any of that.

His gaze swept past me. Empty. Dismissive.

Like I was just another face in the crowd. Some random woman cluttering up his space.

He didn't recognize me. Of course he didn't.

I wasn't that girl anymore.

The elevator doors started to slide closed, and my body finally remembered how to move.

I stepped inside on legs that felt like water. Pressed myself against the far wall. As far from Jason as the small space would allow.

His scent hit me immediately. Pine and leather, threaded with that wildness only an Alpha carried. It wrapped around me before I could shut it out, ripping through defenses I'd spent six years building.

I clenched my jaw. Forced myself to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose.

No breakdowns. Not here. Not in a damn hospital elevator with him.

He was looking at his phone, completely absorbed. Professional. Distant. Everything he'd always been.

The same man who'd whispered my name in the darkness. Who'd made me believe I mattered.

The same man who'd called me nobody important.

"What floor?" he asked without looking up.

His voice. God, his voice was exactly the same. Deep. Commanding. It used to make my pulse race.

Now it just made me want to disappear.

"Three, please." I managed. The words came out steadier than I felt.

He pressed the button. Still didn't really look at me. Just a polite glance, the kind you'd give any stranger.

His phone rang as the elevator lurched upward. He answered without checking the caller ID.

"Marcus? What's the update?"

My stomach clenched. Marcus - his Beta. Even after six years, some things never changed.

"Good. So the final acquisition papers went through?" Jason's voice carried clearly in the small space. "Mercy General is officially ours now?"

My blood turned to ice. Jason owned this hospital. The hospital where my daughter was a patient.

"Excellent. This expansion will give us exactly the medical edge we need. Both human and werewolf patients under one roof." He paused, listening. "Yes, I'm here now for the final walkthrough. The board agreed to all our terms?"

When the doors opened onto the pediatric floor, I bolted.

"Be sure to schedule a meeting with the administrators tomorrow…" I heard Jason say behind me as he stepped out. For a moment, I thought I felt his gaze on my back, but when I glanced over my shoulder, he was already heading toward the administrative offices, phone still pressed to his ear.

After checking on Ava one more time, I escaped to the cafeteria for coffee. Something bitter to hold onto while I tried to process what had just happened.

My hands shook as I studied the hospital map on the wall. My heart dropped when I realized exactly where we were.

Not just "near" werewolf territory. Right on the edge of it. Close enough to Moon Ridge that Jason showing up here wasn't even weird.

I hated that it made sense.

Of course he'd be expanding his territory. Of course, he'd want to control the medical facilities in the area. Jason had always been ambitious. Always thinking three steps ahead.

And now his world was colliding with mine again.

I pulled out my phone, scrolled until I found Riley's number. She was the only one from that old world I hadn't cut off. The only one I would call 'friend' in Jason's pack.

Riley had been a late shifter too. Back then, we'd been the outcasts in school together. We shared secrets and dreams and the bone-deep loneliness that came with never quite belonging.

Although Riley did not shift as late as I did -- she shifted at the age of 16 -- we still had a good relationship after that.

So Riley was the only soul who knew I was alive. The only one who knew Vanessa Harper and Laila were the same person.

"Riley? It's me."

"Nessa!" Her voice was warm, familiar. "How's Ava? You sounded worried in your text."

"She's stable for now. They want to run more tests." I dropped into a quiet corner booth, lowering my voice. "Listen, can we meet for a quick dinner? Somewhere near the hospital? "

"Of course. What's wrong? You sound off."

I closed my eyes. Pressed my palm to my forehead. "I saw Jason today."

Silence. Then a sharp exhale. "Shit. Did he recognize you?"

"No. Thank god." My laugh was humorless. "But Riley—if he's here, if Moon Ridge has their claws in this hospital... I don't want him to find me, or Ava. It's gonna make things too complicated."

"You've been hiding everything well for six years. You can keep doing it." Riley cut in, firm. No room for argument. "And now you're Vanessa Harper. Businesswoman. Mother. Badass. Don't let one ghost make you doubt everything you've built."

Her certainty was a rope to cling to.

I thought about my company. The deals I'd closed. The respect I'd earned. The life I'd built from nothing.

"There's a little Italian place—Marco's, ten minutes from here. Seven o'clock?"

"I'll be there. And Nessa? Don't spiral. It's fine."

When the call ended, I sat staring into my coffee until it went cold.

Six years I'd been Vanessa Harper. Six years of building a life that had nothing to do with Jason Bradshaw.

So why did one look at him and I panicked again?

Like I was still that unwanted and naive eighteen-year-old girl who'd thought love could conquer anything. Who'd think an Alpha's son could actually want someone like her.

Third Person POV

Jason stood at the large window overlooking the parking lot as he waited for Marcus to arrive. Distracted, he couldn't stop thinking about the woman in the elevator. Something about her nagged at him - the way she'd pressed herself against the far wall, the careful way she'd avoided eye contact.

"Alpha?" Marcus walked up to him. "The staffing reports?"

Jason blinked, refocusing. "Right. Sorry."

The hospital was his now. His pack had just acquired it through months of careful negotiation and strategic financial maneuvering.

This expansion was about more than profit. It was about progress. Healthcare was evolving. Offering specialized services for both humans and wolves would give Moon Ridge the edge they needed in an increasingly competitive world.

And maybe it would put him in the path of Vanessa Harper.

The name carried weight in their world. Every Alpha he spoke to mentioned her like she was untouchable. The gold standard for trade liaisons between humans and wolves.

Her reputation was nearly mythic. Deals closed nobody else could touch. Connections that seemed impossible.

But she wouldn't take his calls. Wouldn't even respond to his proposals.

Months of offers, all ignored.

He had been trying to expand his business and wanted to engage with humans. He'd been searching for that human-werewolf trade salesperson, but he had yet to find her.

Jason was somewhat frustrated, not understanding why that woman wasn't willing to do business.

"The human staff are adjusting well," Marcus reported as they moved through the pediatric wing. "A few complaints about scheduling during full moons, but nothing major."

"Good. The equipment installation?"

"Should be complete next week. The healing chambers are already functional."

Jason nodded, but his mind was already elsewhere. Circling back to stubborn trade specialists and what it would take to break through Harper's resistance.

When he returned to the pack house later, Marcus lingered at the door of Jason's office. That hesitation put Jason on alert instantly.

"What is it?"

"It's about Laila."

The name was a punch straight to the gut. Even after all these years, hearing it tore something open in him.

The woman who left without a word.

Six years ago, in front of Jason's parents, Brittany had told them that Laila had asked for fifty thousand dollars before she left, saying she'd earned it after everything she'd done for Jason.

"She said not to feel guilty. That she'd known from the beginning you were just using each other. That she was glad to finally cash in." Brittany had paused, watching his parents' shocked faces. "She was quite detailed about what those services included."

That's when Jason's parents learned that Jason had been secretly involved with Laila for over a month.

Jason still remembered his parents' shocked faces and all the questions that came after Brittany's innocent reveal.

Jason tried not to think about this woman over the years, but his mother kept wondering if Laila was living a good life even after she left.

Recently, after a major surgery, his mother had clearly stated that she wanted to meet her adoptive daughter one more time because she was getting old and feared she might die before getting to see her again.

So, Jason started searching for Laila. It was harder than he had imagined, but now his searching had finally dug something up.

Marcus held out a file. His Beta informed him that he had news about Laila.

Over the years, Jason had been searching for any trace of her.

"Tell me."

The Beta hesitated before speaking. "Her records end abruptly six years ago. Medical, employment, social security—all of it just... stops." Marcus's voice was grim. "Laila's files have been completely canceled."

Jason's hand tightened on his desk. "What does that mean?"

Marcus met his eyes with difficulty. "It suggests that she might be dead."

The words shook Jason to his core.

Jason POV

The possibility that Laila was gone forever somehow set a burning pain in my chest.

Marcus stood in front of my desk looking grim, like he had just delivered a death sentence.

No. It couldn't be true.

"How could Laila possibly be dead?" The words tasted wrong in my mouth. "And where is your concrete proof?"

He shifted his weight. Cleared his throat. The way he always did when he knew I was about to lose it.

"Jason, the investigator did his best. But when someone's records are completely scrubbed—"

"I want specifics!" My fist hit the desk hard enough to rattle the picture frames. "If you ever report such careless information again without checking every detail, you'll face consequences."

The Alpha command in my voice made him flinch. Good. Maybe that would get through to him.

"Yes, Alpha. I'll investigate further. Get actual proof one way or the other."

Proof. Right.

Complicated feelings simmered inside of me.

I always believed my perfect fated mate would be my perfect match, so I convinced myself I just wanted to give it a try with Laila. Just an impulsive move, and nothing serious.

However, it was harder than I thought to tell Laila that I was just curious about sleeping with her, especially when she stared at me with tears in her eyes.

But later, Brittany told us that Laila had left already. Laila even asked for money from her and sounded like she was okay with leaving me forever.

I then blamed her for leaving without even saying goodbye to me or, at least, to my parents, who raised her and gave her a home.

Now realizing she might be dead, I could feel... fear rising inside of me.

That's when Brittany decided to make her entrance. She glided into my office like she owned the place. That smug expression plastered across her face.

I jerked away from her reaching hands. "I'm not in the mood, Brittany. Just go away."

Her lips twisted into that familiar pout. The one that used to make me feel guilty. Now it just pissed me off.

After we met each other six years ago, it took me a while to realize that Brittany didn't care about pack business at all and was always mean to our pack servants.

Our relationship had been circling the drain for years. I'd been looking for reasons to reject her. But pack politics made it complicated as hell.

An Alpha couldn't just toss aside his fated mate without a good reason, while Brittany never made serious mistakes and clung to her Luna position like her life depended on it.

My thoughts spiraled back to Laila. They always did.

I remembered the way she used to curl up against my side after we'd been together. How she'd trace patterns on my chest while talking about little things - a book she'd read, a sunset she'd seen, dreams of traveling to places beyond the pack lands.

She'd been kind and genuine in a way Brittany never was.

I couldn't help but think that if I didn't meet Brittany at that mating ceremony six years ago, maybe I would give up finding fated mate one day and announced Laila as my Luna. And maybe I would have had a much better life than I have now.

But it was never going to happen because Laila had left and tried to get money out of my family before she went.

For the first time in six years, I started to wonder: how could a girl who seemed to love me so sincerely leave the pack like that? Like she'd prepared everything already and never really cared about anyone.

Was there something wrong? Did I miss anything?

Then Brittany saw the document on the table with Laila's name on it.

"Are you really finding that pathetic human ?" Brittany's voice cut through the memories like a blade. Sharp with accusation.

My head snapped up. Something dangerous must have shown in my expression because she took a step back.

Her voice climbed higher. More desperate. "She couldn't even shift properly! What's the point of finding her back?"

"Don't you ever talk about her like that," I said, my voice low and lethal. "And you know my Mother wants to see her."

"She's gone for six years! She left you for money. She's never coming back!"

The words rang inside my head. Gone. Never coming back.

"Stop there," I said bluntly. "And leave. Now."

Her eyes flashed with anger. But she knew better than to push when I was in this mood. She stormed out, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the windows.

I slumped into my chair. Ran my hands through my hair.

My phone buzzed. Text from my mother about dinner tonight. Family dinner. The kind where they'd pressure me about marking and marrying Brittany and producing heirs.

I suddenly felt tired of all these bonds and responsibilities, just wanting to lose myself a moment longer in the good memories between Laila and me.

Laila POV

Before leaving for dinner with Riley, I made sure everything in the hospital was arranged.

Ava was settled for the night with a kind nurse keeping watch. I'd kissed my daughter's forehead, promised I'd be back soon, and slipped out while she dozed.

Riley had already arrived when I walked into Marco's.

The restaurant was perfect for this kind of conversation. Dim lighting. Private booths. The kind of place where werewolves came to discuss things they didn't want overheard.

Riley fidgeted with her napkin. Picked at the antipasto.

Then she dropped the bomb.

"I heard Jason's been searching for you for a while."

My wine glass froze halfway to my lips. "He's been looking for me? Why? After all these years..."

"I don't know, but he seems pretty serious about it." Her expression was grim. "At first he didn't find anything. Now he's hired multiple private investigators. He's offering huge rewards for any information."

"It doesn't matter." I said calmly. "The Laila he wants to find no longer exists."

Before I could respond, Riley's face went white. She was staring at something behind me.

"What?" But I already knew.

"Don't turn around," she hissed. "Jason's family just walked in. All of them."

My blood turned to ice. "All of them?"

She nodded. "Jason, his Beta, his parents... and Brittany."

Against every ounce of better judgment, I turned.

There they were. Taking a large table in the corner. Jason sat like a storm barely contained, his presence filling the room. His parents looked older. Worn down.

And Brittany. Still beautiful. Still polished. Still everything I could never compete with.

That's when our eyes met across the restaurant.

When Jason saw my face clearly for the first time, he froze. Bewilderment flashed across his features.

"Laila?"