4

Vorian POV

Ring, ring!

The shrill sound of my phone shattered the brief silence and pissed me off. I’d just gotten back, still dragging the weight of an extended stay at that cursed cabin. What should’ve been a simple extraction turned out to be a two-target operation. No warning about the second man holding that little girl hostage. Sloppy. He was so hammered it wasn’t even a thrill just slid my hand into his chest and ripped out his heart. Easy. Boring.

The mountain lion ended up sticking around, curling up beside the girl. I left him there. I knew he’d guard her like his own if anyone dared show up. But for the second target? Yeah, I’d be expecting a bigger payout.

I snatched up the phone. “Yeah?”

“Alpha Vorian! I’m so excited for our date tonight! I’ll be ready by six. Don’t be late again, okay?” Delphine’s syrupy voice rang through the speaker, grating on my nerves.

Delphine. The daughter of a neighboring Alpha, part of our alliance for generations since my grandfather ruled. She’s 5’9", has that soft strawberry-blonde hair that falls just to her chest, a decent figure, and those ever-curious brown eyes. She’s not hard on the eyes, and she’s damn good at putting on a polished front. Her father likes to send her with me to public events to play the perfect escort, which works to my advantage the press eats it up, and the jealous girls line up to try harder for my attention. A win-win.

Except… Delphine’s ego has grown to match her delusion. She thinks I’m going to make her my Luna, even though I’ve told her more than once that’s not happening.

“It’s not a date,” I said, voice flat. “It’s the grand opening of my restaurant. I have business to handle. You’ll probably be eating alone in my office.”

“Nonsense! I have to finish getting ready don’t be late!” She hung up before I could respond.

Sighing, I leaned back in my office chair, already regretting agreeing to bring her. Across from me sat Varek my beta, my best friend since birth. Our fathers were Alpha and Beta before us, so it was bound to happen, but what we built was more than duty. He’s one of the only people I take advice from without a price attached.

Varek was just as tall as me, his arms inked in full sleeves, hair dark and tousled, eyes even darker. He wore his usual piercings spacers in his ears, a lip ring. The guy could look scary as hell, but he was loyal to the bone. Also the best damn wingman I’ve ever had. We’ve both taken a few for the team.

He gave me that familiar deadpan stare. “Dude. Just drop her already. She’s a high-maintenance, manipulative brat.”

I chuckled darkly. “Yeah, no argument there. But she plays the part when it matters. Knows how to smile for the cameras and not act like she’s never seen a wine glass before.”

“Then take the one from the other night. The little nympho you dragged to your room.”

“The pack’s resident mattress? Please. My image’s already hanging by a thread with Delphine’s fantasies. I’m not handing her the crown either.”

Varek shrugged, lazily spinning a pen between his fingers. “You’d be stronger with a Luna beside you.”

“Or vulnerable when she gets hurt. I don’t need emotional liabilities, Varek.”

He smirked. “Whatever gets your blood pumping, man. But it’s 4:30 you’d better get ready. I’ll have the Lambo waiting out front and close things up here.”

At exactly six, I pulled up to the gates of Silverblade Pack in my cherry-red Lamborghini. I didn’t even get the chance to step out Delphine appeared the second my headlights hit her front walk. Her dress was all shimmer and glitter, light pink, hugging every curve like it had been stitched to her skin. It washed her out in my opinion, but she knew how to show off what she had.

I pressed the passenger button. She opened the door and slid inside with a practiced elegance. The plunging neckline nearly spilled her tits into her lap, and the slit in the dress climbed high enough I nearly got a full view.

“Oh, good! You’re on time for once.” She leaned over to kiss me. I gave her my cheek. Then hit the button to shut her door and peeled out of the driveway toward the restaurant.

“Listen, I’ve got a very important guest coming tonight. A VIP. I need you to stay put in my office. I’ll be moving around, checking on the staff, and I have to greet him personally.”

“Ooh, a mystery VIP?” she cooed. “Who is it?”

“Not your business. Just stay away from them, Delphine. I’m serious. Don’t ruin this.”

“Relax, I’ll play the perfect girlfriend.”

“You’re not my girlfriend.” My jaw clenched. My patience was thinning fast.

She gave me a side-eye. “Well, if you want to keep parading me around like your arm candy, I expect to get something out of it too. I’ve got an image to maintain, same as you.”

I didn’t even look at her. “That’s Alpha Vorian, Delphine. We’re not in public yet. Watch your mouth.”

“Mmm, gonna punish me for it? Maybe give me a spanking?” she purred.

I let my eyes flash red, fixing her with a silent threat.

She got the message. Backed off. Stayed quiet the rest of the ride.

Finally, we arrived.

The front of my restaurant Green Olive was roped off to keep the crowds at bay. Flashbulbs exploded in bursts of white, blinding as we stepped out. I hit both door buttons, stepping out as one of my staff helped Delphine from her seat.

I walked around and offered her my arm. She took it, all poise and polish now. The shouting started immediately paparazzi calling my name, reporters thrusting mics. I recognized some faces from news outlets, others from local columns.

I paused for a few brief interviews.

“Thank you all for coming to Green Olive’s grand opening,” I said smoothly. “We’ll be sending out food samples to everyone waiting outside. A little taste of what you’re missing.”

Questions about Delphine came next, but I sidestepped them. She smiled like a professional, nodding along and keeping her mouth shut. She knew better than to speak unless told.

The press would eat it up. Mystery woman on my arm? The speculation alone would buy me weeks of media attention. Free publicity.

Inside, the hostess greeted us with a respectful bow one of my pack members. Some staff were wolves, others humans. I’d trained them all to be precise, polished, professional.

What the public didn’t know? Most of them were former rogues, runaways, or orphans. I gave them work. Purpose. A future. Legally, of course. I put cash in their pockets and loyalty in their hearts.

They were misfits to the world but to me, they were warriors in uniform.