Alpha Travis’s POV
The hall reeked of perfume, sweat, and wine, too many bodies in one place, too many wolves pretending to be civilized. Still, I moved through the crowd like the Alpha I was, shoulders squared, power thrumming under my skin. Every head bowed when I passed, every hand extended with false smiles and words dipped in honey.
Lorie clung to my arm like a jeweled bracelet, her laugh too sweet, too rehearsed. She looked stunning, yes, anyone watching might have mistaken her for my Luna. But she wasn’t. And my wolf knew it. The bond was absent, the connection was hollow. Still, I let her stay close. For appearances. For control.
For a moment, I didn’t even notice Stella’s absence.
“Happy birthday, Alpha Travis!” a guest barked, head bowed low before daring to clasp my hand. I gave him a firm shake, a grin sharp enough to remind him who owned this room, then moved on.
“Travis!”
The voice boomed like thunder. I turned, nostrils flaring, to see Damien Thorne, CEO, wolf of influence, and my largest client. Not just another guest. No, Damien was a man who could tilt empires.
“Damien,” I greeted with a smile sharp as a blade, gripping his hand with the force of dominance. “Glad you made it.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said, lips curling wide. Then his eyes gleamed. “But tell me… where’s that lovely Luna of yours?”
Stella.
The name struck me like a claw across the chest. I blinked, scanning the hall. Strange. I hadn’t seen her since the celebration began. My wolf stirred, restless, pacing inside me.
“My Luna?” I echoed, my brows furrowing.
“Yes, Stella,” Damien chuckled, his voice booming loud enough for nearby wolves to hear. “You’ve no idea how much respect I have for her. Did you know it was she who convinced me to work with you?”
My smile cracked. I stilled. What?
“She did?”
“Of course,” Damien said, clapping me hard on the shoulder. “That woman practically camped outside my office for a week. Fierce as a warrior. Said you had the vision, the drive, and you only needed a chance. She looked me in the eye and swore you wouldn’t fail. And I believed her. You’re a lucky Alpha, Travis. A Luna like that? She’s a gem.”
His words lodged in me like splinters. Stella?
She had never told me. I remembered the sleepless nights, the rage at rejection after rejection, thinking it had been my persistence, my brilliance, that won Kane. But it was her?
“She’s… running late,” I forced out, voice even, though my jaw was tight enough to snap steel.
Damien laughed. “Tell her I said hello.”
I gave him a nod, but the smile had gone cold. As soon as he stepped away, I pulled out my phone. My thumb flew across the screen.
Where the hell are you?
The message wasn’t delivered. My wolf growled low in my chest. The signal was fine. So where in the abyss was she?
More wolves circled me, greetings, bows, empty words. Then another client’s wife came, eyes sharp, smile bright.
“Alpha Travis! Where is Stella? I hoped to speak with her again.”
“She’ll be here,” I said, clipped.
“You’re very lucky,” the woman said softly. “Stella is remarkable. When my husband doubted this partnership, she came to us directly. Spoke of your vision, your dedication. She fought for you. Without her, we would have walked away. You should be proud.”
Her words sank into me like poison and fire all at once. My wolf bristled. Proud? I should be proud, yes. But why hadn’t Stella told me?
The woman’s eyes shifted to Lorie, clinging to my arm. Her smile froze, turned to ice. She excused herself with a look that cut sharper than a blade.
Heat crawled under my skin. Slowly, I pulled my arm free of Lorie’s.
Her lips trembled. “Travis… are you ashamed of me?”
I exhaled through my nose, steady, Alpha-calm, though my wolf snarled behind my ribs. “Never ashamed, Lorie. But this doesn’t look good. Too many eyes. Too many ears.”
“But you said-”
I silenced her with a firm grip on her shoulders. “Later. I’ll buy you the diamond headpiece. But not now.”
Her pout was bitter, but she obeyed.
Still, unease slithered into me. My wolf paced harder. Around us, whispers stirred like a pack scenting weakness.
“Where’s Stella?”
“She’s always at his side.”
“Who is this female clinging to him?”
“Without his Luna, he’ll crumble.”
The words scraped at me. Wolves always sensed when an Alpha faltered. And they could smell my unease like blood in the air.
I checked my phone again. Nothing. No reply. No message delivered. My wolf clawed against my skin, demanding answers.
Then…
“I have a delivery!”
The hall was silent instantly. A man at the entrance lifted a large brown envelope high above his head. His voice rang out like a howl.
“Delivery for Alpha Travis Wolfe… from Luna Stella!”
The entire ballroom froze.
And my heart, my wolf, and my pride, all roared at once.
