The city lights stretched endlessly outside Kyle Malone's office. He paced back and forth, his mind a whirlwind of frustration and panic.
Hazel.
He couldn't stop thinking about her. The images of her radiant, confident, and untouchable presence haunted him. He had traded her for a contract, thinking it would be a calculated move. But now… he felt the weight of his mistake.
The shareholders had called earlier, asking questions. Kyle's jaw clenched. The contract was secured, yes, but at what cost? Hazel—his fiancée—was now in Ryan Smith's hands.
And Ryan Smith… the name alone sent a chill down his spine.
He didn't know much about Ryan beyond the business world, but what he did know terrified him: ruthless, untouchable, feared. No one crossed Ryan Smith and lived to tell the story.
Kyle's phone buzzed again. A message from an assistant:
"Are you sure you should go see him tonight? The office is empty; Ryan left hours ago."
Kyle's fingers clenched into a fist. He didn't care.
"I need to see Hazel," he muttered. "I have to explain. I have to fix this."
Later that night, Kyle arrived at Ryan Smith's mansion. A massive, modern structure, impressive even from the outside, it glimmered under the city lights.
He approached the main entrance nervously, rehearsing what he would say.
"Hello, Ryan… I—"
The gate clicked, and a guard stepped out, blocking his way.
"I'm looking for Ryan Smith," Kyle said firmly. "It's important. His fiancée—Hazel—she needs me—"
The guard raised a brow.
"No one is here. You can't see anyone."
Kyle's heart raced. "What do you mean no one is here? I have to see him. It's urgent!"
The guard shook his head. "Sir, Mr. Smith is not taking visitors tonight. Please leave."
Kyle's hands tightened around the briefcase he carried. Desperation gnawed at him. He didn't understand why Hazel wouldn't answer her phone. Why Ryan wouldn't respond.
"I know he's here. He can't just… ignore me!" Kyle exclaimed.
The guard didn't flinch. "I'm telling you the truth. Mr. Smith is not here. Now leave before the police get involved."
Kyle stepped back, his chest heaving. Panic and frustration battled with disbelief. He had underestimated Ryan Smith.
Even in the human world, Ryan was untouchable.
Kyle realized, with a sinking feeling, that he couldn't fight this—not through threats, not through pleading, not through business.
He had lost Hazel entirely.
And deep down, he understood that if he tried to push further… it wouldn't just be embarrassing. It could get dangerous.
As Kyle turned to leave, he muttered under his breath, a warning to himself:
"I will find another way… but I will get her back."
Unbeknownst to him, far away in the Red Moon Pack, Hazel was safe, powerful, and growing stronger every moment, with Ryan Smith always at her side.
And for Kyle… he had no idea how impossible his task had just become.