---- Chapter 8 LAURENCE POV: The rhythmic thud of the drill biting into rock was satisfying. | stood on the edge of the quarry, the wind whipping at my suit jacket. This new mineral vein would increase the pack's wealth by another ten percent. Power. That was the only thing that mattered. Rosalie stood beside me, her hand tucked into the crook of my arm. "It's magnificent, Laurence," she sighed, leaning her head on my shoulder. "You're building an empire." "Our empire," | corrected her, my lips brushing against her hair. Her scent, roses and sunshine, was a balm to my senses. It was so different from Josie's scent of rain and wild herbs, a scent that had always felt... incomplete. Unsettling. I'd been annoyed with Josie for the past few days. Her little stunt at the gala, followed by her complete silence. No calls, no Mind-Links. She hadn't even shown up for work at the company. It was a childish tantrum, and | was growing tired of it. She would come crawling back. They always did. "Any emergencies, Allen?" | sent a quick Mind-Link to my pack's chief legal counsel and Beta. There was a strange, frantic energy on his end. "Alpha, I've ---- been trying to reach you for hours! There are... irregularities on the market." | frowned. Rosalie, sensing my distraction, subtly pressed her fingers against my temple. A soft, calming energy flowed from her, clouding my mind. She was a gifted empath, a rare talent. It was one of the many reasons | knew she was meant to be my Luna. "I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle, Allen," | sent back, the thought already slipping away. "I'm finishing up the inspection." | cut the link and focused on the work. Hours later, as we were driving back towards the private airfield, | finally checked my phone. Thirty-seven missed calls from Allen. A dozen more from the elders. Acold knot formed in my stomach. | dialed Allen immediately. He picked up on the first ring. "Laurence! Thank the Goddess!" he sounded breathless, panicked. "The market... it's a bloodbath! Someone dumped a massive block of Black Moon stock this morning. It triggered a panic sell-off. We're down fifteen percent!" | gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. "Who? Which one of our investors would betray us?" There was a pause. Allen's voice was strained when he finally spoke. "It wasn't an investor, Alpha. The shares were registered to... to Josie Watson." ---- The world seemed to tilt on its axis. "What are you talking about? | gave her those shares as a Luna gift. She can't sell them without my consent!" "She can," Allen said, his voice grim. "If the mate bond has been legally and ritually severed." | almost laughed. "That's impossible." "Laurence... she filed a formal Rejection. Signed by you." The rage that exploded inside me was a physical force. It was a white-hot inferno that consumed all reason. My inner wolf snarled, clawing at the inside of my skull. "That's a lie!" | roared, slamming my fist against the dashboard, cracking the polished wood finish. "She's an Omega! She wouldn't have the spine to do something like that!" Beside me, Rosalie gasped, her eyes wide with feigned shock. "Oh, Laurence! She must be so jealous of us. To do something so horrible, so destructive... | can't believe it." Her words were gasoline on the fire. Josie's face flashed in my mind-her quiet submission, her constant begging for my affection. This was a betrayal so profound, so unthinkable, it had to be a lie. "I'm coming back now," | snarled into the phone. "And | am going to find her. She will pay for this."