The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the human town's market square as I wandered between the stalls, breathing in the mingled scents of fresh bread and blooming flowers. Here, among humans who knew nothing of pack hierarchies or mate bonds, I could pretend to be just another woman selecting roses for her dining table. My fingers traced the velvet petals of a deep crimson rose, and for a moment, I allowed myself to imagine Ethan's face when he saw them on our table tonight. Three years together, and I still hoped for those rare moments when his cold facade would crack, revealing glimpses of the mate bond I believed lay dormant beneath. "Beautiful choice," the elderly vendor said, her weathered hands wrapping the stems in brown paper. "Someone special?" "My mate," I replied softly, the word still sending a flutter through my chest despite everything. The woman's knowing smile faltered as a chill swept through the warm evening air. The market sounds—haggling voices, children's laughter, the clink of coins—seemed to dim as four figures materialized from the crowd. Victoria Taylor stood at their center, her blonde hair catching the dying light like spun gold. Three Delta wolves flanked her, their presence turning the peaceful market into a hunting ground.

For ten years, Clara Vance ghost-created every blockbuster fragrance for Thorne Empire while raising her orphaned sister, Mia. She hid her burn scars and let her fiancé, Julian, take the spotlight. But when Julian brings home a glamorous heiress to be the new 'face' of the company, Clara watches her world crumble. Mia calls the heiress her new role model, and Julian demotes Clara to a mere lab assistant. They think she is a dependent, damaged woman who will quietly accept her replacement. They don't know she secretly patented the ultimate formula under a pseudonym—and she's about to bankrupt them all.

For four years, Sloane Mercer was the ghost-chef behind Julian Vance’s Michelin-starred empire and the woman warming his bed. But when Julian gifts the Executive Chef title of their new flagship to a glamorous food influencer—using Sloane's exact tasting menu—he expects her to quietly stay on the prep line. Instead of screaming, Sloane packs her custom knives. With a secret contract in Japan waiting and a countdown to opening night ticking, she's about to let him face the food critics alone.

When I was diagnosed with early-onset heart failure, I needed my husband, Julian. Instead, his phone was off as he welcomed his 'dead' first love, Vivienne, back to the city. Returning home, I discovered his hidden vault of sketches. Every dress he bought me, every hairstyle he demanded, was designed to mold me into her. But Julian doesn't know two things: I'm secretly pregnant with a child who is mine alone, and I'm taking back the billion-dollar empire I built for him before I leave.