Free Web NovelChapter 13: Chapter 13
As the elevator descended toward the underground parking level, Fleur leaned back against the mirrored wall and finally exhaled the breath she had been holding since seeing Christian Wayne in her office building.
Her pulse still hadn’t steadied.
Even after six years, merely being near him had shaken something deep inside her soul.
The mate bond was broken, yet somehow still alive beneath the scars.
When the elevator doors opened, Fleur hurried toward her car, her heels echoing sharply through the quiet garage. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she gripped the steering wheel tightly for several seconds before starting the engine.
"You’re fine," she whispered to herself.
But her wolf remained restless the entire drive home.
By the time Fleur arrived at the luxury penthouse atop the fifty-story skyscraper overlooking Paris, exhaustion had settled heavily into her bones.
Still, the moment the elevator doors opened directly into her apartment, warmth instantly spread through her chest.
Home.
Soft lights glowed warmly across the modern living room, and the breathtaking city skyline shimmered beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
But none of it mattered as much as the sound of tiny footsteps racing toward her.
"Mom!"
Gabriel and Chloe launched themselves at her the second she stepped inside.
Fleur laughed softly, crouching just in time to catch both pups in her arms. Her entire world fit perfectly against her chest.
"Looks like someone had fun with their favorite movie star today," she teased while kissing their cheeks.
"We had the best day ever," Chloe declared dramatically.
"We watched a movie, ate at a fancy restaurant, and—"
Gabriel abruptly stopped speaking when Raphael shot him a meaningful look from across the room.
Fleur immediately noticed. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Raphael stood near the dining table, sleeves rolled up casually, looking impossibly handsome while arranging takeout containers for dinner.
Unlike Christian’s overwhelming Alpha dominance, Raphael carried warmth in his aura—steady and comforting like sunlight after winter.
He smiled softly when their eyes met. "Welcome home."
Before Fleur could respond, he stepped closer and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead.
The simple affection made her chest ache unexpectedly.
Because this... This was everything she had once dreamed marriage would feel like.
Safe. Peaceful. Warm.
Not filled with fear and cruelty.
But memories of Christian still lingered like old wounds beneath her skin, making her instinctively step back before she could grow too comfortable.
Raphael noticed. He always noticed. Yet he never pushed. Never demanded. Never made her feel trapped.
And perhaps that was what made him so dangerous to her guarded heart.
***
Christian Wayne sat inside his private office at the Wayne headquarters, drowning himself in work the same way he had every day for the past six years.
The office was silent except for the ticking of a clock and the occasional scratch of a pen across paper.
Carrie stormed inside without knocking.
"Christian."
He didn’t even look up.
"I just found out that interior designer lied to us," Carrie snapped angrily. "She’s still in Paris. One of my contacts confirmed it."
Christian continued reading the document in front of him, completely uninterested.
Carrie’s fury intensified. She was accustomed to being worshipped. Desired. Obeyed. Yet Christian treated her like background noise.
"I want Fleur Swann to design our penthouse," she insisted stubbornly. "I already told everyone she’d be doing it personally."
Christian finally looked up, irritation flickering in his cold blue eyes.
"Then hire another designer."
"But this is about my reputation!"
Christian leaned back slowly in his chair. "And that concerns me because...?"
Carrie clenched her jaw. She moved closer, draping her arms around his neck seductively.
"You promised the apartment would be our wedding gift."
Christian immediately removed her hands from him.
"Do whatever you want," he said flatly. "But stop involving me in childish games."
Carrie’s expression darkened.
That designer had humiliated her publicly. And no one humiliated Carrie Channing without consequences.
"Fine," she muttered bitterly. "Then I’ll handle her myself."
Christian had already returned his attention to the paperwork.
He didn’t care. As long as Carrie left him alone long enough to work in peace, he would agree to almost anything.
Which turned out to be a terrible mistake. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
***
The next morning, Fleur never reached her office.
Halfway through her drive, black SUVs surrounded her vehicle. Within seconds, armed men dragged her out and forced her into another car before she could even shift.
The scent of wolves filled the air.
Blood Moon Pack.
Fear clawed violently through her chest.
Not again. Please, not again.
They brought her to the underground dungeon beneath the hidden headquarters—a place infamous among both the werewolf underworld and criminal syndicates.
The air smelled of blood, damp concrete, and death.
Fleur’s hands and ankles were brutally chained as Carrie’s men beat her mercilessly.
There were punches. Kicks. Silver-laced whips.
Pain exploded across her body until she collapsed trembling onto the freezing floor, blood staining her lips.
Still, she refused to scream.
Carrie crouched elegantly in front of her, disgust twisting her beautiful face.
"You should’ve accepted my offer willingly," she sneered before slapping Fleur hard enough to split her lip further.
Fleur slowly lifted burning amber eyes toward her. Even broken, her Luna spirit refused to bow.
"How rude," Fleur rasped weakly. "Who would have thought that someone like you could resort to such lowly measures?"
Carrie’s face twisted with rage. "You arrogant bitch!"
Another slap sent Fleur collapsing sideways.
"Beat her until she agrees to cooperate," Carrie ordered coldly.
The wolves obeyed immediately.
Blows rained down on Fleur again, while a dark gray wolf kept circling around them as if to warn her about what might come next.
Then suddenly, a powerful Alpha aura exploded through the dungeon.
The room froze instantly. Every wolf present instinctively lowered their heads in terror.
Christian Wayne had arrived.
He stepped into the dungeon slowly, his expression dark as he scanned the surroundings.
Then, he saw her. A small broken figure lying on the cold floor. Blood everywhere.
Something inside him snapped violently. His wolf erupted with primal fury so intense the walls practically trembled beneath the pressure.
Mine.
The word roared through his entire being. Christian’s heartbeat thundered painfully.
That scent... Moonlight. Wildflowers. His mate.
Without thinking, his hand moved instantly toward the gun holstered beneath his jacket.
Gunshots exploded through the dungeon.
A loud growl exploded as another wolf shifted.
Bodies hit the floor before anyone even understood what was happening. freёwebnoѵel.com
Having shifted too, Christian moved like death itself. Every wolf who had touched Fleur dropped lifeless within seconds.
Carrie screamed in horror.
"Christian! What the hell are you doing?!"
But Christian barely heard her. All he could see was Fleur.
Bleeding. Broken. Hurting.
Ripping out of his wolf form, his knees hit the floor beside her.
"Odette..."
The name escaped him like a shattered prayer. Fleur’s eyes widened weakly.
No.
No, no, no!
Before she could react, Christian pulled her trembling body into his arms desperately, clutching her against his chest as if terrified she would disappear again.
His entire body shook.
Six years. Six years of grief. Six years believing she was dead.
And now she was here. Alive.
His mate.
"My Odette..." he whispered brokenly against her hair.
Then he kissed her... so desperately... Like a starving wolf finally finding the missing half of his soul again.
