Nathan’s POV

I sat in my corner office, scrawling my signature across one document after another. Deals, contracts, lies dressed up in legal ink.

By the time I finished the last one, my wrist ached. I leaned back, shut my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my nose.

Bernard stood a few feet away, his posture straight as always. "Alpha Nathan," he began, his tone respectful but cautious, "everything’s set with the donation for the local sanitation workers."

I opened one eye, watching him through the haze of exhaustion.

"The supplies should have arrived by now," he continued. "And as you asked, we’ve arranged a thousand-dollar monthly stipend, straight from your personal account for the one with a child. No end date on that."

For a moment, my chest tightened. I do not know why I felt drawn to that woman. There was just something about her and her child that stirred a soft spot within me. I pictured her again in my mind from that morning, clutching that child like she’d die before letting go, as she swept the streets.

When I returned, I told my beta Collins to make arrangement for donation of supplies that would be sent to the sanitation unit that were in charge of that area, the one with the child was also to be given monthly stipends from my personal account.

Collin’s steady and efficient voice cut back in, breaking through my thoughts "We’ve also started tracking Luna Aria Hemsworth’s movements since her release. We should have an update soon. Is there anything else you’d like me to take care of?"

Aria.

My fingers twitched against the file. I didn’t look up, just waved him off with a curt gesture. "That’ll be all."

He nodded, as if relieved to leave, and slipped out. The door clicked shut, leaving the faint buzz of city life and the wolf pacing behind my ribs.

A soft knock followed moments later. A voice came through the door, honey-smooth. "Alpha Nathan, it’s me."

I already knew who it was. Soohia’s voice was unmistakable.

"Come in," I said evenly.

She entered with a smile, all confidence and charm. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor. When her eyes met mine, a smirk tugged at her lips, the kind of smile that claimed ownership.

I watched her for a moment, my expression unreadable. To everyone else, she was the woman at my side — the one who fit neatly into my world of glass and control. But to my wolf, she was just another human trying to tame what she didn’t understand.

Aria’s POV

The clouds finally broke apart, letting sunlight spill over the cracked streets and damp rooftops. My wolf stirred faintly under my skin, soaking in the warmth, as if it too had been waiting for the cold to pass.

That afternoon, kevin Curt, the man in charge of our sanitation unit, rounded us all up in the courtyard. His voice carried across the lot, rough but oddly cheerful.

Several trucks had just arrived, their engines rumbling like beasts at rest, and the workers quickly started unloading the boxes stacked high in the back.

Within minutes, the run-down yard was overflowing with supplies — food, bedding, heavy coats. Things we never expected to see, much less own.

A few of the women nearby huddled close, their voices dropping to excited whispers.

"I overheard Mr. Curt say some rich Alpha drove by while we were cleaning this morning," one said. "Felt sorry for us, I guess, and sent all this stuff."

"The weather’s been freezing. There’s bedding, down coats — real thick ones," another chimed in, running her hands over the material.

"My grandson’s gonna be thrilled. He needs a new jacket for school."

"This one even looks name brand! I could probably sell it secondhand and make rent."

Then came the question that made my blood freeze.

"But who does something like this out of nowhere? What’s his name again?"

"I think Mr. Curt said...it was a billionaire Alpha...Hemsworth i think?

My body went still.

Hemsworth.

For a heartbeat, I couldn’t breathe. My wolf bristled inside me, pacing, restless.

Kara nudged my side, pulling me back. "Where’s Lana?"

"She’s asleep," I answered quietly, forcing my voice steady. "It’s cold, so I tucked her in."

Still, my eyes darted toward the dorm, my hearing sharpening instinctively — stretching out for the softest sound of her cry. There was nothing, only the distant chatter of workers and the rustle of cardboard. Relief loosened the knot in my chest, but unease still lingered, thick as fog.

Did they really say Hemsworth or Hawthorne? Maybe I misheard. Hemsworth was rare — too rare. But the world was big, wasn’t it? It had to be someone else. It had to.

Kara elbowed me again, teasing this time. "Be careful. Mr. Curt has been staring at you all afternoon. That man’s got ‘trouble’ written all over him."

I followed her gaze just in time to catch Kevin Curt looking away too quickly, the gold chain at his neck flashing in the light. My wolf growled low in my chest, a silent, instinctive warning.

As the boxes were passed around, Kara turned, handing me a thick coat bundled in her arms. "My son just sent me a new one," she said, smiling softly. "Take this."

I blinked. "Kara, I can’t—"

She cut me off with a look. "It’s not for you, silly. It’s for Lana. Cut it down, make her a tiny one. She needs it more than I do."

I opened my mouth to argue, but she’d already walked off toward the dorm. "I’m putting it on your bed," she called. "And hurry upstairs once you’re done. If Lana wakes up and doesn’t see you, she’ll cry."

Her kindness hit me harder than I expected. We’d only known each other half a day, yet she treated me like I mattered, like I wasn’t just another broken wolf scraping by among humans. My throat tightened, and for a moment, the sharp, lonely ache inside me dulled.

I gathered my supplies and was ready to head inside like everyone else, when a voice called from behind me.

"Hey, Aria. Wait up."