Chapter 5: Irune POV

I’ve been staring at the ceiling for an hour, this glass of liquid gold in my hand, sipping it slow and steady, welcoming the burn like a penance.

I don’t understand a damn thing about what happened today.

How did that small, curvy woman bring me crashing to the ground with nothing but her presence? That’s not just rare—it’s impossible. No one’s ever dropped me. No one’s ever even gotten close.

Unless...

Witchcraft?

But witches vanished decades ago. Extinct, we believed. If one survived, we’d have known. Wouldn’t we?

And then there’s Malik. He didn’t sense her at all. Not even a whisper of her scent. She wasn’t there—and then she was, and I was down. The only clue to her presence was that unnatural heat that followed her. That had to be her, right?

Fuck.

I throw the glass hard. It shatters against the wall, golden liquor dripping down like blood from a fresh wound.

She needs to be dealt with.

I grab the slim file sitting on the coffee table and flip it open again. The folder feels too light. Too empty.

Trinity Lykoudis.

The name hits me sideways.

Lykoudis—“wolf.” The original bloodline. The first of our kind.

My father beat those names into me from birth. Family trees. Battle lines. Every original family memorized until I dreamed in Latin and war cries.

I grab another glass from the cabinet and pour another drink.

This woman... she’s dangerous. Not just because she dropped me. Not just because she somehow walked into a building full of wolves and no one sensed whatever she is. We all thought she was human. Her HR file says fuckin human, but she can’t be. A human would not be able to affect me like that.

Is she a spy for him? Did he plant her in my company to get close to me? I have so many questions when I get my hands on her.

I toss the file across the room. There’s nothing on her.

No origin. No species. No birth records. Just her job—top-tier designer. All her projects succeed. Clients ask for her by name. She’s skilled, respected, spotless on paper.

But she’s a ghost in every other way.

Where is she from?

Is she one of us—or something else entirely?

If she is one of us, what the hell is she doing in the city… living with a human?

Does he know what she is? Does she?

What’s her goal? My head is spinning

“Alpha, we have a situation at the border.”

“What is it, J.R.?”

“There’s a vehicle parked on pack territory.

Three warriors spotted it during patrol.

We’ve identified a she-wolf, and you're not going to believe this.”

“Spit it out”, I recognize I have no patience tonight. That left me hours ago.

It’s her. The woman from the video in the elevator.”

“Trinity Lykoudis,” I mutter. “Are you sure it’s her?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

J.R. Flashes me an image in my mind’s view. It’s her. She’s fuckin here in my territory. There’s no way she doesn’t know she’s trespassing.

“Put her in custody and bring her to the cages immediately.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

You have got to be shitting me.

She came here*?* Is she really that bold?

A wolf. She’s a fucking wolf.

Malik, how did we miss that? How did a wolf get this close to us without even a scent trail?

“I don’t know, Runey boy,” Malik says with hesitation in my head. His hesitation almost feels like a lie; he’s holding something back.  “She’s like a ghost. But I’d advise you to stay away from her—unless you want a repeat of earlier.”

He’s right. I need answers. I need control. And getting too close to her again? That’s a risk I can’t afford.

“JR,” I mindlink, “Once she’s in the dungeon, set up the cameras and come to my office.”

I pick up the file and its contents spread over the floor and head down the hall.

It’s going to be a long night.

Thirty minutes later, J.R. stands in front of me, his clothes rumpled and dusty.

“She gave us hell as soon as she saw the cages. Didn’t say a word the whole walk until we reached the entrance. Then she saw the cages and lost it. Started throwing elbows and growling like we were dragging her to her execution.”

I lean back in my chair. “She thought you were bringing her to me.”

“Exactly.”

“Not happening.” I pause. “Did she say anything useful? Any clue about her abilities?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing. Not a word. Silent until she snapped. She just kept saying she needs to talk to you, and our pack is in danger.”

I tap the file on my desk, flipping through the same useless pages. Still no answers. “So... what do we do?” he asks.

“We don’t kill her. Not yet.”

J.R. raises a brow. “You think she’s working for him?”

“I don’t trust the silence on his end. He’s been too quiet this past year. If this woman is here on her own, that’s one thing. But if she’s a scout, or worse... I need to know immediately. I will not risk this pack.”

“Understood.”

“I can’t question her directly. Not yet. I still don’t know what she did to me.”

J.R. nods slowly. “What’s the plan then?”

“She stays in the cages three days; I need her weakened. Then we test her—see if her presence still affects me.”

“And if it does?”

“We do what we must. If she doesn’t, then we start the questioning. And if she resists…” I let the silence speak for itself.

J.R. grins darkly. “She’ll talk. They always do.”

I’m not so sure. Trinity Lykoudis isn’t like the others.

And that might be the real problem.

I open my laptop and turn to the monitors to watch the woman who is now my prisoner.