Andre's POV
Years had passed since I destroyed everything that mattered.
Years since Meryl vanished from my world, leaving nothing behind but the echo of her tears and the weight of my own cowardice. Years of drowning in regret while building an empire that meant absolutely nothing without her.
I told myself I had done the right thing. That pushing her away, breaking her heart before she could break mine, was somehow noble. That if I was cruel enough, she would forget me and find happiness somewhere else.
What a pathetic lie that turned out to be.
She never left my mind. Not for a single day. Not for a single hour.
Her face haunted my dreams. Her laugh tormented my waking moments. Other women became nothing more than pale shadows, desperate attempts to fill a void that only she could occupy. But nothing worked. No one compared.
She owned me completely, even in her absence.
Dario International stood as testament to my success. I had become the youngest Alpha to command respect in both human and werewolf society. Money, power, influence - I possessed everything most men spent lifetimes chasing.
Yet I had nothing.
Because I had thrown away the only thing that ever mattered.
My fated mate. The gift the moon goddess had blessed me with.
And I had crushed it with my own hands.
The bond had struck me like lightning when she came of age. Meryl, my stepsister, my mother's husband's daughter. Human. Innocent. Everything I should have protected instead of coveted.
But the pull was undeniable. It burned through my veins like molten fire, demanding I claim what belonged to me.
So I ran. I convinced myself distance would weaken the connection. I avoided family gatherings, ignored my mother's pleas, buried myself in work until exhaustion numbed the ache.
It only made things worse.
When she was older, my mother's desperation finally wore me down. One dinner, I promised myself. One night to prove I could control this madness.
The moment I walked through that door and her scent hit me, I knew I was lost.
I could barely look at her across the dinner table. Every cell in my body screamed for her. That night, I locked myself in the bathroom like some perverted teenager, stroking myself to thoughts of her while her name fell from my lips like a prayer.
Then I heard her gasp outside the door.
She had seen everything.
Any decent man would have apologized, would have left immediately. But I wasn't decent. I was selfish and desperate and completely gone for her.
The next morning, when the house was empty, I went to her room.
I made her mine in every way that mattered.
She gave herself to me completely, trustingly, beautifully. And what did I do? I walked away without a word. Left her lying there like she meant nothing when she meant everything.
Just like my father had done to my mother.
He had been an Alpha too, fated to a human. But he chose the Luna the elders wanted instead. He broke my mother's heart and drove her away. She rebuilt her life with Dennis Armand, raised me to be better than the man who abandoned us.
Instead, I became exactly like him.
Weeks later, I returned with Adelaide on my arm. The perfect Luna candidate. Everything the pack expected. Everything I should have wanted.
But she wasn't Meryl.
And when the longing became unbearable, I went to Meryl's room again. Took what I wanted like she belonged to me. Used her body to ease my torment while promising her nothing.
The last time, she begged me with tears streaming down her face.
"Don't marry her," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please, Andre. I'll be anything you need me to be. Just don't marry her."
I walked out without answering.
The next day, she was gone.
No note. No goodbye. Just empty drawers and a devastated stepfather who blamed himself for her disappearance.
But I knew the truth. I had driven her away. Made her feel worthless. Used and discarded.
I had been punishing myself ever since.
A sharp knock jolted me from my memories.
One of my men entered, his face grim, his posture tense.
"Alpha," he said carefully. "We found her."
I shot to my feet so violently my chair crashed into the wall behind me.
"Where?"
"She's alive, sir. Working as a cleaning lady at the Grandview Hotel downtown."
"A cleaning lady?" The words tasted like ash. My proud, intelligent Meryl reduced to scrubbing floors for survival.
"There's more."
He slid a photograph across my desk with trembling fingers.
I stared down at the image, and my world imploded.
There she was. Thinner than I remembered, exhaustion etched into her delicate features. But still breathtakingly beautiful. Still mine.
And beside her stood a little boy with dark curls and familiar eyes.
My son.
"He's young," the man continued quietly. "She never listed a father on any documents. They're struggling, Alpha. She works double shifts, sometimes skips meals so he can eat. They've received multiple eviction notices."
Rage exploded through my chest. My mate, my child, living in poverty while I sat in luxury.
"Bring her to me," I snarled. "Now."
"Sir, perhaps we should approach this more carefully—"
"I said NOW!"
————
Meryl's POV
I was scrubbing bathroom tiles on the third floor when my radio crackled to life, making me jump.
"Meryl. Mr. Warner's office. Immediately."
My hands stilled on the mop handle, dread settling in my stomach like a stone.
I had never been called to the manager's office before. In all my years of working here, I had kept my head down, done my job, stayed invisible. Whatever this was, it couldn't be good.
My legs felt unsteady as I made my way through the service corridors, trying to calm my racing heart.
I knocked softly and peered inside. Mr. Warner sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable and cold.
"You wanted to see me?" I whispered.
He didn't waste time on pleasantries. "Room 1904. You're needed there tonight."
My blood turned to ice. "Room 1904? But I don't service the executive floors. I only clean the lower levels."
"You're not going to clean."
The words hit me like a physical blow. "Then why—"
"He requested you specifically. Be there at seven o'clock sharp."
I gripped the doorframe to keep from falling. "I can't. Please, Mr. Warner, I can't do what you're asking."
His eyes hardened. "Then clean out your locker tonight."
The threat hung in the air between us, suffocating and final.
"Please," I begged, my voice breaking. "I've worked here for years. I'm never late, never miss shifts. I need this job. My son needs—"
"Then be there," he cut me off. "Look presentable."
I nodded numbly, hating myself for the weakness, but I had no choice. My son depended on me. I would do anything to keep food on our table and a roof over his head.
Just before seven, I stared at my reflection in the employee restroom mirror. My face was pale and drawn, dark circles shadowing my eyes. I looked as broken as I felt.
I didn't try to fix it. I tied my hair back, washed the grime from my hands, but left my stained uniform unchanged. If someone wanted to see me, they could see exactly what their money was buying.
Just before seven, I stood outside Room 1904, my entire body trembling with fear and disgust.
I raised my fist and knocked twice.
The door opened slowly.
I looked up and felt the world tilt beneath my feet.
My vision blurred. My lungs forgot how to work. Every nightmare and dream I'd had for years came crashing down at once.
"Andre?" I gasped, his name falling from my lips like a curse and a prayer all at once.