Nephew?
(Amber’s POV)
The final day of October arrived with a crisp morning breeze that carried the scent of fallen leaves and approaching winter. I stood in the village square, watching the crew pack up their equipment for the last time.
The village elder approached me with a weathered smile. “Miss Chase, our filming work has concluded successfully.”
I nodded, feeling a mix of satisfaction and melancholy. “Thank you for your cooperation throughout this project.”
“However,” the elder’s expression grew troubled, “we have a situation. We’ve only visited twenty–five out of twenty–six
families.”
My brow furrowed. “What happened to the last family?”
“There’s a four–year–old girl named Liliana Wilde who has hearing impairment,” he explained. “Her father, Keith Wilde, is a blind man who suddenly refused our assistance last night.”
The news struck me as odd. “Refused? But why?”
“I don’t understand it myself,” the elder shook his head. “Shadowpeak had already allocated four hundred thousand dollars for his daughter’s cochlear implant surgery. We’d arranged everything through Crescent Moon Hospital’s specialized supernatural medicine division.”
Something about this situation felt wrong. A father refusing help for his disabled child made no sense.
“I’d like to visit them,” I said firmly. “Maybe I can persuade him to reconsider.“.
The elder looked uncertain. “Are you sure, Miss Chase? He seemed quite adamant.”
“It’s worth trying. A child’s future is at stake.”
We walked through the village’s narrow cobblestone streets toward the outskirts. The modest cottage sat alone, surrounded by a small garden with wilted autumn flowers.
I knocked on the wooden door, expecting to meet this mysterious Keith Wilde. Instead, the door opened to reveal a face that made my blood run cold.
Rebecca Clearwater stood in the doorway, her pale eyes meeting mine with an unsettling calmness.
“Miss Chase,” she said smoothly. “What a surprise to see you here
My mouth went dry. “Rebecca? What are you doing here?”
She stepped aside, gesturing for us to enter. “Please, come in. I can explain everything.”
The cottage’s interior was sparse but clean. A young girl with dark hair sat quietly in the corner, playing with wooden blocks in complete silence.
“That’s Liliana,” Rebecca said, following my gaze. “Keith’s daughter.”
“Where is Keith?” I asked, my voice tight with suspicion.
“He’s resting. The poor man has been under tremendous stress.” Rebecca’s tone remained eerily calm. “You see, Keith is my nephew.”
The village elder looked confused. “Your nephew?”
“My older sister’s child,” Rebecca nodded. “Keith lost his sight at age three. His mother died shortly after, and he was given away to an elderly couple who had lost their own child.”
I felt a chill run down my spine. “You’re saying he’s family?”
Nephew?
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“Over the years, we gradually lost contact,” Rebecca continued. “Keith had no idea about his werewolf heritage. He’s been living as a human in this remote village.”
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The pieces weren’t adding up. “How did you find him here?”
Rebecca’s eyes gleamed with something dangerous. “I heard Lucas mention the name ‘Keith Wilde‘ while playing games last night. When I learned it was a twenty–nine–year–old blind man, I suspected it might be my nephew.”
“So you came to investigate,” I said slowly.
“Exactly. And I was right.” She moved closer to the window, her silhouette dark against the afternoon light. “Keith initially agreed to the assistance because he didn’t know Shadowpeak was involved.”
My heart began to race. “What do you mean?”
“The village elder only told him it was a large enterprise and television station froin the city,” Rebecca explained. “He had no idea about the connection.”
The room felt suffocating. Something terrible was coming.
Rebecca turned to face me directly, her pale eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. “Do you know how Keith lost his sight, Miss Chase?”
The question hung in the air like a death sentence. I couldn’t speak couldn’t breathe.
The village elder looked between us, clearly sensing the tension but not understanding its source.
“I think we should go,” I managed to whisper.
Rebecca smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course. Give my regards to Dominic.”
We left the cottage in silence. The walk back to the village center felt endless.
Throughout the evening, I remained trapped in my own thoughts. Rebecca’s words echoed in my mind, each repetition more
ominous than the last.
The farewell dinner with village officials and project leaders should have been celebratory. Instead, I sat in silence, picking at my food.
Dominic arrived halfway through the meal, sliding into the seat beside me. His presence usually brought comfort, but tonight even his warmth couldn’t penetrate the ice in my veins.
Felix Peter approached during dessert, his expression concerned. “Miss Chase, you seem troubled. Is everything alright?“.
I forced a smile. “Just tired from the long project.”
Felix glanced at Dominic, then back at me. “Perhaps I should mention something that might lift your spirits.”
“What’s that?” I asked absently.
“The long–term documentary project,” Felix said quietly. “It was specifically redesigned by Alpha Dominic after you joined.”
My attention snapped to him. “Redesigned?”
“The original plan was much smaller in scope,” Felix explained. “But when you became involved, Alpha Dominic expanded significantly. He wanted to provide you with lifelong financial security and a platform to showcase your photography talents to the supernatural community.”
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. I turned to look at Dominic, who was studiously avoiding my gaze.
“You did that for me?” I whispered.
He shrugged, still not meeting my eyes. “The project needed expansion anyway.”
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For a moment, the warmth of his gesture pushed away the darkness of Rebecca’s words. My wolf Cora purred softly, recognizing our mate’s thoughtfulness.
I reached for the serving platter and carefully placed a piece of venison steak on Dominic’s plate. “Thank you.”
He finally looked at me, his blue eyes soft. “You don’t need to thank me.“”
But even this tender moment couldn’t completely erase my unease
After dinner, we walked back to Shadowcrest, Lodge under the star-filled sky. The mountain air was crisp and clean, carrying the scent of pine and approaching winter.
Dominic walked beside me in comfortable silence for several minutes. Then I felt it – that subtle pull through our mate bond as he sensed my distress.
“Something’s troubling you,” he said quietly. “What happened with Keith’s situation?”
I stopped walking abruptly, my feet rooted to the mountain path. The moonlight cast everything in silver, making the world look ethereal and unreal.
Dominic stopped too, turning to face me with concern etched across his features.
I looked directly into his piercing blue eyes, my amber gaze reflecting the moonlight. The weight of Rebecca’s revelation pressed down on me like a physical force.
“Rebecca said that Keith’s blindness was caused by Shadowpeak.”
The words hung between us in the cold mountain air, heavy with implication and dread.
2
+25 BONUS
You’re on the Hot Search, Honey
(Amber’s POV)
The weight of Rebecca’s revelation pressed down on me like a physical force. I stared at Dominic, waiting for his response about Keith’s blindness being connected to Shadowpeak.
“Tell me everything she said,” Dominic’s voice was carefully controlled, but I could sense the tension beneath.
I took a shaky breath. “Rebecca didn’t reveal too much detail. She only mentioned that when Keith was three years old, he developed a high fever and was treated at a children’s hospital in silvercrest City.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
“After taking the medicine prescribed by the hospital, lie suffered an allergic reaction that led to his blindness,” I continued. ” The children’s hospital was privately owned, wholly controlled by biotechnology company under Shadowpeak’s umbrella.”
The moonlight cast harsh shadows across Dominic’s face as he processed this information.
“Rebecca implied that the medicine the hospital gave Keith was an experimental drug,” I whispered. “She said the hospital was using werewolf cubs for drug trials. Keith was unlucky and became one of the first test subjects.”
Dominic’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. The silence stretched between us, heavy with implications.
“I’ve never heard of this biotechnology company before,” I admitted. “I need to find out more.”
We walked back to Shadowcrest Lodge in tense silence. The mountain air felt suffocating despite its crispness.
Back in my room, I wasn’t in a hurry to pack since we weren’t returning to Silvercrest City until the next day. I drank half a bottle
of mineral water to calm my nerves, then sent a message to Lucas through the pack communication system.
“Lucas, I need to ask you about Keith Wilde. Do you know anything about him?”
Within seconds of sending the message, my phone rang. Lucas’s name flashed on the screen.
“Amber!” Lucas’s voice was breathless with excitement and shock “I just found out today, after Liam told me. I never knew I had a cousin!”
My heart sank. “You didn’t know?”
“From my earliest memories, I’ve never seen my mother’s relatives,” Lucas said, his tone filled with regret. “I’m shocked beyond belief. Why didn’t you tell me when you first met Keith?”
I felt a pang of guilt. “I didn’t know you were related. Lucas, I need to tell you something difficult.”
“What is it?”
“Keith doesn’t want to see me because his blindness had something to do with Shadowpeak,” I said quietly.
I told Lucas everything that had happened that day, including what Rebecca had revealed about the experimental drugs and the children’s hospital.
Lucas was silent for a long while before speaking. “Do we look alike? Who’s more handsome?”
Despite everything, I almost smiled at his typical vanity. “You both have the same stubborn chin.”
“Amber, I don’t know much about that biotechnology company because it no longer exists,” Lucas said seriously. “I only know that it was founded by my grandfather William and later taken over by my uncle Sebastian Blackwood.”
My blood ran cold. “Sebastian?”
“Later, when Dominic took control of Shadowpeak, he dismantled it,” Lucas continued, “At that time, that company and the children’s hospital were connected, making substantial profits. Many shareholders were unwilling to destroy it, and
roure on the Hot Search, Haney
grandfather William didn’t agree at the time either.”
What happened?”
+25 BONUS
“There was quite a commotion. Uncle Sebastian directly attacked Dominic’s other business interests,” Lucas explained.” Dominic and Sebastian engaged in a fierce pack power struggle at that time.”
The pieces were starting to form a terrifying picture.
Later that evening, I walked to the restaurant for the farewell dinner. Halfway there, exhaustion hit me like a wall.
Dominic appeared beside me as if sensing my fatigue. Without a word, he bent down, offering his back.
I jumped on without hesitation, wrapping my arms around his neck. The crescent moon hung high in the dark sky above us.
“Why did you disband that biotechnology company?” I asked against his ear. “Did you discover problems with their supernatural medical research?”
Dominic’s steps remained steady as he carried me. “I didn’t find any specific problems because the company’s surface accounts were clean and showed no obvious issues.”
“Then why destroy it?”
“I hadn’t thoroughly investigated it because I was too focused on other priorities,” Dominic admitted. “The company was independently managed by Sebastian, and I was in an antagonistic relationship with him due to the Alpha succession dispute.”
I tightened my grip around his neck, sensing the weight of old battles in his voice.
“I attacked any project under Sebastian’s control that generated significant revenue,” he continued. “It would take time to investigate properly, so it was better to just eliminate them entirely.”
“That seems harsh.”
“Sebastian used questionable means in business. The projects he handled that made money were often ethically compromised,
Dominic explained. “I didn’t have time to investigate Sebastian’s projects one by one, so I destroyed them directly.”
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I pressed my cheek against his shoulder. “Even legitimate projects?”
“There were many potentially legitimate projects that could have been preserved, but those handled by Sebastian were like tumors in the pack’s business operations,” Dominic said grimly. “Keeping them would create a corrupt atmosphere.”
“So you eliminated everything Sebastian was responsible for.”
“Including that biotechnology company. It was severed from the children’s hospital, and the hospital later went bankrupt and was liquidated.”
I hugged Dominic tightly and kissed his cheek, feeling sorry for the burden he had carried. “You did what you had to do.”
“How was Keith’s situation resolved back then?” Dominic asked, “Was there any legal trouble?”
“The hospital tricked Keith’s guardians into signing a document admitting that Keith had a primary immunodeficiency disease, not blindness caused by experimental drugs,” I replied.
Dominic wasn’t surprised. “Settled privately with financial compensation, I assume.”
“What else did Rebecca say?”
I recalled the rest of our conversation. “Rebecca said Keith was unwilling to accept Shadowpeak’s assistance, but was willing to accept hers. She would personally provide the money needed for Liliana’s cochlear implant surgery.”
“Convenient.”
“She also said that although Keith’s situation occurred many years ago, it was normal for him to harbor resentment since he
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Sve vinner mot search, Haney
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lost his sight,” I continued. “She hoped we could understand, and sked us to keep it confidential within the pack.”
Dominic’s grip on my legs tightened slightly. “Of course she did.”
The first thing I did after returning from Moonhaven Village was to invite Oliver Hunter to dinner. I had Dominic call him.
Oliver was shocked for a long time when he received Dominic’s call. “Is Amber voluntarily deciding to tell me about the Lunar Biologics investigation?”
“She is,” Dominic replied. “She confessed to me the night she left Moonhaven Village. She says she’s always owed you a debt of gratitude and wants to thank you in person.”
“Why am I only being told now?” Oliver asked. “I’ve been worried about her being affected by my investigation for the past half month. I’ve been losing sleep at night.”
“I’m telling you now so the burden on your conscience can be lifted,” Dominic said. “Amber needed a few days to emotionally
adjust to the revelation about Keith.”
(Dominic’s POV)
I was in my executive suite at Shadowpeak Tower processing emails when Lucas came in to sign a document for the artificial intelligence project.
While I reviewed the contract, Lucas mentioned his cousin Keith, expressing his feelings of regret about their family connection.
I paused my signing and looked up at him. Lucas avoided my gaze, fidgeting with his phone.
After I finished signing, I threw the document to Lucas. “Do you genuinely like Naomi Warren from the Warren Pack?”
Lucas smiled, his face lighting up. “Yes.”
“Are you seriously pursuing her?”
“I am. I’ve harbored feelings for her for many years.”
“Would you mark her as your
mate?”
Lucas lowered his head and organized the documents. “I would, as long as she’s willing to accept the mate bond.”
When Felix Peter came in, I was standing in front of the huge floor–to–ceiling window, overlooking the city skyline of
Silvercrest.
Felix brought the information I had requested, containing all the records of Lunar Biologics, a subsidiary of Shadowpeak.
I sat down and took the files. Felix started to ask about the pack’s quarterly reports, but I cut him off.
“I’ll personally oversee Lunar Biologics operations in the future.”
I flipped through a few pages, then looked up at Felix. “Monitor any unusual activity in Victoria Chase’s private financial accounts.”
Just as I was about to discuss something else, my phone buzzed with a message.
It was from Amber.
“Dominic, have you seen social media? Your mate is trending!”
