Aiden’s POV
Gustavo stepped out of the black SUV first, his sharp suit glinting in the mid-morning light. He opened the car door for me, I adjusted the cufflinks on my tailored navy blue suit. The crisp white shirt beneath and the dark vest hugged my broad body, which emphasized my power and stature as an Alpha. My hair was neatly slicked back and was still slightly damp from the shower I had taken earlier to clear my mind. Today is a big day.
The Roux Alphas are crucial to the new alliances I sought to forge, and as business dominated my thoughts, there was an undercurrent of anticipation-one tied to a deep, painful yearning. Emily Roux Moreau, I thought. I knew she couldn’t be Shenaya, yet I couldn’t stop myself from wishing otherwise. Seven years had passed since I lost her. Seven years of regret and sleepless nights haunted by her scent, her face, and her fiery spirit that I had been too blind to cherish.
A man approached me, he was dressed in black slacks and a charcoal shirt that spoke of formality without overdoing it.
“Welcome to Rock Reel Pack, Alpha Aiden,” He greeted me “I am Logan, Rock Reel Beta,” he said with a slight bow.
“Alpha Aiden, this way. The meeting room is ready,” he gestured for me to follow. Logan’s voice was respectful and formal.
As we walked down the long, polished corridors of the Roux estate, I felt a flicker of unease. I wasn’t sure if it was the imposing architecture or the looming negotiations, but something felt off. That was when I caught it-the scent. My body froze momentarily. It was faint but unmistakable, lingering in the air like a cruel memory. That scent. The scent that had been seared into my soul. It flooded me with memories, my heart racing as if I had run straight into the past. Shenaya.
My pulse quickened as I fought the overwhelming urge to break into a sprint, I wanted to chase the scent I had spent years searching for, but I couldn’t. Not here. Not yet.
Gustavo threw a cautious glance at me as he sensed the shift in my energy. He could sense my Alpha aura flooding out. I swallowed hard, doing everything in my power to maintain composure.
We reached a door and Logan stepped forward to open it. He gestured for me to enter, and as i stepped in, my gaze darted around. My heart sank when I found only Ethan, the Alpha of the Rock Reel pack, standing by the large oak table. Ethan was tall, muscular, and regal. He is dressed in a dark green suit that mirrors the lush forests of their territory and his eyes. His face broke into a formal smile.
“Alpha Aiden, welcome. Please, sit,” Ethan greeted, motioning to the leather chair across from him.
The scent was stronger now, curling through the air like a ghost. I clenched my fists under the table, fighting the urge to ask outright. Was Shenaya here? I couldn’t afford to be distracted. Not yet.
We began the conversation, by discussing the terms of our alliance-trading patrols, resources, and territories. I responded automatically to all of his questions, but my mind was somewhere else entirely, my senses trained on the scent, which seemed to permeate the entire room. Smoke, my wolf stirred within me, he became restless and eager.
Then, just as Ethan was detailing a territory dispute, a door on the side of the room opened, and I felt time itself slow down.
She stepped through the doorway with an elegance that struck me to the core. The woman was radiant, her dark hair cascading down in soft waves over her shoulders, contrasting against her crisp white blouse tucked into high-waisted, fitted black pants. The material shimmered subtly, highlighting her figure-powerful yet graceful. She was wearing a gold pendant, small but shining against the pale skin of her collarbone. Her posture was confident, exuding authority in every step.
My breath hitched, my eyes widened almost falling off their sockets and my heart nearly stopped.
‘It’s her’ Smoke said. The face, the scent-everything was unmistakably Shenaya except for the hair, it was wrong. It was black, not the fiery red I had spent countless nights dreaming about, and there was a fire in her eyes, a dominance I had never seen before, a strength I had never noticed her show.
The air between us crackled with tension as she crossed the room, her heels clicking against the floor with authority. I could hardly process what I was seeing. I had prepared myself to meet Emily Roux Moreau, but this-this is Shenaya.
“Hello, Alpha Aiden,” she said, her voice steady, calm, and undeniably powerful. She stopped in front of me and extended her hand. “I’m Emily Roux Moreau, Alpha of the Rock Reel pack.”
My jaw nearly dropped. I struggled to breathe, to think, to form words. Alpha? She couldn’t be. Shenaya had been an Omega. A submissive wolf. Not this.
I blinked, staring at her, my hand frozen in mid-air as my mind raced. Is this some cruel trick? Some twist of fate that led me to a woman who was both Shenaya and not Shenaya? I barely noticed Ethan standing behind her, watching the interaction with a small, knowing smirk.
Emily’s-Shenaya’s-hand remained extended, waiting for me to respond. I slowly reached out and took it, her skin was warm and soft, but the power beneath it was unmistakable. The touch sent a jolt through me and a spark of recognition made Smoke howl inside me.
“It’s… an honor to meet you, Alpha Emily,” I finally managed with a strained voice.
“The honor is mine,” she replied and gave me a polite but distant smile, she withdrew her hand smoothly and sat at the head of the table, all business.
“Shall we continue with the negotiations?” she said with the most serious look I had ever seen.
I sat down too with my mind spinning. How was this possible? Could Emily Roux Moreau truly be Shenaya? Or Am I losing my mind?
The scent was still there, strong and undeniable but the woman before me was different. More confident, more powerful, more… Alpha. I could barely focus on the negotiations, my heart torn between the past I had lost and the present that stood right in front of me
As Ethan and Emily began discussing patrol routes, I found myself watching her every move, every flicker of emotion on her face because I had to know the truth. I needed to see a slight flicker of recognition in her eyes. I had to know if this was the woman I had loved-and lost.
I remained silent, trapped in a swirl of confusion and longing, knowing that whatever came next could change everything.