The rain finally stopped sometime in the middle of the night. But I couldn’t sleep—not after everything Max had told me that afternoon. I was the only granddaughter of the Alpha of the Imperial Pack. All this time, I thought I was just an ordinary wolf. I never imagined my mother had come from the most powerful werewolf family in Capitol—the Imperial Pack’s Goldberg line. Now what? What happens next? If the rest of the Imperial Pack finds out who I am, will they demand I return to the clan? Will they try to force me into mating with someone I don’t even know? Aside from Max, I had no connection to the rest of that family. I had no idea what kind of traditions or rules those high-ranking packs followed. I didn’t feel anything for the Imperial Pack. That was exactly why I wasn’t in a rush to meet Mr. Greg in the Capitol. The thoughts kept swirling in my mind until, eventually, they wore me out. Somewhere between anxious thoughts and what-ifs, sleep finally found me. … The next morning, I woke up early. Downstairs, Mary was already cooking breakfast. They were heading back to the Capitol today, so the house was in quiet motion, getting ready. After we ate, Adam and I planned to leave early to avoid bumping into any other Goldberg relatives—but Max stopped us at the door. “Raelyn, the one picking us up today is my second brother’s son. Why don’t you stick around for a second and say hi?” I knew exactly what he was trying to do. He wanted to introduce me to one of my cousins and maybe help us build a bond. “I don’t think that’s necessary,” I said quickly. “We barely know each other.” I wasn’t great at meeting strangers, and definitely not under these weird family-reunion circumstances. It felt forced. Adam caught the vibe immediately and jumped in. “Yeah, we’ve got work today. Can’t stay much longer.”Max and Mary exchanged a look but didn’t push it. Unfortunately, just as we stepped outside, a sleek car rolled to a stop. Uh-oh. Bad timing. A Porsche pulled up and parked out front. A few seconds later, the driver’s side door opened—and a guy stepped out who looked like he belonged in a high-end fashion magazine. “Damn,” I muttered under my breath. He was almost unnaturally good-looking. He had the same narrow, intense eyes as Adam, but with one distinct difference—a tiny beauty mark right at the corner of one. His hair was longer, his lips thinner, and his entire look had a cold, elegant sharpness to it. If Adam gave off a dangerous, untouchable vibe, this guy was something else entirely—sharp, elegant, and almost too flawless. Well, I guessed the Goldberg genes really were something else. Whoever this guy was, he looked more like a movie star than a werewolf. “Uncle Max. Aunt Mary. Are you ready?” he said as he approached. His voice was low and cool, almost emotionless. Max perked up immediately. “Wesley! Good timing. This is Raelyn—figured you two should meet. Might not be the last time you cross paths.” Wesley turned toward me and gave me a quick once-over, his expression unreadable. “Nice to meet you. Wesley Goldberg,” he said, offering his hand. I took it. “Raelyn Beck.” The handshake was brief, the tension immediate. I don’t like him. Freya growled in my mind. He’s all smug and polished. Feels fake. Agreed, I thought. Definitely not my kind of wolf. Max clearly picked up on the tension and tried to fix it. “Come on, you two. Lighten up. You’re family now. No need to act like strangers.” Wesley raised an eyebrow and shot him a look. “Uncle Max, please tell me you’re not trying to set me up again. You came to Varken for a vacation, not to play matchmaker. That’s the fifth girl you’ve introduced me to this month. If you’re bored, let’s go play golf. Save us both the headache.” I blinked. Did he seriously just say that?The arrogance radiating off this guy was unreal. “Relax,” I said flatly. “Trust me, I’m not even a little bit interested.” Freya growled in agreement. Definitely not boyfriend material. At that moment, I felt even more sure I’d made the right decision by refusing to go back to the Imperial Pack. If the family were full of guys like this, I’d never survive. “Good,” Wesley muttered. I clenched my jaw and turned away. If I stayed another second, I might’ve actually punched him. … Wesley’s POV Pretty face. Decent figure. But that attitude? Yeah, no thanks. She’s not my type. I watched Raelyn walk away, unimpressed. Uncle Max gave me a look. “Was that really necessary? You just met her, and you’re already running your mouth. Of course she got mad.” I folded my arms. “Uncle Max, how many times do I have to say it? Could you stop trying to set me up? I don’t need a girlfriend.” He looked mildly uncomfortable. “Well... this time wasn’t about that.” I narrowed my eyes. “Then what was it?” “She’s your cousin.” I blinked. “Wait... you have a daughter we didn’t know about?” Uncle Max gave me a deadpan look. “No. You remember your Aunt Vanessa? The one who disappeared years ago?” I nodded slowly. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with her? You’re saying she’s... Aunt Vanessa’s daughter?” I glanced toward where Raelyn had disappeared down the driveway. A strange flicker of recognition ran through me. Something about her profile... it reminded me of the woman in that old photo Grandpa used to keep in his office.“She’ll be joining the Imperial Pack soon,” Uncle Max added. “Try not to get on her bad side.” I gave a small nod. “Got it.” So she’s my cousin, huh? Well... that just got interesting.