THE LOCKDOWN
Im .. I'm sorry ... Anderson stuttered for the first time ever ..trying to move away .
Looking at her like a predator watching his prey before closing his eyes and breathing in ....
Are you scared of me ? .. he asked with a hint of hurt in his voice
Uhhm .. hmmm ,Mr Ander...
It's okay ,I understand.... Let's go
Ariana followed closely through the hallway, her pulse thundering like it wanted to escape her chest, Her mind trying to focus ..
Every step he took… she heard it.
Every breath he drew… she felt it.
Ryn stayed silent.
Lila hid.
And that new voice,the cold, ancient one,hovered like a shadow in her mind.
It unsettled even Ryn.
Ariana tried not to look at Anderson's back broad, tense, powerful... but it was impossible.
The moment he touched her earlier, her entire system reacted like it knew him.
And that terrified her.
They reached his private office floor.
The Glass Room.
A place people avoided.
A place where secrets never survived.
Anderson opened the door and walked in without his usual mask of cold precision.
He was… restless.
On edge.
Hungry.
He turned to her.
"Ariana. Sit."
His tone was clipped, alpha-deep.
Not a suggestion.
A command.
Ariana's knees nearly buckled.
She sat.
Anderson paced—slow, barefooted predator energy in every step—until he finally stopped in front of her.
"What you did downstairs," he said quietly, "That collapse—did it happen before?"
Ariana swallowed.
"I-I don't know. Sometimes the personalities… push at once. Sometimes they don't."
"Personalities" he repeated softly, eyes glowing faintly gold. "Plural."
His gaze sharpened.
"How many?"
"I… I don't know anymore."
He moved closer.
Too close.
The wolf inside him snarled as her scent flooded the air again
fear
warmth
confusion
and that strange electric pulse that didn't belong to a normal human.
He crouched in front of her, their faces inches apart.
"Why do I feel more than one heartbeat inside you?"
Ariana froze.
He wasn't supposed to know that.
He wasn't supposed to sense that.
Her lips parted… but the wrong voice slipped out again.
The new one.
Calm.
Low.
Cold.
"Because you're not human.. Mate."
The room went silent.
Anderson didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't breathe.
"How do you know ? And you called me mate , who are you? "
Then—
BOOM.
The building lights snapped off.
Emergency sirens blared.
Red lights flashed across the Glass Room.
A robotic voice echoed through the entire floor:
"Security breach on Level 35. All doors locked. Evacuate lower floors. Upper floors in automatic lockdown."
Anderson swore harshly.
Ariana jumped to her feet.
"What's happening?!"
He grabbed her wrist instantly ...too fast, too strong.
"You're staying with me."
"But... "
The door slammed shut behind them with a heavy mechanical clank.
Metal bars locked into place.
They were trapped.
Alone.
In a glass room.
No escape.
Ariana's breath shook. "This is a security measure?"
He faced her slowly… and something in his expression shifted.
No more CEO mask.
No more cold billionaire.
Something ancient stared at her now.
Something wild.
"My wolf hates being confined," he said softly.
Ariana stiffened.
Her mind spiraled... She loves reading about werewolves back when she had nothing to think off .. when there was no late drunkard's dad loan to cover up , No mother's hospital expenses to settle ,no house rents .... But she never imagined that she'll meet one
Ryn snapped awake.
"He's changing—GET BACK!"
But it was too late.
Anderson stepped back, head dropping slightly, chest rising hard.
His voice vibrated with something more beast than man.
"This wasn't supposed to happen today…"
His fingernails darkened.
His eyes flared gold.
Muscles tightened under his shirt as bones strained.
A low, guttural growl shook the room.
Ariana stumbled back, shaking.
"Luca—?!"
He slammed his palm into the wall behind her—
caging her in—
eyes burning with a feral glow.
His voice was a ragged rumble against her ear.
"You need to keep talking… or I'll lose control."
"T-talking? About what??"
His breath hit her neck, hot enough to scorch.
"About anything," he growled. "Your name—your voices .. your fear.. your heartbeat..... just don't stop."
Ariana's heart hammered..... "Mate needs us! .. " .. The new voice screamed in her head
"What should I do ??" She replied, equally worried and scared ..
"Anything, just calm him down"
He groaned .... deep, primal, pained.
Mate.
MATE.
MATE.
The wolf was clawing inside him.
Desperate.
Starving.
Claiming.
Ariana pressed her hands on both sides of his cheeks with a confidence that she never knew she had .
"Okay… Okay, Luca ... Listen
... just… tell me what's happening to you."
He lifted his head.
His gaze was no longer human but there was a hint of shock in it.
"You happened."
Her breath stalled.
And he whispered the words that cleared her entire world:
"My wolf only wakes for one thing, Ariana."
He leaned closer, voice breaking into a growl
"A mate."
The air died.
Her body reacted to that word .. Mate ... A urge to protect him came from somewhere deep in her soul ....
Ryn screamed inside her.
Lila sobbed.
Lyre whispered in her head:
"I tried to warn you."
Anderson's fingers brushed her cheek.
Everything in him trembled violently.
"You're… mine.".. he growled
She hugged him , not knowing why ,or how she was able to .. but she knows she did
He instantly calmed down with his hands wrapping her up
Something inside her recognized him too.
"Mate recognized us, she isn't scared of us " .. his wolf kept repeating while he tried to keep himself calm and not scare her off again ..
"It's okay Mate , okay ? " .. she whispered
His wolf paused and so did he ...
"You called us Mate ? " He asked to be sure ...
"Aren't you ? " She replied...
He saw the touch of brown in her eyes and he instantly knew that this wasn't Adriana ..
Who are you? .. he asked while pulling away ...
"I'm Luna , Your mate "
"Wait...what of Adriana, where's she ?"
"She's still here "
"Who hugged me ? ,you or her?.. he questioned disregarding his wolf who's ready to claim her "
"What if I said I was the one ? ".. Luna replied with a ting of playfulness no one has ever seen in her ...
Mate .... he growled .. his hands fighting to be on her ..
Then he felt her soft skin on his again .. this time ,the hug was comforting..
"Don't worry , I'll make all of us fall for you .. okay?"
"How many are you all ? .. He asked , with his hands roaming about her waist , burying his head into her neck while her hands played with his hair ..
"For now,we are five ... And you've met Adriana , Myself and Ryn "
"Hmmmn" ... He hummed leaving a hot breath on her neck which earned a moan from her
"S-so it remains Vyre and Lila ..."
"When would they come out ?"
"I don't know yet ... And don't worry I'm your mate but Adriana hugged you before I took control and I'm about to give her back the control now "
"But how would I know "....
"Shhh" .... Luna replied before making their lips one
And the fight for dominance began .... Till Adriana took over again....
.....
She pushed him off with all her might
"L-luca .. i-im sorry.. I-I can ..."
"Not today mate .. " he said before claiming her lips again till her knees buckled and he could only place her on the work desk available while his hands roams around her body ...
"If you don't want me .. just say Stop" he said with a ragged voice while his fingers found its way to her ****...
"Hmmmn ,s-st-stop Luca " she moaned
"You have to be intentional babe " . He said while playing with her already wet ****
"Don't ,don't stop " "Pls Luca " ...
"Your wish is my command Mate "
...