CHAPTER 2

　　Soft music blares from the speaker, and I'm standing frozen at the sight before me. Those familiar eyes burned through every cell in my soul, igniting a whirlwind of emotions that I thought I had buried long ago. Memories, both beautiful and painful, flood my mind as I struggle to find the right words to say.

　　"Boys, here she is!" Emilia squealed with delight.

　　"Wow, isn't she just the perfect Luna?" Whom I perceived to be the alpha of the Black Land Pack, Black Cullen said with a light-hearted laugh escaping his lips.

　　All eyes were on me, yet I couldn't bring myself to say a word. I had practised my speech and thought of every single event that might take place and how I would handle it, but I never prepared myself for this shocking revelation right before me.

　　Never did I come to realise that the twin brother of my fiancé would turn out to be the man I couldn't bring myself to forget. He never spoke a word about his family to me.

　　"Terran, come get your wife,"' Emilia said, but Terran answered in silence as his eyes remained on me before diverting his gaze to the tablet on the table.

　　"Not today, Terran; forget about work and get to know your bride-to-be," Black said, stretching his arms to seize the tablet in front of Terran, but Terran was quick to stop his father's hand from meeting his tablet.

　　"I'll keep it," He coldly replied, his voice soft and low.

　　"Don't be intimidated; he acts this way but can be the biggest baby when he warms up to you," Emilia said, after rolling her eyes at Terran. I wasn't bothered by Terran or his attitude; my whole system was focused and worried about Heath, who still remained silent with his blazing brown eyes staring into my soul.

　　"Welcome to the family, Nalani." My heart skipped a thousand beats the moment his familiar, raspy voice called my name.

　　"It's an honour to be in your presence tonight," I managed to say, swallowing the heavy lump of saliva down my throat and forcing a smile on my face.

　　"May I use the powder room?" I asked as beads of sweat trickled down my face. I need to ease myself out of this tension and gather my thoughts before joining the rest of the family.

　　Before Emilia could respond, Heath nodded silently, his eyes never leaving mine, as if he could sense my unease. I quickly excused myself and made my way to the powder room, hoping that a few moments alone would help calm my racing heart.

　　"Isn't she so beautiful?" I could hear Emilia's voice before walking away from the diner.

　　The moment my feet made it into the powder room, I locked the door behind me before crashing on the beige sofa in sight, heaving deep breaths to calm myself, but nothing seemed to be reducing the tension I felt in there. Why does he have to be here? I tried so hard to forget him and move on for the sake of my pack and family, so why does he have to be my fiancé's twin?

　　"Heath, why?" I yelled, running my hands through the silky strands of my brown hair in exasperation.

　　I was willing to deal with the formidable Terran by myself, but I never prepared myself to deal with Heath living under the same roof with me. I can't deny the sinful thoughts I still carry for him, no matter how hard I try. It would be close to impossible to live under the same roof as him.

　　The constant reminder of our past and the lingering attraction between us would only complicate matters further. It feels like a cruel twist of fate that he had to be my fiancé's twin, making it even harder to forget him and move on for the sake of my pack and family.

　　knock knock

　　A sound came from the door. I tried to gather myself before leaving the room or letting anyone else see me in my current state, but whoever was behind the door was impatient, as the banging on the door only became more aggressive as the seconds passed.

　　"Jeez, you couldn't wait a bit?" I yelled, already prepared to unleash my anger on whoever was behind the door, knowing full well that it couldn't be Emilia, but there was no other female wolf in sight, so who could it be?

　　Just as I twisted the knobs on the door, I was hit with the scent I dreaded the most. How didn't I smell him earlier?

　　"Do you hate me that much?" He asked, standing tall in front of me with his huge frame covering my smaller frame. My heart raced in my chest, the familiar mix of fear and anger surging through my veins. I clenched my fists, struggling to maintain control over my emotions as I lifted my head towards his piercing eyes.

　　"Why didn't you tell me you were the son of the Cullen family?" I asked, growling through my clenched teeth.

　　"Does it matter?"

　　"Yes, it fucking does, you asshole!" I yelled.

　　"Am I the asshole now after you broke up with me for that stupid reason?"

　　"I had to do what was best for my pack, but why didn't you let me know? Why, Heath?" Every ounce of worry in me was converting into the anger I now feel towards Heath.

　　"Nalani, calm down," He warmly said.

　　"Don't fucking tell me to calm down, you jerk; how am I supposed to live with you and my fiancé under the same roof?"

　　"Nalani, calm down," He repeated, his voice coming off as a threat.

　　"I can't take any more of this nonsense!" I yelled one more time, but before I could move past him, his powerful arm hauled me back into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

　　"You're not going anywhere," he growled in a low voice.

　　Everything was happening so fast, and before I could realise what was going on, the taste of his lips on mine intoxicated me into realms that I never knew existed. In that moment, all the anger and frustration seemed to melt away, replaced by a wave of desire and longing. It was as if our shared passion had momentarily overshadowed the chaos and uncertainty surrounding us.