The moment Julian walked in, the very air in the room shifted for him.

He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, no tie, the collar of his shirt unbuttoned to reveal the lines of his collarbone and a hard chest.

Seven years had forged the lean boy into a true top-tier Alpha—over six-foot-three, with broad shoulders and long legs, every step he took radiating the calm confidence of a predator.

But his amber eyes were just as I remembered—warm like an autumn forest, though now they burned with a cold, furious fire.

“I said, let her go.”

His voice wasn't loud, but it made Kyle instinctively release me. It was the absolute dominance of a higher-ranking Alpha.

Liam’s face was a mask of fury. “Thorne? This is a Blackwood affair—”

“I’m here to get my woman,” Julian cut him off, walking straight toward me, completely ignoring Liam’s existence.

His scent enveloped me, gentle and protective—the bittersweet aroma of dark chocolate, the crispness of a pine forest after rain, and a hint of a storm on the horizon. It miraculously chased away the nauseating pressure and the churning alcohol in my stomach.

He knelt, his amber eyes carefully checking me over. His fingertips gently brushed my lips. “Can you stand?”

I nodded, using his strength to get to my feet. My legs were a little weak, but it was more because of his sudden appearance.

“Julian Thorne,” Liam ground out, “this is between her and me. You have no right to interfere!”

“No right?” Julian finally looked at him, the corner of his mouth twisting into a humorless smirk. “Blackwood, you seem to have forgotten that seven years ago, Elena was almost my Luna. If it weren’t for your damned ‘family obligation’.”

“She’s not yours now either!” Liam roared, the wolf churning in his eyes. “We broke the engagement, but she provoked my wife tonight, and she has to pay the price!”

“Wife?” Julian’s gaze flickered over Sophia like she was something filthy. “A woman who uses voodoo potions to fake a mating mark and black magic to steal good fortune is worthy of being called a mate?”

Sophia’s face went pale. “You’re lying!”

“Am I?” Julian sneered. “The ‘mark’ on your neck is drawn with swamp blood ink; it’ll last three months at most. The potion you tried to give Elena is called ‘Soul Stealer’ from the New Orleans black market. Need I go on?”

The room fell into a dead silence.

Liam looked at Sophia in shock. “Is he telling the truth?”

“He’s slandering me!” Sophia shrieked, but the panic in her eyes betrayed her.

Julian ignored them. He turned back to me, his hand gently touching my cheek, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly. “I’m late.”

“You’re not,” I said, taking his calloused hand—a hand used to holding a sword, or a gun. “You’re right on time.”

A flash of pain crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by a deeper resolve. Then, he faced Liam again, his voice calm but filled with undeniable authority.

“Listen to me, Blackwood. From this moment on, Elena Foster is under the protection of the Thorne family. You and your little voodoo doll will stay away from her. If you touch a single hair on her head again—”

He paused, a dangerous golden light flickering at the edge of his amber eyes.

“I will remind you why the Thorne family is known as the ‘Tyrants of the North’.”

With that, he wrapped his arm around my waist and led me out, leaving everyone staring in stunned silence.

The night air was cool. It wasn't until we were in the back of a black Bentley that I finally let myself relax, a slight tremor running through me.

“Cold?” He took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “To Hudson Square,” he told the driver, then turned to me. “I thought you weren’t arriving until the day after tomorrow.”

“I changed my flight as soon as I got your text,” he said, taking my hand and lacing his fingers through mine. “Thank God I did.”

The car moved smoothly through the city. I leaned my head on his shoulder, drawing in his comforting scent. In my last moments of my past life, I had fantasized about this scenario countless times—if only I had chosen him…

Now, the answer was right beside me.

“Liam’s curse,” he said suddenly, “it’s starting to backfire on him, isn’t it?”

I looked up. “How did you know?”

“I can ‘smell’ it.” He leaned closer, inhaling deeply near my neck. His warm breath on my skin sent a shiver down my spine. The gesture was so intimate it made my heart race. “You have the scent of the White Wolf’s moonlight on you… and the decaying smell of the curse’s residue. It’s faint, but it’s spreading.”

His fingertips gently touched the back of my neck, and a warm current flowed into me. “Also, she put a tracking spell on you. I removed it. But Elena, be careful of Sophia Vance. She’s not just a gold digger—she’s a voodoo apprentice, and she’s after your power.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“She wants to steal my gift?”

“Worse, possibly,” he said, his eyes turning cold. “The blood of a White Wolf Seer is a top-tier offering for black magic practitioners. She might want to use your blood to complete a ritual, steal your power for good, or… transfer Liam’s curse onto you.”

I closed my eyes. My growing weakness in the asylum in my past life—was it from more than just the torture?

“Julian,” I asked softly, “what about your curse? The Thorne family men, before they turn thirty…”

“It’s still there,” he admitted freely. “I’ve been investigating for seven years. The clues point to New Orleans, and it’s likely from the same source as the Blackwoods’. I need your help, Elena. This isn’t a trade. If you’re willing, we’ll find a cure together. Whatever the outcome, I’ll protect you with everything I have.”

I opened my eyes and met his amber gaze.

There was no calculation in them, only raw sincerity.

“Okay,” I said. “Together.”

He smiled, a gentle smile that made me want to cry. He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

“Rest now, Ellie. We’re almost there.”

The car drove into the glittering lights of Manhattan. I knew the real trial had just begun.