Chapter 6

Three Years Later

Outside the arrivals hall of ABI Airport, a sea of reporters stretched across the pavement.

They had gathered from every major media outlet in the country, cameras poised, microphones ready. All of them waiting for one person.

Cici Lane.

The world-renowned contemporary dancer had been invited to serve as head judge for the annual "Mana Dance Competition"—the industry's most prestigious event. Her name alone had turned what should have been a routine arrival into a media circus.

On the upper floor of the hall, a little girl pressed both palms against the glass window, her nose nearly touching it. "Mummy, why are there so many people outside?"

Her mother stood just behind her, gazing down at the crowd. She hadn't expected this scale. Beyond the journalists, she spotted influencers and independent bloggers—all of them angling for the same shot. Everyone wanted to be the first to capture Cici Lane walking through those doors.

Some streamers had been broadcasting live for hours, their audiences holding their breath with every passing minute.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Cici Lane's flight has landed. We expect her to walk through those doors any moment now. Do not look away!"

"As you all know, Cici Lane will be the head judge for the upcoming Mana Dance Competition—the largest dance event in history. The winner will have the opportunity to become her personal protégé, so the competition promises to be fierce. Let's wait together and see if we might be lucky enough to catch Cici removing her signature stage mask today."

"Can you imagine? The world's top dancer, unmasked at last? While we wait, let me walk you through some of her most iconic performances…"

"They're waiting for someone," the mother said finally. She reached down and took her daughter's hand. "Come on. Auntie Maude is already here."

They made their way downstairs and headed toward the VIP exit.

Outside the doors, a woman in cream-colored trousers stood waiting. Her face broke into a brilliant smile the moment she spotted them.

"Finally!" Maude threw her arms wide. "The woman of the hour." She pulled Cynthia into a warm, fierce embrace. "Welcome home."

Cynthia smiled—a real smile, the kind that still surprised her sometimes—and hugged her oldest friend back. "It's good to see you, Maude."

"Good to see you," Maude murmured against her shoulder. Then she pulled back with a grin. "And I'm not the only one. There are about hundreds of people out there who'd love to say the same."

Cynthia winced. "Shh." She pressed a finger to her lips. "I was hoping to slip through unnoticed. No attention."

"Darling, with your track record?" Maude laughed. "You could walk right through the middle of that crowd in broad daylight, and no one would recognize you. That's the beauty of being a ghost when you want to be."

She crouched down and opened her arms to the little girl. "And look at you! My little bean has grown so big."

Chloe giggled and threw her small arms around Maude's neck. The last time they had seen each other was over six months ago. Chloe had grown at least two inches since then.

"Everything all right?" Cynthia asked quietly.

Maude straightened, lifting Chloe onto her hip. "Everything's perfect—now that you're here." Her voice softened. "You have no idea how much I've missed you two. It's been so lonely without you."

"I missed you too!" Chloe declared loudly. She cupped Maude's face in her tiny hands. "You promised to take me to the water park."

Maude laughed. "Anywhere you want. That's a promise." She shifted Chloe to her other hip and nodded toward the parking area. "But first, let's get out of here. You must be exhausted. My car's just outside."

They slipped through a quiet, nondiscreet exit, far from the chaos of the main arrivals hall. The afternoon air was crisp, a welcome change from the recycled oxygen of the airport.

Just as they reached the car, a ripple of commotion swept through the crowd behind them.

Cynthia turned instinctively.

The reporters' attention had shifted. A new group had emerged from the terminal—four people. A man. A woman. And two young boys.

Cynthia froze.

She knew them instantly.

"Alpha Kane! Miss Ramsdale!" a reporter called out. "Have you come to welcome Cici Lane personally?"

Aurelia's smile was radiant, practiced, camera-ready. "Of course," she said, her voice dripping with warmth. "We're absolutely thrilled that Cici Lane is returning to our city. It would be our honor to greet her in person. She is, without question, the finest dancer in the world. To receive even a fraction of her guidance would be the greatest blessing of my career."

Kane placed a hand on the small of Aurelia's back, positioning himself beside her like a king beside his queen. "Having Cici Lane here is an honor for our entire city," he added smoothly. "If there's anything—anything—we can do to make her stay more comfortable, she need only ask."

Cynthia stared from the edge of the crowd, hidden in plain sight.

Her gaze drifted to the boys.

Eight years old now. Taller than when she had left. Justin's jaw had sharpened; Harry's shoulders had broadened. They stood on either side of Aurelia, close enough to touch, as if she were the center of their small universe.

Three years, Cynthia thought. Three years, and they've built a whole life without me.

"Hey." Maude's voice was soft but firm. She slipped her arm through Cynthia's and gently pulled her away from the scene. "We need to go, or dinner's going to be cold. And I spent way too long on that sauce to let it go to waste."

Cynthia let herself be led. She turned her back on the crowd, on the cameras, on the family that had once been hers, and walked toward the car.

Inside the press huddle, Kane's attention flickered.

It was nothing—just a shift in the corner of his eye. A figure moving through the flow of travelers. Tall. Slender. Dressed in a long black coat that swept behind her like a shadow.

He couldn't see her face. She was walking away, weaving between parked cars with quiet purpose. But there was something about the way she moved. The straightness of her spine. The rhythm of her stride.

Familiar.

His wolf stirred—a low, instinctive pull in his chest.

He inhaled deeply, searching for a scent, for anything that might explain the sudden alertness prickling at the back of his neck.

But there was nothing. No recognizable scent. No trace of—

"Cynthia?" The name left his lips before he could stop it.

"Hey." Aurelia's voice cut through his thoughts. Her hand touched his arm. "See someone you know?"

Kane blinked. The woman in the black coat had disappeared into the crowd.

He shook his head. "No. No one."

Aurelia's eyes lingered on his face for a moment too long. Then she sighed and glanced around the arrivals hall. "Where is Cici Lane? According to the flight information, she should have landed by now."

Kane's phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and read Parker's message.

Cici Lane has already left the airport. She used a private exit.

Kane's jaw tightened. He turned to Aurelia. "She's gone. Let's go."

Aurelia's face fell. "Gone? How? We've been waiting for hours."

"She took another exit." Kane placed a hand on her shoulder—a gesture that looked comforting but felt automatic. "Don't worry. We'll meet her eventually. There will be other opportunities."

Aurelia nodded, but her eyes stayed hard. She had wanted to be first. Wanted to make an impression before anyone else could. She had already decided—Cici Lane's protégé was going to be her.

No one was going to take that spot.

But could she still win this time?