Chapter 257 Julian Cross
Clara’s POV
The meeting finally wrapped up, and I felt the tension drain from my shoulders like water.
My phone sat heavy in my blazer pocket. I pulled it out, staring at Ethan’s contact for a long moment before my thumbs started moving.
[Sophie called me. What happened last night?]
I hit send.
Then immediately unsent it.
What am I doing?
He’s not going to die. He never does.
I shoved the phone back in my pocket and headed for my private office, heels clicking sharp against the marble floor.
The door swung open before I could reach for the handle.
Julian Cross stood inside, leaning casually against my desk like he owned the place.
Thirty-something, built like he spent half his life in the gym, with that sun-kissed tan that made his wolf heritage impossible to miss.
But where most Alphas carried themselves with that aggressive, in-your-face dominance, Julian had this whole refined gentleman thing going on. Soft-spoken. No posturing. Which honestly made him more dangerous, not less.
I liked him immediately when we first met, and not just because he’d fought tooth and nail to get me into Sentinel Energy on my terms.
No—it was because we’d met before. Six months ago, at that gallery opening back in New York.
We’d both reached for the same painting at the exact same time.
It was this wild, chaotic piece—foster kids rendered in these explosive, almost violent colors.
The kind of art that punched you in the chest and didn’t apologize. I’d been drawn to the technique, the way the artist used color to scream what words couldn’t say.
But Julian?
Julian had stood there staring at it for a full minute before he spoke.
"I have a sister I’ve never met," he’d said quietly, hands in his pockets. "My mother gave her up to a human orphanage before she died. Left me instructions in her will—find her, bring her home."
He’d paused, jaw working.
"I’ve been searching New York for months. Every lead goes nowhere. It’s like trying to find a ghost." His eyes had stayed locked on the painting.
"Saw this piece tonight and thought... maybe she grew up looking at the world like this. Alone. Angry. Wondering why no one came for her."
He’d wanted to buy it. Take it back to Capital as a reminder.
I’d given it to him without hesitation.
Never expected to see him again.
Definitely never expected to find out he was Julian Cross—VP of Sentinel Energy, son of Alpha Nathaniel Cross of Shadowveil Pack, the diplomatic powerhouse that handled all foreign relations for the Blackwood Kingdom.
The Cross family didn’t just have connections.
Julian’s father had transitioned the pack into renewable energy and advanced tech development under direct commission from the Crown.
Which meant Sentinel Energy wasn’t just some corporate giant—it was a Crown-backed enterprise with ties to every major pack in North America.
In addition,my parents were contract employees at Sentinel Energy. Salaried and sheltered, but with no pack registry, no house on pack land, and no birthright for their daughter.
We’d lived outside the territory my whole childhood. And all those years, Julian had been overseas—schooling abroad, then training under the kingdom’s diplomatic corps.
So I’d never seen his face. Not once.
When the company announced plans to expand into New York, I’d planned to leverage my parents’ positions to get my foot in the door.
Then I’d run into Julian again.
He’d remembered me. Remembered the painting. And when he’d seen my research data, seen the potential in my pharmaceutical development project, he’d greenlit my entire proposal on the spot.
My parents’ positions helped. But Julian was the one who made it happen.
Which is why I was here now. In Capital. Setting up the New York expansion. Building something that was finally, *finally* mine.
"Alpha Cross," I said smoothly, stepping inside and closing the door. "You wanted to see me?"
"I did." He straightened, sliding an envelope and a leather portfolio across the desk.
His finger tapped once against the gold-embossed invitation sitting on top. "Pack your bags. We’re flying out Friday."
" Friday?" I picked up the invitation, scanning it quickly.
*International Future Industries Investment Summit.*
My pulse kicked up.
The attendee list read like a who’s who of serious money. Crown investment funds. International venture capital firms. Energy sector giants. Pharmaceutical conglomerates.
And right there in the middle—V&A Group.
I stared at that name longer than I should have.
V&A Group had almost partnered with the Holts. *Almost.* Before everything fell apart.
"Yeah." Julian’s voice cut through my thoughts. "I’ve got contacts attending—Alphas, investors, corporate heads. Bring your project portfolio. They’ll want to see the data. If you play this right, you could walk away with multiple offers."
He was paving the way for me. He didn’t have to fly out personally—he could’ve just sent me alone.
But he was going. Which meant he was using his reputation, his network, to open doors I couldn’t touch on my own.
Excitement flared hot in my chest, impossible to suppress. "I’ll have everything ready. Thank you, Alpha Cross."
He smiled faintly, that barely-there curve of his mouth that somehow made him look both younger and more dangerous. "Can you have it done by end of day?"
I blinked. "I—yes. Why?"
"Because I’ve been drowning in meetings since you got here and haven’t had a chance to properly welcome you to Capital."
He straightened his cuffs, movements easy and unhurried. "Thought we could grab dinner tonight. Casual. I’ll invite your parents too. Make it a family thing."
Oh.
*Oh.*
Heat crept up my neck. I forced it down, kept my expression neutral. "That’s very kind of you, but you really don’t have to—"
"I want to." His tone stayed light, but something in his eyes sharpened. "You’re pack-adjacent now, Clara. " He paused. "Besides, I get the sense you and your parents could use some time to reconnect."
My smile froze.
He knows.
Of course he knows.
"You... looked into my background."
"Standard procedure." Julian’s expression didn’t change. Calm. Matter-of-fact. "I spoke with your parents briefly during the vetting process.
They didn’t say much. Just that you’d been away from home for a long time, made some choices they didn’t agree with, and asked me to think carefully before bringing you into the company."
The words landed like stones.
Away from home. Poor choices. Think carefully.
They’d tried to sabotage me. Politely. Professionally. But they’d still tried to shut me out.
Something cold and sharp twisted in my chest.
I kept my voice even. "My parents have high standards. I appreciate you taking a chance on me despite their concerns."
Julian watched me for a long moment, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
"Every family has complications," he said finally, voice going quieter. Sadder. "I lost my mother when I was six. If I still had her? If I still had the chance to sit across a table and talk things through?" He shook his head. "I wouldn’t waste it."
The words hit harder than they should have.
I swallowed past the tightness in my throat. "I’ll do better. With them. I will."
"Good." He pulled out his phone, thumbs moving across the screen. "I’ll text you the address. Seven o’clock."
"I’ll be there."