Tamara's POV Reuben sneered at me. “Luna Tamara,” he spat with contempt, “you’re hereby under arrest for murder and terrorism.” The words hit me like a punch to the chest, and I stared at Reuben in shock as my mind began reeling. Murder and Terrorism? His words made absolutely no sense, and yet the anger in his voice was unmistakable. Someone had been attacked and killed, and they were blaming me for it? But who had died? And who was trying to pin it on me? I remembered George telling me not to stirr up any more trouble for Dante, and Cold fear crept up my spine, but I forced myself to hold my ground, hoping that if I stayed calm, maybe Reuben would explain himself. “I don’t understand…” I managed, my voice coming out far softer than I intended. “What exactly are you talking about, Reuben? What attack? I don't know what you're talking about." Reuben glared at me with disgust and hatred. “That’s what all criminals say when they're caught,” he replied with scorn before
Authors note I want to apologize for any inconsistencies or errors you might find in the next few chapters. I was a little pressed for time, but I promise to correct them all before the 5th of November 2024, so please bare with me, or feel free to pause until then. Thank you so much for giving my book a chance, and leaving comments, I'm learning to write better each day because of you. Lots of love 🥰🥰 Tamara's POV The guards had me by both arms, dragging me across the gravel toward the waiting car. My wrists ached from the handcuffs, cold steel biting into my skin, and the sound of my boots scraping against the ground made me grit my teeth. But that wasn’t what twisted a knot in my stomach—it was the fact that, all around, I saw no sign of Violet, Sophie, or anyone from my group. "Where are they?" I demanded, straining against the guards’ grip. “What did you do with my friends?” A low chuckle made me glance up, and there was the smug asshole Reuben smirking. “Oh, don’t
Tamara's POV Yea, I was pretty sure that fairness, was probably the last thing on Reuben's mind. I finally ealized then that the investigation was unavoidable; it was coming for us, whether we wanted it or not. We couldn’t run from it, and if we didn’t prepare ourselves, we’d only be more vulnerable. As much as I hated feeling cornered, I was beginning to see that the best we could do was be ready. I turned to Sophie, forcing myself to sound steady. “How exactly does the investigation process work, Sophie?” I asked. I didn’t know if I was ready to hear the answer, but I needed it anyway. Sophie sighed, clearly sharing my anxiety. “Well, they’re going to question all of us individually—our relationships, any connection with Adrian’s pack, and… they’ll want to know what we think about him.” Violet bit her lip. “So… what should we say?” Sophie glanced at her but didn’t respond directly. Instead, she looked back at me. “They’re going to ask about any interactions you had with A
Tamara's POV In the quiet that followed, I felt my thoughts drifting to Dante. I missed him, missed his steady presence, his reassurance. Did he even know where I was right now? And if he did, when would he come to me? These were the thoughts running through my mind as my brain finally shut down and I nodded off to sleep on the wall of the cold cell. I jerked awake on the cold stone floor of the cell, my body stiff and aching. My friends lay curled up around me, their breathing shallow, but it was the loud voices beyond the cell door that pulled me out of sleep completely. "Dante!" Reuben’s voice echoed down the hall, laced with barely controlled anger. "Stop attacking my warriors and let them go!" My heart hammered in my chest. Dante was here. He’d come for me. I struggled to my feet, pressing myself against the heavy cell door, desperate to hear every word. "How dare you!" Dante’s voice was lethal, filled with barely restrained fury. "You had the audacity to arrest my fiancée
Tamara's POV After Dante pulled me from that cold cell, he didn’t let go of me—not for a second. Even as we moved through the hallways and out into the fresh air, I kept whispering, “Dante, please. I’m fine, I can walk.” But he just tightened his hold, his expression hard and focused.We reached his car, and he finally set me down, but it was only so he could tuck me safely inside before slamming the door shut and circling to the driver’s side. I glanced back and saw my friends climbing into another vehicle, Casper giving me a small thumbs-up before they pulled away.The drive back to the hotel was tense and quiet. I could feel Dante’s anger radiating off him in waves. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched, and his eyes focused on the road, barely blinking.Once we arrived, Dante parked and came around to my side. Before I could protest, he scooped me up again, ignoring my protests with a determined look. “Dante, really,” I said, my voic
Tamara's POV The next morning, Dante’s hands moved over my shoulders, his fingers easing out the tension that had taken root from everything I’d been through. I closed my eyes, letting out a quiet sigh, and for a moment, I felt safe. But just as I was sinking deeper into the comfort of his touch, a loud, insistent pounding at the door jolted us both back to reality. Dante’s hands froze, and I felt his entire posture shift, tense and alert. He glared at the door with a look that promised trouble. “Stay here,” he muttered to me as he went to answer, but I knew by the way his shoulders were squared that this wasn’t a friendly visit. The door hadn’t even fully opened before a familiar, angry voice barged in. “Dante,” Reuben’s voice was hard and demanding, “you can’t just keep ignoring this. You don’t get to hide her away here while the rest of us are trying to clean up her mess.” Dante’s jaw clenched, and he tried to shut the door again, but Reuben jammed his foot in, refusing to le
Tamara's POV With one last glare, Reuben turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. The moment he was gone, the tension in the room seemed to lift, but Dante was still visibly shaken, his fists trembling. He turned to me, his face softening. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to hear any of that. I never wanted him to treat you this way.” I managed a smile, reaching up to cup his face. “It’s okay, Dante. I’m fine. I know he doesn’t believe me, but that’s his problem, not ours.” Dante pulled me close, his arms wrapping around me as he buried his face in my hair, breathing in deeply. I felt the tension draining from him, slowly being replaced by the calm I hoped he’d find in my presence. We stood there in silence for a long moment, letting the weight of Reuben’s words dissipate, piece by piece.“You don’t deserve any of this,” he murmured finally, his voice thick with regret. “Reuben’s wrong, and he has no right to speak to you like that.” He pulled back just enough to loo
Tamara’s POV After Reuben stormed out, the air felt different, lighter somehow, but the tension still hung around us like a thick fog. Dante and I exchanged weary glances, both of us still processing the confrontation. I could see the resolve in his eyes, and it made me feel a little safer, even in the midst of all this chaos. That evening, we gathered in the hotel’s garden for what felt like our first real meeting since everything had blown up. The soft glow of lanterns illuminated the space, casting flickering shadows on the neatly trimmed hedges. The scent of blooming flowers filled the air, a stark contrast to the tumultuous emotions we were all grappling with. As I settled onto a bench, I couldn’t help but notice how much more relaxed Sophie and Violet seemed. Their cheeks had a healthy glow, and there was a brightness in their eyes that hadn’t been there before. I exchanged a glance with Dante, who raised an eyebrow, mirroring my surprise. “Looks like they’ve been pampered a
Kayla's POV My heart sank at Adrian's words. He didn't even want to talk to me this morning but he was here laughing his ass off and eating with Candice.I forced a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Of course,” I muttered. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Candice beamed at me, clearly in a much better mood than I was. “It’s good to see you again. I’ve really missed you,” she said, taking another bite of her food. I stood there, frozen, trying to ignore the bitterness that crept into my thoughts. Why was she so comfortable here? Why was she eating with him like they did this every day? And why had Adrian invited her to his office when he wouldn't even talk to me?Candice noticed the awkwardness and tried to bridge the tension. "Come sit with us! We have so much to catch up on, but we also have all the time in the world since I'm back living at the palace now!"That made me freeze.“What?” I asked, voice a little higher than I intended.Candice beamed. “Alot happened when you were aw
Kayla's POV Adrian had left so early this morning that I didn’t even get a chance to really talk to him and find out if he was okay. He came back drunk last night so I was really beginning to worry.I calmed myself down by telling myself that maybe he just needed some time to cool off after last night, but when noon came and he still wasn’t back, a sick feeling started growing in my stomach.I paced around our room like a caged animal, glancing at the door every few seconds, hoping to hear his footsteps. Breakfast came and went. Then lunch. Still nothing.He wasn't even bothering to eat. Was he that hurt?Finally, I gave up waiting and tried to mind-link him."Adrian? Have you eaten yet?" I asked softly, sending the thought across our bond.Nothing.I tried again."Please answer me. I'm worried about you."This time, I could feel the block. Solid and cold, like a wall had been thrown up between us. I gasped quietly, clutching my chest. He never blocked me before. Not even during ou
Adrian's POV I was waiting for Logan's answer but he was hesitant to look at me."Logan? Why shouldn't I talk to her?"“Because I don’t trust her,” he finally snapped. “You shouldn’t either.” I leaned back in the chair, watching him. “No that's not it... I think You hate her. But I what I want to know is why?” Logan crossed his arms, his whole body tense. “Because I don’t like women who choose power and money over love.” For a second, I just stared at him. That was… personal. Before I could ask more, he shook his head like he regretted saying anything and muttered, “Do what you want, Alpha. Permission to patrol the border sir!" He requested. I waved him off and called for a guard. “Send for Candice. Now.” Logan cursed under his breath but didn’t stop me. Candice arrived not long after, dressed too perfectly for the late hour, her blond hair in place and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You called for me, Alpha?” she said sweetly, walking in with a little too much sway in
Adrian's POV I stormed down the hall with Logan right behind me, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides. I didn’t even know where I was going—I just needed to move before I punched a wall or did something even dumber. She said she’d leave. She said she’d leave me for him. The words kept playing on a loop in my head, sharper than any knife. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “Alpha Adrian, slow down—” Logan called after me, but I ignored him, pushing through the doors into one of the empty meeting rooms and slamming them behind us. I paced like a caged animal, my heart pounding in my ears. The image of Kayla standing there, choosing Hector over me, made my vision blur. “She threatened to leave,” I snapped, whirling on Logan. “For him.” Logan stayed by the door, arms crossed. “That’s not what she meant.” I scoffed. “You heard her. If you banish Hector, I’ll leave too. Sounds pretty fucking clear to me.” “She was trying to protect him,” Logan said calmly. “Because she bel
Kayla's POV Adrian sighed and my heart dropped, then he looked at me."No,” he said firmly. “I swear to you, Kayla. I would never hurt Adrian. Not even with all this… between us. I didn’t plan anything. I didn’t know anything. I had nothing to do with it.”I looked into his eyes for a long moment, then gave a slow nod. “Okay.”Because I believed him. He’d never lied to me before, and I didn’t think he would now. Not about something like this.The doctor came in shortly after, and I stood aside to let them work. Once Hector was bandaged and checked over, I thanked Connor quietly before slipping out.I didn’t go to Adrian’s room right away.I couldn’t.I felt… awful. For threatening to leave. For not telling him about the kiss. For letting things get this far. I hated what this was turning into—how everything good between us was cracking at the edges.So I avoided our room. I wandered the halls, spent time with Ingrid, helped the healer with some supplies, tried to pretend things were
Kayla's POV I didn’t even realize I’d said it until the words had already left my mouth.“If you banish Hector… I’ll leave with him too.”The room went silent.What the hell was I thinking when I said that? I hadn't even actually meant it. I was just desperate to not let Adrian make such a stupid mistake that he'd regret, so I continued talking until I had said my piece.When I was done, even Hector stopped breathing for a second, his face bruised and bloodied, but stunned all the same. Adrian looked like I’d slapped him—like the floor had just crumbled beneath him. His jaw twitched, and the rage in his eyes flickered into something else—something sharp and painful.Goddess, why did I have to say that? It sounded like Hector was more important than my relationship with Adrian.But I truly didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t threatening him. I just… I needed him to know that he was crossing a line. Hector was his stepbrother who had occasionally fucked up yesterday, but he didn’t des
Adrian's POV "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” I roared, lunging at him again. But before I could land the hit, two sets of hands grabbed me. “Alpha stop! Alpha Adrian please stop! —fuck, Adrian, stop it!” Logan’s voice was right in my ear, struggling to pull me back.He had forgotten all courtesy and had began to call me by my real name which he and Connor only did when they were either desperate, pissed, frustrated, worried or scared.He sounded like he was all of the above in this moment but I couldn't give a damn about that right now. “Let go of me!” I growled, thrashing against him. “Calm the hell down Adrian!” Connor snapped, shoving me away from Hector. I threw them both off like they were nothing, shoving Logan into the wall and elbowing Connor in the ribs. They tried again, but I was a storm now. Wild. Unraveled. And then I heard her voice. “ADRIAN!” I froze at the familiar feminine voice."What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed with horror in her voice. Everything insid
Adrian’s POV My knuckles were bloodied by the time I realized how many times I’d punched him. My chest heaved and my heart was thundering like it was trying to beat its way out of my ribcage, and still Hector just stood there leaning against the wall with his bloody face.He was swaying slightly from the pain but the asshole was still not fighting back and it made me fucking furious! He wasn’t even trying to defend himself like he'd normally do when our father made us wrestle to prove who was better.Hector was often the winner when we were younger and that made me feel like he was just intentionally allowing me to beat him right now. That made it worse. "You love her?" I growled, my voice raw, trembling. "You love my Kayla?" Hector didn’t speak, didn’t meet my eyes—his jaw was bruised, blood trickling from his nose—but he didn’t take it back either. He’d said it. Out loud. Boldly. That he loved her. My fists clenched again. This fucking shameless asshole! It wasn’t just that
Hector's POV I had to keep reminding myself that I truly hadn’t chosen this life. This life of constant competition for love from my father, and now from Kayla too. But I had been thrust into it anyway. Every day, it felt like I had to prove myself that I could be better, stronger, smarter than Adrian for the pack and for Kayla.And what did I get for it? Nothing except being called a Traitor and being imprisoned. Adrian would always get everything without lifting a finger. I see that now Maybe I should just accept it and accept my role as the villain, at least maybe I could get something from it, right?Because the rivalry my father had created between us, made it impossible for Adrian to see me as anything other than his enemy. Even when I tried to help him, tried to offer him something real, he only saw me as a threat.A bang on the door jerked me out of my thoughts.I looked up, my heart sinking as the door opened, and Adrian stormed into the cell, his expression livid."Hec