Tamara's POV I just stared at Dante, frozen, with my heart pounding in my chest. I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. “What... what did you just say?”My voice came out shaky and barely louder than a whisper but he heard me.I watched Dante look hesitant, his jaw tightening as if he really didn’t want to repeat the words. But after a moment, he exhaled deeply, locking his eyes with mine. “Tamara... Your pack members were attacked last night. Some of them were killed.”I froze, the words sinking in like ice water. “What? No...” I gasped, feeling my body go cold with disbelief. My mind immediately raced to my loved ones, my friends, everyone I had left behind. “Who?” I stammered. “Who was attacked? Who—who died?”Dante reached for his phone, pulling up the article before handing it to me. I snatched it quickly, scanning the screen with trembling hands. My breath hitched in my throat as I read the headline: Unknown Invaders Attack Winter-Pack, Several Casualties Reported. The article didn
Tamara's POV “So,” George said, his voice sharp as he stared right at me. “You’re the woman causing all of these problems.”'What?'I blinked in Surprise, caught off guard by his words and the accusatory tone in his voice. Problems? What was he talking about? My eyes met George’s, and the coldness in his gaze made me uncomfortable. I shifted in place, not understanding why he was coming at me like this. I hadn’t caused any trouble. If anything, Dante and I had been trying to fix things.Before I could respond, a low warning growl cut through the room, sending shivers down our. It was from Dante. I could see that his warning tone even sent a chill through his best friend who had now stiffened.“George, watch your tone” Dante growled, his voice dark and it was clear that his temper was rising.I really didn’t want this to get worse to the point that they fought over me, so I quickly stepped forward with an appeasing smile.“George, I'm not sure what you heard,but I didn’t mean to cau
Tamara's POV The next morning, Dante let me sleep in while he left to start his day.I used the opportunity to start getting ready for the trip the next morning, I'll admit that despite Dante's assurances, i was still feeling a bit anxious.I mean can you blame me? Meeting Dante’s family was huge deal, because if it went wrong and his mother refused to support us, Violet and I would be banished back to my pack where Jack would most definitely not hesitate to kill us this time, and no matter how much confidence I tried to muster, the butterflies in my stomach refused to die!I got dressed for the day, put on a blue dress that i knew Dante liked because it matched my eyes, then I headed downstairs for breakfast.On my way there, I noticed Lucy glaring at me from across the hall. Her sharp green eyes followed my every step, and I could practically feel the heat of her jealousy trying to burn a hole in my back. I back a smirk, and my wolf Maya whispered in my mind, 'She’s just jealous,
Tamara's POV The second Violet finished telling me about Casper’s mistress, something inside me snapped. I felt a burning sensation in my gums and my fangs grew long, my vision also turned red with the urge to rip that bitch's head off. My hands clenched into fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms, but I barely registered the pain. All I could think about was how much I wanted to find this woman and rip her apart for humiliating my Violet like that.“Tamara!” Violet’s panicked voice broke through the haze of my bloodlust. “Calm down! You’re turning into that thing again!”Her words hit me like a bucket of cold water. I blinked, struggling to pull myself out of the rage that clouded my mind, but it was hard—so, so hard. The hunger was overwhelming, the need to act on the primal urges that came with it. I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, my throat tightening as my body fought against my attempts to calm it down.“I—” I choked out, trying to steady my breathing. “I can’t c
Tamara's POV I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Kate, that sniveling little bitch, sitting there on the screen, pregnant and sobbing, accusing me of attacking her and MY own pack.Me? After everything I’ve done to protect my pack and keep everyone safe from them? I felt my blood boil.“Why is she doing this now?” I growled, clenching my fists at my sides. “I mean I knew she was a backstabbing bitch always seeking attention, but How could she even think to blame me for something like this? What will she gain by lying like this?” I yelled in frustration.Dante sighed beside me, running a hand through his hair. He looked exhausted, but his voice remained calm. “I believe Kate’s trying to turn the pack against you. She wants to make you the villain in this. It’s a very calculated move to make everyone hate you and pity her.”I stared at the screen in anger and confusion. “But why? What could she possibly gain from lying like this? She knows I’m not a threat to my own people, so why
Last night, Dante made love to me like his life depended on it, he made sure i had cum at least three times before finally letting me go, even then, he had his arms wrapped tightly around me the entire time we slept. When I woke up, he was still there, pressed against me, refusing to let me go as if he feared I’d suddenly run away. I saw the tension in his body, and from our mating Bond, I could feel that he was scared I’d still regret coming into his pack, that I’d wake up and want to leave. His grip on me tightened every time I tried to move. "Dante," I whispered, shifting slightly to look up at him. His eyes were barely open, but I could see the worry there, the way his brows furrowed, and his jaw clenched. "Dante, we have to get up, you can't hold me in bed forever." I lightly scolded in amusement. But Dante didn't smile. “You don’t regret it, right? Being with me, do you still regret choosing to marry me?” His voice was rough with sleep, but there was a vulnerability in
Tamara's POV “She’s a manipulative witch, that’s why. I heard she forced him into this marriage, threatened him with another war. He’ll dump her as soon as he can.”I couldn't believe that they were saying these things to my face. Dante’s eyes immediately filled with rage when he also heard the whispers in the crowd. His muscles tensed up and his lips curled back before a dangerous growl ripped through his chest in warning. The group of gossipers, who had been bold enough to talk shit about me in front of my fave, immediately stiffened.Their faces drained of color, and they all quickly bowed their heads in fear, shivering as they realized they’d fucked up big time. It was almost funny how the once smug expressions they wore now vanished, replaced by sheer terror for their lives. But before Dante could act on his anger, I quickly pressed a hand against his chest, feeling his muscles under my fingers. “Dante, stop, wait. It’s fine. No need to hurt them, I’m already used to it.”
Tamara's POV I know that Dante always has a naughty plan for me in mind, but when he directed me to a specific section of the car today, I didn’t think much of it. I just assumed he wanted us to sit somewhere more private. I followed him, not sure of why he wanted me to sit there until he pulled up a partition, separating us from the rest of the bus and from the rest our friends. “Uh, what are you doing?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. He gave me one of his trademark smirks, the one that made me feel like I was about to enter trouble. “I told you, you'll pay for teasing me like that. Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?, he said and i gulped. I wasn't sure what exactly he wanted to do to me, but I knew it was something that i would normally never do. It wasn’t until his hand started trailing up my leg, and under my gown that it clicked. So that’s why he wanted privacy. “Dante!” I gasped, blushing furiously and grabbing his wrist, trying to s
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
Hector's POV After Kayla ran after Adrian, I willingly let the guards to put me in chains and shove me in front of themThe chains clinked with every step as I was roughly escorted down the cold stone hallways toward the prison.The guards barely spared me a glance, their eyes hard and judgmental. They treated me like I was already guilty, as if my fate had already been sealed. It stung more than I cared to admit, but I kept my face neutral.I had never felt so disgusted with myself, or with Adrian. Betrayed wasn’t even the word for it. He had accused me—his own brother—of trying to kill him. We were rivals for the position of alpha yes, but we weren't enemies! I didn't hate him. I was a little envious of his life yes, but I would never actually raise my hand against him.Never!So this was my reward for protecting Kayla? For trying to turn over a new leaf? For doing what I thought was right?Adrian was the one who had always preached for us to stop fighting, to stop hating each oth
Kayla's POV I could feel my heart breaking. I couldn’t believe he was accusing me of something so terrible. After everything we’d been through, after everything we’d shared, why was he pushing me away like this? I turned back to Hector, my heart pounding in my chest. "I’m sorry, Hector. I’ll fix this. I swear." Hector gave me a soft, apologetic look. "It’s not your fault, Kayla. We both never wanted this to happen." "I know. But I have to make Adrian understand," I said, my voice shaky. "Can you just go with the guards for now? I’ll talk to him. Please, Hector." Hector hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I’ll go. But make sure you talk to him, Kayla. I'm innocent of all his accusations but he's refusing to see things clearly." I nodded, trying to hold back tears. As Hector followed the guards down the hall, I hurried after Adrian. He couldn’t just do this. He couldn’t throw everything away because of his own insecurities. He had to know I would never leave him. I wasn’