Jack's POV I stormed down to the dungeons, my mind spinning with anger. Richard had gone too far this time, and I wasn’t in the mood to play his games. The dungeon was cold and damp, the smell of mildew filling the air as I approached the cell where Richard was being held. He was leaning against the wall, his face bruised from our earlier fight, but the smug expression hadn’t left his face.“About time you showed up,” Richard sneered, standing up as I approached. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me, old friend.”“I’m not here to listen to your whining,” I said coldly, stopping just outside his cell. “You’re staying here. You’re not getting out.”Richard’s eyes widened in shock. “What the hell are you talking about? Jack, you can’t leave me here! We’re supposed to be on the same side!”I crossed my arms, keeping my face stone-cold. “That was before you threatened to hurt Tamara.”His expression twisted with disbelief and anger. “This is because of that little Luna, isn’
Jack's POV I felt my heart literally drop into my stomach. “Kate, no—” “Oh, it’s true,” Kate cut me off, her voice dripping with spite. “We’ve been fucking for months behind your back and you didn't even know. The only reason I haven’t gotten pregnant before now is because I was using contraceptives. But this time, there’s no mistake. I’m carrying his child.” It was devastating to see the light in Tamara’s eyes dim as the heart wrenching betrayal sank in. She looked at me with a crushed expression her lips trembling. “Jack… is this true?” I wanted to, but I knew I couldn’t deny it. “Y-Yes, I had an affair with Kate. But it’s over, Tamara. I swear, I ended it because I realized I love you. I’ve changed. I wasn’t going to betray you.” Tamara’s face softened, as if she wanted to believe me, but anyone could see the hurt was still there. “Jack… how can you expect me to I trust you now?” Her words felt like a slap to my face but I knew she was right. How was I supposed to make
I cursed under my breath as the sound of battle rumbled in the distance. This was all happening because of me, because I wasn’t alert enough, because I didn’t see what was coming. I should’ve known, should’ve stopped it before it got this far. Now, a war was on the verge of erupting, and my pack — my people — were going to suffer because of it.Panic gripped my chest, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. There wasn’t time for regret. Right now, I had to act.Jack rushed toward me, his face pale and eyes wild. “Tamara, we have to get you out of here. You need to hide.”“Hide?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. “You think I’m going to hide while my people are being attacked? Are you out of your mind?”“This isn’t your fight,” Jack insisted, grabbing my arm, trying to pull me toward the back of the house. “I need to keep you safe.”I ripped my arm from his grasp, glaring at him. “This is exactly my fight! I’m not some damsel in distress you can shove into a corner while
Tamara’s POV As I strode away from the crowd, I could hear Jack’s footsteps rushing after me. My heart was pounding from all the adrenaline of almost watching my pack members get slaughtered, so I didn’t even bother to glance back at him. "Tamara!" Jack’s voice was sharp and desperate. "What the hell are you doing?" I ignored him until he grabbed my arm, halting me in my tracks. I whipped around, glaring at him. “What does it look like I’m doing, Jack? I’m handling the mess you created!” Jack’s eyes flared with disbelief. “You’re actually going to marry Alpha Dante? That monster? You can’t be serious.” He exclaimed. “Oh, I’m dead serious,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “He can’t be any worse than you. And Since when do you care anyway? Shouldn’t you be focused on your Kate now? She’s pregnant with your child, after all.” I sneered. "Don’t bring Kate into this, this is about you and me." He stepped closer, his voice lowering as if trying to seduce me. "Or have you
Tamara POV I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The day had been way too long, and wayy too chaotic, not to mention that it was filled with way too many emotions to process. The first case was that My mind kept replaying my expected confrontation with Jack, the stares from the pack members, and the weight of everything I had just agreed to. i was Marrying Alpha Dante for goodness sake!. The same man whose name alone sent shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it. How had it come to this? I had spent years dreaming of the moment I would take control of my destiny, and now I was handing my life over to a man I barely knew. Dear goddess! I sighed, staring up at the ceiling, my fingers twisting in the sheets. Sleep was impossible. A sudden knock on the door made my heart leap into my throat. My first thought was that Jack had come to argue with me again, unable to accept that I was marrying Dante. I was not in the mood for another confrontation. I pulled myself o
Jack's POV As I stood there, watching Tamara clasp the diamond necklace around her neck, it felt like something inside me shattered. My heart was crushed, and I could barely breathe. My throat tightened, and my chest felt like it was caving in. I can't believe she's marrying him!Fucking Alpha Dante! Of all people! How could she do this to me? How could she marry him? My worst enemy, the man responsible for so much pain in my life. She didn’t even flinch when she accepted that diamond necklace. Her face was calm, even pleased. How could she be pleased when she was throwing everything we had away?I stormed to my room, away from the scene that was breaking me apart. I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t stand to see her like that, wearing something sent by that monster. It made my skin crawl.The room I was walking into wasn’t even my own anymore. Yesterday, Tamara had kicked me out of her room and forced Kate and me to move into one of the smaller rooms downstairs. Pure shame and humili
It had been two days since Alpha Dante sent me the diamond ring, and I was set to leave for his territory in just a few hours. Everything was already packed and prepared for my departure. I glanced at the ring on my finger, the large diamond catching the light as I turned it. It symbolized more than just a marriage proposal. It symbolized my future—our future—and the power that was soon to be mine.Jack had been pretending to ignore me since I accepted the ring, his attempts at cold indifference painfully obvious. I still caught him staring at me sometimes when he thought I wasn’t looking. It wasn’t my imagination either. His eyes would burn into me from across the room, only to look away the moment I met his gaze. I knew it still bothered him, this engagement, but I didn’t care. I had made it clear that he had to leave my pack, that he had no place here anymore. Yet, he hadn’t made any effort to go, and I couldn’t help but wonder why.Still, it didn’t bother me much. Soon, when Alpha
Tamara's POV The road stretched out ahead of us, winding through thick woods and rolling hills as the car smoothly glided over the asphalt. The ride was mostly quiet except for the excited chatter of Violet, who sat beside me, practically vibrating with energy. “This is going to be amazing, Tamara!” Violet gushed, leaning toward me with wide eyes. “I mean, think about it. We’re going to Alpha Dante’s pack—his lands are supposed to be incredible! Abundance like you wouldn’t believe. Huge estates, farms that practically grow food by themselves, rivers full of fish. I’ve heard they even have gold mines!” I gave her a sidelong glance but didn’t share her enthusiasm. Her excitement only made the knot in my stomach tighten. “Yeah, I’ve heard those stories too.” “And it’s all true!” Fiona said with a dreamy sigh, looking out the window as we passed another long stretch of forest. “They say his lands are so prosperous that no one there ever goes hungry. That’s why no one ever leaves—t
Adrian's POV I tried hard to remember last night but my head soon began to hurt from the effort and I still came up blankPanic was quickly beginning to seize me until I suddenly heard Candice's voice. "Relax Alpha," she said from across the room, her legs tucked under her in a chair by the window with a mug in her hand. "You don't need to try hard to remember what happened last night.""Huh?" I asked in confusion.Candice smiled. "I can read your emotions on your face, and what I meant to say was Nothing interesting happened." I blinked blearily at her. "What...?" "You passed out last night after drinking that extra bottle I told you not to drink," she said simply. "I didn’t want the entire palace gossiping about how their great Alpha can’t hold his liquor so I brought you to the guest room in my quarters. I just brought coffee for you this morning." She gestured to the tray on the table. I let out a breath of relief. I didn't betray Kayla because nothing had happened between us
Adrian’s POVI'm an idiot, I know that. I'm an idiot who's hopelessly in love with a woman but still too scared of his feelings for her.These last few days have really wrecked my mental state and drinking with Candice made me forget my worries for just a few hours.But even that, didn't last long. Because once my eyes landed on Kayla, everything came flooding back.She had made lunch and brought it to me, which meant that she had been thinking of me and probably tried to reach me earlier but I had blocked her.I just wanted time to process thoughts without interruptions or guilt. But that turned out to be impossible because the second I saw the look on Kayla’s face when I refused the food she brought, a bitter knot formed in my stomach. Her smile faltered and was replaced by something smaller, tighter. Hurt. She held the tray down carefully, almost as if she were afraid it would shatter if she moved too quickly.Then she offered to make dinner but I turned it down too and I could
Kayla's POV "It's not any of your concern Kayla. I suggest you drop it... for your own good."What nonsense was he saying. Xavier was my ex husband and very obvious enemy of Adrian. What did he mean it was non of my concern?I was very confused now. Didn't Hector say he had nothing to do with Xavier? Didn't he say he was going to change his relationship with Adrian for the better? What was he hiding now? I pressed on. “You know meeting with him, especially after everything that happened, is only going to make things worse with Adrian. Do you really want to make things more complicated?” He turned his head toward me, his expression hardening slightly. “I don’t care anymore what Adrian thinks. He’s never cared about what I’ve done, and he never will. Besides, I don’t see the problem with talking to someone who actually listens to me.” I felt my heart twist in my chest. “I know you’re upset, Hector, but you promised me—even before I stopped Adrian from banishing you—that you’d stop w
Kayla's POV I couldn’t get Xavier’s smug face out of my mind as I stormed down the hall. I needed to get away from him. From all of it. Adrian, Candice, Xavier... everything felt like it was crashing down. But I still had something to do. I walked briskly toward the holding cells, tray of food in my hands, trying to ignore the flutter of doubt and anger in my chest. I had come this far. I wasn’t going to let Xavier’s words, or my own jealousy, ruin everything. When I reached Hector’s cell, I paused for a moment. The guards were standing nearby, looking bored as usual. They didn’t even seem to notice me at first, so I took the chance to slip past them. But then one of them suddenly stepped in my path, a scowl forming on his face. “Where do you think you’re going?” he sneered. I blinked. “Excuse me?” “You can’t bring food to him,” the guard snapped, his tone rude and dismissive. I frowned. “Actually, I can. And I will. I’m Lady Kayla the Alpha’s fiancée, and I’ll bring food to
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