Tamara's pov Lady Regina gestured toward a chair by the window. “Please, sit.”I obeyed, perching on the edge of the seat while she remained standing, her gaze unwavering. “Do you swear by the goddess,” she began, her voice calm but firm, “that you truly love my son? That you’re not using him for power or personal gain?”My mouth fell open slightly in shock. “What?” I asked, stunned. “Lady Regina, we’ve had this discussion before. I thought I already made myself clear.”“Lies are easily said, Tamara,” she replied, her tone carrying a weight that made my stomach twist.“I’m not lying,” I said firmly, meeting her gaze. “I love Dante with all my heart. I would never—”She held up a hand, cutting me off. “Let me explain,” she said. Her tone wasn’t angry, but there was an undeniable edge of authority that silenced me immediately.“I didn’t support this marriage,” she began, pacing slowly across the room. “When Dante first told me he wanted to marry you, I advised against it. I didn’t know
Tamara’s POVI left Lady Regina’s room with my heart pounding. The worry of her words—her doubts, her warnings—felt like they were sinking into my chest. I knew she wasn’t wrong to want to protect Dante, after all, he was her son, but her lack of faith stung, especially since i actually thought we had been getting along well. I didn’t have time to dwell on it long, though.A tug at the back of my mind—a familiar warmth spreading through the bond—stopped me in my tracks. Dante was calling me.I followed the pull to his office, knocking lightly on the door before stepping inside. Dante was seated behind his desk, looking over a stack of papers. When he saw me, his face lit up, the tension in his shoulders easing instantly.“Sweetheart,” he said, his voice warm as he stood and rounded the desk to greet me. He pulled me into a hug, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “How did it go with my mother?”I hesitated, my heart skipping a beat. “It was…fine,” I said, forcing a smile.He raised an e
Jack’s POVI stood frozen, Adrian’s words echoing in my head. Tamara…his mate? It didn’t make any sense. It couldn’t make sense.“You’re lying,” I said, my voice colder than I intended. “You have to be lying.”Adrian didn’t flinch. Instead, he met my gaze with an intensity that made my stomach twist. “Why would I lie about something like this, Jack? Tamara is my mate.”“That’s impossible!” I snapped. “If she was your mate, she would have known. She would have felt it!”Adrian sighed, his frustration showing. “She didn’t sense it because something’s wrong. That day, when I saw her, she couldn’t feel the bond. That’s why I didn’t tell her.”I frowned, his words tugging at something in the back of my mind. “But Why couldn’t she sense it? That's not normal, all mates can sense each other” I argued.“I’ve been asking myself the same question,” Adrian said, his voice low. “At first, I thought it was just me—maybe I was mistaken. But I kept digging, and I found out it’s because of her…rebirt
Tamara's POV Morning came too quickly, dragging with it a heavy sense of unease. As I paced the room, my thoughts circled like vultures around one persistent worry: how was I supposed to serve Lady Regina? She wasn’t just Dante’s mother—she was a woman of power, experience, and sharp wit. One wrong move, one misstep, and she’d see right through me. I sighed, pulling my hair back into a loose braid as Violet sat on the couch, watching me with a bemused expression. “You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” she teased. “Maybe I’ll disappear into the hole and save myself from whatever disaster today holds,” I muttered, earning a small chuckle from her. “You’re overthinking it. Sophie always knew how to handle these kinds of situations. She was raised with all the proper etiquette,” Violet said offhandedly. I froze mid-step. “Sophie. Why hasn’t she returned yet?” Violet’s smile faltered. “I don’t know. She’s not answering my calls.” “Have you spoken to anyone else who’s seen her?
Tamara's POV The moment Lady Regina uttered the words “in front of noblewomen of the north,” my stomach plummeted. My mind raced with the implications. This wasn’t just a game—it was a spectacle, a test designed to humiliate me. Lucy’s smug grin confirmed my fears. I could already imagine her scheming ways to make me look like a fool. As soon as I excused myself from Lady Regina’s presence, I rushed to find Dante. My heart pounded with urgency, and my feet barely touched the ground as I navigated the corridors of the palace. When I burst into his office, I didn’t even bother with pleasantries. “Dante, Dante! you have to help me,” I blurted, barely catching my breath. “Lady Regina wants me to participate in some... ridiculous game in front of the noblewomen of the north. And Lucy’s involved! You know she’ll do everything to humiliate me! help me get out of it” Dante looked up from his paperwork, his expression amused. “Oh, that. Mother and Lucy tricked you into agreeing, didn’t
Tamara's POV I looked between them, my concern growing. “Sophie, is he… is he hurting you?” “No!” Sophie said quickly, though her voice wavered. “He’s just… frustrated. I don’t blame him. I should’ve communicated better.” I wasn’t convinced, I knew signs of abuse from my experience with Jack and Sophie was clearly being abused and manipulated. “Sophie, you don’t have to defend him. If he’s treating you badly, we’ll protect you.” She shook her head again, her tears starting anew. “It’s not that simple, Tamara. He’s my husband. I made a vow to be with him through thick and thin, I can't just let it go because he has some flaws.” "Flaws?" Casper gaped. "Flaws could be him forgetting to say I love you, not telling you that you're a piece of shit that is better off dead!" Casper yelled and my eyes widened. "He said that to her?" I asked and Casper nodded, "that was one of the nicer things actually, I can't repeat the rest or I might go back there and kill him." Sophie sobb
Tamara's POV Sophie finally sobered slightly, though her eyes still sparkled with amusement. “Tamara, do you know why all the northern Lunas learn archery?” I blinked at her, thrown off by the sudden change in topic. “Uh… no?” “It’s because there might come a time when we can’t rely on our wolves in battle. Archery is a skill that doesn’t require shifting—it’s about precision, patience, and focus. Every Luna in the north usually learns it as part of her training.” I groaned and buried my face in my hands. “Well, I liked to skip those lessons back in my pack. Now I’m doomed.” “You’re not doomed,” Sophie said firmly. "The point of my story is this, A Luna must know how to win her challenge or defeat her enemy despite not having her preferred weapons, so the key isn't being great at archery, the key is finding a way to win."I arched my brows at that.Sophie smiled. “I’ll teach you. We still have time, and I’ll make sure you’re ready.” I peeked at her through my fingers. “You
Tamara's POV Morning came far too quickly, and I woke with my heart pounding in my chest. Anxiety wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket as the sunlight streamed through the windows. My mind replayed every possible scenario of failure, each more mortifying than the last. Before I could spiral any further, a warm hand slid over my waist, and I turned to see Dante’s sleepy but concerned expression. “Tamara,” he murmured, his voice still husky from sleep. “You’re trembling. What’s wrong?” “What’s wrong?” I whispered incredulously. “The game, Dante! Today’s the day I make a complete fool of myself in front of every noblewoman in the North. That’s what’s wrong.” He chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss me, his lips lingering on mine until I momentarily forgot how to breathe. When he pulled back, his golden eyes were calm and reassuring. “You won’t embarrass yourself. You’re Tamara, my Luna. You’re stronger than you think.” “Dante,” I mumbled, my voice shaky. “You’re biased.” “
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’
Kayla's POV I stood in the hallway, watching Adrian storm out of the room with his usual intense expression. He was furious—his fists clenched, his jaw set tight, and a fire burning in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long time. The moment he’d said the word traitor, my heart dropped into my stomach. I couldn't believe it. Hector, a traitor? No, that wasn’t right. Hector had been nothing but kind to me, helpful to the the wolf less women and then he’d apologized for kissing me and promised me that he’d stop the ridiculous rivalry between him and Adrian. I had just started to thank the goddess for some peace between them, and now Adrian wanted to arrest him? I couldn’t let this happen. I hurried after Adrian, calling his name as I caught up with him in the hallway. "Adrian! Wait please!" I grabbed his arm, trying to slow him down, but he just pulled away from me. "Kayla, stay out of this." His voice was cold, like it always got when he was angry. "I need to deal with this. It’
Adrian's POV I paused and tried to recall the memory of that day. The fight with Xavier was still fresh in my mind, but there was something... something else that happened. “I met someone who said they had information on how to find you,” I said slowly, “we had a fight, but then... something attacked me from behind. I can’t remember much after that.” Kayla looked at me, concern evident in her eyes. “Something attacked you from behind?” “Yeah,” I said, rubbing my temples as I recalled the foggy details. “The memory’s a little unclear. But there was definitely someone else involved. I’m just... not sure who.”I made sure I didn't mention to her that it was probably her ex husband who had intentionally set me up and invited his friends to help him get rid of me.But that didn't make sense. Why would Xavier simply poison me and not just kill me off immediately.How did he even get the audacity to attack me when he knew that I could have defeated him especially when I wake up.Plus
Adrian's POV I couldn’t stop grinning as I stood in front of the mirror, touching the marks on my neck from where Kayla had kissed me earlier. I turned to her.Every time I looked at her, it felt like my heart was about to burst. She was here, she was really here, and no amount of blood or bruises could ever change how happy I was to have her back. I didn’t even care how close I came to dying for it to happen. I was alive. She was alive. We were together. That was all that mattered. “You’re staring,” Kayla teased, her voice soft and full of that playful edge I loved. She stepped up to me, her hands brushing against my shoulders, making me shiver at the warmth of her touch. “I can’t help it. You’re back. You—” I took a deep breath, fighting back the overwhelming wave of emotion that threatened to drown me. “I thought I lost you forever.” Kayla’s hands moved to my chest, and she smiled that smile I’d missed so much. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Her words were lik
Kayla's POV I frowned. “What do you mean, he doesn’t trust Hector?” Desmond smirked, his expression a mix of satisfaction and frustration. “Adrian’s always been protective of Kayla. And Hector has tried to be close to him by protecting Kayla, but there’s a crack there. We made sure that Adrian would start to suspect Hector has his own motives for taking Kayla. After the fake attack we planned, we made sure that Xavier would not buy Hector's loyalty anymore. So If we can push him to distrust Hector even more, it’ll create a bigger rift in their bond and Kayla would be in the middle of it.Adrian will have to deal with anyone he perceives as a traitor, and we can use that. We can Push him to attack Hector. The chaos will be perfect.” I thought about it, but something didn’t sit right. “Hector... He’s been nothing but protective of the southern pack. It seems like he’s too loyal to attack his own people. And Adrian? He’s no fool. He’s not just going to throw away a possible ally lik