As I sat with Dante under the shade of a large oak tree, the peaceful sounds of nature surrounded us. The picnic had been perfect— but this was even better, a basket full of food, and the sun gently warming my skin. Dante was leaning back, watching me with his intense, dark eyes, and for a moment, I almost forgot why I was uneasy. But then, the nagging thought that had been at the back of my mind all day resurfaced. I had to ask. “So, you never really told me about your fated mate,” I said casually, though the weight of my words felt heavier than I intended. Dante’s expression shifted slightly. The relaxed, flirtatious look he’d been wearing faded. “That’s not something I want to talk about,” he said, his voice low. That wasn’t the response I was hoping for. My stomach twisted. He didn’t trust me enough to tell me? “Why not?” I pressed, trying to keep my tone even. Dante ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. “It’s complicated.” I frowned, irritation bubb
Tamara's POV I spent most of the day sulking, pacing around my room while replaying that bitch Lucy’s words in my head. “Dante just fucked me so hard, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow.” She had said. “Sniveling little bitch.” I sneered under my breath. Just who the fuck did she think she was? I couldn’t stop thinking about her stupid smug smile, and the way she tossed out those hurtful words like she knew they would cut me deep. And the worst part? They fucking had! I glared at the roses sitting on my bedside table. Yea, remember the same ones that had made me smile earlier that morning? They now felt like a cruel reminder of how stupid I had been. Like How had I actually thought Dante might feel something for me? Dear Goddess! I was so foolish. How could I have let myself get wrapped up in his charm like that? I was so freaking pissed, that Before I knew it, I grabbed the vase of roses and threw it into the trash can with more force than necessary, the g
I paced back and forth in my room and my heart kept pounding faster and faster with every passing second. Dante had rushed out to confront whatever foolish threat had dared to attack the palace, but the sting of worry kept stabbing at me. I couldn't rest, I couldn't sit, all I could imagine was my Dante out there, fighting bravely for his people. The painful part about all this was that my mind kept spiralling into darker and darker scenarios after that. I'd always have visions of Jack somehow finding a way to hurt him, of blood and violence, and of Dante lying on the ground, injured or worse. “Stop it, Tamara,” I scolded myself, furiously running a hand through my hair. “He can handle himself.” But the goddamn images continued, like a relentless cycle of fear. What if Jack had sent his men after him? That asshole of an ex was known to be ruthless after all, or What if Dante was overwhelmed and got hurt? My hands trembled at the thought. “No,” I whispered, shaking my h
I spent the morning locked in a small, cold cell, the iron bars casting long shadows on the stone walls. Every tick of the clock felt like a countdown to my eventual doom. Even the hard floor was unforgiving, and I couldn’t shake the sense of dread that wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. “Get up, you traitor!” a guard barked as he swung the cell door open, the harsh light blinding me momentarily. “The council is ready for you.” I glared at him, my anger boiling over. “I’m not a traitor! I fought for this pack! I fought for Dante!” “oh Save it for the council,” he sneered, grabbing my arm roughly and yanking me to my feet. I stumbled, trying to regain my balance, and shot him a defiant look. “You’re making a mistake. You’ll regret this!” “Regret? I doubt that.” He dragged me down the dimly lit corridor, my heart racing as I tried to formulate a plan. What would happen when I faced the elders? Did Dante even know I was here? “Shut up!” the guard barked, sho
For days, Dante had been by my side and i was truly grateful for that because his presence was a comforting balm against the storm that had torn through my life just recently. The ache in my neck from Jack’s cruel release had finally faded, leaving me with an exhilarating feeling of freedom. Since that day Dante saw me in pain, Every morning, I would wake up to the sight of his worried face scanning me for any sign of discomfort. "I already told you I'm fine." I would often argue but he would never listen as he made sure to do everything for me, even going as far as to change my clothes at night like a baby. it was unexpected but very touching to see how he had taken it upon himself to care for me in every way possible. I definitely never expected him to b like that, but I was beginning to like it a little too much. “Are you feeling any better today?” he asked one morning, brushing his fingers against my cheek as I stirred awake. “I am,” I replied, a smile spreading
I'm not kidding when I say that I was still reeling from the council’s ultimatum when the doorbell rang. My heart sank as I glanced at Dante, who had been pacing the living room with a frown etched on his face. “Who could that be?” I asked, glancing toward the door. “I’ll check,” he replied, striding toward the entrance. My stomach knotted as I wondered if the council had sent someone to further torment us. I believe it wasn't an understatement to say that I had had more than enough from those fuckers today. But to our shock, when Dante opened the door, it was a stunning woman stepping inside, her beauty shining from her like a tiara under the moonlight. She had long, flowing hair that framed her face perfectly, and her outfit hugged her curves in all the right places. “Hello, Dante,” she said sweetly, her voice dripping with false charm. “I’m here as your new concubine.” My heart dropped, and I felt the air leave my lungs. I stood frozen in place, my eyes darting between
The days passed slowly, and I soon found myself missing Dante more than I cared to admit. Damn it! I knew I should talk to him, but pride held me back. What if things went wrong again? What if he didn’t want to see me? Each time I thought about reaching out, I pushed the idea away. I could handle this. I didn’t need him. But the longer we stayed apart, the more I realized just how much I craved his presence. One evening, I was sitting in the common room, lost in my thoughts, when a commotion erupted outside. The loud shouts and chaos pulled me from my reverie. I rushed to the door and stepped outside, my heart pounding. What on earth was happening? The sight that greeted me was shocking. A group of people had gathered around Lilly, who stood in the center, her face twisted in fury. “Someone scraped off my hair! Look at this!” she yelled, pulling her hair back to reveal patches where it had been brutally ripped out. “What? How could this happen?” someone asked, glancing aroun
I was lying in bed, when the moonlight streaming through my window cast soft pretty shadows across the room. it looked like I was in a fairy tale movie which was the literal OPPOSITE of how I felt when I was back with Jack. My mind flashed back to Dante and I had to swallow a girlish giggle as warmth filled my heart when I recalled my day with the tall, handsome hunk of a man. We’d laughed, flirted, and shared funny and embarrassing stories. His huge hand in mine felt right, as if it belonged there, which was surprising because I never thought I could feel this happy again after everything that had happened in my past life. I snuggled deeper into my blankets, letting a small smile creep across my face. “Maybe we can finally be okay,” I whispered to myself, as a bit of hope fluttered in my chest. My eyes finally lulled closed, and I let sleep take over me. Somewhere in the night, a sound jolted me awake. I frowned, straining to listen. What the heck? Was that… footsteps? My
Adrian’s POV The moment the warrior burst into the room, his face pale with urgency, I knew something was wrong. “The border—” he gasped. “It’s been breached.” I froze immediately. “By who?” The guard hesitated, then spoke. "We aren't sure sir. You need to see this by yourself." For a second, the words didn’t quite register. A breach? In our territory? That wasn’t supposed to happen. We had one of the strongest security systems in place. How the hell did someone get through? 'How did they even find the audacity to get through? And what did they want?' Is what I thought. But then— My mind went to Kayla. I needed to keep her safe at all costs. I didn't remember my pack, I didn't remember my people or any of the things I used to think about, all I remembered was Kayla. From that moment, my mind snapped. I barely remembered giving Logan orders. All I knew was that I needed to keep her safe. I remembered turning to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and saying “Stay her
Kayla’s POV "Did you really think I’d let you go, Kayla?” It growled. That voice. It was familiar. Too familiar. But that wasn’t possible because I couldn't remember hearing it before. Plus the fact that they were bold enough to intrude the south was a problem. I stood frozen, my heart hammering against my ribs as the shadows shifted near the doorway. Adrian was already in front of me, his body tense, it was like he was shielding me from the possible attack coming. His dark eyes burned with a dangerous intensity. “You need to stay hidden here, this palace is the safest place, Kayla,” he ordered. I barely heard him. My mind was racing, trying to place that voice—the one that had sent chills through my spine. It couldn’t be… But before I could think further, a deafening howl rang through the air. Then another. Then— Chaos erupted. --- Preparing for Battle A pack warrior rushed in, panting. “The attack has gotten worse sir!” he gasped. “They’ve broken past the o
Kayla’s POVFor a single, shocking moment, I was frozen.Candice— woman who was addicted to Adrian, the woman who had been fighting tooth and nail to get him —was now lunging at Adrian.This wasn't making any sense to me.Her nails elongated into claws, swiping through the air with deadly precision.And Adrian wasn’t fighting back.He was only dodging her attacks, barely avoiding the vicious way she was trying to end him, but I could see it.Every time she struck, every time he evaded, worry and confusion flickered in his dark eyes.Not because she was hurting him, But because he couldn't understand why she was doing it.Adrian could have ended this fight in an instant.But he wouldn’t. Because he truly cared for Candice and this wasn’t Candice.Not the real Candice anyway, and we all knew it.And yet—My chest tightened as I watched him try to dodge another hit.But this time, he didn't move fast enough and Candice’s claws ripped through his sleeve, drawing blood.A sharp growl lef
Kayla’s POV Something was about to go wrong. We could all feel it—lingering in the air, creeping in the shadows of my mind. Suspicious activity had just been detected again in the pack’s security system. That was the third time this week. Whoever was doing this was inside the pack. But tracking them led nowhere. It was like chasing a ghost. And that scared me more than I wanted to admit. Because if we couldn’t find them, that meant they were good. Too good. --- Despite the lingering unease, I had to admit—Adrian had changed. The suffocating overprotection was gone. He still worried, still kept guards around, but now he actually let me breathe. And I knew why.It was because he believed in my ability to protect myself now. Because I wasn’t some helpless prisoner anymore. I had fought for my life and I had survived. I wasn’t weak anymore, even though I wasn't sure why. And because of that, we were finally going back to how we used to be before the kiss.Kind of Close and
Adrian’s POV No leads on how the traitor betrayed us. Not even a single damn clue about who the traitor was. Days of searching, interrogating, tearing through every possible lead—and still, nothing. It was infuriating. Someone had let those mercenaries in. Someone inside my palace, under my command, had betrayed me. And yet, whoever it was, they covered their tracks too well. Too carefully. That told me two things. One: They were smart. Two: They probably weren’t working alone or had some level of influence. I wasn’t letting this go. Because if they got in once, they could get in again. And I’d kill anyone who put Kayla in danger. --- I was in my office, pouring over reports, when Connor walked in. One look at his face, and I knew. “We found something?" I asked and he nodded. I stood immediately. “Tell me.” Connor tossed a file onto the desk. I flipped it open, scanning the details—then my body went rigid. A name and finally a familiar connection.
Kayla’s POVAfter that nightmare, I felt like a prisoner.The palace, once a place that had slowly started to feel like home, now felt like a cage with golden bars.Adrian had doubled security after the bloody warning note, and while I understood why… it didn’t make being constantly watched any easier.Guards followed me everywhere, inside and outside. I couldn’t take a walk without someone tailing me. I couldn’t breathe without Adrian knowing exactly where I was.I wanted to scream.Instead, I forced myself to keep my head down and obey—because that was what was expected of me.---"Adrian, please," I tried again.He didn’t even look up from the map spread across his desk. "No."I let out a frustrated breath. "I just want to go outside for five minutes.""You were outside yesterday," he said. "In the training yard. With three guards."I folded my arms. "That’s not the same thing, and you know it."He finally looked at me, his sharp gaze pinning me in place. "I'm not taking chances wi
Adrian’s POVKayla was keeping her distance again.I noticed it in the small things—the way she tried to leave the room whenever I entered, the way she avoided making eye contact, the hesitation in her voice whenever we spoke.And it pissed me off.I understood she had secrets. I understood that she was struggling with something she didn’t fully comprehend. But after everything that had happened, after all the times I had proven I would protect her, she still didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.I should have been furious.But instead, all I felt was frustration laced with something I didn’t want to name.Because despite everything, I still couldn’t bring myself to push her away.So, I focused on what I could control—her safety.---I was in my office, reviewing patrol reports when I heard a soft knock on the door.I already sensed who it was before I looked up.Kayla stood in the doorway, her expression uncertain.I set my pen down and leaned back in my chair. “You’re avoidin
Adrian’s POVI stared at Kayla, my back still pressed against the wall where she had thrown me.That wasn’t possible.I was an Alpha. Stronger than anyone in this pack. No one—not even a Beta—should have been able to push me back like that.And yet, she had.Kayla.The same woman who told me she had no wolf.The same woman who had claimed to be powerless.She was standing in front of me, her hands still trembling, her eyes filled with confusion and regret."I… I didn’t mean to do that," she stammered. "I don’t know how that happened."I didn’t say anything.I couldn’t.My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of it.Had she lied to me? Was she trying to manipulate me?Had she made up that whole story about losing her wolf just to gain my pity?"She tricked us," my wolf growled, angry and betrayed."Did you lie to me?" I asked coldly, my voice barely above a whisper.Kayla’s eyes widened. "What?"I took a step toward her, my fists clenched. "You told me you didn’t have a wolf anymore
Adrian’s POVMy mind couldn't stop racing.Even after leaving Connor and Logan, my anger refused to settle. My wolf was restless, growling in the back of my mind, demanding answers, demanding Kayla."She’s still in love with him.""You don’t know that," I shot back at my wolf."Then why is she avoiding us? Why does she look guilty every time you’re near?"I gritted my teeth, refusing to give in to my own insecurities. It was ridiculous. Kayla was mine. Xavier had abandoned her. Thrown her away. There was no reason for her to still have feelings for him.And yet…The way she had been avoiding me after the kiss, the hesitation in her eyes whenever I got too close—it was driving me insane.I had tried to be patient. Tried to give her space before the attack. But patience wasn’t my strength, especially not when it came to her.I needed answers.I stormed out of my office and headed straight for our room where Kayla had been sleeping since the attack.The guards I had now stationed outside