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
Tamara's POV I felt Dante's eyes on me as the music of the club started pulsing through my veins. It was a slow sultry rhythm that was just perfect for the show I wanted to put on. I closed my eyes and began to sway to the beat. My hands slowly slid up and down my curves as I whined my hips and arched my neck. I knew Dante’s eyes were on me—I could feel the Dante's hungry gaze eating every inch of my bare skin as moved in a way that I knew would turn him on and drive him crazy. He had challenged my dancing skill and now I was going to use that to punish him. I let my hands trail up to cup my breasts as I began to sway my hips even harder. I opened my eyes and met his hungry gaze- I wanted him to know I was performing for only him. From across the room, I saw him watching my every move with an intense, unblinking stare fixed on me, and a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. It looked like he couldn't take his eyes off me even if he tried to. It was like I trapped hi
Tamara's POV "I'm your sister to be." the blonde woman said with an annoying smirk. "What?" I blinked, caught off guard as the blonde woman standing in front of me smiled even wider, enjoying my confusion. "Sister?" I echoed. For a moment, I wondered if she was Dante's younger sister, Ciri, but then o remembered that Dante had described her as a sweet, shy seventeen-year-old. But this blonde woman, though, was obviously closer to my age, probably in her twenties. And her mischievous smirk didn’t exactly scream "sweetheart." I tilted my head, trying to keep my patience and my tone calm. "Sorry, but... who are you, exactly?" She just waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind that. I just wanted to meet you and give you a word of advice, sister to sister." The mocking emphasis on “sister” was impossible to ignore. My fingers twitched, itching to cross to smack that smug look on her face, but I kept them at my sides. "And what advice would that be?" I gritted out. She lean
Tamara's POV "I can't believe you actually brought that traitorous bitch over here to meet Mother. What the fuck are you thinking, Dante?" I immediately froze, stunned by the venom in Reuben's tone as he lashed out at his brother. I’d only ever heard about Reuben from Dante, but nothing had prepared me for the raw hatred he seemed to hold for me. Dante’s voice turned cold as steel. "Watch your mouth, Reuben. And this is my marriage, so you should tay out of what doesn’t concern you." "Ofcourse it concerns me," Reuben snapped, glaring. "You’re trying to ruin this pack by making her our Luna— you are destroying our family’s legacy and reputatio. The one our father and brother worked their entire lives to build." I saw the way Dante’s jaw clenched, and a storm gathering in his eyes. He was losing his patience. "What fucking Legacy?! Father and our brother spent so much time fighting endless wars, caught up in vendettas with other packs, that they were destroying their own peo
Tamara's POV The drive back to the hotel was tense. Dante barely said a word to anyone, and I could feel the tension rolling off him. He had insisted on driving himself, but his jaw was clenched and his hands gripped the wheel a little too tightly, even his eyes were focused on the road with an intensity that didn’t feel like him. It made me realize that Reuben's words had hit him a lot harder than I expected and now he was trying hard to focus on something else. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he stormed up to our room, and straight to the balcony, staring out at the city lights without saying a word. I let him be, giving him the space he needed, but it hurt to see him so distressed and lost in thought. After a while, I slipped into the bathroom, hoping a hot bath might help clear my own head, too, tonight had been... a lot for all of us. The warm water felt comforting, and I tried to wash away the feeling of Reuben’s words and the doubt they were trying to plant in the
Tamara's POV "I'm fine now, as long as I have you, I'll be fine… you’re all I care about. You’re my future, Tamara." Dante whispered. I heard his words completely, and I think he believed them, but words were not the same as actions, and if I was truly his future, then why was he still hiding the fact that I was his second chance mate? I glanced at Dante. Keeping our bond hidden wasn’t easy, not when he had made me feel like I was his whole world, but my heart was filling with so many contradicting questions until I couldn’t hold back anymore. So I decided to ask him. “Dante… I really do believe you, but why are you choosing to keep our mating bond a secret?” I asked, keeping my tone light but serious. “If I really am your future, then wouldn’t you want everyone to know that this isn’t just about pack alliances, power or land? why don't you want them to know that we're the real deal?” Dante turned to me then, his expression soft as he lifted my hand to his lips, brushing a k
Tamara's POV “I honestly doubt that Possibility Luna. But I wanted to just inform you in case you don't know, anyone associated with Adrian is considered a threat to Dante’s safety.” He fixed me with a steady stare. “So, if anything else about Adrian comes back to you… you’ll let me know immediately, right?” George asked. I swallowed hard, nodding. “Of course.” After my conversation with Adrian, I was a little freaked out, but I decided to put it at the back of my mind and get ready for the most important part of the day, meeting Dante's mother. I hadn't yet heard from him yet, so I just got dressed and waited by the window, hoping to see some sign of Dante, but there was nothing. What was going on? I really hoped his mom wasn't giving him a hard time. Yes, George had assured me that Dante could handle himself, but I can’t help but worry about him. His mother’s influence over the northern elders was our main hope and, if she was pissed at him for defending me from his brot
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
Kayla’s POVSomething was wrong with me.The feeling hit me the second I opened my eyes—an emptiness, like a piece of me had been stripped away.I sat up with a gasp, my breath sharp and ragged. My hands clutched the sheets beneath me as a deep panic settled into my bones.What’s wrong with me?My heart pounded as I looked around, disoriented. White walls. The sterile smell of antiseptic. A dim overhead light flickering faintly.A hospital?Before I could fully process where I was, I felt a hand grip mine. Warm. Steady. Familiar.“Kayla.”I turned my head, locking eyes with Adrian.His dark brows were furrowed, and there was something fierce in his gaze—relief, frustration, something deeper."You’re awake," he said, exhaling like he'd been holding his breath for hours. "Thank goddess."A wave of dizziness washed over me as memories started trickling back. The battle. The attack. Adrian standing in the path of danger.And then—that creepy voice in my head.My stomach turned. It had bee
Adrian’s POVKayla collapsed against me, her body limp as the impact of the attack knocked the breath out of her.For a moment, everything froze.Her beautiful eyes—those damn beautiful eyes that had captivated me from the moment I first saw them—dimmed as she lost consciousness. Blood trickled from her lips, her skin now unnervingly still.No. No, no, no. I thought.“Kayla!” My voice was hoarse as I caught her before she hit the ground.She wasn’t moving. Why wasn’t she moving?My heart slammed against my ribs in pure, unfiltered terror.“Somebody help me!” I roared.Logan and the warriors rushed toward me, but I didn’t wait. I lifted Kayla into my arms, holding her against me as I ran full speed toward the palace hospital.Every second that passed felt like a blade slicing through my chest.She had taken that hit for me.She had thrown herself into danger without hesitation, without thinking about herself.And now she was unconscious in my arms, bleeding, broken.I clenched my jaw,
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