Stefan's POV
"Greetings, Lycan Stefan." Everyone in the large conference room rose from their seats to welcome me as soon as I walked in. They bowed, shook hands with me and tried to exchange small talks but I refused to grant them the privilege. I was not in the mood for small talks. Never had been. Today was the long anticipated business conference which was only held once in every decade and every important figure in all of the werewolves realm was in attendance. Alphas, Betas, Zetas, elders of the councils and other top influential business figures.
Apollo; my beta, led me to my seat close to the chairwoman's seat which was empty. He sat beside me and our eyes scrutinized the fairly large gathering as the rest of those present whispered in hush tones to each other, with their eyes darting towards the entrance door every now and then, as though they were waiting for someone else. Someone more important than me.
"In case you're curious, they are looking forward to meeting the chairwoman for the very first time." Apollo leaned in and whispered to me. "I hear that she's a very powerful figure amongst the business moguls in the entire pack. An enchanting beauty. Got married to Alpha Micah of Moonsong pack at the age of eighteen. After his death a year later, she surprisingly inherited all of his properties including his throne."
My forehead creased lightly in a frown. Even though I wasn't at all interested in the chairwoman…whoever she was, I didn't find the story clear enough.
"What do you mean she inherited all of his properties and throne? Does he not have an heir?"
Apollo shook his head. "This is the part where it gets crazy. Alpha Micah has a rogue son but he probably never trusted him nor anyone else around him. So, he entrusted all of his inheritance to his young wife who used to be a servant in his mansion."
"That is total bullshit."
"Exactly what everyone else thinks. They believe she could have bewitched him. I do not blame the Alpha for making such a shocking decision, anyway. From what I have heard, she has a mesmerizing beauty…"
Before Apollo could complete his sentence, a pair of female heels walked into the conference room, clicking and resounding loudly against the hardwood floors. The whole room went silent instantly. It was as if everyone held their breath as our visions became clouded by the live image of a young woman with the fairest and palest of skins, walking into the room like a gentle, autumn breeze. Her long, glossy chestnut brown hair was curled and cascading down her back and her well tailored, black sheath dress hugged tight to her body, delicately showing off her curves. A strong sense of nostalgia hit me as I took in the sight of her and my lips parted slightly in pure disbelief and unprecedented shock.
There was absolutely no way that could be…
"Eve." I whispered under my breath and Apollo stared at me in puzzlement.
"You know her?"
I did not reply to Apollo. Instead, I watched unblinkingly as the men in the gathering rose up to shake hands with her. Unlike me, she did not keep a straight face as they exchanged greetings with her. Her face gleamed and brightened as she smiled and shook hands with them, her deep set of dimples adding more highlights to her perfect symmetrical face. I couldn't believe that I had never for once gotten to see those dimples while she was so close to me. I couldn't believe I killed those smiles when I had the chance to see and kiss them.
She sighted me and for a moment, she seemed to freeze and her smile slipped. It mirrored the shock I felt upon seeing her. I could see a flash of pain cross her eyes for a moment, before she camouflaged it behind a fake smile plastered on her face. She walked towards our direction with the confidence and smooth flow of a model on a runway show.
"She's headed this way. Damn, she's so beautiful. Too undeniably beautiful. Do you think she had some work done on her face? I want to believe that she has. How in the world can someone be this pretty?" Apollo wouldn't shut up and continued to whisper to me as she got closer to us. Even with the smile still plastered on her face, I could see through it all, the closer she came. The smile she sent me had no warmth and her large sapphire eyes held so much coldness. She hated me. Despised me. She had hated me all those years. I could see and feel all of it.
"My Lycan king." She bowed her head gracefully before me before standing straight again. "It is an honor to finally meet you."
I couldn't reply to her. My tongue felt too bloated and too heavy to speak. My head was in so much daze to be able to think of a reply. I couldn't remember the last time anyone had held me this dumbfounded before.
"My name is Eve Micah. Luna of late Alpha Micah; former Alpha of Moonsong pack. Once again, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."
I couldn't believe my ears or my eyes. There was no way this could be possible. Eve had been alive all these while and mated to the Alpha of another pack? I could remember searching for her everywhere, for a really long time. Who could've thought she was right there all those while? After eight years, here she was, looking lithe and beautiful, radiating so much confidence that I never knew she was capable of.
The poor, pathetic omega girl that I had once rejected had turned into the most beautiful woman that I had ever set my eyes on and I could not stop myself from wanting her that instant. My whole body ached to touch her. My whole being craved for her. And at that moment, I could only think about one thing…
Fixing my mistake and making her mine again. No matter what it takes.
Eve's POVAs soon as the event was over, I hurried out of the hall with my PA and best friend; Jade trailing behind me. I needed to catch my breath and calm my rattled mind before anyone noticed something was wrong with me. I took a sharp turn to the female restroom and hurried over to the sink. Breathing heavily, I turned the tap on and washed my hand aggressively. Jade rushed towards me and turned off the tap to stop me. As I raised my head and watched my reflection in the mirror, I stared back at my now reddened eyes and Jade's concerned ones beside me. "Listen to me, Eve. Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath."I tried to do as she instructed but I could not. Instead, I caught a tear in my throat and furiously blinked back the tears that had welded up inside my eyes from falling. I would not cry over him. Never again. "You are a strong woman, Eve. The way you composed yourself earlier was admirable. For a moment, I thought you had gotten over him…""I have gotten over him." I s
Eve's POVI was dragged forcibly out of the mansion by the guards and I cried and fought to struggle from their grip but it was only a feeble effort. They were a hundred times stronger than me. The man who had ordered them to drag me away stood tall and merciless as he watched them manhandle me without a hint of sympathy in his beastial eyes. Even though I wondered how I had fallen so deeply in love with such a demon, I didn't want to leave him. "Please, don't do this to me! Please, give me another chance! Please, I beg of you!" I cried and tried to reach him but they pulled me away even farther apart from him. It broke my heart. Killed me. "A second chance you say?" He sneered at me and gave me that disgusted look he had always given to me ever since I had started living with him as his arranged mate. "I am too repelled by you to give you a second chance. Go away and never come back.""Please! Please, I beg you." I fell on my knees, crying even harder now. I knew that none of my te
Eve's POV"Wakey wakey. Breakfast is here." My ears flooded with Jade's voice and I grumbled in my sleep as she pulled the curtains aside, allowing the soft brightness of the morning sunlight to hit my eyes. "Get up, already. Remember, it's convention day two.""Fuck off, Jade." I cussed at her and heard her laugh as she sat on the bed beside me. The aroma of delicious pancakes and sausages wafted into my nose and my stomach rumbled hungrily."No, I won't. Plus, you won't believe who this breakfast is from.""Go away." I wrapped myself around the duvet covers and tried to get back to sleep. "Lycan Stefan. They're from Stefan."My eyes shot open instantly and I brought down the duvet cover off my body. My eyes stared wide at Jade in disbelief. There was absolutely no way this could not be true."Are you kidding me?""No, I'm not." She picked a small note from the breakfast tray and handed it to me. Cautiously, I collected the handwritten note and read its brief contents.Do you still
Eve’s POV“You…” Emilia’s gaze was a mixture of anger and stupefied disbelief as she stared at me as if I was some ghost apparition that had come back to ruin her life.Meanwhile, Stefan was still frozen in place, as if the kiss had cast a spell on him that he couldn't break. “Long time no see, Emilia.” I said to her, the triumphant smile on my face still unwavering. “So sorry you had to see that. Stefan and I will be more careful next time.”This time, Emilia’s frustration turned into a burning rage and she snarled, her hand curling into a fist, ready to strike. She stormed towards my direction to hit me but before her hand could land on me, Stefan’s arm shot out and caught her wrist on time before her hand could meet with my face. Emilia’s gaze flickered between the two of us, her expression a mixture of anger and hurt as her chest heaved heavily with each breath. “That’s enough, Emilia.” Stefan said to her with a tone of warning that asked her to behave herself.”“What do you me
Eve's POVAfter the convention was over for that day, I followed Jade to the restaurant that she talked about and we settled down to have brunch. The waitress came with our orders and set them down on the table in front of us. My eyes lit up at the sight of the French toast, the sweet scent of berries wafting upwards, accompanied by a decadent drizzle of maple syrup. Opposite me, Jade’s avocado toast was equally appealing, its rustic sourdough blanketed with poached eggs and vibrant cherry tomatoes. The final touch to our brunch was a smooth, silky latte for each of us. “This looks good.” I exclaimed, grabbing my fork and knife to dig into my breakfast. One bite was all it took to confirm that the food was as good as it looked.Jade's face beamed and she flashed a grin, proud of her choice of restaurant. “Told ya,” she said, biting into her avocado toast.Just when we began our brunch, from the corner of my eye, I noticed the distinct presence of two people entering the cafe. It wa
Stefan's POVThe remaining few days that followed the convention, I could only watch Eve from a distance. Whenever the thought of approaching her crossed my mind, it was met with the memory of our cafeteria encounter. That moment when she had snapped at me and told me that she wanted me to stay away from her and that she did not have any feelings for me any longer. Her words did hurt me, I wouldn't lie. It was the first time that she had snapped at me this way and made me feel this awful. Never had a woman's rejection cut me so deeply. Matter of fact, no other woman had ever made me feel this way. I wouldn't even have entertained another woman speaking to me in such a manner. But with Eve, it was different. It felt different. Eve was an mystery, a puzzle I couldn't solve. There was a shift in her, a subtle change that left me searching for answers. Yet, for all my confusion, I found myself unable to tear away from her. She held me captive, her presence a binding spell I was powerles
Eve’s POVIt is morning. Ugh. My head hurt like a truck had just run over it, and I groaned as the soft morning lights that seeped through the curtains hit my closed eyes. Slowly opening my eyes, I winced at the dull throb pulsing through my head and the sunlight that hit my eyes. I sat up sluggishly on the bed and rubbed my temples gently with my fingers in a futile effort to get rid of the hangover headache. I had drunk myself to stupor, hadn’t I? I tried to piece together the events of last night when I had gotten drunk, but I could come up with nothing, and I stopped myself from thinking any further and resolved to the belief that after I had probably passed out from my drunken state, Jade had come to fetch just like she always did. It was nothing more than that. “Morning, sunshine.” Jade chirped in, holding a small tray that contained a bowl of soup in her hand. She set it down on the bedside table close to me. “Figured you’d need this.” “What is that?” I glanced at th
Eve’s POV“Mummy!” Jameson ran towards me, and I dropped to my knees just in time to catch him as he flung himself into my arms. I sniffed his familiar natural baby lotion scent and ruffled his hair as I laughed and hugged him close to me.“Hey, my little pumpkin. Did you miss me?"“Yes, mummy. I missed you so much.” His voice was muffled against my shoulder as he clung to me. “I’ve missed you too, my sweet. I’m here now.” I whispered, planting a kiss on his forehead as I withdrew myself from the hug a little and watched his face that beamed with pure, innocent joy. “Huh. I can see that someone is so focused on their mummy that they are forgetting that I exist.” Jade’s jealous words came as she huffed in distaste while Jameson and I laughed at her dramatic behaviour.“Welcome home, my Luna.” Carlisle greeted me as she came up beside Jamison. I extended a small smile to her in response.“Thank you, Carlisle. And thank you for taking good care of my son.”“It’s my duty, my Luna.” She
Eve’s POVTWO YEARS LATERAs the midday sun cast a gentle warmth over the packhouse, I moved around the garden, directing the maids with the final touches for our lunch setup. I was engrossed in the details, ensuring that every plate was perfectly placed and every napkin was folded just so. Across the yard, Jameson was playing and practicing his newfound powers by sending tiny ripples through the grass and shifting little pebbles in the air. I glanced at his direction and a small smile crossed my lips. But that didn’t stop me from calling him and reprimanding him.“Jameson. Careful, okay? You’ll wear yourself out.”He stopped and sent me a mischievous grin that spread across his face. The older he was getting, the more he looked just like Stefan. The resemblance was uncanny. “I won’t, Mommy! I’m strong!”I laughed, shaking my head. “Yes, you’re very strong, but don’t go overboard. You don’t want to spend the afternoon recovering, do you?”He gave me a proud, stubborn look before tu
Eve’s POVI woke up slowly, stretching out my arm across the bed, expecting to feel Stefan’s warmth beside me. Instead, my hand brushed empty sheets. My heart fell in disappointment and I sighed, blinking my eyes open to the early morning light filtering in through the window. The waves crashed softly outside, tempting me to go back to sleep. But Stefan’s absence pulled me out of bed. It was a week after our mating ceremony and we were on our honeymoon at Stefan’s private beach house. Apollo and Jade were here too as it was a double honeymoon.Rubbing the last bits of sleep from my eyes, I slid out from under the covers, my feet brushing the cool wood floors as I padded toward the door. My steps were lazy, still a little groggy from waking up, but I kept walking. As I opened the door and stepped outside the beach house, the faint smell of smoke and something savory and delicious reached me. And there he was, standing over a barbecue grill with Apollo and Jade beside him, the three
Stefan’s POVI stood at the altar, my hands clasped in front of me, trying to steady the slow hum of nerves thrumming beneath my skin. Beside me, Apollo shifted, glancing over his shoulder at the door for what had to be the tenth time in as many minutes. The place was filled with soft chatter and expectant whispers, and anyone could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air. Apollo gave a low whistle, nudging me with his elbow. “I still can’t believe it, Stefan. Your aura point is literally a thousand out of a hundred. You bagged one of the realm’s most beautiful women.”I chuckled softly under my breath. “Well, you don’t have to sound so shocked. I’ve always had my way with women.”Apollo shrugged and a smirk danced on his lips. “Honestly, I thought you would end up with someone a lot more intimidated by you. Not Eve. She matches you in every way.”I smirked back at him, unable to hold back my satisfaction. “Trust me, Apollo, I know exactly what I’m in for. And besides, I
Eve’s POVThe entire room was buzzing with life, not just the room but the packhouse and the entire realm in a whole. Around Jade and I, stylists fluttered around us, adjusting and smoothing out the lace on our sleeves and adding the final touches to our intricate updo. The entire space felt surreal. A room of mirrors, flowers, and stylists. We were getting ready for our big moments.It was the mating ceremony of Jade and I. Because Apollo and Stefan had proposed to the both of us on the same day, they had arranged for the mating ceremony to be held together and to be honest, that was the best thing that Jade and I could have ever asked for. Just me and my best friend, side by side in a place we never thought we would be.As the stylists and makeup artists worked on me, I glanced over at Jade, catching her in the mirror. Her gaze was distant and thoughtful as she stared at her reflection. Her gown was breathtaking. It was a cascade of ivory lace that spilled around her like a soft, sh
Eve’s POVWhen Stefan returned to the room again, he was carrying a tray of food and my mouth practically watered at the sight of it. He set it gently on my laps. “Breakfast in bed. How romantic!” I blinked at him, musing and teasing as I picked up the cutleries.M“I know right? Give me my flowers.” There was a tinge of pride visibly in his voice as he sat down beside me again.On the tray sat a spread that looked straight out of a gourmet magazine with eggs that were perfectly golden, buttery toast, and a delicate arrangement of fresh berries. The aroma filled the room and as I perceived the aroma, I shut my eyes briefly and hummed. This was the kind of breakfast that promised the start of a good day.I finally dug in, savoring the first bite. It tasted just as good as it looked, and I couldn’t help but smile impressively at Stefan again. For the second time, his breakfast had blown my mind again. I guess he was never bluffing when he said he was a good cook.“This is amazing, Stef
Jade’s POVApollo’s room was a stark contrast to the way it was the first time that he had brought me here. It was not filled with his shy laughter or the way he talked about his art, or the sounds of our moans as we made love for the first time. It was quiet. Too quiet, save for the soft rustle of pages as I turned them. I was seated at Apollo’s bedside while he was lying unconscious on the bed. His arm and the side of his stomach where he had been wounded was bandaged. Even though he was lying peacefully, I couldn’t forget the pain he had passed through last night when they had brought him and Eve back to the packhouse. Thankfully, we had Queen Morwenna around and she had saved both of them. Since that night, I had remained in his room and close to his bedside. The only times I excused myself from him for a moment were the times that I had gone to check in on Eve too. It ached my heart that the two people who were most precious to me were hurting at the same time and there was
Eve’s POVI opened my eyes slowly, squinting against the soft and muted light filtering in through the window. As my eyes scanned the familiar walls of my room, I felt a sense of deja vu and nostalgia. This wasn’t the first time I was waking up in my room like this. Or even the second. It had become almost like a routine. This room had become a marker of survival. I had lost count of how many times that I had woken up here, teetering somewhere between life and death, and with my body piecing itself back together. And each time, I half-expected that maybe I wouldn’t make it, that this would be the end. Yet, here I was again, breathing, alive.As if reading my thoughts, a familiar low, amused voice murmured beside me. “You’ve died and come back to life so many times now that I’m starting to think you’re immortal.”I blinked, my gaze sliding over to the side of the bed where Stefan sat with a faint smile on his dangerously handsome face. He was holding a tiny brush in his hand, and focu
Stefan’s POV“Eve! No!” I screamed at the same time that Eve’s body collapsed to the ground. A chill raced through my spine and I stared wide eyed, unable to believe that Lukas had got her just in one second that I had looked away.“Fuck!” I rushed to her, scooping my body into my arms. Blood pooled around her and her eyes were shut now with her skin now turning pale. Tears clouded my vision as I held her body closer, my heart shattering to pieces.How could I have missed this? How could I have failed to protect her when I promised her that? How? “My apologies, Stefan. And like I said the other time, there are no hard feelings involved. This is for my own political interest.” Lukas’ voice coming from behind me made the hurt I was feeling to turn into rage. Hot, flaming rage. I lifted my gaze to meet him, glaring at him through blood red eyes. I was going to kill him. There was no way he would get out of this alive. As if betraying me wasn’t enough for him, he had gone ahead to touch
Eve’s POV“Attack!” Stefan’s battle cry came and in an instant, his soldiers shifted seamlessly into their ferocious wolf forms and with a thunderous cry, they surged forward and towards Vesper’s men who had also shifted into their wolf forms. Apollo was at their helm with his brown fur glinting as he launched himself into the chaos. Within seconds, Stefan’s soldiers and Vesper’s men clashed and the battle began.“Remember what I told you yesterday.” Stefan turned his gaze to me. The expression on his face was the most serious that I had ever seen him. “When I tell you to run, you fucking run. Understand me?”“I understand.” I nodded my head at him and my heart melted as he gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before unsheathing his silver sword and headed straight for Vesper who was waiting for him with a dark, amused smile on his face. “I still don’t get why you’re doing all these for that slut.” I heard Vesper yell to Stefan over the noise of the battle clash and howls as he prod