I feel guilty seeming so relieved.Shinee lets me go, and I fall into Thorran's arms. When I look up at him, he smiles down at me, as if he isn't regretful, however, I know It can't have been easy to completely disregard ever being able to commit to finding his mother again. I'm going to have to make it up to him, however, I doubt anything will come close to that."Noble of you, Thorran," Shinee says, and for a moment, when I turn back around to glance at him, I see a hint of sadness. Maybe it's because he knows his mate would never do the same for him. As much as I despise him, that even makes me feel somewhat sad."Not noble, but it was an easy decision," Thorran comments, not removing his arm from around me, which I'm grateful for.Shinee watches us pointedly."Considering your mother doesn't want anything to do with you, I would say that was the best decision," Shinee mutters, walking to stand behind us. He puts his hands on both of our shoulders, ready to transport us both back t
Thorran never left my room that night.We sat up all night, talking to each other about almost everything that we could. By the time dawn flooded through the windows, it was too late for us to get any sleep. I don't even want to get up. I just want to lie next to my mate, still naked, my head resting on his chest while he plays with my hair."Can we just stay in bed all day?" I ask. I don't think I want to face the reality of our lives yet. I don't want to see Blue, I don't want to deal with the fact Thorran might still pursue his mother against both her and Shinee's wishes. It's all so much.Thorran loosens a breath, rolling over to look over me. "If it's with you, I'll stay in bed forever. I don't want to be anywhere else right now."I smile. "Neither do I."Thorran twists a piece of my hair around his finger, deep in thought. I don't want him to leave this room. I don't want him to go back to his Alpha duties. I know when he does, he will be back commanding his Assassin's to do hor
It feels good to have no worries.Thorran and I had a swim in the sea and a walk down the beach as the sun began to set. As dusk falls me, we moved to a restaurant on the beach. It's surprisingly busy here, people laughing and talking amongst each other as they drink and eat. Everything here feels so calm, the people enjoying themselves with no worries on their shoulders.Naturally, everyone stares blatantly at Thorran, whispering between each other as they try to decipher whether Thorran is actually the Alpha of the Discipline Pack or not. Luckily, no one comes up to him to ruin our meal."This place is so nice," I comment once Thorran and I got our drinks. He sits opposite me, looking incredible. His skin his glowing under the lights above us, his dark eyes warm and twinkling."It's a facade.""What do you mean facade?" I question, nearly choking on the water I was sipping. Facade? This place looks so easy going, the people here polite having not even come up to Thorran yet. No one
I'm not tired, even as we return back to our room.Thorran peels his jacket off while I sit on the edge of the bed, pulling my shoes off my feet. My eyes linger on Thorran's body as he tugs his shirt off, tossing it away. I'm not sure what intrigued me so much about the way he looks with the light reflecting through the window, the smooth, buttery light casting shadows over his already perfect abdomen.Something within me flutters, heat moving down from my stomach to between my legs. It's a feeling that makes a blush reach my cheeks, which I turn away to conceal. Why am I suddenly feeling this way just by him taking his shirt off."I'm hoping we can have another swim tomorrow if that interests you," I hear Thorran. I barely hear it though through the buzzing in my ears.I know what interests me. And it's not that.My body tenses as Thorran sits beside me. When he looks at me, he seems to notice something is off, tilting his head and furrowing his brows. I'm not sure how to admit to hi
At first, I didn't know if he was serious.A half smile slipped onto my face as I readied myself to turn him down. To let him know this isn't me admitting to him that I love him, and want to be with him over Thorran. However, it doesn't seem that that idea was flirting with his mind, as an almost sinister expression moves across his face. I freeze, realising this might not be as innocent as I first assumed."I just thought we could talk is all. I would like to fix things," I murmur, leaning he palms of my hands against the office desk. Looke takes a few steps forward, folding his arms over his chest. In that moment, I looked into his eyes and felt genuine fear."Things will be fixed. I guarantee it. After this, Thorran will see what a whore you are," I hear him growl. Immediately I sense what he is about to do.He is going to do something truly horrible to me."Looke please, we can talk about this," I say, moving around the desk to the other side. He remains opposite me, looking at me
It was almost like looking in a mirror.When have the same green eyes, the same hair. It was so jarring, for a moment I was completely stunned, stumbling back a few steps as I eyed her skeptically. There was no denying I was somehow related to her, and that she was the woman in my nightmares who had raised me, who had hidden me from Thorran’s father’s power, and was supposedly sent to the prisons where she had been executed privately, along with my father.Yet, here she was, standing in front of me as if all the grief I had spent dealing with in my childhood had been all for nothing. Did Looke know my mother was alive all this time, and didn’t tell me? I was not sure why I was questioning his morals now...I reached out, touching her shoulder, testing to see if she was actually real. She didn’t think it was enough as she, out of nowhere, pulled me into an embrace.And it felt right. She was most definitely my mother."I don’t understand," I said, pulling slightly away from her. She
I did not think I wanted to be apart of their family.Rebekah went back to her seat, motioning for me to sit on a vacant one. With my eyes on Thoran, I sat next to him, wishing I hadn’t walked in on their conversation. Now they were distracted by me, and weren’t going to finish their conversation. I wanted to know more about the Shinee manipulation thing.“I'm so happy Thoran has found his mate. Especially one as beautiful as you. I’m sure you two will treat each other well," she says softly. There was a flicker of sadness in her eyes as she said that, which Thoran seemed to notice also, as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.Rebekah was both so sweet and so stunning. How could Thoran’s father treat her so badly, to even go so far as to hurt her?I tried push that idea out of my head.“You're right, she’s lovely," Thoran said, smiling at me. I could read in his eyes that as much as he loved me, he
A few months …I had to say I loved our new home.It took some time to be built exactly how Thoran and I wanted it, but I’m glad we waited. It’s traditional, yet fits in with what Thoran and I both love the most. What I believe makes it so special is it is right in the outdoors, rather than in a stuffy city. Being underneath the shade of trees, a garden right outside to grow things in is like medicine.Thoran and I decided it would be best to leave the Discipline Pack after he gave his title to a friend of his who he has always trusted, Carson. Thoran wanted to put distance between him and his old life, and as someone who has always wanted to travel, I couldn't be happier.Now we live in no Pack. We live in between the Freedom Pack and the Vengeance Pack. Here, we have the perfect warm climate with plenty of forest to conceal ourselves.It seems we found the perfect life."I can’t decide what I should plant next," I muse to Thoran, who sits beside me, reading his latest favorite novel
As dawn’s first light crept over the horizon, casting long shadows across the Stonevale forest, an unearthly silence settled over the camp. Rayka and Sylvester could feel the weight of Bael’s betrayal bearing down on them. Their alliance with Stonevale was more fragile than ever, and the threat of the Steelclaws loomed dangerously close. Just as they were about to join Thorne for a strategy meeting, an elder wolf, bent and cloaked in heavy robes, shuffled into their path. “Alpha Rayka, Alpha Sylvester,” the elder rasped, her voice as brittle as dry leaves. Rayka blinked, taken aback. She hadn’t seen this wolf before; her fur was a grizzled silver, and her eyes were clouded with age. She leaned heavily on a twisted cane, her steps slow but deliberate. Sylvester tensed, recognizing her as a seer—a figure of reverence and mystery among the packs, rumored to carry glimpses of the past and future. The elder’s gaze fixed on them, though her eyes seemed to look beyond, as if she saw things
The atmosphere in the Stonevale territory was tense, the air filled with the weight of recent battles and hard-won alliances. Rayka and Sylvester had just returned from a skirmish with the Steelclaws, the relief of victory tempered by a newfound alliance with Stonevale. It had taken all their strength and diplomacy to secure this partnership, and now that they had it, they knew the cost of failure was even higher.Rayka sensed the underlying unrest even as they met with Thorne and his senior advisors, sitting around a council fire deep within the Stonevale woods. Stonevale’s warriors watched with wary eyes, their trust in the Moonshadow Pack still fragile, and rightly so. Only days earlier, their neutrality had been threatened, and whispers of betrayal still lingered.As the meeting began, Thorne addressed the tension, his voice somber. “It has come to my attention that some of my own pack members are not entirely pleased with our alliance. Their discontent runs deeper than I realized
As dawn broke over the Moonshadow territory, a renewed sense of purpose filled the air. Rayka and Sylvester had spent the last few days recovering from the battle, but they knew that rest would have to wait. The Steelclaws’ persistent threat lingered, and they had only narrowly managed to hold their ground. Now, they needed something more—a definitive edge that could help them secure the future of their pack.Rayka looked at Sylvester as they stood on a ridge overlooking the northern forest. “We can’t keep fighting like this, Sylvester. We need allies—someone strong enough to counterbalance Mordaen’s forces.”Sylvester nodded, his gaze scanning the horizon. “Agreed. The question is, who can we turn to? Most of the nearby packs have already chosen a side, either with us or the Steelclaws.”Rayka's eyes sharpened with resolve. “Then it’s time we approach a neutral pack.”There was only one group that had the power and resources to truly tip the scales in their favor. Known as the Stonev
The day had dawned with a clarity that brought both hope and trepidation to Rayka and Sylvester. As they prepared to leave for the council meeting with the neighboring packs, the weight of their responsibilities pressed down on them, thicker than ever. The looming threat of the Steelclaws remained, but today was a pivotal moment—one that could shape the future of the Moonshadow Pack and their allies.Rayka paced the small tent that had become a temporary command center for their operations. Maps sprawled across a table, markers indicating pack territories and possible routes of Steelclaw incursions. Sylvester stood by the entrance, scanning the horizon as if anticipating trouble. “We need to ensure that our presence is felt at this council,” Rayka said, her voice steady but charged with urgency. “If we can unite our packs against the Steelclaws, we can show them that they’re outnumbered and outmatched.”Sylvester nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. “But
The first light of dawn filtered through the dense forest surrounding the Moonshadow Pack’s territory, casting a soft, golden glow over the settlement. After the tense confrontation with Gareth, Rayka and Sylvester felt the enormity of their responsibilities settle more heavily on their shoulders. The betrayal, while quelled for the moment, had shaken the foundation of trust within the pack. As leaders, they were expected to restore stability and protect the pack’s future, yet they knew it wouldn’t be easy.For days, the atmosphere was tense but hopeful. The pack’s loyalty had been tested and reaffirmed, but the whispers of unrest and doubt hadn’t entirely vanished. The Steelclaws, though momentarily pacified by Gareth’s removal, were a looming threat. Everyone sensed that the balance of power was fragile, and one misstep could bring everything crashing down.Rayka awoke that morning with a quiet resolve. She gazed over at Sylvester, who was already awake and watch
The tension following Gareth's bold challenge hadn’t yet dissipated. The air in the Moonshadow Pack's clearing was still charged with the emotions from the confrontation, with every pack member on edge, their loyalty now a silent declaration that spoke volumes. Rayka and Sylvester knew they had to act fast to prevent Gareth’s divisive rhetoric from gaining more traction. But amid the turmoil, an unexpected turn of events brought a ghost from their past back into their lives.That night, as Rayka and Sylvester retired to the strategy room, Calder and Lara followed close behind. The four of them had spent the past few days planning every angle, every possible step they could take to neutralize Gareth’s influence without alienating the pack members who had started listening to his promises. But as they were poring over the details, there was a soft knock at the door, a knock that resonated oddly in the quiet of the stronghold. Rayka exchanged a look with Sylvester be
The cool night air was thick with tension as Rayka and Sylvester paced outside the stronghold, each lost in thought, the echoes of Gareth’s defiance still ringing in their ears. The sparring display was more than a challenge to their authority—it was an open invitation to rebellion. It was only a matter of time before the pack’s younger, more ambitious members began questioning the leadership they had fought so hard to secure. Sylvester clenched his jaw, his hand reaching out instinctively to rest on Rayka’s shoulder. “We can’t let Gareth’s influence spread any further. He’s planting seeds of dissent, and they’re taking root faster than we anticipated.” Rayka nodded, her gaze fixed on the dark expanse of trees stretching beyond their territory. “He’s smart, I’ll give him that. He knows exactly what to say to stir doubts, especially with the younger wolves. They haven’t seen the battles we’ve fought or the sacrifices we’ve made. To them, Gareth’s promise
The sun bathed the vast expanse of the Moonshadow Pack’s territory in a golden glow as Rayka and Sylvester stood on the ridge, overlooking their home. The once-constant tension of leadership and impending danger had subsided for now, replaced with the quiet hum of daily life. It had been months since the final confrontation that secured their leadership and family’s future, yet the journey ahead remained far from simple. Rayka placed a gentle hand on her stomach, where the last remnants of her pregnancy had passed into memories, and now a small, healthy child awaited them at the stronghold. She could hardly believe how much had changed. The responsibilities of parenthood had transformed her, as much as it had strengthened her bond with Sylvester. Together, they had led the pack through political upheaval and personal sacrifice, and now they faced a new era—a balance of power and family, peace and vigilance. “Are you ready for another day of juggling diplomacy and diaper changes?” S
The first rays of dawn broke over the mountains, casting a golden hue across the landscape as the Moonshadow Pack stirred to life. The morning chill hung in the air, but within the stronghold, a different kind of cold had settled in—one borne of uncertainty and lingering tension. Rayka stood at the window of their chambers, watching the sun creep over the horizon, her thoughts a tangled web of worries and plans.In the weeks since the scout had returned with news of a rival pack forming alliances, Rayka and Sylvester had been tireless in their efforts to fortify the pack, both in strength and strategy. Every move they made now was crucial—one misstep, and everything they had fought for could come crashing down. The safety of their child, their leadership, and their future hinged on how they navigated this delicate time.Behind her, Sylvester stirred awake, his arm reaching out instinctively for Rayka before he realized she was already out of bed. "You’re up early,"