Caspian:I had my arms crossed over my chest as I watched the pack members from the balcony of my office.Everyone was tending to their things, responsibilities, and whatever details they needed to be taking care of. The maids inside were already preparing lunch by this time. The smell of fresh vege
It was a shame that I only saw that when it was too late…“I know she’s a problem for you,” I admitted. “And I also know that you’re not wrong for feeling the way you do.”Surprise flickered in her eyes for a brief second before she masked it. “That’s a first.”“I’m not here to argue,” I muttered. “
Valerie:I watched from the front porch as Adrian played with his father, my eyes softening when I heard his laughter around, making something in me relax despite the ongoing raging war that I felt brewing inside me.Caspian knelt beside him, adjusting the wooden blocks Adrian had been stacking. His
Caspian:The walk back to the villa was quiet, the evening breeze carrying the scent of pine and fresh earth. It was one of those scents that I found myself enjoying. It was one that I knew was both comforting and assuring, and I knew that it was one of the few normal things that I had in this world
Valerie:The villa was quiet. The only sounds were the occasional rustling of the trees outside and the soft ticking of the clock in the living room. Adrian had long since gone to bed, curled up under his blankets with the peace only a child could have after a day well spent.It was something that I
Caspian:I walked inside the house knowing that the day was not going to end as good as it began.Daniel was nowhere to be seen, though I knew that he would be in his bedroom. It was far too late for him to be awake anyway. And if he was, I knew that it would mean that he was in trouble, but I also
Valerie:The sun was yet to rise when I woke up.But I did not really mind. I liked being an early riser. At least it meant that I could get a few things done before Adrian woke up. And I also knew that there was a lot for me to do, for him to be able to settle here.I still needed to look for a sch
Caspian:“Need I ask where you're going?” I asked, looking at Valerie as she held Adrian's hand.“I doubt that I need to ask you for permission to go out with my son. Or is that a new rule that I do not know?” She asked, raising an amused eyebrow at me.I looked at Adrian for a moment, debating on h
Eva:“You’ve lost control,” I snapped, pacing the edge of the study, my heels echoing with every angry step. “You said you had everything in place. You said everything would go as planned. And yet here we are, Valerie’s alive, Caspian is stronger than ever, and now Adrian sees him as a father.”Giov
Valerie:The kitchen was filled with the soft clinking of cutlery and the warm scent of cinnamon and honey. I moved slowly, careful not to burn the toast, careful not to look too long at Caspian as he stood by the counter watching me, arms folded across his chest like he was still processing everyth
Caspian:The scent of lavender and warm vanilla filled the villa, her scent, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, it wasn’t just lingering in my memory. It was alive. It was here. She was here. She was by my side and rather than this villa feeling like a place that I was living in, i
Valerie:The sunlight slipped past the sheer curtains, golden and gentle, warming my cheek before I even opened my eyes. I felt the weight of the sheets tangled around my legs, the delicious soreness in my limbs, and the steady warmth radiating from the body beside mine.Caspian.I didn’t need to lo
The kiss deepened. Her mouth parted, and I took it, claiming her like I’d never stopped wanting to. My hand slipped into her hair, and she moaned against me, arching into my touch.“Valerie…” I breathed, my lips brushing hers.Her eyes met mine, dark with heat. “Don’t ask.”I hesitated.“Are you sur
Caspian:The living room was quiet except for Adrian’s excited voice as he recounted a story about something he had seen near the garden, something about a glowing butterfly, and how he thought it might be magical.How much I wanted to explain to him that he was the one who was magical, that the but
Valerie:I told myself I wouldn’t break.I told myself I’d hold it together, for Adrian, for the pack, for everyone who still believed in me.I told myself that I needed to stand strong, that I should not afford allowing myself to fall.But it was getting harder.With each passing moment, I found it
Caspian:I didn’t know what hurt more.Watching the way Valerie walked out of my office without a word, or knowing that I was the one who let it get that far. That I had allowed her to stand in that room and be blindsided by the truth I already knew.Hey, truth that I knew that she did not want to a
“No,” Caspian said, calm but firm. “Ryan came to us. We called him in when we realized your brother had dismissed him along with the rest of your father’s men. The ones who were loyal. The ones who could have stopped this. The ones that could have told you the truth behind everything that was going