Chapter 75: CareZarina's POVI sat in the dark corners of our room, its quiet oppressing me with suffocating weight. My heart pounded, still fueled by the aftermath of the healer's revelation. My mind refused to stop repeating that moment the healer had uttered that none of the children belonged to Asher. Each word stabbed like a painful knife slicing deeper into my chest, and I had never felt more naked, more naked. How do I begin to make sense of myself now? What would I say to apologize when everything that was so broken?Asher, my love, the man that I loved above all else, was in the other room, his face indiscernible. I did not dare to look at him. I did not dare to confront him. I knew he would be thinking—doubt, incredulity, hurt. And I did get it. That he would possibly have thought I lied to him about his children—guilt pierced my chest.I could hear him breathing deeply, then he came towards me. "Zarina." His voice was soft but laced with desperation.I did not look back at
Chapter 76 :I Am Not Afraid of You Anymore(Zarina's POV)I was standing at the window of our room, and I could see the trees swaying softly in the wind. The packhouse was also quiet, too quiet. Asher had gone outside to check on something, and the babies were all sleeping. I could hear them breathing softly, little sounds that always filled my heart with comfort.My heart wasn't peaceful.It hadn't been. Not since Cara's day when she brought that healer and turned my world around. I could still recall the words—"None of the children are his."What a lie. What a vile, deadly lie.And yet, Asher did not leave me. He held on to me. He kissed me. He said he didn't care what the tests said. He thought about me. He thought the babies were his. And even if they weren't, he would stay, would raise them, would love me.That changed something inside of me.For so long, I had been intimidated by Cara. Her presence. Her authority. Her dominance over the pack. The way she treated me like dirt on
Chapter : The Complain Zarina's POVThe sun slowly crept through the room in the morning, but peace did not come with it.I was lying in bed when a loud knocking echoed outside the hallway. Before I even stood up straight, I already heard voices—stinging, urgent. Cara. Again.Asher's mother is here," one of the guards said by the door. I stood frozen in place. Why now?I came out hesitantly, tossing a shawl over my shoulders. When I got to the main room, there they were—Cara crying as if the world had ended, and Asher's mother standing next to her with a scowl on her face.My heart was racing. I knew this was not going to be good."Believe me what that girl did to me!" Cara moaned loudly, resting her head on Asher's mother's shoulder like a beaten victim. "She insulted me, embarrassed me! In the packhouse, no less!"Asher's mother turned her head in my direction, her face knotting up. "Is this true?" she demanded sternly.I felt the need to say something. I opened my mouth.But befor
Chapter: The Threat Between PacksAsher's POVThe sky was cloudy that morning, with a grey light spreading over the packhouse. I had not slept at all. My mind kept wandering back to the night before my talk with Zarina. The expression in her eyes, the wetness of her tears on my shirt… I had made my mind up. I would protect her, whatever was to come.I sat at my office, blinking blind to the scattered reports and scrolls on my desk, when my Beta flung it wide open."They're here," he stated. "Cara's parents. The Alpha and Luna of the Red Moon Pack."I stood stiff. I'd assumed that I'd eventually see them one day or another, but not yet. They were strong, proud beings—beings who hated shame. And I'd given them precisely that by rejecting their daughter.I stood, smoothing my coat. "Invite them in."The doors swung open, and they entered with confidence. Cara's dad—Alpha Damian—was a broad-shouldered, tall man, his eyes slicing like steel. His mate, Luna Vivian, followed with a poised bu
Chapter Title: The Breaking PointAsher's POVThe council room was too quiet. I stood at the far end of the large table, arms crossed, my thoughts racing.The door slammed open, and five elders entered, their faces stern with worry and something more—anger.Elder Doran, the eldest of them, stepped forward. "Alpha Asher," he said, bowing. "We need to speak. Now."I nodded. "Go on."A another old man, Garron, slapped a sheet of paper down on the table. "The Red Moon Pack has withdrawn their trade agreement from us."I blinked in surprise. "What?""They said they won't be selling us any more medicine or riceburn food," Doran continued, his voice this time firmer.I advanced, taking the paper and scanning the message. The seal was clear. Official."They blamed you," Garron's tone escalated. "They charged you with embarrassing the daughter of their Alpha—in public. That you preferred an inferior, unknown girl to inter-pack harmony."My heart sank, yet my face stayed calm. "So they're going
Chapter 8 0: In His Arms, I Found PeaceZarina's POVI couldn't breathe.Not because of thin air, but because whatever had been piling up inside me had suffocated me. The Red Moon Pack cutting off our provisions was the grapevine buzz all over town. Folks whispered it in small groups. I'd seen the fear, anger, blame, earlier on the elders' faces—now it was in everyone's eyes: I knew they were thinking of me.I sat by the window, watching the darkness engulf the sky. My babies were asleep, their little chests rising and falling in a smooth motion. Peace didn't live within my heart this night, however.What if all of this was my fault?What if, staying within this pack, I had brought misfortune upon everyone? The sacrifices first, then the elders attacking Asher, and now this…Tears slipped down my cheeks unnoticed. I hated this. I hated being helpless. I hated being a burden to the man I loved and to the children we had brought into the world.I had to talk to him.I got up, tied my sh
Chapter: Asher and Zarina’s Unspoken FearsI woke to the soft sound of breathing beside me. It was early, and the world outside was shrouded in a quiet morning mist. I rolled over to see Zarina sleeping, her face serene and peaceful. The night had been thick with a weight that I could not shake off, and now the morning felt almost too quiet by comparison.My mind was racing with thoughts of the Red Moon Pack, the threat looming over us, and the stakes. I couldn't allow them to destroy us. I couldn't have my pack injured, but above all, I couldn't lose Zarina.Our bond grew stronger with each passing day, much to her reservations. The healer's words echoed in my mind — the children might not be mine, but I didn't care. I loved them and I loved her, more than she knew herself. But I didn't know how to console her.I smoothed her hair back from her face, my hands on her soft skin. She moved, her eyelids opening, and I could see the fear in them before she had even said anything."You're
Chapter 82: The Choice Zarina's POVI woke before dawn that day and slipped quietly out of bed, trying not to rouse Asher. His steady breathing beside me was comforting, but I knew I couldn't stay. I had to do this on my own. I had to go get the supplies—medicine and rice burn—anything I could do to help. The pack needed it, and I knew I couldn't rely on anyone but myself.As quietly as I could, I grabbed a small bag, filled it with what I would need along the way, and crept towards the door. The house was still, no one stirred. But as I stepped out into the cold morning air, a knot formed in my chest. Ahead of me lay the forest, dark and silent, and a sense of dread crawled up my back. But I had no choice. The pack needed me.I tried to walk softly as I made my way deeper into the woods, away from the packhouse. The trees seemed to close in around me as the woods swallowed me whole. The scent of wet earth and pine was thick in the air, and the silence was oppressive. Still, I presse
Chapter 87: The Breaking PointZarina’s PovI sat in the quiet room of the pack house, my mind swirling with thoughts I couldn’t escape. The weight of everything happening around me—everything that had changed in our lives—was becoming unbearable. The constant tension, the constant pressure. I could feel myself unraveling.Asher and I had gotten this far, but with everything that had happened with Cara, the elders, and the pack… I didn't know how I could continue to live like this. I had tried to be strong for him, for the children, but my heart ached. The stress was more than I could manage.I knew Asher would do all he could to protect me and the children, but would it be enough in the end? I was torn between clinging to the life that I had with him and the fear that the chaos would never leave.And then the solution hit me, so forcefully it shook me to my foundations. If sex with Cara would harmonize the pack, then maybe Asher should just go and do it.I felt sick to my stomach jus
Chapter 86: The pack future Asher's POVI was in my office, my hands clenched tightly around a tumbler of whiskey, my head spinning with all that was happening of late. It had been a long day, one full of tension, puzzlement, and the overpowering desire to protect what was mine. Zarina seethed, perplexed by everything, and I had not the least idea of what to tell her that would make it better. Every day was a battle, but the war had not yet begun properly.Then my phone rang, shattering my daydreaming. The screen lit up with my mother's name, and for an instant, my heart skipped a beat. I had not spoken to her for some time. I had no idea what this call would be about, but I didn't have to guess very hard to figure that it wouldn't be something straightforward.I sighed and answered the call, trying to conceal my emotions."Yes, Mother?" My voice was level, but the constriction in my chest betrayed me."Asher, I need to talk to you," my mother stated sternly, but I sensed a quiver of
Chapter 85: Asher's ChoiceI walked in the night, my brain foggy, and my heart heavy. The weight of the day, the pack's need, and the pain of it all happening around me had started to strangle me. I considered everything Cara and I had been through at that moment. Her family pressure, the needs of the pack, and my choices.But the more I dwelled on it, the more I couldn't get the image of Zarina and the babies out of my head. The way they regarded me, the way Zarina smiled, the way the children depended on me for everything. The idea of giving that up, of taking Cara, it didn't sit right. Each time I tried to envision it, the only thing that popped into my mind was Zarina's face, her warmth, and how everything felt complete when we were together.I stopped on the trail, where moonlight filtered through leaves at the edge of the woods. It was quiet. Too quiet.Cara.Her face seemed to flash through my mind, the soft, honeyed tone she always had, her elegant hands, yet even with all of
Chapter 84 : The BattlesAsher's POVThe day had been long. Tension was thick in the packhouse, and my mind continued to spin with it all—Zarina's battle, Cara's machinations, the threats on the horizon. I had promised Zarina that I would always be there to protect her, and yet it felt like I was failing her. There was so much beyond my control, so much that I did not understand, and all I wanted to do was keep her and our children safe.I rested against the side of the bed, the weight of the day weighing on my shoulders. My eyes wandered to Zarina, who was lying there with our triplets. They were wrapped in warm blankets, their tiny bodies curled up against her. The peaceful sight of them all curled up together was the only solace in the midst of chaos.Zarina was exhausted too. She had been through so much recently, attempting to assist me, attempting to keep our family intact while the world around us seemed to crumble. I could see the characteristic signs of her fatigue—the faint
Chapter 83: The FearAsher's POVThe moon sat high above the woods, casting a white, ethereal light on the ground ahead of me. My heart was racing, but it wasn't because of the hunt or the dangers of the night; it was because of her.Zarina.I couldn't help but fret. She'd slipped out without warning me where she was heading, without so much as a whisper. As soon as I realized she wasn't there anymore, my heart hit the ground. I rationalized that she must be all right, perhaps needed some solitude, but the apprehension gripped me like an open sore.I needed to locate her.I screamed out her name, my voice echoing into the dense, black woods. But the silence that met my scream only made me more nervous. I struggled through the dense trees, my head racing. What if she was hurt? What if she was in danger? The thought of her being hurt, alone out there, made my chest tighten.Then, there—beneath a giant oak tree, I saw her.Zarina was curled on the ground, shaking, her face smeared with t
Chapter 82: The Choice Zarina's POVI woke before dawn that day and slipped quietly out of bed, trying not to rouse Asher. His steady breathing beside me was comforting, but I knew I couldn't stay. I had to do this on my own. I had to go get the supplies—medicine and rice burn—anything I could do to help. The pack needed it, and I knew I couldn't rely on anyone but myself.As quietly as I could, I grabbed a small bag, filled it with what I would need along the way, and crept towards the door. The house was still, no one stirred. But as I stepped out into the cold morning air, a knot formed in my chest. Ahead of me lay the forest, dark and silent, and a sense of dread crawled up my back. But I had no choice. The pack needed me.I tried to walk softly as I made my way deeper into the woods, away from the packhouse. The trees seemed to close in around me as the woods swallowed me whole. The scent of wet earth and pine was thick in the air, and the silence was oppressive. Still, I presse
Chapter: Asher and Zarina’s Unspoken FearsI woke to the soft sound of breathing beside me. It was early, and the world outside was shrouded in a quiet morning mist. I rolled over to see Zarina sleeping, her face serene and peaceful. The night had been thick with a weight that I could not shake off, and now the morning felt almost too quiet by comparison.My mind was racing with thoughts of the Red Moon Pack, the threat looming over us, and the stakes. I couldn't allow them to destroy us. I couldn't have my pack injured, but above all, I couldn't lose Zarina.Our bond grew stronger with each passing day, much to her reservations. The healer's words echoed in my mind — the children might not be mine, but I didn't care. I loved them and I loved her, more than she knew herself. But I didn't know how to console her.I smoothed her hair back from her face, my hands on her soft skin. She moved, her eyelids opening, and I could see the fear in them before she had even said anything."You're
Chapter 8 0: In His Arms, I Found PeaceZarina's POVI couldn't breathe.Not because of thin air, but because whatever had been piling up inside me had suffocated me. The Red Moon Pack cutting off our provisions was the grapevine buzz all over town. Folks whispered it in small groups. I'd seen the fear, anger, blame, earlier on the elders' faces—now it was in everyone's eyes: I knew they were thinking of me.I sat by the window, watching the darkness engulf the sky. My babies were asleep, their little chests rising and falling in a smooth motion. Peace didn't live within my heart this night, however.What if all of this was my fault?What if, staying within this pack, I had brought misfortune upon everyone? The sacrifices first, then the elders attacking Asher, and now this…Tears slipped down my cheeks unnoticed. I hated this. I hated being helpless. I hated being a burden to the man I loved and to the children we had brought into the world.I had to talk to him.I got up, tied my sh
Chapter Title: The Breaking PointAsher's POVThe council room was too quiet. I stood at the far end of the large table, arms crossed, my thoughts racing.The door slammed open, and five elders entered, their faces stern with worry and something more—anger.Elder Doran, the eldest of them, stepped forward. "Alpha Asher," he said, bowing. "We need to speak. Now."I nodded. "Go on."A another old man, Garron, slapped a sheet of paper down on the table. "The Red Moon Pack has withdrawn their trade agreement from us."I blinked in surprise. "What?""They said they won't be selling us any more medicine or riceburn food," Doran continued, his voice this time firmer.I advanced, taking the paper and scanning the message. The seal was clear. Official."They blamed you," Garron's tone escalated. "They charged you with embarrassing the daughter of their Alpha—in public. That you preferred an inferior, unknown girl to inter-pack harmony."My heart sank, yet my face stayed calm. "So they're going