NATHAN'S POVSuspicious. That was what my mind had been telling me ever since that day.Victoria had been by my side for years. There was no way she could have betrayed me.I tried to reason with my suspicions when my wolf, which usually stayed dormant, came up.“What if she did?” It left me with that, and it stayed in my mind.I did not want to pursue that line of thought because it would only mean one thing: a man who was foolish enough to believe the words of his childhood friend over the words of his destined one.“I told you it wasn't me!” A yell broke me free of my thoughts, and I looked over to find a group of children glaring at one child.That one child had tears in her eyes, but she still stood her ground as she looked at the kids surrounding her.“Then who did? Claire said it was you, and we found you next to it.” I narrowed my gaze to another girl, who was sobbing as a few boys comforted her.“I told you it was Claire! She broke it and ran away. I was just trying to fix it
NATHAN’S POV“The person from five years ago was now the head of the Silverfang pack.”The words just kept ringing in my head from what he said. Why? Why now? Why were the pieces of the puzzle just coming together now?“Are you sure?” I ask him, just to leave no room for doubt.“Yes, Alpha, I am.”“Thank you, Theon. You may leave now.”He bows and leaves the grounds. I take my time walking to my home. There’s, after all, no need to rush. No mate waiting for me at home, for her husband to come home.Although I had spent all this time trying to take my mind off Sophia and move on, there was something about that day that had just kept nagging me. But I did not think it through. I banished her immediately.As soon as I found out that she had left, I had called a council meeting to discuss what happened. They had been very confused, as not everyone had knowledge of what happened.I decided to inform them.“So, as most of you know, I banished my mate, and she is no longer welcome in the pac
NATHAN'S POVWe burst into the food storage building, our eyes scanning the dimly lit space for any sign of the intruders. The raiders, caught off guard, were quickly overpowered by our superior strength and numbers, closing in on themselves.One of the werewolves, a tall and lean figure with yellow eyes, obviously the leader of this little raid group, growled, leaving the little circle they had formed.I watched his movements. I could tell the warriors were tensed up for his attack, but I communicated to them in my head. “Hold. I'll handle this.”“Are you sure, Alpha?” One of them asked. He was obviously one of the newer warriors and has never seen me fight.“Take notes, would you?”Just as I had finished this thought, I watched as he tensed up, then ran at full speed, lunging at me. I waited until he was close to me and could not change directions, before side-stepping him, using a burst of strength to push his body into the wall. He crashed into the structure and howled in pain.Bu
NATHAN'S POVI stared hard at the girl, trying to discern any lies. “You mean, the same pack leader of the Silverfang?” I asked, and the girl shivered as her lips trembled in fear as she spoke.“Yes, him, our Alpha,” she said, and one of the warriors snorted.“Yeah, no kidding.”Cutting him a look, I gestured for the girl to continue, and she gathered herself, and then started to speak.“Malachi is our Alpha. He was the one who sent us here. In just a few years, he had the majority of the pack under his control. No one defies him, and his rule is absolute.”As she said that, the werewolf broke into shivers again, and I coughed. That seemed to bring her back to her senses, and she continued talking.Still, I couldn't help but wonder just what this Malachi did to make her fear him.“He is far more vicious than anything I could imagine. All those who tried to challenge him wished for death. Even now, I can still…”Her words broke off again, and I sighed and gestured for one of the warrio
NATHAN'S POV“What!” I half-yelled, and almost everyone present stiffened up as Lewis jumped to his feet.Rodney may have lost Lewis, but he was still one of the best members of the pack in combat.If he escaped, that would put all members of the pack at risk.Judging from the bloodstains, it seemed like he was willing to hurt even his own pack members in order to escape.“Everyone! The meeting today will be postponed until further notice. For now, just go back and make sure your families are safe,” I ordered, and the council members seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and nodded before leaving the room.“Haa… just what is going on?” I groaned and nodded at the guard who delivered the news.“Take me to his cell. Perhaps we might find some clues there.” The guard nodded and began leading the way, and I followed.We walked until we left the residential area of the territory and arrived in a place isolated from the rest of the pack.The guard opened the gates to a stone bui
NATHAN'S POV“Search the grounds!”I wasted no time in yelling out, but no one moved. I could see that those around me were in shock at the sight in front of them. Although we wolves were used to a lot of harshness, the man in front of us looked almost unrecognizable. His skin looked tinted like his blood had been laced with something….Silver.No, that's not possible. No wolf would do that to their fellow wolf. But it might just be… I'll have to look into it later.“I said, search the grounds!” This time, I imbued authority into the command with my Alpha voice, and everyone snapped out of it. They got into action, running in different directions but in organized numbers of three.Beta Lewis walked up to me. “Alpha Nathan, I can't go with them. I have to make sure Victoria is safe.”“Go.” I nodded in understanding. He left, and I turned to some others to my left.“You two, with me,” I called out to Theon and one other guard.We were about to leave when the other guard called my attent
NATHAN'S POVThe words didn't seem to compute in my brain, but I needed to calm down and sort things out one step at a time.“Lewis, calm down. What do you mean, she's gone?”Beta Lewis was still on edge, and I knew his mind was racing with possibilities of what could be happening to his daughter right now.“Beta Lewis!” That caught his attention, and he stopped pacing and pulling his hair. “Tell me what happened.”He took a deep breath to calm himself down. “I walked to the house, all intent on apologizing and making sure everything was okay with her. My angel. I can't believe she is gone.”“Lewis, I believe I meant what happened with her being gone. How are you so sure?”“Everywhere was scattered. The first thing I noticed was the door open, hanging by the hinges. Everything in the house was torn apart. That was when I picked up the pace and scoured the whole building, but I could not find her anywhere. But on the wood of the door was blood. I almost dismissed it, but something unfa
NATHAN'S POVMalachi fully emerged from the shadows. I could truly see him. And it was like I could see him for the first time.He was dressed in all black, meant to blend in well with the dark. His hair was cropped short and he had a scar running from his left eye to his jaw. His mouth held a wicked grin, and in his hands, a blade – a short pocket knife that he played with, switching it from hand to hand as he spoke.“What? Cat got your tongue? Can't speak?” He mocked, his voice raspy and gravelly like engines were grinding rocks in his throat.I growled at him, my eyes flashing wolf. “You have some nerve talking to me that way, especially after what you did five years ago.”He grinned like I was simply a dog playing wolf and not someone capable of ripping out his throat faster than he could say his name. “Oh, that? I can't believe you're still caught up on that. Where is she, by the way? I can't wait to get another taste of her. What was her name? Sophia, right?”Only the knowledge
SOPHIA’S POVThe house felt lighter. Warmer. As if the weight that had been pressing down for days had finally eased.Alex was better.It was like waking up from a nightmare only to realize that morning had come, and the world hadn’t ended after all. One day, he had been weak, fevered, and barely able to hold a conversation without exhaustion pulling him under. The next, his color had returned, his fever had vanished, and his laughter – his bright, carefree laughter – filled the house once more.It was a miracle.I didn’t trust miracles.I watched him now from across the living room as he sat with Alexia on the floor, eagerly showing her a new book I had picked up for him. His hands moved animatedly as he explained something to her, his voice filled with excitement, no trace of the weakness that had held him captive just days ago.I should have been relieved. And I was. But beneath that relief lay something else – something sharp and uneasy.Nathan.The thought of him sent a fresh wav
LUCAS' POVThe morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, illuminating the sleek, modern space with a golden hue. The city stretched out below me, a sea of movement, a constant reminder that the world never stopped in New York City – not for heartbreak, not for personal enta, and certainly not for me.I welcomed it.It was easier to focus on work than to dwell on the mess I had walked away from last night.Sophia.Nathan.The weight of that confrontation still sat heavily on my chest, but I pushed it aside. There was no room for distractions today.A sharp knock on the door pulled me back."Come in," I called.Emma, my executive assistant, strode inside, tablet in hand, her usual efficiency cutting through the air like a blade.“The acquisition is finalized.” She said without preamble. "Emerald Ventures wasn’t happy about it, but they didn’t have much of a choice. Their client signed with us the moment the ink dried."I allowed myself a small, satisfied
SOPHIA'S POVThe house was too quiet.Even with Alex and Alexia upstairs, even with Elara somewhere in the background, the silence pressed in on me like a tangible weight.Nathan’s presence still lingered in the air, thick and suffocating, despite the fact that he’d left a few minutes ago. And Lucas – Lucas had barely said a word before leaving, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable.I let out a slow breath, pressing a hand to my temple.What the hell just happened?I had spent years keeping my past buried, locked away behind carefully constructed walls. And yet, in the span of a single night, it had cracked open, spilling out at my doorstep. Nathan was here. Lucas had confronted him. And in the middle of it all was me – standing between two men, two forces that refused to yield.A bitter laugh escaped me. Perfect.Just what I needed right now. A mate coming back to claim me and Lucas being there. I turned away from the front door, heading upstairs. My body was tense with the weig
NATHAN'S POVThe moment Lucas spoke those words, “He was looking for you,” something inside me snapped into focus.I had spent weeks fighting my instincts, pulling back, restraining myself. I had let go of vengeance when my home was burned down. I had turned the other cheek when my own pack doubted me.But this?Someone dared to come after my mate?I took a slow step forward, my wolf rising to the surface. The low growl rumbled in my chest, barely contained. “Tell me everything you know.”Lucas didn’t move from the steps. He didn’t even flinch. If anything, his stance grew firmer, as if planting himself between me and Sophia. His sharp blue eyes locked onto mine, unwavering.“I’m handling it.”A slow, humorless chuckle left my lips. “You’re handling it?”“Yes.”I took another step forward. “I don’t think you understand what’s happening here.”Lucas scoffed, crossing his arms. “Oh, I understand just fine. Someone attacked my friend, and now you’re looking for an excuse to sink your tee
SOPHIA'S POV The knock at the door wasn’t just a sound – it was a shift in the air, a weight pressing against my chest. I froze. For a moment, I convinced myself I had imagined it. That my desperation had conjured up something that wasn’t real. But then it came again – firm, deliberate. I glanced at the time on the wall, several hours after I'd called him. Could it finally be him? “Go, child. Open the door.” Elara gently pushed me towards the door. I barely realized I was moving until I was standing in front of the door, hand hovering over the handle. The mate bond was still there, faint but present, like an unsteady heartbeat beneath my skin. It thrummed softly, the connection between us impossible to ignore. I sucked in a sharp breath and pulled the door open. And there he was. Nathan stood on my doorstep, drenched in sweat, his dark shirt clinging to his broad frame. His breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling with the force of it. His eyes – sharp, gray, pierci
SOPHIA'S POV The moment the bond snapped taut, I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. It was like a thread pulled too tight – painful, urgent, undeniable. The kitchen blurred, the dim glow of the light overhead fading into the background as something else took hold. A presence. Strong. Familiar. Nathan. My knees buckled, and I gripped the counter, my fingers digging into the cool surface as the bond flared to life with a force I hadn’t expected. It pulsed, thrumming like a second heartbeat, and I knew – he heard me. He was listening. The connection flowed through me, raw and overwhelming. But just as quickly as it surged, the exhaustion followed. A crushing weight pressed down on me, the sheer force of it nearly suffocating. Elara had left the room, and I had no idea where she was. I had no idea how long it had taken me to reach him. I had no idea. Period. Would he come? I wasn’t sure I had the right to ask for him. Not after everything. Not after I had pushed him away, r
NATHAN'S POVThe next morning came all too quickly. Sleep had eluded me, like a partner hell-bent on being away from me. I'd spent the night roaming my pack, the one place I'd considered my only home, but now seemed like the farthest thing from it. But I couldn't just bring myself to leave. This was where I'd had the best memories with Sophia, where the good times still shone.But now perhaps, the bad times were starting to outshine the good here. Is this not a sign? That I should find somewhere new?I sighed, almost wishing for the days when the Luna goddess appeared to guide me. But I also knew that if I were to see her now, it would not be without danger following behind. I didn't realize it until I was there, but I was back at the edge of the territory, where Malachi had stabbed me. And had survived. My smile was melancholic when it crossed my face. In many ways, that was the cannon event for everything. “No Nathan. This all started when you banished our love. Our mate.” My wo
NATHAN'S POVThe moment I returned, I could feel it. The shift in the air.The crowd had gathered near the ruins of my home, their eyes on me the second I stepped into their sights. But this wasn’t the usual respect, the unwavering loyalty I had once commanded. This was hesitation, doubt.And resentment.Whispers spread through the pack, a quiet murmur of voices laced with frustration and disbelief. I heard bits and pieces – enough to know what they were saying."He let them go?""How could he spare her?""What kind of Alpha does that?"I could see it in their eyes – the ones who had once stood at my side, wolves I had fought for, bled for. Some still believed in me, but others? They wanted blood. They wanted a leader who would avenge, not restrain.Theon stood by my side, his expression dark as he scanned the gathered wolves. He had known this would happen. We both had.But knowing didn’t make it easier.The silence stretched, suffocating. Then, a voice cut through it."Alpha.” An ol
SOPHIA'S POVElara stood in my doorway, the morning light catching in her silver-streaked hair, her piercing gaze locking onto mine. There was something unreadable in her eyes, something weighty – like she already knew the depths of my desperation.I swallowed hard. “I need your help.”Elara’s gaze flickered past me, her face betraying nothing. “I know.” She said simply. “Let me in.”I stepped aside, my heart pounding as she crossed the threshold. She moved with quiet confidence, her presence filling the space in a way that was both grounding and unnerving.She took one look at Alex and let out a slow breath."Tell me everything.” She murmured, kneeling beside him.I didn't hesitate. “I followed the instructions exactly. The herbs, the remedy – I did everything right.” My voice cracked. “And it worked. For a little while. But then he got worse. Worse than before.”Elara pressed the back of her hand to Alex's forehead. His fever had climbed again overnight, his breathing shallow, his s