Nathan's POV“You're right. We shouldn't.”My ears heard the words, and I breathed a sigh of relief. But it was short-lived.“Only because it's so right, Nathan. Don't you want this, Nathan? Don't you want me?”She grabbed my hand where it was in the water, raising it and resting it on her tits. Her nipples were taut already, puckered and ready. The primal urge in me rose without any prompting, and I could feel myself harden—an involuntary reaction to her. And she could feel it too.“Nathan, you want this. You want me. Do you like it when I do this?” She leaned in, her mouth planting open-mouthed kisses on my neck, trailing all the way to my ear. She whispered in them, murmuring nonsensical words. I stayed immobile, my hold on my control stretched to its limit. It was all I could do to not move. I held myself together, knowing if I let go, I would snap.“Let go, Nathan. I'm here. Just, let go.” She started to stroke me, and that was all it took to cut the thin thread that was my contr
NATHAN'S POVShe flinched, her hands dropping at her sides. I was equal parts confused and angry. I could barely contain my anger, my body visibly shaking from the effort of it.“Why, Victoria? Why would you do that?”I couldn't understand it. We've been friends for so long. How didn't I even get a hint of this?“I've been telling you to get rid of it for years now! I couldn't help myself. I've been telling you to reject her too, but I bet you haven't.”Something in my expression must have betrayed the answer because she scoffed at me. “I was right. You still haven't.”“That is none of your business, Victoria. You crossed a line.”“What makes her so special, Nathan? She cheated on you, for goddess' sake!”“That doesn't matter, Victoria. She's still my mate. And she would never do something like this!” I yelled at her, needing her to see what she did. “And, Victoria, you don't rub on sage—the ones only I have in my garden—if it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”I could see the minute th
NATHAN'S POV“Victoria, tell me you wouldn't have.”She shrugged, no response from her. The sun had begun to stir behind her, making the birds chirp in the enclave of trees. The light intensified, chasing away the remaining darkness, the sliver of golden growing brighter until the sun burst forth, casting its golden rays along the landscape, making the water shimmer. It was a sunrise that would have been beautiful under normal circumstances.And this conversation was far from normal.“Victoria, answer me.”Despite everything, I still held out hope, praying that this was all some cruel joke, willing to accept it all as a mistake.“Nathan, I did it so that we could be together.”“So you did it. I don't care why you did it. You did it regardless. How could you?”The weight of what was being revealed almost made me crumble, but I still stood. I didn't even know what to process. What else could I have missed? What else happened right under my nose? What else didn't I know?Victoria walked
NATHAN'S POVThe magnitude of the situation was ever so present as I considered what to do. While my emotions were all over the place and rage blinded me, I decided that I also had a decision to make as the Alpha of this pack.“You know the punishment for betraying your Alpha.” I stood over her, towering over the figure that used to be one of my closest friends.“So what? You're just going to throw away everything we have together?”Although, as much as it would be satisfying to, she was my Beta’s daughter, and I had known her all my life. Lewis… He was going to be so heartbroken when he found out.“Victoria. You know what you did was wrong. You cost me my mate, you cost me my wolf, and you cost my trust.”“You can't be serious.”“Out of respect for your father and all you've done for this pack over the years, I will not banish you.”I waited for a moment for her reaction. She began to laugh, low at first, then developed into something more sinister. “So what? This is your mercy? Out
NATHAN'S POVIt was a long time before the clouds let up, reducing the downpour to a drizzle. What had started as a shower had turned into a storm, the wind howling through the trees. I stayed in it, drenched from head to toe. It was a storm that had been unforeseen, much like the recent events of my life.Another drop of rain fell on my face, quickly lost with the lone tear making its way down my face. I wiped it, trying to erase all trace from my face, but another had simply taken its place—another lone tear, no partner for it. It was like my body was mocking me, letting me know that I'd always be alone. That no matter what I did, it would never be enough.Victoria was long gone, and I prayed to the goddess that I never saw her again because Luna knows what I'd do if I did.Just how far did this treachery of hers go? I didn't even know who to trust. Who else had been in on it? Who else had been in on the plan to wreck my life?The betrayal hit me like a physical blow, the force of i
NATHAN'S POVThe betrayal had left me adrift, a shipwrecked sailor clinging to a piece of debris in a tempestuous sea. It had completely turned everything I knew on its head—nothing made sense. The initial shock had subsided, replaced by a dull ache, a constant reminder of the shattered trust and the shattered dreams.Every decision felt like walking on thin ice, the fear of making the wrong move, of further exacerbating the situation, keeping me frozen in a state of inaction. I was paralyzed by uncertainty, each step forward met with the chilling realization that I might be walking into an abyss.The world around me seemed to have shifted on its axis. Familiar places that we shared now held the ghosts of shared memories, each corner a poignant reminder of what was lost. The laughter, the easy camaraderie, the comfortable silence—all replaced by a haunting emptiness.I was haunted by a relentless barrage of "what ifs." What if I had seen the signs? What if I had trusted my gut instinc
NATHAN'S POV“You really think so?”I stared at the little girl in front of me, and the reassurance had come out of me without me thinking of the words.“I know you are. You can be anything you put your mind to.”“Anything?” she had asked, a little mischievous sparkle in her eyes. She twirled with her hair, the little blond ponytail wrapped around her fingers.“Yes. Anything.” I chuckled, ruffling her hair.“And you promise you'll be there no matter what?”The little kid in front of me looked hopeful like my answer defined something for her—something I didn't know at the time.“Yes, Victoria. I promise,” I solemnly swore, then stretched my hand out to her. “Now, let's get out of here.”She had taken it, dusting the sand from her clothes. “But it's so pretty here. I don't want to ever leave.”I considered it for a second. “Then how about this? This can be our own little place.”“Forever?” she had asked, a toothy grin on her face.“Forever.” My own little face had beamed at her.It was
NATHAN'S POVMy path to Elder Jesper’s home was one that was cut off from the main road, so the chances of me running into other wolves were not one that was high.In my current situation, I do not think I was capable, or rather, willing to carry on mundane conversations. And, if I was being honest, it was also partly to reduce the chances of running into Victoria. Because goddess knew what I would do if I did right now.In my confusion and turmoil, the one thing that made sense was to continue the conversation I had been having with the Elder before I had to go rescue Victoria. Just another thing that has been a lie. I had put my life on hold, and all for what? For all the lies to be revealed. For my perspective to take a dive, as now I didn't even know what to trust.Nothing made sense.But perhaps, this would.The path, a ribbon of faded brown earth, snaked through the emerald tapestry of the forest. Sunlight, although fading, filtered through the dense canopy of leaves, and dapple
NATHAN'S POVThe rain had finally stopped.I watched the last beads slide down the windowpane of my office, the world outside slick and silver under the afternoon light. It had been a quiet day—restless, but quiet. The kind of quiet that gets under your skin, makes your wolf lift its head and sniff the wind.Still, I tried not to read too much into it. I had things to do—real things.I turned my attention back to the table in front of me. A spread of papers, drawings, and a carefully wrapped pair of gifts sat in the center. One for Alex. One for Alexia.I had put them together after our last talk—gifts that I hoped the ancestors would be proud of, sure, but also from me. I’d carved their names into the wooden boxes myself. Inside were tokens of our world—hand-polished stones charged with protective runes, small journals bound in soft leather, and a pendant each, etched with our crest. It was slightly different from the other pendants I had gotten them—this one had the Bennett family c
THEON'S POVThe council room was a pressure cooker. It was almost as though the collective heat emanating from the council members could cook a hard, battle-seasoned wolf.Heat radiated from more than just the fire crackling in the hearth. It steamed from the anger in the room – wolves packed wall to wall, voices rising, tempers flaring. And no matter how tall I stood or how hard I glared, it wasn’t enough to keep the unrest at bay anymore.“He left,” Brannon, one of the newer council members, arms folded across his massive chest. “Our Alpha abandoned us.”“He didn’t abandon us,” I snapped, my voice ringing out like a whip. I imbued a bit of authority so as to make lesser wolves obey due to the chain of command. “He made a choice. One he told us about. One he took full responsibility for.”“He left,” someone else echoed. “When the fire hit. When the house burned. When Victoria and her father tried to kill him – he walked away. What kind of Alpha does that?”One of the younger wolves,
SOPHIA’S POVAlexia’s eyes glowed with a strange, pulsing light – unnatural and far too old for her six-year-old face. They didn’t blink as she stared straight ahead, her small hand still raised, fingers curled like she was holding something I couldn’t see.“Alpha Nathan, leader of the Moonstone Pack… you are in grave danger.”My heart slowed down, stuttering in its steady walk. The air itself seemed to still, the warmth sucked from the room. I started to step forward on instinct – my baby – but Elara caught my wrist, holding me firm. Her grip was steady, but her gaze never left Alexia. Her silence screamed, don’t.Then Alexia’s head turned. Slowly. Mechanically, like her bones had turned to gears with knobs for muscles. Until her glowing gaze landed on me.“And you… Sophia of the broken bond…”I stopped breathing.The voice was still hers, still soft and small – but it was laced with something heavy and ancient. Something that didn’t belong inside or anywhere near my daughter’s body.
NATHAN'S POVElara didn’t wait for us to react. She was already halfway down the hallway by the time I caught up.“Is it Alex?” I asked, heart slamming against my ribs.“Yes,” she said sharply. “But not in the way you think. Come on.”I didn’t look at Sophia – we were moving too fast – but I felt her presence behind me. Her heartbeat was quick, light footsteps trailing mine as we reached the twins’ room.When Elara threw the door open, everything in me froze.Alex lay in bed, his body drenched in sweat. But it wasn’t a fever. His skin glowed faintly, like moonlight was trying to escape through his veins. His fingers twitched, his back arched once, and his lips moved silently, like he was trying to speak in a dream.Alexia sat beside him, hands pressed to his chest, brows furrowed in fierce concentration.“Elara–” Sophia’s voice broke. “What’s happening to him?”Before she could answer, Alexia turned to us. “Shhh.”She didn’t shout, didn’t cry. Just raised her tiny finger to her lips.
SOPHIA'S POV“No way in fucking hell.”The words cut through the room like a whip cracking. Sharp and final.But the second they’re out, my chest constricts. Fucking hell. I see it in his eyes – the flicker of hurt – but I don’t care. I can’t care. Not now. Not when my entire world’s been turned on its head again, and he’s the one holding the match.Nathan doesn’t say anything. He just stands there in the kitchen’s low light, like he expected this. Like he knew it would go this way and still came anyway.Good.He should’ve known better.“You think you can just walk back into our lives,” I start, pacing because I can’t be still, my hands doing their part in the conversation too, “say a few heartfelt things, drop some ancient-wolf-magic prophecy on me – and I’m supposed to just what, uproot everything and go back to Moonstone?”“I didn’t say it would be easy,” he said, voice calm but low.I whirl around on him. “Don’t do that. Don’t use that calm, measured tone with me. You left. You ba
NATHAN'S POV Her voice breaks the quiet. “We need to talk.” Fucking hell. I knew what it was going to be about. I nod, even though I already know this won’t be easy. I follow her to the kitchen, where the light is low and everything feels too still. It smells like honey tea and something faintly herbal, probably whatever she brewed to ease Alex’s symptoms. I take the seat across from her, my shoulders tight, heart steady but heavy. She doesn’t waste time. “I saw things tonight,” she says, arms crossed, voice tight. “Things I don’t understand. You touched Alex and… the way your aura shifted, your eyes… even the air changed. I felt it, Nathan. Through the bond.” I hold her gaze. “I know.” Her brows lift slightly. “You’ve changed.” I don’t argue. “I have.” She waits, like she knows I have more. Then she spelled it out for me. “What the fuck aren't you telling me, Nathan?” She’s right. It was time to finally, fully come clean. “I didn’t always know what I was,” I say quietly
SOPHIA'S POVBut that was clearly a problem for another day, as Nathan didn't give two shits about any other thing.“Where is he? Where is he, Sophia?”Nathan’s voice crashes through the house like thunderous waves in a storm. The walls seem to echo with it. My breath hitches. The room spins for half a second before my feet find the ground again.I turn sharply, hand gripping the counter for balance. He’s standing there in the doorway, shoulders tense, chest rising fast, eyes wild and glowing faintly gold. His wolf was really struggling to come to the surface and from what I could tell, it looked like only the gods themselves were holding him at bay. I’ve never seen that look on his face before.Not even when we fought. Not even when everything between us broke.“Nathan.” I breathe, but he’s already moving. Storming past me.“Elara!” He shouts. “Where is he?”Her voice comes from the hallway, calm but urgent. “Upstairs. Second door on the left.”“Nathan, wait!” I go after him, but he’
NATHAN'S POVThe morning passed in a rare kind of peace.For once, the air in the office wasn’t heavy with tension or crisis. The team was in high spirits, and business was running smoothly. Priya had been grinning since she walked in, flipping through reports with a satisfied nod before updating me on the latest developments.“We finalized the contract with Veridan Enterprises. They signed off on everything this morning.” She said, placing a crisp folder on my desk. “And the partnership with HavenTech is set to launch next quarter. At this rate, we should probably think of hiring more people and expanding. We could open more branches and get into new ventures!”Camille poked her head in. “Okay, slow your roll Minnie. Your enthusiasm is starting to affect even Jacob. He looks like he's coming off a crazy hangover. You good there Jacob?” She directed the last bit at the man, as he looked a little worse for wear and not like the usually meticulously put together man we all knew. And wo
SOPHIA'S POVThis cannot keep happening. I moved quickly, my mind a blur of frantic thoughts as I carried Alex down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest. His small body felt so fragile in my arms, limp and feverish. I could feel the heat radiating off him, a burning temperature that made my stomach churn. It shouldn't feel possible, and yet, it was.I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it felt like the world had slowed down. Every second felt like an eternity as I pushed through the house, my pulse racing. I had to get him help, now.I reached the kitchen, feeling like I was suffocating in the stillness of the house. I set Alex down on the counter, quickly dialing the number I knew all too well, that I had memorised out of necessity but never thinking I would need it again. The phone rang, and I couldn’t stop my hands from trembling.“Come on, come on.” I whispered under my breath, willing the phone to connect.The line clicked, and her voice, calm yet urgent, answered o