Alpha Moore had decided to throw a lavish welcome party for Alpha Derek, filling the hall with a sense of grandeur and celebration. The main ballroom of the Northern Pack’s grand hall was meticulously decorated. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting a soft, golden glow over the room. Velvet drapes in deep burgundy and royal blue adorned the walls, giving the place a regal yet warm atmosphere. Round tables covered with white linen and gold-trimmed napkins were spread around, each adorned with tall floral centerpieces of roses and lilies. The sweet scent of the flowers mixed with the enticing aroma of gourmet food being served by the staff.Pack members dressed in their finest, mingled with guests from neighboring packs. The men were in sharp suits and tuxedos, while the women glittered in gowns of silk and lace. Soft music played in the background, adding to the elegance of the evening.Alpha Derek, standing tall and commanding, was dressed in a finely tailored black
The hall was filled with wolves, pack members, and guests, but none of it mattered. None of it. My focus had been razor-sharp all night. From the moment I entered the party Alpha Moore had thrown in my honor, I knew this was going to be more than just a welcome. This was a test—a game of dominance.I was here for one reason only: her. Ella.From the corner of my eye, I spotted her as soon as she walked in, and it was as though the air had been knocked out of my lungs. My heart slammed against my chest, and for a second, I couldn’t breathe. The world around me blurred, the voices, the music, the clinking of glasses—all of it faded into the background.She entered the hall like a vision, stealing the attention of every male wolf in the room. My chest tightened. I hated the way they looked at her, the way their gazes followed her every step. I had to fight back the possessive growl threatening to spill out.She wore a stunning midnight blue dress that hugged every curve of her body, and
Derek stormed out of Moore's presence because he didn't know what he would do if he stayed another minute. The tension between them had reached a boiling point, and his wolf Leo was dangerously close to taking over. His mind replayed the words that Moore had smugly thrown at him, “*Marked or unmarked, I have tasted every part of her body*.” His chest tightened with rage, the possessiveness clawing at his insides. He needed to find Ella. Now.His eyes scanned the banquet hall, flickering past the guests and decorations, until they finally landed on her. She was standing gracefully, smiling at one of the guests, her aura of elegance and beauty undeniable. "There she is," Leo growled, his voice filled with hunger and impatience. Without hesitating, Derek started toward her, his strong strides cutting through the crowd. His gaze never left her, the sound of his heartbeat hammering in his ears. The anger he felt toward Moore still burned in his chest, mixing with his overwhelming desire
"Ella…" Moore’s voice echoed through the hall, growing louder with each step.Ella tensed, her instincts urging her to create distance between herself and Derek. She could feel the tension building, and the last thing she wanted was for Moore to find them like this. She shifted, trying to slip out of Derek’s grip, but Derek, sensing her intention, held her tighter, pulling her even closer to his chest.Her eyes flared with frustration. "Alpha Derek, what are you doing?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice low and controlled.Derek smirked, his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and something darker. "What do you think I’m doing?"Ella struggled more forcefully, her movements frantic as Moore’s voice grew nearer. In the scuffle, the strap of her dress slipped down her shoulder, leaving her skin bare and her breast partially exposed. Any further, and the situation would be beyond embarrassing. But Ella, too focused on escaping Derek’s grip, didn’t immediately realize what had happen
Ella woke up feeling more refreshed than she had in days. She had finally put her thoughts together the night before, deciding that clarity was what she needed most. Wrapping a towel around her chest, she flipped her hair into a bun, exposing the smooth skin of her neck. Her fingers grazed the unmarked area, and she sighed softly."An unmarked Luna," she whispered to herself, tracing the spot where a mark should be."Well, Derek was right about one thing," she muttered to herself. "If Moore and I were truly mates... he wouldn't have resisted marking me.”She shook her head, dismissing the thought as she moved toward the bathroom. The hot water poured over her, soothing her tense muscles, but it couldn’t wash away the lingering thoughts of her complicated bond with Moore—and Derek.But that wasn't their relationship. It had never been about intimacy or passion, just a mutual understanding. Moore had offered her protection within his pack, a place where she could heal from the wounds of
Derek slammed his fist against the wall, feeling the sharp sting of pain shoot through his knuckles, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the frustration boiling inside him. He had called Ella for the umpteenth time, only for each call to go to voicemail.“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” he roared, throwing his phone across the room with so much force that it shattered on impact. Not satisfied, he stormed toward it, trampling on the already broken pieces with his boot as though it could vent the storm raging inside him.Pacing back and forth, Derek ran his hands through his hair, trying to control the rising tide of fury. His chest heaved with each breath, the air around him thick with the energy of his wolf pushing to the surface. He was losing control, and he hated it.“Alpha…” a voice called tentatively from the doorway. It was Alex, his beta, standing at a distance, clearly cautious about approaching his enraged alpha.Alex had returned from the pack with important news, and Derek’s a
Derek drove through the city streets, his mind spinning with the new information Alex had provided. According to his beta’s source, Ella was at the hospital. Relief washed over him at the thought of finally getting to see her after everything that had happened. But as quickly as it came, his relief was replaced by tension. He needed Ella’s cooperation now more than ever. He couldn’t stop thinking about Alpha Kevin. Derek knew exactly what kind of man Kevin was—ruthless, manipulative, and someone who never played by the rules. He had no doubt that if Kevin discovered Ella was the healer he sought, it would end badly for her. Derek didn’t know what Kevin’s next move would be if he found out Doctor South was also his once-rejected mate. The thought of her being in danger gnawed at him, fueling his determination.As Derek approached the hospital, he parked at the entrance and stepped out with purpose, striding toward the hospital building. He wasn’t sure how Ella would react when she saw
Ella’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as her mind raced with questions, her thoughts darting from one possibility to another, filling her with anxiety. What could Kevin be doing with Moore? Had he hurt him? Her breath quickened as the image of Moore in danger haunted her. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest—he was in this mess because of her. But then, another thought rose, darker and more unsettling. ‘Why had Derek kept the information about her agreeing to help to himself?’ He had seemed so calm earlier, as if he had everything under control. Was he truly trying to protect her, or was there something more sinister at play? Could Derek and Kevin be working together? The idea seemed absurd, but she couldn’t ignore it. ‘What if this was all a setup?’ What if Derek had lured her into this situation, pretending to be her ally while secretly plotting with Kevin?Her heart pounded harder, doubt creeping into her thoughts like a shadow. ‘How did Kevin even get to Moore in the first
Derek and his wolves moved swiftly and silently through the dense forest, their senses alert as they tracked Sara’s scent through the dense underbrush. the scent of pine and damp earth sharpening their senses. He could feel Leo, his wolf, thrumming with restless energy, urging him forward.He had barely taken a breath since discovering Ella’s abduction. Days of failed attempts to locate Ella had built a fury inside him that he was barely containing. He could feel her slipping further out of his reach with each passing moment—and Sara, the one person who could lead him to her is somewhere within the depths of this mountain.The wind shifted, bringing a faint scent to Derek’s nose. It was her. The trace was weak but enough to reignite his determination. He signaled his pack with a raised fist, and Alex, his Beta, nodded, gesturing for two wolves to fan out.“She's near,” Derek murmured.Alex, his loyal beta, matched his pace, scanning the surroundings with a sharp gaze. “The trail’s fr
Derek stormed down the hospital corridors, his footsteps echoing sharply off the polished floors. Every step tightened his resolve, the tension in his jaw like coiled steel. He had only just returned, barely setting foot inside the hospital, and already his worst fears had been confirmed—Ella was missing. The guards he’d stationed were either unconscious or in critical condition, and her ward was ominously empty. Each heartbeat drove home a fresh surge of rage as he struggled to keep his emotions under control. Derek’s footsteps thundered through the hospital corridors, each step radiating the fury coursing through him. The air around him crackled with barely contained rage as he stormed into the security room, barking orders at the bewildered hospital staff. “Who’s in charge here?” His voice, deadly calm, sent a shiver through the room. “Get me the CCTV footage of the past 24 hours.” The head of hospital security paled as he scrambled to check the camera footage. Derek's mind ra
It had been a grueling journey. The captured rogue, the one they hoped would provide answers, had been nothing but trouble. Derek had taken him to a secluded hideout, deep in the woods where there was no communication, ensuring their presence stayed off the grid. But it hadn’t gone as expected. Days passed with the rogue taunting them, refusing to reveal any information as if he was more fearful of his own master than he was of Derek himself.Inside the dimly lit room, Derek stood across from the rogue, his gaze cold and unforgiving. His Beta, Alex, watched from the corner, arms crossed and tense, as Derek leaned in, his voice low and menacing.“You’re only making this harder on yourself,” he said in a cold voice.“Who sent you.”The rogue sneered. “You can tear me apart, but you won’t get anything from me.”Derek stepped closer. “Do you think I’ll hesitate to force the answers from you?”The rogue’s mouth twisted into a defiant smirk. “I don’t care. There are still others out there w
It had been a grueling journey. The captured rogue, the one they hoped would provide answers, had been nothing but trouble. Derek had taken him to a secluded hideout, deep in the woods where there was no communication, ensuring their presence stayed off the grid. But it hadn’t gone as expected. Days passed with the rogue taunting them, refusing to reveal any information, as if he was more fearful of his own master than he was of Derek himself.Inside the dimly lit room, Derek stood across from the rogue, his gaze cold and unforgiving. His Beta, Alex, watched from the corner, arms crossed and tense, as Derek leaned in, his voice low and menacing.“You’re only making this harder on yourself,” he said in a cold voice.“Who sent you.”The rogue sneered. “You can tear me apart, but you won’t get anything from me.”Derek stepped closer. “Do you think I’ll hesitate to force the answers from you?”The rogue’s mouth twisted into a defiant
It was a quiet, late night at the hospital, and the atmosphere around Ella’s ward was unusually calm. The guards stationed by her door stretched and exchanged glances, sensing the peace that settled over the building like a blanket. The muted hum of hospital lights and the faint echo of distant voices in the hall only deepened the stillness.“I think we’re finally getting a break tonight,” murmured Jake, one of the younger guards. He rolled his shoulders, yawning as he leaned against the wall. “It’s been days since anyone even tried getting close to the Luna.”"Don’t get too comfortable," said his older partner, Greg, his voice carrying a note of warning. “We’re here for a reason. Can’t ever let our guard down.”“Yeah, yeah,” Jake replied with a tired smile, nudging his partner. “But a coffee run wouldn’t hurt. We’ve got it covered here.”Reluctantly, Greg relented. He gestured to two other guards on rotation, nodding toward the café down the hall. “Fine. Grab some for us too.”The tw
Sara sat alone in the nurse's quarters, her hands trembling as she clutched the small, secret phone. The hospital was quiet during lunch, and most of the staff had gone to the café, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her heart raced as she glanced at the unfamiliar number on the screen, a number she’d seen enough times to have memorized by now.With a deep breath, she answered, struggling to keep her voice steady.“We will be coming in tonight. You know what to do,” said the familiar cold voice on the other end.“Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur, before the call ended abruptly with a click. She released a shaky breath, her fingers loosening on the phone as she sank back into her chair. After all these months, she still couldn’t shake the chilling effect of those calls.“Ella… I’m so sorry,” she whispered, guilt piercing her heart.Ever since she discovered what Ella was, she’d been injecting her friend with a special fluid—a substance created by top medics in the
The morning began with quiet precision in Valen’s chambers, a vast space of understated opulence. Dark marble floors stretched beneath his feet, the walls lined with tapestries older than the city itself, woven in shadowed hues of crimson and midnight. Only a soft, indirect light touched the room, casting a moody glow over the vampire leader as he prepared himself for the day.Valen moved in calm, measured steps, his mind as sharply honed as the physical routines that kept him in peak form. With long, graceful strokes, he swept back his raven-black hair, exposing high cheekbones, a chiseled jawline, and eyes that gleamed with an intense, unsettling allure. His movements were deliberate, precise, echoing the control he wielded over his realm. Every action, from dressing to the minor adjustments of his cuffs, embodied the silent power he commanded.As he adjusted his collar, a faint knock came at the door—a sound that few in the Devil’s City dared to make. Dorian, his second-in-command,
Valen sat alone in his grand office, his gaze drifting from the endless pile of documents before him to the faintly glowing horizon visible through the arched windows. Outside, Devil’s City shimmered with a haunting beauty, cloaked in perpetual twilight—a beauty that only deepened the ache in his cold heart, reminding him of what he once had and lost.Tonight, he felt the weight of the past pressing against him with unrelenting force, clawing at the walls he had so carefully built. Lydia. Her name echoed like a heartbeat, filling the empty spaces of his mind, and slowly, inevitably, Valen let himself fall into the memories.He was young then, far less burdened by power and revenge. He remembered the night he met her as if it had just happened, her image so vivid that he could almost reach out and touch her. Lydia had entered his world as a quiet figure among a gathering of vampire clans, her presence calm yet commanding, with a subtle allure that had drawn him across a crowded room wi
The night was still as Maxwell stood in the shadows, preparing for his journey beyond the boundaries of Devil’s City. The air was thick with the scent of impending rain, but he moved with an unbreakable focus. Valen’s words still echoed in his mind: Confirm the healer wolf’s existence. Find the truth.For centuries, Maxwell had been Valen’s trusted scout and enforcer. Tonight, however, his mission felt charged with greater purpose. The rumors surrounding a healer wolf were impossible to ignore, even if they seemed as improbable as any he’d heard. Valen’s previous purge of healer wolves had been merciless, leaving none to spare, or so they’d believed. But if one had truly survived, this could reshape everything they understood about their species—and reignite old wars.Maxwell slung his gear across his back and blended into the night, his steps soundless as he made his way through the outskirts of the city. His senses were sharp, taking in the hum of life beyond the walls. He would nee