Chris woke up in the middle of the night, his mind disoriented. For a moment, he could not remember where he was or what had happened.He started to panic until he saw Zita asleep on the couch, her body curled up as she slept. The sight of her calmed him down, and as his mind started to clear slightly, he tried to piece together his fragmented memories. It was like grasping at smoke every time he thought he had something, it slipped away. Frustrated, he stopped trying, not wanting to push too hard and exhaust himself further. Instead, he focused on the immediate discomfort in his body, he needed to relieve himself.As soon as he tried to stand, a wave of dizziness hit him hard, making the room spin. He reached out instinctively, grabbing the edge of the bed to steady himself. The sound of his hand hitting the bed frame was loud enough to wake Zita. She stood up and rushed to his side.“Chris, what are you doing?” she asked, her voice filled with concern as she gently steadied him.“I…
Alpha Damien stood in his office, his eyes scanning the large map of the pack's territory on the wall. He had been contemplating this for a while, the need to get a clear and organized understanding of who was living under his protection. He finally made up his mind and called for his gamma.When Gamma Rick entered, Damien wasted no time. "I need you to conduct a census," Damien said, his tone firm.The gamma raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. "A census, Alpha?""Yes," Damien continued. "I want a complete record of every member of the pack. I want the males, both werewolf and human, listed separately. The same goes for the females and children. I need to know where each of them resides, and I want the werewolves and humans clearly differentiated."The gamma hesitated, then asked, "Is there a reason for this, Alpha? Something we should be aware of?"Damien leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "It's not a matter of concern, but it's a precaution. I want to know exactly who is i
As the evening began to wear on. Stephanie sat beside Damien, her eyes fixed on the water, but her thoughts were far away, drifting back to the darkest chapters of her life. The silence between them was comforting.Without turning to look at him, she began to speak, her voice low and filled with emotion. “So much happened after I left.”Damien remained silent, sensing that this was a moment he needed to let unfold at its own pace. He turned slightly toward her, his full attention on her words, his heart already aching for the pain he could hear in her voice.“When I was forced into the omega pack,” Stephanie started, her voice steady and surprisingly there was no bitterness, “I was treated like nothing, less than nothing. They made me do the most laborious, degrading tasks—things that no human or werewolf should ever have to endure. I was a slave, not just in body, but in spirit.”Damien’s heart clenched at her words. He had known she suffered, but hearing it like this, so raw and re
They walked side by side back to the pack’s grounds. The tension that had once defined their interactions seemed to have faded, replaced by a sense of ease and understanding. Their conversation flowed naturally as if they were old friends rediscovering a connection they had almost lost.“I used to think the creek was just a place to escape,” Stephanie said, her voice soft. “But now, I see it’s more than that. It’s a place to find peace.”Damien nodded, his gaze focused on the path ahead. “It’s always been a place where I can think clearly. It’s good to see you’ve found some peace there too.”Stephanie smiled, feeling a warmth in her chest that she hadn’t felt in a long time. “Thank you, Damien. For everything. For listening.”Damien glanced at her, a small smile playing on his lips. “I should be the one thanking you, Stephanie. You’ve been through so much, mostly caused by me and yet you’re still standing. I admire that and thank you for forgiveness.”Stephanie smiled but said nothing
Stephanie had been careful to avoid Alpha Damien after overhearing the maids chatting in the mansion.“Have you noticed how much happier Alpha Damien is since she came back?” one of them whispered.“Oh, definitely,” another replied. “They both seem so different, like something’s changed between them. Maybe they’ll finally get back together.”Stephanie froze, her heart skipping a beat. The heat rushed to her cheeks, and she felt the unmistakable flush of embarrassment. She hadn’t realized anyone had noticed, let alone talked about it. Was it really that obvious?The maids’ voices faded as they moved on, but the conversation lingered in Stephanie’s mind. The idea of people rooting for them to reconcile left her flustered and unsettled. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to admit that anything had changed, even to herself. And yet, the fact that others had noticed only made her more aware of the subtle shifts in her own feelings.Later that afternoon, Stephanie headed down to the kitchen t
Alpha Damien shifted back into his human form, standing tall and utterly unbothered by his own nakedness. Yet, a sheepish grin played on his lips as he said, "I swear, my wolf frolicking around you like a lost puppy is just...embarrassing."Stephanie, however, couldn’t contain her laughter. The sight of this powerful Alpha, usually so composed, looking almost shy about his wolf’s behavior was too much. "Embarrassing? Are you kidding? I loved it!" she exclaimed between fits of laughter. "What’s his name, by the way?"Damien’s grin widened, and he replied, "Jafar. And yes, he’s a big baby, apparently."Stephanie giggled again, clearly amused. "Well, I love that you shared him with me.""That wasn’t all of the plan, though," Damien admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I was actually going to carry you on my back up to the hilltop. But Jafar had other ideas."Stephanie’s eyes sparkled with amusement. "So, you’re telling me that big, bad Jafar is just a softie when it comes to me?"
Alpha Damien pulled back slightly, his breath mingling with Stephanie's as he smiled down at her. The warmth in his eyes was unmistakable, his affection for her undeniable. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering on her cheek."I love you, Stephanie," Damien said softly, his voice carrying a depth of sincerity that made her heart skip a beat. "I know I’ve made mistakes, but I want to make things right. I want us to have the future we always dreamed of."Stephanie looked up at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. For so long, she had guarded her heart, afraid to let herself hope. But here, at this moment, she felt the walls she had built around herself slowly begin to crumble. She nodded, a small but genuine smile curving her lips. "I’d like that too, Damien," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.He leaned in and kissed her again, this time softer, as if sealing a promise between them. When they parted, he took her hand in his, giving i
Damien frowned slightly as he considered her question. “It’s possible,” he said slowly. “She was always aware of more than she revealed or made known. If she did know, it might explain why she was so determined to drive a wedge between us. She wanted you to believe there was nothing here for you so you would leave, she wanted me to be hers and hers alone at all possible cost.”Stephanie nodded, the pieces starting to fall into place. “I always wondered why she was so insistent that I run away, why she helped me despite her deep hatred for me,” she said, her voice thoughtful. “Maybe she knew that if I stayed, we might have found a way back to each other, especially since we had kids together.”Damien stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently caress her cheek. “But you’re here now and we have both our children with us,” he said softly. “And maybe, just maybe, we can still find that way back.”Stephanie looked up at him, the warmth in his eyes wrapping around her like a comforting