Astrid's POV:Alpha Salem served my food and made fun of the odd taste of the berries. He was pleasant to talk with, and I felt comfortable with him.“We’ll use the cure and also find the reason for this sudden pandemic,” Alpha Salem said, then wiped his mouth with a napkin.“I think we should start with our pack,” Isabella said, interjecting. “So we can immunize them against the infection.”“Why are you so selfish?” Alpha Salem accused. “Our pack? We signed the cooperation agreement a year ago. That makes every pack equal.”“I haven’t talked with Dominic about—”“There’s nothing to talk about,” Dominic said. “We’ve already signed the agreement.”Isabella shut up after that, at least until we were almost done with dinner. Then she whispered something in Dominic's ear. Jealousy and pain tore through me. The situation was definitely hurting me more than I had thought.“Are you okay?” Alpha Salem asked, noticing my distress.I gave him a soft smile and nodded. “I should leave now. I’m ke
Astrid's POV:Alpha Salem and I spent a while in the library reviewing our plan to grab Dominic's attention. “I hope we don't do too much,” I said nervously. “Luna Astrid, I will never cross that line. We just need him to get over his weakness where Isabella is concerned. As it is, it’s been too much of a worrisome year with the infection and all.”Dominic entered the library and cleared his throat. His eyes lowered to our touching hands, and he shot me a glare. Then he approached. “Astrid,” he said, extending his hand while angrily eyeing Alpha Salem. Alpha Salem rose from his seat. “Have a good night, Astrid,” he said with a polite nod. “You too, Salem,” I answered.Dominic’s grip tightened on my hand, but he said nothing. Absolutely nothing. After Alpha Salem left, we walked from the library to the hall with the maids bowing to us along the way. We entered the chamber, filled with the sweet scent of our pups. I gave them each a peck before feeding them. Taking care of them seem
Astrid's POV:Alpha Salem, Beta Alexander, and I exited the border, with Beta Alexander in the lead and Alpha Salem walking behind me. No one spoke, and my mind wouldn’t stop whirring. I felt so tense and fragile. How could Dominic leave with Isabella to find the cure without telling me? As if I would have stopped them. He could have just informed me, and maybe I could have gone with him, too.So it was his fault I was going into the woods to search for a seer with Alpha Salem.We reached the tree line where mud puddles dotted the area from the previous night’s rain. But as soon as we hit the woods, the cool breeze blew against my face, and my spirits calmed. I missed the forest so much. So I shifted my focus to the beauty of my surroundings. I had always found solace in the woods. It felt so lively. After a rain, everything glistened. It was a sight to behold. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of nature. Droplets clung to the leaves and branches and sparkled in the sunlight, c
Astrid's POV:The three of us ran back in wolf form, and I reached the pack border first, ahead of Alpha Salem and Beta Alexander. I didn't know if it was my imagination playing tricks on me, but the more I focused on winning and doing my best, the more I felt the shine around my fur go lighter and brighter.Then one pack member actually said, “She’s shining!”For a second, excitement filled me. But then it faded when no one else said anything further.I told Alpha Salem and Beta Alexander that I would head straight to my chamber. As soon as I got there, I shifted back into human form and asked the maid about Dominic. She told me he was still away, and there was no message from him. Somehow, that both relaxed and angered me at the same time. Of course, I kept that to myself when I asked the maid to have Laura bring my babies to me. I dressed quickly and waited for the boys. Laura left after my kids were in the bed with me. It was so nice being with them. Even when I wasn't in the moo
Astrid's POV:After Caronlina left, I sat in my room in silence for several minutes. Then I spoke to Malessia, saying, “I want to go for a run and practice more.’ ‘Yes, practice is good,’ Malessa said excitedly. ‘But first, I need to learn that shifting technique.” I rose from the bed and closed my eyes. I had to focus on the light in the center of my head. Meanwhile, I let my body and arms relax while the bones changed and reformed. In about a minute, I stood on four limbs and opened my eyes slowly.‘Not great, but faster than our usual time,’ Malessia noted.‘Then, as Alpha Salem said, I need to practice again and again until I reach perfection.’ I shifted back to my human form and repeated the exercise. By the seventh time, I could easily shift into my primal or human form within seconds, and the transition seemed less hectic, too. I learned to listen to my surroundings carefully and knew how to control my senses without losing command over my wild state.‘Why is everything so e
Alpha Dominic's POV:Leaving without telling Astrid about my trip to the mountains was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I had wanted to tell her, but she was sleeping so peacefully with the kids. Then again, who was I kidding? I also didn’t want to tell her about Isabella accompanying me. It wasn’t that I was hiding anything untoward from her. I just didn't want to hurt her more.“Dominic, we should stop now,” Isabella said, frowning. She stomped her feet dramatically with the words, a ridiculous habit of hers. “No. Keep going. I have a spot saved at the top, and a few maids are there too in case you need a massage or something,” I said, keeping a couple of feet of distance between us. Still, she tried to get closer every time I stopped to check the path ahead.“Aww. You know what I want.” Her voice was deep and sultry. “I need a massage something fierce.” I continued, hacking at branches that blocked our way, wishing she’d shut up. “Did you never miss me?” She grabbed my a
Alpha Dominic’s POV:Isabella went from being a seductive vixen to looking at me with enough hatred for ten enemies. I wasn't surprised. “What made you think I wouldn't figure out your game?” I asked.When she didn’t answer, my father sighed heavily. “I'm glad you could see beyond her charms this time,” he said, rubbing his brow. “Thank Mood Goddess that you weren’t under her spell anymore.”Isabella’s eyes went from angry to pleading, and she directed her gaze at me. “Don’t you see, Dominic? He’s always been against me, and he’s been trying to turn you against me from the beginning.” My father laughed. “It’s my responsibility as a parent, and as Alpha, to alert my son to any potential enemies and possible sabotage. You’re not going to make me feel guilty about that.”Her shoulders slumped.“Now, are you going to tell me about your plan and those involved?” I asked, thinking she’d finally given up.“Never!” she yelled, perking up considerably.I had hoped I wouldn’t have to play the
Astrid's POV:“Put me down! You’re embarrassing me!” I screamed as he dragged me into the corridor where a bunch of people could see. “I’m not. Now keep quiet, and let me take you to your room like a good girl,” Dominic said, slapping my thighs.“Oouch!” I punched his shoulder as we entered my chamber. “Don't be so wild with me,” he said as he threw me on the bed.Before I could move, he blanketed my body, pinning me. I tried pushing him away.“Relax,” he whispered in my ear. “I just want to talk to you.”His seductive whisper and deep voice made goosebumps rise on my skin. Still, I said, “Well, I don’t want to talk to you.” He sighed and released my hands. I retreated further back on the bed, avoiding his eyes. “I know you’re angry,” he said softly. “And I understand.”“Why would I be angry?” I said flippantly. “She’s set to be punished, Astrid. I didn’t want to tell you because I couldn’t risk her learning about my plan, but Isabella was the reason we had the pandemic. I knew f