MikhailI can still clearly remember the intoxicating smell of my mate, the soft, tender touch of her hands, and her voice, which was more peaceful than the sound of calming waves at night.At the same time, the intensity of her hate and the pain of betrayal in her voice when she found the truth still haunts me every time I close my eyes.How could I ruin someone so pure and so precious?Maybe my physical blindness wasn't my real curse, but my inability to see what was right in front of me. My arrogance and stubbornness blinded me to the truth that Sophia was my perfect match, the one who could complete me."I have hurt her in the worst way possible. I betrayed her trust and crushed her heart with my own hands because of my arrogance and selfishness. It was not the hunters that took her away from me, but it was me who made her leave me... But look, even while hating me, she gave me everything." A bitter, rueful smile curves my lips as I turn to face Russo, "She freed me from the curse
SophiaClosing my eyes, I take a deep breath, and then again, I try to imagine myself speaking. Opening my mouth, I force my vocal cords to work while trying to make a sound... but all I get is to manage a grunting sound.Sweating starts to form on my forehead as the sun beats down on my skin... but the exhaustion that I am feeling is from pushing myself hard to speak.Last night, Rose told me she wants me to talk normally like everyone... she doesn't want me to talk to her in her head.I don't know how to explain to her that I try so hard to be a normal mom for her, but I can't.Looking up, I wipe my fingers beneath my eyes and clear the tears that escape my eyes.My emotions are all over the place, and it has something to do with Mikhail.Seeing him again was a reality check for me because, for all these years, I thought his presence wouldn't affect me, but I was wrong.He still affects me.And I don't know what to do about it; his presence rattled me from inside, stirring those emo
Sophia We've been sparring for too long, and I can see the fatigue in his movements, the way his breath comes in short, labored bursts. He's growing impatient, ready to end this fight. I can see it in the way his eyes dart toward me, the frustration evident in his furrowed brow.Up until now, I’ve only been dodging his attacks, testing his endurance, and letting him wear himself out. But now, I feel the familiar coil of strength in my muscles, the readiness to strike back. It’s time to switch from defense to offense.With a calculated step, I move forward.My body and movements, controlled with the training that has strengthened me and made me quick at my feet.My opponent’s eyes widen in surprise as he realizes the change in my stance, but it's too late for him to react. I feint to the left, drawing his attention, and then I strike with precision—a quick, sharp blow to his side that makes him stumble back.Bryan grunts, recovering quickly, but I don't give him a chance to regain his
SophiaEvery time I use my powers, I give away a part of myself. And yet, I can't stop. Not when I know I can help, when I know I can make a difference, no matter the cost.But the cost is getting harder to bear.My blessing is a curse as well, and there is no way to break this curse.A sharp pain slices through my chest, and I gasp, clutching Lucas's tightly in mine.He holds my hand tighter, his face a mask of determination. "You need to rest," he says, his voice cracking slightly at the end. "You're going to be okay."Caleb slips his arms under my legs and back and picks me up. He carries me back home while Lucas is still holding my hand. Jake is already inside the house, checking up on Rose before he nods at Caleb to take me inside.I can't let Rose see me in this condition. So I asked Jake to make sure she is not around.Gently, Caleb lowers me in the bed and sits beside me. His face seems like it is made of stone as he stares blankly ahead.Each of them is protective in their own
SophiaTonight, something feels different.I shift slightly, trying to shake off the feeling, but it only grows stronger, more insistent.I am caught in that place between waking and sleeping when I feel it—a presence. I feel someone running their hand over my face, the feather-light touch tracing the contours of my face and then running their finger along with my lips.But then, suddenly, the feeling is gone.My eyes fly open, heart pounding in my chest. I strain my senses, listening for any sound, any movement, but there is nothing. Just silence. I try to convince myself it's my imagination, a trick of my mind, but I know better because I can feel him. I can still feel someone's touch on my skin... a touch which feels so familiar.A scent that I can recognize anywhere is wafting through the room along with the breeze.I know the feel of eyes watching me, the weight of someone's gaze in the darkness.Slowly, I turn my head, scanning the room. At first, I see nothing, just the familia
MikhailMy mind... my heart... everything is telling me she is Sophia. Because there is no other reason, why I would have such strong feelings for some shewolf whom I have just met. It doesn't make sense.I know sneaking into her room in the middle of the night is wrong. But at this moment, no right or wrong is important. I will deal with the consequences later because, right now, I need to find the truth.Quietly, I sneak into her room in the darkness of the night. The chaos inside me settles down just by the glimpse of her peaceful sleeping face. I feel mesmerized just by the sight of her, because even if I want can't descirbe her beauty in words. And I am not just talking about physical beauty, her beauty radiates from inside. I've been standing here for what feels like an eternity, watching her sleep. The moonlight filters through the open window, casting soft shadows on her face. She looks so peaceful, so innocent.But I can't just stand here and watch her all night. I need ans
MikhailShe keeps looking at me, and behind her blank gaze, there are so many emotions that she is trying to hide.Moments pass as we continue to stare at each other... both dealing with the war of emotions that is raging inside us.Her lips part like she wants to say something... but no words come out of her mouth. My heart wrenches when I see her struggling to speak, but then a helpless look passes over her face when she can't.What happened to her? What caused her to lose her voice?Another question added to an already pile of unanswered questions.Her face tells that she is struggling and trying to get hold of herself.I want to reach out to her... hold her... comfort her, and tell her that trust me once again and I promise that I will make everything alright.I don't know how I am going to do it, but what I know is that I will not let her struggle anymore.Suddenly, she looks at me.Her gaze is ablaze with fire as a low, ferocious growl erupts from her.My eyes widen in shock, be
SophiaAgain, he is doing it, again.How effortlessly lies roll out of his mouth... that even after being betrayed by him, he has sown the seed of doubt in my heart.I started doubting my decision to keep Rose away from him because I felt he would take her away from me. Alphas are protective and possessive about their blood, and even if he would not have loved her, he would have wanted her to be within his pack.Just like what my father did.Just like what he did when he claimed me and kept me in his pack because his wolf needed his mate. No, I can't trust him. My wolf has retreated back but is still on edge because, just like his, I also have an Alpha wolf. She is feeling protective of her pup, and currently, Mikhail is a threat in her eyes.I take a few steps back so that I am standing at a safe distance from him. Swallowing, I take a deep breath before I glance at him again."Leave..." My voice sounds raspy, and my throat hurts as I manage to speak this word.I can barely recogni
MikhailI step forward, closing the distance between us, but before I can take another, a low growl rumbles from Sophia’s chest.It’s quiet, but it’s there. A warning.I stop in my tracks, lifting an eyebrow as I glance at her.Did she just growl at me?Sophia clenches her eyes shut for a second before shaking her head, a small laugh escaping her lips. She looks almost embarrassed, like she hadn’t meant for it to slip out. "Sorry," she mutters, letting out a breath. "My wolf is in overprotective mode. She’s being territorial over Rose."She doesn’t need to explain. I can see it in the way her arms tighten around Rose, the way she angles her body just slightly, like she’s shielding her. Even though I would never be a threat, her instincts don’t care. She’s protecting our daughter the only way she knows how.Rose, completely oblivious to her mother’s fierce protectiveness, giggles against Sophia’s chest. Her tiny hands grip at her mom’s shirt, her small fingers curling into the fabric a
MikhailSophia's grip on my hand tightens the closer we get to the house. Her steps pick up, her breathing shifts, and I can feel the energy rolling off her in waves. It’s a mix of excitement and something raw, something untamed. Her wolf is on edge, not out of fear but out of that deep, instinctual protectiveness only a mother has for her pup.I can almost hear her wolf pacing beneath the surface, waiting, ready. It’s not aggression, not really. It’s just that fierce need to see her pup, to hold her, to make sure she’s safe.I squeeze her hand comfortingly.She turns her head to me, and the second our eyes meet, a smile breaks across her face.It’s so bright, so full of joy that it knocks the air from my lungs.She doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to.I just squeeze her hand again, letting her know I feel it too.However, I can’t stop myself. The second that smile lights up her face, I lean in and press a kiss right to it.She lets out a small, surprised breath, but then her gr
MikhailThe cool air dries our clothes as we walk back, the scent of damp fabric mixing with the crisp night breeze. Sophia insisted on washing them before she sees Rose. She said she doesn’t want to carry any negativity these clothes might have absorbed and risk letting it touch our daughter in any way.If it were up to me, I would have burned them the second we stepped out of that place. But Sophia shot that idea down fast. Apparently, walking home with nothing on wasn’t an option for her. I reminded her that we’re shifters; nudity isn’t exactly a big deal. She reminded me that we don’t have spare clothes stashed anywhere nearby and that she’s not about to greet our daughter in our birthday suits.Our fingers find each other without a second thought. Sophia’s hand slides into mine, warm and familiar, as it belongs there. I curl my fingers around hers, holding tight but not too tight, just enough to let her know I’m here. That I’m not letting go.We walk in sync, step by step, and th
MikhailLying on the cool grass with one hand tucked behind my head and the other wrapped around Sophia, I let the night settle around us. Her head rests against my chest, her breath warm and steady, her fingers tracing slow, lazy patterns over my skin.The lake’s water washed away the blood and the weight of everything that happened. Now, under the soft glow of the moon, nothing else matters. There is scent of damp earth and fresh water in the air, wrapping around us like a quiet lullaby.Sophia shifts closer, her bare skin warm against mine. I tighten my hold, running my fingers along her spine in slow, soothing strokes.“This feels nice,” she murmurs, her voice soft, almost drowsy.I press a kiss to the top of her head, letting my lips linger. “Yeah. It does.”Sophia shifts against me, her body warm and soft completely opposite to mine. I feel her move, her fingers reaching across my chest, searching.I glance down just as she stretches her hand toward mine, trying to grab it. A s
MikhailThe moment I have Sophia in my arms, it feels like my heart is finally able to beat again, like my lungs can take in air properly.I didn’t realize how much I was suffocating until now. Until she was here, pressed against me, where she belongs.Having her back in my arms feels like I’ve gotten my life back, like I’m whole again.But then, she shifts slightly, trying to take a step back.A growl rips from my chest before I can stop it, deep and primal. My arms tighten around her instinctively, refusing to let her move away.My wolf is losing it, clawing at me, desperate to keep her close. Possessiveness surges through me, raw and unrelenting. I don’t want her to go—I can’t let her go. Not even for a second.Sophia laughs softly, the sound light but a little tired. Her arms tighten around me, and for a second, it feels like she’s holding on just as much as I am.“I’m dirty,” she murmurs, tilting her head back just enough to meet my eyes. There’s something teasing there, but also
MikhailShe’s drenched in blood, but it’s not hers. It drips from her fingers, streaks down her arms, soaks into the floor beneath her feet.She’s trying so damn hard to keep it together, to hold back the tears threatening to spill over. But the second I tighten my arms around her, she breaks.A shudder runs through her body, and then she’s shaking, her walls crashing down as she buries herself against me.“I was so afraid I’d lose you…” Her voice cracks, barely more than a whisper. “I’ve lost myself, but I can’t bear to lose you.”She presses her face into my chest, her sobs muffled against me. I hold her tighter, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other gripping her waist like I can somehow keep her from falling apart.“I’m right here,” I murmur against her hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”Her fingers dig into my back, clutching me like I’m the only thing keeping her together. And maybe, in this moment, I am."This darkness is suffocating," she whispers, her voice barely hol
MikhailSophia doesn’t even glance at Artemis. It’s like she’s not even there. But her eyes? They stay locked on mine, unblinking and intense. There’s no sense of recognition in them, no softness, no warmth. Just something cold and distant.Still, I feel her.Our mate bond doesn’t hum with the warmth it once had, but it’s there, faint and pulsing like a thread stretched too thin but refusing to snap completely. She doesn’t say a word, doesn’t make a move. Just keeps staring at me, her gaze drilling into mine like she’s waiting. Then I realize... she’s waiting for me to see her, to really see her. All of her. The darkness she carries, the evil she’s let in, it’s twisted and terrifying, but beneath all that, she’s still my mate. She’s still Sophia.And she needs me to accept that. She’s not looking for judgment or fear. She wants reassurance, a promise that I’m not going anywhere, no matter how deep her shadows run. She needs to know I’m still with her, that I won’t turn my back on he
MikhailSophia's smile falters just enough for me to notice. There’s a flicker in her gaze—unsure, almost fragile—and it hits me like a punch to the gut. My heart clenches as I watch her wrestle with whatever storm is brewing in her mind.“You don’t hate me,” she says, her voice so quiet it feels like a secret.The vulnerable side that wonders if she deserves to be loved.... that her darkness would make me not love her.Anger floods through me, hot and fierce, almost too much to hold back.Because this uncertainty I see flickering in Sophia’s eyes, that doubt gnawing at her, it didn’t just come out of nowhere.It’s him. Gregor. That worthless piece of filth lying broken on the ground. He’s the reason she even questions her worth. He’s the one who planted this poison in her head, making her feel like she can’t be loved, like she’s undeserving of it. Every insult, every cut he threw her way was meant to chip away at her, to leave her feeling unloved and worthless. I take a deep breath,
MikhailGregor’s cries fill the air, raw and broken, as he tries to get away from Sophia. He’s crawling like a beaten dog, dragging himself through his own blood. It smears across the ground, a trail of his pathetic attempt to escape.His hand clamps over the empty socket, but it doesn’t stop the blood. It pours down his face, dripping onto the ground, staining everything in his path. His body shakes like a leaf in a storm, and all the while, Sophia watches him with that same cold, detached look.He’s finally tasting his own medicine, and damn if it doesn’t feel satisfying to watch.All that fake power, that smug confidence he wore like armor, has crumbled. What’s left is the real Gregor: a coward who can’t handle the pain he’s dealt out to others for so long. It’s poetic, really.Sophia stands up slowly, her movements are steady, almost graceful, as she straightens herself. The blood on her claws glistens under the dim light, dark and sticky.Without a flicker of emotion, she wipes t