Malrick's POV The council meeting started on time. I walked in, and for the first time, no one looked away or hesitated. They stood up when I entered, giving me the respect I had spent months working for.I moved to the head of the table. It used to be Sage’s seat. Now, it was mine. I sat down without a word, and everyone followed. It felt good, leadership felt very good and there was no way I would let Sage have it back. "Let's get started," I said. "Any new reports?"Rowan cleared his throat. "Tracks were found near the southern ridge. Definitely him."Miriam added, "He’s still running. Mostly moving from place to place to avoid being predicted. But he’s staying out of our immediate territory."I nodded slowly. "He’s desperate," I said. "And dangerous. We can’t relax, we need to stay alert."There were a few mutters of agreement. I could feel it — the full shift had happened. They trusted me now. I enjoyed every bit of how they saw Sage as the enemy. "Double the patrols near the
Bella’s POVI sat on the edge of my bed, tugging on my shoes. It was a normal morning routine. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, lighting up my room. Today felt like any other day. I dressed up quickly, pulling on my scrub pants and a loose top. I brushed my hair and then checked if I was set and ready to leave for the day. My eyes were tired, obviously but it was okay. It was as a result of the stress of the previous day. It was a problem because I had fun with June and Harper at the beach. After grabbing my work bag, I stepped into the hallway. The smell of fresh coffee hit me before I even made it to the kitchen. I could bet it was Harper that had coffee prepared. Kitchen duties are her favorite. Harper stood by the counter, humming quietly as she poured a cup. She spotted me and grinned."Morning. Figured you’d need this," she said, holding out a mug of coffee."You’re a lifesaver," I said, taking it and inhaling the warm scent."June already left," Harper adde
POV: Bella "No. I refuse to accept this."Sage’s voice rang out, sharp and filled with venom, cutting through the thick silence of the ceremony like a blade.My breath caught in my throat. My body turned rigid, my heart pounding painfully in my chest. No. No, this isn’t happening.I stared at him, my fated mate, my Alpha, my everything.And he was looking at me like I was nothing, a piece of trash."The Moon Goddess made a mistake," Sage continued coldly, his piercing green eyes locking onto mine with pure disgust. His powerful frame stood tall, imposing, his jaw tight with fury. "I reject you, Bella Blackthorn."The words landed like a physical blow. My knees nearly buckled, but I forced myself to stay upright.A low murmur spread through the crowd. Gasps. Whispers. Laughter.This isn’t real.I tried to breathe, but I felt a crushing weight of humiliation pressed down on me, choking me. The sting of rejection burned through my veins like wildfire.The pack elder had just announced
POV: Sage Liora moaned beneath me, her nails digging into my back as I drove into her with relentless force. "More," she gasped, arching into me. "Sage…." She called out but I silenced her with a rough kiss, my grip tightening on her hips, bruising her soft skin. I wasn’t making love to her. This wasn’t about connection or tenderness.It was about control, dominance, and possession.I grabbed her hair and pulled her up—enough to give me a good balance behind her. Her voice rose and I loved the sounds she made. But to prevent further wailings, I took a finger to her lips and made her suck on it. She was so good at it too. Her breasts, full and satisfying as I grabbed them. I squeezed and pressed while harassing the nipples with a free finger. It was pleasurable for her with the way she kept moaning, arching her entire body to meet mine. It was like I wasn't deep enough, so I plunged deeper. I could feel her succulent walls tighten, producing juices as I rocked in and out. My hand
POV: BellaThe wind howled through the streets of the small border town, rattling windows and sending icy rain pelting against the pavement. Thunder cracked overhead, a deep, rolling sound that vibrated through my chest as I locked the door to the clinic, pulling my coat tighter around myself."Need a ride?"I turned to see Lane, standing by his car, keys in hand. His blue eyes held quiet concern, his medical scrubs still damp from the long shift we had just finished.I forced a small smile. "I’ll be fine, Lane. It’s just a short walk."He frowned, glancing up at the storm raging above them. "You sure? It’s getting bad out here."I nodded. "I like the rain."It was a lie.I didn’t like the rain. It reminded her of the night I lost everything.Lane sighed but didn’t press further. He had learned long ago that I was a locked door, and no matter how many times he knocked, I never let him in."Alright," he said, tossing his keys in the air before catching them again. "But if you get struc
POV: BellaA deep rumbling growl filled the cabin, low and unnatural, vibrating against the very walls.My eyes snapped open, my heart slamming into my ribs.The fire had burned low, leaving the cabin bathed in flickering shadows, and the air had grown thick, charged with something unnatural. A strange energy pressed against my skin, making the fine hairs on my arms stand on end.I sat up abruptly, my breath coming in quick, shallow bursts. Then I heard it again, a deep, guttural snarl.My gaze flew to the wolf.It was shaking.Its massive form convulsed violently, its limbs twitching, its chest rising and falling in ragged gasps. The low whimpers it let out, sent a chill down my spine.Something was wrong.I threw off the blanket and rushed toward the wolf, dropping to my knees."Hey," I whispered, my fingers hovering over it burning-hot fur. "Stay with me, big guy."Its body trembled harder. Its paws clawed at the wooden floor, it fangs bared as another tortured sound left its throa
POV: BellaI pushed away the tightness in my chest, forcing myself to pace the length of the cabin, my bare feet pressing against the wooden floor.Every breath I took felt wrong.The man lying on my couch, wrapped in the blanket I had thrown at him, was the same man who had humiliated me in front of our entire pack.The same man who had made me believe I was nothing.And now, he was here—weak, vulnerable, completely at my mercy.It should have felt good.It should have felt like justice.But instead, all I felt was anger.Anger at him.Anger at myself.Anger at the damned mate bond that kept tying us together, no matter how much I wanted to rip it apart.I turned, my hands clenched into fists, and stormed toward the couch.Sage lay still, his face half-hidden by the shadows of the dim firelight.His body was exhausted, but not broken.The Alpha was still there, beneath the layers of weakness and fever, beneath the filth of his exile.I hated that I could still see it.The raw power,
POV: BellaThe door shut behind me with a slam that rattled the frame.I leaned into it, my chest heaving, palms splayed against the cold wood. My breath fogged the air. I could still smell him. His scent clung to the wall like smoke, damp earth and ash. Something I didn’t want to remember but I couldn’t forget.The almighty Sage Wyatt was in my house.Alive and human again. And I couldn’t stop shaking.I dragged myself to the bathroom and turned the faucet on full blast. Water thundered into the tub, louder than the pounding in my ears, louder than the war in my chest.I stripped off my clothes with jerky movements. My skin was on fire. Rage and Panic clouded my mind. Or was it that stupid, cursed pull between us?I stepped into the water and sank down, hoping it would cool the chaos inside me. It didn’t.My thoughts were a storm. Sage rejected me, he humiliated me and left me shattered.And now he was here, bleeding all over my floor, acting like he had the right to speak to me. To l
Bella’s POVI sat on the edge of my bed, tugging on my shoes. It was a normal morning routine. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, lighting up my room. Today felt like any other day. I dressed up quickly, pulling on my scrub pants and a loose top. I brushed my hair and then checked if I was set and ready to leave for the day. My eyes were tired, obviously but it was okay. It was as a result of the stress of the previous day. It was a problem because I had fun with June and Harper at the beach. After grabbing my work bag, I stepped into the hallway. The smell of fresh coffee hit me before I even made it to the kitchen. I could bet it was Harper that had coffee prepared. Kitchen duties are her favorite. Harper stood by the counter, humming quietly as she poured a cup. She spotted me and grinned."Morning. Figured you’d need this," she said, holding out a mug of coffee."You’re a lifesaver," I said, taking it and inhaling the warm scent."June already left," Harper adde
Malrick's POV The council meeting started on time. I walked in, and for the first time, no one looked away or hesitated. They stood up when I entered, giving me the respect I had spent months working for.I moved to the head of the table. It used to be Sage’s seat. Now, it was mine. I sat down without a word, and everyone followed. It felt good, leadership felt very good and there was no way I would let Sage have it back. "Let's get started," I said. "Any new reports?"Rowan cleared his throat. "Tracks were found near the southern ridge. Definitely him."Miriam added, "He’s still running. Mostly moving from place to place to avoid being predicted. But he’s staying out of our immediate territory."I nodded slowly. "He’s desperate," I said. "And dangerous. We can’t relax, we need to stay alert."There were a few mutters of agreement. I could feel it — the full shift had happened. They trusted me now. I enjoyed every bit of how they saw Sage as the enemy. "Double the patrols near the
Bella’s POV The day for the beach trip finally arrived. The house buzzed with excitement. June practically skipped around the kitchen, tossing snacks into a giant paper bag, while Harper packed towels and sunscreen into a huge beach bag. We needed to maintain our skin tone and prevent it from getting burnt. "You’d think we were going away for a week, not a day," I teased, sipping my coffee and watching them both with amusement."You can never be too prepared," Harper said solemnly, zipping up the bag like she was prepping for battle.June rolled her eyes. "Says the woman who once forgot her shoes on a road trip."Harper pointed at her. "That was once. And it was traumatic."I laughed, feeling a relief I hadn’t felt in what felt like forever. By late morning, we were piled into June’s beat-up car, singing loudly along with the playlist we’d fought over the previous night.The drive was beautiful—rolling hills, patches of sunflowers, the occasional glimpse of the ocean sparkling in th
Bella’s POVSeconds turned into days and days into weeks. At the end of the month, something strange started to happen. I wasn’t just surviving my shifts at the hospital anymore—I was settling into them.The anxiety that used to twist in my stomach before each shift had dulled into something steadier, something almost... comfortable. I could also control my healing powers now. It wasn’t that the work got easier. It never really did. But I stopped second-guessing every move I made. I decided to just live my life. I trusted my instincts. I trusted my hands more too. And slowly, the people around me started to trust me too."Morning, superstar," June teased as she plopped down at our usual table in the hospital’s break room. She shoved a coffee cup toward me with a smirk. "I brought you the strong stuff that you like.""The goddess bless you," I groaned, wrapping both hands around the warm cup.Harper slid into the seat beside me, stealing a sip from her own mug. "You know you’ve offic
Bella’s POV The moment I stepped through the front door, Harper was already waiting. Her arms were crossed, her jaw tight, and the look in her eyes told me this wasn’t going to be a casual conversation.She was waiting, sitting at the kitchen table, a mug of coffee was on the table too. She looked up when she saw me, her eyes soft but tired.“You need to back off, Bella,” she said the second I closed the door behind me.I dropped my bag by the couch, my heart was still pounding from what happened at the hospital. “Back off from what?”“You know what,” she snapped. “The patient. The healing. The doctor asking questions. You think they won’t notice something’s off? You’re playing with fire.”I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. “I saved his life, Harper. He was gone. Flatlined. And now he’s alive. I can’t pretend that didn’t happen.”“You should pretend,” she said sharply. “This is what we agreed on—low profile, no powers, no attention. This kind of miracle? It’s exactly w
Bella’s POV I knew that Liam was telling the truth but I didn't know how to explain to them that I had no idea how to control myself and stop healing the patients from the hospital. All I could do was hope that things would not get out of hand and get the humans spooked. They would not understand anything about the supernatural world. The water cascaded over my skin, steam massaged my tense muscles around I stood under the showerhead. When I finally stepped out, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself tightly. My fingers trembled slightly—not from the cold, but from the anxiety that had settled beneath my skin these past few weeks.I pulled open the dresser drawer and took out a fresh pair of dark scrubs. The fabric was soft, slightly faded from too many washes, but comfortable. I tugged on the top, then stepped into the pants, tying the drawstring snug around my waist. I twisted my damp hair into a tight bun and pinned it in place. There was no room for mistakes. No d
Liam POVThe wind in Norway felt really good and homy.Every morning, I told myself I’d get used to it. The quietness, the open roads, the way people nodded politely and kept to themselves. But after nearly two months, I still couldn’t breathe right in this place.“Try to blend in,” Harper had said. “Stay off the radar.”“Hard to do when your instincts scream every time a branch cracks.” I always replied. I walked to the edge of the woods again. There was no particular reason. Just the usual scent check, energy scan, terrain memory. The soil here held no pack. No old blood. No buried bones. But the wind was wrong.It felt like someone was watching. I stopped at the base of a twisted pine and sniffed the air but there was nothing. Just frost and tree sap and sea fog.But I didn’t imagine it. I never imagined it.Bella was already home when I returned. She stood in the kitchen in her scrubs, sleeves pushed to her elbows, hair tied back. A soft glow followed her now. Subtle, but I could
Bella’s POV I went to bed quietly without thinking too much about the previous day. In a few hours, it was already dawn. The sky was still dark when I slipped out of the house.No creaking floors, no whispers of magic, no Liam lurking by the window with his arms crossed and jaw clenched. Just the sound of my boots crunching soft frost as I made my way down the gravel path toward the clinic.I didn’t want them to wake up. Not when something inside me had started to shift—slow, quiet, but impossible to ignore.I caught my reflection in a dark shop window on the way. Same face. Same eyes. But there was something in my posture, in the way I moved. Like I was walking toward something instead of running away from it.The clinic buzzed with chatter when I arrived. Coffee cups, paperwork, a few yawning nurses brushing off the last traces of sleep. I smiled, nodded, and kept my head down. As usual.“Bella,” Sofia, the charge nurse, waved me over. “Room five. Triage.”I tossed my bag into the
Bella’s POV“Don’t speak unless asked. Don’t stare. And for Moon’s sake, don’t howl.” Harper said to me with a stern voice. I didn't object to what she was saying because I was too disoriented to make any decision for myself. It all felt like I was on a borrowed life. Nothing that had happened since I left the pack made any sense. How I went from belonging to a pack and being no different from a rogue felt frustrating. Harper shoved a dark blue passport into my hand as we neared the airport gates. Her voice was steady, but her eyes flicked around like she expected someone to jump us before we hit the terminal. June handed Liam a small black backpack, zipped shut and stiff with forged documents.“Where did you even get these?” I asked, eyeing the name printed inside the booklet. Annabelle Moon. Born in Toronto. Age twenty-four. Blood type O negative.“Don’t worry about it,” Harper muttered. “A friend of a friend who owes me two favors and one broken kneecap.”I raised an eyebrow. “C