Ever since Alina had left, I never really got much sleep. Shadow used it as a way to torture me for taking his mate away from him.Even though he wasn’t the only one hurting.Every time I closed my eyes he would howl as loud as possible, making it impossible to get any proper shut eye. However, didn't tonight he didn’t tonight, he was quiet.And yet here I was, still struggling to fall asleep after everything that has happened in the last few hours.Replaying the night as a whole in my mind made my arms feel empty as I held onto the ghost of her.I could feel her body ever so slightly where her body touched mine, and yet it felt empty without her there now.Hoping to get myself to bed, II made my way to the fridge to get some milk. I heard someone huffing and puffing so hard they wanted to blow the little piggies house down.And the bed springs working. I stood in the door frame watching her tossing and turning as she sighs feeling frustrated.I couldn’t help but smile.Maybe sleep wa
Before we left for the funeral, I saw a loose strand of hair resting on the pillow where Liam had been lying just moments ago, watching his shows in the living room. I carefully folded it into my handkerchief, my fingers tightening around it.I knew Liam was mine. And Alina knew it too. She just refused to tell me the truth.But I would find it.As I pulled out my phone, Alina and Liam walked past me. I gestured for them to head to the car."I won’t be long," I mouthed, covering the speaker of my phone.Once they exited the hotel room, the person on the other end of the line answered.“Hello, Alpha King. How can I assist you today?” our head pack doctor greeted me.“Hi, Doctor. I don’t have much time to talk, so I’ll cut to the chase. Would you be able to do a paternity test using a strand of hair?”Silence followed for a few seconds longer than I liked.“A paternity test?” he asked, his tone tinged with surprise.“Yes,” I said coldly, feeling a flicker of frustration. I didn’t have t
Two days after the funeral, we set out for a small cottage not too far from the palace. The place was hidden and easy to protect. It was also much safer than staying in the city. The woods allowed my most trusted guards to protect her in their wolf form at all times.The cottage was also protected by spells that only allowed those from the royal bloodline to pass through. It was created by my grandmother and her witch friend when war broke out between the packs. It was designed to protect the women and children of our line in order to keep our pack going in the worst-case scenario.As long as I held Alina’s hand, she could pass through. The spell would see that as an invitation. However it also knew i would have to take the first step in.However, this spell had told me everything I needed to know.Liam passed through even though he hadn’t touched me in any way.Had he not been my son he wouldve been stopped from entering. Alina was unaware that the spell wouldn’t work if Liam had
I laid Liam down in bed after we read our little bedtime story on the rocking chair. I sat next to him, combing his hair and watching that little angelic face of his, filled with peace.I knew that the longer we stayed, the quicker Andrew would figure out that Liam was his son.Andrew was a fool in many aspects. But you would have to be blind not to see the similarities between them. He looked just like his father. A little clone of the man I had loved so long ago. The man I seemed unable to evict from my heart.Tonight would be our first date of this new relationship.Where it would lead this time, I had no idea. And part of me wondered if this love I had for him would be my greatest weakness or my greatest strength.I closed the door to Liam’s room and got myself ready.Even though this wasn’t technically our first date, I still wanted to make a good impression.I looked through my suitcases but couldn’t find a single thing that fit the occasion. My eyes traveled up to the cupboar
Andrew threw the file down with such strength and weight that the sound of it hitting the table echoed through the forest. I looked down at the file, already having a feeling of what it could be. I knew this would come up sooner rather than later.“What is this?” I asked, meeting his eyes.He fixed his suit jacket as he leaned back into the chair.“That there contains a truth. But if you open it up without coming clean, I will walk out, and there will be no trust between us.Therefore, no us at all. You said you wanted to give me a chance. How about you give me a fair one?” he said, looking deeply into my eyes.“I’m not understanding,” I said, trying to play dumb.He leaned in closer, placing his elbows on the table.“I want us to start on a clean page, don’t you?” he asked, and I nodded.“Great, now that we’re on the same page, I feel like you haven’t been completely honest with me. And I want all lies out of the way before we can start building on our relationship. Lies make for a
A long pause followed after the last word left my mouth. Even the crickets kept quiet.I watched as Andrew processed what I had just said.“Andrew, say something,” I said, leaning over the table, trying to grab his hand.However, he pulled it away.His eyes were filled with despair. Filled with a heart wrenching sadness that I thought was impossible.“Why did you keep me away from him?” he said slowly, his voice giving in as he scanned me, searching for the answers to his question.“You made your decision the day you let me go,” I said, leaning into my chair, trying to avoid eye contact as the memories flooded back.I didn’t want him to see the pain it all caused me. How much it hurt me. How much it still hurt me.“The decision I made? Are you kidding me, Alina? You gave me no choice. If anyone made a decision that day, it was you.”I felt my tears build up as I remembered the events.They were still as raw as the day it all happened.But I refused to show him how much it affected me.
He kissed me gently on the head and cupped my cheeks, forcing me to look at him.He wiped my tears away slowly before he met my gaze.“I will never give up on us again. I will never put someone above this family of ours again. We might not have started out great, but I promise you, I will ensure we have a great journey together until the end.I love you, Alina.”I was at a loss for words, and I just stared at him.“You don’t have to say it now. But just know I love you. And in time, I can only hope you will do the same.Let’s enjoy the rest of our evening and leave all of this behind us.”And that’s exactly what we did.The night started off slow, but soon we were laughing, talking, and reigniting the spark that had almost died.I saw the side of Andrew that he shared with so few.The side that made those sparks light up in the first place.His soft and funny side the one that I loved so much.The one that didn’t fit the role of an Alpha.But that’s not why I loved him.I didn’t care
I laid Liam back in bed, laughing softly as I recalled the stunt he pulled on Josh.It warmed my heart when he did things like that.Not because I wanted him to hurt people, but because I realized the lengths he would go to in order to protect me, even at such a young age.Even when his abilities weren’t anywhere close to what he thought they were.In his mind, he was already a warrior. Already strong.In the fairytale world that all children live in—the one they can live in because we, as parents, shield them from the realities of the world.Protecting their innocence for as long as possible.I smiled to myself as I walked out of the room.I could hardly believe that this little sweet angel, fast asleep in bed, could have been the same child ruthlessly smacking Josh with a cutting board.He looked so peaceful, so pure.I gently closed the door and made my way down the hallway, my fingers grazing the wooden frames that lined the walls.The hallway was covered in old photographs.I sto
Sometime in the night, exhaustion had finally won. I had cried myself into a restless sleep, only to wake up feeling just as drained, just as hollow as before.The ache in my chest hadn’t faded. The weight of last night still pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe, hard to think.I sank lower into the bath, hoping the warm water would do something—anything—to cleanse me of everything that had happened. To soak away my guilt. To wash away my betrayal.To drown the war raging inside me.Maybe if I stayed in here long enough, I would step out as someone new. Someone who deserved to be queen.Because today wasn’t just any day.Today, I had to stand before the entire kingdom and make my promise. My vow to be their Luna, their queen.But how could I swear my loyalty to an entire kingdom when I couldn’t even control my own heart?I let out a long sigh, closing my eyes for just a moment before finally forcing myself to stand.An omega was already waiting for me when I stepped back into
I knew I was no match for Andrew. His family had that stupid strength ability. The one that made them nearly invincible in battle. It gave them an advantage over any other alpha, and right now.I was experiencing that disadvantage firsthand.His grip around my throat was tight, but not suffocating. He was giving me a chance. A small, razor-thin chance to explain myself before he crushed my windpipe."Woah, woah, woah," I rasped. "I thought it was innocent until proven guilty?"The second the words left my mouth, I could see his expression shift. It wasn’t what he expected me to say. His grip loosened ever so slightly, and his brows pulled together in confusion."So, you deny kissing your queen?" His voice was sharp."MY mate," he snarled.I let out a slow breath, rubbing my throat once he finally let go."I never said that," I admitted, sitting up slightly. "But I didn’t do it as some sort of power play against you. I didn’t do it to dethrone you. Whether you want to know this or
"I can't," I whispered, my voice barely escaping my lips.Andrew’s fist slammed down onto the bedside table with such force that the entire thing shattered beneath his strength.The loud crack echoed through the room, a perfect reflection of the breaking pieces inside me."Did you even try?" he asked, his voice struggling to remain gentle even when his entire being trembled with frustration.I squeezed my eyes shut. I wished I had an answer that wouldn’t tear him apart. But I didn’t."I did," I admitted. "But… part of me couldn’t even bring myself to say the words."Silence.The kind of silence that stretches too long. The kind that stripped the air of all oxygen.When I finally looked at him, his eyes were filled with pain and betrayal."Do you even want to reject him?"His question slammed into me, hitting a part of my soul I hadn’t even realized existed.Just the thought alone was too painful to entertain.The idea of forcing Jeremiah away, of severing whatever bond existed betwe
"I'm so sorry, Andrew. I didn't mean to," I whispered. My voice broke under the immense weight of my guilt.I could feel his body go rigid beneath me, his muscles turning to stone.Slowly, hesitantly, I lifted my gaze, my tear-streaked face tilting up toward his.His eyes were locked on mine. Searching for answers to the million questions filling his mind.He cupped my cheeks. Protective and possessive yet there was a slight warmth mixed in."What happened?" he asked again, his voice deep and controlled.Tears kept falling. I couldn't stop them now even if I wanted to."I… I… went f-for a… w-walk in the… f-forest," I stuttered, barely able to get the words out.Andrew just listened, waiting patiently."J-Jeremiah was t-there," I continued, and his entire body tensed.His hands twitched against my skin. His fingers gripped slightly tighter, almost like he was ready to crush something...or someone.His jaw clenched.His aura shifted."I swear, if he hurt you…" His voice was more of a gr
“I’ve got to go,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I stood up.I needed to get out of here. I needed space to breathe. Space to think.But before I could take a single step, Jeremiah’s hand wrapped around my wrist.The movement was swift and it threw me off balance.My feet stumbled causing me to fall right into his chest.My breath hitched as his arms instinctively wrapped around me, steadying me against his warmth. His scent wrapped around me like a cocoon, seeping into my skin. Tempting me even further. putting me in a haze.I tilted my head up, meeting his gaze.His eyes locked onto mine, swirling with something unspoken.Maybe Awe.Maybe Longing.Maybe Love.In a split second.His lips crashed into mine.It was not a hesitant kiss. It was not unsure.It was the kind of kiss that spoke of lifetimes.Of familiarity.Of .... I missed you.And for a moment, I let myself melt into it.I let myself drown in the way his lips molded to mine, how perfectly they fit together, lik
I stared at him, completely taken aback by his words.He thinks I’m his mate?A sharp jolt of shock shot through me, followed almost immediately by confusion.That wasn’t possible.Was it?I let out a small, breathless laugh, nudging his shoulder lightly. “Funny joke, Alpha Jeremiah.”But he didn’t laugh.His eyes didn’t waver, his lips didn’t curl into that usual cocky smirk.Instead, he looked dead serious.His deep brown eyes locked onto mine, burning with something I couldn’t quite place.Something… certain.“It’s not a joke, Alina,” he murmured, his voice low and smooth.And the way my name rolled off his tongue...Goddess help me.I swallowed, shaking my head. “I’m sure I would’ve felt it if you were.”Wouldn’t I?That’s how the mate bond worked.The pull. The connection. The raw, undeniable force that tied two souls together.But Jeremiah didn’t back down.Instead, his hand reached up, his fingers brushing against the strands of my hair, lifting them gently to expose my mark.H
“You scared the shit out of me, Jeremiah.”My heart was still hammering against my ribs, wild and erratic like an African drum.I sucked in a breath, trying to steady myself, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins refused to settle. My entire body was on high alert, still shaken from the attack that wasn’t really an attack at all.Jeremiah, on the other hand?Completely unfazed.The bastard had the audacity to look amused as he stood there in all his glory.And by all… I mean all.My gaze trailed over him before my brain could catch up.The moonlight kissed every inch of his perfectly sculpted body, highlighting the taut muscles of his chest, the sharp ridges of his abs, the strong lines of his arms.Everything about him was raw, untamed strength.Dangerous and far too tempting.Then my eyes dipped lower...Oh, shit.Heat exploded across my face as I ripped my gaze away, turning my back to him so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.Goddess help me.Jeremiah chuckled, a low, deep
The kingdom was safe.For the first time, there were no whispers of war, no threats lurking beyond the borders. No traitors plotting in secret.Eve was gone.Cast out, rejected by every pack, left to wander alone with no power and no allies. It was the cruelest fate a wolf could face, but even that felt like too light of a punishment for her.Jonathan had been given a choice. Swear his loyalty to the crown or be stripped of his title and turned rogue. He had practically begged to sign the contract, choosing survival over whatever false sense of duty he had to Henry.As for the rest of Henry’s allied packs?They had been let off with a warning. A very serious warning.Now, they tripped over themselves trying to prove their allegiance, going above and beyond in their duties, sending gifts, wealth, even warriors to fight in Andrew’s name. Desperate to erase their betrayal from our memory.The kingdom had won.Andrew had won.But I?I had lost something far more important.Every time I pa
The door shut behind us with a quiet click. The weight of the afternoon still clung to my skin. I just wanted to wash it all away. To feel clean again. To remove any traces of henry left on me.I stepped into the shower the warm spray of the water cascading down my back. Soothing the musscles before they even got the chance to ache. My body still felt the aftershocks of everything that had happened. The fight and the adrenaline.More so the anger that was beneath it all. But at least now I could breathe.Or so I thought.Because when I looked up, Andrew was standing there at the entrance of the shower. Leaning against the wall.His arms were crossed and his jaw tight. But this wasn’t his usual confident stance he liked so much. No... this was different.His eyes weren’t filled with that lust and hunger i loved so much. They weren’t watching me the way they usually did when we were alone.No, this was something else entirely.And i already had a feeling where this would go.“What hap