REESEI blinked, trying to make sense of what I had just done. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt a wave of horror wash over me. I had marked Valeria. My heart pounded against my ribs, a frantic, wild rhythm. I stared at Valeria, my mind a whirl of horror and disbelief. How could I have been so careless?"Valeria, I—" I stammered, my voice breaking. The words got caught in my throat, a choking knot of regret. The gravity of the situation had somewhat paralyzed me.The mark on her neck glowed a deep, possessive red, a cruel reminder of my impulsive actions. Fuck! I hadn’t planned to mark her. But deep down, I had always harboured a secret longing to mark her, to make her mine in every way possible. It wasn’t planned—at least not like this—but now that it was done, a twisted part of me felt a glimmer of satisfaction. She was marked. She would forever be mine and no one else’s. That thought brought a sliver of possessive joy threading through the chaos in my mi
VALERIAThe twins' questions hit me like a sack of bricks.My breath caught in my throat as a flush of embarrassment crept up my cheeks. How could I possibly explain to them that their father had accidentally marked me during a moment of raw, unbridled passion? They were too young to understand the complexities of mate bonding and marking, let alone the turbulent history Reese and I shared.I forced a tight-lipped smile, hoping it might mask the rising panic within me.Just relax, Valeria. Keep it cool.Reese stood by the counter, silently preparing smoothies, his movements slow and deliberate. I caught his gaze and held it, pleading silently for him to go along with whatever lie I could concoct on the spot. He offered a small nod, almost imperceptible as if to say he trusted me to handle this.Clearing my throat, I managed to string together a flimsy story. “Oh, that,” I began, trying to keep my voice light and casual. “It was just an accident. I tripped in the dark and bashed my nec
REESEI couldn’t sleep a wink. No matter how much I tossed and turned, I couldn’t escape the thoughts of Valeria that clawed at my mind. Her face, her scent, the way her eyes could cut me down to nothing—it was all I could think about.She had walked past me in the hallway as if I were invisible; her eyes fixed forward like I wasn’t even there. I had waited there on purpose, hoping she’d notice me, hoping we could talk, but she didn’t even spare me a glance. My chest tightened with the sting of rejection—a hurt so deep it felt like it was burrowing into my bones.“Valeria—” I tried to call out to get her to look at me, but she cut me off with a curt as she muttered, “Goodnight,” brushing past me, her arm barely grazing mine, and I felt a spark of warmth in that brief contact.She slammed the bedroom door shut without a second thought. The sound of her door shutting echoed in the hallway.I just stood there like an idiot, staring at that closed door, my hand itching to knock, but I hes
VALERIAI stirred awake; the scent of antiseptic and the harsh white glare of fluorescent lights making me squint greeted me back to reality.Where was I?A sterile hospital room surrounded me, and there, hovering over me like some dark cloud, were Reese and a doctor, both wearing expressions that were far too grave for comfort. My chest tightened with an immediate sense of foreboding.My heart lurched. “What happened to me?” My voice came out hoarse, more fragile than I intended.The last thing I remembered was dragging myself out of bed, drenched in sweat, with a fever so high I could barely see straight. I was just going downstairs to grab some medicine and then—nothing. It was just a blank.But the fever has vanished now, and my breathing has returned to normal.I could feel the IV in my arm, the sting of bandages that covered fresh needle marks. They had drawn blood apparently to carry out some tests. But for what? What on earth had happened to me?I glanced between Reese and the
REESEI should have known peace was too much to ask for. Just when I thought my beta, my second in command, would keep my kids safe and secure, terror struck again. It felt like a cruel joke, a reminder that there was no such thing as safe, not in our world.I was the Alpha after all... Many enemies would want to cause my loved ones harm. But this was getting out of hand.My jaw clenched as I took in the sight before me—the motionless body of Beta Martin sprawled out in front of the entrance to my house. He was a seasoned warrior, always ready for combat, always vigilant. How could this have happened? Who could have taken him down so effortlessly? The possibilities raced through my mind; none of them were good.Martin!Panic gripped me, sending a cold rush through my veins as I dropped to my knees beside him, frantically checking for a pulse, for any sign of life. My breath hitched, and then I felt it—a faint, steady beat.Instantly, relief crashed over me like a wave. At least he was
VALERIA"We... um... attacked him, kinda.”My son’s words hit me like a hammer, leaving me standing there with my mouth agape like a fish on a hook.I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Two scrawny kids—my kids—up against a beta? A damn beta?! A seasoned warrior at that?!My eyes darted from Derek to Dave, then back again, searching for some sign that this was a joke, some childish misunderstanding. But their wide, innocent eyes only reflected confusion and a sliver of guilt. How was this even possible?“How is that even possible?” I blurted out the words mirroring my thoughts before I could stop myself, my voice higher than I had intended.It wasn't just the disbelief; it was the sheer absurdity of it all. How had my two little boys managed to attack someone who could squash them with a flick of his finger? I could see the same question mirrored in Reese's eyes. Nothing made sense.Dave and Derek exchanged another one of their silent conversations, the kind only twins could have—a
VALERIA My heart skipped a beat. The fever. It was still there, lingering beneath the surface, like a beast waiting to strike. I could feel it simmering just beneath their skin, a reminder of the strange power they had wielded. *** Reese and I finally had a moment to ourselves after the kids fell asleep. We sat on the balcony overlooking the wide expanse of the beautiful garden, and the moon glowed weakly in the night sky, casting a silver light on the swimming pool beneath. The events of the last twenty four hours kept replaying in my mind. First, I fainted from some strange fever and ended up in the hospital. Then, I was told I was the last standing healer, and now this? The kids attacking a Beta in self-defense? It was too much to take in all at once. The house was quiet—eerily quiet, even. The kind of quiet that should have been comforting but instead felt heavy and oppressive. I sucked in several deep breaths and turned to Reese, my eyes wide with confusion and fear. "Abou
VALERIAThe witch.The thought of seeing the witch again sent a cold shiver crawling down my spine. It wasn't like I had a choice. The more I thought about it, the more I knew it was for the best. The power crackling inside me was strange and wild, like a beast I had yet to tame. And if there was anyone who might have a clue about how to harness it, it would be the witch. She was our only hope now.The kids needed saving, and whatever fear and uncertainty were brewing inside me didn’t matter.Forcing a lump down my throat, I blurted out. "Let's go right now!"We made our way quickly to the witch's abode, a remote place that looked like it hadn’t seen life in a hundred years.I couldn’t shake the anxious thoughts assailing me as we drove. My eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror, checking on the kids, making sure they were still breathing. It felt like I hadn’t breathed since we’d left home. With every passing minute, every bump on the dirt road, a new wave of dread washed over me.