Dorian's POVYou are going to be a father, Dorian. I was going to be a father?Ashly's words resounded in my head and I accepted the fact that she had lost her marbles. All of them."Have you gone mad?" How exactly did my not touching her equal to a pregnancy? "How can you be pregnant if I have never touched you?"She adjusted her robe like we were having an absolutely normal conversation. "But no one knows that. Besides, it's like you said. If no one knows that our marriage is a sham then all my children are automatically yours.""What?"Never would I have thought my words would be used against me to this extent. Ashly was devious and I wondered at how I could have been so deceived as to have marked and mated with her regardless of the whiteshades.She smiled wide. "Did I stutter? You thought you could get rid of me so easily, didn't you? Well, that won't be possible."Ashly had completely blindsided me. There was nothing I could do to counteract this. The married couple madly in
Kiara's POV"What did you want to talk to me about? If it's about the date, I understand you are busy and I am not upset."I was seated at the dining table with Katlsn and heaven knew where Damien and Keturah had wandered off to. It was probably for the best that they weren't around when I did this.I met Kaylan's beautiful blue eyes. "You should be." He had every right to be upset at me. I think I would have preferred it if he was instead of being so understanding. "This isn't just about the date. It's about everything."Kaylan seemed to understand this was no routine conversation."Kiara.""Please let me speak while I still have the courage to do so."I inhaled deeply. I could do this. It would be quick like ripping off a band-aid. "You are a good guy. The best. I haven't been completely honest with you. Mostly because I am still very confused myself."I met his gaze. It was the least I could do while saying something so hurtful but it needed to be said."I like you…as a person. B
Damien's POV"It's not a game to me, Kiara."And I meant it. I wanted her to admit her feelings for me and to stop being in denial. She was only driving both of us insane with her inability to pick a side. I thought that I had finally gotten to her. I should have known better. Kiara looked at me with wide eyes and Kaylan looked between us as though he could finally see the relationship we shared. It had taken him long enough. Although that wouldn't stop my wrath. He touched her. He had known she was off-limits after seeing my anger at their first kiss but he had still done it again. This time there would be no mercy. I walked towards them with my hands in fists as my wolf struggled with me for supremacy. He wanted to claim what was his and rip apart those who thought to touch her. Kiara stepped forward to meet me only she faltered, her hand drifting to her belly as she doubled over. "Kiara?" Kaylan was at her side instantly, his hand going around her waist sending waves of jeal
Kiara's POVI couldn't feel half of my body when I woke up. I groaned groggily, moaning as I turned. The bed felt soft and massive as though it was actively trying to consume me with each movement I made and it smelt like Damien. It was that thought that jolted me fully awake. I sat up in bed-Damien's bed. I was wearing a nightwear that wasn't mine without any underwear. I looked around his room, certain I was still dreaming because how had I gotten here and more importantly, what had I done here?I recalled my conversation with Kaylan. Then nothing. Not exactly nothing. I remembered the feel of Damien's hands on my body. I remembered the feel of his hardened length against my core, I remembered the taste of his skin on my lips… Goddess, did we have sex? If we did, why couldn't I fully recollect what had happened? "You are up."I jumped at Damien's voice as he stepped out of the shower, his hair dripping water down his broad shoulders to his smooth well-muscled chest down to hi
Damien's POVI saw the surprise in Keturah's eyes. It had been the last thing she had been expecting. "Damien? Damien, what are you saying?"I stood up from my chair putting some distance between us. "I think this was long overdue. We no longer want the same things."I wanted Kiara. I wanted my mate at my side. And I was ready to put in the effort to keep her by all means necessary. That was why my time with Keturah had to end. Keturah was next to me in an instant, her hand reaching out to touch me. "If this is about the labels, we can continue snd–"I moved to avoid her touch before meeting her eyes so she could see I was serious. I meant what I was saying. "It isn't. I wanted to tell you before you started talking about Kiara."Keyurah's face went almost frighteningly blank, her hand falling to her side. "It's because of her, isn't it?"It kind of was but at the same time, it wasn't. What we had couldn't have lasted forever regardless of Kiara entering our lives. "Keturah."
Kiara's POVDid he just say what I thought he did? I couldn't believe my ears. "What? I should come to your room?"Damien looked at me with an almost bored expression across his face as he spoke. "You don't need to get too excited about it."I fought the urge to throw something at him from across the table. How was it that he was the one throwing inappropriate advances but he was making it seem like I was dying to be with him or something?"Excited? You seem to have gotten the wrong idea. I am mortified. How can you just proposition me like that?"He had the effrontery to sip on his juice like what I was saying didn't remotely concern him."I am not propositioning you."Really? I wasn't deaf. I had heard him loud and clear and now he was trying to gaslight me."You are. You literally just asked me to come up to your room. You can't treat me like a slave and expect me to come up to your room because you are horny and–"He didn't let me finish before he interrupted."Kiara–""Let me f
Kiara's POVWhen there was a knock on my door so early, she was the last person I would have even expected. "Keturah?"She smiled at me tightly and I wasn't sure how I felt about her presence. After that fruitless argument for Damien again and touching myself, it had become even more considerably out of sorts. I made sure to accept every and all the corrections Damien asked me to make to the treaty and I was already rounding up drawing up the treaty with Damien's input. Sometimes it felt like he was watching me but it was possible that it was all in my head because Damien hadn't shown even a flicker of disturbance at having me so close by. He made me doubt all that Keturah had said. And while the temperature of his office kept going up, we had not had any intimate moments. That in itself almost felt strangely intimate. And I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had seen me touching myself. Knowing Damien, I had no delusions about what he would have done. He
Kiara's POVMaybe I shouldn't have asked. Maybe I should have just sat quietly and ignored the voice in my head that wanted answers. It would have been smarter.But what Keturah said had pushed me. The way she had said it. And of course, the 'secret' itself had compelled me. I could still hear the liquid fluidity of her voice that was heavy with implicit meanings."You want to hear a secret? Damien and I were expecting once. I was going to bear his heir and be his. Then we were betrayed and I lost the child. You are probably thinking how this is any of your business but consider something."I wasn't thinking it was none of my business. I was thinking how it was possible that both of them shared such a bond and I had been unable to tell. I thought what was between them didn't get any deeper than casual sex. But keeping a child. At least until it was terminated or whatever betrayal meant, was a different ball game entirely. I suddenly felt guilty for all the moments I had shared wit
Kiara's POVYEARS LATER"You need to let me up." I told my mate that was looking way too comfortable pinning me down. With the training I had now and my Lycan strength, I could easily flip him and keep him that way but he didn't seem bothered. In fact, he seemed amused. "Do I?"I wriggled beneath him but his legs were stable beside me and I feared that he was enjoying this position too much to remember we had an event to get to. An important one. "We need to get going. We can't be late."Damien ignored me of course as he pushed his fingers up my dressing robe leaving me sucking in a harsh breath.Sensing my reluctance to stop things before they got too far, he spread my legs wide exposing me to him. Fuck. How was this so hot? Any thought that I had of going anywhere evaporated as my thoughts condensed to Damien and his unbelievably erotic touch. He pressed his fingers against my slick arousal making me to shiver. I was so turned.I could hear the smirk in his voice as he respo
Kiara's POVI hoped that I was just freaking out prematurely.I hoped that whatever he had to say wouldn't be something that could break us. Hule seemed almost as hesitant to speak as I was to hear what had to say. "I am used to being the smartest, strongest and most important person in the room. I forgot that I am not presiding over a set of people but in a relationship where I can't just make decisions for you."Oh Goddess, was I hearing wrong or was Damien actually apologising? Today was trully full of unending surprises. "Damien."He held my hands in his much larger ones and traced distracting circles across my skin with his thumb."I'm sorry. I shouldn't have agreed to change you without your permission. I'm sorry about that, sorry for hurting you, sorry for waiting this long to come for you.My heart was a gooey mess at this point and I didn't know what he said as tears of happiness traced down my face as he kissed the back of my hands. But he wasn't nearly done turning my h
Kiara's POVThe moment that she pulled me to herself and I met Damien's eyes, I knew that I wasn't going to be the reason she got away this time. That I wasnt going to get kidnapped this time and force Damien to make an impossible agreement to get me out of a situation that I put myself in. I moved and the knife sunk into me like my skin was butter and a scream escaped me as I went down. The pain was complete and it held me trussed up tight until I couldn't tell where was up and where was down. I clutched my belly putting pressure on the wound but the knife had gotten too deep and all I could do was feel my blood seep through staining my hand. Dorian was at my side in seconds while I watched Damien go after Ashly with a heavy heart. I would have preferred him next to me but with my blood pouring out of me and the she pain cutting through me, I could gave cared less who was saving me. Dorian lifted me as delicate as he could but it still sent pain tearing through me and as he sa
Damien's POVI was angry but then these days, I was angry all the time. I was angry at the fact that a werewolf that I should have had killed had me by the balls literally and that it had been one of my people that had spearheaded this. It was so fucking annoying that it pissed me off.My anger had almost blinded in me in those early days that I was grateful for Dorian being around. Despite him being the pain in the ass that I had considered him to be, he had a surprising amount of insights to give as regards how to properly manage my affairs. That first day, I had wanted nothing more than to go charging in to rescue Kiara but Dorian stayed my hand. He warned me that no matter how much stronger lycans were compared to wolves, one thing remained the same, a man couldn't go off to fight his enemies when his own home was in disarray. I was glad I took his advice because shortly after, some Lycan communities began wearing with each other when the information that Keturah had been be
Kiara's POVThe more time that passed the least likely it seemed that this was all an elaborate hoax by Damien to get Ashly distracted. I noticed the buzz in the pack and I had no idea the lie Ashly had spun to make the pack members okay with the fact that she was cheating on their Alpha but it must have been a really good one because they seemed completely fine with it. It wasn't until I overheard two of the guards' conversation about how brave she was for agreeing to get mated to Damien to make up for their Alpha that had absconded from a death duel. So that was how she had spun it. Despite the fact that it was because if her that he had been unable to get to the fuel, she was using it to her advantage. Days were counting down to Ashly's mating with Damien but it was as though I was in some cocoon that was outside of time. I was losing my mind. There was no actual news that could interest me apart from knowing the truth if what was going on. I didn't know what day it was only
Kiara's POVI was more than surprised when Kiara summoned me to her office. Surprised and disturbed. The last time I had seen her was three days ago when she killed Keturah and hunted me down as I ran away. I had no doubts that whatever this meeting was for, it wasn't for anything good. The guard escorting me stayed outside while I entered the office and Ashly looked surprisingly calmer than the last time I had seen her. I didn't know if it was just in my head though. She looked at me from head to toe and looked satisfied with what she saw. "How do you feel now?"How did I feel about my injury that had just finished reading on it's own without any attention from the healer which could have led to silver poisoning?Wonderful. I was feeling absolutely wonderful. But I didn't say that of course. I wasn't half as strong as Keturah had been and I rather liked my head where it was. Ashly's friendly tone died a quick death. "I understand that you are nervous. You should be," Her ruth
Kiara's POVShaun was dead and I didn't know a thing I could have done to prevent it. Keturah had come for me and I was ashamed to admit that I had been scared. Scared after she smiled at me maliciously and had me held down while she took my blood and a section of my hair was noticeably smaller than the rest if it. She wanted to use me to bait Damien but I.saw that she had gotten way too much satisfaction from what she did.She would hurt me just for the fun of it. She wanted to hurt me just for the fun of it if I would but give her the excuse. Hearing her approaching footsteps along side a shuffling one awoke fear inside me and told me that it was possible she was back for more.She unlocked the door gesturing for me to come out of the cell with that same mocking smile that said she was just waiting for me to resist her so that she would break me. I stepped out unwilling to give her that chance only for me to see Shaun barely on his feet as he bled from what had to be at least a
Keturah's POVI was suspicious. Before recruiting Ashly, I knew of her predilection to be a traitor and it didn't bother me not when I planned to use her and dispose of her as soon as possible. But now that she had gone out of her way to help me when I was.certain she was like me only counting the hours until our alliance fell apart. Leaving the dungeons after acquiring the blood and lock of hair that had somehow quelled my blog odlust with regards to Kiara, I had gotten a whiff of Ashly. I had felt doubly suspicious. I was certain that she would go into the dungeons to sabotage me in some way so I left and doubled back after dropping off my possessions. That was when I overheard her telling that wolf that always hung around Dorian to warn Damien.. Smart. So that was what she planned. Selling me out to Damien to keep her hide. It was a good idea. If I had not gotten to overhear this it might have even worked. But now…I heard the wolf speak again, his voice intense with a quie
Ashly's POVMy chest hurt. Maybe it was because Shaun had betrayed me. It maybe it was because I knew I was deserving of such a betrayal since I had betrayed him first. The guards hauled him away and I turned to leave only for Kiara's sharp judgemental voice to pull me to a stop. "What are you doing, Ashly?"What did she think I was doing? Playing? Kiara always asked the wrong and dumbest questions.I continued walking and she raised her voice so high that the guards escorting Shaun away would no doubt catch a hint of her hefty words on the air. "You care about him yet you would do this?"Do what? I found to face her as she finally hit me where it hurt. Where I had already been sensitive about to begin with. She was no one to judge me. She had grown up surrounded by the best of everything. She got chosen to be the most of Dorian out of all the other eligible she wolves because of the incidence of her birth. The only unlucky stint she had was when Dorian had rejected her and once