GALLAHAN’S POV With hands that were still trembling with barely contained anger, I fastened the last button of my waistcoat. Then I slipped my arms into the sleeves of my ceremonial robe, which was light blue around my shoulders and midnight blue around my forearms and legs. With tiny diamonds studded all over the darkest shade of blue, I fucking felt like I was halfway into becoming a replica of that gaudy-looking Prince Bubba of Agvanda. “Looking good!” Maliya, who was already donning a silky yellow robe over a long white dress, complimented me chirpily, trying to get me to lighten up. But I was so wound up wi
WILLA’S POVTHIS DAMN BASTARD.THIS. DAMN. FUCKING. JERK.The ancestral sash was a sacred item to old werewolf families like the Hancrofts, the Wicks, the Warricks, and the Alfieros. It was so sacred that no one could touch it but one’s family members and mate!And yet Gallahan had let the beautiful woman, who I just learned was actually the renowned Miss Zuleika Banfey, touch his ancestral sash!“Fuck,” I seethed.The sight I was forced to bear witness had ignited the need to rip the woman’s hand and smash Gallahan’s head, as fury roared loudly in my mind and in every fiber of my being.Did the bastard forget about such an old yet deeply ingrained custom? Or did his head go empty in the last six years?Or maybe Miss Banfey was simply his chosen mate.But the thought just angered me further.Why did he have to disrupt my peace? Why did he have to show me the man that he had become and the man that I had to lose? Why did he have to show me how easy it was for him to fill in the spot th
GALLAHAN’S POV The Ascension Rite had never been great for me. Sure, it was an important milestone for werewolves, but it always, always brought out all the buried, painful memories back to the surface. And yet, as I watched Calisto enter and walk down the carpet, not an image of the wretched night of my own Ascension Rite surged to the forefront of my mind. Instead, I was simply filled with pride. Then my breath hitched in my throat when my eyes found the same little girl from my painting. But this girl standing among the bunch of five-year-olds had her copper-red hair beautifully braided into a crown, with thin wisps curling at the sides of her charming young face. And I just knew, deep down in my gut, that yes! She was my little girl, and the parental blood link would prove it to me. “How beautiful,” I mumbled when her lips stretched into a small, shy smile. And just like that, the pride swelling in my chest doubled. Relief also awashed me as I thought of how lucky I was th
WILLA’S POVThe celebration feast that followed right after the Ascension Rite came in full swing. It didn’t take long for tables of food to arrive in the Glass Dome, while bottles, decanters, and barrels of drinks kept rolling in.The golden bowl of blessed water was emptied by older children, clinging to the myth that the more a pup under the age ten drank it, the stronger they would grow up to be.Of course, that was just a tale that hadn’t been proven true at all. That wasn’t to say I didn’t do the same when I was at their age, though.So really, the sight of it managed to pull a smile on my lips.Cheerful chatter buzzed from every inch of the dome, but I only stayed long enough to exchange pleasantries and small talks with several members of our large pack.After a while, I subtly slinked my way closer to the door, meandering through the sea of people and the lively hubbub.“Thank goodness,” I huffed once I was finally out of the dome after getting intercepted by a few familiar f
GALLAHAN’S POVDeath would’ve been better than hearing such a remark from my fated mate.I looked at her. First with disbelief. Then with resignation. And finally, with anger.The will to fight for her and our children was burned into ashes by the scalding words she said, and all I wanted right then and there was to hurt her back.Immature, sure.But I didn’t care.I had never, ever, ever thought I would willingly try to hurt the woman I would’ve loved to put on the highest pedestal. And yet here I was.Hurt and desperately wanting to hurt back.I dropped my hold on her and took a step back, ignoring the suffocating yearning to keep her close to me. I quickly put on the coldest mask I had in my arsenal and lifted the impenetrable iron walls around myself.“I see,” I said with a voice that was wrapped with piercing indifference. “Thank you for telling me exactly how you think and feel. So in return, let me assure you. The feeling has become mutual, Miss Alfiero. I wouldn’t want a child
WILLA’S POVLewis’ arrival was both a boon and a curse.A boon because it was the slap in the face that I needed to wake up from the spell of Gallahan’s addictive existence, scent, kiss and touch. A curse because Lewis, as much as I loved the man, was an oblivious human fool.“Come on,” I whispered impatiently, pulling him along with me.Unfortunately for me, he was a big man who wouldn’t budge with just a bit of tugging and pulling.“But Willa, there’s a bit of blood on your fingertips!” Lewis took my hand, lifted it close to his face, and inspected my fingers. “Are you hurt?”“No, I am not hurt,” I answered quickly, pulling my hand free from his grip. “But you will be, if you don’t come with me this instant.”Lewis frowned and crossed his arms. “What’s going on with you? I looked for you and our beautiful twins at the feast, but the three of you weren’t there.”I barely suppressed a frustrated groan. I badly wanted to zip Lewis’ mouth shut, because I just knew that he could set off
WILLA’S POVI was bubbling with excitement to see Calisto and Gillian as I entered the two-storey cottage I had called my home for the last six years. But a dark and heavy foreboding feeling quelled the excitement when I noticed the lack of bustle and life.I had expected to be welcomed by the happy chatter and twinkling laughter of my children.Instead, I was greeted by silence.Eerie silence.Dread rolled my stomach into a tight knot. Did Gallahan and his men somehow find my home and took my children away?But that was impossible. I had asked Sarina to re-establish the protective enchantments around the house and make them stronger. She was also looking after the twins, and she would’ve put up a fight until the cottage cave in before letting anyone lay a finger on Calisto and Gillian. “Er, Willa?” Lewis murmured as he followed me further into the house with cautious steps. “I think something is terribly wrong. You said the twins should be here.”I wanted to say something, but I cou
GALLAHAN’S POVI knew I was dampening the festive mood in the Glass Dome, but I didn’t give a flying fuck.I meandered my way through the mingling and celebrating crowd that huddled into smaller groups of friends, a menacing glower stuck on my face.I easily spotted Zuleika and Maliya, standing at the sideline near a deserted table, like they were a pair of wallflowers. Still, they stood out from the sheer absence of joviality that the others clearly had.“Gallahan, were you able to talk to Willa?” Zuleika asked as soon as I was within hearing range.She handed me a goblet of mead, her eyes looking at me questioningly.“Disaster,” I grumbled before chugging my drink empty.The sweet liquid slid down my throat smoothly as I silently half-wished it was a strong whiskey instead.“Oh… But did you see your children?”“No,” I answered tersely.Maliya sighed, picked up the decanter of the mead and refilled my goblet.“Don’t they have anything stronger than this?” I complained beneath my brea
GALLAHAN’S POVI knew I was dampening the festive mood in the Glass Dome, but I didn’t give a flying fuck.I meandered my way through the mingling and celebrating crowd that huddled into smaller groups of friends, a menacing glower stuck on my face.I easily spotted Zuleika and Maliya, standing at the sideline near a deserted table, like they were a pair of wallflowers. Still, they stood out from the sheer absence of joviality that the others clearly had.“Gallahan, were you able to talk to Willa?” Zuleika asked as soon as I was within hearing range.She handed me a goblet of mead, her eyes looking at me questioningly.“Disaster,” I grumbled before chugging my drink empty.The sweet liquid slid down my throat smoothly as I silently half-wished it was a strong whiskey instead.“Oh… But did you see your children?”“No,” I answered tersely.Maliya sighed, picked up the decanter of the mead and refilled my goblet.“Don’t they have anything stronger than this?” I complained beneath my brea
WILLA’S POVI was bubbling with excitement to see Calisto and Gillian as I entered the two-storey cottage I had called my home for the last six years. But a dark and heavy foreboding feeling quelled the excitement when I noticed the lack of bustle and life.I had expected to be welcomed by the happy chatter and twinkling laughter of my children.Instead, I was greeted by silence.Eerie silence.Dread rolled my stomach into a tight knot. Did Gallahan and his men somehow find my home and took my children away?But that was impossible. I had asked Sarina to re-establish the protective enchantments around the house and make them stronger. She was also looking after the twins, and she would’ve put up a fight until the cottage cave in before letting anyone lay a finger on Calisto and Gillian. “Er, Willa?” Lewis murmured as he followed me further into the house with cautious steps. “I think something is terribly wrong. You said the twins should be here.”I wanted to say something, but I cou
WILLA’S POVLewis’ arrival was both a boon and a curse.A boon because it was the slap in the face that I needed to wake up from the spell of Gallahan’s addictive existence, scent, kiss and touch. A curse because Lewis, as much as I loved the man, was an oblivious human fool.“Come on,” I whispered impatiently, pulling him along with me.Unfortunately for me, he was a big man who wouldn’t budge with just a bit of tugging and pulling.“But Willa, there’s a bit of blood on your fingertips!” Lewis took my hand, lifted it close to his face, and inspected my fingers. “Are you hurt?”“No, I am not hurt,” I answered quickly, pulling my hand free from his grip. “But you will be, if you don’t come with me this instant.”Lewis frowned and crossed his arms. “What’s going on with you? I looked for you and our beautiful twins at the feast, but the three of you weren’t there.”I barely suppressed a frustrated groan. I badly wanted to zip Lewis’ mouth shut, because I just knew that he could set off
GALLAHAN’S POVDeath would’ve been better than hearing such a remark from my fated mate.I looked at her. First with disbelief. Then with resignation. And finally, with anger.The will to fight for her and our children was burned into ashes by the scalding words she said, and all I wanted right then and there was to hurt her back.Immature, sure.But I didn’t care.I had never, ever, ever thought I would willingly try to hurt the woman I would’ve loved to put on the highest pedestal. And yet here I was.Hurt and desperately wanting to hurt back.I dropped my hold on her and took a step back, ignoring the suffocating yearning to keep her close to me. I quickly put on the coldest mask I had in my arsenal and lifted the impenetrable iron walls around myself.“I see,” I said with a voice that was wrapped with piercing indifference. “Thank you for telling me exactly how you think and feel. So in return, let me assure you. The feeling has become mutual, Miss Alfiero. I wouldn’t want a child
WILLA’S POVThe celebration feast that followed right after the Ascension Rite came in full swing. It didn’t take long for tables of food to arrive in the Glass Dome, while bottles, decanters, and barrels of drinks kept rolling in.The golden bowl of blessed water was emptied by older children, clinging to the myth that the more a pup under the age ten drank it, the stronger they would grow up to be.Of course, that was just a tale that hadn’t been proven true at all. That wasn’t to say I didn’t do the same when I was at their age, though.So really, the sight of it managed to pull a smile on my lips.Cheerful chatter buzzed from every inch of the dome, but I only stayed long enough to exchange pleasantries and small talks with several members of our large pack.After a while, I subtly slinked my way closer to the door, meandering through the sea of people and the lively hubbub.“Thank goodness,” I huffed once I was finally out of the dome after getting intercepted by a few familiar f
GALLAHAN’S POV The Ascension Rite had never been great for me. Sure, it was an important milestone for werewolves, but it always, always brought out all the buried, painful memories back to the surface. And yet, as I watched Calisto enter and walk down the carpet, not an image of the wretched night of my own Ascension Rite surged to the forefront of my mind. Instead, I was simply filled with pride. Then my breath hitched in my throat when my eyes found the same little girl from my painting. But this girl standing among the bunch of five-year-olds had her copper-red hair beautifully braided into a crown, with thin wisps curling at the sides of her charming young face. And I just knew, deep down in my gut, that yes! She was my little girl, and the parental blood link would prove it to me. “How beautiful,” I mumbled when her lips stretched into a small, shy smile. And just like that, the pride swelling in my chest doubled. Relief also awashed me as I thought of how lucky I was th
WILLA’S POVTHIS DAMN BASTARD.THIS. DAMN. FUCKING. JERK.The ancestral sash was a sacred item to old werewolf families like the Hancrofts, the Wicks, the Warricks, and the Alfieros. It was so sacred that no one could touch it but one’s family members and mate!And yet Gallahan had let the beautiful woman, who I just learned was actually the renowned Miss Zuleika Banfey, touch his ancestral sash!“Fuck,” I seethed.The sight I was forced to bear witness had ignited the need to rip the woman’s hand and smash Gallahan’s head, as fury roared loudly in my mind and in every fiber of my being.Did the bastard forget about such an old yet deeply ingrained custom? Or did his head go empty in the last six years?Or maybe Miss Banfey was simply his chosen mate.But the thought just angered me further.Why did he have to disrupt my peace? Why did he have to show me the man that he had become and the man that I had to lose? Why did he have to show me how easy it was for him to fill in the spot th
GALLAHAN’S POV With hands that were still trembling with barely contained anger, I fastened the last button of my waistcoat. Then I slipped my arms into the sleeves of my ceremonial robe, which was light blue around my shoulders and midnight blue around my forearms and legs. With tiny diamonds studded all over the darkest shade of blue, I fucking felt like I was halfway into becoming a replica of that gaudy-looking Prince Bubba of Agvanda. “Looking good!” Maliya, who was already donning a silky yellow robe over a long white dress, complimented me chirpily, trying to get me to lighten up. But I was so wound up wi
WILLA’S POV I could’ve melted into a heap on the floor just from the relief that flooded me as soon as my brother showed up. But I would rather shave my head than show any sign of vulnerability in front of Gallahan. “Nothing,” I fibbed, pulling Sarina away from Gallahan, who stood glaring at William. “Is the Ascension Rite about to start?” “In less than an hour,” William replied, willingly meeting Gallahan’s furious gaze with an impassive one. “I was sent here to inform our honorable guests. But then this is what I came to.” He walked up to Gallahan and squared up to him in an almost haughty manner. “Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Wick. Still, I honestly had half a hope that since we have welcomed you as a guest in our home in respect to you as the Alpha King’s son and in consideration to the longstanding ceasefire, you would’ve acted accordingly. But I suppose that is too much to ask from you.” Tension lined the contours of Gallahan’s body, betraying how he was just sec