SERAPHINERaiden winced beneath my touch, his muscular frame tensing as I pressed a damp cloth to the wound on his temple. Blood had matted the dark strands of his hair, streaking down his face in angry rivulets. He wouldn’t look at me, his gaze fixed on the far wall of the dimly lit room.“Hold still,” I murmured, my voice barely audible. He scoffed, though the sound came out weak. “Why bother? He’ll just do it again.”I froze, my hand hovering over the cloth. His words cut deeper than any blade ever could. He was right, of course. Maddox’s temper had always been unforgiving, but his rage against Raiden was particularly cruel—unrelenting. I resumed my task, dabbing gently at the cut. “You’ll heal faster if you let me do this.”Raiden didn’t respond, but his silence gave me space to think. And thinking, as always, led me back to the past I’d worked so hard to bury. Staring at him the memories came unbidden, pulling me into a time long gone, to a lake bathed in moonlight. My legs tr
Chapter 19: InvestigationsMADDOXThe heavy oak doors of the war room groaned as they shut behind me, sealing us inside. The air was thick with tension, the kind that clung to the walls and settled in the lungs. My lieutenants and generals sat around the long table, their faces cast in sharp shadows from the single chandelier that hung above us. “Report,” I barked, settling into my chair at the head of the table.General Torrent, ever the first to speak, rose with his chest puffed out. “The attack at the border was swift and efficient, Alpha. Minimal witnesses, precise kills. Whoever orchestrated this was no amateur.”“Don’t you think I know that already? Amateur or not,” I growled, “someone dared strike my borders. And they left bodies behind. That is a message. I want to know why they did it and what they came for.”Torren nodded, his expression grave. “We’ve recovered enough evidence to begin piecing together what happened, Alpha.” He gestured to the two forensic experts standing
REEDI leaned against the doorway to Liana’s room, watching her sitting on the edge of the bed we’d hastily thrown together. The faint scent of lavender filled the air from the fresh sheets Malcolm had brought in earlier. She didn’t notice me standing there, too lost in her own world, her fingers tugging at the edge of the oversized shirt she wore—the same one Callum had tossed to her after she’d arrived, broken and bruised. Callum’s scent clung to it—woodsy, with a faint hint of cedar. It was strangely comforting, though it didn’t drown out the whirlwind in her mind. Her mind was elsewhere, her gaze distant. I knocked lightly on the frame. “Are you doing okay in there?”She startled, her wide, stormy eyes meeting mine. For a second, I thought I saw tears glistening, but she blinked them away quickly. “Yeah,” she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. “Just thinking.”“I know it’s been a lot on you for this past couple of days,” I began, my voice cracking from my own thoughts.
SERAPHINEThe silence in the room was broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire in the hearth. I sat at the edge of Raiden’s bed, dabbing the healing salve onto the bruises scattered across his back. The cuts weren’t deep, but they bore the unmistakable mark of Maddox’s rage. His father’s heavy hand had done more damage to Raiden’s spirit than his body.For a long while, neither of us spoke. I let the quiet stretch, sensing that he needed time to gather his thoughts. The boy I had raised, nurtured, and protected was no longer a child, yet he still carried the weight of expectations far beyond his years.Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low, almost hesitant. “I met my mate.”The words hung in the air, their weight pressing down on us both. My hand froze mid-motion, the cloth in my grip hovering above his shoulder. “Your mate?” I echoed softly, searching his face for answers.He nodded, his expression guarded. “At the border. Before the attack.”The revelation caught me
MADDOXThe scent of damp earth and aged whiskey lingered in the hidden basement, a room concealed beneath layers of stone and secrecy. The dim, flickering light of a single bulb cast jagged shadows across the walls, dancing like restless phantoms. This was my sanctuary, my hell, and my throne. It was here that I could drown in the twisted symphony of my memories without the weight of eyes judging my every move.I poured another glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling in the crystal tumbler like liquid fire. It burned my throat on the way down, but the pain was a welcome distraction from the storm brewing inside me. The attack on the border, Raiden’s incompetence, and now this gnawing feeling—an itch at the back of my mind that refused to let me rest.Were they alive? Could the Bennett brats have survived that night? I clenched my jaw and tightened my grip on the glass, the image of their burning home flashing before my eyes. I had ensured that every corner of that wretched estate
LIANAThe warmth of laughter filled the massive living room, the kind of sound that wrapped around you like a favorite blanket on a cold night. I sat on the far end of the plush sectional, curled up with a cushion in my lap, watching the scene unfold before me. Malcolm, ever the center of attention, was dramatically recounting some story from their childhood, complete with exaggerated gestures and sound effects.“...and then Callum—oh, this is the best part—Callum tripped over his own feet while trying to look cool in front of Sadie White!” Malcolm’s voice boomed, sending the others into another round of roaring laughter. Callum, seated near the fireplace, rolled his eyes and muttered, “You’re such an idiot, Malcolm. That wasn’t even how it happened.”“Oh really?” Asher shot at him, a devilish grin spreading across his face. “How about we call Sadie and confirm?”Reed chuckled from his spot, sprawled out with one leg propped up on the coffee table. “I remember it exactly the way Malc
REED The dawn was barely breaking when I stepped out of the house. The chill in the air clawed at my skin, but I didn’t care. I needed this—needed the pounding rhythm of my feet hitting the dirt, the burning in my muscles, the steady beat of my breath to drown out the chaos in my head. Running had always been my escape, my way of finding clarity.But today, there was no clarity.I couldn’t stop replaying last night in my mind. The moment I’d walked into her room. The way her bare skin gleamed in the dim light, soft and golden like she’d been sculpted by the gods themselves. I had only been in there for seconds, but it felt like time had stretched to infinity, trapping me in a memory I couldn’t shake off. I clenched my jaw and picked up my pace, hoping to outrun the thoughts clawing at me.“It wasn’t the first time you’ve seen a naked woman,” I muttered under my breath.But it was the first time one had made me react like that.My wolf growled low in my head, a deep, primal sound tha
REED“We might have a new problem,” I said, stepping into the living room where Malcolm and Asher now lounged like they hadn’t a care in the world.Malcolm barely glanced up from the knife he was sharpening, the metallic scrape of the blade against the whetstone filling the room. Asher, on the other hand, perked up immediately, a sly grin tugging at his lips.“Oh, we definitely do,” Asher said, leaning back against the couch and folding his arms behind his head. “And it’s sitting right in front of us.”I frowned. “What are you talking about?”Malcolm let out a low chuckle, finally looking up. “You and Liana,” he said with a smirk. “That little scene on the stairs? Smooth, Reed. Real smooth.”Heat surged to my face, and I clenched my fists at my sides. “This isn’t about Liana.”“Sure it’s not,” Asher teased, his grin widening. “You almost kissed her, didn’t you? And then—what was it again? Oh, yeah, you dropped her. Honestly, I think she took it better than I would’ve.”“Drop it,” I gr
FOUR MONTHS LATERThe morning sun streamed through the sheer white curtains, casting a golden glow over the grand dining hall. The long wooden table was set with an elaborate spread—pancakes drizzled with honey, fresh berries, and a steaming pot of coffee. The scent of roasted bacon and buttered toast wafted through the air, making my stomach grumble in anticipation. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my swollen belly as I listened to the chatter around me. It had been four months since everything changed—four months since I had finally found my place, my home, my family. Reed sat to my right, his hand lazily tracing circles on my wrist as he spoke with Callum and Asher. My husband. The words still felt surreal, as if saying them would wake me from a dream. The mate bond between us had only grown stronger since our wedding, the kind of connection I once thought I would never have. “Callum can you please hand her another plate, it’s been five minutes since she asked for it,” Reed bl
ELIANA’S POVThe first thing I felt was warmth.Not the suffocating heat of fear or the numbing cold of rejection—just a steady, comforting warmth. It wrapped around my hand, grounding me before my mind could even piece together where I was.Slowly, I forced my eyes open.Blurry. Unfocused. The light overhead was too bright, making me wince. I blinked rapidly, willing my vision to adjust.Where am I? The ceiling above me was a bit familiar. The room smelled different, too—clean, with a faint hint of something I couldn’t quite place. Not the musky, indifferent scent of the packhouse I had come to despise. Then where…?And then it hit me. The pain. The sharp, unbearable pain that had gripped my body before I collapsed. My breath hitched as the memories flooded back—the searing agony, my vision darkening at the edges, the sound of my name being called in panic. Reed. Asher. My hand shot to my stomach. Still round. Still full. A shuddering breath escaped me. My baby. My baby was s
MALCOLM’S POVThe air in the room was suffocating.Not because of the space—we had more than enough of that in this damn house—but because of the weight of everything pressing down on us. The truth. The guilt. The realization that we had shattered something that could never fully be put back together.Callum and I talked on the way back home, but nothing could’ve prepared us for what we were walking into. Eliana was upstairs, unconscious. Reed had carried her in like she was the most precious thing in the world, like losing her would rip his soul apart. And it would.Because of us.Because we had believed what we wanted to believe. Because we had ignored the truth. Because we had taken the pieces of a story that suited our anger and ran with it—dragging Reed down with us. And now? Now, all we could do was sit in this damn living room, suffocating in our own regret while Asher paced like a man on the verge of shattering. His hands ran through his hair, gripping at the strands. His
REED’S POVI didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t wait for permission. The moment I saw her—Eliana, crumpled in the doorway, her body trembling, her skin pale and damp with sweat—everything else ceased to exist.I was at her side before my mind could even catch up, scooping her into my arms. She was so light. Too light.Her breath was uneven, shallow, her body barely responding.“Asher,” I barked, my voice tight with urgency. “We’re taking her out here.”He was already ahead of me, moving fast, clearing the way as I carried her through the castle halls. I didn’t care about the whispers, the wide eyes of pack members watching us go. I didn’t give a damn about their judgment or their curiosity. They had failed her. They had stood by while she was beaten, humiliated, starved. And now, she was barely clinging to life because of them. I would not fail her too. We reached the car, and I slid into the backseat with her cradled against me. Her head lolled against my chest, her face
ELIANA’S POVPain.It started as a dull ache, twisting deep in my stomach. I barely noticed it at first. My body had endured so much these past months—hunger, exhaustion, bruises, the sharp sting of words meant to break me. What was one more pain added to the pile?I thought maybe it was the weight of my dress, the heavy fabric pressing against my skin. That had to be it.I forced myself to stand, my fingers trembling as I reached for the laces of the gown. Each breath I took felt shallow, strained, but I ignored it. I just needed to change. Get comfortable. Then the pain would go away. I peeled off the dress, my breath catching as the cool air kissed my overheated skin. My body ached everywhere, my muscles screaming in protest. Slowly, I slipped into a loose gown, something softer, something that didn’t suffocate me. But the pain didn’t stop. I pressed a hand to my stomach. My heart pounded against my ribs. This was different. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, knocking the
REED’S POVI didn’t know what to do.My body felt too heavy, my mind too loud. I wanted to scream, to rip at my skin until I felt something other than this suffocating regret. But nothing would change. No matter how much I hurt, no matter how much I wanted to turn back time, I couldn’t undo what I’d done.She hated me.I’d called her a whore.I’d let my rage speak louder than reason, and now I had lost her in a way that I wasn’t sure I could ever fix. Eliana had always been strong, but the woman I had just seen—this new version of her—she was unshakable. And I had pushed her there. I had driven her to the point where she didn’t just refuse to listen to me; she didn’t even care to. I pressed my hands against my face, dragging them down slowly. My chest burned, and the weight in my throat grew unbearable. I tried to swallow it down, but it rose like bile, hot and acidic. I sucked in a sharp breath, but it didn’t help. Then, before I could stop it, my vision blurred. A warm line of w
ELIANA’S POVThe dress felt heavier than it should have.Silk, soft against my skin, clean, free of blood—yet I still felt stained.I adjusted the cuffs of my sleeves as I walked down the corridor leading to the Grand Hall, my heels clicking against the polished floor. The path felt longer than usual, the air thick with tension, but I kept my head high. There would be no sign of weakness tonight.The investors were waiting. So was Ronan. My godforsaken Beta.The doors to the Grand Hall were already open when I arrived. The room was grand, high ceilings adorned with golden chandeliers, the long table in the center lined with crisp documents, and men and women dressed in sharp suits. Humans. Our potential business partners. My people were gathered too. The elders, the council, warriors standing at the edges like silent shadows. Asher was seated at one end, his expression unreadable. Raiden was on the opposite side, his arms crossed, eyes trained on me the second I entered. And then
ASHER’S POVI was losing my mind.Hours had passed since she walked out, and no one knew where the hell she was.I should have stopped her. I should have gone after her the second she stepped out with that bloodied gown clinging to her like a second skin. But I hadn’t. I’d been too stunned, too fucking caught up in my own emotions to move. Now, she was out there—alone, hurt, and wearing the same damn nightgown she almost died in. My hands curled into fists as I stormed across the main hall. Every available pack member was searching for her. Even Ronan, despite his silence, was out there looking. The elders were restless. Not because they cared about her, but because of the investors meeting. “Find her, now,” one of them growled at the warriors. “We cannot afford to miss this deal over one reckless woman.” I clenched my jaw. She wasn’t just a woman. She was their Alpha. My wife. Or at least, she had been. And they still spoke about her like she was nothing. I exhaled sharply, s
CALLUM POV The sheets were soft. The woman beneath me, softer. She moaned against my mouth, her fingers tangled in my hair as her bare thighs tightened around my waist. I smirked, trailing kisses down the curve of her throat, my hands gliding over smooth, warm skin. “You’re insatiable,” she purred, her nails dragging lightly over my shoulders. I chuckled. “And you love it.” She didn’t argue. My lips traced down her collarbone, my fingers dipping lower when— Knock. Knock. Knock. I froze. The woman beneath me let out an irritated groan. “Ignore it.” I wanted to. Fuck, I really wanted to. But whoever was at the door was persistent. Knock. Knock. Knock.I clenched my jaw, pressing my forehead against hers with an exhausted sigh.“This better be good,” I muttered. Then, raising my voice, I barked, “Who the fuck is that?” There was a pause before a familiar voice answered. “It’s me, sir.” I sighed again. Benson. My butler. The man had impeccable timing. “What do you want?”