CALLUMThe moment I saw the SUV roll up the driveway, I knew it wasn’t trouble. The engine hummed in that familiar way, a low, even pure that practically whispered Malcolm. Still, I followed Reed and Asher down the hall with purpose—just in case. Reed was the first to reach the door, as always. The “responsible” brother. He peeked through the side window, his shoulders visibly relaxing when he caught sight of the man climbing out of the vehicle. It wasn’t the first time Reed had gone all “big brother mode,” peeking out the window like some overprotective watchdog, I had found that act of his irritating. But this time, I wasn’t annoyed at him. No, I was irritated because Malcolm’s SUV pulling up to the house meant one thing: a complication in the mission we sent him out for. Malcolm was reliable. I’d give him that. The man had been with us longer than all of us had been alive, helping our father before his death and, somehow, sticking around after. He was loyal to a fault, wise beyon
RAIDENThe warmth of her skin was intoxicating, a distraction I welcomed. Her lips trailed down my neck as I let my head tilt back, savoring the fleeting moments of bliss. Lydia—one of the maids—was eager, pliant, and desperate to please, just how I liked them.“Get down there, Lydia,” I whispered in between gritted teeth, my hands working extra time to get the belt of my pants off. “Let me handle that, Alpha,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, her hands grabbing the head of the belt and within minutes my pants were off.I closed my eyes as she took my cock in her wet suckling mouth, her tongue wiggling on the tip of my cock. This was amazing—the feeling of being sexually pleased was amazed. As if she read my mind, Lydia went full on my cock taking everything inside her mouth. The sound of her mouth on my cock sent jolts of adrenaline through my brain. “Am I doing it right, Alpha Raiden?” she whispered breathlessly, her hands on my cock as she gave me a handjob. “Stop
RAIDENThe cold evening air clung to my skin as I made my way back to the castle. The trail of footprints leading to tire tracks at the border played over in my mind, along with the shredded guards left in their wake. The scene had been gruesome, a testament to an attack far more calculated than any rogue ambush. Still, I’d ordered the cleanup and reinforced the border, ensuring the guards’ deaths wouldn’t cause a stir. I didn’t need my father seeing this as another failure. The scent of power and judgment lingered in the halls even before I reached the castle gates, a reminder of the man who awaited me. Maddox Gray. The guards opened the heavy oak doors without a word, their eyes fixed on the ground. They must have sensed the storm brewing. I stepped into the grand hall, its polished marble floors gleaming under flickering chandeliers, but the air felt heavy. Too quiet. Too still. And then I saw him. My father stood at the far end of the room, his arms crossed, his piercing gray
REEDThe study was dim, the faint glow of the fireplace barely illuminating the tension that weighed heavy in the room. Malcolm sat stiffly in one of the leather chairs, his usual easy demeanor replaced by a guarded expression. The transition from the living room had been quick and silent, each of us moving as if on instinct, like soldiers preparing for battle. Callum was the last to enter, shutting the double doors behind him with a quiet finality. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes fixed on Malcolm like a predator sizing up its prey.“You called her Aurora,” I began, breaking the silence. My tone was calm, but the underlying edge was impossible to miss. “Care to explain?”Malcolm chuckled dryly, the sound devoid of humor. “You lots are as impatient as your father was.”Callum straightened, his jaw tightening. “Don’t. Bring. Him. Up.” His voice was cold, each word deliberate.Malcolm raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. But if you want answers, you’ll ne
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
LIANA’S POVI kept my gaze locked on the blanket covering my lap as the heat in my ankle contained a pulse—a dull reminder of my eerie fall. The room was filled with tension I couldn’t name. “Let me see,” Reed’s deep, velvety voice broke the silence. My head jerked up to find him approaching me, his tall, commanding frame moving with effortless grace. He crouched beside the bed, every inch of him exuding power and control. His dark, stormy eyes caught mine for a brief second, and I swore my heart tripped over itself.“Your ankle, Liana,” he repeated, softer this time, the corners of his lips curling into a teasing smirk.“Oh,” I mumbled, dragging my leg out from under the blanket. He reached out, his long fingers brushing against my skin as he cradled my ankle in his hand. The warmth of his touch sent an electric jolt straight up my leg and into places I didn’t even know could tingle. I stared at his face, transfixed. His sharp jawline, the slight scruff on his chin, the curve of h
RAIDEN’S POVThe soft creak of the chair beneath me was the only sound in the room, save for the faint whistle of the wind outside. I stared at the fireplace, it’s flickering flames casting shadows that danced along the walls. My thoughts weren’t on the fire, though. They were on her.Liana.I didn’t know how long I’d been sitting here, but her face was burned into my mind, her name rolling over my tongue like a forbidden taste. I leaned back, shutting my eyes as her image took center stage once again—had striking beauty, her fiery glare, and that air of vulnerability she carried, even while trying to look strong.I shouldn’t be thinking this way. She was off-limits, and yet I couldn’t help myself. Every curve of her body, the feel of her ass on my hands when I carried her out of that gym class, every movement she made—it all tugged at a primal part of me, the part I couldn’t control. I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. “Damn you, Raiden,” I muttered under my breath.
LILA’S POVThe weight of the blade felt heavier than I expected. It wasn’t just silver—it was power, chaos, and death molded into a weapon and sealed with the blood with the most powerful Alpha to have ever existed. And now, it rested in my trembling hands, hidden beneath the folds of my cloak as I slipped through the shadows of the Crescent Moon Company. My heart hammered in my chest, the sound drowning out the muffled chatter of employees as they passed me by, oblivious to the treachery unfolding right under their noses.I had done it. After years of planning, lying, and earning their trust, I had the Silver Blade. The very weapon I had been sent here for.Reed trusted me the most. That thought twisted something sharp in my chest. I had seen the admiration in his eyes when he spoke of my loyalty and dedication. “You’re more than just an assistant, Lila. You’re family,” he’d said once. Family. The word made my stomach churn.I wasn’t part of their family. I never had been.I still re
REED’S POVThe living room felt heavier than usual. The dim light from the overhead chandelier did little to illuminate the tension in the air. Callum was pacing, his boots scuffing against the wooden floor, while Asher leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his ever-present frown deeper than usual. Malcolm sat stiffly in the armchair, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm on the armrest. I stood near the window, staring out into the darkness, trying to gather my thoughts as the weight of the missing silver blade pressed down on me.It was Callum who broke the silence, his voice sharp and clipped. “The blade is really gone.”I turned to face him, my brows furrowing. “We’re all aware of that, Callum. The real question is—who took it?”Malcolm shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his face pale. “Do we have any solid leads? Any idea who might’ve done this?”Asher, ever the skeptic, pushed off the wall. “I think it’s Maddox,” he said, his tone cold. “He’s been way too quiet lately. If he’s
ORION’S POVThe silence of the night was deceptive—a calm before the chaos I was about to unleash. The Blood Moon Pack, nestled in the shadow of a thick forest, was oblivious to the danger creeping toward it. The moon was a mere sliver in the sky, offering little light as my men and I waited just beyond the treeline. I could hear the faint hum of their nightly routines: laughter from a few houses, the occasional bark of a restless dog, and the quiet rustle of leaves as the wind passed through.I crouched low, my dagger, glinting in the dim moonlight, and scanned the village ahead. Smoke curled from chimneys, blending into the starless sky. These people—soft, complacent—had no idea what awaited them. My orders were clear: infiltrate, destroy, and extract information about the girl. Liana Harper, as the pack members screamed her name out just by the picture I showed them. A name whispered among Kade’s circle, tied to something far greater than anyone in this pack could comprehend.“Move
REED’S POVThe drive home stretched on, each second dragging as my mind spiraled deeper into the chaos that had become my reality. The hum of the car engine was the only sound, blending with the faint whispers of Liana’s soft breathing. My grip on the steering wheel was vice-like, my knuckles whitening under the strain. It felt like if I let go, even for a second, everything would fall apart—both the car and my sanity.I risked another glance at her, curled up in the passenger seat. Her hair framed her face like a halo, the gentle rise and fall of her chest so steady, so calm, it was maddening. How could she sleep after what had happened? How could she find peace in a world that seemed hellbent on tearing her apart?I forced my gaze back to the road, the memory of her limping figure still fresh in my mind. Her ankle had been twisted, swollen beyond reason, and the pain in her eyes when she tried to take even a single step… It was unbearable. She hadn’t cried, though. Not once. That st
SERAPHINE’S POV I sat in my office, my hands working methodically as I mixed herbal extracts into small vials. Healing was a task I had always found solace in—a task that demanded focus and helped quiet the noise in my head. Silver Crest Academy, with all its bustling chaos, gave me purpose. Today, however, the usual hum of my work felt disrupted, like the air itself was charged with something unusual. “Have you heard? Three identical triplets just arrived at the academy,” one of the younger healers murmured as she passed by my door. I rolled my eyes, brushing off the comment. Students and staff were always enamored with gossip, especially when it involved anything remotely dramatic. I had no time for distractions. There were too many responsibilities on my shoulders, and I couldn’t afford to indulge in idle talk.Still, when I saw Raiden walking briskly past my office moments later, my instincts sharpened. He wasn’t just walking—he was practically running, his face set with tensio
LIANA’S POVI watched as the tension in the room continued to increase. Reed stood in the middle of the principal’s office like an alpha commanding his pack, his presence making everyone else seem small, fragile even. He was seething, his jaw clenched tight, his hands fisted at his sides as he loomed over the trembling principal. It was impossible to reconcile this version of Reed with the man who had avoided me yesterday, the same one who had refused to meet my eyes at breakfast this morning. But now… now he stood before me, ready to tear the world apart because someone had hurt me. The principal’s voice wavered as he tried to explain. “I-I had no idea such an incident would occur. I’ve already called the girls responsible. They’ll be here shortly to apologize.”“You called them to apologize?” Reed’s voice was low, dangerous, and laced with venom. “You think an apology fixes this?”The principal shrank back, his face pale as he stumbled over his words. “I-it’s procedure, Mr. Benne
REED’S POVThe office reeked of tension and adrenaline. The moment that man stammered his way into the room, pale and trembling. I knew something was terribly wrong. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for what we found on the thirty-fifth floor.The room was in chaos—glass shards from display cases littered the floor, alarms blaring in the distance, and a faint, metallic scent of blood lingered in the air. My gut twisted as I scanned the destruction, my eyes locking on the empty pedestal in the centre of the room.The silver blade. It wasn’t just any blade—it was the blade. A weapon forged with the raw power of the moon’s forces, said to be capable of slaying any supernatural creature, no matter their strength. It could strip an alpha of their power with a single strike, severing bonds and destroying the essence of the wolf within. Its origin were shrouded in mystery, but one thing was clear: it was the most dangerous artifact in existence, and now it was gone.“