Marissa“In my pack, it's an abomination for visitors to visit and not get served with refreshments. So, is there anything I can get you?" I said, my gaze darting between Justine and Justin."I'm fine," Justin said stiffly as if he were testing me."Water will do. Unlike some people, I actually have human needs," Justine said, pointing at her brother.I stood up and headed to get the bottle of water. I felt a lingering gaze pressing into my back. I didn't know who was watching among the twins.I barely had time to turn before a group of werewolves approached me with curiosity in their eyes. There was no way these people were going to mind their business."What's going on? Are we getting sent back to our pack?"I opened the refrigerator, taking out the bottle of water. "There is no grand announcement or exile. I'm just helping the prince plan his wedding."A collective sigh of relief passed through the group."Oh, that makes sense," someone said."Exactly. Now, can you let me pass?"Th
Justin"Mom, take that off my face," I warned, staring at her with restrained anger.Across from me, she stood like a military general, holding the enemy—a glass of water and a container filled with oversized, chalky pills that tasted like ground-up despair."I feel fine. You're overthinking this," I said, deadpan, leaning back against my headboard."Come on, honey. Just because you haven't had an episode recently doesn't mean we should get too comfortable."I sighed, exasperated. "Didn't you say some days ago that this was a sign I was healing? Things were looking better? So what's with the backtracking? Shouldn’t we be celebrating progress?""I'm being careful," she said. "We need to be careful."Her voice softened at the last part, and I knew she was worried. But still, the damn pills were massive."Fine. I'll break them to make swallowing easier," she offered, but I already knew she wasn’t budging.Then her voice took on that no-nonsense edge. "No matter how old you are, I’m still
Marissa Sitting at my desk with my fingers poised over my tablet, my focus was on Justin's door. He had walked in not long ago, but there was something off about him, and by the time I snuck a peek at him, he wasn’t typing, making calls, or reviewing reports. He was just staring blankly at the screen. I had spent too much time watching this man and knew when something was wrong.And now that I knew the truth—that he couldn't bond the way I did—everything made more sense. I wasn’t overthinking anymore or doubting myself, and most importantly, I wasn’t confused about where I stood. I had the power here.I let him sit with his thoughts a little longer, giving him space. Then, when I was certain he wasn’t about to snap at me, I stood and made my way into his office without announcing myself. Instead, I moved past him toward the machine behind his chair, pretending to be grabbing a file or adjusting something. Then I moved in.My arm slipped around his shoulders, pressing against his back
Marissa There was no claiming bite. No mark. No declaration of the bond sealed. Just heat and desire and an absence where his teeth should have grazed my skin.I wanted to say it, but something beyond me was holding me back. So I swallowed the truth and forced myself to untangle from him before I could do something reckless—like beg him to bite my neck.“So, are you going to tell me what’s been bothering you, or do I have to start listing possibilities? Because I have a few theories, and I’m very creative.”He chuckled and zipped his pants. “That’s a dangerous offer, sweetheart. I’d have to hear the ridiculous things running through your mind.”Sweetheart. He called me sweetheart!I blinked that thought away.“Did Wendy finally leave you heartbroken? Or maybe your cousin has been whispering nonsense again, trying to convince people that he’s more suited for the throne?”He paused for a bit before smirking. “You say that like you’re joking, but you’re not wrong.”I sobered and held h
Marissa The office was bustling because Justin was trying to meet a deadline.Knowing he was battling with things yet still trying to make up for it by being efficient made me sensitive to his circumstances. But whenever he was in work mode, it was always useless to help him, as one could even annoy him after his refusal.He hadn't spoken much except for the occasional request delivered in a business-like tone. I didn't mind the quiet. In fact, I welcomed it. The less I had to engage with him, the easier it was to pretend that nothing could go wrong between us.And, of course, I couldn't keep throwing myself at him like some desperate, sex-starved fool, so I focused on the mountain of letters I had been assigned to sort through for him. Most were appeals, requests, receipts—nothing exciting until my fingers paused on an envelope that stood out.It bore the seal of my pack. The red and white colors had alerted me, and it was directed to Justin.From my dad.An unsettled feeling rested
Justin The cancer of hate grew, and my blood demanded revenge. My wrath toward Sean would be his undoing. He was doing too much, and it was burning my soul.Sean had shown countless times that he was never on my side. So when I became king, with the sole power to banish and throw people out of my kingdom, he would be the first to be sent away.I was still stewing in my anger and thirst for vengeance when I heard Marissa’s voice, and Sean’s very irritating laughter. And because my protective instinct toward Marissa was growing in a very uncomfortably possessive way that I couldn’t stop, I rushed out.As I stepped into the hallway, I stopped. She was handling it well. I watched her effortlessly tear Sean apart with nothing but sharp wit. She was defending me and humbling him. Sean tried to be dominant, perhaps thinking he could use his male ego to bring her down, but his confidence was cracking with every remark she threw at him. It was so easy for her.Something warm settled in my che
MarissaSilence descended upon us like an explosion. My leaden tongue couldn't produce words. This was about to get dirty, and it had been my greatest fear.Justin's lips pressed together in a grimace, and his smile wavered. His sister's mouth opened, but nothing came out, and her eyes were wide and staring.Several years ago, I had been in her shoes, barging into the dormitory to find Alan and Genevieve in the act. Except now, this case was more complicated. At least Alan and Genevieve knew they were mates but were hiding it from me. Justin had not acknowledged the bond, and I felt nothing for his sister. Still, the guilt cut sharp at me.Her eyes darted between me and Justin, and I could see the pieces clicking together in her head. She increased her distance, looking like she wanted to attack and run away at the same time."I want to believe that what I saw is not what I think it is," she said, her voice shaking with restrained fury.
MarissaDinner at the lodge was as unappetizing as ever. A miserable mess of overcooked veggies and rice clumped together sat in front of me, untouched. At least the meat had some flavor. I poked at it with my fork, knowing I had to eat something. If I didn't, I'd wake up hungry in the middle of the night, and I wasn't about to suffer another restless night over lousy food. It was almost impossible to distract myself from anything besides Justin and his sister’s argument. It had been eating at me all day. After the fight, Justin buried himself in work, and we had no time to speak. I hoped this wouldn’t spiral into something bigger.Pushing my plate aside, I reached for my phone, ready to call my brother, when I heard excited voices. Hector burst into the dining hall, grinning like he had the best gossip of the century. He belted towards me, "Guess who just joined us, Rissa!"I rolled my eyes, sipping at my water. "I don’t care if an angel fell from heaven. I’m not in the mood."You’
Marissa I had made up my mind. I was going home.Not because I missed it, and definitely not because I wanted to see my father or his wife. I just needed a change of scenery.Brian said I could stay with him for a bit, or I’d get a temporary apartment if needed. But I also knew how that went at that crazy pack, how single women were bounced around when they didn’t have a man’s name tied to the lease. If I couldn’t get something decent, I’d check into a hotel and figure it out from there.I needed space. Distance. Time.I was in the middle of zipping up my second box when I heard a knock. Then came Justine’s voice before I could answer.“This is dramatic, don’t you think?”I opened the door to see her and Justin standing there. They both looked way too polished for a casual visit like they had somewhere else important to be, but they came anyway.Justine looked over my shoulder into the room. “You packed like you’re going to the moon.”“It’s just two boxes,” I said, trying to sound ca
JustinWhen I knocked on Marissa's door, I didn’t expect her to look happy. She stared at me like I was a piece of furniture.She wasn’t frowning. She didn’t slam the door in my face. But she wasn’t smiling either. Her expression was calm, like someone who’d already had the emotional breakdown and was now in full recovery mode.“Can I come in?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.She shrugged, stepped aside without saying a word.I hesitated before stepping in. Her room smelled of her shampoo, lemon-scented body mist and the bond. I held out the small shopping bag.She blinked. “What’s that?”I offered it again. “Just check it.”She gave me an unreadable look. Then she reached out and accepted it opened the bag and pulled out the velvet box, flipped it open, and rolled her eyes.Shit.“You don’t like it?” I asked quickly. “I can change it. There’s another set I saw, more silver—”She closed the box, dropped it back into the bag, and placed it down like it was a file she didn’t
JustinI paced the hallway outside the Queen’s study, heart racing like I’d just run a marathon. When my mother finally called me in, I didn’t waste time pretending I was calm.“She’s still ignoring me,” I said, not even bothering to sit.My mom looked up from the book she was reading, brows raised. “Who?”I stared at her. “Who else? She's acting like I committed a crime.”“Well…” she started, dragging out the word, “you did get another woman pregnant. No woman wants that, trust me.”I scowled. “Allegedly.”She shut her book and sighed. “Honey, I love you. But let’s not act like this isn’t complicated.”“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I muttered, walking to the window. “Wendy and I were barely even together. We hadn’t touched each other in months. The last few times, I used protection. Every time.”“Protection isn’t foolproof,” she said.I turned to face her. “I know that. But I also know Wendy. She’s not the type to sit quietly while being dumped. She’s petty. This whole thing feels ti
MarissaOnce I was inside my room, I locked the door, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed on the bed. I stared at the ceiling again. I could have called Brian. But I didn’t. What was I supposed to say?“Hey, Brian, remember that perfect mate the goddess gave me? Yeah, he might have knocked up his ex.”No. I couldn’t handle the pity in his voice.I made popcorn instead. Found a true crime series. Turned the volume high. And I got lost in cold cases. Somehow, it made mine feel smaller.Six hours later, I was still glued to the screen when my phone rang. Justin was calling.I stared at the screen for a few seconds before picking up.“Hello?”“Where are you?”“I went back to the lodge,” I replied, trying to sound casual.“Why?”“I needed space.”There was a pause. “Space from what?”“From the drama. Your ex announcing a pregnancy like it’s a royal decree.”He sighed. “I’m coming over.”“Don’t.”“Why not?”“Because I don’t know how to be around you right now. Everything hurts, and you being
Marissa Everything felt heavy. My heart, my thoughts, even my damn bones.The rules were simple, brutal, and old as time. The first woman to bear the future Alpha’s child, especially one destined to be Lycan King, had a permanent place in his life. It didn’t matter if they were mates. It didn’t matter if they were in love. It didn’t even matter if the woman was evil wrapped in silk.Rules were rules.And now Wendy had claimed she was pregnant with Justin’s child.I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to believe. My brain felt scrambled, like someone had cracked it open and stirred it with a knife.The Queen had tried to comfort me. She told me she was on my side. She said over her dead body would Justin marry Wendy.I appreciated her words but knew she was being overly positive. This kind of scandal could blow into a full-scale war.And in all of this, I was the outsider. The werewolf.Why couldn’t I just enjoy my mate for once? Why did it always have to come with some life
Marissa The court proceedings felt like I was the one on trial. I sat beside Justin, who strongly believed he'd win. He was calm, in control, and powerful.He didn’t speak much, but when he did, the courtroom paid attention. Every word came out confident and unapologetic. Sean, on the other hand, kept contradicting himself in every other sentence. His arrogance from the first day had completely crumbled. Even the judge looked tired of him.I felt so freaking proud. Not just because Justin was winning, but because he was doing it with so much grace and restraint.When court ended that first day, Justin turned to me with a boyish smile. “Are you hungry?”I laughed. “Starving.”He took me out. Just the two of us. We found a quiet rooftop restaurant and ordered way too much food.We didn't discuss court cases, politics, power or curses. We talked about stupid dares.That afternoon, I realized how much lighter he looked. Like someone had started peeling off the weight he’d been carrying
Justin I had no plan, neither did I rehearse my words. In fact, I didn’t think for a thousand years that I’d end up being so honest with the public the way I was. But it happened. The words came out of me with a strange calm, as though I had needed to say them all along.My mother allowed a soft smile to curl on her lips, subtle but proud. Meanwhile, Sean's expression twisted, the edges of his mouth tugging downward into a bitter frown. For the longest time, I had believed that vulnerability was weakness—a flaw that could be exploited. But now, as I stood exposed before everyone, I didn’t feel weak. I felt free. Let anyone try to twist the truth. Let them attempt to stain the bond I shared with Marissa. My mother’s smile said it all: sometimes, the ugly truths needed to be told to reclaim power.The judge fumbled with his papers, his fingers shaking slightly. He tried to appear unaffected, but I saw the stiffness in his movements. My mother must have spoken to him in private, perhaps
It was getting harder and harder to stay private with Justin. Our relationship had somehow become the kingdom’s favorite soap opera. Inside the castle walls, everyone had a theory, a rumor, or a “trusted source.” And outside the gates? The paparazzi were practically part of the royal staff.Everywhere we went, someone was snapping photos or asking invasive questions. It was exhausting. I hadn’t realized how many people tracked your every step when you were bonded to a Lycan prince. Now even my outfit, the way I walked, or how I blinked seemed to matter. I found myself second-guessing every detail—was my lipstick smudged? Did my heels click too loud?Justin held my hand as we approached the pizza spot I’d been craving for all week. As expected, the moment we stepped out of the car, the flash of cameras started. A few paparazzi who had been pretending to “just be around” suddenly appeared from all angles, walking backward to keep pace with us.“Prince Justin, is it true you're planning
Marissa The Queen’s rage came with thunder. It wasn’t the typical raised voice or shaking hands kind of anger. It was primal, bone-deep, and terrifyingly loud. Her voice bounced off the ancient stone walls of the royal study like a storm crashing into a cliff. If Sean had been anywhere near her at that moment, she would’ve carved his name off the family tree with her bare hands.I stood still. A part of me was stunned, but the other part missed my own mother. I wondered how she might’ve defended me if she were still alive and if she would’ve gone to war for me too. Maybe it’s just something about mothers. No one quite loves the way they do."Well, I think you're going too far to be taken seriously," Justine muttered with her usual sarcastic flair, sipping casually from her glass.The Queen's head whipped around. Her eyes flared wide and wild. My heart genuinely skipped.“Too far?” she echoed, rising from her seat like storm-given legs. “Hell no. I haven't even started.”Justine bli