Today is a good day for me. Not only did I just get my wolf, but I also got to bind with my mate and live forever with him. For me, this is one of the best days of my life because I have been looking forward to this day forever. “C’mon, Loraine. Get your ass moving or we are going to be late.” My best friend, Jennifer, calls out to me, and I flip her away. I can’t seem to step away from the mirror. I want to appear perfect for him. I can already imagine the look on his face when he sees me standing in front of him in the tight-fitting, curving, accentuating ball gown I have chosen. Anxiety is causing me to break out in sweats, and I know I have to calm myself down or I’ll ruin the little makeup I’ve managed to put on. My best friend appears beside me suddenly and pulls me away. “That’s enough!” she says sternly. She has taken up the role of being a mom to me ever since my parents passed away in an auto crash two years ago, and the role fits her well. After all, she’s a bit older
“I, Alpha Gordon Graylock, reject you, Loraine Kellen, as my mate, and Luna of the Withall pack.”WHAT?!I can’t hide the surprise that makes its way to my face or the pain and hurt that follow. His eyes are cold and detached as they stare me down after that proclamation, and I am left wondering if this is the same man whom I have always known as kind and good. I open my mouth to choke out words, but the priestess beats me to it. “Loraine Kellen, you have been rejected by your mate.” as if I did not just hear it loud and clear and in front of the entire pack. “You can either accept or decline his rejection, but bear in mind that declining his rejection might be risky for both you and your wolf.”Tears pour down my face, and I immediately wipe them away. My wolf has folded herself away into a corner. I’m sure that she is even more hurt and shocked than I am. We had both been anxious for this day. The mate bond starts to break slowly. I can feel it. It’s like being ripped apart slowl
“I, Alpha Gordon Graylock, reject you, Loraine Kellen, as my mate, and Luna of the Withall pack.”WHAT?!I can’t hide the surprise that makes its way to my face or the pain and hurt that follow. His eyes are cold and detached as they stare me down after that proclamation, and I am left wondering if this is the same man whom I have always known as kind and good. I open my mouth to choke out words, but the priestess beats me to it. “Loraine Kellen, you have been rejected by your mate.” as if I did not just hear it loud and clear and in front of the entire pack. “You can either accept or decline his rejection, but bear in mind that declining his rejection might be risky for both you and your wolf.”Tears pour down my face, and I immediately wipe them away. My wolf has folded herself away into a corner. I’m sure that she is even more hurt and shocked than I am. We had both been anxious for this day. The mate bond starts to break slowly. I can feel it. It’s like being ripped apart slowl
“What does it look like I'm doing, Jennifer?” I retort. “I never expected something like this from you, of all people. But since it happened, it's only been proven that I have nothing here, so I’m leaving.”She shakes her head, and I feel the sudden urge to slap her. Her motherly act is beginning to get on my nerve. QUIT ACTING LIKE MY MOTHER, GODDAMMIT!“Loraine, seriously. You have to think about what you are doing now. You know, leaving the pack like this nullifies your membership in this pack. You risk losing everything you have worked so hard for.”I tilt my head and ask, “Have I not already lost everything? I told you I suspected that the Alpha was my mate because of the pull I had towards him, but you forgot to mention that you both were already seeing each other.”“I didn’t think you were actually going to be his mate, and I did not want to hurt your feelings.”“Yeah, of course. Even in the end, you were thinking about me. Which is why you spent four hours in his room consolin
A Treaty Between Four KingsThe rest of the night up until the moment when Alpha Gordon climbs up the podium to greet his pack and the guests and make the announcement passes without hitch. Alpha Gordon has warned me to steer clear of other people in the room since I have turned out to be a walking and talking time bomb, and I am doing just that. Yet my eyes keep being drawn to the group of four elegant men in the room, one of whom saved me the other time. He’s looking at me too, and heat rises on my cheek. He’s not engaged with the other perfect-looking guys in his group; instead, he’s focused on me. I think he’s about to make a move when Alpha Gordon starts his speech, snagging all of the attention in the room. “I want to start by thanking you all for making the time to be here.” He starts, but his eyes are focused on only one person in particular. Although our bond is almost gone, it still hurts to see that he is not even the least affected by all of this. “This is five years s
A Treaty Between the Four Kings IIHunter’s POVI have wanted her as soon as I set my eyes on her in that hall, and now that I have her, I still want her. She is not entirely mine, and that disturbs me. The way in which she had come with us after Alpha Gordon’s announcement also disturbs me. After the little show of dragging her out of my sight, I had met him privately to tell him I was interested in the woman he rejected, but I had not imagined he would humiliate her that way in front of all his pack members. Making a spectacle of giving her to me as spoils for the treaty. Not only did he hurt me, he also deeply wounded my pride, and I don’t think I could ever forgive him for that.I lean towards her, but she scuttles away. “Are you okay?” She does not reply. There is plenty of fear in her eyes, and that hurts me too. To think of all the things she might have been through at the hands of that jerk. “We will get to my house soon.” I continue. “So, you can relax. Me and my brothers
Loraine’s POV Alpha Hunter is in his office when I arrive. Just as hours ago, he’s dressed in a customised suit that hugs his body tight, accentuating all of the fine tans and rippling muscle. I salivate just from looking at him. He stands when I enter, and I don’t miss the glint in his eyes when he rounds his desk to meet me. “Loraine.” My name rolls off his lips with expertise, grace, and fluency, and I find that it is what I want to keep hearing. Unconsciously, I push my chest out as though that would make me more irresistible. When he slips his arm around my waist to lead me deeper into his office, my wolf growls. The word is there, just at the tip of my tongue, and I have to hold myself back when I realise what I’m about to say. Mate. It can’t be. I have met my mate, and then I was rejected by him in the most embarrassing fashion. There’s no way I have another mate except... The word hangs there, in the dark recess of my mind, as my eyes hold his pool of deep green eyes.
Killian’s POV I can see why my brothers are falling over this pesky little girl. She is gorgeous—like drop-dead gorgeous—with long lashes, high cheek bones, waist-length raven hair, a heart-shaped face with perfect pink bow lips, a graceful, slender body with all the curves in the right places, and blue eyes that you can swim in for eternity. What I’m more surprised at is how hard Hunter fell for her. She is another man’s reject for the sake of the goddess. Something another man threw away. If she is not good for him, why would he think she would be good for him? For us? I hate it. I hate everything. I hate that even after thinking all of this, I still feel some part of me being drawn to her. My wolf wants her. He wants to sink his teeth in that delicious-looking flesh of hers and claim her. I hate that I like the thought of it. And I hate that my brother has to interrupt my thought at this time to order me to look after his plaything. I want to remind him that I am an Alpha
Loraine’s POV The air in Hunter’s room felt charged with hungry looks in their eyes. They looked like they wanted to devour me. “I mean it, Loraine,” Hunter said as he pulled me closer, his voice low and hoarse. “We’re terrified of losing you.” Killian stepped closer, brushing his knuckles against my cheek. “We don’t care what we have to do… We’ll fight for you.” Preston’s hands settled on my shoulders from behind, his thumbs massaging small circles into my tense muscles. “We just need you to know how much you mean to us. Not just as our Luna, but as... everything.” Their words melted the last of my frustration, and I reached out to cup Hunter’s face. “You’ll never lose me,” I promised, my voice trembling with emotion. “I’m here for all of you. Always. But you have to trust me too.” I felt Preston’s breath ghost over my neck as he leaned in closer, his lips grazing the shell of my ear. “Show us,” he murmured, his voice like silk, sending a shiver down my spine. Killian’s lips
Loraine’s POV It had been a week since Prince Gideon’s visit, and the tension in the manor was thicker than ever. The boys—Preston, Killian, Hunter, and Kris—had been avoiding the topic of his offer like the plague. Any time I brought it up, they either grunted in response or changed the subject entirely. It was infuriating. I couldn’t take it anymore. This wasn’t just about their jealousy or insecurities; this was about the future of our pack. We were all in the living room after lunch, sprawled out in various spots. I stood up, brushing imaginary dust off my pants to mask my irritation. “Alright, enough is enough. We need to talk about Prince Gideon’s offer.” Killian groaned, leaning back on the couch. “Dear goddess, not this again.” “Yes, this again,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “You’ve all been ignoring it for a week, but we can’t afford to let an opportunity like this slip by.” Hunter’s jaw tightened, his blue eyes narrowing. “We’re not ignoring it. We’ve already decided—
Loraine’s POV The afternoon sun cast a golden glow across the packhouse, filling the living room with a sense of warmth and calm. It was one of those rare lazy days where nothing urgent needed our attention. Hunter lounged on the couch, flipping through a book, while Killian and Preston sat on the floor, arguing over some board game rules. Mabel and I were curled up on a nearby armchair, sipping iced tea and chatting about absolutely nothing. It was nice—a peaceful, ordinary moment that felt like a small slice of heaven. It was my much-deserved rest after all of Gordon’s foolishness lately. This is how I wanted things: no drama, no problems, just peace. And then the door opened. Prince Gideon strolled in, his presence immediately shattering the calm. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark trousers that clung to him in all the right ways. His golden hair caught the sunlight, and his piercing blue eyes locked on mine, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “Good afternoon,
Loraine’s POV The morning sun streamed through the windows of the packhouse, casting a golden glow across the living room where chaos reigned. Killian and Preston were sprawled across the couch, arguing over the remote, while Hunter sat cross-legged on the floor, engrossed in a board game with Mabel. “I’m just saying,” Killian grumbled, yanking the remote out of Preston’s hand, “we’ve already watched your dumb action movie twice. It’s my turn to pick something.” “Dumb?” Preston scoffed, lunging for the remote. “It’s a classic!” I watched the two of them wrestle like overgrown children, biting back a laugh. “Careful, boys. If you break that remote, you’re both cooking dinner tonight.” Killian immediately let go, raising his hands in surrender. “Fine, but we’re not eating Preston’s cooking.” “Hey!” Preston shot me a wounded look. “I’m not that bad.” Hunter snorted, not looking up from the game. “Last time you cooked, the fire alarm went off, and we had to order pizza.” Preston c
Loraine’s POV The moment Alpha Gordon’s dark eyes locked onto mine, I felt my stomach churn. His gaze was the same as it had always been: intense, domineering, and calculating. I turned to Mabel, hoping to steer us into another store and avoid him altogether, but it was too late. He was already weaving through the crowd, his towering figure cutting through the bustling shoppers with purpose. “Loraine,” his deep voice called out as he stopped in front of me, blocking my path. I froze. The sound of his voice brought back a flood of memories—none of them good. Mabel looked between us, her brows furrowing in confusion. “Gordon,” I said stiffly, my voice void of warmth. “What the fuck do you want now?” His lips curled into a half-smile, the kind that once made me weak in the knees but now only made my blood boil. “We need to talk.” “I think we said all we needed to say weeks ago,” I snapped, stepping around him, but he grabbed my wrist gently—not enough to hurt, but enough to make me
Loraine’s POV That evening, as we wrapped up dinner, I could feel the tension simmering between the boys. It had been an exhausting day, and I was looking forward to finally getting some sleep. Just as I stood to leave the dining area, Preston called out, his voice softer than usual. “Loraine,” he began, a hint of hesitation in his tone, “would you mind staying in my room tonight? I’d like to spend some time with you.” Before I could respond, Killian’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood abruptly. “Why should she stay with you, Preston? She stayed with you last week,” Killian said, his voice edged with irritation. Hunter chimed in, his arms crossed over his chest. “I don’t see why she shouldn’t stay in my room. It’s been a while, and I think it’s only fair.” Kris, leaning casually against the doorway, gave a lazy smirk. “You’re all ridiculous. If anyone gets her company tonight, it’s me. I think I deserve it after me being shot by wolfsbane and everything.” Their bickeri
Loraine’s POV After an awkward hour, I excused myself to the restroom to compose myself and came back. When I stepped back into the game room, the atmosphere was electric with laughter and playful teasing. Everyone seemed so carefree, sprawled across couches or lounging on the floor. Mabel was sitting cross-legged next to Kris, a small smile tugging at her lips as he joked about something. I hesitated in the doorway, letting the moment wash over me. I had to fix things, not just for her but for myself. “Loraine!” Hunter’s booming voice broke through my thoughts. He pushed off the wall where he’d been leaning, his grin widening. “You’re just in time. We’re about to up the stakes.” “Oh no,” Chloe groaned, though she was smiling. “This better not be another one of your ridiculous games.” Hunter smirked. “Come on, my games are legendary.” “They’re legendary for getting people in trouble,” Sasha pointed out, narrowing her eyes. “Exactly!” Hunter shot back. “Now, shut up and
Loraine’s POV It started as a normal morning. Kris had insisted on dragging himself out of bed, despite the doctor’s warnings to rest, and was now lingering in the living room, watching everyone bustle around. The others were preparing to head out after breakfast, and I was forced to stay behind, nursing a lingering sense of unease. Mabel was there too, sitting across from me with her usual air of quiet confidence. She didn’t say much, but somehow, her presence always felt larger than life. I tried to ignore the pang in my chest every time she flashed her perfect smile or casually caught someone’s attention. It wasn’t that I disliked her—at least, not consciously. But lately, it seemed like she was everywhere, always shining brighter, always winning over everyone in ways I couldn’t seem to match. Kris caught my eye, his brows furrowing slightly as he studied my face. “You okay?” he asked, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “I’m fine,” I replied quickly, forcing a smile.
Loraine’s POV Hunter was on the phone, pacing the room like a caged animal as Kris groaned in frustration. The doctor Hunter had called had just finished applying a thick, pungent salve to his arm, explaining it would neutralize the wolfsbane poisoning. But the second the doctor started to wrap the wound, Kris squirmed, loosening the bandage with an irritated huff. “Kris, stop fucking moving,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “It itches,” Kris snapped, glaring at his arm. “This stuff is torture.” Hunter put his phone down with a sigh. “Doctor, is this normal? He’s acting like you dipped his ass in acid.” “It’s perfectly normal,” the doctor said with a chuckle. “The medication is designed to draw out toxins, which can make the area tender and itchy. But it’s crucial that it stays on all night if he wants to heal properly.” “All night? Are you fucking kidding?!” Kris groaned, rolling his eyes. “You mean I’m stuck like this?” “Someone needs to stay with him,” Killian interj