Loraine’s POV It has been days since the attack, and surprisingly, things are beginning to settle—not going back to how they were—but the agitation and anxiety are still there. Killian has tripled security, better preparing us for more surprise attacks, but our enemies proved to be clever, if not elusive. Still, we knew nothing much about them except they were attacking Alphas without provocation or any clear motives. Our packs were not the only ones attacked. More than ten packs—not including ours—hhave been attacked in the last month, and we knew nothing about them except for the one thing we were sure of. They killed en masse and left a lot of dead bodies in their wake. They took nothing—except if you are counting lives—and were yet to state any clear reason for their attacks. For us here—me and my mates—things might never go back to how they were for us. Every one of them was busy. Alpha Hunter was busy attending meetings for him and all of his brothers because, apart from
Loraine’s POV “What do you mean we take the fight to them? We don’t know them.” Preston’s face breaks into a triumphant smile. “Do we not? Well, we do now. I was able to break through some of the men we captured and piece A and B together. So far, I’ve been able to find out where they are hiding out for the time being, but their motives are still speculative.” I smile, but before I can respond, another man speaks up. “Besides, it might be a trap. Why would they break now and give us their hideout? We’ve captured them in the past. They were always unbreakable and would rather die than snitch.” Slowly, Preston stands, keeping his cool smile on. I think it is quite amusing to see him like this. “Maybe we have other methods of interrogation, but I don’t think that is what matters. What matters now is that we know where they are, and for once, we have the upper hand.” “Plus, waiting too long will give them time to plan an attack, Kris says, pulling his hair into a high bun as if pr
Loraine’s POV His face is a study in smooth strength and intoxicating control. Goddess, take me. I know I’m supposed to be upset at him and his brothers, but that was out there in the hall. In here, in my room, it is too difficult to wall off my emotions. I wrap my arms around myself and meet Alpha Hunter’s eyes, my chin up. “If you have come to give me more reasons why I cannot go, or to...” Alpha Hunter takes a step forward, grasping my hips. “I have never for once seen you as weak, Loraine.” He murmurs into my ear, his soft, rumbling voice making my skin blaze so hot it’s a wonder the room doesn’t catch fire. Alpha Hunter chuckles before reining in his voice. I don’t miss the fact that he called me by name or how sweet it sounded rolling off his tongue like that. “Actually, I am here to tell you that you are somewhat right.” “I—wait, what?” “You are strong, Loraine, maybe even stronger than fifty of Killian’s best men put together.” He shrugs. “You are the best of us, Lora
Loraine’s POV I woke to the scents of clean sheets mixed with pine and citrus scents that wrapped around me as tightly as the duvet. Blinking against the harsh glare of light in the room, I found Alpha Hunter sprawled on the bed beside me, his eyes trained on my face. His heavy arm was a solid weight on my waist. “Where—how long did I sleep?” Alpha Hunter brushed down my hair. “Not long. We still have some hours till evening.” His face was tight, and the pain behind his eyes was as palpable as my own. “Tomorrow, I get to see your wolf, Loraine. I really cannot wait to meet her, but then it is getting harder and harder to restrain myself from claiming you. You are close to your heat, and being close like this is dangerous if you are not going to choose all of us.” Despite his words, he reached out and pulled me against him, burying my face in his shoulder while his arms encircled me tightly. The sound of his roaring heartbeat echoed through my flesh, spurring my own. “It is not
Loraine’s POV The chill of the evening sir prickles my skin. Perspiration is escaping from my mouth, and I hug myself. The moonlight bathed everything in a golden glow, making the snow glisten like shards of glass scattered everywhere on the ground. Kris hugs me from behind, pressing me into his chest. He buries his nose in my neck, sniffing me. “Ready?” I nod. It’s not like I haven’t always done this, but with the winter solstice, I feel some sort of pull in my chest. And then there’s my mates, watching me expectantly. A gust of wind sweeps through the clearing, carrying with it the scent of pine and the crispness of the snow-covered ground. The air feels electric as if the world itself is holding its breath, waiting for me. Alpha Hunter steps towards me, cupping my face with his hand. “You are looking nervous.” He leans in and places a kiss on my lips. It’s more like a brush of his lips on mine, but it still sends a chill down my spine. “Just do your thing. So, we can run thr
Loraine’s POV Exhaustion hits us all, and we fall asleep in Alpha Hunter's bed, my mates surrounding me. We are all still recovering from the fun night we had during the winter solstice, but that’s not all. The brothers are going to leave today, and I want to keep that from happening for as long as I can. I wake up to find Killian’s face as close to mine as it can get without actually touching. Since that first time that I arrived here and Killian lost control, this is the most intimate we have gotten again, and I have a feeling I wouldn’t feel it for a long time. Or till I make my choice between all of them. If I shut my eyes, I can feel his hand pressed against my cheeks and the soft cascades of his breath as he whispers calming words to me. but when I open my eyes, he is still asleep. I want to raise my hand and brush his face, but I’m scared of ending this moment between us. A moment he might not even be aware of. The same intensity that I had always seen in him is stil
Loraine’s POV Falling asleep after the Alpha brothers are gone is almost impossible. When I wake up six hours later, I feel as though my head is full of air and not much else. I lie there for a minute, looking up at the ceiling of my room as I get my shit together enough to get into the day. There are a lot of reasons why I don’t want to move right now, and I just lie there and think of all of them. I try not to think of the guys and the fact that this is the first time I’m being left alone by myself without any of them being here. When I find myself worrying about them too much, I head over to Alpha Hunter’s room to use his shower and get ready for my new responsibility. There’s an itch under my skin to the absence of my mates, the same ones that had been there when I’d woken up and found them all gone. They had not even said goodbye. I take twice as long as I usually do in the shower as I try to scrub the ache in my chest away. I get dressed quickly and head to the kitche
Loraine’s POV The pack meeting hall is loud and buzzing with people. Long tables are filled with food and people digging into food. Maddox leads us to a table in the corner. One that gives us a good view of the hall but still keeps us out of the main hustle. I sit beside Sasha, who is already helping herself to a plate of food, while Maddox, Jack, and Kade settle around us. “I know I can finish this whole plate before you chew down five spoons,” Kade says, eyeing the mountain of food Sasha is piling up. Sasha smiles, thrilled to take on his challenge. “You’re on, loser.” She hollers, grabbing a fork. I shake my head at Kade. I’m not sure he wants to challenge Sasha, especially when it comes to food. I laugh, watching them both as they wolf down their food. It's funny because Kade is not actually trying—as much as Sasha—but he still empties his plate before Sasha has gone halfway through hers. “Come on, Luna-in-training,” Jack says with a grin, pulling my attention from Sasha
Jennifer’s POV I had always prided myself on control. Control over my life, my choices, and, most importantly, my husband, Alpha Gordon. But that control was slipping away. His coldness, his late nights, and his constant absence—it was like watching sand slip through my fingers. I wasn’t fucking stupid. I knew there was someone else, even if he refused to admit it. But tonight, I was going to catch him in the act. It started with a familiar restlessness. Gordon had been distant for weeks now, avoiding my questions, brushing off my attempts to connect. I had taken to watching his every move. When he slipped out of our bedroom late that night, thinking I was asleep, I waited only a few minutes before I followed. The forest was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves. My heart pounded as I followed him, staying far enough behind to avoid detection. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find, but when I saw him meet a woman in a secluded clearing, my chest tightened. For a moment
Jennifer’s POV I slammed the bedroom door behind me, the sound echoing through the massive space, and leaned heavily against it. My chest was tight with frustration, my fists clenched so hard that my nails bit into my palms. For weeks, maybe months now, my foolish ass, his alpha Gordon, had been more distant lately—colder than ever. He barely acknowledged me unless it was unavoidable. And at night? I might as well be invisible. He refused to touch me, refused to even sleep in the same bed most nights. I ran a hand through my hair and let out a low growl. The rejection burned, and it was a wound that refused to heal. “I’m his wife, for fucking Moon's sake,” I muttered to myself, pacing the room. “How dare he treat me like this?” I stopped and stared at our bed—the pristine sheets, untouched pillows. My fists clenched again as I remembered the early days of our marriage. He had been mine, all mine. Or at least, I thought he was. But now… I couldn’t finish the thought. The truth wa
Alpha Gordon’s POV The office was stifling, the walls closing in as I threw my phone onto the desk with more force than necessary. Mabel’s shrieking accusations still echoed in my ears, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. “You’re fucking pathetic, Gordon! Do you even know how to fucking seduce a woman? She’s supposed to be under your thumb by now, and instead, she’s clinging to those alphas like they’re her lifeline!” The venom in her words made my blood boil. Mabel always had a way of making me feel like the biggest failure on Earth, but this time it cut deeper. Maybe because she wasn’t wrong. Every attempt I’d made to pull Loraine back to me had failed miserably. I leaned forward, running a hand down my face as frustration and regret tangled in my chest. Loraine. My sweet, sweet Loraine Her name was a whisper in my mind, a ghost that haunted me day and night. Once, she had loved me. She had looked at me with those big, hazel eyes as though I was her entire world. She truste
Loraine’s POV I set my book down and gave her a polite smile. “What do you need, Mabel?” She chuckled lightly, as if I’d made a joke. “Why does it have to be about needing something? Maybe I just wanted to talk.” I raised an eyebrow. Mabel and I weren’t exactly on friendly terms, and this sudden attempt at camaraderie felt as fake as her tone. Still, I gestured for her to sit. “Alright. Talk.” She perched on the edge of the bench, smoothing out her dress. “You know, I’ve been thinking. We’ve had our differences, but we’re both part of this pack now. Maybe it’s time we tried to get along.” I leaned back, crossing my arms. “Get along? After everything you’ve done? Are you fucking kidding me right now? Her smile faltered for a second before she quickly recovered. “I’ve made mistakes; I’ll admit that. But don’t you think we should put the past behind us? For the good of the pack?” I tilted my head, studying her carefully. Her eyes were wide, her expression open, but there was some
Loraine’s POV When I opened my eyes the next morning, the first thing I saw was Killian sitting by my bedside. His thick arms were crossed, and his head was tilted slightly back as if he’d dozed off. The sunlight streaming through the window highlighted the sharp lines of his face, softening them. I shifted slightly, and his eyes snapped open immediately. “You’re awake,” he said, relief washing over his face as he leaned forward. “I wasn’t dying, you know,” I teased, though my voice was still hoarse from the previous day. “That’s not funny,” he replied, his tone serious despite the small smile tugging at his lips. “We were really worried about you.How in the goddess's name did you fall?” Before I could say anything else, the door opened, and Preston, Kris, and Hunter filed in, each carrying something in their hands. Preston had coffee, Kris had a tray of food, and Hunter was carrying a blanket that looked far too big for the hospital bed. “We thought you’d be hungry,” Kris said
Mabel’s POV My uncle’s voice echoed in my head, sharp and unforgiving. “You’re not doing enough, Mabel.” It wasn’t just a criticism—it was an accusation, a reminder that failure wasn’t an option. My fists clenched as I paced my room. I had done everything he’d asked. What more could he want? “I’ve been working tirelessly,” I muttered under my breath, trying to push his biting words aside. But his response had been just as infuriating. “If you were doing enough, we wouldn’t still be having this problem, would we?” My uncle and I had been working together for a long time now. And I thought he would understand where I was coming from by now. The nerve. The absolute fucking nerve. Did he think sabotaging Loraine and breaking down those overly possessive alphas was freaking easy? Since I came, I had done my best to make sure Loraine was away from the boys, but nothing I did allowed them near me. They always stayed away from me no matter what I did, no matter how many stunts I pull
Loraine’s POV Gordon’s words haunted me. “I know where your real parents are.” That fucking asshole! I had spent the entire night replaying that moment over and over in my head, convincing myself it was a lie. Gordon was a manipulator, someone who thrived on creating chaos and pain. Surely, this was just another attempt to mess with me. But then there was that small, traitorous part of me—the part that whispered, What if he’s telling the truth? The thought made my stomach twist. I tried to push it away, but it kept creeping back. My parents—the ones who raised me—were loving and kind. They had given me everything, taught me everything, made me who I am today. They’re my parents, I told myself firmly. They have to be. Still, doubt ate at me. The day started as any other—me waking up to the sounds of my mates already busy in the kitchen. I forced a smile, determined to focus on them instead of Gordon. My mates needed me, and I needed to shake off these dark thoughts. Walking i
Loraine’s POV The day after, Prince Gideon updated us on everything. The house was quiet—too quiet. That usually meant trouble, especially when all four of my mates were involved. I wandered through the halls, half-expecting to stumble upon chaos, but instead, I found myself piecing together just how hard they had been working behind the scenes to protect me. Kris had left early that morning, his usual calm demeanor masking the tension I knew he felt. Hunter had spent the night pacing the halls, muttering something about rogue sightings, while Preston and Killian had been in and out of the office, trying to keep the rest of the pack on high alert. I sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter as I prepared breakfast for them. The sight of the empty table tugged at my heart. They’d been stretched thin lately, all because of me. I never meant for my life to bring so much drama into theirs. “They deserve better,” I whispered to myself. But even as the thought crossed my mind, ano
Killian’s POV The morning was chaotic, as usual, in our kitchen. Loraine had been up early to make breakfast for everyone—a sweet thank-you for all the support we’d been giving her lately. But between Preston stealing food off everyone’s plates and Hunter barking orders about the day’s plans, the kitchen was less of a peaceful sanctuary and more of a battlefield. I leaned against the counter, sipping coffee, and watched the madness unfold. “Preston, I swear if you touch my bacon again—” Hunter growled, but Preston just grinned and popped the strip into his mouth. Loraine laughed from her spot by the stove, shaking her head at them. “You’re all worse than children.” In the middle of it all, Kris sat at the far end of the table, quietly eating his eggs like the chaos didn’t even touch him. He looked calm, almost serene, but I knew better. I’d watched him long enough to know that Kris’s calm exterior was a mask. He was always the most composed of us—our resident peacemaker—but when