Anita's PovMartha had teased me endlessly earlier about how jumpy I’d been, but there was something unsettling about tonight. The voice I’d heard when we left for the trash run still lingered in my mind, playing over and over. The tone was too familiar, too much like Alpha Hades. But it didn’t make any sense. Why would he be here? I shook my head, trying to push the thought away.Martha had always joked that I was overworked, and maybe that was it. Maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me.After all, what reason would Alpha Hades have to be anywhere near my apartment building? He belonged in his packhouse, dealing with important matters, not wandering around random neighborhoods in the city.I couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of it. The Alpha, in my part of town? That was ridiculous. Still, the voice stayed with me, tugging at the corners of my thoughts.By the time Martha and I returned from taking out the trash, I was still lost in my thoughts. The cool air had helped clea
Anita's PovMartha, ever the joker, had kept up her teasing, but I was barely listening. My mind was elsewhere, running through all the possibilities, which none made sense. The flowers looked too much like the ones Alpha Hades had been holding earlier, but there was no reason for them to be here. It was impossible.“Maybe it’s a secret admirer,” Martha suggested with a wink, nudging me playfully.I scoffed, though a weak smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “Yeah, right. Some admirer who doesn’t have the guts to leave a name.”Zach was still on edge, pacing slightly as he eyed the flowers suspiciously. “I don’t like it. You're trying to misquote me Martha. How can someone leave flowers outside our door after a creepy guy left. It doesn’t feel right.”I glanced at him, trying to ease his nerves. “It’s probably nothing, Zach. Just a misunderstanding.”Martha, ever the one to lighten the mood, grinned mischievously. “Or maybe… it’s your cheap husband who is finally coming back to cla
Anita's PovI had just settled into bed, my thoughts still swirling from the strange events of the evening. The flowers, Zach’s warnings, and the familiar voice in the hallway—it was all too much to process, yet it still felt like something wasn’t adding up. But before I could let my mind wander too far, my phone buzzed on the bedside table.I frowned, reaching over to pick it up. It wasn’t often that I got calls this late, especially from an unknown number. But when I glanced at the screen, my heart skipped a beat.It was Alpha Hades.My fingers froze over the screen for a moment, unsure of what to expect. Why was he calling me now, of all times? I hesitated, but eventually, curiosity won out, and I answered the call.“Hello?” I said cautiously,There was a pause on the other end, a strange, heavy silence, and then I heard it, his voice. It was low and blur.“My mate…”I blinked as my heart was pounding in my chest. His voice was different from what I was used to. He sounded. Confuse
Hade’s PovThe warmth of Anita’s lips lingered on mine. It was soft and luscious, but as I deepened the kiss, something shifted within me. My hands moved to her jacket, fingers fumbling as I began to peel it off her shoulders, but just as I was about to pull her closer, a sudden realization hit me. A cold, uneased clarity breaking through the fog of my drunken mind.This wasn’t right.This wasn’t my mate.I froze instantly, my hands stopping mid-motion. The haze of alcohol clouding my thoughts began to lift, replaced by a sickening wave of confusion and guilt. I pulled back, blinking, staring at Anita’s face.The woman in front of me wasn’t my mate. She was my assistant, Anita. A sharp pang of shame shot through me as I realized how far I had let this go.I sat up straight, withdrawing my hands from her jacket, my heart pounding in my chest."Anita…" I breathed, the apology thick in my throat. "I—I'm so sorry. This… this was a mistake. I didn’t—"She brushed off the apology before I c
Hade’s PovImmediately, Anita push me off her body and struggled up quickly, making way to run out but then, I reached out, grabbing her arm before she could escape.“Wait! Why are you leaving?” I said with an agonizing tone.She tried pulling her hands away slightly, but I held on, confused by her sudden urge to run. Her eyes were wide and I could see her heart thumping loudly against her chest as if she couldn’t get out of here fast enough.“I shouldn’t be here,” she said, her voice trembling. “What if your mate shows up? I don’t want to be misunderstood.”Her words hit me like a bucket of cold water, sobering me up just a little. My mate?Although her concerns were real, and in that moment, I realized how all of this must have looked from her perspective.I scoffed, releasing her arm, but not moving away from her. “She’s not coming here,” I muttered, bitterness seeping into my voice. “She wouldn’t. Not now. Not ever.”Anita’s brow furrowed, clearly not understanding the weight behi
Anita’s PovI sat, frozen on the couch, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions that had swept through the room since Damian had arrived.Alpha Hades was acting out of character, more vulnerable and raw than I’d ever seen him, but the more he spoke, the more I realized there were layers to this man I didn’t fully understand.As I stood there, trying to process the conversation between the two men, a heavy silence filled the room. Damian’s eyes flicked to me briefly before settling back on Alpha Hades. He had mentioned something about the Alpha’s injury, a piece of information that sent a chill down my spine.Injuries to an Alpha were a serious matter, especially when it concerned the safety of the entire pack. The fact that I knew about it now, as a rogue, it complicated things further. I wasn’t supposed to know about it at all. I wasn’t supposed to be involved in any of this.Alpha Hades turned toward me, his gaze dark and calculating.
Hade’s PovAnger coursed through my veins, hot and pulsing, as Damian’s words echoed in my head. The way he said it—as if I should have simply followed the elders’ orders and married a Luna of equal standing and that got me infuriated. I clenched my fists, trying to control the surge of emotion, but it was no use. Damian had pushed me too far.I turned to face him, my voice low and dangerous. “Enough, Damian.” Damian knew better than to question me like this, especially when it came to my mate. He didn’t understand. No one did.“Alpha, I’m just—”I cut him off sharply with a growl,“Don’t. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”The room was suddenly too small, too confining. I felt trapped by my own anger, by the constant reminder of what I had lost. My mate had betrayed me, shattered every shred of trust I had once held. And yet, here was Damian, throwing it all back in my face, as if I should’ve just followed the rules and done what the pack wanted.A heavy silence fell over u
Anita’s PovI stood there, watching Alpha Hades’ reaction as I tried to process everything that had just happened. The whole situation felt surreal, as if I were trapped in a strange dream that I couldn’t wake up from. What had started as a simple task of assisting the Alpha had spiraled into something much more complicated, leaving me feeling off balance and unsure of how to proceed.Alpha Hades had reacted so strongly when my forehead had brushed against his lips, so strongly that it left me questioning why it had affected him so much.To me, it wasn’t a big deal. Accidents happen, and it wasn’t like I had intended for it to happen. But the way he recoiled, the way his eyes widened in shock as if something important had occurred, made me realize there was more going on beneath the surface.I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking, but before I could say anything, he quickly instructed Damian to escort me out. His tone was clipped, as if he were trying to regain control of a s
Alpha Hades’s POVI couldn't believe what was happening. The man, Zoe, who had been stirring the pot, spewing lies about Anita, was now standing in front of me. His arrogance was thick enough to slice with a knife, but as I took a step toward him, it seemed to dissolve into something else—fear, uncertainty, maybe even guilt. The man was not one of us. I could feel it in my bones even as he had lied earlier. Immediately, I lunged at him, grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking him up, his legs shaking defensively in the air. Looking him straight in the eye, I asked, "Who are you?" My voice sharp and low. "How come I've never seen you around the pack before? Are you even one of our people?"The man’s eyes darted around the room as if he were looking for an escape route. His gaze briefly met mine, but then quickly dropped to the floor. He stuttered, “I... I’m one of the people here... from the clan.”I didn’t believe a word he was saying. Something didn’t add up. If he had truly be
Hades's POVI could feel the pressure building inside me, my thoughts scattered, and my blood simmering with frustration. The walls of the office seemed to close in on me. At this moment, I feel like my head is about to explode. First, it was that damn woman causing trouble at the banquet, trying to disgrace Anita with her lies. Then, I had to face the elders—each one of them demanding that I divorce my mate. And now, the clansmen were at the door, shouting, furious, and demanding that I cast Anita out of the pack. How is this possible? How did everything turn into a whirlwind of chaos just because of one woman’s slander? My mate, my beloved, the one who was chosen for me by Moon Muse herself, was being torn apart by false accusations. She did nothing wrong. She didn’t kill her father; she didn’t start the fire that took the life of the old Alpha. But here they were—clansmen who didn’t know the truth, elders who were too quick to judge, and a pack that was ready to turn its back on
Anita's POVThe moment Alpha Hades' words fell, an urgent knocking echoed against the office door. It was rapid, insistent, and the annoyance it carried was unmistakable. Alpha Hades' expression shifted, a flicker of irritation crossing his features as he waved his hand dismissively, signaling Beta Damian to open the door. Beta hesitated for only a second before pulling the door open. To my surprise, several elders stood in the doorway, their eyes sharp with authority. When they saw me, their brows furrowed immediately, the tension in the air was thick. They exchanged a few brief looks before one of them—an elder with silver hair and a scowl to match—spoke, his voice deep with disdain. "Let’s talk about the conditions," he began, his eyes never leaving me. "What do you want to divorce Alpha and leave our pack?" The words stung, slicing through the silence. The question seemed so out of place, and yet, I knew exactly where it was coming from. The elders were clearly unsettled by the
Anita's POVThe air around me was thick with tension, with whispers, accusations, and the overwhelming weight of eyes that drilled into me like daggers. My throat was tight, and my chest ached as though a great weight was pressing down on me. I barely noticed when Amara stepped forward, her expression cold and calculating, her eyes fixed on me like a predator hunting its prey. I only had a split second to brace myself before the words spilled from her lips. "You were kicked out of the pack, then turned around and deceived Alpha Hades," Amara spat, pointing a finger directly at my nose. "Relying on your means to make him marry you. Do you want to ruin this pack again?"Her voice cut through the already tense air like a knife, sending a shockwave through the guests. The room, already rife with doubt and suspicion, erupted once again. The murmurs, gasps, and shocked exclamations crescendoed into a chorus of disgust. My heart pounded violently in my chest, and my breath came in shallow g
Anita’s POV The impact of my stepmother’s words was immediate and catastrophic. Like a bomb dropped into the heart of the banquet hall, the shockwaves reverberated through the guests, shaking the very foundation of what I had fought so hard to build here. The murmurs began like a ripple on the surface of a pond, but within moments, the room was filled with whispers, gasps, and unrestrained exchanges of questions. “What is Alpha Hades talking about? Has our Luna killed anyone?” “Wait, she’s the princess of that pack? Then why is she working as a rogue in ours? Did they kick her out?” The shock was obvious. Eyes turned toward me in disbelief, eyes that once looked at me with a certain degree of respect now clouded with doubt, confusion, and a hint of suspicion. The words my stepmother had thrown at us felt like daggers, and I could feel each one of them sinking deep into my skin. My body went numb, my heart racing as I tried to keep my composure. It was like the world was spinning o
Anita's POVThe moment my stepmother, Evelyn, and stepsister, Amara, stepped through the doors of the banquet hall, the atmosphere shifted. It wasn’t just the weight of their presence. It was the way the room seemed to contract, like air being sucked out of a space too small to hold it all. My eyes met theirs across the room, and a wave of cold dread washed over me. Evelyn, with her perfect but destructive smile, and Amara, who had a calculating gleam in her eyes that made my stomach twist in knots. They didn’t have to say a word for me to feel the venom they carried. Their gazes met mine, then swept dismissively over the other guests, as if we were beneath them. I swallowed hard, feeling my throat tighten, a cold shiver creeping down my spine. The murmurs around us began almost immediately, like an undercurrent that started low but quickly grew into something more dangerous.“This is our pack’s banquet. Why would Alpha Hades invite them?”“I heard the elder is pushing for Amara to
Anita's POVThe clink of glasses, the hum of conversation, and the low murmur of the crowd faded to a complete hush as Alpha Hades led me onto the stage. His hand, warm and steady in mine, was the only thing comforting me as I stepped into the glaring spotlight. The eyes of the pack were upon us, and though the room was filled with familiar faces, the weight of their gaze made me feel like a stranger in my own skin. I tried to swallow my nerves, but my throat felt dry, and my pulse raced faster with every second that passed.I could hear the shuffle of feet as guests shifted in their seats, their curiosity intense. The eyes of the pack, elders, warriors, and betas, all locked onto us as we took center stage. I glanced up at Alpha Hades, his broad frame standing tall beside me, exuding a confidence I could only dream of having. His expression was stoic, his features set in their usual hardened mask. But his hand, wrapped tightly around mine, told me everything I needed to know: he was
Anita's POVThe atmosphere in the makeup room had shifted from electric tension to something lighter. I couldn’t shake the memory of Alpha Hades’s kiss, and every time my gaze flickered toward him, I felt the heat of it all rushing back to me. He had this way of looking at me intensely—that made my heart race every time. But then, as if to ground me, he calmly turned to the makeup artist who had been standing silently by, waiting for him to give the go-ahead."Could you touch up Anita’s makeup?" Hades’s voice was low and controlled, but there was an edge to it, as if he was trying to maintain a sense of normalcy after the intimate moment we’d just shared.The makeup artist, a young woman with short auburn hair and gentle eyes, immediately noticed the smudge of lipstick on my lips. Her gaze flicked between Hades and me, and I could feel the blush creeping up my neck, coloring my face even more. It was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help it. The intensity of the moment was still so fresh, a
Anita's POVAlpha Hades walked toward me, his presence so commanding that the room seemed to shift with his every step. People around him, sensing the intimacy that was about to unfold, tactfully retreated, leaving us alone in the quiet of the dressing room. The air felt different now, charged with something unspoken, an electric tension that hummed beneath my skin. I stood frozen for a moment, unable to move, my breath shallow as I stared up at him. His eyes, dark as the night, met mine with an intensity that made my heart race faster than I could comprehend. There was a calm confidence in his every move, but something in the way he looked at me, something in the predatory gleam in his crimson eyes, made the space between us seem impossibly small. My pulse quickened. I wasn’t sure if I was more afraid or excited, but the emotions mixed together in a cocktail that left me breathless. As he drew closer, his hand brushed lightly against my back. The sudden coldness of his touch made m