Hades’s PovThe hallway outside Anita’s room felt colder than usual, the soft echo of my footsteps reminding me of the silence that lingered between us. I hadn’t expected the conversation to go the way it had, and now, as I stood there, my mind raced with the implications of everything we had discussed. Her admission that she still loved her mate had hit me harder than I cared to admit. But what unsettled me most was the fact that I could tell she wasn’t being entirely honest, not even with herself.Before I could gather my thoughts any further, Beta Damian approached, his expression serious but tempered with a hint of unease. I could sense that he had something to say."Alpha," Damian began, his voice cautious, "I’ve managed to calm the elders for now. They weren’t happy with the way things unfolded at the ball, especially with Amara’s outburst."I nodded, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "Let them be upset. It’s not their place to meddle in my personal affairs."Damian
Hades’s PovI tossed my phone onto the car seat beside me, a sharp exhale escaping my lips as I leaned back against the leather. The confirmation from the office came through quicker than I had expected, but it didn’t bring the satisfaction I thought it would. Pushing Anita to sign the divorce papers tonight felt necessary, like a step toward resolving this tangled mess between us, but there was an unsettling tightness in my chest. A feeling of finality that didn’t sit well with me.I ran a hand through my hair, staring blankly out of the car window as the city lights blurred by. Was I doing the right thing? Forcing her hand like this? It wasn’t that I wanted to pressure her, but every day that passed without clarity felt like a weight pressing down on me. I couldn’t keep dancing around these feelings, around the truth.The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, sensing my unease but knowing better than to speak. I tapped my fingers on the armrest, feeling restless, knowing
Anita’s PovThe café on Fifth Street was unusually quiet for the evening hour. I sat by the window, my fingers wrapped around a cup of coffee that had long gone cold. Zach sat beside me, his eyes scanning the room as if he was anticipating trouble. His presence was comforting, though the tension bubbling inside me made it hard to sit still. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this meeting—after everything that had unfolded, part of me wondered if I would even get the clarity I so desperately needed.The door to the café opened, and a man in a suit walked in, his briefcase clutched tightly in one hand. He was tall and imposing, with an air of arrogance that made my stomach turn. He spotted me immediately, making a beeline for the table."Ms. Anita," he greeted with a curt nod, taking a seat across from me without waiting for an invitation. His eyes flicked to Zach for a moment, but he quickly dismissed him as irrelevant. "I'm here to discuss the final terms of your divorce."My heart pou
Hades’s PovThe phone rang just as I was staring out the window, trying to get Anita out of my mind. The moment the name of the office flashed on the screen, my mood soured even further. I had been waiting for news about the divorce agreement, but something in the pit of my stomach told me it wasn’t going to be good.I answered, keeping my voice calm, though the tension was clear. “What is it?”The representative’s voice came through the line, professional but with a hint of discomfort. “Alpha, your mate refused to sign the divorce papers.”I clenched my jaw. “Why? Did she say why?”“Yes,” the representative replied, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “She said the emotional damages fee was too high.”I felt a surge of anger flare up inside me, my grip tightening on the phone. I had already known she’d push back, but hearing it confirmed only deepened my irritation. "Of course," I muttered under my breath. "She can’t just let go, can she?"The representative paused for a momen
Anita’s PovI watched the representative walk toward the exit, relief washing over me. It was finally over—or so I thought. Just as I turned back to Zach, ready to let go of the tension, I noticed him stop abruptly near the door. He stood there, frozen, staring in my direction. His hesitation made me uncomfortable. What now?Zach noticed too. “What’s his deal?” he muttered, leaning in closer to me.“I don’t know,” I replied, my voice tight with annoyance. “Let’s just hope he’s not here to drag this out again.”The representative turned and started walking back toward our table, his eyes locked on me like he had suddenly pieced something together. The look on his face wasn’t the smug, professional mask he had worn earlier. This was different—curious, maybe even shocked.When he reached us, he stopped directly in front of me. The silence between us stretched for an uncomfortable few seconds before he finally spoke. “Miss,” he said cautiously, almost as if he was unsure of his next words
Hades’s PovThe ride to the hospital felt like an eternity. Every second that passed, my mind kept replaying the image of Anita lying on the grass, blood staining her shirt. Damian hadn’t provided many details—just that she was hurt, and it was bad. My wolf was restless, pacing in the back of my mind, urging me to go faster, to get to her.When I finally arrived, I rushed through the hospital’s corridors, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. A few nurses tried to stop me, asking who I was and what I needed, but I brushed past them, my focus solely on finding Anita. Nothing else mattered.I stopped just outside her ward, my hand hovering over the door handle. I could hear voices from inside—one of them hers. Relief coursed through me at the sound of her voice. She was okay. But then, another voice followed. A man’s voice.My grip on the door tightened as I listened, the words becoming clearer.---Anita’s POV“I told you, Zach,” I said, infuriated but smiling. “It was just a scratch.”Zac
Hades’s PovMy hand rested on the doorknob, the cold metal beneath my fingers grounding me in the moment. I stood there, just outside the hospital room where Anita lay, recovering from her injuries. Inside, Zach’s voice was calm but firm as he encouraged her to rest, his tone filled with genuine concern. And hers—her voice had been steady, determined, even as she brushed off the severity of her injuries. It was typical Anita, always pushing forward no matter the cost to herself.I should’ve barged in. Every instinct I had told me to claim my place at her side, to remind her that no matter what had happened between us, I was still the one who could protect her. But as I stood there, something gnawed at me—a thought that had been creeping up on me ever since I overheard their conversation.'What role do I even have in her life anymore?'She had Zach now, a man who clearly cared for her and was willing to stand by her side. I had no claim to her. She was just my assistant and nothing mor
Hades’s PovThe whiskey in my hand swirled lazily in the glass as I stared at it. Damian’s question echoed in my mind, louder than the dull hum of conversations around me.“Have you fallen for her?”I didn’t respond immediately. Instead, I lifted the glass to my lips, letting the burn of the alcohol distract me from the storm brewing inside. Fallen for her? What a joke. The word "fall" didn’t seem fitting for what I felt. It was too soft, too passive. Whatever I felt for Anita wasn’t gentle—it was a raging inferno, a constant pull that never let me breathe, never let me forget. But was that love? Or was it something else entirely?Damian, sitting beside me, sighed and leaned closer, clearly not giving up on his interrogation. “You can’t avoid the question forever, Alpha. You wouldn’t be sitting here, drinking like this, if you didn’t care.”I didn’t look at him. Instead, I took another slow sip, feeling the whiskey burn down my throat. “It’s not that simple,” I muttered.Damian huffed
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