Accepting the elegant, tall-stemmed glass, I took a sip and sighed with pleasure at the taste of the crisp liquid. “You’re right,” I said, looking at Dylan, who watched me, “it has been a long week.”
Dylan eased off his shoes, too, his long legs crossed at the ankle as he settled back on the sofa.
After another sip of wine, the soothing atmosphere and Dylan’s company made me open up. “When I came back to Berlin after your Alpha Ceremony…” I trailed off, needing another mouthful of wine before I could meet Dylan’s eyes, but he watched me, patiently waiting for whatever I had to share. “I decided I should take things to the next level with the guy I’d been seeing.”
I took another gulp of wine, needing it to loosen up about talking to Dylan, of all people, about this subject.
“I told him I was ready to, well, you know…” As my eyes met Dylan’s, my heart tig
Then Dylan rolled his hips, filling me with more of his delicious girth. I gasped, opening and arching against him to receive all of him until he was completely sheathed inside me. He plunged into me, and a tremor of pleasure shook through me. I bucked and cried out, already seeing stars. Dylan growled in appreciation, the sound sending me spiraling into another orgasm.“Dylan,” I cried out as the wave of pleasure took me. I felt as if all I was this fluttering and contracting around him. I clung to my mate, my nails clawing into his back and my legs hooking around his ass. My ragged breaths merged with his as he rode me hard until his shoulders stiffened. The strong lines on Dylan’s face were so taut as he roared his release, and I gloried in the primal sight. As he collapsed against me, spent, I melted against him, feeling as if I never wanted to let him go.The next day when my eyelids fluttered open to a dim room, it took me a moment to remember w
My lips twitched as my gaze raked across Cherry with humor. Was that what we’d just done, made up? Twice.As Cherry flushed, I remembered we had an audience and said, “We are a hundred percent made up. In fact, we’re best friends forever, Fern.”Fern squealed happily, which in turn, brought Lara to the door. Cherry reintroduced me to Fern’s nanny. Then, Cherry invited me in, and Fern entertained me in the living room by showing me each of the toys I’d bought for her and telling me about them. Meanwhile, Cherry chatted to Lara and thanked her for spending the night, reassuring her that her “work” emergency had been resolved. So that’s what she’d told Lara and Fern. I was pleased that no one else knew how distressed Cherry had been. I knew how much she prided herself on being able to handle everything herself. And I knew how capable she was of doing so. After all, she’d done everything by herself for seven
“You lucky bastard,” my Beta said, and I knew from his tone he was grinning happily for me. “And Fern? Did Cherry tell you whether–” “She’s mine,” I said. “I knew it,” Bert said. “Now, you really are the luckiest bastard under the moon.” “I know,” I said, a smile spreading over my face. I was blessed by Nuu- Chah. And I wasn’t about to take these gifts given to me for granted. Never again. “Listen,” I said, “I’m going to stay in Berlin for a while.” “Stay as long as you need, Dylan,” my Beta said. “You’ve got this, my Alpha. I’ll hold things down at the fort.” “Thank you, my Beta,” I said, honoring him with his title too. “We’ll talk soon.” I hung up, letting my decision solidify. I felt the certainty of Nuu-Chah’s will in me strongly. I was Alpha of Starsmoon and submitted to nothing and no one, except my love. Pleasure rippled through me as I remembered how exquisite it had been to give my mate exactly what she wanted. Cherry’s comma
CherryI’d taken Dylan to a local bistro for lunch after I’d heard that he particularly liked the schnitzel he’d tried in Berlin. I contentedly watched him devour his lunch, and then we returned to the store and studio for the afternoon. Despite all of my assistant designer Maisy’s teasing, I wasn’t able to restrain myself from “checking in” on Dylan again downstairs in the store.My sales assistants had already told me at lunchtime what a stellar job he’d done all morning. Apparently, the sales were noticeably up with Dylan working the floor too. As I lingered at the bottom of the stairs, watching his tall, muscular form strut across the room, I could well believe it. I was sure that all the female customers would only too gladly receive any attention my handsome mate gave them.I studied the strong profile of his face, the edge of his jaw, cheekbones, and the slope of his nose. Already, I felt greedy for his atte
He laughed. “Of course. The suit I ordered,” he said, an enigmatic smile on his face as he looked at me. He studied the designs. “It’s wonderful. You do have exquisite taste.” Amusement crept into his voice as he added, “I mean, that claret dress is a real stunner.” His comment had me picturing the customer in it again and the way she’d laid her hand on Dylan’s chest.Mine, something deep within me, growled, and my hand instinctively shot to his chest, stroking Dylan as his eyes danced with amusement and… desire. I knew what he was trying to do. He was teasing me to try to draw out that primal side of me that wanted to mark what belonged to me: him.Aware that my employee was still in the room and would be for another couple of hours, as well as those in the store downstairs, I suggested sweetly, “I could murder a coffee right now. Any chance you’d grab me one while I finish off some stuff here, D
Dylan“Bert?” I answered the phone quickly, tension vibrating through me. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing, Dylan.” My Beta’s voice rumbled reassuringly. “I was just phoning to check in,” he explained, sounding surprised at my troubled tone.I unclenched my jaw, feeling my shoulders relax too. I didn’t know why, but I’d been on edge the last couple of days like I was waiting for something to happen… something bad.I was sitting in the study of my townhouse, having come over here to work in my study on a bit of pack business. I generally only used the townhouse for my work. I’d basically moved into Cherry’s apartment, knowing it suited her and Fern best to stay there. It was Saturday, so Cherry was doing overtime in the store. The gentle whisper of Fern’s voice soothed me, her tones stirring from the living room where she was playing.“Are you all right?&r
My daughter’s dark eyes skimmed my face seriously, and I felt the quiet weigh me down as I waited for a second time to see if this little girl that I already loved would accept me.“I like you very much,” Fern said decidedly. “So I’m pleased you’re my dad.” With that, she hugged me, and I squeezed her tight. She asked excitedly, “Can I put on my party dress now?”Cherry had designed and made her a special princess dress just like Elsa’s, her favorite Disney princess, and she’d been desperate to put it on since waking. But Cherry had rightly said she could wear it after pancakes. The syrup stains on Fern’s pajamas showed what a wise decision that had been.“Go ahead, Sweetie,” I said, borrowing Cherry’s endearment for her. Because she was mine too, and she now knew it.As Fern rushed off excitedly, I collapsed back into the sofa, feeling flattened by the huge wave of
Besides, my dad, we’d have Dylan’s parents back in our lives too. I knew things could be rocky at first, given how Dylan’s choosing to pursue me meant that he’d gone against the old Alpha’s wishes. But I knew Chris and Heather were good people. And I was sure once they’d met Fern, their granddaughter, they’d be pleased to have us back in their lives. The idea of my daughter having such an extended network of family after having just me for so long seemed like something in favor of the move too.Yet, the idea of going back wasn’t all roses. I looked around at the vast, airy studio. I’d withdrawn a lot from Dylan over the last couple of days, hiding in my work and pulling a few late nights while he spent time with Fern. As much as I wanted to be with my mate, I felt as if I was already grieving for the business I’d have to let go of.I stared around at the long white tables where final prototypes lay. The intern
Giovanni's PerspectiveI sat in my office, brow furrowed, with papers piled as high as a mountain in front of me. My fingers absently scratched across the desk, and my eyes occasionally flicked to the stacks of pending paperwork, but my mind was far from them.Ever since Diana joined the company, my heart has never been at ease. Every day, her familiar figure, always within my line of sight, seemed to remind me of a long-forgotten past. An unspeakable feeling, one that had quietly begun to grow, spread deep within my chest.I don't want to
Fern's Perspective"Diana, good morning." A clear greeting interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see the manager who had called my name and tried to offer a natural smile. She was my immediate supervisor, Marianne, and while she had a kind face, it was clear that she was not someone to be easily overlooked."Good morning, Marianne," I replied with a smile, doing my best to keep my voice steady.I then turned and walked into the office. Before me was a modern work environment: spacious desks, rows of computer screens, and neat shelves filled
Fern's PerspectiveWhen I got home, I sat at the dining room table, staring down at the newspaper in front of me while my mind wandered far away. Giovanni's face, those deep eyes, and the aura that surrounded him seemed to pull me back to a past I couldn't escape. I had been so happy to see Giovanni, to feel the way he looked at me, and yet now, it felt like a distant memory."Mom, how was the interview today?" Daniel suddenly jumped up from the couch beside me, looking at me mischievously.I froze for a moment, then forced a smile. "It wa
Giovanni's PerspectiveI sat in my spacious office, a mountain of papers piled in front of me. My fingers absentmindedly skimmed over the pages without truly registering their contents. Distracted, my gaze would often drift toward the window, where I imagined the bustle of the world outside. It had been a long time since I'd taken over the pack, and moments of inattention like this were rare for me.Today's meeting had left me drained. The pack elders had engaged in a heated debate over my decision to choose a Luna, knowing full well that some of them didn't want me to make a rational choice. As a werewolf alpha, I under
Fern's Perspective I sat on a couch in the office lobby, my hands instinctively tightening around the strap of my bag. My interview hadn't even started yet, and all around me, the soft murmur of whispered conversations filled the air as candidates discussed various questions. I stared at my phone screen, but my heartbeat refused to slow. Suddenly, I heard a familiar name. "I heard this company was founded by Alpha Giovanni of the Dark Howl Pack. In just a few short years, it's become one of the most influential companies out there," a girl whispered. "Yeah, I heard his business tactics are as ruthless as he was when he was Alpha of the pack," another added. "..." My heart sank, and in an instant, the murmur of voices around me faded. The name echoed in my mind. Giovanni—the man who had touched my heart so deeply, the man who had given me everything, and yet, had left me scarred. How did he end up here? This company was founded by him. My mind immediately flooded with memo
Tobias' PerspectiveMy gaze involuntarily returned to his stoic face, and a flicker of unease stirred in my chest.There I stood, half in shadow, my eyes fixed on Giovanni sitting behind the desk. His posture was as rigid as a stone, silent and solitary, blending seamlessly with the somber atmosphere of the room. The air felt cold, and his presence made the silence almost suffocating.This man—once my friend, once the leader of our pack—was now nothing more than an empty shell, devoid of emotion.
Tobias' PerspectiveI stood in the doorway of Giovanni's office, took a deep breath, and then knocked gently on the door."Come in."His voice was cold, with an undeniable air of authority.I grasped the doorknob and gently pushed the door open, stepping into the lavishly furnished office, its atmosphere chilled. The scent of paper and leather hung in the air, and sunlight poured in through the heavy curtains, but it couldn't dispel the cold silence that env
Fern's PerspectiveOliver walked over to the table and bristled, as if he thought he had done nothing wrong. "As I've said many times, he's just too naughty and needs some training. Otherwise, sooner or later, his own wolfishness will crush him." His usual cold expression matched his typical, less-than-congenial demeanor, giving off an unapproachable air."You're too mean," I said with a blank look, though my heart was full of gratitude. At least he hadn't given up on Daniel's training, and that gave me some comfort. Even though my past had been full of pain and regret, Oliver always made me feel a touch of warmth.
Fern's PerspectiveSunlight poured through a gap in the curtains, casting a warm glow on the floor next to the bed. The ringing of the alarm clock yanked me out of my slumber like a bolt of lightning. My eyes snapped open, my mind racing as I tried to cling to the remnants of sleep, but all I could see was the familiar sight of my room—the wall clock already reading 7:30.Today, I have an important interview.The words echoed in my mind, urging me to leap out of bed. I rubbed my face quickly, then sprang to my feet, my movements hurr