Carena: I couldn't sit there and watch them glaring at me. With Tabitha smirking and sipping tea with the loudest noises ever, I felt like drowning in that cup of tea. I got up and shed my clothes, trying to hold back the tears from falling down my eyes."Excuse me," I knew I could escape for now, but Lord Rennick would not let me sit in his mansion in peace after finding out I couldn't even give him an heir. I rushed out of the living room and ran to my bedroom, dodging every guest in my way. I couldn't even glance through the crowd to find my young step-siblings. And they didn't bother to find me either."Hey!" It was Janine who had followed me to the bedroom. "What happened? You're not at the party?" She walked in with a pout on her lips."I can't be a part of these parties. I'm not one of them," my voice was heavy, and tears were struggling to stay in my eyes."That's bullshit. Your alpha king has given you that respect. Who the hell are these people to steal your happiness and s
Carena:"What are you up to?" the man persisted, causing her embarrassment in front of everyone."I wasn't paying attention, I'm sorry. I'll sort this out," she awkwardly gestured for him to lower his voice as all eyes were on them, but the man remained indifferent.He was so loud and rude, reminding me of how Jack used to behave.I've been in that situation many times, and I can attest that when all eyes are on us, we feel disgusted with ourselves, because of how we're being treated."Don't mind him. That's my royal Gamma, Mark Neob. He took over some time ago and is now dating Ashley," Jack quickly introduced them, seeming embarrassed by how his royal gamma had drawn attention to himself."Shouldn't your Gamma know he's not supposed to behave this way at a grand dinner?" Sawyer didn't take his eyes off Mark the whole time.But he also didn't react to Ashley dating him."Don't worry, I'll talk to him," Jack assured, signaling to Mark from afar to calm down, and only then did he lower
Carena: "What did you just call me?" I grunted quietly, my eyes stinging with tears of anger. How dare he use that term for me when the real owner of such a tag is him."I said--" Before he could finish, I raised my hand and slapped him as hard as I could. He shook his head and froze for a few seconds, almost like he wasn't certain that it really just happened."Did you fucking--" He straightened his back and had only raised his hand when I intervened, reminding him I wasn't his mate who he could mistreat anymore."Touch me and my Sawyer will kick you out of his pack," I hissed. He stared at my face in disbelief before nodding his head in understanding."My Sawyer? Since when did you grow so possessive over someone?" There was anger in his voice, also shock."You got to tell me what you wanted to tell me. Now, fuck off, Jack!" I hissed at him.The more I responded to him, the more I felt like he was trying to grasp the change in me. I would never dare speak back to him. Even when I c
Carena: "Why? Why can't you just reject her if you don't love her anymore or if you think you'll never be with her?" I questioned, noticing a slight twitch in his muscles. It was as if he reacted to something in my statement. Before he could reply and before I got distracted, I quickly began overanalyzing my statement to figure out what made him react so strangely.And then I realized it.It was something he had already answered before, and I had forgotten about it."You still love her," I murmured under my breath.He took a deep breath and stretched his neck back to calm himself, but he didn't deny it."But that's not why I'm not rejecting her," he mumbled.However, him not denying his love for her hurt me. It wasn't his fault because he had been honest with me from the beginning about his feelings for her. I guess it was just that he concerned and cared for me that made me think maybe he was falling in love with me.But I refused to believe one person could love two people equally.
Carena: I hoped for the morning to start off well, but that didn't happen. Sawyer got up earlier than usual to go for a run. I've been trying to learn as much as I can about him, and I knew that fitness was his top priority.Once again, I was summoned to Lord Rennick's study for a dreadful meeting, but this time I didn't give in. I decided not to attend. It's not like they would engage in any meaningful conversation with me. They would just scold and threaten me.I stayed in my bedroom, waiting for Sawyer's arrival, when a knock on the door grabbed my attention. "Come in," I said, straightening my blue dress as I sat on the couch, expecting it to be either Ginny or Janine. Instead, Lord Rennick and Lady Jane burst in, wearing expressions that darkened the room.My heart skipped a beat when Lady Jane slammed the door shut and glared at me. "You were supposed to join us for a meeting. How dare you disobey our orders?" she yelled, while Lord Rennick paced around aggressively."I was tir
Carena:I couldn't even get another word out of my lips. They seemed to be shooting me threatening glares, probably wondering what they could do to get rid of me now.“I guess I'll have to figure out how to tell Sawyer what a liar you are, and then deal with you and your damn annoying family who tricked us into putting their burden on us,” Lord Rennick threatened, his words hitting me hard and making me shudder at the thought of yet another humiliation."Let's go, we've wasted so much time and energy on this useless piece of crap. No wonder the Red Raven pack got rid of her as soon as possible," Lady Jane nudged Lord Rennick, who had been glaring at me as if I'd committed some major crime the whole time.Their words stung deeply. They left me standing there and finally left the bedroom.Now, I was stressed about when they would tell Sawyer that not only had I lied about having sex with him, but I had also hidden my condition from him. What if he gets angry at me? It's not like he'd be
Carena: I stood before everyone, hands clasped in front of me, head bowed. Despite my posture, I could sense their reactions to my presence."What's happening, Sawyer?" Lord Rennick took the first step, while the others waited impatiently, eager to grasp the situation."Why don't you enlighten us?" Sawyer shot back, his fists clenched tightly."I'm clueless," Lord Rennick scanned the room, met with similar expressions of confusion. "Why did you instruct Paula to retrieve Carena’s reports?" He turned to his grandfather, and in that moment, my hopes surged. I raised my head, sensing a shift in tone."I didn't," Lord Rennick denied, exchanging a swift glance with Lady Paula, who frowned at the confrontation.Sawyer's focus shifted to Paula, and she stiffened, anticipating his next move. But before he could confront her, a protective Jack stepped forward, shielding his mother from Sawyer's angry gaze."Could you clarify this matter? Your mention of my mother didn't sit well with me," Jac
Carena:We opted to stick around, though that didn't guarantee inner peace for me. By now, everyone knew not to rile me up. Yet, they resorted to mild teasing this time, perhaps aware that I'd let a lot slide.I slipped into a green dress for my meeting with my father and sister. Sawyer assured me I could roam wherever I pleased. He even left his driver behind for me.As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, a smile crept onto my face. Maybe I was beautiful or else why would such a powerful and strong alpha king take such good care of me? I did not realize my ability until Sawyer began treating me right.There must be something special about me, or why else would Sawyer be taking care of me so much, right?"Janine! I'll be at my place. I'll be back for dinner," I flashed her a smile as I breezed past, but soon noticed a shadow trailing behind, causing me to slow down."What are you doing following me?" I immediately tensed at the sight of Tabitha in black pants and a shirt."The hou
Carena: “I have put them to bed; we’re all set,” Sawyer announced, his shirt disheveled before he quickly straightened it, though he didn’t roll down his sleeves.I gave him a smile and got up from my seat to welcome him. He took the main chair, and I sat down beside him, wearing a beautiful red dress.“You are the best father and husband,” I whispered, leaning over to kiss his cheek while the maid served us food.“You two need to get a room,” Ronan joked, making us smile and turn to him. He looked so happy with Yamin. The two had welcomed twins--a baby girl and a baby boy--last year.“And my brother is truly proving himself to be a good role model too,” Payton added proudly.Lady Jane smiled at her sons, delighted with their perfect lives.“And Payton is taking good care of business,” Louis grinned at her, giving her a wink. I knew something was brewing between the two, and they had recently opened up about it. They were set to get married in two months.I didn’t think there could b
Carena:“What do you mean?” My heart revived even more, my grip tightening around my child.“Kelly, don’t fucking make up stories,” Jack yelled, his fists clenched.“I am not. You fool. You really bought my lie about Carena being so powerful to get pregnant already and then giving birth in seven months. Carena didn’t have a proper sense of date and time because there were days she would sleep without waking up for two days. But you, you knew everything. Yet you didn’t question anything?” Kelly smirked at Jack, who was finally hit with the realization.That’s when my baby let out a little cry and opened his eyes. He had the same eyes as Sawyer.“He is my baby?” Sawyer rushed toward me, taking him from my hands and then smiling, “No wonder I felt such a strong connection.”“No! You did not betray me like that,” Jack yelled, rushing to wrap his hands around Kelly’s neck, but Martin raised his legs and kicked him, making Jack drop back like a pathetic weakling.“How dare you--,” it was as
Carena: After I beat him up, Sawyer handed me my baby while he tied the couple to a tree. I was curious about what he was planning to do.“I am so sorry I got you into this mess,” Kelly cried to Martin, the two tied side by side.“No! If I have to do that again, I will do it. All for you,” the guy was hopelessly in love with her but also an idiot for partaking in her crazy schemes.She was a doctor; if she had remained committed to her job, the two would be living a very good life by now.While the two cried and talked, I held my son and smiled with teary eyes. My baby was perfect. There was no way he was Jack’s child. How could such a beautiful baby belong to that monster?“My perfect child,” I cried happily, rocking my baby in my arms. All these months, not once did I hate my child. I had grown so much in love with my baby that I didn’t understand why and how."Why would you want us dead? You already have your baby and your mate by your side now. Don't you have everything already?"
Carena:He was watching me with so many emotions in his eyes. In that moment, Jack and the others decided to flee because they knew they couldn't fight Sawyer.Jack was so frightened that he didn't even wait to grab me. Instead, he just started running after seizing Kelly.“My son--!” I yelled, but before I could get up, I saw Sawyer gesture for me not to go after them.“They cannot escape the woods.”His confidence made me sit back. But what about my son? What if they hurt him?"Sawyer!" I uttered his name as he deepened his stare into my eyes, filled with nothing but love for me."My love!" He knelt down and instantly pulled me into a warm and comforting embrace."No! Don't touch me before you know my truth." It broke my heart that even after our reunion, I had to keep my distance from him.He needed to understand that I had given birth to Jack's child so he could decide whether he still wanted to be with me. It would shatter my heart if he didn't want to stay with me, but I could n
Sawyer:“Ronan, keep your eyes peeled at the border. Make sure your men remain hidden in dugouts around the portal,” I advised him as we marched away from the entrance. Tonight was the Wolf Moon, and after midnight, I knew Jack would arrive with Carena. Certainly, Jack would use Carena to try to lure us away so that he could cross the portal, but I would jump right in with them. That was the plan.“I have informed my guards not to stop them from enticing the bridge, but do let us know when they arrive,” Ronan confirmed. I didn't want to provoke Jack into attacking Carena out of anger. Of course, he would threaten us with her life when he was surrounded by the warriors.“Yamin is taking care of the roads--” Suddenly, Ronan's voice began to fade. My mind started to wander off, and I knew it wasn’t the first time this had happened. I had felt this before, only when someone stepped into my woods--the woods of which I was king.“They are here.”I closed my eyes, focusing on the whispers of
Carena:“AHHHHH!” My screams had deafened me at this point. The pain was unbearable, and being out in the wild was not helping at all. I was worried for my baby and how giving birth in the wilderness would negatively impact everything. Dr. Kelly had asked Jack and Martin to grab some supplies while she assisted me with the delivery.“Just keep going. I know you can do it,” she said, rubbing a damp cloth over my forehead in an attempt to comfort me, but I was far from comfortable. The open air and sky, combined with the fact that my mate was not with me, broke my heart.“Why can’t we go to a hospital?” I asked, letting out heavy breaths, but the pain kept intensifying.“Because Sawyer must have informed all the hospitals and packs about you and Jack,” she replied. “Besides, we are passing through Sawyer’s pack, so--” The minute she said that, goosebumps covered my body. I looked around and noticed the woods. What the hell!We were in the terrifying part of the woods? The crazy and poss
Carena: Jack was shocked to see the old man confronting him. It seemed like Jack had run out of words.“I don’t know what you are--talking about,” Jack tried to sound normal, but none of the words he uttered came out in a confident tone.His hesitation alone gave him a guilty appearance.I had stepped way back from them while Dr. Kelly ensured she stayed with me."I heard it all. You played me only so you could use my kin to escape the werewolf world--the world where you have messed up so much that you can’t even remain in it anymore,” Vincent finally seemed to have caught on to Jack’s scheme.It took him months and many wasted attempts to open his eyes. But what struck me as odd was that Jack steadily fixed his posture and approached him.For someone who had been caught in a lie by his only support, he was remarkably calm.“I think you’re taking this way too seriously. It’s not that grave of a matter,” he placed his hand on Vincent’s shoulder, but Vincent shrugged it off aggressivel
Carena:"What did you just say?" he asked, a harshness in his voice warning me not to say the wrong thing."Jack lied to you. He told me that if he told you the truth, you would kill me and my baby." I gulped, realizing it could be true. I was taking a risk here. If I wasn’t pregnant, I would have found a way to escape the chains and transition. But that was no longer an option."Huh!" He looked rightfully confused. "You are the reason my poor daughter is dead. Sawyer killed her because of you." Now that we were talking, he started revealing what he truly thought of me.The fact that he claimed Sawyer had killed Tabitha proved that Jack had lied to him about many things."That’s not true. Listen--" I took a deep breath, knowing I was about to admit who was really responsible for Tabitha’s death and the deaths of his other children.His expression grew even harsher as he continued to watch me, waiting for an explanation as to why I believed Jack had been lying."Tabitha did cheat on Ja
Carena:I was heavily pregnant and miserable, but I kept going for the sake of my baby and the hope of seeing Sawyer again one day. I just didn’t know how he would react to the fact that my child belonged to someone else.“You shouldn’t starve yourself,” the maid they had hired for me said, causing me to roll my eyes.I didn’t get along with any of these people.They were all enemies of both me and Sawyer, working for that despicable man.“I’m full,” I sighed. “Before you start lecturing me, I had breakfast less than two hours ago,” I scoffed, irritated.She rolled her eyes and left the hut. We had been on the run—or rather, they had kept me on the run—for months.Every time Sawyer got close, they would pack up and flee again. They’d managed to evade him many times by threatening my life, and of course, Sawyer always relented.“Hey,” Jack entered, having taken care of the food and other necessities for the night. He smiled at me.The mattress I sat on was uncomfortable, lacking the fa