Denera For the first time, we had fallen asleep on bad terms. Rockan and I hadn’t spoken a word since our disagreement last night. I was more surprised that he hadn’t tried to assert his alpha authority over me, demanding silence or obedience. It was something I expected, yet he had chosen a different path, one that left me feeling unsettled.The morning crept in slowly, the sun taking its time to rise. I shifted on the bed, turning to face my mate, but his back was turned to me, a solid wall of muscle and warmth that I longed to reach out to. My heart ached with the words I hadn’t yet spoken—I love you. It hung in the air between us, unvoiced and heavy.I couldn’t help but admire his bare back, the way the morning light played off his skin. A stray strand of rope was tied behind his head—his mask, a constant reminder of the barriers he kept in place. Rockan never took it off. It was as if he was afraid to reveal himself completely, afraid of what vulnerability might bring.With a
RockanI told her I loved her.There was no taking my words back, and it wasn’t that I regretted telling her. I told her the truth, but still, something felt off. My chest ached with an unfamiliar heaviness that lingered throughout the night, pressing down on me like an unyielding weight.Maybe it was the fear that gnawed at me, the realisation that Denera might choose her newfound family over me. She had spent so long yearning for a connection, for blood relatives who would treat her with the love and respect she deserved. I could feel that desire radiating from her, a longing that I couldn’t compete with.What if I forced her to follow me back home? The thought sent a chill down my spine. I could envision her resentment, the way her eyes might harden with disappointment. “I don’t want that,” I muttered to myself, digging my fingers into my hair, and tugging at the roots in frustration.I stood up from the bed, the rising sun casting a soft glow in the room, illuminating the shado
Denera He had to be the most hysterical person I had ever come across. Ryan had a way of finding humor in everything, his laughter infectious and brightening the mood around us. As he launched into another story, I felt my worries begin to fade into the background.“Mother never let me lead the track team after that,” he sighed dramatically, his expression a mix of mock sorrow and playful mischief. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter, the sound spilling out easily. The room around us faded as the joy of the moment took over.“You were naked!” I exclaimed, nearly doubling over as I banged my hand on my thigh, unable to contain my amusement.“So?” he shrugged, completely unfazed by my reaction. It was clear he didn’t see the wrong in his past actions, and that only made me laugh harder.“They were kids!” I added, shaking my head in disbelief, my laughter ringing out like music.“I shifted into wolf form, of course, my clothes got torn,” he defended himself, a grin stretching acros
Denera“Denera,”I turned my neck toward the sound of the voice, a distant whisper that felt both familiar and foreign. “Denera, wake up.”My eyes snapped open, responding instinctively to the urgency in her tone.“We’re almost there,” a feline-faced woman said, her excitement contagious. I could hear it in her voice, but her features remained a blur, like a painting seen through foggy glass.“I’m sure you’ll love it there; my people are very nice,” she added, her enthusiasm infectious. I nodded, my small legs dangling over the edge of the seat, eager to look out the window and see if we had arrived at our destination yet.“We’re not there yet, honey,” an overly familiar masculine voice called from the driver’s seat. My heart raced as I turned, my eyes widening as the face came into focus. “Dad,” I breathed, recognition flooding through me like sunlight breaking through clouds.“I know, I’m just really excited. It’s been so long. If not for Claire, we probably wouldn’t have had a rea
Denera“I remember. I remember everything,” I cried out, the weight of my memories crashing over me like waves, each one pulling me under.Rockan’s expression softened, concern etched deeply into his features. “What did you remember?” he asked gently, his grip tightening slightly, as if he feared I might slip away again.I took a shaky breath, the air thick with the remnants of my nightmare. “The fire… my dad… my mom… they were trying to protect me.” My voice cracked, each word laced with the rawness of my grief. “I was so scared. I lost them.” The ache in my chest felt like a deep, unhealed wound, reopening with every recollection.His eyes darkened with confusion and pain. “Shh,” he murmured, his voice a soothing balm against the chaos swirling inside me. “It's okay.”“I... I was safe. It was safe at first,” I whispered, but the comfort of that thought felt distant now, overshadowed by the stark reality of my past.Rockan shifted closer, his warmth wrapping around me like a protect
Denera Rockan and I walked briskly through the corridors of the pack house, the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. A sense of urgency filled the air, and I could feel my heart racing as we navigated the familiar yet overwhelming space.“Do you think she’ll be in the kitchen?” I asked, glancing sideways at Rockan. His presence was a comforting anchor amidst the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me.“It's a good place to start. The kitchen is always buzzing with activity. If anyone has seen her, they’ll know where to find her,” he replied, determination etched across his features.As we reached the kitchen, the sounds of laughter and conversation filled the air, mingling with the rich aromas of simmering food. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. This was it—the moment I had been waiting for.We began asking around, approaching members of the pack who were busy chopping vegetables and stirring pots. “Excuse me, have you seen Luna Danielle?” I asked a woman
Denera“Claire,” she replied. “Her name was Claire, and she was the strong Luna of the Dark Lion’s pack.”My breath caught in my throat. “My mother?” Rockan breathed out, disbelief flaring in his eyes.I turned to Rockan, my own eyes wide with realization. “Granny Yeneva said I looked a lot like Lena that day,” I pointed out, my heart racing as the connections began to weave together.“Wait, wait, wait,” Rockan cut in, dismissively waving his hands. “You’re saying my mother, Claire, and her mother, Elena, were best friends?!”The revelation felt almost too good to be true, but Luna Danielle nodded, a knowing smile on her face. “Funny how those two kept wishing their kids would get mated to each other in the future. The Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways,” she chuckled wholeheartedly, the lightness of her tone contrasting with the weight of the revelation.“So you knew who we were because Rockan had already introduced himself as the alpha of Dark Lion—”“Yes, yes. I’ve always known
Denera “Before it all went black, my mother screamed and pleaded from afar. She called her name—Rosa.”The room fell silent, the air thickening with the weight of my revelation. Rockan’s grip tightened around my hands, a mixture of shock and disbelief flashing across his face. “Rosa?” he whispered as if trying to process the enormity of what I had just revealed. “Your mother’s sister?”I nodded, the tears I had fought so hard to hold back now spilling down my cheeks. “She was there, Rockan. I don’t know why she did it, but I heard my mother’s cries. She was desperate… and then everything went dark.”“Why would she attack her own family?” Rockan’s voice was filled with confusion and rage, the betrayal cutting deep. “I don’t know!” I cried out, my voice breaking. “But the image of that day has haunted me for years. I thought it was just a nightmare, a figment of my imagination, but now… now it all makes sense.”Luna’s expression was one of profound concern, the gravity of the situatio
TYRIS POV“What exactly do you want?” Eva hissed.“I want you both to listen to me.”“Well, we’re not interested in whatever you have to say. Is that too difficult to comprehend? I couldn’t deny that I loved everything about Eva, even her shouting at me felt like it was everything I needed but Serena was already in the picture.Why the fuck did I fuck with Serena? Why didn’t I waif? Was it really the goddess’s fault or mine? But if I didn’t get Serena pregnant I probably would never have found Eva because Serena wouldn’t have left the packhouse and if she had done I wouldn’t have noticed her absence. Hell! I had to admit that it was the goddess’s fault not mine. The goddess was just being twisted and cruel to me for no good reason.“Can you leave my house now?” Serena asked, arms akimbo rolling her eyes “Why are you being so difficult, Serena?” I asked, letting my frustration get the best of me and I immediately regretted it, biting my lips for doing too much.“I know men have audac
TYRIS POV “Did you just call her sis because she’s your sister or as friends?” I didn’t know when those words slipped out of my mouth. It was intended as a thought.“Yes. She’s my sister, my big sister. Do you know her?” Eva asked.I was supposed to answer Eva’s question, I knew I should but I got carried away, too carried away to think about what she asked. Rather I was mad at the moon goddess.I knew the moon goddess didn’t mean well for me when she paired Rockan and I to one mate but what I didn’t know was that she wouldn’t give up toying with my life after that.She made Rockan and Denara happy together only to make me suffer heartbreak unnecessarily. I don’t know what I did to deserve such callous treatment from her. But she was being extra mean and unkind to me.If she knew she had another mate for me why did she pair Denara and I together? Why did she make Rockan and I have one she-wolf as a mate? Why did she have to wait till I got another woman pregnant before making me meet
TYRIS’ POVThe sun peeked through the curtains, casting slanted rays of light across the room. I woke up early, the weight of yesterday pressing down on my chest like a heavy stone. Determination surged through me as I pushed the sheets aside and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Today was the day. I could feel it in my bones. I would find Serena and our unborn child.I had already lost Serena once, consumed by my pursuit of Denera, my first mate. The memories of that time haunted me; the choices I made had led to heartbreak and regret. Now, standing on the precipice of another chance, I couldn’t afford to be distracted by the unexpected appearance of Eva. She was a distraction I didn’t need, and her presence here made it all the more complicated. I had to push those foolish urges aside. As I dressed, I reminded myself of my purpose. Serena was out there somewhere, and I would find her. I had no room for anything else—not now. Once I was ready, I stepped outside into the cri
EVA’S POV Oh my God!“No, no, no, no, no!” I screamed at myself, gripping the curtain in front of me as if it could somehow shield me from the whirlwind of emotions swirling in my mind. My heart raced, pounding against my chest like a drum, while I tried to process what had just happened. “Is there a problem here?” Amanda walked in, her eyes narrowing with suspicion as they flicked over me. I stood upright, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. “No, no ma’am,” I replied, nodding abruptly before turning away, desperate to escape her probing gaze. Mate…He was my mate.The realization struck me like a lightning bolt, and my breath caught in my throat. How could this be? Just moments ago, I was going about my mundane life, managing the inn and taking care of my responsibilities, but now this? I could still see him clearly in my mind—the man with the chiseled jaw and broad shoulders, his hair dark and tousled frame, a face that seemed carved from stone. His eyes, a striking
TYRIS’ POV I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, fighting the overwhelming urge to inhale deeply and drown in her essence. My heart raced, a mix of excitement and fear coursing through my veins. I had never expected to encounter my mate here, in this bustling inn filled with strangers and stories. “Hi?” Eva asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She seemed to have noticed my turmoil but maintained a very composed demeanor. “Is this your first time here?”I looked up, struggling to find my voice amidst the chaos in my mind. “Yes, just passing through.”“Ah, a traveler then. You picked a lively spot. The Silver Moon Inn has its share of stories,” she said, her smile infectious. “Yeah, I can see that,” I replied, my mind racing. How was I supposed to go along with this? I had come in search of Serena, and here I stood, confronted by the very essence of fate itself. My mate was standing before me, a distraction I had never anticipated. “Are you okay? You look a bit pale,” she s
DENARA’S POV “Rockan…” I called as I sluggishly pulled my eyes open and saw him sitting right next to me on the bed holding my hands in the most assuring way ever.“I’m here little mate. I’m here for you.” He assured me and sealed it up with a forehead kiss.I closed my eyes and smiled. “Thank you babe.”“You shouldn’t do that. I live for you.” He kissed the back of my hand and I smiled, opening my eyes to touch his face, and that was when I saw them…“Luna Danielle! Adrianna?” I looked at Rockan searching his eyes for answers but was too impatient to wait for the answers. “What are you doing here? Am I dreaming?”“You think you are a super-shewolf right?” Adrianna rolled her eyes at me as she hugged me.“Denara, you scared us.” Luna Danielle complained.“I’m sorry… I’ll be careful next time.“Why did you bother to bring them back?” I mouthed to Rockan.“Would you have preferred he let you die instead?” Luna Danielle, whom I didn’t know was reading my lips, replied.“I wouldn’t have
ROCKAN’S POV I rushed outside to see my people being injured and hurt, probably killed by some hoodlums from the goddess knows where.The attack was so secretly arranged that my guards and sentinels were caught unaware and some of them also suffered from the attack.As soon as I got to the scene, my first instinct was to morph and remove all the attackers' heads from their bodies but there were younger kids and women here, some who might be pregnant and seeing a gory sight might be harmful to them.And most of all, I could feel and smell her… Denara, my mate, was here too. She didn’t wait inside like I instructed her to and I wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t like I expected her to stay inside in a situation like this. She was a Luna, a strong one at that.The only way to salvage the situation without making it overly dramatic was letting out my alpha aura to overpower them and that was exactly what I did.I closed my eyes and let my alpha aura flow through me and out in anger. The ground
ROCKAN’S POV “You killed my son.” The crying woman pointed at me accusingly.The guards rushed over with the intention of dragging her out but I signaled them to let her be.“But alpha, they are disrespecting you.” Someone from the crowd shouted.“They’re grieving.” I simply replied. The people didn’t bother to hide their shock at what I said and they started murmuring among themselves.They were probably surprised at my sudden change and how I was now caring and being understanding, which wasn’t very typical of me.Somehow I understood what it felt like to lose a child after Denara miscarried our baby. It wasn’t even a child yet, we hadn’t seen or felt the child or even knew it’s gender yet we felt this much devastated how much more a parent that lost a full grown adult.I felt bad for them but that was it, the mother would have prevented it from happening but she didn’t, rather she left the house in the middle of crisis and chaos for the goddess knows what and I did my best to not
ROCKAN’S POV The elders and the people stood up and bowed as soon as I entered with my mate and remained that way until we had our seats. I made sure Denara sat down first before joining her.“You may now sit.” I said and the people obeyed. Though the seats were not enough for the crowd.“Why are they so many? It feels like all the pack members are here.” I mindlinked Denara and she smiled at me.“They’re worried about their alpha.” She simply replied.After waiting for the goddess knows how long for someone to say something and no one did, I cleared my throat and started, “thank you all for coming and for your support when I was having a hard time.”The people started whispering and murmuring among themselves. That was when I realized they were still in shock of seeing me without my mask.I was already tired of the stares and the expressions I got. I didn’t know the people were so eager to see my face. What for? I wouldn’t be bothered if I were in their shoes though.“Yeah right.” M