The truth is that Lilith was more than right when she said we needed a bit of beach time, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, the smell of the sea breeze, the salt and sand getting between my toes, the cool breeze hitting my face, the scorching sun touching my head, all of it seemed perfect at that moment.It's been so long since I've been here to enjoy it, and the truth is that maybe I've never really come here to truly enjoy it. Usually, we bring the kids to play, or we leave that task to the babysitters. We never really stopped to sit and observe the wonder of the Moon goddess.But one thing was clear: truly being by the sea, in the grandeur of the Earth, was wonderful. I mean, how could the beach be so perfect?I take a bite of mango from my fruit salad that I asked Ômega to prepare for us to bring.Besides us, the beach was empty and, to be honest, at first I didn't understand why it was so empty - at least, not until Jaden reminded me that it was the castle's priva
I wished so much they were safe, that they were protected, that I didn't stop to think that we still have many enemies and they can cause harm for no reason, to be honest.I don't know how far human wickedness can go, I don't know what people are capable of doing. How many cases of children have been torn from their parents' arms in packs out of pure greed or vengeance? I remember vividly the case of the twins, where one of them was taken from their mother's lap. It was an immense pain for her, and in the end, she never found the second child. She doesn't know if he is alive, dead, well-fed, happy, or has a loving family that took him in, even being a kidnapped baby. I don't want this to happen to me. I don't want my children to be left alone, I don't want them to be taken from me. I want them to be safe, and perhaps the only way to ensure that is for us to finally become alpha and Luna supreme. Maybe this is the little push we need. Even though our pack is safe and we have trustwort
I was dying of worry and simply couldn't stop pacing back and forth in desperation.No one had prohibited anyone from entering or leaving the pack. The pack castle doors had been closed, all the staff were located in the entrance hall, and we already knew many of the employees, we wanted to know if anyone was missing.The children, at least the ones remaining, were placed in their room, locked with security at the entrance door and some scattered throughout the house. We could be sure that no more children would disappear.Now, Fawn was very close, watching everything all the time, suspicious. She had spoken very little to me, was very attentive to every movement of each person.The pure love of our own pups was natural. They were born from us and the love for Dandara had been built. She came into our arms as a baby and we created such a beautiful bond over the years. She was with me at all times, it was as if I was her inspiration. She always tried to imitate me, used the same colors,
My head can't understand what's happening. I just wish it was easier, that she hadn't been kidnapped and that our day at the beach was the best possible."Where do we start?" I ask Jaden."I don't know, we have to find our little girl," I sigh."I know, we do have to," I feel my eyes fill with tears."Oh, my love," he hugs me. "We'll find her, we'll bring her back home," Jaden comforts me.I take a deep breath, trying to stay calm amid the chaos that has taken over our lives. We need to act fast, we need to find Dandara before it's too late."Call the warriors, spread the word to the newspapers and packs, let's spread the news and search for her in every possible place," I declare determinedly.Jaden agrees and together we begin to outline a plan of action. We can't waste time, we can't allow ourselves to give up. Dandara is part of us, she is our girl and we will do everything to have her back safely.I want everyone to know it was him, I want his picture plastered on every newspaper
THIRD PERSON POV | FOUR YEARS AGOPaul felt his heart ache, as if it were being ripped apart from the inside out, when he met a woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with. He felt complete, fulfilled, as if his life had finally gained some purpose. However, that was not the truth. It did not take long for Catherine to show her true colors. He never imagined she would be as ambitious as she turned out to be.At first, it seemed like she took this passion seriously, like she took the relationship and the love they could build together as a gift from the goddess herself. He couldn't exactly remember when, but he knew at some point a switch flipped in his head and she was no longer the woman she used to be. He was broken, destroyed, and mistreated by the woman he fell in love with. But after all, wasn't that love? His wolf never thought of the possibility of rejecting his own mate. In fact, he considered it a crime for any wolf to do so, believing that the goddess had a pur
How could he bear so much contempt and still remain a good man? No, that wasn't fair, that wasn't possible. Any other human being would have been corrupted long before, but he was strong, trusted that the goddess would bless him someday, or maybe he would have a child, but no, that wasn't what happened. In fact, it seems that things always got worse for him."Do you even love him?" He asked, somewhat bewildered."That's none of your business, my private life is none of your concern. I don't even know you, you just showed up and say we have a bond and that’s it? Do you think I'm going to believe and leave my whole life for a love I don’t even know if you feel? I saw how far a bonded man can go, I saw Joshua lying with other women, with me, while his mate, Malia, stayed at home. He made me give up believing in the bond, he did, and now that I managed to become the Luna of this trap, when I finally got out of misery, you want me to leave everything for you?" she vents. "I'm carrying the h
Paul's POVI took a while to arrive, but now I was in front of the pack house, staring at everything after a long time without showing up here, without having the courage to step in here. In fact, I never imagined that I would return to my true origins, to home.I sigh, tired, running my hand over my forehead. Half of me was tempted to turn around and leave, but every time I remembered Serena, her disdain... something inside me ignited.I returned after the child was born. I heard that Joshua had died and believed that she would have some sense and come with me. I tried to force her to come, but she screamed and ordered me to be thrown out of the pack. They treated me like nothing and now, yes, now I feel a deep anger at everything.When my father walks out the door, I finally straighten up and stare at him. He assesses me and gives me a smug smile. I narrow my eyes to face him."I knew you would come back," he says, smiling at me."Maybe it's a mistake to be here," I say."No, it's ne
THIRD PERSON POVThe shrill sound of a whistle jolted Paul awake as the sun rose on the horizon. Rising quickly, his body still sore from the previous night’s journey, he found his father waiting in the clearing behind the mansion. The fog clung to the ground and the humidity suffocated the morning atmosphere, giving the impression of being from another world.“Let’s begin,” his father said, handing him a knife. “TODAY, you will discover the true importance of pain.”Paul felt his father’s blade slap into his hand before he could react. His shock reflected in his arms, but he held his ground, exerting effort to fend off the attack. Each blow was stronger than the last, and he realized his father was not holding back, he wanted to hurt him.“You think you know suffering?” His father roared, delivering a blow that almost knocked him down. “You know nothing about pain. You are weak, Paul! Your mother made you weak. She made you like this, sentimental. You think the pain of love hurts? Now
20 YEARS LATER“Darling?” I called as I opened Jaden’s office door.“Beautiful.” He smiled warmly at me. “What do you need?”“Nothing,” I murmured, smiling back. “I just missed you.”“Well, lucky for you, I’m finishing up my work now,” he said, grumbling.“Well, even if you hadn’t finished, I would have insisted you stop.” I said, leaning over his office chair. His hands moved to my hips, pulling me closer.His lips met mine, and he drew me in, guiding my legs to either side of his hips. For the past 20 years, Jaden and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other. It was almost as if our bond was continually renewing itself, which was pretty incredible.Our kisses deepened, and he stood up from the chair with me still wrapped around him, placing me on top of his desk. Jaden's fingers traced every inch of my body.“Jaden, we’re running late,” I murmured, feeling him plant kisses all over my neck and chest.“No one will mind, Malia,” he whispered, as I dug my nails into his shoulders.Jade
Two months later…The pain overwhelmed me completely. It was early morning, and I groaned as I got up and placed my feet on the cold floor of my room.“It’s time, Malia,” Fawn said in my head.“Oh my God. Not again,” I groaned.“This time, with just one baby, we can have a natural birth,” Fawn said, excited.“Oh, no! It… it must hurt,” I whimpered.“Malia, we’re strong, dear,” she winked at me. “We’ll manage. We always do. Look at everything we’ve been through,” she sighed.I nodded as another wave of pain hit me, and I groaned while getting out of bed to try and go to the bathroom, only to find water running down my legs and dripping onto the floor.Jaden jumped up, startled, and turned on the bedside lamp. “W-what?” He seemed to be trying to process what was happening.“Dear, I’m in labor,” I said, biting my cheek.“We need to go to the hospital,” he said, jumping out of bed and searching for things I didn’t understand.“Call the doctor, Jaden,” I grumbled. “And your mother. Call bo
I frowned, my gaze shifting between the two women. Sophie’s eyes were downcast, her hands trembling slightly as she kept them clasped. I had never seen her like this before — so vulnerable, so frightened. A shiver ran down my spine.“What’s going on?” I asked, my tone now more serious. “Is something wrong?”Sophie finally raised her head, her eyes meeting mine. They were filled with so much emotion — fear, hope, regret. It was as if she was carrying a weight that was crushing her from within.“Jaden,” she whispered, her voice wavering. “There’s something you need to know… something I should have told you a long time ago.”My heart began to race. Malia squeezed my hand gently, a gesture of support, but I could see the concern in her eyes too. Okay, something was starting to feel very wrong here.“Just tell me,” I urged, trying to keep my voice steady. “What is it?”Sophie took a deep breath, her chest heaving as if she was about to dive into the deepest, darkest part of the ocean. “I…
I was determined. Today would be the day I would reveal everything to everyone. Finally, Jaden would know that Sophie was his biological mother, the one who had been prevented from raising him due to the cruelty of others.When Sophie entered the room to bring my breakfast, she looked as calm and composed as ever. She walked in with a tray and a smile on her face, but there was something in her eyes that made me feel it was the right moment."Good morning, Queen Malia," Sophie said, placing the tray on the table beside the bed. "As always, I prepared your coffee myself.""Good morning, Sophie," I replied, watching her closely. "Actually, I need to talk to you about something very important."Sophie raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, and sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened? It sounds serious.""It is serious," I confirmed, looking at her firmly.I hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words to express my discovery. Like it or not, it was something serious to share,
I woke up with the weak afternoon sun filtering through the curtains, feeling a restless sleep overtaking me. I barely noticed when I fell asleep. The time seemed to drag on throughout the afternoon, and every minute I waited for the results was a torment. I looked at Jaden, who was still sleeping peacefully beside me, and carefully got up to avoid waking him. I dressed quickly before anyone could appear and left my room, checking to make sure I was alone. I descended the castle’s corridors, my heart racing with each step toward the doctor’s office. Each footfall seemed to echo in my chest, reflecting the mix of anxiety and hope I felt. The need for confirmation and the fear of facing a painful truth was almost paralyzing. When I finally reached the doctor’s office door, I knocked softly and entered as soon as he gave a brief “come in.” He was sitting at his desk with a grave expression, which instantly sent a shiver down my spine. “Majesty, the results are ready,” he said, his
"Why do you want to know about my mother?" he asks, his eyes dropping to me with a gleam. "She died, as you know, and—" "No, dear. Your real mother. Didn't your father tell you about her?" I ask. "Oh, that..." He clears his throat and looks at the ceiling. "Dad didn’t give me any photos or descriptions. But he said her name was Sophie, that she lived in our pack, but they were forbidden to live their love after they turned eighteen, when they hadn’t discovered they were mates." He pauses slightly, my eyes widening with each new piece of information. "So, my grandfather took my mother away. They reunited sometime later and spent one night together, making love. The next day, my father found his true mate, and my mother completely disappeared again. Dad tried to move on with his bond, but a year later, when I was only three months old, my mother showed up at his door, begging him to raise me." "What do you mean?" I frown. "Why?" "My mother had a cruel mate, love." His fingers twi
Soph had a mother’s love. She took care of me with a tenderness I had only experienced in my childhood. Now, after my bath, I'm finishing my chicken sandwich while she brushes my hair in front of the mirror in my room.“You have beautiful hair,” she says, gently pulling it back to keep it from falling into my face.“Thank you,” I smile. “So, is the weather here always like this? Does it change so quickly?”“Ever since I got here, yes.” She nods.“So, you’re not from around here?” I ask, surprised.“No,” she laughs. “I’m from the other side.”“Where from?” I ask.“Well…” She clears her throat. “I think this is the only place I’ve really put down roots. I used to travel a lot,” she stammers a bit.“That must have been hard to do with a child,” I murmur.“Actually, no.” Her cheeks flush a little. “I did it alone. Reuniting with my son felt like receiving a gift from the goddess.”“That’s so touching,” my eyes sparkle. “Why did you leave him?”“Oh, I had a problem with my mate, who wasn’t
The days have been almost all the same. I think the pregnancy has made me slower and sleepier, so by the time I wake up, Jaden has already left to start his work as king.I know he's trying to protect me because of the baby, but I want to help while I still can since, during my postpartum recovery, it will be impossible to do much. Besides, we'll have a newborn to take care of.A week ago, we found out that I'm pregnant with a boy. He’s huge, a bit bigger than the twins were, since he doesn’t have to share the womb with anyone else. I can already imagine that he’ll be a big, strong man when he grows up.I sighed as I placed my feet on the cold floor of my room and shivered. A cold front had arrived in the city, and I couldn’t quite handle it. I discovered that the climate here is much milder than in my old pack — which is several miles away from here.I was wrapped in one of Jaden’s hoodies, which was several sizes too big and reached halfway down my thighs, along with a pair of my sw
I smiled widely when I saw Jaden. I walked over to him and gently threw myself into his arms. “Hi, dear. How was your day?”“Good,” I murmured. “But it's even better to be home.”The clock on the nightstand read 7:30 PM, which meant we had spent much more time out than we had planned. Anyway, today had been wonderful, and I felt more connected to the culture of the country.“And how was it here?” I asked, looking up at him.“Tiring,” he said, brushing a strand of my hair from my eyes.“You know you can always call on me for support,” I murmured. “I also have responsibilities in this pack.”“For now, you’re busy producing organs and tissues; I think you can take a break for a while,” he joked, and I laughed, rolling my eyes.“I still want to see the kids before dinner,” I said.“I stopped by earlier; they were in the bath, and I decided not to disturb them,” he murmured. “I was waiting for you.”I smiled at him, leaning in for a chaste kiss. As we embraced, I heard the children’s loud,