Jaxon’s POVI can’t stop myself from watching Melanie walk away and join her friend. A part of me wants to grab her right now and take her far away from here, somewhere her father could never find her. I think back to when Alpha Damon mind-linked me in the woods:Good boy. Continue gathering all the evidence you need against her before Friday. The more everyone sees her alone with you, the more believable it will be.Yes Alpha, I simply replied. I figured that if he actually believes I’m planning to get rid of Melanie, he wouldn’t take matters into his own hands.I don’t know what he’ll do if he finds out before the ceremony that I picked her as my Beta. She doesn’t need to be in any more danger than she already is, but I’m hoping her being a high-ranking werewolf will guarantee her safety, at least for a while. He won’t be able to lay a finger on her without getting through me first.As I make my way back to the table, I notice that Kaylee’s seat is empty. I can still pick up her scen
Jaxon's POVI’m seething as Mom opens the back door and straps Ava into her booster seat. Then, she sits down beside me. Once she closes the door, I push-start the engine and start heading home.“Is everything okay?” Mom asks after a long stretch of tense silence.“Yeah,” I mumble, staring at the road ahead. The trees along the roadside blur past in the darkness, the car’s headlights casting long shadows.“Really? Because the steering wheel might disagree.”I glance down and see the color has drained from my knuckles from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. “Sorry.” I immediately relax my hands.“You’ve been so on edge tonight. Is it about becoming Alpha on Friday?” she asks gently, reaching over to rub my back.“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Actually, the man who has been grooming me to be his successor the past seven years is a monster, I just found my girlfriend banging some random dude in the bathroom, and for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about Melanie.Which reminds
Jaxon's POVWhen I return downstairs, I find Melanie and Moon sitting on the couch across from Mom. Moon looks terrified as she clings tightly to her sister. I feel so bad for her, she probably has no idea what’s going on. I sit down beside Mom, and she begins speaking.“Melanie, Jaxon hasn’t given me many details as to why you need Moon to stay here. I do feel like it’s important we know what’s going on, especially if we’re going to be involved.”Melanie’s eyes dart towards me, seeking reassurance. I give her a subtle nod.Melanie’s teeth graze her bottom lip. “I understand why you are concerned. I…I just fear for her safety. My dad’s anger has been explosive lately, and I just don’t want my sister around that,” she explains, her voice shaky.I clench my fists. I know she isn’t telling the entire story. If he’s willing to kill her, that means he has no problem putting his hands on her or any of the girls in the house. All I want to do is hold Melanie and tell her everything will be ok
Mel’s POVI can’t believe what just happened. How can I kiss him and actually enjoy it? How can I actually feel desire for him—My rival, my enemy? Sure, I’m grateful he appointed me as his Beta, but he owes me that much. Maybe my dad would’ve considered me as his successor if his dad hadn’t died, leaving him the opportunity to swoop in.I quickly undress and head to the bathroom to wipe the makeup off my face and shower. The hot stings slightly against my skin, but I don’t mind. These days, nothing bothers me anymore. I just need to make it to the ceremony, then figure out how to keep Moon safe and away from our dad. As long as she’s protected, I don’t care what punishment he has planned for me.After I finish washing up and turn off the water, I grab the robe hanging on the wall hook and slip it on. The room feels cozy and warm—much more inviting than my own home has felt for years, thanks to my dad. I lie down and try to focus on falling asleep, staring at the clock on the wall. Ten
Mel's POVMorning birds are chirping as I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes. I feel a lot more relaxed thanks to last night’s…session. I throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from my bag, then go to wake Moon up for school. But as I walk towards Ava’s room, I notice her scent is faint. My heart clenches with dread. I fling open the door to find the bed empty. A menacing growl rumbles from my throat. Where is she? Did Dad find us and have his men take her away from me? “Moon? Moon!” I shout, running back downstairs, where her scent is stronger but still faint. She must have left hours ago. Jaxon, Elinda, and Ava’s scents are also weak. Are they in the dungeon, waiting to be punished or exiled because of me?Panic starts to cloud my mind as I burst through the front door. I immediately sense movement to my right and drop into a defensive stance. If Dad thinks he can send his men to ambush me, he’s terribly mistaken.But then I breathe as sigh of relief as Jaxon steps out of the f
Jaxon’s POVI stare out the window as Melanie drives toward the packhouse. There was no way I was letting her go alone, not when I know Alpha Damon’s intentions. Intentions I can’t tell her about until after the ceremony.It’s nice to be alone with her again. I can’t stop replaying last night’s events in my head. Not only did we kiss, but after I left, she pleasured herself thinking about me. Yep, I heard the whole thing. I forgot to mention that the guest room wasn’t soundproof because it used to be Ava’s room when she was a baby. She was our first “guest,” and I only remembered the lack of soundproofing when I heard her soft moans through the door. As I was about to knock, the sound of her screaming my name froze me in place.Should I bring it up? I want to tell her how hard it made my dick; how it took all my strength to resist throwing open the door and fucking her until she could barely walk.“You’re such a slow driver,” I comment, trying to hide my smirk. “We would have been ther
Jaxon's POVI shiver at the newly unsuppressed memory. That was the first time he made me watch him kill someone, but it wasn’t the last. As the years went by, he even forced me to participate, calling it a part of my “Alpha training.” I can only be grateful that he never made Melanie go through that.“Jaxon, you okay?” Melanie asks softly, ripping me from my thoughts.I clear my throat. “Of course. Let’s see what he wants.”We walk across the marble floor to his Alpha’s office. I knock softly on the door before entering. He sits in his brown leather armchair behind a massive desk. His cold gaze meets mine before shifting to Melanie behind me.“Melanie, you never returned home last night,” Alpha growls, clicking the pen in his hand with an irritated rhythm. “Where is your sister?”I sense her tense up, but she keeps her composure. “We’re staying at Bliss’s house for the week. I thought you and Mom would enjoy some time alone during your last week as Alpha,” she replies with a convincin
Mel’s POV“Jaxon!” Ava cries, running full speed into her big brother’s arms. He scoops her up and spins her around as they both grin and laugh. I ignore the warm feeling watching them spreads through my chest. I can’t deny that even though he’s an asshole, he’s an amazing big brother.I wait for Moon to come out of the building, but she doesn’t. Panic immediately surges through me. “Ava, where is my sister?” I ask, concealing my worry.Ava blinks up at me with wide, green eyes—the same beautiful shade as Jaxon’s. “She was crying when the bell rang, and Mrs. Jones told her to stay behind.”My heart sinks. What if her teacher calls our parents? That’s the last thing we need. I take off towards the building, shouting, “I’ll be right back!”The hallway seems longer than usual as I follow Moon’s scent into the classroom. Mrs. Jones sits at her desk, while Moon sits across from her sobbing into her hands. As soon as she sees me, Mom runs over and throws her arms around me. My heart twists a
Mel's POV"He's beautiful, Luna.""He's going to grow up to be such a powerful Alpha."I force a smile, responding almost robotically to their comments and congratulations. I can't shake the feeling that someone's here that shouldn't be, but I'm not picking up any dark energy.When the line finally ends, Jaxon goes to mingle with the other Alphas. Since Zion is safely sleeping in the bassinet, I decide to walk around the building searching for the source of my anxiety. As I grab a flask of sparkling cider from one of the Omegas, I hear a familiar voice behind me. "Luna Melanie, it's nice to see you again," he rumbles, snapping me from my thoughts. It's Alpha Raeden with his mate at his side. "This is my Luna, Caroline."I smile warmly at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you.""Likewise. Your son is so beautiful, I'm still hoping that one day we'll be able to have a baby.""Thank you, and I hope you can too!"Raeden's eyes hold a quiet sadness, a reflection of the pain he must have felt w
Mel’s POVToday is Zion's grand debut with the pack. I dress him up in the most adorable little black suit and hand him over to Jaxon so I can get myself ready.The first few weeks of his life have been hectic, but I have enjoyed every second of it. When Jaxon and Ameer are busy with pack business, Bliss comes with us every time we leave the house. I don't mind the extra protection, plus I get to hang out with my best friend all the time.As I put on my dress and minimal makeup, my eyes are fixed on Jaxon cradling our son. The look of pride on his face is undeniable as he lovingly bounces him up and down, creating a gentle rhythm.I wish Damon would have ever looked at me that way, but I'm so grateful that Zion has a daddy that loves him unconditionally.Our son's adorable coos echo in the air and he has his tiny hand wrapped around Jaxon's finger. His smile widens, "that's right, Son. You're going to meet your pack and a few of our allies today," he says softly, "well, right after we
Mel's POVJudging by his erection, I assume he's excited about this confrontation. Maybe this was intentional, like he wanted to lure us out.There's a smug grin on his face as he gets closer, his yellow eyes twinkling with amusement."Take one more step and I won't hesitate to kill you," I warn callously. Nina flashes in my eyes, but that doesn't seem to deter him.He roars with laughter. "Aww, what are you going to do? I bet you can't even fight your own battles, huh Princess? Got those two men to be your body guards while you pretend to be the big bitch in charge?" he taunts.He couldn't be more wrong. Unlike Ayla, I can fight my own battles. They're just here for backup. But I don't need to prove shit to him.The other rogues are all gathered silently watching the show. They obviously don't want to get involved, or simply not stupid enough to do so.The rogues' leader narrows his brown eyes in recognition."Wait, aren't you that bitch that killed Alpha Kellan? When Alpha Magnus to
Mel’s POV"Jaxon, no fair! You know I'm carrying around a big-ass watermelon!" I growl, missing the volleyball for the twentieth time as he spikes it with all his strength.Ava bursts out laughing. "We win again!" She gives her brother a high five before running over to the ice chest and grabbing a juice box.Jaxon has a huge, cocky grin on his face as he makes his way over to me. "Sorry baby girl, you told not to take it easy on you unless I don't want to touch you for the rest of your pregnancy." He leans down to my ear. "Two months without that beautiful, tight pussy would kill me."I shudder at his words, pleasurable shivers going up my spine. His grin widens at the smell of my arousal. "Although, I'm sure you would've given in before the day was over."I scoff. "No, I wouldn't have."He raises his hands in surrender and takes a step back. "I won't be stupid enough to argue with my gorgeous, pregnant Luna."I shoot him a scowl but can't resist taking his hand as we walk along the
Jaxon's POVI shift and take off into the woods, ensuring that she's right behind me. Once we reach the packhouse, we quickly change into our evening attire and head to the dining hall to join our pack. It Looks like everyone is having a great time!Melanie kisses me passionately before heading off to find her sister and socialize with the rest of the pack. I grab a beer from the bar and sit at our table, watching my amazing mate surrounded by our pack with admiration.I can sense the incredible joy and pride radiating from her. Being embraced by a pack that used to treat her poorly means the world to her. They now accept her as the fierce, determined firecracker she is.Our Luna is perfect, Shadow purrs.She always has been and always will be.Ameer sits down beside me. "Y'all were gone for a while. I was about to send a search party out," he teases, throwing back a shot of whisky."I'd prefer my warriors not be traumatized like that," I chuckle lightly. Although, I'm sure everyone w
Jaxon's POVMy tongue plunges into her mouth, swallowing every whimper, moan, and cry as I pound into her mercilessly. The sound of our bodies clashing together echoes throughout the cave and it's hot as fuck. With one hand tightly gripping her waist, I close my other around her throat. I pull away from her mouth and slow down my pace to look at her. "I'm so proud of you," I breathe, "you're so amazing in every way and I'm grateful for every day that I get to call you mine."I can see the emotion in her eyes, and I know my words have touched her deeply. After what happened with Ayla, I know her heart was bruised from being used by someone she cared about and looked up to. But she knows my praise is genuine and out of love. She's everything to me, and I'll forever prove to her just how much she means to me.I don't know if she realizes it or not, but she's my saving Grace. She saved me from being a monster like her father. She saved me from the letting the darkness of losing both him a
Jaxon's POVI follow the lingering scent, leading me into a dark cave. My eyes quickly adjust to the lack of light, and I can practically feel the heat rolling off my mate from the other end of the cave. With my head hanging low and teeth bared, I close in on her like a predator about to pounce on its prey. Her eyes dart around, searching for an escape, but she quickly realizes there's no way out. As we both shift, I close the gap between us. She kneels, gazing up at me in the dark. A smirk forms on my face as I say, "Looks like you lost, baby girl. Better luck next time."Her eyes trail down my body until she reaches my throbbing erection. "Pity. Thought I could've gotten you a little more worked up first." Her tongue darts out to lick her lips. "Are you going to breed me, my dear Alpha?"My dick jumps at the idea. She'll grow a big, round belly with our pup, but she won't be in the kitchen. My fiery girl will be on the battlefield.I close my eyes, savoring her intoxicating scent. H
Jaxon’s POVIt's been three days since peace was restored in our world. We've got eleven packs without Alphas, but with Mel's help, Dusk and Rubeus are finding worthy replacements to preserve the peace we fought so hard for. Not only has she proven her worth to the pack, but she eliminated the most corrupt Alphas there were and prevented Ayla from literally taking over the world.Goddess, I can't even describe how thrilled I am that the bitch is dead. The moment she stabbed Melanie, she signed her ticket straight to hell. I'm grateful to both Dusk and Rubeus for being able to see past her bullshit and save me. They had me worried for a minute, but they came through in the end.Today is my mate's big day. She's combining her Luna ceremony and the recruits' graduation ceremony, and tonight we're having a huge feast to celebrate.After the recruits swear their loyalty to me and the safety of the pack, Melanie sinks into the water beside me. The thin material of her white dress hardly con
Mel's POV"B-But how?" Ayla stammers, still in shock."In a dream, the Moon Goddess granted me the Eternalbane dagger,” Dusk explains. “I never expected to use it, but she revealed the growing darkness within your heart. I was too blinded by love to believe it. It wasn't until Jaxon uncovered your role in my mate's death and you erased his memories, I knew that it was time. I would never let you do to Melanie what you did to me!"My mouth drops open. When did she erase Jaxon's memories, and how did I not notice?He quickly helps Rubeus to his feet. "You okay?"He winces, watching Ayla whither on the ground in agony. "I'll be fine. I thought she couldn't die?""The dagger only ended her immortality. Melanie will be the one to finish her off." There's a murderous intensity on his face as he hands me the blade. "Kill her and make it painful."Jaxon's fingers press against my waist, a gentle squeeze before he reluctantly releases his hold. "I can't argue with that," he mumbles.I draw clo