-RAINA'S POV- "Stop right there!" I whisper-yelled and sprinted out of the bedroom. “Wait!” The level in my voice raised as I went in pursuit. The shower was still running as Valen took his bath. I was sure that he'd be able to find me once he saw that I wasn't there, so I chased after her. In the hallway, a glimpse of her floating white hair and giggles went down the stairs. Determined, I followed suit. First, she was at Dark Wolverson and now she was at Wolkrane Fortress as well. Apparently, she followed me wherever I went. This woman was up to something and it was time to tell Valen about her after I caught her today. I recognized that she might pose a threat. But what does she want from me? And that was the thought that kept running through my head. Am I her target or could she be trying to get to me for a bigger purpose? She jumped over the brown leather couch in the living room and ran out of the townhouse-style cabin. I leaped in the same fashion. Once I got as far as the
Dear Valued Readers,Two major things have occurred:- I slipped and hurt myself last Sunday.-The battery of my laptop has stopped charging.I will have to revert to using my phone to type which may lead to more typos etc. I apologize beforehand and seek your understanding.I prefer to use a keyboard as I go faster that way. Therefore, I will have to adjust accordingly.Please bear with me at this time while I strive to continue to post weekly chapters for you to read.Thanks again for you support along the way.I will do my best.Virtually yours,O'Chantal
-VALEN'S POV- All of us kept silent. Devin crept into the kitchen to help himself to some pizza. Raj stalked him and procured a glass of bourbon from the liquor cabinet. Avoiding what she had inquired, I stared down at how adorable she was in my arms. Raina got extremely irate and yelled, "I am sick and tired of everyone keeping me in the dark! No more secrets!" In an effort to get away from me, she pushed against my arms. The dreary thoughts lingered that she would want to rush off to do her own search for Vaheed. Thus chasing after him, risking herself. So my reservations about keeping her in the dark persisted. But I knew that she would bug me until I eventually told her. Tomorrow, Venus will be aware. By then, she was sure to call Raina. Consequently, Raina would be angry at me for keeping this from her. Although it was for her own good. She did, however, reassure me that she did not have feelings for anyone. It would probably be all right if I told her now. I reinforced my h
-VALEN'S POV-Here I was, frustrated and pacing the length of the living room. I just wanted to cuddle her and smother her with kisses. I sank on the couch. My curvaceous doll came over and knelt between my legs with pleading doe-eyes that were softening something within me. My eyes dipped to the lush plumpness of her cleavage. Damn, they looked spongy and enticing.We ought to be on the beach for the picnic I was thinking of having underneath the starry sky. Instead, Raina preferred to have us debating on what should be done for Vaheed. Now I regret telling her about his disappearance. I ran my hand through my hair before I would give in to the inclination to touch her.Raina might wear a tough exterior and could convince many others that she was strong because of who her parents were. However, none of that mattered to me. To Zeus, she was the most beautiful and frailest she-wolf we’ve ever encountered. It was our right to protect her and be out of harm’s way. How could she talk abou
-RAINA’S POV- Valen carried me all the way to his bedroom. He sat me on the edge of the king-sized bed and went to the walk-in closet. He returned with two pairs of gloves. The black ones he took for himself and the white ones he gave to me. "Babe, what's up with the gloves?" I cocked a brow upward in perplexity. He put the latex gloves on, strode to my side, and touched my face. Immediately, I got the picture. There were no sparks but at least his hands could caress my skin with the gloves on. My face lit up with a smile and I put them on. "Nothing is better than physically touching you, but this might be a temporary solution." His hand did not leave my cheek. Forgetting the issue at hand, I jumped on him and pecked his lips. Only a small amount of fermenting occurred since the action was rapid, and the healing was instant. When his eyes turned pitch black, I knew I was in trouble. I roused Zeus in the same way that Hera kept pushing for him. I shouldn't have done that because
-RAINA’S POV- Alerting sounds came from downstairs, reaching the sensitive parts of my heightened hearing. The rattling of dishes, the clanging of pans, and the clinking of utensils could substitute for an alarm. Someone was in the kitchen. I blinked sleep from my eyes and envisioned Valen making breakfast for me. Tall, hard-bodied, and devastatingly handsome as he worked that gorgeous body of his to feed me. An affectionate smile decorated my face from the flattery. Maybe I should relax in bed and wait until he brought it up on a tray with a rose. He could rejoin me in bed to cuddle like last night. A happy bubble grew in my chest. "Go find our mate," my impatient wolf, Hera, whined from missing him too. Because she could be so damn persistent, I threw the covers off and sauntered to the bathroom to freshen up. My nipples felt tender and delicate. Valen groped my boobs all night, twisting around my areolas, and slept with his nose in my hair, enjoying my scent. It’s visible that
-RAINA’S POV- Dad sipped his coffee and instantly averted his gaze at the kitchen window over the sink with an inscrutable expression. “Stuff.” “Really, Dad. That’s all you are going to say.” I should not be surprised. I supposed they would not tell me anything. Do I have to start training for Luna Queen before they begin to include me in everything? I was sure that I had been brought up somewhere in their conversation yesterday. Dad whipped his gaze back at me. “Well, your behavior was a very serious topic.” He came to sit beside me on the tall bar stool. His tone was with authority and firmness. “Sweetheart, we need to have a conversation about the fact that you could be in danger. It’s time for your reckless behavior to stop.” “How am I reckless?” My brows knitted at the accusation. The explanation needed to be forthcoming from my father since I could not demand one from Alpha Vance. My head turned to the right to look at him as I munched on a strip of bacon. “The adventures
-RAINA'S POV- Speaking in a place where everything echoes back to you was a true interpretation of real loneliness. Hera’s agitation prevented me from relaxing in the living room. Constantly on edge, her whimpers were like a microphone feedback that was maddening me. Dad left me alone in the cabin after being summoned by Alpha Vance. I knew that they’d be talking about the white-haired woman and the precautions that would be taken at Dark Wolverson. Thoughts mulled over in my head. Villainess Snow wasn't terrifying. She seemed rather inclined to let Vaheed die, but why? What did she have against my best friend? She could have easily killed me when I chased after her on Monday. Yet, she didn't. Instead, she warned me. Friend or foe. I did not know what to classify her as. Come to think more of it, was she the moon goddess? If she was, I must say that I was not impressed. What is she up to? I was pacing the green carpet of the room, back and forth, wondering if Valen would be alright
RAINA’S POVSlinking inside the Alpha suite with night vision goggles, I crept up to the king-size bed to see Valen tossing and turning in his sleep.Why wasn’t he dead yet?Moving surreptitiously to the side of the bed, I was thankful that my black leather catsuit blended well with the darkness. As quiet as ever, I held my sword tighter, angling it in a left-plow position with the long edge up.Committed to the assassination task, my blow had to be quick and precise, piercing the heart. I cannot miss this golden opportunity.Standing exactly beside the nightstand, I glanced down at the ripped muscles of his heaving chest. Grunting, his sweaty head shifted from side to side. His face twitched, and his closed eyelids flexed as he breathed jaggedly in his sleep.Cardamom and amber surrounded me, the potent scent wafted straight from the source into my nostrils. A mouthwatering scent, so maddening. Perilously beguiling. The bond beat against my chest like a bone-crushing drum. The physica
VALEN’S POV“Raina is hurting.” Penn interjected, finishing up and discarding the cotton in a bin.“I saw the pain in her eyes when she saw Snow with your baby.” She gazed sadly at Devin and added under her breath. “I can imagine what that feels like.”My Beta averted his eyes to the side of the room, avoiding hers, suddenly unsettled as he scratched behind his ear.I blew out a hard breath. I did not care about what was up with these two. Raina was priority. The mate bond wrenched at me in a silent cry from her that only I could hear. Missing the softness of holding her hands and basking in her endearing presence, hugging, touching, gazing—I just can't go on without it.“I'm pissed too because the future hasn't changed and at some point, you'll give the dick away.” Devin aired bluntly. “How could you? After all those times you swore to me…”“I'll never cheat on Raina.” I cut in sharply, darting daggers at him.Unconvinced, he huffed. Then he spoke again, his voice quieter. "She loves
VALEN’S POVMy eyes snapped open, looking up at the wooden beams in the ceiling in confusion.This was Wolkrane.I can’t be here. Not when I promised Raina to be home by 9 P.M. daily. My head pounded with hazy memories, and I missed her pleasantly cool scent so badly. With her beautiful burgundy...Oh, fuck!I bolted up from the bed, and pain exploded on my side, spasming up and down my torso. Immediately, I glanced down at the three stitches that I just accidentally ripped, blood trickling down my side and into my gray sweatpants.Angry at myself for not knowing how long I’d been asleep, I yanked the IV line from my arm.Cursing silently while gritting my teeth against the agony, I barged out of the bedroom, ignoring the trail of blood I left on the umber-weave pattern of the vinyl plank flooring.Dizzy waves swept over me as I descended the stairs, determined for someone to tell me that it was a damn nightmare. That I imagined it all.“Where is she!” I roared, bulldozing into the sm
RAINA’S POV“Kókkino, I don't know,” Gustav replied with understanding in a low voice. His words lingered, heavy with an edge of doubt. “The sword should have taken his life.”I swallowed hard and confessed dejectedly, “I wanted to believe him, but he can’t be the real Valen.”Gustav hummed thoughtfully and moved to the foot of the bed to remove my shoes.Flashes of the harrowing hurt in the last Valen’s eyes made my forlorn heart sink deeper and deeper. It seemed nearly genuine, yet it was not. It was a mask to get me to lower my guard. I was glad that I didn’t let the bond derail the mission this time.My eyes trailed to my guardian, and I expressed, “The timekeepers were so cruel. This is my ninth trial, and if he's not my Valen, he'll kill me again. As an anomaly, they've cursed me to die over and over.”“Then I will protect you,” Gustav swore, putting down my shoes at the bedside while his gaze met mine. The sincerity and promise were clear in his voice.“How long do you think I
RAINA’S POV I lingered behind Gustav as we arrived by teleportation at a sprawling lakeside manor. With urgency, he stalked off down a corridor that cut straight through the house. I broke off into a little jog to keep up with his large strides. Walking by his side, I felt curious and apprehensive about where he had taken me. Warm tones guided me through the great hall. Feeling antsy, my head pirouetted in the unfamiliar environment. Gaping archways revealed sitting rooms, recreational rooms, a grand dining room, and others. Each was filled with soothing terra cotta tones from walls painted in red earth color. “Nice safe house,” I remarked as he led me up the winding stairs, overwhelmed by the sheer size of it.Layers of vintage finds, painted artwork, and houseplants created a classical, inviting effect across the spaces. Together with white and green accents, the wall's reddish tone produced a muted color scheme that brought a diverse range of furniture pieces in a harmoniously b
VALEN’S POV“Grrr! You are not needed here,” I growled, feeling my skin ripple, pinning the man in place with a murderous glare.“The nerve of that Worgen,” Zeus snarled in my head.Nyx and Zuzu swayed their attention to the obnoxious intruder, waiting for my command to attack him.“Stand down, Nyx. Do not attack him, Zuzu. Hibernate,” Raina commanded them, her back constantly bumped into my chest from her struggle against the grasp I maintained on her arms.It was a shock to see my guardians revert to a leisure position, debunking their fight mode.Raina averted her eyes to the man in full white. “Get me out of here, Gustav.”“Careful, Bluebella. Do not deliberately make me jealous. My wolf is unsettled as it is. You are mine,” I muttered into her ear, and she flinched with resistance.Swinging her sabre-rattling eyes sideways, she expostulated, “I’ll chose him a million times over you, you fake bastard!”What the hell was this?She was protecting him—choosing him?Wanting to go with
VALEN’S POVThe portal spat her out with a thud on the floor of my sanctum in a disheveled mess.“Mate! Mate! Mate!” Zeus purred, going into overdrive to touch what was ours.Thank fuck.“Ugh!” She groaned, landing face-down, and something clattered on the floor.My body jumped to life as her rich scent wrapped around the entirety of my being like thick vines.“She came back to us!” Zeus’ rear end started to twitch and wiggle in excitement to see our beautiful mate.Gladness pumped my heart wildly, and my feet moved briskly before my wolf shouted at me to go to her. Zuzu flapped her giant wings in flight towards her regular spot on a custom-designed tree branch in the corner.I rushed towards Raina, dropping to my knees and gently grabbing her shoulders to help her to stand. My heart danced with delight when the sparks erupted across my palms from the skin-to-skin contact.“She’s back,” Zeus howled in my chest with joy and enthusiasm, jumping up on his two hind legs.Raina's legs gave
VALEN’S POVEighty-four hours.Three and a half days.It’s been that long since I’ve been home and without my precious Luna. Precious time was being wasted when I should have been able to go after her. That knowledge and helplessness weighed heavy on my chest, obstructing every labored inhale.Detached from everything, I wallowed in heart-shattering misery.With a deep scowl, I ran my thumb over the inscriptions of the golden bracelet as my mind worked overtime. My brain felt like it was on a treadmill, unable to stop.At this point, my eyes were hooded and void and my brain wasn't far from becoming the same. Frazzled and throbbing.“You’re the reason she disappeared.” Zeus snarled in my head, castigating me for putting Vaheed over our mate. He rambled, “If we weren’t away, we would have been here to stop her. I told you to leave him alone, but no, you had to go and bring him back. Are you trying to make us mateless?”My throat was too parched to argue with him.The worst had happened
VALEN’S POVAll their heartbeats rose, thundering against their chests. Devin quickly scurried over to the witch’s side.My eyebrows met. My face scrunched up and I pointed at Penn. My voice was incensed, and my teeth clashed together. “You let her go?”They visibly sagged under the weight of my temper. Anger pulsed through my chest, the upcoming headache didn't help his bitch fit either.“Well, I—um, I, er,” Pennelope stuttered and Devin frowned, spinning around to cup her face before facing me again.Letting out a breath of disbelief, I felt like my whole world was caving in. My vision went spotty as I pictured Raina lost and on her own in an unfamiliar world, and this witch did nothing to help her when she had the means.“It’s not that simple. I tried to stop her…” Penn explained, shaking her head, and went into more detail, stumbling over her words. “...once she saw Snow, she decided to go AWOL.”"Slow down, Penn." Devin guided me because at this point she was mumbling, and I didn'