MasukRAINA’S POV"And you will," Valen stated calmly as he applied shampoo to my burgundy roots, clipping my hair up so it could sit for a few minutes. "But it can wait until later; there are more important things to take care of.""No, there isn't," I pressed as the guilt joined my hunger, eating me away from the inside out. "I-I did something awful… really shitty. I…I can’t-I…"I cringed at my own inability to get the words out of my mouth.“Shh,” he cooed. He rinsed my hair, shielding my forehead with his hand, and took up another bottle.“Valen, it affects us.” I tried again, my stomach twisting as my voice came out smaller now. “It’s important.”"So are you, Bluebella," he insisted quietly, working in the conditioner, massaging my scalp with firm, soothing circles.I let out a pleased moan. I tried to resist, but my eyes fluttered shut despite my effort not to get lost in the sensation. The love feeding back through the bond was making my heart swell. His touch was gentle, but it stir
RAINA’S POVSleep came fast.I awoke slowly, groggily, unsure of my surroundings.Opening my eyes, I found myself in our alpha suite. I must have dozed off when Valen teleported us to Dark Wolverson.I stretched over my arm to reach for him, wanting his warmth close, the security of his nearness. Huh? Bewilderment seized me when my hand touched nothing but the cold mattress, instead of his comforting heat.For a moment, I didn’t move. I just stared at the ceiling before sweeping my eyes around the dim bedroom. Moonlight barely breathed through the curtains, but the fluorescently bright bathroom had its door cracked with the soft clinking of bottles. It was then that I heard the hush of running water leaking from the bathroom.Valen. He was there.Pushing away the thistle blanket that covered me, I sat up, and my hair spilled over my face. I raked back the strands and crawled out of bed, naked except for my green underwear.I had to fight off a sudden wooziness. I hadn’t eaten yet. It’
VALEN’S POV“All the furcans were sent to Oakven,” Androkles cleared up, his tone mellowing for her. “Dymian got to them first.”Raina stared at him with disbelief and frustration. “Why would Selene put those furcans in the same realm as that criminal?”She managed to force herself through several more questions, but I could feel her strain. She was so careful not to show anything, but I knew her too well.She glanced at Jason, drawing his attention. She gave him a directive nod, signaling him towards the tunnel. He gave me a brief check-in with a side glance before stepping away.“Prove to me that you're worth investing in, and you won't need to worry about the diplomatic pact,” Raina promised, and something dropped in my chest.It wasn’t a bluff, but it should have been. I didn't want open risks that could make us end up as their puppets. Facts are reality. Since I couldn't tell what they were plotting, we should be as cautious as possible.“Is it really like that?” Androkles’ hard
VALEN’S POVMy body tensed, bristling.Raina stepped closer, and the single brush of her shoulder against my arm made me exhale, the tension loosening as her soft skin pulled me back from the edge.My eyes dipped to find my mate’s blue eyes looking up at me, her brows knitted with concern.“I'm not asking you to trust them,” Raina mind-linked, “I'm asking you to use them. That’s what they’re here for.”“Minutes ago, that didn’t seem like the case,” I replied as softly as I could, reeling in my temper.Still, I didn’t like the first prick. Now there were two more thorns in my side. I really hated how prickly this situation was getting.Figaro slapped a palm on his forehead, and my eyes drifted to him.“Ughhh.” A long groan escaped him as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, lost in thought. “The last thing I remembered was seeing Dymian rip Phobos’ head off clean and Selene crouching and crying as she clung to his decapitated body. Never seen her so aggrieved and angry when she
VALEN’S POVGustav's head was locked in my rear chokehold. He clutched his hands tightly around my arm, while his legs were wrapped in midair around Jason’s throat, attempting to floor him.The theta’s arm hooked over the Worgen’s thighs, having a dagger hovering above his abdomen, ready to slice him.“Enough fighting!” A dangerous amount of aura was emitted from one side of the chamber.Everyone froze mid-fight, muscles locked. Our faces snapped toward the platform in unison, and a blast of fire tore toward us.“Oh, Rai is back,” Jason announced, before the rolling flames smashed into us like a merciless, skin-searing fist.Holy Shit!All of us went flying, hitting walls, stone steps, and floodlights with bone-jarring impact. A pillar exploded under my weight. My ears rang as my body skidded and tumbled across fractured tiles, leaving me lying on the floor amid a hail of sparks and stone shards.The heat blistered my flesh and singed my hair, and the acrid stench of it hung heavy in
RAINA’S POVFuture Valen was sitting on a worn couch with a white-haired woman. Snow. She curled up on his lap with her head on his pectoral and his arms wrapped around her. Her cheek nuzzled his chest, and her battered shoulders rose as she breathed deep, taking in his scent.They weren’t happy.They were comforting each other in a dingy den, with other grieving people around them, hugging in huddles. From the looks of it, I gathered that the underground bunker had evolved into a small city since above ground was crawling with furcans.Worse still, it hurt seeing them together, him without me.Somewhere along the line, Valen moved on. Our matebond, shotgunned.My heart shattered all over again, my chest in pain like a knife was stuck in it. I sank on the stool, my shoulder slumped like Bell’s palsy hit my entire body.Tears welled in my eyes, and I kept them low. I get the gist. She hasn’t mentioned my death. She didn’t have to. I knew how it was going to end.“So I'll lose him anywa







