Elena stepped out of the living room, her mind swirling with the weight of the conversation she’d just had with Mrs. Lauren. Her promise to stay by Damien’s side had been spoken from her heart, but the lingering tension, the fear behind Mrs. Lauren’s words, left her feeling unsettled. She needed Damien now more than ever, just to ground herself in the love and certainty they shared.She found him outside in the garden, the late afternoon sun casting a golden glow over his strong frame. He was pacing slowly, his eyes fixed on the horizon as if lost in thought. The moment he heard her approach, Damien turned, his expression softening instantly at the sight of her.“Elena,” he murmured, his voice low and filled with warmth.Elena smiled, though her heart still carried the weight of her earlier conversation. “I thought I’d find you out here,” she said, stepping closer.Damien closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into his chest. His presence,
Damien lay still beside Elena, his arm draped protectively over her as her breath rose and fell in a steady rhythm. The peaceful scene should have put his mind at ease, but there was an underlying tension in the pit of his stomach, a nagging sensation that he couldn’t shake.Last night had been everything, an intimate confirmation of their bond, of their unbreakable love. Elena had given him all her trust, her unwavering promise to stand by him no matter what. Yet as he gazed down at her, watching her sleep so peacefully, a storm of thoughts brewed within him.Damien’s mind kept returning to the conversation Elena had with his mother the day before. Elena had shared Mrs. Lauren’s concerns, how she wanted assurance that Elena would stay by his side, no matter how difficult things might become. Damien understood his mother’s worry. Being an Alpha was never easy, and the challenges were relentless. But there had been something more in his mother’s eyes, something deeper.A fear that wen
The pack house was quiet, the usual bustle of activity having died down as most of the members went about their duties or sought refuge from the midday sun. Elena, seeking a moment of peace, had wandered into the garden behind the house. The scent of roses and lavender filled the air, and she let out a soft breath as she brushed her fingers over the petals of a blooming flower.But the peace didn’t last long.“Enjoying your new life as the Alpha’s wife?” a voice called out from behind her, sharp and dripping with venom.Elena’s body stiffened at the sound, recognizing it instantly. She turned slowly to find Amelia standing just a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest and her blue eyes blazing with something far more dangerous than jealousy.Elena straightened, forcing herself to remain calm, though her heart raced in her chest. “Amelia,” she greeted, her voice measured. “What’s this about?”Amelia’s eyes narrowed as she took a step closer, her presence radiating hostility. “You r
Damien stood in the clearing just outside the pack’s training grounds, the quiet hum of the forest surrounding him as he looked out over the landscape. His mind, however, was far from the peaceful scenery. There was a storm brewing, one he knew had to be addressed before it tore everything apart.He heard Amelia approach before he saw her, her familiar footfall soft on the forest floor. She had always been able to move with a predator’s grace, something he had admired about her ever since they were young. She had been by his side through everything, his ascension to Alpha, the battles, the losses, the victories. But now, things between them had shifted, and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.Amelia stepped into the clearing, her bright blue eyes locking onto his with an intensity he had grown used to over the years. Her expression was unreadable, but there was something simmering beneath the surface, something he could no longer overlook.“Damien,” she greeted him, her voice calm but l
The night had fallen heavy and dark over the pack lands, the moon hidden behind thick clouds as if nature itself refused to bear witness to what was unfolding. Amelia sat alone in her room, the soft glow of the single lamp casting long shadows across the walls. She stared blankly at the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the table in front of her, her fingers trembling slightly as she lifted the glass to her lips.She had never been one to drink heavily, but tonight was different. Tonight, the pain was unbearable, and the only thing that dulled the sharp edge of her heartbreak was the burn of alcohol sliding down her throat.Damien’s words replayed in her mind over and over again, each one like a knife twisting deeper into her chest. You crossed a line... You need to leave...He had never spoken to her like that before. She had always been his closest ally, his confidant, the one who understood him better than anyone else. But now, because of Elena, everything had changed. That woman tha
The following morning, Amelia awoke to a pounding headache, the aftereffects of the whiskey hitting her hard. She groaned, pressing her palms against her temples, trying to block out the harsh light streaming in through the window. Her mind was foggy, but the sharp edges of her plan from the night before still lingered at the forefront of her thoughts.Sitting up slowly, she glanced at the empty whiskey bottle on her desk and the faint memory of her phone call with Carl resurfaced. Her lips curled into a grim smile. She had made the call, crossed the point of no return. There was no turning back now.By the time she had pulled herself together and dressed, her determination had returned. She knew what she needed to do. If she was going to blackmail Elena, she had to find something real, something that would make Damien question everything about his mate. It couldn’t just be a lie or a rumor, it had to be something devastating.Amelia walked through the pack house, her gaze darting fro
Carl sat alone in his office, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his thoughts dark and troubled. The room was dimly lit, the only sound being the faint ticking of a clock on the wall. He took a slow sip, the burn of the alcohol doing little to dull the frustration churning inside him.Elena.Her name alone sent a wave of longing through him, a yearning that had only grown since she left his pack. She had been his, or at least, he had always thought she would be. But then Damien came into the picture, sweeping her away, and now she was bound to another Alpha. An Alpha Carl knew he could never truly compete with, at least not in strength or status.But that didn’t mean Carl had given up. He wanted her back, and he was willing to pay any price to make it happen.Amelia’s plan had given him a glimmer of hope. She wanted Elena gone just as much as he did though for entirely different reasons. Amelia wanted to eliminate Elena so she could have Damien, but Carl wasn’t interested in that. His go
Carl stood at the window for what felt like hours, staring out over his territory, the wilderness stretching endlessly beyond the horizon. His mind was lost in a labyrinth of dark thoughts. The pull he felt toward Elena was no longer something he could simply brush aside. It consumed him,ban ache so deep it twisted his gut every time he thought about her with Damien.His mind wandered back to when Elena was still in his pack . She had been quiet, unsure of herself, yet there had always been something about her that drew him in. Even then, he knew there was more to her than met the eye. He had sensed it, felt it like a faint spark of power waiting to be ignited. And now, knowing she was in Damien’s arms, knowing that spark has turned into something more, something dangerous, drove Carl mad.The thought of another Alpha touching her, claiming her as his mate, was more than Carl could tolerate. It felt like a personal betrayal, even though Elena had never been his. Not really. But she sh