Axel POV I wasn’t one for grand romantic gestures; I made them but never wholeheartedly. Zarek had always been the charming one, especially if he put his mind to it; he was the one with an easy smile and a way with words. I was better at action—solving problems, leading when I had to, protecting what mattered most. But this time, words and action wouldn’t be enough. Lunette kept slipping away from us with every passing day, and no matter how many times Zarek and I tried to talk to her, she shut us out.She was angry and hurt in ways I wasn’t sure we could fix. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch her drift away either. We needed her, and so we just had to put in the work, but Zarek was frustrated with me and my idea to take it slowly, and he was off somewhere sulking.Which was why I found myself alone, standing on the rooftop of the west wing, watching over the finishing touches for a dinner I had no idea how to pull off. The rooftop offered a breathtaking view of the surroundi
Lunette POV When I saw Axel at my door, I was a little stunned and a bit flustered. I had barely gotten back into my room when a firm knock echoed through the door. I hadn't had any visitors in days, so I was definitely surprised when I opened it to find Axel standing there, dressed in a tailored black shirt and slacks that clung to his tall, lean frame.His usual cold demeanor was absent, replaced with an almost nervous smile that had my chest clenching. Axel was never nervous. “Axel?” I blinked, gripping the doorframe. “What do you want, Axel?” I asked, keeping my tone sharp and as unwelcoming as I could manage—I hoped anyway.He took a deeper breath, ready to speak, his piercing blue eyes meeting mine. “I’m—dinner.” He stuttered under his breath. I stared at him, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. I wanted to ask if he was certain when he swallowed again."I need you to come with me. Please.” I frowned.“Why?” “It’s a surprise,” he said, forcing a small smile, my brows narr
Lunette POVAxel’s hand was warm against mine as he led me down the staircase, each of our steps echoing softly through the quiet halls.The rooftop dinner had been romantic and lingered in my mind even long after it was done—I could still remember the laughter in his eyes and the way his words had wrapped around my heart, making me feel all warm and fuzzy."You already have my heart." He'd said to me, the weight of that confession pressed on my chest, leaving me breathless.I stole a glance at him as we walked; down the stairs, his sharp features softened in the dim light. He was quiet, but his thumb kept brushing lightly against the back of my hand, and that small but simple gesture sent my pulse racing.“Thank you for tonight,” I said softly, breaking the silence.He tilted his head, his piercing blue eyes locking with mine.“You don’t need to thank me,
Axel POVI woke with a slight jerk, my throat clenching with worry. My body felt warm, and as I glanced down, I realized why—I was in bed. I was in Lunette's bed. I looked to her to make sure she was still asleep, relief filling my gut as I realized that I hadn't woken her up. Lunette was nestled against me, her breathing steady and soft, her hair spilling across the pillows like golden threads.For a moment, I didn’t move. I didn’t want to. This was perfect, and I wanted to stay in this moment forever.I watched her as she dozed, the faint glow of the waning moonlight streaming through the curtains and illuminating the soft features of her sleeping face.She looked so peaceful, as if she had nothing to worry about at all. My arms were still wrapped around her, her warmth pressing into me, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt at peace. No pack politics. No posturing. No guilt.Just her—soft, serene, a
Zarek POV The sun dipped below the bright white clouds , casting it's too long shadows over the sprawling estate as I finalized my plans. Axel had made his move— a bold, passionate one that suit his temperament even though Axel was not know for grand gestures and while I was a tiny bit jealous this wasn’t about one-upping my brother at least not entirely.I wasn’t one to compete with my brother. Axel and I had always been close, our bond was unbreakable despite our differences. But now, with Lunette in the picture, everything was different. She wasn’t just someone either of us could step aside for. This was about Lunette.She was our mate. Our future. I wanted to show her who I was beneath the guarded exterior and prove that I, too, could give her something that my brother couldn't. I had a nasty temper because of my curse and so I liked to keep to myself so I didn't have outburst more than necessary. Which is how I found myself standing in front of Lunette’s door, my heart pou
"Do you ever stop being stupid?" My stepmother's Varda voice rang out from across the room as she delivered a sharp kick to my side while I was scrubbing the floor. I let out a small wince, the pain searing through me as I collapsed to my knees again. Ignoring her, I resumed cleaning, not wanting to provoke any further trouble. If I claimed to understand why she was hitting me this time, it would be a lie. She often did this for her own twisted amusement. "You are just a petty thief, just like that damn whore mother of yours," she spat, punctuating her words with another painful kick to my side. A small scream escaped me, and tears blurred my vision from the impact."Mother, stop!" Lorraine, her daughter, begged as she rushed to her mother's side, desperately trying to stop the abuse. Her mother wanted to hit me more. But Lorraine quickly ran to me, helping me to my feet, and we fled the scene together, not wanting to endure more of Varda’s cruelty. She was my mother's best friend and
I woke abruptly, gasping for breath, sweat running down my forehead as I struggled to control my heart. I had just had a nightmare, a terrifying one. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, but then I realized—it wasn’t just a nightmare. Everything I had experienced was real. My heart pounded as questions flooded my mind, but the most pressing one was: where the heck am I? I looked around the room, but I didn’t recognize it.The room was big, grand, and fancy—nothing like what I had back home. That only raised more questions. What had happened to me that day? Why was I here? Just then, the door flew open, catching my attention. Two men walked in, and they froze as soon as they saw me awake. I did the same. Our eyes locked for a moment, and just like before, my wolf began to stir, but this time she was more agitated. Their scent was oddly familiar, and when my wolf whispered “Mates…” again, the truth hit me.My eyes widened in shock. They were the wolves from that night—the on
I gasped and quickly clamped my arms over my bare chest, trying to cover myself. Why the hell did he just barge in without knocking? I couldn't wrap my mind around it. His eyes darkened as they roamed over my body, lingering in a way that made my skin tingle. I had always been complimented on my beauty, but the way he was looking at me now was different—intense. Yet, in a strange way, it made me feel desired.He took a step toward me, and I gulped, instinctively stepping back. The expression on his face made my heart race. “I wonder why Father is treating you so kindly? You trespassed into our territory, and yet he shows you so much hospitality,” Axel said bitterly. I couldn’t help but wonder, what did he have against me? We hadn’t even met before, so what was his problem? Zarek didn’t seem to like me much either, but Axel was a complete asshole.“What is your problem with me anyway?” I asked, my voice trembling as I summoned all the courage I had. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”Before
Zarek POV The sun dipped below the bright white clouds , casting it's too long shadows over the sprawling estate as I finalized my plans. Axel had made his move— a bold, passionate one that suit his temperament even though Axel was not know for grand gestures and while I was a tiny bit jealous this wasn’t about one-upping my brother at least not entirely.I wasn’t one to compete with my brother. Axel and I had always been close, our bond was unbreakable despite our differences. But now, with Lunette in the picture, everything was different. She wasn’t just someone either of us could step aside for. This was about Lunette.She was our mate. Our future. I wanted to show her who I was beneath the guarded exterior and prove that I, too, could give her something that my brother couldn't. I had a nasty temper because of my curse and so I liked to keep to myself so I didn't have outburst more than necessary. Which is how I found myself standing in front of Lunette’s door, my heart pou
Axel POVI woke with a slight jerk, my throat clenching with worry. My body felt warm, and as I glanced down, I realized why—I was in bed. I was in Lunette's bed. I looked to her to make sure she was still asleep, relief filling my gut as I realized that I hadn't woken her up. Lunette was nestled against me, her breathing steady and soft, her hair spilling across the pillows like golden threads.For a moment, I didn’t move. I didn’t want to. This was perfect, and I wanted to stay in this moment forever.I watched her as she dozed, the faint glow of the waning moonlight streaming through the curtains and illuminating the soft features of her sleeping face.She looked so peaceful, as if she had nothing to worry about at all. My arms were still wrapped around her, her warmth pressing into me, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt at peace. No pack politics. No posturing. No guilt.Just her—soft, serene, a
Lunette POVAxel’s hand was warm against mine as he led me down the staircase, each of our steps echoing softly through the quiet halls.The rooftop dinner had been romantic and lingered in my mind even long after it was done—I could still remember the laughter in his eyes and the way his words had wrapped around my heart, making me feel all warm and fuzzy."You already have my heart." He'd said to me, the weight of that confession pressed on my chest, leaving me breathless.I stole a glance at him as we walked; down the stairs, his sharp features softened in the dim light. He was quiet, but his thumb kept brushing lightly against the back of my hand, and that small but simple gesture sent my pulse racing.“Thank you for tonight,” I said softly, breaking the silence.He tilted his head, his piercing blue eyes locking with mine.“You don’t need to thank me,
Lunette POV When I saw Axel at my door, I was a little stunned and a bit flustered. I had barely gotten back into my room when a firm knock echoed through the door. I hadn't had any visitors in days, so I was definitely surprised when I opened it to find Axel standing there, dressed in a tailored black shirt and slacks that clung to his tall, lean frame.His usual cold demeanor was absent, replaced with an almost nervous smile that had my chest clenching. Axel was never nervous. “Axel?” I blinked, gripping the doorframe. “What do you want, Axel?” I asked, keeping my tone sharp and as unwelcoming as I could manage—I hoped anyway.He took a deeper breath, ready to speak, his piercing blue eyes meeting mine. “I’m—dinner.” He stuttered under his breath. I stared at him, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. I wanted to ask if he was certain when he swallowed again."I need you to come with me. Please.” I frowned.“Why?” “It’s a surprise,” he said, forcing a small smile, my brows narr
Axel POV I wasn’t one for grand romantic gestures; I made them but never wholeheartedly. Zarek had always been the charming one, especially if he put his mind to it; he was the one with an easy smile and a way with words. I was better at action—solving problems, leading when I had to, protecting what mattered most. But this time, words and action wouldn’t be enough. Lunette kept slipping away from us with every passing day, and no matter how many times Zarek and I tried to talk to her, she shut us out.She was angry and hurt in ways I wasn’t sure we could fix. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch her drift away either. We needed her, and so we just had to put in the work, but Zarek was frustrated with me and my idea to take it slowly, and he was off somewhere sulking.Which was why I found myself alone, standing on the rooftop of the west wing, watching over the finishing touches for a dinner I had no idea how to pull off. The rooftop offered a breathtaking view of the surroundi
Lunette POV The summons was unexpected, in that I was in my bedroom hiding away from everyone and doing an exceptional job at it.Someone knocked on my door, and I stilled on the bed, not sure if I wanted to answer it at all, but it was insistent, and so I stood up from my bed, walked to it, and opened the door. One of the guards stood there; he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.He handed me a note. “Alpha Cormac wishes to see you in his rooms immediately.” he muttered, I didn't get to ask any more questions before he turned on me and left. My stomach twisted on itself, my mind coming up with a thousand scenarios running at top speed, each one worse than the last. I had barely seen him since the engagement ceremony; he hadn't wanted to talk to me, and I didn't want to force him to. The silence between us had been both a blessing and a curse. What could he possibly want now? When I arrived at his door, I hesitated. My hand hovering just above the metal knob, my palms
Alpha Cormac POV I had not thought the engagement would end like that—so public especially not when I was making an impression on the pack I had spent years building the alliance with." I look forward to our alliance" Alpha Garrett muttered grabbing my hand in a stiff handshake that I immediately returned." Thank you" " I am also very sorry about such dismal nuptials, perhaps they will be good news soon" he continued and I offered him a slight grin, he was trying to poke at my wound but I wouldn't let him see that, once our goodbyes were made, I watched them go. The sound of the Creek Pack’s transportation fading into the distance was a relief, and it did little to quell the storm raging inside me. I was not a man prone to feeling shame, it was not an emotion that was not conducive to a leader but on occasions I felt a stab of disappointment, pain and that was what I felt the most after the engagement ceremony that was supposed to cement an alliance,and show the other packs out
Lunette POV Alpha Cormac had stopped speaking to me after that day, where he had been attentive and a caring constant in my life. Even if our engagement was nothing more than a political maneuver, he was now an estranged person to me.He had never truly abandoned me. Until now. And the emptiness was unbearable. Every day that passed without a word from him or a glance of him in the first place was like another stone added to the weight in my chest. I told myself his distance was a relief, a reprieve of sorts, but as the days turned into weeks, his absence became even more disturbing.He didn’t call for me, didn’t summon me to speak about the engagement or its fallout. Wherever I went, he tried not to be there, and if by chance we managed to cross paths, he ignored me, his gaze sliding right past me, as if I were no more significant than the air he breathed. He didn’t speak to me, didn’t look at me. It was as if I had ceased to exist in his world. But the palace wasn’t that silent
Lunette POV The air in the palace had changed after the engagement was called off. The moment I stepped out of my room, I felt it—a shift in the air, eyes boring into me from every corner of the palace, whispers of venomous words. Alpha Cormac had done it almost immediately, so I had not said anything, but I had felt the chill almost immediately.It was like a mirror of what had happened not so long ago that I almost was tempted to break down.Every breath I took felt heavier than the last, and the unspoken words and biting glares did little to help. This time, though, I kept my head high as I walked down the hallways, refusing to let the weight of their disdain press on me.“Look at her,” someone hissed as I passed. “The whore who tore the royal family apart,” another murmured. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Their words stung, each one a dagger in my already wounded heart. I’d expected this, of course. Alpha Cormac was loved among his people, and so were hi