Lunette POVThe walk back to my room suddenly felt endless; my mind raced as I replayed everything that had happened in the library.My feelings for Zarek, the stolen kiss, the maid’s intrusion—it all swirled in my head like a hurricane that I pretty much couldn't control.I reached my door, letting out a shaky breath. I pulled open the door and walked inside and closed the door behind me immediately. Sliding down to the floor, I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath, my heart still racing from whatever had just happened in there right now. The soft click of the latch felt like an ending on the chaos of the day.“What did I just do?” I muttered to myself. I rose to my feet and crossed the room; I needed to distract myself, maybe with a book or a long bath, when a sharp knock interrupted my thoughts.My heart leapt into my throat, panic flooding back. Was it Zarek?Had he come to fi
Zarek PoVThe library was suffocating and way too quiet after she had left, as though the air itself had just stilled for no reason, leaving me suffocating in the absence. The scent of old paper and Lunette’s lingering scent did nothing to calm my thoughts.Leaning back against the chair, I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the strands as if that would somehow pull the chaos from my mind.I sat there for what felt like hours, replaying every moment of what had just happened between us, the way her lips had felt against mine, the warmth of her touch when she clung to me—it had been all too real.I’d told her to leave; it was the best way to protect her—protect us both—the best way that I could think of.And then she was gone.But the moment she walked away, regret hit me like a punch to the gut.ne.I shouldn’t have kissed her.
Lunette PovThe morning after my date with Alpha Cormac felt no different than any other morning except that I woke up early, as I usually do, with a restless knot in my stomach. The sun would climb out soon from the clouds hiding it, but I didn't really find that fascinating right now.The memory of my time with Alpha Cormac, Zarek, and Axel did a lot in shaking off the daze of sleep from my eyes and getting me alert almost immediately.I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. I looked horrible; my hair was falling all over my face, some of it tangled into a very horrible mess. I had not been able to brush my hair before going to bed last night, not with the memories of the kiss in the library with Zarek and the way Cormac’s goodnight kiss lingered in my brain making my chest heave.I needed to keep busy, or I would hyperventilate out of my skin.Shoving those thoughts aside, I focused on my routine. Routine was safe, and it grounded me, so it was a win-win situation for all of
Lunette POV The words hung in the air like poison, each one of them slicing through me with cruelty I couldn't believe existed. I tried not to let it bother me, but that didn't seem to be working. "Whore." They repeated, and I struggled not to flinch. "She’s not even trying to hide it." I stood there, my hands trembling as I clutched the pruning shears I had been using in my garden, a place that was my solitude but yet seemed to have had all the peace drawn out of it through a thin straw; my breath stayed caught in my throat, thick and cloying.I looked down at my hands, the dirt beneath my nails and the shears in my grip blurring as tears welled in my eyes; the first instinct that screamed at me was to run, but my legs felt rooted to the ground. I wanted to confront them, to scream that they didn’t know me, that they didn’t understand. But the words caught in my throat, choked by the shame that I felt deep into my bones.But what would I say to them, that even though I was betro
Lunette POVI had thought the tears would stop once Zarek finally left, but even as he turned his back to me, they fell. He lingered a bit, his jaw set and his shoulders tense, as if he thought I would call him back, but I didn't; I couldn't bring myself to call for him, not when what we had done was already so wrong.“Go,” I whispered hoarsely, looking down at the grass, hoping my voice sounded as stern as I imagined it to be, and did my best to avoid his gaze.For a moment, all I heard was the sound of my uneven breathing and the faint rustle of his movements as he obeyed my words with a frustrated sigh, turning and walking away, his footsteps echoing down the hall.Watching him walk away, every part of me wanted to call him back, but I forced myself to stay silent. I’d already complicated things enough.I stood there for what felt like an eternity; after he left me, my l
"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
Lunette POVI had thought the tears would stop once Zarek finally left, but even as he turned his back to me, they fell. He lingered a bit, his jaw set and his shoulders tense, as if he thought I would call him back, but I didn't; I couldn't bring myself to call for him, not when what we had done was already so wrong.“Go,” I whispered hoarsely, looking down at the grass, hoping my voice sounded as stern as I imagined it to be, and did my best to avoid his gaze.For a moment, all I heard was the sound of my uneven breathing and the faint rustle of his movements as he obeyed my words with a frustrated sigh, turning and walking away, his footsteps echoing down the hall.Watching him walk away, every part of me wanted to call him back, but I forced myself to stay silent. I’d already complicated things enough.I stood there for what felt like an eternity; after he left me, my l
Lunette POV The words hung in the air like poison, each one of them slicing through me with cruelty I couldn't believe existed. I tried not to let it bother me, but that didn't seem to be working. "Whore." They repeated, and I struggled not to flinch. "She’s not even trying to hide it." I stood there, my hands trembling as I clutched the pruning shears I had been using in my garden, a place that was my solitude but yet seemed to have had all the peace drawn out of it through a thin straw; my breath stayed caught in my throat, thick and cloying.I looked down at my hands, the dirt beneath my nails and the shears in my grip blurring as tears welled in my eyes; the first instinct that screamed at me was to run, but my legs felt rooted to the ground. I wanted to confront them, to scream that they didn’t know me, that they didn’t understand. But the words caught in my throat, choked by the shame that I felt deep into my bones.But what would I say to them, that even though I was betro
Lunette PovThe morning after my date with Alpha Cormac felt no different than any other morning except that I woke up early, as I usually do, with a restless knot in my stomach. The sun would climb out soon from the clouds hiding it, but I didn't really find that fascinating right now.The memory of my time with Alpha Cormac, Zarek, and Axel did a lot in shaking off the daze of sleep from my eyes and getting me alert almost immediately.I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. I looked horrible; my hair was falling all over my face, some of it tangled into a very horrible mess. I had not been able to brush my hair before going to bed last night, not with the memories of the kiss in the library with Zarek and the way Cormac’s goodnight kiss lingered in my brain making my chest heave.I needed to keep busy, or I would hyperventilate out of my skin.Shoving those thoughts aside, I focused on my routine. Routine was safe, and it grounded me, so it was a win-win situation for all of
Zarek PoVThe library was suffocating and way too quiet after she had left, as though the air itself had just stilled for no reason, leaving me suffocating in the absence. The scent of old paper and Lunette’s lingering scent did nothing to calm my thoughts.Leaning back against the chair, I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the strands as if that would somehow pull the chaos from my mind.I sat there for what felt like hours, replaying every moment of what had just happened between us, the way her lips had felt against mine, the warmth of her touch when she clung to me—it had been all too real.I’d told her to leave; it was the best way to protect her—protect us both—the best way that I could think of.And then she was gone.But the moment she walked away, regret hit me like a punch to the gut.ne.I shouldn’t have kissed her.
Lunette POVThe walk back to my room suddenly felt endless; my mind raced as I replayed everything that had happened in the library.My feelings for Zarek, the stolen kiss, the maid’s intrusion—it all swirled in my head like a hurricane that I pretty much couldn't control.I reached my door, letting out a shaky breath. I pulled open the door and walked inside and closed the door behind me immediately. Sliding down to the floor, I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath, my heart still racing from whatever had just happened in there right now. The soft click of the latch felt like an ending on the chaos of the day.“What did I just do?” I muttered to myself. I rose to my feet and crossed the room; I needed to distract myself, maybe with a book or a long bath, when a sharp knock interrupted my thoughts.My heart leapt into my throat, panic flooding back. Was it Zarek?Had he come to fi
Lunette POVZarek was off the couch in the blink of an eye; I barely noticed when he moved past me until he had the maid in a chokehold against the door. I shivered in fear, confused at what to do; he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, and she whimpered, her hands falling to her side as Zarek squeezed. "Zarek, stop."“She saw too much,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes had darkened; they were now hard and cold—nothing like the vulnerable man I’d just been kissing. My stomach dropped as the weight of his words hit me. “What are you saying?” He didn’t respond immediately, but the sharpness in his jaw and the flicker of rage in his eyes made it clear what he was considering. My panic surged. “No,” I said firmly, stepping in front of him when his hands tightened around her neck. “Zarek, no.” I whispered sharply, my pulse beating erratically in my throat; it felt like my chest would collapse under the weight of everything that had just happened.Zarek’s breathing
Lunette PovZarek was talking about something, but I really couldn't be sure what it was he was talking about exactly, especially since I had not been paying much attention to what he was saying.I had mostly been looking at him; he was talking about some ancient pack war, I think, and he was doing it very well considering we had gone from very heavy topics to lighthearted conversation.It was evening now; the sun was setting, and the library was bathed in the bronze glow, and it felt warm. Zarek and I had been talking for hours, the conversation flowing easily between us, so it felt like we had been doing this forever.I like that, liked that he was this open at least with me, that I had seen this side of him that others had likely not seen before. Zarek—the stoic, sharp-tongued Alpha's son—with his broad view of the world and disarming kindness and vulnerability.When he spoke of his doubts, his fears, he masked them
Lunette POVI panicked when Zarek turned to leave. I wasn’t ready for him to go. Not like this.“Wait!” I cried out with my voice louder than I intended, and I reached for his hand without thinking. My fingers wrapped around his wrist, holding him in place.He froze, his muscles tense beneath my touch. His eyes darted down to where our hands met, then back to my face.“Lunette...” he muttered.“Please,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady.“Don’t go.”His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, I thought he might pull away. But then, he exhaled a long breath and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.“All right,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible.Relieved, I released his wrist and stepped back, my heart pounding as I tried thinkin
Zarek PoVI wasn’t sure why I went to the library that day; I knew that was where she liked to be, and so I tried to avoid it mostly, but I was tired and not really thinking clearly, and maybe it was my need for a distraction, or maybe I just wanted to be anywhere but near my brother and father, who were always nagging me to get out more even when I didn't want to.That and the added effort of trying to not cross paths with Lunette because I knew it would be difficult for me to ignore her all the time, but I needed the library today, especially since the weight of my own thoughts had become unbearable lately; the library, with its quiet, seemed like the perfect escape.Pushing open the heavy wooden door, I stepped inside and inhaled the familiar scent of old books and polished wood with the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the tall windows, falling on the rows of shelves along the walls.I moved to one of the shelves