Axel POVThe moment I walked out of the kitchen, storming across the corridor, my face was likely like a storm cloud. After that disastrous conversation, I knew things were about to get worse.I was being irrational; I knew that because I was the king of rash decisions, but Zarek and I had made this choice, and it couldn't be that bad if Zarek was in on it too.Our father may have made his choice, but Zarek and I weren’t going to just stand by and let it happen. Any other woman, any other omega, and we would not have cared; our mother had been dead for a long time now, and we didn't want him to be alone, but there was no way in hell we were going to let Lunette come in and take over, no matter how soft her voice was or how wide her eyes got when she looked at me.She had to go.We started small.Zarek and I were popular with the maids in the housekeeping section; it was easy enough to bribe them to
Lunnette POVThe kitchen was my sanctuary.It wasn’t glamorous work, but I was fine with that, especially after everything that had happened. It felt good to have something to focus on, something I could channel my frustrations into.I liked the routine, the warmth of the stoves, the smell of freshly baked bread, the familiar scents of herbs, and the chatter of the kitchen staff—it was all so normal, peaceful even.With the morning sun filtered through the kitchen windows, casting a golden glow over the counters.It had taken some time, but I was finally starting to feel at home in the packhouse oras much as one could under the circumstances.The Alpha’s proposal was a choice that still hung over me, and the constant tension with the twins made life difficult, so the quiet moments like this—where I could breathe and just be was much appreciated.The sounds of pots clattering were
Verda POVI paced the length of my chambers, fury rushing through my veins like wildfire. My plan had been foolproof, or so I thought.Have the girl in prison long enough to get her killed in a way that would not be suspected.How could it have failed? Lunette was supposed to be gone by now, a distant memory swept away by the rumors I had carefully planted.But she was still alive. Still breathing."How could this happen?" I hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at the guard who stood trembling."I paid them a fortune. How could they let her slip through their fingers?"He paled, his eyes darting between me and the door, clearly hoping for an escape.“My lady, the guards..."“I don’t care about excuses!” I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut glass.“I want results!" I screamed"Get out, now," I hissed, throwing the delicate vase that rested on my dres
Zarek POVI slammed the book shut, my fingers trembling slightly as I set it down on the side table. The familiar weight of the worn leather cover should’ve brought me comfort, but today it did nothing. I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t breathe.Lunette’s scent was everywhere.It clung to the walls of the house, to the furniture, to the air I breathed. Sweet, like wildflowers blooming after a rainstorm, but laced with something more dangerous—something that made my wolf stir restlessly beneath my skin.The pull was inescapable, and no matter how hard I tried to shut it out, it was there, tugging at the edges of my self-control.I ran a hand through my hair, the strands damp with sweat. The library, which had once been my sanctuary, now felt suffocating.Even here, her scent had managed to seep in, like a taunt, reminding me of her presence in the house. 
Axel POV The rhythmic thud of my fists against the padded training dummy echoed in the open air.I focused on my movements, each thought sending a ripple of tension down my spine. I had been at it for hours; the rhythmic sounds of my fists were the only thing keeping me grounded these days. Martial arts was a human art, but I loved it. It had always been my escape, the one place where I could channel my frustrations, and lately those frustrations were all about Lunnette.The scent of pine and earth grounded me, but it did little to ease the storm brewing inside. Lunnette.Just the thought of her made my chest tighten, sweat dripped down my forehead, and the burning ache in my muscles was the only relief I had. She was mine—and Zarek's—but things weren’t that simple anymore, not with my father now involved.I threw another punch, harder this time, trying to shove away the confusion and the jealousy, because that did me no good at this point. I threw a kick, the bag swaying violentl
Axel POV I blinked slightly, the lights blurring behind my eyes, blood flowing into my mouth. Zarek’s growls echoed through the walls, guttural and harsh.He was fighting; his brother was trying his best even as the beast inside him was fighting tooth and nail to break free. I clenched my fists. I was going to help him. Rising to my feet, my body leaning against the wall, I winced my contorted in pain. His eyes had already started glowing that unmistakable red—the sign of a shift we all feared.“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath, heart racing; this was spiraling out of control."Brother, you really need to snap out of this." I hissed. The room was thick with tension, the scent of aggression filling up the place all at once. The door burst open, and Lunnette rushed back in, Curtis right behind her. Her face was pale, but her eyes roamed over their faces. “Help me, Curtis!” I called out, already sidestepping Zarek; his body started the shift, and his wolf growls filled the room,
Lunnette POVFrom the moment my door had banged against the walls to the point when Zarek’s screams had started echoing through the walls, my heart had been in my throat, and it had stayed there.I sat frozen in the corner of my room after they had dragged him out, hugging my knees to my chest, trying to focus on anything but the sounds of agony pouring through the corridor.I had never heard Zarek scream like that before. He had shouted at me a few times in a deep commanding tone, but this was different; it was as if he had been filled with raw, unbridled agony. He was hurting—I wasn't sure what it was—but I couldn't help; I was afraid I would only make him worse.Another roar echoed from the corridor again, and I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails bit into my palms; the pain was a welcome distraction. If I focused on that, maybe I could block him out. I tried to breathe, in and out, slow and steady, just like Curtis had shown me. But I only managed shallow breaths.The do
Lunette POV I couldn’t sleep.Even though Axel had told me Zarek would be fine, that his screams were normal and just part of the healing process, every agonizing cry that echoed through the wallsslicing through the quiet of my already restless sleep left my body tensed involuntarily each time.It wasn’t normal—not to me and not when the sound tore through the quiet night like a wounded animal begging for mercy. Iturned, pulling the blankets over my head as if that would block out the sound. It didn’t.I couldn’t stand this anymore. I couldn’t just lie here and pretend everything was fine when every fiber of my being told me he needed me.Axel was wrong. Zarek was not fine.Throwing the covers off, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood; the floor was cold under my feet, grounding me for just a moment.Moving quickly, I raced across the room, my bare feet padded against the floor, making no sound. I didn't want Axel or Curtis finding me; I followed the sounds of his scre
Axel POV“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice almost barely audible.“But I can’t do this anymore. I have feelings for Alpha Cormac now; hurting him is the last thing I want to do."Everything seemed like one big bowl of color and nothing all at once."I have feelings for him," she mumbled again. I had heard her the first time, but I wasn't sure what reaction I was supposed to give exactly.Especially not now when I couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe, as Lunette’s words echoed in my head. It sounded like sirens blaring at too much volume. I swallowed, hoping it would give me inspiration on what to say, but it didn't work.Cornering her here had been a last-ditch effort to get her to stay here with me; it was stupid and reckless, but I had not been able to stop myself from doing it.Our argument had gotten louder, and I was surprised no one had come in to check up on us, but the
Lunette POV"I am your father's mate." I hissed, turning away from him. He stilled as if he couldn't move any longer. My heart clenched in my chest, burning like I had swallowed a vat of acid and maybe I had.I ignored it; we had all made our choices, and I had made mine so I could survive. Whatever happened here from now on wasn't my fault or my responsibility.I turned away from him and made to leave, but his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with a gentleness that belied the intensity in his gaze. I still looked him in the eyes, not willing to back down. I was tired of being pushed around all the time.“Don’t walk away from me, Lunette,” he growled, his voice low and almost pleading. I pulled my wrist free, breathing harshly, ignoring the way he tried to grab at me. "Let me go," I cried out, and he roared. "I'm your mate; you don't get to walk away from me."Axel’s words echoed in my ears as I turned on my heel, determined to end this argument. I paused and looked to him, disbeli
Lunette POVThe nerve of Axel to do this to me."Why do you even care?" I demanded, my voice rising. I shoved him again, harder this time, breaking the cage he had formed around me. "Why does it matter to you?"I hissed louder than I’d intended, my anger propelling me forward. I had been doing so well in avoiding him and Zarek; I had done so well in avoiding them both and focusing just on Aloha Cormac.I had felt like that was what I owed him, especially since I was his mate.The guilt ate at me every day that passed, but I ignored it or tried to whenever I could because that was what was best for me and for them.And it had worked for a while; I had been able to hide and pretend that I didn't see them out of the corner of my eyes and that their scent didn't follow me out of the room at every turn.The walk today had been another form of escape, just me running from them again. I had been sure I was safe since the whole pack house was busy securing the prisoner from the rogue attack
Axel POVI had a dark cloud on my head!I had a dark brooding cloud hanging over my head that refused to lift, and it was becoming bothersome, especially since others noticed it and did their best to avoid me, which was in their best interest at the moment. As I would likely bite the head off of anyone who looked at me wrong.I strode away from the prison area, unable to shake the unease that had taken root since the rogue prisoner took his life in the early hours of the morning, hours before we could actually question him. Normally I would find such loyalty heartwarming, but then the word loyalty being used in the first place was wrong.Rogues weren’t known for their strategy or foresight; they were driven by chaos and the primal instincts to survive.They definitely were not known for their loyalty, as they would sell their own mother for food. So this was something else. Something deliberate, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth, making me feel that I was definitely right.Som
Axel POVThe thick scent of tension and blood in the air as I approached the border where my father, Zarek, and a few dozen other soldiers were already waiting, my muscles tightened with anticipation, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. Rogue activities had been escalating in the last week, and tonight seemed to become a turning point, which was both annoying and relieving, as he really was spoiling for a fight. As I reached them, my father was barking orders to a group of border patrol wolves; they were supposed to have noticed this far earlier before this became a problem, so my father was pissed, which was understandable; his presence was as commanding as ever, and with Zarek standing beside him, his arms crossed and his usual stoic expression in place, they looked too alike. Was that what people saw when we all stood together?“About time you showed up,” Zarek muttered as I approached, his tone laced with irritation. “Cut it out,” I snapped, not in the mood for his sarca
Lunette PovI stood in front of the mirror, smoothing over the soft fabric of my dress for what felt like the hundredth time. The sun was setting outside soon; soon it would be dark, but we had an hour or two.It was a simple yet elegant deep green that complemented my eyes and clung to my curves in all the right places—or so Mrs. Barlow said. I wouldn't know; I hadn't had a dress in a very long time and definitely not a new one, so it was a little confusing to know how to act now that I had one, but I was happy too.So I put it on and let out a shaky breath, my nerves tingling with anticipation as I got ready for my date. It had been days since I’d seen Alpha Cormac in the corridor that night, and since my fumbled answers to him about where I had been and what I had been doing.The days in between that had been... complicated, a very tedious dance to avoid Axel and Zarek, which was not been an easy feat considering how persistent they could be. My guilt over what had happened with t
Lunette POVI ran away from the shed like the hounds of hell were all rushing behind me. I needed to do that to at least tell myself that I wasn't a totally bad person. I slipped in through the door, trying to be as quiet as possible.The hallway leading to my bedroom was a little too quiet, and I wasn't sure if I was grateful for it since it made the echo of my hurried footsteps as I made my way back to my room all the more loud.It was frightening, especially with my heart racing like I was being chased and pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird.I felt out of control, and I hated feeling like this—like I was caught in a web of my own making, which was a hundred percent right.I shouldn’t have done it. Again.Again, being the most important word in the whole thought process, I shouldn't do it again too, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to say no. Axel’s touch still lingered on my skin, the heat of his fingers on my skin, and the memory of his smirk seared into my brain.I
Lunette POVThe dim light filtering through the cracks of the storage shed made me feel uneasy. I shouldn't be here at all, but I felt suffocated inside, so I decided to help clear the mess in the storage. The shelves were stacked with tools, old supplies, that were dusty and in need of arranging, so here I was looking for solitude—trying not to let my thoughts circle back to Axel and that night in the forest. The pack runs were over, but thinking about that night still made me feel hot and brought a flush to my skin. Even now my core was wet just at the thought of it.The forest was supposed to be the last time; that’s what I told myself every day after that; that’s what I promised myself. But promises had a way of crumbling when Axel was involved. No matter where I went, he seemed to find me. No matter how much I tried to resist, I kept finding myself giving in. It wasn’t just the forest. There was the time by the stream when he caught me washing the dirt off my hands after gard
Axel POVThe forest was oddly too quiet; the blood spilling down my chest from the man I had just killed was warm and sticky; it would be a hassle to clean.Mostly a hassle to explain to Lunette, but that was a problem to deal with then. I looked at the body; that would be another problem; maybe I should have left him alive.I found out exactly what he wanted from her in the first place and why he had been stalking her, but the time for that had passed. I moved to the body and dragged him across the ground, the body making the leaves rustle. The faint calls of wolves from the pack run echoed back here, making me smile a bit.It was funny in a way I didn't want to think about right now.I was supposed to be enjoying a peaceful, quiet run, not dragging a body half way across the forest. Once I was done hiding the body, I moved to where Lunette stood by the water, looking scared.She must have heard me coming; she glanced at me and then immediately looked worried when she saw the blood o