Lunnette's POV Ever since my meeting with Lorraine, in fact ever since Axel had slammed a door in my face after sending me on my merry way I had been an emotional wreck. The weight of Lorraine’s presence was floating over me like a storm cloud,a very dark and very suffocating storm cloud.My little chat with her earlier had left my nerves frayed and had my thoughts spiraling in a thousand directions. What would she do with Axel, what would she tell him? Would she expose me to the pack?I was still struggling to fit in here, and they would no doubt be people who would want me gone because I lied.Worse yet, what if she went to the twins or—goddess forbid—Alpha Cormac? My heart clenched at the thought of his piercing eyes darkening with betrayal. I had fought so hard to build this life, to protect myself and those I cared about. It couldn’t all come crashing down now, not because of her. What would I tell them!My stomach churned at the thought. I paced my room, the wood floor
Lunette POV “What do you want?” I asked again, my voice quieter now. Her eyes gleamed with triumph as she pulled back a bit. “Ah, now we’re getting to the good part,” she said. She circled me slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. “What I want,” she said, drawing out the words, “is to see you squirm. To see you suffer, it's a past time of mine you see" she mumbled and I flinched “I’ll keep your secret,” she started walking around me like a vulture circling prey, she sounded too gleeful about this that it made it almost to difficult to let it go.“If,” she added, her smile returning, “you do exactly as I say.”My stomach dropped, and I stared at her in disbelief. “What do you mean?”“You heard me,” she said, her voice as smooth as silk lie she was an innocent girl asking for an innocent favour when we both knew that couldn't be further from the truth “If you want me to keep my mouth shut, you’re going to do what I want, when I want.”I swallowed hard, dread pooling in m
"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'S POVDinner had been a quiet affair for years in our family; I was used to it, and so was Axel.But as I walked into the dining room, Lunnette scent me like a sledgehammer to the back of my head. I stood at the doorway, gripping the frame stiffly, trying to free my fingers so it didn't crush through the wood. "Aren't you going in?" my brother asked. I took in a deep breath that almost made it seem worse and stalked into the dining room. Once we were all seated, I looked to her and stilled. She looked beautiful, her pale blonde hair looking almost white; she seemed a little too pale with a slight flush to her cheeks. She looked up at me, and I looked away immediately. "I've decided to take Lunnette as my mate." My father mumbled. For the second time, I think, I sat there, stunned and frozen in disbelief as his voice echoed in the room, in my ears, but though I could hear him,it seemed to take me time to grasp what he was saying.My eyes locked on my father asI gripped the edg
AXEL'S POVI gripped Zarek’s arm tighter than I probably should have, practically dragging him out of the packhouse before he could do something truly reckless. His muscles were tense, his breath coming in shallow bursts.He was barely keeping his wolf from snapping. I knew that feeling too well.An omega? He was taking that omega as his mate of all women?The door slammed shut behind us, cutting off the murmur of voices and gasps from inside.The tension followed us through the doors.I crossed my arms, my gaze following him as he paced back and forth."He’s right, Zarek," I finally said."We rejected her. She’s free to choose, and so is he."A snarl tore from his throat as he hissed."Don’t you dare say that to me." He roared, and I sighed; he wasn't making this easy on me. Hell, I was stunned too, and trying to wrap my head around our father&rs
Lunnette POVThe moment the door slammed behind Axel and Zarek, as they stormed out of the dining room, a thick, oppressive silence settled over everyone left, making the air thick with tension. Someone slammed against the door hard, and it echoed down the hallway. I stayed frozen in my seat, unable to move, unable to breathe, my heart pounding in my chest, like a bass drum.My hands trembled in my lap as I stole glances at Alpha Cormac, who was sitting across from me, watching me. I hadn't expected a proposal; if the twins were surprised, then I had no idea what I should be right now. So I just sat there in silence, trying to process what had just happened. Zarek’s fury, Axel’s quiet seething anger—but it was Alpha Cormac’s words that kept replaying in my mind. He had claimed me. Not a beta or another high-ranking wolf. No, me an omega to be mated to Alpha Cormac. The father of the two men who were supposed to protect me now wanted me for himself. He would be my Alpha. “Lunette,
Lunette POV “What do you want?” I asked again, my voice quieter now. Her eyes gleamed with triumph as she pulled back a bit. “Ah, now we’re getting to the good part,” she said. She circled me slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. “What I want,” she said, drawing out the words, “is to see you squirm. To see you suffer, it's a past time of mine you see" she mumbled and I flinched “I’ll keep your secret,” she started walking around me like a vulture circling prey, she sounded too gleeful about this that it made it almost to difficult to let it go.“If,” she added, her smile returning, “you do exactly as I say.”My stomach dropped, and I stared at her in disbelief. “What do you mean?”“You heard me,” she said, her voice as smooth as silk lie she was an innocent girl asking for an innocent favour when we both knew that couldn't be further from the truth “If you want me to keep my mouth shut, you’re going to do what I want, when I want.”I swallowed hard, dread pooling in m
Lunnette's POV Ever since my meeting with Lorraine, in fact ever since Axel had slammed a door in my face after sending me on my merry way I had been an emotional wreck. The weight of Lorraine’s presence was floating over me like a storm cloud,a very dark and very suffocating storm cloud.My little chat with her earlier had left my nerves frayed and had my thoughts spiraling in a thousand directions. What would she do with Axel, what would she tell him? Would she expose me to the pack?I was still struggling to fit in here, and they would no doubt be people who would want me gone because I lied.Worse yet, what if she went to the twins or—goddess forbid—Alpha Cormac? My heart clenched at the thought of his piercing eyes darkening with betrayal. I had fought so hard to build this life, to protect myself and those I cared about. It couldn’t all come crashing down now, not because of her. What would I tell them!My stomach churned at the thought. I paced my room, the wood floor
Lorraine POV I stalked out of Axel's bedroom my heart pounding with satisfaction. I had gotten what I wanted and I was feeling on top of the world He had agreed to my terms. Of course, he had no choice but to. My heels clicked sharply across the hard wood floors as I made my way down the corridor, the sound echoed in the otherwise quiet space. I was familiar with these halls, just like I was familiar with the Grey Moon pack house. It was getting to dawn and the halls were still dimly lit,it would be a while before they would fully lit.It had been a while since I was back here but, I would be here a lot more often and that was amusing. A sly smile crept onto my lips as I thought about the power I now held. Axel was desperate and properly trapped, and it was all thanks to what I had stumbled upon the moment I arrived.I had not been sure how to pin him down when I left home for this pack, all I knew was I needed to get him back to me immediately. And by some sort of providence,
Zarek POVI woke up gasping for air, bolting upright as my heart hammered in my chest as the lingering effects of the nightmare clung to me like a second skin.The images were still as vivid and had seared themselves into my mind—my father’s lifeless body, blood all over the floor, Axel nowhere to be found, and Lunette’s screams as darkness swallowed her whole.I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing.“It’s just a dream,” I muttered, but the words felt hollow.It was just a dream.But it didn’t feel like one.I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my hands shaking as I ran them through my damp hair.My room was suffocating; the walls seemed too close, the air too still. I swung my legs off the bed and stood, needing space, needing air.Sleep wasn’t coming back for me, not
Axel POV "Then your father would have nothing to say about this," Lorraine said, her words cutting through the silence.My ears were ringing; maybe it was because the air in the room felt heavier than ever, pressing down on me as Lorraine’s smirk deepened. Or maybe it was because I couldn’t tell if the weight on my chest was anger, frustration, or the sickening realization of the corner she’d just backed me into. I stalked over to her, taking a step into her space, letting my wolf rise just enough for her to feel the tension crackle in the air. I leaned against the wall, fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, my wolf snarling inside me, with the familiar mix of chaos, anger, and frustration that mirrored my own emotions. Lorraine wasn’t someone I could afford to underestimate, not with what she had just seen and not when she held the power to destroy everything in my life just to spite me. “Whatever game you think you’re playing, Lorraine, it ends now,” I gro
Axel POV I pushed her out the door and leaned against it and took a deep breath. She didn't move immediately, and I didn't want to entertain any conversation until I was sure she was gone.I stood there, my hand on the door handle, listening as Lunette’s hurried footsteps faded down the hall. My chest felt tight, every part of me screaming to go after her. But I couldn’t. Not now. Not with her standing in the room. Lorraine wasn’t the type to back down easily, and I knew without a doubt she’d use this against us if it suited her. “How can you be so sure?” Lunette had asked, looking up at me, her eyes filled with fear, something so close to terror it had been difficult to look away. Her question had been valid, and so had my answer, because just like I had promised her, I wasn't going to let Lorraine ruin anything for her. Turning the lock with a sharp click, I leaned against the door for a moment, gathering myself. Then I turned back to the one face I didn't want to be anywhere
Lunette's POVI lay there in the dim light, still tangled in Axel's arms, my skin still flushed and tingling, almost trembling even from the assault of emotions and sensations.His arms were draped possessively around me, fingers tracing lazy circles on my bare shoulder. For a fleeting moment, the world was still, like we were in our own bubble, and I was free from the judgment, guilt, and the crushing weight of responsibility that would follow our choice.But it didn’t last.Axel's heartbeat was steady against my ear, louder to me than the silence in the room but a contrast to the chaos swirling in my mind.The room smelled of us—our shared passion and the consequences that would come later.But as the high ebbed, guilt crashed down on me like a wave, suffocating and unrelenting.My gut tightened immediately in regret at that point, but there was nothing I could do about i
Axel POV When I kissed her again, I wasn't sure what I had expected her to do; pulling away from me and slapping me was not it.I couldn’t stop staring at the door when she left; the click of the door quietly shutting behind her echoed in my chest and my ear. She was always running from me, always. My fists clenched at my sides, my nails biting into my palms as I fought against the frustration boiling beneath my skin. Why couldn’t she see it? Why did she think that running from what we both felt was the right answer? We were mates no matter what she wanted to say, no matter what she claimed.She belonged to Zarek and me. I paced around the room, my frustration bubbling over into something I couldn’t contain. I wanted to punch something, yell at her, or maybe at myself.But none of it would make a difference. She was out there, walking away from me—again, and I couldn’t let her go this time. I wouldn't let her go.Before I could talk myself out of it, I was already moving. I yanke
Lunette POVI should have left the room immediately I put him to bed, but I didn't; the dimly lit room lured me into a fantasy, with the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting warm shadows across Axel’s face.Axel's room was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the old wood beneath my shifting feet; the faint scent of him lingered in the air, mixing with the sharp tang of alcohol.I stood near the door, watching him sit on the edge of his bed, his head bowed, his broad shoulders slumped with the blanket I had draped over him earlier, its edges hanging loosely around his frame, slipping slightly.His broad frame looked smaller somehow, weighed down by exhaustion and whatever demons had driven him to drink tonight."I want to shower," he mumbled all of a sudden, catching me off guard.I nodded."Ok.""I'll leave you," I whispered and stood from the bed; he gestured to me to help