~ BRIAN ~ “No, Mom. Stop it. This is not the time to start your nonsense. I know you don't like Lyric, but it's not the time to make accusations.” I snapped at her. “Oh, so now I'm making accusations? When I told you that girl was ill-fated, I told you you had the opportunity to change your mate and request for someone else, but no, you just had to stick with that thing.” As she said that, my hands balled into fists, a wave of heat rushing up to my head. “I don't know what the heck you saw in her, but look at what she's done. She already messed things up for you. That filthy—”“Mom, be quiet.” I growled and glanced around at the confused faces of the people. “this is not the place and this is not the time for this. I have claimed the Alpha power; it is an important part of my life and we need to figure out what went wrong. Lyric must be missing.” Shuffling sounds came from behind me and I glanced in the direction to see Roger begin to move, coughing. His eyes opened as he cough
~ LYRIC ~ It had been 42 hours, I thought to myself, glancing at the wall clock on the broken wall across from me. I had six hours left. I knew I had to hurry. If those six hours passed and Brian couldn't kiss mee, then he’ll be defeated. The entire scheme would be a waste. Heaven know what would be on his mind right now, I found out Emily had snuck in to clear my closet out to make it seem like I had run away instead. Brian must hate me so much. I glanced at the rectangular block by my feet, something that once bubbled with lively videos and text messages,now laying at my foot, dead. She had also turned my phone off to avoid any communication.I stared around the room, and it was obvious I had been dumped in an abandoned barn that looked like it had been built in the twentieth century. Suddenly, I noticed a knife. My eyes widened. I immediately hopped with the chair andI grabbed it with my feet. It took a while till I successfully passed it to my hands, slicing through the rope
I walked up to Brian in his new office. If anyone had told me an office room could be bigger than the one he had in his previous home, I’d have argued, but this Alpha office in the packhouse was beyond ginormous. It was bigger than my entire family house in our old pack. It had a wide, black L-shaped wooden office desk by the end, with bigger sofas at the center of the room, and it had sections for beverages, snacks, quick meals, and a massage section.Brian was standing by the large, probably 20-feet tall window that revealed the perfect view of the sunset by a waterfall. The view was perfect, but do you know what looked even more perfect? My freaking mate. He was in a red tuxedo that accentuated his muscles and showed off the perfect magazine-worthy frame he was blessed with. His gorgeous dark brown hair was neatly trimmed, yet still thick on his head. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, resting my head on his back. “You look sexy.” I mumbled, letting his bourbon vanilla scen
Emily. I rolled my eyes. I ought to expect such from her. Now that Brian was Alpha, she wanted to leave Roger. I scoffed, exiting the room. She was so shameless.Exiting the Fook, I left to return to Brian. When I got in, he was sitting on the arm of his couch, on a call. "Yes, I'll be there. Yeah, right now." He said then ended the call. "What's that?" I asked, my brows curling upwards, sad that he was leaving. "Alpha duties.' He sighed, rising up to hold my shoulders. "Don’t worry. Once we go on our vacation, it'll be strictly us, no work, no school, no nothing." With thar, he pecked my forehead . I sighed too. "Alright." "Okay," he stared then smiled. "I love you." That immediately sent butterflies to not only my stomach, but my heart. "I love you too." Then my thoughts went back to Emily. If she had managed to steal Roger from me, what if she did the same with Brian? My heart started throbbing faster at that. Brian's forehead furrowed. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" "It's
Brian shoved the last bit of clothing into his closet of the PRESIDENTIAL SUITE of the hotel we were staying in. Yeah, I had expected a small house by a beach again, but no, he chose a ginormous, five-star hotel for our vacation. That was a great deal, but slipping back to the major problem at hand: Blade. His text had been bothering me ever since. He was clearly more dangerous than I had thought. As I thought about him, my chest was starting to feel tight again. I wanted to pour out my feelings to someone, someone I could rely on, but neither Raina nor my Mom, nor my brother could understand my situation. Only Brian could, but telling him about Blade meant telling him about the debt collectors, and I wasn't going to do such a thing. "Lyric," I flinched at the sound of Brian's voice. With squinted eyes, he stopped in front of me. "What's wrong with you? You've been so lost all day.""N-nothing."He playfully glared at me. "Nothing? Really?" "Yesh, it's just…I need to rest." "That
~ BRIAN ~ Lyric was sleeping so peacefully on the bed. I leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead. Once again, the sight of her face first thing in the morning was enough to make my day automatically great. She rolled around, her face in front of mine. I stroke her jet black hair away from her face. Her long lashes fluttered, and before I could escape, her pair of jade green eyes were staring into my soul. Her forehead scrunched up as she yawned, stretching. "Good morning," she said sleepily. "Good morning, kitty." I rose up and kissed her again. How could she look so stunning after just waking up? She stretched again. My mind reflected on our conversation about her childhood and all I wanted to do was embrace her over and over again, let her know I was here for her. "I'll go take a shower." She yawned as she rose up the bed. All I wanted to do was remind her daily of her worth and be there for her as much as I could. She walked past me and headed to the bathroom. Walking
~ LYRIC ~ Brian had gone to heaven knows where, and I was getting bored of staying alone. My thoughts were constantly slipping back to Mom's words, and no matter how hard I tried to shrug it off, it still stung. Sighing, I rose to my feet, slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater and headed out, maybe to go on a run or something.Arriving at the lobby, I stopped to buy a bottle of water when someone suddenly stood very closely behind me. "Why the heck is this person so close to me?" A frown formed on my face as I scrunched my nose, watching the curls of the vending machine take forever to twist and push the bottle out of place. Once it fell, I took the bottle and turned, bumping into a hard figure. "Ouch." I rubbed my nose, lifting my head to catch the gaze of Roger, and that automatically worsened my facial contortion. "Wow, someone must really not like me." He said jokingly. "Like you? I despise you with every fiber of my being." I spat. "Why? Because I showed you how
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" I frowned. "You'll find out. I promise, you will." Roger smirked and walked away, a chuckle erupting from him. I tried to reflect on it. What that could mean, but my brain was jumping to too many unhealthy options. "Shut up, Lyric. Roger is an idiot. Don't listen to him." I said, took a deep breath then resumed running, making sure my thoughts were far from Roger, Emily, and their stupid words. *** I was rummaging through the closet when I saw some of the sexy outfits the maid had helped me buy from the store. They were a bunch of see-throughs, net dresses, and many more very sexy outfits. Realizing I hadn't worn them since we arrived, a naughty thought flew into my head and as I bit my lower lip, I thought hard. To be honest, I was enjoying my relationship with Brian without anything extreme going on. The cuddles, embrace were enough for me for now, but Brian was a man, a man with some strong hormones. Running my hand over my face, a h
It was the day I had been waiting for, the day I had worked so hard to reach. My graduation day. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection as I adjusted my cap and gown. A sense of accomplishment washed over me, but it was mixed with bittersweetness. The road to this moment had been nothing like I imagined. The journey had been full of unexpected turns—love, loss, battles, and triumphs.In the early days after Brian’s coma, when I learned I was pregnant, I never thought I’d make it to this moment, let alone have my son with me by my side. The idea of balancing motherhood with my education had seemed impossible. But here I was, with my son, my husband, and my pack—ready to take the next step in life, even though I knew it wouldn’t be easy.I smiled softly at my reflection, adjusting my gown one last time. My son, only two years old now, was already napping peacefully in his crib, a reminder of how much had changed in such a short time. Brian had been there for me every s
The first day back in classes felt so unreal. The energy of the students buzzed through the air—laughter, conversations, the occasional groan about assignments—but none of it truly reached me. Not with everything that had happened. Not with everything that still weighed on my mind.Brian walked beside me, his presence a steady force, but even he felt different. Stronger. More protective.As if he could sense what was coming.And he wasn’t wrong.'Goodbye, my love.' He said through mind link, causing my cheeks to flush red. 'Goodbye, my love.' I mind linked back and giggled loud, earning side eyes from two of the girls about to enter my classroom as well. The moment I stepped into my first lecture hall, Professor Jenna’s cold gaze landed on me.Jenna… jeez. How could I forget this witch?A woman who should’ve been nothing more than an ordinary professor, but she wasn’t. She had a fixation on Brian, one she had never hidden well. Before the war, before everything, I had ignored it. Br
~ LYRIC ~ The ray from the sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the pack house, casting golden light over the polished wood floors. I stretched my arms above my head, breathing in the sweet fresh morning air as I gazed out over the training grounds. Warriors were practicing, their movements sharp and precise, but today wasn’t about war or battles.Today was about something far more terrifying:School. Yup, you heard that right. I gotta go back to school. I had almost forgotten that the rest of the world hadn’t stopped when Brian was in a coma, when I was learning to rule, when I had been fighting to hold our pack together. But time had moved forward, and now it was time for me to return to the life I had before I became Luna.Not that I minded.I loved being Luna.I loved the power, the responsibility, the feeling of belonging to something greater than myself. The pack respected me. They trusted me. I had spent the past few weeks proving that I wasn’t just Brian’s wife—
~ LYRIC ~Two weeks had passed. It had been. Two whole weeks. Two gruesome weeks. Two weeks of Brian laying in the hospital with no medical diagnosis. No treatment possible because no identifiable problem. It had been Two weeks of ruling without him. Yes, on the bright side, the pack had completely defeated the enemy and wiped out all of them, thanks to my power (not to brag or anything), so I had been leading the pack as Luna completely, with help from Jordan. Poor Jordan was mourning the murder of his beloved. It broke my heart for him, but Anna got what she deserved. It had been two weeks of waking up alone, staring at the empty space beside me where Brian should have been.Two weeks of trying to be strong while my heart ached in ways I never thought possible.Brian was still in a coma. My mother, too.The healers said their conditions were stable—alive, breathing—but that wasn’t enough. Not for me.Every day, I carried the weight of my pack on my shoulders. I made decisions, I
~ LYRIC ~I couldn’t speak— speaking was too much. I couldn't breathe. Brian’s body lay limp in my arms, his warmth slipping away with every second that passed. My hands were soaked in his blood, trembling as I pressed them against the wound that should have never been there. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. Not at all. What was all that stupid prophecy of saving him about? I had tried all I could, summoned all the power I could find, yet I couldn't heal him quickly. A violent storm of emotions built inside me—rage, grief, desperation—twisting and churning until my body couldn’t contain it anymore. I wanted to explode. Watching the love of my life grow cold and pale in front of me was a sight that stabbed my soul. "I would not let this happen!" I growled and rose up, his pool of blood dripping from me. "No! I screamed."I would not let this happen. A throat wrecking scream tore from my throat, shaking the very ground beneath me. My power exploded outward in a bright
~ LYRIC ~I woke to the sound of gunfire.The sharp, jarring cracks destroyed the peaceful silence of the night, sending a jolt of terror through me. I sat up so fast that the blankets wrapped around my legs scratched my skin, my heart thundering in my chest.Beside me, Brian was already moving. Clearly, someone had experience in years of war and survival that had trained him well because he didn’t hesitate, he didn’t freeze, he didn’t seem fazed. He grabbed his armor and weapons from the bedside, his body tense with readiness.“What’s happening?” I breathed, throwing off the cover and getting off the bed to match his speed. His eyes were already scanning the darkened room, his jaw clenched. “We’re under attack.”Another round of gunfire exploded outside, followed by the distant shouts of warriors and the sickening sounds of metal meeting flesh.My stomach twisted. I was growing tired of this whole war nonsense and just couldn't wait for it to end . We barely had time to pull on o
“They are here!” A guard announced.I didn’t have time to panic.My vision had given me an advantage, but that advantage would mean nothing if I didn’t act now. The enemy was coming, and they were coming fast.I stood straight ignoring the way my body still trembled from the strain of seeing through time. I forced my voice to be steady, authoritative. I was Luna. They needed to hear confidence, not fear.“Jordan ,” I said, my tone fierce. “Gather everyone. Now.”He hesitated for a while before nodding and rushing off to sound the alarm.Minutes later, the war room filled with warriors, guards, and pack leaders. Their eyes were wide, their bodies tense. They knew something was coming.I took my place at the center of the room, armed with full armor and a gun for myself. .“The enemy is on their way,” I announced. “They’ve taken Alpha Brian as a distraction, hoping we’d be too broken to fight back. But we will fight back. And we will win.”A murmur ran through the crowd as they digested
~ RAINA ~I never should have agreed to this crap. Fake dating Blade was supposed to be easy. A simple arrangement. No emotions, no expectations—just a mutual agreement to keep up appearances. He needed to make Lyric jealous, and I… Well, I wasn’t sure what I was getting out of it anymore. It was initially for the sake of research, but I had barely done any research here. It was all just war, war, war. . At first, it was fun. Blade had a way of making things exciting, always pulling me into his world of effortless confidence and easy charm. I told myself it didn’t matter that he was still hopelessly in love with Lyric. That his eyes always followed her when she was in the room. That I was just a placeholder in whatever game he was playing. But then, somewhere along the way, I started wanting more. I realized it today when I saw the way he looked at her, even when she was barely holding herself together. We were at the training grounds when he spotted her. Lyric stood off to
~ LYRIC ~I stretched my legs across the couch, letting out a satisfied sigh as I sank deeper into the cushions. The warm scent of my mother’s cinnamon tea spread through the air, blending with the soft crackling of the fireplace. It was one of those rare, peaceful nights—one where the world outside didn’t seem so chaotic, and all that mattered was the quiet comfort of home. Tone sat across from me, one arm draped over the back of the chair, his face relaxed for once. For some reason, tonight, he looked… happy. Maybe even at peace. Mom was laughing at something he said, her voice light and full of warmth. I didn’t even catch the joke, but I smiled anyway, just glad to be here with them. In the midst of the war, I could still sit and enjoy a nice family time. “This tea is perfect,” I said, wrapping my fingers around the warm mug. “Mom, I swear, you should bottle this up and sell it. You’d make a fortune.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s not that big of a deal. I just use a l