Mara’s POVThe pain of betrayal and guilt weighed heavily on my heart as I watched the man I loved, the alpha, storm out of the garden. Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision as the reality of what I had done began to sink in. I had lied to him, lied about our bond, and now I was paying the price—losing the love of my life.It was all my fault. I had done the unspeakable, breaking the trust that held us together. The bond between mates was supposed to be sacred, unbreakable, a connection that transcended all else and I had faked that. I had tarnished the friendship we shared with my deceit, and now I was left feeling broken and alone.I replayed the moment in my mind, the words tumbling out of my mouth, each one a painful reminder of my betrayal. I had convinced myself that I was taking what was rightfully mine, that the truth would only cause pain, but in reality, I had only created more pain by lying. My intentions may have been misguided, but the consequences were real.
Zach’s POV“It’s your alpha who thinks the old ways are better than the new ways of fighting,” Lucas said, which had Mateo laughing.“Not you too,” laughed Mateo. “I’ve had this argument with him before but he wouldn’t listen to me. We’ve fought a couple of times and although he wins, that’s only because he’s stronger.”I looked up. “It’s not because I’m stronger, it’s only because the old style of fighting has covered every single aspect of fight and chooses the part of peace and not war.”“That seems dumb,” said Mateo. “Trust me, if you had the new techniques that are very deadly, no one would stand a chance at defeating you. You can take them down within a second.”“Do you want in on this as well?” I asked him. “I’ve got a lot in my head right now and I just want to distract myself so I would not think about anything at the moment.”He started to get rid of his shirt as I smiled. Now this was more like it. I would drag this fight out to defeat them.I took a deep breath and faced L
Zach’s POVThe room seemed to tremble in response, as if acknowledging the strength of my presence. My beta faltered for a moment, his confidence waning as he realized the full extent of my power.But he was not one to back down easily. His attacks grew more desperate, fueled by a combination of fear and determination. He aimed for my weak spots, attempting to exploit any opening he could find. Yet, I defended each strike with calculated precision, deflecting his blows while maintaining a steady offensive stance.A series of rapid strikes brought me closer to victory. I anticipated his moves, countering with a speed he had not expected me to have. His movements grew sluggish, his stamina fading. I could see the frustration on his face, a realization that his mastery of new styles could not compare to the tried and true.With a final burst of strength, I delivered a powerful blow to his chest a second time, sending him crashing to the ground and this time, his chest exploded open as
Lucas’s POVRemembering every detail of that day still brought joy to me but I still loved thinking about it.My eyes had immediately fallen upon the captivating figure moving through the crowd. She was a vision of sensuality, dressed in a short gown that left little to the imagination. The fabric caressed her curves, clinging to every inch of her body, accentuating her feminine charm.Her gown, a tantalizing display of seduction, barely grazed the mid-thigh, showcasing her long, toned legs. The fabric shimmered under the dim lights, drawing attention to her every movement. It was a delicate balance between revealing and teasing, leaving just enough to the imagination to ignite desire.The neckline of her gown plunged, revealing a hint of the luscious swell of her breasts. The fabric delicately hugged her upper body, emphasizing her graceful posture and the gentle curve of her waist. It was a dress that exuded confidence and a mastery of allure.Her hair rolled down her shoulders i
Lucas’s POV “Hey,” she smiled at me. “You came back.”“I did,” I said while looking at her. If we weren’t in a public place, I would have gripped her butt and kissed her with my tongue going far down her throat, but I had to keep myself under control.This was not the place for that.“What do you want me to get for you… beta,” she said which told me that she knew who I was.I sighed and looked away to distract myself from how stupid I felt for not telling her the truth.“Listen, I can explain…”“It’s okay. I’m over it. I just don’t know why you would not tell me anything.”“Can we talk?”“I’m busy. And I doubt my boss would let me go off work.”I smiled. “I am the beta of this pack. Your boss can’t let you go off work if I asked?”That was an authority move I pulled there but I didn’t want her to see me as weak. “Can we… talk?”She agreed and took a break from work as we walked to the table at a secluded balcony.There, we sat down and stared at each other for a few seconds.“You’re
Zach’s POVI stood alone on the balcony, my thoughts consumed by the complexities of my relationship with women as a whole.Why did they have to be so complicated? I had done nothing to deserve this kind of torture.I was sure Lucas or Mateo didn’t have this kind of problem.Why me?As the alpha, the weight of my responsibilities often overshadowed my personal life, leaving little room for emotional vulnerability. It was a lonely existence, one that even my own father struggled to breach.But I was sure my father didn’t go through this kind of pain.Lost in my contemplation, I was startled when my father joined me, his presence both comforting and unsettling. We had always had a strained relationship, our roles as current alpha and former alpha creating an unspoken wall between us. We rarely communicated like a typical father and son, and our interactions were often laced with tension.He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and understanding. "Zach, I can see that so
Zach’s POV“Zach please…” she started to say and approach me as I held up my hand to halt her in her steps.“I had a rethink of everything that had happened and as much as I commend your efforts to destroy my relationship with my mate, I hate you for it.”She looked to the ground crying.“On my wedding day, I left my mate for you. I broke my wife’s heart because of a fleeting moment with you. Something I thought was real that wasn’t. I doubted myself every day and not once did you say anything concerning the moment. You hurt me and you hurt Kayla.”“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”“Well you did! And I hate you for it!”She looked away, her eyes welling up as I held back my words.I didn’t want to say anymore to her as I was too mad and I didn’t care what she did with her life.I tried to keep my rage under control but it was too hard especially when I was thinking of a way to apologize all over again to Kayla.Now I regretted having multiple women in my life.Suddenly, I saw her crouching
Zach’s POVThis was the closest I was coming to a wolf that had gone rogue without killing it. I usually didn’t try to subdue rogue wolves. They were rogue and needed to be put down. But this was Mara. She was different.In a gentle yet firm voice, I spoke to her, pouring my emotions and memories into my words. "Remember who we are, remember the pack. We are connected, bound by loyalty and love.”But my words seem to piss her off even more asshe roared and tossed me away from her.I tossed midair and landed a few feet away from her while she snarled at me in rage.In her eyes I could see that she had gone mad. She was no longer the Mara I had grown up with. No, this was a different creature.Mara was not here. But I knew she was in there somewhere and I has to try.I believed that I could reason with her, bring her back from the brink of madness. Violence was not my first resort; I wanted to subdue her without causing harm. But as I would soon discover, not all battles could be won