AthenaThe first rays of morning sunlight fought their way through the dense veil of clouds, casting a soft, ethereal glow upon our entangled bodies. Gentle breezes danced through the open windows, carrying with them a whisper of freshness that mingled with the warmth enveloping us. In this intimate space, time seemed to lose its meaning as we surrendered ourselves to unbridled passion.I had long lost track of the countless times I had come apart beneath him, while he, relentless in his pursuit of pleasure, had reached the pinnacle of release only three times. He was reckless and I loved it.Intense waves of pleasure coursed through my body. I clung to Sebastian, holding onto him as if he were my lifeline. Overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment, my teeth sank into his shoulder, "Sebastian..." I rode my high once again.His voice, raw with desire, filled the space between us, "God, I love you." His raspy breath caressed my face, his lips inches apart from mine. With each powerful
SebastianI stared at her in disbelief, unable to believe what I was hearing. For those first few seconds, I couldn't trust my own ears.She was asking me to...mark her.Damn it all. That was the very fantasy that had consumed my thoughts since the moment I laid eyes on her. To bury my fangs in her tender neck and leave my indelible mark, forever declaring her as mine."What did you say?" I managed to ask, needing confirmation that this wasn't some figment of my imagination but a genuine request in the real world.A smile teased her lips as if she understood the perplexity I felt. She turned toward me, her hand reaching out to graze my cheek, leaving a trail of tingling sparks in its wake. "I'm asking you to mark me."Holy shit! I had never not believed in heavens and angels, but today, all my convictions were shattered. There existed no realm or inhabitants within it, apart from the one I beheld with my own eyes—Athena. She was my heaven. If I were to worship her until my dying breat
Athena"So what does this actually symbolise?" I asked, tracing the mark on my skin as I stared at myself in the mirror. His mark was quite different from the ones I had seen before. Each wolf's mark was meant to be unique, carrying their claim and personality. However, I couldn't quite figure out the meaning behind the half-dark moon on my skin, slowly fading into black fragments and then disappearing altogether.It was beautiful but mysterious."It symbolises..." His tone remained serious as he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his hands on my belly. A gentle smile played on his lips as his eyes met mine, and a small chuckle escaped from him. "Me.""Of course, I know that!" I wanted to scold him, but seeing the childlike grin on his face made it difficult to maintain a serious expression. "What I'm asking is, what does that black fading moon really mean?"I watched as he gazed at my mark, his right hand lifting to gently stroke the spot with his index
Athena"Aaron," his name slipped from my lips, confusion shrouding my mind. "What are you doing he—"I never got the chance to speak as I noticed Aaron's gaze snap towards Tristan before even acknowledging Sebastian or me. "So you're that motherfucker."And then, in the blink of an eye, it all happened. Aaron stormed towards Tristan, grabbed him by the collar, and hurled him against the wall. My eyes flew open wide with horror as Tristan's body collided with the wall, causing paintings to crash to the ground and glass to shatter.Tristan groaned in pain, blood seeping from his mouth as he struggled to regain his composure. Despite being in a state of overwhelming shock, I ran toward him. "Tristan...""You're the one who called me, aren't you?!" Aaron shouted, attempting to lunge at him once again, but this time Sebastian intervened, pushing him away forcefully."Stop it, Aaron! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"Confusion was etched all over Tristan's face as he asked me, "Who
Tristan"Are you sure you're okay, doc?" Sebastian asked, concern flashing in his eyes—a rare sight and gesture from someone like him. Perhaps the removal of the curse had truly brought out the best in him or maybe it was just Athena. "Yes, I'm sure," I reassured him. "I've been in plenty of accidents, and this is the least of the worst that could happen. Although, I must admit, your beta has quite a temper.""I thought you didn't know who he was." Sebastian's feet halted, worry now replaced with curiosity and a hint of suspicion he tried hard to conceal. Knowing his observant nature, I was aware that he had caught on.Damn it!"I'm good at reading people, Sebastian," I brushed it off with a chuckle. "The way you were commanding him, it seemed like you're very used to it. And certainly, if he were someone ordinary, you wouldn't tolerate so much. I know you."The suspicion didn't vanish immediately, but after a few seconds, he too brushed it off with a laugh. "Okay, that's impressive.
Aaron"In that case, you're going to die too, doctor," I seethed, my rage crawling up my skin like venomous spiders. I was ready to explode at any moment; the thought of anyone harming her made me want to destroy everything. "She is mine, and anyone who dares to hurt her shall die.""My life's not so dear to me anyway, Aaron," he had the audacity to laugh. His calmness and casual tone made me wish I could tear his throat out and pull every last strand of veins from his body. "But her life is dear to you, isn't it? I know it is.""You fucking—""Shouting and cursing won't get you anything. In fact, everything you do will be futile because I have already seen how Athena kicked you out of her mate's house today," he continued, his tone mocking. "She chose to trust an unknown doctor over you. That's how little importance you hold in her life. You are useless to her, just like you were to everyone else.""Cut the crap. I know what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work," I retorte
Sebastian"You okay?" I asked her, my concern overflowing as I repeated the question for what felt like the tenth time, unsure of the credibility of her previous replies."Yes, Sebastian," she sighed, snuggling closer to me. Her actions were a silent reassurance, telling me not to worry, "I am okay." She buried her head in the crook of my neck, her hands finding their place on my chest, undoubtedly feeling the rapid thumping of my troubled heart."Should we find another doctor?" "No, Sebastian," she shook her head,"Don't take Aaron's words seriously. I don't think Tristan has anything to do with Celine, and even if he did, why would Aaron receive the call? Shouldn't it have been you receiving a call from Celine's mate?"Well...there could be something more to this situation."Yeah, you're right," I nodded, attempting to hide my doubts and put on a smile on my face, "Let's move past this, okay?"It was a challenging task to conceal my worry when it consumed my every thought. The fear
Athena"Is it necessary for you to go today?" I asked, gazing at Sebastian as he prepared for some mundane task he seemed indifferent to sharing with me. "Can't you stay?" I remained seated in the middle of the bed, wrapped in the cosy embrace of the blanket, probably looking like a burrito, longing for the warmth of his arms.God, it would be so much better if he agreed that we should cuddle rather he was getting ready for an unknown agenda. I was pretty sure it had to be some stupid work in his office. It was evident that he had become a workaholic, often toiling away late into the night. "I'll be back before you know it, Love," he chuckled, stealing a glance at me through the mirror. "In the meantime, you could read a book or call Sarah or Shelly. I'm confident I'll find the information I need within an hour.""What is it, huh? What could possibly be more important than me right now?" I snapped, my frustration seeping into my voice, almost glaring at him, "I wanna know."A throat
Sebastian"Sebastian, you have to talk to Vincent. Enough is enough; I can't handle him anymore," Athena walked into the room, her hair cascading down her waist, her skin flushed with frustration, "Moreover, we don't even have enough room for toys and dresses now. There are still hundreds of things that Asher hasn't even tried yet, but he just dropped off more than ten bags full of outfits, just now! Asher's growing so fast; he won't even get to try all of it. It's all going to be a waste. God, I can't take it!"She threw her hands over her head. In her flowy white maxi dress, with no bra on, she did indeed look tempting. It might make me seem like a complete jerk, but I wasn't paying the least amount of attention to her words compared to what I was paying to her body now.Oh, how I would love to tear that dress off of her and have her on the bed, clutching onto the sheets with her silky hair sprawled all over the pillow while with each thrust, I'd drive deeper into her—it'd be a deli
Athena"Luna, there's someone who wants to meet both of you," the maid informed us."Who is it, sweetie?" I asked as I gently placed Asher in his crib. This was his second nap of the day, and in his soft snores, there was a hint of Sebastian. He had definitely taken after his father in terms of looks and a few habits."He says his name is Tristan Perez.""What, Tristan?" I asked, my brows rising in surprise, and Sebastian's reaction mirrored mine as he immediately closed his laptop."Bring him in," he said, “Right now."The maid promptly left the room.It had been four months since that fateful day when Sebastian, after apologizing to Tristan, me (even though I was unconscious at the time), and our newborn baby, disappeared. He had promised to return the following day, but Tristan had vanished without a trace. No phone calls, no visits, no messages, and no news. Cora had been devastated, but she eventually found the strength to move on, accepting the possibility that he might never re
AthenaFour Months Later"Sebastian, Vincent, I need to feed Asher. You two need to give him to me, right now!" I yelled for the second time, standing at the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest."Do you want to go to Mama?" Sebastian asked, planting soft kisses on Asher's cheeks, eliciting a chorus of giggles, "We don't think so. He's happier with Daddy and Uncle Vince.""Yeah, our little fighter is happier with us than with you, Athena. You seem to bore him all the time," Vincent chuckled, gently taking Asher in his arms and playfully nibbling on his ear, "What a big boy you are, huh?!" He planted a loving kiss atop Asher's head."Yeah, Mama's boring," Sebastian joked, pretending to lie down across Asher's lap. Asher, ever the daddy's boy, leaned in and gave Sebastian a kiss of his own, complete with a cute but slobbery open-mouthed smooch. That was his way of kissing."See, even Asher agrees with us," Vincent said with a proud grin.Goodness! When I had Asher, who could have
AthenaEverything around me felt too light, and my body felt burdened by an inexplicable weight. I was acutely aware of my own breath, the gentle touch of someone's fingers caressing my cheeks, and the faint, delicate movements of a small figure nestled in my arms.Do the departed continue to breathe? Perhaps in their consciousness, or maybe in a manner imperceptible to the living. Do the dead really breathe?Am I among the dead now? If I am, then why do I still sense that touch, one that seemed to coax my soul to the surface with every stroke? Why do I feel the presence of someone incredibly dear to me, as though a part of my essence had drawn near?Thoughts raced through my mind, clamouring for attention, until one realisation surfaced — my baby.My eyes slowly fluttered open, adjusting to the soft, ambient light. The surroundings were unmistakably familiar — our very own home, and our shared place—Our room.So....we made it?"Love," Sebastian's voice whispered beside me, and I turn
TristanI had made a mistake. A great one. One that I couldn’t undo no matter how much I wished.Cora handed me the diary as we all stood outside the hospital. The morning winds were bitterly cold or maybe, it was just the cold within me."This is Celine's diary," she said, her demeanour different today, unlike the times when she used to follow me around in an attempt to make me acknowledge the mate bond I had been denying until now. Of course, I knew the reason—she had seen the kind of person I had become.And who would ever want to be with a man like me? Worthless.I hadn't done this right. I made Athena pay a price she wasn't supposed to pay—all that pain and suffering just to see her child's face once. She had endured too much for my revenge, a revenge I shouldn't have sought in the first place. But what else could I do? I wanted to hurt Sebastian, and she was the only one who truly mattered to him in this entire world.Celine died to save Athena. Had I made her sacrifice go in va
Athena"What kind of sick joke is this?" Sebastian growled. "She can't even breathe, and you're asking her to push? Is this another one of your schemes to put her through even more suffering? Listen, Tristan, why don't you just leave? You've already succeeded, then just go.""Look, I'm not lying. I know I should be the last person you'd trust, but if you want to save her, this is the only way. It had always been this way.""Do you expect me to believe that? You're the one who brought my mate and child to this condition. And now, you suddenly change your mind and say you're willing to show a sick way to save her?""I don't know why I'm doing this, okay?" Tristan shouted. "I still don't know if I'm supposed to save your mate and child and give you a happily ever after when you've ruined hundreds of lives, including the one I loved. I'm not even sure if I won't regret my decision if I save her... but," his voice dropped low, "I don't know if I'll be able to forgive myself if she dies bec
Vincent"Where could it be?!" I scoured every corner of the room that my sister had once lived in. Each belonging I touched, felt like a piece of my soul leaving my body. She had degraded herself into being someone's... object, all to avenge a duty that was never meant to be hers in the first place.I had failed as a brother. First, I couldn't save my wife and child, and then my sister— I had failed as a brother, a husband, and a father. Perhaps, at some point, even as a son, the day I emptied all the bullets in my gun into my mother's body.What else could I have done? She wasn't the mother I once knew, or maybe she never was. She’d become just a wife, a woman consumed by revenge for her husband's death, stooping to any level she could."Fuck, I need to find it!""Do you really think she wrote about it in her diary?" Cora's voice was laced with frustration, mirroring my own. Despite her wound, she'd insisted on coming with me. Seeing her struggle and fight through the pain just to be
AthenaIn just a matter of minutes, perhaps five at most, another howl echoed from the same direction I had just fled. The urgency to rescue my child and escape intensified. The deeper I ventured, the jungle's darkness engulfed me, beyond the approaching dusk, as if the very terrain absorbed my every pawfall.Adjusting to my newfound lupine form proved challenging, despite the profound potential it held. Joy should have welled within me, had circumstances been different. Amid this life-and-death urgency for my child and me, my half-life of hell ended. The ash-hued fur now enveloping me marked my shift – bones realigning, former doubts erased. A single question remained, paramount: Can I save my baby?I did not know but I knew, I had to. No matter what, I had to.Irrespective, I surged forward with unrelenting speed, and the strength in my body grew. But the abdominal ache deepened, sapping my strides. My efforts persisted, each second ticking toward an impending reckoning. My deliver
SebastianThere was no trace of her anywhere. Every search and every query yielded negative results.Fuck this!A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. My heart's rhythm grew louder, each passing second eroding my grasp on composure—I can't forgive myself if anything happens to her or our child. Past mistakes already burdened me, and failing them now would be unbearable."Any leads?"."No, Alpha. No sign of her," came the reply."Then search around! Why the fuck are you calling me without anything to report? Damn it!”"Apologies, Alpha. We'll expand the search."I disconnected and flung the phone away. This situation was maddening. Worry consumed me, and Aaron's tactics, unexpected. I had misjudged his feelings for Athena, forgetting the twisted core that might lead him to harm her for his ego's sake.Damn it! I should've seen this coming. Accompanied her instead of letting her go with Cora.How could I act fucking careless?!I sped up the car, the dark night heightening my fears.