HANNAH'S POVI couldn’t believe it—Landen was slipping away from me. Slowly but surely, I could feel it. His mind wasn’t with me anymore, and his heart? It hadn’t been fully mine for a long time.No matter how hard I tried to hold onto him, I knew I was losing him. I didn’t need more proof to know that he was fighting the bond he still had with Anna. I could see it in his eyes, the way they followed her at the business event.The way he looked at her, even though we were right there, together.I hated the way Anna carried herself with such confidence, acting like nothing had happened between us all those years ago. She walked around like she was untouchable like she hadn’t stolen Landen’s heart, even if he was my husband now.And that little boy, Owen. There was something about him that didn’t sit right with me.The more I thought about it, the more the pieces started coming together. That boy wasn’t just some random child. He had to be Anna’s son from four years ago—the one I thought
HANNAH'S POVThe girl I had met after digging too deep to know who Owen was couldn’t find anything, but she helped me realize the truth. It was exactly as I suspected—Owen was Landen’s son.Dr. Navian had lied to us to protect Anna and her child. His fiancée, Elena, who could no longer endure how close Navian and Anna were getting, had revealed something I needed to know.As much as I tried to dig into Anna’s past, it was like she had vanished into thin air. My boys couldn’t find anything because she had hidden her tracks well. Anna had changed her name from Annabeth Luther to Annabeth Kurtna.She’d even gone so far as to reduce Owen’s age by a year and had erased all traces of how she had arrived in this pack. It was almost impressive—if it didn’t threaten everything I had worked so hard for.Anna was clever, I’d give her that. But no matter how well she hid, no matter how many lies she told, I was smarter. I wouldn’t let her sneak back into our lives and take what belonged to me and
Hannah’s POVI was back in the Moonlight Pack with Landen and Jasper, and our business trip was finally behind us. But my mind was elsewhere, spinning with the new information I had received from Elena.Anna was planning a solo trip with Owen, just the two of them, away from the city. It was the perfect time to strike.Elena had been incredibly helpful, feeding me every detail I needed to know. We had been in communication constantly since the event, when Anna had shown up, pretending to be a perfect woman.It had infuriated me. But now, with this trip coming up, everything was falling into place."She’ll be vulnerable," Elena had told me during our last call. "It’s just her and Owen. No one to protect her."As I waited for Elena to call, those phrases kept repeating in my head while I stood by the window with my phone out. Ever since my boys had lied to get rid of Anna and her son, I had been thinking about this moment for years. I couldn’t believe she had managed to survive, much
Landen's POVI occasionally wonder what Hannah is considering. She's been acting weird lately—distant even—but I'm not entirely sure why. But that's not the main thing that irritates me. Anna is the true problem. Since she appeared again, my wolf has not been able to settle down. I thought I had buried the hurt of being apart from my mate, but it's beginning to emerge, stronger than before.I believed I could manage it. I thought I could move on and focus on my life with Hannah and our son, Jasper. But seeing Anna again has torn me apart in ways I wasn’t prepared for.My wolf keeps growling inside me, angry and frustrated. It wants her and craves her presence, the bond we once shared. I know the feeling all too well. Being separated from your true mate isn’t something you can just ignore, even if you try. The bond is always there, pulling, aching.I’ve tried to focus on Hannah. She’s the mother of my heir, Jasper, and that should be enough, right? Jasper will inherit everything one
Anna's PovMikel has been calling me ever since our last meeting, and I can’t say I haven’t appreciated it. He has this calmness about him that helps me forget about the chaos that has been circling my life.With Landen and Hannah gone, presumably back to the Moonlight Pack, I thought things would settle down.But they haven’t. The fact is that Mikel has been the only thing to fill the void left by all the emotional turmoil I've gone through. The idea of what might have happened if things had gone in a different direction makes my heart hurt. Ever since that night at the business gathering, my wolf has been restless.Seeing Landen again awakened feelings I thought I had buried.I try to ignore it, to push away the longing I feel. But it’s there. Every day, it gets stronger.The mate bond is hard to break, and even though I try to convince myself that I’ve moved on, my wolf knows the truth. Landen is still my mate, and my wolf can feel his absence like a deep, never-ending void.It’s
The road unrolled in front of me, tranquil and empty, as Owen and I exited the city for our long-deserved vacation.The sun was going down, sending down a soft orange light on tree tops beside the winding road.Owen was murmuring a familiar tune in the back of the car, looking out of the window, feeling thrilled by our little excursion.It was meant to be an escape from everything – a moment for us to relax and run away from all these happenings that had turned into our lives in multiple crazily overflowing cases. I had started feeling so confused especially since Landen came into sight again after long since he left me with tears in my eyes.This journey was meant to clear up my mind concentrating on Owen only, however; I still had deep within me this weird intuition that something bad could happen.But I tried to suppress it anyway. It was meant to be our moment together and I was determined to make it feel interesting. Looking at the mirror behind me, I saw Owen’s face smiling at
When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t even sure I would call it darkness because my sight wasn’t strong enough for comparison.A cold and damp atmosphere crammed with a scent that was hard to describe filled up the air. I tried to build a mental image of the place by blinking many times but all I could see were morose shadows outlining walls. My heart started pounding when the realization came that we were not in a van anymore.“Owen,” I whispered with a shaky voice.My hands were groping around me as my heart was racing at its normal speed. That’s when I found him by my side curled up on the floor; tiny and shaking.“Mommy?” came Owen’s voice—timid and trembling.“I’m here baby,” I murmured while pulling him into a possessive embrace. At that moment everything seemed perfect because there was no better way to keep him calm other than holding him close.“I am right here.”We were in a small, cold room. The great interior door of the basement was heavy and the floor was hard floor as though
I couldn’t believe my eyes when she appeared in the doorway of that cabin, her face contorted into a wicked grin. Hannah—my former best friend, but now my foe.As I held Owen closely hugging him tight, my heart began racing. I wanted to scream and cry out, or better yet fight back, but there was no way out.We were trapped inside with this crazy woman who could do anything she wanted and for all I knew it would be something terrible.“Well well well look who we have here,” Hannah said stepping further into the room with a frigid and mocking voice“Anna you’re harder to get rid of than I thought.”Glaring at her body shook from both fear and anger that the whole time was evident on my face“Hannah, why are doing this? We used to be friends why not leave us alone?”She laughed as if she were possessed sending shivers down my spine“Friends? Is that what you thought? Oh, come on Anna! You’ve always been such an innocent naive person. It was never about any friendship; it was always about
The living room was filled with the soft hum of conversation and occasional laughter, the warmth of companionship wrapping around me like a familiar blanket.Navian sat beside me, his eyes reflecting both relief and concern. I glanced around at the others—Rita, Mikel, and someone I hadn’t expected to see—Elena, Navian’s fiancée.Having Elena in the room made me feel off and it only got worse when she took a step forward, the atmosphere thickening. Her eyelids were puffy and her cheeks were crimson.It looked like she had been sobbing non-stop for many hours. I studied her with caution because I didn’t know what to anticipate.Elena said with a trembling voice, "Anna." “I—I need to apologize. For everything.”I frowned, glancing at Navian for an explanation, but he nodded, silently urging me to hear her out.“I—worked with Hannah to get you and Owen kidnapped,” she continued, her words tumbling out in a rush.“I was jealous and insecure. I thought—thought Navian still had feelings for
I watched as Landen cradled Owen in his arms and rocked him back and forth like a baby. I could see the tenderness in his gaze as a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Seeing him this protective and caring kind of guy reminded me of their planned connection. "He's so peaceful when he sleeps." I walked over to them and whispered, “Like all the pain and chaos we’ve been through never touched him.”Landen glanced up at me, his eyes shining with a warmth I hadn’t seen in years. “It’s because of you, Anna. You’ve always protected him, kept him safe when I couldn’t.”I smiled softly, reaching out to brush my fingers through Owen’s hair. “We both protected him, Landen. We’re both his parents.”A flicker of something—guilt, regret—crossed his face. He looked down at Owen, his jaw tightening.“I failed him. I failed both of you. I let you go… let you suffer alone because I didn’t see what was right in front of me.”“Landen,” I whispered, my voice gentle but firm. “We’ve been throug
Anna's POVI found myself in the middle of the pack house, surveying the crowd spread before me. Some faces were known to me, while a few were unknown but friendly faces, filled with respect and warmth.It was heartwarming to hear Landen’s voice echo around the room, announcing my presence after such a long time.“Today, we acknowledge what should have never been questioned,” Landen declared, his gaze steady on me.“Anna is the rightful Luna of the Moonlight Pack. Her strength, courage, and unwavering loyalty have proven that time and again. And,” he paused, his voice softening as he looked at Owen, “our son, Owen, is the true heir of this pack.”Around us, cheers broke out. I felt a wave of emotions rush through me as a result of the music. I blinked back the tears that pricked at the corners of my eyes while maintaining a straight face. I had believed I had lost this moment and this realization forever.I glanced over at Owen, who was standing beside Landen, a proud smile on his sma
I wasn’t separated from Anna for hours it seemed like I had been watching over her the whole day. Each day washed the other away, sleepless nights and hours of waiting where the days became a blur. I sat by her bedside and only got up occasionally to attend to Owen or get something I needed.It mattered not whether the roof above was made of iron or gold; it mattered not whether the earth below was stone or sand; it didn’t matter whether the food on the table was plain or grand; the only thing that was important was to be here with her, waiting for her to wake up and give me her smile once again, to hear her laughter, to hear her say “I’m fine.”It was very silent in that room, the only audible noises were the …beeping of the heart monitor, and the sound of the equipment. I saw how Anna’s chest was moving up and down, but she was so weak, so slim, so unlike the woman I had married.I reached out and touched her gently on her hand, afraid to grip it too firmly lest she break.“Anna,” I
Gerald was finally behind bars, I was standing just outside of the cell, looking at him across the heavy barred iron, I looked at him that way.He looked right back at me and his eyes were filled with anger and hate that had been brewed deep within him.“You think this is over, Landen?” Gerald sneered, his lips curling back. “You may have won this round, but you’ll never truly defeat me. The bond I have with Anna—”“Shut your mouth,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “You lost, Gerald. There’s no bond, no claim. You’ll rot in this cell for the rest of your miserable life.”I turned on my heel, walking away before I could do something I’d regret. I couldn’t afford to let Gerald’s words affect me now. Not when Anna’s life still hung in the balance. I glanced at the pack warriors standing guard.“No one goes in or out without my express permission,” I ordered. “He doesn’t get to speak to anyone. Understood?”“Yes, Alpha,” they replied in unison, their stances firm and unyielding.Sa
I glanced up as the two warriors dragged a struggling, screaming Hannah towards me. Her screams broke through the mayhem and blood that had marred the evening, resonating throughout the warehouse.My so-called wife, the one who had destroyed all I had ever held dear, was the object of my unwavering gaze.“What is the meaning of this?” I growled, narrowing my eyes at the warriors.My voice came out low and dangerous, but I couldn’t help it. Anger coursed through my veins like fire. “You dare to handle my wife like that?”The words slipped out before I could stop them, but even as I said them, they felt foreign on my tongue. I didn’t recognize them as mine.Was she really my wife? Could I even call her that when Anna—my true mate—was lying on the cold ground, bleeding out in front of me?“We apologize, Alpha, but…” One of the warriors hesitated, glancing at his partner before meeting my gaze again.“We saw the Luna pull the trigger that just shot Lady Anna.”All I could feel was cold, a
Gerald shrieked in agony as my claws tore into his side. I saw him stumble back, breathing in short breaths as blood spattered on the concrete floor. His fur was matted and saturated in blood—some of it mine, most of it his. We circled each other, breathing fiercely, but I felt like I was winning this time. The look in Gerald’s eyes wasn’t one of a confident victor anymore. It was the gaze of a desperate man who realized he was losing everything.“Come on, Gerald,” I growled, lowering my stance. “Is this the best you can do? After all the planning, the scheming—you thought you’d just waltz in and take my family?”He growled, baring his teeth, but there was hesitation in his movements now. His attacks came slower, less precise. I could feel his strength fading as we clashed again and again. With each bite and claw stroke, I pushed him farther away and neared victory.His voice quivering with a mix of tiredness and wrath, he growled, "Shut up!" He came at me, but I effortlessly sideste
The moment my bones cracked and shifted, fur bursting through my skin, I knew there was no turning back. My wolf form, dark and massive, towered over Gerald as he shifted in response.The air hummed with energy and anticipation, our growls vibrating through the large warehouse like thunder.Everything around us blurred—my warriors, Gerald’s men, Navian desperately trying to untie Anna from those cursed red bindings—but none of it mattered.It was just Gerald and me. Alpha against Beta. We lunged at each other simultaneously, teeth bared, claws ready to rip through flesh.Our bodies collided with a sickening thud, and we rolled across the concrete floor in a tangle of fur and fury. Gerald’s fangs snapped at my throat, but I twisted, using my larger frame to pin him down. He snarled, kicking me off with a powerful shove that sent me skidding back.I regained my footing quickly, leaping at him again. This time, my teeth found purchase, sinking into his shoulder.He groaned in pain and hi
As we approached the warehouse, it appeared as a dilapidated prison instead, its decayed skeleton cutting sharp tongues of shade on the ground that was bathed in the light of the moon.My team and I went a little faster, heading toward Gerald's hideout. We had managed to follow him to this godforsaken location with only one intent in mind: to shoot and bring both Anna and Owen home.That feeling lingered in the atmosphere, the second skin feeling when your body was alert and screaming for you to run. Each and every step we made resounded faintly in the silence.My heart was a drumbeat of fury and fear. When we reached the doors, I signaled my men to halt. The scent of wolves—more than I had expected—hung heavy in the air. Gerald hadn’t just hidden away; he’d prepared for war.I glanced at my warriors. Each one looked back at me with grim determination, their muscles taut, ready for action. I nodded, and they braced themselves. Pushing open the creaky metal doors, we stepped inside, we