Amaya’s POV The atmosphere surrounding us became even more tense. Kara opened her mouth but couldn’t form words while Dante’s brow knitted together. “Oooooh, nice.” Cyrus, who had been quiet the entire time, finally spoke with a lazy smirk, and all the attention shifted to him. His brow knitted together, and he shook his head, confused. “What? It’s not every day we get to witness this side of the Luna,” Cyrus said, then his gaze landed on me. “By all means—don’t mind me. Continue.” I opened my mouth to speak, but Dante spoke first. “There’s no need for that.” All eyes snapped towards him. Even Kara’s smirk faltered as Dante’s gaze darkened. “What?” she said. “But Dante…” He didn’t even look at her. His eyes remained fixed on me like he was trying to read my soul. “I won’t be punishing anyone.” Kara’s eyes widened. “But…” “I said enough!” His voice thundered, but then he exhaled in frustration. Kara’s gaze shifted to me. She tightened her fist, and for the first time,
Amaya’s POV“Let me kiss you,” he whispered in a husky voice, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.Before I could form a response, his lips brushed against mine.Soft at first, and when I didn’t pull away, his hand slid from my chin to my neck. His fingers tangled into my hair as he tilted my head and deepened the kiss.From there, the kiss became more urgent. His other hand found my waist, and his fingers pressed into the curve of my hips, pulling me closer. I gasped, and my hand gripped his shirt.Oh god.When I tried to push him away, he only pulled me closer. I was practically struggling to breathe.“Alpha.”Thankfully, a maid appeared at the doorway just in time, which seemed to have snapped him out of whatever trance he was in. He pulled away, cursing under his breath.His chest rose and fell as he turned to the maid. His expression turned deadly instantly.“What is it? Can’t you see I’m busy!” he yelled, causing the maid to visibly flinch. Her hands trembled, and she lowered
“Someone has already been in here.” Dante’s gaze shifted around the dusty shelves. He couldn’t identify the scent, but there was a subtle change in the air that told him someone else had been there. This place had been sealed off from the entire pack. No one should have been able to get in. They had already searched the healer’s quarters countless times and found nothing, but Dante had insisted they try again. And tonight, it seemed like the moon goddess was on their side. By chance, Cyrus’s hand brushed the edge of a cabinet, and a soft creaking sound echoed through the room. He paused, crouched down, and pried open a loose floorboard. His eyes widened when he saw what was underneath. “There’s a compartment,” he said. “I thought you said this place had already been thoroughly searched,” Dante muttered, crouching down beside him. “I did.” “Then how the hell did you miss this?” Cyrus shot him an annoyed glare. “Well, you missed it too,” he said. “Don’t just blame me—
The next morning, Suri was on her way to the supply room when she was stopped by an older woman.“You there. Are you busy?”Suri turned toward the voice. The woman, who looked to be in her early 30s, stood at the very end of the hallway. Her black hair was tied into a neat bun, and her uniform was crisp—much neater than the other maids.“No,” Suri responded quickly, lowering her gaze out of habit.“Good,” the maid said. “The Alpha asked for tea. You’re the closest, so you’ll prepare it.”“Me?” Suri’s eyes widened, and the maid’s gaze hardened.“Do you have a problem with that?”“No, of course not,” Suri said quickly, already feeling her palms grow clammy.She had never served Dante directly before. It was usually more of the senior maids who handled that kind of thing. But arguing was pointless.“What kind of tea does he like?”The older maid lifted her brow. “Chamomile. No honey. Don’t keep him waiting,” she replied.Suri nodded and hurried off toward the kitchen. As she entered, the
Amaya POV I had tried so hard to fall back to sleep with the hope of seeing Nyx in my dream—even if it was just once. I had so many questions to ask her, but she never came, and that bothered me to the point that I became quiet. Even when Dante came to my room to hand me my meals, I wouldn’t say a word. One morning, as I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, trying to recall the dream I had, I heard a loud commotion from outside my bedroom door. At first, I wanted to ignore it, but it grew louder, making it impossible to focus. With a frustrated groan, I got out of bed and started walking toward the door. As soon as I opened it, a woman lunged at me, grabbing my shirt forcefully. “Please!” she sobbed, tears streaking down her pale face. Her grip on my shirt was so tight that I stumbled back slightly, caught off guard. “Let go of her!” one of the guards shouted, but the woman didn’t release me. In fact, her grip tightened, and her knuckles turned white. “Please—please, you ha
Amaya’s POV That day, Suri died. No… she was murdered. Delta Roland had plunged his claws into her back without hesitation, claiming he noticed the Alpha hesitating and that he just wanted to protect the pack and seek justice. Protect the pack. The words made me feel sick. That was the excuse they gave. That was how they justified taking her life. After Roland struck her down, Dante didn’t even react at first. He just stood there, frozen, as if he didn’t understand what had happened. The crowd gasped at first—but then they cheered. And me? I screamed. I screamed so loud my throat burned, but they just kept cheering until their voices drowned out my cries. I was losing my mind. I fought against the guards holding me back, but they didn’t let go. “Quiet!” Dante’s cold voice cut through my screams as I watched Roland step back from Suri’s body. His claws were dripping with her blood, yet he had the nerve to respectfully bow toward Dante as if he had done him a favor. “She was
Amaya’s POV Dante’s expression didn’t change, even when the door closed behind him. His eyes were still fixed on me, like he was expecting me to explain myself—but I didn’t feel like it. So, I shifted my gaze and began walking back to my bed, but he couldn’t hold back. “What happened?” he asked. “You saw it yourself,” I responded flatly, sitting down on the edge of the mattress, my hands curling around the edge of the blanket. His gaze darkened. “Amaya.” “I hit her.” He blinked, clearly taken aback. “What?” “I hit her,” I repeated, my voice devoid of emotion. “Twice.” His brow furrowed, like he was trying to decide whether he had misheard me. Then he walked over to the nightstand and set down the tray of food before shifting his attention back to me. “And why would you do that?” he asked. I lifted my gaze to meet his eyes without flinching. “Because she deserved it.” Dante’s jaw clenched as he stared at me. It was clear there were a lot of things he wanted to say, but he s
Dante’s POV I couldn’t breathe. Fuck! What the hell did I do? My chest kept rising and falling fast as I paced back and forth in my room. My hands were still shaking — I could still feel the sensation of my hand wrapped around her throat. I stumbled back, pressing my hand to my face as if it could erase the memory. But it wouldn’t leave me. I dug my claws into my scalp, pulling on my hair. I almost killed her. “I almost killed our mate, Mako.” With my bare hands. “What do you expect me to say?” came Mako’s dry response. He’d been speaking to me less these past few days because I kept messing up — and I still kept messing up. I stumbled back, knocking into the nightstand, and the lamp crashed to the floor, shattering at my feet. My head was spinning. She had pushed me too far. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I just… I just snapped. What’s wrong with me? Am I becoming him? No… it can’t be. I wasn’t him. I wasn’t a monster. I couldn’t be. In frustration, I slamme
Amaya POV Dante! Of every man I could have walked into. It had to be him. What was he doing here? I thought he wasn’t coming to the festival tonight. I was sure of it, so how the hell…? At this point, it felt like the Moon goddess was playing some twisted game with me, pulling the strings just to see how far she could push me before I snapped. Before I could even process it, his head snapped toward the sound of the toppled crate. Our eyes met, and my heart slipped a beat. He looked stunned seeing me standing there. And I… God… I couldn’t move. I took a shaky step back, then another — but just as I turned to run off, “Amaya… wait!” he said. The next thing I felt was his hand grabbing my wrist, gently pulling me back. His other hand slowly cupped my face, and his eyes searched mine like he needed to feel if I was real. I shivered under his touch. “What are you doing here?” he asked. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my eyes anywhere but on the fact that his pants were still und
Amaya’s POV He tightened his grip like he thought he had some kind of claim over me, like he was testing how far he could push me before I broke—while the other two laughed behind him, clearly enjoying the little show. I slowly turned to him, finally meeting his gaze. My expression was calm, but my eyes told a different story. “Move your hand,” I said calmly. They were clearly drunk, I could smell the alcohol on their breath, but that didn’t excuse their behavior. He chuckled, clearly thinking I was bluffing. “Come on, don’t be like that. We’re just having a little fun.” Wrong again. I watched as his grin widened and he reached out his hand to touch my face. Maybe it was the effect of the full moon because Nyx was growling recklessly inside me, demanding to be let out. Before his hand could touch my face, I grabbed his wrist, twisted it back just enough to make him hiss, then shoved it off me. The bar stool scraped against the floor as I stood up. Without wasting a second, I
Amaya’s POV “How are you feeling?” I finally asked after we were done discussing the major issues. I wasn’t just asking for the sake of it, and judging by the way he moved, he knew exactly what I meant. “Better…” Adam muttered, staring down at his hand. “I’ve been better. Still feel empty inside… but it hurts less now.” I fidgeted with my fingers, not knowing what to say, even though I had been the one to ask. Losing a mate was a kind of pain that never fully went away. It just… settled somewhere deeper, like a scar you learned to live with. It would probably take years for him to fully heal, if he ever learned how to open his heart again. He was still so young, yet he had to endure this much pain. It wasn’t fair. None of it was. “Dante…” I muttered the name before I could stop myself, watching as Adam’s pupils dilated. “Dante is here…” “What!” he growled, his voice louder than I had expected. “What is he doing here? He knows you are alive? How?” “It’s a long story.”
Amaya POV “You… you’re crying?” he muttered. I quickly wiped my face with the back of my hand, pretending like nothing had happened, and stood up in a rush. “I’m fine,” I muttered even though my voice cracked, and I turned away from him. “Ryder’s probably awake now. He’s probably asking for me.” But before I could take more than two steps, he grabbed my wrist. “Amaya,” he said. “Tell me what’s wrong. Are you hurt?” I bit down hard on my lip, still refusing to meet his eyes. “Let go,” I whispered. “I’m not letting go,” he replied, tugging me back a little. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong.” I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing shakily. I couldn’t do this, my chest was aching so much. Thankfully, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the tense silence. “There you are!” Briella called out, and I felt Dante’s grip loosen slightly. As Briella approached, she frowned, noticing the way Dante was still holding me. When she got close enough to see my face properly, her entire body st
Amaya POV“Get out,” he said without looking back. His voice was hoarse but sharp enough to make me flinch.I froze in the doorway, clutching the first aid kit tighter to my chest.“I came to help you,” I whispered, but he scoffed, still not turning to face me.“I don’t need your help, princess.”Even from where I stood, I could see the way his hands trembled when he tried to reach the deeper lashes on his back.My grip tightened around the kit. “I am not a princess,” I muttered, stepping closer despite the cold warning in his voice. “And you clearly need my help. Your wound is still bleeding.”He didn’t say anything, his shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath he took. I took another step forward, then another until I was next to him. When he still hadn’t said anything, I slowly knelt beside him and set the first aid kit on the floor.I grabbed a bottle of antiseptic and a clean cotton pad, but when I lifted my hand, I hesitated, hovering just above his ruined back.Up cl
Amaya POVIt was a light peck. Barely even a kiss, if we were being technical.But it was everything to me.He froze for a moment, his body stiffening under my touch, and I could feel his heart hammering just as wildly as mine.Then it all shattered as he shoved me away.Hard enough that I stumbled back a few steps, catching myself on the stone bench behind me.His eyes widened in disbelief and something I couldn’t name. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, like he was holding himself back.“Amaya…” he said hoarsely, but whatever words he meant to say were swallowed by a much heavier silence.A silence broken a second later by the slow, deliberate sound of footsteps approaching.I turned, and my heart dropped straight into my stomach.Standing at the edge of the garden path, with his arms crossed and an expression like a brewing storm, was my father.The Alpha.I knew immediately that he had seen everything.Dante dropped to his knees in front of him without hesitation, he
Amaya POV “Now your faces! Closer!” she instructed. Was she out of her mind?! I almost choked on air but remembered she was just a child. Dante was already leaning in and I had no choice but to do the same. Our faces were now inches apart, and I could feel his breath brushing lightly across my skin. It was torture. This was torture, and no matter how hard I tried to hold my breath, the scent of him still crept into my nose and clung to all my senses. It was all a cruel reminder. Dante tilted his head a little, and when I dared a quick glance at him, his eyes were already on me. I quickly looked away. The tension was so thick between us, it was a wonder the little girl didn’t notice. Minutes passed. Painful, heavy minutes we stayed like that. “Done!” the girl finally announced, and I sighed in relief. Dante immediately pulled away and I felt my shoulders relax. The girl turned the canvas around proudly, and I braced myself for the masterpiece — but what greeted me were two
Amaya POV It felt like he had made it his life mission to always stick around me like a leech. No matter how much I tried to avoid him, he seemed even more determined, and that pissed me off. Did he really think I would suddenly change my mind just because he was constantly being around and suddenly playing the Mr. Nice Guy? Heck! His presence was only making everything worse. “Here,” he said. His voice was rough, a little like he didn’t know what else to say. “I didn’t even want this,” I muttered under my breath, mostly to myself. But when I saw him shift uncomfortably, like he was bracing for me to shove it back at him, I sighed and reached up to take it anyway. Ryder was the one who had gotten it for me, after all, so it would be rude to just toss it aside. I watched him hesitate for a second, then he asked, “Can I sit?” “Why ask when you’re going to do what you want anyway?” I didn’t even look up at him when I answered, hugging the wolf closer to my chest. And jus
Amaya POV Long story short, we ended up accepting Dante’s offer. Dante held the passenger seat door open, urging me to step in, but Ryder took it instead. “Thank you,” he said, closing it behind him. I swear I saw Dante’s jaw tighten before he forced a smile, and I climbed onto the backseat with Briella. The second Dante slid into the driver’s seat, the air shifted, becoming uncomfortably quiet. To distract myself, I kept my gaze out the window, pretending to admire the view even though all I could see were endless fields and a few scattered trees. The second I stepped out of the car, I was hit by the full force of the chaos. Colorful paper lanterns were strung across every street, bobbing gently in the breeze. Stalls lined both sides of the roads, decorated with silver ribbons and tiny glowing lights. The smell of fried dough, roasting meat, and sweet candied apples filled the air, making my stomach growl despite the heat. Music blasted from hidden speakers somewhere, mi