Dante’s POV It was late at night. I was still awake in my office, finishing off some last-minute reports. Suddenly, Mako became restless, clawing at the back of my mind, making it hard to concentrate. “What is it?” I muttered, rubbing my temple. But before I could get a response, I felt a sharp pain in my chest—like I was being stabbed in the ribs. I clutched my chest in pain, groaning loudly as I struggled to understand what was happening. My phone buzzed on my desk. I managed to pick it up, but what I heard next shattered my world. “WHAT?” I shot up from my chair, my eyes wide with panic. “What do you mean it’s on fire?! How did that happen?” “We don’t know!” The voice on the other end was frantic and breathless. “The fire just suddenly started, and it’s spreading fast…” “My wife… Amaya—where is she? Is she out?” I questioned, my chest tightening painfully as I groaned. There was a moment of silence on the other end, and I growled in frustration. “Answer me, dammit!” “Alpha
Dante’s POVWhen I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the pain in my chest—not from the burn or the smoke, but from the empty void left behind.The second thing I noticed was the sterile scent of disinfectant.My eyes fluttered open. I was in the pack hospital.My head rolled to the side, and I saw Cyrus sitting in a chair nearby.His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes were closed, but the tension in his face told me he wasn’t asleep.The moment I shifted, his eyes snapped open.“You’re awake,” he said.I stared at him blankly, my mind still fogged from whatever drugs they had pumped into my system.“How long…”“A day,” he responded.I sat up too quickly and winced in pain.“Amaya.” Her name escaped my lips like a breathless prayer, and Cyrus’s gaze darkened.“She’s gone, Dante,” he said quietly, and my fist clenched. “Her remains were found in the wreckage. I’m sorry.”“I want to see her,” I said, forcing my feet to touch the cold floor.Cyrus’s eyes widened slightly.
Dante’s POV “Stop the damn car!” I roared. Cyrus cursed under his breath and slammed his foot on the brake. The tires screeched, and before the car even fully stopped, I had the door open and was stepping out. As I stalked toward the gathering, I overheard conversations. “Well, at least now the Alpha can finally find a real Luna.” I felt a stab in my chest. “She was never fit to be Luna anyway. Honestly, it’s better this way.” A male laughed. “He dodged a bullet if you ask me.” My fists clenched at my sides. As soon as they started to notice my presence, their conversations died down—but it was already too late. Rage had blinded my vision, and Mako was growling, begging to be released. When the man with the torch saw me, his eyes widened. “Put it down,” I growled, still trying to remain calm. The man lowered the torch, hesitating for a moment, but then he smirked and tossed it toward the picture. The flames caught instantly. Something in me snapped, and in an instant, I gr
Dante’s POV “It’s me.” I shook my head. My vision was still too foggy to make sense of what was happening. But it sounded like her. And the way she moved—when she touched my cheek—it felt like her. Her finger brushed my jawline. “You came back,” I whispered, lifting my hand to cover hers. She bummed in response, lowering herself onto my lap. Her scent wrapped around me, so intoxicating that I instinctively slid my hands to her waist. “I miss you,” I murmured, pressing my forehead against her shoulder. “I miss you too,” she whispered back, and I could feel her hot breath against my ear. My hand tightened on her waist, and she leaned closer, brushing her lips against the side of my neck while her fingers ran through my hair. “Amaya…” I groaned, pulling her closer, burying my face into her skin. She trailed her lips teasingly down my neck, sliding her nails under my shirt. Just when she started to lift it… “Yes,” she responded, but my body stiffened. The voice was different t
Dante POVDays passed, and there was still no news on her whereabouts.Everyone who saw her last swore they saw her at the mental hospital before the fire.I was growing impatient with every passing day, knowing Amaya’s murderer was somewhere out there, breathing the same air as me.Cyrus was always quick to remind me that the missing nurse was just a suspect — after all, we couldn’t recognize the person’s face in the footage, and it was too grainy to make a clear identification.But I didn’t care.Someone set that fire. Someone walked out of that room while my mate burned to death. And someone was going to pay for it.I was in my office, trying to distract myself by rewatching the CCTV footage over and over again. Each time the image of the nurse flashed on the screen, I would curse under my breath.Cyrus was also present, but he sat in the far corner of my office, quietly observing me. He had been doing that a lot lately. I wouldn’t blame him — I was slowly going mad.My fist clench
Dante’s POV Cyrus took a moment to process my words, his expression shifting from confusion to shock as he blurted, “What?” He stared at the laptop screen, zooming in on the picture. “Are you sure? This… this can’t be right.” He was in denial, just like I was. From the little interaction we both witnessed earlier today, it was clear to both of us that Kara was hiding something — but a part of me refused to believe she would have anything to do with this. She had been a part of my life for years. Even when Amaya came into the picture, Kara never crossed the line — not until that night. She had always been composed, always careful with her words and actions. That’s why this didn’t make sense. “I don’t know,” I growled. “But what else makes sense? That tattoo is identical to Kara’s. And you saw her reaction when I mentioned the footage.” My jaw clenched while Cyrus still looked to be in disbelief. “I should have known,” he muttered. “That night the healer went missing after Amaya wa
Dante POVHer faint figure was bathed in the moonlight, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. She wore a thin white dress that fluttered softly in the night breeze.Hearing my voice, her head turned slowly, and when her eyes met mine, my heart clenched.I stumbled on my feet as I walked toward her, but then her gaze dropped to the railing.No.She lifted one foot off the edge of the balcony and slowly began to lean forward.“No!” I shouted, lunging forward.I desperately reached out to grab her hand, but when I touched it, it was cold — so cold it made my skin burn.“I… I’m sorry…” she whispered.“No,” I growled, tightening my grip. “Don’t… don’t do this. Please!”But she smiled — that soft, sad smile — and she let go of the railing.“AMAYA!”I grabbed her wrist, my muscles screaming in protest as I pulled her back, but her hand started to slip through my grasp like smoke.“No, no, no!” I screamed. “You’re not leaving me again! I won’t lose you again!”I pulled harder — harder —
Amaya’s POV I died. After multiple attempts, I was sent off to a mental hospital. Dante had hoped it would make me better, but it only made me worse. The nurses tortured me, claiming it was for my own good — the needles, the restraints, the cold baths in the middle of the night. I remember screaming, crying, and begging, but no one listened. There was this nurse in particular who was hell-bent on breaking me, and whenever Dante was scheduled to visit, she made sure I was in no condition to see him. She would slip into my room hours before his arrival. “You’re not ready to see him,” she would whisper. “You need to calm down first.” That’s when the injection would come in. My body would grow heavy, my vision would blur until I couldn’t tell whether I was awake or dreaming. That night, as usual, she came into my room. This time, I tried to fight her off, but she was stronger and easily pinned me down. “Stop struggling,” she hissed. Even when I begged, she only smiled and presse
Amaya POV.Day 1 of the Full Moon Festival began today. You could already hear fireworks being blasted even though the main event didn’t start until tonight.I had everything I wanted to do planned out — shopping, trying all the food stands, maybe even entering one of those rigged games if I was feeling lucky. Any form of distraction was all I needed.I had been looking forward to this all week.“Which outfit do you think is better? This—” I held up a light purple flowy dress against myself in the mirror, “—or the white one with the lace?”Briella, who was lazily stretched across my bed flipping through her phone, didn’t even glance up.“Both look good,” she said, and I sighed dramatically.“You are not even looking. Come on, this is serious!”With an exaggerated groan, she lifted her head, glanced once at the dresses, and said flatly, “White,” then immediately turned back to her phone.I looked at the white dress… then the purple one… then back at the white one.“But the purple compl
Dante pov "Alpha Dante, you decided to join us today," Alpha Beckett said with a warm smile, gesturing to the empty seat across from Amaya.I offered a polite smile, my gaze sliding over her. "Well," I said calmly, "I figured it was time I stopped... avoiding things."Trying to avoid my gaze Amaya quickly looked down, stabbing at the piece of steak on her plate like it had insulted her ancestors. I watched her as she struggled with the cutlery, her hand slipping just enough to make her flinch.Before I could stop myself, my hand moved forward instinctively to help her.But Ryder beat me to it."Here," he said softly, reaching across to hold her plate and guide her hand.My hand froze midair and stayed at me with a confused expression.I gulped down nothing and my grand, my finger curling into a fist as I brought it back to my lap.The air in the room suddenly became uncomfortable. No one spoke after that, the only sound being the clicking of the cutlery and the faint scrape of glas
Dante POVI couldn’t sleep.Not even for a second.Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Ryder cupping her chin and leaning in.It haunted me, and I hated it so much.I hated how he effortlessly made her smile, how she leaned into him like it was the most natural thing in the world.I knew I had no one to blame but myself.Still… I couldn’t stand the sight of her—or rather, the thought of what I saw.By the afternoon, I was restlessly pacing around like a caged wolf. I just needed to clear my head, get away from the image of her lips on his, so I was just walking aimlessly.The estate grounds were unusually quiet today. Most of the warriors were on patrol or at training, and for once, the silence felt like a gift.That was until I heard familiar voices… and then her scent.That smell of lavender and honey, now mixed with a strong spice.I froze, recognizing the other voice—and knowing she was with him. I could barely stand the thought of seeing them together again.I was ab
Amaya POVRyder and I sat opposite each other on the bench just outside the estate. The afternoon sun had dipped low behind the trees, casting long shadows across the grounds, but neither of us seemed in a rush to leave.We hadn’t said a word since we sat down.The silence stretched between us like an invisible wall. It had been almost half an hour, and I couldn’t take it anymore.“So…” I started, fidgeting with my fingers. “Does he know?” I asked.He gave me a strange look, and I immediately groaned. “Okay, that was stupid. Of course he knows. It’s the mate bond…”He didn’t say anything, he just stared at the ground like it had all the answers he didn’t.“Why did you keep it a secret?” I asked softly.He sighed. “What do you think? My mate is a man and…” he hesitated, swallowing hard. “He doesn’t even seem interested.”That made my chest tighten in a way I didn’t expect.“But then you asked me out,” I said, more confused now. “Why would you do that if you already knew Cyrus was your
Amaya POV “Targeted?” The word echoed in my head. I leaned forward in my seat, gripping the armrest. “By who?” “We don’t know that yet,” Alpha Beckett replied, “but based on the reports of what happened last night and statements from the others… it certainly seems that way.” I frowned. “I don’t understand.” He exhaled, then leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “The others weren’t attacked the way you were. Briella, for instance—she said she chased down a rogue, but not once did it actually fight back. Instead, it led her in circles, then straight into a dead end where she got trapped.” “Wait… what?” My brows furrowed. “The pattern repeats,” he continued. “The others shared similar stories. Light attacks, easy escapes, nothing too serious.” I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly becoming dry. “But you…” he looked at me, “you were ambushed. Not by one. By nearly a dozen rogues. Some of them came from directions no one else had encountered. It’s almost like… they w
Amaya’s POV“What are you doing?” I mumbled, confused as Ryder’s thumb brushed against my bottom lip. Especially when he leaned in and pressed his lips on the side of his thumb.My brow furrowed and I blinked a few times.Ryder’s eyes snapped open, and he casually leaned back, clearing his throat. “Dante was looking,” he said, and my stomach dropped.“What?” My head snapped to the door. There was no one there now, but it didn’t take a genius to realize what had just happened. “You… pretended to kiss me?”“Technically, I did kiss something,” he replied, trying to make a joke out of it.“Ryder,” I said flatly, and he held his hands up.“Relax, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said.I stared at him for a second, then repeated, “You pretended to kiss me because you saw Dante watching?”He didn’t respond right away, which annoyed me a little.I shifted on the bed and set the fruit bowl aside. “Do you realize how messed up that is?”“I was only proving a point,” he said, quieter now. “He n
Dante’s POV Amaya’s wolf was back? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her shift. It was the first time I had ever seen her in her wolf form, and for a moment, I genuinely thought I was dreaming. There was no way this was real. But then she growled—and not just any growl. It was deep, commanding, terrifying… and somehow beautiful. If I wasn’t an Alpha myself, I probably would’ve been on my knees. She was twice the size of a normal wolf. Her white fur shimmered like moonlight kissed it, and her presence alone was enough to make the surrounding rogues hesitate. I watched her take down two rogues in under a minute. Her moves were brutally efficient, like she had been doing this her whole life. The third rogue didn’t even try to fight, it just ran. Then she turned to me. Our eyes met as I stared at her now-glowing blue eyes, and for a moment, I forgot everything else. I was so lost I didn’t even realize the fourth rogue was still standing and was now slinking toward her.
Amaya’s POV The rogues crept closer, their growls vibrating in my ear. “Cut me down,” I whispered harshly to Dante. “Do you want me to draw more attention to us?” he hissed, his gaze shifting from wolf to wolf. He had his blade out, his body angled protectively around me. But there were four of them, and I could already smell more in the distance. Then one lunged at us. Dante met it mid-air, clashing his blade against the rogue’s jaw. Another rogue darted toward me, but Dante was already at my side, blocking the third one with his forearm. He didn’t look shaken by the blow. He growled and slammed his sword into its chest. Three rogues. He was handling three rogues. Wanting to help, I tried to reach out for my belt, praying the dagger strapped to my thigh hadn’t fallen off, but my eyes widened as I spotted the fourth rogue. It wasn’t moving. It was just standing there, staring straight at me with a grin on its lips. Like it was toying with me. Watching me dangle—helple
Amaya POV I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves as I recalled everything I’d learned up till now. “In situations like this, the last thing you want to do is panic,” Ryder had told me once. “The next… is to listen.” So I listened. I focused on the silence, let the cool air fill my lungs. I gripped my sword tighter and started moving forward carefully, step by step. That’s when I heard sudden footsteps heading right in my direction. My ears twitched and my instinct kicked in. The next rule Ryder had drilled into me came rushing back. “Find a safe place to hide. Then wait. Then strike.” I darted behind a thick tree, crouched low, clutching my sword so tight my knuckles turned white. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I kept my breathing steady. Just like I was taught. Then… I saw movement. A shadow passed me, and without wasting a second, I jumped out with a yell, raising my sword—ready to strike. But I didn’t even get the chance. A hand caught my wrist mid-ai