Evelyn. My jaw dropped and my mouth was wide open as I stared at the man who had not just walked away from me after it seemed like we were getting close to each other, but the fact that he had actually transformed into his wolf form and dashed away from me like I was some sort of plague he should not be associated with. My heart shattered into what could only be described as a million little pieces from the heart break. What the heck was the man’s problem?Why was he always drawing close to me and then pushing me off whenever I lost my guide and wanted to be closer to him as well?Was all of this a joke to him and he just wanted to flirt with me? Or was he trying to see if I was a cheap catch?*His fur is amazing!* My wolf screeched into my thoughts. My annoyance doubled at her words. *How about having some care that the man is always rude to us?* I hissed at her. Even though I knew that she might have been right about his fur being amazingly cute, I didn’t want to dwell on that
Evelyn. Raven. The name felt very bitter in my mouth even as I spat it out. What the hell was she doing at this place? “I am very sure it is not nice to meet me, right?” She said in a cool, collected voice that made me raise a brow in suspicion. Why was she this collected? Especially when we were alone in the woods where no one would know anything if she attempted to get revenge on me. “What do you want?” I hissed at her. She shrugged like she didn’t hear what I was saying. I watched as she began to look at me from my hair to my toes. Subconsciously, I looked at myself again. My mind relaxed a bit when I realized that I was still dressing in a neat way, courtesy of Alpha Gaius and the outing we went to. “Why are you here, Raven?!” I asked her, this time, more forcefully than before. If she was the one Alpha Cyrus had thought to send after me, then I was going to make sure I didn’t go down without a fight. “I came to see how you are enjoying your new life at Hartwood Pack.” Sh
Gaius. The moment I took off in a race in my wolf form, I found myself panting at my brother’s grave. I hadn’t brought myself there consciously, but I didn’t find it strange, given the fact that my mind had been on him from the moment I walked away from Evelyn. I turned back into my human form and sat by the side of the grave. I sighed as I noticed the small bush that was growing on the graveyard. It had been a while since I had visited. Given that I had to step into the role of an Alpha and chase after Cyrus for revenge, I had gotten so busy that I couldn’t make out enough time to visit and clean the grave as frequently as needed. I stretched my hand and plucked the first weed I could grab. “You know, I feel so guilty that I am now leading the pack that was supposed to be yours by right,” I said as I plucked out the second one. A sigh left my lips before I could stop it. “And now, the moon goddess mated me to your mate,” I informed him. Again, I pulled out another blade of gra
Gaius. I felt like hitting something. Hard. How had that man gone as far as being close to signing a merger with a pack and we were only just finding out?“What do we do?” I asked Lisa and Evelyn. I didn’t even know what to think and how to stop the merger from happening. I just knew that it had to stop. “Adam is in the meeting room, waiting for us. So I suggest that we go there and we can all deliberate on the next step to take,” Lisa answered. “You know we can't fully trust anyone.” She added in a whisper, indicating toward the door to show that anyone might be eavesdropping on our conversation. At that, we agreed to continue the meeting at the usual place. Lisa left first to wait for us. About ten minutes after she was gone, I held Evelyn’s hand and helped her out of the mansion. To anyone else, it would look like we were on a date, just strolling under the half moonlight, but we were on our way to the meeting room. “Welcome, Alpha Gaius. Lady Evelyn, how do you feel now?” Ada
Cyrus. I glanced up from the files I was going through. It was the files containing the details of the merger that was supposed to happen between me and the next door Alpha, Alpha Trey. It had taken a while for me to go through the terms and conditions of the merger, but I was finally done with it and I was pleased with the outcome. I picked up my phone and placed a call through to the man. Before the second ring could sound, the man had already picked up. “Hello, Alpha Trey,” I said into the phone the moment I heard his voice from the other end. “How is it going from your end?” I asked. There was a moment's pause from my end as the man continued to narrate how he went through everything and he was just about to call me to let me know that he was content with the agreement we were supposed to sign. “Have you gone through the terms and conditions?” I asked him. Once he replied in the affirmative and didn’t say anything further, I smiled to myself. Such was the authority I had on
Evelyn. “Gai-“ I tried to call Alpha Gaius, but I couldn’t even finish as he already turned around the corner and walked away. I didn’t know if it was my eyes that were deceiving me or if I was just imagining it or if I had truly seen it, but I felt the man had hurried his footstep when he heard me try to call his name. I didn’t want to think the worst of the man but he left me with little to no choice. After that outing that we had, it appeared that he was trying his possible best to avoid me. No matter how early I woke up to look for him, he was never there in the mansion. Each time I managed to come across him, his Beta or Gamma were there to take him away. Or he would have walked away from me before I would be able to call his name to get his attention. After about two days attempt that proved to be futile, I knew that I had to get myself busy before I would start imagining the million and one things that I shouldn’t. And that was why I decided to start helping the pack’s doc
Gaius. “If you’ll excuse me then.”Those words and the walking away of footsteps brought me back to the present. That was when I realized how much o had messed up the date I managed to summon up the courage to get her to have with me. But it wasn’t that I wanted to mess up. It was just that when I walked in and saw how beautiful she looked, I had gotten lost in my head, with a lot of thoughts. Even though I tried my best to make sure that I didn’t lose myself in my wild thoughts, I couldn’t help it. I was mesmerized by her. Even when I knew that she was speaking to me, I was so lost in how melodious her voice sounded that I didn’t know what to say in response to her words. I just wanted to continue to listen to her speak while I drowned in her voice. I wasn’t ashamed to admit to myself, if not to anyone else, that I had been mesmerized by the woman ever since I found out that she was my mate. I had wanted to hold her in my arms since then and whisper words to her. Words that wou
Gaius. I jolted back to life like someone who was being chased. By the time I would open my eyes and look around, I was a little bit confused about where I was. A movement beside me woke me up fully and I gasped as I realized that I was with Evelyn. The activity of the day ran through my mind and I heaved a sigh. The way she laid there like a sleeping beauty made me hard. I sighed and got out of bed, knowing that staying there would do no good since it would only make me keep wanting her. I noticed as I put on my dress that everywhere was silent. I peeped out through the window and saw that everywhere was already dark and the midnight patrol guards were already on duty, meaning that it was late into the night. How had I managed to sleep off for that long?I wondered briefly if anybody from the pack had wondered where I went since evening or if there had been anything that needed my urgent attention. I didn’t let the thoughts of any of that weigh into my mind. Instead, I finished d
EvelynThe news of Cyrus’s latest attack had spread like wildfire, leaving fear and uncertainty in the minds of everyone.I stood near the large window in our study, staring out at the pack grounds. People were gathered in small groups, their hushed voices and wary glances betraying their fear. I could feel their doubts, their growing mistrust, and it stung more than I wanted to admit.Gaius sat at the desk behind me, his head resting in his hands. His normally strong, and commanding presence seemed dimmed, burden by the pack’s safety.“They’re scared,” I said quietly, not turning to face him. “I can feel it. Their fear is everywhere.”Gaius lifted his head, his green eyes meeting mine. “And they’re turning that fear into blame,” he said, his voice heavy. “They don’t think we can protect them anymore.”I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. “We’ve faced worse before, Gaius. They know what Cyrus is capable of, but we’ve always fought back.”“This time feels different,” he mu
CyrusThe photograph of my father lay on the desk before me. It's edge was worn and the image slightly faded, but his eyes still seemed to pierce through me as they always had.“You doubted me, didn’t you?” I muttered, leaning back in my chair.“You thought I’d never amount to anything more than a disappointment.”I picked up the photo, running my gloved fingers along the frayed edges. His expression was as cold and unforgiving even in death as it had been in life. My lips twisted into a sharp smile.“But look at me now,” I said softly, my tone almost mocking. “I’ve surpassed even your wildest dreams. A world where the strong rule unchallenged, where no council, no laws, no Alphas can stand in the way—that’s what you always wanted. And I’ve made it a reality.”The smile faded as my wolfs growl rumbled low in my chest, the sound filling the silence of the room. “All that’s left are the two thorns in my side. Gaius and Evelyn.”Their names rolled off my tongue like a curse. They h
EvelynGauis sat across from me in silence, his eyes distant, fixed on something far beyond the room we were in.“You’ve barely said a word since you got back,” I said softly, my voice low. “What’s wrong?”He turned to meet my gaze, his jaw tightening before he spoke. “At the amphitheater,” he began, his voice low, as though speaking too loudly might shatter the moment, “I saw someone.”I tilted my head, frowning. “who?”“A woman,” he said, shifting slightly. “She was backstage, standing near the edge of the crowd.” He paused, asif searching for the right words. “She looked like you, Evelyn.”The room seemed to spin, his words throwing me off balance. “Like me?” I whispered.Gaius nodded, his gaze intense. “Not just in appearance. The way she moved, the way she stood—it was so familiar. And her face... It wasn’t completely clear, but...” He hesitated, the lines on his face deepening. “I think it was your mother.”I felt air leave my lungs in a rush, and I gripped the edge of
GaiusThe forest grew quieter the farther we ran, the shadows swallowing the sounds of pursuit until it felt like we were alone with the whispers of the trees. The boy clung tightly to me, his small hands gripping my shirt as though letting go would mean the end of his fragile safety. Raven loped beside me in her wolf form, her breathing ragged but steady, her injured shoulder leaving a faint trail of blood on the forest floor.The hideout was less than a mile away, an old hunting cabin reinforced to serve as a temporary safe house for situations exactly like this. The closer we got, the more I allowed myself to hope we might make it without further incident.Raven reached the clearing first, shifting back into her human form with a sharp grunt of pain as she clutched her injured shoulder. She didn’t look at me as she opened the cabin door, but I could feel her frustration radiating like heat.Inside, Adam and Lisa were waiting, their tense postures relaxing only slightly when the
GaiusCyrus stood tall on the stage, his voice booming with twisted conviction as he flaunted his power. The sight of the boy, trembling and locked in that cage, burned in my mind, and I knew there was no time to hesitate.Raven, beside me, moved with practiced stealth as we crept along the perimeter of the massive gathering. Her hood had concealed most of her face, but the tension radiating from her was unmistakable. “Gaius,” she murmured under her breath, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd, “this is madness. Even if we get the boy, we’ll have every rogue in this forest on our heels.”“I know the risks,” I replied, my voice low. “But leaving him here isn’t an option.”Her jaw tightened, and for a moment, she said nothing. Then she exhaled sharply. “Fine. But if we’re doing this, we’ll need to create a distraction. Something big enough to scatter them.”“Leave that to me,” I said, my mind racing with possibilities.We moved quietly through the group of rogues, careful not to draw
GaiusEvery step Raven and I took was deliberate. We moved in silence as we approached the secluded location of the Shadow’s grand gathering.The intel we got was just enough to confirm Cyrus’s presence and the purpose of the meeting. The rogues were gathering to swear loyalty to their new “Supreme Alpha” and witness the unveiling of his latest weapon.Raven walked ahead of me, her features covered by the hood of her cloak. “This isn’t just a meeting,” Raven whispered as we neared the clearing. “It’s a show of power. Cyrus wants to remind them why they follow him.”I nodded, adjusting the mask covering my face. “Then we’ll make sure we see everything,” I said, my voice low.The clearing came into view suddenly. The rogues had gathered in a makeshift amphitheater carved into the earth, a steep circle of jagged rocks surrounding a central stage. We slipped into the crowd unnoticed, our disguises blending with the rogues around us. The sounds of murmured conversations and the occ
EvelynThe house was quiet.It was the kind of calm that should have been soothing but instead made me uneasy.I sat at the dining table, stirring my tea until the liquid had cooled to the point I felt it was undrinkable no more.My mind churned with the thoughts of Gaius’s mission preparations, Raven’s lead, and the decisions we had to make. Just knowing that Cyrus was still out there, regrouping, left a constant ache in my chest. My wolf stirred uneasily.A knock came at the front door, the sound startled me enough as the spoon from my hand jolted. Grace appeared moments later, holding a pale envelope. She had an unreadable expression written on her face.“This just arrived for you, My Lady,” she said, handing it to me.I frowned, taking the envelope cautiously. There was no name or address on it, just the words Luna Evelyn written in elegant, handwriting. The paper felt rough beneath my fingers. It smelt like herbs.“Who delivered this?” I asked.Grace shook her head. “A cou
GaiusI sat in my office, staring at the map laid out before me, my thoughts a storm of frustration and helplessness. The fractured bond between Evelyn and me lingered in my chest like a physical ache, but there was no time to dwell on it. Not when Cyrus remained a threat, regrouping in the shadows like the viper he was.A soft knock on the door broke my reverie.“Come in,” I called, my voice heavier than I intended.The door opened to reveal Raven, her expression unreadable as she stepped inside. She no longer carried the air of detached confidence that once defined her. Living among the pack, isolated and distrusted, had stripped away some of her bravado.“What is it?” I asked, my tone guarded.“I have a lead,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension in the room.I raised an eyebrow, leaning back in my chair. “A lead on Cyrus?”She nodded. “He’s moving to regroup with the Shadow’s leadership. There’s an old abandoned stronghold in the eastern mountains. It’s isolated, for
Evelyn The journey back to the pack was a not easy. Every step further into familiar territory felt heavy and suffocating. When the pack house finally came into view, a sharp pang of anxiety escaped from me. Gaius got in first, his movements deliberate and restrained. He turned to me, extending his hand, but I ignored it, sliding off the saddle myself. “I’ll see to the soldiers,” he said, his voice calm but distant. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Without waiting for him, I made my way inside, as each step echoed loudly in the silent halls. Grace met me at the door, her face filled with concern. “My Lady,” she said gently, “should I prepare something for you? Perhaps tea or—” “No,” I cut her off, my tone sharper than I intended. “I just... need to be alone.” Her brows furrowed, but she nodded. “Of course, My Lady.” I walked past her without another word, heading to our bedroom. ___ The moment the door shut behind me, the carefully held composure I’d maintained