Jaxon's heart seemed to stop when his phone rang that night. An incoming call from a new number appeared. A smile immediately formed on his lips. He guessed it had to be Emory."Hold on a second, Damian," Jaxon said as he reached for the phone on his desk. The latest report on the state of the wheat fields after the fire was no longer his concern. "I've got an important call."Damian gave a brief nod but remained where he was, silent. He said nothing, just watched Jaxon's behaviour, which made his unease grow.A possibility had recently disturbed Damian's peace of mind. His thoughts were restless, all stemming from the fire in the wheat fields. The Gardeno Pack had suffered considerable losses as a result of the incident, yet Jaxon had taken no further action.Damian had repeatedly brought up the subject of the fire, hoping that Jaxon would order him to prepare a plan of retaliation. But no such orders ever came. Instead, Jaxon showed no inclination to seek revenge. He often avoided d
Lacey thought something serious was going on. Emory's voice had sounded shaky when she had called earlier, betraying an uncontrollable panic. So, Lacey hurried. She rushed to Emory's office and received an unexpected order."We're going to the Lustre Lounge, Lacey."Lacey's brow furrowed slightly. She was confused but remained alert as she followed Emory who had already left the office. A few minutes later they left the palace.Confusion continued to swirl in Lacey's mind as they drove. She hadn't expected Emory to contact her so late at night just to go to the Lustre Lounge. Tomorrow was still a working day and, as far as she could remember, Emory's last visit to the place had left an unpleasant impression.Lacey still didn't know what had happened to Emory that night. She had been careful not to ask, respecting Emory's warning. But Emory's behaviour now only deepened her curiosity."I know you must be wondering about my behaviour."Emory's voice came out of nowhere, causing Lacey to
The heat burned Emory's face. Her cheeks flushed, powerless as embarrassment struck her like a bolt of lightning. She had never expected Jaxon to instruct Damian to greet her arrival.There was nothing wrong with Damian's behaviour—nothing at all. He truly respected Emory, and that was the problem.Emory couldn't think of any other reason for Damian's respectful attitude towards her. There was only one possible explanation: Jaxon must have told Damian something.Damn you, Jaxon. Emory cursed inwardly as the lift began to move. What exactly did you tell Damian that I don't see a trace of hostility in his eyes? On the contrary, he's being overly polite to me.For two werewolves from different packs who had been enemies for over twenty years, Damian's behaviour was completely unexpected. It left Emory with a flood of questions swirling in her head. It wasn't just the fact that she was being greeted, it was also Damian's extraordinary display of respect and courtesy towards her.Emory's c
As long as she had lived, Emory had never truly felt the world turning, but she felt it with Jaxon.It wasn't the first time. Emory had experienced it once before, on the night of the wheat field fire. At the time, she had convinced herself that the overwhelming sensations of pleasure and happiness that burst into her chest were related to the exhaustion she had been carrying all day. She'd felt so utterly drained that their intimacy seemed to awaken something far beyond mere physical relief.But Emory's assumption was wrong, for tonight, under the silvery glow of the moon, the same sensation returned—only fiercer, more consuming than ever. She realised it wasn't that simple. It wasn't just exhaustion driving her; it was something much deeper, more urgent. Her body wasn't acting on instinct alone, it was driven by a desire fed by the strange bond between them.Emory couldn't dismiss it as a mere rush of hormones. She was certain that no amount of serotonin, endorphins, dopamine or eve
One quality an Alpha must never possess is doubt. An Alpha is expected to act with thorough thought and careful consideration. To set aside all incriminating possibilities and make wise decisions.This was what Jaxon had always believed. He avoided anything that might cause hesitation. Risks were never something he toyed with, let alone ignored.But here Jaxon was, doing just that. He didn't just ignore risks; he played with them. His commitment to always putting the interests of the pack first was momentarily set aside. His focus and thoughts were consumed by one thing—Emory.Jaxon despised himself for it. He, who had always relied on logic and moved forward based on rational observations, now found himself trapped in an emotional storm he had never imagined. It felt like being on a battlefield without a plan. His position was weak, his safety threatened, but instead of taking action, he allowed himself to sink further under Emory's spell.It was fair to say that Emory's presence had
Damian had hoped that Jaxon's mood would improve after seeing Emory. His expectations weren't high—he simply wanted the meeting to rekindle Jaxon's focus, which had wavered over the past few days. Jaxon couldn't neglect the company or the pack for too long.Unfortunately, Damian's unease only deepened when Jaxon emerged from the suite. Jaxon's face was taut, radiating restrained frustration. Damian noted the absence of any trace of happiness in Jaxon's demeanour, a stark contrast to what he had expected from a man who had just spent a passionate night with his beloved. Instead, Jaxon looked more like someone who had just had a row with his mate.Damian's mind raced with questions as they travelled back to the estate. He debated whether to speak to Jaxon directly, but the growing anger on Jaxon's face convinced him otherwise. It was clear that Jaxon's temper was escalating with each passing moment.Out of an abundance of caution, Damian decided to remain silent. He refrained from speak
There was something different about Emory. That was what Myles thought as she arrived at the palace that morning. His instincts kicked in the moment he saw her enter the palace, moving cautiously. Deciding to act on his suspicions, he decided to follow her closely, watching her every move.Myles slipped quietly into Emory's room and hid behind a wall. He reminded himself not to make a sound as he began to study her intently.The first thing Myles noticed was that Emory seemed to be in a hurry. He had never seen her in such a hurry before, which caused Denise to assist her with remarkable speed.Moments passed and Myles quickly backed away—almost running—when he heard Emory talking to Denise."Okay, that should do it. Thank you, Denise. I have to hurry. I've got an important meeting this morning."Myles left Emory's room and ran to the end of the corridor to hide. His breath came in short gasps and his heart was pounding. Beads of anxious sweat had already formed on his forehead.Oh, G
The race against time was exhausting. After returning from the Lustre Lounge, Emory had rushed to get ready in record time. She couldn't really enjoy breakfast, even though her stomach was empty. To make matters worse, Myles had unexpectedly brought up a subject that had taken her completely by surprise.Heat rushed to Emory's face, flushing her cheeks. But it wasn't Myles' words that lingered in her mind—it was the mark on her neck that had caused all the trouble.Emory reached into her bag for a compact and held up the mirror to examine herself. There it was, clear as day: the reddish mark Myles had noticed earlier, the telltale sign of Jaxon's kiss."Oh, God," Emory whispered, quickly looking away and putting the compact back in her bag. Then she covered her face with her hands and closed her eyes. "Please, don't let me dwell on it. I have so much work to do today, more important things than daydreaming about last night."Luckily for Emory, her morning was packed with enough respo
Jaxon didn't have to ask. Emory's reaction was exactly what he had expected. Her expression, the sparkle in her eyes, it was all more than enough to convey the joy she felt at the surprise he had prepared for her."Oh, Jaxon. This is so beautiful."Jaxon couldn't help but smile as his lips curved upwards. "Of course," he said, captivated by the radiant happiness on Emory's face. He watched as her gaze remained fixed on the ring that now rested on her finger. "This is the Aegis Solis ring.""The Aegis Solis ring?" Emory repeated, glancing briefly at Jaxon and catching his affirmative nod. "It is truly beautiful. I've never seen such an exquisite ring before."Jaxon's smile widened, unable to resist the urge to indulge his ego. "Do you like the Aegis Solis ring?"Emory lifted her gaze to stare at Jaxon with wide eyes. "Like it?" She clicked her tongue slightly. "I more than like it. I absolutely love it."Jaxon's heart swelled at Emory's honesty. She wasn't the only one who was happy; h
The clock struck eleven at night. The last task was done. Orlando and Lacey were already getting ready to leave. Emory was about to head home as well, but the sound of her phone ringing stopped her.Emory pulled the phone out of her bag and glanced at the caller ID. Her expression changed instantly. Clearing her throat, she answered the call. "Hello.""Hello, Emory. I hope I'm not interrupting your work."Emory unconsciously held her breath at the sound of Jaxon's voice. Her heartbeat began to quicken, and a natural tension gripped her body, as if it were bracing itself. "Not at all. I just finished my work and was on my way home. So, what's going on?"As she asked the question, Emory shifted slightly, positioning herself where Orlando and Lacey wouldn't be able to see the change in her expression. Even without looking in the mirror, she could feel the warmth spreading across her cheeks.Emory tried to control herself, but the longer she stood there, the more she realised that her nat
Nerissa Flores—the Sacred Elder of the Gardeno Pack—arrived at the palace about thirty minutes after Thomas' call. Her steps were hurried. It was unusual for Jaxon to call her at nine in the evening. She was sure that something very important had come up, something that had taken him by surprise.Jaxon didn't waste any time. As soon as he saw Nerissa, he spoke. "We're going to the The Fontis Primordia Hall.""The Fontis Primordia Hall, Alpha?" Nerissa asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she felt the need to confirm. "Why are we going there, Alpha?"Jaxon cleared his throat. "You'll know later."Then Jaxon began to move. Behind him, Nerissa looked at Thomas with a puzzled expression. But Thomas didn't say anything, just shook his head briefly.The Hall of Fontis Primordia was one of the most sacred places in the Gardeno Palace. Located on the eastern side, it was guarded by an elite team of guards stationed at various points, twenty-four hours a day.Not just anyone could enter the F
Jaxon's mood hadn't completely improved, but it was better than before. He was more in control and able to carry out his activities as usual, albeit with a few conditions: nothing could go wrong and there couldn't be any bad news.The reason was simple. Jaxon's chest still felt a bit tight. His emotions were still pressing against his reason, and the only thing he really wanted to do was punch someone—Myles.The people around Jaxon noticed. Even the office staff, who logically weren't part of the Gardeno pack, could feel the tense aura that seemed to constantly emanate from him. As a result, they all—without exception—acted and behaved with great caution. Even Damian wisely filtered all news and company reports before they reached his desk. That way, at least Damian could minimise anything that might trigger his anger.The same happened at the Gardeno Palace. Alexis withheld any complaints that came into the palace to ensure that Jaxon remained calm.Fortunately for them, after a few
Montclair Manor was one of the most magnificent places in Zyranos territory, gracefully perched on a hill surrounded by dense trees. Built of sturdy grey stone, its tall towers reached into the sky, giving it an aura of both grandeur and mystery.In the sunlight, the walls of Montclair Manor gave off a soft silver glow, adding to its grandeur. But all that vanished as night fell. What remained was a shadowy silhouette, like a silent guardian keeping its secrets in the dark.In the past, Montclair Manor played an important role in times of war. Not as a frontline base, but as an undetectable refuge. Its complex network of hidden underground tunnels made it a last resort for those in desperate situations.Montclair Manor bore silent witness to both despair and hope. Many Alphas had died there after suffering grievous injuries in battle. But other Alphas had risen from the ashes and plotted their revenge.The world had changed. Wars were something most packs wanted to avoid. As a result,
Of all the impossible things that could happen in this world, Myles was certain that Emory's betrayal was not one of them. To him, regardless of the true state of their relationship, Emory was the epitome of loyalty—a woman who was always obedient and never tempted by anything or anyone. But the evidence now laid before him had shaken him to the core.Myles was stunned. He stared at the third letter with a look of disbelief. "This can't be."It was almost impossible for Myles to believe what he was seeing. He even rubbed his eyes repeatedly, thinking he might be mistaken, but the photos didn't change. They still showed Emory and Jaxon together, their closeness and intimacy undeniable.Myles was so shocked he could barely breathe. The longer he looked at the photos, the more his head spun. He hurriedly put the letters back in their place and stormed out.Back in his room, Myles couldn't close his eyes, let alone sleep. The hidden truth about Emory and Jaxon that he had just uncovered m
The race against time was exhausting. After returning from the Lustre Lounge, Emory had rushed to get ready in record time. She couldn't really enjoy breakfast, even though her stomach was empty. To make matters worse, Myles had unexpectedly brought up a subject that had taken her completely by surprise.Heat rushed to Emory's face, flushing her cheeks. But it wasn't Myles' words that lingered in her mind—it was the mark on her neck that had caused all the trouble.Emory reached into her bag for a compact and held up the mirror to examine herself. There it was, clear as day: the reddish mark Myles had noticed earlier, the telltale sign of Jaxon's kiss."Oh, God," Emory whispered, quickly looking away and putting the compact back in her bag. Then she covered her face with her hands and closed her eyes. "Please, don't let me dwell on it. I have so much work to do today, more important things than daydreaming about last night."Luckily for Emory, her morning was packed with enough respo
There was something different about Emory. That was what Myles thought as she arrived at the palace that morning. His instincts kicked in the moment he saw her enter the palace, moving cautiously. Deciding to act on his suspicions, he decided to follow her closely, watching her every move.Myles slipped quietly into Emory's room and hid behind a wall. He reminded himself not to make a sound as he began to study her intently.The first thing Myles noticed was that Emory seemed to be in a hurry. He had never seen her in such a hurry before, which caused Denise to assist her with remarkable speed.Moments passed and Myles quickly backed away—almost running—when he heard Emory talking to Denise."Okay, that should do it. Thank you, Denise. I have to hurry. I've got an important meeting this morning."Myles left Emory's room and ran to the end of the corridor to hide. His breath came in short gasps and his heart was pounding. Beads of anxious sweat had already formed on his forehead.Oh, G
Damian had hoped that Jaxon's mood would improve after seeing Emory. His expectations weren't high—he simply wanted the meeting to rekindle Jaxon's focus, which had wavered over the past few days. Jaxon couldn't neglect the company or the pack for too long.Unfortunately, Damian's unease only deepened when Jaxon emerged from the suite. Jaxon's face was taut, radiating restrained frustration. Damian noted the absence of any trace of happiness in Jaxon's demeanour, a stark contrast to what he had expected from a man who had just spent a passionate night with his beloved. Instead, Jaxon looked more like someone who had just had a row with his mate.Damian's mind raced with questions as they travelled back to the estate. He debated whether to speak to Jaxon directly, but the growing anger on Jaxon's face convinced him otherwise. It was clear that Jaxon's temper was escalating with each passing moment.Out of an abundance of caution, Damian decided to remain silent. He refrained from speak