Author's POV: The grand packhouse of the Oasis Pack glittered under crystal chandeliers, their warm light reflecting off polished silver and fine china. Vienna's champagne-pink dress shimmered as she moved, the delicate fabric whispering against her skin with each graceful step. At her side, Kai stood tall in his navy three-piece suit, the gold embroidery along his lapel catching the light - a subtle display of his supreme status. Their entrance had been calculated perfection, from the exact angle of Vienna's polite smile to the precise pressure of Kai's hand resting at the small of her back.Three days of meticulous planning had led them to this moment. The diplomatic invitations had been carefully sent out, not just to the Oasis Pack but to their neighbors as well - the Apollo Pack, the Hamlets, and the Kyzer Pack - all positioned along the northern border of Camden Falls. So that no one can have any doubt about anything and everything should go in the exact way which they want
Author's POV: The thunderous applause still echoed through the grand hall as Kai and Vienna exchanged a knowing glance. Though Fynn's abrupt departure hadn't been part of their plan, they both understood what needed to be done next. With practiced ease, Vienna smiled graciously at their audience while Kai gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before slipping away through the crowd. Fynn was already halfway to the cliffside overlooking his cottage, his long strides eating up the distance with furious purpose. The crisp night air carried the scent of pine and damp earth as Kai followed, his own steps measured but relentless. "Running away again?" Kai's voice cut through the darkness, sharp as a blade. Fynn froze mid-step, his shoulders tensing beneath his formal jacket. "I'm not answerable to you," he growled without turning. Kai smirked, closing the distance between them. "Oh yeah? Do you really think you can dodge my questions so easily?" That finally made Fynn whirl around, h
Vienna’s POV:Kai’s fingers lingered around mine, the warmth of his touch grounding me as he gave one last, deliberate squeeze. His hazel eyes met mine, a silent message passing between us—it’s time. I inhaled slowly through my nose, forcing my nerves to steady before returning the pressure of his grip. My own way of saying, I’m ready. I watched as he strode away, broad shoulders cutting a path through the crowd, following the route Fynn had taken just moments ago.Counting to five under my breath, I let the seconds tick by—just enough time before I made my move. My brows drew together slightly, lips parting as if caught in quiet distress—the perfect picture of a concerned mate. I was just about to slip away when a sugary-sweet voice cut through the air behind me.“Going somewhere, Luna?”I froze, tension locking my shoulders before I forced myself to relax. Turning around, I schooled my expression into polite indifference. Luna Rose and Luna Mary-Kate stood before me, all glittering
Fynn's POV: The pain hit me before I even opened my eyes—that familiar, throbbing ache behind my temples that had haunted me since waking from the coma. I groaned, pressing the heels of my palms against my eyelids as if I could physically push the agony away. It was the same damn headache from those early days, when I had first realized chunks of my memory were missing. Back then, it had been a constant battle in my own body my brain insisting I move forward despite the gaps, while my heart and soul revolted, screaming that something vital had been ripped away. They wouldn’t accept it, wouldn’t let me forget that I was only half-alive.Eventually, the memories had come back, seeping in like poison instead of the relief I had hoped for. I expected the pain to fade once I remembered everything, but it didn't.If anything, it had gotten worse, sharpened into a jagged truth. And the cruelest part was that now, I knew exactly why it hurt: because there was no place for me in this wo
Author's POV:Fynn hadn't taken the real pills that day. The absence of whatever poison Zella had been feeding him went unnoticed at first. He'd swallowed the decoys without question, the bitter herbal taste barely registering as he chased away the ever-present headache that haunted his waking hours. Then it began. A prickle at the base of his skull. A strange warmth spreading through his chest. Fynn paused mid-step in his sparse living room, one hand absently rubbing at his sternum. Something was... different. Wrong. Right. He couldn't tell. The first bond struck like lightning. The mate bond. Vienna's presence exploded across his senses with terrifying clarity. Her scent - vanilla and something uniquely her - flooded his nose. Her emotions crashed against his mental barriers: confusion, determination, a flicker of desperate hope that made his breath catch. Fynn staggered backward, his back hitting the wall with a dull thud. His fingers clawed at his chest as if he coul
Author's POV: Fynn woke up, to sunlight stabbing at his eyelids. He blinked, feeling like his body had suddenly become extremely heavy. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender… it must be one of Zella’s calming mists, no doubt. A cold compress lay discarded on the nightstand, its edges still damp, did he have a fever? No, he didn’t remember that… he didn't remember going to sleep, either… or maybe it should be called ‘passing out’. The last thing he could remember was the agony of bonds flaring to life, and the crushing weight of memories that weren’t supposed to hurt anymore. And then… just blankness. He turned his head slightly to the side and found a note propped against the familiar vial of pills, Zella’s neat script looping across the page. "You were burning up last night. Took care of you. Take another dose when you wake up, and give me a call. —Z" Fynn stared at the words, his fingers reaching for the vial. The pills inside glinted green under the morni
Fynn's POV: The walk back from Zella’s cottage should have been quiet and relaxing, but I was too consumed by my own thoughts to actually relax. I was barely paying attention to the path under my feet, when a high-pitched bark caught my attention. I glanced up just in time to see a small boy in the distance, chasing a tiny puppy across the road– the puppy was darting just out of reach of his tiny arms. Panic flared in my chest as a car rumbled towards them with a heavy honk. Where the hell had a car come from? There were strict rules against bringing vehicles inside the Oasis pack grounds, most cars weren't even allowed past the checkpost– but someone had clearly ignored the rules. The black SUV was moving too fast, tires screeching as it rounded the bend. I didn’t think. My body moved before my mind could catch up, muscles burning as I lunged forward. The world narrowed to the boy’s small frame, utterly unaware of the danger heading towards him. I caught him around the wai
Fynn's POV: The moment his small body pressed against mine, something inside me shattered. Zeke’s cheek was soft against my rough stubble, his tiny arms wrapped around my neck with a trust so absolute it made my chest ache. For a second, just one traitorous second—I let myself melt into it. The way he smelled like sunshine and sugar, like the childhood I never got to have with a father like mine…After all, no matter how bad the betrayal was, this kid has nothing to do with that… in fact, if everything would have gone well and they had never betrayed me like they did in the past, then he would have been my tiny little nephew. The same nephew whom I would have loved more than the world. Someone in our family who was finally younger than me… someone with whom I could forget everything… everything that bothered me in this cruel world, even the bitter reality.But as soon as this thought popped up in my head, the reality crashed back in. There was no bond between us. There was no
The front door creaked open with a low groan, a gust of warm air stirring the quiet of the bedroom. I barely stirred, sprawled across the rumpled sheets, my body still humming from everything Fynn had given me.Heavy footsteps approached, and I knew before I even looked that it was Kai.I turned my head lazily, peeking at him through my lashes. He stood at the door, jacket half-off, his eyes locked on me—and the look in them made my breath catch.Kai was usually controlled, always steady. But right now?There was nothing steady about the way he devoured me with his gaze.Behind him, I caught a glimpse of Fynn slipping on his hoodie, tossing Kai a wicked wink."Zeke’s probably tackled the babysitter by now. Better rescue him."Kai chuckled low, and Fynn disappeared, the front door clicking softly behind him.Suddenly, it was just the two of us.And the air... it felt thicker.Kai’s eyes raked over me slowly, deliberately.His gaze was heat and hunger and something deeper, something tha
Vienna's POV:Fynn’s arms tightened around me, one under my thighs, the other supporting my back, lifting me and holding me tight against his chest."Come here," he murmured against my temple, his voice low and rough.He carried me through the hallway, his steps slow and deliberate, as if he was enjoying the weight of having me in his arms. I nestled closer to him, my heart pounding against his chest, feeling the strong pulse of his heartbeat against my cheek.The bedroom door creaked open under his foot and he walked us in without breaking stride.He set me down at the edge of the bed, his hands staying at my waist a second longer, his fingers brushing the hem of my tank top.I looked up at him through my lashes, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears.Fynn leaned down, pressing a kiss to my belly button, tickling me. His lips stamped a kiss to my forehead, then to my nose, and finally to my lips, each one slower, deeper, stripping away my defenses piece by piece."I can't get over h
Vienna's POV:The morning sun spilled like warm honey across the kitchen floor, soft and golden. I stood at the window, my fingers wrapped around a mug of coffee, watching the world come back to life outside. Fifteen days. It still amazed me how much could change in just fifteen days.We were healing. Slowly, imperfectly, but healing nonetheless.Behind me, the sound of tiny feet slapping against the wooden floor made me smile. Zeke bounded toward me, arms stretched out, his little voice chiming, "Mama, ready! I ready!"I crouched down to scoop him into my arms, inhaling the sweet scent of his shampoo. He smelled like sunshine and safety—like the future we almost lost but somehow managed to keep.Fynn walked into the room next, yawning as he scrubbed a hand through his messy hair. Kai wasn’t far behind him, slipping an arm lazily around my waist as he pressed a kiss to the side of my head."You look too good for someone who barely slept," Kai murmured, his voice still rough with sleep
Kai's POV:Vienna was boneless between us, her breathing shallow and uneven, tiny shivers running down her body even though the room was warm.I cupped her cheeks gently, tipping her face toward mine."You okay, little flame?" I asked softly, my voice barely more than a whisper.She gave the faintest nod, her lips parted, eyes glassy with exhaustion and leftover tears. "Mhm... just... floating," she mumbled.Fynn chuckled low against her ear. "You were perfect, baby."He cradled her against his chest like she was something breakable, pressing soft kisses into her hair while I slid off the bed to grab a clean cloth and a bottle of water from the nightstand.When I came back, Vienna was watching me with heavy-lidded eyes, a small, sleepy smile tugging at her mouth. She looked wrecked and beautiful."Let me take care of you," I murmured, kneeling beside the bed.I cleaned her carefully, gently wiping away the mess on her stomach, moving slow enough that she could tell she was safe. She f
Kai's POV:I stared down at her, sprawled out on the bed like some fever-dream vision. Her hair mussed, lips swollen, body trembling, tears still clinging to her lashes. Our little flame, flickering between ruin and bloom.Fynn stood frozen at the foot of the bed, his fists clenched like he was fighting himself not to just take.She arched her back slightly, needy, desperate. “Please,” she whispered, voice breaking apart into shards. “Touch me... need you both.”I let my hand trail slowly up her thigh, savoring the feel of her heated skin under my palm.Fynn moved first, stripping his shirt over his head in one rough motion. My hands shook as I followed, yanking mine off too, until we were bare-chested, the marks of battle still faint on our skin, but all I could think about was her. Only her.I leaned down, brushing my mouth against her ear. “Then let us make you forget everything else but us. Let us ruin you properly.”A shudder rolled through her, and she whimpered, nodding.I
Kai's POV: The silence settled between us once again. It wasn't just exhaustion or shock anymore. It was something deeper… something raw and untamed. Beneath the numbness, I could feel it stirring like a beast roused from a long sleep.We were alive. Broken, bloodied, battered, but alive. And we were still standing together.But Vienna’s composure cracked first.A sob tore from her throat, raw and aching. She hugged herself, tears slipping down her face faster than she could wipe them away. "I don't want to lose either of you," she choked out, her voice splintering in the stillness. "Not now, not ever. You both... you're not allowed to go anywhere I can't reach. Not across barriers of time, space, or even knowledge. Do you hear me?"Her desperation hit me like a physical blow.I moved before I could think, stepping toward her slowly, giving her the chance to pull away if she needed to. But she didn’t. She leaned into Fynn’s touch first, and then into mine when I reached out, her bo
Fynn's POV: The celebrations around us grew louder and louder, drowning out even the pounding of my heart.The Oasis pack soldiers, bloodied and broken, scattered and retreated into the forests. Their defeat was clear, and in the absence of Axel they wouldn’t dare to return. Or even turn towards the Azuremist pack again. Victory belonged to us tonight, and the air was being pierced with the sound of cheers, howls, and the chanting of Long live the Alpha! Long live the Luna! Long live the Azuremist pack!Around me, Vienna, Kai, and I kept stealing glances at each other; confused and stunned. None of us could find the right words. We tried to smile, to look strong for our people, but there was a hollow kind of disbelief in our eyes. How had we survived this? How had Zeke done what no one else had even though possible?To survive after being touched by wolfsbane… there was nothing like this in the history of our kingdom. Vienna clutched Zeke close to her chest, burying her face in
Vienna's POV:I stared at my arm in disbelief.The skin was flawless, as if there had never been a cut there at all. The deep gash, the festering wound, the unbearable burning sensation—all gone. I flexed my fingers slowly, half-expecting pain to shoot up my arm, but there was nothing. Just smooth skin and a faint lingering warmth that faded with every passing second.How…?I hadn’t even noticed the burning while I was tending to Kai. I had been so focused on him, on his blood pouring out, on the sheer terror of losing him, that I hadn’t cared about anything else. But now—now it was like the wound had never existed.Before I could even form a thought, Zeke, who was still nestled against my chest, suddenly wriggled out of my hold. He slid off my lap and crawled toward Kai, who lay frighteningly still.“Dada!” Zeke sobbed, scrambling onto Kai’s blood-soaked chest. His tiny arms wrapped around Kai’s torso as he pressed his tear-streaked face into Kai’s neck. “Dada! Dada!”Fynn and I both
Vienna's POV: My heart was about to stop.Why? Why was it always like this?Every time I thought the pain was over… every time I dared to believe that the worst was behind me, the ground slipped from beneath my feet, dragging me into a deeper darkness. I had just gotten Fynn back. Just wrapped my fingers around something whole again, was I cursed to always live a life that was only half-finished? Was this my fate… to watch everything I loved get ripped away from me piece by piece?I tried to swallow my sobs, force the tears rolling down my cheeks to turn back inside, to stop betraying me. But they wouldn’t. My body shook too hard. My chest felt like it was splitting open. My heart… my entire soul was being torn apart as I stared at Kai’s motionless form.“No, no, no, look at me…” I begged, brushing his hair back from his pale forehead. My voice cracked, seeing Kai's eyes rolling back. “You’re not leaving me like this. Not now.”I pressed both palms against his wound, trying to st