Humming a tone to herself with a little smile on her lips, Leila pours out two glasses of orange juice. She stares down at her stomach and her bulge is becoming quite noticeable.
Her smile morphs into a full one and she runs her hand down her stomach, her heart feeling fuzzy, before placing the glasses on a tray, retrieving a box of cookies from one of the kitchen drawers and placing some on a plate which she puts on the tray and makes her way to the living room.
She has already sent over a letter to the pack witch to inform her of her intention to have a meeting and all that remains is for it to be scheduled.
“Here,” she hands Tatum one of the glasses and he slowly takes it, barely saying a word or really even looking at her.
Leila rolls her eyes at Carmela and practically storms upstairs to her room. She cannot ask Carmela to leave, she doesn’t want to upset Tatum.She doesn’t even know why she mentioned Carmela to him in the first place, it was her jealousy speaking.What woman would be happy that the man she is crazily in love with is thinking of another woman?She slams the door shut, crashing on the bed, seething with a scowl on her face.She feels so much rage at the mere sight of Carmela with everything that she has discovered so far. She needs to find a way to quickly expose Carmela for who she really is.When will Kelvin get back to her on the assassin? That
“So what if I am?”Leila’s harsh words slash through Tatum’s heart ferociously, inflicting a gruesome pain on him. He was hoping she would deny it, that she would lie to him but she didn't.“Why did you even banish him? What did he ever do to you?” Leila raises her voice as tears break forth from her eyes and it breaks Tatum’s heart even further.What is so special about Kelvin that she loves so much that she is not willing to let him go?What does Kelvin have that he lacks?What does she see in Kelvin?“He attacked the head warrior of the pack, I can
“Do you love Carmela, do you want to be with her?” Leila fires his very own words back at him.How many times does she have to tell him that Kelvin is just her friend? There is only one man she has ever had feelings for and that is him.If Tatum and Kelvin both had guns to their heads and she had to choose one to survive, as much as it would hurt her to make the hard choice, she would painfully choose Tatum because life without him would be meaningless.Even if she knows deep down in her heart that Kelvin would willingly give his life for her.Sadly, she cannot say the same for Tatum.Instead of owning up to his mistakes and
“Is this really necessary mom? I don’t think I want to do this,” Leila grumbles.She steps out from the front door, clutching her fur jacket with both hands against her neck, seeing nothing but tiny rays of light in the misty fog.“You’re the one who sent my son on a fool’s errand. If he was here, he would carry you through the hike but I am not breaking tradition and endangering my grandchild because of that,” Adaline replies curtly.Leila doesn’t miss the subtle eye roll Adaline gives to her but she knows she deserves it. It’s been a week since Tatum left in search of Kelvin after further pleas from her and she hasn’t heard from him at all.No
“Walk ahead,” Leila says to Carmela, squinting at her as they trudge up the small hill.There is no need to hide it, she doesn’t trust Carmela at all, this is a woman that had her locked up, tirelessly tried to poison her and eventually tried to kill her, there is no way she can walk with her back turned to Carmela.Adaline may be here and so Carmela may not try anything but she cannot take that risk. The fact that Carmela knew the assassin that attacked her on two occasions still baffles Leila’s mind.What she cannot make sense of is why Carmela would stage an attack, fake her own kidnap and then return now to try and kill her so she can become Luna when she could have just stayed and married Tatum naturally.
Kelvin bites down on a piece of wood as he stitches himself up. For some reason he isn’t healing and his strength fails him by the minute.He cannot die, he must get home and give it to her and when he does, he will tell her how he really feels. He will finally let this burden that he has carried in his chest for over a decade out.He hears the sound of rattling outside and he leaves the needle in his broken skin, taking deep quiet breaths to silent his heartbeat as much as possible.He thought he had lost his pursuers, as he made his way to this old abandoned garage, he covered his blood trail and footprints as much as possible, he even used a scent blocker.What kind of excellent tracker did they use to find
“Fucking lies,” Tatum growls despite the fear that makes his heart pound.“I can hear your heart racing Alpha, what? You never thought her mate was going to come for her one day?” Kelvin smirks at him.Kelvin isn’t sure if Leila is his mate but she must be, they have a strong connection even without the mate bond and he hasn’t found anyone else as his mate.The only explanation is that Leila is his mate and once he gives her the cure, he will know for sure.Initially, he thought Tatum was Leila’s second chance fated mate and he had given up all hope on her but after learning the truth that day at the hospital, his hope rejuvenated.
“How are you mother? How do you feel?” Carmela asks Adaline as Adaline’s eyes flutter open, while Carmela sits beside her bed.They are back at Tatum’s house and Adaline has been comatose for two days.“Leila! Where is Leila?” Adaline jumps to her feet and Carmela frowns.Since when does Adaline care so much about Leila?She even risked her life to save Leila at Aragine hill.Her hired assassin was just about to rip out Leila’s throat and she was watching on with ample joy when Adaline suddenly got up and dove at the man, throwing them both off the hill.She got up to finish the job herself but Amanda and one other guy suddenly showed up, completely ruining her plans.She hates it. Leila must die.She must never find out the truth.“Mother, Leila is fine, she’s in—”Adaline doesn’t even let her finish before she dashes out of the room and it stings Carmela deeply.“Bitch,” she mutters at Adaline as she leaves.Leila is startled when her door flies open and Adaline rushes in, hugging h
The palace glows under the Blood Moon, its light bathes the open-air pavilion where the ceremony unfolds in an ashen hue. It's a few months after the twins’ birth, and Tatum and Leila are hosting the sacred rite for mateless wolves to seek their fated bonds. Flames from torches dance, casting shadows on tables laden with roasted boar, honeyed fruits, and spiced wine. Wolves from every pack fraternize, their laughter and murmurs braid with the pulse of drums and fiddles. The air twinges with anticipation—some are here to seek love, others quest for destiny, all drawn by the moon’s primal pull. Banners of silver and red flutter above, embroidered with crescent moons, and the scent of pine and wildflowers lingers, a tribute to the wild heart of the kingdom. Amara perches on a stone bench near the dance floor, her eyes bright with mischief. Beside her, Amanda leans in, her auburn curls bouncing as she points at a Luna in a garish yellow gown. “Look at that,” Amanda whispers, smi
It is four years after the coronation, the palace murmurs with life, its stone corridors softened by laughter and sunlight. The scars of Antonio’s cruel reign has faded, replaced by scenic blooms of oaks and phoenix flames. In a sunlit hallway, Amara, now ten, sprints after a giggling three-year-old boy, her dark hair bouncing in a loose braid. The boy, Kael, is Kelvin and Tatiana’s son, visiting for the holiday with his parents. His tiny legs pump furiously, a mischievous grin lighting his face as he dodges Amara’s outstretched hands.“Get back here, you little tornado!” Amara calls, her voice equal parts exasperation and amusement. Kael squeals, darting around a corner, his curls bouncing. He’s fast for his age, but Amara’s longer strides close the gap. She lunges, and scoops him up before he dives into one of the many hiding places in the house behind a groove in the wall. Amara tosses him into the air with a flourish. Kael shrieks with delight, arms wide open like a bird, the
The palace of lies quiet, the firebrands dimmed after the coronation’s fervor the night before. Moonlight spills through the arched windows of the royal chambers, bathing the room in silver. A fire that's been running now smolders in the hearth, casting shadows that dance across the cloistered room. The revelry—cheers, music, oaths—has faded, leaving only Leila and Tatum, alone at last.Leila stands by the window, her sapphire gown replaced by a simple linen nightwear that flatters her generous hips and ample bosom, her hair loose in dark waves. The weight of the crown lingers, though it rests on a velvet cushion across the room. She gazes at the stars, their light a reminder of battles they've won and promises yet to keep. Tatum approaches her, his footsteps soft on the rug. He’s shed his regal mantle, wearing only a loose tunic and trousers, his silver-gray eyes warm in the firelight.“You’re quiet,” he says, his voice a mere whisper as he wraps his arms around her from behind.
The great hall of the palace is agog with a celebration. The marble pillars draped in banners of silver and gold. Weeks after Antonio’s fall, the kingdom gathers for a coronation. The air is alive with hope. Crystal chandeliers cast prisms across the mosaic floor, where roses—white for peace, red for sacrifice—form a path to the twin thrones. Nobles in velvet and commoners in their finest pack the hall, their faces bright with belief in a future minus Antonio and his tyranny. Musicians weave an orchestra of harps and flutes, and incense curls upward from holders, sweet and solemn. Today, Tatum and Leila are crowned regent king and queen, stewards of the throne until Amara, the destined Lycan Queen, comes of age. Leila stands radiant in a gown of sapphire silk, her dark hair woven with pearls, and the Phoenix Luna’s aura is a faint shimmer around her where she stands beside her husband. Tatum wears a mantle of black and silver, his presence steady as stone. Amara who is clad
The crowd's cries for Antonio’s death is a deafening roar. But Antonio rises, his crown askew, tilting to the side, a parody of its glory, his lycan blood burning in his veins. His eyes are wild with defiance, locked onto Tatum. “Enough!” he bellows, silencing the throng. “I demand a wolf duel, one on one, Tatum. To the death.” His voice tremors with menace. “If I win, you, Leila, Amara—all rebels—will die for treason. If I lose, well…” He smirks, baring bone-white, elongated canines. “I won’t.”As a lycan, Antonio towers even in human form, his bulging muscles are a testament to his legendary strength, his wolf form a beast of nightmare. The duel will favor him, for he is a predator born to crush his enemies with every fatal blow he delivers. Leo steps forward, knuckles clenched to cracking whiteness. “No,” he growls. “He’s cornered. We outnumber him, and without his magic, he’s done. Let’s end this now.” Ragna nods in agreement, the scars gleam on his knuckles, ready to charge o
The plaza hums with apprehension, both of the crowd and those of the faction that now rises against Antonio's tyranny. Alpha Leo’s words hang in the air, a challenge to King Antonio’s reign. The king’s face darkens, his crown glinting like a warning as everyone watches. “You dare betray me?” he snarls, turning to the other Alphas—towering figures clad in furs and steel, their eyes gleaming with lupine intensity. “You dare to defy me?” The crowd quiets, the air tight with impending violence. Antonio struts, eyes like firebrands, his shoes picking off prints from the blood left by Camela earlier. “Alphas, end Leo and Tatum. Now!” he commands again. Stillness descends in the crowd. But the Alphas—Ragna, Soren, and Veyra—stand unmoved, their faces look like they're carved from stone. Ragna, broadest of the three, steps beside Leo, his voice a low growl. “No, Antonio. Your tyranny ends here.” Soren and Veyra nod, their silence louder than any shout. The crowd murmurs, shock rip
The fall of Carmela lingers but a new dread takes root as Leila rushes through the crowd, hurling herself towards the stage where Amara stands, her small frame dwarfed by that of Antonio. Tatum follows behind her, his face red with fury, his eyes shot with pumping membranes. The crowd parts, clearing the way for the couple as sparks of whispers trail them. “Antonio!” Leila’s voice cuts through the silence, sharp as a blade. “You cannot marry our daughter!” Behind them, a flurry of murmurings animate the crowd, speculations fly, questions too. Tatum steps forward as guards inch around the king. “She's not yours to claim,” Tatum barks, “And you know why.” Antonio's eyes narrow with piercing sharpness at the couple. He knows. Leila feels it in her bones. He now knows. She is the Phoenix Luna. Amara, their daughter, carries the same fire, destined to rise as the kingdom’s next ruler. By binding her to him, Antonio seeks to snuff that destiny, to chain the Phoenix’s lineage to h
The Grand plaza glitters under the midday sun as Carmela steps out of a silken pavilion, a gorgeous sight that hushes even the worst cynics. Her gown, woven of lace and pearls and sequins, clings to her frame, before fanning into a train that drifts like mist behind her. A diamond studded veil shimmers over her face, and gold threads gleam in her hair. Arches swathed in white silk and roses tower over the wedding altar, where dozens of blossoms—crimson, ivory, gold—spill and waver like a fragrant tide, matching Carmela’s aura. The event that has had everyone wagging their tongues wagging across the kingdom for months is finally here. Cheers and applause erupt from the crowd as she glides with a queen's grace across the raised stage. As she floats down the steps, whispers trail her—some name her divine, the chosen queen. “Look at her,” Leila muses loud enough for Tatum to hear. “If I never saw a snake in a dress. I do now.” “Apt,” Tatum says through a smile as painful as Leila's
“No he’s not,” Leila snarls at him, her heart burning with rage, her eyes clothed with vengeance, “whatever you have done to him, undo it, now!” “Done to him? I said Tatum’s dead woman, nothing can be done to a dead man. This one here is just my faithful loyal guard dog,” Leo snaps his fingers twice and the man walks over to his side, silent and submissive. Leila’s heart boils with a fervent anger. She knows deep down in her heart that this is her husband, the man she has loved for years. Is he now completely under Leo’s control? Why is everything about him transformed with the exception of his face and voice and if he really is completely under Leo’s influence, then why did he save her, not once but twice. “Tatum, you’re not his dog,” tears stream out of Leila’s eyes, her heart clenching with unimaginable pain. “You’re the most powerful Alpha in the realm, Alpha of the Blood Oak pack, my Alpha, my husband…do you really not recognize your sweet pea anymore?” The man’s eyes snap to