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~Charlotte~ My heart skipped a beat the moment I stepped into Alpha Justin's office, and my eyes met Caspian's. Caspian of Cain Island stood there, exuding a commanding and magnetic aura. His dark hair framed his rugged face perfectly, contrasting with his piercing green eyes that seemed to hold secrets untold. The way he carried himself, tall and brawny, was a sight to behold – not overly muscular, but possessing the perfect amount of strength and bulkiness. As my gaze lingered on him, I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest. His presence was like that of a confident executive who knew how to command attention without even trying. His smile, oh, that smile, was nothing short of enchanting. It had a way of lighting up his face, making my heart race even faster. Time seemed to stand still as our eyes remained locked, the world around us fading into insignificance. I could feel the attraction growing stronger with each passing second, a magnetic pull that I couldn't deny. I
~Charlotte~ A few minutes passed, and a knock echoed through my room. Truth be told, I wasn't in the mood to engage with anyone at the moment. I could only imagine that some of my cousins had picked up on my mood, and the thought of facing them in this state made my shyness peak. I had no idea what I would say or how I could explain myself. I was still lost in contemplation when a distinct scent wafted through the air, reaching my nostrils. I looked towards the door, my heart suddenly racing. I knew without a doubt that it was Caspian. Why else would he be here? A rush of uncertainty surged through me – was he coming to reject the bond that fate had seemingly woven between us? A part of me wanted to retreat, to pretend that I wasn't here, but reality pressed upon me. I knew he was just as aware of my presence as I was of his. With a deep breath, I made my way to the door, bracing myself for what was to come. As I swung the door open, there he stood – tall, handsome, and undeniably
~Caspian~ The moment Charlotte walked into Alpha Justin's office, the world around me ceased to exist. Her presence consumed my senses, and nothing else seemed to matter. Charlotte. The name echoed in my mind like a beautiful melody; her image burned into my thoughts. Brown hair cascaded her shoulders, framing a face that held an enchanting allure. But it was her eyes – those captivating cat-like eyes – that ensnared me entirely. In that instant, I felt as if I were drowning in a sea of emotions, and my heart raced uncontrollably. My wolf, Clover, surged within me, urging me to claim her as our mate. The primal instincts roared to life, demanding to be heard. Yet, I held him back, trying to regain control. Fear gripped me – fear of what it could mean and of being rejected by the woman who had captured my soul. I might be an Alpha, ruling over an entire island. Still, Charlotte was royalty, an ethereal being far beyond my realm. In my eyes, she was a beacon of elegance and grace, w
~Caspian~ The morning sun filtered into my room, coaxing me out of sleep at my usual hour – six o'clock. With a stretch and a yawn, I readied myself for the day ahead. After a quick refresh, I made the decision to hit the Packhouse Gym, aiming to engage in a bit of muscle work. As I made my way out, I couldn't help but pass by Charlotte's door. A fleeting thought crossed my mind that she might still be asleep. The urge to knock was there, but then the fear of seeming invasive stopped me. The last thing I wanted was to come across as bothersome or, worse yet, as someone creeping into her space. That would be a sure way to ruin any chances I might have with her. Determinedly, I continued on my way, heading down the stairs and navigating through the packhouse. I approached one of the workers, inquiring about the location of the gym. With a friendly point in the right direction, I offered my gratitude and proceeded on my way. Upon arrival, I was taken aback by the empty room. It was od
~Charlotte~ Caspian sat close to me, leaving no room to excuse myself. The way Liam and Josephine stared at us meant they had figured it out. Great. It was now their turn to tease me. Somehow, I wished I wasn't so mean to both of them, especially Liam. Teasing him about Sophia. I knew I wouldn't hear the last of this. I looked at my cousin, and there was a look of mischief in his eyes that made me look away, but it wasn't just him. Marvin, too; the rest seemed oblivious, but it would only take a matter of time. "I see you like polo?" Sebastien asked Caspian, and Liam chuckled. "I actually play," He said, and Sebastien's eyes widened. I couldn't believe this guy played polo. He had just ticked one of my boxes unknowingly. "Great, we all play polo. When we are free, we might attempt it. Maybe look for locals to complete our teams," Liam said, looking right at me, and I knew I was blushing. "That will be great, Your Highness," Caspian said, being polite. "Please, it's Liam. Le
~Tamia~ We finally got a tip about Sophia, and even though it was wrong, we all got physically involved. The thrill of the adventure made us eager. None of us had any business getting on boats wearing disguises and investigating criminals. We were royalty, but we did not want to pass on the fun, and the truth was, whoever we sent would not do a thorough job. I knew how much this meant to Liam, and I wanted him to be happy. We all did… Well, some of us, like Vino, were also just chasing the trill of another adventure. It wasn't fun just signing papers, making decrees, and overseeing council meetings. I could tell we were bored to our core. I figured Amelia was most bored when I saw her get creative with torturing the islander. She seemed to have a blast doing it. Truth be told, we all did. It brought back old memories and made me want to get some more action. Answering our prayers, the moon had given us a lead to follow. "I hope our disguises work in Kaizen," I said to S
~Liam~ Josephine and I had initially planned to head to the lake after breakfast. However, upon noticing Charlotte and Caspian moving in that same direction, Josephine had a change of heart. She believed they deserved their privacy, especially since she seemed genuinely delighted about Charlotte finding her life partner. Despite Charlotte not having openly shared the news yet, it was evident to those of us who were observant. We decided to head back upstairs, and Josephine agreed to spend time in my room. The struggle to restrain my wolf's desires around her was becoming more challenging. The urge to take things further with her grew increasingly potent, and Alex's presence only complicated matters. My wolf didn't even attempt to hold back. I questioned my ability to resist despite my mind being flooded with intense desires for her. Controlling myself became a battle of wills. I started to doubt my determination. Should I perhaps wait to gauge her acceptance of me? Maybe waiting unt
~Liam~ "Man, I'm bored out of my mind here," Marvin's voice echoed in my thoughts, just as Josephine and I were sharing a kiss. The interruption didn't exactly sit well with me. Sensing my distraction, Josephine broke away from the kiss, concern in her eyes. "What's bothering you, Li?" she asked, her voice soft. "Marvin just mentioned he's bored," I explained, and she let out a laugh. "Aren't we all?" she replied with a knowing grin. "Yeah, pretty much everyone except Charlotte," I remarked, and Josephine chuckled. "Why don't we all head to the park? Justine suggested we move in groups. We could all go to the park. I know it's your secret spot, but I'm dying to go there – have Mirabel cook for us, swim in the lake, and watch the sunset with you," she proposed with enthusiasm, and I couldn't help but chuckle. "If that's what you want, I'll talk to Justin about it. I don't mind sharing my secret haven if it means we can spend some quality time together," I said, and her face
Thank you all for supporting this story and helping me to bring the characters to Life. It was an amazing journey, mainly because of the overwhelming support I got from all of you. I truly appreciate it. I am grateful for every comment, vote, review and purchase. It kept the book alive.Wild Hearts will be released next week, and Dark Obsession will be released this week. As much as I would love to please everyone, I can only write one book at a time So I planned to go with Wild Hearts, but since some of you have already started Dark Obsession, I will release it and continue to write it gradually. I have decided to run with both books. Once my schedule is better, the update days will improve. For those who are wondering about Dark Obsession, It is a standalone, and you do not need to read Forged in the Flames to enjoy the story. I would love feedback and hope the energy will be the same in that book. I am counting on your support and encouragement. Thank you. 🙏 😊 🤗
~Sophia~ Justin's kiss was sweeter than the last I remembered. He had stayed away from me for a while, and I was mad at him for it, but I knew he would make it for my eighteenth birthday. I knew he would come, and I anticipated it. He stayed away mainly because he didn’t want to cross the line, but tonight, fate told us it was okay, and we embraced it. My tears could not stop flowing. They were tears of joy and relief. I was grateful. So grateful. Justin lifted me in his arms and carried me inside; my eyes remained fixed on him, not caring about the surroundings. I knew he had put a lot of work into it, but we had to finish our unfinished business before we attended to the other stuff. His gaze remained on mine, making me giggle. “You look so beautiful tonight, Sophia,” he said, and I was glad he liked the effort. It was for him. Laying me on the bed, he kissed me and travelled from my neck to my sweet spot. Justin was a guy who liked to make out a bit rough and overwhelming, b
~Justin~ I stayed away after we had solved the case and made all the arrests. Things had not ended well for many people who were on the wrong side of the law. For the rest of us, we had moved on. Rachael ended up with her mate, who happened to be a Stepanov from one of the ten Ruling houses in the west. It was as if she knew she was meant to be with a great man all along, and fate had answered her prayers. As much as I did not want to discuss the punishment for the criminals, I just have to say most of them had been killed. There were scheduled executions for most of them, as there were many. The King wanted everyone involved to pay, no matter how small their part was. Fortunately, Uncle Vino had pushed for Jessica, something I knew Jewelles had everything to do with. She got fifteen years of sentencing, not after they asked Adrian and Rachael if they were okay with it. They both had moved on and didn't care what happened to her, so she was lucky there. At least she will get to see
~Liam~ One week passed, and Adrian Jacob, Harper and Jewelles returned to Lumas. Our parents had made a series of arrests. The activities were all over. Underground warehouses were found, crime lords were arrested, and factories were shut down. Unknown to my father, this operation started shortly after they defeated Yuri, and it was started by none other than Walter Armstrong, Nelson's lab technician, who messed up the D3 formula and destroyed Cones Village. The real reason behind the ban. Apparently, the defective D3 did not come from Nelson's lab but from one of Walter's makeshift labs that he tried to pass off as Nelson's goods when he was building his crime Network. Unfortunately for him, he was apprehended and locked up. His mate, Natasha Armstrong, being his partner in crime, feared that the law would catch up with them, so she faked her death, abandoning her children with lots of unpaid debts and an uncertain future. The cold-hearted bitch did not bother to look back. Nata
~Jewelles~ A week had passed since we discovered the truth, and our parents worked tirelessly to arrest all implicated. During the arrest, we discovered an underground recruitment for warriors. We might never know what the sick bastards planned, but I was glad we could trump their plan before it was in motion. The biggest mistake they made was to take Sophia. If that parcel hadn’t been delivered to Luna Glenda, the traitor and murderer, we wouldn't have been the wiser, and they would have gotten away with their crimes unnoticed. As much as Jacob hid his pain, I could see it. His mother was one of the people who would receive a long sentence. She would have been executed, but I had pleaded with my father to put in a word for her for Jacob's sake. Jacob didn’t ask me to do it, but I knew it was eating him inside. He found out what I did this morning, flipped and hasn't spoken to me. It has been a long, agonising day. Jacob was also yet to seal the deal. He was mad at me for taking m
~Charlotte~ After spending time with everyone in the garden, Caspian and I decided to retire. Our parents were so busy with arrests and judgements that we did not have a general dinner, but it was okay. Snuggled in Caspian's Arms in our room. Aunty Tamia planned to give Jewelles, Harper and me permanent rooms in the estate. They wanted us to always have a reason to come home with our mates. I could understand, and I appreciated it. Our rooms were still being renovated; they were in the Delta wing of the mansion. Many rooms were unoccupied there, and since our family was expanding, we would be given rooms there. All of us, including the guys. That way, we will all be in one wing when we are around. I could not believe everything was finally over. Although there had not been any sentencing yet, our part of the investigation was over. Our parents had dreaded it leading to war, but it didn’t this time. It might have if they had successfully mass-produced their Agk32 to create an army.
~Justin~ While Sophia was with her father. I decided to make some plans. The case seemed closed on our side. We had finished the initial assignment, which was figuring out what happened that night. Uncle Sylvester had also explained that only people with jurisdiction can interfere with the case onward. There wasn't much to do but pick up the people mentioned. It was over, meaning an alpha would be appointed for Grizlo. It meant we would have to get to our normal lives, and I could not see a normal life without Sophia. I was nervous now that her father had been found and he would be free. I wondered if she would feel the same. I hoped to drag the case a bit longer, but it was impossible. I decided to call the staff at my house in Lucland to fix the place up. I wasn’t sure why, but I knew that once Sophia turned eighteen, I would not hesitate. She had asked me about where I lived in Lucland. I planned to spend time with her there and live with her in the near future if she would hav
~Justin~ It was time to question Mike, and Noah was the first to link me. Of course, he would be eager. He had a theory, and Mike’s account would help him fit the pieces together. His reasons differed from Liam's and mine. Mike was a puzzle Noah and Sebastien wanted to solve, while we wanted to find a way to save Sophia and exonerate Mike if he was innocent. Jellewes came with Lily to get Sophia. My entire team would have to be present at the questioning, so Harper and Jo would not be available. I needed Lily and Jewelles to help take her mind off what was happening. Jewelles and Lilly planned to keep her occupied until after the questioning. I thanked them for their kindness. Although Lisa's team were not invited, Lisa insisted to be a part of it. My sister was overzealous like that. I couldn't wait for her to settle down and get on with her life. Tanya had returned home to her mate. The entire ordeal with Harper had shaken her completely. I doubted she would be volunteering for a
~Justin~ After planning our questioning strategy with my team, I spent time with Sophia. We planned to question Mike in the evening to avoid dragging the investigation too long. Adrian wanted to take Harper back to Lumas in two days. Likewise, Jacob and Jewelles, so I knew we had to move quickly. Although I hoped they would stay a bit longer. It was fun having them around. I didn't feel so old. Usually, I was forced to act like an uncle to my cousins, and that made them uncomfortable around me, and they saw me as boring, but with Caspian, Adrian, and Jacob in our team, I was more comfortable now. I had also made new friends who were now part of my family. Caspian wasn't leaving until the case was done, but I hoped Adrian and Jacob would stay a bit. Not that I will tell them. Sophia had spent the morning with the ladies. Harper had come to get her, and I think it helped her a lot because she felt a lot better knowing Harper and Lily were fine and weren’t traumatised by the inciden