Selene yawns as she slowly opens her eyes. She stretches her arms out to her sides and arches her back, stretching her body and preparing to fully wake up. She feels incredibly relaxed and well-rested. She makes a small movement to get out of bed and is surprised to find herself face-to-face with Connor. His green eyes are staring intently at her, making her feel intimidated.For the alpha, seeing Selene wake up in his bed and beside him is simply divine; he has been awake for over two hours. Lying there, he watched her the entire time before she opened her eyes.The small noises Selene made upon waking were very sweet to him. At that moment, he wanted to kiss her, but he knew she would likely be angry at his audacity, so he preferred to push those desires away for now.Selene has yet to realize that one of her hands rests on his lower abdomen, very close to his member. Connor enjoys the sensation of her fingers moving over his skin, the slight tingling sensations that run through his
“You’re not helping at all,” Selene scolds herself in front of the mirror as she tries to tame her rebellious locks down her back. “You can’t be so easy. Dexter would be so disappointed in you.”The damn mate bond is already working on her. It’s impossible not to know how it works and how quickly they can fall into each other's arms. With Dexter, she had shared only a few hours before he died in that attack, and despite that, she still remembers and loves him as if they had been together their entire lives. What would her life have been like if they had mated as well as marked each other? She has no idea, but she supposes everything would have been more difficult for her, though she wouldn’t still be a virgin now.If she lets herself be carried away by what she’s feeling in her lower abdomen right now, it would be her first time, and her body doesn’t know what to do, but it craves it. Connor is a much bigger man than Dexter and not to mention compared to her, and that scares her a bit
Breakfast, like yesterday's lunch, is uncomfortable, although Clarisse tries to converse with Selene from time to time to ease the hostile atmosphere her mother has been creating since she arrived at the pack.After breakfast, Connor, just like yesterday, takes her to see other places in the pack, specifically the most important buildings that are part of Redwood Wolves. It's only now that she learns Connor owns a significant textile company in North America, the one that collaborates with her father's company in Tierra de Pinares.Patiently, Connor explains every detail of the operations in each building until they reach a common area. There, several omegas are busy making preparations for the guardians' lunch. All of them bow their heads in respect when he enters the gigantic hall, but then their gazes land on Selene, an unspoken question forming in their eyes, especially upon seeing their alpha holding hands with a stranger, one who is not a member of the pack."She is Selene, your
A wave of confusion overwhelms Saya as she feels Sorem's front paws wrap around her while they roll together to the center of the hall until they end up on top of each other. Selene shakes her head and frowns, looking through the eyes of her wolf at the one who stopped her from reaching that idiot. A huge wolf, with orange-brown fur, white ears, and green eyes, has her completely pinned to the ground with his nose barely brushing Saya's. His warm breath mingles with her beast's, and she feels a pleasant tingling sensation running through her entire body.Selene blinks a couple of times before frowning and pulling Saya back. Connor does the same with Sorem, both returning to their human forms.“It's okay… just calm down, honey,” Connor's voice is smooth as silk while he doesn't move an inch away from Selene.Saya is already calm inside her mind and willing to do what her mate says. She turns abruptly and gets up from the floor. He smiles directly at her, his green eyes seeming to look
Selene takes advantage of the opportunity to look around the entire room now that she's alone. Now that she’s back from the tour, she can smell the chlorine and other cleaning supplies in the place. All the windows are open, and the natural sunlight fills the room. A pleasant breeze sways the curtains, and from her position, she can see the trees swaying outside the walls.She walks fully to the balcony railing and has a perfect view of Redwood Wolves from there, even the main entrance. To the right, there's a fairly large field. She doesn't recall Connor taking her there yet. Several women are in that area, apparently training. She has already decided that she will go there later; she needs to clear her head a bit and running outdoors will undoubtedly help her.Her stomach growls suddenly, and she decides to go down to the kitchen for a snack. Since no one seems to listen to her, and everyone avoids or runs away from her, she takes the kettle herself and makes a cup of orange tea wit
“Miss Clarisse, your mother is calling you to the living room,” Analia opens the door and interrupts the conversation between her and Selene at that very moment. Inwardly, Clarisse sighs in relief, glad she doesn’t have to explain that matter to Selene. Her brother could punish her if she meddles or speaks too much, so she simply nods and gets up to walk toward the exit. Selene is even more intrigued. Could all the children be Jackson’s and Beltrán’s? It seems that doubt will remain unresolved for now.In the end, she grabs one of her books and goes back to the garden she had seen earlier. She stays there for almost the entire afternoon, not even going to lunch, and though it sounds funny, no one looks for her during that time. It doesn't seem unbelievable to her, as almost everyone seems to avoid her.Late in the afternoon, tired and not in the mood to stay there any longer, she goes to the kitchen and prepares the same tea. Analia is there with another young woman who helps in the k
Selene wakes up, feeling trapped by a huge arm around her waist. She tries to wriggle free to get out of bed, but every time she moves, Connor’s arm tightens, holding her firmly in place. He’s too possessive, even while asleep. The damn bond has already got him tightly.After several attempts, she finally gives up. There's no point; the mate bond between them is already very strong, and as the days go by, it’s likely he’ll start to become even more possessive of her, just like Saya is with Sorem. Connor’s wolf is beautiful, and she would love to snuggle into his fur and place her face on his chest to feel the beating of his heart.That thought makes her smile despite how bad she felt yesterday with everything Mrs. Carla said to her, but Connor’s scent all around her relaxes and soothes her, just as hers does for him. Now she doesn’t feel as overwhelmed as she did last night.The room is still dark, which means it’s still early. Selene turns slightly to be chest-to-chest with him, slow
Selene exits the bathroom a long while later. As she is choosing the clothes she will wear, someone knocks on the door, and one of the young women who helps in the kitchen enters with a breakfast tray in hand."Good morning, Miss Selene. The alpha asked me to bring your breakfast to your room," the young woman says timidly, with her head bowed, as she approaches a small table to set down what she brought."Has he already left?" Selene is still upset, and not even the beautiful red rose next to the coffee cup can cheer her up. The hunger she had since yesterday has completely vanished, first due to Carla's confrontation, and now due to that little argument with him."Yes, miss. He won’t be back early. Beta Jackson, Mrs. Carla, Beltrán, and other trusted guardians went with him. Generally, when they all go out together, they disconnect completely from the pack and return very late at night."The young woman leaves the room, and Selene is left pondering the oddity of the situation. But s
That same night, Inés is taken to the place where she will serve her sentence—a remote and sinister location that has remained untouched for far too long. The dungeon's whereabouts are known only to the alphas, passed down from generation to generation. It is guarded by Terrakais, making it far easier to enter than to leave. No prisoner has ever escaped, and those who have dared to try met their end within mere meters, buried beneath mountains of sand and tangled vines. Her face and reaction upon seeing the place are unforgettable. Her screams of desperation and horror are swallowed by the forest. The following morning, the entire pack feels different, as if a new energy has settled over them. They begin moving early. After training, Jackson and the others start organizing the repairs. Clarisse continues helping at the clinic, while Connor immerses himself in the administrative matters he has neglected for far too long. His goal is to have everything cleaned up and in order by t
"Bring the prisoner!" The alpha’s voice startles Doctor Mirna, who shifts uneasily in her seat. A few minutes later, Inés’s screams echo throughout the place. Her appearance is deplorable—she is dirty, emaciated, and covered in half-healed wounds. "Connor, please!" she cries between sobs. "You don’t have to do this. Please, please, please..." The guards escorting her shove her toward the center. She falls to the ground. "Inés Emberclaw, omega of the Redwood Wolves pack, you are here tonight to be judged for the crimes of criminal association, betrayal of your pack, accessory to murder, and many other offenses." One of the elders stands and addresses her after the alpha gives the order. "How do you plead?" "I’m inno...cent, I swear," she responds between choked sobs. Connor watches her with no trace of emotion on his face. The trial continues for several hours. Nearly all those involved come forward to give their statements. At one point, Maya turns to her side and realiz
Somewhere in the Highlands…Lilith walks slowly, carrying a tray of food in her hands. It’s likely that Selene won’t touch it, just like she hasn’t in the past few days, but she still tries to get her to change her mind. She opens the door and enters with a broad smile."Good morning," she greets her. "How are you feeling this morning?""Good morning," Selene responds in a low, slightly hoarse voice. "I feel much better, Aunt. The wound barely hurts anymore.""That concoction I made never fails. I knew it would help with your injury, but that’s not what I’m asking about, Selene." Lilith places the tray on the small terrace table before returning to sit beside her on the bed. "I mean this." She points at Selene’s chest. "How is that heart feeling today?"Selene averts her gaze without answering. There’s no need to be a mind reader to know what’s going through her head right now. In the days she has been here, Lilith has learned to read her well—she knows she’s suffering deeply, but lea
Alpha Connor runs toward the training field. Just before reaching the massive stone wall, he shifts into Sorem, deliberately slamming his body against it with all his strength.He does it over and over again. The wall begins to crack and crumble little by little, while blood gushes from his forehead.His sister’s screams from behind him do nothing to quell his frustration, his pain, or his rage. The only way to stay alive without Selene is to push his body to the limit, to remind himself every day that he deserves this punishment, that he deserves to suffer and feel pain for what he did."Connor, please, stop. You’re hurting yourself," his sister pleads, trying to reach him, but Sorem growls at her, forcing her to step back.This scene repeats itself every single day since Selene disappeared. The female guards surround him, attempting to stop him, but they know they won’t be able to—not until he has had enough.A few minutes later, much of the wall has collapsed, becoming just another
One week later…Limping, Kaelan walks through the clinic’s hallways until he reaches one of the rooms. He opens the door, and his smile widens at the sight of the red-haired woman busily tending to the children."You shouldn’t be wandering around here, King Kaelan," Clarisse says, still with her back to him. "As far as I know, the doctor hasn’t discharged you yet.""If Muhammad won’t go to the mountain, then the mountain must go to Muhammad," he replies, stepping closer to her. His mere proximity makes the hairs on her body stand on end."I’m busy," Clarisse points toward the room. Fortunately, all the pups are recovering well, and it seems they’ll be discharged soon. "And you’re still injured. Go back to your room, please."Kaelan moves even closer. His nose brushes against her neck, and she shudders instantly."I needed to smell your scent," he says, inhaling deeply. "I’d heal faster if you visited me more often. I’m your mate."Clarisse swallows hard, trying to loosen the knot in h
Eisheth smiles, her eyes fixed on Selene's. Inés keeps crying, which irritates her immensely. She can't believe that this runt managed to capture her and, on top of that, is threatening her with her own dagger. What a complete failure!"Come get her, monster," Selene urges, a smile also on her face as she presses the dagger a little harder until tiny drops of blood become visible on Eisheth’s skin. She doesn’t intend to harm her, but if she’s going to use her as bait, it has to be convincing.Eisheth readies herself and strides toward her in a menacing manner, but in the end, she recites a few phrases in an unknown language, and all the wolves of her own pack begin to surround her, growling."You think I’m going to face you when I have them to do it for me?" Eisheth gestures toward them. "I won’t kill you. He will do it for me."She beckons to Connor with her index finger, and he starts moving toward her, menacing, baring his fangs. Both Uriel and Kaelan step forward to intervene, but
Saya watches the events unfold from a distance. Her aura is intensifying rapidly as she sees the members of her pack attacking her grandfather and the others. They are all obeying Carla—or rather, the monster that is now revealing its true face. Her blood boils within her veins, unable to tolerate what is happening. However, she remains out of sight, waiting until she has a clear objective. Dr. Moreira is right—she must be cautious and move carefully to avoid endangering her pup. Charging in without a plan is, in fact, a very bad plan.From her position, her gaze remains locked on the monster responsible for all this chaos. Her fury grows, and with a low growl, the lowest branches of the sequoias begin to spiral and tremble, alerting Eisheth. A portion of the dark mist disperses for a few seconds before settling back into place. The Terrakai begin to grow uneasy. No one understands what is happening—except the spirits of the earth, who can sense their goddess, gifted by the moon, near
Inés arrives at the pack and finds massive destruction. There is shattered glass, furniture scattered everywhere, and to top it all off, that strange storm approaching quickly, making the atmosphere feel heavy, suffocating.She runs through the hallways and reaches the intensive care unit, where all the pack’s pups are. This seems to be the only intact place. The doctor and the physician who came from the Amazon are tending to the patients. Both turn around, startled, upon hearing the door open.“What are you doing here, miss?” Dr. Moreira asks with a frown. It seems she is the only one in the pack who has not suffered from the crisis. “Where were you? Are you hurt?”“Where is everyone? What happened here?” Inés ignores his questions and asks her own.“They all started acting strangely, then ran into the forest,” Ayanell responds with a shudder.She witnessed the worst of it. It all started while she was in a meeting with the pups’ families, explaining the treatment they were about to
Hours earlier… Selene sleeps deeply while Connor watches her closely. Sorem purrs on her chest, and despite multiple attempts to convince him to return to his own room, he refuses. Even Uriel has tried to persuade him more than once, but without success. “You need care too, Alpha. Those wounds don’t look good,” says Doctor Moreira, approaching to check Selene’s vital signs. “The moon is stable and asleep; there’s no need for you to stay by her side all the time.” Connor says nothing. However, he remains clinging to her hand. Of course, he feels pain—his wounds have yet to heal—but being with her is his priority now. Seeing his resolve, both Moreira and Uriel give up and leave them alone. The Alpha lies down beside his mate, and by instinct, Selene nestles against his chest. Both of them relax until they fall asleep, tightly embraced. When Selene wakes up, the scent of her mate sends a not-so-subtle shiver through her entire body. She doesn’t need to open her eyes to know w