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
Saya starts running aimlessly in the opposite direction of where she saw those she-wolves enter. Selene marvels at the scenery through Saya and her eyes. Just like when she first arrived, her eyes widened in amazement. This place is stunning, incomparable to anything she has seen before in the Amazon or Tierra de Pinares. The play of light and shadows created by the sun and the trees is a spectacle to remember forever. They even seem to become one with nature, as Saya can perceive the fluttering of butterflies and the movement of the smallest insects.The breeze is fresh and offers the peace and freedom she longed for, but as they advance, the sequoias become even larger, and her sense of direction gradually fades. Saya isn’t too worried about this situation. She has always been an excellent tracker, and Uriel has taught her a lot about the positions of celestial bodies. Although it is daytime, she can still navigate by the direction of the wind and her keen sense of smell, one of the
Connor spent the entire day at that damned meeting with the council, although at all times he thought of Selene and that argument they had before leaving. He imagined everything would be fine, until he arrived at the mansion and found this disaster. It’s clear that no one notified him because it is forbidden to disturb him during those meetings; he even turned off his phone so that no one could interrupt him. Despite that, everyone in the pack has been ordered to keep Selene away from the border. Everyone knows the reasons—why didn’t anyone stop her? Why weren’t there guardians in that area to prevent her from passing through? Why did she take that exact path and not the other one that leads to the safe zone? There are too many questions swirling in his mind as he ventures into the red forest, as they call it. This is territory claimed by Augusto, his father's bastard brother, the man responsible for the greatest massacre of their pack fifteen years ago. Since then, he and Augusto ha
Another scream echoes through the delivery room at the clinic. Alpha Connor clings to his mate’s hand, unable to bear the pain of seeing her suffer like this. He is desperate, feeling powerless, not knowing what to do to ease her torment."For the goddess’s sake, do something!" he growls threateningly at Dr. Moreira.Fortunately, the doctor is human and accustomed to the explosive temperaments of werewolves, having lived among them since he was a child. He is not intimidated, knowing this is a normal reaction when they see their mates in pain and vulnerability. He has assisted in so many births of this kind that he has lost count—among them, the birth of Selene and her twin, Ethan.With great patience, he checks the patient’s condition while the alpha growls hysterically inside the room."The baby is crowning," the doctor informs Selene, who is utterly exhausted. "When you feel the next contraction, push continuously for as long as I tell you, Luna. This pup will be with us in just a
"Seleneee, please!!" Rouse rushes into her room, huffing as always. "You were supposed to be in the hall half an hour ago! Are you ever going to get ready on time?"Selene shrugs and tries unsuccessfully to reach her bridal bouquet, which is placed on the couch."Can you stop harassing your sister?" Katrina reprimands her daughter, helping Selene grab what she wants. "With that belly, she can barely move, and you keep rushing her all the time."Rouse rolls her eyes. She is tired of hearing the same thing. Everyone pampers and spoils Selene too much just because she is carrying the first grandchild of the family. She’s just pregnant, not an invalid."For the goddess’ sake, Mom. This is the second time she’s getting married. Her only job was to be ready on time for the ceremony. Nothing else."Selene chuckles at her sister’s frustration."I’m ready now, relax. The groom should always wait for the bride—it’s tradition," Selene replies, looking at her reflection in the mirror once more. S
Rouse rushes up the stairs, taking them two at a time until she reaches her sister’s room. She pushes the door open abruptly and huffs at the sight before her."You're still not ready?" she asks, despite the obvious evidence in front of her. Selene is sitting on the bed in her robe. "Alpha Connor is already in the living room waiting. Ethan is with him."Selene gets up from the bed, suppressing her excitement upon hearing that he is already there, though her sister notices it anyway. With the patience only she possesses, she grabs the beautiful dress Rouse chose for her and puts it on. Rouse steps forward to help her."I hope Ethan doesn’t do something stupid," Selene mutters, rubbing her pronounced belly as she looks at herself in the mirror. "These past two months have been torture dealing with him. I can’t stand it anymore.""He’s jealous and doesn’t know how to fight against his instincts as both an alpha and a brother. Besides, he still hasn’t forgiven him.""He’ll have to learn.
Selene watches her husband lying unconscious in the hospital bed, unaware of everything happening around him. He is in bad shape, and his wounds aren’t healing as quickly as they should for an alpha. She understands the reason perfectly—being apart is affecting his wolf’s strength. Saya is going through the same thing.The doctor was very patient with her, explaining Connor’s real condition more than once. Just as her mother said, he is out of danger now.Carefully, she climbs onto the bed beside him and rests her head on his chest. The soft rhythm of his heartbeat soothes her. She wanted to stay away to heal, but she never intended for this to happen. He is her mate, the father of her pup, and—no matter how much it pains her to admit it—he is the man she loves. Yes, she loves him so much that she would die if anything happened to him.She understands what happened. She isn’t naive; she knows none of them acted with full awareness. But it still hurts. Seeing him with that woman hurt h
It is almost noon when Katrina, Ragnar, and Ethan arrive at the mansion. None of them say anything upon entering the living room, but their faces make it clear that there is no good news.Ethan climbs the stairs with heavy steps, while Katrina heads straight to the office, and her husband follows. They have barely exchanged a few words in all these hours.Selene, after hearing her brother enter his room, descends the stairs to speak with her parents, but when she hears them arguing, she stops in her tracks, unable to move forward. She has never heard them speak like this before—her mother is the sweetest woman in the world, and her father respects and loves her more than anything. What could have made them this angry?"Let's talk," Ragnar says as he steps into the office after Katrina. He tries to calm the situation, but she is furious."Talk? What could we possibly talk about, Ragnar? About what you did at dawn?""Are you defending him?" Ragnar counters with another question. "After
Deep in the forest, as dawn begins to break on the horizon, Connor climbs down from the tree, ready to return to the hotel. But the moment he sets foot on the ground, he is surrounded by several wolves—at least twenty of them.The deadly growl of a massive gray wolf fills his ears. A few seconds later, another one, also gray but with white ears and tail, lunges forward, growling menacingly at him. Sorem tries to take control and shift, but Connor doesn’t allow it.He takes two steps back, realizing he is at a clear disadvantage, yet with no intention of running away. He will face this like a man—the man he should have been from the very beginning.“How dare you set foot on my land?!” Ethan shifts in front of him, his voice filled with hatred. “How dare you come here after what you did to my sister?! Are you that eager to die?!”The growls of the other wolves grow louder, preventing Connor from responding. They inch closer, ready to attack, but the first to strike is Remus, Ragnar’s gr
The days fly by, except for Alpha Connor, who feels every second of the day like a dead weight on his back.Fortunately, the pups are evolving quite well. Doctor Moreira is doing an excellent job alongside Ayanell. The reports they deliver to the alpha every day are encouraging. The treatment is truly effective, and although they will all be latent wolves, they will be able to live normal lives, according to the doctor himself.The pack’s renovations are progressing on time and as planned. Jackson personally oversees all the work, and the results are good. One piece of good news amid so much chaos is that the beta’s mate is expecting their first pup. She’s only a short way into the pregnancy, but everyone is happy for them since they had been trying to conceive for a long time.King Kaelan and Clarisse are leaving for the Highlands this afternoon, and Connor has mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he is pleased to see his sister happier than she has ever been before, but on the othe
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