The way back to the mansion doesn’t take as long for Connor as the journey there did; however, for Selene, it is the most uncomfortable minutes of her life. Her headache has worsened due to the position, and her stomach is in knots. She doesn’t struggle at any moment, doesn’t say anything, nor does she ask questions, as she isn’t even fully aware of what has happened, although she hears her companion growl a couple of times along the way. The alpha carries her into the house, and the reproving look from his mother greets him. “I told you she would try to escape, that she would take advantage of the moment we were outside to do so, and you didn’t believe me. She could have gotten us into serious trouble; someone could have died because of her,” Carla growls through the mental link, her face contorted. Connor doesn’t respond, but from his expression, it’s evident that what his mother said affects him more deeply. “Brother…” Clarisse attempts to say something as she follows him, bu
Connor feels how she doubles over in pain as tears fill her eyes. Selene stopped physically fighting against him a few minutes ago and now focuses her remaining mental strength and willpower on repelling the connection he is imposing on her. She doesn't want to lose the only thing she has left of Dexter, at least not this way. She knew it would have to happen someday, but she is not ready for this. Connor has no idea of the damage he is causing her.Her eyes are closed, and the pain spreads from her shoulder to the rest of her body. Saya is restless and howling in her mind, not knowing what to do, because she doesn't want to fight against her mate's blood, but she also doesn't believe this is the way.Dexter's last memories flash before Selene's eyes, burning her gaze, breaking her heart into pieces. The pain and the aura Connor is using against her are too much for her. She can see in her mind the beautiful smile of her former mate when they recognized each other that night, he was t
"I did it for her own good. You know perfectly well what Augusto is capable of. Selene had the damn luck that this time it didn't escalate, but knowing that rogue, I know he has something else planned," Connor replies, still angry."Leaving aside Augusto's intentions, Connor, do you think Selene is going to wake up tomorrow and smile at you? Do you think she will simply forgive you for forcing her to bear your mark?""It wasn't how I planned it, but after she disobeyed me, I had no other choice. How did she expect me to react to what she did? She put herself in danger, she put the pack in danger, I couldn't let this go without doing something about it.""Well, ideally, you should have sat down and talked to her about the attack, about Augusto, about the council's rules, and about the agreement your father left," Jackson says, making Connor tense up. "I don't see Selene as an irrational person, quite the opposite. Besides, we know her parents, both are exceptional people, I'm sure your
Connor's phone rings loudly in his pants pocket, making him frown as it pulls him from his thoughts. He turns and looks at Selene, who is still in the same position since the morning. It's now afternoon, and he hasn't left her side for a second. He postponed all his activities and asked Jackson for help with the most urgent pack matters so he could stay with her.The doctor returned because the alpha asked her to take a blood sample from Selene to run all the necessary tests. She is due back shortly to report the results.Connor carefully gets up from the bed after leaving a kiss on his mate's forehead and walks to the balcony to take the call. He has no idea who it might be, but they've called a couple of times, so he assumes it must be important and that they will likely keep insisting if he doesn't answer now."Blazeheart?" he hears a deep voice from the other end as he picks up the call."Who's speaking?" Alpha Connor asks, looking at the number on his screen again."Turn on the c
Selene's improvement is immediate with the antidote. The dark spots on her hands and back slowly begin to disappear. Uriel has called a couple of times asking about his granddaughter and has calmed down seeing her improvement.Alpha Connor takes advantage of the night's silence and his lack of sleep and asks Jackson to check the email Katrina had sent him earlier, as he does not want to leave his mate alone.Jackson, accompanied by Alexia, opens the email that Selene's mother had sent to Connor the day he claimed her, surprised to find many attachments—not just the medical documents the alpha mentioned, but also several videos and photos of her from when she was young."Is that why...?" Alexia asks, but the words get stuck in her throat as she watches a specific video that leaves them both deep in thought."Most likely, yes," Jackson replies, still engrossed, his eyes fixed on the playback of a birthday party from several years ago. On top of the birthday cake is a number 4, and sever
Connor is terribly calm, as Selene can perceive. She can feel him watching her attentively, waiting for a response that perhaps she doesn't want to give at this moment."What's the point now? You didn't care about how I felt before, what difference does it make if I tell you now?""I was forced to act the way I did because you put yourself in danger," Connor tries to reason with her, his voice calm.She is aware of what she did and knew it would have consequences when she decided to leave, but she didn't think he would act the way he did."And of course I care about you, I almost went crazy when they told me they didn't know where you were. I couldn't contact you, no one could," Connor explains his reasons."I didn't put myself in danger on purpose, I was about to come back, I just stayed a few minutes to look at the water," she sobs.Connor stands there looking at her for a moment and then nods slightly before sitting on the couch next to the bed to face her."You disobeyed me.""I w
Selene inspects her naked body in front of the bathroom mirror and feels completely different from the naive and weak young woman who had arrived a few days ago. Something in her has changed and she knows it, even Saya is more active and focused. In these few hours she has been awake, she is learning to deal with some voices in her head from the members of the Redwood Wolves pack. She has no idea why she is hearing them, but she will soon find out. What she cannot ignore is the mark on her shoulder. She gently runs her fingers over that scar and her whole body trembles. She can feel the connection with Connor like never before, she can even hear his heartbeat and feel his heavy breathing from the other side of the door. Because she knows he is there, longing for her, but she won't make it easy for him.She runs her hands over her breasts and notices they are more mature. Her skin is glowing and the muscles of her body are firmer, as if she had exercised excessively. Definitely, Connor
"It will be an unforgettable day." That phrase keeps echoing in Selene's head. There was something in Inés's look when she said that which Selene didn't like. Additionally, Connor's insistence on changing the subject made her doubt; definitely, something strange is happening."Don't you like any of the options?" Clarisse asks, looking at Selene with a frown. "If you want, we can change them; there's still time.""Everything is fine, Clarisse. Thanks for your help," she says, realizing that she wasn't paying attention at all."But you haven't looked at anything, nor tried the menu.""I'm sorry, I'm a bit distracted," Selene starts tasting the dishes that Clarisse had the pack's chefs prepare. She immediately dismisses some and approves the ones she likes. "I was thinking about Inés's birthday. Is there something I should know about it?""No," Clarisse clears her throat, and Selene realizes from her reaction that she's lying. "It's just a birthday, don't pay attention to it. Let's get e
The alpha watches Selene and knows something is wrong with her. Her hair moves in the same spiraling motion it once did when she was very angry in her room, and a whitish aura emerges from her body. Something is about to happen, and the sharp gasp from Alexia at his right confirms it. His gamma can feel every one of her emotions. Suddenly, Selene opens her eyes, and although she says nothing, Connor senses that she’s trying to warn him, so he speaks to all his members present through the link. “Everyone. Down. Now!”Immediately after that, a strange but powerful explosion knocks everyone down; a hellish noise, a blinding light, and a strong tremor spreads across several meters in diameter. The alpha lifts his gaze slightly, still dazed and with a piercing headache from the impact, and he can see Saya crushing Augusto beneath her massive, furry body. The tables had clearly turned. The rain falls even harder, but everything is still visible thanks to the light radiating from her
A terrifying silence spreads through the entire forest for what feels like an eternity, one that makes Carrie hold her breath, anticipating the impending disaster. Until the first movement happens. A massive orange wolf with white ears growls fiercely as it leaps and positions itself just inches from Selene. Carrie lets out a small gasp, startled, but it's too late. As she brings her hand to her mouth, Sorem can see exactly where she's hiding, and he makes it known by flashing his powerful and terrifying fangs. Before the huge orange beast can react, a black, unpleasant-looking wolf, though equally large, lunges at him, and they both begin tumbling through the underbrush. At that moment, a pair of female wolves surround Selene to protect her as an all-out battle breaks out just a few meters away from her. Several wolves, all renegades, attempt to get close to Selene, but none have any real success against the beta and the Redwood Wolves' guardians.The noise in the forest is i
Carrie waits for just the right moment when Augusto and his henchmen move far enough away to dart out of her hiding spot. She needs to reach Selene before Augusto does. Twice, in the past two days, he’s come dangerously close to her. Even though he can’t see her due to the protective bubble, he might sense that someone is nearby and realize something is off.After running non-stop for several minutes, Carrie finally reaches Selene. She makes sure no one has followed her before taking a closer look.Selene is curled up in a fetal position, her face twisted in pain, softly whimpering."I’m sorry, but tonight I have to break your bubble," Carrie whispers near her. Her brow furrows, it's not what she wants to do, but she has no choice. Selene needs care while she remains unconscious, and another storm is predicted, bringing even colder temperatures. She also overheard Augusto talking about what he’d do if he found her, and she simply won’t allow him to hurt her. If Alpha Connor finds her
"That’s enough!" Clarisse shouts, seeing Connor completely out of control, hitting Jackson for the thousandth time for neglecting the security near the ceremony. "This isn’t his fault! What had to happen, happened. Period. You need to get a grip, brother, in this state, you’re not going to achieve anything.""I just…" Connor’s voice is barely a squeak, his exhaustion evident. "…I just want to find her. Damn it!"It’s been more than 48 hours since Saya ran from that place, and none of them have been able to track her. A storm hit the following morning, but even then, the alpha didn’t rest from his search, nor did he allow anyone else to. He’s exhausted, as are the others, but the weight of losing his mate, combined with the pain he’s feeling in his chest, is hitting him harder than anyone else."I already told you," Jackson gasps, looking at the large wound on his side after trying to fight off Sorem just moments ago. "Everything was covered. I personally checked every spot for a week,
The freezing air hits Selene's face as she takes a few steps toward the room. She's shivering, even her jaw starts trembling uncontrollably. She has no idea what's happening to her, but she doesn’t feel well. Nothing here feels right.There are double doors open, curtains swaying in time with the wind, torches and scented candles, creating a romantic atmosphere from every perspective, except hers. She can hear murmurs from the back of the room, then laughter hers, Inés’s.She stands still for a few seconds and takes a deep breath before continuing. It doesn’t matter what’s in there; she has to see it, face it.As she gets closer, Inés's voice becomes clearer, but she hears nothing else except grunts from the person with her, followed by strange noises, gasps, moans.She reaches the door, which is only covered by curtains, and with a trembling hand, she pulls them aside just a bit to see. It's a room, she already knew that. It’s lit by many candles, the floor is polished wood, and ther
A chilling cold washes over Selene as she keeps a steady pace on this path she’s never explored before. In fact, the alpha had once told her that it wasn’t allowed to go this way. Yet here she is, heading toward an uncertain, unknown destination as night falls, her heart racing, but her mind set on discovering the truth.She’s already covered several kilometers, too many, in her opinion. She’s tired and sweaty, but she can see a glimmer in the distance. Could that be the place marked on the map?Moving cautiously for a few meters, she spots several guardians spread out across the area. She decides to climb one of the tallest trees to get a better view. If there are guardians here, they must be protecting something or someone.Once at the top, she carefully surveys the entire area. There’s a structure a few kilometers away, with lights and movement. That’s where she needs to go—it’s the point marked in the note; she has no doubt.With great concentration and using a technique her grand
"I don’t know what happened. I just got here and went into the water for a few seconds, and then you arrived," Selene explains, her brow furrowed. She’s confused too. Falling asleep underwater isn’t an option, especially not for so long, or she would have drowned. So what happened during all those hours she’s been here?"I’m sorry..." she whispers softly, seeing the distressed look on Connor’s face. He can’t resist her scent and kisses her. He kisses her so passionately that Selene moans at the urgency of her mate. Within seconds, the space between them disappears, giving way to an erotic and romantic dance under the beautiful and brilliant moonlight. Since their wedding night, there hasn’t been a single day they haven’t given themselves to each other. But today… now, it feels different. It’s as if every part of this nature is joining them both.Back at the mansion, they both head to the shower, much calmer. It’s almost dawn. After a shower full of kisses, they go to bed together to s
The days pass with excruciating slowness in Redwood Wolves. Connor has spent most of the week working with Jackson and Beltrán, while Selene has been helping with administrative tasks at the clinic and the daycare.She hasn't heard anything from Inés since the last time she left that note in the bush, and Selene still hasn't told the alpha about it. She’s not sure if she should go to that place or not. It could be a trap, but it could also be the truth, and it’s gnawing at her mind."We should tell your grandfather," Saya says in her mind, but Selene disagrees. The last time they spoke, two days ago, he was very agitated, even worried about something she didn't know. Burdening him with this seems unnecessary.Selene walks through the training field, heading toward the border. Some of the guardians glance at her, but they don't say anything or stop her. Taking care of the children at the clinic has been her main task these days, and fighting with the doctor and nurses, who think they'r
"Luna..." Clarisse sits beside Selene on the bench. "My brother told me I could find you here. I came to see if you needed anything.""You don't have to call me Luna, Selene is fine," Selene replies, her gaze fixed on the field where a group of three children are playing. There's a fourth child watching the game from a few meters behind, sitting on the grass. He looks pale and downcast, his expression quite lifeless."My brother is the alpha, and you're his mate, my Luna. I can't call you anything else.""Formalities aren't necessary between us, Clarisse. I consider you like a sister. Besides, you're one of the few people who’ve treated me well since I arrived here," Selene responds.Selene's eyes don’t leave that little boy. He looks about eight years old. She saw him in one of the photographs in the mansion and recognized him quickly when she took this seat half an hour ago, although, to be honest, all those children look quite similar.A middle-aged woman walks up to the boy and gr