Inés’s nerves are on edge. She’s eagerly anticipating Selene’s defeat when she realizes what has happened to her dress. Finally, Selene will know who’s in charge here.She and Carla are seated at the front, just a few meters from Selene’s parents' table and the main table where Alpha Connor and Selene will dine after the oath is taken.Inés’s gaze is fixed on the main door, where Selene is supposed to enter. Connor, dressed in an impeccable beige suit, stands there, nervously checking his watch repeatedly. Selene is nearly half an hour late. Alpha Ragnar is beside him, trying to distract him with conversation while they wait for his daughter.Both Inés and Carla rise and walk over to Connor, but he barely pays attention to them despite their efforts. Ragnar excuses himself and steps away to be with his family."Doesn’t she look gorgeous?" Carla asks her son, but his furrowed brow indicates he doesn’t know what she’s referring to. "Inés," Carla gestures towards her, "she looks stunning
Connor and Selene reach the center of the stage, where three elder women are waiting for them."Luna Selene Shadowfang, it is a great honor to welcome you to our pack and to induct you into the official line of the Redwood Wolves pack. Are you ready to take the oath?" one of them says, her face so serious it sends shivers down anyone’s spine."Yes, I’m ready," Selene replies, making Connor’s smile unmistakably evident.The elder begins the ritual, guiding Selene as she repeats her oath."I, Selene Shadowfang, soon to be Selene Blazeheart, pledge my life, love, honor, and loyalty to the Redwood Wolves pack. As your Luna, I vow to be loyal to my alpha and mate, Connor Blazeheart, and faithful to my pack, protecting the integrity of every member. If I fail to do so, I will be judged accordingly." Everyone remains in absolute silence as they listen to her words.As Selene speaks, Connor opens his hand, revealing his palm. With a small dagger, he makes a cut in the center, and does the sam
Selene is nervous, scared, worried, but also calm in the comfort of Connor's embrace. He has her completely pressed against his body, his lips moving gently against hers in a tender kiss while the piano continues to play softly in the background. She has no idea how long they've been dancing, but it's been a good while; the first light of dawn can already be seen through the large windows of the hall.“Shall we go?” The alpha’s question sends a shiver down Selene's spine because she knows what’s coming, and this time she doesn’t want to stop it. Her heart starts pounding so hard that she's sure her husband can hear it. She nods softly, and the alpha takes her by the hand, but they don’t head toward the mansion as she had assumed they would.Despite her confusion, she decides not to ask and to trust him.Connor leads her to his truck, which is parked to the side of the hall, and after settling her into the passenger seat, he himself takes the wheel to drive them to their destination.“
Selene's head tilts to the side, offering Connor more space. He sucks on her skin as his tongue gently massages the spot. His hand slides into her crotch, rubbing her pleasure spot for a few seconds before he slips a finger inside her. Selene lets out a moan as she feels him move in and out of her while his mouth doesn't stop sucking on her neck. Her breathing quickens as her hips move up and down trying to give him more access.The alpha approaches her ear. “Do you want me to continue?” His voice is deep, comforting and seductive.“Yes,” Selene barely responds.Connor increases one finger inside her while his thumb continues to toy with her clitoris. The pleasure is almost too much for Selene's body to bear. She lets out a cry of joy as a shock of pain hits her at the same time. After a startled shudder, she lies still, her nails digging into her partner's arm. Soon the pain begins to subside and, strangely, a new influx of pleasure engulfs her, like a giant wave sweeping over what
A subtle smile tugs at Connor's lips at the sight of the mess the small room in his cabin has become. His mate has managed to surprise him, her passion almost as great as his.“Connor... please,” Selene squeaks in a thread of voice that is totally hoarse for this moment. A low growl is the answer to her plea. Her body feels just like a rag doll, she is totally sore, bruised and limp. If he wasn't holding her tightly, she would already be on the floor, unconscious. Selene watches the wet floor at her feet as she feels her partner's deep, hard thrusts from behind. It's been a while since they started this, after the initial pain from the loss of her virginity, came the pleasure, the intense pleasure that made her squirm on several, countless occasions, but now it's hurting again. Her body gives no more. She is held by the window pane, whose glass is totally fogged by their heavy breathing. Their moans can be heard from even outside the cabin and the sun is already high, very high.“Do
Uriel stands stunned by what just happened, the trail of green smoke swirling on the ground, and the strange sensation churning in his stomach only intensifies his desire to uncover the truth. The image of Lilith, her eyes glowing with that supernatural light, is etched in his mind. He can’t believe what happened; he had believed her dead for years, yet she was so close, so real, and alive.The idea of returning to the Amazon and leaving all this behind is something he cannot conceive. He must find her; he needs answers, and that is exactly what he will do. With thousands of images and thoughts racing through his mind, he decides to wander around the pack. He can’t return to the mansion like this; his daughter might notice what has happened, and he has no answers for her right now. After hours of wandering the outskirts, he hears Katrina’s sweet voice resonating in the distance. “Dad!” she exclaims, her expression of joy quickly turning to concern as she notices Uriel’s pale dem
Selene and Connor arrive at the mansion just in time for lunch, as the alpha had promised his sister Clarisse and their in-laws. Selene steps out of the truck, her face slightly flushed. She feels a mix of shyness and happiness as she glances at her family after her first night as Connor’s bride. Rouse, ever perceptive, offers her a knowing smile from the doorway. A few meters away, Beta Jackson, leaning against one of the pillars and eating an orange, flashes a smirk at Connor as he subtly sniffs the air around him.“Well done, boss,” Jackson teases through the mental link, followed by a chuckle. Connor, in a rare good mood, decides not to respond, though a low growl escapes him as a gentle reminder.Carla greets them in the foyer, her imposing figure and dominating presence filling the space with a hostile tension that no one can miss. Her eyes settle on Selene first, noting her blush, and then on Connor, her gaze evaluative and somewhat judgmental as it catches the mark visible th
“Why do you barge into my room like that?” Selene pushes Rouse back slightly to stand face to face with Inés. The size difference is evident, but Selene doesn’t intend to show fear; in fact, she feels none. If she came looking for a fight, she will get one. “You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” Inés replies with another question. Selene raises an eyebrow at her angry gestures while swinging the dagger near her. “You stole my dress, my design, the one I was going to wear for my birthday. It’s not fair!” “How dare you accuse me when you were the one who destroyed my wedding dress and even tried to poison me? You should be begging for forgiveness on your knees right now,” Selene retorts, but her calm voice only serves to anger Inés further. “You’re a filthy, mangy bitch!” A sharp slap lands on her left cheek, and Selene’s hand trembles from the impact, but she suppresses her discomfort to avoid backing down in front of her. Rouse's sharp intake of breath echoes in the room, and a
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