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
Selene slowly comes out of her lethargy. She opens her eyes gradually and can see Rouse, her parents, and Connor talking a few meters from the bed. Her face still burns, and her arm tingles as if something is digging into her bones.Gathering the little strength she has left, she tries to sit up slightly. Alpha Connor notices the movement and walks over to her."Sister..." Rouse calls, but Ragnar takes her hand to stop her, allowing her mate to assist Selene."Rou..." Selene's jaw is tense, and her tongue feels heavy. She's dizzy, but she immediately recognizes the touch of Alpha Connor."She needs the doctor," says a voice she can't fully recognize. "Her wound needs to be healed.""The doctor is treating Inés," that grave voice could only belong to her mother-in-law. Hearing it sends shivers down her spine. All of this could only be the work of that woman. Connor’s growl is his only response."Calm down, stay calm, everything will be fine," says Alpha Connor, but the first thing Sele
Selene is crying, and Connor is hurting as he watches her. All the fury he felt earlier about what happened has faded into the background. Now, he feels the need to comfort and protect her."Peace? Really?" She doesn’t know whether to laugh or keep crying. How does he expect her to have peace with his mother and that young woman constantly harassing her?"Yes, believe it or not, that’s what I want most, Selene. To live in peace with you." He manages to reach her and take her into his arms, but she is so angry that she doesn't hesitate to vent by slapping him.Connor watches her closely. His face stings where their skin made contact; he has to admit she’s not as weak as she appears—no wonder Inés’s face is so messed up."This isn’t the way," he says, trying to gently brush his fingers against her cheek, but Selene lands another blow, this time with a closed fist directly to his nose. How dare he touch her after what he just said? After blaming her like always? Does he think she’s his p
The strange noises coming from the bathroom make Connor quite nervous. His temples are throbbing, and his breathing is so heavy that he struggles to stay calm. Does she really prefer to pleasure herself rather than be with him?"Open the door, right now," the alpha demands, pressing his forehead against the thick wood, but Selene doesn’t even bother to respond. "Seleneeee! You can’t do this!"Selene holds back a laugh at his comment. Connor has said the same thing about ten times since she locked herself in the bathroom."Why?" she asks with a stifled gasp. "Is it forbidden to pleasure oneself?""You know what I’m talking about," Connor growls. "You have no idea what you’re provoking. If Sorem comes out, he’ll break down that door, and you probably won’t like what’s going to happen.""Oh, I think I might," Selene finally opens the door, her body completely wet and wrapped in a towel as she walks to the closet. "I think I might like what he does to me, but since I’m punished, he and yo
"No!" Inés grabs Carla's hand, and she turns to look at her with eyes filled with malice. "We need to come up with something; I can't lose Connor. We need the heir."Carla manages to stabilize her temper, but her blood courses through her veins, threatening to burn her flesh. She’s fed up with that young intruder. She can’t keep failing like this, or she’ll end up pregnant with Connor's child, and that would be a disaster. She needs a plan, a perfect and meticulous one, so that this time, she’ll be gone for good."Her family is there," Inés says again when Carla chooses not to speak. "We can't act impulsively again, or it will be too suspicious. You told me once, and you were right; we need to handle this calmly. Connor already saw her attack me, which was what we wanted. We’ll plan everything well so that next time, there will be no doubt that she's guilty, and he'll kill her.""She won't succeed; she won't stay with the pack," Carla says, leaving the room. But once in the hallway, s
"Have you lost your mind?!" Carla raises her voice in protest at what the alpha has just announced. Connor growls as she stands up and confronts him. "How long does she plan to question your authority?" "No counselor will accept such a thing. Inés can't leave the pack; her birthday is in two weeks. This is unacceptable!""I'm not asking for your opinion, Mother, I'm decreeing her punishment. What is unacceptable is that she tried to poison my mate, her Luna, the night before, and today, she entered our room to attack her, which ended in that brawl between them. I won't allow that to happen again.""Inés came out more hurt than Selene, and there's no evidence of any of the accusations you're making," the elder responds. All the elder women begin to murmur among themselves, something the alpha dislikes greatly. He knows about his mother's influence over those women and that they prefer to do as she says, making it not easy to convince them. However, he promised his mate something he int
"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
"I know that nothing I say right now can heal the wound in your heart after what you saw, but I beg you to listen to Connor. Your distance is killing him—he hasn’t even been able to heal properly. Please, Selene, don’t let him die.""He made his own decisions, Clarisse—just like all of you did. You all preferred to lie to me instead of making me part of what was happening so we could find a solution together. You never truly considered me part of your pack, nor your Luna. You made me look like a fool, the laughingstock of everyone."Clarisse begins to sob."We never wanted that to happen, I swear. We tried everything to keep you from suffering because of this.""But it happened! And I’m afraid it’s too late to fix it!" Selene exclaims.Suddenly, a wave of dizziness overtakes her. She tries to hold onto the door, but before she can steady herself, she collapses to the floor, unconscious.Clarisse screams at the top of her lungs. A few omegas in the house rush to help. Beltrán carries S
"I know you hate my mother for the way she's treated you since you arrived, but this is too much. Do you have any proof of what you're saying? Why would she do something like that against her own pack?"Selene gives him a sad smile while shaking her head."Will you ever trust anything I say?" Selene's question hits the alpha like a bucket of cold water. Connor tries to say something, but she cuts him off. "I already know the answer, and frankly, I don’t know why I’m still here, trying to open the eyes of someone who prefers to remain in the dark. You’re not worth my effort, Alpha Blazeheart.""Doctor Moreira, Grandpa, everyone, please explain to the alpha the treatment we're going to do with the children. Nothing more." Selene gives the order in a firm voice.She stands up from the chair and swiftly leaves the room. She hears her mate calling her, but she lacks both the will and the patience to keep fighting.Once outside the clinic, she rushes toward the forest. When she arrives, she
“What are you doing here, Connor?” Selene shoots a stern look at her mate as he enters the office. “You’re still recovering.”The alpha is so pale he looks like he might faint at any moment. His hospital gown barely covers his torso and part of his thigh. He looks not only exhausted and hollow-eyed but also utterly pathetic in that flimsy garment.Kaelan makes no move to stand, nor does he bother to look at him. Yet he can smell his jealousy and he smiles. This only fuels the alpha’s irritation.“How did this lycan get into our pack?” Connor demands, glancing between Selene and Kaelan. “Why didn’t anyone inform me of his arrival?”“Connor, Kaelan Darkmane is an old friend of mine. He came to accompany me on some matters. I apologize for not informing you earlier, that was my fault,” Uriel interjects.“There’s no need for you to explain, Grandpa.” Selene throws a sharp glance at her mate. “I will take care of our guests, and then I’ll come speak with you.” Now she addresses Connor dire
Jackson’s growl diverts the attention of both Selene and Kaelan, who returns a haughty glance. He knows Jackson poses no threat to him. Lycans are much larger, more powerful, and even live far longer than a werewolf. It would take at least a dozen of them to stand a chance against him. “Calm down.” Uriel appears out of nowhere, stepping between an enraged Jackson and the guest. Selene throws herself into her grandfather’s arms, seeking the comfort she so desperately craves, uncaring of the eyes watching her. After a moment, a deliberate cough breaks their embrace. Selene looks up, embarrassed, at the towering and extravagant man standing just a step away, his gaze never having left her since they met. Kaelan observes her closely, scrutinizing her from head to toe, trying to catch even the smallest detail. This little one has a peculiar scent, one that unsettles his lycan and that he cannot quite decipher. Her aura is powerful, in stark contrast to her diminutive frame. Jackson r
Kaelan’s growl reverberates through the forest, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Even Uriel covers his ears, overwhelmed by its sheer power. Knowing that the demon is still out there, free and destroying more lives—just as she had done to nearly his entire family—fills him with indescribable pain and rage. He can’t bear the thought that she’s alive, that she’s gotten away with this for so many years without anyone realizing it. “We need a plan,” Uriel reasons, though Kaelan is so consumed by fury that he can barely control his breathing. “Tell me where she is, and I’ll kill her. I don’t need a plan for that—I’ll rip her head off and burn her.” “Kaelan, please. My sister and granddaughter are under her control. Many people in that pack have already died, and more will die if we don’t act carefully. We need to neutralize her power before we can destroy her.” Kaelan bares his fangs in frustration, but after a tense moment, he nods reluctantly. Once he regains some semb
Uriel stays hidden for a long time, waiting for that woman to leave so he can find a way inside and check if Lilith is here. He hasn’t seen her, nor can he sense her presence, but something in his heart tells him she’s here, and he refuses to leave until he’s certain. Luckily for him, there are no guards—none at all—which makes things much easier. At dawn, Carla finally walks away from the cabin, and he manages to break the weak spell on the door to get inside. He never thought that, after so many years of being inactive, he’d have to use his gifts for something like this. He raises a hand to his nose as the stench of dampness and decay hits him full force. This place is worthy of Eisheth. Only a creature as vile and steeped in darkness as her could tolerate staying here. The smell is disgusting, and the atmosphere is so oppressive it feels like it’s crushing his head and chest. He can’t breathe, let alone think clearly. An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to survive here for long
Selene returns to the pack’s house mid-morning. She had slept far too long at the spring, which might explain why she feels more refreshed and calmer than yesterday, though her stomach growls in protest from hunger. There is absolute silence when she opens the door to the mansion. She only spots one of the omegas busy cleaning, who doesn’t even notice her arrival. She imagines Clarisse must be with Connor, and Carla taking care of her great treasure: Inés and the pup she’s expecting. Thinking of her, and the being growing inside her womb, makes Selene feel sick. She rushes to her room, heading straight for the bathroom. She hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday, and though she gags a few times over the toilet, nothing comes out—there’s nothing to get rid of. Resigned, she sits on the floor and reflects on how strange she’s been feeling these past days. What’s happening to her? What’s causing these sudden and drastic changes? Even Saya is behaving differently—more cautious. Once
“And to think they called me rebellious for still mourning him,” Selene whispers to her reflection in the water. Her eyes fill with tears. Despite the pain of losing him, Dexter has now become a beautiful memory in her life. “How could I ever forget him when he gave his life for me? How does someone just move on from that overnight?” She runs her fingers through the water, letting the pain wash over her. But the truth is, she isn’t crying for Dexter now—she’s crying for Connor. She remembers his attempt to explain, and her sobbing deepens. What justification could there possibly be for what he did? He was with another woman, and worst of all, he got her pregnant. He did it knowingly—he admitted it himself. What more does she need to understand? She can’t wait to finish her duties as Luna and leave this place forever. Suddenly, the crunching of branches makes her lift her head. A gray wolf with a few orange patches comes into view, and Selene recognizes her instantly. “What do
Saya reaches the spring, the place where she was last with Connor. That night, their intimacy had felt vastly different from other times, as if their connection had grown stronger. She had never felt so completely his; yet now, it is entirely the opposite. At the water’s edge, she shifts, and Selene gazes at the gentle movement of the water, overcome by a profound sadness. She still cannot comprehend what went wrong, why the Moon Goddess brought her here, so far from home and among people she had never known, only to make her suffer. Is she being punished for something she did wrong? Does she deserve this? First, the goddess took Dexter from her, the only person who had been by her side, caring for her since they were children. They were so close that he practically lived at the packhouse with her. Her parents never objected to their friendship and were happy to see her happy. The love they shared was always unconditional. During her most critical health crises, he was always ther