"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
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
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
"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,
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
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
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
"Our companion is badly injured," Saya says in Selene's mind, observing through her wolf’s eyes. "He won’t survive, he can’t do it alone, he needs us." The alpha is lying unconscious on the muddy ground. The rain falls relentlessly, and the cold cuts to the bone, even for them, despite their elevated body temperature. Saya stands a few steps away from her companion, torn between helping him or simply walking away and forgetting he ever existed, as he rightfully deserves. Yet something in her heart won’t let her. Perhaps her mother’s influence on her upbringing was too strong, leaving her incapable of abandoning him to his death, especially when she knows she can help, not just him, but all the members of the Redwood Wolves who now lie gravely injured at the site where the battle took place mere moments ago. Members who, whether she likes it or not, are part of her pack now, at least until Connor and she mutually reject each other, severing their bond forever so she can return to h
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