Edeline "Edeline... I... what you saw...""No!" I snapped, my voice sharp as I bared my teeth at him. "You don’t have the right to speak to me. You’re powerless and incapable of taking any real action! Clearly, you’ve been deceived, and you fell for it because you lack the qualities of a true leader. It’s incredibly disappointing!" My anger was a roaring flame. I could almost feel the heat of it radiating off me, teasing his wolf. "I can’t wait until this mark fades away... I want no trace of you left on me. Your aunt, with her dubious reputation, just tried to harm Mirabelle. And here you are, showing affection toward her. It’s disgusting. You’re so naive and immature!" I was in his face now, every word dripping with fury.The anger within me was boiling over. My wolf was livid, furious that her partner was involved with another woman. I was itching for a confrontation. Tatiana had vanished from sight, but Percival’s eyes had darkened, almost black, as if his wolf was pushing throug
Edeline My thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind, spinning and colliding in my mind, leaving me disoriented. Above, the sky, once a stunning overcast, turned completely black, as if the world itself was mirroring my inner turmoil.I surrendered to the enveloping darkness, letting it consume me as I embraced the numbness it offered....Tatiana I couldn't shake the overwhelming emotion gnawing at me. It felt like my wolf was at odds with me, existing on opposite ends of a spectrum of dark and light. She despised me, and the rift between us seemed to grow with each passing moment.We were pregnant with a puppy, one whose lineage wasn’t tied to our partner. My wolf, typically so nurturing, was now filled with frustration. She felt betrayed, as though our friend, Nixx, had been wrenched away from us. The contrast between her nurturing instinct and her anger was tearing me apart.The sound of Aunt Anita's voice, laced with concern, broke through my spiraling thoughts. "Tatiana. Are you okay?
TatianaI took a deep breath as I approached the back door of my bedroom, which led out to the peaceful woods behind our cabin. Nixx just couldn’t stay away. He was an incredible wolf—so amazing, it was almost hard to believe.As I heard my aunt chatting with someone in the front room, I quietly opened the back door and stepped outside, gently closing it behind me. The cool night air greeted me as I moved onto the back porch. A soft whine drifted from the tree line, and I caught a glimpse of Nixx’s eyes—shimmering spheres watching me as they had for countless evenings.I’d been hesitant to approach him, burdened by a lingering sense of guilt. From the moment we first met, I’d felt an overwhelming sense of despair.“Nixx?” I murmured, my voice barely audible as his wolf form emerged from the trees. He moved with deliberate caution, taking one careful step at a time, as if he were afraid to startle me. A grin spread across my face at the sight of him.I was mesmerized as I watched the m
TatianaMy heart raced, almost bursting, as he leaned in closer. My eyes widened with every second that ticked by. The touch of his lips was electrifying—our hands met, warm and soft. Our lips barely grazed, a fleeting connection that took my breath away. I closed my eyes, surrendering to the sheer bliss that enveloped me as our lips touched. I returned his kiss briefly before breaking away.Today, I had the chance to kiss two gentlemen, and I felt like a mess.He let out a weary sigh, his breath, fresh with a hint of mint, warming mine as he leaned back, his gaze locked onto me. Confusion and desperation painted his face, a look that seemed to be meant for me."Do you think you would ever desire me? If I were to become Alpha in the future… would you still want me? I know we're not supposed to be mated, but we are. And I believe I understand why. Still, I'm willing to put in the effort to become the wolf you need—an alpha, even if it's just in name." His words, combined with the angui
TatianaUnlike us, who prioritize blood relations above all else, wolves would go to great lengths to support their mates. They would face any obstacle for their partner, provided it didn’t compromise their family relationships. When a wolf forms a strong bond, their mate becomes their top priority, even above their own family. That’s just the way it was.If only things were as simple as waiting. He might have had an inkling about why we were together, but he didn’t understand the full extent of the challenges, and I couldn’t find the words to explain them.“I have to leave,” I said, my voice breaking as I covered my mouth with my hand, tears streaming down my face. I slowly began to move away.Nixx stood there, his eyes pleading with me to say something, anything.“I really wish things were different,” I sniffled, my voice barely above a whisper. “Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if things were different. If I had met you before anyone else, maybe you could have whisked me
EdelineSomeone intended to harm me...I knew right away who it was.There is only one wolf who knows herbs that well and dislikes me so strongly.The Healer Witch...I did some digging... with our very own healer. Yesterday, after everything happened—after I watched my closest friend choke and convulse right before my eyes...Our pack healer mentioned something about eyes as dark as Anita’s. This happens when a wolf receives blessings from the moon, like healing or enhanced vision, and then abuses those gifts for evil. To harm instead of heal. Daisy, our skilled healer, told me that Anita had abused her powers so much that it changed her. Her eyes grew darker, reflecting the depths of her soul. When she died, the moon would not hold any special significance for her.Not many people knew this. Most wolves had no idea about the details, like the pitch-black darkness of her eyes, resembling two pieces of coal. But healers who have seen it before knew exactly what it meant. Daisy mention
EdelineI stood frozen, my hand slipping from the doorknob as I stared at him from across the room. My eyes felt heavy with exhaustion, my clothes wrinkled, and my hair was pulled into a messy bun atop my head."What are you apologizing for now, Percival?" My voice came out cold, devoid of sympathy. My mind felt detached, even as my body hummed with conflicting emotions. I wanted to smother that handsome face of his—make him understand what it felt like to suffer.He stood up from his chair, the only other wolf in the room being Doc, who had retreated to his office with his meatball sub. I watched as Percival walked toward me, tears streaming down his prominent cheekbones, making no attempt to hide them."Stop." I raised my hands in front of me as he approached, my voice firm, insistent. And he did. He stopped three feet away, looking like a lost little boy with that sorrowful expression."Edeline... I had no idea you were serious when you mentioned Mirabelle... and Anita poisoning he
EdelineThen I heard rustling from the trees. Deep growls pierced the silence, sending a shiver down my spine. I turned quickly to see Darius lurking in the shadows behind a tree, his eyes glowing menacingly. As he moved closer, my thoughts became a jumbled mess. I retreated, trying to summon my inner wolf to help, but she remained silent, leaving me feeling helpless."No need to worry. Your wolf is unharmed. I just needed to distract her so she wouldn’t interfere," he said with a sinister chuckle. He stepped into the moonlight, his eyes still glowing with a cruel light. I felt a wave of fear wash over me, my inner strength seemingly drained. It was like experiencing an unending terror, a constant fear of the unknown.I stood frozen as he lunged toward me, his sharp claws digging into my hips. Shocked, I felt the pain as his claws drew blood, pulling me closer to him. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my breathing quickened. I tried desperately to push against his chest, hoping to break
Percival Edeline’s eyes were locked on me as she marched over, grabbing my forearm and pulling me along with her. The contact felt like fire igniting on my skin. She was fired up—angry, for sure.She dragged me into the equipment shed, out of sight, and then—wham!—she whacked me right in the eye.I let out a low growl and slowly turned my face back to hers. Anger radiated off her as she raised her other hand, ready to swing at me again. I managed to grab her wrist before she could land another hit, squeezing gently around her slim wrist. “What the heck, Edeline?!” I exclaimed, my lip curling to reveal my fang. Low warning growls rumbled from my chest. The wolf inside me was not thrilled, but at least she appreciated that this wasn’t happening in front of the pack. Don’t mess with my authority.“Hey! Did you give that girl false hope or what? I know you have not hooked up with her because I would have sensed it!” Her nose wrinkled, eyes blazing with fury. Then, I caught a scent from
Percival Promoting her to lead female warrior might not have been the best decision after all. She was my top fighter, having trained hard before I stepped in, but now I was left questioning my judgment. We didn’t have an expert on board yet, and Jazz’s ambition made me wary.She tucked a loose, curly strand behind her ear, looking up at me with her big green eyes, her skin a lovely shade of creamed coffee. She was undeniably pretty, but just not my type. “Hey, Percival... what if we tried something different with the ladies?” She edged closer, taking a deep breath as if to check out my scent.It might sound wild, but the night before last, after showering and snuggling up in bed with Edeline, I had rubbed against her, soaking in her scent. Waking up without her made me skip a shower yesterday—or maybe even today. I just wanted to hold onto that connection a little longer. Jazz caught a whiff of Edeline’s scent, and her eyebrows shot up.“Hey, is Edeline back?” she asked, her voice
Edeline“I totally get it, Nixx. It is something else. Really special. I see what you mean.” My gaze drifted to his cuffs, curiosity piquing as I furrowed my brow. “Have you been a bit risky? What does your world do to people?” I tilted my head, observing the way he passed the bracelet back to me, unable to take his eyes off it.“My wolf is stronger, you know? Sometimes I just cannot control him and end up lashing out at people who get on my nerves. Percival dealt with the same stuff. He wants to help me train like Gaspar did for him, but all I can think about is Tatiana and the pup I lost. It is tough.” A wave of sadness washed over him, dimming the light in his eyes.“Nixx,” I sighed, “why are you still hung up on losing the pup? Mirabelle was only a few months along, right? You never even met him, and you can have pups with your real mate. You could not have had both. Tatiana would have been jealous of you and him. Trust me, I get it. Tatiana is a beta, and her wolf would have want
EdelineHe really needed his not-so-little sister. I would hit him up first, and then maybe I would finally have the guts to talk to Percival about everything. After some tough training, of course. It had been a few days since I had a solid training session. Muscle disappears faster than it builds up, and I really hoped that did not happen. If I wanted to keep being the warrior I had turned into, I had to stay on top of my stamina. But I was not sure my buddy would let me train, especially since my heat was just around the corner, and my scent was driving everyone wild. I had to remember to grab my tea after I hopped out of the shower. As I walked in the front door of my parents’ place, the cozy scent of clove hit me, pulling me back into sweet memories. I could not help but think about what might happen during this heat. The last one just did not do it for me. Did I even want him to help me out this time? Or would I just prefer to be out of it for that? I figured the latter was
EdelineI stared down at our hands, chewing on his words. He might have a point. When I left and went to Conrad’s place, I told myself I was moving on. I threw myself into letting it all go—this life, these people, everything. But once I got some space, the wolves around me nudged me toward the truth. They made me confront my feelings about Percival, especially after I caught myself feeling jealous over him. He was just my friend, nothing more, but still... I had to deal with that. But Darius? I buried that pain deep and left it to rot. Never talked about him, never thought about him for too long. I got stronger, yeah. But I didn’t heal. Not really. And that’s why I’m still stuck. I turned my head toward William, blinking back the sting in my eyes. “How am I supposed to feel about him?” My voice cracked, and I felt my throat tighten again. “Look at what he did.” I swallowed hard, trying to keep it together, but the words dragged me down, making my chest feel heavy. “How am I s
EdelineI never really hated Percival before that. He had done some stuff, sure—but it never made me hate him. Not until that night. That night, I hated him more than anything. My wolf hated him too. My skin side—yeah, she wanted revenge just as bad. But then the truth hit me. Darius was the monster. Not Percival. I spent all of yesterday lying around, trying to make sense of everything. Today, I thought maybe a walk would help me clear my head, so I came here. To the waterfall—the spot I loved the most. And now, here I am. Staring at his grave. Why here? Why did they bury him here of all places? Not in the pack’s graveyard, where the rest of them are. No—right here, beneath the tree that used to be ours. Our spot. My throat tightened, and the tears started before I could stop them. My heart felt like someone had tied a rope around it and was pulling it tighter and tighter. I reached out, tracing his name on the headstone with shaky fingers, as if touching the letters wo
PercivalI hoped I didn’t annoy her. I understood she was strong, but my Alpha side just wanted to look out for my mate. I was trying to communicate my feelings through the mate bond, to reassure her I was here for her.The corner of her mouth lifted in a quick smile. "It's all good."Shaking my head, I did what I felt compelled to do. I walked over, scooping her up in my arms. She gasped in surprise as I carried her across the room to the salvaged bed. Her eyes widened, taking in the effort I had made to clean up for her."I’ll grab you something to wear. Your clothes are wrecked." I stifled a laugh as I laid her down on the bed. I missed the feel of her skin against mine, even from that brief moment before I had to let her go to find her a t-shirt and some clean boxers.I had both boxers and boxer briefs, but lately, I definitely preferred the briefs. Guess it was just part of growing up!As I returned to her, Edeline’s gaze was fixed on my bare torso. She looked up at me with that
EdelineI would not run anymore.“Hey, let me wash your back, my little warrior.” His breath brushed against my warm skin, and a rush of desire coursed through me as his deep voice stirred something inside. My breath caught in my throat as I locked eyes with him.“I got this.” I really could not let him get close. It would only make the cramps worse, and the desire was already doing a number on me.He nodded, totally understanding what I was thinking through our connection.As he stood up, I could not help but let my eyes wander over him, pausing at his chiseled abs and then down to his pelvis. Right there in the middle was a thick, four-inch tattoo of an infinity symbol.Mated wolves have this thing where they let anyone who catches a glimpse of their skin below the waist know they have a mate. This tattoo meant a lot. A lump formed in my throat as my eyes began to water. How long had he been dealing with this?It was like he could read my mind—probably because he could. He looked
EdelineHis eyes were no longer filled with wonder; they carried pain and knowledge. Yet, despite it all, those piercing blue eyes had remained the same, shining even brighter against his sun-kissed skin. His hair was longer on top and shorter on the sides, giving him a more polished look.He looked even more handsome now, completely in charge of himself. The way he moved, the way he held himself—it all made me wonder about the changes in him and what had shaped him during our time apart.“You hungry?” His deep voice pulled me back to reality, his eyes locking onto mine.I was still feeling shy, and I wondered why that was.“I’m fine,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady.He nodded and made his way to the door. “I’ll give you some space. I can tell you’re not really feeling it with me around. Just hit me up when you’re ready, and I’ll help you get to bed since you’re not feeling great.” He flashed a sad smile and reached for the doorknob.My heart raced a bit. I really did not