EdelineMother scoffed, her gaze filled with disdain as she looked up at Tatiana. “You are not even his real mate, Dark Moon. Why would I have taken anything from you? Meeting him was a result of your pack's decision to separate you from your mate and pair you with William. William had to endure the loss of his partner, and now, just a year later, you appear... I am still learning and not deeply experienced with these matters!” Mom's voice rose with frustration as she stood, while Tatiana remained upright, her arms hanging by her sides, unperturbed.Alpha William’s voice rumbled low, carrying an edge of authority as he locked eyes with Mom. “I specifically warned you never to bring that topic up again. It is best left in the past. Annabel is my friend. Let’s move forward and focus on the present. Now, what is the latest update on your relationship?”William’s gaze shifted to his mother, who was intently watching the defeated Annabel. Her eyes betrayed a deep sense of surrender and wea
EdelineWith a smile, I glanced back at them and nodded. It was remarkable how quickly these wolves had come to see me not just as another member, but as their future leader. In just a few months, I had gone from being a mere wolf among them to their rightful luna.I made my way up the stairs, each step driven by the urgency of the situation. I needed to reach the office where my dad was waiting. There was so much to handle—numerous secrets to keep track of, a long list of tasks to complete, and the pressing matter of my meeting with Darius.I had to inform him about what had transpired. I also needed to duplicate the key and return the original to William discreetly. Navigating tomorrow would be challenging, especially now that Luna was aware of the situation with my half-brother. It was all so complicated, and I felt a deep pang of guilt about it all. I also had to update my dad on what Darius had revealed to me.As I rounded the corner and climbed the second set of wooden stairs, I
Edeline"Hey, Dad..." I began, trying to shift the focus from the incident involving Anita and Mirabelle. "We need to discuss more than just this. We should consider pressing charges for attempted murder against both Mirabelle and myself, and also for the poisoning of Darius. And don’t forget, Tatiana must face consequences too, since it all started with her! This is exactly what we need. What are your reasons for your actions?" My voice rose, my hands gripping my disheveled hair in frustration.Dad stood tall, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me flinch. "You know full well that poisoning an oracle is a grave offense!" he said, his voice carrying a mixture of anger and resolve. “We have all the evidence we need! If Tatiana did poison Darius, what should be done about her? She's pregnant. Perhaps the best course of action would be to send her back to her place of origin and ensure she doesn’t return.”He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, his eyes closing
EdelineAfter thoroughly rinsing my hair, I turned off the water and reached for my towel. I wrapped one around my head in a turban style and used the other to dry my body. I moved the shower curtain aside and stepped onto the damp, fluffy rug, feeling the softness beneath my feet.I glanced at my reflection in the fogged-up mirror, wiping away the steam with my hand. Stepping back, I took in the sight of myself. My eyes, though refreshed, still carried a trace of fatigue. My cheeks, less plump than usual, bore the marks of unhealthy eating habits and stress. The person staring back at me looked weary, a testament to the significant changes I had undergone in recent months.It was clear: I had matured rapidly, thrust into a whirlwind of discovery and emotional turmoil. The process had been both harsh and illuminating, forcing me to face my own vulnerabilities.With a resigned sigh, I adjusted the towel around my body, mentally preparing myself for the day ahead.Today was the Alpha te
EdelineAfter that, I became indifferent, almost numb. I hadn’t really had the chance to get to know him, and it seemed like he hadn’t made any effort to know me either. At least, not until now. Something was definitely wrong. He couldn’t feel her warmth... Only herbal teas, please.In the event that things do not go as planned, I have a backup plan. If she ends up staying here on our land, pregnant with my mate's pup… well, I will not have been able to do anything about it. My dad said she would most likely head out of town with her father, but I believe that once he discovers her situation, he will likely avoid any involvement. Alpha Conor… wow, he is really tall. He has a rough, tough demeanor, and he is a selfish wolf who only looks out for his own interests.As I made my way down the stairs, I heard my mom in the kitchen, busy putting away dishes. With a slight frown, I walked into the kitchen, watching her bustle around, her hands trembling as she finished cleaning."Mom...""Oh
EdelineI was stunned by this revelation. Nana and Papa had always adored my mom. They had always been there for her."They expected him to finish Beta training and overcome the challenges first before finding his mate... but there I was, with only half a mate bond. No friends. No loved ones. I felt so incredibly alone." Her eyes clouded with distress as she revisited the painful memory.I was completely taken aback by everything she was telling me. I watched her closely, my lips slightly parted, as her expressions shifted with each recollection."They put me up in a cabin... the one in the forest, a ways away from here. It’s deserted now, overgrown and dilapidated. No one uses it anymore because it’s so far from the packhouse. That’s where I stayed... all alone. Jack never came to see me. The females in the pack weren’t kind either; your dad had plenty of admirers, but he was fully dedicated to his training. Betas ran in his family—he had to make Beta. His father put a lot of pressur
Edeline"And also a friendship bracelet, one made of leather that he had woven together himself. We enjoyed the cake and opened the bottle. I had never consumed alcohol before and was surprised by how quickly it affected me. In my intoxicated state, I expressed my gratitude for his friendship.""That he and Nyra were the only ones there for me. Jack had come to resent me for disrupting his life... and I had no one. Except for William. We started talking about Nyra... It had only been a short while since her passing, around two months. Still so raw. We were both in tears, under the influence, and that’s when my heat hit me. It hit me with full force. As I mentioned, I had no one to guide me through what happens when you experience your heat. I just knew it was happening. My hormones were in the air, and... he couldn’t resist. He looked into my eyes and confessed that all he could think of was Nyra... we had the same eyes. Being a new shifting wolf without my mate by my side... I should
Edeline“Why didn’t you ever mention it to him?” I asked softly, curiosity tinged with concern in my voice.She nervously bit her bottom lip, her gaze shifting away as she glanced down at her hands resting in her lap. For a moment, she seemed lost in her thoughts, gathering the strength to face me. When she finally met my gaze, her expression was one of pain and regret. “It was a difficult situation, one I promised not to disclose,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “At the time, I had strong feelings for your father, but I made a terrible mistake and felt rejected by Jack. When I realized I was pregnant, I didn’t want to cause any harm to Jack or his friendship with William. Jack and William had such a close bond, and I wanted to preserve that. If I had told Jack about William and me, it would have jeopardized our future together. His parents would likely have influenced him to reject me, and there would have been doubts about Nixx’s paternity. I would have been forced to mat
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