Edeline“You never told me!” Dad shouted, his voice filled with betrayal. “No way! All three of you!” His eyes were glazed over as he switched his gaze rapidly between William, Annabel, and Mom. His anger had reached a boiling point. He suddenly turned his head to the side, emitting a loud growl as his eyes took on a silver hue. His inner wolf was surfacing, though he remained in his human form.Dad locked eyes with William, ready to face whatever came next.William allowed his wolf to approach, showing his teeth and claws in a display that was both playful and challenging. “Hey, Jack, I don’t really want to get into a fight with you, but it seems like you’re provoking my wolf. How about we both calm down and have a conversation about this?”A loud scream of frustration pierced the night. My dad shifted completely into his wolf form, the sound of bones cracking filling the air as fur erupted from his skin. The transformation was swift and brutal, leading to a massive wolf growling men
EdelineAnnabel rolled her eyes, and a crowd formed around the two women, creating a large circle of spectators. Everyone watched as family secrets were aired publicly. "Yeah, I am concerned about it. I’m William’s friend, after all. And you’re just someone he got pregnant in a desperate attempt to find love, which ended up with your kid replacing my son!" Annabel’s voice was sharp with anger.Mom’s eyes blazed with fury as tears welled up in response to Annabel’s harsh words. "You silly person!" Mom spat. "You rejected your true mate to steal your own cousin’s mate right after she died… Have you no shame? You were never meant to be a Luna! Nyra was! Not you!! You will never be Luna to me! Nyra will forever be my Luna. And William’s!" Mom’s voice reached a thunderous crescendo as she screamed.Surprised gasps filled the air, and Annabel quickly glanced around, realizing that everyone was watching. The weight of the crowd’s gaze seemed to hit her all at once. Her emotions surged before
EdelineTo him, it must have seemed as though the two people closest to him had betrayed him. His own son, who was supposed to be a source of pride and continuity, was not even his biological child. Adding to that was the crushing realization that his partner had been with his closest friend. The weight of that betrayal was heavy, and I felt it deeply.I swallowed hard, trying to control the lump forming in my throat. I wanted to reach out to him, to talk things through. I knew he felt responsible for how he had treated Mom, but that didn’t excuse the pain he had caused. It was clear he felt let down by the wolves he had once held so dear.I understood Mom’s perspective and William’s too. But Annabel, in her arrogance, seemed to think she knew everything. She had no idea what was truly going on. Neither did Dad. They needed to listen, to understand. Percival, my brother, had always seen Dad as a father figure. The betrayal felt even more intense for him.Dad’s wolf quietly slipped awa
EdelineHis tone was final, his posture commanding. Reluctantly, the wolves began to disperse, their discontent evident in their dirty looks as they made their way home. William watched them go, his expression resolute, knowing he had maintained his authority despite the turmoil.In the quiet aftermath, only a few of us remained in the backyard: Mom, Nixx, myself, and William. The grass was littered with torn clothes, blood, and splinters from the shattered balcony. The chaos of the earlier confrontation had left a tangible mark on the scene.William walked over to Nixx with a clear, albeit hesitant, purpose. Nixx looked back at him with a pained expression, his emotions a mixture of confusion and longing.“Hey there, Nixxolas,” William began, his voice carrying a touch of awkwardness. “I’m kind of at a loss for words here. Not really sure how this whole thing works, you know? But... I’m really glad to know that you’re my son. Any guy would be thrilled to have you.” He rested a hand g
Edeline"That person!" I pulled at my hair, feeling frustration surge through me like a caustic acid."Hey, Edeline, just take it easy!"I stopped in my tracks and shot Mirabelle a glare. "I can’t believe it, Mirabelle. I just can’t calm down when Tatiana went running to her 'daddy' to spill our secrets and beg him to take her back. It is just too much! Conor even suggested marking Percival, which is completely insane! They all need to leave, no doubt about it. They have to go." I crossed my arms and bobbed my head from side to side, my eyebrows raised in disbelief.Mirabelle plopped onto her bed, letting out a weary sigh. She had been released from Doc's just as our meeting—what I like to call the skeleton exhibit—was wrapping up. Now we were hanging out in her cabin, free from the healer who had been staying next to us since Anita had been sent down to the cellar.I glanced up quickly. "Oops.""What’s up?" Mirabelle asked, propping herself up on her elbows, a frown tugging at her li
EdelineHe mentioned that he would be willing to give Tatiana another chance. The mere thought of it made my skin crawl. I could hardly stand the idea of her ‘problem in her belly.’ Ugh. And William—he was really furious about that comment. Despite his personal feelings towards Tatiana, his wolf still saw her as the vessel for his Alpha grandpup.Nixx was on the verge of losing his cool with Conor, though it was clear he was deep in thought. His wolf seemed to be wrestling with the idea of his mate.Tatiana was certainly one of the most disappointing people I had ever met, second only to Anita. It was shocking to learn that she had gone to Conor, begging him for another chance after everything he had said to her. I couldn’t believe it. If someone I considered family spoke to me like that, I don’t think I could ever forgive them. I suppose it’s for the best that she’s leaving.Despite everything, I couldn’t entirely shake off a sliver of sympathy for her.It was close, but not quite. F
Edeline“Hey, let’s go have a chat,” I said, gently taking his hand and leading him into the forest. We walked until we found a nice spot with a sturdy stone to sit on. My dad settled himself on the stone across from me.His face was a mask of neutrality, but his deep green eyes revealed a flood of emotions. “Hey Dad, you should really talk to Mom. I’ve got all the details. She filled me in just before the meeting, and it’s important for you to hear her side. I understand you’re really angry with her, but—”“Hey pumpkin, I’m not actually angry at your mom,” he interrupted softly. “I still remember how badly I treated her back then. I’ve been trying to make up for it all these years, but it hurts that she never told me the truth. I’m upset with William for keeping this secret from me. It stings knowing they had a child together, a child I raised as my own. My wolf is feeling incredibly jealous right now. I don’t hate your mom; I actually understand what she was going through. I found h
Edeline“You’re way ahead of your time, comforting your old man like this. It’s humbling to have my seventeen-year-old daughter open my eyes, but thank you, baby. You’re incredibly smart, understanding how things impact everyone, and you have such a big heart. I think you’re destined for something amazing, Edeline.” He smiled through his tears and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.It would be nice to see the other sides of the people who have wronged me. Tatiana, Anita, and Percival are the ones I just cannot seem to forgive. I even forgave the person who attacked me. I just cannot seem to follow my own advice.“Thanks, Dad,” they said, a small smile playing on their lips. “I love you. Now go find your mate and your son.” I smiled back at him, feeling warmth spread across my face as he gave a nod.“Anything for you,” he replied. He ruffled my hair affectionately before strolling out of the woods and sprinting down the dirt road towards our family home.I grinned and shook my head, f
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