“I can’t believe this is happening.”There was a huge smile on his face as emotions swam in his eyes. His gaze was never leaving my face—memorizing every inch of it, every detail, and every curve. I touched the side of his face so gently and he closed his eyes slowly, moving his face closer to smell the scent of my skin.“This isn't a dream, right?” I asked again, my eyes glimmering with tears and pure happiness.“No, love. This isn't a dream. This is real. Our reality. And I love how you are so perfect in my arms.” He murmured hoarsely and planted a soft kiss on my forehead, pulling me so gently towards him. “You are now my wife. And you are stuck with me forever.” He purred between my shoulder and neck and then felt his lips there, the tip of his tongue tracing circles that made my heartbeat sound like thunder inside my chest.His wife. I was finally the wife of Evander Edgerton and the Luna of the Blackwood Pack. It felt surreal the more I thought of it. My heart was filled with fe
“We met before?” I asked, smiling but frowning.There was no way I would forget if I ever met a guy so handsome and charismatic as Evander, “If we did, I would know... but I—”He smiled and it reached his wonderful green eyes. I saw that twinkling happiness in him that I seldom saw before and I loved it. He looked so young with that handsome, innocent smile. His golden hair disheveled over his raised brows.“I have a feeling Randalf had something to do with that messed-up memory of yours. You told me before that all you remember is living a life like a prisoner in that man’s household. But I doubt that Randalf could hide everything from you, especially since my father and I used to visit his home a lot. You should have remembered me, even if it was just a vague memory.”“W-What do you mean? That dad—” I swallowed, “I mean, Randalf did something to me to make me forget things?” That sounded terrifying.It’s just a theory, though.” He brushed the strands of hair from my face and tucked
[RANDALF’s Point-of-View]There was no escape for me.Charlie knew. The Alpha King knew that Holly was his daughter. The daughter that he had been looking for decades after the war. The desperation in me wanted me to go to the Alpha King and explain everything to him. That it was never my intention to hide the truth from him. That I didn’t know Holly was his daughter. But what if he finds out I was lying? That I already knew it even before I decided to keep the child to make him suffer? What will happen to me, my pack, and my poor Irina?!My eyes sharpened, adjusting themselves through the dark as I followed the sentinel while we descend the cold, wet stairs down the dungeon where the council of the Blackwood held my daughter prisoner. I had no choice. I had to make a deal with one of them and pay a huge amount of money just to get to the Blackwood territory to see my daughter again. To help her escape and smuggle her out of this place.It was Holly’s fault and her cursed husband! Tha
“What do you mean she escaped?!”I didn’t know what to feel while watching my husband pacing left and right inside our room, angry and disappointed about the report that his Beta had just told him one morning after our wedding. We were supposed to go out of the country for honeymoon but with everything that happened, including the Alpha King claiming me as his daughter, Evander and I decided to just stay and work on the matter. He and the Alpha King were planning to make a celebration to formally announce and address me as the Princess of the Snakewood Pack and the Luna of the Blackwood Pack.Two powerful packs. And there I was, still anxious to see if I really deserved all of it.“You mean Irina?” I asked my husband with a worried face and I couldn’t help the fear building in my chest. Evander never told me where they held her prisoner but I believed that if the crime she committed was punishable by death, then my mate would make sure Irina would never come out of that prison alive.
“How are you feeling?”“I’m okay.” I breathed as I rushed towards my waiting husband when I came to the dining hall. “Just feeling a little sick when I got out of bed but I am feeling better now.”Evander gave me a helpless look as he pulled a chair near him for me to sit on. Kian and Shei watched Evan with a smile on their faces. I had a feeling Evan had already told them that we were expecting. There was a glimmer in Shei’s eyes, knowing she would be an aunt soon.My diligent maid servants helped me prepare for breakfast. As the Luna of my husband’s pack, I was expected to always look my best, even on ordinary days. Evander have already told me about it. He told me it was okay for him if I was not comfortable with that kind of formality. I could wear whatever I wanted. It was me who insisted that I could make the extra effort. As his Luna, I wanted to do my best to give glory to my husband.And knowing I was pregnant with his child, Evander was being extra protective with me. It was
The meeting area was different from the kind of place I thought in my head.The council meeting room had enough space for thirty people. The walls of the room were painted with gray and the ceiling was black. Dim lights illuminated the place, bright enough for us to see each other. Gloomy and dark. A perfect atmosphere to talk about peace and war. There was one long old wooden table in the middle of the room and the elders were already settled on their seats, patiently waiting for their newlywed Alpha.Every face I saw among the council members was unfriendly. Unhappy. And whatever it was that made them look unsatisfied with my husband’s ruling in the Blackwood Pack, I knew that it was not because my mate was not good at his job. But because he didn’t listen to their advice not to choose me as the Luna of their pack.The distaste was clear to some of them. Some scanned me from head to foot with their mouths curved downward and with judging eyes, still not knowing that the woman who
“You look pale…” Sheiyan’s gaze made me a little uncomfortable as she sat beside me, eyes studying my face, “Tell me you already went to the doctor, Holly!”I couldn’t look straight in her eyes as I bit my lower lip with guilt before I spoke, “Evan and I have been busy lately and it must have slipped in our mind. But I am doing fine, Shei. I just need to get a little rest before I go to a gathering where mothers in the pack expect me to attend.”Her brows deepened, “Gathering? You are already assigned to do tasks when you are pregnant?!”I got a little worried when I saw anger in She’s eyes as she groaned, cursing her brother, “Ugh! I want to kick his *ss right now! Doesn’t he know it could be dangerous for you to work when you’re already—”‘Hey, Shei! It’s fine,” I smiled at her, grabbed both of her shoulders and forced her to look at me. "Your brother didn’t like the idea as well but I have to do something. I need to do something to help him. I can’t just sit around and wait for him
Evander panted as he lay on my side.I blinked my eyes. Once, twice, while staring at the white ceiling with a wide smile on my face. Our breath was shallow and fast, and our bodies were coated with sweat as he pulled me closer to him. We cuddled in the middle of his king-sized bed. In the middle of darkness—the four corners of the room were the only witnesses to how amazing Evander was when he claimed me—not once but three times that night.He was panting when I lifted my chin to gaze into his sultry green eyes. I was still high from the bliss we just shared and moaned on his chest as I buried my face against him. I felt his lips kiss the top of my head and his fingers started playing on my hair, caressing them gently down my back.“You are amazing,” he whispered to me hoarsely. His fingers traced circles on my back, “So soft and gorgeous…”I gazed at his face and smiled at him. “I just went to visit the orphanage, Evan. We were just away from each other for ten hours.” then I chuckl
[HOLLY’s Point of View]Evander held my hand and squeezed it tight as we watched Alec jump his way down the mountain with Misha, who was still unconscious, on his back.“Are you ready?” Evander asked. There was sadness and fear in his green eyes, but he was smiling at me. He was smiling with a promise that he would do everything to keep me safe and alive no matter what.And that scared me.When it was just me and him and the war that was waiting for us both, that’s when I felt the terror and I knew he saw it in my eyes. But instead of telling me that things were going to be alright, instead of telling me that we would survive this, he kissed my forehead and pulled me to him in a tight embrace. We stayed like that for a minute as we listened to the rustling of the leaves in the forest. The sound of the birds in the sky and the water of the stream as it splashes softly against the small rocks. We felt each other’s warmth and the gentle brush of the cold breeze on our bare skin. His lips
[HOLLY’s Point of View]I stood and gave my dad a determined look. I would never hide again. I would never just watch and wait. “I can fight, and I will fight for my friends and family.”Dad’s exhausted face beamed with pride and love as he patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me. “Let’s go kick someone’s *ss.”I laughed softly at the unusual words Dad used, and then we nodded at each other, preparing to lunge midair to shift into our wolves. My eyes were on Alec and my husband. Evadner was still on top of Randalf’s reaching for the old man’s head, but Randalf, despite his age, was still physically strong for his human form.On Dad’s cue, we jumped high from the ground, so high that all the eyes in the camp got distracted from us. Two glittering silver wolves, so ancient and beautiful, everyone stopped from what they were doing. Even Evander’s eyes widened with both awe and shock as he saw us, and Randalf took advantage of it and immediately ran away from my husband like a terrifie
[HOLLY’s Point of View]There was no way I would let him go again. No way I would let him dive back into Randalf’s camp now that the old man knew he wasn’t on their side.I heard Dad’s scream even when I got out of the main hall and straight to the courtyard, where I shifted back to my wolf form and fought three more rogues before I had to hide behind the tall walls of the garden labyrinth to breathe. My strength was slowly depleting and the wounds on my back hadn’t completely healed yet. I had to go after my husband and make sure he could go out there alive with or without the witch who helped him.Randalf will kill him on sight once they see him.[Evander!] I screamed, trying to reach out to him through our bond. [Evander! Where are you!?]But it seemed he was too far away or something interfered with the mind-link connection, so I decided to stand on my four paws again and used my ability to sneak around without being detected. The mountainside wasn’t too far from the Snakewood Pal
[Holly’s Point of View]“Dad!!!”I was about to lunge myself towards them, but strong arms pulled me back. I was baffled when I saw Alec pulling me away from Irina, who was still holding the short sword to my father’s neck.Every part of me ached, but nothing could compare to how my heart felt as I saw the despair in my father’s eyes. He mouthed the word “No.” but I shook my head as tears rolled down my face. There was no way I would leave him in the hands of the man who wanted him dead! There was no way I would let him die!“Tell me what you want, Randalf! Just don’t—” I swallowed hard as a sob emerged from my swelling throat. “Just don’t kill my father!”“We already have what we want, Holly! We don’t need you! Now that we have the Alpha King, the whole palace and the realm will kneel to my father, and nothing can stop us now!” Irina yelled at me with detest in her voice. “Kill both of them!”“Stay behind me, Holly!” Alec yelled as he shifted back to his wolf form and kicked and cla
[HOLLY’s Point of View]“Evander disappeared from the frontline.”My focus on my baby Evlon was distracted by Kian’s murmur as he noticed Evander’s disappearance from Randalf’s side. It suddenly made me nervous. What happened to him? Where did he go?Mel took baby Evlon from me when I pushed myself to sit on the sofa. The room was still filled with the scent of my blood, but my family didn’t mind. They were more concerned with my healing and Evander’s situation, while all our eyes were now focused on the news.“I have to go there,” I said, still wincing from the pain, but I had to do something. For my father and for my husband. “I have to be there for my dad and Evander.”“You just gave birth, Holly! Your body is still healing, and your wounds are still fresh! There is no way I will let you go there in this condition! My brother will kill me!” Sheiyan hysterically uttered, knowing that when I said things, I would do anything to do it.But this time, Shei was right. I assessed my body,
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]My whole body tensed as I stood slowly with both my hands on the level of my head.Charlie’s eyes told me that I would be dead once I made a wrong move, and I had to be careful. He was already thinking that I sided with Randalf, and without him knowing the truth—about what really happened in the mountains—Holly’s father would never understand why I had to do all of this.“Listen to me, Charlie—”Charlie sighed, and the dark look on his face turned into disappointment. I felt my whole being finally relaxed as he stepped away from me and onto the chair of his desk. He clasped his hands, and I finally saw that exhaustion that deepened his set of honey-brown eyes.“Holly told me everything, Evander. I was really furious that you put your family’s life in danger, but I understand when Holly told me that all of you were after that pearl. And she told me everything about that pearl. About how Randalf stole parts of her memories and stored them in that thing. U
[ALPHA EVANDER’s Point of View]“What is wrong with you, Evander? You look like you had seen a ghost.”I barely heard Randalf’s voice as I kept my breathing in control while having this excruciating pain I felt in every inch of my body. My head felt like being pierced by thousand spears, and it took me a lot of strength not to fall down on my knees and scream from the pain.Misha looked at me as she put her fingers on my pulse and felt my forehead with the back of my hand. My jaw tightened as she gave me a warning look not to make the pain look too obvious. “I think he is having a fever. It must be the infection he got from the pit.”Randalf scowled at Misha. “Go and give him something, Misha! We can’t display any weakness while we are being broadcast all over the continent. Go and do something about that infection or whatever the hell is that!”“Yes, Alpha Randalf.” She bowed her head to the old man. I gave Randalf one piercing look from the corner of my eyes and then averted immedia
[HOLLY’s Point of View]“What is the commotion about, Kian?”Everyone was in the sitting area with all their eyes focused on the sixty-inch-wide television screen. Shei increased the volume, and I saw so many rogues standing on the northern borders of the Snakewood Territory. I didn’t feel good this whole morning, and all I had were eggs. Other than those, I threw them up, and that’s why I had been dizzy the whole day.All the Snakewood soldiers lined up in defense positions outside and inside the gates and the wall; all were armed with razor-sharp metal claws, all strapped around their legs and paws. Some were armed with crossbows with silver arrows for it was forbidden to use guns inside the continent and within the realm.“Randalf isn’t bluffing at all. He really has thousands of Rogues with him,” Alec murmured in horror. His mouth was slightly open and his face was pale as paper when the excruciating memories of their stay in the rogue camp returned to him.Everything was shot liv
[HOLLY’s Point of View]The banging on the door suddenly sounded unreal. Then for once, I thought the noise was just from the thumping of my own heartbeat reverberating through my deafened ears. The violent winds from the mountains threw the windows of my room open. The hinges creaked threateningly as the white sheer curtains whipped against the glass panes.Mel’s small hands were painfully tight against my wrists and she was incredibly strong; it terrified me. Something was happening to her. It was as if the darkness stored inside that pearl necklace had influenced her mind when it should be her who was supposed to command the ‘thing’ to obey her bidding.The power that was stored in the pearl was too much for Melinda to control and I saw it on her face. She was asking me for help.“Mel! Just tell me what’s happening!” I asked through gritted teeth. I tried my hardest not to panic as the black completely covered her eyeball and my neck and shoulders started to feel so heavy it felt