~Jemima Wolfsbane Pov
....Her Mate's Pack
I have always wondered where my mate, Connor was always disappearing to every day. He always went to his penthouse around this time and curiosity made me follow him. I made sure to stay far away from him so that he would not pick up my scent. I watched from a distance as he ascended the stairs of the penthouse and a woman came out to hug him. My eyes widened as they kissed.
I refused to believe what I saw, my eyes were deceiving me. I watched as the both of them went inside.
Who was that woman?!
My heart pounded in my chest as I ran towards the penthouse. I quickly ascended the steps of the penthouse as quietly as I could despite my beating heart. I was driven by an unshakable feeling of unease that had already settled inside of my chest.
Ever since I had gotten married to Connor, I knew that he was not really satisfied with me. But, he always strived to treat me well. Still sometimes he would be distant, his gaze cold and other times he would be so warm and genuine towards me that I had wanted to believe in him and see everything that was happening as a phase that he would later overcome.
But right now, I did not think so. The thought of him being with another woman behind my back tore my heart into pieces. It brought an unbearable pain and hurt that compelled me forward, towards the door.
I heard soft moans and a familiar feminine laughter coming from behind the door. That laugh, I would definitely know it any where. It was unmistakably the sound of my step sister, Tamar.
My entire heart stopped as the stark reality of that realization washed over me fiercely. It came upon me like a sudden slap on the face, the kind that happened to send tremors throughout a person's entire body.
My step sister and my mate?
No! I desperately refused to believe that. I needed to confirm that. Seeing was believing. The heavy steel door was slightly open, just enough to let me slip in. I hesitated at the small entrance with my pulse racing. I made up my mind and slipped in through the dimly lit foyer. My eyes quickly adjusted to the shadows of the luxurious space. Their voices drifted down the hall.
“Connor, don’t you see? You can have it all,” came Tamar's sultry whine. “She does not deserve you. She is nothing but a half-breed with no future and no true power. And you of all people know that you truly deserve a Luna who can rule by your side with you and not one who will keep holding you back." I stepped further into the house and that was when I saw them. My eyes widened in hurt and disappointment while my heart broke into a thousand different segments. My legs threatened to give out as I stared at my step sister in the hands of my mate.
“Tamar,” he called her name in a soft and tender way that brought tears to my eyes. The look on his face gave away the fact that he was considering her vile offer. “If I actually decide to marry you and make you my Luna, then what will become of Jemima and I? What will become of the Omega bond that is between the both of us?”
The horror of his words struck me harshly like a thunderbolt. I clasped my hands over my mouth as I struggled to hold back my sob. Every fiber of my being screamed out to me to turn around and run as far as I could. But my legs remained rooted to the spot as I listened to them.
“Well,” Tamar began to say with a smirk as she slithered up into Connor arms and kissed his neck, something that I could not dare to do even with the fact that he was my husband. “She will be powerless. All you have to do is keep her to wife and make me your Luna. We both get what we want and what you deserve. You will be free to rule the pack with me and with only the marriage ties and the omega bond mistake of a wolf. She is a liability, you know Connor?”
“I think you are right. This idea could have her safely out of the picture. I can have you as my Luna and still keep her as nothing but an ornament,” my mate whispered as he caressed her body with his hands. I watched as Tamar lowered the strap of her gown and offered him her bare breast. He took her nipples in his mouth and sucked on it. They were both enjoying themselves.
My eyes clouded with salty water, my vision blurring with tears. I staggered backwards at the cutting words, a single ragged breath escaping my lips, uncontainable. Connor’s eyes flew up at the slight sound, his eyes spotting me instantly where I stood. My breath hitched in my throat as our eyes met and got a moment I saw a trace of guilt flash in them.
“Jemima ,” he said my name in a flat tone. He sized me up with his eyes like I was a weed while clothing my step sister's breast. Tamar turned to look at me too, giving me a rather triumphant smile.
“Oh is that Jemima ?” she said in mock concern. "Welcome to the party," she giggled softly. The sound infuriated me to the moon and back.
"You want to marry my step sister?" I asked my mate as tears quickly rolled down my cheeks.
“You were not supposed to hear that,” Tamar murmured with a sneer.
“How could you Connor, and with my sister?” I asked him, stepping forward. My voice trembled with the weight of my anger. I was barely holding back the leashed emotion. “And you Tamar, both of you," I said gesturing towards them.
“Point of correction, I am your step sister,” Tamar corrected me with a smirk. She climbed down from Connor's lap and they both rose to their feet. I stepped closer to them, my eyes darting between one and the other.
"You are a disgrace to womanhood, sister or stepsister otherwise," I snapped at her. She scoffed at my words, wrapping herself around Connor while her fingers began to trace his jaw possessively.
“You have always been nothing but a weak, vulnerable and unworthy woman Jemima . And you are still nothing to your mate.”
“Is that true?” I asked Connor looking directly into his eyes. “Do I really mean nothing to you?” He took a deliberate step forward and stared down at me with a mixture of pity and disappointment.
"Well yes Jemima , even you your name sounds like that of a loser. You are merely nothing but a useless half breed to me who can not even shift. How then can you be my Luna?" He asked me. My eyes widened at his words because he was the only person who knew that I could actually shift. He had seen me in my wolf form.
"Then why did you marry me?" I asked him instead of what was on my mind. He smirked at me.
"I did so because your father kept pressuring me to take responsibility for you. It was nothing more than that," he enunciated every word of the second sentence.
~Jemima Wolfsbane Pov....Her Mate's PackThe words slashed through my heart with each syllable sharper than a chef's knife. I felt my heart begin to constrict inside of my chest as our omega bond rose to the surface. He could feel my pain too now, because it was now more than I could bear.My mind were bombarded with all kinds of truth and realizations; the fact that he never wanted me even when he touched me, the fact that he did not even love me, the fact that I was nothing to him and yet he had intended to use me and even the fact that all those promises and wedding vows were all lies from the pit of hell.“Connor, please don’t,” I whispered to him in pain. I could not take anymore of what he would dish out.“Oh, what is wrong with you Jemima ?” Tamar taunted me with a malicious glint in her eyes. I could tell that she liked to gloat about whatever was befalling me. “Did you really think that he would choose you, over me? Oh come one! No one would, even you would not pick yourself.
~Jemima Steele Pov....Her mother's home, eleven years ago from now.Well, this was how it all started from eleven years ago. I do not exactly recall many details about the night that I was born from what my mother always told me. But I do remember that she had described it as a rather stormy evening with the rain hitting the windows so loudly that one would not have even been able to hear their own thoughts. She had always had this distant expression pressed onto her face whenever she told me about it as if she was immersed in that memory and kind of hesitant to return from. And I wondered why.I never knew who my father was. My single mother never bothered to tell me and I never bothered to ask either because I was smart enough to know that it was a forbidden subject. My mother never talked about him. She always refrained from conversations that would lead to talking about him.My mother was not the ideal type of loving mother. She was a sharp witted and stubborn woman who always lo
~Jemima Steele Pov....Her father's home, eleven years ago from now.We travelled all night along the major roads. When I roused in the wee hours of the morning, it was to my mother roughly veering off into a minor road. I took a guess from her obvious relief that we were close to our destination.She turned into a path which curved and meandered into a beautiful setting. I gazed out of the window at the landscape, observing the tall trees and pondering if I would ever return to my home with my mother.She eventually came to a halt at a house at the end of the road. The appearance was aged yet cozy and illuminated by the bright lights. There was a lovely front garden that was just beautiful. I felt fear as I wondered why we were thereShe parked the car and asked me to stay still. Then she got out and went to the house. She knocked on the door and a woman opened it. They talked for a moment and both went inside. I heard loud voices in the house and sometimes later, my mum came outside
~Jemima Steele Pov.....The Pack's ForestIt had rained cats and dog al through the night. And the downpour had only seized a few minutes to dawn. It was refreshing, the morning after, with the smell of rain water.The sun rose in the sky after that at its usual time, just as my step mother began to scream profanities at me. I sighed internally as I skipped out of the house before she would unleash her hidden demon. Her latest string of insults still burned in my ears.Besides, it was just the perfect weather for me to go into the forest, to the little water body there and bath in the water which the sun would warm up.It always felt real good.I took a deep breath while letting the quiet of the trees drown out her words. I inhaled that familiar scent of damp earth and wild flowers, of green leaves and rain water combined the moment I stepped into the forest. I stopped to bask in the soothing feeling that it always brought to me. It was like a symphony, a remedy to every trouble in my
~Adrian Blackthorn POV ....The Pack’s ForestThe moon was high, its light spilling over the forest as I ran. The air was cool, carrying the smell of damp earth and flowers. My paws hit the ground in steady strides, but something felt off tonight. My chest was tight, like I was waiting for something to happen.Kieran, my wolf, growled inside me. He was restless, pacing in my mind. It made me uneasy. He wasn’t the type to get worked up without a reason. I tried to focus, breathing deeply to calm both of us, but the forest felt different. The usual peace wasn’t there.She’s here.The thought came out of nowhere, gripping me tight.Who? I asked, even though I already knew.Our mate. She’s close. Kieran’s voice was clear, full of longing. It was sharper than I’d felt in years.I stopped running, my fur catching the moonlight. My heart was racing. The word mate hit me like a shock, filling me with both excitement and fear. After losing Sienna, I promised myself I’d never take another mate.
~Jemima Steele POV The Pack’s Territory I didn’t sleep that night. Not out of fear—fear I knew well—but because everything had shifted. My wolf, Kiona, stirred inside me now, her voice threading through my mind with calm certainty. She wasn’t a stranger, though we’d just met. She felt like a piece of me I’d always been waiting for. Then there was Adrian. The mate bond hummed between us, a tether of warmth and weight I couldn’t ignore. His presence was a sanctuary I hadn’t asked for. Safe. But safety was its own kind of danger. Years of solitude had built walls around me, walls he walked past with unnerving ease. Dawn arrived slowly, golden light filtering through the forest’s canopy. I perched on a fallen log, watching the sky shift from ink to amber. The rogue’s attack replayed in my mind, a vivid reel of claws and instinct. I’d been in danger before, but for the first time, I’d fought back—and won. Kiona made me stronger. Adrian made me braver. But bravery couldn’t smoot
Adrian Blackthorn’s POV ...The Pack’s Territory The forest stirred as dawn broke, streaking the sky with hints of gold and amber. Light filtered through the trees, chasing away the shadows, but unease lingered in the air. My wolf, Kieran, prowled restlessly in the back of my mind, his instincts sharpening after last night’s attack. Something about it didn’t sit right. Rogues didn’t target specific wolves like that—it wasn’t their way. I cast a glance at Jemima walking beside me. Her steps were light, yet she moved with a quiet resolve that betrayed her tension. Strands of auburn hair caught the sunlight, and for a fleeting moment, I found myself captivated. The mate bond tugged at me like a tether, strong and unrelenting, but I shoved the feeling aside. Letting her in wasn’t an option—not after everything I’d endured. When we reached the clearing, the low murmur of conversation among the pack stilled. Every gaze turned toward Jemima. The curiosity in their expressions was palpa
~Jemima Steele POV ....The Pack’s ForestThe sun was high, but the forest didn’t feel warm. I walked along the trail, each step crunching softly on fallen leaves. The air felt heavy, as if the trees were keeping secrets. My wolf, Kiona, stayed quiet but watchful in the back of my mind. She’d been restless all morning, her unease stirring my own.Adrian had told me to patrol near the edge of the pack’s land. I knew he was just trying to keep me away from the others. He thought he was keeping me safe. But I’d had enough of being protected. I wasn’t the same scared girl who used to hide from everything.Stay sharp, Kiona said, her voice steady. Something isn’t right.I tightened my grip on the small dagger at my side. The forest felt too quiet, like something was waiting. I stopped suddenly, my breath catching. There was a rustling in the bushes ahead. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough to make me crouch low, my senses sharpening.Kiona growled softly in my mind. Then, a wolf stepped out
Author’s POVIt hadn't been that difficult for the Committee of Alphas specifically created for the elimination of Jemima, to be infiltrated.The problem was that every Alpha who claimed that they wanted Jemima gone was allowed to join without question. So blinded were they by their eagerness to get rid of the threat that was Jemima that it didn't occur to them that not all the Alphas or witches who wanted to join the committee were truly on their side.It was a good thing for Elena though. She couldn't join the committee but she had an Alpha whom she could trust and begged him to join so that he could act as a spy for her. Liam, Elena’s estranged older step-brother and the Alpha of the Iron Fang Pack had reasons for not wanting to have anything to do with his younger sister.The first was that she had chosen to distance herself from him long before she even got pregnant with Jemima. She explained that she did it to protect him and didn't want anyone to know that they were related
Jemima’s POVRelief flooded my heart but I told myself not to be too hopeful. Perhaps, Connor wanted to psychologically torture us this way. Giving us hope only to take it away at the next minute. There was no way he could have changed his mind. A gasp fell from my lips when the chains suddenly loosened and fell to the ground. I was free. This certainly wasn’t Connor’s doing.The door was suddenly knocked off its hinges and landed with a deafening bang on the ground. A familiar figure stepped into the room and for a moment, I went completely dumb with surprise. “I'm certain you can get up from that chair. You are no longer bound to it,” the Alpha of the Midnight Pack said, mild amusement in his tone. “Zade,” I breathed out and rose from my seat. “How are you here? Why are you here?”“Well, I drove down here,” he replied, his eyes dancing with humour.I rolled my eyes. “You know exactly what I mean? How did you know I was in danger?”“How I have missed your numerous questions,”
Jemima’s POVConnor burst out laughing. An annoyingly grating sound that made me want to rip his head off. “There’s nothing you can do no matter how much I badmouth your mother. You are practically helpless and harmless right now,” he said. “And I thought you even hated the woman so why are you bothered about me calling her names?”“Fuck you, Connor,” I replied and started to struggle against the chains.“Oh please,” he began, his tone laced with amusement, “If you keep on struggling like that I might just pity you. Stop it already.”I ignored him and kept on trying to see if my abilities would suddenly turn back on and help me get out of the silver chains.“The chains are enchanted, Jemima. And you must have noticed that your abilities do not work here. It's going to remain like that for about an hour. It's rather annoying that every spell has a time limit when it comes to you,” he explained. “But don't worry, you’ll be dead long before the spell starts to lose its potency.”Piper
Jemima’s POVA flicker of irritation passed across Connor’s features as he looked at Piper who was standing right beside me. Because of what had happened the previous night, it was now much more difficult to get her apart from me even for a couple of minutes. “You didn't say she was going to tag along with you,” the Alpha of the Silver Paw Pack began, “Discussing matters that have to do with this Pack is supposed to be private. No outsiders are allowed.”Piper scoffed but I secretly gave her side a pinch to keep her from saying anything. “I am also an outsider, Connor and you are allowing me to even take an active part in something that concerns your Pack,” I replied.He rolled his eyes. “You were born here. Besides, you were the one who chose to leave. You weren't banished.”Considering the circumstances that brought about me leaving the Pack, I was supposed to be mad at him at that moment but I chose not to. Instead, I offered him a sweet smile and said in a firm tone, “Piper has
Jemima’s POVThat night, after I had discovered that my mother only abandoned me because she wanted to protect me, I couldn't sleep. I had later placed a call to my mate to let him know that I was okay and also to tell him about the letters I found in my father’s Study. “You really should stop pacing and come to bed already,” Piper suggested, her tone laced with concern. “How do you expect me to just do that, Piper?” I queried. “For most of my life, I have hated my mother for what she did and now I am just filled with guilt.”“But you shouldn't feel guilty,” she replied, heaving herself into an upright position on the bed. “We both read those letters and it was clear that she needed you to think that she abandoned you. If you had known the truth you certainly would have gone looking for her.”An exasperated sigh fell from my lips. “I really need to find her. We can get through this together. Her life is also in danger.”“Well, you have already said that you know who you are going t
Author’s POVFor Connor, going through some humiliation rituals was necessary for a person to achieve the desired end result. Before learning about the situation and how it would affect him, the Alpha of the Silver Paw Pack had never imagined that he would ever go down on his knees in front of a woman he had formerly rejected. It was humiliating but he had to do it. He had despised her a lot when they were still mated and he had found out that she was wolfless. At least at that time, she was.Finding out just a few months after he rejected her that she wasn't actually without a wolf and was actually so powerful, would have made him regret rejecting her if not that her powers, which were from a strong ancestral bloodline, were going to lead to the end of his reign.Thankfully, he wasn't the only one who thought that uniting all the Packs as one was totally unfair as it was going to strip them of their leadership positions which would also result in losing privileges and benefits tha
Author’s POV“Mom, you know that was wholly unnecessary,” Tamar began as she helped her mother get settled on the bed. “Knowing how powerful she is, you shouldn't have provoked her like that.”Abigail gave her daughter a look. “If I didn't know any better I would have thought you were on her side instead of your mother’s.”Tamar rolled her eyes. “All I'm saying is that you should be careful when dealing with her. She is no longer the frightened girl with low self-esteem that you used to know. She’s changed.”“It means nothing,” Abigail replied stubbornly. “She can't be more powerful than thousands of us put together. And do not forget that we have the support of a few witches. When the time is right, we are going to put an end to her existence.”Tamar tried not to show how uncomfortable she was with her mother's words. It wasn't as though she was totally against bullying her step-sister, but killing her was an entirely different matter. Even though she tried to ignore it, she still
Jemima’s POVTamar was instantly by her mother’s side, murmuring words of care while Piper wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you,” she murmured. I wondered why she was thanking me. Tamar helped her mother to her feet and within seconds, they were out of the Study. Piper released me to go lock the door which they had left ajar. When she returned to where I was standing, I realized that her eyes were wide with fear. “I knew I should have come here with you,” she said. “Has it been thirty minutes since I left the room already?” I asked and she shook her head.“Your mate called and was really mad at me for not being with you. He ordered me to come to you and call him the minute I get here,” she explained and then started to dial his number. “You do not have to do that now,” I said, snatching the phone from her hand. “I am going to call him and give him an explanation.”She rolled her eyes. “You had better do that now before he starts blasting your phone with calls.”As if on cue,
Jemima’s POV“I think I would prefer to remain standing,” I replied, not daring to take my eyes off her.The last time we had a conversation alone was when I came to her to report Tamar’s betrayal. She had laughed in my face and told me that I was a good-for-nothing who didn't deserve to be mated to an Alpha. She also told me that she was certain that the Moon Goddess had somehow made a mistake. “Whatever,” Abigail said. “Whether you choose to sit or stand is none of my business.”Of course. Why wasn't I the least bit surprised? “So why exactly am I here, Abigail?” I queried. “If it's about the salvation of this Pack, Connor and I have already spoken about it.”“I also need to give you my two cents about the situation,” she replied. “As an elder of this Pack and also the soon-to-be mother-in-law of the Alpha, my opinions are of importance.”I mentally rolled my eyes wondering who the hell had made her an elder. She wasn't even qualified to be one yet. Or did being a mother to the