Damon The wedding is sickeningly perfect and I fight the urge to gag as I watch from the shadows with barely contained rage. Hilda stands there like she belongs, basking in the glow of her new title, her new life. As if she hasn’t been the catalyst for everything falling apart.Like she isn’t used goods, who never knew how to act like a real woman. Like she deserves to be the Alpha King’s Luna. What a fucking joke.She smiles up at Arlo, her eyes shining with love and devotion, and the sight turns my stomach. She looks radiant, draped in that pristine white dress, her hair adorned with delicate flowers as if she’s some ethereal goddess. She was never meant to stand beside the king. Her fate should have been to be my toy, not his queen.Arlo grips her hands, his expression soft, reverent. Every movement he makes toward her speaks of possession, of a bond that shouldn’t exist. He stares at her as though she’s the centre of his world, and she stares back at him with the same nauseating
HildaThe day is absolute perfection and the only thing that could make it better than spending it with everyone we love, is being alone together.The need I feel for Arlo to claim my body is almost overwhelming and he smirks proudly every time he touches me and I grow a little needier. His thoughts couldn’t be more obvious if he went around roaring, “Mine! She lusts for me!”But I fucking do. I’m not sure if it’s the bond kicking into overdrive because we’re married and I’m officially his Luna now, or if this is just me, wanting to be with my husband. My one and only. The man I promised to love and cherish for as long as we both shall live.“You’re going to cause a population explosion,” Arlo whispers against my ear as we slowly move across the dance floor. “What?” I ask bemusedly, so wrapped up in his wondrous scent that I’m barely aware of my surroundings.“Several couples have ducked out to go and mate, including Soren and Cerelia,” he informs me. “What does that have to do with m
ArloMoonlight pools into the room, painting Hilda’s skin in silver and shadow, and for a moment, I can do nothing but look at her.She’s sprawled across the bed, dark hair fanned out over the crisp white sheets, her lips parted just slightly, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm that makes something tighten low in my gut.Her eyes, warm and full of promise, track my every movement. We’ve been making love for hours, but I can’t seem to get enough of her.My mate. My wife. Mine.The thought sends a surge of heat through me, a primal satisfaction that I know is echoed in the way she shivers beneath my gaze. I take my drinking her in. Her bare shoulders, the dip of her waist, the slow, lazy way she stretches, displaying herself to my gaze.“Arlo,” she murmurs, voice thick with longing, my name a whisper that wraps around me like silk. I slide over her, caging her in with my hands on either side of her. “Yes, love?”She breathes out a soft laugh, but there’s no teasing in her eyes, on
DamonThe night air is cold, wrapping around me as I linger in the shadows beyond the cabin. The open window taunts me, offering a perfect view into the room where Hilda and Arlo are tangled together in the sheets, lost in each other.Disgust rolls through me as I watch them, their bodies moving in a slow, unhurried rhythm, their whispered words of love making my stomach churn. Pathetic.Arlo is supposed to be an Alpha, a leader, a man with power. And yet, he lets a woman, his mate, have this much control over him?Hilda cries out for what seems like the hundredth time tonight, her back arching, her nails raking over his skin as if she owns him. As if she’s the one ruling this moment. It’s sickening. No man should let a woman behave like that, moaning like a common whore, demanding, taking. A female should be subdued, conquered, claimed. Not…this.But Hilda’s never known how to act with decorum and it’s a blight on Arlo’s judgment that he’s taken someone so unworthy as his mate.I cle
CereliaI could have sworn I sensed Damon close by last night. Lurking in the darkness and watching as Soren and I made love. The thought makes me shiver uneasily. It’s obvious that Soren didn’t pick up on anything, he would have spoken up. Maybe I’m being paranoid. I just feel like we may have made a mistake by not killing Damon. Me. I made the mistake. I could have easily ended his life during the duel, but I held back. Both because he’s my brother and I hate the thought of killing anyone.The problem is that his obsession with me means he probably won’t come after me directly. He’ll try and isolate me by taking out everyone I care about. He doesn’t have the numbers to take on our pack, and certainly not King Arlo’s, but Damon is vengeful. He’ll look for a different way. Honor means nothing to him, he only cares about winning.I need to speak to Hilda before she and Arlo leave on their honeymoon. He’s taking her to a place deep in the mountains, next to a lake, he wouldn’t say an
HildaThe cabin is everything Arlo promised and more. Secluded, breathtakingly beautiful, and best of all, completely isolated. It sits perched on the edge of a pristine lake, nestled between towering pines and framed by the jagged peaks of the mountains. The air up here is crisp and cold. So much so that I can smell snow in the distance. I know it won’t be long before the windows are fogged up from our activities. I honestly don’t understand the overwhelming desire I’m feeling, but I’m not complaining. I’ve been incredibly drawn to Arlo sexually from the moment we met, but this is a craving that just refuses to go away no matter how often we make love. Fortunately for me, the cabin is quiet, peaceful, and for the first time in what feels like forever, there’s nothing clamoring for our attention. Just us. Able to do whatever we want for a blissful week. Arlo barely waits for the front door to close behind us before he’s shedding his clothes. His shirt hits the floor first, followe
Cerelia The wind is chilly as we cross into our territory. Winter is nearly upon us. It should be a relief to be home, back with our pack where we belong, but unease lingers in my chest.I tell myself Hilda is safe. She and Arlo are far away in the mountains, wrapped in the peace they deserve and undoubtedly entangled in each other, but I can’t shake the feeling that Damon isn’t finished.He’s a thorn that just won’t stop stabbing right into my heart. If he hurts Hilda, or her baby, I don’t know how I would live with the guilt.Soren’s fingers brush against mine as we walk through the gates, and I steal a glance at him. My worries fading for a moment as I appreciate my handsome mate.He looks every bit the Alpha. Broad-shouldered, composed, his presence commanding respect from every warrior who bows their head as we pass. But when his gaze meets mine, there’s something softer there, something just for me.Pack members rush over to offer to help with our packs, but we gratefully wave
ArloI wake early, watching through the window as the mountains stretch endlessly beyond us, bathed in golden light as the sun begins its slow ascent. I breathe it all in gratefully. The quiet, the peace and the warmth of Hilda beside me.She’s still deeply asleep, curled on her side with one hand resting on my chest, her breath steady and soft. I’m not surprised after the frantic way we made love all day yesterday. My own muscles feel gloriously overworked.I let my fingers trace idle patterns over her back, marvelling at the way she fits against me. In spite of the difference in size between us, her curves slot perfectly into every bend and dip of my body.I never thought I’d have this. True love first of all, and once I found that it seemed impossible that we’d get to have moments like these, where the world isn’t demanding something from us.No battles to fight, no pack to lead for a few days, no threats lurking just beyond the borders. Just Hilda and me, lost in a sliver of time
HildaI can still feel Malcolm’s eyes on me, like greasy fingerprints smeared across my skin. No matter how many times I rub my arms, no matter how deep I breathe, I can’t shake the feeling of his presence, his voice, the twisted, hollow mockery of a man who plays at being something human.Arlo is pacing. I can feel the storm raging inside him. It crackles through the bond, dark and furious, an echo of my own unease.“I should have killed him.” His voice is low, strained. “Right there. I should’ve ripped his throat out for looking at you that way. Speaking to you like you’re... a possession.”I know he means it. I don’t doubt for a second that if I asked, if I simply whispered that Malcolm frightened me, that he made my stomach turn to ice and my heart thunder with dread, Arlo would go back. He’d hunt Malcolm down and finish what should have been done long ago.But I don’t want to talk about Malcolm. I don’t want his shadow stretching into this moment, poisoning it. I cross the room a
MalcolmThe fire flickers in front of me, licking at the dry wood, sending twisting embers up into the blackened sky. The men are laughing, swapping crude jokes, sipping from flasks filled with cheap liquor. Their voices fade into the background as I think about her.Hilda. I roll her name around in my mind. That face, those blue eyes. Sharp, burning with something just beneath the surface. I wonder what she looks like when she cries. When she begs."They were real lookers, huh?" Carter says from across the fire, nudging the guy next to him. "That one with the blue-black hair was fuckin’ exotic looking and the blonde looks like a real Georgia peach."I smirk but say nothing. They think they understand. They don’t. They see a woman with a pretty face. I see something else entirely. Something wild, something worth breaking.Hilda needs someone like me, not a protector like her so-called husband. As if animals get married. She needs to be taught her place, it’s the only way she’ll ever t
HildaCerelia and Soren sit across from us, their expressions grim. I hadn’t wanted to ruin the mood of their visit, but with humans encroaching on our borders, there was no delaying this conversation.They have to know. All the Alphas will need to be told once we know what these men want."This isn’t the first time a human has wandered close to pack lands," Cerelia says slowly. "But you’re saying this feels different?""It is different," Arlo confirms, stopping mid-stride. "They aren’t just stumbling into the vicinity. They’re moving in a careful pattern, testing our defences and borders. And the only way they’d get across the border is if someone leads them.""That’s what worries me most," I admit. "A werewolf had to have brought them close enough to get past the confusion spells." Soren frowns, “Do you have any idea who?”Before I can answer, there’s a rush of movement outside, and the door swings open to reveal Percy, his breath slightly uneven from running."Arlo," he says, stra
ArloThe fire crackles softly in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the walls of our room. The warmth should be comforting, but it does nothing to ease the weight pressing down on my chest.Hilda sits on the bed, cross-legged, brushing out her hair, the glossy strands catching the firelight. She looks up at me, knowing something’s wrong before I even speak.“Alright,” she says, setting the brush aside. “What’s wrong?” I exhale slowly, rubbing a hand over my face. “Scouts have reported increased human activity near our borders.”Hilda’s expression sharpens, her body going still. “Hunters?” I shake my head. “No. This feels different. It’s too…organized and there are too many of them. Not like travelers getting lost or the occasional fool wandering too close. They move like men with purpose. And they’re getting closer.”Her lips press into a thin line. “But they haven’t crossed into our lands?” I shake my head, “Not yet.” She frowns, pulling her legs up beneath her. “Then the
HildaThe moment I see Cerelia shift, I don’t hesitate. I rush forward, wrapping my arms around her before she can say a word. She laughs into my shoulder, squeezing me just as tightly, and for a moment, I let myself sink into the familiarity of her presence.“I missed you,” I murmur, pulling back just enough to look at her face. She looks the same, stunningly beautiful, smart and amazing, but there’s a softness in her eyes when she meets my gaze.“I missed you too,” she says. “I swear, every time I turn around, another letter from you is demanding I come visit.”I scoff. “Because you don’t take the hint the first time. If I didn’t harass you, you’d never make your way here and I’d be left lonely and bereft. I can’t come and see you at the moment, it’s too difficult to travel so far with Scarlett and the warriors would all insist on coming along.”A low chuckle reminds me that we aren’t alone. Soren stands behind her, watching us with amusement. “Are you two done, or should I come bac
TaraThe knock at my door is soft but certain. I know who it is before I even get up, because there’s only one person who visits without hesitation, without waiting for an invitation. Scarlett.I open the door, and there she is, standing on my porch with her hands on her hips like she owns the place. In a way, she does. The pack would move mountains for her, and she knows it.She’s not bratty in a ‘I’m a princess’ kind of way, acting like she’s better than anyone else. She’s just Scarlett, unapologetically curious, unnervingly perceptive for someone who’s only been 2 for a couple of months, and my favorite visitor by far.“Hi, Tara!” she chirps, strolling past me before I can say anything, “I came to see you. Mommy says she thinks you’re lonely, but I told her that’s silly, because I’m your friend and I come to see you all the time.”“That’s very kind of you,” I say dryly, closing the door behind her. “You’re getting taller.” She grins, “I know! Daddy says I’m growing too fast and Mom
CereliaThe letter arrives in the late afternoon, the familiar scrawl on the envelope immediately making my heart ache. I open it carefully, running my fingers over the parchment before I begin to read.My dearest Cerelia,I miss you.It feels ridiculous to start with that when there’s so much to tell you, but it’s the truth. I miss you fiercely, and it’s been far too long since we last saw each other. Which is why you and Soren need to visit soon. I mean it. No excuses. Pack up your bags, drag that stubborn mate of yours along, and come stay for a while. Please.Now that my demand is out of the way, let me fill you in on everything happening here.First things first, I’m pregnant. I know, it’s a miracle, given how difficult it is for werewolves to conceive, but Arlo is very pleased with himself. I’m about 3 months along. We didn’t want to say anything until the end of the first trimester and Scarlett was the first one we told. She promptly informed us that it’s a boy.Speaking of our
NixieI take a deep breath before knocking on the heavy wooden door. My hand lingers in the air for a second longer than necessary. It’s not that I’m nervous, exactly. It’s just that this is big. Huge, actually. And saying it out loud makes it real in a way I haven’t quite wrapped my head around yet.The door swings open before I can knock again, revealing Hilda, looking as radiant as ever. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, catching the morning light, and she’s wearing a soft cream dress that drapes over her form in a way that should have been my first clue.“Nixie!” she says warmly, pulling me into a quick hug before stepping back and giving me a once-over. “You look happy, but you were lurking on my doorstep, what’s going on?”“I am,” I admit with a grin, stepping inside. “And you’re right, I do have news.”“Tell me everything,” she says, leading me into the sitting room. She settles onto the couch with a satisfied sigh, tucking her legs up beneath her.I sit beside her, run
HildaThe sun is warm against my skin, the scent of fresh grass and wildflowers thick in the air as we sit beneath the sprawling oak tree next to the creek. A checkered blanket is spread beneath us, weighed down with a picnic basket, filled with an assortment of sandwiches, and a sticky-fingered toddler who’s currently smearing honey across her chubby cheeks.Scarlett giggles as she waves her piece of bread in the air, utterly unconcerned with the mess she’s making. Of course, she’s not the one who’ll be cleaning it up, so why worry? “Mama, the bees are gonna love me,” she declares proudly, looking at her honey-covered hands.Arlo chuckles, reaching over to wipe her hands with a damp cloth before she can rub it all over her dress. “They already do my sweet princess, just like everybody else.” She beams up at him, “You too daddy?”Arlo picks her up and swings her in a wide circle, to her shrieking delight. “Especially me,” he assures her. The little minx already knows she has her daddy