Mary's birthday dinner ends up being less unpleasant for Ragnar than it was at the beginning. He chats with some council members he hadn't seen in a while due to his trip to New Zealand.With a few glasses of wine in him, Ragnar decides it's time to leave, although Mary tries every means to detain him."Don't you want to go out for a drink tomorrow night?" the woman suggests, taking Ragnar's arm just before he climbs into his truck. "Just a couple of drinks. We haven't gone out in a long time.""I have a lot of work, and I prefer not to stay up late on consecutive days," he answers, looking at his watch; it's almost two in the morning. "Let's save the drinks for another occasion.""Well, we don't have to take too long. It's the opening of my mother's place, and I'm sure you'll like it.""As I said, I don't have time. I have a lot of work, and I prefer not to commit to something I can't fulfill. Besides, I think you're confusing things, Mary. We've had this conversation before.""I kno
"Ask me anything else, Jarl, anything but that, please," Katrina cries, refusing to take the cellphone. "She is my friend, the only one I have.""You have me," Jarl sits on the bed and takes her face in his hands, pressing his forehead against hers. "You don't need anyone else but me, Katrina. As long as they are all around, we will never be happy. Amber always ends up turning you against me.""She doesn't...""She has always told you not to accept me, love. I know, I have heard it myself. She even demanded that I stay away from you. Is she the friend you love so much? Amber wants us apart, and you know what I'm saying is true."Katrina denies, her face wet with tears."Take the phone and tell her to leave, that's all I ask of you. I promise that everything will be alright between us after that. You will go back to college, and I will get you a position at Sofisthy so you don't have to go back to the castle."Katrina looks at the phone with a downcast face, but this time she takes it.
Katrina sighs reluctantly as she looks at herself in the mirror. Over these two weeks, her stomach has become a little rounder and harder, although her pregnancy is not noticeable yet. She feels that her pants are tighter around the waist, and that makes her very uneasy and bewildered.She searches through her clothes for a looser dress that will allow her to hide her belly, and a jacket to match. She has never had much clothing because she doesn't spend much time or money on it, but now she really needs more options.She ties her long hair up in a high ponytail and applies foundation to cover her huge dark circles. Ready, she goes downstairs to the dining room. Today she has final exams for the year at the university and cannot miss them.Marta is sitting on the couch, with a fashion magazine in her hand and a cup of coffee beside her. She looks up and frowns at Katrina.“At least you did something right, that's why my son let you go,” the mother-in-law mocks. Katrina doesn't say any
In the Grimlore mansion, Katrina looks at the time on the clock and can perfectly imagine why Jarl hasn't arrived yet. In these weeks, she has learned to ignore what he does or doesn't do, and thanks to that, she feels more relieved and at peace. If this is the life he likes, then let him do whatever he wants as long as he leaves her alone.She gets out of bed and takes the new notebook that Jarl brought her in the morning from the drawer and goes to bed to look up some things on the internet. She doesn't like to waste time on these things, but right now it serves as a distraction. It's not until she looks at the time on the screen that she realizes it's almost 4 am and as she predicted, her husband still hasn't arrived. She quickly deletes the entire search history in case Jarl feels like checking and leaves the notebook where it was so she can get what little sleep is left of the early morning.In the morning, her door opens abruptly and a smell of alcohol makes her frown. She imme
In the castle of Alba Noctis, Lizzie is on the balcony talking to her mother. They both agree that they cannot waste time with Katrina. Whatever they are going to do, they must do it right now, especially if she is pregnant as they suspect.The door suddenly opens, and Mauricio approaches them with a furrowed brow. He overheard some of the discussion between them before entering, but he would never go against his wife and daughter."What's going on?" he asks in a stern tone. Both women look at each other, unsure of what to tell the man. "What's the problem with Katrina this time?""Nothing, Daddy, you know how my sister is, always thinking the worst of me," Lizzie says, embracing her father."You should leave that feud behind, it's not good for you two to be constantly fighting as sisters," Mauricio says."That's what I was telling our daughter, Mauricio," Lorena intervenes. "Now more than ever, we should try to get along with Katrina."Mauricio agrees as he imagines what his wife is
Katrina reluctantly rises this morning, glancing to her side and finding her husband's place still untouched, just as it was last night when she went to bed. She already suspected it, but now realizes how blind and foolish she was regarding him.She heads to the shower, quite disheartened, but the warm water manages to calm her a bit. Upon exiting, Jarl is already sitting on the bed, waiting."Good morning," she says, passing by him. A growl is the response she receives from him.Although she's eager to ask where he was until this hour, she holds back. She walks to her closet, searching for her underwear and the outfit she'll wear to the university.While rummaging through her drawer, a peculiar scent reaches her nostrils, startling her.Jarl takes her by the waist from behind. He unties the knot of her robe and begins to touch her breasts slowly while inhaling the scent of her neck. Katrina becomes nervous. She's afraid he might realize she's pregnant. Her waist has expanded, not to
Katrina closes the laptop screen and refuses to continue watching something so horrifying. Tears begin to roll down her face as she remembers the last uploaded video. It's him, Jarl, torturing a young woman until she is seriously injured. She recognizes him by the mole on his right arm. Is this what he does when he doesn't come home?Katrina cries like she has never cried before. This is the dark side of Jarl that she refused to discover and is now hitting her hard in the face. It's dawn and a few knocks on her door startle her. She looks towards the window and it's already fully daylight."Yes?" she asks, feeling very dispirited. The intense headache is the result of all the crying she has done for hours before falling asleep, almost at dawn."Mrs. Katrina, the truck is ready and waiting for you," Sara replies from the other side of the door."I'll take a quick shower and then I'll leave," Katrina gets out of bed and doesn't even wait for the maid's response. She enters the shower f
Ragnar gets out of the truck and takes a short walk around the cabin, while Julian unloads his suitcases and puts them in the room. In the end, he preferred to have Julian accompany him so he wouldn't come completely alone to this place, which is the first time he visits. He had come to Brazil before only for business, but never to this mountain, and he prefers to have backup in case something unexpected happens.He reaches a higher spot, lifts his nose and closes his eyes to take a deep breath. A subtle, yet delicate, aroma caresses his nostrils and makes him shudder like never before. He abruptly opens his eyes and Remus manifests himself inside his head, asking to be set free. Ragnar takes off his shoes and starts running along a trail several kilometers ahead, not fully transforming yet, but reaching a magnificent lake. He is able to perceive many different aromas in this place and now he feels confused about what he perceived earlier. He discovers that this is a territory occupie
Twenty years have passed...From his office window, Ragnar watches Katrina attentively as she talks with Amber and Rubí in the courtyard, pointing towards the little ones playing in the vast yard. A little further, by the pools, are the older ones, Ethan and his mate Milly, Selene, Rouse, Brandon, and Bruno, the twins born after Rouse, and Lucinda.A smile spreads across his face as he sees Silvia sobbing while asking her mother to carry her. Since birth, she's been a very sensitive and complaining girl, unlike her twin Hector, who seems unaffected by anything and quickly adapts to everything. Yes, Ragnar and Katrina have eight children in total, and according to Katrina, these will be the last, as they are of grandparent age, but Ragnar and Remus disagree. Seeing so many pups roaming the mansion warms his heart, especially since the youngest are already 3 years old, so they might try for more soon.Ethan has become the second man of the house at 20, taking care of and protecting his
Weeks fly by in the blink of an eye. Katrina's belly has grown significantly, and her movements have reduced to a minimum for this stage of her pregnancy. Her little Rouse, as she and her husband call her, is very healthy and energetic, so much so that she doesn't even let Katrina sleep properly anymore, and consequently not Ragnar, who takes care of her day and night.Today is the day of the scheduled surgery to give birth. Moreira preferred her to have surgery since the baby is in a less favorable position for Katrina to have a natural birth.At Alba Noctis castle, everyone is awake early, preparing for the princess's arrival; there's a lot of activity in every corner. Ragnar is very nervous, his hands sweating, and a giant knot in his throat making it hard to breathe normally. He had never been this nervous in his life, not even the day the twins were born.He has already made about ten rounds in total in his little one's room just this morning. He hired a designer specializing in
The elderly counselor, responsible for giving the final verdict, steps onto the stage and begins to speak."The council of the Alba Noctis pack, after analyzing all the evidence against the accused provided by Alpha Ragnar Shadowfang and hearing their statements, found them guilty. The three are sentenced to an undignified death in front of all the members of the pack. The sentence will be carried out tonight in the castle arena.Lizzie begins to cry inconsolably, while her mother remains stoic, unmoved. Mauricio remains unresponsive, considering the possibility of using the potion that man gave him the other night to prevent those Lycan from ending their lives in front of everyone.Katrina puts her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob as she desperately seeks a way to escape.After the sentences, the trial is concluded and the three are taken to the places where they will remain until the night.Ragnar and Katrina embrace. This is something that pains her despite everything, but it is
Sebastian and Ruby arrive first at the scene in their werewolf form, encountering an aggressive Akira and upset about the previous events, Ragnar semi-conscious and Jarl evidently dead in her claws."Are you okay?" Sebastian tries to communicate with Katrina through the mental link, but Akira still has her aura expanded and cannot effectively communicate with her or get too close, so he circles her at a certain distance with his tail between his legs, showing his neck as a sign of respect and submission.Rita, Ruby's wolf, also stays back, as well as those who are arriving at the site.Akira howls loudly again, increasing her aura even more. Sirox and the others have no choice but to step back due to the pain caused by her display of power. All the werewolves of the Alba Noctis pack receive the message from their leader, the one and only alpha, that their "chosen alpha," Jarl Fenrisson, has just been defeated by her. Most of them, from where they are, begin to experience a lot of pain
"Remus!" Katrina's voice makes Jarl blink, while Remus keeps his eyes closed, his strength quickly waning with the silver bullet lodged in his chest, and he retreats back into Ragnar's mind, allowing him to take his human form once again. Katrina's breath slows at that moment. Everything is silent and dark around her as she sees her severely wounded partner on the ground. Akira uses all her strength to cut the tapes binding Katrina's feet and hands and struggles to get up to reach Ragnar, blood gushing from his chest. She tries to scream for help, but her voice doesn't come out, all the words getting stuck in her throat, the drug that Jarl made her inhale is too strong, and Akira, although she tries to emerge, doesn't quite succeed. Katrina cradles her partner's head in her arms. He is still alive, though gravely injured and unconscious. Jarl looks up and stares at Katrina, who is deeply distressed about Ragnar, but unaware that he is also injured, his left arm has been torn off by
It is impossible to continue hiding what happens when everyone starts to move around the house.Rubí and Paula wake up disoriented by the unusual movement in the mansion's hallways, they go out to look and as soon as they realize that Ragnar's room door is open and there are several people inside, they run there."What's going on, brother?!" Rubí shouts. "Where is Katrina?!"Paula tries to restrain Ragnar, but she can't. He is too nervous.Ragnar can't stand to watch the video on the guard's phone, he takes a deep breath before leaving. He won't allow that man to harm Katrina. He said he would never allow it to happen again over his dead body, and he means it. Tonight one of them will die."Son, please," Paula tries to stop him. "Let the guards take care of it, please don't go in that state. You need to calm down, you're too nervous."Ragnar looks at her for a few seconds before leaving. Julián runs after him. Inside his car, he receives a message from an unknown number, with a photo
The lights of the Shadowfang mansion are gradually fading and Jarl knows that the moment he has been waiting for has finally arrived. There are two guards wandering around that area, weak omegas, who don't worry him too much, because he knows he can go unnoticed with the potion and that if something goes out of control, they are not enemies to him. He walks stealthily a few meters along the side of the wall when he overhears one of them saying he needs to go to the bathroom. That moment is perfect to move forward. He runs to the door and when he tries to open it, it opens without much difficulty. He looks cautiously to make sure there is no one else inside. The whole place is already semi-dark, but he can see that it is the laundry section of the house. He enters and after scanning everything quickly with his eyes, he goes up the main staircase to reach Katrina on the second floor.He opens each door very slowly to avoid alerting anyone and to see who is there, until he reaches the
Inside the cells of the Alba Noctis pack, Jarl hits the wall hard upon receiving the news from Gabriel. He is very nervous. His friend looks at him resignedly."You know that what you are asking for is dangerous, and they won't risk their lives for nothing," Gabriel says, trying to keep his voice low. "You decide, either give them what they want or stay here and wait for your trial.""That's too much money, Gabriel," Jarl yells, angry. "I'll be left with nothing, it's all I have left. They already took everything from me."There is a deep hatred in Jarl's eyes when he thinks of Ragnar and Katrina. Gabriel says nothing, but he knows that Jarl has some plan in mind and there is no human power that will make him back down."I need to get out of here. I want Katrina and that damn man to suffer for this. I want them to regret coming back and planning all of this against me.""Don't you think it's time to walk away? Don't do something that will drag you down even further, Jarl," Gabriel fee
Ragnar and Katrina, along with the elder council members, spend a long time in the boardroom to clarify some points, especially those related to those four. They do not want anyone to get away with all the harm they did to Katrina. When they finally leave the room, all the employees turn to look at her, but she is too mentally exhausted now to give them any kind of explanation. She will do it tomorrow when she is calmer and has rested enough. Ragnar gives some instructions to the assistant and she nods. She knows it's not a good time, so the assistant asks everyone to return to their workplaces and they do so. Katrina walks towards the elevator, ready to go back home, when a familiar figure appears before her, about five steps away. "Amber?" Katrina can't hide her excitement at seeing her after so long. She looks different, but it's her, she knows it, she can feel it. She walks up to her to hug her and they both embrace tightly. Amber is crying like never before. "Amber, my frie