1 month ago, Katrine’s POV:“Jonas, enough!" I lashed out, pouring all my anger and frustration into my voice. "I have warned you, don't use Lexie to weaken my resolve. You can't manipulate me with her. I trust her… with my heart, with my soul! She would never—" But my words died as I saw his expression. That arrogant tilt of his chin, the cruel amusement in his eyes; this wasn't just arrogance that came with confidence, but the look of someone who knew something I didn't. "Would you still stand so tall on your high horse if I showed you proof about Lexie?" The noose of dread tightened around my throat, but I forced my gaze to meet his, refusing to let him see how much his words rattled me. “What proof?” I demanded, my tone sharper than I felt.Jonas’s smirk widened as he pulled out his phone. I bit back a curse, watching his fingers swipe across the screen. My mind raced, thinking how much easier it would be to escape if I could just get my hands on that damn device. But all t
1 month ago, Katrine's POV:The ground titled under my feet, pulling me down as if the earth itself had decided to swallow me whole. I hit the rough ground, and my knees burned with pain, my eyes brimming with the unshed tears of rage and betrayal. Jonas didn’t even move a single muscle. He stood above me, watching with that cold, detached look before he barked out his orders. “Guards! Quick!” Within moments, four pairs of boots closed around me, and rough hands grabbed me by my arms to lift me upright like a ragdoll. I jerked weakly against their grip, but my limbs were too heavy to be of any use. My strength was gone. Jonas scoffed coldly.“Before anything else, I think I should teach you when to accept defeat.”I bared my teeth in a snarl. ‘You don't have to teach me anything! Because I'm still not going to stay in your pack, at your mercy—" He looked me up and down with an, unimpressed look on his face. “Are you sure you’re a wolf? You look more like a wildcat to me.”
It had been four days since Abby received that strange note.And she had spent four restless nights in this same room, each one worse than the last. Right now, as the clock in her room flashed 4:30 , she had woken herself up with a scream once again. It took Abby a few minutes to understand where she was… her skin was clammy with sweat, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.Her blanket was twisted around her legs, and the image from the nightmare was still fresh in her vision; the murky water under the dense fog, icy cold hands wrapped around her ankle, something inhuman pulling her down into a lake… That monster’s grip had felt too real.The door creaked open suddenly, and her mother appeared, draping a shawl over her shoulders and a mask of concern over her fearful features. “Is everything okay, dear?” She asked gently, stepping into the room with cautious feet.Abby blinked, one thing had suddenly become clear in her mind: she couldn't tell her. She couldn’t tell h
Abby opened her eyes after closing them to rest for just a few minutes more, only to find her phone screen glowing faintly and displaying the time as 9:00 AM. She sat up with a jerk– she was supposed to be at the bakery an entire half hour ago, reporting for her first day there.This was the job she had managed to bag, after trying hard to convince her mother that it was the perfect way to prove they could stay in this pack that she could help run the household while working part-time. And yet, here she was… with her face covered in cold sweat, shivering under her blanket, still in bed.She didn’t remember the exact details this new dream; only flashes of darkness and something dragging her down. She didn't need to remember anything to know that it was a new nightmare that had woken her up.Her brows pulled together in irritation as she threw the covers off and stood up with a huff, muttering under her breath and stomping towards the bathroom to vent out her anger. “Great! First d
Abby's POV:I didn’t know how many hours had passed… or maybe days?Maybe years. I wouldn't even be sure if I was alive anymore, if not for the pain that kept reminding me. My throat was dry to the point where every single breath felt like I was inhaling fire. My tongue was swollen, sticking to the roof of my mouth, and the skin on my lips had cracked so badly that I tasted blood every time I tried to speak. My stomach had stopped growling two days ago, giving up on the hope that I was ever going to get something to eat. There was just a sharp and hollow ache where my stomach used to be, and the horrible feeling of bile rushing up my throat.I had no food… no water. And absolutely no idea who had taken me, or why.If they had kidnapped me for money, or even if they wanted to keep me as a prisoner… wouldn't it be important to keep me alive first? But these people didn't seem to care about it at all. Since the day they had dumped me inside this stinking dungeon, I had seen my kidna
Jonas’ POV, 2 weeks ago:It was close to midnight when repeated knocks at my door shattered the silence. I lifted the arm I had draped over my tired eyes.“Come in!”The door opened with a soft creak. A guard stepped in and bowed.“Sorry to disturb your sleep, Chief, but… uh, she tried to run away again.”I sighed and sat up on the edge of the bed, shaking my head. Not that I'd been sleeping anyway. “How far?" “She made it within two hundred metres of the boundary this time, before we caught her on patrol.”I got to my feet and walked towards the window, placing both hands on the wooden sill. The moon hung low in the sky, full and cold and distant, watching everything and saying nothing.I kept my back to him as I asked, “How many men?”There was a pause, as if he didn’t understand the reason behind this question. “Th-three,” he said finally. “She knocked down two, and was trying to strangle the third when we spotted her.”My lips twitched.“Good.”Her stamina was improving. Her
Abby's POV: I woke up to cold water splashing against my face, stinging my cracked lips and soaking through the rags clinging to my skin. My head pounded like a drum, and I was faintly aware that someone was shaking me. “Wake up, or—"A hand raised, ready to strike me and just as suddenly, I discovered my ability to speak again. “I’m awake! I’m awake!” I said quickly, breath hitching in panic. My eyes shot open and the light burned, but I blinked furiously, trying to focus. There was something about the ache in my face that told me this wasn't the first slap. My memory was foggy, but the throb in my bones was too familiar.I cursed him in my heart—coward. Kicking someone already half-dead.But then… something changed.Beyond the bars, I saw a silhouette—tall, broad. His face wasn't covered like the others. The moment my blurry gaze landed on him, my breath caught.I… I knew him.I recognized him.I sat up, or at least tried to. My body trembled from the effort, but I needed to see
Paul's POV:I stood with my arms folded as they dragged Abby into the room, her feet scraping against the floor, her head hanging like a wilted flower. The guards shackled her to the iron chair in the center of the chamber, her arms tied down, her ankles bound.She was a mess, a complete mess, that I wanted her to be. Blood crusted on her lips, bruises blooming across her cheek, her once-proud posture reduced to this pathetic slump. But I didn’t feel pity. Not anymore. In fact, I wanted more brutal things for her, after what she has done to my Lexie, my unborn child, she didn't even deserve the mercy of being alive, yet I am gracing her this time where she is still breathing.Bitterness crawled inside my mouth, and I leaned in close, just enough for her to feel my breath. “Why did you target Lexie? Are you really this naive to believe that she still has no one on her back to support her?”Her head twitched, but she didn’t lift it. “I didn’t,” she muttered hoarsely.Wrong answer. If
Lexie's POV:After the ritual by the ancient pool, the air still felt heavy, thick with the whispers of the elders and the silent tension that had swept over the pack. My mind was still occupied with the dark reflection I had seen in the water, and my heart felt a strange sense of foreboding. The words of the old woman who had warned me echoed in my thoughts, mingling with the unshakable feeling that something was about to change, something beyond our control.As I stood by Paul, trying to steady my breath, a soft rustling came from behind us, and I turned to see Lady Samantha approaching. The Luna’s presence, as graceful and grounded as ever, seemed to push the tension in the air back, her warmth easing the anxiety that I couldn’t quite shake.Lady Samantha’s gaze softened as she neared me, and without a word, she pulled me into a gentle embrace, her arms warm and comforting. I sank into the hug, grateful for the older woman’s steadying presence.“You’ve done well, Lexie,” Lady Sama
Lexie's POV:The night stretched on after the pool ritual, but the air was silent, thick and heavy, completely filled with unease. Even though the court tried to continue with their celebration, a quiet tension hung over us all. As not only me and Paul were completely silent, without any single chance of speaking any time sooner. No one else also dared to voice what they had witnessed in the water. The Elders exchanged whispered words, their faces were showing the tight lines filled with concern.Paul kept me close to him, his arm never straying far from my waist, as if the very act of holding me could shield me from whatever the pool had shown. His gaze remained sharp, scanning the guests around us, but I could feel the unease in his muscles, his every movement taut with a kind of unspoken worry.He was worried, he was better at hiding that up, unlike everyone else , who weren't brave enough to hide that fear, nor were they able to speak about it, as none of our guts were giving us
A New Beginning Lexie's POV: Dawn was just breaking when we approached the Alpha’s mansion, the sky was painted in soft hues of gold and rose, looking like the last masterpiece of the artist who decided to retire just after painting this soul touching landscape in the sky. I leaned into Paul’s side, my hand curled tightly around his arm, feeling his strength and warmth seep into me. His presence always made me feel that he was the answer to all my prayers, he was the home I always wished for, the reward of all my patience. I wanted to close my eyes and enjoy this bliss from the core of my heart, but I wasn't ready to let my eyes off the scenery, yet. The towering gates loomed ahead, adorned with the royal crest of the Apollo pack—a golden sun entwined with a silver wolf. They swung open slowly, and my breath caught. Beyond them, a grand procession waited. It was something beyond my imagination and expectations both. The entire court had gathered. Nobles in flowing silks,
Lexie's POV: Moonlight poured through the glass panels above us, painting silver trails across the bed. It was perfect. Just me and my new husband… only the raw, aching certainty between us, that we belonged to each other. Utterly and forever. He let me down gently, but the way his fingers tightened briefly on my waist betrayed the hunger simmering just beneath his calm. And God, I wanted that hunger. I wanted to drown in it, to be claimed by it, to leave behind every last piece of the girl I had been before him. I pushed up on shaking arms, desperate to close the space between us, even though I was still shaking. The aftershocks from the orgasm he pulled out of me with nothing but his mouth and fingers left my whole body boneless, burning, needy. My dress was bunched up around my waist, and Paul's hands were still smoothing slow, worshipful paths along my thighs, as if he couldn't stop touching me even for a second. I didn’t want him to stop. I couldn’t have him stop.
Lexie's POV: My heart was ready to burst out of my chest with happiness. The Lexie who had gotten used to being invisible at best and a monster at her worst, was still unable to believe that all these people were here to celebrate her union with her mate. Mate, the word which had once been enough to trigger all my trauma, was now the reason for this happiness. My mate, my husband, my Alpha. Paul didn’t say anything as he laced his fingers with mine, pulling me gently but firmly toward the edge of the glowing boat. I followed without a word, my heart pounding harder with every step. The guests faded into the background; the laughter, the music, the ripple of the lake, all blurred into a haze behind us. All I could feel was the heat of his hand around mine, the promise in his touch. A small rowboat was waiting at the side, lit only by the soft spill of moonlight. Paul helped me get in first, his hands skimming my waist. I sucked in a breath, suddenly extremely aware of ever
Lexie's POV: As the vows were sealed and the ceremonial howl echoed through the forest, the mist parted like a curtain, revealing a sixth boat that had been hidden partially till now. It was an oval platform, white and sparkling as it was paneled with crystal, tethered at a slight distance from the others. The lake under it was glowing faintly, with silver fireflies lighting a path across the water. Without a word, Paul took my hand, leading me toward the waiting boat. As we stepped onto it, the guests on the other boats rose in expectant silence, eyes shimmering with magic and emotion. The music began to be played on wind instruments and ancient drums, echoing across the lake like a call to something primal and sacred. Paul's hand slipped into mine as we took our place in the center, and the moment we stepped onto the floor, it was like entering another world. The crystal beneath my bare feet was cool, as if the magic of its surroundings had made it come alive. Around us,
Author's POV: The wedding was to be held at the sacred Whispering Pines– a place with and bound by the blessings of the Moon Goddess. For generations, the royals of werewolf packs had come here to wed under the gaze of the stars, and Paul, despite his preference for modernity, had chosen to honor that tradition. The Lake of Elarion stretched before them like a sheet of silver, reflecting the full moon and scattering the waves everywhere. It was said that when vows were exchanged at this place, the Moon Goddess herself was a witness to it. Five great boats were floating on the glassy surface of the lake, carved from ancient redwood. Each boat gleamed under the starlight, connected by delicate bridges woven with strands of silver and red silk thread. The largest among them was at the center, draped in pale silk and adorned with cascades of white roses. At its heart, a crescent-shaped platform glowed faintly, etched with sacred runes by the Elder wolves. Nobles and emissaries fr
Lexie felt it the moment Paul carried her across the threshold—the heat, the burn, like her blood had turned molten. It wasn’t just the remnants of whatever Damien had slipped into her drink. No, this was something different. Something deeper. Hungrier. Like her body was screaming for only one thing—and it was him.But the strangest part?The moment Paul touched her—just lightly, just enough to tug at the strap of her heel—it was like her skin remembered cool water. His fingers were a balm on her fire. Her muscles eased, her breath hitched, and for a second, her mind stopped spinning.She whimpered when he pulled away, even slightly.“Lexie,” Paul murmured again, trying to move back, trying to do the right thing. Always trying to do the right thing.But she didn’t care about right.She cared about real.And right now, he was real.She grabbed his tie again, tugged him down until their noses almost brushed. “Stop pulling away,” she whispered. “Don’t you dare pull away from me.”He hesi
Lexie's POV:The warmth from the drink surged faster than I expected, like liquid fire wrapping around my nerves. My limbs felt sluggish, and Damien’s hand slipped farther along my back, his body edging in too close, the smirk on his face tightening.“Damien… stop! Stop right now!” I whispered, trying to pull away. My voice sounded far away, and muffled. He leaned in, his lips far too close to my face. “Oh, come on! An omega like you is getting the attention of not one but TWO powerful Alphas, Don’t act like you are not enjoying this…”I recoiled. My elbow tried to rise, to shove him away, but it was no use. I felt like I was moving in slow motion, and the reality was buzzing past way too quickly for me to react in time. "Shh!”He mock-soothed, dragging me closer. "Everyone’s watching. Wouldn’t want a scene, would we now! Already, your reputation as a Luna is at stake, now who would like a fake attention seeker on top of that? Because let me tell you! Sister in law, my reputation