DARIUS♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎My side still ached like a son of a bitch, but I couldn't just sit around feeling sorry for myself. Not when there were still threats lurking out there. I called a meeting with Sylas and the strongest warriors in the pack. We gathered in the war room.“Alright,” I started, my voice still a bit rough, but firm. “We need to talk about security. Kaelen was an inside threat, and we dealt with him. But his buddies out there…” I clenched my fist. “We can’t underestimate them. They helped him plan this, they probably expected him to succeed. They might try something else.”Sylas nodded, his expression serious. “Agreed, Alpha. We’ve increased patrols around the Estate borders, and we’re keeping a close eye on anyone who might be connected to Kaelen.”“Good,” I said. “But we need to do more. I want double the guards on the Estate grounds, day and night. Every entrance, every exit. I want eyes everywhere. And I want a rotation schedule so no one gets complacent.”“Understo
EMMELINE♠︎♧♠︎♧♠︎♧♠︎♧I couldn’t shake the nightmares that followed. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Kaelen’s face… his threats, his twisted ritual… and the terror of that night came rushing back. I tossed and turned in the dark, sweat cooling on my skin as memories of his venomous words and dark promises haunted my sleep. I was so tired of waking up drenched in fear, of being trapped in that endless cycle of horror. Finally, unable to bear another sleepless hour, I climbed out of bed.I wandered the quiet halls of the estate, my feet echoing softly on the cool stone floor. Every shadow seemed to whisper of the past, and every creak of the wooden beams reminded me of promises broken and lives lost. I didn’t know where I was headed; I just needed to get away from my thoughts. I walked aimlessly until I found myself in front of Darius’s room.The door was slightly ajar, the faint glow of lamplight spilling into the corridor. My heart pounded in my ears as I hesitated for a moment. I
DARIUS♠︎★♠︎★♠︎★Today was the day. The day Kaelen finally paid for what he did. For what he tried to do to Emmeline. My blood boiled just thinking about it. The entire pack had gathered in the clearing, a grim silence hanging in the air. They dragged Kaelen out, and even though he was covered in blood and bruises, the bastard was still smirking. That smirk… it made my fists clench so tight my knuckles turned white."Kaelen," Sylas’s voice boomed, echoing through the tense crowd. He read out the list of Kaelen’s crimes – the betrayal, the attack on Emmeline, the attempt to usurp my position. Each word felt like a punch to my gut. When Sylas finished, he looked at Kaelen, his eyes hard. "Do you have any last words?"Kaelen’s smirk widened, if that was even possible. He looked straight at me, his eyes glinting with malice. "Yeah, I do. Darius, you pathetic excuse for an Alpha. You think this changes anything? You think killing me makes you strong? You’re still the same weakling who coul
DARIUS★★★★★Okay, Kaelen was dead. Finally. But that didn't mean the shitshow was over. The bastard had managed to worm his way into my Estate, which meant he had help. Someone on the inside had betrayed me. And that thought alone made my blood run cold. I couldn't let that slide. Not for Emmeline, not for the pack.My first priority was making sure the Estate was secure. I wasn't taking any chances. I gathered all the guards in the main hall, and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Their faces were a mix of relief and apprehension. They knew something was up."Listen up," I said, my voice hard, leaving no room for argument. "Kaelen didn't just waltz in here. He had help. Someone among you decided to turn traitor. And I'm going to find out who."I could see the fear in their eyes, and good. They should be scared. I wasn't in the mood for games.I started questioning them one by one. Not just the usual "Where were you?" bullshit. I asked specific questions, things only
EMMELINE’S POV♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧I tried. Honestly, I really tried to act like everything was normal. Like the shadows didn't seem to cling to me a little tighter these days. I even went for a walk, just like I used to. Remember those days? When a stroll through the pack lands would actually clear my head, make me feel… better? Yeah, those were the days. Now, every rustle of leaves, every hushed conversation felt like it was about me.I was halfway through the usual path, the one that winds past the training grounds and towards the garden, when I heard it. Just the faintest murmur at first, like the wind whispering secrets. But then it got clearer, sharper. It was coming from near the laundry shed, where a couple of maids were usually busy. Curiosity, and maybe a morbid sense of self-punishment, made me stop. I crept closer, hiding behind a thick oak tree, and listened.“Honestly, I still think she’s the reason all of this happened,” one of them said, her voice low and laced with something th
DARIUS★☆★☆The moment Emmeline told me what those two brainless hens had said, something inside me snapped. Pure, unadulterated fury. They dared to question her? They dared to speak ill of her in my pack? They clearly hadn’t learned a damn thing.“Stay here,” I told her, my voice low and tight. I saw the worry in her eyes, the way she reached out to stop me, but I was already gone. I needed them to understand, to truly understand, who Emmeline was to me and what their place was in this pack.I stormed through the packhouse, my command echoing through the halls. “Everyone! Gather in the main hall. Now!”The flurry of activity that followed was immediate. Wolves, young and old, stopped what they were doing and headed towards the main hall, their faces a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. They knew that tone. They knew when the Alpha was pissed.When everyone was assembled, the hall was packed, the air thick with anticipation. I stood on the raised platform, my gaze sweeping over ev
EMMELINE’S POV★☆★☆★☆★☆Waking up in Darius’s arms was becoming my new favorite thing. The warmth of his body pressed against mine, the steady rhythm of his breathing in my ear – it was a feeling of safety I hadn’t known I craved so deeply. Especially after last night. His words, his promise to make me Luna… it still felt like a dream. I snuggled closer, burying my face in his chest, a stupid, happy grin spreading across my face. Luna. Emmeline, Luna of the Blood Moon Pack. It had a nice ring to it, didn’t it?I closed my eyes, letting the image of myself standing beside Darius, strong and confident, wash over me. I could almost feel the weight of the responsibility, but it wasn’t scary. Not with him by my side. A soft chuckle rumbled in Darius’s chest, and my eyes fluttered open. He was already awake, watching me with that familiar, intense gaze that always made my heart do a little flip.“What’s got you smiling like a loon?” he asked, his voice husky with sleep.I playfully punched
DARIUS POV◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆“Sylas, you see anything out of the ordinary?” I asked, my voice low as we walked the perimeter of the Estate. There was a thick tension in the air that I couldn’t shake. Kaelen was gone, finally rotting in the ground where he belonged, but the snake had shed its skin, leaving behind a bunch of venomous little shits who still believed in his twisted cause. They were planning something, I could feel it in my gut, and I wasn’t about to let them catch us with our pants down. Not again.Sylas, my right-hand man and a brother in all but blood, scanned the dark with his usual hawk-like gaze. “Nothing yet, Darius. But the men are on edge. They feel it too.”“Good,” I said with a grunt. “Make sure they stay sharp—eyes wide, ears alert. Every single tunnel leading here needs to be under watch. Don’t forget how I slipped in back then… like a ghost.” I let out a dry chuckle. The tunnels had once been my secret weapon. Now, they could just as easily be used against me.We st
★DARIUS’ POV★The whispers hadn't stopped, not entirely. Even after the council meeting, even after Sylas and Lena started their 'educational talks,' I could still feel the undercurrent of unease in the pack. It was like a low-grade fever, always present. And it was all centered around the baby. My baby.Emmeline was trying to be strong, I knew she was. But I saw the way she'd sometimes flinch when a maid was a little too quiet, or how she'd touch her stomach protectively when someone looked at her a little too long. The incident with Clara and the shoes, and how her anger had triggered the baby's kicks... it only confirmed my fears. This wasn't just a normal pregnancy. This child was... reacting. Responding. And that kind of connection, that kind of power, was exactly what the pack was afraid of.I needed more than Elara's observations, as good as she was. I needed someone who understood the truly ‘unusual’. Someone who specialized in the weird, the rare, the supernatural pregnancies
★EMMELINE’S POV★Things were getting weirder. Not just the Alpha visits, which were still a thing, but the baby. My baby. Elara said it was unique, strong, and yeah, I was starting to feel exactly what she meant.It wasn't just random kicks anymore. It felt... connected. Like my emotions were having a direct line to the little person inside me.Yesterday, for example. I was trying to get ready for another stupid Alpha tea with another set of Alphas who were scheduled for that day, and one of the maids, a girl named Clara, brought me the wrong shoes. Again. It was the third time she'd messed up a simple errand that morning. I was already stressed about meeting another stranger who might be secretly judging me or my baby, and this just... tipped me."Clara," I said, trying to keep my voice even, but I could feel the annoyance bubbling up. "These aren't the shoes I asked for. These are the ones from Tuesday. I need the black ones with the silver buckle."She just stood there, looking flu
★DARIUS’ POV★Something was off. I could feel it in the air, a subtle shift in the pack's energy. It wasn't fear like when we were under attack, not that sharp, immediate terror. This was... quieter. More insidious. It was whispers. Hushed tones that stopped the moment I walked into a room. Eyes that flicked away too quickly.At first, I thought it was just the usual pack gossip, maybe about the Alpha visits or the new security measures. But the feeling persisted, a low hum of unease that seemed to follow me. I started paying closer attention, listening in on conversations I usually wouldn't bother with.And then I heard it. Bits and pieces."...the Luna's baby...""...so early, and so strong...""...a pure hybrid... like the old stories...""...what if it's too much?"Too much. That was the phrase that kept coming up. Too much power. Too much difference. Too much... unknown.I knew exactly what they were afraid of. Hybrids weren't unheard of, not entirely. I had Lycan blood myself, a
★EMMELINE’S POV★Well, so things were getting... interesting. Not just with the Alpha visits, which were still happening and still mostly weird, but with the baby. My baby.I was sitting on the window seat in my room, just like I did most afternoons now. The sun felt warm on my skin, and I had my hand resting on my stomach.Elara, the new midwife, was amazing. She was older, with kind eyes and hands that felt like they knew exactly what they were doing. She came by regularly to check on me, give me advice. Most of it made sense, even the weird bits about not eating undercooked meat or raw milk, which, ew, why would I anyway? But she explained it all patiently.Today, she was checking my belly, pressing gently here and there. I was relaxed, used to it by now."How are you feeling today, Luna?" she asked, her voice soft."Pretty good, Elara," I said, smiling a little. "Just tired sometimes. And hungry. Always hungry."She chuckled. "That is normal. The little one is taking much energy t
★EMMELINE’S POV★Okay, so today was the day scheduled for the Alphas coming to visit. Great. As if being Luna wasn't enough pressure after the ceremony do-over, now I had to sit here and entertain powerful strangers. Darius said it was important, that they wanted to 'formally greet' the new Luna. I just thought it sounded tiring.I smoothed down the front of my dress, the same one I wore for the ceremony. It felt a bit like a costume, but Darius seemed to like it. He was already in the receiving room when I got there, standing by the large window, looking out with that intense gaze he had. Sylas was there too, smart and vigilant as always."Feeling okay?" Darius turned as I entered, his expression softening slightly when he looked at me."As okay as I can be," I mumbled, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Just... don't really know what to expect."He walked over and gently took my hand. "Just be yourself. You're my Luna. They are here to show respect. Nothing more."I nodded
★DARIUS★Sylas nodded and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts again. The idea of other Alphas, other males, wanting to see Emmeline, to assess her, made my skin crawl. She was mine. Our mate bond was sacred, our child even more so. They had no right to intrude on our lives, on our fragile peace. But Sylas was right. Ignoring them could be worse. It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. All I could do was control what I could – the security, the vetting, and making sure Emmeline was protected at all costs.Hours later, the sun had set, and a quiet had settled over the compound. Sylas returned, looking tired, but with a sense of completion about him."Alpha," he said, entering my study. I was still there, staring out the window at the moon rising."Sylas," I turned. "The list?"He held up a single scroll. "Vetted. Every name checked, every pack investigated as thoroughly as possible in the time we had.""And?" I prompted, my heart hammering a little in my chest."Su
★DARIUS’ POV★Sleep didn't come easy, not since... well, not since everything. But especially not now. Not with Emmeline carrying our child. Every shadow outside her window felt like a threat, every creak of the old house sounded like an intruder. It was a constant, low thrum of anxiety under my skin. Seeing her today, looking a little less pale after Elara's visit, helped, but it didn't erase the feeling that the world was just waiting to snatch away the few good things I had.I was in my study, the maps and reports on my desk blurring into meaningless lines. I needed to do something. Sitting here, waiting, felt like a betrayal.I slammed a fist lightly on the desk. Enough.I got up and went straight to the guards stationed outside my wing. "Increase the perimeter," I ordered the guard. "Double the patrols around the Luna's wing. I want eyes on every approach, every hour."The guard l nodded. He knew the score. "Consider it done, Alpha.""And," I added, running a hand through my hair
★★EMMELINE★★◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇The door creaked open, and I looked up from where I was propped up on the pillows. It wasn't the usual hesitant young woman who'd been checking in. This time, a woman who looked like she'd seen more sunrises than I'd seen rainy days walked in. She was older, her face etched with lines that somehow made her look both tired and incredibly kind. She had a presence, you know? Like the quiet strength of an old tree.She introduced herself as Elara, the new midwife. Her voice was low and calm. "Luna," she said, giving me a small smile. "I'm here to check on you and the little one."I just nodded, feeling a bit shy. The other midwives had been nice enough, but they always seemed a bit... nervous around me. Elara didn't have that. She just felt... solid.She came closer to the bed, her movements slow and deliberate. She didn't rush anything. She sat down on the edge of the bed gently and reached for my wrist to check my pulse. Her hand felt warm and steady."How are
★DARIUS’ POV★●●●●●●●●●●●●●●The noise of the banquet hall faded behind us as I guided Emmeline towards our room. My hand rested on the small of her back, feeling the warmth of her through the thin fabric of her dress. Every step felt like walking on air, not just because of the wine, but because she was beside me. My Luna. The words still felt new, shiny, perfect.We got to the door, and I paused, turning her gently to face me. Her eyes, bright and sparkling from the evening, met mine. Oh moon goddess, she was beautiful. Not just in that dress, which looked incredible on her, but the way she was her. The way she smiled, the little crinkle at the corner of her eyes, the way she bit her lip when she was thinking. All of it."Finally," I murmured, my voice a little rougher than I intended. I reached up, cupping her face in my hands. "Finally, we're alone."She leaned into my touch, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "It was a wonderful banquet, Darius. Truly.""It was," I agreed, my thumbs