Hazel’s POV Stavros easily overtook the rest of them and reached me before they could. Before I could realize his intentions, he picked me up in his arms, leaving me stunned. I wrapped my arm around his broad shoulders to keep myself from falling. “Stavros, what are you up to?” Instead of replying, he strode towards the house with me in his arms. The others ran after him.“Hand her over to us, bro. It’s time for the birthday bumps!” insisted Orion while I panicked. “No, please,” I begged Stavros, holding his gaze. With his face inches away from mine, my eyes drank him in. He was so handsome from so close. If only he could smile more!“No, I don’t hand over what’s mine!” My jaws dropped to the ground, almost. Now what did that mean? “Are you kidding me?” gasped Orion, following Stavros into the house. “What’s gotten into him?” asked Alexandrios with a chuckle. “He’s bitten by the love bug!” whispered back Hera. I could hear them distinctly, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassmen
Stavros’s POV Hazel left the room reluctantly while I sat facing her granny. From the moment she stepped into the house, I knew she had sensed the cursed energy emanating from me. I had heard about her from Aunt Carla before. Erika Payne was a powerful witch of her time, more powerful than Annabeth, with powers that could destroy a hybrid like me. Therefore, it was impossible to evade her. I feared her hatred. Would she warn me of Hazel? How would I live without Hazel? I was sure no one could love her as much as I did. Not even Alpha Zander. I was sure he had an ulterior motive for pursuing Hazel. He didn’t look like a wolf in love with her. “Who are you?” Witch Erika’s whisper brought me out of my thoughts. I met her unwavering gaze with confidence. I would face her with my honesty. My heart was pure and my love for Hazel was unconditional. I had nothing to fear. “I’m Stavros Petrakis, son of Theodore Bergeron, the Delta of the Luceres Pack, and Sarah Kingsley, the pack’s doctor
Hazel’s POV My heart melted, and I forgot his rejection earlier. “Yes, please. Is this my birthday gift?” He shook his head with a small smile playing on his lips, closing the distance between us. I closed my eyes, waiting for his lips to touch mine. Sparks of electric current shot up my body when his warm lips claimed mine. A gasp of pure pleasure escaped my mouth.He clasped the back of my head as his tongue glided in. He licked inside my mouth, devouring me and branding me with his touch. Moisture leaked out of me, soaking my underwear through. He grunted with frustration. Maybe he could get the scent of my arousal, just like I could sense his. His fingers threaded through my hair as he battled to restrain himself. Why did he need to restrain himself all the time? Why couldn’t he let go? Maybe because he was unwell, tenderness washed over me, and I snaked my arms around his shoulders and kissed him back like he did. It unleashed a passion lying dormant for so long and his mout
Stavros’s POV I felt relieved at Aunt Cassie’s suggestion. It was the perfect alternative and would suit everyone. Emerald Bernier was Aunt Cassie’s youngest daughter, and she stayed back in Inuvik after college to pursue her dream. She dreamed of owning a bakery, but she struggled to run it in downtown Inuvik. Maybe the independent streak in her character made her prefer the rogue’s life in Inuvik. My relief was short-lived as Alpha Zander gave us a look of dread. “Who’s Emerald? I don’t even know her. Bring her over and I’ll decide if I want her in my life.”Granny Erika groaned, and so did the others. “She lives in Inuvik. You need to go there to meet her.” “I won’t. If Hazel doesn’t agree to pay for her mother’s mistake, then I have to complain to the council. You have twenty-four hours to decide, Hazel.” He rose to his feet in a fit of rage and stormed out of the house before we could pacify him. Hazel’s shoulders slumped, and she looked close to tears. “What will we do, gra
Stavros’s POVThe blush on her cheeks gave me immense satisfaction as I walked ahead to my bedroom to dump her luggage. Strangely, she didn’t protest at all. It seemed she wanted to spend the night in bed with me. Despite knowing I couldn’t get much action tonight, I was excited beyond words. I could at least hold her close to my heart.“Can I change into something comfortable? I was expecting to go out on a date.” My gaze swept over her warm coat that covered the rest of her outfit. I wondered what she was wearing underneath.“Sure. The house is centrally heated. So you can roam around with nothing on.” She gasped with horror and I winked at her before leaving the room.“I’m serving dinner. Come soon.”As I closed the door after me, my heart skipped a beat, imagining her with nothing on. I would have seen her and claimed her if I wasn't a cursed wolf. Maybe soon I will. My c*ck immediately responded, and I had to think of caribou to stop myself from getting a painful hard-on. Now I w
Stavros’s POV Hazel watched the wonders of the night sky before dozing off to sleep on my arm. I watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, the long shadows cast on her cheeks by her curled lashes made me heave a helpless sigh.I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad because of her announcement to move in with me. It was what I always wanted. It was inevitable too, but now, when it was finally happening, I didn’t know how to react anymore.The situation was weird, and I didn’t trust Dyson. I stretched my tired muscles, taking care not to move the arm Hazel was sleeping on. My mind was disturbed and I couldn’t sleep a wink even if I wanted to.The entire night, I watched my rejected mate and sighed with hopelessness. She stirred before dawn and looked around, blushing to see me watching her. The morning sky was tinged with hints of gold and they radiated off Hazel’s face, too. She looked like a blessing sent into my life by the Moon Goddess!“When did you wake up?” she whispered,
Hazel’s POV “Why didn’t Emerald come along? She could have met Zander!” I felt close to tears at the sight of my aunts returning from Aunt Syble’s house. Granny and Aunt Carmen had already gone to Fairbanks from Inuvik. My aunts had just returned from Inuvik when I called them to reach Aunt Syble’s house. As such, I couldn’t ask them about Emerald. Now, all my hopes were dashed. It seemed I could never get rid of Alpha Zander. “She isn’t ready for a mate. Emerald threatened to run away if we forced her. Her bakery is keeping her busy since she’s bankrupt, trying to run it all by herself.” I sighed and walked away to my room. Emerald was the most stubborn wolf on earth. For the last five years, she had been battling all by herself in Inuvik, refusing to give up on her dreams. She refused help from Granny and Aunt Cassie, trying to make ends meet on her own. How did I expect anything better from her? I glanced at the packed boxes and wondered what Stavros was up to now. Ever since h
Hazel’s POV The next day, I planned to launch our school. After taking Hera for a doctor’s visit, I wanted to visit the site, but I would have to meet Stavros. He hadn’t taken my call last night, and I was sure he was avoiding me.“Can you stay by yourself for a while, Hera? I need to go to the packhouse to meet Stavros. He hasn’t been taking my calls lately.”“Sure I can, but Stav isn’t at the packhouse now. There was a rogue attack at our southern borders last night, and he was busy fighting them. Today, they have been hunting for a rogue female spy who has entered our territory.”I gaped at her with concern. “Oh, I hope he is fine. He isn’t even taking my calls.”“His phone broke during the fight. Why don’t you call Homer instead? They’re together.” She gave me Homer’s number, and I felt relieved. So Stavros wasn’t ignoring me. He really was busy.I called Homer, and he immediately handed the phone to Stavros.“Hey, Hazel! Where are you now?” His voice sounded like an elixir to my
Hazel’s POVA Fortnight LaterI watched my mate in awe as he expertly tended to the twins. It had been two weeks since he returned, yet it still felt surreal. In these two weeks, Stavros has learned to take care of the pups better than me. We didn’t need my aunts at all. He has been a doting father and a caring mate to me, making up for his absence during childbirth.He explained his lineage to me, but it didn’t matter at all that he was a wind wolf. To me, he was just my mate.The treasures he brought for me were priceless, not for their worth, but because they were a blessing from his father. He told me everything about his ordeal in the Wild Wain Village. I was glad he found his closure.The doorbell rang, bringing me out of my reverie. “I’ll get it. Here, you can change Helios,” said Stavros.He walked out of the nursery while I tucked the twins into bed. I could hear the hushed whispers downstairs. Who could be here now? I was looking forward to spending some time with Stavros af
Stavros’s POVShe released my mouth and grinned at the jaw-dropped look on my face. A million questions flitted across my head as she eased off my lap and started the car.“I don’t understand, Hazel. What happened to you? Umm, I mean how do you look so thin? Your featherweight too.”She chuckled as she drove on. “Oh, come on! I was never featherweight!”I watched her, feeling even more puzzled than before. “But what about the twins? I don’t understand how you reduced so much in a few days.”She laughed as if it was obvious. “I popped the twins out, silly. That’s why my tummy has shrunk!” My mouth hung with astonishment.What does “Popped” mean? Did she deliver my pups? If so, where were they, and why was she heading to the hospital?“Popped means gave birth. The day you were captured, I delivered the twins. Today I saw my gynecologist, Dr. Sylvia, who helped me give birth. It was a routine check-up.” My heart skipped a beat and I couldn’t help but say a silent prayer to the kind godde
Stavros’s POV“That’s sorted then. I’m sure you can sort the rest by yourselves. I’ll leave for home.” In my haste, I had completely forgotten about my father’s treasure and property.“Beta, can we discuss your father’s belongings, which are rightfully yours?” asked Delta Drupal.“Oh, yes. As I had mentioned earlier, I will give away everything to the pack members. You can use the treasure and the property for the welfare of the pack. Please prepare the legal documents and send them to me in Lucania for my signature.” I wanted the entire pack to know that my father’s precious possessions belonged to them. It wasn’t the Alpha’s personal property or wealth. I wouldn’t want anyone to take undue advantage of my father’s hard earned wealth.“Yes, Beta. I appreciate your kindness. Can we transform the mansion into our packhouse to shelter the members who are homeless?” asked Delta Drupal, eliciting cheers from the pack members. I knew I had made the right decision in choosing him as the Alp
Stavros’s POVZephyrus looked relieved to see me. “Stop the battle. They’ve released Beta Stavros,” he yelled, striding towards me. Even Alpha Alexios barked orders to stop the fight and step back.I gazed all around me at the beheaded, blood-smeared bodies lying all around the snow-covered terrain. The ground was transformed into a sea of blood, and my heart sank with despair. This wasn’t what I wanted for my father’s pack.“Beta Stavros, please save our pack. Only fifty of us are alive now,” pleaded Zeta Athlon, dropping to his knees in front of me in a sea of blood. The injury across his chest looked fatal, and nothing could save him now. They should have revolted against Beta Velez and released me earlier. It would have stopped the fight.“It’s your doing, Zeta. The fight has ceased and everyone can return home. We will leave your territory right now,” said Alpha Alexios.“Please stay the night. We want to discuss an important topic tomorrow once everyone is well-rested. It’s cruc
Stavros’s POVWith the sun up all day and night, keeping track of time within the room where I was locked was difficult. It was frustrating since I couldn’t escape with the tight security all around. The wind wolves were desperate to keep me here and could do anything to have their way. I didn’t fear for myself but for my family in Lucania.By now, I was sure their Zeta had reached Lucania to abduct Hazel. Had she given birth yet?I was restless as I paced the floor. There had to be a way to reach out to Hazel. I tried to mind-link with Hazel, but I was too far away to connect to her. Neither could I connect with Zephyrus this time, although we shared a good rapport with one another. Were the wind wolves blocking me out? With their unknown powers, there was a possibility that they were preventing me from reaching out for help. Did they possess psychic powers?After the cleansing ritual, I had completely severed all ties with Dyson. So even if I tried, I couldn’t connect with him.Ther
Hazel’s POVI opened my eyes to look around me. Yes, I was still alone at the hospital waiting to be discharged. I lost my senses after hearing the news of my mate’s capture. It devastated me, totally catching me unawares. I had expected Stavros to be injured, but never captured and taken away to some unknown enemy territory.I closed my eyes, unable to imagine what he was going through there. How could Zeph allow this to happen? Wasn’t it his duty to protect his Beta? Shouldn’t he rescue Stavros? I needed my phone to get some answers from Zephyrus. Somehow, I felt let down. All his life, Stavros had unconditionally stood by Zeph and now, when he was in the enemy territory, how could the pack members sit back and relax?I eased off the hospital bed to find out what was going on. I was supposed to get discharged today and planned to follow up with my doctor, but first, I needed to check up on the twins.Walking down to the nursery, I could feel the sympathetic glances thrown my way. Ob
Stavros’s POVThe car sped along the highway that took me through the boreal forest, high Alpine, and rolling tundra until we reached a desolate village. I knew the place since I had come here before. It was the Wild Wain Village, the territory of the Wind Wolves. The place was cold, desolate, and uninhabitable, submerged in darkness because the clouds hanging low completely blocked the pale rays of the Midnight sun.Beta Velez drove on with a grim look on his face while I watched for road signs to guide me back. There was no way I would live here. After meeting their Alpha and knowing their motive, I would surely escape. I wanted to ask so many things but the gag prevented me from speaking.“Mmm!” I struggled to get it off and Beta Velez stopped the car and untied my mouth at last. I sputtered, gasping for air. My mouth felt parched but with my hands still tied up, I doubted I would get water to drink.“Why have you brought me here? I want to meet your Alpha.” He drove on in silence,
Hazel’s POVI tossed and turned all afternoon; the pain escalating every minute. After Stavros’s call, I fell asleep from exhaustion. He still hadn’t returned when I woke up, and neither did the others. Now the dull throbbing ache in my cervix turned excruciating, and I gritted my teeth to bear it.The door opened, and Aunt Carla entered my room. “Hazel, we can’t delay this anymore. We have to take you to the hospital. Your contractions have started.”I gave her a frantic look. I couldn’t deliver without Stavros! He promised he would be there with me all along. “Please call Stavros, Aunt Carla. I can’t do this alone.” Tears pooled in my eyes and streamed down my cheeks while she gave me a hesitant look.“Stavros and the others are very busy at the borders. The enemy has attacked us and they cannot return. You have us with you, Hazel. Don’t delay this. You’re risking your life and also that of your pups.” I sighed and nodded, agreeing with their wishes.“Fine, I’ll go to the hospital.”
Stavros’s POVHazel’s call disturbed me a lot as I waited for some update on the attackers. True to his promise, Orion called after forty minutes with a shocking update. I wondered how he located the enemy so fast. It only meant one thing. They hadn’t left but were lurking nearby instead.“Yes, Orion. Have you located the enemy?”“Yes, Stav. They’ve taken shelter at the foothills of Mount Richardson. I’m keeping a watch on their activities and it doesn’t look hopeful. I think they’re heading over to launch an attack on us again.”My jaws dropped with horror. I had no idea the enemy was so close. “Do you have any idea who they are and what they want?”“No, Stav, but they aren’t normal shifters like us. Their speed is the fastest I’ve ever seen. I can’t get near as they can sense anything nearby. They’ve killed two rogues trespassing nearby and five bears already.” I frowned at his description.“How do they look? Do they possess any typical physical traits?” Orion considered my question