Jaselyn's POV
We both stand there, breathing heavily, the sting of my slap hanging in the air between us. Rion's eyes are a storm of emotions—pain, regret, and something deeper, something raw. I turn away, my heart pounding in my chest.
"You must think so highly of yourself. You left suddenly after basically rejecting me and you think you can just waltz back in here and kiss me like nothing happened, touch me like you love me. You're so insufferable."
Rion's face contorts with anguish. "Jas, I’m sorry. I left on official business, and I thought we both needed space to process everything, to figure out our feelings. I didn’t call because I didn’t want to make things harder for you. It wasn’t my intention to make you feel neglected or abandoned."
His words sting, but they don’t change anything. "That doesn’t change the truth, Rion. Ziarre is still the one who holds your heart, and I can’t keep up with this cha
Rion's POVThe moment our lips meet, it’s like a dam breaks inside me. All the pent-up frustration, the longing, and the unspoken emotions flood out. Jaselyn’s mouth is hot and eager against mine, her body melting into me. I deepen the kiss, my tongue exploring hers with an intensity that makes my head spin.I press her harder against the wall, my hands roaming over her body. The feel of her curves beneath my palms ignites a fire within me. I grip her waist and slide my hands up, unclasping her bra with practiced ease. Her moan is music to my ears, and I pull back just enough to see her eyes dark with desire."Gods, I need you," I murmur against her lips before capturing them again in a searing kiss. My hands find her breasts, and I tease her nipples, drawing out more of those sweet sounds that drive me wild. I can feel her arching into my touch, her hands tangling in my hair as she pulls me closer.I kiss a trail down her neck, biting and suc
Rion's POV“You’re so perfect, Jas. And yet all mine.” I murmur, leaning down to capture her lips in a searing kiss. Our tongues tangle, the taste of her still on my lips, and it drives me wild. I pick up the pace, each thrust deeper, harder, the bed creaking beneath us.I break the kiss and move down her body, my mouth finding her breasts. I take one nipple into my mouth, sucking hard, then biting gently. Her back arches off the bed, a cry escaping her lips.“Rion, please….. don’t stop,” she begs, her hips bucking up to meet mine.I switch to her other breast, giving it the same attention, my hands gripping her hips to hold her steady. I can feel her getting closer, her body trembling beneath me. I release her nipple with a pop and move back up to kiss her again, my thrusts becoming more urgent.“Fuck, Jas, you feel amazing,” I groan, my voice rough with desire.Her hands find my
Rion's POVThe soft dawn light filters through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Jaselyn is nestled against me, her breathing slow and even. I’m drifting in that comfortable space between sleep and wakefulness when a harsh, persistent knocking shatters the peace. I groan, blinking away the remnants of sleep.“Who the hell is knocking at this hour?” I mutter, reluctantly slipping out of bed. Jaselyn stirs, but she’s too sore from last night to get up.“I’ll get it,” I say, pulling on my pants but not bothering with a shirt. Whoever has the nerve to disturb us so early is about to get a piece of my mind.I yank the door open, ready to unleash my frustration, but the sight before me stops me cold. Larose is standing there, tears streaming down her face, her eyes red and puffy. She looks utterly devastated.“Larose? What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice softening immediately. She tries
Rion's POVMy heart aches at the thought of my mother, the Luna of this Pack, in such a state of denial. She’s always been strong, a pillar for this Pack. She's the one who kept the Pack running all these years after father succumbed to his illness and became bedridden. She's the reason why this Pack has become so powerful and successful. She's one of the strongest people I know but this loss is shattering her. I know I need to be there for her, to help her through this.“We need to go to her,” I say firmly. “She can’t be alone right now.”I turn to Larose. “Give us a minute to get dressed.”Larose nods, wiping her eyes as she steps outside. I helped Jaselyn up, and we quickly put on our clothes, our movements hurried and tense. Once we’re ready, we head out, finding Larose waiting just outside the door. Together, we rushed to Father's room.I knock gently on the door, my voice firm but so
Zane's POVThe room felt like a cage, each second dragging into eternity. Tonight was the night. The night I would finally break free from this hellhole and reunite with Jaselyn. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a reminder of the stakes. Failure was not an option.Pacing back and forth, I couldn't shake the anxiety gripping me. Artem tried to soothe my nerves, but even he was restless. The plan was set, everything had been meticulously arranged. But until I was out, every moment was a potential disaster.A quiet knock on the door startled me, my heart leaping into my throat. I froze, fearing it was Isla. But then, three knocks. Our secret code. It was Nae.I hurried to the door and opened it just a crack. Nae slipped inside, glancing around nervously before locking the door behind her. She held a bag close to her chest, her eyes wide with fear."Did you get everything?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.She nodded,
Zane's POVFor a moment, the world stopped. Her words echoed in my mind, almost too impossible to believe. "What did you say?" I asked, my voice cracking."Isla lied," Nae continued, her voice filled with guilt. "Your son survived. She's been raising him, feeding him some kind of drug to keep him docile. I’m so sorry. I should have told you sooner, but I was scared. Isla…… she’s dangerous, Zane."The room spun around me, my knees buckling under the weight of her revelation. I clutched at the nearest chair, trying to steady myself. "My son…... he’s alive?" I whispered, tears blurring my vision."Yes," Nae said, stepping closer, her face full of remorse. "And he's not safe with her. She's….. she's not right in the head. She's obsessed with him, she won’t let anyone else near him except her trusted maid. I’ve seen the way she looks at him, Zane. I’m scared for him."A whirlwind of e
Zane's POV"Stop right there! Both of you!" Blade's voice rang out through the cold night air, halting us in our tracks. The chilling command seemed to freeze the blood in my veins. I turned slowly, dread pooling in my stomach, to see Blade standing there, gun aimed at us, his eyes cold and unyielding. Isla emerged from the shadows, behind him, her laughter cruel and triumphant."Did you really think you could escape me that easily, Zane?" Isla's voice was laced with a sickening delight, her eyes alight with a twisted satisfaction.My heart sank as I glanced at Nae, whose fear mirrored my own. How had they found out?Was this all a trap? Was I being toyed with? Lured out just for Isla's twisted pleasure?But the genuine terror in Nae’s eyes told me she hadn’t betrayed me."I had a listening device installed in your room since the beginning of your little suicide attempts," Isla sneered, relishing every moment of our d
Jaselyn’s POVThe past week has been a whirlwind of grief and duty. When Alpha Xyne died, the entire Pack was thrown into mourning. Rion had called a Pack meeting to announce the news, and it was like a punch to everyone's gut. I remember the gasps and cries that rippled through the crowd as he spoke. People were in shock, some of them dropping to their knees in disbelief.The palace, once filled with the bustling energy of daily life, felt like it was wrapped in a heavy, suffocating blanket of sorrow. Black banners were hung, and everyone wore somber expressions. The hallways, usually echoing with laughter and conversation, were now eerily silent, filled only with the soft sounds of weeping and the occasional whisper.Rion had to step up immediately, taking over all the Pack's affairs because Luna Daryna was in no state to do so. After she woke up, she cried nonstop, her grief so intense that she eventually fell sick. It was heartbreaking to see her
Celio's POV The wooden floor creaked under my knees as I scrubbed away at the dirt, pushing the rag back and forth with all the strength my small, 8 year old body could muster. The chill of the mountain wind seeped through the cracks in the old walls, biting at my skin. My hands were raw and red, the rough texture of the rag scraping against my knuckles. I didn’t mind. I didn’t mind the pain, the hunger gnawing at my stomach, or the loneliness that pressed on me like an iron weight. I was used to it.I glanced out the cracked window at the gray sky that mirrored my feelings. The little shack we lived in sat at the base of the mountain, far away from any Pack. Isla had always told me that it was better this way—away from the people who would look at me and know that I wasn’t wanted, that I was abandoned by the very woman who should have loved me most.“Your mother didn’t want you, Celio,” Isla would say, her voice sharp and filled with disdain. “She threw you away like you were nothing
Luka's POV The day started out like any other. Mika, Sawyer, and I were playing in the woods behind the palace, chasing each other through the trees, our laughter echoing in the air. At seven years old, we were pretending to be fierce wolves on a hunt, leaping over fallen logs and dodging branches. It was perfect, like it always was when we were together.But then everything changed in an instant.I heard the thud first—a sound so sharp and heavy that it made my heart skip a beat. I stopped and turned around, the world seeming to move in slow motion as I saw Mika crumple to the ground, his face twisted in pain.“Mika!” I shouted, racing back to him. The sight that met me made my stomach lurch. His leg was twisted at an odd angle, and there was blood—so much blood—pouring out of a long, deep gash along his shin. It covered the grass, bright and red, and kept coming. I couldn’t breathe.Sawyer came running up, her eyes huge and frightened as she saw the blood. “Luka, what happened?” sh
Jaselyn's POV I took his hand, and he pulled me close, holding me from behind as we swayed gently to the music. His lips brushed my ear as he whispered, “You’re beautiful, you know that? Even after everything, you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And I’m the luckiest man alive to have you.”Tears pricked my eyes, but they weren’t tears of sadness this time. They were tears of happiness, of gratitude. “Rion… you don’t know how much that means to me.”He kissed my neck softly. “You mean everything to me, Jas.”Suddenly, the music stopped, and a projector flickered on. I turned to see a slideshow of pictures—our memories together. Photos of us when we first arrived at the Pack, a few of the whole family, some from the day of our mating ceremony, which also doubled with the coronation, pictures of us as Alpha and Luna at a few events, including one of us at the Peace Ball. Pictures of me with the twins when they were born and finally, pictures of us with Luka and Mika. I
Jaselyn’s POVExhausted didn’t even begin to cover how I felt. I was beyond it. No, it was more like EXHAUSTED in capital letters, underlined and bold. It had been a few days since Luka and Mika were born, and though I’d prepared myself for the sleepless nights and constant feeding, nothing could have readied me for the complete overwhelm of being a new mother to two newborns at the same time. Rion helped as much as he could. He was always there, doing everything in his power to make things easier for me. But there was only so much even he could do. There were things I had to handle myself—breastfeeding, comforting them when they both decided to cry at the same time, managing the constant pain in my body that hadn’t fully recovered from the trauma of childbirth.Luka was a good feeder. He latched on almost immediately, eager to nurse, but Mika wasn’t doing as well. He struggled with breastfeeding, and that meant more time spent trying to get him to eat, more time stressing about whet
Jaselyn's POVFive years have passed since the birth of our twin boys.And in those years, Luka and Mika had grown into mischievous, spirited children who constantly kept me on my toes. They were inseparable, their bond unbreakable, and they moved through life with a shared sense of curiosity and adventure.Completely identical, they inherited the dominant Solstice genes with their ebony black hair, deep green eyes, and strikingly beautiful features. They were so similar in appearance that even their grandmother couldn’t tell them apart.Only Rion and I could tell which was Luka and which was Mika, and the boys often used this to their advantage, tricking everyone around them. But when they weren’t up to mischief, they were the sweetest children imaginable—kind, considerate, and always eager to bring a smile to my face.They were the best of friends, always looking out for each other. If one fell ill,
Rion's POV“That’s it, Luna,” the midwife encouraged. “The hardest part is over. Just one more push, and we’ll have him out.”Jaselyn nodded weakly, her face pale and slick with sweat. She gritted her teeth, her whole body trembling as she summoned the last of her strength. With a final, desperate scream, she pushed again, her body arching off the bed as she bore down with everything she had left.The baby slipped free with a gush of fluid and blood, his tiny body wriggling and slick in the midwife’s hands. “It’s a boy!” she announced, holding him up for us to see, his loud, piercing cries filling the room.My heart swelled with emotion as I gazed at our son, his tiny face scrunched up in a wail, his fists clenched and shaking. Tears blurred my vision as I looked at Jaselyn. “He’s beautiful,” I choked out, my voice thick with emotion. “Jas, you did it. You gave us a
Rion's POVI slammed my fist against the desk, sending papers flying. The frustration had been building for months, and now it was boiling over. "Dammit!" I cursed, pacing the room in a futile attempt to calm myself. We had conquered the Rain Forest Pack with ease, but it had been a hollow victory. Hadrian, that fool, had chosen to die rather than betray his cousin, Isla. He'd poisoned himself before we could get any information out of him. Another dead end.The Fishers were a twisted bunch. Part of me relished the thought of wiping them out for good, to rid the world of their poison. Isla had slipped through our fingers, and I was beginning to fear we’d never find her. If I could only get my hands on her, I would make her pay for taking Celio. She would wish she had never been born.Blade had been another disappointment, another dead end in our search for Celio. We had pushed him to his absolute limits, hoping that the pain and pressure would force
Jaselyn's POV“Maybe we could…shower together?” I suggested hesitantly. “It might help me relax.”Rion smiled softly, his eyes filled with understanding. “That sounds like a great idea. Come on, let’s get cleaned up.”We both undressed completely, and I followed him into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, adjusting the water temperature until it was just right, then we stepped under the warm spray together.The water cascaded over us, washing away the tension and the grime from the day. Rion wrapped his arms around me from behind, holding me close as the water streamed down our bodies. I leaned back against him, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my back. His touch was gentle, his hands moving over my skin with care, never lingering too long in one place.He washed my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp in slow, soothing circles. I closed my eyes, letting myself relax under
Jaselyn's POVI agreed to see Nae, but only because I needed to know if she could give me any information about where Isla might have taken Celio. It was my only lead, and I wasn’t about to let it slip through my fingers, no matter how much I despised Nae.Before heading to see her, I turned to Rion. His clothes were torn and stained with dirt and blood from the battle. He looked tired, and I could see the weariness in his eyes despite his usual confident stance. He needed rest, and he needed to be taken care of. After everything he had done for me, it was the least I could do for him.“Come with me,” I said softly, taking his hand. I led him back to our bedroom, feeling a mixture of nerves and determination. “Rion, I want our lives to go back to normal,” I began, my voice wavering slightly. “I want to feel close to you again.”He looked at me with a mix of surprise and concern. “Jas, you don’t h