Jaselyn's POVIt takes a minute for me to collect myself. I get up from the floor and wipe my tears, hissing at the sting as my hands come in contact with my cheeks.I take a deep breath and pick up the clothes from the floor. I walk into the bathroom and change into them. The clothes are uncomfortable and they make me feel exposed. I take a look in the mirror to inspect the damage on my face. My cheeks are swollen as I had feared, the redness has started turning a dark purple color. Thankfully, the slight heat didn't cause any damage but it's only because I gave in quickly. The slit on my bottom lip is visible and swollen with dried blood on it. My eyes are red and puffy with my hair in disarray. I looked like a total mess and I felt like shit as well.Isla said to wear make-up but I don't have any so I'm assuming she wants me to use some of hers. It explains why she left me in her room. I walk out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. I brush my hair before weaving it into a s
Jaselyn's POVMy legs carry me to the exit but as usual, it's guarded. Blade is talking to one of the guards and I pause abruptly, a sense of urgency washing over me.“Please! Please let me pass, my life is in danger. If I don't leave from here now, only Selene knows what will become of me.” I plead out hysterically, my breath coming out in strides.Blade takes me in for a moment with an expression I can't read or I'm too worried about my own safety to care what he's thinking right now.“I'm sorry but you know the rules. The Alpha has given strict orders never to let you pass through these doors. There's nothing I can do for you.” He says bluntly and the tears welling up in my eyes finally fall.I know that Isla is close by, she'll catch up to me any moment now if I don't leave.“Please, if you have even an ounce of sympathy in you, let me pass. The Alpha doesn't have to know you let me escape, you can just cover it up. I'm begging you to please save me, let me go.” I plead once more,
Jaselyn's POV “Keep quiet, you little whore. Who gave you the right to speak? I won't hear another demeaning word from you, you wretched creature.” She screams and before I realize what's happening, a shoe comes flying in my direction.It's too sudden and I'm unable to dodge it fast enough, it hits me on the side of the head and I'm dazed in an instant, my vision blurring uncontrollably.It takes all my willpower in that moment to stop myself from collapsing as I grasp the side of my head which throbs painfully. I feel something wet against my hand and quickly take a look, realizing that it's blood. The side of my head is bleeding!“This is only happening because I've been far too lenient with you. Now you'll feel the full extent of my wrath so that after today, you'll never forget your place again.” She screams out just at the exact moment that another thunderclap rumbles.My head rings as she grabs my arm, dragging me out of the room again. I feel like I'm in a daze as my vision co
Zane's POV“Is this really necessary? You've never been this eager to return to the Pack from your official outings. Besides, why did you insist on returning today when the weather is so bad?” Rion complained but I chose to ignore him, focusing all my attention on the view through the window as the car drove through the muddy path.Call me crazy but I have this tick, this hunch that something is horribly wrong. The issue with Alpha Zeke was thankfully trivial enough that it could be sorted out through discussion. He invited me to stay for a few days and I would have been inclined to accept the offer if this feeling of dread hadn't suddenly crashed over me like an unforgiving wave.I woke up today with a stomach ache, something that rarely happened. I was served a feast but I could barely eat anything, I just felt so unedge, like something wasn't right.Rion noticed it. After breakfast, he confronted me about it and I honestly had no idea what to tell him as I, myself, have no idea wha
Zane's POV “I'm sorry, Alpha but that would be dangerous. Given the weather conditions, going any faster could increase the likelihood of us ending up in a ditch. The rain also makes it hard to see what's ahead and I don't want to cause an accident or get into one. I'm really sorry, Alpha but this is the fastest I can manage given the conditions. Do forgive me.” The driver apologized and I tutted.“OK, that's it. We have to talk. What's got your fur all frazzled up? You haven't been yourself, are you finally going to tell me what's going on?” Rion interrogated.“I don't know, Rion. I think Jaselyn might be in trouble.” I blurt out. His expression instantly turns serious.“Jaselyn is in trouble? Why do you think so?”“I'm not sure, I just have this feeling. It feels like I won't be able to rest until I see for myself that she's fine.” I stated.“If you have such strong feelings for her, why do you treat her the way that you do? It's counter intuitive, you know that, right? She probabl
Zane's POVCounting down the minutes till the doctor arrived was agonizing. I even yelled at her when I had no right to, given the weather condition. As usual, Rion managed to keep a levelhead and apologized to the doctor, explaining how we found Jaselyn while I paced about, consumed by fear and anxiety. I felt like a child once more, pitiful and helpless.We both waited outside while the doctor attended to Jaselyn in the room. I paced about while Rion remained seated still. "You know you can just admit you're worried about her." He suddenly said and I cocked my head at him, annoyed."And what would that solve, exactly?" I asked with a scowl."It wouldn't help her, yes, but it'll help you put a handle on your emotions. You're behaving so erratically now, like a scared child. Don't forget you're still the Alpha of this Pack, you have to be able to keep a clear head and make decisions at all times." He said and I stared at him menacingly, my hands bunching into fists but I knew I coul
Zane's POV "Zane?" Rion calls but I ignore him and march out of there, my anger rising with every passing breath.All the maids that I passed by could tell how angry I was and they all stepped aside and greeted me, practically shaking but I ignored them.There's only one person that's responsible for the condition Jaselyn is currently in, only one person has the guts to do this.I get to my bedroom and don't even bother knocking, kicking the door open and it gives in to my rage, nearly tearing off from its hinges.Isla turns to me and she has the sweetest smile, it's fake and it makes me feel sick to my stomach."Zane, what a wonderful surprise! I was informed you were back but I just couldn't believe it. I'm glad you're back so early, you must have missed me, right? Every moment without you has been pure agony." She went on and on, perhaps pretending she couldn't see the murderous expression on my face or the vengeful aura I was giving."Why'd you do it?" I asked simply, trying my a
Zane's POVI arrive back outside the room where Jaselyn is currently being treated to see Ziarre applying some ointment on Rion's hands.“I told you, beloved, you don't have to do this. It's just a small injury, I'll be fine.” He reassured while Ziarre pouted, not paying him any mind.“You always say that but you seem to have a knack for getting in trouble. You're a grown man, I shouldn't have to worry about you when you aren't with me.” She scolded as she bandaged his hands, which had been burned when he broke off the silver chains from Jaselyn.“You know the last thing I'd want to do is make you worry, beloved. It was a matter of urgency, I had to do something.” He explained with a sheepish smile.“I'm not angry at you. I'm actually proud to have you as my mate, not a lot of people are as selfless as you. I just can't help worrying about you.” Ziarre confessed as she clipped the bandage in place.“Well, it's because you love me.” He replied cheekily and she turned away, her cheeks f
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 nothin
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