Jaselyn's POVWhat?! Ziarre is……pregnant?When I took too long to respond, she panicked.“I'm sorry, it must be such a shock. You probably have your own problems to worry about. It was selfish of me to burden you with this.” She rushed out and I scooted to the edge of the bed, close to her.“No, I'm not burdened at all. I was just not expecting that you would tell me something so important. Thank you for sharing this with me and congratulations.” I corrected and she relaxed, a small smile stretching her lips.“Well, thank you.”“What do you mean by what you said? You haven't told Rion because you're not sure you want to keep it? Why is that?” I asked.“Yes. The thing is, I don't know if I'm ready to have a child yet. I know it's weird for me to say this, considering I work with children but it's truly how I feel. I'm clumsy and a little awkward. I don't know if I'm mature enough to raise a child or if I deserve to have one yet.” She played with her fingers as she spoke, keeping her e
Jaselyn's POV “He raped me. And what's worse is, the next morning when he woke up in bed with me naked, teary faced, covered in bruises, absolutely traumatized and non verbal; he didn't even apologize.Not that it would have changed anything but perhaps it would have been a lot easier on me, knowing that he was remorseful, that it was a stupid mistake and he'd never do it again.Instead, he blamed me once again, attributing his atrocious act to the fact that I had grown up to be an exact copy of my mother, both in appearance and character so I might as well just take her place.It continued on and he kept forcing himself on me against my will. To make it easier on me, I'd space out during the disgusting deed so I wouldn't have to acknowledge that I was being violated by my own father.This kept on for 2 years and eventually, I couldn't delude myself anymore. It felt like I would go crazy or my mind would shut down, just like what happened to mum.I was too ashamed to reach out for he
Jaselyn's POV He asked what he was doing wrong and begged me to reconsider but I told him I wasn't good for him. It would be best for him to move on and find someone better.He told me I was the only one he needed and when he still wouldn't budge, I threatened to reject him so he let me go. I somehow managed to suppress my feelings throughout the ordeal but as soon as I was away from him, I broke down and cried like a child.I was miserable and couldn't go to work. My heart was hurting and I wanted to see him, wanted to be held by him.He managed to sneak into my room and caught me in that miserable state. I told him to leave but then he started professing his love for me again and told me he was willing to change into the man I could spend the rest of my life with. I couldn't stand it. I blurted out to him that I was the problem, not him.It was too late to take it back and I gave in to the pressure and told him everything, fully prepared to be rejected but that man surprised me lik
Jaselyn's POVNae had just finished telling me some stories about her family and her childhood when Zane came into the room.She quickly stood up and excused herself while Zane took a seat beside my bed."How are you feeling today?" He asks but I just keep my gaze in the other direction."I'm sorry I couldn't be with you this morning, I had something urgent to take care of but I'm here now. Won't you ask me how my day went?" He persists.And though it hurts, I move my hand over to his face and wave it over his eyes. He throws me a confused look "What are you doing?""Nothing much, just checking if your eyes still work because if I didn't imagine everything you just said, it means you must be mistaking me for Isla. And you see, we look nothing alike so……" I respond snarkily."Why can't you just indulge me? You don't have to be mean all the time." He complains with an expression eerily close to a pout.So now I'm the mean one?I don't even know if to be amused or annoyed."Why? So you c
Jaselyn's POV Thankfully, the door swung open at that moment but the visitor was the last person I expected to see. Isla.What is she doing here?Zane quickly pulls away from me while I turn away. I suddenly feel stupid for letting it get to that point, for letting him come so close. If Isla hadn't shown up, would I really have let him kiss me just like that?My hand unconsciously comes to my lips and traces them. Isla's loud voice snaps me back to reality.“I see you're both enjoying yourselves. I almost feel bad for interrupting.” She began sarcastically, her voice dripping with venom.Zane stands up and walks over to her. “Isla, it's not what it looks like.” He denies.“It’s true. You should really put your husband on a tight leash, Isla. He keeps coming onto me like a lost puppy. It's almost like he's forgotten you exist.” I don't miss the opportunity to taunt her and she sneers at me.“Shut up! Just because you're in this state doesn't give you the right to run your mouth. Don't
Jaselyn's POVI opened my eyes softly and was instantly met with a pair of cerulean orbs. Zane was lying on his side next to him, his head resting on his hand as he watched over me like a mother hen.In this position, the light of the sun washed over him from the open window and the way his eyes reflected in the light was enthralling, casting an almost otherworldly glow. I found myself lost in those orbs.“Good morning.” He greeted with a smile and I finally broke eye contact.“How long have you been staring?” I pose the question as a way to distract myself from the warmth building up in my chest.“Not that long. You looked so pretty in your sleep, I couldn't help myself.” He voiced out casually, not caring how his words would affect me.“It's too early to be lying. The only reason you'd stare at me is because you have something depraved on your mind. Well sorry to disappoint you but I'm not fit enough for whatever you were thinking.” I retorted.A chuckle. “It wouldn't really be you
Jaselyn's POV“This is cause for celebration.” Zane began after breaking from the hug. “A baby should straighten you out, you're sure to act more mature now that you know there'll be a little one looking up to you.”“You're one to talk. The day you outgrow your childishness, you can call me Alpha.” Rion shot back with a grin.“I'm gonna pretend like you didn't just say that. So how's Ziarre? Is she OK?” Zane asked as they both took a seat, seemingly forgetting my presence in the room.I don't feel offended of course, this tends to happen a lot between close friends. Whenever they get into conversation, they seem to forget that the world and everyone else in it exists.“She's fine. She shared the news with me last night and I didn't want to disturb the both of you so I waited till today. She seemed a little unsure at first but after she saw my reaction, she seemed to love the idea of us having a baby. Now she's even more excited than I am.I'm so happy. I won't have to worry when I'm n
Jaselyn's POV Nae served a light breakfast and Zane invited Rion to join us but he only had a few bites, claiming to have had something that morning. After breakfast came my medication and we were finally ready to go. Zane carried me onto the wheelchair and wheeled me out of the room while Rion followed closely behind us. We passed through the long hallway and finally arrived at the huge sitting room. Unfortunately, little miss Isla was present and was dishing out orders to one of the maids.She frowned as soon as she saw me but it transformed into a big smile when her eyes fell on Zane who was still holding on to my wheelchair. She approached us. Rion sent a greeting her way but she barely acknowledged him.“Where are the both of you going with this pitiful creature?” She asked in a condescending tone, twisting her lips. Pitiful creature? I’m certainly not the one with the demon makeup.“For goodness sake, can’t you just be nice, Isla? Jas is a person too.” Zane opened his mouth
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