Jaselyn's POVI— I don't know if I can. He grips both of my arms, his eyes pleading for my reply but I just look away.“Jaselyn, please…..” “I don't know what to say, I'm sorry. This is all just too sudden, I need some time to process all of it. There are so many emotions swirling within me right now and I don't know which to lean towards.” I confessed and he nodded.“It’s OK. I'll give you as much time as you need but please don't take too long. I really am serious about not wanting to be away from you for too long. I really hope that you can understand my position and we can work things out together.” He conceded.“I'll try.” I say as I manage a small smile.“Thank you for coming with me and listening to what I had to say, it really means a lot. Please remember that I fully intend to keep my promise about divorcing Isla. Just let me know when you're ready.” He said and I nodded.He finally let go of my arms and we both inhaled the cool air that blew the trees.“We should head back
Jaselyn's POVZiarre's words weigh heavily on my mind as she raises valid points about the complexities of Zane's situation with Isla and her father, Alpha Ezra. It's becoming increasingly clear that the path forward won't be easy, and there are many obstacles that Zane and I will have to navigate if we choose to pursue a relationship.Personally, I'd prefer to stay out of trouble but still….. there's this nagging feeling in my heart that won't go away.I can't keep denying that Zane stirs certain feelings in me, feelings I'd rather not explore. What really is the right choice? I feel so confused right now.“You don't have to look so forlorn, I know you're confused and I'm here to help with that. I didn't tell you all those things just to discourage you from a relationship with Zane.I said that because you're my friend and it's my duty to inform you of any danger I might sense in any path you choose to take.It's true that Isla will be one heck of a problem to deal with but that's no
Jaselyn's POVWhen I return to the palace, I'm surprised to see the place in a frenzy as maids perambulated the halls, cleaning and putting up decorations.Nae luckily happened to be passing by so I pulled her aside to ask.“What's going on? What's with the decorations?” “Oh Luna Isla's birthday is coming up and she wants to throw a big celebration. I overheard her telling some of the maids to make sure the preparations were regal and perfect as she planned to invite her father and a few other Alphas from the neighboring Packs to grace the occasion.” She explained.“Oh, I see. It definitely seems like something Isla would do.” I comment lacklusterly.“She was asking about you, probably wanted to assign some work to you but I told her you weren't feeling well and went to see the doctor.” Nae says with a sly grin and my lips curve to match hers.“Thank you, I'll make it up to you soon.” I promise.“No worries, I really don't want anything. You're still my lady after all, just serving y
Jaselyn's POV He walks around the table over to my side and before I can wonder what he might be up to, he gathers me into his arms and scoops me up from the desk.I gasp but cling on to him, one hand wrapping around his neck while the other grips his shirt. I lean into his chest and inhale his scent deeply, the heady mix of cedarwood and pine with just a hint of rose makes me dizzy and my wolf keens, probably more excited than me.Zane carries me out of his office and into the hallway, where the preparations for Isla's party are currently being made.Panic washes over me at the thought of getting caught. My grip around him tightens.“You should put me down. What if someone sees us?” I grumble but make no move to push him away.“Let them see. I'm tired of living a lie. You're the one I love and if anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me anytime.” He says relaxed, confident and the butterflies throw a party in my stomach.He wants to show me off. It's something I nev
Jaselyn's POVI woke up in Zane's arms, cuddled to his side with my head resting on his chest. Memories of a few hours ago came flooding into my mind, painting my cheeks pink.I'd really done it, huh? For once, I decided to throw caution to the wind and choose my own happiness.And so far it's already paying off. Being loved like that, being in his arms like this, it's causing my heart to swarm with a happiness I didn't know was possible.I traced my finger over his chest, drawing little figures while he slept, taking soft breaths that made his chest rise and fall slowly.Taking a look at the clock, I realize it's 4PM. I should probably see what I can go help with in the party preparations before Isla pays me a visit herself.Sitting up, I yawn and stretch a little before trying to crawl out of bed but strong arms wrap around me, pulling me flush against a chest.Zane rests his head on my back, his hair tickling my bare skin.“Don't go, stay with me. I wanna cuddle some more.” He murm
Jaselyn's POVThere's no way I could have been mistaken about this. It's Blade I just saw but his clandestine meeting with Isla at this time of night makes no sense.They don't even get along from what I've seen so why would they meet and what did they talk about? What could have been in that box that Blade handed Isla?These questions continue to toss and turn in my mind but I take a deep breath as if to dismiss them. I take the plate and spatula and help myself to some of the lasagna. I sit at the kitchen counter and eat it. It's delicious as expected but my mind keeps wandering over to the scene I just witnessed.Should I tell Zane about it? No, that would just be creating unnecessary ruckus. Blade is the Gamma of this Pack and Isla could have met up with him for a number of reasons. Instantly assuming that it has to do with anything romantic is far too narrow minded.Besides, I don't really care what Isla does. I'm not exactly in a position to judge her and neither is Zane since
Jaselyn's POVBy 7:50, we were finally done. I thanked everyone for a job well done before returning to my room.I was sweaty from all the work so I decided to take a shower. After that, I wore the dress I had selected for the occasion. It's a black mermaid dress embedded with rhinestones with a slit in the middle. It was the perfect dress to make me look elegant but not steal the limelight from Isla.I brushed my hair out and curled the ends with a flat iron before styling it into a half up crown braid. After that, it was some light make-up. Taking a look in the mirror, I'm happy with the results and ready to make some good connections.When I take a look at the clock, it's already 8:40AM. Which leaves only 20 minutes for the official party to start.I should check in with the kitchen to see if everything is in order then join the party.Arriving at the kitchen, I find the place in a bit of a disarray and then find out that Ziarre lost an earring. They're diamond earrings and it's pa
Jaselyn's POVI kept my head down, breathing heavily, physically on the verge of a melt down as the eyes of everyone around me bore holes into my skin.My lips quivered and my eyes pooled with tears as the words continued to ring in my mind. I was just about to stand up and scream my head off when I felt Ziarre's strong grip on my hand, instantly grounding me.“Don't worry, I'll take care of this.” I heard her whisper faintly.She stood up from her chair. “I'm sorry, please forgive us for the distraction. My friend over here isn't feeling very well but I still decided to drag her along with me. Please excuse us and carry on with the party.” Ziarre said and helped me up but I had suddenly lost all my strength.She didn't complain when I couldn't stand on my own two feet. She placed my arm over her neck and took on my weight, becoming my support system.“She seems really ill. Are you sure you don't need some help?” One of the male guests asked but I wasn't interested in seeing who it w
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