Jaselyn's POVIt's been about seven months and a lot has happened.Hadrian did truly turn out to be Nae's mate. It was most unexpected and I feared that he might reject her but as usual, Hadrian took the unpredicted route and married her in a week.Yes, the mating ceremony was rushed and it was held in the palace by Isla. Nae’s farewell was bittersweet and marked with tears.She cried because she didn't want to leave me alone in the Palace and probably because she would miss her family while I cried because I would truly miss her. She really was my last source of consolation, given my two other friends are gone and now it's her turn.But that's the thing about life, change is constant and no matter how painful it feels at that moment, we have no choice but to accept it and move on.I'm happy for Nae, that she finally found her mate. She's honestly a wonderful person and I wish her all the happiness in the world. I hoped that Hadrian would be a great mate to her and he would treat her
Jaselyn's POV Moving on to another topic, Zane has gone with me for all my prenatal exams and checkups. He wants to be involved in the entire process and it's so sweet. He's always making sure I eat right and take all my vitamins. The doctor assigned me some exercises to do to relieve the back and pelvic pain I'm beginning to feel as the baby grows.After Nae's departure, I was assigned a new maid. Her name is Talia and she's the complete opposite of Nae. She's so quiet and reserved. She insists on remaining formal with me and won't joke around or engage in small talk with me. She's just too serious, it's almost frightening.Thanks to Selene that I have my phone to keep me busy or I would have been bored to death and missed Nae more than I already do.As soon as my first trimester ended, Zane stopped me from doing any work. I'm the defacto Luna of the Pack but Zane has other people handle all the work. The only thing I'm allowed to do is attend meetings and that's when it's really im
Isla's POVWith a final thrust, he spilled into the condom and got off me while I sat up, reaching for the cigarette packet on the nightstand. Blade took off the used condom, tied it and threw it in the trash while I lit a cigarette.He sat back on the bed, getting behind me and wrapping his arms around me, I slapped his hand away and glared.Taking a long drag of the cigarette, I exhaled before turning to him.“What did I say about touching me unnecessarily?” I asked sternly.He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I just really like to cuddle with you. You're the woman I love so it's only natural that I want to touch you as much as possible, especially since we're keeping our relationship under wraps.”“You should know your limits and stop giving me that love crap. Our relationship is purely sexual, I use you to scratch an itch, that's all it is.” I reminded him firmly and he pouted.I hate it when he sulks, it's so annoying.“You hurt my feelings when you say that, you know. You're more th
Jaselyn's POVThere was a knock on the door.“Come in.”The door opened and the person who walked in made me smile in pleasant surprise. I placed a hand on my abdomen, standing up gently.“No, please sit down. You're heavy, you really shouldn't stress yourself.” Jinu cautioned as he rushed towards me.He helped me sit back down on the bed and I took a good look at him. It was hard to believe that this was the same boy who had infiltrated our Pack seven months ago.He'd grown much taller in the last few months. If I recall correctly, he was about 5’1 when I first met him but he's now towering over me at 5’10. He's literally just two inches shorter than Zane who's about 6 feet. Rion is taller than both at 6 '2.He's also developed muscle mass by how well built he seems through his shirt. In comparison to the lanky teen that I had saved from Rion's wrath, this was such a great improvement. What have they been feeding him in that facility? He had also changed his hairstyle, getting an un
Jaselyn's POV My phone buzzed once more and it was also a message from Rion but this time, it said that he was at the door! This just keeps getting worse. What kind of situation is this?I stood up carefully, supporting myself before walking over to the door. These are one of the times I miss not being pregnant. If I wasn't feeling like an overinflated balloon, I would have sprinted to the kitchen and warned Jinu not to come out for the rest of the day.But what really is the point in hiding him? He's going to attend my baby shower and so is Rion, they'll definitely see each other at the party but at least there'll be a crowd to stop anything major from happening. Argh! This is too much.I walked as fast as I could towards the kitchen but was disappointed when Chef Illyia said that Jinu had just left with a bag of chips.I hoped with all my heart that he had gone to his room but I know that things never usually go as I plan so I head to the entrance of the palace instead and sure as
Jaselyn's POV“How has Zane been doing?” Rion asked as I tended to his wound. I had finished disinfecting it and was currently wrapping a bandage around his knuckles.“He's been well, extremely busy but other than that he's fine. Oh, he's also super excited for the baby.” I responded.“I thought so. Zane is the type to be hyper about stuff, almost like he has too much energy so he pours it into expressing his emotions. He's never been one to hide how he feels, it makes him suffer. I've always found it funny since he's the older one between the both of us and should also be the more sensible one.” He spoke with a fond smile and I grinned.“Definitely. He's really stubborn too and won't admit that he misses you. The new Beta can be a little……difficult. He's too serious, too formal and completely lacks a sense of humor. Plus he's haughty too, I've caught him talking down to the maids a couple of times.I haven't spoken to him much because he isn't really easy to be around, he just has th
Rion's POVGetting summoned by the Luna of the Blue Solstice Pack was certainly the last thing I had expected. And definitely not after I just returned.But I knew I had nothing to worry about, my conscience is clean and I've offended no one so whatever comes, I'll face it head on.At least that's what I thought until I walked into that room and saw those people and the words that slipped out of the mouth of the woman I identified as the Luna……..“You're finally here……. My son……”I paused in my tracks and for a minute there, it felt like a bomb had just gone off in my head. Did she just call me her son? What the hell?!The woman just kept walking towards me until she was in front of me and though my eyes saw the great resemblance between us, my body, especially my heart was constantly rejecting the entire concept.She reached out to me and I slapped her hand away.“Don't touch me. Stay away.” I bellowed.“But my son, I—”“Don't say those words, I'm not your son. I'm the son of Aizen a
Rion's POV “I know this is a lot to process and I'm really sorry it has to be this way. I'll tell you everything that happened and I'm ready to answer all your questions. I just hope you can listen and try to understand my situation.” Luna Daryna implored and my hands bunched into fists but I said nothing.“The Blue Solstice Pack, though famed as the biggest and most popular Pack in this country, is also the oldest and fraught with strife. Our Pack has been blessed in so many ways so there's always one conspiracy or the other brewing and most of the time, it's too late before we realize it.About 22 years ago, I had twins, a boy and a girl. They were both born healthy but my son was poisoned and he died. During that time, we were at war with another Pack so I was not allowed to be present at my infant's burial, my mother inlaw took care of everything.Due to that, I was never able to get closure but I tried to make peace with the fact.It was only 15 years later that the truth came
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