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
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
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
Jaselyn's POVDo you ever get that feeling? The one in which it feels like you're floating on air. Blissfulness encompassed my being as my body turned on the bed and my eyes fluttered open. It was bright— too bright. I blinked a few times in an attempt to adjust my eyes to the harsh sun rays that washed on my face. In a split second, I realized that this wasn't my room. Turning to my side, my eyes fell on a strange man sleeping peacefully next to me but I didn't panic. Rather, a feeling of warm familiarity washed over me as my wolf keened at lascivious memories of this man— my mate.I had never thought I'd meet my mate, I believed I was too unlucky for such a blessing. The events leading up to this moment almost feel like a blur now. And to think I didn't want to attend the Peace Ball……****I stood a few feet away from the table and played with my fingers nervously, trying my hardest not to shake in fear as he took a spoonful of food and moved it to his mouth agonizingly slow.‘Ple
Jaselyn's POVI didn't even get his name. It felt like it didn't matter at the time, all my body craved was to be near his, to be claimed and marked like I was supposed to.My eyes fall on his body again, his lower back is exposed, soft milky skin discolored purple by the scratches that I had caused the night before while in the throes of passion. My cheeks heat up at the memory and I move my eyes back to his handsome face, long eyelashes flutter as he breathes softly. My heart startles at the sight and I can't help but wonder how I got so lucky. I had thought I would never find my mate, conditioned to believe I wasn't worthy of anyone's love. He finally stirs and I grip the bed sheets, wrapping it around myself in an attempt to hide my undress. He's my mate and he'd already seen everything but I can't help that I'm shy.He yawns and stretches a bit before sitting up. He rubs at his eye slowly and his bed hair makes me smile, he's actually really cute.“Um…. Good morning, I hope you
Jaselyn's POV“Jaselyn, Jas? Jas!” Nila called, breaking me out of my shell shocked state. “You have to get up, we have to go.” She said and I scoffed.“Why? What's the use? It doesn't matter what he does anymore, does it? He betrayed us, he rejected us.” I remind her.“Yes, all of that is true but it's not the end of the world. I understand how you feel, I can't explain how hurt I feel right now, it's like a part of me was stripped away. The precious connection nurtured by Selene was suddenly broken away but it doesn't mean we should wallow in self pity. Have you forgotten the plans we had? Let's save a lot and leave the Pack, I'm sure we'll find happiness somewhere else, mate or not.” Nila tried to encourage me but I could tell how pained she actually was.It's times like this that I'm absolutely grateful to have a wolf like her.It hurts, it hurts like I could have never imagined but she's right, I need to pick myself up. As long as I'm alive, there's hope for a better future. Besi
Jaselyn's POV After patching myself up with some first aid and taking some aspirin for my raging headache, I swooped into action and began packing my bags. It especially wasn't difficult as I only had a few belongings, Uncle Dan never bought me anything. I took out the money I had been saving and counted it. It wasn't a lot but it would be enough for me to feed and have a roof over my head for a few days. I'll figure something out before I run out of cash.I zip the duffer bag close and make my way to the living room. I take a quick look around and it saddens me that I don't have even one good memory of this place. There's nothing I'll miss.Just then, I hear a loud banging on the door which startles me. That's weird, Uncle shouldn't be back already. If he's really the one at the door, I'm in trouble for sure. If he finds out that I'm trying to escape, only Selene knows what he'll do to me.A mixture of panic and dread washes over me as I become glued to my spot, too scared to open
Jaselyn’s POV “What is going on? Why have you brought me here?” I demand hotly.“You'll only get your answers when you calm down and listen.” Zane's wife, Isla answers me casually and it takes all my self restraint not to glare at her.“Just please tell me why I'm here. Why won't you let me leave?” I request more softly this time.“This might come as a shock but my beloved Isla is unable to have children of her own, we've tried everything but nothing seems to be working. After I informed her about you, we talked and we both decided that since you're my mate, you'll be the perfect person to make our dream come true.” Zane begins.“What?!” I exclaim, wide eyed and unable to believe my ears.“You're going to have children in Isla's place, Jaselyn. You are my mate, after all, it's your duty to give me an heir.” Zane declares shamelessly while I struggle to comprehend everything.After deflowering me, betraying and then rejecting me, he wants me to get pregnant and have a child for him an
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