~SELENA "It's just salmon soup; it won't hurt me if I cook it myself!"I whined for the umpteenth time, but Killian didn't seem like he was going to let me touch anything in the kitchen. He was dead set on making me sit down and watch him prepare breakfast, just like he's been doing ever since the poison incident.Honestly, I can't remember the last time I ate something I cooked—or even something the maids made. Oh, right, he banned the maids from cooking too. Now, he prepares all the family meals himself, refusing to let me help even a little."I'll be the only one cooking your meals and making your teas, so stop trying to interfere," he calmly told me, his serious expression leaving no room for argument.I decided to give up on joining him for now, but I was determined to make him understand that I wanted to cook with him. It seemed more romantic to me than just sitting and watching him struggle to get the right amount of spices on his own."You're going to make it too spicy if you
~HUNTERA sneer curled on my lips as I scrolled through the comments on the post about my supposed curse. Each one was more venomous than the last, mocking me and suggesting I see a psychiatrist.My deepest secret, kept hidden for years, was now plastered all over the media, thanks to that bitch!It spread like wildfire, and now I'm losing deals with my partners. Even my own pack members are starting to renounce my leadership. Alpha Newton had already stopped by a few days ago to take Olivia away from me. It feels like everyone is abandoning me.I expected Nadia to do the same, but she stayed. Not that her presence means anything to me. In fact, she's to blame for all of this mess.If she hadn’t driven Selena away that night, maybe I’d have finally found my sanity.Nadia's presence only serves as a constant reminder of my failures with Selena, and I've been trying every possible way to make her leave. But she seems determined to stay, no matter what.So, I let her stay, doing whatever
~HUNTER"Don't you dare outsmart me once we get in there, or you can count yourself dead!" I threatened Ann, glaring at her through the rearview mirror. She sat in the back seat, fidgeting nervously."And try to act normal," I hissed, turning my gaze back to the windshield, waiting for Liam to return. I had sent him with some money to bribe the guys guarding the entrance. Besides dressing as someone else’s clone, they were my only shot at getting into the event without being noticed. Mrs. Salvador was going to pay dearly for all this trouble she was putting me through.I exhaled deeply and checked my wristwatch. Liam was taking too long. Maybe he was struggling to convince the guards to take the money. It’s tough to bribe your way into a big event like this, but I offered them a fortune. Just then, I spotted Liam approaching, and my stomach tightened with nerves. There had to be good news."What did they say?" I asked as he stopped beside the window."They agreed, but you have to ke
~HUNTERI couldn’t mistake that face. I was sure of it—Mrs. Salvador was Selena. My heart dropped into my stomach as I stood frozen, watching Killian exchange smiles with her.It all happened so fast. One moment she was in my sight, and the next, she was gone. I snapped out of my daze and hurried after her, quietly following as she navigated into the restroom area. She entered one of the washrooms, and as I reached the door, a frown creased my face. I could hear the violent, throaty sounds coming from inside.Scared that something might be wrong, I quickly pushed the door open."I'm fine, Killian—" she began to say, but her words trailed off when she saw me standing in the doorway.At first, she didn’t recognize me, but as I removed my hat, her eyes widened in recognition."You’re Mrs. Salvador?" My voice was barely above a whisper as I struggled to shake off the shock.Snapping out of her surprise, she moved away from the sink, hardening her gaze at me. I grabbed her arm as she tried
~KILLIANI glanced at my wristwatch for the umpteenth time, my eyebrows knitting together in concern. Laura still hadn't returned from the washroom. Just as I was about to go look for her, she was announced as the winner of the category. Since she wasn’t in the hall, I went up on stage to accept the award on her behalf, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I quickly rounded up the speech, almost too abruptly, and handed the award to Droost as I stepped down from the podium."I'll be right back," I told him, my tone hurried. My mind raced with all the negative possibilities as I made my way to the restroom area.Keeping my composure, I walked down the corridor leading to the washrooms and knocked on the first door. "Laura?" I called out.There was silence, and just as I was about to move to the next door, it opened. I stepped inside quickly, feeling relieved at the sight of her. But my relief faded as I noticed her slightly teary eyes."Are you okay?" I asked, my worry evident.She nodded.
~THIRD POV.Fifteen-year-old Killian hid behind the trunk of a tree, his blue eyes wide open, tears filling them as he helplessly watched his father being surrounded by a pack of wolves.As he stood there, fidgeting, Killian wondered what was wrong with his father. His father had never been too weak to fight back. To say the least, Killian always saw his father as undefeated."The strongest man alive," Killian had teased his father a moment earlier while he taught him how to hunt. But then, suddenly, his father sensed something and urged him to seek safety back in the pack grounds. But little Killian couldn't just leave his father.He was curious why his father had told him to go back so suddenly and decided to hide behind the tree to find out the reason.But what he didn't know was that the reason would wound his heart and leave a scar on it.It happened before his eyes.So quick!Like a bolt of lightning.His father was brought down by just a single shot. Killian flinched, nearly le
~KILLIANPulling up in front of Katrina's apartment, I felt a nervous knot twist in my stomach as I got out and hurried to the entrance.It was like she was already waiting for me because before I could even knock, the door swung open."That was fast," she said with a smile.I didn’t bother to return it. Keeping a straight face, I asked, "What evidence did you find?"She closed the distance between us, suddenly leering at me as she slowly ran her hand up my arm.Sensing her intentions, I swatted her hand away, my jaw tightening with anger. "Is this what you called me for?"She let out a bitter chuckle. "So, it’s come to the point where I can't even touch you?""Stop acting dumb. That was more than just a touch," I snapped, glaring at her. "We've been over this. I have a mate now, and you know what happens if I choose to cheat."I don't desire her anymore. The urge to be with her died the moment Laura came into my life, though I refused to accept it at first. My commitment to Laura goe
I locked eyes with Katrina, then turned back to him, my gaze narrowing dangerously. Could he have been working with Katrina all this time to kill Laura?In a flash, I caught him as he tried to bolt from the room, grabbing him by the neck. I yanked the gun from his pocket and slammed him against the wall. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, blood trickling down his face.As Katrina stepped closer, trying to calm me down, I aimed the gun at her, a silent warning to stay back.“How long have you been working with her?” I demanded from Lionel.He swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Since you left for your last business trip. Forgive me, Alpha!”Anger darkened my eyes. This had been going on for so long, and I never knew!“What else did she pay you to do besides poisoning Laura?”From the corner of my eye, I saw Katrina shaking her head at him, signaling him to stay quiet as he glanced her way.His face turned pale as I cocked the gun. “What else?” “She paid me to plant a mo
~KILLIANKatrina sent her location, and I managed to get Laura to stick to the plan. She’s gone to Hunter’s pack with Liliana to get Megan.Meanwhile, I’m driving with my men toward Katrina’s location, unsure where the hell Hunter and his men are. We were supposed to come together, but it seems he wants to do things his own way. It’s laughable how he thinks he can win Laura back by playing the hero.Out of nowhere, something smashed into my windshield, shattering it into pieces. My car swerved dangerously and screeched to a halt.Goddess.“What was that?”I mind-linked Jared.“I think we’re being ambushed, Alpha!” he reported, making my eyes widen.I quickly grabbed my gun from the compartment and jumped out of the car when Jared shouted, “Get down, Alpha!”A bullet whizzed past me, missing by a hair’s breadth. I ducked and took cover behind the car.My men were already shooting at the ambushers, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.Loading my gun, I joined the fight and soo
~HUNTER My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I heard the doctor’s report about Olivia’s condition.“She was poisoned?!”I’d been sure she was just having one of her usual asthma attacks, not this!“Yes, Alpha. We discovered the juice she drank was poisoned.”What? Who brings poison to a kid’s party?Confused, I turned to Alpha Newton, who had been with me in the doctor’s office. Nadia was at Olivia’s bedside, sobbing uncontrollably.“Don’t you know anything about this?” I demanded, glaring at him, but he stayed silent. “If you’d let Olivia stay under my roof, this wouldn’t have happened,” I snapped.Newton narrowed his eyes at me, his expression challenging. “Even if Olivia makes it through this, you won’t be keeping her!”I growled in response. We locked eyes, our anger palpable, until the doctor interrupted. “Can we continue now?”“What’s the plan to fix her condition?” I asked urgently.“Miss Olivia’s blood is contaminated by the poison she ingested. She’ll need a tran
~THIRD POV"I'm so glad you could make it to my birthday!” Olivia beamed at Megan as they broke away from a tight embrace.“I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Besides, I’ve been missing you all holiday, so I figured this was the perfect chance to see you,” Megan replied, her smile growing as they walked into the grand living room where the party was in full swing.“Same here! I tried calling you, but you wouldn’t pick up!” Olivia said with a frown.“My mom confiscated my phone. I don’t know why, but she seems to be against our friendship,” Megan mused.Olivia's frown deepened. “Why would she be against it? Did I do something wrong?”Megan shrugged. “I don’t think so, but I’m not sure. If I had told her I was coming here, she wouldn’t have let me.”“You sneaked out?” Olivia gasped.“I told you I’d do anything to be here, didn’t I? So, here we are!”“You’re so brave, Megan. I wish I could be like you, but don’t you think your mom will be mad at you?” Olivia asked thoughtfully.“She will,
~KILLIANI'm devastated.It's been two weeks since Laura left the pack, and I haven't been myself. I've been panicking, worried about where she might have gone, especially with the kids and my baby.She hasn't been answering my calls or replying to any of my texts. I suspect she might have changed her number so I can't trace her location.Even with Liliana's relentless help, we're still short of clues about where she might be. I've also been to all the properties she owns, but none of the caretakers have seen her.She probably thinks I'd harm her if I found out where she is. She knew I'd look for her at her properties, so she played it safe by not going there.I wanted Laura all these years, and when I finally had her, I lost her in the blink of an eye.I wish I could turn back time and right my wrongs. At the very least, I wouldn't have scared her with that damn gun!SighThe guilt of my actions is eating me alive as the days go by, and I fear I might become even more devastated if I
~KILLIANI blinked, completely stunned at the sight of her, wondering if I was imagining things, but the truth kept staring back at me. It was all real.There she was, standing and looking back at me, just as shocked.My stepmom.Liliana.“Killian!” she whispered, taking a step closer, her eyes filling with tears.“Mom!”I rushed forward and hugged her, my heart pounding with joy as I felt the warmth of her skin against mine. She wasn't a ghost; she was real!Her tears soaked my shoulder as I held her tighter, savoring the familiar jade scent I thought I'd never smell again after that dreadful night.I couldn’t stop my tears. They fell as I remembered how unbearable life was when I finally accepted they were dead because I couldn’t find a trace of her and Laura.It took years for me to accept their absence and push through the pain to become who I am today.She finally pulled away, her eyes shining with tears and relief. She looked just as young and beautiful as I remembered, except h
I locked eyes with Katrina, then turned back to him, my gaze narrowing dangerously. Could he have been working with Katrina all this time to kill Laura?In a flash, I caught him as he tried to bolt from the room, grabbing him by the neck. I yanked the gun from his pocket and slammed him against the wall. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, blood trickling down his face.As Katrina stepped closer, trying to calm me down, I aimed the gun at her, a silent warning to stay back.“How long have you been working with her?” I demanded from Lionel.He swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Since you left for your last business trip. Forgive me, Alpha!”Anger darkened my eyes. This had been going on for so long, and I never knew!“What else did she pay you to do besides poisoning Laura?”From the corner of my eye, I saw Katrina shaking her head at him, signaling him to stay quiet as he glanced her way.His face turned pale as I cocked the gun. “What else?” “She paid me to plant a mo
~KILLIANPulling up in front of Katrina's apartment, I felt a nervous knot twist in my stomach as I got out and hurried to the entrance.It was like she was already waiting for me because before I could even knock, the door swung open."That was fast," she said with a smile.I didn’t bother to return it. Keeping a straight face, I asked, "What evidence did you find?"She closed the distance between us, suddenly leering at me as she slowly ran her hand up my arm.Sensing her intentions, I swatted her hand away, my jaw tightening with anger. "Is this what you called me for?"She let out a bitter chuckle. "So, it’s come to the point where I can't even touch you?""Stop acting dumb. That was more than just a touch," I snapped, glaring at her. "We've been over this. I have a mate now, and you know what happens if I choose to cheat."I don't desire her anymore. The urge to be with her died the moment Laura came into my life, though I refused to accept it at first. My commitment to Laura goe
~THIRD POV.Fifteen-year-old Killian hid behind the trunk of a tree, his blue eyes wide open, tears filling them as he helplessly watched his father being surrounded by a pack of wolves.As he stood there, fidgeting, Killian wondered what was wrong with his father. His father had never been too weak to fight back. To say the least, Killian always saw his father as undefeated."The strongest man alive," Killian had teased his father a moment earlier while he taught him how to hunt. But then, suddenly, his father sensed something and urged him to seek safety back in the pack grounds. But little Killian couldn't just leave his father.He was curious why his father had told him to go back so suddenly and decided to hide behind the tree to find out the reason.But what he didn't know was that the reason would wound his heart and leave a scar on it.It happened before his eyes.So quick!Like a bolt of lightning.His father was brought down by just a single shot. Killian flinched, nearly le
~KILLIANI glanced at my wristwatch for the umpteenth time, my eyebrows knitting together in concern. Laura still hadn't returned from the washroom. Just as I was about to go look for her, she was announced as the winner of the category. Since she wasn’t in the hall, I went up on stage to accept the award on her behalf, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I quickly rounded up the speech, almost too abruptly, and handed the award to Droost as I stepped down from the podium."I'll be right back," I told him, my tone hurried. My mind raced with all the negative possibilities as I made my way to the restroom area.Keeping my composure, I walked down the corridor leading to the washrooms and knocked on the first door. "Laura?" I called out.There was silence, and just as I was about to move to the next door, it opened. I stepped inside quickly, feeling relieved at the sight of her. But my relief faded as I noticed her slightly teary eyes."Are you okay?" I asked, my worry evident.She nodded.