I'm crying, and I can't write anymore. 😆 This was supposed to be yesterday's update, but I had to pause and continue this morning as it was an emotional chapter for me. So, thank you for patiently waiting. Catherine's POV will be next. P.S: Thank you for all the gems, gifts, comments, and reviews for the last chapters! I always doubted whether I could pull it off (like the Claiming), but your kind words made me feel better. Thank you! 💛💜
BETA/LADY CATHERINE. The cars that would lead them to Maddox’s pack had left, and Tyler, my mate, was with them.I wanted to go, but he and my brother Jace insisted I should stay behind. I was pregnant, and it would be a great risk, especially since they had no idea what was waiting for them. I understood that. I was okay with that. I was left with Zoey and Andrew, the Betas of the Dark Crow Pack, the territory just 45 minutes away from Marddox’s. The same territory where I was taken after I ran away from Maddox when I rejected him. It had been over half a year since I was last there, and I was not sure I was ready to see the territory again. It would only remind me of all the horrible things I endured in the three days that I was there. But for some reason, I suddenly had the urge to be there. “Zoey… Can you drive me to the Dark Forest?” I asked. We were in the playroom, where Zoey and I played with Garrett, her son. “What? In your condition? Tyler will kill me, Catherine. His
CATHERINE.Thorn raised his paw and I caught it.A flash of light sparked in my head, and before I knew it, I was already given a glimpse of his mind. He let me know his thoughts when he first saw me at the Claiming Ball—the agony he felt every time Maddox would hit me, how he fought with him when he was mating with Carlotta, how he felt the pain of me kissing another wolf, but he was glad I did it to stop Maddox from hurting me more. He showed me how he took all the pain of the rejection and how he refused to shift during the Claiming so Maddox could not hurt Tyler.Through it all, he showed me how he loved and protected me in his own ways.I was a crying mess. How could someone as pure as him be paired with a human as wicked as Maddox?‘Don’t cry, Catherine.’ Thorn’s voice echoed in my head, and my head snapped up to meet his eyes. His voice was different from Maddox’s. I knew wolves could talk with each other and humans to their own wolf but never wolf to another human. But then,
CARLOTTA.I hurried inside the packhouse and went into one of the receiving rooms, where I saw Tristan hide the key to Maddox’s personal vault. I didn’t take it, but I did check it from time to time, ever since Tristan died, to make sure it was still there. Maddox was stupid enough not to ask me if I knew where the key was using his Alpha command, so lucky me. It meant whatever was in that vault was mine. And I knew there was a large sum of cash in there. I carefully flipped the smallest painting in the room, peeled off the paper detailing its rarity and value, and retrieved the tiny key he had taped around it.There was a paper around it, and I knew it was the number combination for the vault.My heart leaped with joy when the vault finally opened. It didn’t disappoint. It had the money I expected, as well as some jewelry that was worth something.I grabbed the pile of cash and stuffed it into the paper bag I found inside his office.I also took the boxes of watches that I knew Madd
Hello, lovelies! I don't know what happened, but a chunk of Chapter 121 went missing. So here it is (end of Chapter 120 and beginning of Chapter 121).This is a free chapter, and you shouldn't be paying coins for this. xoxo, CASS-------------------------CARLOTTA.I hurried inside the packhouse and went into one of the receiving rooms, where I saw Tristan hide the key to Maddox’s personal vault. I didn’t take it, but I did check it from time to time, ever since Tristan died, to make sure it was still there. Maddox was stupid enough not to ask me if I knew where the key was using his Alpha command, so lucky me. It meant whatever was in that vault was mine. And I knew there was a large sum of cash in there. I carefully flipped the smallest painting in the room, peeled off the paper detailing its rarity and value, and retrieved the tiny key he had taped around it.There was a paper around it, and I knew it was the number combination for the vault.My heart leaped with joy when the va
NADINE.Maddox was dead, but he shifted into his wolf.I helped Mindy get back on her feet and moved her away from him. Arlo met us immediately, and after she gave me her confirmation, I let Arlo hold her.I would have wanted to witness Catherine as she spoke with Thorn, but my heart was looking for someone. I could smell him, and it made me feel relaxed knowing he was here—that he was okay, but also anxious because he was nowhere near me.I finally found Xander. He was the only one looking at me from the middle of the crowd. A smile slowly crawled on my lips at the sight of him. He is already fully dressed, while I am only wearing a loose, oversized shirt that Nadia handed me earlier.We just looked at each other. I hated that I couldn’t get into his head, but I would take what I could have as long as he was here. A smile finally cracked onto his face. Not a wide one, but still a smile. And then he moved, walking toward the back of the stage, and I made my way down carefully, not
NADINE. “It’s okay, Kenzo. We got what we wanted. I can rest now.” Anica told him, stuttering as she spoke. “No. We’re just getting started. We won. We can finally live the way we want. With freedom. So don’t talk more, and keep your energy. I’m not letting you leave me! Okay?” Xander loosened his hold on me, and I turned around to look at them. My heart was grappling in pain because I couldn’t do anything. The dagger landed close to her heart. Pulling it out would immediately drain her body of blood. As ironic as it sounds, the dagger buried in her was the only thing keeping her alive at the moment. Her hand raised, and she ran her knuckles on Kenzo’s cheek. He grabbed her hand and peppered it with kisses. “You didn’t meet yet, the girl… the girl I told you about.”“Jill?” Anica cut her off, and his eyes widened as he softly chuckled. “Is it Jill?”“How did you know her name?”“I met her brother. He told me the other half of this earring belongs to his sister.”Kenzo nodded. “I w
NADINE. The crowd was still thick, and it looked like they were waiting for me, so instead of heading to Ron and the warriors, I stopped and addressed them.I could see happiness and hope on their faces. It was something I had always wanted—something I always wanted to give them. They didn’t say anything, but the smiles and the warmth surrounding me were already enough.I stood before them and assured them that a better future was ahead of us. I told them Anica was out of danger and already resting. I confirmed that Kenzo was alive and would still be the Gamma of the pack. I let them know that for many days to come, we would welcome the help extended by other packs so we could pick up the pieces and start building this pack together.I expressed my gratitude to them for their unwavering love and warmth, especially after learning that I was a Montrell.I assured them that they were free to go home and have a peaceful sleep tonight. They had no reason to be afraid of tomorrow. That wh
THEODORE. I noticed a small spark dancing around my parents’ tombstone. When I took a closer look, I realized it must be a firefly.“Mom? Is that you?” I softly chuckled as my tears fell again. My mother was fascinated with fireflies, and there were nights when my father would take her to the forest so they could find them and watch them. And I could see two at the moment, so it must be both of them.This was the best time to apologize. There was no turning back now. “I’m sorry…” My shoulders shook. “I’m sorry I didn’t turn out as you expected me to be. I’m sorry I didn’t avenge you. I’m sorry I stayed silent and left everything behind. Losing you—losing this pack—shook my whole being. It damaged me more than anything. I swear, Dad, at the beginning, I tried. But every time I tried to get closer, I would receive threats for our people. Instead of braving my fears, instead of facing them, I cowered. I already blamed myself for leaving the territory that week. I didn’t want to blame
TEN YEARS AFTER THE BIRTH OF XAVIER.XANDER.“Are you ready, Alpha?” Xavier asked, and once I nodded my head, he turned to his side and nodded at his seven-year-old brother, Nexus. Without any more words, they hurried off into the forest for my wolf, Orion, to track them. I always give them a fifteen-minute head start before I start looking for them.Fifteen minutes—enough time for myself to soak in all the things my eyes could see and think of all that happened in my life over the last ten years.Three years after we gave birth to Xavier, Nadine fell pregnant again. This time, she extended an offer to me for the Alpha position. Like she said, I’d been doing the Alpha work whenever she couldn’t attend to it due to the nature of her pregnancy. She was going through a difficult time with Nexus. There were days she couldn’t get up from our bed and would vomit from time to time. Although our son was healthy, Nadine would always end up drained of energy. I, of course, could continue doing
NADINE.Dad and Mom arrived just a couple of hours after I gave birth. Nadia called them right away when my waterbag broke, so they were already traveling while I was in labor. Xavier’s birth came early, yet we and the whole pack had always been ready for him.With the approval of the midwives who assisted me, we began our journey home at midnight. I couldn’t wait to introduce our son to his pack and welcome Jillian as our Gamma Female. We arrived by dawn, and I expected the packhouse to be quiet as everyone should be asleep, but the sight that welcomed us was indeed overwhelming to a mother’s heart.The house was bright with lights, and the packhouse ground was decorated with lanterns and banners—both for our son and our Gamma Female—as if they had days to prepare for this and not just hours. The whole area was alive, and even without hearing anything from the outside, I was sure there was music playing as there were people dancing.But the moment Kenzo’s door opened, the whole pl
NADINE.I had just finished fixing my hair and was ready to drive to the Midnight Pack for Jillian’s debut. I came out of our room and went downstairs to find Xander. He was ready many minutes ago, and I asked him to leave me alone in our room so I could continue preparing because he kept distracting me with hugs and kisses. I found him at the bar, drinking alone. I wasn’t sure if he noticed my presence as he remained standing by the large window, gazing outside while sipping his drink.He must be thinking about Carlotta and her pup, as this had been the only thing keeping him quiet lately. Xander was determined to find Maddox’s child and give it a good life. But Carlotta had been dodging us for almost a year.But today, we got more information. We finally had a name and gender. Maddox and Carlotta had a daughter, Maxine Charlotte Trevino. Carlotta named her after her father. But we were still clueless about where they were staying. All we knew was that the child had a fever, and C
GAMMA KENZO.I unclasped her bra and tossed it aside before pulling away from kissing her, letting my eyes savor the perfect breasts that were made for me. Jillian had a petite frame, but her breasts were bigger than her size, and burying my head in between them was a fantasy I wanted to fulfill. She bit her bottom lip before her hands cupped the sides of her breasts and gently kneaded them; all the while, her eyes were swirling with lust. “Do you like them?”My eyes were surely twinkling as I nodded my head, like a boy on Christmas Day. “I fucking love them!”I didn’t need an invite as I bent over and captured one of her breasts, and a grunt filled my throat as I savored her bosom, one after the other, letting my tongue and hand play with them and her nipples while my sultry mate was fumbling with my shirt and my pants, helping in taking them off my body. After I had my fill, my lips pressed against her firm stomach. I trailed my mouth down to her inner thigh where my hand was, par
FUTURE GAMMA FEMALE JILLIAN.“Have you played hide-and-seek?” I asked him in a soft voice after he sent a message to Beta Xander. First, he asked them if Alpha Nadine had given birth and told them to call him anytime. He also informed him that “he got the girl and that he was blessed tenfold tonight.” Even though it was just a text message, I could see the pride in him as he puffed his chest while he was typing those words. Kenzo, even without him knowing, really knew how to melt my heart.“Hmmm... what are you planning to do?” He asked, his forehead creasing. We were already in the hotel lobby where I was staying. The party was already over, but my family was still there to make sure all the guests were sent off nicely and out of the border, but they let us leave ahead. I stood in front of Kenzo, walking backward as he walked forward at my pace. I placed my hand on his chest, a playful grin etched on my face. “Catch me if you can, lover boy.”I pushed him playfully before running
FUTURE GAMMA FEMALE JILLIAN.I watched in awe as my father, Alpha Lucas, took the center stage together with my mother, Luna Katarina. Unlike other parents, Dad and Mom were actually happy that I found out who my mate was as soon as I turned eighteen. Dad was glad he turned out to be the same man I was in love with. He didn’t want me to have any doubts about the man I would be in a relationship with, knowing that my mate was just out there somewhere. Although he was sad I had to leave them sooner, he knew I would be in good hands.“We would like to thank everyone for gracing us with your presence for our daughter’s coming-of-age celebration.” My father began, and the crowd gave him a round of applause. I couldn’t help but smile and playfully roll my eyes upon seeing my mother looking at him as if he held the whole universe in his hands. But then I realized it must be the same way I looked at Kenzo whenever he wasn’t looking at me, and I got to study his features. Dad looked at Mom
GAMMA KENZO.I had never driven so fast as I did tonight. Good thing that I only needed to drive along the forest road, so there were no cameras and traffic police lurking around. If I had my way, I would have run on my paws so I’d be faster, but I needed to look presentable, and I couldn’t just rip my clothes off. I was stopped at their border, and it seemed the one in there had no idea who I was. He denied me entry because I didn’t have the invitation with me. In my rush to get help for the Alpha, I might have dropped it somewhere in the packhouse. Only when I instructed him to reach out to Alpha Ledger and we conversed over the phone did I receive permission to enter.The drive to the hotel where her party was ongoing was plain torture. I was happy that I was here, but the thought of missing her dance and her not being my fated mate kept seeping into my mind. “Judgment time.” I reminded myself of this as I picked up the bouquet of red roses from the backseat of my car and made m
LADY JILLIAN.“Mine!!” The growl was so loud it vibrated through my whole body. I shoved Wes’ hand off me and abruptly turned my body around to face the direction of the voice.And my heart stopped as I stared at the man at the far end of the corridor. My eyes locked with Alonso, Alpha Aeon’s son, the next Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. My mouth parted as a shriek passed my lips, something I was not able to control. “No!”Until I realized something.I was older than Alonso. Even with him having a wolf, it was impossible that I scented him. He was not eighteen yet. —----------------------GAMMA KENZO.I ran my comb through my hair one more time, perfecting my hairstyle before pointing at myself through my reflection in the mirror. To say that I was excited was an understatement. I was beyond ecstatic.Tonight, whatever fate had in store for me and Jillian, we would finally take our relationship to the next level. I could officially claim her as my girlfriend, and we would take it fro
A YEAR AFTER MADDOX’S DEATH. LADY JILLIAN of the Midnight Pack. I couldn’t erase the smile off my face as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was tied up tightly in a bun, and I was dressed in a swan-like ballerina dress. The only jewelry I had was one pair of crescent moon earrings that I had never taken off. Finally eighteen. My family was throwing a grand ball for me, and I would start the night with a ballet dance that I’d been practicing for many months. The dance was about a female coming of age and spreading her wings. I was excited, not only because I would be turning eighteen and would finally be able to do many things, but because I could officially say YES to Kenzo as my boyfriend. We could make it official. Kenzo and I started dating after he was re-inducted as the Gamma of the Dark Forest Pack. He asked me if he could court me, and I said he could, or he could come back once I turned eighteen, as I was not allowed to have a boyfriend until then. Not that