Thank you for waiting! 💛 There are some comments about Nadine not remembering what Catherine told her, so I thought I would list down the chapters for Nadine and Xander from The Beta and I book for a refresher on things she knew about Xander and Mindy. And please remember that after the Claiming, Nadine never encountered Catherineagain,n as she was preparing to go to Dark Forest already. Chapters 84-86, Chapter 106, Chapter 107, and Chapter 109. 💛💛💛 Thank you for all the gems, lovelies! We are currently at #2 for New Books and only been only five days since launching!
NADINE.I was grateful that Xander gave me space around the cemetery.I didn’t stay at my grandparents' grave, but I did talk to them while I walked around. I told them about Dad and Uncle David, and how they found their mates. I told them Mom was human but thriving well in the shifters’ world. I also told them about Nadia, my eldest half-sister, and how she had a wonderful life with her Alpha mate. I let them know who her mother was, because I was sure they knew her, as she was from this pack. I told them about the life we had and where we lived. I spoke with pride, telling Grandpa that I was as skilled in combat as he was, just as Dad had told me.I told them I wished I met them, but even if I didn’t get to, I had loved them from how Dad and Uncle David spoke of them. I was sure they knew everything, but I had fun telling them all about us. I also promised them that one of these days I would visit and bring them flowers. And before I left, I told Grandpa that I would take back h
XANDER. I wrapped my arms around her, and before she could say more, I had already crashed my lips against her. It was taking all of my restraint not to kiss Nadine. I didn’t want her to think I was taking advantage, but having her this close to me made me forget whatever control I was trying to have.A soft moan escaped her throat as her grip on my shirt tightened, and she kissed me back with the same intensity that I was giving. The moment her lips parted, I plunged my tongue inside her, devouring the whole of her mouth.I forgot we were in public—in a small family restaurant where there were families with pups eating breakfast. I only snapped back to reality when I heard a soft gasp, making me open my eyes and see our server with a tray of food in her hands, turning around. She probably didn’t want to disturb us. I gently pulled away from Nadine, and she didn’t like it. Her hands tightened on my clothes, pulling me back, but I shook my head and connected with her head. ‘The serv
NADINE. Breakfast was fun and hot. I couldn’t keep my hands off him, and I could tell he was restraining himself from touching me. Maybe because he knew everyone was looking at us, but I didn’t care. I wanted Xander to fall hard for me. I told myself I was doing it so I could use him for my plans, but I knew as well that deep inside, I wanted him to like me so much that when all was revealed, he would choose me over the Alpha title. I could already tell he didn’t like Maddox with the way he spoke of him, but then he was here and still working as his Beta. He might say it was for Mindy, but what if he wanted the Alpha title? I knew this was my first impression when Catherine told me that Maddox’s half-brother was here with him.Of course, he was the firstborn and the rightful Alpha, like how my sister Nadia was the firstborn and the rightful Alpha of this pack. But the difference was that Nadia didn’t want to be an Alpha. She was happy to be Riley’s partner and Luna. I didn’t think t
XANDER.“Does Tristan like Maddox?” I asked. Nadine nodded her head before she answered. “He was proud to be his Beta and would always tell me that Maddox would become the most powerful Alpha in the country. He had so much faith in him.”“Did he say things about Maddox? What he does and his connections?”“Hmmm…” Her hands went to the collar of my shirt, and she began playing with it. “Nothing really… I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you want to know about me and Tristan. But we don’t really talk about what he does.”“I see…”“But what does it have to do with us?” She asked.“You asked why I was hostile toward you at the border when you arrived.”She stopped fidgeting with my shirt and met my eyes. “Tell me.”I let out a sigh before I began. “I don’t want you here, not because I don’t like you. My whole being craves you, Nadine.”I saw her eyes dilated, and it was good news to me. Her wolf, which Orion told me was named Star, showed itself to me for the first time.My hand cupped her jaw,
NADINE. After we talked about my tattoo, Xander and I spent time cleaning the house. He said we could stay in a hotel, but he didn’t want anyone to know where we were staying, and that was the reason he left his car at the restaurant. But he did ask me if I would be comfortable in that place. I didn’t mind. I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon. We had just enough. My sister, Nadia, was married to an Alpha, and they had offered to help with our finances, especially after I was born, but my father had declined. Everything we had came from my parents’ hard-earned money, so I knew what it was like to grow up with just the basics.I was not sure why Xander wanted to hide in this house, but a part of me was guessing he wanted to see if I would complain. Xander seemed to be a decent man, but you couldn’t blame me for being careful with my thoughts and words around him. He was still a Trevino, and one day of being with him was not enough to get to know him. Especially as half of that day,
XANDER.The day was perfect. Nadine and I spent the whole day together until it was time to go home, only for us to realize that Hanna had no gas on her stove and that the house had no electricity. We thought it was cut off when Hanna left, but Nadine saw a disconnection notice from four months ago. They’d been living without electricity, and I wondered how they would survive the colder nights. Nadine was able to find the candles and oil lamps we used to light the house, while I went to the backyard and found the area where Hanna cooked using wood. I had no problem with that, as I had a time in my life when we had to resort to this. And I would do most of the cooking, as my mother would cough violently whenever she inhaled smoke. Her lungs were not that strong.Despite all these challenges tonight, I felt complete. Nadine was just perfect. I never saw her cringe because of the lack of basic things in this house. She just took it lightly and helped me get things done. We prepared the
XANDER.“Now, be a good girl and hop on me,” I growled as I patted my thighs. Nadine giggled and threw her head back. She was like a dream, and I couldn’t stop staring. She was igniting a fire that had been long dead inside me. And I liked it.She pushed her chair back, and I watched her like a prey as she sat on my lap with her legs parted and straddling my thighs. She rubbed her front against my growing erection a couple of times while her hands grabbed my shoulders without taking her gaze off me. “Now tell me, wild heart, in what area can I hurt you?” I asked, pushing my luck.She licked her lips before her hand grabbed mine and placed it on her ponytailed hair.“Tug it…” She said in a sultry voice, and I tugged her hair harshly. Her head tilted up, and a loud gasp left her throat as a grunt left mine.She smiled as she slowly tilted her head down, then she took both of my hands and placed them on the top of her breasts. “You can also hurt me here. The harder, the better.”I gulpe
NADINE. Xander and I were having a wonderful night, but he was moving too slowly. I had no idea how to make it obvious to him that I wanted him — not just the talking Xander, but the wild side he showed me on my first night here before he found out about my tattoo. I knew all my plans might backfire on me, and one of the risks was completely losing Xander. But if that were to happen, I wanted a memory of him.I wanted a taste of him. So, I tried to gear the conversation toward sex. And I think he got the message.In no time, he was already in my pussy, pleasuring me beyond what I had imagined. I had my fair share of sex, as I never thought of having a mate in the long run, so I never stopped myself from gratifying myself. But this — what he was giving me with just his mouth and his fingers — was out of this world. I blamed the sparks and his scent swirling around me. Or maybe he was just really good at this compared to other men before him.“I’m ready for your cock, Xander...” I sa
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