Thank you for waiting and reading! I am just tying up loose ends, and this book will be over before the end of the month. Thank you for your patience and for hanging on. Stay tuned! We will finally find out about Alpha Zach and his own ordeal soon as we slowly navigate the series to move from the Dark Forest Pack to the Silver Moon Pack. 💛
NADINE. I closed my eyes as I relaxed my shoulders. According to the taxi driver who was taking me there, I was just less than ten kilometers from the nearest border of the Dark Forest Pack. I waited all my life for this moment. I wanted to enter the Dark Forest Pack territory. The pack that rightfully belonged to my family. The pack that was taken by the Trevinos under the false pretense of friendship. They killed my grandfather, the then-Alpha, while he was sleeping, while they were in our territory posing as comrades. I was not born yet when that happened, but I lived my whole life knowing about their treachery, and I had made it my goal to make the Trevinos fall to their knees. I would take our pack back at whatever cost. Even if it meant losing my own mate. The Goddess surely knew how to play games. She gave me a Trevino for a mate. Beta Xander Trevino of the Dark Forest Pack.Two weeks ago, I met him at the Claiming Ball. But instead of claiming me, he went away with a pro
NADINE.We arrived at the packhouse, and the first thing my eyes looked for was Mindy. But I didn’t see her. I saw other females around. They were probably the Omegas of the packhouse. They looked at us when we came in, but no one greeted me, even when I smiled at them. And Xander didn’t even bother to introduce me. They all made me feel like I was not welcome. They just continued with their routine without giving me a second look. I also thought Xander was the one who would show me my room, but he let someone else take me. I was directly ushered to the second floor. And no matter how I tried to converse with the female who walked beside me, she never replied and only told me where my room was.And then I was left on my own. I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do. I had been walking back and forth, contemplating whether I should go down and introduce myself to anyone I would meet and, at the same time, try to find out who Mindy was. But then I was not sure if I was welcome to
NADINE.“Damn, Nadine… I can smell your arousal…” He groaned as he pressed his bulging erection against my front and I couldn’t help but grind mine onto him. “Fuck!” He growled as his hand gripped my hair, and our eyes met. “My wolf wants you!”“Yes.. please…” I moaned. “Take me…”His hand moved, and goosebumps raised on my skin as he trailed his calloused palm along my thigh while our mouths fought for dominance. His fingers brushed on the tiny fabric covering my core before he slipped it to the side and began touching my folds. His touch was rough, but I reveled in it, and in no time, I could feel my pussy leaking. He pulled away from my throat and pushed his body up so his face paralleled with mine. I whimper in disappointment because I wanted his lips on my skin. “Aren’t you too wet for me, mate?” He asked as he licked his lips. His eyes dilated again while his two fingers slid in between my folds and penetrated my pussy - stroking in and out of me.Whimpers and moans escaped m
NADINE.As soon as he left, my heat came. And it was the worst feeling that I ever had in my whole life. I was burning and miserable.In the beginning, I kept myself composed and did my best not to even flinch at the first sign of pain when it came. But as time went on, I couldn’t stop myself anymore.I was burning. I thought I was about to die. I couldn’t stop my cries anymore. So I just let the pain consume me and added my mate’s name to the list of people who had wronged me. I thought Xander was different. I thought being his mate would make me special in his eyes. But I was wrong. He was one of the worst kinds. I spent the whole night crying, cramped up in my little bed. I didn’t know when and how I fell asleep. Or maybe I passed out. I woke up with my clothes soiled from my sweat and tears. I was sure the whole room was reeking of my juices because of how many times I touched myself until I couldn’t remember anything anymore. I was the only one in the bunker, but I felt used a
NADINE. “Nadine!” Xander’s voice rang in the air before another one came.“In my office, Beta,” Maddox ordered him. “Give me ten minutes, Maddox,” Xander answered, and soon I heard footsteps following me. I hurried my steps, and the moment I reached the second floor, I ran to my room. “Fuck!” I heard him mumble before he ran as well. I was able to reach my room, but it was locked, and I had no idea where the key was. I was still holding my doorknob when I turned around, my eyes glaring at him as I spoke. “Don’t come near…”He stopped right away and raised his hands. “I have the keys in my pocket.”“Give it to me.”With one hand still up, he reached for his pocket and pulled the key from it. I grabbed it from him and inserted it into the keyhole. With my body facing him, I pushed the door open. “Don’t you dare attempt to come inside my room, or I will scream.”“I just want to talk.”“You had your chance last night!” I snapped at him, my teeth gritting. “Can you fucking calm down a
NADINE.“Would you like to work for me personally?” The Alpha asked and my head automatically nodded. I knew there was something fishy about the way he offered it, but I was willing to do anything to stay.I would not let Xander throw me out of this pack. Since my mate didn’t want me, I would go back to my original plan and lure the Alpha for my revenge. “What kind of work will that be, Alpha?”“Will it matter?” He asked.I smiled at him and shook my head.A satisfied grin tugged at his mouth as he licked his lips. Well, let the games begin. “How old are you?”“I’m turning twenty-two soon.”“Interesting. You look younger.”“Will that matter? Will you let me join your pack?” I asked, biting my lower lip. “Yes.” He said slowly before he stood up from his chair and opened his drawer. I saw him pick up a dagger, and it made me swallow harder. I knew the dagger was needed to draw blood, but I reminded myself to be wary and observant. He rounded his table and leaned back on it as he s
NADINE. ‘Can you hear me?’ Xander’s voice rang in my head. ‘Yes.’ I replied, and I made sure he could hear the animosity in my voice. “Alpha, we will go now.” His arm coiled around my waist as he pulled her closer after taking the glass away from my hand and placing it on the shelves near him. I discreetly wriggled out of his grasp, and I was sure Alpha Maddox saw it. I felt his chest heave as he continued speaking. “I will take the two days off that I asked you for yesterday. I’ll make sure Gamma Kenzo is aware so he can take over as needed.” “I haven’t agreed on it,” Maddox replied as he turned his back on us and walked back to his chair.“You told me I could have days off once a month. I’d been here for more than two months and had never taken a day off. I’m asking for just two days.”“Trying to run over me in front of your mate?” Maddox asked, furrowing his brows. “No. Just two days. I want to spend time with Nadine.”“Does she want to spend time with you?” He asked, and a s
NADINE. We bumped into four Omegas, including Mindy. My hands curled into fists, but I did my best to stop my chest from heaving. “Good morning, Beta Xander.” One of them greeted him. “Good morning.” Xander stopped walking, making me stop, too. His arm went around my waist as he pulled me closer to him. “This is Lady Nadine, my mate. Future Beta Female of this Pack.”I saw shock registered on their faces, except for Mindy, who smiled at me. But it also didn’t slip my eyes the way the other Omegas tried to look at her discreetly. They were probably checking her reaction to Xander’s introduction.“Welcome to the Dark Forest Pack, Beta Nadine.” Mindy greeted me, tilting her head to bow down. The rest of the Omegas followed her and said the same thing before they bowed in respect. I wanted to cry and walk away, but I kept my head high while doing my best not to sound sarcastic. “Thank you,” I replied. And then I saw it. Mindy’s eyes flecked white, and I slowly tilted my head to look a
NADINE. “I want to say my own vow of loyalty to you,” Xander said.I nodded. I couldn’t stop the ladybugs and butterflies swarming in my stomach, excited to finally welcome him back to the pack and officially take and claim him as my mate. I loosely snaked my arms around his neck, and we stared at each other’s eyes lovingly. “I, Xander Trevino, accept you, Alpha Nadine Montrell, as my mate and my Alpha. I accept your dreams as mine, I accept your trials as mine, and I accept your pack as mine. I vow my love and loyalty to you as my mate, first and foremost. And vow my loyalty to this pack as your and their Beta. I will protect you and this pack with all that I have until the Goddess stops me from fulfilling my vows.”“I, Alpha Nadine Montrell, accept you, Xander Trevino, as my mate, my very own Alpha and Beta.” I tilted my head to the side, and Xander knew what he needed to do as he leaned closer and let his fangs erupt.“I accept your dreams as mine. I accept your trials as mine,”
NADINE.A shriek escaped my throat as my body was lifted up from the floor.My arms instantly wrapped around his neck and my legs around his hips as he walked us to the bedroom while he murmured against my cheeks. “Do I get the Beta and the mate post? Or do I need to prove myself first?”“Prove yourself. Make me scream the loudest, and I will hire you to fill the Beta post and to fill my pussy…”A loud growl reverberated from his chest, and I knew the mood had changed tremendously from emotional to lustful in seconds. But I wasn’t complaining. I wanted him.Xander dropped me to the small bed. He went back to the door to lock it and wasted no time in taking off his clothes while I watched him in awe. I could never get used to this. I was still mesmerized by how beautiful his tanned skin was and how perfectly toned his muscles were. He was ripped in all the right places, and I was aching to run my tongue everywhere on his body.“You look like someone who wants to devour me.” Xander app
XANDER. A smile curled on Nadine’s lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Hi!” She said in a slightly higher voice, breaking the silence between us. “Hi!” I replied. “I’m sorry, I’m a mess. I was painting outside and... and…” She stuttered“You’re still beautiful,” I said, cutting her off. She lost weight, but it didn’t change anything. She was still mesmerizing. There was no doubt about that. “Thank you…” She smiled before licking her lips. “Would you like to have... um?” She looked around, looking for something. “Would you like to have water?”“That would be nice. I’m a bit thirsty due to the heat.”“Right. Yeah, perfect. It’s the best drink in the world.” “I never doubted that,” I replied, suppressing a grin from forming on my mouth while she kept talking. She tilted her head and saw the glass that she was drinking from earlier. She grabbed it and put it on the table in front of her. “Here. Drink it before it’s not cold anymore.”I stepped forward, hand still holding my bag,
XANDER.Dad and I drove from the farm to the Dark Forest Pack after we talked. At the beginning, I was still uneasy sitting next to him in his car, but as the hours went by, I was getting more comfortable in his company. Like Nadine, he bore a serious expression on his face but as soon as he let his walls down, he was easy to get comfortable with. He asked many things about my childhood and my plans for the farm, but I never felt he was intruding or trying to spy on me. I felt he genuinely wanted to know more about me, and I just found myself talking to him about things that I had never shared with anyone, even some things I had never had time to share with Nadine yet. And he told me stories about her—how she was always a top notcher at school and a very disciplined child.He told me Nadine had always been strong-headed and a little stubborn. He then said he was not surprised that the Goddess paired her with me because it looked like I was more stubborn than her, and I could let Nadin
XANDER.The last two weeks were painful without Nadine. The farm was doing and thriving well. The people, like always, had been wonderful, but the place was no longer as amazing and exciting as it used to be when she was around. It no longer felt like home.I had a hard time getting up from bed to start the day, but staying was harder because every moment I wasn’t doing anything, I would only think of her.On the third day after she left, I moved to the big house. I thought having a place with no memory of her would make it easier for me. But it was the opposite. I hated that every corner of the big house seemed bland and frustrating. It was not even twenty-four hours since I moved there that I went back to the house I shared with her and cocooned myself in the same blanket we had before she left. But her scent was already fading, and I was getting tired of answering people where she was. They missed her, and I wondered if they knew I missed her more. “You’re leaving.” My hand sto
NADINE.“How about you?” I asked Xander. “I’m staying. This is my life now.” He replied coldly as he walked toward our bedroom.“Xander… Please, come home with me.” I said as I followed him. “This is my home.”“How can I convince you to be with me?”“You should have started by telling me everything. I feel like a fool believing you gave up that pack life to be with me. I thought the constant conversation about them was just because you were missing it from time to time. I didn’t know you still have a life there.” He grabbed my suitcase and began filling it with my clothes.“Why are you finding it so difficult to accept the pack? You asked me earlier why Arlo was just a temporary Beta, because I wanted to offer you that position. We can be a team. I know I will never trust my life with anyone but you. But I’m also willing to share the Alpha post if you want to give it a try.”“I don’t want anything from your pack. How many times do I have to tell you I never wanted to be an Alpha or
NADINE“Fine, I’ll go. We’ll talk later.” He said, shrugging his shoulders and ready to turn around. “Xander, please.” I was getting frustrated. “Don’t leave.” It was Kenzo. “I’m sorry I came unannounced. But this next information affects you too, so I suggest you stay. After this, I’ll leave.”“What about it?” Xander asked. “Can we all sit down?” Kenzo requested.Xander sat on the couch in front of Kenzo. I went to the same couch and sat beside him but he didn’t even look at me. “One of the pack doctors visited us at the packhouse. She was worried and wanted us to know if we knew anything about Carlotta.”“Why?” I couldn’t help but ask. “She said Carlotta is pregnant, and she didn’t know she was no longer part of the pack, so when she didn’t show up for her scheduled appointment, she tried reaching out to her, but she couldn’t reach her anymore.”I sank into my seat, pressing my back against the couch. Pregnant? Was it Maddox’s pup?“Only then did she find out she left and deno
NADINE.I was still far from seeing the possibility of him coming home with me, but I would take this—I would take what he could give me. And maybe one day, maybe soon, he would understand that there was also a life waiting for us at the Dark Forest Pack. “You’re so beautiful... Every day, I’m still in awe that I was paired with you.” He mumbled, and his eyes told me he wasn’t joking. “You look good in my shirt.”“I love you, Xander,” I said in a soft voice without taking my eyes off him. I was not good with this, but I hoped he could feel the sincerity of my words.“I thought I would never hear that from you.” He said as his eyes watered. “It’s an honor to be loved by you, Nadine. I hope I can be good enough and live up to your expectations.”“Why are you saying that? You are more than enough.” He didn’t say anything and just smiled at me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and his hands on my waist pulled me closer to him before our lips brushed against each other.“I love you.” H
NADINE.Xander gave me more than what I was hoping for, and I just found myself digging my fangs into his skin. I’d been dreaming of carrying his mark and marking him even before I was imprisoned—despite not knowing what lay ahead of us—but I couldn’t because of Mindy.Now that I had him in my arms, with Mindy in a good place and Maddox gone for good, there was no reason not to claim him. “Hmmm…” I moaned as his blood traveled down my throat, and a deeper connection bound us, enveloping my whole sense with warmth and security.Xander was finally mine. All mine.My eyes shut open, and I abruptly pulled away from his neck, scrambling on my ass as I moved away from him. My head tilted to look at him, and his expression was dark. I was right. He was upset. “I’m sorry… I got carried away.” I mumbled.It was a crime to mark a female without her consent, and I was sure it was the same for males. “Sorry for what? For marking me?” He asked.I nodded my head. “I should have…”“You should hav