Keith’s POVThe bathroom mirror was still fogged up from the hot shower as I grabbed a towel and wrapped it loosely around my waist. Steam curled around me as I pushed open the door and stepped into my dimly lit bedroom. My muscles ached from hours of training and even more hours of listening to my brothers strategize, argue and brood. My focus was already on collapsing into bed when I froze mid step. Catherine. She was lying on MY bed completely naked, her pale skin illuminated by the faint moonlight seeping through the floor to ceiling window. Her long legs were casually crossed, her arm resting under her head and she looked at me with a sultry smile that I was sure she thought was irresistible. “Keith.” She purred, her voice low and silky. “I was starting to think you’d never come out.” My jaw tightened, my eyes narrowing as I took her in. Full breasts, toned stomach, curves that most men would have fallen over themselves to worship, it was all there. Truthfully, she was
Klaus’s POVThe air in my study was thick with the scent of old books and burning wood from the fireplace but none of it helped calm my mind. Ingrid sat across from me on the velvet couch flipping through wedding invitations like this was all that mattered. She hummed softly to herself, utterly oblivious to the tension coiling tighter in my chest with every second that passed. All she wanted was for this goddammned wedding to take place so she become a queen. How absurd. “What do you think about this one?” She asked holding up a card with gold embossing and intricate lace edges. Her smile was bright, hopeful. “It’s fine.” I barely glanced at it.Her smile faltered slightly but she didn’t push. Ingrid never did. She was graceful, composed, the perfect picture of a future queen. And I hated that I couldn’t feel anything for her beyond duty. “You’ve been distracted lately.” She set the card down and studied me, her blue eyes narrowing just a little. “I have a kingdom to run.” I r
Gianna’s POVThe dream was vivid. Too vivid. I stood in the middle of the grand hall I had once called home, the walls are now oppressive. The three Alpha Kings surrounded me, their presence suffocating, their stormy grey eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite name but it looks like regret? Desperation? “Gianna.” Kane start with his voice uncharacteristically soft. He stepped closer, his hand reaching out but stopping from my arm. “Please, come back. We need you.” “No.” I replied firmly, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me. “I’m content where I am. I’ve found peace. I’ve found a life without you.” Keith’s jaw tightened, his frustration bleeding through. He has always been the one I respected most amongst the brothers but no after he did nothing to stop them from hurting me. “You think this is just about us? About what we did? It’s bigger than that, Gianna. The kingdom—” But I had to cut him off. “Don’t.” I interrupted sharply, my glare locking onto him. “Don’t u
Gianna’s POVThe dream still lingered in my mind as I opened my eyes to the soft morning light through the curtains. I sat up slowly, my body tens. The dream has weight and the weight of its meaning pressing against my chest. It felt like more than just a nightmare like a warning. First the rogue’s unintelligent words and now this? The universe seemed to be yelling at me to wake up to prepare for what might come. What if they were already sniffing around the pack again? What if their desperation had finally pushed them to cross the line they had hovered near for two years? I swung my legs off the bed, careful not to wake the twins as I dressed quickly. My heart pounded as I thought about what I needed to do next. I couldn’t let this fester. If I ignored it, I’d only be blindsided later and there was no way I’d let them catch me off guard. Not again. Not after the way Kane had tackled me in the woods that time I tied to run away. King. I needed to know more about his plans. What
Gianna’s POVI collapsed onto the ground with my limbs splayed out like a dead fish as my chest heaved for air. The cool earth felt like a balm against my overheated skin and my glare shot toward King became more dangerous. He stood over me, his arms crossed and a stupid smug smile tugging at his lips. He looked insufferably pleased with himself and somehow, that made him even more maddeningly handsome. Annoyingly so!That smug expression softened the sharp edges of his rugged face making him look younger and much more approachable. For a brief moment, my breath caught in my throat. This man was a goddess’s favorite. It was so easy to forget that beneath the imposing Alpha exterior, King was also human. A man who bled and breathed like the rest of us and yet carried himself like he was forged from fire and iron. Like he was too good to be mortal. Compared to the triplets who exuded a quiet and regal charm, King was all raw power and rough masculinity. Rugged and rough edged as thou
King’s POVI sat behind my desk, papers scattered across the surface in absolute chaos, frustration building as I go through the mess for the one thing I needed. That one paper… our blueprint. Every plan, every misstep, every idea Liam, Tom, and I had come up with decades ago was scribbled on it. That paper has our entire lives in it. It was supposed to be here.But it wasn’t. I had turned my study upside down. Books toppled from shelves, drawers were yanked open and dumped onto the floor and my once-organized desk looked like a battlefield. My temples throbbed as I stared at the mess trying to think where else it could be. Liam and Tom swore they had left it here when we decided to reanalyze our strategy back then. We’d needed to understand where we’d gone wrong. What could have slipped through the cracks? My thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open and I looked up sharply half-expecting Liam or Tom to walk in with some snide comment about my ‘panic.’ Instead, Alic
Gianna’s POVThe cabin buzzed with laughter, and the mouthwatering scent of roasted vegetables and slow cooked meat. King, predictably grumbling but secretly pleased, had taken over the kitchen after I dramatically declared that my cooking skills would send the place up in flames. It wasn’t true, well, not entirely, but I knew his food was far better than mine and this night had to be perfect. Liam was bringing his mate. His mate!The news reached me yesterday in the most unexpected way. I’d been chatting with Blair when she casually dropped that the entire pack house was celebrating Liam’s good fortune. At first, I thought she’d meant Tom after all, they both shared the same titl and I’d recently seen Tom with a particularly stunning she wolf in the woods. But Blair had quickly clarified, shaking her head with a knowing smile. "No, not Tom.” She ground out. "Liam. And the pack house is buzzing.” I’d been excited with a tangle of emotions washing over me. Happiness, of course
King’s POVThe hallway was quieter than usual as I led Liam and Tom toward my office with their footsteps echoing behind me. Gianna always curious had tried to tag along her bright eyes practically sparkling with mischief as she hovered around. “I’ll catch up later.” I told her firmly stopping her with a look. “Go check on the kids.” She pouted a small huff escaping her lips, but I didn’t budge. She always managed to worm her way into things she had no business knowing, but not this time. She gave a dramatic sigh before spinning on her heel and heading toward the living room. I hope she won’t hover outside wanting to eavesdrop. That little woman is not beyond anything. As soon as we entered my office, I closed the door with a quiet click and turned to face Liam and Tom crossing my arms. “Alright” I said, my tone sharp enough to cut glass. “You’re hiding something. Spill it.” They exchanged a glance Tom raising a brow while Liam shifted uncomfortably. It was unusual to see Li
Gianna’s POVEach step felt like dragging a mountain behind me. The air was thick, pressing down on my shoulders and making my legs heavier than they had ever been. My heartbeat echoed in my ears filled with an unease i couldn’t shake. I was walking straight into the lion’s den, knowing full well that I might not make a difference. That my words might hold no weight. That I could be wasting my time and my breath and my energy. But i had to try. I had to try for my mates. For my children. For the kingdom that was now mine to protect. I needed to know that at the end of this, I had done everything I could to prevent whatever chaos King had planned. The forest around me was familiar in a way that made my chest ache. This was where I had trained and where I had bled and where I had broken and rebuilt myself. And as soon as I stepped closer to the clearing, his scent hit me like a wave. It wrapped around me through my lungs and sank into my bones. That deep and intoxicating scent of ea
Gianna’s POV“Stay as far away from the pack as possible” I said, my voice firm as I stood before my mates sith my arms crossed in defiance. Keith’s jaw tensed as his stormy gray eyes bore into mine. “You expect us to let you walk into his territory alone?” His voice was low, tight with anger but underneath it, I heard something else worry. I held his gaze, unwavering. “I expect you to trust me.” Klaus exhaled sharply, his hands clenched at his sides as if he were fighting the urge to grab me and shake some sense into me. I know they are using the most of their willpower not to throw away the ridiculous idea. It is starting to sound ridiculous to me too. “That’s not the damn point, Gianna” he snapped. “King isn’t just some fool. He’s dangerous. And you’re walking straight into his den.” “I know that” I said, forcing myself to stay calm. “But he won’t hurt me. That’s not his goal.” Kane had been silent this whole time, standing a little apart from his brothers, watching me w
Gianna’s POVThe weight of their gazes felt like a noose tightening around my throat. I knew this confrontation was inevitable but i had hoped to be long gone before they woke up. The morning air was crisp yet the tension between us made it suffocating. This wasn’t how the morning was supposed to be. This was not part of the plan and I never expected them to feel the need to come find me so early in the morning. It’s still dark outside so why the hell are they awake ready?I squared my shoulders, gripping the hilt of the dagger strapped to my thigh not as a threat but to ground myself. My steps were slow but deliberate as I moved forward. They didn’t speak. Not at first. They just watched me, their stormy eyes filled with questions I wasn’t sure I was ready to answer. It was Klaus who broke the silence first. His voice was eerily calm but I knew better than to be fooled by it. "Going somewhere, Gianna?" My lips parted but no words came. He already knew the answer. They all did.
Gianna’s POVThe room was cloaked in silence, the only sound the slow, rhythmic breathing of Keith beside me. The warmth of his body still lingered on my skin, a stark contrast to the cool air creeping in from the windows. I should have stayed in bed, let myself bask in the rare peace that had settled over me but my mind wouldn’t let me. It was time. I slipped out from beneath the covers, careful not to wake him. My body hummed with energy, more awake than it had been in weeks, yet my chest felt unbearably heavy. Tonight had been a distraction, a beautiful, intoxicating escape from the weight of reality. But reality was waiting for me, lurking in the shadows of the decisions I could no longer avoid. Padding silently to my room, I let out a slow breath, gathering my thoughts. I had to do this. I had to stop King before he set his plan into motion. Because whatever he was planning it wouldn’t just affect my mates. It wouldn’t just affect me. It would affect my children and I could n
Gianna’s POVThe night stretched on, silent and heavy, but sleep refused to come. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts tangled in a web of uncertainties. No matter how many times I turned over, no matter how much I tried to push everything away, my mind refused to quiet. I wasn’t supposed to be awake I wasn't supposed to feel this restless but I did. Every part of me buzzed with anticipation, a gnawing sense of something coming. Something is indeed coming. It has already started coming anyways. I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair before finally sitting up. Staying in this room wasn’t an option. Not tonight. I needed comfort. I needed warmth. And I knew exactly where to find it. Slipping out of bed, I padded down the dimly lit hallways, my heart beating steadily as I made my way to Keith’s room. His was the only bedroom I felt completely at ease in. Maybe it was because I knew for a fact that no woman had ever slept there before me. Not even Cath
Gianna’s POV The weight of everything pressed down on me, a suffocating force that made it impossible to think straight. I stood in the middle of my room, arms crossed, staring out the window but not really seeing anything. My mind was elsewhere, tangled in a web of possibilities and consequences. Every choice led to a different path, and no matter which one I took, someone would get hurt. But I couldn’t sit back and let war tear everything apart. I couldn’t let people bleed and die when I had the power to stop it. They didn’t call me a Healer for nothing. Healing wasn’t just about closing wounds and mending broken bones. It was about preventing the pain before it ever had a chance to take root. It was about stepping in before destruction became irreversible. King wouldn’t hurt me, I knew that much, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t walking into something dangerous. His obsession with me had always burned like wildfire, consuming everything in its path. And now, after everything a
Gianna’s POVI lingered in my chambers for a while after the children left, letting the quiet settle over me. The weight of their words still clung to me wrapping around my ribs like a vice. My children were happy here and so effortlessly happy and that should have been enough. But deep down, I knew better. This peace was temporary like all the places we’ve been and I feel like a terrible mother for not doing anything possible to make them feel safe in one place. I was hoping they’d be together with their real biological parents. That is proving to be hard. A war loomed on the horizon with its shadow stretching closer with each passing day. And no matter how much I wished for my children to remain untouched by it, I knew that was impossible. I exhaled softly and rose from the bed heading toward the armoire. The staff had already laid out a selection of clothes for me and flowing dresses in delicate fabrics all far too formal for my taste. I ignored them and instead reached for so
Gianna’s POVA gentle warmth filtered through the curtains, brushing against my skin and coaxing me into consciousness. My body stirred against the soft sheets, my fingers instinctively reaching out beside me only to find the space empty. I blinked, the remnants of sleep clinging to me as I turned my head staring at the unruffled side of the bed where Kane had slept beside me just hours ago. He was gone. The absence of his warmth sent a ripple of unease through me. Not because i needed him there but because for a fleeting moment in the night, I had allowed myself to surrender to the comfort of not being alone. And it’s safe to say I enjoyed lying there beside Kane. He is so soft and comfortable. I sat up slowly, the sheets pooling around my waist as I ran a hand through my tangled hair. The room was quiet except for the distant sounds of the estate waking up doors opening, hushed voices of the staff moving through the halls. Before I could gather my thoughts, a soft knock echoed f
Gianna’s POVThe darkness was suffocating.L with thick and , inky tendrils curled around my ankles snaking up my legs, tightening like unseen hands dragging me under. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t break free. I clawed at the emptiness, gasping for air but it was like breathing in ash. Then I heard him. A voice that was both familiar and terrifying. Smooth, deep, dripping with possession. A voice that had made me want to do the unthinkable and coaxed me into orgasming once. "Running from me, little dove?"My breath caught and I twisted frantically, searching the endless void for the source of the voice. I knew who it belonged to. Knew the way his presence sent an unbearable shiver down my spine. Both oleasant and unpleasant shivers. King. His name was a whisper in my mind, a curse and a prayer all at once. The darkness shifted, morphing into something tangible, something alive. Then he was there stepping out of the abyss as if he had been born from it, his towering fo