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 POV“That tray is for Gianna.” The head of the maids called glaring at me from the door. I quickly went towards the tray that is filled with tall champagne glasses filled with amber liquid. I took deep breaths then started towards the door waiting for the head of the maids to move before I passed. “And I dare you to do anything stupid.” She gritted in my ear as I passed. I held the tray tightly as I walked further into the ballroom that is filled to the brim with men and women in all sorts of outfits. Some are funny while others are downright creepy. It is a masquerade ball and everyone is allowed to dress like humans do during Halloween. That was what the Alpha Kings requested for their annual celebration taking place in our pack this year. Every year, one pack is selected to throw an annual party for the Alpha Kings to appreciate their dedication and commitment to keeping the werewolf realm safe from other creatures. Since I was born, it has never happened. Not once.
Kane’s POVI groaned as my brothers tried their best to wake me up. I’m usually a heavy sleeper, and I just wanted to get a bit of rest before we arrived at the Silver Moon Pack, but it seemed like we were there already."You better get dressed if you want to be at the party," Keith said, staring down at me."Why don’t we just postpone it?" I groaned, sitting up and blinking away the remnants of sleep."Don’t answer him," Klaus grumbled, standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his hair.Rolling my eyes, I got up to get ready as well. It was only a few hours before we’d be off to another pack. This life gets exhausting, but being an Alpha King has never been easy.Standing in front of the grand mirror in our private suite, my brothers and I adjusted the final touches of our matching tailored suits. With our identical features—dark hair styled perfectly, stormy gray eyes holding the same intensity, and smooth olive skin—we were the definition of power.Of course there is no other lik
Gianna’s POVI woke up disoriented but the rough hands of the maids that dragged me earlier from the ballroom was too painful. Their fingers are digging into my arms as they forced me to sit up. I blinked but everything was still hazy. My body ached, the bruises from Blair and Olivia’s stinging slaps still fresh on my skin but the pain in my chest was worse. Alpha Eliot’s rejection is burning my insides. As soon as the maids realized that they had succeeded in roughly waking me up, they wasted no time and started stripping me off the stained uniform I was wearing. My eyes widened in embarrassment that someone is going to see me naked. No one ever has. I tried to fight them but their shape commands and tighter grips on me had me shutting up and within moments I found myself stark naked in the cold shower. The water hit my skin like needles but the maids didn’t care. They scrubbed me with efficiency that was more like torture, my eyes blurring with tears. “You’re lucky, you know.” O
Kane’s POV Without a word, we turned around and stormed back into the harem, our eyes darkened with a primal intensity. The women inside, who had adjusted their net lingerie and prepared themselves in hopes of catching our attention, shrank back the moment they saw our faces. They could sense the shift in the atmosphere. A few moments ago, we were indifferent, disinterested. Now? We were livid, out for blood. We ignored them, completely focused on finding the source of that scent, our mate. My heart pounded as our eyes scanned the room, senses sharp and wide open. Then I saw it, a small figure where the scent grew sweeter. Limp, half-hidden behind an overstuffed cushion. I moved first, pushing the cushion aside to reveal a young woman, unconscious, fragile, discarded like she meant nothing. My breath caught in my throat. It was her. She was the one our wolves had recognized as our true mate. Without hesitation, I bent down and scooped her into my arms, cradling her gently again
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 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
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 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
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
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
Kane’s POVThe dim glow of the firelight flickered across the study as I leaned back in my chair feeling the weight of frustration settle so deep into my chest I couldn’t breathe well. My brothers, Keith and Klaus sat across from me, their faces etched with the same tired, strained expressions I was certain mirrored my own. The silence between us was suffocating and broken only by the crackle of the flamesOr sometimes the shuffling of papers scattered across the table even though they were doing nothing to help our course. For years now we had been pouring over ancient texts, records and maps desperately trying to find a solution to the curse that hung over our kingdom like a dark cloud. The once-thriving lands were quiet now, filled with a tension that no one dared to speak aloud. People whispered behind closed doors, mourning the futures they feared they would never have… children, families, legacies. It’s been years now since a new baby has been born in this kingdom. It doesn
King’s POVThe knock on the door came as I was still processing everything Blair had told me. My focus snapped back to the present, my irritation flaring briefly before I reminded myself to stay composed. I am an alpha and people are coming with their complaints. “Come in.” I called. The door opened and Zoya stepped in. Her face was a mess with puffy eyes, trembling lips and the kind of tension that made it clear she’d been holding back tears. She didn’t wait for an invitation and started moving straight to the desk and sitting down, her movements heavy with exhaustion. This should be interesting. She leaned forward, resting her head on her arms for a moment before finally lifting her gaze to meet mine. “I heard what Blair told you.” She said, her voice small and steady. “And I can explain.” “Go ahead, then.” I folded my arms and leaned back in my chair, studying her.“The person Blair saw asking questions... it’s probably my father.” She hesitated, her fingers twisting toge
King’s POVI stepped out of the cabin, the morning sun hitting me directly in the face I winced. Too bright. Kate and Kayden's laughter echoed faintly behind me mingling with the scent of the forest. I glanced back once, catching a glimpse of them through the window with Kate tossing popcorn into the air while Kayden attempted to catch it with his mouth. Gianna was by the side eating the breakfast I made for them. The cabin didn’t feel like mine anymore. The space I’d once guarded with so much intensity was now cluttered with small shoes, half-finished drawings and the faint scent of cookies. A part of me should have resented the intrusion but instead, I felt... satisfied. Maybe even proud. It’s the most fucked up feeling I had to announce myself feeling. Truly. I turned back toward the pack house, shaking off the thought. Satisfaction was dangerous. It made you complacent and complacency had no place in my life. Not with so much at stake right now. I made my way to the pack