The room felt colder as Liana left. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the spot where she had stood just moments ago. Her courage surprised me; not many had the guts to look me in the eye, let alone make a deal. But it wasn’t just her bravery that intrigued me — it was the opportunity she presented, and something I couldn’t put my finger on.
My mind drifted back to Rowan and Victor, names that made my blood boil. Rowan had been a thorn in my side for years, always trying to expand his territory and muscle into my affairs. Victor, her father, was no different. He had betrayed our alliance years ago, joining forces with Rowan to strengthen their hold. Their combined power had made them formidable enemies, but having Victor’s own daughter as my mate? That was a delicious twist of fate.
This could be the leverage I needed to turn the tables. Having Liana by my side would infuriate both of them, showing the world that their prized alliance wasn’t as strong as it seemed. But to make it believable, we’d need to fabricate a mating bond. And for that, I needed the help of a witch.
I called in Kaden. “Bring me Irina,” I ordered him. The witch had been a loyal ally for years, her skills in magic unparalleled. If anyone could help me create a convincing witch bond, it was her.
“Whoa! Why?” Kaden asked, totally surprised.
When I explained everything to him, he gaped at me. “Darius,” he said. “You’ve never taken such an impulsive step. I mean, wolf, you’re thirty and haven't once shown deep interest in a woman. Why now?”
“Because Liana is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Kaden must have conveyed Gamma Nero via mind link about Irina. Within minutes, Irina walked in, her dark robes trailing behind her. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at me, sensing the weight of my thoughts.
“You need my help, Alpha?” she asked. Irina loved to walk through her various portals, and was ready to work for us, of course at heavy prices. And she was an ally.
“Yes. I need you to perform a ritual to create a mating bond,” I said. “I want it strong enough that it feels real to others, but temporary so it can be broken when necessary.”
Irina’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Interesting. I’ve heard whispers about the girl you brought in. Liana, isn’t it? Victor’s daughter?”
“Correct,” I confirmed. “I want to make sure it looks authentic. Rowan’s mark is already on her, but I need mine in the right place.”
Irina nodded. “It can be done, but it will require both of you to be willing participants. You must mark her during the ritual, and she must accept it.”
“That won’t be a problem,” I said confidently.
As Irina left, I asked Kaden to inform Liana about it.
An hour later - The ritual
Liana walked in, her eyes wary but determined. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the uncertainty in her steps. Yet, she stood tall, ready to face whatever I had planned.
“We’re going to perform a ritual,” I explained. “It’s to fabricate a mating bond between us. It will make our bond appear real.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “And this will make them believe we’re mated?”
“Yes. It’s the only way to protect you from being taken back by your father or Rowan,” I said, watching her closely. “Are you willing?”
She hesitated but then nodded. “I am.” Her eyes went to Irina and her heart raced. I was surprised how my wolf pushed me to hug her and calm her.
Irina winked at us playfully. Then she stepped forward, setting up the candles and drawing a circle around us with special herbs on the floor. The air filled with the scent of sage and lavender as she began to chant. The room darkened, and I felt a surge of power as the magic began to work. Irina came to stand behind Liana. She brushed her fingers over Rowan’s mark on her, and the mark faded. I knew it was an illusion. That worked to my advantage.
I took Liana’s hand in mine. Her skin was cold, and I could feel the rapid beat of her pulse. I leaned in, close to her ear, and whispered, “This will hurt, but it’s necessary.”
She gave a short, stiff nod. “I’m ready."
Irina stepped back. “Mark her. Now!”
With one swift motion, I sank my fangs into her neck, marking her as mine. At the right place. She gasped in pain but didn’t pull away. I felt a rush of energy as our bond formed, the magic sealing it. For a moment, it almost felt real — like she truly belonged to me. She clutched my shirt, stifling her scream, as I wrapped my arms around her to keep her steady. To my utter surprise, my cock became painfully hard. I didn’t want to pull out my fangs. And I wanted to sink my cock inside her.
Reluctantly, I removed my fangs from her and stepped back, looking at Liana in amazement. She was breathing heavily, her hand still on my chest.
“Mark me now,” I whispered, inclining my neck for her.
She rose on her toes and marked me without hesitation. I had to clench my jaw and steel myself to not take her down then and there. Irina’s magic was really strong.
Irina finished her chanting, and the air around us seemed to settle. The candles flickered out, leaving the room in silence. “It is done,” Irina said, her voice soft. “To everyone else, you are now bonded. The mark will hold until you choose to break it. But you must break it within a month, else things will become difficult.”
“Thank you,” Liana whispered, her voice shaky.
I nodded, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and something I couldn’t quite name. “You’re safe now, as long as you stay by my side.”
After thanking Irina, I left the room, holding her hand heading back into the main hall. “Do you want to rest?” I asked her.
“Yes,” she breathed, an awkwardness coating both of us. I didn’t want to leave her, but I reminded myself that it was the effect of the bond.
As we walked, I noticed someone waiting by the doorway — Elara Jenkins, Gamma Nero’s sister. Elara had always been around, making her interest in me very clear, projecting herself as my girlfriend. Honestly, I never objected to her claim. She was a beautiful brunette with dark eyes and a curvy figure. I might have taken her once or twice.
Now, seeing Liana by my side, she looked ready to pounce.
I gave her a tight nod and went into the room, feeling heavy, leaving Liana to go back and rest.
Liana POV
She was glaring at me with a look I’d seen before: pure jealousy. “You must be Liana,” she scoffed as Darius left us.
“Hi!” I said. “And you are?”
“I am Elara, Alpha Darius’s future Luna.”
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Do you think Liana and Darius are true mates? Will they fight for each other? Or will Elara win?
Liana POV Oh. I jerked my head back in surprise. Elara stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “You’re nothing but a pawn in Darius’s game.”My eyes narrowed. “A pawn? Maybe,” I replied quietly. “And that is Alpha Darius for you.” “Alpha Darius doesn’t know what he has done by marking you. He will regret it. You have pushed him into deep trouble! You think you can just waltz in here and take my place?” she spat. “Your place?” I needed to put this girl in place for my plan to succeed. “Elara, that wolf is thirty years old. If he wanted you, he would have marked you by now,” I pointed it out to her. “But I’m the one standing beside him now,” I added calmly. “So deal with it.” Elara’s face turned red with anger. “You don’t know anything about us,” she hissed. “You’re just a distraction.”I stepped closer, my voice icy. “Maybe. But as long as I’m here, I’m the one who’s his mate, fake or not. So, if you have a problem with it, take it up with him.”Elara huffed angrily before turni
Liana POVI had heard that Alpha Darius rarely ate in the main hall, preferring his private quarters. An invitation to join him was special – and slightly terrifying."Of course, Alpha Darius," I managed, quickly checking my reflection. My eyes were slightly red.His private dining room felt warm and intimate. The table could seat four, though he usually ate alone. My heart melted a little when he pulled out my chair – not as a formal gesture, but something natural and protective."I heard about what happened in the hall today," he said after we'd started eating.I focused very intently on cutting my steak. "It was nothing important.""Liana." His voice was gentle but firm, and something in me unraveled at the sound of my name on his lips. "The mate bond might be new, but I can feel your distress. You don't have to pretend with me."I set down my utensils, still avoiding his eyes. "It's silly. I shouldn't let her get to me.""It's not silly if it hurts you." His large hand covered min
Darius POV For days, I told myself I would send word to Rowan and Victor. Letting them know I had Liana would stir the chaos I needed to press my advantage. Rowan’s fury and Victor’s desperation would weaken their defenses, giving me room to strike where it hurt most. It was the logical move, the strategic one.But I couldn’t do it.Every time I picked up the pen to write the message or ordered Kaden to dispatch a messenger, something stopped me. Or rather, someone.It wasn’t just me—it was my wolf. It growled in protest, pacing in my head like a caged beast, snapping at the idea of giving her up. Not yet, it seemed to say, as if the creature had its own plan. And maybe it did.Rumors and bounties were galore. The reports from my warriors only complicated things further. Rowan’s pack was scouring every inch of their territory and beyond, hunting for her. Desperation had twisted Rowan into a man obsessed, but it was Victor’s move that surprised me.“A bounty?” I muttered, reading the
Liana POV Darius clenched his teeth as he listened to my plan as his shoulders tensed. I continued, “My father, he—” I didn’t know how to start on how vicious my father was, but I guess this was a good time. “Father hasn’t been very good with his pack members. They are afraid of him and are scared to go against him. Some, who are very close to him have formed such a closed group that they don’t let others speak with him. He has been very cruel all this life. Many of our pack members have disappeared overnight and no one is brave enough to ask about them. He feels that the she-wolves should only be breeders. Their position in society is lower than that of a pet dog.” “I’ve tried many times to reach him in the hope that he would at least listen to me or my ideas about the pack's progress, but he is so rigid that he dismisses me every time. It’s like I am not worthy enough to be his daughter, when I am the alpha heir. Just because I am his daughter, he feels I’m a burden whose only purp
Elara POV Liana was a thorn in my side from the moment she arrived. Darius was mine, or he would be if not for her. I was so close to marrying him. Nero had asked me to be patient because there was no other she-wolf in the Midnight Claw pack that was as beautiful and smart as me. Darius was thirty and I was twenty-seven. We both hadn’t found a mate because the goddess had plans for us. Ever since that wretched fake bond, she walked around the pack as though she belonged, stealing glances from the pack members and, worse, from Darius himself. The other night when she was with him in the garden, so close to kissing, my blood boiled. If it had been for me, I would have ripped her away from him, gouged her eyes and thrown them to vultures. And after that, the way she answered me, I felt like slapping her. One thing was clear—Liana was not dumb. But what she didn’t know was that I could easily outsmart her. Moreover, it wasn’t just about Darius, though—she threatened my position and re
Darius POV I sat in my office, tapping my fingers on the oak desk. The accusations against Liana were weighing heavily on my mind. Elara's words played like a broken record. She had raised suspicions, planting doubts in my mind. Was she manipulating? I don’t think so. She was Nero’s sister and one of the trusted pack members. As Alpha, my primary job was the safety of my pack. That meant I couldn’t ignore anything suspicious. The evidence found in Liana’s room was serious: important pack papers with defense plans were hidden there. It was hard not to think she might be guilty, even though my heart didn’t want to believe it.Nero’s words echoed Elara's sentiments as he said, “We can’t trust her, Alpha Darius. She has ties to our enemies.” He had met me in private after Elara’s accusations. “What if she’s a double agent, planted by Rowan or her father?” he had asked. “You’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment, Alpha Darius.”“Nero!” I growled, not liking his remark. He immediat
Liana POVI sat on my bed, fuming. The audacity of Darius to accuse me after everything I had endured. The betrayal I felt was like a knife to the heart, twisting deep. But I couldn’t let the hurt consume me. I needed to focus on clearing my name. If I sat down to mope on what Elara had done to me, I was sure she would take more advantage of my vulnerability. My mind raced through the events of the past week. Someone had deliberately planted evidence to frame me—I was sure of it. The real traitor was hiding in plain sight.I stood abruptly, determination replacing my despair. If Darius wouldn’t trust me, I’d have to prove my loyalty without his support. Then why was it that through our bond I could feel his concern for me. “Those emotions are forced!” I said to myself aloud. I couldn’t rely on his concern because for him I was a business arrangement, a tool, a means to an end. And he was the same for me. I started by retracing my steps, recalling anyone who had access to my room or m
Liana POV I turned my face away to look outside the window. Swallowing the lump of emotions down my throat, I said, “Darius, I can’t assert enough that Rowan is a demon. He is a psychopath. I was running away from him, and when I came to your pack, someone saved me and took me to Kaden’s house. I wish I knew that wolf. He would have attested my situation, my desperation. And I’m not Rowan’s ally!” Darius froze for a moment. Then he stepped closer, his towering frame imposing, but his expression conflicted. “I want to believe you,” he said, his voice softening just slightly. “But this pack is my responsibility. I can’t ignore evidence, no matter how much I wish it weren’t true.”The admission hurt, and my anger flared. “Wish it weren’t true? That’s rich, coming from someone who hasn’t been honest with me either. You knew Rowan and my father were planning something, didn’t you? And you said nothing.”His eyes narrowed, his guilt barely concealed. “I was going to tell you. But nothing’
Liana POV I knew that voice. I knew that laughter. It was the bane of my existence. Elara. The woman who did everything in her own twisted way to keep me away from my mate while she enjoyed her mate. And even became pregnant with his pup. A shudder ran down my spine when I remembered how she pegged it on Darius. Gritting my teeth, I followed the sound, stepping deeper into the dungeon. When I reached her cell, I found her lounging against the wall, her hair disheveled, his clothes tattered and her face gaunt. She looked like a ghost from the past. Her cell was stinking with rot and mold and uneaten food. With my heart hammering in my chest, I went to stand in front of her prison just to tell her that this was her karma. But some people never learn, do they? “Elara,” I smirked. “You look perfect here.” "How cruel of you, Liana," she purred, her voice dripping with venom and helplessness. "To throw a pregnant woman into the dungeons. The Luna of the Midnight Claw Pack, no less. Wha
Liana POV “Liana?” Darius’s sleepy voice reached my ears. “What’s up, love? Come back,” he murmured and pulled me back in his arms. His hard cock pressed against my belly’s side and I knew that my husband was already seeking to get inside me. Without another word, he rolled me on my back with him on the top, pressing me on the mattress. As soon as I opened my legs, he was inside me in one thrust. He groaned, his eyes flashing golden as if his wolf wanted to come out. “Fuck,” he muttered. “I could live all my life inside you.” Saying that he began to thrust at a punishing speed, making me whimper. His balls slapped against my pussy and the only sound in the room was that of our sex slapping each other. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and licked his mark. The action was enough to send shivers of lust down my body. My pussy clenched so tightly that stars burst in my vision and orgasm hit me in waves. I cried his name as he increased his pace, and within a few seconds, he fo
Liana POV The journey to the Midnight Claw Pack felt long, even though we were traveling in cars. I sat beside Darius and my fingers gripped the edge of my seat as the trees blurred past the window. His hand was on my thigh and as if sensing my anxiety, he gently squeezed it. “What is it, baby?” he asked. I leaned my head on his shoulder and his arm instinctively curled around my shoulders. Why did I feel like my old home was behind me now, and ahead lay a new beginning—a place where I would be Luna? Why did I feel like I won't be returning as Alpha Liana but as Luna Liana? “I don’t know what lies ahead?” I said with a sigh. “I’m scared of the future.” Darius pressed a kiss on the top of my head. “Lia, I can understand your anxiety, love. But why don’t you think that it is a new beginning of our life? Our enemies are defeated and our packs are going to flourish. I will make sure that our pack members get the best they deserve.” My eyes went to the driver who was driving our car. H
Liana POV The scent of blood hung thickly in the air as we rushed the human girl to the hospital. The doctor led the way, his eyes focused on her, while Kaden and Kaycee walked by the stretcher’s side that was carrying her fragile body. I followed closely behind, along with Darius with a pounding heart.The moment we entered the hospital, the doctors sprang into action. They took her to a private ward where the head healer, an older man, examined her with urgency. He pressed against her wounds, checking the severity. "She has suffered significant blood loss. It looks like someone assaulted her and left her to die," he informed us grimly. He narrowed his eyes and lifted her hands. As he examined her fingers, he said, “It looks like she struggled against that person.” He sniffed her nails and gasped. “She fought against a werewolf and managed to survive. Now that’s interesting.” Shock rippled. A dangerous growl emanated from Kaden as Kaycee curled his hands into tight fists. The hea
Liana POVThe next day as the morning sun filtered through the windows of the Silver Moon Alpha house, I couldn’t help thinking about Kaden’s words. But this was an issue that needed to be addressed as soon as possible. I wanted to stay with Darius, but I also wanted to stay with my people. They had just been released from my father’s tyrannical rule, and they had a lot of expectations from me. “What are you thinking, love?” Darius asked as he kissed my temple. I was sitting on the balcony and staring at the forest ahead while sipping my morning fuel. I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch. Sighing, I replied, “Was thinking about how to go further from now.” I took a ragged breath. “We both just started with the good times for our packs and why do I feel like we will stop the growth of our packs by this union?” He sat beside me and took my coffee. Sipping it, he turned toward the forest, his gaze unfocused. “I have a solution, Lia, but for that I need your consensus. If you agree
Liana POVWhen I woke up the following morning, our room was bathed in soft golden light, filtering through the sheer curtains of our room. I stirred first, my body instinctively seeking the warmth beside me. Darius lay on his side, his arm possessively draped over my waist, his breathing slow and even. For the first time in a long while, there were no battles to fight, no immediate threats looming over them. Just peace. Just us. Just bliss.I turned in his embrace, resting my palm against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The sight of his relaxed features made my chest tighten with emotion. This was my mate. My husband. My Alpha.“Are you watching me sleep, little moon?” Darius’s deep, sleep-rough voice sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes were still closed, but a small smirk tugged at his lips.“Maybe,” I admitted, tracing a slow line over his bare shoulder. “You look different when you’re sleeping. Less scary.”He cracked one eye open. “Scary?” He rolled on to
Chapter 67Liana POVWe were both so desperate that the moment we were in my room, we were removing each other’s clothes. Darius couldn’t wait and ended up pulling my top in a way that it’s hook ripped from its place. He pushed me to the bed and I thought he would lie on me. Instead, he flipped me to my belly. When he sank his teeth into my butt cheek, lightly sinking his fangs, I breath burst from me. I let out a whimper and then he started peppering my back with kisses. He sucked and grazed my back in between his kisses. “Goddess, I can't get enough of you!” he rasped. Once he had touched every part of my bare skin at the back, he flipped me onto my back. His face was drawn into a tight expression with so much possessiveness that it was almost feral. His chest rumbled and his eyes flashed golden which meant that his wolf wanted to come out. He moved his hand to my thighs and pushed them open. When he pressed me with his body weight, latching his mouth on my nipple, I gasped. My bre
Liana POVThe air was cold and sweet with the scent of pine and moonflowers as I stepped out of the car. And the moment I stepped out my breath caught at the sight before me. The Moon Temple stood tall, shimmering under the soft glow of the full blood moon. It felt magical in a way I’d never experienced before. When I was a pup, mom would come here often with father and they would perform sacred rituals praying to the goddess to give strength to my father, but nothing to my mother. A shudder ran down my body as I realized how my father abused my mom in every possible way. I was so glad that he was rotting in Darius’s dungeons. Shoving those thoughts from my mind, I focused on the temple which was adorned with garlands of white roses and ivy. Lanterns lit the pathway, casting a golden glow on the faces of our pack members who had gathered to witness my marriage with Darius. My heart swelled with emotion as I saw familiar faces smiling at me, their eyes warm with affection. This wasn’
Darius POV When I went to hunt Rowan in the forest yesterday, every step I took into the dense forest only increased my frustration. Rowan’s scent was faint, barely a thread to follow in the cold woods. I wanted to catch him, wanted to end this game of deceit he played with all of us, wanted to kill me with my bare hands. The knowledge that he had been so close, hidden like a snake—burned in my chest. How could we not sense him? But Rowan was cunning. His trail led me over streams, which masked his scent. It wasn’t long before I realized he had planned his escape well and he sacrificed his mate for that. By the time I reached the edge of the human territory, the trail was cold. He was gone.I let out a growl, the sound reverberating through the silent woods. My fists clenched as unease settled deep in my chest. Rowan might be gone, but he wasn’t finished—not yet. And that knowledge gnawed at me as I turned back toward the manor.As I walked, my thoughts shifted to Liana. She was my