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 The bond between us flared to life, sending a rush of warmth through my body. It was overwhelming, consuming, and completely thrilling, something I’d never experienced before. For a moment, nothing else mattered—not the accusations, not the betrayal, not even the danger lurking outside the pack.When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing heavily. Darius rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed as if trying to regain control.I stared at him, my heart pounding. “What are you doing?” I whispered, my voice shaky. “What are we doing?” His eyes opened, filled with a mix of regret and longing. “Something I shouldn’t,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. But he didn’t let go.I pulled away slightly, my emotions in turmoil. “You can’t just kiss me to fix this,” I said, my voice firm despite the tremor in it. “You accused me of betrayal, Darius. That doesn’t go away because of this.”His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he looked like he wanted to ar
Liana POV“What do you mean?” the rogue hissed. “I will expose you if you don’t give me my money!”There was a tense silence between them. I wanted to take out my phone and record it, but if I did that, I was sure the wolves would catch the sound. So gnashing my teeth hard, I stayed in my place.“Come out with me,” the other person said.This was my chance. I got up to pounce on them but was disappointed when they both exited the inn from the rear side.“Fuck!” I rushed after them but was frustrated when the two just disappeared in the thick foliage of the forest behind the inn. “Damn it!” I jumped the stairs and rushed, smelling the air.The forest was alive with the sound of insects and rustling leaves. My wolf sharpened my senses, guiding me to the faint scent trail. It was nothing like the wolves of the Midnight Claw pack or Blood Moon pack to which I belonged. My pulse quickened as I moved deeper into the woods, clutching the silver dagger I had stolen from the armory.Then I hea
Liana POVI looked at Darius who stood up and said, “The trust and power you have entrusted in me is overwhelming.” He looked at me, his eyes softening. “I will take care of my Luna and make sure that I measure up to her standards, not just for her pack, but also mine. Thank you, Liana, for entrusting me with this opportunity.” Another round of cheers erupted and somehow on the inside I knew that this was the best decision I took. As the council members dispersed, I could sense a pulse of excitement amongst them. There were a lot of changes that had to be made, and I knew that under the able leadership of my husband, everything was going to turn out beautifully. With Rowan gone and Victor behind the bars, I felt like the dark era ended. Once the members were gone, we talked to Kaden and Kaycee for long, giving them proper instructions on what to do next. Both of them were to remain Betas of the united pack. “We will be leaving as soon as the overtaking ceremony is done,” Darius an
Liana POVRowan grunted in pain, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled against Darius’s grip but Darius was unrelenting.“This is for everything you’ve done,” Darius snarled, and his voice carried a promise.Rowan looked at Darius, his eyes bloodshot and blood covering half his face. In a barely audible voice, between shallow breaths, he said, “How was it to mark the woman who was given to me? How was it to see my mark on her?” He let out a manic laughter even in his state. “You bastard!” Darius shouted, squeezing his throat. “Liana was never yours! She is my mate.” He laughed again, his shoulders bouncing. He grabbed Darius’s wrists in his hands. “Her father gave her to me, and you plundered what belonged to me.” “Are you fucking nuts?” Darius said through gritted teeth. “Elara is your mate. She is fucking pregnant with your pup.” “That bitch didn’t deserve me. Yeah, she was a good fuck!” “Rowan!” Nero yelled. “You crossed your line.” He scoffed. “Not me. Go say tha
Liana POV Darius and Nero had come last night and after Darius heard everything from me, he was sure that it was the only way to find him, to finally put an end to this nightmare. “We are going to attack him as soon as possible,” he said. “Do you think Teri can help us?” After that I talked to her and she agreed. She was hesitant at first but when I told her how Rowan affected so many of us, she was determined to track him down for us. Teri walked ahead of us in the forest. Despite the terror Teri was feeling, she led us back to the place where she had last seen Rowan. There was a team of over fifty warriors following us. As she walked through the woods, Kaden and Kaycee were behind her like shadows. Her hands trembled slightly, but she didn’t turn back. Occasionally, Kaden would hold her hand and as if on an instinct, she would stop trembling. As a human she couldn’t feel the bond so much, but it was just a matter of time. Darius had wanted me to stay behind. He had argued that
Liana POV Suddenly, I felt strange.For the past few days, I had been feeling… different. It was just exhaustion from the attack. My body was still healing, and the stress of everything made sense.Next day, I woke up feeling dizzy. The moment I sat up, the room spun for a second before settling. I placed a hand on my forehead and took deep breaths.Darius got up and held me in his arms. “You okay?”I forced a small smile. “Yeah. Just tired.”His golden eyes studied me carefully. “You didn’t eat much last night.”“I wasn’t hungry.” That wasn’t completely true. The smell of the food had made my stomach twist in the worst way. I didn’t tell him that, though.Darius leaned down to brush his lips against my forehead. “You should rest more.”“I will,” I lied. I was feeling like vomiting every other hour. “When you're back, we are going to the doctor and show you,” he insisted. Only when I agreed, he allowed me to go to the Silver Moon pack. I asked Darius to send a driver with me. Dariu
Liana POV It had been two days since the attack from the rogues. Darius and his wolves were trying to track the rogues but whenever they hit their hiding point, the rogues had already gone from there. It was like they were chasing ghosts. I was getting uncomfortable by the day. There had to be a time when they came to keep a vigilance on us. What was that time of the day? Darius had increased the patrolling along the borders and given orders to kill them at sight. On the second day, as Darius had gone to train his wolves, I decided to go to the west border to check the patrolling party. I had already circled the perimeter but it was in the west that I felt there was some loophole. Like it was gaping at me. The warriors bowed to me as soon as they saw me parking my car. “Have you checked the entire perimeter for security?” I asked as I got down. “Yes Luna,” the leader replied. “There isn’t anything untoward.” Not feeling comfortable, I started walking along the west border, my eye
Liana POV That night Darius had to go for an urgent meeting with the council members because they had spotted rogues on the outskirts of the pack’s territory. A doubt crept in my mind—what if these were Rowan’s friends? After all, he was a rogue before my father made him the Alpha of the Crimson Howl pack. I sat on the edge of the bed, gripping my phone tightly, wondering if I should call Kaden or not. My hands felt a little clammy, and my heart was still racing from everything that had happened today. I dialed his number, and after a few rings, he picked up."Luna Liana?" he said, his voice full of exhaustion."Kaden, how are things on your end?" I asked, trying to sound calm. Honestly, I wanted to know about the human girl. There was a pause before he let out a heavy sigh. "Complicated. Kaycee and I… we’re struggling to figure things out with Teri… that human girl."So her name was Teri. "Did something happen?" I asked. "She doesn’t trust me," Kaycee’s voice cut in suddenly. It
Liana POVI walked through the hallways of the packhouse. My heart felt strangely heavy after my interaction with my father and Elara. I remembered how I saw a flicker of regret in my father’s eyes, but then was it genuine? As for Elara, she was absolutely a gone case. I took a deep breath. Darius had sent Nero to call me for lunch. He followed me through the hallway to the main dining room. When I saw the council members and Elder Cornelius, I knew this wasn’t just any meal. There was something serious about it. After everything that had happened in the dungeons, my mind was still a mess.Darius was already seated at the head of the table. He looked composed with a calm, strong demeanor, but I could sense his tension through our mate bond. His sharp green eyes met mine, and for a second, I hesitated. He pointed toward the chair on his right and gestured for me to sit. Elder Cornelius was sitting to Darius’s left, his severe gaze fixed on me as if he was inspecting me, trying to rea
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