Dante's POVAngel stood resolute; her beautiful chocolate eyes now clouded with tears. "I, Angelique Baker, of the Wintercrest Nightwalkers, reject you, Dante Greene, Alpha of the Wintercrest Nightwalkers, as my mate."The impact of her words sent me crashing onto the soft grass, my hands instinctively gripping my chest as if I could contain the ache that spread within my being. Each syllable felt like a merciless blow, causing my heart to fracture into a million agonizing shards."Angel, please don't do this," I gasped, my voice strained with the agony of her rejection. Tears blurred my vision as I pleaded with her.She looked down at me, her gaze void of the warmth it once held. "I have no use for you, Dante." Her indifference cut through the air like a bitter wind, leaving me shattered and abandoned as she strode away. I awoke with my body drenched in a cold sweat. In the darkness, I instinctively reached out, but the space beside me lay empty and untouched. Three days, eighteen
Dante’s POVBefore first period even started, I made the impulsive decision to skip the rest of the day. I wasn't even sure why I went to school in the first place; I wasn't in the mood for shit. Oh yeah, to confront my stubborn mate, I reminded myself bitterly, the memory of our tense encounter still fresh in my mind.As the bell rang signaling the end of first period, I wasted no time in leaving. The deserted hallway provided a welcome solitude, and while the absence of others didn't particularly matter, I simply had no desire to be bothered.As I made my way to the entrance, I found my mom outside of her office, leaning against the door. Her arms were folded, and a scowl adorned her features."Dante, are we skipping school today?" she questioned, her tone firm but tinged with concern."Yeah, Mom, I just need a break from the whole mate thing," I admitted quietly, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders with the confession.She pursed her lips, her expression softening slightly. "I
Angel's POVThe last three days had been pure hell. I felt so weak, barely able to sense Kira's presence. It was as if she was lingering at the edges of my mind, distant and unreachable. Eating and sleeping had become secondary concerns as I found myself endlessly replaying his rejection in my thoughts:I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the sensation of his canines piercing my skin. But instead, I felt a sudden rush of cool air. Opening my eyes, I realized he was gone.Adjusting my clothes, I sat impatiently on the bed, waiting for his return. It felt like an eternity before he finally came back. He entered the room wearing only a towel, the ends of his curls still dripping with water."You took a shower." It was more a statement than a question. "Yes. I don't think we're ready," he replied, his weary eyes meeting mine. "You don't want to claim me?" I asked, though deep down, I already knew the answer.He sighed heavily, avoiding my gaze as he looked down at the ground."I though
Dante's POVAngel remained silent as I drove back to the packhouse. I felt her gaze on me for a fleeting moment before she turned her attention back to the passing scenery outside. The air between us felt heavy with unspoken tension, and I couldn't help but notice how awkward things were between us now. This wasn't how having a mate was supposed to feel. Even the simple, flirtatious exchanges we had shared when we first met seemed distant now, replaced by palpable unease. I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking...how she was feeling. I knew that she wasn't in her right mind after everything that had happened lately. Shit, I wasn't either. She simply wanted some control over her life, and while I understood why, I didn't want marking my mate to be reduced to some kind of arrangement. Being with Peach today was...uncomplicated. Yes, she desired the title of Luna, but she was also willing to offer me love and affection, which was all I craved. Date nights, tickle fights, nigh
Dante’s POVI reached the bottom of the steps just in time to see Angel punch the shit out of Peach. With a fierce cry, she pinned her on the hard, wooden floor of the living room. "You bitch!" Angel's voice filled the room, her voice blending with Kira's in a cacophony of fury and betrayal. "I told you to stay away from my mate!"Look what you started, Quinn sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. After she's done with Peach, we're next. Might as well let Rashaad know he'll be Alpha after tonight when we're murdered by our one-hundred-and-twenty-pound mate. Shut up, Quinn. I'll fix this, I snapped, trying to push aside the panic and confusion that flooded through me. I didn't know what to do. I was caught between two she-wolves fighting over me — one of them was my mate while the other wished to be, and I felt completely overwhelmed. The commotion must've awoken everyone upstairs because I could hear their footsteps as they rushed downstairs to see what was happening.Peach's p
Angel's POVMy heart sunk like a stone as I gaped down at my wounded mate. He had four huge slashes across his chest that were starting to bleed profusely, drenching his shirt. Glancing around the room, I realized that everyone's horrified expressions matched my own, as if we were all wearing masks. Kira's guilt-filled whimpers were quickly replaced with a low growl as she zeroed in on Peach, who was cradled against Dante's chest. "Oh my Goddess, are you okay?" Her slutty hand on his chest only fueled the fire blazing throughout my being.Kira's rage simmered dangerously, her possessive instincts urging her to tear her throat out...to watch the life fade from her eyes. How dare she try to steal our mate? How could he be so blind? He had called this bitch his "friend". She was only trying to gain his trust so she could fuck her way into securing the Luna title.Before we could hurt anyone else, I made the split-second decision to flee from the house. The sun had retired for the day,
Angel’s POVI rubbed my eyes, my vision slowly returning as I blinked against the dim artificial lighting in the room. Taking in my surroundings, I noticed that I was all alone in a dark, muggy space. A shiver creeps up my spine as I realize that this is either a basement or a dungeon. As I glanced down, I realized with horror that I was naked except for a silver collar around my neck. The metal against burned my skin. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was a constant reminder of the collar's presence. It was secured to a heavy chain that trailed across the floor, linking me to the cold, metal floor beneath me.I closed my eyes trying to concentrate on feeling Kira's presence, but my mind was...empty. The absence of her soothing voice left a void within me. It was strange that I had been sharing my head with for the past two weeks, and now she was gone. How would Dante or anyone else locate me in this condition? If they used wolfsbane to sever my connection with my wolf, they weren'
Dante's POVI awoke to the sound of machines beeping, the powerful smell of disinfectant violating my nose. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling above my head buzzed, irritating the shit out of me. I sat up and ripped the IV out of my arm. "Dante, you're awake," Peach said softly, a relieved smile spreading across her face."Hey," I replied hoarsely. "Where's Angel?"As her smile faltered, worry gnawed at my insides. Why was she here and Angel wasn't? Was she still angry with me? Had she returned last night after she ran off, or was she hiding at her dad's house again?Rashaad stood by the door, his wary gaze fixed on me. I knew that look all too well; something was wrong. Dread immediately coiled in my stomach."Where the fuck is my mate?" I growled using my Alpha tone. Both he and Peach lowered their heads in submission. Suddenly, Dr. Johnson, the pack doctor, walked in, his eyes widening as they met my furious countenance. "Uhhh Alpha Dante, I'll come back." He began to back awa
Two years later*Dante's POV "Daddy! Daddy!" Aiden squealed as I lifted him into the air. He had my hazel eyes, brown-curly hair, and the cutest button nose. An urgent knock on my office door interrupted our play. "Dante, there has been news of another attack," Akira announced. From the worry lines on his forehead, I could tell this was a big one. "Alpha Brock's entire pack is dead.""Great," I muttered. "Again, Daddy!" the little boy in my lap demanded, pouting his full lips. "Daddy will play with you in a little while. Why don't you go find Mommy and Norah?"I set him down, and watched his cute, little legs carried him out of the room. I waited patiently for a few minutes before mind-linking my queen. You got him? Yep. We're heading to the garden with your mom. So don't get too paranoid with me being gone, okay? There was playfulness in her tone. Okay, be safe. Come inside immediately if you see anything. I love you. I love you too, forever and always. I knew I had been a bit
Justin's POV My fallen brethren lay scattered on the ground, many of them headless or shredded into pieces. The stench of death was horrific, yet no worse than what I endured in the caves. King Jett was a merciless leader, killing anyone who dared question or defy him without hesitation. Although, it did mean plenty of food for us. He never anticipated losing this war. He was too cocky, too blind to see the errors in his plan. Finally, I came upon his body, which was badly burned. I searched for a spot that hadn't been completely barbecued. "You poor, stupid bastard," I muttered, crouching down and shoving the long, thick needle into the back of his thigh. Pulling up the plunger, I drew the dark liquid into the barrel of the syringe. It's finally mine! How dare Jett try to keep this power all for himself!Wrapping a rubber band around my arm, I inserted the needle into a vein. I pushed the plunger down and immediately felt power flowing through me. It was excruciatingly painful ye
Angel’s POVThe weight of betrayal pressed heavily on my heart as a single tear trailed down my cheek. Swiftly, the knife flew from my hand and sliced across David's jugular, and he fell to the ground. Thankfully, Mom landed softly in the grass. David's dark eyes bore into mine, their life quickly fading. "What did you do?" Mom sobbed loudly and uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around her dead mate. "Mom, are you okay?" I rushed to her side, panic coursing through me. "Somebody call Doctor Johnson! She needs to go back to the hospital now!" Jalen ran a hand through his hair, frowning. "Uh, about that...he's dead. David killed him." "I know damn well with this large pack, we didn't just have one doctor, right?" I screamed, my frustration boiling over. I can't lose her too! I just can't. But Mom's grip tightened on my hand, drawing my attention back to her. "It's okay, honey.""W-What are you talking about?" I stammered. She...she wants to die?"I want to be with him."With
Angel’s POV The adrenaline kicked in as an ear-splitting growl rippled up my throat. I crouched down and launched myself at Jett, determined to free my mate. Jett released Dante and grabbed me just as I was about to maul his face off, holding my face back as I viciously snapped at him. His claws slashed across my cheek, drawing blood, before he flung me aside. I skidded across the forest floor, stopping just before I hit a tree. Through the pain, I gritted my teeth and pushed myself upright, already feeling the wound heal.Dante snarled. Are you okay? I nodded. Just because Jett used my mom's blood to turn himself into a giant demon wolf didn't mean he was invincible. His silver claws still had no effect on me, I just had to keep them away from Dante. Dante, I want you to stand back now. I promise I can take him. Do you trust me? My voice was steady as I met his gaze, willing him to let me do this. A glint of fear flashed in Dante's eyes, but he nodded and retreated to the edge of
Angel’s POV"Where the fuck did Jett go?" Jalen demanded as he jogged back over to us after removing everyone's cuffs. Peach and Mya went to aid the other warriors. The fighting had finally subsided as the remaining rogues were taken to the dungeon. Now, we only had two more bad guys to deal with. Dante, Jalen, Rashaad, Akira, and I followed David's scent trail. The Moonshine spray must've worn off him because I could smell it clearly. Whether I was going to capture or kill him, I hadn't decided yet, but I had time to figure it out. It was surreal being naked around all these men, yet I still felt confident. I guessed this was normal for werewolves anyway."Eww fuck, I just stepped on a dick with my bare foot!" Rashaad suddenly exclaimed. Akira grimaced. "You might want to burn your foot off, man."I glanced down and shuddered at the thought of what could have happened. I pictured it in flames, hoping Jett would soon face the same fate when I sent him back to hell where he belonged
Angel's POVWar broke out right before my eyes. I needed to free Dante and find out where Jett and David ran off to, but the rogues wouldn't stop attacking me. There was an overwhelming number of them everywhere. Our side was working hard to take them down but avoiding their claws made killing them take longer than usual. Dakari and Brock defended the pack members that couldn't shift. Many of them ran into the forest once the fighting started, but Rashaad, Akira, Peach, Mya, and Cassidy remained by the cage, refusing to leave Dante's side. Mya had somehow found Jett's dick knife and started stabbing any rogue that tried to get past to hurt the others. Noah, I can handle myself. Get all of the wolves who can't shift into the dungeon, so they won't get hurt, I ordered. Giving me one last conflicted glance, Noah yipped and took off into the forest. I continued clawing and tearing into flesh, ripping out throat after throat. Blood was being spilled everywhere from both sides, but to my
Dante’s POVAfter Noah bandaged my abdomen, he was in charge of watching us along with another rogue. Nobody had said a word since we were locked in the cell. We all just waited for our inevitable doom that was fast approaching. Hours seemed to past before David came down. "It's time for the ceremony," he announced coldly. Nobody moved a muscle as he entered the cell. He gave everyone another dose of wolfsbane, besides me. Katherine's heart rate had slowed as soon as we came down here, so they finally had Doc take her to the hospital. Who knew if she would survive or not. If she wasn't Angel's mom, I would've wished death on her just so he could suffer. I glared up at him. "How the fuck could you let him do this to your daughter?" I growled, feeling the muscle in my jaw jumping up and down. "It's not personal, punk. I just need my mate back. I would say you'd never understand, but you will after tonight," he snickered. Not persona
Dante's POV "Alpha, are you okay?" Peach asked softly. She was staring at the dark liquid pooling from my wound. "No, he's not okay. We're all going to die!" "Shut up, Rashaad," Akira hissed. I ignored their bickering and even my own searing pain, focusing on the only thing I cared about. My mate and pups were in danger, and there was nothing I could do about it. We were all chained up to the floor in a black van heading back to North Carolina. Jett, David, and Angel rode in a separate van that was leading the way. He sent the rest of his army on foot. I knew Jett wouldn't try to touch her until the mating ceremony, but just knowing that he was alone with her drove me fucking crazy. There was no way I was letting her go through with this. I'd rather die than let her be raped and mated with the devil himself. The sound of Katherine's moans snapped me out of my thoughts. "Angel," she whimpered. "
Angel’s POVA figure came of the shadows, red eyes piercing through the darkness. He was tall with espresso brown skin and long, black dreads. His nude body was rippled with unnatural muscles, even his ankles were bulging with them. He held a silver blade to Dante's throat while maintaining a tight hold around his neck. Kira lurched forward in my mind, ready to tear them apart, but I pushed her back. Growls erupted all around me, everyone's instincts kicking in from the sight of their Alpha in distress. "Don't attack," I said sternly. They only wanted me, so they had nothing to lose killing Dante. More wolves appeared. There was one I recognized, Justin. His hand was gripping Akira's neck while holding a knife at his side. He forced Akira down onto his knees, but he only looked down at the ground. There was not a single trace of fear in his calm and collected features. Noah growled at his brother. He sneered in response. "I'm just finishing the job that you c