Asher pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, his fingers softly threading through her hair.“You really have no idea what you do to me,” he whispered, lips brushing her skin.Elena smiled, eyes closed, basking in the warmth of his touch. “And you’re dramatic first thing in the morning. Do I need to start rationing your compliments?”He chuckled, a sound that vibrated against her. “No. But I’ll take your blushes as payment.”“I’m not blushing,” she lied, the heat on her cheeks betraying her.Asher shifted to hover over her slightly, one hand sliding across the curve of her waist to cup her face. “Yes, you are. And it’s adorable.”His thumb stroked across her cheek, the softest touch, and his gaze locked with hers — intense, open, reverent.“I meant what I said. You’re beyond beautiful, Elena. I don’t even have the words.”Elena bit her lip, her heart fluttering. “Good thing you’re pretty. Makes up for the cheesy lines.”“You love my cheesy lines,” he grinned.“I tolerate them.”“Mm-hmm.”
Elena finished the last bite of her eggs in silence, her fingers idly circling the edge of the plate while her thoughts lingered somewhere far beyond the small kitchen. Asher watched her, his hand resting lightly over hers, thumb rubbing soft, steady circles along her knuckles.“Do you think…” she started, hesitating, “that Genevieve ever regretted helping me?”He frowned, scooting his stool closer until their knees brushed. “No. Not for a second.”“She lost everything, Asher.”“And gained something far more valuable,” he said firmly. “Self-respect. Integrity. You.”Elena looked up, her eyes shining with quiet pain. “But I didn’t protect her.”“You were a kid,” he said gently. “You didn’t have the power to protect anyone—not even yourself. That’s not on you.”Her lip trembled. “But if she hadn’t stepped in... I don’t know who I would’ve become. Or if I would’ve made it at all.”“Then she changed your life. And I promise you, Elena, she knows that. People like her? They don’t act out o
Elena clung to him, her hands sliding through his hair, and her lips parting with soft gasps as Asher kissed her deeper, rougher—no longer gentle. Something was shifting.And it wasn't just the hunger in their kisses.“I feel… different,” Elena whispered breathlessly against his lips, her nails curling against his shoulders.“I know,” Asher murmured, panting as his forehead pressed to hers. “It’s the bond.”“No… not just the bond.” Her pupils flared golden, and her voice came out lower—more layered, like two voices overlapping. “It’s her. She’s waking up.”A growl curled in Asher’s chest. Deep. Possessive. “Leo’s awake too.”As if summoned, their wolves surged forward—raw, primal instincts crashing through their consciousness like a tidal wave. A heat swept over them, curling in their bellies, wild and unrelenting.Lena growled through Elena’s lips. The sound was soft but primal. Her golden eyes narrowed, and she gripped Asher’s jaw, kissing him with such fire he nearly buckled.Their
The forest began to thin, the trees spreading wider apart as the scent of water drifted to him—fresh, clear, kissed by wind. Asher slowed his stride, dark paws sinking into moss and damp soil as he followed the trail of delicate pawprints that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.Then he saw it.The lake.Still. Silent. Sacred.The water lay like glass, mirroring the golden sky overhead. Morning mist curled above its surface like a soft veil, and tall reeds swayed at the edges where dragonflies danced between blades.It hit him like a memory. One he hadn’t thought about in years.This lake—this exact lake—was where his father used to take him as a pup. Before the war. Before the loss. They would lie beneath the oaks and count the stars. His father had called it the heart of the forest, a place where the world stood still, where the bond between wolf and nature hummed the loudest.Now it whispered something else.Peace.And at its center—was her.Elena.She stood at the water’s edge, one
"I think this is my favorite kind of silence," Elena whispered, her voice barely louder than the breeze.Asher turned his head slowly, his eyes glowing amber in the waning light. “The kind where we don’t have to say anything… but everything’s already understood?”She smiled faintly, eyes fixed on the sunset bleeding across the sky. “Exactly that.”The horizon was a watercolor of gold and soft lavender, bleeding into a dusky crimson that painted the clouds with fire. The lake mirrored it all—still, soft, endless. A hush had fallen over the world, as if nature itself paused to breathe beside them.“I used to hate sunsets,” Elena confessed, her fingers playing with a blade of grass. “They reminded me the day was over, and it meant going back into a night I couldn’t escape.”Asher’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t interrupt.“But now,” she continued, “I love them. Because I know what the night holds. You.”He reached for her hand gently, threading his fingers between hers. “The night belong
Elena stirred the next morning to the soft chirping of birds and the golden warmth pouring through the trees. Asher had wrapped himself around her during the night, their bodies curled together beneath a blanket of moss and dappled sunlight. For the first time in her life, she didn’t wake up flinching.Instead, she smiled.“Morning, Luna,” Asher whispered against her shoulder, his voice still thick with sleep.Her heart flipped. That title… it used to scare her. Now it sounded like a crown placed gently on her head, not one she had to earn by pain—but by love.Asher kissed her cheek before pulling himself up. “We should head back soon. Your ceremony's tonight.”Her breath caught. Nerves fluttered in her chest. Ceremony. People. Attention. Things she’d never felt comfortable with.And yet—she wanted it. For herself. For them.By the time they returned to the house, the buzz had already begun. Pack members moved in and out, carrying decorations, trays of food, and fabric-draped poles fo
Elena’s Point of View With a slow drag of my marker, I drew a straight line across the wall, then stepped back to look at it. Two thousand one hundred and ninety days. Almost six years had passed since my parents vanished—more like abandoned me. I wasn’t even sure why I kept track of the days. Maybe deep down, I hoped they would return someday. When I was twelve, I longed for them like any child would, but now, at nearly eighteen, I no longer wanted them back. Soon, I could leave this place forever. I never got an explanation for why they disappeared, though the most obvious reason was me—being born the weakest of the pack. Still, that didn’t justify leaving their own child behind, especially in the hands of people who despised me. Each day brought a fresh form of cruelty, whether humiliation or physical pain. And believe me, pain was always their first choice. It didn’t matter who started it; someone would, and another would finish it. The only person in the entire pack who n
Asher's POV "Eliminate them. Show no mercy." My voice was calm but firm as I stared at the two rogues who had foolishly crossed into my land. Terror filled their eyes, but it was too late for regret. "Yes, Alpha," Grayson, one of my most capable warriors, responded before I turned away, already losing interest. I had wasted enough time dealing with intruders. My mother, Margot, was waiting for me, and I hated making her wait. Since my father, Henry, passed away, she hadn’t been the same. Truthfully, neither had I. His death changed everything. Not long after, my mother fell gravely ill, barely able to leave her bed. I missed the days when she would wake up early, smiling as she prepared breakfast for the entire pack. Losing my father left a hole in my heart, making me even more ruthless than before. But my mother’s suffering—watching her waste away—fueled an anger in me I couldn’t contain. People say when a mate dies, the one left behind experiences unbearable pain, sometime
Elena stirred the next morning to the soft chirping of birds and the golden warmth pouring through the trees. Asher had wrapped himself around her during the night, their bodies curled together beneath a blanket of moss and dappled sunlight. For the first time in her life, she didn’t wake up flinching.Instead, she smiled.“Morning, Luna,” Asher whispered against her shoulder, his voice still thick with sleep.Her heart flipped. That title… it used to scare her. Now it sounded like a crown placed gently on her head, not one she had to earn by pain—but by love.Asher kissed her cheek before pulling himself up. “We should head back soon. Your ceremony's tonight.”Her breath caught. Nerves fluttered in her chest. Ceremony. People. Attention. Things she’d never felt comfortable with.And yet—she wanted it. For herself. For them.By the time they returned to the house, the buzz had already begun. Pack members moved in and out, carrying decorations, trays of food, and fabric-draped poles fo
"I think this is my favorite kind of silence," Elena whispered, her voice barely louder than the breeze.Asher turned his head slowly, his eyes glowing amber in the waning light. “The kind where we don’t have to say anything… but everything’s already understood?”She smiled faintly, eyes fixed on the sunset bleeding across the sky. “Exactly that.”The horizon was a watercolor of gold and soft lavender, bleeding into a dusky crimson that painted the clouds with fire. The lake mirrored it all—still, soft, endless. A hush had fallen over the world, as if nature itself paused to breathe beside them.“I used to hate sunsets,” Elena confessed, her fingers playing with a blade of grass. “They reminded me the day was over, and it meant going back into a night I couldn’t escape.”Asher’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t interrupt.“But now,” she continued, “I love them. Because I know what the night holds. You.”He reached for her hand gently, threading his fingers between hers. “The night belong
The forest began to thin, the trees spreading wider apart as the scent of water drifted to him—fresh, clear, kissed by wind. Asher slowed his stride, dark paws sinking into moss and damp soil as he followed the trail of delicate pawprints that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.Then he saw it.The lake.Still. Silent. Sacred.The water lay like glass, mirroring the golden sky overhead. Morning mist curled above its surface like a soft veil, and tall reeds swayed at the edges where dragonflies danced between blades.It hit him like a memory. One he hadn’t thought about in years.This lake—this exact lake—was where his father used to take him as a pup. Before the war. Before the loss. They would lie beneath the oaks and count the stars. His father had called it the heart of the forest, a place where the world stood still, where the bond between wolf and nature hummed the loudest.Now it whispered something else.Peace.And at its center—was her.Elena.She stood at the water’s edge, one
Elena clung to him, her hands sliding through his hair, and her lips parting with soft gasps as Asher kissed her deeper, rougher—no longer gentle. Something was shifting.And it wasn't just the hunger in their kisses.“I feel… different,” Elena whispered breathlessly against his lips, her nails curling against his shoulders.“I know,” Asher murmured, panting as his forehead pressed to hers. “It’s the bond.”“No… not just the bond.” Her pupils flared golden, and her voice came out lower—more layered, like two voices overlapping. “It’s her. She’s waking up.”A growl curled in Asher’s chest. Deep. Possessive. “Leo’s awake too.”As if summoned, their wolves surged forward—raw, primal instincts crashing through their consciousness like a tidal wave. A heat swept over them, curling in their bellies, wild and unrelenting.Lena growled through Elena’s lips. The sound was soft but primal. Her golden eyes narrowed, and she gripped Asher’s jaw, kissing him with such fire he nearly buckled.Their
Elena finished the last bite of her eggs in silence, her fingers idly circling the edge of the plate while her thoughts lingered somewhere far beyond the small kitchen. Asher watched her, his hand resting lightly over hers, thumb rubbing soft, steady circles along her knuckles.“Do you think…” she started, hesitating, “that Genevieve ever regretted helping me?”He frowned, scooting his stool closer until their knees brushed. “No. Not for a second.”“She lost everything, Asher.”“And gained something far more valuable,” he said firmly. “Self-respect. Integrity. You.”Elena looked up, her eyes shining with quiet pain. “But I didn’t protect her.”“You were a kid,” he said gently. “You didn’t have the power to protect anyone—not even yourself. That’s not on you.”Her lip trembled. “But if she hadn’t stepped in... I don’t know who I would’ve become. Or if I would’ve made it at all.”“Then she changed your life. And I promise you, Elena, she knows that. People like her? They don’t act out o
Asher pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, his fingers softly threading through her hair.“You really have no idea what you do to me,” he whispered, lips brushing her skin.Elena smiled, eyes closed, basking in the warmth of his touch. “And you’re dramatic first thing in the morning. Do I need to start rationing your compliments?”He chuckled, a sound that vibrated against her. “No. But I’ll take your blushes as payment.”“I’m not blushing,” she lied, the heat on her cheeks betraying her.Asher shifted to hover over her slightly, one hand sliding across the curve of her waist to cup her face. “Yes, you are. And it’s adorable.”His thumb stroked across her cheek, the softest touch, and his gaze locked with hers — intense, open, reverent.“I meant what I said. You’re beyond beautiful, Elena. I don’t even have the words.”Elena bit her lip, her heart fluttering. “Good thing you’re pretty. Makes up for the cheesy lines.”“You love my cheesy lines,” he grinned.“I tolerate them.”“Mm-hmm.”
Chapter Title: “The Morning After”"I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful," Asher murmured, his voice thick with sleep and awe.Elena stirred slightly beside him, still tucked into the warm cocoon of blankets, her face half-hidden against his chest. “You’re staring,” she whispered, voice raspy and adorably accusing.“I’ve earned the right,” he replied softly, brushing a thumb along her cheekbone. “You’re my mate.”Her eyes fluttered open, pupils still lazy from sleep. “You’re such a sap in the morning.”He chuckled, deep and low, the sound rumbling through her. “Only for you.”Elena let out a small laugh, cheeks coloring. “You really didn’t sleep much, did you?”“Didn’t want to,” Asher admitted, fingers gently tracing idle circles along her bare shoulder. “I kept watching you. I kept thinking... no words could describe you. And that’s coming from someone who speaks seven languages.”She blinked up at him, shy but smiling. “You’re really saying that after what we did last
She was whole.“Asher…” she whispered, still trembling beneath him, her heart racing, skin humming with the energy of their bond.He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his fingers brushing across her cheek. The softness in his touch contrasted the powerful way he’d just claimed her — as though the fire and the ice within him had finally found balance.“I’ve never felt anything like this,” she whispered.“You were made for me,” he murmured, his lips ghosting across hers. “And I was made to love you.”And then the heat returned — slow at first, like embers catching wind, fanned by their closeness, their connection. Their bodies pressed together again, slick and bare, their bond pulsing with the need to go deeper. The fire hadn’t gone out. It had only paused, waiting for breath.She felt it first — the simmer just under her skin, the ache curling in her belly again, no longer urgent like before, but intimate, soulful. Her hips moved instinctively, searching, needing. Asher groaned
“I’ve got you,” Asher whispered hoarsely, his voice a low growl against her skin.“I know,” Elena breathed, her legs wrapped around his waist as their bodies moved in sync, slick with sweat and shimmering under the pale light bleeding through the window. The air was thick with heat and the scent of them — earthy, primal, electric.Her body trembled, not from fear or pain, but from something deeper — the overwhelming sense that she was being cracked open and filled at once. And not just physically. With every stroke, every whisper, every kiss… she felt him slipping deeper into her soul.“Asher—” she gasped, fingernails dragging down the muscles of his back as another wave of heat rolled through her, not from her mating cycle, but from the raw emotional fire burning in his eyes. “I feel… everything.”“I know,” he replied, forehead pressed to hers, sweat mingling where skin touched. “So do I.”It wasn’t just sex anymore. It wasn’t just her body clenching around him or his breath stutteri