~Lucian~I raised my hands in surrender, wondering what could have gone wrong the few days that she had been asleep.“It’s me, Amara. It’s Lucian.”“You,” she spat, her body quaking with sobs. “It was you. You killed all those people. You want to kill my child. You killed Chad. You killed my friend. You!”There was definitely something wrong somewhere. How could she mistake me for Adrik, of all people?“Baby, please, stop. You need to calm down,” I said, slowly reaching for me.“I’ll only be able to calm down once you’re dead. By my hand. You devil!”I stood, more confused as Amara charged toward me, her fury a whirlwind of raw emotion. Her yells sliced through the air, accusing me of things so heinous I could hardly process them. Chad’s murder? Threatening our unborn pup? It wasn’t me—it could never be me. But how would I convince her when she was like a furious bear?“Amara, stop! It’s not me who did all those things to you. It’s Adrik! I would never intentionally hurt you like tha
~Amara~The room was a blur of soft, golden light and muted shadows as I opened my eyes. My mind felt like it was wading through fog, heavy and uncertain. I was unable to piece things together in the smallest ways, and it made my brain feel like it had a work sensory overload. The faint crackle of fire reached my ears, its warmth chasing away a cold that must have settled in my bones.But…where was this?Even through my haze, I could tell that this wasn’t a place that I’d been in before. It looked foreign. It smelt foreign.I blinked, my gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar surroundings. Where was I? The walls, painted in warm earth tones, held no answers. A large armchair stood near the bed, and in it sat a man slouched forward, his head resting on the edge of the bed that I lay on.Why does it feel like I had the whole world resting on my hand? Did I perhaps add a whole lot of weight while in this unfamiliar territory?With a bit of effort, I looked down at my hand and realized the
~Amara~A week after, I still hadn’t gotten over the thought of what had happened. Selene had been protective, almost like a mother. Always fussing about my baby, and what I should or should not do in order to have a safe delivery.According to her, it was only a matter of weeks before my baby would be born. The news had come gladly to Lucian, who on many occasions had tried to talk to me. But I was never in the mood to listen to him.Somehow, I blamed him for all the misfortune that had happened in my life. I blamed him for the death of every single person who had meant a lot to me. I always told myself that if only he had treated me well, and seen that I was his fated mate…if he had loved me the way that I loved him, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess right now.But who was I deceiving? We all knew that my mother who allowed my stepfather to sell me out for money was the cause. She didn’t fight for me because she didn’t want to be on the bad side of her husband.I sat beneath an old s
~Lucian~ Despite my initial mistrust, Selen’s Pack had become a surprising comfort to me. I found myself being drawn to their unrestrained way of life. They were free, untethered, untamed, and fiercely independent. At first, I’d thought that they were not to be trusted. That they were threats to the kingdom and the Packs around them. But the more time I spent with them, the more I’d come to understand them. The rogue wolves were an enigma. They were untamed and unpredictable, but they carried a raw sense of friendship and closeness that reminded me of something that my kingdom had long lost. Their laughter echoed in the woods, their disputes were resolved without formality, and their freedom was intoxicating to witness. “They could thrive under my protection,” I said to Selene, standing by the edge of the clearing where a few of the rogues were sparring. “With a home in my territory, they’d have safety, stability. They wouldn’t need to live like rogues.” All day, I’d been trying
~Amara~ I waited with expectation, waited for him to recollect himself and tell me about this thing that had happened long ago which I was not aware of. It wasn’t just because I wanted to hear it, it was because of the way his face contorted with grief as he lowered his head, almost as if he was fighting back tears. He couldn’t be possibly fighting back tears. Alpha kin Lucian never cries. If he was about to cry, then this event must have hurt him tremendously. I found my heart reaching out to him, making me realizes that the feelings which I thought was buried has never been buried. I cared about this man, and I still care about him. I was hurt seeing him hurting like this. “Lucian,” I called softly, my hands itching to comfort him, “Talk to me please.” He raised his head and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His eyes, usually so fierce, looked haunted. “I’ve never told you about my first mate.” The mention of another woman, hi
~Amara~That night, I couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t just because my baby decided that midnight was the perfect time for him to go on a rollercoaster, but because of what Lucian had told me.It would have hurt so much holding so much pain inside, and not having anyone to share it with. I couldn’t imagine what it had done to him, and how much it must have mandated him to change.All these years, I’d misunderstood him, and I never let him try to explain himself. I started to feel a little guilty, but I quickly schooled myself. It wasn’t really my fault if I’d misunderstood him all this time. He could have explained things to me sooner if he trusted me enough to handle his secrets.“I think it’s time to forgive your father, little wolf,” I murmured, stroking my belly. “What do you think? Do you think I should keep up with this grudge? Or should we just let everything go?”I received double kicks, which I took as a sign of affirmation from the little life inside of me. A smile lit up my face,
~Amara~Everything finally felt okay.For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no tension between Lucian and me. No anger, no lingering hurt. Just peace.I had forgiven him; not just in words, but in my heart. And because of that, I was finally able to look forward to the future we had ahead. A future I was now willing to share with him in his kingdom, where our child would be born.It had taken time to get here, to move past the betrayal, the heartbreak, and all the chaos that had come with it. But Lucian had fought for me. He had proved himself over and over, and I had finally allowed myself to believe in him again.The decision hadn’t been an easy one. The rogue lands had become a kind of refuge for me, a place where I had healed in ways I never thought possible. And Selene had become someone I deeply admired. She had opened my eyes to a different side of the world. To a different kind of strength.Two days from now, Lucian and I will leave. But tonight, we were cele
~Lucian~No way.I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.My body turned rigid, my breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, my mind refused to process what was right in front of me. Was it because I’d spoken about her the other day? Was that why her ghost decided to visit me one last time?I glanced over at Amara, trying to know if she could also see the woman in front of us. The expression in her face said that she could see the figure. Same with Selene and the other werewolves.They were all staring suspiciously at the woman, their weapons drawn. All it would take was a command from Selene and they would strike. I should say something, but I was too dumbfounded, trying to place the pieces of the puzzle in my head.She stood there looking as confused as a newborn cat whose mother was taken away. Her body swayed slightly, as if the wind alone could knock her over. Her clothes were torn, hanging off her like rags. Dirt and dried blood smeared her once beautiful skin, and her hair wa
~Lucian~I watched as Amara walked away, her back stiff, her head held high. But I knew…I knew that she was hurting. And I had let it happen. I could have run after her, given her reassurance that her fears were invalid, and kissed away the sadness on her face.But I helplessly watched her walk away, visibly hurt from my actions. I hadn’t realized how much I’d hurt her, and no, I’m not trying to make excuses for my shortcomings. Granted, Maya’s arrival had swayed me for a moment, but that doesn’t mean that I’m considering starting up anything with Maya.All I wanted was for her to get better, and for me to get the closure that I’ve so desperately wanted all these years. No matter what, Maya was a woman that I once loved, and a woman who had died carrying my baby…or so I thought.Right now, though, she was starting to cross her boundaries by spilling nonsense to Amara. And now I have to try harder to make amends for the damages that se might have caused by her words.“Lucian,” Maya cal
~Amara~A week.It had been an entire week since Lucian’s first love had come back from the dead, and in that time, Lucian had become a ghost in my life.If he wasn’t tending to Maya’s every need, he was listening to her endless sob story or fawning over her like some love-struck fool. He had barely looked at me, barely spoken to me. And worst of all, he hadn’t even checked to see how I was doing.Even after I pleaded with him to stay with me that night. Even after I told him that I wasn’t feeling good because of the baby; he still went ahead to be with her. He never even came back the next day, or the day after, to check up on me and see how I was faring.I placed a hand on my stomach, feeling the faint stir of life within me. Did he forget? Did he forget that I was carrying his child? That we were supposed to have left this place days ago to prepare for the birth of our child? Or had Maya’s return erased everything we had planned all this while?I clenched my fists. No. Something wa
~Amara~I paced back and forth across the room, my mind racing with too many thoughts, none of them making any sense. My heart pounded against my ribs, restless, uncertain.Lucian should have been here by now. But instead, he was with her. No, I wasn’t trying to be mean, or inconsiderate, but this all felt wrong to me somehow. None of what had just happened sat right with me. I felt like Lucian and I were about to lose the connection that we had just built.I ran a shaky hand through my hair and exhaled. I didn’t want to feel like this. I didn’t want to be jealous, or insecure, or whatever this strange feeling was twisting inside me. But how could I not?Lucian had told me; he had sworn that his first mate was murdered. That he saw her lifeless body with his own eyes. And yet, the woman who collapsed into his arms, the woman who had called out his name, was the very same mate he had believed dead.How was that even possible?I sat on the bed, tapping my fingers against my knee. But a
~Lucian~No way.I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.My body turned rigid, my breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, my mind refused to process what was right in front of me. Was it because I’d spoken about her the other day? Was that why her ghost decided to visit me one last time?I glanced over at Amara, trying to know if she could also see the woman in front of us. The expression in her face said that she could see the figure. Same with Selene and the other werewolves.They were all staring suspiciously at the woman, their weapons drawn. All it would take was a command from Selene and they would strike. I should say something, but I was too dumbfounded, trying to place the pieces of the puzzle in my head.She stood there looking as confused as a newborn cat whose mother was taken away. Her body swayed slightly, as if the wind alone could knock her over. Her clothes were torn, hanging off her like rags. Dirt and dried blood smeared her once beautiful skin, and her hair wa
~Amara~Everything finally felt okay.For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no tension between Lucian and me. No anger, no lingering hurt. Just peace.I had forgiven him; not just in words, but in my heart. And because of that, I was finally able to look forward to the future we had ahead. A future I was now willing to share with him in his kingdom, where our child would be born.It had taken time to get here, to move past the betrayal, the heartbreak, and all the chaos that had come with it. But Lucian had fought for me. He had proved himself over and over, and I had finally allowed myself to believe in him again.The decision hadn’t been an easy one. The rogue lands had become a kind of refuge for me, a place where I had healed in ways I never thought possible. And Selene had become someone I deeply admired. She had opened my eyes to a different side of the world. To a different kind of strength.Two days from now, Lucian and I will leave. But tonight, we were cele
~Amara~That night, I couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t just because my baby decided that midnight was the perfect time for him to go on a rollercoaster, but because of what Lucian had told me.It would have hurt so much holding so much pain inside, and not having anyone to share it with. I couldn’t imagine what it had done to him, and how much it must have mandated him to change.All these years, I’d misunderstood him, and I never let him try to explain himself. I started to feel a little guilty, but I quickly schooled myself. It wasn’t really my fault if I’d misunderstood him all this time. He could have explained things to me sooner if he trusted me enough to handle his secrets.“I think it’s time to forgive your father, little wolf,” I murmured, stroking my belly. “What do you think? Do you think I should keep up with this grudge? Or should we just let everything go?”I received double kicks, which I took as a sign of affirmation from the little life inside of me. A smile lit up my face,
~Amara~ I waited with expectation, waited for him to recollect himself and tell me about this thing that had happened long ago which I was not aware of. It wasn’t just because I wanted to hear it, it was because of the way his face contorted with grief as he lowered his head, almost as if he was fighting back tears. He couldn’t be possibly fighting back tears. Alpha kin Lucian never cries. If he was about to cry, then this event must have hurt him tremendously. I found my heart reaching out to him, making me realizes that the feelings which I thought was buried has never been buried. I cared about this man, and I still care about him. I was hurt seeing him hurting like this. “Lucian,” I called softly, my hands itching to comfort him, “Talk to me please.” He raised his head and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His eyes, usually so fierce, looked haunted. “I’ve never told you about my first mate.” The mention of another woman, hi
~Lucian~ Despite my initial mistrust, Selen’s Pack had become a surprising comfort to me. I found myself being drawn to their unrestrained way of life. They were free, untethered, untamed, and fiercely independent. At first, I’d thought that they were not to be trusted. That they were threats to the kingdom and the Packs around them. But the more time I spent with them, the more I’d come to understand them. The rogue wolves were an enigma. They were untamed and unpredictable, but they carried a raw sense of friendship and closeness that reminded me of something that my kingdom had long lost. Their laughter echoed in the woods, their disputes were resolved without formality, and their freedom was intoxicating to witness. “They could thrive under my protection,” I said to Selene, standing by the edge of the clearing where a few of the rogues were sparring. “With a home in my territory, they’d have safety, stability. They wouldn’t need to live like rogues.” All day, I’d been trying
~Amara~A week after, I still hadn’t gotten over the thought of what had happened. Selene had been protective, almost like a mother. Always fussing about my baby, and what I should or should not do in order to have a safe delivery.According to her, it was only a matter of weeks before my baby would be born. The news had come gladly to Lucian, who on many occasions had tried to talk to me. But I was never in the mood to listen to him.Somehow, I blamed him for all the misfortune that had happened in my life. I blamed him for the death of every single person who had meant a lot to me. I always told myself that if only he had treated me well, and seen that I was his fated mate…if he had loved me the way that I loved him, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess right now.But who was I deceiving? We all knew that my mother who allowed my stepfather to sell me out for money was the cause. She didn’t fight for me because she didn’t want to be on the bad side of her husband.I sat beneath an old s