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I pad down to the stream, my paws stirring up dirt and sending small pebbles scattering as I draw closer. Every step feels natural, instinctive. The wind threads through my glossy black fur, a sensation so comforting it makes me want to pause and relish the moment. My wolf wants to howl—her excitement bubbling over—but I suppress her urge. We need to stay quiet, unnoticed. She doesn’t like it, but she understands.Still, her joy is infectious. Everything feels brighter, sharper. The light filters through the trees in shimmering patches, and I marvel at how vivid the world is through her eyes. Every scent tells a story—the damp earth, the distant tang of pine, even the faint trace of animals that passed through hours ago. As we near the water, the soft trickle grows louder, the sound as clear as if it were inside me. The air smells clean, like fresh rain.But beneath the sensory joy, doubt lingers. What am I? The question won’t let me go. It feels like the answer will shape the rest of
Three days. It’s been three days since I took the heat serum, and the doctor is coming later to test if it worked. My body aches and burns, a raw, relentless pain that makes me wish I’d never gone through heat at all. It’s horrific—like a train has barreled through me, over and over, leaving nothing unscathed.I don’t have the energy to move. I’m sprawled across the bed, limbs heavy and useless. Beside me, I hear Ansel snoring softly, his arm draped over my waist, one hand possessively squeezing my swollen breast. I wince. Everything is sensitive—my skin, my muscles, even the light piercing through the curtains feels like needles in my eyes. Worse, I can feel my power suppressed, trapped beneath the weakness that clings to me like a second skin.My stomach twists. If the results aren’t what Ansel needs… I know this time, there’ll be no changing his mind.A weight settles over my chest, heavier than his arm. I need this to work. I need to be what he wants. But I’ve done everything I ca
I lay there, my legs gradually going numb from the awkward angle. I’ve already heard the door to Ansel’s office open and close. Braden is here. My jaw tightens. I hate it when he shows up. Trouble follows him like a shadow, and today feels no different.He’s the pack’s beta, I remind myself. But that doesn’t make his constant demands any easier to stomach. Braden always seems to want more—more power, more leverage, more of everything he’s already been given. My stomach churns at the thought of what today’s visit might mean.The vent at the back of Ansel’s bedroom catches my eye. I know it connects directly to his office. If I stay perfectly still, I can catch pieces of their conversation through the muffled echoes. I bite my lip. I probably shouldn’t eavesdrop, but as I’m already lying here, holding my body at an awkward angle, I might as well distract myself.“- I need you to give me another shot,” Braden’s voice filters through, low and sharp. “She’s becoming too wild. You know how
Ansel doesn’t say a word, but the fleeting fear in his eyes roots me in place. It’s gone in a blink, replaced by his usual stoic resolve, but the damage is done. My mind spins with questions. What’s happening? What did Braden say to him downstairs?The knock comes again, sharper this time, echoing through the house. Ansel straightens, his shoulders stiffening. He glances toward the door, then back at me.“Stay here,” he commands, his voice steady but firm. “I’ll bring him up.”Before I can respond, he’s gone, the bathroom door swinging shut behind him. The faint sound of his heavy footsteps fades into the distance, leaving me alone with the rushing water and my own racing thoughts.I slump back against the wall, my legs trembling from exertion and nerves. The chill of the tiles presses against my damp skin, but I barely notice. My mind is stuck on that moment—the look in his eyes. Ansel is many things, but afraid? Never. Whatever Braden said downstairs has shaken him, and that terrifie
I make my way up the large stone steps to the hospital, forcing myself to keep my head high even as my hands tremble in my coat pockets. This is normal, I remind myself, a mantra echoing in my mind. I belong here. But the truth tugs at the edges of my confidence. I’ve never come to the hospital without Braden. And I pray no one else notices that.The heavy glass doors slide open, and the scent of antiseptic rushes to meet me, sharp and clinical. The lobby is alive with movement—guards passing by without giving me a second glance, doctors and nurses rushing in all directions. I’ve never seen it so chaotic. It feels like the perfect cover, and yet, my heart refuses to slow.At the reception desk, I hesitate, swallowing hard as my eyes scan the flurry of people bustling past. Maybe this will work in my favor. If everyone is too busy, no one will think twice about me. But the moment I approach the receptionist, doubt creeps in. Her glasses perch low on her nose as she types furiously, her
I sink into the chair, my legs shaky, her words ringing in my ears. A rogue. The fear claws its way up my throat as memories I’ve tried so hard to bury resurface—the woods, slick with rain and mud, the sound of howls closing in behind me, my chest burning as I ran for my life. The terror of hiding, minutes stretching into hours as my heart raced. And then, Braden. He appeared like a savior, pulling me from the brink into the saftey of his arms. He rescued me. Saved me.I shove the memory aside and stare down at the files. My hands tremble as I reach for the smaller one, the weight of it unfamiliar and ominous. My fingers brush against the cover as I flip it open, and the pages blur before my eyes. There’s so much here I don’t know where to start.I decide to focus on the blood tests, the ones Braden had insisted on after the baby… after everything. I scan the entries, my breath catching with each page I turn. But something is missing. There’s no record of a DNA test.I blink, trying t
I wipe my face with trembling hands, forcing the tears away as I flip through the pages, turning them back to before the miscarriage. My heart pounds against my ribs, and I steel myself, shutting off my emotions as best I can. Think clinically. Objectively. But as my eyes scan the entries, it becomes harder with each page to keep the panic at bay.Years of blood tests. Some taken in the same massive quantities as the one I gave at Ansel’s house. Why so much?He was keeping you weak, I remind myself. The thought simmers, but it doesn’t make sense. What does Braden gain by weakening an omega wolf? If I’m truly an omega, why didn’t he just make me a servant? A maid? Someone insignificant? Why propose? Why save me?Every page echoes the same damning word, written over and over again at the bottom: Omega.Braden is the beta. He’s strong, handsome, cunning—he could have had anyone in the pack. My mind flickers to the image of him and Gaia, his hand cupping her cheek, her strikingly beautifu
That’s why he marries me—to keep me close, to stop me from learning the truth. A bitter laugh rises in my throat, unbidden and mad. How did I not see it?“You have no idea how much I need you, Claudia.” His words echo in my mind, relentless and cruel. I had thought he said them out of love, that they came from a place of longing because I was his other half. I had felt it too—an overwhelming connection that consumed me. My heart swallowed every pretty speech, every lingering look. I took it all at face value. Fool that I was.But now those words haunt me. “You have no idea how much I need you, Claudia.”“Yeah,” I mutter, disgust lacing every syllable, “for my blood.”The realization twists in my gut like a knife. Goddess, he even kept track of how many times we had sex. I used to think it was strange—creepy, even—but now I wonder if it gave him some perverse satisfaction that I was a pawn willing to bend to his desires. My stomach churns at the thought. I gave myself to him, over and
Just as I step out of my office, a deafening siren slices through the air, signaling danger. The pack walls have been infiltrated.I sprint forward, my legs burning as I push myself faster. Over the hills of the pack grounds, swarms of warriors descend from all directions like a flood of shadows under the sun. Shit."Reid, make sure there's a team to get to Claudia!" I command through the mindlink, my voice edged with urgency. I don't need him to respond I need him to find her. Then, I shift, bones snapping and reforming as I surge into my wolf form. The moment my paws hit the ground, I charge toward the trees. The scent of rogue wolves fills my nostrils—wild, unhinged, bloodthirsty. Their snarls vibrate in the air, a chaotic symphony of hunger and rage.Two colossal gray wolves lunge at me, one veering left, the other right. A distraction. A trap. I keep my eyes sharp, scanning for a weakness. But I don’t wait for them to make the first move—I strike.I launch at the one in front of
I wake with a jolt, a sharp twist in my gut telling me something isn’t right. The weight of the room presses down on me as I blink against the dim light filtering through the curtains. A few breaths pass before I realize—I’m still in the lounge. Memories from last night surface, fragmented and raw, but I shove them aside as an unsettling void tugs at my consciousness. Something is missing.Claudia.Panic doesn’t grip me immediately—her clothes are still here. For all I know, she could have just gone back to the room to shower. But then, my gaze snags on a note resting atop one of her shoes, and an icy dread coils around my spine.I knew something was off in the way she looked at me last night, but the moment her lips wrapped around my cock, nothing else mattered. Now, as I stare at the note in her elegant scrawl, I wish I had listened to my instincts.I crush the paper in my palm and hurl it into the dying embers of the fireplace, watching as the flames lick at it hungrily, turning he
The ground vibrates beneath me as the rhythmic stomp of boots closes in. The troops march one by one toward my pack, their movements a relentless drumbeat of impending doom. If I make it out of this, Leo is going to kill me—for real this time—for going off on my own.Lying here in my cell, my body throbs with the pain of my own recklessness. What I thought was an act of bravery now feels like pure stupidity. I should have challenged Braden for the pack the second I was thrown into his tent. That was the plan. But it all went wrong. Horribly wrong.Barking orders ring out from the guards outside, their voices sharp and grating. I try to force through the haze of pain of the heat to reach Leo through the mind link, but it’s useless. I’m too weak. My breath catches as the flap of the tent rustles, signaling someone’s return. My heart pounds harder, slamming against my ribs. I want out of this cage, but I also don’t. The idea of someone finding me like this—vulnerable, helpless—is terrify
"What did you just do?" I ask, my body igniting in seconds, heat flooding every vein. My vision blurs as sweat drips down my back. Braden sways in front of me, something small and glinting in his hand. My body wobbles as he lets me go, and I claw at my hair, fingers fumbling for the vial of liquid silver. My hands shake too much to grip it. I just can't reach it. "Heat serum. If you're going to act like a whore, then I'll treat you like one," he groans, voice thick with amusement.A smolder ignites between my legs, molten and all-consuming. Fuck. I don’t know how much he gave me, but my body betrays me instantly, my movements sluggish, my mind drowning in the haze of unbearable heat pulsing through my core.My fingers slip from my hair, every thought narrowing down to a single need—I have to get out of these leathers and this jacket. Too hot. Too tight. Every beat of my heart pumps more of the serum through my bloodstream, and my panties are already soaked. The thick scent of my arou
I'm thrown onto an old wool rug, the rough fibers scraping against my bare hands. I sneer, because even in the midst of battle, Braden refuses to go without his creature comforts. Though a small part of me is grateful—at least I'm not being smushed into the dirt again.Several pairs of black boots surround me before two gleaming black brogues step into my line of vision. "Baby, is that really you?" His voice carries an almost genuine concern, but I know better. I adjust my position, craning my neck to look up at him.Those dark blue eyes are as cold as ever. But everything else is different. He’s massive, his muscles stretched tight over his frame as if he’s been pumping himself full of steroids. He could crush me like a bug."Braden... thank the goddess," I breathe, forcing bile down as I summon a few well-placed tears to trickle down my cheek. He's the one man that has haunted my dreams for months, I never wanted to see him again. I try to stop my body from shaking from fear grippin
I make it to the top of the cliffside, my heart pounding like a war drum as the sun scorches my back. The air hangs heavy, thick with the kind of stillness that only comes before battle—that electric pause before chaos erupts. Even the birds have fallen silent.I tread carefully along the ridge, peering over the other side where their camp sprawls below. From here, I'm just far enough beyond our borders that no guards should detect me. I suppress my aura, unwilling to risk Braden sensing my presence. Lowering myself into a crouch, I inch forward until I can lie flat behind a boulder, my breath shallow, controlled.The camp is a storm of movement, warriors swarming in organized precision. Hundreds, maybe even thousands. It’s as if the entire New Moon Pack has assembled for this. My stomach tightens as I spot Uncle Leon moving through the front line, barking orders. So this is how the rogues are involved. Disappointment stabs through me. One of my father’s most trusted allies, now worki
I wake up tangled in a mess of limbs on the floor, the fire now reduced to glowing embers, and a pleasant ache thrumming between my thighs. Leo lies beside me, his soft snores blending with the distant chirping of birds, signaling the break of dawn. Carefully, I peel myself away from where our bodies are molded together. I can’t wake him. Every movement is slow, calculated, as I inch my way free.Once I’m loose, I jump up, the dim morning light seeping through the curtains now that the candles have long since melted into pools of wax on the floor. My fingers fumble for a pen, hastily scrawling a note explaining where I’m going and why. He’ll be furious—I know it—but he’s my mate, and I will protect him no matter what. This way, at least, he’ll be mad but not worried. Or at least, I hope not.I sprint down the hallway, my bare feet slapping against the cold wooden floor. The scent of burnt-out wax lingers in the air, mingling with the remnants of last night. Clothes and forgotten items
Her lips curl into a smirk that could make the devil himself drop to his knees, and I growl low in my throat, the sound rumbling through my chest like a predator stalking its prey. She’s mine— mine—and I’ll be damned if I don’t claim every fucking inch of her tonight. My fingers work at the clasp of her finery with a fury, tearing the fabric away like it’s an insult to her divine body. The sound of it ripping echoes in the dimly lit room, and her breath hitches, those jewel-blue eyes of hers flashing with a hunger that matches my own.Her curves are a fucking masterpiece, and as her attire falls to the floor, I take her in like a starving man at a feast. Her tits are perfect—full and heavy, the nipples already pebbled and begging for my mouth. I can’t help but reach out, my rough palms grazing over her soft skin, and she shivers under my touch. “Leo don’t tease me,” she begs but she will be begging far more before she gets what she wants. Her hips sway as she steps closer, her pussy s
I pull back, giving Leo another slow, lingering smile. The fire crackles beside us, its flickering glow casting shadows over his sharp features, but worry still lingers in his eyes. I don’t want that. I refuse to let him carry it tonight.Biting my lip, I feel the undeniable pull between us, the electric charge humming in the space where our bodies almost touch. Leaning in, I brush featherlight kisses along his cheek, trailing down to his jaw. A low groan rumbles from his chest, his breath hitching as I shift, straddling his thighs. His hands find my chin, his grip firm yet reverent as he tilts my face to meet his.Then his lips crash into mine.The kiss is searing—possessive, commanding—like he’s trying to reclaim control, to remind me exactly who he is. I let him. My fingers thread through his thick, tousled hair, loving the way it feels against my skin, soft yet untamed. His tongue tangles with mine, the heat between us rising with every breath, every press of our bodies molding in