Braden appeared suddenly, and I lunged at him, my fist driving into his gut with a forceful punch. As he staggered, my leg swung out, jamming into his thigh with a satisfying thud. He retaliated with a feral growl, his claws slicing into my ribs, sending a sharp jolt of pain through my side. "I'm not going to let you kill me," he spat, as I shoved him away with all my might.Amid the chaos, her scent reached me, and my eyes snapped to meet her jewel-blue gaze. She was trying to push through the fray to get to me, her face radiant with a smile that cut through the violence like a beacon. "Leo," her voice seemed to rise above the clamor of battle cries and snarls, but perhaps it was just my imagination. I turned my attention back to Braden, slicing his jaw and neck, blood pouring from the wounds like a crimson river. The urge to obliterate him was strong, but I had made a promise to let Claudia deliver the final blow. Knowing she was here, seemingly unharmed, brought me a sense of relie
My lungs burned as I stumbled through the dense underbrush, the wild throb of my heartbeat pounding in my ears along with the sound of my feet over the uneven ground of the dark woods. Moonlight filtered in thin shafts through the canopy above as I desperately tried to make my way back home. Each step was a struggle, my body wracked with agonizing pain with every stride.A shadow flickered at the corner of my vision. There was someone else here, in the center of New Moon Pack's territory. A soft crush of dead leaves, the snap of a twig underfoot had my head spinning to see who was behind me. Yet each time I searched, they disappeared before I could catch a glance of who it was.The branches and trees seemed to reach out to grab me with their spindle-like fingers, slowing me down as if trying to stop me from making my way home. From getting away from whoever hunted me. I didn’t know who it was, but this was my pack, my home. Whoever was following me wasn’t from here—someone had breache
Reality crashed back in, making me gasp as sharp, stabbing pains shot through my body. I gulped for air, my eyes fluttering open as I realized I had no idea who this man was. He had his hands on me. He held me in such a way like he knew me, owned me, saw me. Panic set in, and I pushed him away. “Get off me!” I yelled feebly, my voice weak. Slowly, his warm hands left my body. He looked hurt and disappointed as I struggled to sit up. I noticed his hands twitching as if he wanted to reach out and touch me again.Shooting pains from my shoulder and ribs spasmed as I moved. The man reached for me again, his expression pained as those intense eyes watched me with concern. “Who are you?” I stammered, stopping him in his tracks. His face fell, as though I should know who he was. He quickly masked his hurt, his jaw tightening.I wiped away my tears, the salt stinging my cheeks. He stood tall, towering above me. I noticed his eyes drift toward my hand, where the ring on my fourth finger caught
There was a distant beeping sound that continued to thrum in my ears. Why it had to be so shrill, I didn’t know. I stretched, feeling my body ache as my eyes slowly fluttered open.Groaning, I looked around the hospital ward. I was in the room designated for the beta of the pack. It was private, with a chair to my side and a small bathroom, complete with a robe and towels hanging off the door. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow across the room. From here, I could see out over the pack's territory.The pack’s buildings were always a sight to behold. Tall structures with narrow, cobbled streets, slanted roofs, and crooked chimneys tightly packed throughout the center of the territory. The hospital was perched on a hill, giving me a wide view of the pack. The worn buildings with moss creeping up the bricks gave a sense of history and stability. People went about their day, kids heading off to school, adults to work, and guards patrolled the streets, ensuring orde
Braden’s grip on my hand tightened as he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Claudia. We can try again. The doctors want to keep you here for a few days to run tests, to find out what happened. We lost the baby.”His words shattered my world. The weight of his apology hung in the air as I sank back into the pillows, the reality of what he was saying settling in. My baby… our baby… was gone. I blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the flood of tears threatening to spill. The hollow ache in my chest seemed to expand with every heartbeat, a vast emptiness I wasn’t sure I could ever fill.Braden pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest as I sobbed. The rhythmic beat of his heart beneath my ear was the only sound I could focus on as I let the grief consume me. His arms wrapped around me, offering me the only comfort I could accept at that moment. But even his warmth couldn’t chase away the cold, gnawing sensation that settled deep in my bones.Minutes—or perhaps hours—passe
Flash Back5 Months Ago“Come for me baby,” Braden grunts behind me as I arch my back up my hips in the air as I lean on my forearms, careful of my little bump so I don’t squish baby into the mattress. “I’m close,” I call out as I feel Braden flex his hips behind me, sinking deeper. Sweat drips down my body as his hand toys with my clit that has me screaming into the pillow beneath me. I feel him howl before he pulls out and flops down on the bed beside me. A gleam in his eyes as he watches me its always the same look he gets after we make love. Something deep and possessive that has my heart skipping a beat.“Best we make the most of that before the little one comes,” he jests, stroking my belly as I roll over to look at him, snuggling up beside him as I lean my head on his chest. “Lots of couples still manage to have sex Braden. Otherwise how would anyone have more than one pup?” I smirk back as he grins wickedly at me. “I know, but it won’t be the same,” he frowns slightly as if re
Braden came in the following morning to see how I was doing. Apparently, whatever he was working on with the alpha took its sweet time. He saw my annoyed expression, his brows gnashing together. “Baby don’t it’s my job I came as soon as I could,” I pressed my lips together seeing his fresh set of clothes and I picked up the scent of his lime shower gel so he clearly had time to shower before coming here.I turned to look back out the window, the thin grey light casting shadows over the narrow streets as people wrapped up in more layers than normal, fighting off the chill. I could see several more guards on the street doing patrols once again.“Why are there so many guards?” I ask, changing the subject as Braden comes to sit on the bed beside me, taking my hand in his. “It’s a precaution, something Alpha Ansel wants. There is some discord in the pack,” he states matter-of-factly. I glance back out the window as I watch the people pass by. To look at them, you wouldn’t think there were
“I do,” he nod patting my hand as he smooths the blankets on my bed. “Did you sleep alright?” he asks, his voice soft as he looks my way. “No, but I never sleep well without you,” he gives me a knowing smile as he squeezes my leg. “It should only be a couple more days, then we can take you home.” He gives me a wink, a signature trait I have seen him do countless times.The first was when he first brought me to the pack house to meet Alpha Ansel. I don’t remember much about my home pack, but meeting Ansel and his girlfriend Gaia was a daunting experience. Sensing my nerves Braden gave me an encouraging wink. Gaia and I quickly became best friends. She was the most stunning girl I had ever seen with long flowing wavy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, tanned skin and rosy lips. She was the envy of every woman in the pack and annoyingly the kindest and sweetest person I had ever met. It was impossible to hate her.Ansel was a rugged, intimidating man in his late thirties. After not finding h
Braden appeared suddenly, and I lunged at him, my fist driving into his gut with a forceful punch. As he staggered, my leg swung out, jamming into his thigh with a satisfying thud. He retaliated with a feral growl, his claws slicing into my ribs, sending a sharp jolt of pain through my side. "I'm not going to let you kill me," he spat, as I shoved him away with all my might.Amid the chaos, her scent reached me, and my eyes snapped to meet her jewel-blue gaze. She was trying to push through the fray to get to me, her face radiant with a smile that cut through the violence like a beacon. "Leo," her voice seemed to rise above the clamor of battle cries and snarls, but perhaps it was just my imagination. I turned my attention back to Braden, slicing his jaw and neck, blood pouring from the wounds like a crimson river. The urge to obliterate him was strong, but I had made a promise to let Claudia deliver the final blow. Knowing she was here, seemingly unharmed, brought me a sense of relie
I squeeze through the bars, my hips scraping against the metal, the sting immediate and sharp. Welts are already forming, the raw skin throbbing with each shallow breath. By the time I make it through, exhaustion claws at me, my body convulsing as another wave of unbearable heat ripples through my veins. My skin burns like an open flame, every inch drenched in sweat, my clothes sticking to me like a second skin.I stagger toward the desk where Braden left my blade and grenade. Sunlight glints off the compact disk beside them, a flash of silver that momentarily blinds me. Pulling myself up, the wood splinters beneath my fingers, sharp pricks piercing my palm. I swipe the sweat from my brow, sucking in air, my breath shallow and ragged. My legs tremble as I force them to hold my weight. The battle outside the tent rages on, steel clashing, wolves snarling. I don’t have time. I need to move.Leo.I have to get to him.Shoving the blade back into my boot and tucking the grenade into my ja
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