As we reach the top of the stairs, I keep my eyes fixed on the man the entire time. The dungeon's oppressive chill still clings to my skin, making the house's stale air feel almost comforting by comparison. I don’t trust him—not even a little—and at least being back inside makes it easier to pretend I'm in control.“What’s your name?” I ask, my voice coming out sharper than intended. I refuse to call him slave. He tilts his head, a strange look crossing his face, as if he's trying to convey something telepathically. After a beat, he lets out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. My fingers tighten around the handle of the whip instinctively. The thought of using it on him twists my stomach, especially with his skin still raw and marred. But the whip has become a security blanket of sorts, and I cling to it all the same.“You don’t need that,” he sighs, hand dropping to his side. His eyes—storm-grey and sharp—flick up to the ceiling as he takes another measured breath.I
I stare, unblinking, watching the blood drip down Asher's thigh. My fist grips the leather handle of the whip so hard that my knuckles turn bone white, the edges biting into my palm. The kettle hisses behind me, steam billowing like ghosts in the air, clinging to my skin."Just sit down," I manage to say, my voice steady despite the violent pounding of my heart. Asher's eyes flick to mine, dark and unreadable, before he exhales sharply and turns away, leaving a trail of crimson droplets in his wake. The chair screeches against the tiles as he collapses into it, burying his face in his hands.Guilt slams into me, sharp and suffocating. I release the whip, letting it clatter to the floor with a metallic finality. My fingers tremble as I snatch up a cloth, dropping to my knees to scrub at the blood—his blood—until my hands ache and the floor gleams. The scent of iron hangs heavy in the air, sour and unrelenting.After wiping my damp palms on the skirt of my dress, I grab a stack of towels
I jump back, growling, before shaking my head. I pick up my tea, now cold, and finish it in one gulp. “Come on, and don’t make me use the whip again!” I snap, grabbing his mug and placing both of them in the dishwasher. My fingers tighten around the handle of the whip, and I feel that same ripple of discomfort slither up my spine, but I shove it down.Asher follows this time, keeping his distance as I storm out of the pack house. The air is heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth, and my boots crunch against the gravel path. Guards are everywhere, their eyes shadowed and vigilant. One of them, a man with dark, unblinking eyes, watches me closely. I meet his gaze for a heartbeat before turning away, unease prickling beneath my skin. Asher strolls behind me, too quiet, too compliant, the paper towel at his thigh stained red where I struck him.By the time I make it out of the garden and into the woods, I collide with someone I didn’t expect.“Uncle Leon?” My voice is stunned, brittl
*** Trigger Warning ***Braden stands in the doorway, his features cloaked in shadows, but as he steps forward, a wide grin stretches across his face. "I'll admit, I wasn't sure you would whip him, baby, but I'm so proud of you," he purrs, pulling me inside and wrapping me in his arms. I let myself relax into his hold, my heart still racing from the confrontation. His scent—earthy and sharp—fills my senses, grounding me."Of course I would. After how he hurt me, that's not something I could forget," I reply, my voice steady, though my fingers tremble slightly against his chest. Braden's dark blue eyes fix on mine, a mix of amusement and something darker flickering there."My wife is a violent little thing," he murmurs, and I can't tell if he's pleased or disturbed by it. His grip tightens, almost possessive, and a chill pricks at the back of my neck."Get inside," he orders Asher, his voice low and commanding. He shields me, tucking me further into his side as if to hide me from Asher
*** Trigger Warning Assult ***I’m going to kill him.I've had time to plan since he left me to rot in this cell. I just never expected that my own mate wouldn’t recognize me. I just need to touch her—I know, with everything in my soul, that it will help break the spell he's woven to distort her mind. But the magic has taken root far deeper than I anticipated. The damage to my thigh is proof of that.“You tried to touch her and stop me from hurting my wife, and now you’re going to pay for that,” Braden snarls. His voice slithers through the air, venomous and sharp.I feel it the moment he enters my mate. The betrayal burns through the bond, a searing agony, but what cuts deeper is the sight of her head lolling limply—his blow rendering her too dazed to even understand what’s happening. Worse still, she tried to get him to stop, and my need to protect her made me act rashly. I should have stayed still. He’s baiting me, and now I watch, helpless, as he violates my mate before my eyes.I
Claudia gets up slowly, rising to her feet. She looks exhausted—the kind of tired that comes from being stretched too thin. It's too much for her. I don't dare touch her; the way her red lip trembles and her hands shake as she picks up the whip tells me she’s walking a tightrope, one wrong move away from shattering completely.I’ve just managed to get her to a good place in her healing—she was moving forward, happy, strong. And in a mere few days, Braden has ripped through those old wounds, tearing them open again. I can see the doubt creeping back into her eyes. His ability to channel Gaia’s magic might be strong, but it’s sloppy. Too many holes for me to poke through, for her to question.When she turns to me, her mask is back in place, even if the cracks are showing. She sighs, her head tilting slightly toward the back of the house where the cells are. Neither of us speaks on the walk back, the silence heavy and suffocating.The air grows colder and damp as we descend, the walls na
The next few days are much the same. Claudia fetches me from the cell, and Braden meets us at the top of the stairs. Depending on his mood—or whatever he thinks will hurt me the most—he either kisses or hits her. I see the confusion in her eyes, the way she wonders why the man she ‘loves’ keeps hurting her like this. Each day, she seems more alone, trapped with only Braden to depend on. Her frustration spills onto me. She whips me more often, not even noticing how quickly I heal.Today, however, instead of heading to the clearing where I've been working, we take a different path through the pack's territory. The destination is the house where Claudia and Braden once lived when they were betas. Now, it seems, ‘Uncle’ Leon occupies it.Dark wood panels line the walls, and amber lanterns cast an eerie glow despite it being the middle of the day. The air is stale, carrying a faint scent of dust and something different that itches my nose. Claudia steps up and knocks on the door, her knuck
“I can’t think about this now. I have to go,” Claudia announces, snatching up the whip she dropped. She shudders as she grips it, her fingers curling around the leather more carefully this time, as though it might strike her back. Holding it at arm’s length, her eyes flick to mine before she turns toward the door.Leon moves to stop her, his hand clamping onto her shoulder.“Get your hands off me.” Her voice is sharp, her brows pinching together. “I need to think, and you will wait for my answer.”Leon hesitates, then releases her. “You haven’t stayed for lunch,” he protests, his tone light, but I can hear the calculation behind it. He wants to keep her here, pressure her into saying yes to marrying him.“You and I both know lunch was a ruse. There’s no one in the kitchen, Uncle Leon. I’m leaving.”Leon merely smiles, waving her off as if their conversation means nothing. “See you soon, Claudie. I look forward to your answer.” He gives her a wink at the end and a smug smile.Claudia g
Epliogue Part 2Thirty Years LaterToday is the day Grey finally moves out of the castle. My youngest is ready to explore the world on his own. None of the other kids have moved far, not really. But this feels different. This is him leaving. He won’t be under our roof anymore. And even though we have centuries together, it doesn’t make this any easier. My heart still aches at the thought of his absence echoing through the halls.What doesn’t help is the fact that Gaia and I both believe his mate is her daughter, Summer. Which means he’ll be hours away from us, living at the New Moon Pack. Gaia and Reid are thrilled at the idea. Honestly, I sometimes suspect Gaia’s been nudging fate with her magic… except her spells have no effect on Summer, and Grey never seems to react to any of Gaia’s not-so-subtle hints that they should mark each other.Summer and Grey have been inseparable since they were little. Every year, we’d spend the summers with the New Moon Pack, or Gaia, Reid, and Summer w
Epilogue Ten Years LaterThose years with Braden feel like nothing more than a distant memory. There was a time I couldn’t imagine being happy or free like I am now. That’s not to say the nightmares don’t still come—those nights I jolt awake in a cold sweat, heart racing, lungs gasping for air as if I’m still trapped in that hell. But all it takes is a glance into the storm-grey eyes of my mate, and the past fades like smoke. I’m here. I’m safe. It’s over.The last ten years pass in a blur. It’s only when our son arrives that I truly feel the weight of all the children I lost. Pregnancy, as joyful as it is, terrifies me. I dread something going wrong, haunted by the possibility that Braden’s poisons still lurk in my blood, waiting to strike. That's really when the nightmares came once again. The birth is… intense. I’d like to say it went smoothly. But Leo, on the other hand? I see clumps of his thick dark hair littering the hospital floor by the time the nurse is telling me to push.
Things are finally settling down and becoming normal again. Leo and I work hard, but we play hard too. It’s exactly how I always pictured my life would be when I was younger—only now, it’s my reality.“There you are, baby. I’ve been looking for you.”I’d know that voice anywhere. Every hair on my arms and along my neck prickles to attention. My stomach drops.“No… no, you’re dead.” I whisper because it's the only thing that makes sense. I spin around, heart thundering in my chest. He stands there—Braden—his dark blue eyes gleaming with a sinister glint, his wolfish grin carved across his face like a predator who’s already won. I know that look too well now. Nothing good comes from that look. He strolls toward me, each step slow, measured, powerful. I stumble backward until the wall presses into my spine. My breath stutters. It doesn’t make sense. He’s dead.He stops just in front of me, reaching out to toy with a strand of my hair. His fingers are deceptively gentle until they tight
I feel a squeeze on my hand as silence creeps in, thick and heavy like a storm about to break. Even Erin glances our way, her eyes narrowing as if she can see straight through me—like there’s a neon sign on my forehead flashing the word Lycan.The crowd shifts subtly, a ripple through the mass of bodies. I follow it with my eyes until I see him—a man at the back moving with unnatural smoothness, like a shadow cutting through the haze of murmurs and hushed breathing. One of the guards. I recognize him; he usually works the front gate, stopping intruders from ever getting this far.He’s coming closer. Step by step.My pulse thunders in my ears.Should I pull Claudia behind me? Should I shift? Should I fight?I count the seconds, heart pounding, my beast snarling just under the surface. Claudia’s grip tightens on my hand—iron strong. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.The man climbs the stairs to stand before us. My beast pushes forward, hackles rising, claws itching to tear through
We’ve called a pack meeting, and nerves twist in my gut like a coiled serpent. Claudia told me to come clean—about who I really am. It’s not that I don’t want to. This has been my pack for years; it’s my home. I know these people. I trust them. They’ve had my back through everything. But knowing I’m a lycan means other packs might come for us. They always do. No one likes someone stronger, faster, who heals quicker than the rest. Envy breeds discontent, and I don’t want to paint a target on my back—not when we’ve finally found peace. Not when we are about to have a family. At the same time, we need to explain what’s happened—why Gaia and Reid have left the Blood Moon pack, and why we’ve both been missing for the last few weeks. I’m getting ready now, trying to tame my hair from where Claudia’s fingers pulled at it through the night. I smooth down my shirt, ensuring it’s pressed just right before tightening my belt.Claudia appears in the doorway, her long, dark hair cascading like in
She sucks me deep, taking me into her throat with a moan that vibrates through my entire body. Her tongue swirls around the sensitive head, lapping up the precum already leaking from me. Her hand works in perfect rhythm with her mouth, pumping and twisting as she sucks me off like it’s the only thing she’s ever wanted to do.“Fuck, love,” I growl, my hands tangling in her hair as I thrust into her mouth, fucking her face with a desperation that matches her own. She gags slightly but doesn’t pull away, taking every inch of me like a fucking champion. The heat of her throat squeezes me, and the pressure coils tight in my gut, my balls heavy and aching.But she’s not done yet.She pulls off my cock with a wet pop, her lips swollen and shining with spit as she crawls up my body. Her tits brush against my chest, soft and maddening, leaving streaks of heat on my skin. She kisses me deep, and I taste myself on her tongue—salty, musky, and so fucking her. She reaches between us, guiding my co
We make it back to the Blood Moon pack in record time. Claudia falls asleep early into the car journey, with Erin joining her shortly after. Erin snores the entire way home, the sound sharp and grating, but it keeps me awake.It may have taken us a long time to get here, but I know now—nothing is going to come between us again. We are having a pup. Something I hadn’t dared to dream of, especially so soon. After everything Claudia has been through—every miscarriage, every tear, every ounce of pain—I had no expectations. I was happy just having the two of us for a while. But now? Now, everything is different.It does put a slight hitch in my plans, though. I need to check the library to see if it’s still possible. I want to change Claudia into a lycan. It’s a grueling process and there are risks, but after the time I spent away from her—after how Braden altered her mind so she no longer recognized me—I can’t risk anything like that happening again. More than anything, I want time with h
The BBQ goes well — the pack loves Gaia, and maybe they always have. She’s been here from the beginning, after all. She is one of them. With Reid by her side, I know that whatever lingering trauma she carries, he will be there to catch her if she stumbles. The two of them are annoyingly cute together.Leo’s arms are wrapped around me as the five of us settle into the quieter part of the garden, drinks in hand, our bellies full — probably more than full. I swear we’ve eaten twice our body weight. The smell of smoked herbs and charred vegetables still hangs in the air, making my mouth water despite the feast. And I’m eating for two now, so there’s always room. At least that is my excuse.“I think I’m going to like it here,” Reid muses, scratching his chin. Gaia is draped lazily across his lap, gazing at him like he’s hung the moon itself. He toys with her wild hair, curling it around his fingers, and the two of them look so achingly content it almost feels like we’re intruding.“I guess
There is a pack BBQ being set up in the garden of the Alpha mansion. The intricate bushes, towering trees, blooming flowers, and the gentle trickle of the pond all add to the loveliness of the day, but there is a hum beneath it, something stirring beneath the surface. To my surprise, Gaia is already in the thick of it, directing where the marquee and BBQ station are to be placed. She even has a few guards digging up part of the garden for a hog roast, their shovels biting into the earth with sharp, rhythmic thuds. There’s a pep in her step as she waltzes through the preparations, her eyes scanning every detail to make sure the decorations are just to her liking.I can’t help but wonder if everyone in the pack is secretly relieved now that Braden is gone — or if Gaia is using her persuasion magic to ease them into the transition. I can’t be sure. The energy feels too smooth, too compliant. But perhaps I am overthining it. When she spots me walking across the lawn, she runs toward me,