I watch Claudia leave, praying she will look over her shoulder at me. She doesn’t, of course, but with Braden watching her every move, I don’t blame her. The door clicks shut, and the tension in the office thickens like a brewing storm. Braden turns to me, his face dark with fury.“This is your fault,” he growls, and I internally roll my eyes. Of course it’s my fault, I think sarcastically. My fists clench at my sides, drawing his gaze. He smirks.“You know, if you do as you're told, I won’t hurt her,” he quips lightly, his tone almost mocking.“I have been behaving, and still, you hurt her,” I snarl, my voice laced with venom. “Now she’s beginning to realize the truth, whether you want her to or not. Each time you hit her, all you do is make me look better.” I smirk, the satisfaction brief but potent.Braden hums, tilting his head. “Hmm, perhaps you’re right. But I have an advantage. I can keep reminding Claudia that she loves me, drug her to please me—”“That is not part of the deal
Braden steps into the bedroom, and I feel the power radiating off him as he crosses the floor towards me sucking the air out with each step. "You're still awake?" he asks, his fingers trailing through my hair, brushing against my forehead, I wince as he hits the newly formed bruise."I am."He smiles, sitting beside me, the bed dipping under his weight. "I'm sorry about earlier. When I thought of this punishment, I didn’t realize how it would make me feel, too." His lips twitch into a half-smile, a small attempt at an apology. It's not enough and I wait for him to explain. I'm not letting him off just yet. "It keeps bringing the memory back of when I found you. And I just feel so angry because I was helpless." His voice is steady, but inside, I’m still burning with rage, does he really believe that justifies anything. His eyes soften as they hold mine, but I remain on edge, my body tense, waiting for an answer that will ease none of it."You shouldn’t have hit me, Braden. That was u
My heart hammers in my chest as I watch Braden, frozen and still. Slowly, I release my legs, waiting to see if he stirs. One second drags into a minute, then two. Easing him off me, I lay him down on the bed, my pulse a frantic rhythm in my ears. I snap my fingers in front of his face. "Braden?" My voice is hushed, testing, but he doesn’t move. He’s out cold. Just to be sure, I press hard against the pressure point on his neck. His legs turn to mush, flopping uselessly beneath him.Quickly, I maneuver him so he’s comfortable, stuffing my panties into his fist before leaving a trail of my clothes toward the bathroom. I switch on the shower, the rush of water filling the air.Steam billows into the bedroom as I step out. I grab my robe, not bothering to dress fully. My wolf screams at me to hurry. Heart pounding, I tiptoe to the bedroom door, gently closing it behind me before creeping down the stairs. As soon as my feet hit the last step, I listen. No movement.Then I run like hell.The
I lick and suck on the mark, desperate. My mate. My everything.A deep inhale. Then arms coil around me, strong and possessive. His head dips into my neck, breathing me in. "Love... I’m alright," he mutters, but his voice is weak.Storm-gray eyes snap open, locking onto mine.A choked sound escapes me before I crush my lips to his. The kiss is desperate, raw, brimming with hunger and need. My hands roam his scarred body, claiming him as mine. I don't care what he looks like, how damaged he is, he is like this because he no doubt tried to save me. I love him even more for it.He shifts beneath me my robe falling open, his body taut, coiled with tension. I feel him, thick and hard against me. Heat coils in my belly. but as much as I want this, need this, I'm not sure Leo is able to right now. "Are you—" My words cut off as he enters me, filling me in one swift motion. I'm stetched out completely as my walls quiver around him. His eyes burn into mine. No hesitation. No second thoughts.
The flames flicker across the cave walls, casting jagged shadows on the damp stone. The air is thick with the scent of burning wood and something metallic—blood, maybe. Leo still looks weak, his body trembling slightly as he struggles to sit upright. He’s trying to put on a brave face, but I see through it. He doesn’t want to worry me.I pull my robe around me, tying it tightly at my waist, steeling myself for what comes next.“Braden won’t be out for long. I need to get back—” The words slip from my lips before I can stop them. He could already be awake for all I know. Down here, time has no meaning.Leo’s head snaps toward me, his hand catching the hem of my robe just as I move to stand. His grip is weak, but desperate.“Claudia, no.” His voice is a low growl, rough with exhaustion. “I don’t want him hurting you again. You can’t go back there.”I turn my head away, swallowing hard, my arms crossing over my chest as I pace the small cell. The cool stone presses against my bare feet,
I creep back to the bedroom door and slowly ease it open. Braden is still sprawled across the bed, exactly where I left him, his chest rising and falling in deep, even breaths. I slip inside, gently closing the door behind me. My feet barely make a sound as I tiptoe across the room, my pulse racing as I keep my eyes locked on him. Every second feels like it stretches forever as I pray silently, hoping it isn’t some act—hoping he’s really out cold.I reach the bathroom, where the steam from my earlier shower has already dissipated, leaving the air clammy against my skin. My robe hits the laundry basket with a soft thud, and I step under the icy cold spray. The shock of the water makes me suck in a sharp breath, but I need it. I grab the soap and scrub hard, scrubbing away every trace, every lingering touch. I pay careful attention between my thighs, my stomach clenching as I remember.A low groan cuts through the quiet just as I rinse off. My breath catches.“Baby?” Braden’s voice is h
The crash comes again—louder this time. Metal against stone, sharp and jarring. Braden releases me completely, his eyes narrowing as he strides to the window. I clutch the folds of my black dress, my heart pounding against my ribs like a frantic drumbeat.“What the hell…” Braden mutters, pulling back the curtain just enough to peer through.I seize the moment, edging away from the table, my bare feet whisper-quiet on the cold hardwood floor. The air hums with unease. Then I hear it too—the scuffle of boots on gravel, hushed voices outside, tense and clipped. Not just a random noise. Someone is definitely out there.“Stay here,” Braden orders, voice low and edged with steel.“Is it rogues?” I ask, weaving fear into my tone like thread through fabric. The distraction, whatever it is, feels like a gift.He nods sharply. “Maybe. Either way, I’ll handle it.”As he strides toward the door, rolling up his sleeves, I catch the shift in him—his wolf pressing closer to the surface. The air seem
Braden beckons me forward, and my heart races. The look in those dark blue eyes of his isn’t comforting—it’s sharp, assessing, like he already knows too much. My skin turns clammy, a cold sweat prickling at the back of my neck. If he knows the truth, if he’s realized his persuasion magic isn’t working, this will all end. I can’t let that happen. Each step feels like I’m walking toward my own execution. Something is wrong. I need to be smart.Neither of us speaks. The silence on the staircase presses in on me, thick and suffocating like smoke. As I reach the bottom, I feel the tension rolling off him in waves, tangible and heavy.“What happened?” I ask, tilting my head to the side, my voice steadier than I feel. My stomach knots, dread burrowing deep into my bones as I catch the subtle twitch in his jaw.“Leon happened,” Braden says, voice low and hard. For a fleeting second, I consider telling him what Leon confided in me, but I choke it back. Timing is everything. I need to know more
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,