I pull back just enough to meet Braden's gaze, my breath catching in my throat as molten, predatory heat burns in his eyes. It’s a power play, and we both know it. My skin prickles beneath the oppressive weight of his dominance, the air between us thick, heavy, like it’s been electrified by the raw, feral energy of the Lycan blood coursing through him—the blood of my mate. A slow, sharp-toothed smirk spreads across his face, dark with promise, and I realize I’m teetering on a razor’s edge. Yield now, or he will take what he wants—mind, body, and soul.But I can't let him steal my mind, can't let him twist it until I’m nothing more than his puppet. I’d rather play this game and hold on to myself. I silently pray Leo will understand. I’m about to break my promise to him. The thought hurts.I force a sultry lilt into my voice, every word dripping with false sweetness. “What does my baby want?” I coo, batting my lashes like some simpering doll, even as my heart slams wildly against my rib
The fire crackles beside me as I sit, waiting—hoping Braden will finally let me leave. His half-glazed eyes stare at me as he catches his breath, and when he smirks, it’s broad, almost taunting. “Thank you, baby. I needed that,” he groans, his voice low and guttural. His hand still pumps lazily at his shaft as a few more drops spill onto my skin. I force myself to stay still as disgust churns in my stomach. Relief floods through me when he finally goes soft.Not wanting me to see, he tucks himself away swiftly and kicks me out. I resist the urge to sag in relief, keeping my spine straight.“Let’s finish this later, baby. I need to work,” he says, waving me off like I’m an afterthought. I nod, biting the inside of my cheek, resisting the desperate urge to wipe myself clean. My skin itches, sticky and foul, like it’s crawling. If I could peel the layer off entirely, I would. Anywhere he has touched me.“Of course,” I whisper, forcing a brittle smile as I leave the scraps of my black dres
I blink in disbelief. Was that really a no? I strain to listen, but all I hear is a garbled sound, the words smudged by the heavy silence. “Gaia?” I whisper, stunned. I must be losing it—there’s no way this is her. The place looks like a forgotten crypt, the attic thick with dust and draped in webs like decaying lace. Not to mention the sea of distorted mannaquins. The narrow beam from the torch cuts through the gloom, stirring spirals of dust that dance like ghosts.The garbled noise comes again, sharper now. My heart lurches as I rush forward, feet crunching over debris and brittle wood. I drop to my knees beside her, helping her sit up. Up close, I finally make out her golden hair—tangled and matted, dulled beneath layers of dirt. Her arms tremble beneath a thin sheen of grime, goosebumps riddling her skin like a rash. Her clothes hang in tatters, stained with God-knows-what. But what steals my breath is the metal mask bolted to her face.She's caged like an animal left for dead and
“Okay, don’t worry, Gaia. We’re going to figure this out. I have a plan,” I whisper, my voice barely audible as she tilts her head to the side. Sure, my plans aren’t always the best—but now I’ve got her on my side, and Braden is none the wiser. It's going to work this time. I explain everything to her in a hushed rush. She scribbles question after question on my palm with her fingertip, each one sending a tickle up my arm as we silently hash it out. Finally, she nods, her light blue eyes catching the light through the slits in her metal mask. I know there are flaws in the plan—but what’s the alternative? I'm not letting either of us stay here like this for Braden's bidding. We eithr get out or die trying.“Plan B is: I’ll be back here in three days with the key.”She nods again. I pull her into a quick, fierce hug before turning back toward the attic, the darkness pressing in like a suffocating blanket as I crawl through in search of the cubbyhole.Almost immediately, I slam my head
The familiar whistle slices through the silence as I stir awake. My eyes itch, crusted shut, and I blink rapidly, trying to clear them. The metal mask scrapes against my skin, rough and unrelenting, making my face itch with a maddening persistence. I hate this. I hate feeling trapped. Claustrophobic.The whistle grows louder. Sharper. And beneath it, there’s something else—a presence. A pressure in the air, like eyes boring into me. This is how I know what woke me in the first place from my brief moments of sleep. Could it be? Has Claudia returned already? The thought is too good, too dangerous to believe.Floorboards creak under steady footsteps. I strain to see through the narrow metal slits in the mask, heart thudding against my ribcage like a drum of warning. I stay silent. I won’t give him the satisfaction of hearing me make a sound.Shadows twist across the floor until they gather around a figure. Then, I see them—those cold, dark blue eyes that have haunted me. My pulse spikes.
I feel the distinct buzz of sparks—and something far more enticing. Hot steamy water.It patters gently against my skin as hands massage rose-scented shampoo into my hair. For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel like myself again. The grime, the filth, the weight of captivity—washed away. Sunlight warms my skin, and as my eyelids flutter open, they’re assaulted by the blinding brightness. Still, I don’t care. The shimmering rays piercing through the steam feel like a promise—like the nightmare I’ve been trapped in is finally lifting.Like I can put it all behind me. Trauma lingers, though. I definitely have issues now—being in the dark, being alone. I’m going to cling to Reid like a limpet when I see him again. Beg him to let me sleep with a lamp on. The thought pulls a smile to my lips, imagining the way his face would scrunch with reluctant acceptance. My warrior of a mate—such a soft-hearted bear when it comes to me.I glance back, half-expecting to see him.Instead,
The car jolts violently over every pothole, sending dust and debris spiraling into the air behind us. Exhaust fumes choke the interior, clinging to the upholstery and my lungs. Braden’s grip on the steering wheel is iron-tight, his jaw clenched in a mask of focused rage as he weaves through traffic like a man possessed. Trees blur past in smeared shades of green and brown, blending with the chaos in my head.The past few hours are a blur, and one question keeps looping in my mind—where is Claudia? I haven’t seen daylight since the battle. And now, suddenly, he’s parading me through the house, dressing me in her clothes like a doll he can manipulate.It’s hard to swallow the dread crawling through my gut as we put more and more distance between ourselves and the New Moon Pack.Sunlight catches on the iron shackle around my wrist—a deceptively delicate bangle, but we both know the truth. It’s a chain. A tether. A dampener for my magic. Braden clasped it on me before we left, and now it
“Lovely to meet you, Erin. Now, if you do as Gaia tells you, there won’t be any need for me to use my little tools, will there?” Braden chirps, practically high off the tension swelling inside the cramped, dimly lit hut. The air is thick—humid and metallic, like the moment before a storm breaks. Pressure builds like an overfilled balloon, ready to burst.Across the room, his “tools” lie in meticulously straight lines, gleaming under the weak shaft of light filtering through the slats. Each one more menacing than the last, their cruel edges catching the light. Some of them are speckled with rust or dried blood. Infection is guaranteed. If the injury doesn’t kill you, the rot surely will.Braden glides toward Erin, the way a puma stalks before a pounce—calculated, graceful, deadly. She shrinks away, pressing herself tight against the grimy wall, trying to make herself smaller. Her body coils in on itself, but her green eyes burn with fury. Erin’s a fighter—a warrior. She doesn’t fear de
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,