“Let me go!” A loud voice echoed in the hallway, and Norwan could hear it too. He looked at the door as it opened, and his men brought in Darius. Norwan saw the frightened look on Darius’s face, and he couldn’t help but feel pity for him. Darius was one of the men he trusted most when it came to the clan. He was like a watcher, a protector and observer, standing as Norwan’s eyes within the clan.Norwan watched as his men pushed Darius to the floor. He sighed, stood up from his seat, and Darius looked up at him as he approached.“What is this all about?” Darius asked, and in response, Norwan’s beta delivered a hard blow to Darius’s face, causing him to groan in pain.“Don’t speak to our lord like that,” Norwan’s beta said.Darius looked up at Norwan again.The tension in the air was thick, and Norwan could feel the weight of Darius's gaze on him, searching for answers. As the sounds of the fight settled, a strange feeling stirred in his chest. He had always known Darius to be strong, s
The weight of the evening’s emotions pressed heavily on Norwan’s chest, yet the silence of the moment seemed to deepen the storm brewing within him. He held the wineglass loosely, the amber liquid sloshing with each small movement, but it did little to quell the fire inside. His thoughts were tangled, each one sharper than the last. “Why does it feel like nothing is ever enough for Grego?” he wondered bitterly.He’d tried to be patient. He’d asked—no, pleaded—for freedom. And what did he get in return? Natalie, the woman he loved, tethered like a prized possession, while her father continued to tighten his grip on their lives. He couldn’t fathom the mind of the Don anymore. What was he trying to prove by keeping her so close?Norwan’s gaze sharpened as Darius’s words cut through his internal storm."My lord, everything is settled now."The words were simple enough, but they stung with the weight of finality. What did "settled" mean? The chaos he’d just heard of—about Natalie’s father
“I already expected this to happen.” Natalie stopped walking as soon as she heard her father’s voice from the entertainment room. She slowly and silently crept closer to the door to listen to the conversation.“For sure, this has something to do with Natalie,” Don Grego added, causing Natalie to frown.“About me?” she asked herself.“What are we going to do now? I haven’t told Natalie yet; for sure, she’ll be surprised,” Natalie heard her beta’s voice talking to her dad, so she slightly peeked at them from the small crack in the door.Natalie’s heart pounded as she stood just outside the door, listening intently to her father and beta’s conversation. The words her beta spoke hit her like a cold wave, freezing her in place. “The clan is at war?” she thought, her mind racing.She felt a mix of confusion and disbelief. How could something so serious be happening without her knowing? As the alpha of the pack, shouldn’t she have been the first to know? Was her position not as strong as she
The cold wind stung Natalie’s face, but she barely noticed. Her eyes remained fixed on the scene across the border, where the tension in the air was thick. Horses pawed the ground, their hooves clattering like distant thunder. Male wolves, their eyes glowing with readiness, paced around the camp, while men, their hands resting on the barrels of their guns, stood vigilant. The war had come, and it was no longer a distant worry. It was here.But amidst the chaos, there was one thing that kept her grounded—one person. Norwan. She had been searching for him all day. Her heart raced, but she couldn’t let fear overwhelm her. Not yet. Not until she found him.Her breath came out in sharp, visible clouds, blending with the smoke of the fires rising from the other side of the border. She tried to steady her nerves, reminding herself why she was here. Why she had to find him.Did she feel hope? Fear? Both? She couldn’t tell. But she knew one thing—she couldn’t go back without him.Natalie sighe
“Norwan…” Natalie calls again, her voice a blend of desperation and authority, but this time, it’s different. This time, she takes a step forward, the weight of every second of silence between them pulling her toward him. But before she can take another step, her father’s grip tightens around her wrist, pulling her back. “Don’t,” Don Grego warns, his voice cold, steely. His fingers feel like chains around her, but Natalie fights against them, her eyes burning with an anger she’s never felt before. She jerks free, glaring at him with all the hatred she’s kept hidden for years, the truth of what he’s done flooding her chest like a storm. “What are you going to do, Natalie?” he asks, the question almost mocking, as if he already knows the answer, as if he thinks she’s too weak to act. Her chest heaves with rage, but her answer is steady, every syllable sharp with defiance. “I’m going to talk to him.” Her gaze snaps back to Norwan, his form standing rigid, eyes cast downward. He loo
The air was thick with the unsaid words between them, each breath Natalie took carrying a weight too heavy for her fragile chest. A single tear slid down her cheek, betraying the storm inside her heart. She hadn’t expected this—hadn't expected him to look at her like that, with that depth of silent torment that mirrored her own. But there it was, a gaze that sliced through her resolve. Norwan’s eyes softened, just for a moment, before he swiftly masked it with cold indifference. It was a subtle movement, a swallow of shame, a flinch as his hands twisted behind his back to hide what he could not control—his emotions.Natalie’s whisper floated between them like a quiet confession, “It’s nice to see you again.”The words hung in the air, as delicate as her heart. But Norwan, the stone he had become, didn't let the softness of her voice reach him. His jaw tightened, his gaze shifting with a sharpness that cut through her like the very coldness in his words. But it wasn’t her he was angry
“I don’t understand...” Natalie’s voice trembled as she looked at Norwan, her gaze searching for any hint of jest or mischief. Surely, she had misheard. Norwan couldn’t be serious. He must be toying with her, playing some cruel game. Her heart twisted with disbelief.“My father would never—” she faltered, the words dying on her lips as Norwan’s icy stare cut through her like a blade.His silence was a frozen ocean, deep and impenetrable. He didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch. His lips were set in a hard line, and for the first time, his face wasn’t just cold—it was unforgiving.“He did.” His voice was a quiet storm, the words sharp as broken glass. There was no trace of doubt in his tone.Natalie’s breath hitched as the weight of his words crashed into her chest. She looked deeper into his eyes, hoping—praying—she’d find some trace of the warmth she once knew there. But instead, she saw only a storm. A storm that mirrored the chaos roiling inside her.“Not my father…” she whispered, almost t
Norwan blinked twice, his gaze locked on Natalie’s face as though trying to decode the impossible."Are you serious?" His voice was low, strained with disbelief. Natalie simply nodded, her brow furrowing in response.“She’s with us because your mother and my father have... a relationship," Natalie’s words hung in the air, heavy with implications. The sheer absurdity of it hit Norwan like a sudden, unexpected gust of wind, causing a laugh to escape his lips.“Are you kidding me?” He leaned back, disbelief swirling in his chest, unable to process the truth she was suggesting.Natalie’s expression remained serious, her eyes steady as she shook her head, her throat working to swallow the weight of what she was saying. "I know it's hard to believe," she continued, her voice softer now. "But just look over there, at my father."Norwan followed her gaze, his eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on Don Grego—standing tall, calm, his presence commanding. But it wasn’t just Don Grego that
Norwan slammed his car door shut with a bit more force than necessary, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t even take a moment to breathe, his feet carrying him quickly to the gate of Natalie’s house. He stood there, his fingers trembling as he pressed the doorbell, the chime echoing in the quiet of the early evening. He waited, his gaze drifting over the stillness of the surroundings. A minute passed. Then another.He pressed the button again, more urgently this time. His eyes darted nervously, scanning the surroundings as if expecting someone to jump out from behind a tree.A voice broke the silence behind him.“You wanna break my doorbell?”Norwan froze, then turned slowly, a sheepish smile forming on his face as he saw Don Grego standing there, arms crossed, watching him with a knowing look in his eyes.“I’m sorry,” Norwan muttered, his smile faltering as he tried to collect himself, swallowing hard. “I just wanted to ask if Natalie is here?”Don Grego let out a sigh, one of
AFTER THREE DAYS.|“Are you really sure about this?” Don Grego’s voice was soft but laced with concern. He paused in the doorway, watching his daughter with a mixture of confusion and worry. Natalie stopped what she was doing, a gentle rustle of papers filling the quiet room. Her gaze briefly met his, and then she offered him a reassuring smile—small, but steady.She nodded once, firmly. Don Grego took a cautious step forward, his brow furrowing. He studied her face, searching for any hint of uncertainty that might reveal a second thought. But there was none. “But why?” he asked, his voice heavy with the weight of fatherly confusion. “I didn’t do anything to make you feel this way… What’s brought this on?”Natalie chuckled softly, the sound almost as if she was trying to lighten the mood, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She shook her head, her hands pausing in the task at hand. “It’s not about you, Dad.” Her words were clear, almost too clear, but there was a flicker of something
“Why don’t you kill me now, Natalie? Now that you possess all the power, all the strength to do whatever you please,” Cora asked, her voice steady, eyes locked with Natalie’s. There was no fear in her gaze, no hesitation. It was a challenge. A dare.Natalie stood there, her heart pounding, her breath shallow. Cora’s words hit harder than any weapon, but it was the unwavering defiance in her eyes that made Natalie falter. Cora was no longer the girl she had once known. She was something else now—something far darker, far more dangerous. And yet, she wasn’t afraid. Not of dying. Not of anything.The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Natalie could feel the weight of it. All the anger. All the pain. Everything that had led to this moment.“You ruined my life, Cora,” Natalie said through clenched teeth, her voice low and controlled.Cora's lips curled into a smirk, eyes never leaving Natalie’s. "I know," she answered, voice dripping with bitterness, but there was no re
The wind whistled through the sky as soon as Natalie and Norwan reached the place where Cora was. Cora greeted them with a wide, dark smile, which annoyed Norwan—after all the mess she had made, how could she still smile? Did she have no conscience at all?“What an awful sight for me,” Cora said with a sarcastic sigh, referring to Norwan and Natalie being together.“How could you do this to me, Norwan? You treated me like a toy,” Cora added. In response, Norwan simply tightened his grip on Natalie’s hand, which didn’t go unnoticed by Cora. A smirk formed on her lips as she glanced back at Norwan.“Stop holding her hand in front of me,” she said, laughing. “You told me last time that my hands were enough for you to hold.”“Stop all this nonsense, Cora,” Natalie said bravely. Cora stopped laughing and looked at her in disbelief.“Why would I?” she asked, smirking. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to lose.”Natalie took a deep breath. “Your men are the ones suffering because of what you’re d
The battlefield was a scene of unspeakable horror. The ground was slick with blood, bodies strewn everywhere like discarded dolls, the air thick with the stench of death. The clash of metal on metal, the screams of dying men, and the endless rhythm of war had not ceased for five long hours. Neither clan had yielded, and the chaos only deepened as the fight raged on. Natalie’s mind spun in confusion as she stood in the midst of the turmoil. She could scarcely comprehend what was happening—men from Norwan's clan fighting alongside hers, yet others, from different factions, turned their weapons on their own. Which clan is this? She wondered, eyes scanning the battlefield frantically, trying to piece together the puzzle that was slowly consuming everything.Her heart hammered in her chest. She needed to find him—Where is Norwan? Her thoughts were a whirlwind of fear, and every second that passed felt like an eternity. She tried to push through the chaos, slashing at the enemies who stood
The tension in the air was thick, a heavy silence hanging over the battlefield as Natalie stood frozen, her left leg planted firmly atop the broken form of Cora’s fallen Alpha. Her gaze swept over her own clan first, then to Norwan, who looked at her with something that resembled both confusion and apprehension. She remained still, exuding an unspoken power, her eyes burning with fury. Then, her attention shifted, and she slowly turned to face Cora’s men.The sight that met her eyes was almost surreal—men who had been so sure of their power, now standing frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Their Alpha, the man they revered, lay at her feet, lifeless. The realization hit them like a hammer, their leader was gone, and they had just witnessed the unthinkable. The cold reality settled over them like a dark cloud.The man closest to Natalie—trembling, his hands shaking—could no longer bear the weight of fear in his chest. The ferocity in her eyes, the silent rage emanating
Norwan couldn't shake the worry gnawing at him as he stared at his mother, locked in a large cage with her hands shackled by chains. He could barely make out her face, but the sight alone sent a wave of anxiety through him."Norwan…" Amanda's whisper barely reached his ears, but it cut through the tension. He could feel her fear in those soft words."WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Norwan yelled, his voice breaking through the air as he glared at Cora, who stood calmly before him, a smirk tugging at her lips. She cast a quick glance at Amanda before returning her cold stare to Norwan."Copy her?" Cora replied with an irritatingly casual tone, causing Norwan's frown to deepen in frustration."What do you mean?" Don Grego asked, his curiosity piqued. Cora’s smile widened, her eyes glowing a dangerous red. In an instant, Norwan and Don Grego found themselves pulled into a vision—a painful flashback to the past.They watched as Cora survived Norwan’s attack, lurking in the shadows as she secret
Until now, Norwan couldn’t believe his eyes. The woman he had killed—the woman he had sacrificed so much to eliminate in order to save Natalie—was now standing in front of him, alive. She was here. And not just a shadow of the past, but in full force, with an army behind her. It felt like a cruel joke, a twist in time he couldn’t comprehend. Is she the one behind all this? How did she know we were here? Every question in his mind spiraled into another. She wasn’t just some ghost of his past—she was at the heart of it all, a living nightmare, and everything he had fought for seemed to be crumbling because of her.Cora’s voice broke through his spiraling thoughts, sweet and deceptively soft, like a velvet-covered blade. “Aren’t you happy to see me again, darling?” Her words danced through the air as she looked at him, her eyes sparkling with cruel amusement.Norwan didn’t flinch. His gaze was as cold as the steel under his skin, emotionless and unwavering. He stood like a statue, unread
The two healers from both clans worked swiftly, their hands glowing with energy as they focused on Natalie, who lay unconscious, blood seeping from her wounds. Beside them stood Don Grego, his face pale and twisted with concern. His eyes darted between the healers and his daughter, and yet, a cloud of confusion clouded his mind. He couldn’t understand why he was there, or what had led to this moment. The only memory he could grasp was of being at the hospital, talking to Natalie—until someone had approached him, a woman with strange questions, and then... nothing.“Goddamn, what’s happening? Why are my people here?” Don Grego’s voice trembled, the urgency of the situation growing heavier with each word. Norwan, who had been silently watching the scene unfold, turned sharply at his question. His concern for Natalie matched Don Grego's, but there was a gnawing feeling of unease. Why couldn’t the man remember?“Are you sure you don’t remember anything?” Norwan asked, his voice firm, thou