NANA POV:The banging had stopped. I pressed my ear against the heavy oak door, my heart in my throat as I strained to hear even the faintest sound. But all I got was silence—a terrifying, suffocating silence that made my skin crawl.“Lucien!” I shouted again, pounding my fists against the door. “Please, open up! I can help you, I swear!”But I knew better.This wasn’t the first time. I had witnessed his curse consume him like this before. Yet each time, it felt like a blade piercing deeper into my chest. He never let anyone in, even when it meant he’d tear himself apart trying to fight it. I stood there for a moment longer, my forehead pressed against the cold wood, my breaths shaky. “Please…” I whispered, my voice cracking.Nothing.I clenched my fists and stepped back, panic clawing at me. He needed me, and yet he wouldn’t let me near him. I couldn’t stand idly by, knowing what he was going through behind that door. The guttural pain , the darkness clawing at his mind, the violen
BEN’S POVThe air in the room was suffocating, a mix of tension, sweat, and the faint metallic tang of blood. Lucien was stable now—or at least as stable as a man battling the darkness within could be. Nana hovered over him like a sentinel, her trembling hands betraying the calmness she tried to portray. I stood by the door, my back pressed against the cool wood, my mind spinning with too many thoughts.Lucien. Olivia. Everything. I couldn’t help but let my eyes drift back to Lucien, lying unconscious on the bed. His face was pale, almost translucent, and his breaths came in shallow, ragged intervals. The man I had come to admire looked nothing like the unshakable figure I had always seen. The curse was eating him alive, and tonight it had almost won.But my thoughts weren’t on Lucien for long. They never were these days.They were with Olivia.“Ben,” Nana’s voice was soft but firm, pulling me out of my thoughts. She was kneeling beside Lucien, dabbing at his sweat-soaked brow with a
AARON’S POV: I was seated in my study when the soft knock came at the door. My lieutenant, Caleb, stepped in with a look that was equal parts relief and hesitation.“Alpha Aaron,” he said, bowing slightly. “We’ve found her.”For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. “Olivia?” “Yes, Alpha,” Caleb confirmed. “She’s safe. She’s at Alpha Lucien’s estate.”My chest rose and fell heavily as a weight I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying lifted off me. Olivia was safe. My daughter was alive. My lips parted to ask more, but the words stuck in my throat. Relief warred with something darker. She was at Lucien’s house. The mate she hadn’t chosen.“Did she… say anything?” I asked cautiously, though I wasn’t sure I was prepared for the answer.Caleb shook his head. “We haven’t spoken to her directly, Alpha. The information came through a scout stationed near Alpha Lucien’s territory. He reported seeing her unconscious but being cared for.”Unconscious. My relief faltered. “And Lucien?”“He’s… stable,
EMMA’S POVIt wasn’t hard to hear the whispers. Servants always talked, their voices carrying through the stone halls like wind through cracks in a door. And lately, those whispers were all about Lady Claire.I was walking past the main hall when I caught the tail end of a conversation earlier tonight.“She’s been sneaking out again,” one of the younger maids whispered to the butler. “And to think, it’s Vladimir. Of all people.”I slowed my pace, my ears pricking.“It’s not just rumours anymore,” the butler replied in a hushed tone. “One of the night patrols saw her. If the Alpha finds out—”The sound of a door slamming shut cut off the conversation, and I hurried on, pretending I hadn’t overhead. But the words stayed with me, a slow-burning fire of tension in my chest.Now, as I stood near the corner of the hallway leading to Alpha Aaron’s quarters, I felt that fire spread. He stepped out of his room abruptly, his expression hard and unreadable. His fists were clenched, and the way h
OLIVIA’S POVI stirred awake to the soft glow of morning light seeping through the curtains, the ache in my head throbbing like a drumbeat. My eyelids fluttered open, the ceiling above me unfamiliar and strange. Confusion weighed heavy on me, and as I shifted to sit up, a sharp, searing pain shot through my skull. A soft yelp escaped my lips before I could stop it.The sound startled Nana and Ben, who were slumped on the chairs beside my bed. Nana’s head jerked up first, her eyes wide with concern. Ben stirred moments later, his face creased with exhaustion and worry.“Olivia!” Nana was by my side in an instant, her hand brushing my forehead to check my temperature. “Oh, thank the goddess, you’re awake!”“How are you feeling?” Ben’s deep voice was soft but tinged with worry as he sat on the edge of the bed.“I…” My throat felt like sandpaper, and I grimaced as I tried to speak. “What happened?”Nana’s gaze darted to Ben, as though asking for permission to speak. Finally, she sighed. “
LUCIEN’S POVThe sharp chill of the morning air bit into my skin as I ran deeper into the woods, the sound of my feet crunching against the frost-bitten leaves drowning out my thoughts. Or at least, trying to. The roar of my own Lycan—Zephyr—echoed in my head, his voice filled with rage and torment.“Let me take control!” Zephyr growled. His voice, gravelly and raw, pierced through the haze of my mind.“No,” I hissed aloud, the word rasping against my dry throat. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my legs burned with every step, but I couldn’t stop running. I didn’t deserve to stop.The images of last night flashed before my eyes—Olivia’s tear-streaked face, her desperate pleas for me not to push her away again. And then the curse taking hold, the dark tendrils of magic wrapping around me like chains, wrenching control from me.I stumbled, my foot catching on an exposed root, and fell to my knees. Clutching a nearby tree for support, I doubled over, heaving for breath. The memory of
OLIVIA’S POVThe silence in the car was deafening. I sat with my head tilted against the window, watching the scenery blur as we drove past. My chest felt hollow, my mind replaying the events of the morning on a loop. Lucien’s cold words echoed in my head, each syllable stabbing deeper into my heart. He wanted me gone. Again. Three months ago, I thought I’d come to terms with him pushing me away, but this? This was worse. This time, I had seen a glimpse of him—the real him, the one who held me so tenderly, who whispered my name like it was sacred. And yet, just as quickly, he’d locked that part of himself away, shutting me out as if I were a threat. Tears welled in my eyes as I leaned further into the glass. Why was he doing this to me? Why did fate find joy in ripping me apart? I hated how much I cared, how much I felt for him despite everything. Admitting it to myself felt like succumbing to a sickness, but it was the truth. I felt safe in his hands, I felt like a child without an
ALPHA AARON’S POVThe heavy oak door to my study clicked shut behind me, drowning out the noise of the world beyond. The room was dim, illuminated only by the golden glow of the chandelier hanging above my head. Yet, even surrounded by grandeur, I felt like a fraud. The man reflected in the polished glass cabinet wasn’t the Alpha, the patriarch of the Black family, or the aristocrat that everyone revered. He was just a hollow shell of who he once was. I loosened my tie and ran a hand over my face, the stubble on my chin a reminder of the sleepless nights that had stretched into tears. My mind couldn’t shake Olivia’s tear-streaked face as she stepped out of the car earlier today. She hadn’t said much, but her silence spoke volumes. She despised me—and I deserved it.“Go find my mother and bring her back.” Her words echoed in my head, sharp and unforgiving. I sank into the leather chair behind my desk, grinning the armrests as if the weight of her plea might knock me over. Natalie.H
ALARIC’S POVI stood in the middle of my room, shirtless, the cold air brushing against my skin, but I barely felt it. The full moon cast a pale glow over the vast room, it’s light illuminating the faint scars on my chest, each one a reminder of a past I could never escape. The champagne glass in my hand was nearly empty, the coolness of the crystal grounding me as I stared out of the massive window. The city lights flickered in the distance, a deceptive beauty that mocked the darkness within me.As the alcohol slid down my throat, bitter and sharp, my mind drifted—no, it was yanked—back to that night. The night that shattered everything. The house had been eerily silent when I returned, an unnatural stillness that made my wolf stir uneasily. The scent of blood hit me first—thick, metallic, suffocating. I remember how my steps faltered, my heart pounding in my chest as I pushed the door open.They were everywhere. My family. My brothers. My mother. My father. Their bodies lay sprawle
NANA’S POV I stood in front of Lucien’s door, my knuckles sore from pounding on it repeatedly. “Lucien, please! Open the door!” My voice cracked, my throat raw from shouting. Nothing. Not a sound.The faint scent of blood lingered, mixing with the stale air of desperation that had settled over me. I pressed my ear to the door, straining to hear even the faintest movement. Still nothing. He was in there, but he wasn’t responding.My hands trembled as I pulled my phone out of my pocket, my thumb hovering over Archimedes’ contact. I didn’t want to call him, not after everything he’d done, but I had no choice, there was no other person to call. I hit the dial button, pacing the length of the hallway as it rang.“Archimedes,” his deep voice answered, cold and detached as always.“Lucien’s locked himself in his room,” I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “He’s not answering. His course—it’s happening again. He ran upstairs earlier, trying to protect me, and now—now he’s not responding
DAMON’S POV The taste of her lips caught me off guard—a heady mix of salt and sweetness that sent my thoughts spiraling. One second, I was rooted in disbelief, and the next, her soft hands were gripping my collar, pulling me closer, tethering me to the moment I wasn’t prepared for. “Help me get my mind off things,” she whispered, her voice trembling yet determined, her lips hovering inches from mine. My body froze, but my wolf roared in approval, clawing at the confines of my mind. Mate. She’s ours. Take her. I pulled back just enough to search her face, my breath uneven. “Olivia… are you sure?” My voice cracked, barely above a whisper. Her eyes met mine—those deep, stormy eyes that always held so much pain, but now, they flickered with something else. Desire. “Yes.” She didn’t hesitate. Her voice was resolute, but the vulnerability in her expression cracked something inside me.I couldn’t fight it anymore. My restraint, my logic, my carefully constructed walls—they all crumbled
OLIVIA’S POVThe soft hum of silence cocooned me as I slept, but it was a restless sleep—one marred by fits of tossing and turning. I must have cried myself into this pitiful exhaustion because the soreness around my eyes confirmed it. My dreams had been cruel, replaying memories and fears on an endless loop, only to snap me awake in a cold sweat.Then it happened—the noise.A sharp clink, the unmistakable sound of glass meeting glass. My eyes snapped open, heart racing in the suffocating darkness of my room. I blinked a few times before my hand instinctively reached for the lamp by my bed. A soft glow filled the room, chasing away the shadows but doing little to ease my thundering heart.My eyes darted to the clock on the bedside table. 7:23 PM. A sharp sigh escaped my lips. Six hours. I’d been asleep for six long hours. That explained the dry, scratchy sensation in my throat and the heaviness in my limbs. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly as the cold floor
LUCIEN’S POVThe house was quiet when I returned from the woods. Too quiet. The type of silence that settles in after a storm but just before the next wave hits.I pushed the door open, stepping into the dimly lit hallway. The faint scent of lavender and vanilla—Nana’s favorite candles—lingered in the air, but it did little to calm the whirlwind inside me. The long hours of solitude I had spent in the woods had done nothing to ease the weight pressing against my chest. As I made my way to the living room, I saw her pacing. Nana, in her floral night robe, barefoot on the carpet, worry etched into every line of her face. Her hands wrung together nervously, her eyes darting to the clock on the wall every few seconds. When she noticed me, her steps faltered, and relief swept across her features.“Lucien,” she whispered, her voice trembling.I forced a smile and rubbed my face with my palm, trying to mask the turmoil bubbling beneath the surface. “Why are you still up, Nana?”She shook he
ALPHA AARON’S POVThe heavy oak door to my study clicked shut behind me, drowning out the noise of the world beyond. The room was dim, illuminated only by the golden glow of the chandelier hanging above my head. Yet, even surrounded by grandeur, I felt like a fraud. The man reflected in the polished glass cabinet wasn’t the Alpha, the patriarch of the Black family, or the aristocrat that everyone revered. He was just a hollow shell of who he once was. I loosened my tie and ran a hand over my face, the stubble on my chin a reminder of the sleepless nights that had stretched into tears. My mind couldn’t shake Olivia’s tear-streaked face as she stepped out of the car earlier today. She hadn’t said much, but her silence spoke volumes. She despised me—and I deserved it.“Go find my mother and bring her back.” Her words echoed in my head, sharp and unforgiving. I sank into the leather chair behind my desk, grinning the armrests as if the weight of her plea might knock me over. Natalie.H
OLIVIA’S POVThe silence in the car was deafening. I sat with my head tilted against the window, watching the scenery blur as we drove past. My chest felt hollow, my mind replaying the events of the morning on a loop. Lucien’s cold words echoed in my head, each syllable stabbing deeper into my heart. He wanted me gone. Again. Three months ago, I thought I’d come to terms with him pushing me away, but this? This was worse. This time, I had seen a glimpse of him—the real him, the one who held me so tenderly, who whispered my name like it was sacred. And yet, just as quickly, he’d locked that part of himself away, shutting me out as if I were a threat. Tears welled in my eyes as I leaned further into the glass. Why was he doing this to me? Why did fate find joy in ripping me apart? I hated how much I cared, how much I felt for him despite everything. Admitting it to myself felt like succumbing to a sickness, but it was the truth. I felt safe in his hands, I felt like a child without an
LUCIEN’S POVThe sharp chill of the morning air bit into my skin as I ran deeper into the woods, the sound of my feet crunching against the frost-bitten leaves drowning out my thoughts. Or at least, trying to. The roar of my own Lycan—Zephyr—echoed in my head, his voice filled with rage and torment.“Let me take control!” Zephyr growled. His voice, gravelly and raw, pierced through the haze of my mind.“No,” I hissed aloud, the word rasping against my dry throat. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my legs burned with every step, but I couldn’t stop running. I didn’t deserve to stop.The images of last night flashed before my eyes—Olivia’s tear-streaked face, her desperate pleas for me not to push her away again. And then the curse taking hold, the dark tendrils of magic wrapping around me like chains, wrenching control from me.I stumbled, my foot catching on an exposed root, and fell to my knees. Clutching a nearby tree for support, I doubled over, heaving for breath. The memory of
OLIVIA’S POVI stirred awake to the soft glow of morning light seeping through the curtains, the ache in my head throbbing like a drumbeat. My eyelids fluttered open, the ceiling above me unfamiliar and strange. Confusion weighed heavy on me, and as I shifted to sit up, a sharp, searing pain shot through my skull. A soft yelp escaped my lips before I could stop it.The sound startled Nana and Ben, who were slumped on the chairs beside my bed. Nana’s head jerked up first, her eyes wide with concern. Ben stirred moments later, his face creased with exhaustion and worry.“Olivia!” Nana was by my side in an instant, her hand brushing my forehead to check my temperature. “Oh, thank the goddess, you’re awake!”“How are you feeling?” Ben’s deep voice was soft but tinged with worry as he sat on the edge of the bed.“I…” My throat felt like sandpaper, and I grimaced as I tried to speak. “What happened?”Nana’s gaze darted to Ben, as though asking for permission to speak. Finally, she sighed. “