***************CHAPTER 43~Arianna’s POV~The word mate echoed in my mind, drowning out every other thought.Mate.Damon’s words reverberated through me, unsettling something deep within. My heart was already heavy with the betrayal I’d just witnessed—Henry and Martha, two people I’d trusted, caught in an act that tore through me.Pain tightened my chest. It was suffocating and crushing. Every word Damon spoke after that blurred into the background as the car seemed to spin.And then the word resurfaced, louder, sharper, like a brand searing into my consciousness.Mate.It felt like a cage snapping shut around me. A bond, a connection I never asked for, never agreed to. My breathing quickened, my vision narrowing as if the world were closing in. I was once again wrapped up in my parents’s accident. I had to escape—I needed to get away.Without thinking, I bolted.“Arianna!” Damon’s voice boomed behind me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.The cool night air hit my face as I ran, my hee
***************CHAPTER 44~Damon’s POV~We returned home and Arianna did the very first thing of locking me out of her room. Well, that’s what happens when she wanted time. I had told her the truth. I delayed, but everything was out in the open now, and she needed time. I understood and wanted to give it to her but at the same time everything about her intoxicated me. I leaned back in my chair, staring blankly at the dark wood-panelled ceiling of my study. The room was quiet except for the faint crackle of the fireplace, but my mind was anything but.Arianna.The taste of her lips still lingered on mine, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. The fire in her gaze, the way her wolf had flickered to the surface—it was intoxicating and maddening all at once. I didn't know how she could resist it. Maybe I did. Her wolf hadn't fully broken free and that was something I had to work on now. She was my mate, but she didn’t fully understand what that meant yet.She needed time.Mars
***************CHAPTER 45~Arianna’s POV~The soft rustle of paper filled the quiet office as I worked through the documents Damon had given me. The numbers blurred together after a while, but I forced myself to focus. Anything to keep my mind off the kiss and the emotional storm he’d left behind.My lips still tingled when I thought about it, and that was maddening. I was supposed to be angry, but instead, I felt like I was walking a tightrope, teetering between fury and something far more dangerous.A sharp clearing of a throat broke my concentration. I looked up to find Damon standing in the doorway with an intense gaze like he was seeing right through me.“Grab your bag,” he said, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather. “We’re going out.”I blinked, startled by the abruptness. “Out?”He nodded but said nothing.Usually, I’d argue, but something in his demeanor told me not to. Without a word, I set down the papers, grabbed my bag, and followed him.As we made o
***************CHAPTER 46~Arianna’s POV~The Phone StoreThe drive was uneventful, Xander humming to himself while I stared out the window. He didn’t push me to talk, which I appreciated, but his daunting presence was still hard to ignore.When we arrived at the phone store, he opened my door with an exaggerated flourish. “After you, princess.”I ignored the nickname, stepping into the sleek, modern shop. An attendant walked up to meet us, bowing before Xander before gesturing to the rows of phones they had. "This way, Miss. Do you have any particular phone in mind?"My smile and slightly confused look were all I could give her as she immediately got the hint. She smiled and nodded. "Come."Rows of glittering phones lined the walls, each one more expensive than the last.“Pick whichever one you want,” Xander said, leaning casually against a display counter.I hesitated. “They’re all so... extravagant.”“That’s the point,” he said with a grin. “Damon doesn’t do anything halfway.”Wi
***************CHAPTER 47~Arianna’s POV~I was still fuming by the time Xander and I returned to the estate. The encounter with Trisha had left me seething, but if I was honest with myself, the smug satisfaction of having put her in her place warmed my heart.When we entered, I ignored Damon entirely. My hand gripped the new phone in my pocket—a stark reminder of the circumstances that kept me tethered to him.“Arianna,” Damon called as I moved toward the corridor leading to my room. His tone was casual but commanding, the kind of voice that demanded attention even when you didn’t want to give it.“What?” I turned to him, irritation leaking into my words.“No thanks for the phone?” he asked, leaning casually against the back of the couch, his smirk infuriatingly charming.I rolled my eyes. “Thanks.”“Ah,” he said, standing straighter. “That’s not how I accept gratitude.”I crossed my arms. “What do you want, Damon? What do you want with my body?” The words came out more venomous than
***************CHAPTER 48~Arianna’s POV~The drive to Henry’s house was suffocatingly quiet. My fingers drummed against the door handle, my thoughts racing with every mile that passed. What was I expecting to find? Henry, apologetic and full of excuses? Martha, hiding in shame?The closer we got, the hotter the anger burnt inside me. I wasn’t sure who I was more furious with—Henry for betraying me or Martha for being the knife in my back.As the car slowed to a stop in front of Henry’s small but neat house, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.“You’ll be fine,” I muttered before stepping out of the car.The driver lingered by the car, clearly waiting for me to signal if I needed anything. I didn’t bother to acknowledge him as I marched up to the front door, the anger bubbling under my skin ready to spill over.The curtains were drawn, but a faint glow of light seeped through, enough for me to make out two figures inside. And what they were doing. Still, I found it hard to b
***************CHAPTER 49~Damon’s POV~After Arianna went out, I left Xander and decided to bury myself in work to get things fixed and done. My study was dimly lit, as I always loved it. Ignoring the ambience, I made my way to my chair and propped my feet on top of my table. So many thoughts filled my mind and Mars was liking her. He was a great fan of our mate even though her stubbornness would land her in trouble.I leaned back in my chair, my fingers drumming against the edge of my desk and my thoughts, as they often did, drifted to Arianna. The fire in her eyes when she left earlier stirred something in me—something that refused to be ignored.Mars had been restless all evening. “She’s starting to see, Damon. Let her anger burn. It’ll lead her to where she belongs.”“Or it’ll push her away.” I shook my head.The sharp chime of my laptop broke the silence. A new email.I leaned forward, my fingers gliding over the keyboard as I opened the message. It was from the council of pac
***************CHAPTER 50~Arianna’s POV~The tension from my confrontation with Henry and Martha lingered in my mind. It had taken everything in me not to lose control completely when I confronted them. Especially Henry. I wanted to destroy his generation before it began like Damon would have but I held back.Entering the penthouse, I made my way to my room and discarded my clothes. I needed a hot shower to wash away the resentment and betrayal that had been there for a while.Steam filled the bathroom as the warm water poured over me. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of everything. Seeing Henry and Martha together had been a knife to the gut, but deep down, I realized something that shook me even more. I wasn’t as devastated as I thought I’d be.I wiped a hand over my face, exhaling shakily. That revelation brought more confusion than comfort. And just as I was about to lose myself in my thoughts again, a flicker of movement caught my eye.A shadow.I turned sharply, my voic
***************~Damon’s POV~Damon didn’t move, didn’t flinch, as I closed the distance between us. My heart pounded, each beat a whisper of hesitation, of something I didn’t fully understand.“C-Can I?” I asked softly, barely above a whisper. My hand hovered in the space between us, close but not touching.He didn’t respond right away. His dark eyes locked onto mine, searching—maybe for my intent, maybe for something else. Then, after what felt like forever, he gave a small nod.I exhaled shakily and reached out. My fingertips grazed his skin, featherlight as they brushed over the bruise on his ribs. Damon tensed under my touch but didn’t pull away.Gently, I traced the edges of each mark, my fingers gliding over the discolored patches of skin on his abdomen, the faint scars on his chest. My touch was careful, reverent, as if I could erase the pain they carried by simply being soft with him."Do they still hurt?" I murmured.Damon shook his head. “Physically, no,” he admitted. His v
*****************CHAPTER 68~Damon’s POV~I swallowed past the lump in my throat, my fingers twitching at my sides. My anger had burned out like a candle in the wind, leaving only this—raw, aching silence between us.Slowly, almost hesitantly, I took a step forward. Then another.Damon didn’t move, didn’t flinch, as I closed the distance between us. My heart pounded, each beat a whisper of hesitation, of something I didn’t fully understand.“C-Can I?” I asked softly, barely above a whisper. My hand hovered in the space between us, close but not touching.He didn’t respond right away. His dark eyes locked onto mine, searching—maybe for my intent, maybe for something else. Then, after what felt like forever, he gave a small nod.I exhaled shakily and reached out. My fingertips grazed his skin, featherlight as they brushed over the bruise on his ribs. Damon tensed under my touch but didn’t pull away.Gently, I traced the edges of each mark, my fingers gliding over the discolored patches
*****************CHAPTER 67~Arianna’s POV~I followed Damon through the dense trees, my legs aching with every step. My body was still weak from the brutal training, but curiosity kept me moving.“Where’s this place?” I asked, scanning the area as we emerged into a clearing.The air here was heavier, filled with something unspoken. The ground was packed dirt, uneven and scarred, as if countless battles had taken place here. Wooden dummies, worn and splintered, stood in a jagged row. Rusted chains dangled from a thick iron post, the metal stained a dark crimson. Against the farthest wall, an array of weapons hung—knives, whips, staffs, and even crude spiked bats.“This was where I used to train when I was young…” Damon’s voice was quiet, almost distant. “With my father.”I froze. Damon barely talked about his father. Hearing him mention the man so casually made my stomach twist. I turned to look at him, but he wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was fixed on something only he could see—s
*****************CHAPTER 67~Arianna’s POV~I followed Damon through the dense trees, my legs aching with every step. My body was still weak from the brutal training, but curiosity kept me moving.“Where’s this place?” I asked, scanning the area as we emerged into a clearing.The air here was heavier, filled with something unspoken. The ground was packed dirt, uneven and scarred, as if countless battles had taken place here. Wooden dummies, worn and splintered, stood in a jagged row. Rusted chains dangled from a thick iron post, the metal stained a dark crimson. Against the farthest wall, an array of weapons hung—knives, whips, staffs, and even crude spiked bats.“This was where I used to train when I was young…” Damon’s voice was quiet, almost distant. “With my father.”I froze. Damon barely talked about his father. Hearing him mention the man so casually made my stomach twist. I turned to look at him, but he wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was fixed on something only he could see—s
*****************CHAPTER 66~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.She was beautiful in her own selfish way, and I loved her for it. Most ladies hid under his naive look while masking their true colours but Trisha showed them. She was not afraid to be seen as selfish, wicked, and all that. I mean, it was all in us and the greed of men was insatiable. At least with this kind of ally, you know what drives them and makes them who they are, and if you can work with t
*****************The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose her.”Her fingers traced the
**************CHAPTER 73~Kaia’s POV~The house was quiet, eerily so. Blaze had left for work early in the morning, telling me to stay behind since his grandmother was still here. I had spent most of the morning in the living room, flipping through magazines and trying to keep my thoughts from drifting to the events of the past few days, especially this morning in the bathroom with him. Just that already brought thoughts of our intense fucking. Umm, well, lovemaking and even though Blaze could act like it was nothing or it didn’t happen. It did for me and might I say, it was the best I ever had.I sighed, my shoulders slouching. No matter how hard I tried, my curiosity kept tugging at me, leading me to one place: the room, Blaze’s secret room.I stood up and walked away. First to the kitchen and then to the swimming pool and then… I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t even realise where I was walking to.It wasn’t intentional, or so I told myself. My feet moved on their own,
*****************CHAPTER 63~Arianna’s POV~I did not bother arguing when Damon said we should train. All I wanted was a way to survive two weeks from now. If whatever he had planned for me could do it. Then, so be it. Damon led me down a long hallway, past some offices and through a heavy steel door at the back of the penthouse.The moment we stepped inside, my breath hitched.The room was massive—a full-blown training facility. Dim overhead lights cast long shadows over the walls, filled with rows of weapons. Silver daggers. Guns with silver bullets. Chains, cuffs, throwing stars, and even an entire wall of swords.I swallowed hard. This wasn’t just a training room.This felt like a war zone.Damon strode toward the center without a second glance at the weapons. “Your gear,” he said, tossing something at me.I caught it clumsily, looking down to find a pair of black leather trousers, a bralette, a tank top, and a simple hair tie.I arched a brow. “Seriously?”Damon smirked. “You’l
*****************CHAPTER 63~Arianna’s POV~I did not bother arguing when Damon said we should train. All I wanted was a way to survive two weeks from now. If whatever he had planned for me could do it. Then, so be it. Damon led me down a long hallway, past some offices and through a heavy steel door at the back of the penthouse.The moment we stepped inside, my breath hitched.The room was massive—a full-blown training facility. Dim overhead lights cast long shadows over the walls, filled with rows of weapons. Silver daggers. Guns with silver bullets. Chains, cuffs, throwing stars, and even an entire wall of swords.I swallowed hard. This wasn’t just a training room.This felt like a war zone.Damon strode toward the center without a second glance at the weapons. “Your gear,” he said, tossing something at me.I caught it clumsily, looking down to find a pair of black leather trousers, a bralette, a tank top, and a simple hair tie.I arched a brow. “Seriously?”Damon smirked. “You’l