***************CHAPTER 27~Damon’s POV~The drive back to the estate was anything but smooth, even though the road stretched out like a ribbon under the early morning sun. My hands tightened around the steering wheel, frustration bubbling in me as Mars prowled in the back of my mind.“Two of Luca’s men,” he snarled, his anger intertwining with mine.“They won’t dare step foot on my territory again,” I muttered aloud, though no one could hear me. The report from last night still replayed in my head. My men had spotted them skulking near the estate's perimeter, and their intentions were clear—Arianna.The idea of anyone coming near her made my blood boil. Mars growled, his presence pushing against my control.“She’s ours. She doesn’t even know what she’s risking.”I didn’t need him to remind me. Arianna had been a thorn in my side since the moment we met. Her stubbornness, her defiance—it made her infuriating and irresistible all at once. Every time she pushed back, it only made me
***************CHAPTER 28~Arianna’s POV~The ride back to Damon’s estate was suffocating. Every time I opened my mouth to speak, his sharp gaze in the rearview mirror silenced me.His words replayed in my mind like a broken record. “You’re mine.”The possessiveness of it made my skin crawl, but the way my heart reacted—skipping in some unexplainable rhythm—was what unsettled me most.I glanced out the window, the dense forest surrounding the road seemed to close in on us as the trees watched our every move.Then, the car screeched to a halt.“What now?” I muttered, my nerves already frayed.Damon didn’t answer immediately. He scanned the road ahead, his posture tense. My gaze followed his, and that’s when I saw it—a black SUV parked sideways across the narrow path.“Stay in the car,” he ordered.“Like hell I will,” I snapped, adrenaline spiking.“Arianna.” His tone was sharper now, leaving no room for argument. “Stay. Here.”I shrank back into my seat as Damon stepped out. The air o
***************CHAPTER 29~Arianna’s POV~The distant howling grew louder, each mournful cry slicing through the heavy silence of the estate. Damon stood frozen for a moment, his body taut like a predator ready to strike. The tension was suffocating, and my thoughts raced as I replayed the attack on the road.“What’s happening?” My voice trembled despite my attempt to sound composed.Damon turned his piercing gaze toward me. “You need to go to your room. Now.”“I’m not a child, Damon,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “If something’s going on, I have a right to know—”“Arianna,” he interrupted in a low but cold voice. “This isn’t a debate. You need to be out of sight. Immediately.”I wanted to argue, but the intensity in his eyes made me hesitate. Whatever was coming, it wasn’t something I could fight. Reluctantly, I turned and headed upstairs, my steps heavy with frustration and fear.Once inside my room, I locked the door and leaned against it, my mind spinning. The glow in Damon’s ey
***************CHAPTER 30~Damon’s POV~Once I ensured Arianna was inside and locked away, I descended the penthouse via the elevator swiftly. My senses were razor-sharp, heightened by the adrenaline pumping through me.Mars growled in the back of my mind in a low rumble. “They shouldn’t have come this close. They’ve overstepped.”“Trust me, they’ll regret it,” I muttered aloud, my voice laced with cold fury.As I stepped into the open, the ir carried the faint scent of intruders. My eyes scanned the shadows cast by the towering estate walls. There—movement. Two figures, quickly slipping through the dense tree line bordering the property.“Xander,” I mindlinked. “Two intruders, north perimeter. Cut them off. I’ll flush them toward you.”“On it,” Xander replied.With Xander, I did not have problem with ensuring things were okay as the latter was always around me and knowing everything I wanted like a sixth sense.Without hesitation, I followed the faint trail the intruders had left—br
***************CHAPTER 31~Damon’s POV~The next day, I refused to keep Arianna cooked up at home and took her with me to work. As we drove to work, Arianna sat quietly beside me as the engine hummed. She stared out the window, her arms crossed. Her silence was a shield, but I could feel her unease, the residual tension from the events of the previous day.Mars stirred in the back of my mind. “She knows more than she lets on. It’s time, Damon.”I gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Not now.”“If not now, then when? She’s our mate, and the longer you wait, the more you risk losing her.”Mars wasn’t wrong. The glimpses of suspicion and confusion in Arianna’s eyes last night haunted me. But telling her the truth about what I was—what we were—felt like crossing a line I couldn’t uncross.For now, I focused on the day ahead. Bringing her to work as my assistant was a move aimed at keeping her close, ensuring her safety, and keeping Luca's men at bay.We arrived at the office and immedi
***************CHAPTER 32~Arianna’s POV~I had immersed myself in the tasks he gave me for the next few hours. Surprisingly, I managed to keep up with his demanding pace, my stubbornness fueling me. If he thought I’d crumble under pressure, he was sorely mistaken. Despite everything, I couldn't escape the sensation of constant observation. Every time I glanced up, Damon’s sharp eyes were on me, studying me as if I were a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.Ever since the previous day, I couldn't shake the possibility that there was so much more with him. And just that thought made me self-conscious. With everything going on, my thoughts immediately turned to my boyfriend, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.For some reason, with every second I spent with Damon, the more distant my feelings became for my boyfriend. I shook my head. It was just Damon’s overwhelming presence and arrogant attitude. Still, why was only his thought circling my mind?And to make matters worse, each time he
***************CHAPTER 33~Arianna’s POV~The guttural growl that tore from my throat was so foreign, so primal, that for a moment, I thought it couldn’t possibly have come from me. But it had.I gasped, staring wide-eyed at the men surrounding me. Their faces twisted in shock and fear, their weapons faltering in their hands.“What the hell—” one of them stammered.Before he could finish, a sharp, searing pain tore through my body. I screamed as my bones cracked and shifted, my muscles burning like fire coursing through them.“What’s happening to me?” I managed to choke out, clutching my head as I easily broke the rope binding my hands."I’ll protect you."The voice slithered into my mind, dangerous and feminine, yet oddly comforting. It wasn’t mine, but it felt like it belonged—a part of me I hadn’t known existed until now.My vision blurred, the edges darkening as my body began to change. Sharp fangs pushed past my gums. I could feel how lethal they were. My fingers elongated into
***************CHAPTER 34~Arianna’s POV~Everything still felt new and strange.The moonlight streamed through the window, bathing my room in a pale, eerie glow. I sat on the edge of the bed, my knees drawn to my chest, staring blankly at the wall. My mind swirled with everything that had happened, the weight of it all pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket.A wolf. I’m a werewolf.Even thinking the words felt impossible like I was trying to convince myself of some absurd fairytale. But the memory of my claws tearing through the skin, of the raw power surging through me, made denial impossible.I thought I had Damon figured out—that his secret was the end of the story. But it wasn’t. It was just the beginning, and now I was tangled in a web I didn’t understand.A sudden knock at the door startled me, and my heart raced.Before I could answer, the door swung open, revealing Damon. His presence filled the room, his broad shoulders and piercing gaze commanding attention."You
**************CHAPTER 35~Kaia’s POV~CHAPTER 34Kaia’s POVThe hum of the city faded as I drove through the quiet suburban streets, the gentle rustle of trees lining the road soothing my frayed nerves. After the whirlwind of emotions at work, I needed a break—an escape from the intensity of Apex Global, from Blaze’s unreadable smirks, and especially from the weight of being Kaia Gold, Blaze Black’s wife.So I turned to the people who had always been my sanctuary: Tiffany and Bethany, my best friends since college.Their shared house came into view, its porch light glowing warmly in the evening dusk. Parking in the driveway, I took a moment to gather myself, inhaling deeply before stepping out and heading to the front door.Before I could knock, the door swung open, and Tiffany’s wide grin greeted me. “Kaia!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. “You finally decided to show your face, huh?”“About time,” Bethany called from the living room, her voice teasing. She appeared mome
***************CHAPTER 56~Arianna’s POV~The knock on my door was sharp and insistent, jolting me out of my thoughts. I didn’t bother responding. I was in no mood for more confrontations, especially if it was Damon.But, of course, it was Damon.He didn’t wait for an invitation. The door swung open, and there he was, filling the doorway with his presence, his stormy gaze locking onto me.“Do you ever knock and wait for an answer?” I snapped, standing up from the edge of my bed where I’d been sitting.His eyes narrowed, and he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. “We need to talk.”“Do we?” I folded my arms across my chest, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened at his tone. “Because I’ve had enough revelations for one day, Damon. Unless you have another bombshell to drop, I’d really like to be left alone.”He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping just short of me. My heart skipped a beat, I must say. His gaze was intens
***************CHAPTER 55~Damon’s POV~The shooting range echoed with the sharp, rhythmic cracks of gunfire. I adjusted my stance, raised the handgun, and fired again, the recoil snapping against my grip. Another direct hit to the center of the target.But I didn’t feel any satisfaction.The truth was, my mind wasn’t on the target. It was on Arianna.No matter how many bullets I unloaded, I couldn’t shake the image of her—her fiery eyes, the way she glared at me, and the way her lips had trembled after our kiss. She was chaos wrapped in beauty, a storm I couldn’t control but couldn’t walk away from either.Mars growled in my mind, his voice gruff and impatient. “She’s ours. Stop playing around and claim her already.”“She doesn’t want to be claimed,” I muttered under my breath, ignoring the exasperation radiating from my wolf.“She doesn’t know what she wants,” Mars countered. “But she will.”I lowered the gun, rubbing the back of my neck. My thoughts swirled like a maelstrom, and I
***************CHAPTER 54~Arianna’s POV~The ride back to the penthouse was steeped in silence, the kind that felt loud and unbearable. My thoughts were a whirl of questions, fears, and anger. Damon didn’t say a word, his grip firm on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tightly.As soon as the car pulled to a stop, I threw the door open and marched toward the elevator, barely waiting for him to catch up. The ride to the top floor was a blur, and the moment the doors slid open, I stormed straight to my room.“Arianna,” Damon called, his voice sharp as he followed me.I ignored him, my hand already on the door handle when he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.“What?” I snapped, yanking my arm free.“You can’t just storm off like this,” he said, his tone calm but laced with frustration.“Why not?” I shot back, the anger bubbling over. “Everything I thought I knew about my life—about who I am—has been turned upside down in the span of a single day!”Damon took a step closer, h
***************CHAPTER 53~Arianna’s POV~Iris led us to her house, a quaint, ivy-covered building tucked away on the outskirts of the city. It had an air of mystery, with its creaking wooden door and the faint scent of herbs and magic lingering in the air.As we stepped inside, the interior was just as enigmatic as the exterior—shelves lined with jars of strange powders and liquids, books stacked haphazardly, and crystals glowing faintly in the dim light.“Sit,” Iris instructed, motioning to a round table in the center of the room. Damon and I exchanged a glance before obeying.Iris busied herself, gathering items from the shelves as if she already knew what she’d need. Finally, she turned to me, her piercing gaze locking onto mine.“Do you remember anything about where you come from? Your past?” she asked.I frowned, shaking my head. “No. I mean, I remember my childhood, but... nothing that stands out as unusual. Just... normal.”I glanced at Damon, who was sitting silently beside
***************CHAPTER 52~Damon’s POV~The next morning, I found myself standing outside Arianna’s door. Knocking softly, I waited as the muffled sound of movement inside reached my ears. When the door opened, she stood there, dressed in a bit of corporate wear. A lemon gown that hugged her frame and made her look so breathtakingly sexy. Her expression was neutral, though I could see the hints of curiosity in her eyes.“We’re going out,” I said simply.Her brows furrowed. “To work?”“Not today,” I replied. “Get ready. I’ll explain on the way.”“Damon,” she began, but I cut her off with a small smirk.“Trust me. You’ll want to see this.”She hesitated for a moment before sighing and retreating into her room. Fifteen minutes later, she emerged, dressed casually in jeans and a loose sweater, her hair pulled into a messy bun.I loved the previous outfit, though. Had I known she’d be changing, I wouldn’t have let her go back in. Too bad we were already late as it was and we needed to mo
***************CHAPTER 51~Ariann's POV~As I sat on the edge of my bed, Damon’s words replayed in my mind. He was relentless, but his approach tonight was different. It wasn’t his usual domineering attitude; it was softer, almost... vulnerable.“What game are you playing, Damon Dark?” I whispered to myself.For years, I’d built walls so high no one could scale them, least of all someone like Damon because I had that douchebag, Henry. Yet, here he was, chipping away at them bit by bit. It wasn’t just his words or his actions—it was the pull. That maddening, magnetic connection that left me breathless and questioning everything I thought I knew.My wolf stirred again and this time, strongly. “He’s right. You’re running.”“I’m not,” I whispered fiercely, shaking my head. But even as I said it, the doubt lingered. Was I?I stood abruptly, pacing the room when a thought crossed my mind. “Wait. Why not vcome out and let’s talk. There’s a lot I do not know.” I waited fro her response but
***************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
***************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