Finn’s POVThe moment I stepped into the room and saw Scarlett, everything else fell away. There was no more anger, no lingering doubt — just the overwhelming need to be close to her. The way she looked at me, with her eyes soft and full of something I could only describe as love, sent a rush of relief coursing through my veins. We’d made it past the storm, and now, standing here, it felt like we were on the edge of something new, something beautiful.I reached out, my hand cupping her cheek as my thumb brushed across her lips. The softness of her skin against my fingers made my heart stutter. She leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment, and I couldn’t hold back the smile tugging at my lips. It was a simple gesture, but it felt like everything I had been searching for — the reassurance that she was mine and I was hers.“Scarlett,” I murmured, her name like a prayer on my lips. The emotion in my voice surprised even me. There were so many things I wanted to say, but
ScarlettThe sunlight streaming through the curtains felt cruel, stabbing at my eyelids and dragging me from the fragile cocoon of sleep. My body ached in places I hadn’t realized could ache, a dull throb radiating from my legs to the base of my neck. Last night had been overwhelming—Finn’s touch still lingered on my skin, his words echoing faintly in my mind. Yet, instead of relief or peace, there was only exhaustion.Finn’s arm draped across my waist, his warmth anchoring me to the moment. He stirred beside me, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. For a second, I allowed myself to relax, tracing lazy patterns on the sheets and letting my thoughts drift. Maybe I could linger here for just a little longer.“Are you awake?” His voice was soft, almost teasing, as he nuzzled the side of my neck.“Mmm,” I mumbled, not trusting my voice to convey anything coherent.“You look beautiful like this,” he murmured, his hand brushing my hair aside. I didn’t have the energy to argue, t
AlaricThe night air carried a bitter chill as our small group moved through the shadows of the Crescent Pack territory. Nina’s excitement was palpable beside me, her breath coming in quick, eager bursts as we approached the grounds Dave had scouted. Elena had stayed behind, coordinating with the warriors we’d gathered for this desperate plan.I tried to ignore the voice in my head screaming that this was wrong. That we were about to commit an act that would have consequences far beyond what we could imagine. But the weight of my pack’s future and Nina’s safety pressed down on me, silencing those doubts.Dave led us through a seemingly unguarded section of the territory. Too easy, I thought, but pushed the concern aside. We had to succeed. We had no choice.The massive pack house loomed before us, dark and imposing. According to Dave’s intelligence, Scarlett’s quarters were on the second floor, facing east. The windows were open to the cool night air – another stroke of luck that made
AlaricElena’s scream still echoed in my ears as we entered our pack house. The dawn light filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across her tear-stained face. But there was something else in her eyes now – a desperate, calculating look that I had seen too many times before.“We need to call Patrick,” she said, her voice hoarse but determined. “Now.”“Elena...” I started, exhaustion weighing heavy in my bones. “It’s over. We lost.”“No!” She slammed her fist against the wall, making Nina jump. “I won’t accept this. I won’t live as a common wolf. I won’t watch everything we built crumble because of that worthless girl!”“That ‘worthless girl’ is now one of the most powerful Lunas in the territory,” I reminded her bitterly. “And her mate is going to strip us of everything by midday.”Elena’s laugh was hollow, brittle. “Not if Patrick helps us. He has the strongest pack in the territory. Even Damon would think twice about challenging him directly.”“And why would he help us?”
AlaricA week had passed since Nina left for Patrick’s pack, but her absence felt like an open wound in our household. Elena hadn’t left our chambers since watching our daughter disappear into Patrick’s car, her proud shoulders finally bowing under the weight of what she’d done.I stood in the doorway, watching my mate stare blankly out the window. She’d barely eaten, barely slept. The strong, calculating woman who had orchestrated so many schemes was gone, replaced by a hollow shell that couldn’t stop whispering our daughter’s name.“The pack meeting is in an hour,” I said softly. “They need to see their Luna.”Elena didn’t turn. “Their Luna?” Her laugh was brittle, sharp enough to cut. “Is that what I am? A Luna who sold her own daughter?”“We did what we had to do to survive.”“Did we?” She finally faced me, and I almost stepped back at the wild look in her eyes. “Tell me, Alaric, what exactly did we survive for? To rule over a pack that whispers behind our backs? To live knowing o
NinaI stare at my reflection in the cracked mirror of my tiny room in the packhouse’s servant wing. The dark circles under my eyes tell the story of another sleepless night, another night spent warming Lucas’s bed, only to be dismissed before dawn like a used tissue.I wasn’t supposed to live like this. As the daughter of the Alpha couple of Moonstone Pack, I had been raised in luxury, groomed to potentially become the future Alpha. But my parents had other plans – plans that involved securing their position by offering me as a mistress to Lucas, Alpha Patrick’s son, despite him being openly devoted to having many women.The memory of that day still burns like acid in my throat. “It’s for the good of our family,” my mother had said, not meeting my eyes. My father had simply nodded, his face a mask of political calculation. They had traded their own daughter’s future for a guarantee of keeping their Alpha and Luna positions.Now, two months later, my life is a shadow of what it once w
NinaEvery breath felt like fire in my chest. I lay curled on the cold wooden floor of my room, each inhale a reminder of last night’s torture.The morning light filtering through the window seemed to mock me with its cheerfulness, while my body screamed with pain that refused to subside. My fingers traced the bruises blooming across my ribs – purple and blue landscapes of my humiliation.They’d left me here to suffer, probably hoping I’d break. The tears that leaked from my eyes weren’t just from physical agony anymore; they were tears of pure rage.Scar. Her name alone made my jaw clench, sending a fresh spike of pain through my already battered face. How could Lucas stand by and watch while she—? No. I couldn’t let myself relive it. Not yet. The memory was too raw, too fresh, like an open wound that hadn’t even begun to scab over.I tried to push myself up to a sitting position, using the wall for support. My arms trembled with the effort, muscles protesting every movement.A whimp
Nina“My lord,” the guard announced, snapping to attention at the door. “She has arrived.”“Come in.”He dragged me inside and shoved me aside.“Lucas,” I whispered, voice trembling. “The guard—”“Playing disobedient again, I see,” Lucas cut in, rising from the bed. His casual dismissal of the guard’s brutality felt like a knife through my heart.“I’m not... He...” The words died in my throat as I caught Lucas’s stare. Where I’d once seen lust, now only disgust remained as his eyes raked over my bloodied form.“Did you not know why you were brought here?” His howl made the windows shake. “How dare you show yourself to me like this!”The irony was a knife in my chest. Here I stood, having orchestrated Scarlett’s downfall, only to find myself reduced to the very thing I’d despised.“I... I am sorry, Lucas.”“Lucas!” he repeated. “What did you just call me?”My heart skipped a beat. “Master.”“Good.” He turned around and faced the guard. “Good job. You can go.”I was hurt, both my body a
JackThe scent of Nina’s blood filled my nostrils, threatening to overwhelm my senses. Her body lay limp before me, and for a moment, something inside me wavered.The memory of her smile, her laughter, the way she used to look at me with those bright eyes. It all crashed through my mind like a sinuous wave.But then I remembered her betrayal, the night she tried to end my life, and my will hardened once more.“Take her to the cells,” I ordered, my voice rough with suppressed emotion.Two pack members immediately moved forward, lifting her unconscious form. Blood dripped from her wounds, leaving a trail across the stone floor.Mother stood beside me, her presence both comforting and suffocating. “You did well, my son,” she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “She needed to learn her lesson.”I nodded, but the words felt hollow. The pack members’ excited murmurs filled the room, their bloodlust still palpable in the air.They had enjoyed the spectacle, reveled in Nina’s pain. Part of m
NinaI couldn’t contain my scream as the pain tore through me.“That’s more like it,” Jack murmured, satisfaction darkening his features. “Now tell me, Nina. Was it worth it?”Tears blurred my vision, but I lifted my chin, forcing a smirk onto my lips despite the agony. “You tell me, Jack. Does this make you feel powerful?” I let out a shaky breath, my voice dripping with mockery. “Or does it remind you that you once loved me?”“Really?” His smirk turned cruel as he plunged the silver blade deep into my chest, stopping just short of a fatal wound. My scream echoed off the walls, raw and primordial. The pack’s cheers rose around us like a grotesque chorus, celebrating my torment.“Scream more,” he snarled, twisting the silver deeper. My body obeyed, another agonized cry ripping from my throat. This pain was beyond anything I could contain, beyond anything I could fight.“It hurts so much. Please.”“Tell me, why did you choose to hurt me despite how much I loved you, Nina? Why did you c
NinaWeeks crawled by in silence, each day without a word from Jack leaving me weaker. The guards’ sporadic meals – mere scraps twice a week – barely kept me alive. My body had become a hollow shell of what it once was.I huddled in the corner, gnawing absently at my fingertips when footsteps echoed down the corridor. I didn’t bother looking up, expecting another cold-faced guard.But then his scent hit me – that familiar, intoxicating aroma that made my mouth water. I raised my head to find Jack looming over me, his face twisted with contempt.I scrambled to my feet, my heart surging with a desperate joy. Something stirred deep within me, electric and primal, awakening every dormant cell in my body. The wolf inside me howled in recognition. I felt alive.“Jack,” I breathed. “Is it really you?”“Does seeing me make you this happy?” His voice was ice.“Yes,” I whispered, drawing closer. “I’ve missed you so much, honey.”His eyes blazed with such fury that I staggered back. This wasn’t
NinaThe cold stone walls of my cell seem to close in with each passing hour. How long have I been here? Days? Weeks?Time bleeds together in this darkness, broken only by the dim light filtering through the tiny window near the ceiling.My hands trace the rough surface of the wall, fingers catching on jagged edges, a sensation that’s become almost comforting in its familiarity.Jack. His name burns in my mind like acid. He should be dead. He should be rotting in the ground by now, not walking around, breathing, living. I did everything perfectly.The poison was untraceable, so much so that even the most thorough autopsy wouldn’t have detected it.I watched him drink it, watched the bottle empty as he swallowed every last drop. I remember fighting to keep my expression neutral, to stop the satisfaction from showing on my face as he thanked me for “taking care of him.”A bitter laugh escapes my throat, echoing off the walls. Taking care of him, oh, I took care of him alright. Or at lea
DianaThe walk to the main hall felt like an eternity, each step bringing us closer to the moment I’d been waiting for.Jack walked beside me, his presence steady and strong, while my husband followed close behind.The whispers of servants and guards echoed through the corridors, spreading news of Nina’s arrival like wildfire through the pack.The alpha had already announced before her arrival that everyone should make her life a living hell for attempting to kill their beta, but they were strictly forbidden from taking her life.When we entered the main hall, I saw her standing there; her posture straight and proud despite being surrounded by our guards.For a split second, I caught the flash of shock in her eyes when she saw Jack, alive and well, before she quickly masked it.My wolf snarled beneath my skin. She thought she could fool us again, playing the role of the innocent mate. I watched as she made herself appear smaller, more fragile, her eyes wide with pretended concern.“Ja
DianaThe moment those words left my husband’s lips, my world shattered all over again.Lucy.My sweet, brave Lucy.The truth of her death hit me so hard that, suddenly, I was transported back in time, to when we were young, and the world seemed full of possibility despite its cruelties. I was just a low pack member until I met her.I remember the first time I saw her as if it were yesterday. I was sixteen, the awkward daughter of a low-ranking pack member, always an easy target for the others.That day, a group of girls had cornered me behind the pack school, their taunts cutting deeper than I had imagined.They weren’t just bullies – they were architects of misery, experts at finding the hairline cracks in someone’s confidence and splitting them wide open. Their wickedness went beyond simple meanness.“Look at her! Can’t even shift properly yet. What kind of wolf are you?”“My grandmother shifts faster than you, and she’s practically dead!”Their laughter rang in my ears as I presse
JackMy breath came in short, sharp gasps.“She is Jack’s mate.”The words echoed in my head over and over, like a cruel joke the universe had played on me. My mate. Nina.My stomach twisted violently. My hands trembled as I clutched the letter, crumpling the edges, but I couldn’t loosen my grip. My lungs burned like I was drowning, yet no matter how hard I gasped for air, I couldn’t breathe.This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.But the truth stared back at me from the inked words on the page, clear and undeniable.I felt Alex’s eyes boring into me, his shock a tangible thing between us. He wasn’t the only one. Lucas stood frozen, his face locked in a mask of unreadable emotion.The silence was unbearable.Then Alex scoffed, a sharp, disbelieving laugh that made my skin prickle. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”I wanted to agree with him. I wanted to tear this letter apart, throw it into the fire, and erase this moment from existence.But fate had already decided for me.“Jack
JackI quickly left, leaving Alex alone with him. My heart pounded as I searched the grounds until my gaze landed on Scar, and the sight knocked the breath from my lungs. The woman before me was unrecognizable, a ghost of her former glory.The designer clothes she once wore with such pride now hung in tatters from her skeletal frame, like flags surrendered to decay. Her hair, which used to cascade in glossy waves, had become a matted mess the color of dead leaves.But it was her eyes that haunted me the most. Those eyes that once flashed with wit and confidence were now hollow caves ringed by exhaustion’s purple bruises.Her skin, sallow and lined, told stories of endless nights spent running from demons I had helped create.“Scar,” I called softly, taking a hesitant step forward. Her gaze fell on me.The raw emotion in her gaze hit me hard. Hurt, hatred, and revulsion churning together in a toxic brew.I understood every ounce of her contempt, but I prayed she might find it in her he
Jack“How can that be?” The words escaped me in a whisper. “She can’t do that.”“She can’t do what?” Mother leaned forward, concern etching her features. “Tell me, speak up, son.”I forced a smile, though my eyes caught my father’s furious gaze. “Nothing, Mother.” Then, turning to Dad, I added, “I can’t remember anything.” The lie tasted bitter. I refused to believe my mate could do something vile like that.She wasn’t capable of such things. There had to be another explanation – perhaps the maids in that wretched pack had manipulated her, handed her poison while claiming it was medicine for my wounds.I could feel my father’s heated gaze on me as it burned into my skin. I knew he saw through my deception. I knew he didn’t trust a single word I spoke. But it didn’t matter. For Nina, I would endure anything.“I understand,” he finally said, his voice heavy with judgment. “Sooner or later, you will get to know the real her.” Without another word, he strode out of the room.Mother’s gent