Maxine P.O.V The Hampton Pack was dressed in black, standing in a circle as their faces reflected the grief and loss. I never called him "Dad." Not once. And everything I wanted to ask him, everything I wanted to say about how much I appreciated everything he did as an Alpha-for our pack, for us, myself-were never spoken. And with this, as the coffin of Ador was placed on the earth, I felt that finality was like a hook to the stomach.My mother stood by my side, shaking with soft sobbing. She could not accept that. None of us could. It had happened too fast. That is all it was-happening too fast-and now we are left here picking up pieces of shattered reality. I let her cry, knowing no words could soothe the pain. But the truth was, I was just as broken. I couldn't bear it when Ador, the only father figure I ever knew, disappeared into the earth.I turned to Alph. His face was stone-cold. His back was straight as he stared straight ahead. He was dressed in all black, like the rest of
Relon P.O.V.Flashback…"Ador." I looked at him, lying motionless on the bed. His chest rose and fell slowly, the only sign that life still lingered in his body. He was quiet, almost peaceful, but I knew better. The wounds from Alex had left him weak, and the damage from the eclipse's power was too much for even someone as strong as he."You really showed us how good of an alpha you are," I whispered, low, not wanting to wake him. "But it's time now."Erick had just left a few minutes ago in a rush to go attend to the bitten ones: the humans who had no other choice but to join us now. Once bitten, there's no going back. Only pain can be repelled by making them one of us. There's admission into the pack or death-that's the rule. There's no in between.And then, in an instant, I felt Ador's eyelids flutter open. Slowly, agonizingly, his eyes snapped open."R-Relon," he croaked.I reached forward, bent to hear him. "Ador, I'll get the healer." I started to get up to go for help, but his
"Alph, now that you're the Alpha of this pack," Trevor began, slouching in the old leather chair. His sharp eyes twinkled with curiosity. "Why not find your mate?”Alph rested his elbows on his knees and looked straight ahead at the flickering flames dancing in the fireplace. The question was innocuous enough, yet somehow it made him ill-at-ease. His jawline tightened a mite as he considered Trevor's words."Can't just find one," Alph said, his voice firm yet detached. "Leave it to destiny."Trevor raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Destiny sucks. Finding is the easy way to find one," Martin chimed in from his spot on the couch, tossing a small wooden token between his hands. His playful demeanor didn't mask the truth in his words."Easy isn't always better," Alph whispered, standing up and walking toward the window. He needed space. The air inside the room felt too thick, too stifling from the weight of their carefree conversation, which to him was anything but carefree in any
Alph's P.O.V The weight of the pack had fallen onto my shoulders for a while now, but today it felt more absurd than usual-it wasn't even the feeling of being the leader of the pack, like all alphas feel something beneath, building up like a storm about to hit. And I was sitting alone in my room when my mind would continually drift to Leo, who had been gone for some time now. His absence gnawed at me, but there was nothing I could do until we found more leads. I had to keep the pack stable and keep the peace.It took a knock on the door to break my concentration."Alpha, Alph, the Shadowskill pack is coming to visit as of today. They are grateful for the restoration of the path to the wolf territory," Erick told me as he entered the room, standing at attention.I nodded, my head only half on the conversation. "Let them be welcome here.""They will be coming in at 8 PM," Erick added before leaving.As the door shut behind him, I felt another set of footsteps, lighter, closer, more fam
Maxine's P.O.V."You like me, don't you?"Alph's question hung there, charged with tension I wasn't prepared for. We walked into the forest together, without ever deciding which way it was going to be. Destination after destination seemed a moot point; we were alone under moonlight. The world around us fell silent save the rustling of trees and our footsteps crunching against the earth. Not so my mind, however.When did I begin to love him? Memory seems to bleed from around the edges, but it is somewhere around Coreen's birthday party. I didn't know him well then, really all that Alph at university, aloof, mysterious. A stupid dare-she'd made the offer without even thinking about it: kiss Alph. And I kissed him. Everything changed after that.“When I first saw you," I said hardly above a whisper. My voice was so overwhelmed by the wind, which buffeted us around. I could feel the rising color on my cheeks so I was happy that it was dark, and I hid the flushing all over my face. The sil
Maxine's P.O.V.I didn't know where the pounding of my heart started; it'd pounded from my head down to my toes. We kissed under the moonlight, the heat between us like nothing I'd ever experienced. And yet, every touch, every movement, was making me feel like I'm falling deep into somewhere I never knew existed within me. Alph's hands were everywhere-on my back, on my waist, at my hips-as though trying to hold me close as if space between us wasn't enough.He drew back himself, the planes of his forehead digging into mine as we both breathed hard, our hearts pounding in the same rhythm. His eyes were dark, intense, a look I had never seen on him, as he scoured my eyes for something to say. Without a word, he took my hand and led me back through the forest towards his room.There wasn't much thinking on my part. My brain was wildly racing around in circles, but somehow my body knew where it wanted to go.The pale moonlight streamed into his room, casting a silverish glow, so gently ra
Maxine closed her eyes and let Alph's lips trace a path from her ear, down her neck, along the delicate column of her throat. His touch was like music; each stroke, each kiss was like a note on the sensitive chords of her body, tuning to pure desire frequency."Alph.," she breathed, her voice a soft sultry caress, "I want this, but I am afraid. Of what this might mean, of what it might change." She was confessing, whispering a prayer, for she knew that what lay ahead was not mere pleasure but a deeper connection.Alph, the mighty alpha, well knew what she was afraid of and not quite certain about. He reached out to take her face in his fingers, both of his paws large and capable, tracing out the jaw from chin to chin with his thumb. He searched in her eyes for comfort. "Maxine, my love, you do not have to be afraid. With me, you will be safe. I will never hurt you. And I promise to show you how deep my love and desire are."His words were like a warm hug, embracing her fears, soothing
Maxine stretched, enveloped warmly by the sunlight beaming through the curtains. Her eyelids eased open, getting accustomed to the light, and she felt the warmth of Alph lying beside her. Images of the previous night assailed her, a gentle smile claiming her lips. The connection they had strengthened was stronger than ever, but reality soon started to creep into the day.Alph shifted beside her, his breathing regular, though she knew he was already awake. She glanced over at him, seeing half-open eyes looking down at her with that familiar, protective warmth. He traced a finger down her cheek, his touch soft and tender."Good morning," he rumbled, his voice still husky from sleep.Maxine's smile broke over her face as she stretched out her limbs. "Good morning," she whispered, her fingers stroking over his chest before falling away. Her thoughts crept back to the day ahead. "You have a meeting this morning, don't you?"Alph sighed, nodded his head as he glanced toward the clock. "Yes,