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,
The next morning, Maxine stood, her muscles tense to the limit, in the yard of training, facing Adam-the guy she could usually count on to best her after all these years. The sun just crested, bleeding into the wall-wells early-conditions pleasantly golden fair over the ground, casting long shadows on it. In a normal climate, which she had learned to appreciate through the many years of practice, this would be time for some peace of mind, pushing herself as much as possible while settling down to focus on bettering one's skills alone. Today, however, her thoughts ran elsewhere-distracted and unsteady.Adam put his hands up to his face, getting ready for round two. "Ready?" he asked steadily and calmly as ever.Maxine nodded curtly, bobbing on the balls of her feet as she launched herself into the first hit. Her body remembered the movements well, but her mind was elsewhere.She saw them at the corner of her eye-Alph and Alpha Delton's daughter. It was as they were strolling in the gar
I was actually trying to distract myself today by training, but my thoughts were drifting back to Alph. For the past week, he had been attending constant meetings with Alpha Delton's daughter, and it was really starting to wear on me. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the punches and techniques Adam was teaching me, my mind was in another place."Maxine!" Adam snapped, and I blinked, realizing I'd thrown a sloppy punch. "Are you even paying attention?""Yes," I replied quickly, squaring my shoulders and resetting my stance. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head and focus, but it wasn't working. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Alph walking through the garden with Delton's daughter. They seemed to be engaged in some apparently casual conversation, but the looks of them together turned my stomach over inside. The daughter of Alpha Delton was sweet-looking, poised, and hell, she was undeniably charming. My heart skipped a beat, literally stopping for an instant; they s
Maybe it was bad for me; I don't know what's wrong with me the past few days. I do not want to say it out. I just feel that I was jealousy. Every time I was seeing Alph with Alpha Delton's daughter, I felt this gnawing feeling like something is wasting in my chest. It hurts. Such a dull ache that would not go away no matter how much I wanted to ignore it. I keep telling myself that's ridiculous; I have nothing to worry about. But the longer it goes on, the more I feel like I am lying to myself.I was halfway through training with Adam when I finally gave up trying to push through the distraction. "Adam, let's skip training today, yeah? I want to rest my body," I told him, my voice a little more strained than usual.Ah, come on," Adam said with a sly grin, that sparkle in his eye making me feel like he already knew what I was really thinking. "I know, I know. You're jealous. Just admit it; you'll feel better."I glared at him. "I am *not* jealous." But even I could hear how unconvinci
It had been two weeks since Maxine's encounter with Leo, and Maxine was feeling strangely out of kilter. It started off in the faintest whisper: she wasn't as focused during training, moving slower than herself, her mind wandering. She tried to brush it off and blamed everything on the stress of all that had transpired. It was Leo, showing up in her life as mysteriously as it had vanished, speaking those cryptic words about the nature of the eclipse, and the tension between the pack and whatever dark forces Leo might be stirring up. But the days wore on and she knew it wasn't stress.Something was wrong.Her appetite was gone. Every time she settled into a meal, the sight of food churned her stomach. She couldn't eat a thing, not even food she had loved. At first, she tried to brush it off, thinking it was exhaustion or nerves, but the sickness carried on day by day, growing worse. Training made her feel tortured. The dizziness, nausea, constant sensation that something was wrong - ev
Alph’s arms were warm and steady as he embraced Maxine, holding her close after the shocking news. Maxine could barely breathe. She had felt off for weeks, but the idea of being pregnant—let alone carrying twins—was something she never imagined. The healer’s words echoed in her mind, especially the part about the children not being ordinary.Maxine leaned into Alph’s chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She could hardly process what was happening. She had been so focused on supporting Alph in his duties as Alpha, on keeping up with her training and preparing for the new university project, that she had neglected the subtle changes in her own body. And now this. Twins. Powerful twins.She blinked back the tears that were forming in her eyes, overwhelmed by it all. “I didn’t know, Alph,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “I didn’t even realize... I thought it was just the stress, the training...”Alph gently cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had escap
Just gazing at myself in the mirror has been trying to explain how my body feels and looks. After three months into the pregnancy by Alph, I changed beyond recognition. Body curves had mellowed out and my tummy was stretching out, reminding me of the little two inside. When Alph declared to the pack that I was carrying his pups, everyone was surprisingly welcoming. The dread that I thought the pack could give me for my pregnancy with my brother had instead been washed away by support and acceptance from the pack.My mother, however, took it a bit to heart. Though never actually mentioning her displeasure, I could feel the tension building beneath her composed exterior. She met me immediately after the news, and though her words were kind, it was clear there was an undertone of disappointment. What she couldn't forgive, though, was that I hadn't shared this with her long beforehand, that I had kept something so monumental locked within herself.Even today, weeks after, the uncertainty
Thirteen Years Later…."Maxine, your daughter was found in the woods," the messenger said his voice quivering in shock and disbelief. "It's not confirmed yet, but the healer said her blood matches yours. It is … from your bloodline."Maxine froze, the aching ache of longing in her chest now replaced by the flicker of hope that she hadn't felt for years. She had scoured the earth for Hannah, year after year, refusing to let go of hope. The pack continued to move forward, living and thriving, but for Maxine, her heart was suspended in time. Since Hannah was taken from her by Leo, nothing in her life had held the promise of joy ever again.Rededicating herself, Maxine sped off to the healer's chambers. As she entered, her breath caught in her throat. There lay, on the bed, a young woman who resembled she had been taken from the very pages of Maxine's memory—a young Hadzen, her son, at the age that had passed since his own existence. This young woman was carrying his features that so clos
Hannah P.O.V.It was going to be perfect. Tonight. I wore my white dress. Wildflowers clutched in my hand. The heartbeats in my chest are not from fear but with excitement. It's going to be the beginning of our new life. Now he stood before me at the altar, his face alight with a radiant smile as he looked out at me as if I were his entire world, the small circle of his family smiling warmly to engulf me in a feeling of belonging that, up to now, I had never known."Victor," I panted, barely above a whisper. This was it. We were here finally, about to promise our lives to each other. Away from the craziness, away from the world of packs and politics, we had found a haven within the humans. We could just. exist. Love. Grow.But I could take only one step in his direction when a sound pierced the stillness, like a knife. A heavy thud of paws on earth. My body tensed, my instincts screaming at me. I knew that sound. Wolves.They descended upon us before I even had time to react.The cere
Days slipped by, going to waste and slipping past one another in that little village where Lenor and her family dwelled. Hannah could see reason in her new life; she curled up in their little house in the warm spots and clutched a blanket she had spotted the first night there - light in scent with a fragrant smell of lavender - which Lenor brought home those aspects of comfort after years of love and care.In those early days, her quiet sobs filled the home, breaking the silence every morning and night. Only Victor, the ten-year-old boy who found her by the riverbank, could sometimes pull her out of her sadness." Hadzen…," she would whisper the name of her brother, softly, as if a fragile yet determined voice; as if saying it may somehow bring him closer: "Hadzen… "Victor would sit there, looking at her with a tearful light of sadness and determination in his eyes. He didn't understand the depth of her pain but could see how much she was hurting, and he wanted to help. After digging
"Hadzen!"The hysterical voice echoed through the night as Hadzen leapt out of bed his heart pounding. He could hardly see the figure in the darkness on the balcony but he knew he wouldn't mistake that shriek."Hannah!" he yelled jumping to his feet as his twin sister's body was dragged away by a tall, dark figure.Looking over his shoulder, he flashed Hadzen a derisive smile before leaping over the balcony. "Catch you later, Hadzen."He plunged into darkness with Hannah's screams."HANNAH!" Hadzen shouted, sprinting toward the balcony-but she was already gone."Hadzen! Wake up!" his mother cried in a panic, shaking him out of dazed shock.Hadzen blinked, dazed. To his left was his mom, Maxine, crying, her face streaked with tears, scared. His father, Alph, paced around the room, scanning everywhere, up and down."Where's Hannah?" Hadzen stuttered his words, his voice thick with panic. He looked to the bedside he shared with Hannah; she was gone."M-mom. she was here, right next to me
Five years had passed since then, and the children's laughter was again louder, as Hannah and Hadzen played with their cousin Dylan under the great oak tree in the courtyard of their estate, a warm afternoon spent in sheer energy as the three children ran round the great oak tree in the garden."Hannah! Slow up, wait for me!" he yelled as he chased after her as she plunged toward the tree. He had just been bumped by Tylan, their family friend, and was laughing as he tried to catch up with Hannah who always seemed faster."Catch me if you can, Dylan!" she laughed as her brown curls bounced and she climbed higher into the branches of the tree.Hadzen sat on a nearby bench, with a book in his lap, reading and looked up from his story with a frown. "Hey, don't be so noisy!" he said sternly.Hannah stopped half-way up the tree, looked down to Dylan who stood under, panting. The two looked at each other, their mischievous grins even as they understood each other without words — this was som
Eight months had passed since the arrival of her twins, Hannah and Hadzen, and the house was full of baby laughter and gentle cooing. Sunbeams streamed through the windows as she sat on the floor playing with Hannah cradled in her arms. "Dada, tell him Dada," Maxine said, nodding towards Alph, who was sitting nearby cuddling their son Hadzen.Hannah's look remained steady, directed up at Alph as her mouth worked on the syllables with a visible effort. "Da-ah," she said, her voice unstable but clear enough to send a shiver down Maxine's spine.Maxine opened her eyes widely in amazement. "Oh my gosh! You spoke!" she squealed, hugging Hannah closer. "That is my baby girl, such a rapid learner!Not to be outdone, Alph grinned and held Hadzen aloft in the air, bouncing him lightly. "Okay, little man, let's show your mom what you've got. Can you say 'Ma-ma'?"`Hadzen was shrieking with laughter as Alph twirled him around, his chubby little hands reaching up toward his dad. Though no words
There she lay in the bed, her body now enervated but the spirit of her high and big. She could hear the softly crying sounds of her newborns-the twin babies that she had fought hard to bring into this world. They were perfect, tiny, with so much life within them. One boy, one girl. She already decided on the names: Hannah and Hadzen. And as she looked at them there, all rolled up in their cradles, they all seemed like such ordinary babies. Their innocence filled the room, and it was quite impossible to believe that so much danger still surrounded them.Her heart hurts to love and to worry for them. She was a mother now, and truly, she wanted to be able to protect them. However, at the back of her mind is the warning her mother had given her: the curse of the eclipse essence. It still lingers over her, over her family. She needed to know the truth.Coreen, her stepsister, stood in the same room with her maids. She had come to visit as soon as she heard about the birth, but Maxine could
Miranda paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, her heart racing as she tried to keep her tears from falling. The weight of her decision was suffocating, and her chest tightened with every step she took. She glanced at Erick, her oldest and closest confidant, hoping he might have some way to ease the unbearable pain in her heart. But his face was set, his eyes focused."You know what will happen!" Miranda snapped, her voice breaking under the pressure. "I already told you that! This isn’t just some story or legend. It’s real, Erick."Erick leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "I know, Miranda, I know. But we have to do it anyway. We don’t have many options left.""What options?" Miranda's voice was laced with frustration as she threw her hands into the air. "What way out do you think we have? I don’t want to lose Maxine! She’s the only one I have left." Her voice faltered as her fear took hold. "You know how dangerous it is to have the eclipse essence in one bloodline. I
Maxine poured milk into a glass, watching it swirl before handing it to Coreen. She looked at her sister’s swollen belly, trying to imagine what it would be like to hold her own child in her arms.“So, you and Trevor?” Maxine asked, raising an eyebrow as she leaned against the counter.Coreen grinned, placing a hand on her round stomach. “I didn’t know I’d fall for that jerk, either,” she admitted with a laugh. “But he’s hot, I’ll give him that.”They both burst into laughter, the sound filling the small kitchen. It felt good to share a moment of levity, especially given how serious everything had become lately.“How many months now?” Maxine asked, her gaze flickering to Coreen’s belly as she took a sip from her own glass.“Eight,” Coreen replied, her voice casual despite the significance. “It all started after that one wild night, and well… it just kept going from there.”Maxine shook her head, smiling. “So, you’re about a month ahead of me, huh? You always were a bit ahead of the ga