Ivy's POVI could hear him gently close the door behind him after he stepped into our room. The air was thick with my distressed pheromones and I felt him pause when it hit him at full force. His own pheromones soured which I think is probably because of guilt. Something that's only happening because I heard something he didn't mean for me to hear. I knew it was weighing down his heart, making his wolf restless. I could already hear the apologies and explanations he was holding on the tip of his tongue.I sat there motionless, leaning on the headboard of our bed, and silently stared out of the window as I gave him no mind. Cassian hesitantly walked closer. I could tell he was having an inner battle with his wolf from how the intensity of his pheromones fluctuated rapidly. His wolf was itching to be near me and scent me. I would've felt the same if my wolf had been present. At that moment, I was glad she wasn't present."Have you eaten anything?" He asked softly, breaking my chain of
Cassian's POV"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ryder walked towards me with narrowed eyes, voice harsh but full of doubt. He looked at me warily as if waiting for me to burst into a fit of laughter at any given moment. I could only look down in shame. I never thought things would come to this. Her not feeling the bond and everything ending was what I thought I wanted in the past. I'm sure my past self would be ecstatic if he could hear this information but I cannot feel that way now. I'm utterly devastated. There's a heartstopping pain in my chest and it hurts every time I breathe."I cannot fucking believe this!" Ryder raked a hand through his hair before tugging at it in frustration. "How did you even manage to fuck it up like this just a few days after marking her, Cassian?" He seethed.I closed my eyes and breathed in a lungful of air before talking. "I just told you how,""Look, if you weren't my alpha I would've whooped your ass, you fucker. I just…you're a fucking freak for doing
Ivy's POV"Ivy, you need to come see this," I whipped my head towards the door in surprise only to see Stella standing there, grinning ear to ear. Eagerness shone through her eyes as she stared at me with a beaming expression."What happened?" "You'll know when you see it. Come with me, please. "I wordlessly got up and followed her without another question, not wanting to keep her waiting for long. A frown crept into my face as I thought about all the possible things that could make Stella want to come and get me to see. It was hard to stop my thoughts as nowadays my brain only thinks about the worst things that could possibly happen. I think I worry too much.My feet stopped immediately when I stepped out of the front door and I think for a moment my heart did too. Because there in the front yard was a gigantic wolf, fur black as night and eyes glowing gold. The scent of wild herbs and something that I could only describe as the smell of freshly rained forest ground hit me with fu
The second courting gift I received was a basket full of blankets, neatly arranged and decorated with flowers. They were left on my side of the bed a few days after the first courting gift. It was obvious that Cassian took his time to scent all of them from the way they were drenched in his pheromones. He didn't ask why I didn't use it this time when I pushed it into the far corner of the closet but it wasn't hard to see that he was hurt by it.The third gift was freshly baked pastries. I don't know where he got it from but this time he didn't leave it on the bed, instead handed it to me personally. It brought back the familiar feeling of something warm in my chest but it didn't last long and I tried my best to hide how it affected me. It was a nauseating feeling like something inside me was in a constant fight with itself.In the following days, I found it hard to be away from Cassian's line of vision. Somehow his eyes always seemed to find me whenever we were in the same place. I ri
"Luna, I think you are too young to understand the problem here." The man spoke, scoffing at me as if he was surprised I would even speak up.I clenched my jaws tight at the blatant disrespect thrown my way.There it is. The usual tactic of using my age to shut me up and push me aside. I resisted my urge to scoff and looked away 'cause if I dared say something, these "mature" people wouldn't be able to take that criticism."She's old enough to know what the problem is, Mr. Lark. Don't forget she's the one who saved our pups so I think you should be careful underestimating her intelligence." Cassian spoke with obvious disdain in his voice, causing the council to fall silent while I sat there in surprise, trying my best not to show it on my face. "We let alphas of our pack go and learn outside our pack and to the omega members of our pack, that seems unfair and they've strongly voiced their disappointment towards the double standards. As the Alpha of this pack, it's my duty to address
With every day that passes, I'm getting highly aware of the fact that the universe has something against me for sure. Because why the hell am I chasing after the stupid hare my mate caught for me when all I wanted was to take a nice afternoon walk?! "Hey, hey! Stop there! Stop there, little guy!" And why the hell are these freaking hares so fast? That stupid alpha! What was stopping him from getting me a turtle? That would've been less work and more easy to chase. "Dude, you're making me regret letting you roam around the garden. I cannot let you go yet," I sighed, getting irritated as now with each step I took, the hare leaped two more. "Little guy, please have mercy on me," I begged and then immediately stopped when I saw it pause to nibble on some plant. "Dude, seriously? You ran out all the way here just to eat some freaking plant? Didn't I give you enough herbs and twigs at home? If all you wanted was some variety in your meals, you could've told me that." I shook my head be
Alphas heal fast. That's something I knew but I never thought they'd heal this fast. Cassian was up and doing all sorts of things in just two days. My omega still felt restless whenever we saw him running around doing things. The instinctual protectiveness caused my anxiety to rise whenever he set off to the training ground with the wounds not fully healed. No one else seemed phased about Cassian's injury. It wasn't surprising as the several scars littered around the alpha's body were enough to tell me that they'd seen him battered and bruised plenty of time to grow nonchalant. But nothing was enough to calm my omega though. Even a little bit of scratch on Cassian's skin was enough to make that thing worry. I felt restless whenever Cassian was around because my wolf kept pacing around in my head, pushing me to tend his wound. It took a lot of energy to fight that urge away. The wounds have now turned into nasty scabs and I can tell it was hurting him whenever he stretched his bod
"How are you doing?" Ruth asked before taking a huge bite out of the apple in her hand. "You okay?" She managed to ask with a mouthful of the bite.I shrugged lazily. "I'm fine, I guess,""Oh, you're not fine at all. You smell different and you look like shit. Are you not eating?" I could tell she was frowning even though I wasn't looking.I exhaled deeply before looking up. "I have no appetite these days…. I just…I'm just not in a good mood most of the time. There's a lot in my head…""No wonder you smell distressed. You should visit Lily.""For what?" "For your health, Ivy." Ruth rolled her eyes before continuing. "She might have some protein shake recipes or something like that to help you. If you only eat once a day, at least eat something that's healthy and gives you energy. You look like you're about to audition for the cast of Emily from Corpse Bride,"Ruth warned me sternly but I could only tilt my head in confusion as I tried to figure out who the hell was Emily from Corpse
Third person POV The summer sun beat down on the pack as they gathered in the woods on the edge of their territory, their excitement building as each moment passed. Today was the day they'd release two prisoners who'd been separated from their mates for five long years. It was a rare sight—nobody had ever survived that long apart from their mates. The pack's curiosity was mixed with awe. Countless discussions going in the background as to how these two had managed the unbearable pain of separation.Cassian's scowl deepened, his discontent palpable. The alpha's hope was clear: he wanted the prisoners to die in prison. That’s how it should’ve been. The pack's healers whispered among themselves a lot of things, suggesting different reasons for the pair's remarkable endurance—perhaps they weren't true mates after all. Maybe the rogue had deceived Liya, manipulating her into believing a false bond. Beside the alpha, Ivy snuggled her two-year-old son closer, and moved towards her mate, w
[3 years later]“Oh wow, where’s my little Alexi off to, so early in the morning, hmm?”I paused when I heard Stella’s question. My brows shot up as I looked up from my book. Did she just call my pup’s name?I took another bite out of my half-eaten apple and turned around, only to be greeted with the sight of my mate standing there with our pup on his shoulder. Alexi looked at her grandma with a blinding bright smile as she exclaimed. “Papa taking me forwest!” “Your Papa’s doing what?!” I stood up like my ass caught on fire as soon as I heard it, forgetting for a second that I was halfway pregnant. I put a hand on my protruding belly and narrowed my eyes at my mate.Cassian looked away and stared at the wall like he suddenly saw a ghost pop out of there. The little one gasped immediately, slapping a hand over her mouth before she looked down at her father. “Papa! Mama here! Run!” she said, gripping Cassian’s hair tightly.“Don’t you dare move!” I glared at my alpha who gave me a ne
My legs trembled with each step towards the cabin, and I soon lost my balance. But before I could even flinch, Cassian's strong arms encircled my waist, sweeping me up in a gentle yet firm grasp. I gasped, clutching our pup tightly to my chest. "Cassian, our pup!" I shouted, prompting a deep chuckle from him. "You and our little one will always be safe in my arms," he whispered, his nose nuzzling my cheek with a reassuring smile. We swiftly arrived at the cabin, and Cassian carefully set me down on the bed. Ruth and Lily followed us inside, worry etched on their sweaty faces. "Ivy, are you alright?" Ruth questioned, eyes scanning me and the pup worriedly. "Tell me if you’re feeling pain anywhere," Lily added. I offered them a gentle smile and shook my head. "I'm all right," I reassured them. Now that I have my mate and pup beside me, unharmed, I feel better than ever. I looked up at Cassian only to see him looking around the cabin with a frown on his face. Cassian's expr
Cassian moved like a lightning, the pipe held up to deliver the final blow, but Liya was quicker. She flung herself in front of her mate, shielding him with her body while she pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation. “Alpha, please! Please, I-I beg you to spare my mate!” Cassian let out a low and menacing growl, his eyes darkening as he snarled, “Move, omega. Move, or I'll make you!” The pipe in his hands hovered inches from Liya's face, his arm trembling with restraint while he warned the girl. I took a step forward, worry taking over my mind. He looked seconds away from attacking her and I didn't want my mate to lay his hands on an omega even if she's a betrayer. It wouldn't set a good example for the pack. Enemy is an enemy but still, she doesn't have the strength to fight him back. That'll be an unfair combat.“Cassian, if you kill him, she'll also die,” I warned, trying to reason with him. But Cassian's anger was unyielding.“I don't fucking care,” he snarled, his eyes b
Cassian's grip on the pipe faltered, his arms frozen in mid-air as our gazes clashed. He turned to me with a deep scowl etched on his face. I swallowed thickly, my throat constricting with fear. His wolf was livid, its fury palpable in the air, and my omega instincts trembled in response. Our pup whimpered softly, sensing Cassian's displeasure, and I instinctively pulled the little one closer to my chest. Cassian's slow, deliberate steps towards me were like a ticking time bomb, each footsteps echoing through the silence, making my heart race with nervousness.Cassian's golden eyes bore into mine, his gaze piercing as he stopped in front of me. “What are you doing here, omega? You should be resting.” I flinched when his bloody hand rose to touch me. Cassian froze for a moment, taken aback by my reaction. I saw a flash of hurt in his eyes before he caressed my cheek with a gentle touch, his fingers tracing the curve of my face. Oh right, his wolf is in control.Cassian's frown deepen
I stared at her like a fish out of water. Letting go of the man who killed my father? Can I….Can I really let go? Can I really do something like that? No….No…. I’ll cut his head off! Then I’ll stab him repeatedly, watching as life drains from his body. I'll make him suffer just like he made my parents suffer.I’ll make sure he’s dead a hundred times over and I'll erase his whole existence from the face of earth.That's what I will do."So please...please spare my mate's life. We'll accept any punishment, just don't take him away from me. I beg you, Ivy, have mercy. Tell Alpha Cassian to not take his life. I'm not asking for forgiveness, just a chance for my mate to live. You know what it's like to love someone, to want to protect and care for them. You have a mate and a pup, don't deny me the same chance at happiness. Don't take away my chance to be a mate and mother,” Liya's words poured out in a desperate plea, her sobs echoing through the room. My grip on my pup tightened as I s
My pup's distressed cries filled the room, refusing to subside even after I lavished the little one with gentle kisses. I could hear the commotion outside as Cassian dragged the rogue out. My mate's fierce growls and the rogue's defiant snarls still echoed in my mind as Lily rushed to my side. Her usually steady hands trembled as she pressed a cool cloth against my neck, trying to stop the flow of blood from the wound.Fear danced in her eyes, and I knew she was desperate to ask me something, but the trauma of witnessing two alpha wolves clash had left her and the other omega helpers shaken. I couldn't blame them–the potent pheromones of two angry alphas were overwhelming for anyone, especially omegas. As Cassian's mate, I had some kind of a unique shield against their intensity, but the others didn't share that protection.Liya thrashed around in Ruth's grasp, desperate to break free, but Ruth's grip was unyielding. With a swift, merciless slap, Ruth sent Liya crashing to the ground,
What the hell? For a moment I actually felt bad for the girl for being trapped in a toxic bond with a man like this even though I'm not really in a position to feel empathetic for the people holding me and my mate captive.Cassian's eyes flashed with anger, his hand twitching as if he was about to grab the gun from Liya's trembling hand. But the rogue's piercing glare froze him in place, a silent warning that kept him restrained - for now.“I did all this for you and I'm still useless?! I followed you through everything and left all I knew only for you to say that I'm useless?” Liya’s voice tumbled out in a desperate plea but Silas cut her off with a snarl, low and menacing.“Urgh! Shut the hell up, woman. Eyes on me, Alpha Cassian. I can't wait any longer. I've delayed this long enough. Say your goodbyes to your mate and pup,” The man warned, his voice dripping with so much malice that it made a shiver run down my spine.“Release my mate, you fucker.” Cassian growled, his voice bare
Ivy's POVIt was suffocating. The air was heavy with the metallic tang of blood, the putrid scent of the rogue's hand clamped over my mouth, and the distressing pheromones of the omegas in the room, made my stomach roil with nausea. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, but my eyes were fixed on my precious pup, clinging to me for comfort. The overwhelming urge to protect my child was the only thing that kept me grounded. Just as I was spiraling into despair, Cassian's low, menacing growl snapped me back to reality. My mate stood there, his eyes blazing with fury, his alpha pheromones thick and potent, filling the cramped cabin with an almost palpable force. I instinctively pulled my baby closer, the primal urge to shield and defend my pup coursing through my veins as my motherly instincts kicked it. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, my wolf and I felt torn by the conflicting desires to shield our pup and surrender to Cassian's protective presence. But now, both my mate and child