Melissa's POV In no time, I arrived at Alpha Axel's door and I wanted to knock, but I decided against it. It may come off as a rude act, but who cares? He's my mate after all. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door. "You sent for me, Alpha." I announced as soon as I got into his chambers and he turned from the window, to be able to stare at me, and like always, my brain short-circuited for a second. It wasn't fair, really. I mean some people had to work hard for that kind of presence- gym routines, expensive cologne, carefully styled hair but Axel just existed even without trying and the world bent around him. It just occurred to me that I haven't admired this way in a long time. Well, he was tall, though not in an exaggerated, storybook way, but in that stand-next-to-him-and-feel-your neck-craning kind of way. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing the kind of muscle that came from actual labor, not just lifting weights for show. There was a faint sc
Axelâs POV The sharp crack of Melissa's slap still burned on my cheek long after the door slammed shut behind her. The sting from her hit was nothing compared to the venom in her words. âGo your barren woman if you are horny.â I exhaled through my nose, my fingers flexing against my thighs. My wolf snarled in the back of my mind. âYou went too far, Axel.â âShut up,â I shot back, but he didnât. He never did, until he let out his anger. âShe carries your child, you fool. She is carrying your heir. And you throw Lenoraâs name in her face like itâs nothing?â I clenched my jaw. He wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either and that was the problem. My wolf despised Melissa from the moment I cheated on my former mate with her. He claimed she was selfish and stupid and not fit to be the mother of my heir, he wanted to wait until whenever the moon goddess blesses Lenora, but even he couldn't stomach this. He couldn't stomach the fact that I tattooed Lenora's name on my neck some days
Lenora's POV Two hours. Thatâs how long it had been since the guard burst into Zadeâs study, breathless with warnings of a rogue attack. Two hours since heâd vanished into the day without a backward glance. I paced the room, my fingers twisting together. The mind linkâŠ.our lifelineâŠ.remained silent, no matter how desperately I reached through the bond. Where are you? Every second stretched into an eternity. If the rogues had ambushed him⊠if theyâd found a way to sever our connection⊠I swallowed hard. He has to come back. I walked towards Luna Ophelia's direction. âDo you think he's fine?â I asked her for the umpteenth time and she took my hands into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. âCome on, Nora,â she chuckled lightly. Somehow, I've come to love the fact that she addresses me as Nora. It reminds me of my mom. She was the only one who has ever called me that name. And whenever someone else tried to call me that name, I always got angry, but right now, I wasn't pisse
Lenora's POV âGood day, ma'am, and welcome to Chrome Heart Shopping mall.â The sales representative said to me as soon as I got into the mall and I smiled softly at her. âGood day to you.â I asked, my eyes darting around the mall in search of anything that might catch my attention. âWhat would you like to get?â She asked me and I took my attention back to her. I might just trust her to show me the best gifts they have here. âWell, I'd like to get some bags, shoes and dresses too.â I answered with a smile as usual. âTrust me, ma'am, you are at the right place.â She smiled warmly at me. âCome with me.â She gestured and I walked behind her. Mara had long gone to the other section to get what she needed. âAwwwn!â I cooed as I saw a necklace that was out on display and immediately it caught my eyes. It reminded me of the Mountain Heart Necklace, the same one that Axel had âstolenâ from Charlotte. âDo you like it, ma'am?â The young lady asked and I nodded. âOf course
Lenora's POV I sat before the vanity in my room, gazing at my image in the mirror, holding the test results on my lap as tears streamed down my face. My hands shook as I gripped the test results, the words ânegativeâ and âbarrenâ piercing my thoughts like a branding iron. As the Luna of the Pack, my responsibility was to bear an heir, yet here am I - infertile. I will never be able to bear children of my own. I have never considered myself a believer in miracles, but at this moment, I hope a miracle occurs and the test results reveal âpositiveâ. The weight had been bearing down on me for years, and with every month that went by, the Pack's demands became more intense. I can't help but feel that very soon I'll be sent away from the Pack and the Pack would force my mate to take another woman that can give him an heir. âOur mate loves us and he won't hurt us that wayâ My wolf whispered to me and I smiled sadly. If only that was the truth. He has fallen out of love with me just
Lenora I was still lost in my thoughts when a knock came. My heart sank thinking that it might be Axel, returning to demand my presence at the ceremony. I opened the door and I was shocked to see my step mother and Melissa. Anger washed over me as I glared at their faces. Matilda knew that her daughter was having an affair with my mate and she didn't scold her. Why was I even surprised? That was what she did to my mother. She was once my mother's best friend. My late mother was my father's mate, but he cheated on her with Matilda. My mother who couldn't bear the news about her mate's betrayal, committed suicide. My father blamed himself for his beloved mate's death. He couldn't live with the fact that he made my mother lose her life. Thus he killed himself too. I was only eight years old at the time and I was made to live with Matilda. Those times of my life were the worst. At some point, I wanted to leave, but I couldn't. I had nowhere to stay. Thus I just stayed in the hous
Lenora As I walked into the Grand Hall, I saw that it was already filled with Pack members, all dressed in their finest attire. The hall is decorated with balloons and ribbons, and a large banner reads âCongratulations to Alpha Axel and Miss Melissaâ and I just rolled my eyes. I was wearing a simple yet elegant black dress, my hair pulled back in a loose bun. My eyes were sunken and my skin was pale. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but I ignored it as I walked towards the front roll. Anger washed over me as I saw that Melissa was seated on his right side. Well, I sat down next to my mate, trying to pretend to be happy for him and his mistress. No matter how hard I try, I can't pretend to be happy for them. I mean which Luna in her right senses would happily accept such betrayal from her mate? Axel stands at the front of the hall, a broad smile on his face. He's wearing a tailored suit, and his eyes are shining with pride. âI welcome you all to this ceremony. For those
Lenora I gradually opened my eyes, drowsily observing my environment. I saw that I was in the dungeon, the chill of the stone walls and the faint torchlight starkly reminding me of my situation. I tried to sit up, but a surge of dizziness overwhelmed me, making me lie back down. âHello?â I signaled the guards who were standing by the door and one of them rushed forward and bowed before me. âGreetings, Luna!â He greeted me and I nodded. âHow long have I been here?â I asked him. âYou've been here for two days, Ma'am,â He said gruffly. âYou've been unconscious the whole time,â I felt a wave of anger wash over me upon hearing the news. Two days? How could Axel keep me here for two days? I was the Luna for heaven's sake!! âThanks!â I said to the guard and he bowed and walked back to his duty post. At that moment, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. I glanced up to find Melissa and her mother approaching me, wearing satisfied smiles. I noticed the other woman behind
Lenora's POV âGood day, ma'am, and welcome to Chrome Heart Shopping mall.â The sales representative said to me as soon as I got into the mall and I smiled softly at her. âGood day to you.â I asked, my eyes darting around the mall in search of anything that might catch my attention. âWhat would you like to get?â She asked me and I took my attention back to her. I might just trust her to show me the best gifts they have here. âWell, I'd like to get some bags, shoes and dresses too.â I answered with a smile as usual. âTrust me, ma'am, you are at the right place.â She smiled warmly at me. âCome with me.â She gestured and I walked behind her. Mara had long gone to the other section to get what she needed. âAwwwn!â I cooed as I saw a necklace that was out on display and immediately it caught my eyes. It reminded me of the Mountain Heart Necklace, the same one that Axel had âstolenâ from Charlotte. âDo you like it, ma'am?â The young lady asked and I nodded. âOf course
Lenora's POV Two hours. Thatâs how long it had been since the guard burst into Zadeâs study, breathless with warnings of a rogue attack. Two hours since heâd vanished into the day without a backward glance. I paced the room, my fingers twisting together. The mind linkâŠ.our lifelineâŠ.remained silent, no matter how desperately I reached through the bond. Where are you? Every second stretched into an eternity. If the rogues had ambushed him⊠if theyâd found a way to sever our connection⊠I swallowed hard. He has to come back. I walked towards Luna Ophelia's direction. âDo you think he's fine?â I asked her for the umpteenth time and she took my hands into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. âCome on, Nora,â she chuckled lightly. Somehow, I've come to love the fact that she addresses me as Nora. It reminds me of my mom. She was the only one who has ever called me that name. And whenever someone else tried to call me that name, I always got angry, but right now, I wasn't pisse
Axelâs POV The sharp crack of Melissa's slap still burned on my cheek long after the door slammed shut behind her. The sting from her hit was nothing compared to the venom in her words. âGo your barren woman if you are horny.â I exhaled through my nose, my fingers flexing against my thighs. My wolf snarled in the back of my mind. âYou went too far, Axel.â âShut up,â I shot back, but he didnât. He never did, until he let out his anger. âShe carries your child, you fool. She is carrying your heir. And you throw Lenoraâs name in her face like itâs nothing?â I clenched my jaw. He wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either and that was the problem. My wolf despised Melissa from the moment I cheated on my former mate with her. He claimed she was selfish and stupid and not fit to be the mother of my heir, he wanted to wait until whenever the moon goddess blesses Lenora, but even he couldn't stomach this. He couldn't stomach the fact that I tattooed Lenora's name on my neck some days
Melissa's POV In no time, I arrived at Alpha Axel's door and I wanted to knock, but I decided against it. It may come off as a rude act, but who cares? He's my mate after all. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door. "You sent for me, Alpha." I announced as soon as I got into his chambers and he turned from the window, to be able to stare at me, and like always, my brain short-circuited for a second. It wasn't fair, really. I mean some people had to work hard for that kind of presence- gym routines, expensive cologne, carefully styled hair but Axel just existed even without trying and the world bent around him. It just occurred to me that I haven't admired this way in a long time. Well, he was tall, though not in an exaggerated, storybook way, but in that stand-next-to-him-and-feel-your neck-craning kind of way. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing the kind of muscle that came from actual labor, not just lifting weights for show. There was a faint sc
Lenora's POV The sheets beside me were cold, the imprint of Zade's body long gone. My fingers traced the empty space, frustration burning low in my stomach. Again. He'd done it againâŠ. Kissed me like I was the air he needed to breathe, but all of a sudden, he vanished before dawn like a thief. What exactly is wrong with him? I asked no one in particular as I glared daggers at the empty space, like it was Zade. âDo you think he's running away from us?â Zoey asked, but I didn't answer. I couldn't even come up with any answer, but deep down, I know that he was running away from me. With a loud groan, I dragged myself out of bed, my body still humming from his actions last night. The memory of his hands, his mouth, the way he'd groaned against my lips like he was an infant who'd been starved of his mother's breasts. His actions last night were all that seared into my skin. I was expecting him to take things forward. I was expecting him to take me, to do whatever he wanted with me,
Melissa's POV As much as I was happy with the fact that Beta Felix showed up at my door, I still wasn't happy that he heard our discussion. Heck, I should be happy that he was here and Damien wouldn't get what he wanted, but that was not the case. How long had Beta Felix had been standing at the door and had he been listening to our conversation without our knowledge? âEven if he has been listening to our conversation, he clearly wouldn't have heard when Damien asked you for sex. So don't panic.â My mother said to me through the mind link. She must have noticed the fears dancing in my eye. âBut mother, do you think Beta Felix heard us?â âI have a strong feeling that he didn't. Don't worry about anything.â She sounded so sure and I couldn't help but feel that she was right. âAh, Beta Felix,â I forced a smile to my face, while trying so hard to calm my racing heart. What are you doing here?â I added. What has he come to do in my room? He never comes here for heaven's sake!
Melissa's POV âMelissa?â My mother's voice sounded as soon as she walked into my room. There was a tone of urgency in her voice. She sounded really worried, like someone who had seen a ghost. I took my eyes off the book that I've been reading and I turned to face her. âYes, mother? What's wrong?â I inquired, my brows creasing into a frown. âDamienâŠ.â She trailed off and I urged her to continue. âHe's here already and he's requesting to come up to your room.â My face paled as soon as I heard her words. That brute is here so soon? It isn't yet ten. Is he so eager to meet me that he couldn't wait until the time that Axel had chosen? My mind suddenly traveled to our last discussion. He had promised to come pretend to be my brother only if I let him make love to me. I didn't want to do it. I swear I never wanted to. But now I have no choice. If I don't do it, I am gonna die and so will my mother and I don't want that to happen. I don't need any soothsayer to tell me that Damien w
Zade's POV "This Saturday," I told her, my fingers tracing idle patterns along her arm. "For Mrs Smith. For all of them that we lost in the fire. I'll finally lay them to rest." Her head rested on my chest, the soft rise and fall of her breath a soothing rhythm against my skin. We'd been talking for what felt like hours, mostly about the burial ceremony. This Saturday. I wanted to finally lay their souls to rest. âThat's good, Zade,â She whispered quietly. "I'm glad that you have chosen a date already." Then silence settled over us, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It never was with her. I took her hand, her skin warm and soft against my touch, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her eyes, those captivating pools of warmth, met mine. She flashed me a small smile. My gaze dropped to her lips, the way they parted slightly as she exhaled. And as if drawn by an invisible force, I leaned in and captured her lips in mine. Her breath hitched. I expected her to push me away, but she di
Zariel's POV âI warned you, didn't I?â My wolf hissed as soon as I stepped out of the cab, but I couldn't even answer him. I couldn't. Not when my body hurts like I'd been hit with a sledgehammer. How could Zade have fooled me this way? The motherfucker was ready to give me the throne. He was willing to give it to me. Just like I'd planned, I made him know that I won't let him meet his mate unless he gives me the throne. He was ready to do it, but at that point, that bitch had to spoil everything. I could vividly remember the smirk on Zade's face as he stared at me, telling me that I'll never sit on the throne no matter how much I tried. He'd told me that he knew that his mate wasn't with me, but had just been playing along just so he could get a hold on me. Fuck! I growled in anger as I punched the wall closer to me. I ignored the sizzling pain that shot through my body. After all, it was not compared to the other pain coming from my body. How did I not realise that it was