Julian POVAs I drove, I caught glimpses of Cecilia and Alisha chatting through the rearview mirror. Gradually, Alisha began to engage more, moving beyond simple nods and shakes of her head to full sentences. Seeing Cecilia regain some of her usual vitality, even if just in fleeting moments of busyness, was reassuring.'You look like a peeping tom right now,' Zevin teased me."Shut up."'How long do you plan on sticking around? I've told you a hundred times she's not our mate,' Zevin grumbled, persistent as ever."What's the rush? Even if we are just friends, we should still help each other out."'Friends? What kind of friend gets jealous just because another man touches her?'"I wasn't jealous."'Yeah, right. Just keep lying to yourself.'Distracted by Zevin's comments, my focus wavered, and I accidentally scraped a parked car. Irritated, I blocked him out of my mind.Upon reaching the manor, Jordan burst out of the house. "Something big has happened!" he exclaimed."Sl
Julian POV I called Hogan and requested a helicopter to transport the Shadow to Black Stone.Since he refused to speak, I wanted the doctors to examine him to uncover the secrets of his remarkable strength and vulnerabilities. Merely killing him would be far too lenient."Is he the one we almost hit on the mountain road last week?" Cecilia inquired after I ended the call."Yes, I sensed something was amiss then, so I had him followed. If he hadn't been critically injured at the time, we might not have captured him now." I patted Cecilia on the shoulder, offering reassurance. "Your uncle fought to the end to leave us this clue.""The Shadow won't escape again," Jordan declared as he stepped out of the dungeon, his clothes smeared with blood.I handed the car keys to Jordan and guided Cecilia into the backseat with me. As Jordan settled into the driver's seat, a foul odor permeated the car."Take off your clothes. They reek," Cecilia said, covering her nose.Jordan removed his b
Julian POV"Has the Alpha King uncovered anything new in the investigation?" Cecilia inquired urgently as I reentered the study.I shook my head. "I need to head to Ashfall to oversee your uncle's troops.""When do you leave?" Her voice remained steady."In two days," I replied, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I began collecting the documents. "I'm taking these with me. Perhaps being in Ashfall will help us find some leads.""Do you think my uncle did this?" Cecilia gestured toward the photos."I can't make assumptions. That's why I need to be there, to ask questions," I explained with a shrug."My uncle was temperamental, but he wasn't cruel…""You're wondering if he mistreated the prisoners and they retaliated by sending the Shadow to annihilate his family, aren't you?" I completed her thought, the one she hesitated to voice.Cecilia fell silent, her lips pressed into a tight line."That's a possibility. Yet, werewolf warriors uphold their ethics. Even in veng
Cecilia POVHis kiss left me reeling, my body nearly dissolving under the intensity of his touch.I grazed the tip of my tongue against his sharp canine, a feature I had always found irresistibly sexy. That small act seemed to ignite something fierce in him. His movements grew rougher as one arm wrapped tightly around my waist, hoisting me effortlessly before pinning me against a tree.The branches shook, sending a few leaves fluttering down around us.He then buried his face into the hollow of my collarbone, sucking hungrily at my skin. His other hand ventured beneath my skirt, tracing a deliberate path along my inner thigh.Instinctively, I squeezed my legs together, a soft moan slipping through my lips. But when his knuckles brushed against my pussy, reality jolted back."Julian, stop… I don't want this," I gasped, seizing his wrist in a tight grip as panic shot through me."You do," he insisted, lifting his head to smirk at me. He withdrew his hand slowly from between my t
Cecilia POVThe next morning, I woke up in Julian's room. Just as I opened the door to leave, I collided with an awkward situation—Pearly and Jordan were heading right toward me. I considered ignoring them and continuing on my way, but Jordan, ever boisterous, greeted me with his usual exuberance."Morning!""Morning," I replied, my voice slightly strained."Wait a minute, isn't this Prince Julian's room? What were you doing here in your pajamas?" Jordan asked, his face full of confusion."Cecilia owns the entire manor. Why do you care which room she uses?" Pearly quickly jumped in to cover for me, then quickly found a way to distract him. "Go water the flowers downstairs.""I'm Cecilia's Beta. Why should I be doing some girly chore like that?""Just do it, or you're skipping dinner tonight," Pearly retorted, giving him a shove.Once Jordan was out of sight, Pearly turned to me with a mischievous grin. "So… you spent the night in his room, huh?"I nodded, my cheeks warming
Cecilia POVMy instincts immediately sharpened as I wondered, 'Could it be Shadows again?'"Jordan!" I called out, grabbing two guns from the drawer and dashing toward the kitchen, where Pearly and Alisha were likely busy cooking."What's up?" Jordan appeared, an apron still tied around his neck."There's something in the woods. Didn't you hear it?" I asked urgently."All I heard was the beef stew calling me from the pot." He looked genuinely confused, scratching his head."Come with me to the woods," I instructed, handing him a gun.I quickly mind-linked with Alfie and Yael, the guards at the manor's entrance, to keep an eye on Pearly and Alisha in the kitchen.Although he couldn't outmatch me in a fight, Jordan took the lead, protectively positioning himself in front of me. We hadn't gone far into the woods when he suddenly halted."Someone might be hiding here," he murmured, pulling a piece of white cloth from a tree.As he was about to sniff it, my cheeks flared with emba
Cecilia POVJosh devoured a chicken leg, stuffing it into his mouth before continuing, "Last week, I wanted to attend your family's funeral, but the orphanage manager wouldn't let me leave the pack. Instead, she forced us to attend Freeda's Luna crowning ceremony."I refused and even scolded Freeda, urging the other orphans to skip it too. I didn't realize that wicked woman would report me to Freeda. So, Freeda locked me up for three days with no food or water, and had soldiers whip me daily.""Freeda, the Alpha Female celebrated for her military honors? I used to admire her, but bullying a child is despicable!" Jordan slammed his fist on the table."How did you manage to escape?" Pearly interjected, holding Josh's hand."After three days, Freeda released me, but she took all my savings. Broke, I sneaked out of the Thorn Pack and wandered for days. I hitchhiked here, hoping to find you. A guard mistook me for a Rogue and locked me up again," Josh explained, his voice tinged with e
Julian POVOn my first day in Ashfall, I set out to unravel the tensions among the soldiers. Whispers were maligning Norman, accusing him of drawing misfortune through his own misdeeds. I dismissed the two Betas who were fanning these rumors.The following day, I tasked my Beta, Mario Gomez, to investigate the eleven rogue prisoners. Having been stationed in Ashfall for a month, Mario was well-acquainted with the border area. Now, three days had passed, and I hadn't received a single message from Cecilia.After reorganizing Norman's troops, I sat alone in the military office while sipping coffee. I was waiting for Mario's investigation report and also hoping for a call from Cecilia.Since parting with her three days ago, my heart felt as if it had been cleaved in two—one half floating weightlessly in the air, the other sinking deeply into a mire.On the morning I left, she didn't come to see me off, clearly showing through her actions that she did not wish to accept my love.