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.
Cecilia POVJulian's voice, deep and husky, echoed from the phone.Even though I was in a bright mood, I still hid my emotions. He had no idea how many times I had practiced calming my breath before I dialed his number.After a brief conversation, I hung up the phone, afraid that he would notice my feelings if we talked any longer.I lay on my bed while hugging my pillow, unable to suppress the smile on my lips.Sleep eluded me. Tossing and turning, my thoughts fixated on Julian, and it made me unbelievably turned on. It felt unhealthy, how fervently I thought of him, and my body started heating up as I ached for his touch."You have got to be kidding me!" I groaned and pushed the covers away because it was too hot.After that, I reached down between my legs, knowing there was no other way I would be able to sleep unless I relieved myself. I didn't take it slow since I was already wet just from thinking about him. When I touched my clit, I let out a small moan and kept rub
Cecilia POV'How does Ariel know? Does Julian know about what she mentioned in the email? Is he in danger?'These questions raced through my mind as I scrolled through my phone, only to realize I didn't have Ariel's number saved. I responded to her email, pressing for details on how she came across such critical information.Every half hour, I would check my inbox to see if there was any reply back from her. However, I still hadn't received a response from her after waiting the entire afternoon. I called Julian to inform him of the situation. He hadn't heard anything related but promised to dispatch scouts to verify the claims.After everything I did, I was still feeling uneasy. Hence, I called Hogan directly.At my family's funeral a week ago, he told me that I could reach out to him if I needed help with anything."A human hacker relayed this to you?" Hogan's skepticism was palpable through the phone. "Why would a human be entangled in werewolf politics?""But Ariel has
Cecilia POV"What? The flight is canceled?""Yes. Ashfall's airport was bombed two months ago and hasn't been repaired yet," the airport staff explained politely.It was my oversight to rush out without checking the flight schedules. Now, I was left with no option but to drive to the train station.The station, aged and worn, had a train that wouldn't depart until 5.00PM, meaning I wouldn't reach Ashfall until the following evening at 7.00PM.'You should get a pilot's license. At this rate, the battle will be over by the time we reach there,' Nana quipped.There was actually a helicopter back at the manor. Mark had once promised to teach me to fly, but I never got the chance to wait for that day to arrive."Fine. I promise I'll get my license this year," I said. Settling into the train's sleeping car, I flipped the blanket, only to recoil at the sight of yellow stains. With a grimace, I tossed it aside.The air inside the carriage was stifling, a pungent mix of sweat, feet, che