Damon _ POV“I am not insane. It’s useless,” I said, and Kayden’s startled reaction was amazing. “It’s a myth that Lycans get power from Selena’s amulet; it only enhances the wearer’s power. It only works on true Lycans; it will be useless to Altair, who is not a pure Lycan,” I explained.“Here, I thought you had lost your mind,” Kayden smirked. “Always a calculative bastard. You always move with your strategies.”“I am flattered by your compliment, which is rare,” I said. Kayden rolled his eyes at me.“Well, I have a lot to take care of for today’s victory party,” Kayden said. “You can say wolves and Lycans are working to take down the bad and rotten ones for good.” I nodded.“Lycans will be there to celebrate.” Kayden nodded and left, and I took a deep breath. Altair will soon find out the Selena Amulet is useless and come to attack me for it. I think I should kill him for good, and then those hybrids could fend for themselves with a new alpha. We Lycans never show mercy to rogues,
Stella - POVDamon blinked at me, not responding, and embarrassment crept in with the silence following my confession. I distanced myself as I saw him struggling. “It’s not like you have to answer me right away,” I said, realizing that expecting an immediate answer was foolish of me. I turned to leave.“I can’t accept your feelings, Stella,” Damon said coldly; it stabbed me like a knife plunging into my heart. I slowly turned with courage to face Damon’s gaze and tried to keep my tears at bay.“Why?” I asked.“Don’t you think our relationship is weird? I am your brother-in-law. I... I can’t see you that way,” he stammered, and I knew he was deliberately pushing me away.“Right, you say this now when you always have those eyes like you want me, Damon. You get jealous when I’m with Kayden,” I said, unable to control my tears. Damon looked away, not meeting my gaze. “If that’s what you feel, Damon, it’s okay. I will move on with Kayden and give the mate bond a chance. I hope you won’t st
Damon – POVThe party celebrating a win over our enemies came to an end. Kayden had rejoined the party, and I heard him speaking with Julie about reaching Stella to my pack safely. I am relieved that she didn’t go to Kayden’s pack. I felt like a douche for breaking her heart, but this was good before she learned what kind of man I am. She would hate me, I know.Julie and Dexter left for their date night, and I drove home to my pack as the security guard bowed their heads. I got off at Julie's home as Stella's scent was around the vicinity. I wanted to ask her forgiveness for rejecting her confession. I paused and rethought if it was a good idea even to see Stella right now; she needed space from me. I turned towards the car and stopped as I felt a familiar scent that I hadn’t noticed earlier. My eyes widened in surprise as I followed the scent of my brother. What I saw shocked my eyes. I saw Kellen carrying Stella's unconscious frame from the forest, and he looked at me with a calm ga
Stella–POVAs I adjusted to my surroundings, I found Julie next to me, sleeping. Dawn light filtered through the window. I tried to roll out of bed, but my hand was restrained by an IV tube attached to the back of my hand and a beeping machine monitoring me. My hand instinctively went to my baby bump, caressing it gently.“Baby is doing fine.” Julie's hoarse voice startled me. She gave me a weak smile.“How long was I out?” I asked.“A week,” Julie replied.“It seems like all I do here is sleep,” I joked, but Julie gave me a stern look, not amused by my remark. She stopped me from getting out of bed until the doctor gave the green light. I ate something as Julie urged me to regain my strength. Once I was allowed to walk, I strolled around, grateful for the comfy waffle-knit long sleeves, joggers, and soft slippers that made walking enjoyable. Julie kept giving me side glances, her hand rubbing her forehead, a telltale sign of her stress.“Julie, what’s going on?” I asked. Julie gave m
Stella – POVI needed some time to process everything, so I spent some time alone with Kellan. He mentioned how much he missed me while recovering in the small witch village. We reminisced about our first date; I remember being so nervous when such a handsome guy like him asked me out. Together, we worked tirelessly to build our life from scratch.We also discussed company affairs, which I manage remotely, thanks to my reliable secretary, Reona, who takes care of Kellan's business in our absence. My online work is handled by my trusted secretary, Kent.Kellan and I were staying at Julie's place since he was upset with Damon, just like me. I couldn't sleep, so I watched Kellan as he slept beside me, his soft snores reminding me of the three years we've shared a bed. I gently caressed his skin and smiled. Unable to sleep, I rolled out of bed.I grabbed a robe and sat on the patio, looking up at the stars. Tomorrow was going to be a challenging day. Witch Hilda was going to conduct a sca
Stella - POVWitch Hilda and I stood in a safe room. "So tell me, who is my mate?" I asked. Hilda looked at me. "Well, observe the color of the crystals."I saw three crystals that had changed color. I gulped and waited for Hilda to explain.Hilda touched the first clear crystal. "The tortoise color represents the mate bond between you and Kayden, showing his love for you. It hasn’t turned red." I watched in awe as her mere touch altered the crystal.Hilda touched the second crystal, which turned pink."Who does this crystal belong to? Damon or Kellan?" I asked."Kellan," Hilda replied. "Your bond seems to have faded to pink, indicating old love is fading away. It's confusing.""Why confusing?" I asked."Because this usually happens when a mate dies and their love fades, but your case is different. I'm not sure about you and Kellan. It’s possible you still have feelings for him, and I think Kellan does, too."I looked at her, puzzled. She sighed."Maybe you two just need time to rekin
Stella – POVI couldn't stand Damon and stormed out of the room in fury. Once outside, I encountered Hilda again. "Can you please give me a protection spell?" I asked her.Hilda raised an eyebrow. "Why would you need it?" she asked. "You have your mate to protect you, and let's not forget, you've been honing your magic skills.""I'm not fully in control of advanced magic yet," I reminded her."You should give yourself some credit," Hilda said with a confident smile. "For a beginner, you're amazing. It's only been a month, and you're already progressing like a pro. I've never seen such raw talent develop so quickly and deeply." Her praise made me smile; it was nice to hear a compliment. "But you still haven't told me why you need a protection spell from me.""I need your bracelet in case I can't use magic when faced with danger," I explained. Hilda looked at me for a moment but didn't question me further. She handed me the bracelet, which I placed in my bag. Then, I left to find Kellan
Stella - POVThree months laterSeven months into pregnancy, it’s been tiring as hell. It went by in a blur if you ask me. Kellan made sure I didn’t stay in contact with the lycan pack and even Hilda. He allowed me to speak with Julie from time to time, but apart from this, Kellan has been a good husband, not giving me a flicker of suspicion that he was cheating. The suspicions I had three months ago have disappeared since Kellan has been working from home, and we do all the cooking together. It feels like I woke from a nightmare of him dying, and now he is alive and next to me, which puts me at ease, although I still miss Damon. Kellan is not on speaking terms with Damon, and he hates it when I ask him why he isn’t talking to Damon or forgiving him. Kellan says he doesn’t want anything to do with Damon and has sternly mentioned never to take his name.“How is the dinner?” I asked.“Delicious,” Kellan replied in a good mood. Julie mentioned that Damon has been reckless and seems to be
Stella – POV I felt a flush of embarrassment at my own words. Damon’s eyes were filled with amusement as they locked onto mine. “You’re both cute and sexy,” he murmured, a playful purr in his voice. “I’d love to take you up on that offer, Stella, and devour you.” My breath hitched as his long index finger traced a line across my skin, sending shivers down my spine. His head lowered to kiss me. Another knock interrupted the moment. “Hey guys, I’ve got news,” Julie’s voice called from the other side of the door. I groaned in frustration, and Damon chuckled at my reaction. I felt a wave of self-consciousness, like a teenager caught in an intimate moment. Damon pulled away, allowing Julie to enter while he went to tend to the breakfast. Julie looked at me with a warm sm
**Stella – POV**“Sorry, I meant this date,” Damon said, looking uncharacteristically nervous. I smiled, feeling a bit confused—I'd never seen him like this before. He was always so confident. “I want to ask you… would you be my girlfriend?”“Why are you smiling?” he asked.“It’s just… it’s cute to see you nervous,” I replied, my heart fluttering as he placed his hand on mine. “Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend.”“I never thought confessing my feelings would be this hard,” he admitted.“You haven’t fully confessed yet,” I whispered, glancing away. Damon stood up and walked toward me, his presence looming as he hovered close.“I love you, Stella,” he said, gently kissing the back of my hand. I cupped his face between my palms, searching his eyes.“I thought you didn’t love me. Why did you keep your distance for six months?” I asked, my voice tinged with frustration.“I wanted to give you time—to see if these feelings you have for me would fade,” he explained. I blinked, taken aback by his wo
Stella – POV**Six months later**It’s become a morning routine for Olivia and me to take strolls together. The lycan pack members have gradually come to terms with my presence, and after Olivia’s birth, they seem more ecstatic and content, as if they now feel secure knowing there’s someone to take over the pack as Alpha after Damon.I pass by the market to buy some apples, planning to make a pie for Julie—she needs some cheering up. Since Julie is visiting her parents now that the threat has diminished, I hope her parents will be happy, and that Julie will have the courage to speak the truth about the shifter world. I’m sure they won’t believe it at first, but she wants to be honest and not hide anything, especially since she plans to marry Dexter and stay with the pack. I’m surprised Damon allowed Julie to talk about the existence of lycans.“Here you go,” Vendor said with a smile, but before I could pay, she declined to take money from me.“Luna, we don’t take money from royalty. We
Stella – POVAfter feeding my little baby, she looked more relaxed and happy. I glanced up, sensing someone's presence in the hospital room. "Damon," I said as he gave me a small smile, rubbing the back of his head with his hand."How are you and the baby?" he asked. "Have you named her yet?""Not yet," I whispered. Seeing Damon speak kindly, rather than coldly like during our last conversation, filled the room with tension. I could feel it between us."Why not?""I'm confused about what to name her. I need some suggestions to finalise one." I didn’t tell him I was waiting for him so I could name our daughter in front of him."Tell me the names you like." I looked at my baby girl. During my time with Kellan, we had decided on a name together."Well, I'm not confused anymore. I know what to name her." Damon looked at me. "Olivia," I whispered. A warm smile spread across my face as I watched Olivia accept the name with a small clap."Beautiful name," Damon whispered, standing next to my
Damon - POVThe infirmary buzzed with activity as injured soldiers filled every corner, leaving the doctors with their hands full. I cradled an unconscious Stella in my arms, desperately urging a doctor to prioritise her over the soldiers. My anxiety made me pace back and forth. Julie and Dexter, visibly worn out and bandaged, stood nearby. From the emergency room, a painful moan echoed—the doctors and nurses were working frantically to save Stella. Every sound of her pain tightened the grip around my heart.“Stella is strong; she’ll get through this,” Julie reassured me. I nodded, though worry still gnawed at me. Dexter handed me a towel to cover my exposed body, which I wrapped around myself. Then, hearing another sharp cry from Stella, I couldn’t stand it any longer walked into the emergency room. The doctors and nurses didn’t stop me; they seemed to understand my need to be there. Stella was conscious but in tremendous pain, giving birth. I stayed close, gently brushing her arm, t
Stella–POVI aimed my power at Mia, striking her squarely. She staggered back from the impact, collapsing to the ground, unmoving. My legs wobbled, but I pushed myself to keep walking. Kayden and Damon shifted back to their human forms. Fully aware of Damon andKayden's naked frames. I couldn’t help but steal a quick glance at Damon. Shaking off my dirty thoughts, I focused back on the battle, blaming my raging hormones for the distraction.“Don’t approach her. Let me check,” Damon said, grabbing my wrist and stopping me in my tracks.Kayden and Damon walked ahead cautiously. Kayden kicked Mia to see if she was moving, but Damon didn’t like the way he treated her. Before Damon could say anything, I watched as they both transformed back into wolves. An explosion sent their half-shifted forms flying away from Mia, who stood back up. Her eyes were darker now, dark powers swirling around her like a violent storm.“Damn, I couldn’t kill her,” I whispered in terror. How could I stand agains
Stella – POVEric and his soldiers were fending off those sent to capture me. I hide behind a tree, knowing it’s only a matter of time before Mia finds me. It’s a brief respite after killing some of Mia’s soldiers, and I can see the shock in her eyes at my actions. Panting heavily, I feel a contraction in my belly, forcing me to take deep breaths and endure the pain. The child in my womb seems disturbed by my excessive use of power, which is undeniably draining.In the distance, I hear groans, grunts, and cries of battle. A feeling of unease washes over me as my skin crawls. Struggling to stand with the support of the tree bark, I glance around, trying not to stumble. Suddenly, I hear the snap of a twig behind me. Turning, I seeMia already directing her magic at me.Before I can react, I realize the magic is about to strike. In a blink, a figure’s hands grip my waist, pulling me out of the way. The magic hits the tree trunk and explodes, the impact blinding me momentarily. A low groa
Damon -POVI fought through the dense fog, my soldiers struggling against the relentless enemy. The Night Pack's resilience was unnerving; killing them was futile as they kept reviving. Our numbers dwindled, and poison coursed through my soldiers' veins, incapacitating us. The fog contained a slow-acting toxin that prevented us from shifting back to our lycan forms, forcing us into close combat."How am I going to get us out of this?" I muttered, dodging attacks as they came. Kellan, who had been missing, was still nowhere to be found. I grimaced as a punch landed out of nowhere, pain radiating through my body."You missed me, brother," Kellan's smug voice echoed as I stood, his smirk taunting me."Where have you been hiding, like a coward?" I spat blood, glaring at him. His smirk never wavered."Watching you suffer. Enjoying it," he chuckled. Kellan, my brother, once warm and understanding, now radiated hatred. Unlike me, he never sought power or titles, yet here he stood, consumed b
STELLA – POVFeeling exhausted, I glanced around and noticed the red paint splattered on the floor. Corpses of guards were strewn about, and the metallic scent in the air made my stomach churn. I walked further into the penthouse, but there was no sign of Mia. Frustration welled up inside me—I had planned to confront her, but she wasn't even here. I should have known she wouldn’t stay idle.As I walked back to the living room, the eerie energy returned. I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and concentrated on my palm, visualizing the fire glow as Hilda had taught me to harness my power. A silhouette appeared. I aimed my magic at it and took cover. When I peeked, I realized it was Julie, Dexter, and Eric—who was now writhing in pain from my attack.“Oh God, what happened here?” Julie frowned and grimaced.“Who attacked Eric with magic?” Dexter looked around, confused, as the guards and soldiers took cautious steps.“Guys, I’m here,” I said, revealing myself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see y