Rayne POVThe rogues were coming closer, their growls vibrating through the ground. My heart raced as I turned to face the stranger, his dark grin still in place as he watched me, waiting for my decision. Time was running out, and I still haven't made a choice. I could feel it in the air, the pressure building, the danger looming around like fresh air of the night. There was no escape at this time. Not unless…"Decide, Rayne," the stranger whispered to my ears, his voice cutting through the chaos like a sharp blade. "Power or death?" He Said, still with same tone.I clenched my fists, my body trembling as the Rogues drew closer. Every instinct screamed at me to run for my life, to fight, to do anything but trust him. But the truth was, I had no choice. Mateo had stripped me of everything I had. I was powerless, weak. And now, surrounded by enemies, I was about to be torn apart like a chicken."Fine," I spat, my voice laced with desperation. "I accept."The stranger's smile wi
Rayne POV“You shouldn’t have come back here." The deep voice sent a shiver down my spine. I froze, my heart racing as I spun around to face the figure in the shadows. His grip tightened on my shoulder, strong enough to keep me in place, but not enough to hurt—yet.I couldn't see his face clearly, but his presence was overwhelming, like he was daring me to make a wrong move. “Who are you?” I demanded, trying to shake him off. The power I’d felt earlier still buzzed in my veins, but something about this wolf made me pause. He wasn’t just any pack member.“You don’t recognize me?” His voice was low, amused. “I’m not surprised. You never saw me as a threat before.” He stepped forward, into the dim light of the moon. I gasped.Jaxon.The Gamma. Quiet, always lurking in the background, never drawing too much attention. But now, his eyes glowed with a dangerous intensity, like he had been waiting for this moment.“Jaxon?” I managed to say, my voice trembling. “What do you want?”He smirked
Rayne POV "Rayne, stop!" Mateo’s voice sounded distant, muffled by the relentless pounding of my heartbeat in my ears. My chest tightened as I watched him struggle to his feet, his eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Fear of me. The realization sent a jolt of panic through my body at once. I had never wanted this to happen at this time. I didn’t ask for this power, this darkness that seemed to have taken root inside me, but now... now I had no idea how to contain it and how to control everything bit of it. The ground beneath us trembled again, the cracks widening as the energy inside me grew, pulsing with raw power. I could feel it slipping from my grasp, a storm on the verge of breaking free, threatening to swallow everything in its path. The air around me crackled with electricity, my skin burning with the force of whatever it was that I had awakened. "Rayne, listen to me," Mateo shouted, his voice more strained this time. "You need to get control of yourself before it’s too
Rayne POVMateo stepped back a bit, his gaze flickering between me and the stranger, a mixture of fear and fury visible in his eyes. I could see the calculations racing through his mind—every instinct screaming at him to run, yet something held him rooted in place, watching as the darkness crept closer."Rayne," he whispered, almost pleading to me. "You don’t have to do all of this. You don’t have to let him control you and have full access towards you."I tore my eyes from Mateo and looked at the stranger who stood, with his eyes hitting mine. His shadowed figure radiated power, something dark, dangerous, and utterly mesmerizing. His smile was smug, almost daring me to take the plunge."What did you give me?" My voice was already shaking, not from fear but from the uncontrollable surge of power churning inside of my inner self."A gift you would always need" he said, stepping forward with his hands raised in mock surrender. "A gift I knew you’d appreciate once you tasted it and ha
Rayne POV“Don’t think for a second you’re safe, Rayne,” the stranger’s voice echoed in my mind, dark and taunting, lingering long after he’d disappeared into the dark night. I could still feel the weight of his grip, the lingering pull of his power tugging at me like a chain around my neck, even though he was nowhere to be seen.Mateo stood beside me, his breaths heavy, his face drawn and tense as he scanned the darkened forest, while my heart racing with thoughts of different kind. “Rayne,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “are you… are you alright?”I pulled my gaze from the shadows where the stranger had disappeared and turned to him, shaking slightly as the adrenaline began to fade up . “I don’t know. He… he did something to me that I can just know. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like he… branded me, somehow.”Mateo’s jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes at almost same time. “He marked you with his darkness. It’s a twisted claim—a threat to remind you
Rayne POVThe darkness pressed in around us as I stood frozen on a spot, my heartbeat echoing in my ears like the drum of the full moon night. The stranger’s voice lingered in the air like dark smoke, chilling me to my core.Mateo’s hand tightened around mine, his grip grounding me, but I could feel the tension in him, his unease thick and palpable. His words still echoed in my mind, like the promise of my late mother"This power… it’s consuming you."But as I looked out into the trees, I knew one thing for sure. I couldn’t let this stranger take everything from me, even my weakness.A deep, gravelly voice interrupted my thoughts. “Enjoying the gift, little wolf?”I whipped around, and there he was. The stranger stepped out of the shadows, his eyes gleaming with a sick sort of pleasure. My blood ran cold as he took a step forward to my own standing spot, his presence casting an unnatural silence over the forest.“What do you want from me, this time?” I asked, trying to keep my voice
Rayne POVThe stranger’s hand hovered in the air between us, and my whole body felt like it was on a burning fire. I barely knew this man who claimed to be my new mate but, this supposed second chance mate—but something in me pulled toward him, a bond that was undeniable and completely different from what I had with Mateo on the Rejection night.“Rayne…” Mateo’s voice was soft, yet filled with a raw desperation and regret. “You don’t have to go with him.”I took a deep breath, the weight of both their gazes on me, with my heart racing so hard with multiple thoughts that I can't even control. The intensity was fully suffocating, like being trapped between two waves, each one threatening to drown me. I turned to Mateo, my heart twisting at the pain in his eyes, and then to the stranger, who radiated a fierce energy that both excited and terrified me.The stranger stepped closer, his voice low but commanding. “You feel it deep within you, don’t you, Rayne? You’re drawn to me because f
Rayne POV“Rayne! Stop!”Mateo’s shout barely registered over the roaring in my head, a low hum of power that surged with each sound of my heartbeat. I felt it vibrating through me, stronger than any physical force, consuming every thought that i have within myself. I wasn’t Rayne anymore at this point; I was something darker, something unrestrained, something fierce.I took a step forward, and the rogue leader flinched, fear flashing in his eyes for the first time ever. His pack stood behind him, their usual bloodlust replaced with nervous glances. They were visibly scared, and it thrilled me, a sharp, intoxicating feeling that dulled everything else that was inside of me.Kael’s voice broke through, low and calm. “Rayne, this isn’t you. Don’t let it take over who you are.”But the power didn’t want calm down; it wanted chaos and fight. With a flick of my hand, I sent another pulse of energy ripping through the air. Trees cracked, leaves exploded into the night, and the ground tr
Rayne POVThe forest was totally silent as Kael and Mateo’s gazes clashed, tension crackling up in the air like lightning ready to strike already. My heart pounded, each beat echoing louder in the deep silence as I stood between them, torn apart by conflicting emotions."Rayne," Kael said, voice low and raw, his eyes pleading, with him looking totally geuine. “I know it looks bad. I never wanted you to be in danger. But you need to trust me. Please."Mateo scoffed, stepping forward with a fierce determination that almost made me want to take a step back away from me. "Trust you? After everything you caused her? You show up out of nowhere, claiming to protect her, and now rogues are hunting us because of you." He turned his gaze to me, softer yet filled with an urgency I hadn’t seen before in his look. "Rayne, please, see through his lies. I know you feel it too."I looked between them both, Kael with his steady gaze at me, Mateo with his desperate plea to leave the guy who accepte
Rayne POVKael’s hand brushed mine, his touch grounding yet possessive, as if silently claiming something neither of us had acknowledged. It was totally strange, this feeling of comfort around him, like a tether that held me steady against the storm of emotions and power surging through me. But across the clearing, I caught Mateo’s gaze, his expression sharp and watchful over my every foot step, as if he were trying to decipher a puzzle no one else could see apart from him.“Rayne,” Kael’s voice brought me back from my thoughts, his tone low and reassuring at same time. “We should keep moving. Staying here only invites more danger and harm.”I nodded, feeling the weight of his words. My heart was still pounding from the encounter with the mysterious figure in the woods, and Kael had insisted we get as far from the rogues as possible. But Mateo’s presence was an anchor I couldn’t just ignore or walk away from, his silent suspicion clinging to every step Kael took.“Mateo,” I said,
Rayne POV“Rayne! Stop!”Mateo’s shout barely registered over the roaring in my head, a low hum of power that surged with each sound of my heartbeat. I felt it vibrating through me, stronger than any physical force, consuming every thought that i have within myself. I wasn’t Rayne anymore at this point; I was something darker, something unrestrained, something fierce.I took a step forward, and the rogue leader flinched, fear flashing in his eyes for the first time ever. His pack stood behind him, their usual bloodlust replaced with nervous glances. They were visibly scared, and it thrilled me, a sharp, intoxicating feeling that dulled everything else that was inside of me.Kael’s voice broke through, low and calm. “Rayne, this isn’t you. Don’t let it take over who you are.”But the power didn’t want calm down; it wanted chaos and fight. With a flick of my hand, I sent another pulse of energy ripping through the air. Trees cracked, leaves exploded into the night, and the ground tr
Rayne POVThe stranger’s hand hovered in the air between us, and my whole body felt like it was on a burning fire. I barely knew this man who claimed to be my new mate but, this supposed second chance mate—but something in me pulled toward him, a bond that was undeniable and completely different from what I had with Mateo on the Rejection night.“Rayne…” Mateo’s voice was soft, yet filled with a raw desperation and regret. “You don’t have to go with him.”I took a deep breath, the weight of both their gazes on me, with my heart racing so hard with multiple thoughts that I can't even control. The intensity was fully suffocating, like being trapped between two waves, each one threatening to drown me. I turned to Mateo, my heart twisting at the pain in his eyes, and then to the stranger, who radiated a fierce energy that both excited and terrified me.The stranger stepped closer, his voice low but commanding. “You feel it deep within you, don’t you, Rayne? You’re drawn to me because f
Rayne POVThe darkness pressed in around us as I stood frozen on a spot, my heartbeat echoing in my ears like the drum of the full moon night. The stranger’s voice lingered in the air like dark smoke, chilling me to my core.Mateo’s hand tightened around mine, his grip grounding me, but I could feel the tension in him, his unease thick and palpable. His words still echoed in my mind, like the promise of my late mother"This power… it’s consuming you."But as I looked out into the trees, I knew one thing for sure. I couldn’t let this stranger take everything from me, even my weakness.A deep, gravelly voice interrupted my thoughts. “Enjoying the gift, little wolf?”I whipped around, and there he was. The stranger stepped out of the shadows, his eyes gleaming with a sick sort of pleasure. My blood ran cold as he took a step forward to my own standing spot, his presence casting an unnatural silence over the forest.“What do you want from me, this time?” I asked, trying to keep my voice
Rayne POV“Don’t think for a second you’re safe, Rayne,” the stranger’s voice echoed in my mind, dark and taunting, lingering long after he’d disappeared into the dark night. I could still feel the weight of his grip, the lingering pull of his power tugging at me like a chain around my neck, even though he was nowhere to be seen.Mateo stood beside me, his breaths heavy, his face drawn and tense as he scanned the darkened forest, while my heart racing with thoughts of different kind. “Rayne,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “are you… are you alright?”I pulled my gaze from the shadows where the stranger had disappeared and turned to him, shaking slightly as the adrenaline began to fade up . “I don’t know. He… he did something to me that I can just know. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like he… branded me, somehow.”Mateo’s jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes at almost same time. “He marked you with his darkness. It’s a twisted claim—a threat to remind you
Rayne POVMateo stepped back a bit, his gaze flickering between me and the stranger, a mixture of fear and fury visible in his eyes. I could see the calculations racing through his mind—every instinct screaming at him to run, yet something held him rooted in place, watching as the darkness crept closer."Rayne," he whispered, almost pleading to me. "You don’t have to do all of this. You don’t have to let him control you and have full access towards you."I tore my eyes from Mateo and looked at the stranger who stood, with his eyes hitting mine. His shadowed figure radiated power, something dark, dangerous, and utterly mesmerizing. His smile was smug, almost daring me to take the plunge."What did you give me?" My voice was already shaking, not from fear but from the uncontrollable surge of power churning inside of my inner self."A gift you would always need" he said, stepping forward with his hands raised in mock surrender. "A gift I knew you’d appreciate once you tasted it and ha
Rayne POV "Rayne, stop!" Mateo’s voice sounded distant, muffled by the relentless pounding of my heartbeat in my ears. My chest tightened as I watched him struggle to his feet, his eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Fear of me. The realization sent a jolt of panic through my body at once. I had never wanted this to happen at this time. I didn’t ask for this power, this darkness that seemed to have taken root inside me, but now... now I had no idea how to contain it and how to control everything bit of it. The ground beneath us trembled again, the cracks widening as the energy inside me grew, pulsing with raw power. I could feel it slipping from my grasp, a storm on the verge of breaking free, threatening to swallow everything in its path. The air around me crackled with electricity, my skin burning with the force of whatever it was that I had awakened. "Rayne, listen to me," Mateo shouted, his voice more strained this time. "You need to get control of yourself before it’s too
Rayne POV“You shouldn’t have come back here." The deep voice sent a shiver down my spine. I froze, my heart racing as I spun around to face the figure in the shadows. His grip tightened on my shoulder, strong enough to keep me in place, but not enough to hurt—yet.I couldn't see his face clearly, but his presence was overwhelming, like he was daring me to make a wrong move. “Who are you?” I demanded, trying to shake him off. The power I’d felt earlier still buzzed in my veins, but something about this wolf made me pause. He wasn’t just any pack member.“You don’t recognize me?” His voice was low, amused. “I’m not surprised. You never saw me as a threat before.” He stepped forward, into the dim light of the moon. I gasped.Jaxon.The Gamma. Quiet, always lurking in the background, never drawing too much attention. But now, his eyes glowed with a dangerous intensity, like he had been waiting for this moment.“Jaxon?” I managed to say, my voice trembling. “What do you want?”He smirked