Chapter: Chapter 39She jumped.Not just any jump. A fucking leap—up, over a fallen tree trunk, twisting midair like she knew I was right behind her.I skidded, barely dodging the damn thing, snapping my teeth as I missed her by a breath.She hit the ground running.Darius was still on our heels, a growl splitting through the night, deep and thunderous, rattling in my chest. His stride was closing in.Elise was running out of time.I didn’t think.I reacted.I veered, cutting right, taking the risk.It was all about speed. About angles. I knew how to move, how to shift my weight just right to steal back a fraction of a second.And right now, a fraction of a second was all I needed.I caught up.I lunged—And this time, I didn’t miss.My teeth latched onto the scruff of her neck, not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to yank her back.She yelped, a startled sound, her body jerking as I twisted, using our momentum to throw her sideways, sending her tumbling into the underbrush.Darius lunged—And missed
Last Updated: 2025-10-14
Chapter: Chapter 38Jace. “You’re not doing enough, Jace.”I pinched the bridge of my nose, barely resisting the urge to bash my head against the marble countertop. “I’m. Doing. My. Best.”Damn it. As much as I tried to keep my tone composed, it still comes out angry and clipped. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to catch it. He fucking rarely does.“No, you’re not.” My father’s voice was sharp, like a blade honed for one purpose—cutting me down. “You need to be more proactive. Earn Charles’ trust. Run his errands, take an inside job if it’s offered. Hell—if it helps, fuck his daughter. Make yourself indispensable.”Indispensable. Right. Like I wasn’t already dancing on the edge of losing what little was left of my goddamn soul.I exhaled, slow and measured. “I’m handling it.”“You’d better be.” A pause. “This isn’t just about you, Jace. It’s about the family. Your name needs to carry weight, or you’ll never make it where you need to be.”Where I needed to be. As if I had a fucking say in it.My jaw ticked. “L
Last Updated: 2025-10-14
Chapter: Chapter 37Darius went utterly still. For a long, drawn-out second, he just stared at me, his lips pressing into a firm line. Then he let out a slow, measured breath, like he was choosing to control himself.“It’s called an alpha and a future alpha working together,” he said smoothly, but there was an edge to his voice, a barely concealed growl beneath it. “Trading useful information about other packs. Strengthening our hold. Preparing for threats. Not whatever bullshit Hunter’s doing.”I cocked my head. “Really?” I murmured, my voice a little too sweet. “Because you look five seconds away from snapping my dad’s neck.”That did it.The muscle in his jaw twitched violently. His hands clenched into fists, his entire body tightening like a bowstring pulled back too far, too tight.And when he finally spoke, his voice was a razor’s edge.“Are you working for him?” he demanded.The question sent a jolt through me.My breath stalled, my pulse spiking as I processed what he had just asked. I sure as sh
Last Updated: 2025-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 36The restraints bit into my wrists, but I didn’t stop fighting against them. The second Darius had pushed me into his room like some unruly fucking criminal, I knew I was in for it. And now—after his rough hands had forced me down into this godforsaken chair, my arms tied behind my back—I knew I had officially pushed him over the edge.Good.Because he sure as hell had pushed me over mine.I jerked against the restraints again, my breath coming out in sharp, irritated bursts as I glared up at him. He stood in front of me, broad shoulders heaving, dark eyes burning with something raw and unhinged. His jaw was locked so tight it looked like it might snap. I had seen Darius angry before. Had seen the way his rage twisted into something lethal and violent.But this? This was different.His hands flexed at his sides, like he was seconds away from losing whatever control he had left. Then, in a voice so low and cutting it sent a shiver straight down my spine, he asked,“Did you fuck him?”I
Last Updated: 2025-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 35I didn’t move. Didn’t flinch.But my fingers curled into fists beneath the table.He leaned forward, his voice dripping with venom. “I have had it with your insubordination,” he seethed. “You act like you’re untouchable, but let me remind you, Elise, I can take everything away from you in a heartbeat.”A muscle ticked in Jace’s jaw.Hunter was watching carefully, his posture deceptively relaxed.But it was Darius who moved first.His chair scraped back violently, the sound cutting through the tension like a knife. He pushed up so fast, his whole body practically radiated aggression. For a split second, it looked like he was going to lunge across the table and tear my father apart.His breathing was ragged. His fingers curled into fists at his sides.And then, just as suddenly, he turned—And grabbed me.I let out a startled sound as his hand closed around my arm, yanking me to my feet so forcefully my chair nearly toppled over.“What the—”“I’ll put her in her place,” Darius bit out,
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
Chapter: Chapter 34EliseThere was a twist in my gut I couldn’t ignore as I lifted the fork to my mouth, shoving in a piece of ravioli. The buttery richness should have melted on my tongue, but it tasted like cardboard. My hand trembled—just slightly—but enough for me to notice.And no.It had nothing to do with Hunter taunting the ever-loving fucks out of me.My eyes flicked toward Darius. He was actively engaged in an intense staring contest with the whiskey tumbler in his grip, his knuckles turning a shade paler by the second. If sheer force of will could shatter glass, he’d already be picking shards out of his lap.I knew I struck a nerve—possibly every single one in his body. And I should have been reveling in it. Should have been grinning, thriving off the way he looked one wrong move away from combusting right there at the dinner table.But…But what?I forced the food down my throat, swallowing hard.The mate bond.It had chosen tonight of all nights to fuck with me.Wasn’t it supposed to break?
Last Updated: 2025-10-12
Chapter: Chapter 180Scarlett’s POV.The knock still echoes in my ears when the handle turns. Leon is already there before the door even opens, one hand braced against the frame, his whole body tense like he’s preparing for the worst. I stand behind him, clutching the edge of the couch, my heart thudding hard enough that I can hear it.But when the door swings inward, it isn’t danger waiting on the other side. It’s an older woman, breathless and wide-eyed, bundled in a heavy cardigan and house slippers that look too soft for the sand outside.She clutches her phone with shaking hands. “I’m so sorry to bother you,” she said quickly, voice high with nerves. “I wouldn’t have come over this late, but I thought you should know. Someone was climbing your back fence not even fifteen minutes ago.”Leon froze. His tone when he spoke was sharp and intent. “Someone was climbing the fence? Could you see who—or what they looked like?”She glanced between us, flustered. “I’m afraid I couldn’t see properly. I was walkin
Last Updated: 2025-10-31
Chapter: Chapter 179Scarlett’s POV.By the time we arrived back at the beach house, the sun had long begun to sink into the sea, staining the horizon with streaks of deep orange and fading violet. The air outside smelled of salt and summer blooms. The ocean seemed calmer tonight, as though it understood we’d been holding our breath all day and needed the extra peace.The drive home had been silent, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Leon’s hand had rested over the gearshift, close enough that our fingers brushed now and then, though neither of us said much. I knew he was thinking about what we’d found. Of those letters, the bitterness that lingered through generations, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it either.Dana. My mother. The history between them that I never knew existed until today.It still didn’t feel real. That woman’s hate had shaped so much of my life and I hadn’t even known the root cause until now.When we pulled into the driveway, the beach house looked the same, but it felt diffe
Last Updated: 2025-10-31
Chapter: Chapter 178Leon’s POV.The night before hadn’t ended for me; it just bled into morning. I’d dozed off in my chair sometime before dawn, still in the same clothes, the weight of Ezra’s call sitting heavy behind my eyes.I know where Dana is.Those five words had gutted any thought of rest.I sat in the kitchen, half-dressed, half-awake, staring at the coffee I hadn’t touched. The cup had gone cold an hour ago, but I didn’t move to replace it. I was watching the baby monitor on the counter instead, paying attention to the soft breathing sounds and the gentle motion of the twins shifting in their bassinets. Scarlett’s light snores had faded about an hour earlier. Peaceful. I envied that peace.When she finally walked in, sunlight framed her in the doorway—barefoot, her hair loose, her robe tied haphazardly. She looked half-asleep but alert enough to notice my mood.“You’re already up,” she stated. “Or did you not go to bed. Again?”I forced a smile that I knew likely didn’t reach my eyes like I hop
Last Updated: 2025-10-31
Chapter: Chapter 177Leon’s POV.Sleep refused to come.The house was quiet in the way that made silence feel like noise. I could hear the distant pull of the tide, the hum of the generator, the faint creak of the hallway floor whenever the sea wind shifted against the windows. Every noise kept me awake, but it wasn’t the noise keeping me there—it was the name. Dana.Sarah’s voice still played in my mind, casual and warm, completely unaware of the weight she’d dropped into the room with that single word.By the time the clock read nearly two in the morning, I gave up trying to rest. Scarlett and the twins were asleep upstairs, and I didn’t want to wake them. I needed to think, and thinking came easier when I was alone.I went down the hall and opened the door to my office. The air was colder there, touched by the sea. I left the lights low, just the desk lamp on, and sat down. Papers were already spread across the desk, which consisted of Ezra’s reports, property files, old records tied to Scarlett’s moth
Last Updated: 2025-10-31
Chapter: Chapter 176Scarlett’s POV.The first thing I noticed was the smell of coffee.The second was the sound of voices.I opened my eyes slowly, sunlight spilling across the sheets, the faint crash of the ocean breaking against the rocks outside. For a second, I forgot where I was. Everything felt too still, too quiet after last night’s chaos.Then I heard someone sweep glass into a dustpan downstairs, and it all came rushing back—the alarms, the wind, the open window, Leon sitting beside me until sunrise, the shadows that had clung to the edges of the room long after the noise stopped.I sat up carefully, my muscles aching, my mind foggy.The twins were still asleep in their bassinets near the window, bundled tight, their tiny chests rising and falling in rhythm. Relief washed through me seeing them like that—peaceful, untouched by the night’s tension.But it didn’t last long.The moment I tried to stand, James started fussing. A second later, Leila joined him, her soft cry turning into a full-blown
Last Updated: 2025-10-31
Chapter: Chapter 175Leon’s POV.“Leon!”The house lights flickered red, the alarm echoing off every wall. I was halfway down the stairs before I even realized I was barefoot and shirtless, the marble floor ice-cold under my feet. My heart was hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat.Scarlett was in the middle of the living room, hair falling over her shoulders, both babies clutched tight against her chest. The twins were screaming hysterically, their tiny faces red, their cries breaking through the wail of the siren. Scarlett’s face was pale, eyes wide in panic. “What’s happening?” she gasped. “Leon, I think someone is out there! They found us. I think—"“Scarlet… I don’t know—please, stay still. Just stay here,” I pressed, crossing to the wall panel.The alarm lights pulsed in quick, angry bursts. The system was showing a breach. It was on the east wing, near the kitchen.Behind me, the twins cried harder. Scarlett was shaking but refused to move toward the stairs when I motioned for her to go.“
Last Updated: 2025-10-30
Chapter: Chapter 163That evening, Mrs. Humphrey summons me to her office.The candles are already lit when I enter, casting light across the endless shelves of scrolls and books. She doesn’t look up right away. When she finally does, her gaze lingers on the locket around my neck, but doesn’t comment on it.Whether she knows it is from Elijah…“I assume you’ve heard the rumors,” she says.I nod.“Then you already know the school isn’t safe anymore, despite all my efforts to keep our Alpha out of our business.”My stomach tightens as I immediately cut to the chase. “You think a hunter’s really here?”Her tone stays even. “I think too many people are pretending they know what’s going on when they don’t.” She gestures toward the necklace. “Do not take that off. Not under any circumstances.”Okay—so she knows what it is. Yet, she doesn’t ask where I got it or if I know where Elijah is.I assume she might know it’s from him, but possibly presume that he had given it to me before he disappeared. Who knows?Unle
Last Updated: 2025-10-14
Chapter: Chapter 162The Academy feels wrong on so many levels. Though, it had been feeling this way for a good while now.It’s the same stone walls, same echoing halls, same smell of burnt coffee and magical disinfectant—but everything was more intense. Like the whole place is holding its breath.I keep checking the necklace Elijah gave me to make sure nothing else had changed on it. It is still cracked and glowing—hidden from sight beneath my shirt.I have considered on a few occasions to remove it, thinking it might be the cause behind me sudden burst of magic abilities, but reconsidered it. If Elijah had sent it and there might be extra hidden features to it that I was unaware of, he must have had a good reason for it.However, I can’t imagine how my inability to control my magic or moods would benefit us in any way… But, I trust him.By breakfast, rumors are everywhere.Someone claims a cloaked figure was spotted near the east gate. Another swears they saw someone slip into the forest behind the trai
Last Updated: 2025-10-14
Chapter: Chapter 161“Wow,” Celeste mutters. “That escalated fast.”Adrian pushes his tray away. “Look, I just—Mr. Ledger’s getting worse. He’s everywhere, watching everyone. You don’t get it, Nate. You never take anything seriously until it’s too late.”And then he stands and walks off, leaving his half-eaten food and a crater of awkward silence in his wake.Nate stares after him, the grin wiped clean off his face. Then he snorts, shaking his head. “Guess the honeymoon’s over.”“Nate—” I start, but he cuts me off, waving his hand.“Nope. Don’t. I’m fine. Totally fine. Never better. Who needs consistent emotional support anyway?”Celeste gives him a look that could curdle milk. “You’re so full of crap.”“I prefer emotionally constipated, thanks.”Later that day, when I’m heading to Mrs. Humphrey’s office for our “mandatory meditation session,” I overhear something I’m not supposed to.Two Council members are arguing in the corridor outside her door. “—he said she’s the Alpha’s weapon,” one of them whisper
Last Updated: 2025-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 160Mrs. Humphrey doesn’t say anything else after that.She just stares at me, long enough to make my skin crawl. I’m taking a wild guess this was her way to prove a point or give me time to think about it. Which sure, I don’t want to give Mr. Ledger more ammunition to use against me.But could you really blame me?I refuse to sit here and listen to everyone drag Elijah while pretending his psychotic father is the second coming of the Moon Goddess. Who I may add—didn’t seem to favor him either.Then, without another word, Mrs. Humphrey stands, smooths her dress, and tells me I’m dismissed. She doesn’t scold me or give me a further lecture—just that unnerving calm that makes me wish she had yelled.I leave her office still trembling, my mind buzzing with what she said. We don’t want to draw more attention from Mr. Ledger.As if I hadn’t already done that by nearly ripping a student’s throat out.Celeste and Nate are waiting outside the office. Celeste looks furious, Nate looks guilty, and
Last Updated: 2025-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 159Luca leaves after that, claiming he has a few things to take care off. Though we suspect he might have gone to his room to take a nap.The dorm feels overbearing after that conversation. I keep trying to shove the thought away, that breaking the bond might be the only way out, but it slithers back every time.Just thinking about it hurts, not just in my head or my heart, but all the way down to my bones.And I’m not the only one struggling.We’re all restless and on edge and incredibly sleep-deprived.Nate—who has nodded off more than a couple of times, then physically shook himself awake—suddenly jumps to his feet, grabbing his jacket.“Alright. Time to grab some caffeine and sugar,” he declares.I raise an eyebrow. “The cafeteria’s closed. I doubt the kitchen staff will hand out treats this long after curfew.”Nate smirks, wagging a finger. “You underestimate me. Do you really think I’d let something like a little rule stop me? I may have… made an arrangement.”Celeste tilts her hea
Last Updated: 2025-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 158The words land like a blade to the gut.“No.” Nate’s voice snaps, looking like he himself has been personally offended. “Absolutely not.”“Seconded,” Celeste says instantly, arms crossing over her chest. “We’re not breaking the bond. Besides, it seems Elijah sent Hailey some kind of protection charm.”“Some kind of protection. But will it protect them during dreamwalking? How sure are you that will work for it?” Luca just shrugs, the movement casual, but his gaze razor-sharp. “Any better suggestions to keep Hailey awake this time around? No? So, we just wait until we all eventually pass out of exhaustion and lead Alpha-Jerkface straight to Elijah? They’ll kill him, you all know that.”My pulse spikes. “No. Absolutely not. There has to be another way.”“Well, if you come up with anything better, let me know,” Luca shoots back, his voice like flint. “We’re sitting here pretending this is fine, pretending it’s manageable. It’s not. If they’re tracing him through you, this only ends two w
Last Updated: 2025-09-27
Burn For Me : Bound By The Mafia King
I was told to prove my loyalty.
Instead, they left me to burn.
My name’s Calistra Ford—Cali, to the idiots who think they know me. I was born to the mafia—wrapped in elegance, forged in blood under a kingpin who calls himself my father. He gave me one shot to earn my place: infiltrate enemy territory, steal something priceless, and survive.
I did it. Bruised, bleeding, victorious.
And just as I ran for freedom, my brothers—my own family—locked the car doors and drove off without me.
They handed me the gun, but turns out I was the target all along.
Now, I’m a prisoner to our enemy.
And Hale “Hellbringer” Holt is the one holding the chains.
He’s cold. Lethal. Unreadable. Everything I should hate.
He should’ve killed me.
But instead… he married me.
Bound by a contract and shackled in silk. Tied to his empire by blood and silence.
I was raised to bleed for my people—now, my loyalty is dead.
They offered me up as bait. All except my sister, Belle—still trapped in their den of evil.
And if I have to set the world on fire to save her, I will.
Starting with the family that betrayed me.
And I’m dragging Hellbringer into the flames with me.
Read
Chapter: 165. Falling Cali’s pov.The house was too quiet for what we were planning. Not the kind of quiet that offered peace—but the kind that felt like the calm before something ancient cracked open and swallowed you whole.I stood outside Belle’s door for a full minute before I knocked.Not because I didn’t want to see her.But because I didn’t know how to say goodbye.Not this time.Not when we both knew where I was going.And who I might have to kill to make it back.“Come in,” she called softly, her voice thinner than usual.I stepped inside, trying not to show how hard it hit me.She was curled on the small settee near the window, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, her legs tucked up underneath her. A tray of untouched food sat beside her. Some steaming herbal tea. A slice of something Hale’s chef had probably handmade like a saint.She hadn’t touched it.Her skin was pale again. Too pale. Like she was fading from the inside out.“Rosalita’s hovering,” Belle said, offering a ghost of a smile. “I told
Last Updated: 2025-07-31
Chapter: 164. Human CurrencyCali’s pov. I didn’t sleep that night.Not because of the adrenaline still crawling under my skin, or because of the shot I fired in that clearing. Not even because of the dead man’s face burned into the back of my eyelids.I didn’t sleep because something was wrong.Not just wrong in the way it always is when Ryker’s involved. Not in the way the world has always felt tilted since the day my mother bled out beside a piano bench.No. This was different.This was the kind of wrong that comes with silence. The kind that whispers instead of screams.Hale had gone downstairs hours ago. He told me to rest. Said I’d done enough for one day.But even as he said it, I knew he wasn’t going to rest. Not with Ryker back in the picture. Not with blood spilled and no answers to show for it.So I sat by the window. Legs pulled up. Face turned to the wind.And waited for something I didn’t have a name for.It came just after three a.m.Not a sound. Not a scream.A flash.A flicker in the surveillanc
Last Updated: 2025-07-31
Chapter: 163. RykerRyker’s pov. There was blood on his gloves again.Not fresh. Not warm. But dried and flaking in a way that left a reddish dust on everything he touched. It didn’t bother Ryker. He didn’t even notice it anymore.The safehouse was quiet, save for the hum of the generators two floors down and the faint whimpering of the idiot who thought tailing a Holt van alone was a good idea. He was duct-taped to a chair now, head lolling, one eye already swollen shut.Ryker didn’t care about his name. Never asked. He wasn’t here for confessions.Only confirmation.“You followed the car,” he said simply, voice flat, even. “Tell me what you saw.”The man tried to speak, lips sticky with blood.Ryker crouched, gloved fingers lifting the man’s chin.“Don’t make me ask twice.”“…a girl…” the man rasped. “Brunette. Thin. Looked like… like Ford’s daughter.”Ryker’s jaw twitched. “Which one?”“I— I don’t know—”“Was she limping?”The man blinked slowly. “Didn’t notice. She didn’t see me. I think— I think sh
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 162. The TeamHale’s pov.The sun hadn’t yet broken through the forest line when I saw her silhouette move through the clearing.Cali walked like a shadow sharpened to a point—precise, quiet, no wasted motion. She kept her head low beneath the scarf, hands gloved, phone already preloaded and tucked against her ribs like it was worth more than her own pulse.And maybe it was.This whole operation hinged on her slipping in and out without being seen, without being recognized. Without being shot.I watched from the northeast slope, crouched beneath the rusted ruins of a derailed transport train. My men were stationed in the brush, two hundred meters out. Far enough not to draw attention. Close enough to strike on command.Through the scope, I tracked Cali’s every step. Her boots pressed into cold, brittle gravel. Her jacket billowed lightly in the breeze. The moment she hit the center of the clearing, she dropped to one knee and placed the burner phone just beneath a broken slab of concrete, exactly w
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 161. Let The Hunt BeginCali’s pov.The stars looked closer from up here.Closer… and colder.The observatory felt like a relic from another lifetime, a place built for watching the sky long before any of us ever came along and filled the ground with blood and betrayal. There were still metal plates bolted into the walls, fractured star charts curling along the ceiling, their faded ink showing constellations that didn’t seem to match anything I recognized anymore.Maybe that was the point.Hale and I had chosen this place for one reason: it was untraceable. No digital signal reached this far out. No wireless connection. No buried bug or camera or soft piece of code feeding back to some mole in our systems. It was off-grid, offline, and—for now—untouchable.But that didn’t mean I felt safe.Safety was a story people told themselves. I’d learned that when I was five.I stood by the old, warped glass of the main viewing room, arms wrapped tightly around myself as I stared down the thick line of trees below. The
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 160. Unexpected TurnHale’s pov.The second I saw that message—Ryker’s smug, digital signature crawling across my screen like a parasite—I shut everything down.No warnings. No system diagnostics. No polite disengage.Just the master override key and a single command: kill the feed.The entire estate went dark from the inside out. Every internal security loop, every backup server, every feed tied to the external sensors—offline. Cut at the source. I didn’t care how many protocols it broke. If Ryker had been watching us, if he’d embedded himself into our walls, our wires, our lives—then I was done giving him the benefit of the doubt.No more waiting. No more wondering.We were at war now.Cali moved the second she saw my face. She didn’t need to ask. She read it the way soldiers read detonators—silent, tight, seconds away from ignition. She walked out of the room without a word, her hand brushing mine as she passed, and within minutes she was back with Belle’s medications and a weatherproof duffel slung ov
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
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