Novels by StarsTouch pen

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the bedroom window, warm and unhurried, settling over Caierre's face until he finally opened his eyes to greet them. For a long moment he simply lay still, listening to the quiet breathing beside him, letting the ordinary hush of the room settle fully into his chest.There was no screaming in his head. No cold, patient voice waiting to whisper his name the moment his guard slipped. No darkness lingering at the edges of sleep, ready to drag him under the instant he closed his eyes.There was only peace.He turned his head, and found Alvar still asleep beside him, hair mussed against the pillow, one arm stretched across the space between them as though even sleep hadn't fully convinced him Caierre would be there when he reached for him. Caierre smiled at the sight, something warm and quiet settling behind his ribs.It was strange, how ordinary it all felt.~~He had once believed, somewhere in the exhausted, desperate depths of everything they'

A few months passed, and the world slowly began to remember how to breathe again.The borders reopened one by one, cautious at first, then with growing ease, as packs who had marched against each other in fear of a returned Mad Wolf began the long, patient work of returning home and rebuilding what the war had cost them. The name Vaelor no longer carried the weight it once had. It was spoken now the way old, distant history is spoken—with curiosity more than dread, with the beginnings of understanding rather than the reflexive fear that had colored every mention of it for six centuries.Caierre found himself traveling through the old territories with Alvar at his side, not as an heir seeking to reclaim anything, not as a king in waiting, but simply as someone finally allowed to walk through the ruins of his own history without carrying its full weight on his shoulders alone.~~They reached Asterion on a clear, cold morning, the crystal spires still standing tall and glittering despit

The road back from Frostfang felt different in ways Caierre hadn't expected. No cold pressure lingered at the edges of his thoughts. No voice waited patient in the dark corners of his mind, whispering his name with cruel, unhurried satisfaction. No shadow followed them between the trees, watching, calculating, waiting for a moment of weakness to exploit.The kingdoms were still healing. Villages burned by fear-driven war still smoldered in places, and grief hung heavy over more than a few borders they crossed. But the fighting itself had stopped. Word had spread fast, carried by messengers and scouts alike, that the Mad Wolf everyone had feared for six generations had never been the threat at all—and that whatever truly had been, was finally, completely gone. Packs that had raised weapons against each other only days before now stood at wary, careful distance, lowering blades one hesitant gesture at a time.It wasn't peace yet. But it was the beginning of something that could grow int

Light flooded every corner of the ancient chamber, and through it, the darkness came rushing toward him—not as a beast, not as anything with claws or teeth, but as memory after memory crashing over him at once. Fear that had once driven a frightened king to bind rather than trust. Hatred nursed carefully across generations. Grief for wars fought over pride that had never needed fighting at all. Every death spent in the name of protecting something that hadn't required that much blood to keep safe.For a thousand years, the curse had fed on exactly this. And now, cornered, unraveling, it was trying to return to the only place it had ever truly belonged.To him.~~Aeric watched the crimson energy gather thick around Caierre, and something in the ancient king's expression had shifted entirely, the anger that had carried him through every previous confrontation finally giving way to something far more exhausted."You understand now," Aeric said, quiet. "The curse was never a creature.""

He stood frozen in the wreckage of the shattered chamber, staring at the empty space where Caierre had vanished, and the bond—still there, still alive, still unmistakably *his*—felt suddenly distant in a way that made his chest ache with something close to physical pain. He could hear Caierre breathing through it, faint but real, and he clung to that thin thread of proof the way a drowning man clings to driftwood."Where are you?" he asked, urgent, voice cracking.Silence answered him for several agonizing seconds. Then Caierre's voice returned, weaker now, but clear.*Under the seal.*Alvar's eyes dropped to the broken markings still glowing faint beneath his boots. A narrow crack had split the stone, silver light bleeding up through it in slow, steady pulses—the same light that had surrounded them both moments before Caierre disappeared entirely."I'm coming," Alvar said, already moving toward it.*No.*His jaw tightened. "I'm not asking."*Alvar, listen to me. There's something her

The warning came too late, and Caierre felt the mate bond shift the moment it happened—the warmth he'd known as Alvar's for weeks now still there, unmistakable, but buried beneath something cold and grasping that had wedged itself into the connection and was forcing its way through, inch by violent inch.Caierre didn't step back."Alvar. Look at me."Alvar's body trembled, visibly fighting whatever had seized hold of him, and his grip tightened hard around his sword hilt—not to raise it against Caierre, but to hurl the blade clattering across the chamber, as far from either of them as he could throw it."Get away from me," he ground out, teeth clenched against the effort of even forming the words.Caierre shook his head. "I'm not leaving you."~~The darkness inside him surged, sudden and violent, driving him hard to his knees. Alvar gasped, and Caierre felt the wave of it crash through the bond—memories not his own, ancient and vivid, the first Alpha kneeling before Aeric, blood-slic

꧁♡ 𝓣𝓲𝓶♡꧂ “Stop running, Micah!” My voice echoed through the house as the little menace laughed loudly while running down the stairs with one shoe on and the other missing. “I don’t wanna wear it!” he shouted back dramatically. “You said the same thing about the pants!” “Because they’re itchy!” “They are not itchy!” “Yes they are!” I heard Frank snort from the kitchen. Traitor. I glared toward the sound while still trying to chase after a six year old that somehow moved faster than grown adults. This was my life now. And honestly? I loved it. Two years ago, Frank and I had decided to stay in Italy permanently. What started as temporary peace slowly became home before either of us realized it. I resigned from the hospital back in New York, and surprisingly, I didn’t regret it. Italy felt softer. Slower. Like life here gave us permission to breathe. Frank had built a legitimate business here too, and although I knew there were still shadows of his old life hanging arou

꧁♡ 𝓣𝓲𝓶♡꧂The moment we stepped into the room, Sheila immediately wiped her tears away like they had never existed in the first place.It was honestly impressive.One second she looked like she was about to break down in the hallway and the next she had that same cold expression back on her face like emotions personally offended her.Phil noticed too.I could tell from the tiny smile that appeared on his lips before he quickly hid it behind sarcasm. Sheila walked toward the bed slowly, crossing her arms once she stopped beside him.“So,” she said flatly. “You’re still alive.”Phil looked pale as hell against the pillows, but somehow he still managed to smirk. “Disappointed?”“A little.”“Wow,” he muttered dramatically. “And here I thought you’d cry over me.”Sheila rolled her eyes instantly. “Don’t flatter yourself.”“I got shot for this relationship.”“There is no relationship.”“Cold.”She stared down at him for a second longer before muttering quietly, “You look terrible.”Phil g

꧁♡ 𝓣𝓲𝓶♡꧂“Frank.”His name left my mouth immediately the moment I saw him standing there. For one second, I genuinely thought I was hallucinating.Maybe it was the alcohol still sitting in my system. Maybe it was the panic from almost getting assaulted. Maybe my brain had simply missed him too much and decided to create him out of thin air.But no.He was real.Standing under the dim streetlights with murder written all over his face, my breath caught in my throat as I stared at him. The black coat hanging over his shoulders moved slightly with the night breeze, his expression cold enough to freeze the entire damn street.The man pinning me against the wall finally noticed him too. “Who the fu—”Frank moved before he could finish.Everything happened so fast.One second Luca was still holding me and the next Frank had grabbed him violently by the collar and slammed him against the nearby wall so hard the sound echoed.Sheila gasped nearby.Luca barely got the chance to react befor

꧁♡ 𝔉𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔨 ♡꧂The moment the doctor told me Phil was going to be fine, the tightness around my chest finally loosened.“He lost a lot of blood,” the doctor explained while adjusting his gloves, “but the bullet missed anything fatal. He’ll need rest and observation for a few days.”I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face. “Thank you.”The doctor nodded once before walking away down the hallway, leaving me standing there outside the private ward with exhaustion practically hanging off my body.Everything from the last twenty four hours crashed into me all at once. Kagemoto Kazama was dead, Laura was dead, Eric was dead and Tim was somewhere in Italy probably worrying himself sick.I leaned back briefly against the wall and closed my eyes for a second.Just one second.That was all I allowed myself before pushing away and walking toward Phil’s room. The VIP ward was quiet when I stepped inside. Machines beeped softly while Phil laid against the hospital bed looking pale as hell

꧁♡ 𝔉𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔨 ♡꧂“I need to get to Tim.”The words kept leaving my mouth between breaths as I forced myself forward through the smoke. My lungs burned with every inhale, heat clawing at my skin while flames swallowed what used to be Kagemoto Kazama’s estate behind us.The bastard really meant it when he said the building was going down with him.The explosion had thrown both me and Phil across the office. I still couldn’t hear properly from the blast ringing in my ears, but adrenaline kept my body moving even when every muscle screamed at me to stop.“Move,” I coughed out while dragging Phil’s arm over my shoulder.Phil groaned beside me. “You know… this is officially the worst house visit ever.”“Shut up and walk.”“I’m trying.”Another explosion thundered somewhere deeper inside the estate, shaking the entire floor beneath us. Part of the ceiling collapsed behind us with a deafening crash, sparks and debris scattering everywhere.“Jesus Christ,” Phil muttered.Smoke filled the hallw

꧁♡ 𝓣𝓲𝓶♡꧂“Tim, stop worrying. I’m sure he’s fine.”Sheila’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts for barely two seconds before my attention drifted back to my phone again. I stared at the screen, waiting for it to light up, waiting for Frank’s name to appear, waiting for anything.Nothing.I sighed and dropped the phone onto the table for what was probably the fiftieth time that day.“At least that’s what you said thirty minutes ago,” I muttered.Sheila rolled her eyes from where she was stretched across the couch in Frank's Italy Mansion. “Because it’s still true thirty minutes later.”I rubbed a hand down my face tiredly. “You don’t know that.”“And neither do you,” she countered immediately. “If something happened to Frank, Peter would call, that man treats his phone like it’s attached to his soul.”I wanted to argue with her, but deep down I knew she was right. Peter would have said something. He wouldn’t hide it from me if things had gone wrong.At least… I hoped he wouldn’t.S

Noah’s POVThe cold air hit me the second I stepped out of the small store. I didn’t even bother to put the change into my pocket; it sat crumpled in my palm with the water bottle pressed against it. My only thought was River. He had looked pale when I left him by the car, his hands still trembling after everything that had just happened inside that house.I knew he’d never admit how shaken he was, but I could see it in his eyes. The haunted way he stared at walls, the way his fingers rubbed against his jeans like he was grounding himself. He was strong, stronger than anyone gave him credit for but I still wanted to do something, even if it was just to bring him water.I quickened my steps, my heart lighter at the thought of putting the bottle in his hand, seeing that small, grateful smile he gave me even in the darkest moments. For a second, just a second, life felt normal.Then everything shattered.I heard it before I saw it, the screech of tires, sharp and violent, tearing through

Daniel’s POVThe flashing red and blue lights of the squad car washed over the front of the house, painting everything in hard color. Marcus was in the back seat, still yelling, though the closed door muffled his voice. An officer slammed the door shut and walked around to the driver’s side. Another officer gave me a nod, a silent acknowledgment that they’d take it from here.I watched the car pull away, taillights glowing in the dark. My fists were still clenched. My chest felt tight. I could still see Marcus’s face in my mind, the grin, the way his eyes had locked onto River. Even with his hands cuffed, he’d tried to twist toward River like he couldn’t help himself.I turned to where River stood near the porch steps. His arms were wrapped around himself. He looked small under the flickering light, like he was holding himself together by force.I moved to him slowly, not wanting to startle him. “It’s over,” I said quietly. My voice felt rough in my throat.River nodded, but his eyes

River’s POV The whole ride over felt like I was holding my breath. Christian had gotten the trace back faster than I thought possible, one second he was typing on his laptop, eyes flicking across the screen, and the next he was turning to Daniel and Noah with a location. He didn’t say much, just rattled off an address in a clipped tone, like he’d been waiting for this moment. Daniel had grabbed his coat. Noah had given me a look that said he wasn’t going to let me go alone. And before I could even process it, we were in the car. I sat in the back seat, squeezed between Noah and my own thoughts, staring out at the passing streets. The city lights blurred against the window. I tried not to think about the text still glowing on my phone. I know where you are. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I kept them shoved deep in my jacket pockets so nobody would see. Noah kept glancing at me, his knee bouncing slightly. Daniel was in the front, arms tight across his chest. Christian drove with bo

River’s POVThe air in the cabin was filled with tension after I said yes. Like the walls had shifted closer, sealing me in with a decision I couldn’t take back. My phone sat on the table between us, harmless in appearance, but my entire chest ached looking at it.Christian gave me a slow nod, the kind that carried quiet reassurance. He wasn’t warm exactly, but there was something steady about him, something that made me feel like he wasn’t just here out of duty.“I’ll need your consent in writing,” he said, already pulling a small form from his bag. “It’s just to confirm you’re aware of what I’ll be doing and that you’re authorizing me to monitor incoming activity.”I stared at the paper like it was heavier than stone. Consent. The word made me pause. Because how many times had I felt like my choices weren’t mine anymore? How many times had someone else pushed me into corners until the only answer was yes?But this time was different. I was still scared, but I was choosing it. I had

River’s POVThe morning light pushed through the curtains, soft and hazy, like it was trying not to disturb me. I sat at the edge of the bed with my hands pressed together, staring at the floor. My body felt heavy, but it wasn’t from sleep, it was from everything weighing down my chest. The message. Daniel’s reaction. And now this meeting with Christian.I rubbed my face and let out a breath. My stomach had been twisting since Daniel suggested it yesterday. It wasn’t that I disagreed. I knew he was right. If someone could trace the texts, if someone could finally put an end to this sick game, then I had to allow it. Still, the thought of giving my phone over to someone else, letting them see parts of me I didn’t even share out loud, it made me restless.The sound of water running in the bathroom pulled me back. Noah had insisted on coming with me today. He didn’t say it directly, but I knew why—he didn’t trust Daniel completely, and he didn’t trust me around Daniel either. That jealou

River’s POVI couldn’t keep still.The apartment was too quiet, too tight, too heavy. I sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the wall like it had answers. The lamp cast a weak yellow glow over the room, but it felt dim compared to the storm in my head. My fingers kept twitching, opening and closing, as if my body needed to do something, anything, instead of just sitting there.Noah had gone into the bedroom a while ago, maybe to change, maybe to breathe, I didn’t know. He had this way of pulling back when he was too quiet, and I didn’t want to push him, not tonight. I already felt like I was asking too much of him.I kept hearing Daniel’s voice in my head. The way he leaned across the table earlier, telling me we’d meet someone who could help. Someone who could trace the messages, dig into them, and maybe, finally, give me an answer. His confidence had steadied me for a moment, but now that I was alone, the weight of it all came crashing back.Two stalkers. One

ᴬˡⁱˢᵗᵉʳI was on my way to see Beckett when I noticed his office door wasn't completely closed. It was only open slightly, enough for a small gap to show between the door and the frame, and I slowed down as I approached. I had my hand halfway toward the handle when I heard voices coming from inside. One of them was Beckett's, and I recognized it immediately.I stopped.I hadn't planned on seeing him, at least not without having a reason ready. There were things I wanted to discuss with him, but lately, every conversation between us seemed to become more complicated than I expected. Beckett had made it clear that he didn't want to go back to what we had, and after everything that had happened, I knew I couldn't keep acting as though his decision didn't matter.Still, I had come looking for him.I stood outside the door for another moment, listening to the quiet conversation inside. I couldn't make out every word, but then I heard Beckett laugh, and something about that sound made me

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭“Are you jealous?”The question slipped out before I could stop myself.A devilish idea had already started forming in my head, and judging by the way Malakai was looking at me, I knew I was about to have a little fun with him.Apparently, spending so much time around Malakai had made me playful in my own way.His eyebrows pulled together slightly as he stared at me, almost as if he couldn't believe I had actually asked him that.“Hell I am.”The answer came so quickly that I almost laughed.There wasn't even a moment of hesitation.I pressed my lips together, trying to hide my amusement, but the small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth probably gave me away.Malakai noticed.Of course he did.His eyes narrowed slightly. “You're enjoying this.”“I have no idea what you're talking about.”“You're smiling.”“I smile sometimes.”“Not like that.”I raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”He stared at me for another second before shaking his head.“Fuck, never mind.”That only

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭The weekend with my family had been really awkward, especially with Alfie and his parents showing up.What made it worse was how comfortable he seemed.He walked around my parents' house like he had never left, talking to everyone, laughing with my parents, and acting like the years between then and now had never happened. Meanwhile, I had spent most of the weekend trying not to think too much about it.By the time I left my parents' house on Tuesday night and returned to my apartment, I was exhausted.I thought I would finally get some sleep.I was wrong.I barely slept throughout the night, mostly because my head had been throbbing again. I had been dealing with the headaches for a while now, but they seemed to be getting worse lately. Sometimes the pain was manageable, and other times it felt like someone was pressing hard against the inside of my skull.I kept telling myself it was probably stress, lack of sleep, or the amount of work I had been dealing with. There

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭“Can you head to town and get drinks? Seems like we're out of them.”My mother asked it from the kitchen while I was still trying to settle into the house. I looked at her, wondering if she was serious.“Now?”“Yes, now. We don't have enough for tomorrow.”I let out a quiet sigh and pushed myself off the chair. I had barely been home for a few hours, and somehow I had already been sent on an errand.Before I could say anything else, my mother turned toward Alfie.“Oh, Alfie, please go with him.”I stopped for a second.Alfie looked at her, then at me, before nodding.“Sure.”There was no reason for me to object. It was only a quick trip to town, and I wasn't about to start explaining why I didn't need someone to accompany me just because that someone happened to be Alfie.So, a few minutes later, I was sitting in the passenger seat while Alfie drove the truck.I rested my elbow against the window and looked outside as we left the house. The sky had already darkened, and

𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒊 “I heard what happened, so I brought you flowers.” Hailey said it the moment we were alone. She walked over to my bed and placed the flowers carefully on the small table beside me before pulling the chair closer and sitting down. I looked at the flowers for a moment, taking in the bright colors before looking back at her. “They're nice.” “I wasn't sure what kind you would like, so I just picked these.” “You didn't have to bring me anything.” “I know, but I wanted to.” I gave her a small nod. “Thanks.” She smiled and settled into the chair, her eyes moving around the room as if she was taking everything in. The room was quieter now that the guys had left, and having Hailey sitting there made the silence feel different. I glanced at the flowers again. They weren't anything extravagant. Just a simple bunch she had probably picked up on her way here, but I appreciated the gesture. Hailey had always been thoughtful in small ways like that. It was one of the things

𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒊“Fiancé.”That was the only word I could think about after the man left the room.Beckett never mentioned he had a fiancé. Not once. I knew he had an ex because he had told me about him before, but even that relationship had ended not too long ago. So how could he already have a fiancé?I stared at the door for a few seconds, my mind going through everything Beckett had ever told me. I tried to remember if he had ever mentioned someone from his past who could possibly fit that description, but nothing came to mind. Beckett wasn't exactly the type to hide things from me, at least not when it came to his personal life.Then again, there were still things about him I didn't know.I rubbed my face and sighed. Maybe I was thinking too much about it. The man could have been joking. From the way Beckett reacted to him, it was obvious they knew each other well, but that didn't automatically mean they were together.Still, fiancé was a pretty big word to throw around.Had he som