Novels by Cherish

I woke to find the spot beside me empty. Of course, he was gone. What had I expected from a man who'd spent years tormenting me? My mind drifted back to the night before, the way he'd taken me with such fierce intensity, as if claiming something he'd always wanted but never dared to admit. By the time he finally collapsed beside me, my cheeks were wet with tears, my hair tangled, my body trembling from exhaustion. He'd held me afterward, fingers tracing idle circles on my skin, whispering things I wasn't sure were real or just the haze of pleasure. And yet here I was now, lying alone in his bed, the sheets still warm but the space beside me already cold. I scoffed under my breath. Figures. To think I was actually feeling guilty about my deal with Mason. My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since yesterday. I sighed and pushed myself up. The moment my feet hit the floor, my knees buckled, and I dropped back onto the bed with a wince. "Great," I muttered. "He act

Before I could process his words, he plunged in, earning a gasp from me. He was so big, he filled me up to the brim, making my eyes roll back. "Fuck," he swallowed, looking down before looking back up at me. “Have you done this before?" I shook my head, too consumed to form words. It wasn't my first time. "You fucked some other wolf?" He whispered in my ear, low, dangerous. I froze. He chuckled drily, the sound sharp. "You're mine, Talia," he growled. I locked eyes with him. His eyes were dark with lust and something else, something primal. "I wasn't yours when it happened," I defended. He didn't respond, just pulled back and slammed back in. My entire body shook with the force and my eyes rolled back. He didn't stop, didn't give me a minute to breathe. He thrusted in and out of me in a brutal pace. I held on to his shoulders, claws digging in as he fucked my brains out. All train of thoughts disappeared, the world outside disappeared till it was just the two of us, my

The kiss was soft, slow, sensual. One hand remained on the back of my neck while the other roamed my body, caressing softly.For a moment, it felt like he was holding back, like every brush of his fingers was a test of control.I pulled back slightly, breath trembling. "When did you become this gentle, Cassian?"His lips twitched, a dangerous spark lighting in his eyes. "You sound like you'd prefer otherwise.""Maybe I would," I murmured, letting my voice drop, teasing. "You're not usually this... restrained."That did it. His grip tightened, the air shifted, and the restraint vanished. His next kiss wasn't soft, it was urgent, possessive, almost punishing. The kind that made my thoughts scatter and my pulse race.He tilted my head back, deepening the kiss until I could barely breathe, the quiet hum of control replaced by something wild and raw. My fingers clutched hard on his shirt, as if that could steady me against the force of him.“I want you so bad,” he growled as his hand went

The suite was dim when I walked in; the faint scent of sandalwood lingered.Was he … I whipped around, my heart thrumming in excitement.He was sitting on the edge of the couch, jacket off, sleeves rolled, head bowed like he'd been waiting a while. The sight froze me where I stood.Cassian.For a heartbeat, neither of us spoke. The air hummed, sharp, heavy, electric. I held the knob behind me, watching him with a racing heart. "Long day?" he said finally, his voice quiet but edged.I tried for casual. "You could say that. Tasha came by."He looked up then, eyes catching mine, unreadable. "I know. Mrs. Alanna mentioned it."Of course he knew. He always did. I thought of my deal with Mason. I probably should tell him. He might lash out, but he had to know. Right ?I set my bag down carefully, buying myself a few seconds. "I was actually going to talk to you about…"But before I could finish, he stood, crossing the space between us in two strides. My words tangled in my throat.His han

By the time I walked Tasha to her car, the sun had started dipping behind the hills, smearing orange light across the rooftops. She was still talking a mile a minute about everything she wanted us to do next time: brunch, spa day, "actual sister bonding that doesn't involve the ghost of your angry alpha."I laughed, mostly because she wanted me to."Try not to start another scandal while I'm gone," she teased, sliding her sunglasses up."No promises," I said, and she winked, blowing me a kiss before driving off down the road that led out of the pack compound.The quiet that followed was sudden. The kind that made you aware of your own breathing.For the first time all day, I was alone.I started walking back up the stone path toward the main house. The late evening air smelled like pine and something faintly sweet, probably from the garden Cassian's mother used to tend before she passed. It was peaceful here, deceptively so.I'd almost reached the steps when a voice called from the si

I was ready for war.Or, at the very least, for Mrs. Alanna’s disapproving glare and a lecture on “Luna decorum.”Instead, when I walked into the library that morning, she looked up from her book, smiled faintly, and said,“You’re early, Luna.”No scowl. No lecture. Just… calm. That was suspicious. Terrifying, even.I stood there awkwardly. “I thought you’d… uh…want to discuss yesterday’s… situation.”“Yesterday?” she asked mildly, flipping a page. “Oh, you mean the luncheon? No need. It’s handled.”Handled?I blinked. “No need? I practically started a pack scandal. Kira might still be plotting my death.”Mrs. Alanna actually chuckled. “Kira’s family will live. You did what most Lunas wouldn’t… you stood your ground.”Okay, now I was officially creeped out. Either she’d been replaced by a clone or Cassian had spoken to her. That man had a way of shifting everyone’s tone without saying a word.“And you flirted with your mate, claimed him, even. It’s good for appearances.”What ? My ch

Jasmine’s POVThe morning of our departure came heavy, my body dragging as if weighed down by stones. My head throbbed in a dull, relentless rhythm, and though I tried to hide it, every step felt weaker than the last. My reflection in the mirror had betrayed me earlier, pale skin, dark circles etched under my eyes, lips almost bloodless.Ciro noticed, of course. He always did."Are you sure you're well enough to travel?" he asked, his voice low, careful, as though saying the wrong thing might make me break.I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "I'll be fine. It's just nerves."That much wasn't a lie. My chest was tight with anxiety, fear twisting like a knife in my gut. Going back to my pack, to the place where it had all started, I wasn't ready. But at the same time, I needed answers. Besides that anxiety, something else twisted in my guts. It felt like an impending feeling of doom. Something felt … off. I didn’t know what it was but I couldn’t shake it off. Ciro reache

Unknown POV; I moved like a shadow through the empty corridors, my steps light but deliberate. I learned, long ago, how to walk unnoticed, how to make my presence as forgettable as dust on stone. Tonight, though, the weight in my chest, the truth, the secret made my pulse race.The council thinks of me as sharp-tongued, bitter, a loyal defender of tradition. They have no idea how much blood already stains my hands.I slip into the room quietly. Duncan waits by the window, silver light pouring over him, sharpening the angles of his face. When he sees me, his lips curve, but there is nothing kind in the expression."You're late," Duncan mutters."I had to be careful," I say, cool, brushing imaginary dust from my sleeve. "Ciro has eyes everywhere now. Especially after Falcon."His smirk deepens at the name; he doesn't need to speak it. We both know what I did that day, the subtle twist of poison on the rogue's blade, the way I manoeuvred the scene so all suspicion landed squarely on the

Ciro's office was unnervingly quiet that night. Papers lay scattered across his desk, reports from border patrols and whispers of rogue movement. But none of it seemed to matter—his thoughts were still anchored to me, pale and feverish on the couch. I could feel it through the bond. He had insisted on keeping me close by, claiming he needed to keep an eye on me. Now here I lay across from him, watching him struggle to keep his attention on the paper in his hand. My body still felt weak, heavy. The sharp buzz of his phone broke through the silence. Unknown number. His jaw clenched and I could almost see his eyes flash with anger, but he swiped the screen anyway.I couldn’t hear anything on the other end but I could tell it wasn’t good, from the way Ciro’s body tensed. I wondered who it was. He removed the phone from his ear and made to hang up butt then he caught sight of me, curled up weakly in the armchair by the fire, wrapped in one of his shirts. My head tilted, eyes hazy with f

Jasmine’s POV The first drop startled me.Warm, metallic, sliding from my nose to the back of my lip. I swiped at it absently, only for my fingers to come away red. Blood.“Jasmine?” Amaya’s voice rose from the corner of the room where she’d been tidying. She’d been spending a lot of time with me lately, watching me with concern. Or fear? Caution? I didn’t know which one.She was at my side in seconds, eyes wide. “Gods—you’re bleeding.”I tried to laugh it off, but my body betrayed me. The fatigue I’d been pushing back finally caught up to me as my knees buckled, the world tilting violently. I fell. Amaya caught me before I hit the floor.I could feel fear… concern—emotions that didn’t belong to me. It was the bond, Ciro could feel my weakness. As if on cue, he burst through the door a heartbeat later, his eyes flashing as he took in the scene. “What happened?”“She just—” Amaya’s voice cracked, confused. “She just started bleeding. Out of nowhere. And she… she lost her balance.”Cir

Amaya’s POVI hesitated outside the Alpha's office, my palms damp. Damn it. I’m not a little princess, I can handle an Alpha. I’ve handled Jasmine’s father, Ciro was no different. Yet, his aura seemed different, almost… suppressed. I could feel whatever beast lurking beneath him was powerful, more powerful than any wolf I’ve ever met. The guards at the door exchanged wary looks but didn't stop me. I knocked once, twice, thrice, then pushed the door open before I could lose my nerve.Ciro sat behind his desk, shoulders hunched, his gaze fixed on a map sprawled out in front of him. He didn't look up. "What is it, Amaya?"I lifted my chin. "It's about Jasmine."That made him glance up, his grey eyes sharp as knives. "Go on."I stepped further in, closing the door behind me. My voice was careful, steady, though my heart beat too fast. "I've been thinking about her …powers, about how her health keeps failing every time they surface. She has always had health issues but it has become worse

Ciro’s POVThe council room was quiet, save for the crackling fire. I sat at the head of the long table, fingers steepled beneath my chin, replaying every moment of that night—based on the reports.The border guards hadn't just fallen asleep. That kind of lapse didn't happen—not without interference. Someone had betrayed us from within. A drug most likely. Someone within the guards had done it, on someone’s orders. My gaze swept the empty chairs as though they could offer me answers. Tilda, Duncan, even some of the older wolves... all of them had motives, all of them had whispered doubts about Jasmine long before Falcon's death. And yet the rogues had struck with precision that didn't feel like coincidence. I fell into a coma for three days, my beta died and my "Who are you?" I muttered under my breath. "And how far are you willing to go?"I knew the answer to that question. It had to be my cousin Duncan and his sister, but I couldn’t act, not with the council flanking behind them.