Chapter: CHAPTER FIVE: THE PHOTOGRAPHCASSIAN POV My head felt like it was splitting by the time my driver pulled over two miles down the mountain road.I gripped the head rest of the seat in front of me until my knuckles turned white, trying to breathe through the pain."Sir, are you alright?" my driver asked from the front seat.Marcus Jr, my uncle's nephew, has been driving me for three years now. "I'm fine," I said, even though I wasn't, "just give me a minute." "Did you get what you came for?" he asked. "Yes," I said, "Elena agreed to the contract." "Did she seem different to you?" he asked. I thought about Elena standing at that gate, hatred burning in her eyes. "She's hiding something," I said. "What makes you say that?" "Just a feeling," I rubbed my temples, Marcus Jr was quiet for a moment."You know, you really should look at that photo again," he said, "the one you took last week when you drove up here." My blood went cold. "I wasn't here last week," I said. "Yes, you were," Marcus Jr insisted, "Th
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-22
Chapter: CHAPTER FOUR: THE PROPOSALELENA POV "Keep Maya inside, no matter what happens, don't let her come out here." Sophie stared at me like I'd lost my mind."Elena, you can't go out there alone," she said. "I have to," I said, already moving toward the door, "just keep her inside, please."I walked out before either of them could argue, my legs shaking with every step toward the front gate.Five years since I'd seen Cassian Vandenberg's face, five years since he had destroyed me in front of everyone. I reached the intercom and pressed the button."What are you doing here?" I said, "How did you find me?""That doesn't matter," Cassian's voice came through the speaker, "I need to talk to you.""We have nothing to talk about." "Please," he said, "five minutes, that's all I'm asking."I walked down the long driveway to the gate, keeping the metal bars between us like a barrier. Up close, he looked terrible, with dark circles under his eyes, skin too pale, and his scent was wrong.Muted, like something was dying i
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-22
Chapter: CHAPTER THREE: FIVE YEARS GONEELENA POV "We're three months behind on the mortgage, Elena, three months."Mateo stood in my tiny office at Silvermist Sanctuary, waving a stack of red-stamped envelopes like they were evidence in a trial.Five years had passed since I'd left the Obsidian Pack territory, five years of building this wildlife refuge from nothing, and now it was all falling apart."I know how far behind we are," I said, not looking up from the expense reports on my desk, "I'm the one who opens the bills.""Then you know we need to make a decision," Mateo said, his voice gentler now, "maybe it's time to sell, cut our losses before we lose everything."I looked up at him then, this man who had partnered with me three years ago when the sanctuary was just me and a falling-down barn.Mateo Santos, thirty years old, kind eyes, patient smile, completely in love with me, even though I had never given him any reason to hope."We're not selling," I said."Elena, be reasonable.""I am being reasonable," I stood
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-22
Chapter: CHAPTER TWO: THE SECRETELENA POVThree days later, I stared at the third pregnancy test lying on my bathroom counter; all three showed the same result.Positive.My hands wouldn't stop shaking, the mate bond wound on my chest still bled through the bandages I changed every few hours.I wrapped the tests in toilet paper and shoved them deep in the trash, then sat on the edge of my bathtub trying to breathe."Okay," I whispered to myself, "okay, you can do this."I couldn't do this.I needed supplies, prenatal vitamins at least, maybe some crackers that might stay down.The pharmacy was fifteen minutes away, and I pulled on a hoodie and kept my head down as I walked.Inside, fluorescent lights buzzed overhead like angry bees. I grabbed a basket and headed for the vitamin aisle."Prenatal vitamins," I muttered, scanning the shelves."Aisle seven, dear."I jumped and turned around. An elderly woman stood behind me, silver hair pulled back in a neat bun.She stared at my face with an intensity that made me uncom
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-22
Chapter: CHAPTER ONE: THE REJECTIONELENA POV "I, Cassian Vandenberg, reject you, Elena Hartwood, as my mate."The words hit me like silver bullets, each one tearing through my chest.I stood at the altar in white silk, the full moon bright above us, every member of the Obsidian Pack watching.I had never seen Cassian's hateful expression before, and it wasn't aimed at me."Your father murdered my family," he said, his voice carrying across the ceremonial grounds, "your bloodline is poison."I tried to speak, but nothing came out.The bond between us, the thing that had hummed and pulled and made me feel complete for the first time in my life, started to crack."Cassian, please," I whispered, reaching for him, "let me explain."He stepped back as I'd burned him."There's nothing to explain," he said, "you're the daughter of a monster, I was a fool to think the bond meant anything."His uncle Marcus stood beside him, one hand on Cassian's shoulder, steady and supportive.Marcus looked at me with something like pity. "I
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-01-22
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