Novel-novel oleh Gerda J Beelen

Ann's POVFor several long seconds, I could only stare at Doctor Mercer as his words echoed through the sterile quiet of the medical room. The world seemed to narrow to a single impossible sound.Triplets.The word didn’t feel real. It hovered between us like something too enormous to belong inside my exhausted body. My fingers drifted instinctively toward my stomach, pressing lightly against the thin fabric of the medical gown as though I might somehow feel three separate lives beneath my palm.“You are certain?” I whispered, barely able to force the words out. “Triplets?”Doctor Mercer’s expression tightened. He released my hand and turned quickly toward the ultrasound machine, lowering the brightness of the screen before anyone passing the narrow window in the door could glimpse what was displayed.“I checked four times,” he said quietly. “There are three distinct heartbeats and three separate forms. Two appear stronger and positioned farther forward. The third is smaller, but aliv

Ann's POVI lay perfectly still with my eyes fixed on the molding of the ceiling. The curtains were drawn tight against the morning sun but the darkness of the room perfectly matched the hollow and shattered void inside my chest. My body did not feel like my own anymore. It felt like a bruised and discarded vessel.I turned my head slowly. The massive four-poster bed was empty. Alpha Reginald and Beta Logan were gone, having slipped out before dawn to maintain their public facade and they left behind only the violently tangled sheets, the faint, metallic scent of my own blood and the overwhelming, pheromones of their combined dominance.My newly awakened wolf who had flared to life with such desperate and terrifying intensity just hours before was completely silent.I pulled the duvet up to my chin with a single silent tear slipping down my cheek and soaking into the pillow.I had survived the poverty of my childhood and I had survived two years of grueling invisible labor as a maid b

Ann's POVI sat completely frozen on the edge of the massive four-poster bed of Reginald with my hands gripping the sheets until my knuckles turned white. The dress they had forced me into earlier that day felt like a straightjacket, making every breath a battle.Hours had passed since the council meeting.. hours since Reginald had kissed me in front of the elders, effectively sealing my fate and transforming me from an invisible maid into the pack’s most high-profile prisoner.The other maids had moved my meager belongings into this opulent room in total silence.I was completely isolated... a ghost wearing a Luna’s crown.My newly awakened wolf paced relentlessly inside my mind, whining and scratching at the edges of my consciousness.'Click.'The sound of the iron deadbolt sliding open echoed like a gunshot and I flinched as Alpha Reginald stepped inside and discarded his suit jacket with his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the muscular column of his throat. H

Ann's POVThe match flickered out, plunging the small room back into absolute darkness but Alpha Reginald did not move from the edge of my bed.I remained on the floor with my back pressed so hard against the door that the iron lock dug into it. I was paralyzed with my lungs refusing to take in enough air.“You move quietly for a maid,” Reginald’s voice came through the blackness calm and chillingly conversational. “But you breathe too loud when you’re terrified and you smell... sweet. Your wolf woke up tonight, didn’t she?”“Please,” I whispered with my voice cracking. “I won't say a word. I swear on the Moon Goddess, Alpha. Let me leave. I’ll run into the rogue lands. You’ll never see me again.”The bed creaked as he stood. He crouched down and his large hand reached out in the dark with his rough fingers wrapping around my jaw.“Leave?” he murmured with his thumb brushing away a tear on my cheek. “Why would I let you leave, Ann? You’ve just become the most valuable asset in this en

Ann's POVA groan came through the cracked door of the abandoned storage corridor, freezing the blood in my veins but I leaned closer with my lantern trembling violently in my hand and peered through the narrow sliver of darkness.My free hand instantly clamped over my own mouth, stifling the horrified gasp that from my throat as disbelief gushed over me.Inside the cramped and dusty space, Alpha Reginald Ashcroft had his Beta, Logan Fisher, pinned flush against the stone wall and they were kissing! Well, except it wasn't just a kiss but rather a violent and desperate collision as if they were trying to consume one another alive.Reginald’s massive hands were tangled fiercely in Logan’s dark hair with his hips grinding into the Beta’s with an unrestrained hunger while Logan’s fingers clawed frantically at the Alpha’s broad shoulders, pulling him closer until there was absolutely no space left between them.My mind violently rejected what my eyes were seeing.This was Alpha Reginald..

Savannah’s POVTrue to the promise we had made to my mother, we had brewed a hot pot of the dark tea right after dinner, and although she said it was medicinal, I could not deny the fact that it had tasted remarkably bitter and I found it quite hard to push down. However, Julian had drained his entire mug without a single complaint, determined to flush the remaining toxins from his recovering system.I wanted to complain, but seeing as he finished his cup, I swallowed my complaint before pushing the remaining contents forcefully down my throat.By ten o’clock, the house was quiet as it was time to retire to bed. I had fallen into a deep sleep shortly after making sure Julian was well settled in, and then I wished him a good night, hoping to feel better by morning after the herbs did their miracle work. But the peaceful rest didn’t last long.I didn’t know how long I slept for, but a while later, I woke up with a start, like something had yanked me out of sleep. There was no sound, no

Savannah’s POVTwo days passed quickly but I still caught myself smiling whenever I remembered how happy and utterly pleased Julian had been when I gave him the boots. Saying he loved them was an understatement. He had turned them over in his hands twice, said nothing, and worn them the next morning. That was enough for me to know he liked them.On the third day however, we had an unexpected visit.I heard a vehicle approaching and when I looked out the kitchen window, I saw my father’s pickup truck pulling to a stop in front of the house and soon after, they climbed out with their arms filled with supplies.“Savannah, girl!” my father called out loudly as he pushed open the front door, with his booming voice instantly filling the living room. “We are here, come

Savannah’s POVAs we walked towards Fiona’s car, I kept my head down, while adjusting the strap of my purse on my shoulder to hide the goofy, unstoppable smile that was still on my face.Fiona opened the passenger door for me, but just as I reached out to grab the handle, her eyes darted up to my collarbone. She froze mid-stride, with her gaze locking onto my neck.A wicked and highly amused smirk instantly tugged at the corner of her lips. I saw it the moment she saw it. That split second where her face shifted from polite to delighted.“Well, well, well,” Fiona teased loudly, with her voice dripping with an energetic, playful mockery that made the blood instantly rush straight to my ears. She leaned forward, pointing a finger directly at the lower curve of my jawline

Savannah’s POVMy fingers tightened around the handle of my hairbrush, with my heart fluttering against my ribs. I lowered the brush slowly, with my eyes locked onto his as silence filled the room.Julian maintained eye contact with me and looked calm, which was the complete opposite of how I was feeling inside. Just when I was looking for ways to break the tension-filled silence, Julian finally spoke up.“Savannah,” he began as he took a step toward me, his voice filling the air. “About last night... I don’t want you to be angry with yourself, and I certainly don’t want you to carry any weight or blame for what almost happened between us as it was both of us, and not just you.”I turned around slowly to face him as I searched for words, with my throa

Savannah’s POVAs we watched her walk and come to a stop in front of us, we stood like we were in some kind of trance, staring at her, neither of us able to say a word.She adjusted the large bowl in her arms and looked at both of us with her smile still intact. In fact, it had grown even wider.“Is everything alright out here, guys?” Fiona asked, when she realized something wasn’t quite right. Her smile slowly faded, a look of seriousness replacing it. “You look like you’re tracking a pack of wolves. Did something happen to your garden?”I stepped forward, dusting the sand off my hands, trying to act normal and push my disturbing thoughts to the back of my mind because the last thing I wanted was for her to think something was wrong with us. I forced

Savannah’s POVThat night, I barely got enough sleep and it seemed as though I was having an internal battle, and by morning, the silence continued. It sat between us like a third person at the table, the almost, the window, the thing neither of us were naming.Neither of us spoke a single word about what had taken place on that bed the night before, and to make things worse, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to be able to look him in the eye.When it was time for breakfast, we worked in the kitchen in a tense silence. I poured the coffee while he handled the toaster, our fingers careful not to touch as we sat at the island.“Savannah,” Julian began, finally putting an end to the overbearing silence. He set his coffee mug down, while leaning his broad shoulde