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Alora’s POV:

“What?” I could barely contain my shock. My voice rose, trembling with disbelief. “We just got married hours ago, and now you’re leaving for 358 days? And without mating with me?”

“That can wait until I return,” he said, his tone dismissive.

“It can’t!” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “I need your mark, Alpha Mathias. That’s the only way this will be real. It’s the sign that I’m the Luna. You can’t just leave me hanging for 358 days!”

He reached out and took my hand, his touch meant to calm me but it didn’t . “I promise to mark you the moment I return.”

“Why wait?” I challenged, stepping closer. My fingers found his jaw, tilting his face so his eyes locked with mine. “Do it now.”

His breath hitched as I whispered, “Let’s do it now,” my hands trailing along his neck.

But he grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks. “As much as I want to, I don’t want to mark you in a rush. That moment should be special. You don’t need a mark to know you’re mine,” he said, pressing a kiss to my palm.

My stomach twisted at his words, his gesture. I felt more like property than a person. “Don’t let another man touch you while I’m gone,” he whispered, his lips brushing my ear, his tongue grazing my earlobe in a way that made my skin crawl. “You’re mine.”

I stepped back, putting space between us. “That’s disrespectful,” I said, my voice cold. “Why would you even say that? Why would I let another man touch me when I’m married? Who would even dare to touch the Luna of Darkwood pack? Only a madman would.”

He raised his hands as if to surrender. “I know. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I was just saying.”

“Well, your message has been received,” I said curtly, turning my back to him as I sat down in the chair by the vanity.

“I’m leaving now,” he said after a pause, waiting for a response. I didn’t give him one.

I heard his footsteps, the soft creak of the door opening, and then the quiet thud as it closed behind him.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, silence wrapping around me like a heavy cloak. My face was different—foreign, almost. In the span of just three days, I had transformed from a filthy slave to the Luna of the most powerful pack in this realm. Yet, I could barely recognize the girl staring back at me.

Three hundred and fifty-eight days. That’s how long he would be gone.

He promised to mark me when he returned.

I shouldn’t worry.

Everything would be alright. It had to be.

~~~

Hours later, I stepped out of the room, wandering aimlessly through the grand halls of the Darkwood estate. The air was thick with the scent of fresh roses and lavender, the marble floors gleaming under the light of crystal chandeliers. Maids bowed as I passed, but their deference felt hollow. None of this felt real.

As I walked past the living room, a strange warmth spread through my chest, like fire and electricity all at once. My wolf stirred within me, a foreign yet familiar tug pulling at my soul.

I stopped in my tracks, my breath hitching as my eyes darted around the room.

Then I saw him.

Keziah.

There was no way I could ever forget that face.

He stood near the entrance, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. His dark hair framed his chiseled features, and his piercing gray eyes locked onto mine. There was an intensity in his gaze that made my heart race.

“Mate,” my wolf howled, her voice echoing through my mind.

The world around me blurred. My knees weakened, and my pulse thundered in my ears.

My feet wobbled, and before I could fall to the ground, a muscular hand grabbed my waist. The touch sent a spark of electricity through my body. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

My eyes landed on the person, and I hiccuped in shock when I saw who it was.

Kade.

There’s no way I’m forgetting that face too.

His lips curled up into a smirk. “Easy there,” he said, letting go of me as I regained my balance.

His voice was intoxicating. It did something to me, something I couldn’t explain. My heart pounded almost painfully, and I swallowed hard as my gaze flickered down to his shirtless, well-built form. His presence was magnetic, overwhelming.

“Hello there,” another voice called out, smooth and confident. My gaze swung to the source of the sound, and I froze.

Thorne.

There was no way I was forgetting his face either.

The Darkwood Alpha Triplets, who had been away for six years, stood before me. They were taller, more commanding, and more handsome than I remembered. As a child, I had harbored a secret crush on them, but seeing them now, the feelings were far more intense.

“Mates,” my wolf howled again, louder this time.

And this time around, they were my mates.

I couldn’t believe it.

“Or should we call you stepmother?” Thorne added, his tone dripping with sarcasm. His words pulled me out of my thoughts as my eyes locked with his.

The smirk on his lips was equal parts devilish and playful, but his eyes burned with a hunger that sent shivers down my spine.

I couldn’t breathe. The room felt smaller, the air heavier. My entire world had just shifted, and I didn’t know if it was for better or worse.