Dante's POV I trailed off, the memory of that day flashing vividly in my mind. It was a memory I’d buried deep, but now it resurfaced with a vengeance.“What happened?” Tamara asked softly, her voice trembling. The memory of that day came flooding back as if it had happened only yesterday. I could still feel the exhaustion in my body, the faint ache in my muscles after pushing myself far beyond my limits. I had been lying in my bed, a rare luxury after leading the watch for 72 hours straight. it wasn't by choice though The army doctor had all but dragged me off duty, insisting I rest. “You’re no good to us dead, Dante. You must take a fucking rest or ill declare you unfit for battle and you'll be discharged,” he’d said sternly, and though I hated leaving my men, I knew he was right. I’d barely made it to my cot before sleep pulled me under. But it wasn’t a peaceful sleep. I startled awake to the shrill ringing of alarm bells, a sound that snapped me out of my slumber
Dante's POV She nodded, her small chin lifting in defiance. “Yes. My father sent those warriors to end you. But I snuck out and followed them. He wouldn’t let me join the war, so I decided to secretly follow them and prove to my father that I'm strong by helping them kill you.” Her words sent a jolt tof shock hrough me. “You followed them? You’re a child. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” it should have been funny that I was literally bleeding out but I was still taking time to scold a stubborn fucking child She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. “I'm not a child, I'm almost a teenager... well in a few years, but I wanted to help them fight and kill some bad guys. But… then I saw you, you're not very old but they hurt you too, I felt bad. I didn’t want you to die.” Before I could respond, she stepped closer, her eyes scanning my wound. “You’re bleeding.” “I’m fine,” I lied, though the blood soaking my side said otherwise. She ignored me, tearing her
Tamara’s POV"B-but if you didn't kill them, then who did?" I stammered out in shock even though I knew that there was no way for Dante to have that answer.Dante shook his head sadly. "i don't know that but I can swear on my mother that it could never have been me, I could never hurt you like that, not after what you mean to me. But my guess is that Jack must have been the one to do it, he probably killed them so that you would be pained enough to kill me.""And it worked.' I realized with tears in my eyes. I sat frozen in for a moment, just staring at Dante as his words sank in. My mind was spinning, as every revelation felt like they were pulling me further into a whirlwind of disbelief, shock and confusion. I had killed Dante when he was innocent, when his only crime was caring for me.I wanted revenge for Jack and Kate murdering I and my child, but I was now finding out that I was also a murderer.It felt as if the ground beneath me had shifted, leaving me unsteady, unsure of
Tamara's POV "All this may have been avoided if you let him take his position." i said but Dante sighed.“I considered it,” he admitted, his voice filled with regret. “I thought maybe it would ease the tension. But it didn’t take long to realize Jack didn’t want to lead for the good of the pack. He wanted power. Pure and simple. He didn't care about what the people wanted, all he wanted was to dominate and take revenge for the death of his family. he wasn’t fit to be Alpha, Tamara. I couldn’t let him take over. So, I refused.” I nodded slowly, understanding his reasoning even as my heart ached for the burden he’d carried. “And that’s when Jack turned on you.” Dante’s eyes darkened, his expression hard. “Yes. We used to be close, but wanting power changed him. He rallied people against me, spreading lies, manipulating anyone he could. He used every weak link in the pack against me. When that didn't work, he sent assassins to kill me, I dealt with them, one by one ocourse, but Jack
Tamara’s POV For a long moment, I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened with unshed tears, and the depth of Dante’s guilt washed over me, mingling with the love he had carried for years. It was overwhelming—almost too much to bear. “Dante,” I finally whispered, my voice trembling as I reached for his hand. He flinched at first, like he thought I might pull away, but I held on tightly. “It’s not your fault,” I said, my voice firm despite the lump in my throat. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened. Jack is the one who manipulated and hurt me—not you. You tried to protect me.” His jaw tensed as he avoided my gaze. “I didn’t protect you. I failed you, Tamara. I—” “No,” I cut him off, shifting closer to him on the picnic mat. My fingers cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at me. His beautiful, stormy eyes were filled with anguish, but beneath it all, I saw love. “You didn’t fail me, Dante. The goddess gave me a second chance—us a second chance. That’s what matters now. We’re h
Tamara’s POV By the time Dante and I made it back to the hotel, the sun had set, and the warm, romantic glow of the city lights greeted us. As we stepped into the suite, Violet was sprawled on the couch, flipping through a magazine. The moment she saw us, her eyes narrowed in amusement. “Well, well,” she drawled, sitting up and smirking. “Look who’s finally back from their innocent picnic. You guys were gone for hours.” I tried to keep a straight face, but the heat creeping up my neck betrayed me. I could still feel Dante’s hand on the small of my back as he guided me inside, his possessive touch sending tiny shivers down my spine. But Violet, being the sharp observer she was, didn’t miss the ruffled state of my hair or the slightly wrinkled clothes I was trying—and failing—to smooth out. “What exactly happened out there, Tamara?” she teased, her voice full of mock innocence. “Because it sure doesn’t look like you spent the day just eating sandwiches and enjoying the view.” Dant
Tamara’s POV I pulled my suitcase onto the bed, the sharp zip of the compartments opening echoing through the room. Packing to go home should have been easy—straightforward even—but my mind was elsewhere. My fingers hovered over a soft blouse I’d worn the day Dante proposed to me. A rush of warmth filled me at the memory, but it was quickly replaced by a pang of sadness. Negaria was beautiful, a place of both pain and joy, and leaving it behind felt...strange. Still, I tried to focus on folding my clothes, one piece at a time, until I noticed something odd. “Where’s Sophie?” I muttered to myself, realizing I hadn’t seen her all morning. I stepped out of my room and found Violet in the lounge, sipping tea as she flipped through her phone. “Hey,” I said, sitting down next to her. “Have you seen Sophie? I wanted to check if she needed help packing.” Violet looked up, her expression softening. “Oh, right. I forgot to tell you.” She set her cup down and shifted closer. “Sophie left
Tamara's pov Lady Regina gestured toward a chair by the window. “Please, sit.”I obeyed, perching on the edge of the seat while she remained standing, her gaze unwavering. “Do you swear by the goddess,” she began, her voice calm but firm, “that you truly love my son? That you’re not using him for power or personal gain?”My mouth fell open slightly in shock. “What?” I asked, stunned. “Lady Regina, we’ve had this discussion before. I thought I already made myself clear.”“Lies are easily said, Tamara,” she replied, her tone carrying a weight that made my stomach twist.“I’m not lying,” I said firmly, meeting her gaze. “I love Dante with all my heart. I would never—”She held up a hand, cutting me off. “Let me explain,” she said. Her tone wasn’t angry, but there was an undeniable edge of authority that silenced me immediately.“I didn’t support this marriage,” she began, pacing slowly across the room. “When Dante first told me he wanted to marry you, I advised against it. I didn’t know
Kayla's POV I really didn’t know where I was going at first. Not really. My feet just kept moving, dragging me farther away from the palace, from the pack... from Adrian. Every step felt more gut wrenching than the last, like my body wanted to turn back even though my heart refused to. Where do I go? I paused in the shadow of an old bakery, pressing my back to the cold brick wall as I hugged the jacket tighter around me. My breath was beginning to puff visibly in the cold evening air, and the wind cut through my clothes like icy knives.I would go to mountain, I finally decided. It was the only place I knew where I would be accepted by someone.I obviously couldn't go back to Xavier's pack but it was the only other place I knew, so the Oracle's sanctuary was my best vet.Plus If there was any place I could find answers—or strength—it was with her. Maybe I could even finish my training. Maybe I could finally understand why I was… this. Why I couldn’t control my power or trust my
Kayla's POVI sat on the cold marble floor, clutching one of Adrian’s shirts to my chest, tears streaming down my face like a damn faucet I couldn’t turn off.How could he do this to me? After everything. After all his promises to always fight for me. To never let me feel alone again.He spent the night with her.Candice.It took one fight, one misunderstanding, and he ran straight to her. I didn’t even need to ask anyone. The moment Connor hesitantly told me the truth, I saw it. Clear as day. The shattered pieces of my heart lay scattered around the room like the vases I’d broken last night.The bed smelled like him. The sheets, the pillows — all of it haunted me. His scent, his warmth... gone. Just like that.“He was never going to choose you,” the necklace whispered in that low, silky voice that made my skin crawl. “Men like him choose women like Candice. Pretty, obedient. The kind that don’t challenge them.”“Shut up,” I muttered, dragging myself up to the bed to unzip the duffe
Adrian's POV I tried hard to remember last night but my head soon began to hurt from the effort and I still came up blankPanic was quickly beginning to seize me until I suddenly heard Candice's voice. "Relax Alpha," she said from across the room, her legs tucked under her in a chair by the window with a mug in her hand. "You don't need to try hard to remember what happened last night.""Huh?" I asked in confusion.Candice smiled. "I can read your emotions on your face, and what I meant to say was Nothing interesting happened." I blinked blearily at her. "What...?" "You passed out last night after drinking that extra bottle I told you not to drink," she said simply. "I didn’t want the entire palace gossiping about how their great Alpha can’t hold his liquor so I brought you to the guest room in my quarters. I just brought coffee for you this morning." She gestured to the tray on the table. I let out a breath of relief. I didn't betray Kayla because nothing had happened between us
Adrian’s POVI'm an idiot, I know that. I'm an idiot who's hopelessly in love with a woman but still too scared of his feelings for her.These last few days have really wrecked my mental state and drinking with Candice made me forget my worries for just a few hours.But even that, didn't last long. Because once my eyes landed on Kayla, everything came flooding back.She had made lunch and brought it to me, which meant that she had been thinking of me and probably tried to reach me earlier but I had blocked her.I just wanted time to process thoughts without interruptions or guilt. But that turned out to be impossible because the second I saw the look on Kayla’s face when I refused the food she brought, a bitter knot formed in my stomach. Her smile faltered and was replaced by something smaller, tighter. Hurt. She held the tray down carefully, almost as if she were afraid it would shatter if she moved too quickly.Then she offered to make dinner but I turned it down too and I could
Kayla's POV "It's not any of your concern Kayla. I suggest you drop it... for your own good."What nonsense was he saying. Xavier was my ex husband and very obvious enemy of Adrian. What did he mean it was non of my concern?I was very confused now. Didn't Hector say he had nothing to do with Xavier? Didn't he say he was going to change his relationship with Adrian for the better? What was he hiding now? I pressed on. “You know meeting with him, especially after everything that happened, is only going to make things worse with Adrian. Do you really want to make things more complicated?” He turned his head toward me, his expression hardening slightly. “I don’t care anymore what Adrian thinks. He’s never cared about what I’ve done, and he never will. Besides, I don’t see the problem with talking to someone who actually listens to me.” I felt my heart twist in my chest. “I know you’re upset, Hector, but you promised me—even before I stopped Adrian from banishing you—that you’d stop w
Kayla's POV I couldn’t get Xavier’s smug face out of my mind as I stormed down the hall. I needed to get away from him. From all of it. Adrian, Candice, Xavier... everything felt like it was crashing down. But I still had something to do. I walked briskly toward the holding cells, tray of food in my hands, trying to ignore the flutter of doubt and anger in my chest. I had come this far. I wasn’t going to let Xavier’s words, or my own jealousy, ruin everything. When I reached Hector’s cell, I paused for a moment. The guards were standing nearby, looking bored as usual. They didn’t even seem to notice me at first, so I took the chance to slip past them. But then one of them suddenly stepped in my path, a scowl forming on his face. “Where do you think you’re going?” he sneered. I blinked. “Excuse me?” “You can’t bring food to him,” the guard snapped, his tone rude and dismissive. I frowned. “Actually, I can. And I will. I’m Lady Kayla the Alpha’s fiancée, and I’ll bring food to
Kayla's POV My heart sank at Adrian's words. He didn't even want to talk to me this morning but he was here laughing his ass off and eating with Candice.I forced a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Of course,” I muttered. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Candice beamed at me, clearly in a much better mood than I was. “It’s good to see you again. I’ve really missed you,” she said, taking another bite of her food. I stood there, frozen, trying to ignore the bitterness that crept into my thoughts. Why was she so comfortable here? Why was she eating with him like they did this every day? And why had Adrian invited her to his office when he wouldn't even talk to me?Candice noticed the awkwardness and tried to bridge the tension. "Come sit with us! We have so much to catch up on, but we also have all the time in the world since I'm back living at the palace now!"That made me freeze.“What?” I asked, voice a little higher than I intended.Candice beamed. “Alot happened when you were aw
Kayla's POV Adrian had left so early this morning that I didn’t even get a chance to really talk to him and find out if he was okay. He came back drunk last night so I was really beginning to worry.I calmed myself down by telling myself that maybe he just needed some time to cool off after last night, but when noon came and he still wasn’t back, a sick feeling started growing in my stomach.I paced around our room like a caged animal, glancing at the door every few seconds, hoping to hear his footsteps. Breakfast came and went. Then lunch. Still nothing.He wasn't even bothering to eat. Was he that hurt?Finally, I gave up waiting and tried to mind-link him."Adrian? Have you eaten yet?" I asked softly, sending the thought across our bond.Nothing.I tried again."Please answer me. I'm worried about you."This time, I could feel the block. Solid and cold, like a wall had been thrown up between us. I gasped quietly, clutching my chest. He never blocked me before. Not even during ou
Adrian's POV I was waiting for Logan's answer but he was hesitant to look at me."Logan? Why shouldn't I talk to her?"“Because I don’t trust her,” he finally snapped. “You shouldn’t either.” I leaned back in the chair, watching him. “No that's not it... I think You hate her. But I what I want to know is why?” Logan crossed his arms, his whole body tense. “Because I don’t like women who choose power and money over love.” For a second, I just stared at him. That was… personal. Before I could ask more, he shook his head like he regretted saying anything and muttered, “Do what you want, Alpha. Permission to patrol the border sir!" He requested. I waved him off and called for a guard. “Send for Candice. Now.” Logan cursed under his breath but didn’t stop me. Candice arrived not long after, dressed too perfectly for the late hour, her blond hair in place and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You called for me, Alpha?” she said sweetly, walking in with a little too much sway in