Jack's POV I stared at Tamara's beautiful picture in my hands, my thumb gently tracing the outline of her face. Tamara. She was smiling in the photo, her eyes shining with that spark that used to light up my entire world. Dear Goddess I love her so much. How did things get so twisted? How did I lose her so fast? The pain of the memory pressed down on my chest, suffocating me as I struggled to breathe. God I fucked up! The sound of the door creaking open barely registered. I didn’t even turn when I heard the sharp intake of breath behind me. “Jack,” Kate’s voice cut through the air, laced with fury. “What the fuck are you doing?” I clenched my jaw, not looking up. “Nothing.” I sneered with a grimace, Damn, how did I let her find me? “Nothing?” She scoffed, storming over and snatching the picture from my hands. “This doesn’t look like fucking nothing! You’re sitting here staring at her again. She’s gone, Jack! Get over it!” My blood boiled at her words, and I shot up from the c
Tamaras POV I’d been here for days now—days of awkward tension between me and Dante. True to his word, that man hadn’t touched me yet. Not even a brush of his hand, and despite everything I should have been grateful for it. But instead, it was beginning to become frustrating. I kept telling myself it was for the best. I didn’t need any more complications in my life, especially not with him. But every time he looked at me with those intense, stormy eyes, something in me shifted. My wolf, Maya, had been teasing me nonstop since I got here, and I was running out of excuses to explain the way my heart skipped whenever he was near. Today, though, was different. Dante had told me we were going out—some sort of picnic to keep up appearances with the pack. He said they needed to see us together, happy, bonded. The word “bonded” had made me tense. it was like having PTSD. But here I was, standing in front of the mirror, smoothing down the pale green dress Sophie had picked out for me
After the picnic, as I sat with Dante under the shade of a large oak tree, I almost forgot why I was uneasy. But then, the nagging thought that had been at the back of my mind all day resurfaced. I had to ask. “So, you have not really spoken to me about your first fated mate,” I said as casually as possible Dante’s expression shifted slightly. The relaxed, flirtatious look he’d been wearing faded. “That’s not something I want to talk about,” he said, his voice low. That wasn’t the response I was hoping for. My stomach twisted. He didn’t trust me enough to talk to me about his ex? “Why not?” I pressed, trying to keep my tone even. Dante ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. “It’s complicated.” I frowned, irritation bubbling up. “Complicated? How is it complicated? I’m your new mate, aren’t I? Or is that just another part of this transaction you keep talking about?” He sighed, his jaw tightening. “It’s not about you, Tamara. It’s just something I don’t want to
Tamara's POV I spent most of the day sulking, pacing around my room while replaying that bitch Lucy’s words in my head. “Dante just fucked me so hard, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow.” She had said. “Sniveling little bitch.” I sneered under my breath. Just who the fuck did she think she was? I couldn’t stop thinking about her stupid smug smile, and the way she tossed out those hurtful words like she knew they would cut me deep. And the worst part? They fucking had! I glared at the roses sitting on my bedside table. Yea, remember the same ones that had made me smile earlier that morning? They now felt like a reminder of how stupid I had been. Like How had I actually thought Dante might feel something for me? Dear Goddess! I was so foolish. I was so freaking pissed, that Before I knew it, I grabbed the vase of roses and threw it into the trash can with more force than necessary, the glass instantly shattered at the bottom. Then I let out a frustrated scr
I paced back and forth in my room and my heart kept pounding faster and faster with every passing second. Dante had rushed out to confront whatever foolish threat had dared to attack the palace, but the sting of worry kept stabbing at me. I couldn't rest, I couldn't sit, all I could imagine was my Dante out there, fighting bravely for his people. The painful part about all this was that my mind kept spiralling into darker and darker scenarios after that. I'd always have visions of Jack somehow finding a way to hurt him, of blood and violence, and of Dante lying on the ground, injured or worse. “Stop it, Tamara,” I scolded myself, furiously running a hand through my hair. “He can handle himself.” But the goddamn images continued, like a relentless cycle of fear. What if Jack had sent his men after him? That asshole of an ex was known to be ruthless after all, or What if Dante was overwhelmed and got hurt? My hands trembled at the thought. “No,” I whispered, shaking my h
I spent the morning locked in a small, cold cell, the iron bars casting long shadows on the stone walls. Every tick of the clock felt like a countdown to my eventual doom. Even the hard floor was unforgiving, and I couldn’t shake the sense of dread that wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. “Get up, you traitor!” a guard barked as he swung the cell door open, the harsh light blinding me momentarily. “The council is ready for you.” I glared at him, my anger boiling over. “I’m not a traitor! I fought for this pack! I fought for Dante!” “oh Save it for the council,” he sneered, grabbing my arm roughly and yanking me to my feet. I stumbled, trying to regain my balance, and shot him a defiant look. “You’re making a mistake. You’ll regret this!” “Regret? I doubt that.” He dragged me down the dimly lit corridor, my heart racing as I tried to formulate a plan. What would happen when I faced the elders? Did Dante even know I was here? “Shut up!” the guard barked, sho
For days, Dante had been by my side and i was truly grateful for that because his presence was a comforting balm against the storm that had torn through my life just recently. The ache in my neck from Jack’s cruel release had finally faded, leaving me with an exhilarating feeling of freedom. Since that day Dante saw me in pain, Every morning, I would wake up to the sight of his worried face scanning me for any sign of discomfort. "I already told you I'm fine." I would often argue but he would never listen as he made sure to do everything for me, even going as far as to change my clothes at night like a baby. it was unexpected but very touching to see how he had taken it upon himself to care for me in every way possible. I definitely never expected him to b like that, but I was beginning to like it a little too much. “Are you feeling any better today?” he asked one morning, brushing his fingers against my cheek as I stirred awake. “I am,” I replied, a smile spreading
I'm not kidding when I say that I was still reeling from the council’s ultimatum when the doorbell rang. My heart sank as I glanced at Dante, who had been pacing the living room with a frown etched on his face. “Who could that be?” I asked, glancing toward the door. “I’ll check,” he replied, striding toward the entrance. My stomach knotted as I wondered if the council had sent someone to further torment us. I believe it wasn't an understatement to say that I had had more than enough from those fuckers today. But to our shock, when Dante opened the door, it was a stunning woman stepping inside, her beauty shining from her like a tiara under the moonlight. She had long, flowing hair that framed her face perfectly, and her outfit hugged her curves in all the right places. “Hello, Dante,” she said sweetly, her voice dripping with false charm. “I’m here as your new concubine.” My heart dropped, and I felt the air leave my lungs. I stood frozen in place, my eyes darting between
Kayla's POV The door creaked as I pushed it open with a little dust puffing into the air. It was obvious that not a lot of people used this room.The space was small and cluttered.It was more of a glorified storage room than a real Library or archive of history. Shelves sagged under the weight of worn-out books, and loose papers were scattered across tables and floors like autumn leaves.Nothing was arranged or labeled, but I was supposed to somehow be able to magically find the books I was looking for. Great. I rubbed my temples, trying to decide where to even start. Then I heard a rustle. My head snapped to the corner, where a stack of books shifted ever so slightly. I took a cautious step forward. Someone was hiding there.My heart began to race. Was it those shadowed rogues? Had they tracked me here?Had I put the orphans in danger with my presence? “Hello? Who's there?” I called while reaching for my necklace in preparation for a fight. "I know you're there so you bett
Kayla's POV I literally couldn’t stop staring at the photograph. The picture had frayed edges and timeworn colors, but the woman in it, standing close to Adrian's fatger… she looked like me. No.. she looked a little Too much like me to just be normal.And It wasn’t the kind of resemblance you could shrug off as coincidence. It was the same eyes. The same shape of the mouth. Even the same stubborn, haunted expression. And to make matters even more confusing was the fact that Standing beside her with one hand gently resting on hers, was the man Elara had just told me was Alpha Dominic. Adrian’s father. How was this possible? What did this mean?My legs suddenly felt too heavy to carry me so I sat in the corner of the common room with the photo clutched in my hands, trying to make sense of it. “Elara,” I called quietly. The tall, broad-shouldered woman glanced over from where she was searching through the drawers for other things. She came over and lowered herself beside me. “La
Kayla's POV After breakfast, I insisted on helping the staff with chores—cleaning the tables, washing dishes, folding laundry. I needed to do something with my hands that would keep my thoughts from spiralling intodark thoughts.Plus I was eager to start helping the children as fast as possible. The funny thing was that the kids followed me around, asking questions about where I came from, if I had a wolf, if I’d ever seen the Alpha in real life. I smiled and answered as vaguely as I could, not ready to explain the chaos I’d run from. But for the first time in days, I felt a strange sense of peace.Like I was right where I should be. I was hanging laundry out back when one of the staff—Elara, a tall woman with sharp gray eyes and a strong build—approached me. “You’re quite the helper Miss Kayla,” she said, nodding with a basket on her hip. “I needed something to keep me busy,” I replied. She glanced around before adding, “You know, Lady Anna swears you’ve been here before.”
Kayla I ended up spending the night at the Orphanage and it was one of the most restful nights I've had in weeks.Sure, I might have had one or two night mares where I saw Adrian kissing Candice in her room while my body wrecked with painful sobs, but hey, it was better than the nightmares I usually had about the darkness that was trying to take control of me.I knew that I would finally be able to get rid of the problem when I finally get to the Oracle's sanctuary, but I just had to wait until the guards weren't searching for me so persistently.To be honest, I'm surprised that Adrian was putting that much effort into finding me now when he had been ignoring me for the last few days.Hadn't Candice satisfied him enough? Or was he so greedy that he wanted the two of us at the same time?Men! I should have known better than to let myself trust them again. Especially after how Xavier treated me.I had stupidly let myself become a fool for love again! How pathetic!I definitely won't le
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