LOGINADELINE The thought of Dominic finding out about her pregnancy was enough to send shivers down her spine. ‘He will understand,’ my wolf whispered, trying to comfort me. ‘It might not be as bad as you think.’ “Yes, it’ll be worse,” I choked out, shaking my head. Tara sighed. ‘Maybe we should tell him. Unburden your heart.’ "No," I said decidedly. "He won't understand. It is Hilton’s child. If he finds out... that look in his eyes, the care…it will turn into pure hatred. I cannot bear to see him look at me like I am a monster." I stood up weakly, leaning against the sink to look at myself in the mirror. I pulled up the hem of my shirt and looked down at my reflection. A full week had passed since the rescue, and my belly seemed to be getting bigger by the day. It was no longer just a slight bloat. There was a distinct, rounded curve to my lower stomach now. I pressed my palm against it, a small shiver running down my spine. I calculated the timeline over and over in my h
ADELINE A week had passed since Dominic carried me out of the snow, apologizing and promising to never let me get hurt ever again. A since Alpha Hilton had been forced to leave the pack borders in shame and anger. I should have felt relaxed, able to breathe without feeling like my chest was constricted. But the relief I was supposed to feel never came. Everything had changed. Dominic was a married man now. Thinking about it made me what to burst into laughter, like a deranged woman. It was a hard pill to swallow, that Vivian was his wife now. He married her to protect his kingdom, and the weight of that reality pressed down on my chest like a block of lead. I tried to shake off the thoughts and focused on where I was going instead. I was heading to the kitchens to find something to eat. Perhaps a dry piece of bread to soothe my uneasy stomach. I had been quite nauseous the past few days and nothing was appealing to me so I hardly ate at all. But I also knew that wasn’t good for
DOMINICThe carriage bounced heavily on the rocky mountain trail, but I did not loosen my grip around Adeline for even a second. She felt so small and fragile against my chest. Her skin was still dangerously cold from the mountain air, and her eyes were closed in exhaustion.Looking down at her pale face, a wave of regret slammed into my chest, making it hard to breathe. I almost lost her. If I had arrived at that cabin hours later, or if she had actually died at the bottom of that ravine, my life would have ended tonight. It seemed like a such a foreign thought, but I had never had such strong feelings for anyone or anything before. If anything happened to her, I couldn’t imagine how I could go on living. The mere thought of her body lying lifeless in the snow made my Lycan groan in agony. Draco was roaring, pacing and cursing, furious at me for ever letting her out of my sight.I had been a fool. I had let the elders and their endless talk of treaties and continental peace bli
ADELINEThe warmth of the small cabin did not stop my body from shaking. I lay beneath the heavy wool blankets, staring at the orange flames crackling in the fireplace, but my mind was miles away. Now that the terrifying rush of running away was gone, the heavy reality of my life finally settled over me like a block of lead. I was completely alone.I had no family left in this cruel world, no pack to protect me, and no safe place to hide. I was a runaway servant, an omega, and to top it all off, I was pregnant with the child of a monster who had tortured and assaulted me. Worst of all, the only man I had ever truly loved had married someone else. He had stood at the altar with Princess Vivian while I was freezing to death in the deep snow banks of the canyon floor.I knew this was going to happen eventually. I knew in the back of my mind that Dominic and I would never end up together because we were just too different, from opposite parts of the world, so to speak. A Lycan King and
DOMINIC The grand hall was too loud. The music was playing, the elders were drinking, and the smell of roasted meat filled the air. Everyone was celebrating the alliance between the White Wolf Pack and the southern kingdom. Princess Vivian sat next to me at the high table, wearing her bright dress and talking to the lords about the new laws we would make together. But I was not listening to her. I could not eat, and I could not drink. My chest felt tight, and a strange feeling of dread was growing in my stomach. I looked down at the main floor, searching for the small, quiet figure that usually stood by the pillars. Adeline was not there. "King Dominic, you are not listening to me," Vivian said, touching my arm. "My father’s ambassadors are waiting for you to toast to our marriage. You dont look happy." I pulled my arm away from her touch. I did not care about the ambassadors, and I did not care about the toast. The bond in my chest was pulling at me, screaming that somethin
ADELINE The fall off the cliff happened so fast that everything became a blur. The wind hit my face hard and took the breath right out of my throat before I could even try to scream. The cold air felt sharp against my skin as I tumbled down into the dark ravine, unable to see anything through the thick sheets of snow. Even though I was terrified, I only had one thought in my mind, and that was to protect my baby. I quickly rolled my body into a tight ball, pulling my knees up to my chest and locking my arms flat over my stomach to act as a shield against the ground. I squeezed my eyes closed as tight as I could, bracing myself for the impact and praying that the rocks at the bottom would not kill the child inside me. Suddenly, my back hit something hard, and I realized I had crashed into the thick branches of a pine tree that grew out of the side of the cliff. The branches bent under my weight and broke with loud, snapping sounds as I tumbled through them, scraping my arms, my fac
ADELINE“It’s so unfair. We’re the ones left to be single mothers, struggling to take care of ourselves and the child. Meanwhile there’s a man out there who is supposed to be a father,” the nurse was saying.We had been talking for a few minutes. Well she was doing most of the talking, but that sui
DOMINIC As soon as I shut the door behind me, I allowed the rage radiating from my Lycan to wash over me. I’d been holding myself back for Adeline’s sake, but now I didn’t have to worry about her anymore, my chest heaved as I stormed down the hall with murderous intent. My leather-gloved hands fe
ADELINEI stayed beside the couch for a little while longer, watching Alpha Dominic’s chest rise and fall in slow, shaky breaths. Every time he exhaled, his skin looked a little paler.He just looked so pale. I couldn’t help but worry, wondering how he had fallen so sick. He was a Lycan, they were
DOMINIC Fuck.The moment I claimed her lips, everything else went quiet, leaving just the taste of sweet flour and her addictive scent.For so long I had tried to ignore this feeling, this need to pull her to my chest and kiss her senseless. My brain told me it was a bad idea, that getting involve







