Alejandro’s POV
I cross the final ridgeline just after dawn. Nevada welcomes me with golden sky and wind that smells of pine and morning frost. The snow has started to melt, revealing the rugged paths I once knew. But I no longer walk them the same. My boots are heavier. My spine straighter. My silence deeper. The Crownless Trail did not break me, it reforged me.Strapped across my chest is the satchel. Inside, carefully sealed, are five vials, each containing a herb more powerful than most will ever hold in their hands. Heartwood Emberroot still glows like the dying breath of fire. Mireblossom hums quietly, faint as a heartbeat. Lunacrown Thistle pricks even the leather pouch. Ashbane’s scent still holds death and truth. Solstice Veinleaf… cold and bright like northern stars.They are more than herbs. They are promises. I pass the final trees, and then I see it, Plot 13. The cabin rebuilt. The greenhouse alive. The porch light still glows faintlAlejandro’s POVThe villa mornings are usually quiet, save for the soft murmur of the wind through the towering pines. I have just settled into the study after breakfast, Zenith still in the bedroom, likely teasing herself with thoughts of last night. My wolf, Inferno, hums faintly in my chest, alert, and restless. "Focus, Alejandro," he murmurs. "Duty calls."I lean back in my chair, feeling the weight of responsibility settle over me. At twenty-one, I should have time for trivial things, laughter, love, even mischief with my mate. But the bond, the wolf inside me, the legacy of the Crownless Wolf… none of it allows me to ignore those in danger.The knock at the door is soft, almost hesitant. I know immediately who it is. “Koa,” I say, voice steady. “Come in.” The lone wolf steps in, tall, alert, bearing the calm precision of a hunter. Even without pack ties, I recognize his reverence, Inferno has made it clear. He is chosen. My right hand.“Koa,” I greet, standing to meet him. His p
Zenith’s POVThe way the sunlight catches the strands of Alejandro’s hair and lighting up his golden eyes, makes for a perfect sight to behold as I wake up. I blink against the soft glow, nestled against him, still flushed from the night before.He stirs, stretching just enough to press a warm hand along my side. “Morning, little Moonlight,” he murmurs, voice husky, playful. “Sleep well?” I smirk, tugging gently at his arm. “Better than ever,” I whisper. “Though… I think you made it hard for me to sleep at all.”His grin is slow, teasing, amber eyes glinting with something primal. “Hard for you… or for me?” he counters, fingers brushing lightly along my hip. The touch sends a shiver up my spine, reminding me of last night. “Both,” I admit with a small laugh. “You’ve been… very persuasive, Crownless Wolf.”He chuckles, low and deep, resting his forehead against mine. “Persuasive… yes. But careful,” he murmurs. “Always careful. I can’t let you fully bear me yet. Not until the world is q
Zenith’s POVThe restaurant had been everything I imagined. Soft golden light, velvet-lined chairs, crystal glasses that caught the candlelight like tiny stars. Alejandro had chosen it with care, ensuring privacy, comfort, and the perfect escape from the villa. I had felt like royalty, but better, because the man beside me made me feel cherished, desired, and utterly safe.Dinner had been leisurely, filled with laughter, small touches, and subtle teasing. I had leaned across the table once too often, brushing my fingers against his hand, letting my gaze linger longer than necessary. And he had noticed. Oh, he had noticed.Now, back in the hotel suite, I curl against him on the plush chaise lounge, our jackets discarded, the air filled with the faint scent of cedar and his cologne. My cheeks burn, and I can feel the mate bond pulsing insistently, whispering, tugging. Alejandro notices, of course, he always notices.“You’ve been teasing me all evening, Moonlight,” he murmurs, in a low a
Zenith’s POVSunlight filters through the tall pines surrounding the villa, spilling across the polished floors where I tiptoe barefoot, trying not to wake Alejandro. The scent of pine and cedar still clings to his clothes from our walk yesterday, and I am grinning because well..I can’t help it. I’m going on a date with the strongest wolf in the world. My mate. And I’m giddy like a teenager, eighteen turning nineteen, utterly and completely in love.Alejandro shifts in the bed, eyes cracking open to reveal that familiar gold-amber glow. “Morning, Moonlight,” he murmurs, voice thick with sleep, yet laced with the confidence Inhave come to rely on.“Morning,” I whisper back, heart already racing. I climb back under the covers beside him, curling against his chest. “So… today?” I ask, tilting my head up, curiosity bright in my gaze. He hums, letting the bond thrum lightly through me, warm and steady. “Today,” he says, voice low, teasing, “we escape. No villa, no covens, no world. Just… u
Alejandro’s POVThe sun has not even risen yet, but I’m already awake, lying beside my little Moonlight. She is curled against me, the soft rise and fall of her chest syncing with my heartbeat. Her hair fans across the pillow like spilled ink, and even in sleep she smells of jasmine, warmth, and something infinitely hers. Inferno stirs in my chest, low and insistent. "She woke us up before we did."I smile against her temple, careful not to move too much. The bond hums lightly, the aftershocks of last night’s… exercise… still thrum between us. Her human body may not fully understand the mate bond yet, but it reacts, oh yes, it reacts. And it is my job to honor her pleasure while keeping her safe.I have been cruel in my restraint, yes, denying her the completion of our bond. But the danger is real. The covens, the whispers, the hunters who would use her as bait… I cannot let her bear my scent in full, not until we are ready. But that does not mean I cannot find ways to let her feel sa
Alejandro’s POVThe villa is silent except for the soft tick of the bedside clock. Moonlight spills across our shared room, painting Zenith’s face in silver. She lies on her side, one leg draped lazily over the edge of the bed, lips curved in that maddening little smile she thinks I have not noticed.I have watched her all evening, seen the subtle glances, the soft touches of her fingers along my arm, the way she bites her lip while pretending to read. And now, even in sleep, or something like it, she is teasing me. The warmth radiating off her, the subtle curve of her hips, the faint scent she leaves on the sheets…My wolf stirs, deep in my chest, growling low and long. Inferno knows exactly what is happening, feels her, feels my need. "She’s human, Alejandro…" he rumbles, cautious but curious. "But she is yours. You can feel her. You smell her."And oh, how I smell her. Goddess, how I smell her. Her arousal is like fire in my nostrils, a pulse that syncs too perfectly with mine, ign