MasukMARIE As quickly as the pain had arrived, it vanished. I stood up straight, blinking in confusion. I felt... fine. Perfectly fine. I removed my hand from my stomach and forced a nod for my mother. "I'm fine, Mom. It was just a cramp."She studied my face, her eyes narrowed with motherly suspicion. "Are you sure? You didn't look well earlier.""I'm fine, Mom, really. Don't worry about me," I insisted. But inside, I was unsettled. This was the second time I’d felt that strange, hollow ache tonight. What was going on with me?"Please be fine," she sighed, reaching up to kiss my cheeks. "Don't scare me, beauty. I have to go now and take your father home. He’s exhausted from the party."I nodded. "You should go. I’ll be home soon."She walked away, pausing a few times to look back at me, clearly unsure about leaving me behind. But she knew me well enough to know I wouldn't follow her if I didn't want to."Take care! Come home quickly, the hour is late!" she called out one last time.
MARIEMy brother stood frozen.It was like the entire world had stopped at the sound of that slap. Tristan’s face didn't move, but the air around him grew cold... deadly cold. Yelena, on the other hand, was like a mad wolf. She lunged forward, her fingers clawed, wanting to rip the skin right off Livia’s face.Her parents scrambled to hold her back. "You can't fight! Not in this condition, Lena!" they pleaded, dragging her by her arms. She thrashed against them, her eyes wild and fixated on Livia, but they held her down with everything they had."How dare you?" Livia spat, her chest heaving up and down. She looked like she had finally snapped. "How dare you, witch, think of me like that? To fake something... to plant a letter just to pin it on me?"Livia’s mother didn't say anything. She reached down with shaking hands and picked up the paper Yelena had thrown. Her fingers trembled so violently that the paper rattled as she opened it. She read it quickly, her face turning a sickly s
MARIETristan didn't look convinced. He didn't even blink. I watched them, my brow furrowed. Had he caught her in something? Did he have proof?"Are you sure you did nothing?" Tristan moved a step closer, his Alpha aura flaring. It was suffocating, a heavy pressure that made the air vibrate with his annoyance. "Nothing like... planning an accident for Yelena? Even while she was carrying a child?"The hall went so silent you could hear the flickering of the wall torches. Livia went rigid, a visible shock washing over her features.People started to murmur, the sound like dry leaves skittering across pavement."How could you think I would do such a thing?" Livia’s voice was shaking now, but it wasn't the shaky confession of the others. It was hot with anger.Her eyes brimmed with tears, shimmering under the lights, but she held them back with sheer force of will. "I-I thought you truly wanted me back. You bought me this dress... You made me believe you had changed your mind. Only to
MARIE The murmuring in the hall started up again, but it wasn't the light, social hum from earlier. The air felt thick, heavy with a damp sort of dread that sat on your chest and made it hard to draw a full breath. I looked around, watching the faces of the powerful wolves around me.I watched Tristan first. He took his vial with a steady hand, his face a mask of Alpha stoicism.Daniel took his next, then Yelena. When the waiter finally reached me, my fingers brushed the cold glass and a sudden tremor ran through my hand. My wolf surged under my skin, pacing, whining, completely restless.I frowned, staring down at the dark, swirling liquid. What was wrong with me? Why was I feeling so sick all of a sudden? I forced my breathing to level out and gripped the vial tighter.I couldn’t look weak here. I squeezed my eyes shut, tilted my head back, and downed the drink in one go. It tasted like iron and bitter herbs, coating my throat with a film that made me want to gag.I waited
MARIEI laughed out loud, finally wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down to me. "Yes," I breathed. "No one."He didn't waste any more time. He slammed his lips onto mine, and I opened for him immediately. The kiss was hungry, possessive, and desperate, like he was trying to reclaim every inch of me after the confrontation outside. I moaned against his mouth, my head spinning. His hand traveled up, sliding over my chest, and a violent shiver raced through my entire body.Suddenly, he broke the kiss.Before I could protest, he hooked his hands under my arms and lifted me up, settling me firmly onto his lap. He leaned back against the car door for support, and I chuckled, looking down at him before leaning back in to continue the kiss.His hand found my rear, pressing into me softly, and I let out a low moan into his mouth. I could feel his hardness beneath me, a physical ache that matched the one building in my own stomach. I began to move against him, grinding slowly
MARIE Daniel didn't back down. He stepped right into Walker’s space, his chest nearly brushing the other man’s suit."Who are you to interfere with my business?" Walker snapped, his voice tight with annoyance."I’m her man," Daniel said, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous register that made my skin prickle. "And I’m the protector of our princess. So back off now, or I’ll show you who I really am."Daniel was looking for a fight. I could feel the heat radiating off him, that restless energy of a wolf ready to snap its tether. I rushed over and grabbed his arm, pulling with everything I had. His muscles felt like carved stone beneath his shirt; he didn't even budge. He probably didn't even realize I was tugging on him."Daniel, stop," I whispered, but he was locked onto Walker. I didn't want this. A fight between two Betas in the middle of a summit would bring every Alpha’s eyes onto our pack for all the wrong reasons. It would tarnish our reputation, and we had worked too
NYRAThe doctor didn’t waste time.After we finished talking, he went straight to work. I stood beside him, watching every move, every change in the patient’s body. His chest rose and fell in slow rhythm. The scent of medicine mixed with wolf blood still hung in the room.For a while, nothing happe
NYRAI woke before the sun.The room was still dark, the air was heavy with that quiet that comes before morning truly begins. For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to Jackson’s slow breathing beside me. His arm was thrown over my waist, heavy, warm, and possessive even
YELENAI never thought Nyra would be the one to break me like this.Not her.Out of everyone in this city, filled with enemies wearing smiles and wolves hiding behind human skin, I never thought it would be my best friend, like my own sister.The house felt too quiet that morning, too still. Even t
NYRAI don’t think there was a word strong enough to explain what was happening.I was supposed to be back at the pack yesterday. The moment I heard that Alpha Tristan had picked up his pup, my heart nearly burst. I should have been there. I should have stood beside Lena. But I had one last patie







