Chapter Thirty Four : A Moment of Uncertainty”Zarina’s POVThe night was heavy with silence, but inside my chest, everything felt loud. The babies were kicking, reminding me that there was life growing inside of me. As much as I wanted to feel joy, there was a weight in my heart that wouldn’t let me be happy. My wolf was restless, anxious, like she didn’t know where to turn. Was it wrong to want Asher back? Was it wrong to hope that he’d come back, even if everyone said he was gone?I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands rubbing my belly softly. The gentle movements from the babies gave me some comfort, but it wasn’t enough. I still missed him. I still missed Asher. My mind drifted to the past. The way his eyes would soften when he looked at me, how he made me feel safe. But now, he was gone. Gone without a trace.I heard a soft knock on the door, and my heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t ready for any more decisions. I wasn’t ready to face what was coming. But I had no choice.“Come in,
:Chapter: “The Pain Zarina’s POVThe pain started in the middle of the night.At first, I thought it was just the babies kicking again. They always kicked when I lay on my left side. But this time… it was different. It hurt. It felt deep, like something inside me was pulling, twisting. I grabbed the side of the bed and held my breath.Then it came again—stronger.A small cry escaped my lips. I tried to stay calm. I didn’t want to wake anyone, but the pain grew fast, and it didn’t stop this time.Tears rolled down my cheeks as I whispered, “Not now… please… not now…”I wasn’t ready. The babies weren’t ready.The door suddenly opened. Damon stood there, looking worried, his hair messy like he’d just woken up. His eyes found mine, and he rushed to my side.“Zarina?” he asked quickly. “What’s wrong?”I shook my head, gripping his arm. “I-It hurts… Damon… it hurts bad…”He didn’t waste time. He placed his hand on my stomach, trying to feel the movement. The babies were still kicking, but
Chapter Thirtt Six : He Came Back"Zarina's POVI was cold.Too cold.Although the fire was lit next to me, I wasn't warm. My hands shook. My tummy was full of a heaviest feeling. The babies had not moved in hours. That scared me the most.I stood next to Elior in front of the whole pack.He gripped my hand. His grip was tight. He stood strong, proud, and ready to accept me as his mate.But me? I didn't want to flee.My heart belonged to another.No amount of guarding he did for me…No amount of vow he swore…He wasn't the one I wanted.I looked up at the full moon. My lips trembled. My body was tired. I was weak.But I said nothing.For the babies.For their safety.Then Elior spoke a word. His voice was booming and strong."Tonight, under the full moon, I take Zarina as my mate. She will be Luna of this pack. And her children will carry the blood of our strength."The crowd cheered. Some wolves howled.But all I had to do was cry.And then I heard it.A deep growl.A growl so low an
Chapter: Amidst The Pain Zarina's POVThe wind rushed past my face while Asher took me through the night. I had my arms around his neck, but I was not consoled. My stomach ached, and it was increasing in strength. It came in waves, and each wave intensified more than the previous one.I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming out. I didn't want to be weak. I didn't want to cry. But it ached so badly."Asher…," I breathed, my voice shaking. "Something is not right…""I know," he said in a rush, but his voice wasn't soft. It was cold. It was harsh.His arms were muscular, hard like I had recalled. But I did not feel warmth. I did not feel the worry that I had thought I would feel if he ever came back. He looked ahead, not at me. His whole focus was on getting to the healer.He did not inquire about how I was.He did not wipe away my tears.He did not even look into my eyes.And somehow, that cut me deeper than the pain tearing through my body.When we reached the healer's house, two
Chapter 38 Zarina's POV - ReliefThe pain was too much, It felt like fire was burning inside of me, like something was tearing me apart from the inside out. I shrieked, my voice breaking as I tried to hold on to whatever strength I had left. The doctor, standing beside me, looked helpless, his face pale and pinched. The pack's healer had refused to do anything, not with Alpha Elior's order still ringing in everyone's head."Please," I whispered faintly, barely able to form words. "Please… the babies…"But no one responded. The room was too still, too silent. Where’s Asher…My abdomen burned with pain that engulfed me. I could barely see through tears that blurred my vision. I fought against it. I attempted to push it away, but it was as though the world was conspiring against me, pinning me down in this single moment of weakness."You have to do something!" I heard Asher exclaim. His voice was frustration-filled, and I could hear the panic underlying his words."We can't," the healer r
Chapter: The Crown, Not MeZarina's POVThe room was silent. Too silent.Only the gentle cry of my babies broke the silence. I was lying there, weak and tired, my body screaming in pain. My eyes felt heavy, but I couldn't help looking at him—at Asher.He was standing by the cradle, holding our baby boy in his arms. His fingers touched the baby's small face, and for a moment, something crossed his eyes. Something soft. Something I longed to have for myself.But it wasn't.He didn't look at me. Not even once.I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words clogged. My throat constricted. My chest did as well. I had just given this world life—in the shape of three stunning puppies. My body was torn in half, my heart aching. but the man I used to give everything to didn't even place his hand over mine."Asher." I said, barely a whisper.He didn't stir. He didn't even glance my direction.Rather, he looked over at the healer who was scanning over the babies. His voice was icy,
Chapter Forty: I Want My Throne BackPOV: AsherI didn't plan to bust that packhouse with fury in my heart. But after what he'd done to Zarina, how else could I possibly be?She might have died. My pups might have died.And Elior? Sitting at the head of the table like a victorious warlord. I stepped into the packhouse with Damon at my side. My beta. My brother. My most dedicated friend. He was silent, but I could sense his fury.The guards in front of the entrance did not stop us. They recognized me. Their eyes dropped when they looked at my face. I didn't care what they believed. I didn't care about who saw me.I only wanted to face him.The doors opened and I walked in.The smell of roasting flesh filled the hallway. Warm bread. Stew. Elior was eating lunch. As if nothing had happened. As if Zarina hadn't screamed in pain last night with the healers sitting stiff, too afraid to put their hands on her.He did not look up when I got there.He dunked his bread in stew. Ate. Chewed slo
Chapter Forty One : The PainZarina's POVI sat on the bed, my body weak, my heart even weaker.The soft breathing of my babes filled the air. Their small bodies curled beside me, safe, warm… unaware of the storm outside these walls.I should be smiling. I should be happy.But my chest was constricting.It hurt to breathe.It hurt to think.Everyone was whispering about it.The fight.Asher vs. Elior.Two men.Both strong.Both powerful.Both capable of hurting each other.I closed my eyes, trying to close out the voices, the fear… but it didn't go away.Nothing could stem the way my heart wracked painfully every time I thought of what was ahead.The door creaked suddenly.I opened my eyes, my heart jumping into my throat.And there he stood.Asher.He walked in, light from the hall falling gently about him.He looked… fatigued.Aged.Chilled.The man I knew — the man who smiled so easily, who hugged me as if I were something fine — was gone.And in his place, another man. A harder ma
Chapter Title: The Weight of LeadershipThe moon was low in the sky, casting a pale light over the packhouse. Inside, the air buzzed with tension. I sat by myself in my study, the weight of what had occurred during the day oppressing me.The elders were gone, their words lingering within me. The Red Moon Pack was cutting all ties with us. No further supplies. No trade. It was all due to the choice I had made to be with Zarina. I drew a hand over my hair, irritation welling up within. Had I erred? Would I have done better with Cara? Would keeping the peace been better that way? The very thought plagued me.And yet I thought about Zarina's tear-streaked face, her silence, her unwaivering belief in me. She was my companion. She had given birth to our pups. She was the future of the pack.The elders, though, did not view it so. They saw her as danger, as a vulnerability. They saw her as the reason that the pack failed.I leapt up, pacing the room. The pressure in my chest was too much to
Chapter 87: The Breaking PointZarina’s PovI sat in the quiet room of the pack house, my mind swirling with thoughts I couldn’t escape. The weight of everything happening around me—everything that had changed in our lives—was becoming unbearable. The constant tension, the constant pressure. I could feel myself unraveling.Asher and I had gotten this far, but with everything that had happened with Cara, the elders, and the pack… I didn't know how I could continue to live like this. I had tried to be strong for him, for the children, but my heart ached. The stress was more than I could manage.I knew Asher would do all he could to protect me and the children, but would it be enough in the end? I was torn between clinging to the life that I had with him and the fear that the chaos would never leave.And then the solution hit me, so forcefully it shook me to my foundations. If sex with Cara would harmonize the pack, then maybe Asher should just go and do it.I felt sick to my stomach jus
Chapter 86: The pack future Asher's POVI was in my office, my hands clenched tightly around a tumbler of whiskey, my head spinning with all that was happening of late. It had been a long day, one full of tension, puzzlement, and the overpowering desire to protect what was mine. Zarina seethed, perplexed by everything, and I had not the least idea of what to tell her that would make it better. Every day was a battle, but the war had not yet begun properly.Then my phone rang, shattering my daydreaming. The screen lit up with my mother's name, and for an instant, my heart skipped a beat. I had not spoken to her for some time. I had no idea what this call would be about, but I didn't have to guess very hard to figure that it wouldn't be something straightforward.I sighed and answered the call, trying to conceal my emotions."Yes, Mother?" My voice was level, but the constriction in my chest betrayed me."Asher, I need to talk to you," my mother stated sternly, but I sensed a quiver of
Chapter 85: Asher's ChoiceI walked in the night, my brain foggy, and my heart heavy. The weight of the day, the pack's need, and the pain of it all happening around me had started to strangle me. I considered everything Cara and I had been through at that moment. Her family pressure, the needs of the pack, and my choices.But the more I dwelled on it, the more I couldn't get the image of Zarina and the babies out of my head. The way they regarded me, the way Zarina smiled, the way the children depended on me for everything. The idea of giving that up, of taking Cara, it didn't sit right. Each time I tried to envision it, the only thing that popped into my mind was Zarina's face, her warmth, and how everything felt complete when we were together.I stopped on the trail, where moonlight filtered through leaves at the edge of the woods. It was quiet. Too quiet.Cara.Her face seemed to flash through my mind, the soft, honeyed tone she always had, her elegant hands, yet even with all of
Chapter 84 : The BattlesAsher's POVThe day had been long. Tension was thick in the packhouse, and my mind continued to spin with it all—Zarina's battle, Cara's machinations, the threats on the horizon. I had promised Zarina that I would always be there to protect her, and yet it felt like I was failing her. There was so much beyond my control, so much that I did not understand, and all I wanted to do was keep her and our children safe.I rested against the side of the bed, the weight of the day weighing on my shoulders. My eyes wandered to Zarina, who was lying there with our triplets. They were wrapped in warm blankets, their tiny bodies curled up against her. The peaceful sight of them all curled up together was the only solace in the midst of chaos.Zarina was exhausted too. She had been through so much recently, attempting to assist me, attempting to keep our family intact while the world around us seemed to crumble. I could see the characteristic signs of her fatigue—the faint
Chapter 83: The FearAsher's POVThe moon sat high above the woods, casting a white, ethereal light on the ground ahead of me. My heart was racing, but it wasn't because of the hunt or the dangers of the night; it was because of her.Zarina.I couldn't help but fret. She'd slipped out without warning me where she was heading, without so much as a whisper. As soon as I realized she wasn't there anymore, my heart hit the ground. I rationalized that she must be all right, perhaps needed some solitude, but the apprehension gripped me like an open sore.I needed to locate her.I screamed out her name, my voice echoing into the dense, black woods. But the silence that met my scream only made me more nervous. I struggled through the dense trees, my head racing. What if she was hurt? What if she was in danger? The thought of her being hurt, alone out there, made my chest tighten.Then, there—beneath a giant oak tree, I saw her.Zarina was curled on the ground, shaking, her face smeared with t
Chapter 82: The Choice Zarina's POVI woke before dawn that day and slipped quietly out of bed, trying not to rouse Asher. His steady breathing beside me was comforting, but I knew I couldn't stay. I had to do this on my own. I had to go get the supplies—medicine and rice burn—anything I could do to help. The pack needed it, and I knew I couldn't rely on anyone but myself.As quietly as I could, I grabbed a small bag, filled it with what I would need along the way, and crept towards the door. The house was still, no one stirred. But as I stepped out into the cold morning air, a knot formed in my chest. Ahead of me lay the forest, dark and silent, and a sense of dread crawled up my back. But I had no choice. The pack needed me.I tried to walk softly as I made my way deeper into the woods, away from the packhouse. The trees seemed to close in around me as the woods swallowed me whole. The scent of wet earth and pine was thick in the air, and the silence was oppressive. Still, I presse
Chapter: Asher and Zarina’s Unspoken FearsI woke to the soft sound of breathing beside me. It was early, and the world outside was shrouded in a quiet morning mist. I rolled over to see Zarina sleeping, her face serene and peaceful. The night had been thick with a weight that I could not shake off, and now the morning felt almost too quiet by comparison.My mind was racing with thoughts of the Red Moon Pack, the threat looming over us, and the stakes. I couldn't allow them to destroy us. I couldn't have my pack injured, but above all, I couldn't lose Zarina.Our bond grew stronger with each passing day, much to her reservations. The healer's words echoed in my mind — the children might not be mine, but I didn't care. I loved them and I loved her, more than she knew herself. But I didn't know how to console her.I smoothed her hair back from her face, my hands on her soft skin. She moved, her eyelids opening, and I could see the fear in them before she had even said anything."You're
Chapter 8 0: In His Arms, I Found PeaceZarina's POVI couldn't breathe.Not because of thin air, but because whatever had been piling up inside me had suffocated me. The Red Moon Pack cutting off our provisions was the grapevine buzz all over town. Folks whispered it in small groups. I'd seen the fear, anger, blame, earlier on the elders' faces—now it was in everyone's eyes: I knew they were thinking of me.I sat by the window, watching the darkness engulf the sky. My babies were asleep, their little chests rising and falling in a smooth motion. Peace didn't live within my heart this night, however.What if all of this was my fault?What if, staying within this pack, I had brought misfortune upon everyone? The sacrifices first, then the elders attacking Asher, and now this…Tears slipped down my cheeks unnoticed. I hated this. I hated being helpless. I hated being a burden to the man I loved and to the children we had brought into the world.I had to talk to him.I got up, tied my sh