LOGINFrancesca’s POVBeing held by your fated mate was different. A fated mate was engineered to bring you peace, comfort, to be able to provide you with hope even in the darkest of times. When Alpha Ian pulled me close and I went willingly, a part of my grief melted away.I released a soft sigh as I buried my face in his broad chest. I inhaled deeply, breathing him in. There was a lulling effect, a sense of peace that came over me. Even in the darkest of nights, Alpha Ian was a bright star in the sky keeping me centered.It made me believe that I wouldn’t lose my mind from grief. It made me believe I would be able to find a way to cope with this great loss. The way he was holding me in that moment, as though he never wanted to let me go, as though he wanted to protect me at all costs, it made me want to cry again.This time, it was tears of gratitude.I needed all the love and comfort I could hold in the face of this great tragedy. And he seemed to understand that without me talking out l
Francesca’s POVI spent more time in that bath tub than I should have. The truth of it was part of me lacked the desire to step out and face the world. Live my new reality. There was a moment where I thought about going under, submerging myself in the soapy water completely and staying there until I breathed my last.That would surely make all the pain go away, but it was the coward’s way out. It’s not the end my parents would have wanted for me, and I was no coward.I knew at some point, I had to get out so I resolved to do it and pulled on a bathrobe. My movements were slow as I put it on and covered myself. It seemed as though I was sensitive to all the elements around me. Any single sound or scent could set me off.Patrick and Bianca were waiting for me in my bedroom when I emerged. It looked like they’d done some showering of their own. They were not covered in blood or reek of foreign werewolves anymore.They rushed forward and engulfed me in their arms in a three-way hug. I let
Francesca’s POVThere were moments in your life that had a surreal feeling to them. They didn’t feel like your own. They felt like the driver’s seat had been seized by someone else and you were no longer in control. Even when the journey veered off course, there was nothing you could do to get it back on the right track.Moments like these made you feel powerless. They made you want to turn back time but you find this impossible to do because that wasn’t how life worked. But how could you accept this new reality you’ve been thrust in? Your eyes had witnessed a sight that your mind simply couldn’t compute.This was how I felt on the night I lost my mother. I wanted to believe that my eyes had deceived me. I wanted to squeeze them shut and will the ugly image away. The sounds that had emanated from her wolf right before her life force was drained.“Mother!” I screamed. “Mom! Dominic, please let me go. I need to get to her.”“Francesca, please stay with me.”Dominic had his arms wrapped
Francesca’s POVThe first scream froze the blood in my veins. It paralyzed me. It was so chilling, the sound of sharp claws ripping through the unsuspecting throat of an innocent. It took me a moment to realize what was happening.It was the rogues.They were here. The dreaded attack was upon us. Once it sunk in that the enemies were here to destroy our happiness and desecrate the sacred event we were about to have, I moved into action.Bianca and Patrick had already shifted and was each battling a rogue wolf. It was a nasty affair, the way Bianca didn’t hesitate to tear the wolf from limb to limb. Patrick was holding his own, but I didn’t spring into action until a sable-colored wolf let out a loud howl and lunged for me.It was very much instinctual, the way I moved out of his way at the last second to prevent his claws from sinking into my ribs. I let out a howl in response as we circled each other. I was sizing him up and he was doing the same.This time, we lunged for each other
Francesca’s POVThe coronation of the Alpha King and his chosen Luna is one of the most sacred events for any Pack. It’s one that is celebrated in a grand affair, and remembered for months after the fact. Every Pack had its own special way of going about it, the rituals they always made sure took place and all the flurry of activity and prayers that happen, taking advantage of the full moon and asking the Moon Goddess to bless us and grant our heart’s deepest desires.“Mother, you look absolutely stunning,” I said, my tone dripping with admiration as I stared at Alpha Jessica Reginald, where she sat dressed in a lovely golden gown, about to be crowned the Luna of the Sangria-Crescent Pack.“Thank you, darling,” Jessica replied, smiling, her blonde hair framing her gorgeous face like a halo. “Come sit with me.”The other women who’d been helping my mother get ready for the coronation excused themselves and walked out of the drawing room.I threw them a discreet smile as they exited the
Francesca’s POVAs we approached mid-September, the Fall weather really began to set in. The unbearable heat of the previous month was abating with every second that passed. The leaves of the trees were changing color, losing their life force and vividness, and falling to the ground in a melancholic but beautiful display of the wonders of nature.Our summer vacation was still very much ongoing. Bianca, Patrick and I had at least another two weeks before we were due to return to campus so we were definitely making the most of our last days of leisure. Although to define our days as leisure was subjective. Our training sessions were more intense than ever. Alpha Ian has been present and running most of them. Ever since his therapy sessions came to a fruitful conclusion, he has been more determined than ever to push us to our limits. There was an obvious shift in how he now regarded Ezekiel and the imminent war between us. His hatred was less personal. It was no longer the kind of acidi
Ezekiel’s POVI was standing back a considerable distance as training went on. As much as I had said I wanted to oversee it, my intention was not to interrupt it in any way whatsoever. I also didn’t want our warriors to feel under pressure or act as though they had to do anything different simply bec
Alpha Ian’s POVThe idea of going to some cold and lifeless office of a therapist was enough to make me want to puke. If I was going to cut my skin open and bleed for a complete stranger, I had to do in a place I felt safe and comfortable in. The sessions had to take place in my Study and nowhere els
Alpha Ian’s POVIt was a different kind of torture, having to narrate practically everything I told Francesca and the others to my wife the next day. She listened to me with the same empathy and compassion that I received from everyone who was present in my Study the night before. She didn’t cut me o
Francesca’s POV“So, what’s the verdict?” Alpha Ian asked after I hadn’t uttered a word after his vulnerable confession. “Am I still in love with a monster?”I fixed him with an intense stare then, really looking at him. There was a vacant look in his eyes, it seemed as though he was bracing himself f







