IreneThe pale light spills through the ceiling-to-wall window, soft rays scattering across the floor until everything feels touched by silver. My chest tightens when I tilt my head back and stare at the full moon hanging heavy in the sky. It’s beautiful and cruel at the same time. My chest tightens, the ache still fresh from the thought that I may never give Alexei the blessing of being a father. That truth slices deep, one I can’t escape, no matter how much I try to push it down. Even my wolf mourns with me, howling low inside, because she knows it too.But that isn’t the only reason she’s restless. I can feel it in the way she paces just beneath my skin, claws scraping at the edges of me, eyes sharp and waiting. This isn’t only pain or calling of the moon. It’s something else.I tear my eyes from the window when I catch the movement beside me. Stella’s lips curve into a proud smirk as she also lifts her gaze toward the sky. I can almost sense her wolf stretching inside her, answeri
AlexeiThe pull is like a rope tightening around my chest, dragging me somewhere I don’t want to go. My wolf is pacing inside me, restless, clawing to break free. It’s getting harder to hold him back, harder to breathe without feeling like my ribs will split.One word keeps echoing through my head, again and again, until it drowns out everything else. Mate.My jaws clench so hard I hear the crack of my teeth grinding. A growl rips out of me before I can stop it, sharp and rough, because my wolf is demanding something I swore I’d never give in to. He wants her. Not Irene. Not the woman I love, the woman I promised myself to. But the one the bond points to.I squeeze my eyes shut and fight back, forcing myself to picture Irene. Her smile, the warmth in her voice when she says my name, the way she looks at me like I’m more than the mess I’ve always been. I can’t betray her by accepting anyone that's not her. I have accepted her with my whole heart and being, and I won't lose her. But the
IreneThere’s something about Stella that crawls under my skin in the worst way. At first, I told myself it was just jealousy, being a mate, she was trying to put a claim on Alexei when she felt threatened by my presence.But it’s not that anymore. If she truly cared for Alexei, if she loved him even a quarter of the way I do, I would’ve stepped aside. I would’ve been gone before she even had to open her mouth. But I won’t repeat my mistakes. I won’t walk away and let Alexei get hurt again.Which means she has to go.I can already tell she isn’t the type to back down so easily, and sure enough, she regains her footing, lifts her chin, and sneers at me like I’m nothing but a joke.“You think the mate bond works on words?” she asks, her voice dripping with bitterness. Then she lets out this sharp laugh, hollow and cold. “Sorry to break your little bubble, but Alexei and I... we already had what you’ll never have. You believe that he is yours, but the truth is that our wolves accepted e
IreneStella’s lips peel back, teeth flashing as a low growl rips out of her throat. “What the fuck did you ask me?”Before I can even blink, Anastasia is on her feet. Her voice cuts sharp, dripping with warning. “I hate bitches… especially with the name Stella, and you have two seconds to tuck those ugly pointies back inside your mouth. After that, I’ll make sure you’re picking them up off the floor.” She tilts her head slightly, daring Stella to test her.For some reason, the whole thing hits me as hilarious. The way Stella’s trying so hard to scare us, it’s pathetic. Even my wolf laughs inside me, unimpressed by the show of teeth and growling.There’s a difference between feeling anxious and being scared. I’ve been unsure plenty of times, but scared? No. No one has ever managed to scare me, not really. And a she-wolf flashing her canines isn’t about to change that.“You pathetic human,” Stella snarls, her glare locked on Anastasia. “You’re really going to threaten me? I’ll rip you
IreneI walk into the packhouse and the first thing I see is Sophia standing there, waiting for me like she’s been glued to that spot all morning. Her arms open before I can even say hi, and then she’s pulling me in so tight it knocks the air out of me. For a second, I don’t even know what’s happening. Then the warmth hits me, like something is melting inside my chest where it’s felt cold since I said my goodbye to Ryan. My eyes burn and before I can stop it, tears spill over.Sophia doesn’t say anything, just holds me like she’s afraid to lose me. It is like she knows what happened with me... where was I, even though I haven't told her. She doesn't even asked anything just held me.I don’t know how she does it, but I swear I can feel something in me shifting, like she’s pulling the pain right out and patching it up with something softer. I know it’s her. I don’t need anyone to explain. I just know.Alexei hovers in the doorway like he can’t decide if it’s safe to leave me. His eyes k
AlexeiI stand beside Mikhail, arms crossed as we watch the younger wolves spar in the training yard. Dust kicks up under their paws, the air heavy with the sharp scent of sweat and fur. They move fast, snapping and circling, but most of them are sloppy. They need control if they’re going to work with the hunters. Anastasia’s idea for these joint drills of new recruits and newly shifted wolves was smart, but pulling it off is another story. Mikhail’s face is unreadable as always, eyes tracking every movement like he’s memorizing the strengths and weaknesses of each one. I know he already has a list forming in his head. Me? My attention keeps drifting. My wolf won’t settle. He paces in the back of my mind, claws raking, teeth bared, like he’s one second from shoving me aside and taking over.I grit my teeth and force the block between us, the mental wall I’ve built over years of training. I shove hard until he quiets down, though it takes effort."That one’s too reckless," Mikhail say