SophiaPain courses through me as Mikhailâs teeth sink into my neck, but thereâs a strange comfort in it. Itâs the pain of the bond being sealed, the pain of finally belonging somewhere. The sharp sting turns into a wave of warmth that spreads through my body.As he holds me close, his teeth retracting and his tongue soothing the wound, I feel the bond snap into place. Itâs overwhelming, this rush of energy and connection, but thereâs also a deep sense of something that is settling somewhere deep inside my heart.His scent envelops me, grounding me in the present moment, and I find myself leaning into his touch, seeking comfort and solace in his strength.All my life, I have hoped that there would be someone in my life who would want me. For them, I wouldn't be a burden, an unwanted relation that has been forced into their life. It seems unreal that the Moon Goddess has finally answered my prayer and brought Mikhail into my life. For now, even if it is his wolf that wants me, I still
MikhailWhether it is a mate bond or whether it is something about her, she is addicting.It was like my wolf couldn't get enough of her.I had to literally drag myself away from Sophia in the morning before my crazy wolf took her again.Even though she submitted to me, it still had some kind of dominance in it. This underlying challenge should have triggered my wolf, but instead, it made him more attracted to her.Surely, this mate bond makes our wolf do crazy things.I have heard that newly mated wolves have difficulty being away from their mates, especially for the first few days. And with my wolf being an Alpha things are even complicated, as he doesn't want to let his mate out of his sight. He just wants his mate and is being possessive about her.After completing the tasks for today, I am about to leave my office to return to my house when Layla storms inside my office."You claimed her!" She sounds furious as she closes the door behind her.Leaning back in my chair, I sigh.Thi
SophiaThe last thing I remember is finishing the preparation for dinner, making sure everything was perfect for Mikhailâs return. The effort had taken its toll on me, but I wanted to surprise him.I don't have much to offer him, so I want to do whatever I can to make him feel special.I hope he likes the dinner.Afterward, I stepped outside to get some fresh air and clear my head.I must have fainted.The lack of food and exhaustion from the last night's events must have caught up with me, causing me to faint.Before I can fully gather my thoughts, I hear a deep voice, and the scent that accompanies it is unmistakable.Mikhail.I can feel he is talking to someone else, but after a moment, I feel his hand lightly touching my body, and a low growl emits from him.Fighting the remains of unconsciousness, I open my eyes. My eyes instantly connect with Mikhail's, and it seems like they are looking through me instead of at me.His face is so close to mine, and his hands run across my body
MikhailMy wolf thrashed in me when we heard the pack doctor tell us how underweight she was. She almost seems starved. Now, when I recall how small and fragile she felt in my arms last night, it makes me wonder how it is possible that I overlooked her condition. I can't stop myself from touching her just to confirm the truth behind the doctor's words. I could literally count her ribs when I ran my fingers across her skin.How was my wolf so blinded in the craze of mating bond that we didn't notice this earlier?I have asked Alexei to make sure she is comfortable here, so what is she trying to prove by not eating?When I inquired about her lack of eating, Her answer stunned me. I hadn't considered that she would wait for permission to do something as basic as eating. This makes me wonder what kind of treatment she has gotten in her pack. From her confusion, it seems like she has also been deprived of basic freedoms, like eating.I should not care about it, but something in me stir
SophiaYou will fulfill all the duties of a mate because that is what you are required to do. You will give my wolf what he wants from you.His words keep echoing in my mind, but my heart refuses to acknowledge them because it still believes there will be more to this mate bond. Maybe if I continue to give him what his wolf want then one day even he will see that what we have is much more than these primal needs.I don't want to deny him anything because I am afraid to lose him. He is my mate; he is all I have. I will do whatever I have to do to keep him happy and safe. And it is not that he is forcing me to do something, he has been very careful of my needs and always make sure that I am fine. He is taking what is rightfully his as my mate.He makes me feel cherished... a feeling I never knew.Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath when his hands grab the length of my skirt and pull it up bunching it around my waist. A cold breeze touches my bare skin, causing goosebumps to rise on
MikhailDeath.No matter how much you see, still, you can never get used to it. Losing one of yours is never easy. Their death haunts you. I have lost my entire pack in the past, and I have seen numerous deaths of my own. Yet each life that I lose takes away a piece of my soul of mine and fills it with darkness.These wolvesâthese peopleâare mine. They are my responsibility, and I have failed them by not being able to protect them.If I hadn't been so consumed by this mating bond, these wolves might have been alive. But what was I doing? I was busy playing mates with this girl whom I didn't even know anything about.I know it wasn't her fault, yet I can't shake off the anger that I feel towards her.There was no need behind my actions, just pure anger. I wanted to punish her, and I wanted her to feel that she was not the one in control; I was the one who controlled everything.There was this raging storm inside me, and somewhere, unknowingly, she calmed that storm.A small part of me
Sophia I have never known my mother, nor do I have any idea how she looked apart from the knowledge that she had beautiful long hair. But when I was around five years old, I had a dream. In that dream, I heard a woman's voice whose face I couldn't see. She told me something... something that has stayed with me since then. "True power lies in being connected to your roots." I don't know who that voice was, but my heart tells me that it was my mother. I always felt a pull towards our rituals, which were performed by our ancestors, the rituals that are vanishing with time. It hurts me to think that soon a day will come when no one will be aware of our roots, our traditions. These are not mere rituals; they are our connection with our past. So when Mikhail ordered me to attend the warriors' burial, I knew I had to give them the respect they deserved. They died while protecting their people, and they deserve the burial of a true warrior. When everyone was at the clearing, I prep
MikhailThe pack members settle into their seats, utensils clinking against plates and low murmurs filling the dining hall. I can't see their faces, but I can feel the change in their feeling as the grief is slightly lessened by the comfort of knowing their brothers are in the company of the Moon Goddess. Also, somewhere, it is due to that knowledge that I have found my mate.It should not be big news because most of them are aware of my arrangement with Layla and how she is an unofficial Luna of the pack. But maybe because, like other packs, they also believe that my finding a true mate will result in a blessing for the pack; that's why they seem content.I can sense Sophia's shock as well, but she should know I haven't denied her of being my wolf's mate, nor am I going to hide this fact from my pack. No matter how I feel about this mate bond, it is true that she is my true mate... more like my wolf's true mate.The scent of Sophia's meal wafts through the air, and I can feel my pack
AnastasiaI blink up at the ceiling, confused as hell for a second. My brain feels like itâs swimming through thick fog, trying to latch onto something that makes sense. The sheets under me are soft, smell faintly like lavender and old memories, and the light slipping through the curtains is warm, too warm for how cold I remember feeling.WhereâĶ?I turn my head and it all clicks into place.This room.Same pale blue curtains swaying a little from the breeze sneaking through the window. Same wooden dresser with the chipped paint. Same soft hum of nothingness outside, the kind of quiet you only get out here. Itâs like Iâve time-traveled. Like someone hit rewind and dropped me right back into the past.I sit up slowly, my muscles sore but not screaming anymore. That alone messes with my head. I lift my arm, the one where Iâd dug for the tracker, and stare at the skin. Itâs healed. Like really healed. Smooth, with just the faintest pink mark. No blood. No torn flesh. No proof of how bad t
JakeBefore I can even blink, Anastasia throws the knife across the room and, to my horror, she digs her hand right into the wound she just made. Blood gushes out, running down her arm and dripping onto the floor. She bites her lip so hard trying not to scream that her teeth tear through the skin, blood mixing with the sweat on her face."What the hell are you doing, Anastasia?" I rasp out, my heart slamming against my ribs. I grab her wrists, trying to stop her from tearing herself apart, but she fights me like she doesnât even hear me.Nothing I say is getting through that crazy haze sheâs trapped in. Itâs like sheâs somewhere else, lost in her own mind, and I have no clue how to pull her out of it. Watching her hurt herself like this is ripping me apart. Iâm scared outta my damn mind."I have to find it," she grits out between her teeth, her voice rough and broken. She keeps digging into her own flesh surprisingly it looks like she doesnât even feel the pain. "He fucking canât cont
JakeI carry Anastasia toward the cells, not loosening my hold even a little. I can hear Sophia and Mikhail following close behind, their footsteps quick but not rushed. They know somethingâs up even if they donât have all the pieces yet.When we get to the old brick building, Mikhail steps around me and tells the guard to open the door. The guy fumbles with the keys for a second before the lock clicks and swings open.The place smells like metal and damp stone, but I hardly notice. All I see is her. All I feel is her heartbeat against my chest.Anastasia stirs a little and tugs at my shirt weakly.She shifts a little in my arms. "Put me down," she whispers, her voice soft but firm.My wolf snarling in protest. Every part of me wants to keep her close, safe, where nothing can get to her. Letting her go feels wrong, like Iâm cutting off a piece of myself. But I can't let my own fears and emotions get in her way, undermining the strength and power she carries.So, even though it goes ag
JakeI skid to a stop near the border, my heart slamming against my ribs so hard it feels like it might shatter. Mikhail and the rest of the patrol are crouched low, hidden behind trees and thick bushes. For a second, I don't get it. Why the hell are we hiding? Anastasia could be right there, so close I can almost taste her in the air.My wolf fights me hard, clawing at the inside of my chest, roaring at me to move, to tear through anything standing between me and her. But my human side digs in, just barely keeping control. I suck in a ragged breath and crouch low, reminding myself that rushing in without thinking could cost Anastasia her life.I notice the black hummer rolling down the old dirt road just outside the border. The windows are tinted so dark I can't see a damn thing inside. Every part of me wants to charge in and flip the damn thing over, but I grind my teeth and stay low."That's them..." Irwin says in a low voice from where heâs crouched behind a fallen log. He nods hi
JakeâHow do you know Anastasia?â I ask, trying hard to keep my voice level. I donât want to scare him off if heâs got real information. But damn, itâs tough when every second I can feel her pain twisting inside me like a knife.He leans on that broken branch a little, then shrugs like itâs no big deal. âWe areâĶ or wereâĶ friends.â His voice drops a little at the end, more to himself than to any of us. âIâm saying were because I know once she sees me, sheâll probably try to kill me for abandoning her.âHe gives a short, humorless laugh that doesnât reach his eyes. I don't laugh with him. None of us do.âThatâs not what you should be worried about,â he says, looking back up at me, his eyes sharp. âYour focus should be on Ana. I donât trust a damn soul over there. Theyâre vultures, all of them. But Anaâs smart. Smarter than most. Sheâll know whatâs going on. I trust her to get herself out.âI am still skeptical whether to trust a word coming out of his mouth, especially when I heard he a
JakeMy body shakes as my wolf pushes harder, breaking through the thin line between us. My skin stretches, bones shift, and I fight the change with everything Iâve got, but itâs like he doesnât care. Heâs done waiting.Heâs angry. And scared.And so am I.Sophiaâs voice is somewhere nearby, soft but panicked. âJake? Whatâs happening? Jake!âBut I canât answer. I can barely breathe.All I know is I feel her. Anastasia. Not just the bond tugging... this is something more.Sheâs hurting.And that pain? Itâs mine now, too.I slam a fist into the dirt and snarl, trying to get control back, trying not to lose it completely.Pain flares in my body like a wildfire, and I can hardly breathe. My vision goes all hazy, like I'm looking through a foggy window. I blink hard, trying to clear my head, but itâs no use. Everything around me turns into a blur. Iâm dimly aware of the sounds around me, but theyâre distant, like Iâm submerged underwater. My mind is racing, but itâs too focused on one thin
JakeThereâs this heat sitting right under my skin, like fire trying to crawl out of my bones. Itâs been there since I woke up, simmering just below the surface. I keep telling myself itâs nothing, that Iâm overthinking it, but I know better.Somethingâs wrong.I canât explain it, not in a way that makes sense. Itâs like my instincts are pulling at me, dragging my thoughts to one place. Or ratherâĶ one person.Anastasia.I close my eyes and try to focus on the reports in front of me, but itâs useless. All I can see is her face. The way she looked when she left.... not angry, not cold, justâĶ hurt.I didnât want her to leave. Not like that.I wanted more time. Just a little more. I wouldâve stolen her from the world if I could, even if it was selfish. But after that talk she had with Sophia, I saw it in her eyes... she was hurting.From Sophia's words, she might have gotten the impression that Sophia is against our bond, which is untrue. However, Sophia is slightly disappointed with me.
AnastasiaâI donât think this plan will work.âEthan leans forward in his chair, arms crossed, wearing that annoyed look like everythingâs just wasting his time.Pete just finished laying out the whole plan â my plan â and I can already feel the tension rising.âWeâre not weak,â Ethan adds, like heâs trying to remind everyone of something they never forgot. âWe donât need to waste time spying on mutts. We should just attack, wipe them out, and take their Luna. Simple.âHe shrugs like he just solved everything in two seconds. Like itâs just that easy.I can't stop myself from rolling my eyes, as I shake my head.Since everything is taking a three-sixty turn, all the high-ranking hunters are also part of this meeting, even Edwin and his group.Edwin, whoâs been quiet the whole time, finally speaks up.âOne of the biggest mistakes any hunter can make is to underestimate their enemy,â he says, his eyes locked on Ethan like heâs done babysitting his ego. âWhat do you think they are, helples
AnastasiaI keep my eyes forward, lips pressed in a straight line, like none of this rattles me. Like Iâm not absolutely burning from the inside out. Peteâs words keep echoing in my head. Take away their Luna.He knows. He has to. That look he gave meâĶ like he was testing me. Like he wanted to see if Iâd crack. I canât show it though. Thatâs what he wants. To see me flinch, to catch some hint of guilt or panic in my eyes. But heâs not getting that. Not from me. Iâve had too much practice keeping my mask in place, hiding the cracks. I can rage later.Right now, I have to think.I have to warn Jake.But how?I canât just send a message. I know better. Cellphones are a joke in this place. Everythingâs tracked. Calls, texts, even burner phonesâPeteâs paranoia makes sure nothing slips through. Heâs probably waiting for me to try, just so he can pounce with evidence.And if I get caught trying to contact someone outside the group, especially someone like Jake? Thatâd be the end of everythin