LOGINCrystal's POV"What does he want with us?" Luna asked.No one answered.The question settled over the dining room like a dark cloud before it rains heavily. Only moments ago, laughter had echoed through these walls of the villa. Now, the silence felt almost unbearable.Alejandro's fingers tightened around mine beneath the table. Protectively.His jaw was clenched so hard I could see the muscle moving beneath his skin.The guard remained standing with his head lowered."He only asked that I deliver his message, Alpha."Alejandro didn't even look at him."My answer hasn't changed."The guard hesitated."He said... he knows he has no right to ask."A bitter laugh escaped Alejandro."For once... he's right."The guard bowed."I'll inform the prison right away."He turned and left.The heavy doors closed behind him.Silence.No one reached for their food.No one moved.It was as though the mention of one man had dragged every terrible memory back into the room.I looked around the table.
Crystal's POVMorning came softly.Not with fear.Not with dread.With warmth.For the first time in longer than I could remember, I woke without my heart racing.Without wondering whether today would be another day of pretending not to love him.Something heavy rested around my waist.Strong.Warm.Possessive.I smiled before I even opened my eyes.Alejandro.His arm tightened instinctively the moment I stirred, as though even asleep his wolf refused to let me drift too far away.A quiet laugh escaped me."You find something amusing?"His voice was rough with sleep.I turned carefully.His hair was slightly messy, his eyes still half closed, and somehow the Alpha who terrified entire packs looked impossibly boyish lying beside me."I was wondering," I whispered, "if you ever planned on letting me out of bed."He frowned thoughtfully."No."I blinked."No?""No."His answer came so seriously that I burst into laughter.The sound filled the room.Real laughter.Not forced.Not hiding t
CHOSENCrystal’s POVI don’t remember how we made it to the bed.Only that Alejandro wouldn’t let go of my hand for even a second.As though he feared that if he loosened his grip, I would disappear again.The suitcase still sat near the door, abandoned and half-zipped, but neither of us looked at it anymore.Nothing else existed.Not the house.Not the past.Not the years we had wasted fighting ourselves.Just him.Just us.Alejandro stood in front of me, both hands framing my face, his forehead pressed against mine while we struggled to breathe normally again.His eyes were red.Not from anger.From emotion.From finally breaking.“I almost lost you,” he whispered.The ache in his voice nearly shattered me all over again.“You did lose me,” I said softly. “Over and over.”Pain flashed across his face instantly.Not defensive.Not offended.Just devastated.“I know,” he rasped.The honesty of it hurt worse than excuses ever could.My fingers trembled as I touched his jaw. “Why was lov
Chapter 117 — When Daughters BreakCrystal’s POVRunning back to my room, I didn’t realize I was crying at first.It started quietly, tears slipping down my face, landing on the clothes in my hand, blurring my vision as I packed pieces of my life into a suitcase that suddenly felt too small for all this pain.Every breath hurt.Alejandro’s face wouldn’t leave my mind. His restraint, his distance. The way love sat so clearly in his eyes… and yet he walked away from me again.I folded another dress with shaking hands.“Enough,” I whispered to myself. “I am done begging fate.”That was when the door creaked open.I didn’t turn.I didn’t have the strength to pretend I was fine.“Crystal?” Giovanni’s… my father’s voice called softly.My shoulders shook as several emotions fought to dominate me. Grateful that such a man as Giovanni is my father. The way we would bond and talk about everything that happened to us, while we were separated. Then pain, knowing I was leaving and wouldn't experie
Crystal’s POVI didn’t sleep.I lay there staring at the ceiling, listening to the house breathe around me. Every little sound felt louder than it should be. My phone was on the bedside table, screen facing up, like it could ring at any moment.Tomorrow.The word kept playing in my head until my eyes finally closed.Morning light crept through the curtains, thin and pale. It didn’t warm the room, it pressed against my skin like a warning for me to wake up.The shower ran too hot, then too cold. I stood under it anyway, counting the cracks in the wall as steam gathered and slid down the tiles. My reflection in the mirror looked unfamiliar—eyes dull, mouth set too tight. I brushed my hair in short, uneven strokes. The brush slipped once, clattered into the sink. I didn’t bend to pick it up right away.My fingers refused to stay still. They trembled as I buttoned my blouse, missed a button, and tried again. The clock ticked louder than it should have. Each sound felt final, like it was t
Chapter 115The Truth in StrandsCrystal’s POVFor a moment, Gabrielle’s words just hung in the air. The meaning of what she had said was heavy in my heart.Giovanni.The name alone made my heartbeat quicken. Not from fear… but from something deeper, something I didn’t yet have the courage to name or confront, yet it made me excited. Luna was already sealing the last paper packet when she looked up, her expression was unreadable.What could she be thinking about?“Then we finish it,” she said, breaking me out of my thoughts. “We can’t stop halfway.”I nodded, even though my palms had begun to sweat. “How are we going to get his hair?”Gabrielle smirked mischievously. “Leave that to me.”“Gabrielle!!!” I sighed while rolling my eyes.“What do you have in mind?”“Just follow me.” She said smiling like a child about to cause havoc.Laughing out loud, I followed. We moved quietly through the hallway, the air humming with tension and excitement. Giovanni was in the study, sitting by the
Chapter 110 – The TrailCrystal’s POV My body just reacted. My chest burned, but I didn’t stop.“Crystal!” he barked, his voice echoing like thunder.I didn’t stop.My bones cracked as I shifted into full wolf form while running, fur bursting out, my paws hitting the cold ground hard. I dropped to
Chapter 109 — The Last Thing She SaidCrystal’s POVGiovanni pressed the brakes so hard my teeth banged together. Everything inside slammed forward. I hit my forehead on the metal floor and I saw stars . For a second I couldn’t breathe, thankfully I was not injured.The doors of the van opened and
Chapter 108- Poison in the airAlejandro’s POV I don’t know how long I had been falling.At first it felt like I was running across nothing, and then the ground just vanished and I fell into a hole that didn't have any end, so I kept falling. I was breathing hard, trying to catch my breath. The ai
Chapter 107 – Voice RecorderCrystal’s POVI wished, harder than I had ever wished for anything, that Alejandro or Lucian had seen my message, saw me enter into that van and followed.Giovanni laughed so loud from where he sat, in front. “You know, I saw your message to Alejandro,” he said, like he







