LOGINHe growls, low and seductive, like he’s already claimed what’s his—and isn’t above reminding me. In one swift move, he pulls the dress from my body, tossing it aside like it offended him.
His lips trail a path down my chest, over my stomach, tongue teasing and teeth catching every few inches in ways that make my breath hitch. His hands stay clamped firmly around my ass, possessive and deliberate. Like he’s anchoring me here. Like I might float away if he lets go.Gosh, I’m soaked. He hasn’t even touched me properly and I’m already losing it.The bulge under his shorts is shameless, tight and proud. My wolf, Ailm, is practically panting.Take. Mate. Now.But I flip us with a smirk, watching his eyes darken as his back hits the lounge cushion. I straddle him, slow and teasing, just to assert a little control—not that I ever really have any around him. My fingers go to the buttons of his shirt, undoing each one agonizingly slow. I kiss every new inch of exposed skinAilm howls in my skull like she’s being torn in two.And I know—before they even speak. Before the wave of mourning hits me like a storm through the bond. I know.Every wolf around me lifts their head to the skies and howls in unison. It’s a sound of mourning, of agony. But mine is a scream. Raw. Uncontained. Ripped from a soul that no longer knows how to stay whole.Caden knows.He’s trying to soothe me through the bond, trying to wrap me in warmth, but I can’t feel it. I can’t feel anything except this fire that’s swallowing me alive.Then someone says it.An arrow. Straight to the heart.Aspen.No.The grief is so brutal I choke on it, stumbling to my knees like I’ve been stabbed too. But the pain shifts. It sharpens. Hardens. Becomes rage—feral, all-consuming, nuclear.I stand, a snarl ripping from my throat, and throw the nearest chair across the yard so hard it shatters on impact. My wolves move instantly, forming a wall of fur and growl
I pull away from the kiss slowly, still tasting Caden’s loyalty on my tongue, and rise to my feet with deadly calm. Angie’s friends flinch as my gaze slides to them. Good. They should be scared. I tilt my head, one arm crossing my chest while the other taps my chin with slow, thoughtful fingers, like I’m trying to decide whether I’ll break bone or pride first.I pace in front of what’s mine—Caden—and the fools who thought they could touch him.Then I stop.I turn on her friends, unleashing my full Alpha command like a crashing wave of pressure. The two of them drop instantly, writhing on their knees in agony, clutching their heads.“Did you know what she was going to try?” I ask coolly.“Yes, Luna,” they both gasp.I point at the black-haired one first, power humming beneath my skin.“You. Why didn’t you stop her?”She looks like she might cry, but the truth spills from her anyway. “Because I hate her,” she says breathlessly. “And I was hoping one of
I spend most of the morning plotting mischief like a woman possessed. I finish my Luna duties with uncharacteristic speed—surprisingly productive when vengeance is on the line—and immediately set my sights on destruction. Well, harmless destruction. Mostly. “Babe,” I say sweetly, padding into the bedroom with the kind of innocent expression that should never be trusted, “I need supplies for my prank. I want to go to town. Will you come with us, please?” I throw in the puppy dog eyes for good measure. Caden doesn’t even try to resist. He stretches with a groan and grins. “Well, how can I say no to that? Who’s coming?” “May and Max. Ryan’s still blue… so.” I snort mid-sentence, already picturing him sulking in a bubble of cobalt rage. Caden chuckles too. It’s a beautiful, casual moment. Easy. Safe. We head downstairs and meet the others at the door. May’s grinning like she’s already halfway through her own plan. Max is in ful
“What are we going to do with the new pack?” I ask, still curled up on Caden’s chest, my voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. The warmth of him keeps my body relaxed, but my mind’s already spinning with logistics. Merging packs is no joke—especially when we’re talking about three thousand wolves. That brings our total to thirteen thousand. Thirteen. Thousand.Caden sighs. I can feel it rumble through his chest. “Well, their border’s already too close for comfort, so Ryan’s working on buying the land in between. There’s just a small farm there. One old man lives on it. Hopefully if we offer him a stupid amount of money, he’ll take it.”“Makes sense.”“Once we’ve got it,” he continues, “we’ll extend our borders, merge the packs properly. Ben and Matt are working with Leo on training schedules. Anyone who wants to join us here can. Leo’s competent enough to run things while that gets set up.”I nod against his chest, taking it all in. My brain’s making mental to-do
I wake up with the aggressive, annoying sensation of something tickling my nose. It’s not a cute feather-light brush either. It’s malicious. Repetitive. Like it has a vendetta.I try to scratch it off, but it comes back. Again. The betrayal. The rage. The mental chess match I’m playing with this invisible tormentor finally drives me to the edge of reason.I wait, lying still like a jungle predator, nostrils flaring. And the second I feel it land—SLAP!I smack myself right in the face.Except… that’s not a fly.It’s foam. Shaving foam.Cold. Wet. Betrayal-scented.I gasp, eyes flying open, only to see tiny footsteps sprinting out of the room, accompanied by high-pitched gremlin giggles.“Little shitheads,” I mumble, scrubbing foam from my nose—and then I cackle when I see Caden.Oh. My. Goddess.The man is peacefully snoring, shirtless, glorious… and stamped across his forehead in giant black marker are the all-caps letters: ASSFACE.I
“Luna…” the doctor whispers, eyes flicking nervously to the writhing figure on the sofa. “Maybe the men could… turn around while I check her?”“Do what she says,” I order.Caden, Dad, Matt, and Leo all spin like awkward schoolboys at a sex ed class. Mum, of course, kneels beside Emma and starts easing her pain with slow, gentle hands and a steady stream of calming energy.Even after everything this woman has done—after the betrayal, the poison she spat at her own child, after choosing power over people—Mum still chooses compassion. She’s unreal. Like, literally. An actual miracle in mum-form.Emma, being the living sewage pipe she is, spits at her.Right in the face.And Mum? She just wipes it off, still soothing her like a rabid stray instead of the human garbage fire she is. Her strength knocks the breath from my chest sometimes.“She’s fully dilated, Luna,” the doctor says. “It won’t be long now.”I nod and give her a tight smile.“Okay… will y







