LOGINDorian’s POV“Lillian, please don’t be like this,” I said, moving to follow her as she walked away. “What happened with Miranda, it was a mistake. A terrible mistake that I don’t even remember making, but a mistake nonetheless.”She stopped walking, but the silence that enveloped us was cold and heavy, nothing like the comfortable silences we used to share. For a long moment, she just stood there with her back to me, and I wondered if she was going to ignore me completely.Then she spoke, her voice quiet but clear in the morning air.“I actually wish it was just a mistake,” she said. “I wish it was something that happened randomly, without planning or purpose. But we both know that’s not true, is it? The elders orchestrated all of this because they don’t see me as fit to become your Luna. Because I’m not one of their daughters, not someone they chose and approved of.”“That doesn’t matter,” I insisted. “What the elders think doesn’t change how I feel about you.”“Doesn’t it though?” L
Dorian’s POVI’d been looking for Lillian all morning, needing to talk to her before I headed to the office for meetings I couldn’t postpone. After everything that had happened yesterday, we needed to actually sit down and have a real conversation instead of just reacting to one crisis after another.I checked our old shared bedroom first, then her private room, then several other places she might have retreated to. Finally, I ran into Alanna in the hallway carrying what looked like art supplies.“Have you seen Lillian?” I asked.“She’s in the garden,” Alanna said, her tone cooler than usual. Clearly she was upset with me about the Miranda situation, though she was professional enough not to say so directly. “She went out there about ten minutes ago.”“How is she?” I asked, though I already knew the answer would be some variation of “terrible.”“How do you think?” Alanna replied, then seemed to catch herself. “Sorry. That was unprofessional. She’s… managing. Trying to hold it together
Lillian’s POVI stared at Elder Carter as he emerged from the shadows, that sealed envelope clutched in his hand like a prize he was eager to deliver to someone.“What are you doing lurking around here?” I demanded, my voice still sharp with anger from what Miranda had done to Celeste. “Hiding in the gardens like some kind of spy?”“I came to see my daughter,” Elder Carter said smoothly, though his eyes held that same calculating coldness I’d seen before. “To make sure she’s settled comfortably and has everything she needs. Is that a crime?”“What’s that letter?” I asked, pointing to the envelope he was now trying to casually hide behind his back.“Nothing that concerns you,” he said, shifting his position so the envelope was less visible.But I’d already seen it, and my suspicions were immediately aroused. Who was he delivering messages to? What schemes were being coordinated right under our noses?“This is all planned, isn’t it?” I said, the pieces clicking together. “Everything Mir
Lillian’s POVI held Celeste tightly against me, my hands running over her small body to check for any signs of injury. “Did she hurt you, baby? Did Miranda do anything to hurt you physically?”“No,” Celeste whimpered against my shoulder. “She just talked to me.”“What did she say?” I demanded, looking past Celeste to glare at Miranda who was still sitting calmly on the bench with that infuriating smirk on her face.Miranda actually laughed, the sound light and mocking. “Oh, Lillian, you need to calm down. I didn’t hurt your precious daughter. We just had a nice conversation about honesty and truth. Nothing wrong with that, is there?”“Everything about you is wrong,” I said, my voice shaking with rage.“Careful,” Miranda said, her smile widening. “You’re getting very worked up over nothing. You know, someone in my condition needs to be very cautious. Too much stress, too much conflict babies can be so fragile. They can just… slip away. And never come back.”The words were clearly mean
Lillian’s POVI walked away from Dorian and headed straight to Celeste’s room, my emotions too raw and overwhelming to deal with anything else right now. I needed to hold my daughter, needed to ground myself in something pure and uncomplicated before I completely fell apart.Celeste was sitting on her bed playing with her dolls when I entered, and the moment she saw my face, her expression shifted to concern.“Mommy, why are you crying?” she asked, immediately abandoning her toys to come to me.I sank down onto her bed and pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly against my chest like she was the only solid thing in a world that had turned to quicksand.“I’m okay, baby,” I lied, stroking her hair. “Just a hard day.”“Who was that lady?” Celeste asked, her voice muffled against my shoulder. “The one with the orange hair that everyone was yelling about?”My heart clenched. Of course she’d heard the commotion. The pack house wasn’t that big, and we hadn’t exactly been quiet during th
Lillian’s POVSeeing Miranda pressed against Dorian like that, her arms around him and his hands on her shoulders to steady her, infuriated me in ways I couldn’t even fully articulate. It hurt on a visceral level seeing another woman claiming physical comfort from my mate, playing the damsel in distress while he instinctively protected her.“She’s lying,” I said, my voice coming out stronger than I felt. “Dorian, she’s lying about all of this. She hit me first, she’s been threatening me and Celeste, and now she’s twisting everything to make herself look like the victim.”“I saw it happen,” Alanna interjected firmly, stepping forward to stand beside me in solidarity. “I came around the corner just in time to see Miranda slap Lillian across the face. Hard. Lillian only defended herself after being struck first. Everything Miranda is saying is a manipulation.”But Elder Rex moved to block Alanna’s path, his expression stern and dismissive. “You’re Lillian’s close friend and confidante. O
Dorian’s POVI was in my office at the pack house going over security reports with Aiden when he brought up the incident that had happened two nights ago on our southern border.“The rogue attack was contained quickly,” Aiden said, pointing to the map spread across my desk where he’d marked the loc
Lillian’s POV“Actually,” Alanna said, taking a sip of her tea, “we’ve only hooked up once so far. But I’m pretty sure we’ll do it again. There’s definitely chemistry there, and he’s already hinted that he’d be interested in making it a regular thing.”“One time and you’re already planning the next
Lillian’s POVI lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling while Dorian slept peacefully beside me, his arm draped protectively across my waist. The mark on my neck throbbed gently, a constant reminder of what had changed between us, of the bond that now tied us together in ways I was still str
Lillian’s POVThe moment Dorian’s teeth broke my skin, the moment I felt the bond snap into place with that overwhelming rush of sensation, I pulled away from him abruptly despite the pleasure still coursing through my body. I scrambled off the bed, grabbing the nearest piece of fabric I could fin







