Forever mine

The sleek, black limousine felt less like a luxury vehicle and more like a pressurized chamber. Outside, the rain lashed against the tinted windows as we sped away from the Grand Hall, leaving the prying eyes of the packs behind. Inside, the only sound was the low hum of the engine and the frantic thudding of my heart. ​Kaelen sat across from me, his long legs stretched out, his presence filling the entire cabin. He had discarded his tuxedo jacket, and his white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the corded muscles of his neck and the faint, silver scar that peaked out from his collarbone. ​He was watching me again. Not with the calculated coldness of a businessman, but with the dark, territorial intensity of a wolf who had finally captured his prize. ​"You’re trembling, Elara," he said, his voice a low vibration that seemed to travel through the leather seats. ​"I’m cold," I lied, hugging my arms over the crimson silk of my dress. ​"Liars should learn to co

​The air in the secret room grew thick, vibrating with a frequency that made my teeth ache. Kaelen stepped toward the stone sarcophagus, his hand hovering over the cold marble. ​"You die because the Moon Goddess is a jealous mother, Elara," he whispered, his voice echoing in the hollow chamber. "In every life, we find each other. In every life, we fall in love. And in every life, right as the bond reaches its peak, you are taken from me—an accident, an illness, a blade in the dark. It is a curse placed on my bloodline for a sin committed centuries ago." ​He turned to me, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, unholy light. "The contract wasn't just to get you here. It was to ensure you were bound to me before the cycle could reset. Tonight is the Blood Moon. If I don't bind your soul to mine permanently, I will lose you by dawn." ​He grabbed a silver chalice from the dais and sliced his palm again, letting the thick, Alpha blood swirl inside. "Drink, Elara. Drink and let our souls an

FIVE YEARS LATER ​The Master Suite of the Thorne Estate hadn't changed, but the energy within it had. The scent of rain and cedarwood was now mingled with the sweet, milky scent of a pup and the constant, electric hum of satisfied desire. ​I stood on the balcony, the midnight breeze cooling my skin. I was wearing nothing but one of Kaelen’s silk shirts, the hem barely reaching my mid-thigh. Behind me, I heard the heavy, rhythmic tread of my Alpha. ​Kaelen wrapped his arms around my waist, his hands—calloused and large—sliding underneath the silk to grip my hips. He pulled me back against his bare chest, his heat an instant intoxicant. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling the scent of his own marking, which still pulsed with a faint golden light. ​"The twins are finally asleep," he rumbled, his voice a low vibration that traveled directly to my core. "Marcus is watching the nursery. We have the night to ourselves." ​I leaned my head back against his shoulder,

The afterglow of our union was a thick, intoxicating haze that usually lingered for hours, but the morning brought a chill that no amount of Kaelen’s body heat could dispel. I woke to the sound of raised voices echoing from the courtyard below—voices that sounded sharp, demanding, and dangerously familiar. ​Kaelen was already out of bed, standing by the window with a towel wrapped low around his hips. The scars on his back were tight, his shoulders bunched like a predator ready to spring. ​"Kaelen?" I sat up, the silk sheets slipping to my waist. My skin felt sensitive, marked by the possessive intensity of the night before. ​"Stay in bed, Elara," he said, his voice a low, warning rumble. He didn't look back at me. He was staring down at a silver-grey SUV idling in the drive. "Marcus is handling it." ​"You said that about the Priest," I reminded him, sliding out of bed despite his command. My wolf was pacing, her hackles raised. "Who is out there?" ​Kaelen finally turned, and the