Ivy's POV His fingers were still inside me when I felt something shift. Not just in him, but in the air. The moonlight streamed through the tall windows, and Brandon’s eyes caught the light just right.For a moment, they weren’t just his. They were Kiel’s. Bright, glowing gold with primal hunger that made my knees weak.I wanted to speak, to tell him to slow down, to ask him what the hell was happening to me, but I couldn’t form a single word. My body was on fire, already trembling and slick from his touch.Then he growled. A low, deep rumble vibrated from his chest and it was all I needed to lose whatever was left of my control.He lifted me in one smooth motion, he carried me up and put me on the desk, his lips crashing down upon mine, making me moan out. The kiss was fierce, demanding, his tongue tangling with mine as he devoured my mouth.Whatever was arranged on the desk, scattered. A lamp nearly toppled, but I didn’t care. My hands flew to his shirt, tugging, fumbling to get i
Brandon's POV The entire day had been both beautiful and excruciating. Seeing Ivy walk down the aisle, poised, graceful, and with that faraway look in her eyes, nearly dropped me. I had run through this moment in my head countless times, but nothing came close to how it actually felt to watch her stand across from me, about to become my wife.When I said those forever words,“I do,” it felt like I was finally breathing after being underwater for years. I meant every word. But then she hesitated, just a few seconds too long. For one awful second, I thought she might back out. My heart didn’t restart until she finally said it. Her voice was soft, her eyes low, and there was a weariness in her tone that stuck with me.She barely reacted to me through the entire ceremony. She just put up smiles for everyone coming to congratulate us. But I could see beneath those smiles, and that haunted me more than anything. Then Jackie arrived, visibly pregnant and glowing, and Ivy completely change
130Ivy's POV It was my wedding day. Those words should’ve meant something magical, something light and dizzying and beautiful. I should’ve felt those flutters people always talked about.The breathlessness, the giddy anticipation, that little tickle in the chest that said your life was about to change in the best way. But all I felt was tiredness. I felt drained, like every emotion had been wrung out of me long before I slipped into the dress. Every drumbeat, every chant that echoed through the palace walls felt distant, like they were meant for someone else entirely. Agatha held my hand as we walked down the long aisle. Her face was set in a proud, serene expression that didn’t match the chaos inside me. The same woman who had once sat beside me as I sobbed over Brandon, the same woman who had seen me break into a thousand tiny pieces, was now walking me toward him, arm in arm. Like all of this made perfect sense. Brandon stood at the end, dressed in ceremonial robes that looke
Brandon's POV I ran a hand through my hair, pressing my palm against my forehead for a second before dragging it back through the strands. The weight of everything was sitting squarely on my shoulders. It was like a pressure that wouldn’t ease.“I feel like a mess,” I muttered under my breath, not expecting a response.Liam didn’t waste a second to respond. “You look like a mess.”I let out something between a scoff and a tired laugh, not because it was funny, but because it was true. I didn’t have the energy to fake otherwise.I dropped into the nearest chair with a sigh, legs spreading slightly, elbows resting on my knees. I rubbed my hands together, trying to focus on the physical feeling instead of the storm inside my head.Liam leaned against the wall across from me, arms folded across his chest, one ankle casually crossed over the other. He watched me for a long moment, his expression was neutral, but I could tell he was thinking.“What exactly is bothering you, man?” he asked f
Ivy's POV I stared at him like he’d just said the grass was blue or that he’d never once breathed in his life. “You expect me to believe that?” I said, my tone laced with disbelief. “You? An Alpha? With all your uncontrollable sexual urges, you actually want me to believe you didn’t touch a single woman in five whole years?”Brandon didn’t so much as blink. His face was steady, and completely maddening in how calm he looked. “Kiel didn’t want anyone else,” he said. “Not even once.”The way he said it wasn’t defensive. He wasn’t trying to prove anything. He was just telling me like it was the truth. Which only made it more impossible to believe.“It didn’t make sense to me at first,” he continued. “I thought something was wrong. Like, physically. I even went to the doctor a couple times. I thought maybe it was some kind of hormone imbalance or block or whatever.”I blinked, unsure if I was supposed to laugh or be shocked that he was serious.“But it wasn’t medical,” he said. “It was
Ivy's POV Being back in the city stirred bittersweet memories in me. The feeling that hit you when you’re walking down a street that used to mean something, passing a shop window that reflects the version of yourself you thought you’d left behind. We didn't return to the old house, instead, we moved into a new palace. It was modern and massive, surrounded by tall trees and wide open space. The grounds were beautifully decorated, and the architecture had that clean, elegant feel that made you stop and stare for a moment. It was undeniably beautiful.The first morning after we arrived, and when I thought I'd have the time to take myself on a tour around, an entire boutique had been set up in the palace, right in my room.Rows upon rows of clothes, shoes, and accessories were displayed like a luxury showroom had been unpacked just for me. There were racks of designer dresses and suits, shelves of perfectly arranged heels and flats, and tables laid with everything from fine jewelry to
Ivy's POV I buried my face deep into the pillow, the sobs coming harder with every second I tried to hold them in. I clenched my fists against the sheets, my chest heaving as wave after wave of emotion tore through me. Brandon had once again messed up my life. Not only did he mess it up, he broke it, crushed it down into something so small I wasn’t even sure I could gather the pieces back anymore.I hated him.God, I hated him.I hated his face, his voice, the way he always acted like he knew everything. But the worst part, the part that really made me want to rip myself apart, was that even now, after everything, some part of me still longed for him.Even after storming away from him, after seeing what that bond really meant, after making him nearly die right in front of me, my body was already betraying me again. It was like every fiber of my being ached to go back. To see him. To be near him.And it wasn’t just emotional. It was physical, my skin, my bones, my chest all buzzing w
Ivy's POV When I regained my senses, the first thing I felt was something foreign, and strange inside me, deeply tied to Brandon. I couldn’t explain it, but it clung to every part of me. I staggered a bit, clutching my head as flashes of what just happened flickered across my mind.I didn’t know what it was, and I didn't care what it was. All I know is that I launched myself toward him, fury coursing through every vein in my body. But before I could land a single blow, his hand shot out and caught my wrist with infuriating ease and held it firmly.“Save all that energy, Ivy,” he said coolly, his eyes boring into mine. “You’ll need it for your Luna duties.”I yanked at my arm immediately, trying to break free, but his hold didn’t budge. It was like trying to pull against a steel trap. "You're insane," I spat, my voice shaking more from rage than fear.I glared up at him, heart pounding against my ribs, my entire body thrumming with whatever had just happened.It made my head foggy, l
124Brandon's POV I woke up to pain so sharp that every muscle in my body seized at once, locking me down against where I lay. My chest burned, and for a moment all I could do was stare up at the ceiling, blinking hard against the haze clouding my vision.Through the blur, a face appeared above me. Agatha. Her brows were furrowed deep with worry, her hands moving frantically over my chest where the knife had gone in."Why aren't you healing?" she snapped, her voice tight with panic. Her hands hovered over me uselessly like she wanted to do something but didn't know what.I tried to answer, but all that came out was a groan.I gritted my teeth, forcing my throat to work. "It's my wolf," I rasped out finally, my voice sounding rough and broken even to my own ears. "He's angry at me... because of Ivy."The pain was still dealing with me, but I forced myself to lift my head a little, following Agatha’s quick glance over her shoulder.And there she was being held back by Zelia with wild