1: STABBED
SELENE
Alpha Lucas was going to be overjoyed once I told him the good news that I was pregnant.
I knew that I was the Luna and that meant that I had to carry myself with grace but I was so happy, so excited that I half ran, half walked as I made my way to his study.
Usually, I didn’t disturb my love when he was there, it was his personal space but this news could not wait, I could not wait to tell him he was going to become a father!
I pushed open the door without knocking, “Darling, you are not going to believe what I have to tell–” the words hung in my mouth as my eyes widened.
Alpha Lucas’ pants were around his ankle and he was balls deep inside another woman, his naked butt clenching viciously as he thrust into her.
The bottle of champagne that I had brought for us to celebrate with fell from my hand and smashed to pieces at my foot, sending glass and red wine flying in every direction.
I looked on, and squinted my eyes, refusing to believe what I was seeing.
The woman was lying with her back on the table and her legs hung around his shoulders.
“Babe!” he stiffened and quickly reached down and pulled up his pants.
I shook my head and stepped backward out of the room and slammed the door.
No, this could not be, I did not just see what I thought I saw, my whole body felt like I was on fire despite being in an air-conditioned hallway.
My heart was beating in my chest furiously and now tears were starting to well up in my eyes. Instinctively, my hand went to my belly and then I ran.
It was as if the hallway walls were closing in on me, trying to trap me within them, I couldn’t spend another second here, I needed to get out.
“Honey!” I heard his voice calling me from behind but this just made me run even faster, I needed to put as much space between us as I could.
Oh my goodness! My love did this to me?
How? How did he violate the mate bond like that? I should have known something was wrong, how didn’t I? Did the pregnancy somehow affect my ability to sense his emotions?
How could he do this to us, to me, and his baby? This was the highest form of betrayal.
Now the scent of that strange woman was burned into my memory, I could never forget it.
I kept running until I ended up in the woods far beyond our pack. I didn’t want anyone to see me cry, as soon as I was certain that I was alone, I broke down and tears flowed freely from me.
This was supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, this was not supposed to be happening, not to me, how could Lucas do this to me? We loved each other more than anything, didn’t we?
I had begun to doubt everything.
“There you are!” he said, panting heavily.
I turned around startled to see him there, “Get the hell away from me!” my voice was mingled with grief and anger.
“Babe, babe, please, just let me explain okay, it is not what you think!” he took a step forward.
My eyes widened, “It is not what I think? You were balls deep in another woman! What the hell do you want to explain about that?” I yelled at him, the veins straining in my neck.
Alpha Lucas shook his head, “You weren’t supposed to see that babe, I am sorry you had to see that!”
I scoffed in disbelief, “You aren’t even sorry, are you? You are just sorry you got caught!”
“Babe, please, forgive me, I promise you, she meant nothing to me,” he kept approaching me.
“Stay back!” I warned, raising my arm to keep him at length, “Did you even ever love me?”
“Of course babe, I have loved only you,” he said ignoring my warning and coming closer.
I shook my head, “You are a shameless liar, and a cheat, you are not fit to be my alpha!” I sniffled.
“Don’t say that babe, I’m sorry, please, give me a second chance!”
I shook my head more furiously, “Fuck you Lucas, fuck you, I am not going to let you hurt me like this and get away with it. The council must hear about this!”
The sympathetic look left his face and his eyes became serious, “What?”
“I am going to dissolve our marriage, you are not fit to be alpha!”
“Babe,” there was a dangerous edge to his voice now, “The council does not need to get involved, we can work through this, just give me a second chance!”
I felt so overwhelmed I thought that I was going to pass out at any moment, “I can’t deal with you right now.”
I walked past him but then he viciously grabbed my arm.
“Let me go, Lucas!” I warned.
“Don’t tell the council babe, please.”
“Get off me, you and I are officially finished!” I said with finality.
His grip on mine loosened and I freed myself and kept walking out of there, sniffling and pulling myself together, I knew what I needed to do.
I heard his footsteps behind me obviously, he was coming to plead again, I didn’t want to hear what he had to say, he had broken my heart, my trust, and our bond.
Without warning, Lucas ran up from behind me and then stabbed me in the stomach.
I gasped as a piercing pain shot through me, Oh No, My baby! I thought in panic.
As my hand went defensively to my belly, I heard him whisper in my ear, “I am sorry,” and then his blade cut my throat.
As I lay there bleeding in a pool of my own blood, scared and alone, I muttered a silent prayer.
“Oh Moon goddess, please I do not want to die here like this, please not like this, not when I have been wronged so badly, please, do not let me die here!” I prayed as the life drained out of me and I faded into blackness.
2: MEETING A DEMONSELENEOh no! I could not believe that the love of my life, Alpha Lucas just did that to me.There was a tightness in my chest and it felt as if I could not breathe as darkness surrounded me all round.Disrespecting the mate bond and cheating on me was one thing, but stabbing me? That was unbelievable, how could my mate do that to me, how could my mate hurt me like that?My eyes flew open and I found myself alone in a narrow canoe that was rowing itself forward towards a pair of black gates.The water all around me was dark and murky and very still, except for the ripples as my canon cut across heading to its destination.At first, I was confused, what was going on here? The last thing that I remembered was being stabbed and bleeding out alone and afraid on the forest floor.My hands flew to my stomach and then my neck I dabbed at them, there was no blood, and my heart was beating heavily in my chest as I looked around in panic.My jaw dropped as I recognized the la
3: MEETING AN ALPHASELENEWhat in the hell just happened right now? There was a serious pounding in my head as I sat there on the floor, heart thumping in my chest, cloth soaked in blood.Everything felt intense for no reason, the sunlight was too bright, and the birds were chirping too loud.Even the breeze against my skin felt too harsh for my liking, it was like my sensitivity to everything had increased…I gasped as my hands flew to my belly, my baby!If I was brought back, what about my baby, what are the chances that my baby was saved too?I anxiously felt around my stomach, trying to sense my child within me, was it still alive? I wanted so badly for it to be alive, please, Lunar!“I told you, Lunar does not heed your requests!” a small windy voice whispered.It felt more like a thought originating inside my head than an outside voice speaking to me.I gasped and spun around, this was the second time I had heard it, but there was nobody around me, I was all alone, in a pool of
4: MATESELENEHe was so close to me, I could literally feel him, it felt like something was crawling on my skin, not the irritating type of something but the exciting type.I tried to struggle but he held me firmly, whoever this man was, he was strong as hell, and I was powerless in his grip.Instructively, I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pushed further into me, his groin and his bulge finding my groin and pressing into it.He held my hands apart and pinned them beside me to the tree with both of his hands, his torso was pressing into me, keeping my back upright against the tree as he sniffled and growled close to my ear.“Mate!” he growled once again.It was fierce, it was primal and it was infectious, “Mate!” I snarled too before I realized what I was doing.The air was thick with the powerful scent of Moon Flower and raw hormones, I could smell him, like really smell him, his scent, the smell of his sweat, the wildness and heat that was coming off him, I could smell it al
5: PASSION AND PLOTSSELENEThe feel of the cold water against my skin was a refreshing reminder that I was alive once again, as I stood there in the shower, I looked at my naked body.The cut marks were gone, Alpha Lucas had stabbed me in the belly and then slit open my throat but there was no scar to even indicate that something like that had happened, if not for the quaint voice that remained in my ear, I might have thought I imagined the whole thing.I stepped out of the bathroom completely naked to find three ladies dressed in low-quality gowns standing at the ready waiting for me.They bowed curtly and then approached me, the first took a towel and wrapped it around my hair while the others led me to a fluffy chair in front of a huge ornate mirror and sat me down, and began to groom me.This was not strange to me, I was a Luna, I was used to having handmaids and servants but it was strange in the sense that just a moment ago, I was a prisoner but now I was being treated like a L
6: FEVER PITCHSELENETristan held the small of my back and pulled me hard into him, my belly and my breasts bumped into his hard ripped torso and he held me close and firmly.My breath caught in my throat as my nipples began to stiffen under the fabric of my cloth just from being pressed against him.“Tell me you don’t feel this,” he was looking down at me and the words escaped his mouth in a low growl.I took a deep breath as I held his gaze then I slowly bit my lower lip, I could not tell him that I did not feel it… my brain was not working as much anymore.He raised his right hand and I watched him slowly bring it over my face, stretch out his ring finger and gently stroke my face and push away some stray stands of hair.“How can you deny this...”The low vibration from his throat as his spoke sent a wave of pleasure over my skin and I felt goose bumps start to appear.My nipples hardened even more.He smiled mischievously when he looked at me, he could tell that his charm was wor
7: BAD NEWSTRISTAN“Yes, yes, I am yours,” she moaned in a high pitch voice.That was enough to send me over the edge and I reached my climax too.The curtains were billowing in the wind and the cool night breeze was pouring in from the open door that led to the balcony.I collapsed on top of her.My heavy breathing and her heavy breathing were blending into each other.This was the best sex that I had ever had, did it have something to do with the mate bond? I suspected it did.I did not know anything about Selene but here I was, ready to make her the mother of my kids.“That was…” she paused to catch her breath.“The best sex you’ve ever had,” I said and kissed her soft skin.She shook under me as she let out a small laughter.I rolled away from her and laid on my back still breathing hard.Selene drew the sheets over her to cover her nakedness as she stared up at the ceiling.I turned to look at her, “Where is your mind? What are you thinking about?”She sighed, “What now?”“Now,
8: CONTEMPLATIONSELENEA TRIAL?How the hell did I find myself here?The sex with alpha Tristan was back breaking and mind blowing but the highlight of my day was how easily I strung him along into agreeing to fight my battle against Lucas with me.I knew I did not have the numbers to take on Lucas by myself but with alpha Tristan backing me, I would be able to kill that traitorous son of a bitch for what he did to me.Everything was going fine, my plan was working as well as I pictured it until he brought up the trial.“Walk faster!” one of the guards said from behind and pushed me forward.I had left alpha Tristan’s chambers and I was being led back to my cell, here I was thinking that was the last time that I would see the inside of that smelly cell now I was being led back there.How could he as an alpha not have a say in whether I was freed from this prison or not? Here I was thinking I had picked the most powerful man in the pack, was I wrong?The cell door rattled open and onc
9: TRIAL SELENE As I was led out of the cell, I could feel my heart beating faster as the guards sent to fetch me led me through the dimly lit halls. One of them gripped my hand firmly as though they were expecting me to run, and I could feel their eyes boring into my head. “This is your chance, let me kill them and we can leave this place.” Xercer said, his thin voice sounding louder due to the hallway. I stiffened slightly, despite the fact that I knew nobody except me could hear his voice, I was still worried whenever he spoke up. I ignored his voice since I didn't want to let the guards see me muttering to myself. Besides, killing them would make everything worse for me. If I could survive the trial like Alpha Tristan believes, then I would have the whole pack at my disposal to take my revenge on Lucas. With the guards grip on me, I was guided through the winding corridors of the pack house…just how big is this place? I thought to myself, before we finally stopped in front
SELENE The blood drained from my face at Tristan's words. "I…" The words tangled on my tongue and my mouth opened and closed multiple times as I tried to figure out what to say, but nothing was coming. What happened last night? I could not remember anything…but Tristan must have seen something…something that told him I was behind the night ripper he had been after all these while. But what…? I could not say too much and risk giving out information that he did not know and digging an even deeper grave for myself. I felt like I was drowning, struggling to breathe through the sudden weight pressing down on my chest. "Where do I even start?" Tristan muttered after a few seconds of watching me flounder around for what to say, dragging a hand through his hair, making it even messier. "Start what?" I whispered as I stared at him, my heart hammering against my ribs. Goddess…why did my voice sound so small? Tristan exhaled sharply, then pushed himself up from the chair as he started t
SELENE "Ugh…my eyes…" I groaned, squinting as the sunlight stabbed at me like tiny, white-hot needles. I turned my head, burying my face into the pillow, but the damage was already done and now I was wide awake. I cracked one eye open, then the other, slowly adjusting to the golden light flooding the room. Wait…that was strange. I was pretty sure we had drawn the curtains shut last night. Tristan had been so insistent, muttering something about the cold draft sneaking in through the windows. I had watched him pull the heavy drapes closed, the muscles in his back shifting under his skin, and then he had turned back to me, those wickedly playful eyes filled with intent… Heat flooded my cheeks, and I yanked the blanket over my head, mortified at where my mind immediately went. Goddess…I could still feel the phantom traces of his hands on my skin, the way his mouth had worshipped every inch of my body. I pressed my palms against my burning cheeks, groaning again but this time from
TRISTAN My hands were trembling as I pulled Selene gently into my arms, trying to shield her body with mine. “Selene,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to hers, “Selene, what the hell just happened? What was that?” My brain was racing. None of this made sense. I had left her sleeping in our room not long ago. I had kissed her forehead, brushed her hair back and promised her that I would be back before she even noticed I was gone. So how the hell was she here now? Naked, unconscious, inside the remains of the night ripper? Was she…was she the one controlling it? Had it been her all along? No…that couldn’t be…right? Or had it tried to kill her but we got it before it could? But how had it gone up to my room, the pack was guarded and warded too…. Thoughts swirled around in my head, faster than I could keep up with, and I had no idea what to do. But how else could this make sense? The white smoke had formed her. I clutched her tighter, trying to shield her as the footsteps of my
TRISTAN The monster stared right at me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine, but I straightened and held its stare, refusing to flinch, a tight smirk curling my lips. “You are in my trap now,” I said under my breath, just loud enough for myself. “Your little reign of terror ends tonight.” It started moving again, slow and almost sluggish, like the runes were doing their job. Each step it took flickered more of the silver light around it, and I could smell the acrid burn of smoke where its misty form brushed the poison laced lines. Good…that meant our plan was working. Without a single hesitation, I ran towards it, my poison coated dagger already in my hand, cool and steady, coated in that rare venom we had spent a ridiculous amount of money to acquire. But now, as I closed the distance, I could feel its effect on the creature, and seeing how it flinched when I got close to it, its body coiling tighter in defense - made it all worth it. “You messed with the wrong pac
TRISTAN “You all know the plan,” I said, my voice steady, there was no room for doubt. “We may not have the full team, but the strategy holds. Do all you can to get it to the trap, and I will be at the end waiting.” Dorian exhaled hard through his nose, then lifted his chin. “We’ve got this.” “We do.” I met the gaze of every man there. “We finish this... tonight.” They nodded, one by one, every last one of them. There was no single hint of fear on their faces despite the fact that we were not prepared for this, they were all determined to see this through. That was why I knew that I could trust them with my life. “Do not let it double back,” I added. “Keep it moving. If you need to slow it down, do it, but do not get cocky. It’s faster than it looks.” “Yes, Alpha,” they echoed as one. I watched them melt into the trees, quiet as shadows, spreading out just like we’d trained. All our planning came down to this moment. I stood alone for a second longer, drawing in a slow brea
TRISTAN I walked ahead of my men, scanning the trees like I had a hundred times already, and there was nothing there, no footprints…no scent…no movement…just the same quiet tension pressing down on us. The Ripper was still out here, I was sure of it. But the bastard had gone quiet…too quiet. There had been no attacks in weeks, just silence, and while I should have been happy about that because it meant I did not lose any more pack members, something told me that whatever was coming was big….It did not sit right with me. It was almost like it had vanished into thin air, but I knew better, I knew that it was still in my pack and it would fall into my trap soon. All we could do now was wait and hope he was arrogant enough to fall into it. I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. It was hard to focus today. My head kept drifting back to the pack house…back to Selene. She had still been asleep when I left, curled up under the blankets, one leg sticking out like she was fighting the
SELENE I got serious this time, with Tristan and I silently exchanging blows and none of us refusing to give in to each other. You’re not the only one who can play foul, I thought to myself as my heart pounded loudly. The moment I saw an opening, I moved quickly, stepping into his space and closing the distance between us until our noses were almost touching. I could feel the heat rolling off his body, the rise and fall of his chest. And then, in a tone I knew would undo him, I whispered in the most seductive voice I could, “I’ve missed you in bed.” Tristan's eyes went wide in shock as he stumbled a little and lost his footing, just like I hoped. That single second of hesitation was all I needed, I used the opportunity to grab his shoulder, twisting my weight, and taking him down hard onto the mat. He grunted as his back hit the floor, and before he could recover, I straddled him, my knees braced tightly on either side of his thighs and my hands pressed to his chest. “Got you,”
SELENE Tristan stepped into the ring without taking his eyes off me. “You may not see it…” he said, his voice smooth and calm as he began bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, loosening his shoulders, “...but that boy looks at you like you hung the stars.” What!?? I didn't even know what I was expecting from Tristan, but that was the last thing I expected him to say. “I need him to not get any ideas about my mate,” he added, flashing that grin again…the one that showed a hint of fang, just enough to make my heart start beating faster. “Now, are we doing this or not?” “So…” I began as I raised my fists, “you’re really here just to spar? Or are you here to mark your territory?” “Maybe both,” he said, meeting my eyes with a glint that made my stomach flip. “What can I say? I don’t like sharing.” “Who says you have anything to worry about?” “I know I don’t,” he said as calm as ever. “But that does not mean I will not remind the entire pack that you are mine.” I raised a brow
SELENE “You seem pretty distracted. Is there something on your mind?” Eli grunted just before his fist came flying toward my face. I barely dodged his blow in time as I twisting to the side, but the movement threw off my balance. My foot slipped, and before I could recover or find my footing, I landed flat on my ass with a hard thud with the impact sending a jolt up my spine. I needed to focus or I would get hit. “Ugh…” I groaned, glaring up at him from the mat. “Remind me again why I agreed to spar first thing in the morning?” Eli laughed, already extending a hand toward me. “Because you said you would get rusty if you did not move. Your words, not mine.” I grabbed his fingers and let him haul me up, brushing dust off my training clothes as I caught my breath. The morning air was cool against my skin which was still sticky with sweat. My muscles ached in the best way…but my mind was all over the place and I could not get myself to focus. “I’m fine,” I muttered, turning away f