THIRD PERSON’S POVRaina froze. Her eyes twitched, and her mouth dropped like Daffy Duck’s beak hitting the ground.“You’re what?!” With her blood hurtling against her eardrums, Raina crushed the paper as her hands coiled into fists. “Who?”“That conversation is not for you. Until my son wakes up and explains to me why you two should be together, I cannot and will not consider you his mate. Because mates who want to be together usually don’t try to kill each other,” Vance asserted with finality, using his alpha command. “This discussion is over.”“Ugh!” Raina groaned in frustration. She threw the crumpled paper on his desk and stormed out.-At the end of the day, Vance left his office wanting nothing and no one except his sweet Luna. He rubbed at the tension at the back of his neck as he approached his Bentayga in the parking lot and drove home.Raina was taken care of. He was glad that he wouldn’t be seeing her for a while. She better not try anything further.After a nice dinner, S
THIRD PERSON'S POVVance growled, fierce and visceral. “You don’t get to give up on him, not while he’s still breathing!”The Alpha's chest heaved, eyes blazing at Blayne, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair.“Haah,” Duke sighed and tsked. “You had to do it.”“Are you preparing me for the worst? Who the hell do you think you are?” Vance raised slowly from his seat. His palms pressed hard on the desk as he tentatively leaned forward.The air around him thickened, charged with a fury they could feel in their bones.“That’s my son. My son. And as long as there's a damn pulse in his body, you will not talk about him like he’s...” Vance stopped himself and clenched his fists.There was a long, heavy silence.Vance stared at them for a long moment. The only sound was the harsh drag of the Alpha's uneven breathing.Blayne rubbed the back of his neck, his voice low and regretful. “You're right.” He tried to steer the conversation to safe territory. “I shouldn't have said that. Sorry, Alpha
THIRD PERSON’S POVUpon reaching the pack house the next morning, Vance parked his mahogany red Bentayga in the parking lot.When he got out of the vehicle, the first thing he saw was a large white cupid sign hanging over the entrance. The arrow was pulled back on the string with the tip pointing down at all who would enter.He climbed the steps very slowly, reading it:‘Everyone deserves a shot at love.’Perplexed, he furrowed his brows. What’s that about?He was not aware of any special events at the pack house. In fact, he had planned for a good, undisturbed day at the office. There was so much to do. Too many things lingered on his mind.He marched into the foyer, ignoring Matron Madeline as he passed her.She bowed quickly her gray head, whispering nervously, “Good morning.”Something felt…off.The air was too edgy.Continuing his wary gait, his stomach dropped the moment he reached the well-decorated lobby. His eyes twitched at the inflated confetti balls in all the corners.A l
RAINA’S POV Kneeling for three nights on the front lawn at the Wolverson mansion affected me more than I anticipated.My knees protested, and my body begged for sleep, but I fought on. It was too bad that the gentle warmth of the rising sun couldn’t revive my depleted vigor.Without Hera, my body was fragile and aching numb from long hours of being out here, feeding only on snacks.To me, this was worth it. I missed being loved by Valen. To fall asleep wrapped in his warmth, lulled by the steady beat of his heart.I had hoped Alpha Vance would revoke his command once his anger subsided, but it seemed that he was deeply aggrieved, holding an awful grudge against me.It was agony.“You're still here,” Alpha Vance retorted the minute he opened his front door. He froze with a scowl, glaring at me.It's safe to say either he's not a morning person or I was not his favorite person.Though he was coolly dressed in black jeans and a green dress shirt with cuffed sleeves, his lurid eyes screa
RAINA’S POV“Back off!” I yelled, not knowing what I expected, but the twin flame in my palm erupted, blasting the Vel’sothar back with a furious screech.The second one faltered, hating the light. Hera landed a brutal back kick into him, and he bumped into the other. Heads collided, making them dizzy, staggering about.Suddenly, Valen’s soul blazed brighter, and I realized that it was responding to the flame.His soul wanted to live. I positioned the flame at his chest, hoping it would seep into him.“I love you too damn much for you to do this to me.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “Come on, Valen. Come back to me. Accept your flame. Please.”Surprised, I flicked my eyes wide open to see what the hell was happening to me. A searing light burst from my chest. Fire shielding fire. My very own twin flame exploded from within me, engulfing the Vel’sothars in a wave of golden heat.They howled and shielded their black sockets with their arms, retreating into the folds of the Veil like sprayed c
RAINA’S POVThump-thump. Thump-thump. My heart hammered, fast and panicked, as I clutched the flickering ember still burning in my left palm. It pulsed weakly, as if exhausted by its effort to stay alive.I lifted my head to see the darkness shifting with movements. Thick tendrils of shadow coiled back from me, hissing with rage, leaving me in the shallow, green mist.Now what?The air was so thick and heavy, like breathing through acid smoke and sorrow. Its murkiness leaked with the strong scent of burned myrrh and old ashes. It clung to my nose as if grief had an unforgettable smell.Another day in another cursed paradise, I scoffed to myself.“Raina, get moving,” Luna Sianna prodded, her voice a drifting whisper in my head. “There’s not a minute to waste.”As I scrambled to my feet, I glanced around. My lips parted, breath shallow. The eeriness of the place crawled over my skin like cold fingers.“But I don’t know where to go,” I yelled, feeling flustered and hoping that Luna could