INICIAR SESIÓNVALEN’S POVDespite her soreness, she planted her palms on the mattress and leaned sideways. “Well, it beats the alternative.”I blinked in mild confusion as she raised and reached out both hands to me.“Come here, you idiot,” she beckoned lovingly. Her expression was so heartwarmingly soft, and her eyes filled with quiet devotion.I swear my heart jumped with hope. I released a shaky breath and shot up off my knees.Bending at the waist, I pressed my hands onto the bed to brace my weight as I let my face rest in her soft, cuddling palms.With the gentlest touches, her thumbs wiped my tears. The sparks... my body shivered beneath her fingertips.With a sad smile, she whispered, “I’ll forgive you because I know it’s hard for you, and because love's not about getting everything perfect. I guess as long as we keep finding our way back to each other, without betrayal, we can move forward.”With a sigh of relief, I bolted into the bed and hurriedly pulled her into another passionate kiss.
VALEN’S POVThe minute I walked into our sun-lit bedroom, Raina stirred in the king-sized bed. She shifted on her side, her fingers crimping the edge of the white cover over her ears.I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets. My shoulders caved as I stood in front of the bed.For several seconds, I watched her silently.All I could think about was my moment of weakness when I got swayed by Jiya’s pheromones. I got a vile taste in the back of my throat from the memories. Remorse tore through me. The shame was unbearable. And I was nervous about how she would react.Unable to bear the distance between us, I ran a hand through my loose hair and then moved to the side of the bed.The mattress dipped when I climbed in beside her. I braced on my elbow and inhaled deeply. She smelled heavenly. So divine.“Rise and shine, sleeping queen.” I placed my other hand on her waist, gently rubbing the curve of her body as I stared at her beautiful half-covered face.Her dark brows were furrowed, and her
RAINA’S POV“You chose her,” I croaked, feeling more tears brimming. “Nuk-symos proth-kai thar-fros! ”I wasn't sure how those strange words blurted out of my mouth, yet somehow I knew they conveyed my meaning, that he was rejecting me for her.His forehead creased as if he were confused, even taken aback.“Na-proth. N’zan-avdija,” he rasped, a flicker of remorse roughening the beast's voice.Somehow, I understood him. Not rejected. Never leaving.He gripped both of my shoulders, and was careful not to let his claws hurt me. He leaned into me with his head tilted, his searing red eyes completely focused on my wound.“Then stay by my side,” I whispered, “Trust me. I’m mate.”“Mate,” he echoed in a throaty groan, and I saw his emeralds tentatively breaking through. “Need mate.”Very gently, he pushed me onto my back on the grass with my knees still raised. He loomed over me, planting his hands on the ground where my shoulders were.Hot tears streamed from the outer corners of my eyes as
RAINA’S POVI couldn’t ignore the pain of watching the man, who normally put me above everyone else, become enthralled by another woman…leaving me to be nothing but background noise.“Is that all you’re going to say?” My voice came out low and broken.He did not look back or bother to give me a response.My heart clenched from the bitter humiliation, and the pain in my chest intensified.Has it really come to this?Still, part of me wanted to go after him, not to give up, although his determination was clear. My stomach churned and began to cramp as I watched him slowly climb the first step.This wasn’t going to end well for us, not if he successfully mated her.Theo wasn’t letting him off so easily, though. “You’re not setting another foot toward her.”Valen reached the last steps, only to be pushed back by the determined Gamma.My Alpha mate roared deafeningly, and it shook the ground.That didn’t deter Theo. He pummeled punches into Valen’s face, driving him backwards. With every h
RAINA’S POVThe blood rushed from Jiya's face, leaving her ghastly white. Her eyes flitted over the council. She swallowed, getting as flustered as a bee caught in a jar. Her confidence was completely gone.“I-I…I…” she stuttered, breaking out in cold sweat like a guilty sinner at communion. Then she broke into an arrogant rant. “So what if she has the moonstone? Her bond will never be blessed. One day you’ll live to see her bleed.”“Show us you possess the queen's authority,” Elder Victor pressed with calm scrutiny. “I want to see if you also have a connection to the moonstone.”“It is quite simple. Lift your hands and center your thoughts on the moonstone,” Elder Sybil tried to help.We waited and waited in the anxious silence.When Jiya hung her head, the audience grew restless, buzzing with murmurs.“Did we just corner her?” I asked, shifting my gaze to Valen. I was still holding out the moonstone, and my hand was growing tired.“Well, she hasn't tried,” he said softly, dipping hi
RAINA’S POV“If all things should be fair, I don't really have to dig into a clay pot, do I? I just need to get the osmanthus moonstone, right?” I queried, my heart beating at galloping speed.Elder Mitchell's mustache twitched as he opened his mouth, but it was Elder Victor who agreed, “That is correct.”Just like I wanted.I sucked in my bottom lip between my teeth as I swung my gaze to the galdron and then to Jiya. Elder Sybil stood next to her to support her stance, hugging her sideways.She was already healing, and she held up the osmanthus moonstone with a smug expression. “You don't have to do this, but then again, that will make me queen.”She laughed and coughed, choking on her insufferableness.I clenched my hands at my sides until my nails bit into my palms to ground myself.When Jiya was doing her test, I was thinking about the sacred Coyolxāuhqui stone. I remembered when Valen and I swore on it to never kill each other. At the time, we stood in the divine ritual circle an
-VALEN'S POV- Explosions of glittery shards sliced through the space, hurling Raina's fragile body swiftly backwards. In the mighty burst of glass, her hands flailed wildly, and several lacerations began appearing all over her flesh as she sailed further and further from me. Her spine-curdling screa
-RAINA'S POV- My fidgeting fingers froze. I blinked twice at the devil-may-care goddess. My stomach did a calcified dip as Artemis stood there in her glorious silver aura, tall and straight with pure sobriety in her silverware eyes. The panda cub was drumming up some enthusiasm with a single-stroke
-RAINA’S POV- No. Zoning out for an inner dialect, I delved deeper into my own thoughts. I scratched my head, calculating. Snow was not a goddess. She was rotten luck, a jinx ― not a deity. Confusion fogged my brain. I furrowed my brows as I deliberated. “Well?” Artemis demanded an answer. “We don’t
-RAINA’S POV- Hearing Valen's voice, I wrenched my gaze away from his obscured nether region. I had completely forgotten where we were. “Is this your so-called date?” I wondered, dragging my eyes up the length of his body. “I think you are trying to seduce me.” A masculine satisfaction flickered in







