로그인For five seconds, nobody moves.The silence in my office is so complete that I can hear the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. Connor stands a few feet away from me, his chest rising and falling beneath his bloodstained shirt. Aiden remains near the door, his attention shifting between us, while the woman standing in front of my desk watches me with eyes that are identical to Naya’s.Identical.The same eyes I have searched for in every nightmare. The same face I have held between my hands, kissed, and memorized until I can recognize it in a crowded room.My chest tightens.Pity and understanding creep into my expression before I can stop them.“Oh, Naya,” I whisper, stepping toward her. “What did they do to you?”Her face crumples for a moment, but she quickly gathers herself. She shakes her head, and the movement is so familiar that my heart aches.“I’m serious. I’m not Naya.” She looks directly into my eyes. “But before I say anything else, I want your word that you will not h
TysonConnor can barely lift his head. “Nothing.”I strike him again. “Then why is she looking at you like that?”“Tyson!”Aiden’s voice is sharper this time. I still refuse to look at him.My attention remains fixed on Connor, who struggles to stay conscious beneath my grip. I can finish this now. One more blow, one decisive strike, and he will never dare challenge me again.But another sound rises from the veranda.A sob.I glance toward Naya. She’s crying harder now, her fingers digging into the railing. Her eyes meet mine for one brief moment, and what I see in them makes my stomach turn.Fear.Not fear for herself, fear for Connor. Something is terribly wrong.Aiden sees it too.I know the moment he notices because his expression changes. His gaze moves from Naya to Connor, then settles on me with a calculating intensity.He remembers our conversation in the training yard. He remembers me admitting that my bond is silent and that my wolf recoils from Naya.Now he watches her cry
TysonI don’t wait for Connor to explain himself. The moment the words my mate leave his mouth, something inside me snaps. My wolf surges forward with a ferocity that makes my bones ache, and before anyone can react, I’m already moving.Connor barely has time to turn toward me before my fist connects with his jaw. The impact sends him stumbling backward.A collective gasp rises from the warriors gathered in the courtyard, but I barely hear it. My blood roars in my ears, drowning out everything except the furious voice of my wolf demanding that I tear apart the bastard who dares to stand before me and claim my mate.My mate.The woman on the veranda belongs to me. The Moon Goddess binds us together, and no amount of confusion, distance, or silence in our bond changes that truth.I don’t care that my wolf recoils whenever Naya comes near me. I don’t care that the bond feels dead or that I can barely stand to look at her without feeling something inside me twist.She’s still my mate and
TysonI don’t sleep beside Naya anymore.The first night she returns, I tell myself it’s exhaustion. She has been through hell, and I have spent weeks imagining the moment I finally hold her in my arms again. I expect having her home to quiet the storm inside me. I expect the moment I feel her warmth against my chest, my wolf will settle, and the bond between us will come alive again.I’m wrong.The moment I lie beside her, my wolf retreats so far into the back of my mind that I can barely feel him. When Naya reaches for my hand, I force myself not to pull away. When she moves closer, searching for the warmth she once found so easily in my arms, every muscle in my body tightens.I don’t understand it.She is my mate. I know her face, her voice, and the little crease between her eyebrows whenever she worries. I remember the way she falls asleep with her head against my chest, her fingers curled into my shirt as though she can keep me beside her simply by holding on.I remember how it f
Tyson“You haven’t told me how you escaped.” The question hangs between us.Naya’s fingers tighten around the edge of her shirt, and for a moment, I think she might not answer. Her eyes remain fixed on the fire, watching the flames move from one log to another. I can see the hesitation in her face, the way she seems to be gathering the courage to say something she has been carrying alone.I don’t rush her.Whatever happened to her, I have already learned that pushing her will only make her retreat further into herself. So I sit quietly and wait.Finally, she takes a slow breath.“I had help.”My body stiffens.“Help?”She nods.“Someone helped me get out.”I lean back slightly, trying to control the sudden rush of questions that fills my mind. Who? One of Tom’s guards? A prisoner? Someone working for him? How long had this person been there? How did they know Naya? Why would they risk helping her?“Who helped you?”“I don’t know his name.”My eyebrows draw together.“You don’t know h
TysonFor a while, I simply hold her.Naya remains against my chest, her fingers curled into the front of my shirt as though letting go might somehow make everything disappear again. I can feel the faint tremble running through her body, and I hate knowing that she is still carrying so much fear even though she is finally home.My wolf is quieter now, but he hasn’t completely relaxed.Neither have I.There are too many things I don’t understand.Too many questions.Who took her? Where did they keep her? How did they know where to find her? How long had they been planning it? How did they get past MoonHaven’s defenses? Who helped them? Who is Tom? And most importantly, why was she targeted in the first place?I know she is exhausted, but I also know that I cannot pretend none of those questions exist.Eventually, Naya pulls away from me.Her eyes are red, and there are still traces of tears on her cheeks. I resist the urge to wipe them away because I don’t want to make her feel trapped
His fingers brush my wrist and everything Stops.It’s like a shock runs through me. Not painful. Just… overwhelming. My breath catches, my body goes still, and for a split second, the world narrows down to that single point of contact.What the hell was that?He pulls back like he’s been burned. Hi
I think I fainted again I regain consciousness at the same time I feel a hand brush mine, but when I open my eyes, Alpha is standing a little far from me, looking as if he is ready to cut off my neck.He frowns. “You really fainted. You were not pretending. I could taste your fear and confusion.”
I woke up in a bed, surrounded by three big men. They are all huge. I pretend as if I am still unconscious.A voice booms beside me. “Open your eyes, spy. We can tell you’re awake.”I open my eyes to glare at the speaker. A tall blond man who looks about thirty-four. “You don’t need to be so loud,
Chapter TwoAs much as I would love to get myself some buzz, I can’t do that with my state of unemployment. I hardly get drunk, it takes a lot of alcohol to get me to that state. Lucky me, nothing ever works my way. Back when my mum was still alive, she used to tell me I am wasting my time trying







