MasukTysonI leave our bedroom only after making sure the bathwater is warm enough. The moment the door closes behind me, I remain standing in the hallway for several seconds, my hand still resting on the doorknob. Every instinct inside me screams to stay with her. My wolf is pacing restlessly, refusing to settle now that our mate is finally within reach again.Wrong scent.“I know,” I murmur under my breath.The unfamiliar scent still clings faintly to her. Earth after rain, smoke and a new scent I don’t recognize. It weaves itself around the scent like it’s part of her..My wolf doesn’t like it and neither do I. But that question can wait, everything can wait. Right now, my mate needs peace more than I need answers. So I force myself to walk away before I lose the battle against my own instincts.The mansion feels strangely brighter today. Warriors I pass lower their heads respectfully, but I barely notice them. My thoughts never leave the woman upstairs. She came home.Moon Goddess, she
TysonThe moment the gates close behind us, I know the questions will have to wait.They crowd my mind, each one louder than the last. Who takes my mate from the heart of my territory? Who helps them? What do they do to her while she’s gone? How does she escape a place none of my warriors can find? And why… why does my wolf refuse to settle now that she’s finally back in my arms?Every instinct as an Alpha demands answers. Every instinct as a mate demands something else.Take care of her first.I glance at Naya beside me as we cross the courtyard. She’s walking under her own strength, but barely. Every few steps she stumbles, and I tighten my arm around her waist before she can lose her balance.She doesn’t protest, and she doesn’t even look embarrassed. She simply leans into me with the quiet exhaustion of someone who’s been carrying the weight of the world for far too long.My chest aches. I should have been there, I should have found her sooner.Around us, MoonHaven is alive with
Tyson“Naya…”The name leaves my lips as nothing more than a broken whisper. For one suspended heartbeat, the entire world falls silent. The warriors around me disappear. The wind ceases to exist. Even the frantic pounding of my heart fades beneath the overwhelming joy of seeing my mate again.She’s here, she actually came back.My wolf surges forward with a force that nearly knocks me off balance, his joy crashing into me so violently that my knees threaten to give out.I take one hesitant step forward, then another. No one stops me this time.The woman continues walking toward the gates with slow, uneven steps. Every movement looks painful, as though she’s forcing her body to obey through sheer determination. Her clothes are stained with dirt, torn in several places, and her hair hangs in tangled waves around her face.She’s thinner, far thinner than when I last held her.My chest tightens painfully. “Naya…”This time my voice is louder. As if she can hear my voice, she lifts her he
TysonThe first thing I do when I return to MoonHaven is pour every bottle of alcohol down the drain.I don’t hesitate.The amber liquid splashes into the sink in steady streams while the sharp scent of whiskey fills the room. Bottle after bottle empties until the cabinet that has become my refuge over the past few weeks stands completely bare.I stare at the empty shelves for a long moment.That part of me dies here.The whiskey never dulls the pain. It never quiets my wolf. It never brings Naya closer. All it does is steal another day from me, another day I should spend preparing for the moment she finds her way home.I become ashamed of myself as I remember how I almost destroyed myself with drinking. How Aiden didn’t give up on my stupid ass. I should have seen I was giving up on my mate and entire pack. I remember when I walked to the cabinet and pulled out another bottle of whiskey.Aiden groaned. “Seriously?”I didn’t answer. I yanked the cork free and lifted the bottle. Before
TysonThe Oracle’s cottage sits exactly where it always has, hidden deep within the sacred grove where even the oldest wolves rarely dare to wander. The forest is unusually quiet tonight.No birds sing, no insects chirp, even the wind seems to hold its breath.This time, I don’t summon her like an alpha, l’m going to her as a man who is desperate for hope. Aiden walks beside me without speaking. He knows this place demands silence. Every snapped twig beneath our boots sounds unnaturally loud, as though the forest itself is listening.By the time we reach the clearing, the cottage door is already open. My steps falter.She’s expecting us.The old woman stands in the doorway dressed in the same white robes she always wears. Her silver hair spills over her shoulders, glowing beneath the moonlight. Her cloudy eyes settle on me long before I reach her.“I wondered how much longer it would take. You lot walk like old man.” she says softly.I don’t bother with greetings. “I need your help. A
TysonThe whiskey burns all the way down my throat. I don’t even flinch. It doesn’t burn enough. Nothing burns enough anymore.I stare at the amber liquid swirling inside my glass before pouring another generous measure. The bottle is almost empty. I vaguely remember opening it sometime this afternoon.Or was it yesterday?The days have begun blending together.Sleep rarely comes, and when it does, it brings nightmares instead of rest. Every time I close my eyes, I see Naya reaching for me. Sometimes she’s screaming my name while invisible hands drag her into darkness. Other times she’s standing in the middle of the forest, covered in blood, looking at me with disappointment in her eyes.The dream always ends the same way. I never reach her. The glass touches my lips again, but before I can drink, someone snatches it from my hand. I don’t have to look up to know who it is.Aiden.He places the glass on the opposite side of my desk and folds his arms across his chest.“I’ve had enough
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







