Another scream echoes through the delivery room at the clinic. Alpha Connor clings to his mate’s hand, unable to bear the pain of seeing her suffer like this. He is desperate, feeling powerless, not knowing what to do to ease her torment."For the goddess’s sake, do something!" he growls threateningly at Dr. Moreira.Fortunately, the doctor is human and accustomed to the explosive temperaments of werewolves, having lived among them since he was a child. He is not intimidated, knowing this is a normal reaction when they see their mates in pain and vulnerability. He has assisted in so many births of this kind that he has lost count—among them, the birth of Selene and her twin, Ethan.With great patience, he checks the patient’s condition while the alpha growls hysterically inside the room."The baby is crowning," the doctor informs Selene, who is utterly exhausted. "When you feel the next contraction, push continuously for as long as I tell you, Luna. This pup will be with us in just a
"Seleneee, please!!" Rouse rushes into her room, huffing as always. "You were supposed to be in the hall half an hour ago! Are you ever going to get ready on time?"Selene shrugs and tries unsuccessfully to reach her bridal bouquet, which is placed on the couch."Can you stop harassing your sister?" Katrina reprimands her daughter, helping Selene grab what she wants. "With that belly, she can barely move, and you keep rushing her all the time."Rouse rolls her eyes. She is tired of hearing the same thing. Everyone pampers and spoils Selene too much just because she is carrying the first grandchild of the family. She’s just pregnant, not an invalid."For the goddess’ sake, Mom. This is the second time she’s getting married. Her only job was to be ready on time for the ceremony. Nothing else."Selene chuckles at her sister’s frustration."I’m ready now, relax. The groom should always wait for the bride—it’s tradition," Selene replies, looking at her reflection in the mirror once more. S
Rouse rushes up the stairs, taking them two at a time until she reaches her sister’s room. She pushes the door open abruptly and huffs at the sight before her."You're still not ready?" she asks, despite the obvious evidence in front of her. Selene is sitting on the bed in her robe. "Alpha Connor is already in the living room waiting. Ethan is with him."Selene gets up from the bed, suppressing her excitement upon hearing that he is already there, though her sister notices it anyway. With the patience only she possesses, she grabs the beautiful dress Rouse chose for her and puts it on. Rouse steps forward to help her."I hope Ethan doesn’t do something stupid," Selene mutters, rubbing her pronounced belly as she looks at herself in the mirror. "These past two months have been torture dealing with him. I can’t stand it anymore.""He’s jealous and doesn’t know how to fight against his instincts as both an alpha and a brother. Besides, he still hasn’t forgiven him.""He’ll have to learn.
Selene watches her husband lying unconscious in the hospital bed, unaware of everything happening around him. He is in bad shape, and his wounds aren’t healing as quickly as they should for an alpha. She understands the reason perfectly—being apart is affecting his wolf’s strength. Saya is going through the same thing.The doctor was very patient with her, explaining Connor’s real condition more than once. Just as her mother said, he is out of danger now.Carefully, she climbs onto the bed beside him and rests her head on his chest. The soft rhythm of his heartbeat soothes her. She wanted to stay away to heal, but she never intended for this to happen. He is her mate, the father of her pup, and—no matter how much it pains her to admit it—he is the man she loves. Yes, she loves him so much that she would die if anything happened to him.She understands what happened. She isn’t naive; she knows none of them acted with full awareness. But it still hurts. Seeing him with that woman hurt h
It is almost noon when Katrina, Ragnar, and Ethan arrive at the mansion. None of them say anything upon entering the living room, but their faces make it clear that there is no good news.Ethan climbs the stairs with heavy steps, while Katrina heads straight to the office, and her husband follows. They have barely exchanged a few words in all these hours.Selene, after hearing her brother enter his room, descends the stairs to speak with her parents, but when she hears them arguing, she stops in her tracks, unable to move forward. She has never heard them speak like this before—her mother is the sweetest woman in the world, and her father respects and loves her more than anything. What could have made them this angry?"Let's talk," Ragnar says as he steps into the office after Katrina. He tries to calm the situation, but she is furious."Talk? What could we possibly talk about, Ragnar? About what you did at dawn?""Are you defending him?" Ragnar counters with another question. "After
Deep in the forest, as dawn begins to break on the horizon, Connor climbs down from the tree, ready to return to the hotel. But the moment he sets foot on the ground, he is surrounded by several wolves—at least twenty of them.The deadly growl of a massive gray wolf fills his ears. A few seconds later, another one, also gray but with white ears and tail, lunges forward, growling menacingly at him. Sorem tries to take control and shift, but Connor doesn’t allow it.He takes two steps back, realizing he is at a clear disadvantage, yet with no intention of running away. He will face this like a man—the man he should have been from the very beginning.“How dare you set foot on my land?!” Ethan shifts in front of him, his voice filled with hatred. “How dare you come here after what you did to my sister?! Are you that eager to die?!”The growls of the other wolves grow louder, preventing Connor from responding. They inch closer, ready to attack, but the first to strike is Remus, Ragnar’s gr