GIOVANNII slumped into the chair in my room, pressing my back against its cool surface as I clenched my fists. My eyes shut tight, but the image of Evelyn and John together burned in my mind, twisting like a knife in my chest.A sharp creak from the door cut through my thoughts, and my eyes snapped open."Get out of my room!" I growled.The faint scent of lavender and citrus hit me, Elena. Of course, it had to be her. She should’ve stayed abroad, far from here, far from me, far from the chaos she always brought.Her heels clicked against the floor as she stepped inside, ignoring my command. She smirked, crossing her arms. "The old Alpha Giovanni is back," she said mockingly. "I was like what happened to my old cold brother? Did that little brat actually change him?"My glare met hers, sharp in the dim light. Heat rose in my chest, my control slipping as my irises threatened to glow red. But she didn’t flinch. Instead, she scoffed, her gaze drifting lazily around the room as she circl
JOHNI stepped into the palace's grand hall, my eyes immediately finding her. She stood by an ornate mirror, slipping into a long navy-blue dress that shimmered under the chandelier’s light. Her face was covered in heavy makeup, almost like a mask, and a crown rested on her head, a crown meant for a Luna. The rose-gold centerpiece gleamed, a symbol of power and beauty she hadn’t earned.The heck is she planning now,cause right now I'm confused."My Goddess, son-in-law, how have you been?" A warm voice pulled me from my thoughts, heels echoing in the hall. I turned to see a middle-aged woman approaching with effortless grace. She wore a flowing purple gown that swayed with each step, her golden accessories catching the light. Her dark hair was styled into intricate buns, exuding elegance. In her hands, she carried a basket full of fruit.It was Diane’s mother, Iris Carlson. Her presence alone made me instinctively bow my head in respect.Then, an older man strode into the room—Alpha L
EVEYLNThe hall buzzed with noise as parents argued loudly about how the school should be run. I couldn’t help glancing at John. He sat beside me, focused on his phone, a small smile appearing as he looked at a picture of the kids.The P.T.A. meeting itself wasn’t too bad, but I could feel people staring at us. Whispers spread through the room like a quiet storm. Some looked confused, others surprised, and a few smiled like they had just spotted a celebrity. The attention made me shift uncomfortably in my seat."You look a little creepy, Mr. John," I teased, keeping a straight face.John smirked and slipped his phone into his pocket. His eyes met mine, warm and amused. "My baby looks just like you," he said softly. "She just texted me, she’s eating cake in class."I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Gosh, these kids. Who even gives them these phones?" "Jealous that I'm getting more attention than you?" John teased, a grin spreading across his face."Keep dreaming," I shot back, rolling m
"Harriet!"My heart nearly stopped when I saw her lying on the floor. Blood dripped from her mouth, dark and frightening against her pale skin. Without hesitation, John picked her up as she lay in his arms, his face full of panic. Tears filled my eyes as I noticed the pool of blood beneath her. It was too much, far too much for such a small child."Move!!!" John shouted, his voice desperate. People quickly stepped aside as we ran toward his car. We hadn’t arrived together, I didn’t have a driver, but he did. The door slammed shut, and within seconds, we were racing out of the school parking lot."Harriet, Harriet, please wake up!" I begged, my voice shaking. "Mummy’s here, baby, please!"My hands trembled as I touched her cold, pale face. The car hit a bump, making her tiny body shift, her head flopping lifelessly. Fear tightened around my chest, my breathing quick and shallow. The sharp smell of blood filled the air, almost making me to loose my breathe. "Calm down, Evelyn. She’ll b
JOHNI clutched my phone tightly, my knuckles whitening as I waited for him to speak again. But the words seemed stuck in his throat, swallowing whatever he was trying to say. "What... what did you just say?" Her voice trembled, thin and shaky, like the fragile crack of glass. I glanced at her, her body visibly trembling, and let out a soft sigh before stepping closer. "I’ll handle this. Just stay here with Harriet, okay?" I said gently, my tone firm but trying to sound calm. Her eyes widened, panic spilling into her voice as she stammered, "What do you mean Harry can’t be found?" She didn’t even seem to register my words. I rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze, and nodded. Without waiting for her response, I turned and dashed out of the hospital. From behind me, I heard her shout my name. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t burden her with what Andrew had just told me. "Harry can't be found? What nonsense," I muttered under my breath
EVEYLNI paced up and down the hallway outside the room where they’d placed my daughter not even a though of sitting down for what seems four hours. My heart pounded as questions swirled in my mind. And then a nurse came out of the room as I ran to her place holding her hands. "No comments, all I know is that it affected the little girl badly" she bowed her head slowly as she began leaving my sight. I placed my hand on my chest as I bent my head to the back trying not to let my tears spill out of my eyes. Who would dare give her chocolate cake when they know how sensitive it is? How? Why was she the only one given? It didn’t make any sense. The sound of hurried footsteps broke through my thoughts. “Evelyn, oh my goodness!” Winnie’s voice came from down the hall. She ran toward me, her face drawn tight with worry. She reached out to me as she placed her hands firmly on my shoulders, her eyes darting to the glass window on the door. She stared at my daughter lying motionless inside
JOHN we searched every part of the thick woods around the school, checking every dark corner and tangled bush. the air smelled of damp earth and leaves, but there was no sign of him. i had made sure the search was thorough, my twenty warriors spread out, the principal and his guards walked alongside us, and andrew stayed close by my side.i crouched near an old, empty cage hidden under a pile of vines. my wolf instincts kicked in as i took a deep breath, trying to catch even the faintest trace of his scent. nothing. frustration built up as i stood, placing my hands on my hips with a deep sigh. the heavy silence around us was broken only by the faint rustling of leaves."alpha, we found nothing," one of my warriors reported, his voice filled with regret. he stepped forward, the sound of twigs cracking under his boots.andrew shook his head, his expression tense. "nothing out here," he muttered grimly."You mean to tell me you all can't find my son?" I yelled, my voice echoing through
EVEYLN"She's so rude.""Wow, acting all high and mighty just because she claims to be the first woman to achieve something in the werewolf world? She’s so full of herself.""Such classless behavior."I scrolled through the comments on the company’s website and other platforms, reading every word people had to say about the videos. The clips showed Aria putting on a dramatic performance, kneeling at ThornField, pleading for my forgiveness, then collapsing in a way that made it seem like I had pushed her. It was all so staged, so fake, yet some people actually believed it."This is pure manipulation. She definitely has a reason for doing this," Elena said firmly, taking a sip of water. Winnie nodded silently with agreement.We were sitting in the hospital café, its sterile white walls doing little to mask the hum of quiet conversations and the occasional clinking of cups. I couldn’t leave the hospital, not until John arrived. His driver had been shadowing me the entire time, trailing b
EVEYLNI stood stiffly, arms crossed tight over my chest, unable to bring myself to sit beside John on the bench. My eyes stayed fixed on the clinic door, silently begging it to open.Solomon paced nearby, his shoes tapping nervously against the floor. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, like he was holding something back. I’d never seen his face so tense, his brows knotted with a worry that seemed deeper than mine like he knew her in a way I didn’t.The door finally creaked open."She survived it," Harn said, stepping out with a grin stretching across his face."Just thank the goddess she was brought in early," Harn said. "It looks like she was rushed here right after she slit her wrist."I let out a long, shaky sigh. The weight of everything finally hit me.Solomon stepped forward, facing Harn with urgency in his eyes. "Please... can we see her?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.I glanced at John. He only smirked, shook his head slightly, then got to his feet without
JOHN"Can I ask you something, Andrew?" I said, my voice low.He sat frozen, head bowed, shoulders trembling like he'd been caught in a storm. Drops of sweat trickled down his forehead."Is it true you've been sleeping with Diane?"His head snapped up. His eyes widened, lips parted, like the truth had sucker-punched him. Guilt danced in his expression as he hadn’t expected me to know, not about this. Not something that happened right under my roof.I'd overheard them last night, Diane hissing accusations at him, angry that he'd pulled away after she gave herself to him multiple times. The words were sharp, too sharp to ignore. My chest has felt tight since then. I couldn’t believe it. Andrew, my beta, my closest ally doing that to me?I exhaled slowly, placing my hands on the table to calm myself down.""I'm... sorry... I'm sorry, Alpha. Please, forgive me..." he choked out, collapsing to his knees.His hands trembled as they clutched the floor, his voice cracking under the weight of
EVEYLN“So, you’re telling me that…” Simone’s voice trailed off as we sat down in the lobby of the company.“Yes,” I said, settling into the chair beside him. “And don’t worry, I’m still going to keep working here.”Simone scoffed lightly, though there was a little of sadness in his eyes. “Of course you will. You think I’d just let you walk away from this place?”I gave him a faint smile. “As long as it’s for your kids and Giovanni doesn’t see a problem with it, then I’ll approve,” he added.I let out a quiet sigh. “I’ve noticed something, Simone.”He glanced over, curious. “What?”“Why don’t you come visit me at Silvermoon Pack?”He lifted his coffee cup, eyes avoiding mine. “Personal reasons,” he muttered before taking a sip.“I knew it,” I said, crossing my arms. “There’s no way you’d stay away this long unless something was wrong. The kids miss you, in case you didn’t realize.”Simone let out a soft chuckle. “I’m really glad Harry’s better. That little guy went through more than m
EVEYLNI was in the kitchen, making sandwiches, just enough for John, Vera, and me. Once I finished, I set them out on the table and took a seat with mine.Halfway through my sandwich, John walked in and sat across from me. I put my spoon down and looked at him.“Hey,” I said, nodding toward the phone on the counter. “Call Bea and tell Harry you’re busy.”John frowned and shook his head. “I don’t lie like you do,” he said flatly.I sneered but didn’t bother replying. He picked up his sandwich and took a bite, keeping his eyes on me.“You made these, didn’t you?” he asked, chewing.I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”I was nearly done with mine, so I grabbed a glass of warm milk and drank it in one go. The glass hit the table with a loud thud. "“I didn’t eat last night because of you,” I said, crossing my arms.“And that’s my fault?” John pointed at himself, eyes wide.I nodded. “I was expecting you to bring the food to my room. What? Were you scared of your wife?”He let out a dry laugh. “
EVELYN What kind of meeting had that been? And why was everyone so fixated on John?I was just about to slide into the back seat when Solomon opened the door for me. Before I could get in, Darwin stepped forward, his hand catching the edge of the door.Solomon tensed, ready to shove him back, but I gave a quick shake of my head to stop him.Darwin flashed a smug grin.“What do you want?” I asked, crossing my arms and staring him down.He clutched his chest dramatically, like he was in pain. “That girl, ma’am. You’ve no idea how much it hurts not seeing her for nearly five days now.”My fingers twitched with the urge to slap him, but I settled for pressing a finger against his chest hard like that would change anything not knowing it would make him even more creepy.“It’s her life,” I said coldly. “And this is where you back off.”His smirk didn’t fade. “Or what?”I let out a sharp scoff. “She’s a child, Darwin. Don’t you have any shame?”Even as I spoke, I couldn’t figure out why I w
Giovanni’s voice rang out as he stood. Romain slowly turned his head toward him, confusion spread across his face.He stared at Giovanni like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing because why would Giovanni, of all people, be siding with John? After all, he had been the one to approach Romain with the very idea.Giovanni simply offered him a small smile.“Do you have a reason for your objection?” Romain asked, voice laced with suspicion.Giovanni nodded once, composed.John stared at him from across the room, brow furrowed. There was no trust in his expression, only confusion. The two of them were enemies. Why defend him now?“I understand the concern,” Giovanni began smoothly, addressing the council. “No one here wants to see the name of the New York City Council dragged through the mud. But removing an Alpha and stripping him of his voice and position, based on nothing but rumors? That’s not justice. That’s recklessness.”He let the words settle before continuing.“If we accuse hi
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the room at Alpha Romain’s announcement. No one had expected such a thing would be the first that he would say.Evelyn turned to John, eyes wide. He met her gaze.Of course, the first name that came to his mind was Giovanni.John had recently learned they’d been spending time together, Giovanni and Romain. It didn’t take much to guess what might have happened behind closed doors. Giovanni had influence, and Romain? Romain had a reputation for corruption. Bribe him, flatter him, and the man would hand over the moon if asked.“John…” Evelyn said softly, as her voice laced with concern.He sighed, and smiled at her like he was okay with it.“Not only because of the madness he just displayed tonight,” Alpha Romain continued, his tone dripping with disdain, “but there are rumors circulating which claim that he’s corrupt. That his Pack has grown weak.”A quiet stir passed through the hall, Evelyn scoffed under her breath, unable to hold it back.Coming fro
Evelyn took a deep breath and sank into the seat reserved for both her and John, right at the front, in the curved center of the U-shaped arrangement. It was a place meant for attention, and she felt every pair of eyes burning into her skin.“Wow, some couples can really be rude,” Darwin’s voice rang out again. “I was just greeting you both. What’s my offense now?”Neither John nor Evelyn gave him the satisfaction of a reply. She kept her gaze straight ahead, her jaw was clenched trying to ignore the weight of the stares she felt pressing on her from all directions.What she didn’t know was just how many of them, mostly men, were looking at her, whispering behind cupped hands and cocky grins.Until one voice cut through, loud and clear.“Is this the bitch from the nightclub?”“She’s the one? Damn... she’s gorgeous.”“She’s still a bitch,” another voice sneered. “If John hadn’t stepped in, we could’ve shared her that night.”Evelyn’s fists clenched at her sides. Her face turned toward
ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING DAY"Are you okay? Diane is supposed to go, not me," Evelyn said as she stepped into her room, blocking the doorway just as John was about to follow. She shut the door behind her, leaving him outside.The meeting was only a few hours away, and she still couldn’t believe he’d asked her to come instead of Diane."I can't take her," John said from the hallway, his voice firm. "It’s you I want there."Evelyn hesitated, her hand lingering on the doorknob. "Are you sure your mum will be okay with that?" she asked.He gave a dry scoff in reply.She turned toward the wardrobe and pulled it open. A black gown with silver stones swayed gently on its hanger, catching the light. She stared at it, frozen for a moment. When she turned around, John was smiling through the narrow gap in the doorway.“Enough playing hard to get,” he said with a grin. “Come with me.”"John..." she started, her voice barely above a whisper.But he didn’t let her finish. “I’ll be back in an hour.”