LOGINSophiaAfter letting him mark me the night before, I had fallen asleep fully expecting to wake up still wrapped in Ethan’s arms — to open my eyes and find those steady, warm eyes already looking back at me.But when I woke up, the sheets beside me were cold. He had been gone for a while. I got up and went looking for him through the pack house and came up empty. It was only after I stopped one of the maids that I found out Ethan had left early that morning in a hurry with Max.It was a little puzzling, but I told myself it was probably something urgent and left it at that. Ethan’s mother was in the studio as usual, working on a painting, so I spent the morning with her without pushing the matter further.Before I knew it, noon had come and gone and Ethan still hadn’t come back. I had lunch with his mother, then got myself ready to head to the jewelry store with a new design I had been working on.One of the pack’s familiar servants drove me over, and on the way I couldn’t shake the fe
Ethan’s POVThe morning sun pushed its way through the window we had forgotten to draw the curtains over the night before, and when I opened my eyes, Sophia was lying quietly in the curve of my arm. Her long lashes cast soft little shadows beneath her eyes, and my mark sat right there on her neck — exactly where I had put it — bold and permanent and mine.I looked at it and felt something deep and settled moving through my chest. Sophia had finally accepted me. I was officially her mate.As much as I wanted to stay wrapped up in this — the stillness, the warmth, her tucked against me in the early morning light — there were things that needed my attention.Sophia was still worn out from the night before, and I eased my arm from underneath her slowly and carefully, grateful when she showed no sign of stirring. I got up as quietly as I could, gathered my clothes from where they had ended up on the floor, and practically crept toward the door. I stopped partway there, struck by something,
His soft tongue swirled slowly across the tip of my nipple and I bit down hard on the moan that tried to escape. I could already feel how wet he was making me with barely any effort at all, and instinctively my legs pressed together — an action that did absolutely nothing to ease the desperate, aching throb between them.Ethan noticed immediately. His hand shot down to my thigh and he forced my legs back apart without any hesitation, leaving my most intimate place completely exposed to the cool air, my pussy dripping and throbbing and aching for him to fill it.He sucked my nipple deeper into his mouth and grazed it gently with his teeth while the hand still resting on my thigh began its slow, torturous journey upward — and then, very slowly and very deliberately, he dragged two fingers along the full length of my slit before settling directly on top of my clit. I felt him smirk against my chest as he pressed down with firm, insistent pressure, and the jolt of pleasure that tore throu
SophiaWhen I followed Ethan back to Embermoon Pack, he took my hand and practically broke into a run through the palace, heading straight for his room without slowing down for a single second.“Ethan, slow down — what’s the rush?” I squeezed his fingers.“You know exactly what needs to happen, and you made me a promise,” Ethan said, turning just enough to raise an eyebrow at me, his eyes dropping briefly to the exposed skin of my neck above the gown.My face went hot all at once. The memory was perfectly clear — I had promised him that once Lila’s situation was handled to my satisfaction, I would finally accept us as true mates. And that meant letting him mark me as his.How did I feel about it right now? Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure. There was a nervousness there, yes — but underneath it something warmer was already taking over. Something closer to excitement. The thought of being fully, completely committed to Ethan — really and truly his — made something bloom quietly in my ch
Marcus’s POV“Please, Marcus! You have to listen to me!”“There is absolutely nothing to explain!”I stood on the outside of the cell, the iron bars the only thing between me and the red-haired woman huddled inside. Even with tear stains streaking down her face, she was still as beautiful as she had always been. There was a time when seeing her like this would have made me pull her straight into my arms without hesitation — but that time was gone. It would never come back. Never once in my life had I entertained the thought that the woman I had shared everything with, my fated mate, was actually a witch living right under my nose.“Marcus! Marcus, listen to me — I’m half werewolf! I’m not just a witch!”“How is it possible for the Luna of Nightfall Pack to be an impure werewolf?! You’ve humiliated me in front of everyone! Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me?!”Lila’s wailing kept tearing through my head, and my thoughts kept pulling me back to the room full of Alphas and the look
With the jewelry situation put to rest, the banquet settled back into its natural rhythm. The band I had arranged began filling the hall with warm, flowing music, and people gradually paired off and drifted toward the center of the floor to dance, while others made their way to the dining area to enjoy the desserts I had put together.I slipped over to the dining area, picked up a bottle of red wine, and walked calmly toward Marcus and Lila. I lifted an empty glass from the side table, filled it from the bottle sitting nearby, and held it out to Lila with a pleasant smile. “I never got the chance to properly congratulate you — on becoming Luna.”The three of us standing there like this was almost a mirror image of my third wedding anniversary, only everything had shifted. This time, it was my hand holding out the glass — with a little something extra added to it.Lila didn’t know what was in the drink, but that had never stopped her from being watchful around me. She had always been
“You don’t have to be so formal with me, my Mate,” Ethan said as he touched my face and suddenly got serious. “What are you planning to do about Marcus? If you want, I can get all his stores closed down by tomorrow.”I shook my head softly and held his hand while I got in the car. “
“I’ll take it slow with you, Sophia,” Ethan’s normally soft voice now had a sexy, rough edge from desire. His golden eyes glowed even brighter, and before I could respond, his fingers slipped out, quickly replaced by a huge, thick length that pushed all the way into me in one smooth motion.I gaspe
Marcus’s POVAs I heard my subordinate’s report, my rage built up inside me like a volcano about to blow.How could Sophia, that woman, dare to be so incredibly skilled at jewelry design?But she handed all her talent to that damn Ethan! Why give it to him? Sophia should have used her skills for th
SophiaI pulled away from Ethan’s arms fast and bowed my head to straighten my clothes. Ethan’s mom uncovered her mouth and glanced at us with a tiny smirk.“Oh, sorry for interrupting you two.”“Mom…” Ethan’s voice sounded resigned as he let out a big sigh and buttoned his shirt.“I just came by t







