Eva's POV.I didn’t move.Couldn’t.His footsteps had vanished into the thick woods.Red, his eyes turned red.What the hell does that mean?My mind tried to rationalize, to explain it away, some side effect of shifting? Stress? Some bloodline thing I’d never learned? But no… I’d seen shifts my whole life. I’d watched every member of my pack change under a dozen full moons. I’d never seen eyes do that.Tonight too when everyone else was shifting, there was no trace of color change in their eyes. If there was, I could have concluded it to be a pack trait. But it wasn't.And Nicklaus, he was scared. At least he looked so.That terrified me more than anything.I stood up, almost on instinct. My legs still shaky, my heart trying to punch its way through my ribs. I stared at the woods, hoping, stupidly that he might come back. That maybe he’d realize I deserved answers. That I needed them.But all I got was silence.After what felt like eternity, it was finally the early hours of the morni
Eva's POV.The tears had stopped, but the ache hadn’t.I sat there, my knees hugged to my chest, as the moon’s reflection moved in the rippling stream like it was mocking me, the night was quiet now, the kind of quiet that lets your thoughts get louder, I hated that part the most, when your mind starts replaying every word, every stare, every truth you’ve tried to bury.She’s not one of us. She doesn’t even shift.They weren’t wrong.I’d tried to tell myself they didn’t matter, that I didn’t need their approval. But tonight, surrounded by a pack that was transforming under the full moon while I sat on the outside, I had never felt smaller.Eventually, I pushed myself up, limbs stiff, heart heavier than before. I shuffled over to the wooden bench near the water’s edge and sat, closing my eyes and breathed in the scent of earth and water.Maybe just five minutes, I told myself. Just a moment to feel like I’m not falling apart.And for a moment, I did feel safe.Until something moved be
Eva's POVThe evening was in full bloom and I was alone in the room.It was beginning to get suffocating, repeating the same process of the day always.So I decided to step out.The cold evening breeze washed over me and for the first time in what felt like days, I felt alive again.But I hadn’t walked more than a few yards before I noticed something strange.Everyone… was rushing.The streets, usually lazy and slow this time of day, were suddenly buzzing. Everyone hurrying in the same direction. Warriors. Mates. Even the older omegas who never left the kitchens. I paused, watching as people poured out of homes and buildings, heading toward the heart of the woods.Where were they going?A maid, Mila, I think her name was... brushed past me, nearly tripping on her hem.“Mila!” I called out, jogging to catch up.She turned, flushed and breathless, clearly in a rush.“My lady, oh, you're not ready yet?” she asked, confused.“Ready for what?” I frowned.Her brows shot up like I’d just tol
Eva's POV.It was past noon, and the house's silent, all over the house was so suffocating, I wanted to scream. The quiet wasn’t peaceful, it was stifling,I had been alone since Nicklaus slammed the door behind him last night, storming out of his training hall. Since he decided, again that the best way to deal with our disagreements was to run.And this time, he ran to them.His mistresses. His pretty little distractions. His poisonous comforts, women who didn’t ask questions, didn’t make demands, didn’t fight back when his anger rose like a storm tide, women who didn’t care about him, not the way I did.My fingers were tangled in my hair, half heartedly trying to make sense of the chaos there, but I kept losing focus. I sat on the large dressing chair in our bedroom, before the mirror. I hadn't opened the curtains fully; part of me didn’t want the sun to touch me today. It felt like undeserved warmth.I combed through my curls again. The bristles snagged near the roots, and I wince
The door clicked shut behind him as Nuela practically ran out, but Nicklaus didn’t move. The room felt hollow, too quiet, too still. His heartbeat loud enough that he could hear them in his ears, louder than the muted music outside or the whisper of voices from the hallway as the quarter party continued. He stood there, his back pressed against the wood, trying to collect the pieces of whatever was left of him after that encounter.His knuckles still ached from how hard he’d gripped her wrist. Shame prickled the back of his neck, he hadn’t meant to hurt Nuela... not really... but he also hadn’t expected his emotions to boil over like that. Rage, guilt, confusion… it all clawed at him.He ran a hand over his face, exhaling slowly, the weight of his choices pressing harder than ever, this place that once felt like his pleasure pack away from his worries, now it felt like a crypt, each memory layered with dust and regret. His lavish VIP room, the half drunk bottle of scotch on the side
Nicklaus fumed with anger and frustration as he stormed through the hallways of the quarters. The building was familiar, holding the memories of far too many nights spent in the same disarrayed state... fueled by anger, by tension, or even crave for pleasure. It was his last resort; it was where men like him went when the world weighed too heavily on their shoulders and needed a night of pleasure and ecstasy.The last time he had walked these halls immediately after released from death had been under different circumstances, with a sense of triumph and freedom that came knowing he wouldn't be back. Because he was getting married and the last thing he wanted was to cause her pain by cheating with his other mistresses. But it seemed that was too much sacrifice for her. Tonight, he was ready to feed his beast, it's been a long while anyway. And what better way to do that than with Nuela? the woman who had once held a place in his life... who had once known the touch of his lips, his