-Colter-“You can’t be serious.” My words were dripping with resentment and frustration. “Are you really so blind? So desperate to believe that your father is all good that you can’t see the reality?”“I know! I know that my father isn’t all good, Colt! Who is?” Josephine finally snapped at me. “But I…I-what you’re accusing him of! It’s ridiculous!”“He watched her, Josephine! The way he watched her that night. He’d been eyeing her like prey. He wants her!” I asserted, my voice rising with every step that I took toward her. “How can’t you see that? He sees na strong, unaligned wolf-a powerful legacy, a mate that would undoubtedly grant him the right to the Moors seat.
-Colter-The crunch of my boots on the fallen leaves was the only sound accompanying me as I wandered around the edge of our territory. After I left the quarry, I couldn’t bring myself to go back home. Not just yet.There was a lot on my mind. Thoughts quarreling between two drastically different women in my life. Both whose undeniable beauty was only matched by the fierce independence.However, there was one who had been on my mind more often than not lately.Aurelia. Her scent, sharp and wild, lingered even now through the crisp autumn air, a tangible ghost of our conversation. My wolf, Maxim, was uncharacteristically quiet, the usual agitation replaced by a strange hum beneath my skin It wasn’t peace-not exactly, but a raw and unsettling clarity.The words that we’d exchanged were still reverberating in my mind. It was unlike any interaction I’d ever had where provoked feelings were involved. Least of all with my fated mate, the human I’d foolishly tried to push away. The human…t
-Aure-The walk back from the quarry was a blur of tangled emotions for both me and my wolf.Colter’s admission - ‘Yes, I do blame her.’ - echoed in my mind, a strange counterpoint to the thrumming confusion that always accompanied his presence.He knew, even though she was his mate, that in huge part, at least, this was Josephine’s fault as well as his own. Him admitting to that caused a warmth of newfound feelings that I was forced to navigate. Feelings that I just was not prepared for.“What are we going to do about this?”“Weather the storm just as we always do,” replied my counterpart. “Though difficult it may be.”That add-on was an indication of how truly complicated this situation had grown to be for not just me, but her as well.Even the motorcycle ride home did very little to quell my nerves or my thoughts.I’d pulled into the driveway and as I dismounted my bike, found myself blankly staring at the house, recalling that night. Recalling Josephine’s attempt at diplomacy desp
“You never told me why you were here,” Colt then said.I turned around, taking a glance at the beautiful rock formation that surrounded the small quarry. “Mom used to take me here when I was a little girl.” I smirked, meeting his gaze. “Makes sense now why we never lingered for too long. This is your territory, isn’t it?”He nodded. “Things are different now. So, you can stay for as long as you need to.”I smiled, grateful for the offer. “Thanks.” I turned and admired the scene behind me. And when I sensed him hardly a foot from my side I asked, “Is there a particular reason that brought you out here today?”Silence swallowed the space between us, forcing me to steal a glance at him. There was clearly a lot on his min
The days since Mason’s visit had dragged on, each one thick with a tension that felt both political and personal. It clung to the air in our small houseThe scent of the Moors had faded, but the echoes of the Alpha’s words, his possessive gaze, it lingered in my thoughts. It was a disquieting reminder of the world Mom and I had tried to leave behind. Restlessness had been my constant companion. I needed to escape the weight of it all, the stifling atmosphere of our small house. My feet seemed to have a will of their own, leading me away from the well-worn paths, toward the denser part of the woods.My steps carried me, almost against my will, deeper into the woods. I found myself veering off the familiar trails, drawn to the wilder parts, the areas where the trees grew thick and sunlight struggled to reach the forest floor. As I walked, I couldn’t shake the memory of Colter’s face, the intensity in his eyes, and the confusing mix of emotions he stirred within me at one point in my l
COLTER'S POV:The days since Mason’s visit had stretched into an eternity, each one a slow burn of frustration. The scent of the Moors’ presence faded but the memory lingered heavily, a musky reminder of the tension that still hung weightily in the air. I hadn’t been able to shake the image of Aurelia’s defiance stance, her eyes flashing with a mixture of fear and clear-cut rage. I was impressed by her handling of the situation. Her fiery passion to protect the one person she cared about. The one person she had left in her life. Witnessing this meeting for myself, how Mason bombarded himself and his ideals into Aurelia and her mother’s life. He had turned things even more upside down than they already were. It was a contemptible action. Josephine had been…quiet. Attentive, even. She’d tried, in her own way, to bridge the gap that had naturally widened between us since that meeting. Unfortunately, every attempt felt like walking on eggshells-maybe on her part or maybe on mine. Eve