ALPHA NADINE. โMen, this is Alpha Nadine. Do we have anyone at the border?โ I tried to connect with as many warriors in my mind as possible. I knew it was Jake and Lawrenceโs men manning the border overnight, but maybe my own men were already there.โIโm at the south border, Alpha.โ One answered. โIโm at the east, Alpha.โ Another answered, and many more after them.Once no one was talking anymore, I asked, โDid any of you see Beta Xander cross the border?โ The question was a long shot, as my men probably just went for duty this morning, and if he left at night, then they wouldnโt know. No one answered. It was too silent, and it was deafening, like a ticking bomb waiting to explode. Then it happened. My intuition was right.โYes, Alpha. At the northwest border.โ Matthew answered. His voice was too low as if he didnโt want to speak.โWhat time?โ I did my best for my voice not to croak, but my heart was already shattering. โTwo in the morning, Alpha.โ He replied.I disconnected all
XANDER.(picks up from the scene where Anica is being attended by Catherine)I let go of Nadine as she stepped closer to where Anica and Catherine were before my gaze swept across the building lobby.I noticed Alpha Jace staring at me from the other side, and I realized I couldnโt put off talking to him any longer.I needed to stop him from telling someone about what he saw in the video. I made my way to his side and stood beside him. This time, he didnโt look at me; his eyes were fixed on his sister, Catherine.โDo you have a minute to spare for me, Alpha?โ I asked respectfully.โTell me why I should give you a minute.โ He replied, still not looking at me. โThe video. I want to explain.โHis expression darkened, and I could tell by the way the veins on his neck protruded that he had seen it, and he was probably trying to stop himself from killing me. He turned around and began walking before he spoke. โFollow me.โI cast one last look at where Nadine was. I saw Catherine smile as sh
XANDER.โI donโt even know who I am anymore.โ I wiped my tears and tilted my head up, looking at the starless night sky. Alpha Jace remained silent, and I knew he probably didnโt believe anything I said. But at least I tried.โI heard someone from your group of friends ask what I did while she was in prison, and they all shrugged their shoulders. They saw nothing. They heard nothing.โ I continued. โMaybe I did nothing that anyone could see, but I did everything I could, Alpha Jace. Even the part where I looked like the bad guy just to protect her.โ โYou already saw what Maddox did to Catherine. Why did you allow Nadine here?โ He asked.โI didnโt. If you think I met Nadine here when she came, I didnโt. I met her at Catherineโs Claiming.โ I started by telling him that I didnโt want Nadine to know about myself and my pack, as I didnโt intend to take her home with me.I told him I should have known better that there was an agenda behind her showing up at the border and her refusal to le
XANDER.I stood in front of the bed, just letting my eyes soak in all of her for a while.She was asleep, and yet her forehead was creased, as if her problems were still chasing her even in her dreams.When I couldnโt fight the urge to touch her, I moved and crouched beside her, letting my fingers run across her forehead before my knuckles smoothed over her cheek. It was only then that her facial features relaxed. Nadine was not a deep sleeper unless she was really tired, and there was no doubt that she was. She and her wolf, as Orion couldnโt sense Star as well.Her blanket moved, and my eyes turned to the end of the bed. Her foot slipped out of the sheets, and it was the one with the shackle. My face formed a scowl. Why hadnโt they removed this yet?I let out a deep sigh when I saw the many gashes and wounds from the metal grinding against her skin.โHeal her.โ Orion whispered in my head, and his words made me remember what she told me when we were still getting to know each othe
NADINE. A group of females I spoke with a few days back asked if I would open the Beta post for someone else or if I would let Kenzo have it. I knew I could do such a thing. Kenzo would make a great Gamma or Beta, and anyone in the pack could certainly step up, learn the ways of a Beta, and excel in it. But my heart wanted to reserve that spot for my mate. I knew Xander would make a great Alpha, and I would love to rule this pack with him. But if there was anyone who could fill up the spot as a Beta, it was him. Not because I was superior to him but because after everything we went through, I knew I would never trust my life with anyone the way I trusted my life to him, and I think no other shifter could top him in that position.I also knew he could reject both posts, and I would never take it against him. He had always been vocal about not wanting a rank-wolf life. That life was more peaceful outside of a pack.Maybe it was the reason he left. He didnโt want this kind of life. Thi
THREE DAYS AFTER THE LAST CHAPTER.NADINE. โAre you ready?โ Mindy asked me as soon as I opened my bedroom door.I was still staying in the room I shared with Xander. I didnโt want to move to another floor, especially the floor Maddox used. Even with him gone, I was still not comfortable owning the floor he used to own. I examined the budget to determine if we could afford a new packhouse. But with all the debts and rehabilitation needed throughout the whole territory, there was no room for a new home. So, in the meantime, I had to live with the truth that I had to use the office that Maddox once owned. But I hope someday, when the finances are better, I can build a new home. However, this morning, I got a call from Nadia, and she excitedly informed me that she and Riley decided to give me a giftโthey would finance the building of the new packhouse. It was a gift for me and not for the pack. Of course, their pack, as well as the other packs, had been giving me assistance in all aspe
NADINE.โDid you say they got him?โ I asked Jake. I was sure I heard him right the first time, but I wanted to be sure. โYes. He has arrived at the Council territory and is currently being detained.โ He answered. โFuck! Fuck!โ I kept tapping my palm against my table. โI was supposed to go to him today. I was exactly on my way out when you called.โโYou are slower than them, then!โโJake! Donโt let them do anything to him! I swear to Selene, he is innocent! He just came here four months ago and knew nothing of his business! I asked him to try to sneak in and get more details, but that was it! Maddox had never trusted anyone with his business, especially Xander!โ I was too fast, explaining what I knew as if it could save him.โCalm down! All they need to do is roll out an Alpha Command when they question him, and if he answers his innocence, they will let him go.โ Jake sounded relaxed this time, and my heart clenched in pain. Saying this out loud was even more painful. โHe is an Alpha
NADINE.I lowered my Alpha aura as I walked to where Xander was. I didnโt want him to think I was letting it out on him. Or, maybe I just want us to talk more about us and not me being an Alpha.Xander was already sitting at the small table when I entered the room. There were only two chairs at both ends.His head snapped up, and our eyes met. My stomach churned just by looking at him. He didnโt have any expression on his face and like earlier, he didnโt hold my gaze.His attention went back to his hands resting on the table, as if taking out the invisible dirt under his nails was far more important than looking at me. I took a deep breath and thanked the person who let me in. He gave me a nod and left the room, closing the door behind him.Although the room had a big glass window so anyone from the outside could see us if they wanted to, I was glad we were left alone.I sat in the vacant chair, my heart thudding loudly as I looked at him, but he didnโt even budge from his position.โ
TEN YEARS AFTER THE BIRTH OF XAVIER.XANDER.โAre you ready, Alpha?โ Xavier asked, and once I nodded my head, he turned to his side and nodded at his seven-year-old brother, Nexus. Without any more words, they hurried off into the forest for my wolf, Orion, to track them. I always give them a fifteen-minute head start before I start looking for them.Fifteen minutesโenough time for myself to soak in all the things my eyes could see and think of all that happened in my life over the last ten years.Three years after we gave birth to Xavier, Nadine fell pregnant again. This time, she extended an offer to me for the Alpha position. Like she said, Iโd been doing the Alpha work whenever she couldnโt attend to it due to the nature of her pregnancy. She was going through a difficult time with Nexus. There were days she couldnโt get up from our bed and would vomit from time to time. Although our son was healthy, Nadine would always end up drained of energy. I, of course, could continue doing
NADINE.Dad and Mom arrived just a couple of hours after I gave birth. Nadia called them right away when my waterbag broke, so they were already traveling while I was in labor. Xavierโs birth came early, yet we and the whole pack had always been ready for him.With the approval of the midwives who assisted me, we began our journey home at midnight. I couldnโt wait to introduce our son to his pack and welcome Jillian as our Gamma Female. We arrived by dawn, and I expected the packhouse to be quiet as everyone should be asleep, but the sight that welcomed us was indeed overwhelming to a motherโs heart.The house was bright with lights, and the packhouse ground was decorated with lanterns and bannersโboth for our son and our Gamma Femaleโas if they had days to prepare for this and not just hours. The whole area was alive, and even without hearing anything from the outside, I was sure there was music playing as there were people dancing.But the moment Kenzoโs door opened, the whole pl
NADINE.I had just finished fixing my hair and was ready to drive to the Midnight Pack for Jillianโs debut. I came out of our room and went downstairs to find Xander. He was ready many minutes ago, and I asked him to leave me alone in our room so I could continue preparing because he kept distracting me with hugs and kisses. I found him at the bar, drinking alone. I wasnโt sure if he noticed my presence as he remained standing by the large window, gazing outside while sipping his drink.He must be thinking about Carlotta and her pup, as this had been the only thing keeping him quiet lately. Xander was determined to find Maddoxโs child and give it a good life. But Carlotta had been dodging us for almost a year.But today, we got more information. We finally had a name and gender. Maddox and Carlotta had a daughter, Maxine Charlotte Trevino. Carlotta named her after her father. But we were still clueless about where they were staying. All we knew was that the child had a fever, and C
GAMMA KENZO.I unclasped her bra and tossed it aside before pulling away from kissing her, letting my eyes savor the perfect breasts that were made for me. Jillian had a petite frame, but her breasts were bigger than her size, and burying my head in between them was a fantasy I wanted to fulfill. She bit her bottom lip before her hands cupped the sides of her breasts and gently kneaded them; all the while, her eyes were swirling with lust. โDo you like them?โMy eyes were surely twinkling as I nodded my head, like a boy on Christmas Day. โI fucking love them!โI didnโt need an invite as I bent over and captured one of her breasts, and a grunt filled my throat as I savored her bosom, one after the other, letting my tongue and hand play with them and her nipples while my sultry mate was fumbling with my shirt and my pants, helping in taking them off my body. After I had my fill, my lips pressed against her firm stomach. I trailed my mouth down to her inner thigh where my hand was, par
FUTURE GAMMA FEMALE JILLIAN.โHave you played hide-and-seek?โ I asked him in a soft voice after he sent a message to Beta Xander. First, he asked them if Alpha Nadine had given birth and told them to call him anytime. He also informed him that โhe got the girl and that he was blessed tenfold tonight.โ Even though it was just a text message, I could see the pride in him as he puffed his chest while he was typing those words. Kenzo, even without him knowing, really knew how to melt my heart.โHmmm... what are you planning to do?โ He asked, his forehead creasing. We were already in the hotel lobby where I was staying. The party was already over, but my family was still there to make sure all the guests were sent off nicely and out of the border, but they let us leave ahead. I stood in front of Kenzo, walking backward as he walked forward at my pace. I placed my hand on his chest, a playful grin etched on my face. โCatch me if you can, lover boy.โI pushed him playfully before running
FUTURE GAMMA FEMALE JILLIAN.I watched in awe as my father, Alpha Lucas, took the center stage together with my mother, Luna Katarina. Unlike other parents, Dad and Mom were actually happy that I found out who my mate was as soon as I turned eighteen. Dad was glad he turned out to be the same man I was in love with. He didnโt want me to have any doubts about the man I would be in a relationship with, knowing that my mate was just out there somewhere. Although he was sad I had to leave them sooner, he knew I would be in good hands.โWe would like to thank everyone for gracing us with your presence for our daughterโs coming-of-age celebration.โ My father began, and the crowd gave him a round of applause. I couldnโt help but smile and playfully roll my eyes upon seeing my mother looking at him as if he held the whole universe in his hands. But then I realized it must be the same way I looked at Kenzo whenever he wasnโt looking at me, and I got to study his features. Dad looked at Mom
GAMMA KENZO.I had never driven so fast as I did tonight. Good thing that I only needed to drive along the forest road, so there were no cameras and traffic police lurking around. If I had my way, I would have run on my paws so Iโd be faster, but I needed to look presentable, and I couldnโt just rip my clothes off. I was stopped at their border, and it seemed the one in there had no idea who I was. He denied me entry because I didnโt have the invitation with me. In my rush to get help for the Alpha, I might have dropped it somewhere in the packhouse. Only when I instructed him to reach out to Alpha Ledger and we conversed over the phone did I receive permission to enter.The drive to the hotel where her party was ongoing was plain torture. I was happy that I was here, but the thought of missing her dance and her not being my fated mate kept seeping into my mind. โJudgment time.โ I reminded myself of this as I picked up the bouquet of red roses from the backseat of my car and made m
LADY JILLIAN.โMine!!โ The growl was so loud it vibrated through my whole body. I shoved Wesโ hand off me and abruptly turned my body around to face the direction of the voice.And my heart stopped as I stared at the man at the far end of the corridor. My eyes locked with Alonso, Alpha Aeonโs son, the next Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. My mouth parted as a shriek passed my lips, something I was not able to control. โNo!โUntil I realized something.I was older than Alonso. Even with him having a wolf, it was impossible that I scented him. He was not eighteen yet. โ----------------------GAMMA KENZO.I ran my comb through my hair one more time, perfecting my hairstyle before pointing at myself through my reflection in the mirror. To say that I was excited was an understatement. I was beyond ecstatic.Tonight, whatever fate had in store for me and Jillian, we would finally take our relationship to the next level. I could officially claim her as my girlfriend, and we would take it fro
A YEAR AFTER MADDOXโS DEATH. LADY JILLIAN of the Midnight Pack. I couldnโt erase the smile off my face as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was tied up tightly in a bun, and I was dressed in a swan-like ballerina dress. The only jewelry I had was one pair of crescent moon earrings that I had never taken off. Finally eighteen. My family was throwing a grand ball for me, and I would start the night with a ballet dance that Iโd been practicing for many months. The dance was about a female coming of age and spreading her wings. I was excited, not only because I would be turning eighteen and would finally be able to do many things, but because I could officially say YES to Kenzo as my boyfriend. We could make it official. Kenzo and I started dating after he was re-inducted as the Gamma of the Dark Forest Pack. He asked me if he could court me, and I said he could, or he could come back once I turned eighteen, as I was not allowed to have a boyfriend until then. Not that