LOGINAnnastasia pov I stepped out of the hospital and into the afternoon sun. The air was warm and carried the scent of blooming flowers from the nearby gardens. People passed me on the street, their faces bright and cheerful. Some recognized me and waved. I waved back, my smile as hollow as my heart.The conversation with Kassian replayed in my mind. His words echoed like a warning I could not escape.You deserve happiness, Anastasia. You deserve love. And you deserve to raise your child with the father by your side. Do not throw that away.But what could I do? My mother was alive. After all these years of mourning her, of missing her, of wishing I could hear her voice one more time, I had a chance to find her. How could I walk away from that? How could I choose anything else?My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the screen.A text from Valeria.I am across the street. The restaurant with the red awning. Come now. We need to talk.I looked up. Across the road, nest
Annastasia pov The morning came softly.I woke before the sun, lying in Hector’s arms, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing. He was still asleep, his face peaceful and relaxed. I traced the lines of his jaw with my eyes, memorizing every detail. The curve of his lips. The sweep of his lashes. The small scar above his eyebrow that I had never noticed before.Two days. I only have two days left.The thought was a knife in my chest. I slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to wake him. He stirred but did not open his eyes. I dressed quietly in a simple gown and wrapped a shawl around my shoulders. Then I left the room, closing the door softly behind me.The pack house was already stirring. Servants moved through the hallways, preparing for the day. They bowed as I passed, their faces bright with admiration. Word of the cure had spread like wildfire. Everywhere I went, people whispered my name like a prayer.“The Luna. She saved the children.”“She is a miracle worker.”“The
Annastasia pov Goddess, this man will be the death of me. Hector’s hand found my sensitive core. He rubbed it in tight, fast circles. The dual sensation was too much. The feeling of him inside me. The pressure of his fingers. The sound of his voice growling my name.I shattered.My vision went white. My body convulsed. I screamed his name as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over me. My inner walls clenched around him, pulsing, milking, pulling him deeper.He groaned. His body shuddered. I felt him pulse inside me, felt the heat of his release flooding my core. He collapsed on top of me, his breath ragged, his heart pounding against my chest.For a long moment, neither of us moved. We just lay there, tangled together, our bodies still joined. The sweat cooling on our skin. The moonlight spilling across the bed.Then he lifted his head and looked at me. His eyes were soft now. Sated. Full of something that looked almost like wonder.“I love you,” he whispered. “I love you so much,
Annastasia pov Hector took me away from the ward, with Ethan following us behind. Just then, Dr. Alden rushed towards us and approached me. He bowed to Hector before face. His eyes were full of something I had never seen before. Respect. Gratitude. Awe.“Luna Anastasia,” he said quietly. “You saved them. You saved them all.”I looked at the children. The children who had been dying only an hour ago. They were sleeping peacefully now. Their wolves were awakening. Their futures were restored.“I did what needed to be done,” I said.“You did more than that. You performed a miracle.”I shook my head. “It was not a miracle. It was science. And a lot of stubbornness.”Dr. Alden smiled. It was a tired smile, but genuine. “Then I am grateful for your stubbornness.”The door to the ward opened. This time it was Dr. Marchetti. She stood in the doorway. Her face was pale. Her eyes were wide with shock.“You did it,” she whispered. “You actually did it.”I walked toward her. “I told you I coul
Annastasia pov Hector walked in.Ethan followed behind him, along with several of the elders. The room went silent. Every head turned. The whispers died instantly. Then they all bowed respectfully. Hector’s dark eyes swept the room. They landed on me. And then he was walking toward me, his long strides eating up the distance between us.“Anna.” His voice was soft but urgent. “Are you all right?”I nodded. “I am fine. The cure has been administered. We are waiting for the results.”He reached me and pulled me into his arms. I melted against him, my body sagging with exhaustion. His warmth surrounded me. His scent filled my senses. For a moment, I forgot about the watching eyes and the whispered doubts.“I heard what happened,” he murmured against my hair. “I came as soon as I could.” I looked up at him. My heart swelled at the sight of him. “I am fine. Just tired.”He reached out and cupped my face. His thumb brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. Then, in front of everyone, he le
Annastasia POV The next hour was a blur.We moved the children into a private ward. The nurses helped me set up the equipment. The doctors watched with anxious faces. The cure was administered one by one. Child after child. Pale faces. Shallow breathing. Tiny hands clutching at blankets.I stood at the first bed, the golden vial clutched in my hand. The child was small and pale, her dark hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Her breathing was shallow. Her wolf was barely a flicker on the monitor.I turned to the nurses and doctors who had gathered around me. My voice was steady, even though my heart was pounding. “I need syringes. Sterile ones. As many as you can find. And I need someone to help me administer the cure. We do not have much time.”Dr. Alden stepped forward immediately. “I will assist you, Luna. Tell us what to do.”“Divide the children into groups. The youngest and weakest first. The cure must be injected directly into the bloodstream. It will work quickly, but th
Anastasia pov. As if she knew I was there, Bella’s eyes opened. Over Andrei’s sweating shoulder, she looked directly through the crack of the door. She looked straight at me. And while my boyfriend poured himself into her, Bella smiled. A slow, cruel, victorious smirk. I stood frozen in the do
ANASTASIA. The pack mansion has been awake since before dawn. Loud footsteps echoed through the halls, dishes clattering, servants rushing in every direction, voices overlapping like a storm that refused to settle. I groaned softly and pulled my blanket over my head.Today was Bella’s twentieth bi
ANASTASIAThe sharp, blinding ache behind my eyelids was the first thing that pulled me from the dark.I gasped, my eyes flying open, but the world was a distorted, dizzying blur of sterile white walls and harsh overhead fluorescent lights. The heavy scent of antiseptic and pack medicine burned my
HECTORThe rain was drumming a relentless, irritating beat against the bulletproof windows of the SUV."I still don't get it, Alpha," my Beta, Ethan, muttered from the passenger seat, staring out into the dark pines bordering the Red River territory. "Why are we wasting our time going to a minor pa







