ログインChapter 65Madeline’s POVWhen I wake up, the first thing I notice is not the pounding in my head, not the fact that my lips feel sore like I’ve been kissing for hours (which I have, apparently), but the arm.Lucian’s arm, that is so damn warm and heavy, is wrapped so snugly around my waist like he’s afraid if he lets go, I’ll disappear. His chest is pressed against my back and his breath tickling the down of my neck.And gods help me, it feels… nice.Too nice.I stay there for a longer while as I stare at the ceiling with a smile on my face.'Took you long enough.' my wolf purrs in my head as I get a mental image of her pacing around and wagging her tail.'I was beginning to think I'd have to force shift in order to let you get close to him.''Shut your ass. We both didn't feel the bond at first. It's not my fault.''Yeah, yeah. Anything that helps you sleep at night.''You're rude. Very rude.' She flashes her teeth at me. 'I'm just happy you've stopped being stupid. He’s ours now.
Madeline’s POVHis lips are still on mine when I realize I’ve stopped breathing.Or it's my lips that are oh his. Oh boy, you just had to kiss him, Madeline!My wolf is pacing restlessly inside me, and for once, I don’t want to fight it.Lucian’s kiss is soft at first like he’s afraid I’ll push him away. Like he’s giving me an out.I don’t take it.Instead, I pull him closer, because gods help me, I need this. I need him. I don't know where this confidence is coming from but I know it's a good kind.His lips moves against mine, slow but gentle. Patient. Too patient. It makes something hot coil low in my stomach, because I don’t want patient. I don't want him to be soft with me. I want messy. I want real.So I push harder, biting his bottom lip, and the growl that rumbles out of his chest causes me to smirk. One of his hands snake up to the back of my neck as he bent my head so he can kiss me deeper. The other hand moves to my waist, underneath my clothes as his fingers dig into my sk
Lucian’s POV"Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!" I turn right in time to catch a kid as he jumps right on me. "Oh, shit!" I grunt as I steady my stance so we won't both roll on the floor due to the collision." "What have we got here?" I say with a smile on my face as I stare at the little kid with two missing front teeth."Hello, Alpha.""Hello to you too. What's your n—""Derrick!" A voice calls from behind us and his eyes widen in terror.We turn to see a woman walking towards us, looking pissed. "Save me, Alpha." Derrick whispers as he hides under my shirt as the woman gets closer."Come back here, now! You shouldn't go jumping on people." She scolds before finally turning to me."Alpha," she bows. "Forgive my son. He can be a bit... Playful."I smile at that, passing Derrick to his mother. "It's not a problem. I hope you guys are enjoying the place.""Her face lights up. "Yes, Alpha, we are. It's really nice being in a pack setting."I nod at that. "That's awesome then. I'll see you around.
Madeline’s POVMy knuckles crack as I punch the tree again.Wrong spot! Wrong spot!I grunt in pain but I just grit my teeth, biting back the pain.My fists snap against bark with a dull crack once again. This time, the tree shudders as flakes of bark fly. I don’t stop. It hurts but it's not up to how I hurt inside. With each punch, my chest feels like it’s going to split open but I still don't stop.I don’t train to get stronger. Not tonight. Tonight, I train because if I don’t, I’ll fall apart.The wind shifts, carrying a scent I know too well. Musk. Sweat. Warm spice. Elisha.I grit my teeth and keep moving, giving the tree a high kick that rattles its trunk.“Still murdering innocent trees, huh?” His tone is light and casual. Like he hasn’t been circling me for days now.I don’t answer.He lingers at the edge of the clearing, watching. I feel his eyes burning my back and the weight of them makes my skin crawl.“You know,” he tries again, “you’re wasting your talents on bark. You
Lucian’s POVThe stench hits me before the box even lands on my table.I stare at it for a long time, silent, while the others shift uncomfortably in the room. Ryker’s jaw ticks. Rock’s hands curl into fists like he’s already picturing punching someone’s throat out. Elisha stands by the window, unmoving. And Claw, he won’t fucking stop pacing. He’s at Ariella’s side, a place he seems to be seen very frequently. One hand is resting behind her lower back holding her tightly closer to him like she could be snatched at any given time. She stands stiff at the corner, injured shoulder bandaged, but her gaze is on me. Always on me.The room is tense enough to choke on.I drag the box closer and rip it open.The head rolls slightly, the smell clawing through my nose. A rogue scout. His face was half mauled.Luther ’s handwriting is smeared across a scrap of parchment pinned to the corpse’s matted hair."Return what’s mine… or more will follow."My hand curls into a fist so tight the bones po
Luther ’s POVShe ran.That bitch ran.She fucking ran!I sit in my office, my hands clenched so tightly the veins in my forearms bulge. The room is a mess. The table is overturned. The maps are shredded. One of my guards is lying motionless by the entrance, blood leaking from his nose after I slammed his skull into a wall.And still, it’s not enough.“Ariella is gone,” Jaron repeats for the third time, trying to sound calm even though I can hear the quake in his throat.“No shit,” I snap, rising to my feet. “Tell me something I don’t know.”He flinches. Good. He should.“She shifted. Took out two guards. Escaped through the north side. We—uh—we found wolf prints leading into the woods.”I stare at him.Then I laugh.Once.Short.Dark.“She escaped with a bleeding shoulder, after being tracked by a dozen wolves… and you lost her?”He opens his mouth, but he’s smart enough to close it again.I turn slowly, my boots grinding against the cracked floor.I should’ve killed her when I had t







