MasukThe afternoon had been so ordinary that I did not notice the danger creeping toward us until it was already too late. The sun sat warm against the courtyard stones, and for a brief, fragile stretch of time, everything felt almost normal again—Kane practicing light movements near the boundary stones under Everett’s distant watch, Selena sitting in the shade scratching small patterns into the dust, her quiet humming drifting softly through the air. I had stepped inside for only a mo
His words stirred something in me. Something that resonated deeply inside me. I did not know what to say but this time, I decided to put my trust in him, because he was all I had. He was all our kids had.I also realised something. I don't remember ever properly introducing him as the father to my kids, as their dad. But eventually, Kane and Selena were smart enough to figure out that Cassius was their dad and not Alessio. The fact that they were so close with Alessio but never called him anything but uncle also stood with me. And I was surprised to realize that so late, rather than realizing it much sooner.Today he was going to announce me as the Luna of the pack, and standing beside him on the stage made me feel all jittery. It made me nostalgic. I remembered that day when I was waiting for him to choose me and he didn't. I know he wouldn't do that now, but every ounce of fear that still lived inside me did not let me think otherwise.Sitting in front of the dressing table, wearing
I don't think I heard anything after she said yes.Yes.That one word kept ringing inside my head again and again, as if my mind refused to believe it at first. I stood there staring at her, wondering if I had imagined it, wondering if I had pushed her too much, wondering if she would take it back the very next second."You… said yes?" I heard myself ask, even though I had already heard her.She nodded. Calm. Steady. Certain.Yes.That was when it truly hit me. She said yes.My chest tightened suddenly, and for a second, I couldn't breathe properly. It felt like something that had been stuck inside me for months had finally broken free. Relief flooded through me so quickly that I almost staggered where I stood.She said yes. She agreed to marry me. She agreed to stay. She agreed to build something with me again.I didn't realize when my hands tightened around hers. I didn't realize my shoulders had been stiff this whole time until they slowly relaxed.Thank God.That was the only thin
“Yes.” I said yes without any hesitation. Why? Because I had thought about this for a long time — for the longest time possible. And deep down, I already knew what my answer was. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.There was nothing else in my mind except the fact that I wanted to marry him and give my kids a stable future. A lot had already been lost in the past six months, and I did not want to lose anything more again.And so, I said yes. The word felt heavy and light at the same time, as if it carried the weight of everything we had lost and everything we were trying to build again.Cassius stood in front of me, frozen, as if he hadn't expected the answer to come so easily. His fingers were still wrapped loosely around mine, but now his grip tightened slightly, as though he needed to feel that I was real, that this moment was not slipping away from him."You… said yes?" he asked quietly, his voice rough, almost unsure.I nodded once. "Yes."For a moment, neither of us spoke. I could see the emoti
What the fuck is happening? Why is everyone disturbing my time with my wife? Or soon-to-be wife? And what was she about to tell me? That itself set immediate panic in me.Does she not want to marry me? Is Alessio back in her life? Is she going to take the kids away? Oh my God… did I not propose properly? Maybe I should have made my point stronger.Every one of these questions came cascading into my head, making me feel even more nervous. But since it was Jackson — my beta — calling me, I ran back to him."This better be important," I murmured before heading into the office.The elders wanted to finish the meeting. Sitting back in my chair, I forced myself to settle down and continue the discussion. It was about the new pack rules and about accepting new members — questioning whether they were rogues or not.My blood boiled every single time my kids and my mate were referred to that way, but I still tried to control myself for the betterment of the pack. These oldies did not need to di
After Kane and Selena had fallen asleep, and when Cassius was nowhere to be seen, I went back to my room and began to think about what he had proposed.I weighed out my pros and cons, listing them like a teenager deciding whether she should get her favorite makeup or not. It almost felt amusing to debate with myself like that, but at the same time, it was also a very big fight within me.I wanted to marry for love. And the fact was — Cassius loved me. But I couldn't reciprocate the same kind of love and affection for him, and that made me very sad.Cassius loved our kids. He loved Kane and Selena, and he was willing to go to any length for them. This — this proposal — was what he was willing to do for them.So, while weighing the pros and cons, I finally focused on the one thing that mattered the most — Kane and Selena. Their happiness, their safety, their health, and their well-being were the most important things to me. Nothing else mattered, not even my own happiness or my wish to
His words stirred something in me. I wanted to marry him, in spite of whatever had transpired between us, but I was still not able to get myself to do it. Why? Maybe it was because of the fact that he doesn't love me, or the fact that he has fallen out of love and he's doing all of this out of duty. I don't know what it was, but it just didn't feel right to simply marry him.But his proposal was just perfect. We needed this protection. And however self-righteous I was, and whatever self-respect I carried, it did not matter more than what my kids mattered to me. It did not matter more than their safety, their innocence, and their childhood.If we could give them — take away half of their fears and give them double the happiness they're experiencing now — I think I would be the luckiest mother in the world. Maybe we would be the luckiest parents in the world."Let me think this through and get back to you," I said to Cassius and walked out of his room.This room — it reminded me of a lo
“Hey!” I tapped his cheeks again. “Alessio.” This time I tapped harder, almost ready to slap him if he didn’t respond. “Alessio! You’re scaring me.” I muttered, leaning over him, trying to shake him awake.
Someone was kissing me. More specifically she was. I smiled without even opening my eyes. Turning onto my side, I faced her keeping my eyes closed and hugged her closer. Her giggles filled my ears and my smile widened even more if possible. “Hey.” She murmured, and I peaked one eye open.“Hey.” I r
I agreed to one day. Just one. It should have felt simple. Instead, it felt like the beginning of an ending. But the joy and relief on Alessio’s face was invaluable. I stood in my bedroom staring at the half-open wardrobe, my fingers hovering over neatly fold
“He is their father.” Austin’s voice made me freeze. I turned to look at him. “He is right?”“What?”“I see the way you two are. The Mate bond comes to life when you stand beside him. And Kane resembles him in every possible way.” As if I didn’t know that.“What difference does it make?” I asked Au







