DEL MORINO I had my knuckles balled into a fist as I stood in front of the door. The hallway air seemed to get heavier by the second and I could feel my chest tightening, the stench and sight made me want to throw up.With a million ideas racing through my head, I had demanded to be taken to the dungeon where she was being held. But the sight of the cell doors and the dim dark hallway made me realize how far things had deteriorated.She doesn't belong here. I didn't think it would hurt this much. I felt guilty when I saw her and realized she was stuck there. After faithfully serving my mother, she was now in the same place as the enemies I had vowed to keep away from the people I cared about. I was startled out of my thoughts by the guard at my side clearing his throat. "Alpha Del Morino," he said cautiously in a respectful but hesitating tone. "She was brought in a while ago."As I moved forward, my gaze sweeping the line of cells I could hardly hear him. The atmosphere felt oppr
DEL MORINO I felt as if the situation was weighing heavily on me and the evening flew by in a daze. As I gazed out my window at the moon shining down at the pack, Terese's description of the disease—Moonblight—haunted my thoughts. I couldn't stand by and do nothing and I didn't understand what kind of curse could make a werewolf so vulnerable. However, I was unable to ignore the more pressing issue even as I mentally made those commitments. I had to get a doctor for her. She was very close to my late mother and always seemed like family.Her younger brother. Luca. Terese had mentioned him earlier and I had asked the guards to present him. He has been captured with other young men too.I had never met him before I thought I would meet a young boy maybe ten or eleven years old but instead, I saw a man who appeared older than his years. The weight of a life he hadn't requested was causing Luca's shoulders to slump and his eyes to grow weary. His eyes were filled with pain, the sam
DEL MORINO The weight of the moment weighed heavily on my shoulders as I entered the room. There were four of my brothers standing around all of them wearing an expression of anticipation. It's been a long time since I last saw these four, except for Adrian, who was always following me like a shadow.Although we were always close in the way that only siblings can be, there were now things that I felt but was unable to express. I also knew that everything would change today. With the customary teasing and catching up, the conversation started off innocently enough, but I could feel the tension rising. It was constantly present hiding beneath the surface and waiting for the ideal opportunity to rise. I was supposed to discuss the breeders with them, and I didn't feel they should know about Terese yet. “ I've bought them,” I said in a firm yet low voice.My brother's eyes flickered with curiosity as they turned to face me. “ Don't look at me like that.” I almost snapped. “ We discu
DEL MORINO A tiny smirk played at the corner of my lips as I watched Layla my Luna sitting across from me. She was looking at me with a soft inquisitive expression in her eyes as if she were trying to reveal layers I had hidden deep within. Since she was my mate, I couldn't hold it against her. Still there were some things I wasn't sure she needed to know and wasn't ready to share just yet. I had already surprised her earlier. I didn't expect her reaction when she realized I couldn't read because on the way she looked at me. It was utter surprise not sympathy or shock as if she had discovered a part of me that didn't match the image she had in mind. I should have dismissed it and offered an explanation but for some reason I didn't. I could see her thoughts at work during the long period of silence between us. I knew she wanted to ask more questions but she didn't press. And I loved that.More than I would ever tell herz I loved Layla's ability to respect my boundaries. It didn't
DEL MORINO It was unbelievable to me. The words swirled around in my mind like a nightmare until I lost all sense of reality. Terese is dead?Although the guard had said it in such a casual manner, I felt as though the earth had been torn out from under me. My heart stopped and I felt cold. I needed him to say it again. It couldn't possibly be true. No Terese. No, not her. She was irreplaceable. “What are you saying?. Dead?” I said my voice was hardly audible above a murmur. I wasn't even sure if I was saying anything. Everything seemed muffled and far away as if the world had closed me out. The guard's eyes were wide as he gazed at me bewildered. However I could only hear that one sentence repeated over and over.Terese is dead. My mind raced. I didn't want to believe it. It isn't possible.Not Terese though. She never stopped being strong, present and alive. I forced myself to pay attention and make sense of what was happening by demanding again.“What do you mean by she's dead
DRAKEAs I arrived at Corbin pack gates, I felt the burden of the journey pressing down on me. The pulse of my rage echoed through my veins, and the roaring beats of my heart were too loud for me to ignore. They had taken Terese, my only hope of finding the Seal.I know Corbin more than anybody, and I was sure that the idiot was going to lie that he didn't take her away, but he didn't know that I had gotten first-hand information that she had been abducted by his men and held captive for reasons I didn't know, and I didn't care to know.I wasn't here to socialize or have a peaceful discussion. No matter the cost my only objective was to bring her back and get the damn Seal. I slammed the car door with a loud bang that reverberated through the silent forestWithout exchanging words, my guards silently followed me while their eyes scanned the area. Each of us was aware of our purpose. “Remain vigilant,” I yelled, my tone steady but tense. “Corbin won't make things simple.”Before we
DEL MORINO I rushed into my chambers feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. I couldn't release the rage and sadness that were boiling inside of me. Even clenching my hands into fists didn't help. Terese was gone, just like my mother, the one person who had been by my side since I was a young child. When my father had pushed me off like trash, like I wasn't his son, when my mother was too sick to look after me, Terese was there.I slammed the door so hard that it shook violently. I ran my fingers through my hair as pain exploded in my chest.Piece by piece I could feel my heart breaking. I had the feeling that I was choking and was unable to breathe. She was more than just a nanny. How could she be gone? How could I have lost the one person who had always supported me? She served as a protector, a steady presence in my life during a time of instability. And she is gone now. Only the moon goddess knows what she had wanted to tell me I slammed my fist into the wooden d
DRAKEIt felt like ages since dinner. The sound of cutlery clinking on dishes,Sophia's chuckles and her kind smile. The storm raging inside of me was cruelly contrasted with everything else. Tonight was supposed to be normal for me. I had shamefully returned from Corbin's pack into the waiting arms of Sophia, as I stared at her from across the table I remembered that my role was to pretend to be the man she believed me to be. But I couldn't maintain the persona for very long. It felt like an insurmountable burden was pressing down on my chest every minute I spent with her smiling and acting as though nothing was wrong. She talked about the delicious food but I could hardly hear her because I was seated across from her at the dinner table and my mind was elsewhere. Her tone was gentle, almost reassuring. I should have felt better after that. Rather it merely served to remind me of what I had just done. I told her a lie. I explained to her that I had been going about some business a
LAYLA This was just the perfect opportunity for me to laugh but I realized that I was in the woods with only Celeste and her words about Drake killing me and throwing me info the river filled me with so much dread. I had already imagined myself sitting with Del at the rooftop as we laughed over what Celeste had just said. I smiled thinly and looked over my shoulders, Adrian wasn't back yet. Did he have plans of living me all by myself to stand here with his pregnant mate under this moonless night. Celeste abd Adrian were just the perfect match, they were really funny. But no matter how hard I tried driving those words our of my mind, they stubbornly stayed and as I looked at Celeste, her red painted lips now a thin, small line and her eyes digging into mine, I knew she was dead serious. Just go home, Layla. Don't listen to her. I couldn't
LAYLA I didn't care or maybe I was just too stubborn or maybe I was just too anxious or I just wanted to see Drake and give him a piece of my mind. “ Hurry up.” I said to my personal maids as they did my makeup and styled my hair. I took a glance at the wall clock and sighed in relief. The celebration was just starting and it would be just an hour and thirty minutes for Del to prepare, speak with a few people and they would come up before everyone, introduce me as the party began. That would be just enough time to get to Willows Height and speak to that dumbass and then return like nothing ever happened. “Luna, do you want the pins —” “Just do your thing, Mikina.” I said sharply to the hairstylist, I wasn't supposed to yell, I never yell at any of them but tonight was different and I had a lot weighing me down. She nodded and mu
TWO WEEKS LATER.LAYLA It was Del's birthday Eve, I had carefully wrapped a gift for me, something not too small but special.There was the usual commotion in the pack with everyone rushing about getting ready for the celebration. It was the Alpha's birthday and for so long everyone had been looking forward to it.As Del walked through the pack grounds, making sure everything was just right there and sometimes when I look down out of the window, he might be there now and here later and then he had gone in to speak with the Beta of Dark ridge pack whom he was having a meeting with, so I couldn't go to wish him a happy birthday. There was so much going on that I could hardly concentrate. As the tables were set, the decorations were strung up and the food was prepared everyone was so excited to make Del's day perfect. Love for him filled my heart. Even when I didn't think I was deserving, Del
LAYLAIt had been an uneventful dinner, the type where everyone talks but no one pays much attention. The same old conversation about the pack, Del speaking with the Gemma whom he had invited over for dinner and me feeling bored because I had something to tell him and as the dinner was taking longer than necessary I simply forgot what I wanted to say. I excused myself and withdrawed to the living room and apologizing for the conversation as soon as the last plate was cleared. I could hear the typical sound of the servantsngoing about their daily activities—voices coming from upstairs. However tonight felt different. I sank into the couch with my book open in front of me and wrapped a blanket around myself but my thoughts were far away. The letters swam in front of my eyes blending into a single unreadable stream making it impossible for me to concentrate on the words. I ought to have gone to bed. I wanted to get some rest. Rather
DRAKEI was avoiding her stare for no apparent reason. She had never asked me such a question before .Nobody knew me as well as she did. We shared a relationship, husband and wife., Alpha Luna. I believed that she knew every single aspect of me. So why the damn question.“Drake, how did you find out about Del’s birthday party?” she repeated in a gentle yet firm tone. A knot of unease twisted in my chest. I clenched my drink with my fingers. For a while I had been nursing the damn thing but all of a sudden the taste had suddenly turned sour. I glanced over at the room's corner, anyplace other than her. Sophia narrowed her eyes and leaned in. That look was there. That dreadful expression that made it clear she didn't believe the lies I was trying to convince her of. She carried on without missing a beat “You don't remember anything about our having a good relationship with Del? You don't remember anything about your conversation with him or his brother, Adrian ?she asked. “ Why this
THIS IS WRITTEN IN THE AUTHOR'S POV FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND NARRATE BOTH CHARACTERS SIDE.Drake's packhouse, a contemporary warehouse transformed into a spacious haven for oddnpack members, was enveloped in darkness,.with every nook and cranny evoking the icy efficiency of its industrial beginnings. Years of use had worn down the once immaculate concrete floors, but the sharp edges were softened by the soft amber light that filled the minimalist furnishings which included, polished wood tables, leather chairs and a long bar that ran the length of one wall. The sharp yet recognizable smell of fresh whiskey and polished metal filled the air. The soft leather of Drake's chair sank under him as he leaned back. The amber liquid within the glass swirled as his fingers moved it around in his hand, his face lit up with happiness and so much victory that he wanted to jump and dance for joy.The contents of the glass caught the light as if reflecting his own thoughts which were swift d
LAYLA'S POV. “Don't worry.” I said to the maids as I took the tray of food from her after having breakfast.“ Just take two days off and instruct the other maids to scrub the floors clean.”“Thank you so much, Luna.” She said, bowing slightly and left as I handed the tray to the maids behind me.“You can take just two hours off.” I said to her as I made my way to the garden to free my mind from my thoughts.At first, I didn't hear him because the rustle of the leaves in my little garden and the sound of the morning birds overpowered the sound of his footsteps. The delicate flowers Del had purchased for me were bathed in golden light as the sun continued to rise. To help me feel like I belonged, he had created this space specifically for me. This place made me feel secure. It served as my haven where I could escape stress and everything. Then I sensed his presence. With my hands still holding the watering can I froze. I knew it was him without having to turn around. His presence f
LAYLA'S I wasn’t sure what had come over me this evening The streets had been so busy, the food—so simple yet satisfying, a bit of normalcy in a life that never seemed to allow it. The maids had prepared something special something fit for an Alpha and Luna but Del ever the selfless one insisted they shouldn’t bother. “I’ll eat with you” he’d said offering that grin of his that always made everything feel like it might just be okay. But as we returned to our chambers, I couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort. Del on the other hand seemed at ease walking alongside me like we hadn’t just spent the day out there two people pretending to be something we were still trying to figure out. It was all my fault, even though Del said he wanted to eat with me, I was quite sure that he was still a little angry about what had happened earlier.My heart thudded in my chest, a heavy weight of emotions I didn’t know how to carry. Not for him not for me… but for what I had lost. I tried to shove
LAYLA'S POVDel Morino was supposed to be my mate, the one I loved, the one that should have been mine. Thats what everybody says anyway, that's what I knew, right ?But my heart was aching and no matter how hard I tried, that nagging sensation couldn't just leave . It was there . As we strolled through the bustling night street, the aroma of street food danced into my nose. He moved next to me, his hands holding mine lovingly and I knew I should be listening to what he had to say and how he spoke. But I couldn't , I had other things on my mind. My thoughts were faraway and I tried pushing them out.Del had knocked on my door and I hastily slipped the letter Adrian had given me into the pocket of my jacket. Its weight against my side served as a reminder of something I couldn't forget and that I didn't want Del to know about it, or it could cause trouble for me or Adrian, well, I don't even know."I'm taking you out." He said laughing." Not the normal dates." His eyes locked on min