CassiusThe day had been long. Too long. But it wasn't as though I had a choice in the matter. My father had been insistent, and with every passing moment, the weight of my obligations grew heavier. Dinner had been arranged, and with it, the expectation that I, Cassius Blackwood, would be on my best behavior, smiling and pretending for the sake of the alliance.As I dressed in my formal attire, I could feel the tension creeping up my spine. The event tonight wasn’t about me—at least, that’s what I kept telling myself. It was about the Blood Fang Pack and securing our future. But the truth was, I was suffocating. A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I straightened, taking a deep breath, and opened the door to find my father standing there, a wide grin stretched across his face.“Ready, son?” he asked, his voice warm and expectant.I grunted in reply, offering a half-hearted smile that didn't reach my eyes. My father, as always, seemed oblivious to my discomfort. His world r
LorienThe words hung heavy in the air."Is that all you’ve got?"I stared up at Alpha Matthias, my chest heaving, ribs throbbing beneath the bruises. His towering figure blocked out the sun behind him, casting me in shadow. Everything about him was calm, collected, but there was something piercing in the way his eyes bore into mine. Not cruel, just… unrelenting. Like he saw straight through every crack in me.I remembered Cassius’s words from days ago. "An omega like him is beneath me."I clenched my fists against the cold, damp ground.No. I wasn’t beneath anyone. I wouldn’t be.With effort, I pushed myself up, biting back a whimper as pain lanced through my side. “I… I wasn’t at my best today,” I said quietly. “I’ve been sick. I didn’t want to miss training, so I—”“Enough.”His voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. It shut me up faster than a slap to the face.“There is no room for excuses in my pack, Lorien,” he said, stepping down from the platform. “You want to be strong?
LorienI sat on the cot, my gaze drifting over the rough wooden beams of the ceiling. The steady sounds of movement outside filtered into the room—guards preparing for the day’s training, the clang of metal, the soft murmurs of conversation. But none of it reached me fully. My mind was elsewhere, as it always seemed to be now. The door creaked open, and Kieran stepped inside. His eyes quickly scanned the room before settling on me. There was a slight frown on his face, though he tried to hide it with his usual easygoing demeanor."Hey," Kieran began, shifting uncomfortably, his hands fiddling with the hem of his jacket. "Just checking on you."I smiled faintly. "I’m fine." I said it more for myself than him, though. I’ve been worse, I thought, but didn’t say.Kieran didn’t seem convinced. He stepped closer, sitting down beside me on the cot. His eyes were full of concern—there was no denying that. “You know," he said quietly, "Alpha Mathias is a good man. He doesn’t do things for hi
LorienMy chest tightened, the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. Kieran’s grip still lingered like phantom heat on my wrist, but the moment had twisted too fast, too unexpectedly. I couldn't breathe. I couldn’t think. I stumbled back, nearly tripping over myself.“Lorien—wait—”But I was already bolting.The night air hit my face like a slap. Cold, sharp, and cruel. My legs moved on instinct, pushing me through the thinning woods just beyond the bonfire clearing. It wasn’t far—I couldn’t go far—but I needed space. I needed silence. I needed anything other than Kieran’s voice echoing in my head.Why did he grab me like that? Why did I let him? Why did it feel… safe?I reached a grove, my lungs heaving, and collapsed against a tree. My fingers shook. My throat closed in on itself. Everything was crashing in again. My heart ached with a pressure I couldn’t contain. My eyes burned.Stop it. You’re fine. You’re okay. No one knows.But then I heard footsteps behind me.I did
CassiusI was on my throne and he was on his knees.Lorien—gods, it was him. His mouth was stretched around my cock, eyes glassy, cheeks flushed, his hands digging into my thighs like he was starving and I was the only thing he’d ever craved. My hand tangled in his hair, yanking his head back just to see that look of devotion—of complete surrender.But then—Click.A gun was pressed to his temple.His eyes widened. He whispered my name, mouth trembling.And I—I froze.******I woke up with a ragged gasp, bolting upright in bed, drenched in sweat and breathing like I’d run a damn marathon.“What the f—”I rubbed a hand down my face, clenching my jaw so tightly I thought it might crack.“Ridiculous,” I growled to myself, throwing the covers off.What kind of fucked up dream was that? And why the hell was it him?Lorien Vale.The one I rejected. The one I crushed.The one I—No.I wasn’t going there. Not again.But still… my heart wouldn’t slow. That dream—it had felt real. Too real. The
CassiusI stayed by his side, clutching my father’s hand like I could will strength back into his body. His skin felt papery, cool. Nothing like the man I’d grown up fearing—and respecting.Alpha Corbin Blackwood was no ordinary wolf. He was a legend. My benchmark. The reason I trained until I bled and clawed for every ounce of dominance I had.And now he looked… breakable.“I’m not ready to let you go,” I whispered under my breath.Before I could say more, Julian’s voice cut in from the doorway.“You should let him rest, Cassius. His vitals are unstable. Every second counts.”I didn’t even look back. “And if he dies while resting? Will that make you feel better?”Julian’s jaw ticked. “That’s not what I meant.”My father’s voice, gravelly and low, beat both of ours.“No.” He coughed harshly, crimson streaking the corner of his mouth. “I need to speak with my son. Now.”Julian opened his mouth again, likely to insist otherwise, but I beat him to it.“He said he wants to speak to me. Al
I regretted snapping at Alpha Matthias the moment the words left my mouth.“You could have told me from the beginning,” I had said, sharper than I meant to. “Instead, you let me stay here not knowing—what you really are.”Now I stood there, stiff, arms crossed in front of me like a barrier, as if I could protect myself with posture alone.Matthias didn’t react like I expected. No growl. No barked command to bow my head. He just studied me, head tilted slightly, like I was some kind of puzzle he hadn’t quite figured out yet.“I didn’t lie to you,” he said at last. His voice was calm. Measured. But there was a tension there. A warning hidden between syllables. “I told you this was a place for wolves who wanted a new chance. I never said it would be easy.”I swallowed hard. “A mafia?”“We protect our own. We don’t follow weak laws made by alphas who’ve forgotten what it means to have teeth.” His gaze darkened. “But we’re not monsters, Lorien. You haven’t been dragged into some nightmare.
LorienI froze. My breath caught in my throat as the guard stepped into my path.Had he heard? The conversation I’d just had with the doctor… the words we’d exchanged, the secret that had clung to the air like smoke—had he been listening?My heart began to pound wildly. The overwhelming rush of panic took hold, and I felt the sudden chill of dread seeping into my bones. My mind spiraled through every sentence I’d spoken inside that room. The plans. The vulnerability. The weight of the information that only a few, like the doctor, knew. And now, this guard. My pulse quickened as he tilted his head, his sneer cutting through the air like a blade. "I’m talking to you, idiot!"I flinched. His voice cracked through me like a whip, shattering the fragile stillness around us.My chest tightened, an unbearable pressure building in my throat. For a split second, I wasn’t standing here, outside the hospital, facing this guard. No, I was somewhere else. Somewhere much darker. Blood Fang Pack.
LorienThe air reeked of damp pine and bitter moss by the time I returned to the shack, the scent clinging to my skin like a second layer of guilt. The trees loomed like silent sentinels around us, and the moon hung low, barely cutting through the dense clouds. The forest felt different now—sharper, colder—as if it knew what we were about to do.I pushed through the shack’s crooked door and stepped inside. The lanterns were already lit, casting long, distorted shadows across the walls. My team was busy—maps unfolded, equipment sprawled across the dusty floor, radio frequencies crackling faintly. They were setting up. Getting ready.No one looked at me.Not at first.Then Kieran turned.“Out. Now,” he snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me outside before I could blink.His grip was firm, fingers digging into my jacket like claws. We stood just outside the cabin where the dark wrapped around us like a noose. His voice dropped into a low snarl. “What the hell was that, Lorien?”I yanked
ZuriaThe silence in the hospital was deafening.Each tick of the clock on the wall echoed like thunder in my ears. My fingers trembled in my lap, clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. The smell of antiseptic made my stomach churn—not with nausea, but dread.Danny had driven like a man possessed, ignoring traffic lights, muttering prayers under his breath. I had never seen him like that. And now, he sat somewhere outside this room while I sat on the edge of a cold hospital bed, waiting to hear if the worst had already happened.My mind wouldn’t stop racing. What if I’d already lost them? What if the bleeding meant they were gone and there was nothing left inside me but emptiness? My babies. The ones I had once tried to ignore, to forget about. But now the thought of losing them felt like someone was tearing open my chest.Please, just let them be okay. I didn’t mean to be careless. I didn’t mean to hurt them. Hot tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t breathe.I had told myself
LorienThe air was thick with tension, the scent of metal, dust, and forest clinging to everything like a second skin. Seven men stood silently behind me, their boots crunching against the gravel in almost perfect unison as they adjusted their weapons. The weight of my own gun pressed against the small of my back beneath my coat, cold and familiar. My fingers twitched toward it instinctively, though I made no move to draw it. Not yet.I shifted slightly, wincing when a sharp ache spread through my lower back. I rubbed at it absentmindedly, then glanced down—my coat hung a little awkwardly over the slight but unmistakable curve of my stomach. Six months. I hadn’t been able to hide it for weeks now, no matter how hard I tried. Not that I owed anyone an explanation. Not anymore.A shadow flickered in the doorway ahead. My breath hitched. Then, he stepped out.Alpha Mathias.Even now, after everything, my body reacted to the sight of him with a frustrating kind of treachery. My muscles te
LorienMatthias’s grip on my waist tightened, pulling me back to him, and I could feel every inch of his chest pressed against my back. My breath hitched, and the world seemed to narrow to the space between us, the heat of his body seeping into mine. I should pull away, tell him to stop, but the words lodged in my throat, too heavy to be spoken. “You’re avoiding me,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear, his voice so low it almost seemed like a confession. His hands slid around to my front, slowly sliding up my stomach, pulling me even closer.“I’m not avoiding you,” I answered, my voice flat, almost as if I were trying to convince myself more than him. “I’m fine.”“You don’t look fine.” His tone was patient, like he was studying me, piecing together some puzzle I wasn’t sure I wanted him to figure out.I shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of his touch, the overwhelming pull of his proximity. “I’m just... busy.”“Busy pretending,” he added, and there was a subtle bite t
CassiusI sat alone in my father’s office—no, my office now. The air felt colder than usual, like the walls themselves knew the weight of the title that had just been dropped on me. Tonight, I’d be crowned Alpha. Everyone expected me to celebrate, to raise a glass, to smile like I wasn’t dying inside.But I didn’t want celebration. I wanted silence.All my life, I’d been trained to take this position. I’d been molded, beaten, shaped into the perfect heir. And now, sitting in the chair my father ruled from for decades, I realized how little I knew about the truth of our pack. The secrets. The rot underneath the polished floors. The lies they never told me because they thought I didn’t need to know.I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk, and ran a hand through my hair, dragging it over my face with a sigh. The wood beneath my arms felt unfamiliar. Wrong. My skin crawled, like it knew this seat belonged to a man whose shadow I couldn’t escape. No matter how much blood I spilled
LorienThree days had passed since Damon’s death, but the ache inside me felt older, like something worn smooth by time. The healers said my wounds should have closed within a day, but I wasn’t surprised that they hadn’t. Omegas always took longer to heal—weaker, they said, as if it was a curse stitched into our skin. At least now the pain had dulled into something bearable. I could breathe without wincing. I could move without feeling like my body was betraying me. But there was something else gnawing at me now, something more confusing than broken ribs or bruised pride. It was Alpha Matthias. The way he hovered, the way he smiled like he was proud just to see me awake—it was overwhelming. And it made my heart flutter strangely, in a way I didn’t know how to handle. Because Matthias was kind. He was patient, gentle in a way I had never experienced. Not even Cassius, for all the times he had kissed me soft and slow when no one was looking, had ever treated me the way Matthia
CassiusShe was bouncing on my cock like a woman possessed.Her nails dragged down my chest. Her moans echoed in the room, practiced and calculated. And yet—Nothing.Not a twitch. Not a spark. My body was still as stone beneath her, utterly unbothered by the performance happening on top of me.She leaned down and pressed kisses all over my chest and neck.I clenched my jaw, my hands gripping the sheets instead of her waist. This wasn’t working. Again.“Cassius,” Isabella growled, her hips grinding with more urgency, “what the actual hell?”I grabbed her by the waist and flipped her off me with a sharp motion. She landed on the bed with a thud, hair splaying across the pillows. Her eyes flared in fury.“You’re kidding me,” she snapped. “This is the third time this week. Are you even trying?”“I said I’m not in the mood.”She sat up, pulling the covers around herself with dramatic flair. “Not in the mood? You’re never in the mood anymore, Cassius! How do you expect me to get pregnant w
LorienThe world felt distant—like I was sinking into water, the edges of everything blurring, fading. Each sound came muffled, like it had to push through a thick fog just to reach me. My legs wouldn’t hold me. My knees buckled, but I didn’t fall—not quite. I swayed instead, arms limp at my sides, and when I tried to raise them, to hold myself together, they only shook.My hands trembled uncontrollably, small broken sobs tearing free from my throat before I could stop them. They felt raw, like they were scraped out of me. I hated how weak I felt, how clearly my omega instincts bared themselves under the weight of fear and exhaustion. My whole body was trembling with it—not from cold, but from the collapse of everything I’d held together until now.A shadow moved toward me—tall, imposing—and my body tensed. My heart leapt into my throat, panic spiking as my instincts screamed run even though I had nowhere to go. The forest was behind me, thick and silent, and there was blood, his blo
Lorien The gun slipped from my trembling fingers, hitting the ground with a hollow thud. The sound echoed too loudly in the suffocating silence, sending a fresh jolt of terror racing through me. My heart hammered against my ribs so violently I thought it might burst straight through my chest. Blood.I blinked rapidly, my stomach twisting painfully. Blood was spreading, pooling in dark, sticky rivers across the ground—but... not from me.Damon.His uniform was soaked through with dark red, the fabric clinging to his skin in a grotesque display. His face was twisted into a crazed grimace even as he staggered toward me. His eyes—wild, feral—fixed on me with a hatred so raw it made my stomach churn.For a moment, stupid, reckless relief washed over me. He was hurt. Maybe he’d fall. Maybe it would stop.But the feeling soured just as quickly, curdling into dread.Despite the gaping wound in his side, Damon lunged, snarling like a rabid animal. His movements were jerky, almost unnatural, a