MasukCarlisle’s restless hand moved to the back of Victoria’s head, his fingers tangling in her hair as he held her close, refusing to let her pull away. He deepened the kiss, swallowing her muffled moans, which was a tangled mix of pain and pleasure that made his control waver."Stop thinking about everything else," he murmured against her lips, his voice low and rough. "Focus on me... I’ll make you forget everything soon."With that, he guided her legs around his waist and rose from where they had been under the tree. Still kissing her hungrily, his hands roamed over her body, possessive yet careful, grounding her with every touch.He began walking away from where the others could see them, heading toward the river where the sound of flowing water mingled with their heavy breaths.There, at the rocky bend of the stream, a secluded spot perfect for bathing, Carlisle let his Alpha aura unfurl. It spread like a silent warning through the air, a powerful force that would drive away monsters
He knew that if he confirmed her fears and admitted that he also suspected one of her other mates was in danger, Victoria would take off without hesitation. That was exactly what he wanted to avoid.Although he had told her about seeing Marcus and overhearing parts of his schemes, he had deliberately withheld the full truth, specifically Marcus’s plan to target the Golden Hue Pack and the night attack.He knew Victoria’s hatred for Marcus ran just as deep as his own, as well as Sylas’s and Maxwell’s. If she had known Marcus would be making a move, she would never have agreed to leave with the first batch of evacuees. She would have stayed behind to lay an ambush for him herself.Carlisle pursed his lips as he looked at Victoria. He didn’t want to confirm her suspicion because he wasn’t sure what she might do afterward. He knew all too well how far a mate’s protectiveness could go, after all, he was the same when it came to Victoria.So, he could only assume that if she found out eithe
"Carlisle... it hurts..." Victoria whimpered between ragged breaths, her voice trembling like a child’s helpless plea. Tears clung to her long, curled lashes, glistening under the pale light of the moon.When she looked up at him with those reddened eyes, Carlisle’s heart clenched painfully. Seeing her like this, so fragile, so pained, tore at his very soul, and all he could feel was the desperate urge to take her suffering away."I know, baby... just focus on the kiss," Carlisle murmured softly, his voice trembling between comfort and desperation. "Try to focus on me, before you know it, the pain will fade...He leaned in again, capturing her lips once more. This time, Victoria obeyed immediately, parting her lips to let him in. Carlisle didn’t hesitate; his tongue slipped past her lips and found hers, intertwining in a deep, heated kiss. The soft, wet sounds of their mingled breaths and kisses filled the quiet night air.Fortunately, the others were too occupied, working tirelessly
"Ugh!" he groaned, doubling slightly from the sudden ache. Even so, he resisted the urge to cling to Victoria for support, afraid that if he held her too tightly, he might hurt her when she was already suffering so much.But because he, too, was wracked with pain, Carlisle couldn’t even open his mouth to comfort Victoria through hers. His hand trembled as he rested it on her back, while the other clenched tightly at his side, nails digging deep into his palm.Neither of them spoke; a shared pain coursed through their bodies, raw and unrelenting.For Victoria, the pain gathered in her chest, lingering longer and growing sharper with every passing second, as if her heart itself was being torn apart. Carlisle, on the other hand, felt a sudden, violent surge of pain that abruptly vanished, leaving him gasping for breath like a fish out of water.When his senses finally returned, he realized his back and face were drenched in sweat, droplets falling to the ground beneath him.Then Carlisle
Before they could even report the situation, Marcus’s forces suddenly intensified their assault, as if he’d sensed that Sylas’s side was trying to reach Alpha Hue for reinforcements. He knew he couldn’t let that happen. With a snarl, Marcus took matters into his own hands. He leapt into the air, twirling the silver dagger in his grip before reversing it, letting the flat of the blade rest against the bandaged stump of his arm so the silver wouldn’t burn his skin, the sharp edge now facing outward. In a blur of motion, he spun around one of the Golden Hue Pack’s warriors, his movement smooth and deadly, and feigned an elbow strike, only to slash out with the hidden blade instead. The dagger arced toward the warrior’s throat, gleaming wickedly. But at the last second, the pack’s strongest member yanked his comrade backward by the collar, narrowly saving him from being killed on the spot. Seeing Marcus himself enter the fray sent a ripple of unease through the Golden Hue Pack’s warr
Countless possibilities swirled in Sylas’s mind, but before he could settle on any conclusion, his thoughts began to blur. The heavy loss of blood muddled his senses, making him lightheaded and weak. The warriors around him quickly noticed his condition, panic flashing in their eyes as they tightened their formation, guarding him closely while keeping their guard raised against Marcus. "Don’t let that man near Beta Sylas!" the warriors bellowed in unison, baring their teeth as they closed ranks. Marcus didn’t flinch. He only smiled, then signaled the rogues with a sharp motion. "Why the hell did you stop? Kill them all!" Marcus roared, driving his followers forward. The fake rogues who had slipped into Golden Hue territory with him had frozen when Marcus struck Sylas; they were hesitant because this operation was supposed to be a stealth attack, while the rest of their forces were keeping Maxwell and the rest of the manpower on the other side of the border. They were watching to s
Tori’s POV It was as though they were making no effort to hide their actions, openly flaunting their connection in front of everyone, intentionally deepening my hurt. The mockery in their voices was unmistakable, and it stung sharply in the silence that followed. Carlisle's subordinates seemed
Tori’s POV Hearing it straight from his mouth, I felt my world crash down, but I couldn't even let out a whimper as pain consumed my body. After being away from each other for a long time, our mate bond was weaker, but even then, I could still feel the pain in my heart as a lone tear fell from my
Tori’s POV "Luna! Luna Victoria! We've just received a report from the frontlines. The war is over!!!" Gamma Sylas's heavy footsteps rang through the hallway as he hurried toward my office, where I was buried in the grain production report from our farm. His excited voice echoed from down the hal
Victoria's POV Raquel didn't need to complete her statement. The unspoken words hung in the air, allowing everyone to fill in the blanks with their own assumptions. Speculation spread like wildfire through the hall. What Raquel truly wanted was for everyone to believe that, as Carlisle’s curren







