Marco tightens security around Nana, ensuring she cannot escape. This time, there are no weak points—she must give birth under his watch, whether she wants to or not.She is trapped. Even the thoughts of escape have become impossible.The walls of her confinement feel smaller every day, suffocating her with their cold silence. The packhouse hums with life outside her room, warriors moving through the halls, maids whispering in the corners, but none of it reaches her. She is not part of them. She never was. Now, more than ever, she is an outsider, a breeder for the Alpha's heir, her child's sole purpose for being born is for the heir.The thought of it kills her everyday, she prays every time for the moon goddess to send Lowell to her alive.Guards stand at every exit, their presence a constant reminder that she is nothing more than a prisoner. She recognizes some of them—warriors who once fought beside Lowell. But their loyalty has shifted. Now, they answer only to Marco. Their faces
The smell of herbs in the air reminds Felicia of the warm bowl of soup she is supposed to serve Nana as she moves down the narrow hallway. She’s been thinking so much, she makes her way to Nana’s room, the guards by the door no longer even bother to look at her, they’ve seen her so often that they do not even look at her anymore.Nana sits by the window and looks up to the night sky, inside. The exhaustion is written on her forehead, her face pale. She doesn’t turn when Felicia enters, she doesn’t feel the need. Not caring whoever it is that enters.Felicia sets the tray down on the table. “You need to eat.”Nana remains silent.Felicia sighs and walks closer, lowering her voice. “This is the third meal you’ve ignored today. You’re getting weaker.”“I don’t care,” Nana murmurs.Felicia stiffens. “You should care. You’re not just fighting for yourself anymore.”Nana’s fingers tighten around the fabric of her dress. “I can’t do this, Felicia. I can’t stay here and let them use my child.
The room is dimly lit and Nana sits her back pressed against the cold wall. Her arms are wrapped around herself, hugging herself for poor comfort. But there is no comfort. Only the crushing weight of despair.The only sound in her world is the crack swearing of the lantern in the corner. There’s no movement, and air is heavy with the smell of rotting wood and stale air. She’s spent so many nights like this, desperate to wake, to open her eyes, but where is she?But tonight, something is different.A flicker.She doesn’t hear it, she doesn’t see it. But she feels it, a whisper, too close to the edge of her mind, and too close to dying. A strange warmth washes over her, faint but undeniable and her breath hitches as it happens.Her heart pounds.It is impossible.It cannot be real.She thought that it was lost… severed and too far gone… yet the bond riles within her, weaker but there.Lowell.She closes her eyes, continuing to squeeze and willing the sensation to stay, to get bigger, to
For months, she had tried to escape, pushing her body beyond its limits, clinging to the desperate hope that she could flee before Marco carried out his plans. But every attempt ended the same way.The first time, she had tried to sneak out when the guards changed their shifts, waiting until the guards grew too comfortable under the assumption that her swollen belly made her weak and she couldn’t run. She attacked, clawing through flesh, feeling the surge of power from the unborn child inside her. The strength was intoxicating, giving her an edge she never had before. She had ripped through three guards before her body betrayed her. The power vanished in an instant, leaving her limbs heavy, her breath shallow. She collapsed right outside the gate, and before she could drag herself any farther, Marco’s men seized her, dragging her back inside like a wounded animal.After that, security doubled. The guards became ruthless, watching her with cold, unreadable eyes. Still, she tried again.
Nana shivers as pain shoots through her body. She’s tired—tired of dealing with Marco’s abuse—but what can she do? He’s her mate, the Alpha of the pack. She’s weak and even worse, she’s the daughter of the man who betrayed the pack.“Get up and crawl out of my room,” Marco groans in his harsh Alpha voice.He hasn’t accepted her as his mate, but he hasn’t rejected her either. Being stuck in between is worse than either choice. The pain makes her heart feel like it’s being ripped out of her chest. Nana coughs as she tries to get off the bed, blood spilling from her mouth.“Don’t let a drop of that get on my bed or in this room!” Marco yells, kicking her off the bed. The force sends her crashing into the wall on the other side of the room.She whimpers in pain. “Marco, please... just let me go. If you don’t want me, why are you doing this?” She tries to get up, but every action makes her back hurt even more. Her voice breaks.“Let you go? That’s way too easy, Nana. You have to pay for yo
With a throb in her body, Nana gently stands up. Even though the pain is nearly unbearable, she is sure that she heard a boy's faint, agonized voice.Despite her anxiety, curiosity pushes her ahead as she limps farther into the cave. The tunnel grows darker as she continues, and her heart begins to thump hard in her chest. Every breath feels heavy, and the moans continue, soft and broken like the boy is in pain.She comes to a sloped area, and just as she tries to step back, she loses her balance. She slips, sliding down through darkness; even with such an impact, she can’t stop herself until she hits something solid. The impact knocks her breath out of the lungs and pain staggers through her body.Suddenly, Nana hears the groans again but they are much louder this time. Struggling to concentrate, Nana blinks her eyes as she tries to see in the dark. Her powers may be weak but she manages to discern a shadowy figure that has red glowing eyes.It’s in the shape of a human but with t
The smell of dust mixed with rust, leather, and purple hyacinth fills Nana's nose as she feels the creature getting closer. Her body tenses with fear, knowing that death is near. The scent is sweet and strange, but she quickly pushes the thought aside. This isn’t the time to focus on smells; she’s about to die—killed by some strange-looking monster.The creature starts sniffing her neck from behind, its breath hot against her skin. Nana's whole body shivers, and fear grips her heart. Her mind races with terrifying images—would it rip out her veins? The thought makes her tremble uncontrollably. Her teeth grind together as she closes her eyes tightly, readying herself for the last moments.A stinging agony shoots further into her flesh, like a needle piercing her neck. The sensation of her blood being drained is familiar now, but then something strange happens. The pain fades, replaced by an overwhelming, sensual feeling. Pleasure ripples through her veins, down to her most sensitive
"Alpha, you have to calm down," Stephen says, his voice steady but urgent as he tries to calm his friend."Calm down?" Marco roars, his eyes flashing with fury. "That damn beast has woken up after 25 years, and you expect me to calm down? I should’ve killed him when I had the chance. Why did my father even leave him alive?" He throws his hands in the air before planting them firmly on his waist, pacing angrily."You know we can't fully eradicate the Lycanthrope bloodline, no matter how much we hate them," Stephen responds calmly. "Your father made the right decision. It's tradition. It's in our blood.""And now I'm the one paying for his ‘right decision,’" Marco snaps back, his frustration boiling over. "Did you see how strong that thing is? He's way stronger than my uncle ever was." The thought of it sends a chill down his spine. He could have died tonight if Stephen hadn’t intervened when he did.Marco’s face twists with anger. "All because of that bitch," he mutters under his b
For months, she had tried to escape, pushing her body beyond its limits, clinging to the desperate hope that she could flee before Marco carried out his plans. But every attempt ended the same way.The first time, she had tried to sneak out when the guards changed their shifts, waiting until the guards grew too comfortable under the assumption that her swollen belly made her weak and she couldn’t run. She attacked, clawing through flesh, feeling the surge of power from the unborn child inside her. The strength was intoxicating, giving her an edge she never had before. She had ripped through three guards before her body betrayed her. The power vanished in an instant, leaving her limbs heavy, her breath shallow. She collapsed right outside the gate, and before she could drag herself any farther, Marco’s men seized her, dragging her back inside like a wounded animal.After that, security doubled. The guards became ruthless, watching her with cold, unreadable eyes. Still, she tried again.
The room is dimly lit and Nana sits her back pressed against the cold wall. Her arms are wrapped around herself, hugging herself for poor comfort. But there is no comfort. Only the crushing weight of despair.The only sound in her world is the crack swearing of the lantern in the corner. There’s no movement, and air is heavy with the smell of rotting wood and stale air. She’s spent so many nights like this, desperate to wake, to open her eyes, but where is she?But tonight, something is different.A flicker.She doesn’t hear it, she doesn’t see it. But she feels it, a whisper, too close to the edge of her mind, and too close to dying. A strange warmth washes over her, faint but undeniable and her breath hitches as it happens.Her heart pounds.It is impossible.It cannot be real.She thought that it was lost… severed and too far gone… yet the bond riles within her, weaker but there.Lowell.She closes her eyes, continuing to squeeze and willing the sensation to stay, to get bigger, to
The smell of herbs in the air reminds Felicia of the warm bowl of soup she is supposed to serve Nana as she moves down the narrow hallway. She’s been thinking so much, she makes her way to Nana’s room, the guards by the door no longer even bother to look at her, they’ve seen her so often that they do not even look at her anymore.Nana sits by the window and looks up to the night sky, inside. The exhaustion is written on her forehead, her face pale. She doesn’t turn when Felicia enters, she doesn’t feel the need. Not caring whoever it is that enters.Felicia sets the tray down on the table. “You need to eat.”Nana remains silent.Felicia sighs and walks closer, lowering her voice. “This is the third meal you’ve ignored today. You’re getting weaker.”“I don’t care,” Nana murmurs.Felicia stiffens. “You should care. You’re not just fighting for yourself anymore.”Nana’s fingers tighten around the fabric of her dress. “I can’t do this, Felicia. I can’t stay here and let them use my child.
Marco tightens security around Nana, ensuring she cannot escape. This time, there are no weak points—she must give birth under his watch, whether she wants to or not.She is trapped. Even the thoughts of escape have become impossible.The walls of her confinement feel smaller every day, suffocating her with their cold silence. The packhouse hums with life outside her room, warriors moving through the halls, maids whispering in the corners, but none of it reaches her. She is not part of them. She never was. Now, more than ever, she is an outsider, a breeder for the Alpha's heir, her child's sole purpose for being born is for the heir.The thought of it kills her everyday, she prays every time for the moon goddess to send Lowell to her alive.Guards stand at every exit, their presence a constant reminder that she is nothing more than a prisoner. She recognizes some of them—warriors who once fought beside Lowell. But their loyalty has shifted. Now, they answer only to Marco. Their faces
Marco steps into the packhouse, his presence commanding as the guards standing in the hallway instantly straighten. The air is thick with tension, whispers dying the moment he passes. His expression is unreadable, but his sharp eyes scan the room as if already sensing something is amiss.The moment he enters the war room with his Beta, Stephen. His Gamma and the others were waiting. His clothes are slightly disheveled, the scent of travel and blood clinging faintly to him. He had just returned from searching for Lowell as they divided the day they went out into the forest to look for him, and from the dark look on his face, Marco can already guess he found nothing.Marco doesn’t greet him. There’s no need, they already know what happened to him. Instead, he turns to Gregor, one of his senior guards, standing rigidly with his hands clasped behind his back.“Report,” Marco orders, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.Gregor hesitates anyway. His jaw clenches slightly before he final
The healer of the pack rests her palm against Nana’s abdomen, fingers quivering as they feel the faint yet definite energy within. She inhales sharply, eyes growing wide with disbelief. The quiet of the room thickens. The nearby nurses exchange furtive glances, sensing something is terribly wrong or worse—something beyond anything they would have expected.“She is pregnant,” the healer whispers in a breath.The words are like a stone thrown into the calm water. One of the nurses gasps, another covers her mouth in shock. It takes only a second before the weight of the revelation starts to spread.A maid, standing at the doorway with a pile of bloodied linens, stiffens. Her eyes darts from Nana’s unconscious body to the healer. “Pregnant?” she echoes, her voice sharp with curiosity. “Are you sure?”The healer swallows, composing herself. “There is no doubt. She is carrying a child.”The whispers begin almost immediately. One nurse leans toward another, murmuring under her breath. “It mu
The dungeon seems to be thriving with motion; it roars with snarls that are low and guttural and go through thick stone walls. Shadows shift, feral eyes glinting in the darkness, the bodies ready to tear her apart. The rogues move with a bond-bestial hunger overtaking any vestige of sanity. Nana does not feel threatened. She does not budge. The pressure churns in her stomach, spreading like fire blistering through her veins. Strength runs through her, raw and untamed, giving her sensations unlike any she'd felt before. It’s not her own. It’s something deeper. Older. A force that doesn't belong to her but has chosen her nonetheless.The rogues lunge.Her body moves before her mind catches up. Her bones crack, stretching, twisting. A painful shift—one she hasn't experienced in so long. It rips through her like an unstoppable force, her body succumbing to the change.Lana emerges from within her, for so long she has wanted to come out but was too weak.A monstrous snarl erupts from h
Nana is dragged out of her room, without explanation she is taken to the dungeon.Felicia screams, struggling against the guards holding her back. “Please! She has done nothing! She’s been quiet, obedient—why this? She’s weak! She fainted just yesterday! She won’t survive down there!”The guards don’t respond. Their expressions remain stiff, emotionless. The weight of Marco’s order hangs over them like an unbreakable chain.Felicia turns her tear-streaked face to one of them. “At least tell me why! What has she done?”The man holding her arm finally speaks, his voice devoid of sympathy. “It’s the Alpha’s order.”Felicia’s breath catches. “Then let me speak to him! I’ll kneel! I’ll beg—”The second guard yanks her away, dragging her from the entrance of the underground prison. “Go back to your quarters, old woman.”Even though she knew, no matter how much she begs, they won’t listen or hear her pleas, in the past when Marco abused Nana, she had tried to intervene but it never goes well
Nana struggles with the absence of Lowell, unable to feel his presence for the past four months. Her pregnancy is beginning to show, but her small frame keeps it less noticeable. Fear and doubt set in—is he dead, or has he left her? Her eyes are fixed on the ceiling as she rests on the chilly mattress. The lantern's feeble glow creates long shadows on the walls in this poorly lit room. She has a subconscious tendency of trembling when her hands are on her stomach. Under her lax clothing, the bump is tiny and almost visible yet it is there, developing, and undeniable. "Lowell..." She mumbles, her voice barely coming as a whisper. She tries calling through their mindlink, there is no answer. There never is.She had tried reaching him through their bond, tried calling for him in her mind. In the beginning, there had been hope—hope that he was just out of reach, that something was blocking their connection. Or maybe just the distance keeping them too far apart to hear each other. But