LOGIN[Astoria’s POV]“What…will you do if I go and let Vladimir touch me?” I asked, my voice breathless. I didn’t know where this boldness was coming from. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but I just wanted his answer.The warmth of his body seeped in through the clothes, making my stomach coil in anticipation. His darkened gaze fixed on my lips. He leaned closer until our lips were barely inches apart.“Do you really want to know? What can your brother do?” His grip tightened slightly as he uttered the word ‘brother’.I felt my breath hitch.“Well, you’re certainly not holding me like a brother would,” I retorted, trying to keep calm, although I was sure he could feel my heart pounding.His lips quirked up. This time, he let his lips brush against mine. “I would ensure that you forgot his name completely, that the only thing you would remember was my name, my smell, and only have my mark all over your body.”The blatant implication made me tremble. I didn’t even know if saying tha
[Astoria’s POV]The first day had left me jittery and exhausted. Everything felt overwhelming, not because I was bad at my job or that I couldn’t understand a task, but because of the sheer weight of eyes that seemed to follow me everywhere.These were the eyes of many employees who looked at me, judged me, and probably even envied me. I had very quickly realized that my relation to the Romero brothers wasn’t clear to them. I didn’t want to think in what light they were seeing me in, but on the first day itself, I’d come very close to yelling at them and telling them that I was just their unfortunate half-sister.A week into the job, and apart from the thought of the salary that I would get, I dreaded going there. My colleagues had subtly but firmly made it clear that they didn’t want to be friendly. They helped, sure, but that was the end of it.I sighed softly as I worked silently, forced to keep my thoughts to myself even though I heard laughter and jokes around me.Deciding to tak
[Viktor’s POV]The drive back to our estate was a silent one. Vladimir sat beside me in the SUV, staring out the window while I reviewed some documents on my phone.For years, Moira had hidden behind her title as an Elder and her blood relation to the Romero line. She had questioned my authority more times than I could count, always carefully, never outright, to warrant her eviction.This wasn’t the case during my father's time, but she didn’t hold back from the moment I stepped into the role of the Alpha.However, this time her telling off my father had crossed the boundary."You look like you're planning a murder," Vladimir remarked dryly, breaking the silence.“I want to,” I muttered."That bad?” He knew the situation, but Vlad’s thought process was different.I didn’t reply as my jaw tightened.Twenty minutes later, our car rolled inside the Black Estate.Moira's house sat near the northern edge of Pack territory. It was an older mansion surrounded by trees and enough security to
[Astoria’s POV]I was glad that he hadn’t glanced at me yet or he would have seen the faint blush on my face.“Sit,” he said, finally looking up, so I sat stiffly across from him.“I see you’ve still haven’t run away,” he murmured, his gaze laced with mild amusement.“Why would I? It’s literally my first day,” I countered back.That earned me the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth as well.“I heard you basically made the HR hire me,” I said nonchalantly.“Did someone bother you for that?” He asked, the amusement dimming slightly.I let out a small sigh. “That’s not…exactly I want, as in…you cannot do that—”“I can, and you are part of the family, hence it is your right to be part of this company,” he interjected, sounding serious.Silence stretched briefly between us before he leaned back slightly in his chair.“What about my earlier company?” I asked tentatively. I had heard from them since morning.“My team has notified them. Don’t worry about it,” he said smoothly.I let ou
[Astoria’s POV]I woke up exhausted because I barely slept last night.For a few moments, I simply stared at the ceiling above me while my mind slowly caught up with reality. Today I will be joining a new position, a new office.Damn.Technically, I was still under contract with my previous company. There had been clauses and conditions buried in pages of legal jargon I had barely read before signing because back then, I had simply been desperate to get some kind of job to stay afloat.Now I was leaving abruptly, that too, without even bothering to notify them.A sane person would probably worry about getting sued. Unfortunately, I was too exhausted to care anymore.Besides, Viktor had said that he would handle that stuff. Men like him probably had lawyers who could destroy companies without blinking.The thought should have comforted me, but it onlt made me shudder. I hoped I’d never get in his bad books.I let out a sigh and dragged myself out of bed.Getting ready took less time th
[Viktor’s POV]I returned long after everyone had gone to bed, exhausted and in disbelief.Kai was still unhappy. He wanted Astoria to be near us, in a place where we could protect her, but I knew that pushing her further would only ruin the progress I had made so far.I slumped into the high-back couch without bothering to undress. Sleep as usual would evade me tonight. I took off the shoes and rested my legs at the edge of the coffee table.My gaze wandered to the photo frame that still sat at the top of my dresser, acting more like a reminder than a memory.Eight years ago, everything in my life had turned upside down.My mother and Avery, my chosen mate, had disappeared. I sank further back into as I was reminded of the night when I returned from a patrol and found their absence.Initially, I thought it was because they had gone for a shopping spree as they had bonded well, but…Then an hour bled into 3, and before I knew it, I was shouting orders to find them. I remembered my dad
Astoria’s POV]My breath stilled. I felt as if I was transported back to the forest when the rogue first attacked me.Another low and prolonged growl reverberated through the living room.That wrenched me to the reality.I stayed rooted on my spot, unable to think. My mind refused to process what my
[Astoria’s POV]The hallway outside thrummed with laughter and vibrance.Below were guests whom I didn’t know at all, but for some reason, I did not feel nervous.My gaze darted to the man beside me and I was struck by the effortless way our strides matched. We weren't touching, but that necklace h
Astoria’s POV]The morning of my mother’s wedding arrived with bright sun rays and a gentle breeze.After waking up, I simply lay there listening to the distant hum of preparation, guests talking and laughing, their voices muted and distant, and the muted footsteps in hallways.I rolled onto my sid
[Astoria’s POV]It was ironic and slightly comical how my mother, who was used to dictating and making people work for her, was having to explain things to someone.The realization made me happy rather than making me feel affronted.







