"Well, I have to clear up the fact that you are indeed my mate, but... I'm going to need you to come with me," he said hesitantly. I crossed my arms. "I have no interest in meeting your parents." "Yes, I'm aware," he sighed. "But I can't just tell them you're my mate without introducing you to them." "What part of 'I don't want to' do you not understand?" I snapped. He groaned, rubbing his face in frustration before looking up at me with an irritated expression. "I don't understand why you're being so difficult right now. I'm not saying you have to be in love with me—they just want to meet you." I hesitated, lowering my gaze. "What if they don't like me?" I muttered under my breath. His surprised expression told me he had heard me loud and clear. "You're worried my parents won't like you? Where is this coming from?" I scratched the back of my head, shrugging. "What if they order my execution or something?" His laughter boomed through the room, startling me. He doubled over, w
She was a tall woman—not as tall as Damien or his father, but still quite tall. Strands of silver ran through her brown hair, yet her face showed no signs of aging. Her skin had a youthful glow, and there was something warm and kind about her presence.As I studied her features, I noticed that both Damien and Danielle took after their mother. Her kind blue eyes, strong jawline, and delicate yet defined features were reflected in them.His father, however, was a stark contrast. He stood against the wall in the living room, watching me with an intense, unreadable gaze. There was nothing warm about him. Every now and then, I glanced his way, only to find him still glaring at me with intimidating eyes."Iris is such a beautiful name! It definitely suits you!" his mother squealed excitedly.As she pulled Damien aside, I noticed his father approaching. He leaned in close, his voice a low warning only meant for me."I'll be watching you closely, rogue." He emphasized the last word with disda
"No, I don’t have to watch how I talk to you because you are not my Alpha. I’m still a rogue, and you have no control over me," I hissed, stepping closer and jabbing my finger into his chest.Damien’s eyes darkened as he grabbed my wrist, yanking my hand away from him. He leaned in until our faces were mere inches apart."If I had a choice, I wouldn’t pick someone like you to be my mate. An emotionally closed-off rogue wouldn’t even be my last choice."I already knew that. Someone like him would never willingly choose someone like me as a mate. But hearing him say it still hurt.It hurt deep.A sharp ache settled in my chest, spreading through me like wildfire. Even my wolf whimpered at his words. Without another thought, I turned and stormed out of the room, desperate to get away from him. I ran through the packhouse doors and into the open air, my vision blurring with unshed tears."Iris, wait!" I heard Damien call after me, but I ignored him.I shifted into my wolf and bolted into
I opened my eyes and realized I was still in wolf form. Looking around, I suddenly noticed a midnight-black wolf lying next to me, watching my every movement. It raised its head and whined when it saw I was awake. I immediately recognized it as Damien’s wolf. He jerked his head in the direction of the pack as if telling me we should go back. I nodded and got up.When I looked into his eyes, I saw hurt and regret swirling within them. They say the eyes are windows to the soul, revealing true emotions.We walked side by side back to the pack. As we moved through the trees, pack members rushed toward us, bombarding us with questions. Damien growled loudly, silencing them instantly.The moment we reached the pack house, we shifted back into our human forms, and someone handed us blankets to cover ourselves. As soon as we entered Damien’s room, he began frantically apologizing."Iris, I am so sorry. The moment I said those words, I wanted to take them all back. I was out all night searchin
Shopping Trip "When we met, you tackled me and headbutted me in the side, so now we're even," I grinned. Danielle giggled. "Come on, you two, the mall is this way." Once we got to the mall, Danielle did most of the shopping for me. I was measured, fitted, and forced to try on so many outfits. We even made Blake come into the stores that made him uncomfortable. "I think it would be best if I waited outside while you guys shopped for underwear," Blake said uncomfortably. I giggled and pulled him into the store anyway. After our shopping spree—where Blake ended up paying for everything—we left with way more bags than I expected. "Now, hopefully, you don’t shred all of these clothes," Danielle said, narrowing her eyes at me. I laughed, realizing how much I had enjoyed my day with Danielle and Blake. I was actually starting to like Blake—strictly in a friendly way, of course. We decided to stop by a milkshake shop since I had never actually had a milkshake before. Before w
"Are you planning on giving me a birthday present? Because I have something in mind."Damien wiggled his eyebrows at me.I laughed and pushed him away. "Ew, no, Damien. I'm not ready for that yet."He rested his head on my stomach as we lay on the bed together.I had to admit, these past few days had been enjoyable. The bond between Damien and me had grown stronger, and we’d gotten closer with each passing day, solidifying our attraction to each other. Damien had agreed that I wouldn’t have to be introduced to the pack until I was absolutely sure I wanted to join—and be marked by him.Since I didn’t know anyone else, I had been spending a lot of time with Danielle and Blake. They were the only people I could truly consider friends when Damien wasn’t around. Surprisingly, Blake and I had grown closer.Of course, due to Damien’s jealousy, I was only allowed to be around Blake when either Danielle or Damien himself was present."You remind me of someone," Damien said, tracing circles on
I was released from the hospital hours later, with Damien tailing my every move. There wasn’t much else for me to do besides rest, so I ended up back in his room.For the most part, I ignored Damien, my thoughts consumed by the rogue attack. Had I been specifically targeted, or was it purely random? How had they even dared to enter pack territory alone, thinking they could escape unscathed?"Iris, listen to me when I'm talking to you," Damien’s Alpha tone boomed through the room, catching me off guard."What?!" I snapped, irritated."You need to reconsider joining the pack for your own safety. This attack should be a wake-up call for you," he said."I told you before, and I’ll say it again—no, I will not join your pack. I’m not a pup anymore, Damien. I can take care of myself," I argued.He sighed and looked away.I had expected more of a fight, honestly.Instead, he walked over to the bed and sat beside me, the mattress dipping under his weight. As he raised his hand to my cheek and
"You're lying. Damien said he's never been in a serious relationship before," I scoffed.Jade smirked. "Looks like your little mate is lying to you, then."With that, she turned and walked away.Why would he lie to me about something like that? Was he afraid I would do something reckless if I found out the truth?"You wouldn’t, but I will," my wolf growled angrily."Hey, are you ready? You've just been standing there looking confused."I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to see Damien watching me.I nodded and walked over to him. We silently made our way back to the pack house, hand in hand.But before we could enter, I stopped him."Why did you lie to me?" I asked calmly.Damien turned to me, confusion flashing across his face. "Lie about what?""You lied to me about Jade." My voice remained steady, but inside, my wolf was seething at the thought of Damien ever claiming someone else as his own.Damien sighed. "Listen, I didn’t want to upset you, so I had to lie."I pulled my h
"I thought I told you to stay in the room, bitch?!" Gabriel growled at me, throwing me into the room. My head slammed against the bed frame."Alpha, I'm sorry, I was just talking to Raven," I said, rubbing my forehead, which was starting to bleed."I don’t give a fuck what you were doing. You stay in this room and please me, bitch," he slurred.His eyes were bloodshot and droopy, so I knew he must have been drinking a lot. It takes a strong alcohol to get a werewolf drunk.I nodded quickly and inched away from him."Come here, Anais. I'm not gonna hurt you," Gabriel mumbled, his eyelids drooping."I'm lying. I'm totally gonna beat the shit out of you," he giggled, swaying on his feet.He wobbled over to me, but as his eyelids closed, so did he. He collapsed forward onto the bed, unconscious. I sighed with relief, knowing I wasn’t going to get beaten tonight.I took off his shoes and placed a blanket over him so he wouldn’t wake up angry. I quietly closed the bedroom door and bolted do
Living here has been hell. The only person I’ve been able to talk to is Gabriella, but she’s been drowning in grief since the Beta’s death. I stay in her room most of the time, but occasionally, Gabriel comes in, drags me out, does what he wants with me, and then beats me for no reason.I found out that his father didn’t believe he was fit to be Alpha—said he was too cold and ruthless. Gabriel didn’t take the rejection well. He killed both of his parents to claim the title.If I had known this would be my future, I would’ve stayed in my old pack.Lately, I’ve been thinking about Xavier. And every time I do, my wolf howls in pain and retreats deep within my mind. I thought having a wolf would make me stronger, but being away from Xavier and enduring daily abuse is slowly breaking me.I’ve grown thinner, with dark bags under my eyes becoming more prominent by the day."Felicity?" I heard Gabriella’s voice outside Gabriel’s room.I was curled up naked in his bed, crying my eyes out.The
"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" a scream echoed from outside.Alpha Gabriel grew tired of my struggling, so he grabbed my arm and leaned close."If you don’t stop, I’ll rip out every last hair follicle from your head," he threatened.I whimpered and stopped resisting.As we stepped outside, I saw Raven and a man being held down by several pack members. Raven's face was bruised and bloodied, while blood poured from the man's mouth."Please, just let us go. We won’t be a bother," Raven pleaded.Her eyes flicked toward us. When she saw my appearance, her glare turned into something softer—pity."Raven, I thought I told you you’re not allowed to see him anymore," Gabriel growled."We were leaving so you’d never have to deal with us again," she replied calmly.He walked up and slapped her hard across the face."Gabriel, stop! I’m the one who convinced her to run away with me!" the man spat out.Gabriel turned to him with a deadly look."My own Beta… disobeyed me." He grabbed the man's face and forc
"So we're currently in the pack house. This is where the Alpha, mateless wolves, and some others live," Raven explained as she walked down the hallway, blowing cigarette smoke around us.As she spoke, I noticed a fresh-looking gash on her hip."What happened to your hip?" I asked quietly.She froze in place and slowly turned to glare at me. But then, unexpectedly, the glare shifted into a smile, which only confused me more."Something tells me you'll find out what happens around here soon enough," she said, taking a long drag from her cigarette.Just then, her phone rang. She reached into her back pocket and answered."Hello?... Hey... Nothing, why? Are you okay? If he finds out, we're both dead. Yeah, I guess so. Love you too, babe. Bye."She hung up and slid the phone back into her pocket."Come on, you gotta go back to the Alpha's bedroom," she said, grabbing my hand and guiding me back to the room where I’d first woken up.I couldn’t stop wondering—who had she been talking to? A b
I stretched my arms into the air, reaching out to grasp my silk covers.Wait... I don’t even have covers.My eyes shot open, and I bolted upright in bed. I looked down at what I was lying on—a grand bed draped in red satin sheets. I scanned the room around me, trying to make sense of where I was.It was large, yet strangely empty. Across the room stood a tall dresser with a mirror fixed to the front.I glanced at my reflection.My hair was matted to my head, my blue eyes were bloodshot, bruises lined my arms, and my face was streaked with dried tears. I was wearing only a shirt that reached down to my knees.Whose shirt was this?My eyes widened, and I curled into a ball.I wasn’t wearing any underwear.What happened?You shifted—but without our mate, a voice whimpered in my head.Who are you? I asked.I am Raven, your wolf, she replied.Just then, the door opened, and my eyes snapped to it. A man stepped inside. He had faded blond hair and dark brown eyes—so dark they looked almost b
Have you ever fallen for someone you never thought you would? Like someone was playing with your emotions, and you didn’t know what to do anymore? That’s exactly how I felt in this moment.I watched as a smile crept onto his face. I felt a wave of relief—maybe he would accept me. But I was wrong. His smile quickly faded into a deep frown, his expression twisting with anger. I felt like crying. I shoved my way through the crowd, trying to get far away from him as tears filled my eyes.I stumbled into the hallway and leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, trying to make sense of what had just happened.I had found my mate—but he was my dead boyfriend’s twin brother: the future Alpha who hated me for something I didn’t even do.Suddenly, I heard a growl behind me, and I was roughly shoved against the wall.I found myself face to face with Xavier.His eyes were black, and I couldn’t tell if it was from rage or something else entirely.“Anais,” he growled into my face.Our faces were
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.Happy birthday dear Anais, happy birthday to me.I was in the kitchen preparing food for the party tonight, quietly singing to myself."Happy birthday, Daniel," I whispered, a silent tear sliding down my cheek.Xavier, Daniel, and I always celebrated our birthdays together—since they were on the same day. We used to be inseparable, like triplets. Now Xavier is a lone wolf, and I’m the disgrace of the pack.“Hurry up, bitch. My baby deserves the best, even if it's coming from you,” my cousin snapped, smacking me on the back of the head.Xavier had been dating my cousin ever since Daniel died. We used to laugh at girls like her—fake and shallow. But ever since he started seeing her, she’s made my life hell.I’m ashamed to admit I’ve gotten used to it. The first few months, I cried myself to sleep, collapsing in uncontrollable sobs, which only led to more beatings.But the worst pain was never physical. It was hearing the whispers, the accusati
(Pronunciation of her name: An-l-ees)"Anais, where the fuck is my food?!" I woke up to screaming—and a punch in the face.Tears spilled down my cheeks as I opened my eyes."I swear, if you cry, I’ll hit you harder," my brother Chris threatened.I nodded silently, wiping my face.He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me out of my room and down the stairs. My room wasn’t even a real bedroom—it was more like a broom closet in the pack house.As I struggled to get free from his iron grip, he threw me into the kitchen, grabbed a pot, and started beating me with it."This’ll teach you to wake up and make breakfast," he growled.I curled into the corner, trying to shield my face and hold back the burning tears. Crying only made things worse. It made him hit harder."Chris, stop! That’s enough!" my father yelled.Chris gave me one final kick to the stomach before leaving the room.Normally, I would heal quickly, but after years of abuse, my body had grown weaker."What would you like me to c
5 years later"Matthew, Lucie, Adam, Emma, and Damien—come sit down for dinner!" I yelled.Damien came downstairs with Adam and Lucie clinging to both of his legs. I raised an eyebrow."They’ve been begging me all day to go out into the forest," Damien sighed.Matthew followed with Emma riding on his back. Matthew was now eleven and Emma was eight. I had grown to love them so much that sometimes I had to remind myself they weren’t my biological children—but I loved them just the same."Mom! Emma is giving me the silent treatment!" Matty pouted.He splattered mud in my hair, Emma said through the mind link.Emma was still mute but very talkative through our mental connection. She often woke me up in the middle of the night just to talk about random things."Adam and Lucie, go sit at the table and let Daddy go," Damien said playfully.They pouted but ran to the table. Damien walked over and wrapped his arms around me, burying his nose in the crook of my neck and inhaling. I giggled and