DOMINIC.
"Sofia!" She was standing in front of Luna Nadia and spun around to look at me the moment I called her name. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
I didn’t mean to sound rude, but I was disappointed she risked going in here for whatever reason because the danger was still lurking somewhere. And the last thing I wanted was for harm to come her way.
I was waiting for her reply, but instead, she launched forward as her arms flew, wrapping them around me as her face slammed into my chest. I was so caught off guard that we staggered a bit backward before I was able to balance us. My own arms wrapped around her body as she snuggled against me.
"Beta Dom!" Her voice was as sweet as my favorite wine. Gone was the animosity in her voice whenever she tried to piss me off.
"Ahem…" The Luna cleared her voice, drawing my attention to her. "That’s my cue to leave. Go take some private receiving room. Warriors are coming in and out, so you won’t be disturbed." She smiled teasingly before turning her body around, but before she could fully walk away, I called after her.
"Luna, the Alpha, will be on his way home soon."
"Good. Because seeing you and Sofia made me miss my mate." She said without looking back, and I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at my mouth.
Sofia was still clinging to me like I was her saving grace.
"Are you trying to inhale all of my scents?" I teased her and she nodded her head, not taking her face away from my chest.
"I’m attempting to become acquainted with your scent because this is the scent I’ll be smelling for the rest of my life."
It was supposed to be a funny comeback, right? But my heart was swelling with pride. She just gave me her answer.
I closed my eyes for a moment before I snapped them open. I bent my knees and scooped her off the ground, carrying her in bridal style, which elicited a shriek from her. "What are you doing?"
I didn’t answer, but my face was plastered with a smug smirk. I wanted to kiss her, but I wouldn’t do it where my Alpha and Luna might just pop up anytime. I slipped inside one of the private receiving rooms, kicking the door shut with my foot before allowing her to stand on her own.
"Alpha Darvin told you?" I asked, my thumb brushing on my bottom lip as I stared at her, smiling mischievously at me. She nodded her head, her gaze fixated on mine. "So, it’s a yes?"
She didn’t reply. Instead, she kept bobbing her head in response.
"And what did the Alpha say? Did he agree?"
"It doesn’t matter what he wants. I want you…" The last three words sounded like heaven as she said them seductively.
It was all I needed to hear before I cupped her cheeks and leaned my face toward her, crashing my lips against her.
My Sofia.
She still tasted as sweet as the first time I claimed those lips. I was kissing her hard, making up for the days I didn’t see her. I knew we still had a long way to go, but as long as she chose me, the Claiming didn’t sound so bad at all.
I nibbled and sucked her lips before withdrawing, and my little spitfire whimpered in defiance, trying to capture my lips again. But I have many things to tell her.
I pecked her lips one more time before I held her arms as she opened her eyes. "You know, we’re still not off the hook, right? I still have a Claiming to go through before I can have you."
She nodded her head. Gone was the mischievousness flitting in her eyes, replaced by a solemn look. "Darvin promised me he would not introduce me anymore when I turned 18 because I told him I’m happy to be your Chosen. So maybe you don’t need to fight for me."
"We can never be too sure. But nevertheless, I would have to train harder. I didn’t want to lose to any Alphas or Betas."
"I will train with you."
"You will just distract me." I chuckled, my hand cupping her cheek as I brushed my thumb over her swollen, red lips.
"No. I mean it. I will train with you. If someone challenges you, I will fight alongside you."
My brow furrowed at her words.
"You see, I read everything about the Claiming. There are no rules that prohibit females from fighting. It stated there that if the female emerges from the Claiming arena without an Alpha or Beta alongside her, then she’s free to walk away without being Claimed. It didn’t specifically say that females were not allowed to fight off those who wanted them. Plus, it says there that an Alpha can fight one or more at the same time, but only one would win, and that would be the person who gets to walk out with the female. So, whoever Alpha or Beta tries to intercept me from you, I will not simply stand there staring while you fight them off. I will assist you if I can. If and only if you need my help. Because I know you’re strong enough to defend me, but then it would be lovely if I got to stick my fingers in some Alpha’s eyes or kick their balls, right?"
She talked flawlessly like she knew the subject so well and then ended it with something hilarious. This female is smart, and I couldn’t help but be amazed at how well she was taking all this.
"So you don’t have to worry because I've got your back, Beta." She added as she placed her hands on her hips, before smiling at me.
"Yes, ma’am." I chuckled, shaking my head as I licked my lips. "But tell me, why are your eyes puffy? Did you cry? "
"You made me cry."
"I did?" My eyes narrowed at her. Was she joking? "What did I do?"
"You told Darvin you wanted to claim me." She bit her bottom lip as her eyes watered. "I was so happy I couldn’t stop crying." She said in a low voice before she slammed her face on my chest again, her hands clutching my shirt as I wrapped my arms around her, reveling in the softness of her body.
"Are you crushing on me, Beta?" She asked in a seductive voice. She was asking me the same question I asked her a few weeks back.
"I do." I closed my eyes as I hugged her tighter. "I hope you don’t mind."
"Not at all. Not at all…" She replied happily before I lifted her up and her legs wrapped around my hips while her arms coiled around my neck. She stared right back at me with her eyes flitting with mischievousness again, which I really found alluring. "I’m glad you’re crushing on me, Beta. Because I’m crushing on you too, big time!"
I laughed heartily, but after the peals of laughter subsided, both our eyes were beaming with happiness. I rested my forehead against her and closed my eyes, just listening to her breathing. I wished the Goddess would give me Sofia as my mate, so we didn’t need to go to the Claiming. And the thought of her finding her mate was making me uneasy because I knew that no matter how strong our attraction to each other was, the mate bond was not easy to ignore.
⇜ ♡♡♡ ⇝
Author's Note
Lovelies,
Here's for today. As I mentioned previously, the side stories (Under The Moonlight) are just extra stories that I will write so we can have closure for the side characters. But I will try to update as much as I can. But for now, updates will be Mon-Wed-Sat (1 to 2 chapters, or more if I can). ♡
The book BENEATH HER DARKNESS is already launched on g o o d n o v e l. However, the APP is currently having some system glitches, which resulted in some of you not finding any books at all. But they are there. If you wish to read my new book, I will have to suggest this workaround in the meantime.
Go to goodnovel.com on your web browser, and search for BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha's Little Demon. It will ask you if you want to add it to your LIBRARY or, in most cases, to d o w n load the book. Dow n lo ad the book and you will be directed back to the app where the book will be added to your library.
Hopefully, it will be sorted out so you can find the book easily. For now, we have to do this. Thank you for your patience. ♡♡♡
xoxo, Cassandra M
EDITED: The first Book of the ALPHA BLOOD CIRCLE is now avaiable on Goodnovel and Buenovela App. Title is SHE'S THE LUNA I WANT with Alpha Jace and Amara. ------------------- Lovelies, I have no way to graph or list down their birth order in a more specific way than this. Jace was the firstborn for the next generation in my series; thus, I listed the year 2000 for the first batch of pups so it will be easy for everyone to track the age difference between the kids. Let me know if you have any confusion. 🙂 2000Jace (Jackson) JAKE & CLAIRAustin AARON & JANNATyler GAVIN & ALIAZach RILEY & NADIAArlo SEBASTIAN& JENNYNadine (Nadia’s sister) - she will show up/ be part of the Alpha Blood Circle Series. 2001Ledger LUCAS & KATARINA Kairo KALLAN & EMMACameron CALEB & ANYA 2002Patrick PAUL & ALBAAmara AEON & ALEXACassidy DARVIN & CELESTECatherine JAKE & CLAIRCyrus and Amber (Twins) CASPIAN & ANDREABellatrix BELLA AND TRENT 2003Curt CALEB & ANYAWalker DOMINIC & SOFIAAbe
Lovelies, Thank you for reading this story and for the patience you have shown me as I navigate toward the end. This story was more difficult to write than the rest because I changed so much in this short novel. Someone asked me before if I had changed any of my storylines, and I said no, but it was a lie as I didn't want to give anything away. The truth is, Darvin's story was supposed to end in Aeon's book, and it would pave the way for Beta Dominic's fate. It was the reason I didn't give him too much exposure in Riley's book. But just one POV and everyone shifted from hating him (for putting his sisters to the Claiming) into loving him. And I just knew after reading the love he was receiving that I didn't have the heart to break your hearts again the same way I did with Riley's. So I took on the challenge of rewriting Dominic's plot, and from time to time, I kept changing my mind about where it should go. But after four months, finally we are here, and I couldn't be more thank
DARVIN.Everyone around me applauded as we watched the end of the third fireworks display for the night, also signaling the end of the party.We were celebrating my 40th birthday, and although I told my mate not to make a big deal out of it, I knew this would still happen when you have Celeste as a mate, and Katarina and Sofia as sisters, with their mates who tolerated their obsession to celebrate every milestone of my life.But I was getting used to it, and it made me grateful that after all these years, despite having our own families, the bond I had with my siblings and their mates just kept getting stronger. "Happy birthday again, Darvs!" Kallan came and gave me a big hug before the rest of the Alpha Circle came and greeted me again.We were older now, and despite the many responsibilities on our shoulders, the pack, and our pups growing up, the years had only made us better and our brotherhood more solid."Thank you." I smiled and hugged all of them back before all our gazes fel
FOUR YEARS AFTER LUCAS AND KATARINA’S EPILOGUE SOFIA. My gaze roamed around the ballroom as Darvin’s 40th birthday was still in full swing. Every important person in his and Celeste’s lives was here. Almost twenty years ago, no one would have thought he would reach this age, so we opted for a big celebration. Although he didn’t want to, he had no choice when there were three females around him, who kept celebrating every year that was given to him. Glenn had confirmed that he no longer had acresia a long time ago, but Celeste, Katarina, and I — we will never forget the ordeal of nearly losing him. So we celebrate year after year, thanking the Goddess for the extended lives she gave Darvin and Celeste. Strong arms wrapped around my waist before my body was pulled back onto a strong torso. Dominic’s scent enveloped me all at once as sparks traveled all over my body. Dominic, even at 37, could still make my knees weak with just one touch, just as he could at 23. The 14 years just
10 Years After The Union and Luna Ceremony (Midnight Pack)KATARINA.I pecked Jillian, my five-year-old daughter, on the forehead before I placed her down on the floor beside six-year-old Abegail, and they began building blocks from the overwhelming amount of duplos and legos around them before my eyes searched for Ledger and Patrick.I found them at the far end of the pups’ playroom, discussing in a hushed voice as if they were discussing tactics for a great war.I smiled before bending again and this time placing a soft kiss on Abegail’s head before I whispered to her. "I’ll be just downstairs, call on me if you and Jillian need anything.""Yes, Mama K." She answered sweetly before she put her attention back on playing with my daughter.Patrick and Abegail were Paul and Alba’s pups. They were the Betas of the Blue Meadows Pack and had been a wonderful presence in our lives.Ledger and Patrick became good friends and were so inseparable that when Alba told me she and Paul would go aw
TWO WEEKS AFTER. SOFIA. Another beautiful day. The sun beamed its beautiful rays on my skin as I spread out my arms and tilted my head up to bask in them, letting its warmth and sunshine heal and refresh my soul. I was in the middle of the fields of wildflowers in the meadow at the Silver Moon Pack — the same place Dominic took me nine years ago when I first visited Alpha Riley's territory. We took the pups, Cassidy and Walker, for a play date with Riley and Nadia’s twins, Ara and Nika, and Dawson and Ellie’s twins, Drake and Dustin. Once the kids were settled and being watched over, we decided to sneak and head out here. Life had been nothing but beautiful for me. Two weeks had gone by since that fateful day when we all thought we were losing both Darvin and Celeste. But we triumphed. I underestimated the power of love and friendship, and the ways they could conquer even the toughest mountain. Celeste was given a gift from the Goddess that none of us had encountered in our