Chapter 21

Damon's POV Caleb and I moved swiftly through the hallways of the packhouse, urgency pressing down on us. The wedding was starting soon, but this couldn't wait. The rogue they had captured claimed to have a message from Vaughn, and whether it was a trap or not, I needed to hear what he had to say. We crossed the courtyard, stepping into the fading light of dusk as we made our way toward the pack's holding cells. The timing was terrible. Guests were arriving, the ceremony was being finalized, and I should have been inside, preparing to take my vows. Instead, I was heading to interrogate a rogue. "This could be another one of Vaughn's games," Caleb muttered beside me. "Maybe," I agreed. "But if there's even the slightest chance that he actually sent a message, I want to know what it is." We reached the underground cells, where two guards stood stationed outside the heavy iron door. They straightened at my approach. "Has he said anything yet?" I asked. One of them shook

Last Updated : 2025-02-27

Chapter 22

Damon's POV The hall was already filling with guests by the time Caleb and I arrived. My father stood near the front, speaking in hushed tones with a few high ranking members of the pack. As soon as he spotted me, his gaze swept over me in silent scrutiny before giving a curt nod, satisfied that I had made it on time. I straightened my suit jacket, rolling my shoulders. Everything about this event felt suffocating - the sheer number of people, the weight of expectation pressing down on me, and the knowledge that within the next hour, I would be bound to Rachel in a way that couldn't be undone. Caleb, standing beside me, exhaled. "We made it." "Barely." My eyes flicked across the hall. Faces blurred together, none of them particularly interesting - except for one. Maya. She stood near the middle of the hall, her back stiff, her hands clenched at her sides. She wasn't even trying to conceal her fury. When our eyes met, hers darkened with resentment. If she thought I was goi

Last Updated : 2025-02-28

Chapter 23

Rachel's POV The ceremony was over. I had expected to feel something - anything - when the vows were spoken, when the bond was sealed in the eyes of the pack. But instead, I felt... nothing. No relief. No anger. No sense of finality. Just an odd hollowness that settled deep in my chest, like I had been walking toward the edge of a cliff for so long, only to realize there was no drop at all - just more ground stretching endlessly ahead. The reception was in full swing, though it hardly felt like a celebration to me. Pack members mingled, laughing, drinking, toasting to the union of their Alpha and his Luna. They were celebrating for their own reasons - security, alliances, stability - not because they believed this marriage had any love to offer. The whispers had started as soon as the ceremony ended. I had caught bits and pieces of them as I walked through the crowd. "She looked beautiful, but did you see how he barely even looked at her?" "He kept the vows so brief...

Last Updated : 2025-03-01

Chapter 24

Damon's POV The ceremony was over. Rachel stood at my side, her face unreadable as the final guests filed out of the hall. The moment we had exchanged vows played in my mind on a loop, but I shoved the thoughts aside. It was done. The alliance was sealed. I should have felt a sense of accomplishment. Relief, even. Instead, there was something gnawing at me - something I couldn't quite name. Then, I felt it before I saw her. Maya. She was a storm brewing just beyond my line of sight. I turned my head slightly, just in time to see her approaching with sharp, determined steps. "You actually did it," she hissed under her breath. "You married her." I clenched my jaw. "Now's not the time, Maya." Her blue eyes burned with fury. "When exactly is the time, Damon? When will you stop pretending that this -" she gestured vaguely toward Rachel, who was distracted by a conversation with Francine, "- means nothing to you?" "It does mean nothing," I said coldly. "It was necessary.

Last Updated : 2025-03-02

Chapter 25

Rachel's POV The laughter and chatter around me felt distant, as if I were watching the celebration through a thick layer of glass. The toasts had begun, voices rising in cheer as people lifted their glasses in honor of a union that didn't feel real to me. I barely registered what was being said. Words about alliances, about strength and prosperity for the Moon Stone Pack. Beta Caleb spoke first, his usual sharp demeanor softened just enough for this public display. My father followed, his words clipped and measured - proud of the deal he had struck, rather than the daughter he had just married off. Cole's toast was the only one that made my throat tighten. His words were short, but laced with a quiet, unwavering support only a brother could give. "To my sister, who always finds a way to survive. May she do more than that here - may she find a way to live." A strange hush settled after his words, but only for a beat before the next person stood to speak. I exhaled,

Last Updated : 2025-03-03

Chapter 26

Damon's POV Sleep never came. I sat at my desk, fingers steepled as I stared at the security report Caleb had delivered. The words blurred together, but the message was clear - our men had spotted faint tracks along the northern border. No confirmed sighting, but enough to suggest movement. Enough to suggest Vaughn's men had been there. My jaw clenched. That rogue's words from the day of the wedding echoed in my mind. Vaughn knows about your little arrangement, Alpha. Of course he did. A sharp knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called. Caleb stepped inside, his expression as grim as ever. "He's not talking." I didn't need to ask who. The rogue we captured had been locked up for over a day now, yet he refused to say anything more than that cryptic warning. I pushed back from my desk and stood. "Then we'll make him talk." The scent of damp stone and sweat filled the underground cells beneath the packhouse. The rogue sat on a cot inside his c

Last Updated : 2025-03-05