Francesca’s POVLife has a way of taking us down roads we never saw ourselves traversing. It’s crazy how we hardly have any say in how certain things in our existence will unfold. The Moon Goddess could be especially cruel and fickle when she chooses to be. I finally understood what Dominic meant. I always thought the moment I met my fated mate would be a magical one. I would be ecstatic, over the moon with overwhelming emotions, and grateful to the Moon Goddess for finally blessing me with such a precious gift. I never imagined it would go like this. This was far from my ideal dream and fantasy. No, this was a nightmare, a hellish one I wanted to wake up from but knew for a fact that I never would. This was reality. It was my reality.My mother’s husband-to-be was my fated mate. I should have known there was a reason I reacted so viscerally to his presence. From the very start, all the signs were there. I was too stupid to see, even after Bianca warned me. But of course, I didn’t wan

Francesca’s POV I was slowly coming back to myself. My eyes were struggling to slip open and adjust to the light that seemed blinding. I was no longer out in the woods. That much was obvious. In fact, I was lying in bed, one that felt and smelled like my own. I was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and black shorts. I also happened to be buried under a mountain of blankets. It was nice and warm. I wanted to stay there forever. My mind was momentarily blank, as though it was trying to protect me from thinking about the plethora of painful events that had taken place in the last several hours. It didn’t take me long after that to figure out two other people were on the bed with me. It was Bianca and Patrick flanking me on either side. They both wore worried looks. I could also see their confusion clear as day. They must have a thousand questions running through their heads as to what led to my collapse in the middle of the woods. I couldn’t begin to imagine how panicked they had been

Alpha Ian’s POV Cassius was a wolf of his word. That was one thing that could always be said about him. He’s frozen me out since the wedding. That was about a week ago. I’ve tried to coax him out several times to no avail. He simply won’t talk to me. There was this energy that seemed to emanate from him. I knew what it was, of course I did. It was heartbreak, and it was a deep seeded pain we both shared. I understood why he blamed me. The Moon Goddess knew I blamed myself too. The guilt I felt was all encompassing. It has also morphed into this endless energy that needed to be expended at all times. I was putting my body through intense hours of training. I was a man on a mission, and it was to do away with all dark thoughts and feelings. I spent so much time in the shooting range and training hall that Jessica started getting worried for my well-being. This was another night on which I returned to our room in the middle of the night. I’d been hoping to find her asleep, but I wasn’

Alpha Ian’s POV It all started with the truce Damien and I worked on so that peace could reign amongst the supernatural community of New Orleans. We hit it off quite well, seeing as we had many things in common, the most important two being our ruthlessness and intense desire to protect the people we love. That was five years ago. Damien used to frequent our mansion a lot as we were getting to know each other. He would often come with Caleb and Philippa seeing as they were his trusted friends and also ruled in his stead. They were the ones who communicated his laws to the vampires and made sure they were enforced whenever it was needed. They served as that bridge between the vampires and other species as well. Philippa had a fondness for the humans whilst Caleb was pretty close to the witches. Whenever the three of them came around, I used to welcome them in my Study along with Dominic since I did nothing without him. We used to spend hours conversing, getting to know each other.

Alpha Ian’s POV “Is that Ian or am I too high on blood right now?” Philippa said, looking in my direction as the woman in her lap blinked several times, no doubt trying to regain her equilibrium. “If it isn’t our newly wedded Alpha!” Caleb bellowed. He pulled me into a side hug as I sat next to him. It was a decision I was probably going to regret before the night ended. “It’s good to see you, my friend,” I said to him, patting his back. “Philippa, who is this poor woman you’re draining right now?” “This is Anastasia,” Philippa said and proceeded to suck on her neck for a bit. “She’s the loveliest. So accommodating too! Say hello to Ian, darling.” “Hello Ian,” Anastasia slurred. “Philippa, I think you’ve had enough for one night. Anastasia, you’re excused,” Damien said, tone leaving no room for argument. Both Anastasia and Philippa were less than enthused about his order but they knew better than to contest it. “Wait for me in our special room, okay?” Philippa said. She l