All Chapters of Craving the wolf: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Gabriel's lips were warm against mine, firm yet careful, like he was giving me a choice even as he kissed me. For a moment, I let myself sink into it, into him, my heart thundering like I was running through the woods in full hunt. But then reality punched through the haze.James.I jerked back, breathing hard, eyes wide. "I...I'm married," I whispered, almost more to myself than to him. My fingers trembled as I touched my lips, still tingling from the kiss.Gabriel looked at me with those intense eyes. "I know, Alexis," he said softly. "I'm not trying to disrespect that. But I had to make my intentions clear."I stared at him, emotions battling in my chest, Just last night, I was on the couch with James, curled up under his arm after apologizing for all the secrets I kept. And now, here I was. Kissing Gabriel.What the hell was wrong with me?Except... it felt so right.I didn't have to hide who I was around Gabriel. I didn't have to pretend to be someone's wife who came home from a

I didn't stop sneaking out. If anything, I stopped feeling guilty about it.I told myself as long as I didn't cross the line, as long as I didn't do anything with Gabriel I would regret even though I know I wanted to it was fine. I could still be Alexis Sullivan, I could still be James's wife. And still have this.I slipped into the night like it was a second skin, my boots silent against the cracked sidewalks. Gabriel always found me first, smirking like he knew every thought in my head."Ready to get your ass kicked?" he teased one night, tossing me a training dagger. I caught it easily, spinning it in my fingers."In your dreams," I shot back.There were moments, when he pinned me against the wall or caught me by the waist to stop a blow, and we would just stay there, breathing hard. But I never crossed that line. Neither did he. I respected him for that but it also made me want him more.Over the two months, full moon came and went. We had been ready. Silver rounds. Silver blades

I didn't know how long we lay there, wrapped up in each other. Gabriel's body was warm and solid against mine, his hand tracing slow, lazy patterns over my back. The weight of him, the smell of him, cedar and skin and sex, it grounded me in a way I hadn't realized I needed.I tucked my face against his chest, breathing him in. For a while, neither of us spoke.There was no need.But the words eventually clawed their way up my throat, demanding to be said. "James and I... it's over," I whispered into the silence.Gabriel's hand stilled on my back. "What happened?"I pulled back just enough to see his face. His expression was calm, open.He wasn't pushing me.He was listening."I caught him," I said, voice low and raw. "Today. With another woman. In our bed."Gabriel's jaw tightened, a flash of anger darkening his eyes, but he didn't say anything. He just waited."I confronted him," I went on, picking at the edge of the blanket. "But he, he twisted it around. Said he knew I was sneaking

The hall felt too small for the fight unfolding in front of me. Victoria and the General clashed like gods, fists meeting flesh, bone cracking under pressure, snarls and grunts echoing off the stone walls. I'd seen plenty of battles, I'd fought in them But this? this was something else.The General struck first, swinging a heavy punch that could have shattered a skull.Victoria ducked, slid beneath him like a dancer, and came up hard, her metal arm slamming into his ribs with a sickening crunch.He howled and staggered back, spitting blood. "Come on, puppy," she growled, circling him. The General roared and charged.They collided again, brutal and fast with no hesitation, no wasted movement.Victoria fought like she'd been born in war, all instinct, experience, and rage barely leashed.I stepped in, blades ready, heart pounding.I had to help.I darted behind the General, aiming for a clean shot to the back of his knee.But just before I struck, Victoria was already there grabbing the

Victoria didn’t hesitate.The moment Alexander stepped into view, she turned sharply, surveying the field of hunters with eyes like sharpened blades."Everyone into squads of five!" she shouted. "Pick a target and drop it fast! These aren’t grunts, they’re enhanced generals. You stay solo, you die."Her voice was thunder, and the hunters obeyed without question, moving quickly across the rubble and forming tight clusters.She spun toward Sarah and me."Hold back until it’s chaos. Then pick them off from the sides."Sarah cocked her rifle and gave a single nod.I gripped my blades tighter, adrenaline buzzing under my skin.All around us, hunters were pulling out syringes, small black vials filled with silver-threaded liquid.They jabbed them into their necks or arms, eyes flickering brighter as the enhancements kicked in, muscles twitching, breaths deepening, stances sharpening.A hunter beside me punched straight through a chunk of concrete just to test his strength.Another moved so