Chapter 21 - The Summons

Andre's POV The hospital's fluorescent lights buzzed overhead like angry wasps. I'd been pacing the waiting room for three hours, knuckles raw, mind a hurricane of rage and self-loathing. The attack would be all over the supernatural community by morning. Alpha Andre Castellano, losing control, striking his mistress in front of the council. Lucas wouldn't even need to call for a vote now. "Mr. Castellano?" I looked up to see a doctor in scrubs, expression carefully neutral—the professional mask of someone delivering complicated news. "How is she?" "She's stable. The head trauma was minor, but..." He paused, consulting his chart. "There are other factors we need to discuss." "Factors?" My stomach knotted. "She's pregnant, Mr. Castellano. About eight weeks along." The words hit like a physical blow. I staggered backward, gripping the plastic chair. "Are you sure?" "Blood work confirmed it. We're monitoring closely for any complications." Pregnant. After everythin

Last Updated : 2025-10-02

Chapter 22 —The Beggar at My Gate

LARA'S POV Two weeks had passed since the news broke. Two weeks of silence from Andre Castellano. I thought I was done with him. The moment I watched those headlines scroll across the screen—Andre stripped of his title, Tasha arrested by the AFCB, Dylan placed in a foster care—I thought it was over. I thought the chapter was closed, the book slammed shut. I thought I could finally, *finally* breathe without his shadow suffocating me. I was wrong. --- It started with a commotion at the gates. I was in the library when I heard the shouting—raised voices, the sound of guards mobilizing. My first thought was an attack. My second was that the press had found us. I rushed to the window overlooking the estate entrance and froze. Even from a distance, I recognized him. Andre. But not the Andre I remembered. Not the powerful Alpha who'd commanded respect with just his presence, whose aura could silence a room. This man looked... broken. He stood outside the Moonstone gates

Last Updated : 2025-10-02

Chapter 23 - The Beggar's Plea

The receiving room shrank around Andre.He stood between two guards, hands trembling. Up close, he was a ruin—sunken eyes, clothes hanging loose, the wild desperation of a wounded animal.Derek lingered just behind me. Not in front, not shielding—just there. A silent vow: I’m here if you need me.I needed him more than I wanted to admit.Andre’s gaze locked on mine, the same intensity that once made me flinch. Now, it only left me numb.“Lara,” he rasped. “I don’t deserve to be here. I know what I’ve done—what I put you through. But I had to see you. I had to tell you—”“Tell me what?” My voice was steadier than I felt. “That you’re sorry? That it wasn’t what it looked like? That you didn’t mean it?”He flinched. “Yes. All of it. I was blind. Cruel. Wrong—”“For ten years, Andre.” I stepped forward, something unbreakable settling inside me. “Not one mistake. Not one bad choice. A decade of deliberate cruelty.”His face buckled. “I know. God, I know. But I’ve lost everything—the pack,

Last Updated : 2025-10-03

Chapter 24 — Choosing Freedom

The sunlight woke me.Not harsh. Not accusing.Soft. Golden.I stretched beneath the sheets. My shoulders didn’t coil with tension. My hands didn’t shake. For the first time in ten years, I woke up without dread.The bed beside me was empty.A flicker of disappointment stirred before I could stop myself.The door opened.Derek walked in carrying a tray—warm bread, honey, tea that smelled of chamomile and mint.“You’re awake.” He set the tray on the side table.I blinked. “Did you just bring me breakfast?”“You need to eat.” His tone was flat, but his eyes… his eyes were soft. “And I wanted to check on you.”“Since when does an Alpha serve breakfast in bed?”The corner of his mouth lifted. “Since his mate forgets to take care of herself.”My breath caught.Mate.The word hung between us. A promise. A danger.For once, I didn’t want to run.---By afternoon, the Moonstone elders filled the courtyard.I stood beside Derek. Their gazes pressed down on me—heavy, powerful.Not judgment this

Last Updated : 2025-10-04

Chapter 25: Final Goodbye

Six Years Later Lara's POV The morning sun poured through my study window. Papers covered my desk—financial reports, territory agreements, pack business. But my eyes weren’t on them. Through the open window, Luna’s laughter drifted in. She was chasing butterflies in the garden, her curls bouncing with each step, her tiny hands reaching for the sky. Derek’s voice followed, calm and patient. “Gentle, sweetheart. Don’t catch them. Just let them fly.” I smiled, resting a hand on my swollen belly. Six months along now. My son kicked softly against my palm. These children were different. Born from love. Not fear. Not obligation. Love. The door opened. Zander entered, his face serious. He placed an envelope on my desk without a word. I stared at it. Prison letterhead. My throat tightened. “From Andre,” Zander said quietly. I hadn’t heard that name in months. Over the years, letters had arrived—not many, maybe one every few months. Never begging. Never manipul