An heartfelt confession

Chapter 109DARIUS I woke to pounding on my door. Heavy, insistent knocking that pulled me from sleep far too quickly. My body protested the movement as I tried to sit up, muscles aching and wounds pulling.The door opened before I could call out, and a figure slipped inside. Sebastian. He crossed the room quickly and came to stand at the end of my bed, looking down at me with concern clear on his face.Then he poked my stomach.I grunted at the unexpected contact, still half-asleep and confused.Sebastian smiled, the expression lighting up his whole face. "Good morning, Alpha."I didn't answer. Couldn't answer. Just sighed and rolled over, pulling the blanket up over my head like that would make the morning disappear."Are you alright?" Sebastian's voice was closer now, worried. "The ceremony is about to begin. Torren sent me to wake you. He tried reaching you through the mind link but it wasn't going through."Right. The ceremony. The celebration we'd planned. I'd completely forg

Last Updated : 2025-12-21

The distance between us

Chapter 110SEBASTIAN Days passed. Then a week. Then two.The pack was healing. I could see it everywhere I looked. Warriors who'd been injured in the battle were recovering, their wounds closing, their strength returning. Families who'd been separated were reunited, learning to be whole again. The rescued captives were adjusting to being home, the fear slowly fading from their eyes.Everyone was healing.Everyone except Darius and me.I'd been reassigned back to my guard duties, stationed outside Darius's chambers like before. But Pete wasn't with me anymore. He'd been transferred to oversee the borders with the other guards. The nightwalker threat was gone, so there was no need for him to stay close to protect me.I missed having him nearby. Missed the easy friendship, the way we could talk about anything. Now I spent my shifts alone, standing in silent corridors, trying not to think about the person on the other side of the door.Trying not to think about how close Darius wa

Last Updated : 2025-12-23

The decision made

Chapter 111SEBASTIAN That night, I lay in my small quarters trying to sleep. But rest wouldn't come.Instead, I felt it. The bond pulling at me, sending sensations that weren't my own flooding through my consciousness.Fear. Grief. Pain.Darius was having nightmares again.I could feel his chest tightening, his breath quickening. I could sense the panic and sorrow washing over him in waves. This had been happening for days now—every night, the nightmares came. And every night, I felt them through our bond.He was grieving Adrian. That much was clear. Despite everything that had happened, despite Adrian being a traitor and a vessel for his father's evil plans, Darius had still cared for him in some way. And now he was processing that loss the only way he knew how by bottling it up during the day and letting it consume him at night.I wanted to help. I wanted to go to him, to comfort him, to let him know he didn't have to face this alone. But how could I? Darius had made it clear

Last Updated : 2025-12-23

The bond

Chapter 111DARIUS I couldn't stay away from Sebastian. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much distance I put between us, my body betrayed me.Kain was the worst of it. My wolf constantly pushed at me, demanding I go to Sebastian. Demanding I claim him properly. The pressure was relentless, making me irritable and short-tempered with everyone around me."Just mark him already," Kain would snarl in my mind. "End this torture. He's ours!""Not yet," I'd respond for the hundredth time. "It's too soon. The pack isn't ready.""The pack is fine! You're the one who isn't ready! You're the coward!"The arguments went in circles, exhausting me. But what was worse than Kain's constant nagging was the bond itself.The unmarked mate bond had become unbearable. Every time I was near Sebastian—which was often, given he was stationed outside my chambers—it would surge to life. Pulses of energy and emotion flooding through me, making it impossible to think clearly.I could feel his sadnes

Last Updated : 2025-12-24

It's no longer a secret

Chapter 112DARIUS I tried to act normal after the incident with Sebastian. Went through the motions of being Alpha—attending meetings, overseeing patrols, reviewing reports. But my body had other plans.It started with a fever. Low at first, barely noticeable. Just a slight warmth that made my skin feel tight and uncomfortable. But within hours, it had spiked to the point where I was shaking with chills despite sweating through my clothes.Todd was called immediately. He took one look at me and ordered everyone else out of the room."How long has this been going on?" he asked, pressing the back of his hand to my forehead."Since this morning," I managed through chattering teeth. "It's getting worse."Todd pulled out various instruments, checking my pulse, my breathing, my reflexes. But I could see the concern growing on his face. This wasn't a normal illness.Then the hallucinations started.I'd be sitting at my desk trying to work, and suddenly I'd smell Sebastian's scent. That d

Last Updated : 2026-01-07

My former lover

Chapter 113DARIUS I'd shifted partially in my sleep. My wolf had taken control and bitten my own arm, the pain trying to wake me from the nightmare.The door to my chambers burst open. Sebastian stood there, his face pale and worried."I heard screaming," he panted. "Are you—" His eyes found the blood on my arm and went wide. "Moon Goddess, what happened?"He rushed forward, moving towards the bed. Towards me.And something in me snapped.Before Sebastian could reach me, I was up and moving. I grabbed him and slammed him against the wall, my hand around his throat."How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from me?" I growled, my voice distorted by the partial shift I hadn't realized I was still in. "Stay away before I lose control."Sebastian stared up at me, his eyes wide with hurt, confusion and something that looked like heartbreak."Darius," he whispered. "Please."The sound of my name on his lips made the bond surge again. Made every instinct I had scream to pull him