Chapter: Chapter 175: Choosing Joy[RHIANNON] The kitchen was chaos in the best possible way. Cora had indeed made breakfast—enough food to feed twice our current number. Lena and Maris were arguing loudly about proper seasoning while Safi rolled her eyes and plated everything anyway. The moment we entered with Lachlan, all activity stopped. Then resumed with renewed energy directed entirely at us. "Sit. Both of you. Now." Cora pointed at the chairs with the authority of someone who'd been running this kitchen longer than I'd been alive. I sat without argument. Kael did the same, settling Lachlan on his lap. Food appeared immediately—eggs, bread, fruit, and meat. More than we could eat. "You need to rebuild your strength," Lena declared, setting down another plate. "Both of you look half-dead," Maris added bluntly. Cora smacked her arm. "What? They do!" I laughed despite myself. This was normal. This was home. Kael ate methodically while keeping one hand on Lachlan, who was more interested in s
آخر تحديث: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 174: Peace Reclaimed[RHIANNON]The manor had gone quiet.Healers had come and gone, checking wounds and distributing salves. Patrols had doubled outside. Doors had been reinforced with additional guards posted at every entrance. Orders had been issued, acknowledged, and executed.Now, for the first time since Lachlan was taken—There was stillness.I lay in bed wrapped around Kael; Lachlan nestled between us in the cocoon of blankets and safety we'd created. My arm curved protectively over our son's small body. Kael's hand rested at my waist, solid and grounding.Lachlan's breathing was soft. Even. Safe.I inhaled slowly.And for the first time in days, my lungs didn't burn with fear.Kael's cedar-and-storm scent anchored me more effectively than any words could. My own midnight rain had softened, no longer sharp and electric with barely contained power.Just steady.Peace didn't descend like a blessing from above.It arrived like something fought for. Earned. Scarred into existence through blood and sac
آخر تحديث: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 173: Homecoming[KAEL]The manor came into full view as we crossed into Crescent Moon territory properly—stone walls unmarred, banners intact despite everything that had happened beyond our borders.Word spread before we reached the gates.The first howl rose from the watchtower. Long, rising, trembling with relief.Then another.Then dozens.Not a battle cry. A homecoming.Warriors at the front were met with tears, clasped hands, and desperate embraces. Parents rushed forward for children thought lost. Mates collided mid-step, shoulders shaking with sobs they'd been holding back for days.I walked to the center of it all.Rhiannon was beside me, holding Lachlan against her chest as if the world might attempt to steal him again if she loosened her grip even slightly. She hadn't let him go since the ruins. Hadn't faltered once during the entire journey home.She looked pale. Exhausted. Blood dried in her hair and stained her torn clothing.Her spine remained straight.The pack parted for us instinctiv
آخر تحديث: 2026-02-25
Chapter: Chapter 172: Relief Earned[EMRYS]I watched Kael turn away from Hunter's body without looking back.Simple. Final. Absolute.My Alpha gathered his mate and child, blood-streaked and exhausted but whole. I allowed myself one breath.Not victory.Assessment.Hunter's corpse lay where it fell, throat torn, blood spreading into fractured stone in dark pools that reflected dying firelight. The unstable rune device had gone dark. No pulse. No residual magical surge humming against my senses.Still.I stepped forward and crushed the device beneath my boot.Mechanisms cracked. Crystal shattered into harmless fragments.No risks. Not tonight. Not ever again with this particular threat.Around me, Crescent Moon warriors moved with practiced efficiency through the settling dust.Dust drifted like fog between broken pillars. The ruins groaned occasionally as fractured stone settled.The clearing felt quiet in a way that seemed earned rather than given.But my mind was already elsewhere.Because during the final clash with
آخر تحديث: 2026-02-25
Chapter: Chapter 171: Finality[KAEL]The blade descended.Perfect angle. Clean trajectory.I registered every detail with brutal clarity—the relic sigils etched into black steel, Hunter's cold satisfaction, and the precise geometry that would separate my head from my shoulders.My thigh screamed. Balance compromised. No leverage to dodge.'Move.'Saen snarled the command, but my body wasn't listening fast enough.Then silver exploded across my vision.Rhiannon slammed into me from the side, her body twisting between mine and the descending blade with absolute precision born from instinct rather than calculation.The sound that followed wasn't a scream.Just a sharp inhale forced through gritted teeth as the relic blade sank deep into her shoulder.Black steel hummed. Sigils flared.She should have collapsed. The weapon was designed to disrupt Alpha force, to weaken, to break.Instead—Her power ignited.Silver light erupted from the wound itself, crackling outward in arcs that made the air taste like lightning and
آخر تحديث: 2026-02-24
Chapter: Chapter 170: Maternal Wrath[RHIANNON]Lachlan's cry threaded through the distance beyond that sealed passage. Every maternal instinct I possessed screamed to tear through stone with bare hands if necessary.I pressed both hands flat against the cracked floor, silver light flickering across my veins. Not wild now. Focused. Drawing inward and sharpening into something that felt less like healing and more like a weapon.Kael turned toward me. His hands found mine and pulled me to my feet.Our eyes met—both of us vibrating with the specific frequency of parents who'd just watched their child bleed."We find another way through," he said. Not a suggestion. A statement.I didn't waste breath answering. Just moved.We tracked back through the collapsing chamber, following the scent of iron and old magic to where a secondary passage branched off the main corridor. Hunter had built contingencies—plural. That meant multiple exits.Kael paused to listen. I closed my eyes and felt instead.The bond with Lachlan flickered f
آخر تحديث: 2026-02-24

The Mate They Rejected
She was their fated mate. They rejected her anyway.
Mara Calloway turned eighteen, and the bond she had waited for her whole life finally arrived. By morning, her world was upside down. No explanation. No mercy. Just words that left her on the floor of a packhouse that was never truly hers, with a father who watched and a secret already growing inside her that would change everything.
She didn't run immediately. She stayed long enough to confirm what she already suspected. Then she disappeared.
Five years later, a deadly plague is carving through the packs, killing wolves of every age and rank, and the Blackthorn Alphas are running out of options. The one healer brilliant enough to stop it is a composed, untouchable woman named Dr. Sloane Davis—a stranger with cold precision, no pack allegiance, and a guarded past that doesn't quite hold up under examination.
Caine Blackthorn is the kind of man who commands without asking and breaks without bending. He doesn't know why the new healer unsettles him. He doesn't know why her scent threads through his instincts like something he was supposed to remember. He doesn't know about the three boys she brought with her, each one carrying a secret written in blood and bone that the pack cannot see—yet.
She came back with a mission in one hand and five years of consequence in the other. She did not come back for them. But the bond they shattered has a memory of its own, and the plague threatening to destroy everything they built may have been born from the same betrayal that took her from them in the first place.
What happens when the woman you destroyed becomes the only one who can save you—and she already knows exactly what you're worth?
قراءة
Chapter: Chapter 41: The Third Visit[ISLA]Three days until Blackthorn, and the medical wing hadn't stopped moving since sunrise.Travel crates stacked along the east wall. Cold-storage units were double-checked twice by two different technicians. Emergency suppressant vials were counted, recounted, and sealed. Patient histories were sorted into folders thick enough to require their own transport case.Sloane hadn't left the lab in six hours.Someone had to coordinate everything that wasn't strictly medicine, and I'd apparently claimed that role somewhere around year two without officially applying for it.I didn't mind. Paperwork behaved predictably.People rarely did.Reception called through mid-morning—a visitor from Blackthorn, supplementary files, hand delivery only.I knew before they finished the sentence.Beta Boderick Kane.I caught myself smoothing a stack of papers that already sat perfectly straight. Annoying. My body noticing things a full second before my mind approved the reaction.I walked out to recept
آخر تحديث: 2026-07-17
Chapter: Chapter 40: Two Days[SLOANE]The council envelope sat exactly where I'd left it the night before.Not hidden, not answered. Just present, at the corner of my desk, catching morning light through the lab window while I moved through the rest of my routine.Overnight reports first. Culture checks second. The suppressant trial results waited third, and I read through each patient's response curve with the same attention I gave every case.My eyes crossed the envelope four times before noon.I didn't reach for it once.Isla noticed. She always noticed. She said nothing.Late morning, she set a fresh stack of reports beside the untouched envelope."If you decline," she offered, her voice soft, "someone else goes."I kept reading."If someone else goes, they'll do their best." A pause, precise. "It won't be your best."Nothing accusatory in her tone. No pressure behind it either. Just a fact, delivered plain, the way she delivered everything that mattered.I didn't answer.She nodded once and returned to her f
آخر تحديث: 2026-07-17
Chapter: Chapter 39: Zane's File[ZANE]The council notification arrived at nine-fourteen.Request Approved. Dr. Sloane Davis will review the Blackthorn Pack's case.Caine would nod at this and return to his reports. I read the sentence twice before I let myself move.Unexplained variables required attention. I pulled a fresh notebook from the drawer and wrote across the top, in block letters, deliberate: Medical Consultant—Dr. Sloane Davis.Beneath it: Objective: Determine reliability.Not distrust. Lives depended on this woman now. That alone earned her a file.I accessed every council archive available to my clearance level.Professional licensing, current and unblemished. Research publications—four in three years, each cited favorably. Teaching history, brief but well-regarded. Conference attendance, minimal but consistent.Everything checked out.Perfectly.I made note of that word specifically, because perfection in a records search usually meant something had been curated rather than merely lived.Graduated wi
آخر تحديث: 2026-07-15
Chapter: Chapter 38: The Request[CAINE]Sloane's morning ended with three words in her own private notebook, though Caine would never know that detail: Too early. She signed the council's acknowledgment of receipt, careful to leave acceptance undecided, and closed the Blackthorn file before anyone could ask her opinion on it.Two territories away, none of that mattered to me yet. I only knew the request had been sent, and now I had to wait for an answer I couldn't control.I hated waiting. Waiting produced nothing. It solved no border dispute, healed no fever, and moved no supply cart from one gate to another. I preferred problems that yielded to direct action, and this one refused to yield to anything but time.Boderick arrived exactly nine minutes late, arms full of maps and reports he dropped onto the conference table with more enthusiasm than the paperwork deserved."Good news," he announced."I don't believe you.""I haven't said it yet.""I've known you long enough."He pressed a hand to his chest, wounded. "T
آخر تحديث: 2026-07-15
Chapter: Chapter 37: Before He Woke[SLOANE]Before sunrise, I stood over the steel sink in the neutral-site prep room.The bottle hissed when I unscrewed it.First layer, wrists. Second layer, pulse points.Neck. Behind the ears. Collarbones.My palms met stainless steel. Everything was clean. Organized. Routine.Except today.The temple lab smelled of disinfectant and ozone; the blocker cut through that, thin and medicinal against my skin.I welcomed the sting. It was a medicine smell, I told myself, not memory.Without speaking his name, I signed the authorization. Rhys Blackthorn sat in the file, letters exact and small. I wrote my initials and opened the isolation door.Stage two was not supposed to look like this. His pulse spiked erratically on the monitor, temperature climbing past anything textbook allowed. His hands cycled between human and claw, uncontrolled, his whole body caught mid-shift over and over in the span of a breath.The local healer stood frozen, chart in hand."He's never presented this fast," s
آخر تحديث: 2026-07-15
Chapter: Chapter 36: The Neutral Site[RHYS]I couldn't tell if I was walking.Or being carried.The ground tilted sideways.Voices layered over each other."Stage two is progressing faster than expected.""Neutral site authorization confirmed."None of them were familiar.'Soren?'Nothing back. Just static, restless, fever-warped.Everything hurt.Even breathing.Antiseptic filled every inhale, sharp and wrong.Something cold circled my wrist.A restraint.I understood, distantly, this wasn't punishment.Alpha blood shifted under fever surges.Strength turned dangerous when the mind lost the wheel.My claws pressed against skin, threatening.My heartbeat filled my whole skull."The stronger the Alpha blood," someone murmured, "the harder Stage Two burns."Almost funny.My strength was a liability now.Then the air changed.Not sight.Smell.Through antiseptic, through herbs, through blood—Something impossible cut through all of it.Rain.Jasmine, soft, barely there.Soren went still inside me.Not healed.Listening.My
آخر تحديث: 2026-07-14
Chapter: Book 3 -Epilogue-[This Is Not The End] ARIELLA It took us a while to get there, but it was a pleasant walk. The trees were all in full bloom, and it smelled delightful. As we walked, I started feeling a little better. I felt lighter and happier. He was right, though. I didn’t need to worry about him. He was fine. And if he wasn’t, I would be there to take care of him. We reached the stream, and it was gorgeous, surrounded by a ring of tall redwoods and the sun setting behind them. The water glistened in the light. “It’s beautiful,” he murmured. “Yeah,” I agreed. I sat on the edge of the stream, watching the ripples in the water as the gentle breeze stirred the surface. Malik lay on his back next to me, his eyes closed and a contented expression masking his features. “I could get used to this. The tranquility here is unlike anything I’ve felt in a long time.” I rested my chin on my shoulder, watching him, feeling the butterflies flutter with glee in my stomach. Immediately, I felt better than I
آخر تحديث: 2022-11-25
Chapter: Book 3 -50-[Memories] ARIELLA “I have a better idea,” I murmured as I studied the guard. “Instead of repeating everything to my father, why don’t you tell him yourself? Or, even better, have my mother look into your memories.” “Look into my memories?” Malik’s brow quirked in question. “How is she gonna do that?” I flashed him a smile, confident in my plan. “Here’s what hunters don’t know about my mom. Unlike the other wolves, my mother was born a witch from another realm. A realm where only witches, wizards, and mages existed.” “That’s, uhm... that’s something,” Malik acknowledged, the wheels in his head clocking overtime as he processed the information. “Yeah, so recently I learned my mom has this cool ability to see people’s memories,” I explained. “Lucky for me, I was born with a similar power. Mine is to see the outcome of major events. At least that’s what I think. Which was how we had known to expect another attack.” “From the moment we met, I knew there was something special about y
آخر تحديث: 2022-11-24
Chapter: Book 3 -49-[A Favor] ARIELLA “All right, I can do that. I’ll tell you everything once you promise to do something for me in return.” He nodded, continuing to eat. “What will that be?” “I just need to know my family is okay. My cousin Amanda, the one I was here with recently, is pregnant. My mom is sick and—“ “Say no more,” I chimed in, cutting him off. “It is mainly my fault you are in this cell. Had you not been my mate—although you could’ve died in battle—you wouldn’t have been here.” He stopped chewing, looking at me with intense curiosity. “Are you sure you don’t want to know what I need you to do for me or the time to think it over?” I shook my head. “I doubt it’ll be worse than you locked in a cell.” “Okay.” He gave a brief chuckle. “I think this will be the first time I ever requested a favor from a wolf—a favor for a former hunter.” “A favor from your mate,” I corrected, which made him smile. “I will check on your family, Malik. If they’re okay, I’ll come back and tell you, an
آخر تحديث: 2022-11-23
Chapter: Book 3 -48-[Debatable] ARIELLA Infuriated, hands balled into fists, nostrils flared, and hatred burning in my eyes, I stormed after my father. “Was locking him away seriously necessary?” I called out, trying to catch up with my father’s long strides. “He proved he was a wolf, yet you locked him away anyway, like some rabid dog.” Ahead, my father stopped and turned halfway towards me, leveling a look that said he’d heard enough. I had crossed the line and was making things worse. “I have to be sure he’s not an imposter, a hunter pretending to be a wolf. It’s like Alpha Declan pointed out. Nobody knows what made him a wolf.” I shook my head in disgust. “Malik did nothing wrong. He’s not some test used to see how well we can protect our pack.” “You’ve got no clue what you’re talking about,” Dad said, returning to his earlier pace. “There’s a lot to do. I suggest you focus on that before you join your mate in the cells.” “Ugh!” I let out an angry growl and kicked a small stone in my path, sen
آخر تحديث: 2022-11-22
Chapter: Book 3 -47-[Not A Threat II] MALIK The moment I saw her face when I awoke after blacking out earlier, I realized how grateful I was to still be alive, even as a werewolf. Not just that. I also understood the severity of this werewolf bond Owen had told me about. The bond was more than just a physical connection. It was also both emotional and spiritual. It sure would take some getting used to. The love and concern in Ariella’s eyes, despite her efforts to hide it, told me she was also thankful I was alive. She was worried about me and hoped I would be okay. Little did she know how much effort it took not to kiss her then and there. Then, suddenly, the world got quiet. The wind rustling trees, the birds tweeting, and the insects chirping all stopped. Her breath was in my ear. I could feel her heartbeat, fast and steady. For a split second, my body froze, and my heart stopped beating. Just for a second, but once my body registered what was happening, it was everything and nothing like I imag
آخر تحديث: 2022-11-21
Chapter: Book 3 -46-[Not A Threat] ARIELLA I placed my hand on his chest and willed him to wake up. His skin was warm to the touch, but he didn’t stir. I glanced around frantically, trying to find something to help him. My eyes landed on a large tree branch lying on the ground a few feet away. On my feet in seconds, I grabbed it and ran back to his side. I placed the branch under his arm and tried to apply pressure to the wound, but it was gushing blood. I had to do something, and fast. Or he would bleed out. Ripping off a piece of my shirt, I tied it around the branch, hoping it would stem the flow of blood. Thank the goddess, it had the desired effect. The blood slowed to a trickle. “El!” Abby screamed behind me, her heavy footfall letting me know she was running towards me. “Over here.” I shouted, never taking my eyes off my mate. I stripped off my belt and wrapped it around his arm, compressing the wound. “Oh, thank goodness!” she said as she knelt down next to me. “What the hell happened?”
آخر تحديث: 2022-11-20