Novels by Glittering gold

ELARA’S POV The babies came home on a Tuesday. No warning. No gentle transition. Just two car seats placed in the living room, and suddenly the house wasn’t ours anymore. It belonged to them. The silence did too. Because the house is never quiet now. There is always something. A cry slicing through the early hours of the morning. A bottle warming on the counter. Tiny fists flailing like the world has personally offended them. My shirt is damp. My hair smells faintly like milk no matter how many times I wash it. I’m exhausted in a way sleep alone can’t fix. And somehow… I’m smiling. I sit on the couch with one baby pressed to my shoulder, her small weight warm and real against me. Across the room, Nate paces slowly with the other, murmuring something that sounded a song.. under his breath, completely unfazed by the chaos. We talked about getting help. Everyone expected us to. We could afford it. It would make sense. But every time the conversation came up, it quietly fade

ELARA’S POV I hesitated before touching them. My hands were still weak, slower than they used to be, trembling slightly as I flipped through the documents. Land ownership papers. My breath caught in my throat. “Nate…” “You told me about the foundation,” he said quietly. He was watching me closely, like he was afraid one wrong word might shatter me. “About the women you wanted to help. The ones who never get a second chance. When you showed me the blueprint, the way your eyes lit up even when everything else was falling apart…” He swallowed. “I kept thinking, what better way to start than giving you a place that’s yours.” “You didn’t have to do this,” I whispered. The words came out thinner than I meant them to. When I told him about my plans, I honestly thought he was joking when he said he wanted to be part of it. “But maybe,” he continued gently, “helping you build something that was always yours… something you control, something you manage… maybe it gives you a place to s

NATE’S POV “What do you mean… he survived?” Her entire body goes rigid. The words barely make it past her lips, nothing more than a whisper. “Even after all the shots, the bastard survived,” I say. The second I see her shoulders tense further, I add quickly, “He’s in police custody. Everything he had on him was seized. With the amount of evidence stacked against him, there’s no way out of this. None.” She doesn’t respond. Her lips part slightly, dry. Her hands curl at her sides, knuckles pale. I brace myself for anger. For tears. For her to look at me like I betrayed her by letting her believe she killed a man. Instead, she whispers, “I… I’m going to bed now. Dr. Chase said I need as much rest as possible. I’ll see you in the morning.” The way the words come out tells me everything she isn’t saying. She wants space. She wants me gone. And for the first time in weeks, I don’t argue. I don’t cling. I don’t tell her it’s going to be okay like I’ve been repeating on a loop, hopi

ELARA’S POV “I made the potatoes just the way you like it,” Nate says, dropping into his seat. Today was supposed to be an off day for the staff. And somehow, Nate had decided that meant we should have dinner. Just the two of us. Like this was an ordinary evening. Like the hospital wasn’t only a many miles away, holding everything that mattered. The plates sat between us, steam curling into the air. The food smelled good. Comforting, even. And that almost made it worse. I stared down at it, fork resting uselessly in my hand, my chest tightening with every second that passed. That was when the thought slipped out of me, heavy and sharp. “Don’t you think it’s weird,” I said, pushing my fork around the plate, appetite long gone, “eating while our kids are still in the hospital?” Nate’s eyes lifted from his phone for the first time since he got to the table. “It is” He set the phone face down and reached across the table, his fingers closing around mine. His grip was firm

ELARA’S POV. The bathroom feels too bright. Steam fogs the mirror as Nate turns on the water, testing the temperature with his wrist like he’s afraid of getting it wrong. I sit on the closed toilet lid, hands folded in my lap, staring at nothing. “Sit tight,” he says. “I’ll grab a towel.” I nod. When he comes back, he crouches in front of me, moving slowly, giving me time to pull away if I need to. I don’t. He helps me stand. The motion sends a dull ache through my body, deep and persistent. I hiss quietly before I can stop myself. “Easy,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you.” “I know you do” I tell him. He only smiles, The adult diaper feels heavy when he helps me remove it. Embarrassing. Humbling. Real. There’s blood. Not fresh panic-red, but dark, steady, undeniable. I stare at it like it belongs to someone else. “This is normal,” Nate says softly, like he can hear my thoughts. “The doctor explained it. You’re okay.” I nod again. I keep nodding a lot these days. He helps me

ELARA’S POV The nurse adjusted the paperwork at the foot of my bed.“You’re cleared for discharge today.”Discharge.The word sat wrong in my body, like it didn’t belong to me yet.I nodded anyway.Five days had passed too fast. Too full. Too heavy.Somehow, I’d crossed the line into motherhood without ever really holding my children.Nate stood beside me, already holding my bag, already ready. He looked proud. Like I’d passed something important. Like surviving counted as an achievement.My eyes drifted to the empty bassinet by the wall.“So…” My voice came out quieter than I meant. “I just… leave?”The nurse’s expression softened immediately. “For now. You can come back whenever you want. They’re in very good hands.”Good hands.I pressed my lips together and swung my legs off the bed. The movement tugged at my stitches, sharp and unforgiving, a reminder that my body had done something irreversible.At the NICU doors, I stopped.Since my delivery, I’d only been able to see Liam and

RONAN’S POV.The sun had already set by the time we returned to the pack house. Kyle carried Penny, who had fallen asleep somewhere along the way, her tiny head resting on his shoulder. Sergio was in my arms, his small body heavy with sleep until he stirred, rubbing his eyes groggily. The men I brought with me had already been dismissed, though not without Kyle warning them: "If I hear anything about that bear from anyone, you’ll lose your heads." They had nodded and slinked off, knowing better than to test his word. As we reached the apartment, I shifted Sergio gently in my arms and knocked on the door. For a moment, everything was quiet. Then the door swung open. Lisa stood there, her expression anxious and uncertain until her eyes landed on the sleepy boy in my arms. “Sergio!” she gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes as she dropped to her knees, unable to contain her relief. The boy’s sleepy face lit up with a tired but genuine smile. “

RONAN’S POV I rush toward the bear, intent on pulling the kids off, but the beast lets out another guttural growl, sharp canines glistening with drool. It's a warning: Take one step, and I’ll tear you apart.But I don't care if it rips me to shreds so long as I can get those children away and ensure their safety, I'll take whatever comes.“Don’t attack us,” Sergio says calmly, his small voice cutting through the tension.The bear lowers its growl as Sergio pats it on the head. “It’s okay, Bruno. They won’t hurt us it’s just my daddy and his friends,” he says with a smile.To my surprise, the bear kneels, allowing Sergio to slide off its back like it's nothing more than a trained pony.“Daddy!” Sergio runs toward me, his tiny arms outstretched. I scoop him up, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. The relief washes over me like a wave, he's safe. But the bear's dark eyes are still fixed on me, tracking every move I make as if daring me to try something reckless.From th

RONAN’S POV“Kyle, you stay back. Howard and Team A will come with me,” I state firmly, knowing full well Kyle is going to argue. But he needs rest. Those bastards roughed him up, and I made him interrogate them again. As much as he won’t admit it, he’s not at full strength yet.Team A is made up of our most trusted warriors. I would’ve gone alone, but I need all the eyes I can get and only trusted eyes. Someone from the inside helped with the kidnapping; I feel it in my gut.Even though they got in during the race, they couldn’t have made it this far without help. When I find out who betrayed us, I’ll make an example of them so no one ever tries it again.Kyle stands his ground, hands in his pockets. “I’m coming with you.”His wounds have mostly healed, just a slight pinkish tint on his cheek. But it doesn’t change the fact that he needs rest.“No, you need to go and rest,” I tell him firmly.“My niece is missing too,” Kyle says quietly, his gaze unwavering. “Both kids are like my ow

RONAN'S POVFolding the sleeves of my blue button up shirt, I slip on my brass knuckles before taking a seat opposite him. The blonde guy across from me looks seconds away from pissing his pants. I tap the table lightly and lean forward with a cold smile. “We're in for some games tonight. I hope you’re ready.” He glares at me, trying to act tough. “What do you want from me?” I rest my elbows on the table. “First, how about you tell me your name?” “I’m not telling you shit,” he snarls. “Wrong answer,” I mutter, slamming my brass-covered fist into his face once, then twice. The sound of bone cracking echoes through the room as blood pours from his mouth. A tooth drops onto the table with a dull clink, and he groans in pain, spitting blood. “That should tell you I’m not here to play your ‘loyal spy’ games,” I say, wiping my knuckles clean. “Now, let’s try this again. What’s your name?” “Abel,” he whispers, trying hard to sound calm, but the fear in his eyes gives him away.

RONAN’S POV “Baby, are you okay?” I ask, though I already know the answer. I don’t need to ask to know she isn’t okay. For the past three days, she hasn’t cried or shown any vulnerability. I know she wants Sergio back, I do too. Just the thought of what might be happening to my son right now makes me sick. I don’t know exactly what is going on, but if even a single strand of hair is missing from his head when I find him, I will make sure I burn down any pack or territory involved, no matter how small their part. “Do I look like I’m okay?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t look okay,” I reply softly. She looks far from it. I know exactly what she’s doing, suppressing her emotions to stay strong. Gemma has been all over the place, crying and begging me to find her daughter. Lisa has been the only one holding things together, which means she’s bottling everything up to stay rational for everyone’s sake. But it’s eating her alive, and I know it because I feel it too. “L

LISA'S POV In a flash, we are no longer behind the bleachers, and the entire place erupts into chaos. People scatter in every direction, panicked voices rising over one another. My heart stutters in my chest, and my mind goes blank. My entire body freezes as if someone flipped a switch, cutting off my ability to think, move, or even breathe.Everything feels like it has stopped.“Lisa, I need to get you to safety now, please, don’t panic,” Ronan urges, his voice strained with urgency.His words barely register. It feels like I’m hearing them underwater, faint and distant. My limbs are paralyzed, every muscle locked in place, as if I have forgotten how to move.“I can’t go.” My voice is a trembling whisper as I take a step toward the chaotic crowd.“Lisa, no, it’s not safe in there,” Ronan shouts above the noise, trying to hold me back.“The kids are still in there! How am I supposed to leave when my children are caught in that madness?” My voice cracks with desperation as I try to sh

EMIL’S POV My attention remained fixed on the stone table as Councilman Jerry calmly explained the finer details of the agreement. Trade routes. Tariffs. Royal protection. Benefits capable of elevating Silver Claw far beyond its current standing. Every Alpha on the continent wanted access to the King's trade network. Very few ever received it. Across the courtyard, Ajax excused himself before leading Malia back into the pack house to collect her belongings. My jaw tightened. I hated that. Hated watching another man walk beside her as though he belonged there. Every instinct I possessed urged me to stop them. To tell Malia she wasn't leaving. To remind everyone she was still my chosen mate. But instincts didn't build strong packs. Reason did. If I challenged the Alpha King now, I already knew how it would end. Silver Claw would lose. My pack would lose. And if I intended to get Malia back... Then I needed patience. Jerry continued explaining the agre

EMIL'S POV "I don't require your belief." The words settled over the courtyard with unsettling finality. A loud ringing filled my ears as I stood before the Alpha King, the voices around me fading until all I could hear was the pounding of my own heartbeat. None of this made any sense. I wasn't a man who overlooked details. Every decision I made was calculated, every move considered long before I acted. I didn't make careless mistakes. So why did it feel as though I'd missed something so obvious? Malia was my mate. I had brought her into Silver Claw with my own hands. I had saved her life. I had given her a home when she had nowhere else to go. And now the Alpha King stood before my entire pack, claiming she was his fated mate? "Maybe because she's his mate... not yours." Briar's voice echoed lazily inside my head. I shut him out. I wasn't in the mood for his nonsense. My eyes found Malia. The same woman who had stood beside me for years. The same w

DRAVEN'S POVComing here was a waste of time. I had meetings to attend, investigations to oversee, and reports waiting on my desk. This entire handoff was a formality Ajax and councilman Jerry could have handle it without me. But if I was going to convince my father she was my mate, I needed to show I cared, even if I didn’t. Yet for some reason… the scene before me made my jaw tighten. Children stood crying at the edge of the courtyard, while adults watched as if this were some spectacle.I had known something was wrong the moment I saw her missed calls. Three missed calls from Malia weren't normal. Not after I'd told her to wait. Then again, I expected trouble when I arrived at Silver Claw; the pack and its alpha had been on my watchlist for potential problems for nearly two years now. The neighbouring packs had voiced concerns for quite some time.Still, I hadn’t expected this. Their luna surrounded by guards. Fresh marks forming around her arms. The stubborn lift of her chin a

MALIA’S POV. For the first time, Emil’s mask cracked. Only for a second. His jaw tightened. Eyes darkened. The hand resting on the chair stopped moving. “Malia.” My name left his mouth lower than before. Not a command. Not anger. Something else. But I refused to let myself wonder what. Everyone here had heard me. Everyone here would remember. My eyes locked with his. “You wanted freedom from me just as much as I wanted freedom from you. Let’s call it as it is and end it. ” His gaze sharpened. “You believe that?” I almost laughed. “Does it matter?” The muscles in his jaw moved. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something. Then pride won. He leaned back slowly, his expression turning cold again. “If that is your choice…” His voice was quiet. “Then you will no longer receive the elders’ protection.” My brows pulled together. “Guards.” The single word made my blood run cold. Two guards stepped forward. “Take Malia to the cells.” “What?”

MALIA’S POV The cold hit me before I even realized I was awake. A sharp gasp tore from my throat as freezing water soaked through my nightgown, sending a shock through my entire body. My eyes snapped open, blinking rapidly as I tried to make sense of the figure standing beside my bed. “Wake up,” Grace spat. I pushed myself upright, my breathing uneven as water dripped from my hair and down my face. For a moment, I only stared at her, waiting for the softness I used to see in her expression. It never came. “You have been summoned to the courtyard.” The words were simple, but the way she said them made my stomach tighten. Before I could ask why, she turned away. The door slammed shut behind her. I remained frozen for a few seconds, staring at the wooden door as the sound echoed through the room. After last night, there was only one reason the elders would summon me like this. They had already decided my fate. I slowly stepped off the bed, my wet nightgown clinging uncomfor

MALIA’S POV.I raised an eyebrow.“What are you hiding?”Anna’s eyes widened instantly hiding her hand to her back more.“Nothing.”"Anna..." I bit back a smile. "Are you absolutely sure there's nothing behind your back?""Yes." The answer came a little too fast."Hmm." I tapped my chin. "That's unfortunate."Her eyes narrowed suspiciously."Why?""Because I was hoping best friends didn't keep secrets from each other."The little liar crumbled instantly. With an exaggerated sigh, she pulled a small container from behind her back.Ointment.My smile disappeared.The child shuffled closer. “I wanted to go to the bathroom, but I saw your ankle…”My gaze dropped to the ointment before returning to her face. Anna suddenly looked very interested in the floor. “You were limping.”Something painful tightened in my chest. Because out of everyone in this entire pack…She was the only one who noticed. The only one.I swallowed hard. “T-Thank you.”A bright smile immediately spread across her face

XANDER'S POV“I’m fine,” Aria groans in my arms as I carry her.Aria was discharged two days after being admitted to the healer’s. She recovered faster than expected, but I still insisted on carrying her. I wanted to hold her close. As we walked to the lake, I thought she would want to go straight home, but instead, she asked to stop here.“Xander?”“Yes, Sunshine?”“You can put me down here,” she says with a small smile. “We’re at the lake.”“Are you sure?” I tease.“Yes,” she laughs, playfully slapping my chest.“Let’s sit over there,” she points to some large rocks near the water. I carry her all the way and sit on one of the rocks, her arms still around my shoulders.“Okay, mister clingy,” she chuckles, leaning into me.“Xander,” she says softly after a few moments of silence.“You’ve been avoiding this,” she begins. “Every time I try to apologize, you brush it off. Xander, it’s my fault what happened. You shouldn’t blame yourself. I made a mistake, and I—”I cut her off with a kis

XANDER'S POV It’s been a week without my mate. A week without her barging into my office, a week without her leaving snack wrappers all over the place.If I could go back to that day, I would’ve taken her to the car first and made sure someone took her with the others. But I didn’t. I thought I wouldn’t be able to catch Victor if I did, that he’d escape before I reached the car.If I had, she wouldn’t have risked her life to save mine. She wouldn’t have put herself and our baby in danger.Now, seeing her lying on this bed, with the relentless beeping of the monitor beside her, is the last thing I wanted. Even though she’s passed out before, this time is different. This time, I don’t know if she’ll make it.Lucas said her chances of waking up soon are slim.But just like she didn’t give up on me, even when my heart stopped, I won’t give up on her. She’s a fighter, and I know she’ll wake up.“You’ve got it in you, sunshine,” I whisper, gently squeezing her hand.Lucas said she used e

ARIA'S POV “Alexander, please, you have to wake up,” I said between sobs.My mind was completely blank. I didn’t know what to do or how to help him. All I could do was cry, holding his head on my lap.“You need to wake up,” I whispered, trying to connect with my wolf inside me.“We need to focus. We can save him,” I told her as I finally felt her presence.“No, we can’t,” she replied sadly. “He was stabbed with a silver knife, and it’s poisoned. Not just any poison, Aria it’s strong, and the blade went into his heart. We don’t even have anything to work with. You’ve already used up all the antidotes, and nothing is working. He’s not breathing, and his heartbeat is fading.”“Remember that time we healed a butterfly with just my hands?” I reminded her desperately.“That was ages ago, and it only worked once,” she countered. “Besides, Xander is not a butterfly.”“We have to try. I can’t forgive myself if anything happens to him. I don’t think I’d even be able to keep breathing without h

ARIA'S POVXander stood firm, his icy gaze locked on Victor. The tension in the air was thick, and I stayed rooted to the rock he had placed me on, my thoughts swirling as Victor’s taunts rang in my ears."I have no idea what file you’re after, Xander, but you’re not getting it," Victor said with a smug grin, his stance oozing confidence.Xander’s fists clenched. "Hand over the files, Victor. Or else."Victor chuckled darkly, his laughter echoing through the clearing. "Or else what? You think I’m scared of you? You’ll never get the files, and you’ll never know what’s in them. I’d rather burn them than hand them over."Xander took a menacing step closer. "Then apologize. Apologize to Aria for killing her parents to satisfy your greed."The mention of my parents made my chest tighten. I felt like the ground beneath me was about to give way.victor raises a brow."apologize for killing the holloways" Xander growled, even though Victor had a hand in the fire Xander's family were in why is

ARIA'S POV When I was sure Albert was dead, I dragged what was left of his body to the mud pit at the far end of the clearing. My hands were trembling, and my breathing was uneven, but I had no time to dwell on it.The chaos from the ceremony was still ringing in my ears, and I needed to get back. After wiping my hands on the damp earth, I made my way back to the gathering. But when I arrived, what greeted me was utter destruction.People were running in all directions, panic clear on their faces. Shattered decorations and overturned chairs littered the ground. Fires burned in scattered patches, and the air smelled of blood and smoke.I searched the area for Marcus, but he was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Xander. My heart pounded in my chest as I scanned the chaos. The only person I could make out was Russel, who was helping people escape from the premises.Where’s Victor? I thought to myself, my anxiety growing.Pushing through the chaos, I kept searching until I finally caught s

ARIA’S POV““Hello, Berta. I knew we’d meet again, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon,” I said with a smirk, watching the fear flicker in her eyes. It was clear she hadn’t anticipated this confrontation, and the sight of her trembling filled me with satisfaction.“A-Aria... What are you doing here? And you...” She paused, sniffing the air cautiously. “You smell different.”“We’re not friends or long lost allies, Berta, so what I smell like should be none of your business,” I replied coldly, taking a deliberate step toward her.She stepped back instinctively, and for every step I took, she retreated further, her back finally pressing against the rough bark of a tree.In a sudden, desperate move, she pulled out a knife and plunged it into her stomach. Warm blood splattered onto my hand, and for a moment, I froze in shock.“Berta!” I shouted, my voice rising with disbelief. “What the heck did you just do?”She slumped to the ground, clutching her self inflicted wound, her breaths com