LOGINCELINEI scratched the back of my head. "Zithan told me to stay behind and rest."His head snapped toward me instantly, his cold stare locking onto mine. "Rest, for what? Who's covering your errands at the office while you're sitting here pretending to be sick?""I'm not pretending," I said, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be."Really?" He crossed his arms, one eyebrow raised, water still beaded along his collarbone. "You looked perfectly capable of standing on your own two feet a minute ago. Funny how Zithan only asks you to rest on a day when there's actual work waiting at the office.""That's not fair," I said. "I got attacked last night, Kythan. I'm allowed to—""You got attacked," he cut in sharply, his voice suddenly rising, "because you went out alone, drunk, in the middle of the night, without telling a single soul where you were going. That's not misfortune, Celine. That's carelessness."Clearly, he was pissed at me for even trying to defend myself."I didn't ask to get
CELINEWe finally stopped in front of the door, and she pointed without saying a word.I flashed her a smile and nodded, and she gave me a slight bow before hurrying off, like she didn't want to be caught anywhere near this hallway.“Knock, knock.”I knocked softly on the door, but there was no response, and my heart kept beating hard against my ribs. I knocked again — still nothing. Instead of doing the sensible thing and walking away, I dared to ease the door open just enough to peek inside.No one in sight. I pushed it open wider and stepped in.‘Where could he be?‘The size of the room alone nearly took my breath away. It was easily twice the size of mine. Everything was done in deep black — the bedding, the curtains, every detail perfectly placed and somehow it managed to feel strangely beautiful instead of cold. I dropped the tray at the Mini table in the room. My eyes landed on a large framed photo mounted just above the headboard.It was a portrait of the three of them. Kytha
CELINE(NEXT MORNING)I stirred in bed, but couldn't move, strong arms held me firmly in place. I blinked my eyes open slowly and turned to find Kythan staring down at me.I gently pushed his arm off and sat up, and instantly, everything came crashing down at once, pain splitting through my skull. My hands flew to my head, pressing hard against my forehead.‘What happened last night?‘Pieces started surfacing — getting drunk at the club, my phone slipping from my hand and hitting the wet pavement. Unfamiliar, horrible-looking men circling me in the rain. The scratch on my arm.I looked down at my arm and found it carefully bandaged. Then more of it came back, a bright light flashing across my face, someone's hands catching me, the pepper spray in my grip, the moment I'd pressed down on it without thinking.‘Wait. Was that Zithan?‘ I gulped, dropping my gaze in shame.Then another memory surfaced — what came after. The warmth, the milk trailing over my skin, Zithan and Rythan both in
CELINEMy teeth chattered against each other from the cold, and I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, trying to conjure warmth out of nothing.The door opened, and I cracked my eyes open just enough to see Rythan walk in, carrying a small tray — warm milk in one cup, black coffee in another, a small plate of crackers set beside them.He set the tray down on the bedside table without a word, and when he looked at me, there was something gentle in his green eyes. Something I wasn't used to seeing from him."Sit up," he said softly."Rythan?" I called out.He smiled. "It's me, Zithan," he said.I pushed myself upright slowly, my head throbbing in protest at the movement. He handed me the coffee first, wrapping both his hands around mine to steady the cup, and watched patiently while I drank."You silly girl. How could you let yourself get so drunk?" he scolded, flicking my forehead playfully."I'm sorry," I admitted, smiling sheepishly, barely aware of anything else.He rolled his eye
KYTHAN BLACKTHORNE (Wolf: Vexan) "Rythan?" she called out, slurring, her legs giving out beneath her. She had mistaken me for my brother. I moved fast, catching her before she hit the ground, pulling her into my arms as she kept babbling, pointing weakly back at the scene behind us, telling me all the things she would have done to those men if I hadn't shown up. I ignored the rambling and set her down in my car. She immediately curled her arms around herself, shivering hard against the cold. I grabbed my jacket from the back seat and draped it over her. Within seconds, she'd dozed off completely, sleeping like she didn't have a single care left in the world. Her breathing evened out, slow and steady, like the most peaceful child alive. Without quite meaning to, I leaned in closer, studying her face — the soft, pouty pink of her lips, her lashes resting against her cheeks. I found myself staring like I was seeing her for the first time. Which, in a way, I was. I'd never actua
KYTHAN BLACKTHORNE (Wolf: Vexan)As I drove down the highway, Vexan stood on high alert within me, coiled and ready to strike. I found myself wondering why he hadn't already torn into me with one of his usual rants."Vexan," I called out, making a U-turn onto the road leading to Dankmark Highway.He ignored me on purpose, focused entirely on the road ahead, like he wished he could climb out of me and take the wheel himself."I think I should just turn around and go home. I don't care if—""Don't you dare," he growled, cutting me off. "Say whatever you want about not caring. We save her first."I scoffed. I didn't even know why I'd agreed to come out here in the first place. That ungrateful girl hadn't even thanked me the last time I helped her."That's because you never gave her a real chance to," Vexan's voice cut in."That's exactly why I hate helping people," I snapped. "After tonight, she can go straight to hell.""I doubt that," he said quietly, like he'd already seen exactly how
CELINE I rushed downstairs with my bag clutched against my side, eyes glued to my phone as I tried to power it back on. My mind was still clouded, thick with everything that had happened in that room. Everything Alpha Zithan had done to me with his hands and his mouth and that devastating patien
CELINE The word detonated inside my chest like something physical. Mate! The pull struck again, but harder this time, coming from three directions at once, like invisible hands reaching into my ribcage and pulling simultaneously. My own hand rose slowly and I pointed a trembling finger at each
CELINE I stood at the top of the stairs and stared at the empty corridor where the cold-eyed man had just been. The warmth I remembered from this morning was completely gone. Stripped away as if it had never existed. Those familiar features, same dark hair, same jaw, same mouth — had looked at m
CELINE "Damn! Your stepsister's got a fat ass!" Doland spanked me hard, tossing me a shameless wink. I scoffed, disgust curling through me like. This wasn't the first time he had put his hands on me. I spun around, ready to say something he wouldn't forget in a hurry. I stormed towards him,







