《Sold To The Alphas I Hate》


 Chapter 1: Pure Blood Shewolf

    <h4>Chapter 1: Pure Blood Shewolf</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "We hit the jackpot. This bitch is a pureblood shewolf."


    Lying on the narrow bed in the dimly lit basement, I heard their voices echo from the adjacent room which looked like some kind ofboratory. I¡¯d caught a glimpse of it when they first dragged me in: shelves lined with strange instruments and beeping machines.


    Jackpot.


    Of course, the so-called jackpot bitch they were referring to was me. A no name shewolf, a sex ve, often called by various names like whore, slut or every derogatory word they could use for a woman they used and abused for the past six years.


    <i>Bitch</i> was almost kindpared to the rest.


    I got so used to them that I even forgot my real name. As far as I remember, there used to be one, a sweet one.


    "Pureblood? Are you sure, Paul?" Henry asked, his voiceced with disbelief.


    "Yes," Paul replied, awestruck as though he¡¯d unearthed a mythical creature. "Not just a pureblood, her gene purity rating is the highest I¡¯ve ever recorded. It¡¯s unreal. Look at this result yourself."


    "Holy shit!" Henry muttered, clearly stunned. I could almost imagine the dor signs spinning in his eyes. "Pureblood shewolves are nearly extinct. And one like <i>this</i>? She¡¯s a treasure. If word gets out, every powerful Alpha in existence wille crawling to us, offering whatever it takes to get her."


    Pureblood shewolf.


    I was equally shocked like these men when I found this truth about myself six years back. Because my grandparents raised me with the lie drilled in my mind:<i> You are a weak and wolfless hybrid between human and a werewolf</i>.


    But it was a lie which broke on the day I came of age, my sixteenth birthday, the day that ruined my life.


    I wonder, if the world had known what I truly was back then... would my life have been different?


    Not really? And my grandparents knew what would have happened to me.


    Even before I reached adulthood, Alphas would haveid their ims on me, as if I were theirs by divine right. They would have drafted contracts, made secret pacts among themselves, agreeing to share me once I came of age.


    They would have drawn lots to decide who would mount me first, who would sire the first child, and who would follow next. I¡¯d be passed from one to another like a prized possession, a vessel meant to produce the ultimate heir, a pureblood Alphas.


    The only difference between that fate and the one I lived would be: Instead of being sold to nameless men by traffickers in grimy, bloodstained rooms for six long years, I would have been locked inside a gilded cage, a breeder¡¯s cage, crafted by the wealthiest Alphas. Polished walls, silk sheets, golden chains.


    And instead of <i>sex ve</i>, I would be a <i>werewolf breeder</i>.


    Such is the cursed fate of pure-blooded she-wolves, now little more than legends.


    But how did thingse to this?


    The downfall began with the cruelty of the werewolf ns themselves. Their pride, their recklessness, their disdain for the very she-wolves who carried the bloodline forward. They discarded, abused, and murdered them until there were none left. By the time they realized, it was toote to regret.


    Now the werewolf race teetered on the edge of extinction.


    To continue their legacy, to create true Alphas, they needed pure blood she-wolves. Not human women. Not half-breeds. Only pure she-wolves could endure the knot of a powerful Alpha and survive childbirth. Anyone else would die, broken and bled out.


    "Let¡¯s auction her in the evening. I can¡¯t wait to get at least a few billions in our hands," Henry sounded overly ecstatic. "I am sending an invitation right away."


    "Sure. I will inject her with drugs so she won¡¯t make any scene like the previous ones and leave with her masters obediently," I heard Paul say.


    ¡ª-


    That evening, a grand auction was arranged to sell me off in that underground facility.


    They drugged me just enough to keep me awake, but not strong enough to resist or cause a scene. Slumped in a wheelchair in the dimly lit room, I stared at the screen in front of me. It disyed the auction hall full of powerful Alphas seated like kings, each one waiting to get the rarestmodity they hadn¡¯t seen in decades.


    A pureblood shewolf.


    "See how many powerful Alphas desire you, girl?" came a voice beside me.


    It was the nurse who was tasked with watching over me like a hawk, and to ensure I didn¡¯t try to escape.


    Who would tell her I had given up on running away and instead I wanted to die, but sadly death wouldn¡¯te so easily to the Pureblood.


    The door burst open suddenly and Paul and Henry rushed in. Both looked visibly anxious.


    "What the hell are you talking about, Paul?" Henry snapped, pacing. "Do you want to get us all killed by those bloodthirsty Alphas?"


    Paul, equally tense, shoved a tablet into Henry¡¯s hands. "I did more research on her kind. And it¡¯s true. She can only breed with her fated mate."


    Henry nted both hands on his hips, exhaling sharply to steady himself before responding. "Look, we <i>know</i> she can only conceive with her fated mate, but those Alphas don¡¯t. By the time her new owners figure it out, months will have passed. That¡¯s enough time for us to run away somewhere far with our money. How about that?"


    Paul sighed, and gave a reluctant nod. "Better than dying in their hands tonight."


    My pulse beginning to race, as I heard those words that sounded more like a curse.


    <i>My fated mate...?</i>


    At the mention of it, the image of that man¡¯s face mmed into my mind like a nightmare returning to life. His cold, hateful eyes as if he can¡¯t wait to kill me, still bore into my heart.


    Out of so many werewolves in the world, why did he have to be my mate? Why <i>him?</i>


    For six long years, I believed all my emotions had died. I felt nothing. No hope, no fear, no longing. But now, as I remembered <i>him</i>... I realized one emotion remained.


    Hate.


    I hated him with everything I had.


    Lost in the pitless abyss of old memories of pain, betrayal, and hatred, I barely registered the voice that echoed from the screen.


    <strong>"The winner of the draw is the Alpha of Stormhowl Pack¡ªAlpha Kael and his four sworn mate-brothers."</strong>


    Stormhowl Pack?


    The name struck me like lightning.


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t breathe. The air turned to stone in my lungs. I snapped my gaze to the screen, where the faces of winner Alpha¡¯s were shown, the ones who had ruined my life.


    No. This couldn¡¯t be real. It <i>had</i> to be a nightmare.


    "Congrattions," the nurse¡¯s cheerful voice reached me. "You¡¯ve been sold to the most powerful pack for whole twenty billion. You are truly our treasure to make us wealthy in just one night."


    I ignored what she said. All I could hear was the voice roaring in my ears, the single thought screaming through my mind like a siren:


    <strong>No. No. I can¡¯t go with them. I have to run.</strong>

 Chapter 2: Ran And Caught

    <h4>Chapter 2: Ran And Caught</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "Jenny, you can bring her to the exit hallway. The Alphas will receive her there," Henry¡¯s voice pulled me sharply back to the present.


    I watched as he and Paul left the room in haste, probably too impatient to im the fortune they¡¯d earned by selling me off.


    "You¡¯re lucky, you know," Jenny said, still fixated on the screen disying the winner Alphas. "Not just one, but five rich and powerful Alphas. If I were a she-wolf, I¡¯d throw myself at them. But a mere human like me can only lust after money, and survive this boring life."


    While she was lost in her fantasies, I quickly grabbed a tiny syringe filled with a clear drug that had been carelessly left in the tray next to me, and slipped it beneath the hem of my flimsy, knee-length off-white gown, pressing it against my thigh.


    Jenny began pushing the wheelchair down the dim, sterile hallway, the so-called <i>exit. </i>The passage was narrow, lit by flickering yellow lights that gave it a hollow, haunted air.


    The cold air stung the bare skin of my legs as we neared the end of the hallway. Ahead, I saw the partially opened iron door.


    My only way to freedom.


    The moment we reached closer to the door, I tightly gripped the syringe in my trembling hand.


    "Ah!" I cried out, my voice strained with fabricated agony.


    As expected, Jenny stopped and asked, "What happened?"


    She sounded worried, but it wasn¡¯t for me. It was about losing money if something happened to me.


    "It hurts," I whispered, barely audible, as though I were too weak to even speak. Years of enduring real pain had taught me exactly how to mimic it.


    She rushed to the front of the wheelchair, her brows furrowed as she knelt in front of me. "Where? Show me."


    "Here," I clutched my stomach, bending forward in pain.


    Her hands reached to inspect my stomach. "Move your hands. Let me see."


    I obeyed, and in the next heartbeat, I drove the syringe into the side of her neck.


    Her body jerked with surprise, eyes going wide. Even I was startled by the strength my hand gathered despite the drug effect and it even hit very precisely.


    Jenny let out a strangled gasp, one hand flying to the needle that now hung uselessly from her neck.


    "You bitch," Her eyes locked on mine, filled with fury and disbelief. "What the hell did you do to me?"


    I met her gaze with a slow, wicked smirk, my vision still hazy but my mind crystal clear. "Just giving you a taste of your own drug. I do hope it works faster on you than it did on me."


    "You¡ª"


    Before she could finish, I shoved her aside. She toppled backward easily, hitting the cold floor with a dull thud. The drug worked faster and her body would be numb in seconds.


    Gathering every ounce of my strength, I rose from the wheelchair and dragged myself to run out of the door.


    But my body was sluggish. Numb. The drugs coursing through me were dangerously strong. My limbs ached, my vision swam. Still, I couldn¡¯t give up now.


    For years, they had fed me all kinds of drugs before delivering me to strange men like some twisted offering, that this drug feels nothing much of a trouble.


    <i>"I have to do it. I¡¯d rather die than fall into their hands."</i>


    The cold wind pped against my skin as I stepped outside. It was dark, but few high pole lights were casting enough glow to make it visible. Ahead was circr razor-wire fencing and then woods beyond that.


    Perfect. Time to feel freedom after six long years.


    Breath hitching, body screaming in protest, I limped toward the fence.


    I pushed myself through the twisted mess of wire, the sharp nails tearing into my skin, drawing blood that trickled down my limbs in warm streams. My gown caught and tore. My flesh scraped and split. But I didn¡¯t stop.


    By the time I copsed on the other side, my vision spun and my chest heaved, but I didn¡¯t lie there.


    Freedom or death. There was no third option.


    I forced myself to my feet and plunged into the woods as I stepped over dry leaves and brittle branches that cracked beneath me. Thorns scratched my arms. Splinters pierced my feet. I tripped over rocks and roots, stumbled into trees, but each time I fell, I rose again with new determination.


    <i>¡¯I am not going to them. Not now. Not ever.¡¯</i>


    Most people in my ce would pray for someone toe for their rescue, but I was praying for something else.


    <i>¡¯Maybe there is a deep valley ahead and I just fall and die? Maybe a wild animal who is just angry or hungry? Anything, anyone will do, just make me die.¡¯</i>


    Not sure how much time passed by, but it felt like an eternity to me. And I could already hear them following me.


    "Blood. I smell blood this way," I heard a man¡¯s distant voice. "She has gone this way."


    A shiver ran down my spine. ¡¯I am found.¡¯


    I had been bleeding since the fence and it must have been so easy for them to follow me.


    "There she is!" someone shouted.


    I forced my legs to move faster, dragging my feet as best I could, only to have tripped over a half buried wooden log.


    I crashed face-first onto the hard, unforgiving ground. I felt dizzy and unable to move.


    "Did you really think you could run away after we paid so much to buy you?"


    A chill ran through my body to hear that familiar voice which Ist heard six years back. I couldn¡¯t dare move. Preferring to lie like a dead log, hoping my soul leaves my body in a moment and spares me this new hell.


    "Let¡¯s see which lucky bitch we just bought." Another voice followed,ced with cruel amusement.


    In that moment, the thought that crossed my mind wasn¡¯t fear. It wasn¡¯t anger. It was a hollow, empty whisper: I give up.


    Rough hands seized my shoulders and turned me over, forcing me onto my back. My gown clung to my wounds, and the cold wind bit at my skin.


    Fingers brushed my face and pushed the mess of hair away from my eyes.


    And so, I opened my eyes, only to see familiar faces painted with shock and disbelief.

 Chapter 3: Five Alphas

    <h4>Chapter 3: Five Alphas</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    <strong>"The winner of the draw is the Alpha of Stormhowl Pack, Alpha Kael and his four sworn mate brothers."</strong>


    The moment I heard it, I can¡¯t tell how happy I was, like I own the entire world now.


    Around us, I could feel the tension ripple from the crowd¡ªAlphas from the other territories, desperate and burning with envy.


    If not for the strict rule that bound all present to respect the auction¡¯s oue, the hall might have descended into chaos. To be precise, no one dared move against the result¡ªbecause no one dared to move against <i>us</i>.


    The Stormhowl Pack.


    The most powerful pack that even the most savage Alpha thought twice before crossing.


    As the announcement settled, the other bidders began to vacate their seats in bitter silence, swallowing their defeat with clenched jaws and shadowed eyes.


    We didn¡¯t care. Let them re.


    If anything, I was ready to uncork a bottle of wine and shout to the world: I can finally have a mate, a child, and aplete family with my other four sworn mate brothers. My most cherished dream ising to be true finally with this shewolf we just won in the auction.


    But, I can¡¯t say the same about the other four, who were sitting in the chairs next to me around the circr table as if nothing special had happened. They never wanted a mate or to bring any woman into our home. The incident six years back, when that girl betrayed, hurt, and ruined their lives, left them hating the thought of having a woman in life, let alone mate.


    If not for the reasons that forced us to get a pureblood she-wolf, they wouldn¡¯t be here anymore.


    Not that they never touched any woman. It was impossible not to do it for always hot-blooded Alphas whose needs for physical desires were unending. They often fucked whores and satisfied their needs, but bringing someone into our home and into our lives to make a part of it was out of the question.


    A round-bellied man approached our table, his eyes flickering between awe and apprehension. He bowed slightly as he addressed Kael, his tone carefully measured.


    "Congrattions, Alpha Kael."


    Kael didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t need to.


    He was the strongest among us, our leader, the official heir to the Stormhowl legacy. Alphas bowed to him, warriors feared him, and enemies never lived long enough to speak of him.


    Kael sat in his chair with his usual air of arrogance, dark eyes always cold and calm. His strong and tall build looked even more intimidating in a perfectly fitted ck shirt and pants. The top few buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of hardened muscle beneath. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, baring arms corded with strength, veins running thick like rivers of power beneath his skin.


    The round-bellied man offered a tight, practiced smile. "The she-wolf has been escorted to the rear exit hallway, Alpha Kael. You may retrieve her from there."


    In simpler terms, our <i>package</i> was ready for pickup. All that remained was the payment.


    Unbothered, Kael turned to me with his usualmanding calm. "Handle it. Let¡¯s leave."


    Managing finances had always been my responsibility¡ªone I didn¡¯t mind. Without dy, I reached for the sleek ck office bag at my side and retrieved the thick checkbook.


    As I began scrawling out the amount¡ª<strong>twenty billion</strong>¡ªa mocking scoff came from beside me.


    Lucian.


    "One whore with a used cunt, and we¡¯re paying twenty billion just to breed a pup? Apparently, we¡¯ve got money to throw away on trash."


    "Trash or not, you can still fuck her," Jason added, his tone cold and amused. "Or better yet, maybe I can test mytest torture techniques on her. See how far a pureblood female canst before she breaks."


    "Sure," Lucian smirked. "That might actually make this waste of money feel worthwhile."


    Lucian and Jason were brothers. Lucian¡¯s parents adopted orphaned Jason when he was a pup. Though not blood-rted, both were close to each other like real brothers, like two peas in one pod.


    At the same time, both were the strongest warriors in the pack, known for their cruelty¡ªnot just against enemies, but even against those who ended up offending them.


    I shot them both a re. We hadn¡¯t even brought her home yet, and they were already fantasizing about breaking her. For God¡¯s sake, we needed her <i>alive</i> and safe, at least until she gave us pups. And here they were, treating her like some toy to be torn apart.


    Assholes.


    "If we¡¯re done here, I¡¯m leaving," Rafe muttered, standing up from his chair. He was the youngest among us¡ªand the one who least cared about the she-wolf or what she represented.


    Rafe was different.


    A hybrid. Half-werewolf, half-vampire. The red ring around his light brown eyes glowed¡ªthat signified he was craving blood.


    His bloodlust was insatiable. Nothing seemed to satisfy him for long. He could feed off any one of us, but even our blood had started to bore him.


    Dangerous. Restless. Cold.


    That was Rafe.


    And right now, I don¡¯t know what would happen when that she-wolf met the five of us... especially Rafe.


    <i>I just hope he doesn¡¯t drain her dry and kill her.</i>


    When he loses control, no one¡ªnot even Kael¡ªcan stop him.


    "It¡¯s done," I said, handing the check to the round-bellied man.


    But before he could utter a word of thanks, another man came rushing toward him, his face pale with panic. He leaned in and whispered something urgently into the man¡¯s ear.


    I nearly scoffed aloud.


    Idiots. We¡¯re werewolves¡ªour hearing is sharper than any whisper. What was the point of whispering right in front of us?


    The man¡¯s expression shifted instantly. Anxiety flickered across his face as he turned back to us, beads of sweat forming along his temple.


    "Alpha Kael... how about you wait here for a moment?" he said nervously. "We¡¯ll bring the she-wolf to you."


    He was trying to keep calm, but it was toote. He knew if this deal fell apart, he¡¯d be a dead man¡ªand this whole building would be in ruins. No one dares to mess the Stormhowl Pack.


    Kael didn¡¯t even bother responding to him. His gaze turned to the panicked man beside him.


    "Take us to where she escaped from."

 Chapter 4: Ghost From The Past

    <h4>Chapter 4: Ghost From The Past</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Without wasting a second, both men wiped the nonexistent sweat from their brows and led us five to outside the door of that exit hallway.


    "How did she escape? Wasn¡¯t she drugged?" the round-bellied one demanded, his facade ofposure now gone.


    "She was," the other man replied grimly, "but somehow she fought off the effects. She injected Jenny with the same drug and managed to flee."


    Meanwhile Lucian entered the door where we could see a woman lying on the floor and there was a syringe as well. He picked it up, brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply.


    Lucian, the drug enthusiast. He didn¡¯t just consume them¡ªhe created them. His knowledge of chemicals was disturbingly vast, enough to identify apound with a single sniff.


    He smirked, wicked amusement lighting up his eyes. "Seems like our little fox is stronger than we thought. Can¡¯t wait to try some of my new brews on her."


    Jason took the syringe next, sniffed it, and whistled low. "Damn. This stuff is potent."


    Here we go again, I sighed inwardly, casting a nce at Kael.


    But Kael wasn¡¯t with us anymore. He had already made his way outside toward the wired fencing.


    "If she¡¯s this heavily drugged, she won¡¯t be able to shift. She can¡¯t have gone far." I heard Kael say.


    Blood was sttered along the fence. She had gone through to w her way out¡ªthrough thick nails and steel wires¡ªenough to know one thing: she was desperate.


    Desperate enough to bleed herself raw just to escape us.


    Rafe, who had been quiet all this while, reached out and touched a blood-coated nail with his finger and brought it slowly to his nose.


    A momentter, his light brown eyes, that were faintly red, now snapped into full crimson.


    We all felt the shift in his energy immediately¡ªlike a silent scream ripping through his soul.


    He wanted that blood. He <i>craved</i> it.


    Damn it!


    "Kael," I called for him, but Kael had ced his hand over Rafe¡¯s shoulder, firm and grounding.


    "Calm down. First, let¡¯s find her."


    Rafe rarely disobeyed him in his sane state and wiped that blood-coated finger off on Kael¡¯s ck shirt¡ªthe sign that he would control himself, at least for now.


    Crossing that flimsy fence took us less than a moment. On the other side, smears of blood painted the forest floor like a breadcrumb trail leading us straight to her. It wouldn¡¯t be long now.


    "It reminds me of those old hunting events," Lucian remarked, a gleam of dark excitement in his eyes. "When Alphas used to hunt down she-wolves and im them as theirs."


    "That¡¯s precisely why she-wolves are rare now," I replied sharply, then turned a warning nce toward both Lucian and Jason. "Neither of you is allowed to harm her. Don¡¯t forget why we bought her."


    At my words, both their eyes flickered to Kael, who was studying the bloodstains ahead, Rafe silently at his side. Kael was the reason we¡¯d agreed to buy this shewolf.


    "She¡¯s close," Rafe murmured. His Vampire senses were faster than us when it came to the stench of blood.


    "Alright! We¡¯ll just catch her, won¡¯t hurt her," Jason assured me, speaking on behalf of himself and Lucian.


    We continued deeper into the woods. The trees closed in around us, heavy with silence, save for the rustling of our boots over dead leaves. Then, once again, Rafe spoke.


    "Blood. I smell it stronger this way."


    "There she is!" Lucian called out with a grin, amusement ringing in his voice.


    Ahead, we saw her¡ªa lone figure stumbling through the woods in a knee-length, dirt-smeared gown. Her long, matted hair veiled the sides of her face, but the exhaustion in her every step was painfully clear. She dragged herself forward, gasping, every motion ragged andbored. Yet she didn¡¯t stop.


    She was running on nothing but willpower. A soul clinging to thest thread of freedom.


    We surged forward, closing the gap just in time to see her trip over a fallen branch. She copsed hard, face-first into the forest floor.


    <i>That must have hurt.</i>


    "Did you really think you could run after we paid so much to buy you?" Jason taunted, his voiceced with cruel delight as he stepped closer.


    Lucian moved ahead of us and knelt beside her. His smirk curled wider, wicked with satisfaction. "Let¡¯s see which lucky bitch we just bought."


    He gripped her shoulder roughly and turned her over onto her back. Her face was nearly unrecognizable¡ªsmeared with dirt, hair tangled across her cheeks.


    With one swift motion, Lucian brushed her hair aside.


    And then we all froze.


    Her eyes fluttered open... and met ours.


    Silence fell like a de.


    Every muscle in my body went rigid.


    <i>Damn it.</i>


    It was her.


    <i>It can¡¯t be...</i> but there she was¡ªlying at our feet.


    The girl from six years ago.


    The ghost we had buried in memory... now staring straight into our souls.

 Chapter 5: Isn’t She Hybrid?

    <h4>Chapter 5: Isn¡¯t She Hybrid?</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    The moonlight from the sky was making it easier for us to see each other clearly. All five of us were frozen in our ce, our minds entirely nk.


    For a while, not a sound stirred¡ªuntil Lucian, who had been kneeling beside her, finally moved. In a sh, his hands shot out, wrapping around her neck with brutal force as he hissed through clenched teeth.


    "You bitch... You dared to show your face to us?" His voice dripped with venom, his grip tightening as though he meant to snap her neck. "How dare you even be alive? You don¡¯t deserve it, you filthy whore."


    His rage snapped the rest of us out of our daze, but none of us moved to stop him. Because, deep down, we all felt the same burning fury he did.


    My gaze drifted to her face. Despite being choked, she didn¡¯t fight back. Instead, she slowly closed her eyes, like she was surrendering... as if weing death.


    <strong>Death?</strong>


    She couldn¡¯t die. The thought snapped me back to reality.


    "No¡ªLucian, let her go!" I rushed forward, grabbing his arms, trying to break his grip from her fragile neck. "We need her. For Kael¡¯s sake."


    "She killed my sister." Lucian roared, his voice trembling¡ªnot just with fury, but raw, open grief. "My mother died because of her."


    "I know." My hands trembled as I fought to loosen his hold. "But we need her¡ªfor Kael. If we don¡¯t have pure blood she-wolf, Sophia won¡¯t survive. Do you want Kael to lose her too?"


    At the sound of their names, Lucian¡¯s fury faltered. His hands trembled, his jaw clenched¡ªbut hesitation flickered in his eyes.


    I caught Rafe¡¯s eye and gave him a subtle nod. He understood instantly. For Kael¡¯s sake, Rafe would do anything.


    Without a word, Rafe stepped forward and delivered a sharp, punishing kick to Lucian¡¯s side, sending him sprawling to the ground.


    I turned back to her immediately. Shey motionless. Her skin ghostly pale. No rise, no fall in her chest. Her chest wasn¡¯t rising.


    "Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, panic gripping me as I bent over her. "She¡¯s not breathing!"


    My eyes shot toward Kael¡ªbut he stood there, unmoving, his gaze locked on her lifeless form.


    His body, his expression were tense. The way he had clenched his fists leaving all the veins along his forearm bulging out, I could feel he was barely containing his fury, a storm held just beneath the surface.


    The one who lost the most because of this girl was Kael. He lost his parents, the woman he loved was stuck to hospital bed for life and even lost his unborn child.


    But at this moment, he was simply holding back for Sophia¡¯s sake. Sophia, the woman he loved deeply.


    I turned back to the woman on the ground, preparing to administer CPR, but someone beat me to it.


    A brutal kicknded squarely on her chest, the heavy boot mming into her ribs with a sickening thud.


    She jerked violently, gasping in agony as consciousness returned. Blood spattered from her lips as she coughed, each breath ragged and painful.


    I winced. That kick had likely fractured a rib¡ªmaybe more.


    I shot a re toward him. "Jason, are you trying to kill her?"


    "I wish," Jason spat coldly, his eyes zing with hatred. "But this bitch seems too damn stubborn to die. Or she wouldn¡¯t be here in the first ce."


    I didn¡¯t respond. His rage, like Lucian¡¯s, was understandable. They had every right to feel what they did.


    But someone had to stay level-headed. And right now, that had to be me.


    Saving her came first. What came after... we¡¯d decide then.


    "We need to take her to hospital," I told them, ready to lift her into my arms, but....


    "Isn¡¯t she just a hybrid?" Rafe¡¯s calm yet cutting words once more shocked us. "How is she suddenly a pureblood? Are we deceived by those bastards?"


    His question brought a shared memory rushing back. We had always known her as a hybrid¡ªa weak, insignificant wolfess.


    Lucian, still simmering with rage, shot up from the ground. "There shouldn¡¯t be any issue with killing her now. She¡¯s of no use to Kael."


    "Wait." I stepped in his path, cing myself between him and her limp body. "They wouldn¡¯t dare lie to the Alphas. They know the consequences. We even saw the blood report¡ªthey sent results confirming she¡¯s a pureblood."


    But Lucian had no interest in reason. Seething in rage, he closed the distance between us, his face mere inches from mine, his voice low and dangerous.


    "Roman, we all know you¡¯ve been desperate to fuck a pureblood, dreaming of kids and a sweet little family," he growled through gritted teeth. "We don¡¯t care what bitch you screw over. But this one isn¡¯t the answer to your pathetic fantasy. She dies today."


    "She was a minor back then to show her true form to anyone. What if she¡¯s truly pureblood, but they hid it from everyone. You do know what happens with pureblood shewolf and how they are kept hidden?" I shot back, my own anger rising to match his. "And yes, I want a family¡ªbut right now, this isn¡¯t about me. It¡¯s about Kael. About Sophia. We can run the test again at the hospital, and if it shows she¡¯s a hybrid, I swear to you, I¡¯ll help you tear her apart and bury her myself."


    "Enough."


    A single word, cold and powerful, cut through the brewing storm like thunder.


    We all turned toward Kael, who until now had remained silent, but seemed to have lost his patience now.


    He looked between Lucian and me, then turned to Jason. "Take Lucian with you. Find out if those bastards lied to us. And if they did¡ªmake them beg for death."


    Then his eyes met mine. "Take her to the hospital. Get another test done. If she¡¯s a hybrid...you don¡¯t need to tell me what you did with her."


    Without waiting for a reply, Kael turned and walked away. Rafe followed him, as always, without a word.


    That left only me¡ªwith her.

 Chapter 6: Blood Test

    <h4>Chapter 6: Blood Test</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    I looked down at her.


    She was still breathing¡ªbarely. Blood clung to her lips, smeared across her face, and soaked into every inch of her torn, battered body. She looked more like a corpse than someone still clinging to life.


    I knelt beside her and slid my arms beneath her fragile frame.


    "If not for Kael¡¯s sake... pureblood or not... you would¡¯ve died today," I muttered, unsure if she was even conscious enough to hear me. "I don¡¯t want him to lose Sophia after everything he¡¯s already lost¡ªbecause of you."


    I paused, jaw tightening.


    "Lucian¡¯s right. You don¡¯t deserve to live. But..."


    I lifted her into my arms. She felt weightless¡ªfar too light for someone who had once carried so much ruin in her name. But then, I pushed aside the thought, not wanting to feel a tinge of sympathy or pity towards her. She didn¡¯t deserve it. She didn¡¯t deserve anything.


    Cradling her limp form, I made my way back toward the vehicles. We had arrived in two cars. One would be left behind for Lucian and Jason. The other was ours.


    Rafe sat behind the wheel, Kael in the passenger seat, silent as ever.


    Rafe nced at me as I approached. "Trash doesn¡¯t belong in luxury seats," he said coolly. "I¡¯m not letting her stain my car."


    With the push of a button, the trunk popped open.


    I didn¡¯t say a word. Without hesitation, I ced her inside, closed the trunk with a firm hand, and climbed into the back passenger seat.


    We headed to our usual hospital¡ªone owned by Kael¡¯s family, just one of many businesses under his name.


    By the time we arrived, Liam, the resident doctor, was already waiting. He¡¯d been informed about the emergency ahead of time. The old beta had seen more winters than most; what remained of his hair waspletely grey, the rest long gone.


    Despite there being plenty of younger, more modern doctors, Liam was always the one we called. He was dependable, discreet, and an expert in everything concerning werewolves.


    "What happened?" Liam approached us with a furrowed brow, his voice edged with mild irritation. "What did Lucian and Jason do now?"


    It wasn¡¯t an unfair question¡ªthose two were usually the reason he got summoned. Trouble followed them like a shadow. Or maybe it was the other way around.


    "It¡¯s not about them this time," I said.


    Just then, the hospital staff rolled her in on a stretcher. I wasn¡¯t even sure if she was still alive after spending nearly half an hour crammed in the trunk. That bastard Rafe had driven like a lunatic, and I could only imagine how much her broken body had been tossed around.


    "Who is she?" Liam asked, not having seen her face yet. "The pureblood you mentioned in the message?"


    I gave a short nod, watching as Kael turned and walked away without a word. I didn¡¯t try to stop him¡ªI already knew he was heading to see Sophia.


    "Just treat her. You¡¯ll understand soon enough," I told Liam.


    As the stretcher drew closer, her face came into full view. The reaction was instant.


    Liam stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    Before he could say anything, I cut him off. "We need to run a test. Confirm whether she¡¯s truly a pureblood. Hurry."


    Still stunned, the old man followed the staff as they wheeled her into one of the private treatment rooms. I dropped into a chair in the corridor outside, rubbing the back of my neck.


    I nced at Rafe beside me. "You didn¡¯t follow Kael?"


    He scoffed with a light mock. "Not a fan of that woman either. One unpleasant face a day is more than enough."


    Rafe had always been straightforward with his words and thoughts. He never liked Sophia and didn¡¯t bother hiding it. I am not sure what was his issue with Sophia and this girl in the past.


    Back then he especially detested this girl, Eira, for some reason which we never understood. It was as if he didn¡¯t even want to breathe same air as hers.


    The only reason he tolerated these two around was because Sophia was Kael¡¯s girlfriend and this girl was Alice¡¯s friend.


    Alice- Lucian and Jason¡¯s sister, who was killed by this girl.


    Nearly an hourter, the old man, Liam finally returned. His expression was stormy, eyes sharp with disbelief.


    "What the hell did you do to her?" he demanded, voice low but charged. "How can you treat someone like that, even if she¡ª?"


    "After what she¡¯s done, you still have the audacity to defend her?" I cut him off, my re hard. "Just give me the results, Liam. We¡¯ll decide then whether she lives... or dies."


    With a weary sigh, he handed over the report. "She¡¯s a pureblood. Without a doubt."


    I nced at Rafe, but he only gave a nonchnt shrug and turned away. He¡¯d been the first to question her bloodline, and now walking off as if it had nothing to do with him.


    "How long will it take for her to recover?" I asked, my voice clipped. Now that it was confirmed¡ªshe was indeed a pureblood¡ªthere was no point wasting time. We would use her for the reason we took her... and discard her when it was done.


    "At least a few days," Liam replied. "Even for a pureblood, her injuries are severe. She¡¯s in no condition to heal quickly."


    Just then, Kael returned. I handed him the report. He took it, expression unreadable, conflicted, perhaps, unsure whether this revtion was a blessing or a curse.


    "For Sophia¡¯s sake," I reminded him quietly.


    He said nothing, simply returned the report to me.


    Soon after, Lucian and Jason arrived. The blood sttered on their clothes was answer enough¡ªthose she-wolf sellers had been dealt with. Brutally.


    "Even after we broke a few bones, pulled some teeth and nails," Lucian said with a twisted grin, "those bastards wouldn¡¯t stop insisting she¡¯s a pureblood."


    I held up the report. "They weren¡¯t lying. She is indeed a pureblood."


    Lucian snatched the paper from my hand, ncing at it before crumpling it into his fist. A darkugh escaped his throat, low and cruel.


    "That¡¯s even better," he muttered. "Now I can take my time breaking her. Make her beg me for death." He looked at Jason, "What do you say?"


    "Certainly," he replied, equally wicked as Lucian.


    Jason was the kind to not talk much like Lucian, but when it came to actions, he was downright brutal.


    Lucian looked at me with a wicked smirk, "It¡¯s good you stopped me back there. That would have been an easy death for her and it wouldn¡¯t be fun."


    The way he said it¡ªcalm, cold, and utterly vicious¡ªwould¡¯ve made any sane person flinch. And I didn¡¯t doubt his intentions even for a moment.


    As long as she served her purpose, he could do whatever he pleased with her.

 Chapter 7: The Last Chance

    <h4>Chapter 7: The Last Chance</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Faint sounds stirred me from the depths of unconsciousness. Pain coursed through every inch of my body¡ªit felt as though I had been trampled by a vehicle, leaving only broken pieces behind.


    My eyes fluttered open, struggling against the sharp sting of light that streamed in through the tall ss windows. Above me stretched an unfamiliar white ceiling, pristine and sterile. The brightness was overwhelming. My body flinched from it¡ªnot because of the light itself, but because I had forgotten what light looked like.


    I had spent years locked in darkness. Rooms without windows. Air heavy with filth and fear. Pain,mands, bruises¡ªnothing else. My mind, my soul, my very instincts had adapted to only one truth: <strong>darkness was home</strong>.


    And now, this sudden flood of sunlight, this crisp, untouched air... For one foolish, fleeting moment, I wondered:


    <strong>¡¯Is this heaven? Did I finally die?¡¯</strong>


    But the illusion shattered too soon.


    "Are you awake, miss?"


    <i>¡¯Please let that be an angel. If it¡¯s not, I swear I¡¯m going to be badly disappointed.¡¯</i>


    I turned my head toward the voice. A woman in nurse¡¯s scrubs stood beside the bed, her expression soft, a gentle smile curving her lips.


    "Good to see you¡¯re awake. I¡¯ll call the doctor."


    Before I could gather a single word, she had already turned and left.<i></i>


    The sterile scent, the beeping machines, the IV drip¡ªit all sank in. I wasn¡¯t in heaven. I was in a hospital.


    Reality returned like a p.


    I closed my eyes again, frustration wing at my chest.<i>¡¯Why didn¡¯t they kill me when they had the chance?¡¯</i><i>¡¯How am I supposed to die now?¡¯ </i>My eyes drifted toward the window.<i>¡¯What floor am I on? Can I jump from here...?¡¯</i><i></i>


    The door creaked open. I turned my head slowly as footsteps entered the room¡ªthe nurse again, but this time apanied by a man.


    I looked at him, only to meet with another familiar face from the past- Doctor Liam Vaughn.


    "How are you feeling, Eira?" he asked, his gaze settling on me, calm and steady.


    <strong>Eira.</strong>


    The name echoed inside my skull like a forgotten melody.


    It had been so long since I¡¯d heard it that it no longer felt like mine. As if he were calling someone else¡ªsomeone I used to be, but wasn¡¯t anymore.


    He flipped through the patient chart the nurse had handed him, and without waiting for my response, he began examining me.


    "Your injuries are severe," he said in a calm, clinical tone. "Though you¡¯re a pureblood, the concentration of powerful drugs in your system has dyed your natural healing. We¡¯ve managed to drain most of it, but recovery will still take time...."


    He continued to talk which didn¡¯t interest me as what happened with me and my body was not a concern to me.


    Instead, my mind drifted to the past memories with this man from seven years back.


    Seven years ago, when I was fifteen, my grandparents and I hade to the StormHowl Pack to start a new life. Everything had felt foreign and uncertain. Liam was the first person my grandfather introduced me to. They were friends, though Liam was much younger.


    He¡¯d fascinated me because he was a doctor, and I¡¯d once dreamed of bing one too. I followed him around with endless questions, curious about everything from anatomy to medical school. He never once seemed irritated. In fact, he taught me patiently.


    Back then, he¡¯d been my favorite person. And he was fond of me as well.


    But now... perhaps he hated me like everyone else did.


    "Eira?" he called, noticing I was lost somewhere.


    My eyes refocused on him, and it reminded me of something which I had been wanting to know for the past six years, but never found the courage to ask.


    What happened to my grandparents?


    After my imprisonment, they had nevere to visit me. Not once. As if I had been erased from their lives, or them from mine.


    "You have two fractured ribs," Liam continued, resuming his role with detached professionalism. "One came dangerously close to puncturing your right lung. You¡¯ll need to avoid any activity that could strain your breathing. That meansplete rest for a few days. I¡¯ll prescribe something to support your healing."


    He paused, giving me a moment.


    "Anything else you¡¯d like to ask?"


    My eyes burned faintly with unshed tears. I finally spoke, my voice low, "My grandparents... what happened to them?"


    His expression shifted. Serious. Guarded.


    Then, he looked at the nurse. "Lara, please go collect the reports from the next room. I¡¯ll join you shortly."


    Once we were left alone, he turned to me, his expression solemn. "After you were taken away they disappeared from the pack. No one knows where they went."


    The news surprised me¡ªbut only briefly. Deep down, I understood. After the usations against me, what reason did they have to stay and endure the scorn and judgment of the pack?


    Anyways, they never stayed in one ce more than a few years, like changing ces was their fixed pattern. I never understood why they did it instead of settling in one ce and living a peaceful life with known people.


    Because of that constant drifting, I never had a real home. Never had friends¡ªuntil we came to the Storm Howl Pack and I met her.


    <strong>Alice. </strong>


    My sweet, bright Alice¡ªmy first and only friend.


    "What do you n to do now?" Liam¡¯s voice pulled me back from my thoughts.


    I didn¡¯t respond. Because I couldn¡¯t tell him the truth that I wanted to die. If I said that aloud, they¡¯d post guards outside my door and make it even harder to escape.


    Liam let out a tired sigh. "I don¡¯t know what happened to you... but it couldn¡¯t have been anything good."


    Still, I said nothing. What was the point in sharing my pain? They will just think I deserve it.


    He studied me quietly for a moment before speaking again. "Eira... you¡¯re not just a pureblood she-wolf. You¡¯re something rarer¡ªsomething extraordinary. A kind born only once in hundreds of years."


    I let out a silent, bitterugh. <i>What good is that? Born rare, only to be reduced to this?</i>


    "The ones who bought you... you know who they are. The strongest five Alphas. You must realize¡ªthey brought you here to have children. That¡¯s what they want from you."


    I didn¡¯t flinch. I already knew.


    "But there¡¯s something they don¡¯t know," Liam continued. "With your rare bloodline, you can only conceive with your fated mate. No one else. I haven¡¯t told them. If I had, they might¡¯ve killed you already. But sooner orter, when they realize they can¡¯t get what they want... they won¡¯t show you any mercy."


    <i>I know,</i> I thought. <i>And I¡¯m not expecting mercy.</i>


    He hesitated before lowering his voice. "Because of my old friendship with your grandfather... I¡¯m going to help you escape before they take you with them. For that, you¡¯ll need strength. So rest and heal."


    His offer shocked me. As I met his eyes, there was a genuine worry for me. It caught me off guard.


    "I can only get you out of the pack. After that... you¡¯ll be on your own. I won¡¯t be able to protect you further." He added.


    <i>Here or anywhere¡ªit¡¯ll be the same,</i> I thought as I exhaled quietly, my eyes drifting shut. I didn¡¯t thank him for his offer.


    Because I had something else in mind.


    Liam eventually left, and a short whileter, Lara returned. She moved around the room with practiced ease, preparing a fresh IV.


    I watched her silently for a moment before asking, "What floor are we on?"


    "The seventh," she replied, inserting the needle with care.


    "And how tall is this building?"


    "Fifteen floors," she answered, ncing at me curiously. "Why do you ask?"


    "It¡¯s my first time in such a tall building," I lied.


    "Oh," she smiled lightly. "Once you¡¯re feeling better, I¡¯ll take you up to the rooftop. You can see the whole city from there¡ªit¡¯s a beautiful view."


    I simply hummed and closed my eyes- ¡¯This is truly myst chance.¡¯

 Chapter 8: Rafe’s Bloodlust

    <h4>Chapter 8: Rafe¡¯s Bloodlust</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I hadn¡¯t slept a momentst night after seeing her.


    For years, I had been waiting, searching for a pureblood she-wolf. Someone who could save Sophia. But never, not even in the darkest corner of my imagination, had I expected it to be her.


    Eira.


    The name alone was enough to ignite every buried fury inside me. The one I thought had vanished from this world, the girl I wished had never existed.


    She had destroyed everything I had ever held dear. My parents, the Alpha and Luna of the Storm Howl Pack, were dead because of her. Sophia, the woman I loved, nowy clinging to life, her body frail, her spirit fading. And our unborn child... gone before even taking a breath.


    When I saw her against night, the rage I had been suppressing for six long years surged to the surface, boiling over. If Lucian hadn¡¯t reached her first and started strangling her, I would have ripped her apart and scattered her remains for the wild animals to feed on.


    But reason snapped me back when Roman spoke. We needed a pureblood to save Sophia, and now, like a twisted joke of fate, that pureblood was that bitch.


    She would be used, a tool to bring Sophia back into my life and give me a child, to restore what she stole. Later, what I do with her... she will regret even being born.


    That bitch doesn¡¯t deserve any mercy after killing so many people six years ago and bringing chaos to each of our peaceful lives.


    She will pay for it, in the most brutal way and I will make sure of it.


    "Kael, breakfast is ready," Roman¡¯s voice from outside my rooms door, came through.


    I tossed aside the towel that was wrapped around my waist and dressed after drying my hair. When I walked into the dining room, Jason and Roman were setting the table.


    Though we could have had servants take care of it, we preferred to cook our own meals. Jason especially enjoyed cooking, and we never had anyints. The rest of us helped from time to time, with Roman usually being the one to assist him in the kitchen.


    I looked around the table and asked, "Where¡¯s Rafe?" I remembered how unsettled he had beenst night, his bloodlust almost taking over.


    "As usual, cranky and restless," Roman replied as he and Jason brought the food to the table. "We offered him our blood, but he refused."


    Smash!


    A sharp crash came from Rafe¡¯s room.


    "I¡¯ll get him," I said, rising from my seat and heading toward the noise.


    The moment I stepped inside, I was hit by the familiar chaos. The room was wrecked, with things scattered across the floor.


    Rafe stood in the middle, his shoulder length hair covering the sides of his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly, eyes glowing red.


    He was close to the edge.


    I approached him and held out my arm, my wrist in his view. "Drink it."


    He shoved it away, his breathing unsteady. "It won¡¯t help."


    Roman entered the room, holding a blood pouch from Rafe¡¯s stock. "I¡¯ve already told Caston to arrange a girl for you. Drink this until then."


    Rafe took the pouch but crushed it in his hand a secondter, blood spilling to the floor in a dark ssh. His silence said it all.


    We had all been through this before. When his cravings became too much, nothing ever satisfied him. We had tried everything. Human blood, animal blood, werewolf blood. None of it worked.


    At this point, it felt like we needed to find him an alien just to see if that would make a difference.


    With every passing year, it only got worse and we feared it would drive him into madness and eventually destroy him. We didn¡¯t want to face that day, when we will be forced to get rid of him.


    He was a brother, our mate. We will do everything in our power to keep him with us.


    "Rafe, let¡¯s go to Caston," Jason offered gently. "You can pick any of the girls until he finds someone that suits your taste."


    Rafe said nothing.


    "Is our little bat out again?" came a mocking voice with a chuckled. "Go fuck some bitches and drain them dry before you snap, and I have to deal with you my way. You know you don¡¯t like that."


    Lucian stood in the doorway, wearing only his trousers, exposing his tall and muscr body, fresh from the shower. While the rest of us worried about Rafe, Lucian¡¯s expression was as smug as ever, his words deliberately provoking.


    He never showed softness toward anyone. When it came to handling a crazed vampire, Lucian¡¯s methods were brutal but effective. None of us ever dared to interfere.


    Rafe turned his glowing red eyes toward Lucian, clearly raged and provoked by his words.


    "Want me to try my way?" Lucian taunted again.


    Rafe didn¡¯t respond with words. His gaze moved over Lucian¡¯s body, freshly showered after a heavy workout, his skin flushed and radiating the scent of hot blood. In an instant, Rafe vanished from his spot.


    A secondter, Lucian was mmed against the wall by the door. His back hit hard, but he didn¡¯t flinch. Rafe stood close, eyes locked on the throbbing vein in Lucian¡¯s neck, his hunger overwhelming everything else.


    "Make it quick," Lucian muttered,pletely unfazed. "I don¡¯t have patience to stand here and be stared at like your personal buffet."


    Rafe didn¡¯t need another word. He lowered his head and sank his fangs into Lucian¡¯s neck. The blood surged into him, and he drank deeply.


    Lucian remained still, showing no reaction as Rafe fed on him. But Rafe wasn¡¯t letting go even after a while. He clung to him like a starving beast, as if this was the only thing keeping him sane.


    "Rafe," Jason called out, clearly concerned.


    But Rafe didn¡¯t respond.


    Roman and Jason looked at me, eyes urging me to step in. I raised my voice, sharp andmanding.


    "That¡¯s enough, Rafe."


    Unwillingly, Rafe let go. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and red at Lucian.


    "Provoke me again, and I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re the next bitch I drain to death."


    Lucian gave a slow, wicked smirk. "Be my guest. Let¡¯s see who ends up as whose bitch."

 Chapter 9: Eira’s Gone

    <h4>Chapter 9: Eira¡¯s Gone</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Before their banter could drag on, I cut in. "Let¡¯s have breakfast. We have work to do."


    We headed to the dining room and took our seats around the table.


    Roman was the first to speak. "Kael, we need to arrange security around the hospital. By now, word must have spread that we have a pure blood she-wolf. Leaving her unguarded could make it easy for someone to take her."


    Lucian scoffed. "Who would dare? They know exactly what they¡¯ll get if theyy eyes on what belongs to us."


    "When ites to a pureblood she-wolf, they will dare," Roman replied tly. "We¡¯ve seen entire packs destroy each other over one." He turned to me, his gaze steady. "Kael, you should take this seriously."


    I knew he was right, but I didn¡¯t want to care. Not when it was about that bitch. I won¡¯t blink even if others abducted her and she ended up whoring around from pack to pack and bred for the rest of her life.


    But this was about Sophia. So I had to care.


    "Lucian, Jason, take care of it," I ordered.


    Lucian leaned back with a dark glint in his eyes. "Don¡¯t worry. Now that bitch is back in our hands, I won¡¯t let her slip away. Not until I¡¯m done with her."


    Our roles were well divided. I was the Alpha, the leader of the Stormhowl Pack, and I ran it with the help of my four sworn mate-brothers.


    Together, we managed a vast business empire alongside our responsibilities for pack security. Roman and I handled the business side, while Lucian and Jason oversaw security operations.


    And Rafe? He only involved himself when something piqued his interest¡ªor when we truly needed him.


    "I don¡¯t want her in our home," Jason stated firmly. "Arrange for her to stay somewhere else once she¡¯s discharged."


    "We can put her in the stables," Lucian added with a cold smile. "The horses might not be pleased to see a filthy bitch, but that¡¯s the only ce I can think of."


    Jason nodded in agreement. "She¡¯ll still be under our watch there."


    The stables sat at the rear of the estate. We all enjoyed horseback riding and had raised our own horses, so the ce was well-maintained and familiar to us.


    "And who¡¯s going to be the lucky one to fuck that stinking bitch first?" Rafe taunted with a mocking chuckle, clearly enjoying how his words soured the mood. "Certainly not me. Her stench makes me nauseous, let alone feel any urge to fuck her."


    I looked at the other three. We needed to have pups soon and save Sophia as well.


    Jason raised a hand in protest. "Don¡¯t look at me. The only thing I n to do with her is test out my torture tools."


    Lucian leaned back, his expression filled with distaste. "Her worn-out cunt is probably crawling with diseases. I wouldn¡¯t touch it. She¡¯s only good enough to be my drug testing rat."


    My gaze settled on Roman. Of all of us, he had always wanted a mate, children, and a family.


    But even he didn¡¯t waver.


    "Don¡¯t look at me either," Roman said with finality. "You need her for Sophia¡¯s sake. That makes her your responsibility. I would have fucked her happily only if it was not that bitch, but some other shewolf."


    Rafe let out another low chuckle and looked at me with a knowing gaze. "We got the result."


    I didn¡¯t respond. There was no other choice, and we all knew it.


    We headed outside, and only then were the servants allowed inside to begin their duties¡ªcleaning and tending to the house.


    Roman and I got into one car since we needed to visit the hospital first, then head to thepany. Lucian and Jason went with Rafe. They were taking him to Caston.


    Caston was a friend of theirs, the owner of the biggest bar in the city and the one who often supplied us with women when we needed to vent some frustration.


    "You two can join us once your mood¡¯s ruined after seeing that bitch," Lucian said with a smirk. "Let¡¯s fuck some bitches together."


    I ignored him and stepped into the car. My mind was focused on one thing¡ªSophia.


    We reached the hospital, and I went straight to the VIP floor where Sophia was staying. I left Roman behind to deal with Liam about the matter concerning that bitch.


    As I stepped into the room, I found Sophia lying in bed, watching TV. A nurse stood by her side, checking her vitals and monitoring her condition. The moment Sophia sensed my presence, she turned toward me, a soft smile appearing on her lips.


    Once, she had been a stunning woman. Now, she looked fragile, fading with every passing moment.


    All because of her.


    "Kael," Sophia said in a voice that was weak yet warm. "I was waiting for you."


    I smiled and took the chair beside the bed. "I came byst night, but you were already asleep."


    "I waited for you," she said softly. "But I guess the medicine knocked me out."


    I reached for her hand, gently wrapping her frail fingers in mine.


    "There¡¯s something I need to tell you," I said.


    Her eyes lifted slightly, a hint of curiosity in them. "What is it?"


    "We¡¯ve found a pureblood she-wolf. It won¡¯t be long now. You¡¯ll get better just like you were."


    A faint smile touched her lips, but I saw the flicker of sadness that followed.


    "Kael, I know how much you hate being close to other women," she said gently. "But you have to do this for me. I¡¯m sorry..."


    The truth was, I had been with more women than I could count over the past six years. Countless meaningless nights with nameless whores. But if Sophia believed I hadn¡¯t touched another woman since her illness, I had no reason to correct her.


    "Don¡¯t think about it," I told her. "Just wait for the day you¡¯re healed."


    She smiled again, her voice trembling with hope. "I promise, once I¡¯m better, I¡¯ll do everything for you. I¡¯ll be the perfect mate. You, me, and our children."


    I gave a quiet hum in response.


    She didn¡¯t know the full truth yet. She didn¡¯t know that I had four mate-brothers, and because of that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to mark her. She could never be my true mate.


    But I could still give her a ce at my side. As my wife in name, if not in bond. That was all I could offer her.


    Just then, my phone rang. It was Roman. I immediately guessed the call was about her.


    Not wanting Sophia to overhear anything, especially the identity of the she-wolf, I excused myself and stepped out of the room to answer.


    Roman¡¯s voice came through,ced with panic. "Kael, she¡¯s not in her room. The hospital staff has no idea where she went."


    My jaw tightened. As ifst night wasn¡¯t enough, now she was creating more trouble.


    "I¡¯ming there," I said and ended the call.


    Returning briefly to Sophia¡¯s room, I told her there was an urgent matter I needed to deal with and left.


    ¡¯That bitch is dead today,¡¯ I clenched my fists. ¡¯She better pray I won¡¯t find her.¡¯


    When I arrived, Roman was already reviewing the security camera footage. His eyes were fixed on the screen.


    "She¡¯s entered the elevator," he said.


    The nurse nearby suddenly seemed to recall something and spoke up. "Sometime before, she asked me how tall the building is. I think she wants to go to the rooftop to see the city view and..."


    "Damn it!" Roman cursed, shoving the tablet back into the security guard¡¯s hands. He looked at me, and I could see exactly what he was thinking.


    Without wasting another second, the two of us rushed toward the elevator, heading straight for the rooftop.

 Chapter 10: Eira’s Son

    <h4>Chapter 10: Eira¡¯s Son</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    <i>¡¯Just a little more. And it would all be over.¡¯</i>


    Limping, crawling, barely able to breathe, I somehow made it to the boundery wall of the rooftop. Every movement burned, my wounds stinging beneath the thinyer of sweat that now coated my skin.


    For the first time in six years, I saw the city bathed in daylight. The sun was warm and gentle, and the breeze brushed softly against my battered skin. For a moment, it felt like heaven. Peaceful. Quiet. Soothing.


    Before I threw myself into the air, I wanted to remember him¡ªmy baby, my son.


    After he was born, the moment I held him, wrapped tightly in a cloth, sleeping peacefully with a face norger than my palm, I found the will to live again. He felt like a ray of light in the darkness that surrounded me.


    I named him Ray.


    I closed my eyes and tried to relive that memory. My baby. The life I carried within me for nine long months. Thest time I saw him, he was only a day old. That image had been seared into my soul. The warmth of his tiny body, the gentle scent that clung to him, the fragile breath that told me he was alive.


    I needed to apologize to him for breaking the promise I had made to him on the day they took him away from me.


    <i>¡¯Ray, mommy is sorry. I promised I would find you one day ande for you. But it seems I have to break that promise. I can¡¯t go on anymore. This life has defeated me. I¡¯m not strong enough to keep fighting. You must be five years old now. I pray that wherever you are, you are growing up strong and surrounded by good people. Goodbye, my baby.¡¯</i>


    I opened my eyes, the decision now clear. My fingers gripped the top of the wall. My body shook as I prepared to climb, ready to cross over into silence.


    But then¡ª


    "Hey!"


    A familiar voice called out.


    I froze, but didn¡¯t turn around. I had to jump now. Fifteen floors was more than enough to kill a pureblood, no matter how strong they were. And I was far too weak to survive anything.


    I pushed myself. One leg had already climbed over the edge. I was a moment away from slipping over when¡ª


    A strong hand yanked me back in the blink of an eye. Before I could react, I was pulled firmly against a solid chest. My back hit warm muscle, arms locking tightly around my shoulders to keep me from moving.


    Damn these Alphas and their speed.


    -----


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I was seething with anger when I saw her ready to jump. If not for Roman stopping her in time, she would have gone already.


    I was furious. Just moments ago, I had promised Sophia that everything would be fine. And now this wretched woman was about to destroy that promise with her selfish death.


    Was it too much to expect her to stay alive and make up for the sins she hadmitted? How shameless could one person be?


    I watched as she struggled weakly in Roman¡¯s grasp. When it didn¡¯t work, she bit his arm, her teeth pierced in his skin, drawing the blood out. So desperate to free herself.


    ¡¯Crazy bitch.¡¯


    I walked towards them, my fists clenched as if ready to unleash my anger on her. In the next instant, I shoved Roman aside and grabbed her by the neck, my eyes burning into hers. Her gaze was dazed, barely holding on, but defiant.


    "You want to die?" I growled through clenched teeth. "Fine. I¡¯ll give you what you want."


    Without hesitation, I hauled her over the boundary wall, her fragile body hanging limply in the air. One flick of my fingers, one release of my grip, and she would fall fifteen floors to her death.


    "Alpha Kael, don¡¯t kill her!" Liam¡¯s voice cut through as he rushed onto the rooftop. "She¡¯s still of use to us."


    "Kael," Roman called out, his tone heavy with concern. "Don¡¯t be reckless, alright? You need her to save Sophia. You are so close to your goal. Don¡¯t lose it now."


    At the mention of Sophia, my resolve faltered slightly. Her hopeful eyes shed in my mind, the way she had smiled when I told her she could be saved.


    But then I heard it.


    "Sophia...?" came a weak voice, barely more than a whisper. "That... bitch... is still alive?"


    It was her. Even dangling at the edge of death, she looked at me with mocking eyes and a twisted smile.


    "I should have... shot her in the head..."


    The moment those words left her mouth, whatever restraint I had vanishedpletely.


    "Kael, she¡¯s provoking you," Roman warned, reaching toward me again.


    I didn¡¯t care. I shoved Roman back with force, making sure he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me this time.


    "You don¡¯t deserve to live," I told her through my gritted teeth and...


    I released my grip.


    Her thin, weightless body slipped from my hand as the voices shouting behind me faded into the background.

 Chapter 11: Madman Lucian

    <h4>Chapter 11: Madman Lucian</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael had used his Alpha power to throw me back, overpowering mepletely. His decision was made. He was ready to kill her. Just as I hit the ground, a sharp gust of wind rushed past me.


    By the time I scrambled to my feet, it was already toote. He had let go. I saw her small body slipping from his grasp.


    Eira.


    My heart nearly stopped. This wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I didn¡¯t want her to die. Fighting against the ache rising in my chest, I rushed toward the boundary wall, desperate for onest glimpse before she hit the ground.


    Liam was right behind me, just as anxious and shaken.


    We reached the edge together and looked down. I braced myself for the sight of her broken body lying far below.


    But instead, I saw something else.


    Lucian.


    That madman was hanging from the rooftop wall with one hand gripping the edge tightly. His legs were braced against the surface, holding his bnce, while his other hand clutched a frail arm¡ªEira¡¯s arm.


    Lucian had saved her.


    That gust of wind that had rushed past me earlier... it was Lucian. He had acted in the blink of an eye using his speed,unching himself into danger before it was toote.


    For the first time in my life, I saw this infuriating, reckless Lucian as something more than just a stubborn brute. In that moment, he looked like an angel.


    If his timing was off, or if his grip had failed, he could have fallen from this height along with Eira. Even if it didn¡¯t kill him, the injuries would havested a lifetime, or even leave him entirely paralysed.


    On the other hand, Eira was weakly struggling to free her hand, but Lucian¡¯s hold was stronger in front of her weak strength. How badly she wanted to die?


    "Sorry, Kael," Lucian called out, his voice echoing up with its usual wicked smugness. "But she can¡¯t die. Not until I¡¯m finished with her. And this time, I¡¯m not taking orders from you."


    Kael standing by the boundary wall, had his eyes fixed on Lucian, his jaw was clenched, his fists tightening at his sides.


    "Kael," I called out, before Kael could act recklessly. "I¡¯m with Lucian on this. You can¡¯t kill her like this."


    His furious gaze snapped to me, as if Lucian and I had suddenly be his greatest enemies.


    "Think of it as saving Sophia," I added quickly, trying to defuse the storm building in him. "Just calm down. Please."


    "Alpha Kael, the treatment for Sophia is already prepared," Liam chimed in, his voice urgent. "Only the final step remains."


    Just like us, Liam also knew Kael¡¯s weak point.


    Kael said nothing. But something in Liam¡¯s words seemed to reach him. Without a word, he turned and walked away, as if none of this mattered anymore.


    I let out a quiet breath of relief and turned to Lucian, who was still hanging from the wall.


    "Get up already," I said. "Pass her to me."


    But in true Lucian fashion, he didn¡¯t hand her over. Instead, with apleteck of gentleness, he tossed Eira¡¯s frail body over the boundary wall like she was nothing more than a ragdoll.


    She hit the rooftop with a brutal thud. It was clear that although Lucian had saved her life, he had no intention of offering her mercy.


    With a single, effortless leap, Lucian followed her,nding gracefully on the rooftop like a beast straight out of a fantasy tale. Dangerous stunts like that were nothing to him. It was as if he enjoyed testing fate, challenging death just to see who would win.


    Liam and I rushed to her motionless form. He muttered under his breath, clearly frustrated. "She¡¯s probably as good as dead now."


    "You need to hurry and treat her," I said, kneeling beside her. She was pale as death, her breathing faint, like she was slipping away one breath at a time.


    Liam dropped to his knees next to her, the nurse joining him in haste. He ced two fingers against her neck, searching for her pulse.


    "It¡¯s dangerously weak," he said, frowning. "I suspect her broken ribs are getting worse. We need to take an X-ray and¡ª"


    "There¡¯s no need," Lucian interrupted coldly, stepping beside her with that ever-menacing look in his eyes. "It¡¯s time we find out whether this pureblood bitch actually dies from things as minor as this."


    Liam looked at him, his voiceced with warning. "If we don¡¯t treat her, she will die. Honestly, she might have already lost her chance."


    Lucian said nothing in response. Instead, he kicked her side, a harsh blow to her waist.


    Eira groaned, a low sound of pain escaping her lips.


    "See?" Lucian said smugly. "She¡¯s alive. Let¡¯s take her with us."


    "Lucian, we still need to treat her," I said firmly, standing up to meet his gaze without flinching. "We all bought her together. You don¡¯t get to decide alone. We¡¯re mates, and everyone¡¯s opinion matters."


    He sighed, clearly annoyed. "Alright, fine. You want to treat her, and I want to take her with us. Let¡¯s do both." He turned to Liam. "If you want to treat her, do it at our ce. Get whatever you need. But this bitch is not staying here."


    I felt myself rx slightly. I understood now why Lucian was insisting. If she remained in the hospital, she would likely try to pull the same stunt again. And next time, we might not be there to stop her.


    I looked at Liam. "We¡¯re taking her home."


    Liam hesitated, reluctant. "Given her condition, we¡¯ll need medical equipment. Some of it might not be easy to set up in your home..."


    "Liam," Lucian cut in sharply, his tone cold as ice. "I know you had a soft spot for her. You two were close once. But if you start forgetting what she did and choose to go against us, I won¡¯t care that you¡¯re my friend. I won¡¯t hesitate to get rid of anyone who stands on her side."


    Liam went silent. Lucian had hit a nerve. For a moment, Liam looked like someone who had just been exposed. Then he finally nodded.


    No one dared taking Lucian¡¯s warning silently. He enjoyed having people go against him and then punish them in return, in most brutal way.


    "Alright. But at least give her a room that¡¯s big enough for me to work in. Somewhere clean and safe. Not a stable or some rundown shed. She needs to stay in a hygienic ce if you want her to survive."


    Lucian¡¯s smirk widened. "So you agree she belongs in a stable. Look at us being clever now, aren¡¯t we?"


    Liam didn¡¯t back down. "Knowing you so well, it won¡¯t be surprising if you truly keep her in stable. If you can¡¯t manage it, then get another doctor. But don¡¯t expect me to waste my time on someone you¡¯re nning to kill. I¡¯d rather focus on patients who actually have a chance."


    Before the argument could escte further, I stepped in.


    "Lucian, I¡¯ll handle it. You can go. Kael gave you orders to focus on the security. See to it."


    Lucian scoffed. "She doesn¡¯t need separate security in our home. I¡¯m going to resume what I left behind because of this bitch."


    Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.


    I felt a quiet sense of relief. Having Lucian around meant constantly being on edge. He was unpredictable, dangerous, and often driven by instincts no one could anticipate.


    Liam treated Eira in the hospital room while the ambnce and necessary equipment were arranged for her transfer.


    Later, I watched her frail body being carried out, strapped carefully onto the stretcher. She looked pale, almost weightless, as if the wind could carry her away.


    As I followed her to the ambnce in my car, one thought echoed in my mind.


    <i>Can I truly forgive her for what she did? </i>

 Chapter 12: Lucian’s Memories Of Eira

    <h4>Chapter 12: Lucian¡¯s Memories Of Eira</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Eira, help me..."


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Even after six years, the hurtful scene from that night haunted me every night, where a scared Alice was begging for Eira¡¯s help, but in return, Eira shot three bullets at her.


    The next moment, Alice¡¯s body crumpled to the ground.


    "Alice!" Sophia screamed upon seeing it, only to have Eira shoot her as well, and she copsed on the ground.


    I didn¡¯t care what became of Sophia. But Alice... she was my little sister. The girl I had promised to protect with my life. But that bitch shot her in cold blood.


    Other than hating that bitch, what I hated the most was that I had once liked her and thought she was the one I wanted to spend my life with. I liked her the very first day I saw her.


    I still remember the day Alice brought her new friend home. Eira was shy, soft-spoken, and painfully polite. She was nothing like the girls who hung around me, desperate for the attention of any alpha.


    This girl avoided attention, preferring to linger in the corners and speak only when spoken to while Alice was a chatterbox. Maybe she had finally found someone quiet who would listen to her, and that¡¯s how they became friends.


    On the other hand, I was not the kind to indulge closely with girls, other than fucking some once in a while out of lust, but after that, they were strangers to me. But this one¡ªI wanted to know her and wanted to be around her.


    Back then, I used to make sure I was home whenever Alice mentioned Eira wasing over. We would y video games, something simple and mindless, and Jason would often join us. Those moments, innocent and fleeting, became something I quietly treasured.


    Reading books was never my thing. But the moment I found out she liked romance novels, I tried to get into them too. Sneakily, I discovered the exact books she read and bought the same ones¡ªjust to understand what she enjoyed. Honestly they all felt utterly cringy to my taste, but for her sake it felt eptable.


    Through those pages, I learned what she longed for. She wanted to fall in love. She dreamed of someone to spend her life with. And I began to believe... maybe that someone could be me. I should work on it.


    The idea of having a family with her didn¡¯t feel bad at all.


    But those fantasies of having a life with her broke when I saw a video of her sucking the cocks of our enemies. She was with them.


    We understood she approached Alice on purpose because, through her, she could reach Kael, the pack Alpha¡¯s son.


    She not only killed Alice, she also provided the enemies with secret information, and they attacked our pack. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to go and kill that bitch, as I had to be by Kael¡¯s side to fight against the enemy attack.


    That night, Kael¡¯s parents, the Alpha and Luna, were killed. We watched our friends fall one by one in a surprise ambush that left us defenceless and reeling. The air reeked of blood and smoke. By morning, the fighting ended, but what was left behind was unrecognisable.


    The most powerful pack was left in ruins. And it¡¯s all because of that bitch.


    There was no one to share our pain with. Everyone was drowning in their own grief.


    Since that night, nothing has been the same. Those cheerful young people, whom the Alpha and Luna saw as the future of the Stormhowl pack, are now buried somewhere back of our minds.


    What is left of us are our demons, ready to kill anyone without a second thought. And blood is what we craved for.


    The honking of the car behind brought me back to my senses, and my grip on the steering loosened a little as I drove to Caston¡¯s bar, where Jason and Rafe had already gone.


    <i>¡¯I need to fuck some bitches to forget about those evil memories, especially to forget about her.¡¯</i>


    -----


    Roman¡¯s POV


    With the help of Liam and some male staff from the hospital, we set Eira in the guest room of our home. No female was ever allowed inside, not as a servant and certainly not for any other reason. So once these staff were gone, we were the ones taking care of her, and I was not sure how it would go.


    I wondered if it would be taking care of her or simply giving her more pain.


    I watched as Liam examined her for thest time. He listened to her lungs, ensuring they still worked properly after her ribs had been broken. He checked her heartbeat, inspected her bandages, and reviewed every other detail.


    "Is she alright?" I asked, even though knew the answer.


    Liam turned to me, his gaze sharp and guarded. "She will be, as long as none of youy a hand on her. Otherwise, you might as well start digging a grave to bury her."


    I felt helpless as I can trust myself, not others. But I assured anyways, "We need her for a reason. So she will be alive..."


    "At least until then, right?" Liam finished my sentence with a bitter edge, but he should not forget what she did.


    "Liam, think about what Kael, Lucian, and Jason have endured. You cannot overlook their pain. You know what we¡¯ve been through."


    I did not wish to harm Eira. But my loyalty belonged to the brothers who had suffered beside me, the ones whose grief I carried as my own.


    Liam¡¯s expression remained unreadable. "Her life does not seem any kinder. When you have time, take a good look at her body. Then you will understand."


    He said nothing more as he packed up his medical bag and headed for the door with the staff following him.


    I went to bed and sat at the edge. My hands having the mind of its own, almost reached out to caress her cheek, but I got back to my senses and retreated.


    I couldn¡¯t let myself get carried away. I couldn¡¯t forget what she had done.


    <i>Eira... even though I once liked you, that was another time, another life. We are no longer the same people.</i>


    She was a thorn buried deep in my heart, one that brought nothing but pain, yet no matter how hard I tried, I could never seem to pull it free.

 Chapter 13: Jason’s Hate

    <h4>Chapter 13: Jason¡¯s Hate</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    "Ahh... slow down... please... it hurts..."


    I continued to drown myself in the cries of the whore I was fucking as I bent her in front of me, on the couch of the private room at Caston¡¯s bar.


    Caston had arranged our usual private room, the one with the oversized couch that stretched across three walls. It was wide and deep enough for all five of us to use it at once.


    Today it was just me and Rafe and he had sent two whores for both of us.


    Rafe had already moved to the carpeted floor, fucking his whore with brutal indifference. He didn¡¯t care whether the bitch was evenfortable between him and the floor. He was simply waiting for that one perfect moment, when he would finish and drain everyst drop of her blood to appease the hunger gnawing inside him.


    As for me, I was here because I want to forget that bitch, who had ruined our lives and has returned to our lives once more.


    Eira.


    That innocent face of hers, the softness in her voice, the way she smiled at me, her beautiful eyes as if they could touch my soul, the way I fell for her so deeply, I wanted to forget it all.


    In the past six years, I had seeded in forgetting her, but she returned and reminded me of all of it all over again, and I hate it.


    Fucking some bitches and venting out might help me forget.


    Women are wicked. They lie, they cheat, they betray. They were born to be used, to whore around, to be fucked until they stop breathing. If I could wipe their kind off the face of this world, I would.


    I hate them, every single one of them, except for Alice and Jenifer.


    They were angels¡ªmy family.


    Jenifer adopted me when I was five. She was already pregnant with Alice at the time. Her son Lucian was my age, and we bonded quickly. Jenifer always treated me as her own son.


    But still, there was that feeling of being an outsider, which vanished entirely when, for the first time, I held newborn Alice in my hands.


    "She is our sister," young Lucian¡¯s cheerful voice from the past, still rang in my ears. "Isn¡¯t she so adorable?"


    I couldn¡¯t contain my happiness either. "Yes, she is," I said and mumbled to myself, "my little sister."


    "She is both of your sister, and you have to always protect her," Jenifer told us, and we both made that silent promise to her.


    Since then, Lucian and I were always around Alice, making sure she was fine. When she went to school for the first time, we were by her side. We even secretly warned her ssmates to never bully her. If someone did, we wouldn¡¯t let it slid.


    We were a happy family of four.


    But things changed the day that bitch killed Alice mercilessly. The sister we promised to protect¡ªwe had to bury her with our own hands.


    Jenifer couldn¡¯t handle the loss of her daughter and died as well.


    Once more, I was left an orphan. If not for Lucian and the other three, I would have probably drifted into losing myself.


    "Ahh... Alpha... please have mercy..." the bitch cried out loudly, and I realized how harsh I was being. "I... will die... if you continue..."


    Not like I care even if she died, but Caston had warned us not to kill anyone, or there wouldn¡¯t be any whores left for us to fuck.


    Knowing us, most of them were already scared of us and refused toe serve us. We were allowed to kill someone only when we were in heat, which was a rare urrence.


    Moreover, fucking these whores always felt empty. Because for pureblood, strong Alphas like us, it felt fulfilling only when we could knot. And with these random whores, my body refused to knot even if I wanted to. There were no emotions, no attachment, no bonding, so nothing of that sort could happen.


    After that incident six years back, all emotions seemed to have died with it.


    Frustrated, I emptied inside her quickly and pushed her aside. "Get lost."


    Terrified, she crawled away, limping out of the room without looking back. I copsed onto the couch, breath still uneven, legs stretched out in front of me as I stared at the ceiling.


    Across the room, Rafe was still at it.


    Watching Rafe fucking that bitch was more arousing than fucking one myself. Rafe was different from us. We were all pureblood Alphas, while he was half vampire.


    His thirst for sex was beyond just physical satisfaction; it was bound with bloodlust, which felt darker and intense.


    I watched as he reached his peak, thrusting harder, more violently. Then, without warning, he sank his fangs into her neck and began to drain her dry. Once Rafe gave in to his bloodlust, there was no going back. That girl was meant to die.


    Caston allowed it as there was no other option. It was better to sacrificing one whore than having one crazy vampire, ready to go on a killing spree.


    Once he was satisfied and had his fill of blood, he pulled back from her lifeless body. He stood upright, his solid chest rising with slow, powerful breaths. His well toned body turned stronger and shone in the dim light, which was fascinating to see. He looked magical, maybe some secret vampire trait.


    He turned to look at me, his gaze drifting from my face down to between my legs. Noticing I was still hard, he scoffed with a mocking click of his tongue.


    "Tsk. Not satisfied yet?"


    "Want to take care of it?" I asked, matching his tone with one just as mocking.


    He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, then let his eyes fall back to my erection. A slow smirk curled on his lips.


    "How about I sink a pair of fangs into it? Might satisfy it so well, it never gets up again."

 Chapter 14: A Villain From The Past

    <h4>Chapter 14: A Viin From The Past</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    Before I could respond, the door opened and a tall and muscr man, wearing perfectly fitted ck shirt and pants, stepped into the room.


    Lucian.


    His gaze swept across the scene¡ªme slouched naked on the couch, Rafe flexing his muscles by rxing his rejuvenated body, and the dead whore sprawled lifeless on the floor. Totally unbothered.


    "You two finished already? Couldn¡¯t even wait for me," he said, walking over to one side of the massive couch that lined all three walls of the room.


    He sat down casually, his both hands stretched across the back rest, his long legs folded one over other, eyes flicking to both of us. "Seems like you two are getting weak, finishing this fast."


    Rafe flopped onto the other end of the couch,zy and unbothered. "These bitches are too nd to keep going. Not tempting enough."


    Lucian smirked. "We¡¯ll have one bitch in our home soon. Try her. See if she tempts you enough. No one¡¯s going to stop you, even if you fuck her to death or drain her dry."


    "That bitch stinks," Rafe replied, wrinkling his nose.


    The moment they said it, I snapped out of the haze and realized who they were talking about. "Good luck putting your cock into a stable bitch. Even the stinkiest horse wouldn¡¯t want her," I muttered.


    Lucian turned his attention to me. "She¡¯s staying in the guest room. Not in the stable. Don¡¯t you want to test your tools on her?"


    Disgust twisted in my chest. "But that doesn¡¯t mean I want her inside our home," I said firmly. "I don¡¯t want to see her face every damn day and ruin my mood. And what about the rule? No females allowed in the house. Are we just going to ignore that now?"


    "For that, you¡¯ll have to argue with Roman," Lucian said calmly. "As for me, I only n to test a few drugs on her and observe the effects. Her suffering alone will make her presence in this house worth tolerating."


    "I¡¯m out of it," I said, standing up and beginning to dress. "I want nothing to do with her. When you¡¯re all done ying your games, hand her over to me. I¡¯ll torment her to death."


    "I¡¯m not fine with her either," Rafe muttered. "Her stench in the house is going to make me puke."


    Lucian¡¯s gaze shifted toward him with curiosity. "What kind of stench do you always catch from her? Even back then, you could smell her from a distance and it pissed you off. What is it exactly?"


    "Shitty smell," Rafe replied as hezily pulled on his clothes.


    Lucian raised an eyebrow, voice taunting. "Are you sure that¡¯s all it is?"


    Rafe gave him a dull look. "Why don¡¯t you go fuck some bitches instead of asking useless questions? I¡¯ll tell Caston to send in a few tough ones so you don¡¯t end up killing them."


    Lucian smirked. "That¡¯s exactly what I n to do. I need to erase the mood that bitch left me in."


    Just then, Caston entered the room.


    He was tall, dark, and carried himself with effortless authority. The tight brown t-shirt stretched across his muscled chest, tucked into well-fitted trousers. His presencemanded attention. He was a hybrid between a wolf and a human, but unlike other hybrids, he was powerful and knew how to use his werewolf side well.


    His dark eyes moved to the dead body on the ground. He frowned a little and told Rafe, "You¡¯re done with the quota for this month. No killing till next month."


    "Yeah, whatever," Rafe brushed him off with a casual shrug and passed by him to leave the room, but said, "Just give some fine bitches to that crazy one."


    "See youter," I told Caston and left as well, knowing now Lucian would go on his crazy fucking way and wouldn¡¯t be returning anytime soon.


    If one of us had changed the most since that incident, it was Lucian. He was extreme with everything, and no one could stop him. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he killed any of the whores, and Caston would let it pass, as he was close to Lucian and always let him have his way.


    Rafe and I decided to sit at the bar and drink. Half an hour passed in silence. Neither of us spoke; we simply drowned our thoughts in alcohol, which, somehow, was moreforting than words.


    Lucian eventually returned.


    The asshole looked even more charged up, as if fucking a few bitches had lit a fire under his skin.


    He dropped onto one of the high stools at the bar counter and ordered his usual¡ªsomething strong enough to burn down his throat and silence his mind.


    "You finished quick too," Rafemented, casting him a sidelong nce. "Losing your grip already?"


    "Just like you two, today those bitches didn¡¯t feel tempting to me either," Lucian replied calmly, while stirring the ss of alcohol in his hand.


    We both could see he was lost in his thoughts, his gaze distant. When he was quiet, that means he was at something.


    Caston came to us once more.


    "Kael has guests," he said, voice low but deliberate. "Maybe you¡¯d like to join him?"


    "Kael is here?" I asked, surprised.


    "He¡¯s been drinking for over an hour," Caston replied, his gaze drifting slowly over the three of us. "He told me to leave him alone, so I didn¡¯t mention it earlier. But now, I think you should go to him."


    If Caston said it, that means, there was something.


    "Who¡¯s the esteemed guest?" Lucian asked, then tilted back his ss and emptied it in one long swallow.


    "Alpha Kaizan of the Dreadwyn Pack," Caston answered.


    We didn¡¯t need to look at each other.


    Only one word came to all our minds at once¡ªenemy.


    A viin from our painful past.


    "Room Six," Caston added quickly.


    We were already on our feet, heading straight for it.


    Lucian mmed opened the door of the room and we entered inside.


    Kael was sitting in the ck leather couch, stirring the ss of alcohol in his hand, calm, but his gaze dark as he looked at the man sitting in the couch opposite to him.


    Kaizan ckmoor.


    We were already riled up seeing that bitch from the past, and now this asshole had to show up the same day.


    Are all of them desperate to die in our hands right today? We would love to do so.

 Chapter 15: Kaizan’s Offer To Share Eira

    <h4>Chapter 15: Kaizan¡¯s Offer To Share Eira</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    "Oh! You three are here as well?" Kaizan looked at us three with a smug smile, as his gray eyes scanned us.


    His dark hair set in perfect regal style, he sat like a king wearing that unbuttoned long ck trench coat, giving that fake vibe of dominance which quite didn¡¯t reach us.


    Fake bastard.


    "Where is one more of you? Have you four left your fifth brother behind and having fun here alone? Tsk! So unfair," hemented, his hand reaching out to caress the green emerald ring in his index finger.


    He was referring to Roman, who was not with us at the moment.


    "He is a clean freak and detests stinky garbage around," Lucian replied as he sat next to Kael, his gaze mocking, the cut on his left eyebrow making him look intimidating. "So fortunate of him to not be here and see you," his gaze moved to the other two standing behind the couch Kaizan was sitting on¡ªhis sworn mate brothers¡ª"and the two junks you always keep with you."


    Just like us, Kaizan, who was the same age as us, had two sworn mate brothers as well. The trend started after the packs no longer had pureblood she-wolves and thuscked the true Lunas who helped the Alpha to strengthen the pack. Luna¡¯s role had always been important, but as a solution to her absence, the Alphas increased their powers by having sworn mate brothers to increase their own and the pack¡¯s power.


    Sworn mate brothers were bound to their Alpha through a sacred ritual, fiercely loyal and inseparable. They were like shadows, moving with him, existing for him. And when one among them found a fated mate, the bond extended to all, sharing the same woman, binding her to the all of them.


    Kaizan remained unaffected as he simply smirked wickedly. "Always so yful, Lucian."


    "Want me to get serious and then send your corpse back home, just like we sent your brother¡¯s back then?" Lucian¡¯s tone was light, almost teasing, but his eyes had turned ck with threat. "Or for a change, I¡¯ll just feed yours to the dogs¡ªunless they won¡¯t mind eating stinky trash."


    None of us doubted Lucian if he got truly serious, and we would participate in what he would do without even a second thought.


    I went to sit on Kael¡¯s other side and offered him a yful smirk. "Well, we left Roman to have some fun with the pureblood we have. You must have heard it, right?" My gaze and tone mocking, as I moved a hand through my shoulder-length hairzily and leaned back on the couch. "Oh, I forgot¡ªyou were right there when we won the bidding. How did the defeat taste this time? Was it too dull without blood being shed?"


    We all hated mentioning that bitch, but in this moment, using her to provoke this bastard felt too tempting to resist. At least she served one good purpose.


    At the mention of her, finally there was a shift in Kaizan and his two brothers¡¯ expressions. Obviously, they were here for the same reason.


    "What brought you here?" Jason asked, breaking the silence, his tone impatient. "If you are tired of breathing, I can rid you out of trouble just like your brother."


    The corner of Kaizan¡¯s lips curved up once more, but this time gentle. "Always talking about killing and bloodshed. We are already over that phase, aren¡¯t we? Back then, as revenge, you killed my parents and my brother who attacked your pack. Since then, all the packs are on good terms, so why still be enemies?"


    After the massacre happened in both packs back then, the werewolf council meddled in and established peace pacts among werewolf packs. It forced everyone to stop wars and enmity and live in peace. On the surface, it looked peaceful, but the enmity was still there, everyone ready to kill another the first chance they got.


    If not for the rules established by the werewolf council, we wouldn¡¯t be just talking to this asshole at this moment¡ªhis blood would have spilled around the room by now. That¡¯s why he dared show up here.


    "I came on business," Kaizan said with a rxed air. "Thought I¡¯d take the chance to visit you as well."


    Despite enmity, the business trades ran among the packs, which was a separate issue from hate and enmity.


    "I must say, I have quite the offer for you," Kaizan added as the room fell silent again. But none of us took the bait. We already knew what wasing.


    "I am ready to give you more than what you spent on that pureblood she-wolf," finally he got to the point, "I just want you to share her with me and my brothers. We all can share her together."


    Before any of us could speak, mockingughter cut through the tension.


    Kael, who had remained silent until now, finally responded. He leaned forward, his expression cold, eyes glinting with contempt as theughter died down.


    "So you want us to share the bitch we bought?"


    "That¡¯s what I am here for," Kaizan said calmly. He had to tread carefully because he was in need here. Just like any other Alpha, hecked a pureblood she-wolf who could breed him an heir and also give him a pleasure that only a pureblood she-wolf was able to¡ªknotting without being killed.


    Kael emptied the entire ss of wine and tossed it on the floor, which crashed in front of Kaizan¡¯s boot-covered feet.


    "Go fuck yourself," Kael snarled, "if your cock¡¯s long enough to reach your own ass."


    Kaizan merely chuckled, unfazed. "Well, you¡¯ve always had a sharp tongue, Kael."


    "Funny, isn¡¯t it?" Lucian drawled, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You are going to stick your cock in your own ass, while we are going to stick it inside the holes of the bitch we bought." He let out a contented sigh, eyes distant with lewd satisfaction. "It¡¯s going to be something else when I knot her... when she starts breeding pups for me, for us."


    Then his gaze snapped to Kaizan, cold and mocking. "Too bad you¡¯ll never know the feeling. Might as well adopt. Or if you want, I can donate one of mine. I¡¯ll have plenty. That way we can legally take over your pack too."


    Kaizan¡¯s smile faltered, the calm in his gray eyes cracking ever so slightly. "You should think carefully about the deal I¡¯m offering," he said, voice tightening. "Everyone in the werewolf world knows you¡¯re in possession of a pureblood. How long do you think you five can protect her? Eventually, someone will take her from you."


    "Try it," Kael said, his voice dropping low and ice-cold. His eyes, now murderous, met Kaizan¡¯s without blinking. "If even one bastardys a finger on what¡¯s mine, I¡¯ll burn every pack to the ground. And yours will be the first."


    There was something in the way Kael said it¡ªa raw, unfiltered possessiveness that made even us pause. Whether it was a performance to put Kaizan in his ce or the alcohol dragging out something more primal, to call that bitch as ¡¯his¡¯.

 Chapter 16: Lucian’s Vicious Plan For Eira

    <h4>Chapter 16: Lucian¡¯s Vicious n For Eira</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    Even Jason, who had always been reluctant about touching that bitch, finally spoke, his tone taunting. "Kaizan, you see, there are five of us. And each one of us ns to take his sweet time fucking her, enjoying her, and breeding her with as many pups as we like."


    His gaze dipped sharply, zeroing in between Kaizan¡¯s legs.


    "By the time we¡¯re done, who knows how many decades will have passed. I doubt your cock will even work anymore."


    "And just so it¡¯s clear, we don¡¯t share. Not with anyone outside the five of us. What¡¯s ours stays ours," I dered, though inside I didn¡¯t want to call that bitch- ¡¯Ours¡¯.


    Kaizan scoffed a little after a short silence. "Yours? Hmm, it reminded me of one bitch that used to be one of yours, but then my brother used to fuck her nicely until she no longer remembered any of you."


    As he said it, all of us tensed up. It wasn¡¯t difficult for us to know who he was referring to. Definitely that bitch Eira.


    That betrayal from six years back was still the most hurting thing for everyone, and this bastard Kaizan knew it.


    "Ah, I still remember the way she used to scream when my brother fucked her," he continued, a twisted smirk on his face. "Kept begging him to go harder. Horny little bitch. One day, she came looking for him, but he wasn¡¯t home. So I had her on her knees, sucking my cock like it was her purpose in life. She didn¡¯t hesitate. Would¡¯ve fucked her right there, but my brother walked in. Tsk! Missed the chance."


    "Wasn¡¯t she the one who provided all the details about their pack?" one of Kaizan¡¯s blond-haired brothers finally spoke, looking at us with a mocking gaze. "I wonder where she is¡ªbusy getting fucked now, or she is already dead."


    "What does it matter to us? Bitches like her are meant to be fucked and then be killed." Kaizan stood up, straightened his coat, his voice turning casual again as he looked at us. "Think about the deal I offered. If not, you will see this new bitch of yours bringing another disaster to your pack."


    Jason stepped forward, nting himself directly in front of Kaizan. His voice was like ice. "Who the fuck do you think you¡¯re threatening? That bitch got what she deserved. But you better keep your cock in your pants and your shitty schemes buried in that rotten head of yours. Because next time, you¡¯ll join your brother and your parents in the afterlife."


    Kaizan tilted his head slightly, feigning calm. "We¡¯ll see about that. For now, you might want to run along and guard your toy. Roman might not be enough if someone decides to take her."


    With that, Kaizan turned and left the room, his brothers trailing behind him with smirks full of mockery.


    Lucian stood up at once, jaw tight. Kaizan¡¯s words had hit him¡ªjust as they had all of us.


    "We¡¯re heading home," Kael said, his tone leaving no room for argument.


    None of us hesitated. The same thought ran through every mind in the room.


    We might hate that bitch, but she was ours now. Whether we fucked her, tormented her, or killed her, it would be by our hands. No one else was allowed to touch her.


    We headed home, and I turned my car into a goddamn speed shuttle. Speed was my drug. Nothing settled my nerves like the roar of the engine and the blur of the world outside.


    Jason had already called Roman on the way, informing him about Kaizan¡¯s visit and warning him to stay alert. Lucian, meanwhile, was handling the security team, making sure every corner of our estate was locked down tight.


    As soon as we crossed the main gate and the wheels screeched to a halt, we rushed inside. One quick scan told us everything looked normal. No signs of intrusion, no threats in sight.


    Roman stepped out from the front entrance to greet us, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "There¡¯s nothing to worry about. That asshole probably just wanted to rile you up with empty threats," he said to Kael.


    Kael didn¡¯t respond immediately. His gaze¡ªstill tinged with the haze of alcohol¡ªwas focused entirely on Roman. That worry wasn¡¯t for the bitch inside. It was for his brother.


    After losing so many of our own, the thought of losing even one more was something none of us could afford. And Roman wasn¡¯t just anyone. He was one of us, bonded through the sacred rite. A piece of our soul.


    Once Lucian personally confirmed that the perimeter was secure and barked his instructions to the guards, we entered the house together.


    The moment I stepped into the drawing room, I crinkled my nose in disgust.


    "What happened?" Roman asked, frowning.


    "I can smell that bitch even from here," I muttered, irritationcing my voice. "You really had to bring her into this ce? Smells like you¡¯re trying to drive me out."


    "You¡¯ll get used to it," Roman replied coolly. "After Kaizan¡¯s little warning, it¡¯s better to keep her where we can see her. Unless, of course, you¡¯d rather just hand her over to him."


    No one said a word. Because deep down, we all knew he was right.


    "I hate that bastard," Jason growled as he threw himself onto the sofa. "We should¡¯ve killed him back then with his brother when we had the damn chance."


    "Mocking and making them suffer while they¡¯re alive that¡¯s more satisfying than simply killing them," Lucian said, his voice low, smirk sharp with menace. "He seems to regret not being able to fuck her back then¡ªthen let¡¯s show him how we fuck her while he can only watch."


    "What are you suggesting?" Roman asked, though the rest of us had already caught on to Lucian¡¯s sick train of thought.


    Lucian leaned forward, eyes gleaming with sadistic intent.


    "Let¡¯s make a video of us five fucking her and then send it to Kaizan. I wonder how twisted his expressions would be to see us fucking a pureblood¡ªand that too, the same bitch his brother loved to fuck and he lost his chance with."


    Then he chuckled coldly. "And when the timees, we¡¯ll send him photos of the pups she bears for us. That¡¯ll really make him snap. Imagine the regret, the rage he will have thinking how they didn¡¯t know she was a pureblood and let her slip from their hands back then."


    As Lucian said, a heavy silence fail in the room. As the rule, we looked at Kael who was the decision maker.


    "Let¡¯s do it." We heard Kael¡¯s resolute voice loud and clear. Kaizan had truly hit Kael¡¯s nerve this time.


    Lucian looked at Roman, "How¡¯s that bitch? Fuckable?


    Roman sighed, "At the brink of death? Want to kill her before the n even begins?"


    "How long will it take for to heal?" Lucian asked, not minding Roman¡¯s words.


    "A weak maybe," Roman replied, though unwilling, he knew where his loyalty lies. "I believe you would prefer her to look healthy and better in the video, rather than showing you are fucking a corpse. That would be more effective if you want to rile up Kaizan."


    Lucian gave a short nod and reminded him, "Not just me. We¡¯re all part of this."


    Roman met his gaze, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know."

 Chapter 17: Spread Your Legs

    <h4>Chapter 17: Spread Your Legs</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I stirred at the sound of voices nearby.


    My eyes fluttered open, but the dizziness clung to me like a heavy fog. My limbs felt weighed down, my chest hurt and breathing felt like a chore.


    The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, definitely not of the hospital room I hadst seen. I turned my head to look around. The room was well-furnished, its walls and floor made of polished wood, even the air smelled different too, something warmer... richer. Wood. Earth. Home.


    <i>¡¯Their home. I¡¯m inside their home.¡¯</i>


    Panic crept up as the realisation struck me. I tried to move, ignoring the pain in me chest, only to find one of my wrists cuffed to the side of the bed.


    They truly meant to keep me here as their captive.


    Once more I heard those voices, now getting closer and clearer.


    "I¡¯m not going to that bitch. I¡¯m not a damn doctor. Call Liam," came a frustrated voice from just beyond the door.


    "I already called Liam. He¡¯s busy today with surgeries. You studied medicine for three years, so you can¡ª"


    "That was years ago. I¡¯ve forgotten everything. Find someone else."


    "We can¡¯t risk letting someone new examine her. Do you want her to recover or not?"


    "I only want her healed enough to fuck and film so we can send that video to her old admirer, that asshole Kaizan. After that, she can rot in hell for all I care."


    My blood ran cold. <i>¡¯Kaizan? Who is that? Why would they send a video of me to him?¡¯</i>


    The voices continued.


    "Then for the sake of preparing her to look good in the video, just check her condition."


    "I¡¯m not touching that bitch without a reason. Do it yourself."


    "What are you two arguing about now?" a third voice cut in¡ªcalm, but authoritative.


    "I want him to check her. You know he has studied medicine before."


    "That bitch won¡¯t die, so stop troubling our guy," someone muttered from behind the door, voice sharp with indifference. "And I came to tell you¡ªget her tested for diseases before we fuck her. I¡¯m not putting my cock in some diseased cunt."


    "Liam already ran the tests. She¡¯s clean," came the reply.


    "Oh? you two are here as well. Let¡¯s take a look at that bitch together."


    Panic gripped my chest as their footsteps approached. They were going to enter the room.


    I shut my eyes tightly, forcing my breath to slow. If they thought I was asleep, maybe they¡¯d leave me alone. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t touch me.


    The door creaked open.


    I heard the distinct sound of footsteps hitting the wooden floor. All five of them were inside now, and I could feel their presence like a storm brewing above me.


    "She should¡¯ve woken up by now," Roman said. I could recognize his voice now¡ªcalm, but cold. "It¡¯s been more than twenty-four hours."


    "She¡¯s pretending," came another voice, one that sent a shiver down my spine. Him. He always knew when I faked sleep, even back then. He would always catch me. Just like now.


    My heart clenched as silence fell over the room.


    Knowing I¡¯d been caught, I slowly opened my eyes and looked at them.


    Familiar faces from my past that once I thought to be people close to me, but now feltplete like strangers.


    Each one of them had turned different kind monster to me, hurting me in their own different ways.


    One of them I was once madly in love with and he felt the same towards me. We made promises to spend this life together. His light green eyes used to be gentle, a mirror of the soul I once trusted.


    I still remembered his words, clear as crystal. <i>"You¡¯ll be an adult soon. Then I¡¯ll dere you as mine, and we¡¯ll get engaged. We¡¯ll get married."</i>


    One of them had raped me just a month before I was about toe of an age. I couldn¡¯t even tell my pain to anyone, not even to the one I loved. What could I have possibly told him? That while I was saving myself for him, his friend tore me apart?


    Another had beaten me to death that I still woke up screaming from nightmares of that night. While the one I loved was watching me getting beaten up quietly from the side.


    One of them had always bullied me. Mocked me. Made my life hell for no reason, like I was his favorite game to torment. I endured it¡ªfor the sake of the one I loved. Because they were friends.


    And thest... he had always hated me. From the very beginning. My mere existence seemed to offend him. Even now, his eyes held nothing but loathing. And I still didn¡¯t know what I had done to deserve it.


    Loved, raped, beaten up, bullied, and hated for no reason. This is what these five gave me, in return for how much I trusted them.


    Lucian stepped forward, entering my line of sight with a twisted smirk. "So, you were pretending, huh? Pretentious, as always."


    I didn¡¯t answer. Any reply would only invite more of his sick amusement, more of his venom. And I had no strength left for that.


    He turned toward Jason, lips curled into a cruel grin. "Roman wanted you to check her, didn¡¯t he? Then check her pussy. See if it¡¯s at least a little fuckable or already rotted from overuse."


    Jason gave him a look of pure disgust. "And if it is rotten?"


    "Then we¡¯ll just fuck her with our eyes closed," Lucian replied with a low, sinister chuckle. "You got a tool? She is looking so disgusting that I don¡¯t want to touch her yet."


    "My tools are too precious to touch filth," Jason snapped, his voice cold.


    I simply turned my face toward the window, eyes vacant, mind detaching from my body. Over the years I had heard every disgustingment men could make about my body, every part they took interest in, that my mind had trained itself to shut it down.


    Just fuck and leave. That¡¯s what my mind always told them in silence, and it would wake up again after they had done and left.


    "Take this." It was Kael¡¯s voice I knew. He had tossed something to Lucian.


    Lucian walked towards me, but I didn¡¯t look at him.


    "Spread your legs," he ordered, something sharp and cold running along the bare skin of my exposed thigh.


    I did as I was told.


    <i>Just fuck and leave.</i> Over and over again, I repeated it in my head.


    What more could they do?


    Men were all the same. Human or werewolf¡ªit didn¡¯t matter. Everyst one of them was a fucking bastard.

 Chapter 18: She Is A Born Whore

    <h4>Chapter 18: She Is A Born Whore</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Lucian ran the knife along her thighs and soon it tore apart the underwear she was wearing.


    But she didn¡¯t even flinch. As if she couldn¡¯t feel a thing, or hear anything around her. Her hollow and empty gaze simply stared out the window, fixed on the bright sky beyond the ss.


    Could someone really disconnect their mind like that?


    "Not bad. Doesn¡¯t look rotten at all," Lucian said with a note of amusement. "Seems like she preserved her cunt for us to destroy it."


    "She must¡¯ve fucked countless men in those six years," Jason muttered, clearly unconvinced. "How the hell is it still intact? Check properly."


    "Take a look yourself," Lucian replied, stepping aside so the rest of us could see.


    "Born whores are like this," Kael said coldly from behind us. "They can take anything and never break."


    "True," Lucian and Jason echoed in unison.


    Jason chuckling darkly. "No wonder she turned out this way. Always was a whore."


    "Are we done here?" Rafe asked, clearly irritated. "If I stay any longer, I might puke from her shitty scent. And I sure as hell won¡¯t be the one cleaning it."


    "We¡¯re done," Kael answered, already turning to leave.


    "Not sure how I¡¯m supposed to fuck her with that stench in the air," Rafe muttered as he followed. "I might just kill her instead."


    Lucian and Jason walked after them.


    "Little bat, just bear it for the sake of filming the damn video," Lucian said, voice light with mockery. "Otherwise Kaizan might think we left you out of the fun."


    "Fun, my ass," Rafe grumbled with a frown.


    Lucian handed the bloodied de to him. "Sterilize this before giving it back to Kael."


    Jason scoffed with a disgust. "I wonder how are we supposed to sterilize our cocks after fucking her?"


    I nced toward him. "Jason, aren¡¯t you supposed to check her?"


    He sneered. "We just checked her cunt. Looks all merry," and left anyways.


    Four of them left, while I stayed back.


    It was as if by default taking care of her has be solely my responsibility alone, while these four always found reasons to stay away.


    I walked slowly toward the bed.


    "Eira," I called her name softly.


    She didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t blink. Didn¡¯t even breathe like someone who was present in their body.


    She didn¡¯t respond at all.


    I knew she had done wrong, but I couldn¡¯t understand why I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to leave her like this. Maybe it was the sheer misery of her condition that made me pity her, even when I didn¡¯t want to.


    I stepped closer to the headboard and unfastened the cuff holding her wrist. The soft click of the lock seemed to pull her out of whatever fog she was trapped in. She turned her head slowly, staring at her freed hand as if it was something foreign. Something rare.


    I had already noticed the faint bruising around her wrist earlier. They told she had been restrained like this often.


    The knee length hospital gown she was wearing had slipped up, which allowed me to see the numerous bruises and scars on her bare legs, some faded, some still fresh. Her thighs even had the teeth marks like she was bitten repeatedly.


    Liam had once told me to look closely at her body if I wanted to understand what kind of life she had lived. Just by seeing her legs, I could already imagine the nightmare she must have endured. And this was only a part of it. The rest of her body might tell an even darker story.


    But she was a pureblood wolf. Her body should have healed well to leave such scars. Unless they had fed her drugs strong enough to suppress her wolf¡¯s healing. Or perhaps her wolf was too weak. Or worse, hiding deep in the dark, refusing toe out or she has lost her wolf already.


    My heart felt heavy, and I didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    <i>¡¯She deserve it alright? Don¡¯t pity her.¡¯</i>


    I looked up at her face again. She was still staring at her hand. Still not speaking. As if freedom itself was a luxury she couldn¡¯t quite ept.


    <i>¡¯What exactly happened to you, Eira? </i><i>You should be in prison. You were supposed to pay for what you did to our pack. So how did you end up in the hands of traffickers? How far had you fallen?¡¯</i>


    I had so many questions, but now wasn¡¯t the time to ask. Most importantly why she did it back then, why did she betray us and sold our pack to enemies?


    "You¡¯ve been lying in bed for a long time," I said, keeping my voice even. "Do you want to get up? Do you need to use the washroom?"


    She looked at me for a moment, her gaze cautious and unreadable. Then, without a word, she began to move, trying to sit up on her own. The pain on her face was evident, etched into every small movement.


    I stepped forward instinctively to help, but the moment my hand reached toward her, she flinched away. Like a wounded animal, conditioned to expect harm with every gesture.


    "I just want to help you get to the bathroom. Nothing else," I said softly, trying to reassure her, but the wariness in her eyes didn¡¯t ease. She didn¡¯t believe me.


    Sighing inwardly, I moved anyway and lifted her gently into my arms. She tensed immediately, trying to resist, but I held her firm. "I am the one to carry you since when we found you, and you are still alive. Better be quiet or I¡¯ll drop you on the floor."


    She hissed, a small sound of pain escaping her lips from her own movement. After that, she went still.


    I carried her into the bathroom and set her down carefully on the toilet seat.


    "If you can¡¯t manage on your own, call me. I¡¯ll be right outside," I told her.


    She didn¡¯t respond. Her head remained lowered, her tinum brown hair covered the sides of her small face, almost hiding it, her shoulders hunched. She was silent as stone.


    I took a quick look around the bathroom, checking for anything she might use to harm herself. When I was satisfied there was nothing dangerous, I stepped out and closed the door behind me.


    Outside, I ran my hands through my light brown hair, a little frustrated,<i> ¡¯Gosh! Why am I doing this?¡¯</i>

 Chapter 19: Questioning Eira

    <h4>Chapter 19: Questioning Eira</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    Sitting on the toilet seat, I let out a quiet breath of relief. Roman was gone.


    Still, my thoughts wouldn¡¯t rest.


    <i>¡¯Why is he caring towards me all of a sudden, when in the past all he used to do was bully me every chance he got, as if I was nothing but a tool to pass his boring time? He must want to fuck me. That¡¯s all this is. He¡¯s just making sure I recover quickly so they can all use me the way they want.¡¯</i>


    I looked around the bathroom to see if I could find anything useful, but there was nothing. I needed something potent. Something that could kill me in an instant.


    Silver.


    Every werewolf feared it. I was sure they had silver des or guns with silver bullets. Kael was the Alpha. He had to have something. Maybe in his room. Maybe locked in his office.


    I had to find out where.


    With a deep breath, I focused on the task at hand, finally emptying my dder. It felt like I hadn¡¯t relieved myself in days. I didn¡¯t want to leave just yet. I wasn¡¯t ready to see any of them again. The bathroom felt like a temporary sanctuary. I decided to stay locked inside a while longer.


    Eventually, I forced myself to stand and walked toward the mirror.


    It had been so long since I had seen myself clearly. A real mirror. A full reflection. The ces I had been kept never had one. In those dark, windowless rooms, there was no need. My days had been reduced to the same brutal cycle¡ªgetting fucked, cleaning myself when I could, eating whatever scraps they gave me, and sleeping. Then repeating it all the next day.


    The only time I was given a short break was when I gave birth. They let me rest for maybe a week. That was all. Even pregnancy hadn¡¯t spared me. Some of them had sick minds. They enjoyed using a pregnant woman. I had begged them, pleaded with everything in me, just not to harm the baby in my belly. I promised I would do whatever they wanted. Anything. Just don¡¯t hurt my child.


    As I observed my current self in the mirror, I felt like I was looking at a stranger¡ªsomeone I had never seen.


    She looked like a ghost. Skin pale and paper-thin, cheeks sunken, dark shadows under lifeless eyes. Her bones pressed against skin that barely held them. A shell. A body that had been brutally abused and starved for ages.


    There was a time I found myself pretty. It¡¯s because of him, because he said I was beautiful.


    After falling in love with him, I started paying attention to myself. To how I looked. To what I wore. He used to praise me, calling me the most beautiful woman in his world. Every time he said it, I believed him a little more. His words filled me with confidence, and I put all my effort into bing someone he could be proud of.


    <i>But now, the way he looks at me felt like he¡¯s staring at filth. </i><i>I hate him. I truly do. But it still hurts.</i>


    I was no longer that young girl in love, no longer soft and beautiful, no longer innocent. I didn¡¯t need to look under my clothes to know what my body looked like now. Scars ran across it, physical reminders of every time I was broken.


    Only my face had been spared.


    The traffickers had made sure of that. A scarred face brought less money. Ugly whores were cheaper, easier to throw away. But a beautiful one could still fetch a high price.


    I turned on the faucet and sshed water on my face. It felt cold against my skin, a brief relief from the heaviness in my chest. There was no use hiding here forever. I would have to leave the safety of the bathroom eventually.


    What else could I even do?


    When I opened the door, Roman was still in the room, standing by a small coffee table. His back was to me, but he turned the moment he heard the door open. I looked away and began walking towards bed.


    Before I could take another step, he came toward me and lifted me into his arms once again.


    "What are you doing?" I asked sharply, startled by the suddenness of it.


    "Carrying you to bed. Your feet must still hurt," he replied.


    I followed his gaze to my feet. They were wrapped in fresh bandages. That night in the forest, I had run barefoot through rocks and thorns, tearing my skin apart, but I hadn¡¯t even noticed the pain, until now, when he said it.


    He ced me gently on the bed, not bothering to cuff my wrist this time. Then he turned and walked back to the table.


    When he returned, he was holding a small wooden tray, carrying food and a ss of water. He set it down beside me and looked at me directly.


    "Water and food. You need to eat."


    "I don¡¯t feel like eating," I told him, without even looking at it. I just wanted him gone. The more I looked at him, the more the memories of the way he bullied me in the past¡ªthose humiliations I suffered¡ªcrawled back into my mind.


    "But you have to," he insisted. "You know why we brought you here. And for that, you need to recover."


    So I was right. His kindness wasn¡¯t real. Everything so he could fuck me along with his brothers.


    But I really don¡¯t feel like eating. What is he gonna do¡ªstuff food in my mouth? Better that way. I might just choke and die. But...


    "We met Kaizan yesterday. You must still remember him," Roman said, his voice calm but watchful. "He remembers you too. He asked us to share you with him and his mate brothers. But we rejected the offer."


    I looked at him, confused. Why was he asking me if I remembered someone named Kaizan? And why was he telling me this?


    Then his gaze shifted, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Are you disappointed to hear we turned him down? You must miss him, after all."


    "Kaizan?" I repeated softly. "Who is that?"


    His expression hardened as he stared at me for a long moment. Distrust clouded his eyes. "Still good at pretending, I see. Just like before."


    What the hell was he talking about?

 Chapter 20: Why Did You Kill Alice

    <h4>Chapter 20: Why Did You Kill Alice</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "Let me remind you," he said, voice sharper now. "He¡¯s the current Alpha of the Dreadwyn Pack."


    Dreadwyn Pack. I had heard of it in the past. They were the enemy of the Stormhowl Pack. But their Alpha? I had never known who he was. I didn¡¯t even remember meeting him.


    Roman didn¡¯t stop. "After we killed his brother Keiren... your previous lover... Kaizan became Alpha."


    "Keiren?" The name sounded distant, like something caught in fog. My head throbbed as I tried to search through the broken pieces of my memory.


    "Still pretending?" Roman sneered. "After sucking him off so nicely back then, you forgot him? Tell me, how many men did you fuck back then while pretending to be innocent in front of us?"


    His words hit like a p.


    There was that man¡ªnow I remember. He forced me to give him a blowjob, or he threatened to kill Alice while holding her hostage. But how? How did they know it? Only Alice and Sophia knew about that incident. I didn¡¯t know who he was, let alone his name.


    So he was from the Dreadwyn Pack.


    Roman watched me closely. "Seems like you remember now. Your precious lover. Too bad. We killed him. Want to know what exactly we did with him...?"


    "He was not my lover," I said quickly, my voice low, heavy with shame and fear. That memory still haunted me. The humiliation. The helplessness.


    Roman¡¯s expression twisted. "So what then? You just went around sucking off any random man?"


    There was hurting sarcasm in his voice, as if he had just exposed some dirty secret of mine. And he took my silence as if I was admitting to whatever he was using me of.


    "I... it¡¯s not..." I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat.


    "Why did you do it, Eira?" he cut in coldly, not giving me a chance to exin. "Why did you betray our pack? Do you have any idea how many people we lost that day? Our family. Our friends. What did he offer you in return to turn your back on us?"


    Though I was shaken by his sudden questions, I looked at him, my voice low, my gaze filled with sorrow. "What if I told you I did nothing of that sort? That I was framed?"


    He stared at me for a long moment, searching my eyes as though trying to peel awayyers of truth. But I could see the disbelief etched across his face.


    "And what about Alice?" he asked, his tone sharp. "Weren¡¯t you the one who killed her?"


    At the mention of her name, my heart stopped. A sharp, cold pain shot through my chest, making it hard to breathe.


    The vivid images of that night shed before me.


    The gun in my hand.Alice falling.Blood pooling beneath her body.Her lifeless eyes staring up at me, still haunted me every night, asking me why did I kill her?


    My throat tightened as tears welled up in my eyes. I looked away, unable to face him, unable to face myself.


    Yes, I pulled the trigger. I killed my best friend, my sister. I killed her with my own hands.


    They had every right to hate me. Because I hated myself for it as well.


    That one sin made me think I deserved all kinds of brutal punishments till I died. These six years of suffering were nothing for taking her life.


    "At least you won¡¯t deny it. You still have some shame left in you," I heard him say again. "Why did you kill Alice?"


    I didn¡¯t respond. Only continued to shed tears, with my head lowered in guilt.


    "If you feel even a little guilty," he continued, pushing the dish toward me, "then eat and recover quickly. Soon, we¡¯ll record the video of all five of us fucking you and send it to Kaizan. That¡¯s part of our revenge for what we lost."


    Though I had no appetite and felt like puking instead, I looked at the dish. I will do everything they say, if that¡¯s what it takes to make up for the sin of killing Alice.


    I didn¡¯t know who this Kaizan was, but whatever. I was going to be fucked by these five anyway. And if this is what helped them take their revenge on their enemies...


    "I will do everything you say," I murmured, "but instead of food... can I have some drugs?"


    I needed drugs to forget about that night when I killed Alice, or it felt traumatizing. With drugs in my system, it was easy to lock my mind from any pain.


    Roman¡¯s expression hardened. "No drugs. Your wounds won¡¯t heal if you¡¯re high all the time. Liam wille soon to check on you. Until then, stay put and focus on recovering."


    I lowered my head again, resigned. Of course they wouldn¡¯t give me what I asked for. The more I needed it, the more they would keep it from me.


    "Finish it before I return," he said, standing to leave. "It¡¯s light. Should be easy enough for your starving stomach."


    I looked at the food he had left behind. A simple meal. A bowl of porridge.


    But as I examined it more closely, my eyes caught something¡ªan ingredient I recognized, something I was allergic to.


    Still, I picked up the bowl. It was warm in my hands, the steam curling up and brushing against my face. The scent was faintlyforting, but I knew better than to expect kindness in anything they gave me.


    Even so, I lifted the spoon.


    The porridge was too hot, so I waited a moment before bringing it to my lips. After the first few spoonfuls, I barely tasted it. I just needed to finish it. That was the only thought in my head.


    Then, without warning, the door burst open. Roman rushed in, his expression sharp with urgency.


    "Don¡¯t eat it," he said quickly, voice loud enough to stop me mid-motion.

 Chapter 21: I Am Done With You All

    <h4>Chapter 21: I Am Done With You All</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    I left the room, leaving her to eat quietly.


    I had no will to stare at her while suppressing the anger boiling inside after she admitted her doings from the past. But she didn¡¯t tell me why she did it.


    There were many conclusions made about her actions, but it was hard to decide which one was right. The right answer¡ªonly she could tell us.


    My mind was full of thoughts about the conversation between us as I continued to walk toward the dining room, where the other four were waiting for me to have a meal with them.


    When we spoke about Kaizan, her reaction had caught me off guard. The way she imed not to know him... it had almost felt genuine. Her eyes, wide and innocent, had looked just like they did in the past, as if she were incapable of lying.


    She was truly skilled at deceiving, even now.


    And yet... her words still echoed in my head.


    <i>I was framed.</i>


    She didn¡¯t looked like she was lying. But we had solid evidence and she also didn¡¯t deny killing Alice. All of us saw the clear video footage of how she shot Alice and then even tried to kill Sophia.


    <i>¡¯I can¡¯t fall for her innocent act again. I can¡¯t trust her,¡¯</i> I told myself again and again.But somewhere in my mind, I couldn¡¯t help but think¡ª<i>what if she was telling the truth?</i>


    I instantly shook that thought away and went to sit in my chair around the dining table.


    "You returned sote. Don¡¯t tell me you were busy fucking her while we were waiting for you here," Lucian remarked. "So impatient, huh?"


    "It would help me if you shut your mouth," I replied coldly, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.


    Lucian chuckled,pletely unbothered. "Fine, then at least tell us what sweet nothings she whispered into your ears. What did you two talk about?" He didn¡¯t give me a chance to answer. "Let me guess. Were you discussing what position she enjoys most? Whether she likes it in her pussy or her asshole? Or liked to be filled both her holes at the same time?"


    Jason scoffed in a disgust. "Given how she enjoyed sucking cocks in that video we saw, I am sure she prefers all three holes filled at the same time."


    "Shut up," I snapped, my voice rising. "I asked her why she killed Alice. Why she betrayed us. Why she chose our enemies over us."


    The table fell silent. I looked at Kael. His expression was cold, his jaw clenched, trying to suppress his anger.


    "What could the reason possibly be?" Jason finally broke the silence. "She liked being fucked by our enemies more?"


    "She said she didn¡¯t do it," I told them. "She said she was framed."


    "And who would bother framing her?" Lucian scoffed, his voice rising with contempt. "Was she really that important? She was a fucking nobody bitch. And let¡¯s not forget¡ªwe had evidence. Verified it over and over. You know that."


    "And what about Alice? Did she say she didn¡¯t kill her?" Jason joined in as well. "Tell me the extent that fucking bitch lied and tried to brainwash you, Roman."


    "She didn¡¯t deny killing Alice," I replied, keeping my voice steady. I had to stay calm. Whenever the subject of Alice came up, these two turned into wild beasts. "She admitted that much. But she denied everything else. Said she was framed."


    "Bullshit," Kael¡¯s cold voice finally cut through. "She couldn¡¯t get close to me and be Luna of this pack because I had Sophia¡ªso she chose the enemy pack to fulfill her wish to gain power."


    "That exins why she tried to kill Sophia as well, along with Alice," Jason said, offering me a mocking gaze. "Do you get it?"


    Back then, after Sophia was somehow saved after the bullets Eira shot at her, she told us everything. Alice and Sophia had both discovered what Eira was up to¡ªhow she was involved with Keiren, the enemy pack. That¡¯s why she tried to kill both of them.


    If not for Sophia, we wouldn¡¯t have known the real reason.


    And then came the video. The one of her on her knees, pleasuring Keiren and his friends. After seeing that, did we really need more proof?


    Just then, Rafe let out an irritated growl and mmed his spoon on the table, breaking the silence.


    He red at Jason. "You put celery in this? You know I hate the taste. And what the hell is this porridge? Are we patients now?"


    Jason remained calm,zily stirring the porridge in his own bowl to cool it down. "I didn¡¯t like the fact that I was making it for that bitch, so I made it for us all." He looked at me. "It¡¯s all on you, Roman. You¡¯re the one who forced me to cook it."


    "We need her to eat if we want our n to work," I reminded him firmly.


    "Celery?" Lucian chuckled darkly. "Isn¡¯t she allergic to that?"


    Jason gave a small, wicked smirk. "I was just in the mood to sprinkle a little in. Thought it¡¯d be fun."


    I clenched my jaw, fury tightening in my chest. Without another word, I stood and stormed out of the dining room, heading straight for her room.


    When I arrived, she was already eating.


    "Don¡¯t eat it," I said quickly, stepping inside.


    She stopped at my sudden warning, but the next moment, I was left shocked.


    She quickly emptied the entire bowl down her throat, despite it being hot.


    "Damn it!" I cursed and hurried toward her, snatching the bowl from her hands.


    I red at her, anger rising inside me. Her mouth was still full, cheeks puffed with the porridge she hadn¡¯t yet swallowed.


    "Spit it out," I ordered her, my voice loud.


    She looked me straight in the eyes and swallowed it anyway.


    That was it.


    My anger rose to its limit as I red at this stubborn woman. Now I knew why Kael was so frustrated with her and wanted to throw her down the building. She was infuriating with her constant attempts to kill herself. I clenched my fists. I should have helped him throw her down the building.


    I saw her face had already started to break out in light rashes.


    "Alright. You want to die? Go ahead," I said, and walked out of the room, mming the door behind me.


    Why was everyone testing the limits of my patience? My four mate brothers¡ªand now this bitch as well. All of them could go to hell for all I cared.


    As I stepped into the hallway, the four of them looked at me. Their expressions didn¡¯t hold concern. Just amusement.


    "Knight in shining armour saved the damsel in distress," Lucian said with a wicked chuckle.


    "Seems like it," Jason added, a smirk ying on his lips as he enjoyed eating.


    "I think you two are wrong this time," Rafe said, as if he just had his fill of entertainment for the day.


    I angrily smashed the bowl on the floor, which shattered into pieces with a loud crash.


    I red at the four. "I¡¯m done being the knight in shining armour¡ªfor you or for that bitch. I¡¯m out of it. She drank it, and whether she lives or dies now, I don¡¯t care. To hell with your sick n. I was in it for you and the friends we lost. I am not the one to lose my sister or my family. But I take your pain as mine. Now you can go ahead and fuck her dead body. After this, I have nothing to do with her."


    I walked out of the house without looking back.


    "Roman," I heard them calling me, but I didn¡¯t stop. I didn¡¯t want to spend a single more moment with any of them¡ªor even with her.


    The only thing I felt at this moment was utter anger. I was always good at controlling my anger, but I couldn¡¯t guarantee that when it went too far. If I stayed, I would definitely end up doing something we¡¯d all regret.


    I sat in my car and drove away. Through the rear-view mirror, I saw theming out of the house to stop me. But I wasn¡¯t going to.


    This time, I was truly done with them.

 Chapter 22: The Man She Loved

    <h4>Chapter 22: The Man She Loved</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    After drinking the porridge, it didn¡¯t take long for my body to react. My skin began to itch, a raw difort spreading across my chest. Breathing grew heavier with each passing second.


    Despite the growing tightness in my lungs and the burning beneath my skin, a faint smile yed on my lips.


    <i>¡¯I¡¯m going to meet Alice.¡¯</i><i></i>


    I curled up in the bed, ready for the end. Darkness began to cloud the edges of my mind, pulling me gently toward the abyss. I was dying. Finally.


    At the final moment of life, what does a person think about? Perhaps not of regrets or pain. Maybe they think of the memories they cherished the most.


    My subconscious drifted six years back into the past, the day when Alice took me to her home for the first time.


    But I didn¡¯t know that day would lead me to him, the one who stole my heart the moment I saw him.


    Alice and I stood in front of the cozy-looking cottage home, surrounded by a beautiful greenery. The air was fresh, touched by the first chill of approaching winter.


    "Eira, wait here," Alice had said, already walking toward the door. "I need to check if Fluffy is tied up. He¡¯ll bark and jump all over you the moment he sees you."


    Fluffy was her dog, golden retriever, who I had heard about from Alice.


    I stayed outside, taking in the peaceful surroundings, and then I saw him.


    My breath almost caught in my chest at the sight of him.


    He was lounging in a chair set in the middle of thewn, soaking in the sunlight beneath the wide blue sky. d in a crisp white shirt and light trousers, he glowed beneath the pale light of the day. His eyes were closed, face calm and untouched by worry. The breeze tugged gently at his shirt, and his short hair moved slightly with it. I almost had an urge to move my fingers through them.


    He looked like something drawn from a dream.


    I was never the kind of girl who looked at men so boldly. In truth, let alone take interest in anyone ever. But with him, I couldn¡¯t seem to look away. He was, without a doubt, the most enchantingly handsome man I had ever seen. And the pull I felt toward him, I couldn¡¯t describe it, only feel it.


    I was lost, not realizing that he had opened his eyes and turned his face to look at me.


    "Had enough of staring yet?" His voice was calm, slightly hoarse voice brought me back to my senses.


    It startled me like a thief was caught red handed. Not knowing what to do, I looked toward the house entrance¡ªbut Alice was yet to return.


    He stood up from the chair, graceful and unhurried, and walked toward me. His face gave nothing away. No smile, no frown. Just quiet curiosity.


    I swallowed hard, my instincts telling me to run, but within seconds, he stood directly in front of me. He bent slightly, lowering himself to meet my height, his light green eyes scanning my face closely.


    "And who might you be? A little rabbit sneaking into my garden?"


    I took a step back, my gaze falling to the ground. I didn¡¯t dare meet his eyes again.


    "I¡¯m Alice¡¯s friend," I murmured, voice barely above a whisper.


    "Then why are you outside and staring at me like you¡¯ve never seen a man before?" he asked.


    "I..." I stammered, at aplete loss for words. My mind nked, and I shut my eyes like a frightened child, unsure what to do or say.


    Just then, the door creaked open and Alice¡¯s voice rang out, scolding her dog. "Fluffy, stay quiet, alright? Don¡¯t scare my friend. You¡¯ll like her."


    Relief washed over me. I opened my eyes but he was already gone.


    Alice came outside and took me in, apologizing for keeping me waiting. I looked around, but there was no sign of him. ¡¯Who was he?¡¯


    "Today is my mother¡¯s birthday," Alice said cheerfully. "We¡¯re celebrating it with lunch and a few close people."


    "Birthday?" I eximed lightly. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me before? I didn¡¯t even bring a gift."


    "Your presence is already a gift," she said as we entered the home. "It¡¯s always my brother¡¯s friends who are invited for meals, but this time, there¡¯s my friend as well¡ªyou."


    I watched a few people already present inside the home¡ªfive men and one young woman. They looked at me, and I felt like their gazes could pierce through my body. Or maybe it was just my nervous self that felt that way.And among them was <i>him</i>¡ªthe one who talked to me outside.


    He had a light smirk on his lips as he watched me, making me even more nervous.


    Alice introduced me to her two brothers, and then to the other three¡ªfriends of theirs¡ªthe young woman Sophia, and her own mother, Jennifer.


    I greeted them with a silent nod, keeping my gaze lowered to the floor, not daring to look at them for long.


    Jennifer greeted me warmly. "You are just as beautiful as Alice told me."For the first time, I saw what mothers are like¡ªand I never had one.


    Jennifer loved Alice and her two sons deeply.


    We had lunch together. It was difficult for me to eat the way <i>he</i> stared at me while eatingfortably. Without even looking at him, I could feel his piercing gaze.


    I felt like I should leave that ce quickly¡ªand I did by making an excuse just after we finished eating.


    I escaped that day, but after that, it became frequent that we came across each other. The frequent encounters made us familiar with each other and without knowing we were already in love.


    But we couldn¡¯t let anyone know about it, especially my grandparents, who were already strict with me¡ªand I was a minor as well, just a few months apart from my adulthood.

 Chapter 23: Jason’s Dark Plan-I

    <h4>Chapter 23: Jason¡¯s Dark n-I</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out this way. That was why I hadn¡¯t intervened when Lucian and Jason started provoking Roman. It was somethingmon among the five of us, tossing around jabs and insults in the name of friendly banter.


    But now that Roman had left in anger, I regretted not stopping those two¡ªsince they only listen to me.


    I turned to Rafe. "Go after Roman."


    Before Rafe could even respond, Lucian spoke up. "I¡¯ll get him."


    "No," I said firmly, locking eyes with him, daring him to challenge me. "You are not going to him."


    Lucian obeyed quietly, and then I looked at Jason, who also preferred to keep silent.


    I wasn¡¯t just the Alpha of this pack. These four had submitted to mepletely, binding themselves to me when we became mate-brothers. Their loyalty gave me full authority over them, and when I was serious, not one of them dared defy me.


    But above all, they were my friends first. I respected their choices and gave themplete freedom¡ªuntil the moment things spiraled out of control.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll get him," Rafe said, heading toward his car. Just as he reached the door, he paused and turned to nce back at us. "If that bitch is dead from the allergy, I¡¯d appreciate it if you cleared her corpse before I return." With that, he slid into the driver¡¯s seat, calm as ever.


    His words snapped my focus back to her. That bitch. I couldn¡¯t let her die¡ªnot before I saved Sophia.


    "Call Liam, quickly," I ordered Lucian, then turned to Jason. "Get the emergency medical kit ande to her room."


    I didn¡¯t wait for their response and headed inside.


    The moment I entered her room, I froze.


    Her body was curled up on the bed, looking lifeless.


    "Damn it," I muttered under my breath, hurrying to her side. I turned her over andid her t on her back. Her pulse was faint. Her skin was covered in angry red rashes, and she didn¡¯t seem to be breathing at all.


    If she hadn¡¯t been a pureblood, she¡¯d already be dead.


    While I waited for Jason, I lightly patted her cheek. Her face was hollow, her lips pale. "Hey, can you hear me?"


    Jason entered the room just then, and I stepped aside to let him through. "Hurry up. Give her something before she dies."


    Jason had studied medicine for three years back in the day. He was always the one who patched us up when we got into fights¡ªwhich often happened with enemies or during our rough training sessions.


    Jason was calm¡ªnot a tinge of worry on his face, as if it didn¡¯t concern him whether she died¡ªbut he followed my instructions anyway.


    Jason filled the syringe with the liquid drug and injected it into her thigh. His movements were calm, practiced, as if he¡¯d never stepped away from the medical field. If he hadn¡¯t given up his studies six years ago, we wouldn¡¯t even need Liam anymore.


    Next, he pulled out the oxygen pump and secured the mask over her nose, manually pressing the pump. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as if she¡¯d been drowning and had just broken through the surface to breathe again.


    I let out a sigh of relief and decided to make Sophia¡¯s treatment fast, before one of us killed this bitch for real.


    Lucian returned to the room just then. "Liam is in surgery. He can¡¯t make it here soon, but he offered to send someone in his ce. I rejected."


    "She seems fine now," I told him.


    No one else other than Liam was allowed in our home, so it was expected Lucian would reject Liam¡¯s offer. After that incident six years ago, we trusted no one. Other than a few of our most trusted people, no one was allowed to enter our home.


    I turned to Jason. "You caused this. You¡¯re going to take care of her."


    Then my gaze hardened at both of them. "And neither of you is to harm her until we get a pup and save Sophia. For that, she needs to recover. Once we get what we want, I won¡¯t care if you burn her alive."


    Lucian and Jason said nothing, but I knew they understood.


    I left the room.


    ----


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    After Kael left, Lucian pped a hand on my shoulder, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. "All the best taking care of this deceased cunt. Try not to catch anything while you¡¯re at it."


    "Once we bury our cocks inside her, no one¡¯s getting out clean," I shot back with a mocking grin. "You¡¯re wee to join us in hell."


    "I¡¯ll just use her mouth," he winked wickedly and said before leaving, "I¡¯ll keep her cunt for you to ruin."


    I stood there, staring at her as she slept peacefully in bed. How could she after turning our lives in hell. She didn¡¯t deserve this peace.


    I remembered what she told Roman¡ªthat she was framed.


    I scoffed inwardly. ¡¯<i>Only Roman could be such a pushover and would fall for her tricks again. Not me. </i><i>I know her innocent act really well after how she deceived Alice and then us.¡¯</i>


    Instead of asking her stupid questions like why she did it, why don¡¯t they think about making her speak about our enemies? If she was smart enough to get secret information about our pack, then she must have some secrets about the enemy pack as well.


    If we get that out of her, it might help us gain the upper hand against the Dreadwyn pack¡ªwithout causing too many losses on our side. That pack was just as strong as ours.


    I clenched my fists, my gaze icy cold and resolute.


    ¡¯<i>Tonight I will make sure she speaks that why she did it as this is what Roman and others want to know. And then make her speak of secrets about enemies.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯Then, whatever means I have to use and even the end is her death.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 24: Jason’s Dark Plan-II

    <h4>Chapter 24: Jason¡¯s Dark n-II</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    That bitch continued to sleep the entire day after she was saved from the allergic reaction.


    I had cuffed her wrist so she wouldn¡¯t pull any stunt, especially with Roman not around to keep watch on her. And I had no interest in staying by her side and ruining my mood, despite Kael told me to take care of her.


    Though unwilling, I brought food for her, but she didn¡¯t eat any, and I didn¡¯t insist. The foody untouched on the coffee table.


    Night arrived, and it was time to execute the n I had for that bitch. But I had to tread carefully to not let any of my mate brothers know what I was up to.


    Kael returned homete after finishing his work at the office and went straight to his room after having dinner with me and Lucian. Once Kael was in his room, he never came out till morning unless there was an emergency which strictly required his attention.


    Lucian had gone out to inspect the pack¡¯s perimeter security. He wouldn¡¯t be back anytime soon.


    Roman still hadn¡¯t returned, and Rafe was with him.


    That left me alone¡ªgiving me the space I needed to carry out my n.


    I made my way to her room. It was dimly lit, cloaked in the kind of silence that made every step sound louder than it should. She was sleeping again. Still.


    I walked over, uncuffed her wrist and then nudged her thigh with my foot¡ªnot too hard, just enough to wake her.


    Her eyes fluttered open,nding on me.


    "Get up ande with me," I said coldly, my voice even, sharp.


    She sat up slowly, sluggishly, and the pace of her movements grated against my patience.


    "Hurry the fuck up. You¡¯re not dead yet, so don¡¯t act like it."


    She slipped out of bed. I noticed her bandaged wrapped feet trembled slightly as they touched the floor, but she didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t make a sound or show any pain on her face.


    <i>So good at enduring pain, huh? Let¡¯s see how long thatsts once I start.</i>


    I walked ahead without a word, and she followed in silence. We made our way to the rear of the house, stepping outside toward the stable in the rear of the vast estate.


    Most of the property stretched into dense woods and forestednd¡ªjust the way we werewolves preferred it, even in a world filled with luxury and modern technology.


    Outside, the air was chilling, and I noticed her flinch the moment it surrounded her¡ªher arms circling in front of her chest in reflex.


    She was wearing the same loose, thin hospital gown that barely reached her knees, looking like it was hung on her like fabric on a hanger. The wind teased the gown, fluffing it and sending shivers through her body¡ªbut I didn¡¯t care.


    But I didn¡¯t care.


    She had no footwear. Her bandaged feet were forced to tread directly on the cold ground. Still, I didn¡¯t stop or slow my pace.


    With her slow pace, it took more time to reach the stable.


    By the time we stopped in front of the shed I intended to bring her to, I could already see sweat clung to her skin despite the cold, and her breathing was ragged, each inhale sounding heavier than thest. She was clearly exhausted.


    Ignoring it, I opened the door of the shed and told her, "Get in."


    She looked at me with a wary gaze. She must have guessed by now¡ªI didn¡¯t bring her here for no reason.


    "Don¡¯t worry," I said tly. "I¡¯m not going to fuck your disgusting cunt. Now hurry the fuck up. I don¡¯t like to wait."


    Her steps were heavy, dragging, but she moved and entered the shed without a word.


    I followed behind her and shut the door.


    The inside of the shade everything needed to tend to horses in the stable was stored. Most of it was covered with hay pilled in the corner, even scattered across the floor. The dimly litmps made everything visible inside.


    I picked up the chair resting against the far wall and ced it at the center of the shed.


    "Sit," I ordered.


    Her body stiffened, but she obeyed without question.


    I walked over to the back corner, where I kept my collection of torture tools I used on the enemies to break them and to get useful information from them.


    After I gave up my medical studies, creating torture instruments became a kind of twisted therapy. It kept me sane. Over the time it included some rare and deadly venomous species¡ªsnakes, scorpions, and even spiders.


    These tools never failed me, and they won¡¯t fail with this bitch.


    I uncovered the cages which had my favorite pets.


    The moment she saw them, her eyes widened, her body trembled, her mouth almost opened to beg me something, but I ignored her.


    I kept the huge toolbox on the floor, right in front of the chair, and then rolled the duct tape around her wrists and ankles to secure her firmly to the chair.


    "What are you going to do?" she asked finally, her voice trembling with restrained fear.


    She was not afraid of dying, but I¡¯m sure she was scared of my pets.


    "I told you, I didn¡¯t bring you here to fuck you," I told her. "All you need to do is answer what I ask."


    Her voice came again, smaller this time. "What do you want to know?"


    I kept my gaze fixed on her, watching every twitch of her face, every flicker in her eyes. I would know if she lied.


    "Tell me everything you know about the Dreadwyn pack," I said, my voice low and measured. "Every secret that can help us destroy them."


    "I don¡¯t know them," she answered, locking her eyes with mine. "I don¡¯t know any of their secrets."


    A tant lie.


    "Why did you sell us out to Keiren and the Dreadwyn pack?" I pressed, my voice cold, unforgiving. "What did he offer you in exchange? A promise of power? You knew he¡¯d never make someone like you his Luna. So what was it? Did you enjoy being fucked by him enough to hand over our secrets?"


    "I don¡¯t know him," she denied again, "I didn¡¯t betray you. I was framed."


    I stepped closer, grabbed a fistful of her hair from the back, and yanked her head up so she¡¯d look directly at me, my gaze menacing.


    A pained cry escaped her lips as I leaned in, my teeth gritted. "Bitch, you sucked his cock and he fucked you like you were his favorite toy. And you dare say you don¡¯t know him?"


    Her eyes welled with tears. "I¡¯m telling the truth," she whispered, desperate.


    I released her hair and pped her hard across the face.


    I hated seeing fake tears. Women had used them for centuries to twist men around their fingers, to manipte and control. But I was past all that. I was hoe-proofed by now.


    "Your fake tears won¡¯t work on me," I said tly as I turned toward the toolbox. "Let¡¯s see how long you can keep lying."


    I slipped on my gloves, then reached into the box and pulled out a set of tools¡ªpliers, long needles, and my special knife with the jagged edge.


    "You¡¯d better start talking before things get worse for you."


    "I already told you the truth," she said, trembling, her voice thin.


    "Fine," I muttered. "You want the hard way? You¡¯ll get it."


    I grabbed the tools in one hand and then lifted one cage with the free hand.


    Inside the cage, two massive tarants stirred. Their hairy legs stretched wide, easilyrger than the span of my palms.


    Dread itched on her face the moment she saw those huge spiders moving inside the cage.


    Why not, after all she had arachnophobia¡ª fear of spiders.


    And I intended to use every bit of that fear.

 Chapter 25: Jason’s Dark Plan-III

    <h4>Chapter 25: Jason¡¯s Dark n-III</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    As I walked toward her, fear crept into her eyes. She began struggling against the restraints, desperate to free herself¡ªbut it was useless.


    "Have you ever watched spiders up close?" I asked, stopping in front of her. "Ever felt them crawling over your skin, then bite you as if they want to eat you alive?"


    "No... I¡¯m afraid of spiders... please, keep them away..." she finally broke, her voice trembling.


    The reaction I had been waiting for, and I hadn¡¯t even released my pets yet.


    "I won¡¯t¡ªif you answer my questions," I said calmly, kneeling before her. I set the cage on the floor by her feet, fingers gripping thetch, ready to open it.


    "I told you the truth... I truly don¡¯t know..." she gasped, her words rattled by the weight of her phobia.


    "Well then," I muttered, and lifted the lid.


    One spider at a time, I took them out and ced them near her feet. They twitched and shifted, slowly crawling forward.


    She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could make a sound, I wrapped my hand tightly around her throat.


    "Scream and I¡¯ll shove one of these spiders down your fucking throat," I growled.


    She went silent instantly, eyes wide, body trembling so violently I could feel the panic in her pulse beneath my palm. This fear¡ªit was deep, wing at her very soul.


    I released her throat and stepped back, watching her stare in horror as one of the tarants crawled toward her foot.


    "J-Jason, please take it away..." she whispered, her voice shaking. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as she choked on her own panic. "I beg you..."


    "Then answer what I asked," I told her, kneeling again, calm and unbothered by her panic.


    But her attention was fixed entirely on the spider creeping up her left foot. She didn¡¯t notice what I was about to do to her right.


    I picked up the pliers, and the next moment, I pulled out the nail of her small toe in one swift move.


    A scream tore from her mouth, but I smothered it with my hand.


    She looked at me in raw horror. Her eyes wide, breath ragged, chest heaving like she couldn¡¯t find air. The shock and agony hit her all at once.


    "Ready to talk yet?" I asked, removing my hand from her mouth. "Speak."


    She shook her head slowly, pain twisting her expression. Her lips barely moved as she stammered, voice hoarse and broken, "I... don¡¯t... know..."


    Only sobs and gasps followed.


    In response to her answer, I gripped the sides of her flimsy hospital gown. The fabric was held together by buttons running from her corbone to her knees. With a swift, forceful tug, I tore it open. The buttons popped off one by one, ttering to the floor as the gown fell apart, baring her body from head to toe.


    Her skin trembled under the cold air, slick with sweat, but I didn¡¯t give her a moment to breathe.


    I picked up one spider and ced it on her thigh.


    Unable to scream, her fear was only evident through her teary eyes, her ragged breathing, and her trembling body, which was now covered in sweat due to the fear.


    Her entire body shook as the spider crawled slowly across her thigh.


    She was about to scream¡ªbut I was faster. I pped a strip of tape across her mouth, sealing it shut.


    She tried to shift her leg, to jolt it away¡ªbut I leaned in close and spoke in low and wicked tone, "They only stay calm if the surface beneath them is steady. If not, they bite."


    She froze the next moment, like she would even stop breathing if it meant the spider might bite her.


    I picked up another spider and ced it on her exposed chest, only to see her hold her breath so spider won¡¯t bite her sensing the movement beneath.


    But how long could she hold it?


    "Want to answer yet?" I asked her again.


    Her teary eyes begging me, she shook her head once more, as if to repeat the same answer as before.


    "I will stop only when you nod to tell me the truth," I said and knelt before her once more.


    I reached for her foot again and, without hesitation, yanked the nail from her second toe.


    Her body jerked violently in pain, a muffled cry stuck beneath the tape¡ªbut the sudden movement caused both spiders to react. Their legs twitched and then sank their fangs into her trembling flesh.


    The pain must¡¯ve shot through her like fire.


    Her head snapped back, her eyes wide and locked on the ceiling. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hands gripped the wooden arms of the chair so tightly her knuckles had turned white.


    "Still don¡¯t want to talk?" I asked, my voice quieter now, though no less threatening.


    She looked at me, trembling. Her gaze darted to the spiders crawling over her bare skin. Drenched in sweat and fear, she didn¡¯t dare move.


    I reached for the tape and tore it off with one harsh pull.


    "Speak."


    Her lips trembled as she gasped softly for air. Her voice came out hoarse, thick with sobs.


    "If you want to kill me... just do it already," she whispered, shaking. "Why are you tormenting....with the spiders... just... just kill me."


    "That won¡¯t be fun," I said, leaning in. "Not until I get what I want. Now start."


    She closed her eyes tightly, breathing in deep, shaky bursts. Then, after a pause, she opened them again¡ªand met my gaze.


    "I loved it," she said.


    Her voice was soft, but there was something eerily steady in it.


    "I loved being fucked by him.... I loved everything about him.... I was crazy for him... So I did it..."


    She let the words hang between us like poison.


    "Now go ahead...Kill me..." Her tone was provocative, too eager to die.


    Another kind of anger rose inside me¡ªcold, seething, murderous. All I wanted now was to kill her.


    But I wasn¡¯t done yet. I won¡¯t give her an easy death¡ªnot after how she confessed about loving that bastard Keiren. Just like him, this bitch deserved a painful death.


    "Tell me all the secrets of the Dreadwyn pack you know," I ordered.


    "I don¡¯t know any..." she replied the same.


    I red at her for a moment. She was still trying to protect that pack, even with her death.<i></i>


    <i>Bloody whore.</i>


    Without another word, I shut her mouth with tape again and then pulled out the nails of the remaining three toes on her right foot. One after another.


    Her body convulsed in pain, a silent scream stuck in her throat as she writhed under the onught. The spiders did their part, sinking their fangs deeper into her soft skin¡ªone on her thigh, the other now on her chest.


    The moment the spider bit down on her left tits, her entire body jolted violently more than it did when I pulled her nails. Her nerves must¡¯ve been firing on every level now.


    <i>I must say, this bitch is a tough nut.</i>


    I held her left foot this time and pierced the needle under the nail of her big toe.


    Her body was now beyond just the level of trembling¡ªshe must have wanted to scream her lungs out, but the tape held her still in silence.


    Meanwhile, the spider on her chest began to move up after biting her several times on her corbone and neck, it climbed higher. Its long, bristled legs reached her jawline, then crept toward her cheek.


    The spider was enormousrger than her face.


    When she finally caught sight of it, her teary, bloodshot eyes widened in horror. Her gaze locked on the creature as it reached just below her eye, its body now fully visible from her peripheral vision.


    Her red, swollen, and teary eyes widened to their fullest, only to shut the next moment as her head fell to the side.


    The bitch had gone unconscious due to the shock. I hoped not dead¡ªeven if she was, I didn¡¯t care.


    Just then the door of the shade opened and a voice came through, "What are you doing here....with her...?"

 Chapter 26: The Bitch Is Dead

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Bitch Is Dead</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    I looked up at the figure standing at the door.


    He was frozen, clearly shocked as his gaze shifted between me, the bloodied torture tools, the unconscious naked bitch tied to the chair, and my pets still crawling over her trembling body.


    I returned my attention to cleaning the tools in my hands, stained with her filthy blood with the cloth from my toolbox.


    "I was just getting some useful information out of her," I said casually.


    Lucian stepped inside, his eyes sweeping over her pale, limp form. Her body was covered in red, swollen bite marks, mingling with old scars and the new wounds I had carved into her skin.


    "Is she dead?" he asked.


    "My pets aren¡¯t venomous," I replied, not looking up. "Their bites won¡¯t kill her. But I can¡¯t say if her soul had fled the moment she saw them so closely."


    I pulled the long needle from her toe and wiped it clean, cing it neatly into its ce in the box along with other tools.


    Lucian checked her pulse at her neck and sighed a relief. "She¡¯s alive. Good. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what Kael would¡¯ve done."


    "This bitch should be grateful to Kael," I muttered. "He¡¯s the only reason I let her live."


    Lucian gently picked up one of the tarants still resting on her face. He ran his fingers across its legs softly. "You had fun with her without me. That¡¯s not fair," he said, smirking. "I wanted to see how she screamed when you tortured her."


    I hummed and closed my toolbox. "Indeed, you missed the perfect show."


    "I¡¯m sure she started talking like a damn parrot the moment you used your pets. She¡¯s used to be terrified of even the tiniest spiders. And these must¡¯ve felt like her worst nightmares crawling over her skin." Lucianmented, cing the tarant back inside its cage. "Tell me what she told you."


    "She confessed she loved that asshole Keiren, that¡¯s why she betrayed us. But didn¡¯t tell any secrets of his pack." I picked up another tarant that was on her stomach which had its fangs in her skin. Seemed like he loved biting her, knowing the kind of wicked bitch she is.


    "Even after this torture?" Lucian asked, surprised.


    I hummed. "She must be fucking loyal to that bastard. But don¡¯t worry. I only used two percent of my methods. The rest of it will make her talk."


    Lucian hesitated, his expression shifting slightly. "She¡¯s arachnophobic. If she didn¡¯t talk even after this... maybe she really doesn¡¯t know anything."


    I snapped my head toward him, eyes cold. "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re starting to pity her."


    He scoffed. "She doesn¡¯t deserve any pity," he said coldly. "Maybe Keiren just used her as a fuck toy. Got the information he wanted about our pack and never gave her a single secret in return. She was young back then. Easy to manipte. Easy to deceive. Especially for a bastard like him."


    "None of us ever fucked her," I said tly, "but she still knew enough about our pack to sell us out. And she expects us to believe she didn¡¯t get anything from the man she loved spreading her legs for?"


    Lucian hummed in agreement, and turned his eyes back to her motionless form. "What do we do with her now? We can¡¯t let Kael find out about this."


    I stood up to put my toolbox and my pets in their ce and answered, "Kael has given her responsibility to me. He won¡¯t bother to check on this bitch. Rafe avoids her like gue, and Roman doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯ll be going anywhere near her. That leaves just us. And we¡¯re not telling anyone."


    Lucian¡¯s smirk twisted into something darker. "That sounds better. And it means we can torture her whenever we want without anyone knowing. But next time, we¡¯ll use my new drugs. I¡¯ve been dying to test them."


    Without a doubt, I agreed to it. When it came to cruelty, both of our brains worked at the same frequency. No conscience. No guilt. Just pain, and results.


    "Let¡¯s patch her up and dump her back in her room before anyone notices she¡¯s missing," Lucian said, already moving to the task.


    I taped up her bloodied toes, while Lucian retrieved a long leather coat hanging on the wall and draped it over her limp, naked form.


    "Can¡¯t touch her disgusting body directly," he muttered as he wrapped her up.


    Then, I slung her over my shoulder like a sack of meat and we walked back to the house inplete silence.


    Reaching her room, Iid her down on the bed. Lucian pulled off the coat and reced it with a sheet, covering her bruised, battered body.


    We left the room as if nothing had happened.


    -----


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning began like any other day.


    Jason was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast always. With Roman still absent from the dining area, I decided to lend a hand.


    Kael came down the stairs shortly after, looking like he hadn¡¯t slept a wink. His skin was pale, almost sickly, and dark shadows clung beneath his eyes.


    "Another sleepless night?" I asked, watching him head straight for the fridge.


    For the past six years, he often had terrible nights where he was unable to sleep. What kind of nightmares he had, only he knew. He never talked about it.


    He simply hummed in response and poured himself a ss of water.


    Rafe came out as well, looking all fresh and rejuvenated. I could tell the smug bastard had fucked a few bitches when he went to look for Roman and drained at least one of them out of blood. Caston must be furious for sure and I have to go pacify him.


    He and Roman returned homete, just a few hours after we had put that bitch in her room.


    "Roman?" Kael asked, barely ncing up from his ss.


    "In his room," Rafe replied, settling into his chair and looked at Jason. "And please don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s shitty porridge again for breakfast with that disgusting celery in it."


    I smirked, teasing, "Even if it is, you can always drink my blood for breakfast, little bat, if fucking and draining a bitch still wasn¡¯t enough."


    He smirked back at me, his eyes glinting with something hidden. "Speaking of blood, I smell a stench, and it¡¯s not yours."


    The smirk on my lips narrowed down as my gaze brushed past Kael, who looked at me just after he heard Rafe.


    <i>¡¯Damn. This little bat seems to have smelled her blood. Her toes were bleeding badly even after we taped them.¡¯</i>


    "I butchered freshmb this morning for our meal," Jason called from the kitchen, not missing a beat as he flipped something over in the pan. "If you don¡¯t like the smell, don¡¯t eat."


    I released a quiet sigh of relief as Jason covered for us.


    Kael took his seat at the dining table, resting his elbows on the polished wood, and looked toward Jason.


    "Have you cooked something light for her?" he asked.


    "I didn¡¯t," Jason replied tly, not even looking up from the stove. "If she¡¯s hungry, she can cook for herself."


    I silently cursed Jason for his damn stubbornness. This wasn¡¯t the time for it. What if Kael decided to check on her himself?


    I stepped in quickly. "Don¡¯t worry, Kael. You know how he is. But he¡¯ll cook for her. I¡¯ll make sure of it."


    Thankfully, Jason didn¡¯t contradict me this time. But¡ª


    "Rafe, go check on her," Kael said suddenly, his gaze pausing on both Jason and me.


    <i>¡¯Shit. He¡¯s suspicious.¡¯</i><i></i>


    I shot to my feet. "I¡¯ll do it. Rafe can¡¯t stand her stench anyway."


    But Kael ignored mepletely, his eyes still on Rafe, his voice cold, "Are you going?"


    Rafe let out an annoyed sigh, but stood up anyway. "Fine."


    Jason and I exchanged a nces.


    <i>¡¯If this little bat finds anything... we¡¯re screwed.¡¯</i>


    I hoped him to return without even checking that bitch properly.


    After a minute, he returned and said casually, "I think the bitch is dead."


    The moment he said it, a heavy dread settled in the room.


    Jason and I looked at each other again¡ªthen at Kael.


    He was staring directly at us now, eyes cold and unreadable. Not a word. Just that re.


    <i>¡¯We¡¯re done for.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 27: Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 27: Punishment</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    Roman came out of his room, dressed and ready to go out. He didn¡¯t even nce at us or ask why we were all silent and what this tension in the air was.


    "I have some work to attend to," he said to Kael, then walked out the door.


    For a moment, I thought Kael might stop Roman, ask him something like where he was heading to, or talk to him about the anger still lingering from yesterday. And then it will help shift his attention from that bitch.


    But Kael didn¡¯t bother and stood up to go to that bitch¡¯s room instead.


    Rafe nced at us with a crooked smirk. "I wonder what kind of punishment you two will get this time," he muttered before following Kael.


    I turned to Jason, my voice low. "Is she really dead?"


    "Not sure," he answered.


    Truthfully, we still didn¡¯t care if she was. But we cared about upsetting Kael¡ªand then failing his chance of saving Sophia, which would truly hurt him.


    He had been searching for a pureblood she-wolf for the past six years just to save Sophia with everything he had, and when we finally found one, unfortunately it was her.


    Now thinking about Kael, about what he stood to lose, I silently hoped that bitch was still breathing.


    I knew Jason felt the same.


    We followed after them, entering the room just behind Rafe.


    Kael was already standing by the bed, the sheet pulled back to reveal her fragile, motionless body. Her gown had slipped from the sides, letting him see every trace of the torture we had inflicted on her.


    The numerous bites from the tarants on her chest, neck, stomach and thighs were swollen red and with blood dried over them, looked truly brutal.


    Her toes, wrapped in tape¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to be told what we had done with them.


    He stared at her for a long moment.


    Then his eyes turned to us, sharp and furious. He didn¡¯t speak, but the rage in his re was deafening. I half expected him to lunge forward and strangle us both on the spot.


    Instead, he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out his phone.


    "Liam," he said to the receiver, his voice cold and cutting. "I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re doing. I want you here. Right now."


    He ended the call and looked back at us, his eyes like ice. "Exin."


    As it was Jason¡¯s doing, he stepped forward andid it all out¡ªwhat he did, why he did it, and what he got out of her in the end.


    Kael said nothing. We waited in silence, neither of us daring to speak another word.


    When Kael was this serious, the only smart move was to shut up and brace for whatever punishment came next.


    Without a word, he walked past us and exited the room.


    "Shit," I heard Jason curse under his breath, as if he understood what Kael was up to, and followed him out quickly.


    Rafe and I followed them as well.


    "This is going to be fun," Rafemented, a hint of wicked excitement in his voice.


    "You stupid bat," I hissed, ring at him while following Kael and Jason. "Couldn¡¯t you just keep your damn mouth shut?"


    "That would be boring," he replied with a smirk.


    This bastard was too entertained for someone about to get us killed. But that was Rafe¡ªa vampire bored out of his mind most of the time, chasing chaos just to feel something.


    We reached the storage shed at the stables just as Kael pushed through the door and Jason followed him in.


    "Kael, that bitch is nothing to us. We don¡¯t need to fight because of her." Jason tried, attempting to reason with him. "And don¡¯t forget your parents died because of her."


    Kael didn¡¯t respond. His silence was more dangerous than his words. He had made his decision.


    He walked over to Jason¡¯s toolbox, flipped it open, and pulled out a gun. Then uncovered the cage that held Jason¡¯s favourite pets¡ªtwo huge tarants Jason had raised himself with so much care and dedication.


    <strong>Bang! Bang!</strong>


    Two bullet shots¡ªand dead silence filled the shade.


    Tarants were dead.


    No one dared move as we felt the dominating Alpha aura emitting from Kael, something he rarely used on us. But this time, it seemed like he¡¯d reached his limit.


    Kael turned and came to face Jason closely, his gaze icy and his Alpha aura already suppressing Jason, leaving him too weak to fight the strongest Alpha we had already sworn and submitted to.


    "That bitch is nothing to me. I want to kill her as much as you want," Kael growled. "The more you dy her recovery, the longer it takes to help Sophia¡ªand the longer we have to tolerate that bitch in our home. And you¡ª" his voice dropped into a venomous snarl, "you <i>dared</i> disobey my, your Alpha¡¯s order?"


    Now this was our Alpha talking. If we were in our wolf forms, we would have been already sprawled on the ground in submission.


    Jason lowered his head in submission. Though his mind must be rebellious, the Alpha aura made him submit.


    Then Kael¡¯s eyes snapped to me. "You¡¯re both going to the Shift Lock. For the entire day."


    <i>Damn!</i>


    The Shift Lock was hell. Frustratingly painful.


    Forced into wolf form, shackled in enchanted silver cuffs that burned our skin and stopped us from shifting back for as long as we are locked in them. The strain on the body was agonizing.


    It wasn¡¯t just punishment. It was submission, enforced.


    And Kael had just reminded us exactly who held the leash.


    He turned to Rafe. "Make sure they go." And he left.


    Rafe smirked and looked at us two as if saying¡ª<i>You two are doomed.</i>


    I offered him a cold re, itching to p away that smirk from his face.


    <i>¡¯Bastard, enjoying our misery. One day I am going to put him in those silver chains that are especially made to punish the vampires, leaving them utterly weak. And let him starve for blood, until he begs me on his knees.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯First I will make him suck my cock like a bitch, choke him to death, and once I empty inside that wicked mouth of his, only then I will offer him some blood.¡¯</i>


    "Are you two going to shift right now, or after we reach the confinement room?" Rafe asked us, his tone teasing. "I don¡¯t mind taking two obedient wolves with me right from here."


    Jason and I didn¡¯t respond him and left the shade to get our punishment, and Rafe followed us.

 Chapter 28: Liam’s Warning

    <h4>Chapter 28: Liam¡¯s Warning</h4>


    <strong>Liam¡¯s POV</strong>


    When I received Kael¡¯s call, I knew from the way he spoke that something terrible had happened.


    The previous day, I had been caught up with back-to-back surgeries. Knowing Eira¡¯s condition was an allergic reaction, I let them handle it. Jason was there, and he knew how to manage such situations. I thought it might even help him warm up to her a little.


    But I was wrong.


    I didn¡¯t know that when I was called again, I would see her in such a devastating state.


    Even though I was a doctor and had seen worse cases of harm, I couldn¡¯t help but be shaken by what had happened to her. Her entire body... I didn¡¯t have words to exin.


    But for the first time in a long time, my eyes turned moist, threatening to shed tears.


    Thest time I had tears in my eyes was six years ago, when our pack lost our Alpha and Luna and we watched our pack descend into deadly chaos three years back.


    As I watched her, at that moment, I wished... I wished she had died long ago instead ofing back to us.


    I didn¡¯t even want to look at Kael or any one among these five. Monsters. They had crossed every imaginable line of cruelty. Even the worst criminals, who hadmitted worse crimes than hers, were given a quick death.


    Swallowing my emotions, I turned to my work, silent. I didn¡¯t speak a word to Kael, though I knew he must have been waiting for me to report her condition.


    "Alpha, let the hospital staff enter the house. I need their help," I told him, without even bothering to look at him. "She needs a change of clothes, and her body needs to be cleaned."


    Kael made a call to security, and soon the two male nurses I had brought with me were let in.


    But the moment they stepped inside Eira¡¯s room, Kael¡¯s gaze darkened. He moved and pulled the sheet over Eira¡¯s exposed body.


    "They can¡¯t do it," he dered coldly.


    "They are hospital staff, not random people," I told him. "They¡¯re used to handling patients, regardless of whether it¡¯s a man or a woman. You don¡¯t allow females inside your home, so I had no other choice. Or would you like to give me a hand?"


    He stood in silence. It was clear he wouldn¡¯t break his rule of not allowing any woman inside his home. Neither did he look like he wanted these men to touch her¡ªwatch her naked while they cleaned her.


    And he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to help me.


    "Alpha," I said, my calm but had a silent mockery in it, "looking at her body, you can tell numerous men have already done far worse than just touching her. If you can ept that, this should be fine as well."


    His jaw tightened, his fists clenched, as if trying to suppress his anger at my mocking and provocative words. But the next moment, he turned to leave the room, letting me handle things my way.


    ¡¯They im to hate her, and then torture her, and yet because they bought her, they can¡¯t bear the thought of another man touching her. Bastards!¡¯ I frowned inwardly and motioned for the two nurses to begin.


    The bloodstained sheets were reced. Her body was carefully cleaned, the wounds disinfected and dressed. Fresh hospital clothes were put on her frail form.


    The tarant bites were brutal¡ªso much so that I saw pity sh in the nurses¡¯ eyes. We applied a special ointment over the inmed areas, injected her with strong antibiotics, and attached an IV drip to replenish the nutrients she had been deprived of.


    Not sure how long they had starved her, but she looked worse than I had seen her thest time. She looked as good as a corpse¡ªonly her shallow breathing and faint heartbeat said differentiated her from the dead.


    ----


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I chose to wait in the drawing room while they treated her.


    I didn¡¯t mind Liam touching her¡ªhe was a doctor¡ªbut the idea of random menying their hands on her body everywhere made my blood stir in ways I didn¡¯t care to admit.


    I hated her. But she was going to carry my pup.


    That meant I would be touching her soon. That meant she belonged to me.


    And I hated it when someone else touched what was mine.


    After half an hour, Liam walked in with the two nurses. My gaze, dark and unreadable, shifted from him to them. They kept their heads bowed, avoiding eye contact with their Alpha. As they should.


    "You two go ahead. I¡¯ll be there soon," Liam told them, maybe scared that I might harm them.


    As those two left, I asked Liam, "How is she?"


    "I don¡¯t need to tell you about her physical condition. You¡¯ve seen it for yourself," he replied tly. "Just pray that after being broken physically, she hasn¡¯t broken mentally. That would be the worst thing you or any of your brothers have done to her. If that¡¯s the case, I suggest you just kill her. She won¡¯t be of any use. Not for bearing pups. Not for saving Sophia."


    His words hit me like a brick, and my gaze turned colder.


    "That means," he continued, "you should hope she hasn¡¯t lost her wolfpletely. That she hasn¡¯t lost her self-healing abilities. Because without those, she¡¯s useless to your purpose."


    As he said it, my mind froze. <i>Won¡¯t be of any use?</i> This can¡¯t be


    "If you kill her, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll put her body in the cremator so not a trace of her existence is left," Liam said, his words hitting once more. "I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t like to bother yourself with it, Alpha."


    The old man was taking far too many liberties with his words today, mocking me like he had nothing to lose.


    But I had nothing to say. This situation was caused by my brothers, so I was the one to me for my negligence.


    "Even if she has to die, make sure you do something so she can still be used to save Sophia at least," I said anyway.


    Liam offered me a smile, one that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. "Sure."


    It wasn¡¯t an assurance. He just didn¡¯t want to waste words on me.

 Chapter 29: Eira’s Scream

    <h4>Chapter 29: Eira¡¯s Scream</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    We arrived at the underground punishment zone at the far corner of the estate. Inside, the ce was lit with numerous lights. It had all kinds of different painful punishments meant for werewolves. Every inch of it screamed pain.


    Unfortunately, we were the ones who designed this ce.


    And even more unfortunate¡ªwe were also its most frequent guests.


    Jason and I made our way toward the chamber designated for our punishment. Rafe walked ahead, and as he opened the door, he nced back with a wicked grin stretched across his face. The bastard looked far too eager.


    The chamber was vast, painted in dark tones that swallowed light. Only a few dim fixtures hung along the walls, casting a dull glow that barely illuminated the space. One side of the room was lined with silver chains, each ending inrge, heavy cuffs designed to hold even the strongest wolves.


    Jason and I silently removed our clothes and shoes, preparing to shift.


    Rafe ran his fingers along the chains like he was touching something precious, "Ready?"


    Without answering, both of us shifted.


    My wolf was huge, masculine, with a thick coat of molten bronze fur that looked like liquid metal poured from a divine forge. His tail was thick and heavy, his posturemanding, and his emotionless eyes gleamed with unshakable focus. There was no elegance in his form¡ªonly raw, grounded masculinity. The kind of wolf others didn¡¯t dare challenge.


    He didn¡¯t shine to be admired. He shined to warn.


    Jason¡¯s wolf was midnight blue¡ªa pale, cial blue threaded with shades of silver and icy indigo, like the midnight sky without stars. The rare kind, and almost unreal. Just like mine, he was masculine and strong¡ªat the same time, silent, cold, and lethal.


    He wasn¡¯t the kind of wolf you fought to win. He was the kind you fought because you were too stupid to run.


    Rafe turned to us. "Get here already. I don¡¯t have an entire day to wait."


    Our wolves growled at him but did as he said. The asshole, with so much delight, started to put those big, heavy silver cuffs on our huge paws, one by one.


    Simply touching the silver wouldn¡¯t cause any harm, but these cuffs were magical¡ªcrafted to give pain. The moment they wrapped around securely and touched our fur coated skin, hell burned inside our bodies.


    "You two seem to be enjoying it," the bastardmented once he secured our paws, then headed to get the ones to fix around our necks.


    Damn. That part was the worst.


    The moment the enchanted metal locked around our throats, it felt like we were being choked by mes. It didn¡¯t kill, but it made you wish it would.


    After securing the final pieces, he stepped back with a look of smug satisfaction. "Beautiful. Let me get a picture. A precious memory for us."


    He pulled out his cellphone and casually snapped a photo of us in our shackled wolf forms.


    We growled, low and vicious, but the next surge of pain from the chains silenced us. If we weren¡¯t bound, we would¡¯ve torn him apart, limb by limb.


    He chuckled, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "See you when it¡¯s time to set you free. Though I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll show up on time."


    In that moment, my mind flooded with every curse I could summon.


    <i>¡¯One day, I would fuck the shit out of this smug asshole. I¡¯d make sure of it.¡¯</i><i></i>


    Before leaving, he turned back onest time, amusement still dancing in his eyes.


    "When I return, let me know which pain is more brutal¡ªthe one you gave that bitchst night, or the one these chains are going to give you."


    <i>Fuck off.</i>


    Both of us growled in unison within our minds, ring at his retreating back as the door mmed shut behind him.


    -----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Liam left, informing me that the bitch wouldn¡¯t be waking up anytime soon and that he would return by then to check on her again.


    I had no other choice but to stay home instead of going to thepany. Roman wasn¡¯t home¡ªno idea where he had been wandering or what kind of work he said he had to attend to.


    Lucian and Jason were sent to get their punishment, and I couldn¡¯t leave her to Rafe. He was the kind who would enjoy watching her die instead of doing anything to save her. His sick mind was not trustable at all.


    Rafe returned after making sure the other two were locked in the punishment chamber. He settledzily on the sofa as hemented, "That was fun, watching those two bastards in pain again."


    I didn¡¯tment. It wasn¡¯t anything new for me to punish any of the four, and among them, Lucian and Jason were the most frequent recipients.


    Rafe was next. But punishing him was always handled by Lucian¡ªwho was equally crazy and sick like him.


    Roman was the only sensible one who didn¡¯t give me a headache.


    "Lucian¡¯s not here, so take care of his work. We can¡¯t ck with the security matters," I ordered Rafe.Though Rafe had no regr tasks, he was skilled in spying and assisted Lucian and Jason with security operations.


    "Better than having to deal with the shitty scent," he said as he stood up to leave, stretching his armszily. "That reminded me, is the bitch dead yet, or do I have to tolerate it for long?"


    "Unfortunately not," I told him, keeping my gaze on the screen of theptop in front of me.


    "Tsk! If she had died, I would¡¯ve enjoyed punishing those two for a long time. Such a disappointment that bitch is," he said and left.


    Was he disappointed for not getting a chance to relish Lucian and Jason¡¯s pain for long¡ªor because that bitch wasn¡¯t dead?


    "Find out where Roman has gone," I gave him another order.


    "He seems to be visiting a ce you might not like to know," I heard Rafe say.


    I looked at him. "Where?"


    "Ask him yourself once he returns," the bastard said smugly and left.


    <i>¡¯What the hell is Roman up to?¡¯</i><i></i>


    At noon, I went to her room to check on her. She was still unconscious, utterly weak. She was in a bad state, but somehow, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to pity her.


    If not for her, my parents¡ªthe most precious people in my life¡ªwould still be alive. If not for her, Sophia and I would have our pup, and we would be a happy family of five.


    At the thought of the pup, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine.


    If we hadn¡¯t lost it back then, my child would be five years old now, running around everywhere, full of life and mischief. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if it was a daughter or a son. I would¡¯ve loved them just the same. Trained them for the future. Given them a life of joy and pride. My parents would have been so happy holding their grandchild in their arms.


    But... it was all gone because of this one bitch.


    I walked close to the bed and looked at her face, which was no longer the same one from the past. Out of mere formality, I leaned down to check if she was still breathing¡ªbecause I couldn¡¯t afford her death at the moment.


    Her breathing was so shallow that it didn¡¯t feel like anything along my fingers, as if she wasn¡¯t breathing at all. A little worried, I moved my fingers to the side of her neck to check her pulse, but...


    She opened her eyes.


    Hollow. No trace of recognition in them. It was like she was looking at me, but not really seeing me.


    Then her expression shifted¡ªpanicked, utterly scared. The next second, a loud, piercing scream tore through the room, as if she had just seen the deadliest monster alive.


    It stunned me. Left me momentarily frozen.


    I moved fast, mping my hand over her mouth to silence her.


    But she panicked even more. Her eyes welled with tears, full of terror. She began to push and w at my hand, her nails scratching helplessly. Her legs hurled wildly in the air to throw kicks at me¡ªbut they were so weak that not a single muscle of mine felt it, wherever those kicksnded.


    ¡¯<i>What the hell is wrong with her?¡¯</i>

 Chapter 30: To The Prison She Was Locked In

    <h4>Chapter 30: To The Prison She Was Locked In</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I climbed onto the bed and pinned both of her hands above her head, one hand still pressed firmly over her mouth. Her legs kicked out wildly, but I trapped them between my thighs, locking her in ce.


    "Keep quiet," I warned her.


    But the madwoman didn¡¯t seem to understand. She kept struggling, eyes wide with panic, until her strength finally gave out. Her body went limp as she slipped back into unconsciousness.


    Annoyed, I released her and got off the bed. But before leaving, I made sure to secure one of her wrists with a cuff attached to the headboard. I wasn¡¯t about to let her run off screaming like a lunatic again.


    <i>She¡¯s quiet now. No need to call Liam,</i> I thought and walked out of the room without looking back.


    ----


    In the evening, one of the security in-charges, Carl¡ªwho worked under Lucian¡ªcame to update me on the situation.


    "Alpha," he began, standing tall, "Alpha, there¡¯s indeed some movement from the Dreadwyn pack, and their Alpha¡¯s frequent visits to our pack under the guise of business seem suspicious..."


    Carl continued to exin. "Alpha Lucian had told me to keep watch on them the previous day, and our spies are always keeping an eye on them. We even have some internal news about them. Alpha Kaizan met the Alpha of the SilverFang pack as well. The exact reason¡ªwe are yet to find out..."


    The conclusion of all that talk was that he needed to discuss more with Lucian, hismanding superior.


    By that time, Rafe had returned home from the work given to him.


    "You can free them," I told him curtly.


    Rafe nced at the ancient looking watch on his wrist and scoffed. "Tsk. It¡¯s barely been twelve hours. Not even a full day."


    "Just do as I say," I replied, my voice cold and final.


    Twelve hours were more than enough. I needed them back¡ªLucian and Jason were the pirs of our security operations. Every hour without them risked exposure we couldn¡¯t afford.


    Rafe left without protest, though the grin on his face said it all. He would drag it out, maybe torment them a little longer before unlocking those chains. That bastard never missed a chance to y his twisted games.


    Whatever!


    -----


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    The bastard had returned, and it felt like an eternity since he had locked us here.


    Jason and I were lying t on our bellies on the floor, our bodies exhausted from the hellish pain coursing through us. The relief would onlye once we shifted back to our human forms. Every single muscle and bone in our bodies hurt from being unable to shift back.


    The heavy door creaked open, and in stepped the grinning bastard.


    "Kael asked me to free you two half an hour ago, but I thought to take a stroll around the estate so I amte," he announced casually, "That felt so refreshing."


    <i>Then should we thank you for that, you fucker?</i> I cursed silently. <i>Just get these damn chains off already</i>


    He took his sweet time, dragging out the process like some used-up, smug bitch, unlocking one cuff at a time, slow and deliberate.


    Once we were finally free, Jason and I shifted back to our human forms. The transition itself was agony¡ªour bodies aching from the prolonged shift lock, muscles torn from tension, bones aching frompression. By the time we were done, wey on the floor in a pool of sweat, our naked forms trembling from the pain.


    The bastard knelt beside me, resting one knee on the floor, his smirk taunting me.


    "So," he said mockingly, "which one hurt more¡ªher torment or yours?"


    Through clenched teeth, I hissed, "You¡¯ll find out when I lock you in the chains I¡¯ve made just for you. Just wait. I¡¯ll fuck the shit out of you."


    He chuckled and patted my cheek. "Be a good pup and get up. Save your fantasies for when you¡¯re not half-dead."


    I grabbed his wrist in a sh, yanked him close, and wrapped my other hand around his throat. My icy grip burned against his smugness.


    "Even weak like this," I growled, "I can still make good on my promise. Want to test that?"


    "Only if you let me drain every drop of your blood before I bury you," he whispered back, leaning in even closer, his voice thick with provocation. "What do you say?"


    I narrowed my eyes and snarled, "I¡¯ll be the one burying you after I¡¯m done fucking you like the whore I turn you into."


    Rafeughed darkly and nodded toward my body.


    "Calling me a whore?" he mocked. "Those marks on your wrists, ankles¡ªeven that lovely one around your neck¡ªsay otherwise. You were the one chained like a bitch, just missing someone to finish the job. Should have Ie early and given you what was missing?"


    "Let me get out of the room so you two can either fuck each other or kill each other," came Jason¡¯s impatient voice.


    He stood, still unsteady on his feet, and grabbed his clothes. His movements were sluggish, but determined. "You two can continue. I¡¯m leaving."


    I shoved Rafe aside and forced myself upright. "Wait for me. If I stay here with him any longer, I¡¯m not sure this bastard would make it out alive."


    "Daydreaming," Rafe muttered with a scoff as he returned the chains and cuffs to their proper ces by the time we wore our clothes.


    We all exited the chamber together. Outside, a car was already waiting.


    Rafe slid into the driver¡¯s seat and said, "I have no intention of dragging myself back at your slow-ass pace."


    Jason and I got in silently.


    I looked at the dark burn marks on my wrists, raw and seared into my skin. They hurt, but that wasn¡¯t the concern. These marks weren¡¯t going to heal quickly.


    When we reached home, Liam arrived at the same time. He was here to check on the bitch.


    Kael was seated in his usual chair, speaking to him. He lookedposed as he exined something that had happened earlier in the day¡ªsomething she had done when he went to check on her.


    Once Kael finished, Liam turned his gaze to me and Jason as we copsed onto the sofa, worn out.


    Looking at the burn marks on our necks and wrists, he must have understood we were returning from our punishment. But the old man¡¯s gaze said otherwise¡ªas if it wasn¡¯t enough in his opinion, and we should¡¯ve received the death penalty instead.


    I wasn¡¯t even the one to torture her, but as an aplice to Jason¡¯s actions, I was punished. But I didn¡¯t mind. I wouldn¡¯t leave Jason alone in anything¡ªnot in good or even bad times. He was my brother¡ªI grew up with him. And I felt the same toward the other three now, as we were bonded to each other.


    Liam stood, his tone t but firm. "I¡¯m going to check on her. And I want all of you toe with me."


    Jason and I didn¡¯t move. We sat like stone. Rafe had already turned away, heading toward his room with that usual disgusted expression on his face, nose wrinkled as if the air itself offended him.


    Liam frowned.


    Kael stood. "I¡¯lle."


    Just then, Roman finally returned home¡ªhis expression not pleasant, but unsettlingly calm.


    <i>Was he still angry with us?</i> His anger had neversted this long before. That bitch¡ªher arrival was already tearing us apart.


    Kael turned to Liam. "You go ahead. I need to talk to Roman."Liam nodded and left.


    "Where have you been?" Kael asked him, his hands folded before his muscr chest, covered in the rich fabric of his brown shirt.


    His voice, expression, and gaze were as if he wasn¡¯t going to let go unless he got the answer.


    "To the prison where she was locked in six years ago," Roman replied, meeting Kael¡¯s authoritative stare without the slightest hesitation.


    Kael¡¯s expressions changed to serious ones as if he didn¡¯t expect this answer from Roman.


    Kael was a leader of the pack and once or a twice a year at least he would inspect the prisons and other security rted ces in the pack.


    But he always left out that particr prison for some reason. Maybe she was locked up there and he didn¡¯t want see her again. Not just him, but none of us ever went there for the past six years.


    But who would have thought she was not there since long, since when we didn¡¯t know.


    Kael just opened his mouth to question Roman, but...


    A loud, piercing scream echoed through the house.


    It came from her room.


    That bitch.


    We all turned toward the sound, and then to her room.

 Chapter 31: Bit His Arm

    <h4>Chapter 31: Bit His Arm</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Though I had told my mate-brother that I would have nothing to do with her, that whether she lived or died had nothing to do with me, I still couldn¡¯t help but feel concerned the moment I heard her painful screams.


    My heart nearly stopped.


    Without thinking, without hesitation, I ran to her room as if I was responding to the innate instinct buried deep within me. I didn¡¯t question it¡ªI just moved.


    The other four followed behind, but I was the first to reach the door. And the moment I stepped into the room, I froze. My chest tightened. My heart dropped.


    Eira was sunk against the headboard, screaming her throat out. Her legs were folded, knees drawn up as she tried to push herself farther back, but there no space behind. One hand clutched her ear as if trying to block out the world, the other hand struggled violently to free itself to free from the metal handcuff. She didn¡¯t seem to care that her skin was being torn raw by the metal cuff and it was bleeding.


    Her entire body was trembling. Her hands. Her fingers. Even the way she breathed¡ªit was all chaos and terror.


    She looked petrified. Like she had seen a demon w its way out of hell and crawl into her room. And she wasn¡¯t even aware of where she was. Of who was around her.


    Her legs were exposed, and I caught sight of new wounds along her thighs. Fresh. Painful. She looked even worse than when I¡¯d seen her just a day before.


    <i>What the hell had these four done to her?</i>


    Liam was by her side, trying to calm her down.


    "Eira, it¡¯s me," he said softly. "Open your eyes. Look at me. You¡¯re safe now."


    But she didn¡¯t hear him. Or maybe she did and just couldn¡¯t process it. All that came out of her were screams¡ªweak, hoarse, but unrelenting.


    "Liam, what happened to her?" I asked, my voice low, tense.


    He didn¡¯t even look at me when he responded. "Ask your brothers," he said coldly.


    I turned to look at the four standing behind me. Their expressions had changed¡ªfrom initial shock to indifference.


    "She¡¯s just doing it to look pitiful," Lucian said, his tone dismissive. "She wants attention. That¡¯s all."


    I frowned, staring at him in disbelief, then shifted my gaze to Kael. It was written all over Lucian and Jason¡¯s faces¡ªthey¡¯d done something.


    "They went overboard with torturing her," Kael said tly. "I¡¯ve punished them already."


    Of course he had. But in the end, no matter what, he would still take their side.


    In that moment, I regretted it. I regretted the decision to walk away in anger. To leave her behind with these demons. I regretted not having the patience to stay when she wanted to die.


    What if something truly happened to her now?


    What if I lost her all over again?


    She was a sinner¡ªyes. But she didn¡¯t deserve this.


    I ignored the others and turned to Liam. "What should we do now?"


    "I need to inject this medicine to calm her down," he replied, preparing the syringe with practiced hands. "But I¡¯ll need you to hold her still."


    "Alright," I said, stepping toward the bed, calm and careful.


    "Just hold her right thigh steady," Liam added. "Don¡¯t trap her like she¡¯s some kind of wild animal. It¡¯ll only make things worse for her mental situation."


    I gave a faint hum in response and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. The others stood back, watching silently, doing nothing.


    As soon as I sat, she flinched, shrinking further into the corner, her body pressing into the headboard like she could somehow vanish into it. The cuff around her wrist held her in ce, but her instincts still told her to run. Her screams had stopped, but only because her throat had likely given out.


    "Eira," I said gently, "I¡¯m not going to hurt you. Don¡¯t be scared."


    She didn¡¯t respond. Didn¡¯t look at me. Her legs tried to retreat farther away, curling in tight.


    "I¡¯m going to hold your leg," I told her, moving slowly.


    But as soon as my hand reached toward her, she jerked her leg away in panic.


    Kael stepped forward. "Let me do it."


    I red at him. "How? The way you did earlier today¡ªtrapping her like she¡¯s some fucking animal?"


    When I came home, I had overheard him speaking to Liam in the drawing room, exining how he¡¯d stopped her from screaming.


    Kael¡¯s face remained unreadable. "Is there any other way?" he asked without a shred of guilt. "Or do you want all of us to stand around, wasting time, waiting for her to magicallye back to her senses?"


    There were a thousand things I wanted to say to him. None of them kind. But I chose silence at this moment.


    "I can handle it," I told him and moved to do my work.


    He didn¡¯t insist.


    I climbed further onto the bed and reached for her leg, gripping it firmly to keep it steady. Then I brought my other arm across her shoulders, pinning her gently against the headboard, but securely.


    She struggled, weakly, her fists pushing and punching against my shoulder, but there was no strength behind them. At least this way, she didn¡¯t feel like she was being pinned down like an animal.


    I gave Liam a silent signal to proceed.


    He stepped forward, syringe in hand, and aimed for her thigh. I held it tight, steady.


    But just as he was about to inject her, Eira¡¯s head snapped toward me¡ªand her teeth sank deep into my arm.


    I didn¡¯t flinch.


    If biting me helped her stay calm, then so be it. Let her bite.


    Liam didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. He quickly injected the sedative into her thigh. Once it was done, he spoke calmly, "You can release her now."


    I looked at her.


    Her head was lowered, stilltched onto my arm. Her teeth had broken skin, and I could feel the warm trail of blood on my skin. But I didn¡¯t pull away. I didn¡¯t want to startle her.


    Instead, I used my free hand to gently support the back of her head. Her body slowly started to rx as the medicine took effect. Bit by bit, her jaw loosened. Her grip weakened. Only then did I carefully ease my arm away so I couldy her in bed.


    I moved her with care andy her in mattress gently as if she¡¯d shatter under pressure. Her hair was stuck to her skin, soaked in sweat from the screaming and fear. I brushed it back softly.


    Her face¡ªpale, frightened, broken, it hurt to see her like this. It truly hurt.


    I shifted her hair stuck to her neck, revealing the marks on her neck. Angry, red welts. Some fresh. Some already bruising. My jaw clenched as I lowered the neckline of her gown and found even more.


    <i>These assholes. </i>I cursed under my breath.

 Chapter 32: What Proof Do You Have?

    <h4>Chapter 32: What Proof Do You Have?</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    "Tarant bites," Liam informed me as I stared at the wounds. "They¡¯re all over her body."


    My fists clenched. We all knew how terrified she was of spiders, and yet...


    No wonder she had lost her mind. No wonder she was terrified of even the air around her.


    My gaze shifted to her bandaged toes, and I understood what that meant.


    I knew all too well how brutal Jason¡¯s torture methods could be. For someone as fragile as her, it must have broken herpletely. Her spirit... shattered.


    I exhaled slowly through my mouth, trying to calm the tight, suffocating pressure in my chest. It felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I forced them back.


    "Roman, you can chill. She¡¯s fine," I heard Lucian say casually.


    "Don¡¯t fall for her pity act like in the past," Jason added.


    These two assholes were beyond redemption. I didn¡¯t look at them, didn¡¯t respond. I acted as if I hadn¡¯t heard a damn thing.


    Wordlessly, I released her hand from the cuff and gently held her wrist. It was hurt, bleeding, so delicate¡ªjust a thinyer of skin stretched over bone. A little pressure and it would snap.


    "Let me treat it," Liam said softly.


    I moved aside to give him room but didn¡¯t leave her side. I couldn¡¯t.


    Liam carefully cleaned the wound, applied ointment, and wrapped it with fresh gauze.


    "Let me treat yours as well," he said, eyeing the bite mark on my arm.


    "No need," I replied, grabbing a piece of cotton from his kit and pressing it against my own wound to stop the bleeding. Compared to hers, mine was nothing.


    Liam didn¡¯t insist. I looked at him and asked, "What do we do about her now?"


    He looked troubled, deeply so. "Her physical wounds can be taken care of," he said, "but her psychological state... I can¡¯t say anything for certain yet. I¡¯ll speak with a psychologist friend and start her treatment. She¡¯s been through a lot. I fear something far worse may have happened. Her wounds... they¡¯re still not healing."


    I looked at him, the words barely leaving my throat. "Do you mean her healing ability... her wolf..."


    He gave a silent nod. "But we have to wait to be certain. Maybe, with proper care, the worst can still be avoided¡ªif it¡¯s not already toote."


    A sigh escaped me as I turned my gaze back to her. There were faint traces of blood around her lips and chin¡ªmy blood. I picked up the cotton and gently wiped it away.


    "It¡¯s time we have a serious conversation about her," Liam said, his voice heavy as he nced at the others. "All of you."


    None of us took his request lightly. The weight in his tone was too real to ignore.


    The other four headed to the drawing room. I stayed a moment longer, covering Eira carefully with the sheet. I didn¡¯t cuff her wrist again. She as not an animal.


    In the drawing room, we all took our ces on the grand circr sofa, while Liam settled into the armchair across from us.


    "What do you want to talk about?" Kael asked. "If it¡¯s about her current condition and treatment, I¡¯ll leave that to you."


    Liam didn¡¯t respond immediately. His eyes swept across us all, calm but stern. Then, he dropped the bombshell.


    "I¡¯ve decided to hand her over to the Werewolf Council."


    "What?" the other four eximed in unison. I was equally shocked but I stayed silent.


    I didn¡¯t want her gone. I didn¡¯t want to lose her. But seeing her like that... broken, bleeding, barely clinging to her soul¡ªI didn¡¯t have the will to keep her in this hell anymore. Not when I knew I couldn¡¯t stop the psychos I lived with.


    "Yes," Liam replied firmly. "Abusing a pureblood she-wolf like this is a serious crime, one all of you have alreadymitted. Our entire pack could face retribution from the Werewolf Council because of what you¡¯ve done. I won¡¯t let that happen. And more than that, I won¡¯t let you keep tormenting her."


    "We bought her," Lucian snapped, rage flickering in his eyes. "That bitch belongs to us. We can do whatever we want with her."


    "Yes, you did buy her," Liam said, unflinching. "But under the strictws of the Werewolf Council, you¡¯re not allowed to torture her like this. I let her stay with you despite knowing how much you all hated her. I thought maybe... just maybe, her presence would turn you back from bing monsters. That she¡¯d make up for the losses you suffered because of her. You were getting a pureblood she-wolf¡ªyour Luna, someone who could rebuild what was broken. But I was wrong. I should¡¯ve known better than to trust any of you."


    "We won¡¯t allow it," Jason growled. "We¡¯re not done getting information out of her yet."


    Liam let out a low chuckle, then fixed Jason with a cold, silent stare.


    "Who are you trying to deceive? Us... or yourself, Jason?" he asked, his voice calm but cutting. "Tell me, do you even believe what you¡¯re saying?"


    "I know damn well what I¡¯m saying," Jason replied arrogantly.


    "A so-called expert like you," Liam continued, "who knows exactly how to manipte the emotions of your targets and strike where it hurts most¡ªcouldn¡¯t even tell if she was lying or not? Or are you just hellbent on torturing her just to ease your own pain, your own guilt that how you failed to protect your sister?"


    Jason¡¯s re was pure fire. "Bullshit!"


    "Then let mey it out for all of you," Liam added, "Back then, she was a minor. A young, innocent girl who could be manipted easily. She was used by our enemies. Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s a victim herself? Do you seriously believe any enemy would trust a fifteen-year-old with vital secrets? Are you really that blind?"


    "She still gathered information on our pack back then..." Jason began.


    "Who told you that?" Liam cut in sharply. "What proof do you have? Do you even have any?"


    "She admitted itst night. Said she did it because she loved Keiren," Jason shot back.


    Liam¡¯s jaw clenched. "After enduring torture from you, anyone would be ready to die. And she already wanted to die long before that. That was her chance."


    Jason didn¡¯t reply. His silence screamed louder than words, but it was clear he still didn¡¯t believe her.


    "No proper trial was conducted back then," Liam went on. "Our entire pack was in chaos, no one had time. You simplybeled her a traitor and threw her into prison for life. Did any of you even try to gather proof?"


    What Liam was asking, everythng started to make sense to me. Since the moment I have visited the prison she was locked in, I was asking the same questions to myself. Now Liam raised it, maybe it was the time for us to find out the truth.

 Chapter 33: Dead Or Alive, She is Leaving This Home

    <h4>Chapter 33: Dead Or Alive, She is Leaving This Home</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Back then all the things happened so fast, Alice¡¯s murder, same day attack by our enemies which left us all shattered, and then we attacked them back in retaliation. Month passed by only taking care of the chaos and during this time, Eira was locked in jail since the day she killed Alice.


    And then there were more allegations against her with the video proofs that couldn¡¯t be denied. She was clearly a culprit and we hated it. No trials were held for her as it was just a waste of time given she was clealy the traitor... or more like none of us wished to see her ever again.


    She was straight given the punishement of life imprisonment as she was a minor at that time. But who would have thought she was not there since long.


    "We had enough proofs," Kael interjected Liam. "And Sophia told us everything. She was on the verge of death after being shot, but she wanted to tell us the truth before she died. Fortunately, she was savedter. There is no reason for a dying person to lie."


    "What if Sophia was mistaken?" Liam asked.


    "Alice and Sophia found out about her, that she was involved with Keiren," Kael insisted. "That¡¯s why she killed Alice and shot Sophia as well. What other reason would she have had to murder them? Haven¡¯t you seen the video of her shooting them? Was it not a clear proof to back what Sophia told us? And back then, didn¡¯t she already admit killing Alice? You were there as well when she admitted."


    Yes, she admited in front of us that she killed Alice and was crying terribly.


    "But did she admit giving information to the enemies?" Liam asked pointedly. "Couldn¡¯t her reason for wanting to kill Alice and Sophia be something entirely different?"


    He turned to Jason. "What was the first thing she said when you asked if she gave away our information?"


    "She denied it," Jason muttered. "But, of course she was lying."


    "Even after seeing tarants right in front of her?" Liam asked, his voice steady but sharp. "All of us have seen her reaction in the past¡ªhow she used to panic over even the tiniest spider. And now you think she¡¯d stay silent or lie while staring at those huge ones? That she wouldn¡¯t start confessing just to make it stop?"


    Jason looked away, jaw clenched. But as stubborn as ever, he muttered, "She¡¯s a born liar."


    Lucian sneered. "Liam, do you want to see the video of her sucking off Keiren? Will that satisfy you?"


    "Did you ever ask under what circumstances it was taken?" Liam countered calmly.


    "What fucking circumstances could there be other than that bitch being a born whore?" Lucian spat. "She probably wanted cock inside her even when she was a goddamn minor."


    Liam let out a quiet sigh, the kind that carried more weight than words. "There¡¯s nothing more I can say to convince you. Your views are too deeply rooted in hatred. But the Eira I knew... my heart still tells me she wasn¡¯t the kind to betray us. There¡¯s something we don¡¯t know, something we¡¯ve all overlooked. And now, seeing the condition she¡¯s in¡ªgods know for how long she¡¯s been suffering at the hands of those traffickers¡ªwhat I see is a victim, not a traitor."


    "You can keep your fucking opinion to yourself," Lucian snapped. "And don¡¯t meddle in our business. She¡¯s ours, and she¡¯s not going anywhere. If you keep pushing this, I swear you won¡¯t be leaving this house either."


    Liam met his threat head-on, unshaken. "I expected nothing less from you. Do you think I¡¯m afraid to die?" he said boldly. "If I don¡¯t walk out of this house today, the council will immedietly receive the message I have left for them regarding Eira. I made arrangements before I came here. And once they get involved, they will take her away, and open an official investigation into everything¡ªincluding the past. I already wrote everything in my message. And I hope, when that timees, the end of the investigation bes your deepest regret."


    He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.


    "Dead or alive, she¡¯s leaving this home," Liam said with finality. "I won¡¯t let you torture her any longer."


    Silence fell over the drawing room. A heavy, suffocating silence. In that moment, we could already see it¡ªEira leaving this ce.


    The Werewolf Council was no idle authority. They were created to oversee and control all packs, regardless of strength or power. Even Alphas like us, even our dominant packs, were bound to obey them. And once the matter was in their hands, we knew we wouldn¡¯t be getting her back.


    <i>Was there no other way?</i> I wondered silently. Liam seemed to have already made up his mind.


    Kael remained quiet, though his expression was grim. Lucian and Jason looked like they were ready to kill Liam on the spot, while Rafe¡ªas usual¡ªsat idle, his indifferent posture making it seem like none of this concerned him.


    "You¡¯re going against us, Liam," Lucian said coldly. "Your own Alpha. Your own pack."


    "I¡¯m trying to protect our pack," Liam replied evenly. "If word gets out that you tortured a pureblood she-wolf, our entire pack will face the consequences."


    Silence fell over us once again.


    "The Council will take care of her," Liam continued, "And once she recovers, she¡¯ll be given to another pack. One that won¡¯t torment her and can benefit from her presence."


    <i>Given to another pack?</i> I am sure these words unsettled every one of us.


    Liam¡¯s stood up, his gazended firmly on Lucian. "So, what¡¯s it going to be? nning to kill me here and now, or am I allowed to walk out of this house?"


    Finally, Kael spoke, his voice strained. "What do you want us to do then? We can¡¯t let her go, Liam. You know we need her."


    "You should have thought about it when you were given a chance," Liam retorted, "And I don¡¯t think everyone of you wants her here."


    The other three looked at Rafe as they knew he never wanted her here.


    Rafe raised a brow, "I said nothing. Even if she stinks, I can bear it for my brothers¡¯ sake."


    "Stinks?" Liam scoffed, "Another one who is tryng to deceive himslef and others."


    Rafe looked at him, his red eyes didn¡¯t look pleased at what Liam said.


    "Rafe," Liam called him out, "Do you want me to study and let you know excatly why are you so bothered by her scent always? Does she really stink?"


    Rafe offered him a warning gaze, "She stinks of murders. And it would be better you focus on other four than me. If other wants her to stay, then I agree as well. Just keep me out of this shit."


    Liam simply shook his head and sighed.


    He looked at us, as if he was trying to look through us. "So all of you want her to stay?"


    "No," I said, my clear voice echoed. "I don¡¯t want her to stay."


    All four of them turned to me, shock shing across their faces.


    "Roman, what the hell are you talking about?" Lucian eximed in anger.

 Chapter 34: Possesive Kael

    <h4>Chapter 34: Possesive Kael</h4>


    Roman POV


    "Weren¡¯t you the one nearly crying for her a while ago? And now you want her gone?" Jasonmented sarcastically.


    I met their stunned gazes. "I don¡¯t want her to be tortured anymore. If leaving is what¡¯s best for her, then let her go. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be tormented like this."


    "So suddenly full of pity, huh?" Lucian sneered. "You were right that day¡ªyou¡¯re not the one who lost a sister, a mother, or a child. So of course it doesn¡¯t matter to you what she did to us."


    "You¡¯re right," I said coldly. "It doesn¡¯t matter to me. But what the fuck are you all doing? Is she the first criminal our pack¡ªor any pack¡ªhas ever had? We¡¯ve dealt with traitors before. Every one of them was given a quick death after some torture of probably a day or two. Not one was left to rot and suffer like her. Not for six goddamn years."


    "Criminals are meant to be kept in prison," Jason spat. "That¡¯s what prison is for. She¡¯s not the only one to be sentenced to life."


    "Prison? Really?" I stood from my seat, walked to the file I¡¯d dropped earlier when we¡¯d all rushed to Eira¡¯s room, and hurled it at Lucian. "Check that. She hasn¡¯t been in any damn prison for the past six years. She was sold to traffickers six years ago¡ªand no one even knew. You two"¡ªI pointed at Lucian and Jason¡ª"aren¡¯t you the ones in charge of security? How the fuck do you handle things in this pack? Are you even reliable?"


    Jason¡¯s expression darkened as he opened the file and began to scan its contents, while Lucian snarled, "I don¡¯t care if that bitch suffered. But who the hell had the balls to sell a pack¡¯s prisoner to traffickers behind our backs? Who¡¯s asking to die now?"


    "The one responsible is sitting right in front of us," I said, my gaze locking on Kael.


    Kael met my eyes with a cold, unreadable look, but I didn¡¯t flinch.


    "It¡¯s because our Alpha Kael told the prison in charge that he didn¡¯t want to be bothered with her ever again, and they could do whatever they want."


    Kael remained quiet, as if he had nothing to say in his defence.


    Back then the loss of his family, child, friends, broke him beyond the limit that he went on killing spree in the enemy pack. Every day, all he craved for was blood, then what could be expected from a Alpha in hellish anger.


    "Who would want to see her after what she did?" Lucian snapped. "We spared her life because she was a minor. That was mercy enough."


    "Mercy?" That word felt like a sin now. "Do you know what that so-called mercy did to her? She became the personal fucking toy of the entire prison security force for a whole goddamn month before they sold her to traffickers. That¡¯s what you call mercy? She was a fucking minor. Drugged. Abused. Raped."


    Silence fell again. In that moment, all I could imagine was her innocent, young and bright face from the past.


    I drew a shaky breath, trying to calm the storm boiling inside me. "Can any of you imagine what must have happened to her, every single day and night, for the past six years? Yes, she was a criminal. But there¡¯s a way to punish someone. We should¡¯ve just killed her back then."


    My voice trembled. My chest felt tight. My eyes stung with unshed tears.


    "There¡¯s not a single part of her body without bruises. She¡¯s a pureblood werewolf¡ªher body should have healed. But it didn¡¯t. And have you ever wondered why?"


    No one answered. Becasue no one bothered to know about her scars, but instead added more to it.


    I continued, "Because every time they hurt her, they kept her heavily drugged. For their own pleasure, to make her weak,pliant. The drugs slowed down her healing, kept the wounds open longer, and left permanent scars. And now, she doesn¡¯t react to pain anymore, because she¡¯s used to it. She¡¯s endured what none of us could even begin to imagine."


    I looked directly at Kael, then Lucian and Jason. "We all lost something back then. We were in pain. But that pain faded over time. It left scars, yes, but it passed. For her, the pain never stopped. Not a single day. And even now, even after all of that, we¡¯re still doing the same thing to her."


    I turned to Liam, my voice low but resolute. "You can take her. I¡¯m not going to stop you. Six years of abuse was enough. She doesn¡¯t need to be punished anymore."


    "Only you are the wise one here," Liam said to me. "Once she is fine under the council¡¯s care, I will let you know which Alpha of what pack she is handed over to..."


    "She¡¯s not going anywhere." Kael¡¯s icy voice echoed.


    He stood up, and faced Liam with dark resolve in his eyes.


    "Liam, mark my words. I¡¯ll destroy whatever pack she¡¯s sent to and then drag her back myself," he dered. "She¡¯s not going anywhere. She¡¯s mine until she gives me back what she has taken away from me."


    We all stared at him, unsure whether to be shocked or unsurprised. Was this possessiveness? Or was it just Kael being Kael?


    This was how he had always been. Once something fell into his hands, it became his¡ªproperty, tool, object. And to him, Eira was nothing more than that.


    Liam didn¡¯t flinch. He held his Alpha¡¯s gaze without a hint of fear. "But I doubt she¡¯ll survive even a day more in this ce, to give you what you want from her, Kael."


    "She won¡¯t be harmed. I give you my word," Kael responded, firm and unyielding.


    Liam¡¯s gaze swept across all of us. "I don¡¯t trust any of you with her care," he said tly and his gaze stopped at me. "Except for Roman. He¡¯s the only one here who still has any empathy left."


    "Then, I will let him take care of her," Kael dered, "None of us four will meddle in or harm her."


    "I don¡¯t agree," I told them clearly, before Liam could reply, "I can¡¯t be around her always and I can¡¯t tell when these psyco brothers of mine will lose their minds. If she ends up tortured again, that would be entirely my fault."


    Kael looked at Lucian, Jason, and rafe, his gaze cold and quetsioning.


    "We will follow your orders," Jason assured him on behalf of all three.


    Kael looked back at me, "You heard them. From now on she is yours to take care of. Your responsibilty. And that¡¯s my order, your Alpha¡¯s order."


    I could feel him emit the Alpha aura to make him obey him.


    "Alright. But I have one condition," I said.

 Chapter 35: Who Is Her Mate?

    <h4>Chapter 35: Who Is Her Mate?</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    "What is it?" Kael asked, his gaze narrowing slightly.


    "I¡¯ll stay in the side house with her. Not here in this main house," I exined, my eyes drifting to the cozy structure visible through the floor-to-ceiling ss window of the drawing room.


    It wasn¡¯t far. Just a few meters away, sharing the same sidewn with the main home. Technically, it was still part of the main home¡ªbut distant enough to give us the separation we needed.


    That way, I could remain close to my mate-brothers. It wouldn¡¯t feel like I was abandoning the rule of always staying together.


    "Just her and me," I rified. "If not, then forget it."


    "Just her and me," I rified. "If not, then forget it."


    "Oh, so you¡¯re using this situation to fulfill your little fantasy," Lucian sneered. "Now I get it. That sudden wave of sympathy towards her, it was all just so you could breed her and start your own family."


    "You can think whatever you want," I told him tly, but determined. "But the fact remains that she is not going to stay here in this home¡ªat least not until she gets better. If you don¡¯t want that, I don¡¯t mind Liam handing her over to the council. Now decide¡ªdo you want to breed her yourself, or let some other pack Alphas sleep with her?"


    I shouldn¡¯t be saying ¡¯to breed her¡¯, as that¡¯s not my purpose, but in their eyes her use was only breeding pups for them, so be it. I will talk thenguage they understood.


    Lucian gritted his teeth. "You..."


    "I ept your conditions," Kael interrupted without hesitation.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised. He seemed dead set on not letting her go, and he¡¯d agree to anything if it meant keeping her here.


    Kael turned to Liam. "Any issues now?"


    "For now, I choose to trust Roman," Liam didn¡¯t argue further. "I¡¯lle again to check on her. And I expect to find her in the same condition I¡¯m leaving her in."


    Without waiting for a response, Liam turned to me. "Don¡¯t break my trust," he said quietly, then walked away.


    The others looked at me, their expressions unreadable. I didn¡¯t care what they were thinking. My focus now was on taking care of her¡ªon healing her.


    That didn¡¯t mean I was turning against my brothers or abandoning them. They were still more important to me than anyone else. But that also meant I should stop them when they were about to do something they¡¯d regret for the rest of their lives.


    I turned to Kael. "I¡¯ll instruct the servants to get the side house ready. In case anything¡¯s missing, we¡¯ll have time to fix it before the move."


    Kael gave a curt hum and turned toward his study.


    I didn¡¯t waste time either. I walked straight back to Eira¡¯s room to look after her.


    Tomorrow morning, I was moving her to the side house¡ªno matter what.


    -----


    <strong>Liam¡¯s POV</strong>


    I returned home and went straight to my study, my steps heavy with exhaustion. The moment I shut the door behind me, I let out a deep sigh of relief and sank into the chair behind my desk.


    <i>That was close</i>, I thought, running a hand through my hair.


    To be honest, I never actually intended to hand Eira over to the Security Council. It had all been a bluff¡ªan attempt to strike fear into those five bastards. Fear of losing her. And thankfully, it worked.


    I couldn¡¯t let Eira be sent elsewhere. The result would¡¯ve been no different¡ªmaybe even worse. She would be used, exploited by other Alphas for their pleasure, for their gain. And they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pass her around, striking deals with Alphas from other packs to profit from her existence.


    She would be a tool of trade. A breeder. A pleasure doll. Used until herst breath.


    She had already suffered more than enough. What she needed now was protection.


    Though these five were monsters as well,pared to others, they still had some emotions left and might change toward her going forward.


    At least they would never use her as a tool of trade, and never share her with other packs.


    Kael was a high-ranking, most powerful Alpha¡ªand with thates their overly possessive and territorial nature. The other four were the same. They could only bear to share her among themselves as that¡¯s how being mate-brothers worked.


    They might hate Eira and hurt her, but now that she belonged to them, they would kill anyone who tried toy a finger on her.


    Keeping her with known monsters was better than sending her to unknown demons.


    Or... death would be the better choice.


    <i>But she can¡¯t die.</i>


    There were too many unanswered questions about her. Things I hadn¡¯t told anyone or dared to speak aloud.


    I pulled out the file from the drawer of my desk. It was the file that contained the recent discoveries I had made about her. I opened it and looked into the reports I had written about some secret tests I¡¯d done on her blood personally.


    Secret¡ªbecause her existence couldn¡¯t be known to the world, or she would be in danger.


    Eira was rare. A top-rank she-wolf. One of a kind. An enigma that appeared once in a century.


    Her powers could be invincible, and she might possess hidden, precious abilities I wasn¡¯t yet aware of.


    But for that, she had to survive. She had to heal. And Her wolf must be awakened entirely.


    I turned to thest few pages of the file, which intrigued me the most.


    And there, written in my own hand¡ª<i>She had given birth before. </i><i></i>


    A powerful pureblood she-wolf like her could only breed with her fated mate. And without a doubt, that mate had to be a powerful, pureblood, high-ranking Alpha as well.


    But the question remained¡ª<i>who?</i>


    She had been in prison, and then in the hands of traffickers, for all these years. When did she meet him? When did she have a child with him?


    Was he one of the customer she had served?


    If her mate had found her... then why wasn¡¯t she with him? No Alpha would ever let go of his fated mate. Especially not one who had borne his child.


    Where was her mate now?


    And what happened to their child? Did he abandon her and take the child with him?


    Or worse... had he rejected her after getting what he wanted? Or was she still bonded to him?


    My head lowered, my hands clutching my hair as though I was troubled with all these questions I couldn¡¯t rest unless I found them.


    Her child, without a doubt, carries a powerful werewolf bloodline. That child can¡¯t be in just anyone¡¯s hands. If it¡¯s alive, I have to find out where it is.


    <i>¡¯With Roman¡¯s help, I will make sure she recovers soon and I get answers to these questions from her.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 36: Eira’s Torment In Prison-I

    <h4>Chapter 36: Eira¡¯s Torment In Prison-I</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    After Roman went to that bitch¡¯s room and Kael went to his study, I looked at Lucian.


    Without saying a word to each other both of us walked towards the wooden stand in the drawing room that always had our trench coats hung on it and put them on.


    We were used to this wordlessmunication between us. We could read and understand each other¡¯s thoughts without a mistake, better than even real brothers could do.


    "I aming with you two as well," Rafe jumped up from the sofa, securing the ck leather jacket he was wearing. "It¡¯s been a while since I witnessed a proper bloodbath."


    The bastard caught on quickly. No surprise there¡ªhis mind thrived in chaos, especially when blood was about to be spilled.


    We didn¡¯t bother stopping him. He would¡¯ve followed us regardless.


    "Just stay back and watch," Lucian told him tly.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m full today. I don¡¯t want any filthy blood touching me," Rafe replied with a crooked grin, already moving ahead of us.


    When we reached outside, the bastard had already brought the vehicle¡ªnot his, but the one that belonged to Lucian, his most favourite¡ªa luxury convertible jeep SUV which he used whenever he went on some killing task.


    And today was no different, except the dying ones wouldn¡¯t be our enemies, but the ones belonging to our own pack.


    Lucian¡¯s eyes narrowed the moment he saw Rafe behind the wheel. The audacity. That damn bat had touched his jeep without permission, like it fucking belonged to him.


    Rafe smirked. "No need to thank me. This jeep¡¯s perfect for the blood festival."


    Lucian slid into the passenger seat, his voice cold. "This is thest time you touch it."


    "I was just worried your burnt wrist might make driving difficult," Rafe offered him a teasing smirk, "ankles and neck too."


    "Shut your mouth unless you want me to throw you out," Lucian warned.


    I climbed into the back seat, deaf to their usual bickering.


    We drove straight to the prison where that bitch had been locked up six years ago. Time to punish the traitors who sold a prisoner and dared to break the rules. Time to set an example so brutal, no one would ever dare repeat the mistake and take our authority lightly.


    The vehicle entered the huge iron gate attached to the gigantic walls surrounding the prison.


    Security guards stood at attention as we passed, quickly notifying the prison in-charge of our arrival. All of them were shocked by our sudden arrival which broke the silence of six years, that too in the night instead of day.


    As the jeep came to a halt within the prison yard, the second inmand, Paul, rushed toward us, like having his tail between his legs. He must be cursing his ancestors, wondering what ill fate had summoned us here without warning.


    The jerk hid his anxiety behind a fake, strained smile. "Alpha Lucian, Alpha Jason, Alpha Rafe....It¡¯s good to see you here after so long."


    Lucian jumped down from the jeep. "I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be saying the same thing in a little while."


    The color drained from Paul¡¯s face the moment those words left Lucian¡¯s mouth, but he quickly stered his fake smile back on. "Please,e inside the office. We can talkfortably."


    We followed him to the main incharge¡¯s office as he led the way.


    Inside the office, Lucian dropped into the chair behind the desk, leaning back with ease, boots propped up on the table, exuding the dominance he wore like a second skin. A king, who looked down on everyone¡ªand today, the one in his sights was Paul and his subordinates.


    I stood to the side, casually leaning against the desk, picking up the ss paperweight and turning it in my hand.


    Rafe, as usual, didn¡¯t bother with formalities. He stood by the window, leaning against the sill, both hands shoved into his front pockets, rxed and ready to enjoy the show.


    Paul positioned himself on the left side of the desk, poised like a servant awaiting orders.


    "Where¡¯s your boss?" Lucian asked, his voice cool and sharp. "Is he busy fucking a whore? Shouldn¡¯t take him more than a minute to empty himself."


    Paul let out a nervousugh, trying to stayposed. "Mr. Luis is on his way. The moment he heard our great Alphas were here, he dropped everything. He¡¯s... very d you finally set foot here after six long years. He¡¯s looking forward to meeting you."


    "We¡¯ll make sure this meeting is memorable for everyone here," I said, casually tossing the paperweight from one hand to the other.


    I could see the thin sheen of sweat forming on Paul¡¯s forehead. He was probably praying we wouldn¡¯t ask him anything more.


    Just then, a man stepped into the room¡ªmiddle aged, hair thinning in the center of his head, dressed in a crisp dark brown uniform. Luis. Unlike Paul, his expression remained calm,posed.


    He greeted us respectfully and then asked, with cautious curiosity, "May I know what brings you here at this hour, Alpha? Is there an issue?"


    Lucian signalled him to take a seat, while making himself overlyfortable in Luis¡¯ chair.


    "There used to be that bitch locked up here¡ªthe one who betrayed us six years ago?" I asked, drawing Luis¡¯s attention from Lucian to me.


    He acted like he was trying to remember something and said, "Oh, that one? The one who killed your sister, Alpha, and leaked critical information to our enemies? That traitor?"


    I gave a small hum. "That¡¯s the one. I hope you didn¡¯t go soft on her just because she¡¯s a young female."


    "We don¡¯t show mercy to traitors, do we?" Lucian added, his voice calm, though his gaze had turned pitch-dark.


    "Of course not, Alpha. That bitch¡ªor anyone who betrays us¡ªdeserves a punishment so cruel they¡¯d beg for death," Luis responded quickly, almost too eagerly.


    "Then, I believe you didn¡¯t disappoint us, Luis," Lucian said, his fingers tapping a slow, deliberate rhythm against the armrest. "Mercy doesn¡¯t exist in our dictionary."


    Luis and Paul exchanged nces, seeming almost relieved by Lucian¡¯s words.


    Then Luis turned his attention back to us and began, clearly eager to justify himself.


    "Back then, I went to Alpha Kael to ask about her trial and what was to be done. He told me not to bother him with her and that I should handle the matter."


    I hummed. "And?"


    "That bitch caused immense loss to the pack. We lost our brothers, and even Alpha and Luna because of her. I understood Alpha Kael¡¯s rage. I wasn¡¯t about to spare her for what she did. I made sure she regretted it¡ªso much so that she won¡¯t forget it even in her next life. I had to bring justice to those we lost," he replied.


    "Is that so?" Lucian asked, head tilting slightly, eyes sharp and focused like a hawk gazing his prey.


    I gently mmed the paperweight on the table, which brought Luis and Paul¡¯s attention towards me.


    "Then let¡¯s hear it," I said, voice cool. "Tell us exactly what you did to bring that justice. Then we¡¯ll decide whether it was enough."

 Chapter 37: Eira’s Torment In Prison-II

    <h4>Chapter 37: Eira¡¯s Torment In Prison-II</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    "Sure," Luis replied, straightening with pride. "Yesterday, Alpha Roman visited, but I was on leave. He had to get the information from Kane." As Luis said that, he looked at Paul. "Where¡¯s Kane?"


    Paul frowned slightly. "I haven¡¯t seen him since he left with Alpha Roman. I¡¯m not sure where he¡¯s gone. I haven¡¯t been able to reach him either."


    "You won¡¯t be able to reach him," I told them.


    Roman had likely already torn him apart, reduced him to pieces. Once these bastards told us everything what they did with her, they¡¯d be joining Kane soon enough.


    "So, Alpha has sent him somewhere for secret work?" Paul concluded.


    "He¡¯s somewhere he should be, somewhere Roman has sent him," Lucian replied and then ordered coldly, "continue."


    "As I was saying," Luis continued, "after Alpha Kael left her in my hands, I kept her inplete istion. No contact. No mercy. We treated her like the traitor she was. I had her locked in the coldest, darkest cell. No windows, no light, no bed. Just stone walls and iron chains. We fed her once a day¡ªscraps, barely enough to keep her breathing."


    He nced between Lucian and me, looking for some flicker of approval.


    He got nothing.


    "It went on for days, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to break her. She stayed quiet, ate whatever was thrown her way, and once in a while, she¡¯d ask to meet her grandparents¡ªas if she still believed she could walk out of there like she had done nothing wrong. That hope... it was infuriating."


    He exhaled, then added with something too close to pride, "So we used the final way."


    Luis¡¯s eyes darkened with malice. "I ordered my men to start torturing her¡ªwhips, beatings, burns¡ªeverything we could think of. But it still didn¡¯t feel like enough. In the end, we decided to stop wasting energy being frustrated... and instead used her as our fuck toy."


    I saw Paul freeze slightly beside the desk, but Luis didn¡¯t notice¡ªor didn¡¯t care.


    "That¡¯s when she finally broke. She begged. She cried. She screamed. I and my men fucked her day and night¡ªwhenever we had the chance. Her screams... they were music. A melody that echoed through the walls, and we all enjoyed hearing."


    My jaw clenched, but I said nothing.


    Luis added with a sick grin, "We even recorded it. The videos. So we could relive the sound of her breaking."


    "Videos?" I asked, my voice t and unreadable.


    "Yes," he replied. "We still have them. If Alpha wishes, I can share them with you."


    "Go ahead."


    The bastard¡¯s eyes lit up, as if I had just praised him for loyalty and honor.


    "They¡¯re on myputer," he said, turning to Paul. "There¡¯s pendrive in first drawer. Copy everything onto it and give it to Alpha Jason."


    Paul gave a faint hum of acknowledgment and moved toward the desk, but paused when his eyes flicked to Lucian seated in the main chair.


    "Don¡¯t mind me," Lucian said casually. "Go ahead."


    Paul pulled out the pendrive from the drawer and turned the screen toward himself and began his task.


    Lucian¡¯s gaze, sharp and cool as ice, slid back to Luis. "Who else has seen these videos? Who else has copies?"


    "I and twenty guards under mymand who also fucked her," Luis replied, "and a few friends of mine outside the prison. Oh, they werepletely hooked after watching those videos. That bitch had them so riled up, they begged me to let them have a go at her. So, from time to time, I brought them in¡ªlet them use her."


    He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "I must say, they were far more twisted than we ever were. We¡¯d gag her and fill all her holes at once, but those bastards... they did things I can¡¯t even bring myself to describe. They drugged her until she couldn¡¯t tell pain from pleasure¡ªuntil she forgot who she was. She became their perfect little fuck doll. Obedient whore."


    Lucian¡¯s picked up the notepad from the desk and tossed it in front of Luis, along with a pen. I could see the veins on Lucian¡¯s arms tightened as he was barely controlling himself from strangling them.


    "Write your friends¡¯ names," he said, voice calm¡ªfar too calm.


    Luis blinked, slightly confused.


    I leaned in with a faint smirk. "You don¡¯t expect to be the only one rewarded for punishing a traitor, do you?"


    That did the trick. The bastard nodded and picked up the pen, writing names onto the paper like he was doing something honorable.


    "Where is she now?" I asked, my voice sharp beneath the surface.


    "Must be dead and buried somewhere," he replied with a shrug, still busy writing. "After we used her for about a month, one of my friends suggested we sell her to traffickers. Said it¡¯d be a harsher punishment for her crimes than what we were doing to her. I agreed. It felt right. I sent her off with him to be sold."


    "For how much?" I asked again, watching him closely.


    "I didn¡¯t care about the money. All I wanted was to make her suffer," he said inly, finishing the list.


    I picked up the notepad, and scanned the page. "Which one sold her?"


    "The first two names," he replied without hesitation.


    I tore the page neatly from the pad and folded it into my pocket.


    Lucian said coldly, turning to Luis, "Everyone involved. Anyone who had a hand in torturing that bitch. Anyone who¡¯s ever watched even a second of those videos. I want them all in the central yard. Now."


    Once more Luis and Paul looked startle and confused, and the way Lucian sounded and looked at them, it was indeed not normal.


    "But...Now..." Luis fumbled.


    Lucian¡¯s cold gaze narrowed at him. "Are your men too busy fucking whores during work hours?" His ordered coldly, "Get them all in the yard. Those who doesn¡¯t have a night shift, ask them to be here in a five minutes, or...."


    "I...I¡¯ll gather everyone," Luis blurted, scrambling to his feet before rushing out the door to ry the orders.


    Lucian¡¯s gaze slid to Paul.


    Before he was even asked, Paul answered in a whisper, "Almost done."


    Paul trembled in his ce under the cold gazes from me and Lucian, as if he could sense something was terribly wrong.


    Yes, wrong. These bastards were still breathing and their hearts were still beating, it was indeed wrong.


    Momentster, Luis returned, his tone breathless. "Alpha, they¡¯re all gathered in the yard. The off-duty guards are on their way."


    "Good," Lucian said, then shifted his gaze toward Paul. "Are you done, yet?"


    Paul nodded shakily and handed over the pendrive with both hands, his fingers twitching slightly.


    Lucian took it without a word, then tossed it across the room to Rafe. "Keep it safe."


    Rafe caught it, scanned the little device with wicked gaze, and looked back at Luis and Paul.


    "Reward time, baby," the evil smirk on Rafe¡¯s lips widened, "Enjoy."


    His red eyes gleaming with predatory glint, the smirk on his lips like that of a monster, made Luis and Paul swallow hard.

 Chapter 38: Vicious Reward

    <h4>Chapter 38: Vicious Reward</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    As ordered, every man gathered in the central yard of the prison¡ªa space typically used for inmate routines, punishments, disciplinary actions, ceremonial gatherings, and the asional empty speech.


    Tonight, however, it would turn into our own y ground.


    Jason, Rafe, and I arrived shortly after. My eyes swept over the scene as we stood facing them.


    Luis and Paul stood at the front and behind them, twenty guards stood assembled in formation¡ªfour neat rows of five. Those off-duty had rushed back as if the devil himself were breathing down their necks.


    A few other guards remained stationed along the perimeter¡ªmen who hadn¡¯t been part of what happened six years ago. They had been appointedter. Fortunate for them.


    I let my voice carry through the yard. "As you all know, we¡¯ve gathered here tonight so I may reward each of you for your efforts in punishing the traitor of our pack... and ensuring she paid for what she did."


    My gaze moved over the new guards, "Anyone else here who believes they should be added to the list of honorees?"


    No one moved. Smart. They were wary of me.


    "They¡¯re here," Jason murmured to me.


    I turned my head toward the iron gate just as a row of vehicles entered through it. When they stopped, a fewmandos stepped out first¡ªmy warriors. The ones I had personally trained, brutal, as disciplined, and as merciless as I was.


    The ones standing in the yard were taken aback to see the number of figures d in heavymando uniforms and gadgets.


    "Alpha," Luis asked, voice low and uncertain, "may I ask... why are they here?"


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry," I replied with a cold smile. "They¡¯ve brought the gift I prepared to reward you all."


    Soon after, around twenty beautiful women stepped down from the vehicles¡ªdressed in provocative, seductive outfits, their makeup wless, movements intentional.


    I could see their eyes widen at the sight, as if they couldn¡¯t wait to get their hands on them.


    "They are here to please you," I said smoothly. "You must be tired¡ªtrapped within these dull prison walls for so long. Let them offer you some relief."


    A chorus of "Thank you, Alpha," echoed in return, their voices thick with lust, eyes already devouring the women like starved animals.


    I announced once more, "Anyone who¡¯s part of that incident of punishing a traitor¡ªby participating in it or even by simply watching her videos¡ªcan ept this reward."


    As expected, three new guards stepped forward.


    "Alpha," one of them said, "we¡¯ve only watched the videos. Our seniors showed them to us. But we wished we¡¯d been there to punish her ourselves... by fucking her."


    I tilted my head slightly, my gaze sweeping over the three of them. "Just you three? You kept it to yourselves?"


    "Y-Yes... I mean... every guard working in this prison has watched it," the youngest among them replied, his voice trembling slightly.


    "Everyone?" I raised a brow and turned to Luis. "Is every guard present here?"


    "Yes, Alpha," he answered without hesitation.


    My eyes flicked to the five guards who stood apart from the others. "And you? Have you not watched the video?"


    "No, Alpha," one of them answered quickly. "We¡¯re new here. We didn¡¯t get to see any of the videos."


    "Well... unfortunate for you," I said tly. "You won¡¯t be a part of this lovely reward."


    Their faces fell, but they didn¡¯t know they just saved their asses.


    The three eager guards moved to Luis¡¯ side without dy, their expressions gleaming with anticipation.


    One of them turned and barked, "Bitches, do what you¡¯re here for."


    The women stepped forward without hesitation, falling to their knees before the men. They began removing belts, unzipping pants, and wrapping their hands around hardening cocks. With practiced ease, they began pleasuring the guards¡ªsome taking two at a time, rotating between mouths and hands to satisfy them all.


    Luis and Paul, unsurprisingly, looked the most pleased, their heads tipped back, enjoying the wet sounds and eager mouths.


    Beside me, Jason¡¯s frown deepened. "I can¡¯t stand their filthy noises... or the disgusting looks on their faces."


    "Just wait," I muttered. "You¡¯ll hear their screams soon enough."


    Then I stepped forward and raised my voice. "No one is allowed toe unless I say so. If you lose control, I¡¯ll chop your cocks off."


    The effect was instant. A wave of terror rippled through them. They looked at me in shock, lust disappearing in the face of dread.


    "I¡¯m nning to let you experience the best pleasure of your life," I said, my tone deceptively calm, "a kind you¡¯ll never experience again."


    A guard raised his head, breathing heavily. "Can we fuck themter, Alpha?"


    "Of course," I replied. "Only if you can."


    Lost in the ecstasy of being sucked off, they failed to notice the darkness settling in my eyes... or the quiet threat hanging from every word I spoke.


    Rafe stood nearby, leaning casually against a pole, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. His expression was unreadable, but eventually he muttered, "You two are getting creative with your punishments."


    I looked over at him, smirking, and gave him a wink. "I¡¯ve got creative ideas for you too for the next time when you lose your mind after bloodlust."


    "You can just fuck off," Rafe muttered from where he stood and looked at the guards. "Just chop them off already."


    "Patience, little bat," I replied with a smirk.


    "Ah... I can¡¯t take it..." Luis¡¯s voice rang out in the yard¡ªloud, desperate, and utterly unrestrained. And he released into the whore¡¯s mouth. The pathetic old bastard couldn¡¯tst even a full minute.


    The woman pulled back, licking her lips with practiced ease as she wiped her mouth. Luis, panting and flushed, looked down at his now-limp cock and then up at me.


    "Alpha... she was just so good, I couldn¡¯t¡ª"


    "It¡¯s alright," I said with a calm smile.


    Relief washed over his face, as though he¡¯d just been granted mercy. He truly thought my earlier warning had been nothing but an empty threat.


    Fool.


    Two of my trainedmandos walked ahead and held Luis. One held him from behind by trapping his hands, and the other stood facing him.


    "What... what are you doing?" Luis stammered, his voice rising as panic overtook him.


    The ruthless-looking, robustmando didn¡¯t even react to that shouting, as if it was nothing but the buzzing of a mosquito. He pulled out the knife from the hilt around his thigh, and the next moment...


    Everyone watched Luis¡¯ limp cock falling on the ground, apanied by blood and his painful cries echoed everywhere.


    He copsed as themandos released him. His screams continued as he writhed on the blood-stained ground, clutching himself in disbelief and pain.


    The yard fell deathly silent. No one moved. No one ever dared breathe.


    I looked at the shocked guards, their faces gripped with horror, and they had stopped reacting to the bitches sucking their cocks. I could see all they wanted was to get away from them.


    "If I see even one of you stopping these bitches from sucking your cocks," I said coldly, "or if I see your cock go soft¡ªthen you¡¯ll lose it too. Keep it erect, but you are not allowed toe unless I tell you to."


    I warned the bitches as well, "You whores, if you fail to make theme, then you will die in their ces."


    Hearing the threat, all those whores started to work hard on their cocks, making it difficult for them to hold back.

 Chapter 39: Killed Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 39: Killed Everyone</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    This time, no one dared take my warning as an empty threat. Neither could they stop themselves nor their release, as those were well-trained whores who could even make mountains sweat.


    "Alpha... why are you...?" Paul dared to speak, his voice cracking.


    "You dared to take our authority lightly enough to go behind our backs and sell our prisoner," I said in a cold and mocking tone. "It¡¯s time to show what our authority here stands for. I am sure no one will forget after this."


    Paul¡¯s eyes glistened with dread. His body was stiff, tense, as he fought the need growing between his legs. His cock throbbed violently, restrained only by thest thread of willpower.


    "You can punish us another way... this..." He gritted his teeth, clenching every muscle to keep from finishing.


    The bitch beneath him was working hard, sucking his cock deep into her throat, hands wrapped around his balls, squeezing with perfect rhythm.


    "You all fucked my prisoner however you pleased¡ªused her for your fun," I said with a raised brow, an evil smirk tugging at my lips. "So why shouldn¡¯t I do the same with you? Tonight, <i>you</i> are my entertainment."


    "Alpha... please," Paul begged, desperation warping his voice.


    "Oh, another punishment you say?" Jason chimed in now, clearly disgusted. "Well then... go and fuck Luis. You¡¯re only allowed to release inside his ass. Do that, and your cock will be spared."


    "What?" Paul choked out, frozen. Luis, still crawling and soaked in blood, turned to us in horror.


    Neither of them could believe what Jason had just said.


    "Seems like you¡¯re asking to have your cock chopped for real," Jason added, eyes dark.


    Paul reacted instantly. He shoved the whore away just as she was about to make hime and stumbled toward Luis.


    Luis tried to drag himself back, pain contorting his face. "What are you doing?" he cried.


    "I need to save my cock," Paul grunted, grabbing the broken man and flipping him over. Luis¡¯s strength was gone¡ªhe couldn¡¯t resist.


    "Paul... don¡¯t..." Luis whimpered, voice shaking.


    "You¡¯ve already lost your dick. You¡¯re no better than a whore now," Paul spat, forcing Luis¡¯s hips up. "Be a good little bitch."


    And with that, he mmed into Luis, thrusting hard and fast. Luis screamed, body jolting in agony before finally passing out. Paul grunted, fucking him until he spilled inside, then pulled out and stood, panting.


    "Alpha, I did as you said," he dered, chest heaving.


    "Good," Jason said with a twisted smile, then turned his gaze to the others. "You three¡ªthe ones who only watched the videos."


    "Yes, Alpha," the three younger guards answered at once, their voices strained, hands still buried in the hair of the whores pleasuring them.


    "If you want to keep your cocks," Jason said coldly, "you¡¯ll empty yourselves inside <i>Paul.</i>"


    Paul¡¯s expression turned to horror. "A-Alpha... I did what you said..."


    "And you also did what I <i>never</i> said," I snapped. "Like fucking and selling my prisoner."


    "No... no, you can¡¯t..."


    But it was already toote. The three younger guards had grabbed Paul, forcing him down on the ground. One after another, they took their turn, using him until each had emptied inside him.


    When they were finished, Pauly broken on the bloodstained ground¡ªused, filthy, trembling.


    Two of mymandos stepped forward and grabbed him.


    Paul¡¯s eyes flew open in rm, darting between them and me.


    "When those three fucked you, you came. And you were only allowed to release inside <i>Luis¡¯s</i> ass," I told him.


    The guards grabbed him and chopped his cock, once more filling the ce with the painful cries.


    Just like that, one after another, everyone was chopped off of their cocks andter shot dead.


    No one was spared. Not a single man who had touched her... not even those who had merely watched the videos. They all died. Their bodies left as reminders of what it meant to defile what was ours.


    I left mymandos behind to deal with the aftermath¡ªto clear the corpses and take control of the prison until new guards and a new warden could be appointed.


    Meanwhile, Rafe had erased every trace of Eira from the prison¡¯s system. Every file, every backup, every record that had her name attached to it¡ªgone. He ensured that anyone who had possessed the videos no longer had ess to anything. The guards¡¯ phones were destroyed, and anything remotely tied to Eira was turned to ash.


    All that remained now were Luis¡¯s friends outside the prison. The ones who hade in to fuck her... and the ones who had sold her to traffickers. None of them would be spared.


    And thenes the turn of those traffickers who had bought her, and the list of every single person who had even touched her in the past six years.


    As we walked back to the jeep, I nced at Rafe and asked, "Had your fill of fun?"


    He scoffed. "Looked to me like you were taking out a personal grudge more than upholding your authority as security in-charge." He shot me a pointed look. "Did it hurt that much... knowing what those bastards did to her?"


    I gritted my teeth and pulled him back before he could sit in the driver¡¯s seat. Pushing him aside, I sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Use your bat wings and fly back home," I said and drove away, as Jason had already sat in the car.


    Through the rearview mirror, I saw him. He was smirking back at me as he pulled out one paper from his pocket and looked at it with an amused gaze.


    Damn it.


    "Jason... the list. The one in your pocket," I said quickly.


    The list of Luis¡¯ friends¡¯ names, the bastards we were yet to punish.


    Jason checked his pockets, "It¡¯s not here."


    I stopped the jeep and I jumped out to look for him, but...


    He was gone.


    "That bastard stole the list from your pocket," I growled.


    "Let him have his blood fest," Jason replied, tone calm.


    "No," I snapped, fury boiling in my chest. "I need to kill each one of them myself." My hand mmed down on the jeep with a angry thud. "That bastard... I need to find him before he does."


    Unable to find him, we reached home and he reached the same time.


    Outside, I grabbed his cors, "Did you...."


    "Their blood tasted shitty, so I just killed them all by breaking some of their bones and then snapping their necks," Rafe replied.


    I grabbed his cors tight, "Why the hell...."


    "You had your fun, and then, I had mine." His gaze turned serious as he met mine. Not a tinge yfulness in them, but pure coldness, as he said again, "And you are not the only one who¡¯s infuriated."


    He shrugged my hands away to free himself and walked inside the home, as Jason and I only watched him walk away.


    <i>¡¯What did he mean?¡¯</i>

 Chapter 40: I Will Take You Away

    <h4>Chapter 40: I Will Take You Away</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning, I began preparing breakfast for all of us. With one more added to our number, I now had to cook for her as well.


    I sighed, helpless and irritated. <i>J¡¯ust for Roman¡¯s sake, so he won¡¯t lose his shit again. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t lift a finger for that bitch.¡¯</i>


    <i></i>I rummaged through the fridge, trying to figure out what I could make that she¡¯d be allowed to eat¡ªor could even digest in her state. I didn¡¯t want Roman to think I was deliberately ignoring her needs.


    Still unsure, I decided to ask Roman directly. If he had something in mind, he couldn¡¯t me me afterward. Unfortunately, that meant going to <i>her</i> room as Roman was there.


    I didn¡¯t bother knocking. If she got startled and started screaming like a lunatic again, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with hysterics, not first thing in the morning.


    The room appeared empty when I walked in. Roman wasn¡¯t there, and the bitch was not on the bed either.


    <i>Have they already moved to the side house?</i>


    Then I spotted her.


    She was curled up on the couch, barely covered by a nket that had slipped from her shoulders, letting me know she was naked under. Then, my gaze fell on the hospital gown discarded on the floor nearby.


    My gaze narrowed at it and then to that bitch. <i>¡¯These two, have they fucked already while she pretends to be so weak? What a whore?¡¯</i>


    <i></i>"Something happened now?" I heard the voice behind me.


    Lucian stood beside me. "I watched youing here. I thought the bitch did something again."


    "Yeah," I muttered, my fists tightening. "She¡¯s already turning Roman against us with her pity games... and now, looks like she gave him a good fuck too."


    Lucian¡¯s eyes swept the room. When he saw the gown on the floor, his mouth twisted. "This bitch is really something," he sneered. "Her used cunt just can¡¯t go without being filled."


    Our voices must have stirred her. She shifted on the couch, blinking awake. The moment she saw us, fear painted her face. She let out a hoarse scream, shrinking against the backrest like a trapped animal. It wasn¡¯t as loud asst night¡ªher throat was likely too sore now.


    "There she goes again," Lucian sighed, unmoved.


    "What are you two doing here?" The cold voice sliced through.


    Roman stepped out of the bathroom the moment he heard her scream, his eyes immediatelynding on us with a furious re.


    "Are we disturbing you two?" I asked coldly. "Must¡¯ve been nice, fucking a whore the whole night."


    "Shut up and get lost," he snapped, keeping his voice restrained as he hurried over to Eira.


    She had her eyes shut tight, hands mped over her ears, her entire body curled in on itself like she was trying to disappear.


    "Eira," he called gently, kneeling beside her, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    "She probably listens better when you fuck her. That¡¯s the only thing a whore understands," Lucian said with a mocking tone.


    Roman shot him another deadly re. "Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave?"


    Kael and Rafe arrived just then, clearly drawn by the noise.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Kael¡¯s deep,posed voice cut through the tension.


    Before we could answer, the bitch started to shriek like a mouse, as the scream wouldn¡¯te out of her dry and hoarse throat, and she trembled badly.


    Her reaction grew even worse the moment she saw Kael, like his presence terrified her more than anything else.


    "All of you, get the fuck out," Roman ordered, not taking his eyes off her.


    "Why do I feel like I just walked into a public urinal?" Rafe muttered under his breath as he nced toward the bed.


    "Did she piss in bed?" Lucian sneered as we finally noticed the big wet patch on the mattress. "Are we supposed to babysit her now?"


    "Not you," Roman said sharply. "I¡¯ll take care of her. Just get the hell out."


    Without waiting for our response, he turned back to her and crouched closer. "Eira, you don¡¯t need to be scared. It¡¯s alright."


    I¡¯d never seen him like this before. So soft. So damn gentle.


    <i>¡¯What the fuck kind of spell has this bitch cast on him?¡¯</i><i></i>


    He reached out and tried to help her sit up on the couch, but she shrank into the corner like she couldn¡¯t bear to be touched. He didn¡¯t give up. Moving closer, his voice softened even more.


    "Alice told me once... that you get scared easily. And when you do, all you need is aforting hug."


    The moment she heard Alice¡¯s name, she finally stopped shrinking and opened her eyes to look at him, as if finally reality got back to her.


    Roman took that chance and gently pulled her into a hug. "I know you want to get out of here," he whispered. "Trust me, I¡¯m taking you away. You¡¯ll be safe."


    This time, she didn¡¯t pull away. She let him hold her.


    "It¡¯s all just so she can get out of here," Lucian muttered. "This bitch is clever. And our brother¡¯s falling right into her trap."


    Roman ignored him. He ignored all of us.


    Then he looked at Rafe. "Can you get me a shirt or T-shirt from my room? Her gown¡¯s ruined."


    Rafe didn¡¯t argue. He simply nodded and left.


    <i>Of course he asked Rafe,</i> I thought bitterly. <i>Probably because, other than himself, Rafe is the only one who hasn¡¯tid a hand on her yet.</i>


    I pushed down the sour feeling and asked, "I actually came to ask what you want me to cook for her."


    He didn¡¯t even nce my way.


    "Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯ll cook for her," he said tly. "We can¡¯t afford another one of your stunts making things worse."


    "Damn you," I hissed through clenched teeth. My intentions weren¡¯t what he thought. But if he didn¡¯t want to believe me, fine.


    Rafe returned shortly and tossed a shirt to Roman.


    "I feltzy to go upstairs to your room, so I grabbed one of mine," he said casually. "I don¡¯t wear it anyway."


    We all stared at him in disbelief.


    Lucian raised a brow. "Since when are you feeling generous toward the bitch?"


    "Committed a few sinsst night," Rafe said with shameless ease. "Figured I¡¯d wash ¡¯em off by handing out donations. Got a few more useless shirts if you need ¡¯em."


    "You go ahead and donate all you want to that bitch," I muttered. "Seeing her without clothes is makes me puke."


    "If she disgusts you so much," Roman snapped, "then why the fuck are you still here? Leave."


    "You can go to hell with that bitch," I spat, then turned and stormed out of the room.


    I didn¡¯t know why I was this angry. I just was. And the more I thought about it, the more it burned inside me.


    Lucian followed, muttering curses under his breath.


    "This bitch will tear us five apart," he said. "As if ruining our lives wasn¡¯t already enough."

 Chapter 41: What Does She Like To Eat?

    <h4>Chapter 41: What Does She Like To Eat?</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I stood silently, watching as Roman gently coaxed her into his arms. She slowly calmed down under his touch. But she still refused to look at me¡ªas if I were some kind of monster and she wanted to hide from me even if it meant hiding Roman¡¯s arms.


    <i>What the hell have I ever done to her?</i>


    Instead, she¡¯s the one who destroyed my life, took everything away from me, my family, my happy future with them.


    All I did was help her jump down the building terrace to fulfill her own wish of dying, and thenst night, I had no other option but to silence her. If that¡¯s what made her think I¡¯m a monster, then so be it.


    Let her be a madwoman, as long as she is used in saving Sophia and giving us a pup.


    She should count herself lucky it was Jason and Lucian who broke her. If it had been me¡ªif I had allowed my cruel side toe out¡ªshe would¡¯ve cursed the day she was born. She would¡¯ve known what true suffering felt like. Worse than what Keiren, her lover, endured the night I killed him.


    Roman looked at me, and his words brought me back to my senses. "Kael, I will work from home. I have to look after her and then check if the side house is ready."


    "I will check it for you," I told him.


    As I was the one to insist he take care of her, then I shall at least give him a hand. Didn¡¯t look like it was easy to care for her in the situation she was in.


    He hummed in acknowledgment, and I nced at the mattress. A wide, damp patch stained the surface. I didn¡¯tment. Just walked over and stripped the sheets off. I flipped the mattress so the dry side faced up and spread a fresh bedsheet over it.


    "This will do until you move her to the side house," I said.


    "Thank you," he said, while she sank further the moment I went closer to the bed. <i>¡¯Still pretending? How far is she willing to take this act? Damn fake woman.¡¯</i><i></i>


    I left without another word and headed to the side house. I gave the workers detailed instructions, urging them to move faster. I wasn¡¯t doing it for her sake, but for Roman¡¯s. He¡¯d be staying there, and I wouldn¡¯t let my brother live in difort.


    She could rot in a pigsty for all I cared.


    The ce was already livable¡ªit just needed some updates. It had been unused for a long time, but it was still home.


    By the time I returned to the main house for breakfast, the others had gathered. Liam was there too. Of course he was. So eager to check on her, as if he thought we¡¯d hurt her again.


    If he was allowed, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d camp here permanently, just to babysit her personally. He was the only one who still believed in her.


    Though what he said yesterday made sense, I was still not going to let my guard down around that bitch.


    Liam headed to her room, and none of us followed as Roman was already there.


    We only waited for Roman toe out for breakfast until Jason finished preparing it.


    Jason busied himself in the kitchen, clearly in a bad mood after his earlier argument with Roman. He didn¡¯t bother cooking anything for her¡ªnot even a crumb.


    After a while, Liam came out, with Roman following him.


    "She¡¯s at least calm now," I heard Liam say as they entered the drawing room. "That¡¯s a good sign. She seems to be responding well to you. Keep doing what you¡¯re doing, and she¡¯ll start returning to normal."


    Roman gave a small hum, and asked, "She still refuses to eat. How long can she keep going like this, just surviving on IV fluids?"


    Liam¡¯s brows creased. "You are right. Try offering her something that she likes. Maybe that¡¯ll spark her appetite. After all, hunger is a primal instinct of every living body."


    Roman nodded slowly. "But... what does she like?" he murmured. "I have no idea."


    To be honest, even I didn¡¯t know. She was nothing but a young girl I didn¡¯t have anything to do with, other than just seeing her once in a while just because she was Alice¡¯s friend.


    "In the past, when she was around, there must¡¯ve been something you noticed she liked?" Liam suggested. "Try to recall it. Or just bring whatever young girls used to like back then. That¡¯s your best bet. I¡¯ve got a surgery to attend. Take care of her," and with that, the old man left.


    Roman looked genuinely troubled. "What would she like?" he muttered. "I¡¯ve never been close to any girl... it¡¯s hard for me to even guess."


    It was true.


    Roman never had a mother. Never had a sister. Never had a girlfriend. His only experience with women involved fucking them and walking away without remembering their names or faces. Expecting him to understand a woman¡¯s preferences was asking for too much.


    "Yeah, you¡¯ve never had a woman around," Lucian said coldly, rising from his chair. "But you sure as hell know how to coax that pretentious cunt. Way to fuck her, brother."


    Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked to the kitchen, where Jason had nearly finished cooking.


    "Move," he snapped, brushing past him to the stove.


    Jason wordlessly stepped aside and came over to the dining table where we sat.


    We all stared, stunned.


    Lucian... cooking?


    Was this real? Or were we hallucinating?


    But he was serious, his expressions focussed as he found everything he needed, from utensils to ingredients.


    This stubborn wolf¡ªwho usually did nothing more than helping Jason with menial tasks like washing vegetables or stirring a pot once in a while¡ªwas suddenly ying chef.


    "Does he even know how to cook?" Roman asked Jason, eyeing Lucian with disbelief. Being brothers, Jason¡¯d know him best.


    Jason, far calmer than the rest of us, replied without much expression, "Rarely..." and stopped.


    We could feel there was more to it, but Jason chose to be quiet.


    As we watched Roman, we could tell he had done it many times. He knew exactly what to do, not a tinge of hesitation or confusion¡ªjust precise, practiced movements.


    Soon the warm, sweet and tempting scent of chocte pancakes wafted through the air, wrapping the house in a surprisingfort which reminded us of our childhood days.


    Without bothered by our stares at him, Lucian finished cooking two pancakes, thered them with chocte spread, and carried the te over to the dining table.


    He looked at Roman and spoke, as blunt and biting as always. "Go feed it to that bitch. If she still refuses, let her starve to death."


    Roman didn¡¯t mind his words. He quickly picked up the dish and went to her room.


    Lucian turned back to us¡ªJason, Rafe, and me¡ªwith a scowl darkening his already foul mood. "Are we going to starve ourselves as well just because one ungrateful bitch refuses to eat?"


    Jason quietly stood and went to the kitchen to bring out the breakfast he had prepared for us while we waited for Roman to join us.

 Chapter 42: How Do You Know What She Likes?

    <h4>Chapter 42: How Do You Know What She Likes?</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    When I returned to the room, she was exactly as I had left her after Liam¡¯s visit¡ªcurled up silently on the couch by the window, the nket I¡¯d wrapped around her still clinging to her frail frame.


    The soft chill of the morning breeze slipped in through the slightly open window, brushing against her skin, but she made no move to adjust or shift. She just sat there, motionless, staring nkly outside.


    I still couldn¡¯t understand what went on in her mind during those long stretches of silence.


    Did she think about the past¡ªabout all of us? Did she regret what she had done? Or was she fighting the haunting memories of the six years of torment she¡¯d endured? Or perhaps... she wasn¡¯t thinking of anything at all.


    I wonder when she will be alright and we would be able to have a proper conversation.


    "Eira," I called softly.


    She flinched¡ªjust a small, involuntary jerk¡ªbut it was there. Even after all this time, even with my presence bing familiar, she still hadn¡¯t let her guard downpletely. She still didn¡¯t trust me.


    But that was fine. I could wait.


    "I brought you chocte pancakes," I said, keeping my tone light, deliberately leaving out the fact that Lucian had made them. No need to scare her further with his name.


    I sat on the other end of the couch and gently held the te out toward her.


    She looked at it, and for the first time that morning, recognition flickered in her eyes.


    "I know you like it, right?" I offered, trying to make a guess. "You and Alice used to love pancakes, didn¡¯t you?"


    Her expression softened slightly at the mention of Alice. It always did. That name had be a key for me to reach whatever part of her still remained.


    If Alice¡¯s memory meant so much to her, then why had she killed her?


    "You should eat," I urged gently. "If Alice were here, she¡¯d have finished it in no time."


    I pushed the te a little closer, cing it within reach.


    Her eyes turned moist and I am not sure what memories shed in her mind. Her lips trembled as the tears formed. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached for the te. The moment her fingers touched it, a tear rolled down her cheek.


    "It¡¯s fresh and warm," I said quietly. "Eat it before it gets cold."


    Holding the dish in one hand, she used her free hand to hold that small pancake and had a bite of it. More tears rolled down her eyes as she tasted it, as if some emotions buried for long were flowing along with them.


    She chewed slowly, her shoulders trembling, emotions unraveling with every bite.


    She was finally eating. And breaking. At the same time.


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb her¡ªafraid that if I said too much, she might stop eating. Quietly, I stood up, poured a ss of water from the jug on the tea table, and ced it on the center table in front of her.


    "Water for you," I said gently. "Finish your food. I¡¯lle backter to take the te."


    She gave no sign of hearing me. Not even a flicker of acknowledgment. It felt like I was speaking into the void while she sat there, lost in whatever memories she had with that pancake thing.


    Leaving her to her silent world, I returned to the drawing room, where the others were waiting for me so we could eat together.


    I slid into my seat and said, "I left her to eat on her own. She in fact didn¡¯t reject it and..." I looked at Lucian, "Seems like she really likes it."


    Lucian acted as if he didn¡¯t hear me and started eating as if what I said didn¡¯t matter to him.


    As we all began our breakfast, Rafe¡ªas usual¡ªcouldn¡¯t hold back his tongue.


    "You never cooked for us, Luke," he teased with a smirk. Once in a while, Rafe would call him by Luke. His exnation- ¡¯I am toozy to say the full name Lucian¡¯.


    Rafe looked at three of us, Kael, Jason and me and asked. "Didn¡¯t you guys feel like eating it as well?"


    Even before we could answer, Lucian scowled as he passed us a sharp gaze. "What are you? A bunch of teenage girls craving some sweet shit?"


    We closed our mouths just as we opened it and focussed on our breakfast, full of healthy things. Chocte pancake? Well that was only for when we were kids.


    Rafe being stubborn, wouldn¡¯t let go of a chance to get on Lucian¡¯s nerves.


    "But how did you know she liked exactly <i>that</i> sweet shit?" Rafe pressed, still grinning. "And she¡¯s eating without making any scene. Hmm...that makes me curious."


    Lucian mmed his spoon down with a sharp <i>ng,</i> ring at him. "You just don¡¯t know when to shut the fuck up, do you?"


    Unfazed, Rafe shrugged. "I was just¡ª"


    "Rafe, enough," Kael cut in to stop Rafe, before Lucian could lose his temperpletely.


    Rafe smirked at him, smug and satisfied at having pushed his buttons. Then, without another word, he finally ate in silence.


    "Asshole!" Lucian cursed, picked up his spoon and resumed eating.


    After a while, when the tension in the air had finally settled, Kael spoke.


    "We¡¯re being summoned to the Pack House. The Elders will be there¡ªalong with a few members of the Werewolf Council."


    We paused mid-bite and looked at him.


    "Did Liam file aint against us?" Jason asked, scowling. "That old shithead."


    "No," Kael replied, reassuring us. "It¡¯s standard. Whenever someone takes possession of a pureblood she-wolf, the council calls for a meeting... You know how it goes."


    "We¡¯re not agreeing to any of their demands," Lucian said firmly. "You¡¯ll tell them clearly¡ªshe¡¯s ours. Nopromise."


    Though it was Lucian who said it, we all shared the same thought. We knew exactly what kind of twisted ideas the council liked to wrap up in the name of <i>n prosperity</i>. We¡¯d seen their games before.

 Chapter 43: Moving To Side Home

    <h4>Chapter 43: Moving To Side Home</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    "Don¡¯t worry," Kael said. But we could all see it¡ªthe same concern in his eyes that mirrored our own. When it came to the Werewolf Council, even Kael wasn¡¯t at ease.


    "When¡¯s the meeting?" I asked.


    "Soon." Kael¡¯s gaze shifted to me. "The three of us will go. You and Rafe stay back with her."


    I nodded, and Rafe spoke without hesitation. "I¡¯d rather put up with her shitty scent than stare at those disgusting council members¡¯ faces."


    Rafe had some personal grudge against the council, and he hated them. Being a half-vampire and half-werewolf, he had to suffer under their strict watch back then. The council¡¯s treatment of hybrids was brutal, inhumane.


    Even to this day, we were making sure Rafe stayed in control and not be taken over by his bloodlust, so he wouldn¡¯t face the council¡¯s brutal disciplinary actions, which were no joke.


    "What if they insist?" I asked, feeling worried.


    After she went through so much torment, I was not ready to agree to put her into any more pain, not even with the council.


    Kael¡¯s grip on his spoon tightened until it looked like he might snap it in two. His voice came low, steady, and dangerous through clenched teeth.


    "Then we¡¯ll make sure they regret it."


    Relief washed through me at those words. No matter how we felt about her, how much we hated her, she was ours now¡ªand we protect what¡¯s ours.


    "You can count me in," I told him.


    "I wouldn¡¯t mind if we made the council disappear forever," Rafe muttered darkly.


    "They¡¯re a constant pain in the ass anyway," Jason added dryly.


    Lucian smirked wickedly, and nced at Rafe. "Little bat, seems like I¡¯ll be the only one ever disciplining you."


    "That would be preferable," Rafe replied with a mocking smirk of his own.


    I nced around the table, feeling a strong sense of unity between us once more.


    We were on the same page when it came to Eira¡ªand the council. Going against the council wouldn¡¯t be easy, but if the time came...


    We¡¯d burn down anything that tried to take her away from us.


    Irony.


    The girl who everyone of us wished was dead, we were now thinking of protecting her.


    -----


    After breakfast, I returned to her room and found the empty te on the side table¡ªboth pancakes gone. She had eaten. I let out a quiet breath of relief.


    I picked up the dish and the half-finished ss of water and set them aside.


    "The ce I told you about is ready," I said gently. "We can go now. You can leave this house."


    Something had changed in her. Perhaps letting out all that buried emotion¡ªcrying as she ate¡ªhad cleared a part of her mind. She didn¡¯t respond with words, but for the first time, she looked at me, in my eyes.


    I held her gaze. "No one will bother you there. You¡¯ll have your own space... peace, and quiet. Just like you want."


    I couldn¡¯t say if she believed me, but at least she didn¡¯t turn away.


    "Let¡¯s go, then."


    I stepped closer and adjusted the nket around her shoulders. She was still wearing my shirt, which barely reached her thighs, and it was far too thin to shield her from the cool air outside.


    Later I will make sure to buy her some clothes.


    "Your feet are still injured," I told her. "I¡¯ll carry you."


    When I lifted her into my arms, she didn¡¯t flinch or protest. Maybe she truly was desperate to leave this ce.


    Her frail body barely weighed anything in my hold. As I carried her through the hallway toward the drawing room, the others came into view. Kael met my eyes. I gave him a small nod and continued walking without slowing.


    I felt their gazes trailing us through the ss walls of the drawing room, but I didn¡¯t stop.


    I carried her outside to the small, cottage-style side house.


    It was simple¡ªcozy¡ªwith a small patio at the front, a single drawing room, one bedroom, and a modest kitchen. The entrance was lined with flower beds and a wooden swing that creaked faintly in the breeze.


    I stepped onto the patio and opened the door. Together, we entered the little home.


    The interior looked nothing like the grand, pristine design of the main house. It was warm, lived-in, and real. A soft wooden couch with colorful cushions sat near the window, and the decor was simple¡ªcurtains in warm tones, woven rugs, and little details that made it feel... like a home.


    Six years ago, when I moved to this estate and saw this small home, I remember wondering what the hell Kael was thinking to build it next to his main home. This small home was exactly opposite to Kael¡¯s taste. He preferred everything ssy and sorted out.


    Maybe he¡¯d built it for Sophia¡ªbut she¡¯d never set foot in anything less than morous. She lived for diamonds, designer dresses, and marble floors. Then why?


    Maybe it had always just been meant as a showpiece.


    But now, it finally had a purpose.


    This quiet, forgotten space... it was exactly what suits Eira and what she needed.


    For the first time since she came here, I felt like I was finally offering her something close to peace.


    I gently settled her down on the cushioned sofa and adjusted the nket around her again.


    "From now on," I said softly, "this is your home."


    Her eyes slowly wandered across the small drawing room, taking in the space.


    The warm wooden furniture, the colorful cushions, the soft sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains¡ªit was a world apart from the dark coldness she¡¯d known. Maybe something about it resonated with her... or maybe it just felt less frightening.


    Not sure what else to say, I moved toward the switchboard and flicked it on.


    "How about you watch TV?" I offered, turning on the screen and flipping to a random channel. An animated movie was ying. Harmless. Soft colors, gentle voices. Something safe.


    "This might be good," I added, setting the remote down on the center table when she didn¡¯t take it.


    She stared at the television like it was some foreign object. And then it hit me¡ªit probably was. Who knew how long it had been since she¡¯dst seen one?


    Her gaze remained calm, unmoving, just fixed on the flickering images.


    I stood there, unsure of what to do next.


    It seemed I¡¯d be the only one talking in this room for a while.


    And maybe... that was alright.

 Chapter 44: The Dream They Once Had

    <h4>Chapter 44: The Dream They Once Had</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    By the time we finished breakfast, a servant informed us that everything was ready at the side house.


    Roman stood from his seat and turned to Kael. "I¡¯ll take a look at the ce first, then shift her there."


    Kael gave a curt hum. None of us said a word¡ªwe just watched him walk away.


    "Is this the beginning of one of us finally breaking away?" I muttered, clearly displeased by Roman¡¯s decision to move.


    "And all because of that bitch," Lucian spat bitterly.


    "He¡¯s not going far. it¡¯s still the same home," Kael said, trying to soundposed, though it was obvious he didn¡¯t like it either. "It¡¯s better this way. None of us wanted her in the main house, anyway."


    "Better than him apanying her in the stable to keep herpany," Rafe added with a shrug, clearly unbothered.


    Lucian shot him a re. "What¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden? Weren¡¯t you the one ranting about not wanting her scent in this house?"


    "I still don¡¯t," Rafe retorted. "But I¡¯m not whining about Roman moving next door. Unlike you, I¡¯m consistent. I don¡¯t want her here, or anywhere near us. Her stink¡¯s already making it hard to breathe. And let¡¯s not forget who pushed things this far."


    Neither Lucian nor I said anything. Because he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    It started with the damn celery. I added it to her food, knowing full well Roman would lose it. And after that... I made her pay by torturing her.


    But even now, I still thought she deserved it.


    "You two," Kael said, drawing our attention. "Check the security system in the side house. Make sure the cameras are working and everything¡¯s in order."


    Lucian and I nodded. We were the ones in charge of security of this home, so it fell under our responsibility.


    "We¡¯ll take care of it," I assured him.


    Kael stood, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. "I¡¯m heading to the office. Roman will work from home today," he said. Then his eyes moved over the three of us. "Take care of what happenedst night. I don¡¯t want the Elders or anyone else breathing down our necks."


    With that, he walked upstairs to grab his things.


    I turned to Rafe. "You made sure everything¡¯s clean?"


    "Don¡¯t worry," Rafe said casually. "No one will find a thing, not even a trace of their existence."


    Lucian stood up and looked at me. "We need to take care of hiring new staff for the prison."


    We both headed off to get ready, while Rafe¡ªas usual¡ªremained slumped on the sofa, idling away on his phone without a care in the world.


    After some time, when Kael, Lucian, and I returned to the drawing room, dressed and prepared to leave, we saw Roman exiting through the side door¡ªcarrying that bitch in his arms.


    He was taking her to the side house.


    Kael paused before stepping out. His voice cut through the room, directed at Rafe, who was still buried in whatever nonsense he was scrolling through.


    "Make sure to check in with Roman. He might need help. Taking care of her alone won¡¯t be easy."


    Rafe groaned. "Am I never going to get a break from the stinking bitch?"


    No one was surprised by the response.


    "Just do as I say," Kael warned him.


    Rafe gave a reluctant hum in reply, clearly not thrilled, but not stupid enough to argue further.


    Kael headed to the office, and Lucian and I made our way to the prison.


    By noon, we had wrapped up things in the prison and returned home.


    But Rafe was nowhere to be seen.


    "Where the hell has that bat gone now?" Lucian muttered, ncing around as we stepped inside.


    "Let him be," I said, grabbing my toolbox. "Come on. Let¡¯s get the security check done at the side house."


    Lucian followed. "Last time I checked, everything was fine¡ªcameras, locks, all of it."


    "That was over six months ago," I reminded him.


    He sighed. "Alright. We can¡¯t risk that bitch¡¯s safety now, not after word got out we have a pureblood bitch."


    I nced at him. "What do you think Kaizan will do if he shows up right now and sees it¡¯s the same whore he¡¯s been craving all these years?"


    Lucian scoffed, a wicked smirk tugging at his lips. "That would be fun. And then I¡¯d fuck her right in front of him."


    When we reached the side house, we found the door slightly ajar. Standing on the patio, we saw Roman inside, seated in one side of the sofa, hisptop open, files and papers scattered across the wooden coffee table.


    We stepped in quietly.


    And there she was¡ªsleeping on the sofa, legs tucked in, her bare feet resting gently against Roman¡¯s thigh.


    Both of us froze.


    It was the kind of scene that belonged to a future I once dreamed of¡ªa woman I loved, resting in a cozy home, while I worked quietly nearby.


    I knew Lucian had a simr dream. He¡¯d spoken about it often. A woman he adored, a warm house, kids ying around the furniture,ughter filling the rooms.


    Just that, unlike Lucian, I never said it aloud.


    And the woman I imagined that future with... was lying right there.


    Now the difference was, she was someone I couldn¡¯t even bear to look at without feeling hatred. That ache in my chest? It wasn¡¯t longing. It was rage.


    Roman looked up and saw us, lifting a finger to his lips to signal silence. He didn¡¯t want her to wake.


    That... that burned.


    Burned more than I expected.


    It wasn¡¯t just the sight of her sleeping peacefully, as if she belonged here. It was the fact that Roman¡ªthe one who¡¯d once bullied her, the one she used to hate¡ªwas now the only one she allowed close.


    Right now, in this house, it felt like they were something. Like this was <i>their</i> home. The only thing missing... was the children.


    And if this went on, that day wouldn¡¯t be far off either.


    But this bitch didn¡¯t deserve it. She didn¡¯t deserve <i>any</i> of it.


    My fists clenched, barely holding from snapping at her, and I felt the same emotions from Lucian.

 Chapter 45: Careful To Not Disturb Her

    <h4>Chapter 45: Careful To Not Disturb Her</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    It didn¡¯t take Roman a second to sense the rage simmering inside me, and I was sure Jason felt the same as me.


    Watching her rest so peacefully beside Roman made my blood boil. My heart burned with a quiet fury.


    Roman shot us a warning nce, silentlymanding us: <i>Don¡¯t you dare disturb her.</i><i></i>


    I clenched my jaw, forcing the anger down for Kael¡¯s sake. Now wasn¡¯t the time to fuck things up. We couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Roman. We all knew too well that once he snapped, no apology would be enough to pacify him.


    Roman ced theptop on the table and stood up, his movements deliberate and quiet, careful not to wake her. He approached us, his gaze dropping to the toolboxes in our hands.


    "Kael sent us to check the security," I said tly. He better not assume we were here to ruin his cozy little moment with that bitch.


    "Go ahead," he replied. "Just don¡¯t make noise. She took a long time to fall asleep."


    "Why not just stuff earbuds in her ears instead," I muttered, turning away to check the surveince system installed in a small, cabin-style room connected to the drawing room.


    Jason went to inspect the cameras, starting with the ones outside the house before moving on to those inside.


    Roman had already resumed his work, seated in the same spot, careful not to disturb her even with the rustle of a page.


    After fixing the faulty outside cameras, we came back in to handle the ones indoors. Jason climbed up the stepdder, a few tools in his hand, while I stood a few steps away, monitoring the tablet for the camera feed.


    "It seems fine," I told him in a low voice.


    Jason gave a low hum and reached up to tighten the final screw¡ªbut as he did, one of the heavier tools tucked into his back pocket slipped free to fall on the floor.


    As if an instinct, I dived to the floor in sh and caught it before it could hit the ground and make a sound.


    All three of us froze, and looked towards the sofa, towards her.


    She was still asleep.


    We exhaled simultaneously, relief washing over us.


    But then realisation stuck us as we exchanged nces, stunned by our own reactions.


    Forget about Roman, but <i>me</i> and Jason¡ªhad reacted out of concern for not waking her.


    <i>What the hell? Since when did Jason and I give a damn about disturbing her? </i>


    Jason and I looked at each other, surprised, before quickly looking away like a pair of thieves caught red-handed.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Roman¡¯s lips curve into a knowing smirk.


    I pretended I didn¡¯t see it.


    That smug bastard.


    As I stood, I realized I¡¯d scraped my arm when I dove on the floor. A tiny screws lying on the floor had pierced my skin. I got up, handed the tool back to Jason, and pulled the screw out with a hiss.


    "All that bitch knows is how to hurt us," I muttered under my breath, "even without lifting a damn finger."


    Roman offered me a questioning look, as if silently asking whether my words made any sense.


    I ignored him and turned to Jason. "If you¡¯re done, let¡¯s leave."


    By the time Jason finished securing the camera and stepped down from thedder, Roman walked over to me. He took hold of my injured hand, but I jerked it away.


    "Just focus on your bitch. No need to bother with me," I said coldly.


    "I am enough focused on her," Roman replied, his voice steady, and held my hand again "but that doesn¡¯t mean I forget about my brothers."


    He tightened his grip on my wrist, warning me through his gaze not to pull away again. This bastard rarely yed the dominant card, but for some reason, I let him have his moment.


    He dabbed the wound with a piece of clean cotton, wiping the blood away, and then covered it with a small bandage.


    "We¡¯re werewolves. No need to fuss over such minor scratches," I said mockingly. "In case you forgot, while babysitting your sickly bitch."


    "Just thought I¡¯d act human for a moment," Roman countered, locking eyes with me. "Even if it¡¯s a scratch, I can¡¯t stand seeing my brothers hurt."


    I turned to Jason to escape the softness in Roman¡¯s voice. "Something¡¯s wrong with this bastard. He¡¯s making me fucking suffocate."


    Jason gave a quiet hum. "Let¡¯s just leave, then."


    Just then, we heard a soft rustle from the sofa and instinctively turned.


    The bitch was awake. She opened her eyes and looked at us. The moment she recognized Jason and me, her expression shifted. She sank back, as if trying to disappear.


    At least she didn¡¯t scream this time or make a scene.


    Roman rushed to her, his voice gentle. "Eira, they were only here to check the security system. They¡¯re leaving now."


    She said nothing, didn¡¯t even look at us.


    My jaw tightened. We were the ones who should¡¯ve made her feel insignificant. We didn¡¯t even want her near us, yet she had the audacity to look at us like we were the threat?


    "Let¡¯s go," Jason said as he put his hand on my shoulder, before I snapped at her.


    "Yeah, who the fuck wants to look at that sickly bitch," I muttered through gritted teeth, and we left.


    Even after stepping out of the house, the anger refused to let me go. It clung to my chest, gnawed at my thoughts, leaving me unsettled and confused. I couldn¡¯t even put a finger on what exactly was eating me.


    <i>Maybe it will all end once that bitch was dead. Just a little while more till we fulfil our purpose with her.</i> I told myself, trying to calm the fury that refused to die down.


    When we returned home, Rafe was still nowhere to be seen. That bastard wasn¡¯t allowed to go anywhere without first informing Kael exactly where he was headed.


    Because whenever he vanished without a word, it was never something ordinary. It either meant trouble was brewing, or that bloodthirsty bastard was up to no good again.


    "Call Caston and ask if he¡¯s there," Jason suggested.


    I made the call. Caston answered and confirmed that Rafe wasn¡¯t at the pub.


    "Should we call Kael?" Jason asked.


    I shook my head. "Kael¡¯s already dealing with that annoying council. Let¡¯s just wait for Rafe to return," I said firmly. "And if that bastard¡¯s stirred up trouble, I swear I¡¯ll spank the shit out of him like a little bitch."


    My gut feeling was telling me he was definitely up to something really wicked a vampire would do.

 Chapter 46: Bath

    <h4>Chapter 46: Bath</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I stirred at the faint sound of movement and slowly opened my eyes, only to find myself staring into the faces I hated most. But along with the hatred, a cold fear gripped my heart, forcing me to sink deeper into the sofa as if it could protect me.


    Ever since that night when they tortured me by using my deepest fear against me, I felt like I¡¯d lost my mind. Everything I looked at seemed threatening. All I wanted was to scream until my lungs gave out and then crawl into a dark corner where no one could ever find me.


    Reality had started creeping back the moment I cried over that familiar dish¡ªthe food I hadn¡¯t even smelled in thest six years. It was something I used to love, tied to countless memories. Just the scent was enough to stir warmth from the past, warmth I thought had died inside me long ago.


    Memories I had buried deep started rising to the surface, and all I could do was cry over them.


    I had watched the two of them mutter curses before leaving, and only then did Romane to me, offeringfort. I felt an odd relief when those two were gone, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to lower my guard.


    Being abused and hurt no longer mattered to me, but facing my fear again was unbearable. That kind of torture was far worse than death.


    "Have some water," Roman said gently, holding a ss in front of me.


    I looked at him, already knowing the truth. There was no need to wonder why he was being kind. Like all the other men, he was just waiting for the chance to fuck me.


    I only wanted to see how far his deception would go, how deeply he could act or pretend to be this gentle and considerate to a woman he despised.


    He met my gaze, as if trying to read me, to peer into my soul. But I was certain he found nothing. My face held no expression, my eyes carried no emotion. I was like a corpse¡ªempty and cold.


    He urged me again, and because my throat burned with thirst, I took the ss and drank.


    After I had a few sips, he spoke again. "Liam will be here soon to check on you. He said you¡¯re allowed to bathe now, to clean yourself."


    His words struck a nerve. I couldn¡¯t even remember when I¡¯dst bathed. Maybe it was the day before the traffickers sold me to Paul and Henry, who then handed me over to the Alphas.


    It had been a long time. I must stink like a sewer. Not that it mattered. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had gone days without even washing my face.


    "I¡¯ll help you with the bath," he added. "Afterward, I¡¯ll apply ointments to your wounds. They¡¯ve mostly healed now¡ªjust dried scabs remain."


    Help me with a bath? Or just an excuse to fuck me?


    Well, not that I had a choice. Maybe it was better this way. Once he realized that even after fucking me, he wouldn¡¯t get a pup, he might eventually give up¡ªafter using me for a while.


    He got the ss from me, then said, "I¡¯ll heat up water and take you for a bath. After that, we can have lunch together."


    As if he didn¡¯t expect a response, he turned and walked away without waiting.


    A minuteter, he returned¡ªand without any warning¡ªlifted me into his arms and carried me to a room. It was a bedroom in this house.


    At least this ce didn¡¯t feel unfamiliar. It reminded me of the home I had lived in six years ago. It didn¡¯t carry that cold, suffocating air of a stranger¡¯s property. There was a faint warmth here, something I used to feel... before I forgot what warmth even was.


    He carried me straight into the bathroom and set me down gently on a bathing stool.


    "You¡¯re weak. You can¡¯t do this on your own. I¡¯m just helping," he said, his voice neutral.


    I stared at him silently, though my mind screamed the truth. <i>I¡¯m not dumb. This helping session will turn into something else soon enough.</i>


    I just hadn¡¯t expected him to do it right here, in the bathroom. I thought he¡¯d wait for the couch, the bed, or even the floor of one of the rooms. But then again, it wasn¡¯t my concern. All I had to do was keep my mouth shut, silence my mind, and let him do whatever the hell he wanted. I was far too exhausted to show any resistance.


    "We need to take this shirt off," he said, already reaching for the buttons of the dark shirt I wore.


    He undid them one by one, then slipped the shirt off me and tossed it aside. I sat there,pletely naked.


    But I didn¡¯t feel any shame. Being naked had be a routine part of my life, while having clothes felt like a luxury I had long since forgotten. Maybe even people in ancient times, with their leaves and tree branches, had worn more in their lifetime than I had in the past six years.


    "Once you¡¯re better, we¡¯ll go buy clothes for you," he said, his tone casual. "For now, you¡¯ll have to make do with whatever I can think of. I don¡¯t exactly have experience shopping for women."


    I listened quietly, not believing a damn word he said.


    He was trying to coax me, to build my trust so I¡¯d willingly let him fuck me. Nothing new. Men had done it countless times¡ªwhispered sweet lies, pretended to care, softened their voices like they gave a damn. That fake tenderness always disappeared the second they got me into bed.


    Over time, I learned not to react. I just gave them what they wanted, yed along with the act, never once falling for the performance.


    Roman was no different. He was just cleaning me up to make me more fuckable.


    He knelt in front of me and gently wrapped my injured toes in stic so the water wouldn¡¯t touch them. They still hadn¡¯t healed.


    I looked down at him. His face was calm,posed, even kind.


    But I knew better. I wasn¡¯t going to fall for the act.


    He stood up, turned on the shower, and adjusted the temperature. Once satisfied, he held the showerhead above me and asked, "Is it warm enough?"


    I didn¡¯t answer. He took my silence as permission, assuming whatever suited him.


    "I¡¯ll wash your hair first," he murmured, running his fingers through the mess of dirt and tangles. He poured shampoo over my scalp and began gently working it into my hair. "Let me know if you feel ufortable. I might tug by mistake."


    I didn¡¯t respond. I focused instead on the water cascading over my head. It felt like freshness itself after years of filth and pain. The sensation was almost surreal¡ªsoothing in a way that made me want to dissolve into it, as if the water could cleanse not just my body, but my suffering too. For a brief second, I wished I could drown in it, vanish with the pain it washed away.


    Once he finished rinsing the shampoo out, he said, "The wounds may be healing, but we won¡¯t use soap today. I¡¯m worried it might reopen something and cause bleeding."


    He washed my back carefully, then ced the showerhead back on the stand.


    "Can you stand up?" he asked. "We need to rinse your back and legs."


    Though he framed it as a question, he was already taking my hands in his, guiding me upward.


    "You can lean against the wall for support," he added.


    Obediently, I took a step forward and braced myself against the cold tile, facing the wall with my palms t against it. My breath caught. I knew what wasing.


    He was going to fuck me like this¡ªdidn¡¯t want to look at the bruises on my front, all the torn skin and fresh wounds. So this way, he could have me without seeing the ugliness.


    I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the wall. My fingers clenched tight against the surface. I braced myself to feel the pain, heart pounding in dread, waiting for the sound of his belt, the rustle of his pantsing down.


    A few moments passed.


    The water flowed steadily down my back. I felt him step closer. My brow tensed. My body stiffened. It would happen any second now.


    But then I heard him say, "Rx. I¡¯m just washing your back and legs. I don¡¯t n to do anything to you, yet. Not in the bathroom. Not when you¡¯re hurt."


    Another carefully yed move in the game of deception.


    So, he would wait.


    Wait until the wounds were no longer raw and ugly.


    Wait until I was presentable enough to fuck.

 Chapter 47: I Want To Fuck You Hard

    <h4>Chapter 47: I Want To Fuck You Hard</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    <strong></strong>The way she stood against the wall, bracing against what she thought wasing her way, I felt bad that she still didn¡¯t trust me¡ªbut she was not at fault after experiencing no mercy from men.


    She must think everyone looked at her as nothing more than just a fucktool, and I had no will to prove her wrong.


    Because, in the end, the five of us were going to do the same with her sooner orter to fulfill our revenge. So no need to raise her hopes into trusting me. It will only hurt her more.


    If she thought all our kind only knew how to fuck women and want them for only one purpose, then she was not wrong either. We werewolves with an insatiable sex drive were just that. Unless the woman is our mate, she was nothing more than a fucktool. And if the woman is someone we like, then we wouldn¡¯t wait to get between her legs.


    Eira was just that¡ªnot my mate, but still the woman I once liked. The one who stirred every dark and sinful urge inside me.


    I wanted to fuck her until her body broke, until my name was the only word she knew. I wanted to ruin her for every man alive.


    But now was not the time


    So I said calmly, "Rx. I¡¯m just washing your back and legs. I don¡¯t n to do anything to you, yet. Not in the bathroom. Not while you¡¯re still hurt."


    She needed to know she was only being spared for now. That she should prepare herself, ready her mind for what was toe.


    But, of all the things, the kindness I was showing to her wasn¡¯t an act. I cared for her genuinely after seeing her badly hurt and knowing what happened to her in prison.


    I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to make her realize it. Eventually, she will understand it.


    Even after my words, she didn¡¯t rx. Her breath was shallow, her fingers tight against the wall, still bracing herself for pain.


    I turned off the shower and stepped out to get a towel. When I returned, I covered her trembling back with a towel so I could wrap the soft fabric around her soaked body.


    But I couldn¡¯t deny that seeing her¡ªnaked, water glistening over every curve and scar¡ªI couldn¡¯t look away.


    My cock ached. My hands itched to grab her hips and pull her against me. If she had whispered that she wanted me to take her right then, I would have lost every ounce of restraint I had left.


    I stepped closer, pressing my torso against her back just enough for her to feel the heat radiating off me. The thin towel was all that separated her back from my chest.


    I ced my hands over hers where they rested against the wall. Her skin was still damp, still warm, and I could feel the tension locked in her fingers.


    I leaned in, letting my lips hover just above the nape of her neck. I didn¡¯t kiss her. I just breathed her in.


    Fuck.


    Her scent was lethal. Even now, even broken, she smelled like fire and forbidden sin. It was enough to drive any man mad.


    In the past, I used to crave her the same way. But I was too much of a jackass to handle it properly. I didn¡¯t know how to get her attention. The only thing I knew was how to bully her.


    I wanted her thoughts to be filled with me. I didn¡¯t care if she loved me or hated me. Hate would do, as long as it meant I was on her mind and the only one she thought about.


    I felt her body tense beneath my hands, rigid as stone, and that silent reaction only fueled the fire burning inside me. My voice dropped to a growl as I asked, "Do you really want me to fuck you right here?"


    She didn¡¯t answer. Her silence screamed louder than any plea. I could hear the faint sound of her swallowing, the way her chest barely moved with each shallow breath. She was terrified, but too used to the pain to resist. She had learned by now that fighting back rarely made a difference.


    I inhaled deeply, forcing the beast inside me to settle, and slowly turned her around. Her face remained lowered, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks, refusing to meet my gaze. I wrapped the towel securely around her slender frame, then lifted her chin with my fingers.


    Her empty eyes met mine. Lifeless, guarded, unreadable.


    "Eira," I said, my voice low but firm, "trust me, I want to do all kinds of bad things to you. But when I say it¡¯s not the time, you should believe me."


    There wasn¡¯t a flicker of change in her gaze. No defiance, no hope, no anger. Just a void, as if the meaning of trust had been carved out of her soul a long time ago.


    I studied her face closely. It was pale, thinner than I remembered, yet still so fucking beautiful. My fingers brushed aside a damp strand of hair stuck to her skin, trailing down the curve of her cheek. My gaze dropped to her lips¡ªwet, delicate, and far too tempting after that warm bath.


    I ran my thumb gently across them, my breath mingling with hers, and I let the truth pour out.


    "I can¡¯t wait for the day you¡¯re healed," I murmured, against her lips, my voice rough with need. "So I can fuck you hard enough to make you scream my name until your throat gives out. Not from pain, but from the kind of pleasure that makes your body tremble. I¡¯ll make youe so many times you¡¯ll forget how to breathe. You¡¯ll beg me for more. You¡¯ll cry for it. You¡¯ll beg me to fuck you harder, again and again, until you can¡¯t think of anything but my cock. I¡¯ll ruin you for everything you know."


    I leaned closer, our lips barely brushing, close enough to steal a kiss, to taste what had been tormenting me for years.


    "How I wish..." I whispered, my voice tightening with restraint, "...but I might just end up suffocating you to death."


    She was still too fragile. Her ribs hadn¡¯t healed fully, her breathing was uneven. One deep kiss and I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop. One second longer and I might be kissing a corpse.


    I rested my forehead against hers for a brief moment, trying to calm the savage pulse in my blood.


    "Just be good," I whispered against her lips, "and trust me when I tell you something. Alright?"


    She finally exhaled the breath she had been holding¡ªsharp and shallow¡ªand lowered her gaze once again.


    I took that as her agreement and stepped away from her.


    "Let me take off my clothes. I¡¯ll carry you out."


    My shirt and pants were soaked through. I removed them and wrapped a towel around my waist.


    She kept her gaze fixed downward, still standing exactly where I left her. Maybe she didn¡¯t want to see me naked. Maybe she just couldn¡¯t bear to look.


    God, I was hard as hell just by the thought of kissing her and being close to her.


    Heaven knows what I¡¯ll do when I finally get to fuck her.

 Chapter 48: Rafe’s Way Of Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 48: Rafe¡¯s Way Of Revenge</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once Jason and Lucian left the home to deal with the mess they had created previous night, it was finally <i>my</i> turn for the real fun I had saved from thest night.


    Real fun?


    Oh yes. The kind of fun that involves two rotting sacks of shit¡ªLuis¡¯s dear friends¡ªthe ones who sold Eira to traffickers like she was just another piece of meat.


    That day, Luis listed the names of seven bastards who had tormented her in prison. I killed fivest night, quick and clean. But these two? No, these two were special. They deserved something memorable before they died.


    One of them was as old and crusty as Luis. The other? About to enter a nice, long midlife crisis... if he even made it out of this forest alive.


    I reached the ce deep within the forest, a perfect circr patch of grassynd surrounded by thick woods. Except for one side that ended in a jagged cliff overlooking the raging sea below.


    My favorite ce to be alone, to rest. I often leapt off that cliff into the violent waters, letting the sea drag me under until I couldn¡¯t breathe, until my mind quieted enough to crawl back out.


    But today wasn¡¯t for peace.


    In the center of that circr ce, two figures were tied to two chairs. Both of them were locked at every joint in their body so it was impossible to move¡ªexcept for moving their heads a little and running their mouths to speak, andter, scream.


    "Why are you doing this to us, Alpha Rafe?" one of them whimpered, his voice cracking as he tried to struggle against the restraints.


    "I don¡¯t remember ever offending you," the other one blurted, voice trembling. "Please, tell us what we did¡ªwe¡¯ll make up for it in every way possible."


    I let out a breathless chuckle, stepping into their view with deliberate calm. My smile was pleasant, but my eyes were purely wicked.


    "That¡¯s exactly why I brought you here," I tilting my head with mock sympathy. "So you can <i>make up for your sins</i> in every way possible."


    "But what did we even do?" the older one asked, desperate confusion sshed all over his face.


    "Finally, a decent question from those rotting brains." I took slow, measured steps toward them, letting my boots crush the grass beneath me as I met their terrified gazes. "Remember the prisoner from Six years back. A young girl you drugged and fucked without a mercy and even dared sold her to the traffickers like she was livestock."


    Of course they remembered. It¡¯s not every day rats gets to fuck a bitch in prison and even sell her.


    "Alpha, that bitch?" one of them dared to say. "She betrayed the pack. We were just punishing a traitor for what she did."


    Iughed¡ªcold, sharp, unamused. I crouched in front of him, close enough for him to see death in my eyes.


    "And who the fuck gave you that right?" My voice dropped, jaw clenched, my cold gaze piercing into his scared ones. "Who do you think you are? A pair of lowly wolves with shit for brains, worse than even stray dogs. You dare take things into your hands? Did you think your Alphas were dead already?"


    "No, Alpha," the other one stammered, panicking. "Luis told us that Alpha Kael left it to him to punish her, and he didn¡¯t want to see her. We did it to avenge Alpha Kael as well."


    "<i>Avenge</i>?" I snorted, slowly standing up, looming over him like a shadow. "Do you really think Kael needs bottom-feeding trash like you to avenge him? You¡¯re not even worth being crushed under his fucking boots."


    For once, they had nothing to say. Because they knew exactly the crime they hadmitted.


    "Everyone who ever touched her, or even <i>watched</i> her getting fucked, have already kissed their lives goodbye. Only you two are left." My voice dropped in deadly whisper, "Don¡¯t worry, soon enough, you¡¯ll be keeping thempany in hell."


    "Alpha, please¡ªhave mercy," one of them whimpered. "We didn¡¯t know any better. We made a mistake, just a mistake¡ª"


    I let out a low, wicked chuckle that echoed through the trees.


    "A mistake, huh?" I tilted my head slowly, eyes glinting with mockery. "You want to know the <i>worst</i> mistake you made?"


    Both of them looked at me, trembling, desperate to grasp at any thread of hope.


    "What is it, Alpha? Tell us¡ªwe swear, we¡¯ll fix it. We¡¯ll do anything."


    "There are millions of women in this world you could¡¯ve fucked," I said, voice darkening with every word, "but out of all, you two had toy your filthy hands on <i>her?</i>"


    Their faces paled.


    My gaze darkening this time, with red in them, "You two were bound to die the worst death ever the moment youid eyes on her." I tilted my head a little as I observed their fearful eyes, "Eyes? Hmm..." I smirked yfully, "Won¡¯t be there anymore."


    "Alpha, please," one of them pleaded again. "We didn¡¯t know... we didn¡¯t know she meant anything to you¡ªplease forgive us!"


    "Forgive?" I raised a brow, amused. "Look at that. So you <i>do</i> know how to beg." I crouched in front of them, my face inches from theirs. My voice turned colder. "She must¡¯ve begged too, didn¡¯t she? Screamed. Cried. But did you listen to her?"


    They said nothing. Their silence was confession enough.


    "She must have been in pain. Trembling. Pleading. And what did you do?" I growled through my gritted teeth as imagined how she must have suffered. "You <i>enjoyed</i> it, didn¡¯t you? Her pain was your fun."


    Silence fell over. Even the wind had stopped, like the forest itself was waiting.


    Then, one of them tried again, voice shaking. "Please....forgive us Alpha..."


    Iughed.


    Dark. Hollow. Dangerous.


    "Forget and forgive¡ªthose words fucking don¡¯t exist for me." I stood up, stretching slowly as a cruel smile tugged at my lips. "You enjoyed her screams. Now it¡¯s my turn to enjoy <i>yours</i>."


    Their expressions crumpled in horror as I turned to therge ck bag I¡¯d carried with me. I unzipped it slowly, deliberately, as if unwrapping a present.


    I pulled out a few devices and started to fix them onto both chairs.


    One of them whimpered. "Alpha, please... what are you doing?"


    "Shhh," I cooed mockingly, holding a small drill spun to life at its tip, whirring with deadly promise. "Say one more word, and I¡¯ll shove this straight up your asses."


    Both of them, almost on the verge of crying, shut their mouths.


    One by one, I began fastening the drill devices to the chairs, custom-fitted attachments designed for pain and precision. Three per chair.


    One aimed directly at the center of the chest. The other two locked in front of their knees."


    Once done, I stood up and stepped back. I let out an approving hmm and offered them a perfect smile on my handsome face.


    "We are good to go. Ah! but before that, let me exin what¡¯s going to happen with you."


    I could see their bodies trembling, tears already forming in their eyes, ready to cry and beg again.

 Chapter 49: Rafe’s Memories Of Eira

    <h4>Chapter 49: Rafe¡¯s Memories Of Eira</h4>


    "You see those small drills fixed in front of you?" I exin casually, as if we were just ying some kids¡¯ game. "This little guy pointing your chest will slowly start drilling the center bone of your chest," and my gaze shifted towards the ones pointed at their knees, "and those two will drill your knees. Slow and steady. You¡¯ll feel every ounce of agonizing pain, especially since the drill is forged from pure silver. Painful, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Alpha...."


    "Shhh. Let me finish, or you¡¯ll end up dying confused, and we wouldn¡¯t want that, would we?" I said with faux gentleness, like I was scolding a child for interrupting storytime. "Now, as I was saying... once the drill carves through your chest, it won¡¯t stop. It¡¯ll keep move to drill into your liver. That¡¯s when things get <i>really</i> fun. You¡¯ll bleed. You¡¯ll howl. But still, you won¡¯t die."


    The two looked at me in horror.


    "So now the question is: when and how will you be spared from this pain and die? Right?"


    I tilted my head, as if pondering alongside them, then looked up at the sky.


    "Do you see them?" I asked.


    They hesitantly followed my gaze, eyes squinting upward.


    Dozens of scavenger birds¡ªvultures, crows, and bloodthirstypanions¡ªcircled above, gliding on the wind as if summoned by death itself.


    "My lovely little friends," I said, voice full of false affection. "They¡¯ve got impable timing. Always know when meat¡¯s about to turn tender."


    I looked back down at them, voice dropping low and deliciously cruel.


    "Here¡¯s the best part. They won¡¯t wait for you to die. Oh no, they prefer their meals <i>fresh</i>¡ªalive and screaming. And you know what¡¯s their favorite dish?"


    I leaned closer, my grin feral.


    "Eyes. They love to dig them out... rip them from the sockets and devour them like a sweet fucking dessert."


    The two of them sat frozen, paralyzed by fear, their breathing shallow and erratic as if their souls were ready to leave their bodies even before the fun started.


    I pressed the button on the remote in my hand to start the drills that promised nothing but pain. I tossed the remote aside and turned my back as I walked towards the cliff.


    "Alpha... please... Alpha, forgive us..."


    Their pleas quickly turned into ragged cries, sharp and agonized, piercing through the quiet forest . And then followed by the shrill, greedy cries of the scavenger birds, diving down for their feast.


    Standing by the cliff, I smoked a cigarette while listening to their cries, my eyes staring at the violent sea below, nkly.


    Once I finished the cigarette, I crushed the bud under my boot, removed my clothes and boots, and dived headfirst into the madness below.


    The cold, unforgiving sea swallowed me whole, crashing over my body like a beast iming its prey. But beneath the surface, silence embraced me. The chaos vanished. No screams. No cries. No blood. Just stillness.


    And in that silence, her name echoed through my mind.


    <i>Eira.</i>


    The water numbed my skin, but that name burned. That face...


    My eyes drifted shut, and there she was¡ªher face, the way I saw it six years ago. Untouched. Beautiful. Before the world had broken her.


    It was the day we were invited to Lucian¡¯s home for his mother¡¯s birthday celebration. Alice had brought a friend along, a girl none of us knew yet.


    But even before I could see her, her scent reached me, sweet, soft, intoxicating.


    My head snapped toward her, and there she was¡ª beautiful, innocent, radiating a quiet grace. And somehow, the most tempting thing I had everid eyes on. I simply couldn¡¯t look away.


    <i>Eira.</i>


    Even after she was gone, her name never left my mind.


    It never fucking left me.


    After drowning myself for long, and going through the memories with her once more, I finally emerged out of the water and returned to the cliff.


    I dried myself under the sun and casually put on my clothes, and by that time, my little friends had almost cleared the fresh meat of their feast.


    <i>Starving little bastards.</i>


    I nced at them onest time. <i>I¡¯ll leave their skeletons for someone to find. Would be fun.</i>


    I smirked and left. I had to return home before my mate brothers started searching for me. Due to my ability to seek out trouble out of boredom, I was not allowed to disappear for long without informing them.


    When I returned home, I saw Lucian was in a foul mood for some reason, while Jason was sitting calmly on the sofa, working on hisptop.


    "Who got on your nerves now?" I asked Lucian as I settled on the sofa.


    He didn¡¯t answer, but I knew it must be rted to her.


    "Where have you been?" he asked me coldly.


    "I realized there was something left to clear up fromst night¡¯s fun," I replied. "I just went to clean it up."


    Lucian and Jason both offered me skeptical gazes. Obviously, they didn¡¯t trust me.


    "Is there anything to eat? I¡¯m starving," I asked as if I did nothing at all.


    "Damn it!" Lucian cursed. "Did we just forget to have lunch?"


    "I¡¯ll cook something quickly." Jason put theptop aside and stood up. As he looked at me, he said, "Go ask Roman if he¡¯s going to eat with us or have his special meal with his bitch."


    <i>Hmm, now I understood why the foul mood.</i>


    Just then, a security guard brought a delivery inside the home. "Alpha Roman has ordered this."


    I epted it and looked inside the branded bag.


    "What is it?" Lucian asked.


    I tossed the bag to him. "See for yourself."


    Lucian pulled out the stuff in the bag. It was a simple soft floral pattern dress. There was only one woman in the house, and it was clear who it was for. He stuffed it back in the bag angrily.


    Just then, Roman entered the drawing room. "My parcel should be¡ª"


    Before he could finish, Lucian hurled the bag at him. Roman caught it easily.


    "That bitch doesn¡¯t deserve branded clothes. Don¡¯t waste money on her," Lucian spat, and went to the kitchen to help Jason.


    Roman remained unbothered and checked the dress with a satisfied <i>hmm.</i>


    Liam arrived there as well. He looked straight at Roman, as if he was the only concerned person rted to Eira.


    "I came straight here after finishing my surgery," Liam informed him. "How is she?"


    "Better than before," Roman answered. "As you instructed, I bathed her and..."


    <strong>Crash!</strong>


    A sound of ss shattering was heard, and we looked toward the kitchen. A ss had crushed in Lucian¡¯s hands, which he was using to drink water.


    Not just Lucian, but even Jason and I stilled in our ces to hear what Roman said- Bathed her.

 Chapter 50: Unsettled Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 50: Unsettled Hearts</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    We had seen that bitch naked more than once since the day she was brought into this house, but hearing that Roman had bathed her... that fucking burned. It felt more intimate than simply seeing her stripped bare.


    I didn¡¯t want to react, but my feral instincts red, and before I knew it, the ss in my hand shattered.


    "Are you alright?" Jason¡¯s calm,posed voice reached me.


    I gave a short hum and turned away, beginning to clean the shards of ss scattered across the kitchen counter.


    Unlike Jason, Roman and Liam stepped into the kitchen, both wearing concern on their faces.


    "Are you hurt?" Roman asked.


    "Let me treat it," Liam offered when he noticed drops of blood falling onto the floor.


    "For fuck¡¯s sake, we¡¯re werewolves. Scratches like this don¡¯t do shit to me," I snapped, more irritated by their concern than the sting in my hand.


    It wasn¡¯t my hand that was the problem¡ªit was my head. My heart. The chaos inside me. And the reason for it all was that fucking bitch.


    I wanted her gone from this ce. Maybe then, I¡¯d finally be able to get back to my usual self.


    "He¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry," Jason said, stepping in to defuse the moment.


    He silently walked over and took my bleeding hand, holding it under the running tap. "We don¡¯t want your blood stirring up a certain vampire and reminding him of his bloodlust."


    I didn¡¯t resist. ncing at Rafe, I caught him licking his fangs with that twisted grin of his directed at me.


    I ignored his provocation. I wouldn¡¯t have minded feeding him my blood, but in this state, I wasn¡¯t ready to deal with the madness it would unleash. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him.


    Jason dabbed the wound with a few tissues, calm and steady, a sharp contrast to how unsettled I felt. But I could feel the storm behind his silence.


    None of us were immune to her. Even if all we felt was hate, she still got under our skin. She had already sunk her ws into one of our brothers. God knows who she¡¯ll pull under next.


    I just hoped Jason and I would stand our ground¡ªand not fall for her deception again.


    "I¡¯ll go check on Eira," Liam said quietly.


    "I¡¯ll take you," Roman replied, already moving to lead the way.


    But then Liam said, "Oh, I came across Alpha Kael at the hospital."


    "Why was he there instead of at the office?" Roman asked, while the rest of us paused, waiting for Liam¡¯s exnation.


    "Sophia wasn¡¯t feeling well, and she insisted on seeing him," Liam replied. "Her parents were there as well."


    The moment her name left his mouth, irritation bubbled in my chest. Hearing that her parents had been there too only made it worse.


    None of us particrly liked Sophia. She was nothing more than a pampered little princess from a rich family. The only reason we put up with her was because she was Kael¡¯s friend.


    We used to think Kael tolerated her because she was the daughter of his parent¡¯s close friends, but we were wrong. That fool was actually interested in her¡ªenough to make her his girlfriend. And then, we had to endure her fake sweetness like it wasn¡¯t obvious as hell.


    "What happened to her now?" Rafe asked, clearly annoyed.


    He was the most irritated one when it came to Sophia. Just like us, he only put up with her for Kael¡¯s sake. Back then, he couldn¡¯t stand either Eira or Sophia. Alice¡ªmy sweet sister¡ªwas the only woman around us no one had an issue with. Even Rafe, who barely spoke to her, still showed her a level of respect.


    "To me, she seemed stable. Maybe just anxious," Liam answered.


    "Or just desperate to recover faster now that we¡¯ve found a pureblood she-wolf who can actually treat her," Rafe said coldly. "As always, trying to trap Kael in guilt."


    "Rafe, mind your words," Roman warned. "Don¡¯t ever let Kael hear you say that."


    Rafe sighed, clearly holding back. "If it weren¡¯t for Kael, would we even be talking about her?"


    "Alright, I just wanted to mention that her parents might visit here," Liam said.


    "What?" I snapped, and everyone else reacted the same.


    Just like Sophia, none of us liked her rich, pretentious, equally annoying parents as well.


    "While I was leaving the hospital, I overheard them talking about it," Liam continued. "The reason I¡¯m telling you is because I¡¯m worried about Eira. In her current condition, she doesn¡¯t need trouble from outsiders¡ªwhen you five are already doing a damn good job of that yourselves."


    There he went again¡ªthis sarcastic old ass bastard.


    "If you care so damn much for that bitch, go to her already. Or she won¡¯t have any doctor Liam left to treat her," I shot back as I picked up the kitchen knife and stuck it in the chopping board on the kitchen top.


    Liam simply smiled, unaffected as always. Nothing we said ever worked on him. At that, he¡¯d already won the day he made all five of us obey his conditions regarding Eira. We didn¡¯t want him to hand her over to the council, and he damn well knew it.


    "Liam, let¡¯s go," Roman urged before things could escte further.


    The old bastard was getting boldertely¡ªand he could afford to. He knew we needed him.


    After they left, I picked up the inte and instructed security, "If an old ass couple tries to enter the estate, send them away. No one¡¯s allowed to visit us."


    Just as I was about to hang up, Jason took the device from my hand and spoke into it instead.


    "Let them in if they are here," Jason told security, then ended the call.


    I turned to him, ring. "What are you doing?"


    "If they areing here, that means Kael must have permitted them or they wouldn¡¯t daree here knowing we don¡¯t allow outsiders, and especially any woman," Jason exined.


    For Kael¡¯s sake, once again, I kept my mouth shut.


    Rafe stood up with a grunt. "Call me only when the food¡¯s ready and that nuisance is not here," he muttered, then walked off, leaving us in the kitchen to cook.


    "You think once Sophia gets better, Kael will bring her here?" I asked Jason. "If that happens..."


    "He won¡¯t," Jason said firmly. "He knows he can only bring a woman the five of us approve of¡ªsomeone we¡¯re willing to make our mate. Kael won¡¯t push her on us. At most, he¡¯ll keep her by his side as his wife, somewhere else. After all, she once carried his child."


    When it came to emotions and understanding conscience, Jason had always been better than me.


    "His wife, sure," I muttered. "But what if she pushes him to mark her? Makes him take her as his mate? Out of guilt, he might do it. Then we¡¯ll be expected to ept her as our mate too."


    "He won¡¯t," Jason said again, unwavering. "There¡¯s no ce for a mate in our lives. Only a breeder. And we already have one now."


    I gave a low hum. "Even if he does mark her, he can keep her the fuck away from us. I¡¯ll never ept her as my mate, or even touch her. I¡¯d rather fuck that sickly bitch in the side house."


    Jason gave a quiet hmm in agreement. He was always on my side.

 Chapter 51: Where Is Your Child And Mate?

    <h4>Chapter 51: Where Is Your Child And Mate?</h4>


    <strong>Liam¡¯s POV</strong>


    I arrived at the side house with Roman. I had hoped to find her in a better condition¡ªthere were questions I needed to ask her. But for that, I first had to send Roman away.


    As we stepped into the house, Roman gestured toward the sofa. "Please wait here. I¡¯ll check on her first."


    He disappeared down the hall and returned a few minutester. "You cane in. She¡¯s awake."


    I gave a short hum and followed him into the bedroom. She was sitting on the couch by the window in that small, quiet room. Dressed in nothing but a thin, oversized shirt that hung loosely over her frail frame, she had her legs folded tightly to her chest, staring nkly out the window.


    She looked pitiful¡ªbut at least better than the day before. Maybe the shower had washed away some of the exhaustion.


    "How are you, Eira?" I asked gently as I approached the couch and set my bag on the center table.


    She turned to look at me. At least she acknowledged my presence. Her expression was calm¡ªfar too calm¡ªandpletely unreadable.


    As expected, she didn¡¯t answer.


    Not taking it personally, I sat down at the other end of the couch, facing her. "I need to check your wounds," I told her and began without waiting for a response.


    She unfolded her legs, silently allowing me to inspect the bruises andcerations on her thighs. "Hmm, they¡¯re healing. The swelling should be gone in a day or two." I didn¡¯t bother checking the rest¡ªif these were healing, the others would be as well.


    Roman had clearly applied ointment to them already. At least he was taking care of her, or I had already lost hope in these five monsters.


    I tended to her toes and wrapped them again with fresh bandages. "These will take a little longer to heal," I informed her, but she seemed indifferent, eyes still fixed on the window like the world outside held more meaning than anything I could say.


    When I finished, I looked at Roman. "Has she eaten anything?"


    "After that pancake, nothing," he said. "I tried, but she didn¡¯t like anything else."


    "Then just get her another pancake," I told him. "I¡¯ll stay and chat with her while you¡¯re gone. Keep herpany."


    Roman didn¡¯t argue. He nodded once and turned to leave for the main house. No doubt, he¡¯d ask Lucian to make it again¡ªand that bastard would throw a tantrum before even touching a pan.


    And this was my chance to ask what I¡¯de for.


    "Eira," I called softly.


    She looked at me, her gaze empty and distant.


    "I want to ask you something important," I said.


    As if my voice was just another burden, she turned her face back to the window, showing no interest in conversation. But I knew how to handle this. I was a doctor¡ªI understood people, understood the quiet signals that most would overlook.


    So I asked her directly, "Where is the child you gave birth to?"


    That did it.


    Her entire body stiffened, and she turned to face me again. The calm was gone from her eyes, reced by a storm¡ªshock, pain, and a flood of raw, buried emotion. I had hit the mark.


    "I know you had a child," I continued gently. "I just want to know what happened."


    Her eyes welled with tears, the pain in them held abyssal depth.


    "I can understand what you¡¯re feeling," I said, my voice soft withpassion. "But maybe I can help you. You need to open up, Eira. Tell me... where is your child?"


    Her lips quivered. Then, finally, the tears spilled over. "They... took him away..." she whispered, her voice hoarse and barely audible.


    I hadn¡¯t expected her to answer so quickly. That child clearly meant the world to her. Of course he did¡ªshe was a mother. But what caught my attention even more was the faint flicker of hope in her gaze. As if somewhere deep inside, she still believed she could get him back.


    And this was the chance to make her talk more, and I was going to use it.


    "Where?" I asked quietly.


    "I don¡¯t know..." Her tear-filled eyes met mine. "They said... if I obeyed everything they told me, they¡¯d release me after five years. They¡¯d let me see him... but..."


    Her voice broke, the words refusing toe out.


    "Him?" I repeated. "It was a baby boy?" I asked and pondered over her words, "Free you after five years? That means he is five now?"


    She nodded, slowly, the silent plea in her eyes clear. She wanted help. She needed it. She just didn¡¯t know if she could ask for it.


    I had to piece together the rest. "And after those five years... they didn¡¯t let you go. Instead, they sold you to the ones who auctioned you off to powerful Alphas?"


    Again, she nodded.


    Five years old. That meant she¡¯d been pregnant after she was sent to prison, if I had calcted it right?


    "Who¡¯s the father?" I asked, my tone careful but firm.


    This time, the moment I said it, something shifted. Her gaze broke away from mine. It was like she¡¯d been pulled out of those raw emotions and back into her shell. She looked away, refusing to answer.


    Clearly She didn¡¯t want to talk about him.


    "Eira, you know as well as I do¡ªyou could only conceive a child with your fated mate. And that mate could only be one of the Alphas," I said carefully. "There are many Alphas in our pack. Who was it?"


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    "Someone outside our pack? Was it Keiren from the Dreadwyn Pack?" I continued, trying again. "He was an Alpha too. You had a rtionship with him. Was it him?"


    Still, nothing. Just silence.


    "Was it someone in prison? Someone who took advantage of you? Or... did you meet him after being sold to the traffickers¡ª one of your client?"


    Her silence remained stubborn, like a wall she refused to let crumble.


    "For god¡¯s sake, Eira, say something," I urged, my voice low and desperate. "We don¡¯t have much time. Roman will be back any moment. Don¡¯t you want to find your son?"


    Atst, she looked at me. Not like she¡¯d heard me¡ªbut like the mention of her son had snapped her back to being rational.


    "Yes," I said, catching that flicker of emotion. "I can help you find him. I promise. But I need to know who¡¯s your mate¡ª"


    "He¡¯s dead," she cut in, her voice cold and sharp. "That man is dead. You can¡¯t find him anyway."


    "Dead?" I echoed, stunned. "Who could kill an Alpha?"


    "I did," she answered, without hesitation. Her tone didn¡¯t waver. There was no remorse in it¡ªonly fury.


    "You..." I stared at her, shocked. But she was a pureblood too. Maybe desperation had driven her to it. Maybe something far darker.


    Still, a part of me wondered¡ªwas she telling the truth? Or simply dodging the question?


    "Did he know?" I asked. "Did he know you were carrying his child?"


    She shook her head.


    "Why did you kill him?" I asked again.


    "I¡¯ve killed plenty of people without needing a reason," she said, eyes gleaming with cold fire. "Killing one more shouldn¡¯t be a surprise."


    The grieving mother who¡¯d just shed tears over her son was gone¡ªreced by a woman burning with hate. Whoever that man had been, she despised him. Even the mention of him brought rage to the surface like poison boiling beneath her skin.


    "At least tell me who he was. His bloodline, his pack... something," I pressed.


    She turned back to the window and muttered, "Just a nobody, a fucking bastard."


    And with that, she shut the world out again.


    One thing was clear, if anyone she hated the most, was that man, a father of her child. But who could that be? Maybe I could make her talk again, and she spills it for the sake of finding her son.

 Chapter 52: He Rejected Me

    <h4>Chapter 52: He Rejected Me</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Even the mere mention of that man, my mate, was like a thousand des tearing through my heart. I hated him. I didn¡¯t even want to think about him.


    Dead? Yes, he was dead to me. And if I could, I would kill him a million times over.


    He would never know he had a child. A monster like him didn¡¯t deserve it. I could never allow my son to turn out like him. I¡¯d rather my child be raised by strangers than grow up under the shadow of that man.


    But still...the hope of seeing my son just once, to make sure he was safe, that no one was hurting him, that he wasn¡¯t alone... made me want to find him.


    "All right," I heard Liam say. He was still there, probably waiting for me to speak.


    Even if I didn¡¯t fully trust Liam, I had to try. I had no other choice.


    "Will you truly help me find my son?" I asked, my voice low but firm.


    "If you¡¯re willing to cooperate, I will," Liam said gently, his tone reassuring.


    "But you can¡¯t tell anyone, not even these five," I said, looking him straight in the eyes. "If they find out, they¡¯ll kill him to get revenge over me. I¡¯m sure of it."


    "I won¡¯t tell anyone," he promised. "But you¡¯ll need to tell me when he was born, where you were at the time, and any details you remember¡ªanything about the people who were around you."


    I told him everything I could recall, but it wasn¡¯t enough. I didn¡¯t know those people and the exact ce. They kept moving me here and there in drugged conditions that I even lost track of day or night, time and dates or even which season was going on.


    "Can you still find him with such little information?" I asked, a faint tremor in my voice.


    "I¡¯ll try, using all the sources I have," he said. "But I can¡¯t promise anything. If I fail, we¡¯ll have to seek help."


    "From who?" I asked, my stomach tightening with dread.


    He gave me a hesitant look, almost skeptical, as if he already knew I wouldn¡¯t like the answer. "You won¡¯t agree with what I¡¯m going to say."


    "What is it?" I asked anyway, bracing myself.


    "The people who can find your son are... the ones you¡¯re living with," Liam said atst, his voice edged with hesitation. "You can¡¯t trust outsiders. But these¡ª"


    "These five?" I cut him off, my tone final. "They¡¯re the least trustable people."


    "Eira, think about it," he tried to reason. "These five are powerful. Theirwork is unmatched. If they want to, they can find your son within days."


    I shook my head slowly. "Either you find him on your own, or just let him be wherever he is. What if he¡¯s safe? What if he¡¯s with good people, and I end up ruining everything by dragging those monsters into it?"


    "They¡¯re monsters, yes¡ªbut they¡¯re not heartless enough to kill a child," he said.


    "No," I said coldly. "Don¡¯t even try to test that theory. I know them better than you. I know how cruel they are. I have experienced it all." I let out a mocking scoff, my eyes full of hate. "Trust? All I have for them is hate. If not for the pureblood in my veins denying me death, I wouldn¡¯t be even here anymore. I would rather die the most painful death than being here."


    As I said it, Liam felt speechless. Probably he didn¡¯t have any more words to defend them.


    "They want a child from you, but you can¡¯t give them one," he tried to reason out. "Sooner orter, they¡¯ll realize it. Before that happens, you need to act and use them to find your son. Your child is a pureblood, Eira. He could possess rare powers, something others would kill to control. You can¡¯t let him fall into the wrong hands. Think about it."


    I didn¡¯t reply, but I was relieved there was someone who was willing to help me, though I didn¡¯t trust him yet entirely. After all, his loyalty lies with his Alphas, and who knows what wicked, selfish n he had of his own in finding my child? These werewolves could never be trusted.


    "Another thing," Liam continued carefully. "Do you still share a bond with your mate? Or was it broken?"


    His question made it clear¡ªhe still didn¡¯t believe me when I said the bastard was dead.


    "Do you see a mating mark anywhere on my body?" I asked tly. "No mark means the bond disappeared when he died."


    "To conceive a child with your mate, a mark isn¡¯t necessary," he said. "But I was curious about the bond you felt with him when both of you found each other? Is it still there?"


    "There¡¯s no bond," I said sharply. I didn¡¯t want to go into the details.


    But it was true.


    He rejected me the moment we found we were fated mates, and the bond was broken right there. That¡¯s good he did it¡ªif not, I would have rejected him anyway.


    That hellish pain I felt when he rejected me¡ªit was worth bearing just because I didn¡¯t want anything to do with him. It was worth breaking every thread of connection with him.


    "You were minor when you were sent to prison and one can find a mate only when they are an adult. That means, you found him after you went to prison" Liam finally concluded the thing he was asking for. "You conceived child then, and after that he rejected you?"


    I couldn¡¯t deny this fact and simply hummed. But I was not going to answer anything more. I didn¡¯t trust him.


    "I am tired. I need rest," I told him and closed my eyes as I rested the side of my head on the backrest of the couch and closed my eyes.


    Just then we heard the sound of someone entering the home. That was Roman. He had returned.

 Chapter 53: Her Personal Chef, Lucian

    <h4>Chapter 53: Her Personal Chef, Lucian</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    I left the side house to get food for Eira. It was clear Liam wanted to speak with her alone, which was why he sent me off. I didn¡¯t protest. If she was willing to talk to anyone, that was already progress. And I trusted Liam enough to know he wouldn¡¯t say or do anything that went against his Alphas.


    When I entered the main house, I found Jason and Lucian in the kitchen. What surprised me was that Lucian wasn¡¯t just hovering around¡ªhe was actually cooking.


    I walked over and saw him at the stove, preparing white sauce pasta. It looked rich and creamy, the kind of dish that made your mouth water just from the scent. I leaned over and took a taste.


    Damn.


    It was perfect¡ªwarm, smooth, andforting, with just the right amount of salt and spice. The kind of dish that wrapped around your soul like a nket, the kind that made you close your eyes and savor every bite like a secret you didn¡¯t want to share.


    "Since when did you learn to make this?" I asked, genuinely impressed.


    Lucian didn¡¯t even look at me. "I just don¡¯t want any of you bitchingter that I cooked for <i>her</i> and not for my own brothers," he said tly. "My brotherse first."


    I had no words. Honestly, all I wanted right now was to finish the te myself¡ªbut I was here for something else.


    "Can you make another chocte pancake... for her?" I asked, a little hesitant.


    Lucian¡¯s eyes snapped toward me, and before I could say more, he mmed his hand on the counter.


    "Roman Ashridge, do you think I¡¯m that bitch¡¯s personal chef?" he growled, calling me by my full name¡ªnever a good sign.


    "And what¡¯s with her tantrums? Wanting to eat only that same shit again and again?" he snapped. "Is she testing my patience to see when I finally lose it and snap her fucking neck?"


    I held my calm. "Liam said she needs to eat. She didn¡¯t touch the food I made earlier. I thought... maybe she¡¯d eat the pancake again. And if you don¡¯t want to make it, you could at least teach me how..."


    "Fuck off," he muttered, clearly done with the conversation.


    But then, without another word, he grabbed a te and served a generous portion of the pasta, added a slice of avocado toast, and poured a ss of juice. He ced it in front of me on the counter.


    "She eats what we eat. No special treatment for the bitch," he said curtly. "If she doesn¡¯t like it, tell her to fuck off."


    He turned away and went back to his cooking.


    I looked at the te in front of me. Even if it wasn¡¯t what I was here for, the pasta really was something else. Maybe... just maybe, she¡¯d like it too


    I quietly ced everything onto a tray and made my way back to the side house.


    When I stepped inside, it seemed Liam and Eira had already finished their conversation.


    "You¡¯re just on time," Liam said, offering a faint smile as he rose from the couch. "I need to return to the hospital. And this patient of mine is doing quite well. All you need to do now is feed her and keep her happy."


    I gave a nomittal hum and set the tray down on the center table. Eira, who had been resting with her eyes closed, slowly opened them and nced at the food. The aroma had already filled the room, rich and warm, and something in her expression made me believe she might actually eat this.


    "That¡¯s a tasty meal," Liam remarked, then turned to her. "You should eat. You need your strength if you want to keep going."


    She didn¡¯t respond, but I had a feeling his words held more meaning¡ªsomething only the two of them understood.


    I looked at her and said, "I¡¯ll see Liam off. Finish this before I get back."


    Still no response.


    I gestured for Liam to follow me, and as I stepped out, I nced back through the small gap in the door just before it shut. I caught a glimpse of her turning toward the tray, her hand reaching for the dish.


    She was going to eat.


    I closed the door gently behind me, a thought creeping into my mind. <i>What the hell does that bastard Lucian put in his food to make her want to eat it?</i><i></i>


    Lucian acted like he didn¡¯t give a damn. Like he didn¡¯t want to lift a finger for her. And yet, he served the very dish he¡¯d just finished cooking.


    He never cooked before, at least I don¡¯t remember him cooking since we started living together¡ªso where had this sudden intereste from?


    And Eira even ate it.


    What the fuck was going on?


    "Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s doing good," Liam said, pulling me from my thoughts.


    I nodded absently. "What did you two talk about?"


    "Talk?" Liam sighed. "It was like talking to a wall. She barely said a word."


    "What did you say to that wall?" I asked again.


    "I wanted to know about her past six years. But... whatever happened to her must¡¯ve been painful as hell. She didn¡¯t answer."


    I could only hum in response as we walked through the side ss door of the main house that directed to the side house.


    Lucian and Jason came into view, still in the open kitchen, moving around as they worked.


    "What do you think it would take to make her talk?" I asked Liam. "To get her to stop just sitting in one ce, staring nkly into nothing?"


    My question didn¡¯t go unheard¡ªLucian and Jason both nced up as well.


    Liam let out a quiet sigh. "She¡¯s lonely. What else do you expect? Maybe try giving her something... or someone. Something to distract her, make her feel less lonely. A friend from her past, perhaps?"


    Lucian scoffed, the soundced with mockery. "Someone from the past? Everyone hates her. Even her own grandparents ditched her and vanished to whatever pit of hell they crawled into."


    Jason chimed in with that same dry, cutting tone. "Maybe we should just toss her in the stables. See if the horses talk to her."


    Lucian didn¡¯t miss a beat. "Even they¡¯d hate her. Animals have instincts. They¡¯d smell what kind of bitch she is."


    I frowned inwardly. These two were like one soul split between two bodies. Their thoughts, their words, even their cruelty¡ªit all came in sync.


    Liam sighed again, clearly fed up. "I¡¯m leaving," he muttered to me before walking off.


    "Lunch is ready," Jason told me. "Go get Rafe."


    I nodded and headed to Rafe¡¯s room, knocking and calling him to join us. We all ate together in silence, enjoying Lucian¡¯s cooking.


    Afterward, I made my way back to the side house.


    When I stepped inside, just as I had expected, she had finished everything on the tray. Not a single bite was left. It was as if her appetite had returned all of a sudden.


    <i>Well... seems like I really do have to turn Lucian into her personal chef.</i>


    Though that bastard had the most vicious mouth, his food was tasty. If that¡¯s what it took to make her eat, then so be it.

 Chapter 54: Questioning Sophia

    <h4>Chapter 54: Questioning Sophia</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Though buried in work and focused on finding a way to deal with the council, the moment I received a call from the hospital saying Sophia wasn¡¯t feeling well, I headed straight there.


    When I arrived and entered her room, I saw her parents were already present. Her father¡ªa tall, middle-aged man in a sharp gray suit¡ªstood stiffly beside the bed, while her mother, as always, was dressed in her signature style: a light designer blouse paired with a dark, knee-length skirt and heels, adorned withyers of fine pearl jewelry.


    Bruce and Meryl Katz.


    One of the wealthiest business families in our pack¡ªand once, close friends of my parents. I always made an effort to treat them with respect, even though their arrogance had grown insufferable after my parents passed. Still, I remained civil, for Sophia¡¯s sake. They were her parents, after all.


    Bruce was a hybrid male, and Meryl a pureblood female, though not of particrly high rank. Their daughter, Sophia Katz¡ªalso a hybrid¡ªwas regarded as one of the strongest among her kind, thanks to the pureblood traits she¡¯d inherited from her mother.


    That was why my parents had chosen her for me. Finding a true pureblood female¡ªone who could actually match my rank¡ªwas nearly impossible. It was like searching for a needle in an endless field of grass.


    "You¡¯re here?" Sophia¡¯s soft voice reached me.


    I nodded briefly at her parents before walking to her bedside. She extended a hand, and I took it, sitting in the chair beside her.


    "Are you alright?" I asked, my voice firm but gentle.


    She gave a small hum, and just then as Liam entered the room.


    "Alpha," he greeted with the respectful tone he usuallycked these days when he visited my home.


    I nced at him. "Is there anything wrong with her condition?"


    Liam shook his head. "She¡¯s fine."


    I turned back to Sophia. She gave me an apologetic smile. "Kael... I just missed you. Not seeing you made me feel anxious, like I couldn¡¯t breathe. I¡¯m sorry for troubling you..."


    I gently caressed her hand. "It¡¯s alright."


    "What trouble?" her mother interjected sharply. "You¡¯re in this situation because of him. You even carried his child at the cost of losing your life. The least he can do is show up when you¡¯re unwell."


    "Mom, please..." Sophia said softly, trying to rein her mother in, while I chose to ignore her.


    Eira came into our lives because of me¡ªbecause of my brothers. If anyone was to me for Sophia¡¯s situation, it was us. It was me.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t say anything more," Meryl said curtly, before turning her sharp gaze back to me. "I heard you¡¯ve finally found a pureblood to treat Sophia."


    I gave a faint hum, not bothering to look her way. My only n was to spend a little time with Sophia before returning to my work.


    But then the woman spoke again.


    "She used to be a whore. And you¡¯re nning to treat my precious daughter using a filthy whore?" Her voice dripped with disgust. "How revolting!"


    I wasn¡¯t sure why, but her words rubbed me the wrong way. I finally looked at her, my gaze sharp and icy.


    "Then feel free to find a perfectly untouched one yourself," I said coldly. "And I¡¯ll return that ¡¯whore¡¯ to wherever I found her. Shall we do that, Mrs. Katz?"


    Her face contorted, stunned by my tone. "You¡ª"


    "Mom," Sophia interrupted quickly, her voice calm but firm. "Please don¡¯t insult Kael¡¯s efforts. And don¡¯t insult that pureblood either. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s going to help save my life, isn¡¯t she? Despite who she was¡ªor what she went through¡ªyou should see her as a blessing for me, not shame."


    Before such thoughtfulness from her daughter, Meryl had no choice but to relent. While Bruce was as useless in front of his wife to even stop her.


    "Alright," she huffed. "You two talk. We¡¯ll leave you."


    I didn¡¯t hide my relief as they exited the room. The moment the door shut behind them, Sophia gave my hand a gentle squeeze.


    "I¡¯m sorry about my mother," she said softly. "You know she¡¯s just worried about me."


    I gave her a quiet nod in understanding.


    "Umm... Kael," she added hesitantly, "I want to meet her¡ªthe pureblood. Can I?"


    I stilled for a moment.


    I couldn¡¯t let her know it was Eira. Not yet. I didn¡¯t know how she would react if she learned it was the same woman who had once harmed her¡ªwho had cost us our child.


    "She¡¯s not well enough to leave her room," I told her. "And with the news out that we¡¯ve found a pureblood, it¡¯s not safe to move her. You understand, right?"


    Though disappointed, she nodded. "Alright. I¡¯ll see her once I¡¯m better."


    I agreed with a faint hum. "There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you. Something from six years ago."


    "What is it?" she asked, calm andposed.


    "What made you so certain," I asked, "that it was Eira who leaked information to our enemies?"


    Back then, we trusted everything Sophia said without question. The loss we suffered was too painful, too consuming to think rationally. It felt as though our entire world had copsed in a single night.


    All we wanted was to get a traitors and tear them apart in a painful death. And the traitor turned out to be her, who we didn¡¯t expect to be even in our wildest dreams.


    At my unexpected question, Sophia¡¯s expression flickered with brief surprise, but she quicklyposed herself. My gaze remained fixed on her, watching closely.


    "Didn¡¯t you all see the video of her with Keiren?" she said, her voice steady. "She was fooling around with him. Don¡¯t you remember? Even Alice once mentioned that Eira had a boyfriend¡ªbut she never said who. Why would she hide it from Alice, when she told her everything? Because she was with the enemy. She wanted you, but you had me. So she chose another Alpha from the rival pack."


    "Having an affair is one thing," I said quietly. "But that doesn¡¯t mean she was the one who leaked information."


    Sophia¡¯s gaze faltered for a moment. Her brows drew together.


    "Are you doubting me, Kael?" she asked softly, her voice delicate, touched with sadness. "I saw her talking secretly on the phone, more than once. Always whispering like a thief, answering unknown numbers. When I confronted her, she admitted it was her boyfriend. And the rest..."


    She pressed a hand to her temple.


    "Maybe it¡¯s this condition. My memories are getting blurry. I haven¡¯t thought about any of it for six years. I¡¯ll try to remember everything... I just need a little time."


    "It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t force yourself," I said gently, wrapping my hand around hers. "Just calm down."


    She gave a faint smile, a touch of warmth finally returning to her pale face.


    "Do you know what today is?" she asked suddenly. "Why I missed you so much?"


    I thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. I shook my head.


    "It¡¯s the most important day for us," she said, her voice growing tender, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly. "It¡¯s the day we conceived our child."


    Her words brought back those memories from the six years back.

 Chapter 55: Sophia’s Parents

    <h4>Chapter 55: Sophia¡¯s Parents</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    That day... I wasn¡¯t sure what came over me and we ended up in bed. I lost control, and I knotted her. It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen, but it did. What I remember afterword was chaos. Sophia was bleeding heavily and in excruciating pain. I rushed her to the nearest hospital.


    The doctor said she was barely saved and was lucky. That a hybrid surviving the knot of a high-rank Alpha was almost unheard of, but there were few rare exceptions in the past where hybrids survived the knot and even conceived a child for the powerful Alphas.


    Sophia was one of them, rare and fortunate. Maybe her mother¡¯s pure blood trait had saved her.


    And then, she ended up conceiving our child. But before Sophia could even share the good news with me, that bitch Eira shot her.


    When Sophia was saved and admitted to the hospital, it was the doctor who told me that Sophia was pregnant, but she had lost her child.


    I was stunned at first, then overwhelmed with a crushing anger. Because I knew that was my child.


    When Sophia finally woke up, the very first thing she asked me was about our baby. And when I told her the truth, she broke down, tears spilling as she whispered apologies for not being able to save our child.


    I had no words left. I could only swallow the bitterness of loss and curse that bitch for tearing apart my world¡ªfor taking away my parents, my family, and even my child.


    "Kael?" her soft voice brought me back to my senses. "What are you thinking? That... how it would have been if we hadn¡¯t lost our child?" She asked.


    I gave a silent nod. The grief sat too heavy on my chest to speak.


    "I think about it too," she murmured. "Don¡¯t worry. Once I¡¯m healed, we¡¯ll try again." She offered a small smile. "I survived your knot once, so I can do it again. Remember, my mother¡¯s a pureblood¡ªI¡¯m still a strong hybrid."


    "Sure," I replied, not wanting to upset her.


    But deep inside, I knew¡ªI wouldn¡¯t put Sophia through that again and make her bleed the way she did that night.


    I already have someone who can do the work of breeding¡ªthat bitch Eira. Once she gave me a child, Sophia and I will raise it together as our own child.


    That bitch caused that loss to us, so she will make up for it.


    She will cry to see how her child is being raised by some other woman while she was nobody to her own child.


    My gaze darkened. ¡¯<i>Or maybe she won¡¯t even be alive to see it.¡¯</i>


    <i></i>Spending some time with Sophia, I returned to office.


    Entire time my mind yed Sophia¡¯s reaction about the past incident and made me wonder if she was even sure about what she was saying.


    But for now I wish to let it slide given it must be because of her weak condition and hazy mind caused by the overload of medicines to survive and lying in the hospital bed for the past six years.


    -----


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    After ate lunch, Roman went back to that bitch¡ªand of course, we couldn¡¯t stop him. She was going to devour all of his time now.


    Lucian, Rafe, and I sat down to discuss security matters, all for the sake of protecting that bitch. It wouldn¡¯t be long before someone tried to get their hands on her, and we had to be prepared.


    The inte rang. Lucian picked it up, listening in silence before his expression twisted in irritation.


    "Let them in," he said, then hung up.


    I caught on immediately. "They¡¯re here?"


    Lucian gave a curt nod, clearly displeased. "What else?"


    "If it weren¡¯t for Kael, I¡¯d have drained both their bodies of that rotten blood," Rafe muttered as he got to his feet. "But whatever, I¡¯m out. Can¡¯t handle more of this bullshit today."


    Just then, Roman returned, carrying an empty tray.


    "Who¡¯sing?" he asked, setting the tray down.


    "Sophia¡¯s parents," I replied, eyeing the clean te in his hands. "She ate everything?"


    Roman gave a low hum. "Looks like she enjoys our chef Lucian¡¯s cooking."


    "Tell her I made it and you¡¯ll see her throw it all up," Lucian scoffed. "Like an ungrateful bitch she is."


    Roman ignored him and turned to Rafe, who was already walking toward his room.


    "Rafe."


    "What now?" Rafe nced back, eyes narrowing at the tray. "Don¡¯t tell me you want me to clean the dish that bitch ate from. Ask her to do it herself."


    Roman exhaled slowly, trying to keep calm. "I want you to keep watch on the side-house and on her, instead of going to your room."


    "So I¡¯m her damn watchdog now?" Rafe sneered.


    "I wouldn¡¯t have asked, but none of these two will go to her. And I can¡¯t trust them around Sophia¡¯s parents either. There¡¯s a high chance to see their dead bodies lying on the floor just because two mad wolves lost their temper," Roman exined.


    "Alright!" Rafe snapped, though reluctantly, and headed toward the side-house.


    Just like Roman, Rafe didn¡¯t trust our temper either.


    Roman ced the tray on the kitchen counter, and by that time, Sophia¡¯s parents had already arrived at the front entrance of the house.


    Bruce and Meryl walked into the drawing room. That arrogant old bitch strutted in like she was some goddess from another realm¡ªelegant, poised, and unbearably smug. Her self-importance was suffocating.


    <i>¡¯God save us from this hellishly annoying woman or I might just end up sending her back to you.¡¯ </i>I heard Lucian say.


    We could still tolerate that bitch Eira¡ªat least she had the decency to keep her mouth shut. But this one? Ugh. A walking migraine.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Katz," Roman greeted them politely.


    He was doing it for Kael¡¯s sake, we all knew that. But beneath the surface, he was just as irritated like us¡ªhe just happened to be better at pretending otherwise.


    Lucian and I stood up out of sheer formality.


    Bruce gave a nod in response. Meryl, on the other hand, barely acknowledged us with a hum as her eyes swept across the grand, drawing room, inspecting everything like it was her own home.


    "You four live here with Kael," she said, her voiceced with condescension. "This would¡¯ve been my daughter¡¯s home by now¡ªliving like a queen with her mate."


    Lucian and I exchanged a nce.


    <i>And there it was.</i>


    She had opened her damn old mouth, just as irritating as ever.


    "Bruce should keep her mouth busy with wrinkly cock so she¡¯ll talk less," Lucian muttered under his breath.


    I smirked, leaning slightly toward him. "Even his stinky cock must¡¯ve refused to enter that annoying mouth of hers," I whispered back.


    Roman clearly heard us and shot a brief re in our direction before shifting his attention back to them.

 Chapter 56: Poisonous Words

    <h4>Chapter 56: Poisonous Words</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Please, have a seat," Roman said politely.


    The two settled onto the sofa, draped in their usual disy of fabricated grace, wearing their wealth like a badge.


    Why wouldn¡¯t they? The four of us weren¡¯t born into luxury. We were here because of Kael¡ªand they never let us forget it.


    They probably sat there imagining the day their precious daughter would walk through that door, iming her rightful ce in this home, while we were shown the way out.


    But soon enough, that delusion of theirs would shatter.


    Because it wouldn¡¯t be us, but their daughter who wouldn¡¯t be allowed to step foot in this house.


    "May I know what brings you here?" Roman asked, though he already knew the answer.


    "We want to see that whore¡ªthe pureblood you bought," Meryl replied without hesitation.


    The moment those words left her mouth, my fists clenched, and I could feel the same tension ripple through Lucian and Roman.


    Alright, she was a bitch, a whore, and what not, but now she was our whore and only we could call her a bitch. Not this annoying cunt with wrinkles.


    Roman kept his calm and told her, "Mrs. Katz, my apologies, but you can¡¯t see her."


    Meryl shot him a look, equal parts arrogance and irritation. "Kael intends to use her to save my daughter. Before that happens, I need to know what kind of filth she¡¯s lived through. I won¡¯t have my daughter tainted by some creature crawling out of the gutter."


    This was getting out of hand now.


    Before Lucian or I could utter a word, Roman spoke again. "I understand you, Mrs. Katz. But it¡¯s not possible."


    "What if I insist?" she pressed, her voiceced with challenge.


    "Then I¡¯m afraid you would be disappointed," Roman replied, his tone polite but threaded with warning.


    Roman was versed in having business dealing with such annoying and insufferable wealthy people, so he knew how to measure his words well, not aggressive but effective.


    "Mrs. Katz, how about I show you a way out?" Lucian offered a mocking smirk curling his lips.


    This bastard never hesitated to offend anyone, and I was no different.


    "Might as well send them off to their fancy luxury car," I added with equal mockery.


    The old woman clenched her fists in fury, and red at the three of us.


    "You three nobody poor bastards," she spat. "Just because Kael epted you as his mate brothers, you think you own this ce? Don¡¯t forget, all of this belongs to my daughter. Once she¡¯s well and bes Kael¡¯s mate, the first thing she¡¯ll do is throw all of you out."


    If it weren¡¯t for Kael, I would¡¯ve dragged this hag straight to my torture room. I¡¯d pull her teeth out, one by one, slice out her tongue, and seal her lips shut¡ªleaving only a gap small enough to slide a straw through so she could suck some liquid and wouldn¡¯t die too soon.


    "Who dares to throw my brothers out of their own home?" A cold voice came through, and the silence fell over the room.


    Kael had returned.


    And from the look on his face, he was far from pleased. It wasn¡¯t surprising as none of us ever tolerated someone insulting our brothers.


    The bitch Meryl shut her mouth as both husband and wife shared skeptical gazes.


    All eyes turned to Kael as he stepped into the drawing room. His strides were long and deliberate, each step echoing withmanding confidence.


    Tall, sharp-jawed, and devastatingly handsome in a tailored dark suit that hugged his form like second skin. His expression grave, carved in stone, without a trace of warmth in his eyes. The veins along his temple and neck pulsing with the restrained fury he made no effort to hide.


    He sat in the main chair, that meant for only him, and lowered himself onto it like a king returning to his throne. Against the high back, he looked every inch the ruler he was, his hands resting on the armrests, one leg crossed over the other with that signature roguish charm.


    This wasn¡¯t just a man entering into his home.


    This was the Alpha returning to his territory.


    And he wasn¡¯t pleased.


    Kael¡¯s gaze swept over us, thennded coldly on the two guests.


    "So, what were you saying?" He asked, as he straight looked at the arrogant woman, his tonecked any trace of respect.


    The old bitch, Meryl, visibly faltered¡ªjust a flicker in her eyes, but it was enough.


    "I was just reminding them what ce my daughter holds in your life, andter in this house once she is better and bes your mate," the woman opened her shitty mouth, entirely delusional.


    Lucian muttered under his breath, "Who¡¯s gonna tell her?"


    "Kael will," I replied tly, while Roman simply gave a slow shake of his head. We all knew this bitch had sealed her fate.


    Her greatest mistake? Daring to insult Kael¡¯s brothers and that too on his face.


    "And who gave you an authority to do that?" his voice calm, but cold.


    "I¡¯m Sophia¡¯s mother," she said boldly,pletely blind to the danger in front of her. "I have every right to think about her future. Don¡¯t forget¡ªshe¡¯s bedridden because of you. She almost died because you couldn¡¯t control yourself."


    Kael¡¯s gaze darkened. "Seems like you¡¯ve forgotten who you¡¯re speaking to," he said, voice deeper now, colder. "I treated you with some consideration because of your rtionship with my parents. But it looks like it¡¯s time for a reminder."


    Still, the old woman didn¡¯t get it. "Kael, you owe us¡ª"


    "Kneel."


    Kael¡¯s voice cracked through the air like thunder¡ªangry, cold, absolute.


    The pressure in the room shifted violently. Meryl gasped, her body trembling. Within seconds, both she and Bruce were forced from the sofa, falling to their knees before him.


    Their old bones buckled under the crushing force of Kael¡¯s Alpha aura.


    Even the strong Alpha¡¯s like us, his own mate-brothers, couldn¡¯t stand his Alpha aura, then these two were nothing more than tiny ants being crushed under his toe.


    With their heads lowered, their bodies restrained, the old couple looked like prey ready to ughter by hunter.


    "You dare enter my home without my permission," Kael¡¯s angry voice echoed once more. "And you even insult my brothers?"


    A little more use of his Alpha aura and the two might just shatter under it.


    "Alpha..." Bruce finally tried to speak. "There¡¯s a misunderstanding. We didn¡¯t mean to¡ª"


    "Indeed there¡¯s a misunderstanding," Kael cut in. "Let me clear it up for you both, once and for all. So even your delusional, rotting brains can finallyprehend."


    We held our breath, clearly in a mood to enjoy the show.


    "I am not going to make your daughter my mate," Kael dered coldly. "My brotherse before anything else, and they do not ept her. So neither do I."


    <i>Damn.</i> He finally said it.


    Lucian, Roman, and I exchanged quick, satisfied nces. Time to uncork champaign bottle.


    "And about sleeping with your daughter," he said with chilling calm. "As far as I know, I didn¡¯t force her. I had lost my mind that night entirely, but she didn¡¯t. She could have run away¡ªyet she seemed so eager to get under me."


    Meryl was unable to utter a single word.


    Kael¡¯s gaze darkened further, his next words filled with utter insult, "Perhaps she learned it from her mother¡ªwho clearly doesn¡¯t find her hybrid husband enough, so she keeps warming the beds of other men."


    Meryl gasped at the truth about her being said in front of everyone, but Kael didn¡¯t pause.


    "You really believe just carrying my child makes her worthy of bing my mate?" He sneered darkly, "I fuck around several whores and might end up losing control into knotting them. If every one of them shows up pregnant, should I go ahead and mark them too?"


    With every passing moment, his words were getting poisonous. He wasparing their daughter to the whores he fucked, and we knew well, those whores won¡¯t survive to carry his child. But it was a good way to say it.


    "Keep it in your mind. I am trying to save your daughter just because once she had carried my child, and I feelpelled to protect and care for her. But you keep acting entitled and force me, you will see me burry you two along with your daughter in the same grave."


    He was Alpha of this pack. He was the rule here. He could do whatever he wanted and no one could say a word.


    "What the hell is going on?" Lucian muttered in disbelief.


    We weren¡¯t any different. Roman and I were just as stunned by what Kael was saying.


    We had always assumed he loved Sophia. He made her his girlfriend in the past. He even impregnated her. And every Alpha knew¡ªyou only knot the woman you want to carry your child.


    But now...


    Did he truly mean what he said? Or was it just his anger talking?


    We could only hope¡ªhe meant every word of it.

 Chapter 57: Making Her Mate Was Never On the List

    <h4>Chapter 57: Making Her Mate Was Never On the List</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    This woman had always been a fucking nuisance, and the only reason I ever tolerated her shit was because she used to my mother¡¯s friend. But after my parents passed away, she turned into a goddamn pain in the ass.


    I was being patient these years out of the respect for my mother, but now? Now this woman¡¯d crossed a fucking line by daring to insult my brothers.


    My brothers¡ªRoman, Lucian, Jason, and Rafe, not blood rted, but they are everything to me. They are my backbone, the reason I still have a goddamn grip on sanity. The only reason this pack isn¡¯t burning in the mes of my rage.


    Six years ago, when I lost everything, I was ready to set the whole fucking world on fire. I didn¡¯t care who got in the way. But these four? They stood beside me through every second of hell. They bled with me. They fucking suffered with me. They¡¯re my real family¡ªmy world.


    And this old bitch dares run her rotting mouth and spit filth about them in my home?


    Fuck no.


    Time to put her in her ce. Permanently.


    "Meryl Katz," I said, my voice icy and full of threat. "One more fucking word against any of my brothers¡ªjust <i>one</i>¡ªand I swear on my dead parents, I¡¯ll butcher every one of your sons, those bastards you¡¯ve bred for those Alphas like the pack whore you are."


    Her face drained of color, and her body started to tremble. Good. She knew I wasn¡¯t bluffing.


    Meryl might be a pureblood, but her mother had her married off to a fucking hybrid just to keep her daughters dominance over her husband. Meanwhile, Meryl spread her legs for every high-ranking Alpha that came sniffing, popping out sons for them like a bitch in heat.


    And with that pathetic hybrid husband? She managed to squeeze out only one daughter¡ªSophia¡ªbefore her useless womb dried up.


    Even now, she was still selling herself to Alphas who wanted a pureblood to fuck and knot, though she couldn¡¯t breed. The bitch made a fortune from it, whoring out her bloodline like it was business. The perfect whore with a noblebel.


    I turned to her husband, Bruce, who had knelt there like a useless fucking statue.


    "Bruce Katz," I said, my voice like ice. "You¡¯ve made enough money whoring out your wife to every Alpha who needed to blow off steam. You really want to lose all that now¡ªbecause this bitch can¡¯t shut her mouth?"


    "Alpha... I..." he stammered.


    "She¡¯s still your wife, isn¡¯t she?" I sneered. "Then shove your limp fucking cock down her throat and shut her up the way a man should. Or is it too soft for that now?" My eyes dropped deliberately below his waist, "Should I send word to those Alphas¡ªtell them to stop being gentle with her and fuck her throat until she can¡¯t speak another goddamn word?"


    Bruce and Meryl both paled, their bodies trembling under the weight of my words.


    On the side, I could hear Jason whispered to Lucian, "He doesn¡¯t talk much, but when he is pissed, his mouth can be more poisonous than yours, the worst I must say."


    Lucian chuckled, "And how it feels like a melody to my ears. So rare, and I can keep listening him forever."


    These two, even in this situation, couldn¡¯t forget to find their own entertainment. But I preferred them just like that.


    "Please forgive her this time," Bruce said, his voice barely holding together.


    I shot him a re. "Instead of opening your shitty mouth to beg, you should¡¯ve used it earlier and told your bitch of a wife to shut the fuck up before she spat the shit."


    "I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Alpha," Bruce muttered and turned stiffly to Meryl. "Apologize to Alpha and his brothers. Right now."


    The old hag clearly didn¡¯t want to¡ªprobably cursing me to hell in that rotten little head of hers. But what the fuck could she do now? She was backed into a corner, trembling like a leaf in a storm.


    She looked at me, then my brothers. "I apologize for what I said."


    I narrowed my eyes. "That¡¯s it? A few hollow-ass words for the bullshit you just spewed like it was gospel?"


    She stiffened, swallowed, and bowed her head. "I deeply apologize. This home belongs only to Alpha and his mate-brothers. Sophia is no one here. She will not be Alpha¡¯s mate."


    "So pretentious," I muttered, then looked at my brothers. "Want anything else from her?"


    "I¡¯d rather go deaf than hear another word from that wrinkly-ass whore," Lucian snapped, pure disgust dripping from his voice. "Get them the fuck out of here before I w my own eyes out."


    I hummed, turning my gaze back to the disgraceful pair. "Did you hear that? My brothers have spoken. Now get the fuck out¡ªand don¡¯t even <i>think</i> about setting foot near this estate again unless you want to vanish from this world without a trace."


    I dropped the Alpha aura I¡¯d been pressing on them, and both of them nearly copsed like spineless sacks of bones, gasping like fish out of water.


    "Leave," I said coldly. Just that. One word. And they fucking ran. Legs trembling, hearts in their throats. Gone in seconds.


    "Damn you, Kael," Lucian muttered, pleased grin. "You almost made me fall for you today."


    "Fuck off," I grunted, standing up from my chair, heading upstairs to my room to freshen up.


    Lucian, the bastard, chuckled behind me like he didn¡¯t just stir shit.


    "Hey, we¡¯re mate-brothers. Nothing wrong if I fall for you," he called after me, the teasing tone annoying as ever.


    "You can save that twisted love for Rafe," I shot back tly without looking at him.


    "Rafe? That bitch is already mine," Lucianughed.


    This bastard and his damn mouth. If Rafe had been here, we¡¯d be breaking up another full-blown fight¡ªone trying to strangle the other while throwing insults like wild dogs.


    Good thing Rafe wasn¡¯t here to listen what Lucian said.


    But then I recalled something and looked around. "Where is Rafe?"


    "There," Roman said as he signalled me to look at the ss wall showing the view of the side house. Rafe was standing outside under the patio, his back resting on one of the wooden poles supporting it.


    "I sent him to watch over the side house when I was here to deal with the Katz couple," Roman exined.


    I hummed and walked to the staircase, only to hear Lucian again. "Kael, you truly don¡¯t love Sophia? She was your girlfriend..."


    "Do we need to love someone to fuck around?" I asked, somehow not pleased with the question, and walked upstairs.


    Seeing my bad mood, they didn¡¯t ask anything more.


    As I entered the room, I thought about what he asked. Sophia... who was she to me?


    Definitely not the one I loved.


    Back then, I had to keep her around because my mother insisted, and in her mind, Sophia was the perfect partner for me.


    My mother, the only person in this world, I dearly respected and loved. Out of love and respect for my mother, I kept Sophia around. It also helped me keep other women from approaching me.


    Then... that night happened, and Sophia was admitted to the hospital because I knotted her, and she barely survived. My mother insisted I be responsible toward her, and I obeyed.


    After my mother died, I feltpelled to keep my promise of being responsible toward Sophia. It made me feel like I was still connected to my mother through that promise.


    There was one person in this world, I dearly respected and loved- My mother. She was a great woman.


    Also, the fact that she carried my child¡ªmy blood¡ªI had to be responsible. That¡¯s why I had been doing everything to save her.


    But, marking her and making my mate was never on the list.

 Chapter 58: Drugs, Do You Have Any?

    <h4>Chapter 58: Drugs, Do You Have Any?</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    After what Kael did today, we were in a merry mood for the first time in a long while. The weight of epting that bitch Sophia as our mate, in case Kael gave in to her request, had finally been lifted.


    From the looks of it, after treating her, Kael might just keep his distance from her¡ªand that would be truly great.


    "He doesn¡¯t fancy that bitch. This calls for a celebration," Lucian announced as he stood up from the sofa, his tone dripping with enthusiasm. "And to celebrate it, I am going to cook again for you all. A feast for the gods."


    Jason and I exchanged a look. Wasn¡¯t this bastard being overly enthusiastic about cooking these days?


    "You¡¯re going to celebrate by cooking?" I asked, arching a brow. "As far as I remember, your way of celebrating always includes drinking and fucking some bitches."


    "This celebration calls for my hungry stomach, not my cock," he replied without even turning to look at me.


    I turned to Jason. "Let¡¯s help him prepare whatever feast he¡¯s nning."


    "You first go and free Rafe. He must be getting irritated by now," Jason suggested.


    Just as he said that, Rafe walked back into the drawing room, clearly relieved the old couple had left. "I can¡¯t stand there as her watchdog. You guys do it," he dered.


    I pushed myself off the sofa to leave, but Lucian spoke again. "Seems like we five won¡¯t be able to stay together like before. All because of that bitch," he spat. "We just got rid of one from our lives, but this one stays¡ªand who knows for how long."


    "There¡¯s no need for any of us to be by her side all the time," Jason said, picking up the tablet from the centre table. "We can see her directly here through the cameras we installed there." He put one small device on the centre table, "Tell that bitch to press the button on it whenever she is in a mood to trouble to us."


    I nced at the tablet screen as Jason switched it to the bedroom feed.


    She was still on the couch by the window, but had fallen asleep, resting her side against the backrest. Her legs were bare, exposed as the nket that had been covering her had slipped halfway down the couch.


    I frowned at the sight, only for Jason toment, "Now you¡¯re going to object to having a camera in the bedroom? You can go fuck her. It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯d be watching you fucking a whore."


    "I¡¯m more than willing to let you see how well I fuck her," I shot back with equal mockery. "But for now, I have to go and put that damn nket on her so she doesn¡¯t freeze in the cold air and fall sick."


    With that, I turned to leave.


    "Want to join him in fucking the bitch?" I heard Rafe ask Jason.


    "I would rather be celibate than fuck her," Jason retorted bitterly as I stepped out of the house.


    Somewhere deep down, I knew Jason and Lucian didn¡¯t truly mean it when they imed they didn¡¯t want to fuck her. They sure did, but their hatred wouldn¡¯t let them admit it.


    A bitch in the house, left untouched by us¡ªthat would be the greatest wonder. Not like we¡¯ve ever cared who the bitch was before fucking her, and Eira was no different.


    The only difference was that we had known her before, when she used to be so innocently beautiful. I doubt any of us hadn¡¯t wished to get our hands on her even back then. But sadly, she was a minor.


    I entered the bedroom and picked up the shawl to cover her, but just as I reached her, she opened her eyes and looked at me.


    "You should sleep on the bed instead," I said. "Sleeping like this will only strain your body."


    She didn¡¯t respond. Her gaze lingered for a moment before her eyes closed again.


    I exhaled a deep sigh and gently wrapped the shawl around her shoulders.


    "I¡¯m in the main house," I told her, cing the device Jason had handed me on the bedside table. "If you need anything, just press the button."


    Still, no response¡ªonly silence.


    I added, ncing up at the camera in the corner of the ceiling, "We¡¯ll be watching you from that to make sure you¡¯re fine."


    It was a warning. A reminder that we had eyes on her¡ªso no tricks, no stunts.


    "I¡¯ll return with dinner. Is there anything you want to eat?" I asked, not really expecting her to answer.


    But then she spoke. "Drugs. Do you have any?"


    Damn she finally spoke and that too to ask once again for something she shouldn¡¯t.


    "I told youst time, you can¡¯t," I said firmly while adjusting the nket over her bare legs. "If you want, I can bring you some books to read. You used to like reading, didn¡¯t you?"


    Her eyes met mine, cold and void of any emotion.


    "For the past six years, I¡¯ve consumed more drugs than food," she said. "If you won¡¯t give it to me, you¡¯ll be the one in trouble when I start getting withdrawal symptoms. Trust me, you won¡¯t want that."


    Oh, she knew how to talk. And to do it so fucking coldly. Not bad.


    "We¡¯ll deal with it when ites," I replied without flinching. "But drugs are out of the question."


    She turned her gaze away, toward the window, as if speaking to me any further was a waste of her breath. She wasn¡¯t wrong. She wasn¡¯t getting any.


    I left the side house and returned to the main home where my brothers waited. Most of my time today had been spent with her, and I didn¡¯t want them thinking I¡¯d abandoned them.


    Besides, I would be sleeping with her tonight anyway. So this evening was for my brothers.


    Like Lucian said, it really was a day worth celebrating.

 Chapter 59: Desire To Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 59: Desire To Kiss</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Jason and Lucian prepared a feast for the five of us... or rather, for six now.


    Lucian had cooked dishes so vorful they made us wonder if this bastard had missed his calling. Maybe he should¡¯ve been a chef at some five-star hotel instead of a drug maker or savage killer.


    Imagine a man who can slit a throat without flinching, killing in cold blood as if it were a daily chore, and yet the same man cooks like a seasoned family man. Thatbination didn¡¯t make sense, but then again, that was Lucian. You could never guess what he¡¯d surprise us with next.


    "It¡¯s ready," Lucian announced just as I stepped forward to help them set the table.


    This time, though, there was a difference. Instead of five, six tes were served¡ªlike it was the most normal thing in the world. Jason and Lucian ced each dish with practiced ease, setting them neatly across the dining table.


    Lucian pushed one te toward me. "Go, feed this to that bitch."


    I looked down at the te full of beautifully arranged food, the aroma tempting even me.


    "Doesn¡¯t look like something you¡¯d make for someone you call a bitch," Rafe remarked as he droppedzily into his seat.


    "I call you a bitch and you¡¯re still here eating my food," Lucian replied with a wicked smirk.


    Rafe shot him a grin. "But a bitch with a pussy seems more interesting, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "I¡¯m sure your ass is equally interesting," Lucian fired back.


    "Not more than yours," Rafe returned without missing a beat.


    The rest of us exhaled in collective defeat. Their banter could go on forever, neither of them ever getting tired of throwing jabs.


    "You two can get the hell out of here and leave us to eat in peace," Kael warned, voice t and firm.


    As always, Kael to the rescue.


    They went silent immediately, and everyone took their seats. While I picked up the extra te and headed toward the side house.


    She didn¡¯t refuse the food tonight either.


    I left her alone once again and returned to the main house, where my brothers and I ate in peace, savoring the delicious meal and expensive wine, talkingte into the night.


    When it was time to sleep, I rose from my chair to return to the side house. At the same time Lucian slipped into his dark trench coat.


    "Where are you going?" Kael asked him.


    "You work during the day. My work begins at night," Lucian replied casually.


    "Haven¡¯t you two already taken care of everything?" I asked. "You should take a break tonight, after the good time we had together."


    "There¡¯s no harm in checking things again," Lucian insisted, already eyeing the tablet left on the table. "Or do you want me to sit here and watch you fuck that bitch on the camera feed tonight?"


    "Of course. And I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s better than the porn you used to jerk off to," I shot back and turned to leave. "Good night."


    Jason stood up. "I¡¯lle with you."


    "No need," Lucian declined without hesitation. "It¡¯s just a minor check-round. I¡¯m going alone."


    Jason didn¡¯t argue. It was clear Lucian wanted some time by himself.


    When I returned to the side house, she was already lying down. Maybe she was asleep, maybe not,


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb her. Quietly, I cleared the empty dishes from the small table, carried them into thepact kitchen, and left them in the sink.


    The night before, I¡¯d stayed with her in the main house, sleeping on the couch so I wouldn¡¯t scare her. But tonight was different. She seemed stable, calm. The bed in this room wasrge enough for two, and there was no reason for me to sleep in the couch.


    I turned off the light, leaving only the soft glow of the wallmp casting golden shadows across the room. The silence was thick, broken only by the rustle of sheets as I climbed into bed.


    Lying beside her, with nothing but inches between our bodies, my thoughts drifted to the past¡ªthose endless nights I had imagined her this close. To hold her. To feel her warmth against me. To breathe her in.


    And now that she was right here, within reach... but...


    Shey on her side, back turned to me, as if she were intentionally drawing a line I wasn¡¯t meant to cross.


    But I wasn¡¯t a saint. Never imed to be.


    If I couldn¡¯t fuck her tonight, I could at least touch her... feel her the way I had always dreamed of.


    I shifted closer, inch by inch, until my chest pressed softly against her back. My arm wrapped around her waist, slipping across her stomach, drawing her into me. My nose brushed her neck, and I nuzzled her gently.


    There was a trace of ointment on her skin, but beneath it lingered that familiar scent I remembered so vividly.


    Wildflowers and honey. Sweet and warm. Innocence threaded with quiet, hidden desire.


    That was her. That had always been her.


    I inhaled slowly, letting the scent cloud my thoughts. My lips grazed the back of her neck, and the soft contact stirred something inside me that I had been holding back.


    Just this much wasn¡¯t enough.


    "Eira," I whispered, my voice gravel and heat.


    I didn¡¯t expect her to answer. I knew she wouldn¡¯t.


    Still, I reached forward and gently turned her to face me. Her eyes were open, staring at me with that same vacant, unreadable gaze.


    I traced my fingers along her cheek, slow and careful, then let them slide to her lips. They were not soft, yet, but not bad enough to be left untouched. I brushed my thumb over them, leaning in until our mouths were a breath apart.


    "Will you suffocate," I murmured, "if I kiss you? Just a little?"


    Her hand moved.


    Without a word, she unfastened the top buttons of her shirt to expose her chest, her other hand sliding the nket off her legs. She bent her knees upward and parted her thighs, as she pulled the shirt up to her belly before turning her head toward the window, her gaze fixed on the night beyond the ss.


    I froze, stunned by her sudden actions¡ªuntil the meaning sank in.


    Damn it.


    I clenched my jaw, heat and fury crawling up my spine.


    She was offering herself to me. Not with desire. Not with affection. Just an empty, practiced gesture. She was treating me like a fucking client.


    Come. Do it. Get it over with. Leave.


    All I¡¯d asked for was a kiss. A goddamn kiss. Was that too much?


    She could¡¯ve told me to back off. But instead, she chose this... cruel, mechanical response.


    I grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at me. Her skin was soft beneath my palm, but my grip was cold. My eyes locked onto hers, sharp with restrained rage.


    "You so desperately want me to fuck you, huh?" I snarled. "Can¡¯t go a single night without your cunt being filled?"


    She didn¡¯t flinch. Didn¡¯t blink. Her expression stayed hollow, as if my voice didn¡¯t even reach her. Just those empty, soulless eyes holding mine.


    I let go, the cold in my chest settling deeper than before. She wasn¡¯t going to change. Not tonight.


    Without another word, I pulled away from her andy back, staring at the ceiling.


    "I always thought of kissing you. Wondered how it would feel," I murmured into the quiet. "Finally, tonight could¡¯ve been our first... but you had to ruin it."


    She turned her back to me again, silent.


    I stared at the curve of her spine, the fragile slope of her shoulder des beneath the thin fabric.


    What was she thinking now? Was there even anything left inside her to think with?


    Would there evere a day when she kissed me willingly?


    I wasn¡¯t going to wait forever.


    I¡¯d fuck her once she healed. That much was certain.


    But damn it, I still wanted her lips on mine. I wanted her to kiss me willingly at least once.

 Chapter 60: Eira’s First Kiss- I

    <h4>Chapter 60: Eira¡¯s First Kiss- I</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    <i>(shback ¡ª Six Years Ago)</i>


    After the final ss of the day, I rushed toward the back of the school to meet him.


    I looked at my wristwatch. ¡¯<i>It must be at least half an hour¡ªhe must be waiting for me. I need to run.¡¯</i>


    Thankfully, today I had worn a casual T-shirt, jeans, and sports shoes, with my hair tied in a ponytail¡ªperfect for running.


    Running with my heavy schoolbag hung on my shoulders, frequently ncing at my wrist watch, I crossed the vast school building, the sports ground behind it, and then passed through the broken boundary fence to head toward the grassynd ahead¡ªto reach the far end, the deserted part where hardly anyone went.


    I had been there a few times to meet him, so I didn¡¯t find it difficult to reach. Moreover, the happiness of being able to spend some time with him was stronger than feeling any difficulty.


    Before that, I had to convinced Alice to head home first with a half-baked excuse. I told her I had something to finish at school, something random and forgettable.


    Of course, that sneaky girl sensed something was off. She gave me a suspicious look, but she was too sweet to push for the truth. Such a kind and sweet friend she was. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to hide it from her, just... not yet.


    Because, it had only been a month since he and I started talking. Just a few short weeks since we realized we liked each other. It felt too soon to let anyone know about us.


    What if I ended up like those other girls I¡¯d seen crying in the hallways over broken hearts?


    Once I was certain about my rtionship with him, and after I turned sixteen and officially became an adult ining few months, I will tell her.


    Until then, I had to keep this feeling bottled up inside, even though every day I felt like screaming to the world that this handsome and amazing boy, he was mine.


    To be honest, I never thought I¡¯d feel this way about anyone, especially not so quickly. I¡¯d always kept my distance from boys, never interested, never tempted. But maybe I¡¯d just been waiting for <i>him</i>.


    Despite my grandparents had always been strict with me, controlled my life, and often warned me to keep distance from boys, I couldn¡¯t resist when it came to him.


    In fact, it didn¡¯t even take a moment for me to fall for him, and somehow, I was lucky enough thatter he felt the same.


    When I first met him, I was convinced he wasn¡¯t interested. He used to nce at me with this unreadable look, like I was nothing more than just something that amused him.


    But slowly, those asional looks turned into brief exchanges. Little conversations when we crossed paths. Then longer ones. Until one day, talking to him became the part of my day I looked forward to most.


    Today, I was meeting him because he was leaving for the Alpha training camp.


    It wouldst two weeks. The camp was part of a regr routine¡ªintense training held every few months for all the male students, strictly for every Alpha in the pack, before they finished education and entered the harsh reality of the outside world.


    I was still in the high school, while he was a university student.


    His university wasn¡¯t far from mine, which made our idental meetings more frequent... though they weren¡¯t really idents. Others might¡¯ve thought so, but we both knew better.


    By the time I reached the grassy backfield, I was panting, a thin sheen of sweat coating my skin. I leaned forward, hands on my thighs, trying to catch my breath.


    Then I saw him.


    He stood beneath the lone tree in the open field, next to the small wooden bench beneath its shade, his back at me. He didn¡¯t sit. He was facing the distant mountains, eyes on the horizon, the sky ahead him streaked with soft blue.


    Dressed in a long, dark trench coat, his tall figure looked so mysterious, so distant. His broad shoulders hinted at the strength he carried, and his short dark hair swayed gently in the wind. He was smokingpletely absorbed in it.


    As if he had already sensed my presence, he finally turned to look at me.


    God, I was never a fan of smoking. The scent always made me lightheaded. But the way he held that cigarette between his fingers, how his lips met it as he took a drag, paired with that ridiculously handsome face of his with that pair of the most beautiful light green eyes,... I didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Honestly, I could have sat on that bench beneath the tree and watched him smoke all day.


    But the moment he saw me, he stopped. He flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his boot.


    Inhaling deeply a few times, I calmed myself first to settle my ragged breathing, and then slowly walked toward him, letting the cold breezeing from the mountain dry the sweat from my body.


    <i>I hope I¡¯m not stinking. Alphas have keen senses.</i>


    I stood by the bench, a little nervous under his gaze, which I could never quite understand¡ªwhat those eyes held in them.


    "Did I make you wait too long?" I asked, my voice hesitant as my anxious eyes met his calm, steady ones.


    "I used that time to finish these," he said, holding up an empty cigarette box. Only then did I notice the scattered cigarette butts on the ground.


    <i>Gosh... how many had he smoked? How long has he been here?</i> Guilt crept into my chest as I looked back at him. "I... I¡¯m sorry...I didn¡¯t mean to make you wait."


    In response, he simply leaned back against the tree, one leg bent and resting against the trunk behind him, his hands tucked into the deep pockets of his trench coat.


    Tilting his head slightly, he looked at me with that usual trace of amusement in his eyes, though his expression remained unreadably serious.


    "So... how are you going to make up for it, little bunny?"


    I blinked, feeling heat rise to my cheeks under the weight of his gaze. That look¡ªintense, unbothered, and far too confident¡ªalways made my heart race.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely my fault. The ss had run long. Still, I had made him wait.


    "I brought something for you," I told him and pulled my schoolbag down from my shoulders, then sat on the bench. I unzipped the bag and pulled out a small box from it.


    "These are the cookies I baked this morning," I said, opening the lid to reveal the neat row of chocte chip cookies inside. "I hope you like them. If not, you can tell me what you prefer and¡ª"


    Before I could finish, he was already beside me, reaching into the box. He picked up a cookie and took a bite.


    "How is it?" I asked, hopeful he¡¯d say something nice.


    He chewed it for a few moments, like giving it deep thought.


    Then his gaze locked on mine, as if savoring more than just the cookie and said, "I was just wondering... which one is tastier¡ªthis cookie, or the one who made it?"

 Chapter 61: Eira’s First Kiss-II

    <h4>Chapter 61: Eira¡¯s First Kiss-II</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    My heart skipped a beat the moment I caught the full meaning behind his words¡ªso bold, so deliberate. He didn¡¯t even try to be subtle.


    The cookie box in my hands trembled. It nearly slipped from my grasp, but he moved swiftly, his palms sliding beneath mine to steady it.


    The moment his skin touched mine, a jolt of electricity shot through me. I gasped softly and pulled my hands back on instinct.


    My mind spiraled, my heartbeat thundered in my chest, and my throat suddenly turned dry. I tore my gaze away from him, unable to hold it a second longer.


    If I hadn¡¯t already been sitting on the bench, I was sure my legs would¡¯ve given out.


    My hands trembled as I closed the lid of the cookie box, hesitating¡ªshould I give it to him, or put it back in my bag and pretend none of this happened?


    "What is it?" he asked, still standing right in front of me,pletely unfazed by the chaos he¡¯d just stirred inside me.


    I looked up, confused by his question, but before I could ask him what he meant, he was already leaning down.


    His hand slipped into my bag swiftly, pulling out a book.


    My eyes widened in panic.


    "Give it back to me," I demanded, rising to my feet and trying to snatch it from him.


    But he was taller¡ªtoo tall¡ªand faster. He lifted the book out of my reach like it was a game, and no matter how I jumped, I couldn¡¯t grab it.


    In that moment, I must have looked exactly like what he always called me¡ªa little rabbit, scrambling helplessly.


    Breathless, I finally gave up, arms dropping to my sides in defeat. Why did Alphas always have to be this damn tall and strong?


    He quirked a brow, flipping the book in his hands to read the title.


    "Oh?" His voice wasced with amusement. "I didn¡¯t know my innocent little bunny was into books like this."


    He began circling around me slowly, deliberately. Each step resonated with my heartbeats.


    I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to remainposed.


    "It¡¯s for... for studies," I mumbled. "English literature ss."


    The excuse sounded pathetic the moment it left my lips.


    Heughed softly, passing behind me. "Since when does English literature involve studying erotica?"


    I refused to look at him, eyes locked on the ground.


    "If I knew that, I would¡¯ve never missed English literature ss in my high school days. I believe I would¡¯ve learned it even better than what I already know," he teased.


    I pressed my lips into a thin line, gaze lowered, silently praying for the ground beneath me to open up and swallow me whole.


    But he wasn¡¯t done.


    Completely unfazed, he continued circling me, the book still open in his hand. Then, without warning, he began reading aloud from a random page¡ªhis voice low, deliberate, dangerously smooth.


    "His lips brushed against mine before he slowly captured them... savoring gently, like the sweetest delicacy, while his hands explored my curves... pressing my body into his... my soft breasts crushed against his strong, muscr chest..."


    He passed in front of me, meeting my wide-eyed stare with a smirk.


    "Are you sure you¡¯re not mixing up your sex education ss with English literature?"


    I couldn¡¯t speak. I could barely breathe. It felt like someone had torn open my private thoughts andid them bare in the open air.


    My cheeks burned hotter than fire. I wanted him to stop. I needed him to stop. But the words caught somewhere in my throat and never made it out.


    He turned a few more pages, now passing behind me.


    "...pressed beneath him,pletely naked, I felt him move between my legs... his warm breath brushing over my¡ª"


    "Please stop," I whispered, desperate, my voice trembling.


    I knew exactly what came next. I¡¯d read that line. I¡¯d read that whole scene. And hearing ite from his mouth was unbearable.


    But he didn¡¯t stop.


    "His warm mouth between my legs, as if¡ª"


    "Stop!" I cried, lunging at him.


    In my rush, my foot caught awkwardly, and I stumbled forward.


    He caught me instantly, but the force of my fall sent us both staggering back until his back hit the tree trunk with a solid thud.


    His arm slid around my waist, holding me close against him, the book still gripped in his other hand. My palms pressed against his chest, steadying myself.


    The heat of his body bled through our clothes, sharp and consuming. My breath caught in my throat, heart stuttering violently in my chest as I looked up.


    His eyes met mine. Steady. Intense. Unreadable.


    "I... my foot..." I stammered, flushed with embarrassment, trying to pull away.


    But he didn¡¯t let go.


    His grip at my waist tightened¡ªnot forceful, just firm, like he didn¡¯t want me to move.


    I swallowed hard, nerves fluttering in my stomach as I stood frozen against him, unsure what to do with the way his closeness made my skin burn.


    He looked right into me¡ªlike he could see every thought racing through my mind¡ªand asked, his voice soft, low, and unshakeably steady:


    "Have you ever kissed someone?"


    I shook my head, barely able to breathe.


    "Want to try it?" he asked, his voice quiet but steady.


    He wasn¡¯t teasing. He wasn¡¯t smirking. He meant it.


    My lips parted slightly, but no words came out. My eyes betrayed me, drawn helplessly to his¡ªthen to his mouth.


    Those lips. Tempting, arched, smooth, and slightly parted as he waited for an answer I couldn¡¯t give.


    I had imagined this moment countless times. Especially while reading that book... every time my mind wandered, it was him I pictured¡ªhim holding me, touching me, kissing me.


    But imagination was easier than reality.


    He didn¡¯t rush me. He just stood there, watching me with those intense eyes.


    And then, slowly, he raised his hand and brushed his knuckles across my cheek. The touch sent a shiver down my spine. His fingers traced down to my jaw, grazing my skin with maddening softness.


    "I won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t want," he murmured, his thumb now tracing along my jaw. "Just a kiss. Only if you want it too....if we do, I will make sure you always remember it.""


    I didn¡¯t speak. I couldn¡¯t. But I didn¡¯t pull away either.


    And maybe that was answer enough.

 Chapter 62: Eira’s First Kiss-III

    <h4>Chapter 62: Eira¡¯s First Kiss-III</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    He leaned in slowly, his eyes flicking from mine to my lips. Myshes fluttered shut just as his mouth brushed over mine.


    Featherlight at first. Testing.


    His lips were warm, soft, but there was tension beneath them¡ªsomething restrained. Something hungry.


    He kissed me again, firmer this time, drawing my lower lip between his and sucking it gently. My knees nearly buckled. My fingers clenched the fabric of his shirt as my body instinctively pressed closer to his.


    His hand slid up the curve of my spine, fingers sying wide as he pulled me into him. The book he had dropped fell unnoticed to the ground with a soft thud.


    He tilted his head, deepening the kiss. His tongue brushed against my lip, coaxing¡ªasking for more. I parted my mouth for him without thinking.


    And gods, the way he kissed me after that¡ª


    It wasn¡¯t soft anymore. It was <i>hungry.</i>


    His tongue slid against mine, slow and deliberate, tasting me, exploring me with a confidence that made my body ache. I gasped against his mouth, and he swallowed the sound like it fueled him.


    My whole body felt like it was burning. His hand at my waist gripped me tighter, and the other slipped into my hair, angling my head just right as his mouth consumed mine, deep and erotic and drugging.


    I felt every inch of his chest pressed against mine, every hard line of his body making itself known.


    There was no space left between us. No air. No thought.


    Just the wet heat of his mouth on mine. The slow glide of his tongue. The way his breath hitched every time I whimpered into the kiss.


    When he finally pulled away, it wasn¡¯t abrupt. It was slow, lingering, as if even he didn¡¯t want it to end.


    My lips were swollen, my breath ragged, and I was still trembling in his arms.


    He rested his forehead against mine, our noses brushing, the sound of our uneven breaths filling the silence between us.


    "Now you had your first kiss...with me..." he whispered against my lips, "...and this is just the beginning."


    And I believed him. Because I could still feel the taste of him on my lips. Still feel the burn he left on my skin. And I already wanted more.


    But then I heard him murmur in a restrained tone, "...only if you weren¡¯t a minor right now..."


    I swallowed hard. <i>Then what? What would he have done?</i>


    He slowly released me, making sure I was steady on my feet before walking over to my bag. From the side pocket of the bag, he pulled out the small water bottle tucked there and handed it to me.


    "Have some water," he said.


    I truly needed it. epting it with a small nod, I took a few sips while he turned away, walking forward to face the mountains. He stood there silently, letting the cold breeze from the peaks wash over him, calming whatever storm had risen inside.


    He was an Alpha. It must have been difficult to hold back once desire had been stirred. But he was clearly good at controlling himself.


    The silence between us felt awkward now, almost too heavy.


    "Um... do you want some water?" I asked, unsure.


    He gave a soft hum in response but didn¡¯t look back.


    Still, I walked over and offered him the bottle. He took it without a word, drank a few sips while continuing to face the mountains, then handed it back.


    "Are you alright?" I asked quietly, my eyes fixed on his broad back.


    "If I say no, what will you do?" he replied, his voice low, slightly strained.


    I blinked, startled. He always had this way of catching me off guard, throwing unexpected words that left me speechless.


    For a while, he didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Then finally, he turned to me. "I¡¯m alright." His gaze met mine, calm and reassuring.


    I let out a quiet breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    "Let me walk you back," he said after a pause.


    I nodded. "But only till the school gate."


    There was no way I could let him walk me all the way home¡ªnot unless I wanted a dozen questions and a scolding from my grandparents. Sometimes I wondered... if my parents were still alive, would they have been just as strict? Or would they have cherished me the way Alice¡¯s mother did?


    He hummed softly, then bent down and picked up the book from the ground. "I¡¯ll take this with me."


    <i>Damn it!</i> How had I not noticed it there? Now he was definitely going to tease me.


    I forced an awkward smile and quickly said, "I have to return that book..."


    He raised a single brow, and I shut my mouth.


    "While I¡¯m away, I¡¯ll read it and find out what my little bunny is truly into," he said, voice teasing.


    "It¡¯s not¡ª"


    "Open that mouth to lie again," he cut me off, "and I¡¯ll shut it for you in no time."


    I went quiet, watching helplessly as he tucked the small book into the inside pocket of his trench coat.


    Then, like the gentleman he was, he picked up my schoolbag and carried it for me as we began walking together. For a while, we stayed silent, but it didn¡¯tst.


    "There¡¯s a Silver Moon Festivaling up," he said. "What gift do you want?"


    I nced up at him, surprised he remembered. The Silver Moon Festival was just two weeks away¡ªa celebration meant mostly for young couples in love.


    "Hm?" he prompted again when I didn¡¯t answer.


    "I¡¯m not sure," I admitted honestly.


    "Then you¡¯ll have to ept whatever I choose for you," he said without missing a beat.


    I didn¡¯t read too deeply into it. I simply hummed in response.


    When I returned hometer, a quiet sadness settled in me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to see him for the next two weeks, and the thought already felt unbearable.


    All I could do was hold onto today¡¯s memories... the soft warmth of his presence, his teasing voice, and most of all¡ªthat kiss.


    They said a first kiss was always unforgettable, that it carved its ce into your memory forever.And they were right. It truly felt like something I¡¯d never forget.

 Chapter 63: You Have A Beautiful Hair

    <h4>Chapter 63: You Have A Beautiful Hair</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next day passed in silence between us. After what had happenedst night, I didn¡¯t speak much, only offering help when she needed it. Her toes were still injured, making it difficult for her to walk properly.


    I bathed her again that morning and set her long hair as she sat in front of the mirror, her expression vacant and distant.


    Along withb, my fingers gently ran through her strands. Her beautiful tinum-brown hair had always been one of her defining features. Even now, despite how broken and fragile she seemed, her hair remained just as stunning. The only difference was that it had grown even longer¡ªfalling well past her waist and ends needed trimming.


    "You have beautiful hair," I murmured, unable to hold back thepliment, though it was something I never dared to say in the past.


    She looked at me through the mirror, her eyes heavy with disbelief, as if silently calling me a liar.


    Even if she cursed me with that look, it was better than the hollow, unreadable gaze she often gave¡ªone that told me I meant absolutely nothing to her.


    I gave her a soft smile. "I know what you¡¯re thinking," I said, knowing full well she wouldn¡¯t respond. "I used to say your hair looked like a horse¡¯s tail... even smelled like one."


    She turned her gaze away, a frown forming between her brows. She remembered. And she still hated me for it.


    "What I said back then... I never really meant it," I admitted, continuing to run my fingers through the silky strands. "I teased you whenever you braided your hair because I liked it when it was left open. You looked beautiful with your hair down."


    She said nothing.


    I continued anyway. "All that bullying... it was just to get your attention. Because I really did like you back then."


    But my words meant nothing to her now. Not even a flicker of emotion passed through her face.


    I sighed. "I know... it was the worst possible way to show it. I was a jackass. You can call me that, or anything else you want. I¡¯ll take it."


    Still, she remained silent. I didn¡¯t press her.


    I walked over to the cupboard and retrieved a bag. "I ordered some clothes for you yesterday," I said as I brought it over. "Your wounds are healing now, so you can wear something morefortable."


    I removed the undergarments, setting the bra aside. "You can¡¯t wear this yet. The wounds on your chest might still hurt." I handed her panties and a dress¡ªa simple, soft cotton piece in a peach shade, knee-length and loose, gentle enough not to irritate her bruised skin.


    She held the clothes quietly while I helped her dress. Unwrapping the towel from her body, I guided her arms into the sleeves. She let out a soft groan as she lifted her arms.


    Her chest still hurt.


    Liam had said she would heal soon, so there was nothing to worry about.


    The loose-fitting dress looked beautiful on her. The soft peach hueplemented her pale skin perfectly, casting a gentle glow over her delicate features.


    Once ready, I said, "Today we¡¯re having breakfast outside. You need some sunlight. It will help you feel better."


    As always, I didn¡¯t wait for a response. Instead, I carefully lifted her into my arms and carried her out of the house.


    Just beyond the front patio, the ground was nketed in a neat greenwn. I had already arranged afortable chair for her to sit in, angled just right to catch the morning sun. Gently, I ced her on it.


    Under the soft golden light, she looked radiant. Her long, neatly brushed hair fluttered in the breeze, catching the light with every gentle movement.


    The delicate scent of her skin, mixed with the wind, reached me faintly¡ªand my heart faltered for a moment. No matter how much time had passed, no matter the bruises or the pain, she was still beautiful.


    "I¡¯ll check inside if breakfast is ready and bring it for you," I told her gently before turning toward the house.


    Inside, I found Jason in the kitchen, just starting to prepare breakfast. I stepped beside him to help and asked, "Where¡¯s Lucian?"


    She only ate what he cooked. I needed to make sure that bastard kept feeding her until she got better.


    "He hasn¡¯t returned home," Jason replied, focused on chopping vegetables.


    "He didn¡¯te back after leavingst night?" I asked to be sure.


    Jason hummed in confirmation.


    I nced toward the ss wall, eyes settling on Eira. She was still sitting quietly on the chair, unmoving. If Lucian wasn¡¯t home...


    "Can you make any of the dishes Lucian¡¯s been cookingtely? Exactly the same way?" I asked.


    "If you¡¯re asking for that bitch, then my answer is no," Jason said bluntly, not missing a beat.


    Damn this stubborn bastard.


    "Let her starve for a day," he continued without emotion. "She¡¯ll eat even garbage if you offer it."


    I frowned. "Can¡¯t you be a little thoughtful for once?"


    "She wasn¡¯t thoughtful when she killed my sister," he snapped coldly. "Or my mother."


    I had no words. No argument to defend her now.


    Though Alice and Jennifer weren¡¯t rted to Jason by blood, their loss had hit him the hardest.


    In the past, Lucian once told us how a five-year-old Jason was abused as a child before his mother, Jenifer, adopted him. She was kind-hearted and couldn¡¯t stand seeing a child being beaten and starved by the people around him¡ªrtives just in name.


    The details of it were hurtful to even remember.


    It took a lot of effort for pregnant Jenifer and young Lucian to make him feel safe with them and open up. And that change came after Alice was born. He forgot his own pain and involved himself in protecting his little sister.The once orphaned and abused child was orphaned once more¡ªand she was the reason.


    No matter how much we tried to be good to Eira by ignoring what she did, just mentioning this one topic could bring all those efforts back to zero.


    Just then, the two of us heard the sound of a dog barking.


    "Is that...." I asked.


    Jason hummed, "Seems like Lucian has returned. Now your bitch won¡¯t starve."

 Chapter 64: Someone From The Past

    <h4>Chapter 64: Someone From The Past</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Just then, a full grown, big-sized golden retriever entered the drawing room, barking in delight as Lucian followed behind.


    Fluffy¡ªAlice¡¯s dog. After she was gone, Lucian and Jason always kept him with them, and he spent most of his time along the border security camps. Even now, he was there, but it seemed like Lucian had decided to bring him back.


    Lucian entered the house as well and warned him, "Calm down. You are finally home."


    Fluffy stopped barking and I went to him. He almost jumped on me, clearly happy to see me, so was I.


    "Yes, I missed you as well," I told him as I ruffled his fur, "...good to see you back."


    His barking got Rafe out of his room as well, yawning, stretching his arms, and wearing just a boxer. Bastard just woke up.


    "What¡¯s the chaos?" he asked, and looked at Fluffy.


    The delighted dog hurried to him and jumped on him as well, starting to lick Rafe¡¯s face.


    Annoyed, Rafe warned, though he didn¡¯t push Fluffy away. "Stop it unless you want me to chop your tongue."


    We knew, Rafe didn¡¯t really mean it. It was his usual way of talking to everyone, and it was impossible to hear any pleasant word from him, even by a mistake.


    Fluffy stopped and looked at him, as if waiting for him to pet him. Rafe caressed Fluffy¡¯s head. "Happy? Now go away. Or better¡ªgo out and y in the garden. Your barking is annoying me."


    As Rafe said it, Fluffy looked toward the way to the garden, which was through the wall-sized ss window that directed toward the side house.


    Fluffy¡¯s eyes brightened up, as if he had seen his most favorite thing, and rushed to go out.


    The next thing we knew, he was in front of Eira, already demanding her attention as he ced his front paws on her thighs and licked her cheek.


    "He recognized her even now?" I asked¡ªbut more like a conclusion I¡¯d already made.


    In the past Fluffy was as close to Eira as he was to Alice, and liked her a lot.


    I nced at Lucian. "Did you bring him here for Eira? Because yesterday, Liam mentioned bringing something¡ªor someone¡ªto keep herpany."


    "What the fuck are you talking about?" Lucian snapped, his expression twisted in disbelief, like I¡¯d said something utterly insane. "Staying around that mad-woman must¡¯ve fucked with your brain. You¡¯re losing your damn mind."


    But then....


    "Our Luke must be missing his dear pet desperately to travel overnight back and forth to the farthest security training camp," Rafemented with a smirk. "What a desperately loving master¡ªto miss his pet with such dedication! I¡¯m touched."


    Lucian offered him an annoyed and icy re. "Say a word more, I will make sure nothing of you is left untouched."


    Rafe gave azy shrug and disappeared into his room, entirely unfazed.


    "Keep your bitch away from my pet," Lucian warned me, before heading upstairs to go to his room.


    "That¡¯s your dog who has gone to my bitch, so you better control him," I retorted with a knowing smirk as I watched him leave.


    He looked travel worn and needed to freshen up. As rafe said, he truly travelled overnight without even taking a stop to return by the morning.


    Pretentious bastard! Will never admit the truth.


    <i>Whatever! </i>


    Now that he was home, my only concern was finding a way to make that stubborn bastard cook for Eira again.


    ----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I was relieved when Roman finally left me alone.


    I no longer had to endure his fake concern towards me. Last night he finally showed his true colour of how desperate he was to get inside me, just like all other men.


    But he was so good at pretending, that he acted as if he was not like them. Well, I have been with so many of his kinds, to fall for his act.


    <i>¡¯He want my consent?¡¯</i><i></i>


    What a Joke! That word itself was a joke. Men didn¡¯t need consent from a woman. It was just a some foolish word created by some equally foolish person.


    So he should just drop the act and get done with it.


    I stopped thinking about him focussed on where I was.


    It had been ages since Ist felt sunlight so directly on my skin. The warmth, paired with the gentle breeze, felt like a forgotten luxury.


    I closed my eyes, savoring the moment, afraid it might be myst time basking in the light.


    I heard a distant barking sound, but I ignored it. <i>Probably just one of the security dogs around the estate.</i>


    But as the sound grew closer, more distinct, I opened my eyes. Standing in front of me was a beautiful dog, his tail wagging eagerly. His eyes were soft, his body rxed, yet there was an unmistakable excitement in his posture.


    The moment our eyes met, he spun in a circle like he was chasing his own tail.


    "Fluffy... Is that you?" I breathed.


    At the sound of his name, he stopped instantly and bounded toward me. He nearly climbed into myp, pressing half his weight against me as he licked my cheek.


    It was really him.


    For the first time in so long, my heart stirred with something close to joy. I had found someone from my past¡ªsomeone I didn¡¯t hate.


    I cupped his head and pulled him close, hugging him tightly. "You¡¯ve grown up so big," I whispered.


    When I met him the first time, he was barely a year old. I adored him. He was the pet I was never allowed to have. My grandparents detested animals, so I lived out that wish through Alice¡¯s dog, pretending he was mine.


    Now, he felt even more precious. Because he had belonged to my Alice.


    "Where have you been?" I whispered again, gently cradling his face in my palm. "Did you miss me?"


    He answered by sticking out his tongue and giving my face another slobbery lick.


    "I missed you too," I murmured.


    With him beside me, it felt like I had something of my own again. Someone familiar. Someone who wouldn¡¯t hurt me.


    Every other person from my past had changed and detested me, but this mute animal¡¯s emotions towards me remained the same.


    If there was someone I would ever be happy to see other than my son Ray, it was Fluffy.


    I just hoped they wouldn¡¯t take him away from me.

 Chapter 65: The Most Peaceful Sight

    <h4>Chapter 65: The Most Peaceful Sight</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    After a while, Kael entered the drawing room, dressed sharply in a chocte brown shirt paired with light beige trousers that fit his muscr frame with effortless precision.


    The other two, Lucian and Rafe followed soon after, fresh from their showers and d infortable loungewear¡ªsimple T-shirts and loose pants.


    "Isn¡¯t it the weekend? Are you going somewhere?" I asked Kael, knowing full well he didn¡¯t have any office work today.


    He hummed. "I had a call from the hospital."


    "What the hell now?" Lucian¡¯s irritated voice cut through as he descended the stairs, ruffling his damp hair. "Must be that wrinkly cunt buzzing in her daughter¡¯s ears again."


    "I¡¯ll take care of it," Kael replied calmly.


    And we didn¡¯t doubt it. The way he too care of Sophia¡¯s parents yesterday, it was the mark that he had lost his patience with them.


    "You look fresh today," I noted, watching Kael closely. "Looks like you finally slept in peacest night."


    "Why wouldn¡¯t he?" Lucian chuckled darkly. "He got rid of that bitch Sophia. I¡¯m sure the thought of having to ept that bitch as his mate must have been the reason behind all his haunted nights these past six years."


    I shot Lucian a sharp re to shut his mouth.


    We all knew that wasn¡¯t true. Sophia wasn¡¯t worth making Kael worry. But he never told us what truly haunted him.


    The only reason we could conclude was the brutal memories of him finding his parents ughtered mercilessly by the enemies by the time he reached to help them. All he could do was to gather their bodies piece by piece with his own hands.


    Those memories shattered even our hearts, then one could only imagine Kael¡¯s pain. That kind of grief didn¡¯t let go easily.


    Kael¡¯s gaze shifted toward the ss wall as Fluffy¡¯s distant bark rang out.


    Fluffy being yful, ran around Eira like an excited bunny, and approached her once in a while to receive his much deserved petting from her. Sometimes he licked her cheeks, other times he spun in circles, tail wagging with joy. At one point, he squeezed between her legs, crawling under the chair and popping out the other side, and so on...


    It was a most peaceful sight. A memory brought to life from the past, when they used to y like this.


    Kael turned back to us with a questioning gaze.


    Rafe, with his usual mocking tone, said, "Luke went all the way to fetch his pet just to lend it to that bitch so she wouldn¡¯t feel lonely here."


    Lucian shot him a cold re. "Didn¡¯t I already warn you? Or will you only learn after I fuck the shit out of your brain?"


    "Why are you getting pissed?" Rafe smirked, unfazed. "...Unless you¡¯re feeling guilty."


    "Don¡¯t you dare link my care for my pet to that bitch. It has nothing to do with her," Lucian snapped. "It¡¯s been a long time since Fluffy was away, and I¡¯m sure he missed home. So..."


    "Oh! What a telepathic connection between master and pet!" Rafe cut in mockingly, then turned to Jason. "Don¡¯t you have that kind of telepathic connection with Fluffy too? He¡¯s your pet as well."


    Jason looked up at Rafe, his tone t. "Will you only shut up when Lucian finally loses it and buries you six feet under?" Then he nced at Lucian. "Good that you brought him back. I was missing him anyway."


    "I knew it. That¡¯s another reason I went to get him," Lucian replied with quiet satisfaction, as if he¡¯d done something meaningful for his brother.


    "You two," Rafe sneered, "peas in a fucking pod. Always backing each other¡¯s bullshit and somehow managing to make sense out of it."


    With that, Rafe walked to the refrigerator, yanking open the door. One entirepartment was filled with blood packs, stored just for him. He grabbed one, bit into the top, and drank straight from the pouch using the straw attached.


    Jason and Lucian didn¡¯t say anything to him, knowing this vampire had started to crave for blood again, after staying quiet for a few days. It was better to leave him alone at peace.


    Lucian made his way into the kitchen, even though Jason had already prepared the breakfast.


    "I¡¯ll cook something extra for everyone," Lucian announced. "It¡¯s the weekend, we¡¯re all home, and Fluffy¡¯s back. Feels like a good reason to celebrate."


    I couldn¡¯t help the grin that tugged at my lips. Lucian being in the mood to cook again meant this was my chance.


    "What are you nning to make?" I asked, hopeful it might be something Eira liked.


    At that moment, I found myself wishing I could rece Lucian¡¯s hands with mine¡ªjust to cook for Eira the way she preferred, without waiting for this bastard¡¯s generosity.


    "Jason¡¯s already cooked. Why bother?" Rafe said, speaking around the straw of his blood pouch before Lucian could answer.


    This infuriating blood sucker never missed a chance to rile Lucian up. I just hoped this time he wouldn¡¯t seed in killing Lucian¡¯s mood.


    Lucian shot him a look. "You don¡¯t need to eat it. You can survive off that shitty stored blood."


    Before Rafe could snap back, I cut in, turning to him. "Go bring Fluffy inside. He needs to eat too."


    "I won¡¯t," Rafe said, his face twisting in disgust. "He must be stinking of that bitch¡¯s scent." He walked off, tossing his next words over his shoulder. "Clean him up of her stinking scent before letting him back in the house, or I¡¯ll throw him out of this estate myself."


    He sank into a chair at the dining table like nothing had happened.


    I exhaled quietly, relieved. I knew Rafe wouldn¡¯t actually go get Fluffy¡ªand honestly, I didn¡¯t want him to. Eira looked genuinely happy with him outside. But it was a good excuse to divert Rafe from arguing with Lucian.


    "Jason, you can take everything to the dining table. I¡¯ll be done by then," Lucian said.


    Jason hummed in response, and I stepped forward to help him.


    As we turned, our eyes met with a surprising sight ahead.


    Kael was still standing silently near the sofa, facing the floor-to-ceiling ss window. His gaze was fixed outside¡ªon Eira and Fluffy¡ªentirely oblivious to what we four even arguing about.


    As if sensing our stares, Kael got back to his senses and walked over to the dining table as if nothing happened. He took his seat silently while Jason and I continued arranging the dishes.


    By the time we finished, Lucian joined us, carrying a te and cing it at the center of the table. A stack of chocte pancakes, fresh and fluffy, still steaming slightly.


    We all stared at it in surprise, then looked at Lucian. He dropped into his chair,pletely unbothered.


    "What?" he asked with an annoyed frown. "That day, you all looked like fucking kids ming me for making this only for that bitch and not offering you any. So I thought to let you eat this sweet shit too. Now go ahead and enjoy."


    None of us could argue with his perfectly timed excuse. But the bastard¡ªwhen I asked him yesterday to make this, he refused tantly. And now, when I hadn¡¯t even expected it, he did.


    The unique wiring in his brain was something we¡¯d never be able to figure out.

 Chapter 66: First Heat Cycle

    <h4>Chapter 66: First Heat Cycle</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Either way, I moved quickly, grabbing a te with pancakes, a ss of juice, and some French toast to take out to Eira.


    "You only care about that bitch," Lucian scowled, as he stood up and instructed me. "Wait here."


    He walked back into the kitchen, pulled out Fluffy¡¯s eating bowl from the cab, and poured in some dog food before handing it over to me.


    As he returned to his seat, Rafe couldn¡¯t resist. "Were you worried for your pet or that bitch?" he asked with a smirk. "Fluffy does have a habit of stealing food from others¡¯ tes."


    "I don¡¯t want him being fed by that bitch," Lucian replied coldly. "My pet, my responsibility."


    I let out a sigh as I walked to the door. This bastard and his endless excuses.


    Anyways, Eira was going to love eating this pancake once more. And I was not wrong. The moment I ced the dish on the table next to her chair, she quickly looked at it.


    I ced Fluffy¡¯s meal bowl on the ground and told him to eat, while I picked up that smallwn coffee table and put it in front of Eira.


    "Finish it," I instructed.


    Leaving Fluffy and Eira to eat, I returned to my brothers, only to hear from Kael what I didn¡¯t want to.


    "We have been ordered to be present in front of the council members and the elders, today," Kael¡¯s clear voice reached me, and my heart skipped a beat, my expression soured with worry.


    The day had finally arrived¡ªtime to face those bastard council members.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one. The same look of tension passed across the others¡¯ faces as well.


    I turned to look back at Eira, worry for her gripped my heart.


    "Have they asked to bring her with us as well?" Lucian asked, though we had already discussed before that she would stay home with me.


    Kael hummed, only to have all our expressions turn darker.


    "But we¡¯re not taking her with us," Kael said firmly. "Let them do whatever the fuck they want. We¡¯re not submitting."


    There was no disagreement. We were all on the same page.


    I reached the table and took my seat beside them.


    "When are we leaving?" Jason asked.


    "In the evening," Kael replied.


    "Kael, I don¡¯t think leaving only Roman and Rafe with her is enough," Lucian said. "I should stay behind too, in case anything starts brewing while we¡¯re gone."


    Though I trusted both myself and Rafe to protect Eira, as we were no less, I still wouldn¡¯t mind extra help. At that, Lucian was the strongest among us after Kael.


    "I agree with this," I told them. "You and Jason¡ªboth your presence should be enough to test the waters there."


    Everyone agreed to it.


    -----


    After we finished breakfast, Liam arrived¡ªjust like always¡ªto check on Eira.


    He greeted us casually, but his attention quickly drifted to the same scene we had been quietly admiring a while ago: Eira and Fluffy.


    "Oh! That¡¯s good. You got her apanion," Liam remarked, ncing at us with a hint of amusement in his voice. "That¡¯s actually a thoughtful move... though, least expected from you."


    "You can shove your sarcasm up your ass," Lucian snapped. "And for the record, that¡¯s my pet. He belongs to this home. He¡¯s not some fucking toy to entertain a sickly bitch."


    "Yeah, sure," Liam replied with a bored look, clearly unfazed.


    Lucian gritted his teeth, then red in Fluffy¡¯s direction. "That bastard..." he muttered and stormed out toward the yard.


    I followed him in a hurry, thinking he would take his anger out on Eira.


    The others followed us out as well, thinking the same as me. Lucian was unpredictable. The next moment we might just see him strangling Eira.


    "Fluffy! Get the hell away from her!" Lucian¡¯s angry voice boomed across thewn. "She¡¯s a bitch, but not your species. Don¡¯t even think about sticking your cock in her rotten cunt. It might just fucking fall off."


    Damn this bastard and his filthy mouth.


    "Come here. Let me bathe you," Lucian barked, heading toward the one side of thewn, which had an open bathing space for Fluffy where he always enjoyed his time in the water.


    Fluffy stuck to Eira instead. He hid under the chair Eira was sitting on.


    "Youing, or do you want me to send your ass back to the border?" Lucian warned, twisting the tap to start the flow from the shower pipe, and taking out the shower gel for Fluffy from the small stony storage cab.


    Standing on the side, we waited to see what was going to happen.


    Eira, who had looked so at peace just a few minutes ago, had turned cold again. Her soft expression was gone. Lucian, that bastard, had ruined her mood all over again.


    "Fluffy,e out," we heard Eira¡¯s soft voice.


    Only Fluffy was privileged enough to make her talk willingly. While she didn¡¯t even bat an eye on us, let alone spare a word on us.


    And surprisingly, Fluffy came out and snuggled against her. She held his face and whispered something to him.


    In the next moment, Fluffy turned and ran back to Lucian, tail wagging, as if following hermand without hesitation. Despite meeting her after so long, he listened to her better than any of us.


    "What an unexpected scene toe across!" Liammented as he walked toward Eira, making sure we heard him. "Now this ce looks like a home rather than a haunted house."


    My heart felt overwhelmed to hear it. And I could sense the same feelings from Kael, Jason, and Rafe. But none of us would admit it, because her sins weighed higher than what we once wished.


    Jason walked toward where Lucian was bathing Fluffy, while I heard Kael ask Rafe, "Where¡¯s your cat?"


    Yeah, this self-oriented bastard was kind enough to have a cat. Six years back, when we moved here, one day he brought a few-month-old kitten¡ªweak and bony, as if she hadn¡¯t been fed properly.


    We all took her in and cared for her along with Fluffy. And it was surprising to see Rafe¡¯s care toward her. That made us think this bastard was not entirely devoid of any emotions.


    But in recent days, between his rising bloodlust and the chaos following Eira¡¯s arrival, we had all forgotten about her.


    "She¡¯s probably wandering somewhere around the estate," Rafe said, scanning the area. "I¡¯ll find her."


    Though a cat, she was a family member now.


    "We could use Fluffy¡¯s help. He always finds her," I suggested to which Rafe agreed.


    "I¡¯ll be back in a few hours," Kael said, preparing to leave.


    But then we heard something that made us freeze in our ces.


    "When did you have your first heat cycle?"


    It was Liam who asked Eira after inspecting her wounds and checking her condition.


    We three from this side, and the other two bathing Fluffy on the other side, stopped working as if we waited to hear it.


    Though standing away, we could hear them clearly. Our ears¡ªour gazes¡ªdarted in their direction.


    "I didn¡¯t have it," we heard her reply. No emotions, as if she didn¡¯t care.

 Chapter 67: Questioning Eira About Her Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 67: Questioning Eira About Her Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    <i>What?</i>


    I couldn¡¯t even say it aloud. The word echoed inside my head, stunned and sharp.


    Her reply had left not just me, but everyone else frozen in ce.


    Kael, who had been about to walk out, stopped mid-step. Rafe, in the middle of looking for his cat, turned stiff. Jason and Lucian, who had been washing Fluffy, paused as if someone had snapped their strings.


    Liam himself looked speechless to hear what Eira said. Being a werewolf doctor, someone who understood the significance of what she¡¯d just revealed, that silence of his said everything.


    "You... never...?" Liam stammered, disbelief contorting his face. "You¡¯re a pureblood. Their heat cycle is vital¡ªnot just important, but essential for survival. And it¡¯s one of the most painful and difficult phases... How could you not?" His words fumbled, as if his brain was scrambling to ept what he¡¯d just heard. "You¡¯re twenty-two. Aftering of age, you should have gone through heat at least a few times by now."


    We saw her lifting her gaze to meet Liam¡¯s. As always, cold and emotionless.


    "Being fucked every single day and night without a single quiet moment to breathe... was there still a need for my body to get into heat?"


    Her voice was cold, devoid of emotion¡ªyet it wasn¡¯t bitterness or sarcasm. It sounded like she was simply stating a fact.


    "I got a good fuck for six whole years¡ªwithout needing to be in heat or even asking for it. And it¡¯s going to continue till the end of my life. Just the fucking whore I am. So don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not getting into heat. Not now. Not ever."


    Liam wasn¡¯t the only one left speechless. Even the five of us stood there, unable to find words.


    Not just Liam¡ªeven the five of us felt speechless.


    My heart pained to hear truth of those past six years of her life from her directly.


    But there was no counterargument we coulde up with, except for satisfying our rage-filled egos with a single conclusion¡ª<i>She deserved it for what she did.</i>


    Just the right excuse to make ourselves feel less guilty¡ªif we were ever going to even feel it.


    "Your wolf... what¡¯s the situation? Can you feel it?" Liam asked,posing himself after her shattering reply.


    "I don¡¯t know," she answered without looking at him. Her voice was t, distant.


    Losing a wolf was worse than death for a werewolf. It was losing a part of your soul¡ªyour strength, your identity.


    But she didn¡¯t care.


    "Eira, be honest and tell me," Liam said gently. "We know if you had truly lost your wolf, you wouldn¡¯t be alive today. Something must be keeping it going. Maybe there¡¯s still some hope... something left inside you."


    At that, she looked at him again.


    Both of them stared in silent gazes, as if he had just said something to strike the chord. I could tell something unspoken passed between them.


    "Eira, I just want to know the truth. That¡¯s it," Liam assured her, as if making it clear to her to let her guards down.


    She let out an irritated sigh. "I just feel it¡¯s faint presence. That¡¯s it."


    "Have you ever shifted?" Liam asked quietly.


    She shook her head. "Never."


    Liam exhaled, long and helpless, as if he¡¯d just heard something truly devastating.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?" he asked, his voice strained. "You¡¯ve missed the two most crucial phases in any werewolf¡¯s life."


    She didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she looked away, clearly uninterested in his concern¡ªlike his worry was just another burden she didn¡¯t care to carry.


    "This won¡¯t do," Liam said atst, regaining hisposure. "We¡¯ll begin proper treatment. First, to trigger your heat¡ªit should help reconnect you with your wolf. After that, we¡¯ll work on initiating your first shift. Alright?"


    "I¡¯m used to letting people do whatever the hell they want with me," she said coldly. "You don¡¯t need to exin anything. Just do what you think will earn you a favor from your masters¡ªwho can¡¯t wait to fuck me."


    Her gaze snapped back to him, dark and void of care. "Maybe you can join in too. I don¡¯t reject anyone¡ªyoung, old, ugly, handsome, rich, poor, stinky, dirty, whatever. All are the same to me. They¡¯re guaranteed to get what they want."


    "Eira," Liam eximed, his voiceced with anger.


    And he wasn¡¯t alone. We all felt the same fire burning inside us.


    She was offering herself like...


    I didn¡¯t even have the words. No curse or insult could express what I was feeling.


    Whatever happened with her before, now she was with us. None of us had done anything with her, instead we took care of her despite we hated her.


    "I¡¯ve always considered you like a daughter," Liam said, clearly hurt. He began packing up his bag, his hands tight with frustration. "By tomorrow, I¡¯ll arrange the specific medications you need. We¡¯ll start treatment tomorrow."


    But even then, she didn¡¯t flinch.


    She simply turned her face away again, rejecting his concern without a word.


    Till this day, she had been utterly silent, barely speaking. Her eyes had always been the only window into her soul¡ªbut even that was impossible to read.


    Now that she had finally started to speak...It was clear her heart held nothing but hatred, bitterness, and distrust.


    Maybe she never trusted anything at all¡ªnot even the air she breathed.


    Liam came to us and talked to Kael, knowing well we all had heard them talking.


    "I will start her treatment tomorrow. I need some time to arrange the medication," he said calmly.


    Kael simply hummed.


    Liam added, "Don¡¯t let her words get to you. Her soul has been deeply wounded. She will always do and say the things that hurt her the most, rather than they hurt us. All we have to do is be patient with her."


    Kael hummed once more, and Left with Liam after instructing me to take care of the things.


    The silence that followed was heavy, ufortable. But it didn¡¯tst long.


    Lucian¡¯s angry voice suddenly shattered the stillness. "You bastard,e back here, or I¡¯ll chop your damn paws off!"


    We turned to see him shouting at Fluffy, who had dashed ahead, water dripping from his soaked fur as he ran straight toward Eira.


    The moment he reached her, Fluffy shook himself with full force, sending heavy droplets of water sshing all over Eira.

 Chapter 68: Vixen

    <h4>Chapter 68: Vixen</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    The woman, cold as ice and lost in her thoughts, blinked rapidly as the sudden wetness snapped her back to reality.


    She looked at Fluffy, her eyes softening faintly. "Fluffy, you¡¯re still like this. You really need a beating."


    It was the exact softly annoyed tone she used to scold him in the past¡ªand for a fleeting second, it felt like the old Eira was still there.


    She tried to move, perhaps to stop him, but gasped as painnced through her chest. Her ribs. The sudden movement must¡¯ve strained them.


    I rushed to her side.


    Lucian arrived a momentter. His angry gaze was fixed entirely on Fluffy.


    "You just wait," he muttered. "I¡¯m chopping your tail off so you don¡¯t wag it at some random bitch anymore."


    I clenched my fist, resisting the urge to punch him in the face.


    Fluffy had just done the best thing any of us could have hoped for¡ªhe pulled Eira back into a moment that felt like the past.


    But this bastard Lucian couldn¡¯t hold his tongue, not even now.


    I ignored him and asked, "Are you alright?"


    She didn¡¯t answer, and wiped the water droplets off her face with her hands.


    "Don¡¯t scold him," Rafe¡¯s voice cut in. "I need him to look for my cat."


    Lucian looked at him as if he realized someone was indeed missing around them.


    "Where¡¯s that Vixen?" Lucian asked.


    I noticed Eira¡¯s brows draw together in a frown at the way he referred to the cat. Well then, she was in for a little surprise.


    As if on cue, after hearing what Lucian said, Fluffy ran toward the other end of thewn, toward the rows of trees.


    "Looks like he found her," Rafe muttered, already following after him. Lucian followed them as well.


    Fluffy disappeared behind the thick tree trunks, his bark echoing from somewhere deeper within.


    Rafe and Lucian circled around thatrger tree, disappearing from sight for a moment before Lucian¡¯s annoyed voice rang out.


    "What the fuck is she doing here under the stack of dried twigs? And why the hell did she drag her nket out here into the dirt? Can¡¯t she just sleep in her own damn ce? What a waste!"


    I noticed Eira¡¯s eyes dart toward the tree as she heard Lucian. Maybe she was curious to see the cat. That¡¯s a good thing¡ªanotherpanion for her, if she liked cats as well.


    From behind the tree, we heard Rafe¡¯s voice¡ªlow but firm. "Come out, Vixen."


    The tone wasn¡¯t exactly inviting. This vampire had never quite mastered the art of coaxing.


    But the cat obeyed.


    She came out and Rafe scooped her up into his arms with surprising care, and we watched as he turned to head back towards us.


    A beautiful feline with bright blue eyes, thick and fluffy with a soft cream-colored coat. Her head was perfectly round, her face t and doll-like, her ears, paws, and tail shaded in deep brown, creating a graceful contrast against her pale fur.


    She sat nestled along Rafe¡¯s strong arm like a little princess, calm and regal. His other hand gently stroked her fur. Though he was strict, he had spoiled her in his own silent, possessive way.


    Behind, Fluffy came running along with Lucian while dragging the nket, which he had caught in his teeth.


    As they reached near, I went to them. "Is she alright?"


    Rafe hummed as he ran his hand down the cat¡¯s back. "Seems to have put on weight, so she must be doing fine."


    I nodded in agreement. "She really does look fatter. And it¡¯s only been a few days."


    Just then, the cat let out a soft meow and leapt from Rafe¡¯s arms, her ears perking up as if something had caught her attention.


    To no one¡¯s surprise, she headed straight toward Eira. And without hesitation, she climbed into herp and settled there, purring softly.


    Lucian frowned. "Just like mine, your pet¡¯s a traitor too."


    Rafe didn¡¯tment, but he looked at Eira, who seemed to be surprised at something.


    "Kitty? Is that you?" Eira asked in a whisper, as if uncertain, as if she were speaking to someone she had known before.


    Lucian and I exchanged nces and looked at Rafe, who offered us a questioning gaze in return.


    "Her name is Vixen," Rafe said, his words directed at Eira. "Kitty? One doesn¡¯t even seem to take efforts in choosing names. Just like a bitch is called a bitch. Whore is called whore."


    Eira ignored him entirely, her attention focused on the cat in herp. She gently examined her, brushing a hand over the soft fur as if reacquainting herself with something long lost.


    I nced at Rafe. "And you thought you were being innovative naming her Vixen?"


    "I didn¡¯t have to. Every female kind is a born vixen," Rafe replied smugly and turned to his cat. "Vixen, let¡¯s go."


    But the cat didn¡¯t move. She remained curled in Eira¡¯sp, perfectly content.


    "You two need to start training your pets properly," Jason remarked as he finally joined us. "Already siding with the traitor."


    Lucian agreed with a grunt. "They¡¯re getting out of hand. A fewshes with a fine stick should set them straight and¡ª"


    "She is pregnant," Eira said all of a sudden.


    All four of us were stunned to hear it. <i>Vixen, pregnant?</i>


    "Don¡¯t hurt her," Eira said again, looking at Lucian.


    Both her hands wrapped protectively around Vixen, shielding the small cat against her stomach as if she truly believed we were going to beat that small cat. At the same time, there was pain in her eyes when she said it, as if she was considering Vixen¡¯s pain as her own if we beat her.


    "This can¡¯t be," Rafe said with cold confidence. "There is no bastard cat around here to touch my cat. I made sure of it."


    "Ignore her. Other than being fucked, what else does she even know?" Lucianmented. "Let¡¯s take Vixen and go."


    Before Eira could feel more upset with them, I stepped ahead and told her, "Let me get her."


    Eira still didn¡¯t let her go.


    "Trust me, we never hurt her. She¡¯s like our daughter," I assured her. "Don¡¯t take their words seriously."


    She hesitated, then slowly loosened her grip.


    Finally, I lifted Vixen from her arms.


    "She¡¯s definitely heavier than before," I muttered, adjusting the cat in my arms. I turned to Jason. "Can you tell if she really is pregnant?"


    Time to use his rotten knowledge from studying medicines, though he was not a vet.


    Jason examined the cat while I held her in my arms. "Hmm, she is indeed pregnant."


    And just like that, I felt a sharp chill pass beside me.


    Rafe¡¯s voice came next¡ªlow, furious, and ice cold.


    "Who the fuck dared touch my cat?" His furious eyes narrowed, fixed on the woods as if searching for someone. "Whoever that bastard is... he¡¯s going to lose his life today."


    None of us doubted Rafe¡¯s words. The Vampire was furiously possessive when it came to his cat.


    Back then, when he brought her home, the cat was sick for days, as she seemed to have been soaking in the rain for a long time before he found her.


    Rafe had cared for her personally, tending to her needs with a dedication none of us had expected. He had even gone so far as to threaten the vet¡ªpromising to drain him of everyst drop of blood if anything happened to the kitten.


    Too much possessiveness towards the kitten he had just found¡ªit seemed crazy at that time.


    But then I looked at Eira, whose eyes never left Vixen.


    It made me wonder if she knew this cat. But as far as I remember, she didn¡¯t have any pet and oftenined to Alice that her grandparents wouldn¡¯t allow her to have one.

 Chapter 69: Suspicious Of Sophia

    <h4>Chapter 69: Suspicious Of Sophia</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Pushing aside the thoughts of everything I had heard from Liam and that bitch, I made my way to the hospital.


    Sophia had requested to see me, and I came only to make sure this wasn¡¯t another trick orchestrated by her mother. If it was, then they¡¯d be taught their final lesson¡ªone they wouldn¡¯t forget.


    I entered her room quietly. Shey reclined on the hospital bed, propped up enough to hold a book in her hands. The moment she saw me, she turned with a bright smile.


    "Kael!" she called, her voice sweet and soft,ced with a kind of affection I didn¡¯t bother to return.


    I gave her a faint nod and nced at the book. She noticed.


    "You know how much I love romance novels," she said, gently closing it. "I was just reading to entertain myself. It reminded me of the sweet times we had together... it made me feel better."


    <i>Sweet times?</i><i></i>


    My brows creased slightly, but I said nothing. If her definition of sweetness was clinging to me constantly while I tolerated it only for my mother¡¯s sake, then sure, I supposed that was her version of it.


    I sat down in the chair beside her. "You asked for me?"


    She nodded with a light hum. "A few days ago, my birthday passed... but we couldn¡¯t celebrate because of my condition. I¡¯m so upset I couldn¡¯t enjoy it with my people¡ªyou, our friends."


    "You¡¯ll be better soon," I said, my tone t, detached.


    "I can¡¯t wait," she replied, smiling wistfully. "When is the treatment scheduled? I just want to get out of here and celebrate properly. Is that she-wolf still not healed?"


    Yesterday she asked the same thing. I let out an inward sigh and replied the same, "Not yet," I answered. "We have to wait."


    Before I was kind and careful towards Sophia, but something had changed in me after I confronted her parents yesterday. It was as if I had lost my all patience with this family now.


    Thepulsion of care I had been forcing myself to feel towards her, was breaking away slowly.


    Had it started yesterday or even before that, I couldn¡¯t quite figure it out.


    Sophia stared at me for a moment, her smile slowly fading. Her tone dropped to something quieter, more uncertain.


    "Kael... are you falling for that she-wolf? Just because she¡¯s a pureblood and can give you a child without trouble?"


    Finally she asked what must have been eating her for days now, and her mother must have poked her as well.


    "You¡¯re overthinking it."


    "What if she¡¯s faking it?" she pressed. "Just trying to gain your sympathy. You¡¯re the Alpha of this pack, Kael. Every she-wolf wants you. That pureblood are scheming Vixens. Don¡¯t fall for her tricks."


    "She¡¯s not," I said firmly. "I told you¡ªshe was trafficked. She was abused."


    Sophia¡¯s expression hardened.


    "Kael, she¡¯s a pureblood," she insisted. "They¡¯re made for getting fucked. Even if multiple Alphas like you fucked her at once, she wouldn¡¯t be hurt. That¡¯s how they¡¯re built. What possibly can be wrong with her?"


    The way she said it¡ª<i>multiple Alphas fucking Eira at the same time</i>¡ªit got under my skin.


    My gaze darkened as I replied coldly, "Your mother is a pureblood she-wolf, so it seems you know them better. Scheming and only build to be fucked?"


    Her expression twisted the moment I brought up that whore of a mother. She was left speechless, lips parting slightly as if the weight of my words had knocked the air from her lungs.


    "Kael..." she whispered, almost pleading.


    "Even a pureblood isn¡¯t immortal," I said, referring to Eira. "There are ways they can be hurt¡ªbrutally. Even to the point of losing their wolf."


    Her eyes widened. Panic flickered in them instantly.


    "Don¡¯t tell me... she¡¯s lost her wolf. If she has, I won¡¯t be healed, Kael."


    "She hasn¡¯t," I said. "But we need to recover it from whatever¡¯s left of it."


    Sophia finally gave a soft hum of agreement. "I¡¯m sorry. I was in haste. Just make sure she heals."


    I offered no response, only a silent nod, and stood to leave. But then she spoke again.


    "Kael, even if I can¡¯t go outside yet, how about calling everyone here instead? You and our four friends. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen them. This VIP room isrge enough to host a small celebration."


    I nearly scoffed. <i>Our</i> friends?


    I wanted to tell her the truth¡ªthat they were <i>my</i> friends. They merely tolerated her for my sake. They would nevere here willingly.


    "They¡¯re busy," I told her, tone final. "They won¡¯t be able to make it."


    "Then... how about a video call?" she offered, her voice a touch too sweet. "They must be busy helping you with pack matters. Or perhaps they¡¯re guarding that pureblood she-wolf. We could include her in the call too. That way, I get to meet her without bothering having toe here."


    My brows furrowed.


    Now I understood. This wasn¡¯t just about seeing old friends or celebrating a dyed birthday. It was strategy.


    Her mother must have finally told her the truth¡ªthat other four were not just friends, but my <i>sworn mate-brothers</i> now. And if she wanted to be my mate, she needed them to ept her as their mate as well. She was going to get on their good side and maybe try to seduce them with her gentle act.


    And she also wanted to see the pureblood herself, confirm the threat with her own eyes.


    "Involving her isn¡¯t possible. She needs to rest," I repeated. "I¡¯ll make sure to send you a gift. I forgot earlier."


    She gave a hollowugh. "What kind of gift can I even use in this situation?" Her voice softened. "All I wanted was to feel connected to those I care about. But even that¡¯s being denied to me."


    "For now, just focus on getting better," I said, firm. "The rest can wait until you¡¯re out of here."


    She fell quiet for a moment, then her voice dropped,ced with nostalgia and bitterness.


    "I can only hold on to the memories of myst birthday. The one we celebrated six years ago. Everyone was there... it was such a lovely evening." Her gaze drifted to her arm, where a faint scar still lingered. "But that bitch Eira ruined it."


    She looked back at me, eyes narrowing.


    "She hurt me out of jealousy, because I was your girlfriend. I wonder how obsessed that traitor must¡¯ve been with you tosh out like that. No wonder she ran to our enemies when she couldn¡¯t have you."


    For a moment I wondered if she knew the pureblood I bought was Eira, but it wasn¡¯t possible. Maybe she was just trying to stir my emotions to keep me bound to her.


    At that moment, the memory of that evening resurfaced.


    Something had happened between Eira and Sophia. In the end, Sophia¡¯s arm was injured.


    Back then, Sophia insisted it wasn¡¯t intentional. She even tried to defend Eira, iming it was just an ident. But her defense only cast more suspicion¡ªpeople began to wonder if Eira had tried to harm her out of jealousy or some deeper grudge.


    I remembered Eira shaking her head silently, her innocent eyes brimming with tears as she struggled to speak. But no words came.

 Chapter 70: He Used To Call Me a Vixen

    <h4>Chapter 70: He Used To Call Me a Vixen</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Eventually, Alice stepped in and took Eira away¡ªthough not before confronting Sophia for blowing the incident out of proportion. No one scolded either of them. The truth remained unknown, and with time, the matter was quietly buried. We all assumed it was just a misunderstanding.


    But now, even after six years¡ªdespite iming her memories were still hazy¡ªSophia recalled it with perfect rity.


    "We should¡¯ve known back then what kind of person she was," I heard Sophia say softly as she traced the faint scar on her arm. "Instead of defending her, I should¡¯ve told you the truth¡ªthat she tried to harm me. If I had, her true nature would¡¯vee out sooner... before she could do worse."


    I said nothing.


    She turned to me, her eyes sincere. "I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t warn you earlier. I was just being considerate of Alice¡¯s feelings."


    I gave a short hum, unwilling to say more.


    "I¡¯ll send you more books," I said, standing. "You can pass the time reading."


    She didn¡¯t seem pleased that I was leaving, but she masked her disappointment with a smile.


    "Thank you. Come see me again soon."


    I nodded once, then left.


    I headed straight to Liam¡¯s office. The old man was poring over reports when I entered. Without looking up, he gestured toward the seat across from him. "Have a seat."


    I sat in silence as he put the papers aside and finally met my gaze. "You¡¯re here to ask about Sophia¡¯s treatment," he said knowingly.


    I shook my head. "I want to know about <i>her</i>. What you talked to her about today."


    He immediately understood who I meant. "As you know, we need to do everything we can to bring her wolf out of hiding."


    "How long?" I asked again, my tone firmer.


    "That depends entirely on how you treat her," Liam replied. "She¡¯s not beyond redemption. She just needs time... and a little thoughtful behavior from you and your mate brothers."


    "We¡¯ll follow your instructions," I assured him. Then I added, voice lowering with subtle warning, "I want Sophia recovered. At any cost."


    Liam gave a short, knowing chuckle. "You really do love her, despite your cold exterior."


    I didn¡¯t correct him. There was no need to exin what my true intentions were¡ªnot yet.


    It was bing clear that we had overlooked far too much in the past. And now was the time to dig it all up¡ªand it will start with Sophia. But to do that, she needed to be fully healed. I wasn¡¯t giving her the excuse of her dying condition as a shield anymore.


    "I¡¯ve already given the orders for special medication to be prepared for Eira," Liam said as he leaned back in his chair, eyes sharp as they studied me. "Once we begin the treatment, she¡¯ll enter heat. I wonder if you are willing to take care of her heat phase, Alpha?"


    My brows drew together slightly at his words. "We brought her to fuck. That won¡¯t be an issue."


    He shook his head slowly, disappointment written across his features. "All I¡¯m saying is this¡ªwhen that timees, even in her heat, don¡¯t treat her like some mindless animal. Show her some damn care. Some kindness. Don¡¯t break her again."


    My gaze hardened. "You don¡¯t need to tell me what I should do with what¡¯s mine."


    He raised a brow. "Yours?"


    "I¡¯ve paid more than enough to buy her," I replied tly.


    "Well," he sighed, "I can¡¯t exactly argue with that."


    "In the evening, Jason and I are heading to meet the council members. I want you there."


    He nodded without hesitation. "I¡¯ll do whatever is needed to protect... what¡¯s yours, Alpha."


    "You better," I said as I stood to leave.


    He was a doctor¡ªand his word carried weight. His support would justify why we hadn¡¯t brought Eira before the council yet. It would buy us more time until Eira is healed entirely.


    ----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I was already overwhelmed when I saw Fluffy, but when I heard they have a cat as well, I couldn¡¯t help but be curious.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why, but I¡¯d always had a special attachment to animals. I loved being around them, loved the idea of having them as pets. But my grandparents never allowed it.


    But Fluffy wasn¡¯t the only one I had. I had a kitten as well, but no one knew about her. She was my secret pet.


    I still have the memories fresh from that day when I found her.


    It was a quiet afternoon, and I was walking home from school. Just before reaching my house, I heard a faint meowing from the woods near the path.


    My home had always been a little isted from the rest of the pack. A cozy, cottage-style house surrounded by a modest garden and a ring of trees. My grandparents liked their silence, their space.


    That day, I couldn¡¯t hold back my curiosity and went towards the trees to follow that sound, my steps slow and light as if to not scare the animal.


    "Miao," I called softly.


    To my surprise, a tiny meow echoed back.


    Step by step, I traced the sound, and soon I found her¡ªcurled into herself in a bed of dried leaves and twigs under a tree.


    So small. So fragile.


    I picked her up gently. Her frail little body trembled in my arms, so I held her closer to my chest, trying to warm her with what little I had.


    "Shh... little kitty, you¡¯re safe now," I whispered, coaxing her softly.


    I searched for her mother, but there was no trace. Maybe she¡¯d been abandoned for being too weak. Or maybe something had happened to the mother. Either way, I couldn¡¯t leave her there¡ªnot with a wound on her paw and the cold already settling in.


    But I couldn¡¯t take her into the house either.


    So I made a space for her near therge boulder behind the cottage. It was covered with heavy stones and had crevices wide enough for her to nestle inside, safe and hidden.


    Every day, I snuck out and brought her food¡ªmilk, soft bits of bread, warm scraps of cloth to build a bedding. I gave her everything I could without being found out.


    Slowly, she started to get better. She began walking around. ying a little. Curling up when I arrived. Not being able toe up with any name, I kept calling her kitty.


    But we were together for barely a month or two.


    Then... the incident happened, and I lost everything from my past.


    Despite my own pain, and being the one who desperately needed someone toe for my rescue, once in a while I would wonder how kitty must be, and if there was someone to take care of her in my absence. I could only pray for her to be safe and grow healthy as I knew I was never going to see her ever again.


    Now I saw this cat¡ªVixen¡ªit reminded me of her.


    She looked just like her. Same cream-colored coat. Same bright blue eyes. Same t little face. Just grown up in size now. But more than anything... the same tiny scar on her paw.


    I remembered that scar. I had treated that wound myself the day I found her.


    And my heart told me it was her, but then, who would argue with that overly possessive and psychotic vampire?


    As long as I could have her around, that was enough.


    <i>Vixen?</i>


    What kind of a name was that?


    Wait¡ª


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I heard him say it. I recalled now.


    He used to call <i>me</i> that too¡ªVixen.

 Chapter 71: Left For The Council Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 71: Left For The Council Meeting</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    The entire day passed with our pets circling the side house like they¡¯d been enchanted.


    Those little bastards kept returning there so often that we finally gave up and let them stay.


    As if that bitch had cast some spell over them, they refused to leave her side.


    Fluffy, I could understand¡ªhe knew her from the past. But Vixen? That stubborn thing was even worse than Fluffy. No amount of threats worked on her. And now that we knew she was pregnant, we couldn¡¯t do much but let her have her way.


    On the other hand, Rafe had gone off on a hunt of his own¡ªsearching for any tomcat in the vicinity that could¡¯ve possibly knocked up his precious feline. He was fuming, as if it wasn¡¯t his pet that got fucked, but his woman. That wild, possessive beast inside him had fully awakened.


    When he returned home, I asked, "Found the bastard?"


    "Found and threw all of them down the hill," he replied casually, dropping onto the sofa like he¡¯d just aplished something grand.


    "You should¡¯ve just shot them all, so none of the bastard is left to even look at her again," Lucian added.


    I nearly rolled my eyes. "It¡¯s a cat. You really think you can stop her from giving in to nature¡¯s call? If she doesn¡¯t breed with another cat, will she breed with you wolves?"


    "She doesn¡¯t need to breed anymore," Rafe dered firmly. "Once she gives birth this time, I¡¯m taking her to the vet. She¡¯s getting neutered. So she won¡¯t go to any bastard ever again."


    "I am relieved that you¡¯re not nning to take her to the vet to abort the pregnancy," I said dryly.


    "This is the only time she¡¯s allowed to have the babies as killing them is a sin," Rafe told.


    And he wasn¡¯t wrong. None of us ever harmed a child, even if the child belonged to our enemies. Born or unborn, none were ever harmed. But the adults... they paid in full.


    While the bitch was left in the side house with our pets, Roman came to join us.


    We were still waiting for Kael. He hadn¡¯t returned for lunch, and now it was evening¡ªwe were supposed to leave for the council meeting soon.


    "Where do you think he went?" Roman asked. "Maybe Sophia¡¯s caused trouble?"


    "I don¡¯t think so," I replied. "Maybe he just needed some time alone. He¡¯ll be back soon."


    Just as I said it, we heard the sound of a car pulling into the drive.


    Kael had returned.


    No one asked him where he¡¯d been.


    He looked straight at me. "We need to leave."


    I gave a nod, grabbed my trench coat.


    Kael turned to the other three. "Stay alert. Keep an eye on the security systems. If anything happens, let me us know immediately."


    They all nodded in unison.


    Lucian added, "Don¡¯t worry. When you return, we¡¯ll have a good meal waiting. A little feast, courtesy of me."


    Lucian was trying to ease us of worries, but we knew better¡ªhe was equally ready to face any attack if it happened tonight.


    Earlier, Lucian and I had already made sure the estate¡¯s entire perimeter was secured. Reinforced. Watched.


    Kael and I left in his car, trusting the other three to protect that bitch.


    -----


    After traveling for more than an hour, we finally arrived at thend where our pack shared the border with two other packs¡ªthe neutral territory that belonged only to the werewolf council.


    It was here that the grand estate of the Werewolf Council stood.


    An imposing structure, isted from the influence of any one pack.


    The council was formed by six elders, each once a powerful Alpha of one of the six major packs still in existence.


    To serve the council, they had break all formal ties to their former packs. They lived here, with their families, in homes built within the boundaries of the vast council estate¡ªseparate from the world they once ruled.


    This istion was meant to maintain decisions with the principle of neutrality.


    The decisions made here affected the entire werewolf world. There could be no bias. No loyalty. No exception.


    The council¡¯s operations were funded by annual contributions from every pack¡ªcollected into a central mary reserve, managed exclusively by the council¡¯s own bank.


    This fund wasn¡¯t just for administration. It was used to support weaker packs in need of aid, promote development, and maintain stability across the territories.


    Every matter brought before the council¡ªwhether disputes between packs or conflicts within them¡ªwas reviewed in detail. Investigated. Judged.


    Their decision was always final, and everyone had to obey it without any resistance.


    They even had their own warriors teams, highly equipped and trained.


    The purpose of creating this council was simple: to safeguard the welfare of the werewolf world.


    But with such power and authority, came the inevitable evil¡ª Greed.


    Their neutrality had be fragile over the years¡ªtainted by ambition, favoritism, and self-interest.


    Judgments were no longer always fair. Not every decision served justice.


    But that was the system, and we had to live with it.


    And tonight, we had to face it.


    Our car passed through the massive gates of the council estate, granted entry by the guards stationed at the checkpoint.


    We drove through the wide stone-paved path until we reached the main building¡ªa grand structure built in the style of ancient architecture, timeless and imposing.


    It was here that the central council meetings were held.


    The heart of werewolf authority.


    As we stepped into the grand council hall, the six council members were already seated behind a long, imposing desk, each settled in a high-backed, cushioned chair that signified their authority.


    The architecture of the room was as regal as it was ancient, built to intimidate andmand respect.


    Along both the left and right walls ran rows of chairs, positioned to face each other¡ªwhere opposing parties typically sat during disputes.


    A few elders from our pack were present, along with representatives from neighboring packs.


    "Good to see you, Alpha Kael," the senior-most council member, Jeffery, greeted Kael with a formal nod, before acknowledging me.


    Kael and I made the customary greeting, turning toward the council and offering a respectful bow.


    We moved toward the left row of chairs and sat down, where Liam had taken a seat already. As instructed by Kael, he showed up.


    Across from us, seated in the right row, was Kaizan¡ªand with him, his two brothers.


    He smiled, calm and irritatingly smug. "Good to see you again, Kael."


    "I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t share the same sentiment," I replied coldly, not minding presence of the council members.


    Such sharp exchanges between Alphas weren¡¯t umon.


    Moreover, these bastard council members must have already sold their asses to Dreadwyn pack, as their Alpha, Kaizan, was present here.


    It was obvious this entire council meeting had been called because of him.


    As we refused his in-person offer of sharing our pureblood she-wolf with him, he came to the council to force us to submit into sharing.


    These council members were already crafty, and together with this asshole, I am sure they were not going to make it easy for us.


    Just like me, Kael had understood it as well¡ªor more like, he was already prepared for it.


    Kael, as our leader, was the smartest one when it came to handling the political matters.


    I¡¯m sure the council is going to have a hard time dealing with him¡ªjust like they always had.

 Chapter 72: The Powerful Newcomer

    <h4>Chapter 72: The Powerful Neer</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "The council has been informed that you¡¯ve purchased a pureblood, Alpha Kael?"


    As expected, the motherfucker jumped straight to the point. At least that saved me time.


    "I did," I replied, my tone sharp and cold as I turned my head toward the council. My gaze locked with Jeffery¡¯s¡ªcalcted and calm on the surface, but I saw the cunning that lurked behind it.


    "Someone finding a pureblood after so long is... fortunate," Jeffery began, his voice wrapped in diplomatic civility. "It¡¯s a rare opportunity for our kind. Wemend you for your contribution. She can be a blessing for the prosperity of our entire n."


    Jackass. That was his way of saying she should be for everyone¡ªnot just mine or my brothers¡¯.


    "No need to thank me yet, Senior Jeffery," I replied, eyes still fixed on him. "Because I didn¡¯t do it for the council. I did it for myself, and for my brothers."


    I let the silence stretch for a breath before continuing.


    "But yes, you can thank me on behalf of the entire werewolf n when she bears strong Alphas for us. We¡¯ve nned for a few pups each, until she¡¯s no longer breedable. Then, feel free to send your gratitude."


    Beside me, Jason let out a mocking smirk directed squarely at Kaizan, the message in it clear¡ª<i>You lost. Stay in yourne.</i>


    Jeffery¡¯s expression tightened. "Once you¡¯ve fulfilled your share of lineage, it would only be right to offer her to other Alphas. Let them benefit as well, for the welfare of our n. In return, they¡¯ll offer you whateverpensation you desire. It¡¯s about considering what else she can bring to your pack¡ªand your people."


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said tly, "but she¡¯s a think for trade. She¡¯s mine. My personal belonging. I don¡¯t let others touch what belongs to me."


    My voice dropped lower. Sharper.


    "And let me be very clear. My pack¡¯s prosperity will nevere at the cost of sacrificing a woman. That¡¯s the lowest kind of deal a man can make. And neither I, nor my pack, stoop that low."


    My cold gaze then shifted to Kaizan. "When we bought her, everyone was there¡ªbut only we could get her. If she were meant to be shared by all, there wouldn¡¯t have been a draw in the first ce. The rules were simple. The winner ims the prize. The losers ept defeat, note crawling to the council like spoiled brats."


    Kaizan¡¯s smirk remained, unshaken, like there was something else brewing in that twisted head of his.


    But I didn¡¯t flinch. Meeting his gaze head-on, I dered, "My wolf is not for sale."


    Then I turned back to Jeffery. "And she never will be."


    Jeffery¡¯s expression tightened at my words, though his voice remained calm. "No n to share her at all?"


    "No," I repeated firmly. "She will forever belong to us five. Only us."


    "Have you marked her already?" Jeffery asked next.


    "No. She isn¡¯t in the condition to be marked yet," I replied, briefly ncing toward Liam.


    Liam stepped forward and exined her current state¡ªhow weak she was, and how her wolf had to be recovered before any marking could take ce.


    Jeffery exchanged a long, meaningful look with the other council members. It didn¡¯t take a genius to read what was going on.


    They all shared the same outdated, twisted opinion¡ªthat a pureblood she-wolf was property meant to be passed around between Alphas of every pack.


    Finally, Jeffery spoke again. "If she¡¯s not marked, then any Alpha has the right toy im to her. And we¡ª" his gaze sharpened "¡ªcannot stop them."


    <i>Can¡¯t?</i> Or <i>won¡¯t</i>?


    I frowned slightly.


    Jeffery¡¯s voice dropped lower,ced with warning.


    "Alpha Kael, you know well how wars have broken out between packs over purebloods. And for years, the council has worked to avoid such bloodshed, which only weakens our kind. That¡¯s why we encouragepromise¡ªnegotiation, not war. Sharing is the peaceful route. We¡¯re offering you the same path. But if you refuse to ept it, don¡¯te ming us when other packse after your she-wolf."


    He was clearly trying to threaten us by telling us what they could do to my pack. But they didn¡¯t know me yet.


    "I dare anyone to try," I said, my voice cold, my gaze turning lethal. "Whatever happens next... that¡¯ll be on them."


    Jeffery¡¯s tone hardened. "In current world, every pack looks out for its own interest. No one sacrifices power for the sake of whores. That¡¯s what purebloods are meant for¡ªto breed. To be used. That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been. By going against the flow, I hope you won¡¯t live to regret your decision."


    I leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with him, "It¡¯s that very mindset¡ªyours and every generation before you¡ªthat brought us to this point. If you elders had cherished the purebloods instead of only fucking them, killing them, and tossing them aside like used toys, then maybe our generation wouldn¡¯t be struggling to find proper mates. What your generation destroyed, we¡¯re now paying for it. I only wish there had been someone back then with enough balls to put sense in your generation before it was toote."


    Jeffery¡¯s expression soured, the thin mask of civility finally cracking.


    "Alpha Kael, we are Alphas. And females will always be beneath us," he said, voice sharp and unrepentant. "You may y noble for now, but soon, you¡¯ll understand this fact. Mark my words."


    "Let¡¯s see if you prove me wrong," I replied coolly. "But I highly doubt you will."


    The old man could no longer maintain the calm facade he wore like armor. His eyes narrowed, lips tightening.


    "Well then," he hissed, "I hope you won¡¯te seeking our help when things go south. Because you won¡¯t get it from this council. And let me remind you¡ªeven if marked, she might still not be safe. She could still be taken. Forced to breed for someone else."


    My expression darkened at this.


    If I marked her, it meant she would be my mate. And this bastard dared say someone else would abduct and fuck my bonded?


    "That¡¯s it," Jason growled beside me, provoked just like me. Without even looking at him I knew we both had the same thing in mind¡ªKill this bastard.


    We were just seconds away from lunging at Jeffery and tearing his head clean off his shoulders, but a cold voice cut through the thick tension.


    "Since when have the rules of the werewolf world started changing without informing the rest of us, Jeffery?"


    A tall, powerful figure strode into the meeting hall. Commanding. Imposing. His presence sucked the air out of the room. His dark gaze swept over the council, and a cold smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.


    Jeffery froze, visibly stunned by the man¡¯s sudden arrival. The council members¡ªand every one of us¡ªstood from our seats as a sign of respect.


    The man didn¡¯t pause. His tone sharpened as he walked forward, each step deliberate and steady.


    "Or has the power gone to your head so much that you¡¯ve started making your own rules?" His gaze locked on Jeffery¡¯s, unblinking, unwavering. "What¡¯s wrong, Jeffery? Been too long since you fucked a pureblood, and now your brain¡¯s stopped working altogether?"

 Chapter 73: She Will Be Marked

    <h4>Chapter 73: She Will Be Marked</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Standing in the center of the grand council hall, he was a figure carved from sheer dominance. Dressed in a wlessly tailored dark suit, with tousled dark brown hair and eyes the color of burnt chestnut, his gaze radiated a chilling intensity.


    Tall, broad-shouldered, and imposing, the man exuded an aura that was nothing short of formidable. He looked less like a man and more like a force of nature¡ªunyielding, immovable, a mountain that dared anyone to challenge its ce.


    Gerald Hawthorne.


    Alpha of the Hollowcrest Pack, one of the six most powerful werewolf packs in existence¡ªand a name that carried weight, fear, and reverence alike. He was one of the oldest Alphas still actively ruling, a contemporary of my father.


    There were so many powerful Alphas in the werewolf world, but only a few top-tier Alphas existed, the number countable on fingers. And I was one of them. Each top-tier Alpha possessed a secret power, something rare and unnatural that set us apart from the rest.


    Our alpha aura was so strong that we could make other Alphas submit to us. But as per council rule, top-tier Alphas could only use their Alpha aura on their own pack members, not on anyone from other packs unless they are fighting with another top-tier Alpha. Breaking the rules had serious punishment.


    Most Alphas of Gerald¡¯s generation had already passed their titles on to their sons. But not Gerald. His son was still a minor.


    Stories whispered that Gerald and his pureblood mate, Silvia, had once lost their firstborn¡ªa child no older than a few months, taken by enemies. The loss had shattered Silvia. She spent years in denial, unable to ept the child was gone, clinging to the hope that one day, somehow, they would find it.


    After years, when she finally gave up waiting and came to terms with reality, they had a second child¡ªtheir son, Arwan.


    Gerald was also one of the founding members of this council but never took charge of it himself as he preferred to prioretise and lead his own pack. But even then, he held authority here, as he was the one who contributed to creating the council¡¯s rules, which these bastard council members were twisting as they pleased.


    And Gerald had the authority to inspect the council and even question and confront them for their misdeeds.


    Though my encounters with him had been few, I knew well that Gerald Mevaric was a man of principle. The first time I saw him was when my father, Alpha Zain, took me to attend a council meeting. I was just seven years old. Even though our pack and the Hollowcrest Pack were not neighboring and rarely interacted beyond formalities, I had noticed then that my father and Gerald shared a mutual respect.


    Our only real connection with their pack had been through business dealings, nothing more.


    "Alpha Gerald," Jeffery rose from his seat and hurried forward, offering a smile that barely concealed his unease. "Please, have a seat."


    It was in as day¡ªthis smug bastard Jeffery was trembling at the mere sight of him. Still, he masked his fear behind that polished, oily grin of his.


    Gerald didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. His eyes, sharp and cold, drifted toward the council chair Jeffery had just vacated.


    "That chair does seem like a fine ce to sit," Gerald remarked, his tone dry, his words savage. "But it seems your ass doesn¡¯t quite know how to handle it. Maybe I should consider iming it for myself."


    <i>Damn!</i>


    <i></i>Jason, seated beside me, turned with raised brows. He had never met Gerald before, and judging by his reaction, he hadn¡¯t expected anyone to walk in and crush Jeffery¡¯s inted ego so effortlessly.


    Jeffery looked as if he¡¯d swallowed a stone, clearly rattled by the jab. That bastard would never give up the council seat¡ªthe only thing that made his powerless ass feel important.


    Gerald¡¯s gaze shifted back to him. "Hmm?" he prompted, calm yet unmistakably threatening.


    Jeffery let out a brittle chuckle and gestured to the row of seats along the right, where Kaizan had earlier taken his ce.


    "You jest, Alpha Gerald. Please, have a seat," he said, voice shaky despite his attempt to soundposed.


    Gerald looked at that row and then towards Kaizan, where that bastard offered greeting nod to Gerald.


    But then Gerald turned and came straight to the left side row of the chair¡ªour side. He made it clear who he was going to side with. Judging by the way he had just threatened Jeffery, it was clear he knew exactly what was going on here.


    He came to a halt before me, standing tall, his gaze locking directly with mine. "Alpha Kael, it¡¯s been a long time."


    I offered him a respectful nod. "Good to see you after so long, Alpha Gerald."


    He returned a subtle nod before shifting his gaze to Jason as I gestured toward him. "Jason, one of my four sworn mate-brothers."


    After they exchanged gazes, Gerald looked back at me. "I believe you have made your stance clear enough to the council."


    "I have," I replied evenly.


    His gaze drifted toward Jeffery, his voice sharp. "Any more questions for him?"


    Jeffery kept that same fake-ass smile stered on his face. "Not really, Alpha Gerald, but..." he looked at me and said, "Unless they mark her, she can be imed by anyone. And that¡¯s exactly as per the rules set by this council."


    Fucking bastard. He was hiding behind the very rules now. And Gerald could only agree to it as he was the one to make this rule.


    That particr rule was created to protect she-wolves. It was meant to ensure they found a proper mate, to prevent them from being passed around like toys between Alphas, unmarked, and used however someone pleased.


    Because once a she-wolf was marked, she belonged solely to that Alpha. No one could force him to share her¡ªunless, of course, the Alpha was an absolute asshole willing to trade her for his own gain. But he wouldn¡¯t do it as it was painful to share their marked mate.


    At the same time, marking a she-wolf strongly signified that the Alpha loved her and he would never share her. If he had the intention of sharing, he wouldn¡¯t mark her in the first ce.


    Only a handful of Alphas ever truly marked their mates and never shared them. My father was one of them. So was Gerald. They loved their women, and as top-tier Alphas, they were intensely territorial and fiercely possessive.


    Just like me. Even if I didn¡¯t love her. Even if I cursed her or hurt her¡ªI would never share her with anyone. Except my brothers.


    "What do you have to say about what Jeffery just said?" Gerald asked, his gaze locked with mine¡ªsteady, probing, as if attempting to read beyond my words, to see through to the core of who I was. It wasn¡¯t merely a question. It was a silent test. A weighing of my intent, my nature.


    I held his stare without flinching.


    "She will be marked," I stated with cold certainty, then turned my gaze toward Jeffery, my gaze threatening, "....very soon."


    Jeffery offered a thin, insincere smile. "Of course. I only hope that <i>soon</i> doesn¡¯t turn out to be toote."


    The bastard was still mocking me. Still testing limits he didn¡¯t understand.


    But his days were numbered. And I would be the one to end them.

 Chapter 74: Lives In Danger

    <h4>Chapter 74: Lives In Danger</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    "I guess there is no reason for you to stay here then," Gerald told Kael, dismissing us even without letting Jeffery decide it. It showed who held the power here.


    Gerald turned his head slightly toward Jeffery. "Am I right?"


    "Of course, Alpha Gerald," Jeffery replied quickly, forcing a smile.


    Kael and I gave a respectful bow and turned to leave. Behind us, we could faintly hear Kaizan speaking with Gerald, their voices fading into the distance as we walked out.


    We had just reached the car and were about to step inside when a voice halted us.


    "So much in a hurry to leave, my friends?"


    We turned, knowing who it was. Kaizan.


    The piece of shit strolled toward us with his usual swagger, the smugness on his face as unbearable as ever.


    "We can¡¯t stand the sight of your disgusting face," I snapped, "so we thought we¡¯d spare our eyes the torture."


    But as shameless as ever, his smirk only widened, as if he enjoyed riling us.


    But as shameless as he was, the smirk on his lips widened. "After having the beautiful sight in your home¡ªa she-wolf¡ªhow can you tolerate something else, isn¡¯t it?" He paused for a moment, as his smirked turned wicked, "But the question is....for how long can you keep enjoying it?"


    "Till the end of our lives," Kael¡¯s said as he stepped closer to Kaizan and warned him, meeting his gaze, "The shit you tried to pull today... try it again, and I¡ª"


    "What wrong did I even do?" Kaizan cut in, feigning innocence as he met Kael¡¯s dark gaze with a taunting one of his own. "I was merely here to enjoy the show while Jeffery yed his little tricks on you."


    "Correction!" Kael¡¯s jaw tightened as he said coldly. "<i>Your</i> tricks. But they did jack shit to us."


    Kaizan chuckled, almostughed. It felt so annoying, and I wished to snap his head off his shoulders, but violence was not allowed inside the council estate. Maybe wait till we leave the gates of this estate.


    "As you think I am dying to get your she-wolf, let me offer you something else to ease your worry," Kaizan said.


    What was he getting at?


    "If you hand me over that bitch my brother used to fuck, I won¡¯t go after your bitch," Kaizan said. "My spies couldn¡¯t find her around you or in your pack even. What have you done to her? Killed her for betraying you?"


    Having spies from one pack into other, wasn¡¯t a surprise as we had ours in other packs as well.


    But, I couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that this bastard was trying to rub salt into wounds we had barely managed to close.


    "To be honest," Kaizan said with a cruel glint in his eyes, "I still can¡¯t forget the way she looked when my brother fucked her. Once, she even took his friends along with him. And that fucking whore... she looked just as energetic after hours of being used by them. Didn¡¯t even break. I wonder what her real limit is... maybe I should find out, with me and my two mate-brothers fucking her together."


    His words were poison, each one pushing harder, digging deeper, but we stood silent, fists clenched, jaws tight.


    We couldn¡¯t react. Not now. Evenst time he tried to provoke us by mentioning that bitch in the same nasty way.


    We couldn¡¯t let him suspect that the very bitch he was talking about was the she-wolf we had hidden in our home. If we showed anger, he¡¯d know she still meant something. And then he¡¯d never let it go. He¡¯d keep digging, keep mocking, and worse¡ªhe¡¯d keep looking.


    "So where is she?" he asked, tone shifting to something disturbingly serious. "If she¡¯s still alive, hand her over. Don¡¯t waste her in some prison or leave her rotting. Give her to me¡ªand I¡¯ll forget about your precious pureblood. Consider it a trade for peace."


    The intensity in his gaze wasn¡¯t just for show. There was something twisted in his obsession. He wasn¡¯t simply mocking anymore.


    What the fuck did she do to him? Why was he so adamant on getting her?


    No one had known back then that Eira was a pureblood¡ªnot even this bastard. And yet here he was, offering to give up on a rare-blooded she-wolf just to get his hands on her again.


    Maybe I wasn¡¯t the only idiot who had fallen for her.


    There was truly something in that bitch, no one could stop from liking her.


    Or there was something else this bastard was not letting out. A secret of his own?


    "Fuck off," Kael said coldly, turning away without another nce.


    Arguing with that bastard was pointless¡ªand letting him know anything about Eira would only spell trouble for us.


    "Kael," the bastard called out again.


    Neither of us stopped. We slid into the car in silence.


    The bastard approached the car window and smirked at us. "Well, you better hurry. Because... there might be someone desperate enough to reach your pureblood while you are here, away from your own territory."


    Both Kael and I snapped our gazes to him.


    He had our attention now.


    "Want to know the truth?" he added, tilting his head, enjoying the panic beginning to cloud our expressions. "I wasn¡¯t the one who tricked you intoing here."


    Kael and I exchanged a nce¡ªdread tightening its grip around our chests.


    I started the car in a rush, tires screeching, but we could still hear his voice trailing behind us.


    "I¡¯ll make sure to mourn for your brothers properly... once their bodies are cold."


    "Make it fast," Kael growled, jaw clenched, as I floored the elerator. The gates of the council estate loomed ahead.


    Iid on the horn, alerting the guards from a distance. The moment the gates creaked open, we shot through like lightning, leaving the dust behind.


    Once we hit the open road, we knew what we had to do. I mmed the brakes. We knew the shortcut to our home.


    Without a word, we threw the doors open and leapt out. Our clothes fell away in scraps as our bodies shifted¡ªbones cracking, muscles stretching.


    Within seconds, two powerful wolves stood where men had been.


    My wolf was massive midnight blue. Beside me, Kael¡¯s massive wolf form towered¡ªa pitch-ck wolf, his gaze full of rage and urgency.


    Without hesitation, we darted into the forest, paws pounding against the earth, cutting through the trees like arrows loosed from a bow.


    We ran like our lives were on the line. To be precise, our brothers¡¯ if what that bastard Kaizan had hinted was true.

 Chapter 75: Enemies At The Door

    <h4>Chapter 75: Enemies At The Door</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    After Kael and Rafe left, I returned by Eira¡¯s side to keep herpany while Lucian and Rafe were keeping a watch on the security arrangements, continuously in contact with the security guards around the estate.


    The werewolf world was entirely unpredictable when you had something with you that everyone wanted, and at this moment, that something was Eira.


    Eira was in the drawing room, sitting quietly on the sofa with Vixen in herp and Fluffy lying at her feet on the carpeted floor. These two felt like her pets rather than ours.


    I was not sure what to talk to her about when she treated every one of us like air. But I couldn¡¯t give up on her¡ªin fact, none of us could. Or we wouldn¡¯t be worried to protect her, and Kael wouldn¡¯t have rushed to the council to face those annoying assholes.


    As it was night, the air had gotten a little chilly, but as always she didn¡¯t care. I fetched one shawl from the bedroom and wrapped it around her gently without even asking for her permission.


    She didn¡¯t resist, neither did she recognise what I did. I sat next to her on the sofa and decided to talk¡ªmore like to inform her of the situation.


    She didn¡¯t look at me, while I turned to her, and my hand reached out to pet Vixen. She retreated her hand while I continued feeling the soft fur of the fluffy cat. So soft¡ª no wonder Eira truly liked petting her.


    "You could guess Vixen is pregnant. Can you also guess how far she is from giving birth to little kittens?" I asked, thinking at least this might pique her interest before I jumped to the main thing.


    "I am not a vet," she replied in a dismissive tone, her gaze only on Vixen.


    Not surprised at her reply, I hummed. "My bad. I was overestimating you."


    I said again in a rxed tone, "I hope all her kittens look like her. If even a single one takes after their father, Rafe will kill each of those male cats that looks simr to kitten, and make sure he had truly killed that bastard. The kids will lose their father even before they get to see him."


    I could see her brows knit in a frown, and then she said, "You treat people like animals¡ªat least treat animals like people."


    Ah! She was truly sopassionate towards animals, and it won¡¯t change. Her silence broke only when she wanted to protect Vixen and Fluffy.


    "We will try to," I said, taking a little pause before continuing, "...there¡¯s something I want to tell you..."


    She didn¡¯t react, but she had to listen to it anyway. "Tonight, our enemies might attack us." I didn¡¯t mention that she was the reason if the attack truly happened. "There is a small safe room behind that bookshelf," I pointed towards the door-sized shelf. "Just push the red book there, and it will rotate to let you inside. The moment something happens, I want you to hurry there. Once inside, there¡¯s a ck lever on the back of the door. Just turn it to the right. The door will be locked entirely."


    Just then, Vixen miaowed. "And you can¡¯t take Fluffy and Vixen with you. They might make sounds as their natural instinct to threats, and you will be discovered."


    At her ignorance, I said in a strict tone, "I am serious. Don¡¯t add to our worries when we are already busy fighting with our lives on the line. I want to believe you don¡¯t want to see any of us dead, despite you hate us. All those deaths in the past were enough already."


    At the mention of deaths, I felt her hand that had reached out to caress Vixen¡¯s head freeze, almost trembling.


    I softened my tone and said, "Don¡¯t worry about our pets. We will protect them."


    She didn¡¯t reply, but I could tell my words had affected her deeply.


    Just then, Fluffy noticed something outside and hurried out of the door.


    Through the window, I saw Lucian and Rafe had also arrived outside the side house to inspect the ce around.


    "I told her. Remember what I said, alright?" Not waiting for her reply, I went out to my brothers.


    "Bastard, you finally recognise me," Lucian was talking to Fluffy while ruffling the fur on his head. "Or that bitch had truly enchanted you."


    "Everything¡¯s fine?" I asked them, as Rafe handed me over rifle and few other weapons, which I secured on my body.


    "For now," Rafe said, looking at the far distance where the guards were standing along with themandos under Lucian¡¯smand.


    They were not allowed toe close to the home unless there was truly a need. We three were more than enough to protect here.


    I looked around thewn, where they had arranged some obstacles to hide in case there were gunfire attacks and we needed to counter-attack. And there were multiple weapons ced at different ces for our own convenience.


    Even if the attack wouldn¡¯t happen, it was better to be safe than sorry¡ªuntil our Alpha returned to his territory. Because in his presence, they wouldn¡¯t dare attack so quickly and easily. Top-tier Alphas held some deadly image in everyone¡¯s mind.


    "Kael must be in the meeting or must have finished it by now," I said. "He hates long meetings and useless conversations."


    "Have you exined to that bitch what to do and how not to be a reason for our deaths?" Lucian asked.


    As usual, a foul choice of words¡ªbut I nodded.


    Just then, we heard some distant noises.


    Fluffy had already started to bark while looking towards the sky.


    "Is that chopper noise?"


    I asked, looking upward as the low, mechanical hum grew louder. Within moments, three assault helicopters emerged against the canvas of star-speckled night sky, their des roaring, drowning out every other sound.


    The entire estate stirred with rm. Our guards sprang into action, and we immediately moved into strategic positions.


    Then the gunfire started.


    Bullets rained down from the helicopters. The sharp reports of gunfire and the deafening churn of the des filled the air, making it nearly impossible to hear each other.


    Lucian and Rafe did a counterattack while I went inside the home. "Eira, get to the safe room. Now."


    Eira picked up Vixen and went toward the safe room¡¯s entrance¡ªthe bookshelf. Relieved that she was obedient, I turned around and quickly went out to help my brothers.


    Our guards andmandos were firing with precision, but the situation escted quickly. More helicopters descended, their sides opening as enemymandos began leaping out, ropes unfurling through the night like snakes.


    "Bastards came prepared, like they¡¯re invading a fucking war zone!" Lucian shouted, his voice rising above the chaos as he emptied his magazine and took out another group of advancing enemies.


    "They¡¯ll find out soon enough that we¡¯re more than ready for war," Rafe responded, swiftly relocating to higher ground while reloading with a fresh belt of ammo.


    The firefight stretched on, relentless and brutal. Bullets ripped through the air. Hand grenades exploded like miniature stars across the estate, shaking the earth beneath our feet. The walls of the house were pelted with gunfire, and several windows shattered, the ss raining down like glittering knives.


    The relief was, Eira was inside the safe room. She was safe.

 Chapter 76: If Lucian Dies

    <h4>Chapter 76: If Lucian Dies</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Themandos that went to the main house found no one there and came to thewn as well. which bought us more time to target them sessfully.


    We had already scattered, nking from every direction. Every guard, every trained soldier under ourmand was now a storm of bullets and precision, cutting down anything that moved toward the side house.


    They thought they had brought war to our doorstep.


    But they were walking straight into hell.


    I was certain that once all of this was over, we¡¯d have far too many bodies to bury¡ªour enemies¡¯, and unfortunately, some of our own.


    As for these choppers... we¡¯d keep them. A fitting gift from those who dared to invade our home.


    Through the earpieces secured to our ears, Lucian¡¯smandos kept feeding us real-time updates from various parts of the estate. Lucian himself ryed the situation from our side and issuedmands with practiced precision, directing the counteroffensive like a seasoned general.


    Everything seemed to be going exactly as it should. Our side was holding strong. The enemies were being taken down with brutal efficiency.


    Until amando informed us: the gates of the estate, which were securely protected, had been breached. A new group of enemies had somehow managed to enter without any obstacle, and they were marching inside.


    There was a traitor among our people.


    But now, there was no time to question how it had happened. All that mattered now was stopping them.


    Gunfire thundered all around us. Ammunition on both sides was running low. It wouldn¡¯t be long before this battle was no longer fought with weapons, but with ws and fangs. It would soone down to our beast forms¡ªbrutal, primal, and merciless.


    We were ready.


    But then something happened that none of us had expected.


    A familiar figure in an off-white dress was walking toward the enemy without any fear, her steps slow but steady and determined.


    Eira.


    What was she doing outside instead of in that safe room?


    "That bitch," Lucian muttered under his breath, his voice crackling through thems. He¡¯d seen her first¡ªhe was closest to her position.


    Lucian turned toward us, fury zing in his eyes. "You two keep going. I¡¯ll drag her back inside by her damn hair. Or kill her myself if I have to."


    We understood his rage. Everything we were doing¡ªall the blood being shed¡ªwas to protect her. And here she was, stepping straight into danger as if her life, and ours, meant nothing.


    "We¡¯ll cover you," I said quickly.


    Rafe and I kept firing, drawing the enemies¡¯ attention and clearing the path for Lucian to move. But as more enemy soldiers poured in, we were forced to shift our focus. The fight was tightening around us, leaving us no room to assist Lucian directly.


    "Don¡¯t worry about me," he told us and broke away from cover, gun in hand, pushing forward toward Eira.


    But then, two enemy soldiers reached her first. Their guns were pointed at her¡ªbut they lowered their hands, as they were not here to kill her, but to take her with them.


    Lucian fired a clean shot, taking down one of the enemy soldiers, while moving ahead swiftly.


    But when he shot for the second, he was met with silence.


    No bullets.


    Damn it! He cursed angrily, threw the gun away while keep running towards them.


    The remaining soldier aimed at him, but before that Lucian had already transformed into his wolf form and took a huge leap at the soldier. He was too fast to be even seen. That was him, always the best and strongest on the battle field.


    The gun shot rang out.


    But the next sound was the sickening crack of bones and a gurgling choke as the enemy¡¯s head was torn clean from his shoulders.


    Lucian had killed that bastard in a blink of an eye.


    A heartbeatter, the blood-soaked wolf faced her¡ªEira. His eyes furious, radiating like heat across the battlefield. But even in his rage, we knew he wouldn¡¯t harm her.


    He began to move toward her, but the next moment he copsed.


    His body crumpled mid-stride, shifting back into his human form as he hit the ground.


    "Lucian!" Rafe and I shouted in unison, our voices breaking over thems, over the chaos. Pain surged through the bond we shared with him, sharp and searing.


    He was hurt.


    No¡ªhe was shot.


    "Cover me. I¡¯m going to him," I ordered rafe, already abandoning my position.


    Rafe nodded quickly.


    The panic Rafe¡¯s his face mirrored my own. We could both feel Lucian¡¯s pain deep within our chests, through our shared bonds.


    He¡¯d been shot with a silver bullet. Not just any kind, but one crafted to kill the strongest of Alphas¡ªdeadly, merciless.


    I hurried to him, shooting in between, while Rafe cleared the path for me. Bullets hissed past me, but Rafe didn¡¯t let a single one near. My legs moved on instinct, mind cold with fury, eyes trained on every enemy in sight.


    Eira stood nearby, motionless. Her eyes were wide, her body frozen in ce as she stared at Lucian¡¯s blood-covered form.


    Shock consumed her.


    But all I felt was rage.


    I wanted to shoot her. Right there. More than any of the enemies around me, she felt like the real reason behind this nightmare.


    Once again, because of her, we were about to lose someone we loved.


    If Lucian died... I wouldn¡¯t hesitate.


    I would be the one to end her.


    And it wouldn¡¯t be quick. It wouldn¡¯t be clean. Every ounce of effort I¡¯d put into protecting her¡ªevery drop of blood spilled in her name¡ªshe had turned to ash in a single, careless moment.


    That bitch deserved to die.


    Lucian had been right all along. We should¡¯ve killed her the very first day.


    It was my fault. I was the one who insisted on bringing her home.


    And if Lucian didn¡¯t make it through this...


    After killing her, I will kill myself as well.

 Chapter 77: Please Don’t Die

    <h4>Chapter 77: Please Don¡¯t Die</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    The distant hum of helicopters reached my ears first, followed quickly by the sharp, relentless crack of gunfire. The sound swelled, filling the air with chaos, yet I remained seated, unmoving.


    Roman had warned me earlier that their enemies might attack. It seemed he had been right.


    But I felt nothing¡ªno fear, no panic. Those emotions had abandoned me long ago, leaving me hollow. Thest time they had returned was that night... the night they tortured me with tarants.


    Roman strode into the drawing room, his tone clipped andmanding. "Eira, get to the safe room."


    I looked down at Vixen, warm and curled in myp. Even if I didn¡¯t care for myself, I cared for her. She was pregnant, and there was no way I would allow her¡ªor her unborn kittens¡ªto be harmed.


    I rose, holding her gently, and made my way to the hidden safe room, following the instructions Roman had given me before. He didn¡¯t wait to see if Iplied¡ªby the time I reached the concealed door, he was already gone.


    Inside, the room was in but well-prepared, stocked for survival: a folded mattress with a thin nket in one corner, shelves lined with bottled water and packaged snacks, and even a small toilet tucked against the far wall.


    I ced Vixen on the mattress and found two empty bowls. One I filled with dry snacks, the other with fresh water. Satisfied she would befortable, I stepped back toward the door. This ce was the safest for her, no matter what happened beyond these walls.


    I didn¡¯t lock the door. Instead, I left it slightly ajar¡ªnarrow enough that she couldn¡¯t slip out, but open enough that, if something happened, someone could find her. She couldn¡¯t remain here forever or she would die.


    Outside, the sound of shattering ss pierced the air as bullets tore through the windows. Sharp cracks and dull thuds echoed against the walls, leaving dents in the ster. Explosions shook the ground, each one rumbling through the floorboards.


    It was like standing in the heart of a warzone.


    And yet... I wasn¡¯t afraid.


    Because for years, I had been seeking one thing above all else¡ªdeath. Perhaps this was it. My chance. If nothing interfered, if nothing came between me and the end, maybe I could finally have it.


    But in these past years, I had also learned something else. The more I sought death, the more it seemed to run from me.


    Bastard.


    My feet were still hurt, and despite trying to ignore that pain¡ªthinking it wouldn¡¯t do any shit to me¡ªI was still unable to make it out fast. Utterly weak, despite my will being stronger.


    I just hoped at least a bullet entering through the window would hit me straight, but damn, not only did few enter here and there, none of them were in my direction. What kind of shit fate did I have? What kind of enmity did death have with me to not give in to my wishes?


    Death must be a man¡ªand just like every other man, that bastard wants me to suffer. But I was stubborn as well.


    Somehow, I managed to reach the exit of the home and saw the chaos outside¡ªbullet fires from all sides, huge helicopters lingering in the air, sts, and many figures moving like shadows, some falling to the ground.


    I made my way outside from another direction, making sure Roman and the others wouldn¡¯t spot me, so I would be found by their enemies and they would shoot me without even a moment¡¯s dy.


    Slowly, steadily, determined, I continued to make my way toward where I could see bullets being fired toward the home. Soon, two men¡ªwho seemed like soldiers¡ªappeared before me, their guns pointed toward me.


    I looked at them with a steady gaze as I was not scared. <i>That¡¯s it. Shoot me now. My soul will always be thankful to you.</i>


    But the bastards started to lower their guns. <i>What the hell? Why are they not shooting me instead? Want to fuck me before doing that?</i>


    <i>For God¡¯s sake, at least just once in your life, think from your non-existent brains, and not from your cocks.</i>


    But then, one of them was shot straight in the forehead and fell to the ground, while the other one pointed his gun toward the direction from where the bullet hade...


    The next moment I knew¡ªthere was a bullet shot, and a huge wolf had jumped on the soldier before me and ripped away his head.


    A huge wolf with molten bronze fur, his mouth coated with blood, turned to me, stepping toward me¡ªbut I didn¡¯t fear. He was someone I knew, a familiar wolf.


    But then, the next moment, he copsed on the ground, converting back to his human form. There was blood around his chest, a huge wound over his heart. The bullet had shot him straight in the heart¡ªhis eyes closed, brows knitted in pain, his chest barely moving to breathe.


    In a moment, that scene was reced with the scariest and most painful memory of my life.


    Alice.


    Instead of Lucian, I saw Alice there.


    She was right in front of me on the ground, a bullet shot in her heart and losing her life. I hurried to her and knelt next to her.


    "Alice... I am sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to shoot you..." My trembling hands reached to her chest, not able to touch the wound, thinking it would hurt her. "I am sorry... I¡¯m sorry..." I cried out. "Please... don¡¯t die... please..."


    Alice opened her eyes and looked at me. "...You must be happy to see me die... goddamn bitch..."


    "I am sorry..." I could only mutter the words. "...I didn¡¯t mean to..."


    "Get the hell away from him." A strong hand pushed me away, apanied by a furious voice, and I stumbled back to the ground.


    Roman was kneeling on the ground next to Alice. He looked at the wound on her chest and pressed his hand over it to stop the blood.


    "Stay with me, alright?" Roman told her. He looked like myst hope to save Alice.


    "Roman... this bitch is truly gonna kill every one of us..." I saw Alice tell him in a painful voice. "It¡¯s fine, I die¡ªbut kill her before she bes the reason for my brothers¡¯ deaths... Don¡¯t let her kill any of you..."


    "You are not going to die, alright," Roman told her. "We will kill her once you make it alive out of here. Trust me, I will kill her with my own hands¡ªand you have to stay alive to see it. Just don¡¯t give up..."


    I had always known I didn¡¯t deserve to live¡ªnot like I even wanted to continue living. It would be better if Roman killed me, but I wanted him to save Alice first.


    ¡¯Please save her,¡¯ I prayed, unable to stop my own tears.


    Reality of the present had long skipped me, as my delusional mind forgot Alice was already dead¡ªand this was Lucian before me.

 Chapter 78: Eira Saved Him

    <h4>Chapter 78: Eira Saved Him</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    Like Roman, I was furious at that bitch. If not for the need to protect my brothers, I would have gone to her and snapped her head from her shoulders without a second thought. Lucian was down, and Roman was already shaken with the fear of losing him. At least one of us had to keep our head¡ªbecause if we all lost control, we¡¯d all end up dead.


    I wished it had been me instead of Lucian. I could die for my brothers without hesitation¡ªbut not before making sure they were safe first.


    I caught sight of Roman shoving that bitch away from Lucian. Damn whore, daring to go near him after being the reason for his blood spilling onto this ground. If Lucian died... I would drain every drop of her filthy blood myself.


    I might have liked her once, long ago. But my brothers were everything. They came before any woman¡ªbefore anyone. I would sacrifice hundreds like her without blinking if it meant saving them.


    Enemy movement caught my eye. More wereing. I moved quickly, tossing two heavy protective barriers in front of Roman and Lucian, shielding them from the direct line of gunfire.


    I advanced toward them, firing as I went, using the barriers as cover until I reached their position. Ducking behind one, I looked at Roman.


    "We need to wipe them out now and get Lucian to the hospital¡ªor call Liam here," I said sharply.


    Roman gave a short nod, picking up a torn piece of Lucian¡¯s shirt from the ground. He pressed it hard against the wound before moving beside me. Together, we fired into the fray, taking down every bastard in our sights.


    "How is he?" I asked, my voice low but my heart clenched like a fist.


    "Barely breathing," Roman growled and gritted his teeth, "I¡¯m going to kill that bitch."


    "I¡¯m with you," I said, channeling my rage into every bullet I sent into our enemies.


    Then a faint sound broke through the chaos.


    "...Alice... don¡¯t leave me..."


    I turned sharply.


    That bitch was back at Lucian¡¯s side, her trembling hands cupping his face.


    "...Open your eyes... look at me..." she whispered.


    But Lucian¡¯s eyelids didn¡¯t so much as flicker. His breathing was shallow, his face pale.


    And for the first time in years, I felt the cold bite of fear sink into my bones.


    "I wish I could kick her away from him," Roman muttered, hatefully. We both knew we couldn¡¯t move from our positions now to do it.


    "...You¡¯re not breathing..." she murmured, and my heart skipped a beat.


    <i>Have we lost him?</i>


    Roman must have been thinking the same thing. Our gazes flicked toward her even as our guns continued firing into the chaos.


    "Don¡¯t die..." She moved her trembling hands to Lucian¡¯s chest, pressing them over the cloth that covered his wound. "...Stop bleeding... don¡¯t die..."


    At least, for once, she was doing something that needed to be done¡ªcrying, begging, willing him to live.


    "I can¡¯t feel your heart beating... Alice..." her voice broke into sobs. "...You can¡¯t leave me... I won¡¯t let you..."


    Half my focus stayed on the advancing enemies, half on her desperate bbering. Then something made me turn fully toward her.


    Her eyes were squeezed shut, her body shaking. Both hands pressed hard against Lucian¡¯s chest as if she could force life back into him, her sobs tearing from her throat.


    But then... something happened that made my breath catch.


    "Roman!" I called.


    He followed my gaze¡ªand for the first time in that fight, both of us stopped shooting.


    A faint glow was spreading from her hands where they pressed to Lucian¡¯s chest. Soft at first... almost unreal.


    "What the hell is she doing?" Roman eximed, his voice edged with disbelief.


    The glow brightened, swelling until it was blinding. And then her scream tore through the battlefield¡ªraw, ear-splitting, and unending. The light red onest time before vanishingpletely.


    Her body went limp. That bitch copsed beside him, unconscious.


    And then another kind of chaos ripped through the field.


    Two massive wolves stormed into the fray, cutting down enemies as though they were nothing more than brittle, dead leaves. Kael and Jason had returned.


    The pitch-ck beast¡ªKael¡ªunleashed his Alpha aura, and the werewolves among the enemy ranks crumpled under its crushing weight. The humans, immune to Alpha dominance, tried to fight back with their advanced weapons. It was useless. Kael was more than just a top-tier Alpha, and their weapons failed in front of him.


    Beside him, Jason tore through the battlefield in a blur of lethal precision, his wolf form a storm of ws and fangs.


    The tide turned swiftly. Blood soaked the earth, enemy bodies littered the ground, and their screams faded into silence.


    The victory was ours.


    Roman and I rushed to Lucian¡¯s side. I dropped to my knees, my hands moving over his blood-soaked chest¡ªand froze.


    The wound... the gaping hole that had been tearing him apart moments ago... was gone. Completely healed. Only the blood remained, stark against his skin, proof of what had happened.


    Roman¡¯s expression mirrored my shock. We locked eyes, speechless.


    "He¡¯s breathing¡ªnormally," Roman said atst, snapping out of his daze.


    I nodded, leaning closer to Lucian. "Luke, can you hear me? Open your eyes."


    Nothing. Hey there, unmoving, as if locked in a deep, unreachable sleep. He¡¯d better be alright.


    Kael and Jason appeared, leaving the battlefield in the hands of the survivingmandos. The moment they saw Lucian¡¯s blood-covered body lying unconscious, they rushed over, their gazes inevitably falling on Eira¡¯s limp form nearby.


    "He seems alright," I told them quickly, before their panic could take over.


    Jason¡¯s jaw tightened. "How the hell did this happen?" His tone was sharp¡ªbecause we all knew one truth: Lucian wasn¡¯t someone enemies could take down easily.


    "To protect that bitch," I said tly.


    Jason¡¯s eyes went cold. He moved as if to strangle her right there, but I stopped him.


    "But she saved him."


    He froze, ring at me. "Are you blind? She¡¯s done nothing but make sure we all end up dead. That¡¯s her only fucking talent."


    "Something happened," I replied firmly. "And we need to talk about it. Ask Roman."


    They turned to him. Roman gave a short nod. "We need to look into it."


    "First, we need to take them inside and call Liam," I said. "Luke¡¯s breathing, but we have to make sure he stays safe."


    They didn¡¯t argue. Kael and I lifted Lucian between us, while Roman took Eira. Jason broke away to handle what was left of security in Lucian¡¯s absence.


    The side house was a wreck, so we headed for the main home.


    We needed answers¡ªbut for now, keeping Lucian alive was all that mattered.

 Chapter 79: Using Her Power

    <h4>Chapter 79: Using Her Power</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    We carried Lucian upstairs to his room andid him gently on the bed before covering his bare body with the sheets. Downstairs, the estate was still in chaos. I had already called Liam, ordering him to get here immediately.


    His voice crackled through the receiver. "I¡¯m already here. When you two bolted like your asses were on fire, I figured something happened and came straight over."


    "Good to know your old age hasn¡¯tpletely rotted your brain," I said, then ended the call.


    Roman entered the room a momentter¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t alone.


    That bitch was in his arms.


    Before Rafe or I could speak, Roman strode toward the bed. "I didn¡¯t know what to do with her or where to keep her," he said, his voice tight, "and the entire house is a disaster."


    Without further discussion, he ced her beside Lucian on the massive king-size bed. She looked small, almost swallowed by the mattress, lying in the narrow space Lucian had left for her.


    I didn¡¯tment, while Rafe left the room.


    "Liam is already here," I informed Roman.


    He hummed.


    Liam was already at the door, along with Jason.


    "I told themando leader what to do," Jason said.


    His meaning was clear¡ªhe had done his part as security in-charge in Lucian¡¯s absence, and now he was going to stay by his brother¡¯s side until he woke up. Even the heavens wouldn¡¯t shake him from here.


    Liam followed him inside as well, while Jason red at the woman lying in the bed.


    "What the hell is this bitch doing here?" Jason asked angrily.


    "I¡¯m sure you would prefer to ce her on the shards of ss scattered across the home, if not here," Liam said as he walked toward the bed.


    "Not sure about her, but you would be buried with those shards if you keep running your mouth," Jason warned him, then focused on Lucian, checking the non-existent wound on his chest.


    "You can do that after I¡¯m done examining your brother," Liam replied evenly, unfazed by the threat. "And for that, I need some space."


    Liam just nced at Eira. She didn¡¯t look hurt, so he preferred to check on Lucian, as there was blood across his chest¡ªwhich was almost dried now.


    Or more, even in this situation he had showed his care and loyalty to that bitch, he would pay for it.


    Jason stepped aside while Liam sat at the edge of the bed.


    He checked Lucian¡¯s pulse and examined him. "He¡¯s fine," Liam said finally, "just in a deep sleep. But... where¡¯s the wound?" His brow furrowed. "There¡¯s nothing here. Not a single scratch. If not for the dried blood, I¡¯d swear he was never hurt."


    "The wound¡¯s already healed," Roman told him. "He was shot with a silver bullet." He reached into his pocket and produced the bullet, handing it to Liam. "I picked it up from the ground where he fell."


    Liam examined the bullet, now covered with traces of dried blood. "Are you sure this is the one he was shot with?"


    "Yes," Roman said. "It came out of his body when she healed him."


    We looked at him¡ªwe were yet to get the answer of what exactly happened.


    Roman exined everything, and by that time Rafe had returned with a tablet in his hands. He attested to what Roman said. Both of them couldn¡¯t be wrong, as they gave the same ount of what they had witnessed.


    Rafe turned the tablet screen towards us. "I checked the camera footage from the side home, and one of them¡ªstill left intact¡ªmanaged to capture what happened then."


    He connected the device to therge TV mounted on the wall. We all watched as the footage began¡ªLucian being shot, Eira rushing to his side, her hands trembling as she touched his face. The audio was lost in the roar of gunfire and explosions, but her expression spoke louder than words. She was begging him not to die.


    She looked terrified. Shaken. Hurt.


    And it didn¡¯t look like an act. Even a fool could see it¡ªher fear was real.


    And then came the moment when she saved Lucian.


    The glow emitting from her arms, spreading across Lucian¡¯s chest, her scream, and then how she went unconscious after a bright sh of that glow, which died down in a moment.


    She had saved him.


    But why?


    Why had she been so shaken at the thought of him dying? She hated us just as much as we hated her. So why would she save any of us?


    Pushing the thought aside, I turned to Liam. He didn¡¯t look particrly surprised.


    "Is she a healer?" I asked.


    "It¡¯s nothing surprising for a pureblood to be a healer," Liam said casually, then turned back to Lucian. "Now that she, a healer, has saved him, there is nothing for us to worry about with him."


    "But not all purebloods have strong powers," I pointed out. "Only a few rare ones. Like my mother¡ªshe was a healer too."


    "Then take it as Eira being special as well," Liam said with a shrug. He rose from his ce beside Lucian and moved toward Eira.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he wasn¡¯t more interested in the fact that she might be special. Knowing the kind of man he was, I expected him to already be digging into her history, searching for every scrap of information about her wolf.


    "She¡¯s fine as well," Liam said after a quick check. "Using her powers suddenly, maybe for the first time, has sent her body into shock. She should be alright by morning."


    "Now that she could use her power, does that mean her wolf is back?" I asked.


    Liam¡¯s gaze flicked to me. "Can¡¯t wait to use her to save your girlfriend?"


    "Just answer what I asked," Imanded. "Or will you speak after I use my Alpha aura on you?"


    The bastard remained unfazed despite the threat and said, "I have to examine her, ask her questions. Only after that can Ie to a conclusion. And it can happen only after she wakes up¡ªif you five brothers won¡¯t kill her before that."


    He was clearly reminding us not to harm her. This bastard always seemed to be on her side rather than ours.


    "I¡¯ll be back tomorrow," Liam said simply, and without waiting for a response, he left the room.


    My eyes narrowed at him as if he was up to something. Or maybe there was something about Eira he was trying to hide. Given his favouritism towards her, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising.


    Then I looked back at Eira. More questions being added to what I already had in mind.

 Chapter 80: Lucian’s Confession

    <h4>Chapter 80: Lucian¡¯s Confession</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    The moment that bullet shot me, the sharp pain coursed through me, and I knew I was done for. But at the same time, I tore apart that bastard before he could even think of touching her.


    I turned to her as if it was basic instinct. All I could think about in that moment was her¡ªnot the pain, not the death that was about to swallow me.


    The pain of that deadly silver bullet was like it was burning my soul, but all I wanted was to reach her for thest time.


    I barely took a step toward her, but the deadly silver in that damn bullet worked faster, ripping away any ounce of strength I had left. I fell to the ground without even getting to touch her onest time. I was lying there in my human form, helpless, waiting for death to approach me.


    But the worst part was, I had never thought to let her see me in such a condition¡ªwhen I had always been nothing but inhuman strength.


    Despite all these small regrets running through my mind, something good happened. She came to me¡ªshe was right there next to me. My eyes barely open.


    <i>Am I dreaming?</i>


    I closed my eyes as it felt so unreal, and if it was a dream, I didn¡¯t want it to break by keeping them open. Maybe, being closer to death, your mind lets you imagine what you truly want.


    I heard her say weakly, her words barely reaching my ears. "...I am sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to..." She was apologizing¡ªshe was crying.


    Is it real? It must truly be a dream. She can¡¯t possibly cry for me.


    When I heard her say, "Please... don¡¯t die... please..."


    I couldn¡¯t help but open my eyes to look at her. Maybe herst memory of crying for me would make me feel better before I died.


    When I saw her truly crying for me, I was happy.


    I wanted to tell her not to cry, not to feel bad if I died. That I would always protect her¡ªeven if it meant dying for her¡ªthat I didn¡¯t regret dying while protecting her. She meant a lot to me. So much, that despite my hate towards her, I couldn¡¯t suppress my care for her.


    I brought Fluffy back home only for her sake, because I knew how much he meant to her. All that food I cooked all these days¡ªit was always meant for her. How happy I was to see her eat everything I cooked, and she was getting better now.


    But, the moment I opened my mouth, as always, the bitter words came out. "...You must be happy to see me die... goddamn bitch..."


    In response, she apologized again. "I am sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to..."


    I felt bad to see her apologising, and decided to say something good. But before I could say anything tofort her this time, Roman came to us and pushed her away, cursing her angrily.


    The moment I saw Roman, reality rushed back into my muddled mind. My brothers¡ªI had to think about them, not about this bitch.


    Roman looked horrified as he begged me to stay with him.


    I was dying. That was fine¡ªbut I needed to advise my brothers to protect themselves. This bitch was everyone¡¯s doom, and I didn¡¯t want her to be the reason for my brothers¡¯ deaths as well.


    "Roman... this bitch is truly gonna kill every one of us..." I told him suppressing my pain. "It¡¯s fine, I die¡ªbut kill her before she bes the reason for my brothers¡¯ deaths... Don¡¯t let her kill any of you..."


    Roman told me not to die and assured me that we would kill her together.


    I couldn¡¯t agree to it, because I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill her¡ªthough I always said otherwise. But it was totally alright if my brothers killed herter once I was dead. They needed to protect themselves first.


    Roman walked away from me, as I heard Rafe calling for him. I looked at that bat for thest time¡ªhe was still so determined to protect us. Not bad. I was sure I was going to miss him badly after my death, while bearing the torture in hell. He would make a perfectpanion in hell.


    As I watched them, darkness slowly started to spread in front of my eyes. My soul felt cold, as if I was drowning in cold water, sinking deeper and deeper, and there wasn¡¯t a tinge of light.


    But then, in the dark depths of that cold water, I heard a faint and distant voice echoing around me.


    "Don¡¯t leave... Open your eyes... Look at me..."


    I couldn¡¯t respond to it anymore and continued to drown further into the darkness.


    "Don¡¯t die... I can¡¯t feel your heartbeat... You can¡¯t leave me... I won¡¯t let you..."


    I wanted to tell that voice to stop. Everything was useless. But then, I felt a warmth surrounding my soul. All of a sudden, the darkness around me started to disappear. The water no longer felt chilly.


    Threads of soft glow surrounded me, pulling me out of that water and into the bright, clear sky. But there was no one¡ªonly me, alone. I looked around, seeing only a vastnd with buckwheat nted everywhere.


    <i>Where am I? Why is there no one?</i>


    I continued to walk and walk, not sure for how long. Then, I finally saw someone¡ªa figure in a beautiful long white dress, walking along the field, her back facing me. Her long hair swayed in the wind, her hand gently brushing over the buckwheat nts as she continued walking ahead.


    I knew who that was.


    Eira.


    I ran toward her, but before I could touch her, she disappeared.


    "Eira!" I called out, and suddenly the view around me vanished¡ªonly to be reced with another familiar surrounding. My room.


    But something was different, and I still felt like I was in a dream.


    In front of me, she was there, right in my bed, facing me, sleeping peacefully.


    Thinking it was another dream, I reached my hand to touch her¡ªbut I heard a voice.


    "Are you awake finally?"


    My hand stopped before it reached her, and I turned to look at Jason, who was standing at the door of my room.


    A little confused, I asked him, "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re dead as well. If you are, I¡¯m going to beat the shit out of you."


    "I¡¯m not," Jason said as he came to the bed, "and neither are you."


    The next moment, I sat up in bed, looking at my bare chest¡ªwhich was spotless. No signs of any wound. "What the hell."


    "Your wound was healed," Jason told me. "And you¡¯re safe now."


    Realising it was not a dream, I looked at the bitch lying on my bed. "And what the hell is this bitch doing here? In my bed? Has she lost her mind, or is she just tired of living?"


    "The entire house is a mess. Roman left her here in your room so we could keep watch on you both together," Jason exined.


    I jumped out of my bed quickly, as if I was disgusted. "That Roman has lost a few screws in his brain to keep her here." I put on some clothes quickly and told Jason, "Tell him to take her away and change everything in my room wherever she has touched. Or I will burn this entire room."


    Without looking back, I left.


    I didn¡¯t want to ept what I had confessed to myself after I was shot, and what I had been thinking about that bitch just a while ago.


    The only thing I was allowed to feel towards her was hate. There was no ce for anything else.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 81: Ready For The Battle

    <h4>Chapter 81: Ready For The Battle</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once Lucian left, my gaze moved to the bitch lying on the bed peacefully, as if she were the most innocent person in the world.


    Because of her, once more I almost lost someone precious to me¡ªas if causing me to lose Alice and Jennifer was not enough. I regret liking her in the past¡ªthe greatest sin of my life¡ªthat I fell for the woman who killed my family.


    And I will never forget myself for that sin.


    I regretted that very first day when I saw her, when I fell for her, and when I started to think of my future with her. I must have been truly blind to not see her true colors.


    Over the past few days, I noticed changes in Lucian that were positive toward her. No matter how much he tried to show indifference, I knew he brought Fluffy for her sake and even cooked for her.


    He might forgive her one day, but I won¡¯t. Anything was possible in this world¡ªbut not for me to for forgive her ever and fall for her ever again.


    All I could do for her is grant her wish of dying¡ªbut I had to hold back for my brothers¡¯ sake, especially Kael¡¯s sake.


    He was a rare top tier Alpha, and he needed to have his own child to continue his precious bloodline. And this bitch was the only way. I didn¡¯t care if she would be used to save that other bitch Sophia. I didn¡¯t care if she died on that hospital bed today itself¡ªbut I had to respect Kael¡¯s wishes of saving her.


    My eyes narrowed at her. If she had not saved Lucianst night, she wouldn¡¯t be lying here at this moment¡ªbut probably six feet under the ground.


    Frowning at the sight, I turned to leave, but then I noticed her body shivering a little.


    When Lucian left, the nket covering them both had slipped away from her body. I wanted to leave, but then I couldn¡¯t help but go back to her and throw that slipped-away nket over her.


    <i>If she falls sick due to cold, Liam will think we tortured her once more,</i> I frowned inwardly. <i>That old hag and his mocking are insufferable.</i>


    I adjusted the AC temperature to make itfortable for her and left the room, the door closing behind me.


    Downstairs, the servants had cleared the entire mess and it was arranged like before with lots of things reced to the new ones. The wooden structure needed some serious repairing which would happen eventually, but for now the ce was entirely usable.


    I saw Kael and Roman were talking to Lucian¡ªprobably so relieved to see him awake first thing in the morning.


    I saw Roman hug him tightly after Kael let Lucian free. Roman stuck to him like a leech, as if making sure Lucian was truly fine.


    "Bastard, you scared me to death," Roman mumbled, holding him tightly. "If you pull another stunt like that to put your life in danger, I¡¯m going to whip your ass red."


    Lucian, annoyed by that hug, sighed. "I am alive, but might die of cringe if you keep acting like a bitch in love who¡¯s crying to see her lover returned alive from war."


    Roman let him go and red at him. "You should say these lines to Rafe¡ªyour personal bitch."


    Lucian looked at Rafe, who was busy doing something on the tablet, and frowned to hear us. "Keep me out of your fucking cringe drama. I might just puke."


    Lucian smirked, clearly in the mood to tease him. "Instead of Roman, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you cling to me like a crying bitch." He went closer to the sofa and nudged Rafe¡¯s feet with his. "Come to daddy. Give me a hug. Daddy will rid you of your heartache."


    Rafe stood up straight, facing him, their mocking gazes meeting each other. "Want me to show who¡¯s the real daddy here?"


    Lucian raised a brow, the smirk on his lips widening. "All haughty today, little bat. Were you so frightened to see what would happen to you if I died? Where were you going to find blood as tasty as mine?"


    "For letting me drink your shitty blood, I have something for you," Rafe said, cing the tablet in his hand. "Maybe you¡¯ll like seeing one bitch crying over you¡ªcertainly not me."


    "I wouldn¡¯t mind if you are that bitch," Lucian said teasingly and looked at the tablet screen. It showed a scene where Eira was crying for him, begging him not to die, and then how she saved him.


    "So it was not a dream, but she truly..." I heard Lucian mumble under his breath.


    "I made her voice clearer this time, which we couldn¡¯t hear before because of other noise in the background," Rafe said, taking the tablet from Lucian to connect it to the television, so we could see and hear it clearly.


    As it started, we heard Alice¡¯s name from her mouth.


    Lucian and I looked at each other, and then heard Roman. "Did she just say Alice?"


    "It looks like she was mistaking Lucian for Alice," Kael added. "She was desperate to save her."


    There was silence for a while as we tried to process her words, her actions, and her reactions¡ªto make sense of Kael¡¯s words. It truly looked like what he said.


    "Given the situation her life is in, the torture she¡¯s gone through, she must have regretted killing her and must want to correct her mistake," I said. "Finally, she regrets killing her. Good¡ªshe should know her sins better."


    "But her regret won¡¯t earn her our forgiveness," Lucian said. "Her regret won¡¯t bring back my sister, my mother, the people we lost. That bitch needs to regret it even more."


    "But she saved you," Rafe said this time. "She didn¡¯t ask you to protect her, but you did on your own. I can let her pass this time, just with the fact that she saved you."


    "Because of her, we lost so many of our people¡ªwhat¡¯s so great if she saved me?" Lucian spat out. "And at that, the bitch seems to have some healing abilities. She should have used that to save my sister."


    "She was a minor back then, and minors are not aware of their powers, let alone be able to use then," a voice came through, and frown lines appeared on all our foreheads.


    "Here¡¯s thewyer of that bitch," I said, clearly annoyed. "And he doesn¡¯t even get paid by her."


    Liam put his bag on the table and smiled. "It was probably her first time using her powers, which caused her desperation. And you should be d she was desperate to save you."


    "Not me¡ªbut my sister," Lucian said. "Or she was just acting, for a reason only she knows."


    "Whatever she does, you will never trust her anyway, so let¡¯s just stop at it," Liam said, his tone mocking. "I¡¯m going to check her. Ah! Just to make it clear," he looked at all of us, "¡ª is she still alive, or shall I prepare to cremate her body?"


    "If you continue this way, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll cremate your body next to hers," I spat out angrily.


    "Be my guest," Liam said, and walked upstairs, clearly knowing we wouldn¡¯t harm him.


    Kael was quiet, while Rafe and Roman were enjoying us being mocked by the old hag.


    "Stop grinning already¡ªunless you don¡¯t want me to pull those fangs of yours," Lucian warned Roman and Rafe.


    "Alright!" Kael finally meddled in, letting us have our time with our usual banter.


    He rarely meddled in unless it was getting serious or there was something he needed to talk about. By letting us be, he made sure we wouldn¡¯t feel like he was controlling our lives.


    Kael got our attention, and we knew it was time to talk about the attack¡ªand which bastard was calling for his death.


    "The bastard is someone from one of the six strong packs. Leave ours out, so we have five others to look into," Roman said.


    "You can leave out Dreadwyn Pack as well, so only four are left to look into," I told him.


    "Are you leaving that bastard Kaizan out of it?" Lucian asked. "He should be the first one we doubt."


    "He was there at the council meeting, and we know it¡¯s not him," Kael said. "In fact, he was the one to hint that something was going to happen here¡ªso we rushed back."


    "That¡¯s news to me. Does he think that by doing so, he¡¯ll get into our good books and we¡¯ll share that bitch with him?" Lucianmented.


    Kael and I shared gazes, unsure how to put it.


    "He¡¯s not interested in our she-wolf," I said. "He said he¡¯s ready to give up on a pureblood she-wolf if we hand him over the bitch his brother Keiran and his friends used to fuck together. He seems to have some twisted interest in her... and you know who that is..."


    Just as I said it, I could see all of their expressions darkening. In the end, Kaizan was interested in Eira only.


    "This bitch¡ª is she a witch or what?" Lucian spat out. "We need to make sure she doesn¡¯t have witch blood flowing through her, making every man around want to fuck her. She must be using some kind of twisted witch spell on everyone. Tell that bastard to go fuck himself."


    "We did," Kael told him to calm Lucian. "Also, we can drop Alpha Gerald, Hollowcrest Pack, out of it." Kael exined the reason and our encounter with Alpha Gerald of the Hollowcrest Pack. "...So now we are left with the remaining three packs."


    "What did you find from inspecting thosemandos?" Lucian asked.


    "Those are hired mercenaries and don¡¯t belong to any of the packs," Kael answered. "We need to find out who hired them."


    "Leave that to me." Lucian smirked as he stood up, already ready to start working. "Just prepare yourself to shower in some good bloodbath. It¡¯s been a while since all five of us got the chance to wipe out an entire pack."


    We didn¡¯t doubt him when Lucian said that. I stood up to follow him as well. Lucian stopped and looked at Kael. "And to let us enjoy it entirely, you are not going to use your Alpha aura on them. We will kill them while letting them fight with all their might¡ªor their souls will cry in hell that we were being unfair to them."


    "Sure," Kael replied, and we left as Lucian let out a goodugh and stretched his body, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to get onto a battlefield.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 82: Insufferable, Arrogant Bastards

    <h4>Chapter 82: Insufferable, Arrogant Bastards</h4>


    <strong>Liam¡¯s POV</strong>


    When I entered the room, Eira was still in a deep sleep. I expected her to wake soon¡ªthere were things I needed to speak to her about.


    I pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down, reaching for her wrist to check her pulse. Last night, it had been erratic from the sudden shock her body had endured when she used her powers. Now, it was steady.


    Good.


    She stirred slightly beneath the sheets, perhaps sensing my presence. I was about to call her name when I noticed the distress etched across her face. Her brows were drawn, her lips moving faintly. She was still caught in the grip of some nightmare.


    I let her be, listening as she murmured weakly, "Alice... I am sorry... Don¡¯t leave me, please... I am sorry..."


    Poor soul. Still chained to the past. I could see her pain¡ªthe raw wound of losing her friend. Yet the question would always remain: why had she killed Alice? Maybe one day she would tell me. Until then, I would wait.


    "Eira..." I finally said, keeping my voice gentle so as not to startle her.


    Her brows furrowed further at the sound, and then her eyes flew open, wide with shock. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breath harsh, as if she had been pulled from drowning. Beads of sweat glistened along her forehead. She looked terrified.


    "Are you alright?" I asked quietly.


    Her gaze found mine, and in an instant she sat upright, gripping my hand tightly¡ªher fingers digging into my skin. "Alice..." She shook her head sharply. "No... Lucian... he... where is he? He¡¯s¡ª"


    "He¡¯s alright. Alive and perfectly fine," I told her before she could spiral further.


    She exhaled a deep, shaky breath and released my hand, my words slowly sinking in.


    "You saved him¡ªjust in time¡ªusing your powers. Without that, we would have lost him," I said.


    Her eyes fixed on mine, but there was puzzlement there, as though she didn¡¯t understand what I was saying.


    I pulled out my phone and quickly sent a message to Kael, asking him to send me the video file. Then I looked back at her.


    "I¡¯ll exin it to you in a moment," I promised. "But the truth is¡ªyou saved him."


    She stayed quiet, her expression vacant, as though her mind couldn¡¯t quite process what I had said.


    So I asked, "Are you relieved that he¡¯s alive?"


    Her gaze wavered, a flicker of something unreadable passing through her eyes before she lowered her head. "I don¡¯t want anyone to die because of me. I just... want myself to die. But death betrays me every time."


    "Would it have hurt you if Lucian¡ªor any of them¡ªhad died?" I pressed.


    Her head snapped up, a hint of irritation in her eyes. "Didn¡¯t I just say I don¡¯t want anyone to die because of me?"


    Before I could respond, my phone vibrated with a message¡ªthe video file from Kael. I opened it, turned the screen toward her, and let her watch.


    Her expression shifted to one of disbelief as she saw herself¡ªthe glow pouring from her hands into Lucian¡¯s chest, her scream, and her copse.


    When it ended, I said simply, "See? You saved him using your power. You¡¯re a healer."


    She stared down at her hands, turning them over slowly, as if searching for some trace of the magic she¡¯d just witnessed. Her eyes told me she didn¡¯t believe it¡ªnot yet.


    "So it was your first time using your power?" I asked, though my tone made it more of a conclusion than a question.


    She frowned faintly. "It never happened before..."


    "Well, if you can use your power, that means your wolf is still there¡ªand strong," I told her. "It won¡¯t be long until you¡¯re fully in sync with her again. And then you¡¯ll go through all the milestones in a werewolf¡¯s life. Shifting. Heat."


    Her face tightened, herck of enthusiasm in. And why would she be thrilled? She had no reason to be.


    I nced down at her injured toes¡ªthey were almost healed. Likely the stronger presence of her wolf had elerated her self-healing, though notpletely.


    "The nails will grow back soon," I said, reaching for the bandages to wrap them again.


    But before I could, she suddenly sprang from the bed and bolted for the door.


    "Eira¡ª" I called after her, but she didn¡¯t stop.


    Unease coiled in my gut. I hurried after her, one thought echoing in my mind: <i>I hope she¡¯s not trying to take her own life again.</i>


    She was already descending the stairs at a dangerous pace. "Be careful," I warned sharply. "Don¡¯t fall."


    She didn¡¯t listen. Instead, she sprinted through the drawing room, heading straight toward the wall-sized ss window that faced the side house.


    Kael, Roman, and Rafe were already in the drawing room. Seeing her, they rose to their feet, their eyes shifting to me with silent questions.


    "I don¡¯t know," I told them quickly, breaking into a run after her. They followed without hesitation.


    Outside, the ground was still littered with shards of broken ss as the servants continued clearing the estate. She didn¡¯t care. She ran barefoot over them, the sharp edges slicing into her skin, leaving crimson marks in her wake¡ªyet she moved as if she felt no pain at all.


    "Eira..." I called after her, trying to slow her, but she didn¡¯t stop.


    Lucian and Jason were in the garden, assessing the wreckage from the night before. They turned toward us as we passed, their expressions sharpening at the sight of her.


    Eira didn¡¯t spare them a nce. She pushed into the side house, stepping into the chaos of the room that had yet to be cleaned. Without hesitation, she went straight to the bookshelf, swung it aside, and vanished behind it.


    "Damn bitch," Lucian muttered. "She wouldn¡¯t stay there when we told her to, and now she¡¯s running to hide? Seeing the enemiesst night must¡¯ve scared her enough."


    "Let me check," Roman said, striding forward.


    But before he could reach the hidden door, she emerged. In her arms, she cradled a cat, her hand moving in slow, gentle strokes over its fur. Her gaze was soft, tender¡ªfixed entirely on the creature in her arms as if nothing else existed.


    She didn¡¯t seem to register our presence. She didn¡¯t seem to notice her own pain. Her feet were bleeding freely, leaving a trail of red footprints across the dusty floor.


    We all stood there, momentarily speechless.


    So that¡¯s why she had run here¡ªout of worry for the cat.


    I stepped toward her. "Eira, your feet¡ª"


    "Liam," she interrupted, looking up at me, "can you check if she¡¯s alright? She was locked in here overnight. She must¡¯ve been scared. Not good for a pregnant kitty."


    I stared at her in silence. I wanted to ask, <i>What about your own pain?</i>


    But I didn¡¯t. I simply let out a low hum and reached to take the cat from her arms.


    Of course the cat was fine, but for her sake, I checked her thoroughly before saying, "She¡¯s fine. We can take her to the vetter if you want."


    Eira simply nodded and took the cat back from me, her hands resuming their gentle strokes over its fur. "You¡¯re fine now," she murmured softly to the animal. "Don¡¯t be scared."


    Meanwhile, I nced toward the five giants standing in the doorway. Their expressions told me they were as stunned as I was. I raised a brow at them in mockery.


    That seemed to jolt them from their daze, and they looked away.


    "This side house will take time to repair," Kael said, his gaze flicking to me. But I caught the meaning behind his words. "Everyone will have to stay in the main house until then." Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.


    The others followed him out, leaving me alone with Eira.


    "Sit," I told her, guiding her to the intact section of the half-destroyed sofa. She obeyed, still holding the cat, and I knelt before her to tend to her feet.


    Carefully, I removed the embedded ss shards, rinsed her wounds with water, and wrapped them with the cleanest pieces of cloth I could find. Throughout it all, she didn¡¯t flinch or hiss in pain¡ªher focus remained fixed entirely on the soft fur beneath her fingertips.


    From outside, the voices of those five bastards.


    "Where the fuck are these servants? Useless roons still haven¡¯t cleared the ss shards from the ground," Lucian barked.


    "I¡¯ll get them moving," Jason replied. "They all need a good beating to hurry up their work."


    "Tell the head servant to hire more hands," Kael¡¯s voice cut through. "I want this entire ce clean today."


    "The side house needs to be repaired quickly," Roman added.


    And then Rafe¡¯s voice¡ªsharp as ever¡ªfollowed. "I don¡¯t want any trace of that bitch¡¯s blood here. Her scent is suffocating. If they don¡¯t clear those shards immediately, I¡¯ll drain everyst one of them dry."


    I couldn¡¯t help the low chuckle that escaped me. They were worried about her¡ªwhether they¡¯d admit it or not.


    I finished wrapping her feet, but before I could say anything, she jolted upright and stood suddenly, startling the cat in her arms.


    "Your feet are hurt¡ª"


    I didn¡¯t even finish before she stepped out of the house. "Fluffy..." she called, her voice hoarse and dry.


    A few momentster, barking echoed across the yard. Fluffy came bounding toward her, tail wagging despite the chaos that still lingered in the air.


    She knelt down without hesitation¡ªright onto the shards of ss¡ªand wrapped her arms around him. The cat remained cradled in one hand while her free hand moved over Fluffy, checking him from head to tail.


    "Are you hurt?" she asked softly.


    Fluffy barked again and licked her face, as if answering her. Only when she was certain that both her pets were unharmed did her shoulders finally rx.


    A girl who cared more for her pets than for herself... how could she ever truly harm anyone?


    Leaving her with them, I walked toward the five, who were still growling at the servants already working themselves to exhaustion to clean this warzone of an estate.


    "By the way," I said, drawing their attention, "do you know what she asked me the moment she woke up?"


    They nced at me with questioning looks, then followed my gaze toward her¡ªkneeling in the yard, stroking her pets¡ªbefore turning back to me.


    "She asked if Lucian was alright," I told them evenly. "If he was safe and sound."


    Silence.


    Not one of them had anything to say.


    I smirked. I¡¯d always enjoyed leaving these insufferable, arrogant bastards speechless, though the opportunities were rare. Thankfully, with Eira around, that wish of mine was being granted more often these days.

 Chapter 83: She Stays In Lucian’s Room

    <h4>Chapter 83: She Stays In Lucian¡¯s Room</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    After that bitch had finished fawning over her pets, Liam busied himself again with tending to her feet¡ªthis time, also cleaning the scrape on her knee from when she knelt on the ground to hug Fluffy.


    She was treating Liam like her personal handmaid, someone expected to be at her beck and call to patch her up whenever she was hurt. But honestly, the old bastard Liam deserved it, considering how smug he¡¯d been gettingtely.


    His earlier words¡ªwhat Eira had asked the moment she woke¡ªstill echoed in my mind. And judging from the looks on the other four, I wasn¡¯t the only one affected.


    We¡¯d all assumed that she was trying to save Alice, not Lucian, as suffering ofst six years must have made her regret her actions. But no. She had known exactly who was hurt. It was just for a moment her mind had confused him with Alice.


    Our gazes shifted toward Lucian. He was watching her from a distance, his eyes locked on where she sat beneath the half-ruined patio, her pets close, Liam still tending to her injuries.


    He felt our stares and red back. "What?" he barked, his frown deepening. "Don¡¯t give me those shitty looks."


    We stayed silent.


    "I wish I¡¯d died rather than be saved by that bitch," he continued. "Saving me won¡¯t make me forgive her. Never. I hate her, and that will never change."


    We didn¡¯t argue. We hated her too.


    For now, there was a more immediate matter to deal with: where she would stay until the side house was repaired.


    We moved into the main house as drawing room was cleaned and we could sit and discuss calmly.


    "I don¡¯t care where you put her, but my room is out of the question," Lucian said tly. "Letting her spend a night there was already my limit."


    "The ground floor is ruined, and so are all the rooms there," Roman replied. "Mine, Rafe¡¯s, and both guest rooms¡ªeverything¡¯s a mess. Only three rooms upstairs are intact."


    Those three belonged to me, Lucian, and Kael. Which meant one of us would have topromise.


    We all looked at Kael. He returned the nce with a warning re that said, as clearly as words, <i>Don¡¯t even think about it.</i><i></i>


    Kael¡¯s room was practically forbidden territory in this house. No one entered it without his explicit permission¡ªunless there was an emergency and we couldn¡¯t reach him any other way. In truth, I could barely recall its exact interior, having been inside so few times.


    So Kael¡¯s room was already out of the question. That left Lucian¡¯s room and mine.


    "I don¡¯t agree," I said immediately, since Lucian had already voiced his reluctance. "If she stays in my room, I can¡¯t guarantee her safety. Don¡¯t me me for anything. I¡¯ve just ordered a new pair of tarants, and I n to keep them with me to look after them properly."


    "Bastard!" Lucian snapped. He knew exactly what that meant¡ªhis room was next in line.


    "I don¡¯t agree either," he shot back, looking at all of us. "Don¡¯t me me if I end up testing my new drugs on her."


    "Then let her stay in that broken side house," I said. "She can survive anywhere. The stubborn bitch isn¡¯t meant to die."


    Just then, Liam walked in. "Trust me, she¡¯d be happier living in a pile of garbage than with you. And the side house isn¡¯t that bad. She can manage. She doesn¡¯t even feel pain if she gets hurt. Such a blessing¡ªnot to feel pain at all."


    The old fart was clearly here to irritate us again.


    "I¡¯ve done what I came here for. I¡¯ll excuse myself," Liam said, turning to go.


    But Kael¡¯s voice stopped him. "What did she say about using her powers?"


    Liam looked at Kael. "She¡¯s as clueless as we are. It was the first time she¡¯s ever used it¡ªor maybe she was just desperate to save Lucian."


    "Just shut your mouth and leave already," Lucian snapped, irritationcing every word.


    Liam¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. "I will. Not like you mean anything special to her to make her desperate to save you. She would¡¯ve done the same for a stray dog."


    Lucian¡¯s eyes darkened at beingpared to the stray dog. "Fuck off!"


    "Oh, and just so you know," Liam added, as if it were an afterthought, "I¡¯m leaving the city for a day. Don¡¯t bother calling me to treat her if she gets hurt. Either keep her in one piece or patch her up yourself." With that, he walked out.


    Silence settled between us.


    "Alright," Rafe said atst, exhaling as if the matter had already worn him out. "I have a solution."


    "What?" I asked as I raised a brow, "You seems so eager to bring her to this home, or your room perhaps."


    The bastard remained as smug as ever. "I worry about Vixen. If that bitch lives in scrap, Vixen will stay there and get hurt in return. Either you let that bitch enter this home, or separate my cat from her."


    The way that bitch went to look for Vixen without caring of getting hurt, one could tell it wouldn¡¯t set well to separate them.


    "Say the solution," Kael ordered Rafe, probably not willing to separate Vixen from that bitch.


    "Since we have to decide whose room the bitch stays in, let¡¯s vote for it¡ªlike we used to. Majority wins."


    The suggestion brought back memories of those long-forgotten days of carefree life from the past when decisions were settled with quick, reckless votes.


    "Lucian¡¯s or Jason¡¯s room?" Rafe¡¯s asked and then his gaze shifted to Lucian, the corners of his mouth curling in mischief. "I vote for Lucian¡¯s. After all, he was the one who jumped to save her¡ªand she returned the favor by saving him. We can¡¯t ignore such a special bond between them, can we?"


    "What the fuck are you talking about?" Lucian growled. "The fuck special bond?"


    "Others still need to vote," Rafe said lightly, ignoring his outburst and looked at us, "C¡¯mon, vote before she ends up in one of your rooms instead of Lucian¡¯s."


    "Lucian¡¯s room," Kael and Roman said almost in unison.


    I opened my mouth, but Lucian¡¯s re cut through me like a de. I shut it again.


    "As per the rules, no one can refuse to vote," Rafe reminded me, his tone sly. "If you do, the bitch goes to your room."


    "Lucian¡¯s room," I said quickly, offering an apologetic look to Lucian.


    "Bastard," Lucian muttered before turning his fury on Rafe. "You asshole, you did it intentionally."


    "You should be thanking me for solving the issue so quickly instead of baring teeth at me," Rafe said, acting nonchnt.


    Lucian clenched his jaw, his gaze icy. "Just wait until it¡¯s your turn to keep that bitch. I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s bleeding and lock her in with you. Let¡¯s see if you suffocate from her stinking scent¡ªor fuck her with it."


    Rafe smirked. "That day won¡¯te, sweetheart."


    Lucian was about to get up to strangle Rafe, but Kael¡¯s voice cut in to stop their bickering.


    "It¡¯s decided. She stays in Lucian¡¯s room."

 Chapter 84: Jason, The Baby Sitter

    <h4>Chapter 84: Jason, The Baby Sitter</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s jaw clenched, but he didn¡¯t argue¡ªat least not directly. "Fine. But I¡¯m not babysitting her. I¡¯m moving to Jason¡¯s room until she¡¯s gone from mine. And don¡¯t even think about forcing me to look after her, or I¡¯ll slit her throat myself. No bitch, no trouble."


    Kael didn¡¯t flinch. He simply shifted his gaze to Roman.


    Before Kael could speak, Roman shook his head. "Kael, this time I¡¯m disobeying you. I need time... and distance from her."


    That alone was enough to make us pause. Roman rarely refused Kael, but his tone made it clear¡ªthere would be no persuading him. And honestly, he¡¯d already been the one handling her for days withoutint.


    Kael¡¯s gazended on me. "You¡¯ll look after her."


    "What?" I stared at him in a disbelief.


    <i>¡¯Do I need to torture her again so the responsibility of baby sitting her won¡¯t fall on me?¡¯</i>


    "That¡¯s final," Kael said, his voice ice. "And this time, I expect you to obey. You still haven¡¯t made up for hurting her¡ªor she¡¯d have healed by now and wouldn¡¯t need anyone to babysit her."


    "Yeah," Rafe chimed in, his smirk back. "That kick to her chest, the broken ribs, the torture... really did a number on her. All thanks to you."


    This bastard had to open his mouth just at the wrong time. Now Kael won¡¯t back down on his decision.


    I exhaled, low and grudging. "Fine. But I¡¯ll do it my way. Don¡¯t expect me to turn into Roman. I don¡¯t have that kind of patience."


    Kael¡¯s eyes hardened further. "One scratch on her because of you, and I¡¯ll kill every one of your pets."


    The memory of him killing my two before still burned in my mind. I wasn¡¯t about to risk my snakes or scorpions.


    I gave a curt hum.


    We exchanged nces, each of us silently asking the same question¡ªwho was going to bring her inside? She couldn¡¯t possibly stay out there the entire day.


    One by one, their gazes settled on me.


    "I have to go with Lucian to find out who causedst night¡¯s attack and¡ª"


    "I¡¯m taking this little bat with me," Lucian cut in smoothly, his tone dripping with mockery. "You can continue with the responsibility you just got."


    His smug look told me exactly what he was doing¡ªgetting back at me for agreeing to let her stay in his room earlier.


    I exhaled a slow breath and rose to my feet, heading toward her.


    When I reached her, she clearly sensed my presence but didn¡¯t so much as nce at me.


    "We have to get inside," I said, my voice deliberate. "It¡¯s not safe here... for Vixen. She might get hurt... and Fluffy as well."


    Without hesitation, she lifted Vixen from the tabletop beside her and rose to her feet. "Fluffy," she called softly, gesturing for him to follow.


    She began walking, her injured feet treading over ground still littered with shards of ss. I found myself frowning¡ªwas she truly incapable of feeling pain?


    Without thinking, I stepped forward and scooped her up into my arms.


    She stiffened instantly, clearly startled, but before she could speak I warned in a low voice, "Keep quiet, or I¡¯ll dump you here and leave with Vixen and Fluffy. And, I will make sure you never get to see them ever again."


    She kept quiet, only holding Vixen closer, her arms wrapped protectively around the cat as if the creature were the most precious thing in the world.


    I still couldn¡¯t understand why she was so protective toward a cat she¡¯d only met yesterday.


    Whatever.


    When I carried her inside, every single one of them shot me mocking nces¡ªsilent but loud enough to say, <i>You hurt her. Now you¡¯re the one tending to her.</i>


    I took her upstairs to Lucian¡¯s room and set her down at the edge of the bed.


    "You need to take a bath or whatever you want to do," I said in a strict tone, heading to Lucian¡¯s wardrobe. I pulled out a shirt and tossed it onto the bed. "Change into this. There¡¯s blood on what you¡¯re wearing."


    She nced down at her dress¡ªstill stained with Lucian¡¯s blood fromst night¡ªyet remained unbothered.


    I entered the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and came back out. "Hurry up. I don¡¯t have much time for you."


    She ced Vixen gently on the bed, then walked toward the bathroom without a word.


    I frowned, searching for something to wrap her freshly bandaged feet so she wouldn¡¯t reopen the wounds. Finding a roll of stic wrap, I stepped into the bathroom without knocking.


    I froze.


    She was already standing there, naked, her hand reaching for the shower tap. My breath caught¡ªdamn.


    She nced back at me briefly, then turned away again, as though my presence meant nothing.


    "Wait," I told her, setting the stic wrap on the shelf. "Cover your feet with this¡ª"


    Before I could finish, she had already turned on the shower, ignoring my words as if they were nothing more than a passing breeze.


    I clenched my jaw and walked out of bathroom without another word and mmed the door behind me.


    <i>That bitch can die for all I care.</i>


    I headed downstairs, my mood soured. I needed something¡ªanything¡ªto upy my mind before it wandered back to where it shouldn¡¯t. Cooking. Breakfast was still undone, and the thought of it felt like a lifeline.


    In the past, I had little interest in the kitchen, but over thest six years it had be my quiet refuge. A way to drown out pain and shut the door on my thoughts. Cooking was my own form of meditation, and right now, I needed that calm more than ever.


    "Has that bitch bitten you, or what¡¯s got you so angry?" Lucian¡¯s voice came from behind, dripping with amusement.


    "Wouldn¡¯t I be carrying her teeth with me if that were the case?" I shot back, not bothering to look at him, and made my way to the kitchen.


    The bastards were clearly enjoying the sight of me riled up.


    "I¡¯m going to your room to have a bath, then I¡¯m leaving for the investigation," Lucian announced before walking away.


    Kael disappeared into his own room, while Roman and Rafe went to theirs, which were at least somewhat usable.


    Meanwhile, my mind was already turning. <i>What could I do to shake off this ridiculous responsibility of babysitting her? I need to find a way.</i>

 Chapter 85: Alice’s Picture

    <h4>Chapter 85: Alice¡¯s Picture</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Jason left in anger when I refused to listen to him. Why would I? I never asked for his fake concern. I would not die from wounds like these, and their purpose of fucking me would still be served.


    They could hurt me, insult me with their filthy words, and I would take it. But I could not stomach false concern, not from them or anyone. So fuck it.


    Standing beneath the shower, I let the water wash away the exhaustion clinging to my skin. The vivid memories of Alice¡¯s death surfacedst night like my worst nightmare and how I wished to reverse time at that moment.


    Watching Lucian on the brink of death had felt almost as unbearable as seeing Alice die and both the deaths were going to be my fault.


    For the first time in past six years, I regretted trying to take my own life. That choice had almost taken his life with mine. If he had diedst night, Alice would never have forgiven me. She had loved her brothers more than anything, and a single scratch on them had been enough to pain her. And there he had been, dying¡ªbecause of me.


    And for Alice¡¯s sake, I could never wish death on any of them. Her brother, their friends were the people she cherished.


    I still remembered her saying. "All five of them are just perfect together. I hope their friendship will never change, at least not because of any girl. That Sophia, I sometimes wonder if she will harm their friendship. I don¡¯t know why Kael even likes her. That rich polished good for nothing doll."


    Once she even asked me, "Do you like anyone of these five? If so, tell me and I will try my best to hook you with them, ept for one. You know I like him, right?"


    I could only nod at that time, but didn¡¯t dare confess to her that I was already with one of them. I wish, I had told her back then like an honest friend. She was so good to me, while I hid things from her.


    I didn¡¯t bother searching for soap or shower gel. I didn¡¯t care. There was a time when I did care¡ªwhen I would think about how I looked, how I smelled¡ªbecause of him. That boy with the most beautiful eyes. But not anymore.


    When I stepped out of the shower, I looked down at my soaked bandages. Water and blood had blended into a diluted red. I tore them off and threw them into the trash without hesitation, leaving a trail of bloody footprints as I walked.


    I wrapped a towel around myself and stepped into the room. A simple act like this left me breathless, and the pain in my chest never left.


    If they had kicked my chest, they should have done it properly. Put in enough strength to end it. These Alphas were useless¡ªthey couldn¡¯t even kick someone well enough to kill them. Not even someone as weak as me.


    I saw the shirt Jason had tossed onto the bed for me. Picking it up, I caught a faint, familiar scent clinging to it. I ignored it and slipped it on, my wet hair soaking the fabric along my back.


    I was just about to dry my hair when something caught my eye¡ªa photo frame on the shelf. One nce was enough for my breath to hitch.


    Alice.


    The towel slid from my fingers as I crossed the room quickly, my hands almost trembling when I picked it up. I stared at her face, a small smile curving my lips even as my eyes burned with tears.


    Her face was luminous, as though it held its own gentle light. Shoulder-length hair, the color of warm honey-brown, framed her features in soft waves. Her eyes shone like distant stars, always alight with warmth and mischief, and her smile¡ªpure, unguarded¡ªheld the innocence of a child. She carried with her an aura of life itself, a quiet joy that seemed to fill the air around her, making the world feel brighter simply by existing in it.


    After all these years, I was finally looking at her again. I traced my thumb over the ss, imagining I could reach through it, touch her, speak to her.


    Sitting on the edge of the bed, I clutched the frame and let my tears fall freely.


    "Alice... I was afraid one day I¡¯d forget how you looked. Finally, I can imprint you into my mind again," I whispered.


    A choked sob escaped. "I¡¯m sorry... I want toe to you, but I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know how. You must be lonely there. You must miss me, right? I¡¯ll try... I¡¯ll try my best toe to you soon. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know about my powers back then. If I had... I would have saved you. I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯ve always been useless, you know. I still am."


    The door creaked open, and before I could even turn, the frame was ripped from my hands.


    "How dare you touch her picture?"


    Lucian.


    I didn¡¯t meet his eyes. He had every right to be furious when it came to his sister.


    "Just because you¡¯re allowed to stay in my room doesn¡¯t mean you can go around touching my things," he spat, striding to the wardrobe. He shoved the picture into a drawer and turned to re at me. "Don¡¯t you dare touch anything in here, or I¡¯ll burn it all. Keep your filthy hands to yourself."


    I stayed silent, the tears still slipping from my eyes. His words didn¡¯t wound me¡ªit was the loss of Alice¡¯s picture from my hands that hurt. All I wanted to look at her for a while and talk to her, but...


    His sudden growl broke the quiet. "What the fuck is this? Blood? Your existence isn¡¯t enough that you¡¯re leaving your filthy blood everywhere now?"


    I lowered my gaze to my feet, the cause of the mess.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I heard him moving about the room with sharp, impatient steps, and then he was in front of me, kneeling with a first-aid box he set heavily on the floor.


    He took my foot in his hand. I flinched and tried to pull away, but his grip was unyielding. He didn¡¯t look at me, and I kept my eyes averted as well. I had almost caused his deathst night, and for Alice¡¯s sake, I would endure whatever he wished without protest.


    He worked quickly, wrapping fresh bandages around my wounds. His voice was ice when he finally spoke. "Spill your filthy blood around here again, and I¡¯ll make sure to chop your feet. The scent is nauseating."


    He sounded utterly disgusted, and I couldn¡¯t me him. I was disgusted with myself too. There wasn¡¯t a part of me¡ªflesh or soul¡ªthat wasn¡¯t tainted and foul by now.


    When he finished, he stood, tossed a small napkin onto myp, and ordered, "Clean the blood from the floor. I don¡¯t want a single trace left. And dry your hair. You look disgusting this way. Though you are just a fuck toy, I would like to fuck something that is at least a little pleasing to eyes."


    I took it without a word as he crossed to the wardrobe, pulled out a few of his belongings, and stalked out of the room, his anger following him like a shadow.


    Quietly, I set to work, wiping every crimson stain from the floor. When I was done, my gaze drifted to the wardrobe. Inside, in the drawer, was Alice¡¯s picture. My fingers itched to open it and take it back into my hands¡ªbut I stopped myself.


    What if he took that picture away from here? It¡¯s enough that she is right there, in the same room.

 Chapter 86: Time To Mark Her

    <h4>Chapter 86: Time To Mark Her</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    I helped Jason with breakfast, though from the moment he returned from the room his mood had been foul. I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened between him and Eira. Perhaps she had behaved as she usually did, and unlike me, Jason wasn¡¯t ustomed to tolerating it. I had learned to remain calm, no matter how much she ignored me.


    The reason I refused to take care of her today, it was because ofst night. Watching Lucian nearly die had shaken me to the core, the same gut-wrenching fear I had felt six years ago when I lost the rest of my friends.


    For a few terrible moments, I had hated Eira with every fibre of my being, even to the point of wanting her dead. That raw, unfiltered anger had rattled whatever softness I had begun to feel toward her over the past few days.


    I needed distance, time to quiet the storm inside me. Otherwise, I wasn¡¯t sure if my words would wound her deeper than my hands ever could. She had always sought death, and we had always denied it to her¡ªso how could I me her for not listening when I told her to stay in the safe room? I knew well enough she would continue to seek ways to end her life, no matter what happened.


    Breakfast was nearly ready when the others beganing downstairs. Lucian hadn¡¯t cooked today, and I doubted Eira would touch anything prepared by Jason or me. This morning, I didn¡¯t have it in me to ask Lucian to cook for her.


    Once the dishes were set and we sat around the table, Kael turned to Jason."Have you given her anything to eat?"


    "She doesn¡¯t eat what I cook, and I¡¯m not her servant," Jason replied sharply, his wordsced with resentment.


    Kael¡¯s gaze shifted to me, but I busied myself with serving food onto our tes. Lucian and Rafe avoided his eyes as well.


    "As no one wants to serve her, she will eat here with us from today onward," Kael dered.


    The table went still. Eat with us? Here? At <i>our</i> table? That quiet space we shared as a family? Displeasure flickered across every face.


    "Rafe, go get her," Kael ordered.


    Rafe scowled. "You know I can¡¯t stand her stench."


    "Then learn to bear it," Kael¡¯s tone as if challenging him to argue back. "She¡¯s going to be around for a long time. And you¡¯re going to fuck her sooner orter, so you¡¯d better get used to it."


    Rafe sighed heavily but moved anyway. An order from the Alpha was not something he could ignore.


    When he reached upstairs, we could hear his voice as he was standing outside the room. "Come downstairs. Right now."


    We didn¡¯t know what she said or did, but his next words cut sharper. "Causing us to almost lose our brother wasn¡¯t already enough for you. Now you want us to waste our time dealing with your tantrums? Get your ass downstairs quickly, or I¡¯ll make sure Vixen and Fluffy disappear and show you I am better at throwing tantrums than you."


    He returned a momentter, his expression smug. As we looked at him, he said, "That¡¯s the way I talk. If you want her to hear some sweet nothings, then do it yourself."


    Soon, she appeared at the staircase. I had no doubt Rafe¡¯s threat about the pets had worked. But as she descended, my brows drew together¡ªand I noticed the same reaction in the others.


    She was wearing only a dark shirt, and it was obvious there was nothing beneath. We had all seen her bare before, yet something about this felt... off. Wrong.


    She hesitated when she reached the bottom, unsure of where to go.


    Kael¡¯s gaze slid to Jason, reminding him it was his responsibility to handle her.


    "Come here and get your food," Jason ordered.


    She walked toward the dining table, her steps slow, her injured feet dragging slightly. Jason shoved a dish toward her in a gesture that meant, <i>This is yours</i>.


    She took it and turned to leave, but Kael¡¯s cold stare pinned Jason where he sat, the silent warning clear.


    Jason exhaled in frustration, stood, and pulled a chair to the far end of the table, far from us. "Sit here."


    Surprisingly, she obeyed without a word. I nced at Rafe, who was focused on his te, but I knew¡ªdamn him¡ªthat he had yed the right card to get her to listen.


    As she moved to sit, her gaze kept flickering around the room like a thief scanning for a way out. No, not for escape¡ªshe was searching for the pets.


    "Lucian, where¡¯s Fluffy? Doesn¡¯t he need to eat? And Vixen as well?" I asked, cursing myself inwardly. Despite not wanting to, I couldn¡¯t help but worry for her. Such an ass I am.


    "He is outside with themandos, and Vixen is taking a nap in her ce," Lucian replied.


    I nced toward the far end of the drawing room, where a small cat house sat neatly in the corner.


    Eira followed my gaze, her eyes settling on it. Realizing that it was Vixen¡¯s, she rxed, her shoulders easing as she sat down and began to eat in silence.


    She was finally eating something that Lucian hadn¡¯t cooked. Perhaps her appetite was slowly returning to normal.


    Kael broke the quiet first. "Did that traitor say anything?" he asked Lucian.


    Lucian gave a short hum. "And we also know who was behind it all."


    That instantly caught Rafe¡¯s interest. "So, when are we leaving for another bloodbath?"


    "Tonight," Lucian answered without hesitation.


    I nced at him. "What about her? If we leave her here, they¡¯ll take advantage of our absence again."


    "She¡¯s going with us," Lucian dered tly. "Let her see what kind of people she¡¯s living with. Next time, she might think before acting."


    It was the only real option, and we all knew it. She would be safer in ourpany than left behind.


    Kael turned his gaze to me. "Get her proper clothes. Though a whore, this home has rules."


    I gave a short hum of acknowledgment. Now that I knew her size, I could order more for her.


    Once breakfast ended, Eira was sent back to her room, and we shifted to other pressing matters.


    "Get ready to be summoned by the council again after what we do tonight," Lucian said.


    Kael leaned back, unconcerned. "We¡¯d be summoned anyway. She¡¯s unmarked."


    I understood immediately. "Then you have to mark her," I told him.


    Kael¡¯s expression hardened. "Any one of us will do." His eyes shifted to me. "You¡¯re good to her. You can mark her."


    It shocked me. "But you¡¯re the leader..."


    "Doesn¡¯t matter. Just mark her so we can shut the mouths of those bastards," Kael said with finality.


    The order caught me off guard. Marking her wasn¡¯t just a physical act¡ªit meant making her our mate, changing everything between us. "I need time... and she needs to be told."


    Kael looked to the others. "Any one of you."


    "Roman is a good choice," the three said quickly, their reluctance obvious.


    But they had forgotten something important. I let a slow smile curl my lips. "Even if I¡¯m the one to mark her, she bes the mate of all five of us. She¡¯ll be connected to our bond, so don¡¯t think you¡¯re spared from it."


    Their expressions soured instantly. The truth was unavoidable¡ªshe would belong to all of us, and the bond would affect us equally.


    "And Liam is giving her medicines to trigger her heat cycle," I added, watching their faces twist further. "She¡¯s never had one before. That means her first heat cycle. Pureblood¡¯s first heat cycle is said to be the most dangerous and irresistible. No Alpha can escape its pull."


    This time, it was my turn to smirk. They thought they could dump everything on me and walk away untouched.


    "We¡¯ll discuss itter," Kael finally said, his tone tighter now. My words had struck home.


    If Eira went into heat, Kael would be the one most affected and I could clearly see the worry in his eyes.

 Chapter 87: Eira At The Council

    <h4>Chapter 87: Eira At The Council</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The entire day had been spent managing the chaos in the estate, each of us handling different matters alongside our security teams andmandos. Some of our own were dead, the injured were being treated in the hospital, and the corpses of our enemies had been gathered onto trucks to be sent back to those bastards who had caused it all¡ªdumped on their doorstep like rotting gifts.


    By the time we returned home in the evening, an unexpected sight greeted us.


    At the far end of the drawing room, beside Vixen¡¯s small house, Eira sat slumped against the wall, fast asleep. Her legs were folded to the side, her head resting slightly forward, and in her arms she cradled Vixen, who was sleeping just as soundly.


    Both of them werepletely unaware of the world around them.


    It was the first time we had ever seen something like this¡ªher, in our home, greeting us not with res or defiance but with the quiet stillness of sleep. None of us moved. None of us even spoke. As if by silent agreement, we didn¡¯t want to make a sound that might wake her.


    Then a voice cut through the moment. "Alpha, outside everything is fixed. The rooms inside¡ª"


    Kael¡¯s hand lifted sharply, silencing the man mid-sentence. Any loud noise might disturb her.


    I stepped forward, blocking the view from where they stood. She was wearing only a shirt, and although her legs were tucked neatly to the side, they were still bare. No one outside of us was allowed to see her like this.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who reacted. The other three, Lucian, Jason and Rafe, shifted subtly, forming a wall between her and the workers.


    "You can returnter," Kael said without looking back.


    The way we moved seemed to startle them. They exchanged uneasy nces, as though they had done something wrong, and quickly nodded.


    "Do not enter this home without our permission," Lucian added, his tone full of warning.


    The men nodded again and left in haste.


    When we turned back to her, Eira was still asleep, undisturbed by the noise or our presence. A pureblood werewolf should have sharp senses¡ªshe should have reacted the moment we stepped inside. Had she truly lost them?


    Lucian frowned. "We have to take her with us, but she¡¯s sleeping."


    Kael turned to me. "Wake her if she takes more than half an hour. And make sure she wears enough clothes to cover herself."


    "The clothes I ordered have arrived," I told him. "But we were busy outside."


    Without another word, Kael headed upstairs, Lucian and Jason following him to their own rooms. Rafe and I remained in the drawing room.


    Rafe dropped onto the sofa, eyes fixed on his phone, while I kept my gaze on Eira. She stirred in her sleep, hershes fluttering before her eyes opened slowly.


    I walked over and knelt in front of her, carefully taking Vixen from her arms as the cat woke as well. "We¡¯re going out in a while. You need to get dressed."


    Her sleepy gaze held a silent question.


    "We¡¯re going to deal with our enemies, and we can¡¯t leave you behind," I exined. My attention shifted to Vixen. "We need you to take care of Vixen and Fluffy."


    She gave no verbal answer, but her expression made it clear she understood. I handed her the shopping bags and gestured toward Rafe¡¯s room. "Change in there."


    Rafe shot me a sharp re, but I only smirked. "If you prefer, she can change here in the drawing room in front of us."


    "Don¡¯t taint my eyes," he muttered, which was his grudging permission.


    Not long after, she returned wearing a loose white top andfortable dark-grey trousers¡ªclothing that would not aggravate her wounded skin.


    By then, the other three hade downstairs. We were ready to leave.


    Eira moved to take Vixen with her, but Rafe stopped her. "With babies in her belly, I don¡¯t want her surrounded by bullets and grenades."


    She seemed to understand and left Vixen and Fluffy behind without protest.


    Along with punishing our enemies, we had to be careful towards Eira so she won¡¯t pull out any stunt like the previous night. It was impossible to guess what went in her mind. Her silence was the dangerous weapon she had with her.


    ----


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    As nned, that night we headed straight to the enemy¡¯s stronghold¡ªone of the bastards who had dared to scheme against us andy a hand on our woman. Just like them, we came prepared for war, yet we made certain Eira would be kept far from harm.


    When we arrived at the sprawling estate, we struck without hesitation. Our assault was swift and merciless, ensuring that no man fighting in the enemy¡¯s name remained breathing. By the time we were done, the grand estate had been reduced to a graveyard, its fallen ready to be buried in whatever pit awaited them.


    All the while, Eira remained inside one of our heavily armored vehicles, its frame reinforced to withstand any form of attack. Guards surrounded her, and Roman had been tasked with staying close, ensuring she remained untouched while the four of us dealt with the bloodshed.


    Eventually, we cornered the coward behind it all. The man was trembling in the sanctuary of his own home, but it did him no good. Soon he was on his knees before us, his voice breaking as he pleaded.


    "Alpha Kael, please... forgive me. I was a fool to think of going against you... and an even greater fool to think of taking your she-wolf. Please... forgive me."


    Patric was no ordinary Alpha¡ªhe was among the wealthiest in the ckriver Pack, one of the six most powerful packs. Men like him knew how to wield both power and gold to bend the world to their will. But this time, he had crossed a line from which there was no return. His prize tonight would be death.


    Kael¡¯s gaze was cold, his voice cutting. "Tell me, Patric... how would you prefer to die? Shall I tear you apart piece by piece, or ce a silver bullet through your heart?"


    "Alpha Kael, please¡ª"


    His plea was cut short by the arrival of another presence¡ªthe leader of the council¡¯s guard.


    "Alpha Kael, the council summons you," the man announced. "You and your brothers... and the she-wolf you keep."


    We exchanged nces. It was no surprise. Wealthy Alphas like Patric were always entangled with the council, their riches feeding the corruption of its members.


    Kael¡¯s lips curled faintly. "Seems Jeffery is in the mood for some entertainment tonight."


    The guard captain gave no reply, only repeating his duty. "I am to escort you all to the council hall."


    "Sure," Kael said coolly. That tone alone told us he had something nned¡ªsomething the council wouldn¡¯t like.


    We took Patric with us and headed to the council. The hall was crowded; other pack members had been summoned as well. Eira was with us, and we all knew we had to tread carefully. Still, Kael had chosen toe without resistance, so we trusted his judgment... and prepared to stand at his side when the time came.


    Before entering the chamber, I stopped and turned to Eira."Listen to me carefully," I said, my voice low but firm. "Keep your head down and your gaze on the ground. No matter what anyone says or does, you act dead¡ªlike you always do. Do not move, do not meet anyone¡¯s eyes."


    She didn¡¯t speak, only lowered her head as usual.


    Roman added, "If you don¡¯t listen, they¡¯ll take you away from us. And you can forget abouting back to us... or to your pets. You won¡¯t even see the kittens Vixen is going to have."


    He looked over at us, as if to assure she would obey. He¡¯d learned exactly how to push the right buttons with her.


    "And you won¡¯t see Alice either," Roman went on. "I was nning to take you to her grave."


    That made her head snap up, her eyes locking on him. Damn it. Every time Alice¡¯s name came up, this dead woman came back to life for a moment.


    Jason and I red at Roman. How could he even think of taking my sister¡¯s murderer to her grave? I had to fight the urge to grab him by the throat.


    Roman ignored our stares and told her, "I promise. Just obey us while we¡¯re here. Once we¡¯re home, do whatever you want." Then he looked at me and Jason, silently asking us to let it go.


    Jason stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and spun her to face him with a rough tug. Gentleness was never his way.


    Without a word, he ran his fingers through her hair, spreading it around her face to hide it. The sides of her small face disappeared beneath the strands. Then, pulling a small knife from the gear at his side, he cut several locks from the front, letting the longer ones fall forward in uneven bangs that nearly shadowed her eyes.


    Without a mistake he put the cut hair in one of his pockets as it was not a good thing to leave them here for any certain wolf to turn into a dog after finding her hair.


    Damn, Jason was an expert. Nothing about the cut looked sloppy¡ªit was clean, deliberate, and somehow natural. Those bangs didn¡¯t just hide her face, they softened it, made her look younger. I almost asked him how many girls he¡¯d given a haircut to before.


    "Only if we had thick sses over her tiny nose, it would hide her entire face," Rafe muttered, frowning.


    Even Kael approved what we did.


    When it came to hide her, we all were on the same page.


    We set thest strands in ce, letting heavy portions fall forward over both shoulders. Once satisfied, we moved out¡ªKael in front, Eira right behind him, and the four of us closing in from all sides, her small frame swallowed by our taller builds.


    She followed without question, each step silent, obedient. Good. The less attention she drew, the better in this hall full of Alphas.

 Chapter 88: Dangerous Kael

    <h4>Chapter 88: Dangerous Kael</h4>


    The council chamber was as oppressive as always¡ªthe five council members seated high on their chairs, the air thick with dominance and judgment. The long sides of the hall were lined with Alphas from different packs, each with their own agendas, their own grudges.


    And there he was. Kaizan.


    The bastard was grinning, as if he¡¯d been waiting for this moment. But whatever he was hoping to see, he was going to be disappointed tonight.


    Most importantly, we couldn¡¯t let him see Eira. No one here knew her... except Kaizan. That alone made him dangerous.


    If Kaizan recognised her and he told everyone about what she¡¯d done¡ªthese vultures would use it as leverage to force Kael into sharing her.


    Because she was a criminal and criminals didn¡¯t deserve any respect but were meant to suffer for their life or to pay for their crimes. The council will straight order us to hand her over and then decide her fate on their own, nning her entire life ahead nothing but as a breeder.


    "Alpha Kael," Jeffery¡¯s voice cut across the hall, dripping with that smug grin he always wore. "Wee back to the council."


    His gaze tried to snake past Kael, tried to pierce through our formation to find the shadow walking among us. But we stood like a wall of stone, immovable, blocking every angle.


    Kael met his gaze, unyielding, standing before Eira like a mountain shielding its heart. "I trust the council has a valid reason for summoning us here under the guise of interpreting our revenge y."


    Jeffery¡¯s lips curved into that sanctimonious smile of his. "Oh, of course. That is precisely why we called you¡ªand why every Alpha from the packs has gathered." He raised his voice, letting it echo with false righteousness. "We received word that your home was attacked while you were here at the councilst night, Alpha Kael. It saddened us greatly. But what saddened us even more was that you did not bring the matter before the council to let us... handle it for you."


    Kael¡¯s voice was calm, but edged. "I can handle my pack¡¯s matters on my own. The council should focus on governing the issues that truly demand its attention."


    Jeffery pressed on, feigning sincerity. "I do not doubt your strength, Alpha Kael. Yet the council has always been the guardian of the werewolf world, and so it bes our duty to assist you as well. I give you my word¡ªthe culprit will be found, and they will be punished."


    Kael raised a brow. "How does the council intend to punish the culprit?"


    "As per the council rules," Jeffery replied smoothly.


    "The culprit is already here," Kael said, his tone deceptively calm. But we all knew Kael well enough¡ªhis calmness was never peace, it was the silence before a storm.


    "Alpha Kael, the council must first investigate and gather proofs," Jeffery pressed, his eyes flicking toward Patric as though to reassure him. "We must decide who is truly guilty."


    "I have enough proof already," Kael stated tly.


    "But the council must conduct its own investigation," Jeffery countered. "We cannot allow innocent lives to be destroyed."


    The bastard was already moving to dere Patric innocent. The other council members sided with him as well.


    "Are you finished?" Kael asked. His voice dropped lower, colder, and his gaze darkened with authority. "Now listen to me as you are so adamant in ying by thew."


    Every Alpha in the chamber tensed, the air bristling with unease at Kael¡¯s challenge. His voice had the weight ofmand, and no one dared draw breath too loudly.


    "Byw of the werewolf world, the council steps in only after the victim¡¯s pack struck back against their assants and spilled blood to settle the revenge and their hurt pride. The council¡¯s duty is only to prevent esction after the revenge has been settled, and not to rob Alphas of their right to justice."


    Jeffery¡¯s gaze hardened. By bringing all the Alphas here using their greed of getting their hands on the pureblood shewolf and acting all righteous, he thought he could corner Kael, corner us, but he was yet to face the bitter truth.


    "Looking at your expressions, it seems that my words failed to make a sense to your old brain. So allow me to exin clearly," Kael continued, his deep and dignified voice echoed in the hall.


    "We were attacked, and we have yet to kill the culprit in return to settle our revenge. And stopping us in the middle is outside your rights. You should have called for us after we have killed this bastard."


    Jeffery¡¯sposure faltered, though he tried to recover. "None of you were harmed."


    Kael¡¯s eyes zed. "Then I will personally escort you to the graves of the guards andmandos we buried. Do not <i>ever</i> dare to consider the life of a single one of my people insignificant. As Alpha, I will take revenge even if you kill a rat in my territory¡ªlet alone my own men."


    Jeffery anyways continued, "We can resolve this peacefully, without blood¡ª"


    "Ahhh!"


    The cry tore through the chamber, sharp and agonized. Kael had already struck, his hand buried in Patric¡¯s chest, the other gripping the back of his neck like a vise. In the next breath, bone cracked, flesh tore, and Patric¡¯s heart was crushed in Kael¡¯s fist. Kael let go and Patric¡¯s body fell lifeless to the ground.


    "Alpha Kael!" Jeffery roared in outrage.


    Kael turned on him, his expression calm, but his gaze dark. "I have taken my revenge. Now, by your ownw, the council may proceed with its farce of meddling and <i>pretend</i> to establish peace."


    All eyes dropped to Patric¡¯s corpse sprawled on the floor, the silence of the chamber suffocating.


    And in that silence, I understood. Kael hade here not to bow, not to answer to them, but to prove they could not chain him. He would act as he willed, and no one¡ªnot even the council¡ªcould stop him.


    "I will send you every shred of proof of what Patric did¡ªand of who else was involved," Kael said, his words like a curse cast into the hall. "Perhaps, when I do, we will see a few new faces seated in those council chairs."


    The chamber grew still. Not one of the council members spoke. Kael¡¯s words had hit the targets before him.


    He had in their aplice before their eyes, daring them to stop him. It was a message, a challenge, and a warning. And every man in that chamber knew it.


    "Anyone..." Kael¡¯s gaze swept the chamber, locking eyes with every Alpha, every council member, until none could escape the weight of his warning. His voice was low, cold, and final. "...I mean anyone, no matter their status or power, whoever dares to set their eyes on my she-wolf, they will end up worse than Patric. What is mine, will always remain mine."


    The hall grew deathly silent.


    Jeffery shot to his feet, fury twisting his features as his authority was openly challenged before the most powerful figures of the werewolf world. "Alpha Kael, you cannot simply kill someone in the council¡¯s hall. It is a crime. And the she-wolf you have with you¡ªUgh!"


    His words broke off in a strangled sound. His face contorted with pain as he copsed back into his chair, forced down by a crushing weight. Kael¡¯s Alpha aura bore down on him, suffocating, irresistible. It was forbidden to use Alpha aura against council members¡ªit was considered a crime of the highest order. But Kael was Kael. He never bowed to rules when his limits were tested.


    And he wasn¡¯t holding back.


    The oppressive force of his aura spread like wildfire across the entire chamber. It pressed into bone and marrow, grinding down even the proudest Alpha in attendance. None were spared. Not the council. Not the gathered Alphas. Not even us, his own brothers.


    I turned sharply toward Eira, certain she would be crushed beneath such overwhelming power. Yet, to my shock, she stood perfectlyposed. Unflinching. Unshaken.


    What?


    How could she endure this? Was she truly unaffected, or was she simply masking her struggle behind that calm exterior?


    Kael¡¯s voice rumbled through the silence, cold and merciless. "There. Another crime. I have used my Alpha aura against you." His gaze bored into Jeffery, who trembled under the weight. "Now... open your mouth, if you dare, and pronounce my punishment."


    The air itself felt on the verge of shattering. When a top-tier Alpha like Kael unleashed his fury, it was more than defiance¡ªit was war. And the power he radiated now was not merely threatening. It was a promise of destruction.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 89: Marking Eira

    <h4>Chapter 89: Marking Eira</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Alpha Kael, you need to calm down."


    A voice rang clear across the hall as a figure stepped out from the rows.


    Alpha Gerald Hawthorn.


    He was a top-tier Alpha as well, strong enough to withstand Kael¡¯s suffocating aura. He walked steadily toward him, unflinching.


    "Alpha Gerald," Kael acknowledged, his tone cold but not hostile. "I respect you. But today, the council must learn its lesson."


    Gerald halted before him, his voice steady and firm. "What you did today was entirely within your rights. The council will be questioned for summoning you here in the middle of your revenge. But I expect you to stop now."


    Kael¡¯s dark gaze lingered on him, weighing his words. Then, with a controlled breath, he released his hold.


    The crushing aura lifted in an instant. Every Alpha gasped with relief as though freed from drowning. Jeffery looked like a fish dragged from water, his chest heaving as he clutched the armrest of his chair.


    Kael¡¯s eyes slid back to him. "Jeffery," his voice cut sharp, "I¡¯ve been respecting your position as a council member only because I¡¯ve had no time to waste on an asshole like you. But you keep pressing my patience. Next time, it¡¯ll be you lying dead here in Patric¡¯s ce."


    Jeffery swallowed hard, pale and silent.


    "Aren¡¯t you going too far, Alpha Kael?" another voice rose. Alpha Surmont stepped forward, his presence bold. "Disrespecting the very council that maintains peace among packs?"


    Kael turned his gaze on him, unyielding. "I haven¡¯t even begun yet, Alpha Surmont." His eyes darkened, his tone a threat. "I¡¯m still waiting to get my hands on the ones who stood behind Patric. The moment I do, you¡¯ll understand what it means for me to go overboard. And I hope¡ªfor your sake and your son¡¯s¡ªthat neither of you had a hand in it."


    Surmont¡¯s expression hardened, but he did not speak.


    I nced at my brothers. Their eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction. This was the very purpose of Kael¡¯s arrival¡ªto warn them all, openly and without restraint, so no one would ever attempt such a stunt again.


    But Surmont wasn¡¯t done. As expected, the old wolf pressed on. "You seem adamant about not sharing your she-wolf. Tell me, Alpha Kael¡ªhave you even marked her yet?"


    Kael¡¯s reply was swift,ced with disdain. "I don¡¯t owe you that report." He cast a brief nce over his shoulder, where Eira stood with her head bowed, just as we had instructed her. His voice deepened. "She is mine. That is all any of you need to know."


    Surmont gave a mocking smile. "We appreciate your passion toward your she-wolf. Then why not prove it? Mark her here, before all of us. That will end the whispers and save everyone the trouble."


    The bastard was testing him, baiting him to reveal the truth of his intentions.


    Kael, however, remainedposed, his gaze steady. "Have you forgotten what it means to be a top-tier Alpha, Surmont? There are rules, rites, and a proper ceremony when an Alpha marks his she-wolf. Do you suggest I brush aside such a sacred act merely to entertain you? None here are worth my effort to please. None." His voice cut sharper. "And your age doesn¡¯t give you the right to act as my parent. Spare me the theatrics."


    Surmont¡¯s eyes narrowed, his patience fraying. "Then you¡¯ll face the same as you facedst night. A pureblood standing in a hall full of Alphas isn¡¯t safe. For her."


    Kael¡¯s voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "If you want to test whether I can protect her, then I dare you. All of you."


    Silence fell over. No one moved. Kael¡¯s aura had already proven more than enough to suppress them, and even Gerald¡ªthe only one with the strength to oppose him¡ªdid not step in. And we knew, even if he did, Kael won¡¯t lose to him.


    "Who wishes to try?" Kael asked looking around the hall.


    He was challenging everyone openly, soter no one dare say he didn¡¯t give them a chance. But who would want to die in the hands of top tier Alpha?


    Not a single Alpha replied.


    Then Kael¡¯s gaze shifted, sweeping past the hall until itnded on me. "Roman," hemanded, his tone resolute. "Mark her. She isn¡¯t strong enough yet to bear my marking."


    This clearly shocked me. I had agreed to this before, yes. But not like this. I wanted to speak to her first, to at least try to win her consent, though I doubted she would ever give it. But still¡ªI wanted to offer her that sliver of respect, as she would be my mate.


    I looked at my brothers. Each one nodded in silent agreement. Kael¡¯s order was justified¡ªit was one of the step to to shield her now.


    So I turned to Eira. Her head was still lowered, her gaze fixed to the floor, exactly as we had told her to keep it.


    Her utter silence made me wonder if she even registered what was happening around her¡ªwhy I hade to her. Or perhaps, like always, she had simply shut her mind to the world, retreating into that unreachable ce inside herself.


    She hadn¡¯t flinched when Kael ripped Patric¡¯s heart from his chest. She hadn¡¯t faltered when Kael¡¯s Alpha aura crushed the chamber like a storm. Nothing seemed to touch her.


    <i>What was she?</i> That was the only question echoing inside me.


    I turned her gently to face me and lowered my lips close to her ear, my voice soft, almost pleading. "I¡¯m going to mark you. It might hurt... but it won¡¯tst long."


    She gave no response, still as stone. I whispered again, offering something¡ªanything¡ªthat might reach her. "Once you be my mate, the pets will be yours. And then... I¡¯ll take you to meet your friend."


    For the first time, she stirred. Her gaze lifted, slow and heavy, until her eyes met mine. That was all I wanted. Just once¡ªbefore I marked her¡ªI wanted her to truly look at me.


    "We are going to be mates," I told her, holding her gaze as if that alone could forge a bond between us. "I¡¯ll try to make sure it doesn¡¯t hurt too much."


    I brushed my fingers through her hair, tenderly, almost reverently, pushing the strands aside to bare the right side of her neck. My brothers formed a wall around us, shielding her from prying eyes, granting us a fragile moment of privacy in the midst of the council¡¯s watchful stares.


    My arm circled her waist, drawing her closer. My other hand cradled the back of her neck. Lowering my face into the hollow of her throat, I hovered near the pulse beating beneath her skin.


    To have her as mine¡ªmy mate¡ªhad once been my dream. A dream I had cherished, imagined, yearned for. And now, it wasing true... yet hollow, stripped of what should have made it sacred. If only it had been born of love, it would have meant everything.


    Still, protecting her came before everything else. Maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªonce she bore my mark, she woulde to care for me.


    I could only hope.


    My canines slid into her tender flesh. She released a soft groan, and the taste of her blood filled my mouth, hot and intoxicating. I held on, my fangs buried deep until I felt it¡ªthe first threads of the bond weaving between us, binding her fate to mine.


    But something was off. Wrong. I couldn¡¯t name it, but I felt it in the way the connection burned cold, iplete.


    It wasn¡¯t the time to question. Not here. Not now. So I did what I had to do.


    I pulled back, her blood on my lips. Her body went limp, copsing into my arms. I caught her against me, steadying her fragile frame.


    "It¡¯s done," I said, my voice low but resolute as announced. "She is our mate now."

 Chapter 90: Gerald’s Offer

    <h4>Chapter 90: Gerald¡¯s Offer</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV.</strong>


    When Roman announced that she was our mate, I could feel my heart being overwhelmed. Despite I was not the one to mark her yet, through our sworn mate-brother bond with Roman, the effect of it hit me.


    I could feel the same shift in my brothers. Their silence said it all.


    The fact remained¡ªthough we despised her, she was now our mate. Ours to protect. Ours to keep. An inseparable part of our lives.


    The initial n of having a pureblood she-wolf only to breed her and to save Sofia had now turned to something else.


    Kael turned his gaze on Surmont. "My mate-brother has marked her, and now she is our mate. Any more questions?"


    Surmont¡¯s face darkened, his displeasure poorly masked. "Well then, we will wait for the rest of you to mark her as well¡ªand to see her bear pups," he replied, his tone sharpening as though to remind us of what he thought mattered most. "Marking does not mean the bond isplete. I trust you understand that."


    The bastard. Even now, he was determined to remind us that she was not wholly ours until the bond was sealed.


    Marking only meant weid a im on her as our mate, but toplete the bond we had to mate with her. All five of us had to...


    I looked at her frail body slumped against Roman¡¯s, who held her steady, and it made me wonder if her weak self could even handle us. It was easy to control when we fucked the random whore. But with a mate, restraint was a fragile thing. Desire wed deeper, hotter, more consuming. It was easy to lose yourself and im her every way possible.


    Though a pureblood, how was she going to bear the knots of the strong Alphas like us and, especially one like Kael?


    The train of my thoughts was broken when Kael spoke again. "Alpha Surmont, as you can see, she went unconscious with just a mark from my one brother. She is weak. Do you want us to lose one she-wolf by forcing us on her without letting her recover? I want to believe you don¡¯t want us to turn into a she-wolf killer and then, once more, this council gathers here to punish us for that crime."


    Killing a pureblood she-wolf was a grave crime now that they were so rare. No wonder these bastards were forcing us to mark her. Either all of them could have her along with us, or she dies and we will be punished.


    Having a pureblood to breed for us was indeed going to make us stronger than other packs in the generations of young leaders like us. And they would never let it happen. The dirty politics in the werewolf world¡ªnow we had to deal with it.


    "Of course, we do not want you to kill her," Surmont said, pulling out a fake righteous expression.


    "Then don¡¯t be so impatient and let us handle our she-wolf..." he paused, "...let me correct... let us handle our mate in our way," Kael said in a warning tone. "Today I gave a chance to every Alpha here toe challenge me if they want a she-wolf, but no one did. So now, I believe no one cries that they didn¡¯t get a chance at it."


    A while ago, when Kael used his Alpha Aura, he did ask if anyone dared challenge him, but no one came forward. It shut everyone¡¯s mouths now.


    All this was happening at the moment, but it was within his expectations. He had nned this even before we left to kill Patric. No wonder he agreed so easily when we were summoned at the council. Knowing Kael, he could have killed Patric in his home, but he was being merciful to Patric for some reason.


    Now I know, he was just waiting for the council to meddle in.


    He was indeed a leader who nned beyond what enemies could think.


    No wonder he raised the issue of marking Eira when we were home and had already prepared Roman for it indirectly so he was not shocked at this moment. He had already chosen Roman for this task, and he just needed Roman to follow it.


    "As Alpha Kael and his brothers have made things clear, I believe there is nothing more to discuss now," Gerald¡¯s voice echoed through the hall. "And I believe everyone respects their decision as per the rules and no one dares break it."


    "Alpha Gerald, we still need to call for them again to check if they havepleted the bond and if she is truly theirs," Surmont said. "There are cases when Alphas acted to im a she-wolf but didn¡¯tplete the bond with her. And then they secretly traded her outside for their hidden benefits they did not want to reveal to the werewolf world. We can¡¯t let that happen, right?"


    There were indeed such cases where she-wolves were traded secretly, where Alphas hid it so they wouldn¡¯t be forced to share her with their enemy packs.


    Itter created unrest among those Alphas, as they were kept devoid of having an heir.


    Gerald hummed and looked at Kael. "You get a month to let her recover entirely. Then you and your mate-brothersplete your bond with her."


    Kael agreed. "We will."


    "But you have to be here to show the proof of it," Surmont said. "We will check your bond marking her."


    "Sure," Kael told him smugly. "I hope the beautiful mate-bond marks on her won¡¯t burn others¡¯ eyes."


    It was a taunt for everyone present there, but they could say nothing.


    Kael turned to Jeffery. "Are we done here, or will you let go only after I bury you six feet under?"


    Damn, Kael didn¡¯t leave him a tinge of respect. He was being humiliated for the first time like this, and that too in front of so many Alphas and by one young Alpha.


    Jeffery satposed in his chair¡ªrather, he forced it. I could see his rage being suppressed behind his calm gaze.


    "As Alpha Gerald said, after a month you have to present yourself in front of the council along with your brother and this she-wolf and assure us that you havepleted your bond and she is entirely your mate."


    Kael didn¡¯t respond, as he just repeated what had been concluded already.


    But the bastard spoke again. "If she is bondless, then any Alpha here is free to take her away as theirs."


    This was to get on our nerves, but Kael smirked. "I believe you are not hoping to keep her for yourself so you can have a few more pups."


    As if Kael hit the nail, Jeffery¡¯s expression changed for a moment. The bastard was caught. Nothing could be hidden from Kael¡¯s sharp mind.


    How could I keep quiet now, so I said, "Kael, I don¡¯t think his cock is functional. Don¡¯t use him wrongly."


    I could see Jeffery¡¯s expression sour. Kael said, "My bad. I should have given thought about his forever limp cock." And then turned to Jeffery, "I should apologise for what I said. Just ignore us."


    Kael¡¯s mocking,ced with sweet words, seemed to hit that bastard hard, but he kept calm after being oppressed by Kael¡¯s Alpha aura a while ago. Another round of such humiliation wouldn¡¯t sit well with him.


    "You can just show her to the council, submit her identity details, and you can leave with her," he said calmly.


    "She is ours, and we refuse to show our mate to anyone. And she has no past identity, but she will have one. She will bear myst name or, if she wants, she can choose any of my brothers."


    Kael said it with so much confidence that it was impossible for anyone to even think he was trying to hide anything at all. We indeed had to create a new identity for Eira, to hide her past as a criminal.


    "I believe we are done here," Kael announced on his own, as if he was the one to decide things here. "Our mate needs rest after marking."


    He deliberately said thest thing, and we approved it.


    Kael looked at Gerald, who was the only person who deserved some respect here.


    "Go ahead," Gerald said.


    Roman lifted Eira in his arms while Jason, next to him, turned her head gently to bury against Roman¡¯s shoulder and adjusted her hair to hide her face.


    Once done, we turned to leave; all of us offered a light nod to Gerald.


    Gerald nodded in response while his gaze fell on Eira, but her face wasn¡¯t visible. Just like others, he must have been curious to see her as well, but then he said...


    "Take care of her well. If you need any guidance regarding a she-wolf, you can always ask an assistant from my mate," Gerald offered. "She will be d to do so."


    Gerald had his own mate, a pureblood, whom he doted on, so he clearly didn¡¯t have any bad personal interest in Eira.


    "We will," Kael assured him.


    "Maybe you can bring her to our pack as well to meet my mate. This child might feel better to see another of her kind, and my mate might help her ease if she has any worries," Gerald offered again.


    "Thank you so much. We will do so if there¡¯s a need," Kael replied.


    As we were done here, we left the council hall with Eira.


    When we reached the car, we heard a familiar voice. "Leaving already without even thanking me for the help? How I gave you a hintst night on the attack that happened."


    Kaizan. The bastard followed us out.

 Chapter 91: She Already Has A Mate

    <h4>Chapter 91: She Already Has A Mate</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    Jason and Rafe stood in front of Roman to block Kaizan¡¯s view of Eira, while Kael and I stood facing him.


    The shameless bastard smirked and indeed stood there unaffected. Not sure where that smugness came from.


    "Wasn¡¯t the warning inside the council hall enough to put your mind in ce?" Kael¡¯s voice was edged with threat. "If not, I won¡¯t hesitate to refresh your memory of what it felt like to be crushed under my aura¡ªlike an insect beneath my boot."


    But Kaizan¡¯s grin did not falter. "Alpha Kael," he drawled, "I came here to offer a peace deal, and you bare your fangs at me already. Will it really harm you to be calm for once¡ªand hear what I have to say?"


    "You won¡¯t get any bitch from our pack. Search for one somewhere else," I told him this time.


    Kaizan¡¯s smile widened, dark amusement glinting in his eyes. "Hmm. I was about to offer you something good in exchange for that bitch my brother fucked. How about some secrets sharing?" he leaned closer, his voice like a pretentious whispers." I might let you know some inside information of what¡¯s going against your pack and your she-wolf. All you have to do is hand that bitch over to me, who¡¯s nothing but a traitor to your pack."


    I finally decided to ask. "Why are you so obsessed with her? Is she your mate by chance, or what?"


    Kaizan¡¯sughter rang out, mocking, cruel. "What a wild imagination you have. But, all you need to know is that I want that bitch. At any cost." His head tilted, tried to pierce past Jason and Rafe to look at Eira. His smirk grew sharper, colder, as he said, "Or you might truly lose this one for sure."


    "Kaizan,st fucking warning." I stepped forward, closing the distance between us until we stood face to face. My voice was cold and final. "It¡¯d be smarter not to fuck with us¡ªor you¡¯ll end up like Patric. And mind your filthy tongue. She¡¯s our mate now."


    "And I am not interested in her," Kaizan said loud and clear, facing me closely. "Moreover, brs are not my type. I prefer blonds, so you can keep this one for yourself. I am giving you a week¡¯s time to hand me over the bitch I want."


    Only if the bastard knew the bitch he was talking about was standing just a few steps away from him.


    "You can dream on. Now fuck off," I snapped.


    Just then, a sleek ck car rolled up and halted at a distance. Its door opened, and a tall figure stepped out, draped in dark clothes. His gaze locked on us instantly, sharp and scrutinizing. Even across the distance, I felt the weight of his eyes.


    "Another dog came sniffing your pureblood," Kaizan¡¯s lips curved into an amused smirk. "And this one is not an ordinary dog."


    The neer was the Alpha of the Ravenw pack¡ªtop tier, like Kael. The air shifted at once, heavy with Kael¡¯s hostility as his stare burned into the man.


    "We should leave," I said, not willing to keep Eira here for long.


    Jason put his hand on Kael¡¯s shoulder. "Let¡¯s go."


    Kael hummed, his gaze never leaving that neer.


    First, we made Roman sit in the car, and then we climbed in.


    "Remember my offer," Kaizan¡¯s voice was heard as we left.


    Through the rearview mirror, I caught sight of him and the Ravenw Alpha walking toward each other. What they intended to conspire, I couldn¡¯t guess. But one thing was certain¡ªwe needed to be more careful about Eira¡¯s safety.


    The ride back to the estate was tense and silent. Roman held Eira in hisp the entire way, her unconscious form curled against his chest. He had not spoken a single word since he announced her as our mate before the council.


    "She¡¯s only unconscious because of the marking," I said, trying to ease the shadow in his eyes. "It¡¯s natural. She¡¯ll wake soon, and we¡¯ll show her to Liam."


    Roman only gave a faint hum in response, his gaze never leaving her face.


    <i>What¡¯s wrong with this guy?</i>


    We reached home. By that time, the workers had fixed all the rooms inside the house.Roman, still silent, carried Eira to his own room.


    We four looked at each other, wondering what upset him. Kael signaled me to go after him, and I did.


    I saw him cing Eira on his bed gently, and then he sat by her side at the edge of the bed. His unusually quiet gaze stuck on her frail face as he brushed her scattered hair away. His gaze held tenderness, but at the same time, something was off.


    He continued to sit there, his hand moving to the almost fading mark on her neck where he had marked her. His fingertips gently caressed the red and swollen ce.


    Considering it was his intimate moment with his mate after marking her, I left. Perhaps, the day when I mark her, I would be the same.


    Once back in the drawing room, Jason asked, "Everything alright with him?"


    "Just an emotional thing after marking his mate," I said, though unsure inside if that was the case.


    We settled on the sofa and decided to talk.


    "Now Roman marked her, and he will mate with her toplete a bond," I said. "It should be enough to buy some more time against whatever wicked ns they have against us."


    "How about I take a break tonight and go on a nice blood feast?" Rafe asked as hezed on the sofa. "It¡¯s been a while since I hunted some pureblood bastards."


    "You are not going anywhere," Kael told him with a warning. "You are not allowed to act without my permission, did you get it?"


    Rafe sighed. "Alright!"


    We knew the consequences if Rafe was caught or even fell under their suspicion. His punishment would be death, as werewolves hated vampires¡ªeven a half-werewolf like Rafe. They just needed a reason to implicate him.


    "For now, just look forward to having Romanplete his bond with her," Kael said.


    "There won¡¯t be any bond."


    We heard Roman¡¯s voice as he came to the drawing room. And he didn¡¯t look like he was joking.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, while Kael said, "I know it came as a surprise for you when I asked you to mark her. But we had no other option..."


    "I¡¯m not talking about that," Roman said, settling heavily onto the sofa. His voice was low, but firm. "What I mean is¡ªeven if I mate with her, the chances of aplete bond forming might not be possible."


    "What?" I frowned, and the others mirrored my confusion.


    Roman¡¯s gaze moved slowly across us. "When I marked her, I felt... resistance. Something was there, blocking it. My wolf couldn¡¯t connect with her fully. And from what I know, that only happens when a she-wolf already has a mate¡ªwhen she still carries his bond."


    The words struck like ws across my chest. "What the fuck are you saying?" I snarled, furycing my voice.


    The others stiffened, their expressions hardening with the same mix of rage and disbelief.


    Here we were, nning to make her ours¡ªour mate¡ªand the bitch already had one? Why hadn¡¯t she told us?


    Roman¡¯s jaw clenched. "And worse¡ªI think her mate is someone strong. Strong enough that even my mark couldn¡¯t shake it."


    "This can¡¯t be," Jason snapped. "If she had a powerful mate, then she¡¯d be with him now. Breeding for him. You must have been mistaken."


    Rafe leaned back with a bitterugh. "Or what if she already bred for him¡ªand he threw her aside when he realized the kind of traitorous bitch she is? Wouldn¡¯t surprise me. She must have found him while she was fucking around during those six years."


    The air in the room grew heavy. Kael hadn¡¯t said a word, but his face darkened, his expression cold and murderous, like a predator ready to strike.


    "Kael," I asked carefully, "what do you think?"


    His voice was cold. "Call Liam. He¡¯ll know for sure. If she truly has another mate¡ªthen we¡¯ll find him. And once we do, we¡¯ll end him. Only by killing him can we break their bond."


    We all agreed to it. Time to make Liam talk now. That bastard was sure hiding something from us.

 Chapter 92: Who’s Her Mate?

    <h4>Chapter 92: Who¡¯s Her Mate?</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Knowing she already had a mate¡ªit cut deeper than I wanted to admit. It wasn¡¯t just anger. It was hurt. If that bastard truly existed, why hadn¡¯t he protected her? Why had he abandoned her, left her to rot in chains and blood?


    Just as Kael said, he truly deserved to die, and we will kill him the moment we find him. No mercy at all. He lost her when he didn¡¯t hold on to her, and now she was ours.


    That night, I stayed by Eira¡¯s side. The mark was there, etched into her flesh, yet my soul and my wolf felt no tether. No pull. Nothing that should have been there between us. It hollowed me, gnawed at me, burned me alive in silence.


    We had to wait for the next day for Liam to arrive home, none of us could really sleep.


    The next day, Liam came to our home early in the morning as instructed.


    "You called me with such urgency," he said with a frown as he entered the drawing room. "I had to rush here the moment I returned to the city."


    "If you hadn¡¯te on your own, we would¡¯ve sent ourmandos to drag you here," Lucian said coldly, his hands tucked in the pockets of his trousers, fist clenched, voiceced with threat.


    Liam¡¯s gaze flicked across us, and he finally caught the look on our faces¡ªgrim, cold, edged with violence. His brows furrowed. "Don¡¯t tell me you bastards did something to her again, and now you¡¯re regretting it."


    "Shut your fucking mouth and sit," Jason growled. "And keep it shut unless you¡¯re answering what we ask."


    Jason clearly was in his usual mood when he started preparing his victim for the torture to get the answers from them.


    In response, Liam looked at Kael, who said, "Have a seat. Let¡¯s have a talk."


    Liam sat on the sofa. Lucian and Jason stood on the side, their expressions serious, ready to kill this bastard if he hid something from us.


    I had doubts about him even before, so I kept my calm to hear him out. Rafe acted nonchnt with his focus on his mobile screen, but I knew well his ears were on us.


    Once Liam settled, Kael said as he looked at him, "Eira has a mate¡ªyou know it?" His tone was as if he was not going to ept any bullshit from Liam. "I want nothing but the truth."


    As expected, Liam¡¯s expression tensed a little, but the bastard covered it and said, "I once asked her about it, but she refused to answer clearly."


    "Tell me everything you talked to her about," Kael¡¯s icy voice cut in as he was at the edge. "Her mate, what¡¯s the extent of their rtionship, and if she bred for him. You are a doctor¡ªyou must know it. Hide anything, and I will first kill her right in front of you, and then it¡¯s your turn."


    Liam kept his calm. He was never scared of dying, but maybe he was worried about her.


    "Alright! Seems the time hase to let it out," Liam finally said, exhaling. "She did have a mate. But ording to her, he¡¯s dead. She even said she killed him herself. Though I don¡¯t believe that part. It sounded more like hatred¡ªdeep hatred. So much so, she can¡¯t even bear to hear his name."


    "Why?" Kael¡¯s voice was sharp, demanding.


    "She never revealed the reason," Liam answered.


    My blood boiled. "Did she breed for him?" It was my way to confirm if they had mated andpleted their bond.


    Liam hesitated, then gave a slow nod. "Yes. When she was in the hands of the traffickers, she bore a child. But she doesn¡¯t know where they took him¡ªor if he¡¯s even alive. The only thing she told me... is that the hope of finding him is what keeps her moving forward. And about her mate, I already told what she said."


    My fists clenched at the revtion.


    "But she said he rejected her and there¡¯s no bond, so that shouldn¡¯t worry you five," Liam added.


    "The bond is still there," I told him angrily. "When I marked herst night, that bond didn¡¯t let me reach her entirely. Unless we break her bond with that bastard, our bond won¡¯t bepleted, and she will always be vulnerable to council rules."


    "So it¡¯s important for us to find that bastard and kill him," Lucian added. "Talk to her and get anything you can from her to know who that bastard is."


    Liam seemed to have understood the gravity of the situation and spoke after a small pause.


    "She won¡¯t tell us about him," Liam said. "I tried before."


    "Then, I will have no other choice but to leave my new pets on her so she starts talking," Jason said with malice.


    Liam looked at him with a frown. "Don¡¯t even think about it. Once was enough." And then he looked at Kael. "But I can suggest a quick and better solution to you."


    "What?" Kael asked.


    "Even if she has a bond, that bond can be broken by the marking of a top-tier Alpha like yourself," Liam suggested.


    Kael, who was already angry, said, "She won¡¯t be able to bear it. Also, I do not wish to mark her." He looked at the other three. "Even if Roman failed, you three can try. Lucian, you are just as strong as me, though not top-tier. Try marking her."


    "She doesn¡¯t seem like she can handle it now," Lucian said, a tinge of worry in his eyes.


    "I will take a look," Liam said, and Roman guided him to his room. Once done checking her, he returned to the drawing room. "You have to wait for a day or two. The current marking has taken a toll on her weak form."


    We agreed to it, while Kael talked to him again. "Her child¡ªwhat else do you know about it?"


    "I am trying to find out," Liam said with daring confidence, forgetting he was doing it behind our backs. "In fact, yesterday I was gone to look for some leads."


    All our gazes darkened.


    "Aren¡¯t you so bold to hide things about her from us?" Lucian snapped. "And do you think you are better than us at finding anything at all?"


    "She didn¡¯t want you three to know about it. She fears you will kill her child," Liam said. "And honestly, I didn¡¯t doubt it, given you guys might lose your mind at it."


    "Yeah, you are right," Lucian spat angrily. "Just watch me get that bastard child in my hands and feed it to wolves."


    Liam frowned while we kept quiet, because we knew it was just anger that was making Lucian talk. None of us would ever kill a child.


    But what else would we do if we truly found her child, that even we didn¡¯t know.

 Chapter 93: Don’t Kill My Child

    <h4>Chapter 93: Don¡¯t Kill My Child</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    "Don¡¯t." A fragile voice trembled through the air, and we turned to see her standing there, small and scared.


    Eira.


    She was awake. She must have heard us speaking about her child.


    "Please... don¡¯t kill my child." Her voice cracked, eyes glistening with tears, her expression pleading. "He is innocent. You can kill me if you want, but please... leave him."


    Lucian¡¯s eyes narrowed as he turned to her. "Then tell me who your mate is. Where is he?"


    "He is dead," she whispered, voice trembling. "All I had was his child. He didn¡¯t even know I birthed his child. The child is only mine. Please... don¡¯t kill him."


    "Yeah, lie all you want." Lucian¡¯s voice was cold, cutting. "Just wait until I drag your mate here with your kid and kill them right in front of you." His control had slipped entirely.


    Eira sank to her knees as if it was the end for her, sobs shaking her frail frame. She pressed her hands together, begging, but there was nothing else she could do.


    "Begging won¡¯t work on us, so you better save it when you see them dead," Lucian spat out. "You whore, you enjoyed with your mate, had a son with him while you had taken away everything from us. You are truly vicious."


    "No...I didn¡¯t...." she sobbed loudly, words barely came out.


    Liam moved quickly, kneeling beside her. "Eira, he is just angry. He doesn¡¯t mean it," he said softly.


    Her tear-streaked eyes snapped to him, burning with betrayal. The helpless woman now looked utterly angry as she raised her voice. "You told them. You said you won¡¯t. You betrayed me as well, you bastard. I should have never trusted you. You all are the same. The monsters."


    "Eira..." Liam started, but she pushed his hand away, her anger spilling over.


    "Just go away!" she shouted hysterically.


    Then her gaze swept over us, eyes red, brimming with hatred. "Go ahead¡ªkill everyone, you fucking bastards. And I will pray you all get a gruesome death, rotting alive while you suffer, but you won¡¯t die. You bastards don¡¯t even deserve to die. Assholes! I regret... I regret the day I met you... You monsters..."


    "You regret it?" Lucian¡¯s voice was low, dangerous,ced with menace, as he stepped toward her.


    "Lucian," we called, but he ignored us, his attention fixed on her.


    In one swift movement, he grabbed her hand roughly and forced her to her feet. Her frail body trembled under his grip, and yet she stood, forced upright. His bloodshot eyes bore into hers, a storm of fury and obsession.


    "Bitch, you killed my sister, my mother, and you say you regret meeting us?" Lucian spat the words through gritted teeth, his hands trembling with barely restrained fury. "I should be the one regretting ever letting you even see my sister, you murderer. Didn¡¯t your conscience flinch even once before you killed her? What did she ever do to you? You were nothing but a lonely fucker, with no one to talk to, no one to care for you..."


    "Yes, I killed her!" she shouted, hysteriacing her voice. Instead of cowering, she stepped closer, daringly meeting his gaze. Her small frame seemed utterly fragile beneath his towering presence, yet the defiance and fury zing in her eyes made her seem almost unbreakable.


    "So what are you waiting for?" she challenged. "Why don¡¯t you kill me to avenge your sister? If you had truly loved her, you would have done it already instead of thinking about fucking me. You don¡¯t love your sister. You love your cock, which needs a pureblood to empty it. Your cockes before your sister, you pretentious bastard."


    "You bitch..." Lucian growled, his hand shooting up to grip her neck in a murderous strangle, his fury barely contained.


    She did not flinch or struggle. Her voice was steady, almost mocking. "You... can¡¯t kill me... you won¡¯t..."


    She was daring him, provoking him to act, and he could feel it.


    I rushed forward and grabbed his hand. "Lucian, let go. She¡¯s trying to provoke you into killing her..."


    Lucian ignored me, his gaze fixed, every fiber of him coiled with lethal intent, as if nothing else in the world existed but ending her.


    "Killing her would be the easy escape for her. That¡¯s why she keeps provoking us," Rafe said calmly, stepping closer. "I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want it easy for her, Luke."


    At least Rafe was on my side to stop him.


    Jason said nothing, as always aligned with Lucian, silent support for whatever his brother chose to do. If it were possible, he might have joined Lucian in ending her right here, right now.


    Kael, on the other hand, stood tense, like a storm barely restrained within him, every muscle taut. He seemed to be fighting something inside, though it was impossible to tell whether it was anger, restraint, or something else.


    "Kael, do you want her dead?" I asked, my eyes flicking to Eira as her breaths came in ragged gasps. I feared Lucian might crush her neck in the next heartbeat.


    "Now entire werewolf world knows we have a pureblood. If she dies in his hands, consequences will be severe," I reminded him as killing a pureblood was gruesomely punishable crime. And I wouldn¡¯t want any of my brother had to bears that punishment.


    Kael finally seemed to snap out of his thoughts. His gaze hardened, and his voice deep and cold voice echoed in the room. "Lucian, let her go."


    Lucian did not respond, his grip still tight and merciless. Kael¡¯s voice thundered again, louder, echoing with authority and danger. "I said, now."


    Atst, Lucian¡¯s hold ckened. Eira fell to the ground like a ragdoll, coughing violently as her lungs greedily sucked in air. She looked up at him, defiance and exhaustion mingling in her gaze. "See... you couldn¡¯t kill me. You don¡¯t love your sister."


    "You¡¯re right," Lucian snapped, his anger ring intense than ever. "I love my cock more than my sister. So just wait. When I fuck you like the whore you are... I¡¯ll make you regret every single thing you¡¯ve done and said. You¡¯ll regret every moment of your miserable life... and that bastard son of yours? I¡¯ll tear him apart right in front of you."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 94: Where’s Her Bond Mark?

    <h4>Chapter 94: Where¡¯s Her Bond Mark?</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Horror flickered across her face, but she spoke with cold resolve. "Go ahead. Maybe my son will be spared a life in a world full of monsters like you. I¡¯d rather have him die than see him be one of your kind."


    "Sure... just you wait..." Lucian hissed, his rage barely contained.


    Their gazes locked, a storm of hatred and defiance between them. Neither would yield. What had begun as a n to mark her, to im her as our mate, had spiraled into another twist.


    If she had acted weak and pitiful, there must have been a way to calm the situation and deal it with rationality. But how defiant she was despite being the reason for ruining our lives, it only made things worse for her.


    What will happen now? The Council had ordered us to mark and mate with her to form aplete bond with her. But what happened now, only made it difficult than it was before.


    "Lucian, calm down," I said, motioning to Rafe to intervene.


    Rafe stepped forward with steady calm, cing a hand on Lucian¡¯s arm. "Luke,e with me to Caston. This bitch¡¯s presence will only suffocate us."


    Lucian ignored him for a moment, then turned sharply to Jason. "Get ready to find her son and her mate. We¡¯ll make them pay right in front of her, just like she killed our sister."


    "I was going to do it anyway," Jason replied, and the two brothers strode off together, leaving a tense silence in their wake.


    Eira watched them leave. Though defiant, worry and fear in her eyes were clear. But she knew well, whatever the fate was, she had to ept it.


    I approached cautiously. "Eira... let¡¯s go inside..."


    She shot me a sharp re as if I was her mortal enemy. "Stop faking concern. Just remember the promises you made to me before marking me. Those two pets are mine, and you are going to take me to Alice."


    With that, she turned and moved toward Vixen¡¯s small home, walking as if fear was a foreignnguage she had never learned.


    Ignoring any of us, and as if nothing happened, she had returned to her detached self. She settled on the floor in a corner by therge ss window, picking up Vixen and resting her back against the wall.


    Sunlight poured over her, warm against her skin, while a cold breeze drifted through, brushing her face. Tears had dried along hershes, leaving faint traces of the sorrow she refused to show.


    It unsettled me. She hadn¡¯t asked us to stop Lucian or Jason. She hadn¡¯t wept to earn our pity.


    It was as if she had simply withdrawn into her own world, lost in some private vision. Perhaps she was seeing her son, though I could not tell.


    At the same time, it was as if she were sending a clear message: if we were forcing her to stay here, then she would live on her own terms, tantly ignoring us all. She feared nothing, and it showed.


    Liam let out an helpless sigh as he looked lost, not knowing what to do next or solve this situation. He offered a light nod to me and left.


    I turned to Kael, who was looking at her with the dangerously suppressed storm in his eyes. I have seen him looking her with hate and disgust, but this gaze of his...it held something different.


    It wasn¡¯t just hate, but.... Hard to point out.


    Rafe and I were the only ones sane at this moment, though we were equally disturbed to know she had a mate and child with him.


    Then a thought struck me like a bolt of lightning. <i>Mark? Where is the mark left by her mate?</i>


    I had seen herpletely naked¡ªevery inch of her¡ªwhen I had bathed her. Aside from the old and fresh scars etched across her body, there was nothing. No mark.


    The ces where a mate¡¯s mark usually appeared were always the neck, shoulder or the heart. But I was certain there was nothing.


    "Rafe, stay with Kael," I said sharply and ran after Liam.


    He was about to climb into his car when I caught up with him. "Liam."


    The older man stopped and turned, his expression calm but alert.


    "I need to ask something," I said hurriedly.


    "Hmm?"


    "If she has a mate and a baby, that means she mated with him toplete the bond after he marked her," I began, confusion twisting my features. "But... why didn¡¯t I see any mark on her? Her mate must have marked her somewhere."


    Liam didn¡¯t look surprised. "There is indeed no mark," he said evenly. "That also means they are fated mates, not the kind who be mates only after marking, like what you five nned to do with her."


    Damn.


    I cursed under my breath. <i>So she truly has a fated mate.</i>


    The sting was immediate and brutal. Even if we marked her and she became our mate, it would always feel... inferior. Always beneath the bond she shared with him.


    Now, it was really important to kill that bastard.


    "Fated mates can bear a child without ever needing to mark her," Liam added casually.


    "So... the bastard didn¡¯t mark her so he wouldn¡¯t be bound to her for life. He fucked her, rejected her, and left her with a child?" I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.


    "That seems to be the case," Liam confirmed.


    "The asshole truly deserves to die," I muttered under my breath, my jaw tightening. Then I added, "But... it¡¯s a small mercy she doesn¡¯t have a mark. She can only bear the marks of us five."


    "As long as you bastards don¡¯t kill her," Liam said, his tone t, and he slid into his car.


    "You said you went to find clues about her son," I called after him as he settled into the driver¡¯s seat. "What did you find?"


    "Nothing at all," he replied, starting the engine. "But I am sure those two brothers of yours will find something for sure." And with that, he drove off.


    I clenched my fists, a mix of frustration and hope churning inside me. I wanted Lucian and Jason to find that bastard and for us to tear him apart together.


    But the child? What were we supposed to do with him?

 Chapter 95: I Will Make Them Regret

    <h4>Chapter 95: I Will Make Them Regret</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Today, my worst fear finally came true. All I could do was cry and beg. When that failed, I became furious and told them to do whatever they wanted. And now, here I sit in a corner, trying to find my own peace amid the chaos.


    They finally know about my child. And it¡¯s all because of Liam. Another bastard of a man who betrayed me. He acted concerned, kind even, but just as I suspected, his loyalty alwaysy with his Alphas.


    I had allowed myself a flicker of hope when he promised he would search for my son and not betray me like this. Foolish. He turned out to be the same asshole I¡¯ve known all my life.


    When they brought me here, I had given up on myself. I had resigned to ept every punishment, every insult they hurled at me, simply because I was guilty of killing Alice.


    But now...they said they want to kill my son. Sure, they could try¡ªthere is nothing I could do to stop these bloodthirsty monsters.


    But the day they do it, I will make them regret every shred of joy they hold dear. I will find a way to make them pay for every second of suffering I have endured over the past six years. I will make them see just how blind they¡¯ve been.


    And they want to find my mate? Hah. What a joke!


    If they ever found him, they won¡¯t dare touch him. Instead, they will curse the day they ever discovered him. I was being merciful to them by not telling them who he is, but they were asking for the biggest trouble of their life.


    But the day theyy a hand on my son, I will make them understand whose child they have killed. I will watch them cry tears of blood in guilt and agony. I will watch them drowning in the greatest sin they would want to kill themselves for.


    I won¡¯t be the one crying, screaming and grieving for my child, but they will.


    Now, sitting with Vixen in my arms, sunlight warming my face, I let myself imagine a safe haven¡ªa world where I am with my son, raising him, teaching him, loving him. I imagine the life I would have given him over the past six years: theughter, the y, the lessons in reading, in life, in kindness. I may not be the best cook, but I would have tried. I would have taught him everything I knew, shaping him into a man as clever and ambitious as I am.


    I couldn¡¯t be a doctor myself, but he could be. I would have guided him, nurtured him, shown him the value of saving lives. I would have taught him respect, taught him love. I would have built for him the family I could never have.


    All my dreams, all my hopes, I would have poured into him.


    He must be nothing like his bastard of a father. I would have told him every day that his father was a bad man who had died long ago. He did not need that man. He only needed me.


    But now, all those dreams had to be set aside. All I could do was apologize to him¡ªfor being so weak, for failing to protect him in the slightest.


    All I could pray was this: <i>I hope they grant him an easy death. And in his next life, may he be born to loving parents who are worthy of him, strong enough to protect him, and capable of giving him the life I could not.</i>


    What kind of mother am I, to pray for his easy death instead of begging God to save him? And yet... this is how it is. The world is cruel, and sometimes dying is easier than living. I pray for my son¡¯s pianless and quick death.


    ----


    Roman¡¯s POV


    After Liam left, a question lingered in my mind.


    She said her mate had rejected her. Then why was the bond still there? He had not marked her, yet he had mated with her and then walked away. The bond should have broken, right? But...


    That could only mean her mate was someone incredibly powerful. A bond like that could not be undone by mere rejection. And since they had mated, the connection between them had only grown stronger, not weakened.


    <i>Kael is the most powerful Alpha I know... is her mate even stronger than Kael, a top-tier Alpha?</i>


    Damn. The realization chilled me.


    If her mate were stronger than Kael and discovered she was here with us, the chaos could be catastrophic. I wanted to believe him dead, as she imed¡ªbut who was I kidding? A top-tier Alpha was nearly impossible to kill. His Alpha aura alone was a weapon.


    As I returned inside, I watched Kael retreat to his room, while Rafe was preparing to leave.


    "Where are you going?" I asked.


    "Can¡¯t stand that bitch in front of me all the time," he muttered and left without saying a word about his destination.


    Probably Caston, to blow off steam. It had been a while since we brought her home. None of us had touched another woman since.


    I looked at her and decided to ask directly, though I knew chances of getting a real answer were slim.


    "Eira!" I called, kneeling before her.


    She frowned as if I were disturbing something important. Her eyes closed, as though speaking to me was a waste of breath, and her world was far more interesting.


    "You said your mate rejected you. Then why does the bond still exist?" I asked anyway. "He didn¡¯t mark you, yet he mated with you and left. So why is the bond still there?"


    Finally, she opened her eyes and met mine.


    "Please... answer me," I said, as gently as I could. "I¡¯ve marked you, and we are going to be mates as well. I need to know."


    "How should I know?" she replied indifferently. "I don¡¯t even know I have a bond with anyone. You marked me, but I don¡¯t feel a bond with you either. All of you can go biting me, but I won¡¯t feel a thing."


    "But..."


    "If you¡¯re done, get lost," she snapped, closing her eyes again. "Find some expert on werewolf matters and ask him."


    As expected.


    I had no idea what else to do. Everything felt scattered. Lucian and Jason had gone somewhere. Rafe was on his way. Kael, as usual, had locked himself in his room. And I was left alone with her.


    I couldn¡¯t leave her side. Someone had to watch over her.


    Time passed, and I decided to cook. With no one else home, I made something simple¡ªjust enough to fill our stomachs.


    I ced the dish in front of her on the floor. She didn¡¯t move from that spot. It was as if this tiny home wasn¡¯t Vixen¡¯s at all, but hers. If it had been even a little bigger, I was certain she would have curled up inside it herself.


    And, I also filled the bowls of food for Vixen and Fluffy.


    I headed upstairs to bring a meal for Kael, but the usual sign hung on his door¡ªone that clearly said: <i>Do not disturb.</i>


    My hand, raised to knock, froze mid-air.


    So this was another day he would lock himself away, the hours passing behind that closed door, the purpose of his istion known only to him.


    None of us ever dared ask. We had tried before, and all we had received in response was silence¡ªor a re sharp enough to shut us. After that, we stopped.


    All I could do now was wait¡ªfor him to emerge when he chose, and hope it wouldn¡¯t be too long.


    When I came downstairs, Eira and the two pets were eating quietly. It was a relief to see that at least she was eating.


    I sat at the dining table and ate, watching them as well.


    After an hour, Rafe returned home¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t alone. An elderly man apanied him, the same vet who had treated Fluffy before¡ªJohn.


    "Wait here," Rafe told John, motioning for him to sit on the sofa.


    The old man knew better than to look around in an Alpha¡¯s home, so he sat quietly, his gaze restrained, focused only on Rafe.


    "Vixen,e here," Rafe called, looking at the cat nestled in Eira¡¯s arms. "The doctor is here to check you."


    As if Vixen could really understand what doctor was and what she needed to do. He was telling it to Eira indirecrtly, so she would let Vixen go.


    Eira held the cat for a moment, then gently put her on the floor. "Go."


    How kind and understanding she was when it came to her pets. I almost wished I were Fluffy.


    I couldn¡¯t help but scoff at my own thought. So pathetic¡ªa werewolf Alpha wishing to be a lowly animal. Truly doomed for the sake of a woman he likes.


    But Vixen didn¡¯t move. She returned to Eira¡¯sp, as inseparable as ever.


    Eira didn¡¯t force her. Instead, she carried her gently to the vet.


    Rafe didn¡¯t intervene, but muttered a curse at Vixen. "You¡¯re getting stubborn day by day. Just wait till you give birth, and I¡¯ll teach you what obedience means."


    For a fleeting moment, his words sounded like they were meant for Eira instead.


    Eira ced Vixen on the sofa and sat next to her, her gaze on the doctor. "You can check her."


    Watching her, it struck me how naturally she carried herself¡ªalready acting like thedy of this house, deciding and taking charge without bothering with any of us. How wonderful it would have been if that were the truth.


    The doctor hummed quietly, keeping his gaze brief on Eira, and proceeded to examine Vixen.


    "She¡¯s around five to six weeks," he said, inspecting her stomach. "We can expect her to deliver in the next three weeks. Otherwise, she¡¯s healthy. Nothing to worry about."


    He instructed Eira on a few things before leaving. She carried Vixen back to her little corner.


    "I thought you went to Caston," I said to Rafe.


    Rafe sank into the sofa. "Wouldn¡¯t hurt to give my cock a rest for a while. We have more important matters at home, thanks to that bitch."


    I raised a brow. "Or that bitch is the reason you don¡¯t want to go to Caston."


    Because I knew the feeling all too well¡ªhaving Eira here made even the thought of other bitches unappealing.


    Rafe scoffed. "I haven¡¯t lost my mind like you, falling for that bitch. So keep your pathetic imaginations to yourself."


    I shook my head. All these bastards knew one thing well, and that was denial. Pretending they weren¡¯t affected, pretending they didn¡¯t care¡ªyet every nce, every subtle gesture betrayed the truth. They could fool the world, but not me.

 Chapter 96: To Find Her Mate And Son

    <h4>Chapter 96: To Find Her Mate And Son</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    Lucian and I went straight to the scoundrels who had sold Eira to us. The day was going to start with the some bloodshed today.


    That night, when we bought Eira, we had already broken them enough to make sure they hadn¡¯t lied about that bitch being a pureblood. The bastards swore on their lives that she was indeed a high-ranking pureblood. How much we tortured, they didn¡¯t change the im.


    The moment we stepped into the shabby drawing room of the cottage deep in the woods, terror painted their faces. The woman, a nurse, hovered by their side to help them stand. The two bastards barely able to stand, their human forms recovering slowly.


    One of them finally got back to the senses. "A-Alpha...you are here...did that bitch do something to¡ª"


    "Shut your mouths unless you want me to pull out the rest of your teeth," Lucian cut in, settling onto the small couch like he owned the ce. The other three froze, standing at attention like broken soldiers.


    I looked around. Every creak under my steps sent shivers through them. Lucian stretched his leg over the small center table, knocking over a few items, and leaned back with the arrogance of a king.


    I picked up a ss paperweight. For some reason, I always loved ying with them when dealing with worthless men¡ªit made breaking their skulls feel almost... ceremonial.


    "Hmm," I began, rolling the weight in my hand, "Tell us where you bought that bitch. People, ces, everything that will help us to reach them. Or I will make sure you three reach your graves early."


    All three men trembled violently.


    The nurse knelt on the floor, voice shaking, "I-I¡¯m just here to take care of the bitches they buy! I have nothing to do with the rest! Please, let me go. You can do whatever you want to the men, they are the real bastards¡ªalways buying poor girls, always selling them."


    "Jenny," one of the men spat, "Shut your mouth!"


    "Paul, Henry," she said, ring, "I am not going to die for your lust for money. I have nothing to do with this."


    I mmed the paperweight onto the floor. The sound echoed through the room, making them flinch. "Dare to speak another word unless you are asked... and you¡¯ll regret it."


    "Apologies, Alpha..." they stammered in unison, fear coating every word.


    "Shoot," Lucian muttered, his patience thinning.


    "I... we¡¯ll tell you everything we know..." one of them stammered, quickly spilling every detail.


    We got our leads on those traffickers. Once we get what we need, then we would make sure anyone who had even seen her¡ªlet alone touched her¡ªwould pay dearly, just like the prison head and the guards had.


    "When she was with you," Lucian said, letting a fake, almost sweet smile curl on his lips, "what did you do with her? Had fun fucking her? Must have felt really good, huh?"


    "We didn¡¯t," the two men spat in unison. "We only performed blood tests. When we found out she was a pureblood, we didn¡¯t dare touch her. We knew Alphas wouldn¡¯t like it."


    Lucian¡¯s gaze snapped to the woman. She quickly added, "They¡¯re telling the truth. She was with us only a day, and we were busy with tests."


    "So you did touch her," Lucian¡¯s voice was low, menacing, like a predator circling its prey.


    "J-just to get her blood," one of the men trembled. "That¡¯s it."


    "And you?" I asked the other, stepping closer.


    "Just to check her face and her...body...to see if she was fine to sell..."


    Both of us turned to the woman, our gazes dark and heavy.


    "I... I had to touch her to care for her... inject medicines..." she stammered.


    The next moment, screams filled the shabby room. The two men were writhing on the floor, their arms dislocated at the shoulders. The woman¡¯s hands were pinned to the wooden wall, knives piercing her palms straight through.


    Once their cries lowered down, I told them. "You¡¯re still alive because you might still be of some use. Don¡¯t even think about running away."


    The three only nodded in terror, suppressing their pained cries.


    Lucian didn¡¯t say a word as we walked out. Outside, the forest was quiet, almost mocking the screams fading behind us.


    Our next stops would lead us closer to the truth¡ªabout her mate, her child, and every bastard who had dared touch her. And we would not stop until everything was erased.


    ----


    Roman¡¯s POV


    The entire day passed in silence, and the night followed the same quiet rhythm. Kael never stepped out of his room, Eira remained curled up with her pets, and Rafe and I lingered around the house, keeping watch.


    With Kael at home, no enemy would dare make a move like before, and for the first time in a long while, the house felt... almost peaceful.


    Jason and Lucian returnedte that night. The moment they stepped inside, Rafe and I caught the strong stench of blood clinging to them. They were sure returning after taking at least a few lives.


    "Where have you been?" we both demanded instinctively, standing rigid.


    Lucian¡¯s expression was grave, he nced toward the spot where Eira usually sat with Vixen, then he moved straight upstairs. She wasn¡¯t there. She was in my room, tucked into my bed, sleeping with both her pets on her side.


    Jason lingered in the hall, silent. His gaze also lingered on the same ce.


    Rafe nudged him. "Will you answer something, or are you going to follow Lucian again?"


    "Did you get any leads on her son?" I asked quickly.


    "Something... but not enough," Jason replied vaguely, eyes scanning the room. "Kael?"


    I told him, Kael had locked himself away since morning. No food, no word, no presence¡ªhe hadn¡¯t even opened the door when I¡¯d tried to bring him dinner.


    Jason didn¡¯t press further; it wasn¡¯t the first time Kael had done this. He simply moved upstairs, like Lucian before him.


    Whenever these two had taken something in hands, it was impossible that they will fail. I felt certain we would soon uncover the truth about Eira¡¯s mate, and find her son.


    Once the house settled again, I returned to my room. Eiray tucked in a nket, clutching Vixen like a soft toy. Fluffy rested at the foot of the bed, his head cushioned on her nket-covered feet.


    I moved carefully, nudging Fluffy just enough to straighten my legs without disturbing the little family in front of me. I turned to watch them. Together, they feltplete¡ªa family in miniature¡ªand I, even after marking her, felt like an outsider in the same bed.


    Given the events of these days, it seemed unlikely anything would change soon.

 Chapter 97: Eira’s Abuse Videos

    <h4>Chapter 97: Eira¡¯s Abuse Videos</h4>


    The next morning, everyone gathered in the drawing room. Kael had finally emerged from his room, fresh and dressed, but the exhaustion in his eyes told he hadn¡¯t slept at all.


    ncing at Lucian and Jason, I could tell they, too, had not slept a wink.


    Jason and Lucian busied themselves preparing breakfast, Rafe opened packs of blood to start his day, and I was instructing the workers to finish the leftover work in the side house as quickly as possible.


    Still, being here together¡ªwith Eira included¡ªfelt infinitely better than being separated from my brothers in the side house.


    Eira remained in her usual spot with her pets, the corner by the window that she had imed as her own.


    We had breakfast together, though Eira didn¡¯t join us at the dining table. She preferred the floor, in her quiet corner, and I knew well enough if I told her no food unless she joins at the table, she would have chosen to starve herself.


    I carried her meal to her, along with portions for her pets. Her pets. That¡¯s right¡ªI had promised them to her if she allowed me to mark her, and now they were herspletely.


    In that small corner, the three of them ate together like a family, utterly indifferent to the rest of us in the house. Eira fed Vixen by hand once in a while while eating herself, a small, tender scene that made the rest of us pause briefly, even if only unconsciously.


    Once the meal was finished, Kael settled onto the sofa and addressed us. "I will work from home. All meetings will be through video calls," he said, turning to me. "You go to the office and handle some work in my absence."


    I nodded. Kael needed to remain close to Eira, and it had been a while since I had set foot in the office. One of us had to maintain a presence there to prevent any unrest among the employees.


    Kael nced at Lucian and Jason, who had already briefed him on yesterday¡¯s events.


    "We are going to continue our search for that bitch¡¯s bastard mate and their child," Lucian dered, his gaze brushing past Eira, who acted as if she heared nothing at all.


    "I¡¯m going with them as well," Rafe announced, his tone sharp. "I¡¯ve had enough of guarding the house¡ªand the bitch¡ªyesterday. I¡¯m out."


    Kael hummed as Rafe was also an expert with the investigation.


    From the look of it, even Kael was eager to get out and track them down, to find that bastard¡ªher mate.


    Looking at him, I could tell, all he had in mind was to kill her mate. Though calm and quiet, it wasn¡¯t impossible to see through him sometimes.


    Kael turned his gaze to me. "Before you head to the office, let¡¯s go over the current progress of the project. As you were absent from the previous meetings."


    I hummed and settled onto the sofa as Kael connected theptop to the TV screen, projecting the files onto therge disy so we could review themfortably.


    The drawing room soon filled with the hum of discussion, our voices deep in business talk. Meanwhile, Rafe, Jason, and Lucian were getting ready to head out, checking their gear and weapons.


    After a while, Kael said, "There¡¯s a pendrive with some other important project files. Get it."


    I stood, retrieved the pendrive from the center table, and plugged it into theptop.


    Just as I settled back, we heard. "We¡¯re leaving."


    Lucian¡¯s said and we two turned to look at him to say goodbye.


    "Jason," Lucian gestured him to leave, and Rafe stepped out of the room as well. "Let¡¯s go..."


    But then, a sudden, desperate voice shattered the moment.


    "Ah...please...don¡¯t...please...don¡¯t hurt me..."


    The pained begging echoed through the drawing room, freezing us in ce. Instinctively, all eyes darted to the TV screen.


    My heart mmed to a halt.


    It was young Eira, six years ago, trapped in a prison cell. Naked, shivering, huddled in the corner like a broken animal. Around her, the prison men loomed, faces twisted with cruelty.


    "Hold her legs...bend her over the table...today, I¡¯m going to take her from behind...so tight...better than I her pussy..."


    "No...please...stop...please..."


    Her cries were raw, piercing. They dragged her toward the rickety table bolted to the wall, hands forcing her to the surface, spreading her limbs, holding her down whileughter and vile orders rang around her.


    "...You can use her mouth. If she bites, tear her teeth out. When I¡¯m done, it¡¯s your turn..."


    "...All of you. Let¡¯s fill all her holes at a time likest night...This whore is unbreakable, unlike the ones you must have fucked before..."


    Her screams filled the cell, sharp and broken, echoing long after the men¡¯sughter died down. Every plea was met with a cruel smirk, every flinch with a shove.


    All of us stood paralyzed, the room spinning. The horror of her suffering crushed any ability to breathe, to think, to move.


    "Miao."


    The soft hiss of Vixen¡¯s voice ripped us back from the nightmare and we turned in horror to look at the woman standing behind a few steps away.


    Eira.


    Her gaze was fixed on the TV screen as the cruel scene continued to y. There was no change in her expression, no flicker of emotion. Her eyes were cold and distant, as if she were not watching herself but a stranger she did not know.


    Kael acted quickly, yanking the pendrive from hisptop to stop it from ying.


    My throat dry, I opened my mouth to call out to her, but before I could, she nced down at the cat in her arms, caressed it lightly, and walked away as if it was just a random movie she was watching and it was over now.


    Wordlessly, we watched her leave, Fluffy trailing behind her. This time, she exited the house through the side door and settled on thewn outside, her pets obediently at her side.


    How could she remain so quiet? No reaction at all. Was she not hurt to see herself getting abused?


    I nced at the others, and they were mirrors of my own feelings, just as stunned, their gazes locked on Eira.


    "Who put it here?" Kael finally demanded, his eyes narrowing at the pendrive in his hand. He gripped it so tightly his knuckles whitened, as if he could crush it with sheer force.


    Lucian and Jason exchanged a look before turning to Rafe. "That day we handed it over to you," they said.


    "It was in my jacket," Rafe admitted casually. "Before sending it forundry, I just pulled it out and kept it here."


    "How careless can you be?" I said angrily, my blood boiling.


    Rafe shrugged, utterly unconcerned and walked away towards the exit of the home as he said, "I have always been."


    This bastard!

 Chapter 98: Kael And Eira

    <h4>Chapter 98: Kael And Eira</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    With everyone else gone, I was left alone to watch over the house¡ªand her. Sitting on the sofa, I continued my work from home, juggling meetings and the rest of my tasks while keeping a careful eye on her through the wall-sized ss window.


    She remained on thewn, Vixenzily curled at her side, while Fluffy darted around in yful circles. She sat there like a still point in the world, unmoving, unbothered, as if time itself had no hold over her.


    A thought struck me. Maybe years locked in small rooms, denied the world outside, had shaped her into this. She could sit in the same spot for an entire day, unaffected¡ªnot just physically, but mentally too. Nothing seemed to disturb her.


    I had been furious when I learned she had a mate and a child. The twenty-four hours I spent locked in my room¡ªwhat I endured alone¡ªwas unbearable. A living hell. If I had stepped out, I wasn¡¯t sure what I might have done to her.


    <i>How could she even dare to have a mate when....</i>


    I forced myself to swallow every bit of that hellish rage I was feeling towards her.


    <i>It¡¯s alright. Once I find that bastard, tear out his heart for daring to make her his mate, for daring to touch her... everything will be alright. All I have to do is kill him. Then she will have no one else but me. Us.</i>


    <i>Her child? We¡¯ll deal with that once we find him.</i>


    And after watching that video of her abuse, all that anger faded into nothingness.


    Her reaction after watching her own video, I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was good thing that she didn¡¯t react or it was worrisome. Maybe, I should consider Liam¡¯s suggestion of getting a psychologist for her.


    When myst meeting ended, I looked up at the wall clock. It was lunchtime. I hadn¡¯t even noticed how the hours had slipped by while working and keeping watch on her.


    After years, I finally stepped into the kitchen to prepare a meal. Since I¡¯d brought my mate brothers here, Jason had taken over the kitchen entirely. I hadn¡¯t needed to cook at all.


    Still, I knew the skills hadn¡¯t left me. I remembered my mother enjoying whatever I made. She herself was the best cook, and my father and I loved everything she prepared. Despite our wealth and having servants, my mother preferred to cook herself. It was more than food¡ªit was her love, her way of showing care for us.


    I used to hover around the kitchen whenever my mother cooked, slowly picking up her skills. Over time, she even began teaching me herself. I could still hear her words in my mind:


    "A man should learn to cook so he can make tasty meals and please his mate whenever she¡¯s angry. It¡¯s the easiest way to reach her heart."


    I used to smile at her and dream about having my own mate, imagining a life like my parents¡¯¡ªa happy family.


    My mate? What a cursed fate I had.


    So, I decided long ago that I didn¡¯t need a mate. I wouldn¡¯t have one¡ªever.


    But now... things were changing. Slowly, in a direction I had never imagined, not even in my wildest dreams.


    Dreams. I hadn¡¯t had any for years now. All I had were the hellishly torturous, sleepless nights I had endured alone for the past six years.


    After giving a thought, I decided to cook something my mother loved, thinking that if every woman liked it, she would too. Spicy penne with tomato sauce, a hint of wine for depth. My mother had loved it.


    I nced toward her on thewn, wondering if she could handle something spicy. Then I recalled a memories from the past: where that one evening she enjoyed it despite the fact that she wasn¡¯t good at handling it and cursed the food and the cook for making it so spicy.


    Her red, angry face, mouth twisted to hurl sweet curses, was sight to see.


    <i>Maybe, today, I¡¯ll get to hear her cursing again. Better than seeing her quiet and lifeless.¡¯</i>


    To counter the spice, I made a chocte smoothie and added some side dishes so she wouldn¡¯t suffer after the main course.


    While I cooked, I noticed her finally lying down on thewn. She must have been exhausted after sitting so long. Facing the sky, she closed her eyes, and Vixen curled up on the hollow of her stomach, drifting off to sleep.


    She was skin and bone, fragile in a way that made my chest tighten. She needed to eat more, and eat well, so I prepared another quick dish with meat to ensure she got proper nutrition.


    ¡¯Gosh. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m worrying about her meals and her health. While until this morning, all I could thinking of killing her for having a mate and a child with him.


    Once the meal was ready, I stepped outside and called, "Food is ready. Come inside to eat."


    As usual, she didn¡¯t react. Her expression remained as lifeless as ever, let alone open her eyes to even acknowledge my presence.


    I frowned and lifted Vixen from her stomach, turning to walk inside. "I should send you to pet care," I said casually to the cat, "so you can give birth there and return after half a year."


    The words seemed to strike a chord as I felt movement behind me.


    In the reflection of the window ss, I saw she had sat up, her eyes zing with defiance as she red at me for taking away her pet. If the gaze could kill, it would have stabbed me right away.


    That defiance... it was the same as in the past, the same fire that had always mesmerised me. I smirked, watching her rise and follow me inside.


    I ced Vixen¡¯s food bowl on the dining table so she could eat there. Eira picked up the cat and set her closer to her chair. I had already served her meal, and Fluffy followed in to eat as well.


    Her possessiveness over her pets was absolute. They were hers only thanks to Roman¡¯s promise. I had never been a pet person, so it didn¡¯t matter to me. She could have as many as she wanted and im them hers.


    As she took her first bite of the pasta, I watched her face. Her expression twisted slightly, and in an instant, the tip of her tiny nose turned red. She red at me, cold and furious, clearly cursing me for feeding her something spicy.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. But I hadn¡¯t done it out of anger. I just wanted to see a reaction, something to break through that dead calm. I waited, almost eager, for her to curse me¡ªbut...


    She lowered her head and continued eating, ignoring mepletely. Sweat glistened on her forehead, her cheeks and nose flushed a deep red, yet she kept stuffing the pasta into her mouth as if it didn¡¯t matter.


    I stood and gently held her hand, trying to stop her. She shrugged me off without a word and kept eating.


    I pushed the ss of chocte smoothie toward her. "This will ease the burning."


    She didn¡¯t touch it until she finished the pasta¡ªand then went on to eat the rest of her meal. Her face was still flushed, almost as if she was burning from the inside, but she refused to listen to me.


    Things hadn¡¯t gone as I had nned. The glimpse of the past I had hoped for¡ªthe small, human reaction¡ªhad been shattered in an instant.


    I could only hope her stomach wouldn¡¯t pay for it.

 Chapter 99: Eira’s Missing

    <h4>Chapter 99: Eira¡¯s Missing</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    In the evening, I returned home after a long day at the office, juggling Kael¡¯s affairs alongside my own work.


    The others had returned a littleter, and from the looks of it, Kael had spent the entire day in the drawing room, keeping a silent watch over her. She sat in her usual reserved corner, near the floor-to-ceiling windows and Vixen¡¯s pet house,pletely motionless.


    "Has she caused any trouble?" I asked.


    Kael shook his head. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t done anything to provoke him.


    She was like a ghost, invisible until one¡¯s eyes fell on her. No sound, no movement. Even her breathing was quieter than Vixen¡¯s.


    "What did you find?" I asked Lucian, Jason, and Rafe.


    The three of them exchanged nces and chose to remain silent. I understood¡ªthey didn¡¯t want to discuss such matters in front of her.


    Believing that everything was fine with her, even after the incident with the video that morning, and with the evening already settling in, we decided to send her to her room to sleep.


    After I settled her inside, with both her pets nearby, and closed the door, we moved to the study to discuss matters in private. That grand study, more like an office within the house, had been mostly unused since we brought her in, but it was our usual ce for serious conversations.


    Kael took his ce behind the desk, his expression dark and brooding, while the four of us settled on the couch opposite him.


    "What did you find out?" Kael asked the three men, his tone grave.


    "Someone bought that child from the traffickers," Lucian informed, "The deal was done even before the child was born, and as if they were waiting for her to give birth. The payment was hefty that showed the child was important to the buyer."


    I raised a brow, a dozen questions forming in my mind.


    "Her mate?" I asked. "The father of the child?"


    "Maybe," Lucian replied. "Or just as said, perhaps someone else who knew she was pregnant and wanted the child for themselves."


    "There¡¯s something else," Rafe said, leaning forward to get both Kael¡¯s and my attention. Lucian and Jason exchanged tense looks, as if they already knew what Rafe was about to reveal.


    "She had given birth after seven to eight months of being locked in that prison, and the baby wasn¡¯t premature. That means she must have slept with that bastard at least a month before she was sent there. She was fooling around with him while she was still around us."


    Lucian¡¯s voice dripped with disdain. "There was only one she was fooling around with. Keiren."


    "He was her mate," I added to draw a conclusion, "she slept with him, and then he rejected her. That¡¯s one thing. But Keiren is dead, so who else took her child?"


    Kael¡¯s voice cut in sharply. "He can¡¯t be her mate."


    We all turned to look at him. "What do you mean? Then who else?"


    His expression was tense for a moment, then he rxed slightly. "She was a minor when she was sent to prison. There¡¯s no way they knew they were each other¡¯s mates and there wasn¡¯t a possibly of rejection. She found her true mate only after she was imprisoned."


    Kael said it with such certainty that Jason, silent until now, finally spoke. "Maybe they just slept together without knowing they were mates. But she ended up conceiving. She is a pureblood, so only an Alpha can impregnated her. And Keiren was the only Alpha she was with."


    "That actually makes sense," I said, ncing at Kael. "And her saying he¡¯s dead fits with that theory. Because Keiren is dead."


    Kael didn¡¯t seem convinced. He simply said, "Just focus on finding the child. Once we do, we¡¯ll know who bought him, and from there we¡¯ll reach his father as well."


    Lucian¡¯s words dropped like another weight. "The child isn¡¯t in our pack. We¡¯ll have to gather more clues to find out who took him and where exactly he is."


    Jason added, "We already have some leads. We might need to go away for a few days¡ªoutside the pack even."


    "Do it. Just take enough people with you," Kael instructed, his gaze shifting to Rafe. "I want you to stay back. With Lucian and Jason gone, and Roman handling the office work, I need one of you by my side."


    Rafe looked at himzily. "Were you that bored with the bitch around that you missed me?"


    This bastard always had a way of saying somethingpletely off-topic, just for his own fun.


    Kael¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. It wasn¡¯t a request. It was an order.


    Rafe let out a resigned sigh. "Alright! I¡¯ll stay back and make sure to entertain you properly."


    "You can leave the entertainment part for when Lucian returns," I added.


    Rafe turned toward Lucian. "He¡¯ll be the one entertaining me when he¡¯s back."


    Lucian shot him a sharp re. "Too much daydreaming about being my bitch, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Alright!" Kael interrupted, cutting through their banter. "Exin the entire n."


    Jason and Lucian went through their strategy for finding the child. The discussionsted over half an hour as we finalized every detail, leaving nothing to chance.


    Once it was over, I checked the time. "I should check on her."


    Kael hummed in acknowledgment and I left the study. When I entered her room, my heart skipped a beat. Eira wasn¡¯t there. Only Vixen slept peacefully on the bed.


    Fluffy was nowhere in sight either.


    I hurried to the bathroom, but she wasn¡¯t there.


    I stepped back into the room and called out, "Eira, where are you?"


    No response. No movement. Nothing to indicate she was nearby.


    My four brothers emerged from the study, drawn by my voice.


    "What happened?" Kael asked, his tone sharp.


    "She¡¯s not in the room," I said, reaching for the inte. "Inform security. If any woman is seen anywhere on the estate, report immediately. Send the guards to search every corner."


    Meanwhile, the others beganbing the house.


    I rushed to the side house, checking every likely spot. Still nothing.


    A cold dread crept into my chest. <i>Where has she gone? Did someone sneak her away this time?</i> But there were no signs of struggle in the room. No noise. Our senses, sharper than any ordinary human¡¯s, hadn¡¯t picked up a thing.


    <i>Has she left willingly? Maybe her mate found her, and she went with him...</i>


    All kinds of impossibly ridiculous thoughts were storming through my mind. The idea of losing her felt like a jagged knife twisting in my chest. I cursed myself for taking my eyes off her even for a single moment.


    The other four joined me at the side house after searching the main home in vain.


    "She¡¯s not here either," I said, my voice tight with panic.


    "Fluffy, where are you?" Lucian called as he stepped out of the side house. His voice was sharp, urgent. "Fluffy!"


    He called a few more times, and then, faintly at first, the distant bark of a dog reached us.


    We froze, straining our ears.


    "Coming from the stable," Kael said immediately. Without hesitation, we all ran in that direction.


    Fluffy was there, fur bristling, barking frantically at the closed door of the stable storage room¡ªthe same room where Jason had once tortured her.


    "What the hell is she doing here?" I muttered, heart hammering as I truly had a bad feeling about it.


    I stepped forward and kicked the door open only to see something horrifying which made the blood drain from my face.

 Chapter 100: Heart Wrenching

    <h4>Chapter 100: Heart Wrenching</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    The other four stepped inside, their expressions frozen in shock¡ªjust like mine.


    There she was. Kneeling on the cold, unforgiving floor, Jason¡¯s torture toolbox sprawled open before her. In her trembling hands, she held the gun, the barrel pressed under her chin, ready to end it all.


    "Eira. No," I shouted, my voice cracking, a mix of panic and disbelief.


    She turned to look at us, her bloodshot eyes wet with tears, yet burning with a terrifying, resolute determination. And then, with terrifying swiftness, she pressed the trigger.


    Click.


    My heart stopped. For a moment, the world went silent. I could almost feel her life slipping away from her, and the thought of it made my chest tighten, suffocating me. The others were frozen, their faces pale, disbelief etched into every line.


    She blinked, startled, and pressed it again. Click.


    And again. Click.


    "No bullets in gun," Jason said, "I emptied it after Kael killed my pets."


    Relief surged through us, but it was nothingpared to the devastation washing over her.


    She stared at the empty gun in her hands, her fingers trembling uncontrobly. The tears that had clung stubbornly to her cheeks now streamed freely, her eyes wide with helplessness, as if the world itself had betrayed her in the cruellest way.


    The gun slipped from her hands, ttering to the floor like a broken promise. Her shoulders sagged, her hands wed at the dried grass beneath her, and then¡ª


    Her scream tore through the air.


    A scream so raw, so shattering, that it felt as if the room itself had been ripped open. It wasn¡¯t just frustration¡ªit was every year of suffering, every moment of cruelty, every ounce of despair she had swallowed, finally escaping in one agonizing, heart-wrenching sound.


    We stood frozen, unable to move, our own hearts breaking in sympathy, shame, and helplessness.


    We thought the video in the morning hadn¡¯t affected her. We were wrong. It had indeed affected her. Every brutal moment, every scar, every humiliation was still there, hidden behind her quiet fa?ade.


    She had kept her emotions buried and acted normal through out the day just so she coulde here to take her life.


    The night Jason tortured her, she must have seen what else the box had and she didn¡¯t forget that gun. All she was waiting for was the chance toe here, and tonight she got it.


    Thankfully, the gun was empty, or we would have lost her tonight.


    We stayed rooted in our ces, letting her pour out the years of suffering in those harrowing screams. It was the first time we had ever seen her break¡ªreally break¡ªletting the pain she had buried so deeply w its way out. The morning¡¯s video had been just a scratch on the surface, but tonight, every hidden wound, every memory she had fought to lock away, erupted.


    When her screams faded into ragged, trembling sobs, and she buried her face in her palms, shaking as if the world itself were crushing her.


    Helpless words with muffled sobs were heard.


    "All...i want is to die...but....why...."


    I finally moved.


    "Eira," I whispered, my voice shaking, raw and tender.


    I could feel the same from others, but they let me handle it, unsure what to do in this situation.


    She didn¡¯t respond, only allowed her sobs to echo softly into the room, muffled behind her frail hands.


    I knelt beside her. My hands trembling as I gently drew her closer and hugged her. My hand gently caressed her head, as I found myself unable to hold my tears. My heart, my soul felt hurt for her as I felt utterly helpless to ease her pain.


    I wanted to speak to console her, but my chest felt stuffy with emotions and throat felt choked, unable to say a word. It was as if her pain was slowly seeping into me¡ªinto my heart. I could feel it clearly.


    Then, through the quivering, broken words, I heard it. Her pleading, almost inaudible voice:


    "Please... I want to die... I can¡¯t take it... Please... kill me...it hurts....I want to die...please....kill me..."


    The words hit me like a thunder. I tightened my arms around her, my knuckles whitening, my heart shattering at the sheer weight of her despair. She wasn¡¯t asking forfort. She was begging for release¡ªfrom the world, from the pain, from everything that had hurt her.


    My teary eyes turned to my brothers, and I watched them looking away, trying not to look at her. More like they were trying to hide the emotions in their own eyes, which had turned moist as well.


    Kael let out a shaky breath and came toward us. He knelt on the ground, and without a word, he lifted her in his arms¡ªcareful, as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. Her face buried against his chest, she mumbled again.


    "Please let me die... I beg you... just once... kill me... please...."


    Kael didn¡¯t react. His face was rigid, his jaw clenched, trying hard to suppress his emotions, but his moist eyes betrayed his efforts.


    He carried her out of that storage room, and we followed him in silence. None of us spoke a single word until we reached home.


    Even Fluffy was quiet and didn¡¯t bark once, simply following us back.


    Once inside the home, something unexpected happened.


    Kael didn¡¯t stop just in the drawing room. He carried Eira upstairs as we watched him in silence. After a while all we heard was the sound of his room¡¯s door being closed.


    Not even once had any of us ever entered his room, but he simply took her to his room.


    It was utterly shocking and surprising. We looked at each other and then back toward the staircase, still in disbelief that Kael did it.


    What has changed. Was he finally ready to forget his parents died because of her? Was he finally softening towards her?


    Seeing her like this today would have shattered anyone¡¯s resolve, and not to forget that cruel video we happened to watch today. Her suffering.


    That could be the reason for the change.


    Lucian signalled Fluffy toe with him, so he wouldn¡¯t go to Kael¡¯s room and disturb him by barking to call for Eira.


    As Kael had left, all of us wordlessly went to our rooms. We needed time to process our emotions and thoughts now.

 Chapter 101: In Kael’s Bed

    <h4>Chapter 101: In Kael¡¯s Bed</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The entire night had passed in dreadful silence where I could only stare at the empty spot in my bed where she used to sleep. It¡¯s barely been a few days, and I was already used to having her in my bed, as it feltplete despite there always being distance between us. Just her presence¡ªthe mild scent of hers filling this room¡ªwas enough.


    Whenever I closed my eyes, the scene from the stable haunted me¡ªher utterly broken.


    I couldn¡¯t help but still feel heavy in my chest and the corners of my eyes moist as tears threatened toe out. Not being able to take it, I sat in bed while resting against the headboard, picked up Vixen to hold her against my chest, and caressed her soft fur. She carried her scent, and it made me feel at ease. Maybe this was the way I could sleep.


    <i>She should be fine with Kael</i>, I told myself, trying to find somefort in the thought.


    The morning came with Vixen no longer in the room. I realized I woke up a littlete, as I couldn¡¯t sleep for long. When I stepped out of the room, others were there, except for Kael and Eira.


    Jason had headed to the kitchen already, Lucian was with Fluffy, keeping him quiet so he wouldn¡¯t bark. Rafe was sitting in the spot where Eira always sat by the wall-size window with Vixen in her arms. Rafe was holding Vixen and caressing her back gently.


    I went to the kitchen to help Jason. No one said a single word to each other, except for just wishing a good morning, and the others simply humming.


    Everyone thought they were doing something, but one could tell all of us were lost in our own world¡ªlike bodies were here but minds were somewhere else. That ¡¯somewhere¡¯ was Eira.


    I looked at the clock, and it was already half an hour past the time when Kael usually came downstairs. But today, he was not there. I didn¡¯t know what to think or feel about it.


    And I wasn¡¯t the only one checking time here, the others had their eyes to the clock as well.


    Just like me, there were waiting to see her. But no one wanted to go to Kael¡¯s room. It wasn¡¯t right to do so.


    We just hoped, they shows up soon so we could be relived to see she was fine.


    "Lucian, are you going to cook today?" I asked. I wanted him to cook something for Eira.


    He hummed and told me, "Take care of Fluffy. Keep him busy so he won¡¯t bark."


    I knew he was doing it so Fluffy¡¯s barking won¡¯t reach her and disturb her sleep, in case.


    I got the hold of Fluffy and took him outside, while Lucian went to the kitchen.


    ----


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Sitting in the chair, I watched her sleep in my bed. My eyes refused to leave her, my heart refused to let go, even though it was morning and I should have been downstairs by now. Seeing her here felt...plete.


    She was in my bed. She had always been meant to be here, and finally, she was. The truth I had long refused to ept now stared me in the face. Despite all my efforts, it was impossible to separate her from me¡ªfrom my life, from our reality.


    Last night, when I brought her here and put her in my bed, even in her exhausted state, all she did was mumble, begging me to kill her.


    I simply held her in my arms and slept like that, as I knew she would feelforted this way. My scent would calm her at least a little, my embrace wouldfort her.


    And it indeed did wonders. Soon she was calm and fell asleep.


    In the past, I never got to touch her, let alone hold her like this in my arms. Now that it was happening, I didn¡¯t want to let go. She felt perfect in my hold, as if she always belonged here, but it didn¡¯t feel foreign.


    As if it wasn¡¯t the first time we were in bed like this. Even her scent felt utterly familiar. Her hair carried a musk, and it calmed my heart and soul.


    When it was morning, I let her go and sat in the chair instead, so she wouldn¡¯t be startled and scared to find herself in my arms.


    In the past, she used to be wary of me all the time, as if I was some kind of monster, and it started from the day she saw me in my wolf form for the first time.


    That day, on Alice¡¯s insistence, all five of us converted into our wolf forms, as Alice wanted Eira to see the most powerful Alpha wolves in the pack. And then we had to listen to Lucian and Jason, as they couldn¡¯t ignore their sister¡¯s request.


    When we finally transformed, Eira didn¡¯t feel scared of the other four, but only me. My wolf form seemed to have frightened her, and she ran away from me.


    I always wondered why. Though I admit my wolf is more dangerous and powerful than the others, it was never a threat to her.


    After that day, whenever we came across each other, she would try to avoid me or hide behind someone else to avoid being seen. It was so infuriating, but I could do nothing. Even in my human form, she treated me like I was some kind of scary monster.


    And it was even more infuriating to see her interacting with Jason and Lucian normally despite seeing them in their wolf forms. Roman and Rafe, she always kept her distance from, as they had their own issues with each other.


    Roman bullied her for fun, while Rafe hated her, saying to her face that she stank and he hated her scent. He often warned her to stay away from wherever he was. She hated him the same way, and with Roman, it was the same.


    She finally stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes. Her gaze scanned the room, as it was a new ce to her.


    "It¡¯s my room," I told her, and she looked at me.


    But the next moment, she looked away.


    "It¡¯ste. You have to wake up," I told her as I stood up from the chair. "Freshen up ande downstairs for breakfast."


    She didn¡¯t react, simply closed her eyes. I didn¡¯t expect anything different from her either.


    "Rafe is nning to take Vixen away," I said and left the room.


    The door closed behind me as I walked ahead and counted in my mind.


    <i>One... two... three... out...</i>


    The door opened, and a frail figure hurried out of the room, even passing by me to go downstairs.


    <i>Her love for her pets is going to be a real weapon against her.</i>


    As I watched her running downstairs, I followed at my own pace.


    The moment she descended the stairs, the others had their eyes on her, shocked, wondering what happened now.


    I looked at them and signalled, saying nothing to worry about.


    She looked here and there, and then her eyes settled on where Rafe was sitting in her ce.


    She went straight to him, and he looked up only to have his cat snatched away from his hands.


    "What?" Rafe eximed.


    She didn¡¯t even spare him a nce, walked away from him, and went inside Roman¡¯s room carrying Vixen in her arms. Fluffy followed her as well. The door shut behind her.


    They looked at me as if asking what was happening.


    "She wasn¡¯t moving, so I told her Rafe¡¯s taking away her cat," I said casually and settled on the sofa.


    "That¡¯s my cat," Rafe said with a frown. "She seems to be forgetting it."


    "Our pets are not ours anymore," Lucian said and red at Roman. "Thanks to Roman."


    "Don¡¯t act like an ass when you two clearly enjoy seeing your pets with her," Roman said. "And yes, now they are her pets. I dare you to tell her otherwise."


    As Roman said it, the other two kept quiet.


    Thankfully, the grim air in the home seemed to ease up now. Having pets was definitely of some use.

 Chapter 102: When Sophia Saw Eira

    <h4>Chapter 102: When Sophia Saw Eira</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    When all of us were wondering how to deal with Eira afterst night¡¯s incident, and whether she might spiral into another mental breakdown, seeing her back in the drawing room, taking care of her pets, and acting her usual distant self brought a sense of relief.


    At least there was a chance tomunicate with her normally. Or at least I hoped there was. I wasn¡¯t sure how to handle her broken and depressed self again. It had already been difficult to reach her after Jason¡¯s torture.


    It seemed that a good night¡¯s sleep in Kael¡¯s room had calmed her entirely.


    "Was she alrightst night?" I asked Kael. The others leaned in, waiting for his answer.


    Kael hummed. "I put her to sleep. She slept without any struggle," he paused, sensing our scrutinising gazes, and added, "...Probably just too exhausted after crying."


    That was good to hear.


    "I¡¯ll get her ready for breakfast," I said and headed to my room.


    She was sitting on the bed, her hairpletely disheveled, falling over her small face. Her nightdress, a simple loose off-white knee-length dress, was a little soiled from the stable dust. Even the exposed parts of her legs had dirt on them. I was surprised Kael had let her into his bed in such a dirty state. Among the five of us, he was the clean freak.


    Was that iceberg finally melting towards her?


    I went to the wardrobe, pulled out clean clothes, and told her, "You should freshen up. I¡¯ll take care of Vixen right here. She¡¯s pregnant, and it would be better if all of us are clean while being around her."


    I just made that up, but it worked.


    Eira ced Vixen on the bed, covering her stomach with the nket to keep her warm, and then picked up the clothes I hadid out¡ªa loose top and pants.


    Her face was still hidden behind the curtain of her messy hair as she turned toward the bathroom.


    "Wash your hair as well," I instructed. "It¡¯s dirty."


    She did not respond, but entered the bathroom.


    Though she was being obedient, this way of her obedience didn¡¯t feel right. Herpliance seemed hollow. The only things in her world now were her pets and herself. Her mental state was fragile, and it worried me.


    Now I feel it would have been better if she was stuck in bed, crying and hurting to let her pain out, than being like this.


    ----


    After half an hour, all of us were having breakfast. We sat at the dining table while Eira went to sit in her usual ce. We didn¡¯t force her, and I served her breakfast right there. Lucian had made her favourite chocte pancakes, and it was a relief to see her eating everything.


    "I am taking her to the hospital," Kael said, his voice even. "The rest of you can continue what you¡¯re meant to."


    "Hospital?" I asked, surprise creeping in. "Did Liam call for her?"


    Kael shook his head. "Just for some routine tests," he said dismissively, clearly not wanting to be questioned further.


    He turned to Lucian and Jason. "Not just her son, but you have to find out about her grandparents as well."


    "We were going to do that anyways," Lucian informed. "They are in the list of the people who might have that child."


    We all acknowledge this fact.


    Her grandparents had been missing since that incident, and none of us had bothered to look for them. But now that Kael mentioned them, it was clear he had a purpose in mind. We needed to know where they had been and why.


    Their only granddaughter had been in prison, and yet they had made no attempt to free her, not even to plead for her. Their disappearance suddenly felt suspicious.


    Kael then turned to Rafe. "I want everything about her after she killed Alice. Her confessions, written statements, any video files we can find. Nothing should be left out."


    Lucian¡¯s voice was sharp. "Why do you want it? We all know she killed my sister. There¡¯s the clear video of how she shot my sister."


    "I forgot nothing at all," Kael said coldly. "Neither your sister¡¯s murder, nor the ughter of my parents. But I want to know her reasons, beyond what we already know and have concluded. She didn¡¯t tell Roman, and she didn¡¯t tell Jason even when he tortured her. So we need to find out on our own."


    All of us hummed, as we were curious as well. The way she yearned for Alice didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to kill her, or that there was any bad blood between them.


    Kael turned to Rafe again, and Rafe gave a sharp nod. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll dig out every single detail."


    "I¡¯ll try to ask her again," Roman said quietly. "Maybe she¡¯ll reveal it when I take her to Alice¡¯s grave."


    I could feel Jason and Lucian¡¯s sharp res on me.


    "This might lead us somewhere," I said firmly. "I¡¯ll take her there once she¡¯s done with her hospital visit with Kael."


    The two of them remained silent, clearly reluctant but unwilling to argue further.


    ----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once everyone had left, I took Eira to the hospital. She sat silently in the back passenger seat, staring nkly out the window, while I drove. Through the rearview mirror, I nced at her from time to time. She watched the passing scenery but noticed nothing in particr.


    She seemed alive only when she was with her pets. At all other times, she was like a dead log¡ªno emotion, no movement.


    Her face looked even smaller now, her forehead partially hidden by the bangs Jason had given her. Yet beneath it all, somewhere deep inside, she still carried traces of the young Eira I had known.


    I had a reason for bringing her here today. For that purpose, she didn¡¯t need to act or move. Her presence alone was enough.


    When we arrived at the hospital, we went straight to Liam¡¯s office through the VIP entrance. She walked silently beside me, her gaze fixed on the floor.


    Liam had already been informed of our arrival and had made the necessary arrangements.


    In the private VIP suite, Eira was settled and changed into a hospital gown, ready for the tests. The nurses attended to her while Liam spoke to me in hushed tones.


    "What¡¯s gotten into you, bringing her here all of a sudden?" Liam asked, curiosity and doubtcing his voice.


    "Just follow instructions," I said. "I¡¯m going to meet Sophia. She has tests scheduled as well."


    Liam exhaled sharply. "Yeah, I¡¯m sure her mother is gone."


    "Don¡¯t worry, she will pray if she was gone already before my arrival," I said and left.


    I was sure, her mother was scared of me to even face me again.


    When I reached Sophia¡¯s room, she was seated in a wheelchair, a nurse guiding her toward the testing area.


    "Kael, I didn¡¯t know you wereing," she said, offering a small smile.


    "I¡¯m here on some work," I replied, then asked, "Are you heading for the tests?"


    She nodded. "Can you apany me? These tests feel... scary."


    "Sure," I said, walking alongside as the nurse pushed her wheelchair.


    "We are here," the nurse announced as we reached a double-sided door leading to the scan room. "Wait here for a while," she instructed before entering, leaving me with Sophia.


    "Kael, thank you for being with me," Sophia said, grasping my hand.


    I simply turned toward her and hummed. "I have a call to take," I said, ncing at my phone. "Give me a minute."


    She hummed softly. I turned to the other side of the corridor to attend the call, but my attention lingered on her through the corner of my eyes.


    Sophia sat quietly in her wheelchair, waiting patiently for me to finish. Then, suddenly, her gaze caught something, and the color drained from her face.


    Her eyes widened in disbelief as she whispered, "Eira?... Is that her?"


    Eira was in another wheelchair, being escorted by a nurse to the testing room for scans, primarily to check her ribs.


    I didn¡¯t look at Sophia. I let her absorb the shock, curious to see her reaction. She quickly looked in my direction. I expected her to call me and tell me to check if the person she was seeing was Eira, but she didn¡¯t.


    I waited, pretending to engage in the call, while she looked anxious, as if she was waiting for Eira to leave quickly. Once Eira disappeared behind the door of the room, only then did she let out a sigh of relief and look at me.


    I ended my call and turned to her. "What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?"


    She looked momentarily baffled by the question. Then she inhaled deeply, letting out a soft, reassuring smile. "I get anxious every time before a test... I¡¯m alright. Nothing to worry about."


    I hummed, and the nurse came out. "Everything is ready. We can head inside now."


    I offered an approving nod, and the nurse took her inside, instructing me to stay outside. The door closed, and my gaze turned dark.


    Eira was the one who shot Sophia and the reason for her current situation. The moment she saw Eira, she should have gotten scared or angry at least, a normal reaction from any person to see the one who ruined their life.


    And then she should have called for me, telling me she saw Eira and ask me to see what she was doing to her. Why was she not in prison for her crimes? But...


    Definitely, Sophia had something to hide.


    The reason I brought Eira here under the guise of her tests, was finally fulfilled, and now I could decide my next steps.

 Chapter 103: Blond Hair

    <h4>Chapter 103: Blond Hair</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once Sophia was taken inside the test room, I went to Liam who was monitoring the live scanning of Eira¡¯s body on the monitors in front of him, while I watched on the other side of a ss window in the wall where Eira was lying under the scanning machine, quiet and her eyes closed.


    Only doctors were allowed in this part and inside this room, but I owned this hospital, so who was going to stop me. And at that, who dared even stop their Alpha.


    "Anything to worry about?" I asked as I stood looking at her.


    Busy scanning the monitor, Liam said, "Her recovery is kinda miraculous now that her wolf showed its presence, just like how it should be in the pureblood."


    "So she is entirely healthy now?" I asked again.


    "Not entirely, as wounds on one¡¯s soul could never heal, though the physical wounds could. But still, I¡¯ll say this much progress is good as well," Liam said and turned his chair to face me. "And for that, we should thank Lucian."


    I looked at him, as I knew what he meant.


    The old bastard chuckled as he said, "Well, I am not saying it was a good way for it to happen, I would never want any one of you to die. But him about to die in front of her¡ªthat¡¯s what triggered it... and..." he stopped.


    I raised a brow, prompting him to continue.


    He continued, "Kael, you do know that such phenomena are rare to happen when someone¡¯s powers are triggered this way... That means the person should be really important for one to do it... that also means Lucian is very important to her."


    As he said it, my fists clenched. I was definitely d she saved Lucian, but...


    "Kael, despite all of you having punished her with the suffering of the past six years, she was still desperate to save any of you... such a strong desperation... do you really believe she could ever think bad about you and betray you... betray our pack? She should be asking for your death instead."


    "I know what you are getting at, and I am going to look into it," I told him.


    "I hope it¡¯s not toote," Liam said.


    "We will see," I told him and asked, "If she looks fine now, I want you to go ahead with Sophia¡¯s treatment. I want her healed entirely as soon as possible."


    Liam offered me a skeptical gaze. "You still worry about Sophia... well, yeah... she could have been your child¡¯s mother..."


    I could see the displeasure in his eyes and tone, but I wanted this. I want Sophia to get better, so there won¡¯t be anything that stops me from getting the truth out of her. With her current weak condition, she might just go into shock and die, and I wouldn¡¯t want that. Because I wanted truth. For that, even if I have to save her first and then kill her, I would do that even.


    "Just do as I say," I told him. "Let me know once you are done," and left.


    Sophia was taken back to her room after a small test. On the way to her room, I heard voices that didn¡¯t escape my kin hearing senses.


    "...Mom. I am telling you the truth," it was Sophia¡¯s panicked voice. "I saw her."


    "She can¡¯t be here. You must have seen someone else, simr to her," Meryl¡¯s voice was there. "She can never be here."


    "Mom... I worry if it¡¯s truly her and she goes to Kael... he is in the hospital... I met him just a while ago..."


    "Shh! Don¡¯t say anything," Meryl shut her quickly. "I will ask someone to get the details of today¡¯s patients in the hospital, and we will know if it was her... but make sure to keep your mouth shut... Don¡¯t say a word..."


    Standing outside, I heard it all. My gaze turned darker, and my fists clenched as my hands itched to drag her out and question her... but I reminded myself to be patient.


    Taking Eira, I returned home.


    On the way back, I looked at her through the mirror and finally broke the silence. "In the past, you used to be scared of me since the day you saw my wolf form. But now you don¡¯t look scared at all."


    I didn¡¯t expect her to reply, but she did. "I have seen worse beasts than the ck wolf."


    "Worse?" Imented, my gaze on her, but she refused to meet mine. "Why do you think ck wolves are bad? Is it because we are the most powerful? Or someone hurt you."


    "Didn¡¯t you?" she asked, still staring outside.


    "When?" I asked. "That day you were screaming and I had no option but to shut you and tie you..."


    She scoffed in mockery and didn¡¯t say a word other than a curse. "Bastard!"


    She dared curse me right in my face. She was truly fearless, unlike her scared self in the past.


    "It¡¯s good you are not scared of me now," Imented.


    "What can you do to me other than hurting me and killing me?" she said, her words like poison, disdainful. "I am not scared of any of it. If you want to, be my guest."


    Damn! Since that day when she got to know we know about her son and she thought we wanted to kill him, she has not been holding back anymore. The person who is not scared of dying or losing anything¡ªthe ones who have given up on life¡ªone can never scare them.


    Also, I never thought I would even be talking to her like this, but it seems like the event fromst night and what I am getting to know now had changed something in me.


    I decided to probe further. "Can I ask you something?" My attention was both on the road and on her.


    She didn¡¯t reply.


    "You and Alice were good friends," I said, and I saw her expressions change. "Why did you shoot her?"


    "Because I had lost my mind," she replied, her brows creasing as if finding my question annoying.


    "And..."


    "I enjoyed killing people," she replied without an ounce of hesitation. "If I can, I would want to kill each and every one who is breathing and turn the entire world into a hell."


    Her heart and mind had truly turned dark to even say it this way. But the way she saved Lucian, I could tell she didn¡¯t mean it.


    "And the first one I would kill would be you," she said as she finally turned to look at me, her cold gaze meeting mine through the rearview mirror. She looked like a vengeful ghost. "I wish I could have killed you long back. I hate you the most, more than I have ever hated anyone."


    <i>Screech!</i>


    I mmed the brakes as her words truly struck my heart, as if her words had stabbed it. The pain was real.


    "And then, I will kill the rest of your brothers and everyone you cherish," she continued. "So, you better kill me now, or you will regret letting me live."


    I inhaled deeply and looked at her. "Then why did you save Lucian?"


    "Because he deserves to die in my hands, not in your enemies¡¯ hands," she replied coldly. "You better not give me that chance."


    I was entirely taken aback, but then I could see it. Other than just letting me know how much she hated us, she was trying to provoke me to kill her. She was testing the fragile patience of an Alpha.


    "Then keep living and you might truly get the chance," I told her calmly and started the car to drive away.


    She frowned at her failure of provoking me and looked away.


    Though I resumed driving, her words¡ªabout how much she hated me¡ªstill stung my heart.


    I had a reason to hate her as well. Just at the mention of killing her son, she was so bitter. Then could she even imagine the pain I had when I collected my parents¡¯ bodies piece by piece, even the kids in my family, the orphans my parents adopted, were ughtered mercilessly? That night, that pain¡ªmy heart would never forget.


    And we had so many undeniable proofs against her, with videos, if not for just someone¡¯s words.


    I spent the rest of the day at home while working, and she was with her pets. Liam had informed me that the test results were fine and, if I wanted, Sophia¡¯s treatment could be started.


    In the night, when the other four returned home, we talked after dinner.


    "What did Liam say about her health?" Roman asked me.


    "He said she is fine," I told him normally, and added, "and he can start Sophia¡¯s treatment."


    As expected, all of their expressions changed.


    "Kael, we know you want to save Sophia and we won¡¯t oppose you, but I think Eira is not that well. It will be painful for her if that procedure is performed on her now," Roman said. "I do not agree with this decision."


    "She is a pureblood and she can handle it," I told him dismissively, as if my decision was final. I stood up. "I am heading to my room. You all should rest as well."


    "Kael," Lucian called for me.


    I stopped and looked at him.


    "None of us agree with your decision," he said. "Won¡¯t you listen to our opinion and continue to do only what you want?"


    I looked at the other three, and their expressions told me the same.


    "Why? Because you are a leader and our opinion is of least importance?" he asked again. "That¡¯s it?"


    I could see they were worried for her and I am not the only one to change since that event.


    "Because she is not the one with blond hair," I told them.


    The moment I said it, all of their expressions changed.

 Chapter 104: When Alice Was Shot

    <h4>Chapter 104: When Alice Was Shot</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    I nced at the others after Kael¡¯s words. Their faces mirrored my own shock. So I wasn¡¯t the only one who had understood.


    Finally, Kael had noticed what Kaizan had said that day. He fancied blonds.


    Kael had always had sharp senses for seeing through twisted minds like Kaizan¡¯s, for understanding exactly what people like him were thinking.


    Someone like Kaizan, obsessed with the same bitch, would always be particr about his choices. He wouldn¡¯t look at brs. And the way he had looked at Eira that day made it clear¡ªhe wasn¡¯t interested at all.


    The bitch he had been obsessing over might not have been Eira at all, but a someone blond.


    And there was only one blond bitch involved in that incident from six years ago, though we had thought she was a victim¡ªor at least, that¡¯s what we were shown.


    Still, we needed proof before we concluded anything.


    Maybe there was something missing that we couldn¡¯t see under those strong proofs.


    That terrifying night resurfaced in my mind¡ªAlice¡¯s death, Eira¡¯s confession of killing, Keiren¡¯s call, the video he had sent of Eira, iming he was using our bitch. All of it came flooding back to me, raw and sharp.


    (shback¡ªsix years ago)


    That evening, the five of us had been together, as usual, when we learned something had happened to Alice and Sophia. Panic shot through us as we rushed to the hospital where they were.


    Lucian and Jason were already on edge before we even reached the building; none of us knew what had happened. When we arrived, Jennifer, Lucian¡¯s mother, was sitting outside the operating theater, slumped beside the row of chairs, crying helplessly.


    Lucian and Jason rushed to her, dropping to their knees. "Mom, what happened? Where is Alice?" Lucian¡¯s voice trembled with panic.


    "Alice...she...she¡¯s been shot..." Her words came out in broken fragments.


    "What?" Jason and Lucian froze, disbelief and horror written across their faces. We all felt the same shock.


    Though she was Lucian and Jason¡¯s sister, we cherished her as well like our own sister.


    Lucian stood abruptly and turned to the nurse, who shook her head. "You¡¯ll have to wait. The patient is still being treated."


    "Who...who did this?" Jason demanded, his voice trembling, as he turned to Jennifer.


    "I don¡¯t know... I just came here..." Jennifer sobbed uncontrobly, her body shaking. "Alice... I want my daughter..."


    "Alpha Kael," a police officer approached, urgency in his step. "We¡¯ve caught the girl responsible for this incident."


    "Who is it?" Kael asked, his voice steady but edged with disbelief. None of us could wrap our minds around it.


    The officer held up his mobile and yed the footage. "Do you know this girl?"


    On the video, Alice¡¯s appeared in the scene, frightened and pale, and pleading. "Help me..." she called out, spotting someone. "Eira... help me..."


    Eira standing at some distance with a gun in her hands, without hesitation, she fired at Alice. The angle of the camera, as high as a typical surveince device, captured the scene perfectly.


    Alice¡¯s terrified expression was clear, but Eira¡¯s face was mostly turned away, leaving her intent and thoughts shrouded in ambiguity.


    Unmistakably, it was Eira who had pulled the trigger. Sophia rushed in immediately after, her scream slicing through the chaos as she watched Alice copse to the floor.


    But Eira¡¯s gun swung toward Sophia next. The shot rang out, and Sophia crumpled beside Alice.


    For a fleeting moment, it seemed Eira realized the weight of her actions. Fear shed across her, and the gun slipped from her trembling hands as she stared down at the two fallen bodies.


    Then the video ended, leaving nothing but silence and horror.


    "We caught her, and she confessed that she indeed shot her two friends," the police officer said, pulling up another video. This time, Eira sat inside the interrogation room, tears streaming down her face as an officer questioned her.


    "Yes... I shot her..." she admitted between sobs.


    "Now you regret it and are faking these tears?" the officer¡¯s voice was sharp and cold. "You killed two innocent women in cold blood."


    "I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to..." she shook her head violently, the guilt evident in every movement.


    "Every criminal says the same thing when they¡¯re caught. But your regret won¡¯t bring them back, and forgiveness won¡¯t erase your crime." The officer mmed his hand on the table, making Eira flinch. "Now tell me why you killed them!" His voice rose, the kind used for the most dangerous criminals.


    "I... I didn¡¯t mean to... I... I¡¯m sorry..." she whispered.


    "I asked you the reason!" he snapped again, impatience cutting through his tone.


    "I don¡¯t know..."


    Another m of the hand made her flinch. "You don¡¯t know? Are you kidding me?"


    "I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to... please... call my grandparents... I want to talk to them..."


    The video ended abruptly.


    "She confessed, and there¡¯s proof showing she shot them. If you want, you can meet her in person," the officer said to Kael. "She shot someone you know."


    Just then, another patient was wheeled in on a stretcher, being carried to the other operating theater after the scans werepleted.


    Sophia.


    Kael and the rest of us hurried forward. She was the only one who could tell us something¡ªsomeone who might have answers.


    She looked pale and battered, pain etched into every line of her face. The hospital staff paused as Kael approached.


    "Sophia," he called gently.


    She opened her eyes, tears welling up. "Kael..." she murmured weakly, reaching for his hand. "Don¡¯t let her go... even if I die... remember... it¡¯s Eira who did this... kill her before she kills all of you..."


    Kael held her hand firmly, his gaze steady. "Why did she do it?"


    "She is with our enemy... Keiren ckmoor... Alice and I discovered her true colors... she wanted to kill us... she lured us there, had people behind us, and then shot us..." Sophia¡¯s voice was weak, pained. "It¡¯s okay if I die... but don¡¯t spare her... she¡¯ll betray our pack for her lover... Keiren... I had proof..."She is a spy," Her breathing hitched, shallow andbored.


    "Alpha, we have to hurry," the doctor urged.


    Kael let them move on, but he was as stunned as the rest of us. Keiren? Eira¡¯s lover? That couldn¡¯t be.


    "There must be some mistake," I said, tension creeping into my voice. "I¡¯ll go and meet her in prison myself."


    "There is no mistake," Lucian snarled, his eyes dark with fury. "Didn¡¯t you see the video? That bitch shot my sister. If something happened to Alice..."


    Before he could finish, Kael and Lucian¡¯s phones beeped simultaneously. A message had arrived¡ªvideo and pictures attached, with the caption:


    [I am sure this video of your bitch will entertain you well.]


    Lucian and Jason crowded around Lucian¡¯s phone, while Rafe and I watched Kael¡¯s.


    The shock that hit us was indescribable.

 Chapter 105: Eira’s Video With Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 105: Eira¡¯s Video With Enemy</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Eira... was giving a blowjob to Keiren. Outside somewhere in the quiet ce, a car was parked behind him; he leaned against it while she sucked him off.


    "Just like that, my little sweet," Keiren¡¯s voice came, dripping with lust. "Suck it harder. Such a perfect little cunt... you even beat the whores I fuck often. Take it deeper in your throat..."


    The camera caught her face close up. Her eyes were teary, her expression strained, as she was being suffocated due to his cock, but there was no resistance from her. She was doing it willingly.


    "Ugh! I can¡¯t take it anymore!" Keiren grunted, gripping the back of her head and thrusting harder into her throat mercilessly.


    She gagged, her entire face was red, but he didn¡¯t relent until he emptied himself. "Damn! That was good. Now go and suck my friends."


    Our eyes widened as three more men stepped into view¡ªKeiren¡¯s friends, standing before Eira.


    "She had only one mouth, fucking greedy monsters," Keiren told them with a wicked chuckle.


    "How about the other two take her pussy and ass, and I use her mouth?" one of Keiren¡¯s friends asked. "Three holes at the same time. Would be fun to fuck her."


    "That¡¯s only for me," Keiren replied, his voice cold andmanding. "For you, only her mouth. Now make it quick. You have time until I finish smoking."


    Eira was still kneling before them, silent and obedient, showing no struggle, no sign of resistance. Keiren was her lover as per what Sophia said just a while ago, then why wasn¡¯t she stopping him from letting his friends use her?


    One by one, they forced her to take them in her mouth, while the others held her in ce. The video ended there.


    We sat frozen, utterly shocked. Kael and Lucian gripped their phones as if they could crush them in their hands at any moment.


    Suddenly, Kael¡¯s phone rang. The caller ID showed Keiren.


    Angry and cold, Kael answered, and we all heard the call on speaker.


    "My condolences on the death of Lucian¡¯s sister," Keiren said, his voice dripping with mockery.


    "You asshole, I¡¯m going to rip you apart," Lucian snapped, utterly furious.


    His sister was being treated, not dead yet.


    "Hold on. Don¡¯t be so quick to anger. You haven¡¯t even heard everything yet," Keiren said smoothly. "By the way, did you enjoy seeing your little bitch sucking me, huh? I must admit, she has skills. You should try it yourself," his smug tone taunted us. "How does it feel to know that little runt was betraying you while fucking me and giving me all your pack¡¯s secrets?"


    "What did you say?" Kael demanded, his voice icy.


    Laughter crackled through the line before Keiren continued, "That little cunt didn¡¯t just enjoy being fucked by me. In return, she handed over all the crucial information of your pack¡ªevery secret an enemy could need."


    We were all speechless. But Keiren wasn¡¯t finished. "Oh, and a surprise for you, Kael. Want to know where I am?"


    The video turned live, showing the grounds of Kael¡¯s parents¡¯ estate. "I¡¯m here to greet your parents... for thest time. You should hurry, or you might never see them again..."


    Our eyes widened in horror. He wasn¡¯t alone. Commando troops nked him.


    Then the call ended.


    Just then, another call came through. It was Kael¡¯s father¡¯s beta, Gabriel. "Kael, our pack is under attack."


    At the same moment, a doctor emerged from the hospital, his face grim. "I¡¯m sorry. We couldn¡¯t save her," he said to Jennifer.


    A heavy, suffocating silence fell over us.


    Alice was dead.


    Kael had already left to go to his parents. I and Rafe followed him. I heard Jennifer¡¯s cries echoing in the corridor and there was no talk from Lucian and Jason. They were shocked. I couldn¡¯t even ask them toe with us as they were in their own pain.


    As we drove, the sounds of battle reached us¡ªenemy forces shing with our pack, fighter choppers hovering above, enemymandosnding at strategic points. Explosions and gunfire tore through the air, chaos reigning everywhere.


    But Kael had only one focus: reach his parents. He drove like a man possessed, ignoring the chaos, the enemies, the screams.


    We saw our troops havended to fight the enemies already. The pack Alpha, Kael¡¯s father, had already mobilized our forces, yet Kael¡¯s urgency left everything else behind.


    Half an hourter, we arrived at his parents¡¯ estate. The estate gates swung open, but an unnatural silence met us. Dead bodies of guards littered the grounds. Not a single living soul could be seen around.


    The estate was still. Deadly still.


    We had no idea the horror that awaited us inside, the kind that could haunt a person for the rest of their life. The entire estate was in ruins, a monument to cruelty and bloodshed. We pushed through the wreckage, shards of splintered wood and torn furniture crunching under our boots.


    Kael moved like a man possessed, his eyes wild, focused only on finding his parents, ignoring the bodies of guards and servants strewn across the grounds.


    At the entrance to the main residence, a small figure emerged, staggering through the shadows. The dim lights flickering inside barely illuminated the scene, but what little we could see was enough to make the blood run cold.


    Kael lunged forward, catching her before she copsed. A little girl, no more than ten, one of the orphans his parents had taken in, clung to life in his arms.


    "Kaya," Kael whispered, brushing her hair from her face, hisrge hand trembling as it rested against her small, bloodied cheek. His voice was thick with grief, eyes glistening with tears. "Don¡¯t worry...okay... I¡¯m here..."


    Rafe and I couldn¡¯t hold back our own tears. The little girl, always so cheerful, so full of mischief, nowy broken and bleeding, a casualty of merciless cruelty.


    Kael loved her like his own, and even her name was kept matching to his own name. His little sister, Kaya.


    "Bro...ther..." Kaya¡¯s voice was barely audible, a whisper of despair. "They...killed...everyone..."


    Kael¡¯s chest tightened. No words came out. Only a choking, guttural sound escaped him.


    "I¡¯ll take you to the hospital...once we find them...hold on," Kael tried to reassure her, his voice breaking with every word.


    Kaya¡¯s small head shook weakly. "Just...save...others... I¡¯m...fine..." Her words faltered, and her head slumped forward. She was gone.


    Tears blurred our vision. Kaya¡¯s tiny, lifeless body... the weight of it nearly crushed Kael as he held her, his sobs shaking his whole frame. It was unbearable.


    With silent reverence, Kael carried her inside the house.


    Rafe and I moved outside, searching for any sign of life among the devastation. There was none. Every face we had known, every life once safe, was gone.


    We followed Kael into the house. The air was thick with the scent of blood, smoke, and death. A heavy dread settled over us, but we pushed it down. Kael already knew the truth he would have to face.


    And we braced ourselves, though nothing could have prepared us for the horror still waiting inside.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 106: Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 106: Revenge</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    He ced Kaya on what was left of the broken sofa, and we searched the house. His parents were nowhere to be found. Instead, the bodies of the few adopted orphan kids were there, hung on the walls, ropes tight around their necks. They had been left to die alive.


    The sight was horrifying. Though adopted, they had been like Kael¡¯s siblings. He had loved them, spoiled them fiercely. And now...


    His parents, however, were still missing.


    "Kael, to the side garden," Rafe said hesitantly. I nced at him, and he shook his head. Rafe, who was usually so emotionless, so indifferent, had tears brimming in his eyes for the first time.


    He had found Kael¡¯s parents.


    Kael rushed to the side garden, and we followed silently behind him. There, at the top of the fountain, two chopped heads had been impaled on iron rods. His parents. Alpha and Luna of the pack. Drops of blood still dripping from them.


    The entire grassy ground was soaked with their blood. The scene was unbearable, a cruel assault on the heart.


    Kael froze, his face twisted in pain, his eyes brimming with unstoppable tears.


    Then he fell to his knees, and a heavy, suffocating silence settled over us. Rafe and I could not hold back our own tears. Words failed us.


    And then, a pained, gut-wrenching cry tore through the estate. Kael¡¯s scream of anguish shook us to our cores.


    Despite growing up with him, despite knowing him since childhood, we had never seen him like this. He cried like a broken man, his grief raw and unrestrained, screaming his soul out in pain. It shattered both me and Rafe.


    Liam arrived momentster. By protocol, disaster called for the Alpha first, the backbone of the pack. But he was toote. The Alpha was gone.


    Liam stood frozen, shock rooting him in ce. Tears carved lines down his face as Kael¡¯s cries continued to echo in the garden. We all stood there, helpless and broken, listening to the sound of a heart shattering in real time.


    Lucian and Jason arrived shortly after. Though they had lost their sister, they came not as grieving men but as responsible Alphas and friends, knowing their presence was needed here.


    None of us dared approach Kael. Despite being like brothers, we had no words, no gestures that could ease the abyss of his pain.


    Beta Gabriel reached the garden next. He was hurt himself, but his duty called. He carried out the orders of his Alpha.


    "Enemies have left," he said, his voice strained but steady.


    It was clear they had departed only after leaving a trail of destruction and death, staining our home with the lives of our people.


    Gabriel moved closer to Kael. "Alpha wanted you to fight the enemies, not cry over their deaths," he said quietly. "Hisst words to me... he wished you to kill every single one who harmed our people. Create an example that no one will ever dare look at our pack, let alone harm us."


    A heavy silence followed. Then Kael slowly rose to his feet. He wiped away his tears and turned to us. "It¡¯s either us, or them."


    "We are with you," we said without hesitation.


    Without another word, he leapt over the fountain to retrieve the heads of his parents. We watched him, knowing the effort it took to suppress his grief.


    He had loved his parents fiercely, and their love for him had been no less. His mother, in particr, had been the heart of their perfect family, raising countless orphaned children as if they were her own.


    Kael began searching methodically. We understood what he was looking for¡ªevery part of his parents¡¯ bodies. One by one, he collected them with painstaking care, and we moved alongside him, aiding silently. When the task was finally done, the sight was almost unbearable.


    I could not fathom the depth of Kael¡¯s pain.


    Commandos arrived then, battered from their fight with the enemies. They began gathering the dead, but Kael did not allow anyone near the bodies of the children who had been hung.


    As if they would be hurt, Kael handled them himself, gentle and reverent. One by one, all seven small bodies wereid on the floor, a quiet, painful tribute.


    Once the estate was secured, we stepped outside. The city offered no relief. Fires raged everywhere, smoke curling into the sky, while only a few lucky corners remained untouched by chaos.


    "Gabriel, we need to gather all of our warriors. We are going to attack them soon," Kael dered.


    "After your father, you are the Alpha of this pack. Every decision of yours is decree for us," Gabriel reminded him.


    Kael turned to us. He said nothing, but his gaze spoke volumes. The message was clear: war wasing, and we were ready.


    For now, our first duty was to take care of our people.


    Hours dragged on into a sleepless night. None of us had rested. Lucian and Jason returned to their mother to bury Alice, another unbearable blow among the many we had endured.


    A mass burial was held for our fallen. Friends we had trained with, warriors we had fought alongside, all now gone. The grief was a heavy, suffocating.


    Once the burials werepleted, we began preparing for our attack. One goal burned in our minds: to annihte Keiren, his family, and his followers.


    When we attacked them, the assault was brutal and relentless. Keiren and his parents¡ªthe Alpha and Luna¡ªfell, along with every one of their warriors. None were spared. The battle raged for days, blood and fire consuming everything in its path.


    Even when dying, that bastard Keiren didn¡¯t forget to mock Kael and remind him of his pain. "I fucked your bitch...how did it feel to know..."


    Kael offered him the most brutal death that Keiren must have regretted provoking Kael.


    When we returned, Kael had been dered the Alpha of the pack.


    How he had endured his pain and grief, only he knew. He was more like ice cold, dead person. His body functioned, but his eyes were empty, stripped of any warmth or emotion.


    Yet, another tragedy was waiting for us.


    While we were away, Lucian and Jason¡¯s mother had fallen ill, unable to bear the shock of her daughter¡¯s death. By the time we returned, she was on herst breaths. The brothers, who had held themselves together for Kael and for revenge, now shattered at another loss.


    When the police came to speak about Eira, Kael dismissed them. "Conduct your procedure. Decide her punishment as a traitor to this pack," he ordered.


    Our hatred for her was too deep to waste thought. She had caused this¡ªour loss, our pain. We did not need to see her face.


    Eira was sentenced to life imprisonment, without trial or formal proceedings. The evidence was overwhelming, and we had no desire to hear her feeble denials. Better that she rot in prison alone, far from our sight.


    <strong>We never shared any pack secrets with her or even with anyone else as it was limited to our security forces and wasn¡¯t meant for the kids. </strong>


    <strong>But maybe she was spy disguised under her innocent act to fool us, sent by enemies.</strong>


    This conclusion was made stronger as they were moved to our pack just a half year back, entirely strangers. Her grandparents disappeared as well.


    We didn¡¯t waste our breath on her or those old hags as we have already killed out enemies.


    Even after the revenge wasplete and the pack returned to a fragile calm, Kael, Lucian, and Jason remained lost in their grief. It took every effort from Rafe and me to pull them back from the edge.


    Beta Gabriel suggested a solution: we should be sworn mate brothers, a bond that would ensure Kael was never alone, and give Lucian and Jason a new form of family as well.


    We agreed. The ancient ritual was performed. Kael marked each of us, leaving a unique tattoo on each of our bodies, a symbol of submission, loyalty, and connection. The bond it forged tied the five of us together for life.


    We moved into Kael¡¯s estate. Together, we became each other¡¯s salvation. Life slowly began to regain its shape, though the pain never fully left us.


    (shback Over)


    I was sure, at this moment the other three were thinking of the past as well. Our anger, hatred, the pain of loss, and so many things had blurred our vision.


    Maybe we should have gone to her and question her. But, there was high chances that none of us would have ever believed her after watching those videos and listening her and Keiren¡¯s own confession.


    "So you doubt Sophia?" Lucian straight away asked. She was the only blond around us, and close to Kael.


    "You found something on her, right?" Jason asked.


    "That bitch and her mother, tsk!" Rafe said with a disdain.


    Kael listened to us, and then, exined what happened in the hospital. We understood why Kael wanted to treat Sophia. If that was his reason, then we were with him.


    We needed to know the truth now, and the first step in the way to the truth was Sophia.

 Chapter 107: Eira’s Surgery

    <h4>Chapter 107: Eira¡¯s Surgery</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next day I took Eira to the hospital again, so we could start Sophia¡¯s treatment. Things couldn¡¯t wait now, as it was impossible for me to hold back on knowing the truth.


    Meanwhile, Lucian and Jason went to follow up on the leads about Eira¡¯s son and her mate.


    And Roman and Rafe were sent on the most important task, that would truly confirm for us if Eira was really the one Kaizan was so desperate to get his hands on, or someone else.


    At the hospital, inside the private VIP patient suite, Eira settled into the bed in a patient¡¯s uniform as the nurse helped her. I hadn¡¯t told her yet who she was going to help get better. She didn¡¯t need to know. At the same time, she didn¡¯t look interested in even knowing why she was brought here again.


    Even when she was being prepared to be taken to the surgery room, she asked nothing at all. She was truly used to letting people do whatever they wanted with her.


    "How long will it take for her to get better?" I asked Liam, who was instructing the nurses on a few things before he headed to operate on Eira.


    "Given her wolf helps her heal now, should be a week or so," Liam replied as worry gripped his mind. "But there¡¯s something else to worry about."


    "What is it?" I asked.


    "She is allergic to anesthesia, so we have to conduct the procedure without giving it to her," he said as he removed his white doctor¡¯s apron and headed to change into the scrubs.


    "Will it be painful?" I asked, following him.


    "For werewolves, though our jaws and skull are considered strongest and our limbs the foremost, the lower back is what holds our entire anatomy together in the strongest way. Strongest as well as weakest, a unique part¡ªand it¡¯s surely gonna hurt her when I insert a thick needle inside her spine to remove her bone marrow," Liam replied. "And all our strength is in our unique bloodline, and we are just going to draw it from her. The stronger the bloodline is, the more painful it is."


    Worry gripped my mind now. "Is there no way to lessen the pain for her?"


    He raised a brow as if surprised at my question. "Since when have you started worrying about her pain? I thought you might enjoy seeing her in pain. That¡¯s why I bothered to exin it in detail¡ªso you would feel better."


    I clenched my jaw, wanting to punch him right away. Bastard never let any chance slip from mocking me.


    He smirked. "Alright! I will try to be careful, but I don¡¯t have any secret magic to lessen her pain. But given how she is indifferent to pain, she won¡¯t be screaming and crying. She can endure it."


    I simply hummed.


    "At the same time, I am thankful her wolf is not at its strongest. If it was, it would have been more painful," he finally said something good, though the same fact wouldn¡¯t let her heal faster either.


    Not having a stronger wolf yet was both a good and a bad thing.


    As Liam left to go to the operating room, I followed him. He turned to me. "Want to join me?"


    "I will just stand on the side and watch," I told him.


    He didn¡¯t stop me and said to the nurse, "Give him scrubs and footwear."


    The nurse did as she was told, and soon I was in the scrubs. I could have just stood outside, but I wasn¡¯t sure why I even wanted to go inside.


    When I entered the operation room, she was lying on the operating bed on her stomach, her eyes closed as if she didn¡¯t care. The nurse had exposed her lower back to be operated on. As I watched, I saw how thin and delicate her back was.


    And when I saw that thick syringe being prepared to insert into her bone, my muscles tensed at the thought of how much pain she was going to feel.


    Everything was ready. I wanted to just stand on the side, but I ended up going to her, and no one stopped me.


    "You will feel pain, but don¡¯t move. It will end soon," Liam told her, but she didn¡¯t react. The two nurses held her back steady in case she moved from the pain.


    I watched that thick syringe pierce her skin first, and I averted my gaze. She flinched a little, but her hand ended up gripping the sheet. Tears started to roll down the corner of her eyes. My fist clenched as if I were the one enduring that pain, not her.


    "Just a little more," Liam¡¯s voice came through to assure her.


    I quickly held her hand tofort her. In response, her hand gripped my palm tightly as if she was just looking for something to hold on to. I could feel her trembling through her touch. My own heart was in pain, and beads of sweat started to appear on my forehead.


    When it was over, Liam informed me, "It¡¯s done."


    It didn¡¯t take much time, but it felt like an eternity, as the pain was truly soul-shattering. Her body finally rxed, and she opened her eyes, realizing she was holding on to someone¡¯s hand. The moment she saw me next to her, she quickly shrugged my hand away as if she hated my touch even.


    "Don¡¯t move," Liam warned her.


    She turned her head to the other side so she didn¡¯t have to face me. She truly hated me, but I had my own reason to hate her as well. What happened with my family, my people¡ªthat pain was too much to even forgive anyone who was said to be involved.


    But now, I am afraid those reasons were wrong all along. We had been deceived by someone else. If that¡¯s the case, I was not sure how I was going to face her or make up for what she had gone through for the past six years.


    All these thoughts had started to shake me recently.


    But one thing I am d about: after that incident, I didn¡¯t kill her, or we would have never met her again and never doubted the truth we had been believing all along.


    Liam looked at me, his gaze curious. "Why does it look like it was your spine I put this needle into?"


    I wiped the sweat away from my forehead and frowned, "This ce is hot. Do youck budget to use stronger ACs?"


    "The temperature here is just fine, but your body must be at fault," Liam confronted me, "Are you getting into a heat or what?"


    "Shut your mouth." I offered him a cold re and left that room. This basted was always overly curious.


    But I won¡¯t let him know the reason, or he will have more reasons to mock me and rub salt on where it hurt me the most.


    Later, she was transferred to her room after that, and I apanied her despite knowing she treated my presence like air.


    At the same time, I had made sure everything was happening secretly so no one¡ªprecisely Sophia and her mother¡ªknew about Eira. Meryl had tried to search for Eira after Sophia imed to see her, but she got nothing at all. This ce, this hospital, was mine, and only my words ruled here.


    "You are not allowed to move at all," Liam told Eira, who was looking outside the window of the hospital room, lying on her stomach. "If you need anything, press this button on your side and the nurse will help you."


    She didn¡¯t respond, and Liam left. I stayed in the room by her side, settling on the couch and looking at her wordlessly. She didn¡¯t move at all. Shey there lifelessly, her eyes fixed on the window, never tired of looking outside continuously.

 Chapter 108: The Truth From Kaizan

    <h4>Chapter 108: The Truth From Kaizan</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Rafe and I reached the Castons where we had a meeting with that bastard Kaizan, for the purpose we had.


    Caston¡¯s ce was like a hub for rich people, even from the other packs, not just for enjoyment but for their meetings with the people from our pack.


    Kaizan was already waiting for us inside one private room along with his two brothers. Bastard was truly so desperate to get the bitch he wanted, and I truly wondered why. An Alpha could be crazy for someone only when she was his mate, or maybe there was something really dark behind it.


    If the bitch he was looking for was truly Sophia and she was indeed his mate, then all I had was sympathy for him. It¡¯s better to be mateless than have a bitch like her as one.


    The bastard offered a smug smile. "So finally you agreed to hand over that bitch to me?" he asked.


    "Not so soon, or maybe not," I told him and settled on the couch opposite him.


    Rafe was walking leisurely as he first stared at Kaizan like he was his prey, the mobile in his hand rotating in his fingers like some toy.


    "Believe me when I say my blood isn¡¯t tasty at all," Kaizan chuckled mockingly. "But I would let you have a taste if you n to give me that bitch."


    "And believe me, if I decided to have a taste of it, you wouldn¡¯t be alive to see that bitch," Rafe replied with an equally mocking smirk.


    Just then a server hurried inside the room with a tray full of alcohol in his hands and bumped into Rafe, who was not far from the door.


    <i>Smash!</i>


    The sses from the tray smashed on the ground while Rafe quickly caught the liquor bottle in his hand. "You shouldn¡¯t let this holy water waste," Rafemented. "Clumsy moron."


    The server quickly bowed and apologized in fright. "I... am sorry, Alpha... Please forgive me..."


    "Get out," Rafe said coldly, and the server ran outside like his life was on the line.


    "Woah! So a bat loves innocent kinds?" Kaizan¡¯s voice came through as he looked at the wallpaper on Rafe¡¯s mobile screen.


    Rafe¡¯s mobile had slipped away from his hand when the server bumped into him and fell toward Kaizan¡¯s feet. The screen lit up the moment he touched it and looked at the picture.


    It was Eira¡¯s picture from six years back, innocent and beautiful.


    Rafe frowned, his gaze turning darker. "Give it back to me."


    Kaizan didn¡¯t hand his mobile back, but instead continued to stare at the picture. "I suddenly feel like brtes are not bad. I might take interest if the one is like this bitch," he said and tossed Rafe¡¯s mobile back to him. "Who is it? If no one important, you can hand it over to me so I can get a taste of a brte."


    "You don¡¯t need to know," Rafe said and settled on the couch next to me. He opened the bottle of liquor and started drinking straight from it, then said to Kaizan, "Nothing for you. You can get one yourself."


    "I can continue," he said calmly, "but I would appreciate knowing this bitch on your mobile screen."


    "I have a better one for you," I told him and tossed one photograph onto the table.


    Kaizan picked it up, and his gaze darkened¡ªnot sure what that gaze truly meant.


    After a moment, he looked at us. "So you have finally made the decision?" he concluded on his own and leaned back on the couch leisurely, as if satisfied with the situation. "But I am sure you won¡¯t hand her over without getting something from me in return."


    Rafe and I looked at each other. Though calm on the surface, our gazes shared the same sentiment. So the bitch this bastard was talking about all along was Sophia. It was never Eira.


    The one Kaizan used to fuck was Sophia. But the question remained:


    Why did Kaizan call that day six years back and tell us it was Eira who was his bitch and that she gave him all the pack secrets? Why was Eira sucking him off in that video?


    Was it his and Sophia¡¯s nning all along?


    But why did they want to frame an innocent and irrelevant one like Eira in all this?


    Suddenly, I am afraid something darker was hidden behind the mask of simple betrayal.


    That attack on our pack, Kael¡¯s parents¡¯ murder, framing Eira¡ªit all suddenly felt like part of a dangerous scheme which wasn¡¯t over yet.


    "You are not wrong," I told him. "But before that, I would like to know why you want her?"


    Last time we asked if she was his mate, he brushed it off with his yful remark. But I was truly curious.


    Kaizan¡¯s gaze remained on the picture in his hand as he said, "Whores like this one are only meant to be fucked, not meant to be someone¡¯s mates."


    The way he said it and his gaze hardened, I could see she was not his mate. Even his two brothers had the same expressions.


    What were they nning to do with Sophia if we handed her over to them?


    "So you are going to do anything for us in exchange for this good-for-nothing bitch?" I raised a brow. "It makes it hard to believe you only need her to fuck her."


    Kaizan looked at me finally. "That¡¯s not for you to know. Hand her over to me and, as promised, I will tell you something of your use."


    "What could that be?" I asked calmly, not showing my eagerness at all.


    "You need to be careful of the Ravenw pack," Kaizan said. "The rest of the details I will leave for the day when you hand me over this bitch."


    Alpha of Ravenw¡ªthe one that arrivedte at the council meeting and talked to Kaizan while we were leaving the council premises with Eira.


    Top-tier Alpha, just like Kael. It was not good news for us if he was after something.


    Kaizan stood up, tossing the picture back on the table. "Next time we will meet when you have this bitch with you," he said, and left the room.


    Rafe and I sat stunned in our ce. So many thoughts were going through our minds that we didn¡¯t let out in front of Kaizan.


    Caston entered the room along with the server who had bumped into Rafe, but of course it was because he was told to do so.


    "Give him some bonus," I told Caston.


    "He is alive even after bumping into a bloodthirsty demon, that¡¯s already a bonus for him," Caston said. "Though it was nned."


    The server had brought another set of sses and liquor for us, ced it quietly on the table, and left.


    "Got the result?" Caston asked. He was our trusted one, part of our secrets.


    I hummed, and silence fell over once more.


    Not sure how to tell Kael that he was being cuckold all along, as Sophia was fucking his enemy. Or maybe Kael would feel relieved to know it.


    "What are you thinking about?" Caston asked me.


    "I am wondering if the child Sophia lost was Kael¡¯s or Keiren¡¯s," I replied.


    Rafe scoffed. "Let her get better, and..." his smirk darkened with something wicked, "...she will spill everything on her own."

 Chapter 109: Eira’s Real Confession From The Past

    <h4>Chapter 109: Eira¡¯s Real Confession From The Past</h4>


    Romans¡¯ POV


    After leaving Caston¡¯s, Rafe and I headed to the office. I had work to catch up on since Kael was absent, while Rafe had to continue the investigation concerning Eira.


    I spent the entire day in the office, yet my mind refused to focus. Every thought kept circling back to what I had learned. I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes, trying to make sense of it all.


    How was I going to tell Kael that his girlfriend¡ªthe woman he believed to be the mother of his child¡ªmight have been involved with our enemy? I wasn¡¯t even sure if I should feel relief or grief if the child Sophia had lost wasn¡¯t his.


    By evening, Rafe returned to the office, slumping onto the couch with a heavy sigh.


    "Got everything?" I asked.


    He nodded, fidgeting with the small device in his hand, his expression dark. It was clear he wasn¡¯t pleased with what he had discovered.


    "What is it?" I pressed.


    "Not sure," he admitted, "I might need to dig deeper."


    I stood, stretching. "Office hours are over, and so is my work. Let¡¯s head to the hospital."


    Rafe rose quickly, matching my urgency. Today was Eira¡¯s procedure, and Kael was the only one apanying her. We needed to be there, to make sure she was alright.


    "Any idea where Lucian and Jason are?" I asked.


    Rafe pulled out his phone and dialed Jason¡¯s number. "Where are you?"


    "Missing me already?" came the teasing reply, but it was Lucian who answered.


    "I called Jason, but clearly you miss me more. Speak up," Rafe shot back. "If you¡¯re satisfied to hear my beautiful voice, at least tell me where you are."


    "We just got home," Lucian said, "freshening up before heading to the hospital."


    "Want to look your best in front of her?" Rafe countered. "I¡¯m sure she would prefer to be blind than see you anymore."


    "She¡¯s been operated on, and we can¡¯t carry dirt into her room," Lucian replied coldly. "You¡¯d better clean up as well. Who knows what bitch you hunted for blood. Leave the filth outside." And with that, he hung up.


    Rafe and I exchanged a nce. "I¡¯ve been in the office all day, but you..."


    Rafe frowned. "We need to use the lounge."


    We returned to my office and entered the lounge attached to it, apact space with a drawing room, a side open kitchen, and a bedroom. Even Kael¡¯s office had a lounge like this, though his was much bigger and far fancier.


    The lounge always had everything we needed.


    Rafe dumped his clothes into theundry basket. "Get me some clothes and step into the bathroom."


    I handed him a fresh set of clothes, then caught my reflection in the mirror. "After meeting so many people today, I should probably bathe as well."


    I tossed my clothes into theundry basket and stepped into the bathroom, where Rafe was already under the shower. It wasn¡¯t anything new for us to bathe together or see each other naked. Back in the forest, by river streams, this had been routine.


    Rafe moved aside to make space, and we both stood under the warm cascade.


    Soon we were ready, fresh and clean. Rafe ran his fingers through his dark, half-dried, shoulder-length hair, setting it into ce.


    "I never thought you¡¯d be the considerate type toward her," I teased, catching his reflection in the mirror. "I thought you hated her."


    "Didn¡¯t we all?" he replied casually, meeting my gaze in the mirror.


    "But you hated her even before that incident," I pressed, smirking. "imed you couldn¡¯t stand her scent. What changed?"


    "If that¡¯s what you believe," he said, stepping aside so I could see myself in the mirror, "hurry up. You¡¯re not a groom getting ready for a wedding."


    There wasn¡¯t much difference in our outfits. He wore a long-sleeved olive green T-shirt and ck pants; I wore a dark brown shirt and lighter pants. Yet he dared call me a groom.


    "Just a while ago, one groom was standing here in my ce," I muttered, ncing at him.


    "This is how I usually get ready," he said.


    "So do I," I shot back, adjusting my shirt.


    With our yful bickering over, we left the office together. By the time we reached the hospital parking lot, Lucian and Jason had just arrived. Both were fresh and ready, looking just asposed as we were.


    "More of the grooms," Rafemented, watching Lucian and Jason step out of the car.


    I chuckled. "And I¡¯m sure the bride wants none of us. She¡¯d probably kick us all out and file for divorce before the wedding even starts."


    "That¡¯s for pathetic humans to do," Rafe said, smirking. "We just mark the one we want."


    "This one doesn¡¯t want us anymore," I said casually, though the truth stung.


    "What are you two rambling about?" Lucian asked, his voiceced with suspicion.


    "Rafe was saying you look totally fuckable, all fresh and hot," I replied, giving him a teasing nce.


    Lucian raised an eyebrow and shot Rafe a look. Rafe frowned. "Want to believe him, or n to visit her first?"


    Thement snapped us all back to reality. We headed to the elevator in silence.


    "How is she?" Lucian asked finally.


    "Kael said she¡¯s fine, and that bitch Sophia went through the procedure too," I exined.


    The mention of Sophia drew only a collective hum. Her name seemed to prick everyone¡¯s nerves.


    "What did you get from Kaizan?" Lucian pressed.


    "It was Sophia, not Eira," I rified. "Eira didn¡¯t betray our pack."


    Lucian and Jason¡¯s expressions darkened. Lucian went quiet, like a shadow retreating into himself. Probably regretting his past choices with Eira.


    "Jason?" I prompted.


    He came back to himself, grim. "That doesn¡¯t change the fact she killed our sister."


    We all fell silent. It was a bitter truth, one none of us could ignore.


    "Don¡¯t be so quick to judge yet," Rafe said, and the elevator doors slid open.


    "What do you mean?" Jason asked.


    "You¡¯ll see when we discuss it with Kael," Rafe replied, already stepping ahead.


    "Which room?" Lucian asked.


    I signalled for them to follow Rafe. His senses were unmatched; even amidst the hospital¡¯s strong sterile smell, he could track her scent. Our kin senses were strong, but not like Rafe¡¯s. Following him was enough.


    "And what did you two get?" I asked Lucian and Jason. "Anything useful."


    Frowns appeared on their faces, "But nothing to be relieved about."


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    But by the time we reached the VIP suite. Rafe knocked on the door before knocking on it and entered the room as if it was our home.


    -----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The entire day, we had been in the same room, yet not once had she spared me a nce. It was as if we were together, yet an unending distancey between us.


    Liam had ordered that she be kept under observation for twenty-four hours, which meant this tense standoff wouldst until the next day.


    My brothers had arrived at the hospital, and I was eager to hear their findings, to uncover the truth.


    I signaled them to stay quiet; she was sleeping. They all turned to her, and I could see the worry etched into their faces.


    "She is alright," I said firmly.


    "It would have been better to let that bitch die than put Eira through this pain," Roman muttered.


    I agreed¡ªSophia deserved nothing but death¡ªbut Eira had to endure this ordeal for a reason. We couldn¡¯t fail her.


    Jason¡¯s gaze met mine. "She¡¯s allergic to anaesthesia, then..."


    He had known her medical history; back when he was a medical student, he had treated her for injuries before.


    "Had to do it without," I replied, watching as his expression darkened.


    He understood exactly what kind of pain she must have endured. For now, at least, it was a relief that we were all on the same page when it came to caring for her.


    "Let¡¯s talk in the other room," I said, gesturing toward the side room of the suite. A ss partition separated it from Eira¡¯s room, allowing us to watch her while discussing our matters.


    As we settled in, I turned to Roman, but he shook his head. "First, let¡¯s hear what Rafe found."


    I looked at Rafe. "Go ahead."


    Rafe pulled out my tablet, attached the device, and yed the video. It was a recording of Eira¡¯s confession to the police officer.


    "...I am telling the truth," her crying voice broke through, small and trembling, her face streaked with tears. "...There was a huge ck wolf, trying to attack Alice... I shot him, but... it hurt Alice... I don¡¯t know how to use a gun... I didn¡¯t mean to kill her... I was trying to protect her..."


    "There was no ck wolf," the man barked, his anger sharp. "Do you take us for fools? You even killed your other friend..."


    "That ck wolf attacked Sophia... she screamed in fear... I wanted to protect her, but... the bullet hit her... not the wolf..."


    m!


    A sharp p against the table made her flinch. "Still lying, huh?" The officer leaned closer, his voice cold and hard. He yed the video on the tablet, forcing her to watch. "Watch carefully. Do you see any wolf here? Did the camera miss it? Are you going to im it was some ghost wolf, or a magical one that escaped the lens, just to avoid being caught?"


    Her eyes widened as she watched, realizing there was no wolf in the footage. For a moment, panic flickered across her face. "That wolf disappeared... I don¡¯t know where he went... but he was trying to kill my friends... Alice called for help... I went because she needed me... someone was trying to kill her..."


    "Help? Really?" the man sneered. "Then tell me, where did you get that gun? Since when do minors carry firearms? Do you always run around armed when a friend¡¯s in trouble, without telling the elders in your family?"


    She recoiled, startled by the barrage of questions. "That... it was so sudden... Sophia..."


    "Yes, you killed her too," the man cut in sharply. "Their families must be preparing to bury their bodies by now."


    "No... tell me they are not dead..." she begged, her voice trembling. "Alice... she can¡¯t die... please tell me..."


    "She died on the operating table because you shot her, right in the heart, with a silver bullet," he said, his tone low and dangerous. "And you im you were helping her?"


    Her body shook as she sobbed uncontrobly. The sound of her grief filled the room. "Alice... I am sorry... Alice..." her cries grew louder and more desperate.


    "Stop acting," the man snapped, his voice cutting through her sobs. "Your tears won¡¯t work on me, nor will your fake story. There¡¯s no way out now. Just admit it. You killed her. You are a murderer. You killed your own friends... admit it."


    "...Yes, I shot her..." she admitted finally, her voice breaking under the weight of guilt and sorrow, tears streaming freely down her face.


    We had all seen the rest of the video that day, a confession recorded six years ago when the police officer had firste to us in the hospital. The earlier parts had been omitted, only the confession shown to save time.


    But the question lingered in my mind: the ck wolf she had mentioned¡ªthere was no trace of it in the footage. The video had not been tampered with, and yet she had clearly seen something.


    Then what had she really seen?

 Chapter 110: The Clues About Her Child

    <h4>Chapter 110: The Clues About Her Child</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    "ck wolf of all kinds of wolves?" Rafemented, a frown creasing his brow. "Isn¡¯t that strange?"


    We all turned to him, silently asking for rification.


    "They are rare," Rafe continued. "Only top-tier Alphas like Kael are ck wolves. If there was any other ck wolf in our territory, we would know. Kael would have sensed its presence immediately."


    "Definitely there was no ck wolf," Kael said confidently. "I never sensed any in our territory, except for my father."


    "Then why did she im it?" Roman asked, his voice sharp with skepticism.


    "Maybe, just as that officer said, she made it up to save herself," I replied, unable to draw any other conclusion.


    The video had shown it clearly. She had aimed directly at Alice and fired. There had been nothing between them. Alice had been the target, and nothing could erase that fact.


    "She might not be a traitor, but she still killed our sister," Jason said grimly. "There is no excuse for that."


    "She was going to talk about Sophia," Roman interjected, "but the officer interrupted her, keeping her under pressure to confess."


    "And she did confess," Jason added quickly, his voice cold. "Whatever her reason, it does not change the fact that she killed my sister. I will never forgive her for that. You can give her a pass for not being a traitor, but not for being a murderer."


    I nodded in agreement. "Unless somethinges to light proving that there really was a wolf between them, only then will I believe her."


    As we spoke, the others had no argument. Our sister was dead. That was an undeniable truth.


    "She doesn¡¯t answer when we ask her," Roman said.


    "Because she has nothing to defend herself with," Jason said sharply. "Just like that officer said, we¡¯re not buying her story about a ck wolf."


    "Alright!" Kael said, his voice firm. "For now, let¡¯s leave it for further investigation. We¡¯ll move on to the next."


    His gaze settled on Roman and Rafe, sharp and impatient, as if he could barely wait to hear what they had discovered about Kaizan.


    Roman took a deep breath and exined everything that had happened at Castons.


    "...So, it wasn¡¯t Eira. Sophia was the one with Keiren, the one Kaizan is looking for..." Roman finished hesitantly, ncing at Kael to gauge his reaction.


    Kael remained unmoved, his expression unreadable. His girlfriend had been fucking someone else, yet he seemedpletely unbothered by being cuckolded. What the hell?


    A tense silence hung in the room before Kael finally spoke. "Rafe, get more information on how Eira, Alice, and Sophia reached that ce, and see if there are any other videos from before or after the incident we can ess. Also, all the case files rted to Eira.""


    "I¡¯m already on it," Rafe said. "It¡¯ll take a day or two get the proofs, since it¡¯s from six years ago. But, yeah, I am going to get those files today."


    "It was a deserted area, impossible for anyone to reach on foot," Roman added. "If you look the video carefully, you can see the light behind Eira¡ªit seems to be from a car¡¯s headlight. Most likely, she went there in a vehicle. We need to check whose car it was or what kind of a vehicle they used."


    "Alice and Eira didn¡¯t have a car. Only Sophia did," I added. "Alice was scared of driving, and Eira didn¡¯t know how. So if that¡¯s the case, we¡¯re left with Sophia."


    "She used some high-end luxury car back then, right?" Roman asked. "We have to see if that¡¯s the car they used. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s still around after all these years, but at least we know the type."


    Kael hummed and turned to Rafe. "You know what to do. I¡¯ll leave it to you."


    "Sure," Rafe replied, his confidence clear. He knew he could get anything out if he set his mind to it.


    "What about her child and mate?" Kael asked as he turned to me and Jason.


    Ah, this was getting moreplicated the deeper we dug.


    "We found more traces, and they led to the Ravenw pack," I said, watching Kael¡¯s expression harden at the mention.


    The Alpha of Ravenw was another top-tier young Alpha. It was rare for two top-tier Alphas not to be hostile toward each other for not reason at all, yet now that Alpha might be involved with Eira. If they came to face again each other, I am sure, there wasn¡¯t going to be any pleasant oue.


    "I forgot to mention something," Roman added. "Kaizan warned us to be careful of the Alpha of Ravenw pack. Something seems to be brewing over there. But that bastard will only tell us once we hand him over that bitch Sophia."


    Kael controlled his expression and asked, "Does that Alpha of Ravenw Pack have Eira¡¯s child?"


    "Not sure if the child is with him," I replied. "But the traces led to his pack, so it¡¯s likely the child is there. Not just the child¡ªher grandparents seem to be there as well. The old hags ran to Ravenw pack after fleeing from here."


    "That means they might have the child," Kael said, his tone sharp. "Her grandparents searched for her with the help of that Alpha, found out Eira had a child. As well got money from that bastard Alpha, bought the child from traffickers, and now they¡¯re raising him."


    "That¡¯s what we thought as well," I said. "But there¡¯s another question. That bastard might be the father of the child. That could be why those old hags ran to him for help. We also don¡¯t know which packs they passed through beforeing to our pack. Maybe they knew that bastard before. As grandparents, they must have known their granddaughter was pureblood and might have made a deal with that Alpha. Eira must have been his mate, and..."


    "She is not his mate," Kael cut in quickly, his voice cold and controlled.


    Silence fell over the room.

 Chapter 111: Alpha Of RavenClaw Pack

    <h4>Chapter 111: Alpha Of Ravenw Pack</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    Then Kael collected himself and continued. "If she were his mate, he would have fought to take her back from our pack instead of letting her rot in prison, andter fall into the hands of traffickers."


    "That makes sense," I said. "No top-tier Alpha would ever let their mate be used by others. They¡¯d rather kill her."


    "Or," Jason added, his voice low and tense, "one can leave their mate to suffer only if the hate is so immense that no reason matters, not even if they love her deeply." He seemed lost somewhere as he said it, but then got back to his senses and looked at us. "If that¡¯s the case, he hates her and won¡¯t take her back¡ªhe only keeps the child."


    "That aligns with our previous conclusion that we thought she was with Keiren," Roman said, "but we have to rece Keiren with another bastard now. So, as per what we¡¯ve discussed so far, the Alpha of Ravenw pack and Eira knew each other before and had an affair. But she was a minor, so it was impossible for him to know whether she was his mate. He used her, and when she was sent to prison, he didn¡¯t bother with her."


    "Butter, her grandparents went to him and begged him to look for her. They found out she was about to give birth, so they decided to buy the child, since it was his. And they left her to rot. Also, the child is precious because it¡¯s product between pureblood shewolf and a top tier Alpha, a child with strongest bloodline. No Alpha will pass on such a powerful heir. But, we still don¡¯t know if they¡¯re mates or not."


    We all heard it and tried to process the weight of the revtion.


    "This all makes sense now. Only someone as powerful as that Alpha could pay such a hefty sum for a child, because that was his," I said, the conclusion settling like stab in my chest.


    Everyone nodded. The more we thought about it, the more confirmed it became.


    The burden of that bastard Keiren being her lover was gone, reced by something far worse¡ªthe Alpha of Ravenw pack.


    After a long silence, Rafe¡¯s voice finally broke it. "If that¡¯s his child, we won¡¯t be able to get our hands on him. And our resolve to kill her mate¡ªdoes it still stand? It would spark another war, not just between two powerful packs, but across the entire werewolf world."


    Once more, silence fell.


    "What if he finds out the she-wolf we have is the mother of his child? Will he try to take her?" Roman asked.


    Another round of silence. All of us turned our eyes to the ss wall to look at her.


    Just like mine, I could read the others¡¯ gazes. They all said the same thing¡ªshe was only ours.


    "Even if he is the father of her child, she is going to stay with us as our mate," Kael finally said, his voice cold and resolute. "Once we all mark her and the bond isplete, nothing can take her from us."


    "What if she finds out about her child and asks to go to them, and that bastard is ready to take her," Roman asked.


    "Before that she will be ours," Kael dered. "Once she heals from this procedure, lets mark her."


    The fear of losing her was evident in Kael¡¯s icy looking eyes.


    "And about child, as a mother she has a right over him as well. We shall not keep them separated," Kael said and looked at me, "First make sure if that child is truly his, only then we will decide what to do."


    "Yeah, this time let¡¯s not trust our own conclusions like in the past without confirming anything for real, even if we have to do it again and again," Roman added.


    "And if the child is not his?" I asked, my voice low.


    "Then we bring the child back to Eira," Kael said without hesitation. "It might help her regain her mental state, and she might return to the way she was before."


    We all just wished it could be that simple.


    "What if one day her real mate shows up? Every pureblood shewolf is meant to have a fated mate for sure." Roman said. "Asking just in case."


    "There won¡¯t be any," Kael said resolutely, impatience on his face as if he was tired of saying there was no mate for her. He voice turned icy, "We are the only ones. Just focus on the task in hands."


    No one countered him, or dared say a word about her having a fated mate again.


    "We¡¯ll need to conduct a DNA test between them- the child and that Alpha," Jason said, his words heavy with practical concern. "That¡¯s going to be a hell of a task."


    "You might note back alive if that top-tier Alpha catches you," Roman warned, his tone edged with sharp caution. "Be careful with what you do."


    "We need to find a way to get his DNA sample without raising any suspicion," Kael said, his gaze unwavering.


    "I think I know the way," Rafe said, an evil smirk ying on his lips.


    "What?" I asked, while the others leaned in, curious.


    "You just get your hands on the child. Rest, leave it to me," Rafe said, winking at me. "Don¡¯t worry about me, sweetheart."


    "Of course I worry," I shot back with a mocking smirk. "I can¡¯t lose my bitch to that top-tier bastard. Your ass is mine, only mine."


    "So is yours for me," he replied smugly. "I will be kicking and alive, only so I could ruin it."


    "You two can fuck each other outside," Roman said, frowning, "and leave us alone to talk about something serious."


    "Will it hurt to chill sometimes?" Rafe teased him. "All this seriousness will make you lose your hair."


    Roman offered a bored smirk in return, clearly unimpressed.


    While we bickered, Kael and Jason, as if deaf to our voices, were staring past the ss wall toward Eira.


    Kael seemed calm, but what was going on in Jason¡¯s head? Was it the look that said she would always remain the murderer of our sister, or was there something else entirely? Sometimes, it was truly impossible to read my own brother.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 112: The Bloody Rapist

    <h4>Chapter 112: The Bloody Rapist</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Unbothered by the chatter around me, my gaze remained fixed on her, blind and deaf to everything else.


    Now that I was certain she wasn¡¯t the one who had betrayed us, the one responsible for my parents¡¯ merciless ughter and the loss of our people, the feelings I had buried for so many years were finally wing their way to the surface.


    But I had to keep myself in control, just as I always had.


    From the very first moment I saw her, I had been drawn to her, but I forced myself to deny it, to keep my mind from acknowledging her existence. She was a stranger, and the pull I felt toward her was strange, dangerous, unlike anything I had ever experienced. As the future Alpha of the pack, I could not allow my emotions or thoughts to slip in front of strangers, or even my own people.


    There was no way I, a top-tier Alpha, a future leader of this pack, would allow a minor girl who had just appeared in our lives to shake everything I had spent my life building. I could not let her overpower my mind, my heart, or my unshakable resolve. I had to be careful about whom I allowed close.


    Yet, despite all my efforts to ignore her, to treat her as nothing more than an heir, her presence burrowed into my thoughts. It forced me to keep my distance, even as the ache of it gnawed at me.


    And the way she looked at me, the way she moved around me, made it clear she felt no attraction¡ªonly wariness. That should have been a relief. A girl I wanted to keep at arm¡¯s length didn¡¯t care about me either. But instead of relief, it ignited a fire inside me.


    My displeasure toward her had reached its peak the day she saw my wolf form and treated me like a monster.


    As a top-tier Alpha, I took pride in my strength, in the power of my ck wolf. Her reaction had been a direct insult to everything I valued, everything I was.


    She hadn¡¯t flinched at the other four¡ªthey weren¡¯t ck wolves.


    Wait.


    A realization struck me as I reyed the memory in my mind.


    "ck wolf," I said, turning my gaze to the others. They had just finished arguing over something and now looked at me, curiosity etched on their faces.


    "She¡¯s scared of a ck wolf," I told them, watching confusion ripple across their expressions. They probably wondered what it had to do with Alice¡¯s murder. But I had more to say. "You all know she¡¯s been scared of me since the day she saw my wolf form, right?"


    "Yeah," Rafe replied, his tone t and bored, "and that thing always infuriated you, even though you tried so hard to show it didn¡¯t matter."


    "Are you done?" I snapped, my voice cold. There was something more important than theirmentary.


    Rafe fell silent, and I continued. "She was terrified at just the sight of me. Then how could she ever have a ck wolf as her lover? She would fear him too. That Alpha of the Ravenw pack, the one who¡¯s also a ck wolf, cannot be her lover."


    They all considered my words, mulling them over. Rafe finally broke the silence. "What if she was just scared of you and not another ck wolf? She wouldn¡¯t sleep with him if she was afraid."


    "Or..." Roman¡¯s voice cut through the tension,manding our attention, "what if he forced himself on her, and a child was born?"


    The thought sent a surge of anger through all of us.


    "Let¡¯s be honest," Roman continued, his tone dark, "in the past, all of us liked her, though none of us openly showed it¡ªshe was still a minor."


    We exchanged looks, silent confirmation passing between us. Roman was right. I had not been the only one drawn to her.


    Roman¡¯s gaze sharpened. "That doesn¡¯t mean other wolves are as thoughtful as we are. They¡¯re driven by lust. Eira was the kind to attract attention, but also the kind who couldn¡¯t understood their bad intentions towards her as she was innocent minded girl.


    "There¡¯s a possibility that Alpha forced himself on her and she ended up carrying his child. That would exin why she has no bond mark. That bastard Alpha used her for his lust, never expecting she would survive and bear his child. He must have thought she¡¯d die after he...knotted her. But she survived, because she is a pureblood."


    Our expressions soured. Even knowing what she had endured over the past six years, the idea that someone had vited her when she was a minor made our blood boil.


    "If that¡¯s the case, I will make sure he meets a brutal death," I dered, my gaze darkening with fury.


    "We¡¯ve killed most of the ones who touched her," Lucian said through clenched teeth, "but a long list still remains. Now another name is added. The bastard who touched her first¡ªthe bloody rapist."


    "She had conceived that child even before going to prison," Roman said, his voice tight with anger. "That means she was raped while we were around her? When did it happen?"


    We all were shocked at the realisation.


    "A few weeks before the incident with Alice," Jason replied, ncing at Lucian. "Alice was upset she couldn¡¯t reach Eira and didn¡¯t evene to school."


    Lucian nodded slowly. "Eira didn¡¯t leave home. She imed to be sick and even told Alice not toe near her, saying she might catch her illness. That must have been when it happened... After that, it¡¯s like we barely saw her, and then the incident urred."


    Everyone fell silent, piecing together the sequence of events.


    "Find the kid. Get the DNA test done fast, so I can rip that bastard apart if he really raped her," I dered, my voice low and dangerous. "He deserves the worst death imaginable."


    "I¡¯ll try to make her talk too," Roman said. "At least I need to confirm whether she knows him... though I doubt she¡¯ll answer."


    A faint movement on the bed drew our attention. She groaned softly, pain etched on her features. It must have hurt terribly without anesthesia.


    I rose immediately and stepped toward her while the others merely watched.


    "Are you awake?" I asked. She opened her eyes briefly, then quickly looked away.


    This had been going on all day, so nothing about it was unusual. I poured a ss of water, ced it on the side table, and raised the head of her bed slightly.


    I held the ss toward her, but she waved her hand and pressed the bell button on her bed. The nurse usually arrived within seconds, but this time... nothing. Eira pressed the button again and again, but the response was the same.


    I saw my brothers watching from the side, their expressions unreadable, but I didn¡¯t care if they thought I was lowering myself in front of her. I was not the kind of man to beg, but this wasn¡¯t about me.


    "The bell isn¡¯t working," I said gently.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t. I had removed the batteries myself, ensuring she couldn¡¯t call the nurse and would have to rely on me alone. I did it, and I felt no shame. I was done with her ignorance¡ªboth in the past and even now in the present.


    "Have some water," I said, stepping closer, but she turned her head sharply away, her brows knitted as if she would rather die than drink what I offered.


    "You should behave if you want to get better soon and go home," I told her, my voice firm. "A few hours ago, Vixen vomited. She¡¯s not feeling well and missing you."


    "I¡¯d like it better if you got lost and took her to the vet instead," she finally spat out, bitter and sharp as ever.


    Damn! Using her pets as a leverage didn¡¯t work.


    After a moment, Roman entered the room and took the ss of water from my hand. "Lucian wants to talk to you," he said casually.


    With no other option, I returned to the others and sat down in the chair. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed the others with faint, mocking smirks, silentlyughing at my failure.


    I shot them a re, and they quickly reced their smirks with serious expressions.


    "What is it?" I asked, keeping my anger buried but letting it edge my voice.


    "As you said, she¡¯s afraid of a ck wolf," Lucian began, his tone calm, "I have a theory about Alice¡¯s murder."


    "Hmm?" I prompted, leaning slightly forward.


    "Eira might have been drugged," Lucian said, his gaze steady. "There are drugs that can make a person hallucinate their deepest fears, especially when they¡¯re vulnerable. If she isn¡¯t lying about seeing a ck wolf, then someone drugged her for sure. Once we figure out who, everything else will be clear."


    His words made sense. Lucian was an expert in drugs; he knew what he was talking about.


    "Blood tests must have been conducted after her arrest. It¡¯s standard protocol," Rafe added. "With her case file, which I¡¯m going to get, the blood reports should be there."


    "Get it," I said, my voice firm.


    "To prove our theory, I might have to conduct a small test on her," Lucian added, hesitating slightly. "A drug test."


    "Will it be painful?" I asked.


    Lucian nodded. "It might... but it¡¯ll help things be clearer."


    I exhaled and turned my gaze toward her, only to see something that made my blood boil. She was drinking water¡ªwithout hesitation¡ªwhen Roman handed it to her.


    My fists clenched tightly. What had I done to deserve such hatred? Not even epting water from me, after everything I had done to care for her these past few days. She didn¡¯t look scared of me anymore, not like she once feared the ck wolf. So why treat me this way, when all I had done was look out for her?


    "Seems like someone¡¯s heart is burning," Rafemented, a smirk tugging at his lips.


    I shot him a dark re and turned to Lucian. "Do whatever test you feel is necessary."


    "Someone¡¯s truly burning," Rafe said again, chuckling.


    I almost wanted to strangle him, but I didn¡¯t. Out of all four of my brothers, I was partial to him. That little leniency I showed gave him the courage to tease me whenever he wanted. The fault was mine.

 Chapter 113: We Know The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 113: We Know The Truth</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    After I sent Kael away, I finally turned to her, but didn¡¯t offer the water. I ced the ss on the side table and went to the window instead, lifting the curtains so the night sky outside would be unobstructed. Watching the stars seemed to be one of her favorite pastimes¡ªor maybe she had nothing else to do and simply preferred looking at them.


    While pulling the curtain strings, I said, "The sky looks better from up here." I caught her reflection in the window ss and noticed her turn her head to look outside. "It¡¯s beautiful," I added, though I knew exactly who I was praising.


    I continued setting the curtains while speaking, keeping my tone casual. "You must be worried about your pets, but don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re fine. Even though we¡¯re not home, a guard is looking after them, feeding them on time. Fluffy is used to the guards, so she often stays outside with the others, while Vixen prefers to sleep inside."


    Once the curtains were settled, I turned fully to her. "But Vixen needs to move around. Laying down too much isn¡¯t good for her, so I brought some new toys to keep her active. She seems to be enjoying them. If you want, you can even watch how she¡¯s doing through the home cameras."


    For the first time, her eyes met mine, attentive and curious. I pulled out my phone. "I¡¯ll get the footage for you," I said, then walked to the table and picked up the ss of water. "It¡¯ll take a moment. Until then, you can drink this."


    She didn¡¯t protest and took the ss. Kael, thoughtful as ever, had ced a straw for her since she couldn¡¯t sit uppletely yet.


    She sipped the water while I fetched the camera feed. Once ready, I took the ss back and handed her the phone.


    On the screen, she watched Vixen ying with the toys, a guard nearby to supervise.


    "She vomited. Is she alright now?" she asked, concern in her voice.


    Vomited? I realized then that bastard Kael had fed her a lie. It hadn¡¯t worked on her, which exined the look on his face, like she had just pped him. I couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly. Poor Kael.


    He had a long way to go.


    As a pack leader, he hadn¡¯t protected her or tried to find her innocence back then. Though he¡ªand all of us¡ªhad our reasons, and anyone in our ce would have acted the same, from her perspective she had every right to hate him for what she endured.


    For her suffering, the me was ours as much as anyone¡¯s.


    "She¡¯s alright now," I said, careful not to expose Kael¡¯s lie.


    From the other side of the ss wall, I felt the cold re. Kael, I was sure.


    Ignoring him, I settled at the edge of the bed, keeping my attention on her as she watched Vixen on the camera feed.


    "I wanted to ask you something," I began, not waiting for permission. "Have you ever been to the Ravenw pack beforeing here?"


    "I don¡¯t remember," she replied without even looking at me, as if brushing me off.


    I took the mobile from her hand. Her rended on me, sharp and frustrated, like a child whose favorite toy had been snatched away.


    "I am serious," I said, voice colder this time, expression hard. "Once we¡¯re done, you can keep watching it as long as you want."


    "I told you I don¡¯t remember," she repeated, letting out a tired sigh. "I¡¯m not even sure how many packs my grandparents moved me through. And it¡¯s been fucking damn six years."


    I tried another approach. "How about the name Asher Valeric?" I asked, watching her reaction closely.


    Her face twisted with annoyance, a mixture of disbelief and bitterness. "Is that one of the bastards who paid the traffickers to fuck me?" she asked sharply.


    I was taken aback at her extreme words.


    She continued. "You should know, they don¡¯t tell names to whores. And even if they did, my mind couldn¡¯t store the names of hundreds of them¡ªthe count more than the number of days in six years."


    She said it casually, almost detached, but my chest tightened at the thought of what she had endured. I inhaled deeply to steady myself, yet I couldn¡¯t ignore the unrest I felt from the other side of the partition. My brothers weren¡¯t just observing us¡ªthey could hear everything.


    I calmed myself and said again, "Eira, this is important. I need you to answer me. Alright?"


    Silence.


    "He is the Alpha of Ravenw pack," I continued, voice steady, "and we want to know if you know him."


    "The only Alphas I ever knew were some five bastards," she replied tly.


    Alrigth! She was referring to us five.


    "Are you sure?" I pressed, "See..."


    "If you don¡¯t trust my words, then get lost," she snapped, cutting me off. She closed her eyes, unwilling to continue. "You bastards of men, entitled to believe whatever the hell you think. Bloody fuckers. Why even bother ask?"


    Damn! Her anger was something else.


    Just then, Lucian stormed out, his anger sharp. "We saw the video of you sucking off Keiren and his friends. Surely we five assholes weren¡¯t the only ones you knew."


    Her eyes flew open. This time there was no stubbornness, only hurt. But she masked it, forcing out a bitterugh. "Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot that precious memory. I will make sure to cherish it this day forward."


    Lucian¡¯s anger red, about to erupt, but Kael¡¯s hand on his shoulder stopped him. Thank god he did. We knew better than anyone how destructive Lucian¡¯s wrath could be.


    The other two brothers stepped out as well. The air around filled with tension.


    But this was a reminder. Something I still needed to ask. I turned back to her.


    "Eira, we know you aren¡¯t the traitor of our pack," I said, watching her reaction. Surprise and shock flickered across her face.


    "We know you weren¡¯t the one feeding our enemies information," I rified. "We¡¯re trying to find the truth. You need to help us."


    A long, heavy silence passed. Then she scoffed, sharp and pained, trying to hide the hurt beneath it. "You¡¯ve got it wrong again. I didn¡¯t just kill Alice. I fucked Keiren and passed him all the information. If I could go back, I¡¯d do it the same way."


    Her gaze locked on me now, dark and furious, every ounce of hatred pouring from it. "Do you know why? Because I hate you all. I hate everything. I just wanted to destroy. I wonder how the five of you even survived. Why didn¡¯t you die too? It would have been better if our enemies had killed you."


    All of us stared at her in a disbelief for a while. I knew it was her anger and hatred speaking, and she had every right to feel that way.


    "Our enemies?" I said calmly, "That means you considered yourself one of us and them as enemies?"


    She looked away, not wanting to say more as if I just caught her true feelings when she said the words ¡¯our enemies.¡¯

 Chapter 114: Peck On The Forehead

    <h4>Chapter 114: Peck On The Forehead</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Then I asked again, my voice calm but firm, "Were you forced to do it?" There had to be another reason. "Keiren forced you right?"


    She smirked, but I caught the glint of moisture in her eyes, the emotion she was desperately holding back.


    "If you ask me to suck you off right now, I will," she said without hesitation. "That¡¯s who I¡¯ve always been. In fact, I could do it to all of you. I¡¯m professional."


    "I know you don¡¯t mean that," I said.


    Her gaze slid down toward my waist, bold and unapologetic. "Want me to prove it?"


    I let out a helpless sigh, keeping my focus steady. "We¡¯re trying to uncover the truth about Alice¡¯s death."


    The moment I said it, her expression froze.


    "We want to believe you didn¡¯t kill her intentionally," I repeated.


    She didn¡¯t react, as if frozen in time.


    I nced at the others, meeting Kael¡¯s subtle nod, urging me to continue.


    Turning back to her, I said, "In your interrogation report, you imed you were trying to shoot the ck wolf and protect Alice instead. There¡¯s no ck wolf in the video, but we want to trust you."


    She let out a short, humorless scoff, her expression cutting. "I should have said dinosaur instead of ck wolf, and maybe the bastard officer would have bought my story."


    She was acting like everything now we knew was a lie and she was indeed the culprit.


    When we truly wanted to trust her and wanted to find the truth, she didn¡¯t want to. She had truly lost all hopes with life.


    "We want to catch the true culprit behind Alice¡¯s death. Don¡¯t you want that too?" I asked again.


    "She is dead, and I got my punishment more than I deserve. What more do you want now?" Her voice cracked, and this time, I saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Will it ever erase what I faced? Will it bring back Alice? It won¡¯t. And no matter my intentions, it doesn¡¯t change that I killed her."


    "Someone set you up, and we have to find out who," I said firmly.


    "No one set me," she spat, wiping her tears roughly as she stared at the five of us. "You all still have a chance. I¡¯m warning you¡ªkill me while you can. Or I swear, when it¡¯s my turn, I will kill all of you just like I killed Alice."


    I let out a helpless sigh. Her hatred was a wall, unyielding. She wasn¡¯t going to help us anymore, and she didn¡¯t want to.


    "Alright. Rest," I said, lowering the head of her bed.


    Tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, probably feeling the ache in her heart, the weight of her own guilt.


    I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She was marked, my mate¡ªeven if notpletely, she was still mine. Had always been.


    Her brows furrowed at the touch, and she opened her teary eyes, confused.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered softly, my face just an inch from hers, my thumbs brushing gently at the corners of her eyes.


    I didn¡¯t care that my brothers were standing there.


    Her confused expression deepened. I knew no one had ever apologized to her, no one had ever coaxed her gently, not like this.


    "I know we have failed you," I whispered, my voice low and coaxing, my thumb still brushing her cheek as her eyes locked with mine. "I know you hate us. I know you don¡¯t trust us anymore. But it won¡¯t stay that way. We will make it right¡ªfor you, for us. I promise, we will."


    More tears slid down her face, the tip of her nose reddened, her lips trembling as soft, broken sobs escaped. "Let me die then...that¡¯s all I want...make it right for me..."


    Even now, she tried to convince me that death was the ultimate escape for her, the only goal she had now.


    "No," I said firmly, yet gently, my words wrapping around her like a shield. "You will live, and you won¡¯t regret it. You are not allowed to die."


    She sobbed quietly for a moment before whispering again, "I...truly hate...you..."


    "I know," I said softly, brushing her cheek with the back of my hand. "And I don¡¯t me you."


    "Just...leave," she murmured between sobs, closing her eyes and turning her face away.


    I pressed a light kiss to her temple, then pulled back slightly. "Rest well. The moon festival ising soon. I¡¯ll get you a gift you¡¯ll like."


    She didn¡¯t respond, only letting her soft sobs continue. Not long ago she had been furious, defiant, but now she was just hurt and broken, a fragile shadow of herself.


    I straightened the sheets covering her and turned to my brothers. They were frozen, unsure of what to do, as always.


    "Let her rest," I instructed.


    They nodded, and we stepped outside the suite. The air outside felt heavy, thick with the weight of her emotions, but we needed it¡ªneeded a moment of relief from the suffocating intensity she carried with her.


    As we stood in the open corridor, Lucian said, "I¡¯m going to do that drug test on her. When are we taking her home?"


    "I understand your eagerness to find the truth, but be patient," Kael replied calmly.


    "That drug won¡¯t harm her physically," Lucian exined, "Just a little mental stress."


    Seeing her like this today seemed to confirm his suspicion¡ªshe had been drugged back then, and he wanted rity quickly.


    "We have to wait," Jason said, his medical expertise evident in his tone. "It¡¯s not wise to use any drug on her right now. Give it at least a week."


    "I¡¯ll get her blood report from back then," Rafe added, "so half the questions will be answered already. Give me a day."


    Lucian hummed, acknowledging their caution. None of us wanted to harm her anymore. Instead we had to think on how to undo the damage we had already caused.


    "She¡¯s broken... beyond what we could even hope to fix," I said, and felt others tense around me. "I¡¯m afraid... we might not be able to."

 Chapter 115: Moon Festival

    <h4>Chapter 115: Moon Festival</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    <i>(shback ¨C six years ago)</i>


    I stood by the window of my room, gazing at the night sky. The stars shimmered like scattered diamonds across the dark canvas, and the full moon hung there, serene and radiant, like a silent guardian.


    Since I could remember, I had always loved staring at the moon and stars. Even as a child who struggled to speak, I would lose myself in the night sky, my thoughts empty but my heart full. That sky felt like home. Those stars were my family. And that moon... it was like a mother watching over me. I never had one, so the moon¡¯s soft glow was myfort, a warmth I could always count on.


    I was certain that even when I grew old, my eyes wrinkled and weary, I would still look up at the stars this way. And when I died, I wished for this view to be thest thing I saw¡ªmy soul merging with the stars, closest to the moon.


    "Eira," my grandmother¡¯s voice called from downstairs.


    "Yes, Grandma?" I answered.


    "Your grandpa and I are going to celebrate the Moon Festival with friends. Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe?"


    "No, Grandma. I don¡¯t want to," I said softly. "Please, you and Grandpa enjoy yourselves."


    "Alright," she replied, probably hurried. "Keep the door locked, and do not open it for anyone unless it¡¯s us."


    "Yes, Grandma. Don¡¯t worry," I said.


    "We¡¯re leaving," she called again, followed by the sound of the main door closing.


    The door could only be opened from inside unless someone had the keys, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about locking it.


    Tonight was the Moon Festival, and the world outside celebrated in joy and light¡ªeveryone except me. The one I had been longing to celebrate with wasn¡¯t here. It had been almost two weeks since he left for the Alpha training camp. He promised he¡¯d return for the festival, but it seemed he couldn¡¯t make it.


    I couldn¡¯t be upset with him. His duty as one of the pack¡¯s Alphas called him elsewhere. He was strong, smart, and capable, and I took pride in that. I had to support him in every way, practice being a responsible mate, and trust in his choices.


    On this day, most singles found their mates, while those already bonded celebrated together. New couples waited for the Moon Festival for their first mating, believing it to be the most auspicious day, blessed by the moon goddess herself, promising eternal love.


    I was still a minor. I couldn¡¯t mate with him yet, but I longed to be near him. I longed to call him mine, to one day have children and a family with him. Perhaps next year¡¯s Moon Festival would bring our first mating, like other couples. But could we really wait that long?


    While the world outside celebrated, I felt empty. I had started missing him two weeks ago, ever since our first kiss. The way he had held me close, possessively, as if his gaze could tear through the protective walls around my soul. The warmth of his body seeping into mine, a sensation I had never felt before. The taste of him, the way he guided me through that kiss with an intensity that left me both trembling and craving more.


    Even now, I could feel him¡ªhis touch, his taste¡ªand my body responded with goosebumps I couldn¡¯t hide. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was simply the stirrings of a lustful teen, or if it was natural, a signal from the wolf inside me awakening as the days of me being adult and meeting my wolf were getting closer.


    I couldn¡¯t speak to anyone about it; the thought was too embarrassing. And what if I identally revealed my rtionship with him? I had to wait. Perhaps the answers woulde in time, or maybe I could ask him myself. I only hoped he wouldn¡¯t misunderstand.


    My eyes fell on the small box I had kept on the windowsill. A gift for him, patiently waiting. I picked it up and opened it. Insidey a delicate bracelet, earthly beads woven into thick ck cord, knots tied with care, tiny wooden charms dangling like whispers of thought and intention.


    "I hope he likes it," I whispered, my thumb brushing over the beads as if I could feel him through them, as if his presence lingered nearby.


    A sudden gust of wind swept through the window, rustling the curtains and startling me.


    I went to the window to check if a storm wasing, but outside, everything seemed calm, just as usual.


    <i>Seems like just a momentary gust of wind,</i> I thought.


    Then, without warning, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me. A tall, solid body pressed against my back, enveloping mepletely.


    I startled, but in the next heartbeat, I knew it was him. <i>Am I dreaming, or is it really him?</i>


    His next words answered my question.


    "Missed me?" His warm breath brushed my nape as he whispered against my ear. My heart almost stopped beating.


    I drew in a deep, shaky breath, letting the reality of his presence settle in. He was finally here. He had kept his promise. I could finally celebrate the Moon Festival with him¡ªour first festival together as a couple.


    I gave a small nod, my heart racing.


    "I missed you too," he murmured, his hands gripping me firmly, his voice low and hoarse, a hint of something more in it. "...especially at night."


    I swallowed hard, unable to voice that I had missed him every night, that my body ached for him in ways I didn¡¯t dare admit.


    He gently turned me to face him. My curious gaze finally met his, grounding me in his presence.


    There he was, right in front of me, as handsome as ever. A perfectly fitted dark shirt and trousers clung to his frame, his hair neatly styled like a true gentleman. A subtle scent of cologne mingled with his natural presence, warm and intoxicating. He looked like he had prepared for this moment, just like a man ready for a date, every detail in ce. So striking, so undeniably him, that I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 116: Fantasies From The Book

    <h4>Chapter 116: Fantasies From The Book</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "How... how did you get here?" I asked, feeling his one hand moving at the small of my back, the other settling along my cheek, as his thumb caressed it gently. The touch sent shivers cascading down my spine.


    "I don¡¯t break my promises," he said, tilting his head slightly, his eyes studying me with amusement. "Is that a blush, or did you put on makeup knowing I¡¯d be here?"


    I instantly raised a hand to my face and realised my cheeks were burning. Makeup? I never wore any.


    <i>Am I really blushing this much?</i>


    Thankfully, he let go of me at that moment, or I didn¡¯t know what I would have done¡ªhow to exin that it wasn¡¯t makeup.


    He stepped back, then knelt on one knee to pick something up from the floor.


    "Is this for me?" he asked, standing and holding it delicately between his long fingers, his thumb brushing over it.


    Damn! I hadn¡¯t even realized it had slipped from my hands¡ªprobably when he appeared so suddenly and startled me.


    "Ah! I¡¯m sorry... I slipped..." I reached out to take it back, but he pulled his hand away. He was clearly enjoying this little tease, so I didn¡¯t try again. I remembered thest time I had tried to grab my book from him, and how that had ended... not that I hated it.


    "If it¡¯s for me, then why are you taking it back?" he said, slipping it onto his left wrist. He flexed his fingers, humming in appreciation. "Not bad." Then, holding his hand out to me, he added, "Care to tie it?"


    I quietly moved forward and tied it carefully, securing the ends of the ck threads. I had spent so much time making it, and the joy in seeing him appreciate it made me happy.


    Just as I finished and looked up at him, he raised his other hand to eye level, his palm into a light fist. Before I could ask, he opened it, revealing something delicate that hung to his fingers.


    A beautiful light-blue pendant¡ªa delicate moon¡ªhung from a silver chain, glinting softly in the light. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it; it was stunning.


    His hands move with practiced ease to my neck, securing the sp at the back. "My gift for you," he said.


    A strange warmth spread through me. Maybe it was because it came from him, a symbol of what we shared. I had never received gifts like this before, aside from my grandparents and Alice, who had only entered my life a few months ago. That silly girl didn¡¯t even need a reason to gift me something.


    He moved back slightly, letting his fingers trace the chain as it settled along my neck, finally resting below the hollow between my corbones where the pendant hung.


    "Perfect," he murmured, a soft note of admiration in his voice.


    I looked down, but the pendant wasn¡¯tfortably visible to me. I quickly turned and went to stand in front of the full-length mirror. I couldn¡¯t wait to see it on me.


    My lips curved into a soft smile, my eyes brightened as my fingers traced the pendant. I nced at him through the mirror¡ªhe was watching me.


    "Thank you," I said quietly. "It¡¯s beautiful."


    He stepped closer, standing behind me, his gaze moving over my reflection from head to toe. "Interesting choice of clothes to wee your boyfriend," he murmured.


    I looked at myself, and realization hit hard. I was wearing a short, thigh-length, loose, off-white cotton nightdress. The problem wasn¡¯t the dress itself¡ªit was that I wasn¡¯t wearing a bra. My breasts were full and their shape, including the nipples, was clearly visible.


    I quickly wrapped my arms across my chest, fumbling nervously. "I... I¡¯ll put on something..." I mumbled, about to move, but he pulled me back and pressed me against the mirror, my back cold against its smooth surface.


    "No need," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "You won¡¯t be a secret to me anymore once you¡¯re an adult, so there¡¯s no reason to hide."


    The intensity of his words, made my heart race faster than it already was.


    One of his hands rested against the mirror behind me, steadying himself, while the other reached behind his back and brought something forward.


    "I¡¯m yet to return this to you," he said, holding up the book.


    Damn. My biggest embarrassment.


    I looked away, heat creeping up my chest. "You... you can keep it..."


    "But I¡¯ve read it," he said, his intense gaze on me. "And for your convenience, I even marked the parts I liked the most."


    My convenience? I looked at him, puzzled, only for him to continue. "I believe you liked the same parts. Some pages have corners folded and unfolded multiple times, as if they were read more than once."


    I swallowed hard. That was my habit¡ªunintentionally rolling page corners, undoing them repeatedly when I got lost in a book.


    Caught. I looked away again, my cheeks burning hotter than ever. Being trapped so close to him only amplified my shame.


    He tossed the book onto the window-side table and turned his attention to me. "I¡¯m d we share the same... interests," he said, and I wished I could vanish right then.


    "So," he murmured, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze, "did you think about me every time you read those parts? Did you?"


    His words left me frozen. His fingers rested gently under my jaw, holding my gaze as if he could see every secret corner of my mind. "Because I thought about you whenever I read it. I imagined you and me... doing all those things...and you were amazing each in each one of them...Now tell me, did you imagine me?"


    As if lost in his intense gaze, I nodded involuntarily, silently agreeing to yet another confession of my shame.


    "Say it in words," he demanded, his voice dangerously low, which made me question¡ªwas he nning something more tonight... perhaps mating with me, as the Moon Festival night called for?


    "I did," I words barely a whisper.


    "Want to try it... in real?" he asked, his eyes boring straight into my soul, trapping it entirely to itsmand. "Something... you never did before?"

 Chapter 117: A Wicked Little Temptress

    <h4>Chapter 117: A Wicked Little Temptress</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    I nodded again, my heart hammering so hard I thought he could feel it against his chest.


    "Words!" His voice was low,manding, and impossibly intoxicating.


    "I... want to," I breathed, my voice barely more than a whisper.


    I meant it¡ªI had always wondered how it felt, and after reading that book, the curiosity had only grown, igniting something fierce and desperate inside me.


    His fingers tightened slightly on my chin, tilting my face to his, and without a second¡¯s warning, his lips crashed onto mine. This kiss was nothing like our first. That one was gentle, patient, exploring. This¡ªthis was raw, unrelenting, as though he had been starving for me.


    His mouth moved over mine with a force that stole my breath, his tongue teasing mine, iming, marking, leaving me gasping. I was trapped between the mirror behind me and his tall, powerful body before me, utterly consumed by the intensity of his desire.


    I responded with equal hunger, tasting him, inhaling his scent, feeling every bit of it. His hands roamed over my back, slipping beneath my nightdress, tracing the delicate skin that shivered beneath his touch.


    My own hands clutched the sides of his shirt, grounding myself, keeping up with the rhythm of his desperate, demanding kiss. I wanted him to know how much I had missed him, craved him, needed him.


    His lips parted just enough to whisper against my lips. "Every moment away from you was driving me crazy..." his voice rough, almost ragged. "All I wanted... was to return to you, to have you whole...It¡¯s all your fault... now you have to make up for it."


    My dewy eyes met his, and I saw it there¡ªthe Alpha, filled with hunger, raw lust, demanding more than just a kiss. And I was no different.


    A low growl rumbled from deep in his chest, vibrating against me as he captured my lips again, fiercer this time, teeth grazing, biting, tasting, iming, my body pressed into him entirely.


    Slowly, deliberately, he moved, his mouth trailing down my neck, licking, sucking, grazing with teeth in the most exquisite torment. A moan slipped from me before I could stop it, and I covered my mouth with my hand, cheeks burning.


    "Your grandparents are not home," he murmured, teeth sinking lightly into my skin, teasing, leaving little marks. "No one can hear you but me. Let me hear you."


    He bit harder, more insistently this time, and I could no longer hold back. My hands fell away from my mouth, and I surrendered to the sounds escaping me. Embarrassed, helpless, utterly undone, I couldn¡¯t stay quiet with the way he was touching me, awakening every nerve, every secret craving I had buried inside.


    His hand moved toward the buttons of my nightdress at my chest, and instinctively, I gripped his wrist. A flicker of fear mixed with embarrassment shot through me, but he didn¡¯t falter.


    He paused, his gaze locking with mine, dark and unreadable, before the same hand slid over my breast, cupping it firmly and squeeze it, letting me know what I was going to miss feeling.


    A shiver ran through me, and a soft moan escaped. His thumb circled over my hardened nipple, teasing. "Still don¡¯t want it?" he asked, voice low and dangerous, leaving me exposed, speechless, utterly at his mercy.


    Then, unexpectedly, he lifted me with ease, seating me on the edge of the study table by the window. With a casual sweep, he pushed the books aside, letting them tter to the floor. Taking my silence as permission, he leaned closer, lips brushing mine in gentle, coaxing pecks. "It¡¯s alright," he murmured, and with deliberate slowness, parted the sides of my top, revealing me further.


    My breath hitched, ragged and shallow, as his eyes roamed over my chest. A part of me wanted to cover myself, but his gaze silenced any protest.


    "Beautiful," he whispered as he gazed my soft and round breasts and pushed me slightly back, my hands bracing against the table.


    He leaned forward, both hands nted on either side of me, trapping me in between them. "Reminded of something?" he asked.


    Of course it did. That book, the one I¡¯d read and imagined endlessly¡ªthe male lead had done the same. And we both knew where it led next.


    His hand slid over my cheek, fingers threading through my hair until they settled at the back of my head. A sharp tug of hair made me arch my neck, a sting of pain mingling with a thrill.


    My pulse raced, my body already aching for more. Damn, I thought, I am such a lustful pervert, lost in my own teenage fantasies.


    His mouth descended hungrily, lips and teeth grazing the soft curve of my neck, tracing a path down to my chest. One hand cupped my breast, his mouth devouring the other.


    I gasped, loud and unrestrained, followed by a moan that surprised even me.


    What was he doing to me?


    I could swear I felt his lips curved into smile smile against my skin as he paused, before sinking back to im it again. His lips moved with merciless intent, sucking, nipping, leaving me trembling and breathless under him.


    Slowly, deliberately, he parted my legs, positioning himself between them. He pressed me further onto the table, continuing his sweet assault on my breast, taking turns on each one of them.


    With my back arched, I had no choice but to surrender, my defenses crumbling under the heat of the moment. My hands clutched his shoulders, trying to steady myself against the dangerous pleasure coursing through me. My legs moved on their own, wrapping instinctively around him, pulling him closer without thought.


    God, I wanted him¡ªwanted him so close, so unbearably near¡ªand the thought both thrilled and terrified me.


    After a while, he pulled back slightly, lifting his gaze to meet mine. His eyes were dark, smoldering, and impossible to look away from.


    "You look exactly the way I¡¯ve imagined every night," he murmured, voice low and dangerous, "a wicked little temptress."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 118: Hot And Wet

    <h4>Chapter 118: Hot And Wet</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    A wicked little temptress? Do I really look like that?


    I frowned, squinting at him. "I am not."


    "You are not?" His voice was a low whisper against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "Let me show you what you are... when you¡¯re with me."


    I hesitated, ncing back at him, only to find him pulling me up from the table in one swift, unyielding movement. Startled, I ended up standing in front of the mirror, his chest pressed against my back. One of his hands circled my thin waist, holding me firmly, impossibly tight yet protective.


    His free hand tilted my face toward the mirror, fingers brushing my jaw. "See how beautiful you look like this, my little temptress," he murmured.


    I stared at my reflection, utterly unrecognisable. My cheeks burned with heat, my lips swollen and red. The marks on my neck traced down further, subtle reminders of the intimacy we¡¯d just shared. My nightdress had slipped off one shoulder, leaving my chest dangerously exposed, the fabric hanging haphazardly over me. I looked anything but decent.


    I had never seen myself this way before.


    "Don¡¯t tease me," I said, my voice low, my gaze snapping away from the mirror.


    "I am praising you," he replied in the same low, husky tone, matching my voice, his breath warm against my ear. "In fact, I want to see you like this... every time we¡¯re together."


    I looked back at him through the mirror. "Will you be doing this every time we meet?"


    "Maybe more than this," he replied, but added, "but we won¡¯t mate until you are an adult. You won¡¯t be able to take me without having your wolf and I don¡¯t wish to hurt you. You are precious. I will never hurt you."


    His words, his reassurance, warmed my heart. He cared.


    But doubt crept in. I am a hybrid, and my grandparents said I was wolfless. What if I truly don¡¯t have a wolf and it doesn¡¯t show up when I¡¯m an adult? What will I do then?


    "What are you thinking?" His voice pulled me back,manding and sharp.


    "You dare let your mind slip away somewhere," he said in a low, possessive tone, his gaze warning me.


    I wanted to deny it and shook my head. But his hand dangerously moved closer between my thighs, pushing the hem of my dress upward. My heart skipped a beat.


    "You need to be punished for this," he murmured, dark and teasing.


    I held his hand. "It¡¯s not right..." Fear and embarrassment red in me. He was about to uncover something utterly private to me, to any woman.


    He stilled, his eyes locking with mine in the mirror. "Have you ever touched yourself?"


    My cheeks burned crimson. Damn, another bomb of utter embarrassment he dropped. Why did he have to ask this?


    "Answer me, and I will decide whether to stop or go ahead," he demanded, unwavering.


    I lowered my gaze and shook my head.


    "Why?" His insistence cut through my hesitation.


    "It¡¯s embarrassing... and I felt scared..." I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.


    "It¡¯s not," he said softly. "Look at me."


    I obeyed, meeting his intense gaze.


    "That¡¯s even more reason for me to show you it¡¯s not embarrassing or scary, but something you would enjoy," he murmured, a faint smirk ying on his lips. "Though you are not an adult, you are not a child anymore. You are a woman, a shewolf at that. You should know what it is."


    I had nothing to say. My throat went dry, my mind spinning.


    "Let me show you. I promise you won¡¯t regret it. Trust me," he whispered, voice dripping with possessive certainty.


    Slowly, I let go of the hand I had been clutching, surrendering to him, deciding to trust him.


    He tilted my face toward his and pressed his lips to mine, a gentle kiss that distracted me just long enough for his hand to wander further. His fingers slipped inside my panties, deliberate and teasing.


    I flinched instinctively, but he murmured against my lips, "Don¡¯t worry."


    My heart mmed against my ribs, my stomach fluttering like a caged bird. My thighs clenched tightly, muscles coiling under his touch. My feet inched closer together, toes digging into the floor as if seeking some anchor.


    And then I felt it¡ªhis touch, bold and possessive, tracing over my already wet folds. His long fingers moved with a skill that made me shiver uncontrobly.


    A erotic moan tore from my throat, but he captured my mouth with his, swallowing any protest before it could escape.


    My hands clutched his, the one that wrapped around my shoulders, my entire body pressing into his for support.


    "You are so wet already," he murmured between kisses, finally letting me draw a shaky breath. But his fingers never stopped their work, gliding through my folds skilfully. asionally, they paused just long enough for his thumb to tease the most sensitive bundle of nerves, making me tremble under his touch.


    And then it hit me¡ªthe meaning behind every line I had ever read in those books, the way the female lead had felt. It was maddening, intoxicating, and my body craved it all the more. Every nerve, every fiber of me wanted him to continue, to give me more.


    "It might feel a little ufortable," he murmured, his finger circling my entrance.


    I knew exactly what he meant and let out a soft hum, mingled with the gentle moans escaping me.


    His finger inched inside slowly. I flinched for a moment, but my body responded, as if silently begging him to go deeper, to fill me.


    "So tight! Hot and wet," he whispered in my ear, his voice rough with desire. "Gosh! It would feel so perfect for my cock to dive in."


    I barely registered his words. All my attention was consumed by the movement of his finger, sliding in and out of me with deliberate precision.


    "Ah..." I gasped, unable to stop myself from nearly screaming in pleasure. The intensity was overwhelming, almost sinful. Shame and embarrassment vanished, burned away by the fire coursing through me.


    His fingers did not relent. They moved with a rhythm that matched the pounding of my heart, each stroke sending shivers and jolts of fire through my body. My back arched instinctively against him, lips parting in ragged breaths as waves of heat and pleasure rolled over me, leaving me dizzy and trembling.

 Chapter 119: The Real Gift

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Real Gift</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "Fuck!" I heard him curse, and I knew exactly why. I could feel his erection pressing hard against my ass, his cock throbbing wildly with need.


    Shame washed over me, but instead of stopping, I ground against him, unsure where the sudden boldness came from.


    "You little cunt!" he growled, his voice low and restrained. "Asking for trouble?"


    And then I felt him¡ªsliding another finger inside me, punishing me with more pleasure, filling mepletely. A loud moan tore from my throat before I could stop it.


    "That¡¯s... too much..." I whispered, my words barely audible.


    "Your cunt says otherwise," he murmured, his voice rough and hoarse. "It¡¯s already begging for more."


    I shook my head, overwhelmed, the heat pooling and spreading inside me, consuming every inch of my body. My muscles clenched, my belly tightened, thighs quivering as he drove me higher, teasing, coaxing, iming me as his.


    "I¡ªI¡¯m¡ª" I choked on my words, lost in sensation, unable to form anything coherent.


    "You know what it is," he whispered in my ear, his fingers moving faster, hitting just the right spot. "Come for me."


    Then it hit me¡ªthe pinnacle, the exquisite, consuming release. My legs trembled uncontrobly, my hips bucking instinctively against his hand as waves of shattering pleasure tore through me. My moans were raw, unrestrained, echoing in the room, my hands clutching him as if I could anchor myself to the ecstasy he was giving me.


    He held me through it, grounding me, his fingers moving with gentle insistence until he finally withdrew, leaving me shivering, flushed, trembling,pletely spent. My mind was a haze, struggling toprehend this foreign, yet utterly overwhelming, pleasure.


    They hadn¡¯t lied in the books¡ªthey had described it perfectly.


    "Tastier than I thought," I heard him and then looked at him trough the mirror, only to find he had licked the fingers he just used...


    So embarrassing! But this man was nothing close to knowing what that word even meant. He made me wonder that my entire life was going to be like this, being embarrassed by words and actions that were devoid of any shame.


    He lifted me effortlessly into his arms and carried me to my bed,ying me gently on the soft mattress. My face burned with washing heat, my eyes unable to meet his.


    He sat beside me, smoothing my dress over my thighs that barely covered my thighs, and he even buttoned it up. He even pulled the sheets over my legs as it was cold these days.


    His actions made it clear that it was time to stop and he had no intentions of going ahead with me, at least not tonight.


    He stood up and scanned the room. "Don¡¯t you have water in here?" His voice was heavy, and hoarse.


    The water jar on the table was empty. He picked it up. "I¡¯ll get some..."


    "Ah... I¡¯ll do it," I offered quickly.


    "Sit still, or your legs might give out before you take a single step," he said, his gaze sharp, and he moved toward the door.


    My eyes couldn¡¯t help lingering, catching the bulge in his pants. I swallowed hard, my voice trembling slightly. "Don¡¯t you want to? I can..."


    He stopped at the door and spoke without turning. "If you start, I might forget you¡¯re even a minor and this Moon festival will be our first mating."


    I closed my mouth before a word could escape. I could feel the restraint he was forcing himself to hold, and I didn¡¯t want to be the one to shatter it.


    "Don¡¯t trust me too much, Eira... I am Alpha, and I might actually lose my mind..." He said and left the room to go downstairs to fetch water for us.


    He took his time. Perhaps he was trying to calm himself before returning. When he came back, I noticed the faint sheen of water sshed across his shirt, the front hair strands over his forehead were wet.


    He seemed to have chug a lot of water down his throat and even sshed his face with it to calm himself.


    At this moment, this always so dominating Alpha looked adorable in my eyes, to think how thoughtful he was.


    I had chosen just the perfect man for me, and fell for him.


    He poured some water in the ss and offered it to me. I epted quietly and had a few sips. After how he made me moan and gasp for so long, my throat was clearly aching and my body felt exhausted.


    After I was done, I felt unsure what to talk about. He put the ss aside and looked at me. Looked like finally a time for some serious talk, but...


    "That was the real gift I nned for you," he said.


    I understood he meant when he made me feel that for the first time. It felt so embarrassing to thank him for such a gift. I gave a light nod and lowered my gaze, my fingers fidgeting together, nervous under his gaze.


    Though we were close so intimately a while ago, it didn¡¯t ease me from feeling shy in front of him. Maybe slowly I will get used to our rtionship and we be like other couples, not shy at anything.


    "What did you do all these days," he asked.


    Finally a normal thing to talk about. I looked at him, thinking it would be rude to avoid looking at him all the time.


    "I studied for my next exam, and then learned baking a cake. Grandma taught me," I replied. But didn¡¯t tell him my real intentions. I was learning it so I could bake a cake for his next birthday which would be there ining months.


    "How was your training?" I asked.


    "Just like always. Nothing special," he replied.


    I knew it was the protocol to not share training things or anything rted to the pack security to the irrelevant people, so I didn¡¯t ask anything further.


    "When¡¯s your grandparents returning?" he asked.

 Chapter 120: Mind In Gutter

    <h4>Chapter 120: Mind In Gutter</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Maybe, by the dawn," I replied. This festival was the celebration of overnight, that I knew, though I had never attended one in my life.


    So, this was the first time I was kind of celebrating it with someone. Though not some fancy party filled with many werewolf couples, having him alone by my side was the huge celebratory thing for me.


    Maybe next year, with him, I¡¯ll be able to attend an official festival. It would be my first time attending a real festival, and if we waited till then, maybe the first mating as well.


    "I am staying with you until they return," he told me as he looked at the clock, which showed the day had just changed. "You should not stay alone at home on this night. Have they always left you alone on the Moon Festival?"


    "They asked me if I wanted to go, but I said no," I replied, not willing to tell him it was the first time ever they asked me if I wanted to go, while before, I was always alone.


    "Were you waiting for me?" he asked. "The reason you didn¡¯t go?"


    "You promised you would return for the Moon Festival, but I thought you couldn¡¯t make it. So, I didn¡¯t want to go anywhere either," I replied.


    "You did well," he said, removing his shoes and getting on the bed. "Or I would have kidnapped you from whatever party they had taken you to."


    I smiled lightly and found him settling next to me in the bed, our backs resting against the cushioned headboard.


    <i>Is he going to stay here for real? That means the entire night with me?</i> I swallowed hard, wondering if we were going to do something again.


    He turned to look at me. "What are you thinking again?"


    I turned my face the other way and shook my head. "Nothing." I didn¡¯t want him to see me in case my face was blushing.


    "Look at me," he said.


    I looked back at him, deciding not to show my thoughts on my face, and...


    "Ahh... that hurts..." My voice was pained as I rubbed my forehead.


    He had finger-flicked my forehead, that too without an ounce of gentleness.


    "That¡¯s for your mind to get out of whatever gutter it¡¯s swimming in," he said.


    Damn. <i>He caught on to my thoughts. He must be thinking this girl looks simple and innocent, but her mind is always in the gutter.</i>


    "I didn¡¯t think anything," I lied.


    He let out a light chuckle and held my chin to make me look at him. "Let me see."


    I removed my hand, and he blew on my forehead gently to make it feel better. Once done, he said, "Don¡¯t worry, once you are of age, both of us will jump in that same gutter, and trust me, I won¡¯t let you out of it ever."


    I felt surprised that a word like <i>gutter</i> could be used in flirting and romance this way. That¡¯s hrious. But whatever gutter he was mentioning, I would happily jump in it if it was with him.


    As if he remembered something, he asked me, "Do you have any cream to apply on bruises?"


    I looked at him, worried. "Are you hurt somewhere? During training..."


    He shook his head. "It¡¯s for you. Any kind of cream will do. Don¡¯t you girls have moisturiser cream or something?"


    "I have," I said. "But I am fine..."


    "Where is it?" he asked, interrupting me. I pointed towards the bedside table. "The drawer."


    He leaned to the bedside table on his side and opened the drawer. There was a round bottle of aloe vera gel. He hummed, as if it was fine, and then turned to me.


    "Look up."


    I offered him a puzzled look, and he said, "I am sure you don¡¯t want your grandparents to see what you did tonight with me."


    Now I realised. Must be the hickeys. I jumped out of the bed and went to the mirror to see.


    A loud gasp left my mouth, filled with utter shock. "I am dead."


    "You are not," I heard him say in a casual tone. "Come here."


    My lips curved into a sad curve as I went to him. He made me sit at the edge of the bed and used his fingers to ease that sad curve of my lips into a happy one. "By the morning, it will be gone. We are werewolves. We heal faster."


    I had no other way but to trust him.


    He dipped his fingers in the bottle of gel and started to apply it gently on my neck and below.


    "How do you know this? Have you done this for your previous girlfriends?" I asked.


    Honestly, it was just an excuse to satisfy my curiosity to know about his dating life. I wanted to know how many shewolves he had dated before me.


    "I never had a girlfriend," he replied, continuing his work on my neck.


    I felt delighted but asked again, "You are an Alpha... I mean... they..."


    He stopped and looked at me, his expression calm and serious. "If you want to know if I had slept with someone, then yes. There were plenty I had been with. Just as you said, I am an Alpha, and our needs we can¡¯t deny. But those were just to take care of needs. I didn¡¯t even know their names."


    Somehow it hurt, but he was being honest, and he did say it wasn¡¯t love.


    "And since the day I am with you, I never even looked at anyone, let alone wanting to touch them. You are the only one, and it will always be the same," he added.


    This was trulyforting now. I could ask for nothing more.


    "Shall I continue now?" he asked.


    I nodded and quickly raised my neck up like an obedient child so he could do his work with ease.


    I didn¡¯t feel shy now that it was his care towards me, and I just watched his serious face, which looked like he was doing the most crucial task. It made me smile a little.

 Chapter 121: Sleeping Together

    <h4>Chapter 121: Sleeping Together</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    He looked at me. "What are you smiling for?"


    I shook my head. "Nothing."


    "I must look very handsome up close, more than I already am?" he said, his own lips curving into a smile as he focused back on the task.


    "Yes. You are the most handsome man I have ever seen," I replied, and I wasn¡¯t lying. In my eyes, he was. He caught my heart the moment Iid my eyes on him for the first time.


    "And you are the most beautiful girl I had ever seen," he replied.


    He must be exaggerating, as there were many beautiful girls in the pack, far better than me. For example, that Sophia. She was a little annoying, but there was no denying she was a beautiful and attractive girl around. Like an enchanting fox, she got everyone¡¯s attention. Her beautiful blond hair added to her charm even more.


    But the man I loved said I am the most beautiful for him, so I will ept the praise dly. It¡¯s enough for me to be beautiful in his eyes alone.


    "Once more lost in gutter?" he asked as he put the bottle aside.


    I quickly covered my forehead with my hand and leaned back so he wouldn¡¯t finger-flick it again. And I shook my head in an instant. "Not at all... I swear..."


    He chuckled softly, as if finding me react this way very amusing. "Alright, get inside the sheet. It¡¯s cold."


    I moved quickly to the headrest to sit, but he said, "I am sure you don¡¯t want to hurt your back by sleeping in a sitting position."


    I understood andy in the bed, and he covered me with the sheets while lecturing me a little. "You should wear full clothes while sleeping on cold days. I will let it slide tonight, thinking you wore it to tempt me, and it truly worked."


    "I didn¡¯t..." I tried to say, but heid next to me in bed and I shut my mouth.


    "We are just sleeping side by side. Making it clear before you let your mind run wild," he said, and slipped one hand below my neck, pulling my sheet-covered body closer to his. "Just so you won¡¯t feel cold."


    Excuse to keep me close. But well, I will ept it.


    I gathered a little courage and turned to my side to face him, burying myself in his embrace, my face against his nape. I could inhale his scent. I slept like a child.


    "Good night," I whispered.


    "Good night," he replied and held me even closer. His warmth and his scent were trulyforting, and I fell asleep in no time.


    The next morning when I woke up, the sun rays had filled my room. The sun was out, but...


    I looked around the room. He was gone.


    I sat up, feeling bad that I didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye to him, and instead I slept like a pig.


    <i>What kind of a girlfriend am I?</i>


    But then, I found a small stick note on the pillow.


    <i>[This was the best night I have ever lived through, because the girl I love was with me.]</i>


    Just the simple lines made my day and brought the widest smile to my lips.


    "It¡¯s the same for me," I mumbled as I caressed that note as if I could feel him through it. "The best night I have ever lived through. Because the boy I love was with me."


    I got out of the bed and pulled out one small box from the bottom of my cupboard. It had a small lock. I put in the password and it opened. This box contained the parts of memories that I still held precious since my childhood days. Now another one was added to it.


    Keeping it back, I went to the mirror to check the marks on my neck. They were almost gone and could be hidden with a high-rise neck top. It was cold, so it made it perfect to wear as well.


    Just then, my mobile rang and it was Alice¡¯s call.


    "Eira, how are you, my darling?" her cheerful voice came through. "How was the lonely Moon Festival?"


    "Just like yours," I replied with a chuckle. I knew she was not allowed to go outside the home either. Her brothers were strict, and they didn¡¯t want her to find a mate anytime soon.


    I heard her sigh. "Alright. I called you to invite you for breakfast. My mother has made something super delicious after so long, and she wants you to join us."


    "Umm... I have to ask my grandparents..." I replied. The next day of the Moon Festival was an off day as well, so there wasn¡¯t school for me to leave home without any reason.


    I freshened up and went downstairs. But my grandparents weren¡¯t home.


    "How much did they enjoy overnight, that they haven¡¯t returned yet?" I wondered and decided to call them.


    My grandma picked up the call and said, "Oh! Sweety, I am sorry for not returning home yet. We will return by noon. We are caught up with some old friends."


    "It¡¯s alright, Grandma," I said. "I am invited to Alice¡¯s home for breakfast. I wanted to go."


    "Alice? Yes, of course. Thank her mother on my behalf."


    "Yes, Grandma." I hung up the call, dropped a message to Alice, and went to bathe.


    Getting ready, I reached her home. Fluffy weed me by almost jumping on me. I petted him for a while and entered the home.


    As usual, the Corven family wasn¡¯t alone. They had the same guests. Jennifer always loved to have more people around, as she thought it made the home more lively, and those included her sons¡¯ friends.


    I looked towards the five friends sitting in the drawing room, talking over something. They looked back at me. I offered a light greeting nod, making sure not to let my gaze linger on him for more than a moment.


    While he enjoyed looking at me without even blinking. I felt like he was reminding me of what we did the previous night. My cheeks started to heat up again and I looked away.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 122: Eira Has A Boyfreind?

    <h4>Chapter 122: Eira Has A Boyfreind?</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Thankfully, Alice came out from the kitchen and hugged me straight away, almost squeezing me to death.


    "My love, you are finally here," she said, being so cheerful, and dragged me inside the kitchen. "See what my mom cooked. It¡¯s my favourite, and she cooks it only on the next day of the Moon Festival. Taste it."


    It was some old-fashioned traditional dish which was rarely avable anywhere. I tasted it, and I could say it was my new favourite now.


    "Isn¡¯t it yumm?" Alice asked.


    And I nodded quickly, my mouth full, my eyes brightening up with the lovely taste. Just as I swallowed, I said, "Aunty, I want to learn it as well."


    Jennifer, still so beautiful for her age and hard to believe she had two big hunks like sons, offered me her usual most beautiful smile one could see. "Sure, dear."


    She carried a true motherly warmth. Alice and her brothers were so fortunate.


    "You two can start arranging the breakfast table," Jennifer instructed.


    I liked it that she treated me like family and not like a guest. I started working with Alice. As we arranged the dishes on the table, Alice came close to me.


    "What¡¯s this?"


    I looked at her, and she pulled the neckline of my top down. "Your skin..."


    I moved back immediately, startled. How sharp her eyes must be, damn.


    I collected myself quickly under her doubtful gaze. "There were mosquitoesst night in my room as I left my window open. I am allergic to their bites."


    "Mosquitoes or just a mosquito, huh?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at me, her hands folded in front of her chest like a strict teacher enquiring her student.


    "You have a boyfriend, right? And yesterday was a Moon Festival... so you two..."


    "Alice, it¡¯s not like that..." I interrupted her before she could reach some absurd conclusion.


    Damn! I was caught. But I had to deny it. We had not yet decided on revealing it to anyone. I could feel the gazes of the other five on me. Alice was loud enough to alert their hearing senses.


    "You have a boyfriend?" A familiar voice came through. "Whoa! What a great news! Congrattions, Eira."


    Sophia. Top to bottom covered in high brand things. A stylist top, paired with mini skirt, knee length long leather boots in high heels and jewellery.


    No wonder Alice always called her - Brand Factory.


    And Damn, she had to hear it of all people. Now everyone would know about me having a boyfriend.


    I shook my head to deny, but before that Alice stepped between us.


    "What are you doing here, Sophia?" Alice asked, her tone displeased. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t invited.


    Meanwhile, I looked at him for a moment to know what he must be thinking. But he was calm. I let out a sigh of relief.


    "Oh, I got to know Kael was here, so I came," she replied and looked at Kael. "Aunt told me."


    He didn¡¯t reply or react, as if unbothered with what she did.


    "This bitch alwayses sniffing here, as if a dog, not a wolf," Alice whispered to me. "And her sniffing always ends here, forcing us to bear with her nonsense. Bitch."


    I smiled lightly, as Alice never liked having Sophia around but tolerated her for the obvious reason. Kael¡¯s and his mother.


    "Kael, what did you do for the Moon Festival?" we heard Sophia ask him as she settled in the chair, keeping her expensive branded bag on the table. "And you four as well."


    "Slept!" all five of them replied together.


    "With each other," Lucian added. "As no she-wolf is worth sleeping with."


    Damn! That was a tight p for her, as she was considered the most desirable. Her face twisted for a moment, but she smiled. "You friends are unique."


    An usual way to get over her insult.


    Alice chuckled. "Thank God I am their sister, so their words never hurt me." Then she looked at me. "Don¡¯t feel bad. You are like a sister to them as well, so those words are not for you."


    I hummed quietly as I thought, ¡¯Sister? Maybe to other four, but to him. After thest night, we are close to being mates now.¡¯


    "Are you two done yet?" Jennifer¡¯s voice came through.


    "Yes, Mom," Alice replied, and we hurried to work.


    All of us had breakfast together, enjoying the talk, but Sophia had to dig up what was buried.


    "So who¡¯s your boyfriend, Eira?" she asked. "What does he do?"


    I almost felt choked with the food in my mouth. Alice patted my back and handed me water. I could feel all of their gazes on me. Damn! What should I do now?


    I had a few sips. "Just someone you don¡¯t know."


    "Oh, so you indeed have a boyfriend," Sophia pressed on. "So did you spend the Moon Festival with him? Well, I hope you do remember you are still a minor..."


    I looked back at her, my gaze displeased. This time she was clearly crossing her boundaries. "I don¡¯t find it necessary to tell anything to anyone."


    "Oh! I was just curious..." Sophia tried to exin, as no one asked Eira anything either.


    "I think you should focus on eating, Sophia," Alice said. "It¡¯s not every day my mom cooks it."


    I had my head lowered, eating quietly.


    Jennifer must have sensed my awkwardness, so as she served more soup in my bowl, she said, "It¡¯s totally alright to keep your matters private."


    I looked at her. She smiled and said, "Eat well. As Alice said, I don¡¯t cook it always."


    I smiled back. "Thank you, aunty."


    Jennifer looked back at Alice. "I wished my daughter had something to keep private as well."


    Alice turned to Jennifer. "Mom. I could have, but I can¡¯t, thanks to you."


    "What did I do?" Jennifer asked.


    "You are the one to bless me with such two devil-like brothers who won¡¯t let any boy wander around me. I wasn¡¯t even allowed to attend the Moon Festival. If this continues, I am sure I will spend my life alone, mateless, and being an old nanny of my brothers¡¯ kids. Such is my life."


    It made others smile. She was always this drama queen, and we loved her for this.


    "You can have a mate, but after a few more years," Lucian said.


    "And only the one we approve of," Jason added.


    She sighed helplessly. "That guarantees my eternal bachelorhood."


    (shback Over)


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 Chapter 123: Who Is Ray?

    <h4>Chapter 123: Who Is Ray?</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    There wasplete silence after what Roman said.


    By now every one of us knew well, we had lost that old Eira. We wouldn¡¯t see her the same ever again.


    "Now I think about it, we should have gone to meet her in the prison at least once back then," Roman said, "Though we wouldn¡¯t have trusted her, still...."


    He then looked at me. "Not you and Lucian or Jason, as I could understand your reason for not wanting to see her, but at least I should have gone."


    My world fell utterly silent. Because I didn¡¯t have the courage to admit to them or to myself that in fact I went to see her after I got revenge on our enemies. And then what happened.


    Damn it! My pain and hatred back then surely got the worst of me.


    But sooner orter I will have to tell them. I wasn¡¯t sure how they will react.


    Roman turned to Rafe. "We two should have tried it."


    Rafe said nothing and looked away. He always chose silence over revealing what was in his mind.


    Roman¡¯s gaze shifted to Lucian and Jason, but both of them avoided his eyes, as if hiding something.


    "What?" Roman pressed. "I¡¯m not saying you should have gone to her. I understand your situation back then..."


    "We went to see her," Lucian finally admitted, his voice low. "After we buried our mother, we couldn¡¯t contain our anger..." He trailed off.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you two hurt her," Roman asked.


    "What else were we supposed to do with the murderer of our sister and mother?" Jason snapped, defensive. "Praise her? Thank her for destroying our lives? At that time, everything was against her."


    Roman sighed, remembering the chaos and pain of back then. "Alright. Until we uncover everything, all I want is for none of us to treat her badly. I don¡¯t want her to get hurt¡ªand I don¡¯t want to add to the burden of guilt we¡¯re already carrying, in case she is truly innocent."


    Fortunately, we all agreed as we felt the same.


    I was sure, just like me others were hoping for her innocence, and the clear proof of it was how desperately everyone was going after finding the truth.


    My brothers had left after we discussed the next steps, leaving me alone with her. I felt lost, unsure of what to do or how to even speak to her.


    Seeing her broken again, begging to be allowed to die, tore at my heart. The pain ran too deep, the same ache I had carried for the past six years.


    ording to our findings, she appearedpletely innocent in the matter of providing information to our enemies. Yet, the video with Keiren left too many questions unanswered. Why was she connected to him in this way? Why would Keiren im it was all her doing, even sending us the video himself?


    Keiren had never mentioned Sophia. What was his n, and what was the true motive behind it? Or was someone else pulling the strings from the shadows, framing Eira intentionally, for reasons only they understood?


    A new name had now surfaced¡ªthe Alpha of the Ravenw pack¡ªand with it came even more questions.


    Even if Eira were not a traitor, she could not be considered innocent in Alice¡¯s death. I had to weigh Lucian and Jason¡¯s perspective before I could even think about dering her meless.


    Had someone set her up to kill Alice? And if so, why Alice? What connection did Alice have to all of this?


    The more answers emerged, the deeper the mystery became.


    If she were found to be entirely innocent and had suffered for nothing, I would never forgive myself. I might never even be worthy of her forgiveness. Still, I prayed for her innocence, even if it meant carrying a lifetime of guilt and hatred from her.


    All I wanted now was to stop her suffering. If there were any way to make it right for her, even at the cost of my own life, I would do it. I wanted her to be like she had been before, though I knew that could never happen.


    I moved closer to the bed. Her eyes were closed, probably asleep. Liam had made sure she had enough medication to keep her drowsy, preventing her from harming herself in this fragile state.


    While she slept, I could at least be near her, aposite to how distant we were when she was awake.


    Just as I reached the bed, I saw her shifting restlessly in her sleep. Her brows were knitted, her lips murmuring something I couldn¡¯t quite catch, and tears began to roll down the corners of her eyes.


    I slowly sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in mine, hoping she could feel that she was not alone in whatever nightmare gued her. Her fingers clenched mine tightly as her distress grew.


    "Don¡¯t leave me... please... I¡¯m sorry..."


    I leaned closer to hear her more clearly, and then I caught it.


    "Ray... Don¡¯t... please..."


    The words were barely formed, yet that name rang clear.


    Ray?


    Who was it?


    We didn¡¯t have anyone by that name in our circle. Could it be the man we were searching for, her child¡¯s father?


    "Ray..." she repeated, her voice desperate, and started to cry quietly in her sleep, as though in unbearable pain.


    It was infuriating to see her longing for someone else, yet I swallowed my bitterness. Perhaps in the past six years, she had found a support in him, and she clung to that memory. Or she still loved him, longed for him, and just pretended to hate him to protect him from us.


    Gosh! These twisted conclusions, changing even now and then with so much overthinking out of jealousy was going to make me crazy. The thought of her loving some man and that man wasn¡¯t me, was infuriating.


    <i>¡¯I need to keep calm,¡¯ I assured myself. ¡¯I need to wait till all the findings are there. I need to stop getting jealous and overthinking.¡¯</i>


    I lifted my other hand to gently wipe the tears from her cheeks. She tugged at my hand tightly, as if afraid I might leave, though I knew it wasn¡¯t for me she held on so fiercely¡ªit was for Ray.


    Still, I pushed that thought aside. Comforting her was my priority. We would find this Rayter, and decide what needed to be done.


    I picked up the remote from the bedside table and turned off the lights. It waste, and it was time to rest. I would sleep with her, just like that night in my room, in my bed.


    The hospital bed wasn¡¯trge, but it was enough for the two of us. I pulled her close, holding her as we shared the same thin sheets. My presence seemed to calm her, and in return, her warmth and scentforted me.


    Her scent... it had always drawn me, pulling me closer in ways I had never been able to resist. I had missed it so much. I had missed her.


    But the hatred within me had burned all that I ever felt in the past.


    She settled against me just as she was meant to, and before long, her breaths evened out. Even in sleep, she murmured that name again, a soft repetition that echoed in the quiet room.


    ¡¯Ray!¡¯ I repeated this name in my mind, ¡¯Need to find the bastard.¡¯


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 Chapter 124: Ray Is Her Son’s Name

    <h4>Chapter 124: Ray Is Her Son¡¯s Name</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning, when I opened my eyes, I didn¡¯t leave the bed before she woke, unlike that night when she had slept in my room. Instead, Iy still, watching her. Her frail face had lost everything it once carried¡ªher innocence, her charm¡ªyet to me she was still beautiful.


    Lying on my side, I studied her as if I could memorize every detail, not even wanting to blink. Her small body was curled toward me, close enough that I could almost feel her warmth. I wondered what she would do if she woke now and saw me like this. How would she react?


    Would she react like before, as though I were a monster she needed to escape?


    And, I didn¡¯t know I was going to get the answer just in a few moments.


    She stirred, her brows knitting faintly before her eyes fluttered open. I didn¡¯t move. I wanted her to see me here, to face the reality that I wasn¡¯t leaving. Running was no longer an option for her. She was mine, whether she liked it or not.


    Her gaze cleared, settling on me. And what I expected never came. There was no fear.


    Instead, she stared back at me with an expression t and cold, her voice hoarse and unfeeling as she said, "If you¡¯re waiting to fuck me, do it already and get lost."


    Damn! This hurt more than if she had reacted the other way. Scared of me, angry at me, or anything but this...


    My expression hardened, my voice cold. "If I truly wanted to fuck you, I wouldn¡¯t wait for you to wake up, nor would I bother asking for your permission. So don¡¯t give me that shit you give to others." I rose from the bed, my patience fraying.


    I didn¡¯t want to say it this way, but she was checking my patience. And what infuriated me most was how she was so good with Roman, while I was the one looking after her here and didn¡¯t hurt her even once like Lucian and Jason, who tortured her a few days back.


    Couldn¡¯t she see I meant her no harm? That I wasn¡¯t the monster she painted me to be? Was being a ck wolf truly such a sin?


    Instead, being a ck wolf was what made me the strongest, and I could protect her from the council and other treacherous Alphas who might hurt her in ways she wouldn¡¯t begin to imagine. I wanted to protect her even when I didn¡¯t know she was innocent, but all she saw was a monster in me.


    I called for the nurse to take care of her and went to the bathroom. I didn¡¯t want to hear anything more from her that might anger me more.


    Getting ready, leaving her to the nurse, I busied myself in my work in the side room, while keeping watch on her through the ss partition.


    After an hour, Liam came to see her for a routine check-up. I went there as well.


    She didn¡¯t look at Liam either. Since the day she med Liam for telling us about her child, she seemed to have hated him more.


    "You are recovering really well," Liam said to her, "Seems like your wolf got theforting sleep throughout the night."


    She didn¡¯t respond or react as if Liam was talking to the wall.


    But I knew why her wolf wasforted. I was the reason. And I am d it helped her just the way I thought.


    Liam didn¡¯t mind her and turned to me, "You can take her home in the noon."


    I hummed, and Liam added, "The doctor I was talking about, we can take her to now."


    We had decided to show Eira to the psychiatrist to treat her mental condition.


    After half an hour, the nurse took her in the wheelchair to Liam¡¯s office. Thedy doctor, I, was sitting in Liam¡¯s chair as she weed Eira with a smile.


    "Good to see you, Eira," I said as the nurse stopped the wheelchair in front of the desk and left.


    Liam and I watched her from the other room, beyond the ss window.


    Eira didn¡¯t respond to the doctor. She would let us move her around anywhere without any protest, but her mind was hers to control.


    The doctor kept her calm and pleasantposure as she flipped through the pages of Eira¡¯s file. "Hmm... You had a procedure yesterday. Looking at you, I can tell you are doing good. That¡¯s in fact a good sign for your physical state."


    Eira didn¡¯t respond and, as usual, looked beyond the window. Her usual way of ignoring others.


    The doctor directed all her attention to her and said, "Outside, the weather is indeed beautiful today. What do you think?"


    Silence.


    "You can tell me what¡¯s going on in your mind at this moment, so maybe we can have a nice conversation," the doctor continued, not giving up.


    "I was wondering if that window is locked and if I can manage to jump down it" Eira finally spoke, her gaze on the window. "I can tell the floor is high enough to kill someone with a single jump."


    She was suicidal as if it was the only goal of her life.


    I could see the doctor¡¯s expression change for a moment, but she collected herself and smiled. "I am afraid that you won¡¯t seed, as the window is securely locked."


    "Bastards!" Eira cursed.


    We had made sure to lock windows of any room she was taken to.


    "Hmm, whoever locked the window, indeed deserve cursing," the doctor said, "They should have thought about not locking windows when the weather is so beautiful outside. That would call for a perfect jump and pleasant death as well. Tsk! Such a bummer."


    Eira finally looked at the doctor, a middle-aged woman, an experienced psychologist.


    She offered Eira a smile and said, "So, how about we talk about something else as the n of jumping the window is not for today? Maybe you can tell me more about yourself."


    Eira frowned at her friendliness and once more looked toward the window.


    The doctor didn¡¯t give up. She stood up from the chair, went to stand by the window, and looked outside just like Eira.


    She then turned to look at her, facing her back to the window, and said, "Eira, I know you have gone through so much pain in past years, and I am sorry for that. But how about you give yourself another chance? I want to help you. For that, we can start with something good that you treasure and try to recall any of your precious memories?"


    Eira didn¡¯t respond.


    The doctor turned to face the window again and continued, "Alright! Let¡¯s start with the precious memory I have in my life. Maybeter you can think of yours."


    It felt more like a friendly chat than a doctor-and-patient routine.


    Not waiting for Eira, the doctor went on, "I have many bad and good memories like anyone, but if I have to choose the most precious one, then it¡¯s when I gave birth to my daughter, my first child."


    At this, there was finally a reaction from Eira. She looked at her doctor, her hands gripping the chair¡¯s handrest. The doctor had finally caught her attention.


    I continued, still looking outside, her tone calm, "It¡¯s been fifteen years, and she will be an adult in theing months, but even now that moment is still fresh to me, as if it happened just yesterday. It was a painful delivery, but all was worth it the moment I saw her. I held her tiny body in my hands, her sweet smell still fresh in my mind. I held her close to my chest and felt like I had everything in life I could ever want. She was so beautiful that I named her right there, with the first name that came to my mind..."


    "Ray," Eira spoke up.


    She was looking at her hands as if she were holding her child, tears rolling down her eyes as she mumbled again, "Ray..."


    It was as if the doctor¡¯s words had reminded her of her own moments when she gave birth to her son. The doctor finally turned to look at her.


    Liam and I looked at each other. She had finally reacted to something.


    And most importantly, I understood¡ª <i>Ray is her son¡¯s name.</i>


    In her sleep, she was missing and longing for her son, not for some bastard the way I had thought.


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 Chapter 125: She Will Never Be The Woman She Once Was

    <h4>Chapter 125: She Will Never Be The Woman She Once Was</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The doctor pulled a chair and sat before Eira, herposure steady and calm. She watched Eira weep, clutching the emptiness in her arms as though she still held her child there, gazing down at him as if he had never left.


    The sight tore into me. My throat tightened, my chest felt unbearably heavy, and my eyes burned.


    If only that incident didn¡¯t happen in the past, if only she wasn¡¯t framed. Perhaps today she would be holding our child instead, and we would be living the happy life together. Because she was meant to be fine. Our fates had already decided it.


    At the same time, the thought of having a child with her overwhelmed me. I wished I could look forward to that future, but I knew it would take time. She needed healing, not only in her body, but deep within her broken spirit.


    "His name is Ray?" the doctor asked gently.


    Liam had already exined Eira¡¯s condition, and that she had once borne a child.


    Eira nodded, tears streaking down her pale cheeks.


    "How did it feel to hold him?" the doctor pressed softly.


    "Small... beautiful..." Eira choked, her words faltering. "But... they took him away. They didn¡¯t let me... see him again..."


    "Why?" the doctor asked.


    Eira shook her head, silent for a moment. Then she whispered, broken and trembling, "They said... they would let me see him if I obeyed them for five years..." Her sobs deepened, raw and aching. "But... they sold me again... never showed me my son... Bastards... liars..."


    My fists clenched.


    Those bastards had yed with her. They had used her desperate hope of meeting her son one day as a leverage against her to make her submit to them, when they had already sold the child. They had toyed with her emotions so badly.


    Bastards. I will see to it that everyst one of them dies a brutal death. I am sure most of them had already taken down by Jason and Lucian and their anger, the rest, will fall into my hands.


    "I understand your pain. I am a mother as well," the doctor said gently. "But don¡¯t worry. We will find your son. Soon..."


    "No." Eira shook her head violently, her tears falling faster. "I don¡¯t want to... they will kill him... I don¡¯t want to see him die in front of me. I don¡¯t want to see him anymore. I don¡¯t..."


    "No one will kill him," the doctor tried to assure her, but Eira¡¯s words came sharp and broken.


    "I don¡¯t want him to grow up among monsters... and turn into another monster. I wish... I wish he would die soon... and then I will follow him... We will meet there one day..."


    The doctor was struck silent. What mother would wish for her child¡¯s death? We had the same thought when she said the same in front of us brothers. She wanted her son to die.


    Yet, looking at Eira, she could understand the depth of despair that had twisted her hope into something this dark.


    "Eira," she spoke softly, "though you have suffered, that does not mean the entire world is evil."


    "All are monsters..." Eira cried out bitterly. "...Bloody monsters!..."


    "Eira..."


    But Eira only broke down further, her sobs turning louder until her words were lost in anguish. She was no longer in any condition to listen.


    The doctor paused and let her weep, finally turning her gaze toward the window, silently signaling to us that the session was over.


    I could not hold myself back any longer, my chest tight with helplessness. All I wanted was to take her into my arms,fort her. Without waiting for the nurse to take her back, I went to her.


    I bent down, lifted her frail body into my arms, and walked out, holding her against me as if I could shield her from every cruel memory. She sobbed against my chest, her eyes closed, her tears soaking through my shirt. Each tear cut into me, each shudder of her fragile body echoing in my own heart.


    Back in her room, I sat on the bed with her still in my arms, settling her into myp. I wrapped her tightly within my embrace, unwilling to let go, while her face rested against my shoulder. Her grief seeped into me, and I carried it as my own.


    I wanted to tell her I would bring her son back, but I could not. Fear held me back. What if the child we had traced was not hers? What if the clues we followed were false, nted by enemies to mislead us? We had to be certain before we gave her hope.


    To raise it, only to shatter it again, would destroy her beyond repair. It was better to act in silence and give her the truth when we had it, rather than feed her dreams that would turn into nightmares.


    She soon drifted into sleep in my arms. Iid her gently upon the bed and left the nurse by her side while I returned to the doctor.


    Liam was still there, likely discussing her condition.


    I sank into the chair across from them as the doctor continued exin me, her voice steady and clinical, until one sentence froze me in ce.


    "...and she is highly suicidal," she said, pausing as though to weigh my reaction. "You must have realised it already."


    "I know," I answered quietly. "She has tried to take her life multiple times, and it doesn¡¯t seem like she will ever stop."


    The doctor hummed in acknowledgment. My chest tightened and I forced myself to speak again. "What can we do to change her? I will do anything. I don¡¯t want her to die. I..." The words caught in my throat, refusing to pass the weight pressing there. "You must have a way, as her doctor."


    The doctor¡¯s gaze softened with a shadow of pity. "We will try to heal her," she said, "but you must understand¡ªher soul is shattered like a mirror. No matter how much one tries to piece it together, the cracks remain, and some shards are crushed entirely that they cannot be recovered."


    "I understand," I murmured, though the words burned me.


    "We can guide her away from suicide, help her to find reasons to live," the doctor continued. "But I will not give you false hope, Alpha Kael. She will never again be the woman she once was, the one you must have known in the past."


    I hummed as I knew this already.


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 Chapter 126: She Might Kill Her Own Child

    <h4>Chapter 126: She Might Kill Her Own Child</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    "There will be days she is too weak, and days she will stand so strong you may not know how to deal with her. Her mind will remain vtile for a long time, or maybe forever. You must ept this broken version of her if you wish to keep her with you."


    "As long as she stops attempting suicide, I am fine with any version of her," I said firmly. "Tell me what we must do to drive those thoughts out of her mind."


    "The root of everything lies in the pain and suffering she has endured through the years," the doctor replied. "She has locked it all away. She trusts no one, sees no hope. She lives like the walking dead. First, we must free her mind from the prison of that pain."


    "How do we do that?" I asked.


    "By making her face it, making her talk about it. She needs to express what she has buried so deeply. It must be allowed to flow out," the doctor exined, then asked, "Have there been any instances that provoked strong reactions in her?"


    I gave a short nod. "Twice. Once when she happened to see her own abuse video, and again when we spoke of her child."


    "Both are precisely the keys," the doctor said. "They strike at her deepest wounds. Once she begins to release that pain and somewhat heals, the second step is to reunite her with her son¡ªif he can be found and if it is possible."


    "I will do that," I assured her.


    "Not yet," the doctor warned, her tone firm. "It would not be good for a child to be near a mother who is unstable. Though she loves her child, that love can be dangerous for them both. There is a real chance she might try to end both their lives together."


    And here I was thinking of running her with her son soon to make her feel better.


    The doctor continued, "You saw yourself how she spoke of wanting her son to die as well and meet him in afterlife. In her mind, this world holds no worth. She believes strongly in afterlife. And we cannot risk her acting on that belief and harm her own child."


    Her words chilled me. I never could guess her situation was this bad. She was dying every day while breathing, that¡¯s why she cared for nothing.


    "I will keep that in mind," I said atst. "I will not bring her son to her until she is ready."


    The doctor gave me an proving hum.


    We discussed further on how to make her release her pain and we had a n after a long talk.


    "...It will be truly painful for her, but we have to do it," the doctor said. "And I will be around as well, so she should be fine."


    I hummed again. I had to tell my brothers about it.


    ----


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    I came to the prison administration office to get Eira¡¯s file. My arrival wasn¡¯t informed, so ultimately everyone was shocked and somewhat terrified to see one of their five Alphas. I could smell the fear even from the distance.


    They feared me more because, to those loser wolves, I was a Vampire¡ªthe kind that didn¡¯t sit well with them.


    <i>Fuckers! As if I am going to drain them dry of their filthy blood.</i>


    "A-Alpha Rafe, wee," one of the suckers said.


    "Where is the main officer?" I asked and entered the main office area.


    Before he could answer, the main officer showed up and, just like the previous one, he weed me with wariness as if I was here to bring disaster to their heads.


    "I want a certain case file from six years back," I told him as I entered his office, with him following me, while I settled in his chair, my legs stretched on his work desk.


    "Yes, Alpha. Please tell me which one?" the officer said.


    "Eira Caldwell," I told him. "You get only five minutes for that." I looked at my old, almost ancient-looking wristwatch. "And your time starts now."


    The officer ran out while I told the other one, "And you. Get the one who was in charge of the case."


    The other one quickly ran out.


    I closed my eyes and rested my head back in the chair, my sharp hearing senses zeroed in on the almost non-existing sound of my watch¡¯s hands.


    Tick! Tick!


    "Five... Four... Three... Two..."


    "Alpha, here is the file," the officer hurried inside the office.


    I opened my eyeszily and looked at him. "You just saved your blood."


    He controlled his wariness and handed me the file. I got it and looked through it. "Where is her blood report?" I looked at him.


    "It¡¯s... it must be there, Alpha..."


    I tossed the file on the table. "Do you think my eyes can only see the blood rushing through your veins and not what¡¯s in this file?"


    "Apologies, Alpha." He picked up the file and realised there was no blood report. "As per the strict protocol, the blood and physical tests are always performed on the... but why is it missing here?"


    "Are you seeking the answer from me?" I asked coldly.


    "No, Alpha... I..."


    Just then a man entered the office¡ªthe same officer from the video who interrogated Eira.


    "Alpha Rafe," he offered a professional bow.


    The first one turned to him. "You were the officer in charge of this case. Why is there no blood report?"


    He looked through the file and then looked at me. "Alpha, her blood was indeed taken for the test. That same night, the entire pack was in chaos, and instead of paying attention to her, every one of us had to enter the fight with the enemy. And after that, we all were dealing with chaos and going after our enemies. Later Alpha Kael dered her a culprit, as we all knew what she did, so there was no more need for wasting time on anything."


    I couldn¡¯t fault him, as we were all the same in that regard.


    "Blood was sent for a test, that means reports were made?" I asked.


    "That should be the case. We have to check the hospital record from six years back," he said. "I will get it for you."


    "No need," I replied and stood up. I didn¡¯t have time to waste on their snail like pace.


    I headed straight to the hospital. Not just Eira, but I had to get Alice¡¯s blood test reports as well. The way Alice was terrified and asking Eira to save her, I was sure something was wrong there too.


    I had to go through the hospital archives. Fortunately, they had at least conducted the tests. With the reports, I went straight to Kael.


    I met him in the corridor. "Are youing from the doctor?" I asked, his expression serious.


    He hummed and looked at the envelope in my hand.


    "Her case file and the blood reports," I told him as I handed him one file.


    Kael quickly opened it while I told him, "She was indeed drugged."


    Kael¡¯s hand froze for a moment, but he read the report anyway.


    "Not just her, but Alice as well," I said and showed him another file¡ªAlice¡¯s case file. "The same drug was given to both of them."


    The veins on Kael¡¯s hands tightened as he heard it. I could feel the anger inside him, the same as mine when I first read the reports.

 Chapter 127: Do You Regret It, Kael?

    <h4>Chapter 127: Do You Regret It, Kael?</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Anything else besides this?" I asked Rafe, my eyes narrowing slightly as I studied him. I knew how skilled he was when it came to digging for the truth.


    "I recovered all the physical evidence," he said, his tone calm but sharp. "That includes Eira and Alice¡¯s cellphones. They¡¯re in bad condition, but I¡¯ll try to extract whatever data I can. If both Alice and Eira ended up there, it wasn¡¯t by chance. Someone arranged it. Any suspicious call or message might lead us to the one pulling the strings."


    He paused for a moment before adding, "And the gun she used. We need to track down who it belongs to, and how she got it."


    As expected, Rafe was thorough. His expertise with tech would prove invaluable now.


    "Grimhaze," I muttered, reading the name printed across the toxicology report. "It causes hallucinations."


    "Yes," Rafe confirmed. "But Lucian¡¯s the better one to exin its full effects. Once he¡¯s back, I¡¯ll show him the report."


    I closed the file with a low hum of acknowledgment. "If Jason and Lucian find out that Alice was drugged too, they might lose control. They¡¯ll chase their leads recklessly, desperate for revenge. Make sure they don¡¯t act on impulse. Let me know the moment anything changes."


    "Don¡¯t worry," Rafe said, his voice steady with assurance.


    He was quiet by nature, detached even, but I never doubted his sense of duty. He understood what needed to be done, and he never hesitated.


    "How is she?" he asked after a beat, his gaze shifting toward the closed door of Eira¡¯s hospital room.


    I sighed softly. "We¡¯re taking her home at noon. We¡¯ll speak then."


    Rafe gave a small nod, and together we stepped into the room.


    Eira was asleep, her figure lying still under the pale sheets. The nurse stood as we entered, offered a polite nod, and quietly excused herself.


    I made my way to the couch, ready to sit, but something unexpected caught my eye¡ªRafe didn¡¯t follow. Instead, he walked to her bedside.


    He stood there, silently watching her. If anyone else had been here, they would have teased him, throwing jabs about how her scent should have driven him away by now. But I didn¡¯t say a word.


    Because I knew better.


    Her scent wasn¡¯t unpleasant to him. Quite the opposite, in fact. If he had found it repulsive, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed in the same room for even a second. That was how Rafe was¡ªhe either liked something or he didn¡¯t. There was no middle ground. No tolerance. Nopromise.


    But for his sake, we chose to believe what he said.


    His voice, low and quiet, broke the silence. "Was she crying?"


    I hummed softly in response to his question.


    For the first time, I saw him express his concern for her openly. Not through his usual savage manner, where he masked his care behind disdain and coldness towards her. But behind that disdain, there had always been hints, subtle signs of a buried tenderness.


    He didn¡¯t speak again, yet I caught the slight movement of his hand as he reached out and gently wiped the still moist corner of her eye with his thumb. His red eyes, typically devoid of feeling, there was a tenderness in them I had never seen before.


    "Now that we know she might bepletely innocent," he said, still gazing at her, "do you regret it now, Kael?"


    He didn¡¯t even nce at me when he asked.


    "I indeed regret not looking deeper into the matter back then," I replied quietly. "She shouldn¡¯t have suffered this way."


    He turned to face me, his eyes locking with mine. "Is that the only regret you have?"


    The intensity of his gaze caught me off guard.


    I paused, uncertain. "What do you mean?"


    He stared at me for a moment more before saying, "Nothing," with a dismissive shake of his head.


    His eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he told me, "I¡¯m leaving."


    Without another word, he turned and walked out, leaving behind a strange silence... and a gnawing question in my mind.


    <i>Does he know? No... there¡¯s no way he does. I never told anyone.</i>


    ---


    By afternoon, I brought Eira back home.


    She had been silent ever since she woke up¡ªretreating once again into that quiet world of hers. There was no trace of her pain and how she cried a few hours ago.


    The doctor was right, we needed to unlock what¡¯s keeping her trapped. She couldn¡¯t go like this forever. And dying? Not even in her dream. I won¡¯t let her.


    On the drive back, she sat beside me in the car, her gaze distant, fixed outside the window as the trees and sky passed by unnoticed.


    When we reached the house, I stepped out first and opened her door, reaching to help her. But she brushed my hand away and got out on her own.


    "You¡¯re not allowed to walk for long," I said as I scooped her into my arms. "Be patient for a day or two."


    She struggled briefly, instinctively resisting, but soon gave in and let me carry her.


    Roman was already waiting in the drawing room. It seemed he had left the office early today, just to be here before she returned.


    Rafe was already home, seated in the drawing room, working intently with a set of toolsid out in front of him. He was focused on extracting data from the physical evidence he had recovered.


    "You¡¯re home?" Roman said as he walked toward us.


    Eira didn¡¯t spare him so much as a nce. Her eyes flicked around the room, searching¡ªnot for him, but for something else.


    Of course. Her pets.


    <strong>Miao!</strong>


    At Vixen¡¯s familiar cry, Eira immediately began to squirm in my arms. I sighed and set her down as the cat came bounding toward us.


    Before Eira could even take a step, Vixen leapt into her arms, and she caught her with practiced ease. Without acknowledging either of us, she turned and made her way to her usual corner, cradling her preciouspanion.


    Damn cat. Always craving Eira¡¯s attention like she fucking owned her. What an eyesore.


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 Chapter 128: Clever Fucker!

    <h4>Chapter 128: Clever Fucker!</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Roman followed after her quietly to her ce. "I¡¯ve set up a cushioned space for you," he said, gesturing to the arrangement by therge ss window. "You can sit or lie downfortably. Vixen can¡¯t be exposed to the cold for long. If she stays on the floor with you, it¡¯ll affect her health¡ªand her babies."


    Without protest, Eira settled into the space he had prepared. A soft mattress was spread across the floor,yered with warm, thick sheets and a backrest ced just right. Roman had taken care of every detail.


    Of course he had. The bastard always had a ir for doing the right thing at the right time. He must havee home early just to arrange all this, knowing she would want to sit here.


    No one would believe this was the same man who used to bully Eira relentlessly, the same man she once despised with a passion. And yet now, he was turning into the epitome of chivalry¡ªgentle, attentive, protective.


    "Clever fucker, isn¡¯t he?" Rafe¡¯s voice reached me as he looked up from his tools, eyes flicking toward me with that ever-present glint of amusement.


    "This will keep Vixen warm too." Once more Roman¡¯s voice got my attention.


    He had picked up a warm fleece nket and gently draped it over her shoulders.


    Bastard really knew how to use her pets against her. And I couldn¡¯t even pull that off. I am the most powerful Alpha, but was I that useless at these things?


    "Staring at him isn¡¯t going to teach you his tricks," came Rafe¡¯s mockingment once more.


    I shot him a sharp re, my voice cold, "Focus on your work. I want results. Soon."


    He didn¡¯t even look up. Just smirked as he continued tinkering with the equipment andmented again, "Tsk! The burn is real."


    I wanted to kick him¡ªhard, but I stood up and walked away, heading straight to my room, unwilling to let anyone see the emotions boiling in me.


    ----


    Evening arrived, and with it came Lucian and Jason. Once they were seated, Iid out everything¡ªfrom the hospital visit to the toxicology reports, from the evidence Rafe retrieved to our growing suspicions.


    As Roman listened, he leaned forward slightly and said, "I¡¯ve heard her say that name in her sleep. A few times, actually. But I didn¡¯t mention it before... I thought you guys might get angry, thinking she was still dreaming of another man. I didn¡¯t want to trigger any reactions from you when all of you were already being an ass towards her."


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. I¡¯d had that exact thought when I first heard her murmur the name. While Roman and I could keep our assumptions to ourselves, we couldn¡¯t say the same about Lucian and Jason. Especially Lucian. His temper was a different beast altogether.


    Roman added with a relieved breath, "Thankfully, it turns out the name she kept whispering¡ªRay¡ªis her son."


    Lucian was now poring over the medical report, his sharp eyes scanning every line. A shadow passed over his face.


    "Grimhaze?" he muttered under his breath, fists clenching tightly. "How fucking dare they?"


    Jason took the report from him, reading it carefully. His expression turned grim.


    "Alice feared scorpions more than anything," Lucian said, voice rough. He sank into the sofa, elbows on his thighs, head bowed low. His entire body was tense, trembling with a rage he was trying to contain. "She must¡¯ve been terrified out of her goddamn mind. The bastards who gave her this drug... they¡¯re begging for a lifetime of suffering."


    "Is it really that potent?" I asked.


    Lucian nodded, jaw clenched. "Depending on the dosage and the person¡¯s mental state, yes. Seeing how Alice reacted in that video, screaming,pletely unhinged¡ªthey didn¡¯t go easy on her. With that much Grimhaze in her system, she would¡¯ve been hallucinating vividly, convinced those giant scorpions were trying to devour her."


    He exhaled shakily. "She¡¯s had that fear since she was a child. One stung her when she was little, and the trauma never left. She used to have nightmares about it."


    "No wonder she was screaming for help so desperately," Roman murmured.


    Lucian nodded. "This drug doesn¡¯t just bring your nightmares to life¡ªit breaks your mind. Weakens your sense of reality. It throws you into a spiral of fear so intense, your body believes it¡¯s dying. It¡¯s not just a trip. It leaves a mark. Even after the drug fades, the visions, the fear¡ªthey can linger for life. People end up permanently traumatized, stuck in a loop of the same fucking nightmares."


    "If Eira was given the same drug, shouldn¡¯t she be seeing spiders instead of a ck wolf?" Roman asked.


    "But she¡¯s also afraid of ck wolves. That¡¯s why she was scared of Kael the day she saw him in his wolf form," Jason added, his expressions serious as if recalling something forgotten.


    Lucian hummed, eyes narrowing in thought. "There must be a reason she saw ck wolves instead of spiders. That¡¯s not random. It feels like selective fear¡ªinduced, perhaps, by someone... or something."


    "You mean someone manipted her mind that she¡¯d only hallucinate a ck wolf?" Rafe asked, ncing up from his tools.


    "That seems to be the case," Lucian replied, reaching over and picking up the gun from the table among the rest of the evidence. He held it with care, eyes studying every curve and detail. "And I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it¡¯s the same person who handed her this weapon."


    He turned the gun over in his hands once more. "I¡¯m taking this with me."


    Rafe gave a small nod, offering no protest. Lucian was, after all, the best among us when it came to analyzing something like this¡ªespecially when emotion was involved.


    But then Lucian¡¯s gaze shifted to me.


    "I still want to test a drug on her," he said bluntly. "I need to know what she sees this time. Will it be a ck wolf... or a spider?"


    I gave a slow nod. "The doctor mentioned we need to trigger an emotional response. Shake her mind enough to stir those suppressed memories. If this test can help us get there... then so be it."


    "But, just a little you have to use," Jason added. "Overdose might harm her."


    Lucian assured, "Just enough to trigger her fear. And, I will give her an antidote quickly. Won¡¯t let it harm her. You can trust my skills in drugs."


    Everyone agreed to his demand.


    "Do it tomorrow," I instructed with following deration. "And, tonight she is going to stay with me."


    They looked at me in shock. I didn¡¯t find it necessary to exin them why, and none objected it.


    My wolfforted hers and turned it stronger to help her heal faster. If she was going to be tested with drugs tomorrow, she needed to be with me, her wolf needed to be with mine.

 Chapter 129: The Effect Of The Drugs

    <h4>Chapter 129: The Effect Of The Drugs</h4>


    <strong>Keal¡¯s POV</strong>


    Eira had fallen asleep in that soft mattress by the ss window. Her pets huddled by her side. I went to her and gently carried her in my arms, making sure her sleep won¡¯t be disturbed.


    I could feel my four brothers¡¯ gazes on me as they must be still surprised at my actions. But I chose to ignore them, while they didn¡¯t dare ask me a thing.


    Inside my room, I ced her in the bed. Another night I would be spending with her, a peaceful night and devoid of any torment that I had been going through for the past six years.


    Now I know the reason of that pain. I truly deserved every bit of it.


    I turned off the lights, got into the bed, and as if staring to be closer to her since ages, I held her in my arms. Surrounded by her presence, her scent, the world felt quiet and peaceful.


    I could hear my wolf letting out a soft growl of contentment. He was at a peace as well.


    It should have always been like this. Her and Me. It was meant to be.


    We were meant to be.


    ---


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next day, the drug Grimhaze was to be given to Eira. All of us were tense in our own ways, though no one dared to show it. We ced our trust in Lucian¡¯s judgment¡ªhe knew the effects of every drug, its risks, and its oues.


    She had spent the previous night in Kael¡¯s room. I did not know why he insisted on it, but he was our Alpha, and we followed him. Since learning she was not the reason behind his parents¡¯ ughter, he had grown softer toward her, almost protective.


    I could see the sincerity in his eyes, the desperate way he tried to win her attention. Yet he failed miserably each time. It was bothughable and pitiful, watching the proudest, most powerful Alpha lower himself for someone. Kael, who never bowed to anyone, had made Eira his exception.


    No doubt he must curse me to see how easily I got her attention. Well! He could take his time learning the things or two.


    Eira had breakfast in her usual ce, apart from us, ignoring my invitation without a second nce. No one pressed her further. She ate with her two pets, forming a quiet little family of her own. We let her be.


    Lucian had prepared her favorite chocte pancakes that morning. By fortune, the rest of us were allowed to share them as well.


    As I ate, my thoughts wandered to the moon festival. What should I give her? It would be the first time I ever bought a gift for a woman. I needed something she would not reject.


    "How long till the drug takes effect?" Kael asked Lucian.


    "After breakfast, she will feel sleepy for a while," Lucian answered calmly. "Then it will begin. Twenty minutes, at most, with the dose I gave her. We have to be gone before that."


    We hurried through the meal, though none of us truly ate. Soon, we left the house to avoid letting her sense our presence. But we did not leave entirely. Instead, we gathered in the security room, watching her through the glowing screens.


    The guards had been dismissed, and the five of us settled into the chairs, silent and tense.


    I shifted uneasily, eyes fixed on her image. "Don¡¯t you think one of us should stay nearby? Just in case she¡ª"


    "We are werewolves," Lucian cut me off sharply. "How long would it take to reach her at full speed? A few seconds?"


    "Well¡ª"


    "Stop acting like a weak human," he snapped, his voice thick with annoyance. "And don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re the only one who cares for her."


    "I have every right to act this way," I shot back, refusing to yield. "The way you bastards treated her, I can damn well say I¡¯m the only one who cares for her. You can shove your newly found care up your asses."


    Lucian¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, and I lifted a brow, daring him to deny the truth of my words.


    "Smug bastard," he muttered with a scowl. "Then go to her, if you want. If the n fails, we¡¯ll have to drug her again¡ªthanks to you."


    I exhaled sharply, leaning back. "Yeah, I¡¯ll stay put. But if things get out of hand, I¡¯ll go straight to her."


    Lucian did not argue further. His gaze shifted to Kael. "You, especially, must stay out of her sight until she calms."


    The flicker of pain in Kael¡¯s cold eyes did not escape me. Any one of us could go to her, but not him. To her, the creature she feared most was his kind¡ªa ck wolf.


    Kael hummed in reluctant agreement, his stare fixed on the screen where her image glowed, distant yet unbearably close.


    ----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I spent a quiet morning with my pets, eating together in our own little world. So much had happened these past few days, yet I did not wish to think about any of it. If I could have escaped into drugs again, lost myself in a haze where no pain or hurt existed, I would have weed it.


    Buttely, I found myself startled by a strange truth. My craving for those drugs had lessened.


    <i>Were they giving me some medicine to keep it in check?</i>


    I realized then that everyone else had vanished from the house. I had no idea where they had gone, nor did I care. I was d. d not to see those bastards, not to feel their presence pressing in on me.


    It was only me and my pets.


    A faint dizziness crept into my head. Perhaps it was the effect of the medicines they had been making me take.


    I reached down to stroke Vixen¡¯s soft back. "Don¡¯t go anywhere. Just y around here, alright?" My voice was soft, though the haze in my mind was deepening.


    Turning to the golden retriever, I murmured, "Fluffy, keep watch on her." He answered with a sharp bark, faithful as always.


    Vixen became absorbed in her new toys while Fluffy stationed himself firmly on the floor, eyes fixed protectively on her every move.


    I leaned back against the cushioned wall, closing my eyes for a moment, my head heavy.


    A sudden bark jolted me awake. Fluffy¡¯s growl was low and urgent. Blinking, I turned my gaze and found him snapping at Vixen, trying to stop the mischievous cat from straying too far.


    I almost smiled. <i>This naughty cat...</i>


    But then¡ª


    My blood ran cold.


    Just a few feet away from my pets, a monstrous ck wolf had appeared. Its massive form loomed in the room, shadows clinging to its terrifying frame. Its eyes, sharp and merciless, burned with a dangerous re fixed entirely on me.


    And a the next moment, a loud scream left my mouth that echoed in that space. But that wolf remained unaffected.


    My breath seized. I sank myself further back in where I was sitting. My eyes widened in horror, and my heart nearly stopped beating. A wave of panic and dread crashed over me. My body trembled uncontrobly as sweat broke out across my skin, each drop cold as ice.


    That ck wolf never broke his re. His eyes, burning with murderous intent, followed me as he took one heavy step forward. His intentions were clear¡ªhe wanted to kill me.


    My chest tightened with panic. Yet more than my own life, it was my pets I feared for.


    "Stay away!" I cried, my trembling voice barely escaping my throat.


    "Vixen, Fluffy, go! Run away!" My scream tore out, hoarse and desperate. "That wolf will kill you!"


    Fluffy turned his head toward me, ears pricked, but Vixen only continued ying as though nothing threatened her. "Fluffy! Vixen! Come here!" I shouted again, louder this time, the edge of hysteria in my voice.


    Faithful Fluffy obeyed, running to me, but Vixen only sat where she was, staring with wide, unknowing eyes. My heart pounded with dread.


    "That wolf will eat you!" I screamed at her, but she tilted her head innocently, as if she could not sense the danger at all. I wanted to go to her, but my feet wouldn¡¯t move. The fear had left my body utterly immovable.


    Perhaps her pregnancy dulled her instincts. She did not realize the monster that stood before her.


    I shot to my feet and snatched up whatever my hand found¡ªa cushion. I hurled it at the wolf with all my strength. It missed, falling uselessly, just as the bullets once had.


    My hands trembled as I seized a vase from the table and flung it at him. "Go away! Don¡¯t harm my pets!" My voice broke into a raw shriek.


    One by one, I hurled anything within reach. Objects shattered against the floor, the walls, yet never struck the beast. My ears rang with the crash of breaking ss and Fluffy¡¯s furious barking, sharp and relentless.


    But the wolf did not falter. He advanced, unshaken, each step louder, heavier, until his massive form towered over me. A monstrous shadow ready to devour. His growls filled my mind with another wave of fear


    My legs buckled, and I copsed to the floor, scrambling back until the wall behind trapped me in ce. My breath came in ragged sobs. His muzzle dipped low, his face looming closer¡ªso close his hot breath brushed my skin.


    His jaw opened, teeth glinting in the dim light, a maw of death reaching for me. With a cry, I curled in on myself, covering my head with my arms, and screamed and screamed my throat out.


    But then, I found a pair of hands circled me and pulled in the warm and protective embrace.


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 Chapter 130: Lucian’s Promise To Eira

    <h4>Chapter 130: Lucian¡¯s Promise To Eira</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    The moment her panic red, all of us rose to our feet, eyes fixed on the screen. She was staring at something that terrified her to the core¡ªyet the drawing room was empty.


    Hallucinations. Grimhaze was taking hold.


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    Still, we held ourselves back. We had to see it through, to know exactly what she was facing in her mind. Her scream ripped through the speakers, sharp and raw, tearing straight into our hearts.


    "No one moves," I ordered, forcing calm into my voice. "Just a few more moments. Then I¡¯ll go and give her the antidote."


    I could feel their reluctance, their instincts screaming as loud as mine to rush to her. But just like me, they forced themselves to remain still.


    "Go away!" Her cries echoed again, more desperate. "Vixen, Fluffy, go! Go away! That wolf will kill you!"


    The words struck us like ws. <i>¡¯So it¡¯s the ck wolf she is seeing.¡¯</i>


    She trembled as if her sanity itself was being devoured. Her voice shook with desperation as she pleaded for her pets. Her frail body could not fight what her mind was conjuring. She snatched whatever objects she could reach, hurling them wildly toward a phantom only she could see.


    Finally, she copsed back, cornered, as though utterly overpowered by the ck wolf she was hallucinating. Her terror reached its peak.


    "That¡¯s it," I muttered, surging forward in a sh, the others followed me as quickly. Probably relieved that I finally took the decision to go to her.


    I reached her side and gathered her into my arms, kneeling on the floor. Her small frame quaked violently, her screams tearing into the air. She clutched me with desperate strength, burying her face into my chest as though hiding from the monster only she could see. Her tears soaked through my shirt, hot and unrelenting. Her skin was covered in theyer of cold sweat.


    "Easy... I¡¯ve got you," I whispered, though I knew she could not hear me through the storm of fear.


    Steadying her trembling body against mine, I pulled a syringe from my pocket. With swift precision, I pressed the needle into the side of her neck and emptied the small dose of antidote she needed. She didn¡¯t even realise the prick.


    "It¡¯s gone," I whispered to her, my voice low and steady. "You are safe."


    But she did not listen. The antidote would take time to seep into her system.


    I nced at the others. Jason and Roman stood within sight, tense but silent, while Kael lingered further away, Rafe at his side.


    Her trembling gradually began to ease. I held her closer, feeling just how fragile she was, how small her body felt against mine.


    "It¡¯s gone," I murmured again, "and your pets are safe as well."


    Atst, my words seemed to reach her. She shifted her head from where it had been buried against my chest, her fearful eyes darting around the room in search of the wolf. Her hands clutched tighter at my shirt as though ready to anchor herself.


    Her gaze softened at not seeing that wolf; the hallucination had broken. The antidote had worked. But then her eyes found Kael standing at a distance. In an instant, she recoiled, burying her face against me once more as though his very presence reignited her fear.


    I watched Kael turn and leave the house, Rafe following silently behind. I knew Kael felt both hurt and frustration at the sight of her shrinking at his sight.


    I smoothed my hand gently along her back. "You are safe now," I repeated, my tone as calm as I could manage.


    She clung to me when I lifted in my arms, refusing to let go. The terror would take time to fade, but for now, at least, she sought protection in me.


    I carried her upstairs to my room, Roman and Jason trailing behind me.


    Thest time I had pretended I did not want her in my room. But now, I wanted her with me. Also, something I had once snatched cruelly from her, I would give it to her.


    Inside the room, I meant toy her on the bed, but she clung to me with the desperation of a child, refusing to let go. Her arms wound tightly around me, her face buried against my shoulder as she curled into herself, seeking shelter.


    I sat in the bed, with her in myp, who almost snaked around me.


    I swore, holding like this felt soforting to even me. It would have been perfect¡ªif only she were sane enough to realize who held her, and not driven by the shadows of her fear.


    Roman stepped forward with a ss of water in hand. "Eira, drink some water," he urged gently.


    She did not stir.


    I signalled him to wait. Her breathing had steadied somewhat, but her heart still thundered against her chest, every beat loud and frantic beneath her skin.


    Gradually, her body started cking in my hold. Hershes fluttered, then closed, her face softening as sleep imed her. The drug had exhausted her mindpletely and the antidote was now putting her to sleep after getting rid of the effect of that drug.


    "She¡¯s asleep," I murmured to Roman. "She won¡¯t wake for another hour at least."


    Roman gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.


    My gaze drifted to the doorway, where Jason stood motionless for a while now, simply watching us, his gaze stuck on her.


    But I could feel something was holding him back froming to us, as though an invisible wall kept him from crossing the threshold.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, he turned and walked away.


    Roman lingered only a moment longer. "Take care of her," he said atst, before leaving me alone with her.


    As the two of us were finally left, the guilt I had been feeling for the past few days started to surface. The guilt of what I did with her back then and how I didn¡¯t even try to know anything. I was blinded by what I saw and by my anger. The reality of her murdering my sister killed any rationality that should have been there.


    Now I knew the truth. Yes, it had been her finger that pulled the trigger, but the bullets were never meant to kill. She had been framed, used, her innocence stolen by someone else¡¯s scheme.


    I lowered my head and pecked on her head gently, her sweet familiar scent gripping my senses as I closed my eyes. Her scent so soothing, I missed it.


    <i>Eira, will you ever forgive me for what I did?</i> The thought whispered through me, aching and heavy. <i>No¡ªyou won¡¯t. And I do not deserve it either. But still, going forward, I will make things right for you. You want your son? Trust me, these past few days I have been doing everything in my power to bring him back to you. That day, when I said I would kill your child¡ªit was only my anger speaking. I would never do such a thing.</i>


    I tilted her face slightly, where it rested against my arm. She was deep in slumber, hershes wet with tears, her cheeks still damp from her tears.


    With a tenderness I did not know I possessed, I brushed them away and caressed her skin.


    <i>I don¡¯t care whose child he is. Once I bring him back, he will be our family. And if his bastard father dares toe for him, don¡¯t fear¡ªI¡¯ll end him before he even reaches our door. No one will ever take him away from you. I will make sure of it, no matter the cost.</i>

 Chapter 131: I Regret It

    <h4>Chapter 131: I Regret It</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I stepped out of the house and stood in the open, my gaze fixed nkly ahead. Morning sunlight spread its warmth over thend, yet all I felt was darkness pressing around me. The cold breeze that should have been soothing only pierced me, sharp as a thousand needles against my skin.


    Because my heart was hurting.


    The way she had looked at me¡ªas though I were a monster¡ªit cut deeper than any wound. Of all people in this world, I should have been thest one she feared. I should have been her shield, herfort, the one whose presence meant safety from every harm. Yet I was the one who terrified her most.


    Why? Why did she fear the ck wolf so much?


    Just then, Rafe, who had followed me out, came to stand at my side. I did not turn to him. He had always been able to see through me in ways I hated.


    "Want it?" he asked, holding out a cigarette.


    I plucked one from the pack, and he lit it for both of us with a flick of his lighter.


    We smoked in silence, the air thick with unspoken words. I half-expected him to ask, to prod, but he didn¡¯t. He only waited, as he always did.


    Atst, I broke the silence. "I regret it." My eyes stayed on the horizon, my voice low and rough.


    He didn¡¯t ask what I meant.


    "Whatever you were referring to when you asked me in the hospital," I said again, slower this time, "I regret it."


    More than telling him, it felt like I was finally admitting it to myself.


    Once again, he said nothing. Yet his silence spoke louder than words¡ªit meant he understood.


    We stood there together, smoking quietly, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The smoke curled from our lips, pale and fleeting, as the breeze continued to wash it away.


    ----


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    Jason arrived a littleter, his expression drawn tight with tension.


    I offered him a cigarette, and he epted without a word. As I lit it for him, I asked, "How is she?"


    "Fine," he replied curtly, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.


    Jason had always been the silent one, the opposite of Lucian. But today his silence felt heavier, edged with something unspoken. I decided to press.


    "Why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be with Lucian, helping him take care of her...?"


    "She doesn¡¯t need me," he said tly, his gaze fixed ahead, the smoke drifting from his lips in a thin stream.


    "You could have just said Lucian can take care of her alone, but...." I countered, pausing before adding, "...were you expecting her to need you?"


    He was quiet for a long moment before finally answering, "I don¡¯t deserve to take care of her."


    I lifted a brow. "We were all wrong about her. You¡¯re not the only one who¡ª"


    Before I could finish, he flicked the cigarette to the ground, ground it beneath his boot, and walked away without another word.


    "What¡¯s with him?" I mumbled, and turned to Kael, "Seems like he is regretting torturing her that night?"


    Kael didn¡¯tment, lost in his own world of regret.


    Roman appeared then, watching Jason¡¯s back as he disappeared toward the side house. "What happened?" Roman asked.


    "Not sure," I replied, my eyes still on Jason¡¯s retreating figure.


    Roman reached for the cigarette pack himself, taking one and even snatching the lighter from me before I offered. He lit up, then turned to Kael. "She¡¯s fine. Lucian is taking care of her. We don¡¯t need to worry."


    Kael only hummed in response, but his hand reached for another cigarette, as though the smoke was the only thing keeping his thoughts from consuming him.


    The three of us said nothing more. We smoked until the pack was emptied, the ground beneath us littered with crushed buds.


    -----


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    I didn¡¯t know when I drifted into sleep, lying beside her. All I had meant to do was watch her¡ªher face so close, so breathtaking in its quiet vulnerability, a sight I had denied myself thest time she was in my bed. I had never been a deep sleeper, yet even that short nap felt like I had slept an entire night.


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    The exhaustion of the past days seemed to wash away as though it had never existed.


    I closed my eyes again, hoping to hold onto the peace of this moment, but then she stirred. The instant she realized how close I was, she tried to move away from me.


    But my arm, already circled around her waist, pulled her back.


    I opened my eyes to find her annoyed face inches from mine.


    "The wolf you were scared of..." I began.


    The effect was immediate. Whatever will she had to push me away dissolved. She sank against me, eyes darting fearfully around the room to look for the wolf, her hand clutching mine as though it was her lifeline.


    "...It¡¯s gone," I finished softly.


    Yes, I had said it this way intentionally, and yes, it had worked exactly as I expected.


    Her gaze returned to me, fear still lingering in her eyes.


    "It¡¯s gone, and it won¡¯t evere back," I assured her.


    Her eyes searched mine, questioning if I spoke the truth.


    "It won¡¯t show up ever again," I repeated, steady and calm.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell her the real reason. Not now, not when her mind was still fragile. What good would it do? If anything, she might hate me for drugging her, despite knowing exactly what it would do. Better to wait.


    She finally began to rx in my arms, though her breaths were still uneven.


    I stroked her back and spoke gently, "But that wolf is not Kael. Don¡¯t hate him just because he is a ck wolf. He will never harm you. In fact, he has been protecting you from dangers you don¡¯t even know are waiting for you."


    Her body tensed at the mention of him.

 Chapter 132: Hearts Filled With Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 132: Hearts Filled With Guilt</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    She tried to wrench herself free, her voice sharp and venomous. "I don¡¯t need his protection. Or yours. So you just go and fuck yourself."


    Damn! Just the mention of Kael was enough to anger her. Poor ckwolf.


    Her words did not anger me. Instead, I kept her firmly in ce, my arm still around her waist.


    She red at me with fire in her eyes. "Let me go, you jerk."


    "Alright," I murmured, then leaned in to steal a quick peck on her lips before retreating my hand and freeing her.


    She froze, stunned. Her eyes widened, lips parted. For a moment, she looked almost lost to the shock of it.


    "Want another before you leave?" I asked with amusement.


    But the surprise quickly gave way to fury. She shoved me back with what little strength she could muster. I let her push me away.


    "Bastard!" she spat, storming off the bed.


    "Wait¡ªyou¡¯re not allowed to take the stairs," I warned, moving after her. But she ignored me, already heading for the door.


    Before she could ce even one foot down the staircase, I swept her into my arms.


    She thrashed weakly, her voice sharp with anger. "Let go of me, you rascal!"


    Her curses rang through the hall, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. I caught their startled looks as I carried her down the stairs, but I ignored them all. My focus was only on the fiery woman struggling against me.


    Atst, I set her down on her own mattress by the ss wall. "Happy now?" I asked, my calm gaze holding hers, though her eyes still burned with anger.


    "Get lost!" she hissed, her voice trembling with rage.


    I smirked faintly, leaned down, and stole another light peck on her lips. "As you wish," I said, and stood up, offering her a light smile.


    She stared at me in disbelief before snatching up a cushion and hurling it with all her strength. "Bastard! Get lost!"


    I caught it easily, tossed it back onto her side, and turned away, a light smile tugging at my lips.


    She had always been so lifeless, so unresponsive, no matter what we said or did. But today was different. Today she reacted to every little thing. The curses, the anger, the fire in her eyes... all of it felt strangely sweet.


    The moment I turned, my eyes met my three brothers. They stared at me as though they had witnessed something truly shocking.


    Yes, I had pecked her lips. So what? It had been sweet¡ªand her reaction afterward had been even sweeter.


    She busied herself with her pets again while I returned to the others.


    "Were you guys bathing in smoke?" I asked dryly, the sharp scent of cigarettes clinging thickly around them. "Where is Jason?" My gaze swept the room.


    "Side house," Roman replied.


    Everyone else was here. Only he had chosen to stay there? I rose to my feet. "I¡¯ll check on him," I said, and headed out.


    The side house had been repairedpletely, but none of us truly intended to send her back there.


    Inside, I found Jason lying on the sofa in the cozy drawing room. His legs stretched beyond the cushions, one arm resting over his eyes, a pillow tucked beneath his head.


    He knew I had entered, but he did not speak a word.


    I settled into a chair opposite him and asked quietly, "What are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing. Just wanted to be alone," he muttered, his arm still covering his eyes.


    Whenever he acted like this, I knew it meant something was gnawing at him. He had always been this way since the day my mother brought him into our home. The years of abuse and pain he had endured as an orphan had carved that habit into him¡ªhis instinct to keep everything buried inside, no matter how much it hurt.


    "You know you can always tell me," I urged softly.


    "I know," he said, unmoving. "But there¡¯s nothing."


    <fn6fe5> The rightful source is find?novel</fn6fe5>


    "If you¡¯re thinking about her, now that the truth is out, we¡¯re all the same," I said anyway, unwilling to leave the silence unchallenged. "Our hearts are filled with guilt, and we¡¯ll have to live with it for the rest of our lives. But she is still here with us¡ªand we can at least try to make things right for her."


    Jason said nothing. His silence stretched, heavy and guarded. I let it be. He needed his own pace, his own time.


    I rose to my feet. "Don¡¯t take too long. We¡¯ll be waiting for you," I told him, and left.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Jason returned to the main house. Roman and I had begun preparing lunch in the kitchen, and he joined us without a word.


    So much had happened in just a few days. Each of us had been consumed with tasks, running in different directions. But today, Kael had decided we would all stay home together.


    More likely, he did not trust himself to care for her alone after witnessing the way she recoiled from the ck wolf. So we followed his wishes without question.


    "Tomorrow is the moon festival," Roman said as he set the table. "Are we celebrating it?"


    The room fell into silence. Our gazes inevitably drifted to Eira. The moon festival was meant to be shared between mates¡ªand here she was, bound to all five of us.


    Only Roman had marked her officially, though even he admitted there was an obstruction. Still, she bore the mark, and by tradition, he would be celebrating with her, mating with her toplete the bond.


    I knew everyone was thinking the same, but no one said it. It was Roman¡¯s decision and his right.


    Roman broke the silence. "Though I had marked her and I should bepleting my bond with her, I don¡¯t think this moon festival is the right time. We don¡¯t need to be in hurry when she is not well enough."


    His words brought relief to me, and to others as well, I guess.


    We remained quiet until Roman spoke again. "She is going to be our mate, all of us. So we should celebrate it. Not in the usual way¡ªnot yet. But we can still make it something... like Christmas or New Year. Just family time. The six of us."


    His words lingered in the air. Six of us¡ªher, and the five of us¡ªtogether. Like a family.


    "Seven," Rafe corrected, his voice dry. "Don¡¯t forget my cat."


    "Eight," I added with a faint smirk. "Don¡¯t forget my dog either."


    Roman chuckled softly. "Then maybe count the babies inside Vixen too. This family will only growrger."


    The heaviness in the room lifted. The air felt lighter, easier.


    Rafe¡¯s eyes turned toward Vixen, his expression softening atst. "She should be giving birth soon."


    Roman nodded. "You don¡¯t need to worry. Eira¡¯s always watching over her. She understands her better than anyone."


    Rafe didn¡¯tment, and Roman said again, "And, they are her pets, now."


    "She is going to be our mate, so they are ours, including her," I said and looked at her.


    I wondered when everything will be alright and she will be sitting here by our side as a family, as a mistress of this home, a Luna of this pack.


    Just as we thought finally there were some peaceful moments, Kael¡¯s cellphone rang.


    He nced at the screen and frowned at the name shing on his screen. We wonder who was it to make him twist expressions.


    "It¡¯s the blond bitch," Rafe said. He was sitting next to Kael so he saw the name.


    "Even if the hospital she can¡¯t stay put," Lucian with annoyance.


    Kael didn¡¯t pick up the call. And as expected it rang again.


    "The bitch won¡¯t stop unless you talk to her," Roman told Kael, "it¡¯s nothing new for any of us."


    Kael nced at Eira for a moment who was busy ying with her cat, and the picked up the call.


    "Hmm?" he responded.


    Though the phone was not on speaker as Eira was there as well, we could hear everything.


    "Kael, you didn¡¯te see me even after my surgery," Sophia said in a sad tone, "I have been missing you."


    If we didn¡¯t need her to get well soon, I would have gone straight to her, strangle her before I make her speak the truth.


    Fucking bitch!


    "You are in istion. Not good for anyone to meet you," he said tly.


    "I don¡¯t care," the bitch insisted. "I miss you. Tomorrow is moon festival. You have to spend it with me."


    Rafe almost acted as if he was about to puke. Even I felt like it. Nothing in the world could make me feel disgusted enough to puke, but this bitch¡¯s forced pretentious words could.


    Poor Kael, had to bear with it.


    "I am busy," he told her coldly, containing his impatience and anger, "I will see you some other day. For now, focus on the recovery," and he hung up the call even before she could say more.


    "Just a while before we drag her to hell," Roman assured Kael.


    We could see his anger he was trying to suppress.


    If Sophia was a traitor, and she was the reason his parents died, only he knew how he was holding back, just like Jason and I.


    "Hell?" Rafe said, a smirk painting on his lips, "She will in a living hell very soon. And we won¡¯t even have to lift our finger or waste our time."


    I looked at Rafe, his gaze evil and wicked as he said it. "Kaizan?" I asked him.


    He hummed with a smirk. "Kaizan seemed to have a special interest in her beyond what he shows us. And that interest sure doesn¡¯t end at just fucking her."


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 Chapter 133: I Won’t Mate With Her

    <h4>Chapter 133: I Won¡¯t Mate With Her</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Atst, the day of the Moon Festival arrived. Just as on the previous day, the five of us remained at home.


    After the drug incident with Eira, the previous day, the household had sunk into uneasy quiet. She spent her hours with her pets, drifting between eating, sleeping, and ignoring our very presence, as if it had be her daily ritual.


    Meanwhile, the rest of us continued our work within these walls. Kael and I were tied up in meetings.


    Rafe busied himself repairing shattered devices and scouring through data, pressing his sources to uncover more about the incident with Alice.


    Lucian and Jason had their spies moving across territories, searching for traces of Eira¡¯s child, her grandparents, and getting more information about the Alpha of the Ravenw Pack.


    But today was different. Today was the Moon Festival. All work was set aside, this one day reserved for her.


    We had made ns, kept little surprises ready, hoping to bring her into the spirit of the festival.


    We knew well she would not wee it. She might reject us outright, perhaps even despise us for trying. Yet we had resolved to face her hatred, her silence, her indifference. We would keep trying, until the end of our lives if we must, even if all it earned us was failure.


    After breakfast, when ns for the festival were spoken of, the conversation turned to heavier matters we had pushed aside for too long.


    "The council has given us a deadline for making her our mate," Lucian said gravely. "If we fail, they wille after us¡ªand her¡ªagain."


    Despite I had I marked her that day, the council had given us the deadline to make her our mate entirely. The bond had to bepleted, but she was not ready, and none of us would dare force it upon her.


    Kael¡¯s gaze shifted to me. "Today is the Moon Festival."


    I understood what he meant and so did others.


    I could feel the tension within them to think I will mate with her, but at the same time they knew we had no other choice. And, I also knew how it would hurt them if I mate with her. They all liked her the same as me. Though we were brothers, some facts and matters of hearts couldn¡¯t be avoided.


    "I don¡¯t n to mate with her today," I answered firmly, my eyes drifting to where she sat. "Look at her. Do you truly think it could happen with her consent? She would only endure me, treating me as one of those bastards who ruined her, letting me have my way with her in silence." My voice grew colder. "And I don¡¯t want that. She is my mate¡ªnot some random whore I want to fuck and leave. Either we wait until she heals, or we find another way to protect her."


    The memory of that night still burned inside me. All I wanted was to kiss her, but she offered herself to me as though I were just another of her customer to satisfy.


    Damn! It still hurt me, that I didn¡¯t try to get close to her that way.


    Silence settled which showed their agreement with what I said. We all knew the brutal truth¡ªshe would never ept any of us willingly.


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    "Just focus on today¡¯s event," Kael said atst, his tone steady with forced calm. "We will think about the rest when the timees. For now, just get her ready toe out with us."


    "I will do it," I assured with confidence.


    The others exchanged nces, and Rafe scoffed. "Yeah, you¡¯ve got some magic wand that makes her listen to you every time."


    "You want it?" I shot back with a smirk.


    He exhaled heavily. "Keep it to yourself. As long as shees with us, that¡¯s fine."


    While the rest of us spoke, Jason alone remained quiet. His silence had stretched since the previous day, calm yet strangely detached. I wondered if regret still gnawed at him, now that he knew Eira hadn¡¯t been the one to kill his sister.


    "What¡¯s on your mind, Jason?" I finally asked.


    As if pulled back from a distant ce, he lifted his head and answered, voice calm,posed, unyielding. "I¡¯ll do the cooking today. Alone." His deration was curt. "I need to buy some ingredients we don¡¯t have at home."


    There was no trace on his face of being lost in thought. Bastard was always good at covering and hiding his emotions and thoughts. That handsome, but all the time rigid face of his was annoying sometimes.


    "Seems like we¡¯re going to have something special for dinner," I remarked lightly. "We don¡¯t mind."


    Jason didn¡¯tment.


    "You can buy whatever you need when we go out," Lucian said, then turned his gaze toward me. "Go. Get her ready. We leave soon."


    I nodded and went to Eira, who was in her usual ce. Vixen was ying around, and this time Fluffy was enjoying being petted by Eira, his face lying in herp like a child.


    Sometimes I wondered what kind of magic she had to make these pets so attached to her the moment they saw her. There must be something, right, that even the strong Alphas like us were attracted to her at the same time, and we wouldn¡¯t mind turning into her pets.


    Now when I think about the past, when I saw her for the first time, and the present day, there was indeed something magical about her that made it impossible not to be attracted to her. I hope we will find the answers sooner orter.


    I sat at the edge of that thick mattress and also petted Fluffy¡¯s back. She didn¡¯t look at me, as expected.


    "As I promised you before, I am going to take you to Alice," I said, and the next moment she looked at me.


    Her gaze was first shocked and then turned hopeful, as if asking whether I was not lying to her.


    At the same time, I felt my brothers looking at me, surprised as well. They had not thought I was going to use this and must be calling me a sly fox already.


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 Chapter 134: Bring Change To Her Life

    <h4>Chapter 134: Bring Change To Her Life</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    "I promised that these will be your pets, and see, they are yours," I continued, my voice soft and full of assurance. "And now it¡¯s time to fulfill another promise."


    Convincing her to do what we wanted wasn¡¯t the only goal I had.


    By doing this, I wanted to assure her that I would always fulfill her wishes and keep my word. I wanted to teach her to trust, which she had lost long ago.


    I wanted to tell her that the entire world might break her trust, her heart, but I wouldn¡¯t. I wanted her to trust me, my words. I wanted her to trust in us.


    "Want toe with me?" I asked, to break her out of her shock.


    She nodded lightly, still unable to ept it entirely.


    She was like a child who needed to learn emotions from the start, and I was ready to teach her.


    I offered her a smile and said, "Then we need to get ready." I observed her face and dress. It wasn¡¯t bad at all in my eyes, but I wanted to do what we had nned for her. "You need to dress up nicely and look good to see your friend, or she wouldn¡¯t feel good, right?"


    In response, she touched her hair, as if checking that it was fine, as if my words made sense to her. She even looked down at herself to check. She was wearing one of the simple, soft, loose, andfortable cotton dresses I had brought for her.


    She brushed her hand along the long sleeves and the skirt part of the dress to get rid of the creases.


    How innocent! That¡¯s the only thought that came to my mind, but at the same time it made my eyes moist and my chest feel heavy. I didn¡¯t know the kind of emotions I was feeling at the moment.


    I exhaled lightly to calm myself and held her hand to stop her. "It¡¯s alright."


    She looked at me, her gaze and her expressions innocent like a child. Her attachment with Alice was something else. Just the hope of seeing her had turned her detached gaze into soft one.


    "We are going to buy a nice dress for you, the kind Alice liked," I told her. "And we will also set your hair nicely. But for that we have to leave now, so we can make it there soon. Shall we leave now?"


    She nodded quickly this time, as if ready to leave right away.


    "Fluffy and Vixen will stay home. The guards will look after them," I assured as I stood up and offered her my hand.


    Without a second dy, she epted my hand and stood up, ready to leave with me.


    My brothers looked at us, especially at the sight of her hand in mine, which she had put willingly.


    "Let¡¯s go," I told them, and then looked at her to exin, "They areing with us as well. They want to meet Alice just like you."


    At this, Eira said nothing and followed me quietly, her hand still in mine. It was as if she would follow me anywhere as long as she could go to Alice.


    We had two cars, instead of going in the bigger SUV together.


    Kael preferred to maintain his distance from Eira, so he got his own car. Rafe, as usual, followed him.


    The other was Lucian¡¯s car, in which Eira and I sat in the back passenger seat, waiting for Jason to sit in the co-driver seat.


    But the bastard went to Kael¡¯s car and sat in the back passenger seat instead of sitting in Lucian¡¯s car as always.


    It was surprising. As I guessed, Kael wasn¡¯t the only one keeping his distance from Eira.


    I looked at Lucian through the rearview mirror. He was looking at Jason as well.


    "What¡¯s wrong with him?" I asked, wanting to know what Lucian thought.


    "This car has three, so that one has three people as well," Lucian dismissed quickly and started the car.


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    We had arranged a salon for her to get a nice hairstyle. On their Alpha¡¯s order, the entire salon was reserved only for Eira. No one else was allowed except for the single female staff who was going to work on Eira¡¯s hair.


    We hadn¡¯t decided to introduce Eira to the pack yet.


    Eira was obedient and followed through with it. She was given a nice hairstyle. We decided to keep the bangs over her forehead and give her a style that covered the sides of her face while maintaining her long, beautiful hair as it was.


    As our n was to change her identity, this change was important as well.


    I looked at the others who were sitting in the lounge area, and they approved of it as well. She looked beautiful, her face appearing smaller and even more innocent.


    "Did you like it, Eira?" I asked her as I made her look at the mirror.


    She nodded lightly. That was a relief. She responded, maybe too excited to meet Alice.


    Later we went to the branded clothes showroom, which was reserved for us as well. Even the salesperson wasn¡¯t allowed. Only us.


    "You can select anything you like," I told Eira.


    Eira looked lost, staring at so many clothes disyed on multiple stands.


    Lucian came forward as he went to the stand next to her. "I know what you might like," he said and pulled out one dress. "I often bought clothes for Alice, so I know better."


    She looked at the dress in his hand ¡ª a simple peach-colored floral dress with a long wavy hem. We often saw Alice wear such dresses during events.


    As if it reminded Eira of Alice, her hand moved on its own and her fingertips ran along the fabric, as if feeling it.


    "We are buying it," Lucian said, to which she didn¡¯t react, but her eyes revealed her thoughts.


    "You can wear it," I told Eira. "Once you are ready, we will go straight to Alice."


    Lucian passed her the dress. She took it, and I led her to the changing room, standing outside. "If you need help, let me know."


    By that time, Lucian got few more dresses for her.


    After a while, she came out, her hand softly holding the hem of her ankle-length dress, her gaze lowered as she took a step ahead.


    I froze in ce, and so did the others. Our eyes were glued to her. It wasn¡¯t just about her looking beautiful, but somehow she looked a little closer to her old version from the past.


    Today, on this day of the Moon Festival, the first festival we were going to celebrate with her, it was the start of us trying to bring change to her life.


    The silent promise we all made to ourselves. From this day onward, we would make sure she only had happiness in her life.


    This day marked the start of our happy life together- The five Alpha brothers and their beautiful mate.


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 Chapter 135: Visit To Alice

    <h4>Chapter 135: Visit To Alice</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    We reached the cemetery where Alice was resting in peace along with my mother, who had her grave next to Alice¡¯s.


    It¡¯s been over a month since I have been here. I wanted to, but with how things kept us busy after Eira once more entered our lives, I couldn¡¯t make it here.


    Maybe it was my guilt that didn¡¯t let mee. The guilt of not being able to punish the murderer of my sister, and the reason my mother lost her life. What would I have said to them? That while they were lying here, I was living with their murderer and somehow couldn¡¯t bring myself to kill her. In fact, I was nning to fuck her.


    But now that I knew she was innocent, finally I could show my face to them.


    Roman helped her get out of the car as he held her hand. Stepping out of the car, she looked around the open cemetery with so many graves, surrounded by greenery.


    I picked up the flowers I had brought with me and signaled to Roman that I was going ahead and he could bring her.


    Roman hummed as I watched him picking up another bouquet from the car, which he handed over to Eira. I saw Kael¡¯s car arrive as well, but I didn¡¯t wait. I needed some alone time with my sister and mother. I knew they understood as well.


    After walking for a while, I reached the two closely ced graves made of white marble and granite gravestones. It had their pictures and their names were written on it. Alice Corven. Jeniffer Corven.


    I ced flowers over both the graves. Alice loved pink lilies, and my mother loved white roses.


    As I stood there, I spoke in my mind. <i>Mom. Alice. I am sorry for noting for so many days. I apologize. Today, I have brought someone to meet you. Eira.</i> I looked at my mother¡¯s grave<i> Mom, she didn¡¯t mean to shoot Alice. It was a mistake and a setup. Alice, you must have been scared that day. I am sorry for not being there to protect you. But I will punish whoever plotted against you and punish them. Eira is here. I hope it brings you peace to see your friend...</i>


    As I continued to talk, I sensed Romaning towards us, deliberately slow. I lowered my head in front of the graves and walked away, letting Roman bring Eira here.


    I returned to where the other three were standing a little distance away and joined them.


    Roman brought Eira to the graves and told her, "Here we are," then returned to us, leaving her alone.


    She looked at the graves, the tombstones that had pictures of Alice and my mother. She didn¡¯t react for long, as if frozen in her ce, making us wonder what was going on in her mind.


    "I should check on her?" Roman offered.


    But then, we all heard the light sound of sobs. Our keen hearing caught them even from where we stood.


    The next moment, we watched her fall to her knees and cry, her head lowered as she sobbed and mumbled.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you... Alice... That wolf was going to hurt you... I wanted to protect you, but... I don¡¯t know why it hurt you... I am sorry... I shouldn¡¯t have used the gun when I didn¡¯t know how to use it... I should have stood between you and that wolf to protect you... I should have died instead..."


    She didn¡¯t know she had been drugged and still thought there was a wolf. She wasn¡¯t at fault, as that drug was so potent one couldn¡¯t tell they were hallucinating, even after the effect was gone.


    <fnf586> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? fin?novel</fnf586>


    "Aunt Jennifer... I am sorry... You died because of me... they told me... I don¡¯t know what to do... I am sorry..."


    When she said those words, <i>they told me,</i> it hit me hard, and I looked at Jason. He felt the same as I did. I could tell from his expressions.


    The memories of the day we went to see her in prison¡ªwhen we told her how she not only killed our sister but also our mother¡ªwere going to haunt us for life. She won¡¯t forgive us for it.


    <i>Does she still remember what we did to her? If not, does looking at us remind her of that day?</i>


    <i>Damn! I truly want to punish myself for it.</i>


    There were so many things to apologize for, but I wasn¡¯t sure where to start.


    She continued to cry and apologize to them for a long time, until Roman finally went to her.


    "Calm down now. They know you didn¡¯t do it intentionally," he told her.


    She shook her head. "I killed her..."


    He held her closer and caressed her head gently. She continued to cry and mumble.


    Roman calmed her down and brought her back. She agreed to return only when Roman promised her that they would being here often.


    "You all can go ahead, I will returnter," Jason told us.


    I looked at him, and he said, "I want to be here for a while longer."


    "Don¡¯t take much time," I instructed.


    He hummed. "I will bring a few things I need for cooking, so it might take a while."


    "We will go in Kael¡¯s car," I told him. "Use my car."


    He agreed, and we left.


    Eira was still lost in her own world of pain and was simply following wherever Roman guided her. I wanted to hug her and console her, but didn¡¯t know how to go about it at this moment.


    We sat in Kael¡¯s car. On the back passenger seat, she sat between me and Roman, while Rafe drove and Kael sat in the co-driver seat.


    There was utter silence in the car as no one said a word. All of our attention was on Eira, who sat guilty, her wetshes still trembling, ready to shed more tears.


    I wanted to hold her hand in mine tofort her, but couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. The memories of my visit to her in prison wouldn¡¯t allow me. It weighed heavily on my conscience. I had no right to console her.


    When we returned home, Kael left the car and Rafe followed him. I had no reason to stay with her either, so I followed them.


    I heard Roman say, "Eira, we are home."


    She didn¡¯t react. After I walked ahead, I stopped and turned to look at them, only to find Roman hugging her to console her while she cried again.


    Controlling my emotions, I went inside the home, leaving Roman to handle her. He was the one who never hurt her like we did, and he could handle her better than any of us could.

 Chapter 136: Gift For Eira-I

    <h4>Chapter 136: Gift For Eira-I</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    By evening, everything had been arranged in the garden before the side house. Strings of lights hung from the trees and the eaves, glowing softly, casting warmth across the garden. The ce carried the charm of a true home, cozy and weing, reminiscent of those past celebrations we once shared at Lucian and Jason¡¯s estate.


    The sight stirred something deep in me, pulling me back to those happier days. I had never known a family of my own, but in their home I had found the closest thing to it. Jennifer had always been kind, her presence warm and inviting. For a moment, the memory of her smile returned to me, bittersweet.


    The barbecue was set outside, a bonfire zing at the center, giving the night the spirit of a campfire gathering. A dining table had beenid nearby, draped with a fine cloth, set with flowers and polished crockery, everything arranged with quiet elegance.


    All of us were busy with something. Jason had insisted he would handle the cooking alone, yet we had taken charge of the barbecue anyway. Even Rafe, who usually stayed aloof from such tasks, had stepped in to help. Perhaps it was because this was our first Moon Festival with her, and everyone wanted to contribute, to shoulder a piece of the responsibility.


    Jason remained inside the house, hidden away in the kitchen, fiercely protective of whatever he was preparing. He had ordered all of us to stay out.


    "Damn, this smells good," Lucian muttered beside me as he turned the meat on the grill.


    "It does," I agreed, savoring the aroma. "It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve done this."


    "Thest time was Alice¡¯s birthday," Lucian said quietly, then cast a nce toward Eira. "She was there, too."


    "It feels like stepping back into the past," I murmured, then caught myself. Two people were missing, and the thought pressed heavily on me.


    "It¡¯s alright," Lucian said, his voice steady, almost gentle. "We can keep them alive in our memories."


    I gave a low hum of agreement, and Rafe smirked. "Look at this guy. He¡¯s finally growing up."


    "Don¡¯t make me say something nasty today," Lucian retorted evenly, though a faint smile touched his lips. "I¡¯m in a good mood."


    Before Rafe could reply, I cut in. "Where¡¯s Kael?"


    "He went to his room a while ago," Lucian answered.


    I nced toward Eira. A cozy spot had been prepared for her in front of the side house¡ªa wide, cushioned couch, arranged so she might sitfortably with her pets and still be kept warm.


    Wrapped snugly in a shawl, she sat huddled with Fluffy and Vixen at her side. Her hands moved over their fur in absentminded affection, her gaze wandering about the garden, though never in our direction. To her, we still did not exist.


    Kael emerged from the house then, walking straight toward us.


    "Everything ready?" he asked. "Need any help?"


    "Everything¡¯s done," I told him, before narrowing my eyes. "Where have you been? Is everything alright?"


    Kael¡¯s habit of retreating to his room always left me uneasy. It was his own space, yes, but something about it pricked at the heart, an instinct that refused to quiet.


    He gave a low hum and shifted his gaze toward Rafe. "The firecrackers you ordered¡ªhave they arrived?"


    "Yes. Already set in ce," Rafe replied.


    <fn6b32> The source of th?s content is F¦ÉndNovel</fn6b32>


    Jason came out next, pushing a cartden with covered pots, steam and fragrance escaping into the night.


    "Damn," I muttered, eyeing the cart. "Looks like we¡¯re about to have a once-in-a-century feast."


    He began arranging the pots neatly, and the aroma rising from them was both rich and familiar to us all.


    "Everything¡¯s done," Jason said, ncing back at us.


    "Then let¡¯s begin," Lucian suggested, turning his eyes to me.


    "I can¡¯t guarantee anything," I admitted, before stepping away toward her.


    "Eira," I called softly. "Let us pray to the Moon Goddess to begin the festival." Without giving her the chance to object, I added, "Perhaps you could pray for Vixen¡¯s babies, that they might be born healthy. Surely that would bring a good blessing. Come, let¡¯s go."


    I lifted Vixen gently from herp and waited. She looked at me with a frown, yet she rose without a word and followed where I led.


    A fire glowed steadily in a great y pot, its mes licking upward as the scent of herbs and smoke curled into the night air. Into it we were to burn essence papers, the old way of sending prayers to the Moon Goddess. The world outside might have turned modern, but traditions such as these still endured, passed down faithfully through generations.


    We gathered in a circle around the fire. Lucian handed Eira a small bundle of essence papers, then gave the same to each of us.


    "We can begin," Lucian said quietly.


    We lifted our eyes to the moon, its silver light pouring down upon us. Then, closing them, we prayed in silence. My heart whispered only one prayer: for Eira¡¯s well-being. I was certain the others prayed for the same. When our prayers were done, we set the essence papers to the mes, watching them curl and vanish into smoke.


    The moment ended, and Eira snatched her cat from my hand, retreating back to her ce without a word.


    I followed after her. "I have a gift for you," I said.


    She gave no response, but I went inside home anyway. When I returned, I carried a small basket. cing it before her, I lifted the lid. Though she tried not to look, the faint sound from within caught her attention.


    Vixen mewed, Fluffy barked sharply, but I hushed him with a gentle hand.


    "That¡¯s our new family member," I told them.


    Eira leaned forward, curiosity betraying her, and lifted the tiny hamster from the basket. She cradled it close in her palms, the soft creature wriggling against her touch.


    "Do you like the gift?" I asked her quietly. "Another pet for you."


    Atst, she gave the faintest nod.


    "And my gift?" I asked, half in jest, though my heart longed for even a fragment of warmth from her.


    She looked up at me as though I had spoken something outrageous.


    "I¡¯ll get it myselfter," I said with a smile, letting her silence be her answer. "Until then, enjoy your newpanion." With that, I turned back to join my brothers.


    They all stared at me as I approached, and I arched a brow. "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all brought gifts for her too. If not, then you all suck."

 Chapter 137: Gift For Eira-II

    <h4>Chapter 137: Gift For Eira-II</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    This bastard Roman. He was getting bold these days just because he could get closer to her easily andmunicate with her.


    I wanted to punch him, but then someone disturbed my thought.


    "Yeah, I suck, because I didn¡¯t get anything for her," Rafe muttered, retrieving a dark bag he had tucked at the base of a tree. He carried it over to Eira.


    We all turned to watch.


    He opened the bag, and from it revealed a neatly crafted, soft, cozy, sleeping arrangement for the cat.


    "This is for Vixen and her soon-to-be babies," he said to Eira. "It¡¯ll keep themfortable and warm instead of keeping them in yourp all the time. I am sure you won¡¯t be able to amodate them all once she gives birth."


    Eira¡¯s eyes lingered on it before she lifted Vixen and ced her inside. The spoiled cat immediately curled into the bedding, purring, rolling happily against the softness. She was truly enjoying it like the little princess she was.


    Seeing Vixen so content, Eira had no reason to reject the gift. After all it was good for her cat.


    "So, the vampire¡¯s offering was epted as well. Smart bastard¡ªhe had yed it carefully, just as I had," Roman said and looked at me, "Your personal bitch is learning well. You should learn something from him."


    I wanted to p that arrogance out of his face now.


    Rafe returned and Roman teased, "Gift for the cat huh?" I looked at Eira and Vixen, "But which one exactly."


    "Whoever uses that," Rafe replied, "It¡¯s big enough to content both of them."


    Romanughed a little and then looked at us as if asking us if we are going to gift her anything.


    In response, Jason, without a word, rose and walked toward the dining table as he said. "If you¡¯re all done with your gifts, let¡¯s eat."


    <i>So he hadn¡¯t brought one,</i> I concluded. <i>Never mind, my gift for her will make up for both of us. After all we are brothers.</i>


    Under their curious gazes I reached for a small bag I had set on one of the chairs. From it, I withdrew a t gift box and went to her.


    As I reached her, I removed the cover and tilted the box toward her. "This is for you."


    The instant her eyes fell upon it, she froze, her breath catching as if she had stumbled upon something she had never expected to see. Then, almost desperately, she snatched the box from my hands, unable to wait another second.


    I could hear Roman mumbling. "Damn. She had never been that eager for any of our gifts. What the hell had Lucian brought her?"


    She drew out a photo frame from the gift box and gazed at it, her fingers tightening around the edges, her eyes softening with unmistakable affection.


    It was picture Alice and Eira clicked once. Alice loved it so much that she framed it and kept it on her study desk along with the frame which had our family photograph. Alice already considered Eira as our family. And I swear, if not for that incident, Eira would have been our family for real.


    "That was Alice¡¯s favorite picture of both of you together," I told her quietly. "She always kept it on her study table."


    Eira hummed faintly, her voice low but filled with something tender. She could not stop looking at it.


    "Smart ass," I heard Rafe mutter under his breath.


    I nced over just in time to see Kael heading toward the dining table, where Jason was already serving food.


    "Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold," Kael instructed.


    So, he hadn¡¯t brought a gift either.


    I turned back to Eira. "Come," I urged softly. "Let¡¯s eat together, like we used to. Thest time we shared a meal like this was on Alice¡¯s birthday. Tonight, we celebrate the festival while remembering her. Just like you, we all miss her."


    Her eyes shimmered, tears breaking through as she whispered, "I killed her..."


    I sat down on the couch before her and gently cupped her face in my hands, tilting her chin so she had no choice but to meet my gaze.


    "Do you truly believe you killed her?" I asked, brushing away her tears with my thumb. "We know the truth. You were aiming for that wolf. What happened was a mistake."


    Her lips trembled as she shook her head. "But..."


    "If not for you, the wolf would have killed her," I said, my voice firm but soothing. I could not yet tell her about the drugs¡ªit was not the moment. "Listen to me. I am her brother. If even I no longer me you, then believe me when I say, she wouldn¡¯t either. If you wish to honor her, then let¡¯s do it by being happy tonight, by remembering her as she deserves."


    Her tear-filled eyes searched mine, pleading silently for reassurance, and I gave it to her in the only way I could. "Trust me."


    At the same time, a knot formed in my chest, heavy with the words I longed to speak. I wanted to apologize¡ªto beg her forgiveness for what we had done to her that day in prison. But fear held me back.


    If I reminded her now, I might shatter this fragile peace, and she would drift further away from me. The time woulde for confessions and apologies, but not tonight. Tonight, I just wanted her close.


    "Let¡¯s go, please," I whispered. "For Alice¡¯s sake."


    She nodded faintly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, like a child struggling to be strong. Alice was still her weakness, even after six long years. Her death weighed on her as heavily as it weighed on us. The memory of that shot would never leave her mind, and I knew she would never forgive herself for it.


    I guided her to the dining table, where she quietly took a seat. I settled beside her, while Rafe busied himself serving food to our pets.


    Kael sat at the head of the table, but we had carefully chosen the farthest seat for her¡ªone that would not ce her directly across from him. My heart ached for Kael, yet I knew she still needed time to ovee the shadow of her fear of the ck wolf.


    <fn5cbb> Original content can be found at FindN()vel</fn5cbb>


    When atst we were all seated, Jason revealed what he had been working in kitchen for so long.


    The four of us stared at it in surprise, and then looked at Jason in disbelief.


    This bastard had his own way of preparing a gift for Eira, though he wouldn¡¯t say it a loud.

 Chapter 138: Gift For Eira-III

    <h4>Chapter 138: Gift For Eira-III</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    "You were busy cooking this?" I asked, disbelief flickering across his face.


    Jason only gave a low hum, making no disy of pride, as if he had not just created something remarkable. Calmly, he portioned the food into six dishes and handed them around, one by one.


    But one dish he carried with his own hands, setting it directly before Eira. "This is for you."


    We all watched in silence. So this was his gift¡ªsomething far more meaningful than any trinket. A dish she loved dearly, one she had once hoped to learn from our mother, Jennifer.


    It was the meal our mother always prepared on the day after the Moon Festival. Yet Jason had chosen to make it tonight. Perhaps he had struggled to decide what gift she might ept from him, but this¡ªthis was priceless.


    It showed his sincerity as it wasn¡¯t the easy thing to make.


    Still, one question lingered in my mind. When had Jason learned to cook it? I had never once seen him learning from our mother.


    Jason returned to his seat, and atst we began to eat.


    Eira lingered for a moment, watching the dish before her as though it had carried her back into memories she had long buried.


    Then, quietly, she tasted it.


    "Good job, Jason," Roman said with a satisfied grin as he relished the vor. "It¡¯s just like how Jennifer used to make it."


    "Indeed," I added. "I thought we would never taste this again."


    Jason¡¯s voice was calm, almost indifferent. "I¡¯ll cook it whenever any of you want."


    But we all knew who he truly meant those words for. Eira. But will she ever ask any of us to do something for her. For now the answer was- Never.


    "We¡¯ll trouble you often then," Roman remarked, smirking before ncing at Eira. "Isn¡¯t it tasty?"


    She gave only a soft hum in response, her head lowered as she continued to eat in silence.


    The rest of us exchanged knowing looks, ready to tease Jason, to point out that his efforts had clearly worked. Yet the bastard spared us no reaction, keeping his eyes on his meal as if it were the only thing that deserved his attention.


    "He¡¯s already got the approval from the main person," Roman chuckled. "Why would he care for ours?"


    "Yeah! The one, who he had cooked for as his gift, is clearly liking it. We are just the extra additions," Rafemented.


    All the while, Kael remained quiet, his expression unreadable.


    He was our leader, the one who by every rule should have held the first im over her in all matters. Yet he was always the one left standing at the end. I prayed it would not remain so in the days toe.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªhad he truly not brought anything for her, or at least prepare something like Jason did. And was he simply holding back, unwilling to approach her yet due to her fear towards him.


    ----


    Roman¡¯s POV


    When dinner was done, Rafe leaned back with a spark in his eyes. "Let¡¯s blow some crackers."


    Kael gave a short nod of approval, and Lucian and Jason followed Rafe to help.


    Eira had already returned to her ce, nestled against her pets, curled into the warmth of the cushioned couch.


    I joined her, settling down beside her, unwilling to leave her alone while the others busied themselves.


    Before long, the night sky blossomed with light as firecrackers burst in a riot of colors. She clutched Vixen closer to her chest, her body tensing at the noise. Gently, I touched her arm, urging her to lift her gaze.


    "It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?" I asked softly, eager to draw her attention, hoping for even a word in response.


    When she remained silent, I continued, my voice carrying the weight of memory. "Every year, we arranged this for Alice. It was the one time we all truly let ourselves enjoy it. You had just entered our lives then, so you didn¡¯t know the kinds of wishes Alice used to make¡ªand how Lucian and Jason would do anything to fulfill them. Kael, Rafe, and I always ended up joining in too."


    Her eyes lingered on the sky as it red with light, listening quietly.


    "Once, Alice burned her hand in one of her reckless adventures with the firecrackers," I went on. "After that, she was always careful. Lucian and Jason wanted to have the scar removed with surgery, but Jennifer refused. She said the mark should remain, a reminder not to be reckless or spoiled all the time. So Alice carried that tiny burn on her hand all her life."


    "She hated it," Eira finally whispered, her voice fragile. "She thought it was ugly."


    "Well, no girl likes ugly marks," I said, only to realize Eira had so many of them on her. I felt like pping my mouth, but she didn¡¯t seem to feel anything about it.


    At least she talked. But then, how long were we going to use her pets and her friend to reach her, to even be able tomunicate with her?


    And if we started talking about her, there was nothing pleasant to talk about at the moment. What were we going to ask¡ªhow she was and what she had done in the past few years? Everything about her was simply a pain.


    The firecrackers continued for long, as Rafe seemed to have brought an unending stock of them.


    Kael alone was standing to the side, his hands tucked in the pockets of his pants, his expression serious, his eyes on the sky and seemingly lost somewhere in his own thoughts.


    Despite being with us, he looked lonely.


    I didn¡¯t know how to sort things out between us all. Everything lookedplicated. Though today it was calm, tomorrow wouldn¡¯t be the same.


    Tillte at night, all of us were out. When it felt too chilly, Kael told me to take Eira inside the home. I did as I was told while the others stayed outside.


    "Let¡¯s drink," Lucian said, as he had already brought alcohol for them.


    I wasn¡¯t going to be a part of it, as I had to be with her¡ªor they had already expected me to be with her, as it was the night of the Moon Festival.


    <fnc768> The source of th?s content is Find¡ïNovel</fnc768>


    Despite me telling them that I wouldn¡¯t be mating with her, they seemed to have decided to give me the way.

 Chapter 139: First Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 139: First Kiss</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    The pets had all settled into their ces for the night. Vixen curled up in her newly gifted bed, Fluffy nestled faithfully beside her, and the little hamster, round with overeating,y sprawled in the small basket I had brought him in, sleeping as though he were dead to the world.


    We headed to my room. Though we had the guest room ready¡ªthe one she stayed in when we first brought her here¡ªthe fear of leaving her alone and her ending up doing something to herself didn¡¯t allow us to keep her there. We settled that she was going to stay in my room, as she was morefortable with me, and I had marked her as well.


    Once inside the room, I didn¡¯t really know how to go about it. But I decided it was time to take a step ahead, at least one step at a time.


    She sat at the edge of the bed, her attention fixed on the photograph Lucian had gifted her. The frame rested lightly in her hands, her gaze distant yet intent.


    "It will look perfect on the bedside table," I told her as I sat beside her. "Lucian will bring more. Maybe we can arrange them on the wall, in smaller frames. How about on this side?" I pointed to the bare stretch of wall.


    She followed the direction of my hand, silent, though I could see her already picturing it.


    "We¡¯ll take some of your pictures too," I added gently. "With your pets. And yes, with Vixen¡¯s babies as well."


    Once again, I had leaned on her pets¡ªand Alice¡ªto draw her attention, to stir some reaction from her. But that was fine. I believed, in time, things would change.


    "Give it to me," I said, extending my hand.


    Her fingers tightened around the frame, clutching it as though I meant to take it from her entirely.


    "I¡¯m only going to set it on the bedside table, on your side," I assured her softly.


    She handed it over to me and I moved to keep it on the side table.


    Since her sessions with the doctor, and after the drug test, she had stoppedshing out. Her defiance had given way to obedience¡ªgentler, quieter. But I could not tell how long it wouldst, nor when the storm within her might break free again.


    As I settled back, I decided it was time to speak. "Eira, you do know I marked you."


    She gave no response, her gaze fixed nkly on the floor.


    Gently, I reached for her hand and drew her toward me, turning her so she faced me. "Look at me."


    Her eyes lifted atst, meeting mine, but there was nothing in them¡ªno anger, no warmth, just emptiness.


    "Please, listen to me," I murmured, my voice steady, my thumb brushing over her cold skin as I cupped her cheek. "Don¡¯t shut me out. Don¡¯t block me from reaching you."


    Her silence pressed heavy against me, yet I continued. "I know you are hurt. I know you are wounded. And I know it is our fault. You may never forgive us¡ªthat¡¯s fine. We will keep asking for forgiveness until the end of our lives if we must."


    She did not stir, her expression unreadable, as though my words had slipped past her without meaning. It was frustrating, but I swallowed it down. We deserved this. Every one of us.


    <fn01b8> Newest update provided by Find[?]ovel</fn01b8>


    "I want you to understand," I said softly, my eyes never leaving hers, "the world is not the same as the one you endured these past six years. Not everyone is like that. You don¡¯t have to remain the same either. You can be yourself with us."


    Even now, silence was all she gave me in return.


    "The things that hurt you¡ªthey won¡¯t be the same with us," I promised. "And I want to show you that, slowly, step by step." I leaned closer until my face hovered just inches from hers. My voice lowered, a vow carried on my breath. "Though I have marked you, I will never mate with you unless you truly want it. But one day, I will make sure you do."


    She did not recoil. She did not even blink. Perhaps my nearness was not foreign to her, or perhaps she was simply too used to such closeness after the life she had endured.


    "Don¡¯t treat me like those men, alright?" I whispered, though I wasn¡¯t sure if the words even reached her. "You will see it¡¯s not the same with me. You will know how much I love you, how much you mean to me."


    I searched her eyes, hoping for some flicker of feeling, but found only emptiness.


    "I wish to kiss my mate tonight," I breathed, leaning closer. "Is that too much to ask?"


    Her hand moved instinctively toward the buttons of her dress, just as she had done that night. My heart clenched. I caught her hand gently, stopping her before she could begin.


    "I¡¯m not your customer," I whispered against her lips. "I am your mate, Eira. Just a kiss will do."


    Lifting my hand, I brushed it softly over her eyes. "Close your eyes."


    If she kept her eyes opened, she will just stare somewhere nkly. But, I wanted her to feel it, feel me, our closeness without losing her mind somewhere.


    She obeyed, sitting still as stone, hershes lowering, her body rigid as if carved from marble.


    "Trust me," I murmured. "You will like it."


    I tilted her face gently toward mine, my hands cradling her as though she were something precious and fragile. Her skin was cool beneath my palms, but the simple act of touching her filled me with a warmth that spread through my chest.


    For a long moment I hesitated, my lips hovering just a breath away from hers. I wanted her to feel my intent¡ªnot desire born of need, not hunger like the men who had wronged her¡ªbut the kind of love that carried patience, devotion, and reverence.


    Slowly, I closed the distance.


    My lips brushed hers with the barest touch, softer than a sigh, like the first fall of snow upon the earth. There was no urgency, no force¡ªonly the delicate pressure. I lingered there, savoring the way her breath mingled with mine, the faint tremble of her body against me.


    Her lips remained still, but I didn¡¯t mind it. Slowly, I captured them into mine, sucking and nibbling them softly, taking turn on them tenderly, as though to tell her she was cherished, that with me she would never again be treated like a thing to be used.


    I wished to urge her to kiss me back. But that would be too much to ask for.


    Her lips soft and tender, felt like nothing I had tasted before. It took me every bit of restraint to surpassed the urge to deepen the kiss. I didn¡¯t want toe out as a lustful bastard.


    After a while, when I pulled back, it was not sudden. My lips lingered, as if reluctant to part, before I let the space grow between us again.


    I kept my forehead resting lightly against hers, my thumb tracing the curve of her cheek, whispering through touch what my words could not carry.


    She still had her eyes closed, a little breathless despite I tried my best to be gentle and keep it to her lips only.


    "Let¡¯s sleep now," I said and guided her to her ce to lie down.


    From her eyes or expressions I couldn¡¯t tell if she felt even a bit of that kiss. I covered her with sheets and sat at the edge once more.


    I pecked on her forehead gently and whispered, "Good night. Sleep well."


    She closed her eyes, probably assured that we were not going to do anything more.


    Though this wasn¡¯t the way I wanted our first kiss to be, but it was fine. We will reach there one day. For now these slow steps meant a lot already.


    I waited by her side until I was sure she was in deep sleep and then I decided to go back to my brothers, who were probably ready to drown themselves in alcohol.


    Bastards would be happy to see me back, despite preparing themselves to ept the fact that I had to mate with her.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time.

 Chapter 140: Every Moment Around Them Is Unbearable.

    <h4>Chapter 140: Every Moment Around Them Is Unbearable.</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Roman left thinking I had fallen asleep, but I hadn¡¯t. I was waiting for him to fall asleep or leave.


    Just as he left and the room grew quiet, I turned toward the bedside table, my eyes finding the photo frame.


    "Alice..." My voice trembled as the tears already gathered in my eyes. "How much I want toe to you¡ªbut I can¡¯t."


    My fingers brushed over the ss, lingering on her face.


    "Lucian says it wasn¡¯t my fault, but how can I forget? It was my hand that pulled the trigger. I was the one who shot you. No matter what they tell me, that truth will never leave me. I just want toe to you. I¡¯m so tired, Alice. Truly tired. I don¡¯t know what else to do anymore. There¡¯s nothing left inside me. All I have is hate and bitterness, and I fear it will consume your brothers¡ªthe very men you loved so dearly. I hate them, Alice, I hate them so much... but I don¡¯t wish them harm, because it would hurt you."


    I pressed my fingers against the frame, as though the touch could bridge the distance between us.


    "The world was so beautiful with you by my side. Without you, I don¡¯t want to remain in it anymore. I hate this world, and everyone in it. You know, today they did everything they could to celebrate the Moon Festival. But for me, there was no meaning in it. Still... I prayed. I prayed for your soul to be at peace. I prayed that we might be united soon. I miss you. I miss you so much."


    My tears fell freely now, slipping hot across my cheeks as I gathered the frame into my arms, pressing it tight against my heart.


    "They want to be good to me," I whispered, choking on the words, "but I don¡¯t want it. Their sudden kindness won¡¯t erase what I suffered... it won¡¯t bring back what I lost. I can never forget my child. I can never forget the cruelty. It haunts me, makes every moment unbearable to live. I epted it once, thinking it was my punishment for killing you. But I can¡¯t anymore. I can¡¯t forget. And I can¡¯t forgive.


    Sobs broke through me as I clutched the frame harder. "Alice, please... can¡¯t you do something? Call me to you. I don¡¯t want to be here anymore. Every moment around them is unbearable. I endure it only by telling myself it will end soon. They will fuck me and throw me out. But...


    "They won¡¯t let me go, and they won¡¯t kill me either. Just do something, Alice... You¡¯re the only one I have left. Please, Alice. Please..."


    ----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong><fn519a> Get full chapters from f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn519a>


    Roman returned to us instead of staying with her, though it could have been a night meant for mates.


    And though I had epted that possibility¡ªthough I had even prepared myself for it¡ªthe moment I saw him return, a strange relief settled over me.


    <i>Such an ass I am.</i>


    After hours of drinking, we finally drifted back to our rooms.


    Once inside my room, I opened the drawer of the bedside table. There was a small box inside it¡ªa gift I had bought for her, but didn¡¯t have the courage to give.


    I opened the box. There was a tiny pendant hung on a delicate chain. It belonged to my mother, and it was meant for my mate, the woman I loved. But...


    <i>Maybe, I have to wait.</i>


    Despite the alcohol kicking in, I had no desire to sleep. Standing by the wall-sized ss window of my room, I looked at the moon.


    I should have been with her, celebrating every moon festival with her like true mates, but I had lost that chance with my own hands.


    I looked around the part of the estate that was visible from here.


    This estate was a gift from my parents, and I often stayed here back then to have my own peaceful time. Standing here and looking at the sky always offered me more peace.


    And then, my gaze settled on the side house below.


    Six years ago, I built this small side house out of nowhere.


    It shocked everyone¡ªwhy was I even building such a small cottage-style home when I already had this big house? And that too in the middle of the garden, right next to the main house, instead of in some other part of this grand estate.


    I didn¡¯t exin the reason to anyone, nor did I wish to admit it to myself.


    But I knew it well. Eira¡ªshe was the reason.


    Back then, when I was at Lucian¡¯s home, Alice returned from the market carrying so many things. But she wasn¡¯t alone. Eira was with her. Both of them brought so much.


    "What¡¯s this?" Jennifer asked.


    "Mom, we have decided to change the boring interiors of our home. I am bored of seeing the same things around," Alice told her, as both the girls ced all those bags on the couch.


    "Where did you get so much money?" Jennifer was shocked. "Don¡¯t tell me you are yet to pay."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I just broke my piggy bank, as money wasn¡¯t going to double there, and then I got some from my brothers."


    "Don¡¯t forget your brothers are still students. You shouldn¡¯t trouble them," Jennifer warned her. "Don¡¯t be reckless like this."


    "You only scold me," Aliceined. "You should scold Eira as well."


    Eira was clearly shocked, and I enjoyed those expressions on her small innocent face. "What... did I do..." Eira asked.


    "You didn¡¯t stop me when I was shopping. Instead, you helped me buy things," Alice replied. "And all of this is of your choice, as if you were buying it for your own home. I just paid for it."


    Eira felt baffled. "But... I thought Aunty told you to buy... so..."


    "See, Mom? She epted her fault," Alice said. "Now scold her."


    Eira¡¯s face turned apologetic as she looked at Jennifer.


    "Stop scaring the poor girl," Jennifer said, and went to Eira. "It¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s see what you got. Maybe your choice of things can change the mood inside our home."


    "I... just tried... but Alice chose them as well..." she said, feeling a little nervous.


    "I am sure everything is perfect," Jennifer assured her.


    "When ites to Eira, you are always so soft, Mom," Aliceined, though in a yful way. "I wonder who¡¯s your daughter¡ªher or me."


    "Both of you are," Jennifer replied, and started to go through the bags.


    "I am the daughter," Alice said. "But how about you make her your daughter-inw? You have two sons," Alice teased.


    The moment she said that, my body froze. I looked at Eira. She was shocked as well, but also a little shy.


    "Want to be my sister-inw?" Alice asked, putting her hand around Eira yfully. "Which one, Lucian or Jason?"


    Eira pped her hand gently and scolded her softly, "Stop joking around and let¡¯s help Aunty."


    Though we were talking, all my attention was on her. They revealed what Eira had bought.


    "Oh! It¡¯s beautiful, Eira," Jennifer said as she looked at the wall hanging she was holding.


    "Mom, she liked everything warm, cozy, and a little vibrant¡ªopposite to how dull our home looks at the moment," Alice added as she revealed more things.


    Unsure why, but I took note of everything she bought and understood what she preferred. From their talks, I also learned more about Eira¡¯s preferences for a home.


    Later, I decided to build this warm, cozy side house just the way she preferred. Just my attempt to get familiar with her world, get used to it, and most importantly, becauseing to this side house made me feel I was close to her that way.


    And then, I looked forward to the day shees to this home and realise it was just what she preferred.


    If I told her today I had built this side house for her, she would just spit on it and walk away. The hate in her eyes for me was far deeper than I could even dare imagine.


    I looked at the box I was still holding in my hand. My finger caressed the pendant gently. <i>Maybe one day, I will be able to give it to her.</i>


    Keeping the box back in the drawer, Iy on the bed without even changing my clothes. I felt exhausted emotionally, my heart felt empty as I missed her by my side, right here in my bed where she was supposed to be.


    As I closed my eyes, my mind only repeated that same thing, her name, Eira.

 Chapter 141: Eira Arguing With Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 141: Eira Arguing With Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning began as usual. Jason and Lucian were busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast, while Rafe and I tended to the pets before Eira woke. Kael had not yet appeared; perhaps he was still asleep, or perhaps he had locked himself away in his room again.


    As long as he came to the table, it would be enough.


    Eira was sleeping tillte as well. I knew it wasn¡¯t the medicine, but rather that she hadn¡¯t slept after I left the room the previous night. When I returned, I saw her sleeping with a picture frame tightly held against her chest, hershes damp as if she had been crying even in her sleep.


    Whatever we did, I knew it was going to be a long way before we could change things between her and us.


    I didn¡¯t dare climb into the bed for fear of disturbing her sleep, so I slept on the couch, watching her for a long time before I finally fell asleep.


    "Breakfast is almost ready. Are those two noting out yet?" Lucian asked now, arranging the dishes on the table.


    "I¡¯ll go check on her," I replied.


    "Was she alrightst night?" Lucian¡¯s question made Jason pause, both of them looking at me expectantly.


    I only hummed, uncertain what to tell them when I barely knew myself.


    When I entered the room, she was lying quietly on the bed, staring out the window.


    Though she didn¡¯t want my affection and care, I was going to continue it my way.


    I sat on the edge of the bed and gently brushed my hand over her hair. "Did you sleep well?"


    She gave no response, no sign that she even felt my touch.


    "Get up," I said softly. "You need to eat, and then take your medicines." I adjusted the photo frame on the bedside table before rising.


    She obeyed, slowly pushing herself upright. I pulled out a fresh set of clothes for her. "Come out when you¡¯re ready. Your pets are waiting for you too."


    With that, I left the room, knowing she would follow.


    By then Kael hade downstairs as well, and Eira appeared from her room¡ªwashed, dressed in simple clothes, her hair neatly set. The new haircut she¡¯d gotten the day before framed her face gently, making her look almost... different.


    Unlike before, when we first brought her home, she looked better now. A little healthier and fresher, opposite to how sickly she looked.


    Fluffy and Vixen went to her. She petted the dog and picked up Vixen in her arms. Her eyes then sought out the hamster I had bought for her. The little fellow had burrowed into the soft bedding of his cage, exhausted after wearing himself out on the wheel.


    As she sat before therge cage, I joined her, carefully plucking the hamster out and holding him toward her. "What shall we name him?" I asked.


    "If her cat is called Vixen," Rafe drawled, busy cleaning Vixen¡¯s bedding, "then this little bastard should be named something like Rascal. Or Jerk. An ass...."


    I looked at Eira to see her reaction, and she clearly knitted her brows at hisment.


    She looked at Rafe with an annoyed expression. "Those names are reserved for the likes of you. Spare my pets."


    We all raised our brows and looked at Rafe. The bastard managed to get a reaction from her. We wanted him to go on, and he did just that.


    How to rile up someone with his remarks¡ªthat was his skill.


    "If they stay around me, they are guaranteed to be like me," Rafe countered, calm andposed. "So, it¡¯s fixed. I am going to call him Little Rascal."


    "No!" she raised her voice. "They are my pets, and his name is... umm..." she thought quickly. "...Ham."


    She looked so adorable, all riled up and angry.


    "Always sozy with names, huh?" Rafe gave her a bored look. "Cat is kitty, hamster should be ham. Howzily creative of you, Caldwell!"


    "Yeah, and Vixen is so creative, isn¡¯t it, Damaris?" she snapped back.


    Damn! What¡¯s going on between these two? Calling each other by theirst names like each others¡¯ mortal enemies.


    "Well, Vixen is called Vixen," he said with a smug smile, his gaze challenging her. "Isn¡¯t it, Vixen?"


    In an instant she grabbed the cushion from her seat and hurled it at him. "Don¡¯t call me that!"


    He caught it easily, smirking. "No one orders me. I do what I do."


    For a moment, we four just stared at each other in disbelief. This was more than we had seen from her in weeks¡ªa spark of life, even if born from irritation.


    But why had she reacted so strongly to that word- Vixen? Why did she take it upon herself as if he had called her that directly?


    "Bastard!" she spat at him, her voice rising. "Get lost!"


    <fnbf9b> This text is hosted at find¡¤novel</fnbf9b>


    "I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t," Rafe replied, tossing the cushion back onto her mattress with a careless flick. "If I leave, I¡¯ll be taking my cat with me."


    She pulled Vixen closer, her gaze unwavering. "She¡¯s mine. You stole her. I know it¡¯s my kitty, my pet."


    "If not for me, she would have died long back," he said. "You better thank me."


    Finally, Eira stayed quiet.


    All of us simply exchanged nces between the two. Things started to make sense now. So it was Eira¡¯s cat that Rafe had brought with him six years back. No wonder she was so attached to this cat¡ªand the cat to her. They were no strangers.


    "And keep in mind, it¡¯s my cat as well because I have been taking care of her for the past six years. Either we share her, or I take her away," Rafe said, looking straight in her eyes, "Our cat, or my cat? Choose one."


    Eira held the cat closer, not willing to answer.


    "Alright! Our cat then," Rafe decided on his own and walked towards the breakfast table and settled in the chair Coolly, "Let¡¯s eat."


    The bastard managed to get upper hand over her so easily. Now they are going to have ¡¯their pet¡¯.


    And, the way they were arguing, there was surely a story behind it that we didn¡¯t know.

 Chapter 142: How Rafe Got Vixen

    <h4>Chapter 142: How Rafe Got Vixen</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    <i>(shback ¡ª 6 years ago)</i>


    That day I was patrolling around the territory, just like the other Alphas under training. There had been news of a rogue werewolf targeting innocents, and we had been told to look for them.


    I didn¡¯t know that while doing so, I would catch a familiar, tempting scent that almost brought out my innate vampire instincts¡ªinstincts I sessfully suppressed thanks to my werewolf side that helped me counter it. But it was always on the brink of failing whenever that scent hit me. Her scent.


    Eira.


    She was returning home from school, walking alone on that deserted path, and it was already getting dark.


    Standing in the woods, my gaze lingered on her. <i>Isn¡¯t she afraid of going home alone? Why does her home have to be so isted and away from others? Her family members are truly idiots.</i> I frowned and decided to keep watch on her until she reached home.


    I didn¡¯t want her to be in danger from a rogue. Now, thanks to her, I had to do everything to catch that rogue so he wouldn¡¯t harm her when she was alone like this.


    <fnb948> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? F¦ÉndNovel</fnb948>


    Just then, I watched her stop and look around.


    <i>What now? Just go home so I can go after that rogue.</i> I frowned inwardly, my worry for her safety gnawing at me.


    Leaving the road, she started to walk toward the woods, searching for something.


    <i>What the hell?</i> I felt like dragging her back home myself. <i>Is she oblivious to the dangers for kids like her in the woods?</i>


    <i>Miao!</i>


    She made the sound of a cat, and another sound came in response, which took me by surprise. She was responding to the cat¡¯s cries and searching for it. She looked so adorable, so sweet, carefully making her way toward the sound. So pure and innocent¡ªexactly the opposite of what I was.


    My eyes narrowed at her. <i>You should worry about yourself more than a random cat, silly girl.</i>


    Soon she found a hurt kitten and tried to coax it. She was kind¡ªand her kindness was going to put her in trouble one day. She carried the kitten with her, and I followed her silently, not letting her know of my presence.


    I wanted to keep protecting her.


    When she reached her home, entirely isted here in the woods, she hid the cat in the gaps between the boulders at the rear boundary of her home. I understood from her behavior that she was hiding the cat and couldn¡¯t let her family know about it.


    Sitting high up on the branches of a tree, I continued to watch her taking care of the cat. Even in the dark, she wasn¡¯t afraid toe out of the house. That small kitten seemed to be her priority.


    Once she returned home safely after treating and feeding the kitten, I left to search for the rogue werewolf. That night, we found it and killed it along with my other friends.


    But after that, instead of returning to my home, I went to hers. I sat at the same boulder where she hid the kitten and looked up toward her window. The lights were off, and she was sleeping.


    I spent my time taking care of the kitten. The bandage she had put around its leg hade off. I secured it well and even fed and cared for it.


    After that, once in a while I woulde here in the dead of night and spend some time with this kitten while the owner of this cat nestled in her bed.


    I didn¡¯t know why I was even doing this.


    I only knew that her scent, her untouched appearance which felt sweet and tempting at first, had slowly started to break every ounce of restraint I had been practicing over the years to control my innate instincts.


    Not just her scent or her blood was maddening¡ªher innocent beauty tempted me to ruin it over and over again. I wanted to hurt her in ways she wouldn¡¯t imagine.


    That was sick, but that¡¯s how I felt.


    And I hated to think that someone existed who could affect me this way, almost pushing me to be a monster I didn¡¯t want to be.


    Despite being so irresistibly drawn to her, I decided to stay away from her¡ªor I didn¡¯t know what I would end up doing to her.


    But thanks to my friends and their sister, she was always around. It only grew my frustration. Neither could I go to her, nor would they let me stay away from her.


    The first time I saw her at Lucian¡¯s home, though tempted by her scent and beauty, I could barely control myself. So the moment we finished our meal, I left in a hurry, making an excuse.


    I knew the moment Iid my eyes on her that day¡ªshe struck straight into my heart. I wanted her in every way. A vampire¡¯s instincts were stronger toward the one they desired. They could never go wrong, and she was the one for me.


    But she was a minor, and I couldn¡¯t lose myself to my desires. So my efforts to keep her away from me, to protect her from the kind of monster I could be, grew stronger¡ªand at the same time, wrong. She hated me for how I treated her.


    If only she knew I was protecting her from myself.


    After that incident with Alice and our pack, just like everyone, I was hurt¡ªfor the ones we lost, for my friends who suffered, and for the impossibility of believing it was her. But the proof was there, and so was the anger that she had sided with our enemies.


    Moreover, what happened with Kael and his family... Kael was the first friend I ever had, and he was more like my brother. He had brought me out of hell. When I saw him crying and howling in pain for the first time, that pain wasn¡¯t just his¡ªI felt it too.


    When it came to Kael, I would go against anyone in this world, even if it meant abandoning my feelings toward her.


    I hated her as well, just like the others.


    But after everything grew calm, after we had taken our revenge on the enemies, I went to her home once more. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but I did¡ªas if I was expecting to see her there.


    The mind might control you, but the heart only wants what it wants.


    The home was empty, her grandparents gone as well, though I wasn¡¯t sure where.


    But the little kitten was still there¡ªweak and almost about to die, with no one to take care of her. I brought her with me and named her what I used to call her owner: Vixen.

 Chapter 143: Why Are You Scared Of The Black Wolves?

    <h4>Chapter 143: Why Are You Scared Of The ck Wolves?</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    That bastard Rafe infuriated me again, this time by daring to im my cat as his own.


    Just like in the past, when he used to tease me until I wanted to smash his face, I felt the same rage burning through me now. But I knew I was powerless.


    I wished that bastard Vampire would starve for blood and die.


    And why did he always say I stank? No one else had ever said that to me. I knew I didn¡¯t. But that asshole... he must have a rotten nose to keep spitting such insults.


    <fn3826> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? fin?novel</fn3826>


    While I was trying to calm myself, Roman came to me. Obviously with his pretentious care, which I hated but had to bear with. He must have forgotten the times he bullied me, to now dare and act like he cared.


    And the other three were no better. I wished they could vanish into thin air and stop forcing me to breathe the same air as them.


    Each one of these five felt like a thorn in my foot that I couldn¡¯t pluck out, forcing me to walk while bearing the pain. The more I thought about them, the more my hate and bitterness grew in my heart.


    All I knew was that I hated everything, and I wanted to get angry at everyone, spouting all the bitterness I carried inside. And they were just giving me a chance to do it.


    "Eira, we have to go to the side house," Roman told me. "Doctor I is here to see you."


    <i>Damn! That doctor again. What does she want now?</i>


    Last time she reminded me of my son, scratched at my old wounds as if she had no other work to do. Why couldn¡¯t they just leave me alone?


    He took Ham from my hands.


    Ham, yes. That¡¯s my hamster¡¯s name now, after I dered it to everyone. Better than them naming him Rascal or Jerk.


    "Let¡¯s go," he told me.


    I frowned at my empty hands. Just because he gifted me that pet, he acted like he owned him. I red at him. For god¡¯s sake, that¡¯s my pet now.


    "I¡¯ll give him back once you are done with your session with I," he told me. "And Vixen is with Rafe."


    I gritted my teeth. They were ckmailing me with my pets. I frowned and walked out of the house to go to the side house while the bastard followed me.


    Liam was outside, seemingly waiting for me. What was this old bastard doing here now?


    "Eira, I want to talk to you," he said. "Please listen to me."


    I stopped, my gaze indifferent, as if he didn¡¯t matter to me.


    "Look! I didn¡¯t tell them about your child," he said, sounding apologetic. "They found it out on their own when they investigated your life after prison. I swear, I didn¡¯t."


    "He is telling the truth," Roman said from behind me.


    I didn¡¯t respond and walked inside the house. I didn¡¯t care what they thought or did. Let me just get done with this witch doctor who came to get on my nerves again.


    Entering the home, I saw her standing by the sofa and looking around the drawing room. Sensing my presence, she turned to me, a light smile on her lips.


    <i>Fake!</i>


    "Good morning, Eira," she said with a pleased tone. "Have a seat."


    I sat on the sofa while she sat in the chair opposite me. "Nice and cozy home, isn¡¯t it?" she said.


    "What do you want from me?" I asked her.


    Her smile widened lightly as she said, "Not bad!"


    It took me by surprise. What did she mean?


    "Well, I just want to have a little chat with you, and yeah, I brought you a cake. My daughter won first prize in the dancepetition, and we celebrated it yesterday." She pulled out a small box and put it in front of me. "This is for you."


    I didn¡¯t touch it. Then she pulled out a picture from the file she was holding. "You didn¡¯t see my daughter, right? I brought a picture of her with me."


    She ced it on the center table in front of me. I nced at it, and something caught my attention. There were two familiar figures with a little girl.


    Alice and Jennifer.


    I picked up the picture. Jennifer¡ªI felt like I had almost forgotten how she looked, but I recognized her at first nce.


    "That¡¯s Jennifer, my friend, and her daughter Alice," I said. "She worked in the administration department of the hospital I worked in, and we became good friends. It was my daughter¡¯s tenth birthday they attended, and thest one we ever had together."


    I didn¡¯t react to what she said, but continued to stare at the picture.


    "Jennifer was such a lovely woman, and so was her daughter," I said. "If I tell you what Alice did that day, and how she turned the celebration so hrious with her antics, you willugh as well."


    I finally looked at her. "What did she do?"


    She had the same smile on her face even now. "That we will talk about once we finish our session. That would be so rxing after a boring session, isn¡¯t it?"


    I could only agree. I wanted to know about Alice, and especially about Jennifer. I only knew she had died¡ªbut how? And this witch doctor wouldn¡¯t tell me unless I obeyed her demand. Just like every other person I faced. They always had some conditions before me. Whatever.


    "Alright! Shall we start?" she asked as she looked at me.


    I hummed lightly.


    "It¡¯s about the day when Alice died," she said. "I want to know your side, what you were going through."


    "There¡¯s nothing to it. I shot her, and she died," I replied inly.


    "And why did you shoot her?" she asked. "I know there¡¯s a valid reason. I wish to hear the truth. Give and take. You tell me something, and I tell you something."


    "I was going to shoot something else, but ended up hurting her."


    "Something else?" she hummed, as if giving it a thought. "Alright. Let¡¯s just jump straight to the point, as you are smart enough to know where it¡¯s going."


    I waited to hear what she meant.


    "I want to know why you fear the ck Wolf so much," she said. "You were trying to protect Alice from the ck Wolf, I know. Let¡¯s keep aside the fact that the ck Wolf wasn¡¯t captured in the video. We will believe it was truly there. I wish to believe in you."


    The things I wanted to counter her with¡ªthat there was no ck Wolf and she should just check the video¡ªshe had already left me no space to say.


    "Now, tell me why you are so scared of the ck Wolf?" she asked again. "I know there¡¯s a reason."


    "Since I was a child, my grandparents told me that ck Wolves are bad and scary. They are no less than monsters, and I should always stay away from them. If I saw them around, I should run from them," I told her honestly.


    She raised a brow. "They said that, and you started believing blindly?"


    I shook my head. "No. First, I used to have nightmares of a ck Wolf when I was a kid. In my dream, it would kill people, blood everywhere, and thene after me, as if chasing me desperately.


    "When I told this to my grandparents, they said it wasn¡¯t a dream, that it had indeed happened with me when I was a baby. That scary ck wolf was chasing us when my grandparents were running away with me."


    She listened to me with utter seriousness.


    "Grandma said we were on the run all the time because of that ck Wolf. It killed my parents, and it wanted to kill us as well. She told me how cruel ck Wolves were and how brutally my parents were killed. Since then, I started having a fear of them."


    "Can you still remember the exact dream you had?" I asked. "Was that ck Wolf really scary before you told anything to your grandparents?"


    I felt a little confused at her question. "I think it was... It killed people and chased after us... It was indeed scary... maybe..."


    "So your fear of the ck Wolf was instilled by your grandparents?" she concluded.


    I shook my head. "I had a nightmare... and they just exined..."

 Chapter 144: Suspicious Grandparents

    <h4>Chapter 144: Suspicious Grandparents</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Sitting in the drawing room of the main house, we were watching Eira and I¡¯s conversation on the TV screen through the camera feed in the side house.


    When I heard why she feared the ck Wolves so much, I felt conflicted, and so many questions arose in my mind. I was sure the others next to me had them as well.


    I turned to Liam and asked him, "Her grandparents¡ªyou knew them, right?"


    Liam nodded, his own expression conflicted after what Eira had said.


    "What kind of people were they, and where did theye from? How did you know them?" I asked.


    <fnd256> Readplete version only at Find_Novel(.</fnd256>


    He looked at me finally, unsure of his own thoughts. "Back then, one of my close friends, a top-rank official in our pack, introduced me to them. He knew them well and helped them settle in our pack¡ªa family of an old couple and their granddaughter.


    "They were searching for a peaceful and safe shelter. As an official, my friend was the one to provide all the properly investigated documents about Eira¡¯s grandparents, so there was nothing to doubt about them.


    "And they seemed to be good people, and because of my friend, I became her grandfather¡¯s good friend as well. There was nothing to doubt about them at all. They always had the right answers whenever someone asked them about their life beforeing to our pack. They were said to be victims of the great war that happened in the werewolf world decades back, and traveling from pack to pack as war refugees.


    "After the incident six years ago, they disappeared all of a sudden. I thought either they died in the massacre that happened in our pack or they ran away in fear after what Eira did. Now, I am not sure what to think about it anymore."


    I said, "Your friend who brought them to our pack, he...."


    "He was killed in an enemy attack six years back, so we can¡¯t ask him either," Liam answered.


    "Interesting," Lucian said in a suspicious tone and looked at Liam, "Not just your friend, I wish to doubt you as well. The closest ones are always the dangerous ones, isn¡¯t it Liam?"


    Liam remained calm. "You can go ahead and investigate all you want. My loyalty to this pack, I do not need to prove it to anyone."


    "Sure! We will see," Lucianmented.


    There was a silence for a while, before Jason said, "Either they were innocent or just too good at pretending."


    I hummed as I was not ready to buy anything so easily now. "And they told Eira what she saw in her dream truly happened when she was a baby. She is twenty-two now, so twenty-two years ago, there were not many ck Wolves left in the werewolf world. Most were already killed in the great war of the past. We need to look into which ck Wolf was chasing them, and then we will get the answers."


    "Though not many are left now, we can¡¯t reach everyone," Liam said. "Some are still living as rogues with their families after the great war, and it¡¯s hard to find them."


    "We need to try," Lucian said this time, agreeing with me. "And we need to raise this in the right way so the ones we ask won¡¯t question us back. Somehow, I¡¯ve started to believe there is a much bigger conspiracy¡ªnot just against us, but something that has to do with Eira."


    "I agree with this as well," Roman said. "Even before, I asked¡ªwhy would someone frame an irrelevant girl like Eira? She was new to our pack and barely knew anyone outside our circle. There is truly something fishy. She is after all a rare pureblood shewolf."


    That click something to me and asked again, "Liam, were they pure blood as well, her grandparents?"


    "They imed to be lowly hybrids," Liam said, "Back then, we also thought Eira as a hybrid as well. Now, I can¡¯t tell if they were lying or not."


    "If they are her real grandparents, they are meant to be pureblood. Hybrids can¡¯t produce pureblood like Eira. She is not ordinary, but has unique bloodline. We saw she has hidden powers," I exined. "We need to know, if they are her real grandparents or not."


    "More I think about what you said, more I find them suspicious," Liam said, "Just provide me their blood samples and we will know."


    "We will," I assured. Those old hangs seemed to have answers to all our questions.


    "I also believe what happened with your parents didn¡¯t happen on a whim or out of some simple enmity between packs," Rafe spoke up all of a sudden, his red eyes narrowing slightly. "I could tell it was a long-crafted n, the way they executed it with perfection.


    "And the way your parents were killed¡ªit¡¯s not the work of a simple pack enmity, but the revenge for someone¡¯s deep grudge against them. You need to look into the past of your parents and their feuds with other packs. Someone¡ªor rather, some people¡ªtruly hold the darkest grudge against them. My vampire instincts could never go wrong when ites to sensing someone¡¯s twisted grudges."


    "It all makes sense," Roman said. "The use of drugs on her, and how they knew her deepest fear to make it all happen¡ªthat didn¡¯te out of nowhere. Her grandparents are truly suspicious. Why wouldn¡¯t they meet their granddaughter even once after she was arrested? Even if she disgraced them by murdering someone, as family, one always goes to visit, or at least question, before abandoning them. It shows they were already sure Eira killed Alice and so they ran away."


    What I had been thinking, my brothers had in mind as well.


    I turned to Lucian. "How long till your people get their hands on them?"


    "They seem close to the Alpha of the Ravenw pack, and my people have to be careful. Even approaching the child is not easy," Lucian informed. "I¡¯m being careful because we need that child safe and sound, or I would have barged in there long ago."


    I agreed with this. "Don¡¯t be in haste. Tell your people to be careful. We don¡¯t want to rm them."

 Chapter 145: Picture Of Eira’s Child

    <h4>Chapter 145: Picture Of Eira¡¯s Child</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    "From the mention of Ravenw Pack, I do feel we need to look into what kind of enmity your parents had with them," Jason said. "It¡¯s not a coincidence that those old hags and a child are there."


    "There were indeed some feuds the previous Alpha of Ravenw Pack had in the past, but it was never with our pack," I told them. "But I will look into the things that are not recorded. We might get some clues."


    I then looked at Liam, "Do you have any information on the great war?"


    "I was so young back then, so I am not sure entirely. Most of the things were kept hidden," Liam said as he recalled what he knew. "As from what I heard, in the Great War back then, Ravenw Pack suffered great losses. And our pack wasn¡¯t on their side. Though we didn¡¯t have a straight war with them, we sided with their enemy group. So in turn, we were their enemy as well."


    "Maybe you can look into, among all the enemy packs, who they fought with most fiercely and who caused them the greatest losses. But the issue is the records from that time were burned, so all the packs could review themselves from the start and not have any humiliating things recorded under their names. It was when the council was formed and marked as the birth of a more organized, newly led, spotless, werewolf world."


    I hummed, knowing exactly what to do. "We will need to look into any old people who still have knowledge of the Great War. Though records are erased and not much information was passed onto the next generation, their memories are still the record of everything."


    "I will tell my people to get some of the old ones around, if anyone is still alive from the Great War period," Lucian assured.


    As I nodded to agree, he spoke again, a little hesitant this time. "My spies sent me a picture of that child."


    <fn777e> Content originallyes from Find¡ïNovel</fn777e>


    At his words, I froze, unsure how to feel about it. That was Eira¡¯s child¡ªthe proof that she had conceived with someone else. She had borne a child for that bastard who impregnated her.


    I looked at my brothers. They were the same. No one truly looked eager to see the child, maybe unsure of how they would feel about it.


    Lucian picked up the tablet from the center table, opened the email, and handed it to me.


    I swallowed hard, my heartbeat unstable, as I looked at the picture of a five-year-old boy. An innocent, small face, dressed in a school uniform: a white shirt, light blue pants and jacket, a blue tie, and an ID card hung around his neck. He was standing in the school yground with a young woman by his side, probably his teacher.


    I was wondering if he resembled Eira. It was hard to tell in the picture, which had been taken from a distance. Unlike Eira, the child had dark hair, and his eyes seemed the same as well. Maybe he took after his father.


    As I observed more, I noticed his expressions were calm andposed, unlike the other kids who were ying andughing around.


    Suddenly, I felt curious to know him, to know the kind of kid he was. Adorable like any other child his age, but with a touch of maturity¡ªor perhaps just an unspeakable quietness. If he was Eira¡¯s son, was he happy there, in the care of other people?


    How must they be treating him? He was the child of a pureblood mother, and if his father truly was that Alpha of Ravenw Pack, then he carried a precious bloodline and would develop unique powers once he grew up. I hoped he wasn¡¯t being used by them for something. All of a sudden, worry gripped my heart.


    "Are you sure it¡¯s her child?" I asked.


    "As per our leads, a hundred percent her child. But we are yet to get his DNA sample. Once we get it, there won¡¯t be any doubt left," Lucian answered.


    I passed on the tablet, and the others looked at the kid. I wasn¡¯t sure what they were thinking, but as for me, I felt a deep unease in my heart for the child¡ªwho wasn¡¯t even mine.


    "How will she feel if we show this picture to her?" Roman asked, staring at the picture.


    "We can¡¯t yet," I said. "We need to be a hundred percent sure of it. And I already told us we need to wait for her emotional situation to stabilize."


    Just as I said this, all our attention went back to the TV screen as we heard I ask something to Eira, after she had finished rewarding her with some stories about Alice.


    "I want you to share the pain you¡¯ve been keeping buried inside you," I told her. "Everything that hurt you over the past six years. I want you to let it out."


    Eira¡¯s expression darkened, unlike how she was at ease while listening about Alice¡¯s stories from I, as her reward for answering the question about her fear of ck wolf.


    Her hands almost clutched her dress the moment the doctor mentioned her pain from the past six years. She was trying to hide her anxiousness, her fear, behind those cold and dark expressions.


    "You can tell me, Eira," I said in a coaxing tone. "Keeping it inside you will only bring you more harm than good."


    Eira let out a light, disdainful scoff, before saying, "If you¡¯re that curious to know how whores are treated, and if you want to fulfill your twisted fantasy of knowing how they¡¯re fucked, I suggest you just buy some books that mention those dark stories. I believe there are so many.


    "Oh, I remember, I even had the customer who were there to fuck me for their research on whores so they could write about them. One bastard even wanted to draw me naked for his work. He kepting again and again, saying he wanted to write more. The bastard even had some wicked fetishes which he tried on me. I am sure his book will satisfy you entirely if he had ever written one."


    I remained calm for a while. "I want to help you get out the pain you¡¯ve locked yourself in, Eira. You have to...."


    "So what do you expected me to do instead?" Eira¡¯s mocking, but this time angry voice cut through again. "Celebrate over how well I was fucked? Tell me, how should I do it? Want me to dance, or have some drinks or drugs, tell me?"


    Each word from her felt like a knife piercing my chest. Her bitter words were her deeply engraved pain, her helplessness¡ªand I could feel it.


    Damn! My hearts hurt for real, the same pain I had been feeling for the past six years.

 Chapter 146: Her Disturbed State

    <h4>Chapter 146: Her Disturbed State</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The moment those words fell from her lips, silence swallowed the room. Not only I, but we too were left speechless. Whatever she had endured during those six years, there was little left for us to imagine, and yet none of us dared to.


    All we could do was curse ourselves and bear the weight of our own guilt for her broken state.


    "Eira," I said softly, her tone steady, "calm down."


    "Calm down?" Eira¡¯s voice wasced with venom. "I have always been calm. It¡¯s you and those bastards who keep poking at me again and again. Don¡¯t you have anything else to do? Just get the fuck out of my life."


    Her gaze burned like fire, her jaw tight with rage, her words sliced through clenched teeth. In that moment, she resembled a wounded beast, snarling at every soul that darede near.


    "You can keep showing your anger," I replied, unshaken. "I am here to listen. Go ahead, let it out. Every ounce of bitterness, every shard of pain you¡¯ve buried inside¡ªI am here to share that burden with you."


    "Want me to get my bitterness out?" Eira gave a dark, hollowugh. "How about I kill you first, and then those five bastards hovering around me like snakes?"


    "I think this is enough for today. Next session..."


    Smash!


    The sudden shatter of porcin echoed through the room as she hurled the vase from the table, splintering it into pieces across the floor. Her re locked onto I, zing with fury.


    "You fucking bitch," she spat. "Did you really think that by telling me a few things about Alice, you were giving me something of worth? Go fuck yourself to know what I¡¯ve been feeling all these years. And if you dare show your face to me again, I swear your daughter won¡¯t have a mother left in this world."


    With that, she stormed out of the side house, leaving only the echoes of her rage behind. I remained seated, calm andposed. Perhaps, as a doctor, she had faced patients far more vtile than Eira. But for us, it was different.


    For us, it was Eira who was breaking apart before our very eyes. And it was her pain that tore our hearts to pieces.


    Lucian moved quickly to the exit towards the side house.


    Eira wasing out so of course we felt worried where she was going.


    Lucian stopped at the ss wall and watched her as she came out of the side house.


    "Don¡¯t rush her," Liam said quietly. "Let her absorb her emotions."


    We remained still, watching from behind the ss. She was seething, her face darkened with fury, her fists clenched tightly as though she could crush her rage within her own hands. Her breath came fast and heavy, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to contain the storm inside her.


    We waited in tense silence, unsure what she would do next, or where she would run.


    She drew in several deep breaths, her eyes darting about as though searching for a way out, some escape from herself, from us, from everything. Yet in that moment she looked not only furious, but utterly lost and undone. She was like a vessel overflowing with every extreme emotion at once, incapable of carrying even a single one.


    Atst she turned sharply and strode toward the rear of the house, her steps quick and restless, as if the ground itself scorched her to flee faster.


    Lucian rushed after her, and the rest of us followed close behind.


    <fn2c8b> For original chapters go to Find?Novel</fn2c8b>


    "She cannot leave the estate. Don¡¯t worry," I told him, catching up. We had to shadow her, yet keep enough distance not to ignite her further.


    "Thankfully she cannot take her wolf form," Lucian muttered, his jaw tight. "If she could, restraining her would be impossible. I can¡¯t lose her this time."


    Not only he, but none of us could bear the thought of losing her again.


    Her path led straight toward the stables, and our hearts seized with terror. Thest time she had wandered there, she had tried to end her life.


    "Damn it! We need to stop her. Jason¡¯s toolbox¡ª" Panic sharpened my voice as I quickened my pace.


    "Nothing is there," Lucian cut in, his voice hard. "Jason cleared it out already."


    Relief washed over me, but it was bitter and brief. We knew what awaited us now was not the sight of a weapon in her hands, but the destion of watching her copse beneath the weight of her despair.


    She went straight into the storage room of the stable, the door shutting behind her.


    Outside, we stood frozen in uneasy silence. Of all the ces in this vast estate, she had chosen this one¡ªthe very ce where she had once been tortured.


    "Roman, you go," Kael said firmly.


    I was going to, even if he hadn¡¯t told me.


    With a slight nod, I stepped forward, pushing open the door while the others remained outside. If we all crowded her at once, it would only enrage her further.


    I saw her sitting in the corner, her legs folded in front of her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them, her head slightly lowered as she stared nkly at the ground. The sides of her face were hidden behind strands of hair, her body rocking lightly back and forth, restless. Her breathing was uneven, faint, almost unheard groans leaving her throat, her teeth clenched tightly as if she were fighting something within herself.


    This sight wasn¡¯t just worrisome¡ªit was frightening. She looked like a ghost hiding in the darkness. One could tell her psychological struggle had been going on for a long time.


    "Eira," I called softly.


    She didn¡¯t react. I could tell she neither heard me nor felt my presence. She was lost somewhere¡ªher mind wasn¡¯t here anymore.


    I knelt beside her and gently touched her hand. "Eira."


    She didn¡¯t look at me but said, "If you¡¯re here to fuck me, do it and get lost."


    Once more, the same reaction. It didn¡¯t startle me this time.


    "No. I¡¯m not here for that. I¡¯m here to be with you," I told her.


    "Bastards! Liars!" she mumbled, as if cursing not just me but all mankind.


    "Eira..."


    She finally looked at me. "Your pretentious care suffocates me. You can go to hell with that and leave me alone," she spat angrily. "Better die and take those bastards with you to hell as well. Just die¡ªall of you."


    I remained calm. "None of us will die. We are going to live together with you. You can get angry at us, hit us, curse us¡ªbut we are all going to live."


    "Fuck off! Leave me alone," she said angrily. "Just go."


    In response, I settled next to her on the ground. "I¡¯m not going anywhere. You can do whatever you want with me. You might even strangle me to death to get your anger out. It will help you feel better."


    She looked at me angrily and then stood up. Then she abruptly rose to her feet. Her gaze darted around the room, and she seized whatever she could find¡ªcardboard boxes, dried grass stacked in a heap. With all her strength, she flung them at me one after another. The boxes struck my shoulders, the brittle grass scattered across me, sticking to my clothes and hair.


    She said nothing, not a single word, but poured her fury into every motion, every throw, as if the act itself could rid her of the poison festering within. And I let her. I sat there, unmoving, enduring it in silence.


    Atst, when there was nothing left to hurl, her rage seemed to bleed out of her. Her body sagged, her shoulders slumped, and she dropped back to the ground. Sweat clung to her skin, her breaths came ragged and shallow, and her head fell forward as though the fight had been wrung out of her.


    Only then did I move. I brushed away the mess she had thrown, strands of dried grass clinging stubbornly to me, though I swept them off as best I could.


    Kneeling before her, I gently reached out, tucking back the strands of hair that had fallen over her face. "Are you feeling better now," I asked softly, "or do you want a few more things to throw at me? I can arrange them if you like."


    Her response was swift and cold. She pped my hand away, her face hardened, her silence louder than any words. She wanted nofort, no touch¡ªnothing from me.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 147: Final Plan

    <h4>Chapter 147: Final n</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    We could only watch her being hurt. We had no way to help her anymore, and it was infuriating.


    I arrived there as well and witnessed everything with us.


    "He can take care of her," I said. "Let¡¯s discuss what we nned before."


    Leaving Eira to Roman, I turned to walk back with I and Liam while the other three stayed there, unwilling to leave her side. I didn¡¯t wish to either¡ªall I wanted was to hold her, tofort her¡ªbut she wouldn¡¯t want me near. Discussing the matter with her doctor to heal her was my priority. The other four could look after her well.


    "You saw how furious she became when I spoke of her suffering," I said gravely. "It is normal, given her condition. But dangerous all the same."


    I could understand that as well.


    "Her psyche is highly vtile," I continued, "and frighteningly unpredictable in what she may do next. She is fiercely protective when ites to her pets, deeply emotional when it concerns her son, seething with rage when ites to you five Alphas¡ªor any man at all. And when it touches on the past six years, she retreats entirely.


    "Her mind has been trained to lock that part of her life away, isting her from itpletely. It is a subconscious defense, something she must have cultivated over time. But it is not good. Her suicidal thoughts stem from that very fracture. We must unlock it. We must make her confront it, speak of it, release all that poison she has buried. That is the only way forward, as I told you before."


    "Her emotions are either burning at extremes or extinguished altogether," Liam added solemnly. "We need to stabilize her. And Kael, you cannot dy. Her first shift, her first heat¡ªshe cannot face them in this state. The longer you hesitate, the longer her torment stretches, and the deeper the harm will root itself."


    "I will make preparations today," I promised them, my voice steady though my heart trembled. "You will both be there."


    "Liam and I both," I assured me with quiet resolve. Liam met my gaze, offering a nod of faith that told me to trust the doctor, no matter how impossible it seemed.


    Gods, this was going to be unbearably difficult.


    They left, waiting for my message to summon them for the next step.


    Later, Roman returned with Eira. He had carried her back to the main house andid her in his room. She did not resist, nor react. She simplyy there upon the bed, as lifeless as a corpse, staring at nothing.


    Once she was settled, I gathered the others and told them of the n.


    Lucian¡¯s face hardened. "You cannot be serious," he snapped. "You saw how she reacted the moment it was mentioned."


    "I know," I admitted, "but we have no choice. We must be strong enough to bear it. Better for her to suffer once and be freed, than to suffer endlessly, every single day of her life."


    "What if it makes things worse instead of better?" Roman¡¯s voice carried the weight of fear. "You did not see her as closely as I did, when she sat there in the stable. She was not herself at all until I called her. For a moment, I truly thought she was possessed by something."


    I hummed and wondered¡ªif we had never found her again, what would have be of her? Or if we had never seen her at all in this life? The thought of it almost scared me.


    I looked at each one of them and asked, "Do you have any other solution to heal her?"


    None. No one truly knew.


    "We have to trust I," I assured them. "She is an expert, and Eira is not the first such patient she has dealt with."


    As they finally agreed, I told Lucian and Jason, "Make preparations. We will leave in the evening."


    Though heavy-hearted, both of them agreed.


    -----


    In the evening, all of us left for the ce we had nned to go.


    <fn0f88> The source of th?s content is findnovel</fn0f88>


    Eira was obedient the entire time¡ªmore like she was just following everything blindly. Even when she sat in the car, she stared outside nkly and didn¡¯t question where we were taking her. She looked as if every moment she lived was a great ordeal she was somehow making it through, bit by bit.


    After more than half an hour, we reached the ce. Our cars entered the massive gate of the structure and stopped in the center of the empty ground, surrounded by the square-shaped building. There was no sign of anyone¡¯s presence other than the six of us, Liam, and I.


    Lucian opened the door for Eira, and Roman helped her step out. The moment her feet touched the ground and she looked around, she froze. Traces of fear and anxiousness appeared on her face.


    <strong>Thud!</strong>


    The light sound of a car door closing almost startled her, and she snapped back to her senses.


    "Let¡¯s go," Roman told her as he held her hand, while we were ready to lead the way inside.


    She looked at Roman, her gaze filled with fear. "Why... are we here..."


    Finally, a reaction. She recognized this ce.


    "Just some random work," Roman told her.


    She pulled her hand from his hold, her hesitation clear in her actions. "I will wait here... you can go..."


    "I can¡¯t leave you here alone," Roman assured her. "Don¡¯t worry. Come with me."


    "I won¡¯t go anywhere... I promise..." she said, her gaze pleading with him.


    I looked at I to ask what to do, whether we should cancel the n. But she shook her head.


    "Let¡¯s head inside. We are gettingte," I announced, my voice louder and colder. "We don¡¯t have all the time in the world." Then I walked ahead.


    I saw her flinch at my words before I turned away. She understood that everyone had to follow my orders.


    "Let¡¯s go," Roman said to her in a coaxing voice as he held her hand again, and followed behind me.


    Usually stubborn and defiant, she was now like a scared cat. She didn¡¯t even have the will to resist us or make a strong protest. This ce was surely a hell for her¡ªone that had broken her entirely, leaving the fear still instilled deep in her soul.

 Chapter 148: Please...Let Me Go

    <h4>Chapter 148: Please...Let Me Go</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    The entire ce had been vacated of anyone¡¯s presence. Just us.


    Every trace of what had happened here a few weeks before on this same ground¡ªhow we punished those bastards who had everid hands on her or even looked at her¡ªwas erased, as if nothing had ever happened.


    Those bastards Luis and Paul, and everyone who participated in torturing her¡ªtheir souls must be crying, wondering why they ever did it.


    This prison, the very ce where her torment began... we had to bring her here. I wasn¡¯t in favor of it, but I had to give it a chance, hoping it would bring some peace and healing to her by making her face her fear and pain.


    Roman continued walking, holding her hand, while she kept her head lowered, unable to protest anymore. Walking behind them, I felt the urge to just pull her back to me and whisk her away from here.


    "Don¡¯t even think about it." A voice came from behind me¡ªRafe.


    He seemed to have already seen through my thoughts.


    I turned to him, only to find his eyes shift toward Kael, who walked at the very front. His steps were steady, his back straight, his presence unyielding, like an immovable wall.


    "The one who¡¯s hurting the most is him," Rafe said. "Don¡¯t fail him. Stay put¡ªfor his sake."


    I raised a brow at him, but he only moved past, striding forward until he joined Kael.


    <i>The bastard. What did he mean by that?</i>


    Anyway, I focused back on Eira, who was walking ahead of me. But then I realized something and looked behind. Jason was trailing us, lost somewhere in his own thoughts. His steps felt forced, as if every inch of him resisted being here.


    It reminded me of the day when we went to see Eira in the prison. Damn!


    Now my own steps felt heavy, my body weighed down, struggling to follow her anymore. <i>Is she going to remember that day as well?</i>


    The thought made me want to kill myself, to bury myself somewhere. Yet both of us followed them anyway.


    We entered the building¡ªa central hall with empty counters where no employees were present, doors leading to the in-charge offices, and then the passage toward the prison cells.


    Eira moved behind Roman, as if hiding herself from the world. Her head wouldn¡¯t lift, the side of her face hidden beneath her hair. I could clearly see her body shaking.


    Kael looked at Roman. "Go ahead."


    "Eira, we have to head inside," he told her.


    She didn¡¯t budge, continuing to hide behind him. He slowly turned to face her, her head still lowered. "There is something we need to do, and I want you toe with me."


    She shook her head lightly in protest. He cupped her face in his hands and made her look at him. Her eyes were moist as she shook her head once more.


    "I¡¯ming with you. You are not alone," he told her in a soft tone. "Don¡¯t be scared."


    She opened her mouth to say something, but the words failed her. Fear made her unable to form even a single word.


    "Get going already," Kael¡¯s cold voice cut through. His face was rigid, devoid of emotion, his jaw hardened as he spoke. "Or I will have to drag her there myself."


    If Roman was ying a good guy, someone had to y the bad guy. Kael himself had already decided he would be the one to y that role.


    She trembled at these words, and Roman said, "Let¡¯s go. I will protect you from what you fear. I am an Alpha. I can beat anything, anyone. Or... do you want Kael to apany you?"


    She froze at those words and shook her head, lowering it once more.


    Roman held her hand firmly this time and made her walk with him. I knew he hated doing it, but he hardened his resolve.


    The ce was entirely silent, and we could hear our own ragged heartbeats. Hers was the loudest of all, as if her heart might explode at any moment.


    When they were out of the sight, on the multiple screens mounted on the wall, we watched the footage through the security cameras.


    Roman guided her through the silent corridor, lit by dim lights, passing by various prison cells¡ªall of them empty. After a while, they stopped in front of the one where Eira had spent her time here as a criminal.


    The door was opened, and Roman led her inside. The wide screen in front of us now showed the view from that cell, lit with a single light in the center that cast faint illumination across the dark walls.


    Eira, frozen in ce, refused to take a single step forward from the door, not allowing Roman to lead her further inside.


    Her free hand clutched her dress tightly, her eyes squeezed shut as she shook her head.


    "Please take me back!" she pleaded in a low, trembling voice, almost inaudible.


    <fn3fc3> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn3fc3>


    Just like us, Roman¡¯s expression hardened as he forced himself not to give in to her request. Though we weren¡¯t the ones leading her there, we could feel the weight of his struggle.


    Roman looked at her for a moment, then released her hand. Before she could realize what was happening, he stepped out of the door and closed it behind him. It locked on its own.


    Without turning back to look at her, he walked away.


    She quickly turned around at the sound and rushed to grab the bars of the door, shaking them violently, her hands gripping the thick metal. "Open the door!" her desperate voice cut through the silence of the prison.


    The sound of the rattling door echoed through the hall.


    I was sure we were going to hate ourselves for this, another reason of the guilt and a sin werementing towards her.


    And she was going to hate us even more. First we tested drugs on her and now this. Both the things we did despite knowing the kind of pain it will bring her.


    <i>If there is truly a hell that torments the souls till the eternity, I wished to go to that hell.</i>


    "Please, open the door," she screamed again and again, her cries bouncing off the walls. "Don¡¯t leave me here... I¡¯m scared... please don¡¯t leave me... Open the door... they wille... monsters... they wille... please let me go..."


    Her cries hurt more than anything ever had. My chest felt unbearably heavy, tears threatened to spill from my eyes. The others were no different.


    Only those few minutes of her abuse in that video was unbearable to watch for us, while she had endure it, not just a those few minutes but for six years. Suddenly, I didn¡¯t just hate myself, but the entire world.


    No wonder she wished to kill each and everyone and hated this world. Now I wanted to tell her that: <i>alright, I will help you destroy this world. It doesn¡¯t deserve to exist after the pain it caused you. And at the end you can even kill me. So you are left alone with your pets, living a peaceful life ahead.</i>


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 149: To Hell With Your Patience

    <h4>Chapter 149: To Hell With Your Patience</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    Roman rejoined us, his fists clenched, his gaze burning with rage as if ming us for forcing him to do this. It was brutal to leave her there like this. If he could, he would have kicked every one of us right then¡ªand we would have epted it dly. We could only offer him apologetic gazes.


    By the time her screams for freedom finally died down, only light sobs remained. Her tear-streaked face pressed against the bars as she slid down, copsing to her knees in helpless surrender, mumbling weakly for someone to free her.


    He turned away, standing apart from us, his rigid posture radiating fury.


    Her screams for freedom and the desperate rattling of the door went on until they slowly died into faint sobs. What remained was the broken sight of her tear-streaked face pressed against the cold iron bars as she slid down, copsing to her knees in helpless surrender, whispering weak pleas for someone¡ªanyone¡ªto free her.


    Her sobs lingered for a while, then faltered into silence. Warily, she lifted her head, her body trembling, fear etched deep in her gaze. As her eyes scanned the room in that dreadful stillness, her expression turned ashen.


    She staggered upright, her legs unsteady beneath her, her ssy eyes darting, searching for any possible escape.


    Then her gaze fell upon the objects within the cell: the rickety table bolted to the wall, the chains dangling from the stones with rusted cuffs that once bound prisoners, and the single light swaying faintly from the ceiling, its dim glow unable to chase away the shadows that clung like phantoms to every corner.


    The moment her eyesnded on the table, she recoiled in terror and stumbled back, crashing to the ground once more. She pressed against the wall behind her, curling into herself, her hands clutching her ears as if to block out the voices rising in her mind.


    In that video we had witnessed how they used this very table and those chains to confine her and torture her. The horror was real. Those bastards, if I could, I would have pulled them back from the hell and kill them all over again with the most gruesome death that before.


    "No... stay away... don¡¯te closer..." she whimpered through her sobs, trying to bury herself in the darkness along the wall. Her cries echoed mercilessly against the stone, as though she were reliving every torment she had once endured.


    Her limbs thrashed violently, her hands and feet kicking the empty air, as if fighting off unseen assants. "Stay away... don¡¯t touch me... please don¡¯t... it hurts..."


    "That¡¯s enough," I muttered and started forward, but I¡¯s sharp voice stopped me. "Be patient. We¡¯ve already brought her this far. Just wait a little longer."


    I clenched my jaw, my eyes flicking to Kael. He stood motionless, rooted in ce, his gaze fixed on the screen. The veins along temple, his neck pulsed visibly, his fists clenched tight, every muscle straining as though he were holding himself back from shattering the door and tearing her free.


    "Kael," I called to him.


    "Listen to I," Kael said, his voice so restrained it seemed the words barely escaped his lips.


    Meanwhile, Eira¡¯s struggle inside the cell grew wilder, her body thrashing as she fought against the horrors only she could see. Her screams wed through the air, cutting into me until I could hardly breathe.


    I mmed my fist against the wall behind me, fury and helplessness surging through my veins. I could not defy Kael¡¯s order. Every cry from her pierced my chest like a de.


    "It¡¯s too much now," Jason snapped, his eyes burning with anger as he red at I. "Are you trying to traumatize her all over again? Is this your way of treatment?"


    "I¡¯m getting her out," Roman growled, his voice shaking with rage as he looked at Kael. "We¡¯re done here."


    "Don¡¯t ruin it now," I shot back, her tone taut with strain. "Do you think I¡¯m enjoying this? This is the only way to force her to release that buried agony. After this, she¡¯ll speak about it instead of locking it away and letting it eat her alive. Just be patient¡ª"


    "To hell with your patience!"


    The furious voice cut across her words. We all turned, but the source of it had already vanished.


    Rafe.


    Our eyes darted to the screen. He was already inside the cell, the heavy door swinging open as he strode toward the screaming, broken girl huddled against the wall.


    I tensed, ready to follow, but I¡¯s sharp words stopped me. "If you all go rushing in, you¡¯ll terrify her more. Let him handle her. He¡¯s already there."


    Out of all of us, it was Rafe¡ªthe one who despised her scent, the one whose ce had always been at Kael¡¯s side, obeying like a shadow¡ªwho went to her. For the first time, he broke his own protocol.


    And he did it for her.


    <fn7bf5> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find[?]ovel</fn7bf5>


    He went straight to her. "Eira," he called softly.


    But she only recoiled in terror, her screams rising louder, her mind slipping entirely into the past, blind to the present.


    "Please... don¡¯t hurt me... I¡¯ll be good... please..." she whimpered, sinking into the corner where two walls met, as if she could bury herself in stone to escape.


    Rafe did not stop. He lowered himself to the ground and pulled her into his arms. She thrashed violently, wing at him with desperate scratches, her legs kicking, her voice raw with panic.


    "Let me go... please..." she cried, before breaking into another torrent of wailing sobs.


    "Shhh," Rafe murmured into her ear, his voice low and steady, as though calming a frightened child. He held her firmly, refusing to let go, pressing her trembling face against his shoulder.


    Her body continued to struggle in his grasp, her fear pushing her to fight like a wild creature cornered. With sudden ferocity, she sank her teeth into his shoulder, biting down with all her strength. Blood welled instantly, seeping through his grey T-shirt, staining it crimson.


    Still, Rafe did not move. He stayed utterly still, enduring her pain without resistance, his only answer the constant whisper of his shushing.


    The cell fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the ragged sound of her breathing as she clung to him with her teeth sank in his flesh.

 Chapter 150: Letting Her Pain Out

    <h4>Chapter 150: Letting Her Pain Out</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    "I am here to protect you. I won¡¯t let a single bastard touch you. Trust me, they¡¯re all gone now," Rafe said calmly. One hand gently caressed her tangled hair, while the other held her steady at the waist. "You don¡¯t have to fear them anymore."


    She hadn¡¯t stopped biting him, yet Rafe continued speaking as if pain didn¡¯t exist for him.


    "Do you remember that evening," his voice softened, carrying an almost startling tenderness, "how I once beat those thugs who tried to harass you when you wereing back from the shop with groceries?"


    The words stunned even us. We hadn¡¯t known it had ever happened.


    He went on, as though reliving something that belonged only to the two of them. "The one who grabbed your hand¡ªI broke his hand that day, and he still lives with only one. The one who spat vile words at you¡ªI broke his mouth so he would never speak again. And the one who blocked your path¡ªhe lost his legs for it." He paused, letting his words sink in.


    "You were terrified of me instead of them, thinking I was some kind of monster. But you know why I did it. I did it to protect you. To punish them for daring to touch you." His tone grew firm, yet still low, still steady. "Just like then, I will punish every bastard who hurt you here. Just tell me what they did, and I will make them pay for every wound they left on you. Just like I punished those animals before."


    We wondered if she was finally going to share her pain with him, the things she feared to face. Making her talk and face her own pain to let it out was the goal we brought her here, so she could be free from that pain she had locked herself in.


    At his words, she finally stopped biting, though faint but unrelenting sobs still slipped from her throat. Her face remained buried against his blood-soaked shoulder.


    "...They hurt me..." she whispered, the words trembling, broken, barely audible through her tears.


    <fnb56c> Official source is find~novel</fnb56c>


    For the first time, his words reached her. She responded. And that alone was a miracle.


    "I know," he murmured back, his voice gentler than we had ever heard it. "And I will do the same to them."


    Her cries swelled again, echoing through the prison cell. But they were no longer cries of terror. They were the cries of her own agony, the despair she had locked deep inside, now breaking free.


    She wept for long, clinging to him as though he were her only savior. His arms wrapped around her in a firm yetforting hold, one hand stroking her frail back in quiet reassurance, asking her to let it out.


    Since when did he learn to coax someone? He was never the kind of person. He even hated kids, and now he was dealing with one in such a perfect way.


    We looked at each other, except for Kael who was still stiff and staring at the screen. What went in his mind, only he knew.


    I looked at I and Liam, and they were clearly content with what they were seeing.


    "It¡¯s working," Liam told her, to which I hummed, "he is doing good."


    Then we heard Eira¡¯s cracking voice again.


    "...I cried... begged... but they wouldn¡¯t listen... They hurt me... bad... so bad..." Her words came broken, swallowed by choking sobs.


    "They will cry and beg as well, and I won¡¯t listen to them," Rafe assured with resolve.


    "...They burned me... it hurt..."


    "I will burn them worse. I¡¯ll shove hot iron so far up their asses their screams will reach hell."


    "...They bit me... everywhere..."


    "I¡¯ll throw them in a cage of starving wild wolves. They¡¯ll pay for every bite they left on you."


    "...They tied me... beat me... they raped me..."


    "They will be tied and raped too. I¡¯ll hire thick, fat, stinking bastards to fuck them and beat them until they choke on their own screams."


    "...They cut me... it hurt..."


    "I have knives sharper than theirs. I¡¯ll cut them until they bleed out in pieces."


    "...Hurt them... kill them..."


    Her voice cracked like a child pleading, fragile and wounded, as if she sought justice from the only one she could trust. She was like a broken little girl, pouring her pain into the arms of a parent, begging them to punish the monsters who had ruined her.


    And Rafe was just that to her now¡ªprotector, avenger, the one who carried her pain as his own.


    "I will," he promised. "Do you know what I¡¯m going to do with them?"


    Silence stretched as he waited, his breath steady against her hair.


    "...Kill them..." she whispered, trembling.


    Rafe hummed low in his throat, as though savoring the thought. "But first, I will cut off the cocks they used, tear out the eyes that dared to look at you, rip out their tongues and pull their teeth so they can never speak again. Then I¡¯ll break every bone in their bodies until they scream and cry in agony. And when I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll leave them alive¡ªjust enough for the vultures to eat them piece by piece while they¡¯re still breathing. Would you like to watch it?"


    She gave a weak hum, then broke down again, her voice shaking with despair. "...I want all of them to die..." she sobbed, her words muffled against his bloodied shoulder. "...They hurt me... monsters... they hurt me..."


    She repeated it over and over, as if the very act of saying it was the only way to purge the torment carved into her soul.


    Rafe did not rush her. He held her in silence, letting her spill every drop of anguish she had buried so deep, every terror she had never dared to face.


    "Finally," I let out a sigh of relief. Liam was the same.


    We didn¡¯t know what to do next. But then, I watched Kael turning to the exit, his expressions still rigid and he didn¡¯t even look back once before leaving.


    It somehow worried me. This is not how he should react. Why was he leaving?


    "Stay here," I told Roman and Jason, who also watched Kael leaving, and were puzzled just like me.


    They hummed, allowing me to go after Kael.

 Chapter 151: Kael’s Pain

    <h4>Chapter 151: Kael¡¯s Pain</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    I followed Kael out only to see something shocking.


    He stood by the car, one hand braced against it for support, the other clutching his chest as though something inside was tearing him apart. His breaths came in ragged gasps, like a man who had been suffocating for too long and had only now begun to fight for air.


    His expression was pained. The veins around his temple and neck looked like they would burst open any moment. Sweat drenched his skin in a thin sheen. His eyes squeezed shut, yet tears forced their way through, sliding down his face, unrestrained.


    <i>Kael?</i> I rushed to him, rm shooting through me, just in time to see his body give out. He copsed to his knees, trembling, the weight of his suffering finally dragging him down.


    I dropped beside him, worry gripping my mind. "Kael, are you alright? What¡¯s happening to you?"


    He couldn¡¯t even answer, too consumed by pain to form words. All I could see was the tremendous pain consuming him.


    "I¡¯ll call Liam," I said, but before I could move, his hand gripped mine firmly, stopping me.


    "Kael?" I whispered, clutching his hand back, fear tightening my chest. I had only ever seen him like this once before¡ªthe night he broke down for his dead parents.


    "...Don¡¯t... call... Liam... or anyone..." he forced out between gasps, his voice hoarse and broken.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t," I assured him. "But what¡¯s happening to you?"


    "Nothing..." he rasped stubbornly, his pride refusing to bend even as his body betrayed him. "...Just help me get into the car..."


    <i>Nothing?</i>


    As I held his hand, I could feel his entire body trembling, drained of all energy.


    What kind of pain could drive the most powerful Alpha in our world to his knees, shaking and drenched in sweat, stripped of all his strength?


    For god¡¯s sake, he was a top-tier Alpha, probably the most powerful in the werewolf world. What could hurt him like this?


    I helped him up. Opening the door, I helped him inside. He sank back into the seat, eyes mped shut, his head tilting against the headrest, brows furrowed tight. He tried to suppress the pain, but the truth slipped out anyway¡ªlow, guttural groans of pain breaking past his clenched teeth.


    "Kael, you have to tell me," I pressed anyway.


    I had the right to know, as his brother. Together, we might find a solution.


    He shook his head faintly, his breaths still uneven. "Just... some old wounds... hurting..."


    "Don¡¯t lie," I snapped, my voice edged with frustration. "You don¡¯t need to act strong all the time in front of us. Keep it for the outside world if you want, but for fuck¡¯s sake, we are your brothers. You don¡¯t have to keep this fa?ade with us."


    "One day I will," he murmured, his tone stubborn even in weakness. "Just... don¡¯t tell anyone. It will pass soon..."


    "Stubborn bastard," I cursed under my breath. "If you won¡¯t tell meter, don¡¯t expect anything from me either."


    He only hummed in reply, retreating back into silence, determined to bear his suffering alone. I stayed beside him, unwilling to leave, leaving the matters inside to the others. Rafe was handling her better, and the rest were there too. She was important to me, but so was Kael.


    Almost half an hour passed before the others finally came out. My breath caught when I saw Rafe carrying Eira in his arms.


    By then, Kael¡¯s pain had eased, and though he was pale, he lookedposed once more. Together, we watched as Rafe approached with her limp form. She was unconscious, her head resting against his chest.


    "She was crying till now, then fell unconscious," Rafe said quietly, ncing at us. It must have been the longest she had ever cried since we found her. Perhaps it was a good sign¡ªperhaps now she could begin to heal.


    We exchanged silent nods and left for home. I and Liam followed close behind.


    Once inside, she wasid upon the bed in Roman¡¯s room, the one she usually stayed in. I administered a small injection, while Liam carefully attached the IV drip to her hand.


    "This will help ease her exhaustion when she wakes," Liam told us with calm assurance.


    When we stepped out of the room, I finally spoke, her voice heavy but firm. "It must have been difficult for you all to see her like that. But now you understand¡ªit was necessary. Still, we are not done. This was only the first step toward her healing. Years of abuse will not vanish so easily, norpletely. You must be ready to keep trying, no matter what it takes."


    "We will," Kael assured her.


    I¡¯s gaze shifted to Rafe. "You were truly remarkable. I had nned to go to her myself, thinking she would never open up to any of you... but you proved me wrong."


    "She is ours," Rafe replied simply, his meaning clear. She was our responsibility, and to him, his reaction had been nothing out of the ordinary.


    I understood, though she pressed further. "When she wakes and asks to kill someone..."


    "I have a perfect living body ready for her to kill," he interrupted, his voice firm, without a trace of hesitation.


    I exhaled and shook her head faintly. "Just don¡¯t turn her into a psychic murderer. Be careful with what you do."


    "She can be anything she wants, as long as she is happy," Rafe said, his tone cold but resolute. "We will arrange thousands of living bastards for her to ughter if that is her will. She can even kill every one of us. It¡¯s her choice."


    I sighed again, a heaviness in her expression, before looking back to Kael. "We must heal her, not break her further by turning her into something else."


    "Don¡¯t worry," Kael reassured her quietly.


    Atst, Liam and I took their leave. When only we remained, Kael turned to Roman. "I¡¯m staying in your room."


    Roman¡¯s brows rose, but he merely hummed in acknowledgment, offering no protest. Kael had never once used anyone else¡¯s room, and now, after what had just happened, he was asking to stay by her side.


    <fn5653> Read full story at find¡¤novel</fn5653>


    All of us wished to stay by her side, but I could not bring myself to deny Kael this. Not after the pain I had witnessed him endure only moments ago. Perhaps he needed to be with her more than any of us tonight.


    Kael walked toward Roman¡¯s room, leaving Roman slumped on the sofa in the drawing room. He leaned back heavily, one arm thrown over his eyes as if to shield himself from the weight of his own thoughts.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Jason asked him.


    "She¡¯s going to hate me for leaving her there alone," Roman admitted, his voice thick with regret. "I don¡¯t even know how to face her tomorrow."


    His concern was not wrong.


    "It will be alright," I told him gently. "Once she begins to heal, she will understand why you left her there."


    I turned to Rafe, "What were you talking about. The thugs and you beat them in the past?"


    As I said, the other two looked at him as well.


    "That¡¯s just some random encounter with jerks who were tired of living," Rafe replied and headed towards his room, "Nothing so special."


    The Bastard left without giving any details to us.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 152: Drugs

    <h4>Chapter 152: Drugs</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I came to Roman¡¯s room without waiting even a moment after I informed him. I wanted to be by her side.


    I was used to being in my own room only, but in her state, I didn¡¯t find it right to move her and disturb her sleep.


    When she was awake, she couldn¡¯t let me be close or evenfort her. And the weight of regret was so heavy on me that I had no face to even offer herfort. All I could do was be with her when she was not awake. I knew well what my presence caused her, my presence by her side itself was enough tofort her.


    Iy in the bed, my movements careful. Turning on my side, I looked at her. She looked utterly exhausted, pale and distressed even in her deep sleep.


    Her blood soaked clothes were changed to fresh ones, and her face had been cleaned as it had Rafe¡¯s blood smeared to it.


    Slowly, I pulled her into my arms. Just as always, she instinctively nestled against me in her sleep. It wasn¡¯t her conscious self¡ªit was her wolf, seeking thefort in me. I lowered my lips to her forehead, pressing the gentlest kiss there, and whispered to the part of her that still sought for me.


    "I am here. I won¡¯t leave you ever."


    Her warmth seeped into me, but with it came the unbearable weight of her pain. My chest tightened, and before I realized it, tears were slipping down my face. Her agony suffocated me as though it were my own.


    "I am sorry, Eira," I breathed, my voice breaking, "I should never have let my anger consume me. I should have seen what nature was trying to show me that night. I should have chosen another path. I shouldn¡¯t have left you¡ªleft you there to suffer."


    My arms tightened around her, desperate to erase even the smallest space between us. Silent tears flowed freely, as no words could ever express the depth of my regret.


    ------


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    I entered my room and stood in front of the mirror as I removed my T-shirt, soaked in my own blood. I observed the wound on my shoulder¡ªthe mark of her bite. The blood had dried, and it was already healing.


    I looked at the red scratches along my neck and cheeks, the proof of her desperate attempt to free herself. The marks were fading, and I cursed my fast-healing abilities. It was her pain and struggle inflicted on me, and I should endure it longer, but...


    With a low growl, I tossed the shirt aside and headed into the bath.


    Fresh from the shower, I crossed to the drawer chest beside the wardrobe and pulled out a t box. Insidey several syringes, each filled with a familiar clear liquid.


    <i>Thankful I had this, or it would have been difficult to be close to her, let alonefort her today.</i>


    I pulled out one syringe to inject another shot into my body. My bare arm still had the tiny dots from previous pricks. How ironic. The marks of her biting and scratching were healing, while these small prick dots remained. This drug was meant to hinder my basic instincts of bloodlust, and after the prick, it lingered in my veins.


    Just as I finished injecting it, the door of my room opened and someone entered. I had been so lost in my thoughts that my always-alert senses failed to warn me.


    "What are you doing?" I heard the cold voice behind me.


    Damn. I cursed inwardly but kept my calm.


    I didn¡¯t want him to see what I was doing, so I replied without turning. "I just had a shower, so I was taking my time rxing."


    I slipped the syringe back into the box, closed it quickly, and set it on the shelf behind me before turning around. A teasing smirk curled at my lips as if nothing were amiss.


    "What are you doing here, Luke? Missed me already?"


    <fnec96> Official source is find(?)ovel</fnec96>


    Damn, his expressions didn¡¯t falter. He stared at me suspiciously and walked closer. "Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to miss the hot and fresh beauty just out of the shower."


    He stood facing me, his expression icy.


    Before I could respond, the bastard moved too fast and snatched the syringe box from behind me.


    "Lucian¡ª"


    "What¡¯s this?" he cut me off as he showed me the box and stepped back.


    I knew I was caught, so there was no need to make fake excuses. "It¡¯s what it is."


    He opened the t box, and his expression turned grave. The box had tinypartments to keep ten syringes, five on each side.


    "Out of ten, three are gone," he said through gritted teeth and looked at me with a cold stare, as if he wanted to beat me alive. "Since when?"


    I sighed. "Just a while ago. I needed it."


    In response, both his hands clutched the metal box in a tight grip, and the next moment, it was left in no shape at all. The syringes inside were crushed entirely.


    "And now, you have none?" he snarled.


    I let out an irritated sigh. "You know that I need it. Or do you want me to go crazy and hurt others¡ªhurt her? I can¡¯t stay around her without that drug."


    "I should have listened to my instincts when I questioned how you could be around her with so much ease," he spat out and strangled my neck in a powerful grip. He was dead serious, his eyes bloodshot. "Don¡¯t you know it can kill you?"


    "I know really well, but I don¡¯t mind," I told him quietly, not even trying to resist. "Living a short life is better than living a long life as a monster. I¡¯d rather die than hurt someone. Or worse, hurt her. I don¡¯t want to end like my father."


    His expression finally rxed a little. "You won¡¯t. We will find a way." He removed his hand from my neck and then settled it on my shoulder. "Rafe, I know you¡¯re worried about hurting her, but she is going to be our mate. So try to get used to her scent rather than letting it overpower you. I promise, sooner orter I will find a way. You are not allowed to even think about dying. None of us five are allowed to. She needs us."


    I could understand his feelings, as I felt the same towards my brother. But I had my own weaknesses, as I was a Vampire as well. There was a reason why Vampires are hated in this world, but my brothers had been protecting me from others for a long time.


    I was worried about letting them down one day if my instincts truly took over me. I wished I wasn¡¯t a Vampire but rather just a werewolf¡ªor even a lowly human.


    "I will try to," I assured him for now, but deep down, I knew I would end up disappointing him sooner orter.


    "I will ask Caston to get a girl for you," he told me, already ready to pull a cellphone from his pocket.


    But I stopped him. "Don¡¯t! I don¡¯t want to."


    He looked at me. "You need to have blood and..."


    "You just said she will be our mate soon," I told him, and asked, "Would you go to someone else when she is right here?"


    Of course, the answer was <i>no</i>. Though we must have been bastards to fuck whores before, now she was back, and we only wanted her. There was no ce for even looking at another woman, let alone touching her.


    Lucian didn¡¯t insist. "Promise me you will be alright and won¡¯t take any drugs."


    "I won¡¯t," I assured him. The one I had just now wouldst to keep me in control for a few days at least. Later, I would see what to do.


    He tossed the crushed syringe box in the trash can and said, "And I am going to kill the bastard who even dared provide you with these drugs."


    I could only sigh. These were illegal drugs, banned under strict regtions, as they had the worst effects and caused deaths. Lucian was the one to make these decisions. As a drug expert, he was aware of all kinds of them.


    At the same time, as the security in charge, it was a p to Lucian that someone was breaking the rules under his watch. I was sure whoever was doing it wouldn¡¯t be alive for long now.


    And how did I get these drugs? Well, I had already killed the bastard after I got them for myself, so he wouldn¡¯t sell to anyone else. The rest of the people¡ªLucian could take care of them.


    I put on the clothes and slumped in the bed, reminiscing the memories of that day from the six years back when I punished those bastards right in front of her.


    Instead of feeling gratitude, she was scared of me. Her innocent mind probably never witnessed the bloodshed up close, and she couldn¡¯t handle it.


    After that, she was wary of me whenever she came across me. Well, it was a good thing I felt at that time as this way she would maintain distance from me.


    But, now I didn¡¯t want any distance between us. I wished to be with her, close to her, even if I had to take that drug again and again, even if it would cost my life.


    Short life with her was worth than long life away from her.

 Chapter 153: Fake Birth Date

    <h4>Chapter 153: Fake Birth Date</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning, when I woke up, I didn¡¯t get out of bed like before. I continued to lie facing her, closely observing her sleeping face as if carving her image into my mind.


    I could barely sleep the entire night. Even in her sleep she was hurting, and I felt her pain. I stayed wide awake tofort her¡ªwhenever she grew distressed, I coaxed her, whispered something to her restless wolf to calm it. In the middle of the night, I even removed the IV drip from her hand as it had run its course.


    It was around dawn that she finally grew calm and slept peacefully. Her eyes were still swollen.


    When she stirred in her sleep, I didn¡¯t move. I wanted to see her reaction. If she red at me and showed her hate, I wouldn¡¯t waver¡ªI would ept it silently.


    Her brows knitted as if struggling to wake before her eyes slowly opened. When her vision cleared and settled on me, so close¡ªjust an inch apart¡ªher eyes, still red, revealed how much she had cried.


    What I had expected didn¡¯t happen. She didn¡¯t frown at my sight, nor did she re at me. Instead, her eyes turned moist. She lowered hershes slowly and turned around, turning her back at me. I could feel her body trembling lightly as she silently cried again.


    Damn. It would have been better if she were angry at me¡ªif she cursed me, kicked me out of this room, warned me to stay away. But... seeing her cry hurt far more.


    I had to gather every ounce of courage to move closer. My hand wrapped around her, pulling her frail back against my chest, my hand covering hers.


    "Eira," I said gently, "I am sorry."


    In response, she only continued to cry, her sobs suppressed as she tried not to make a sound, but her trembling body betrayed how she was choking on her own tears.


    "I¡¯ve been such a jerk. I am the reason you suffered for so long," I continued, though no apology or regret could ever lessen my sins toward her. "You can hate me, get angry at me. You don¡¯t need to forgive me either. Just... give yourself another chance. Let me make things right for you. That¡¯s all I ask of you."


    She didn¡¯t respond. The pain and hatred she carried in her heart wouldn¡¯t go away anytime soon¡ªmaybe never. But I was willing to keep trying, without expecting anything from her other than her happiness.


    She continued to cry for a long time and didn¡¯t push me away. I had already informed me her emotional episodes might continue for a long time, and we had to support her like a child, guiding her through things as she might not even have the will to move around.


    After a long while, when she finally calmed, I told her softly, "You should get up. The sun has been out for a while, and your pets have alreadye by to knock on the door."


    Not waiting for her, I let her go and stepped out of the bed. Getting to her side, I helped her sit and get out of bed, which she didn¡¯t resist.


    Her face and hair were a mess. "Let¡¯s get you to freshen up." I held her hand and guided her to the bathroom.


    I made her stand in front of the washbasin and therge mirror above it.


    She didn¡¯t move, so I stood behind her and ran my fingers gently through her hair, fixing the mess and tucking the strands behind her ears as I looked into the mirror.


    I handed her the toothbrush and said, "I¡¯ll get a hairband for you. You can brush your teeth till then," and I left.


    Roman had arranged her things well in the wardrobe¡ªeverything she might need. It was like one side of the wardrobe belonged to her, and they were already living here like partners.


    That bastard was truly better than us four.


    I got the hairband and returned to the bathroom, but she was still standing motionless, staring at the toothbrush in her hand. I said nothing, tied her hair with the band, and took the toothbrush from her.


    As if it were nothing unusual, I told her, "Let me help you."


    I helped her brush her teeth, surprised at myself that I could actually do these things for others. If I ever had a child, maybe I wouldn¡¯t be a bad father after all.


    Once done, I cleaned her face with a warm, wet, soft towel. All the while, she stayed quiet, moving as if just going with the flow.


    She looked better now.


    "Don¡¯t you want to use the toilet?" I asked hesitantly, feeling awkward to even bring it up. Alright, I wasn¡¯t used to this. Thest time I meddled in such things was with the small kids my parents had adopted, who were like my siblings¡ªnot with an adult, and certainly not with a woman.


    She had been on IV for a long time, and I was sure her dder must be full.


    She looked at the toilet but didn¡¯t move. I decided to treat her like Kaya, who I often had to take to the bathroom since she loved to trouble me whenever I returned home.


    I guided her to the toilet, pulled her short dress up, lowered her panties, and made her sit on the toilet seat.


    "Take your time," I said and left, not willing to make things awkward for her.


    I came out of the room. In the drawing room, the others were already present, continuing their routine things.


    "Good morning," I greeted them, feeling a little hesitant inside for reasons I didn¡¯t even know.


    "Morning!" they wished me back.


    "Is she sleeping?" Lucian asked.


    I shook my head. "She is in the bathroom." Then I looked at Roman. "Where did you sleep?"


    "Guest room," he replied and put the hamster back in his cage. "Was she alright?"


    I hummed and said, "I am going to my room. You might like to go to her after a while."


    He hummed back, and I went upstairs. The moment I entered the room, my eyes fell on the tiny box lying on the center table since the day of the moon festival. I picked it up and opened it.


    ¡¯I will give it to her soon, once she is back to her senses. Or maybe on her birthday. It¡¯sing soon.¡¯


    But then something struck me¡ªsomething I had ignored even back then. The dates and calctions ran through my mind, piecing together the events from those years ago.


    <i>Damn it. Her birth date is fake.</i>


    I clenched my fists. <i>How did I miss it?</i>


    Why did her grandparents give her a fake birth date? Weren¡¯t they aware how important the real birth date is for werewolf kids? It¡¯s the day to be celebrated¡ªespecially when theye of age¡ªand the day they must never miss their shift ceremony under the guidance of elders.


    Even some orphaned kids, who didn¡¯t know their exact birth date, once they faced their first shift, could conclude that was the date they were born on¡ªthe exact sixteen years of their life, the mark of stepping into adulthood.


    <i>What the hell her grandparents were thinking to have fake birth date for her? These old hags are truly suspicious. Just wait until I get my hands on you.</i>


    <i>------</i>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    After Kael left, I continued tending to the pets, waiting before going to her. I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to exin myself¡ªwhy I had left her alone in that very ce where she had been tormented, the ce she feared so much.


    While I was lost in my thoughts, Rafe came to my side and took Vixen from me.


    "She¡¯s gotten fatter," hemented, observing Vixen.


    "She¡¯s almost in thest phase of delivery," I replied.


    He hummed and ruffled her soft fur gently, then said after a while, "Do you want me to go to her?"


    So he understood my dilemma.


    I shook my head. "No. I¡¯ll manage."


    "Good," he said, standing with his cat. He told her, "You need to get some fresh air. Alwayszing around. Bad kitty," and stepped out through the exit of the side house.


    I finally gathered my courage and went to the room. She was sitting at the edge of the couch by the window, idle, head lowered, surrounded by an air of loneliness and sadness.


    I calmed myself and tried to break the ice. "Are you done freshening up? Breakfast is ready."


    She didn¡¯t respond, so I finally went to her. Kneeling before her, I held her hand in mine and looked up at her. Her eyes were teary¡ªshe had been crying.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Eira," I said gently as I wiped her tears. Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t reject me.


    Whether that was a good or bad thing, only time would tell. For now, her crying and letting out her pain was what mattered.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have left you there," I said. "I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t exin why I did it or ask for your forgiveness. Just know that I won¡¯t do it again. I will never leave you behind¡ªever."


    <fn10dc> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? f?ndnovel</fn10dc>


    She simply looked at me with those teary eyes, shedding more tears. I felt worried she might just dehydrate if it continued. From her red, swollen eyes, I could tell she had been crying even in her sleep.


    I sat next to her and hugged her gently, holding her infort as her tears soaked my shirt. "Eira, you can keep thinking my care is pretentious¡ªI don¡¯t mind. I understand you don¡¯t trust anyone. But I¡¯ll keep doing this whether you ever trust me or not. All I ask is that you let me look after you. Let me take care of you."

 Chapter 154: Suspicious Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 154: Suspicious Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Just then, there was a knock on the door and Jason opened it. The next moment, the tempting scent of chocte pancakes filled the room.


    Jason looked at her first and then at me. Seeing her crying must have made him quiet."Breakfast is almost ready," he managed to say somehow. "Come out."


    I hummed and turned to her. "Let¡¯s go. Your favourite food is being made today."


    I knew these things mattered very littlepared to her pain, but we needed reasons to keep talking to her, to keepmunicating¡ªeven when they seemed unimportant to her.


    Jason offered a light nod and left.


    Among the five of us, he was still the most distant from her. I had been close to her since the day we brought her back.


    Later, Lucian started to show a softer side by making her favourite food. Even Kael had softened, to the extent of taking her to his room¡ªso unlike him. Rafe hadn¡¯tined about her scent, and didn¡¯t distance himself from her these days.


    But Jason... Though, he showed some consideration toward her by making that dish on the evening of the Moon Festival, there was still a wide distance between them. We could see he cared and worried for her just as much as we did, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything ore to her, as if something was stopping him.


    I could only conclude it was his guilt¡ªthe guilt of torturing her that night in the stable, and of adding celery to her meal despite knowing she was allergic to it.


    But then, Lucian was involved too, and he had been no less cruel to her, yet he managed to set his guilt aside. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on in Jason¡¯s mind since the day we learned Eira was innocent.


    Just then, Fluffy came inside the room as Jason had left the door open. He must have been the one to direct Fluffy here for her sake. I let her go as Fluffy wagged his tail excitedly, reaching her and licking her tear-streaked face.


    She wiped her eyes and hugged him, calming her emotions in his warmth.


    Well, hugging her pet was far more effective than hugging any of us. Her pets truly won against us in this.


    As she spent time with him, I brought a wet cloth to clean her face. Once done, I even got the moisturiser and applied it to her skin while she gave all her attention to petting her pet. It felt like I was tending to a little girl¡ªand I liked it.


    If she had a daughter, she would be just like her, and I would love to take care of her. If there is a slightest chance in the future when she epted us, I would like her to have a daughter with me.


    <i>Our daughter.</i> The thought made me look forward to that future.


    I was sure her son must be as adorable as she was. I couldn¡¯t wait to meet him, and I was certain it wouldn¡¯t be long. The only wish I had was that he would be like his mother, and not like his asshole father¡ªwhom we were going to kill the moment we got our hands on him.


    Kael was downstairs as well, everyone waiting for her toe out and have breakfast together. From today onward, we were going to have her sit with us like family at the dining table.


    Lucian had pulled out a chair for her. This time it wasn¡¯t at the far end of the table, but closest to the head chair where Kael sat¡ªon his left side, where Lucian usually sat. He was giving his ce to her.


    I made her sit there, while I sat in my usual chair next to hers. Kael sat at the head, Rafe on Kael¡¯s right, with Lucian and Jason next to him.


    The table was full of everything Eira liked. Lucian was our best source for knowing her preferences. That bastard still hadn¡¯t revealed how he knew them.


    The meal looked more like a feast than a simple breakfast. It was past breakfast time anyway, so our skilled cooks had turned the spread into more of a lunch course.


    There was a stack of pancakes, and Lucian served them to Eira, setting the dish in front of her with chocte spread on top.


    Jason had once more cooked that special dish from the Moon Festival evening and served it to her. Kael added other items to her te while he and Rafe silently watched.


    "Let¡¯s start," Lucian said. As we all picked up our spoons and forks, we waited for her¡ªher gaze still lowered.


    "Eira, you can start," I nudged her gently.


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    She began with the pancakes first, then the special dish Jason had cooked.


    While Kael cut the steak into pieces and reced his te with hers, he said, "You should eat more meat."


    She obeyed and continued eating.


    "It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve gone out for a vacation," Lucian said. "How about we n one?"


    "That¡¯s indeed a good idea," I replied. "Where should we go¡ªbeaches or mountains?"


    I looked at Eira. "What would you like to visit, beaches or mountains?"


    She didn¡¯t reply, but someone else spoke. "The beaches on the western coastline are perfect to visit in this weather. We should go there."


    His words came out with finality, as if he had already decided.


    "Eira, are you fine with going to the beach?" I asked.


    She didn¡¯t reply, but Jason did. "She is."


    All of us looked at him this time, only to see him digging into his dish as if he hadn¡¯t noticed our gazes.


    "Just fix the day you guys are okay with," Jason said.


    "Alright! Beach it is then," Lucian said quickly.


    If one of us insisted on something, the rest of us always followed his wishes.


    The breakfast was over. We had to discuss the trip while Eira stood up, walked to the ss-sized window, and looked for something.


    Rafe went to her¡ªhe never really liked nning trips and simply followed us wherever we decided.


    "Vixen is outside in the garden," he said, signaling her to look through the ss.


    Vixen waszing on the grass, enjoying the sunbath, stretching, and rolling on the grassy bed.


    "She is waiting for you," he said and led her outside the home.


    We were all a little surprised that he was finally getting close to her and speaking to her on his own. None of us minded, so we continued discussing when to leave for the trip.


    Through the window, we saw the two of them sitting next to Vixen, petting her, while Rafe leaned closer and whispered something in Eira¡¯s ear.


    She looked at him, uncertain, and he simply raised a brow as if asking her a question. Then he pointed toward the rear of the home, clearly suggesting something.


    "What are they talking about?" I asked.


    The others looked just as curious.


    After a while, Rafe came back inside carrying Vixen. He set her gently in her cushioned cat bed. "I¡¯m taking Eira out for a walk."


    We exchanged nces, suspicion rising. Why was he suddenly so attentive to her?


    "Out where?" I asked.


    "Just around the estate," he replied casually. "Walk in the fresh air and sunlight will lighten her mood."


    "Don¡¯t take too much time," Kael instructed, as expected he always sided with Rafe.


    The three of us felt uneasy.


    Rafe gave us a t, bored look. "Want to follow us? Feel free to be the third, fourth, and fifth wheel."


    "Just go," Lucian said, dismissing him. And with that, the suspicious bat walked out of the home with mocking grin on his lips.


    "Is it too much to doubt such behavior from him?" I muttered.


    "Unusual indeed," Jason agreed. "The more rxed he acts, the more suspicious he is."


    "The bastard is skilled in making us doubt him, but we never know <i>what</i> to doubt him about," Lucian frowned. "Bastard is infuriating."


    Then we saw him sitting Eira in the electrical cart that was used by garden servants to inspect the estate during their cleaning work.


    "Didn¡¯t he just say they were going to walk?" Lucian frowned and stood up from his chair, "Where is the bastard taking her?"


    "Don¡¯t worry too much," Kael said. "She¡¯s safe with him."


    Of course, we all knew that. But still¡ªwe couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was suddenly up to.


    -----


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    I could see the doubts in their eyes when I told them I was taking Eira for a walk. I won¡¯t me them¡ªwhatever I did was never normal, and what I was about to do now was definitely not normal.


    But I didn¡¯t need to tell them anything or take their permission, because they wouldn¡¯t allow it anyway. This was going to be between her and me. When I asked her, she didn¡¯t say yes, but she didn¡¯t say no either. She just followed me without showing fear.


    I¡¯ll take that as her yes.


    I made her sit in the garden cart and we drove towards the far end of the estate, to my most favourite ce¡ªthe dungeons, the underground prison, or better yet, the torture rooms.


    Last time I was here, it was to carry out punishment for Lucian and Jason. That had been rather exciting. And I was sure it was going to be even more exciting to be here with Eira.


    Let¡¯s see what my kitten¡¯s got.

 Chapter 155: That Girl In Prison

    <h4>Chapter 155: That Girl In Prison</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    We reached the underground dungeons at the far corner of the estate. As the heavy iron door creaked open, we stopped at the top of the massive staircase leading downward. She froze in ce to see the way to underground.


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    Outside, it was a bright day, but down here no sunlight could reach .


    I sped her hand firmly. "Don¡¯t worry. I am with you."


    Her response came through as she let her senses calm. I was sure now she was well aware why we were going there.


    We descended into the depths, our footsteps echoing against stone walls as the wide corridor stretched before us, lined with lights that banished only some of the shadows. We passed chamber after chamber, each one marked by the remnants of punishment, and I could feel her gaze linger, wary and sharp, as though memorizing everything.


    "Here, we only punish the assholes," I told her, "the ones who don¡¯t deserve a quiet death. And today you will witness one yourself."


    She didn¡¯t flinch at it, that meant she had made her mind.


    We stopped in front of one chamber and I opened the thick and heavy metal door to enter it. I entered first and then led her inside after me so she wouldn¡¯t be scared.


    Inside, in the center of the room, there was a man locked in the metal chair, hands, legs, and torso held in ce so it wouldn¡¯t move anymore. The face was covered with a dark cloth over his head.


    The moment he sensed our presence, he started to make a movement or sound, but nothing happened. Obviously, his shitty mouth was taped.


    "Here¡¯s our prey for the day," I told Eira as she stood by the door warily, looking at the man in the chair.


    I walked towards the man, "Let me uncover his face and see if you can remember him."


    As I reached the chair and was about to uncover his face, I felt anxiousness surrounding her face, her hands gripping her dress.


    I uncovered his face anyway.


    It didn¡¯t even take her a moment to recognise him as I could see the heavy shift in her expressions. Terror shed through her eyes as though an old nightmare had stepped out of the dark. She stumbled back, her legs nearly giving way, and braced against the wall beside the door, breath breaking into ragged gasps.


    I rushed to her side and pulled her into my arms. She clung to me desperately, burying her face against my chest, her fists tightening around my shirt as though I were her only anchor. Her heart hammered at a frantic pace, each beat thundering in my ears.


    Just like in the prison, she held on as if I were herst lifeline, refusing to let go.


    "You recognised him, right?" I said, giving her time to absorb the shock. "One of the prison incharge¡¯s friends, who firstid his filthy hands on you in that hellhole, andter helped sell you to the traffickers. I¡¯ve already killed the rest of them, but this piece of shit slipped away. Managed to save his skin for a few more days."


    She didn¡¯t respond. She even refused to turn her face and look at him again.


    "I know you are scared, you are in pain, but you know why you are here," I continued, my hand caressing her back, "Are you going to be this way forever, frightened and crying over what happened to you? Don¡¯t you want to punish those who hurt you?


    "When they were abusing you, the pain you felt, the way they made you feel helpless, don¡¯t you want to make them feel the same pain and helplessness you felt? The worst thing we can ever feel is not the pain, but the helplessness that we couldn¡¯t do anything to stop them. That helplessness is the real torment. Don¡¯t you, for once, want to get out of that feeling of helplessness?


    "When they were abusing you, didn¡¯t you feel like hurting them back as well? All you have to do is take that out. What you couldn¡¯t do to them back then, today you have a chance to do it. I am here with you. You can do anything you want and no one¡¯s here to stop you. That bastard is entirely locked to even move a muscle, let alone harm you back. Want me to show you?"


    She didn¡¯t want to let go of me, but I felt my words burrowing into her thoughts. I eased her from my chest and guided her to an empty chair, cing it across from the prisoner but at a safe distance.


    "Sit," I told her. "Watch. I¡¯ll show you how helpless he really is."


    I went to the table that was ced on the right side, which had various tools arranged neatly at the top of it. I picked one sharp tool from it and walked towards the man with the tool spinning it between my fingers with practiced ease as though it were nothing more than a toy.


    His eyes were horrid as he knew he wasn¡¯t going alive from here. His entire body seemed to be covered in ayer of thick sweat, failing to struggle even. I could tell it wouldn¡¯t be long till the asshole peed his pants.


    I removed the tape from his mouth in a harsh move. Even before he could open his mouth to get the air in, in a sh of a movement the sharp object was stabbed mercilessly in the back of his palm that rested on the chair handrest.


    The man¡¯s scream tore through the chamber, raw and guttural, only to be cut short as I pped the tape back over his mouth, forcing the sound back into his throat. He choked on his own breathe, eyes ready pop out of their socket.


    It was a tactic I knew well¡ªpain doubled when the victim was denied even the release of his own voice.


    I looked at Eira, who sat there quietly, staring at the man. "Did you see, he couldn¡¯t do shit."


    I went to her, the bloodied tool still ying in my fingers. "Even if you stab him a hundred times, even if you cut his body apart piece by piece, gouge out his eyes, rip out his tongue¡ªhe still wouldn¡¯t move a muscle."


    The more she heard me, the more she started to be calm. But the man quaked in terror, his entire body drenched in sweat. Droplets slid down from his temples, streaking his cheeks as he shook, desperate, suffocating in fear.


    He wanted to speak. Of course, to beg, to grovel for his miserable life.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea either. She needed to hear begging and apologies as well from the assholes, that would tell her they regretted it, they were wrong and needed her mercy, but she wouldn¡¯t show any. The revenge after your enemy begged you to forgive them, to not kill them, was always fulfilling.


    "Seems like this bastard wants to say something. Let¡¯s hear him," I said, striding back toward him.


    With a harsh pull, I ripped the tape from his mouth. He sucked in air with a wheeze, his chest heaving, before the words spilled out of him like a frantic parrot¡ªfast, desperate, and pitiful.


    "I...I know you are...that girl in prison..." the man said quickly, "...but...trust me...it was Luis who forced me to do it..."


    Fucking liar!


    I wanted to get my hands over him and try my unique torture skills on him right away, but...only if I had not decided to leave him for her...


    Eira¡¯s expressions didn¡¯t change even a bit as she simply stared at him, no emotions in her eyes, vacant, but I knew something was going toe out of them soon.


    "...I didn¡¯t hurt you like they did..." the bastard continued to bber desperately, even more after getting no reaction from her. "...They were the ones to drug you...they tied you...I didn¡¯t...they burned their cigarettes on your skin and forced the leftover cigarette buds down your throat...I didn¡¯t...I don¡¯t even smoke...I swear...They whipped and beat you...I didn¡¯t...I just fucked you and walked away...I didn¡¯t do anything else...I didn¡¯t want to disappoint Luis for his invitation...that¡¯s why I fucked you...trust me I didn¡¯t want to do it...I..."


    He rattled on, words spilling like filth.


    Meanwhile, Eira stood up from the chair, got the tool from my hand, and the next moment all I knew was that she had stabbed it right in his chest.


    His scream split the air, raw and agonized, his eyes wide with horror as he looked at her.


    Oops! So close to the heart, but not fatal enough to kill him. At the same time, his words of what they did with her continued to echo in my mind. It took everything in me to not kill him right away.


    "Good girl," I praised her, walking to her while she pulled out that sharp object from his chest.


    Her face was cold, merciless, stripped of fear. Anger smoldered in her eyes, sharp and unrelenting, fixed on him like a predator toying with its prey.


    At this moment, I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong to bring her here.


    She raised the de again, ready to strike, but I caught her wrist.


    Her eyes snapped to mine, zing with fury, but I spoke softly, steady.


    "Depending on whether you want him to die quickly, or want to prolong his pain before he dies, you need to choose the ces to hurt him."


    She waited to hear more.


    "If you want him to die quickly, stab his heart or his neck. But if you want to prolong his suffering, if you want him to feel every breath as a curse, you strike here." I pointed towards certain areas of his body, the stomach, thighs, shoulder, this part of the chest, ribs, waist, "Wounds will keep him alive, writhing in pain. He¡¯ll beg for death, but it won¡¯te."


    Then I adjusted her grip, curling her fingers around the hilt of the tool. "And, you hold it this way."

 Chapter 156: Eira’s Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 156: Eira¡¯s Revenge</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    Like an obedient student, she followed my instructions and held the tool in perfect grip.


    "Now it¡¯s up to you whether you want him to die in a moment or suffer for as long as you wish," I told her as I stepped back, giving her space to tell her she held the sovereignty over this ce and over her own decision, that no one¡¯s gonna meddle in.


    When I thought she was going to stab him again, she didn¡¯t. Instead, she knelt on the ground and picked up the tape which had fallen after I uncovered his mouth.


    She looked at him, while another wave of terror shed in his tear-filled eyes. "Please...don¡¯t kill me...I have a family...wife..kids...waiting for me..."


    Unflinching, unblinking, she pped that tape over his mouth to shut him.


    Either she didn¡¯t want to hear his annoying scream and wanted to make him suffer more while not being able to even make a sound, or she was taking revenge for when they must have shut her mouth as well.


    These bastards had killed all the emotions inside her to make her feel any. She was dead inside enough to want her own child to die as this world wasn¡¯t worth living, so why would she bother with someone else¡¯s kids?


    She didn¡¯t move her gaze away from his face, cold and calm. Once more she stabbed that tool in his body, this time straight in his stomach, perfect and precise.


    ¡¯She is going to make a perfect student of mine,¡¯ I grinned with pride.


    His muffled groans filled the chamber, harsh and broken, while she smoothly pulled the de free and poised it to strike again.


    For the first time, I felt a flicker of wariness. Not because she was taking her revenge, but because of how she was doing it.


    This woman, who had been sobbing like a fragile weakling only an hour ago, now radiated a dangerous calm. No theatrics. No rage. Only silence and cold precision. It was more dangerous than being loud.


    They say every person has a devil inside them. Some surfaced often, while some stayed hidden. And I could see that hidden devil inside her surfacing at the chance she got to experience it.


    She stabbed him again while I turned to the table behind me and picked up a sharp knife from it. I went to her as she was going to stab him again.


    "Use this instead," I said, offering her a knife. "Perfect for a precise, deep cut."


    She epted it without hesitation, and I took back the bloodied tool from her hand. I turned toward the table to set it down¡ªonly to feel a sudden rush of movement behind me.


    Spinning around, I froze.


    She was on him. The knife drove into his body again and again, each strike swift, merciless, frenzied. She stabbed anywhere she could reach, carefully avoiding the ces I had told her would kill too quickly.


    For a moment, she looked less like a woman and more like some pale, blood-soaked specter, a ghost of vengeance that could not be stopped. Blood sprayed across her face, streaked down her arms, but she didn¡¯t falter. Each stab was the release of years of pain, of humiliation, of anger she had buried until now.


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    She wasn¡¯t thinking. She wasn¡¯t even there. The frenzy consumed her, her mind lost, her body acting on pure instinct as if the man before her was nothing more than meat beneath her de.


    I am sure she didn¡¯t even realise what she was doing as she stabbed his heart multiple times again and again, and he was already dead, but she continued.


    I didn¡¯t move. I only watched her. I understood her in a way the others couldn¡¯t.


    I had once been her.


    Kael had given me the same chance¡ªyears ago, when rage and shame had nearly drowned me. He had put my tormentors in front of me, let me cut them apart piece by piece until my hatred was spent. He knew the world had branded me an abomination, the son of a pure-blood she-wolf and a pure-blood vampire. The werewolf world despised Vampires deeply.


    But Kael had epted me. His father, too, had weed me, telling me I was no abomination, but a living being with the right to exist. Under Kael¡¯s name, no one dared touch me. And when I grew older and stronger, my own power became undeniable, none dared even whisper against me.


    Her stabbing grew slower, her strength faltering, exhaustion weighing down her movements until her arm trembled with the effort.


    Atst, I stepped forward. I caught her wrist before she could strike the corpse again."He is dead," I told her softly. "You can stop now. He suffered what you wanted him to."


    Her breaths came ragged and uneven, her bloodshot eyes locked on the lifeless body. Her hand shook violently as the knife slipped from her grasp. I caught it before it fell.


    She stumbled back, but her knees gave way, and I caught her in time. She was utterly drained¡ªnot only from the countless times she had driven the de into him, but because her anger had consumed everything she had left to give.


    I guided her back a step and eased her into the chair. "Breathe. Try to calm yourself," I told her gently.


    Her entire body trembled, shuddering with the aftermath of everything she had unleashed, her mind too clouded to form words.


    I knelt before her, meeting her pale, drained face. "Are you feeling better now?"


    She stared at me, silent, her lips refusing to move.


    I lifted the knife once more and held it out to her. "If you¡¯re still not satisfied, then stab me. I deserve it too. Back then, even though we weren¡¯t on good terms, you were still someone I knew¡ªone of us. I should havee to you, asked for the truth, instead of blindly believing what was shown to us. I failed you. I caused you harm. So if you want, punish me. Stab me."


    Her eyes lowered to the de. Slowly, her trembling hand closed around it, the grip tightening until it was steady. I braced myself, ready.


    And she didn¡¯t fail me.


    The knife plunged into my shoulder with all the strength she had left. Pain seared through me, but I didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, I helped guide her hand to pull it free, sparing her the strain.


    "That wasn¡¯t fatal," I told her, my voice steady. "It won¡¯t kill me. You can try again if you want."


    Her gaze lingered on me, calm yet unreadable.


    "No one will me you," I assured her quietly. "Not even my brothers. They¡¯ll tell you to punish them as well. Trust me."


    Her hand moved, but instead of stabbing me, she let the knife slip from her grasp, ttering to the floor, and turned her face away.


    She didn¡¯t want to kill me. She only wanted to release her anger on me, give me the punishment she believed I deserved. That was enough for her.


    Her hatred for me didn¡¯t run as deep. And the fact that she refrained¡ªthat she still held herself back¡ªproved her rationality was intact. That was good.


    I rose slowly, letting her sit and recover, while I cleaned the bloodied tools and set them neatly back in their ces.


    When I turned back to her, she was still pale, her breaths uneven but steadier than before.


    "Come," I said. "Let¡¯s get both of us clean before we return. Otherwise, those bastards will smell the blood on us and we¡¯ll have to endure their endless questions."


    I led her out of that room and we went to another room which was empty and had a washing area.


    It was made so we could leave this ce clean after we punished the ones we brought here once in a while. As for that dead body, our people would clean it, with no trace left behind.


    I turned on the hot shower for her as she had blood sshed everywhere on her, and she stood under the shower.


    While I moved the cupboard and pulled out a bag, "I have the same dress for you here. So even if you change now, they won¡¯t doubt us."


    I was smart enough to buy the same things for her as Roman got. And it was the same for myself. The previous night, when everyone was sleeping, I was already out preparing this revenge treat for her.


    I turned to her, only to see her crying while standing under the shower. The emotions she had been holding behind her rage were finally flowing out with the water.


    I went to her and held her in my arms. I thanked myself for injecting that drug so even now I could be close to her. Under the shower she continued to cry while burying her face against my chest. I said nothing, no word to console her, just held her in aforting hug.


    After a while I told her, "It¡¯s not good to stand under water for long, and we have to return as well, before theye looking for us."


    She understood and nodded lightly with her head still lowered. I turned off the shower and cupped her face in my palms to make her look at me.


    "You did well today," my voice was gentle, "We will have such revenge treats often if you want. I will make sure none is left without paying for it."


    Her teary eyes simply looked at me, as if finding her support in me.


    But, at the same time... Damn! How I wished to kiss her now.


    It took everything in me to suppress that urge as I told myself again and again¡ª¡¯You can¡¯t. You shouldn¡¯t.¡¯


    "Let¡¯s change our clothes quickly," I told her and started to unbutton my shirt.


    She didn¡¯t have hesitation, maybe so ustomed to not feeling any shame in being naked in front of anyone. Can¡¯t me her.


    I removed my clothes without looking at her, or I wasn¡¯t sure what I would do, and walked away from there. I got a towel for myself and tossed one to her.


    "Come here once you are done drying," I told her and put her clothes on the shelf.


    Both of us put on our clothes. I helped her dry her hair with a dryer and soon we left the dungeons. As we sat in the vehicle to return, I looked at her.


    I swear, she looked at peace.

 Chapter 157: I Took Her Out For Walk

    <h4>Chapter 157: I Took Her Out For Walk</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    We reached home. Just as we stepped out of the vehicle, Fluffy came towards us, barking, almost jumping on Eira.


    My hand moved to her back to keep her steady and warned the overly excited dog. "You better be careful around her, or I will cut that wagging tail of yours."


    Fluffy clearly understood my warning and cooed pitifully, shrinking to her side.


    Eira petted his head gently. "It¡¯s alright, Fluffy."


    She was still far from smiling or showing any visible happy expressions on her face, but at least she talked, and there was ease in her actions.


    "You need to rest a little," I told her, "Also, eat something... sweet maybe... You will feel better."


    Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t deny my suggestion and followed me inside the home, with Fluffy tailing behind us. When I entered, only Kael was in the drawing room, still working on hisptop and busy on the meeting call.


    He had his eyes on us through the wall-size ss window since the moment we arrived, but he continued his work.


    I made her sit in her ce, where Vixen was waiting for her on the mattress where Eira always sat. The moment she saw Eira, the fatty got up on her paws and looked at Eira, as if asking her where she had gone and why it took her so much time.


    Eira sat down and picked up Vixen in her arms, snuggling her against her chest with care. It was as if it wasn¡¯t Vixen who enjoyed cuddling Eira, but the other way round.


    My decision to bring that pitiful cat home with me was truly worth it.


    I looked for something sweet in the kitchen and found choctes. Among us five, there was that one gigantic guy who strangely loved eating choctes often.


    Lucian.


    We had one grown-up kid with sweet tooth with us.


    I picked up a few choctes and offered them to Eira. She looked at them for a while, as if thinking or maybe remembering something, and then took all of them from my hand. I raised a brow. It felt like she liked these choctes as well.


    When it came to her eating preferences, Lucian always seemed to have all the answers. Not only did he know what she liked to eat, but even his preference of choctes matched hers.


    Kael had finished his meeting by that time. I went to him and settled on the sofa.


    He looked at me.


    I raised a brow, asking ¡¯what?¡¯


    "That was the first and thest time you did it," he told me in a strict tone.


    I sighed inwardly. So he already knew where I was taking Eira.


    Of course he knew, as it was his estate and nothing should miss him. But the fact that he didn¡¯t stop me meant he approved of what I did.


    Of course he will as this was how he helped me, and I have learned it from him.


    "Don¡¯t worry, she can remain sane enough to understand right and wrong even when she is angry," I told him, "She won¡¯t turn into a monster that you are worried about. You can pass the message to that doctor as well."


    I had tested it when I asked her to hurt me. She hadn¡¯t lost her mind even after killing someone.


    Kael didn¡¯t respond and looked at Eira. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.


    "You did well yesterday," he said and looked at me, "You handled her really well. I am thankful."


    He was referring to when I went to her in the prison cell.


    "I couldn¡¯t see her in pain," I said, taking a little pause, "...and you as well."


    He stilled for a moment, but then got hisposure back. "You know?"


    I hummed and exined. "That night you left home in the middle of the night, and I followed you. I was just worried for you, but didn¡¯t expect the next."


    He didn¡¯tment and lowered his gaze to theptop screen. He had nothing to say in response to his own guilt now.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to tell others?" I asked anyway.


    "Not for now," he resumed his work.


    "Well, that¡¯s fine as well, or they will be buried in guilt to know why you were so pale the next morning after they tortured her in the stable that night," Imented.


    Kael didn¡¯tment on it. He had experienced every bit of pain she had ever suffered, the reason for all of his painful nights for the past six years. But how could that be? Even I was confused now, and he must be as well.


    That night, if I had known what Jason and Lucian were going to do with Eira, I would have stopped them. At that time, I was upset with her as well, but I would have stopped them in my indifferent way...at least for Kael¡¯s sake I wouldn¡¯t have allowed them to torture her.


    Whenever my brothers tried to harm her, I always had some logical reasons for them not to hurt her. Though myments felt like they wereing from my hate towards her, in fact, I never wanted them to hurt her.


    When Jason added celery in her meal, I was the one to notice it first and passed thement that she was allergic to it. As I had expected, Roman hurried to save her.


    All I had to do was drop a hint for any one of these four, and one of them would hurry to save her at that moment.


    "Other three?" I asked Kael.


    "Getting ready in their rooms," he replied, "Roman is leaving for the office, Jason and Lucian are going to resume their work on what we are looking for."


    I hummed, only to hear him speak, "What about the cellphones you were working on?"


    "I managed to get thest calls Eira and Alice made to someone. Alice¡¯sst call was to Eira. Theirst talk on call was with each other. Given the timing, it seems like Eira went to her after Alice called her," I exined further, "The devices are truly broken worse. It seems like Alice¡¯s cellphone was smashed on purpose and left in water for long. While Eira¡¯s cellphone was too old and ragged and then got damaged that night. But I am trying to get any message history I can."


    "How long?" Kael asked, a little impatient.


    "It¡¯s been only a day since I started working on it," I replied calmly, "I want to work on it faster, but things take time, and I am not a God to fix it with some finger-flick magic. It might take a little while."


    Just then the others came out of their rooms, all dressed up to leave. All three of them passed me suspicious gazes and then looked at Eira.


    Seeing her normal and busy with her pets as usual, they were assured she was fine, and stopped ring at me.


    "Liam ising to check on her," Kael told us all, "you guys can leave or wait for him, as you wish."


    As Kael said, obviously they were going to wait. Every one of us felt responsible towards her and needed to know her situation.


    Liam arrived shortly. I wasn¡¯t with him.


    He checked Eira as he tried to talk with her, but she didn¡¯t respond to him and paid all her attention to her pets. She still held a grudge against him, despite he had already exined it wasn¡¯t him who told us about her son.


    "We have to be careful not to upset her afterwards," Lucian mumbled, as we watched her while sitting on the sofa.


    "We are yet to pay for the past ones. The new ones will surely call for our deaths," Romanmented.


    All of a sudden, it felt like we all had to walk on thin ice while being around her.


    <fn3b01> This content belongs to find(?)ovel</fn3b01>


    Liam returned to us after he was done with her. As he settled on the sofa, we all waited for him to talk.


    "She looks much better," Liam said, "unlike how I expected her to be afterst night. Wasn¡¯t she breaking into frequent cries or anything? Seeing her so calm is like a miracle at this moment. I would be pleased to know it." He smiled teasingly. "I want to believe you guys had a share in it, but somehow I can¡¯t."


    "Not sure a miracle, but I took her out for a nice walk," Imented with a smirk, "she seemed to have liked it a lot. I will make sure I have such frequent walks with her."


    I felt Kael¡¯s cold stare towards me. Yeah, just a while ago he warned me, but... I am just me... I do what I do...


    There was a saying in the werewolf world¡ªnever trust a Vampire, and I could be just that.


    "Alright!" Liam said, "Now her wolf looks stronger and her mental situation a little improved, we can try her first shift and then go for her first heat."


    The moment he dropped those words, one particr word caught all of us. <i>Heat.</i>


    I could feel, just like me, all the others had gone stiff.


    If she went into heat, then she would have to mate with someone. Damn! Not sure what to think about it when she still hated all of us.


    For me, I wouldn¡¯t be mating with her, as I didn¡¯t trust myself and I didn¡¯t want to hurt her if my bloodlust took over.


    Anyway, I wasn¡¯t going to stay around her for long. After we took revenge for her, for us, and she was settled well with my four brothers, I would disappear.


    If I stayed, I knew I would end up doing what my father ended up doing with my mother, despite the fact they were mates and he loved her with all his heart.


    And I refused to turn like him. I will never be my father. I will never harm the woman I loved.


    I will protect her from myself.

 Chapter 158: Eira’s First Shift- I

    <h4>Chapter 158: Eira¡¯s First Shift- I</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    What Liam said was nothing surprising, as we had talked about it before and how important it was for her. But the matter of taking care of her during her heat, I am sure it was still overwhelming for us all after knowing the truth and how she had suffered.


    It was more like, after suffering the same for the past six years, she would be forced to be intimate with someone as she would have no other option but to submit to her innate instincts and needs.


    I could only imagine how much she must hate what she suffered.


    <fnb1bd> This update is avable on Find[?]ovel</fnb1bd>


    She will just end up hating the one who will mate with her in her heat. She will just think she was taken advantage of, or feel nothing at all, like it was just the usual thing she had first been forced into, and then submitted to.


    I wished things were different and it was as precious to her as any other she-wolf experienced their first heat with the man she loved.


    "Once she has her first shift, it won¡¯t take much time for her to get into the first heat as her wolf is matured enough. And would seek for the mate," Liam added.


    "When can she have her first shift?" I asked.


    "How about tomorrow? It¡¯s the full moon and perfect day to shift," he asked.


    "Isn¡¯t it too soon?" Roman asked, "She has been through a lot in the past few days. Surgery, drug test, and the prison incident."


    "I know, but she seems perfectly fine now. That shows how strong she is. A pureblood for a reason," Liam said, "Dying it to the next full moon isn¡¯t a good idea. She needs her wolf now more than ever. It would be a great help to improve and strengthen her mental situation."


    "As long as it won¡¯t harm her in any way, I don¡¯t mind," I told him.


    "It won¡¯t, except for the shift is going to be painful for her than normal. It¡¯s because it had been dyed for so long," he said, "and it can¡¯t be avoided, though I will try to have some medicines to ease her after the shift is over."


    We agreed to his suggestion.


    "I will send one medicine you have to give her tonight. Make sure to inject her with it," Liam said as he stood up to leave.


    I hummed and looked at her. Once again she had to go through the pain, as if what she had experienced till now wasn¡¯t enough. When will this cycle of pain end for her?


    But at least, I will share it with her. I was going to feel the same pain.


    For the past six years, the pain I felt, I didn¡¯t know what was happening to me. I thought that torment, that pain, was because of my parents¡¯ gruesome death I had witnessed. It must have wounded my soul deeply, so I was experiencing it. But...


    Only when she returned to me, I understood it was because of her. I was feeling her pain all these years.


    But how? It shouldn¡¯t be this way, but it was. I will find out the reason soon once she was better and we had taken care of the important matters.


    But at the same time, if I truly knew my pain was because of her and she was suffering somewhere, what would have I done?


    Would have I been the ass to let her suffer?


    I don¡¯t think so.


    Because, despite I was angry and hated her, I couldn¡¯t kill her when I went to see her in the prison. I felt like such an asshole of a son to my parents. But I simply couldn¡¯t kill her.


    So, if I knew she was suffering, I would have at least gone to see what was happening with her and would have arranged for her safety. She would have rotten in the darkness of prison till the end of her life. And I would have never seen her ever again.


    That led me to think, which way was better, this one or that? I was scared to decide on it.


    One way gave her brutal pain, but brought her back to me. The other way would have been no torment and pain for her, but she would have never returned to me. And the truth would have been buried forever.


    So...As I had experienced every bit of her pain and suffered with her as well, I will be selfish to think-- <i>The way that brought her back to me, is the one I prefer. </i>


    I turned to my brothers, who had been calm since the moment Liam talked about her.


    I knew what they were thinking, but it had time. And I had decided what we were going to do.


    "Aren¡¯t you guys leaving?" I asked.


    They got back to their senses. Roman, Jason, and Lucian left the home, while Rafe returned to his room to work on those cellphones.


    ----


    The day went by in quiet, which seemed so unusual all of a sudden, as since the day we brought her, it had been the opposite. The entire day all she did was eat when she was offered food, y with her pets and fall asleep while cuddling them, or go to the garden when Fluffy urged her to.


    I was always in the drawing room, keeping watch on her. But not even once did she look at me or pay attention, as if I didn¡¯t exist.


    Rafe was in his room, but once in a while he woulde out and check on her, talking to her using the excuse of Vixen, though she didn¡¯t talk back. Still, I could tell she was a little more rxed around himpared to any one of us.


    He had stayed away from her for long, but when he decided not to, he truly earned her attention and maybe somewhat her trust.


    But the question was, how could he stand her scent now, without evenining?


    Lucian and Jason didn¡¯t return home that night as they had a really important task at hand.


    Most probably, we would get that boy¡¯s DNA sample so we could test it with Eira¡¯s to confirm he was her son. And then we would be able to take a decisive step.


    If that boy was her son, then I was bringing him back to her.

 Chapter 159: Eira’s First Shift- II

    <h4>Chapter 159: Eira¡¯s First Shift- II</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    In the night, Rafe injected her with the medicine Liam had asked us to. She didn¡¯t protest when he inserted the syringe in her arm. It was as if she was used to being injected often.


    Drugs. She had been given drugs this way by those traffickers.


    She fell asleep afterwards, the drug taking over her. Rafe wasn¡¯t going to be with her¡ªshe had stayed with me the previous night¡ªso I decided to let Roman be with her. And he took her to his room.


    Among us five, Roman, Lucian, and I were the only ones willing to spend the night with her and stay by her side, but not Rafe and Jason.


    Rafe¡¯s reason was understandable, but Jason... I guess he was yet toe around to reality and ept her, or he was guilt-ridden. It must be eating him inside.


    I will have to talk to him about this.


    ----


    The next day came quickly. The Day Eira will have her first Shift.


    The day time passed in silence just like the previous one.


    Finally, Lucian and Jason were about to return in the evening. They had gotten what they went for. The boy¡¯s DNA sample.


    Now I was just thinking about her first shift tonight.


    Liam had dropped by at noon and had already exined to her that she would experience her first shift and she should be ready for it.


    She acted like his words flew over her head, as if she didn¡¯t hear him, and most importantly, she didn¡¯t care. He was going toe again in the evening, as it was an important process for his patient he couldn¡¯t miss, and at the same time, he would help her.


    As an Alpha of this pack, it was my responsibility to guide her, and I was going to do it tonight. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t run away from me¡ªat least not tonight.


    Lucian and Jason hurried home in the evening. Both of them looked utterly travel worn.


    "Everything¡¯s alright?" Lucian asked, but the underlying meaning was, <i>Are wete?</i><fne246> Follow current nov?ls on find[?]ovel</fne246>


    I nodded. "She has just gone inside the room... maybe to freshen up."


    Both of them let out a sigh of relief as they realised they were notte.


    "The moon is out. Any signs she showed?" Jason asked.


    "Not yet, but anytime soon." Just as I said it, Eira came out of the room, looking a little restless.


    "It¡¯s time, it seems," Lucianmented.


    All of us got alerted and stood up. She looked around the drawing room warily, her gaze disoriented. She spotted something and hurried to it.


    Reaching the dining table, she picked up the jar directly and started chugging water from it, too impatient to even pour it into a ss. The water drenched her neck and clothes as if she wanted to drink all of it in one gulp.


    "Shall we go to her?" Roman asked.


    "Wait a little," I said, as I watched her. I didn¡¯t want to scare her.


    Her hands were trembling. The jar slipped from her hand and smashed on the ground.


    Fluffy started barking and Vixen miaowed.


    Lucian calmed them while Roman went to her.


    "Eira, it¡¯s alright," he said, trying to get close to her, but she warily shrugged him away, trying to keep her distance.


    "You are going to experience your first shift, nothing else. Don¡¯t be scared," he assured her.


    But she continued to move away from him, her shaking hands running along her hair and pulling at them as if she was unable to process anything.


    Rafe went to her. "Everything will be alright soon..."


    Not letting him finish, she ran towards the wall-size ss window and exited out to the garden, stumbling and forcing herself to keep going.


    We all followed her out.


    <strong>------</strong>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV ¨C Leading to the Shift</strong>


    I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, gripping the edge of the sink so tightly my knuckles turned white. Something was wrong. My body, my mind¡ªthey both felt strange, restless, like something inside me had been shaken awake all of a sudden. I sshed water on my face once, twice, again and again, but the unease wouldn¡¯t leave. It sat in my chest like a growing storm.


    <i>Liam told me this would happen today.</i> My first shift. My wolf. The words echoed in my head, but instead of reassurance, a cold tremor of fear ran through me. Why did I feel so scared? Why did I feel like I was about to be ripped apart from the inside?


    I came out of the bathroom and my throat went dry as sand. No water in the room. My legs carried me out of the room, down the hall, and into the dining area before my mind caught up.


    The jar on the table glinted like my salvation. My hands shook as I grabbed it and drank straight from it, gulp after gulp, water spilling over my lips, drenching my clothes. It didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t stop. It was like I¡¯d been thirsty for years, and only now realized it.


    When the jar was finally empty, my fingers wouldn¡¯t hold it anymore. It slipped from my hands, crashed to the floor, and shattered. The sound exploded in my skull like a thunderp. I winced. My heart beat so hard it hurt. My breathing turned shallow, ragged.


    "Eira, it¡¯s alright," a voice said from somewhere around. I turned my head, but my vision doubled¡ªtwo men, two voices, both blurry.


    "You¡¯re going to experience your first shift. Nothing else. Don¡¯t be scared," the voice came again.


    "Everything will be alright soon..." another voice ovepped.


    Fear gripped me so hard my chest ached. My skin felt too tight, my bones too heavy. I couldn¡¯t stand still. I couldn¡¯t breathe. The walls, the voices, the light¡ªthey pressed in on me like a cage.


    I backed away from them, shaking my head. "No..." My voice was a whisper, barely my own.


    I needed to leave. I needed air. Trees. Wind. Space.


    My legs moved before I could think. I ran. Out of the dining room, down the hall, through the doors and into the garden.


    The night air struck me like a wave¡ªcool, damp, filled with scents I had never noticed before. But nothing was soothing enough.


    I stumbled into the open, falling to my knees in the grass. My heart thrashed in my chest. My skin burned. The fire inside me was spreading, unstoppable now.

 Chapter 160: Eira’s First Shift- III

    <h4>Chapter 160: Eira¡¯s First Shift- III</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV </strong>


    The night was quiet, but my chest was anything but.


    I stood in the garden of the estate, the numerous lights brightening the great expanse ofwn.


    The others lingered close, tense, their eyes on her. Eira. Just as tense as me.


    She was, kneeling on the ground helplessly, pale in the moonlight, her breathsing shallow and fast. I had known this would be brutal for her¡ªher shift was dyed for far too long. A wolf caged in human flesh is like a storm trapped in a ss jar; when it finally breaks free, it destroys everything in its way.


    I went to her, while others stayed behind to not scare her or she might run away again.


    I knelt next to her carefully. "Eira, I know it¡¯s painful, but don¡¯t resist it. It¡¯s your wolfing out and soon it will be fine."


    In response, a light pained cry tore through her mouth, the sweat had drenched her skin entirely, the veins on her body popped out as if ready to burst any moment.


    "Focus on where your body is leading you to, allow the flow," I told her, my hand reaching gently to caress her hair. "Breathe."


    After a few moments, a loud cry tore through the stillness, sharp enough to reach every corner of the estate. The guards at the distance got alerted to it, but they didn¡¯te to this side. They understood what it was.


    Her pained cry pierced straight into my chest.


    I knew her skin must feel like it was on fire, her body must feel like it was going to snap into millions of pieces as every inch of her body was going to change, going to mold into entirely different forms. Every werewolf had experienced it during a shift, but hers was more painful, and my heart hurt for her.


    But I knew now it was the time to let her endure it.


    I stood up and moved back. Soon the cracking started. Bones snapping, breaking, twisting. Her spine arched back until I thought it would shatter in two. Her body pushed ahead, her hands wing at the ground, her fingers leaving deep gouges in the soil.


    I looked at my brothers, every one of them as if they were in pain as well.


    "Eira..." Roman¡¯s voice reached me, ready toe to her.


    But I silenced him with a raised hand. No one was to interfere. If we touched her now, she¡¯d lose what little hold she had on herself.


    Soon, her scream twisted into a growl, low and guttural, as her ribs expanded beneath her skin. The sound of her lungs straining filled the air along with her dress tearing apart. Blood dripped from her mouth as her teeth elongated into fangs, tearing through her gums. I clenched my fists at my sides, every instinct in me roaring to stop her pain, but I couldn¡¯t. No one could.


    Her skin split along her arms as fur forced its way through. She tore at herself, hands raking across her body as though trying to rip the agony out with her nails¡ªnails that were no longer human but ws glinting in the moonlight. Her body convulsed violently, sweat and blood staining the earth beneath her.


    The garden itself seemed to hold its breath. Every statue, every tree, every shadow watched as she broke apart. My ears rang with the endless cracking¡ªshoulders dislocating, bones stretching, muscles tearing and knitting anew. Her voice rose and fell, human screams shattering into wolfish snarls.


    I had seen many first shifts. I had guided some myself. But never like this. Never thiste. Never this brutal. This was not a girl bing a wolf; this was a wolf avenging years of being chained.


    My eyes turned moist, taking everything in me to stop myself from not going to her.


    <i>I will, once she is shifted,</i> I assured myself.


    Her eyes shed gold through the haze of tears and pain, and for a moment she looked right at me. It wasn¡¯t Eira anymore¡ªit was her wolf, furious and alive. The air around us vibrated with it.


    Finally, with onest sickening crack, she copsed forward. Her body trembled once more, and then where she had been writhing, a wolf stood.


    For the past few days, I had been wondering what kind of a wolf she was. And finally I got the answer.


    The most beautiful wolf I had ever seen stood before me.


    Silver.


    Her fur shimmered like liquid moonlight, each strand catching the glow and scattering it as though the night itself had draped her in starlight. The pain that had twisted her moments ago seemed erased, reced by a radiance that was both wild and untamed yet breathtaking in its beauty. Her body was lean, strong, every curve of muscle beneath that silver coat sculpted with perfect bnce of grace and power.


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    Her eyes¡ªgolden and burning¡ªpierced the darkness. Fierce yet unyieldingly alive, they reflected the fire of her spirit and the endless hunger of her wolf.


    And upon her forehead, glowing faintly beneath the silver strands, was the mark.


    <i>What¡¯s this mark?</i> I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. I never saw any wolf carrying such mark.


    It resembled a me¡ªits tail tapering down between her eyes while the upper end spread into delicate arcs, as if fire had been shaped into an eternal bloom.


    It looks like a sacred red symbol, sharp yet fluid, as though painted by the divine hand of the Moon Goddess herself. The mark red crimson under the moonlight, pulsing faintly as though alive, carrying with it an aura that made the air hum.


    To any who gazed upon it, the meaning was clear: this was no ordinary wolf.


    Sacred. Ethereal. Untouchable.


    A wolf of silver me and golden fire, marked by destiny itself.


    As I looked at the other four, they were just as stunned to look at her. I offered them an assuring nce to tell she was alright.


    Now she had shifted, it called for the usual way for the celebration. All of us shifted into our wolf forms, our clothes scattered on the ground below.


    My wolf was ck, Roman¡¯s gunmetal grey, Lucian¡¯s molten bronze, Jason¡¯s moonlight blue, and among the most unique in colour and rare one was Rafe¡¯s wolf.

 Chapter 161: A Beautiful Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 161: A Beautiful Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    She swayed a little, paws unsteady beneath her, a low growl vibrating from her throat. It wasn¡¯t a threat¡ªit was confusion, the lingering echo of pain.


    I, now shifted in my wolf form, went to her with deliberate slow and careful steps to not startle her.


    Her senses must be at their sharpest at the moment, every sound and scent amplified. One wrong move could push her into fear again.


    She stumbled, her paws slipping on the grass, and before she copsed, I moved close, pressing my body against hers. My wolf steadied her, holding her weight with mine.


    For a heartbeat she stiffened, testing, unsure. Then slowly, her trembling eased. She leaned into me, fur brushing against fur, her warmth seeping into me as though her wolf had been waiting for this contact all along.


    I lowered my muzzle and nuzzled the side of her neck, a deep rumble offort rising from my chest. She answered with a soft whine, a sound of surrender and trust, pressing her head against mine. We snuggled closer, side by side, her silver coat shining against my dark one, the sacred red mark on her forehead glowing faintly under the moonlight.


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    For a moment, there was no pain, no fear¡ªonly the quiet intimacy of two wolves finding each other. Our breathing synced, steady and slow, the tension draining from her body. She curled into me instinctively, her wolf recognizing me not as a threat, but something else.


    I licked her muzzle gently, a show of affection only wolves could share. She nudged me back, small but deliberate, her golden eyes softening for the first time since the shift began.


    Her wolf seems to be softened towards me at the moment as it was free for the first time, but I couldn¡¯t tell her human form will ever be like this towards me.


    Then, behind us, a sound broke the silence.


    A long, deep howl.


    Roman. His wolf lifted his head high, voice carrying strength and pride. Then Jason joined, his tone rougher, stronger, vibrating through the garden walls. Lucian¡¯s howl followed, steady andmanding, and then Rafe¡¯s¡ªdark, sharp, filled with an edge only he could bring.


    Four wolves. Four voices.


    Their howls rose into the night as one, a sound older than memory, the song of our kind. It was the mark of approval, the recognition of her first shift, herpletion. A wee. An embrace.


    From beyond the estate, other voices soon followed. The guards stationed at the borders, the wolves patrolling the grounds¡ªeach raised their head to the moon and sent their howls echoing back. The night came alive with it. Dozens of voices, weaving into one vast chorus.


    The sound vibrated through me, through her. It was thenguage of wolves, the familiar andforting call that said: <i>You are one of us. You are home.</i>


    I nudged her gently with my muzzle. She hesitated at first, uncertain, but then I saw the flicker of understanding in her glowing eyes. She lifted her head towards the sky and let out her first howl.


    It was raw, trembling at first, but as the sound grew stronger, it carried across the estate like a deration. A mark that she was here. Alive. Free.


    I felt pride swell in my chest. My wolf howled in answer, joining her. And then the five of us, side by side, raised our voices together to the moon.


    The entire estate roared with the sound of celebration, a sea of howls echoing off the walls, pouring into the night sky. It was not just noise¡ªit was unity, joy, the oldest way our kind marked the birth of one of our own.


    When the chorus of howls finally faded, the garden grew quiet again, leaving only the whisper of the night breeze and the pounding of my own heart. My brothers, still in their wolf forms, stepped forward one by one. Roman brushed his muzzle against her neck, Jason pressed his nk to hers, Lucian and Rafe nuzzled close¡ªeach of them giving their approval, their affection, weing her into what she now truly was.


    Her wolf swayed a little but leaned into them, epting, learning what it meant to be one of us.


    And now, it was time for the next step. Her first run.


    Among wolves, words weren¡¯t needed. Instinct was everything. I took a few slow steps forward, my paws soft against the grass, and then stopped, turning my head back toward her. A simple gesture. <i>Come with me.</i>


    Lucian moved ahead as well, showing her the path with his easy grace, his molten bronze fur catching the moonlight. My brothers lingered around her, encouraging her without pushing.


    She hesitated, paws shifting uncertainly in the grass. Then, slowly, she followed. One step. Another. And another. We did not rush her.


    Soon, her stride lengthened, her steps stronger, she picked up speed. Her paws struck the earth in rhythm with ours, and together we ran, weaving through the vast expanse of the estate.


    The night opened wide around us, filled with the sound of rushing wind, our panting breaths, and the steady rhythm of many paws thundering as one.


    The cold breeze ruffled her thick silver coat, sending waves of moonlight shimmering across her fur. She was breathtaking beautiful¡ªevery movement, every flick of her ears, every gleam of her golden eyes.


    We ran until the trees parted, revealing the waterfall at the far end of the estate. It cascaded gently, the moonlight turning the falling water into silver ribbons. The pool below shimmered like ss, reflecting both the moon above and the wolves standing at its edge.


    I slowed and went to the water, lowering my muzzle to drink. She followed, her golden eyes widening as she saw her reflection for the first time.


    Silver fur. Golden eyes. The sacred red mark glowing faintly on her forehead. And above it all, the reflection of the full moon, as though the two had been joined together.


    I stilled, watching her as she gazed at herself in the water. Curiosity flickered in her eyes. And something else¡ªeptance.


    This was the most beautiful full moon I had ever witnessed. Not because of the moon itself, but because of her¡ªEira.


    I found myself wondering what she was thinking in that moment. What it felt like to finally see her true self looking back at her.

 Chapter 162: Sleeping Together

    <h4>Chapter 162: Sleeping Together</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    She stood at the edge of the water, staring at her reflection as if she were memorising each strand of fur, each curve of her new form. The silver of her coat caught the moonlight, the sacred red mark glowing faintly like a me against the shimmer of her brow. She was breathtaking. And she must have known it too¡ªthe way she lingered, silent and still, taking it all in.


    We didn¡¯t disturb her. One by one, we moved back a little, giving her space. This was her moment, not ours.


    She lifted her head then, golden eyes rising to the sky. Her gaze locked on the full moon above, and she closed her eyes. In that stillness, with the cold breezebing through her fur, she looked like she was praying¡ªsoft, serene, a wolf offering her heart to the Moon Goddess for reasons only she knew.


    When she opened her eyes again, she turned from the water, walking slowly and gracefully around the pool. Her paws barely made a sound on the grass as she moved, lost in her own world, her senses awakening to everything she had been denied. She lowered her muzzle to sniff the grass, the wind, the earth¡ªevery detail of her freedom tasted and savoured.


    She stepped onto a wide patch of soft grass and sank down, stretching her body with a fluid, feline-like grace. Then, to our surprise, she rolled. Rolled onto her back, onto her side, kicking her paws at the air, twisting and curling like a yful cub. A low rumble of something likeughter left my wolf¡¯s chest without my permission.


    We stared at her in disbelief. She¡ªour Eira¡ªrolling in the grass like a happy child set free from chains. None of us spoke aloud.


    After a while she stopped, lying t on her stomach, her head resting on her front paws. Her tail curled around her body, fluffy and warm, like a silver scarf. Her eyes drifted closed, her breaths long and even.


    "Is she sleeping?" Roman asked through the mind-link that pulsed between us. We rarely used it unless it was necessarybat, secrecy, or moments like this when we were in our wolf form.


    "Looks like it," Lucian¡¯s voice came, softer than usual. "She¡¯s free after so long. She¡¯s doing everything she needs to do."


    "Sleeping on grass, the starry sky above, cold and soothing breeze..." Rafe added, his tone half wistful, half teasing. "What more could a wolf want? How I want to just lie next to her now."


    "You dare?" Lucian asked sarcastically.


    "With you between her and me, it should be fine," Rafe countered, sarcasm coating every word. "With one stinky wolf as a barrier between us, I won¡¯t go close."


    They went on, voices like background noise, but I had already started moving. My paws carried me toward her before my mind even caught up. The instinct was too strong, too simple to deny. She was mine. She was right there.


    Iy down beside her, stretching my front paws forward until my muzzle nearly brushed hers. Her calm breath touched me like a cool breeze, carrying the scent of musk from her fur¡ªthe same scent her hair had in human form, only stronger, purer.


    I dared to edge closer, moving one paw around her in a protective curve. In response, even in sleep, she shifted and pressed against me, snuggling closer, her tail brushing my nk. My heart skipped a beat.


    I lowered my head over the curve of her neck, our fur mingling, my wolf¡¯s chest vibrating with a low, steady rumble of contentment.


    Her warmth pressed against me, her breath steady and soft as she slept, curled into my chest. I thought for a moment it would stay like this¡ªjust her and me under the night sky¡ªbut then I heard the rustle of paws approaching.


    Lucian came first, his molten bronze coat glowing faintly under the moonlight. His steps were slow, measured, and his eyes softened the moment they fell on her. He lowered himself gracefully to the grass, pressing close on her other side until shey nestled between us. A soft growl left his throat, as he rested his head near hers.


    As he was my mate brother, and we will be her mates, it was eptable to my wolf. But, if we hadn¡¯t shared that ancient mate bond, I would have killed him the next moment.


    Eira shifted faintly in her sleep, but she did not stir. She epted him. Maybe she was enjoying the warmth she was nketed in between us in this cold weather.


    Rafe padded up next. He circled us once, before finallyying down beside me. He pressed his weight lightly against my nk, as if saying he was a part of us with her.


    Roman followed Lucian¡¯s lead, his warm grey fur brushing against Lucian¡¯s side as hey down, his posture protective, steady. He cast onest nce at her before lowering his head onto his paws.


    And finally, Jason. He hesitated at the edge for a moment before stepping in. He curled down at our feet in a protective manner, as if saying he was there to protect us while we slept.


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    Five of us.


    And in the centre, her.


    The silver wolf with the sacred red mark.


    After what happened these days, it was impossible to think we would be having such a moment even. Her wolf seemed to not hate us, or it just want to focused on the freedom andfort it was getting finally, rather than focussing on the pain she got.


    Eira shifted in her sleep again, stretching faintly, her fluffy tail brushing over Lucian¡¯s side before curling back toward me. She looked utterly at peace, the moonlight pooling over her silver coat like a blessing.


    One by one, our eyes grew heavy. The sounds of the night¡ªwater rushing over stone, the soft whisper of the wind through leaves¡ªlulled us. My wolf rumbled low in his chest,forted by the warmth pressed against me, by the unbroken line of my brothers at my back.


    I let my head sink lower, resting it over her shoulders. Her breathing steadied, and soon, so did mine.


    In that sacred circle, with her at the heart of it, we drifted together into peaceful sleep.


    Only hope I had, the next day it wouldn¡¯t change once she was back to her human form.

 Chapter 163: Rafe’s Teasing

    <h4>Chapter 163: Rafe¡¯s Teasing</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The first light of dawn slipped across the trees, pale gold streaking the sky. My eyes opened slowly and the first thing saw was her. She was still snuggling in my embrace, now transformed into her human form, entirely naked, pressed against my naked human form.


    Eira had shifted back sometime during the night, her wolf giving way to her human form. Now shey pressed against me, her bare skin soft against mine. My arm cradled her head, her breath steady against my chest. My free hand curved around her shoulder, holding her close.


    It was more intimate than just sleep. Too close. If she opened her eyes now... what would she think?


    And it wasn¡¯t just me¡ªbehind her, Lucian had shifted back too, , his naked body pressed close against her back. His arm was curled around her waist, holding her as though it were the most natural thing.


    To us brothers, it was. We had long grown used to sleeping in each other¡¯s presence, wolves or men. But for her? She might wake and think we were trying to do something with her.


    How I wished... But no. I knew better.


    Still, morning always stirred primal instincts. The temptation of her soft body pressed between ours, the scent of her filling the air¡ªit was impossible not to feel the hunger coil in my blood. My wolf strained against the restraint I forced upon him.


    Lucian stirred then, still half-asleep. Instinct guided him before thought¡ªhe nestled his face at the back of her neck, inhaling deeply, savoring the intoxicating scent she carried. A low rumble of pleasure escaped him.


    But then his eyes opened fully, reality catching up with him. He froze, his gaze flicking to me. Over Eira¡¯s sleeping form, our eyes met. His brow arched slightly, a silent question.


    I gave a small, steady nod¡ªassurance. <i>She¡¯s still asleep.</i>


    He slowly retracted his hand from her waist and then moved away from her, careful not to disturb her sleep.


    The other three weren¡¯t with us.


    From the mild sound of water sshing, I understood they had gone into the water. Lucian stood up, stretched his naked form to shake off his sleepy slumber, and walked to the water body.


    When we were here, it was impossible not to take a dip in the healing water. There was some healing property in this water for the wolves¡ªit¡¯s what my mother told me. I wasn¡¯t sure how much truth was in it, but it was indeed rxing whenever I went in.


    "Bastards, already enjoying it?" I heard Lucian¡¯s voice.


    "Are you our wife to wait for you?" Rafe¡¯s voice was heard.


    Those two continued to argue like always, while I focused on the woman in my arms.


    She stirred, her body shifting faintly against mine, her breath changing. My muscles tensed. I knew her waking wasn¡¯t going to be pleasant for us.


    Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked, once, twice, and found my face so close that the tips of our noses almost brushed. I held her gaze, calm and steady. She didn¡¯t look away.


    Slowly, daringly, I leaned just a little closer until my forehead rested gently against hers. Our breaths mingled in the cool morning air. For a heartbeat, everything felt quiet and right¡ªno anger, no fear, just us, breathing the same air.


    I could feel her wolf under her skin, tugging her toward me. Even as her mind tried to hate me, her instincts wanted to stay, wanted to close the distance. But...


    The next moment her brows furrowed, her rational mind that only hated us tookmand now. She moved away from me, and I allowed her to, but the next moment she winced in pain.


    Pain shot through her body, her muscles still raw from the first shift. She tried to swallow it, but her shoulders trembled.


    I couldn¡¯t stand by.


    I moved to her, sliding an arm around her and pulling her gently back against my chest. She didn¡¯t have the energy to resist. Her back pressed against my bare skin, her head fitting beneath my chin.


    "You shifted for the first time," I whispered at the back of her neck, my voice low and steady. "Your body¡¯s aching. It will get better after a few shifts. But till then... let me help you."


    I shifted my hold, sliding an arm under her knees and lifting her effortlessly into my arms.


    She red up at me, her voice hoarse. "What the hell are you doing?"


    "Helping you ease the pain," I murmured, already moving toward the water.


    "I don¡¯t want your help," she spat, twisting faintly. "Put me down."


    "Trust me, you won¡¯t regret it," I said quietly.


    "I regret meeting you assholes¡ªnothing else could make me regret more," she hissed, her eyes shing.


    "I know," I answered softly. "But for now, listen to me."


    The others stopped their yful sshing when they saw me approaching. One by one, they moved aside in the water, their eyes following me as I stepped down into the pool, the coolness rising over my calves, my thighs, my waist.


    Her body tensed against mine as the first touch of waterpped at her legs. She inhaled sharply, ring at me even now.


    I held her tighter, whispering just for her ears. "Breathe. Let the water take it from you. Just this once."


    Then, slowly, I lowered us both into the pool under the waterfall¡¯s mist, the sound of rushing water filling the clearing.


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    I set her down carefully, the cool water reaching just below her shoulders. Her body tensed under my hands. I kept a steady hold on her, knowing she wouldn¡¯t be steady on her own yet.


    She brushed away my hand angrily, almost about to trip, but someone held her from behind. "This is not the ce for you to show your tantrums, Caldwell."


    Rafe.


    Rafe moved into her line of sight, his dark hair wet, his bare skin glistening, his hand still firm at her waist.


    "Move, and you¡¯ll be at the bottom of the water," he said, his smirk more like a dare than a warning.


    She stiffened, clearly.


    <i>Was she afraid of water?</i> I thought.


    Rafe smirked, as if he knew what was in her mind.


    It made me wonder how deeply this bastard knew about her, while we thought he was always indifferent to her.


    She didn¡¯t move and looked away, swallowing the curse she was going to hurl at him.


    "Soak in the water for a while. It will ease your body pain," I told her regardless.


    "Dip your head in as well," Lucian told her, "it needs healing as the shift affects every part of you."


    At his words, she stiffened again. The waterpped at her corbones; she nced at it warily, her jaw tightening. The one afraid of water¡ªhow could she force herself under?


    "It¡¯s alright," I said, "I can just pour water over her head," and already began to do so, scooping water in my hands and pouring it over her head slowly.


    Roman approached and helped as well. While Jason stood away.


    Rafe frowned. "Caldwell," he called her. "See what this is?"


    She looked at him and he said, "Take a deep breath and you will be able to see it." He inhaled deeply. "Do it like this. There is something surprising you will see."


    To our shock, she did it.


    The moment she inhaled deeply, Rafe moved his hand and pushed her head into the water entirely, but let go quickly and pulled her up, supporting her against him.


    Cough! Cough!


    Her coughing filled the surrounding air, while we all red at him. But the stubborn vampire kept his calm and let her cough against his chest.


    "Did you see the bottom of the water?" he asked her, "Wasn¡¯t it a good surprise?"


    She controlled her coughing and pushed him away. She slipped and Lucian held her from behind, but she was simply focused on cursing Rafe, "You hateful jerk... disgusting bloodsucker... why don¡¯t you die at the bottom of it... bloody fucker..."


    He smirked in return. "The way you are cursing, I can tell you are entirely fine. Good going, Caldwell," and he moved away in style, diving in to swim with grace.


    "You bastard Damaris... next time I shift, my wolf will tear you apart... You disgusting shitty vampire..." She continued to curse more and more using every kind of swear she could spit out, while Rafe continued to swim.


    Rafe was truly skilled in riling her up, and then walking away unharmed. The bastard had this skill.


    On the other hand, the four of us standing around her didn¡¯t know what to do or say. Our ears were getting a treat of her sweet curses.


    If I remembered that sweet girl from the past, I bet she never said a single cursed worse.


    Strangely, I wished she cursed me this way as well. There was something different between her and Rafe, that we didn¡¯t have.

 Chapter 164: Bring The Child

    <h4>Chapter 164: Bring The Child</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Jason left early and brought clothes for all of us, as the ones before were torn when we shifted the previous night and we hadn¡¯t bothered to take them off.


    Eira was still sulking over what Rafe did and had no regard for any of us. She walked out of the water and sat on a rock, looking somewhere random. She looked like an angry child who was upset with everyone.


    All of us put on pants while letting our bodies soak in the sunlight. I carried the t-shirt Jason had brought; clearly he hadn¡¯t bothered to go to Roman¡¯s room to get clothes for her and had just picked up his own random t-shirt.


    I went to her and offered the t-shirt. "You can wear this."


    She didn¡¯t even look at me, let alone the t-shirt.


    "It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to wear anything. I will ask any guard in sight to stay away so they won¡¯t be able to see you," I told her.


    "Half of the world has seen me naked, what more those guards," she spoke bitterly, unbothered by her nakedness. "Be generous to them and let them enjoy the view as well. A naked pureblood¡ªwhere will they get to see?"


    The moment she said it, I felt like destroying that very half the world she was referring to. And I will.


    The more I wanted to forget someone had ever dared to touch what¡¯s mine, the more she tried to remind me. She knew it hurt me, and she was leaving no chance to remind me.


    Well, I deserve it, that¡¯s what I could tell myself.


    I didn¡¯t want her to stay naked like this, so I decided to make her wear the clothes on my own. At the same time, seeing her naked wasn¡¯t good for my sanity or self-control.


    God damn It! I am a top-rank werewolf with a very thin line of losing control when ites to my woman. If we were on good terms and she had epted me, I would have been fucking her every day and night, barely letting her rest.


    I adjusted the t-shirt in my hands, pulled it over her head, and then slipped her hands through the loose short sleeves that ended below her elbow. She didn¡¯t care what I did, treating me like air as always.


    But my displeasure vanished as I looked at her. She looked like a kitten in that oversized brown t-shirt, and how I wish to hold her and crush her in tight hold like a sweet little toy.


    "Let¡¯s head back," Lucian said as he came to us with the other three. When Jason returned with the clothes, he already came back with the SUV in which we all could return.


    We didn¡¯t mind shifting back and returning, but I was sure she wouldn¡¯t want to shift again so soon after going through so much pain.


    All of us returned home.


    "I am starving," Lucian said, heading to the kitchen already, "time to cook something delicious to reward our beautiful silver wolf, to congratte her on her first shift and meeting her wolf."


    We all agreed to it, while Eira, unbothered, went to her pets.


    We finished breakfast, where Lucian had once more cooked what Eira liked. She was now eating with us at the dining table without any protest.


    Liam arrived home. The old man settled opposite me on the sofa and said, "I came herest night, but I saw you brothers were guiding well with the shift, so I thought there was no need for me to meddle in."


    "You thought it was just right," I told him straightaway.


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    The old man chuckled lightly at my coldment, while I asked, "What about the test?"


    Last night, Lucian had already sent a blood sample of that child to him before returning home, so we could get the test done soon.


    Just as I asked, the other four stopped what they were doing and came to us.


    Liam pulled out the test report from the bag and handed it over to me.


    "It¡¯s a perfect match of what we were looking for," he said while I looked at the report.


    The test showed that the child was indeed Eira¡¯s.


    We all looked at her at the same time. She wasn¡¯t even aware that we were talking about her child. We had found him, finally.


    The only thing that came to my mind was, <i>how will she react now if I told her we found her child? Will she be over the moon, or react in apletely different way that will make me regret telling it to her?</i> At the moment, she was entirely unpredictable.


    I inhaled deeply to calm myself, for some reason my heart felt heavy.


    I turned to Lucian. "Bring that child here."


    It wasn¡¯t a question but a direct order; he had to do it at any cost.


    As expected of Lucian, he replied, "I was going to do it without you even having to order me." He looked at her. "That child belongs here."


    "We wille with you," the other three told him.


    All my brothers were on the same page in this matter.


    I had told us to keep her child away from her for now, but I didn¡¯t want to wait anymore. We will see what to do once the child was in our hands.


    "That means you are trying to wage another war," Liammented, "well, not like that; the Alpha won¡¯t permit you so easily."


    "Who needs his permission?" Jason snapped. "Only the losers ask for it."


    We all looked at him, and he added, "Don¡¯t tell me you are trying to frisk it away."


    We stayed quiet and he understood.


    "Not that I mind bringing him here, but that sure will call for another face-off with the council once they know who got the child," Liam said.


    "I will wait for that," I replied, looking at my brothers. "Do whatever you can to get that child. The aftermath? I will take care of it."


    Their confident nods showed they clearly trusted me.

 Chapter 165: Scared To Get Into Heat

    <h4>Chapter 165: Scared To Get Into Heat</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "As always, I am going to trust what my Alpha ns," Liam said and stood up. "I will proceed with what I am here for," and he went towards Eira.


    He settled at the edge of the thick mattress and picked up the hamster ying around Eira, who was busy ruffling Vixen¡¯s fur with her fingers, while the fatty caty therezily enjoying the massage from those delicate fingers.


    Eira always paid more attention to Vixen, maybe because she was pregnant. That made me wonder¡ªwhen she was pregnant, how had she lived through it?Was she taken care of, or was she abused? Knowing how those bastard traffickers worked, most likely the second.


    I decided. When she is pregnant with my child in the future, she will be taken care of in the best way possible, so that she will forget about her first painful pregnancy. She will only remember the one for my child... our child.No one will take her child away, and she will be able to raise them herself, enjoying every bit of their childhood and her being a mother.


    "Seems like she is going to give birth anytime soon," Liam said as she reached out to touch Vixen¡¯s full stomach. "Hmm, though I am not a vet, I can still tell you have to be ready to see the kittens anytime soon."


    She looked at him, as he got her attention. Just like Roman, this old hag was good at it.


    "How many kittens do you think your cat will have?" he asked her.


    She looked back at Vixen¡¯s stomach and touched it with her palm, as if trying to feel it. "There are four."


    Liam raised a brow. "How do you know?"


    <fnacd3> The rightful source is F¦Énd£Îovel</fnacd3>


    "I know," she replied tly.


    We could tell she wasn¡¯t just guessing on a whim¡ªshe was confident in it.


    "Well then, you can start thinking about their names," Liam said, "And how about I take one kitten? These days I feel lonely..."


    "Then go fuck some bitches," she snapped back in a moment, pulling Vixen into her arms protectively, "Don¡¯t even think about having my kittens."


    Damn! She was merciless with her words.


    We all smiled as we wanted this old man to taste the poison she often spilled at us. Served him right.


    "I have a mate at home who might kill me if I followed your advice," Liam replied with a smile. "Anyways, let¡¯s talk about something else. Show me your wrist."


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    Liam checked her wrist for a while and hummed. Then he opened the paramedic box and proceeded to get her blood sample. Not sure what test he was going to do.


    Once he was done he said, "Your body is in good shape. Shifting and getting your wolf finally has done wonders." He put the box back in his bag and asked, "So how did you feel to meet your wolf?"


    She frowned at what he said.


    "I know it must have been a truly painful process, but worth it, isn¡¯t it? You got your wolf, and I must say it¡¯s beautiful," he added, waiting for her reaction. "I need you to shift once more when you are ready, so I can check her as well for something important..."


    She red at him and snapped. "Something important?" she scoffed mockingly. "To know when that whore is ready to spread her legs for those five bastards?"


    Her words led to utter silence in the drawing room. We didn¡¯t mean to fuck her¡ªin fact, we were worried about not doing it when she wasn¡¯t ready. But...


    "I just want to know her and what you feel about her..." Liam tried to speak.


    "What I feel about that bitch who snuggled to those bastards the moment they came to her? Shameless, ungrateful bitch, she has no regard for my pain," she replied angrily, her teeth gritted as she spoke, her eyes dark with hate.


    "If she is my wolf, she should know what they did to me. If she is pureblood, powerful, why didn¡¯t she go and take revenge over them and tore them apart? The bitch hid somewhere all these years, letting me suffer, and now that she is out, she can¡¯t wait to get fucked. The bastard, why did she even show up?"


    Liam kept his cool and said, "That part of you acts more on her instincts than thoughts. She had been caged for so long and she has the right to enjoy her freedom. Aren¡¯t you free as well? She needs it too¡ªfreedom."


    "Freedom? Where? I don¡¯t see it," she replied angrily. "All I see is being sent from one cage to another. Just that this current cage is not dark, but that doesn¡¯t make it any better for me."


    Damn! She still thought of this ce as cage, despite she could do anything here.


    Alright! At least she was speaking, just as I asked us to make her talk.


    "I understand what you mean and I won¡¯t say you are wrong either," Liam said calmly, "but don¡¯t hate your wolf. She-wolves are more vulnerable to fear when they are not out. If something scares them, they keep hiding, but once out, they can be truly powerful. Your wolf will be your real strength. She has been protecting you in her way till now by healing you despite how much you are hurt. She did everything she could..."


    "Who asked her to? If not for her, I would have died and been freed from this hellish world. It¡¯s because of her I am suffering more. That selfish bitch won¡¯t let me die as she would die with me as well."


    None of Liam¡¯s arguments were working on her, and we didn¡¯t know what to say in defense of her wolf.


    What would happen if she kept hating her wolf? It would hurt both of them. They needed to be one for her to turn stronger.


    Liam sighed helplessly. "Alright, calm down."


    Eira didn¡¯t respond, and Liam continued. "She was in as much pain as you; she is your soul. Don¡¯t hate her. It will hurt her even more. Wolves need care and affection from their other half to turn stronger. Please, don¡¯t hurt her for your own sake. Think about her like one of your pets. Will you hurt them?"


    Eira didn¡¯t answer but her silence was enough. She loved her pets more than anything.


    "She is a poor trapped wolf. Now she is free, take care of her like you take care of your other pets," Liam said. "If you wish to care for her, when you shift, let me know. I will take a look at her."


    With that, Liam stood up. "Take care."


    She didn¡¯t respond, but there was a tinge of guilt in her expression. She had a soft spot for animals, and probably wouldn¡¯t be ruthless towards her wolf much.


    Liam came to us. "I wanted to know when she would go into heat by checking her wolf, but she wouldn¡¯t let me. I will let you know for sure after I test her blood sample."


    He nced at her for thest time and then spoke to us. "From her angry reactions, I can tell her heat is near. Eira knows it, she can feel the change in her body, and she is scared of it. That¡¯s why this much anger towards her wolf as she can¡¯t stop it."


    "She knows her wolf will surrender to us when she is in heat, and she doesn¡¯t want it," I concluded, as it was nothing surprising.


    Liam offered a light nod. "But that¡¯s inevitable. You have to prepare yourselves for it."


    "Can¡¯t we dy her heat cycle?" Lucian asked, "She will hate us more if she has to mate."


    "First we gave her medicines to bring her shift and heat. Now if we give her medicines to counter her heat, it will backfire and harm her. I won¡¯t allow it," he exined.


    Silence fell over the five of us.


    "I hope when that happens, only one of you will mate with her," he said, "and not scare her with all five of you..."


    "Don¡¯t teach us what to do with our mate," Lucian snapped. "We are werewolves, but not beasts."


    "Good," Liam said and turned to leave. "I will send you her blood test report to let you know the probable time of her heat cycle." And then he left.


    The old man was gone, but we were tense once more.

 Chapter 166: New Family Members

    <h4>Chapter 166: New Family Members</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    After Liam left, we busied ourselves with our work. Lucian and Jason had gone out to his team to n how to get Eira¡¯s child into our hands safe and sound, without creating any trouble or even letting the enemy know where the child had gone.


    It would be impossible to hide him forever, but at least it would buy us more time to n further on how to keep that child with us when the Alpha of Ravenw Pack and the Council tried to intervene.


    Roman had gone to take care of office work, and Rafe was outside the home¡ªnot sure what he was doing.


    Eira looked calm now after her anger episode with Liam. She hated her wolf, and it wasn¡¯t a good thing. And if she hated the thought of mating with any of us, she would end up hating not just her wolf but also the one who mated with her.


    Damn! Such a dilemma regarding her first heat, and there was no way to dy it.


    For a while now, Eira had been after Vixen, who looked restless and wasn¡¯t eating anything. In fact, the cat had abandoned food, it seemed, and I wasn¡¯t sure if she had even eaten anything the night before when we weren¡¯t home.


    "Kitty, you truly don¡¯t want to eat?" Eira asked her.


    She still called her by the name she had given her cat, and not by Vixen.


    "Your babies will starve if you won¡¯t eat," she repeated, trying her best to make the cat eat.


    I put my work aside and went to her. "What happened? Is she not well?" I asked.


    She was unwilling to talk to me, but did it for the sake of her pet.


    "Call her vet," she said.


    I pulled out the phone and made a call to get the vet who had checked Vixen before toe home. Once done, I told her, "He will be here soon."


    She didn¡¯t respond. I knelt next to them and tried to touch Vixen, but the cat angrily miaowed at me as if she didn¡¯t want me to touch her.


    Well, I was never close to her, or petted her, but she had never behaved like this before.


    "Something is wrong with her," Imented. "Is she going to give birth?"


    "She is," she said angrily, "and she doesn¡¯t like you touching her, so stay away."


    Not a single good word she could say to me, and we were here on the topic of mating with her. Her hatred towards us was like she would rather die than mate with me or any of us. And I knew it really well.


    I stood up, not wanting to anger her more. The vet was going to be here soon anyways.


    Vixen got away from Eira and snuggled into the far corner next to the wall-sized ss window. She scratched at the wall and the floor around it a few times, purring and letting out soft cries once in a while.


    Meanwhile, Rafe had returned, carrying three big cardboard boxes with him.


    "What is it for?" I asked.


    "For my cat," he said, and went to the corner where Vixen was trying to glue herself as if it was her ce and no one else was allowed there.


    He put the cardboard boxes in a line and told her, "This is for you. Get in."


    It confused me, as she already had her ce¡ªa better one than these boxes. Maybe the pregnant cat needed some changes. That¡¯s what I concluded.


    Vixen didn¡¯t move. Instead, she angrily miaowed at him. So Rafe picked her up, despite her warning to stay away from her and not touch her.


    "Easy. I am doing it for you," he told her, and put her inside one box. It had thick, soft, warm cushions at the bottom and was big enough that at least three cats could stay insidefortably.


    "She doesn¡¯t want it, so don¡¯t force her," Eira told him angrily.


    "I know what¡¯s good for my cat, Caldwell." Rafe turned to look at her while still kneeling next to the box. "Maybe you would like to take some time out from sulking all the time and look for what a cat needs when she is about to give birth."


    Only Rafe could say whatever he wanted and she would listen.


    Eira simply frowned at him but stayed quiet. Clearly clueless about it, and I was no different.


    Just as Rafe said, Vixen was nowfortable inside the box, and she liked it. She had looked agitated a while ago, but she looked better inside the box.


    The bastard was thoughtful and had already prepared for his pet. If not for the issue with Eira¡¯s scent, he would have been probably the closest person to her now.


    Rafe continued, "She hasn¡¯t eaten anything sincest evening, and now she is agitated and restless. She is going to give birth today if I am not wrong."


    "I know," Eira said in a tone that meant, <i>you don¡¯t need to tell me,</i> and she walked over to her cat in the box.


    Rafe, who was kneeling next to the box, stood up like a wall between her and the cat.


    "Don¡¯t go to her," he said sternly.


    "My cat¡¯s in pain. She needs me," she told him angrily. "Get lost."


    "She doesn¡¯t need you," he insisted.


    "What do you know about giving birth, you bastard male. Only knows to fuck and get away with it," she mocked and was about to push him away.


    But Rafe held her hands and pulled her against him instead, in a strong hold that left her unable to protest.


    She red at him. "Bastard, let me go."


    "Will you ever learn to listen when someone is trying to tell you something?" he replied calmly. "She doesn¡¯t need you. Even if she loves you, at this moment she is not your pet but a cat, a wild animal giving birth, who considers everything around her a threat to her babies. So, stay put and don¡¯t interfere."


    She finally rxed in his arms.


    <fn51ec> Find the newest release on f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn51ec>


    "You can take a look once in a while, but don¡¯t be around her like glue, and don¡¯t touch her. Got it?" He added.


    She nodded quietly and he let her go. She had one look at her cat and then returned to sit in her ce. But the anxiousness was clear on her face. It was obvious how difficult it was for her to not go to her cat in this situation.


    God damn it! How these people¡ªRoman, Rafe, or Lucian¡ªhandled her so well all the time, while I was nowhere close. I truly didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I picked up thatzy and foodie hamster from his cage and put it in front of her, so it could divert her attention. She held him and started petting him.


    Rafe and I went to the sofa, leaving the cat and her master alone.


    After a while, the vet arrived, and he confirmed Vixen was indeed going to give birth.


    It took more than an hour before Vixen finally gave birth. Just as Eira said, she had four kittens. It was surprising to think how Eira knew such an exact number, and she was damn sure about her im.


    Did she have any secret trick up her sleeve, like that secret power she used when she saved Lucian?


    After a while, everything was set ¡ª Vixen was nowfortably lying in a clean, warm box with her four kittens feeding from her.


    The vet instructed, "Mother and the kittens are entirely healthy. Noplications and nothing to worry about. Keep them warm and clean, and provide her with lots of food and water. Do not go to her or touch the kittens. Let her get ready and allow you to touch her kittens on her own." He gave a few more instructions.


    By the time the vet left, the other three had returned home quickly when they learned what was going on here, probably worried and excited to see the new members of our family.


    We stood a little away from the box but couldn¡¯t take our eyes off them. For the first time Eira was standing calm and didn¡¯t mind our presence close to her, as she stood just next to us, next to me. Maybe in her moment of happiness she didn¡¯t realise who was standing beside her.


    "Two are like Vixen, and the other two are entirely ck," Roman said.


    "Seems like they took after their father," Lucianmented.


    "And now I know the bastard who fucked my daughter is a damn ck cat," Rafe said in a sharp tone that made it clear he would kill any ck cat he found nearby.


    "Thanks to him we got new family members," Jason said. "It¡¯s time to forgive him."


    Rafe let out a heavy, angry sigh. "That was the first andst time he came near my cat. If I see him again, I will feed him to wild wolves."


    We didn¡¯t doubt his words.


    I looked at the woman next to me. She was happy, there was finally warmth on her face, pleasant calmness, but her eyes were moist. Not with pain, but with something else.


    <i>Was she remembering the day she gave birth and held her own child?</i>


    It made my resolve of bringing her child back to her even stronger. It won¡¯t take long now.

 Chapter 167: Never Fed Her Child

    <h4>Chapter 167: Never Fed Her Child</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The entire day Eira continued to sit in one ce, observing Vixen and her kittens.


    Despite being busy with their n of getting Eira¡¯s son, both brothers, Jason and Lucian, cooked lunch for us.


    "All of a sudden change in the usual meal?" I asked Lucian.


    "It¡¯s not for us," he said. "For her."


    "Something special?" I asked as I opened the lid and saw what it was.


    <fnf03b> Original content can be found at f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnf03b>


    "I read it can help females calm down, and their heat period can be prolonged without any side effects," Lucian said. "Not sure how effective it is."


    "I hope it works." I put the lid back and looked at Eira. "She looks happy there. Shall I still get her to the dining table?"


    "Let her be," Kael said as he came to the kitchen to get water from the fridge. "She is smiling for the first time since we brought her here."


    He was right. We could see there was a faint smile on her lips the whole time as she watched those kittens snuggling against their mother. It was indeed a sight to see, so her happiness was understood.


    I brought lunch to her, as none of us wished to disturb her or risk that smile vanishing from her face. While watching them, she seemed to have forgotten her pain for a while.


    It made me feel that Vixen and her kittens were truly a good news. And we should thank that bastard Rafe for bringing Eira¡¯s cat back then.


    I ced the small table in front of her and her meal over it. I settled next to her and said, "They look adorable, don¡¯t they?"


    She offered a small nod. Damn, she replied without ring at me or spitting bitter words.


    "They are always stuck to her as if their stomach never gets full," I said, unsure if I should even speak, but I needed something to talk about. "But that¡¯s the best sight to see."


    She hummed again. "I wonder how it feels," she said in a low voice, lost in her own world.


    Her words surprised me a little, as she had a baby as well¡ªthen why was she saying that?


    "When you fed your baby, you must know how it feels," I asked anyway.


    "They didn¡¯t let me," she replied calmly, memories seemed to y in her mind. "They took him away after letting me hold him for just a few moment after I gave birth. He was crying so loud, I wanted to... but...I was weak to even stop them and went unconscious while crying..."


    Her voice choked, though she regained herposure with a deep breath. "But at least my cat and her kittens are fortunate. No one will separate them. I won¡¯t allow it."


    "You are right. No one will separate them," I assured her. "You should eat. Food might get cold. You need energy to keep watch on your pets."


    She looked at the food in front of her and started eating silently, ncing at her pets from time to time, and smiling faintly again.


    Any moment she spoke about her past six years, every word was nothing but pain.


    The urge almost slipped from my tongue¡ªthat we had found her son, that he wasing back to her. But I held it in. I wanted to make sure he was safe in our hands first. What if things went wrong midway? And we needed to be absolutely certain she wasn¡¯t suicidal before giving her that news.


    I returned to my brothers, who had heard our conversation. Just like me, they were speechless.


    Just then, Lucian¡¯s phone rang. He spoke briefly, then turned to us after a quick nce at Eira.


    "My people managed to get close to that child," he informed us, "It won¡¯t be long till they get him."


    "Even if they managed to get the kid, It¡¯s going to be difficult to get him out of that pack once they¡¯re alerted about his disappearance," Jason said. "We have to go there."


    "Not yet," Lucian said firmly. "Our presence might be sensed inside their territory as we are Alphas from other pack¡ªand that will put the n in jeopardy. Wait for the next update. If we failed this time, we can try again by making a better n to get the kid sessfully. For that, they shouldn¡¯t know whose behind it. Revealing ourselves will only make things difficult."


    We agreed with our wise security head.


    "If this time, our people manage to get him out of the Ravenw pack¡¯s boundaries, then we¡¯ll go there personally to get the kid," Lucian added.


    ----


    That night, Lucian, Jason, and Rafe remained in the nning room, constantly in touch with our team inside Ravenw territory and guiding every step.


    Eira refused to go to her room, insisting on sleeping curled on her mattress to keep watch over her pets. This time, not Vixen, but Fluffy snuggled against her side.


    "I will sleep here on the sofa," Kael told me. "I can keep watch on her."


    As Kael said it, I agreed and went to the nning room with my brothers. Sleep wasn¡¯t going toe to me anyway. And I wanted to know what¡¯s the progress with Eira¡¯s child. It¡¯s night from the noon, and they should be able to get the child if they hadn¡¯t failed.


    The nning room was outside the house, where Lucian held meetings with our security and his special team. Aplete high-tech setup had been built there.


    "What¡¯s the news?" I asked as I settled into a chair.


    "You¡¯re not by her side?" Lucian countered.


    "Kael wants to be there," I replied.


    Lucian hummed, then answered my question. "They got the kid and are hiding in the woods with the kid. Enemies are after them, but not close enough for now, probably yet to no one¡¯s catch their trail."


    "Our people were careful to not leave anything behind," Jason said, "the ones who helped them inside the pack, they have killed them already. But, still they have to careful until they are out of their territory."


    "Your people are well trained so I won¡¯t doubt them at all. But will they take care of the boy properly in all that chaos?" I asked, worry tightening my voice. "The kid must be scared and crying. How are those emotionless warriors supposed to handle him?"


    "Surprisingly, the kid is quiet," Jason said, still sounding baffled. "He didn¡¯t make a fuss, throw any tantrums when our people took him. No words, no crying, no demands¡ªhe just sits wherever they stop to rest."


    Jason handed me the tablet. On the screen, the boy was sitting on a small wooden log beside a tent, eating silently while a fire flickered near him. Night surrounded the camp.


    "Strange," I muttered as I scrolled through a few more pictures. In one, the child was asleep inside the tent, his expression calm. "Or maybe he¡¯s acting smart¡ªwaiting for the chance to run once our guards lower theirs. Remember how we were at his age? Even human children are clever at five. And we¡¯re werewolves. We mature faster than humans."


    "I¡¯ve already warned them," Lucian said. "They¡¯re being careful. At this rate, unless something goes wrong, it¡¯ll take another day for them to cross out of Ravenw territory."


    "I just hope everything goes smoothly," I murmured.

 Chapter 168: Her Maddening Scent

    <h4>Chapter 168: Her Maddening Scent</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I was lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling in the darkness. Only the dim lighting through the ss windows kept the room visible.


    The other four weren¡¯t here, and sleep wasn¡¯ting to me. In the middle of the night, when I finally felt my eyes grow heavy, I sensed something strange. I sat up and looked towards Eira, and to my surprise, she wasn¡¯t there on the mattress.


    Then something shiny caught my eyes. A silver wolf, its fur glowing in the moonlight pouring through the wall-sized ss window. It wasn¡¯t on the mattress but sleeping on the floor, its entire body curved protectively around the box where Vixen and her kittens slept.


    She had finally shifted again, and this time it was nothing like her previous shift¡ªno pain, no difficulty.


    Had she really gotten used to shifting after just one try? That was indeed surprising. I had thought she might be scared of shifting again because of the pain she felt, but then another question arose.


    Did she shift by her own will, or did her wolf take over when her mind drifted into sleep? The second option seemed more usible.


    The strangeness I felt earlier was because my wolf had sensed her presence and grown restless. He wanted to go to her. Her wolf didn¡¯t feel like it hated me, so I decided to take the chance and shifted into my wolf form.


    The next morning she might hate me if she realized what her wolf and I did, but she had to get used to it. She couldn¡¯t stay locked in her hatred forever. She had to ept everything¡ªept me.


    In my wolf form, I walked toward her with careful steps and then curled around her. My huge wolf form almost enveloped her entirely, letting my warmth seep into her.


    She felt me¡ªher wolf feltforted and snuggled against me perfectly.


    I wondered, if during her first heat she was in her wolf form, would it be easier for her? Her wolf didn¡¯t hate me. How it would happen, only time would tell.


    But then, as I inhaled her scent, something different struck me. It alerted my body, and my wolf purred¡ªI knew why. The bastard was feeling it.


    <i>Was this a sign of her heating anytime soon?</i> There was a clear change in her scent, though not strong enough yet to drive mepletely crazy.


    Was the food Lucian fed her having its effect, or would she have gone into heat already?


    If that was the case, how I wished to feed her more of that food and prolong her heat cycle for as long as possible.


    Today she smiled because of the kittens. Tomorrow she mighte alive when she sees a child in our home. And then, perhaps, she would start epting everything. That way, she might even ept mating with me. So many questions rushed through my mind as I tried to calm my wolf, assuring him she wasn¡¯t in heat yet.


    ----


    The next day, we woke up in our human form, just like previous morning¡ªwith her snuggled naked in my arms.


    I carefully picked her up and ced her on the mattress, covering her with the nket. Just as I gathered her torn dress, which she hadn¡¯t removed before shifting, my brothers returned home after spending the night in the nning room.


    I could see they hadn¡¯t slept the entire night.


    Seeing me naked, her torn dress in my hand, they looked at her lying on the mattress.


    "She shifted in her sleep, so I apanied her," I told them, making it clear she wasn¡¯t in heat and we hadn¡¯t mated.


    They hummed in response and dispersed to their rooms. When they returned, Lucian updated me on the child¡¯s situation. Most probably, tonight they would have to leave for the boundary of the Ravenw pack, if the confirmation from his team came through.


    "If there¡¯s a need for me, I wille as well," I told them. The only issue was that we would have to take Eira with us if I went.


    <fn1a90> Content originallyes from ?ovelFind</fn1a90>


    "There won¡¯t be," Lucian assured me. "And I wouldn¡¯t rmend taking her anywhere far when her body is still unstable."


    I hummed and said, "The food you made yesterday, make that again."


    "Is it working?" he asked.


    "I¡¯m not sure, but I can feel she¡¯s close to getting her heat. My wolf would tell," I answered.


    "I¡¯ve researched a few more. We¡¯ll try those today. Maybe they¡¯ll be more effective," Lucian said and already headed to the kitchen.


    Just then, the security head of the estate entered the home and informed me, "Alpha, those workers you ordered are here."


    "Get them in after ten minutes," I instructed, and the head left.


    I turned to my brothers and exined, "I called for the workers to prepare a room for a child."


    "That¡¯s indeed a good call," Roman told me, and walked towards Eira even before I could instruct him to take her inside the room.


    She was naked, though covered in the nket, and we didn¡¯t want an outsider to see even a hair on her head.


    That day, Eira was around the kittens, but she would step out of the home once in a while to get fresh air.


    "Do you think everything is fine with her?" Roman asked. "She looks a little restless."


    "Maybe she felt stuffy after staying in one ce for too long and needed to walk around in the sunlight and fresh air," Jasonmented.


    None of us was ready to ask if it was a sign of her getting into heat anytime soon. For some reason, we all had excuses to avoid the situation where we would be asking who would mate with her.


    The entire day she was the same, and by the evening she had cooped herself inside the side house. When anyone of us tried to talk to her, she angrily told us to stay away from her and let her be alone.


    "Shall I check on her?" Roman asked, finally worried for her.


    I could tell my brothers felt the same, but none of them wished to go against her when she had told us to stay away.


    We could only look at the side house from the drawing room. We knew she wouldn¡¯t go anywhere now¡ªshe couldn¡¯t.


    "It will be dinner time soon, and she didn¡¯t even have proper lunch today," Lucian said.


    "Go check on her," I finally said.


    Roman stepped out of the home and walked towards the side house. But just a few steps away, he froze in ce.


    Instead of going forward, he stepped back, as if in shock.


    My brothers and I came out of the home to see him like this.


    "Roman, what¡ª" Lucian¡¯s voice cut off midway as he froze in ce as well.


    And the rest of us were the same, mirroring each other¡¯s expressions.


    Shock!


    The tempting scent was spreading in the air, the strong scent of a pureblood shewolf that could pull any werewolf towards her, making them lose their minds. To be precise, it was a maddening scent.


    What we feared was finally here. What we knew, but still couldn¡¯t prepare ourselves for.


    It was the scent of her going into heat.


    She was finally in heat.

 Chapter 169: Eira’s In Heat-I

    <h4>Chapter 169: Eira¡¯s In Heat-I</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The moment I reached the threshold of the home, just a few feet from the boundary, I froze. My senses went rigid as a wildly tempting scent mmed into me.


    My wolf stirred violently, a growl rumbling from deep within my chest, the beast inside me wing to be set free. I knew what it was, and it took every shred of control to hold myself back.


    <i>She¡¯s in heat.</i>


    My feet rooted to the ground as I fought against the invisible pull drawing me toward that door. Each step backward felt like a battle against unseen shackles, dragging me instead toward the source of that intoxicating call. My body screamed to kick open the door, to reach her, to give in. The force was merciless.


    I was barely holding on when I heard a voice cut through the haze.


    "Roman, what¡ª"


    It broke off abruptly.


    I turned and saw my brothers, their faces mirroring my own shock.


    And then we heard it¡ªthe guttural, savage growl.


    Our gazes snapped toward the source.


    Rafe.


    His red eyes burned dark, feral and unhinged. Fangs glistened as the veins across his body rose like a darkened mesh. He looked more beast than man, seconds away from losing all control and lunging forward.


    But before he could, Lucian stepped in, mming a hand hard against Rafe¡¯s chest, stopping him in ce. It was so strong the vibrations reached us the moment Lucian¡¯s hand struck Rafe¡¯s chest in powerful strike.


    "Rafe. No." His voice rang sharp withmand, steady despite the storm in his eyes. He held Rafe¡¯s gaze, forcing his will into him. "You can¡¯t. Get back to your senses. Right Now."


    Lucian himself was straining, the scent wing at him too, but he was still rational enough to act.


    A flicker of rity returned to Rafe. He stumbled back, shaking his head violently as though to break free of the haze. Clenching his jaw, he held his breath to block the scent, then spun around and stormed away from the house.


    Lucian exhaled sharply and turned to Kael. "I have to take care of him¡ªand then leave to get Eira¡¯s child. You can handle things here."


    Without waiting for Kael¡¯s reply, Lucian was gone in an instant, his expression grim.


    Though Kael and Rafe were always close, and Lucian and Rafe always bickered, Lucian¡¯s priority had always been protecting Rafe from any harm as he was different from us. Lucian¡¯s care towards Rafe came in his own way.


    "Lucian alone can¡¯t handle it," Jason muttered, already forcing himself to turn away. Every step cost him his strength, but he still pushed forward, retreating from the suffocating pull.


    Now only Kael and I remained. I turned to him, my chest heaving. Lines of sweat had already started appearing on my forehead while fighting against the pull.


    Kael was no different, but he was better than us at holding back, though being a top tier Alpha it should have been opposite.


    Hi struggle was worse for him than for any of us. His bloodline was bound by nature to a pureblood like her. The instinct between them wasn¡¯t just attraction¡ªit wasw, a force older and more binding than reason itself.


    "Let¡¯s be rational, alright?" My voice was hoarse, every word carved out of restraint. "You have to go to her. You have to mate with her."


    His eyes flickered, caught between the beast inside him and the thought of me¡ªbecause I had marked her. All the veins on his body visibly popped out as he was barely holding back his wolf froming out.


    I forced myself to go on, pushing the fire of my own desire aside for her safety. "Listen to me. Firstes her protection, and for that, she needs you. You have to mark her. You have to be the one."


    I continued anyway, so Kael wouldn¡¯t feel he was taking away my right. Moreover, being our Alpha, his rights came before ours, but he valued the friendship between us more.


    "Kael, even if I mate with her now¡ªwhich I want like hell¡ªthe bond between us won¡¯t be strong because of the existing bond she has with her mate. Only you can break her previous bond so she can be ours entirely. By doing this, we can protect her from the council, as they¡¯ve given us a deadline to make her our mate. This is the right chance for you to mark her and protect her when we¡¯re summoned to the next council meeting. You have to do it. We have to protect her first. Her anger towards us will always be there, and we have to live with it. Go ahead. I have to help Lucian. Rafe isn¡¯t looking good."


    I didn¡¯t wait for his reply. My own restraint was shattering under the weight of that intoxicating scent. Each second in it felt like fire searing through my veins, dragging me back toward her.


    "I¡¯ll find Lucian. Rafe isn¡¯t looking good."


    With that, I tore myself away, every step a war against the primal need threatening to consume me.


    <fn4a6e> Follow current nov?ls on fin?novel</fn4a6e>


    I reached where Lucian was trying to contain Rafe, stopping him from going anywhere, while Jason brought the car in which they could leave. They had already ordered the security to stay along the boundaries and not go near the residence.


    They saw me and understood what my decision was, and they seemed to agree with it as well, though none of themmented on it directly.


    "Why don¡¯t you just let me go?" Rafe¡¯s voice broke through, rough and pleading, his body trembling as he fought himself more than Lucian.


    "You¡¯re not leaving my sight, do you hear me?" Lucian snarled, his fist twisted tight in the cor of Rafe¡¯s jacket. "Or I¡¯ll beat the hell out of you. Mark my words¡ªyou won¡¯t see daylight outside the dungeon for a month this time."


    He didn¡¯t give Rafe a chance to resist or argue. With brutal force, he shoved him into the back seat of the car and slid in beside him, pinning him there with his warning presence.


    I went ahead and sat in the front passenger seat.


    Staying here any longer would drive me mad. The scent still clung to my senses, wing at my control, and one more moment might push me straight back to her.


    I couldn¡¯t trust myself around her anymore. None of us could. That was why we were fleeing¡ªnot to abandon her, but to protect her. From us. From the beasts wing inside our skins.

 Chapter 170: Eira’s In Heat- II

    <h4>Chapter 170: Eira¡¯s In Heat- II</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once Roman left, I stood staring at the door of the house, my fists tight at my sides. I was barely holding myself together. Her scent was everywhere¡ªrich, wild, and merciless¡ªand it was driving me to the edge of reason.


    I didn¡¯t want to rush. I didn¡¯t want to lose my mind. For Roman¡¯s sake, I had been holding back, respecting the mark he had ced on her. But deep in my chest, where my wolf stirred, I had already decided: it should be me. I should be the one to mate with her. She had always been mine¡ªmy responsibility first.


    Their leaving had made it easier, though not by much. Now the most difficult part remained. I had to go to her. I had to im her. She would hate me more for it, but I was ready for her hate. Rafe was right¡ªher safety came first. And I owed her. For everything I had taken from her, from us both, I had to make it right.


    I would mark her. She would be my mate. The thing I had denied for so long would finally be done.


    I stepped toward the door, each movement heavy, as if chains were bound to my feet. Inside, my wolf purred and growled, impatient with my restraint. It wanted her now, fast, rough. But I held it back. I couldn¡¯t lose control. I couldn¡¯t hurt her.


    Alphas could be ruthless when mating with a female in heat¡ªespecially a top-tier Alpha like me, no less than a beast in the throes of instinct.


    But I would not be a beast to her. I would be her mate, her protector. I would take care of her, guide her through it, love her the way she deserved, even if it killed me to hold back.


    I reached the door, my hands trembling as I pushed it open, straining with the restraint it took not to rip it apart with my ws. I pushed open it, finally.


    The moment the air inside hit me, her scent coiled tighter around me¡ªsweet, savage, merciless. It dragged me under until my body shuddered violently, the beast inside me roaring free. My vision blurred, my wolf growled and purred in the same breath, drunk on her presence.


    I clenched my jaw, forcing every ounce of my will to the surface.


    My gaze swept the drawing room, searching. She wasn¡¯t there. My ears rang with the thunder of my heartbeat, my senses sharpened to a de¡¯s edge. Then I caught it¡ªthe faint rhythm of her breath, the restless shift of her body, a sound that sliced through my senses.


    My eyes locked on the bookcase. The hidden ce. She was there, just beyond the wall. She must have believed that secret room could hold her scent, conceal her from us. But it failed her. It failed her against me.


    My legs moved of their own ord, dragging me closer, every step heavy with the weight of desire and restraint. I pressed the book that unlocked the mechanism, and the hidden door swung open.


    The scent mmed into me, stronger, rawer, more consuming than before. It nearly devoured me whole.


    I held back, forcing one deep breath through clenched teeth, and stepped inside.


    Darkness. She had chosen to bury herself in it. But my eyes needed no light to find her. In the corner, huddled low, she tried to vanish beneath a pile of broken things¡ªmattress, sheets, warmers torn apart in her desperation. The moment my presence filled the room, she jerked, movements frantic, sharper, like prey scrambling to escape a predator.


    I turned on the light inside.


    The room was chaos, destruction in every corner. And amidst it, she was curled, trembling, drenched in sweat. Her breaths came ragged, her body wracked with the torment of heat, pain she could not fight or ease on her own. Her hair was tangled, her face streaked with tears. Her hands wed into the torn sheets, as if she could rip her agony away and bury it in the fabric.


    The sight of her¡ªraw, helpless, undone, beautiful even in ruin¡ªdrove the effect of her scent deeper into me. In this confined space, it was maddening, a storm I could not escape.


    It took everything in me not to lunge forward, not to im her like a ravenous beast. Every muscle strained, every breath a war. My wolf howled to take her, to fuck her senseless until the heat was gone.


    But I held the line¡ªbarely.


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    She looked at me with a frightened, wary gaze, trying to shrink farther back even though there was nowhere left to retreat. I stepped closer anyway, my own restraint fraying with every breath.


    "Stay... away... from... me..." she rasped, the words barely more than a broken whisper.


    Her hands curled protectively over her chest as if to shield herself, but her nails dug into her own skin instead, leaving angry red scratches across her flesh. Her face, her neck, her arms were already streaked with marks¡ªwounds she had inflicted on herself in her desperate fight against the pull of her heat.


    I couldn¡¯t watch her suffer anymore. I crossed thest of the distance and knelt on the floor before her. She shrank back further, pressing herself against the wall as though she could disappear inside it.


    "Eira..." My voice was rough, low, trembling from the restraint I was forcing on myself. "Don¡¯t fight it. Let me help you. Let me take this pain from you."


    "You... monster..." she gasped, her voice catching on every breath. "Stay... away..." Her chest rose and fell with violent shudders.


    If it had been any other she-wolf, she would have already lost her mind in the throes of such a strong heat and would have jumped on the male, begging him to fuck her. But Eira was different. She was so used to deadly pain that her mind managed to hold on to a little rationality, at least, even in such a situation.


    How strong she was! And what would be of her when she finally gained control over her real strength and the hidden powers inside her? She would be invincible.


    I was willing to help her be that¡ªeven if it meant that one day she would use it against me and kill me to avenge herself.

 Chapter 171: Eira’s In Heat- III

    <h4>Chapter 171: Eira¡¯s In Heat- III</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    She had nowhere left to run. Pressed into the corner, trembling, she looked as if she were fighting not only me but the pull of my scent itself.


    "Eira," I murmured again, kneeling before her. My hand reached for her, but she flinched away, shrugging off my touch as though my fingers would stain her.


    "Don¡¯t..." she warned, her voice ragged.


    I drew a slow breath, forcing myself to stay calm. This time I caught her hand and didn¡¯t let go. With one firm pull, I brought her against me. Her small, frail body collided with my chest, and I held her steady, refusing to let her slip away.


    That was all it took. My touch, my scent, the closeness she had tried so hard to escape¡ªthis was what she needed most, even if she hated herself for needing it.


    Her body softened against mine. She buried her face against my neck, inhaling me, clutching my shirt with desperate fingers. Her nails dug into my skin, sharp and sweet, a pain that grounded me even as it inmed the beast inside me.


    I tightened my hold on her, letting her scent wash over me, letting her small frame fill my arms. She felt so fragile, so perfect to hold, bothforting and unbearably tempting.


    But how would she take everything I was about to give her? She was weak now, trembling, but I prayed her pureblood lineage would grant her the strength she needed.


    Lost in each other¡¯s arms, I felt her tears soak into my shirt. She wanted to fight. She couldn¡¯t. And now she had no choice but to give in to the man she hated most¡ªthe only one who could give her what she needed. It must have been a horrible, helpless feeling for her.


    "Just this once, let me help you," I whispered, my voice low and hoarse.


    She let out a small, broken sob. "...I... hate you..." she breathed, yet she clung tighter to me, her body betraying her, snuggling into the very arms she loathed.


    "I know," I said softly. "Just this once. I promise I won¡¯t touch you again unless you want me to."


    She didn¡¯t answer. Her sobs continued, her body trembling as desire began to overtake her rationality, tearing down her self-control piece by piece.


    Her scent, her touch, her presence¡ªthey were fatal to me. And mine was the same to her.


    I cupped her face and tilted it toward me. Tears streaked her cheeks, her eyes brimming with utter helplessness.


    "You can hate me for the rest of our lives," I murmured. "I won¡¯t mind. All I want is to stop your suffering. And for that..." I leaned in, closing the distance between us until my lips brushed her trembling ones, "...we have to mate tonight."


    She closed her eyes and breathed in my scent, herst resistance slipping away as she prepared to surrender the fight.


    Taking it as her willingness, I pressed my lips to hers gently at first, tasting the trembling softness of her mouth. It was the first time I had ever kissed her¡ªthe first time I had allowed myself this closeness I had imagined in restless nights. For so long I had wondered how it would feel to kiss those delicate lips, and now I had my answer.


    <fnc942> Original content can be found at Find~Novel</fnc942>


    She was delicious.


    My heart skipped a beat as her taste filled me¡ªsweet, intoxicating, so much more than I had ever dreamed. My wolf purred inside, restless, impatient to take her right there, wing at my restraint.


    Her lips were unsure, hesitant. She was unskilled in kissing, yet she tried. The hate she carried for me faltered beneath the weight of her wolf instincts, beneath the fire of her heat.


    I cupped her cheek, drawing her closer. My thumbs brushed over her damp cheeks in a tender caress, hoping to let her feel my care rather than my hunger. My lips captured hers again and again, coaxing her, savoring her with gentle pulls, nibbling lightly as though every breath she gave me was a gift. She gasped softly, and I drank the sound in like it was meant only for me.


    My hand slid along the curve of her back, feeling her shiver beneath my touch, then rose to her neck, fingers threading into the silk of her hair. Curling them at the base of her skull, I gave a gentle tug, tilting her face upward, forcing her gaze to meet mine.


    Now she looked entirely drunk on desire, her hazy eyes moving from my own to my lips, as if she could not wait to taste me again. Her breathing came ragged and uneven.


    That was it. That was what I wanted to see¡ªthe hunger she felt for me.


    I imed her mouth once more.


    This time the kiss was no longer gentle. I devoured her lips with a hunger I could not hold back. Passion surged, fierce and demanding, and she met it with equal fire.


    Her hands clutched at me, sliding over my chest, curling against my shoulders as if she needed to anchor herself in me or drown.


    My arms wrapped around her waist as she shifted instinctively, from sitting to rising onto her knees so that her body pressed fully against me.


    Her lips parted under mine and I slid my tongue into her mouth, tasting her deeply.


    She yielded, answering with unsteady eagerness, learning me, shing against me. The kiss grew wild, a battle of tongues and breath, our mouths desperate, unwilling to separate.


    She was soft, warm, trembling, yet burning with the same passion that consumed me. Her fingers dug into my back, nails raking through my shirt, sending shocks of pain that only fed the fire in my chest, her lips moving against me with growing urgency.


    The sounds of wet kisses, her soft moans, and our ragged breathing, the heat our bodies were radiating, filled the small secret room.


    I kissed her as though I could brand her, im her¡ªas though I could make her forget every reason she hated me and remember only this moment.


    At this moment, I wanted to believe she was truly mine.

 Chapter 172: Mating

    <h4>Chapter 172: Mating</h4>


    I let her lips go atst, granting her a moment to breathe. But instead of relief, she gave me a displeased re, her chest rising and falling in desperate gasps. The heat was consuming her, making her greedier, hungrier, even if it threatened to suffocate her.


    I cupped her cheek gently, my forehead resting against hers, panting against her trembling lips. "Don¡¯t suffocate," I murmured, my voice hoarse. "We still have much ahead of us."


    She didn¡¯t listen. Instead, her hands shot up, clutching the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair as she pulled me to her. Her lips crashed onto mine with wild force, the taste of her hitting me like a sweet shock that shook my entire being.


    She was wild. Demanding. Dominant in her desperation. If she could be like this with only my kiss, what would happen when I finallyid her down on our bed and fuck her senseless?


    The thought sent my wolf snarling inside me, wing with impatience.


    I gave in.


    Without breaking the kiss, I swept her into my arms, lifting her easily. Her legs wrapped around my waist, clinging to me, pulling me tighter. My hands slid beneath her, gripping her bare thighs as her short dress had ridden high, leaving her soft skin beneath my palms.


    I walked out of that secret room, carrying her just like that, as there was no way I would fuck her in such cramped space.


    The perfect room was there, the one which I had built for both of us with every moment of future I saw with her.


    <fnf653> Content originallyes from FindN()vel</fnf653>


    My every step steady yet burning with urgency, her mouth still moving against mine, relentless, her lips devouring me as though she couldn¡¯t bear even a heartbeat of distance.


    I reached the door, kicked it open, and stepped inside.


    The room weed us.


    Still locked in her kiss, I let us fall into the bed, my body hovering above hers, our mouths desperate, our breaths uneven, the fire between us unquenchable. Her hands roamed me, pulling me closer, while I tasted her over and over, never sated, never enough.


    "So desperate, huh?" I murmured against her lips. "You are going to make me lose my mind."


    Her eyes shone golden, like the once that of her wolf¡¯s as her hands moved in urgency to tear my shirt apart, her gasped had turned wild, apanied by the soft impatient growls of her wolf.


    I moved back and pulled the both sides of my shirt swiftly, discarding it on the floor in a moment.


    Her gaze darkened at the view of my bare torso, almost hungry to ravish it. That¡¯s my greedy, little, lustful wolf.


    I grabbed her hands and pulled her up to sit, and she didn¡¯t take a time to get her hands on me, exploring my chest and stomach in greedy touch, in hungry gaze.


    Meanwhile, I held the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, her body entirely bare to my gaze. I pushed her back. Her body sank into the bed as I hovered above her.


    Before she could touch me this time, I pinned her hands above her head. She was left ring at me as she couldn¡¯t touch me. I could hear her unspoken curses.


    "Eira..." I whispered against her lips, the scent of her arousal making my wolf w at me, demanding I take her now, rough and fast. "..If you keep up like this...I might fuck the hell out of you...don¡¯t tempt me to turn into a beast..."


    In response, she struggled to free her hands, her body trying to press against mine where it ached her, ready to take what she wished at any cost. She had lost her reasons, all she needed was that release she was aching for.


    Pinning her hands, my mouth trailed from her lips down the line of her jaw, along her throat where her pulse throbbed wildly beneath my tongue.


    "Here...I am going to mark you tonight..." my teeth roughly grazed her delicate skin, before moving down to her chest to taste those soft and delicate mounds.


    She arched against me with a soft gasp, "Please..."


    Finally she said something and I looked back at her.


    Her moist eyes were pleading to me. Keeping her hands restraint, my hands straight moved between her legs. I didn¡¯t want to keep her waiting for long. Or rather, I couldn¡¯t wait to burry my aching cock inside her now.


    She let out the heavy gasp the moment my fingers slid between her wet and swollen folds, exploring them skilfully.


    Damn it, she was soaking wet, ready to take me right away.


    My fingers entered her, two at a time and she epted them with ease, her back arching up in pleasure, her hips already moving against my fingers. Her inside clutching against them, ready to swallow them entirely.


    I watched her, her every reaction only adding to turning my wolf wild.


    Fucking her with my fingers for a while, I stopped, only to earn another deadly re from her as if she was going to kill me. But I was doing it for her. I removed my pants right under her gaze which locked on my cock, her gaze utterly satisfied and hungrier than before.


    My patience and restraint entirely slipped away now. I parted her legs, settled between her legs, only to thrust hard inside her. There was no gentleness, no care or patience, nor did she need it.


    Instead I gave her what she needed the most- My cock to fill her cunt, rough and hard.


    She came right away the moment I thrust her. A loud wild cry left her mouth, gasping heavily, her body shuddering wildly with the wave of orgasm without me even having to fuck her properly.


    Damn it. She was on the edge already.


    She looked undone, vulnerable¡ªand yet never more beautiful.


    I leaned down, letting my weight press on her, my lips hovering over her gasping ones. My cock still throbbing inside her, waiting for her to calm down from the wave of her first orgasm, and then fuck her senseless over and over again.


    Now inside her, having tasted her, I was sure, I was not going to stop anytime soon and this was going to be the longest night of both our lives.

 Chapter 173: Who Am I?

    <h4>Chapter 173: Who Am I?</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The room was thick with our mingled scents, heavy and intoxicating, driving both of us to the edge of madness. It was her first heat, the first heat of a pureblood, and I knew she would not be sated easily.


    Hovering above her, I took in the sight before me. She was breathtaking, her face flushed, hair spilling across the pillow like a cascade of silken clouds. Her scent wrapped around me, and with skin pressed to skin, I captured her gasping lips in a slow nip.


    My cock throbbed inside her, aching to pound into her, and her tight walls clutched around me, pulling me deeper, desperate already.


    Every muscle in my body strained as I held myself back. Sweat slicked my skin, burning with restraint.


    When I felt her body finally soften after the waves of her release, I moved within her with a slow, testing stroke. My voice came out low, hoarse, dark against her ear. "Want more?" My dark eyes stayed fixed on her face, hungry, demanding.


    She opened her eyes, meeting mine. That molten gold gleamed with an unending hunger, a silent plea. Her hips rolled against me, urging me on.


    I stayed still, letting her re at me, letting her nails bite into my skin in frustration as she tried to move me and couldn¡¯t.


    "I will fuck you as much as you want," I murmured, my hand slid up her cheek, brushing away damp strands of hair., "but first, tell me who I am."


    Her brows furrowed. She writhed, legs tightening around me to coax me forward, but she was too small, too fragile against my strength.


    "Say it first," I pressed, voice rough with control. "And I swear, you will never forget the way I fucked you tonight." I drew back and thrust hard into her, tearing a moan from her lips. "Just like this...."


    Her moan spilled into my mouth as she clutched my shoulders, lifting her head to kiss me.


    I seized her kiss, lips crashing together. "Who am I?" I whispered against her lips as I drove into her again, slower, deeper. "Tell me."


    Her hips writhed beneath me, her body arching to meet me, lost in the rhythm we were building. Her breath broke into small gasps, her eyes hazy and drunk on sensation, until atst the word slipped from her trembling lips.


    "...Mate..."


    A savage delight ripped through me. That was the only word I wanted, the only truth I needed.


    "Say it again," I breathed, my mouth at her ear, my body moving harder, faster now. "Who am I?"


    "...Mate..." she gasped again, the word cracking like a vow between us.


    I crushed her lips in a hungry kiss, my hand sliding beneath her head, holding her in the angle I craved. My hips mmed between her parted thighs, harder, faster, every shred of restraint shattering.


    Inside me, my wolf growled and roared, begging to be unleashed, to take her in his beast form. But I would not give in. This was mine. My time with her. And I would devour herpletely, body and soul.


    <i>Mate.</i>


    The word echoed in my mind, igniting something savage and unstoppable inside me. My wolf roared as I drove into her, my rhythm fierce and relentless, and she weed it all.


    Her head fell back, lips parted in ragged gasps, her chest arching as though to offer me more. She lifted her hips to meet mine, desperate, unrestrained, begging wordlessly for more.


    I shifted back on my knees, pulling her waist higher in the air just as she wished, my hands holding her firmly to keep her steady against the powerful trusts of my cock.


    Her legs bent on my sides, feet pressing into the mattress to support the lower half of her body in the air, her hands clutching at the sheets until they tore beneath her nails.


    Every shudder of her body, every desperate movement, only urged me deeper into madness.


    And then, her body trembled violently as release imed her again, her cries muffled in the storm of our ragged breaths and the growl rising from my chest. But I was nowhere near finished. The hunger in me was endless.


    Not granting her even a breath, I flipped her over on the bed and dragged her hips upward, positioning her to take her from behind. With a growl, I mmed into her, thest threads of restraint snapping as madness imed me. I spared her no mercy.


    Her ass writhed with every brutal thrust, my strength pouring into her, every muscle of my body driving deeper. Her face pressed into the mattress, muffling the loud, unrestrained cries that spilled from her lips. Her hands clutched the sheets desperately, nails tearing into the fabric as if she could w her way out of the relentless storm of pleasure.


    The sharp, wet sounds of our bodies colliding echoed through the room, louder than before. Our ragged breaths tangled with the guttural growls of our wolves, the primal rhythm consuming us both in a frenzy that had no end.


    Continuing to fuck her, I held her hand and pulled her back on her knees, her slick back pressed against my torso.


    My hand strangled her neck as I made her tilt her head back and kissed her, swallowing each of her gasp and moan.


    "Who am I? I asked again. It was never enough even if I ask her millions of times.


    "...Mate..." she whispered in the kiss and fucked her harder than I already was.


    That single word was enough to make me lose my mind.


    I made here again and again, turning and twisting her body the way I wished. And there was no energy left in her.


    After a long, unsure how many hours have passed by, I let hery in the bed, her back getting the support of the soft mattress while my cock didn¡¯t stop ravaging her inside. It felt never enough.<fn4903> Original content can be found at ?ovelFind</fn4903>

 Chapter 174: Marking

    <h4>Chapter 174: Marking</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I leaned over her, kissed her deeply, and then moved to her neck.


    It was time to mark her.


    But I would not knot her.


    The thought of my knot hurting her made my chest tighten. She was a pureblood and could survive it, I knew that, but I could not bear to see her bleed. More than that, I did not want her to carry another child yet when she still had to meet her first one. I had to be sure to pull out before the knot took her.


    Slowing my pace, I buried my face against her neck. My lips brushed over the ce I had chosen, my tongue sliding across it, wet and hot, where my teeth would sink in.


    She was trembling on the edge of release again¡ªthis would be herst. I bit down, sinking my teeth into her flesh, and she gasped loud and sharp. Pain mingled with ecstasy as her orgasm tore through her, shaking her violently beneath me.


    I held my teeth there until I felt it¡ªthe bond forming. There was no other tie to stop it, no barrier to stand between us. Her wolf and mine, our souls, entwined atst.


    She was my mate now.


    The thought overwhelmed me, and yet the instinct to knot her rose like a storm, threatening to consume me. I was about to pull out, desperate to keep control, but¡ª


    The crazed mate beneath me suddenly surged with strength, flipping me onto my back. She straddled me, hips moving with fierce determination around my cock.


    Her wolf must have known what I intended. She was starving for my knot, desperate for it, and I had been about to deny her.


    "Eira..." I tried to push her away, but it was toote.


    My release hit like a tidal wave, my mind obliterated by the force of it. Thest shred of rationality was destroyed as I thrust helplessly into her, pouring everything inside.


    A gasp ripped from me as my body jerked. I felt my knot swell, stretching her as it locked us together.


    Her head tilted back in pleasure, the kind only a knot could give, her gasps wild and erotic as she bent forward, copsing onto my chest.


    I went still, knowing any movement could make my knot hurt her now.


    Her soft, undone bodyy pressed against my torso. My hands wrapped around her, cradling her as if to soothe her even while we remained locked together.


    We were going to stay locked like this at least for an hour, bound until my knot would release her. I felt the slick warmth along my cock and for an instant feared it was blood.


    But there was no scent of it. Relief swept through me.


    Holding her in my arms as shey atop me, I stroked her back gently, smoothing the tangles of her hair.


    She had fallen asleep, utterly spent, her breathing soft and steady, her heartbeat calming after its wild rhythm.


    "You are finally mine, Eira," I whispered, my breath still uneven. "You are my mate. I promise to protect you as a mate should. I will not fail you again. If I do, I will ept death. Even if the gods tell me to doubt you, I will not listen. Even if you betray me for real, I will take it as my punishment. All that matters now is what you want, and I will give you everything."


    ----


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    Jason drove the car away from the estate. None of us could remain there any longer after tasting her scent. If we had stayed, she would have been forced to take all of us, and that would have destroyed her.


    We were Alphas, wild and merciless when our control slipped. Even though she was a pureblood, ourbined hunger would be too much for her.


    Kael, our Alpha was the right one to be with her. We needed him to form a bond with her first to protect her.


    After a time, Jason brought the car to a stop at the hilltop. We hadn¡¯t gone too far from the estate, only far enough that her pull would no longer cloud our thoughts. Jason and Roman stepped out first, walking toward the cliff to draw in the cool night air, their bodies tense as they tried to steady themselves from the intoxicating effect of her scent.


    I remained inside, my eyes fixed on Rafe. He sat stiffly in his seat, a storm of restraint and pain twisting through him.


    "Get out of the car," I ordered, my tone sharp. "Fresh air will calm you."


    A low groan rumbled from his throat as he turned his head toward me. His crimson eyes still burned with a dangerous darkness. "You can see it, Lucian," he rasped, voice thick with strain. "Nothing can calm me now. I think this time... it¡¯s truly time for me to leave."


    My jaw tightened until my teeth ground together. Rage surged in me at his words, my fists clenching hard. I met his gaze with cold steel and spat through gritted teeth, "You are not going anywhere."


    "Luke..."


    "Shut up!" I snapped, my voice like a whip. Shoving open my door, I strode around the car and yanked his open. "Get out," I barked, fury hardening every word.


    Rafe finally stepped out, and I mmed closed the door behind him.


    Roman turned at the sound, instinct pulling him toward us, but Jason lifted a hand to stop him. "He can handle it," Jason said firmly.


    Roman hesitated, then gave a low hum of agreement before turning back toward the cliff. Together they faced the horizon again, letting the breeze wash over them, while I stood ready to face the storm building in Rafe.


    "Rafe, you can handle it," I told him, my voice calmer this time.


    My anger hade from fear¡ªthe fear of losing him. I wasn¡¯t ready to lose any of my brothers, not even Rafe, who was nothing more than a walking abyss of danger. I had sworn to protect him, and I would do so at any cost.


    "Luke, I wish you could just ept the truth now." His bloodlust burned in his eyes as he looked at me. "Listen to me. Just let me go. I¡¯ll return when I¡¯m fine."


    "Return?" I echoed, disbelief hardening my tone. I didn¡¯t trust his words, not this time. I seized his shoulder and shoved him against the car, his back striking the metal with a dull thud. My voice rose, fierce and sharp. "Return after a week? A month? A year? Or never?"


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    Silence fell between us. His lips parted, but no words came. He didn¡¯t need to answer¡ªwe both knew the truth.


    If Rafe left this time, he would never return.


    And the thought of it tore through me in a way I could barely withstand.

 Chapter 175: Kiss, That Didn’t Feel Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 175: Kiss, That Didn¡¯t Feel Wrong</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    Rafe closed his eyes, frustration and helplessness etched across his face, his head lowering as though the weight of his own body had grown too heavy to bear. "I thought I could endure it for a long time," he murmured, voice rough and fraying at the edges. "But I was wrong. If I stay now, after getting the taste of her true scent, I might end up harming not just her, but everyone. Today, her scent..."


    "You won¡¯t," I cut him off coldly, my grip on his shoulders tightening. "Look at me."


    His crimson eyes lifted, struggling to focus on mine.


    "Do you even know how long I¡¯ve been working on drugs for you?" My voice cracked with restrained fury. "I¡¯ve been fucking working day and night for your sake, carving time out no matter how busy I am. And you..." I forced myself to breathe, to steady my tone. "Trust me. I¡¯m close to creating one. I won¡¯t disappoint you. Give me more time. Alright?"


    "I know..." he said, his voice taut with restraint. "...but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s toote now. I told you, I don¡¯t want to be like my father. If you truly want to do something for me, if you really want to help, then let me go¡ªor kill me with your own hands. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening inside me. You don¡¯t..."


    "Bastard," I spat, my hands sliding up from his shoulders to the sides of his head, fingers threading into his hair and gripping hard, forcing him to face me, our heights were the same, so it wasn¡¯t a difficult task for him. Every muscle in my body quivered with the restraint I was holding onto from strangling him out of the frustration I was feeling.


    "You won¡¯t be your father. You have to trust me." My eyes burned into his, my jaw clenching tight as this stubborn, broken vampire kept fighting me. "You can¡¯t leave me... leave us..."


    The thought of him walking away was tearing me apart. The harder I tried to convince him, the more I failed to convince myself that he wouldn¡¯t leave. The fear was real, gnawing through me like ws under my skin.


    "I don¡¯t want to leave either," he said hoarsely. "It hurts me more than anything. I want to stay with all of you, with her now that she¡¯s with us. But I might ruin everything. Just like my father. I¡¯m cursed to be kept from the one I love. I wish I wasn¡¯t a vampire... but I can¡¯t change it. If I harm any of you, it¡¯ll destroy me. So don¡¯t stop me. Please..."


    I inhaled deeply, forcing air into my lungs, and said quietly, "For now, drink from me. Try to calm down."


    "It won¡¯t help," he muttered, though his eyes betrayed him, burning with hunger the moment the offer left my lips.


    "I know you want it." My fingers softened, caressing his scalp. "Go ahead."


    He hesitated only a heartbeat before surrendering. Closing the distance between us, he sank his teeth into the throbbing vein at my neck. His hands circled around my torso in firm grip like I was his prey.


    I didn¡¯t flinch. I was used to it. Pain had never been part of it¡ªnot with Rafe. My hands move almost instinctively, one cupping the back of his head, the other one sliding over his hair and down to his back to caressing tofort him.


    A silent promise that it was alright. That I was always there for him.


    We always fought with each other, taunted and threatened each other, but the truth was far from it. We never meant it. It was just how we went by. If the day came when we stopped doing that, things would feel foreign between us, and our brotherhood would feel iplete.


    I could feel Roman and Jason¡¯s gazes on us, but both of them chose to turn away, leaving it to me.


    My vision blurred slightly as Rafe drank for longer than I expected, yet I didn¡¯t stop him. He seemed to realise on his own and pulled back, though he did not release me. Instead, he lowered his head to my shoulder and rested there.


    I stayed still, letting him be. Then I felt something warm dampening my shirt. His tears.


    "Rafe..." I whispered softly, worry threading through my voice.


    "It¡¯s not helping..." His voice was muffled against my shoulder. Under my hands I could feel his tense body, the strain of him fighting the beast stirring violently inside.


    I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to steady my emotions. I let him hold on for a while before gently separating him from me.


    He turned his face away, unwilling to let me see his tears. But I caught his jaw firmly and forced him to look at me. Our gazes locked.


    "Luke..."


    Before he could say more, I crushed my mouth against his, swallowing the words I dreaded to hear. I didn¡¯t want him to speak of leaving, or dying, or begging me to end him. I would rather silence him for good.


    His body stiffened at first, shock shing through him¡ªbut almost as quickly, he rxed.


    To my surprise, he didn¡¯t push me away.


    And I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was doing. In that moment, reason slipped away. All I knew was that I wanted to do anything¡ªanything¡ªto stop him from breaking, from leaving. Whatever it took.


    When he didn¡¯t reject me, my hand slid behind his head, pressing him deeper into the kiss. I pushed him back until his body met the cold steel of the car behind him.


    My lips moved against his, a kiss both soft and demanding, sucking and nipping at him with a need I couldn¡¯t deny.


    And then he kissed me back. His hands gripped my waist, tugging me closer as he returned it with equal hunger.


    Damn it. What the fuck am I doing?


    Yet it didn¡¯t feel wrong. Not at all.


    My gaze flicked ahead, over the car, even as my lips stayed locked to his. Roman and Jason were watching us, but I didn¡¯t care. Their expressions didn¡¯t hold surprise. They turned away as though this was nothing new¡ªor something they had already expected.


    Fuck it.


    <fn37dd> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? f?ndnovel</fn37dd>


    In that moment, nothing mattered except the bloodthirsty vampire I was kissing.

 Chapter 176: Pure Madness

    <h4>Chapter 176: Pure Madness</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    I was never into guys, let alone ever wanting to kiss one. In fact, I already had a woman I loved like crazy. Eira.


    I was damn sure she was the only one for me.


    But what was happening now took me by surprise. It was something I never thought I would ever do. When I teased and mocked Rafe with those vulgarments¡ªcalling him my bitch and warning him I¡¯d fuck him one day¡ªit was just the way we talked, not something I truly meant. It was the same with him, but...


    Why did it feel so right? Why did I want to keep going?


    Maybe it was because we were mate-brothers. We shared a bond that allowed us to do this without guilt. Mate-brothers¡ªwe were each other¡¯s mates and strength as well. That¡¯s what the bond was.


    I knew there were other mate-brothers who did it, but I never thought I would be one of them.


    The way he kissed me back¡ªthe passion consuming my mind now. Maybe he was driven by the beast inside him, seekingfort anywhere it could find it. But I was sane, and I didn¡¯t want it to stop.


    I pressed him harder into the car, my body caging his, my hand buried in his dark hair as I imed him deeper. His lips parted beneath mine, and I took the invitation without hesitation, sliding my tongue into his mouth.


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    The taste of him was sharp, tinged with blood and heat, intoxicating in a way I had never felt before.


    Our tongues collided, shing at first like a battle for dominance¡ªrough and hungry. I rolled mine against his, forcing him to yield, but Rafe wasn¡¯t one to surrender easily. His tongue pushed back with equal fervor, twisting with mine in a storm of heat and fury that made me groan into his mouth.


    His hands gripped my waist, fingers digging into my sides as if he wanted to fuse me to him. He tugged me closer, chest to chest, his body hard with tension.


    I growled low in my throat, pressing him back until the car shuddered with the force. My hand slid down from his hair to the side of his neck, thumb stroking the line of his jaw before I tilted his face the way I wanted.


    My tongue plunged deeper, twining with his in a dance of hunger and defiance, sucking on him, tasting him as though I could pull every ounce of pain from him and rece it with myself.


    He groaned into my mouth, a raw, guttural sound, his grip tightening. His fingers slipped beneath my shirt at my hips, nails scratching against my skin. I shivered and answered with more pressure, my other hand sliding down his back, clutching the muscle at his waist, pressing him harder against me.


    It was pure madness¡ªpassion edged with desperation. Each kiss was a fight, our mouths devouring and yielding, our tongues rolling and twisting together as if neither of us would ever let go first.


    After a long while, when we finally stopped, we didn¡¯t part. My forehead rested against his, my nose brushing against his, both our eyes closed, my lips still lingering over his. Panting heavily, drowning in each other¡¯s scent.


    After a moment of silence, I asked, "Is it enough to divert and calm your mind from the bloodlust, or do you want me to go on?"


    "It¡¯s enough," he replied, trying to breathe just like me.


    I moved back to look at him. He opened his eyes to meet mine. For now, his eyes no longer carried that crimson darkness, which told me he was fine again.


    Damn it. Of all the ways, this was the only way. The damn lustful vampire.


    He looked away and said, "Thanks."


    I came back to my senses, realizing it was time to let go. I looked away as well and tried to exin, awkwardly, "I just wanted to divert your mind. Nothing else."


    "I know," he said, still looking somewhere else.


    "We¡¯re cool then," I tried to sound chill and walked toward the trunk of the car. "Let¡¯s drink some shit." I opened the trunk and pulled out the box of liquor.


    I picked one bottle and tossed it to him. "For you."


    He caught it, and finally our gazes met normally. He looked at the bottle in his hands andmented, "Always ready with the shit. Not bad."


    "After eating me, it might taste better now," Imented, as usual not being able to hold back from teasing him.


    He offered me a bored gaze. "Same goes for you," and walked away.


    I felt relieved that we were back to normal, but then I couldn¡¯t help but stare at his back as he walked toward Roman and Jason, who were lost in their own world.


    ¡¯What the hell am I doing?¡¯ I scolded myself for staring at him this way. I never acted like this. While that damn vampire looked like it meant nothing to him.


    Well, better this way. We could just go back to being normal.


    He sat next to Roman while I carried the box with me to offer the drinks to the other two as well. I settled next to Jason as I put the box in front of them after getting one bottle for myself.


    Roman and Jason acted normal. But then, when Jason looked at me and our gazes met, I looked away.


    Somehow, it was more awkward in front of Jason, as he was my brother. I didn¡¯t know what Roman and Jason must be thinking, but then, my stubborn self didn¡¯t care.


    I lifted my head up to empty that entire bottle in one go. I leaned a little back with my free hand supporting me on the ground, my gaze moving toward Rafe.


    He seemed to have realized I was looking at him, but the damn bastard didn¡¯t look back at me.


    Unsure what to think about anything, I simply shook my head with the resolve of forgetting it all and started to drown another bottle down my throat.


    One thing was there which was good. All of this managed to divert my attention from Eira, from her intoxicating scent, and the thought of her being fucked by my brother.


    I hadn¡¯t just helped Rafe, but he had helped me as well. So we were even.


    Nothing more is there to think about it, I convinced myself


    <i>It won¡¯t happen again, right?</i>

 Chapter 177: Mate Bond Mark

    <h4>Chapter 177: Mate Bond Mark</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    After being locked for more than an hour, the knot finally subsided, allowing me to separate from her so she could restfortably rather than lying draped over me through the entire night.


    When I pulled out, she flinched faintly, then instinctively burrowed back against my chest. If she had not been in such a deep sleep, I knew she would have moved away at once.


    I held her gently and turned toy her back on the bed. Her body waspletely exhausted, lost in slumber, and I doubted she would wake for many hours. I had heard that after their first heat, females often slept for a long time. And at that, from evening until past midnight, I had not spared her even for a moment.


    My hand caressed her delicate face, my gaze drifting lower. Her skin was covered in marks I had left behind. Along with hickeys, there were even bite marks. I had tried to restrain myself, but in the heat of the moment I lost control more than once. I only prayed they would heal by morning.


    The bed was aplete mess, the torn bedsheet lying in a heap. I straightened the bed as best as I could and went to the bathroom for something to clean her. Standing before the mirror above the washbasin, I realized she was not the only one marked.


    My torso bore the traces of her nails and teeth. In her heat she had been utterly wild. If she remembered what she had done, I hoped she would simply ept it, rather than me herself or her wolf.


    With a damp cloth, I cleaned her sticky body and settled her beneath the covers, making sure she wasfortable.


    My eyes lingered on the spot where I had marked her. Soon the mark would appear, the bond between us made visible. I wondered what form it would take, how it would look etched into her skin. By morning, it would be revealed.


    After cleaning myself, I slid back under the sheets, drawing her close once more. Her scent still intoxicated me, unbearably tempting, and I had to force myself to not go back to fucking her again.


    If she continued to smell like this, I was certain all five of us would be left with nothing but blue balls.


    I could only hope her scent returned to normal soon, though even her normal scent was enough to drive me insane. But at least not fatal as her scent in heat.


    -----


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Four of us sat in silence while trying to drown ourselves in alcohol and the soothing cold air, though we knew it wouldn¡¯t work.


    But tasting bitterness in the mouth was better than having it in the heart with the thought that the woman we loved was in heat and we couldn¡¯t be with her.


    Rafe was calm now as Lucian had done what he could. When they kissed, honestly, it didn¡¯te as a shock. Maybe it was because we were used to hearing them mocking each other with filthy words, so seeing them in actions didn¡¯t make much difference.


    Or maybe it was because we were mate brothers, so it was eptable between them.


    I was sure that even if one day they fucked each other right in front of us, it wouldn¡¯t surprise anyone.


    After Jason and I watched them kissing, our gazes met, but both of us quickly looked away. I was sure I was never going to cross that line with any of my brother, and neither was Jason.


    We would just sit back and watch those two horny bastards lose themselves if they wanted to.


    After a while, Lucian¡¯s cellphone beeped. He nced at the message, his expression sharpening, and stood immediately.


    "Jason, we have to leave," he said curtly.


    The rest of us rose as well.


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    "Going to get her son?" I asked.


    Lucian hummed in response, already striding toward the car with urgency. We followed.


    Just as we reached the vehicle, Rafe spoke up. "I¡¯ming with you."


    Lucian looked at him for a moment, as if giving a thought, then gave a slight nod. "Get in the car."


    Jason and Rafe climbed inside while Lucian turned to me.


    "You have to stay," he said. "Kael needs one of us with him. Rafe is better off away from Eira for a while longer."


    He was right. "Be safe," I told them quietly.


    They drove away, leaving me standing alone under the night sky. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to return home yet. If I did, her scent would be at its peak while she was being fucked, and I knew I would lose controlpletely.


    So I returned to where we had been before, emptied the remaining bottles one by one, andy down on the grass, staring up at the star-strewn sky. Everything around me was peaceful, silent, untouched. Everything except my heart.


    I closed my eyes, praying for morning toe quickly so I could return to her.


    <i>I miss her. I want her.</i>


    <i>----</i>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    At the crack of dawn, I opened my eyes with her snuggling against me. The first thing that came to my mind was to check her neck. I was desperate to see the mark.


    Carefully, I brushed her silken hair aside, my breath catching as the mark revealed itself.


    A ck rose, its petals dark and blooming, encircled by a cruel vine of sharp thorns.


    My heart skipped a beat, a mixture of triumph and dread surging through me. She bore my mark atst. My mate. Bound to me for as long as I drew breath.


    But then, the meaning of that mark sank in, and it hurt me at the same time.


    It was a reflection of us. A rose, yes, but ck one at that trapped within sharp thorns.


    Pain. Hurt. Suffering. Darkness.


    This was what she got from me in return for existence in my life. And the thorns in that mark said it out loud.

 Chapter 178: Morning Sex

    <h4>Chapter 178: Morning Sex</h4>


    I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to remain calm as I made the decision to get up. But before I could move, she wrapped herself around me in her sleep. Her face pressed into the curve of my neck, her soft breaths warming my skin, while her arm and even one leg clung to me as though she never intended to let me go.


    Damn it.


    What was she doing?


    It was already unbearable, resisting her when she was so close, her bare body pressed against mine, her intoxicating scent stirring my wolf. And now, in the early morning, when my cock was hard and throbbing, she held me like this.


    Struggling to keep control, and tried to shift her away without waking her. Instead, she moved against me, rubbing against my cock as a soft moan escaped her lips.


    My entire body stiffened.


    "Are you asking for trouble?" My voice came out hoarse, strained with restraint.


    But she gave no answer. She seemed unaware, her actions unintentional. Was it her wolf stirring within her, or the lingering haze of her heat still pulling her body toward mine?


    "Eira," I whispered, trying to rouse her gently.


    Yet instead of waking, she pressed closer, rubbing against me once more, her body seeking me in sleep.


    I swallowed hard, my control unraveling. "If that¡¯s what you want, don¡¯t me me when you¡¯re awake."


    My hand slid down to cup her firm buttocks, holding her steady as I positioned myself. My cock nudged against her entrance, and to my shock, she was already slick with arousal. Was she bing wet even in sleep? Was it the bond, my scent, the pull of her mate?


    I didn¡¯t think any further. Instinct imed me. With measured restraint, I pushed into her slowly, filling her inch by inch.


    A soft moan spilled from her lips as her fingers clutched at my back, nails digging into my skin while her face remained buried against my neck.


    I was no different from before. Content groans rumbled from my throat as her warmth tightened around my cock, drawing me deeper with every pulse. A low growl escaped my chest, my wolf¡¯s hunger echoing through me.


    Damn it. Even after fucking her through the night, being inside her again was just as satisfying, just as maddeningly thrilling.


    I shifted, rolling her beneath me, pressing her softly into the bed. My gaze lingered on her face, serene and heavy with sleep. She tried to open her eyes, lids fluttering, but they soon fell shut again as a faint murmur slipped past her lips.


    What was the meaning of that? Was she truly awake and silently permitting me, or merely stirring in her dreams?


    Gosh, how could someone sleep through this? I was inside her, ready to fuck her all over again, yet she chose to drift in slumber.


    That was her choice. And now I made mine.


    I gripped her firmly, holding her steady, and began to move within her. A soft, content moan slipped from her as her legs spread wider, weing me instinctively.


    Lowering myself, I let my weight cover her, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss. Her lips parted beneath mine, soft whimpers swallowed into the kiss as I thrust deeper, harder, unable to restrain myself any longer.


    Her body arched beneath me in instinctive response, her warmth clenching around my cock as if her body knew me, wanted me, even in sleep.


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    I trailed kisses along her jaw, down the curve of her neck, to the spot where my mark burned against her skin. My tongue brushed over it possessively before my teeth grazed her there, sending shivers through both of us. Her fingers clenched at my shoulders, nails raking across my skin as if her body reached for me despite her half-conscious haze.


    "Mine," I growled low, the sound vibrating against her throat as I drove into her with a rhythm that shook the bed.


    All of a sudden, she opened her eyes. Our gazes met. "You are mine." I told her and increased my pace, looking straight in her eyes.


    All she could do was to moan louder, unable to stop me, and lust taking over her to even want to stop me.


    The bond between us was always going to make her submit to me whenever I wished to fuck her. She had no escape from me.


    At the same time, I never wanted to use it to ever make her submit to me. But right now, she was the one to start it even though it was in her sleep, and as a good mate I was the one to end it with long fuck.


    Good that she was awake. It felt good to fuck her this way.


    Her moans grew louder, her legs wrapping around my waist to pull me deeper. The heat of her body consumed me, every squeeze inside her pulling me closer to the edge. I pressed my forehead against hers, watching hershes flutter, her lips parted in soft cries that mixed with my own guttural groans.


    My hands slid down her sides, gripping her hips as I angled myself to strike deeper, harder, making her gasp even in her sleep-ridden state. Her cries were sweet, breathless, and I devoured each one as I kissed her again, tongues tangling in a hungry dance that mirrored the frantic pace of my thrusts.


    Her body tightened suddenly around me, trembling violently as release tore through her. Her moans turned into desperate cries, her back arching off the sheets as waves of ecstasy shook her small frame. I held her through it, fucking her through every ripple until I could no longer hold back.


    With a final growl, I spilled into her, my body shuddering as the intensity of it ripped through me, leaving me gasping against her mouth.


    Even then, I didn¡¯t want to leave her. I stayed inside her, holding her close, my lips brushing hers softly now, almost tender after the storm.


    That was a perfect start of the morning for the pair of mates.


    <i>What happens next, how she reacts, I will bear with it.</i>

 Chapter 179: Eira’s Feelings

    <h4>Chapter 179: Eira¡¯s Feelings</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once my body calmed, I opened my eyes and looked at her, our faces only an inch apart. I did not wish to separate from her. Her delicate form beneath me still felt like heaven itself.


    Her eyes remained closed, her breathing in soft, uneven gasps as she tried to recover from the storm I had put her through.


    "Eira," I whispered her name gently.


    Hershes fluttered open, and she met my gaze. Her eyes were moist, shimmering with emotions that struck deep into me.


    "Are you alright?" I asked, my voice tender, almost fragile.


    Instead of answering, she turned her face toward the window. Silent tears slipped free, trailing down her cheeks.


    It was not unexpected, yet my heart grew unbearably heavy. Her emotions seeped into me, dragging me down into the pain she was feeling.


    The bond between us let me know her emotions, her pain at the moment.


    I pressed a soft kiss to her temple, my nose brushing along her cheek in a fleeting touch offort.


    "I am sorry," I murmured, the words rough and unsteady. "I should never have done what I did that night in the prison."


    A soft sob escaped her lips as my confession broke the silence. I felt my chest tighten. "It must have hurt you deeply. I am sorry. I should have given you a chance to speak, but I let my anger consume me. I should not have done it."


    Her sobs grew, her body trembling beneath mine. The pillow under her head grew damp as her tears fell freely.


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    "I won¡¯t ask you to forgive me. I won¡¯t try to exin why I did it. Hate me if you wish. Pour all your anger onto me. I will take it." Myshes quivered as I fought the sting of my own tears.


    "But do not hate yourself. Do not hate your wolf for what happened between us now. Mating was important for you both. Everything that you were denied, you must get it so you could be stronger. It is my sin, not yours. So please... don¡¯t despise yourself for giving in to me. If you must hate, then hate me. Do you hear me? Hate me, and only me."


    She didn¡¯t respond, nor did I expect her to.


    "You are my mate now, and I promise to always take care of you," I assured, unsure if she even trusted me. "You can rest for a while more." I pecked her cheek softly. "You can wake up after I prepare breakfast for you."


    I pulled out of her finally, and she flinched a little but didn¡¯t look at me.


    The moment I moved away, she curled to her side and faced her back to me. I covered her with sheets once more, giving her a chance to deal with her emotions, and went to the bathroom to get ready for the day.


    The other four weren¡¯t home. I checked the message from Lucian that said he had left along with Jason and Rafe to bring Eira¡¯s son. Roman wasn¡¯t home either. I knew the reason why he hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    In their absence, I had to take care of the start of the day by feeding the pets and preparing breakfast, which wasn¡¯t a usual task for me, but I knew how to cook. After having my first mating with my mate, it was a great pleasure to cook for her.


    I put on the clothes that were arranged in the wardrobe of the side house. After repairing and renovating the side house like it was before, I made sure everything was there to make it the home I had once dreamed of, where she would be with me.


    "Your pets must be starving. I am going to bring them here from the main house and then prepare breakfast for us. Everything you need is here. You can get ready," I informed her, and left, as she wasn¡¯t going to respond.


    ----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    He left atst. I could finally breathe. The tears I had been holding back poured out more fiercely the moment he was gone. I wanted to cry aloud, to scream, to let the storm of pain inside me tear its way out, but my voice failed me.


    He told me not to hate myself or my wolf. But how could I not?


    The very man who destroyed my life, the one who had hurt me most and abandoned me to suffer among monsters, was the same man I had just given in to.


    Why did it have to be him?


    He had marked me. He was my mate now. And every time, I would have to yield to him like some lustful bitch. I had no control, no strength to resist, because he was my mate, a powerful Alpha. If he called for me now, all I could do was wag my tail and obey. The thought of that future with him sickened me.


    For six long years, I had been used, broken, left to rot. I do not even know how many men had taken me, how many hands and bodies I endured. Yet through it all, I felt nothing. I was an empty husk, a corpse that only knew pain. No pleasure. No warmth. Nothing but agony.


    But with this bastard... with him... I felt something. I felt pleasure. And I hated it.


    I always knew just like the other assholes, they would fuck me. I was ready to face what I had endured the past six years.


    All I wanted was for it to happen like always, where I could block my mind, my senses, and lose myself in the darkness without knowing what was happening with my body.


    But...he made me feel every bit of it. I was wide awake. And like the whore I was, I was begging him to fuck me.


    It was all because of that bitch wolf inside me. Only if she wasn¡¯t weak and had some brain to fight against our abuser.


    They could go on and fuck me, and even kill me. But I didn¡¯t want to feel it.


    I felt utterly helpless now, and it hurt me more. That bond with him now¡ªI could feel it. My soul was ready to submit to him, even though I didn¡¯t want it.


    What was I going to do now? Will it ever change?

 Chapter 180: Do You Know What Happened With Kael’s Parents?

    <h4>Chapter 180: Do You Know What Happened With Kael¡¯s Parents?</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Soon, Fluffy¡¯s barking echoed in the side house as I brought them. Vixen allowed me to carry the box she was in with her pets. And that little hamster¡ªhe understood nothing other than eating the entire day, turning himself into a fur ball.


    Fluffy looked for Eira and went toward the bedroom. The bastard straight climbed the bed, but then sniffed it and stopped barking.


    The animal instinct told him what happened here, and he looked at me.


    I narrowed my eyes on him and he quickly stepped down from the bed. He wanted to go to Eira, but felt wary under the Alpha¡¯s gaze, knowing I could kill someone for touching my mate.


    I eased my expression and told him to go ahead. He quickly moved to the other side of the bed and stood before her. He licked her tear-stricken face and urged her to get up.


    She finally moved, caressed, and hugged him. These bastards never failed to make me jealous.


    I walked toward them and looked at Fluffy. "Go. Your food is served."He quickly separated from Eira and went out of the room.


    "I have filled the bathtub for you. You should soak in warm water. You will feel better." Not waiting for her response, I carried her anyway and put her in the warm water.


    She refused to look at me, her gaze lowered all the time. I helped anyway, and soon she was ready in a fresh set of clothes.


    I carried her out and put her on the sofa. "Vixen is allowed to touch her kittens. You can try," I told her.


    She looked at her cat and her kittens in the box that I had purposefully ced in front of the sofa. She finally moved to the carpeted floor and knelt before the box.


    Seeing her eased movement, I was relieved she wasn¡¯t in any difort even after I had fucked her for so long.


    "I am preparing breakfast for us," I told her and walked toward the kitchen, leaving her with her pets.


    While preparing breakfast, I kept watching her. The dreams I once had wereing to reality right in front of me.


    Eira and I, in this same home, living as mates. She happily yed with our pets while I watched them.


    She was enjoying holding those small kittens in her hands, caressing them, even smelling them. It brought a smile to my lips.


    Everything I once dreamed of seemed not far now, but the only thing left was for her to ept it with a happy heart, and not with hatred. I was sure that woulde as well, as long as I kept trying.


    Roman had returned home, and I called him straight here so we could have breakfast together. By the time he came to the side house after having a bath and dressing freshly, the breakfast was already prepared.


    "Good morning," he wished me calmly, but I knew he must be unsettled inside after I had mated with Eira.


    I wished him back and served the food on the dining table while he came to help.


    In the kitchen, he finally broke the silence. "How is she?"I knew the exact meaning.


    "Doing well. Don¡¯t worry," I meant to let him know she was fine even after the intense mating session.


    He hummed, and I told him, "Call her to the dining table."


    He brought Eira to the dining table. I cooked everything she preferred. As always, she ate quietly. With just the three of us, there was utter silence at the table, as she wouldn¡¯t talk while we two didn¡¯t know what to talk about.


    It was good to have Lucian and Rafe around, who never let us eat quietly and always had something to say.


    "How¡¯s Rafe?" I asked him anyway¡ªbetter than the dead silence.


    "Lucian took care of him. He is fine," Roman assured.


    "Any updates?" I asked again.


    Not revealing much in front of her, Roman answered, "They have left sessfully. They¡¯ll be here by the evening."


    At this, I looked at Eira who was eating with her head down. She didn¡¯t even know what we were talking about. For a moment, I thought of telling her that her son wasing home... but I had asked us to make sure she didn¡¯t have any suicidal thoughts before handing him over to her.


    And I was still not sure about that.


    When the child was home, what were we going to tell her about him? Whose child he was, and why he was living with us?


    For now, I let the thought slip to the back of my mind. I was sure we would find a way.


    After the breakfast, I had an important meeting which couldn¡¯t be dyed.


    "Take care of her," I told Roman and returned to the main house.


    Moreover, he must want to be with her as well, alone.


    ----


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    After Kael left, I went to Eira, who had returned to Vixen and her kittens. She was holding one in her hand while the other two were snuggling with their mother.


    As I settled next to her, I noticed the mark on her neck. Kael¡¯s mark.


    For a moment, it felt like my heart burned, because that should have been my mark. But I couldn¡¯tplete it with her. Only Kael could do it. Then I consoled myself, thinking I wouldplete my bond with her very soon, and she would carry my mark as well, showing she belonged to me.


    I picked up one kitten too, caressing and smelling it just like Eira was doing.


    <fnbcb9> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find~novel</fnbcb9>


    "They are adorable," Imented, "so much that you won¡¯t want to let them go."


    She hummed and held the kitten against her chest, in her warmth.


    I decided to talk with her about something important, seeing she was in a better mood now. Though she had mated with Kael, I could tell nothing had changed between them.


    It couldn¡¯t go on like this. Things needed to change. She needed to know our side of the story as well, though I didn¡¯t expect her to forgive us as we had truly wronged her.


    I was damn sure, Kael would never tell her or exin her his side, but I should. He would rather ept her hate, without even asking for forgiveness.


    "Eira, do you want to know what happened after you were taken away by the police for shooting Alice?" It took me every bit of my willpower to raise this topic, which could break her into a storm of emotions once more.


    I felt her body tense at the mention of Alice¡¯s death.


    "Do you know what happened with Kael¡¯s parents that night?" I asked again. "How they were killed?"


    She slowly turned her head to look at me. Her gaze wasn¡¯t cold this time, but wary and filled with unspoken questions.


    "You met Kael¡¯s mother once, do you remember it?" I asked. "She gifted you the pack crest to wee you as part of the pack. Our Luna... she cared for everyone, so did our Alpha."


    She definitely remembered it¡ªher gaze told me so.

 Chapter 181: Arrival Of Eira’s Child

    <h4>Chapter 181: Arrival Of Eira¡¯s Child</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Seeing her finally curious to know it, I began.


    "That day, when we learned Alice had been shot, we rushed to the hospital..." I started, slowlyying out everything that followed.


    I told her how, at first, we didn¡¯t believe she had done it¡ªbut then we saw the video of her pulling the trigger, and her own confession to the police officer. I told her about Sofia¡¯sst words when shey dying, and then the moment Keiren sent us that cursed video of her pleasuring him and his men. He had also imed she was the one who passed along the pack¡¯s secrets.


    By then, he was already inside Kael¡¯s parents¡¯ home, and the entire pack was burning.


    "You probably didn¡¯t know what was happening outside, as you were already arrested," I said. "But that night, thousands were ughtered. Men, women, even children¡ªburned alive, hacked to pieces. The entire pack was ruined in just one night. All we were left with was pain, loss, and rage."


    I forced myself to tell her how Kael¡¯s parents had died, every word like ash on my tongue.


    "...When we finally got to Keiren, the bastard mocked us. He told Kael how he butchered his parents. Piece by piece, while they were still alive. His father begged him to let his mother go and kill only him. His mother begged for his father. But Keiren made them watch each other suffer while he tore them apart. He evenughed as he told us how he enjoyed hanging the children¡ªlistening to their cries for mercy before they died."


    The silence on her part was deafening, but I knew she was listening.


    I finally looked into her eyes. "Do you remember little Kaya? The girl Kael adored like his own sister? She died in his arms. The rest of the children... they were hung from the ceiling of the drawing room. Not a single one was spared."


    Her gaze wavered at the mention of the children.


    "And even when Keiren was dying, he spat out that it was you who spied for him. That you betrayed us. That you were his whore." I let out a long breath, my chest heavy. "With all the proofid before us, with the pack already destroyed and our own grief blinding us¡ªwe believed him. We believed you were the traitor."


    My voice dropped lower, steadier. "But they framed you, Eira. You were used. And soon... we will uncover the truth and the ones truly behind it."


    I let out a shaky breath, my chest feeling heavy at the memories of that night, before I spoke after a long silence.


    "...For the first time, we saw Kael broken and hurt, tears in his eyes like a child at the cruelty and loss. You know how much he loved his parents, especially his mother. The kids... none were spared. After that, Kael was never the same. It took him months toe back to his senses, even after the revenge he took. And even now, he is not the same¡ªjust letting time pass while carrying the weight of this pack¡¯s responsibilities."


    I paused, steadying myself before continuing.


    "I am not trying to justify his pain over yours, or asking you to forgive him. I just want you to know his side of the story¡ªour side¡ªwhat we faced. Of course, the pain you endured, the suffering of six years, is far worse. You are the one who suffered the most in all of this. But still... I hope you give yourself another chance.


    "You can keep hating us, but start loving yourself. Though your heart is entirely filled with pain and bitterness, make a little space for the happiness that is waiting for you. A chance just for yourself, for your own reason¡ªnothing to do with any of us. That¡¯s all I ask of you."


    She continued caressing the kitten, but I could tell her mind was processing what I had told her.


    I reached out and caressed the back of her head. "Eira."


    <fnbae0> The rightful source is F¦ÉndNovel</fnbae0>


    She looked at me.


    "I may have bullied you in the past, but it wasn¡¯t out of hate. I just wanted to get your attention, because I had always liked you," I told her. "Still, I won¡¯t ask you to forgive me. Just let me take care of you. Even if you feel I am pretentious, still let me do it."


    She remained silent, and I ced a gentle peck on her forehead. "I won¡¯t take more of your time from your pets. Let me know if you need something. I¡¯m just here."


    And I stood up, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Too much talk would only overwhelm her.


    I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV to watch something random that might calm my mind. She stayed below with her pets.


    I didn¡¯t want to work today. I felt tired for no reason at all¡ªmaybe just emotionally drained.


    By noon, we had already moved to the main house where Kael and I prepared lunch for us, and she sat in her usual ce by the window.


    As I looked at her, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if what I had told her earlier had made any effect on her¡ªor if she was even thinking about it.


    The day passed in quietness. Despite Kael marking her and forming a bond with her, there was no change in their rtionship. They weren¡¯t like a pair of mates at all.


    She ignored him, while he feared upsetting her any further.


    I could only wish for improvement¡ªand for the new member of the family to arrive. It was evening, and I was waiting for my brothers to return with that kid.


    They had already messaged us that they were inside our pack boundaries.


    The only thought that came to my mind was: how would she react to seeing the kid? Would she recognize it was her own child?


    Just then, I heard the sound of a car arriving outside. Kael and I exchanged gazes, both of us knowing it was them. We looked at her, but as always, she remained indifferent to everything happening around her.


    We didn¡¯t rush outside. Instead, we waited for them.


    Soon, three tall figures entered the home¡ªalong with a tiny figure holding Lucian¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 182: A Little Gentleman

    <h4>Chapter 182: A Little Gentleman</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Sitting on the sofa, I looked at the small figure entering the home with my three brothers.


    The moment my gazended on him, I felt a strange touch of familiarity. Maybe it was because he was Eira¡¯s child¡ªand now she was my mate¡ªthat I felt this way.


    Fluffy quickly reacted to the neer¡¯s presence, barking a few times as he rushed toward them.


    "Easy, Fluffy," Jason told him, worried the barking might scare the kid.


    I looked at Eira. She had noticed their arrival now, and without hesitation her gaze followed the boy, as if it was stuck on him. Why? Had she recognized her son in just one nce? Did she feel the same familiarity I felt?


    Fluffy sniffed the boy here and there.


    The kid wasn¡¯t afraid of the huge dog marching toward him. Instead, he stayed calm until Fluffy was done, then simply stood still, looking at him.


    Finally, the boy raised his hand and caressed Fluffy¡¯s head¡ªhis expression still unchanged.


    This kid is brave.


    He was same as in picture, wearing his school clothes. he was taken away from the school it seems.


    Well tailored Light blue pants and white shirt perfectly fitted on him, and his free hand held his jacket that was folded on his arm.


    He looked like a little gentleman. Hair still set right, just a little messy due to travelling.


    "Let¡¯s head inside," Lucian told him gently, and they walked toward us. Fluffy followed, already trying to stick to the neer as if he had epted him.


    When they stopped in front of me¡ªand Roman, who was seated beside me¡ªthe boy looked at us with steady calmness. No fear, no hesitation. Just sheerposure, as though it didn¡¯t matter who he was meeting or where he was going.


    It was impossible to tell what he was even thinking. Just like in the pictures, he was calm in real life too¡ªunlike other kids his age.


    As I observed his face closely now, I nced at Eira for a moment and realised, he didn¡¯t look at her except for his eyes, light brown. He had surely taken after his father more.


    "This is Raven," Lucian introduced him to us, then looked at the boy. "Raven, this is Kael, our Alpha, our pack leader."


    Without missing a beat, the boy bowed his head lightly in greeting.


    Impressive.


    He was taught well.


    "And this is Roman, our brother," Lucian said. "Like I told you while traveling, we are five Alpha brothers. These are us."


    The kid bowed the same way to Roman before returning to his calmposure.


    "Let me introduce you to another of our family members," Lucian said, ncing at me. I offered him a nod.


    Jason and Rafe stayed with us, while Lucian took Raven to Eira, who was watching us. Though she was holding her hamster in her hand, her attention wasn¡¯t on him¡ªit was fixed entirely on the boy.


    I held my breath, waiting to see what she would say or do. My eyes didn¡¯t leave her for even a moment. The other three were the same.


    They stopped in front of Eira, who was sitting on the mattress. Mother and son were now face to face. Eira only looked at him, silent, as if frozen.


    Lucian knelt on the floor to match both their heights. "Raven, this is Eira. Our mate, and Luna of this pack," Lucian introduced.


    Not officially, but since I had marked her, she was going to be Luna soon. And I loved hearing Lucian say it aloud.


    Both mother and son just stared at each other quietly.


    <fn4520> Updates are released by find?novel</fn4520>


    "Eira, this is Raven. From today he is going to live with us as our family," Lucian added. "I hope you don¡¯t mind."


    Eira didn¡¯t reply¡ªshe only continued staring at the child as if lost in him. The boy remained quiet under her gaze.


    "Eira?" Lucian called her softly.


    She finally looked at him, as though waking from a deep slumber.


    "I asked if you don¡¯t mind Raven staying with us as family," Lucian repeated. "Do you?"


    She shook her head.


    "Good," Lucian said and turned to Raven. "Everyone agreed for you to be our family. So, you can consider her your mommy and us five as your dads, alright?"


    Eira looked at Lucian again, surprise shing on her face.


    He looked steadily back at her. "A kid needs parents."


    Eira didn¡¯t deny it, while the boy stayed calm through it all. Not a single word left his lips.


    "Oh, these are our pets," Lucian told him as they looked at Vixen, her kittens, and the hamster. "That cat¡¯s name is Vixen, and we are yet to name her kittens." He looked at the hamster in Eira¡¯s hand. "And this eating monster is called Ham."


    Raven observed the pets quietly while Lucian added, "But if you want to y with them, you have to take Eira¡¯s permission. Only if she allows you to. Alright?"


    He finally gave a light nod.


    "You must be tired after a long journey. Let¡¯s freshen up and then eat something nice," Lucian said to him.


    Lucian, as much as he had a foul mouth and temper, was good with kids. He had taken care of his younger sister and her tantrums, so he knew how to talk and coax them.


    Both of them returned to us, while Eira continued to nce at the kid whenever she could.


    I thought she didn¡¯t recognize him, or maybe she was confused. He was just a newborn when he was taken away, so it was difficult to recognize.


    At the same time, I was wondering when and how to tell her it was her son. Maybe first confirm her mental state and then tell her at the right time. She might get angry for not telling her right away, but then¡ªit was for her and her son¡¯s own good.


    Meanwhile Jason had poured a ss of water for Raven and brought it to him. "You must be thirsty."


    "First sit," Lucian told him.


    The kid turned around, neatly ced his jacket on the armrest of the sofa before he sat in a well-mannered way, unlike the kids who would just climb onto the sofa as they pleased.


    His actions, hisposure¡ªthat was of an adult, like he was trained to follow the royal mannerisms.


    It wasn¡¯t just me; Roman was as surprised as I was. While the other three seemed to have grown ustomed to it.


    I looked at Lucian, who just raised his brows as if saying that¡¯s how the kid was.


    Jason offered him water. The kid epted and drank slowly, gracefully, without any hurry.


    I had so many kids in my home back then, but all were so cheerful, hustling all the time like kids should be.


    But this one?


    As much as it looked pleasing to the eyes, my heart felt it worrisome. He shouldn¡¯t be this way. He should live like the kids of his age.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what those people of Ravenw had done to him. Were they so keen on teaching a five-year-old the strict manners that adults should follow?


    Even my parents never forced these things on me, though I was a future Alpha. And if I had my own kids one day, I wouldn¡¯t force it on them either. I would let them be like normal kids¡ªcreating mess around the home, turning it noisy, and doing everything kids do.

 Chapter 183: Eira: Is He My Son?

    <h4>Chapter 183: Eira: Is He My Son?</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    After what Roman told me, I didn¡¯t want to think about anything.


    Their pain, my pain¡ªwhy did it have to be this way? Despite whatever they say, it won¡¯t change the suffering I had gone through. Even if I want to forgive them, I would never be able to forget even if I want to.


    The scars that are left behind are so grave, they won¡¯t ever heal. Even if I don¡¯t want to remember or feel anything from past six years, every corner of my mind is stuffed with it, leaving me no escape. It¡¯s like all that abuse, hurt, and torture ran in my body instead of blood, and it will leave me only when I am dead.


    Will there be any escape from it?


    There wasn¡¯t. They should ept it as well. They can¡¯t change me. I was beyond rescuing now. Only if they hade for me earlier, only if they had not left me to suffer for so long.


    <fn02a9> Discover more novels at f?ndnovel</fn02a9>


    I had busied myself with my pet, so neither they nor I had anything to do with each other. Because I knew nothing good woulde out of my mouth if I had to speak, it was better to stay quiet.


    Just when I made sure to detach my consciousness from any disturbing thought or anything around me, something happened that touched my senses. As if the air around suddenly changed, it felt soothing to breathe.


    Just then Fluffy barked and ran towards the entrance of the home.


    My gaze followed him, only to see him approaching a small figure at the door. My gaze stuck on him, that little boy like a little gentleman, calm andposed even when Fluffy barked at him.


    <i>Who is this boy?</i>


    I felt unable to look away from him. He looked around the same age my son should be.


    <i>Is it my son? Have they brought him? Finally, can I be with him?</i>


    I felt my heartbeat rising at the thought as I watched him going towards the others.


    <i>I am a mother, so I should be able to tell if he is my son, right¡ªeven if I don¡¯t know how he looks now.</i>


    They talked to the boy, while I registered nothing of it. My mind was busy concluding whether he was my son.


    <i>Anyways, they will tell me if he is my son. Or why would they bring him here? For me only. They are trying to make things right with me, so they want to give me my son.</i> This conclusion made me feel happy and positive. <i>I can be with him forever now. I will take him away so nothing could separate him and me. Just tell me that¡¯s my son.</i>


    Then, they turned to me. Each heartbeat thumped in my ears louder than before. Some negative thoughts started to spill in.


    <i>If he is my son, they said they will kill him and his father. But they don¡¯t seem to want to kill this kid. So... is he not my son?</i> My heart skipped a beat, a fright gripping me.


    So many things ran through my mind like a storm and none made sense. It was a mix of positive and negative thoughts that felt more like gibberish. One moment, the thought was hopeful, the next moment it wasn¡¯t. My mind was a mess. <i>Why am I like this?</i> I wanted to pull my hair out just to be able to think straight.


    <i>These Alphas won¡¯t tolerate their mate having a child with someone else. Shall I tell them who is the father of my child? They won¡¯t kill him then. But let me first confirm it¡¯s my son they brought. They will tell me if that¡¯s him.</i>


    The kid stood facing me, Lucian kneeling beside him. I froze, my eyes searching every detail of this child, desperate for even the smallest sign that said he was mine. Maybe he would just call me <i>mommy.</i> I longed to hear it.


    I was expecting Lucian to say, <i>This is your son,</i> but instead¡ª


    "Raven, this is Eira. Our mate, and Luna of this pack," Lucian introduced.


    <i>Now say I am his mother,</i> I begged silently, my heart pounding, while the boy continued to look directly into my eyes.


    "Eira, this is Raven. From today, he is going to live with us as our family," Lucian added. "I hope you don¡¯t mind."


    He didn¡¯t say I am his mother. Just their mate and Luna. <i>Is he not my son?</i> Sadness gripped my heart.


    "Eira?" Lucian called softly.


    I looked at him, hoping this time he would tell me the boy was mine, but...


    "I asked if you don¡¯t mind Raven staying with us as family," Lucian repeated. "Do you?"


    I shook my head. Why would I mind? This was their home and they could bring anyone they wanted¡ªbut why wasn¡¯t he telling me the boy was my son?


    "Good," Lucian said, turning to the child. "Everyone agreed for you to be our family. So, you can consider her your mommy and us five as your dads, alright?"


    I looked at Lucian again, a tinge of hope flickering in my heart. <i>A kid needs parents,</i> he said.


    I could only agree silently, though sadness lingered inside me¡ªbecause maybe he wasn¡¯t my son after all.


    Lucian introduced the boy to my pets, but still didn¡¯t say a word about who he truly was. He returned to the others, taking the child with him, leaving me with nothing but silence in ce of the answer I longed for.


    My heart sank in, pain once more gripping me.


    As they all talked, I observed the boy, because my heart wasn¡¯t ready to give up yet.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t look like me. Maybe he took after his father.</i>


    I looked at the kid carefully, then to the man who was his father, trying topare both of their features.


    But I couldn¡¯t tell if the child looked like him. I had never seen him when he was a child as I was new to the pack, nor even pictures from his childhood days. We were never close for him to ever show me his childhood pictures.


    At the same time, the child was so well-mannered, as if he had been raised in some rich family. He had clearly been brought up well.


    Why would someone rich raise a whore¡¯s child as their own?


    Maybe he truly wasn¡¯t my child. Maybe he was.


    My mind began drafting countless ways of confirming the truth. Another mess of thoughts in the desperation to have my child back.


    How could I be sure? I had only held him once after he was born. Should I go to him and hug him, try to feel if he its the same child? I remembered his scent from back then. Maybe if I inhaled it again closely, I could confirm. Or maybe I should just ask them directly whose son he was.


    Lucian brought him. I should ask Lucian¡ªthough he hadn¡¯t told me yet.

 Chapter 184: Kael And The Kid

    <h4>Chapter 184: Kael And The Kid</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I looked at Eira. There was certainly some desperation in her eyes as she looked at Raven. Through the bond we shared, I could feel her restlessness.


    She was definitely trying to figure out if he was her child. Well, she wasn¡¯t an idiot. But I had to keep the truth from her for a while.


    Just then, Lucian said, "Raven, let¡¯s freshen up..."


    I quickly interfered, my voice was calm andposed. "I will do it."


    Lucian offered me a surprised gaze, as did the others. They probably hadn¡¯t expected me to volunteer to take care of the kid. But I just wanted to.


    I looked back at them. "You three are tired as well and need to freshen up."


    "Are you sure you can?" Lucian asked in confusion.


    I sighed inwardly. What did they take me for, a stone, someone who knew nothing about kids?


    I offered him a cold re. "I used to take care of all those kids in my parents¡¯ home whenever I visited there¡ªnot one, but all seven."


    "Oh. Then, I¡¯ll leave him to you," Lucian said and turned to Raven. "You can go with him."


    I stood up, and the kid got down from the sofa, ready to leave with me. It was a relief that he was obedient and was ready to follow me though I was a stranger to him.


    Did he follow Lucian¡¯s people just like this? What if our enemies asked him to follow them, will he do the same. Damn! This was worrisome now.


    I turned to Roman. "Look after Eira."


    He offered me an assuring gaze.


    I picked up the bags that were ced on the table. They were the things I had already ordered for him, since there was nothing in this home that a child needed.


    Carrying the bags in one hand, I walked to the staircase, while the kid followed me in silence. When we reached the staircase, he climbed each stair in aposed manner. Of course, he was small, so it took time for him to climb those stairs.


    I wondered if I should lift him in my arms and walk at my pace, but seeing him so self-sufficient, I decided otherwise. I slowly followed him, allowing him to take his time.


    I shouldn¡¯t impose myself on him or let him feel like he had no free will in this home.


    We reached my room. I opened the door for him and entered. He followed me inside.


    I ced the bags on the table and pulled out a few things while he stood quietly on one side, looking around the room.


    "This is my room," I told him, and he looked back at me, his eyes still calm. "You can stay here until your own room is ready, which might take a few more days."


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    I walked toward the bathroom carrying those few things in my hands¡ªkids¡¯ products. "I am arranging these in the bathroom for you. You cane take a look."


    He followed me into the grand bathroom of my room. I arranged his things on the shower counter next to mine.


    Meanwhile, he had already started removing his clothes without me even directing him what to do. He folded them neatly and looked around for something.


    "It¡¯s there," I told him.


    He walked toward theundry basket and put the clothes in. I could only watch him in surprise. He was so particr about things, didn¡¯t hesitate even at strangers¡¯ ce, and strictly followed what he was taught.


    Without hesitation, he went to the shower and looked at the knobs.


    I was about to tell him which one was for hot water, but he had already turned it on and stood under the stream. He nced at the product counter.


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it. I felt I was needed, finally. I got a shower gel bottle for him. He epted it, and I told him, "I will arrange a short-height counter for you here."


    He didn¡¯t respond and continued to shower in silence. His actions were measured and practiced, as if he was used to doing it all on his own. He was entirely self-reliant.


    It made me feel this was going to make it difficult to reach him. Both mother and son were the same¡ªsilent, withdrawn, locked inside themselves.


    No matter how much you tried tomunicate, he didn¡¯t say a single word.


    Once he was done with the shower, I took the small kids¡¯ bathrobe I had prepared and wrapped him in it. He didn¡¯t resist. In fact, he resisted nothing at all.


    I made him stand on the small stool I¡¯d ced in front of the grand washbasin, and we both stared at our reflections in the wide mirror.


    "It¡¯s cold. We need to dry your hair," I told him, already reaching for the hairdryer.


    Standing behind him, I worked slowly, my fingers brushing through his soft hair as the warm air flowed. The scent from his hair was the same as Eira, or it was just my mind was deluding me into thinking.


    He remained quiet, unmoving, as if silence was his shield.


    I decided to try anyway, hoping to draw at least a few words out of him.


    "Are you used to doing everything on your own?" I asked, meeting his gaze in the mirror.


    He gave a small nod. At least he wasn¡¯t rude enough to ignore mepletely.


    "Didn¡¯t you have a nanny?" I pressed gently.


    Another nod saying he had a nanny.


    "You can answer me in yes or no," I told him, searching his expression for anything more.


    He gave no reaction. His face remained calm, unreadable.


    A thought crept into my mind, heavy and unsettling.


    <i>Is he mute?</i>


    I hoped not. That would make it even more difficult to make him one of us, to teach him to live like the kids of his age should.


    Once done, we returned to the room. I pulled out the clothes I had ordered, meant for a boy his age.


    A white short-sleeved T-shirt with the cartoon of a baby wolf on it, and light-colored pants to match.


    I held them up to show him. "I think the size is perfect."


    He simply stared at the clothes, unmoved.


    I realized something. If he had been taught to be so proper, his clothes must have always been like those of an adult, like the ones he wore earlier¡ªformal, as if for school.


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    "I didn¡¯t know what you prefer, so I just ordered what was avable for kids. For now, we only have this. But tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you out shopping so you can buy whatever you like."


    Damn. I suddenly felt like I was being so submissive, so careful in front of a child. For god¡¯s sake, I was the most powerful Alpha, yet here I was, trying to please a kid.


    Nevermind. I could do it. Because he was her child¡ªand from now on, mine as well.


    In response, he stepped forward, took the clothes from me, and began wearing them without hesitation.


    He needed no one¡¯s help. Only god could help us now to get close to him.


    Once he was done wearing the clothes, I realized he looked so adorable in something so casual.


    "These kinds of clothes suit you," I told him.


    He didn¡¯t respond and walked over to the mirror. He observed his reflection, then started fixing his hair with his small hands, fingersbing through those short, well-trimmed strands.


    He set them neatly without much effort. Even Lucian took more time to style his hair, always fussing over how it looked.


    I thought he would look even cuter if his hair were grown out a little instead of being kept so trimmed and adult-like.


    He wasn¡¯t even my child, yet I had already started to think like a father¡ªalready nning things for him. I had started even before he arrived, buying children¡¯s things, preparing a room for him.


    Maybe I had already considered him my child since the moment I saw his picture. Something about him had pulled me in, filling my mind with thoughts of him.


    Strange, but dly eptable.

 Chapter 185: Plan For Raven

    <h4>Chapter 185: n For Raven</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    After having a bath and changing into fresh clothes, Jason and I headed straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Roman joined us as well. We had a little guy with us now, and his first meal in the home should be like a feast.


    We had traveled together for almost twenty-four hours, eating only outside food. Raven ate everything without anyint, so it was difficult to guess what he actually liked. Neither did he talk when I asked him about his preferences, nor there were many options as we were on the run anyway.


    He hadn¡¯t spoken the entire journey, and I concluded it was maybe because we were strangers to him. Even now that we were at home, he was the same.


    My people told me that even when they frisked him away from school, the kid didn¡¯t make a sound or say a single word. He was with them for a whole day, and still, he spoke nothing. During the time they had kept an eye on him, they never saw him talk to anyone.


    Now, I had started to wonder if he was mute. I hoped he wasn¡¯t.


    We focused on cooking, as Raven must be starving and dinner needed to be ready as soon as possible.


    I had already searched what kids might prefer, but most of those dishes I had already cooked for Eira, so it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. He was her son, so I believed he would like what his mother preferred. If not, I would have to figure out his preferencester.


    We had already stopped bringing celery into the house, so if he was allergic to it like Eira, there was nothing to worry about.


    After a while, Kael and Raven returned. Raven descended the stairs at his own pace, and Kael followed him.


    As I watched Raven in casual clothes now, my lips curved into a light smile. "The kid is surely so adorable. The little cutie."


    Damn! I couldn¡¯t believe I was being cringy enough to use a word like <i>cutie</i>, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    "He sure is cute," Roman, standing beside me,mented as he watched the kid as well. "Casual clothes suit him better."


    "He surely inherited it from his mother," Jason added, as just like us, he was watching them.


    "Agree," Romanmented again. "I am sure his father is some filthy bastard to have anything good in him to create such a son. All credit goes to our girl."


    "I remember how pure and innocent she was," I mumbled. "Just a single nce at her was so precious."


    "Heart fluttering, indeed," Romanmented. "Isn¡¯t it, Jason?"


    Jason nced at her and hummed. "She was always the only one."


    As I looked at the two and realized our talk, I chuckled. "All of us never fell in love with any woman, and when we did, it had to be that one. What a coincidence it is for all of us to just notice her only."


    "Indeed," Roman said. "And I didn¡¯t even know how to deal with it, so I ended up bullying her to get her attention."


    "You were such an ass," I scoffed. "Even that bastard bat fell for her, who treated women as nothing but his blood banks."


    "From now on, we will only treasure her," Roman added.


    "Not just her, but her kid as well," Jason said.


    "We will," Roman said. "And he is lucky to have five Alpha dads."


    I nodded. "We will raise him just as perfect. I will teach him all my skills, from fighting to knowledge of drugs."


    "I will train him in the skilled use of my torture tools," Jason added. "Looking at him, I can tell he might like to have rare pets like me."


    "You two, he is just a kid. Let him enjoy his childhood," Roman interrupted us. "We will start him with proper education, and I will teach him some finance skills."


    Both of us offered him mocking res. "Bastard wants to make him like himself," I said. "We are werewolves, and our skills are more important for him. When attacks happen, your financial skills won¡¯t save lives."


    "When an attack doesn¡¯t happen, business and finances are the ones that keep you living a good life," Roman countered. "This luxury we are living in, all those security forces and new weapons you keep adding to your inventory, every pennyes from our business."


    "Let¡¯s give it to him," Jason said, and I kept quiet. Roman wasn¡¯t wrong either.


    "What about Kael?" Roman asked.


    "He will teach him his skills on how to be a good leader of the pack," I replied. "Kael is a perfect leader. The way he had turned our pack so powerful that in thest six years no pack dared even look at us."


    The other two agreed.


    "And Rafe?" Jason asked.


    I thought about it as I looked at the Vampire who had juste out of his room. Not sure what he was doing inside. I hoped it wasn¡¯t another blunder with the drugs or I was going to smack his butt.


    "That bastard is skilled in infuriating people and walking away with it without any harm," I replied, frowning as I remembered how he always angered with his words. "That annoyingly infuriating mouth of his."


    "Must taste really well," Romanmented with a chuckle.


    "Why don¡¯t you go and try yourself if you¡¯re this curious," I snapped at him.


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    The bastard was trying to remind me of what I was trying to forget.


    Roman offered me a teasing smile. "Well, you were unwilling to let him go, so I thought..."


    I gripped a knife¡¯s handle and pointed the de at him. "Seems like you¡¯re tired of living..."


    "Am I wrong?" Roman teased again, then looked at Jason. "Jess, tell him."


    Jason looked at me. He shut his mouth the moment he opened it to say anything. Focusing on his work, he said, "I don¡¯t know what you two are talking about."


    "As expected, this bastard will always take his brother¡¯s side," Roman mumbled.


    "What are you talking about?" a voice disturbed us.


    Kael.


    We didn¡¯t realize when Kael had approached the kitchen to get water for himself from the refrigerator.


    I lowered the knife and was about to reply, but Roman beat me to it.


    "That... how effective Lucian¡¯s new method is in calming our bloodlusty Vampire," Roman said, passing me a wicked smirk.


    This bastard was asking for death now.


    Kael raised a brow, as if asking what?

 Chapter 186: He Is The First Child Of Our Family

    <h4>Chapter 186: He Is The First Child Of Our Family</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    The smirk on Roman¡¯s lips widened as he said, "Oh! It¡¯s truly so easy, and the most effective method to date, and enjoyable for both parties...uhm..."


    I stuffed a tomato in his mouth before he could say more. "Shut up! Unless you want me to flip this entire home upside down."


    Roman finally submitted, and I looked at Kael to exin him. "It was..."


    "As long as it¡¯s fine with you," Kael said and walked away with the bottle of water.


    <i>What? What did he mean? Does he know it?</i>


    I looked at the other two. "You two, you told him?"


    "I¡¯m sure he just guessed it given how you and Rafe are always at it...though with words," Roman said. "Or he just didn¡¯t want to bother knowing, since you were so adamant on not letting me reveal it. You know Kael never forced us to say what we don¡¯t want to."


    <i>Later must be the case.</i> I thought.


    I finally calmed down. Not like what I did with Rafe was something bad, nor something I regretted, but somehow I didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


    I looked at Rafe, who was checking on his cat. The bastard seemed to have already forgotten everything. So I should as well.


    Let¡¯s focus on the little guy. It brought back the smile on my lips, and focus back to cooking.


    -----


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Hey bud,e here," we heard Rafe as he called for Raven, who was sitting on the sofa quietly, while Kael looked lost on what to do with the kid.


    Throughout the journey, Rafe had called him Bud, so Raven was aware of who he was calling for.


    Raven went to him, and I saw Eira looking at him.


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    Rafe was kneeling next to Vixen¡¯s box, caressing the kittens with his fingers.


    "Want to hold one?" He asked Raven.


    In response, Raven looked at Eira. Their gazes met silently.


    Lucian had told him he had to take permission from Eira to touch her pets, and the kid remembered it.


    "Ah! Don¡¯t worry, this cat is my pet as well. She and I share this one," Rafe said, realizing what the issue was. "But, if you want, you can ask her."


    Raven simply looked at her, and we waited to hear him.


    Rafe was trying to make him speak, but...There was only silence from him.


    <i>Does he truly not talk?</i>


    Eira didn¡¯t reply to him, and waited for him to speak. She had understood the assignment.


    Moments passed by, but nothing. He simply stared at her with a calm gaze.


    It was as if she knew why he was looking at her so she should reply without him asking her.


    But then, finally, realizing he was not going to talk, Rafe seemed to decide to give up, not to pressure him too much.


    "Alright. Let me ask on your behalf," Rafe said and looked at Eira, "Hey Caldwell, can my boy touch our cat and her babies?"


    "He can," she replied, not breaking eye contact with Raven. "But only for five minutes. If he needs more time, he has to ask me himself."


    "Well, that will do," Rafe replied and turned to Raven. "Did you hear her? You have five minutes. Go on."


    Raven sat next to the box and Rafe handed him over one kitten. We all watched him. He caressed the kitten in his small hands, his thoughts unknown.


    "This reminds me, we are yet to name the kittens," Rafe said, and looked at Eira, "Caldwell, two are females and two are males. So how about Bitch and Witch for the females and Jerk and Rascal for the males?"


    "Shut up!" she said coldly, keeping her tone in check in front of the kid.


    We all couldn¡¯t help but smile. Rafe was at it again, infuriating Eira. The most interesting thing to watch whenever we could.


    "Then what are you going to name them, huh?" he said mockingly, "Let me guess. Given yourzy brain, I am sure you will go like, Kitty1, Kitty2, Kitty3, Kitty4. Easy, isn¡¯t it?"


    She gritted her teeth, wanting to hurl something at him, but then Raven looked at her and she controlled her anger. "You just wait forter," she warned Rafe.


    "dly," hemented coolly.


    "How about Raven decides their names?" Kael¡¯s voice came in as he walked towards them. "I am sure he can think better than you two."


    Eira didn¡¯t look at Kael even once. Damn! Even after I told her everything, it was still the same. Maybe she needs more time.


    Kael knelt next to Ray. "What do you say, Raven?"


    Raven offered a light nod to Kael.


    At least he didn¡¯t choose silence. Seems like after Kael took care of him, Raven was responsive to him.


    "Then, take your time and tell us the names when you are done deciding," Kael told him, both their gazes meeting each other calmly.


    I should give Kael credit for being good with kids given his stoic and cold personality.


    "Doesn¡¯t he already look like a responsible dad?" I said to Roman and Jason.


    "Indeed," Lucian said, "Didn¡¯t he raise you and especially Rafe since when you two were nasty kids? He is indeed good with it."


    I couldn¡¯t disagree. Though we were of simr age, Kael, even as a kid, was more mature and thoughtful. While I and Rafe were unruly orphans. He was always patient with us, and even now he was the same, patient with all of us.


    "Don¡¯t you think Raven¡¯s temperament matches that of Kael¡¯s?" Lucian said, and we three observed them. "He is like a more serious and quiet version of Kael."


    I hummed. "If we didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought they are real father and son."


    "That¡¯s good then," Lucianmented as something shed in his mind. "We can say he is Kael¡¯s son when there is trouble with the council, but only after we make sure he is not the son of the Alpha of Ravenw pack."


    He looked at Jason, "What do you say?"


    Jason, who had been quiet, hummed, "Seems like a good n."


    "Rafe said he would get that bastard¡¯s blood sample," Lucian said as he looked at Rafe. "Need to ask him."


    They put the kitten back and Rafe stood up, "Hey bud, let¡¯s watch TV until three slow-as-fuck slugs prepare the dinner." He looked our way with a mocking smirk.


    Lucian was about to get back at him, but I held his hand, "You two should control your mouths...ahem...I mean words in front of a kid." A chuckle left my mouth, and Jason smiled as well.


    Lucian red at us two, "Assholes," and got back to his work. I was not going to stop teasing him anytime soon.


    Rafe and Raven stood up and returned to the sofa to sit in front of the TV.


    Kael, still kneeling and caressing the kittens, looked at Eira. Their gazes happened to meet.


    "Do you mind if Raven decides the names for your kittens?" he asked.


    I held my breath to wait for her reply instead of ignoring Kael.


    She shook her head in response.


    I let out a sigh of relief.


    "He is a good kid," he said, and she nodded this time.


    "If you want to spend more time with him, you can always go to him or call him," Kael said calmly.


    She nced at Raven for a moment before returning her gaze back to Kael. She looked like she was about to say or ask something, but then shut her mouth just as she opened it, and simply nodded at what Kael said to her.


    "That¡¯s our son now, the first child of this family, even if we have our own kids in the future," Kael told her. "So treat him like that, as your own son."


    Her eyes a little moist, she nodded again.


    My heart clenched at the thought of when and how we were going to tell her the truth.


    As long as she wouldn¡¯t say she would take him away with her, we could think about it. Maybe her next session with I would clear the status of her mental state now.


    I couldn¡¯t help but imagine the happiness she would feel. I hope it¡¯s soon.

 Chapter 187: He Wasn’t Born Mute

    <h4>Chapter 187: He Wasn¡¯t Born Mute</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    I watched how Kael and Rafe were taking care of Raven. How Kael assured her Raven is the son of this family and she agreed.


    In the past, I once dreamed of having a family and lots of kids with her, but didn¡¯t expect the day woulde like this. She and her kid were there, but I felt distant. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go to her and tell her let¡¯s be like a family.


    Others told her, but I couldn¡¯t, and that was more hurtful. I wish things weren¡¯t like this.


    "Hey bud, want to watch TV?" I heard Rafe ask as both of them went towards the sofa.


    Raven didn¡¯t reply, but anyway both of them settled on the sofa close to each other, Rafe¡¯s one hand resting on the backrest of the sofa behind Raven, as if sitting like a protective father.


    Rafe picked up the remote. "How about an animated movie?" he asked, "Good for little kids," he concluded on his own and started already.


    Rafe¡¯s connection with the kid looked so natural and wless, the way he treated him and called him bud. Even during the journey back home, Raven was mostly with Rafe and Lucian, and I was busy driving.


    I talked to him once in a while. The fact that he was her son already made my heart close to him. There was a certain affection I felt for him. Maybe because I loved his mother in the past, and I still do.


    For a short while during the journey back home, when Lucian was driving, he sent me to rest on the back passenger seat as I drove for a long time. I fell asleep soon, but not alone. I had Raven in my arms, snuggling against me in his sleep. Though he matured, he was still a kid and neededfort and coaxing in sleep.


    I held him affectionately like he was my own, and I swear I never had such afortable sleep in the past six years. As if that kid had cast a soothing sleeping spell on me.


    "Caldwell, do you want to watch TV?" Rafe¡¯s voice brought me back to the present.


    Eira looked at him, and he said again, "We need another kid at home to apany Raven, and you are the only one around."


    She gritted her teeth and looked away.


    "See, acting like a kid again," hemented yfully, and he looked at Raven, "Do you want her to apany you? Don¡¯t worry, she doesn¡¯t bite even if she looks like she could."


    Eira¡¯s face turned angrier. She was holding back just for the sake of Raven.


    And then, Rafe whispered something in Raven¡¯s ears.


    In response, Raven looked at Eira and she calmed her expressions, meeting his gaze.


    Not sure what Rafe whispered to him, but Raven looked back at Rafe and nodded.


    Rafe looked at her. "You are the youngest one in this family after Raven. Even he wants you to apany him. So be good ande here. Don¡¯t make me repeat it."


    Eira, holding the hamster in her hands, stood up and went to them, her angry gaze calm down under Raven¡¯s.


    Damn! How could he warn her like this? And she didn¡¯t refute? What was this bastard holding against her, or she was willingly obeying him, despite her anger?


    Rafe always had a way to make her do what he wanted. He angered her, teased her, but she was helpless in front of him to overpower him. Even now all the time she spat venom, it failed against him.


    Maybe because Rafe was never worried about upsetting her, as in the past he always did it and even now he was the same. His carefree attitude, unlike us four who now acted like walking on thin ice around her, made him win over her.


    Could I ever be like this to her? Could I go to her without feeling the guilt I am having in my heart? If I do, what will she do? Will she me me for these things and hate me more?


    I had been hiding behind my brothers, keeping my distance with her. But how long could I do it?


    Just then, Lucian, who had attended a call and returned to the kitchen shortly, had serious expressions.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" I asked.


    Roman waited to hear as well.


    "Alpha Asher is turning his pack upside down in search of Raven," Lucian replied. "His people are catching everyone suspicious and the entire pack is on high alert. No mercy is shown to those who are caught."


    "Your people are already out of there, right?" Roman asked.


    Lucian hummed, but the seriousness from his face didn¡¯t fade even a bit. "The way he is carrying out the search like a madman, seems like Raven isn¡¯t just a pureblood kid he kept by his side, but something more. Something far more precious."


    "It can only mean Raven is his son, and as a father he is going mad?" Roman said.


    "We can¡¯t deny the possibility," Lucian said, though conflicted over the conclusion.


    I looked at Eira. <i>Did she truly have a rtionship with him six years back?</i> My heart hurt to think about it, but I shrugged that thought aside and said, "The kid is pureblood, that¡¯s more of a reason to keep him."


    Lucian hummed, worry painted on his face. "They had been taking the kid to the hospital frequently for some reason. Our people couldn¡¯t reach that deep to know what exactly they were taking him there for. It was totally a secret matter."


    "We can talk with Liam. He wille tomorrow as he needs Raven¡¯s blood sample for some tests," Roman added.


    We looked at the kid in worry.


    "I wonder what they had been doing to him, that he is not like other kids," Roman added. "He doesn¡¯t talk at all. If he was abused in some way, he would have been a mess, but he is wellposed and well behaved, so there are no signs of any abuse."


    "Sometimes, the abuse is not physical, but mental," I said.


    I had been ying with the psyche of people I tortured to get information and most of the time, I didn¡¯t even have to lift a finger to hurt them. Hurting psychologically was worse than hurting physically.


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    "I wille to see Eira, so we can talk to her about Raven," Roman said. "We need to know what they did to him and why he doesn¡¯t talk."


    "Was he born mute?" Lucian asked. "In the situation she had been pregnant and given birth, it must not have been a healthy condition for a child inside her."


    "He wasn¡¯t born mute," Roman said with confidence.


    "Did she tell you anything?" I asked.


    Roman shook his head. "She didn¡¯t say directly, but a while back when I talked to her about feeding a child, she said she never fed a child. He was crying so loud but they didn¡¯t allow him, other than just holding him for a few moments."


    "So he cried when he was born," I concluded, my doctor¡¯s insight kicking in. "And he isn¡¯t deaf either, which can affect a child¡¯s talking ability. Then definitely a trauma caused him to be mute, or he was raised in a way that he chose to be mute."


    The other two offered me a worried gaze.


    "I am sure I can exin better," I assured them.

 Chapter 188: Raven’s Eating Preference

    <h4>Chapter 188: Raven¡¯s Eating Preference</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    I looked at the peaceful view of Eira and her child watching TV while sitting side by side. She looked at peace as she must be watching TV after so many years. Even in our home, she just cooped herself in that very corner. The arrival of her son might start a change in her.


    Rafe was sitting next to Raven,menting once in a while at certain foolish things in the movie, and Raven nodded to him, as if agreeing.


    Raven was holding a hamster in hisp, which he got from Eira when she came to him. And she allowed him.


    I was worried about the kid, and it somehow unsettled my heart in a way I couldn¡¯t control. The thought of what they might have done to him was killing me inside.


    What happened with Eira, because of our fault, I wasn¡¯t over it yet. And if it was the same with her child, I was not sure how I or any of us were going to forgive ourselves. The weight of our guilt was only increasing, instead of lessening anymore.


    "Alright! Everything¡¯s ready," Roman announced, and went to them. "We can have dinner now."


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    "Let¡¯s have dinner," Rafe told Raven, who nodded. Then he looked at Eira. "Little one,e."


    She offered him a narrowed-eyed gaze, anger hiding beneath it. She clearly didn¡¯t like being called what Rafe was calling her.


    "Something got in your eyes, Caldwell?" he asked with a smirk. "Clean it ande to the dining table. Raven is starving, so don¡¯t make him wait." And he walked towards the dining table holding Raven¡¯s hand.


    Kael got the hamster from her hand and said, "You go. I will keep him in his cage."


    She nodded lightly and followed the other two.


    Kael served food for the other pets as well and returned to the dining table. He sat in his chair, the head of the family one. On his left was Eira, while on his right was Raven, with me next to him and then Jason.


    Roman was on Eira¡¯s side, and Rafe changed his seat to sit next to Roman now. The family of seven looked perfect. More chairs would be added, and the seating arrangements would keep changing as hopefully new members were added to the family in the future.


    I wondered¡ªnow that Kael and Eira had mated, could we expect to have another child in the family soon?¡¯I hope it¡¯s a girl, and I will name her Alice,¡¯ the thought pleased me.Even if it would be Kael¡¯s child, it would be equally ours.


    The food was served, and we were ready to eat."I hope you like it," I said. "But if you don¡¯t,ter you can tell me what you prefer to eat. I will cook right away. I¡¯m an expert chef."


    "Since when?" Rafemented teasingly. "All these years, we didn¡¯t know."


    "You bloodsucker, keep quiet and eat," I warned him. "Don¡¯t make me talk something bad in front of a kid."


    Rafe scoffed. "Kids need to learn, so when they grow up, they won¡¯t be losers. Keep talking your usual way. If not, I¡¯m going to teach him very soon anyway. Some sweet little curses and foul talk suitable for the little guy."


    This bastard wouldn¡¯t listen anyways, but I wanted to be a good parent to Raven. The bad things, he will learn when he grows up a little more.


    I looked at Kael. "We need to keep this bastard away from Raven."


    Before Kael could say anything, Rafe added, "There¡ªhe learned his first word. Bastard." Then he called for Raven. "Hey bud, remember the word ¡¯Bastard¡¯ you learned from daddy Lucian." He smirked at me.


    Raven simply looked at him and then turned eating.


    I wanted to say more, but Roman interrupted, "Whose daddy? Raven¡¯s or yours?"


    I red at Roman while Rafe scoffed. "The way he keeps nagging me all the time, maybe mine as well."


    "In your dreams. Shut up, you bastard," I spat, and turned to Raven¡ªonly to sigh at the sight.


    He was quietly eating with a fork and knife, practiced and at ease. His small fingers didn¡¯t struggle at all. He ate gracefully.


    I looked at him, then at Kael. Both of them were quiet, eating like sophisticated gentlemen, no rush at all.


    "Kael wasn¡¯t enough to make us feel like wildlings¡ªnow our little guy is adding even more sophistication," Imented.


    Other than Kael, the rest of us weren¡¯t slow and refined. Roman was, a little, since he was a businessman.


    But the rest of us? We used our hands directly unless something strictly required a spoon. For god¡¯s sake, we were werewolves¡ªwe tore into prey with our jaws and teeth. What the fuck was with this fork and knife business?


    Even Eira was like us. She barely touched a spoon, drinking soup straight from the bowl. Given how she had spent her life past six years, it was understandable.


    "Forget about bad words, first we need to teach him to eat like us," I mumbled. "He should be our wild little wolf."


    Rafe and Jason clearly agreed.


    Raven ate everything without a singleint.


    "Which one did you like the most?" I asked.


    His gaze swept over the leftovers in the pots, stopping at the chocte pancakes. He pointed at them.


    Damn. Just like Eira.


    Eira froze mid-bite, forgetting to chew as her eyesnded on him.


    "I knew it¡ªkids like it," I jumped in quickly, not letting her overthink it. "That¡¯s why I made it."


    "When we first brought this kid into our home," Rafe added smoothly, siding with me, "she liked it the most too."


    Raven and Eira just stared at each other, and all our breaths caught in our chests. Was she starting to piece it together? Would she see more signs that he was her son?


    I cleared my throat to break the tension. "Which was your second favorite?"


    He pointed again¡ªthis time at another dish.


    "Oh, that¡¯s Kael¡¯s favorite," I said with relief, thankful he hadn¡¯t chosen something else Eira preferred.


    Kael shot me a questioning look, as if to say, <i>When did I ever say that was my favorite?</i>


    I only smiled back at him, silently telling him I knew him well. It really was his favorite¡ªhe could eat it every damn day without getting bored.


    The only thing we still needed to confirm was celery. If Raven was allergic to it like Eira, then we had to be extra careful not to let her find out.

 Chapter 189: Kiss With Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 189: Kiss With Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    After a quiet dinner, we all drifted outside into the garden. It was still early, and no one seemed ready for sleep. The lounging chairs had already been arranged in a broad circle around the firece, where Roman and Jason busied themselves with the wood and kindling.


    Kael stayed with Raven, allowing the boy to watch and learn about what the other two were doing, guiding him with the patient air of a father teaching his son.


    Lucian had let Fluffy loose, finally giving the pup some attention after neglecting him for days. Though Fluffy had always been Lucian¡¯s, Eira had imed him as her own now, and everyone knew it.


    "Want to try it?" Jason asked, holding a few small logs out to Raven.


    Without hesitation, Raven stepped forward and arranged the wood neatly.


    "Good," Jason praised, nodding approvingly. "Now, we have to light the fire..." He crouched down, exining step by step as they lit up the fire.


    I arched a brow. Since when had Jason changed like this? On the journey home, he had cared for Raven in silence, almost distant, but now he seemed like an attentive guardian. Not bad. Only if he could manage to speak to Eira as well, so he wouldn¡¯t look so damned isted from the rest of us.


    Eira sat quietly in one of the chairs, her gaze fixed on Raven. I had brought warm sheets for her and the boy in case the night turned cold.


    With Raven upied, I took one of the sheets and pulled it over Eira. She nced at me, startled.


    "I just don¡¯t want you freezing," I said smoothly. "Kids need to be taken care of well, or they fall sick."


    Her eyes red with anger as she tore the cover off and stood to face me. Her voice was low, restrained so Raven wouldn¡¯t hear. "Stop treating me like a kid."


    I didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, I gave her the same infuriating smirk I had always used on her in the past.


    "If you keep acting like one, what else am I supposed to call you?" I taunted. "Always grumpy, throwing tantrums, sulking in the corner like a spoiled brat,zing around as if the world owes you something. Want me to keep listing them out?"


    "Shut up!" she spat, her voice low yet fierce. "I will do and act however I feel like. You can go to hell."


    Though she tried to suppress her tone, my brothers heard us anyway.


    "Better block the kid from their unsightly banter," I heard Lucian say, despite my all focus was on her.


    "With an unsightly witch in front of me all the time, I already feel like I¡¯m in hell," I shot back, reaching out to ruffle her unkempt hair. "Messy hair, face always down like you¡¯re about to murder someone, grim expressions as if cursing the entire world all the time. The list is long."


    She pped my hand away with a sharp motion and stormed toward the house. I followed at once.


    Just as she stepped through the door attached to the wide ss wall, I caught up and grabbed her hand, refusing to let her disappear into her lonely corner again. I was not going to allow it.


    "Running away when you can¡¯t fight back¡ªthat¡¯s exactly what a child does," I said coldly.


    She spun on me, fury zing in her eyes as she tugged against my grip. "You bastard."


    "You need to expand your cuss word collection," I replied smoothly, meeting her wide eyes without a flinch. "These ones are getting boring."


    "Let go of my hand," she hissed.


    <fn74a4> Content originallyes from Find~Novel</fn74a4>


    "So you can keep hiding in here?" I leaned closer, tightening my grip. "Not allowed."


    "I can decide for myself."


    "You certainly can¡¯t as the child you are. As an adult, I need to guide you¡ª" I countered.


    "Stop calling me a child!" she snapped, her voice rising.


    Thankfully the door was closed, muffling her words so Raven couldn¡¯t hear, though through the wall of ss my brothers could clearly see us.


    "Then act like an adult," I told her, unyielding.


    "I don¡¯t need to. I am an adult," she retorted, her breath sharp with anger.


    "Then prove it," I challenged.


    Her face twisted in defiance, irritation ring into rage. Her hands moving to undress herself. "You¡¯ve already seen me naked. Want me to take my clothes off again just to prove it? So be it..."


    "You talk too much when one action can end it faster," I cut her off, and before she could retort, I silenced her with my mouth on hers.


    At the same time, I caught her hand and pulled it away from her dress, stopping her from undressing.


    She shoved me back with fury zing in her eyes. "So you wanted it all along, huh?"


    "You think so?" I smirked, unfazed. "Trust me, your scent almost suffocated me. I let you push me away from that kiss just in time or.... Thanks for saving me, or I might have died right there."


    In honestly, she wasn¡¯t wrong. I was itching to be closer to her this way, and I didn¡¯t want to miss the chance when I still had drug¡¯s effect in my body to keep me in control. Once it wore off, I won¡¯t be able to do so. And I didn¡¯t have anymore drugs for now.


    I wasn¡¯t sure when I will ever be able to be close to her, so I just wished to make the best out of it. And I just did. I got to taste her lips though briefly.


    "My scent suffocates you, huh? Then I should kill you now," she hissed. while I was lost in the fire of her expression, the wild beauty of her anger.


    In a sh of a moment, she stepped toward me, her hands sliding around the back of my neck. With a sharp tug she pulled me down and crushed her lips to mine.


    The suddenness stunned me, but instinct quickly took over. My hands closed around her slender waist, holding her firmly as I kissed her back.


    She tried to pull away after a moment, thinking her revengeplete, but before she could escape entirely, I pressed her against the ss wall behind her.


    Her furious gaze locked with my calm one, our lips still brushing.


    I whispered against her mouth, my breath mingling with hers. "Not enough to suffocate or kill me. You¡¯ll have to try harder¡ªand I¡¯m more than willing to cooperate."


    Before she could answer, I imed her lips again, my body pinning her small frame against the cold ss.


    I was aware my brothers might be watching, but they kept to themselves, resuming their tasks as if nothing had happened.


    This was my moment with her¡ªone I might never have again.

 Chapter 190: Mind Resists, But Body Wants

    <h4>Chapter 190: Mind Resists, But Body Wants</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    Her lips were fire against mine, defiant yet trembling with something she refused to name. I deepened the kiss, tilting my head and sliding my mouth harder over hers until her muffled protest turned into a soft gasp. That single sound broke through me like a spark in dry wood.


    She clutched at my shirt, fisting the fabric as though she wanted to push me away, yet her grip pulled me closer instead. My hands tightened at her waist, feeling the fragile rise and fall of her breath as I pressed her firmly against the ss. The cold surface at her back only made the warmth of her body burn hotter beneath my touch.


    When her lips parted, I took the opening without hesitation, sliding my tongue past her resistance to taste her fully. She met me with surprising fierceness, her tongue tangling with mine in a reckless battle neither of us seemed willing to end. It was wild, messy, nothing like restraint¡ªan explosion of years of hate, fury, and something we didn¡¯t wish to name.


    Her fingers left my shirt and found their way to my neck, nails grazing my skin, as if to remind me that this was her revenge, her control. But each scratch only urged me further, only made me want to im her mouth with more intensity.


    I breathed her in, every maddening note of her scent wrapping around me, no longer suffocating but intoxicating. The world beyond that ss wall ceased to exist. The crackling of wood in the firece outside, my brothers¡¯ voices carried faintly on the night air¡ªnone of it mattered.


    Only her. Only this storm raging between us, her fury bleeding into passion as we kissed like enemies who couldn¡¯t stop devouring each other.


    When she tried to pull back again, panting, I chased her lips, brushing them with mine once more, refusing to let the connection break.


    "You think you can end it here?" I whispered against her mouth, my voice rough with desire. "No, little witch. Not until I¡¯ve had my fill."


    And before she could argue, I imed her lips again, deeper, hungrier, until both of us were drowning.


    After long when we stopped, both of us were utterly spent, panting heavily, and trying to calm ourselves.


    <fn9a96> Get full chapters from find~novel</fn9a96>


    I could sense her wolf was excited to mate with me and it was driving her crazy despite her not wanting it. As she was bonded to Kael, she was bonded to us four as well, despite not marking her. She felt the same effect of us on her the way Kael, her mate, had.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t n to fuck you," I told her, my voice low and hoarse. "If I did, you¡¯d be dead by the time I finished, drained of every drop of blood."


    She gasped, her eyes shing with defiance. "Then fuck me. I want to die anyway."


    Damn. She still hadn¡¯t abandoned her obsession with dying. Thankfully we haven¡¯t told her yet about Raven. We couldn¡¯t risk the little guy¡¯s life.


    "Trust me, my body wants you like crazy, but my mind stops me," I told her, meeting her gaze steadily. "Just like how your mind wants to stop, but your body can¡¯t resist us."


    She fell quiet as she couldn¡¯t deny this truth. Her body, her wolf was bound to submit to us even when her mind screamed against it. She was utterly helpless in front of the natural instincts of the werewolf.


    "You are not the only one fighting with your own beast. I am the same," I continued. "Every moment, I am fighting with it to stop myself froming to you. You are not the only pitiful creature here."


    Her gaze turned resolute. "What if I say my mind is ready as well as my body to let you fuck me?"


    "Then I¡¯d say I won¡¯t fall for it," I replied with a smirk. "If you¡¯re searching for a killer, it won¡¯t be me. So don¡¯t act smart with me. I won¡¯t be fucking you. Not now, not ever, not even in your dreams."


    I wasn¡¯t lying when I said it. Even if I wouldn¡¯t kill her and managed to go through mating without any harm to her, the other thing that stopped me from fucking her was ¡ª I never want to have a child with her.


    What if I lose control and happened to impregnate her and then she gave birth to another monster like me. Better to not have a child ever than create one like me, only to put that child through the torment of life.


    I won¡¯t let it happen when I wasn¡¯t even sure how long I could even stay by her side. One day I had to leave, and this passionate kiss with her would be the precious memory I was going to cherish till thest breath of my life. It was enough for me.


    Clearly she was disappointed once more for being denied the death.


    I moved away from her and then looked past through the ss window.


    "Others are waiting for us," I looked back at her, caressed her hair gently to fix them, "That kid is experiencing new things, let¡¯s be by his side."


    As I said it, she turned and looked through the ss wall.


    Kael was teaching Raven how to warm his hands over fire. And Raven seemed to like it. His small hands were trying to feel the warmth while keeping a safe distance.


    Others werementing something as well, while talking andughing. That was a peaceful sight to see.


    "You go ahead. I¡¯ll get water for you," I told her.


    I needed time to calm down, a moment to be away from her. On the surface she might feel I was normal, but inside she didn¡¯t know the beast was already thirsty for her blood. My fangs itched to get into her skin, to drink everyst drop flowing through her veins.


    I had already turned around to go to the kitchen, while she stepped out of the door. I knew she wanted to go to Raven.


    Getting into the kitchen, I first pulled out the chilled water bottle and emptied it down my throat. I noticed my reflection in the clear dark surface of the refrigerator. I could see the veins along my temples and neck pop out, turning into a dark mesh.


    I had to calm myself before I returned to her.

 Chapter 191: Mother And Son

    <h4>Chapter 191: Mother And Son</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    I closed my eyes and tried my best to calm down. After a while, I returned outside and handed her over a water ss filled with warm water, as it was cold.


    Sitting in the lounge chair, watching the kid in silence, she epted the water without any protest or showing any hostility towards me after that kiss.


    Well, she kissed me back as well after I let her go just after the brief touch of her lips. So what happenedter, she was the one to escte it. Not like I was putting me on her, because I was the one to start it out of my own greed to be close to her, to touch her. But I appreciated she was well aware of her own actions.


    "The beautiful night calls for the drinks," Lucian said, to which others agreed.


    At the mention, Jason soon brought the liquor bottles from inside the home, but two were different¡ªtwo tiny almond milk bottles that were meant for the kids.


    Jason passed each bottle to everyone. The liquor bottles to us, while he offered a milk bottle to Raven. "You are still a kid, so this is for you."


    <fnafa5> The rightful source is find(?)ovel</fnafa5>


    Raven epted it.


    Jason went to Eira and offered her one. "For you."


    She didn¡¯t look at him and frowned.


    At least this guy was now trying tomunicate. But given her temper, she wasn¡¯t going to forgive me for that torture anytime soon. To be honest, bastard deserved it.


    Lucian went to Eira and offered her his liquor bottle, "Want this one instead?"


    She epted the opened bottle and had a sip of it already.


    Roman settled in the chair next to her. "It¡¯s not a strong one, so you will be fine."


    The Eira we remembered was minor and never had drinks, so that¡¯s why Jason must have brought milk for her.


    But time had changed, and god knows what kind of evil stuff had been downed her throat all these years. Alcohol was nothing in front of it.


    "She is a big girl now," Lucianmented as he looked at Jason, who simply got himself one liquor bottle and settled in one lounging chair, away from hers.


    "Yeah, she just tried to prove it to me a while ago," Imented with a wicked chuckle and settled in the lounge chair next to her.


    She red at me and looked away.


    My brothers knew what I was talking about.


    Kael had all his attention on Raven. He opened a milk bottle for him and said, "You should drink it slowly while sitting."


    The kid was truly so obedient to him.


    But then Kael noticed something. He gently rubbed Raven¡¯s arms and said, "You seem to be cold. Let¡¯s get you covered first."


    "I had brought one for him already," I told him and looked towards the table I had ced it on. "Huh? Where has it gone?"


    Just then Fluffy barked. The bastard had gotten on the ground and was sitting on it like a king.


    "I¡¯ll get another one," Lucian said, but...


    "I have it. Come here," Eira said as she looked at Raven. "It¡¯s big enough for the two of us."


    Woah! She finally talked on her own, and that too nothing bitter at all.


    Raven looked at Kael.


    This boy, why did he always look at Kael for any permission? It was surprising. Not like he was following the rules under the Alpha of the pack.


    Kael offered an approving nod and Raven walked towards Eira. The lounging chair was wide,fortable, inclined backward, the front part curved perfectly to straighten the legs and rx.


    Eira moved to one side, and it had more than enough space for Raven to settle in. Kael lifted him and settled himfortably, while Eira pulled the cover over him.


    They looked perfect, mother and son, only if she knew it.


    Kael offered him a bottle of milk, and then walked away to sit in one lounge chair as he picked up the liquor bottle for himself.


    Lucian settled in the empty chair next to Jason. He wouldn¡¯t let his brother feel lonely. Eira now sat between me and Roman, Lucian next to him and then Jason. While Kael was next to me. One chair was left empty as Raven had settled with Eira.


    Eira quickly finished her bottle, set it aside and turned to Raven, who was slowly finishing his.


    "Did you like it?" she asked him, her expression soft.


    He met her gaze and nodded. She fixed the sheet properly on him. "Are you cold?"


    He paused a little before shaking his head.


    Maybe it was her motherly instinct, but she understood he was feeling cold a little and didn¡¯t want to trouble her or anyone.


    Just then he finished that bottle. She got it from him and dabbed his mouth clean with the long sleeve of her dress.


    The kid followed certain rules and mannerisms, but when she just used her sleeve, he didn¡¯t mind. During the travel with us, he would always look for a paper napkin and wipe his mouth clean gracefully.


    She put his bottle aside and pulled him closer to her, her arm surrounding his small body. And he let her. Well, not like he ever resisted anything. It was like his principle was to just go with the flow and be at peace.


    We brothers talked about things here and there, that included mostly the new additions to this estate. We had decided on building a yground for Raven, and everything he might enjoy.


    Eira heard us while she continued to pay attention to the kid in her arms, holding him close, letting him feel her warmth.


    Raven fell asleep soon, and she held him close like he was her baby. They looked cute together. I knew Lucian had already clicked their pictures.


    "It¡¯s getting cold. Let¡¯s head inside," Kael said as he looked at the sleeping Raven, and already moved toward Eira. "Not good for him to sleep in the cold. Let me take him inside."


    She didn¡¯t deny. Kael picked up the sleeping boy carefully so as not to disturb his sleep. His small face rested against Kael¡¯s broad shoulder, his soft, slightly chubby cheek pressed t against it, his mouth slightly open to form an O.


    "He looks like a cute little bunny when he¡¯s sleeping," Romanmented as we followed Kael, "Unlike how adult-like he acts when he¡¯s awake."


    "Trust me, when he sleeps in your arms, you won¡¯t want to let him go," Lucian added. "It¡¯s a sweet and overwhelming feeling."


    I looked at Eira. She quietly followed Kael, her gaze fixed on the sleepy boy.


    Once inside, Kael said, "I am taking him to my room. Good night," and was already walking toward the stairs.


    Eira¡¯s expression soured a little. "Wait!" she finally said.


    Kael stopped and looked at her, his gaze questioning.


    "I... want him... to sleep with me..." she said with hesitation. "Can¡¯t you leave him with me...?"


    "You can sleep in my room as well, if you want," he replied, waiting for her answer, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    Kael turned around and walked upstairs to his room.

 Chapter 192: Eira’s Wishes

    <h4>Chapter 192: Eira¡¯s Wishes</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    We still had some concerns to not leave Raven with her yet, so Kael had to do it. He had no intentions of forcing her into sleeping in his room.


    We were going to follow the rule that she could be with Raven when at least one of us was around her.


    Eira could only watch him walk away. Her fists clenched, she refused to listen to him.


    "You can go to his room, if you want," I told her. "The bed is big enough to apany you three."


    As much as I wanted her to be with me, as night was the only time I got to spend by her side alone, though we slept apart from each other, I wished her to be with her child as well.


    <fne73c> Content originallyes from find?novel</fne73c>


    We could see her slowly warming up to the kid, and there was a hope of improvement in her psychological situation.


    At that, all Kael and her were now bonded mates and she should be sleeping with him, but...


    In response, she walked towards the mattress by the ss wall, her usual ce. Shey on it and covered herself with the sheets from head to toe. She was acting like a child throwing a tantrum who didn¡¯t get what he wanted.


    I went to her. "It¡¯s cold here. You need to sleep inside the room."


    She didn¡¯t budge.


    "If you catch a cold, it will pass on to Raven as well. He is still a child and weak," Jason spoke up. As expected from the doctor.


    Though werewolves, we had our own sickness as well, that made us no different from humans.


    She finally pulled the cover down and red at us.


    Just then Rafe stretched his armszily and said, "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let her catch cold. I will sleep with her here, holding her tight in my arms so she stays warm," and walked towards the mattress.


    Before Rafe could even step on the mattress, she pushed the bed sheet aside and got out of it.


    Jason and Rafe¡¯s threats worked on her. Neither did she want Raven to fall sick, nor did she wish to sleep with Rafe.


    "Where are you going?" Rafe called after her. "I was thinking to have another kiss, maybe more."


    "Fuck off! You bloodsucker," she spat out angrily, and strode towards my room. Well, now our room.


    "Trust me, your mouth tastes better after cursing," he teased again, but she showed him a middle finger before entering the room.


    Damn! She was bing better with her rebellion act. All of us chuckled at her reaction. It was adorable. I hoped slowly, just like this, all that anger inside her woulde out and vanish entirely one day.


    At the same time, I was d she at least chose to sleep in my room, well, our room.


    I was content with that only for now. I admit I had been greedy and couldn¡¯t wait to get into her pants, but things have now changed with her innocence proven.


    The anger my brothers and I felt towards her was gone. Now all we wanted to do was care for her and have a good and meaningful life with her.


    With only four of us left, we settled on the sofa as no one wished to sleep.


    "When are you going to get that bastard¡¯s blood to check if Raven is his son?" Lucian asked Rafe.


    Rafe offered him a bored look. "That bastard isn¡¯t some random wild animal I sink my fangs into and draw his blood out."


    "Do you at least have a n?" Lucian asked.


    "Already executed it. Just need some more time," Rafe answered. "Now that bastard is left berserk with Raven missing, he is more alert. But I am sure we will get it."


    "How? What n do you have?" I asked.


    "Just sold one bitch to one bastard who is willing to do it for us," Rafe answered and stood up. "I have some leftover work to do over those broken devices," and left.


    "Bastard, just wants to be mysterious," Lucian frowned.


    Lucian and Jason left to talk to their people now that Alpha Asher of Ravenw pack must have been hunting everything to get the kid back. We couldn¡¯t ck.


    I returned to the room where we had decided to never leave her alone, one of us always apanying her. Eira was sleeping, in fact, still turning and tossing in anger.


    Sensing my arrival, she stopped and slept while facing her back to me.


    I covered her with sheets andy in my ce. There was silence in the room now. I looked at her back.


    "What are you thinking about?" I asked, though inside I was sure she wouldn¡¯t respond.


    But I had to keep trying.


    After a silence for a while, she asked, "Raven, whose child is he?"


    "Someone we know," I replied, not wanting to lie, nor reveal much.


    "Who is that someone?" she asked again.


    I clearly knew why she was asking it. She wasn¡¯t an idiot. At the same time, I was d she had started to trust me enough to at least ask me what was in her mind. Before, she just let everything pass.


    "A good person we valued. So, we want to take care of their child," I answered.


    "Why? What happened to that person?" she asked again.


    "They are not in a good situation to raise a child and protect him," I answered. "We owed that person, so we have decided to raise their child as ours and give him a proper family."


    Once more, there was silence.


    Before she could ask more, I asked instead, "Do you not like that we have a kid in our family now?" My reason was to stop her from digging further.


    "I didn¡¯t say that," she replied. "I was just curious."


    "Just know that we have to care for him well as our son," I told her, keeping my calm. "You can see he doesn¡¯t talk at all. He is not mute, but certain trauma caused him to stop talking. We have to do everything to make him like a normal kid of his age. He shouldugh, cry, throw tantrums¡ªeverything a kid should do. We have to give him a happy life. Will you help us do that? Be his mother?"


    "I will," she replied quickly.


    I was d she agreed, but more relieved that she didn¡¯t ask me directly if Raven was her son. It would have been so difficult to say no.


    And finally, she turned to look at me. "Then, can he sleep with me?"


    I turned to my side to face her and offered her an assuring gaze. "Maybe. But you have to make him feel you are his mother, so he will be closer to you."


    "It¡¯s the first time I am dealing with a kid," she said, her gaze worried but excited at the thought as well.


    I understood what she meant. "Doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s the first time for Rafe as well. But he is doing good, so you can."


    "How?" she asked.


    "Hmm... You can y with him, have some fun,ugh together. If you are happy, it will reflect in the child as well."


    Damn! Since when had I turned into a child and mother expert?


    I knew the answer. It was about him, my little brother. I had taken care of him with all I had, but lost him.


    I had forgotten that past, but the past hadn¡¯t forgotten me yet. If I hadn¡¯t been weak back then, I wouldn¡¯t have lost him. His innocent small face still lingered in my memories, the very moment when he took hisst breath in my arms. I could do nothing but cry, holding his small, lifeless body.


    "I am not sure, but I will try." Her words brought me back to the present.


    "I know you can do it," I assured her. "Now close your eyes and sleep. It¡¯ste."


    She once more turned her back to me and slept.


    I turned and stared at the ceiling. The past I had forgotten started to y in front of me. My chest felt heavy with emotions.


    If that wicked woman hadn¡¯t been in our life, my brother wouldn¡¯t have died. That whore, such a stain on the name of mothers. I wish I could kill her with my own hands.

 Chapter 193: She Might As Well Murder You

    <h4>Chapter 193: She Might As Well Murder You</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I put Raven on my bed, exactly in the middle, and ced the pillows as a barrier on the other side in case he moved around and fell off the bed.


    Toff the lights, Iy on one side of the bed and covered both of us with the same bed-sized nket. Somehow I couldn¡¯t stop staring at his small, innocent, beautiful, peaceful face. For how mature he acted, in the end he was still a child¡ªa sweet one.


    After so many years, I felt my lips curve into a gentle smile that came from my heart without me even realizing it was there. His presence felt just as soothing and fulfilling as finding water in a vast desert when you thought you were going to die of thirst.


    As he was in the middle of the bed, he wasn¡¯t far from me. My hand hovered near his face, which looked so small in front of myrge palm. But I couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to touch him, to caress that soft, chubby cheek of his.


    I leaned a little closer and pecked his head. His hair smelled just like Eira¡¯s.


    The more I looked at him, the more I felt greedy to keep him with me without telling Eira he was her son. What if she wouldn¡¯t allow me to be with him once she knew? She called me a monster, and she tried to keep her son away from a monster so he won¡¯t be like me?


    The thought felt overwhelming. Though not by blood, I had already considered him as my son. And I wished to keep things the same way.


    I looked at the ce behind Raven where I had ced cushions.


    <i>Will she every on that side of the bed?</i> I could only wish, knowing it wouldn¡¯t ever happen, at least not anytime soon.


    For now, I just wanted to cherish this moment with him and closed my eyes.


    When I woke up at dawn, I felt something soft snuggling against my chest. Without opening my eyes, my hands moved¡ªand it was Raven.


    I moved my head to look at him, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. He had moved closer to me, almost sinking, curled against me like a little bunny.


    His soft breathing brushed over my t-shirt-covered chest, his mouth slightly open as he drooled. His small hand rested against me as if he were warming it up. His little legs were curled against my stomach.


    <i>Is it cold in the room?</i> I wondered.


    Being a werewolf, cold didn¡¯t really affect me, so it was hard to consider it for others who felt it. Raven was still a child, his wolf hadn¡¯t awakened yet, so it was normal for him to not be as strong as adults.


    I wrapped my hand around him, secured the nket over him, and held him closer, letting my warmth sip into him.


    He grew even morefortable, his mouth moving in his sleep as if chewing something, humming softly.


    At this, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, <i>Was there anyone who held him like this, or had he always been alone, raised in a strict, independent way?</i>


    I slept like that for a while more before finally separating him from me, covering him well, and adjusting the room¡¯s temperature to his needs. A child should sleep longer, so I didn¡¯t disturb his sleep.


    I was thirsty, and the water jar in the room was empty. I headed downstairs, gently shutting the door behind me. When I reached the ground floor, I was surprised to see everyone already in the drawing room so early in the morning.


    Eira was sitting by the window, all dressed up and ready for the day. When her gaze met mine, all I could feel was an angry re from her.


    I went to the kitchen where the others had already started working. The atmosphere looked a little tense.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" I asked my brothers through the mind link, ncing at Eira.


    "You are in trouble," Roman answered with a chuckle, as we continued to use the mind link.


    "When am I not?" I replied and headed to the refrigerator to get the water bottle.


    "She might as well murder you," Lucian said through the mind link.


    "The way she was looking at me, I could tell she had already killed me so many times in her mind," I replied coolly.


    "She woke up early, got ready, and is already waiting for Raven toe downstairs," Roman said as he handed me the warm water and snatched the chilled water bottle from my hands. "You are here, but he isn¡¯t."


    "He is sleeping," I told them. "Let him be."


    Just then we watched Eira stand up all of a sudden, and the next moment she was heading upstairs.


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    "Her patience finally gave up," Romanmented. "You don¡¯t know how excited she was when she woke up." he told us the conversation he had with Eira the previous night. "She is looking forward to be his mother."


    No wonder she was ring at me so hatefully.


    Rafe came out of the room, stretchingzily and yawning as usual.


    "What¡¯s the chatter about?" he asked through the mind link. "Who is killing whom?"


    "Just go back to sleep," Lucian told him with a frown.


    "I am done with my beauty sleep, enough for you to find me beautiful," he smirked at Lucian.


    "Rather an ugly bloodsucker," Lucian countered, and busied himself in work.


    "You need to check your eyes then." Rafe slumped onto the sofa and looked around. "Where¡¯s our bandit queen? Sleeping?"


    "She just dropped the n of killing our Alpha and headed to his room," Jason answered this time.


    "Good that she¡¯s acting as she pleases. Soon she will consider it her home, not a cage," Romanmented.


    I truly hoped Roman¡¯s words woulde true.


    I returned to the room to freshen up and get ready for the day. She was there lying in my bed, in my ce, staring at Raven, her hand gently caressing his head.


    She nced at me briefly as if saying¡ªI don¡¯t care if it¡¯s your room. I will do what I want.


    I didn¡¯t mind it either. Without saying anything, I got my clothes and headed to the bathroom. A thought pleased me¡ªmaybe soon, she would choose to sleep here with me and Raven.

 Chapter 194: Change In Eira

    <h4>Chapter 194: Change In Eira</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    After talking with Roman, I couldn¡¯t sleep for long and woke up early in the morning. I was excited to start my day with Raven.


    I pushed aside the sheets and got out of bed.


    "It¡¯s still early for you to wake up," I heard Roman say.


    "I have to get ready before Raven is awake," I told him and headed to the bathroom anyway.


    I returned after a long time wrapped in a towel, one around my body and another over my wet hair. A nice bath, I must say, which I never cared about before. I wanted to be fresh and clean. I opened the wardrobe and wondered what to wear.


    I still had scars on my body. Most of them had faded after my wolf appeared, but some old brutal ones still remained.


    I looked through all the dresses Roman had bought for me. I didn¡¯t think about it before, but now that I needed them, I was d he did. Before, I didn¡¯t care what I wore¡ªor wore nothing at all.


    That day when Rafe called me an unsightly witch andmented on how ugly I looked, I didn¡¯t care. But now I didn¡¯t want to look like an unsightly witch. Or I might only scare the kid away.


    It didn¡¯t matter before. But in front of a small kid, I had to be good.


    I spent a while in front of the wardrobe, when I felt Roman¡¯s presence behind me. "What kind do you want?" he asked.


    "The one that covers my shoulders and entire chest up to the neck. And full sleeves as well," I replied.


    He pulled one out and handed it to me. That was perfect. I was truly dumb not to find one among only a few of them. Maybe I¡¯m just not used to these things now.


    Just as I turned, he was still there behind me. Our gazes met, and I wondered if he was tempted to see me like this. Damn, how careless of me to be in front of him this way, when I was in a hurry to get ready. He could fuck meter.


    Just as I opened my mouth to tell him that I would let him fuck meter, not now at least, he spoke.


    "You shouldn¡¯t worry about your scars," he said. "You can hide them once or twice but not always. Let others get used to seeing them, even if you think they are ugly. But that¡¯s you, your body, and you don¡¯t need to hide."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I just wanted to be pleasing to the eyes of a kid, instead of caring for him.


    "Understood?" he asked.


    I offered a light nod, and he went to the bathroom.


    <i>Ah, so he wasn¡¯t waiting to fuck me. Such a relief.</i>


    I headed in front of the mirror, dried my hair, and put on the clothes. I don¡¯t remember ever putting on such efforts for anyone except for him.


    Damn! Why am I remembering that bastard? He can go to hell.


    It took a long while to dry my hairpletely and set it. It wasn¡¯t working, as I didn¡¯t feel they were set right.


    How useless I am!


    Roman had returned from the bath, wrapped in a towel. He had finished his bath, and here I was still in front of the mirror, frowning at myself for how long I couldn¡¯t tell.


    He came to me. "Turn around."


    I looked at him, my expression annoyed. "Hair is fine," he told me as he ran his fingers through my lightly moist hair. "It needs a little more drying so it will look perfect." He used the hair dryer to set my hair and then pulled out something from the dresser.


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    He put it on the right side of my hair, and I turned to face the mirror. A cute little hairpin in the shape of a ribbon with tiny diamonds on it was tucked into my hair.


    "This is perfect now," hemented.


    Indeed it was. It looked cute. I used to like these things in the past, and Alice always gifted me so many of them. All of them must be gone by now¡ªor maybe they¡¯re still there in that home. Does that home even exist now?


    I turned around to face him. I didn¡¯t want to, but somehow words left my mouth, though a little hesitant, "Thank you."


    His gaze lingered on my face. I could see that intensity in his eyes. Was he going to do something now? I hoped he wouldn¡¯t.


    He leaned closer and pecked my forehead. "You look beautiful."


    Damn! Why was he doing this? I didn¡¯t know how to react. I hoped he wasn¡¯tying a trap for me to fall for him. Because I won¡¯t. I could only be thankful for the help he just gave.


    He didn¡¯t say or do anything else and went to the wardrobe to get his clothes.


    "Raven must be sleeping. You might have to wait for a while," he told me.


    "I¡¯ll go to my pets then," I told him and left the room.


    I wondered why I was talking to him this much or even felt the need to tell him what I was doing or where I was going. But somehow, I ended up doing it.


    <i>The way he was showing his care, is it growing on me?</i> I shook my head to get rid of the thought. I busied myself with my pets, waiting for that bastard toe downstairs and bring Raven with him.


    It was hard to control myself from going to that bastard¡¯s room, and he was taking more time. When he finally showed up, Raven wasn¡¯t with him.


    Now, I didn¡¯t care. He couldn¡¯t just keep the kid to himself. I stood up and went straight to his room.


    Lying in bed, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at that small, beautiful face. A smile yed on my lips as my hand reached out to caress his soft, chubby cheek. I realised how beautiful he was while sleeping.


    Soft and delicate baby skin, inky messy hair like cotton, longshes and quite prominent brows¡ªI was sure they would be thicker as he grew up and add to his charm. His nose was tiny but sharp and cute. I wished to pinch it, but didn¡¯t want to disturb his sleep.


    I didn¡¯t care if he was my son or not, whether they were intentionally hiding it from me or I was just overthinking.


    For now, I just wanted to enjoy the feeling of having a child¡ªthe feeling of being a mother.

 Chapter 195: An Excited Mother

    <h4>Chapter 195: An Excited Mother</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I returned to the room after having a bath, wrapped in a towel. She was still the same, staring at Raven without blinking. Her expression was pleasant, as if she were looking at some kind of precious treasure.


    Not disturbing her, I headed to the wardrobe. Just then I heard her sweet voice, "Good morning."


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t for me. I turned to look at the bed. Raven was awake, looking at her, perhaps a little taken aback to see her right in front of him the moment he opened his eyes.


    "Good morning, Raven," I said as I went to the bed. He looked at me, and I told him, "She was missing you, so she came here to see you."


    In response, he sat up in bed, and Eira moved with him, trying to help. The little sleepy guy rubbed his eyes with those tiny fingers of his. He looked adorable.


    But he wasn¡¯t the kind of kid to linger in bed for long, given how strictly he was raised. He moved aside the nket and stepped out of bed, while Eira helped him, which he didn¡¯t reject. He was a good kid not to reject her help and hurt her feelings, despite being entirely capable and used to doing everything by himself. I should praise him for that.


    He walked towards the bathroom, and Eira followed him, maybe worried and wanting to help, thinking he was a kid who needed assistance.


    But, just after a few steps, Raven stopped and turned to look at her.


    She looked confused and asked, "Do you need anything?"


    I couldn¡¯t help smiling at it. Then I answered her, "He is a boy. He needs privacy."


    "Oh!.. I am sorry... please go ahead," she said a little awkwardly. "Let me know if you need anything."


    Raven turned around and went into the bathroom. She was clearly a little embarrassed, thinking she couldn¡¯t do it well. She was truly cautious, as if she didn¡¯t want to upset him at all, and wanted to be a good mother to him.


    "You don¡¯t have to be so hard on yourself," I told her.


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    She looked at me, and I said, while buttoning my pants, "Just be casual and don¡¯t try so hard to please him. I can tell he likes you, or he would have kept his distance given his nature. So don¡¯t worry about doing anything wrong. You will be a good mother anyway. You have always been a good person."


    I meant it when I said it. Though she hated us, she still wanted to save Lucian when he was dying. Though she said she would kill us, I knew better she didn¡¯t want to harm anyone of us. She was just the same kind person despite herself being hurt and her heart was full of pain and bitterness.


    She simply stared at me, as if she were listening to something wrong, or maybe she just wasn¡¯t used to hearing anything good.


    I pulled out two dresses from the bags meant for Raven and put them on the bed. "Until he returns, you can decide which dress you want him to wear today."


    She looked at the dresses, and I told her, "Today we are taking him to the hospital."


    She offered me a worried look.


    "Don¡¯t worry. He is alright," I assured her, knowing what she must be thinking. "We need to run some tests on him, which we usually do for all werewolf kids¡ªto have their blood purity record and register them in the pack as members with all their details."


    Now her expression rxed.


    "I am going to register him you as his mother and I, as his father," I informed.


    Her expressions brightened up. Her eyes told me how happy she felt.


    I continued, turning to get a shirt for myself from the wardrobe, "Also, blue or olive?"


    "Blue," she answered as if on cue, not even realizing what I was asking.


    "Thanks," I said and pulled out the blue shirt.


    Her expression turned baffled once she realised what meant to ask.


    "He wasn¡¯t with us, so we also need to know if there is anything wrong with him¡ªlike any hidden issues," I continued, not minding her confusion. "It¡¯s preferable to have a werewolf child¡¯s health details."


    I could see her expression softening, agreeing with what I said.


    "I¡¯ll check on him," I told her after buttoning my shirt and went into the bathroom. I saw her taking another look at the dresses I had kept for Raven.


    I helped Raven inside just like the previous day, and the little guy came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. His cute little figure quickly caught her attention.


    He stood in front of the mirror while I asked Eira, "Which one?"


    She pointed towards the blue shirt for him as well. Seems like blue was her preferred color. Anyways, father and son can wear the same color. Fortunately, her dress was blue too, though in a lighter, pleasant shade. It felt like a family now.


    <i>How about we go shopping and buy matching clothes for ourselves? Seems like a good idea.</i>


    I was about to remove his bathrobe, but Raven looked at Eira.


    "You are wearing underwear inside. It¡¯s alright," I told him.


    He stayed quiet, but I decided to let him take his time. "Can you pass me the pants?" I asked her.


    Eira handed it over to me, and I passed it to Raven.


    I turned back to her so her attention was on me now instead of Raven. "How about we go shopping after the hospital visit to buy clothes for Raven?"


    She looked at me in slight surprise and said, "I¡¯m not really good at finding suitable things for kids. You can help me."


    She finally nodded after thinking over it for a few moments.


    By then, Raven had put on the pants, and I offered him a shirt. He put it on as well and began buttoning it.


    "Do you want me to help you?" she asked.


    She was truly excited and wanted to do everything for him. Maybe all these years she must have dreamed about what things she would do for her son and was now fulfilling them.


    Raven simply looked at her, and she waited for him to respond.


    I unbuttoned the top three buttons of my shirt. "You can help me first," I said, and she looked at me.


    "He will see how you help me, and it¡¯s normal to ept help from his mother," I exined.


    Though hesitant at first, she did it anyway. One by one all three buttons were done, while I wished the time would stop right there. With her so close to me, buttoning my shirt¡ªit was very much the image of a perfect couple. But I knew the reality better.


    I looked at Raven. "You can let her help you."


    He removed his hands from the shirt¡¯s sides, letting her know she could do it. Her face brightened, and she happily helped him button the shirt.


    These were just minor things for others, but I knew they were the most delightful things for her, like the only happiness in her world.


    While she was doing it, I smiled at Raven, thanking him for letting her do it. He didn¡¯t smile back, but I knew he understood.


    There was something between me and him that our gazes could convey the things without being needed to talk.

 Chapter 196: Shocking Revelation From Raven

    <h4>Chapter 196: Shocking Revtion From Raven</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    All of us had breakfast together. It was time to visit the hospital. Though I had told Eira we were taking Raven to the hospital just for normal tests, there was more to it.


    With Liam¡¯s help, I wanted to know more about Raven, and what might have been the reason the kid was taken to the hospital so often when he was in the Ravenw pack. Though I had my guess, I wanted to confirm it with an expert.


    Also, I wanted to have a session for Raven with I, who might exin more about his psychic condition and what he must have gone through to be this way.


    We had already decided who was going to do what. Lucian was going to his duty of security and checking on what was going on in Ravenw pack, and how close they were to finding the whereabouts of Raven.


    Roman, Jason, and I would be going to look after the three patients with us¡ªEira, Raven, and yes, Rafe.


    These days Rafe was getting aggressive with his bloodlust, and I decided to have Liam go through some tests for him to see what else we could do for him.


    I could tell the bastard had been up to somethingtely, despite him trying his best not to let anyone know. He was the most difficult one among us all, and I had to keep watch on him all the time. That led him to be my closest and always by my side, as I never let him off.


    So today, each one of us three had to be with one of them all the time. We truly had not just one, but three kids to take care of. Out of them, Raven was well-behaved, while the other two, Eira and Rafe, were highly unpredictable, though they pretended to be calm on the surface.


    I hadn¡¯t told Rafe yet that he was a patient today, or he would disappear even before we entered the hospital.


    Lucian left for his work, while we headed to the hospital. Jason drove the SUV, Rafe sat in the front passenger seat. I sat in the back seat with Raven between me and Eira, while Roman sat in thest row behind us.


    As we left, I turned to look at Roman. He had been quiet since yesterday, and I hadn¡¯t gotten the time to talk with him. His expression was serious, his eyes on his mobile.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" I asked.


    He turned off the mobile screen after reading whatever message he got and looked at me. "Nothing."


    I didn¡¯t insist, but I had known him since we were kids, and I could tell something was not right. I will talk to him once we were done with the hospital visit.


    Just then, Rafe, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned back and looked at Eira, who was behind the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Hey Caldwell, I forgot to tell you something," he said.


    She offered him a questioning gaze.


    "You are looking beautiful today," he said. "No longer an unsightly witch. Was it the effect of the kiss..."


    "Shut up," she interrupted him, and looked at Raven, who looked back at her.


    She held both his hands and put them on his ears. "Whenever he talks anything random, you have to put your hands on your ears."


    The little kid simply listened to her, ncing once at Rafe.


    Rafe sighed. "Fortunately this little witch is not a vampire. The way she res at me, I¡¯m sure she would have sucked every drop of my precious blood before killing me."


    "Ick taste, but not to that extent to drink your shitty blood," she countered coldly.


    Here they started again, and in this car, we had to endure it... but with pleasure. She was talking, and she looked adorable, with the tip of her tiny nose turning red in the anger she was trying to suppress.


    Rafe smirked at her wickedly, as if decided to get on her nerves for real. "The way you enjoyed the kiss, doesn¡¯t seem like¡ª"


    "Kael, can you kick him out of the car?" she said as she looked at me. "Raven is here."


    Damn! Did she just say my name? Well, maybe in front of Raven she was keeping hernguage and hatred towards me in check.


    At the same time it was good to see her acting like responsible mother.


    "Rafe, stop it already," I warned in a calm yet cold voice.


    Rafe sighed and moved his attention to Raven. "You do know I am a vampire. Do you know what exactly it is?"


    Raven offered him a nod.


    "Good," he said. "Seeing how you are not scared of me, it seems you do know vampires are not as bad as werewolves exined in their past stories."


    At this, Raven lowered his gaze silently and looked away.


    Rafe and I both noticed this change in him. I could tell it was his disagreement with what Rafe said.


    "Raven, have you met a vampire before, someone other than me?" Rafe asked, and I waited to hear.


    It caught Jason and Roman¡¯s attention as well. The normal talk seemed to head somewhere else now.


    Raven nodded.


    Rafe turned his gaze to look at me, almost entirely turning in his seat to face us.


    <i>So Ravenw pack had a vampire with them?</i> Rafe spoke to the three of us through the mind link.


    <i>Seems like it</i>, I replied.


    <i>But there¡¯s no record of any pack having a vampire, other than ours,</i> Jason said. <i>Rafe¡¯s presence with us is recorded in council and he is allowed to be with us because he is hybrid.</i>


    <i>And as far as I know, there¡¯s none recorded from Ravenw pack</i>, Roman said. <i>What do you say, Kael?</i>


    <i>There is no record of it</i>, I added. <i>That means the vampire they have is a pureblood and they don¡¯t want to reveal him to the world.</i>


    <i>Pureblood?</i> Jason said. <i>Lucian and I always suspected something fishy is going on there. We need to get our spies to work deeper.</i>


    I hummed, my expression serious. So many things were yet to be uncovered, and my instincts told me a storm wasing soon¡ªwe had to prepare for it before it reached us.


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    Why was it surprising to have a pureblood in werewolf pack?


    Well, werewolves and Vampires were mortal enemies in our world. In the past, more of the vampires were killed and what were left were in hiding, or preferred to stay away from the werewolf packs. mostly integrated in among the humans.


    No pureblood vampire was ever allowed in the werewolf world, but there were a few like Rafe, hybrids. They were allowed if certain pack was ready to ept them. As they were a part werewolves, and one of us.


    But it came under the condition and those hybrids were always under the strict watch of council due to their bloodlust. If caught breaking the rules, they were punished gravely.


    I have done my best to Keep Rafe protected, and I will continue to do so.


    "Raven, was that vampire a good one like me?" Rafe asked, offering him a smile, not letting him know what we brothers were even talking about.


    Raven didn¡¯t respond.


    "Let me guess then, a scary one?" Rafe said, offering him an assuring gaze and smile.


    Eira had been watching us. Not sure what she understood, but she pulled Raven closer and caressed his head gently. "Raven."


    He looked at her, and she asked, meeting his gaze, "Did that bad vampire scare you?"


    Raven nodded.


    Our hearts skipped a beat as we looked at the kid and then at each other.


    What could a vampire possibly do to scare a child like Raven, who reacted to nothing at all? The answer was clear¡ªRaven¡¯s blood, the blood of a pureblood werewolf child.


    Were they feeding Raven¡¯s blood to a vampire?


    My fists clenched, my expression hardened. They wanted Raven for some reasons, and now we knew at least one of it. Once I found out what they were up to and what they did with Raven, I will make them pay for it.

 Chapter 197: In The Hospital

    <h4>Chapter 197: In The Hospital</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I turned to him, wanting to ask more questions, but seeing him so quiet and trying to hide his fear, I decided to give him time. For now, he didn¡¯t need to be bombarded with questions he feared; he needed coaxing.


    The answers¡ªI would get them anyway.


    "You don¡¯t need to be scared of anyone now," I told him as I held his hand in mine. "You are safe with us."


    I happened to look at Eira, who surprisingly looked back at me. We said no words, but it was clear enough¡ªwe were together, at least in matters rted to Raven.


    There was silence inside the car for the rest of the journey, all of us lost in the shocking discovery we had just made. Every so often, we nced at Raven, who was quietly snuggling against Eira as she held him close in a protective embrace.


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    When we reached the hospital, before stepping out, I told Raven, "We are at the hospital to have some important check-ups done on you. But there¡¯s nothing to be scared about."


    I had to tell him, as I was sure he didn¡¯t have a good opinion of hospitals, given how often he was taken to one in Ravenw.


    He didn¡¯t respond, as usual, choosing to let things happen.


    "And you aren¡¯t the only patient today," I told him. "Eira and Rafe, they are going to have some tests done as well. Just good ones to check if they are healthy and same ones for you."


    Eira and Rafe looked at me, their gazes not so pleased. I looked back at them. "I¡¯m sure you two don¡¯t have an issue apanying our little guy."


    The two stayed quiet, thinking I was just making it up for Raven¡¯s sake. But I wasn¡¯t lying.


    Not just one, but I had three kids to take care of today.


    I opened the door and stepped out. "Come with me," I told Raven.


    The little guy, his face down, moved toward me in his seat. Instead of letting him walk, I lifted him in my arms like any father carries their child. In response, he turned his head to my shoulder and rested on it as if trying to hide, his hand circling my neck to hold on to me.


    For the first time, I could feel the fear in him since the moment he came to us. Those bastards truly did cruel things to him.


    I caressed his back gently. "Raven, daddy¡¯s with you. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you."


    The boy continued to cling to me. It showed his trust in me.


    Others had stepped out of the car as well. They silently followed me, Eira by my side. Clearly, it was because she wanted to be close to Raven.


    The part of the hospital where we were heading today was booked only for us, and we entered through the VIP entry reserved for the Alpha and his family.


    Liam and his assistants were already present. We headed inside his office, Raven still clinging to me.


    "Raven," I called him. "This is my friend, Dr. Liam."


    He slowly turned his head to look at him, with a wary gaze, his head still resting against my shoulder, his hands refusing to let me go.


    Liam offered him a gentle smile. "Hey Raven, I was waiting to meet you after Alpha Kael told me about a sweet little guy."


    Raven didn¡¯t respond. Liam¡¯s doctor¡¯s white coat must have been enough to scare him.


    "He doesn¡¯t like doctors much," I told Liam, and I had already informed him about how Raven doesn¡¯t talk.


    "Oh! Then let¡¯s not be a doctor today." Liam removed his coat and hung it on his chair, instructing his assistants to do the same.


    I sat on the couch in his office with Raven in myp. Eira sat next to me, while the other three took the chairs. Liam settled into the chair opposite us.


    "Raven, are you still scared of me?" Liam asked. "Don¡¯t be. I brought a genius kids¡¯ game for you."


    As he said, the assistant brought a few puzzle games for him and put them on the center table. Raven looked at them, and I told him, "You can try them."


    Though a little wary, at my words he finally stepped down from myp and observed the games. His hands moved to solve them, and he was quick, incredibly faster than the kids of his age.


    Liam offered him a prideful gaze. "Raven, the way you solved it, I feel like I¡¯d have to buy an entire shop¡¯s worth of these games just to keep you busy for an hour. You are truly a genius."


    Raven simply looked at him and then turned to sit back in myp once more as if he had no business left with Liam.


    And he wasn¡¯t going to be away from me. Inside, I was so pleased to see his trust in me, finding protection in me. Like a little pup, who only trusted his parents.


    "Let¡¯s head to what we are here for," Liam said and looked at Rafe. "Alpha Rafe, I have to take your blood sample first."


    Rafe didn¡¯t mind, as he wanted to show Raven it was totally fine. Then came Eira¡¯s turn, who didn¡¯t resist either.


    "Now that all of you are here, how about I do some blood tests for you as well," Liam said. "Though you are strong Alphas, as a responsible doctor I should care for my Alphas too."


    For Raven¡¯s sake, no one rejected Liam. Then came Jason¡¯s and Roman¡¯s turn, and finally mine. Sitting in myp, Raven watched it all.


    "Raven, it¡¯s your turn now," Liam said.


    The little guy was at ease now and let the assistant take his blood. The fact that he didn¡¯t even flinch when the needle pierced his skin¡ªand instead looked at it¡ªmeant he was used to it.


    Once done, we had to head for another test for Raven, and for Rafe, though he wasn¡¯t aware of it yet.


    "Roman, Eira has a session with I. You can take her there," I instructed.


    She red at me. "I want to be with Raven."


    "Once you are done there, you cane to us," I told her strictly, my tone making it clear she had to listen to me.


    She wanted to argue but then kept quiet, looking at Raven. "I¡¯ll be back soon, alright?" she told him and left with Roman.


    I stood up, Raven still in my arms, and told Rafe, "Come with us."


    "Do I need to?" Rafe asked in bored tone. "That stench, that typical hospital smell, is already suffocating."


    I ignored him and looked at Jason. "Get him. If he refuses, just knock him out."


    Jason hummed and looked at Rafe. "Coming, or...?"


    Rafe quietly stood up and followed me, Jason right behind him. I had already told Jason to keep strict watch on him. This sly vampire would just jump out of a random hospital window and disappear somewhere, now that he knew I wasn¡¯t lying when I said he was a patient as well.


    Before heading to the test room, Rafe and Raven had to wear the hospital clothes.


    "I just hate it," Rafe said with a frown and looked at me, "Do you really have to do this....?"


    I offered him a cold re, and he shut his mouth.

 Chapter 198: Want To Be A Good Mother?

    <h4>Chapter 198: Want To Be A Good Mother?</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    I took Eira to I¡¯s office. Clearly Eira wasn¡¯t pleased, but she was following through it. I weed her with a pleasant smile.


    Eira was sitting in a single chair opposite the couch in her office.


    "How are you doing, Eira?" I asked her, as she offered her a smile.


    Eira didn¡¯t respond to her and sat on the couch opposite to I.


    I offered a light nod to I and left the office door, only to enter the side room to keep watch on Eira through the ss partition. I could hear them talk as well.


    "See, today the windows here are wide open," I said, "Liam is too boring and keeps the window of his office closed. But, I prefer to keep my office full of fresh air."


    Eira looked towards the window and then looked back at I.


    "I heard there¡¯s a sweet little guy in your home now, along with four new kittens?" I just knew how to get her attention.


    Eira hummed.


    "I saw the child just a while ago with Alpha Kael. Indeed an adorable child," Imented.


    "Raven," Eira interrupted her, "His name."


    <fn2843> Original content can be found at f?ndnovel</fn2843>


    "Oh! Thank you for letting me know," I said.


    I clearly knew his name, as he was her next patient. Just the tactics to make Eira talk.


    "Hmm, so let¡¯s talk about how you are feeling these days," I said, "Are you enjoying your time with Raven?"


    Eira nodded lightly.


    "What about your wolf?" I asked.


    Eira frowned and looked towards the window.


    "If you are nning to jump, I must warn you, you won¡¯t die because of your wolf. But you will be crippled for a life," I said calmly, "And Raven will have to see a bedridden woman as his mother. The poor kid wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy mother¡¯s warmth."


    Eira looked back at her. "Did I say I want to jump from there, or I want to take my life?"


    "You certainly did not, but the way you looked at the window...."


    "When I wanted to die, you kept the damn windows locked. And when I didn¡¯t even say anything, you are showing me the way to take my life," Eira said, her voice cold with a tinge of annoyance. "Are you looking forward to seeing me dead or what? Is this how you push your patients to death so you won¡¯t have to bother treating them?"


    "Definitely not," I was still calm and unaffected. "I get paid for each session. If I push my patients to death, I won¡¯t earn anything. So you know, I want my patients to keep living."


    "You are the worst and greedy doctor," Eira spat.


    "I have to be greedy to keep mine and my daughter¡¯s stomach full," I said. "Won¡¯t you want your child to have a good life and do anything for that? And, I do help patients by treating them."


    I didn¡¯t know what I was trying to do, but two things I was sure about.


    First, this was thenguage Eira understood¡ªwhere she got the chance to argue and express herself, instead of someone talking calmly to her and her ignoring them in return. Now I knew how Rafe got her attention all the time.


    The second thing, I just confirmed, Eira had no will to take her life now. She had dropped that idea. I took a deep sigh of relief at it.


    "These days, you must feel mentally positive and stronger than before," I concluded, "and it helps your mind think clearly, unlike feeling dazed, angered, bitter, and confused like before."


    Eira didn¡¯t respond. As expected, she only liked to argue.


    "That¡¯s a good thing," I took her silence as agreement. "You need to be positive and healthy if you look forward to being a good mother. After all, a mother¡¯s emotions and actions are deeply reflected in a child as well. Given Raven, I am sure he needs a mother who provides himfort and a positive way towards life."


    At this, Eira¡¯s expression turned calm, and she paid attention to what I said.


    "You want to be a good mother, don¡¯t you?" I asked.


    Eira nodded.


    "Then, you have to talk to me. As a mother myself, I might help you better. Trust me, being a mother is the toughest job," I offered.


    "What should I do?" Eira asked.


    Damn! I truly was a good doctor to get into her patients¡¯ minds so easily.


    "You have to ept your wolf. The positivity and mental and physical strength you feel these days started after you shifted. So it¡¯s all thanks to your wolf," I said, looking straight into her eyes. "Your wolf is what makes you stronger. But if you keep rejecting it and there is a fight within you, how can you provide peace to a child? One day you will have to teach him to cherish his wolf so he can be stronger, but what will he learn if he sees his mother do the opposite?"


    There was silence on Eira¡¯s side, but I could tell she was registering each word I said.


    "I will try to." Finally, there was an admission from her.


    I offered her an encouraging smile and moved to the next part.


    "You must miss your son when you are with Raven," Imented. "How do you feel about it?"


    Eira stared at her for a while and asked, "Is he my son?... You must know..."


    "Do you want to think that way?" I asked, not answering her directly.


    "I want to... but..."


    "If he is not your son, does it lessen your love and affection for him?" I asked.


    Eira shook her head.


    "What do you think about having your son back?" I asked, diverting her from asking if Raven was her son. "Last time we talked, you said you wanted him to die instead of turning into a monster and what not."


    Eira once more silently looked at I. She must be wondering about her previous choices.


    "After seeing Raven, you must want to see him, right?" I insisted.


    "I thought about it," Eira answered. "I indeed want him back. Once I get him..." She stopped.


    "Once you get him, then what?" I asked.


    "I will go somewhere far with him and live a good life. I won¡¯t let him turn into a monster. I will protect him well now that I have my wolf, and I am strong," Eira answered, and it just stole my breath away.


    I didn¡¯t know this was going on in her mind. Just as much I was relived to think she didn¡¯t want to die now, another worry added now.


    Thankfully we followed I¡¯s advice and didn¡¯t tell her about Raven. She was clearly far from trusting us entirely.


    I remained calm and asked, "Do you really think you can protect him, just because you are a pureblood and now you have your wolf?"


    Eira nodded.


    I let out a light sigh and asked in a calm tone, "Eira, have you ever thought about why pureblood she-wolves are so rare now?"


    "Alphas used them and killed them," Eira answered.


    "And you think you can survive them and protect your child as well? Are you truly that powerful?" I asked. "What if you and your child are caught? What will happen then? You will be used and killed. But your child, being a pureblood, will be used as a ve, a silent weapon, ab rat, or anything worse you can even think about."


    Eira fell silent. Her resolve seemed to falter.

 Chapter 199: A Perfect Talk

    <h4>Chapter 199: A Perfect Talk</h4>


    "I don¡¯t me you for not thinking about it, as you are not aware of what wicked things are going on in the world now. And I also, understand your state of mind where you still don¡¯t trust anyone at all, that it¡¯s been just a while you have been out of the hell you were in.


    "It takes time, and we are willing to give you that, but you need to reciprocate as well instead of blocking us. Don¡¯t you think so."


    Her words clearly reached Eira.


    "Let me tell you, Eira, that the life of a pureblood¡ªwhether it¡¯s werewolf, vampire, or any other supernatural species¡ªwasn¡¯t easy even in the past, and it¡¯s worse in present. You truly need to learn about what¡¯s going on in this current world.


    "If you knew, you would change your mind about running away with your child. Because you and he will never be safe. And, what if he is already being used right now by those people who bought him from traffickers? What will you do?"


    I could see fear gripping her, her expressions turning grave.


    After a moment of silence to let Eira absorb her words, I asked, "Do you want your child to suffer when he can have a chance at a good life by your side? Look at Raven. He is not Alpha Kael¡¯s son, but he cares for him. If he could do it for someone else¡¯s child, won¡¯t he cherish your son? His mate¡¯s son? Just like Raven, your son can live a safe and cherished life. Don¡¯t you want it?"


    "I... want... it," Eira finally responded, her voice choking with emotion. Her mind must have imagined both the worst and the best scenarios for her son.


    "Then, you can ask Alpha Kael to bring your son," I said, pushing the tissue paper box toward her on the table between them. "I can tell you he will do anything for you. You are his mate now. And Alphas value their mates more than their own lives."


    Eira didn¡¯t respond but wiped her tears with the tissue paper. Now I wondered if she would ever ask us to bring her child back. Last time, she didn¡¯t want us to find her child, but then the situation between her and us was different.


    "Eira, let me tell you something else," I said, and Eira looked at her with her teary eyes.


    "You are not the only one who is suffering or has suffered in life. Everyone who is alive and breathing has their own pain and their own monsters to fight. But that doesn¡¯t mean everyone forgets to live and gives up on their life, or else everything around would have already been dead.


    "Of course, everyone thinks their own pain is bigger than others¡¯, but it¡¯s not about more or less pain¡ªit¡¯s about continuing to fight, being selfish, and living your life in a good way. If you keep your own pain aside, you will be able to see how others are suffering as well. All we have to do is be each other¡¯sfort and keep living. That¡¯s why we live in a pack to be each others¡¯ strength."


    "And, fortunately, you have five men who care for you, tofort you, and who want to give you a good life, despite the mistakes they made in the past. They regret it and wish to make things right for you, so you should be eptable towards them. I hope you try to know they have been suffering their own pain as well."


    I stared at I for a moment. This woman knew more than she should. I didn¡¯t want her to tell Eira anything about me at least. I had told her about Kael and the series of sad incidents back then, and that should be enough for Eira to understand our difficulties at that time.


    "Do you get what I mean?" I asked her.


    Surprisingly, Eira offered a light nod instead of keeping her silence.


    All it needed was someone to tell her, and I did it. She would have never listened to us with such calmness, as we were the reason for her pain¡ªbut I, a woman and a mother like her, she listened to.


    I hoped there wouldn¡¯t be any more such sessions with I, and that we would get our Eira back entirely.


    "Do you want to ask or talk to me about anything else?" I asked.


    "Will my son ever me me for not being able to protect him?" Eira asked, after a moment of hesitation. Her voice a little emotional.


    "He won¡¯t," I said confidently. "He will thank you for bringing him into this beautiful world, but..."


    Eira waited for her to continue. The desperation of getting her son and being a good mother to him was clear in her eyes.


    "...only if you are able to provide him a safe and happy life, and give him love, and he will definitely thank you and love you back the same way you do. But you can¡¯t do it alone," I replied. "Kids need to be in a safe home with a family of loving people, and you already have one."


    <fc4> This text is hosted at f?ndnovel</fc4>


    Eira finally nodded.


    "You can do it. You are really strong," I said in a soothing and encouraging way. "And if you need any help, I am always here. For the sake of Jennifer and Alice, I will treat you like my own family, my friend, and not as my patient. You can alwayse to me. Will you?"


    Eira offered a light nod again.


    "Good," I said with a smile. "Our session is over. After you, I will be attending Raven."


    "He doesn¡¯t talk," Eira said quickly, forgetting about her own issues.


    I offered her a pleasant, knowing smile. "I know someone who initially refused to talk to me as well, and once wanted to kill me. But now, I see them talkingfortably¡ªthough not much."


    Eira understood the doctor was talking about her and felt a little embarrassed.


    "Don¡¯t worry. We will find the reason why he doesn¡¯t talk, and soon you will hear him calling you Mommy," I assured her with confidence.


    This brought hope in Eira¡¯s eyes and a smile on her lips.

 Chapter 200: A Strange Woman

    <h4>Chapter 200: A Strange Woman</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Are you alright?" I asked Eira just as we stepped out of I¡¯s office.


    She hummed lightly and walked by my side.


    We had to return to Kael as we were done here. Moreover, Eira wanted to go to Raven.


    Kael had already messaged me that they had been to the test rooms on the other floor. We headed to the elevator. Though the ce was kept unupied, there were a few VIP patients being moved by the staff. I recognised them, but I didn¡¯t want any of them toy eyes on Eira.


    They sensed that cold aura from me and no one dared to look at her. By now, everyone was aware their Alphas had a pureblood, but no one ever dared look into it.


    Just as I was about to press the elevator button, I heard a voice.


    "Roman?"


    My hand froze midway, my body tensed. A familiar voice, the one I hated.


    Just when I thought I had misheard, I heard it again.


    "Roman, I know it¡¯s you."


    Eira had already turned to look at the person, must be wondering who she was.


    I inhaled deeply and turned around.


    There she was, that sickly bitch, sitting in a wheelchair with a hospital nurse standing behind her to push the wheelchair.


    My eyes darkened with rage. How I wished to go ahead and strangle her in that moment, but I swallowed my anger. I didn¡¯t want to create a scene here, and not in front of Eira.


    I turned away, but the bitch said again, "Won¡¯t you talk to me?"


    I didn¡¯t respond and pressed the elevator button, my expression grave.


    I could feel Eira looking at me with a puzzled gaze and then toward that woman.


    "Is she your mate?" the bitch asked as if I was entitled to answer her. "So you found one? She better be pureblood..."


    She had no shame or regret at all after the kind of monster she had been.


    I did my best to swallow any hateful insulting out of my mouth and held Eira¡¯s hand. "The damn elevator seems to be broken. Let¡¯s go by stairs," I said and walked away, holding her hand.


    "Roman, you bastard," that bitch screamed loudly behind me as her voice echoed in the corridor. "You forgot who I am. You ungrateful wretch. Let me get out of the hospital and see what I do with you..."


    Her angry cursing words continued, while I had already headed down through the stairs, my grip on Eira¡¯s hand tightening with each passing moment, a reflection of suppressing the storm within me.


    I continued to walk mindlessly, dragging Eira with me, as if I wouldn¡¯t stop unless I was entirely away from that woman. When we finally reached the tests and scan room area, only then did I stop.


    When I looked at her hand in mine, only then I realised the extent of my grip. Her arm just above the wrist had skin turned red.


    "I am sorry," I said trying to soothe her skin with my fingers, while I felt her just staring at me.


    Before heading ahead, I finally looked into her scrutinising eyes. "Don¡¯t mention to anyone about using across that woman."


    She hummed and only stared at me, as if trying to look through me. But I averted my gaze, ready to enter the door before she could ask me anything. I could see she was about to, and her question was certainly rted to that bitch.


    Just then we heard the sound of something shattering on the floor and quickly opened the door.


    "Damn! Liam... bastard... what did you give me..."


    Rafe, in the hospital uniform, had stumbled out of the hospital bed and dragged a side stand with him, scattering everything on it across the floor.


    He looked weak and in pain, the veins on his temple and along his neck tightened, a sheen of sweat covering his skin.


    Kael, who was talking to Liam, hurried to him. Rafe tried to stand up again and stumbled once more. But Kael held him even before he could hit the floor and settled him on his knees.


    "Don¡¯te inside," I told Eira. "Better stay outside," and I went in, wanting to help, but there was little we could do for him.


    "You should have stayed in bed," Liam told him, still busy taking out some drug vials from the box.


    "Bastard... You are truly meant to die with all your blood dried up..." Rafe red at him with his bloodshot eyes, somehow keeping his bnce with Kael¡¯s help.


    "I wait for that day," Liam told him, unbothered by his words.


    "Let me get you back to the bed," Kael told him, and I went to the other side to hold Rafe.


    But instead of standing, Kael looked at Rafe. "Why... do you have to do this... everything is useless...of all people, you have decided to torment me as well..."


    "We have to keep trying to find a useful way," Kael told him.


    "But I don¡¯t want to," Rafe said, his breathing heavy as if it was toughbor. "I don¡¯t like this ce... take me out of here..."


    Kael kept his calm. "It¡¯s not that ce and those people. It¡¯s our hospital, and your own people. I am here for you as well, like always."


    <fn2ebb> For original chapters go to FindN0vel</fn2ebb>


    "You still don¡¯t understand." Rafe closed his eyes in frustration. "Just let me go... be a responsible Alpha and protect your people from me... your kindness won¡¯t help them... but will kill them..."


    "It won¡¯t happen. You are my brother. I know how to take care of you," Kael said. "I have been doing it since we were kids and I will keep doing it. You are not going anywhere."


    Rafe opened his teary red eyes that showed how much pain he was in, and looked back at Kael. "You are selfish... Kael..."


    "I know. And if that¡¯s what takes me to keep you with me," Kael said and hugged him, trying to calm him down through the bond we shared. "Trust me. We are going to live together till the end of our lives, and that end is not going to be anytime soon. You are my brother, not some monster that I need to get rid of."


    "I wish you could...," Rafe let his weight sink on Kael and mumbled, "...you annoyingly stubborn bastard."


    Kael and I helped him get up andy back in the bed.


    "Are you done?" Liam came to us with the syringe filled with the drug.


    Rafe gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.


    "This will put you to sleep for half an hour, and the pain you are feeling will be gone," Liam told him.


    "You rather give me something so my soul is gone," Rafe mumbled.


    "I have no will of turning into a criminal from the most renowned doctor of our world," Liam countered and injected him with the drugs.


    "Renowned doctor?... My ass..." Rafe mumbled and drifted to sleep in a few moments.


    Kael looked towards the door and I followed his gaze. Eira was still standing there, watching everything silently.


    "Jason has taken Raven to the kids¡¯ y zone in the hospital," Kael said, looking at her. "I asked him to."


    I went to her. "Want to go there?"


    She nced at Rafe for a moment, and I found a tinge of worry in her eyes for him.


    "Once he is awake, he will be fine," I assured her. "Let¡¯s go to Raven."


    She shook her head and looked towards the chair ced outside the room, along the wall. "I will sit here."


    <i>Was she worried about Rafe?</i> I wondered, and I knew the answer. Yes, she was.


    She sat in one chair, and I chose to sit next to her. Both of us lost in our own thoughts.


    I certainly didn¡¯t want that sickly bitch to upy my mind, and thoughts. But despite my efforts, she did, and I hated it. Only if I could erase her existence from my life.

 Chapter 201: Angel In My Life

    <h4>Chapter 201: Angel In My Life</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    Raven and I arrived at the kids¡¯ indoor y zone at the hospital, where a few kids were ying around on swings, sliders, huge blocks, and many more things for children.


    I was yet to arrive there, as she must have been on the way after finishing the session with Eira. I hoped it went well and that there was positive progress for her.


    Among us five, I was still not close to her, despite the fact that I was trying my best these days to make up for my mistakes.


    The worst part was, she still treated me as if I didn¡¯t exist, not a single nce did she spare me. She showed her anger on others, but me. I want her to get angry at me, me me for what I did, and what I failed to do. I failed to trust her and protect her.


    I had a chance to revive myself that night. I should have trusted her when she said she wasn¡¯t the traitor, instead of torturing her. I could only live in regret now.


    I looked down at Raven. "You can go ahead and y as well."


    Raven didn¡¯t move. He stood in his ce, holding my hand and looking at the kids as if what they were doing wasn¡¯t his thing.


    "You don¡¯t like to y with other kids?" I asked, trying to know.


    He didn¡¯t reply, so I told him, "How about the swing, or the slider? I will help you with it."


    He went ahead toward the chessboard drawn on the floor, with big chess pieces to move. The pieces were already moved by the ones whoever had yed earlier, and Raven seemed to have the intention of continuing it.


    But I wondered¡ªwith his small height, could he even see the positions of all the pieces to y? Maybe he would just move random ones and get done with it.


    I followed him and stood on the opposite side. "Want me to y with you?"


    He just looked at me with a calm and serious gaze, and went ahead to move a piece. Once he did, I said, "Now my turn."


    He offered me a gaze that was different this time. What was it?


    I observed the chessboard carefully, as I hadn¡¯t taken a proper look at it before.


    The next moment, realization dawned on me from that look of his, and I let out a hearty chuckle. I don¡¯t remember when thest time was I felt this way. Defeated¡ªbut it felt truly sweet.


    "Damn! Checkmate even before I could start a game!" I said. "The previous yer on this side did a terrible job. But I must say, you are a genius, Raven. I am so proud of you."


    In response, Raven turned around and went to sit on the bench nearby.


    "Raven, there are more things to y," I told him, but he simply sat on the bench as if everything around him was of no interest.


    I let out a helpless sigh. Maybe he wasn¡¯t used to ying like other kids. Even in the pictures from his school, he was just standing on the side while the other kids were ying.


    I went to sit next to him, and both of us watched the kids ying.


    As I observed those kidsughing and enjoying themselves, I looked at Raven beside me and wondered¡ªwhen would I get to see Raven doing all that? And I knew the answer: at least not today.


    "You know, Raven, when I was your age, I never yed like this either. I could only watch the kids ying from a distance," I said, lost in the past memories. "The life of normal kids, I didn¡¯t know what it was... until, one day, an angel came to me and took me with her.


    "That angel gave me a home, family, love, protection, and told me I was as precious as other kids¡ªthat I had the right to live like them. She was my light who got me out of the darkness I was in. She was the most important person in my life, and still is, even if she is not with me. Losing her was like, I had lost everything she had ever given to me."


    I didn¡¯t know if he listened to me or understood what I was saying, but I continued.


    "I hope we are that light for you, and you will live the way you deserve. You are such a good kid," I said, and thought, <i>And how I wish you were my child for real. But it doesn¡¯t matter. I have already epted you as mine, just how Jannifer had epted me back then.</i>


    "May I know what you two are talking about?" a familiar voice came.


    I looked at her¡ªI.


    "I hope I am not disturbing you two," she said with a smile, ncing at Raven, who looked back at her with that same calm gaze of his that didn¡¯t show his thoughts or emotions.


    <fnefa3> Th?s chapter is updated by findnovel</fnefa3>


    "We were just waiting for you," I assured her and stood up.


    Then I turned to Raven. "She is I, my friend."


    Raven got down from the bench to stand up and offered her a light greeting nod, which he always did as part of his taught mannerism.


    "Good to meet you, Raven," I said. "Are you not going to y?"


    In response, Raven sat back on the bench.


    "Well, never mind," she said again and asked, "Can I sit next to you?"


    In response, Raven shifted a little, letting her know she could sit.


    "Thank you." I sat and pulled out a small gift box for him. "This is for you."


    Raven looked at me. He always did this whenever someone offered him something. He wasn¡¯t greedy for anything, or maybe he was just taught to not do anything on his own without seeking permission.


    For god¡¯s sake. He was a kid, not a robot. Those bastards!


    I offered him an approving nod, and finally Raven epted it, with a bow of his head to thank her. But then he passed that gift to me instead of holding on to it.


    "After so long I came here," I said to me, letting Raven get used to her presence. "I used to bring my daughter here in my free time from the patients. So much time has passed."


    I hummed and replied, "Last time for me was when Alice was around eight something. She was unstoppable while ying."


    I smiled and turned to Raven. "What about you, little guy?"

 Chapter 202: Not A Child, But Weapon

    <h4>Chapter 202: Not A Child, But Weapon</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    Raven looked at her as if asking what she meant. It was Raven¡¯s good quality that he wouldn¡¯t ignore a new person once he was assured they weren¡¯t entirely strangers to us.


    "I mean, though you do not like to y here, what do you think is the most interesting thing around?" I asked, as if having a normal chat with him.


    Raven¡¯s gaze moved to the chessboard, but I said, "Don¡¯t say chess. I saw you ying earlier. Tell me something else you see here. Umm... like, when I was your age, I used to y on the swing. You see this mark on my chin? I got hurt after falling from it, but it was still my favorite."


    Raven looked at the mark on I¡¯s chin, and she asked, "So which one for you?"


    Raven¡¯s gaze once more moved and then settled on the huge blocks that were arranged in order toplete the puzzle. We understood his answer, but I asked, "Which one?"


    This time he pointed towards it. A reaction instead of a silent stare.


    "So you do like brainstorming things," I concluded. "What about sliders and swings? Don¡¯t you want to try them?"


    He looked at her, as if her question didn¡¯t make a sense to him.


    I observed him for a moment, keeping that pleasant smile on her lips. "I know you have never tried it, but you should. Aren¡¯t you curious how it feels to y there? Trust me, it¡¯s real fun."


    In response, he looked at me.


    "I think I is right," I told him. "And you are free to do whatever you want to. Go ahead."


    He got down from the bench and walked toward the ying area. Just as we thought he would go to the fun activity section, he went to that puzzle blocks where no one was ying, and started to solve it.


    I stood up. She didn¡¯t look surprised at all.


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    "What do you think?" I asked I.


    "Mind trained to follow the strict rules, even the body reflexes, submissive, trained to always ask for permission, decision-making ability almost destroyed..." I continued to recount her observation as I listened silently, both of us watching him.


    "He wasn¡¯t born mute," I added.


    "When you have no right to ask questions, not allowed to resist, you are lonely, restrictions and strict rules bury you under¡ªthen one day you give up and choose to follow only to keep the peace of your mind," she said. "And then therees the day your brain is infused with it to the extent it bes normal for you.


    "In Raven¡¯s case, I am sure he didn¡¯t even have anyone to talk with other than the ones appointed to train him, with whom he had nothing to talk about. Simply following those fixed rules became the way for him to live, which left nothing for him to talk about. More like a robot infused with a certain fixed program."


    "Why would they turn him this way?" I asked. "They could just let him live like a normal kid."


    "A good future weapon which asks no questions but only knows how to obey," I answered¡ªand now it hit me.


    For them, he wasn¡¯t a child, but a living weapon.


    The damn wicked people. Raven was a pureblood and would possess powers. They were preparing him as a weapon?


    "It¡¯s nothing new, isn¡¯t it?" I asked.


    "Yes, they are sold as ves, abused and broken, and then raised to be a weapon¡ªlike dead ones only breathing and following orders," I told her. "But I¡¯ve never seen someone raised like Raven, like someone royal and sophisticated. Seems like these people have changed their ways."


    I thought for a while and replied, "Perhaps this weapon is well nned and raised to fulfill a certain fixed purpose."


    Her words made sense. "The way the deal was made even before he was born, I can only agree with you."


    The revtions we are getting these days clearly pointed towards something big being nned long before, involving Eira and our pack.


    "And, the mute ones do not reveal the secrets," I added.


    "So we can say, he was purposely raised to be mute," I concluded.


    I hummed. "The kind of well nned, psychological maniption and silent torture he had been through, you can only imagine."


    <i>The bastards will pay for it. </i>


    "Is there a chance we can change him?" I asked.


    "He is just a kid whose brain is still developing," she said. "Just like they infused those things in his mind, we can always add our and change him. As they say, kids are like y that we can mold as we want. The key is always patience."


    I hummed in agreement. "We will do everything we can. But, will he talk?"


    "He is not mute, he just needs a reason to talk," I said.


    "When we try to make him talk, he prefers silence over responding to us," I exined, "and in the end we have to give in to him."


    She smiled lightly. "It will take time. But before that, your first challenge is to make him smile andugh, or maybe cry. Talkinges after that. Smiling andughing are instinctive, and one can¡¯t stop if something is there to trigger that instinct in them. Crying will shake his stilled emotions.


    "Let¡¯s take babies¡ªthey smile,ugh, and cry first. So you have to start from the basics here. You need to make him hear his own voice and let him know his throat is not idle and he can feel emotions. Then slowly he wille around.


    "Right now he is like a crisp, perfectly ironed, unstained, good-quality nk white sheet. We have to fill it with different colors to turn it into a beautiful painting."


    I understood what she meant and hummed again.


    Raven had finished already and was returning to us.


    "This kid is a genius, and far ahead of the kids of his age," Imented. "I am sure his gene purity is of the highest ranking."


    "We will know after Liam has done some tests," I told her.


    Raven returned to us and we headed back. On the way, I asked I about Eira.


    "There are positive changes in her, and she is doing better than I had expected," I said. "Having her wolf is like a miracle for her body and mind, so we should thank her wolf."


    It was a relief to know it. I could only wish the best for her.

 Chapter 203: Solution For Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 203: Solution For Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Rafe had been shifted to the VIP patient suite in his unconscious state, so he could rest peacefully. Eira sat quietly on the couch, once in a while ncing at Rafe. I could clearly see she was worried about him.


    Roman sat next to her¡ªhe looked present here, but his mind was lost somewhere else. Jason had returned with Raven, and both looked as usual fine.


    I wanted to ask Jason about the session, but not in front of Raven.


    Seeing the kid, Eira, who had been quiet until now, finally had her eyes brighten up a little.


    She silently gestured to him toe to her. As expected, he looked at me first. I wondered why he always sought my permission to do anything at all. Eira was no stranger to him now.


    I gestured to him to go ahead.


    Raven went to her, and Eira shifted a little to make space for him to sit. She poured him water from the jug ced on the coffee table in front of the couch.


    "I am going to Liam to discuss some matters. You and Roman stay with them," I told my two brothers.


    I could feel Eira¡¯s gaze on me as I was leaving the suite. That made me wonder if she wanted toe with me. But I didn¡¯t turn to look at her, as I needed to have a word with Liam and I alone. There were a few things she didn¡¯t need to know¡ªnot the right time.


    I arrived at Liam¡¯s office, where I was present as well.


    <fnf11c> Read full story at Find~Novel</fnf11c>


    "I have some work to do, you can talk to I till then," Liam told me as he was working on hisptop.


    I settled on the couch opposite I and asked her about Eira¡¯s progress first.


    She told me there was indeed unexpectedly positive progress in her due to her wolf, which could have been dyed without it.


    "...And we should be d she doesn¡¯t seem to be suicidal now," I said, "but that doesn¡¯t mean we can just give her a free pass yet."


    "She seems to have changed a lot with Raven¡¯s arrival," I added. "Maybe we can tell her about him."


    I smiled. "I know you want to tell her and see her happy over it, but, as I said, be patient. I know she must be excited and overjoyed to see the kid and wants to be around him. But that doesn¡¯t mean she is healed entirely. Psychological damage can be tricky, and sometimes people act entirely fine so that we can¡¯t tell anything is wrong with them. So, we have to give her a little more time."


    "How long will it take?" I asked.


    "When I asked her what she will do if she gets her son, her answer was she will take him away and raise him on her own," I answered.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t something pleasant to know.


    "Will she do it?" I asked.


    "She will, if you tell her right away that Raven is her son," I¡¯s words scared me.


    "Alpha Kael, see, first she wanted to die with her son. That thought has now changed. Now she wants to take him away to live with him. We can change that thought in her mind as well," I exined. "It will happen only when she realizes how good her son¡¯s life can be with you all around. If she realizes what Raven is getting, her son might get everything¡ªproper home, family, love, care, and most importantly protection. And this is the best she could give her son."


    "We will do as you say," I assured her and decided not to tell Eira anything yet.


    I hummed. "But from what I see, I am sure that day is not far. She wille around soon."


    Finally, there was something good to know about.


    After Eira, we talked about Raven. What she had concluded was enough to rile up my mind. If Eira got to know what was happening with her son, and what her son¡¯s future would have looked like if he was left with those bastards, I couldn¡¯t imagine the depth of her anger.


    Those bastards deserve brutal punishment for what they did.


    "I am sure it didn¡¯te out as any surprise to you, Kael," Liam finally finished his work and turned to us. He had been listening to everything quietly. "The use of pureblood kids isn¡¯t new to our world. Hadn¡¯t Roman and Rafe almost fallen into that hell if they weren¡¯t rescued thanks to your parents¡¯ determination to protect those kids? And Jason, if Jennifer had not brought him home, we wouldn¡¯t even know about his existence."


    I knew it, of course, and it had been banned long ago due to my father¡¯s and Alpha Gerald¡¯s efforts in the past by pressuring the council to dere it an illegal act. But there were still some bastards left who needed to go to hell soon. I will make sure they do.


    "With your father gone and only Alpha Gerald left to challenge them, the council is corrupt, so we can¡¯t expect anything from them," Liam said.


    "Maybe it¡¯s time to show them their existence is not needed," I said. How I wished to wipe out that council.


    "So will you be the one to lead the werewolf world and give all your time to solve the shitty conflicts between the packs and keep watch over everyone?" Liam asked me. "I am sure you would rather use that time with your mate and family. Why waste time?"


    "We will see," I told him, as I had clearly started hating this council now, which I had been ignoring for a long time.


    "Is there any solution you could find for Rafe? It¡¯s been years and you are just trying," I asked Liam. "If you can¡¯t do it, you should just retire."


    The bastard smiled yfully. "No need to take the council¡¯s anger out on me."


    "I am reminding you of your failure instead," I countered. "Tell me the solution for him."


    Liam stared at me for a moment, and my expression turned grave.


    "Think before you speak," I warned him.


    He chuckled, unaffected. "Though I like to experiment, I haven¡¯t lost my sanity yet to use a kid for it."


    "Do you expect me to praise you for that?" I asked coldly.


    "I do not daydream," he replied, "but there is another option."


    He raised a brow, as if he knew I would understand it.


    "Rafe won¡¯t agree to it," I told him.


    "In fact she is the reason he is nning to go away. And Eira might think we are using her as a tool for our selfish reasons."


    "You can exin to her. There is a chance she might understand," Liam insisted, and looked at I. "What do you say?"


    "There is no harm in trying. Who knows, it turns out to be the best decision," she replied.


    Both of them tried to convince me.


    "I know him well. He will never agree to it, and it is not something we can force him to," I exined to them. "He is still not over how his mother died. He never will be."


    Liam let out a sigh. "Then we have to wait for some time. At least it¡¯s a relief he is half werewolf so we can still keep him in check by turning his werewolf part strong. But how long it willst, I can¡¯t guarantee. And I hope we find a strong solution before it¡¯s toote."

 Chapter 204: Shameless Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 204: Shameless Rafe</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    After we talked a while more about Rafe, I asked about Raven.


    "His blood tests, is the result out?" I asked.


    "Need some more time," he answered, "but five of your test reports are there. I will email you."


    I offered him a bored look as there was no need for that.


    "Thanks to Raven, I get to do blood tests for you five which you don¡¯t understand how important they are," Liam said. "Thest time the tests were done on you was like six years back before all of you went on your Alpha training. Your father made sure everyone was done with it. As an Alpha, you must know how important it is for me to keep the record of every Alpha in the pack."


    I didn¡¯t answer. But his words reminded me of that Alpha training camp. It was thest camp we got to attend, as after that came chaos and we were in the war. No more training was needed as that war had already turned us into the strongest warriors once we took revenge on that bastard Keiren and almost destroyed his pack.


    During those days of training, every moment I thought of Eira as I wouldn¡¯t get to see her for two weeks straight. Despite not wanting to, my brain would take me back to her thoughts. Her innocent and beautiful face would always sh in my mind. Those two weeks felt like the longest period of my life which wouldn¡¯t pass by soon.


    All I wanted was to return and see her at least once, even for just a few moments.


    ----


    I returned to the VIP suite.


    Rafe had just woken up and I heard him the moment I opened the door.


    "...What¡¯s that look mean, Caldwell? Were you worried I would die? So naive of you to think that way."


    Ah! He was back to being himself.


    She was clearly worried about him, and instead of assuring her, he chose to be an ass. I could understand why he always acted that way with her, but it wouldn¡¯t harm to be good once in a while, when she was finally softening to him out of us five.


    "You can go to hell for all I care," she replied fiercely and turned to Raven, now calm, "I told you before, you have to close your ears whenever that idiot talks."


    Raven quietly moved his hands and covered his ears.


    It made me smile. She had started to control him. Maybe soon she will start to control us as well. How sweet that would be.


    Rafe stepped out of the bed as I had returned. Clearly impatient.


    "Your excellency, can we return home now, and spare me this suffocation?" he asked, tone sarcastic.


    I hummed and he searched for his clothes. Roman handed them over to change from those hospital clothes.


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    He removed his shirt and looked at Eira, who happened to look at me. "Obsessing over me won¡¯t do you any good. And, that¡¯s totally a gaze of a pervert."


    "I have seen an infinite number of naked men to bother and obsess over one," she spat out and stood up. "Raven, let¡¯s go."


    She didn¡¯t know, but her words had turned all of us silent. The truth she spoke, but it clearly wasn¡¯t pleasing to hear.


    I offered a cold re to Rafe and then followed Eira and Raven out.


    While sitting in the car, Roman said, "I have something to do. I will return hometer."


    I offered him a questioning gaze as he rarely acted this way.


    "Just something personal, but nothing to worry about," he assured, "please go ahead. I might bete."


    Not asking any more questions, I left with others. I will ask him once he returns home.


    ---


    At home, once we settled, a man from the administrator¡¯s office arrived. Jason went out and got what he had brought as per my instructions.


    A big size envelope. Jason handed it over to me.


    I pulled papers out of it and checked them while sitting on the sofa. Once I made sure they were right, I looked at Eira and Raven, who were busy coaxing three kittens.


    "Hold it like this," Eira was telling him, "They are delicate, so treat them like holding a feather."


    Raven followed her instructions.


    "Eira, would youe here for a moment," I called for her.


    She looked at me, and I told her, "It¡¯s about Raven."


    There was no way she would reject now.


    "You y. I¡¯ll be back soon," she told Raven and came to me.


    I put the papers on the table and told her, "These are the papers to register Raven as our child. You need to sign them."


    A little taken aback¡ªor I should say overwhelmed¡ªshe carefully walked to the table and settled on the carpeted floor to check those documents ced on the centre table.


    She sat exactly opposite me.


    Her gaze silently read and absorbed each and every word written in it. Unknown to her, her eyes were moist, but her lips were curved into a gentle smile.


    "Here." I offered her a pen.


    She took it from me and put the papers back on the table. But when she held the pen in her fingers to sign, her hands trembled.


    It¡¯s been six years since she must have held a pen and paper in her hands or written anything at all.


    I picked up the notepad from the table and put it in front of her. "First you can try on it."


    She didn¡¯t reject. Adjusting the pen in her hand, she tried to sign a few times.


    She looked at me. "I don¡¯t really remember my previous sign exactly."


    "Then you can create a new one," I told her. I liked how normally she spoke to me. When it came to Raven, she might even forgive her enemies.


    She tried a few more times and finally settled on one. Feeling content with it, she signed the document and read it again, a smile spreading across her lips.


    The exact line she kept reading again and again was the one where it mentioned she was Raven¡¯s mother.


    Well, she was.


    Once she put the papers down, I got them and signed as well. I looked at her. "Once it¡¯s submitted, we will get the official certificate of Raven being our son. Then an ID card for him. And yours is already in the process of being revived from the past, but it will be changed with my name after yours."


    She didn¡¯t show any reluctance to it.


    Previously, we wanted to change her identity entirely. But now, since we knew she was innocent and not a criminal, there was no need for it. We would prove her innocence to the world very soon, anyway.


    She returned to Raven while I looked at Jason and Rafe.


    I raised a brow, silently asking if they wanted to say something.


    Rafe smirked yfully. "Just want to congratte you on being a father, without really putting any effort into it."


    The bastard was reminding me Raven wasn¡¯t my real son.


    "I look forward to you putting in some effort and having one," I countered.


    "That won¡¯t happen," Rafe said and looked at Jason. "Should we expect one from you?"


    "Having Raven is enough," Jason said. "Though only Kael¡¯s name is there as his father, her child is all of ours."


    Rafe sighed. "Always so boring with answers."


    "Yeah, you must miss Lucian a lot to give you some interesting answers," Jason countered, sarcastically.


    Rafe was as shameless as always. "True. Only he understands how not to be boring. You should learn from your brother, instead of always being so boringly quiet."


    "I¡¯ll let him know you missed him, so he¡¯ll continue where you two stoppedst time," Jason countered.


    "Were you upset, darling, that you couldn¡¯t be a part of it?" Rafe smiled wickedly. "Want to try? I am always open for it."


    "Fuck off!" Jason stood up and went to the kitchen.


    "C¡¯mon, we are mate brothers. It isn¡¯t anything umon," Rafe called behind him to rattle him more.


    Jason didn¡¯t respond it as it would only mean giving Rafe a chance to get bolder with words.


    Rafe chuckled heartily, seeing him riled up. "Such a baby."


    No one could match this bastard¡¯s shamelessness. Only Lucian could.

 Chapter 205: The Bitch In Roman’s Life

    <h4>Chapter 205: The Bitch In Roman¡¯s Life</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    During the day, Eira took care of Raven. I busied myself with office work while keeping an eye on the two. The best sight to see was when Raven fell asleep with Eira on that mattress by the window side.


    I couldn¡¯t help but stop working and go to them. He had snuggled in her embrace with her hand wrapped around him. They looked like mother and child¡ªexactly what they were.


    Jason, who came out of his room to go out, came to me and watched them as well.


    I fixed the sheets on them, while Jason instructed Fluffy to keep quiet. The hamster, cat Vixen, and her three kittens were napping as well.


    It felt like this corner of the home was the most peaceful and probably a sleeping heaven. Only if we could be a part of it, but we had things to do.


    Finally, evening was there, but Roman and Lucian hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    Jason informed me that Lucian was caught up with some important matters rted to the Ravenw pack. He was busy nning and nting clues that could divert their attention from our pack in their quest of finding Raven.


    About Roman, when I called him, his mobile was turned off the entire day and he wasn¡¯t even in the office. This guy has started to worry me now.


    Before dinner time, at least Lucian returned home. He looked entirely worn out as if he had been running between hell and heaven.


    "Everything went fine?" I asked him.


    <fne528> Fresh chapters posted on f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fne528>


    "Enough to buy us more time," he answered, not saying anything clearly in front of Raven and Eira, who were watching TV while sitting on the sofa.


    Both of them had been glued to each other the entire day¡ªying with pets, sleeping, spending time in the garden, watching TV, ying whatever games we had bought for them. They were busy in their own world.


    When all of us sat at the dining table for dinner, Roman was still missing.


    "Did you check where Roman is?" I asked.


    "He didn¡¯t tell where he is, but messaged me saying he won¡¯t be returning tonight," Jason informed. "He said not to worry about him. He is fine."


    The frown on my forehead deepened. "If he doesn¡¯t return by morning, go after him despite whatever he says," I instructed.


    Jason hummed, while Lucian said, "Something is going on with him. The bastard won¡¯t tell."


    "Even in the hospital, he looked lost somewhere," Jason said. "At one point he turned off his mobile after reading something. He looked annoyed."


    "Something happened in the hospital?" I asked, but then sensed Eira looking at me at that moment.


    I looked back at her. Her eyes were as if they knew something.


    But then she lowered her gaze and focused on eating.


    Once dinner was over, and Eira and Raven went outside into the garden, I told Jason, "Check the hospital footage from the time when Eira and Roman were together in the hospital."


    Soon, we got the footage and Jason showed us something that we didn¡¯t expect to happen.


    "That bitch¡ª is she the one?" Rafe asked.


    I hummed. So this is why he was troubled.


    "Who is she?" Jason and Lucian asked. They hadn¡¯t been with us during that time in our childhood when Roman and Rafe were living as orphans in the orphanage my mother ran. They hadn¡¯t seen this woman.


    "His mother," I told them.


    "The bitch is a piece of shit," Rafe spat out, clearly angry at the sight.


    Jason and Lucian were aware of what this woman had done to Roman, so without even knowing her personally, they already hated her.


    "Why is she even alive?" Lucian said angrily. "Let¡¯s get rid of her."


    "That¡¯s his mother. If he wants to kill her, he will do it on his own," Kael said. "We can keep her away from him, but we won¡¯t be killers of our brother¡¯s mother unless he wants us to. Though we are worried for him, there are the things we need to maintain boundaries with."


    As an Alpha of the pack, I could do anything and no one would question me, but the matter was what Roman wanted and it was his personal matter for us to meddle in mindlessly.


    "I am sure he wants to kill her more than anyone, but he is holding back," Jason added. "Just one word from him, and we will feed her to wild wolves."


    "Poor wolves," Rafe sighed. "Don¡¯t spoil their mouths¡¯ taste with that shit. Just burn her alive ¡ª that would be more satisfying."


    "Calm down. Once he returns, we will see what to do," I suggested and looked toward the garden where Eira and Raven were ying with Fluffy. If not for her looking at me right at that moment, I would have doubted anything had happened in the hospital.


    She clearly wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t. Maybe Roman had told her not to mention anything about it to us. That¡¯s surely what he would do.


    When it was time to go to bed, once more I picked up Raven in my arms to take him to my room.


    "He slept with youst night," Eira said. "He can sleep with me tonight."


    I looked at her calmly. "You are always wee to sleep in my room."


    She gritted her teeth, not willing to give up in front of me. "Don¡¯t forget we signed to be his parents. I am his mother."


    "That makes it even more right for you to sleep with us," I told her, unaffected by her words. "A child needs to sleep with his parents until he is six at least. So we have one more year before we give him a separate room."


    "When and who made that rule?" she asked, clearly annoyed.


    "I did just now," I replied coolly. "As an Alpha of this pack, each of my words is the rule here."


    She clenched her fists, clearly wanting to throw a few punches at me. I raised a brow as if asking her to dare, but she could only stay in her ce.


    "Coming with us?" I asked her once more.


    She stomped in anger and headed to Roman¡¯s room. The next moment the loud sound of the door mming echoed through the home. Her anger was really something.


    Even after we mated, she didn¡¯t want to be close to me, and I couldn¡¯t force her.


    I looked at Lucian. "Roman is not home. Sleep with her tonight."


    She wouldn¡¯te to sleep in my room, Rafe wouldn¡¯t sleep with her, Jason looked like he wouldn¡¯t either, so Lucian was the only one left. We couldn¡¯t leave her alone the entire night. I was worried about what kind of stunt she would pull.


    And tomorrow was that day ¡ª the day that had changed all our lives. It was going to be a difficult day tomorrow with her by our side.

 Chapter 206: The Truth Of Alice’s Death

    <h4>Chapter 206: The Truth Of Alice¡¯s Death</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    We brothers could only watch Kael and Eira arguing and leaving to their rooms.


    "Soon, our Alpha is going to be crushed under the anger of our mate," Rafemented, clearly amused. "I bet max two days."


    I hummed, "Two or three, not more than that."


    "Would be interesting to watch," Rafe chuckled. "I need to stalk more blood bags so I can enjoy the show while drinking."


    "We shall get the champagne bottles," I said, and looked at Jason. "What do you say?"


    Jason hummed and said, "I¡¯ll try to look into Roman¡¯s whereabouts," and left.


    "This guy, can¡¯t stop being serious," Rafemented as he watched Jason leave.


    I just looked at him and asked, "How did it go at the hospital?"


    He looked back at me, his gaze savage. "Wondering whether you missed the chance of seeing me in pain?"


    The bastard would never see the worry others had for him.


    "I can make up for that missing chance by putting you into that pain once more," I said with a warning gaze.


    "Oh! I am truly scared," he chuckled mockingly. "Go to her already, before we end up fighting."


    "So you do have the brain to think and the heart to be considerate," I countered.


    "Sometimes, I do feel I have it," he retorted with a mocking smirk.


    The worry I felt for him, the bastard made it vanish in a moment by angering me. I turned around and went to Roman¡¯s room to be by Eira¡¯s side.


    These days, I had no will to argue with him. Unlike before, now his words infuriated me, instead of how casually I used to take them before. The bastard had truly got into my head, it seemed, and I could do nothing about it.


    Eira was lying in bed on her side, staring at the window angrily. I had to be careful now that she was angry. Her temper had been highly vtile these days. Before, she used to be angry all the time, but now one moment she was pleasantly calm as if everything was fine with her, and the next moment she could turn into a volcano.


    I quietly climbed onto the bed and sat on it, resting against the headboard. I contemted before saying something¡ªthe thing I had been wanting to tell her for a while now.


    Maybe this was the moment, as these days her mind was stable and she could understand and ept the truth.


    "Eira," I called, carefully, in a gentle tone.


    She didn¡¯t respond, still gritting her teeth in anger.


    "I want to talk about Alice," I told her. "Something you should know."


    The next moment I felt her body rx and she slowly turned to look at me.


    "It¡¯s really important," I told her.


    She moved and sat up in the bed, ready to listen.


    Tomorrow¡¯s Alice¡¯s death anniversary. I want Eira to be at peace when we go to see Alice tomorrow, instead of ming herself her Alice¡¯s death. It was the time she forgive herself for what she never meant to do.


    "I want to tell you what happened with both of you that night," I added. "Why Alice was scared and asked for help. And what happenedter."


    She remained quiet, and I continued. "Do you know what she was scared of the most?"


    "Scorpions?" Eira replied.


    "And you are scared of ck wolves," I said.


    She hummed, staring at me to know more.


    "Both of you were drugged. A drug that controls your mind and makes you hallucinate your biggest fear," I exined.


    Surprise crept over her face.


    "That night she was seeing scary scorpions and was running away from them, but you didn¡¯t see them. Instead, what you saw was your own fear¡ªa ck wolf. Now you know why no one saw a wolf in the video recording, because it was your own illusion."


    I tried to keep my words and tone careful at the sensitive topic for her.


    "That day you saw a wolf in our house, right?" I said, fearing she might hate me for it. "I am sorry, but I had to drug you to validate the truth. You can hate me for drugging you, but it was important for your and Alice¡¯s sake, to find out the truth. That¡¯s why she was so scared and what you truly saw."


    There was a moment of silence between us before I said again, "Both of you were set up for it."


    "Who... did it... why?" she finally asked, too surprised to even say it clearly.


    "We are trying to find out and we will know soon," I told her. "But we need your help as well. Will you?"


    She stared at me as if wondering what she could do.


    "For Alice¡¯s sake, to bring her death to justice, will you?" I asked again.


    She finally hummed. "What do you want me to do?"


    Her love for Alice was beyond what we couldprehend.


    "I want to know what happened that night. How did you end up there, who gave you that gun, and anything you could," I answered, hoping she wouldn¡¯t hide anything.


    She stayed quiet for a while as if trying to remember everything.


    "That night I received a call from Alice," she said.


    Yes, Rafe had already found it from the call records, but we didn¡¯t know what they talked about.


    "What did you two talk about?" I asked.


    "The call was from her mobile, but the person who talked was someone else," she said.


    This clearly took a different turn now. "Who was it?"


    Her expression soured a little as if not wanting to talk about it.


    "I will trust every word you tell me," I assured her. "We need to punish everyone who was involved."


    She lowered her gaze a little, hershes trembling. "It was Keiren."


    Damn! The bastard. It didn¡¯t surprise me, to be honest, as he was associated with everything that happened back then.


    "What did he say?" I asked. "Look at me and tell me. Remember, you did nothing wrong. I know you wouldn¡¯t."


    Her eyes a little moist, she replied, "He said Alice was with him and he was going to kill her to hurt her brothers. If I wanted to save her, he called me toe to that ce. And warned me not to tell anyone."


    I kept my anger in check, patiently waiting to hear her.


    "I didn¡¯t believe him, but then I heard Alice¡¯s voice. She was scared and screaming, asking someone to help her. I had to believe him and then I left home."


    "Isn¡¯t that ce far from your home? How did you reach there so soon?" I asked, as the timing in the call record and the time when Alice was killed didn¡¯t match if she hadn¡¯t reached there quickly.


    We knew there was a car, and that car belonged to Sophia, but only Eira could tell the exact story to exin her side.


    <fn8512> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel</fn8512>


    About that bitch Sophia¡ªshe was going to die a brutal death once she was healed and answer everything she knew.

 Chapter 207: You Are Innocent

    <h4>Chapter 207: You Are Innocent</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    I waited for her to speak, wondering if she would even answer. Before, whenever I asked her, she tried to avoid answering for some reason.


    But this time, she didn¡¯t disappoint me.


    She met my gaze and answered what she remembered. "Just after I left home, Sophia came across me. She stopped her car, seeing me running along the road. It waste at night, so I could only walk or run. She asked me where I was going and said she could take me there. I didn¡¯t reject it as I wanted to hurry to go to Alice.


    "On the way, she asked me what happened and why I was so scared. She offered to help me without telling anyone. I had to tell her the truth as she insisted, and then, she was the one to take me there."


    "The gun?" I asked. "She was the one to give you?"


    Eira nodded. "When we reached there, it was dark and scary. Sophia told me to stay in the car, saying she would look around first, as she was stronger than me due to her wolf. I could only agree. After all, she was all of your friend and would want to protect Alice as well. I saw hope in her that she would truly help me save Alice.


    "But before leaving, she took out the gun from the side box and gave it to me. She told me it had silver bullets, and if there was any wild wolf or any other threat, I could use it to protect myself. And she left to look for Alice.


    <i>Silver bullets and wolf? </i>I repeated in my mind<i>, so that bitch Sofia was aware Eira will end up seeing a wolf and already handed her gun filled with silver bullet, the one which will kill Alice in no time.</i>


    Eira continued, "I waited in the car for a while, but stepped out. I was getting impatient and worried for Alice. When I walked here and there, after some time, Alice was truly there. She was running away from something, scared and screaming. When she saw me, she asked for help. But, before I could reach her, I saw a ck wolf attacking her and..." she stopped as her voice choked, tears gushing out.


    I moved closer to her and hugged her gently tofort her. I let her cry for a long time until she calmed down.


    "Trust me when I say it wasn¡¯t your fault that Alice died," I said, coaxing her. "You were used by someone. You are innocent."


    She shook her head. "Still... I should have been careful... I shouldn¡¯t have shot... I should have known it was an illusion..."


    "That drug is so powerful that it¡¯s impossible to resist its effect. If it had been given to me or even to Kael in a strong quantity, we would have lost to it as well," I tried to assure her. "It wasn¡¯t your fault. You just wanted to protect her. And you were so brave to go to her on your own. Just because you loved her, you cared for her. She was so fortunate to have you¡ªwe all are."


    She continued to cry, while I said again, "We were idiots to not see the truth. I am sorry. We shouldn¡¯t have let them fool us. They had set all of us, and we will take revenge for it. If not for them, Alice and my mother would be with us, Kael wouldn¡¯t have faced that loss, and you wouldn¡¯t have suffered and lost your child as well. They all deserve to die for ruining our lives."


    She nodded but then lifted her head to look at me. "You already killed Keiren; I have no one to take revenge on."


    I looked into her eyes. She was seeking revenge? What brought this change?


    <fn5783> Content originallyes from f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn5783>


    Is it the effect of what Rafe and she did in the dungeon that day, killing one bastard brutally. Even after getting to know about it the next day, I didn¡¯t confront Rafe. I felt he did the right thing, which none of us could in fear of messing up her mental state. Only a crazy, irrational vampire would risk doing it.


    I caressed her cheek gently and wiped the tears away with my thumb. "Keiren was just a small fish dancing to someone else¡¯s tune. The main culprits are still out there, and we will reach their throats very soon," I assured her. "I will let you kill the main viin. Is that all right?"


    She nodded quickly.


    I liked this change in her. She wasing around slowly. Her wolf had truly worked wonders.


    "Can I ask you something?" I said.


    She looked at me, waiting to know what.


    Now that she had talked about Keiren, I contemted whether to ask her about that video of hers with Keiren and his friends. But I feared she wouldn¡¯t want to answer.


    It had happened back then when she was with us, but she had hidden it. She must have felt embarrassed about it. I could tell, she was forced to do it, but at what expense. Why did she decided to obey him quietly.


    And, if I asked now, would she distance herself from me when she was finally so close, letting her guard down around me?


    "Tomorrow we are going to visit Alice. You wille with us, right?" I changed my question.


    She nodded quickly.


    "It¡¯ste. You should sleep," I said.


    She nodded andy in bed, maybe excited to wake up early tomorrow and go to Alice. I covered her with the nket and chose to sleep as well. She was so close, my heart wished to hold her closer, but once more I feared to let her think I wanted something from her.


    But then, this felt enough as well, being able to talk to her calmly, and there was no bitterness from her side.


    "Can I ask you something?" I asked her while staring at the ceiling.


    "Hmm?" I heard her reply, but didn¡¯t look at her.


    "Will you hate me for drugging you that day?" I asked, that thing still weighing heavy in my mind.


    "It was for Alice¡¯s sake, so I won¡¯t," she answered.


    I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."


    She didn¡¯t respond and I looked at her. She had her back at me, I wanted to hold but...


    "Good night," I said and closed my eyes.


    Maybe one day, this distance won¡¯t be between us anymore. That day would be the start of my journey to fulfill all those dreams I ever had with her in that future.

 Chapter 208: Kael’s Pain

    <h4>Chapter 208: Kael¡¯s Pain</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    The morning next day was unusually quiet. Not just for our home, but for the entire pack.It was the mourning day for the massacre that happened six years back and every pack member still remembered its pain.


    Those who had lost their family members, friends, they visited their graves and prayed for the peace of their souls. There were nomon gatherings for it to remember that day, as the Alpha of this pack preferred to spend this day alone. Everyone was free to do it the way they wished.


    Eira had woken up early and got ready just like the previous day to meet Raven, but she was quiet as well. This day was the start of her pain and loss since year back.


    After waking up, she sat with Alice¡¯s picture in her hand, just staring at it with her moist eyes. I had to get her out of the room saying we had to go see Alice. Only then she moved.


    Roman had returned home as well, quiet and avoiding talking about anything at all. If not for this day, I was sure he wouldn¡¯t have returned.


    In the quietness we started to prepare breakfast, Eira was busy with her pets. But Kael and Raven weren¡¯t here yet. The previous day Kael at least came downstairs early so Eira could go to Raven, but today there was no sign of him despite it already being sote.


    Eira would look at the stairs once in a while, but felt disappointed every time.


    "Do you think she will get angry at him today?" I asked.


    "Most likely," Rafe responded while pulling out the blood bag from the refrigerator.


    She was already sad because of this day, and Kael making her wait to see her son wasn¡¯t going to sit well with her.


    "Shall I check on them?" Jason asked, "It won¡¯t be good if there is a fight between them today."


    "Let¡¯s wait till we serve breakfast. If not, then you can go to them," I suggested.


    There must be a reason why Kael wasn¡¯t here yet. He wouldn¡¯t do it purposely, at least not today. He must be busy dealing with his own emotional pain, which he didn¡¯t want anyone to see. So typical of Kael to hide in his room in such a situation.


    Breakfast was served on the table and all of us settled in the chairs.


    "I¡¯ll go check," Jason stood up.


    But just then, we saw Kael finallye out, descending the stairs with Raven holding his hand. Both of them were dressed in ck clothes, ck shirts and pants.


    They looked like the perfect pair of father and son in matching sets of clothes. I wondered when Kael had gotten them for Raven.


    As it was the mourning day, all of us had worn ck as well, including Eira, who wore an elegant ck dress. Eira¡¯s expression softened a little at Raven¡¯s sight, but she didn¡¯t spare a nce for Kael.


    Since they were present, all of us started breakfast. Kael took care of Raven by serving food and helping him, though he didn¡¯t really need it. And Raven epted it all.


    It looked like somehow Raven had gotten very close to Kael. Both of them talked about nothing, yet there was a silent understanding between them, like a perfect pair.


    Eira, who was sitting on Kael¡¯s left and exactly opposite Raven, could only watch them in silence. I could feel her jealousy over it, as if she had fewer rights over Raven than Kael. I could already smell that soon there was going to be a volcano eruption at home in the form of someone¡¯s anger.


    Unlike other days, we continued to eat in silence. No fun, no teasing, no sarcastic or mockingments from anyone.


    Just as breakfast was about to be over, Kael said, "Eira, I want to take you somewhere..."


    "Breathing the same air as you isn¡¯t enough that you expect more from me?" she cut him off, her calm tone carrying a silent cold re.


    Kael silently looked at her for a moment, then had hisst bite to finish the food.


    The four of us looked at each other, unsure what to do.


    Kael stood up and looked at us. "All of you go ahead. I¡¯ll apany you after some time," he said, and turned to leave after gently patting Raven¡¯s head in goodbye.


    Damn! What to do now?


    Eira looked so serious that it felt like she would only get angrier if we tried to say anything to her. We had to maintain peace at least today, which was why Kael preferred to leave without saying another word.


    But then, something happened. Raven stepped out of his chair and hurried, almost running, to Kael, who was about to leave the home.


    Kael sensed the movement and turned to look at him, only to find the little guying to him. Raven held his hand and lifted his head to look at Kael, as if saying he was going with him.


    Kael offered a light nod, and both of them walked out to leave the home.


    Rafe stood up as well. "I have to be with him," he said and followed them.


    Rafe always followed Kael even when Kael didn¡¯t want him to, while at least us three chose to obey him to respect his words. Rafe was different, and we were used to his disobedience.


    The rest of us were ready to leave as well. We had arranged the flower bouquets to offer to Alice and my mother.


    Just as we stepped out of the home, we saw Kael¡¯s car leaving.


    I couldn¡¯t hold back and turned to Eira, my tone gentle. "He wanted to take you to meet his parents, as you are his mate now. It¡¯s his parents¡¯ death anniversary as well."


    She looked at me, her expression softened now, a tinge of regret in her eyes as she looked in the direction where the car had left.


    I won¡¯t me her for not remembering it, as none of us had mentioned it to remind her while she was lost in her own pain and guilt over Alice.


    "Shall we go to visit his parents first?" Roman asked as he looked at Eira. "Or we can go after visiting Alice."


    She hesitated a little before saying, "...His parents..."


    Only if we had reminded her of it before, she wouldn¡¯t have turned Kael down.


    All of us headed to Kael¡¯s parents¡¯ home, where in the center of the garden his parents were cremated along with those seven kids.


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    When we reached there, Kael, Raven, and Rafe had already put the flowers on the tworge graves tall up to the waist, and they were surrounded by seven small graves in a circle.


    Kael took Raven to each of those seven graves as well, and they ced flowers on each and prayed for their souls. Raven obediently followed without a single word being said between them.


    Once done, they walked away and sat on the bench under the tree that faced the graves. Looking at Kael and Raven sitting there, suddenly it felt like they were really father and son, visiting their family here. It was such a strong intuition.


    That silent aura around Raven, his actions, even the way he sat ¡ª it felt so simr. Maybe it was because they were both raised in rich families with certain fixed mannerisms, unlike us ordinary ones who were raised with free will.


    Without disturbing them, we walked ahead to pay respect to the deceased. I handed over flowers to Eira as we three joined her.


    Once done, we went to where Kael and Raven were sitting. Eira looked at Kael, but he was staring somewhere into the distance, lost in his thought perhaps, not bothering with what was happening around him.


    She went ahead and sat on the bench next to Raven, while the rest of us stood silently nearby.


    I was d Eira chose toe here and even sat with Kael to apany him in silence.


    Though angry most of the time, she wasn¡¯t out of emotions yet. She understood Kael¡¯s pain.

 Chapter 209: Chance For Jason

    <h4>Chapter 209: Chance For Jason</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    Spending some more time at Kael¡¯s parents¡¯ resting ce, we all left for the cemetery to visit Alice and my mother. That day, we weren¡¯t the only ones there ¡ª other pack members who had lost loved ones during the massacre had alsoe to pay their respects.


    Despite their Alphas being present, no one disturbed us. They simply bowed from a distance in respect. Eira was, as usual, emotional, and Jason and I apanied her to Alice¡¯s grave.


    The three of us ced flowers and offered our respects. Tears rolled down her already moist eyes. I slipped my arm around her shoulder to coax her and said gently, "I told youst time, it wasn¡¯t your fault. Alice knows that as well. She must be d to see you and must be wishing for you to visit often, so she won¡¯t feel lonely anymore."


    "I will..." Eira¡¯s voice broke, "I... will visit you often, Alice. I will never let you feel lonely, just like you never let me be back then..."


    She wiped her tears and turned to Raven. "Come here."


    Raven looked at Kael first, and Kael gave him a small nod to go ahead. Once he reached her, Eira said softly, "Your aunt Alice is resting here. You should pay her respect."


    The little guy ced the flower on the grave and offered a respectful bow. When he was done, Eira told him, "You must always visit her just like we all do. She is family, alright?"


    Raven nodded lightly.


    We then paid respect to my mother as well. With heavy hearts, we all left the cemetery. If Alice and my mother were still here, how different ¡ª how much better ¡ª life would have been.


    I let Eira return home with the others while Jason and I stayed back to spend some time alone. These past few days, I had been so busy ¡ª or perhaps so ignorant ¡ª that I hadn¡¯t given Jason the attention he needed, despite seeing how quiet and distant he had be.


    I understood why. It started from the moment we discovered Eira was innocent. I felt this was the right time to talk to him.


    As we settled in a quiet corner of the cemetery, I said quietly, "I miss both of them."


    As we settled at the quiet corner of the cemetery, I said, "I miss both of them."


    "I miss them as well," he replied.


    <fncba3> Follow current nov?ls on Find?Novel</fncba3>


    "Would they have been happy to see now we are Kael¡¯s mate brothers and Eira is all our mate?" I asked. "She¡¯s Alice¡¯s friend, and even Mom thought of her as a daughter."


    "But she¡¯s not our sister," Jason added.


    I hummed, "So they would have been fine with it, I guess. Nothing unusual in the werewolf world."


    "Had you ever thought she would end up being with us five?" I asked.


    Jason shook his head.


    "Neither did I," I said. "I always thought she would be my mate one day. You liked her as well. What would we have done if back then we knew it?"


    "The one she chose would be with her," Jason answered.


    "That¡¯s the right solution as well. But it would have left us hurt," I said and jumped to the point. "We like her the same even now, though things have changed. But what¡¯s keeping you so far away? Is it what happened when we went to see her in prison, or that torture thing in the stable?"


    He chose silence.


    Damn! No more.


    "I want you to talk," I said in an orderly way. "I see you try to do things for her, but that¡¯s not enough. There is always so much hesitation and distance in your actions that she barely takes note of it. You have to forget the past and start new with her, just like all of us are trying to do. I don¡¯t want you to be left out when all of us are close to her, treating her as our mate.


    I want my brother to be equal in everything we have in life. We have lost Alice and Mom, now Eira is the only one we have other than our brothers. Together we have to be a happy family, just like Mother always told us about. So start from somewhere. Try to talk to her. I am sure she will respond to you just like she did with us. Last night I told her about how she and Alice were set up by someone, and she understood things. Try tomunicate with her. Alright?"


    He nodded quietly and said, "I¡¯ll try." But his words didn¡¯t feel confident at all.


    "Is there anything you want to tell me?" I asked.


    He shook his head and looked at me. "Don¡¯t worry. She is our mate now, so I¡¯ll do as you say."


    The bastard was avoiding answering me.


    "Want to go home?" I asked him, "Our home?"


    He nodded quickly. Since we started living with Kael, we didn¡¯t stay in our home and only visited once in a while. It was because the memories from there and the loss were unbearable to stay with for long.


    When we reached there, the car was already outside. Kael¡¯s car.


    When we stepped out of the car, Kael and Rafe were outside while Roman apanied Eira.


    "She wanted toe here," Kael told us.


    "We should have thought about bringing her here already," I replied, and both Jason and I walked inside the home. It was still maintained well, though we didn¡¯t live here.


    Roman and Raven were in the drawing room, while I asked, "Where is she?"


    "Upstairs, in Alice¡¯s room," he answered.


    Jason and I went upstairs, only to hear the sounds of light sobs. Eira was standing by Alice¡¯s study table, holding something in her hand and crying.


    It was Alice¡¯s diary she was reading. After she was gone, we had read it as well, just as a way to know our sister¡¯s thoughts. We shouldn¡¯t have. But... we just missed her.


    Most of it contained all the important days, some incidents that made her feel happy, and the talk about what she and Eira did together. Sometimes, what upset her, and yes¡ªthe guy she liked.


    If we knew she liked him, we would have surely supported her in pursuing him once she was an adult. But the guy downstairs wasn¡¯t even aware he had stolen my sister¡¯s heart and that she wanted to be his mate.


    Alice even mentioned she wished Eira would choose me or Jason as her mate so they could always be a family.


    I nudged Jason to go to her, who was looking at her silently. "Bring her back once she is done," I said, and left.


    I wanted this bastard to talk to her, and when she was emotional with Alice, it was the moment she wouldn¡¯t get angry at anyone and would listen to us calmly.


    Now it was up to him what he would do.

 Chapter 210: The One Alice Loved

    <h4>Chapter 210: The One Alice Loved</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    I knew why Lucian left me alone, and I didn¡¯t wish to fail him. Not just because of him, but I needed a chance to talk with her as well. I had wronged her more than anyone would have, and I knew she would never forgive me.


    That was the reason I stayed away from her, thinking I didn¡¯t deserve her anymore. But today, I wanted to forget everything and talk with her.


    I went to her and stood by her side, looking into the page of the diary she was reading.


    Alice had written about Eira, her newly found friend. There were notes about her¡ªwhat kind of a person Eira was, what things Eira liked, and every bit of information as if Eira was a project she had taken on.


    Alice even cursed Eira¡¯s grandparents for being so strict with her, and she didn¡¯t hold back her displeasure through her words.


    "Not just in this diary, but whenever you were not with her, she would always talk about you. She loved you as much as she loved us," I said.


    Eira wiped her tears and nodded, her fingers tracing the words written on the page as if she could feel Alice through them.


    "I feel like I might go crazy from missing her," Eira said in a low, choked voice mixed with sobs. "I wish there was a way I could bring her back."


    "If there was, we would have done it already," I said. "We can only keep her alive in our hearts."


    She hummed once more and continued to cry. I gently moved closer and hugged her, letting her cry as much as she wished.


    She didn¡¯t reject my hug. I knew she was lost in the emotions she was feeling to realise it was me.


    Once she was calm, I said, "Eira, will you ever forgive me?"


    I didn¡¯t know where to start. I said what came to my mind first. The quietness of the past six years may have dulled my skills with words.


    Finally, she seemed to recognize what I said and moved away from me as I released my arms around her.


    She looked at me, and I said, "I want to apologize for what I did to you. I am sorry. I should have..."


    <fn1ebc> Updates are released by </fn1ebc>


    "There¡¯s no meaning to this talk," she interrupted me, meeting my gaze straight with her resolute one. The emotions she was feeling till now, had vanished in a moment as she looked at me.


    "I forgive you, just because I have killed your sister, even though it was unintentional. As her brother, what you did was right. You have the right to hate me and get angry at me. I take that me of killing her and will pay for that sin. But..."


    I held my breath. If she had cried, shown her anger, and med me for the things, it would have been easier. But the way she looked at me, I knew I had lost her already.


    "But, my heart will always hate you, despite my mind forgiving you," she said coldly. "I can be wrong to hate you, but I can¡¯t lie to myself or to anyone. This is what it is. And you will be nothing more to me than just my friend¡¯s brother. In my life, your ce is only that... Alice¡¯s brother. Do not expect anything more."


    I looked at her for a moment and said, "I ept it."


    "Good," she said and turned to leave, holding Alice¡¯s diary and something else she picked from the table in her hand.


    "But, we are still family," I said to her, "And I¡¯ll be doing what a family should do."


    "Suits you," she said and walked downstairs.


    I turned to look at the small photo frame with Alice and Mom in it.


    My thumb caressed Alice¡¯s picture. "If not for that incident, I would have fulfilled your wish of having her in our family. But now, I have wronged her, so I have to pay for it. I hope you forgive me for hurting your friend."


    I ced the photo frame back, looked around the room for thest time, and went downstairs. No one was there. It seems they were already outside.


    When I went outside, I watched as Eira went straight to Roman. She had something in her hand she got from Alice¡¯s table.


    "This is for you," she told Roman.


    Roman looked at it in a surprise as it came out of nowhere.


    It was a handwoven bracelet that often she-wolves crafted for the one they liked.


    Roman epted it, and she said, "Alice once made this for you, but never got the chance to give it to you. So I am giving it to you on her behalf."


    Roman was clearly speechless to hear it. He had always considered Alice like his own sister, and it really came out as a shock to him.


    Yes, my sister liked this bastard, who wasn¡¯t aware of her feelings anymore. Lucian and I were shocked to find it out as well. Alice always came to protect Eira whenever Roman bullied her, but secretly she liked him.


    Out of so many good males around, our sister had to choose this bully. She proved when they say girls preferred bad boys.


    But in the end, they were never meant to be.


    "I hope you honour her feelings," Eira said, meeting his surprised gaze.


    Roman hummed and said, "Help me put it on."


    Eira dly did it and secured that bracelet on his hand.


    Eira admired it on his wrist in appreciation. "Alice would have loved to do it herself. But I believe she is happy that it finally reached the man she made it for."


    It wasn¡¯t right for him to wear something given by another female as he had a mate now, but sometimes, such things could be epted when the situation is like this. Honour the feelings of the dead, and fulfil the wish that came from your mate.


    I thanked him in my heart to not reject my sister¡¯s feelings.


    We all headed to our cars to return home.


    Lucian put his hand around Roman¡¯s shoulder and said, "You would have been our brother-inw if Alice was alive."


    "Lucky bastard," Imented as I joined them.


    "I smell burn," Roman said with a chuckle.


    "Well, both important women in our life, one loved you already and the other you have already marked," Lucian said with a fake yful sigh. "Truly a lucky bastard."

 Chapter 211: Roman’s Mother

    <h4>Chapter 211: Roman¡¯s Mother</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    All of us returned home. It felt like everything was at peace finally, but I wasn¡¯t sure how long this peace wouldst. After lunch, when Eira and Raven were napping, we had the chance to discuss things.


    Lucian told us about what he and Eira had talked aboutst night, and how she finally opened up about that incident.


    "That day, why was Alice there? Why wasn¡¯t she home?" I asked Lucian.


    "We were busy even after Alpha training, learning new things by your side, and Mom was workingte in the hospital," Lucian answered. "We didn¡¯t know how she ended up there. And then we all were busy with our revenge, and the police had the culprit who killed her and betrayed our pack by colluding with Keiren..."


    I understood what he was trying to say.


    "Thest call Alice got was from Keiren," Rafe said. "I managed to dig into her mobile more, though it¡¯s entirely destroyed. He must have had something on her to be able to call her out, and she left without even telling anyone, despite knowing Keiren was our enemy."


    "That Keiren surely had something against Eira and Alice to make them do what he wanted," Jasonmented coldly. "The bastard did it and we didn¡¯t even know."


    "We need to find out what he used to ckmail them," I concluded, then looked at Lucian. "Will you be able to ask Eira about her video with that bastard?"


    "Last night I wanted to... but..." he sighed. "I¡¯ll try again when the moment is right."


    I hummed and asked Rafe, "What else did you find in both their mobiles?"


    "Call history, which was normal except for thosest calls," Rafe answered. "And chat history... it¡¯s not recoverable except for a few regr messages those two shared normally." Rafe smirked and looked at Roman. "Lucky bastard was included in the chat."


    Before Rafe could say anything more, Lucian and Jason gave him a warning gaze. "No need to share my sister¡¯s private messages about some bastard she fell for."


    Rafe chuckled. "I thought you would like to know what your sister talked about. Want me to..."


    "Fuck off!" Jason warned. "Let it be private unless it¡¯s something that can help us solve the mystery of the past."


    "Alright," Rafe replied in azy tone, but turned to Roman again, "She cursed you a lot for bullying Eira, but then, she cursed herself for falling for you as well."


    Roman could say nothing in his defence.


    While Lucian warned, "Want me to shut that mouth of yours?"


    Rafe smirked. "Go ahead if you dare."


    "Meet meter," Lucian said.


    "Alright!" Roman interrupted them and asked trying to divert the attention from Alice liked him. "Was there anything about the guy, I mean Eira¡¯s boyfriend? Who¡¯s he? They talked about it once when we went to their home the next day of the Moon festival."


    There was silence for a while before Rafe said, "There¡¯s no mention of it. Maybe Eira didn¡¯t tell Alice who that guy was either."


    "Are you sure?" Roman asked, not believing him entirely.


    Rafe simply hummed. "As I have been told, I am not going to look into those girls¡¯ private matters."


    "Never mind," Roman said. "Now she is with us, doesn¡¯t matter who the bastard was."


    Once more there was a silence, which I broke.


    "Back to the matter," I instructed. "Now we are more certain that Sophia was involved. So, I need to find out who had drugged them. Alice¡ªof course Keiren drugged her¡ªbut Eira, she was home. Either she was drugged at home, or she was drugged on the way by Sophia."


    "If I calcte the time needed for the drug to take effect and to travel from her home to that ce, given the quantity found in her blood test, I can conclude she had that drug while leaving home or just after leaving home when she met Sophia."


    "So her grandparents and Sophia, both are under suspicion now," I said.


    "We have Sophia, but those old hags..." Jason said. "Only if we could get them as well."


    "No need to be in a hurry," I said in a strict tone. "The priority is to secure Raven¡¯s safety. As for those two, we will get them soon. They can¡¯t keep hiding for long after losing the precious thing they were hiding for the past six years."


    "Making Sophia talk will work as well," Roman said. "How long will it take for that bitch toe out?"


    "There¡¯s still time," I told him. "We can¡¯t do everything at the same time. Be patient. We don¡¯t want her to die before she answers us."


    "She can¡¯t die," Rafe said. "Absolutely can¡¯t."


    All of us looked at him with questioning gazes.


    "The bitch I sold in exchange for a DNA sample of that bastard of Ravenw pack ¡ª is this bitch only," he answered.


    Lucian asked, "You sold her to...?"


    "What use does she have for us after she reveals everything?" Rafe¡¯s red eyes turned wickedly darker. "So I thought to put her to some good use, exactly the way she deserves."


    The smirk on his lips widened, which told us he truly had set her up straight for hell.


    "When are we getting the DNA sample?" I asked.


    "Soon," Rafe answered, not telling us where he had sold Sophia. But I could guess.


    I turned to Roman. "Seems like your mother is back?"


    Roman¡¯s expression turned serious, and then he looked toward therge window where Eira was sleeping.


    "She didn¡¯t tell me," I told him. "I found out."


    He let out a deep sigh. "Just ignore it. If anything, I can handle it."


    We could only listen to his wishes.


    But then, a security in-charge of the estate called. Lucian answered, only for his expression to turn sore.


    Once he hung up the call, I asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "That bitch..." he stopped and looked at Roman, "Your mother is here."


    Roman¡¯s calm expression turned grave as he stood up. "What that bitch is doing here?"


    "She wants to meet Kael," Lucian told him and looked at me.


    <i>Wants to meet me?</i> That came as a surprise.


    I was sure, as always, she had a motive.


    Before I could respond, Roman said, "You don¡¯t need to. I¡¯ll send her away."


    I let out a sigh and stood up as well. "How many times will you do it? You know she will show up again."


    Roman clenched his fists; the anger in his eyes deepened. "I¡¯ll warn her well, and if not I¡¯ll k¡ª"


    "Let me see what she wants," I interrupted him. "As your Alpha, and most importantly your brother, you are my responsibility."


    "That woman is wicked. She¡ª" Roman tried to argue.


    "Am I any less?" I countered. "If it¡¯s too much, I¡¯ll get rid of her for your sake. Myst resort to protect your sanity. Stay here."


    Roman didn¡¯t argue while I told Lucian, "Tell them to take her to the security guest room at the gate."


    I left alone, knowing the others would lose their patience with that annoying woman. But I couldn¡¯t guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t followter.


    I reached the guest room at security.


    A ck luxury car was parked nearby. The bitch was living in luxury while she had almost ruined her kids. I wondered what she was here for.


    The guards guided me to the room and I told them to wait outside.


    Inside, a sickly older woman sat in a chair. La Ashborn.


    Though weak, she wore luxury clothes, a designer handbag rested on the table, and a thickyer of makeup and dark lipstick ¡ª matching her red dress ¡ª hid her sickly ugliness.


    She was in the hospital, and from how weak she lookedpared to the famous pack beauty she used to be, I could tell she was seriously ill.


    Was she here to show regret for what she did to her kids? If that was the case, it meant she still had some shame left in her. If not, then she would be kicked out for sure.


    She looked at me as if I owed her something. That arrogance on her face was still the same.


    "What are you here for?" I asked.


    "You have my son tied to you, and you ask me why I am here?" she said, letting out a mocking chuckle.


    "He wasn¡¯t your son anymore the day you sold him to those monsters," I countered.


    "That¡¯s my kid I raised inside my body and gave birth to with painstaking effort, so I have all the right over him," she said smugly, "and don¡¯t forget, he is pureblood Alpha, because his father had I, a pureblood she-wolf to give birth for him. If he wasn¡¯t Alpha, would you have made him your mate brother? You should thank me for giving him birth and adding to your strength."


    I looked at her for a moment in silence and said calmly, "Alright. Thank you for giving birth to my brother. What else?"


    "I heard you got a pureblood for you five brothers," she said without a tinge of hesitation.


    My jaw clenched as I tried to suppress my anger. If not for Roman¡¯s mother, I would have snapped her head out from her shoulder.


    <fn3250> Th?s chapter is updated by find¡¤novel</fn3250>


    "She is my mate, and I warn you to be careful with your words," I warned calmly.


    She chuckled, "Of course I won¡¯t disrespect your mate, Alpha Kael," she said, "But your mate, that means she is my son¡¯s mate as well and I have a right over her," she smirked, "Isn¡¯t it?"


    "So?" I asked, wanting to know where she was heading to.


    If it was something that angered me, I was going to rid Roman of his mother right here.

 Chapter 212: Not A Mother, But Monster

    <h4>Chapter 212: Not A Mother, But Monster</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    The bitch smirked. "Alpha Kael, I have been with several Alphas all these years. Just by the frown on your forehead I can tell what you are even thinking."


    I simply stared at her; the smugness in her was infuriating. Only if she wasn¡¯t Roman¡¯s mother...


    "You are thinking of killing me, I know," she said with a smug smile ying on her lips. "Go ahead. I hope you will be praised for killing a woman who is already at the door of dying."


    So, the bitch was going to die. Very well. So I wouldn¡¯t have to lift a finger and live with the guilt of killing the one who my brother once called a mother.


    "Do you know why Roman never hurt me despite whatever I did?" she asked.


    Of course I knew as that¡¯s what held all of us back even now.


    Still, she went on.


    "Before he died, his father asked Roman to always protect me, no matter what. Then he bound him with an oath to never hurt me," she said, as if rehearsing a sermon. "If he breaks that oath by hurting me, you know what will happen to him."


    I clenched my teeth. If Roman broke that sacred oath, it will hurt his wolf and he will end up losing it.


    This bitch knew it well, and she was always going to be a thorn in his life. What if I plucked it out right away? Would it be considered that Roman failed to protect this woman and failed hisst promise to his father? And that too because of his brother.


    "Do you still want to kill me?" she taunted. "I am sure Roman will never forgive you for failing him from obeying those precious words from his dead father," she scoffed. "That bastard pretended to love me even when he was dying and forced a little kid to protect me." Sheughed then, sharp and brittle. "Pitiful, isn¡¯t it?"


    <fn3f61> Fresh chapters posted on find¡¤novel</fn3f61>


    The way this bitch acted, no one could ever believe she was the one who gave birth to Roman. She didn¡¯t deserve to be a mother.


    "Say what you are here for and leave, before I truly fail my brother¡¯s promise," I warned her coldly, my gaze darkening. "Don¡¯t dare mistake my leniency for weakness. If you have been with various Alphas, you should know their tempers as well. Especially the temper of a top-tier one. It won¡¯t take me a moment to forget everything and snap your neck."


    Finally there was a tinge of seriousness on her face and that smugness wiped away. She knew I was tolerating her because of Roman at my own will, but she shouldn¡¯t mess with the Alpha beyond the limits.


    She finally got to the point. "As I said before, I am sick. I need the right treatment to get better. And that treatment includes the blood of a pureblood newborn child. As Roman is my son, I have a right to ask him to do it for me to repay me for bringing him to this world."


    "I am afraid your wish won¡¯t be fulfilled," I dered. "So you better choose the way to die and go to hell."


    She scoffed. "You can¡¯t stop me. Remember, he promised to protect me, and if he doesn¡¯t, he will break his oath. Also, it¡¯s not like we will kill the child. I just need its blood."


    "Blood that is drawn from the fragile spine and can leave the child paralyzed and without a wolf for life?" I asked.


    "At least the child will live, and so will I," she replied. "All you need to do is to let Roman have a child with that pureblood first and everything is solved."


    That was it. I had enough. This bitch needed to die.


    Just as I was about to snap at her, Lucian entered the room. "Kael."


    I snapped back to my senses and looked at him angrily.


    "This bitch is not worth wasting time," he said to me, then looked at her. "And you, La Ashborn, you better leave, if you want to keep living."


    She had felt Kael¡¯s killing aura even if it was just for a moment before I stepped in. She stood up quickly as she understood Kael wasn¡¯t going to let it slide.


    But before leaving she said, "Roman is my son, and he will do what he is supposed to. You can¡¯t stop him..." she smirked as if she had something in mind already, "...I will see you soon," and left the room.


    "Why did you stop me?" I asked Lucian.


    "You would have regretted itter," he told me. "Think about it. Think about Roman."


    I could only clench my fists and step out of the room, and Lucian followed me.


    Outside, the woman stopped and suddenly looked at the garden.


    There, Eira hade out with Raven and her pets.


    Though the garden was far from here, the sight of werewolves and that of a pureblood, could help us see distant things clear.


    And it was already toote to block her gaze. I could only curse why they had toe out of the house at that moment. Weren¡¯t they sleeping?


    "I was right. That¡¯s the pureblood bitch I saw with Roman," she stared in that direction with a smirk.


    Eira seemed to have sensed something and looked toward her. Maybe a mother¡¯s instinct, but she quickly hid Raven behind her.


    Rafe hurried and blocked the woman¡¯s view as well.


    Jason must have been inside, stopping Roman froming out to see this bitch.


    "Whose child is that?" she asked, turning to look at us.


    "Get lost," Lucian snapped at her before I did.


    She scoffed. "Don¡¯t worry. That child is not of my use. All I want is Roman¡¯s newborn child, which I will get for sure. See you."


    The bitch walked toward the car, sat inside, and left.


    "From where does that confidence of herse?" Lucian asked as he red at the moving car.


    "By holding on to the weakness of her own son and by warming the beds of rich Alphas," I answered. "And when those Alphas included council members as well."


    "Is she going to the council now?" Lucian asked.


    "Must have already been there, but just came here to show her dominance in front of Roman and us," I replied, knowing well how these people could dare to y with the rules once created to safeguard the werewolf world.


    "Shall we kill her before something serious happens?" Lucian asked.


    "We will, but in a way that¡¯s ethical. We can¡¯t let Roman face the consequences of it, and he won¡¯t have any remorse," I replied.


    "We are already on the council¡¯s radar. They will use every opportunity to trouble us." Lucian asked. "What¡¯s in your mind?"


    "Nothing yet, but let¡¯s see," I said as we walked back toward the home.


    One thing was sure: this was the time to get rid of that woman from Roman¡¯s life, and I wouldn¡¯t miss it ¡ª without creating any trouble for any of us and our pack.


    "This bitch is the reason Roman hated entire woman kind," Lucian mumbled, "Anyone would have if the mother is such a bitch."


    I agreed to it. Among us five, all of us had loving mothers. Even Rafe, whose mother died when he was just a kid, he still had good memories of her as she loved him dearly.


    But, Roman....it was truly sad when one¡¯s mother was nothing less than a monster.


    We strode back into the house, where Roman was restless and Jason was keeping an eye on him.


    "What was she here for?" Roman asked as he stood up.


    I exined everything to him as he needed to know it.


    He clenched his fists. "That bitch is a real monster. I shouldn¡¯t have spared her for the sake of that shitty oath. I¡¯ll just teach her a lesson this time," he said, and started to walk off, but...


    My handnded on his shoulder to stop him.


    "Kael... you know that bitch can¡¯t be taken lightly," he said angrily. "I don¡¯t care anymore now..."


    "But I do. I can¡¯t lose you," I offered him a steady but assuring gaze. "Trust me, you won¡¯t have to tolerate her for long. Just be patient."


    His expression finally calmed; his gaze showed that he trusted me.


    "But if you fail, promise me¡ªnone of you will stop me," his gaze was resolute as he meant it.


    "We won¡¯t," I assured him.


    Finally he calmed down and looked toward the garden through the wall-size window. His gaze settled on Eira, who was standing to the side, watching Raven petting Fluffy.


    "She had lost her child once; she doesn¡¯t have to face it again. I¡¯d rather not mate with her and have a child with her ever," he said.


    We understood his sentiments ¡ª anyone of us would have thought the same. Now, Eira was the priority for every one of us.


    Now everything was in ce. I said, "I am going to meet Liam. All of you stay home and take care of them."


    "Raven¡¯s test reports are there?" Lucian asked.


    I hummed.


    "Go ahead," Roman said. "And that other bitch who keeps calling you frequently like a madwoman?"


    "I¡¯ll shut her up for good," I assured them and prepared to leave.

 Chapter 213: How Raven Was Tortured

    <h4>Chapter 213: How Raven Was Tortured</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I reached Liam¡¯s office where he was sitting behind the desk, going through some documents in his hands. His expression was serious.


    He offered me a nod. "Have a seat."


    I sat in the chair across from him and asked, "You look serious. Something wrong with Raven¡¯s reports?"


    He let out a sigh. "Not sure how to put it ¡ª nothing wrong, but yes, at the same time."


    "What¡¯s the matter?" I asked, not that I hadn¡¯t expected anything to be wrong; the child had been in the hands of monsters who weren¡¯t sure what they were doing to him.


    Liam put the file in front of me and said, "I studied his gics, and I must say that child is no less than a miracle."


    Miracle? I raised a brow and looked through the file.


    "It¡¯s the kind that must have been born thousands of years ago ¡ª a rarebination between the strongest she-wolf and a top-tier Alpha," Liam continued. "Eira is indeed the kind of pureblood blessed by the moon goddess, born once in a century, but I am curious about who this powerful Alpha must be."


    I looked at him. "We will get Ravenw Alpha¡¯s DNA sample soon."


    Inside, it burned me to think that the bastard could be Raven¡¯s father. How I wished I could wipe that reality.


    Liam¡¯s gaze stayed on me, silently asking something. I returned a questioning look.


    "Back then you were around her. You are a top-tier Alpha as well. By chance are you her f¡ª"


    "It¡¯s not me. I never touched her back then, let alone done something like that," I interrupted coldly at whatever nonsense he was going spout. "And for God¡¯s sake, she was a minor. Do you take me for someone who would take advantage of a minor?"


    "I didn¡¯t mean it. I was just trying to guess, if by chance..."


    "It never happened," I told him clearly.


    To be honest, in my heart, now I didn¡¯t care if she was a minor, because at this moment, I truly wished Raven to be my son. I was being an ass because I was selfish to have that kid as mine.


    "Alright! Let¡¯s talk about Raven," Liam said. "Your guess was right. He was being used by them due to his unique bloodline."


    "The vampire factor?" I asked.


    "His blood can make a vampire stronger if they continue to drink it for long, and any supernatural who is weak and on the verge of death can be revived by using his blood for certain period," Liam exined, then a frown appeared on his forehead. "I found something in his blood which is not a good thing."


    "What is it?" I asked.


    "They were using him as an experimental body and had tried some dangerous drugs on him. I found traces of those drugs in his blood sample. They were meant to check it¡¯s effect on his pure blood, and were meant to inflict pain on him and check his pain tolerance... That¡¯s... brutal..." Even Liam, who was always so emotionless with medical work, faltered with his words. "There¡¯s little left to imagine his suffering."


    My expression hardened. No wonder he was afraid of hospitals. Those bastards had carried out painful experiments on a kid.


    "Must have been hell for him," Liam said. "There is no external abuse mark on him; he looks all polished and royal, but inside his soul was being torn. Imagine a child left alone on a hospital bed, tied, while they simply watched on screen how his body deals with the pain. And then, to get satisfying results, they kept trying various experiments as if he¡¯s not a living body. And the child doesn¡¯t make a sound, only silent cries."


    My fists clenched as Raven¡¯s innocent face shed in front of my eyes, and my mind couldn¡¯t help but imagine what Liam had just said. It hurt my heart even to picture that image. I couldn¡¯t even imagine him in pain, let alone see it in real life.


    I was going to put those bastards in the same hell.


    "Do we need to treat him for the effects of those drugs on him?" I asked, setting my anger aside.


    Liam shook his head. "There¡¯s no need. I injected him with medicine to flush out the remnants of those drugs in his blood. Now all that is left for you is to protect him and show him real happiness."


    I was doing it anyway. I¡¯ll do anything to protect him.


    We talked for a while longer, when Liam made a request.


    <fn7978> ?????? ???? F¦ÉndNovel</fn7978>


    "Will you do me a favour and meet that spoiled princess at least once?" Liam asked. "I am truly annoyed at her and her mother¡¯s constant nagging. If you can¡¯t do that, I¡¯ll throw her out of the hospital very soon, or I¡¯ll leave myself."


    He was referring to Sophia.


    "How long till she is recovered entirely?" I asked.


    "Give me a week more to confirm it exactly. But, yes, her progress is better than I had expected."


    I hummed and left to see that bitch. I had to wear the hospital medical clothes before entering her room, where she was kept in istion inside, covered by stic walls due to her low immunity during the treatment.


    From outside the room, I could hear her voice.


    "Change the channel. Not this one, bitch. Don¡¯t you know what I like? The one with thetest fashion and runway walks. Damn, that¡¯s super ssy. I am going to buy it all once I am out. Kael will buy it all for me, his Luna...."


    Her words felt like someone scratching a board with their nails ¡ª it hurt my ears.


    My Luna? This bitch sure had some delusional dreams just because my mother once told her something, and I ended up relenting to my mother¡¯s wishes because of that cursed one night with her.


    I knocked on the door and entered the room. She was sitting in bed, watching TV, while a single nurse was there to look after her.


    "Kael," she said, excited to see me. "Finally you are here. Do you know how much I missed you? I even wanted to leave this ce ande to you straight but these people stopped me. I¡ª"


    The nurse left after offering me a respectful bow.


    I walked toward the barrier of stic wall and fixed a cold re on her. "If you dare step out of here and fail the treatment, I will make you pay for it in a way you can¡¯t even begin to imagine."


    Her excited expression changed to an anxious one. "I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it. I know how much you care for me and you are threatening me just so I won¡¯t be reckless."


    The bitch was still at it. Didn¡¯t her mother tell her the entire conversation between them and me? I had told them their daughter would never be my mate.


    "I am just warning you not to waste the pain my mate went through when her blood was taken to treat you. So you better not pull any stunt," I warned her.


    Her expression soured but then she put on a pitiful one. "Kael... Your mate? Have you marked her?"


    "I did," I replied coldly.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I knew it. Those purebloods are shrewd. She truly snatched you from me. But what will happen to me, Kael?" Her teary eyes tried to melt my cold heart. "Our child... I lost... and this is what I get in return..."


    "You are getting to live, so you should already be grateful," I warned her. "Stop calling me and focus on recovering. Once you have recovered, I will take you with me."


    Thest line lit her up instantly. "Take me with you? So you are not abandoning me for that pureblood?"


    I shook my head. "I have a n for you, one you will be thrilled to know."


    The bitch, so delusional, failed to see the darkness in my eyes.


    "What is it, tell me," she asked, happily.


    "You like surprises, don¡¯t you?" I asked.


    She nodded quickly. For the first time in her life, the bitch will regret ever waiting for the surprise.


    "Then get better soon. I am leaving." I turned to go, but she called out, "Kael."


    I stopped, but didn¡¯t turn to her. "And remember not to call me again." Then I left without giving her the chance to say another word.


    I could tell she must be angry, but I didn¡¯t care. Breathing the same air as her was already torture. The same line Eira once said to me ¡ª and I could tell how much she detested me.

 Chapter 214: Council’s Call For Roman

    <h4>Chapter 214: Council¡¯s Call For Roman</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I returned home where everyone was still in the garden as if they had no will to be inside. From the distance, it looked like the perfect peaceful scene with the beautiful weather these days.


    They seemed to have prepared somete afternoon snacks and were enjoying them together. Eira was lounging in her chair, watching Raven y with Fluffy as he threw a ball and Fluffy brought it back, wagging his tail.


    The other pets were rolling on thewn, with Vixen taking care of her kittens that always stuck to her like little gluttons.


    My brothers were around ¡ª Rafe guiding Raven in his y, Jason and Lucian bringing snacks while keeping watch, and Roman sitting quietly in the chair next to Eira.


    That was my world, my home, and I wished it could always be like this.


    I walked ahead and, of course, they noticed me. This time, of all people, my gaze only followed Raven, not even Eira.


    The little guy stopped ying and stared at me as if he had been waiting for me. I couldn¡¯t understand why was he so attached to me in such short time, but it was pleasant and overwhelming at the same time.


    I went straight to him and knelt in front of him. Without saying a word, I just hugged him, his small body protectively wrapped in my strong arms.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say about what he had gone through. All I had was the instinct to protect him, to let him know he was safe with me.


    Though startled at first, his small hand hugged my neck as well. That told me he liked it.


    I gently caressed the back of his head and told him, "Raven, daddy will always protect you."


    My eyes turned moist. Even if I said the same thing hundreds of times, it would never be enough. It came straight from my heart, like an innate feeling.


    I could feel the others¡¯ surprised gazes on me; they must have been wondering what made me like this all of a sudden.


    I let go of him and told him, "I¡¯ll be back after a while," then left to go inside the house.


    For the first time I noticed Eira¡¯s gaze stuck on me the whole time, but I couldn¡¯t dare meet it. My guilt was eating me; I didn¡¯t even feel worthy to look at her.


    Inside the room I sat at the edge of the bed, facing the window. The light sipped through the ss, a cold breeze entered the room ¡ª nothing soothed the pain I was feeling.


    With my head lowered, I buried my face in my palms, not knowing how to deal with it. It was all my fault that not just Eira but even her child had suffered. It was because of me.


    What had I done?


    I felt like a sinner. The guilt was so deep it felt difficult to breathe. How could I have ended up hurting the ones I should have been protecting? Why did it all have to happen this way? I could never look into her eyes after this.


    The door opened and someone entered the room. I heard the voice behind me.


    "Kael," it was Lucian.


    They always asked my permission before entering my room, but today he came in directly. He must have been worried about what Liam had told me.


    "Are you alright?" he asked.


    I quietly wiped away the remnants of tears that threatened to spill and hummed.


    "What did Liam say?" I heard him ask as he walked inside the room.


    I didn¡¯t turn to look at him but exined whatever Liam had told me. As expected, Lucian was as angry as I was.


    "Shall I let the bastards know Raven is with us and openly challenge them to battle?" Lucian said coldly. "I can¡¯t wait to drag them to hell."


    "Not the time yet," I replied. "We need to secure many things before we face challenges from outside. But don¡¯t worry ¡ª we will get to them soon."


    Lucian agreed and I asked, "How¡¯s Roman?"


    "Quiet since then."


    "Roman has been called to the council meeting tomorrow," I informed him and finally stood up to face Lucian. "We are going with him."


    Lucian cursed under his breath. "That bitch is fast. Couldn¡¯t wait to destroy his peace a day more."


    "She is dying, and what she wants from Roman takes time, so she is being impatient," I exined calmly.


    "Are we taking Eira and Raven as well?" he asked.


    "Raven will stay with Rafe in home. We can¡¯t expose him to the world yet, and I don¡¯t wish to take Rafe there in his unstable condition. Make sure to add extra security. But yes ¡ª Eira has to attend, as the matter involves her," I replied. "And before that we have to exin everything to her."


    He nodded. "That would be better."


    In the evening, after dinner, all of us sat in the drawing room together, leaving Rafe to be with Raven, as they got along really well.


    Once I told them why we were going to the council, Roman said, "There is no need for anyone to be there. I¡¯ll go alone."


    "I won¡¯t allow that," I said firmly. "This is our chance to get you out of it."


    "And the only way is to kill that bitch," Roman said. "That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do tomorrow."


    "You can¡¯t," Lucian said. "If you do, you will lose your wolf. I warn you ¡ª don¡¯t be reckless."


    "Then what do you want? Do you want me to do as that bitch says?" Roman raised his angry voice. "That bitch wants my child so she can use it. As if what she did to me and our brother wasn¡¯t enough? I had enough now. I don¡¯t care about any fucking promise and oath. It was fine when she only came after me but this time...." He gritted his teeth angrily, "As long as she alive, not just me, she will keep troubling you all as well."


    "Calm down, first," I said. Jason put his hand over Roman¡¯s shoulder to steady him.


    <fnc825> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fnc825>


    Eira was taken aback by what Roman said. She understood¡ªRoman¡¯s child meant the one he would have with her.


    "Eira," I called for her. She looked back at me, and I exined. "The woman you saw today, that¡¯s Roman¡¯s mother. She is not a good woman. She wants something from Roman that none of us will ever allow. So she has gone to the council, and now Roman is summoned there."


    I exined her why and what his mother asked from him and what will happen with the child.


    "Bitch!" Eira spat out, her expressions angry.


    "We don¡¯t have to listen to her," Jason said. "She doesn¡¯t have a right over Roman now."


    "She has," I said, "In werewolf world, mother¡¯s right over her childes first. If she has given him birth, so when she needs him, a child should repay it. Mothers have all kind of exceptions when ites to the rules. That¡¯s why she was never punished for what she did with her child back then.


    "But yes, no good mother will demand for something like this, some exceptions of vile ones are always there. She is using her right as a mother, a mother who can do anything for her child, so a child should follow the same."


    "Are mothers truly exempted from anything?" Eira finally asked.


    "When ites to their child, they are," I told her, my eyes observing her careful. "Mothers have all the right to protect their kids and now or rule can ever me them."


    She looked at me, our gazes met. This time, there was no hatred in her eyes, but something else.


    At the same time, this rule was going to help us with something else. If Ravenw pack Alpha was truly Raven¡¯s father and he demanded the child, the rule will allow Eira to have the right over Raven first.


    The only way they could get Raven from us was the way for war, and we were ready for it.

 Chapter 215: Spar Between Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 215: Spar Between Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Today, the entire day felt like the most peaceful one after six long years of chaos. Raven was with me most of the time, slept with me, ate with me, and we even yed.


    Not sure what happened to Kael, but when he returned home, he hugged Raven for some reason. He looked hurt and emotional though he tried to hide it.


    I didn¡¯t want to recognise his pain or anything, but if it was about Raven, I couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    I wanted to ask him what happened, if everything was alright with Raven, but the bastard didn¡¯t even look at me and chose to hide in his room.


    Now lying in bed, all I could think about was going to Raven, as Kael had once again taken Raven to his room to sleep. I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore despite trying.


    On the other hand, Roman, lying next to me, wasn¡¯t any different. Though he was quiet and unmoved, I could see he wasn¡¯t able to sleep either.


    I was not sure what happened between him and that woman, but from what Kael told me about her demands from Roman, that bitch already got on my nerves.


    She should choose to die rather than use a newborn to extend her pathetic life. What kind of a woman was she, not worth calling a mother even? Even from a distance, I could tell that sickly bitch was no less than a monster.


    Because of her tomorrow we had to go to that shitty ce again, the council. Thest time I was there, I felt like I was standing in another prison, and I hated to even breathe there.


    I hate to admit it, but at that moment, having these five around me made me feel at ease, as if they were protecting me from the suffocation I was feeling.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen tomorrow at the council, but I wanted it to be over soon so I could return home quickly and be with Raven, as he wasn¡¯ting with us. The matters between them had nothing to do with me as long as that bitch didn¡¯te for me.


    At the same time, those words ¡¯a mother had more rights over her child¡¯ stuck in my mind. If I get my son, then I will have more rights over him than his father.


    So, there¡¯s no harm even if they got to know whose child it was. As a mother, I¡¯ll practice my rights over him and keep him with me.


    "If you can¡¯t sleep, you can go to Kael¡¯s room," I heard Roman, and that pulled me back to my senses.


    <fn21b9> Read full story at find[?]ovel</fn21b9>


    I turned to look at him and found him looking back at me. It felt like he was waiting for me to sleep or leave.


    "I know why you are not able to sleep," he added. "You can truly go to Kael¡¯s room."


    "If you worry about my sleep that much, why don¡¯t you just bring Raven here?" I asked sarcastically. "Afraid to go against your brother?"


    He stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "Raven wants to be with him as well."


    Damn it!


    I knew this bitter truth as well.


    It seemed like Kael had put some magic spell on Raven, that he was stuck to him like glue. Did I not pay enough attention to him? The entire day he was with me, but at night, he followed Kael like an obedientmb.


    I frowned and turned my back to Roman.


    Time passed by as I finally felt my eyes grow heavy and I drifted to sleep, but then...


    I felt a movement in the bed and realized Roman was leaving after checking if I was asleep.


    ¡¯Where is he going at this hour?¡¯ I thought, but then, ¡¯None of my business.¡¯


    I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but damn, I couldn¡¯t.


    Why did this bastard have to move and disturb my sleep? But I knew better¡ªit wasn¡¯t because he disturbed my sleep, but because I couldn¡¯t help feeling worried about where he was going at this hour.


    If he wished to visit the bathroom, it was inside the room. Even the water jar was entirely filled to go outside to get it.


    After knowing about his mother, my heart just couldn¡¯t stop feeling worried.


    I am such a hopeless and useless one to even worry for any of them.


    I stepped out of the bed, ready to go out and check.


    <i>Alright! This is only to make sure that the bastard is just around here, so I can return to my peaceful sleep.</i>


    I went out of the room, careful not to make any sound. He wasn¡¯t in the drawing room, so I looked around. The exit door toward the side house was open. He seemed to have left from there.


    I went ahead, and just as I stepped out and the cold air hit me, I saw Roman walking away.


    "Where are you going?" A voice got my attention.


    Out of nowhere, Lucian had appeared in front of Roman and blocked his way.


    "Nowhere, just walking around," Roman replied.


    "Still want to lie after being caught?" Lucian asked as he held thepel of Roman¡¯s trench coat, which he had put on before leaving. "Are you feeling cold in such weakly cold air? What kind of werewolf are you?"


    Roman shrugged his hand away. "None of your business," he said and turned his steps to walk past Lucian.


    But Lucian¡¯s handnded on Roman¡¯s chest in a firm thud to stop him. Both of their eyes met in a challenging way.


    Roman, who I had always seen calm andposed since the day they brought me, for the first time I was seeing him cold and distant. So he had this side as well where he could challenge his brothers, but he chose to be level headed and passive to keep everything peaceful.


    "You are not going anywhere," Lucian¡¯s voice was cold as he warned.


    "I will do as I please. Stop treating me like a child. I am not Rafe." Roman countered, "Get out of my way."


    "Why do they have to hurt me in their conversation?" Rafe¡¯s voice rang just behind me, so close.


    It startled me, almost making me jump in fright.


    When did this bastard appear behind me? Is he a ghost?


    "You are not allowed to leave home tonight," Lucian dered, "and I have all the authority to stop you." Then, Lucian looked toward the wall size window of Kael¡¯s room.


    I followed his gaze as well, and Kael was watching it all from his room.


    Roman followed Lucian¡¯s gaze as well to see Kael.


    It was Kael¡¯s order that Roman wasn¡¯t allowed to leave.


    Anger painted Roman¡¯s face as he red at Lucian. "You are asking for it," he said and hurled a punch at Lucian.


    Which Lucian obviously dodged, but it was just the start. Lucian smirked at him, cracking his neck as if he was ready for the fight.


    "You are in for some action, sweetheart," Rafe said as she stood next to me.


    Who the fuck was he calling sweetheart. I turned my head and offered him a re.


    The bastard smirked, "How about some popcorns and drinks?"


    I frowned. His brothers were going to fight, and this bastard was ready to enjoy it instead of stopping them.

 Chapter 216: Rafe’s Teaching For Eira

    <h4>Chapter 216: Rafe¡¯s Teaching For Eira</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t want them to fight. But I was just a nobody to stop them.


    In the past, and even now, one thing that didn¡¯t change was the bond between these five. Despite not having the same blood, they were far better than real brothers.


    And in my heart, I preferred them just like that. Even Alice would have wanted them to be the same.


    Soon the air around us turned chaotic as the two supernaturals fought at the speed of wind¡ªtoo fast for my eyes. In a moment, I could see them in one ce, but in the blink of an eye with a gust of wind they would appear somewhere else.


    "Damn! What a punch. I¡¯m sure it shook at least one of Lucian¡¯s teeth. Oh, damn the kick¡ªRoman¡¯s gonna puke what he ate. Whoa, that was the best move..." Rafe continued to mumble.


    <fn5769> Original content can be found at f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn5769>


    But I could see nothing at all; it was happening at a speed that I couldn¡¯t follow. All I could feel and see was the strong gust of wind that ruffled the grass and leaves on the ground.


    "Tsk! Regret not being able to see it?" I heard Rafe smirk.


    I frowned at him. <i>It¡¯s not my fault if I can¡¯t see them.</i>


    "You are still so dumb and slow, just like in the past," he said. "I wish at least now you could grow up,zy ass."


    I red at him. "You dare call me that?"


    "Remind you of your past clumsy self?" he retorted mockingly.


    I wanted to punch him hard for always mocking me¡ªanother thing that hadn¡¯t changed in the past six years. This bastard didn¡¯t change at all.


    "Instead of cursing me, why don¡¯t you try using your wolf abilities? You might be able to see them despite how fast they move," he said.


    I looked in the direction the wind was moving and focused, only to feel my eyes rolling to the point they hurt, but I could see nothing.


    He chuckled. "If a war happens and all of us fight the enemies, I swear you will be the reason for our greatest embarrassment."


    I looked at him to see what he meant.


    He looked back at me. "An ordinary she-wolf wille and beat you at the speed of wind, and you¡¯ll be left wondering where she came from while she beats you to a pulp."


    The bastard was having real fun mocking me.


    I spat out angrily, "Instead of being an ass and watching your friends fight, why don¡¯t you stop them?"


    I truly didn¡¯t want to see them fight. Alright, it was the truth that my heart had started to soften towards them which I didn¡¯t wish to admit.


    "That¡¯s between them," he said shamelessly, turning to stand facing me now. His tall form loomed over me as he stepped closer.


    I stepped back to keep the distance between us. This bastard was unpredictable


    "Instead of worrying about them, why don¡¯t you use your brain and ask me how to use your abilities to see them, how to not get beaten up by an ordinary she-wolf just because you can¡¯t see her, and how to not be the reason for our embarrassment?"


    I blinked a few times. Though he was mocking me, I couldn¡¯t deny that I wanted to know how they could see fast-moving things as if they were ordinary. I had only ever heard about it in the past.


    "You have time until I count to three," he said, already starting without giving me time to think. "One... two... th¡ª"


    "Help me," I blurted quickly before I lost my chance.


    He himself had offered to help, so it was less embarrassing than asking for it on my own.


    He smirked and turned me toward where the fight was going on, then stood behind me.


    "Close your eyes," he whispered into my ear.


    I shivered as his breath brushed my earlobe.


    "It¡¯s not time to be naughty, you pervert," he teased, "Focus on what I say."


    I wasn¡¯t being naughty. <i>What kind of drug does this bloodsucker sniff to spout such bullshit?</i>


    Still, I closed my eyes.


    "Try to connect to your wolf, call for it in your mind," he whispered again, his voice deliberately suggestive.


    This time I ignored his teasing tone and focused, trying to connect to my wolf.


    "Call for your wolf. Tell her you want to connect to her, that you want her to be one with you," he said. "Tell her you would love to use her abilities as your own. Tell her you trust her..."


    He continued saying so many things, and I repeated them to my wolf.


    After a while, he said, "If you feel ready, if you believe she heard you and agreed with you¡ªthen open your eyes and check if it worked."


    I did as he said. I slowly opened my eyes, believing that my wolf had heard me. And then...


    Damn! I could see them fighting at high speed, but it no longer looked fast to me. I could see every movement, every strike, every counter. And¡ª


    <strong>Thud!</strong>


    In a brutal grip, Lucian strangled Roman¡¯s neck and mmed him hard to the ground, kneeling on one knee while still holding him in a crushing choke.


    "That¡¯s Luke¡¯s favourite move," Rafe said, thoroughly entertained.


    Even at this distance, I could feel the weight of his intent.


    "Still have energy left to fight me?" Lucian asked Roman, who was utterly spent.


    "Bastard!" Roman cursed, spitting out his rage.


    But just when I thought he had given up, Roman suddenly kicked, catching Lucian off guard for a moment. Yet it didn¡¯t affect Lucian much¡ªhe returned in a blink, twisting Roman¡¯s arm and locking him tight in another chokehold.


    "I thought you would obey quietly, but you¡¯ve left no choice for us."


    Just as Lucian said that, Jason appeared out of nowhere, right in front of Roman, and quickly drove a syringe into his neck.


    Roman red at him, his voice breaking, "Asshole... can¡¯t fight?... I will..." But his words faltered as the drug coursed through his system.


    Lucian held him firm, loosening his grip only once Roman¡¯s body ckened under the drug¡¯s effect.

 Chapter 217: What Eira Thinks About Roman And Others

    <h4>Chapter 217: What Eira Thinks About Roman And Others</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    <fn7931> Readplete version only at Find~Novel</fn7931>


    "Tsk! It ended so quickly," Rafe sighed. "And most of it I missed thanks to onezy ass who I had to teach how to use her abilities."


    I turned back to him and punched him hard in the stomach.


    "Ah!" He doubled over in pain, but the next moment he smirked. "What was that? Were you trying to feel my abs, you pervert?"


    For a moment, I truly thought I¡¯d hurt him, but the bastard was acting. He sighed. "Seems like we need to teach you how to fight as well. Damn, we are literally raising a grown-up baby here."


    "I didn¡¯t ask you to teach me..." I trailed off.


    "Shh! It¡¯s alright to be embarrassed," he cut me off. "We will start your lessons along with Raven. I hope you won¡¯t embarrass yourself in front of a kid."


    Damn! This hit me. I didn¡¯t want to look weak in front of Raven. How would he trust me to protect him? Just like Kael, I wanted to tell him, ¡¯Mommy will protect you.¡¯


    I watched Lucian and Jason carrying Roman inside the house. Rafe was about to follow them, but I gripped the sleeve of his long ck T-shirt. He turned and raised a brow.


    "Umm... will you teach me..." I asked.


    "What?" he said, a grin on his lips.


    It was so embarrassing to ask help from someone who mocked and teased me so bluntly.


    "That¡ª"


    "I already taught you how to kiss properly; now I want to learn how to get the upper hand over a man and¡ª"


    "Shut up!" I raised my voice. "I was talking about teaching me how to fight."


    "Oh!" The bastard acted nonchnt as if he truly didn¡¯t know what I meant. "The way you acted was too hesitant, I thought you wanted some tips on sex..."


    "Shut up!" I interrupted him again. "Tell me if you want to help or not."


    He acted like he was giving it some thought. "Now you are one of us, there is no way I will let you be the reason for our embarrassment," he said, and walked away toward the house.


    "What does that mean?" I followed him, trying to get a clear answer.


    "Use your brain if you have one," he replied and kept walking.


    "You will teach me?" I asked again as I entered the house after him.


    "You still have a few brain cells left it seems," hemented.


    Was it too hard to just answer with a ¡¯yes¡¯ or ¡¯no¡¯? Why was he being so difficult? I sighed. I¡¯d ask him againter.


    We went to my room¡ªthat meant Roman¡¯s room¡ªand watched Lucian and Jason settling unconscious Roman in the bed.


    I waited on the side, sitting on the couch next to the window, while they removed Roman¡¯s clothes, cleaned him, and put fresh clothes on him. Their actions showed their care towards him.


    I would have stayed out, but I was certainly worried for him.


    Lucian was truly strong. Though all of them were strong, we all knew that after Kael, it was Lucian who was the strongest and could defeat even the most powerful beast. Alice always took pride in Lucian¡¯s abilities.


    And he didn¡¯t show any mercy when he fought Roman.


    When I came across these five after six long years, it was only Roman who wasn¡¯t truly hostile towards me. As days passed, he started to care for me more and was kind to me.


    Despite me mocking him, saying he was just pretending to care so he could get to fuck me easily, he never stopped. He didn¡¯t give up on me.


    I shouldn¡¯t be soft towards him, but things seem to have changed. But to think, other than bullying me in the past, he never really hurt me like the others did.


    And now, the definition of the word "hurt" has changed for me over the years, so much that his bullying in the past seems insignificant in front of the pain I had gone through.


    His bullying was annoying and angered me all the time, but he never hurt me physically. Just as he said a few days back, he was only trying to get my attention. Though I truly hate to think that was his way of getting my attention. He truly sucks at it.


    We had been in the same room for days now, but except for the starting days, he never tried to get close to me. And these days, I could tell, he had no intention of fucking me. He was always quiet, calm, and without any desperation to get close.


    It was truly a relief. And that was the reason I stayed in his room, because I knew he wouldn¡¯t do it without my consent. I was truly tired of being fucked for years.


    I needed peace of mind and body. And he gave me just that.


    I wonder what his mother did to him for him to be affected like this after her arrival. He hadn¡¯t been himself for a few days now, especially since the moment we came across her.


    And today, I got to see an entirely different Roman¡ªfar from calm and kind. That woman truly affected him in the worst way.


    As I looked at his peacefully sleeping face, I was truly curious to know about him and his mother.


    Now that I think about these five, it reminded me of the words I once said to me: <strong><i>"You aren¡¯t the only one who is suffering or has suffered in life. Everyone who is alive and breathing has their own monsters to fight."</i></strong>


    I saw Rafe in pain in the hospital. He always acted so haughty that it was impossible to even imagine he was suffering in some way.


    And now Roman¡ªhe already looked like he was at war with something deep inside him. Roman even told me what happened with Kael and how he still suffers from that loss, and the same goes for Jason and Lucian.


    All of us had suffered, all our lives had turned upside down from how they once were.


    "Eira."


    Lucian¡¯s voice brought me back to my senses. I moved my gaze from Roman¡¯s face to Lucian.


    "I n to stay here with Roman," he said. "Is it fine?"


    I nodded quietly.


    "You can move to the bed. I¡¯ll take the couch," Lucian offered.


    That beast of a body of his¡ªhow would it even fit on the small couch?


    "I¡¯m fine here," I told him as Iy on the couch already. "You take the bed."


    <i>Damn! Is it too much of a change to be considerate towards them all of a sudden?</i>


    There was silence for a moment. Maybe they were surprised to have a normal conversation with me. Okay, even I was surprised at myself.


    "How about you sleep in some other room?" Lucian suggested. "Rafe¡¯s or Jason¡¯s?"


    "No need," I dered coldly, closing my eyes.


    I would rather sleep on the cold floor than go to that bloodsucker who would annoy me with his mocking remarks, or to that other bastard I didn¡¯t wish to get closer to anymore.

 Chapter 218: What Happened With Roman?

    <h4>Chapter 218: What Happened With Roman?</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    When I thought the other two would leave since Lucian was here to take care of Roman, that bloodsucker walked straight toward me and lifted my feet.


    "Bastard, what are you doing?" I snapped, sinking my feet back.


    "Just making a ce for myself to sit," he replied, sitting on the other end of the couch. He caught my ankles and tugged until my legs stretched into hisp. "You can rest your feetfortably here."


    "No need." I was about to pull back again, but he held firm. "How about receiving a foot massage while you rest and I tell you a story from Roman¡¯s past?"


    The words made me freeze. A story about Roman? My curiosity betrayed me¡ªI wanted to know.


    Rafe smirked. "The title is¡ª¡¯A Pitiful Child and a Witch Mother¡¯... or maybe a <i>bitch</i> mother. You choose the other half of the title."


    I nced at the other two, Lucian and Jason. Their expressions told me they had already decided together to tell me about Roman.


    Rafe pressed his thumbs against my toes in a slow rhythm. "Don¡¯t be too slow to answer, Caldwell. My patience is limited."


    I let my feet rx in his hands. "...Alright."


    Lucian was already settled on the bed, and Jason had pulled up a chair.


    Suddenly it felt absurdly like a bedtime story session. But I didn¡¯t care. All I wanted was to know Roman¡¯s truth.


    Rafe began, as he gently massaged my feet. It felt so good. He could continued massaging for as much long he wanted.


    "Roman¡¯s mother, the woman you saw today, L Ashborn, was the daughter of a wealthy Alpha from another pack. Her father had both a son and a daughter, but like most Alphas, he favored his son over his daughter. But his daughter got more attention due to her beauty, and her being a pureblood that every Alpha wanted. Her father didn¡¯t like all the attention on her and wished to suppress it.


    "He chose to send her away by marrying her early to someone who didn¡¯t hold much power. Her father arranged a marriage event for her, where he invited various Alphas from all the packs. But they weren¡¯t any wealthy ones.


    "Those Alphas had to fight against each other and thest standing one was going to marry L. Roman¡¯s father, being a strong warrior from our pack was invited and of course won that event. L was married to him. She was beautiful and his mate after he marked her, Roman¡¯s father loved her like a true Alpha, and cherished the sacred bond with her.


    "But L was ambitious. She wanted to marry a rich Alpha to maintain her status and live the good life she was used to, but she got the opposite. She was never happy with this marriage but had to follow through with it. But she didn¡¯t love the man.


    "They had two sons, Roman the firstborn and the second one, Ivan. But L always wanted a daughter, and here as well fate failed her.


    "She thought her sons would be nothing but warriors like her husband, but having a daughter, a pureblood one, would lead her to a better life. She could use that daughter to gain the fame she had lost and wealth by offering her daughter to the wealthiest Alpha.


    "When Roman was seven and Ivan was four, L was once more expecting a child and this time it was a daughter. Her wish was fulfilled and she was over the moon. I must say, a crazy one. She never loved her sons, but she was preparing everything for the daughter who was yet to be born. But at least she was less hateful towards her husband and two sons.


    "When the time for her to deliver the baby was approaching, Roman¡¯s father had to leave urgently to fulfil his duty as a warrior, as there was sudden chaos at the border. He was alwaysmitted to his duties to the pack just like any other warrior, and couldn¡¯t return soon.


    "When he was away, the ident happened and L lost her daughter even before she could give birth. And not just the daughter, L couldn¡¯t be a mother after that, as the ident had hurt her badly.


    "She felt her world had fallen apart and went crazy. She med Roman¡¯s father for her loss and hated him more than she already did. Not just him, but she hated her two sons as well.


    "After that, her life¡¯s goal was simply to hurt Roman¡¯s father. If not for him, she would have married a rich Alpha and lived a good life. If not for him, she would have had the daughter she wanted and fulfilled her desire for a wealthy life. She med him for everything she hated and regretted.


    "The best way she found to hurt Roman¡¯s father was to sleep with other Alphas. She used to tell him to his face who she was going to sleep with and leave for her pathetic adventures, leaving her husband and sons back home.


    "He loved his mate so much, but the bitch wasn¡¯t worth it. Through the mate bond, Roman¡¯s father knew it anyway and suffered the pain of his mate being fucked by other Alphas. He endured it for long and took care of his sons on his own.


    "It continued for months. Roman¡¯s father couldn¡¯t handle that pain and his soul shattered. In the end, he chose to give up on his life. Before he died, he got the promise from Roman that he would protect his mother at all costs, and then tied him in an oath that he would never hurt his mother.


    "Even while dying, that pathetic love-sick man only thought about that ungrateful bitch, rather than his innocent sons who were already suffering due to the negligence of their mother.


    "Even the death of Roman¡¯s father didn¡¯t change her. Instead, she got worse and released her anger on her sons, most of the time drunk and returning after fucking some bastards. She used to starve her kids, beat them, and treat them like thorns in her life. The kids, never truly having a mother and now losing their father, were as good as orphans."


    <fn6e65> Find the newest release on find?novel</fn6e65>


    "The worse was that bitch started bringing men to their house and fucked in front of her kids.


    "At a very early age Roman had to turn responsible to take care of his four-year-old brother. He was barely seven, but he was like a father to that kid. He would cook however he could and both of them ate to survive. Slowly, when there was nothing to cook, he would have to rely on getting food if by chance a neighbours offered or somehow got it by doing a small manual task outside.


    "The kids starved but the bitch never bothered. Roman was beaten so many times in the attempt to protect his brother from that woman. But one day he could do nothing when his brother was badly hurt by that woman. He cried to his mother to take his brother to the hospital, but she didn¡¯t bother. Instead she busied herself fucking a man in front of him, mocking and cursing him, when her child was dying.


    "That night in the rain and storm, Roman carried his brother to the hospital, but it was toote. The kid had died already. Even then that bitch didn¡¯t feel anything. Roman buried his brother on his own. And that bitch was happy she got rid of one and then decided to get rid of Roman as well.


    "She sold Roman to the traffickers, where pureblood kids were used for various purposes, ves, raised as weapons, wicked experiments and everything worse one could imagine...He was...."


    Rafe happened to stop as if the things ahead was difficult to say. For the first time I saw Rafe troubled with words.


    <i>What happened with Roman?</i>

 Chapter 219: Sleeping With Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 219: Sleeping With Rafe</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    This much was already too to shake my heart and tears rolled down my eyes on their own. With my teary eyes as I looked at Roman. Not sure what Rafe stopped from saying further, but I knew it wasn¡¯t any thing pleasant.


    "And?" I asked, my voice a little choked.


    "Though a little boy...he wasn¡¯t spared from the eyes of disgusting wolves.... he was molested at a very young age for several days...raped and hurt....and was left on the brink of death..." Rafe¡¯s voice was low, words barely made it out of his throat.


    I felt something warm and moist slip on my feet. It was Rafe¡¯s tears, which he quickly wiped and looked away.


    I could understand, as even my eyes were teary while they were so close to each other as real brothers.


    Lucian continued instead of Rafe. "If not for Kael¡¯s father, the previous Alpha raiding those facilities and rescuing all the kids there, Roman wouldn¡¯t be with us anymore.


    "With many other kids, Roman was ced into the orphanage that Kael¡¯s mother ran. There he met Kael, who used to visit that orphanage with his mother. Roman wasn¡¯t in good shape, but Kael¡¯s mother did everything she could, and Kael¡¯s friendship gave him hope.


    "Rafe was brought there as well. They had witnessed each other¡¯s worst phase. Since then, these two became Kael¡¯s friends andter ours."


    I looked at Rafe. "Why were you there?"


    "I am an orphan as well," he said. "And we are here to talk about Roman, so focus."


    I could tell Rafe didn¡¯t want to talk about himself, so I kept quiet. But I found it surprising how I was so invested in the story and wished to know about them. They were just as hurt as I was.


    Jason continued, "Roman¡¯s mother tried to get him back from the orphanage, but she was barred from meeting him anymore in exchange for not filing any charges against her for what she did with her kids."


    "With the powerful backing of those Alphas she slept with, she would have been free anyway, so Kael¡¯s mother preferred Roman¡¯s safety over punishing her. That woman would have sold Roman once again, and Kael¡¯s mother was firm in her stance of not letting that womane close to Roman. Thanks to Kael and his parents¡¯ efforts, Roman is with us today."


    Lucian chimed in. "That woman had moved to the other pack back then, but she is back again. What Roman had somehow forgotten over the years, that damn bitch is back to remind him again. I wish I could just go and end her life."


    They continued to curse her as the story finally ended, silence filling the room. Rafe was quiet and just massaging my feet with nothing on his mind.


    "Eira," Lucian called me.


    <fn3bd8> Readplete version only at F¦ÉndNovel</fn3bd8>


    I looked at him and he said, "When you returned to us, Roman was always good to you and tried his best to keep you alive. Maybe he was fulfilling what he had failed back then. He couldn¡¯t save his brother, so he didn¡¯t wish to fail this time. And among the five of us, despite suffering badly, he has a soft heart. He is kind. All I ask is that you be a little kind to him. You can keep your anger for us. We don¡¯t mind."


    I could only hum, as after listening to this I didn¡¯t wish to hurt him as well. But with my vtile temper, which was difficult to control, I couldn¡¯t guarantee them anything. I could only try to be calm.


    Lucian looked at Rafe and Jason. "It¡¯ste. You two can head to sleep. Tomorrow we have to leave for the council."


    Jason hummed, stood up, and turned to the door, while Rafe, the bastard, looked at me.


    "What?" I asked, annoyed, "Didn¡¯t you hear him?"


    He smirked and lifted me in his arms swiftly as if I weighed nothing at all.


    "What... are you doing?" I struggled, but he lifted me in a firm hold.


    "Not good for you to sleep on that shitty couch," he said as he walked towards the door carrying me, "my bed is more suitable for your weak body."


    "Put me down," I warned, "I have slept on cold stone floors many times; that couch is still heaven. Put me down."


    "I won¡¯t be moved by your sad story of not getting to sleep on thefy mattresses, so don¡¯t even try," the bastard mocked my suffering and carried me to his room anyway. "You at least haven¡¯t slept with scary machines attached to your body and poisonous drugs running through your veins instead of blood."


    "What do you mean?" I asked, looking at his face that was not devoid of any emotions like he always maintained.


    "That¡¯s not for your pea-sized brain to understand," he said and tossed me on his bed.


    "I am not sleeping with you," I tried to move on the bed, but he held my ankle, pulled me back, and got in the bed as well.


    Before I could move again, his strong hands surrounded my body to hold me like I was some kind of a sleeping pillow, and he buried his face in the crook of my neck.


    I couldn¡¯t move an inch, onlyy there staring at the ceiling. I could feel his even breathing already against my skin.


    Has he fallen asleep so fast?


    "Rafe," I called him to let me go.


    "Caldwell, stop being difficult," his low and hoarse voice rang in my ear. "Sleep with me while you can. We might not get this chance again."


    "Doesn¡¯t my shitty scent affect you?" I asked, as he always mocked me for how bad I smelled and warned me to stay away from him.


    "I can bear with it for now, but can¡¯t tell how long it willst, so be good and sleep," he said, and once more there was a silence.


    "You can die of suffocation in my shitty scent for all I care," I mumbled and closed my eyes, as this bloodsucker wasn¡¯t going to let me off anyways.

 Chapter 220: Want To Check How Big I Am?

    <h4>Chapter 220: Want To Check How Big I Am?</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I was in a deep sleep when I felt something was not right. The soft mattress under me didn¡¯t feel soft at all. It felt warm and smelled different, but in a good way.


    <i>What is it?</i>


    I furrowed my brows, unable to open my eyes, and moved my hand to check what was wrong. I felt so reluctant to even wake up.


    "Done taking advantage of my perfect body?"


    I heard a familiar voice just next to my ear, and realised a warm breathe brushing my skin.


    Finally, I forced open my eyes, and they were greeted with the close look of a man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple.


    I blinked a few times at this unexpected view. <i>I am not dreaming, right?</i>


    Slowly realisation of my situation started to sink in my groggy mind. So, my face was resting on the man¡¯s wide and strong shoulder, and that scent and warmth wereing from his body.


    The realisation hit me hard now. I was sleeping entirely over Rafe¡¯s body instead of on the mattress.


    <i>How did it happen? What am I doing over his body? I need to get up.</i>


    I moved, only to hear him groan a little.


    "How much of a pervert are you going to be, Caldwell?"


    I heard him again and looked at him. His eyes were shut close, expression strained, and his brows furrowed.


    I now realised while moving my leg had slid between his legs, and... that... hardness below my thigh was unmistakable.


    He opened his eyes and looked at me, our gazes met.


    "Want to check how big I am?" he mocked, his expression still strained. "Trust me, you won¡¯t be able to take it. You can feel it under your thigh already."


    He moved my hair back using both hands to uncover my face. I was startled by what was going on when I wasn¡¯t even fully out of my sleep.


    I realized I hadn¡¯t yet moved my leg, I hadn¡¯t yet moved away from his body.


    "I... I¡¯m sorry... I don¡¯t know how I..." I fell short of words and tried to move my clumsy body, with no energy, away from him.


    But he held me in ce.


    I furrowed my brows. "I am moving already."


    "Who allowed you to?" he asked, his gaze wicked. "You have been taking advantage of my body the entire night and keep disturbing my sleep." He lifted his face up closer to mine. "See, I must have had eye bags already."


    I furrowed my brows. "I don¡¯t see any."


    "That¡¯s thanks to my wless beauty. But you can¡¯t deny how you have taken advantage of my body for your ownfort the entire night."


    "I didn¡¯t." I didn¡¯t remember how I even got on him. "I never sleep like this."


    "Oh! So you mean, I am the one to pull you to sleep over my body and disturb my own sleep?"


    <i>That¡¯s truly possible with this bastard,</i> I thought.


    He narrowed his eyes. "Trying to avoid taking responsibility for your perverted actions?"


    "I told you... I didn¡¯t... Umm..."


    The bastard pressed his hand at the back of my head and pulled my face down to kiss me. He held me in a firm hold and continued to kiss me.


    And, there was no use in struggling in front of his strength.


    When he let go, leaving me breathless over him, he said, "Now we are even. Next time you take advantage of me, it might not stop at just a kiss. So think before you do it."


    I gritted my teeth. I truly didn¡¯t know how I ended up sleeping over him. I slept with Roman for so many days, but there was always a distance between us, let alone sleeping like this.


    Then, how did this happen with Rafe? I doubted this bastard was ying with me.


    "If you are done, let me go," I said angrily.


    "Who¡¯s stopping you? You are the one stuck to me like glue," a wicked smirk ying on his lips as he raised a brow. "can¡¯t get enough of me yet?"


    I realized he had already released his hold around me, and I was still over his body.


    Damn! As always, this bastard was so good at putting me on me.


    I moved away from him, avoiding looking between his legs, or this bastard would call me a pervert once more.


    Without turning to him, I walked out of his room. When I came outside, I realized everyone was awake, even Raven was already done with his bath and was in fresh clothes.


    He looked so cute and fresh that I wished to go to him and squeeze him in my arms.


    <i>How long did I sleep?</i>


    I looked at the huge wall clock in the drawing room. It was almost breakfast time. I frowned. Did that bastard drug me to keep me sleeping for long? His room definitely had something off about it to put me in deep sleep.


    "Good morning!" I heard Lucian.


    Everyone turned to look at me, even Raven.


    "Good morning!" I said in a slightly awkward tone and hurried to my room while trying to fix my messy hair and avoiding looking at them.


    <fnf54c> Official source is FindN()vel</fnf54c>


    I didn¡¯t want Raven to see me like this. I needed to get ready properly. That little guy was always so perfect, and I didn¡¯t want toe out as a messy and unkempt mother.


    <i>I hope he forgets seeing me this way.</i>


    When I entered the room, Roman had juste out of the bathroom after showering. Seems like the drug had kept him sleeping for long as well.


    Our gazes met, I offered a recognizing nod and headed straight to the bathroom. He was quiet as usual. Must be still angry at what his brothers did to him. He had no escape from them if he was up to doing something harmful to himself.


    And, I was on their side on this matter.


    We would see what happens at the council meeting today. I just hoped he could get rid of that bitch as soon as possible.

 Chapter 221: Warnings For Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 221: Warnings For Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    It was amusing to see Eira acting normal, I mean embarrassed for some reason. I was sure Rafe must have done something once more, but she couldn¡¯t get back at him as usual.


    The way she frisked away to her room as if she didn¡¯t want to be seen in her messy situation was truly cute. Reminded me of Eira from the past who used to be shy at every little thing.


    I had to admit it this bastard Rafe had a way to change her in his unique way.


    Just as I thought about him, Rafe stepped out of his room as well, stretchingzily. "Good morning!"


    I quickly moved to block Raven¡¯s gaze before it fell on this annoying bat and his not-so-eptable sight in front of a kid.


    "Take care of your boner beforeing out of the room," I said, making sure he wouldn¡¯t go to Raven.


    The bastard, unfazed, instead of going back to the room, walked ahead to go to the kitchen. "Don¡¯t be ridiculous, as if none of us haven¡¯t seen each other¡¯s boners. I remember you unting it in pride whenever we went all are naked at Castons fuc..."


    "Shut up. We have a kid at home," I interrupted angrily.


    "That¡¯s a werewolf kid, a male at that. He¡¯ll understand it in just a few years. Don¡¯t be a drama queen early in the morning," he continued, calm andzy.


    "No need to teach him anything before the time," I dered. "take care of it beforeing to him."


    "As if you were so innocent when you were of his age," He offered me a bored look, "And stop nagging already. I am getting chilled water to drink to cool down myself."


    I felt like punching him at his stubbornness. "Pour one inside your pants as well."


    "That would be too messy," the bastard opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle. "If you are that worried about my boner, you are wee to help me. Your hands seem free, though your mouth is busy annoying me."


    <i>This bastard.</i>


    I gritted my teeth. "You are getting overly bold these days."


    "I was always like this. It seems you are being careful around me these days."


    Was I?


    His words made me wonder. Since the day we kissed, somehow I was passive with him.


    <fn961d> Content originallyes from F¦Énd£Îovel</fn961d>


    Damn it! The bastard is right.


    I frowned and turned to Raven. "Remember what mommy said? Wherever Rafe talks, you have to close your ears."


    Raven looked at me and quietly put his hands over his ears.


    "Good boy!" I hummed and red at Rafe. "Eira surely knows you won¡¯t even bother to be careful in front of a kid."


    "She knows me truly well, and is getting to know me even better," the bastard smirked, showing off that they had spent a night together.


    "Go back to your room and get ready. We have to leave for the council and you have to stay with Raven," I said coldly.


    Drinking water, he leaned his head back a little to see Raven through the little space I had left for him. "We¡¯re going to have fun, bud."


    Raven looked at him while I said, "Don¡¯t teach him anything weird, or you are going to get beaten up by us all, and especially Eira."


    He put the empty bottle aside and said, "I am dying to get beaten by her. It would be fun."


    This bastard was impossible.


    Kael, who had been ignoring us, shut hisptop and looked at Rafe. "Are you doing as Lucian said or do you want me to tell you in my way?"


    He rolled his eyes. "Alright. Now, His excellency has sided with a nagging nanny, what can I say?"


    Rafe returned to his room, and I turned to Raven. "Forget about whatever you heard from him."


    Unbothered, the silent kid resumed ying his puzzles game.


    Roman came out after getting ready. He was quiet and obviously upset with us all, especially me.


    After a while, everyone gathered and we had breakfast together.


    Before leaving for the council, all of us had some instructions for Rafe.


    "I have already cooked lunch for you. Just warm it up and eat," Jason told him.


    Roman looked at Rafe. "Be good."


    "Don¡¯t teach him anything wrong. He is a kid," I warned him.


    Eira knelt before Raven and said, "If he says something that you don¡¯t understand, just shut your ears and block your mind. Don¡¯t listen to anything wrong. And if he...."


    "I feel like my ears will bleed soon," Rafemented. "Why don¡¯t you all get lost already and leave both of us alone."


    Eira red at him. "If you teach him anything wrong..."


    "Yeah, you can beat me. Now leave," he interrupted her with a bored look.


    Kael simply patted Raven¡¯s head. "We will be back soon. Till then, look after Rafe."


    Raven nodded quickly.


    "I thought I¡¯d be taking care of Raven, but... never mind," Rafe mumbled in delight, as if he was ready to spend some alone time with the kid.


    "Behave," Kael warned him, to which Rafe nodded with sigh as if he had enough of our nagging.


    "Let¡¯s leave," I instructed, and we all said goodbye to Rafe and Raven.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what we might get to witness once we return.


    Jason, as always, drove the car. I sat in the co-passenger seat. Eira and Kael sat in the back passenger seat together, and the seat behind them was taken by Roman. He refused to talk to any of us and closed his eyes.


    Kael instructed us with a few things.


    "Yesterday that woman saw Raven in our home. Make sure there is no mention of Raven or any talk about us having a kid in our home." All of us nodded.


    "Will he be in danger?" I heard Eira ask. I looked at her through the rearview mirror.


    "Raven is a pureblood child, so we have to keep him hidden for a while," Kael told her. "As he is not my biological child, others might try to stir some trouble."


    "Everyone wants a piece of an unimed pureblood child," I told her, somehow understanding Kael¡¯s reason for telling her this.


    "Then, we have to be careful," she mumbled to herself, worry etched on her face.


    "But you are registered as his mother, and a mother¡¯s right is absolute, so you don¡¯t have to worry," Kael said to ease her worry. "Raven is yours, it will never change. You have all the rights to protect your child from others."


    "I will," she mumbled to herself again.


    Kael and I looked at each other through the rearview mirror, offering meaningful gazes.

 Chapter 222: At The Council

    <h4>Chapter 222: At The Council</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    We reached the council hall. When we stepped out of the car, unfortunately that bitch had arrived at the same time, L Ashridge.


    The old hag, covered inyers of makeup to hide her sickly appearance, turned to us the moment she saw us and came to stand in front of us.


    She smirked as she gazed at us all and then settled her eyes on her son.


    "You should have listened to me when I asked you nicely. But you avoided me, my messages, calls, even meeting me and made me go to your Alpha," she said with a mocking tone, "But sadly your always so smart Alpha didn¡¯t understand me as well. So it¡¯s your fault that you all are dragged here at the council, and our private matter would be public. Everyone will know how you have to bow in front of your mother whether you want it or not."


    "You are not my mother," Roman said, barely containing his anger.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have been born out of me to say it," the woman said smugly, "You can¡¯t change the fact whose blood flows into you and your are one powerful Alpha just because of me. Only a pureblood shewolf can birth pureblood child. So you should thank me for giving birth to you, ungrateful bastard. You have to keep repaying me for bringing you into this world till you take yourst breath. And today, I am going to make you realise it in the hardest way."


    Roman clenched his fists and was about to go to her, but I put my hand on his shoulder to keep him calm.


    But the surprise was Eira.


    She was standing next to him and held his arm to stop him. Jason standing behind us, both of us were surprised but d that she cared for Roman.


    L looked at Eira. "So, you are here as well. Good. You are the one who¡¯s going to save my life. You better be fertile to conceive at once," L said.


    "Shut up," Roman warned her. "I don¡¯t n to have a child with her so you can just dream on."


    "Don¡¯t worry, council will make you do it," the woman smirked and looked at Eira, "Your child is mine."


    Eira simply red at her, ready to say something but....


    Kael took a step and stood in front of Roman and her, standing like a wall between them and Roman¡¯s mother. At the same time he didn¡¯t want that woman to provoke Eira yet.


    "Ms L, we aren¡¯t in front of the council yet," Kael said, calm andposed, "the argument hasn¡¯t been made, so I advise you to be patient. Who knows who¡¯s going to take theirst breath today. So tread carefully."


    <fn5579> Fresh chapters posted on F?ndNovel</fn5579>


    She scoffed. "Sure. Let¡¯s see," and she walked inside the council hall along with her security guards.


    The bitch was living life in luxury while she left her kids to die. How I wish her to survive for long only to die the most painful death, regretting every moment she hurt her kids.


    Once she left, Roman said, "Kael, I am telling you. You shouldn¡¯t have stopped me. That woman is evil. It¡¯s not toote yet. I can still...."


    Kael turned to look at him and said, "Are we less evil?" Kael looked at Roman¡¯s hand where Eira was holding it. "Even Eira knows what¡¯s good at this moment."


    Roman followed his gaze to his own hand and then looked at Eira. The bastard didn¡¯t realize she was worried for him. How could he miss this moment?


    But then, he didn¡¯t know we had told her about his past which made her sympathise with him.


    Eira let go of his hand quickly as if she didn¡¯t mean it and said with hesitation, "You should listen to your brothers... That woman doesn¡¯t really seem nice..."


    She was not used to showing her care openly towards us so that was understandable; at least she cared in her heart.


    "Let¡¯s head inside," Jason said, "Don¡¯t forget we have left Raven with the devil himself. We have to finish here faster."


    The thought of Raven made us hurry inside. We knew the result would be in our favor as losing wasn¡¯t Kael¡¯s forte.


    He never lost. As a pack leader, he was always prepared for everything. So all we had to worry about was our little guy being left with a bastard vampire.


    The way he infuriated me, I was still salty about it. I will show the bastardter what it meant to mess with me.


    As we entered the grand council hall, we took the left side of the council and the right one was that bitch¡¯s. She was apanied by a few men in suits, who seemed to have been appointed for her by the rich bastard she had been sleeping with.


    The five council heads arrived and took their seats. As always we had a few more people from different packs to keep watch on council hearings, but mostly to side with the council as usual.


    Jeffery sat in the center chair and looked at us. His displeased gaze showed he hadn¡¯t yet forgotten how he was overpowered by Kael¡¯s aurast time and how our Alpha had mocked his authority here.


    I am sure this time he would be careful in front of Kael.


    All of us settled in the chairs that faced the opposite party. Once everyone was ready, Jeffery announced as he looked at L,


    "You may begin."


    L¡¯s spokesperson stood up. "As we have already submitted the documents noting the concern of Ms L, I would like the council to make a quick decision as this matter can¡¯t be dyed. It¡¯s about the life and death of a person."


    As expected, Jeffery was already aware of the matters and was here to pretend for his role. He must have been already bribed to take the decision on L¡¯s side.


    Jeffery looked at Roman. "Alpha Roman, do you have anything to say?"


    Roman stood up. "Yes. I don¡¯t agree with what this woman is asking for. She can die and go to hell. No rule of yours canpel me to fulfill her sick wishes."

 Chapter 223: Angry Eira

    <h4>Chapter 223: Angry Eira</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    L stood up. "Don¡¯t forget I am your mother. ording to the rule, a mother has all the right over a child. If not for me, you wouldn¡¯t be born. So now I am dying, you have to save me. That¡¯s the rule, and if you deny, not just you, but your brothers will be punished as well along with your mate."


    "By killing one child and leaving your other child to die when you sold him to traffickers, both your kids have already paid for your efforts to give us birth. Now you are no longer my mother. I only have father¡¯s name written in my documents and mother¡¯s name has been left nk since the day I was rescued from the hell you sent me in. So stop saying you are my mother."


    "Alpha Roman," Jeffery called him. "That doesn¡¯t mean she is not your mother. The fact remains absolute whether you ept it or not. We value mothers more than any document, any rule. And you won¡¯t be spared from it just because you have a powerful Alpha Kael as your brother. No one is above the rules."


    Damn! The bastard had already started ying favourites.


    "Jeffery, will you recite the rules for me once more that involve a child and a mother?" Kael asked calmly.


    "Alpha Kael, you already heard what Ms L said. Those are the rules."


    "I draw a conclusion for you then. So what I understand is the mother¡¯s right over her child is far bigger than anything else, just because she gives birth and she does everything to protect a child. But Ms L never protected her children."


    Jeffery looked at L. "Do you have anything to say, Ms L?"


    "Who said I didn¡¯t protect my kids?" L spoke. "If I hadn¡¯t, would Roman be with you now? What happened in the past was a misunderstanding. I tried my best to protect my kids. I lost my husband and then one child. I was in grief, my heart was broken and I ended up neglecting my other child. If I knew someone abducted him and sold to the traffickers, I would have killed every one of them for even thinking about touching my child, let alone hurting him."


    This damn bitch, a liar.


    Roman was truly furious. I stood by his side to keep him in check. We wouldn¡¯t want him to go ahead and kill his mother right in front of the council. We wouldn¡¯t be able to save him from that oath being broken, and then punished by the council as well.


    If not for that oath, we would have never stopped him from getting rid of this woman.


    "So you would have killed those who hurt or nned to hurt your child?" Kael said to her. "But I didn¡¯t hear any news of you doing anything. Not even aint against them, let alone killing them."


    "By that time, everything was sorted out by your father," she said to Kael. "Or I would have truly killed each and every one. I don¡¯t care whether you believe me or not. But now, my son is well and alive, thanks to my protection when he was a kid, he has to protect me."


    "At least I got clear of one thing: a mother is allowed to get rid of anyone that causes harm to their child, is that right?" Kael asked her and looked at Jeffery as well.


    Both L and Jeffery agreed to it.


    "That¡¯s indeed a perfect rule," Kaelmented calmly, one corner of his lips curved into a smirk.


    "Now you understand, let¡¯s not dy it," L said and turned to Roman. "You have to fuck this bitch so she conceives your child. You have to protect your mother. Don¡¯t be an ungrateful bastard."


    "Neither do I agree to it, nor does she," Roman said and looked at Eira. "Tell her."


    Eira understood what the right thing was. "I won¡¯t give my child to this bitch. She is not my mother. I have nopulsion to protect her."


    "You are my son¡¯s mate, so I have a right over you," L countered.


    Eira stood up and none of us stopped her. "You want your son¡¯s child, that doesn¡¯t concern me. You can find another obedient shewolf, ask your son to fuck her and get a child to save your life." Her expression turned cold. "Don¡¯t even think about having my child. I won¡¯t let your son fuck me ¡ª that¡¯s the one thing. But even the thought of someone wanting to hurt my child is enough to make me want to kill you."


    L scoffed. "Know your ce, you pathetic lowly bitch. Don¡¯t you know the simple rule? When Alpha calls for his mate, her nature is to wag her tail and let him fuck her as much as he wants. And that¡¯s what my son will do to you when I ask for his child."


    "I won¡¯t call for her to fulfil your pathetic demand. I would rather die," Roman dered.


    <fn0401> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find¡¤novel</fn0401>


    "Alpha Kael," Jeffery interrupted, "We have to follow the rules. As an Alpha, it¡¯s your duty to handle your mate brother and teach him to follow the rules. If he fails, you will be punished as well."


    "For me, the only rule is to respect my mate brother¡¯s wishes. If he doesn¡¯t want to do anything, then no power in this world can make him do it," Kael dered, cold and calm. "I dare anyone to try." He moved his cold, threatening gaze to L. "You won¡¯t ever get Roman¡¯s child. That¡¯s my promise, and I never break my promises."


    L scoffed. "So this is how it¡¯s going to be, huh?" She looked at Roman. "You don¡¯t want me to use your child, alright. Then any other pure blood child in your family will do. You don¡¯t mind that, right?"


    All of us stared at her, while Kael looked at Eira for a reason we had understood.


    Eira¡¯s expression had already turned serious as if knowing where this L was heading to.


    L looked at Eira. "Was that kid yours? That day I saw... Ugh..."


    No one could understand how it happened, but in the blink of an eye, Eira was now strangling that bitch with a single hand. Her expression angry, her eyes shining golden; that showed the presence of her wolf and her power.


    She looked utterly powerful and her body emitted a threatening aura.


    "Not a single word more, bitch," Eira warned her, the grip of her fingers tightening on L¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 224: Dangerous Eira

    <h4>Chapter 224: Dangerous Eira</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    That¡¯s my Luna there. The moment she found a threat to her child, she was ready to destroy the world. I couldn¡¯t be more proud of her.


    Jeffery, the other council members, and everyone in the council hall stood up in shock as they had not expected a quiet-looking Eira to be this fierce. Or anything like this to happen at all from our side.


    "Alpha Kael, I ask you to control your mate," Jeffery said, his voice furious.


    "How can I stop my mate from exercising her rights?" I asked with a smirk.


    "What do you mean? What kind of a right does your mate have to attack someone right inside the council?" Jeffery asked. "You have to stop her."


    "The right to protect her child," I replied.


    "Alpha Kael, Ms L is already weak. We urge you to intervene," L¡¯s spokesperson said.


    "It¡¯s between two mothers. We men should stay out of it," I said and looked at Eira.


    Lucian and Jason were not shocked at all, but Roman was surprised. He didn¡¯t want Eira to be in trouble and wished to stop her, but Lucian held him back.


    Roman looked back at Lucian only to hear him say. "Leave it to her. Trust me."


    Roman looked at me, and I offered him an assuring gaze.


    "You bitch... how dare you..." L struggled, but was still arrogant.


    "Didn¡¯t everyone say here the mother has all the right to protect her child and get rid of every threat?" Eira asked her, her golden eyes turning dark with fury. "And you are that threat."


    She truly got what I had been trying to feed her since yesterday and she didn¡¯t fail me. I knew well her temper was unstable and when it came to her child, she would transcend into a demon. She just did it.


    I shouldn¡¯t be taking advantage of her psychic condition, but the situation called for it. We had to protect Roman and Eira was the only rightful way.


    And maybe it will also help her realize her true potential and maybe. Using her wolf power might help her get stronger.


    "Alpha Kael, you are forcing me to use council guards," Jeffery warned.


    I smirked, "Go ahead."


    "Guards!" Jeffery announced.


    But even before the guards could move an inch, they were held back. My Alpha aura once more dominated this council hall and no one could do a shit.


    "As I said, let it be between two mothers," I warned Jeffery, or do you want a reminder from thest time.


    The bastard gritted his teeth. "Alpha Kael¡¯s mate," Jeffery called Eira, "If you harm Ms L, it won¡¯t be good for you."


    In response, Eira talked to L, who got her entire attention. "Still want my child?"


    L was equally stubborn. She gripped Eira¡¯s hand that was strangling her. "I can ask anything from my son... You lowly bitch, take your filthy hands off me. If you kill me, all of you will be in trouble... Just you wait how I get the child out of you... and use it...if not, that child of yours looked delicious as well..."


    "You truly don¡¯t deserve to be a mother," Eira told her as she gripped her neck tighter, "You selfish monster with a rotten heart."


    The next moment, all we could hear and see was L¡¯s pained cry as Eira¡¯s hand already dug into L¡¯s chest like a w.


    This was shocking even for me. I thought Eira would at most snap L¡¯s neck but...


    The entire council hall was in uproar, but I didn¡¯t let anyone move ahead.


    "Alpha Kael," Jeffery shouted, "stop her."


    I didn¡¯t intend to. Now the things gotten this far, there was no going back. One thing was absolute and that was L¡¯s death. The woman needed to die, even if meant in this way.


    In front of everyone, Eira had pulled L¡¯s heart out of her chest and L¡¯s body slumped onto the ground.


    "What did you do, woman?" Jeffery fiercely shouted at her. If he could move, he would havee to kill Eira.


    Eira looked at the heart in her hand and then looked at Jeffery. She didn¡¯t have a tinge of remorse for what she did.


    "How could you kill someone inside the council?" Jeffery shouted again.


    In response, Eira raised her hand that held L¡¯s heart and the next moment her fingers tightened around it to crush that heart.


    The blood spilled out of it, staining her face and clothes, but she didn¡¯t care.


    She fiercely met Jeffery¡¯s eyes and answered his question, "Just like this. Wasn¡¯t much difficult," She smirked wickedly.


    She looked like a crazy one who had no emotions in her.


    I felt something was wrong. It was not her. The way of killing someone, she didn¡¯t need to do it this way. Who taught her this? When?


    I looked at my three brothers. They all were equally surprised as me. I got my answer.


    <i>Rafe?</i>


    <i>She slept with himst night. </i>Realisation got me<i>. </i>I sighed. <i>I¡¯ll deal with itter once I am home.</i>


    "Jeffery," I called for the bastard and looked around the council hall to everyone. "As your own rule says, the mother can do anything to protect her child, so my mate saw this woman L as a threat to her child, a child which she would bear with Roman. So as a mother, she got rid of a threat. My mate has done nothing wrong. Threat is a threat and L¡¯s intentions are already clear to this council."


    At the same time, I retracted my Alpha aura.


    All the council members could only be quiet as they couldn¡¯t refute my im. Then, quickly L¡¯s spokesperson came to her. The woman was dead.


    He looked at me, and I raised a brow to dare him to say a word. The man kept quiet. No guard came towards us as well.


    "This matter is over. We are leaving," I announced and went to Eira.


    She had truly made it easy for us today, though the her way was surprising. She was a saviour for Roman.


    She looked at me, calm andposed now as she had killed the threat.


    I pulled out the handkerchief from my pocket and wiped bloodstains from her face. I held her bloodied hand and wiped it.


    "Bear with it for a while more. We will wash this rotten blood off you once we are home."


    She hummed while I looked at the three. The other two were by Roman¡¯s side all the time as per my instructions.


    I held Eira¡¯s hand and turned to Roman, "Want to take a look at that woman for thest time?"


    <fna6ce> Find the newest release on find?novel</fna6ce>


    Roman shook his head. "No need. I don¡¯t know her."


    I offered a formal bow towards the council members and left with my brothers while holding Eira¡¯s hand, under the angry gazes of council members.


    It was truly satisfying.


    Rafe.


    Once I was home, he needed to do some serious answering.


    I hope at least he hadn¡¯t taught Raven anything absurd in our absence, and I hope to find the home just as we had left it.


    But, knowing Rafe, somewhere in my heart, I knew I shouldn¡¯t be expecting anything good.

 Chapter 225: Not Home, But A Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 225: Not Home, But A Disaster</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    As we came out of the council hall, I pulled out the water bottle from the car and handed it over to Kael. He epted it and turned to Eira.


    "We can wash your hands," he told her.


    Despite wiping them, the blood stench was still strong and Kael and I didn¡¯t want her to carry it. She would feel better getting rid of that shit, though simply washing with it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    She let Kael pour water on her hands and she washed them. I offered her a dry cloth from the car to wipe them.


    Just then, a car arrived there and someone stepped out of it.


    <fn78f6> Read full story at Find?Novel</fn78f6>


    Kaizan.


    What was this bastard doing here, and why did he have to be always here whenever it¡¯s about us? Couldn¡¯t he take a break from following us?


    "Seems like I am notte," Kaizan said as he walked towards us.


    Kael and I stood in front of Eira to block her from this bastard while Lucian and Roman stayed by her side.


    He let out a dramatic sigh and shook his head. "I told youst time I¡¯m not into brs, so you can rx."


    "I am sure you have nothing to do with us, so why don¡¯t you fuck off and head to the council already?" I asked coldly.


    "Who said I¡¯m here for the council?" the bastard asked as he stood in front of us with his usual smugness. "I might be here just for you, and to hand you over what you want the most."


    "I am sure we want nothing from you, so get lost," I said and turned to Kael, "Let¡¯s go."


    "Hmm, I don¡¯t see the vampire. He asked me to be here for nothing then," he said, ready to turn around.


    "Rafe asked you to be here?" Kael asked.


    "He sure did," he replied and pulled a small package out of his trench coat pocket. "We made a deal a while ago ¡ª a blond bitch in return for someone¡¯s blood sample."


    Damn. So this bastard was Rafe¡¯s source to get a DNA sample of the Alpha of Ravenw Pack?


    "Hand it over then," Kael said, "The bitch will be avable after a month."


    "Oh! Alpha Kael himself said it, so I can surely trust him," Kaizan said, "I have waited for long six years, so another month¡¯s wait is nothing. But I want her in an unharmed state. Not a single scratch on her."


    This bastard sure had some twisted interest in her just as Rafe said, and he wouldn¡¯t stop unless he gets her. Rafe¡¯s judgement for such things could always be trusted. Becasuse Rafe himself was crazy and twisted just like this bastard, and highly unpredictable. If not from the rival packs, Rafe and Kaizan might have been brothers.


    "Sure!" Kael agreed after a moment of silence.


    A bitch like Sophia might pee her pants and reveal everything without even having to harm her for real.


    Kaizan tossed the package toward us and I caught it.


    "Know that it wasn¡¯t an easy task to get it," Kaizan said.


    "Don¡¯t expect us to thank you. It¡¯s a deal, not a favour," Kael added.


    "So arrogant, as always," he scoffed a little. "Hearing those few sweet words of gratitude from you... maybe one day, I¡¯ll get it."


    "You would be disappointed," Kael told him, and turned to look over his shoulder. "Get her in the car."


    Lucian hummed and took Eira to sit inside the car, while Roman acted like a shield, to block from Kaizan¡¯s gaze.


    Kaizan smirked, "You people truly have no idea about anything."


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    The smirk on his lips widened. "Keep hiding her. Good for you." And the bastard turned to go back to his car as he waved to say goodbye, "I¡¯ll wait to receive that blond bitch soon. Don¡¯t forget your part of the deal."


    I wondered what he meant? Was he aware of Eira¡¯s existence with us and her past? This bastard seemed to know more things than he let out. But getting them out of him wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Kael handed over the package to Lucian. "Send it to Liam."


    Lucian hummed, and we didn¡¯t talk about it. We didn¡¯t want Eira to know what it was ¡ª Asher Valeric¡¯s blood sample, to match his DNA with Raven¡¯s and confirm whether Raven was Asher¡¯s son.


    In my heart, I prayed that the result woulde out negative.


    ----


    While returning home, all of us were sitting quietly in the car. No one truly knew what to talk about. Though that woman was hateful, she was still Roman¡¯s mother.


    I focused on driving and nced at Eira once in a while through the rearview mirror. Unlike her angered self, now she was entirely different¡ªcalm and detached from the world as she stared outside the car nkly.


    I was aware that Kael intended to use her to get rid of Roman¡¯s mother, and I agreed with it as well for the sake of protecting Roman. But I never thought it would happen this way.


    Seeing her wing out someone¡¯s heart with her bare hand and crushing it as if it was nothing was something I could never imagine her doing.


    Because, in the past, she was so innocent and vulnerable that even the slightest thing would scare or embarrass her. She was kind and far from any cruelty. This dirty world had truly changed her. My Eira was no longer the same girl, and I was one of those responsible ones.


    Midway during the journey, Eira fell asleep. Kael moved toward her and let her head rest against him so she could sleep peacefully.


    Using her wolf power all of a sudden when she wasn¡¯t used to it must have tired her out.


    Finally, we reached home. But the moment we stepped out of the car, we felt the home was unusually quiet. It had been barely a few hours since we were away. What could those two do at home alone?


    Rafe was a monster, but Raven was a good kid. I was sure everything was fine and both must be quietly sitting somewhere, ying puzzle games.


    We headed inside the home, Lucian and Roman ahead of us. The moment they stepped inside the main door of the home, both of them froze in ce.


    "What the hell?" Lucianmented. "Are we in the wrong home?"


    Roman stood frozen toprehend what he was seeing.


    I went to them and realized how wrong I was to think they must be solving some puzzles quietly.


    With Rafe left alone with a kid, and no one among us to watch over him, we should have expected this.


    "Not home, but a disaster," I mumbled under my breath.


    Kael and Eira came to our side as well and their reaction was no different from ours.

 Chapter 226: Two Monsters

    <h4>Chapter 226: Two Monsters</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    From the entrance of the door till the entire drawing room, which was as huge as one house of an ordinary person, was a mess. We carefully stepped inside, making our way through the mess scattered on the floor, as it was impossible to find a ce to put your feet.


    The toys were scattered everywhere on the floor, including those tiny puzzle pieces and the building blocks which could hurt one¡¯s feet if stepped on. The furniture was moved from its ces, colors were spread everywhere ¡ª not just on the floor, but even the walls were not spared. Color sshes, handprints, and footprints were everywhere from floor to walls.


    Everything inside the drawing room was broken ¡ª from the expensive wall paintings, the vases, and even that big-sized TV, which now hung tilted with the screenpletely broken. The cushions were torn, the cotton and feathers everywhere, and covers thrown somewhere on the floor.


    This was truly not our home, but seemed like poultry farm.


    It was like a sudden earthquake had shaken it upside down, and if we were a few more hourste, this home would have been t to meet the ground below.


    Most shocking was, there was a baseball bat on the floor and a pitching machine with so many balls everywhere on the floor.


    <fn3b41> For more chapters visit F¦ÉndNovel</fn3b41>


    "They yed baseball inside the drawing room?" Lucian concluded in surprise. "No wonder everything is broken."


    <i>Who ys baseball inside home? Only Rafe and destructive mind could do it. </i>


    Even our pets were in it. Fluffy waszing on one side. He opened his eyes, looked at us, and then resumed sleeping as if our presence was nothing to him. His soft golden fur was no longer golden but marred with different colors, as if he had just yed some color festival. We could feel his contribution in creating this mess.


    Ham was out of his cage, munching on the scattered nuts, finding them among the mess around, leaving the crumbs on the floor. He looked utterly delighted as if not a mess but it was heaven for him.


    Vixen¡¯s ce was well guarded by the chairs from the dining table arranged as a wall to protect her and her kitten. If not for her kittens, I am sure she would have been part of it as well.


    "What is this?" Lucian asked as he went to the dining table.


    On the dining table, there were empty packages of outside food ordered ¡ª pizza boxes, cold drinks, and all kinds of junk that they could get delivered.


    "They didn¡¯t even eat what I had cooked for them," I frowned as I followed Lucian. Before leaving, I had cooked lunch for them, but these two...


    "They seem to have had a party here in our absence," Lucian said as we saw these two monsters ate without a care.


    "Where is Raven? Where did that bat take my son?" Eira asked, worry etched on her face, looking around inside.


    The entire home was deadly quiet as if no one lived here. After destroying the drawing room, what were they up to? Destroying the entire estate?


    We walked further inside, still shocked at what they had turned this home into.


    "There," Kael said calmly.


    We looked at the long leg resting over the backrest of the sofa moved to one corner, which now had its back towards us.


    As we got closer, another surprising view greeted us.


    Rafe was sleeping with Raven lying over him. Both were in a deep sleep, without any care.


    Both of their clothes were colored, their hair messy, in fact dirty. Even their faces and hands had colors.


    Raven¡¯s face rested on Rafe¡¯s chest, his chubby cheek t, mouth round and open as it drooled over Rafe¡¯s T-shirt. Rafe had his hand protectively surrounding him,forting him to sleep.


    Both looked like two monsters sleeping peacefully after destroying the world.


    Raven stirred a little in his sleep as he lifted his head like a little turtle. But Rafe patted his back softly and made a throaty hum to coax him. The little guy turned his face to the other side and slept again, clinging to Rafe like a little bunny in the arms of a big wolf.


    After seeing such an adorable sight, we didn¡¯t know whether to adore them or scold them.


    Seeing them deep in sleep, we didn¡¯t make a sound. Rafe had highly alert senses, but today they seemed to have dulled enough to not even let him know we had returned. It was rare to see him in such deep sleep.


    Eira was relieved to finally see her son, but there was jealousy in her as Raven was so close to Rafe. After Kael, once more we had another view of a perfect father and son bond. And this time it was with Rafe.


    "Just move aside the things so we can move around without making noise," Kael told us, his voice careful and low, "The rest, keep it as it is."


    He then looked at Eira. "You need to have a shower. The blood is still there."


    She looked at her cleaned hands that still carried the stench of blood, and then toward her clothes, which had blood stains. She hummed and went to the room, being careful not to step on anything.


    Along with Kael, we cleaned a few things on the floor so they wouldn¡¯te under our feet, at the same time not making any sound.


    One thing was sure ¡ª this entire drawing hall now needed a makeover. Nothing was left as it was. How did these two manage to destroy all of this?


    One of our men showed up, and Lucian handed him the parcel Kaizan had given to us. It was to be taken to Liam. Meanwhile, Kael had already informed Liam about what it was.


    Now, all we had to do was wait for the result.


    "Roman, you can go and rest," Kael said after we took care of the things.


    He hummed and left for his room. Probably he needed some time alone.

 Chapter 227: Eira Comforting Roman

    <h4>Chapter 227: Eira Comforting Roman</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Inside the room, I stood by the window, staring outside. The witch was finally dead, and my life was peaceful once more.


    As a kid, I always wondered what I ever did to deserve such a mother who only cared for herself and didn¡¯t feel any remorse when one of her kids died and another was about to.


    Other kids had loving mothers; my brother and I used to watch those kids cozying up to their mothers while we only longed for such love and affection. It was always a foreign feeling which we couldn¡¯t get despite having a mother.


    I tried my best to care for my little brother and to not let him feel unloved, but in the end, I failed and he died. What if I was stronger and could protect him? But I was nothing but a child.


    After she sold me to the traffickers, I had already given up on my life. That abuse was unbearable; the world felt dark, painful and full of monsters. My own mother felt like a monster to me.


    When she sold me and I was being dragged away, I cried and begged her to not leave me there.


    "Mommy, please don¡¯t leave me here... I will be a good boy... I will listen to you...mommy, please take me back..."


    I closed my moist eyes as my own pitiful voice still echoed in my mind that how desperate I was to be not sold. I felt like an helpless, worthless abandoned animal.


    She didn¡¯t listen, no one listened.


    In return, she offered me a hateful re and said, "You shouldn¡¯t have been born. Now go to hell and die."


    During those days among traffickers, I often felt it was a good thing that my brother died early, or that bitch would have sold him as well. I was d he didn¡¯t have to suffer what I did. His small body, his soul was safe and untainted in the grave rather than out in the world.


    One fine day when I felt I was finally going to die finally after they brutally assaulted me, I was rescued.


    Kael¡¯s father and his people rescued so many other kids like me, and we were sent to the orphanage.


    Even then, that bitch came to get me back, but Kael¡¯s mother drove her away.


    I thought I would never see her again after that, and the past two decades went by peacefully, but she had to show up again.


    With her return, all the old wounds on my soul felt like they came alive, those buried unbearable memories started haunting me again. The child inside me would never forget what they did with me. How could someone be so cruel to a child, I often asked that question to myself, and there was no answer.


    I should have killed her the day I saw her in the hospital, but I resorted to talk with her. I told her I wouldn¡¯t do what she asked me to do and that she should stay away from me. How foolish of me to think she would even listen to me.


    I didn¡¯t kill her because of that oath my father made me take, and I didn¡¯t dare break it. Because greed had taken over me ¡ª the greed of staying alive for my brothers, the greed of living a life with Eira, the greed to have a happy family with lots of kids and everything I had ever dreamed of when I was a kid.


    Because I never got to experience it when I was a kid. A happy and loving family ¡ª it was just wishful thinking for me.


    If I didn¡¯t have my brothers, Eira, and now Raven, I would have broken that oath without any care and punished that woman, epting my deathter. But I was greedy to keep living this life with them.


    But when I finally decided to kill her and break that oath, my brothers didn¡¯t let me. I waste.


    And it led Eira to kill that bitch. She didn¡¯t have to stain her hands for my sake.


    Should I me myself and apologize to Eira for letting her do the dirty work for my sake, or should I thank her for getting rid of that woman?


    When my mind was conflicted with various things, Eira stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, fresh from the shower. She felt like she was my everything now ¡ª my entire world, my safe haven.


    I couldn¡¯t help but go to her and hug her tightly in my arms, feeling every bit of her existence. It wasn¡¯t out of lust, but emotions I was feeling.


    She was startled but didn¡¯t push me away. Was she pitying me? No. I didn¡¯t want that.


    "I am sorry you had to kill her," I said. "I should have done it instead. I am sorry."


    There was silence for a while before she spoke. "That woman was evil. I killed her because she thought of hurting Raven," she told me. "I would have done the same for anyone who thinks of harming my son."


    I hummed, inhaling her sweet scent to calm my nerves, my arms tightening around her frail body. "Raven is fortunate to have you. Every child deserves a mother like you."


    Once more, there was silence. But then I felt her hands move to hug me andfort me.


    "You didn¡¯t deserve a mother like her," her voice muffled against my shoulder. "You don¡¯t have to face her again. She got what she deserved. You are free now."


    Though she said it inly, for a moment I could feel she did it for my sake as well.


    "Were you worried for me?" I finally asked. I wished to hear it from her.


    She hummed.


    Gosh! Just this much and my heart is already about to burst.


    I finally loosened my hold around her and looked at her. Her beautiful face was moist from the shower, flushed and radiant. Since the day she got her wolf, she shone like a gem. She was getting more beautiful than she was. Her inner powers were radiating.


    My one hand moved to caress her face gently as I inched my face closer to her. Her scent was driving me crazy, my gaze moving to her moist, delicious-looking lips.


    I craved to kiss her, but...


    Though emotions were taking over me, though I loved her like crazy, I shouldn¡¯t repay her kindness toward me with lust. My lips lingered close to hers, fighting not to do it, and then moved to peck her forehead.


    "Thank you," I said as my lips brushed her moist forehead, and slowly I stepped away from her. "Wear something warm. It¡¯s getting coldtely."


    She hummed and turned to the wardrobe.


    Just this much felt a lot better than how it used to be before. She had changed. She acted normal with me. I hope it continues like this. No hate, but care only.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, <i>Now everything seemed to be fine between us. Will she mate with me willingly andplete the bond?</i>

 Chapter 228: Boring Interiors

    <h4>Chapter 228: Boring Interiors</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Lucian had gone to check on the security details and tomunicate with his people to get updates, while Jason had busied himself in the kitchen as we all were yet to have lunch.


    I resumed my work in thepany while conducting meetings through video calls and taking over Roman¡¯s work as well. I wished to let him rest and take his time dealing with his matters.


    Eira hade out of the room after getting ready and checked on Raven, but he had no intentions of waking up yet.


    Smiling at his sleepy form, she decided to check on her pets and turned to leave, but I asked, "How¡¯s Roman?"


    "Seems fine," she replied, looking back at me.


    I could smell his scent on her even when she was a few steps away from me, so I could tell she hadforted him. It was good to see she had softened toward him, as he truly needed it at the moment.


    "You did well today," I told her, looking into her eyes.


    She hummed, looked away, and left to go to her pets. I hope there would be a day when we start talking more than just what¡¯s needed to.


    At least she didn¡¯t avoid meeting my eyes.


    After half an hour, Lucian had returned and started helping Jason, in the kitchen.


    At the same time, finally, two little demons stirred in sleep.


    Rafe caressed Raven¡¯s head while the little guy rubbed his eyes, unable to open them entirely and yawned.


    Rafe stretched his arms while Raven moved to get up from his body.


    "Good morning," I said, looking at the twozy beings.


    Rafe yawned and looked at me. "Oh, you guys returned?"


    "What do you think?" I asked, closing the lid of theptop and turning my entire attention to them.


    Raven stepped down on the floor, as Rafe had upied all the space.


    I gestured to Raven toe to me. Though, just a few hours away from him, I already missed holding him.


    The little guy quickly came over. I lifted him and made him sit in myp. The next moment he snuggled against me, how kids usually acted with their father.


    Finally, a reaction like a normal kid instead of following the mannerisms he had been taught.


    I held him closer and caressed his head gently as it rested against my chest. "Did you sleep well?"


    He nodded lightly.


    "Hey bud, acting like a traitor the moment Kael is back?" Rafemented with a chuckle and sat in the sofa. "Trust me, you won¡¯t get to enjoy him like you did with me."


    Raven looked at him but didn¡¯t leave me. It felt soforting and overwhelming. I knew he already considered me his father.


    Eira came to us, leaving her pets. "Raven, you awake?" she said with a smile. "Come to mommy."


    I loosened my hold on him, letting him know he could go to her. I put him down, and Eira quickly got him in her arms. She sat on the other end of the sofa with Raven in herp.


    She hugged him, pecked his head, and closed her eyes to feel him while cradling him.


    Only if Raven knew ¡ª just a few hours back she killed a woman in a brutal way for his sake, just because that woman mentioned using him. Only if he knew how fortunate he was to have a mother like her.


    She truly deserved a greater reward. And I will give her. Once I make sure her psychic condition is stable, the first thing I will do is tell her that Raven is her child.


    "So, how did it go?" Rafe asked.


    "Little less messy than what happened in this home," I said while looking around the almost destroyed drawing room.


    Rafe looked around as well and let out a pleasant smirk. "Oh! I just thought the drawing room interiors were boring ¡ª the same one for the past six years. So, I created a chance for you to renovate it all over again." He leaned backzily on the sofa, his hands stretched along the backrest like a king. "You can thank meter. No hurry."


    I simply looked at him while Lucian came with a ss of water and offered it to Raven. Eira epted it and made Raven drink it.


    "What about me?" Rafe asked, looking at Lucian.


    "You can suck some blood," Lucian told him and turned to leave.


    "Woah! Someone seems pissed?" Rafemented sarcastically. "Are you sad we didn¡¯t invite you to have fun with us, daddy Lucian?"


    "Fuck off!" Lucian returned to the kitchen.


    "Where are you going? I am yet to suck your blood," Rafemented, but Lucian paid him no heed. "Find someone else. My blood is not for free."


    "What does it cost, then?" Rafe asked.


    "A kick on your butt," Lucian replied, almost reached the kitchen.


    Eira had covered Raven¡¯s ears already ring at Rafe.


    Rafe was about to say something, definitely nothing pleasant, but I shut his mouth sensing her re.


    He offered her smirk, "I know I am irresistible. No need to make it so obvious."


    "Shut your mouth," she said, "My son doesn¡¯t need to hear you talk."


    "He heard me enough when he was with me," he told her and looked at Raven, "It was fun, isn¡¯t it?"


    Raven was about to nod, but then sensed Eira looking down at him and he chose to not respond.


    "The terror of this woman. Even the kid is not spared," Rafemented.


    She red back at him, while I had to suppress my smile.


    Now Raven was wide awake, I told them, "Both of you are going to clean the mess you have created."


    "Do you call it a mess?" Rafe asked. "We were just ying and having fun. It was a show of entertainment."


    "You can have more fun while cleaning it as well," I told him and then looked at Raven. "You are allowed to y and enjoy, but you have to be responsible for your actions. No one else is going to clean after you. Understood?"


    He nodded obediently.


    I turned to Rafe. "Understood?" My voice was strict, daring him to challenge my decision.


    "Alright!" Rafe agreed and looked at Raven as he stood up. "Let¡¯s go, bud."


    Raven stepped down from Eira¡¯sp. She didn¡¯t stop him or question my decision. I looked at her, and she didn¡¯t seem to oppose it.


    "And!" I said, and both looked at me. "You are not going to use any of your powers," I warned Rafe. "No use of speed and strength. Do it like an ordinary human."


    He sighed and acted to bow. "Understood, Your Excellency."


    He looked at Raven. "Bud, you need to bow as well. Like this." He showed him. "That¡¯s our dictator... I mean our Alpha."


    Raven understood and bowed in front of me.


    "Get to work already," I said coldly before this bastard put on another kind of show. Always a drama queen.

 Chapter 229: Rafe- Vampire Prince

    <h4>Chapter 229: Rafe- Vampire Prince</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    A while back, we had just cleaned what was necessary to be able to roam around the drawing room freely and removed anything dangerous, but most parts were left to be cleaned.


    Both of them started, with Rafe instructing Raven on where to start and what to do. They together began collecting all the toys, sorting them, and putting them in the respective basket.


    It took them at least half an hour to collect all of it.


    Now what was left were the colored walls and floor. Rafe brought water, a mop, and cleaning cloths, and both of them began.


    I must admit, it was adorable to see both of them sitting on the floor and cleaning every single spot of color. And even wiping the walls with utmost dedication.


    Lucian took lots of their pictures while they worked.


    "Lunch is ready," he informed me.


    I hummed and said, "Let¡¯s wait for them."


    The rest of us sat on the sofa and watched them clean.


    Roman came out of the room and was amazed to see the view as well.


    Roman looked normal now, or he acted to be normal, but it was a relief.


    "Since when this bastard even bothered with cleaning? He only knows to create a mess," Romanmented.


    It was true. Rafe was always like that.


    "It¡¯s Kael who had spoiled Rafe," Lucian said as he looked at me, "Along with Raven, we can discipline him as well."


    "Never thought I would get to see Rafe doing all this," Jason chuckled.


    "He should understand he is no spoiled vampire prince here," Lucian scoffed. "Just an ordinary vamp-wolf among us."


    Prince!


    Rafe, in fact, was one ¡ª or should have been one. But that¡¯s left behind now. The vampire king never epted him, and never will. He was now just my brother, one among us.


    It took almost an hour for them to clean the colors. Thankfully, they were watercolors, so it didn¡¯t take much effort to clean them.


    The relieving part was, Raven didn¡¯t show any reluctance. He followed everything Rafe did and asked him to do. Both of them were in perfect synchronization while cleaning ¡ª just like they must have been while destroying this drawing room.


    "Done!" Rafe dered to us.


    I hummed. "Go get yourself clean. Lunch is ready."


    Rafe picked Raven in his arms and said while carrying him to his room, "Shower time together. How about soaking in the bathtub? We can y with bubbles."


    Raven nodded immediately as they disappeared into Rafe¡¯s room.


    "Let¡¯s check what they did when we were gone," Lucian said and picked up the tablet. "I am sure their bubble bath is going to take some time."


    All of us agreed. The TV was gone, so we only had a tablet. Roman got another one since we were five. He sat next to Eira. "Want to watch?"


    She nodded and shifted close to him. She looked excited as well.


    Soon we watched the process of disaster. The toys weren¡¯t yed with in the usual way anymore, being scattered everywhere.


    Instead of drawing on papers, they used walls and floors to draw with their bare hands and feet. Fluffy was following along as well. They even threw colors on each other.


    The most disastrous part was when Rafe brought the baseball bat and pitching machine and the two monsters moved the furniture in the home to create a space.


    Rafe held the baseball bat and said to Raven, "See, how I hit that vase."


    Fluffy was instructed to press the switch which shot the ball from the pitching machine. Smash! The vase was gone in a moment, pieces scattered on the floor.


    "See?" Rafe asked, "Your daddy is Rafe is amazing, isn¡¯t it?"


    Rafe nodded quickly, clearly enjoying what he must have never done before.


    "Tell me where do you want me to hit now?" Rafe asked.


    He pointed toward another vase.


    "Watch me," Rafe prepared and Fluffy pressed the button. The next vase was gone.


    "You can p, bud. You need to cheer me," Rafe told him.


    Raven quickly pped, his expressions brightened as if he couldn¡¯t wait to see more.


    "Every time I break something, you have to p, alright?" Rafe asked.


    Raven nodded, excited not through his actions, but his expressions on that always so calm andposed face like an adult.


    Raven continued to point and Rafe destroyed everything he pointed to.


    "Want to try?" Rafe asked him.


    Raven nodded.


    Rafe handed him the bat. It was heavy, so Rafe held it as well, helping him y.


    The ball was out and both of them swung the bat. It hit the TV screen but it wasn¡¯t broken as Rafe had to y with Raven¡¯s strength.


    "That stubborn TV. Don¡¯t worry, we will take it down," Rafe said. "That TV¡¯s our enemy, and we don¡¯t leave the enemy unless we kill it entirely."


    Not sure what Raven understood, but he nodded.


    After a few more shots, the TV was no longer the same. Both of them celebrated by lifting Raven and throwing him in the air. "We won!"


    Both of them high-fived energetically.


    This time there was a wide smile on Raven¡¯s lips. I just hoped to hear him giggle, but he didn¡¯t. Still, the happiness was evident on his face.


    And it didn¡¯t stop until everything in the drawing room was destroyed and nothing was left intact.


    The food Rafe had ordered arrived as well.


    "Bud, I am going to let you taste the best food in the world," Rafe said as he made Raven sit on the dining table top instead of in the chair.


    he started opening the food boxes, while Raven waited patiently, curious to see what it was.


    The boxes were opened and Rafe acted to inhale deeply, enjoying the aroma. "Damn! After so long."


    He held the pizza box in front of Raven. "Try it."


    Raven followed what Rafe did and inhaled deeply. His expression lit up and he swallowed, his mouth salivating.


    "Amazing, isn¡¯t it?" Rafe asked.


    Raven nodded quickly. With Rafe, he seemed to have shade his restrains now.


    Rafe sat on the dining table top as well instead of a chair, like both of them were sitting in the garden.


    The chairs were used as walls to protect Vixen¡¯s side, and they didn¡¯t bother to bring at least two of them. Raven didn¡¯t bother with his well taught mannerism as well. It was a good thing.


    "Let¡¯s start," Rafe instructed, and both of them started like hungry demons.


    Raven was using his hands straight away. Neither of them even bothered to wash those colored hands and just enjoyed eating and drinking cold drinks, like two best buddies.


    They ate so much their stomachs were full.


    Rafe let out a loud burp, as Raven only looked at him.


    "Try it," Rafe told him, "Burping is a sign you enjoyed the food. Drink this, and try."


    Raven had a few sips of cold drink and then....there was a burp, though not loud like Rafe¡¯s.


    "That¡¯s my boy," Rafe praised him in pride.


    It was fun to watch them acting like kids.


    "We worked hard today," Rafe told him. "Let¡¯s rest for a while before we start again."


    Raven already looked tired and let Rafe lift him in his arms. Both of them slumped on the sofa and fell asleep.


    "After watching this, I feel like next time we should join them," Lucian said.


    None of us could deny it. Once we were kids, and we missed those days.


    Roman looked at Eira, "Will you join us?"


    She nodded, "If Raven likes it."


    Raven¡¯s arrival was a blessing. I will always thank a god for having him in our lives.

 Chapter 230: How Rafe Manipulated Eira

    <h4>Chapter 230: How Rafe Manipted Eira</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    After all of us had lunch together, Raven busied himself with Eira.


    Kael asked me toe to his study. I followed without any question.


    Just as I settled in the chair opposite him, he offered me a serious gaze that said we were going to have some serious conversation.


    "You don¡¯t seem curious about what happened at the council," hemented.


    I kept my calm and smiled. "With you, our Alpha so powerful, can I even doubt things to go the other way? But now that we¡¯re here, I wish to know what happened there. Is that bitch dead yet, or do we have to put in some more effort? I hope that¡¯s not the case."


    "When we have such a capable being like you with us, can anything truly fail?" he said, cold and sarcastic.


    "I know you have always been proud of me," I smiled lightly. "Now answer my curiosity."


    Instead of answering, he asked, "Last night Eira was with you. What did you do or talk about?"


    "Kael, though we are brothers, isn¡¯t it wrong for you to ask what we do in my room, in my bed? She is our mate, and what else could we do..."


    "That ¡¯<i>what else¡¯</i> wasn¡¯t there, I know," Kael said. "Now spit it already. I want to know what you told her ¡ª it yed with her mind."


    "Weren¡¯t you ying with her mind as well, by feeding her things about how a mother¡¯s rights are absolute and everything that would lead her to kill that bitch? I just made it quick and...." I smirked, "...a little more interesting."


    "I do not wish to lead her to the dark path you prefer ¡ª not good for her yet," he told me. "You can¡¯t feed her mind with evil again and again just because once I let you. Now tell me what you said to her so I can understand how our words affect her."


    "Alright! Now you put it that way." I began, "She couldn¡¯t sleep and continued to move and disturbed my sleep. So I asked her what was troubling her..."


    <i>(shback,st night)</i>


    "Stop moving. You are disturbing my sleep," I told her in a sleepy voice.


    "Then stop holding me," she countered angrily. "Let me sleep away."


    "That¡¯s not gonna happen. You are myfort pillow for the night."


    "Then don¡¯t me me for disturbing your sleep."


    I let out a sigh and asked, "What¡¯s troubling your pea-sized mind now?"


    "Nothing," she answered with annoyance.


    "You never know, I might help you if you tell me. Quick and tell me before you keep spoiling my beauty sleep the entire night," I said and snuggled into her nape to inhale her scent.


    "My back hurts from lying in the same position. Will you let me turn, even?" she asked, annoyed.


    "Alright, but not away from me," I said and loosened my hold around her.


    She turned and faced her back to me and I pulled her back in my hold, her slender back pressing against my chest, enveloping her small body entirely. This felt even better.


    "Now tell me what¡¯s troubling you?" I asked, my eyes closed, nuzzling at the back of her neck.


    "I was thinking about tomorrow¡¯s council meeting. Those council people don¡¯t really seem good to me," she said. "And that woman, Roman¡¯s mother, I got a truly bad feeling about her when I saw her today."


    "Well, that bitch gives no good feeling to anyone except for those who fuck her," I said. My hand, now circling her stomach, started to roam gently to feel her.


    She didn¡¯t seem bothered, as if her body didn¡¯t feel it as foreign.


    "Will she truly ask to sacrifice a baby to keep living? Is it that important? Why can¡¯t she just let go and die?" she asked.


    "Not everyone is as kind as you, so you should think it the other way," I told her.


    "Other way?" she asked.


    I hummed, "Others will continue to be selfish at the expense of someone else. So when ites to you, all you need to think about is how to get rid of that evil person before they get to you. Your lecture of kindness and mercy won¡¯t shake them, so you need to teach them in the way they understand."


    "And what¡¯s that way?" she asked, sounding curious.


    "Kill them," I told her without a tinge of hesitation.


    "Kill? But that¡¯s Roman¡¯s mother we are talking about."


    "That¡¯s more a reason to get rid of that bitch before she ruins Roman¡¯s life."


    "He wants to kill his mother, but you won¡¯t let him..."


    "We can¡¯t lose our brother for that bitch," I said. "If not for Kael stopping us for Roman¡¯s sake, I would have killed that bitch in a moment before she could even blink. A death even she won¡¯t forget in the afterlife."


    "What kind of death?" she asked.


    "That bitch is heartless. For what she did with her kids, I would have dug her heart out with my bare hand and crushed it like useless trash."


    "Can you dig a heart out with bare hands?" she said, looking at her own hands.


    "Even you can do it."


    "Me? I don¡¯t think so."


    "We are werewolves, and we possess supernatural powers, the kind that bes stronger the more you believe in them," I exined. "And with such power and belief in yourself, you can even dig out the heart of an elephant, let alone one sickly old bitch."


    "Elephant? That¡¯s a huge animal," she said in a conflicted tone.


    "And we are more dangerous and the best predators," I said, my hand ran along her hand and held her fingers into mine. "You are pureblood, and it¡¯s not a big deal for you. All you need to do is be determined to do what you want to, and you get a result. Even this frail hand of yours can turn into a dangerous weapon."


    "I have never done it before. I might not even find her heart," she said.


    I smirked. She was finally thinking about herself doing it. Her mind was still vulnerable and easily manipted. I shouldn¡¯t do it, but for Roman¡¯s sake, and for the peace of this family, it¡¯s fine.


    And if she was going to kill that woman tomorrow, then it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to kill her in a way that sickly bitch deserved. She didn¡¯t deserve to have a heart.


    And my girl was going to do it for us all.


    Anyway, she was a pureblood and she needed to learn some skills, which I would keep teaching her as long as I was with her. I would turn her fearless and cruel so no one would dare mess with her ever again.


    As a future Luna of this pack, it was necessary.


    "Hmm?" she prompted me to answer.


    "Let your wolf take over, and it will find where you want to attack and hurt the enemies," I exined. "Our inner animals have better judgment and understanding. Understood?"


    She hummed.


    "Now sleep. Tomorrow, you have a big day," I said and lightly bit her shoulder.


    "Ah!"


    "Does it hurt?" I asked.


    She shook her head, but her tone was angry, "Are you trying to drink my blood?"


    I chuckled inwardly and thought to myself, <i>If I want to, I won¡¯t drink just like this. I will first fuck you and let you know how good it feels to get fucked by a vampire when he sucks the blood out of you. The only difference would be, I won¡¯t kill you.</i>


    Of course I wouldn¡¯t say this to her.


    "I am sure your blood tastes shitty, just like your scent," I said, suppressing my smile. "I am not in a mood ruin the taste of my mouth."


    In response, she held my hand and bit my palm without any mercy.


    It hurt, but not much.


    She tasted my blood. "Yours is equally shitty," she said.


    "That makes us perfect for each other," I said, smiling. "Now sleep. A vampire needs a good sleep to control their bloodlust. You don¡¯t want to see a crazed vampire around when we have a kid at home."


    "Good night!" she said quickly and shut her eyes. "I won¡¯t disturb your sleep."


    I chuckled softly. "Good night."


    (shback over)


    "So this is what we spoke about," I finished telling Kael.


    As expected, his expression was grave. "No wonder she knew what she was doing. It didn¡¯te out all of a sudden, but you prompted her to."


    "I am sure it was for the better. Now council members won¡¯t take our mate lightly," I said.


    "They won¡¯t take her lightly anyway simply based on the fact that she is our mate," Kael said. "But you don¡¯t have to teach her this again unless I assures us she is mentally stable."


    "Psychic issues are all myth," I told him. "We should...."


    "Myth? Really?" Kael interrupted me. "Do I need to remind you about yourself?"


    I sighed. He never forgets to bring that up to shut me up.


    "We already have you, we don¡¯t need another crazy one," Kael said coldly. "Don¡¯t mess with her mind unless she is entirely stable. Whatever she does shoulde out of her clear conscience, not out of impulse, even if it means killing someone. We have to make her better, not make her worse. Understood?"


    "I will try not to," I assured.


    I understood his concern, but we just differ in our ways.

 Chapter 231: The Plan

    <h4>Chapter 231: The n</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    I received the information from my spies in the Ravenw pack and headed to Kael, who was in the study with Rafe.


    When I entered the study, they had already finished talking. I hoped Kael had warned Rafe not to mess with Eira¡¯s mind.


    Though I admit I liked what she did at the council hall, I didn¡¯t wish to turn her into a mindless demon who could be manipted easily. And Rafe was master of maniption. It¡¯s in vampires¡¯ blood.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Kael asked, seeing my serious expression.


    "Seems like that bastard Asher might track Raven¡¯s whereabouts to our pack, after searching for him in all the other packs," I told him, "And among all the other packs, he knows well only we are powerful enough to challenge him."


    Kael remained calm and responded with a simple hum.


    "Shall I let him?" I asked, knowing Kael must have something in mind.


    "Just don¡¯t stop him," Kael said as he leaned back in his chair. "Sooner orter we have to face him. Creating hurdles for him will make him think we are weak to confront him. Let him see we don¡¯t care whether he finds out."


    I offered a nod. "I understand and agree with your reasons but..."


    He raised a brow.


    "Liam has yet to hand us the DNA report. If he is truly Raven¡¯s biological father and he sees Eira with us, I am afraid Eira might choose to go with him for Raven¡¯s sake," I said, "And what we had told her ¡ª that the mother has absolute right over her child ¡ª she might truly use it and leave with Raven to that bastard Asher."


    "How about I drain him of his blood?" Rafe said as he smirked at me. "I wonder how that top-tier bastard tests."


    "He is top tier, that more a reason for you to not think about it," I spat angrily, as Rafe could be truly reckless with his actions just like his words. "Only Kael can deal with him as they are equally powerful."


    Rafe raised a brow. "You keep forgetting my vampire side."


    "He can just pluck your fangs out and gift you back," I countered, annoyed. "Then keep sucking blood from those frozen blood pouches all your life."


    The bastard smirked, as usual trying to avoid the seriousness of the matter. "Seems more like you will miss me drinking your blood. Seems like an interesting kink for you."


    "Get lost," I snarled. "We are here for some serious discussion."


    I wasn¡¯t sure why, but these days everything he said angered me¡ªand I didn¡¯t even know why.


    "Oh! Please carry on," he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, "I¡¯ll nap till you two finish your seriously boring discussion."


    I ignored him and turned to Kael, resuming our conversation. "What do you think?"


    Kael, as always, was patient enough to let us argue. He never interfered unless necessary.


    "Before that dayes, we have to make her realize that her child can be safe and happy only with us," Kael said. "Even if Asher is not Raven¡¯s father, we still need to make her realize it. At this moment, she can be manipted easily. Her grandparents are with him. We can¡¯t risk letting them get to her when we have to face them."


    "I will manipte her well that she won¡¯t leave with them," Rafemented.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to nap?" I asked, "So shut your mouth and sleep."


    "Better we manipte her before someone else does," Rafe insisted, and smirked, "I know how to control her. Trust me...."


    "Here you n to run away soon when you yourself can¡¯t be stable, and you dare n to control her," I mocked him, "How long until you run away? A week or a month?"


    "Will you miss me?" He raised a brow.


    "Yeah, now shut up and let us talk," I said angrily. This bastard keep boiling my blood for no reason.


    I turned to Kael, who waited for us to finish. Most of the times I wondered if Kael was entirely deaf to our argument to be this patient in the middle of serious conversation.


    Everything about Eira was the most serious and important matter to me.


    "Kael, do you have a way to make her stable and rational?" I asked. "Maybe we can consult I again. We might not have much time until that bastard reach us.


    "I¡¯ve already talked with I," Kael said¡ªalways prepared, as usual. "At the moment Eira¡¯s calm and happy just because of Raven, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s healed. We have to let her release what she¡¯s suppressing beneath her current happiness.


    "She¡¯s started deluding herself into thinking Raven is her son and that she needs nothing else. Slowly, she¡¯s getting obsessed with him. We have to make her ept reality and realize she <i>wants</i> her son back. That she can¡¯t delude herself with someone else¡¯s child. There shoulde a day when she asks us to bring her son back to her. So, we can¡¯t tell her about Raven yet..."


    Kael continued talking, and we listened quietly.


    I could tell as well she her obsession towards Raven. Most of the times, her calmness felt abnormal as if she didn¡¯t want to recognise any of her pain, and was creating her delusional world of happiness with the son she could never have.


    There was silence for a while before the bloodsucker finally stirred and woke up. "So, what now?"


    Kael stood up from his chair, calm and worry free. "Let¡¯s all go shopping."


    "Huh?" I felt like I¡¯d misheard. In the middle of a serious talk¡ªshopping?


    Rafe stood up quickly and stretched his arms. "That¡¯s a good idea. I want to update my wardrobe."


    I ignored him and turned to Kael. "Shopping?"


    He hummed. "I¡¯ve already booked the shops for us. No one else will be allowed inside."


    "Alright."


    We followed him outside. If he had decided it all of a sudden, that meant there was a reason.

 Chapter 232: Not Shopping For Halloween

    <h4>Chapter 232: Not Shopping For Halloween</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    "Raven, we¡¯re all going shopping," I told him the moment I came to the drawing room. "You and your mom can shop for some matching mother-son clothes. How about it?"


    Raven looked at Eira, while ying with the kittens.


    She smiled. "That would be cute. I will buy you cute bunny clothes."


    He blinked to hear bunny clothes. I was sure he wasn¡¯t fond of the idea as he was used to wearing prim-prom adult like clothes. But I wondered how cute the little guy would look in cute clothes.


    "Shall we?" I asked.


    Raven looked at me and nodded.


    I lifted him into my arms and offered him a happy smile. "Daddy Lucian is gonna buy you tons of clothes and toys today."


    "How about for me as well?" Roman asked. "Daddy Lucian."


    "You stingy finance expert. Always trying to save your money," Lucian retorted.


    Jason scoffed a little and put a hand on Roman¡¯s shoulder. "Don¡¯t feel bad. He is not your daddy."


    "Yeah, only Raven and Rafe are the fortunate ones," Romanmented with a grin.


    "Don¡¯t be jealous, you two," Rafe was being shameless as usual. "Instead, try your best to earn that daddy there."


    "Just as you did?" Roman asked.


    "I strive to set an example for everyone. Feel free to follow it," Rafe replied.


    Roman looked at Lucian. "He just permitted me."


    "Fuck off!" I walked away carrying Raven in my arms. "Let¡¯s go, Eira."


    She followed me.


    "He doesn¡¯t want to be my daddy," I heard bastard Roman say.


    "Better luck next time," I heard Rafe and themughing.


    I was truly going to strangle him. Because of him my image was turning into something else. I am totally into Eira. She is always the one for me.


    Just a kiss with that bloodsucker and God knows what they were thinking about me now.


    I did it only to help him, but they had to taunt me over it again and again.


    Today, I would only spend time with Eira and Raven, a family time with my mate and son, and forget about these three bastards, especially that bratty bloodsucker.


    We headed to the high end, branded shopping stores. As Raven was with me, Eira was stuck by my side as well without anyint. She looked happy, in fact.


    She would have been the same with any of the five of us, whoever had Raven with him. I sighed inwardly. Just as Kael said, it was worrisome. She had changed so drastically. She even forgot how much she hates us.


    The shop manager weed us. No other staff was there, exactly how we preferred. We never needed any salesgirl to guide us with clothes.


    We always picked up whatever we liked, paid, and left. Sometimes we even customized the clothes.


    First, we headed to the kids¡¯ section.


    "Raven, you can get what you like," I told him.


    The little guy went straight to the section of formal clothes. I sighed. It would take time for him to change. Never mind, I¡¯d get something for him.


    Eira had already picked up some cute clothes for him. "Raven, this will suit you."


    Raven looked at the T-shirt. Though it wasn¡¯t bunny clothes, there was indeed a soft bunny attached on the vest side.


    I could tell he wasn¡¯t too into it.


    "Raven, you can try it. It¡¯s always good to try different things," Kael told him.


    As obedient as he was to Kael, he nodded to Eira.


    "We got something for you as well, little guy," the other three had picked up clothes for Raven too.


    "This Drac shirt will suit you the best," Rafe said as he brought a dark shirt with a Drac face on it, and it even had pointed cors raised up.


    "We are not celebrating Halloween," Eira quickly said and looked at Raven. "You are not wearing that."


    "Well, we can keep it for Halloween then. Not much time left, and all of us need something to disguise ourselves as scary things." He offered her a mocking smirk. "Except for you, who doesn¡¯t even need to disguise. A born witch. The scariest one at that."


    She gritted her teeth and shut Raven¡¯s ears as if he wouldn¡¯t hear what she was going to say.


    "You bastard, don¡¯t mock me in front of my son. Go to hell with that Drac and drink his blood. Leave me and my son alone."


    He acted to put his pinky finger in his ear. "Damn the annoying buzz," and showed her that shirt. "I am going to buy it. And good news, ites in a pair. One for daddy Rafe as well." And he turned to finalize it already.


    She gritted her teeth, wanting to scold him again.


    "Alright!" Kael interrupted. "I have something for us all."


    The manager of the shop came with seven different boxes and put them on the table. "Alpha Kael, what you have ordered," and left.


    All of us looked at those boxes. Kael opened each one and handed it over to us after checking which was for whom.


    All of us held the customized T-shirts on which the pictures of our wolf forms were printed. My molten bronze wolf looked really smart on it. It came out so well.


    Eira had a silver wolf. I wondered when Kael took a picture of her wolf, as she shifted only once. From the print, it looked like she was in the drawing room of the home, sleeping.


    I understood when it must be.


    Kael went to Raven and opened the T-shirt in front of him. "You have time to shift to meet your wolf, so as my son, I have printed a baby ck wolf for you." He then opened his own T-shirt to show Raven. "Just like daddy ck wolf in mine."


    Raven got that T-shirt from him and looked at both of their T-shirts as if he wasparing his wolf with Kael¡¯s.


    Raven truly had some special bonding with Kael, as if he wished to be like him.


    "Liked it?" Kael asked.


    Raven nodded.


    "Let¡¯s all change into it," Kael instructed.


    All of us simply removed our shirts and put on these new ones, while Eira looked for a ce. She didn¡¯t want to change in front of Raven.


    "There," I pointed towards one door. "Trial room."


    She hurried and soon returned wearing her T-shirt over the jeans she was already wearing.


    "Damn! Not a bad idea," Roman and Jason said as they looked into the mirror.


    "We all should just wear it today. Feels like a family already," Jason added.


    We agreed to it. All of us then busied ourselves with shopping. Raven was being showered with everything by his five dads and his stubborn mother, who bought everything she found cute, whether Raven liked it or not.


    When she was finally tired and sat in one ce, I sat next to her and asked, "Don¡¯t you think Raven is perfect in our family? All of us love him so much."


    She nodded. "Every child should get such love and care."


    I hummed. "Though Raven is your son on paper, imagine how good it will feel to see your own child receiving all this love from us all."


    She looked at me. I looked back at her. I wasn¡¯t trying to manipte her, but I wanted her to start realizing it faster.


    "I¡¯m talking about the kids you will have with us," I said. "Then we¡¯ll have to customize more T-shirts like this. A child with each one of us will be a different wolf. If there¡¯s a daughter, I¡¯m sure she will be a beautiful silver wolf just like you. Such a big family we¡¯ll have."


    She looked at Raven. I was unsure what was going through her mind.


    "Rest assured. Even if we have our kids, Raven will always be our first child. There won¡¯t be any difference," I added.


    She looked back at me, and I hummed. "Raven will be the first, and any second child thates into our family will be the second. All of our kids will receive everything equally."


    She stayed quiet, staring at Raven, who was enjoying shopping for things on his own. Whatever he pointed at was being purchased.


    I wondered if she was thinking about her own child ¡ª that if we bring her child, he will receive the same love from us. I hoped she was.

 Chapter 233: Eira’s Outburst- I

    <h4>Chapter 233: Eira¡¯s Outburst- I</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    After shopping for a long time, Raven had a lifetime¡¯s worth of clothes with him that needed a different car just to put his shopping in.


    Everyone bought different things for him as per their own likings, including Raven, who got everything ording to his own choices.


    I was d he didn¡¯t hesitate and bought everything he liked.


    The entire time we continued to wear the same customized T-shirts I got for everyone. The reason? I wanted Raven and Eira to feel like one of us ¡ª like a family.


    I had already nned dinner outside for my family. Roman had booked the entire restaurant, as it was his job.


    Everyone enjoyed the tasty meal, as everything was prepared ording to each one of our tastes. Raven always ate what I preferred. Not sure if it was just a coincidence that his taste buds were the same as mine, or if he just blindly followed what I did.


    Mid-meal, I got a call from Liam. I excused myself and went to the balcony area to talk, where once the ss door was shut behind, the others wouldn¡¯t be able to hear what I said.


    "I got the test reports," Liam told me.


    My heart was already racing to think about it ¡ª the DNA test result of Raven and Asher.


    "What¡¯s the result?" I asked and looked toward the dining table through the ss wall where Raven and Eira were still eating.


    "DNA doesn¡¯t match," Liam told me. "Raven is not Asher¡¯s son."


    I felt like a huge weight on my chest had been lifted. I could live with the fact that Raven¡¯s father had already died, just as Eira imed, rather than have someone alive whose blood Raven carried.


    "Understood," I managed to say, unsure what else to say about it.


    I hung up the call, and just then Lucian came to me. The other three sitting around the dining table had their attention on me as well, but didn¡¯t leave Raven and Eira alone.


    "It¡¯s out?" Lucian asked.


    I hummed. "He is not the father."I could tell Lucian was just as relieved as me.


    "Shall we expand our search to find the real bastard?" Lucian asked.


    "If possible, get the DNA samples of every top-tier Alpha alive. Don¡¯t even leave the rogue ones," I ordered. "Even if that fails, the day Eira is exposed to the world with her son, I¡¯m sure whoever the bastard is will show up alive. No one will let go of his pureblood child. The bastard who abandoned Eira and her child must be some greedy asshole. He wille to get something in return for his son."


    "Got it."


    Lucian and I returned to the dining table. After dinner, we headed straight home. The other three got to know the result of the test as well.


    By the time we reached home, Raven had already fallen asleep. I carried him in my arms and headed upstairs to take him to my room.


    "Can¡¯t you let him stay with me tonight?"


    I heard a voice.


    I stopped and turned to look at her, only to offer her the same response as before. "You cane to my room."


    Her soft gaze turned a little annoyed, but still in control.


    "Will it hurt you to listen to me at least once?" she asked.


    "He needs me at night," I said, my hand gently patting Raven¡¯s back.


    "I can take care of him as well," she insisted. "Trust me."


    "You can, but he prefers me," I told her firmly, not showing any softness toward her pleading.


    "How do you know he prefers you? I..."


    "I¡¯ll put him to sleep and return. Wait for me here," I told her and turned to leave, ignoring her rising anger.


    I nced at my brothers. All of them were silent but were talking through the mindlink we shared.


    ¡¯Seems like time to face the storm.¡¯


    ¡¯She looks like she wants to kill Kael.¡¯


    ¡¯Don¡¯t meddle in. I am sure Kael knows what he is doing.¡¯


    ¡¯If she gets angry, let her be.¡¯


    Hearing them talk, I entered the room and put Raven in the bed. Covering him with a warm nket and making sure he was in deep sleep, I left the room.


    My room was soundproof, so even if something happened outside, it wouldn¡¯t disturb Raven¡¯s sleep.


    She was restless and pacing around, her eyes darting to the staircase, waiting for me. The moment she saw me, she stopped.


    "Tell me, why won¡¯t you let him be with me?" she demanded impatiently as she stood facing me, her eyes filled with anger. "Do you think I don¡¯t see how all of you are always around when I am with Raven, keeping watch on me? Like I am going to harm him or run away with him. I am his mother, but you don¡¯t trust me."


    I simply looked at her calmly, standing in my ce, unaffected by her anger.


    "What do you want me to do to let you know I can take care of him? Why won¡¯t you let me be with him alone, without being watched like hawks? Why won¡¯t you...."


    "Because you are not mentally fit to be with him. Your psychic condition is disturbed," I said without a tinge of emotion ¡ª as cold and heartless as I coulde out as.


    "Not mentally fit?" she asked, utterly shocked. "Are you saying it because I killed that woman? I was just trying to protect my son." She raised her voice. "I have been good to everyone, especially to Raven. And you say I am mentally unstable?"


    "Yes! You are. And you need to acknowledge it so you can get better," I told her. "Until then, you won¡¯t get to be alone with Raven. He needs a mother who is stable and safe to be raised with. He deserves someone he is not afraid of but looks forward to finding protection in. And, at this moment, you are not the one."


    "So, you¡¯re finding another excuse to torture me, like what you did before wasn¡¯t enough, huh?" Her eyes had turned teary, her breathing a little shallow as the anger was taking over her.


    "It¡¯s for Raven¡¯s sake," I replied firmly, "and it will remain the same till the day I feel you are stable enough to be his mother in every way, and not just on paper."


    She clenched her fists, her chest heaving, looking helpless in front of me.


    I looked at the other four and warned them to stay in their ces, despite how much they wished to go to her and calm her.


    Especially Rafe. My gaze this time was enough for him to know that he wasn¡¯t allowed to disobey me ¡ª and he resigned in silence.


    She paced around a little, as if trying to find a way out, but I knew in front of me she was only helpless. She shouldn¡¯t be, but for now, it was the truth. Once she was all better, she would be allowed to make all of us helpless in front of her.


    My brothers had their expressions tense, seeing her this way.


    Finally, she picked up the paperweight from the center table she was pacing around and hurled it at me without a tinge of hesitation.


    I caught it effortlessly before it could even touch me. I offered her an impassive gaze.


    It angered her even more. Her faced of calmness was being teared up.


    "You bastard, you call me mentally stable?" She came to me and stood close, her hands clutching my T-shirt at the chest in a hateful hold, despite her shorter height than mine. Her red eyes red into my calm ones. "And whose fault is it?"


    I remained unshaken, simply looking into her eyes.


    She tightened her hold. "It¡¯s your fault I am like this. You are the one who caused me harm and ruined me entirely, and you me me for being mentally unstable? You bastard, why did you do it to me?"


    She breathed heavily, her chest heaving. I didn¡¯t answer her, meeting her gaze calmly even now. I wished to know the extent of what was in her mind ¡ª the hateful part of it.


    "If you hated me, you could have killed me when you came to prison, but what did you do, huh?" she gritted her teeth angrily, tears rolling down her grief-filled eyes. "You ordered them to hurt me, torture me, rape me. Why would you do it? Why didn¡¯t you just tell them to kill me? Why?"


    Her angry voice echoed in the drawing room, silencing even the air around.


    My heart felt like it would burst at it. I never told them to hurt her that way... I never... I froze in my ce. Who told her it was my order?


    My brothers had the same shock as me. They looked at me as if I truly did it.


    "You even sold me to the traffickers so I could suffer for life? You did it all. You are the reason I am like this, and now you me me? You bastard, you are the one mentally unstable ¡ª a psychic monster who put a young girl through suffering in hell... You..." She choked finally on her tears and her anger-filled breathing.


    Her body was shaking, her legs felt like they were giving up under the weight of her anger and emotional spell.


    I held her to keep her steady.


    She shrugged my hands away and looked at me, her tear-filled red eyes full of pain and hatred.


    "Don¡¯t touch me, you monster. All you ever did was hurt me again and again, every chance you got. You ruined me even back then. As if it wasn¡¯t enough to hurt me that night, you want to keep doing it. You...you are such a..."


    She fell short of breath and copsed to the ground on her knees, choking on her own tears.

 Chapter 234: Eira’s Outburst- II

    <h4>Chapter 234: Eira¡¯s Outburst- II</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    My brothers almost moved to her, but my gaze warned them. It was between me and her, so they should stay out of it. They understood and stayed in their ces.


    I looked back at her; my heart hurt. All these years she had believed I was the one to order them to hurt her and sell her. How much she must have hated me with every breath she took.


    I never told them to hurt her, but left her there to get the punishment every prisoner gets for their crimes. When I told them to carry out her punishment and not bother me with it, I meant she should be punished like any other prisoner for their crimes.


    She would have been locked in dark, damned chambers with rotten prison cells, would have been given a meal and water only once a day, hurled some curses at by guards out of habit and hatred, and if the prisoner was not obedient they were subjected to whipshes or kept starving for days.


    I never thought she was being tortured this way. After I left the prison that night, I wiped her out of my mind as if she didn¡¯t exist and I didn¡¯t bother visiting that prison ever again, let alone wanting to know about her. All I had left was hate for her.


    If only I had known what my anger, negligence, and careless words could cause her.


    When she said I ruined her life that night, I sure did. I left her alone in prison that night after hurting her, after inflicting a painful wound on her soul, and left her to the wolves. I had indeed ruined her life that night.


    But now she said what¡¯s been in her mind all along; I had to take care of it. I couldn¡¯t undo things, but I could be responsible for my irresponsible actions back then.


    With much effort, finally I took a step forward and knelt in front of her. She was crying, cursing in a choked voice that was barely audible.


    "I never ordered them to do anything of that sort," I said, my hands reaching out to hold her.


    She pped my hands away even before they could touch her. "Bloody liar," she red at me, "I heard them saying you told them to punish me... they said you permitted them to do whatever they wanted to me... that you didn¡¯t care and wouldn¡¯t be bothered for a traitor... You dare lie to my face now? You pathetic bastard..."


    I inhaled deeply to keep my calm as her pain had started to hurt me as well.


    "I only told them to punish you like any other criminal. It didn¡¯t involve hurting you that way. They were supposed to¡ª"


    "You left a young woman to those bastards! Did you believe they were saints? Did you truly believe they wouldn¡¯t do anything to me? A free prey their Alpha left for them? Do you even hear yourself?" she interrupted me furiously.


    I found myself unable to say a word. I was truly an ass to not care anymore.


    She continued letting it all out. "But you can keep lying to yourself if that makes you feel better. You¡¯re a saint, aren¡¯t you? Fucking bastard, you deserved to be cheated on by that bitch Sophia. You truly deserved it. I shouldn¡¯t have shot her, so she would be alive and making your life hell. You cuckold bastard."


    It came as a shock. So Eira was aware that Sophia was involved with Keiren. How? No one of us knew until now. But it wasn¡¯t the time to ask about her.


    "Through the bond you can feel I¡¯m not lying," I said, keeping my calm. "I ept my negligence caused you harm, but I never intended to do it. If I knew what was happening to you, I would have stopped it. I would have punished them instead¡ª"


    "Bond?" she let out a pained scoff. "I don¡¯t believe you... and I don¡¯t even believe this pathetic forced bond with you. You don¡¯t know how much I hate it..."


    "I know," I said calmly. "But you have to live with it¡ªfor your sake, and for Raven¡¯s sake."


    "Stop manipting me by using Raven," she countered, though her voice low now.


    "So you know you were being manipted. You are so easy to...right?" I asked.


    She looked at me, and I said, "That¡¯s why I say you are not stable. I want you to ept your reality and not delude yourself in thinking otherwise."


    "I am not deluding. It¡¯s you who can¡¯t see me happy, so keep taking away my son from me," she said.


    "He is not your son," I told her, "Just because it¡¯s written on official paper now, you are not his real mother. It can¡¯t be enough to make a child to feel you are truly his mother. Kids don¡¯t understand documents, they understand people and their feelings towards them.


    "Always remember, he is not the son you gave birth to and lost, the one who you have been seeing in Raven. You can be his mother, but only when you ept the reality that he is not that child you had lost."


    "You...."


    She tried to speak. I knew my words clearly hurt her more now.


    "You heartless bastard...it¡¯s because of you I lost my son....It¡¯s all because of you....Now you won¡¯t let me have Raven..."


    "I know," I remained the same. I was adamant on talking to her today. I wasn¡¯t going to let my own guilt consume me, because it would do no good. Enough of this guilt factor now. We didn¡¯t have much time left to deal with the enemies.


    I kept my tone soft. "I ept everything that happened with you is my fault, and I am ready to ept whatever punishment you give. But at the same time, I want you to ept what you are. Stop creating your delusional world with Raven. Live in reality. Even if it hurts you, you have to bear that pain and ept it. Raven is a child who can¡¯t be with an emotionally unstable woman."


    She tried to speak, "I am not..."


    "Why do you think he is close to me but not to you, even though he spends more time with you?" I asked. "Instead of feeling jealous when you see us close, why don¡¯t you ask yourself why it¡¯s this way? I am a stranger to him as well, just like you are. But he has already epted me, and not you."


    The woman who was angry turned emotional and confused now.

 Chapter 235: Are You The Real You?

    <h4>Chapter 235: Are You The Real You?</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    "Because you don¡¯t see him for who he is. You see your lost child in him and try to mend him that way," I exined to her. "Do you respect his choices, or do you impose yours on him? When we went shopping today, did you consider what he liked, or were you thinking of what you would have liked your own son to wear and y with? Weren¡¯t you just trying to fulfil the wishes you couldn¡¯t fulfil with your own child?"


    Utterly confused and guilty, maybe, she stared at me with tears still rolling down her eyes. Her lips trembled to say something in her defence, but words failed her.


    "Eira, if you truly want to be Raven¡¯s mother, you need to be real. If you don¡¯t understand how, you can talk with me or any of us. We are family now¡ªour mate¡ªand now we have a son. For his sake, you have to, but more for your own sake."


    There was silence for a while as she continued to shed more tears and finally asked, "Does he not like me as his mother?"


    "He likes you, but he will ept you as a mother only when you act like one," I said as I reached my hands out to caress her messy hair. "And the first thing you have to do is stop seeing your lost child in him. Treat him for who he is and respect his wishes and boundaries. Don¡¯t impose on him."


    "Will he ept me then?" she asked.


    "Maybe." I didn¡¯t assure her, as I wanted her to try her best¡ªto think about what she should be doing going forward.


    "But instead of trying to make him ept you, you should work on healing yourself. When you yourself are alright, things will fall into ce. You won¡¯t be confused anymore, but strong, decisive, and confident. No one will be able to manipte you. And trust me, every child wants their mother to be that way¡ªthe kind they can trust and feel protected by."


    The tears didn¡¯t stop, but her anger was gone.


    "And you don¡¯t have to hide your pain and anger. Don¡¯t disguise it under the shallow happiness you¡¯re feeling. Be real. Just like now, when you told me how I hurt you. You can always me us for how we¡¯ve wronged you. We will hear and ept every bit of it."


    My brothers finally came to us.


    "Kael is right. We will ept it," Lucian said, "and we will also help you with whatever you need."


    She didn¡¯t react, but she understood. I inched closer to her and gently hugged her. She didn¡¯t refuse. Maybe her soul was findingfort in her mate.


    I wanted to ask her if she wished to sleep in my room tonight next to Raven, but then, she should be the one toe there on her own.


    Jason had brought water for her. She calmed down a little and had a few sips.


    "Are you feeling better?" Roman asked.


    She simply nodded.


    "It¡¯ste now. We all should sleep," I said. "Tomorrow, there¡¯s going to be something good."


    As we stood up, I waited for her to say that she wanted toe to my room, but she didn¡¯t.


    "Good night," I said and turned to go to my room upstairs.


    "Caldwell, you look so ugly when you cry," I heard Rafe tease her.


    "Stop teasing her," I heard Roman warning him.


    "Alright. Good night," Rafe headed to his room.


    Once inside my room, Iy in bed, close to Raven. I caressed his head.


    ¡¯I hope she gets better soon, so you¡¯ll be truly with your mother.¡¯


    I closed my eyes. But her thought cameing to me.


    What she said tonight. I will apologies to her again and talk about it. She should know, I am guilty and I ept my mistake. It will make her feel better.


    -----


    Roman¡¯s POV


    I took Eira to our room. I was thinking she would go with Kael, or that Kael would take her with him, but nothing of that sort happened. If Kael didn¡¯t ask her, it meant he had decided to wait.


    I offered her a change of clothes, and I changed mine as well. Once we were ready to sleep, I tucked her inside the warm nket as it was our usual routine, then got in myself after turning off the lights.


    The room was dark, perfect to sleep, but neither of us could close our eyes. I knew she was staring at the ceiling.


    I looked at her. "Do you want to go to Raven?"


    She shook her head.


    She said <i>no</i>?


    "Kael and Raven wouldn¡¯t mind," I told her, unsure what was going on in her mind.


    "I know," she said softly. "I just want to be here."


    I turned to face her. "Are you thinking about what Kael said?"


    She didn¡¯t look at me but asked instead, "Am I truly what he said? Am I not stable?"


    "What do you think?" I asked. "Are you the real you when you¡¯re around Raven?"


    "I just want to be good to him."


    "We all want that," I said gently, "but we also keep in mind who he is."


    She finally turned her face to look at me. "Will I ever be alright then?"


    "You will. We all believe so," I assured her.


    She now fully turned to face me. "I will try."


    I offered her a faint smile and moved one hand to caress her head.


    She let me, and closed her eyes.


    "Want to sleep closer?" I asked.


    She didn¡¯t respond with words but instead moved closer. It was surprising to me.


    I held her gently and wrapped my arm around her, her soft breath brushing against my neck.


    "Good night," I said, and ced a small peck on her head.


    In response, she wrapped her arm around my waist. Soon, I felt the even rhythm of her breathing. I had marked her, so closeness with me must beforting to her as well.

 Chapter 236: Change In Eira

    <h4>Chapter 236: Change In Eira</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning when I woke up, I found she was still close to me, sleeping peacefully in my arms. When we started sleeping together, I never thought there would be a day like this¡ªwhen she wouldn¡¯t be reluctant to get close to me.


    She still had her hand wrapped around me, her face snuggled against my chest, and I dared not move in fear of waking her up. I resigned and decided to stay still, waiting for her to wake up on her own.


    It felt so good to see her so rxed with me. Maybe now she knew I was no different from her¡ªI had suffered like her in the hands of the traffickers. Pity. That shouldn¡¯t be the reason for her to get close to me, but still, I would ept it as long as she was with me.


    I was no different. I pitied her as well when we found her, and I knew she had suffered because of those traffickers. I could rte to her, and without realizing it, I already had sympathy for her.


    I wished, just like how I was saved, protected, and taken care of, I could care for her as well. My brothers didn¡¯t like it at that time, but I didn¡¯t care.


    All I knew was that I had to save her.


    After half an hour, she finally stirred and snuggled against me like a child. She was indeed still a child in some corner of her heart.


    "Good morning," I said, my hand gently caressing her head.


    She looked up at me, her eyes still half-closed. I thought she would move away from me, but she didn¡¯t. Instead, she silently rubbed her eyes and tried to shake off her sleep.


    She looked around¡ªthe sunlight had filled the room. "Am Ite to wake up?" she asked.


    "No. If you want, you can sleep for a while more," I assured.


    She nodded lightly. "Five minutes more."


    "Sure. But I have to get up," I said.


    She hummed and waited for me to move.


    I smiled. "I can, only if you let me go."


    She realized her hand was around me, and even one of her legs was resting on mine.


    "Umm... sorry..." she tried to move, but I held her in ce. "You don¡¯t have to," I said, and pecked her lips. "You¡¯re always wee to sleep like this."


    My peck startled her a little, but she didn¡¯t look reluctant. I dared to peck her lips once more, and again, she said nothing.


    ¡¯Don¡¯t get too greedy,¡¯ I warned myself, and finally moved away from her.


    "I¡¯ll freshen up. You can sleep till then," I said, and went to the bathroom.


    ----


    Getting ready, when I went to the drawing room, as usual Lucian and Jason were working in the kitchen, and Rafe was idling around on the sofa, ying games on his mobile early in the morning like a spoiled child of the family.


    Rafe used to be the child of the home; now Raven had taken his ce¡ªor rather, he had apanion now.


    "How¡¯s she?" Lucian asked when I approached the kitchen.


    "Doing good. Nothing to worry about," I replied. "She¡¯ll be out in a while. Just be normal with her."


    The others agreed.


    After a while, she did, in fact,e out. She looked at us and silently walked toward her pets. She busied herself checking the kittens.


    "Today she¡¯s not looking at the staircase impatiently," Jason said in a low voice.


    I noticed it as well.


    Just then Kael came downstairs alone and seemed like he had just woken up. Since the day she started sleeping with Raven, he had been waking upte. Was he enjoying his son without putting in any effort?


    On his way to the kitchen, he looked at Eira. She looked at him, then toward the staircase, and resumed her work. In fact, she had put her pets in two baskets, picked up a small nket, and walked out through the ss door to go outside, carrying her pets.


    She didn¡¯t seem to care if Raven wasn¡¯t here yet. Neither was she angry at Kael, nor did she hurry to go to his room to see Raven.


    Kael came to the kitchen, and all of us exchanged nces.


    "Is she going to distance herself from Raven because of what Kael said to her?" Lucian asked.


    "I don¡¯t think so," I replied, not feeling worried about it. "She¡¯s giving herself some time to think it through. Kael¡¯s words affected her, but in a good way. She wants to work on herself. She wants to get better. So we should let her be."


    "Did she talk to you about itst night?" Kael asked.


    I hummed. "She took it positively. That¡¯s why this change."


    Finally, they looked relieved to hear it.


    There was a guilt that we were telling her that Raven wasn¡¯t her child and she should ept this fact. But the day we tell her otherwise, I hope she will understand it was for her own good, for Raven¡¯s sake, and won¡¯t get angry at us.


    Even if she did, we will ept it silently.


    "Now that she¡¯s outside already, how about breakfast in the garden?" Jason asked, busy working like a skilled chef.


    "Seems like a good idea," Lucian said.


    After having some water, Kael returned to his room to get Raven, who was already awake. I helped Lucian and Jason arrange breakfast outside.


    Eira watched us silently while sitting on the nket she had spread on thewn. She was busy grooming her hamster, brushing his fur softly, and keeping watch over the other pets in the basket, covered so the direct sunlight wouldn¡¯t fall on the kittens. She was careful with them.


    Fluffy waszing around her, his fur still covered in colors from yesterday since no one had bothered to bathe him after we left for shopping.


    She brushed the bangs away from her forehead¡ªthey had grown longer now and bothered her eyes. I went to the room and brought something with me.


    I sat in front of her, and she looked at me to know what was going on.


    I simply pulled out the two hairpins I had brought. Without saying a word, I parted her bangs in the middle and tucked each part to the side with those pins.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    "Why are youughing?" she asked, doubtful of what I had done to her hair.


    I cupped her face in my hands and said, "Because you¡¯re looking so cute." I didn¡¯t lie¡ªshe looked like her old schoolgirl version. She was still the same, except her face had matured a little with age.


    She didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "And your face is too small. Damn! Too cute."


    "Your hands are just too big," she said. "My face is fine."


    I let go of her face and looked at my hands. "Indeed, big hands¡ªbut your face is small as well." I lightly pinched her cheek. "And cute."


    "Cute witch indeed," Rafe said as he came to us, having overheard me. "Perfectly scary, like wearing a Halloween look all year round."


    She offered him a re, and he returned it with a wicked smirk.


    "Ignore him," I made her look at me, "You trust my words over his, don¡¯t you."


    She nodded.


    I looked at Rafe and warned him to not tease her anymore.


    The bastard shrugged his shoulders as if he didn¡¯t care and walked away.

 Chapter 237: Raven’s Giggle

    <h4>Chapter 237: Raven¡¯s Giggle</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael had returned with Raven. Finally, the little guy was here. Eira looked at him, her expression pleasant at the sight of him, but she didn¡¯t go to him.


    She offered him a smile and resumed her work, now cleaning some dirt spots with a wet cloth and using tools to cut her hamster¡¯s nails.


    Raven simply looked at her, probably surprised that today she didn¡¯te to him.


    "Good morning, bud," Rafe went to him. "Ready for another adventure today with Daddy Rafe?"


    Just as he said it, all of us wondered what this bastard was going to destroy today. His idea of fun clearly wasn¡¯t normal.


    Raven nodded. Damn! The kid was going to be like Rafe very soon.


    The surprising fact was, he didn¡¯t look at Kael to ask for his permission.


    After Kael, Rafe was second person who managed to win this little guy. The fuck we had to work hard.


    "Let him eat first," Kael told him.


    Raven once more turned his attention to the busy Eira.


    "Want to go y with the pets?" Kael asked him.


    He nodded. Every day, Eira always brought him to her pets, so he never had to wait¡ªbut today it didn¡¯t happen.


    "Go ahead," Kael told him.


    Raven went to her. She looked at him, a light smile on her lips. "Good morning, Raven."


    As he didn¡¯t speak, he simply looked at her, maybe wondering why she was different today.


    "Want to brush Ham¡¯s fur?" she asked.


    He nodded.


    "Have a seat first," she instructed and handed him a small soft brush once he sat down. Her behaviour was controlled, instead of overexcited.


    "Do it like this," she guided him, then picked up the tool to cut Ham¡¯s nails. There was silence on their end as both focused on their work.


    "It¡¯s done," she said. "You can keep him in the basket now so he can eat."


    Raven did as he was told and even offered the hamster some nuts himself.


    "I¡¯ll keep the kitties inside now. They¡¯re warm enough," Eira said and left with the closed basket to go back inside the house.


    While sitting alone, Raven continued to look at her without blinking.


    "What do you think is going on in his mind?" I asked.


    "Just trying to process a change in her behaviour," Kael replied.


    "Breakfast is ready," Jason announced just then.


    Eira returned, and we had breakfast together as always.


    Once we finished breakfast, I turned to Raven. "I¡¯m going to bathe Fluffy. Will you give me a hand?"


    I thought it would be a new experience for him. And, addition into our efforts of letting him experience the normal things like other kids.


    Raven looked at Kael for his permission. Just as I said, we were far from winning him over. I must say I am jealous of that bastard Rafe who had his way to get this kid¡¯s attention.


    I hope soon he would be the same with rest of us.


    Kael offered him a nod.


    I took him to the spot on thewn meant for Fluffy¡¯s bath. I instructed him on what to so as Fluffy stood in his ce.


    "You don¡¯t mind getting drenched in water, do you?" I asked him.


    Raven shook his head.


    "Good. Then hold this shower. When I say, just press this part," I told him and poured shampoo on Fluffy.


    "Water." Just as I said it, he started¡ªbut ended up sshing water on me instead.


    "It¡¯s alright," I assured him. "You can rub the shampoo. I¡¯ll hold the shower."


    He handed it back to me and did as I said. I could tell he was enjoying it.


    "Do you like it?" I asked anyway.


    He nodded.


    "Have you done it before?"


    He shook his head.


    "Did you ever have a pet of your own?"


    Another shake of the head.


    The poor child had been kept in istion and under strict rules. Damn that bastard Asher.


    We bathed Fluffy, finally getting rid of all the colors. Raven¡¯s small hands continued to run gently through his fur. There was something about this kid¡ªwhatever he did, he did it withplete dedication and precision.


    Kael was like this when he was young, while the rest of us were just trouble in hell. After Kael, Raven would be another great Alpha this pack would have. I could tell just by observing him.


    Fluffy, as impatient as always, shook his body, sprinkling water all over us both.


    It surprised Raven, but he smiled and patted Fluffy¡¯s back.


    "Bathing Fluffy can be real fun," I said, grabbing another shower after handing one to Raven. "Let me show you."


    "Hey guys, Raven needs some help," I called for them and whispered something in Raven¡¯s ear.


    He looked at me as if asking if I was for real.


    I offered him a nod.


    Jason and Roman came to us¡ªand got themselves drenched in water. Raven did the same.


    "Damn, you two," Jason cursed, but not in anger, and grabbed another shower head. He sshed it at us, and so did Roman.


    I hid Raven behind me like a shield while we continued to y like kids.


    Rafe came to us and joined our side. "I can¡¯t let my little bud get defeated."


    Eira and Kael were watching from a distance and smiling at us.


    At one point, I even picked Raven up in one arm while using the other to hold the shower hose. Both of us fought the other two, who understood the task really well.


    The surroundings were filled withughter and curses hurled at each other while we ran around as far as the long shower pipes allowed us. It was like a water war.


    Raven stood in the center, watching us all around him and being showered by water.


    Then something happened¡ª


    A sound of a giggle.


    We didn¡¯t hear something wrong, right?


    All of us looked at Raven. Our sharp senses didn¡¯t fail to capture that light giggle.


    He was smiling ear to ear and let out a soft, sweet sound ofughter.


    He truly wasn¡¯t mute. He just preferred to be that way.

 Chapter 238: Help From Eira

    <h4>Chapter 238: Help From Eira</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    All of us were frozen in ce as we watched him giggle.


    It wasn¡¯t a dream, right?


    The water from the shower kept flowing as wepletely forgot what we were even doing. The silence surrounded us, mixed only with the sound of the running water.


    Raven seemed to realize what had happened and quickly closed his mouth, as if it wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.


    Damn! It was our fault for acting like something shocking had happened and scaring the kid.


    "Raven, your shower hose has stopped. You should ssh water on them and help us," Lucian said quickly to salvage the situation. "We¡¯re a team."


    "We¡¯re going to win anyway," Roman said and resumed the water fight.


    I went to Raven and picked him up in my arms. "He¡¯s in our team now," I said, looking at Raven. "Do you mind? We need you."


    He nodded to agree.


    I smiled. "Then start."


    I ran around with him in my arms, both of us sshing water on the others, and once more, everything felt normal.


    We didn¡¯t have to show him that what he did was unusual. He shouldn¡¯t feel like he did something strange for us to notice, but think it was a normal thing tough, so next time he wouldn¡¯t hesitate.


    And we would keep pretending we didn¡¯t notice it.


    Though we had resumed ying, this time Raven was careful not to make any sound, even though there was still a smile on his face.


    Sad, but at least he had started somewhere¡ªsmiling, and now even giggling, instead of always being quiet. All our efforts were starting to pay off.


    After a while, we finally stopped.


    "We won," I dered, still holding Raven in my arms and looking at him. "Right?"


    Raven nodded happily.


    I could tell it was the first time he was experiencing such fun. He looked so happy¡ªand so cute¡ªwith his hair drenched and his soft skin shining.


    "You sneaked away one of our teammates and imed victory now. What an ass," Lucianmented.


    "Well, you should¡¯ve protected your teammate better," I countered.


    Roman stood next to us. "This cute little guy was the strongest yer, and we won because of him. Make sure next time you won¡¯t let us sneak him away."


    Rafe wiped the water away from his face coolly. "Alright, Luke. Let¡¯s give it to them."


    Lucian hummed, "Next time, Raven will be with us only, so we will win." He looked at Raven. "Want to y it again someday?"


    Raven nodded quickly.


    Though he wasn¡¯t mute, which we were damn sure now¡ªwe were not going to force him to talk.


    "It¡¯s cold," Kael came to us and looked at Raven. "You need to shower with hot water so you won¡¯t catch a cold." He already extended his hands to take Raven from me, and the little guy quickly moved.


    Kael¡¯s words were like a decree for him.


    I wanted to say I would help him, but before that, Kael turned to Eira, who had also enjoyed our water warfare.


    "Eira, we¡¯ll need your help. Come with us," he said.


    She was taken aback a little¡ªmust be thinking thatst night he acted as if he didn¡¯t want her to be close to Raven, and now he himself was inviting her.


    He already turned to leave as he said, "Raven will catch a cold if he stays out longer."


    She quietly followed him.


    All of us understood Kael¡¯s intentions. Since he was the one who had told her the reality of her situation, he now needed to find a way to help her solve it.


    All of us went to our rooms as well.


    -----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Inside my room, I told Eira as I was carrying Raven to the bathroom, "There are all those bags from yesterday¡¯s shopping. You can get a dress for Raven to wear."


    There were so many bags ced around the room just like that. It would take her quite some time to go through all of them until we returned after standing under the hot water.


    They had sshed water on me as well, and after carrying Raven, my clothes were wet.


    Both of us returned from the bathroom very soon, wrapped in bathrobes.


    Eira was standing by the couch, looking at something in her hands, seemingly lost. She was staring at the cute bunny T-shirt she had bought for Raven.


    But the moment she realized we were there, she quickly stuffed it back into one of the bags and turned to us. She didn¡¯t want to impose her choices on him. Good.


    "I got two dresses for Raven... There are so many... so I found what Raven bought for himself," she said and turned to the bed where she had alreadyid out one dress while carrying another in her hands.


    "Raven, which one do you want to wear?" she asked.


    It was easy as both were the dresses Raven had chosen for himself.


    He went to the bed and pointed toward one.


    "It¡¯s really good," she said as she patted his head. "You should wear it quickly, or you might feel cold," and turned to leave.


    "Where are you going?" I asked her.


    She looked at me, puzzled, and answered, "Leaving you two to wear clothes and get ready."


    "Well, I need help as well," I said. "Can you get one dress for me until I help Raven?"


    She looked at Raven, who had already pulled his pants up and was about to button it.


    <i>Damn! Why is he so self-sufficient?</i>


    "Raven needs my help to button his pants," I said quickly.


    Raven looked at me as if to say, <i>when did I ask for help?</i>


    I raised a brow. "Don¡¯t you, Raven?"


    The kid understood the assignment and nodded quickly.


    I turned to Eira. "Get me one dress. Any of your choice," I said and knelt in front of Raven to help him.


    She went through my wardrobe while I smiled at Raven. "You are smart."


    Eira pulled out a shirt that matched Raven¡¯s. How easy¡ªthat she didn¡¯t even have to think.


    "Is this fine?" she asked me.


    "Yes." I stood up and went to her, while Raven busied himself putting on the shirt.


    "Pants?" I asked after getting the shirt from her.


    She turned around to face the wardrobe, her expressions troubled as she tried to find a matching one.


    I moved closer behind her. She was so close to me, but...


    "Any light-colored pants will do," I said to her.


    I felt her heart jump the moment she sensed me so close and whispering next to her ear. As Raven was looking away, I didn¡¯t hesitate. My hands rested on the wardrobe shelf, trapping her between them.


    Though her back was facing me, I could feel her nervousness due to this closeness. We were mates, and closeness between us was definitely dangerous. And, in that small space, it felt more intimate.


    "Get used to it. You¡¯ll have to do it very often," I said to her, leaning my face toward her shoulder, my voice low and throaty.


    I could see the goosebumps rise on her skin. I got the pants from the shelf and moved away. I had promised her I wouldn¡¯t do anything with her unless she wanted it¡ªso I had to keep my word.


    She turned around and walked straight to the door, entirely flustered. "I... will wait... downstairs..."


    "Wait a minute," I called.


    She stopped at the door, but didn¡¯t turn to look at me.


    "I need help to arrange Raven¡¯s clothes in the wardrobe. Will you?" I asked.


    She nodded and left the next moment.


    I had already seen her flushed face as she ran away. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Raven was looking at me.


    I sighed and said, "Your mommy is a little upset with me. So I have to try to make her happy."


    I was not sure what he understood, but he went to the mirror to fix his dress.


    This kid was a mystery.


    But even then, we were a perfect father son duo.

 Chapter 239: Finding Comfort In Vampire

    <h4>Chapter 239: Finding Comfort In Vampire</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I felt him close behind me. My heart skipped a beat. What¡¯s wrong with him? First, he asked me to help him decide his clothes, and now he¡¯s so close to me, standing behind me for no reason.He could get his clothes on his own if he was going toe to the wardrobe anyway.


    I could feel his warmth even when there was space between us. I could smell that strong scent of his¡ªit felt maddening, especially since he was just out of the shower. My heart couldn¡¯t stop beating faster.The wolf inside me had started getting excited.


    Damn wolf! This damn bond!


    "Any light-colored pants will do," he whispered in my ear, so close now.


    <i>If you know, then why ask me?</i> I cursed in my mind, but not a single word came out. My skin shivered all of a sudden, like a cold wind had just brushed past me.


    Instead of trying to create distance, I was tempted to turn around and let myself be dragged into what he was trying to pull me into.


    But I didn¡¯t want to.


    Thankfully, he picked up the pants and moved back. I could finally breathe¡ªand couldn¡¯t wait to run away from here. I didn¡¯t want to be pulled into the temptation of the mate bond. My wolf was truly shameless, willing to do anything just to get fucked.


    As if being fucked for the past six years wasn¡¯t enough.


    Agreeing to help him set Raven¡¯s wardrobe, I ran away as if escaping from some kind of danger.Yes, he <i>was</i> a danger¡ªto my senses. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t try more, or I would have been on my knees in front of him any moment.


    At least he had the decency not to force me into submitting to him¡ªto be his fuck toy.


    I remembered he promised me that night we mated that he wouldn¡¯t do anything with me without my consent. He should be thest one to even care about my consent, but it seemed like he was keeping his word now.


    Just as I ran down the stairs, lost in my own thoughts, I collided with someone, and I was already in his arms, being protected from falling down.


    "Whoa! Watch out, little witch."


    Only one bastard called me that way. I tried to get away, but his hands kept me close in a tight hold.


    I red at him, trying to free myself.


    "Where were you running to?" Rafe said as our gazes met. "And why¡¯s your face so red like a monkey?"


    <i>Red? My face¡¯s red?</i> I quickly touched my cheeks, and they felt warm.


    "Don¡¯t tell me the pervert inside you couldn¡¯t handle a beauty like Kael," he teased.


    Beauty? How could he call a strong, muscr man like Kael a beauty? Something¡¯s wrong with this bastard¡¯s brain wiring.


    "Let me go, you jerk," I said coldly.


    "I will, if you ask me nicely," he countered, his red eyes amused.


    I closed my eyes and let out a sigh to calm myself. "Alright, please... uhm..."


    His lips sealed mine.


    I opened my eyes and moved my face back, ring at him. "What are you doing?"


    "You closed your eyes, so I thought you were asking for a kiss," the shameless bastard said.


    I didn¡¯t know how to deal with him anymore. Whether my eyes were open or closed, he always had his ways to annoy me to death. I didn¡¯t even know how to exin to him that I was only trying to calm myself¡ªto stop from getting angry at him again.


    I felt tired. I felt like crying. I had no way with this damn vampire. My curses, my anger, my silence¡ªnothing. Nothing ever worked on him.


    I lowered my head and let it rest against his shoulder in a helpless gesture. "I give up," I whispered under my breath.


    He could go and do whatever he wanted. I wasn¡¯t going to move.


    His hands moved to hug me¡ªthis time a gentle one¡ªand he coaxed me softly.


    "If you give up, how am I going to live?" I heard his low whisper.


    <i>What does he mean?</i> ...Alright, I don¡¯t want to know. I¡¯m tired.


    "Caldwell, are you not feeling well?" he finally asked, his voice soft, without a hint of teasing.


    "I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just tired," I replied. His words and his hold felt...forting.


    "Your scent seems a little different," he said.


    "Must be Kael¡¯s," I said without any tinge of hesitation.


    He was close to me, so I guess his scent mixed with mine.


    "That¡¯s possible," he said and chuckled softly. "That also means you were running from him. The obvious reason of red face?"


    I didn¡¯t want to answer. A hug with this vampire felt better, and I would just stay like this.


    "He¡¯s your mate. If you want, you can even climb on him instead of running away," he said. "Such a handsome top-tier Alpha. Are you an idiot to run away from him? Do you know how many she-wolves try to get into his bed?"


    "Stop talking already," I warned, letting myself drown in his scent.


    "Jealous?" he asked.


    Yes. I hated to admit it, but somehow I was. The wolf inside me didn¡¯t wish to hear that other females were interested in my mate. This basic instinct of being territorial couldn¡¯t be shaken off.


    "My ass!" I answered to deny his im.


    Obviously, he didn¡¯t believe me and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell Kael that you were jealous."


    "That¡¯s not me, but my wolf. The bitch," I said.


    "Yeah, your wolf."


    Even if he teased me, he was the only one I could have a normal talk with, without any hesitation. He was a provocateur, but a secret keeper.


    I didn¡¯t know how to define my connection with him. I hated him because he teased me, but sometimes he was like a safe haven where I could let my guard down¡ªjust like now, as I was rxing in his hug without any care.


    If he wished to move away, I could even hold him by his cor and order him to stay put. And I knew he would listen to me.


    My rapport with him was just... confusing.

 Chapter 240: Mother And Son, For A Reason

    <h4>Chapter 240: Mother And Son, For A Reason</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    Lucian came out of the room at the same time. His expression showed clear surprise at seeing Eira in my arms¡ªso quiet at that.


    Seeing us <i>not</i> fighting was unusual for everyone.


    "What happened?" Lucian asked as he came to us, his eyes observing Eira.


    "She finds me irresistible. So, I decided to be gracious and let her take advantage of me," I replied.


    I could feel her frown at my words, but she was truly too tired to even counter me.


    She opened her eyes to look at Lucian. "I¡¯m just tired of arguing with him."


    Lucian reached out his hand to caress her cheek gently. "I understand. It¡¯s truly tiring." Then he looked at me.


    I smirked. "Yeah, you have first-hand experience."


    "Take her to sit on the sofa instead of keeping her standing here," Lucian said, ignoring my provocation.


    So boring. If everyone stopped arguing with me, there would be no fun. Only Eira and Lucian could do it, but these two were avoiding it now. And this bastard Lucian was being so passive, that it was hard to provoke him.


    Anyway, at this moment, only Eira mattered, so I did as Lucian said.


    I picked her up and carried her to the sofa while Lucian went to the kitchen.


    He returned with a few big-sized chocte bars. I recognized them quickly¡ªit was the kind Eira used to eat a lot back then, the ones Alice used to scold her for eating too much, afraid she¡¯d gain weight.


    But they weren¡¯t avable anymore. How did this bastard get them? Well, he was the kind to put a gun to anyone¡¯s temple and make them obey, so it wasn¡¯t hard for him to get those people to make these choctes again.


    "For you," Lucian offered her.


    She epted it and looked surprised. Without a tinge of hesitation, she tore open the packet of a palm-sized chocte and started eating it hurriedly, as if she had been hungry for ages.


    Lucian and I exchanged nces¡ªshe¡¯d had breakfast just a while ago.


    "Are you hungry?" Lucian asked her.


    She realized her action and slowed down, but the chocte was almost finished. How fast one could eat? Well, this little witch could win the chocte eatingpetition if there was one.


    She hesitated a little and shook her head.


    "You can never learn to lie," Imented, looking at her. "Tsk! Do I need to teach you how to lie as well? Youzy ass¡ªyou¡¯re too much of a work for me."


    She red back at me, clearly annoyed that I¡¯d caught her lie.


    "Have this one as well until I cook something for you," Lucian offered the rest of the choctes.


    She didn¡¯t take it, but I did. Maybe she hesitated now to ask for anything more from us.


    I tore one open and offered it to her. "Kids should eat what they want. It helps them grow better."


    She angrily snatched the chocte from me and ate while looking the other way, clearly embarrassed.


    Lucian went to the kitchen while the little witch continued to munch on chocte as if she was making up for thest six years when she hadn¡¯t gotten to eat them.


    Kael and Raven came downstairs.


    "Bud, for you," I offered Raven a chocte.


    He epted it and looked at Eira, who was about to finish her second bar now¡ªbut she slowed down the moment she saw him. She was clearly embarrassed to let him see her that way.


    She offered him a light, hesitant smile. "Try it... It¡¯s good."


    "Yeah, your mommy can¡¯t stop eating it. That¡¯s the whole lot to guarantee it¡¯s truly good," I said. "That¡¯s her second chocte bar. If you don¡¯t eat this one fast, it¡¯ll be inside her tummy any moment now."


    She red at me but couldn¡¯t curse me in front of Raven.


    "Yeah, I got it," I said, wiping the chocte stained corners of her lips with my thumb. "Such a mess you are."


    She shrugged my hand away and pretended to clean her lips with her fingers.


    I smirked and I licked my thumb.


    Raven sat on Eira¡¯s other side, and Kael tore open the chocte for him


    But then, a sweet, strong scent of chocte pancakes filled the drawing room like the sweetest delicacy being prepared and...


    A pair of mother and son inhaled deeply at the same time, their eyes lit up and their heads turned toward the kitchen on their own. Both swallowed and licked their lips, their greedy darting toward the kitchen with the hope of getting whatever was being cooked.


    Kael and I were surprised at their reactionspletely in sync¡ªand smiled.


    I chucked. <i>Mother and son, for a reason.</i>


    "Let¡¯s go to the dining table before both your drools start to pool on the floor." I stood up and carried Raven in my arms. "Can¡¯t wait to eat, huh?"


    The little guy lowered his eyes as if embarrassed and looked at the chocte in his hands, which he suddenly didn¡¯t want to eat anymore.


    "You can eat thister," I said, taking it from him and seating him in his chair.


    I turned to look at Eira, who seemed to be waiting for the invitation.


    "You should eat there with Raven," Kael told her and sat on the sofa to resume his office work.


    As if that was what she had been waiting for, she stood up in a moment and came to the dining table. Both mother and son, impatient like kids, had their eyes fixed on the kitchen, waiting for Lucian like he was some heavenly god who might bless them with a treasure¡ªa treasure he was cooking right there on a hot pan.


    Lucian brought pancakes for those two in two dishes. Both their impatient eyes were fixed on the dishes, not on the person, waiting to get their hands on them.


    Lucian offered them a smile and ced the dishes in front of them. "For you two..."


    They had already picked up a piece of pancake with their hands and started eating before Lucian could even finish his sentence.


    The chocte spread on it stained their hands, but neither of them minded.


    Eira was fine, but seeing Raven like this was surprising and delightful. He was changing slowly.

 Chapter 241: Eira’s New Obsession

    <h4>Chapter 241: Eira¡¯s New Obsession</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    "I taught you well, bud," I said with pride, remembering how we¡¯d eaten pizza and other things with our hands the previous day, without any care.


    Lucian shook his head with a smile and turned to return to the kitchen. "I¡¯ll get you more."


    "For me as well," I said.


    "Only for the kids today." The bastard refused me. "Go suck some blood from the bags in refrigerator."


    Never mind.


    I took a big piece of pancake from Eira¡¯s dish.


    "Hey, that¡¯s mine," she said angrily.


    "But now it¡¯s mine," I countered and started eating already. "Damn, truly tasty."


    Raven stopped eating. He picked up one piece of his pancake and ced it in Eira¡¯s dish.


    Surprised, she looked at him. The little guy was so thoughtful.


    "You don¡¯t need to," she told him and was about to give it back, but he pulled his dish away, insisting she could eat it.


    She felt a little guilty, and as expected, turned to me to vent her anger.


    "See, the little boy is more thoughtful than you," she said.


    I scoffed. "Exactly. Even a little boy is thoughtful and cares to share his pancake. He knows the meaning of sharing, but you..." I shook my head in disappointment. "You wanted to kill me the moment I got your pancake. Seems like I need to teach you the basics of sharing and caring."


    I looked up dramatically. "God, how much more do I need to teach her? Is there an end to it? Will she ever grow up?"


    I could see she wanted to knock me out, but what more could she do? She had an image to maintain¡ªan image of a peaceful mother.


    Just then, Roman and Jason came out as well. Roman was ready to go to the office, while Jason came to see what was going on here.


    "Damn! What a sweet scent," Roman said, ncing toward the kitchen as he sat in a chair. "One for me as well, Lucian. My boring day at the office might feel better."


    "One for me as well, Luke," I said again. "My boring day while taking care of kids might feel better."


    He didn¡¯t respond, but after a few minutes returned with a big stack of pancakes on a dish. He ced it on the table, first serving Raven and Eira, then looked at us. "For the rest of you."


    "Aww, so generous," Imented and looked at Roman. "Just our lucky day."


    Roman picked up a pancake. "We should thank the God Lucian."


    I smiled and called for Kael, "Your Excellency, want to have some?"


    Kael understood it was for him.


    "I¡¯m good," he responded without even looking at us, busy with his work.


    "He¡¯s not fond of sweets anyway," Roman said.


    Raven quickly looked toward Kael.


    I sighed. "Bud, I know you love your daddy Kael so much, but you don¡¯t need to follow him in everything. Leave something for the rest of your daddies." I picked up the pancake. "You can follow me and eat. I love pancakes," I said, looking at Eira, "and love the people who love pancakes."


    The busy woman spared me a nce, sensing my gaze on her. She frowned as if to say <i>stop bullshitting</i> and resumed eating.


    Raven started eating.


    "Good boy."


    Lucian sat on one of the chairs like a proud chef, watching us enjoy what he¡¯d cooked.


    "Aren¡¯t you two eating?" Roman asked the two smug brothers.


    "We don¡¯t like sweets either," Lucian said, and Jason nodded in agreement.


    Roman and I both sighed.


    "These kids who grew up in families won¡¯t understand the ones who could only eat pancakes in their dreams," Roman said.


    I hummed. "The most precious dream was to ever get to eat them daily. Those lucky bastards won¡¯t understand."


    "Stop ying pity cards already," Lucian frowned. "You¡¯ll get them every day with these two kids."


    Roman and I smirked at each other and looked at Lucian.


    "Thank you so much, daddy Lucian," I said with a chuckle.


    "Your daddy, not mine," Roman shot back and looked at Lucian. "We¡¯ll wait for the pancakes every day now. You can¡¯t go back on your words."


    Lucian frowned. "Bastards."


    Unaffected by our banter, the mother and son had already finished their pancakes. Raven was full, but Eira¡¯s gaze lingered on the dish of pancakes.


    I picked up one and ced it on her te. "Is there suddenly a valley in your stomach, Caldwell?"


    She pressed her lips together like a kid, but then Lucian said, "Even if there is, I¡¯ll cook as much as you want. Ignore the bloodsucker."


    Lucian offered me a re and looked back at her, observing her silently. Well, we all were observing her.


    There was some change in her for sure. All of a sudden, eating had be her new obsession¡ªand she seemed to have forgotten she was sitting among the ones she imed to hate.


    After eating and ying for a while, Eira and Raven had drifted to sleep on the mattress by the window. Raven seemed to be tired from the water y we¡¯d had earlier.


    Roman had left for the office, while Lucian had some news for us.


    Once he made sure Eira was in a deep sleep, he said, "That bastard Asher wants to meet you."


    So, he finally got to know Raven is with us. We didn¡¯t want to hide it either, so let it be.


    "Fix the meeting," Kael said, "but... after two days."


    Lucian raised a brow.


    "Let him wait," Kael added.


    I hummed. "We¡¯re not free to make time for him just whenever he wants. Let him get a little more desperate."


    Once we discussed it a little more, I said, "Kael, I think we should have Liam take a look at Eira."


    Kael looked at me.


    "All of a sudden she¡¯s eating too much. The change is sudden, so it would be good if we have her checked," I said.


    "I feel the same," Lucian added, and turned to Jason. "You¡¯re almost a doctor. You can¡ª"


    "It would be better if Liam performs some tests," Jason interrupted him. "That would be more assuring."


    Meanwhile, Kael looked in Eira¡¯s direction for a while longer as if thinking about something, and finally hummed. "Just inform Liam."

 Chapter 242: Kael’s Care

    <h4>Chapter 242: Kael¡¯s Care</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    After eating those pancakes, Lucian, Jason, and Roman left the home for their respective work. Rafe had taken Raven out to show him around the estate¡ªor whatever adventure he had in mind.


    Eira fell asleep while sitting in her usual ce. Iid her on the mattressfortably and pulled the curtains so the sunlight wouldn¡¯t disturb her sleep.


    I settled on the sofa and resumed my work, keeping my voice low during meetings and preferring to talk less so it wouldn¡¯t disturb her.


    Even while working, my mind couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. My gaze would often drift to her sleeping form.


    The change in her was sudden¡ªeating more than usual, sleeping a lot, and looking tired. My mind wished to think something, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t want to hope for more than I already had. I would wait until Liam returned from his trip and checked her.


    More than an hour passed, but Rafe hadn¡¯t returned with Raven yet. I looked toward Eira.


    She had curled her body into a ball and seemed awake now. But it felt like she was in some kind of difort. I stood up quickly and went to her.


    Sitting next to her, I asked, "Eira, are you alright?"


    She didn¡¯t respond. I touched her arm and asked again, "I know you¡¯re awake. Tell me what happened."


    She finally moved, and I helped her sit up. She didn¡¯t look at me, just shook her head. "Nothing."


    Hershes were moist.


    "You had a bad dream?" I asked, trying to read her face.


    She kept her gaze lowered and shook her head again. Her hands went to her stomach.


    "Stomach pain?" I asked.


    She shook her head. "I¡¯m just not feeling good... it¡¯s nothing..."


    I hummed. "Then you should eat something. It¡¯ll make you feel better."


    She quickly raised her gaze and looked at me, her eyes hopeful, but then looked away. "I... I¡¯m not hungry..."


    She was lying. She was hungry again and too embarrassed to ask for anything to eat.


    "I know you¡¯re not hungry, but my mom used to say when you¡¯re not feeling well, food is the best medicine," I said. "Anyways, it¡¯s lunchtime and Jason already prepared food before leaving. Let¡¯s go to the dining table. I¡¯m hungry as well."


    I don¡¯t remember talking this much, or with so much softness, to anyone¡ªnot even to my brothers, even though I cared for them. Those bastards wouldn¡¯t understand soft words anyway.


    Eira was different. With her, a side of me wanted toe out that I didn¡¯t even know existed inside me.


    I stood up and offered her my hand. She quietly epted it, and we went to the dining table. Settling her in a chair, I headed to the kitchen. "Wait here."


    I reheated some food that Jason had prepared and brought it to her in a dish. "Eat this until I prepare something fresh for you."


    I went back to the kitchen and nced at her. She had already started eating like she was starving. I decided to cook something for her. As her mate, I should be doing it often.


    I remembered what she liked, so I prepared pasta for her. By the time I brought it out, she had already finished her previous food.


    "Try this," I told her and sat in my chair. I decided to give herpany while eating so she wouldn¡¯t feel it was unusual to eat again.


    "I hope you like it," I said and started eating as well.


    She was quiet until now, like a little mouse eating silently, hiding from the world. I wanted to tell her it was alright even if she ate a hundred times a day¡ªbut then her attempt to show she wasn¡¯t hungry would fail.


    It wouldn¡¯t harm me to act ignorant and keep feeding her by making any excuse possible.


    I didn¡¯t look at her, not wanting her to feel watched, and focused on my own meal. The pasta was indeed tasty.


    But then I heard a soft sound of sobbing. I looked at her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she chewed her bite.


    It startled me. "What happened? Is it spicy? You didn¡¯t like it? You don¡¯t need to eat if you¡ª"


    She shook her head, and more tears spilled from her eyes.


    Though taken aback, I asked, "What happened then?"


    She swallowed the food and looked at me with her teary eyes. Not just sleepy, hungry, and tired¡ªbut emotional as well.


    "You can tell me," I said in a coaxing voice and wiped her tears with my fingers.


    "I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so hungry." Her voice mixed with sobs. "No matter how much I eat... I get hungry again... I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me... my stomach..." She started crying again.


    I let out a deep sigh. So it was just about hunger and nothing else that could be worrisome.


    "It¡¯s a good sign that you¡¯re getting hungry often," I told her.


    Her teary eyes looked at me in surprise.


    I exined the best way I could at the moment. "That means your body is healing, and the healing process needs more energy. That¡¯s why you¡¯re feeling hungry often. It¡¯s nothing bad."


    "Healing?" she mumbled.


    I hummed. "Didn¡¯t you say you want to get better?" I asked, referring to our spat that night when she was angry at me for not letting Raven be with her.


    She nodded lightly.


    "Then eat more and don¡¯t hesitate when you¡¯re hungry," I said and offered her some tissue papers. "We have enough food at home to eat a hundred times a day, and still it won¡¯t finish."


    She nodded lightly as she wiped her tears, still sobbing softly.


    She must be confused at this sudden change in her as well, so that was normal.


    "And you should know, your mate is the richest Alpha, so there won¡¯t be anyck of anything for you," I said, not sure how she would react.


    Not responding, she continued to eat. After a while of silence, I asked, "Have you never felt such hunger before?"


    She shook her head, chewing the big bite in her mouth.


    "Never?" I asked again. "Maybe you¡¯re not remembering?"


    She looked at me with a confused and questioning gaze.


    "We are werewolves, so at least a few times in our lives we face such healing periods," I said, not letting her know what exactly I was trying to ask.


    She shook her head once more. "This is the first time."


    I simply hummed, not insisting on it anymore. And it didn¡¯t look like she was lying or forgetting. Also, the way she was embarrassed about it clearly showed she was experiencing it for the first time.


    "Liam is out of the city. Once he returns, we¡¯ll have him check on you," I informed.


    She nodded. If it were before, she wouldn¡¯t have cared. But now, for Raven¡¯s sake, she was willing to change and get better. Her own son was her medicine.


    She finished her food.


    I put the small notepad and pen in front of her.


    She looked at it and then to me.


    "Whatever you feel like to eat, just write on it if you don¡¯t get the time to tell us," I exined, "I will make sure you get it quickly as possible."


    I knew she would be hesitant to ask what she wanted and only eat what we give her. It was the way to know what she wished to eat.


    She epted it and then looked around the overly silent drawing room.


    I understood. "Raven is with Rafe¡ªjust somewhere around the estate. Fluffy has gone with them as well."


    She hummed and stood up from her chair.


    "You might like to take a walk outside. It¡¯ll make you feel better," I suggested.


    She nodded lightly and walked toward the window exit leading to the garden and side house.


    I followed her quietly and stood at the door, watching her as she walked on thewn with slow steps, lost in her own world.


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her, my heart at peace. <i>What must she be thinking?</i>


    Under the mild sunlight, she shone beautifully, her hair like soft silk moving along with the gentle breeze. My heart skipped beats as if I was falling for her all over again.


    My wolf purred inside, taking in this peaceful sight and the assurance that our mate was with us.


    Lucian had returned home and came to stand next to me.


    "Something happened?" he asked, as he followed my gaze toward Eira.


    "Nothing as such," I replied. "Just taken aback by why she¡¯s been so hungry all the time."


    "Did you say anything?" he asked.


    I shook my head. "Not until we confirm it with Liam."


    "I think we should stack all kind of food in home," Lucian said. "She might like to eat anything, anytime. bunch of healthy instant snacks."


    "I have already instructed. You can add anymore in it."


    "Will ask Jason as well."


    I hummed and asked, "Jason?"


    "He¡¯s following through with our people to get updates on Asher," he responded.


    "And?"


    "He seems impatient. Might not wait a day more, let alone two."


    "Let hime to us on his own. I¡¯ll meet him then," I instructed.


    "We¡¯ve already kept the doors open to wee him," Lucian added.


    I hummed, my eyes still following her. Asher wasn¡¯t Raven¡¯s biological father¡ªthat meant Eira had nothing to do with him. When she said she didn¡¯t know any such person when Roman asked her back then, she wasn¡¯t lying.


    That was good. I didn¡¯t have to be considerate of her while dealing with Asher.

 Chapter 243: I Am Always Here...With You

    <h4>Chapter 243: I Am Always Here...With You</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    The day passed by, and all of us were in our rooms, retired for the night. We made sure Eira kept eating as much as she wished and had everything avable for her at home.


    Though it was midnight, I couldn¡¯t sleep a wink, thinking about Eira.


    My heart was telling me I should be with her¡ªby her side, sleeping with her in my arms to make her feel better. She needed me, but... I couldn¡¯t force her. I could only hope she got thatfort from Roman.


    Despite trying to shake those thoughts aside, my heart felt heavy¡ªemotional all of a sudden.Why am I being like this all of a sudden?


    I felt a warm tear roll down my cheek. Realization hit me¡ªit was her emotions I was feeling.


    I quickly stepped out of bed and hurried to her room.


    I didn¡¯t bother knocking and entered, only to see Roman holding her in his arms and asking her what happened. She was crying like a child.


    Roman saw me. He himself looked lost, unsure why she was crying so much.


    She had cried even at noon, but I hadn¡¯t felt it then. This time, I did¡ªwhich meant she was crying because something was hurting her deeply.


    I went closer, to her side of the bed. "Eira, what happened?" I asked.


    In response, she cried even more, burying her face against Roman¡¯s chest.


    "If you don¡¯t tell us, how will we know?" Roman coaxed her gently. "Even Kael is here. Whatever it is, we¡¯ll make it right."


    I ced my hand over her shaking shoulder. I could feel her pain. "Look here," I moved closer, like she was protected between me and Roman.


    "Please tell me," I insisted softly.


    She slowly turned toward me¡ªand this time, she cried in my arms.


    Roman and I shared gazes. Neither of us could guess what was going on.


    The other three seemed to have heard my hurried steps when I ran over the staircase. Alert, they came to Roman¡¯s room as well.


    Everyone had only one question in their mind. "What happened?"


    "We were sleeping. All of a sudden she started crying," Roman told us all. "She¡¯s not saying anything."


    I let her cry for a while and then asked again, "Eira, please tell me what happened. If you need something, just tell me. I promise I¡¯ll do it¡ªwhatever it is."


    After a moment of silence, she finally raised her head and looked at me, her eyes red from crying. "...You promise?.." The words barely came out between her sobs.


    It was a relief that she was at least ready to say something.


    "Yes. And I never break my promise," I said, looking straight into her eyes, my gaze gentle and assuring. My hand caressed her cheek.


    "I... I... want my... son..." she said in a choked voice. "...My son..."


    What I had said¡ªand what I had been waiting for her to say¡ªshe finally said it. But it was all because of her emotional state. It must have triggered it, letting her buried emotions rise to the surface.


    "Raven is here," I told her.


    "He is... but I want my son... my Ray... Please find him..." she pleaded, "...You promised..."


    <i>Finally, she epted that Raven wasn¡¯t her son. Had she stopped deluding herself?</i>


    I could sense the same emotions in my brothers as I felt within myself.


    Would it be right to tell her about her son now? I had said that day, <i>Don¡¯t be impatient just because she pleads with you to. You have to make sure she¡¯s clearly stable first.</i> And in her current state, she was overly emotional.


    I felt caught in a difficult dilemma.


    If I didn¡¯t tell her now and did itter, would she get angry with me? Would she ask why I didn¡¯t tell her when she was crying and pleading?


    She would be angry for sure.


    And I¡¯d ept it¡ªas always.


    "...Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?... You don¡¯t want to?..." she asked, as I stayed silent for a while.


    I simply looked at the desperation in her eyes, wanting to assure her that I would¡ªbut...


    "...I promise, even if I get Ray... I will love Raven the same... You said he is the first child of this family. I promise, my son will never take his ce... I just want him here... I want him to grow like Raven, with us all... Me and my son, we¡¯ll ask for nothing else... My baby... I don¡¯t know where he is... I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s even alive..." She continued to cry, unable to form any more words. "...I will let him call you dad... I will tell him call Raven his brother... I will do everything you say... I won¡¯t run away with him... I just want a small space for my child... here... in this home....I want him to be safe...have good life..."


    What we had been trying to make her realize¡ªit had indeed worked.


    "Can you please... will you..." she had no more words left to speak.


    "I will," I finally said. "I¡¯ll bring your son to you."


    Her trembling lips moved to say something.


    "But," I said¡ªand that made her swallow her words back.


    "...But?" she asked.


    "You have to get better entirely," I said. "Do you want your son to see that his mother isn¡¯t well?"


    She shook her head. "I will get better... I will do everything Liam and I say... I want to...."


    "I know, and we will help you," I said. "We¡¯ll help you get better, and we¡¯ll help you get your son. We¡¯ll live as one family."


    Though she was crying, her lips curved into a light smile to show her gratitude.


    I hugged her gently and let her calm down.


    My brothers simply looked at me, maybe wondering what to do. Through the mind link, I assured them everything would be alright.


    In her current fragile emotional state, she would probably be overwhelmed to know Raven was her son. She would go to him right away and start sticking to him once more like glue¡ªwhen we had just made her begin to slow herself down.


    She would have all her attention on Raven only, forgetting even about herself. The little guy would be too overwhelmed by her.


    The worst part was that we wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her, as she would argue that Raven was her son. She could change in a moment.


    It wasn¡¯t healthy for Raven, who had already been through another kind of psychological torture before. And now that he had started to be normal, I couldn¡¯t offer him a psychologically unstable mother.


    To her, it would seem normal¡ªher love for her son¡ªbut Raven wasn¡¯t ready to ept that kind of affection yet. He would probably end up feeling forced and unwilling to be with her. Though he was always respectful toward everyone¡¯s wishes, in his mind, slowly it would create negative feelings toward Eira.


    I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    This must be the reason I told me not to give in to her pleading. Giving someone what they want when they¡¯re at their most vulnerable is never a good idea, but give it to them when they are ready to ept its true worth. Till now, I had been right about everything, so I was going to follow her advice again.


    Finally, I decided to ept her hate if she had to scold meter for not telling her the truth earlier.


    "Want toe to my room to sleep?" I asked. "You might feel better sleeping next to Raven."


    "Will he be alright if I do?" she asked as she raised her head to look at me.


    I nodded. "He¡¯ll like it if his mother is with him."


    She nodded.


    I let out a sigh of relief, and so did my brothers. She was finally calm.


    Lucian poured a ss of water for her, and she drank it. I carried her in my arms to my room, and she didn¡¯t reject me.


    It was time to sleep together like a family¡ªboth of us and our son.


    Inside the room, I gently ced her on the bed. Raven was in the center of the bed, in deep sleep.


    She turned to face Raven, her hand reaching out to touch him, but she stopped.


    "He won¡¯t wake up even if you touch him," I assured her.


    She finally caressed his head, with the affection of a mother.


    As for me, I didn¡¯t go to sleep on the other side of the bed buty down next to Eira, in whatever space was left behind her.


    All her attention was on Raven¡ªmaybe that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t mind that I slept beside her. I turned to my side, my hand circling around her, her slender back pressed against my chest.


    "Close your eyes. You need sleep," I said in a low voice.


    I felt her let out a rxed sigh, her body softening in my hold.


    "Good night," I said once more and closed my eyes, inhaling the sweet scenting from her hair.


    Just as Rafe had said to me in passing¡ªthat she smelled different¡ªhe wasn¡¯t wrong. To me, even her scent felt a little different.


    My hand moved to her belly. Unsure of what I was even trying to do, I just wished to feel it¡ªif it was even possible to.


    She didn¡¯t mind me touching her belly. Instead, she snuggled her back against my chest, as if trying to seek morefort from me.


    "I¡¯m always here... with you..." I whispered gently¡ªto her... to her wolf.

 Chapter 244: Raven In Pain

    <h4>Chapter 244: Raven In Pain</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    It felt good to sleep next to Raven. Though I now believed he wasn¡¯t my Ray, my love and affection toward him weren¡¯t any less. In fact, they kept growing. He was such a lovely kid. No wonder all of us couldn¡¯t help but love him.


    Kael slept next to me, but I didn¡¯t mind. It made me feelforted, as if all the emotional turmoil I¡¯d felt until a while ago had finally calmed down.Certainly because we were bonded now.


    At this moment, all I wanted was to be at peace, forgetting about everything else. I was tired, and I neededfort¡ªanything that could make me feel better. And right now, these two next to me were just that.


    Holding Raven¡¯s small hand, I closed my eyes as the warmth from Kael¡¯s body enveloped me. My soul wished to be drowned in it.


    Deep in the night, all of a sudden, I felt movement from Raven¡¯s side. The hand I was holding clutched my fingers in a tight grip.


    I opened my eyes and looked at him. The little guy seemed to be in pain, his brows knitted, his expression contorted in difort, and sweat covering his body.


    I panicked. "Raven..."


    "It¡¯s alright," I heard Kael¡¯s voice behind me, and he sat up in bed. "Don¡¯t panic," he said, moving to Raven¡¯s side, looking all calm.


    I looked at him in shock. Raven was clearly in pain. How could he just say it was alright?


    I sat up on the bed and caressed Raven¡¯s head with my free hand. My heart hurt to see him like this, in pain I couldn¡¯t understand. The grip of his small hand on my fingers told me it was too much for him to bear.


    "Raven..." I called again, my voice shaking.


    But my voice didn¡¯t reach him. He was lost in the pain he was in.


    Kael sat on Raven¡¯s side carefully and gently freed my fingers from his hand.


    "It¡¯s alright. Let him hold onto me," I said to Kael. I didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    Kael kept his calm and said, "I need to pick him up in my arms. Don¡¯t worry."


    My hand was freed, and Kael gently lifted Raven in his arms as if he were the most delicate thing. Raven was in deep sleep. The pain¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure if it was caused by a nightmare he had or if he was hurting somewhere.


    Kael held him in his arms, Raven¡¯s small form pressed against his chest, his tiny face buried in the crook of Kael¡¯s neck, and his small hands clutching Kael¡¯s T-shirt.


    Kael paced around the room, hisrge hand continuously caressing Raven¡¯s back to coax him. Soon, Raven¡¯s body rxed, his expression softened, and the grip of his hands eased, as if the pain he was feeling was being soothed away.


    It looked like Kael was used to doing this every night for Raven. That¡¯s why he was so calm seeing Raven in pain.


    While Kael did his job as a father, I just watched. I wished I could do something, but I felt so useless as a mother. I knew nothing about Raven.


    Kael was everything a child needed¡ªa perfect parent. No wonder Raven was so close to him and followed him in everything. Their bond ran deeper than blood ties.


    If they brought Ray, would he be the same with my child? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. How good it would be for him to get a family like this and be raised by a protective man like Kael.


    My desire to bring my son back grew even stronger.


    Kael looked at me and gestured for me to lie in bed. Seeing Raven was fine with him, I did as he said, but I couldn¡¯t close my eyes. My gaze followed Kael as he paced around the room, holding Raven in his arms, putting him into aforting sleep.


    No wonder he always made sure Raven slept in his room, saying Raven needed him at night. Now I knew the reason. He wasn¡¯t troubling me by not letting Raven sleep with me in my room¡ªhe was simply caring for the kid and had asked me to sleep with them instead. He wasn¡¯t ying around.


    If only I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have argued with him.


    I let out a heavy sigh. I am a mother, they should tell me everything about him. Maybe they don¡¯t trust me yet because of my mental situation.


    <i>But I am fine now, right? I am trying to.</i>


    Last time after Raven¡¯s blood tests, Kael told me the blood tests were fine and Raven was a healthy child. But there was some psychological trauma he had experienced and I will treat him. And as a family we have to take care of him.


    We have all been doing so since then, but it seemed like Raven was deeply hurt by something.


    Raven¡¯s next session with I is soon; I will talk to her about it as well. I don¡¯t want the little kid to be in any pain.


    As I looked at Kael more, I couldn¡¯t help but think that none of them ever told me whose child Raven was. Maybe his parents were someone I don¡¯t know so they didn¡¯t exin it to me. But the way they all cared for Raven, it felt like his parents were someone really close to them, someone all of them truly value.


    If his parents were not in this world, then Raven is truly fortunate to be with us. I will do my best to be a good mother, so along with good fathers, he will have a good mother as well.


    But at the same time, these people had been hiding Raven from the world and protecting him, so it felt like Raven was under some kind of threat. I understood it was because he was a pureblood child, but the reason seemed more than just that.


    Whatever it was, we will protect him.


    My thoughts suddenly turned dark. If someone came for him and tried to take him away, I will kill them just like I did with Roman¡¯s mother.


    I will pull out those monsters¡¯ hearts and crush them in my hands.

 Chapter 245: Wish To Take Her Pain For Himself

    <h4>Chapter 245: Wish To Take Her Pain For Himself</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    I fell asleep while thinking about Raven. When I woke up the next morning, the ce next to me was empty.


    Kael and Raven weren¡¯t on the bed.


    Worried something had happened to Raven, I sat up in bed in panic, only to see Kael was sitting on the couch with Raven sleeping on his chest like a little bunny.


    Both of them looked to be in deep sleep.


    I let out a sigh of relief that Raven was fine.


    ¡¯Had he been sleeping on the couch instead of on the bed?¡¯ That didn¡¯t really lookfortable.


    I noticed the sheets Kael had pulled over them had slipped down.


    Slowly, I got down from the bed, tiptoed toward them, and pulled up the sheets over them gently to cover them without disturbing their sleep.


    Up close, I couldn¡¯t help but admire them. They both looked at peace. Like always, I couldn¡¯t help but envy Kael. It must feel so good to sleep while holding the little bunny. Raven¡¯s soft cheek was pressed against Kael¡¯s chest, and drool was seeping onto his shirt¡ªbut neither of them seemed to mind. So cute.


    Making sure the sheet was fixed, I turned to leave, but then my hand was held, stopping me before I could take a step away. I turned and saw Kael awake, his sleepy, enticing eyes looking at me.


    ¡¯Did I wake him up?¡¯ Just as I thought that, he tugged my hand lightly and I ended up sitting next to him.


    "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice hoarse.


    "I was just..." I tried to speak, but his hand guided my head to rest against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me.


    He pecked my head. "Stay for a while."


    <i>What¡¯s going on?</i>


    I obeyed and let myself rest against him. My face was so close to Raven¡¯s, who was using this hard chest of a man as his cushion. A light smile painted my lips and I caressed his cheek gently.


    ¡¯Why did he have to be so adorable?¡¯ My fingers felt the softness of his baby-smooth, radiant skin.


    "What happened to himst night?" I asked in a low voice. almost a whisper.


    "His body was responding to the trauma he had," Kael replied in an equally low voice.


    I moved my head up to look at him, and he looked back at me as if knowing what I was going to ask. "The people he was with¡ªthey weren¡¯t kind to him. They tried some dangerous drugs on him, which caused him pain."


    Damn! My blood boiled. What kind of monsters are there in the world to not leave even a child alone? First it was Roman, and now Raven as well.


    My eyes turned moist as I couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt for him. "Can¡¯t we treat him?"


    "We are already doing it," Kael exined. "Liam has given him drugs to flush out the ones in his body. Though the drug is no longer in his blood, the body still remembers the pain."


    "Is he like this every night?" I asked.


    He hummed.


    "Can¡¯t we do anything about it?"


    "We have to give it time. Over time, he will stop feeling it."


    My hand caressed his small head to make him feel better. "I wish I could take all his pain away."


    "If it was possible, I would have taken his pain for myself," Kael said. "And yours as well."


    His words made me look at him, and he spoke again. "It¡¯s my responsibility to take the pain, not yours. All you have to do is be happy."


    I didn¡¯t know how to react or what to say.


    The feeling of being cared for was still foreign to me, though they had been showering me with it for a long time already.


    And, this man before me had caused me so much pain, that there¡¯s still a thorn stuck in my heart which would never let me forget it¡ªbut somehow, at this moment, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate him.


    Why?


    Am I being a spineless woman to forgive a man just because he is being good to me now, and forget what he did to me back then?


    I couldn¡¯tprehend anything.


    But if the thought of having my son back and giving him a good life was what made me a spineless and selfish woman, then let it be. This world and its people were no saints either.


    If they were the ones who ruined my and my son¡¯s life, then they should be the ones to fix it for us. <i>So, I am going to stay here with my Ray, as this is the only ce that can protect him.</i>


    For his sake, I was ready to forget my pain and embrace the new life ahead.


    Back then, I even made a five-year deal with those traffickers worth suffering in hell so I could meet my son after that. Then, these five were far better than them. At least I know they won¡¯t harm me or my son.


    <i>I can¡¯t change what happened to me, but I can bring change to my son¡¯s life. And I am going to use them for it.</i>


    Lost in my thoughts, I ended up snuggling against Kael, forgetting he was even there.


    <i>His scent is so good, the warmth feels moreforting than anything that could.</i>


    I closed my eyes. How I wished to stay close to him just like this and let myself drown in his presence, in this closeness.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    I heard his voice over my head, and I came back to my senses.


    <i>What am I doing?</i>


    I looked up at him, his face so close that my heart almost jumped out. My eyes stuck to his handsome face as if I had never seen him before. My heart was beating fast; my skin felt a shiver.


    <i>What¡¯s happening to me? Did he do something? I feel like he is seducing me¡ªor is it just the lustful wolf inside me?</i> I swallowed hard under the intensity of his gaze.


    He raised a brow. Could he hear my loud heartbeat? Could he feel the change in me through the bond?


    I was about to move away, but he held me. "What happened?"


    "I...I need to visit the washroom..." I managed to say.


    If I stayed here any moment longer, I wasn¡¯t sure how low I would fall. The damn wolf seemed to be messing with me all of a sudden.


    He released me, and I didn¡¯t dy a moment before getting away from him.


    Until I walked out of the door, I felt his gaze following me. I¡¯m sure he felt the change in me. So embarrassing.


    <i>You idiot wolf. Wasn¡¯t being fucked all these years enough that you crave it even now?</i> I cursed and walked down the stairs to go back to my room.


    <i>No</i>. I guess I can¡¯t fault my wolf. There was something wrong with me to feel so many changes in my body at once¡ªoverly emotional, hungry like a beast, and now even horny.


    <i>Is it truly as they say¡ªI am not mentally stable?</i>


    It seemed like it.


    <i>I need to get better fast. </i>

 Chapter 246: Kiss With Roman

    <h4>Chapter 246: Kiss With Roman</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Just as I came downstairs, I heard a familiar voice.


    "Here¡¯s our starving ghost, finally awake," Rafemented.


    I looked at the bastard, lounging on the sofa with his legs stretchedzily over the center table, ying games on his mobile. But the moment he sensed my presence, he couldn¡¯t shut his mouth.


    I wanted to curse him, but then he looked up from his mobile and announced, "Jason, make sure to cook faster before this ghost eats all of us alive. Right, Caldwell?" And out of habit, he licked his canine with his tongue. "Drooling already?"


    The mouth I opened to speak... shut immediately. My gaze got stuck on him¡ªhis mouth, and that tongue he just used. It reminded me of the moments when he kissed me.


    <i>What the fuck? What¡¯s happening to me?</i>


    "Don¡¯t tease her early in the morning," Lucian, busy in the kitchen, warned him.


    I turned to look at him. Now my gaze stuck on Lucian too. My heart wasn¡¯t stable anymore.


    Not just Kael, but now even these two were affecting me¡ªand the worst part, the one I didn¡¯t want to be affected by was in the kitchen as well. That bastard Jason, looking straight at me, I was being pulled towards him as well.


    "Too much staring, Caldwell," Rafe said. "Are you having perverted thoughts early in the morning? Want me to help you cool down?"


    I snapped back to my senses. "Shut up, you jerk!" I spat angrily and ran to my room.


    I wasn¡¯t angry with him¡ªbut with myself. I¡¯d never felt this way before.


    Something was terribly wrong with me. It felt like I didn¡¯t have control over myself.


    I opened the door of my room and hurried inside to hide myself from their gazes, before they could truly see through me.


    But the moment I entered the room in a rush, I collided with something... someone.


    "Be careful," he said as he held me in his steady grip, helping me stand on my feet.


    My eyes opened, only to be greeted by the close view of a bare chest¡ªbroad, warm, with water droplets still lingering on it. A man fresh out of the shower, wrapped in just a towel, smelling so good, was holding me so close.


    Me¡ªthe one already losing control.


    "Why are you running?" he asked, but I didn¡¯t register any of his words, let alone raise my head to look at him.


    All I did was let my hands roam across his chest, my face leaning closer to inhale his enticing scent as I closed my eyes. This was heaven¡ªif it truly existed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what took over me, but what I did next was even more shocking. My lips brushed along his shoulder, and I bit it¡ªsomething inside me was urging me to do it.


    I heard a low groan escape his lips, but I didn¡¯t stop. In fact, I felt his hands tighten around me, pulling me closer, erasing the space between us.


    The urge to bite him grew stronger, and I gave in to it.


    I tasted blood, but it wasn¡¯t disgusting. If I had any sanity left, I might have wondered if I was turning into a cannibal.


    After a while, when I finally pulled my teeth out, a strong hand gripped the back of my head, forcing me to look up at him.


    That sting of hair pull, only red the urges inside me.


    "Are you done?" Roman asked, his intense gaze observing my flushed face.


    In response, my eyes moved to his mouth¡ªthe lips that were speaking to me. Well-defined, moist, warm... I wanted to taste them.


    "Look at me," his deep voicemanded.


    I looked up, and our gazes met. Maybe I was too blind to notice before, but he was truly so handsome, so perfect head to toe. My crazy senses were letting see which I never did before.


    That handsome face, ash brown hair, the brown eyes with grey rim held the mysterious depth, the tall body so perfectly sculpted, every muscle felt like perfectly held together to create such a perfect form of a man. So good that I didn¡¯t want to take my hands off of him. I wasn¡¯t drunk, but was truly behaving like one.


    "What do you want?" he asked, his voice intentionally low.


    My heart pounded loudly in my chest¡ªI knew he could hear it. He could feel what was happening to me.


    I didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, I tiptoed and pressed my lips to his, sealing his mouth with mine. My hands circled around his neck, pulling him down to me.


    He seemed stunned for a moment, as if he hadn¡¯t expected it, but then didn¡¯t waste another second before kissing me back.


    His lips devoured my hungry ones. His arm tightened around my waist, keeping me steady, while his other hand tangled in my hair, tilting my face to his liking. I didn¡¯t care if he was taking control¡ªall I knew was that it felt good, and I wanted him to keep going.


    I had never kissed anyone before on my own, never initiated it first. This was the first time¡ªand it was with Roman.


    There was no hostility, no bitterness¡ªjust pure need. The need that was driving my body insane.


    If it had been with Kael or the others, I might have been embarrassed or hesitant. But with Roman, I felt free¡ªfree to do whatever I wished, free to demand whatever I wanted from him.


    And I wanted more of him now. And he just gave me that as we kissed like crazies. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say our mouths literally ate each other.


    There was a knock on the door, and it opened. I didn¡¯t care who it was since the door was behind me, while Roman could see the person.


    "Be careful," the person said those two words and left.


    It was Lucian. What did he mean by <i>be careful</i>? Was he here just to disturb us?


    When we finally stopped, breathless, Roman said, "You should go shower."


    I looked at him. I could see he wanted more as well, but he was resisting. Damn, that Lucian was clearly here to interrupt us. I was getting truly upset¡ªbut then, I felt relieved.


    Some kind of craziness was taking over me, and maybe they didn¡¯t want me to give in to it.


    I lowered my eyes, hesitant. "I... am..."


    "It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re mates. It¡¯s normal to feel this way," he said, his fingers brushing my cheek in a touch that almost felt seductive. "Trust me, I can¡¯t wait to get you under me... and fuck the soul out of you..."


    Damn these words. Was he trying to stop me or entice me even more?


    I looked at him.


    His voice was restrained when he said further, "...But if we continue now, it won¡¯t end anytime soon. You don¡¯t want everyone in the house to hear you scream my name the entire day, right? Even Raven is around. Want to continue still?"


    I quickly shook my lowered head.


    He pecked my head softly. "Go have a shower. I¡¯ll get clothes for you from the wardrobe."


    I nodded quietly and entered the bathroom. The first thing I did was stand under the cold shower, trying to wash away the heat rising inside me.


    <i>Am I going into heat? Again?</i> I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. <i>It¡¯s not even been long since thest one... Is that normal?</i>

 Chapter 247: Red Faced Witch

    <h4>Chapter 247: Red Faced Witch</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    It took me a long time under the shower to calm myself. When I came out, Roman wasn¡¯t in the room, but he had ced my clothes for the day on the bed.


    I felt relieved he wasn¡¯t there after how horny I had acted¡ªalmost begging him for intimacy. It wasn¡¯t like me, and now that I was back to my senses, I felt a little embarrassed.


    I went to the bed to get my clothes. As it was starting to get colder, he was thoughtful enough to choose warm and thick ones for me¡ªa sweatshirt and matching pants. Honestly, I liked them; they feltfortable, soft, and warm. I used to wear such clothes every winter.


    I wondered when he bought them. Then I realized it must have been that day when I was busy buying clothes for Raven¡ªhe had gone to the women¡¯s section. He didn¡¯t have to tell me what he got, but he had arranged them neatly in my wardrobe afterward.


    Could he be any more thoughtful? Suddenly, my heart felt the warmth of his silent care. He had always arranged everything for me as if he was an expert in knowing what a woman needed. Maybe he had a girlfriend in the past six years. <i>Did he?</i>


    Somehow, I didn¡¯t like the thought of him having a girlfriend. He had marked me, and he was supposed to be mine now.


    Was it my wolf, or was it me thinking this way? It was confusing.


    I got ready and decided to go out. I had to check on Raven to see if he was awake and make sure he was fine. Last night, he had been in pain.


    When I stepped out of the room, I was a little hesitant, thinking they all must know what happened between me and Roman. Lucian even saw us. I hoped they wouldn¡¯t tease me¡ªespecially Rafe, who could never control his mouth.


    To my surprise, everyone was busy with their work. When they saw me, none of them acted any differently than usual.


    "Breakfast is almost ready," Lucian told me. "You can sit at the dining table till we bring it out."


    I nodded quietly and walked ahead anyway. But my eyes searched for someone who wasn¡¯t there.


    Roman. Where was he? Only Lucian, Jason, and Rafe were here.


    As I settled in the chair, Rafe came to sit at the dining table as well, while Lucian and Jason started bringing food to the table.


    Though I avoided looking at Rafe, the bastard sitting across from me had his eyes fixed on me.


    I let out a sigh and finally looked at him, as if asking <i>what¡¯s the matter?</i>


    He smirked and leaned forward to say something. "He¡¯s gone to Kael¡¯s room," he said in a low voice.


    I hummed and nced toward the staircase¡ªbut then realized he had caught me. Caught me for who I was really searching for. Kael and Raven weren¡¯t here, but he knew I was looking for Roman.


    "I¡¯m waiting for Raven," I said, turning my attention to the dishes being brought out.


    I picked up a toast and started eating, hoping to divert this bastard before he said anything more.


    But why had Roman gone to Kael¡¯s room at this hour? They usually came out around this time anyway.


    Just then, I saw Romaning downstairs¡ªand my eyes instantly locked on him.


    He was wearing the same color shirt as my sweat-shirt, perfectly fitted to his body. His ash brown hair perfectly styled, his expressions serious, his tall form looked eye catching the way he decended the stairs with his one hand tucked in the pocket of his trouser.


    Why was I hitting with the realisation again and again that he was really handsome and I never noticed before. Maybe, his bullying always made me thought of him as a viin in my life.


    But now I found myself unable to look away. Is it because the way we kissed a while before.


    When I had kissed him, I was surely under some strange influence, but right now I was certain I wasn¡¯t.


    <i>Then why... why did the sight of him still make my heart flutter?</i>


    Just then, Roman looked at me, and our gazes met.


    <i>Damn! I can¡¯t take it.</i>


    I lowered my gaze and stuffed another bite of toast into my mouth, pretending I was eating.


    I heard a chuckle from across me. I¡¯d forgotten one bastard had his eyes on me.


    <i>I¡¯m dead now.</i><i>He¡¯s got more things to tease me about. I just hope he won¡¯t say something stupid and embarrass me in front of Roman.</i>


    "Caldwell, why¡¯s your face so red?" I heard him, clearly amused.


    I quickly touched my cheek, and they felt warm. This idiot couldn¡¯t ignore it even once.


    <i>My body¡¯s in some weird phase, you bastard,</i> I screamed in my mind.


    Ignoring hisment, I stuffed another bite into my mouth¡ªalmost full now¡ªpuffed like Ham, who always stuffed too much food at once in his small mouth.


    By the time Roman reached the dining table.


    "Eat slow." Roman said as he sat in his chair, the one next to me.


    I nodded lightly without looking at him and slowed down my speed.


    <i>So embarrassing.</i>


    "You should be careful not to make our little girl choke on her food," Rafe said to Roman. "Try to look less handsome so her frail heart can take it."


    I felt Roman turn his face to look at me. I wanted to bury myself underground.


    I red at Rafe. "Shut up. It¡¯s just that I get too hungry these days."


    "Yeah," he said in a bored tone, "you¡¯re a red-faced witch today for no reason."


    <i>Is my face still red?</i>


    I remembered a simr situation from the past. Alice used to call me her cute little red-faced witch whenever I blushed. It was when she teased me about having a boyfriend¡ªand he, my boyfriend, used to be right there in the same ce.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed being teased right in front of him when Alice didn¡¯t even know he was sitting there.


    <i>Is it the same case with Roman?</i>


    No! That can¡¯t be.


    I used to love the one I called my boyfriend. But I certainly had no such feelings for Roman. I am sure of it. It was just that my body and mind were acting weird these days to feel attracted to all of them for no reason.


    At least it was a relief that Roman said nothing at all. I just wished this bloodsucker would stop talking.


    Thankfully, Kael and Raven came downstairs, and I hoped Rafe would keep his mouth shut and let me eat in peace.


    "Come here," I said to Raven.


    He came to me, and I hugged him gently. "Good morning."


    I looked at him and pecked his forehead softly. He didn¡¯t seem unwilling to my affection. Kael was right. I had to be slow and give him some space to ept me.


    "Did you sleep well?" I asked.


    He nodded lightly.


    "Good. Let¡¯s eat now. You must be hungry, right? Just like me?" I said, a light smile on my lips.


    He nodded again.


    How adorable!


    I wished he would stop feeling that pain soon.

 Chapter 248: The Truth From Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 248: The Truth From Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once we had breakfast together, Kael told me, "Today, I¡¯m going out for some work."


    I didn¡¯t know why he was telling me, but I nodded anyway.


    "Take care of Raven," he instructed, then turned to Raven. "Listen to Mommy."


    Raven nodded as well.


    I looked at the two. Things were changing. It was giving me a family feeling now ¡ª in fact, it had started quite a while back.


    Kael turned to me and pecked my forehead. "See you."


    I was taken aback but nodded as usual.


    Kael looked at Roman. "Let¡¯s go," he said, and walked toward the door.


    So, Roman and he were going together.


    Roman hummed and came to me. He cupped my face in his hands and pecked my lips softly.


    My breath caught in my chest. He moved back and looked at me. "I¡¯ll be back soon."


    Why?


    Why were these people doing this to me? I wasn¡¯t ready for it. My heart might just burst any moment if they continued this way.


    I nodded lightly, and he turned to leave. But he left my heart beating wildly once more, just when it had managed to calm down. My gaze followed him as he left the house.


    "Jason and I are going out with the security," Lucian said and left with Jason.


    Fluffy got Raven¡¯s attention, and Rafe directed them to the garden to y. Then he turned to me. "Caldwell, want toe out? The sunlight¡¯s nice today."


    I had nothing else to do, so I followed him anyway.


    Raven and Fluffy were ying ¡ª Raven would throw a ball for him, and Fluffy would bring it back. Meanwhile, Rafe and I settled on the grass.


    "Why are you sitting like a poor sheep?" hemented. "Sit like me. It¡¯ll feel better."


    I sighed and extended my folded legs, sitting like him with my hands resting on the grass to support my leaning body.


    "Where did those two go?" I asked. "Both of them looked serious."


    "Why didn¡¯t you ask them?" Rafe countered.


    "I thought they wouldn¡¯t tell me, so..."


    "How will you know unless you try?" he asked. "Whenever you asked something, have we ever replied with ¡¯You don¡¯t need to know¡¯? We answered whatever you asked. Maybe sometimes we didn¡¯t tell you the entire thing for a reason, but at least we told you something."


    Well, that was true. They always replied ¡ª I just didn¡¯t ask enough.


    "Now I¡¯m asking you. Will you tell me?" I said.


    He chuckled. "Getting smart, Caldwell?"


    "Say it if you want to, or don¡¯t," I frowned.


    "Alright," he let out a bored sigh, "they¡¯ve gone to meet the man... hmm... the one Raven used to live with."


    It scared me now. "Is he here to take him back?"


    "Certainly."


    "He can¡¯t."


    "Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t let him," Rafe assured. "You don¡¯t know Kael well yet. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll know soon."


    "As long as he protects Raven," I muttered.


    "Where everyone stops thinking, that¡¯s where Kael starts thinking," Rafe said, a confidence, trust and pride in Kael.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant, but whatever. I just wanted my Raven.


    "Caldwell, from now on, make sure to ask questions to the relevant person," he said. "You¡¯re Kael¡¯s mate ¡ª that means his Luna. You have the right to know everything, and he¡¯ll respect that. Just try it."


    Last night, I asked Kael about Raven, and he indeed answered me.


    "Unless you ask, we won¡¯t know what¡¯s in your mind," Rafe said. "That day, you wanted to know about Roman, but you hesitated to ask. So I had to take things into my own hands based on my understanding of you. But don¡¯t always depend on that. Learn to take initiative. You¡¯re a family now."


    What he said felt good to hear. Maybe I would follow his advice. I hummed in agreement.


    After a while of silence, he asked, "You like Roman, don¡¯t you?"


    I was taken aback and looked at him, not knowing why he would even say that.


    He offered me a gentle smile. "Well, he¡¯s a good man, so it¡¯s obvious you would like him."


    "It¡¯s not like that," I countered quickly.


    "You once had a boyfriend, didn¡¯t you?" he asked.


    I sighed. These people still remembered that.


    "You must know the feeling," he said. "The same one you¡¯re feeling for Roman."


    I wasn¡¯t sure. "I¡¯m just grateful that he¡¯s good to me."


    He hummed. "It¡¯s only been two months since you¡¯ve been with us. During those two months, Roman was the only one who cared for you from the start and was always good to you. So, the feeling of gratitude is understandable. But even if it¡¯s more than that ¡ª even if it¡¯s you liking him ¡ª you shouldn¡¯t deny it."


    I didn¡¯tment. I¡¯ve been through so much, and I¡¯m with these people just for a short while. I don¡¯t have my own feelings now.


    "You can give yourself another chance at love," he said. "Though all five of us are your mates now due to our bond with Kael, in the end it¡¯ll be your choice whether you want to ept us all or just one. If you like Roman, you should give yourself a chance to feel it once again."


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say and just stared into the distance.


    "What do you think about Kael?" he asked.


    I looked at him once more. Was he trying to sell his brothers to me now? If not one, then he¡¯d try with the other.


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    "You have a bond with him now," he said. "You know he¡¯s good and didn¡¯t harm you intentionally, but there¡¯s something that stops you from even thinking about him."


    I swallowed hard. Why was he saying this?


    He met my gaze. "Is it because of what he did when he came to see you in the prison?"


    I stared at him in silence. "You were there?"


    He hummed. "Kael didn¡¯t know either," he said, "so that¡¯s the reason?"


    I shook my head. "It was meant to end that way, even if we weren¡¯t in that situation."


    "Because you already had someone else in your heart," he added.


    I couldn¡¯t deny it. "Yes, I had."


    "Did you wait for him to show up to help you?" he asked.


    I wanted to expect it, but I knew I was a sinner and I shouldn¡¯t. Yet that small tinge of hope was always there ¡ª that out of the love we had, he would at least ask me something. But he didn¡¯t. He silently watched me and left without a word. His silence felt worse than if he had cursed me for what I did.


    "I didn¡¯t dare expect," I said. "And you can stop reminding me about him. I¡¯ve left it in the past."


    He hummed, and there was silence once more between us. But I felt like, after so long, I was having a peaceful talk ¡ª one where someone was asking me what was in my heart.


    "Want me to tell you one truth?" he said.


    What kind of truth? I wondered and asked, "What?"


    "Even if every one of us hated you until we knew the truth, no one ever wanted to kill you," he said. "Not even six years back, and not even when we found you. Even if you betray us now for real, we will never be able to kill you."


    I didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to tell me, but I said anyway, "Because you want me to suffer."


    He shook his head. "You don¡¯t know, but all of us loved you like crazy back then. The only thing that held us back was¡ªyou were a minor. The thought of you not existing in this world is unbearable. All of us were fine with the thought that you were alive in some corner of that prison. That was enough."


    "You¡¯re thinking too much," I said, finding it illogical.


    He raised a brow. "Have you not wondered? That day, Kael came to the prison but didn¡¯t kill you. If not Kael, you know Lucian¡¯s temper well. He and Jason came to you in the prison as well, didn¡¯t they? But you¡¯re alive.


    "And that night when we found you again after the traffickers sold you to us, Lucian strangled you. Do you know how powerful he is? It wouldn¡¯t take him a blink of an eye to snap the neck of another Alpha, but you were alive even when he strangled you for a long time. Because in his heart, he didn¡¯t want to kill you. He couldn¡¯t.


    "Also, Jason kicked you on the chest¡ªit wasn¡¯t to kill you, but because he thought you were dying and he wanted you to breathe. He¡¯s a doctor and he knows how much pressure his kick needs to make you breathe again. If he had done it carelessly, your rib cage and lungs would have crushed right there, instead of just two ribs being mildly fractured.


    I tried to process it, while Rafe continued.


    "All those curse words towards you¡ªit was their anger talking. But that wasn¡¯t anger towards you, it was towards themselves. That they couldn¡¯t stop loving you even after what you did. That hate and bitterness were for their own selves."


    "And Kael allowed you toe to this home, where no one was ever allowed except his brothers ¡ª that¡¯s the biggest proof. And none of us truly stopped him. All those reasons they created to keep you here were just excuses to make themselves feel better, to convince themselves they were taking revenge on you for what you did. But who were they fooling? Themselves only.


    "As for Roman and me, we didn¡¯t have any bad blood with you either. We preferred to go with the flow with our brothers, as always. So, that was our excuse to let you stay here ¡ª that we always follow our brothers."


    "Kael needed you, a pureblood, just to save someone¡¯s life because he had once promised his mother that he would protect that person, that¡¯s it. We had no other use for a pureblood she-wolf. We didn¡¯t even need a breeder, as having a child or a mate was never our goal. After that incident six years back, none of us wanted a woman in our life ¡ª or in this home.


    "If the she-wolf we bought wasn¡¯t you, the other she-wolf would have never stepped inside this home. She would have stayed in the hospital, fulfilled what we bought her for, and then we would have released her to do whatever she wanted with her life. None of our business."


    I didn¡¯t know what to think about it.


    "You must think I¡¯m just making all of this up, don¡¯t you?" he asked. "You don¡¯t trust it."


    I looked at him. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t trust them, but the truth was too much to digest at the moment.


    "Well, if you think so..." he smirked, "then maybe you¡¯re right."


    "What?" The bastard was confusing me now. What he said to me ¡ª was he just making it up, or was it the truth?


    Heughed. "A pea-sized brain."


    I wanted to beat him. He had just softened my heart towards all of them, but...


    He stoppedughing and then offered me a serious look.


    "Use your brain to think whether what I said is the truth or if I¡¯m just trying to manipte you to gain plus points for us," he said. "Learn to use your own brain to analyze the situation. The truth will be as clear as clean water. An idle mind will lead you nowhere."


    My heart said whatever he told me today, he was telling the truth. But this bastard had a knack for confusing me.


    After troubling my peaceful mind with his evil twist of talking, the bastard was sitting calmly, staring into the distance and even humming a tune.


    Wait, why did this tune feel so familiar?


    I looked at him. "Where did you learn it?"


    He offered me a wicked smirk. "Guess?"


    "I created it back then, but..."


    "But you yed it only inside your room every night," he said.


    I nodded. "But, how did you¡ª"


    "Are you still that dumb?"


    "Were you stalking me?" My voice rose.


    "Not always," he replied shamelessly. "Once in a while, when I got bored, I would pass by your home..." The smirk on his lips widened, "...in the night."


    "You perverted vampire!" I punched his shoulder.


    He caught my hand. "I would¡¯ve been perverted if I had sneaked inside your room while you were sleeping, or peeked when you were having a shower, or maybe changing your clothes."


    "You did that?" I asked angrily.


    He looked me up and down. "Does that even matter now?"


    Yeah, they had seen me naked many times now, but I was a young girl back then.


    "Rx. I never saw you like that. I just sat by the boundary wall below your window and yed with Vixen. But my sharp ears made me hear you humming."


    I finally rxed. But, my mind couldn¡¯t help but think about what he said to me today.


    If they truly love me as he imed, the question was- Why?


    I was just an ordinary girl.


    "You didn¡¯t ask me who Kael was trying to save by using a pureblood?" hemented.


    "Who?" I asked.


    "You are toote to ask and I am not in a mood to answer," he stood up, dusted his hands and walked towards Raven and Fluffy, "You can ask the one you should."

 Chapter 249: Meeting The Alpha Of RavenClaw Pack

    <h4>Chapter 249: Meeting The Alpha Of Ravenw Pack</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael and I left home to meet that bastard Asher.


    Sitting in the car, staring outside, I couldn¡¯t help but think about Eira¡ªand what we did. My mind was supposed to be focused on dealing with Asher, who was a threat to her happiness, but it kept drifting back to her.


    When she collided with me in the room, I had no intention of what followed. It happened suddenly, like a storm that hit me out of nowhere and swept me along with it.


    The way she looked at me, the way she touched me and that kiss- I could feel and see how strongly she was drawn to me. Maybe it was because of what she was going through, but still, I felt wanted... needed.


    I had dreamed of her kissing me on her own, willingly, but I hadn¡¯t expected it to happen like that¡ªwhen I wasn¡¯t even thinking about it.


    Even after an hour passed by, every part of me could still feel it. The hunger in her mouth, the need that poured through her... and I was willing to give her more than she even realized she wanted.


    But it was a good thing Lucian showed up and warned me to be careful¡ªbecause I was about to lose my mind. I wanted to mate with her, yes, but only when it was safe for her. We had to wait until Liam returned.


    When I denied her of her needs, I could feel the disappointment in her eyes, but I had to.


    Even when I left home, I could still see the longing in her eyes. It was enough to capture my heart all over again. I never thought there woulde a day when she would look at me the same way I looked at her.


    She didn¡¯t say a word, but her eyes told me everything.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to return home and hold her in my arms again.


    ¡¯Gosh, I miss her already.¡¯


    My wolf felt the same, restless and eager to be near our mate again. If she slept beside me tonight, only the gods knew how much restraint it would take to keep my distance.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" I heard Kael ask.


    He was driving and must have noticed how quiet I had been since we left the house.


    "Nothing," I replied. "I just hope we can quiet down that Asher today and end the matter in a peaceful way."


    "Don¡¯t worry about it," Kael assured.


    There was silence for a while before Kael spoke again. "If Liam assures us everything¡¯s fine, you can mate with her."


    The words came out of nowhere. I turned to look at him, and he continued, "You have toplete the bond with her. After marking her, you can¡¯t leave her like that for long."


    I simply hummed. "If she doesn¡¯t mind."


    "Do you still think she will?" he asked.


    Kael must have sensed what was going on between Eira and me. He was making things easier for me, like he always did. He¡¯d always been considerate toward all of us, trying to solve problems before we even asked.


    "As long as it¡¯s safe for her," I said.


    Kael hummed, and the rest of the journey passed in silence.


    We reached the office building ¡ª the tallest corporate tower in the city. After so long, Kael was showing up at the office, and everyone was on high alert, preferring to focus on their work instead of rxing like they usually did in his absence.


    At the same time, seeing him there must have eased their doubts and worries about his condition.


    We headed straight to the VIP elevator and rode up to the top floor where our offices were located. The receptionist greeted us, and both our personal assistants followed behind as we entered.


    Kael settled into his chair behind thevish desk in his luxurious office.


    His assistant, Pete, a beta, began exining the matters of the day ¡ª something he had been doing through calls for some time now. He looked clearly pleased to have his boss back in the office.


    We continued working for about an hour before Pete finally informed, "Alpha, the guest ¡ª the Alpha of the Ravenw Pack ¡ª is here. I¡¯ve directed him to the waiting room."


    Kael merely hummed and resumed his work. Pete looked uncertain, waiting for further instructions, since the guest was no ordinary man.


    "Let him wait," I said, and returned my focus to the documents in front of me.


    Pete gave a quick nod and left to handle the guest until his boss was ready to meet him.


    It took us another half hour to finish the work at hand before Pete returned again.


    "Alpha, shall I bring the guest in?" he asked.


    Kael leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest in a silent rhythm. After a few moments of thought, he finally hummed in response.


    Pete exhaled in relief and left the room. He knew exactly who the guest was ¡ª and also that his boss wasn¡¯t the kind of man who showed kindness easily, no matter someone¡¯s rank. Thest thing he wanted was trouble for his Alpha.


    A few minutester, the door opened, and Pete led a tall, dark-haired man in a ck suit into the room.


    Another top-tier Alpha ¡ª a ck wolf ¡ª <strong>Asher Valric</strong>, the Alpha of the <strong>Ravenw Pack</strong>. His beta followed close behind him.


    His dark eyes ¡ª calm,posed, and unreadable ¡ª gazed at us as we remained seated in our chairs. His face was expressionless, but it carried the pride and arrogance of the power he possessed. Even in enemy territory, there wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of hesitation in him. He sat there like this was his own domain.


    Well, that¡¯s how we Alphas were. We feared no one, not even death itself. What defined us was our determination ¡ª to stand, to fight, and to never yield.


    Kael and I stood up from our chairs and approached him.


    "Have a seat, Alpha Asher," Kael said, gesturing toward the ck leather couch across the office.


    Asher took his seat,posed as ever, while his beta stood silently behind him. Kael and I sat opposite him, separated by the wide rectangr center table that gleamed under the office lights.


    "May I know the reason for your visit, Alpha Asher?" Kael asked, his tone calm but formal.


    The man finally showed a flicker of emotion. His calm eyes ¡ª cold and sharp, with a hint of challenge behind them ¡ª fixed on Kael.


    "I believe you already know the reason, Alpha Kael," he said.


    "You¡¯d be disappointed to know I¡¯m no mind reader," Kael replied evenly, meeting his gaze without flinching. "Care to state your purpose? We have a busy day."


    The corner of Asher¡¯s lips curved faintly before straightening again. "I¡¯m here to take my son back with me."


    Kael raised a brow. "Your son? You have one? I don¡¯t recall ever hearing that."


    "Neither did I," I added sarcastically. "I haven¡¯t even heard you had a pureblood she-wolf with you. But I¡¯m curious¡ªis she your mate, or just a breeder you kept on the side?"


    Just looking at this bastard irked me. And to hear him im to be the father of Eira¡¯s child¡ªwhen he wasn¡¯t¡ªmade my blood boil. Raven was ours now. Our family. And he dared toy im on what belonged to us.


    The bastard stayed calm. "Alpha Kael, there¡¯s no obligation for any pack to reveal their family to the world. It¡¯s a matter of security. You have a pureblood under your protection, yet no one demands you to expose her."


    If we revealed who that "pureblood" was, this bastard would eat his own words.


    Kael, however, remainedposed ¡ª as if Asher¡¯s words meant nothing to him. "And I believe you¡¯ll need more than just empty ims if you wish to be taken seriously," he said coolly.


    "Both of us know you have my son, Raven," Asher insisted, his voice firm.


    "If you¡¯re that sure," Kael replied, his tone sharp and challenging, "then you¡¯re free toe and get him. Let¡¯s see if you can find your so-called son in my pack ¡ª if he truly exists at all."


    The calm in Asher¡¯s gaze finally cracked. One Alpha had challenged another directly ¡ª a deration that only one would walk away unscathed.


    Kael wasn¡¯t bluffing. Raven wasn¡¯t Asher¡¯s biological son, so there was no reason to admit anything. We already had the DNA report ¡ª the proof ¡ª but we didn¡¯t need to reveal that yet. A DNA sample from any Alpha was nearly impossible to obtain; it was considered the most protected data within a pack.


    "I came here because I wanted to resolve this peacefully," Asher said, his tone turning cold, "but it seems peace isn¡¯t your cup of tea."


    "I prefer the peace thates after a storm," Kael replied, unbothered. "It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve faced one."


    Asher raised a brow. "Seems like you want me to fulfill that wish."


    "You¡¯re more than wee," Kael said coolly.


    I understood Kael¡¯s intent perfectly. He was provoking Asher ¡ª luring him into making the first move. Because if Asher attacked, we would have the full right to retaliate. To destroy him and wipe out everyst threat hiding within his pack, that could harm Eira and Raven.


    We just needed one reason ¡ª one spark ¡ª and Kael was setting the stage for it.


    If Asher had even a trace of sense, he¡¯d know better than to push Kael.


    So what would he do next? He¡¯d go to the Council, of course. I almost chuckled at the thought. The Council may think of themselves as the supreme power of the supernatural world, but Kael had long learned how to make those self-righteous bastards dance to his tune.


    Whether this ended in a Council hearing or all-out war, I was certain of one thing ¡ª the oue would be ours.


    Still, we couldn¡¯t underestimate him. Just like us, Asher was prepared. And unlike before, we had something to lose now ¡ª something precious. We had someone to protect.


    Asher¡¯s lips curved slightly; he clearly understood the game Kael was ying.


    "If that¡¯s what you want," he said evenly, "then so be it. But I can at least ask ¡ª how¡¯s my son doing? He¡¯s not used to being away from me."


    Bastard. I could only imagine how terrified Raven must have been under him. Beneath that calm, fatherly act was a demon that even a child could sense.


    "I¡¯ll repeat once more," Kael said, his voice smooth but cold as frost, "I don¡¯t have your son."


    I couldn¡¯t help twisting the knife a little. "But we do wish you luck finding him ¡ª if he actually exists."


    Asher chuckled softly at our defiance. "Raven," he said, "I named him Raven because he¡¯s the heir of the Ravenw Pack."


    "Good for you," I replied with mock admiration. "A well-thought-out name."


    "I¡¯ll give you one week to make a decision," Asher warned. "Whatever happens after that will be entirely your fault."


    "Sure," Kael said, unbothered. "It¡¯ll be our fault ¡ª for destroying your pack over your delusions."


    "Well then." Asher rose to his feet, his aura rippling faintly like the calm before a storm. "I¡¯ll make sure you regret it."


    Kael and I stood as well.


    Asher¡¯s beta immediately stepped forward, pulled a small vial from his pocket, and sprayed a chemical mist over the couch where Asher had been sitting. Then, without a word, he wiped the area clean with a cloth.


    It was amon practice among Alphas ¡ª never leave a trace behind. No DNA sample, no fingerprints, nothing that could be used by an enemy. Though the bastard was already covered from neck to toe, even wearing gloves, his beta didn¡¯t forget to follow protocol.


    "See you soon," Asher said in a tone that carried a clear message ¡ª <i>I¡¯ll be back for you.</i>


    Kael simply offered a nod and turned to Pete. "See our guest out."


    Pete nodded immediately.


    Kael and I exchanged a knowing look. And I knew what to do.


    Just as they reached the door, I said, "Other than your son, are you hiding anything else we should know about, Alpha Asher? Something you might use us of abducting in the future?"


    Asher stopped and turned, his calm mask still in ce.


    "For starters," Kael said, "how about a vampire?"


    Finally, for the first time, his smugposure slipped ¡ª just for a fleeting second. The bastard was good at controlling his emotions, just like all of us were. But that one crack was enough. If he was hiding a vampire in his pack, it showed how cautious and calcting he truly was.


    He recovered quickly, smirking. "Isn¡¯t it you who¡¯s keeping a vampire, Alpha Kael?"


    "Keeping and hiding are two entirely different things," I said. "That vampire lives with us legally. No one can challenge that."


    "I¡¯m not sure where you got such false information," Asher replied smoothly, without so much as a blink. "I¡¯d suggest you find a more reliable source, Alpha Kael. It¡¯s careless for an Alpha to act on rumors."


    We didn¡¯t respond ¡ª because we¡¯d already gotten what we needed.


    "See you soon," the bastard said again before finally leaving.


    The door closed behind him, and we returned to our seats.


    "So, he truly has a vampire with him," I said.


    Kael leaned back in his chair, his voice low. "He does."

 Chapter 250: Eira’s Blood Test

    <h4>Chapter 250: Eira¡¯s Blood Test</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    While Kael was away, we had to tighten security even more. We didn¡¯t know how long it would take for him to return.


    It wasn¡¯t that we were weak without him ¡ª far from it ¡ª but he was the Alpha, and his presence carried weight, especially when there were people in this home we had to protect.


    Our mate needed his protection the most, and we couldn¡¯t afford to risk anything. That was why Kael had always made sure to stay close to Eira. With him by her side, no one would ever dare think ofing for her. Anyone foolish enough to try would pay the price for touching the mate of a top-tier Alpha.


    Jason and I kept ourselves busy with work, making sure that bastard Asher hadn¡¯t brought any hidden trouble after luring Kael away from the house. Still, deep down, we knew he wouldn¡¯t risk it. These were merely precautionary measures.


    "Alpha Lucian, Dr. Liam is here," a guard reported as he entered the security office.


    "I¡¯ll see him in person," I said, turning to Jason. "Keep an eye on things here."


    He nodded, and I left to meet Liam before he could go to Eira. I needed to confirm whether Kael had already exined the situation to him.


    The old man was waiting outside when I reached him.


    "You finished your trip faster than I expected," I said.


    He sighed and said in a sarcastic tone. "How could I not, when my Alpha called me for an urgent matter?"


    "Kael exined everything to you?" I asked as we walked toward the house.


    "He did," Liam replied.


    "Do it in a way she won¡¯t realize what the test is for," I instructed. "She¡¯s still struggling with her previous loss. I don¡¯t want to give her hope only to have it crushed if things don¡¯t turn out the way we expect."


    "I know what to do," he said casually, as if it were no big deal.


    "Shouldn¡¯t you be at least a little hopeful ¡ª or happy ¡ª for your Alpha?" I asked.


    He let out a dry chuckle. "I¡¯m a doctor ¡ª the most practical kind of man when ites to medical matters. I won¡¯t celebrate until I have confirmed results. For now, I¡¯ll just run the necessary tests to find out what¡¯s wrong with her body. That¡¯s all. She¡¯s my patient."


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that. As long as he did his job quietly, it was enough. And when it came to matters like this, we could only trust this old man.


    When we returned inside the house, a familiar smell hit our noses.


    At the dining table, three troublemakers ¡ª Eira, Raven, and Rafe ¡ª were having what could only be described as a <i>junk food festival</i>. Boxes of pizza and a pile of greasy snacks cluttered the table.


    It was nearly lunchtime, and this idiot vampire had decided to feed the other two nothing but junk. All three looked far too happy about it.


    "Oh! You came just in time," Rafe said as he looked up, waving a slice of pizza at us. "Want some?"


    I gave him a hard stare. "Stop feeding them junk all the time." Then I turned to the other two culprits. "You two ¡ª there¡¯s real food prepared in this house. Don¡¯t follow this vampire¡¯s bad habits. Or I¡¯ll put you both on a strict diet ¡ª <i>my</i> way."


    Eira and Raven immediately lowered their heads but didn¡¯t stop eating. They even kept their pizza slices tightly in hand, chewing like thieves pretending innocence while caught in the act.


    Rafe sighed dramatically and leaned back. "Someone just can¡¯t stop being a party pooper," he muttered, then added with azy grin, "They didn¡¯t want that so-called healthy food, and I couldn¡¯t bear to see them starving. If you don¡¯t want any, fine ¡ª just stand there and re at us."


    "You¡¯re getting out of hand these days," I warned him. "Don¡¯t make me teach you a lesson the hard way."


    "Oh! I¡¯m <i>terrified</i>," he mocked, clearly enjoying himself, and continued eating without a care in the world.


    I bit back the urge to strangle him. I¡¯d let Kael handle this bastardter. A good scolding from him would probably work better.


    Turning to Eira, I said, "Liam is here to check on you."


    She finally raised her head, both cheeks puffed full of pizza as she tried to chew. Despite wanting to scold her for eating junk, I couldn¡¯t help but find her adorable.


    Raven mirrored herpletely, his small head lowered as he kept chewing quietly, pretending I wasn¡¯t even talking to him. <i>Mother and son ¡ª identical thieves.</i>


    You couldn¡¯t spoil them, but neither could you bring yourself to scold them.


    "Finish it ande to the sofa," I ordered her like a strict parent.


    She nodded lightly, still chewing.


    Just as I turned, she quickly picked up another slice of pizza, thinking I wouldn¡¯t notice.


    "Put that down," I said coldly, ncing back at her.


    Startled, she dropped it immediately, as if the pizza had turned into a hot potato in her hand. She didn¡¯t even dare meet my gaze.


    I was about to turn again when her hand reached quietly for the cold drink.


    "You¡¯re not drinking that crap," I warned.


    She froze and silently retracted her hand.


    <i>Gosh! What to do with these three?</i>


    It was starting to feel impossible to manage them. This was all the vampire¡¯s fault ¡ª Rafe was spoiling the other two.


    After a while, Eira came over to us, looking guilty, as if I was about to scold her again.


    "Sit here," I said, gesturing to the spot next to me.


    She sat down obediently.


    Liam looked at her and asked, "So, what¡¯s going on with you, my dear patient?" and checked her pulse.


    She hesitated a little before replying, "I get hungry all the time, sleep a lot, feel tired, cry for no reason... and..." ¡ª she stopped, her voice dropping slightly ¡ª "...that¡¯s it."


    "And horny sometimes," Rafe¡¯s voice chimed in from across the room.


    Eira red at him instantly, then turned to Raven, who was still finishing his pizza.


    "Raven, cover your ears," she said quickly.


    "Can¡¯t you see his hands are busy?" Rafe said, smirking. "Fine, I¡¯ll cover them for him." He reached over, covering Raven¡¯s ears dramatically. "Don¡¯t worry, bud. Keep eating."


    Raven continued eating while Rafe turned to us and said, "She was horny early this morning and almost molested Roman. If not for Lucian interrupted them..."


    "Shut up, you bastard!" she snapped, nearly hurling a cushion from the sofa at him, but I stopped her just in time.


    "What? I¡¯ve covered Raven¡¯s ears ¡ª he can¡¯t hear anything," Rafe said nonchntly, clearly enjoying how much he was getting on her nerves.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how they managed to spend time peacefully while we were away for just a few hours. Now it felt like a storm had erupted in the house.


    "Raven, stop eating. Go wash your hands and y with Fluffy," Eira ordered in a strict tone, like a mother trying to keep her child away from bad influence.


    Raven looked at Rafe, confused and caught between his mother and one of his father.


    Rafe sighed and uncovered his ears. "It¡¯s always good to listen to an angry woman ¡ª or it won¡¯t end well for any of us. Your daddy Rafe is pro when ites to these matters."


    Raven simply did as Eira told him and busied himself with Fluffy.


    "Can we proceed now?" Liam asked, shaking his head at the two drama queens in our home ¡ª Rafe and Eira.


    Even we were helpless when those two started going at it.


    Eira turned to Liam. "I told you almost everything."


    Rafe came closer to us with a smug grin. "And I told you what she almost missed."


    Before they could start bickering again, Liam interrupted, "Let me take your blood sample," already preparing the syringe.


    I red at Rafe ¡ª a silent warning to shut his mouth. Surprisingly, the bastard obeyed and settled on the sofa without another word.


    Once done, Liam said, "Tomorrow, you and Raven have a session with I. We¡¯ll meet then."


    Eira nodded, while Liam stood up. "I¡¯ll take my leave now."


    I rose and walked out with him.


    "Any conclusion you could draw?" I asked, knowing I sounded impatient, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    "Trust me," Liam said, "it¡¯s just her body healing and demanding more of what it¡¯s beencking. Now that her wolf is active again, the healing process is more intense. Still, I¡¯ll run the tests ¡ª just to rule out any other possibilities."


    His answer left me slightly disappointed, but I nodded anyway. "When will we get the results?"


    "Tomorrow," he replied. "Since it¡¯s the Alpha¡¯s mate, I¡¯ll conduct everything personally. I need a little time ¡ª I left my trip midway for this."


    "Sure," I said, letting him go.


    After he left, I returned to the security office.


    Jason was sitting in front of the screens, monitoring the video feeds closely. Without looking up, he asked, "What did he say?"


    "We¡¯ll know after the test results," I replied.


    Jason gave a short hum and didn¡¯t ask anything further, his eyes still fixed on the monitors.

 Chapter 251: Searching For Someone

    <h4>Chapter 251: Searching For Someone</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael returned home by lunchtime. The moment he entered the house, all our gazes followed him ¡ª eager to know what happened during the meeting.


    Raven was busy with some kids¡¯ reading material. I could tell he was interested in studying, and it was even more impressive that, at just five, he could read and understand everything better than most kids his age. He was truly smart and had inherited the best genes from his parents.


    Damn! That reminded me of whoever the bastard was who impregnated Eira. I didn¡¯t want to ept that Raven inherited anything from that piece of shit. He was only Eira¡¯s son.


    Eira, sitting by Raven¡¯s side like a responsible mother teaching her child, couldn¡¯t hide her eagerness at the sight of Kael either.


    "Raven, finish this. Mommy is getting up for some work," she instructed.


    The little guy nodded, and she stood up to go to the kitchen. It was the first time I¡¯d seen her take the initiative to ask about something.


    I stood up from the sofa at the same time and joined her, heading toward the kitchen. "Seems like my valuable lecture worked on you. What a good girl."


    "Shut up!" she said and walked ahead of me.


    All of us gathered in the kitchen ¡ª as if it wasn¡¯t a ce to cook but some secret room to share ssified information.


    Kael finished drinking his water and turned around, only to see all of us staring at him with curious eyes.


    He let out a sigh, clearly thinking how impatient we were ¡ª not even letting him breathe after walking through the door.


    "Nothing to worry about. He left without getting anything from us, and it¡¯ll stay that way," Kael told us.


    "Is Raven safe here?" Eira asked anxiously. "Last time, there was an attack on this house, so..." She stopped, sensing all our gazes on her.


    Probably surprised at the change in herself that with such ease she was talking, or rather questioning Kael.


    Kael walked up to her, standing face to face, his gaze steady and calm. "Don¡¯t worry. This is the safest ce for Raven. No one will dare take him away from us."


    "But what did that man say?" she asked anyway. "And who is he?"


    "He¡¯s a powerful Alpha, like me," Kael answered. "He asked me to hand over Raven to him ¡ª but I¡¯m not going to do that at any cost. Raven¡¯s our son now, and what¡¯s mine, I never let anyone have."


    I could tell he deliberately avoided mentioning the name of the Ravenw Pack.


    Thest time Roman had asked Eira if she knew that Alpha, she¡¯d denied it. If Kael brought up the name now, she might start connecting the dots and realize Raven was her son ¡ª and that would only make her more anxious about his safety, not to mention theplications that woulde with such a sudden revtion.


    If she asked whether Raven was her son, we wouldn¡¯t be able to lie.


    "You trust me, right?" Kael asked.


    She nodded.


    "Then let¡¯s have lunch now," he said. "I have some work to do afterward."


    She nodded again, and Kael left the kitchen ¡ª only to head straight back to Raven. He sat beside the kid and gently caressed his head with a father¡¯s affection.


    Raven looked up at him, his expression lighting up with pure joy at seeing Kael back home.


    "You love reading?" Kael asked.


    Raven nodded.


    "Even I used to love reading when I was your age," Kael told him. "It¡¯s a good habit."


    Meanwhile, Eira, now relieved after hearing Kael¡¯s words, nced toward the entrance of the house.


    Her eyes were clearly searching for someone ¡ª of course, Roman.


    I whistled and casually walked around her.


    She red at me, annoyed that I was blocking her view of the door.


    "What are you looking at the door for?" I asked. "Waiting for the viin to show up for our little guy?"


    She pushed me aside and stepped out of the kitchen. How would she admit the truth? So stubborn!


    The other two looked at me.


    "What?" I asked. "I was just curious to know why she¡¯s looking at the door."


    "As if you don¡¯t know already," Lucianmented tly.


    "That¡¯s no fun," I said with a sigh. "I just hope one day she waits for us like that too."


    Neither of them replied, but I knew they were thinking the same thing. Maybe one day, she would fall for us as well. She could skip me ¡ª I wouldn¡¯t be around forever anyway ¡ª but I wished she¡¯d fall for the rest of the four, and that they could live together like a sweet, happy family.


    "Where are you zoning out?" Lucian asked, catching me off guard. "Having weird thoughts again?"


    Damn! <i>This bastard always catches me.</i> But I knew how to get out of it.


    "Yeah, I was zoning out... thinking of some beautiful and tasty memories with you," I said, giving him a wink.


    "Shut up," he snapped, resuming his work. "And get out of the kitchen."


    I chuckled and turned to leave ¡ª only to hear him curse behind me.


    "Bastard¡¯s always idling around. Can¡¯t even help in the kitchen," Lucian muttered.


    "Good thing he can¡¯t cook," Jason teased. "Otherwise this kitchen would turn into a warzone... and then a romantic ind after you two are done fighting."


    "Aren¡¯t you talking too much?" Lucian shot back, his tone sharp. "Focus on cooking."


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin. Angry Luke was the best ¡ª and nothing amused me more than getting under his skin.


    Only if he stopped keeping watch on me all the time and stopped meddling in my matters, that would have been better.


    Eira returned to Raven¡¯s side, not bothering that Kael was sitting on his other side.


    I settled next to Eira, stretching my hand on the backrest of the sofa behind her as if we were sitting like a couple.


    She ignored me entirely, while I turned to look at Kael. "Where is Roman?"


    I could sense her bing alert at the mention of his name.


    Before Kael could answer, I said, "Never mind, I¡¯ll ask him myself. He¡¯ll feel better if I call and show my care for him."


    I moved away from her and pulled out my cellphone to call Roman. She turned as well, her gaze following the phone in my hand.


    But, just the ass I was, I stood up and walked away while holding the cellphone to my ear.


    I could feel her gaze on me, probably wanting to beat me.


    "Where are you? Why aren¡¯t you home?" I asked Roman and walked toward the window to check on Vixen. "Oh... why? Do you want me to be there? I¡¯m free anyway... alright...but don¡¯t be toote..."


    With that, I hung up the call, clearly leaving her wondering what the matter was. But I busied myself with my cat as if I didn¡¯t notice her.


    I wanted her to take the initiative, and I was going to push her in every way.

 Chapter 252: Compassion Out Of Pity Or Something Else?

    <h4>Chapter 252: Compassion Out Of Pity Or Something Else?</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    Finally, I heard her talking to Kael.


    "Umm... Roman... I don¡¯t see him?" she asked.


    I finally looked toward her, a small smile ying on my lips.


    At the same time, Kael looked at me with his usual calm gaze. He clearly understood what I was trying to do.


    He looked back at Eira and answered, "There¡¯s some important work at the office that needs his presence. He might returnte tonight."


    She simply hummed, while I said, "I should take lunch to him?"


    "Why?" a voice came through ¡ª Lucian. "Are you his wife?"


    "I can be, if he wants me to be," I said shamelessly. "Or he won¡¯t eat the entire day. You know how workaholic he is."


    "No need. He won¡¯t eat anyway," Jason said as he brought the food to the table. "He always wastes food when he¡¯s working."


    "He just needs someone to force him to stop working and eat," Lucian added. "And none of us is that someone. Last time I tried, he kicked me out of the office," he frowned, "That cold bastard."


    "Just wait for him to return home," Kael said, then looked at Jason. "For dinner tonight, cook something he likes. When he returns, he can reheat it and eat."


    While all of us were talking, Eira stayed silent ¡ª probably worrying about Roman being too busy and skipping his meal. But she couldn¡¯t say anything. Maybe she was too embarrassed to show her concern.


    But how long could she hide it? One day, what¡¯s in her heart wille out on her lips. And all of us were evil enough to make her say it.


    "Alright, stop worrying about that cold ass," I said, returning to the dining table. "At least we can eat. I am starving already."


    When all of us sat down, Eira and Raven were eating slowly and less than usual, unlike any other day.


    "What happened? You two didn¡¯t like the food?" Kael asked.


    Both of them looked at Kael, but had nothing to say.


    I ended upughing as none of them could tell the reason to Kael. They knew Kael didn¡¯t like junk food in home.


    Kael looked at me. "Why are youughing?"


    "I just thought these two look cute when they are afraid of you," I replied.


    Just then Lucian spoke, "He fed them junk food just a while ago. Their stomach are full."


    Eira and Raven looked at each other like thieves.


    Gosh, these days I was enjoying this simple family drama a lot. It could only be a dream till two months back. It reminded me of my days with my parents. Faint memories now, but still alive inside me.


    Kael offered me a serious gaze. "Don¡¯t spoil their food habits."


    "They were hungry, so...."


    Kael raised a brow, and I shut my mouth. When he is serious, better not to argue.


    "Raven is growing up. He needs healthy food," Kael said, "And Eira..." he looked at her, changing his words, "her body is healing, so same for her." He didn¡¯t say the main reason he was thinking about.


    I offered a light nod.


    "Outside food is not good," Kael turned to the two, "You can, but only once a week. Rest of the time, you are going to follow home rules."


    Both of them nodded obediently.


    The day passed by, and night arrived. Roman still hadn¡¯t returned, even though it waste.


    Raven had already fallen asleep. Kael picked him up and turned to Eira. "It¡¯s time to sleep."


    Her gaze lingered toward the entrance of the home before she nodded quietly.


    Kael started toward the staircase, while I called out, "Caldwell," and showed her my cellphone. "Want to make a call?"


    She looked at the phone in my hand, clearly hesitating.


    "It¡¯s free of charge for you," I told her, "but if you still want to repay me, just give me a nice kiss."


    She frowned and turned away, following Kael upstairs to his room.


    "Stop teasing her at least now," Lucian said. "Or she won¡¯t be able to sleep."


    "I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t anyway," I said, standing up and heading toward my room. "Night! Night!"


    Lucian and Jason went to their rooms as well, leaving the house quiet for the night.


    -----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Raven and Kael had fallen asleep. Tonight, Kael didn¡¯t sleep next to me but on the other side of the bed, with Raven between us.


    Raven had snuggled against Kael like a little bunny, and both of them slept peacefully. But me¡ªI couldn¡¯t sleep at all. I looked at the clock. It was past midnight, and I wondered if Roman had returned. If he had, then whether he ate or not.


    The entire day there was no news of him. It was the first time since I came to this home that I hadn¡¯t seen Roman for so long, or talked to him. Except for that one day when he saw his mother and stayed out of the home.


    Not being able to sleep, I finally decided to get up and go downstairs to my usual ce by the window. Maybe some fresh air would make me feel better and sleepy.


    Also, I didn¡¯t want to disturb Kael and Raven¡¯s sleep. Tonight, Raven didn¡¯t look to be in any pain, so that was a relief.


    Without making a sound, I quietly left the room and descended the stairs carefully.


    Just as I reached downstairs and turned toward the window, I noticed something. There was someone on the sofa, probably sleeping.


    I went closer to see.


    It was Roman, sleeping there instead of in his room. He hadn¡¯t even changed his clothes and had fallen asleep like that. Must be too tired.


    My mind finally felt at peace seeing him back. I shouldn¡¯t feel this way or worry this much, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Maybe I had just gotten used to having him around me all the time.


    Before going to the window, I picked up the shawl from the chair¡ªthe one I used to cover Raven. Without thinking much, I covered him with it, careful not to disturb his sleep.


    As I leaned down, I saw his face clearly, his breathing even. My hand, as if having a mind of its own, moved to caress his head¡ªbut then I stopped.


    Why am I doing this?


    Was itpassion born out of pity toward him, as he had gone through the same pain as me? The same pity he felt toward me after knowing what I had gone through?


    Now I could understand why he was good to me even when others hated me. He could understand my pain.


    Or was it something else I was feeling¡ªjust as Rafe said?


    I restrained my hand and turned to leave, but...


    "Why are you leaving?" I heard him. My hand was already in his, stopping me from leaving.


    My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed hard before turning to look at him.


    Our gazes met¡ªhis sleepy eyes as if staring into my very soul.

 Chapter 253: Like An Ordinary Couple

    <h4>Chapter 253: Like An Ordinary Couple</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    In that dimly lit drawing room, I could clearly see him, his expressions and the silent emotions in his eyes.


    But I got back to my senses and decided to say something, as silence would only make things awkward for me. I wasn¡¯t used to being this way.


    "Did I wake you up?" I asked, my voice low, maybe a little hesitant.


    "You did well," he replied, his thumb gently brushing at the back of my palm.


    "Why are you not sleeping in the room?" I asked again.


    "You weren¡¯t there," he replied, his eyes not leaving mine, "without you it felt empty."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. He must have felt in his absence I already left his room. We had been sharing it since the start.


    "I... Raven..."


    "I know," he interrupted me gently, "Don¡¯t worry. I just felt better here in the open."


    I knew he had always been understanding towards me, not creating unnecessary drama.


    "You should sleep more. You must be tired," I said, my intention was to not disturb him anymore.


    But he was still holding my hand, so I couldn¡¯t even leave. And asking him to let go of my hand might look rude.


    I sighed. Since when I started to care about being rude?


    But then, at least with Roman, I didn¡¯t want to be rude.


    In response, he sat up on the sofa and gently pulled me towards him. He made me sit on the sofa between his legs, my back pressing against his chest. His hands wrapped around me and he lowered his face to the crook of my neck.


    He breathed softly as it brushed against my skin. He inhaled my scent, slow and deep, like it grounded him.


    "I am indeed tired," I heard him whisper, his lips brushing against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. "Alpha shouldn¡¯t be tired with work, but I am. Maybe because I didn¡¯t see you the entire day. I am not tired, but I just missed you."


    His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer, as if trying to quiet something inside him by holding me.


    His words, his warmth, his breath against my neck¡ªeverything was affecting me far more than I wanted to admit.


    Sitting there, wrapped in his embrace, I felt a kind of sweetness I had never known. A strange, soft affection that made my chest ache... as if my heart had begun to expect things I knew I had no right to hope for.


    "You had too much work?" I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper.


    He hummed against my shoulder, the vibration tingling through my skin.


    "Did you eat?" I asked again.


    At noon I had heard the others talking about how Roman always ignored his meals when he was working, how he listened to no one. Their words stayed with me the entire day.I didn¡¯t want him to starve himself, and the worry¡ªmy worry¡ªcame out on its own before I could stop it.


    "Did you?" I asked again when he still didn¡¯t answer.


    "Will you be upset if I say I didn¡¯t?" he murmured, his tone teasing yet honest.


    Of course I would be. But instead I asked, "Lunch?"


    "I forgot."


    "Dinner?"


    "Same."


    "How can you forget eating?" I asked, now unable to hide the slight frustration in my voice. "Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s food for you in the fridge?"


    "Are you scolding me?" he asked, and in the same breath, he leaned in and bit my neck gently... sending a deep, helpless shiver racing through my entire body.


    Was he seriously seducing me while we were having a proper discussion?


    "Of course I am," I replied right away, shrugging my shoulder lightly to make him stop biting me.


    "If I knew I¡¯d get scolded like this, I would¡¯ve starved myself often even before," he said, sounding annoyingly pleased. "It feels good to be scolded."And then he bit my shoulder again¡ªharder this time¡ªenough to sting.


    "Ah..." a small sound escaped me before I could stop it.


    "Does it hurt?" he asked, but the way he said it... it felt like he already knew the answer and just wanted to hear my voice.


    "I am serious," I said, the irritation mixing with a warmth I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge.


    "I don¡¯t like to eat alone," he replied simply. "Will you eat with me?"


    I hummed. "Let¡¯s reheat the food."


    At least that would break the tension. He¡¯d stop seducing me, and I¡¯d stop feeling like my heart was going to explode.


    He hummed back... but didn¡¯t move.


    "I can move only if you let me go," I said with a frown.


    "Holding you feels better than eating," he countered, as if he was speaking the most innocent truth in the world.


    "But I am starving," I said this time¡ªbecause if I didn¡¯t say it, he might actually keep holding me until morning.


    As I expected, he immediately released me, almost too quickly.


    "I am sorry," he said softly, "I¡¯ll reheat food for you."


    My sigh came out on its own. I was going to do it for him, but... I knew he cared more than he ever said out loud.


    We headed to the kitchen together. Roman lit a single warm light, enough to fill the room without disturbing the silence of the night.


    He moved with a quiet speed, opening the fridge, pulling out the packed containers one by one. I helped him line them up on the counter, our hands brushing asionally¡ªeach touch making my heartbeat jump just a little too fast.


    Once everything was out, we opened the containers together.


    Surprisingly, there were two containers for each dish, ced neatly as if someone had prepared dinner for <i>two</i> people on purpose.


    Roman let out a soft, pleased sigh. "Jason never fails in his work."Then he looked at me with that gentle little smile of his. "He probably knew one kitten might wake up hungry in the middle of the night, so he made portions for you as well."


    I turned my gaze to the containers. "Lucian was there too."


    "But this is Jason¡¯s touch," he insisted, almost proudly. "He¡¯s the mother of this home. Meticulous about everything rted to food. Without him, we¡¯d probably starve to death."


    I didn¡¯tment and turned toward the oven. "Stop talking already. I¡¯m starving."


    He chuckled softly at my irritation, the warmth in the sound unsettling in itsfort.


    Why did it feel so easy to be around him? Like with Rafe, I didn¡¯t have to overthink¡ªyet with Roman, there was something calmer, gentler... that touched my heart without permission.


    But the moment I faced the oven, I froze.


    The thing was huge. Sleek. Advanced. Nothing like the small old oven in my grandparents¡¯ home.


    I hadn¡¯t touched an oven in six years.


    I didn¡¯t forget how to use one, but the buttons... the design... everything felt unfamiliar. Everything felt like a reminder of the life I lost.


    "Let me do it," Roman said, his voice gentle¡ªlike he had already understood what I couldn¡¯t say out loud.


    He came closer, his arm brushing mine slightly as he reached forward. "This is how you operate it."


    I nodded and tried it myself, even though my fingers trembled just a little. It felt strange... almost unreal... to stand in a kitchen again, touching appliances, preparing food. A part of me wondered whether this warmth¡ªthis normalcy¡ªwas even meant for someone like me anymore.


    There was a time when cooking made me happy, but that was another life. One I buried.


    Once the food was warm enough, we arranged everything on the dining table. Roman sat right next to me¡ªnot opposite, not far, but right there beside me... close enough that I could feel his presence like a soft heat against my side.


    "What are you thinking about?" he asked, sensing my silence the way he always somehow did.


    I shook my head lightly. "Nothing."


    He didn¡¯t push. He didn¡¯t demand. He just looked ahead and said quietly, "You can always tell me what¡¯s in your mind."


    I hummed softly, unable to give him anything more.


    How could I tell him the truth? That for a few moments, while touching the oven, I remembered the tiny kitchen in my grandparents¡¯ house... the smell of old wood, the sound of a warm home... a home that no longer existed for me.


    My past was gone. My old life was gone. Everything that made me "me" vanished along with it.

 Chapter 254: Tell Me To Stop, And I Will

    <h4>Chapter 254: Tell Me To Stop, And I Will</h4>


    All of a sudden, I felt emotional.


    Damn it.


    My weird body was reacting again, threatening to make me cry over nothing.


    "Aaa!" I heard him.


    I looked at him, my eyes slightly moist. He was holding a spoonful of soup toward me.


    "Aaa," he repeated, softer this time, smiling like I was a stubborn child he needed to coax.


    I opened my mouth finally, and he fed me.


    "Good girl," he praised, warm enough to melt the rest of the heaviness inside my chest.


    "You should eat as well," I said quickly, grateful for the distraction from the sudden emotions.


    "How was your day? What did you do?" he asked, having his own spoonful.


    "Just as usual," I replied. "I spent time with Raven, and... Liam came to check on me."


    He looked at me instantly, his hand pausing halfway to his mouth. "What did he say?"


    "He said to wait for the test results," I told him.


    "When will it be?"


    "I¡¯m not sure."


    "I¡¯ll ask him myself," he said, as if it wasn¡¯t even up for discussion.


    The little exchange felt like a normal family dinner conversation... something peaceful and gentle, something ordinary people did every day.Somehow, that simple warmth felt too beautiful for someone like me.


    We ate quietly after that, speaking here and there. It wasn¡¯t awkward¡ªit was...forting. Like my mind finally rested for a moment.


    After we finished, he asked, "Want to take a walk outside?"


    It was past midnight. Not exactly the time for strolling...But I nodded anyway.


    Because I didn¡¯t know what to do after this.Should I stay with him?Should I return to Kael¡¯s room?Should I avoid him after the way I had kissed him this morning?


    Ever since that kiss... everything felt awkward for me.Not with him¡ªhe was as calm as ever¡ªbut inside me, everything was tangled and a mess.


    He made me wear a warm coat and we stepped out from the garden side. Despite the warm coat, I still felt cold while he felt nothing in that normal shirt and pants.


    "Are you not feeling cold?" I asked as we walked together.


    "This is just ordinary weather for werewolves," he told me. "Unless it¡¯s snowing and the temperature drops too much, only then do we need warm clothes."


    "I am a werewolf as well," I countered.


    "Though you might be stronger, but females are weak in certain situations, and this is one of them," he said, "And your wolf is not that strong yet."


    I understood.


    He held my hand in his as we walked for a while. His warm hand felt better against my cold one.


    I couldn¡¯t help but nce at him once in a while. He was entirely a different Roman from the past.


    In the past I only thought about that one person who would hold my hand like this throughout my life, but now it was Roman in the end, who I used to hate a lot. What an irony.


    "Am I that handsome?" he asked and looked at me, a light smile ying on his lips. He looked even more handsome to me now. "You keep staring at me."


    I was taken aback, but then answered honestly. "You are indeed good looking."


    I had nothing to fear or lose from my honesty.


    He chuckled lightly. "d that I am pleasing to your eyes."


    Indeed, he was. I felt my lips curve into a smile as well.


    We continued to walk in silence, just finding peace in each other¡¯s presence. My heart felt at peace by his side. I hoped that he wouldn¡¯t hurt me ever again, that now I was being good to him and had started to trust him.


    After walking for a while more, I sneezed.


    "Seems like it¡¯s time to head back," he said, and both of us turned around.


    I didn¡¯t want to fall sick ¡ª not when Raven needed me.


    Once we returned inside, I froze.I didn¡¯t know what to do.Whether to walk with him to his room... or go back upstairs to Kael¡¯s.


    If I stayed, facing him in bed after what happened this morning would be... too much.If I left, he might think I didn¡¯t want to be with him.


    Why was I even thinking this much?


    My brain, which had been dead for six years, suddenly wanted to act alive ¡ª and createplications. I wished it had remained idle; everything would have been easier.


    While I stood stuck between two directions, his fingers tightened around mine.


    I turned to look at him.


    He pulled me toward him in one firm motion, eliminating every inch of distance I was struggling with.


    "What are you thinking so deeply about?" he asked, his hand settling around my waist, holding me as if I belonged there.


    It felt like he had seen straight through my confusion, my hesitation... my want.


    Just as I opened my mouth to speak, he sealed it with his.


    And this time, there was no shock, no panic, no resistance.


    I didn¡¯t mind it.I didn¡¯t want to mind it.


    After six years of emptiness... of being touched only with cruelty...this was the first time I craved intimacy ¡ª real intimacy.


    Warm.Soft.Safe.Meaningful.


    And I felt it... with Roman.


    Before I could even take a breath, Roman guided me backward as he removed my warm coat, his steps firm and deliberate, until my back touched the wall. The cold surface contrasted sharply with the heat of his body pressing into mine, anchoring me, enclosing me, consuming me.


    His hands slid to my waist, gripping just tight enough to make my breath hitch.I gasped lightly against his lips ¡ª and he took that opportunity to deepen the kiss.


    Gods...


    It wasn¡¯t gentle anymore.It wasn¡¯t cautious.It wasn¡¯t hesitant.


    It was hungry.


    A raw, pent-up desire he had kept caged for far too long ¡ª and now it poured into me, and I found myself giving it back, matching him with the same intensity.


    My fingers moved on their own, curling around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. His warmth, his strength, the steady rhythm of his breathing ¡ª it all wrapped around me like a fire I didn¡¯t want to escape.


    His mouth moved with mine in a rhythm that felt dangerously perfect, like we had kissed a thousand times in some other lifetime and our bodies remembered it.


    When he finally broke away from my lips, I barely had the chance to breathe.His mouth descended to my jaw... then lower... tracing the line of my neck.


    The warmth of his breath brushed my skin an instant before his lips touched it.A soft, desperate sound escaped me before I could stop it ¡ª half-moan, half-whisper.


    He paused for a heartbeat, as if savoring it.


    Then he kissed the spot again, slower this time... then a little deeper... sending a wave of shivers down my entire body.


    My hands clutched the fabric of his shirt at the shoulders, needing something to hold onto. My back arched slightly without my permission, my body seeking more, drawn to him like instinct ¡ª like a bond pulling tight between us.


    His lips continued their slow, torturous path along my neck, and my breath trembled.


    "Roman..." I whispered, not even sure what I was asking for.


    He lifted his head slightly, his mouth still brushing my skin, his voice low and rough against my throat.


    "Tell me to stop," he whispered, "and I will."


    But I couldn¡¯t.I didn¡¯t want to.


    Instead, my fingers threaded into his hair and pulled him closer again.


    And he kissed me ¡ª deeply, fiercely ¡ª as if he already knew my answer.

 Chapter 255: I Don’t Want To Hurt You

    <h4>Chapter 255: I Don¡¯t Want To Hurt You</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV </strong>


    His lips were everywhere ¡ª my mouth, my jaw, my neck ¡ª each kiss growing deeper, hungrier. My breath kept catching, my fingers gripping his shoulders just to keep myself steady. When he pressed me against the wall again, my pulse tripped violently.


    Roman¡¯s hands slid along my sides, slow at first, then more iming... more certain.


    He tugged lightly at the fabric of my top, unfastening the first button, then the next. Each one sent a thrill through my skin as the cool air met the warmth he left behind.


    He trailed lower along the curve of my corbone, tasting every inch he could reach. His hungry mouth and possessive hands over my exposed mounds left me breathless, enough to make my knees weaken.


    Heat spiralled inside me, chasing away every cold memory, recing it with new ones. I wanted more of him.


    A helpless sound escaped me ¡ª too soft, too revealing ¡ª but I couldn¡¯t stop it.I didn¡¯t even want to.


    My breaths turned shallow... shaky... and when he lowered himself, sinking down in front of me on his knees, my heart lurched.


    His hands slid slowly down my waist, resting at my stomach ¡ª warm, steady, possessive.


    His face followed ¡ª lips brushing the ce just above my navel in a touch that made my whole body tremble.


    Another quiet, involuntary sound slipped out of me.


    But then¡ª


    He froze the moment his mouth descended to my belly.


    His hands clenched just slightly, not in lust... but as if something had struck him. His breath faltered, and I felt the shift instantly.


    "Roman...?" I whispered, confused.


    He didn¡¯t answer. His head bowed for a moment, and I saw his jaw tighten.


    A muttered curse escaped him ¡ª low, sharp, frustrated ¡ª "Damn it..."


    It puzzled me. Why had he stopped?


    He pushed a hand through his hair, inhaling sharply as if trying to drag himself back under control. Then he stood, stepping close, cupping my face carefully ¡ª almost tenderly, painfully gentlepared to just moments ago.


    He pressed his forehead to mine, breathing unsteadily.


    "I am sorry," he whispered, voice rough. "I don¡¯t want to hurt you."


    Hurt? Me?


    I stared at him in confusion.


    Intimacy wasn¡¯t foreign to me ¡ª not after everything life had forced on me. But this... this felt different. This wasn¡¯t pain. This wasn¡¯t something I feared.


    If anything, it was the first time I <i>wanted</i> something like this.


    "Let Liam give us your test result first," he murmured, brushing his thumb along my cheek. "And then..."


    He stopped, swallowing whatever followed.


    I blinked. I thought those tests were just normal health check-ups. But his worry told me otherwise.


    "Alright..." I whispered, because what else could I say?


    If he was this shaken, something must matter more than desire.


    Roman exhaled shakily, then gently fixed the buttons of my top one by one ¡ª his fingers careful, almost apologetic.


    "Go to Kael¡¯s room tonight," he said quietly. "I¡¯m not... sure I can hold back anymore."


    His eyes lifted to mine, raw and honest. "You¡¯ll be fine there."


    He trusted Kael more than himself. Only if he knew....


    My heart tightened at that.


    I nodded, even though my heart ached at the thought of leaving him.


    He stepped back slowly, letting his hands fall away from me, and I forced myself to turn toward the stairs.


    As I walked up, I felt his gaze follow me ¡ª warm, longing, frustrated ¡ª until I disappeared from his sight.


    And the moment I reached the top of the stairs, my legs nearly gave out from how badly my body still trembled.


    I inhaled deeply before entering the room. I hoped Kael and Raven were asleep when I was gone. But...


    I saw Kael was holding Raven in his arms and was pacing around the room just like the night before.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated at myself. My child was in pain, while I was away in someone¡¯s arms, satisfying my own needs. What kind of a mother was I?


    Thankfully at least Roman was sane enough to stop.


    I met Kael¡¯s gaze apologetically.


    But he was calm and gestured me to get in the bed and sleep. He didn¡¯t even ask where I had gone. Maybe he already knew and didn¡¯t mind it.


    But instead of going to bed, I went to him.


    "Give him to me," I said.


    I wanted to take care of Raven. I wanted to be a good mother to him so he would never feel I wasn¡¯t his biological mother.


    Kael didn¡¯t deny me, but said, "If you can¡¯t, you can tell me."


    I nodded and got the little sleepy guy from him. The moment he came into my arms, he clung to me even in his deep sleep. His face buried in the crook of my neck and his small hands clutched on my dress.


    He was in pain. His body felt moist due to the sweating he had.


    <i>I swear, whoever had hurt Raven, if Ie across them ever, I will do the same as what I did with Roman¡¯s evil mother.</i>


    I continued to coax him while pacing around and even humming a soft tune. The same tune I was reminded of by Rafe, which he heard in the past while sitting below my window.


    Kael stood on the side and watched us quietly. I wanted to tell him he could rx, that I would take care of Raven, but knowing how responsible he was towards Raven, he wouldn¡¯t. So, there was no need to waste my words.


    After a while, Raven seemed to rx as his hold on my dress loosened and his breathing turned soft.


    I sat on the couch as I understood fromst night that Raven preferred to sleep like this.


    Without knowing who he was with, he snuggled against me. His small face like a baby soughtfort in me as I held him against my chest.


    The mother inside me somewhat still told me that¡¯s my child for real. But I knew better, and I didn¡¯t want to delude myself.


    Holding him like a baby, I pecked on his head and continued to caress his back gently. Soon my own eyes felt heavy as if his sleep was taking over me as well.


    Just when I thought I was going to doze off, I felt something.


    I opened my eyes and Kael was close to me. He shifted Raven in my arms and said, "Hold him tight."


    Not knowing what he meant, I just did it.


    Before I could understand anything, I was lifted in his arms, and Raven wasfortably lying over me.


    Kael had lifted both of us together as if we weighed nothing to him, and carried us to the bed.


    He gently ced me on the bed and then moved Raven on the mattress from over me.


    I didn¡¯t care what he was doing. I turned to my one side and held my baby closer to sleep.


    He snuggled against me as well, and continued to sleep as Kael covered us both.


    Kael this time didn¡¯t sleep next to me. He took the other side of the bed, his ce.


    He must have smelled Roman¡¯s scent on me already.


    "Good night," he said and closed his eyes.


    "Good night!" I said and closed my eyes as well.


    I wondered how Roman was, and if he could sleep after what happened. I hope he could.

 Chapter 256: Session With Isla- I

    <h4>Chapter 256: Session With I- I</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    I couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night after she left. I had to get a cold shower for a long time to calm myself and relieve the ache. Only then could I return to the bed. Lying in bed, only her thoughts gripped my mind.


    The way she didn¡¯t reject me, but craved for me, I wondered if she had fallen for me. Or at least had some feelings for me. I didn¡¯t want to expect too much from her, but how she was worried for me, and wished to show her care, and wished to ept me, it was overwhelming. I felt content with that.


    Going forward, I wished to give her everything she ever dreamed of. I wished to be a perfect mate to her, who loves her and protects her.


    It used to feel like a dream in the past, but now it was truly happening. Life couldn¡¯t be better than this.


    Having her face shing in front of my eyes, I fell asleep only by dawn.


    Now awake, I realized today we had Eira and Raven¡¯s session with I. I couldn¡¯t sleep for long and got up.


    Getting ready, when I went outside, my brothers were already present. Eira and Raven weren¡¯t there yet.


    Just as I went to the kitchen, I heard Rafe, "Seems like you have enjoyed dinner a lot and slept tillte? Which one was better? A meal or dessert?"


    I clearly knew what the bastard meant. We were living in the same house and if they didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in this house, then they are better off dead.


    "Dessert," I answered shamelessly and got the water bottle for myself.


    "Bastard showing off?" Lucian frowned, "You better be careful."


    "I was. Don¡¯t worry," I assured them of what they were worried about.


    Kael came downstairs with Raven. Eira wasn¡¯t with him.


    "Where is she?" I asked, passing him another bottle while Raven had already gone to Fluffy.


    "In my room," he answered as he had a sip, "Probably waiting for you to empty the room so she could go there."


    "Damn, the little witch is embarrassed after climbing over our guy," Rafe chuckled.


    "Shut up," I said to him, "Go tell her to use my room."


    Rafe frowned, "You won¡¯t let me sit peacefully."


    "No one else is as peaceful and idle as you in this home," I countered as he walked away.The bastard showed me a middle finger before going upstairs.


    He opened the door without even knowing and we could hear him talk, "Caldwell,e out and get ready."


    We didn¡¯t hear her response until we heard Rafe again, "Hurry up before Romanes here to check on you. Want me to call him?"


    The next moment, a frail figure came out of the room, hurried down the stairs and headed to my room without even looking anywhere.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. She was being demandingst night and now embarrassed all of a sudden.


    "I had called I toe here instead of us going to the hospital," Kael said. "She can have her sessions in the side house."


    "Liam, had he not prepared the reports yet?" Lucian asked.


    "He will inform us," Kael assured, "He was performing surgeries in the night. Give him a break. We will know the reports by the time I finishes her session."


    All of us were desperate to know the result. I hope the result is what¡¯s good for her and makes her happy, whether it¡¯s negative or positive. Her happiness matters the most.


    Eira was finally out of the room, acting all normal and diverting her attention mostly to Raven so she wouldn¡¯t have to face any of us.


    As we all settled at the breakfast table, Rafe couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. "Roman toldst night he loved the dessert."


    As a male I was¡ªshameless to the bones¡ªnone of us felt anything, but her face had turned red.


    "Shut up and eat," she warned him.


    "So you know how to be shy. That¡¯s news to me," hemented anyway.


    "You are the g bearer of shamelessness, how will you know the embarrassment?" she countered. "Now eat quietly or I¡¯ll smack this dish...." She stopped and looked at Raven and changed her words. "I mean, I won¡¯t eat what¡¯s in this dish."


    Before Rafe could say more, Kael intervened, "Let her eat."


    One word from Kael, and Rafe as usual shut his mouth.


    I arrived at the home. Though all of us were there, only Kael was supposed apanied them for the session.


    Rafe and I deserved to stay away, as in the past I used to be our psychiatrist. Back then she was a young doctor who was working with Kael¡¯s mother to save the kids like us.


    And both of us didn¡¯t quite like the fact that she had seen us at our worst and she knew everything about us, our psychic state, more than we did. We had been an open book to her that she could read anytime, and we decided to close that book long back after we turned adults and were free to leave the orphanage.


    Lucian and Jason preferred to stay away from her as well. After that incident six years back, when their mother Jennifer died, both of them had lost it. The war of revenge couldn¡¯t heal them from the loss of their sister, and Jennifer¡¯s death broke any sanity they had left.


    Both of them drowned themselves in drugs and drinks and would leave home for long without letting us know. Kael, Rafe and I used to find them at random deserted dark ces in the forest. Only after they were treated by I and had a mate-brother bond with Kael, both of them were better and turned into what they were today.


    I wonder if they went to see Eira in prison after Jennifer died, in that badly disturbed state, what they did with her. Did they hurt her? I couldn¡¯t dare ask her or them at this moment. Maybe one day they will tell us on their own.


    When I arrived, she preferred to see Raven out in the open.


    "Hello, Raven," she greeted him. "You must recognize me, so I don¡¯t have to introduce myself, right?"


    Raven nodded.


    "Such a smart kid you are," I praised him. "You are going to make your parents so proud one day."


    "We are proud of him even now," Eira said. "My son is amazing."


    "Indeed," I replied.


    The change and excitement in Eira when it came to Raven was indeed admirable. If it wasn¡¯t for Raven¡¯s arrival, it would have taken us longer to get her out of the darkness she was in.


    I talked with us while keeping an eye on Raven, who was now busy with Rafe. Both of them were having some secret talks these days, but none of us knew what they were. We could only hope Rafe wasn¡¯t going to teach him something he shouldn¡¯t.


    "I am amazed how well he had blended with you guys," I said in a pleased tone. "He is not expressionless now. Though still quiet, his eyes are brighter than before, his way of response is more active, and he even smiles. It won¡¯t be long until we see him talk andugh like kids."


    "When he giggled, his voice was so sweet," Eira said, "I can¡¯t wait to hear him talk... Maybe call me mommy soon..."


    "He will. Just continue what you have been doing," I suggested.


    "What we have been doing?" Lucianmented, "Then, we have to build a few more houses for two monsters to destroy them."


    I chuckled, "That¡¯s not a bad idea."


    We looked at Kael.


    "Did you hear?" Lucian asked.


    "All of you can go ahead and break everything we have," Kael said, "I will pay for all of it."


    "Rich man!" Imented, to which Jason said, "What¡¯s his is ours now."


    "That makes sense," Lucian said, and looked at Eira, "Will you be a part of it? Destroy a few homes?"


    Eira looked at Kael, to which he said, "Everything¡¯s yours."


    She looked back at Lucian, "I will help Raven, so he won¡¯t hurt himself."


    She didn¡¯t deny from epting what Kael said. That¡¯s a good change.


    Meanwhile, I was noticing us all. I wondered what she was thinking, but I was sure it was nothing unpleasant.


    "Let¡¯s sit somewhere and talk," I said to Eira, "Don¡¯t forget, you have a session as well."


    "I think I am fine now," Eira said, somewhat not willing to go with it.


    "How about we talk like friends. Maybe you canin to me about these five alphas, or ask me some advice on motherhood, or we can just gossip about random things," I insisted, "And I have already epted the fees for it, which is not refundable. I am an expensive doctor."


    "Already paid?" Eira asked and looked at Kael.


    Kael hummed. "But, it¡¯s not much even if it is wasted. You can decide for yourself."


    He was giving her a choice, but we knew better. If she was the same Eira from the past, she wouldn¡¯t waste money. I wondered if her grandparents were so poor to keep her tight on budget all the time.


    "We can talk for a while," Eira told her.


    Both of them went to the side home. I hope I wille out with a good news that Eira was fine now, so we can tell her about Raven. That he was her son Ray.

 Chapter 257: Session With Isla- II

    <h4>Chapter 257: Session With I- II</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    I and I sat on the patio of the side home. As the weather was nice and everyone was out, we decided to sit there, alone and away from others.


    "So how are you doing these days?" I asked, "Any of these five still bully you? If they do, you can let me know. As your doctor I have a right to give them an earful. You don¡¯t have to be afraid."


    I wasn¡¯t afraid, and had never been. The ones who fear dying and have anything to lose, only those are afraid of something.


    "They are good with me," I exined.


    She hummed. "Seems like you are closer to Raven now."


    "I am trying, but I am not that close to him yet," I said honestly. "He is more likely to respect everyone¡¯s feelings."


    "That¡¯s true. But I do feel some change in him," she said, "The way he looks at you when you praise him, it seems meaningful to him."


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she was just trying to make me feel better, but I loved hearing it. "Do you feel so?"


    She nodded. "His expressions said that. Reading kids is not that difficult. They are innocent and are like an open book."


    I decided to trust her words as she had been the straightforward person with me. "Since that day I argued with Kael about Raven, I did try to change myself."


    She smiled. "Oh. So you two have already started arguing over your child, not bad."


    I wondered why she said it wasn¡¯t bad.


    She said, "It shows how important he is for you two and everyone."


    "He is."


    I looked towards them. They were busy with Raven on the other side of the garden. "Among the five who do you feel more connected with?"


    "Rafe?" I said but then, my gaze followed someone on its own. "Roman. I feel connected with him as well." Even at a distance, I stared at him for a moment longer.


    "Roman had always been a good person. Caring and giving," she said, "And Rafe had always been a difficult one, but his level of understanding people is amazing. If he sits in front of me now, he has the ability to turn this session about me, instead of you."


    I hummed in response.


    I wasn¡¯t wrong. He had some knack to turn the conversation in his favour and leave others speechless to even fight back.


    As I talked with her, I felt like I have started to understand them now.


    "What else? You have mated with Kael, what do you feel about it?" she asked suddenly.


    "I am not sure. In fact I don¡¯t want to think about anything."


    She might not like my answer, but she didn¡¯t know the thorn stuck in my heart which was difficult to pluck out.


    "Then, let¡¯s leave him, and talk about only yourself," I said, "How do you look forward to your life ahead? As you mate with them, do you look forward to having a child with them?"


    This made me freeze. I had nothing of that sort in my mind. I had Raven and then my own son to find and to take care of.


    "You don¡¯t want to?" she asked as I was silent.


    I shook my head. "I am just focusing on my existing kids. I asked Kael to search for Ray."


    "You did?" I asked, clearly pleased with it.


    I hummed. "And he promised he would. I assured him that Raven will always remain our first child and Ray second."


    "You are truly thoughtful," she said, "You will make a good mother."


    I looked at her with conflicted emotions as I wasn¡¯t confident in myself. Most of the time I felt confused and careful around Raven to not do anything to upset him.


    "Do you think so?" I asked again.


    "Trust in yourself, you will get the answer," she said. "And then you can trust in me, if you wish to."


    I hummed. I somewhat trusted this woman now. If not for her, I wouldn¡¯t start to expect to have my son with me.


    We talked for a while more about some random things outside which made me realize how away I was from what¡¯s happening around. Before, my world was limited to those dark damn rusty rooms, and now it is limited to this vast estate.


    At least here I get to see the sunlight, greenery, and even get to breathe fresh air. Before, every day was filled with darkness and rusty mushy air.


    When my son is back, he won¡¯t have to grow up in darkness now.


    As we finished the session, I said, "If you like something, or someone, you can try to be open about it. You are still so young, and you have a right to feel what you had been kept devoid of."


    It made me wonder if this mind reader doctor had seen through me when I was talking about Roman.


    Seeing me puzzled, she smiled, "As I said before, Roman is a good person. And so are others. You just have to learn to trust them and see them for what they are."


    So she indeed had seen through me. There is nothing I can hide from this woman and Rafe.


    I simply hummed. Afterst night¡¯s event with Roman, I could tell what I am feeling for him. I have started liking him.


    I just didn¡¯t know how to handle it.


    "You will learn over the time," I said, "Just follow your heart."


    I hummed, not bothering she once more could read my mind.


    "You know, to be aplete person that you want to be, one needs to experience all kinds of emotions. And I see you are just doing that. I am so happy that you are letting yourself be free from the cage you had built around yourself. Keep it up."


    Her words were encouraging. Slowly I had started to expect to live a normal life as well.


    As the session was over, I said, "Once you are allowed to go out and there¡¯s no dangers for you, we can go on shopping, have coffee or meal, and we can even gossip about this things like friends. I am sure you need one. I will also introduce my daughter to you."


    I nodded. I looked forward to it.


    Other than Alice, I never has a friend. Though older than me, I was a good woman.

 Chapter 258: Harsh Reality Check From Isla

    <h4>Chapter 258: Harsh Reality Check From I</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    As I had finished the session with Eira, I decided to get an update on it. I couldn¡¯t wait to hear when I said Eira was ready to ept the truth, the truth about her son, and I was more than willing to tell her.


    I was waiting for the day to see her happy and overwhelmed to finally have her son with her. That¡¯s the best thing I could ever do for her.


    Eira went to Raven while I returned to I, who was waiting for me to update about my mate.


    "How is she now?" I asked once I settled in the chair.


    "Getting better than I had expected," she answered, the same as before.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough.


    "How much more time will it take her to get entirely normal?" I asked.


    I knew I was being impatient, but I needed a clear answer.


    I could see I was clearly not pleased to see my impatience. But it was about my mate, and I had the right to be like that.


    "It might take her entire life," I answered, a tinge of sarcasm in her tone and expressions.


    I raised a brow. Was she forgetting who I am just because she was allowed to enter my home and meddle in my family matters?


    She clearly sensed my cold aura now, but kept her calm as the skilled psychologist she was.


    "Alpha Kael, I understand what lies ahead of you," she said in a calm tone, "I understand the danger that¡¯sing your way and why you are being impatient for her to get better as soon as possible. I also understand you want her to be the Luna of this pack just like your mother, stand by your side, and be stronger so she can protect herself.


    "But her healing doesn¡¯t work based on what situation you are in or what you expect from her."


    I understood what she meant, but a person can¡¯t stop being hopeful.


    She continued, "I had sessions with Eira, and in the past I had sessions with your four brothers as well, but you are always left out. How about we have a session for you today? You can take it as a talk about your mate, and maybe I will let you know some harsh truths that you need to know and understand."


    "What is it?" I asked, for the sake of Eira.


    I would wee anything that will lead me to help her and understand my mate.


    I asked, "Since how long has she been with you, Alpha Kael?"


    "Over two months," I answered.


    "Over two months?" she said, "And half of it all of you must have spent cursing and fighting each other. If I may be precise, you guys spent that half time showing your hate to her."


    I couldn¡¯t deny it as that was the truth. I hummed to agree with her.


    "And how long had she been abused?" I asked. "I expect you to answer and not just brush it off as useless questions."


    "Six years," I answered.


    "You do know how many days are there in six yearspared to the days in the past two months she spent with you? The difference is far bigger than evenparing the size of an elephant and an ant," she said, her tone serious. "Six years seems like a small number to say, but for the one who¡¯s locked in the abuse and dark, those six years are eternity to them."


    I could understand where she was heading to, but I was willing to hear her till the end.


    "I know she is twenty-two. So it¡¯s normal for you and others to see her as a full-grown adult, a matured woman who should be perfect in every way. At that, she is a pureblood, the strongest female, so one expects more from her. But have any of you considered whether she ever got the chance to grow up into that matured adult woman you think of? Have you?"


    I shook my head.


    She continued to say what I already knew, but it felt like she was giving me a reality check.


    "A fifteen-year-old girl was locked up and spent the next six years of her life being abused in a dark, dirty room, where her social life was zero, absolutely ZERO," she pressed on thatst two words. "Her only connection with the outside world was through those men that came to use and abuse her. You do know the importance of social life in the growth of a person, don¡¯t you?


    "For the past six years, she didn¡¯t know how the outside world looked, or what had changed when she wasn¡¯t a part of it. Sunlight, fresh air, greenery, everything that exists in nature were left as mere fragments of her memories.


    "The growth of that fifteen-year-old had stopped six years back. Her time had stopped just there. She grew up physically as a woman, but mentally she is still there in the past. This world is nothing but a strange ce to her. She needs to learn it all over again and resume her growth from where her time had stopped. Not to forget how her mind has been messed up due to all that abuse."


    "Imagine yourself that you are locked in a dark room. Then someonees and beats you to deathly pain, throws a slice of bread at you and leaves. The same routine continues for years. Where do you think your mental state would be?"


    I know, that would be brutal for anyone¡¯s mental state.


    "Alpha Kael, you lost your parents, your people, and you still feel the pain of it. Sometimes it must be unbearable for you even now. But there is a difference between you and her. You have been outside in the world, surrounded by the people who care for you, supported you and helped you deal with that pain. Eventually you learned to deal with it.


    "But what about her? She lost everything, including herself. No one by her side. Do you know, there must have been a time she even forgot her own name, her own existence? She waspletely in blind. That¡¯s the kind of brutality that happened with her.

 Chapter 259: Call From Liam

    <h4>Chapter 259: Call From Liam</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    "Just because she is twenty-two, you can¡¯t expect her to know and understand the things she had never experienced or faced in her life. That is just you being <strong>insensitive</strong> towards her pain and suffering, and being <strong>selfish</strong> because of your own desires and expectations from her.


    "All of a sudden, just in two months, you want her to forget everything, start epting all of you, be honest with you for what¡¯s in her mind and heart? Start loving you, sleep with you, be a good mate to you. But she is still dealing with every new emotion she has started feeling now. It¡¯s new for her.


    "How can you expect a mind of a fifteen year old abused to not be shy, embarrassed, hesitant, scared, untrusting of you, not opening up to you, bute out as a strong woman? That¡¯s totally being pathetic of us to expect it from her in such a short time.


    "And, if you still do not understand her, and ask why she is like this, then it¡¯s your own fault and insensitivity towards her. That¡¯s just you being overly demanding of her. You should thank her strong wolf that she hadn¡¯t lost her mind entirely.


    Though her words were harsh, I kept my calm. Because I wasn¡¯t wrong here, but I was being impatient.


    "I understand," I finally replied.


    But I wasn¡¯t having it. She was clearly in a mood to defend her patient this time.


    "No one, absolutely no one, can understand what she had gone through," I countered. "We all can only sympathise and try to treat her, but in the end it¡¯s her, who suffered and deals with it. Not being in her shoes can never let you understand. Those ims that ¡¯I understand her¡¯ are just superficial. We can only try, but can never truly understand it.


    "One can say¡ªOh, I have been through abuse, or I have seen people being abused, or I have treated abused people, and so we understand her. Even that¡¯s not true. Only the one who suffers knows that pain. The rest are just side sympathisers, fake believers, just like you and me."


    I understood one thing. I wished best for her patient, and for that she was ready to confront her Alpha even. She cared for Eira deeply.


    I let out a quiet hum. "Then, I will try to understand her."


    She hummed and said again, this time her tone soft, "Alpha Kael, what I meant to say is, don¡¯t look at her as twenty years old, but as that young girl who needs time to grow up ¡ª the time, those six years that were robbed from her. It¡¯s a real life, real abuse, and not some fictional soap opera where characters magically get better quickly.


    "Give her time and I am sure she wille out stronger than you think. She still has some hope left inside her, and with you, I am sure she will turn into the one she deserves to be," she added.


    "I will be her support in everything," I assured, "She can take all the time she needs."


    She hummed in agreement. "What you are seeing now is already a good growth. People take years to reach where she is," I said. "Going forward she will be confused, unaware, insufficient in many ways, but who is not? Even the perfect ¡¯us¡¯ are not perfect anymore."


    I agreed with this.


    "By chance, if you are still not convinced, ask Roman if he is out of it. Two decades have passed by and he is living a good life with you, so he should be fine already, isn¡¯t it? But you might like to ask him. Take it as checking on your own brother if he is fine."


    I nodded.


    As we finished, I said again, "She is improving well and seems to havee out of the delusional world she was building. You can take a right chance to tell her the truth about Raven and when it is lessplicated for her and you."


    It was a relief to hear it. I will find a right time to tell her as soon as I could.


    Once I left, I went to Roman. While others were busy talking that I wasn¡¯t aware of. But seems like they were nning something for Raven.


    "Roman," I called him.


    He came to me. "What did I say?"


    I exined him.


    "Indeed she will take time," Roman replied, as he was like her in the past.


    "Can I ask you something?" I asked.


    "Hmm?"


    "Are you out of what happened in the past?" I asked.


    He looked away and said, "I am fine now. You can see that."


    "I am asking so I can understand Eira."


    What I said was a part of it, but in fact I wished to know about my brother.


    He met my gaze now. "I used to think I was fine, but when that woman returned, I realised I wasn¡¯t. Time may pass, wounds may heal, but some things haunts you. Especially the helplessness you feel in that moment that you can¡¯t even protect yourself. The anger that you can¡¯t even harm the one who hurt you while they continue to ruin you like a monster.


    "The remorse that why it was happening with you. What did you even do wrong to others that you are being punished. Self pity. These things leave worse impact than physical wounds you get. But, with you and others by my side, I could ovee it. It doesn¡¯t affect me the way it did in the past. We can ovee it, but can never forget."


    I patted his shoulder. "I am d to have you as my brother."


    He offered me a light smile, "So am I. I wouldn¡¯t be me, if not for you."


    We looked at Eira.


    "Don¡¯t worry. She will ovee it one day," Romanmented.


    I hummed. <i>I believed in her, in us.</i>


    Just then my cellphone rang. It was Liam.


    I received the call and heard him. Once I hung up, Roman asked, "What did he say?"


    "He said he wants to talk to all five of us, and asked everyone to be present," I answered.


    "What happened? Anything wrong with Eira¡¯s reports?" Roman asked, worried.


    "He didn¡¯t say anything. But the way he talked, something seems serious. Let¡¯s wait for him." I tried to sound calm, but in my heart I felt something wasn¡¯t right.


    <i>What exactly Liam is so serious about? If the reports are positive, then he should sound happy, but the way he spoke, definitely the matter is something else. </i>


    <i>I hope Eira¡¯s alright. Nothing else mattered.</i>

 Chapter 260: Yes, I Am Eira’s Fated Mate

    <h4>Chapter 260: Yes, I Am Eira¡¯s Fated Mate</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Liam had arrived at the estate, but he wasn¡¯t led inside the home. He wished to talk to us first, so the meeting with him was scheduled at the security office where Eira wouldn¡¯t know about Liam¡¯s presence.


    "Eira, we have some important work to do," I told her. "We are not going anywhere. Just at the security. In our absence, you have to take care of Raven."


    She was delighted to hear Raven¡¯s responsibility was given to her solely.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I will take care of him well," she assured and looked at Raven who was sitting next to her on the sofa, looking through the books.


    When he was free, he preferred to read. Being idle wasn¡¯t his thing.


    "Raven, you are fine with it?" she asked.


    He looked at her and nodded.


    She smiled. "Then I will read new books to you. I love to read as well."


    He nodded again.


    Leaving them in the home, we left for the security office. We could keep watch on these two through the security cameras inside the home.


    We reached the security room and waited for Liam.


    Sitting in the chair behind the office desk, Kael looked lost in thought. Well, he wasn¡¯t the only one, but we all were.


    Rafe was idling on the couch with his mobile, but his expressions told me his attention wasn¡¯t on what he was doing on the mobile.


    Jason sat at the other end of the couch, silent, worry etched on his face, while Lucian slowly paced around the room.


    I preferred to sit in the chair at the desk, only thinking about what worried Liam so much.


    Liam finally arrived. The guard opened the door for him and left.


    The old man entered the office, his expressions serious. His eyes gazed at all of us in a way he had never done before.


    "Who out of you five is Eira¡¯s fated mate?" he asked, a frown visible between his brows.


    His words fell like a bomb.


    ¡¯Why the hell is he asking this?¡¯


    I was sure none of us were, but then I looked around to my brothers. Two of them were looking at Liam just as equally shocked as me, while the other two were calm and just looked at Liam.


    These two were always calm in all kinds of situations, so I couldn¡¯t tell the difference.


    "Why are you asking it?" Lucian asked. "You know none of us are her fated mate. If we were, we would have told each other at least, even if not you."


    Liam remained the same, serious. "Alright. Let me rephrase my question. Who among you five had mated with her until now? I know about Kael, but anyone else?"


    Lucian and Jason looked at me.


    Alright, I had slept with her for two months, and recently I had been intimate with her, so they might have their doubts as Liam asked this way.


    "We didn¡¯t reach there. If we had, I hadpleted my bond with her," I told them.


    So that left only Kael.


    Liam went to the desk, leaned with his hand ced on the desk, and straight met Kael¡¯s gaze, unhinged. "So, you are her fated mate."


    It wasn¡¯t a question Liam was asking, but he was sure of it.


    Kael was as calm as before.


    "What¡¯s the meaning of asking this?" Kael asked him, unaffected. "Even if I am, what made you so serious about this fact?"


    <i>Kael... Eira¡¯s fated mate?</i>


    <i>The fuck!</i>


    The three of us were shocked, but Rafe didn¡¯t even flinch to know it.


    <i>Is this bastard aware of this fact? He must be, as he is closest to Kael among us four. Stuck to him like a shadow all the time.</i>


    Kael looked at us, "Yes, I am her fated mate."


    I got out of that shock and asked, "Since when do you know it? And why didn¡¯t you tell us?"


    The other two, Jason and Lucian, waited to hear it as well. We never hid anything from each other.


    Kael maintained hisposure as if he had done nothing wrong.


    "When I got to know about it, she was already someone who had betrayed us and we hated her like she¡¯s our enemy," he answered with honesty, sincerity. "It happened when I went to meet her in the prison. But I had rejected her back then, so there was no meaning to it. She wasn¡¯t my mate any longer after that. Calling her my mate felt like a sin back then."


    There was silence in the room.


    Alright! We understood him. Any one of us would have done the same.


    "But, why didn¡¯t you tell us after she was with us?" Lucian asked.


    Kael maintained his calm as he met Lucian¡¯s gaze. "We are mate-brothers now. And we have equal rights over everything we have. By telling you guys that I am her fated mate, I didn¡¯t want to make you feel that I had first right over her or that you deserve her any less than me. What we have, that¡¯s equally ours and would be the same always."


    Damn it.


    The way this guy¡¯s always ready with his answers, we could never fault him out. Moreover, none of us wanted to ever fault him out as our trust in him was stronger than we trusted ourselves.


    But still, somewhere in our hearts we wished if he had told this truth to us.


    He had been keeping this fact in his heart for over the past six years. Back then he must been tormented with the fact that the girl, who caused his parent¡¯s death and destroyed his pack, turned out to be his fated mate.


    He must have felt like facing a cruelest joke of his life because fated mate is the most important part of Alpha¡¯s life, the other half of his soul. And at that Kael was top tier Alpha.


    Kael looked at Liam, who now sat in the chair as if something had bitten him to shock.


    "Now, what about you? What¡¯s the matter?" Kael asked Liam calmly. "What about Eira¡¯s reports?"


    Kael¡¯s calmness had turned such a shocking situation with this revtion into something ordinary for us.


    "Do you know the meaning of being her fated mate?" Liam asked and put one file on the table in front of Kael. "See it."


    Kael opened the file and I went to his side to see what it was.


    "She is pregnant." I mumbled again. "Eira¡¯s pregnant."

 Chapter 261: Raven’s Real Father

    <h4>Chapter 261: Raven¡¯s Real Father</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t know how to react to it in that moment. It took me a moment to digest this fact though we had already guessed it.


    Kael¡¯s hands almost shook as he read the reports.


    Must be too overwhelmed to know it, just like the rest of us.


    Though it was his child, we were going to be equally happy as him. That would be our child as well.


    But, even before we could congratte him and each other, the old man spoke again.


    "Check the pages after her pregnancy report," Liam said.


    As Kael flipped the next page, Liam exined.


    "I didn¡¯t tell you before, because I wanted to protect her. But now I have to. Only if I knew you were her fated me," he said letting out a helpless sigh. "Eira is a top rank pureblood shewolf, born only once in a hundred years. She can have only one fated mate in her life and she can have kids only with him." He repeated hisst words again, "Only with her fated mate she can conceive. No other male can have kids with her."


    This revtion dropped worse than the first one.


    There was long silence this time as we looked at Liam.


    <i>Only with her fated mate?</i>


    Kael finally broke the silence, resumed his calm. "What do you mean by with only fated mate? She has a child with some other male."


    Liam leaned forward to the table, dering with finality, "She can¡¯t. And I am not wrong."


    "So, you mean Raven is my child?" Kael asked as if he heard something outrageous.


    "Yes, and I am not wrong about it. I can bet on my life," Liam dered, his voice rose. "Last time I asked you if you had ever been with her... but you denied straightaway like I am some fool to you."


    "Yes, because I had never touched her, let alone have kids with her back then," Kael dered with equal finality. "And I will say the same even if you ask me hundred times more."


    "Liam, have you smoked something early in the day?" Jason asked, "Kael would never lie to us."


    Rafe chimed in, "He has no reason to lie. If he was involved with Eira, he would take responsibility instead if it was before that incident."


    Lucian didn¡¯t keep quiet, supporting our brother as well. "Do you know how all of us wish Raven to be our son? And for that I don¡¯t care if she was a minor back then. It would be a greatest gift if he was truly Kael¡¯s or any of our son. If Kael says he didn¡¯t touch her, then that¡¯s what I believe."


    "Kael is the Alpha of this pack. He has no one to fear to lie to us," I said, "We trust our brother. He wouldn¡¯t hide this truth from his brothers."


    "How about a DNA test?" Liam asked as he looked at us all and then his gaze stopped at Kael, "How about giving me permission to ess your and Raven¡¯s DNA data andpare it to be assured.


    "You still don¡¯t believe him?" Lucian asked, annoyed.


    Kael raised his hand to stop any of us from interfering, and looked at Liam with a confident gaze. "Go ahead."


    Though Liam was our doctor and he dealt with everything that concerned our health or any kind of tests, he or no one else in the pack was allowed to ess the gic information of Alpha and his family without Alpha¡¯s permission.


    The information was stored and handled by an assigned trusted team, that only followed Alpha¡¯s orders strictly, and was trained for his responsibilities even at the cost of their lives.


    Not just our packs, but it was the rule, amon protective set in all the other packs for security purposes. Through the gic information, using the modern day technology any Alpha¡¯s weakness could be found or could be created.


    That¡¯s why it was difficult to get hands on Asher¡¯s DNA data, who even wipes out the ce he sits in once he leaves.


    But thanks to that bastard Kaizan we got his blood sample.


    God knows how that bastard made a top tier Alpha bleed and even managed to sneak out his blood sample without letting him know. That was some skill that sly fox possessed.


    Kael made a call and ordered, "Do as Liam asks you to."


    We waited in the room anxiously while Liam carried out his task on theptop once he got the ess.


    The silence in the room felt stretched to infinity as we waited.


    After some time, Liam finished his task and turned theptop screen to Kael with utter confidence. "See for yourself."


    My eyes were wide open and I froze in my ce to see the result. I moved my gaze from theptop screen to Kael who looked like a venomous snake had bitten him and the colors of his face had been wiped away.


    The other three quickly turned to our side seeing our shocked reaction.


    The moment they saw the result, they were just like us.


    Shocked and speechless.


    <i>Raven is Kael¡¯s son.</i>


    "Now you believe me, or you are going to say there is something wrong with the DNA match," Liam said with a frown. "Even if you deny it a hundred times more, I am going to say the same thing. Raven is your son. Your and Eira¡¯s son."


    All of us looked at Kael. The result couldn¡¯t be a lie.


    Then Kael lied to us? Why?


    "Kael," Lucian called him.


    Kael didn¡¯t react. His shocked gaze was stuck to theptop screen as if he couldn¡¯t ept this fact.


    "Kael, get back to your senses," I told him this time, my voice raised, "You have to exin this to us. We have the right to know."


    The other two waited as well. They agreed with what I said.


    Kael finally reacted. His gaze finally moved to each one of us, taking his time.


    "Speak," Jason said.


    "Will you still trust me if I say I truly don¡¯t know how this happened?" he replied finally, "I have no idea. I have no such memories of even doing anything with her ever. The first time I had touched her was when she came into our life again. I truly don¡¯t remember if I had ever touched her."


    After so long, we were seeing Kael lost. Thest time was when he lost his parents, and now this was the second time.


    I could tell he wasn¡¯t lying. I looked at others and their expressions told me they knew Kael was telling the truth. Through our bond, we could feel it as well.


    But then, what could be the answer to this puzzle?


    How could one not know when they fucked a woman, and at that the woman they loved?


    That should be the most precious memory, isn¡¯t it? No one would forget such a memory.

 Chapter 262: Time To Dig Out The Truth- I

    <h4>Chapter 262: Time To Dig Out The Truth- I</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    All of a sudden my world seemed to have flipped upside down.


    Raven¡¯s my son.


    Since the moment I met him, I had secretly wished in my heart if he was truly my son. But not even in my wildest dream did I think it would turn into the reality of my life.


    When? How? Why don¡¯t I remember at all?


    The way my brothers looked at me as if I had broken their trust, that¡¯s the other thing that hurt me.


    I had hid the fact from them that Eira¡¯s my fated mate, but I had thought it through to not tell them yet for the reason I had already told them. In the future, when Eira had epted us all, I was going to tell anyway, but...


    Not this truth, which I had no idea of.


    How was I going to exin it to them?


    My brothers were everything for me in the past six years and would remain the same throughout my life, I didn¡¯t want them to feel betrayed.


    "I trust you, Kael," I heard Lucian say.


    I looked at him. His words were like soothing coldness over the burn my heart was feeling at the moment.


    "Yes. I trust you as well," Rafe said, "There can never be a moment I can¡¯t trust you. Everything can be a lie in this world but you."


    The other two, Jason and Roman, said the same.


    "We will believe whatever you say," Roman said.


    "Your words are the only truth for us," Jason followed.


    My heart felt overwhelmed. The bond we had could never be shaken with anything. Because it was built over utter trust and care we had for each other.


    I thanked them in my heart as words couldn¡¯t leave my heavy throat. The life had taken away many things from me that I cherished, but in returned coaxed me by giving these four brothers.


    At this moment, making them my sworn mate brothers, seemed to be the best decision I had ever taken in my life.


    "Liam, we trust Kael if he says he hadn¡¯t touched Eira ever, then he hadn¡¯t," Lucian said with utter trust in his own words, "Now you have to tell us the possibilities of how it could happen."


    Liam looked at all of us. Our trust in each other seemed to have forced him to believe me as well.


    It¡¯s the time to dig out the truth- the truth that we never knew existed.


    "Maybe you have done it with her but you were drugged or your memories have been erased," Liam said. "And if you had not touched her, then you were drugged and someone had taken your semen sample which they used to impregnate her.


    "You need to remember with whom you had been involved back then. The moments you felt it was off and you were missing something." His voice turned sarcastic as if he still had some doubts left about me. "There can¡¯t be a possibility that your sperms reached inside her through the air she inhaled in your presence. That would be a shocking miracle."


    My brothers looked at me.


    "You were involved with only one woman," Jason said, "Sophia."


    Damn! How I hate to remember it.


    I let out an angry sigh. "I don¡¯t know how that bitch got into my bed."


    "I am sure that bitch has caused all of it," Rafe said, "Recently we had already found out her involvement with Keiren. She is the answer to all our questions."


    I shot up from my chair, anger taking over me, "That bitch needs some serious answering."


    "Don¡¯t be in a hurry," Roman put his hand on my shoulder to stop me, "Don¡¯t forget that bitch could lie about Eira even when she was about to die. That shows how much she hates Eira that even while dying she didn¡¯t fail to use her. Now if you go to her, she will spout more lies and you won¡¯t be able to hurt her to get the truth out of her as she is weak and we don¡¯t want her to die yet."


    Liam spoke as well. "Even the light pressure of your Alpha aura can kill her. If she dies, truths will be buried with her. I am her doctor, I can tell her situation. But, if you want her to die without getting everything out of her then go ahead."


    "They are right," Lucian said, "Give us some time and we will find out the truth. Sit down and let¡¯s discuss the things."


    I suppressed my anger and sat down. I didn¡¯t care that bitch died, but I needed truth.


    After a moment of silence, Jason spoke with his past medical expertise, "If we match the timeline of Raven¡¯s birth, we can get when exactly Eira must have been impregnated. We can find possible dates, and find out what you two were doing during that time."


    "That¡¯s the right thing to do," Liam said as he looked at Jason, "You shouldn¡¯t have left your studies."


    "That¡¯s not the matter to talk about now?" He frowned at Liam, and turned to Lucian who hummed in understanding.


    My brothers got the data we had collected till now.


    Liam and Jason sat to calcte it as they were the doctors while we waited.


    Jason wrote on the paper the possible week and put it in front of me. He left the rest for me to say.


    "This is the same week Sophia and I were involved," I said, remembering it correctly because that week was very important for me.


    It was thest time I had celebrated my mother¡¯s birthday with her.


    Roman picked up the paper and said, "It was barely a week before that incident when Alice died."


    Lucian looked at it and said, "I remember that week we all were busy with Alpha training and Kael alone returned home to celebrate his mother, Luna¡¯s grand birthday."


    "And the night of that grand party, Kael ended up in bed with that disgusting bitch," Rafe said in anger, "Just when we four weren¡¯t around him."


    "I remember getting upset with him for it," Lucian said, "And surprisingly our guy didn¡¯t remember how he ended up with her in bed. That¡¯s enough proof he was drugged."


    I looked at Liam, "When I brought Sophia to the hospital, was she truly hurt because she was knotted?"


    "Yes," Liam answered, "I was the one to treat her so I know."


    "And the child. Was she truly pregnant?" I asked as if my heart still didn¡¯t want to ept that fact.


    "She was indeed pregnant," Liam said, "I was there in the surgery room getting the bullets out of her while the Gynac surgeon took care of the miscarriage part."


    "But that doesn¡¯t mean it was Kael¡¯s child," Rafe said, "First he doesn¡¯t remember how he fucked her, and second she was with that bastard Keiren as well."


    We had these doubts that it wasn¡¯t my child.


    "But if she was fucked by two Alpha¡¯s she would have died. So she was with only one of these two," Liam said. "There isn¡¯t enough time for her to heal from first knot and then get knotted again to be pregnant by that time of miscarriage. It was only once. Either with you or with other Alpha."

 Chapter 263: Time To Dig Out The Truth- II

    <h4>Chapter 263: Time To Dig Out The Truth- II</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Liam¡¯s words made sense as well. There was truly something that we were still failing to understand.


    Only if we had done the DNA test on that aborted foetus back then, but....there was nothing to doubt about anything, and we had no time for that. Enemies were at the door already.


    "If I have no memories of being with Eira, I have no memories of fucking Sophia as well," I said as I looked at Lucian, "What kind of drug can let me lose my mind so much to not even have a flicker of realization that I had fucked a woman?"


    I believed that despite how inebriate you are, you always have some remnants of the particr incident in your memories.


    "There are such drugs, but I doubt anyone can nk the Alpha or even the top tier Alpha¡¯s mind like this," Lucian said, "Some shes, or some blurry images remain that make you doubt that something had happened. I wonder how they pulled it out for you to not have any doubt at all. What kind of a miracle drug they have developed that the expert like me don¡¯t know about?"


    There was a silence in the room as we wondered as well.


    "Spell," Liam¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    We looked at him to understand.


    "Witchcraft," he said, his expressions showed he was sure about his conclusion.


    "Weren¡¯t witches wiped out during great wars for the nasty use of their powers against pure bloods?" I asked.


    "They were," Liam agreed, "But who knows some are still lingering around. They are skilled at hiding themselves so it¡¯s difficult to see through them. That doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist."


    His words made sense. I never sensed or found any witch even in my pack, but I couldn¡¯t say it about the other pack. Especially the enemies.


    "Kael, just as we know, that bastard Asher is hiding a vampire, who knows he is hiding a witch as well," Rafe said, "Given how Raven ended in his hands, we can be assured of his involvement in all this matter."


    I hummed as I was thinking the same and looked at Liam to say more.


    "Witches are crafty," Liam said, "And if someone was conspiring against the top tier Alpha without raising any suspicions, then it always involves the help from the witches. That¡¯s the most effective way. The history is the proof of it. "


    "Bitch Sophia, not only she betrayed our pack, she even got the witch in our pack?" Roman frowned and looked at me, "Did they manage to get your semen sample that night through Sophia and then imnted it in Eira?"


    "That¡¯s possible," Liam said, "Unless Kael hasn¡¯t truly slept with Eira."


    Now I heard it, I feared it. I feared for the worst and I hoped that wasn¡¯t the case. I hoped I haven¡¯t done something I shouldn¡¯t.


    "So, they made Sophia sleep with Kael to get his semen sample, and carried out this n?" Lucian said, "But why?"


    "That ¡¯why¡¯ we know already," I said, "The one who caused it, they wanted Eira and my child. They were aware who Eira was and what kind of a child she could birth with me. All of it so they could just get her child."


    My fists clenched. The bastard tormented my child. How I was going to punish them, even god won¡¯t dare meddle in.


    "That also meant they already knew you were her fated mate," Liam said, as he raised a brow as if he was making some utterly serious conclusion. "As I already told you she can conceive only with her fated mate."


    Yes, it words truly made sense. But there was still that didn¡¯t add up.


    I asked, "One can tell their fated mate only after both are adults. But Eira turned adult after this conspiracy, then how could they have known we were fated mates?"


    Even I wasn¡¯t aware of it unless she was an adult.


    "You are forgetting the important factor here," Liam said, "Witch. A witch has an ability to predict someone¡¯s fated mate. If there¡¯s a witch involved, she was already aware Eira was rare kind pureblood and you were her mate."


    As witches weren¡¯t the part of the current world, they always skipped from the calctions.


    Lucian mmed his hand on the table, "Damn! So much for the conspiracy just to get one pureblood child."


    "The way things happened, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s only about getting a child," Rafe said, "I already sense some kind of revenge story in it. I had said it even before. My vampire instincts can never fail me."


    "We had talked about this revenge part even before, so I won¡¯t deny your im," I said.


    The way they killed my parents, I could already tell.


    The rest agreed to what Rafe said.


    "But how did they impregnate Eira with your semen sample?" Roman asked, "Who must have done it and when? Eira was the kind who always stayed in her home unless she was with Alice."


    "If they can drug someone like Kael, then pushing Eira into their trap isn¡¯t a big deal," Jason said, "And I somewhat feel her grandparents had something to do with it. They always kept her in strict rules they had for her. Under their watch, she couldn¡¯t be yed around easily."


    "Now you said about her grandparents being strict, if I remember correctly, Eira hadn¡¯t stepped out of her home for days before the day Alice died," Lucian said and looked at Jason, "Do you remember that week how Alice would call us though we were in Alpha training camp andined that she couldn¡¯t meet Eira? Her friend had cooped up herself inside home and even told her not toe see her."


    Jason hummed, "Alice firstined that we were sent to the Alpha training again and thenined about Eira. That she none of us were with her and she was lonely. I even assured that once I return, I will take her to meet Eira. But then...."


    But then, Alice was dead even before we could return from the camp.


    "It means during those days Eira didn¡¯te out of home, something happened with Eira," Roman concluded, "That something was she was impregnated using Kael¡¯s semen sample they got from Sophia."


    Jason hummed, "That also confirms her grandparents were involved for sure. They must have forced her for it and she couldn¡¯t resist. And the very reason why all of a sudden she wasn¡¯t allowed to step out of the home."


    "The timeline, the incidents matches just perfect," Rafemented, "Too wless to even doubt."


    "Given how they had controlled her life, it was easy for them to force her into anything. And she was too soft to fight back." Lucian concluded. "I wish we could just drag those old hags here, but the bastards are always stuck by Asher¡¯s side like glue."


    "Don¡¯t worry. Sooner orter they will be in our hands," Jason assured him, but then his voice turned cold. "Not like their absence can stop us from finding the truth. All will be left for them to get punished in my hands where death would be a mercy to them."


    As I heard them discussing, I felt more suffocated.


    They trusted me so much that even now no one doubted if I had done something with Eira under the influence of drugs, but I don¡¯t remember it.


    Their trust in me felt painful now.


    If I had hurt her, then god knows what I would do. I pray that¡¯s not the case.

 Chapter 264: Time To Dig Out The Truth- III

    <h4>Chapter 264: Time To Dig Out The Truth- III</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Despite how much it hurt me to think that I must have hurt Eira, for the sake of truth, I had to consider it.


    "Find out where Eira was on the evening of my mother¡¯s birthday banquet," I said to Lucian.


    All of them looked at me.


    I could see they had already understood what I meant, but none dared to say it.


    If what I was thinking about turned out to be the truth, I am sure none of my brothers would forgive me for it. And I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself as well.


    "Do it," I said firmly.


    Lucian and Jason quietly nodded silently and both of them already proceeded to get the information.


    They had to contact the pack¡¯s security control department which worked under Lucian as its head. The department had stored records of every security camera footage that had been installed across the pack.


    They had to get the dates and locations and the footage was there.


    Soon we got the details. Lucian seemed truly serious when he turned to tell us the details.


    "That night Eira had indeed left her home," his voice grew heavy, "...and she indeed arrived at the hotel where your mother¡¯s birthday banquet was going on."


    The silence filled the room.


    That banquet was meant to invite only the elites from our pack and the other packs including close family and friends. Eira shouldn¡¯t be there.


    Because the celebration for ordinary pack members was held during the daytime where the Luna of the pack celebrated it outside among the people.


    This one, it wasn¡¯t meant for Eira.


    What was she doing there?


    I could feel my brothers¡¯ tensed expressions, Liam¡¯s sharp gaze on me, and my own heart dropping at the thought.


    I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply to calm the storm that was rising inside my mind and heart.


    "Kael," Roman called me after a moment of silence.


    I opened my eyes and asked Jason, "What did she do there?"


    "We have footage only till she entered the hotel, where a staff member guided her inside the elevator, butter where she went, which floor, and what happened, all of it is erased," Jason added, his voice heavy and hesitant. "There is no footage of her leaving the hotel as well. So we can¡¯t tell when she even left."


    Lucian said, "I will drag the staff of that hotel and¡ª"


    "No need."I stood up and walked toward the door to leave.


    "Kael, where are you going?" I heard Roman ask, but I didn¡¯t answer.


    Today someone¡¯s going to open their mouth or won¡¯t be breathing anymore.


    "I know. I¡¯ll go with him," I heard Rafe say while following me out. "Just quickly order to empty the roads towards the hospital. And be with Eira."


    I was so angry that it felt like it would consume no one but me. That bitch... she had caused so much harm and was enjoying the privilege of living even after that.


    I didn¡¯t care even if she died today.


    I hurried to my car and turned it on. Just then a strong gust of wind shook the entire car and Rafe was sitting right next to me as the door closed with a silent thud.


    I drove the car out of the estate and rode at full speed on the roads. My hands gripped the steering as if it would crush under my hold. The veins of my hands popped out as I was barely containing the storm inside me.


    "Thankfully I already asked to empty the roads or few would have died today," I heard him mumble.


    I didn¡¯t respond. I didn¡¯t care. If I had truly hurt her, then this entire world could go to hell and die.


    I hurried inside the hospital and straight went to where that bitch was. On that floor, no one dared stop me as I headed to the contamination-free zone.


    "Alpha Kael," the hospital staff bowed to me, but I walked past them.


    I didn¡¯t bother to wear any safety gears to not cause any contamination in that bitch¡¯s room and entered straight away.


    The bitch was startled to see me enter the room so suddenly, but then pulled out a smile.


    "Kael, you are here?"


    <i>Disgusting.</i>


    I felt like vomiting at her pretence, at how her mouth even called out my name. Truly disgusting.


    The next moment, my hand clutched the istion stic curtains, and in a single flick the entire setup around her bed was pulled away and mmed into the opposite wall, lying destroyed on the floor.


    I could see the dread of fear on her face. "K-Kael, what happened? Why are you so angry... Ughh...."


    In a sh of a moment, my hand was around her frail neck, choking her, just a little away from snapping it.


    Her face turned red, her eyes almost popped out at the suffocation. She looked at me in utter disbelief and struggled to free her neck.


    "Bitch, for the first and thest time I am going to ask you something, and if you lie," I gritted my teeth, "I will give you such a brutal death that your soul will be afraid to be reborn again."


    She tried to speak, but couldn¡¯t, as she barely managed to breathe.


    "I had once promised my mother to protect you always and be responsible towards you, and I had fulfilled that promise," I said, "But no more. Even my mother would have killed you herself if she knew the kind of bitch you are."


    Struggling to breathe, she looked utterly terrified at my anger.


    "Take it easy, Kael," Rafe told me as he stood to one side, "Let her speak first. If she lies, I will feed her alive to vultures."


    Just then Meryl Bruce entered the room as they must have heard of my arrival.


    "Alpha Kael, what are you doing?" the old hag cried out.


    At least the bitch knew her ce now to call me Alpha instead of my name like before.


    Both of them walked towards me, but with a flick of my hand my Alpha aura threw them back, mming them against the wall behind.


    Rafe knelt in front of them. "Both of you bastards deserve worse for giving birth to a disgusting cunt." He chuckled mockingly, "But who to me when even her mother is no different. A rotten cunt births the other one."


    Meanwhile, I released my grip on her neck and stepped back. Touching her felt like a punishment to me.


    She gasped loudly to save herself from the suffocation and coughed violently.


    "Stop acting already," I said, "and answer what I ask you."


    She was too frightened to even y any pity act. Enough scared to wet her pants just at this much, and this bitch dreamed of being my Luna.


    "That night you imed to sleep with me, tell me what happened exactly," I said coldly.


    Her eyes widened and fear filled them. "Why...are...you...."


    "I know I didn¡¯t sleep with you, but it was Eira," I said before she could start her lies.


    The change in her expressions confirmed what I said.


    "Now tell me how it all happened. If you try to lie, it won¡¯t take me a moment to turn my warning into the reality of your disgusting existence."


    I warned, my eyes icy as they stared straight into the depth of her soul.


    "Speak!"

 Chapter 265: Questioning Sophia

    <h4>Chapter 265: Questioning Sophia</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    The bitch finally moved her mouth to speak. "It... it was Keiren who did it... I didn¡¯t...."


    "If you try to shift me on him and try to prove yourself innocent, trust me I¡¯ll bury you alive right here on this floor," I warned her coldly, "But you tell me the entire truth, I give you my words, that your treatment will continue and you will live."


    The moment I said it, her eyes brightened up. She knew I would never go back on my words.


    "I... I will tell you everything," she muttered, "The truth."


    I smirked. Yeah, sure she will live, as dying is easier than living in hell. And I am going to send her to that living hell waiting for her.


    "Speak! I don¡¯t have time to waste with you," I warned.


    "It was that bitch Eira¡¯s fault," she said in anger.


    I raised a brow. She dared to curse my mate. She will soon regret it.


    "Everything was fine between us until the day that bitch showed up in our life all of a sudden," Sophia said bitterly. "We were good friends, close, and even our families approved of us to be mates soon. But then she showed up and you only had eyes for her. When she was around, you wouldn¡¯t even notice my presence as if I didn¡¯t exist."


    Really? Since when was I close to her? The bitch was truly delusional just because I tolerated around for my mother¡¯s sake.


    Even Rafe snorted at her im.


    "I hated her," she said hatefully, "that suddenly you and your friends only looked at her. That bitch acted like a sweet little naive girl in front of you. Even Alice was deceived by her. And so were her brothers,"


    This bitch didn¡¯t know that Eira was with us now, so she was at her best to spout nonsense about her. Only if she knew.


    "I was angry and during that time I came across him. Keiren. I didn¡¯t know who he was at first, but we became close and he treated me well," she said, looking away from me like a thief, "Keiren told me muchter that he was the son of our enemy pack¡¯s Alpha. But by that time we were good friends and were close. He understood that I liked you but you had eyes for someone else. But he supported me and said one day I will be your Luna."


    "You fucked around with someone else and dreamed of being my Luna?" I asked coldly.


    "What a whore," Rafemented.


    "We just... he didn¡¯t knot me... we just fooled around..."


    "Yeah, only whores can call being fucked without knotting as fooling around," Rafe mocked her, "I am sure now you will also say his cock fucked your ass so you were virgin."


    She shut her mouth as Rafe showed no mercy to her lies.


    "But I only loved Kael," the bitch said, "That Keiren took advantage of me."


    "Yeah, you beg him to fuck you harder, that¡¯s how he took advantage of you," Rafe mocked again. "I heard from Kaizan what you used to do. Your horny cunt couldn¡¯t go without being fucked. Oh! I believe you know who Kaizan is."


    She was taken aback to hear Kaizan¡¯s name. "No... I..."


    "Shut up," I red at her, "I am not in a mood to hear your fuck stories. Get to the point. Tell me what happened on the night of my mother¡¯s birthday banquet."


    She finally continued. "I was fed up with your attention to Eira all the time. I was worried you had fallen for her and you will make her your mate. My dream of being your Luna was being destroyed because of that bitch. Keiren was aware of how sad I was, so he offered to help me."


    "Help?" Rafe asked.


    She nodded, "He told me if I did what he say, then I will be able to get rid of not just Eira, but Kael¡¯s friends as well who¡¯re stuck to him all the time. Once they¡¯re all gone, Kael will have no one but me."


    "So you had a n to get rid of my brothers as well?" I growled. The kind of vicious woman this bitch was. "And how did you n to do it?"


    She flinched at my icy tone. "He said if I get Eira to sleep with you, she will die once you knotted her. She¡¯s a lowly halfling who wouldn¡¯t be able to take top tier Alphas knot. And then, Eira¡¯s death will hurt Alice, and your friends. All of them would have hated you for raping and killing an innocent girl they loved."


    And she met my gaze as if to tell me she was telling some kind of secret. "Kael, you weren¡¯t the one to fall for her. Your brothers were obsessed with her as well. But you didn¡¯t see it. If she was with you, you would have fought with your brothers for her. See, because of me at least you have your brother and that bitch is gone."


    I knew my brothers better than anyone and what¡¯s in their hearts was never hidden from me.


    "How did you n to get Eira there in the hotel?" I asked, ignoring her bullshit.


    "I didn¡¯t call her there. It was Keiren¡¯s job to bring her there while my job was to add the drugs in your drink that Keiren had given to me."


    It was Keiren¡¯s n to get Eira there. That bastard was the one to call Eira the day Alice was killed, so this wasn¡¯t surprising either. Eira knew him even before. That video of her... I gritted my teeth.


    "What do you know about the video...the one with Eira and Keiren?" I asked.


    "I don¡¯t know much. He just showed me once that he had fun with a little girl. He didn¡¯t tell me anything more," she answered.


    She had no reason to protect that dead bastard so I decided to let it pass.


    "Continue after you drugged me," Rafe ordered, he let out a yawn. "Be faster. I am getting tired. And when the Vampire gets tired they need blood. And the only blood source I see here is you." He licked his fang with his tongue with a demonic look on his face.


    It scared her. "I...am telling..."

 Chapter 266: The Night That Ruined Eira-I

    <h4>Chapter 266: The Night That Ruined Eira-I</h4>


    <strong>Sophia¡¯s POV</strong>


    <strong>(shback six years back)</strong>


    During the banquet I managed to drug Kael. I made sure his mother would be the one to offer him that ss so he wouldn¡¯t doubt anything.


    It didn¡¯t take much time for him to feel the effect of that drug. I wonder how magical this drug must be to affect a top tier alpha so quickly. Keiren sure was well prepared.


    His mother thought it was because of alcohol and had asked him to rest in the hotel room reserved for VIP guests.


    The hotel belonged to my family, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for me to go anywhere and bring whoever with me. That¡¯s how Keiren could enter the hotel and was present in one of the rooms waiting for our n to fulfil.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how he was so confident that Eira would show up here to the hotel on her own when he asked her to. What leverage he held against her. That bastard had some tricks and some secrets under his sleeves that he wouldn¡¯t tell me.


    Even when he fucked me various times, and I tried to get some information from him, that bastard responded by stuffing his cock in my mouth to shut me, and choke me on his cum.


    "I don¡¯t like it when you use your mouth for more than screaming and asking me to fuck you more," he would say and continue to fuck my mouth as my punishment. The bastard was truly careful.


    Not like I didn¡¯t have doubts about why the enemy pack Alpha¡¯s young son sneaked in our pack often, and that too without being detected. And why he approached me. But his intentions towards me seemed harmless and he just enjoyed fucking me.


    So did I.


    Kael wouldn¡¯t touch me despite how good I tried to be with him, despite how I tried to get close to him, and tried to seduce him indirectly. He was immune to any of my advances. But the moment his eyesid on that bitch Eira, it was like there was a storm inside him.


    Despite the fact that he tried to not show it and he was good at it, a woman¡¯s instinct would always see through it. If that bitch wasn¡¯t a minor, I was sure he would have fucked her long back. What was so good about that lowly, ugly, poor bitch who didn¡¯t even know how to dress properly, without any mannerism of the wealthy?


    I was a grown-up she-wolf. I had my needs and Keiren fulfilled them.


    Moreover, as long as he said that he would help me be Kael¡¯s mate and Luna of this pack, I didn¡¯t care.


    That night after the banquet I went to the floor of Kael¡¯s room. Just as I stopped in front of his room, someone pulled me and punched me inside the opposite room.


    I was startled. Pressed against the closed door, a handsome face of a young Alpha appeared in my sight. So close that I could feel his hot breath brushing against my skin. His yful yet intense gaze bore into me.


    "Keiren," I whispered under my breath.


    I knew I loved being fucked by him, and the way he was looking at me at this moment, I knew he just wanted that. At that, he was truly one handsome, enticing man. If I didn¡¯t have Kael, the most powerful Alpha heir, I would have probably fallen for this bastard.


    "Were you going to disturb them, you nasty cunt?" his deep voice reached my ear. I loved it when he talked dirty, called me by dirty names.


    I remained in my ce and asked, "Is she already here?"


    He smirked and held his phone in front of my face and yed the video. "Watch and hear yourself."


    "Let me go... please... don¡¯t hurt me..." I heard the pleading voice of that bitch, "...Please... let me go... that hurts..." her loud painful cries could be heard.


    On screen there was a view of a dimly lit room. Not entirely clear, but I could see the view from the top where a naked man was fucking a woman under him. His huge form covered her entirely to be visible in footage.


    But I could tell it was Kael and there was Eira under him.


    Her hands were visible, scratching his shoulders in protest, drawing blood out of his flesh, and she was begging him.


    But Kael had truly lost his mind to hear her. He instead pinned the pair of hands above and fucked her, leaving her unable to protest.


    Her cries died down as if she was tired.


    How I wished he fucked me this way as well. There was something in Kael that I dreamed of being fucked by him several nights.


    He moved the cellphone away. "Stop watching and let¡¯s do something as well. Watching them fuck, I am already hard and you came in just on time."


    And he already started to touch me, his face over my tits and his hands between my legs.


    I wanted it as well after watching that video. I was going to imagine Kael while this bastard <strong>fucked</strong> me. But...


    "We have to first take care of their matter," I told him, "See, she has stopped screaming. Is she dead already? How long will it take?"


    I was more eager to see that bitch dead.


    In response, Keiren dragged me to the couch in the room while he said, "He is going at it for a while now. The drug will make him finish it soon. I am sure he is about to knot her."


    I heard it and got more excited.


    Keiren sat on the couch as he removed his belt, sat on the couch, unzipped his pants, looking right into my eyes, and then his huge cock was on disy for me.


    I swallowed hard. That¡¯s the same huge cock I enjoyed fucking.


    "Start with your mouth first. Once that bastard is done fucking that little cunt, I will show you how well I n to fuck you tonight."


    I didn¡¯t hesitate as he was going to give me what I had been waiting for. And it wasn¡¯t the first time I was sucking him off.


    I knelt between his legs and took his cock till the depth of my throat. As my reward for him to help me get rid of that bitch, I was going to give the best blowjob he ever had.


    The bastard was truly pleased after I began.


    "Fucking whore you are," he cursed, trying to suck in his breath and enjoying my mouth. "How I wish to ruin every hole of your body..."


    He continued to curse, his dirty talk excited me to do more. And soon the bastard grabbed my head by my hair, fucked my throat hard, <strong>and</strong> emptied everyst drop of his cum down my throat.


    Rxed, he picked up his cellphone and checked the screen.


    "They are done," he said, "Now your work starts."


    "Is she dead?" I asked excitedly, wanting to see her dead body.


    He smirked at me and patted my cheek as if I was an idiot. "You wish."


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    <i>Is she not dead? This can¡¯t be. She has to die so I can be Kael¡¯s Luna.</i>

 Chapter 267: The Night That Ruined Eira-II

    <h4>Chapter 267: The Night That Ruined Eira-II</h4>


    Sophia¡¯s POV


    "What do you mean by this?" I asked again, entirely baffled. "You said she will die."


    He smirked, "She sure will, but not yet," he said, "But I had promised you that you will get Kael, so you will get him for sure."


    I felt relived to hear it.


    "It will take time for his knot to disappear, till then let me fuck you," he smirked wickedly, "I know you want it after seeing Kael fucking that bitch."


    He wasn¡¯t wrong to say it.


    He didn¡¯t even wait for my response and swiftly tossed me on the same couch he was sitting on. "We can¡¯t mess up with your dress up," he said and pushed me on my hands, my back facing him.


    He stood behind me, lifted my short dress up and tore away my panties.


    "I¡¯ll leave your pussy forter," he said and thrust hard into my ass without any consideration.


    This bastard was always like this. But what does he mean by leaving my pussy forter?


    He continued to fuck me for long, leaving my body exhausted and limp.


    Iy on the couch while he pulled up his pants, "Go to the bathroom and fix yourself. You have to carry out the next part of our n."


    Our n? I didn¡¯t even know what the next part was.


    "Once you are ready, I will tell you what to do next," he said and went to stand by the window to look outside the city and lit up the cigarette.


    I didn¡¯t know what he even nned, but he was going to give me Kael, so I followed his instructions. I went to the bathroom to fix myself as this bastard had messed up my dress and hair.


    Once done, when I returned, I heard him talking on the cellphone with someone.


    "...don¡¯t worry. They assured me that the spell on her will leave him with no memories, and he will keep thinking he was too drunk to remember it."


    ¡¯Spell on her? What is he talking about? Has he drugged that bitch as well? Who is he talking to?¡¯


    He noticed my presence and hung up the call with, "Alright. Wait for my message."


    I acted normal and went to him, "Who were you talking to? Is there something you are hiding from me?"


    "Hiding?" He raised a brow and tucked my loose hair behind my ears. "You are just not worth telling it to you."


    Bastard was calling me worthless when he enjoyed fucking me like some horny bull all the time. Let me be Luna of this pack and then I will show him my worth.


    He observed my appearance, "You are good to go," he said and told me what to do next.I agreed to it as in the end he said I will be the one to benefit from it.


    I went outside the room. I already had the keycard of the room and entered inside.


    On the bed, Kael was sleeping on his stomach after fucking that bitch. His body looked even more enticing after fucking this bitch. I never got to see him naked before.


    My gaze shifted to the floor. Eira had somehow freed herself from him and was curled on the floor, clutching her body and sobbing.


    There were stains of blood on the bed as this bitch was a virgin. But it surprised me how she didn¡¯t bleed to her death and how she could ept Kael¡¯s knot as if it was nothing.


    Only a pureblood shewolf could handle top tier Alpha¡¯s knot.


    <i>Is this bitch a pureblood?</i>


    Dread gripped my mind. If she was a pureblood, and Kael and others get to know it, she would end up being Kael¡¯s Luna. I stood no chance to be his mate, because there was no other pureblood in existence.


    I can¡¯t let this bitch exist around Kael anymore. For that, I have to follow whatever sick n Keiren had to get rid of this bitch. This bitch must go away or die.


    Keiren had told me Kael wasn¡¯t going to wake for long, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about it. I just had to follow what he told me.


    "Eira," I called her in worry and knelt next to her. "What happened?" I looked at the bed, "You and Kael...like this...."


    She opened her teary pained-looking eyes and looked at me.


    "What happened?" I asked, acting like I was the most caring person in the world. "Has Kael done something with you? Has he hurt you? Tell me."


    She nodded lightly. "He...raped...me..."


    I widened my eyes as if I was in grave shock. "What are we going to do now? This shouldn¡¯t have happened. He was dead drunk so he must not know what he was doing."


    In response, she continued to cry.


    "Calm down," I caressed her head like a mother. "Let me figure it out. First, wear your clothes and let¡¯s go from here. We don¡¯t know what he will do if he wakes up again."


    At this she turned terrified again. The bitch should be d that a powerful Alpha like Kael had fucked her, but here she was acting like some melodrama actor.


    What a pain in the ass!


    In fear that Kael will wake up, she finally moved.


    I helped her put on her clothes that were barely left decent to wear as they were torn. Over those torn clothes, I made her wear the trench coat that Keiren had given me so this bitch would be covered or she will get unnecessary attention while leaving. Bastard prepared this as well.


    She wasn¡¯t able to walk properly. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder only if I was in her ce and Kael fucked me like this until my body gave up. How good it would have been. I had never been knoted before, so I could only imagine about it.


    We stepped out of the room as I held her and offered my support. She was more in a hurry to disappear from here like running away from a monster.


    Now, it was time to mess up with her vulnerable mind to my advantage.

 Chapter 268: Sophia Manipulating Eira

    <h4>Chapter 268: Sophia Manipting Eira</h4>


    Sophia¡¯s POV


    "See, you can¡¯t tell anyone this happened," I said.


    Now started the most important part of the n for me.


    She looked at me, walking somehow by my support.


    I looked back at her with the most genuine gaze I could offer her. "If you tell others, no one will believe you. Everyone loves and trusts their future Alpha Kael while you are nobody who came to our pack just a few months back.


    "They will think you plotted against Alpha heir to sleep with him. Everyone will turn against your family. They will punish you brutally, not just you but your grandparents for plotting against Alpha heir. So brutal that you will regret evening to this pack.


    "And even your friends and anyone associated with you will be punished gravely that only death would await for them. Your one mistake and you will lose not only yourself but everyone dear to <strong>you</strong>. You don¡¯t know how pack rules work here. They only favour pack Alpha family and the rest are just mere ants to be punished.


    "Think about Alice being punished for no reason. And yes, you have a boyfriend, don¡¯t you? They will find him as well. Do you want them to die for something they didn¡¯t do? Your grandparents will die miserable in old age. Is that even justified?"


    Whatever colors were left on her face drained entirely in a moment. In her eyes I could see the fear of losing her dear ones.


    ¡¯Such an idiot!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help butugh at how naive this bitch was. I was sure it didn¡¯t take much for Keiren to fool this bitch intoing here.


    "Now you decide what you want to do. Do you want to fileint about it?" I asked.


    She quickly shook her head. "No... Don¡¯t... tell anyone please..."


    Just as we thought. This bitch trulyck braincells. Such a child.


    "But, there¡¯s blood in Kael¡¯s bed and he will know he had fucked someone. He will search for that girl," I said. "It wouldn¡¯t be hidden for long."


    She felt even more scared now as we walked towards the elevator.


    "But I have a solution, if you agree to it," I said.


    She offered me a hopeful gaze.


    "See, you know Kael¡¯s mother already wants me to be his mate. He and I are meant to be together," I said, "I trust you so I am not even ming you for getting into my fianc¨¦¡¯s bed. There is no use. Instead, we can solve it if I take your ce."


    She looked confused.


    I exined. "He is dead drunk to even know what he did. He won¡¯t remember who he slept with. What I will do is, I will sleep next to him in his bed and tell him that he slept with me in his drunk state. That way, it won¡¯t turn into any issues. I will get engaged to him while you will live like nothing happened and your family and friends will be safe. What do you say?"


    She looked like I was doing a mountain of favour to her.


    "Can you really..." she asked.


    "I am not doing it for you, but I am doing it for Kael and my sake as well," I said, "He is going to be my mate and I don¡¯t want my mate¡¯s name to be stained as a rapist. This way no one will be hurt. As for you, you have to forget it thinking nothing happened at all. Do not tell anyone about it. Alright?"


    She nodded quickly.


    We arrived at the VIP elevator. "I had called for my driver. Once you step out of the elevator, he will find you and drop you back home. It¡¯s VIP exit so no one will see you going from here."


    The bitch agreed and I sent her off.


    Once she was gone, I returned to Kael¡¯s room. His naked body on the bed. I couldn¡¯t help but want to climb on him.


    If I seduce him in his unconscious state, will he fuck me as well? Damn the thought excited me.


    I went to the bed, my hand reaching out to touch that enticing, well defined back of his. It still had the nail scratches caused by that bitch. The drug seemed to have slowed down his self-healing ability.


    Keiren said he won¡¯t remember anything tomorrow, that who he had fucked, so it was my chance.


    Just as I was about to touch Kael, I was pulled back. It was Keiren.


    "Horny cunt, can¡¯t wait to get fucked?" he whispered in my ears, "so sad, he won¡¯t be able to do it now. The drug has numbed him entirely to feel anything. I am sure you don¡¯t want to y with his limp cock and get frustrated."


    "If he won¡¯t fuck me, how can I get him?" I said, "he needs to fuck me at all cost."


    "The only thing that matters is ¨C You get fucked and he thinks he did it," he said and stuffed something in my mouth, like a pill which went down my throat as he kissed me.


    Even before I could ask what it was, he pushed me on the bed, the same massive bed where Kael was sleeping.


    "What are you doing?" I asked.


    "Giving you what you want," he said and ripped apart my dress. "And he will think he did it."


    I understood the n. Whatever, as long as it works.


    He thrust inside me rough and hard. Forey was never his thing. My gaze was on Kael, imagining him fucking me instead of this bastard. It wasn¡¯t the first time I was imagining him.


    p!


    A hard pnded on my cheek and got me out of it. "Even today you are imagining him, bitch?" he said, moving brutally rough that made me cry in pain.


    So this bastard was always aware of what went in my mind when he fucked me.


    "I am going to give you a gift today that you won¡¯t ever forget," he said menacingly and continued like the wild animal he was.


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant. I only knew I enjoyed how he was making mee again and again.


    But then something happened and widened my eyes in shock. "You... are knotting... me."


    His heavy body entirely pressed me under him, making me unable to move as I felt his knot inside me, stretching me.


    I felt life was sucked out of me. It was too painful, I felt like I was going to die.


    "Kie...ren...."


    The bastard didn¡¯t move. He was enjoying knotting me.


    He was going to kill me today.


    My mother has told me that I carried her blood so there was a chance I could bear an Alpha¡¯s knot, but now that I felt it, I was sure I couldn¡¯t. One couldn¡¯t survive on chances.


    My mother said she had some secret herb that would help me survive Kael¡¯s knot when we be mates.


    I cried inside. <i>Only if I had asked for that medicine today so I wouldn¡¯t be dying here.</i>

 Chapter 269: Shocked Kael

    <h4>Chapter 269: Shocked Kael</h4>


    Sophia¡¯s POV


    After a long time his knot disappeared and he finally separated from me. I was in pain but I was surprised I was still breathing.


    He stepped down from the bed as if nothing happened.


    "Why did you?" I asked, trying to bear the pain.


    "Such an idiot you are," he said in a mocking tone. "You were going to im he had fucked you in a drunk state. But do you think he will do it without knotting you and making you bleed? Who would believe your lie that you could ept his knot without any harm? You are not a pureblood, you bitch."


    He made sense. I didn¡¯t think about it.


    "I just turned your situation into something that no one will ever doubt," he said. "I fed you herb which helped you bear my knot. When someone doubts you tomorrow about how you could bear his knot, let them think it¡¯s because you carry your mother¡¯s pure blood. And that you are among those rare lucky hybrid bitches who can survive it. It will make you more desirable to be this bastard¡¯s mate."


    He was right. And I knew he had nned it all since the start and it went exactly how he wanted.


    "Leave now," I told him.


    "As if I want to stay here to see your ruined cunt," he said coldly. "I will see you for the final part of the n."


    "What n?" I asked, though I was in pain, tears still streaming down my eyes.


    "Will tell you soon," he said. "This bastard will wake up soon now. Hold on until then."


    I was in so much pain that I didn¡¯t want to even think about anything. I just wanted Kael to wake up and take me to the hospital.


    Just as Keiren had nned, when Kael woke up, he found me next to him, bleeding and severely staining a big part of that white bedsheet.


    The blood stains that belonged to Eira had been covered by my blood, and entirely masked her scent, perfectly covering any sign of her existence here in this room.


    Kael was utterly shocked and was in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe he did it with me as he had no memories of it.


    But the only proof was he had truly fucked someone in this bed, and that someone was definitely me, as I was the one there, bleeding from knotting. The nail marks and bites on his shoulders left by that bitch and were yet to be healed were proof enough.


    I was taken to the hospital, severely hurt, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t die.


    Both our parents had reached there.


    Kael had no answer about what and how it happened. All he could do was ept it was his doing.


    From the surgery room, I was brought back to my room where my mother was emotional with what had happened to me.


    While Kael and his parents could only be silent as it¡¯s their son who had harmed me.


    My mother barely held her tears and said to Kael, "You should have been careful. You know my daughter is not a pureblood. If you wanted to be with her, we had prepared her for it so it wouldn¡¯t harm her like this. If not for my strong blood she carries, she would have died in your bedst night."


    My mother¡¯s words were enough to make them more guilty.


    Kael¡¯s mother had her sympathy with me and said to Kael, "You have to take responsibility of your actions. Anyways Sophia was our choice as your mate, so this seems to be the right time we go with it."


    "Mom, I am not sure how it happened," he tried to deny. Bastard still wanted to wait for that bitch he had rapedst night.


    "But, we couldn¡¯t deny it happened," the woman said softly.


    His mother was always kind and thoughtful. I was sure she wouldn¡¯t let any shewolf face unjust in her ruling. And that was my chance.


    She continued, "News has spread everywhere about what happenedst night. We can¡¯t leave Sophia to suffer even if you didn¡¯t intend to do it. I know you were drunk and I trust you enough to know my son would never harm any woman intentionally. But what happened now is beyond any denial."


    Kael was clearly not pleased. He didn¡¯t answer his mother.


    His father, the pack Alpha, didn¡¯t say a word to his son. Seemed like he was on his son¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t good news to me. In the end Alpha¡¯s words mattered the most. I had to do something to make them feel more guilty.


    "I don¡¯t want to pressure Kael into anything," I began. "I know what happenedst night wasn¡¯t any good. But I know he didn¡¯t intend to do it." Tears rolled down my eyes, my expressions pained and sad. "I tried to resist, I begged, I tried to run away, but he was just too powerful in front of me."


    My sobs increased as I looked at my mother, "Mom, it was my fault that I went to check on him if he was alright. It was my fault that I was too weak to fight him. I could only give up in the end. I was scared. That hurt too much. I don¡¯t want it to happen again. It was bad. I don¡¯t want it."


    My mother quickly hugged me to coax me. She looked at Kael, "You can¡¯t understand how much it hurt. My daughter was in pain because of you."


    He couldn¡¯t say a word or retort, nor his parents.


    Finally his mother said, "Kael. We will have your engagement announced next week. People will ask for answers and we should be ready with it."


    He kept quiet, which came out as his agreement. He was trapped entirely to deny anything at all.


    At that moment I could only thank Keiren for bringing Kael to me, even if that bastard had used me and hurt me. As long as I got Kael, I was ready to do anything.


    Finally he was going to be mine. I was going to be the Luna of this pack. Everything I had ever dreamed of was going toe true.


    The first thing I was going to do after bing a Luna was to kill that bitch Eira so any proof of that night would be erased.


    Thankfully there was no news of that bitch yet. I was sure I had scared her enough. <i>Once I am discharged, I will go see her to remind her to keep quiet. </i>


    (shback over)

 Chapter 270: The Entire Truth

    <h4>Chapter 270: The Entire Truth</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    I was enraged after she finished ¡ª how they trapped young Eira, pushed her into brutal hurt, and even then manipted her when she was hurt and scared by threatening her more.


    What would have been her situation at that moment? She must have been utterly scared, and lost and lonely. My heart hurt to even think about it.


    I stepped ahead and grabbed this bitch¡¯s hair in my hand. I had never lifted a finger to hurt any female, but this one in front of me wasn¡¯t one. This one was clearly a monster.


    "Ah... that hurts..." she winced in pain.


    My darkened gaze bore into hers. "How I wish to tear you apart right here, but as I said before, I will let you live."


    Relief washed over her and she calmed down even when still in pain.


    "You have given her your word, not me," Rafe said, "I can kill her right here."


    "I will let you if she hides anything," I replied, and looked back at her. "Now tell me how you nned to get Eira to kill Alice."


    Her expressions worsened as she must be wondering how we have all this information now after six years.


    The grip of my hand tightened even more in her hair, barely a moment away from pulling them out of her flesh. "I know you are the one who took Eira from her home to that deserted ce. You are the one who gave her that gun. I want to know every single detail or I might just go back on my words."


    "I... will tell you... just... free me... it hurts..." she winced in pain.


    I let go of her hair and stood in my ce. "Speak."


    "When I was recovering in the hospital, Keiren messaged me," she began warily as if worse was yet toe than what she had told. "He told me thest part of his n." She swallowed hard as she looked at me, "I... I didn¡¯t agree with it. I didn¡¯t want anyone else to die other than that bitch Eira.


    "But Keiren said the n was fixed and it couldn¡¯t be changed. He threatened me that if I wouldn¡¯t help, he would reveal my lies to you. He has the recording of that night when he fucked me, not you. He had cameras in that room. I had no option but to listen to him.


    "He also said after this, Eira would be gone from my life forever. If she stayed, soon everyone would get news of her being pregnant as Alpha had knotted her. She would be carrying your child and my lies would be exposed. I couldn¡¯t let her stay, so I had to do it.


    "And he said with Alice¡¯s death, her brothers will fall apart. Eira¡¯s betrayal would shake all of you, and then you would be left alone ande to me. I believed him."


    Rafe clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "If Lucian and Jason were here at the moment, you don¡¯t know what they would have done to you. They didn¡¯t even spare a woman they loved from their torture, then you are just nobody bitch."


    "I... had no option left," the bitch still tried to defend herself instead of showing any remorse.


    From Rafe, she turned to look at me. "I went to Eira with the excuse of wanting to check on her and then I drove her to where she wanted to go. Keiren had given me the gun to give her and told me to leave her there alone.


    "Later, all I knew was she shot Alice. My job was to act shocked at what Eira did. Then call the police and frame her for Alice¡¯s murder. But when I shouted, the bitch shot me as well. I didn¡¯t know she was going to do that."


    "You weren¡¯t aware Alice and Eira were drugged?" I asked.


    "Drugged?" her expressions turned confused, "When I drove Eira, she was fine. But I am not sure about Alice. I just saw her screaming and running away. I thought she was running away from Keiren and his people."


    So this bitch didn¡¯t know the entire n.


    "And after doing all this just to get Kael, you dared sell our pack secrets to the enemy," Rafe countered, "And you bitch im to love him."


    "No... I never told them any secrets," she denied straight away. "How can I even share when I know nothing about it? I, my family was never even rted to any of the security matter."


    "Then why did you me Eira for everything? Why did you say she was associated with our enemies? You dared lie even when you yourself were dying?" I raised my voice.


    "I... I just followed what Keiren had told me," she answered. "He told me once Alice¡¯s killed, I have to tell everyone the reason why Eira killed Alice to make it look without any error. After she shot me, I was even more angry at her. So when you asked me in the hospital, I said everything to frame her. I wanted you to kill that bitch for what she did to me.


    "Keiren had assured me once Eira went to the prison, and their n was fulfilled, you will kill her on your own. I didn¡¯t know they had nned to attack our pack. I was shocked when mom told me. I had nothing to do with it. All I wanted was you, Kael. I never wanted to destroy our pack. How could I when I wanted to be Luna myself?"


    Then her expressions changed."Did you kill her?" she asked, "After what she did, I am sure you did."


    "You are wrong. She is alive," I told her, my gaze icy as I waited to see her expressions next.


    "Alive? Is she still in prison?" she asked in shock, "Don¡¯t tell me you n to take her out and..."


    "She is my mate and living in my home alive and well," I told her, an icy smirk ying on my lips.


    "Oh! And Kael could revive the lost memories of that night with Eira when he mated with her just a few days ago," Rafe told her, "And the good news, she is pregnant with his child."


    Her expressions turned as if the sky had fallen on her.


    "That bitch, she is the reason I am like this and she is your mate?" Sophia gritted her teeth hatefully. "After everything I had done, she is¡ª"


    "Oh. One more thing, bitch," Rafe said, clearly enjoying it. "She is Kael¡¯s fated mate. A rare pureblood she-wolf is Kael¡¯s mate. Not garbage like you."


    "No! No!" she shook her head, "This can¡¯t be. That bitch..."


    A tight pnded on her face. I couldn¡¯t hold back as she cursed my mate.


    Blood spilled out of her mouth, and her teeth must have shaken badly, along with her ears turning deaf.


    She tried to speak in shock. "Kael..."


    I turned around and looked at the doctors that had entered the room.


    "Make sure she lives. If she dies, I will skin you all alive," I warned them and left the room.


    Rafe followed me. "That was a perfect shot... I mean p."


    I wanted this bitch to live. Easy death wasn¡¯t an option for her.


    And Eira deserved to get revenge on this bitch for what she did with her.

 Chapter 271: Feeling Each Others’ Pain

    <h4>Chapter 271: Feeling Each Others¡¯ Pain</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    Once we stepped outside, Liam was waiting for us.


    "Has she answered everything?" he asked.


    I nodded, while Kael asked, "Where is Eira¡¯s file?"


    "I left it in the security room where we were talking," he said. "I didn¡¯t go check on Eira as she would ask about her reports and...."


    "You did well," Kael interrupted him and turned to the two guards who were always there on my instructions since the day I started doubting Sophia.


    "Keep watch on them. If they try to run away, don¡¯t show any mercy," Kael instructed and turned to leave.


    "Make it a lesson they won¡¯t forget," I added.


    The guards bowed in understanding.


    I pulled out the cellphone from my pocket and said, "You heard it all. I¡¯ll hang up now. We are heading back home," and cut the call after listening to the reply from the other side.


    Before entering Sophia¡¯s room, I had already made a call on Lucian¡¯s mobile and let them hear what Sophia told us.


    Liam followed Kael. "Are you not going to exin anything to me?"


    "My mate is more important than you," Kael said and walked away.


    At this the old man stopped.


    "Liam,ter," I assured him as I understood what Kael was hurrying for.


    I followed him quietly to return home with him in his car.


    I could sense Kael¡¯s emotions that were no different from the dangerous storm brewing inside him. And I was no different.


    When he reached the driver¡¯s side, I stopped him, "I¡¯ll drive."


    I didn¡¯t want him to drive in a situation where he was overwhelmed with the storm of emotions.


    <strong>We headed back home. On the way, a group of students were passing by the roadside.</strong>


    Both our eyes followed the girls among them that resembled Eira from the past.


    Kael¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave those girls as if he was seeing Eira in them. His heart and mind were being overwhelmed more than he could bear.


    I increased the speed and drove away. As we crossed the crowded city and reached the deserted highway that connected to the estate, I took a sharp turn and drove down the road and onto the vast emptynd that led to the valley ahead.


    I stopped the car in the middle of the deserted grassynd and sat quietly.


    There was dead silence inside the car and outside other than the sound of the wind brushing past.


    After a long silence, I finally heard Kael, who had been dead silent since we left the hospital.


    "What was her fault?" he muttered, his voice heavy with emotions, his eyes nkly staring outside the window. "...That she was my fated mate?"


    I had no answer to it. But we knew they were somehow aware these two were fated mates and wanted their pureblood child.


    "Why did they have to do it with her?" his voice choked this time. Though I didn¡¯t look at him, I knew finally he couldn¡¯t stop his tears.


    The sight of Kael shedding tears was thest thing I would ever want to see. It hurt more than anything. He had always been our strong shield, a protector. If something hurt him a little, that hurt us more.


    "She was just a young naive girl... She must have been so scared... hurt... lost... and they...." he choked finally, "...I don¡¯t know how she even bore all that pain.... It¡¯s all my fault... She suffer just because she¡¯s my fated mate... I wish she was just an ordinary girl... I wish I had never met her... I wish she was never hurt... I wish...." He finally cried, "...I can only wish... I can do nothing else... I am the one who hurt her... I have ruined her life... Only I am to me..."


    I didn¡¯t stop him or try to console him as he needed to let it out. My own eyes were teary. I only listened in silence.


    "...I know why she used to look at me that way, like I am a monster..." he mumbled, "...I am indeed a monster in her life. I am everything that scares her... a ck wolf and her rapist... I truly wish I had never met her..."


    He continued to cry while looking away toward my side of the window and wiped his own tears.


    Damn! I wish I could just wipe out this past and all of us could start all over again. But just as Kael said, we could only wish.


    At this moment, I even thought... what if she had nevere to our pack and we had never met her? And she was just an ordinary hybrid. If these things could have kept her safe, I was ready to never know about her existence at all.


    Just then, I received a call from Lucian again. I answered and listened to him.


    "Hmm... that¡¯s the case," I replied, my voice equally heavy.


    After I hung up the call, I finally spoke to Kael.


    "Kael, I know there¡¯s no need for me to try to coax you, as you already know everything better than anyone. And you also know what to do next and how to keep yourself levelheaded. But if something from me can make you feel better, then I will say this¡ª we can¡¯t change what happened to her, but we can definitely decide and change what happens to <i>them</i>. Let¡¯s avenge our mate."


    I didn¡¯t have to tell him this, but I did anyway.


    He wiped his tears and said, "Let¡¯s head back home."


    After he was done dealing with his emotions, now he was back in reality¡ª more resolute and likely going to be far more dangerous to our enemies.


    I turned on the car and headed back home.


    ----


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    After Kael and Rafe left, Roman, Jason and I returned home.


    Roman got the file from the security room and we headed inside. We reached home. Eira was taking care of Raven.


    We decided to not say anything to her and acted normal, keeping ourselves busy in work, leaving Eira to enjoy her alone time with Raven.


    She was teaching him some things from the books and he was listening and understanding it with patience. Roman busied himself in office work while sitting on the sofa, while Jason and I decided to cook something new for Eira.


    Now we knew she was pregnant and that¡¯s why she was getting hungry frequently.


    I got the quick healthy snacks in the dish and offered them to Eira and Raven.


    "Thank you," she said and resumed her attention to Raven.


    She wasn¡¯t even aware today we will know what exactly happened to her.


    I received a call from Rafe. I quickly turned it into a conference call and added Jason and Roman to it. The three of us heard what was going on when Kael and Rafe questioned that bitch.


    What we got to know was utterly shocking and left us lost in some kind of dark pit. Only one question echoed in my mind.


    <strong>Why?</strong>


    The more I looked at Eira, the more it hurt. The other two were the same.


    When that bitch told how they nned to kill Alice, my already enraged self felt like turning the entire world upside down. What they did with Eira and Kael was already worse enough, and then my sister?


    Rafe hung up the call and the three of us were left stunned in our ces.


    When we were busy listening, Raven had fallen asleep with his head lying on Eira¡¯sp.


    The mother and son were entirely unaware of the dangers waiting for them.


    She was so happy to caress his head gently, a light smile was ying on her lips.


    After a while, all of a sudden her eyes turned moist and tears started to roll down her eyes. Even light sobs apanied them as she clutched her heart.


    Roman quickly hurried to her and knelt beside her, "Eira, what happened?"


    Jason and I went to her as well, worried what happened all of a sudden. She was smiling just a few moments before.


    She gasped heavily and looked at Roman, her eyes teary. "I... don¡¯t know... it hurts..."


    Jason quickly moved and separated Raven from her so he wouldn¡¯t wake up while we could take care of her.


    "Where?" Roman asked, kneeling next to her.


    "My heart..." she said, "I feel like crying... I don¡¯t know..."


    Something came to my mind. I looked at Roman, "I¡¯ll get water for her," and walked away while I made a call to Rafe.


    "Is Kael going through something?" I asked, "Eira¡¯s not fine here."


    "That¡¯s the case," Rafe replied.


    She was feeling Kael¡¯s pain. He must have been utterly devastated to know how he and Eira were set up and how he was the one to hurt her.


    "Calm him down," I told him, "We can¡¯t let her feel hurt in her condition," and hung up the call.


    I got water for her and offered it to her, "Once you drink water, it will be fine."


    She had a few sips of water and soon calmed down.


    <i>Kael must be calm as well.</i>


    For the past six years he had been feeling her pain. Even if Kael was in pain, her life was full of hurt, so his pain didn¡¯t make any difference to her.


    But now she was living a quiet life with no suffering, she can finally feel his pain so distinctively. Not just fated mates, but they were now bonded as well. The effect of it would be stronger, sharing every ounce of pain together.

 Chapter 272: You Are Pregnant

    <h4>Chapter 272: You Are Pregnant</h4>


    Rafe¡¯s POV


    By the time we reached, Eira was sitting on the sofa with Roman by her side, his hand wrapped around her to coax her.


    Lucian had told me what she was going through due to Kael being emotional and hurt. It was good to see her calm and fine now.


    Kael came inside with me and nced at Eira. Once sure she was fine, he first went to Raven who was sleeping on the mattress by the window side with Jason still by his side, making sure nothing disturbed his sleep.


    Now we knew Raven was Kael¡¯s son, this truth hit truly different. Though we had already epted Raven as ours, with this truth, it felt he was a part of all five of our souls. He was the son of our Alpha, our mate brother, and now ours as well.


    Kael sat at the edge of the mattress and gently caressed Raven¡¯s head. The emotions of a father that he didn¡¯t know he even had a son. A son who was with enemies and was being tortured.


    Through the bond, I could feel all my brothers felt the same as me. An overwhelming emotion that couldn¡¯t be said in words.


    Our eyes moist as we watched Kael. What must be his emotional state at the moment?Eira had her eyes moist, once more she was feeling Kael¡¯s emotions, but she didn¡¯t know.


    She buried her face against Roman¡¯s chest to hide her tears, probably thinking it¡¯s just her body acting weird again.


    Roman held her closer and coaxed her gently.


    The rest of us could only look at each other.


    After a while, Kael finally spoke. "Jason, take Raven to another room."


    We understood Kael was going to talk to Eira and he was making sure Raven wasn¡¯t there in case he woke up.


    Jason followed the instructions and carried Raven to Roman¡¯s room, which was downstairs.


    Kael then looked at Lucian, "Where¡¯s the file?"


    Lucian pulled out the file from the drawer chest and handed it over to Kael.


    Kael turned to Eira who was still trying to control her emotions. It showed Kael was hurting inside and it reflected in her, just that he was good at hiding his tears.


    "Eira," Roman called her.


    She opened her eyes and looked at him.


    He wiped her tears and said, "Kael wants to talk to you about something."


    She looked at Kael who walked towards her.


    Roman released Eira from his hold and stood up. "I am just here."


    He walked towards one side where Lucian and I was standing, and stood with us.


    Jason had returned after leaving Raven in the other room.


    Sitting on the sofa, Eira looked at Kael in confusion, probably thinking what¡¯s there that he wanted to talk about all of a sudden.


    Kael opened the file, pulled one page out of it and ced the file on the table. Eira watched him in silence, but was taken aback when he silently knelt before her.


    I held my breath, my heart almost skipping a beat at what¡¯s going to happen. We four could hear each other¡¯s heartbeats as it was the moment we felt anxious, anxious to see Eira¡¯s reaction.


    "What happened?" Eira finally asked him, meeting his gaze.


    Now we knew she hated him for what happened to her that night in the hotel room, but she at least preferred tomunicate with him since a while now.


    I was afraid after the truthid bare, it might change and she goes back to hating him again.


    Kael silently watched her for a moment before cing a report paper in herp.


    With her hand trembling a little, she held the paper, her expressions worried.


    "You are pregnant," Kael said.


    His voice, his gaze was calm and steady, masking any storm that was brewing inside him.


    Her hands holding the paper shook visibly and she looked at him.


    "Our child," he repeated in an assuring soft tone.


    She let out heavy shaky breathing, her eyes moist, her hands clutching that report. Her lips trembled to say something, but no word came out.


    Kael held her trembling hands and gently squeezed them tofort her.


    "What I said is true," he said, his silent gaze meeting her teary one.


    Letting her absorb the news, he asked, "Is it fine for you to have a child... with me?"


    His voice shook a little, as it wasn¡¯t the first child they were going to have.


    Tears rolled down her eyes, and she nodded lightly.


    Kael let go of her hands and wiped her tears. "It will be only your decision. Only if you want it."


    She nodded again, that showed she was sure of it. Though shocked and surprised and probably still hated Kael, she was firm about this child.


    His eyes moist at her eptance, he moved his one hand towards her belly as if he could feel his child under his touch. He moved his gaze from his hand to her.


    "That¡¯s our child growing inside you," he said softly, "I will protect him... he will grow up in a safe and happy home, the way a child deserves to be."


    She nodded, but her sobs increased, too emotional at the moment.


    Four of us had our eyes moist as well.


    Kael wiped her tears, "I believe you will be the best mother a child can have. He or she, they are fortunate to have you as their mother."


    She continued to cry. I couldn¡¯t guess this time what was going on in her mind, but one thing was sure, she didn¡¯t reject this child. She didn¡¯t refuse to have a child with Kael.


    With her teary eyes she read the report, wiping her tears that were hiding her sight. Her hand moved to her belly, as if making sure there was a life growing inside her once more.


    Four of us looked at each other. Obviously, we were relieved to see her reaction. None of us wanted her saying she didn¡¯t want this child. If she had said it, then we would have followed her wishes. But Kael would have been truly hurt.


    Once she had her fill of realization and eptance, she looked at Kael, "My child.."


    "Yours," Kael assured her.


    It¡¯s fine she called it her child instead of theirs. As long as she was happy with it.


    Her lips curved into a light smile and she looked at the reports once more as if trying to verify again.


    Kael let her have a moment and called her again. "Eira."


    Now, the rest of us held our breaths once more. We knew where Kael was heading to.


    She looked at him, containing her happiness.


    "You are a rare pureblood she-wolf. Born once in a hundred years," he said, his gaze remained locked with hers.


    Her hands shook once more, her expressions changed, utterly speechless as if she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "That means you can only have a child with your fated mate," he said again. "And we both know I am your fated mate."


    The happiness she was feeling a moment before wiped away entirely, her expressions turned ashen.


    "It also means the first child you had was mine as well," he said, his voice shaking a little.


    There was dead silence in the drawing room, as those two stared at each other while four stared at them, almost holding our hearts in our hands.


    "You know I was drugged and didn¡¯t remember it," he said, his voice shaking, "But why didn¡¯t you tell me... med me for what I did with you? When I showed my hate to you, why didn¡¯t you confront me with how much you hate me for what I did with you... why didn¡¯t you tell me the kind of monster I was with you...? You should have..."


    Silent tears rolled down her eyes as she looked at him. The pain she had been hiding inside her finally showed in her eyes, in her pained expressions.


    The young girl, who could tell no one what happened with her back then, the one who suffered in silence, that girl¡¯s pain was visible in her eyes now. Her lips trembled to say something, but the reminder of that pain left her unable to say a word.


    "Why didn¡¯t you me me when you finally had the chance?" Kael asked. "You should have confronted me."


    Though she was aware he was drunk or drugged, she wasn¡¯t aware how they were set up by the enemies. She had all the rights to hate him and me him.


    And during these past two months with us, she had various chances to mock Kael with it. But not even once she said a word despite how angry she got.


    Mentally unstable?


    The person who could control themselves from revealing something they wished to keep buried even at the cost of their life, the humiliation they faced, the depth of hate and bitterness they had in their hearts, despite that, the resolute nature to not reveal the truth even in their most vulnerable state, it was far from being mentally unstable.


    "Why didn¡¯t you say anything, Eira?" Kael asked again, determined to get things out of her.


    "You weren¡¯t thest one," she finally mumbled, her voice mixed with light sobs as she continued to cry.


    Damn! Her words felt like a knife just stabbed our hearts brutally.


    There were uncountable bastards who forced her over the past six years, then counting one or ming one, what difference would it make for her?


    What will it even change for her?


    The one who was hurt by her words the most was Kael. His fated mate was being hurt over the years, and he was the first one to hurt her.

 Chapter 273: I Know...I Can Feel It...

    <h4>Chapter 273: I Know...I Can Feel It...</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    The tears and emotions Kael had been trying so hard to hold back finally spilled out, breaking free like a dam that had reached its final limit. His breath trembled, his shoulders shaking as everything he had been holding escaped him.


    "I am sorry..." he mumbled, the words choking him, barely audible. "...I am sorry... Eira..."


    In response she could only cry harder, her memories resurfacing painfully, ripping through herposure.


    No apology in this world could erase what she had endured, yet those three words were all any of us had. ¡¯We are sorry¡¯ the only thing to offer in front of a wound too deep, too unfair.


    The four of us stood frozen in our ces, each fighting our own storm of emotions, our own tears that refused to stop. What could we possibly do to take even a fraction of her pain away?


    If Kael hadn¡¯t needed to speak with her, I would have gone to her and pulled her into my arms, to give her even the smallest sense offort. And I knew¡ªwithout question¡ªthe other three felt the same.


    Jason, who had been like an emotionless rock for the past six years as if all kinds of emotions had died inside him, I saw him turning to face away and wiping his tears.


    Regret. Guilt. Pain. It was etched into each one of us, like punishment carved with fire.


    "Trust me... I never meant to hurt you..." Kael¡¯s voice cracked, heavy with agony. "I would rather die myself. If I had even a flicker of awareness... even a moment of realization of what I was doing that night, drugged or not... I would never have touched you. I loved you even back then..." His voice brokepletely, his throat closing. "...I would never have hurt you..."


    Kael held her hands tightly in his, clinging to her as though losing her would end him. His head bowed over their joined hands, tears falling freely as grief and guilt suffocated him. The rest of his words never made it past his lips.


    With teary eyes, she simply watched him. Then, slowly, she slipped one of her hands free and moved it... to his head.


    All of us went still.


    She caressed him gently.


    "I know... I can feel it..." she whispered, her voice soft, trembling yet strangely steady.


    What did she mean? Could she truly feel his sincerity? His regret? His love? Or was it something tied to their bond?


    Kael lifted his head, stunned.


    It should have been her moment to break, her moment to crumble under the weight of everything she had endured... yet she didn¡¯t. Instead, she wiped <strong>his</strong> tears with trembling fingers and whispered again,


    "I know you never lie," she said again.


    We were stunned speechless¡ªnot just Kael.


    "I didn¡¯t say anything because I had no expectations from my life. All I wanted was to die. That¡¯s the only thing I could think of."


    Her voice was soft, yet every word felt like a de carving into all of us. She wasn¡¯t saying it for pity ¡ª she was stating it like a fact she had lived with far too long.


    "But now you have expectations. Now you have life. You can curse me, show your anger and hate for what I did with you," Kael said, his voice trembling, almost pleading for punishment he believed he deserved.


    "No use. I don¡¯t want to go back there. And I am so used to pain that nothing hurts me anymore," she said, sounding like someone far older than her years. "If I ever want something from you, it is my son. Just give me that and I will be good," she said, trying to wipe away tears that wouldn¡¯t stop no matter how hard she tried. "I only want my son."


    Mere the mention of her son could bring all her emotions out, and wipe away the hatred in her heart and mind. He was truly her hope to her salvation.


    Kael nodded, trying to get back to his senses. "Your son. That¡¯s our son. He..."


    "I know I am not well," she interrupted him, before he could say more. Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to speak. "When you think so much about Raven and keep him away from me, I am sure you won¡¯t let our son be close to me as well."


    "Eira..." he tried to speak, but..


    "I ept that I am not well." She interrupted again as if she was afraid Kael would truly keep her son away from her. "So, you can keep our son somewhere safe. When you feel I am fine, you can bring him to me. Maybe when Raven epts me as his mother, that would be enough for you to know that I am alright. Isn¡¯t it?"


    Her red teary eyes were hopeful. "Until then, look after him. I will wait for him."


    I could see Kael wanted to tell her the truth about Raven but...


    "If you are so determined to get better, then I should not fail your resolve," Kael told her quietly, his voice steadying with purpose. "And when you feel you are entirely fine, you will see our son right in front of you."


    Her breath hitched ¡ª and her eyes glimmered like that one sentence was the first warm sunlight she¡¯d seen in years.


    A trembling lips curved into a light smile. "I will wait."


    "Will there be a day when you won¡¯t hate me anymore?" Kael asked, his voice small ¡ª something I had never expected from him.


    "I hated everyone that hurt me, but I don¡¯t remember anyone except for you. Because you were someone I knew and it hurt me more." She was being honest finally.


    "But now I don¡¯t know if I even hate anyone at all." she whispered, exhausted ¡ª not just physically, but in the way a soul grows tired. "I just want to be at peace. I am tired of everything... Too tired."


    There was a pleading in her voice now, asking to let her be at peace.

 Chapter 274: Unforgiving Towards Jason

    <h4>Chapter 274: Unforgiving Towards Jason</h4>


    Lucian¡¯s POV


    She was pregnant and exhaustion now clung to her like a second skin.


    At that, past six years had exhausted her mind and soul. How much one could even endure atst to give up entirely one day. That¡¯s what happened with her.


    Jason hurried to get water for her. The bastard cried more than any of us ¡ª tears falling like every regret he had stored for years finally came undone.


    He didn¡¯t think when he was torturing her. But now? Now he looked like someone who wished he could go back in time and drag his past self to hell.


    None of us had hurt her physically the way he had. And I wasn¡¯t innocent either. I was an ass to support his actions.


    We all carried our share of guilt.


    But hers... hers was the only pain that mattered now.


    The three of us went to her. Roman sat on one side of her and Rafe on the other. Bastards left no ce for me.


    "You are right. There is no use in hating our own people when we are going to live together," Roman said quietly, gently ¡ª as if afraid one wrong tone would break her again.


    She looked at him.


    He wiped her tears and caressed her cheek, his touch soft and reassuring as he continued,"All we can do now is think about a better future, and a safe and happy life for our kids. The one we already have with us... and the others that would be with us soon."


    She nodded, slowly ¡ª as if epting the words not just with her mind, but with her soul.


    The way she looked at him, I could tell she trusted Roman more than she trusted any one of us. At least one of us was worth her trust. And I was sure, soon she will see the same in us.


    "Caldwell, you seem to have grown up now," Rafe said, attempting to lighten the air with a teasing tone. He patted her head. "Good girl."


    She shrugged his hand away from her head and narrowed her eyes at him. For a brief moment, that small reaction breathed a faint spark of normalcy into the chaos surrounding us.


    Jason returned with a ss of water. "Have this."


    Eira didn¡¯t look at him, but she took it. Her silence toward Jason wasn¡¯t just rejection ¡ª it was a wound, deep and justified. She wasn¡¯t going to forgive him that easily.


    Jason knelt beside Kael, voice barely holding together. "I am sorry... I truly failed you..."


    She quietly drank water, turning her gaze away from him. Her eyes turned moist again.


    We brothers looked at each other. His apology hurt her more.


    It was the first time I was seeing Jason apologising to her. I was sure he had tried before when we went to our old home on Alice¡¯s death anniversary, but I know she must have rejected his apology even then.


    I knelt on Kael¡¯s other side. "I am sorry for what I did with you in prison."


    I expected the same silence she gave Jason ¡ª cold, distant ¡ª but instead she spoke.


    "I killed your sister, so I deserved it. Nothing is worse than taking someone¡¯s life, and I will never forgive myself for that. Even if I was drugged, I am a sinner."


    "Alice was Jason¡¯s sister as well," I said softly. "And Jennifer his mother."


    I wasn¡¯t defending Jason ¡ª I was exining his side. Because just like me, he had acted from a ce of grief and loss. She might never forgive us... but I couldn¡¯t let Jason be the only viin in a story where all of us were broken.


    She didn¡¯t respond. It was clear ¡ª among all of us, Jason was the one she would not forgive.


    Maybe he had to do something more to earn her forgiveness and that <i>something</i> he himself had to decide.


    I nced at him, and he didn¡¯t argue, didn¡¯t flinch ¡ª just epted it with the heaviness of a man who believed he deserved every ounce of her silence.


    "I deserve to be punished," he murmured, looking at her with eyes full of regret. "I ept it. But whether you want it or not, I am going to protect you always and our kids."


    She didn¡¯t even give him the dignity of a reaction. She simply looked away, as if the sight of him was too heavy to bear. It wasn¡¯t hate she had for him, but something too hurtful she didn¡¯t want to talk about.


    For a moment there was a silence.


    Rest of us four had to see our one brother being isted by her, and being hurt. As much we loved her, we brothers loved each other the same as if we were one soul.


    Maybe one day she will change towards Jason as well. We could only hope.


    I noticed the way all of us surrounded her ¡ª Rafe and Roman beside her, and the three of us kneeling before her.


    Submitted.


    Not just to her...but to our Luna. We had already epted her as one.


    This we had never done to any female or even felt acting this way. She had been the only one we were ready to give our all.


    At that was a relief that Even after everything revealed today, the oue wasn¡¯t tragic. It wasn¡¯t rage or rejection.


    Maybe she had been waiting for the day when Kael acknowledge what he did with her, show his regret and ask for her forgiveness. Today she got it.


    And she understood.


    She finally understood none of us had been her enemy ¡ª we had been victims of the same darkness that tried to break her.


    But I knew better that the damage done to her was too deep for our lives together to go that smoothly. It would be being delusional to even think about it.


    <i>The remnants of hate and bitterness always lives in the heart of the wounded one and they shows up once in a while. </i>


    And we will ept that as well, thinking we were fortunate to receive anything she offered at all.

 Chapter 275: My Son

    <h4>Chapter 275: My Son</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    As she was finally calm, I wanted to tell her the full truth ¡ª how I learned everything, how everything connected ¡ª but then I saw her lean into Roman, letting herself rest.


    The emotional storm she had just gone through had drained herpletely. And with the pregnancy... her body was already exhausted.


    It wouldn¡¯t be right to overwhelm her with more now. I have to wait for a while.


    "Are you alright?" Roman asked her softly, holding her protectively with both arms wrapped around her.


    "I¡¯m just tired," she whispered back, barely audible, closing her eyes as she let her face rest against his chest.


    "You need to rest," I told her quietly. My hands still holding hers, caressing it gently. "You¡¯re pregnant, that¡¯s why you¡¯re feeling so many changes. You¡¯ll feel exhausted often. I¡¯ll ask Liam to do something to help."


    She let out a tired little hum ¡ª a small sound, yet enough to show she had heard me.


    "I¡¯ll cook something delicious for you. You might feel better," Lucian said gently. "Anything particr you want to eat?"


    "Brownie and ice cream," she murmured sleepily. "Chocte one. Slight burn. No nuts"


    The smallest hint offort in her voice brought relief to all of us ¡ª she was opening up enough to express what she wanted... even down to details.


    "I¡¯ll get the ice cream," Jason added immediately. "Which vor do you want?"


    "Cookie crush," she replied without opening her eyes, snuggling deeper into Roman as if talking itself required energy.


    Jason¡¯s expression softened ¡ª almost relieved. She didn¡¯t look at him... but she responded. Maybe her cravings were stronger than her resentment.


    She liked everything in chocte, cocoa falvour. It made me wonder is her choice of taste is influenced by her pregnancy.


    This also made me wonder, <i>Is she carrying a girl child or a boy?</i>


    Though, I was fine with any, deep in my heart I wished to have a daughter just like her mother. We already had one son.


    But then, she was willing to have this child was more than I could even even ask for.


    Jason and Lucian quietly moved toward the kitchen to prepare everything she wanted ¡ª almost as if fulfilling her requests was a duty.


    Just then, the sound of a door opening echoed softly.


    We looked toward Roman¡¯s room.


    Raven had woken up and stepped out, rubbing his eyes sleepily.


    "Good morning, bud," Rafe said with warmth, already getting up to go to him.


    "Is he awake?" Eira mumbled, her voice tired, words fading into Roman¡¯s shirt.


    "Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take care of him," I reassured her gently. "If you want, you can sleep inside the room."


    She shook her head weakly, refusing, still curled in Roman¡¯s embrace ¡ª as if letting go now would take strength she didn¡¯t have left.


    I stood and walked toward Raven, my steps slow, my breathing steady ¡ª carrying new weight.


    A father approaching his son.


    Rafe knelt before him and gently caressed his hair. "Had a good nap, bud?"


    Raven nodded, still rubbing his sleepy eyes.


    "Daddy Lucian and Jason are getting brownie and ice cream. Want to have some?" Rafe asked, his voice warm and yful.


    Raven nodded quickly ¡ª almost eagerly.


    Rafe chuckled softly. "You¡¯re a foodie just like your mommy."


    I reached him then, standing close, just watching him ¡ª silently.


    That¡¯s my son.


    Standing right in front of me.


    A piece of my soul, my blood, my existence.


    My chest tightened with emotions so intense I could barely breathe.


    Raven looked up at me. His gaze was innocent, questioning. He must have wondered why I wasn¡¯t speaking. Why I was just staring...


    I was trying to convince myself ¡ª fully, deeply ¡ª that what stood before me wasn¡¯t a dream.He was my child.Mine.


    Slowly, Raven lifted his arms toward me, wordlessly asking to be held.


    My heart nearly stopped.


    Even without knowing the truth... he already chose me.


    I picked him up carefully, as if he was fragile ss. He immediately snuggled against me, his small head resting on my shoulder, his tiny hand slipping around my neck ¡ª trusting, secure, content.


    Rafe stood and watched us with a smile that held more meaning than words."Kids truly have great senses to recognise who¡¯s theirs. And Raven is smart."


    I understood what he meant. And it only overwhelmed me more.


    I gently caressed Raven¡¯s back, feeling his warmth, the steady beat of his small heart ¡ª memorising the weight of him in my arms.


    "Do you want to sleep more?" I whispered.


    In response, he buried his face deeper at the base of my neck and gripped my shirt tighter ¡ª as if he didn¡¯t want to be anywhere else.


    "Sleep then," I murmured, and slowly paced across the drawing room, holding him close.


    My son.


    The words echoed in my chest again and again.


    I lowered my head and inhaled his scent ¡ª instinctive, primal, consuming.


    <i>My pup.</i>


    My wolf stirred, ws scraping against the inside of my ribcage ¡ª possessive, protective.


    And then another emotion rose with it ¡ª darker, sharper, merciless.


    I had seen my son suffer. Every night in nightmares that weren¡¯t dreams, but memories.


    Asher.


    His name tasted like poison.


    I was going to make that bastard pay ¡ª in blood, in screams, in regret so deep he¡¯d beg for death long before I allowed it.


    No one touches my child and lives.


    No one.


    I calmed myself before my thoughts could grow darker ¡ª because Raven was in my arms.His warmth grounded me. His breathing steadied mine.


    He wasn¡¯t asleep; he was simply content... enjoying being held.


    Every child should feel like this with their father... shouldn¡¯t they?


    Past five years he must have missed this warmth. How lonely, lost and scared he must have been all these years and learned to mask it behind his silence.


    My heart hurt to even think about it.


    "Alright. Brownie and ice cream here," Lucian finally announced, clearing the heavy emotions rising in my heart.


    Jason and Lucian brought everything to the sitting area instead of the dining table, cing it on the center table for everyone ¡ª a silent consideration so Eira didn¡¯t have to move much.


    Roman, who had been sittingpletely still to avoid disturbing her, gently caressed her cheek."Eira. Time to eat."


    She nodded softly and began shifting upright.


    "Raven, time to eat," I whispered, carrying him to the sofa. I sat beside Eira with him between us.


    She smiled faintly at Raven. "It smells great, isn¡¯t it?"


    Just seeing him awake and sitting near her was enough to pull her out of her exhaustion.


    Raven nodded eagerly, waiting patiently.


    Not just Eira ¡ª Raven too had changed.Both of them were finally expressing what they liked... not suppressing themselves anymore.


    Roman handed Eira her share, while I paid attention to Raven.


    Mother and son began eating together, their delightful expressions told me how happy there were to eat it.


    <i>Those two are my life.</i>

 Chapter 276: Do You Want A Sibling?

    <h4>Chapter 276: Do You Want A Sibling?</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    "It¡¯s for everyone," Lucian added.


    "Even if you didn¡¯t say," Rafe already had his portion, after offering Roman one as well, and said, "Rome, we poor children can eat as well. In our childhood days all this was just a dream." He let out an exaggerated sigh.


    Roman offered him an agreeing nod. "Precious dream indeed."


    "Stop being a drama queen bitches again," Lucian muttered, annoyed at the two. "Get over it already."


    "Okay, daddy Lucian," Rafe winked, unfazed. "Don¡¯t scare the poor kids."


    "Fuck off," Lucian grumbled under his breath, picking up his ice cream and settled in on sofa.


    Meanwhile, Eira leaned toward Raven, whispering softly to him, "You can¡¯t learn the bad words they say. Alright?"


    Raven nodded obediently.


    "Good boy."


    She didn¡¯t even attempt to scold Rafe and Lucian anymore ¡ª it was clear she didn¡¯t have the energy. Instead, she focused on guiding her son, the only one she cared to correct.


    Rafe scoffed. "Wait till you hear your mommy talking worse than us. She has a PhD in cursing."


    "Shut up, you¡ª" she stopped herself just in time, casting a quick look at Raven.


    "What? Say it," Rafe teased, raising a brow.


    She red at him, then looked directly at me.


    I understood immediately."Rafe. Focus on eating."


    Inside, I couldn¡¯t deny it ¡ª the small act of her looking to me for help meant more than I could express.


    Rafe groaned dramatically and returned to eating.


    "Kael, you¡¯re not eating?" Roman asked.


    "I¡¯m good."


    "You won¡¯t lose your muscles if you eat sweets at least once," Lucianmented, then turned to Raven with a grin. "Do you think Daddy Kael should eat with us too?"


    Raven looked up at me ¡ª and the look in his eyes wasn¡¯t demanding.Just hopeful.Soft.


    I exhaled quietly. "I¡¯ll have a few bites."


    Raven gave a small smile ¡ª barely there, but enough.


    So I picked up the small dish of brownie. Sweet foods were far from my preference, but I forced those first bites down, swallowing past the unfamiliar sweetness.


    The reactions around me were immediate ¡ªughter, grins, amusement.


    "Only a woman and child can make a man do what they don¡¯t like," Rafe announced proudly.


    "Eat quietly, or you¡¯ll go back to those childhood days of only dreaming of eating," I warned, tone t as ice.


    Rafe shut his mouth instantly.


    I could see others were smiling, including Eira, somehow trying to suppress it.


    I sighed and ate quietly just because they were insisting.


    Just a while ago this home had sad and guilt ridden vibes, and now it was entirely changed. Now this home felt like our happy heaven.


    Once we had done eating, the rest of us moved to our things.


    Rafe, the idle one among us five, sat next to Raven and they turned on the TV. They watched a cartoon of adventures of a young wolf kid with his family.


    "Raven, do you see that baby wolf has parents, and then siblings as well. See his little sister and oh, and that cute baby brother as well?" Rafe asked.


    Raven nodded.


    "You also have one mommy and five daddies, right?" Rafe asked.


    The rest of us around looked at them, knowing what Rafe was doing.


    "Umm... but you don¡¯t have siblings, right?" Rafe said. "Wouldn¡¯t it be great if you have a sibling to y with you? The one you can take care of, love and protect just like our baby hero wolf?"


    In response, Raven silently moved his gaze from Rafe to the TV and watched it for a while.


    All of us looked at him, wondering what he was thinking. Eira sitting next to them seemed tense to not get any response from him.


    "If we have a little baby in home, all of us will love him together," Rafe said again.


    I went to Raven as if I could understand what was in his mind.


    "Raven. Come here," I said as I settled on the sofa.


    He came to me, silent and something going on in his mind.


    As he stood before me, I leaned forward and held his hands. "Are you worried that if we have another baby in this house, we will love you less?"


    He looked at me for a few moments and shook his head.


    "Then, you think the other baby might be hurt just like you?" I asked, careful with my words.


    Finally he nodded.


    Damn! He was worried for some other child.


    I patted his head. "That¡¯s so thoughtful of you to care about others. But trust me, if you have siblings, they won¡¯t suffer anymore. Daddy will protect them just like I protect you. Love you and care for you."


    "It was truly sad that you were not with us before, but the other kids we have, they will always be with us. And none of them will ever be hurt. Kids are not meant to suffer but they are meant to be loved by a family. We will do just that. And we will keep bad people away from them. Alright?"


    Finally Raven nodded.


    "So, are you fine with having siblings?" I asked.


    The rest of the others watched us.


    Raven nodded again.


    It was time to tell him that he will be getting a sibling soon.


    "Soon we will have a newborn baby in our family," I told him. "Mommy is pregnant. That means she is carrying a baby inside her."


    Raven looked at Eira, who was anxious for his reaction.


    Rafe said, "You can¡¯t see it now." He moved his hand to Eira¡¯s belly and said, "The baby is growing here."


    Raven looked at Eira¡¯s belly, which was t under Rafe¡¯s hand.


    "Come to mommy," Eira told him.


    Raven went to her and she held his hand to put it on her belly. "The baby is here, but it must be pea size. Soon it will grow and you will see mommy¡¯s belly turn round. The baby will grow just as beautiful as you are."


    Raven was silent, but his eyes showed he was curious.


    "Little guy, don¡¯t worry, we will see your mommy round like a ball as well," Rafemented yfully.


    Raven looked at him.


    Rafe picked up the phone and showed him an animated picture of a pregnant woman. "Just like this. See, there¡¯s a baby inside."


    Raven curiously looked at it and then looked back at Eira.


    "It doesn¡¯t hurt," Eira told him as if she understood what he meant. "It grows slowly, not at once."


    Finally he looked relieved and handed back the phone to Rafe.


    "How cute of you to worry about others¡¯ pain," Rafe held him and pecked on his head. "You make me feel like the most proud father."


    Raven was indeed thoughtful and caring. Despite being among the monsters, there was nothing like them in him.


    Maybe because his mother was a gentle soul and he took after her.


    Five of us loved him the same, without even thinking who was his biological father. He was five of ours son, and the next child will have it the same.

 Chapter 277: The Phantom Heat

    <h4>Chapter 277: The Phantom Heat</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    In thete afternoon, Liam had arrived home. The old man must be restless the entire time to know what exactly we got to know from Sophia.


    After Eira was calm, we as a family were stable after the talk, only then Kael allowed Liam toe to our home.


    Taking care of her was the first priority so Liam had to wait.


    "Let him hear the recording of what Sophia said," Kael instructed me.


    It was a normal protocol to record such talks for the record and as proof. Later when we need, we could hear it again to find some additional clues that we might have missed.


    At the security room, I let Liam hear it and then only guided him towards the home.


    On the way home, Liam¡¯s mood was entirely sore.


    "Bastards are really something to ruin a young girl¡¯s life and kill so many innocent people in our pack," Liam mumbled with anger. "I wish all of them rot in the depth of hell but the death won¡¯t grace them."


    Now that he sounded like a typical cursing old man.


    "What do you think about the extent of involvement of her grandparents," I asked as we walked together, "We know they are with Asher now. But you used to know them."


    "Bastards have sold out their own granddaughter. Only if I get my hands on them.....They were so clean with all records and their behaviour that anyone who knew them back then wouldn¡¯t doubt them," Liam said. "Bastards had managed to fool everyone."


    "Too perfect is always suspicious," Imented.


    "We were just blind to see it," Liam said in a regretful tone. "If I had even the slightest doubt...." he sighed. "But back then it was like hell copsed on our pack in just one night for anyone to even pay attention to a girl who was framed perfectly for a crime."


    "We will get those old hags sooner orter," I said. "They will have a lot of begging to do to Eira."


    "They better, or you can just hand them over to me. I will perform a postmortem on them while they are still breathing and find out what¡¯s wrong with those rotten bastards."


    Liam was truly pissed. He truly cared for Eira.


    Even in the past, he was fond of Eira and loved to exin her things rted to the medical field. I enjoyed seeing her around as I was a resident under Liam. I got to see her around often and sometimes I even exined things to her. Those were beautiful days and the moments I spent with her.


    We reached home. Liam controlled himself and went to Eira who was enjoying another round of eating snacks after she had finished lunch just an hour ago. It was normal for a she-wolf to eat this much as werewolf babies grew faster than human babies.


    Until she finished her snacks, Liam talked to Raven.


    "You are bing healthier, Raven," Liam said, "Seems like you are eating well."


    Now he said it, I noticed Raven had indeed turned a little chubby. Even my brothers observed him and hummed in delight.


    "He apanies his always hungry mother whenever she eats something," Rafemented. "Soon we will see two round balls rolling inside this home."


    Eira came to sit on the sofa. "Don¡¯t call my son a ball," Eira said to Rafe and held Raven closer, "He is cute."


    "When did I say No. Even you are cute in my eyes," Rafemented, and sighed, "My eyesight must be decline to find you cute."


    "Then go check it, you nocturnal bird," she countered.


    Liam let out a cough to interrupted them. While offered a nce to Rafe to stop him.


    Liam patted Raven¡¯s head. "Well, that¡¯s good. Growing werewolf kids need to eat more. So don¡¯t hold back."


    Raven simply looked at him.


    "Raven, go y with Fluffy," Kael told him, "He is waiting for you."


    Raven looked at Fluffy who was waiting for him at the exist to the side garden. Raven nodded and left. We didn¡¯t want him to be here when Liam was going to check Eira as Raven was a child to hear adult things which he shouldn¡¯t.


    "Congrattions," Liam said to Eira.


    "Thank you," she replied and heard Liam, "Your test reports are all good. Rest we will have to see the baby¡¯s growth through some tests."


    She hummed. Now she wasn¡¯t unwilling to let Liam check on her, unlike before.


    "You have to arrange everything she needs here in this home," Kael instructed, "We will have one room turned into a hospital room where all the tests could be done and even the delivery is carried there. She is not going to the hospital."


    Liam let out a sigh, but he understood the reason. It was good to keep her and the baby at home, where they would always be safe. "Sure."


    "Jason and I will do it under his instructions," Lucian assured.


    "The outermost room which has entry from outside as well, that will do," I suggested, "So the staff with Liam doesn¡¯t need to enter that room from inside the home. And after the delivery, we will move Eira and the baby into a room prepared for them."


    All agreed to it.


    "Alright. If you guys are done, let me talk to my patient and give her some instructions," Liam said.


    We resumed our work, but our ears were at what Liam was going to tell her. We will follow those instructions as well and take care of her well during this important time.


    "You must have understood by now that all those sudden changes in you were due to pregnancy," he began.


    Eira hummed.


    "You can eat all you want, you can rest whenever you feel tired, and do everything that you feel like to, even if it¡¯s something silly. The more you are happy, the baby will grow healthier. You can feel free to let your mood swings take over you."


    He leaned in to whisper to her as if we wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him. "And you can trouble these five bastards as much as you can and take your anger out on them. You will feel better."


    She looked at him in a little surprise.


    He offered her a smile and whispered again, "They can¡¯t do a shit. You are the one in power now. Those bastards can¡¯t grow baby inside them, the only thing they can¡¯t do."


    Did he really think we didn¡¯t hear him? Bastard old hag. But yeah, she was free to do whatever she wanted with us.


    She nced briefly at us all and nodded lightly to him.


    So she was agreeing to get back at us. Well, we don¡¯t mind. Especially me. I can¡¯t wait for her to show all her anger to me.


    He stopped whispering and said, "Females usually don¡¯t get into heat during pregnancy, but there are chances you might feel phantom heat."


    "Phantom heat?" she mumbled in confusion.

 Chapter 278: Cold Woman Eira

    <h4>Chapter 278: Cold Woman Eira</h4>


    Jason¡¯s POV


    "It¡¯s not actual heat, but your body acts that way as if you are in hear. In phantom heat it¡¯s not necessary for you to mate if you can bear it," he exined, "But if it¡¯s difficult, it would be good you mate because you are different from other pureblood shewolves. It will benefit you and the baby. The delivery of a pureblood child is not easy, so it will help you get it easier."


    Her cheeks turned a little red as all of us were there.


    "Don¡¯t worry. Only until you deliver the baby," he said, "Itsts only four to five months for she-wolves. But as you are rare and pureblood, and depending on the gender of the child, duration varies between four to six months. You don¡¯t have to trouble yourself with nine months like in humans."


    She hummed.


    "Do you remember how long your first pregnancysted?" he asked.


    She looked at him speechless for a moment and shook her head like in guilt.


    "I am sorry," Liam said in an apologetic tone. "I was just trying to guess it for theing delivery so we can guess based on your previous delivery. But it¡¯s fine....."


    "I didn¡¯t know when and for long I was even pregnant," she mumbled in a low but regretful voice.


    "Can you tell me how you got to know it?" he asked. "Given how you couldn¡¯t recognise your pregnancy symptoms this time, I am sure you didn¡¯t face it back then."


    She kept her gaze lowered and said, her voice a little low. "After they tortured me in prison, I had lost my mind and I didn¡¯t know what was going on around me. One night I was suddenly moved out of prison. I didn¡¯t know where they were taking me, and didn¡¯t care. But when they took me to the new ce, a woman came to check on me.


    "She told the other woman with her that I was indeed pregnant. From their talk it felt like they were already aware of my pregnancy, but then I looked at my belly and finally realised it had indeed grown a little. So maybe they had guessed it from the size of my belly. If not for that woman I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it for long. I was so unaware of my own body as if it wasn¡¯t mine anymore."


    The more she talked, the more our hearts were in pain. Every day there was a new revtion from her and each one was like a new thorn being stuck in our hearts. How much more we were yet unaware of.


    "Hunger, tiredness, crying, all of it was the same since my days in prison due to those disgusting men. Maybe I couldn¡¯t distinguish them from the symptoms of pregnancy. Even when I was pregnant, those traffickers didn¡¯t stop sending men to me, so I didn¡¯t know. The only thing I knew was the growing size of my belly and then the presence of my child when he started to move inside."


    "Have they taken you to the hospital?" Liam asked.


    She shook her head, "It was done in the same room I was staying in when I started havingbour pain. The same woman was called to deliver a baby."


    Liam let out a sigh. "Those bastards will sure go to hell."


    "They didn¡¯t let me feed. My baby was crying," She got emotional now, but didn¡¯t shed tears this time.


    We knew this as she had told Roman once and we heard it that how they didn¡¯t even let her feed her crying child and took him away after letting her hold for a few moments.


    "The cruel bastards," Liam frowned and exined, "They intentionally did it, for a reason."


    "To hurt me?" she asked.


    Liam shook his head. "It¡¯s because they didn¡¯t want any connection to form between you and your child after it was out of your body. If you fed him or had stayed with for long, there was high chances you would have left an imprint on your child."


    "Imprint?" she asked.


    "A rare shewolf like you have that kind of ability as they posses strong sense of protecting their child. With that imprint, you could sense him if the child is nearby. Or one day a child would have followed that imprint and had found you. It¡¯s a strong connection between mother and a child that breaks only one of them dies, or when a child finds a mate and form mate bond with their mate."


    Her expressions turned that of regret now. "I didn¡¯t know or...I would have tried..."


    "It¡¯s alright. No one knows more about the rare shewolves," Liam said in a gentle tone."


    If she had left imprint on Raven, she would have recognised him at the first nce. Not sure it was good that she didn¡¯t leave imprint on him, or a bad thing.


    "And I am d you are sharing it on your own. Being honest and letting things out is a good sign towards healing and even better for the baby," Liam continued.


    She offered a light nod.


    "I will get a gynaecologist for you," Liam said and looked at us five, "Mind you, a female gynae."


    The bastard knew what was the right thing to do.


    Liam turned to her and whispered again, "I am the only fortunate male who is alive even after touching top-tier alpha¡¯s mate. But others might not be, so I have to get you a female gynaecologist."


    Eira looked at us as Liam managed to divert her attention from her emotional state.


    All our expressions were soured at the thought of another male touching her. Liam was an exception. We didn¡¯t even consider him a male, but just her doctor. But if we said it a loud, the old man would be offended.


    She looked back at Liam and said. "Don¡¯t worry. I am no virgin maiden for them to mind another male touching me. They can¡¯t change the fact that so many have already done more than just touching me. They would be tired if they begin to count."


    Damn. The cold woman.


    The entire drawing room fell dead silent.


    Liam smiled at her. "I am proud of you."


    The old hag was praising her for getting back at us.


    She was truly going to get revenge on us all with her thorny words and we could only swallow them in silence despite how much it hurt.


    "Not just counting, everyone of them would be dead," Kael said as he looked straight her. "And I don¡¯t care how many of them have touched you. For me you are still that old Eira, and mine now. No outside male is allowed to touch you."


    She looked at him speechless, or maybe touched?


    "Many of them have died already," Lucian said, as he came to stand behind Kael who was sitting on the sofa. "And we won¡¯t stop until we reach every single one of them. Few are being used as my drug testingb rats and most are being used to create new torture weapons for Jason."


    "Oh, and I offered few a living hell," Rafemented, "You should have seen them screaming when my pets were picking out their flesh bit by bit."


    She was utterly speechless now.


    She had tried to make us feel worse, and yes we felt it. She clearly seeded.


    But then we had our own resolve to lessen our guilt. None of the bastards would be spared.

 Chapter 279: Fake Birthdate

    <h4>Chapter 279: Fake Birthdate</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Liam was truly pleased at how Eira was ready to get back at us, but the bastard didn¡¯t know we were waiting just for that. We wanted her to take out all that bitterness she had been holding in for years.


    "And you shouldn¡¯t shift when you are pregnant," I heard Liam tell her. "There¡¯s a chance to hurt a baby as your body goes through the critical anatomical changes when you shift."


    "I won¡¯t," she assured.


    The more I looked at her, the more I could see she was determined to do everything to protect her child... our child.


    "There are some rare cases when strong purebloods like you had to shift to protect themselves and it didn¡¯t affect their child, but it¡¯s always good to not shift to avoid any risk," Liam added.


    As they talked about shifting, I had questions in mind which I meant to ask her for a while now.


    "Eira," I called.


    She looked at me.


    "As you have never shifted before and never truly connected with your wolf, how did you know the kind of wolf you are," I asked, leaving another question to be asked once she answered this.


    We all waited for her answer, but she looked a little lost.


    "How did I know?" she mumbled as if trying to remember it.


    "For every werewolf, only after our first shift we get to know what we are," Liam told her, "your first shift happened recently, but you already knew you were pureblood she-wolf, not a hybrid. How?"


    She simply stared at Liam nkly as if letting his words sink in.


    "Have you shifted before?" Liam asked, "Was the recent one not your first shift?"


    Her expressions turned even more confused and lost.


    I felt something was off.


    I looked at Rafe who was sitting next to her. Both of us shared gazes and Rafe wrapped his hand around her.


    "Are you alright, Caldwell? If you want, we can stop asking you these questions if you don¡¯t want to answer yet."


    She looked at him, her expressions a mix of sadness and confusion. She shook her head and said, "I never shifted before...But don¡¯t really remember how I know it... I just somehow know for sure that I am pureblood..."


    As expected. Nothing about her was so easy to find out thanks to the scheming bastard who had set her up.


    Rafe tried to coax her as he rubbed her hand gently.


    "It¡¯s alright. We believe you if you say this recent shift was your first," I assured her.


    "Just like other things, we will find the truth behind it as well. Just know that we believe in you and everything you say," Roman added.


    We wanted to show our trust in her. She wasn¡¯t a liar.


    Though unsure, she hummed anyway.


    "Kael is right, don¡¯t force yourself," Liam said.


    "There is something else," I said, "That night I came to meet you in the prison, were you aware of your wolf¡¯s truth? That you are a pureblood she-wolf?"


    It was a hurting night for both of us when I had rejected her and it pained both of us like our hearts burning in hellfire. But I had to ask about it keeping aside the wrong I had done.


    She thought about it for a while and shook her head. "All I know when I saw you, my wolf said mate. And I was shocked. Shocked that you were my mate, and that I heard my wolf for the first time. I don¡¯t know how that happened."


    I hummed. "Then, after that when did you understand it? In prison or when you were with traffickers?" I asked, hiding my emotions.


    "I think... I knew it since my days in prison after meeting you?" she said, "It came to me like a sudden realisation and I was shocked at myself. Shocked that I am a pureblood, that¡¯s it. But how I realised it, I never thought about it. As if it skipped my mind like it wasn¡¯t anything important or I had always known it... I am not sure...."


    I let her absorb the shock for a few moments before I continued, "We are going to talk about your birthdate. It¡¯s really important to talk about it, alright?"


    She hummed, waiting to hear me. God knew how many shocking revtions we were going to have just in a day.


    "The day I came to see you in the prison, ording to your documented birthdate, you were still a minor," I said, "But you could recognise me as your mate, that means you were already an adult. That means your documented birthday is fake."


    "Fake?" she mumbled. "I had no track of time or dates in the prison."


    "Your real birthday should be during your time in prison until I came to meet you there," I exined, "Because a week before you were sent to prison, we..." Damn, I had to remind her again, "We were together. Even if I was drugged, I, my soul, would have felt the presence of my mate, but I didn¡¯t. So you were a minor that night."


    A silence fell over the room to be reminded of that incident. Her being minor made it even worse.


    "So, her right date of birth is between this duration," Lucian broke the silence.


    "I am sure we can find it out," Jasonmented.


    The two brothers already had a n.


    I hummed and instructed them, "Do it."


    Eira looked at us in surprise. "How will you find it?"


    I looked back at her to meet her gaze. "We will have to check the footage in the prison to check if you had shifted there, but for some reason you don¡¯t remember it. If that¡¯s not the case, then someone must have told you what you are and we need to find that someone."


    "I don¡¯t remember someone telling it to me," she said.


    "I know," I assured her, "But that someone can make you forget it. Just like how I don¡¯t remember that night as if that part hadpletely vanished from my life. As if it never happened."


    Rafe continued to rub her hand gently, while Roman said, "If someone can y with Kael¡¯s memories, then they can do it with you as well."


    Now she understood. I could feel the sadness and hurt she was feeling.


    "But Caldwell, you are not doing what I had been asking you to," Rafe said again.


    She looked at him, "What?"


    "I told you to use your brain and ask the right questions," he said, "And here is your chance. Use your brain and ask the right question on what we just talked about. You better not disappoint me, or I will stop my lessons for you."


    Her brows knitted and she gave it a thought. After a few moments of silence, she questioned, but to herself, "Why is my birth date fake?"


    "Smart girl," he said and pecked on her head.


    His coaxing, forcing her to think andforting her, kept her level headed.


    "My grandparents and I always celebrated it on that same day I had always known," she said. "Why did they tell me a fake date?"


    "That we need to ask your grandparents," Rafe told her.


    "I don¡¯t know where they have been. They never came to see me in prison nor I...." Her voice felt choked, tears in her eyes as her only family members didn¡¯t care for her.


    "We will find them soon and you can ask them yourself," Lucian told her.


    She hummed as once again tears rolled down her eyes.


    "Eira, I am sorry, but another question I need to ask you," I said, trying to not let my resolve melt in front of her tears.


    I should truly be punished for asking her questions instead of coaxing her at this moment.


    She wiped her tears and hummed.


    "Since when do you remember being with your grandparents?" I asked, "The oldest memories you had with them."


    "I remember being with them always," she replied. "Grandpa even had a video of me when they celebrated my first birthday. Not only first, but they recorded my every birthday celebration with them. Only three of us in it."


    <i>So she had been with them when she was a baby.</i> But, one this I was sure as hell that they weren¡¯t her real grandparents.


    "We should go and check who came to meet her in the prison," Jason said, "If there is any footage left of it."


    We were sure there might not be any as our enemies were being careful, but we had to give it a try.


    As Jason and Lucian were about to leave, I connected with my brothers through the mind link. We had to talk, without Eira listening to us. No need to stress her over something she didn¡¯t have any answers about.


    "Find out if any powerful Alpha or Luna had ever lost a daughter two decades back. Follow the timeline from when Eira was born and afterwards," I instructed the two.


    "I am sure a pureblood like her is definitely a child of strong purebloods," Romanmented, agreeing to my im.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will ask my people to get the information of every lost child during a certain timeline," Lucian assured.


    Both of them left.


    Now we had to find Eira¡¯s parents if they still existed. Finding her origin will help us solve why our enemy hated one innocent girl who never wronged anyone. Such cruelty could only be the oue of some deep seated grudges.

 Chapter 280: Truth Of Eira’s Video With Keiren- I

    <h4>Chapter 280: Truth Of Eira¡¯s Video With Keiren- I</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Eira, have your grandparents ever talked about your parents or any clue from where you people belong?" I asked, "Everyone has a ce of origin."


    She shook her head. "They just told me my parents died when I was a baby. How? Why they didn¡¯t really exin. Nor did they ever say about our origin. The only thing I remember about ck wolf, that they said, was the reason we were on the run. That certain ck wolf wanted to kill us," she tried to remember as much as she could, "I had told about this even before that why I feared ck wolf."


    Yeah, she had indeed told us. And her grandparents were the ones to fill her mind with bad things about a ck wolf.


    Liam sighed. "Even I was only aware of their existence in their previous pack. I wish I had been careful and tried to dig in more back then instead of trusting my friend blindly when he brought them to me."


    She looked at Liam and to me for a while and asked, "Do you think my grandparents are bad people?"


    I didn¡¯t want to hurt her by saying something which we didn¡¯t have solid proof about.


    "It¡¯s just our assumption that something is not right with them," I told her to keep her mind at peace, "We will know for sure once we find them. There is a chance they are a victim just like you."


    She hummed lightly, but her own expressions puzzled, unsure.


    "Eira, you always said your grandparents were strict with you," Rafe said, once more to pull her out of her conflicted thoughts. "Then, howe you were allowed to leave the homete in the night, the night when Alice died?"


    "I sneaked out of the home," she answered, "I was told to not let anyone know about it. And my grandparents were sleeping so..." She stopped. That night she didn¡¯t want to remember.


    After a moment of silence, I asked again, "Don¡¯t you want to know how I got to know about that night in the hotel room?"


    She looked at me, her gaze questioning, "Who told you?"


    I answered, "Sophia."


    Her eyes widened in shock, "Sophia... she is alive..."


    I nodded. "She is alive but has been bedridden for the past six years."


    She looked like relief washed over her as if a weight of one murder had been lifted from her chest.


    "Due to various reasons I got suspicious of her and got the truth out of her," I kept it short enough to let her understand. "She admitted that Keiren and her plotted it against all of us, from that night in the hotel till Alice¡¯s murder."


    "Why would she do it?" she asked.


    "She wanted you to die if I knotted you and to turn my brothers against me. She wanted to iste me as she found you people a hindrance in her way of bing my mate. She knew I liked you and your existence threatened her..." I continued to exin. "...and Keiren¡¯s our enemy."


    Sophia¡¯s reality shocked her.


    "It¡¯s true. Drugging me and bringing you to me was their n. And they seeded in it," I assured her again.


    Eira looked utterly betrayed. "She... she was there... She told me..."


    "It didn¡¯t go as she wished. You were alive so she had to change the n. She fooled you into taking your ce and then became my mate," I had to exin my side to her as there was already news circting about me and Sophia bing my mate. "I remembered nothing between us. Still I didn¡¯t even want to ept her, but my mother insisted on taking her responsibility."


    Disbelief covered her face when she heard it.


    "It was her and Keiren¡¯s n as well to kill Alice, and frame you so you won¡¯t say anything about that night," I added, "They wanted to destroy us all, my pack, my parents."


    Eira gritted her teeth. The relief she had after knowing Sophia was alive was gone entirely. "That bitch... I always knew she wasn¡¯t good."


    "You said once in your anger that she was cheating on me. You were aware of her and Keiren?" I asked.


    "Once I saw her kissing someone, but didn¡¯t know who that was," she replied, "I failed to see his face, but I was sure that wasn¡¯t you. So..."


    That bitch was whoring around, and fooling my mother with her pretense of innocence.


    I had another thing to ask, so I went on.


    "Eira, these things don¡¯t end with just Sophia and Keiren. We have more enemies and for that I need to know the truth. Can you tell me how you ended up at the hotel? Alone, sote?"


    She was hesitant, but answered anyway. "He threatened me with the video of me and said he would spread it everywhere. He said if I wanted him to delete it, I had to be there at the hotel. I didn¡¯t want anyone to see it. But..."


    "How did he force you into doing it?" I asked. The bastard forced my mate and even captured the video.


    "I... did it to protect Alice," she said, her gaze lowered in embarrassment.


    "How?" I asked.


    <strong>(shback)</strong>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    That day Alice was upset that her brothers were sent to the Alpha training camp frequently.


    "They always had this Alpha training every six months, but what¡¯s this sudden change?" Aliceined as we were returning from evening sses. "It¡¯s like I don¡¯t have brothers anymore. They returned for a day and left again."


    I tried to exin, "Your brothers are powerful Alphas so...."


    "Don¡¯t try to take their side," she interrupted me, "You are my friend. You better take my side and help me inining."


    I could only hum.


    "Now say, they are wrong to leave me alone like this, their only sweet little sister," Alice instructed, "Say it."


    I suppressed my smile at her childish behavior and obeyed. "They are wrong to leave their sweet little sister alone for so long. They should be punished." But then I thought, ¡¯And he is wrong to return to Alpha camp and leave me alone. But I am d he made it back for the Moon festival. He kept his promise.¡¯


    My hand gently clutched the pendant hiding under my top, the one he had gifted me that night. ¡¯Gosh! I already miss him. I wish we could spend another night together when he returns.¡¯


    "Why are you blushing all of a sudden?" I heard her say.


    I awkwardly cleared my throat, "It¡¯s... cold. So..."


    "Liar," she mumbled. "Don¡¯t tell me you are thinking about your boyfriend when I am sad here," Alice acted being upset. "You haven¡¯t told me yet who he is."


    "I have promised him that we will tell everyone after my birthday," I exined. "I told you already."


    She let out a helpless sigh. "Alright! I know you are so loyal to whoever that bastard is. I just hope he is not some piece of trash who is fooling my innocent girl."


    ¡¯You shouldn¡¯t call your brother a bastard,¡¯ I chuckled inwardly. ¡¯You will regret itter.¡¯


    "Don¡¯t worry. He is a good man," I assured her.


    "That I will decide, not you," she offered me a re, "I will be the judge of his character. I won¡¯t let anyone fool you."


    "Alright!" I gave up.


    "Now that you don¡¯t tell me who he is, as your punishment, you have toe with me," she said and held my hand.


    "Where?" I asked, letting her drag me along the road.


    "Somewhere I want to go."


    From the main path, she guided me to the woods and through some shortcut she knew, we reached thekeside.


    "Isn¡¯t it a beautiful ce to forget my sadness?" she said, looking at theke reflecting the starry sky in the water.


    It was indeed beautiful. Just a night before there was a full moon so the sky was still lit up with that slightly cut moon.


    Both of us settled on the grass, talked and had some snacks we had in our bags.


    "What did your boyfriend give you on the full moon?" Alice asked, "It better be something good or..."


    "It¡¯s good," I said before she could curse her own brother again.


    "What is it?" she asked, her gaze curious.


    I pulled out the pendant hiding inside my top and showed it to her. "This?"


    She stared at it for a while before looking into my eyes, "Your boyfriend gifted you this?"


    I hummed and asked, "You didn¡¯t like it?"


    She frowned and looked towards the sky. "It¡¯s your boyfriend¡¯s gift. What does it have to do with whether I like it or not?"


    She was right.


    Seeing me quiet, she said again, this time soft, "As long as you like it, value it, that¡¯s what matters. And I think it¡¯s a good gift. Must be a good guy as well."


    I agreed with every word she said. And it wasn¡¯t just a gift, but felt like he had left a part of him with me in case I missed him in his absence. It was so precious to me.


    After half an hour, I said, "We should head home. My grandparents will scold me."


    "Your grandparents are such a pain in ass," Alice frowned and stood up and offered me a hand, "Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want them to punish you."


    Just as we stood up, two cars stopped by thekeside after mming on the brakes hard and making a noise. We were taken aback by this suddenness.

 Chapter 281: Truth Of Eira’s Video With Keiren- II

    <h4>Chapter 281: Truth Of Eira¡¯s Video With Keiren- II</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "What the hell?" Alice mumbled as we watched a few young men stepping out of the cars. Four of them. And they looked straight at us.


    I didn¡¯t get a good feeling. "Alice, let¡¯s go." I tried to hurry her and she nodded.


    But those bastards caught up to us and surrounded us. Our path was blocked.


    "Pretty young girls by thekeside at this hour?" one of themmented, circling us and observing us like a pervert. "Seems like feeling lonely, huh?"


    "Leave our way," Alice said angrily.


    "Lonely little girl is sulking," anothermented as he stood in front of Alice and tried to touch her, "Seems like you need a good fuck to not feel lonely anymore."


    Alice shrugged his hand away, "Don¡¯t you dare touch me. My brothers will break these hands of yours."


    All of themughed. "She has brothers?"


    I didn¡¯t know what to do. I simply nudged Alice, "Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t argue with them."


    Alice knew it as well and both of us turned to the gap left between them.


    But another one moved to block our way. "We would like to see who your brothers are. So how about letting us touch you, and better, fuck you." He looked at the student ID card still hung around Alice¡¯s neck. "You are not a minor either."


    These bastards at least knew to not mess up with minors. But that didn¡¯t make them any good.


    "Please let us go," I said finally, "We are gettingte for home. Our families are waiting for us."


    They turned their attention to me.


    "Oh! How I missed this one," another one said, "This one seems even more beautiful to fuck."


    It sent a shiver down my spine. Alice and I looked at each other.


    These were Alphas and we weren¡¯t getting out of here unless they let us go or someone arrived here to stop them.


    "Tsk! This one is minor," I heard one of them holding my Id card in his hand.


    I held Alice¡¯s hand to stop her from saying anything as I knew her temper could truly worsen things.


    With my free hand, I pulled it back and said, "Yes, I am minor. And please let us go."


    "Damn, how I wish to try fucking a minor," other one said and my blood went cold. "Minor¡¯s cunt must be hell tight."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it," Alice finally lost it and pulled me behind her. "You know the punishment in this pack if you hurt us."


    Theyughed and said, "Surprise. We aren¡¯t from this pack."


    "Still, our Alpha won¡¯t leave you," Alice countered, "And my brothers will kill you even before our Alpha could reach you."


    "Really?" Theyughed again. "And who are your brothers?"


    "Lucian and Jason, one of the powerful young Alphas, and friends of our future Alpha Kael," Alice answered with pride. "Kael is top tier Alpha and all of you can die under his Alpha aura. You better let us go."


    "You guys had your fun?" A voice came through as thest one stepped out of the car.


    The way he walked and behaved, he seemed to be the leader of these four.


    "Not yet," someone answered. "I am in a mood to cum and one of these two is going to be my cumdump."


    Thatst one came to stand before us and looked at Alice. "Lucian and Jason, huh? Those smug bastards," he chuckled wickedly. "And Kael? What a lovely night to get back at those assholes by ruining this little girl?"


    Fear gripped me as I was sure this one wasn¡¯t joking. His intentions, his enmity towards Lucian, Jason and Kael was clear in his eyes.


    "Do as you please with her," he instructed.


    The two of them quickly held Alice, while the other two already turned to them.


    "Alice," I tried to get her, but someone pulled me back. "Stay back, you minor."


    "Bastards, let me go," Alice struggled to free herself.


    I was left stunned, not knowing how to protect her or fight these strong people. They were going to hurt her.


    "Strip her, and fuck her," he instructed. "Make sure to get a video of it and send to her brothers."


    All I could do was kneel on the ground and lower my head. "Please. Please don¡¯t hurt her," I begged. My eyes were moist. "I beg you. Please." Tears rolled down my eyes.


    He looked down at me, leaned low and held my chin to make me look at him. "This bitch looks beautiful while crying," he said and asked his friends, "What do you guys think?"


    "She is, but the bitch is minor," another one said.


    It was a strict rule in the werewolf world to not harm a minor or the consequences were worse. Not like minors weren¡¯t hurt ever, but those incidents happened somewhere in a hidden world. But in open society, no one dared. The council rules spared no one when theint is made and the person is found guilty.


    I was somewhere confident they wouldn¡¯t hurt me. So I begged again. "Please don¡¯t hurt my friend. I beg you."


    "Alright!" he said and looked at his two friends that were toying around with Alice by almost unbuttoning her shirt entirely and touching her chest as they pleased. "Stop it, you two."


    They stopped and he pulled his attention back to me. "I am letting your friend go, but on one condition."


    I could tell it won¡¯t be anything good, but I was fine as long as they won¡¯t rape or kill Alice and me.


    "What... is it..." I asked.


    "You have to suck all our cocks," he said.


    I was utterly shocked. No words left my mouth, only fear gripped my mind.


    "You bastards, don¡¯t touch her," Alice shouted from that side.


    "Your friend can¡¯t keep quiet when I am nning to stop my friends from fucking her," he said to me. "Seems like she will learn a lesson only when all of us fuck each hole of her."


    "You bastard..." Alice shouted angrily at him.


    "I will do it," I told him. "But you can¡¯t touch my friend. Let her go."


    "Eira," Alice shouted, "You can¡¯t..."


    I looked at her. There was anger, helplessness, fear, guilt and all kinds of emotions I could see in her eyes.


    "It¡¯s alright," I assured her.


    My gaze asked her to not make things difficult for both of us.


    Her way was to fight it out which wouldn¡¯t work with these bastards, so I had to choose the other way- the way to protect both of us.

 Chapter 282: Truth Of Eira’s Video With Keiren- III

    <h4>Chapter 282: Truth Of Eira¡¯s Video With Keiren- III</h4>


    Tears she had been holding in behind the pretence of her being tough rolled down her eyes finally. "Eira..."


    I tore my gaze away from her and looked at him. "You are letting her go."


    "After you finish us off like a sweet little whore, I will let you two go back home," he said.


    I let out a resigned sigh as I was ready to follow their demand.


    "Eira, don¡¯t..." she said, "I¡¯ll do it...You don¡¯t have to... Eira..."


    I didn¡¯t look at her while the bastard in front of me said, "Lock that noisy bitch inside the car and shut her mouth."


    They dragged Alice to one car and locked her inside after shutting her mouth by wrapping a cloth around her mouth and tying her hands behind her back.


    I could see her struggling inside and looking at me with her teary eyed, asking me to not do it, but I avoided looking at her.


    If she got out of the car and these bastards changed their minds, they would hurt her. And I didn¡¯t want that.


    As disgusting as it felt to me, I convinced myself saying- <i>it¡¯s just a blowjob. Better than letting them rape Alice.</i>


    One by one I had to suck them off while one of them was recording it all.


    When it finally finished after the time that felt like one long eternity, they threw Alice out of the car and left.


    I was still kneeling on the ground, dirty from what they spilled on me, feeling utterly shameful and disgusted at myself. It was as if I hated my own existence at the moment. I wished the ground below me could swallow me alive.


    "Eira," Alice came to me, crying and lost at what to do. "I am sorry... I am sorry..." She cried. "It¡¯s all because of me... I shouldn¡¯t have brought you here..."


    I looked at her with my teary eyes, relieved that she was fine. The pain I was feeling lessened.


    My Alice was safe and those bastards were gone.


    But my heart hurt for some other reason now. If he, my boyfriend, ever got to know that I had done this for other men, I didn¡¯t know what he would think of me. I was scared, embarrassed and all kinds of worst emotions were storming inside me.


    "Eira..."


    Her voice pulled me out of my nightmarish thoughts. Yes, thinking of not having him in my life was no less than a nightmare.


    "Don¡¯t tell anyone about this to anyone," I said to Alice. "Don¡¯t tell your brothers, please."


    "But we have to file aint. Those bastards...."


    "I beg you. Please don¡¯t," I cried hard. "I don¡¯t want anyone to know about it."


    "I won¡¯t," she assured. "I will do as you say. Please don¡¯t cry."


    She helped me get clean and even dropped me at home. We promised each other that we won¡¯t mention this incident to anyone and we would be always careful to not roam around alone.


    But I wasn¡¯t sure until how long Alice could keep quiet.


    Sooner orter she will tell her brothers and ask them to punish those bastards. And maybe by that time, I would gather enough courage to face him and tell him as well.


    Then, in the end, it would be his decision whether he would want to break up with me or not.


    I did nothing wrong. I just protected my friend, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t control how some other person felt about it.


    If he truly loved me, he would understand me. I hoped he would.


    (shback over)


    ----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    It was truly angering to know what happened with her and Alice. The girls should have been well protected, but we had truly failed to do so. Our enemies managed to get to them.


    It¡¯s all because someone inside the pack had helped them. Other than Sophia, someone else was involved, the one who plotted everything with enemies and even passed secret information in the pack.


    From the look of it, it didn¡¯t look like a coincidence that Keiren reached these girls that night and got something against Eira, which heter used to ckmail Eira into leading to the hotel, and in my room.


    Each and everything that happened was well nned for long, which was carried out after Eira shifted to our pack. Even hering to our pack was a nned move.


    The more I thought about it, the more I felt angry.


    But I controlled myself and watched her shedding tears once more after she told what happened with her.


    Lucian and Jason must be hearing it as well, and I could only imagine their rage after knowing how that bastard Keiren and his friends tried to assault their sister and then hurt Eira.


    If we could, we would have dragged that bastard out of the dead and killed him again with a worse death than before.


    "I am sorry that we weren¡¯t around you to protect you and Alice," Roman finally said as he settled next to crying Eira.


    "That night you came to the hotel and returned home, weren¡¯t your grandparents aware of it? They didn¡¯t doubt something happened with you?" I asked.


    She shook her head. "That night as well I sneaked out of home and when returned after few hours they were still sleeping. I didn¡¯t dare tell them anything. I was scared."


    "They didn¡¯t have the slightest of doubt?" I asked.


    "By the next morning I had fallen sick and had high fever. So when my grandma came to my room to see why I wasn¡¯t out of the room, she thought I was just sick," she answered. "So, they didn¡¯t have doubt."


    "And after that you never left home until that night," I referred to the night when Alice died.


    She nodded as she wiped her tears. "I was sick so I had a reason to not leave the home. Alice wanted toe see me, but I told her not to. She knew my grandparents didn¡¯t like it, so she obeyed. I knew she was feeling guilty for that incident by thekeside and wanted to meet me, but it wasn¡¯t her fault. She was a victim as well."


    Both the nights- when Eira was raped and the night she killed Alice, her grandparents were sleeping. Despite them being so strict with her, she could sneak out of the home so easily and so much happened with their only granddaughter, but they were unaware.


    That was truly questionable.


    When Eira was falling into enemies¡¯ plot, those two were preparing to run away. Once Eira killed Alice and was taken by the police that night, those bastards old hags had already disappeared from the pack.


    How I wished to drag them to dungeon and send them to real hell.

 Chapter 283: The Bond Never Broke

    <h4>Chapter 283: The Bond Never Broke</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I let her be calm and said again, "There is something else I want to tell you. You can get angry at me for that."


    "What is it?" she asked, now entirely normal as if there was nothing that could shock her.


    "The person we treated by using your blood, that was Sophia." I didn¡¯t want to hide things from her now.


    She simply looked at me, not sure how to react.


    "I had to save her from dying so I could question her, or we would never know the truth. I am sorry that I saved the one who hurt you, but that was needed," I said firmly. "And I will make sure she is punished for what she did. Death¡¯s just an easy way out for her."


    "Caldwell," Rafe said, "We will let you punish her. How about that?"


    She looked at him. Her sad gaze changed to something else now. Rafe could get her evil side out and she didn¡¯t bother hiding it from him.


    He smirked at her as both their gazes met. "I can see you liked the idea."


    But then she quickly averted her gaze and touched her belly. "I don¡¯t want my baby to be in presence of disgusting bitch."


    "We don¡¯t have much time left with that bitch as she would be gone," Rafe told her. "So you better think twice. Also, you know world is cruel so let our baby learn to deal with the evil. Early lessons are best so no one could dare hurt themter."


    His words seemed to make sense to her and she asked, "Where is she going?"


    "To the perfect hell she deserves," Rafe answered.


    "Before that, we will let you see that bitch," Roman added. "I am sure she would curse her life when she will see you are still with Kael, with us, despite her pathetic nnings."


    Rafe had a deal with Kaizan and we had to hand Sophia over to him. We had to find out why Kaizan was so obsessed with that bitch.


    "I think this much is enough for the day," Liam said as he looked at me.


    I understood. She was burdened with so many revtions in just a day. Not good for her.


    He looked back at Eira. "That was too much for you. I hope you rest well and make up for it. Your body needs rest and mind needs peace. We want baby to grow healthy, right?"


    She nodded.


    Liam was leaving after instructing Eira on certain things.


    I looked at Roman. "Take care of her," I said and stood up to apany Liam outside.


    Rafe stood up as well. "I¡¯ll go check on Raven."


    The little guy was ying outside with Fluffy. And then Rafe apanied him.


    As we stepped out of the home, Liam looked at Raven. "He looks more rxed now. Or it was rare to see him smiling before."


    I hummed. There was indeed a change in Raven. Before, he used to stay in one ce while Fluffy yed around him and brought back the ball Raven used to throw.


    But now, we could see Raven running around and Fluffy trying to block his way. He looked like a happy kid now.


    "Even before I didn¡¯t know he is your son, I felt strange resemnce with you," Liam said. "Even if he did nothing but stayed silent, it reflected the aura like you."


    I was d to hear it and believe every word Liam said. Even in my heart I used to feel that strange familiarity with him, and even without saying a word, we both used to work in perfect sync like he was a part of me.


    And he indeed was.


    Maybe I should check my childhood pictures to see if my child version resembled him. If mother was alive, she would have been able to tell it right away.


    As we walked ahead, I asked, "Liam, even after I had rejected back then, I believe my bond with her didn¡¯t break."


    "And you could feel everything she had been suffering," Liam said just what I wanted to say.


    "All these years I didn¡¯t know what I suffered every single day was her pain. I used to think it was because of what happened with my family and pack," I exined, "until that night when Jason tortured her in the stable and I felt it. I understood the reason. But how? Why was the bond still there? Because both of us are not ordinary werewolves?"


    Liam hummed. "A pair of mates like you and her are like something happening once in a million chances. There can be many top tier Alphas like you, but a shewolf like hers exists only one at a time. So you can understand how rare the bond is. Rare makes it strongest and undeniable. You can never break it unless one of you dies. You have to live with it until thest breath you take."


    Now I think about it, I am d the bond didn¡¯t break. That way she wasn¡¯t suffering alone. I was there to share her pain.


    Liam left, while I went to Raven. It¡¯s the first day when I got to know he was my son and I wished to spend every moment with him to make up for the past five years.


    I picked him in my arms and tossed him in air and caught him again. He was happy and smiled. I wished I could hear himugh. Maybe soon.


    I hoped I could do the same with Eira and make up for that lost time, but she might not like it yet.


    I should give her more time to ept me entirely after the pain I had caused her.


    I could see she was falling for Roman. And as a top tier Alpha, I sure felt jealous, but the thought of her happiness and Roman being my mate brother made it a little easy for me to swallow that jealousy and bitterness.


    What I couldn¡¯t give her, Roman could.


    She had the right to experience what she had missed on, that included falling in love. And for now, that person for her was Roman.


    I will wait for her.


    Until then, I will spend that time with my son and be a good father that he deserved to have.

 Chapter 284: A Right To Choose

    <h4>Chapter 284: A Right To Choose</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael and Rafe were outside, looking after Raven.


    Eira was sleepy. I took her to my room so she could sleepfortably. I was relieved that so many things had been revealed and all the misunderstandings Eira must have had about us were cleared now.


    We had long been aware about her innocence, but she needed to know our side, and by now she knew everything.


    As Iy her in bed, I settled next to her. She had her eyes closed, but I knew she wasn¡¯t asleep yet. Laying on one side, I gently ran my fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp gently so it would rx her and lull her to sleep faster.


    In response, she snuggled close to me and I could feel her inhale my scent. These days she was trulyfortable with me. But I worry for my brother as well instead of drowning into my own happiness.


    As she wasn¡¯t asleep, I decided to talk.


    "Eira."


    "Hmm?"


    "Are you alright all those hurting revtion?" I asked.


    She hummed. But, only this much wasn¡¯t my intentions.


    "Do you still hate Kael for what he did?" I asked. "You do know it wasn¡¯t his intention."


    She opened her eyes and looked at me. Instead of showing her displeasure at me for trying to advocate for my brother, she looked more rxed.


    "I know what you mean," she said, her voice calm. "As I said before, I don¡¯t really hate anyone. I just want to be at peace and focus on my baby."


    I understood her desire for peace. All of us wanted the same for her and us.


    "I know," I said, "But...I just want you to remember that it¡¯s his baby as well and you are his fated mate. Don¡¯t ignore him. He is equally thrilled to have his baby."


    "I didn¡¯t ignore him," she said.


    "Maybe you could say our baby instead of only your baby?" I hoped she could understand what I was trying to say.


    She stared at me for a while. I knew she was alone when she had her first child, and there was no one she could share it with to say ¡¯our baby¡¯. She was alone to go through it all. But this time it was different.


    I continued. "Eira, it wasn¡¯t easy for him as well back then. And now, after he knew what he did with you, he must be hating himself more than you did. Though a powerful Alpha, he had never hurt innocents. He would never hurt you either. Kael, he..."


    Her hand touched my cheek, caressing it gently as she interrupted me. "I know. just need time. Nothing else. I don¡¯t hate him."


    "Thank you." I felt the weight had been lifted off my chest when she assured me. "Sleep then."


    Her already heavy eyes finally closed and soon her breathing turned even.


    Once she had fallen asleep, I fixed the nket over her and left the room in silence.


    By the time, Kael had returned inside the home with Raven fallen asleep in his arms.


    The pair of mother and son somehow had the same time of falling asleep.


    Kael settled on the sofa instead of taking Raven upstairs to his room. He held Raven like a small baby in his arms as if trying to feel those moments he had missed when Raven was a baby.


    His expressions calm and content to have held his son, as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of this feeling. His hand gently caressing his head, while the little guy sleptfortably not knowing what kind of emotions his presence was evoking inside his father.


    I settled on the sofa and watched father and son, a light smile ying on my lips to see Kael so gentle with someone. It was totally opposite to his always serious and quiet appearance.


    I connected to him with the mind link as I didn¡¯t wish to disturb Raven¡¯s sleep due to our talk. "Enjoying fatherhood?"


    Kael simply hummed, his all attention on his son.


    "Even when we didn¡¯t know he¡¯s your son, his presence always resembled you," I said, "Now we know that feeling was just right. He is your son and going to be like you."


    Kael hummed again.


    "I talked to Eira about you," I said.


    Finally the guy turned his attention to me to know what I said.


    Rafe who was busy taking care of Vixen and her kittens turned his attention to us well and heard us through the mind link.


    "She said she doesn¡¯t hate you. She just needs time," I answered.


    Kael hummed again, entirely normal. "We can¡¯t expect her to forgive her rapist in a day and show her love. That would be too insensitive to her pain. Being her fated mate doesn¡¯t forgive me for it."


    He wasn¡¯t wrong to say it. But at least she wasn¡¯t hating him.


    "Just like she considers herself a sinner for killing Alice despite she was drugged, then being drugged doesn¡¯t lessen my sins," he added, "My sin was to let them drug me. I should have been careful. That was so careless for being the future Alpha of this pack. So, I have to pay for that sin. I have to wait for her."


    I could sense his deepest regret in his words. Yes, he should have been careful.


    "Don¡¯t take too long," I said, "She is your fated mate."


    "I know. Don¡¯t worry. She is my mate, and the most important person to me," he assured, "Giving her time doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t try to win her heart. I will do everything I can. But I want to give her a right of choice, not force her under the bond we have. Bond will bring her close to me as it¡¯s the nature of it, but I want her toe to me with her heart and not just by body. I want her heart to choose me as well when she is ready. And I know she will."


    "I appreciate your patience," I said. "In fact we all are patient with her. That¡¯s the best we can do for her."


    "I have to pay for neglecting the signs nature was giving me," he said again as ready to pour out everything that¡¯s in his mind.


    More like talking and convincing himself rather than me. I decided to hear him quietly as it was rare that he shared his heart.


    "I should have understood something when I was attracted to her for no reason, while I never felt that way towards any woman. It was the first sign that she was for me," he continued.


    "Later, when I went to the prison and I recognised her as my mate, that was the other sign that nature was showing me. I had a chance to redeem myself if I knew nature won¡¯t give me a wrong one as my mate. But due to my anger, I lost all the reasons and rejected her. So I have to face the punishment for failing nature, trying to break the sacred bond, and leaving my mate in pain.


    "If I had recognised the bond back then, then she would have been mine alone. But now I have to share her with you five, that¡¯s how nature is punishing me and I have to bear with it. Due to my mistake, the bond isn¡¯t how it should have been when two mates are only attached to each other, meant for each other. That scared thread in the bond is broken. It will take time to fix.


    "Sharing her and waiting for her, is my punishment."


    He finally stopped. Each word he said was filled with regret, hurt and sadness in his heart.


    I couldn¡¯t deny the truth he had to share her. It must hurt him more as she was his fated mate in the end.


    As for me, I loved her and I wasn¡¯t going to give her up. The moment the five of us became sworn mate brothers, it was absolute that we would be sharing everything together.


    All we could do was to ept this reality that belonged to us five.


    "She will be happy with us five," I said.


    Kael hummed. "I know. And she needs us five to protect her and the kids."


    "Then, we can say there is a reason why she ended up with five mates instead of just one," I said something that could ease him, "So we could protect her from something bigger waiting to harm her."


    Kael hummed again.


    In my heart, I believed what I said. There must be a reason that in the end she was back to us.

 Chapter 285: Hooded Figure And The Pendent

    <h4>Chapter 285: Hooded Figure And The Pendent</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Lucian and Jason had been out for so long and returned by dinner time. Once we had dinner together and Raven had fallen asleep, it was time to talk.


    And this time, Eira was involved in the talk.


    Jason connected a device with the TV while Lucian exined to us.


    "During Eira¡¯s days in the prison, there is one particr day when the video footage is erased," he looked at me, "the footage of the next night after you visited prison."


    "Someone indeed came to meet Eira?" I concluded.


    Lucian hummed. "We checked any other footage if we got any clues from ces around except for the prison, then we found a suspicious vehicle. But I couldn¡¯t see the person."


    "About the people present during the duty in prison?" I asked.


    "Most of them are dead," Lucian said as he sighed, "Some bastards paid with their lives for hurting Eira."


    He referred to those bastards Lucian and Jason killed in the prison that night after we got to know how they had hurt Eira.


    "One or two who were not involved in hurting Eira but were on duty, they admitted that a car and two hooded figures entered the prison that night. One offered a bag full of cash to the prison incharge and the other one was led to the criminal cells," Lucian said. "What happened after that they don¡¯t know."


    Jason returned to the sofa and said, "When we showed him this suspicious car¡¯s picture, it turned out to be the same car that entered the prison that night," and he turned on the TV on which the images and video of that car were yed, and unclear hooded figures were seen.


    "Any more information about them?" I asked.


    "Not yet," Jason said, "But our people are at it...."


    "Eira, are you alright?" Suddenly we heard Roman say in worry.


    We quickly looked at her.


    She had her eyes closed, brows knitted, and her both hands cupped her head, her breathing shallow.


    "Eira," I hurried by her side and knelt in front of her.


    Through the bond I could feel her restlessness and feeling of fear. "What happened?"


    She had her moment of silence before looking at me with her moist eyes and then she looked at the screen. "That thing in hand...I remember it..."


    All of us looked at the screen. In one picture, a hand of a hooded figure was resting at the window sill of the car and there was something around the wrist. A specific pendant hung in the ck string wrapped around the wrist.


    Jason picked up the remote and zoomed the image. A small silver pendant made in some ancient symbol design with a ck stone embedded in the middle.


    I looked back at her. "Where did you see it before?" I asked.


    She closed her eyes as if something was troubling her and she mumbled. "...in prison... a hooded figure talking to me... hand had it..."


    Through broken words, we understood what she meant. I allowed her a moment to process it.


    "This pendant doesn¡¯t look ordinary," Rafemented.


    "I will find out what this pendant is about," Jason said.


    "Now we know these are the bastards, I¡¯ll find out where they came from," Lucian said.


    I turned my attention back to Eira. "Anything else you remember? What did that person say to you or anything?"


    She shook her head and closed her eyes once more. Remembering it looked stressful for her.


    I held her hands and caressed them gently tofort her. "It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t force yourself to remember it. If you are meant to remember, it wille to you on its own."


    She hummed, her breathing a little shallow. "That person feels ominous... scary."


    ¡¯Must be a witch,¡¯ I concluded in my mind. ¡¯Only they have the ability to erase someone¡¯s memories. It won¡¯t be easy to break through the spell and remember it.¡¯


    "We will find that person soon," I assured her.


    Just in a day we found so many things, and I was sure we would uncover all of it.


    "You should rest." It waste and in her pregnancy it wasn¡¯t good to stress her more. The entire day had already been an entire flip to her.


    I turned to Roman, "Take her to rest."


    I wanted to be with her, but I had things to discuss with Lucian and Jason.


    Roman carried her in his arms to his room.


    "What about the other matter?" I asked them.


    "There are indeed few cases in which pureblood children of Alphas had been abducted or had been attempted to. But none of them are girls. All of them were boys," Lucian said.


    This made a matter difficult now.


    He extended the tablet to me. "Here is the list of those families."


    I epted it as I heard them further which checking the names in the list.


    "If a pureblood daughter was born in any family, I am sure the entire werewolf world would have been aware of it," Jason said, "But we know how rare females are born in the past few decades."


    "There is no record of females being born in any high Alpha families," Lucian said, "That leaves us with her parents being rogues or just ordinary beings with not much wealth."


    I let out a sigh. Finding her real parents was truly important even if they were dead now.


    "Don¡¯t worry. We will try to search more to see if there¡¯s any suspicious incident in the past regarding the birth of the shewolf. And also the bastards that met Eira in prison," Lucian assured me. "We need some time to dig in more."


    I hummed as I couldn¡¯t expect them to magically find out everything in just a few hours.


    As I finished going through the list, my gaze caught two names, "Alpha Tyron and Alpha Gerald. They didn¡¯t get their kids back?"


    Lucian hummed, "They had tried everything in their powers but couldn¡¯t find their kids."


    "That means they have at least found some clues about abductors of their kids," I said, "We might find some clues through those abductors if they work together to abduct pureblood kids."


    "Alpha Tyron is almost devastated after he lost his child and his pack is not as powerful as before," Lucian said, "They say he still hopes to find his son."


    "And Alpha Gerald has already moved on thinking his child is dead. He couldn¡¯t afford to let his pack suffer," Jason said.


    "Both of them used to work like my father and had same ideologies. They often stood against council together," I remembered a few glimpse from the pasts.


    "Not sure about Alpha Tyron, but during our recent talk with Alpha Gerald he seemed to be on our side. We can have a talk with him," Lucian suggested. "Someone of his power must know a lot of things from the past that can help us. Something from great wars as well."


    I agreed with them. "Alpha Gerald¡¯s son is going to have his birthday soon. I have heard he is nning to invite Alphas of all the pack. We can expect to meet him and Alpha Tyron at the same time."


    Both of them agreed with the idea.


    We talked for a while more and I concluded, "If a pureblood child is abducted, it¡¯s impossible that it went unnoticed even if child¡¯s parents are ordinary ones. Someone will have an answer to our questions...."


    All of a sudden I stopped. "Eira..."


    I stood up and hurried to Roman¡¯s room.


    Jason and Lucian followed me.

 Chapter 286: The Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 286: The Nightmare</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    The air around me felt so dark and ominous all of a sudden. I am in pain... so much pain.


    My eyes closed, tears rolling down, my body curled in the dark corner, and my hand clutched my chest as the pain in my heart was unbearable.


    There was an echo of footsteps in the eerie silence around me.


    "That must be painful, isn¡¯t it?" a woman¡¯s voice was heard. Someone had knelt just next to me.


    I opened my teary eyes, my vision blurry, making me unable to see a thing in that dimly lit prison cell, except for a dark silhouette before me.


    So much I felt that I could say no words, but helplessly look at the silhouette.


    It knelt before me and held my hair in a painful grip and pulled me up by my hair to make me sit. The pain in my heart was too much, my body was almost limp to even react.


    Her grip on my hair tightened as if she wanted to pull my hair out along with the skin. My gaze blurred even more to almost dark, my mind going entirely nk.


    "Your mate rejected you," she chuckled hatefully. "You must feel like you are dying."


    No word left my mouth. But yes, the pain was too much, but I didn¡¯t regret being rejected. Because I didn¡¯t love him.


    "A little bitch like you, a mate of a top tier Alpha. Didn¡¯t you think so?" she asked. "Let me tell you the truth."


    I ended up closing my eyes as I was losing all my strength.


    But...


    A tight p hit my face and it pulled me out of the daze, though my gaze remained unclear. "You dare fall asleep when I am talking to you, bitch."


    My blurry gaze cleared a little and all I could see was something shining on the hand that had just pped me. As if I had lost my mind, I could only focus on it, its image engraving in my mind.


    "You are a pureblood, rarely born shewolf," I heard her say.


    ¡¯Pureblood?¡¯ My mind echoed the word.


    "Born once in a century, can have only one fated mate and only breed with him," sheughed mockingly. "But your fated mate is gone. Now I¡¯ll send you to the suffering you will never forget. You and your mate, both of you bastards will suffer and pay for what your people did with us."


    I tried to focus on her face, gathering thest bit of my strength, but it betrayed me.


    Then something was stuffed in my mouth. "Now rest in peace. By tomorrow you will only remember what you are and cry over it. You will regret being born, bitch. I am not going to kill you because what I need is inside you. Grow it for me and I will take it away. And then, I will make sure you and that bastard mate of yours suffer all your life."


    <i>¡¯What does she mean?¡¯</i>


    And I felt something dark surrounding my body, leaving me in more pain than I was already suffering. She pushed me back on the ground and stood up.


    "Who... are... you...?" I finally managed to say, but...


    "Your eternal suffering," sheughed and walked away.


    I wanted to stop her, but that darkness surrounding me left me in pain like my soul was shattering. I felt like dying so this pain would stop.


    So many questions in my mind, but that pain washed everything away, leaving me with hope of someone toe to my rescue.


    ¡¯Someone please save me... please... it hurts so much... Please save me...¡¯


    But then I heard a familiar voice.


    "Eira... Eira..."


    I felt the warm hand trying to shake me gently.


    But I couldn¡¯t react anymore, as if I was locked in deep darkness and nothing could pull me out of it.


    -----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I rushed inside Roman¡¯s room. I could feel her fear, her pain.


    She was curled on the bed, sweaty, shaking and in pain while Roman was calling for her, his own expression worried.


    The moment he saw me, he said, "Call Liam. She seems to be in pain."


    Of course she was in pain. I could feel it strongly, but this time her pain was apanied by strong fear.


    "It¡¯s a nightmare," I said and quickly went to her.


    "Eira..." I called her softly, trying not to scare her.


    But she didn¡¯t respond even after I tried to wake her up.


    "What kind of nightmare is she having to not get out of it?" Lucian asked.


    I realised something. She feared only one thing. A ck wolf. Was she having a nightmare of it? She said she used to have nightmares of a ck wolf chasing her.


    I quickly stepped away from the bed. I am a ck wolf and I didn¡¯t want to scare her like before.


    "Lucian, get my emergency kit," Jason instructed him and looked at me. "It¡¯s not you. You are her mate. She is not scared of you now."


    I wanted to feel relieved to hear it, but I couldn¡¯t take a chance. She was like locked in whatever she was seeing.


    "Rafe, call Liam," I told him and then turned back to Jason. "What should we do?"


    "I will inject her with a drug so she can rx," Jason exined. "She is pregnant so I will keep the quantity right. We have to get her out of it quickly. It¡¯s not good for the baby."


    I could only trust Jason as only he knew these things better. All of us were worried and anxious. Only he was keeping hisposure.


    Lucian returned with the kit. Jason injected her with a drug and soon her body rxed.


    Jason sat next to her. He eased her hands from gripping the sheets and caressed her head by leaning close to her.


    "Eira."


    I had never heard him talk so softly to anyone. When it came to Eira, definitely each one of us changed into different beings.


    She opened her teary eyes and looked at him. Recognition appeared in her eyes as if she was relieved to see him.


    "Ja..son.."


    "Yes. I am here," he assured her.


    She started sobbing as if ready to pour her pain.


    He continued to caress her cheek and wiped her tears. "It was just a nightmare. You are safe now with me."


    She cried more.


    He hugged her.


    She didn¡¯t reject it, but instead circled her hands around his neck as if too familiar with it, as if she trusted only him.


    We four looked at each other. This was something unexpected from them both.


    Was she epting him? Or was she too scared to even care whoforted her?


    The way Jason acted was with ease instead of being distant to her like he had been until now.


    It made us question what was the reality? Is it what we were seeing now or is it what we had been seeing over the past two months?


    Keeping aside, first I needed to know what scared her this much. I hoped not a ckwolf thing again.

 Chapter 287: He Suffered Your Pain

    <h4>Chapter 287: He Suffered Your Pain</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Inside Roman¡¯s room, once Eira was calm, she told us what nightmare she had.


    All of us could conclude it was something that had truly happened with her. Her lost memories, not a nightmare.


    I was relieved that it wasn¡¯t a nightmare about ck wolf. I didn¡¯t have to stay away from her.


    Liam had also arrived home after we called him in panic. He made sure she was stable before she told us everything.


    Now she was fine, once more she went back to being a stranger to Jason.


    I took my ce as her mate andforted her by holding her in my arms as we sat on the bed. She didn¡¯t mind at all.


    "...Just like Kael, they had used a spell on you to make you forget that night in prison," Roman said, who sat on her other side. "But howe you are remembering it all of a sudden?"


    "Something had triggered it," Liam said. "Sometimes a spell can be broken like this."


    "She was affected from the moment she saw that pendant," I said. "That must be the reason."


    Liam hummed. "No spell is permanent. It has its shelf life, or some weakness."


    His words made me fear for myself. What if something triggers the spell on me and suddenly I get the memories of what I did with Eira that night? I didn¡¯t want to remember it. If I did, I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do.


    "Her memories confirm all our predictions till now that all of this is out of some vengeance in the past," Jason, who was standing on the side, said. "That woman clearly told her she wants Eira and Kael to suffer for what their people did. She was referring to past incidents their families were involved in that hurt the enemies."


    "I understand Kael¡¯s family, but Eira¡¯s?" Lucian said. "From how Eira is being targeted specifically, her family is no ordinary. She¡¯s definitely from some powerful family in the past. We have to find her real family."


    Eira, who heard it, was surprised to hear it.


    Why wouldn¡¯t she be, as her entire life she had spent like an ordinary hybrid low ss family. The idea of being from a prominent family must be like some impossible wild dream.


    I rubbed her arm gently and said, "There are so many things that are far from our knowledge. Just know that you are someone special, someone who exists for a reason. Rest, leave it to us. Just focus on our baby."


    She hummed lightly, assured at my words.


    "What I wonder is how and since when they knew Kael and Eira are fated mates," Rafe, who had been only silently observing and listening until now, asked. "The witches can identify it from the moment babies are born. Let¡¯s assume the witch knew it when Eira was born, but how did she find out who her fated mate was? How precise her prediction must be."


    "Kael, have youe across any witch ever, or at least felt some out-of-ordinary presence around you ever in the past? When you were a kid?" Liam asked.


    I shook my head. "As far as I can remember, I don¡¯t have any such memory."


    "To take her revenge, her n was to put Eira and Kael in a lifetime of pain," Roman said after a while of silence. "She first nned to have their pureblood child. Once it was achieved, she nned to keep hurting Eira by nning to hand her over to the traffickers. Everything she suffered, Kael felt that pain as well, and both of them suffered together. If we hadn¡¯t found Eira, both of them would have been always in pain. What a vicious n."


    Eira looked at me to understand his words. I shook my head and said, "It¡¯s nothing."


    "You should tell her," Liam said.


    "Everything¡¯s fine now," I didn¡¯t want to worry her.


    "What is it?" she asked Liam anyway.


    Liam said, "You two are fated mates. Even after Kael rejected you, your bond never broke. The pain you felt for the past six years, he felt it as well."


    She looked back at me.


    "I deserve it," I said. "And I am d I could share your pain. You were not alone."


    "It hurts the other mate more than the one who is actually hurt," Liam said. "Same way, you will feel Kael¡¯s pain as well."


    She hummed lightly.


    "And the bastard kept it from us that somethings was hurting him," Lucian frowned angrily. "All he did was to silently hide in his room and endure it alone and left us wondering what¡¯s wrong with him."


    The room turned silent once more as I had nothing to say about it. They would be of no help even if I had told them.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what she was thinking now.


    "You know what¡¯s the funny part to me?" Suddenly Rafe spoke.


    We all looked at him.


    He sat in the chair like a king as if he was enjoying something. "The bastard, Eira¡¯s supposed mate and a father of her child. the one we were searching to kill him was none other than Kael. Even Kael was looking for him."


    Well, that was indeed unexpected andughable now.


    "You are her fated mate, then how did you think she might have some other mate?" Lucian asked. "And even asked us to search for him?"


    "At that time I didn¡¯t know Eira was a rare pureblood, that she could have only one mate and breed only with him," I exined. "And I had rejected her back then so I thought our bond was broken.


    "But then Roman marked her, he said she already had a bond with someone else. I never felt a bond with her, so I thought after I rejected her, she found her second chance mate. Or she found someone, fell for him and chose him as her mate.


    "Butter I started to realise she didn¡¯t have any other mate. She just had a child with some other Alpha like any other pureblood shewolves who breed for various Alphas. At the same time, I had no memory of that night so there was no chance of any doubt. It was all just infuriating and confusing."


    Rafe sighed. "Can¡¯t me you. Even after I knew you were her fated mate and rejected her, I thought the same possibilities as you. Only if we knew what kind of a rare shewolf she is, so many things would have been cleared already."

 Chapter 288: Apologetic Jason

    <h4>Chapter 288: Apologetic Jason</h4>


    When we were talking, Eira was utterly silent.


    "What are you thinking?" I asked.


    She hesitated before looking at me. "I... was thinking about our child... that witch had taken it away... what if she is hurting my baby?" Her eyes turned moist.


    Damn.


    "He is fine," I assured her.


    Her eyes widened, "You... you found him?"


    I nodded. "He is absolutely fine..."


    "Where is he... no... don¡¯t tell me..." she said on her own. Tears rolled down her eyes. "I promised you I will get better first. I will have Raven consider me his mother first."


    I let out a sigh as once more she didn¡¯t want me to say it.


    "You are keeping him safe, that¡¯s enough," she said, looking into my eyes.


    "He is fine and healthy," I assured her, "just beautiful as you."


    "They hurt him?" she asked.


    I shook my head to not make her feel worse, to think she couldn¡¯t protect him.


    I wiped her tears and said, "He is a pureblood child they need. They wouldn¡¯t hurt him. They must have nned to train him to fight from their side as our child would be nothing but extraordinary and powerful. But now he is with me, so there¡¯s no chance for them to even touch his hair."


    Her trembling lips curved into a gentle smile and she hugged me. "Thank you... thank you so much for saving him..."


    I gently caressed her back. "He is my child as well. I am meant to protect him."


    "Where¡¯s Raven? Is he alone?" she asked.


    "He is sleeping in the drawing room," Rafe answered. "Don¡¯t worry. Fluffy is by his side."


    She hummed, while I asked, "Aren¡¯t you hungry yet?"


    It¡¯s been a while since she ate.


    As if she finally realised her hunger, she nodded.


    All of us went to the drawing room, where Lucian, Jason and Roman hurried to get the dinner.


    "Why don¡¯t you have dinner with us today?" I asked Liam.


    He offered me a surprising gaze.


    "Is it the Alpha ordering or a family of my patient offering?" he asked, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.


    "Whatever suits you," I said with a frown.


    "I have some work. Next time maybe," he said, ready to leave.


    Eira had gone to Raven and sat by his side to check on him.


    I didn¡¯t insist Liam and walked out of the home with him.


    "Say it," I instructed. I could see he had something in his mind.


    "The spell on her breaking is a sign that Eira¡¯s wolf is getting strong," Liam said. "We do know she possesses supernatural power. We had already witnessed it when she saved Lucian."


    I knew where he was going. "Once she delivers a baby, we will start her training."


    He hummed in agreement.


    Once Liam left, Jason came out as well.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" I asked.


    He looked apologetic already.


    "Don¡¯t think about it," I said before he could say a word.


    "Still I have to," he said, "I am sorry. I didn¡¯t know I was hurting you as well. Not just her, I hurt my own brother which I shouldn¡¯t have. I am guilty towards both of you."


    I put my hand on his shoulder. "Among us all, no one¡¯s as guilty as I am. But we should get over it already, though it¡¯s difficult. No use in ming ourselves or each other. Eira will forget it as well now she knows the truth."


    Jason nodded, still silent.


    I hugged him. "I know what my brothers are and how much they care for me. Just be by my side like always, that¡¯s the only thing I want from all of you."


    "We will," he assured as he hugged me back.


    Someone whistled. "Woh! Am I getting to see another couple here?" He even clicked the picture.


    "Bastard," Jason frowned, "Go fulfil your wild fantasies with Lucian. Leave us friends out of your dirty mind."


    Cool as always, Rafe came to us and smirked, "I am always ready. But your brother ys hard to get."


    "I will let him know," Jason countered, "I am sure he would love to fulfil your fantasies."


    Rafe chuckled, "Sure."


    "I¡¯ll go check dinner," Jason told me and returned inside home.


    Rafe sighed as he watched Jason leave. "This guy, always rigid as a wooden log, doesn¡¯t know how to have fun," and he turned to me, "Was he apologising for that night of torturing Eira?"


    I hummed.


    "Poor guy. He seemed restless from the moment he got to know you are her fated mate," Rafemented.


    "I told him to forget about it. He will be fine," I said, only to hear Rafe sigh again.


    "What are you sighing for?" I asked.


    "One¡¯s sin, one has to pay for," Rafe said and walked towards the home, "I am starving. Let¡¯s eat."


    I walked by his side. "What do you mean by previous statement of ¡¯one¡¯s sin¡¯?"


    "Just some random punchline I recently discovered inside one sacred ce, so thought to use it," he answered.


    "Where?" I asked.


    "My brain. The most sacred ce," the bastard chuckled.


    "Seems like today you have decided on getting on my nerves," I said coldly, "Craving for some beating?"


    "Ah! Don¡¯t be so scary all the time, my Alpha," he said sarcastically as we entered the home.


    After we had dinner together and had some talk, Eira was feeling sleepy. It waste, past sleeping hour already.


    I got Raven in my arms and turned to Eira. "It¡¯s time to sleep. Let¡¯s go."


    She was about to get up but looked at Roman, as if she was caught between us two. But at least she wasn¡¯t reluctant.


    Not like I was taking her away from Roman, but after the emotional rollercoaster she had through the day, staying with her mate was good for her and our child.


    He offered her an assuring gaze and said, "I have important office work to do tonight."


    She hummed and followed me upstairs.


    Me, my mate and our child together.


    "Rome, let¡¯s have a drink," I heard Rafe say.


    "I have work," Roman countered. "Get Lucian and Jason."


    "We have more important work to do," Lucian said, "You can go out and suck some blood."


    "I was nning to suck your... I mean your blood," he teased.


    "Fuck off!" Lucian¡¯s angry voice echoed.


    Their chatter disappeared in the background as I closed the door of my room.

 Chapter 289: Raven’s Choice

    <h4>Chapter 289: Raven¡¯s Choice</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Keeping Raven in his ce on the bed, and covering him with a warm nket, I turned to Eira, "Get in."


    She got on the bed and I covered her as well. She turned to Raven and started to gently pat his head, her expressions soft.


    Turning off the lights, I climbed the bed as well and slept next to her. She didn¡¯t mind; it seemed as if she had already expected me to sleep next to her.


    I slid my hand under her neck and the other wrapped around her as I left no distance between us. Her slender body pressed against my muscr one. How small she felt when I held her like this. So fragile, as if anything could break her easily. How must have her small body endured all that abuse for so many years.


    Even after I knew what I did with her that night in the hotel, I had no intention of staying away from her, Staying away wouldn¡¯t wash that pain away, so I could only make up for it by showing my love and affection to her.


    I watched her finger continued to gently caress through Raven¡¯s hair, lost in her thoughts.


    "What are you thinking about?" I asked, my voice soft.


    Back in the Roman¡¯s room, we all were talking but she was only silent. But I could tell behind that silence so many things were going on in her mind as well, and I needed to start knowing them. She was yet not used to talking and expressing her mind openly. Maybe because all these years no one was there to hear her, so silence was only thing she could offer.


    "You can tell me," I insisted.


    "I was thinking when will Raven start talking and call me mommy?" her voice was low and soft.


    "Soon."


    She hummed, and there was silence again.


    "Kael?"


    It was surprising how easily she called me by my name.


    "Hmm?" I responded.


    "Have you truly found our son?" she asked. "You were not saying it just to make me feel better."


    She called him ¡¯our son¡¯? Finally.


    "I didn¡¯t lie. I have indeed found him," I assured her.


    She turned silent once more before saying, "Where had those people taken him? That witch, she allowed you to take him away?"


    "He was with our enemy pack," I replied. "About witch, we didn¡¯t find any. But Lucian and Jason did everything they could to bring him back. We found him thanks to them."


    Probably wondering what to ask, after a moment of silence she asked again. "How is he? Does he eat well? Is he quiet like Raven or he likes to throw tantrums, or maybe naughty or..."


    I could feel her voice turning heavy with emotions.


    My gaze followed Raven from above Eira¡¯s head. I answered her question. "He is a silent, well-behaved child, and smart as well. He looks more like me, but there is a softness like you as well. We are fortunate to have such a lovely child."


    "Did you tell him you are his dad? That he has a mother?" she asked again.


    "No. I haven¡¯t told him yet," I said. "I n to tell him after he knows about his mother. After he epts you as his mother."


    "You don¡¯t have to wait for me. You can go ahead and tell him, so at least he will have someone of his own."


    "He finds me as his own even without telling him the truth that I am his dad. Don¡¯t worry. When that dayes, he will get his mom and dad the same day."


    "Then I will get better faster so you don¡¯t have to wait because of me," she said.


    Her words touched my heart. This conversation felt like we were at least somewhere together on some matter, matter of our kids.


    "And I will help you in that." My fingers entwined with hers as my hand rested over hers in aforting hold. "We all will."


    She hummed and I held her in a firm hold, letting the heat from my body seep into her cold one.


    She was sleepy. I pecked on her head. "It¡¯ste. You should sleep."


    -----


    The next morning Raven and I had woken up and Eira was still sleeping. Both of us made sure to not make any noise and continued our routine after waking up.


    "Mommy is carrying a baby so she needs to sleep for both of them," I whispered to Raven, "Let her sleep more."


    My son was an amazingly understanding kid. The more I looked at him, the more I felt like thanking god for giving him to me.


    Both of us returned from the bathroom, Raven in his bathrobe and I wrapped in the towel. I opened the wardrobe for Raven so he could choose his clothes. It had been Eira who decided clothes for us, but now she was sleeping so we had to do it on our own.


    I picked Raven in my arms so he could see the clothes.


    "Which one do you want to wear?" I asked.


    He looked through the clothes hung on hangers and some arranged neatly folded. But his gaze stopped at one bag which still had clothes¡ªclothes Eira chose for him. But she didn¡¯t remove them out and arrange them on the shelf, thinking Raven didn¡¯t like cute kind of clothes.


    She even asked me to return it, but I kept it, waiting for just this day. I knew one day Raven would ept her affection as well. As a kid, he should develop affection towards the things meant for the kids of his age.


    "Which one," I asked, not showing I knew where he was looking.


    He finally pointed towards the bag.


    I ced him on the floor and handed him that bag. He went through it and pulled out a light yellow T-shirt which had a baby bear print on it.


    He quietly put the bag aside and wore the clothes.


    "That¡¯s cute," I said in a low voice, appreciating his choice.


    Well, he indeed looked cute.


    Raven went to stand in front of the mirror while I decided to take clothes for myself. Just then Eira stirred in her sleep. I looked at her, "Good morning."


    Seeing me already having bathed, she looked at the clock after rubbing her eyes. "I slept tillte."


    "It¡¯s alright. You can sleep more," I assured her as I went to her.


    "I am not sleepy." She sat up in the bed. "Where¡¯s Raven..." but her eyes already caught him standing at the mirror.


    Raven turned to look at her, only to have her eyes widened in surprise. Obviously, he was wearing clothes she bought.


    She looked at me. "You didn¡¯t have to force him..."


    "I haven¡¯t. He chose these on his own," I exined.


    Eira looked back at him, her eyes moist. "You look beautiful in everything you wear," she said with a smile, suppressing her emotions in front of a child. "How much I adore you, can never be enough."


    Raven was silent, maybe unsure how to react to her affection.


    In response, he returned to the wardrobe, pulled out the rest of the clothes from the bag and arranged them in the wardrobe. No words, but his actions were enough.


    Damn! When he grows up and has a mate, I am sure he would be a perfect partner for his mate. Even at this age he understands how to win over others just by actions. I am going to be a proud father.


    Eira¡¯s eyes were teary as she watched him. She didn¡¯t know what to say or do.


    Raven seemed lost as well to see her tears.

 Chapter 290: Flirty Kael

    <h4>Chapter 290: Flirty Kael</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I hadn¡¯t expected this surprise the moment I woke up. It wasn¡¯t just about clothes, but I felt like Raven was finally epting me.


    I wiped my tears, stepped out of the bed and knelt before him. "Thank you."


    I patted his head gently. "Just know one thing. If you don¡¯t like anything, you don¡¯t need to go against your own wishes to please others, that includes me as well. Just do what you want. No one will mind it. Understand?"


    He nodded again.


    I offered him a smile. "Good boy."


    "Are you ready?" Kael asked him.


    He looked at him and nodded.


    "Then you can go downstairs and y with Fluffy. Mommy and I¡¯ll join you in a while," Kael told him.


    The obedient little guy nodded and left.


    Probably Kael didn¡¯t want to overwhelm Raven with the emotions I was feeling. A step at a time and I was happy with his first step towards me.


    I stood up as well, ready to leave, but Kael stood before me, blocking my way. I raised my head and looked at him with a questioning gaze.


    "You are yet to get clothes for me," he reminded me.


    <i>Why is he adamant on getting clothes for him every day? I am sure he did it on his own before I came here.</i>


    "Raven got his clothes on his own today," I told him. "You should do the same."


    In truth, I didn¡¯t know what clothes to choose for him. Before this, I simply chose based on what Raven wore and got simr ones for Kael. But now I was sure Kael didn¡¯t have cute type of clothes like what Raven wore.


    For a moment the image of Kael wearing clothes like Raven¡¯s shed in my mind and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    "What are you smiling for?" His words got me back to my senses, his expressions serious.


    I suppressed my smile, lowered my head and shook it.


    "Something naughty going on in your mind?" he asked me.


    I shook my head again, doing my best to shake away that image of tall and muscr Kael wearing cute printed clothes. I was used to seeing him mostly in dark shades and well refined clothes that suited his powerful aura.


    The next moment his hand grabbed my chin and tilted my head up to look at him. I did my best to suppress my smile. I didn¡¯t want him to know what I just thought.


    He raised a brow, "What is it?"


    "Nothing," I said and took a step back. His hand holding my chin hung empty in the air.


    His expressions were serious as if he wasn¡¯t going to let me off. He stepped ahead, "Your eyes say otherwise."


    <i>My eyes? Are they giving away what¡¯s in my mind?</i>


    The way he moved towards me, looked at me, it felt like a predator ready to capture a pray.


    <i>Damn. He might get offended if I said the truth.</i>


    "It¡¯s truly nothing," I instead stepped back again. "Trust me." My back collided against the wardrobe behind me.


    He tall form trapped me just there, his one hand resting at the wardrobe, while the other hand once more lifted my chin up to make me look at him.


    "Be a good girl and say it. I want to know what exactly made you smile. I am curious."


    I looked away from those intense-looking eyes of his that felt like they could look through my very soul. "You might not like to know it."


    "I like anything thates from you," he said, his voice low, his gaze stuck on my face.


    I turned my gaze towards him. For a moment I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from him. Up close he was the definition of deadly charm, and this closeness with him was affecting me.


    At that he was just in a towel and freshly showered. The bond I felt between us felt like tugging at my heart and asking me to just get close to him.


    I swallowed hard and looked away once more as I said, "I just ended up imagining you in the clothes like Raven wore today... I am sorry."


    I heard him chuckling softly.


    I looked back at him. Instead of being offended, there was a light smile on his lips.


    "So you want to see me wearing some cute clothes?" he asked, amused.


    I shook my head and was about to say ¡¯no¡¯, but....


    "Alright. But what do I get in return?" he asked.


    My eyes almost widened.


    <i>Did he just agree to wear cute looking clothes? I must be hallucinating.</i>


    He inched his face so close to mine, his breath brushing against my skin. "But what do I get in return?"


    I gulped. "I... was just kidding..."


    "But I look at it as fulfilling my mate¡¯s wish," his tone was a little yful.


    "You... don¡¯t have to..." I murmured under my breath.


    Damn this closeness. My heart might burst out soon. <i>Having a mate is another kind of trouble when you can¡¯t control your body.</i>


    "But insist," he said again, "If I can¡¯t fulfil my mate¡¯s wish, that makes me an incapable mate. And I refuse to be one."


    <i>Why is he so adamant on making fun of himself?</i>


    "So, what do I get in return?" Now his lips inched closer, almost brushing mine in a teasing way.


    It made me wonder since when this ice-block like man learned to flirt. Before it was impossible to even notice a change in his expressions as if the muscles of his face were locked in the same position, or someone like who had facial paralysis and couldn¡¯t move a muscle.


    Now he was different. There was a smile, teasing, and even his words and actions were flirty.


    "What do you want?" I finally asked, as I found myself losing control over myself.


    I was worried I might end up kissing him like what I did with Roman that morning. My wolf seems to have always given up in front of these wolves.


    "How about a part of it now and rest after the deal is done?" he asked.


    I swallowed. Damn! My heart...


    Just then he captured my lips into his. My breath stuck in my throat.

 Chapter 291: Two At A Time

    <h4>Chapter 291: Two At A Time</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Not like it was unexpected, but I was just not used to seeing the new sides of these guys.


    I couldn¡¯t help but kiss him back.


    My heart, mind and body quickly gave up to him as if it was thirsty just for this. My hands moved to hold him, brushing his muscr chest to move towards those strong shoulders of his. He felt heavenly under my touch.


    I felt my wolf purr inside as if she was so happy for some reason. Maybe she was d to have a powerful and enchanting mate like Kael. She was overly excited to have him so close.


    His lips moved over mine with a hunger, raw and unrestrained longing. The kiss deepened, slow but consuming, as if he had waited years for this single moment. His hand slid behind my head, fingers threading through my hair, drawing me impossibly closer as if he couldn¡¯t bear the slightest distance between us.


    A soft gasp escaped me, swallowed immediately by his mouth.


    The warmth of his breath, the firmness of his lips, the control in the way he guided the kiss... it was overwhelming in the most intoxicating way. Every time he tilted his head, brushing deeper into the kiss, a shiver ran down my spine, melting everyst edge of resistance I had left.


    My hands moved instinctively, gliding across the broad expanse of his chest, feeling every line of muscle tense under my touch. He inhaled sharply at that, a low sound humming against my lips.


    His thumb brushed my lower lip before iming it again with another kiss, this one slower, more deliberate... savouring me.


    "Eira..." he whispered against my mouth, his voice barely controlled, roughened with emotion he couldn¡¯t hide.


    The way he said my name made my heart flip in my chest.


    His forehead rested against mine, our breaths tangled, our lips brushing softly as neither of us fully pulled away. His hand slid down my jaw, gentle, possessive, his thumb caressing my cheek as if I was the most fragile thing he had ever touched.


    "Will you ever fall in love with me?" he asked. "I know I have wronged you in many ways, but I wish to make everything right. Will you ever give me your heart?"


    Why was he talking this way now? I told him I don¡¯t hate him. I understood now all of us were set by the enemies.


    The hurt and bitterness in my heart for what I have suffered won¡¯t go away, but at least I didn¡¯t think of these five as my enemies now.


    <i>He wants my heart?</i>


    What exactly should I do? Here I am so close to him, epting his advances from my soul. Isn¡¯t it already proof that I am epting him?


    He continued. "I had loved you even in the past. Though we never really talked, my eyes, my mind and heart always followed you. Just that you were a minor, and I couldn¡¯t understand why I was so attracted to you. But even after so many years, my heart feels the same for you. You are and have been the only one for me. The one I loved, my mate."


    He was confessing his love again. Somehow it soothed my heart to hear his words.


    "I know it won¡¯t be easy or quick. You can take your time, and I will keep doing what I should to win your heart," he murmured, breathing warm against my lips. "Like this," and captured my lips again, softer this time ¡ª warm, loving, lingering.


    A kiss that said everything he hadn¡¯t found the words for yet.


    My wolf purred, content, wrapped in the warmth of our bond.


    And for the first time... I didn¡¯t want to pull away either.


    "Will you?" he murmured again in the kiss.


    I let out a throaty hum as he wouldn¡¯t free my mouth.


    My response only ignited the passion in the way he kissed, turning both of us breathless.


    We had alreadypleted our bond. We had kids together, so there was no use in not acknowledging him as a part of my soul now. Through the bond I could clearly feel his sincerity in his words and actions.


    The world had been cruel to me, making me hate and not trust anyone, but once more I wished to trust someone, and that someone was him and his brothers.


    For my kids¡¯ sake, I was going to do everything that makes our lives better. Now that hatred and bitterness had started to lessen, my mind had started to be rational. I wasn¡¯t sure if my heart could be like in the past. Things would never be the same as the wounds were too deep, but I could at least try.


    When he finally stopped, he whispered, "Thank you."


    I was busy catching my breath to utter any more words. My soul was content with the bond we had, the intimacy we shared.


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. I got back to my senses, embarrassed a little that it was the first time in my sane condition I had kissed Kael.


    "It¡¯s Roman," he told me, "He came to see you," and he stepped aside to get his clothes from the wardrobe.


    My gaze followed the door. Roman was standing there, while I was busy in...


    A night before I was with him, ready to be intimate with him, and now with Kael. My heart beats for two men at the same time.


    Is it really happening with me?


    In the past, my mind was filled with only one and my future only had him, but now...


    I went to the door and opened it. He was standing just there, his eyes on me.


    What will he think to know I was kissing Kael just now?


    "I have to leave for the office right away. I wanted to see you before leaving," he said.


    I hummed, but then his gaze made me realise he knew what I was doing.


    "Why your face is red," he said and looked inside the room towards Kael who was wearing his shirt, "Is he unable to satisfy you?"


    What? I looked at him in surprise.


    "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case," I heard Kael say, "but someone had to be here on the wrong time."


    "I should make it the right time then," Roman said and pulled me towards him.


    Startled I looked at him. His one hand surrounded my waist, pressing my body against his while other one slowly moved to the back of my head.


    Before I could know, he kissed me. His overly passionate mouth as if ready to devour me whole.


    He was kissing me right in front of my mate.<i> Is it really fine? </i>


    My lips were already sensitive after how roughly Kael had kissed me, and now Roman was being the same. It pained but I enjoyed kissing him as well.


    <i>What¡¯s wrong with me?</i>


    Once more I was left breathless, my legs weak as if standing was too difficult now. Though I was a strongest pureblood shewolf they say, I was too weak in front of these wolves.


    "If I didn¡¯t have an urgent meeting to attend, I would have taken you to that bed right behind you," he whispered against my swollen burning lips.


    He even bit it, and I was sure my lips must have bled but he licked it away.


    The bed right behind me? Kael¡¯s bed?


    Just then I felt warmth just behind me. Kael he was standing behind me.


    "My bed is big enough for us," Kael said as I felt his chest pressing against me, sandwiching me between them


    <i>Us? Who us? The three of us.</i>


    Roman hummed, as he met Kael¡¯s gaze, "Would be more than enough."


    These two were nning to have me together.


    I screamed inside, <i>Are they serious? I can¡¯t handle one of them at a time. The two of them would be the death of me. Even standing between them feels too overwhelming. </i>


    I felt Kael¡¯s hand ran along sides of my waist, while Roman asked me, "What do you think, Eira?"


    <i>What do I think? Is he serious?</i>


    Though I had been fucked many at a time, that was a different thing as my soul was never there, but lost somewhere in darkness to feel anything.


    But with these wolves it was different. And it would be too embarrassing to be with them together. Being fucked by one and watched by other or both of them at the same time...gosh, too embarrassing to even think about it.


    And I knew them in the past, that made it even worse.


    <i>These two are going to make my heart explode for sure.</i>

 Chapter 292: I Want To Know Them

    <h4>Chapter 292: I Want To Know Them</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I slightly pushed both of them away, somehow making space for myself and freeing myself from being sandwiched between them. They didn¡¯t stop me either.


    I stayed to the side and looked at them both. They looked like they had said nothing wrong at all and wished to do what they had just said.


    "I... am pregnant..." I reminded them, my attempt to tell them to not even think about it.


    In response, Roman smirked at me. "A few months to go. After that you are all ours."


    What¡¯s wrong with this usually so thoughtful Roman?


    He wasn¡¯t acting like himself.


    I looked at Kael for help. But with both hands tucked in his freshly worn trousers, he offered me a gaze that said he agreed with what Roman said.


    I swallowed hard, as if I knew I had no way out of it.


    "Are you scared, little girl?" Roman asked as he stepped towards me.


    I stepped back, only to be stopped by the door sill behind me.


    The back of his fingers brushed my cheek. "Or are you already getting excited to think about it?" he asked. "Trust me. It would be real fun."


    Excited? No way. I was either scared or embarrassed.


    His gaze was unlike the gentleness he always carried. It made me think, <i>when ites to mating, all wolves are the same.</i>


    Roman looked at Kael. "Shall we take her silence as her consent?"


    Before Kael could even respond, I said, "No... I am not agreeing to it."


    Roman scoffed yfully, and the intensity in his gaze and voice disappeared. I looked at Kael. His lips were curved into a smile.


    <i>What? Are they just teasing me?</i>


    "Don¡¯t scare her more," Kael warned Roman.


    "Alright," Roman said, "Not now, but one day we will fulfil all your unspoken fantasies that you don¡¯t even know you have."


    <i>My fantasies?</i> I offered him a questioning gaze. <i>When did I say I have such scary and weird fantasies?</i>


    He turned to Kael. "I¡¯ll head for the office."


    "I will join the meeting through a video call," Kael responded.


    Now both of them were back to being professional.


    Roman turned to me. He pecked my lips. "See you tonight, sweetheart," he said, winked at me, and left.


    My gaze widened. What¡¯s gotten into Roman today? He seemed to be possessed by Rafe and his intentions looked anything but decent towards me.


    Just then I was pulled into Kael¡¯s arms. I came back to my senses and looked at him.


    "Were you scared with what we said?" he asked.


    I nodded lightly.


    "Don¡¯t be," his voice and expressions gentle now. "We would never do something that you won¡¯t like."


    I felt relieved to hear it, but then...


    "But, trust me, you would want it going forward," his words surprised me as I didn¡¯t think that way.


    "You are yet not aware of so many things about yourself," he continued, "like how powerful you can be and how demanding your body would be. And we will make sure you won¡¯t be left disappointed."


    <i>Is it? Am I really like that? I don¡¯t feel that way yet.</i>


    "You wille around slowly," he told me. "For now, you can freshen up, or Raven will think what¡¯s taking us too long to get ready."


    As he mentioned Raven, I realised I should hurry.


    "Everything¡¯s here in the wardrobe. Just get ready here," he guided me towards the wardrobe and opened it for me. "Let me know if you need my help."


    "No. I can manage," I said quickly before things could go the other way and we would be dyed.


    He smiled lightly. "I¡¯ll wait downstairs," and left.


    I inhaled deeply to calm myself. <i>What¡¯s gotten into these guys today to start my day with teasing?</i>


    I hurried to get ready and went downstairs. As I climbed the stairs, I realised how peaceful and warm this home and the scene in front of me was.


    Lucian and Jason were, as usual, busy in the kitchen. Rafe and Raven together were taking care of the pets by feeding them and petting them. Kael had busied himself with work already on hisptop, and Roman had already left the home.


    The energy inside the home felt happy and bright, unlike how I had been used to dark and gloomy ces. This felt like a fresh breath of air which I started to realise now.


    It felt like some heavy burden had been lifted off my chest. My soul felt freedom it longed for the past six years.


    My hand moved to my belly, and I said to my child, <i>¡¯Unlike your brother, who silently grew inside me in the darkness and pain, you will have so much happiness around even before youe out into this world. I hope we find him soon so his life would be just as happy as you.¡¯</i>


    "Caldwell, don¡¯t tell me you are having weird thoughts again even after Kael and Roman took care of you," Rafe¡¯s voice pulled me back to my senses.


    I looked at him, and he said again, "Want more? I can help you." His gaze was suggestive.


    This bastard. He was always aware of every breath I took, and what I did with Kael and Roman wasn¡¯t hidden from him either.


    I frowned at him and walked straight towards the dining table, ignoring him entirely.


    "Raven,e to mommy," I said. "I am hungry."


    The other line was for the two working in the kitchen. I was truly starving now.


    Lucian and Jason quickly started arranging everything on the dining table, while Raven came to me.


    Rafe followed him and sat in his chair. "Caldwell, now you have learned to order our chefs as well. You are learning."


    "I didn¡¯t order anyone. I just said I am hungry," I denied.


    "Yeah, and they understood it just perfectly," Rafe countered.


    "She can order us all she wants," Lucian interrupted him. "Don¡¯t meddle in."


    "Since when praising has be meddling in?" Rafe raised a brow at Lucian.


    "Just now," Lucian replied and said to me, "Everything¡¯s what you want."


    I checked the dishes and realised it was indeed something I wished to eat. How did they know?


    "Your handwriting sucks, Caldwell," I heard Rafe just then. "It took us a lot of brainstorming to know what you had written."


    I then realised Kael had given me a notepad and said to write anything I wanted to eat. And I did write, for real. But I didn¡¯t give it to them.


    "Where¡¯s my notepad?" I asked.


    "It was a new toy Vixen and her kitten found," Rafe answered.


    Damn! They must have torn it apart.


    "Don¡¯t worry. We got everything you wrote in it," Jason said.


    I didn¡¯t look at him, and Rafe spoke again. "Other than your bad handwriting, I had to y a puzzle with paper pieces."


    My expression turned apologetic now.


    Just then I heard Lucian say, "Don¡¯t worry. Rafe is skilled in such mess. You can leave it to him."


    "Oh, so you are asking her to have more work for me?" Rafe countered. "I am not that free."


    "You do nothing but idle around every day," Lucian countered as he settled into one chair. "Won¡¯t harm you to work a little."


    "My idling around has more meaning than you can think of," Rafe said as he met Lucian¡¯s gaze. "If I get to real work, you would be the one clearing out the mess after me."


    "Nothing new for me," Lucian let out a bored sigh.


    I could only think about what these two were talking about. I knew nothing about them, but the way they conversed felt like Rafe was a troublemaker and Lucian did the cleaning after him.


    Well, Rafe was indeed trouble.


    But now, I felt like I wished to know more about them.


    They knew everything about me, everything that even I wasn¡¯t aware of myself. On the other hand, I didn¡¯t know what their life was like in the past six years.


    Maybe slowly I will get to know them.

 Chapter 293: I Love You, Eira

    <h4>Chapter 293: I Love You, Eira</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once we had breakfast, Rafe brought two bags with him. "We have something for you."


    I looked at the bags to see what it was, while I continued to pet Fluffy.


    Rafe turned to Raven first. "Something for you," and handed him a few books meant for kids.


    Raven epted them and went to the sofa so he could keep them on the table and look through them.


    Rafe settled at the edge of the mattress I was sitting on by the window side.


    He pulled out the books from the bag and handed them to me one by one as he exined each of them.


    "This one is about a rare pureblood like you. Liam had especially sent it for you."


    I looked at the old-looking book, which had a leather cover with some ancient rune-style print. The title on it was written ¡ª <i>The Rare Pureblood</i>. There was a dark silhouette of a wolf howling at the moon.


    He gave me another book. "This one is about the pregnancy of a pureblood shewolf. It will tell you everything about the changes you feel during your pregnancy, what you should do and what you shouldn¡¯t."


    As I epted the book, he winked at me. "It says you need to mate often to have a strong baby with safe delivery."


    I frowned at him, while he said again, "The phantom heat part is interesting. You should already choose and let us know who you would like to mate with. Either one of us or all of us... ah..."


    I held his hand that was holding the book and scratched it mercilessly with my nails, making his skin bleed.


    "Oh. Never mind," he looked at his hand. "This is a sign of you getting horny, so I won¡¯t mind."


    "I am not horny, but annoyed at your useless talk," I said angrily.


    He raised a brow. "Useless talk, you say? Well, we will see if my wordse true."


    "Liam said it¡¯s not necessary to mate in phantom heat if I can bear it," I told him with determination.


    He chuckled. "I will grant your wish if you can truly control yourself. If you can¡¯t, you have to grant my wish."


    Why was this bastard so confident, or was he just confusing me into giving up already?


    "Deal?" he asked.


    I didn¡¯t answer as I felt like it was a trap for me.


    "So, you admit you won¡¯t be able to control yourself?" he said. "Well, can¡¯t me you as you are surrounded by powerful alphas like us. Too much testosterone for you to resist."


    "Shut up," I raised my voice.


    "So deal?"


    I nodded anyway as he wouldn¡¯t let it slide.


    "Good," he said and pulled out a box.


    It was a brand new mobile, the kind these five used. In the past I had used the cheapest mobile which my grandparents passed to me after they had used it. A slow, old and error-filled tiny device, but it was of so much use to me as I could connect with Alice.


    This kind of device must be too expensive and I couldn¡¯t even afford to look at it, let alone touch it.


    "For me?" I asked again.


    He hummed. "You can open it."


    I did as he said, while he exined, "I have already added five of our contact numbers in it, along with Liam and I, in case you need to talk to them."


    I observed the device, and honestly I didn¡¯t know how to even handle it. It was embarrassing.


    Rafe guided me. He pressed four numbers on the screen. "This is the password to unlock it."


    It was some random number. "What¡¯s this number?" I asked.


    "The day we kissed for the first time," he said coolly.


    Bastard. I could never expect anything decent from him.


    He got the mobile from my hand and held it in front of my face. "Stay still. I am adding a face ID to it."


    It was done and he exined, "You just have to look at the camera and it will unlock on its own."


    He exined a few basic things that I would need and I understood them quickly.


    "Let me see what¡¯s more there in the bag?" He pulled out a tiny old-style music yer which had headphones with it.


    "Who got this old thing?" Rafe observed. "Who the hell even uses it nowadays?"


    But when I looked at it, old memories surfaced in my mind. I used to have this kind of tiny music yer and listened to songs on it. My boring days weren¡¯t boring anymore thanks to it. It was my preciouspanion.


    He looked at me. "Do you want it? You can listen to songs on your mobile as well."


    I took it from him. "I prefer this."


    He shrugged his shoulders. "Whoever got it must know you want this."


    I didn¡¯t respond. All I knew was that I felt connected to it.


    "Hmm? What¡¯s this?" he sounded surprised.


    I looked at the two small books he pulled out of the bag. "Who got this now?" he said and looked at me. "Just like the one who knows you want this music yer, they got you this as well."


    My eyes widened. These were the erotic books. Did he do it? Only he knew about it? Why would he?


    Meanwhile, Rafe turned to the other three. Kael was busy working, preparing to attend his meeting. Lucian and Jason were taking care of the chores after breakfast.


    "Who wants her to turn horny when she is already troubled with it?" Rafe held the book for them to see. "Who got this?"


    "What does it matter?" Kael replied and resumed working. "If she likes it, she can keep it."


    "I am just curious to know," Rafe said.


    "Shut your mouth and just do as Kael said," Lucian warned him.


    Rafe let out a helpless sigh and passed one book to me while he opened the other one. "Let me see what our girl likes to read."


    I tried to snatch the book from him. "Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I don¡¯t like such books."


    "If someone got it for you, that means they know you like it," Rafe said. "Ande on, don¡¯t keep your secret likings to yourself."


    "Rafe..."


    "Shh!" He warned me with his gaze.


    I kept quiet, thinking he shouldn¡¯t read something outrageous like he did in the past.


    Rafe continued reading. "Those three words he just said felt like music to my ears. I never knew the confession of love could be this magical. All of a sudden, the world felt brighter, colorful and beautiful, like never before. My mind and my heart forgot everything, and my world zeroed down to him. As if only he and I existed in this beautiful world. I could see and feel nothing else but him...."


    Rafe stopped and looked at me.


    I was relieved there was nothing erotic he read.


    "I love you," Rafe said to me.


    "Hmm?" I was taken aback.


    "I love you, Eira," he said again.


    What? My gaze wandered around the room, and I saw the other three looking at us as well.


    I looked at him, not sure what to say. Has he lost his mind or what? But he looked serious when he said it, as if he truly meant it.


    He leaned his face closer to me and said in a low voice, "Did you feel all of it?"


    I looked at him in confusion. Was he truly confessing or just ying with me like always?


    "Did you find the world brighter and beautiful like they have written in this book?" he asked. "Can you see only me after I confessed to you, like only you and me existed in this world?"


    I rolled my eyes and pushed him away. "I didn¡¯t."


    He didn¡¯t budge. "Then did you feel it when your boyfriend in the past said it to you?"


    My breath almost stuck in my chest. He was right there in the same room, and now I could feel his gaze on me. Back then, yes, I felt every word that had been written in this book. That was the beautiful moment for me when I knew he felt the same as I did. But now it didn¡¯t matter.


    "So that bastard truly made you feel it?" he asked.


    I leaned back to create distance between us. "Stop talking nonsense already."


    He moved back and let out a sigh. "I knew the writer had written some nonsense here. Who feels this bullshit anyway?"


    I didn¡¯tment. I should have known this bastard loves to annoy me. Likes of him could never fall in love.


    He put the books in myp and said, "Someone wants you to read them, so read them."


    "I don¡¯t want them," I pushed them back to him.


    "Then return them to the one who got them for you," he pushed them back to me. "I am not fond of collecting trash."


    "So, you mean I like to collect trash?" I asked angrily.


    "Of course not," he said with a smirk. "You love to collect five alphas like us, and you have already achieved it." He pinched my cheek as if I was some little girl. "Lucky you."


    I shrugged his hand away. "Get lost."


    He got up anyway and winked at me. "When you get horny after reading this trash, make sure to give me a call."


    "Shut up," I stuffed the books in the bag and decided to read the one about pregnancy and baby¡¯s care.


    The world coulde to an end, but this bloodsucker would never stop teasing me. Even when we are dying, I am sure he would make fun of something.

 Chapter 294: Cunning Black Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 294: Cunning ck Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    When I confessed to her, she took it as if I was teasing her. Only I knew the depth of those three words to me that I had always wished to say to her, and today I just got the right chance to say it without making anything serious out of it.


    Her reaction was so cute that I wished to keep teasing her. I wish both of us could spend our lives fighting like this. It made me feel alive and breathing. Without her, the world had been dead silent for the past six years.


    As Eira was busy reading and Raven was busy with the books we got for him, the four of us had time to talk. Lucian received some news, and he shared it with us.


    We walked out of the home and Lucian told us, "That bastard Asher had approached the council. The matter regarding Raven. He had filed aint that we had abducted his child."


    Jason scoffed. "Isn¡¯t he toote? If he truly considered Raven as his son, he wouldn¡¯t have taken this much time. The bastard must be calcting his n carefully."


    "If someone had abducted my son, I would have straight attacked them," Lucian said. "No council is needed to meddle in. Things would have ended up with them dying."


    "He can¡¯t dare attack us as he knows his pack won¡¯t make it out unharmed," I said. "He can only try through diplomatic ways. But he doesn¡¯t know that¡¯s what we hate the most."


    Kael, who heard us quietly, said, "Just be prepared to go to the council soon."


    "We will have to take Raven with us. But what about Eira?" Jason asked. "I wonder what Asher knows about her. Was he involved only until a child was handed over to him, or was he involved in everything from the beginning?"


    "Of course he is involved," Lucian scoffed. "He is keeping a vampire and a witch for a reason."


    "Then, if we take Eira to him, he will recognise her," Jason said. "And they will also know the child she is carrying."


    "I was wondering if Eiraing back to us was a coincidence or someone¡¯s n to nt her again in our lives for a reason," I said.


    "Reason? Another pureblood child?" Jasonmented.


    "That¡¯s possible," Lucian said. "They are not satisfied with one pureblood child, so they sent her here to have another with Kael."


    "And if it¡¯s clearly a coincidence that she is with us, then it wouldn¡¯t be good to expose her to them again. We have to keep both possibilities in mind," Jason said.


    Kael was quietly listening to us, his expressions serious as if he was thinking about something.


    "What are you thinking about, Kael?" I asked.


    "We will take both of them with us, but whether to expose her or not, we will decide on time," Kael exined. "We also have to see if hees alone or brings someone else to im Raven as theirs."


    "You mean Eira¡¯s grandparents?" Jason asked.


    Kael hummed. "If they show up, so many things will change for us."


    "Eira will know Raven is her son," I said.


    Kael hummed. "If they already know Eira is with us as per their n, then they will try to pursue her. If she is with us by sheer coincidence, then they will learn of her existence with us and try to pursue her with some fake talk."


    "Those old hags seem to be the biggest hurdle for us," Lucianmented. "But I don¡¯t think Eira would be swayed by them."


    Kael¡¯s expressions were still serious, which meant he was nning something. "Anything can happen which is not within our expectations."


    We talked for a while on this matter before the workers arrived to set up a hospital room for Eira as we had nned before. Along with that, a new room for a baby and a mother was being prepared, while Raven¡¯s new room was ready.


    Both mother and son were still busy reading the books.


    "Raven, let¡¯s see your new room," I told him.


    Raven looked at me but didn¡¯t seem excited to hear it. He obeyed anyway.


    Eira was looking at me. "Do you want an invitation to see your own son¡¯s room, Caldwell?"


    Eira quickly put the book aside and came to us, seemingly excited to see the room.


    We went upstairs to see Raven¡¯s room, which was next to Kael¡¯s.


    The room was prepared nicely with everything, but it had the touch of a child¡¯s room while still being sophisticated like an adult¡¯s room. Knowing how Raven was, he wouldn¡¯t like it if the room was filled with all the childish stuff.


    Other than a bed and wardrobe, great emphasis was given to the study corner. It had a beautiful desk with bookshelves of modern design that seemed like something a schr would prefer.


    I could feel the touch of how Kael would have preferred his room when he was a kid. Damn wolf, he designed it as per his own childhood preferences, and fortunately they matched with his son¡¯s.


    We all liked the room, obviously, but we had to ask the one it was meant for.


    "Raven, did you like your room?" Lucian asked.


    He was quiet even after seeing such a wonderful room, which would be a dream for kids.


    "It¡¯s fine even if you did not like it," I said. "We will change it to your preferences."


    He was still quiet.


    Kael knelt before him and asked calmly, "What is it? You can tell me."


    Raven simply looked at him, his gaze silent, but it looked like he wished to say something.


    Eira knelt next to him and said, "I know what you want to say."


    Raven quickly looked at her, and she said, "You want to stay in daddy¡¯s room."


    Just as she said it, his eyes brightened a little from how sad they were.


    Kael held his hand to get his attention. "Are you scared to stay alone in the room?"


    In response, once more he was silent, but his silence spoke the truth. After the kind of cruelty he had faced, of course he must have been scared, and we were not thoughtful enough to n a separate room for him.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I never nned to make you sleep here alone anyway," Kael assured him. "It¡¯s just a private ce for you where you can have your things in one ce. You can study here, spend some time here ying, and in the night sleep in my room. Is that alright?"


    Raven nodded quickly as he was content with the oue.


    "Even mommy wants to sleep with Raven," Eira said. She clearly understood what was in his mind. "You won¡¯t be scared anymore."


    "And these poor daddies want to sleep with mommy," Imented. "We are scared as well," and looked at Lucian and Jason. "Aren¡¯t you?"


    "Indeed. It¡¯s scary to sleep alone," Lucian chimed in, while Jason simply nodded.


    She red at us, but said to me, "You are not a child."


    "That¡¯s the reason exactly," I retorted yfully and winked meaningfully. "An adult reason."


    "This bast¡ª" she stopped as Raven was in front of her and controlled her anger. "Raven, if you want, you and I both will sleep alone in your room. With me, you won¡¯t be scared, right?"


    "That¡¯s not possible," Kael said.


    Eira looked at him. "Why?"


    The rest of us smiled as she didn¡¯t think about how an Alpha won¡¯t let his mate sleep somewhere else.


    Kael kept his face straight, hiding his intentions. "That bed is meant for only a child. You two won¡¯t befortable there."


    Eira looked towards the bed in confusion. "That looks big enough to me."


    "But that won¡¯t amodate me and the baby growing inside you," he said as if he was stating the most logical thing in the world. "Notfortable at all."


    "You have your room," she retorted.


    "Raven needs me in the night," Kael said and looked at Raven, "Right?"


    Raven nodded once more siding with his dad. Such a smart kid.


    Eira let out a helpless sigh.


    "Caldwell, as usual, a dimwit," Imented.


    She red at me. "Don¡¯t call me that."


    "Then can¡¯t you see how reluctant your mate is to let you sleep somewhere else?" I countered. "Don¡¯t be a dimwit."


    She looked at Kael, who was still calm andposed. The bastard was good at making excuses even with a straight face.


    "You and Raven will sleep in my room," he dered and looked at Raven. "Isn¡¯t it what you want?"


    Raven nodded quickly as if, with any dy, the decision would change.


    Kael looked at Eira. "Raven wants it, and we should follow his wishes."


    I let out a chuckle. "Raven wants it or his daddy wants it, it seems the same thing now."


    Lucian chuckled as well. "Even putting his words into a child¡¯s mouth. Cunning wolf."


    Kael picked up Raven in his arms as if he didn¡¯t hear what we said and left the room.


    Eira was left short of words, as if she was lost at how the situation changed.


    I patted her head. "Get used to it, dimwit."


    She shrugged my hand away and left the room as well. "Jerk."


    "That ck wolf is more cunning than you can think of," I shouted behind her andughed at her frustration. "You can¡¯t escape him or anyone of us."


    She showed me a middle finger and hurried downstairs.


    "She is going to beat you up one day," Lucian said.


    "That would be damn sweet," I said and we walked out of the room as well.

 Chapter 295: Medical Setup

    <h4>Chapter 295: Medical Setup</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    By the evening, the private room was set for Eira with all the hospital machinery that was needed to check on her and to deliver a baby. Jason and Lucian hurried it with the help of Liam and professional hospital staff.


    Liam had also invited ady gynaecologist to check on Eira. We all headed to that room.


    The moment we entered that vast room, the hospital setup weed us, where it had a patient bed and a few machines arranged around.


    Raven, who was in my arms, clung to me with his hands tightly wrapped around my neck, his face buried against my shoulder. The fear of hospitals was still instilled in him even though we had taken him to the hospital before and assured him it was not a bad ce. It would take time to get that fear out of his young mind.


    I gently caressed his back. "It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s our home, and this ce is for mommy to give birth to a new baby. It will protect her when she is in pain."


    He looked at me silently and nodded.


    "This is a patient¡¯s room," Lucian informed and pointed to the other divided part of the room. "There is a set of some test machines like sonography. The side room attached to this one is converted into an operation theatre for when Eira will deliver the baby."


    "This is indeed the perfect setup," Liam praised and looked at thedy gynaecologist. "What do you think, Zena?"


    "Indeed it is," a woman in her early thirties replied. She was a graceful and skilled-looking person. "A patient would be morefortable here as it¡¯s at home as well."


    I looked at Eira, who was still observing the room like she hadn¡¯t seen it before.


    "What are you thinking?" I asked.


    "I didn¡¯t know I would be needing all this to give birth to a baby," she said. "I thought..." she stopped as if remembering something which didn¡¯t feel pleasant to her.


    "Giving birth isn¡¯t a simple thing," the doctor said. "Especially for a pureblood shewolf, it can be difficult at times. So we have to be well prepared for any emergency."


    Eira simply nodded, thoughts still running through her mind. <i>I will talk to herter about it.</i>


    "How about we have your first sonography now?" the doctor asked her. "Everyone¡¯s here."


    Eira looked at me. It was not like she was taking my permission, but she seemed a little anxious and lost on what to do. I was sure her first pregnancy didn¡¯t go this way, and all of this was new to her.


    I offered her a light nod.


    The doctor led her to the sonography setup. Shey on that narrow bed. Liam and the four of us stood to the side, while Jason, who had prepared everything, was like an assistant to the doctor, who had taken her ce in the chair next to the bed and in front of the machine.


    "I need to lift your top," Jason told Eira as he held the bottle of gel in his hand.


    Eira nodded lightly, and Jason moved her clothes in a way that exposed her belly.


    "You will find this gel a little cold," he informed her and poured the gel on her belly.


    "Seems like Doctor Jason is back to work," Liam teased, but Jason ignored him.


    Liam sighed. "I had been telling this guy to resume his practice, but he is entirely deaf to my words."


    Jason once more ignored him and stood by the bed on Eira¡¯s side. His gaze moved to the screen attached to the machine.


    The doctor used a small machine and started her work. In a moment, a blurry image showed up on the screen. The doctor started to exin.


    "This is the baby."


    Just as she said it, I stared at the screen for a while and then at Eira¡¯s belly. She had her eyes glued to the screen as well, surprised just like us.


    The doctor noticed the look on my and my three brothers¡¯ faces, except for Jason, who wasn¡¯t surprised by it. Of course, he used to be a doctor, unlike the four of us who had no rtion to it.


    "The baby is barely the size of a grape now, so you won¡¯t see much change in the size of Eira¡¯s belly." She understood what we all must be thinking. "But soon you will see fast changes in her and will feel that there is a baby growing inside her."


    The doctor looked at Eira, who had conflicted emotions on her face, her eyes moist. "That¡¯s your baby."


    Eira hummed lightly, and the doctor said, "Let¡¯s hear the heartbeats."


    The next moment, we all heard the sound of heartbeats, and once more all of us froze. No words, just silence and the sound of heartbeats echoing in the room.


    I looked at Raven in my arms and said, "Do you see the baby?"


    The little guy nodded, his gaze stuck to the screen just like ours, entirely amused.


    "Heartbeats are perfectly fine and the baby is growing just fine," the doctor said as she looked at Eira.


    She had tears rolling down her eyes, but there was a light smile on her trembling lips. Those were happy tears.


    I wanted to go to Eira, but Jason was there, and he held her hand tofort her.


    In reflex, she gripped his hand back and tried to control her emotions, her gaze on the screen. "They didn¡¯t do it before..." she mumbled.


    The doctor knew of Eira¡¯s previous pregnancy from Liam. "But you can experience it all this time," the doctor assured her. "And we will be having this checkup every month, so you will be able to see the different stages of the baby¡¯s growth."


    Once it was done, the doctor instructed her and us on some important things. While Eira let go of Jason¡¯s hand, he cleaned the gel from her belly. He helped her sit on the bed.


    "Jason is here, so he can take care of a few things," Liam told the doctor.


    Zena smiled. "Of course. Not like I don¡¯t know him. He will be a great help."


    Jason, who had stayed away from anything rted to the medical field for the past six years, except for when he had to treat any of us in an emergency, didn¡¯t look reluctant to take this responsibility.


    The doctor instructed him about his job. "You have to give her these shots every other day. She is weak, and the baby¡¯s fast growth will exhaust her more in theing days..." They continued to talk for a while.


    "I will take care of it," he assured.


    I went to Eira. She looked at me, and this time her gaze was different, as if she had the realisation of the bond we shared and that the baby inside was ours.


    Jason made space. He looked at Raven and said, "Come to me."


    Raven went into his arms, while I sat at the edge of the bed. My own heart was overwhelmed to see our child. She shared the same emotions as mine.


    ==


    Author¡¯s Note-


    I am aware that in my absence most of you were upset due tock of updates and some were worried for me. The reason I couldn¡¯t write because I had fallen sick and was strictly on rest. I wasn¡¯t allowed to work or even wander out of the bed.


    I will make up forck of updates by writing something that you all look forward to. Thank you for still waiting for me, and still being with me. I will try to finish this book as soon as possible. I won¡¯t abandon my books.


    Wish you all a Very Happy New Year.

 Chapter 296: Baby Will Flip Inside

    <h4>Chapter 296: Baby Will Flip Inside</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "We will take a leave then," I heard Liam tell my brothers as they left.


    I didn¡¯t respond, as my sole attention was on my mate and her emotions.


    I held Eira¡¯s hand. "Are you alright?"


    She nodded, but then leaned ahead and hugged me.


    It took me by surprise, but my hands had already moved to circle her.


    "I am just happy," she mumbled against my chest, her tears soaking my shirt.


    "So am I," I told her. "And we are going to cherish each moment ahead with our kids."


    She hummed again.


    I released her and wiped her tears. "We should head out. You need to eat and have the medicines that the doctor has prescribed."


    She nodded like an obedient girl.


    My brothers were still there, watching us. I knew they were happy just like the two of us.


    I helped her get out of the bed. Just as we walked to the door, Lucian came to her.


    She looked at him, and he lifted her in his arms. "You shouldn¡¯t walk. The baby is literally floating in water, and your hasty steps will make it flip around in tiny ces."


    "What?" Eira seemed shocked at his logic. "It doesn¡¯t happen that way..."


    "Shh!"


    She shut her mouth and let him carry her.


    The rest of us could only smile at his logic.


    "Jason, you should have taught him something when you were studying biology," Roman said. "No wonder he couldn¡¯t make it to the medical field despite Jennifer wanting her son to be a doctor. Thankfully she had another son Jason, or this Lucian would have been a total disappointment."


    "He was more interested in technical studies," Jason said. "He is perfect there."


    Rafe let out a sigh. "At least tell him that the baby won¡¯t flip. Even I know that despite being entirely in the technical field."


    "Let him be," I said.


    He was trying to be responsible towards Eira, so we shouldn¡¯t meddle in it.


    Roman, Rafe, and I were somewhat close to her now. Jason got the responsibility as her home doctor, so Lucian would need some reason to be with her as well.


    We watched Lucian ce Eira on the sofa. He knelt before her and asked, "What do you want to eat? I will cook it right away."


    Good thing she didn¡¯t look reluctant to his care. In fact, since the day entire truth came out, she had been good with all of us, except for her little indifference towards Jason.


    "Umm... I want to eat spicy, crunchy, deep-fried chicken and... cold drinks with it."


    She knew she shouldn¡¯t eat it, but couldn¡¯t help but ask for it. She almost seemed to be salivating the moment she said it.


    Lucian, who preferred healthy food, simply stared at her for a moment. But then, seeing her hopeful gaze at him, he gave up.


    "Alright. But you will eat what I serve you. It will be medium spicy, but don¡¯t overdo it. And you have to eat something healthy with it."


    She quickly nodded, as if she couldn¡¯t wait to get at least a little of it.


    He pecked her forehead and said, "It will be quick."


    She hummed excitedly. Jason and Roman went to help in the kitchen, as we had to prepare dinner for everyone. I sat on the sofa and got aptop to work, while Raven sat next to Eira.


    "Caldwell, wipe it well," Rafe said.


    She looked at him. "What?"


    "Your drool," he teased and sat on the sofa.


    She offered him a cold re and turned to Raven. "Do you like fried chicken?"


    He blinked at her.


    Not sure how, but she understood. "Oh! You never tried it. Don¡¯t worry, I am the same. I haven¡¯t eaten it in so many years that I almost forgot how it tastes. But today, we will enjoy it."


    I realized that in the past six years she had been away from the world and missed out on many things. We should revive everything for her. Let her eat whatever she wants.


    ---


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    What Eira demanded was ready first, so I called her to the dining table, while Jason and Roman continued cooking for the rest of us.


    She and Raven settled into their chairs excitedly. Raven was eating it for the first time. Given how strictly his lifestyle was maintained, we knew he had been given only healthy and fixed food.


    I set the dishes in front of them and settled into the chair next to Eira as I filled two sses with cold drinks.


    Eira picked up one piece excitedly and looked at Raven. "You eat like this."


    Raven followed her. As she chewed one bite, she looked at the ss of cold drinks. Seeing they were half-filled, she looked at me.


    "Only that much you get," I told her straightaway, without showing any softness.


    She pursed her lips and preferred to drink what she was given.


    As both of them enjoyed filling their stomachs, I couldn¡¯t help but look at her, my heart overwhelmed. One of the dreams I once used to have, I could fulfill it every day now, cooking for her while she enjoyed it.


    She seemed to have realized I was staring at her and looked at me, her gaze puzzled.


    "Want to eat?" she asked.


    My gaze moved to her lips, which had sauce coated on them. She was generous while eating sauce.


    "Do you want me to?" I asked.


    She hummed and pushed the dish toward me. But instead, I leaned closer and licked her lips.


    She moved back in surprise and looked at Raven. He was focused on finishing his piece of chicken.


    She looked back at me, probably to confront me to be careful in front of Raven, but instead I sealed her lips once more and tasted them again.


    I let her go after a few moments. She offered me a re and looked at Raven again, who was now looking at us.


    "Mommy¡¯s lips were stained with sauce, so I helped her clean," I told him. "Do you mind it?"


    He moved his gaze from me to Eira, who was speechless. Then he looked at me and shook his head.


    "Good," I praised him and put another piece of chicken on his dish. "You deserve to eat more."


    I looked back at Eira and offered her a smile. "He didn¡¯t mind."


    She frowned and resumed eating, this time being careful not to stain her lips. If she did, she would lick it right away with her tongue while looking away from me, as if I would eat her again.


    I leaned closer and whispered, "If you do that, I would be tempted to test the sauce from your tongue."


    I could feel the goosebumps rising on her skin. Oh, so she was affected by me.


    "Behave," she whispered back.


    I leaned back. "We will keep it forter."


    She offered me a narrowed-eyed look. "I didn¡¯t know you were this kind."


    "What kind?" I offered her a yful smirk.


    "Flirt... yboy..." she said with her mouth stuffed with a bite.


    "But only for you," I replied smoothly.


    Of course she didn¡¯t believe it. But she will, soon.

 Chapter 297: Greedy And Lustful

    <h4>Chapter 297: Greedy And Lustful</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    I watched Lucian being flirty with Eira, d that she didn¡¯t mind it. I could see she had started epting everyone as a part of her life now, but I had a long way to go.


    It would be wrong to say I wasn¡¯t jealous. Yes I was.


    But all I could do was be patient, and take care of her to make up for my mistakes.


    We all had dinner together. It was time for Eira¡¯s medicines. Before they nned to go out for a walk, I brought the medicine box that I had prepared for her.


    "Take a seat," I signalled towards the sofa. "It¡¯s time for your first shot."


    She looked at the opened box in my hands and quietly sat on the sofa.


    "Let¡¯s head outside first. These two wille in a while," Rafe said as he picked Raven up in his hands. "Little bud and I have a n today."


    He walked ahead while the rest followed him, leaving the two of us alone.


    I knew it was about her baby, or she wouldn¡¯t be this obedient to me.


    I settled next to her. First, I gave her a tablet and water.


    Once she had taken it, I pulled out the syringe and vial. "After today, we will have to take another shot the day after tomorrow."


    It was like I was talking to a wall, as she didn¡¯t even acknowledge my presence.


    "Lie down to one side. You need to take it on the lower waist," I told her as I stood up to make space for her.


    Shey down, facing her back to me. I knew it was intentional.


    "I need to move your clothes," I said before moving her top up and her pants a little down. I was being careful and treating her like any other patient who has to be informed even before being touched.


    Shey quiet.


    "It will hurt a little," I said.


    "Can you get it done already," she finally said, her voice impatient. "Nothing hurts me, so just get it done."


    I let out an inward sigh and finished my job.


    As impatient as she was, she quickly turned to get up, but I held her in ce by her shoulder. "Don¡¯t move so quickly."


    From her expression, I could already see her quick movement hurt where I had injected her. It was a heavy dose.


    Shey quiet, and I said, "Just a minute and you can move."


    Leaving her to rest, I started packing the box. "You are pregnant, so be careful with your movements."


    "I had been moved quite a lot during my first pregnancy. Nothing happened."


    From her words, I could sense the bitterness she was throwing at me. I knew exactly what she meant, but I had nothing to counter that hurt and bitterness. Only if I could stop what happened with her.


    "Still, being careful doesn¡¯t hurt anyone," I said carrying a poise of a doctor as I looked at her. "And not every pregnancy is the same. Depending on the baby¡¯s gender, it can change. If it¡¯s a girl, you have to be careful."


    She stared at me for a moment but said nothing. Her silence showed she agreed with me, at least on this.


    "After two weeks, we can find the gender of the baby through ultrasound, if you want to," I informed her.


    Her eyes brightened up a little at the thought of it, but she refused to say anything.


    "If you want, we can keep it a surprise till the end," I suggested.


    She seemed to give it some thought and offered a light hum.


    Finally, she responded in a calm way.


    "It should be fine. You can get up," I said and helped her sit. "Make sure to turn to the side and sit, so it won¡¯t stress your belly."


    She nodded again, and we went out after I helped her wear a warm coat. I wasn¡¯t sure how long this silence between us was going to stretch. Her silence hurt more than her words would have.


    Rafe and Raven were ying outside with Fluffy. Even when it was cold, they couldn¡¯t stay quiet.


    She went to them, while I went to my brother.


    "Did she finally talk?" Lucian asked.


    "Not really," I replied, my gaze following her as she argued with Rafe over something.


    Roman put his hand on my shoulder tofort me.


    ----


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    While Eira was busy with Rafe and Raven, we discussed other matters. I especially got somepany updates from Roman, while Lucian informed me about Asher.


    "The bastard had a meeting with Jeffery and one other council member," Lucian informed.


    "Already bribing them?" Roman frowned. "How about we get rid of them and have new council members?"


    "We can¡¯t just kill them. If we do, we have to do it legally by finding proof against them and punish them as perw," Kael said. "But don¡¯t worry about them for now. They are not an issue."


    After a while of talking, I went to Raven as it was his time to sleep and his eyes were already heavy.


    "Let¡¯s go to sleep," I said.


    He quickly got into my arms and already rested his head on my shoulder. This time I didn¡¯t ask Eira if she wanted toe with us. I didn¡¯t want my brothers to feel like I was stealing her every night and wouldn¡¯t allow them to spend time with her.


    Moreover, I felt like she should decide on her own.


    "Don¡¯t stay out for long. You will catch a cold," I told her and turned to leave.


    "I am sleepy as well," she said.


    It came as a surprise to me, as I felt she might like to stay with Roman, who was out the entire day.


    She looked at Roman before following me. "Good night."


    He offered her a smile. "Sleep well."


    By the time we reached the room, Raven was already asleep. I put him on the bed.


    Eira got into the bed, and this time she shifted a little towards Raven, leaving space by her side.


    She wanted me to sleep by her side. I was going to anyway, but her willingness mattered to me more.


    I nned to go to my brothers after putting her to sleep, but I decided otherwise.


    Iy next to her and, as usual, pulled her into my arms. Being her mate gave me this much liberty to show my rights over her.


    She settledfortably and snuggled against me. But I knew she wasn¡¯t sleepy yet.


    "You have something to say?" I asked, my fingers gently running through her soft hair.


    As if I got her right, she looked at me.


    "You can say it."


    "Jason said we can find out whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl," she replied.


    "Do you want to know?" I asked.


    "You?" she asked me.


    "I am fine with whatever you decide." I was d she was seeking my opinion.


    "I will give it a thought," she said.


    "We will do as you say," I assured her.


    She hummed and continued to look at me. I leaned my face closer, my nose gently brushing hers. "Anything else... something you want?"


    She lowered her gaze and moved her face back a little.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why she was staring at me, but I felt the urge to be closer to her.


    I waited, and she finally looked at me. "I was wondering if Ray looks like you, and if this baby is a boy, maybe he will look like you as well." Her voice was a little low and hesitant.


    "He looks like me, but there is a shadow of you in him as well," I said. "Anyone would tell he is our son."


    She let out a shaky breath. "I look forward to meeting him soon."


    "You just need to say you are ready, and he will be in front of you," I suggested.


    She hummed again and stayed quiet, maybe wondering if she was still fit enough, and Raven was yet to get close to her in the way she needed.


    I caressed her cheek gently. "You are doing good already. It won¡¯t take long."


    My words seemed to have soothed her questioning mind, as she looked at me with a hopeful gaze.


    In an assuring silence, we stared at each other for a few moments before I slowly closed the distance between our lips. I couldn¡¯t help it and kissed her.


    It started gentle and soft, but soon my heart turned greedy.


    "Will you be alright if I..." I whispered between that soft kiss.


    She hummed even before I said more, eager for it as well.


    As we kissed passionately, I moved her onto her back and hovered over her, making sure not to put my weight on her.


    One of my hands supported my body, while the other angled her face to myfort as I deepened the kiss and imed that sweet tongue of hers, biting and nibbling her lips without any care.


    Both of our breathing turned ragged.


    I could feel her body wanting more from me. Not a phantom heat yet, but pregnancy sure had turned her body greedy and lustful.


    I didn¡¯t want to suffocate her, so I allowed her to breathe, my gaze never leaving her flushed face as she tried to catch her breath.


    Our gazes met. Her eyes filled with lust just like mine.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do with her. She couldn¡¯t stop driving me crazy.


    "Want to continue?" I asked in a low and hoarse voice.


    She opened her mouth to say something, but then looked at Raven on the bed.


    I understood her concern.


    I moved away from her. There was a tinge of disappointment in her eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little and offered her my hand.


    She looked at me questioningly. I gestured for her toe with me.


    She put her hand into mine and got out of the bed after making sure Raven was still asleep.


    "He won¡¯t wake up," I assured her and guided her towards the bathroom.

 Chapter 298: Unapologetic intimacy- I

    <h4>Chapter 298: Unapologetic intimacy- I</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I didn¡¯t know what had happened to me. I wanted him badly. My body seemed to be drawn to him all the time, maybe because we were mates or partly because I was pregnant.


    I hade to ept the bond between us and wished to give in to how fate had tied us together. I didn¡¯t want to resist and destroy the peace I was in.


    When he kissed me, I swear I wanted it more than him. The warmth of his body was soforting, and his scent felt like protection around me, enveloping me to shield me from the evil of this world. Strangely, this cold and emotionless man from the past, whom I always preferred to maintain distance from, wasn¡¯t the same anymore.


    He should have been thest person I could ever see my future with, but now not only was he my mate, he was the father of my kids.


    Life was truly unpredictable. What I had always dreamt of never happened the way I imagined.


    When he asked if I wanted it to continue, I couldn¡¯t say no.


    I epted his hand and followed him to the bathroom without any care.


    Once inside thatvishly huge bathroom, he locked the door and turned to me. I swallowed hard at the way he looked at me. I wondered what exactly he nned to do here, if not on the bed.


    He first grabbed a white towel from the shelf and spread it on the marble sink counter. My gaze silently followed him as he finally stood before me.


    Before I could understand, he lifted me and made me sit on the sink tform, on the towel he had spread there. Now I understood he used the towel to protect me from the cold marble surface.


    Should I call him thoughtful? He seemed to have always been like this, taking care of even the smallest things that we wouldn¡¯t even notice. A perfect nner.


    He stood before me, leaning down until his face was only inches away, both his hands braced on the tform beside me, trapping me between his body and the marble behind me. He didn¡¯t touch me at first. He just looked at me, as if he had never truly seen me before, as if he wasmitting every detail of me to memory.


    The intensity of his gaze made my breath hitch.


    I dared to look back at him, and the moment our eyes met, something tightened painfully in my chest. His gaze was soft, yet unbearably intense, the kind that stripped away everyyer of defense and reached straight into my heart.


    Up close, I realised just how breathtakingly handsome he was. His dark eyes, framed by thick brows, carried a depth that felt dangerous, as if they could pull my soul apart just by holding me like this. My gaze traced his features slowly, almost reverently. Every line of his face was carved with cruel perfection. Maybe that was the curse of being a top tier Alpha. Nature had made him irresistible without mercy.


    His fingers finally moved, brushing my cheek with a tenderness that sent a shiver through me. His head tilted slightly, as if he was trying to absorb me.


    That single caress rooted me in ce, my body responding before my mind could catch up, my soul recognising him.


    "You are beautiful," he said, his voice low and husky, vibrating straight through me. "You have always been."


    The words struck me. In my mind, I was a woman marked with ugly scars, not just on my body but deep within my soul. Yet these men, these Alphas, still looked at me like this. If they had said it five years ago, I would have believed them without hesitation.


    "I... am not..." I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips.


    His fingers lifted my chin, his thumb slowly brushing over it, deliberate and possessive. "You should trust me when I say it," he murmured, his face moving closer until his breath warmed my lips. "Lying is not my forte."


    My thoughts scattered. My gaze betrayed me, drifting down to his lips, full and inviting, so close that it was torture not to touch them.


    His fingers tightened just slightly, tipping my chin upward, forcing my attention back to him. "Tongue," he whispered softly.


    My body obeyed before my mind could question it.


    The moment I parted my lips, he kissed me. His tongue met mine with a hunger that stole the air from my lungs, his hand sliding into my hair, anchoring me to him. The kiss was deep, consuming, his mouth iming mine with an intensity that left no room for hesitation or doubt.


    I clutched his shirt desperately, my fingers curling into the fabric as if it was the only thing keeping me upright. He felt overwhelming, powerful, controlled yet on the edge of losing it entirely, as if he was holding himself back from devouring me whole.


    And I didn¡¯t want him to stop.


    As we kissed, his hand supported my back while his other hand parted my legs, settling firmly between them. The air around us burned, heated by our unapologetic intimacy.


    My fingers fisted in his shirt, dragging him closer even as the kiss stole my breath. I did not think of mercy for myself, but he did. He pulled away from my mouth, his voice hoarse and thick with heat.


    "You should breathe."


    My vision was hazy as I looked at him, my gaze still clinging to his lips, lips that looked dangerously tempting. I wanted to bite them. How could someone be so unbearably hot, so devastatingly sexy?


    My brows creased in protest. Who asked him to stop?


    As if he could hear my thoughts, his hand slid into my hair, gripping the back of my head and tilting my face uppletely.


    "Let¡¯s give your mouth some rest," he murmured, before diving into my neck.


    A helpless moan slipped from my throat as his mouth traced along my skin. His tongue dragged slowly from the base of my neck upward, lingering, teasing, until his teeth closed in to bite gently over my chin.


    Whatever it was, it felt intoxicatingly good.

 Chapter 299: Unapologetic intimacy- II

    <h4>Chapter 299: Unapologetic intimacy- II</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    With his gaze locked onto mine, his hand slipped beneath my top and squeezed my breasts.


    "Does it feel good?" he asked, his fingers kneading slowly, deliberately.


    I nodded quickly, desperate for him not to stop.


    Yet at the same time, doubt crept into my mind. What was wrong with me? After six years of sexual abuse, I should have hated this, should have recoiled from his touch. I should have been reluctant, fearful.


    But he changed everything.


    Instead of pulling away, I wanted it more the closer he came.


    Was this what they called the magic of the bond? The magic of having a mate?


    I did not hate it with him. I enjoyed it.


    The first time we mated, I lied to myself, telling myself it was only the effect of heat, that I did not truly want it. But that was never true. I had been lying to myself.


    Because with him, it was not abuse.


    His touch made me feel alive, wanted, cherished. With him, I felt like a living being, not a thing to be used and discarded.


    I felt like aplete woman. A woman with thoughts, needs, and desires.


    "Ahh..."


    A soft bite at my earlobe snapped me back to the present.


    "Did it hurt?" he asked.


    I shook my head as his hands slid down to my waist. He lifted me slightly, tugged my pants down past my thighs, and removed thempletely.


    A shiver ran down my spine as a thought crossed my mind.


    Is he going to fuck me?


    Not that I had not expected it when I followed him here without protest. But now that the moment was here, fear crept in. Fear for my baby.


    I remembered our first mating. How rough he could be. How big he was. His knot.


    What if it hurts my baby?


    When his hands parted my bare thighs again, my held his hands, stopping him.


    Our eyes met.


    "You can¡¯t," I said, my tone uncertain.


    He remained calm, steady. "Do not worry. I n to keep my word. I will not mate unless you want me to."


    <i>Then? </i>I looked at him questioningly.


    "That is not the only way to pleasure my mate when she is this needy," he said, his gaze drifting slowly between my legs. "I can smell how much you want it. And I would be a terrible mate if I ignored my mate when she needs release."


    "What do you n to do?" I asked, my voice hesitant.


    The way he looked at me made my heart pound with uncertainty. Memories surfaced. Words spoken long ago echoed in my mind.


    <i>No wolf should ever be trusted. They are always eager to fuck, always ruled by their instincts. Ruthlessly driven toward their mate.</i>


    And yet, facing him now, I was not sure whether to fear him... or trust himpletely.


    He did not answer. Instead, he parted my legs wider, leaving me sitting there,pletely exposed to his gaze. Instinctively, I tried to close my thighs, but his hands stopped me. His dark eyes lifted to mine, a silent warning in their intensity.


    "Just enjoy it."


    My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it as he leaned down. Lower. Lower still, until his face hovered between my legs.


    Understanding hit me all at once.


    He lifted one of my legs and draped it over his shoulder, steady and deliberate. Instinctively I leaned back and supported my body with my hands resting behind on the tform.


    His mouth brushed the inside of my thigh, followed by a gentle bite that sent a sharp rush of sensation straight through me.


    Damn it.


    I cursed inwardly, my breath hitching as anticipation coiled tight inside me, knowing this was only the beginning.


    His hands tightened around my thighs, holding me open, steadying me. His breath brushed over my skin, warm and slow, sending a tremor through my entire body.


    "Rx," he murmured softly, the sound vibrating straight through me.


    I tried. Gods, I tried. But the moment his mouth found my pussy, unhurried and gentle, my back arched on instinct. His tongue glided smoothly along my wet folds, rolling over my clit just the right way. Sensation spread through me in slow waves, overwhelming and sweet, stealing my breath.


    A soft gasp slipped from my lips as my fingers clenched around the towel beneath me, my body reacting before my mind could catch up.


    He took his time, as if my pleasure was something sacred. Every movement was deliberate, reverent, learning me all over again. There was no rush. Only patience. Only assurance.


    The sounds of licking and sucking my pussy felt unbelievably embarrassing yet arousing.


    Heat pooled low in my belly, my thoughts scattering as need tightened inside me. I wanted more. Desperately.


    His tongue lingering at my entrance as if trying to enter me, I moved my hips towards him. My pussy craved to be filled by something.


    My one hand supported my body, the other hand moved to the back of his head, pressing his mouth against my pussy.


    I almost wished to beg him to fuck me.


    But then I felt his finger enter inside me, as if he knew just what I wanted. I opened my eyes, my mouth gasping in need, and I looked down between my own legs.


    He looked up at me, and right in my sight, I saw him removing his finger and then adding another one to it. Gosh, I tilted my head up as I let out a loud moan as both his fingers moved inside me, my body trembling in pleasure.


    He stood up, his fingers still working inside me.


    Our gazes met once more as his hand settled at the back of my head, and he pulled me into a kiss.


    His tongue drove straight inside my gasping mouth, his fingers worked relentlessly inside and out of me, sending waves of pleasure through my body.


    His hand tugged my hair in a harsh pull, tilting my head entirely up to hisfort. It did not hurt, but that roughness aroused me more.


    My hands held onto him as we kissed passionately, letting my moans disappear into his mouth.


    "Kael..." all of a sudden I gasped. His fingers were doing something inside me that made me feel crazy.


    "Here?" he asked, his eyes darkened with desire as he questioned me.


    I felt his fingers angling inside me, trying to pleasure exactly where it felt good.


    I let out a soft, impatient hum.


    He pulled me back into a kiss, and soon I came undone on his fingers as I let out loud moans that echoed inside the bathroom.


    My body trembled violently, as if it was falling from a height, and I had no control over it.


    His fingers stopped moving inside me as he held me closer, letting my body rest against his. My eyes shut tight, my head lowered and buried against his chest.


    I gasped loudly as if I had run for miles and was dead tired. He let me calm down and then slowly pulled his fingers out, drenched in my fluid.

 Chapter 300: I Am A Lost Cause

    <h4>Chapter 300: I Am A Lost Cause</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "Want more?" he asked.


    Still clinging to him, I shook my head. No more.


    "Are you sure?" he asked again.


    I hummed.


    "Sit here for a moment," he said and moved to the sink to wash his hands. Then he picked up my pants and helped me put them on.


    All that time, I stared at him quietly. Sensing my gaze, he looked at me. "What? Something?"


    I shook my head, but still asked, "What about you?"


    "I am fine," he said in a resolute tone. "Just worry about yourself."


    I shut my mouth, sensing how tightly he was holding himself together. I could clearly see the bulge through his pants.


    He caught my gaze and said, "Don¡¯t tempt me. It won¡¯t end well for you."


    I quickly looked away. He was dead serious when he said it.


    What should I do? I had no answer.


    In the past six years, it¡¯s always men came to me, filled whichever hole of mine they preferred, fucked me and left, while I only nked my mind from it.


    Once I was ready, he carried me out of the bathroom, ced me gently on the bed, and then followed me under the nket.


    There was utter silence between us two now.


    "Turn around," I heard him say.


    I faced my back to him. The next moment, he held me closer, his hands wrapped around me as if trying envelop me entirely like always.


    And this time there was a difference. I felt his hard cock pressing against my ass as if seeking afort of its own. His body was warmer than usual.


    I wanted to say something, maybe ask if I could do something to make him feel better, which felt embarrassing for me to me, but...


    "Don¡¯t move," I heard his restrained voice over my head. "Close your eyes and sleep."


    I stilled and decided to as he said. Maybe my actions will only make it difficult for him. As an alpha, he wouldn¡¯t be calm anytime soon.


    ----


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once everyone had gone to sleep, I headed to Rafe¡¯s room. I didn¡¯t bother knocking and walked in. The bastard was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.


    "What do you want now?" he asked without even looking at me. "Can¡¯t sleep without me?"


    "Yeah," I walked to the bed and ced the box in my hand on it. "Give me your hand."


    "I don¡¯t give handjobs. I receive one," he countered, still staring at the ceiling. "Your hands are weed inside my pants."


    I ignored his bullshit, sat on the bed, and grabbed his hand.


    He tried to pull it back, but I warned, "Stop me and I¡¯ll tell Kael everything."


    He finally looked at me. "Aren¡¯t you tired of using Kael to ckmail me every time? Be creative."


    "That¡¯s the only way you understand," I said, already pricking the syringe into his hand.


    "What do you need my blood for this time?" he asked, not bothering to stop me. "Aren¡¯t you tired already?"


    "I¡¯m energetic enough to keep testing until I draw thest drop out of your body," I said as I drew enough blood and put the syringe back into the box.


    "Why bother create a drug for me, when you can be a help," he said and I looked at him.


    The bastard smirked, "Your kiss worked really well that day. You can try again."


    The bastard would never stop teasing with bullshit.


    "If I kiss you again, I will make sure that would be thest kiss of your life," I told him.


    "Woh! It already made me horny. How about we try it now?" he said.


    "I don¡¯t do charity," I told him, "You better seek someone else."


    He let out an inward sigh, "So boring. You were the only interesting thing, now are not."


    I ignored him and asked, "How are you holding up without that drug?"


    It had been a while since hisst dose of that dangerous substance.


    "As long as she doesn¡¯t go into heat again, I should be fine," he replied. "That means I¡¯m good for at least a few months."


    I hummed. Finally he was being serious.


    "What are you going to do with my blood this time?" he asked again.


    "You don¡¯t need to know," I said as I picked up the box and stood up.


    "You¡¯d better stop wasting your time on me and use it on Eira instead," he said behind me. "No one else knows it, but at least you do. I¡¯m a lost cause."


    "You¡¯d better shut that mouth of yours and go to sleep," I said firmly. "Good night."


    As I turned to leave, I heard him chuckle.


    "Stubborn bastard."


    "I have to be while dealing with the same," I countered and walked out.


    <i>I am close to creating that drug, and I hope it won¡¯t be toote.</i>


    I could tell how he hides his pain behind the pretext of teasing and acting cool.


    What haunted me the most was that moment- when some random night I go to his room, and he wouldn¡¯t be there anymore.


    That he would have been gone.


    Every night I make sure to keep watch on him, not a wink of sleep I get.


    ----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning, when I woke up, Kael and Raven weren¡¯t in the room. As usual, I woke upte.


    By the time I got ready and went downstairs, everyone was already busy with their own tasks.


    "Good morning, spoiled princess," I heard Rafe say as he was busy feeding his cat.


    I red at the bastard who could never say anything good.


    "Don¡¯t give me that look," he said smugly. "The way you idle around the house, only knowing how to eat and sleep, and not offering any help at all, only a spoiled princess does that."


    Well, that was true. I did nothing at all, but¡ª


    "I am doing what none of us can ever do," I countered shamelessly and ced my hands on my belly as I raised a brow at him.


    He let out a scoff. "So your idle brain is finally working to defend yourself. Not bad."


    "Don¡¯t trouble her," Lucian came toward us. "She doesn¡¯t need to do anything when five powerful Alphas are here for her. All she needs to do is idle around."


    Rafe rolled his eyes at Lucian. "Herees the knight in shining armor."


    "I will always be," Lucian said as he stood next to me, taking my side against his brother.


    "I am not asking her to do anybor tasks," Rafe countered and looked at me. "You can at least make us fortunate by cooking something for us. How long do I have to eat the same shit these people cook?"


    "You dare call our cooking shit?" Jason countered. "No more meals for you from now on."


    "My daddy Kael earns enough to fill my back ount and to let me eat outside," Rafe countered again.


    I looked at Kael. He was busy working as usual, not minding our argument, as if he was entirely deaf to it.


    I noticed he was always busy like this and never meddled between his brothers when they argued.


    As if by being busy, he allowed others to have their own space in this home, which was his home to begin with.


    As if he sensed my gaze on him, he looked at me. Our gazes met.


    The next moment, what we did shed in front of my eyes. Damn, it made my heart skip a beat once more.


    I quickly averted my gaze and paid attention to the others.

 Chapter 301: Cooking Trap

    <h4>Chapter 301: Cooking Trap</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    "...I heard from Alice she made tasty cookies," Rafe¡¯s voice caught my attention. "But I never got to eat them."


    Cookies?


    It reminded me that I indeed loved baking back then.


    "Eira, I want to eat cookies you made," Rafe dered. "Even these bastards, Lucian and Jason, have tasted them. Why should Roman, Kael, and I be left out?"


    I felt lost. I hadn¡¯t done it in a long time. I wondered if I could even operate a single thing inside thatvish kitchen.


    "You two ate what she cooked?" Roman asked Lucian and Jason.


    Both of them hummed.


    "Damn!" Roman cursed and looked at me. "I want to try as well," then looked at Kael. "Don¡¯t you want to?"


    What the hell. Why, first thing in the morning, were these people trying to test my cooking skills? I was sure I would make a mess out of it.


    I looked at my hands. They trembled at the thought of it. It felt like I had forgotten how to cook.


    In the past six years, I hadn¡¯t cooked or even held cooking utensils in my hands. I hadn¡¯t even seen a kitchen, not even in my dreams, and now all of a sudden this demand.


    "I have forgotten it," I told them. "I am not sure I can even do it."


    "That¡¯s not a big deal. You can learn again," Rafe said stubbornly. "Lucian, Jason, and Roman will teach you. All I know is I want to eat at least something cooked by you."


    I red at Rafe. Why the stubbornness?


    "Even Kael and I want to," Roman said. "Raven, do you want mommy to bake cookies for you?"


    Raven, who was sitting next to Kael with a tablet in his hands, quickly nodded as he looked at us.


    I inhaled deeply. "Alright. I will try to remember the recipe of the cookies I used to bake. Give me some time."


    Rafe stepped toward me, cupped my face in his hands, and pecked my lips even before I could understand what was happening. "Good girl." Then he let me go.


    What the¡ª


    Lucian turned to me and patted my head. "You can do it," and returned to the kitchen.


    What? Wasn¡¯t he on my side and just said I didn¡¯t need to work?


    Roman came before me. "All the best," and left as well.


    I looked at Jason, and he said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will help you," then resumed his work.


    Then I looked at Kael and Raven. Both of them offered me encouraging nods.


    I felt confused.


    Why did it all feel like some kind of setup, a trap I had just fallen into?


    Was it? Or was I just mistaken?


    While having breakfast together, my gazes would wander over everyone, trying to figure out my confusion.


    But all of them acted normal as if they did nothing.


    After the breakfast, Roman was ready to leave for the office.


    "Again today?" I asked.


    Previously he used to be home as well, doing his work from here, but these days he preferred to go the office.


    He hummed, "One of us have to be there in the office. Kael is needed in home, so I have to."


    I felt like I hadn¡¯t been paying attention to him after that night. Or I didn¡¯t get to have enough time with him. He was always away.


    <i>Is it because he thinks I am Kael¡¯s mate and carrying his child, so he preferred to stay away from me?</i>


    "I might bete tonight," he informed, "Don¡¯t wait for me and just go to sleep."


    <i>He doesn¡¯t want me to wait for him? That night he liked it when I did. I want to wait for him to make sure he was back, that he ate. But...</i>


    <i>Why am I feeling bad? Maybe this pregnancy is making me overthink.</i>


    "Take care," he pecked on my forehead and turned to leave.


    <i>He didn¡¯t kiss me on the lips like usual?</i>


    It troubled me as I watched him leave. Suddenly my breathe turned shallow.


    <i>I am not feeling good. Something is not feeling good. I don¡¯t want him to leave.</i>


    "Already missing him?" I heard Rafe whisper to me.


    I shook my head and turned to go to my ce. It wasn¡¯t about missing him, but something strange. Or Just this pregnancy was crazy.


    ----


    Kael¡¯s POV


    As Roman left, I followed him out with the excuse of handing him over a file he left.


    "You shouldplete the bond with her instead of finding office excuse of staying away from her," I told him.


    The bond which is left iplete troubles the male, and it should bepleted soon. She had me as her mate already so she didn¡¯t feel the desperation and pain caused by iplete bond.


    He let out a sigh and looked at me, "What should I tell her that I can¡¯t bear with it and let¡¯s mate now?"


    "Maybe just go ahead with it when you two are together," I suggested, "It won¡¯t harm a baby."


    It hurt me to say to him as it was my mate I was asking him to mate with, but my brother was in a pain as well. And sooner orter they had to do it.


    "Soon she will realised you are intentionally staying away from her and it will hurt her," I added.


    "I know," he said, "I want toplete our bond as well, but you see she is going through something new everyday. She is still trying to process her current situation with her pregnancy, with us and she is careful towards the child inside her. I don¡¯t want toe out as someone who doesn¡¯t understand her feelings and just want to get rid of my own troubles. Let her take some time. I will be fine until then."


    As he put it this way, I didn¡¯t insist. He was right. At this moment, Eira was careful with baby inside her, thatst night she didn¡¯t want me to mate with her despite being so desperate for it. Becasuse she was worried about our baby.


    Roman sat in his car, and looked at me, "Kael."


    "Hmm?"


    "The best thing ever happened in my life was to have you," he said to me. "For all the pain I had suffered, you were a repayment from gods."


    As cringe it sounded me to hear from him, I frowned, "Just get going."


    He smiled and turned the car.

 Chapter 302: Roman In Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 302: Roman In Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Since the moment Roman left home, I wasn¡¯t feeling well. I just wished he had stayed home.


    "Why the long face, Caldwell?" I heard Rafe as he came to sit next to me by the window side on my mattress.


    <i>If I tell him, he will think something else and start teasing me about Roman.</i>


    "Nothing," my tone was dismissive as I resumed reading the book about pregnancy.


    "It¡¯s been hours and your expression is still the same since Roman left home," he said. "Missing him already?"


    This bastard!


    <i>Is it written on my face for him to know it? But it¡¯s not that I am missing him, but something strange and unsettling. Even if I tell this bloodsucker, he won¡¯t understand and will simply tease me.</i>


    "It¡¯s not that. Now get lost and let me read," I turned around to face the other way.


    He leaned closer and whispered into my ear, "After having some fun with Kaelst night, now you don¡¯t even miss him? Tsk! Poor Roman," he teased."


    I quickly turned to look at him in shock.


    How did this bastard know what I did with Kael? Isn¡¯t Kael¡¯s room soundproof?


    I averted my gaze and couldn¡¯t even dare ask him how he knew. Or it would be like admitting what he said was true. What if he was just shooting in the dark.


    "Thinking how I know?" he asked, and I looked back at him again like a thief being caught.


    <i>Can¡¯t anything be hidden in this home from others? If I did something with my mate, will the entire home know about it? Damn, no privacy at all.</i>


    Not waiting for my answer, he chuckled. "Your face, Caldwell! Your face always gives out what¡¯s inside your mind."


    I touched my face in reflex and wondered what I even did to let it out.


    "When we were asking you to cook for us, the way you looked at Kael, and then that dramatic blush, and looking away from him," he sighed. "All those old-school dramatic reactions. Be creative for once."


    I frowned. "Creative? What do you want me to do? Jump on him and let you all watch us..." I shut my mouth, as this bastard always angered me enough to say whatever came to my mind.


    "Whoa! I didn¡¯t expect you to be so creatively horny," he said. "Next time just do it and we will enjoy the live porn."


    I wanted to strangle him. I knew it. He always had something nasty to say.


    He leaned closer, his face an inch away, and whispered, "Or better, the rest of us join you two as well."


    My heart skipped a beat and I leaned back to create distance from this dangerously sounding vampire. That day Kael and Roman were talking about it, and now this bastard wanted to add the others.


    <i>Do they want to kill me or what?</i><i>For god¡¯s sake they are all powerful Alphas, and not those filthy humans and hybrids.</i>


    "Don¡¯t worry, you will be fine with five of us," he whispered again. "You are a pureblood for a reason."


    <i>Did he get it get my fear from my face as well?</i>


    "Get... away from me..." I scolded and moved back.


    "Seems like the idea thrilled you," he said, his red eyes gazing at me like a predator.


    "Kael," I shouted, "tell this bastard to get away from me."


    "Rafe," Kael¡¯s strict voice came through, which was enough to make this bastard back down.


    "I was just suggesting something to her for her own good," Rafe said to Kael.


    Kael finally moved his gaze from his work to Rafe. "Don¡¯t scare her."


    <i>With his sharp hearing senses, he must have heard this bloodsucker for sure.</i>


    Rafe looked at me. "Scared? I thought she was thrilled with the idea."


    "Let her get used to all of us first," Kael said and then looked at me. "Later, she will ask us on her own."


    My eyes widened. Now even Kael was siding with this bastard.


    Somehow I felt like they were feeding these ideas in my mind and as if they were preparing me for it.


    "You two, don¡¯t talk to me." I picked up my book and walked away to go outside.


    I heard them as Rafe said, "See, you scared her more than I did."


    "At least she¡¯s not scared of me," I heard Kael reply.


    "Yeah, now she is used to being in your bed to fear a hungry wolf like you."


    <i>Damn. These two. Talking about me when I am still around.</i>


    <i>They can dream on. I am not going to fulfil those weird fantasies of these people. Five of them? I don¡¯t want to die. I want to live for my kids.</i>


    ----


    The entire day passed by. I tried my best to get Roman¡¯s thoughts out of my mind, thinking he would return in the evening anyway. And now my gaze followed the door often, now that the sun had finally set.


    When I was busy helping Raven with his puzzles, I noticed Lucian looked serious, and he was looking at his five brothers while talking on the call.


    All of their expressions changed as if they understood what Lucian was saying.


    <i>Are they using a mind link to talk?</i>


    Sure they were, as the other three stopped their work and stood up from their ces. It scared me. My intuition told me something serious had happened.


    Then suddenly, Lucian, Jason, and Rafe turned to leave the house in a hurry, while Kael watched them with serious expressions.


    "Raven, you finished this part. Mommy will join you soon," I said and went to Kael.


    From his stern expression, I was sure something was wrong.


    "What happened?" I asked, worry gripping my heart. Roman hadn¡¯t returned home yet, and something about him had been worrying me already since the morning. "I know you guys were using a mind link to talk."


    "Roman is in some trouble," Kael said.


    Finally, what I had been worried about.


    "What kind of trouble? Tell me he is alright," I asked as I held Kael¡¯s hand, not even letting him finish answering. "Since morning something was scaring me... I just couldn¡¯t understand it. Tell me he is fine..."


    "He is a strong Alpha. He must be fine. Lucian, Jason, and Rafe went to help him as well," Kael kept his calm, but through our bond I could feel he was anxious too.


    "What exactly happened?" I asked.


    "Some people attacked him while he was on the way home."


    "Attacked? Then why didn¡¯t you go as well?" I asked, a little angry now. "You are the most powerful. You can stop many people at a time."


    "I can¡¯t leave you and Raven alone at home," Kael said. "My absence might cause greater harm here. Don¡¯t worry. You should trust the other four. They are no less powerful."


    I could understand why he didn¡¯t leave. I didn¡¯t care about myself, but I did care about Raven and the baby inside me. I felt helpless that I could do nothing from here.


    "I should have stopped him when he was leaving," I mumbled as tears rolled down my eyes. "I didn¡¯t have a good feeling... I should have..."


    Kael hugged me and wiped my tears. "Don¡¯t worry. They will be back soon."


    I could only listen to him and wait for Roman and the others to return. I was worried for them as well.


    They were a family now.

 Chapter 303: I Should Have Stopped Him

    <h4>Chapter 303: I Should Have Stopped Him</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    More than an hour had passed since the other three left home. Kael maintained his calm in front of me, but all the time I could feel his worry through the bond.


    He was in constantmunication with his people, getting updates about his brothers. He would look at me once in a while and offer me an assuring gaze, even when nothing was fine.


    I wanted to ask him to be honest and tell me what exactly was happening, but I didn¡¯t want to burden him with my own worry or distract him from his work. Though he wasn¡¯t with his brothers, he was instructing his people.


    I could only wait in silence and stay with Raven, taking care of him so Kael could focus on his part.


    It felt like an eternity when Kael finally came to me.


    "Everything... alright?" I asked, trying to sound calm, but my heart was breaking inside with the fear that something worse might happen.


    "We have to go to the hospital," he exined. "They all are fine, but hurt. So they were taken to the hospital."


    The rest had ger with Lucian¡¯s men, but Roman was already in trouble. So I couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Roman?"


    "He is hurt," he told me. "Liam is treating him."


    My heart sank in my chest. I wanted to ask how serious his injuries were, where he was hurt, and so many other things... but I chose silence and stood up from my ce. "Take me to the hospital."


    Somewhere in my mind, I couldn¡¯t help but me myself for not stopping Roman when I felt something bad was going to happen. I just couldn¡¯t understand it, but something had been trying to alert me.


    We left home in the car, but unlike before, this time it wasn¡¯t only us. A few more cars travelled before and after us with Alpha security forces.


    Kael and I sat on the back passenger seat with Raven between us, while the driver, one of the security guards, drove the car.


    Seeing how careful Kael was inside his own territory, I could understand the seriousness of the matter. He wasn¡¯t worried about himself, but about me and our children.


    When we reached the hospital, we went to the VIP floor meant only for Alphas. The security head updated him about the situation in the hospital as he led us.


    "...Alpha Roman has just been transferred to his room. His injuries are quite serious. The others are being treated for some minor injuries," he informed.


    "The warriors?" Kael asked.


    "There are a few casualties. We have lost two of them. Others are being treated for serious to minor injuries," he responded.


    I wished to hurry to Roman. I was relieved to hear that he was already treated and transferred to a room. That meant he would be fine. He was an Alpha. As long as he was breathing, any injury could be healed. And the others weren¡¯t much hurt as well.


    When we reached the VIP suite where Roman was resting, I entered the room the moment a guard standing outside opened the door. I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted to see him.


    I stopped only by the bedside. There, I watched him lying unconscious on the bed. His pale face showed he was gravely injured. I could see the bandages wrapped around his chest and shoulder through the slit of his hospital clothes.


    My eyes turned moist. It hurt me to see him this way.


    "He is alive, Caldwell."


    I came back to my senses and only then realised Rafe and Lucian were already present in the room as well, sitting on the couch.


    I could see the wounds on their hands and neck were treated, but they weren¡¯t very serious. Without medicine, they would heal soon. If they weren¡¯t healing, that meant they were caused by something dangerous, maybe silver mixed with something.


    "He will wake up after some time," Lucian told me.


    I hummed and sat in the chair next to the bed, not wanting to go away.


    Kael came to the bed, having Raven in his arms. Given how scared Raven was of the hospital, Kael kept him close.


    He watched Roman in silence for a while and then spoke to Raven, who was watching Roman with a worried gaze as well.


    "Daddy Roman is hurt. He will be fine soon. Until then, will it be fine for you to sit there and y?" He signalled toward the other room in the suite, which had a ss wall. "From there you can see us, and you can call me if you need anything."


    Raven nodded quickly.


    Kael took Raven to that room while instructing the security head to send some things to keep Raven busy.


    When Kael returned, Liam entered the room, followed by Jason.


    So except for Roman, others were fine.


    Liam exined to Kael, "The silver bullets had hit him, but we managed to take it out on time. I have given him drugs to lessen the effect of wolfsbane as soon as possible, so he will start healing on his own. It was good that he was brought to the hospital on time or..."


    My heart sank. Or what?


    "Well, now there¡¯s nothing to worry," Liam said as he turned to face me.


    I felt relived, but that short pause of him made me think we had lost Roman.


    I couldn¡¯t help but hold Roman¡¯s hand to feel it was actually warm and he was there with me.


    Kael turned to Jason, "How are you?"


    "Fine," his tone was normal.


    "Fine?" Liam¡¯s tone was sarcastic as he looked at Jason, "Who are you acting tough for. You were about to loose your liver if not for a fatal miss. But you can¡¯t stop being hard on yourself."


    I couldn¡¯t help but look at him. His expressions remained as if nothing happened as he said, "No need to exaggerate. Nothing happened."


    "Jason¡¯s his always so ¡¯nothing happened¡¯ talk," Rafe let out bored sigh as he went to him and harshly poked on where Jason was hurt.


    "Ugh!" Jason¡¯s expressions hardened and his face paled in a moment.


    Our gazes met, but he looked away as if he didn¡¯t want me to see him in pain.


    His pain didn¡¯t concern me as he had hurt me worse in that stable. I was being a petty to hold grudge, but I had the right to do so. At that time, he didn¡¯t see my fear, my pain. So he can go to hell with his pain.


    <i>I am not a god or some saint to go on and easily forgive everyone who had hurt me. But I was relieved he was safe. That should be enough for any kindness expected from me.</i>


    "Get on the bed," Kael ordered Jason.


    He quietlyy in the bed while Kael lifted his shirt to see his wound. Blood had started to ooze out of it.


    Kael looked at Rafe as he was the one to cause it.


    Rafe shrugged his shoulder, "Well, he loves to act tough, so I thought to show you his wound." Unapologetic he turned to go sit on the couch and looked at Lucian. "Did I do anything wrong?"


    Lucian offered him cold re and went to his brother.


    Rafe looked at me, "Seems like he is seriously hurt."


    I didn¡¯t respond and focussed on Roman instead, his hand in mine. But, my ears remained on what Liam was talking to Jason about his wounds.

 Chapter 304: Hurt, But Hungry For Her

    <h4>Chapter 304: Hurt, But Hungry For Her</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "We need to treat his wound again. It opened up," Liam said and instructed the nurse to prepare for it. He looked back at Jason. "Instead of resting after your wound was treated, you were running here and there with me to treat your people. Why are you acting like a doctor after so many years?"


    Jason remained calm, as if he had done nothing wrong. "Some are seriously injured..."


    "We have enough doctors for that job," Liam countered. The nurse had brought everything.


    As Liam started to treat and stitch his wound again, he said, "Due to the anesthesia, you didn¡¯t realise the pain that a silver bullet and poison can cause. I hope you feel it now."


    Despite his efforts, Jason couldn¡¯t control his pained expression. He simply turned his face away to hide it from us.


    "You were barely saved, so you better cherish it," Liam told him as he soon finished treating his wound and then looked at me. "Make sure he rests."


    I hummed, and Liam went to check on Roman again. He checked his wristwatch and told Eira, "He will wake up in an hour or so," and then left.


    I stood by the bedside, staring at Jason until he finally gave up and looked at me. I wasn¡¯t going soft on him.


    "You are not getting out of this bed unless you are heading to the bathroom or sitting to eat," I dered with a tone of finality.


    Jason nodded lightly and closed his eyes.


    Lucian patted Jason¡¯s shoulder gently and returned to sit on the couch.


    I nced at the ss wall, making sure Raven was busy, and then talked to my brothers to get the information.


    "It was one of the bastards his mother had birthed," Lucian said in a hateful tone. "That bitch had given birth to some loyal snakes."


    Roman¡¯s mother had birthed a few sons to various rich Alphas. They were literally Roman¡¯s step-siblings, but he had nothing to do with any of them.


    This one bastard was trying to avenge his mother by killing Roman. We hadn¡¯t expected it, and it was a mistake on our side.


    "The bastard was the son of that Alpha the bitch was staying with, and he was even spending on her treatment," Lucian added, offering more information.


    "Our guy killed that bastard," Rafe said. "That was a lovely view when Roman¡¯s wolf tore him apart."


    I heard everything and ordered, "Get the details of every bastard that bitch had birthed and arrange for all of them to meet me at once, along with their fathers."


    Lucian stood up. "I get it," and turned to leave. Rafe followed him as well.


    "Be careful of your injuries," I warned before they left.


    I couldn¡¯t let anyone trample on my family. It was time to set an example for those bastards.


    I offered water to Eira before going back to Raven. Eira wanted to stay with Roman, while I couldn¡¯t leave Raven alone for long.


    I made sure he ate well, and he soon fell asleep in my arms.


    As per Liam¡¯s guess, Roman finally stirred in his sleep. I watched but didn¡¯t go to him.


    Eira was holding his hand, waiting for him to wake up entirely. She didn¡¯t budge from her ce even for a moment.


    It made me realise she truly loved Roman. Though bitter, I could only ept it with a big heart and wait for the day she would love me the same way. I didn¡¯t wish to disturb their moment.


    -----


    It felt all dark, blurry, and painful, but then I heard the familiar sweet voice. "Roman."


    It was like it pulled me out of that darkness, and I could finally feel alive. She was there, sitting by my side, her eyes moist, a light smile on her lips.


    "Eira." I just wanted to say her name, the name that echoed in my mind when I thought it was thest moment of my life. But surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t.


    I returned, because my time with her wasn¡¯t up yet.


    I controlled the grunt that was about to leave my mouth due to the pain. I didn¡¯t want her to worry.


    Tears rolled down her eyes as I looked at her, her hand gripping mine tighter.


    "Did I worry you?" I asked.


    She nodded quickly, unable to say a word.


    "I am sorry."


    She shook her head. "I am d you are fine."


    I let her deal with her emotions.


    I ended up coughing a little, and she quickly got water for me, as if I would choke if I coughed for longer. I could see her worry for me. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her reaction, panicked just because I coughed.


    I had a few sips and assured her, "Just my throat feels dry. It¡¯s nothing."


    She sat back and looked at my chest. Her hand wanted to touch it, but she stopped in fear of hurting me.


    I held her hand and ced it on my bandaged chest, over my heart. "My heart is beating just fine. No need to worry."


    She nodded lightly in understanding and asked, "Does it hurt?"


    "A lot," I said, my expressions pained. "It¡¯s really painful."


    Her expression turned worried, ready to get up. "I¡¯ll call Liam¡ª"


    But I pulled her back by holding her hand, making her lean toward me, sitting at the edge of the bed.


    "You can treat it," I told her.


    Her expression turned confused as she met my gaze.


    My free hand moved to caress her cheek while I pulled her closer. "You are the medicine," my voice was low and suggestive.


    She swallowed, her gaze trembling between my eyes and lips. She got the meaning.


    I lifted my head a little and pecked her lips gently, theny back again, holding her face closer. "Maybe more will help."


    She finally moved and gently pecked my lips.


    "Not enough," I whispered against her lips.


    She finally kissed me, gently capturing my lips with hers with a little hesitation, her eyes closed.


    Despite being hurt, my hunger for her was still the same.


    My hand at the back of her head pressed her closer as I deepened the kiss, my tongue sought for hers, tasting it to my hearts content, my teeth biting and nibbling her lips without any care.


    It felt like an eternity since I had even touched her. My heart felt empty without her.


    The door of the room opened. My gaze moved to it and I watched Lucian and Rafe enter.


    Eira was about to pull back, but I held her in ce and whispered against her swollen, moist lips, "Just focus on me."


    And we resumed the kiss.


    As I nced at them, Lucian and Rafe quietly went to the other room to see Kael, who was already aware of what his mate was doing.


    Even Jason was awake, I knew, but he decided to y dead on the other bed.


    I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted her, to feel her. I was sure my brothers didn¡¯t mind either.


    When she was breathless, I finally let her go, her cold breath lingering on my heated skin.


    "Only if I wasn¡¯t hurt," my voice hoarse and needy as I said it, looking straight into her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t look reluctant and whispered softly, "First get better."


    I hummed and finally let her go.


    She looked around the room and was relieved that no one was looking at us. She wasn¡¯t used to others¡¯ presence yet.

 Chapter 305: A Smoking Hot Man

    <h4>Chapter 305: A Smoking Hot Man</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I came to visit Raven to check on him, and along with that, she visited Roman and Jason as well.


    She was guided to the side room of the suite where Raven was ying, with Rafe by his side, while Lucian had gone out.


    "You are doing really well, Raven," I said after having her one-way conversation with him, where he replied with some actions or silence.


    "Now all you have to do is try to talk," she added. "I know you can, and all of us are eager to hear your sweet voice. Eager to hear you call your parents daddy and mommy. Don¡¯t you want that as well?"


    Raven looked at Eira and me, to which both of us offered him an encouraging nod.


    He stayed quiet, as if wondering what to do. We didn¡¯t force him.


    I turned to Eira. "You are glowing these days."


    Just like Raven, Eira didn¡¯t know how to reply. Sudden praise seemed to have startled her.


    I smiled and said, "How about youe with me and we can talk? It¡¯s been a while since we had a nice chat. I am sure you have things you want to talk about."


    Eira¡¯s eyes lit up as if she truly wished for it. I guessed it right.


    "You can go with I. The hospital is safe, and you can go anywhere here," I assured her.


    "We will be just on this floor, taking a walk around," I assured as well.


    Both of them left, while I asked Rafe, "Where¡¯s Lucian? It¡¯s been a while since he went out."


    "Must be somewhere soothing his burning heart," Rafe chuckled. "If he doesn¡¯t return after some time, just call him."


    I understood the reason and decided to wait for him.


    ----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    These days, so many things were happening with me that I truly needed someone to talk to, a friend, a woman who could understand it. And I felt like the one.


    I followed her out, unsure what I would even talk about, but maybe once we started talking, things woulde out on their own. Moreover, I had the knack of understanding one¡¯s mind, so I was sure she would lead me in the right direction. She was like a mirror where one could see their own mind being unravelled.


    Just as we left the room and took a turn in the corridor, I saw a figure standing by the wall, facing the window opposite and smoking in silence, his expression as if he was deep in thought.


    For a moment my gaze was stuck to him. Something about him, made me not look away.


    The way his tall and perfect stood there with one hand tucked in pants pocket, other busy holding cigaret, and one leg folded back to rest on the wall behind. His hair slightly ruffled.


    The way the cigaret settled between his long fingers, the way he let out a smoke from his mouth in the coolest way I had ever seen.


    It was difficult to look away from him.


    Lucian. <i>He looks smoking hot.</i>


    Sensing our presence, Lucian looked at us, at me, as if I didn¡¯t exist to his eyes.


    His calm, yet drunk and dark looking eyes met with mine.


    I got back to my senses. <i>What¡¯s wrong with me to find a smoking man hot and attractive. Smoking is unhealthy for my baby. I should leave quickly.</i>


    But he had already extinguished the cigarette right in his palm and crushed it without fear of the burn, though it would be nothing for him. His other hand dispersed the smoke in the air before we reached there.


    <i>He cared that I would inhale that smoke.</i>


    But, he looked so serious that I didn¡¯t know what to say to him and decided to walk past him quietly with I, who had offered him a light nod.


    But even before I could walk past him, my hand was held, making me stop.


    I looked at my hand, then at him, with a puzzled gaze. Has he stopped me to ask where I was going?


    "I am¡ª"


    "I believe you don¡¯t mind waiting for her," he said to I without letting me finish, and then looked back at me as if he had already made a decision for me.


    "I¡¯ll wait for her in my office," I said and left.


    I was about to speak once more, and ask him what happened, but before that I was already pulled toward him. My hands instinctively rested against his chest while his arms surrounded me.


    <i>What¡¯s wrong with him? Why does he look as if something¡¯s bothering him?</i>


    His drunk and dangerously calm gaze never left my face, my eyes. One hand moved to caress my cheek, his gaze then wandered over my face as if he had never seen me before.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" I finally asked, unable to endure his wordless behaviour.


    He looked straight into my eyes and said in a low, throaty voice, "I am also hurt. Isn¡¯t it unfair that I don¡¯t get special care and attention from you?"


    The intensity in his eyes and his voice made my heart stir.


    "Special... what...?" I mumbled, my gaze trying to understand him.


    His gaze dropped to my lips, his thumb gently caressing my lower lip. He looked back at me, letting me know his intentions through his suggestive gaze and action.


    He was talking about the kiss Roman got.


    <i>Is he jealous?</i>


    <i>Does he want a kiss as well?</i>


    His face leaned closer, his lips lingering against mine in a gentle caress. I could smell the scent of smoke that still lingered on his breath, but I didn¡¯t find it repulsive.


    Instead, I liked it. Maybe my pregnancy hormones were ying tricks on me, as I never really liked smoke before. But not only did I find this smoking man hot, I even wished to revel in his scent.


    He tilted my head up, his hand tangled in my hair, and captured my lips with his even before I my mind could understand what was happening with me.

 Chapter 306: Lets Take It As Our First Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 306: Lets Take It As Our First Kiss</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    He kissed me slowly, unhurried, as if he was giving me time to pull away. When I didn¡¯t, the kiss deepened on its own, soft but weighted with something heavier beneath it. His lips moved against mine with a quiet insistence, warm and coaxing, drawing a faint sigh from my chest before I could stop it.


    His hand at my hair tightened slightly, not rough, just enough to keep me steady to his liking. The other settled at my waist, steady and protective, holding me close without pressing, as if he was careful even in this moment due to my pregnancy. The kiss wasn¡¯t rushed. It lingered, lingered again, each brush of his lips sending a slow heat through me.


    I responded without thinking, my hands curling into the fabric of his coat, feeling the rise and fall of his breath as it synced with mine. When he tilted his head, the kiss grew deeper, more intimate, yet still restrained, like a promise rather than a demand.


    He pulled back just enough for our foreheads to touch, our breaths mingling in the narrow space between us. His thumb traced my jaw, then brushed my lower lip again.


    For a moment, neither of us spoke. The corridor felt impossibly quiet, the world narrowed to the warmth between us and the unspoken tension humming in the air.


    "Do you remember that night from six years back when we kissed?" I heard him say, his low voice mixed with mild pants.


    My eyes flew open at the mention of it. <i>He still remembers it?</i>


    "Do you?" he asked.


    "Don¡¯t talk about it," I lowered my gaze.


    "Do you hate it?" he asked.


    I didn¡¯t dare look at him. "Just... don¡¯t talk about it..."


    "Fine," he said and made me look at him, holding my chin. "Then let¡¯s forget the past and take it as our first kiss, and a new start for us."


    I didn¡¯t know what to answer.


    He turned me. Now I was the one with my back against the wall. With the wall behind and his towering figure before me, I felt trapped between them.


    "I shall take your silence as your agreement," he said and kissed me again as he whispered, "Just don¡¯t hold back."


    The softness vanished, reced by a deep, consuming pull that stole my breath. His lips pressed into mine with urgency, heat blooming instantly as if all the restraint he had held onto finally snapped.


    His hand tangled firmly in my hair, tilting my head just right as he kissed me like a fire he was.


    The kiss was hungry, intense, his lips moving over mine with a need that made my knees weak. I could feel it in the way he held me, close, possessive, as if letting go was no longer an option.


    I kissed him back just as fiercely, my wolf, my body responding before my mind could catch up. My hands slid up his chest, clutching him as if grounding myself, as if I needed to feel that he was real.


    Our breaths broke apart and collided again, each kiss deeper than thest, stealing air, stealing thought.


    Kissing him didn¡¯t feel wrong at all, but as if it was meant to be. The moment he kissed me, I wanted it as much as he did as if he had put some spell on me and my wolf.


    I swear, my wolf purred for him.


    She was sure something to give in to these Alpha brothers as if she had some long lost connection with them. And I could feel it. That must be the reason why my body, my wolf, my heart, couldn¡¯t reject them after I finally got my wolf.


    He groaned softly against my lips, the sound vibrating straight through me, and the kiss turned almost desperate.


    Just then his phone rang, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    "Your... phone," I managed to say, my voice muffled in kiss.


    "Ignore it," he said as his one hand moved in his pants pocket. He seemed to have turned off his phone.


    His forehead rested against mine for a heartbeat before his mouth imed mine again, slower now but heavier, as if pouring every unspoken emotion into that single kiss.


    The world beyond the corridor ceased to exist. There was only the heat between us, the pounding of my heart, and the undeniable truth burning in the way he kissed me.


    When we stopped, panting as if we had been suffocating for long, his thumb brushed my swollen and burning lips. They hurt for sure, as this wolf seemed truly wild with the intimacy. And I knew better, my soul loved that raw wildness.


    "You alright?" he asked, catching his breath. That wide muscr chest of his was heaving wildly.


    With my eyes still closed, catching my breath, I nodded.


    "If you two are done, can I talk now?"


    We heard the familiar voice.


    Rafe was standing at the turn of the corridor, staring at us with a smirk ying on his lips.


    "Kael was looking for you. He even called you," Rafe informed. "Your phone is off. Now I know why."


    So that was Kael¡¯s call.


    Lucian looked at me. "I have to see Kael."


    I gave a light nod.


    Lucian walked past Rafe as both of them shared gazes, like talking to each other in silence.


    Rafe came to me. "Enjoyed the wild guy?" he asked.


    I looked away. "I is waiting for me," and was about to move, but before that, a pair of hands rested on the wall behind me, stopping me from moving.


    I looked at him, only to hear him say, "And who allowed you to leave yet?"


    Do I need someone¡¯s permission to go anywhere now? Even if I did, Kael had permitted me.


    "Kael," I answered. "You were there. Now move."


    "Not unless I get my fill," he said and leaned his face closer to mine. "Don¡¯t forget, I am hurt as well."


    <i>Damn! Now this bastard wants a kiss as well, or what? Is there some kissing feast going on today for these alpha brothers? If kissed one, others want the same?</i>


    <i>For God¡¯s sake, my lips are burning, and I am tired.</i>

 Chapter 307: It’s Fine To Have Multiple Mates

    <h4>Chapter 307: It¡¯s Fine To Have Multiple Mates</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    "I don¡¯t see you hurt anywhere. Must be some tiny scratches," I countered, offering him a re.


    "Ouch! How insensitive of you to say that," he pulled a dramatic hurt expression. "Do you know how much it hurts when a silver bulletced with a dangerous drug causes even a tiny scratch on your skin? You feel a dying pain."


    His words reminded me of the wounds on Roman¡¯s body that were life-threatening... and then... Jason. He must be in pain as well.


    "I am hurting, you know," he said, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    I let out a tired sigh and gave him permission. "Do as you wish."


    He let out a chuckle. "Not like this, Caldwell. You should be sincere, just like how desirably sincere you were with Roman and Lucian. I felt like you didn¡¯t want to stop kissing them."


    "They took the initiative and I followed," I countered. "Now do it, or let me go."


    Looking into my eyes with that wicked smirk on his lips, he leaned his face closer, his lips just a brush away from mine. I closed my eyes, already giving up on it, but...


    Instead of my lips, I felt a pair of warm lips over my cheek.


    I was confused and heard him, his lips still lingering on my cheek.


    "Your lips are already sore. If I kissed them, you might bleed for real, and I will end up tasting your blood." He moved his face back to meet my still confused gaze.


    His red eyes shed with some darkness, his expression predatory, his voice dangerously low. "And if I taste your blood now...."


    I waited for him to finish. The way he looked at me, the intensity inside him, made me focus only on him.


    "It will soil the taste of my mouth," he said, and once more that wicked smirk graced his lips. Gone was his seriousness. "Because your blood tastes shitty."


    I gritted my teeth and pushed him away with all I had. "Get lost, you bloodsucker."


    Surprisingly, he moved back.


    "One day I am going to get a bottle full of my blood and force it down your throat so your mouth will remain shitty for eternity," I snapped and walked away.


    "That¡¯s not the way to I¡¯s office," he said, unaffected by my anger. "It¡¯s this way."


    I stopped and turned around, only to see him smiling at me as if he had his fill of annoying me.


    I walked past him to go to I¡¯s office, but he held my hand. "Do you even know the way?"


    I knew her office, but from here I sure didn¡¯t know the way.


    Even before I responded, he walked ahead holding my hand.


    I tried to pull my hand from his hold, but he held it tighter and said, "We don¡¯t want a little girl lost inside this huge hospital."


    He brought me to I¡¯s office. "Let I inform me once you are done."


    I nodded and entered the office where I was waiting for me.


    "I thought you wouldn¡¯t make it here today," I heard I say in a yful tone, "But seems like your mates are generous enough to let you off."


    "I thought you wouldn¡¯t make it here today," I heard I say in a yful tone. "But it seems like your mates are generous enough to let you off."


    I let out an inward sigh. Of course she would understand the way Lucian acted in that moment.


    "Have a seat," she said. She looked chill, as she wasn¡¯t a doctor today, but someone who was there just to talk.


    I sat in the chair opposite her.


    "From what I see, it seems like things are going just fine for you," I said in a delighted tone.


    I couldn¡¯t deny it. After the past six years, finally my life was different. No abuse, but peace was finally there.


    "As I said before, let¡¯s talk about something you want to talk about," I said. "Everything that¡¯s in your mind these days."


    I offered a light nod, but hesitated a little as I said, "Is it normal to like more than one person... at the same time... I..."


    I didn¡¯t know how to put it in words.


    These days I was not just attracted to Kael, but Roman and now Lucian as well. I could ept it as Kael was my mate, and it was given, but why my heart wouldn¡¯t stop beating for Roman as well. When Rafe is close to me, I couldn¡¯t say no to him as well. I was sure, if Jason tried, I would met for him as well.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the abuse of so many years twisted my mind? Or it was just pregnancy hormones causing it.


    She offered me an assuring smile with a light nod. "It¡¯s absolutely normal, at least in our world, the world of werewolves. We can¡¯t judge and decide by human standards."


    I kept forgetting that we were werewolves, and that what I used to think in the past, my life wasn¡¯t going exactly that way.


    I said, "When you were young, just like any other shewolf, you must have thought about finding your mate, loving him, having a family with him, and spending your entire life with that same man."


    I nodded.


    "But do you dislike the current situation?" she asked.


    I shook my head.


    "Good," she continued. "There is no such rule that one should love only one person. If there is such a rule, it is made by a particr person or few people for themselves and then others followed it bybelling it as an absolute morality.


    "But if you ask me, what matters is whether you and your partners are epting towards it and all of you are happy together. A happy family should be the goal."


    I thought about what she said, and her words didn¡¯t feel wrong to me. Yes, I could say my current life with them was a happy one.


    "In the old times, werewolves were mostly monogamous and had their fated mate, but things changed over time when the ratio between the male and female poption started to change drastically. So, as nature needs to keep working, things started to change ording to that.


    "It¡¯s not like there were no polygamous rtions in ancient times. There were, but it started with the brothers born at the same time from the same womb. I mean the twins or triplets and so on. It¡¯s like their fates were connected, so did the bond with the same female.


    "And trust me, that female used to be fortunate to be protected by multiple partners. No one else daredy an eye on her. Just like you are now. The stronger the shewolf is, the more protection she needs."


    I surely agreed with it.


    I needed protection, at least for the sake of my kids. I had long stopped caring about myself.


    "In the past, do you know how those rare shewolves like you died?" she asked.


    I knew nothing about it, so I shook my head. The first time I heard about being a rare shewolf was from that witch who came to meet me in the prison.


    "They died because they didn¡¯t have strong partners to protect them and their kids. There are evil people outside who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take advantage of the rare things in nature for their own gains. The world is full of monsters. Maybe this time, nature doesn¡¯t want her creation to end like that, so it made sure to offer you those five, though the way to it was a grave suffering for you. But then, it must have a reason as well.


    "As a doctor and being a practical and rational person, I shouldn¡¯t say these things. But given how our world mostly works on one¡¯s destiny already being written for a reason, I can¡¯t help but say it."


    I hummed. "I look forward to seeing what¡¯s written for me. As long as my kids are safe, I will be fine."


    The way things were being revealed these days, I was sure there was something that I am yet to meet, whether a fortune or a disaster.


    We talked for a while, where I¡¯s words assured me nothing was wrong with me for liking more than one partner. That it¡¯s fine to have multiple mates.


    I got to know her first mate died in the battle, so her current one was her second chance mate. That she was happy with him as well and now had a happy family.


    It was such a relief to talk with her.

 Chapter 308: Warning The Bastards

    <h4>Chapter 308: Warning The Bastards</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    As instructed, Lucian¡¯s people had got everyone who was rted to Roman¡¯s mother, whether the Alphas she whored around with or the bastards she had birthed with them.


    In the basement of the hospital, there were some secret rooms which were built just like any constructions my family had built. I had entire control over this ce.


    Inside one of the rooms, I sat on the chair like a king while a few bastards were standing in front of me. Though they were wealthy Alphas from different packs, they were nothing in front of me.


    But... as losers they were, they didn¡¯t fail to hurl empty threats.


    "Alpha Kael, what is the meaning of this?" one of the old men frowned. "How could you drag us all here without any reason?"


    "You may be a powerful Alpha, but we have our rights as well," another one said. "You can¡¯t do this to us."


    "Yes, we will file aint to the council and drag you there... Ugh..."


    In a moment, my eyes darkened and a strong Alpha emoted from me. All of these bastards knelt in front of me as they couldn¡¯t bear it.


    "Are you forgetting who you are talking to just because you are permitted to even stand in front of me?" My cold voice echoed in the room. "Want to go to the council?" My cold tone mocked them. "In front of that very council, your whore was killed, but that council couldn¡¯t do a shit. I can kill you all right here, and no one will even dare look for your bodies."


    Just then, Lucian entered the room. He tossed cigarettes on the ground and crushed them under his feet. "Kneeling like dogs, that¡¯s what suits these bastards. Having their tails between their legs the moment someone powerful stands in front of them," hemented wickedly.


    I could feel the fear inside them for facing the wrath of a top-tier Alpha, which doubled after they saw Lucian.


    Being a top-tier Alpha, fearing me was evident, but they feared Lucian more, as he was famous for losing his calm and killing the enemy in a brutal way without even giving them a chance to ask for forgiveness. Warrior Lucian was synonymous with a demon with zero rationality and empathy when it came to enemies.


    "Alpha Kael, forgive us..." one of them finally managed to say a few words. Others shared his sentiments as well.


    I retracted my Alpha aura. I could kill them all and take my anger out on them, but other than being powerful, I had responsibilities. If someone powerful like me started killing everyone, no one would be left.


    "I assume everyone is aware of why you are here, and what exactly happened the previous night?" My cold voice echoed inside the dark walls of the room.


    They kept quiet, as admitting their involvement in it meant death.


    "Which one of you wishes to kill my brother, even now?" I asked, my icy gaze wandering across them. "I dare you to try."


    "Alpha Kael, we do not mean to harm your brother. We have no reason to," one old Alpha spoke. "And my sons have nothing to do with it."


    "Yes, Alpha Kael. We don¡¯t even know who did it," another one chimed in.


    Lucian frowned. "That bitch being their mother, isn¡¯t that enough reason? Or are your sons such pussies that they couldn¡¯t even bother to avenge their mother?"


    No one said a word to defend themselves upon being called out by Lucian. We knew everyone wanted revenge, but not everyone dared to do it.


    "You bastard, you killed my son," finally someone spoke up, the Alpha whose son attacked Roman to avenge his mother. He looked at the others. "Why are you all silent? Don¡¯t you have any spine? If all of us had attacked them together, the bastard Roman and that bitch who killed our woman would be dead by now. But all of you were... Ugh..."


    Lucian had moved at the speed of wind and already strangled the old man, shutting him up.


    "You dared curse my brother and our mate right in our face?" Lucian gritted his teeth. "You dare?"


    The grip of his hand and his power was no joke when itnded on something. Despite the man he strangled being an Alpha, he was no match in front of Lucian.


    He was already unsettled due to this attack. This old bastard just had to provoke him.


    Thud!


    The next moment, the room fell into dead silence as the head of that Alpha rolled on the floor. Lucian¡¯s hand had converted into a sharp w, and blood dripped down along his fingers. His dark gaze showed no remorse at all, only a predatory im.


    He turned to look at the others. With his angry dark gaze, he looked like a demon from hell. "Anyone wants to try just like this bastard?"


    All of them shuddered under his threatening aura and stepped back.


    "Alpha Kael, we assure you we had nothing to do with that bitch after she gave us kids," one of them said, fear of death gripping him.


    "This old bastard, he still kept her with him and imed to love her. That¡¯s why he and his son were being senile. Good that you killed them."


    "Trust us, Alpha Kael. We would never evene into your or your family¡¯s sight. Please trust us. We mean no harm. That bitch was just a whore we fucked to get kids."


    They continued to beg.


    "If any of you ever pull any such stunt, I will make sure you are skinned alive and hung on the door of your home so your next generations learn the lesson really well," I warned.


    "Of course, Alpha... Please let us go this time..."


    I finally stood up and signalled the guards to take them away. Hearing them whine was a pain to the ears.


    I turned to Lucian. "Why are you so worked up today? Is everything alright?" I asked.


    "Just wanted to kill someone for how they almost killed Roman," Lucian said, his anger evident in his expressions, calm but full of storm behind them.


    I patted his shoulder. "Get rid of the bloodstains before youe to the room. She might smell blood."


    He hummed as one guard offered him a cloth to wipe the blood.


    I returned to the suite where Eira and Raven were sleeping, while Rafe was keepingpany with the two patients. We made no sounds so as not to disturb the sleeping mother and son and talked through the mind link.


    Once I informed them of the matters, Roman asked, "Where¡¯s Lucian?"


    I exined what happened. "He will be here soon."


    Roman hummed and asked, "Can we return home now?"


    Jason looked just as eager as him.


    "Liam had instructed you two to stay here for the day. You two will be discharged tomorrow."


    Both of them frowned and sighed helplessly.


    "Then, you can leave with Eira and Raven. No need to stay here for us," Roman said. "Notfortable for them."


    Even before I could respond, a voice came through. "I am not going anywhere."


    Eira was standing at the door of the other room. "I am staying here with you," she said to Roman.


    He wanted to refute, but seeing her expression, he kept quiet.


    "That means we all are spending a night here," Rafe dered.


    "You can go home if you want," Eira told him. "There¡¯s not much ce for everyone to sleep."


    He smirked at her. "Don¡¯t worry. I will make a space just next to you, cuddling you due to theck of space."


    "Stay away from me," she warned and went to Roman. "Are you still hurting?"


    Before Roman could answer, Rafe said again, "Why? Are you nning to kiss him again to reduce his pain?"


    She red at him. "Yes, I n to. Do you have any issues?"


    "Of course not. You kissed him, then Lucian, and had something even with me, but you are forgetting there¡¯s someone else as well who is hurt," Rafe added.


    She stayed quiet, as it was about Jason. There was silence in the room now.


    Roman and I looked at Rafe, to which he shrugged his shoulders like always.


    Jason had kept his eyes closed as if he could hear nothing at all.


    "Eira, can you get me water?" Roman broke the silence.


    She quickly moved and offered him a ss of water, helping him sit down and drink.


    She still maintained the boundary with Jason, so we couldn¡¯t say anything to her about him.

 Chapter 309: I Want You In My Room

    <h4>Chapter 309: I Want You In My Room</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    This bastard Rafe had some knack for saying something just to disturb everything. Why did he have to poke his nose? Who did I kiss or not?


    Bastard!


    Once Roman finished drinking water, he asked me, "Aren¡¯t you hungry yet?"


    I realized I hadn¡¯t eaten for a while now. "I am."


    "I have already ordered dinner for you all," Jason informed.


    Rafe chuckled. "Even if you are not cooking, you remember to feed us."


    Jason didn¡¯t answer and turned around to sleep.


    The food arrived, but Lucian wasn¡¯t here yet.


    Roman and Jason had simple food, while the rest of us had a proper tasty dinner. Jason made sure to order everything that I would eat.


    We kept a portion for Lucian inside the fridge in the small kitchen in the suite. I felt like this wasn¡¯t a hospital where we were staying, but that we were on vacation. Money could surely buy youfort and luxury.


    Before sleeping, Liam came to check on Roman and Jason once more and left after informing us that they would be discharged tomorrow. But even at home, they had to take care of their wounds, which would take a day or two to heal entirely.


    Even when we went to bed, Lucian hadn¡¯t returned. I felt a change in him when we crossed paths and he kissed me. It was like something was bothering him. I could feel it. I wondered where he was.


    As only one bed was there, Raven, Kael, and I squeezed onto it. Rafe slept on the couch in my room, while the couch in the patient¡¯s room was left empty for Lucian.


    Deep in the night, when everyone was in a deep sleep, I felt a presence. A tall figure entered the suite, moving swiftly in the dimly lit room. I could tell it was Lucian.


    Through the ss wall, I watched him pour himself water and then move towards the couch.


    I realized he must not have eaten anything, and food was kept for him. I moved slowly to get out of the bed, making sure it wouldn¡¯t wake others.


    But given they were werewolves with heightened senses, I was sure my light movements were of no use. Still, as none of them bothered to wake up for Lucian, I decided to do it.


    I went to the patient¡¯s room where Lucian had alreadyin on the couch, his long legs hanging over the handrest, one arm folded over his face to cover his eyes.


    As if he sensed my presence, he moved his hand away and looked at me. In the dark, he looked intimidating. I could even feel it from his aura.


    It felt like he had returned after taking a few lives at least, and his soul was restless.


    Even before I could say a word, he moved his hand toward him, gesturing for me toe to him.


    Though wary of him, I stepped ahead and put my hand into his.


    He softly held my hand and pulled me gently toward him until I was sitting at the edge of that wide couch. He said nothing, but stared at me for no reason. His hand gently moved to caress my cheek, then moved to the back of my head, and he slowly pulled me closer.


    Just when our faces were close, he whispered as he closely looked into my eyes, "I feel like I can¡¯t stay away from you anymore. All I want is to mark you and fuck you mindlessly until every part of you screams that you are mine. My mate."


    The intensity of his words and that seductive voice, it felt like it pierced straight into my soul. I didn¡¯t dislike it, but felt a little scared by the way he said it.


    He seemed to have barely restrained himself from doing what he had just said. But it wasn¡¯t possible, at least not now.


    I had to worry about the baby growing inside me.


    "I came to tell you that there¡¯s food for you in the fridge," I whispered as low as I could.


    "My dinner is right in front of me," he whispered back, his eyes gazing at my face.


    My heart skipped a beat. His intentions were clear. But others were there, and I was sure they must know what was going on here. Gosh, so embarrassing.


    I tried to say, "Raven might wake up if I am not..."


    "Kael won¡¯t let him," he whispered back.


    So even he was aware that his brother knew what was happening here.


    Shameless!


    "I¡¯ll get food for you," I tried to move away, but he pulled me back.


    Not even giving me a chance to react, he kissed me. His lips pressed against mine with a slow, deliberate hunger that made my breath shudder before it escaped me.


    The kiss deepened almost instantly, his mouth moving against mine as if he proving his point that I was indeed his meal for the night.


    A low sound slipped from my throat as his hand tightened at the back of my head, and his other hand pulled me entirely over his body as if I weighed nothing, making me straddle him.


    What the fuck I was doing. Roman is there, but I hope he was under the effect of medicine and can¡¯t see me this way. Or I would be embarrassed to face himter.


    But the other part of my mind worked in bold way. It didn¡¯t want me to stop.


    I was going to ept that I was one horny bitch, who gave in front of these alpha brothers the moment they touched me. After six years of abuse, there was no decency left in my life anyways. So, I should better enjoy myself.


    I melted into him, my fingers curling into his shirt. supporting my body over him, while his hand roamed along my curves.


    His kiss grew more intense, more demanding. It was filled with heat and possession. Each brush of his mouth, that unruly tongue of his sent a pulse of warmth through me, leaving my head light and my thoughts scattered.


    When he finally eased back, it wasn¡¯t far. His lips lingered close, brushing mine with every breath we shared, as if he wasn¡¯t quite ready to let go. His breathing uneven, his presence heavy and intoxicating.


    "Once we return home, I want you in my room." It wasn¡¯t a request, but amand for me, as if he owned me.


    Unlike Roman and Kael, he didn¡¯t seem to ask for my consent.


    Whatever. I nodded anyway, as if I was spellbound by him in that moment.


    I watched the corner of his lips curve into a dark smirk, his eyes warning me that what I had just agreed to wasn¡¯t any good.


    "Go back to sleep, before I lose it," he said.


    "Your meal?" I asked.


    "It was delicious," his thumb brushed my swollen lips.


    He didn¡¯t want to eat proper food after eating me. I gave up and moved away from him as he helped me stand up.


    "Good night," I whispered, only to see him nod.


    I returned to the bed, not daring to look in Kael¡¯s direction, who had Raven in his arms now. But then, my gaze ended up on the couch in the room, where Rafe was going through his mobile.


    The vampire didn¡¯t have the decency to even act like he was sleeping while I and his brother...


    I let out a sigh, only to hear him say, "Vampires don¡¯t really sleep in the night."


    I said nothing andy on the bed. Neither did he say anything more.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think. <i>So this is how my life is going to be, taking turns to be with each one of them while feeling as if I was betraying the rest.</i>


    <i>I hope it won¡¯t feel that way anymore.</i>


    <i>Maybe I am the one thinking about it, while they are just fine with it.</i>

 Chapter 310: It Wasn’t Your Fault

    <h4>Chapter 310: It Wasn¡¯t Your Fault</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning, we had to prepare to leave the hospital. Except for the two patients and a vampire, the other two were busy with the discharge process.


    Jason was annoyed that Kael had told him not to get out of bed until we were leaving for home. Roman was fine with it, but Jason looked like someone had chained his feet and tied him to the bed. He didn¡¯t want to keep resting.


    I tried to stay busy with Raven to avoid the embarrassment of what I did with Lucian while these two were right here.


    But how long could I avoid it? It was time for me to give medicines to Roman.


    I quietly went to the bed and offered the medicine to Roman. He looked at me normally. There was nothing unusual.


    Maybe I was the one overthinking it.


    "Thank you," he said as he epted the tablets from me.


    Just then, Jason opened his eyes and looked at the table next to his bed. Already annoyed with the forced rest, he frowned at not finding what he wanted and moved to sit up.


    I looked at Rafe, who was busy ying a game on his mobile. "Can you look around the room for a moment?"


    "I have better things to do than look after you," he said. "Now don¡¯t disturb me."


    Jason had already sat up in bed.


    "Stay there," I told him, so he wouldn¡¯t disobey Kael¡¯s order.


    He looked at me.


    Wordlessly, I poured water into a ss on Roman¡¯s table as I understood he was looking for water and the ss on his side was empty.


    As I carried the ss of water to him, the other two had returned to the room as well and looked at me.


    Ignoring them, I looked at the medicines on the table, "which one of it?"


    "The white box," he answered. "Two."


    I got two tablets and handed him over along with the ss of water.


    Jason epted it. "Thank you."


    Despite sensing others¡¯ gazes on me, I asked him, "Anything else you need?"


    Jason shook his head, while I returned to sit by Roman¡¯s side. He offered me a smile, as if appreciating my help for Jason.


    "Do you need anything?" I asked, ignoring his praising gesture.


    I was just helping a hurt person who was now a part of my family. Nothing else. Why did they have to look at me like I had done something unusual?


    -----


    Finally, we returned home.


    I hate to admit it, but I truly missed this ce. As if this was where I belonged and no other ce felt asfortable as this one. Home for me and my kids.


    Once we entered the house, Kael instructed the two patients, "Today, except for moving between your rooms and the drawing hall, you two are not stepping anywhere at all."


    In short, they were strictly on rest.


    Jason let out a sigh as he settled on the sofa with a frown. "Not the wound, but being idle and bored will surely kill me."


    Kael ignored him while Roman sat next to him. "Just enjoy being taken care of. It¡¯s not so often that we get to enjoy it."


    "Please, keep me out of it," Rafe said. "I am not a babysitter."


    "Can¡¯t expect anything better from you," Roman countered. "Fortunately, we have others in this house who are thoughtful."


    "Others? Kael and Lucian are going to be busy, one with office work and another taking care of the bloodshed fromst night," Rafe said. "Then who else is left?" He looked at me. "Oh! Are you thinking this idler Caldwell will take care of you? Then all the best for being delusional."


    I red at him. Was he saying I do nothing at all? He kept saying it.


    "I take care of Raven, the baby inside me, and the pets," I countered.


    "Yeah, and you also take care of the food that¡¯s cooked in this house," Rafe countered. "How helpful!"


    "You idler, I am better than you at least," I said angrily and looked away.


    He offered me a bored look and looked at Jason. "Seems like without you cooking, I am going to starve."


    "Yeah, as if no one else cooks in this house," Lucian¡¯s voice came through as he brought the ordered groceries from the guard and headed to the kitchen as well.


    "You only cook what this idler Caldwell loves to eat, so I can only rely on Jason," Rafe countered with a sigh.


    "I¡¯ll cook for you," Jason said, only to feel Kael¡¯s re at him and shut his mouth.


    Kael headed to the kitchen.


    "Woah! Our Alpha¡¯s going to cook? Damn, after so long," Rafe said and looked at me. "At least take care of these two. That much you can do, right?"


    "You don¡¯t need to tell me what to do," I snapped. "Just go and suck some blood from the fridge."


    He simply smirked at me and then looked at the tablet in his hand. "Jason, what a save. Jumped in front of Roman to save him like a brave hero."


    He handed the tablet to me. "You can take a look as well, Caldwell. Don¡¯t miss the hero here."


    Roman frowned. "Not a hero, but an idiot," and looked at Jason. "Don¡¯t ever do it again. It¡¯s better if one dies rather than two."


    Jason remained calm. "You don¡¯t make such calctions when you save your people. And I know you are just as idiotic as me. You would have done the same."


    I watched the clip and saw how Jason, in his wolf form, had pushed the hurt Roman away and got shot in his ce. If not for Jason, Roman would have been in worse situation or....I didn¡¯t want to even imagine it.


    Though he was hurt and in pain, Jason made sure to tear away the ones who shot those bullets before finally falling to the ground. He didn¡¯t look good as well.


    For a moment, fear gripped my heart that both of them could have died for real just because I was so reckless to his mother that day.


    Just then, the tablet was taken away from my hands.


    "Don¡¯t overthink, Caldwell. Give your tiny brain a little break," Rafe¡¯s voice pulled me back to my senses. "I just wanted to see how we protect each other."


    I looked at Rafe. He met my gaze as if he understood what I was thinking.


    I averted my gaze quickly.


    But I decided to at least take care of these two until they were alright, to make up for my own guilt.


    The meal was served, and we all ate it together.


    Kael ordered Roman and Jason to go back to their rooms and sleep, while Rafe apanied Lucian to his job of security matters.


    Kael resumed his office work while keeping Ravenpany and made sure Roman got his medicines.


    Once I returned, Kael told me, "Go to Jason¡¯s room to get your second shot."


    I was taken aback. Why in his room? But then I had to take it for my baby¡¯s sake.


    I went to his room, and entered after I knocked on the door.


    As if he was aware I wasing, he was going through the medicine box, already holding a syringe in his hand. "Sit there," he gestured towards the couch in the room.


    I sat quietly. He took his ce next to me and injected the medicine, his expressions calm and focussed.


    The air in the room carried nothing but utter silence.


    As I watched him, it reminded me the days from the past when he used to work with Liam. As a doctor, he was truly impressive and he taught me a lot of things.


    "It¡¯s done," he said and looked at me.


    Our gazes met and I quickly looked away to get rid of the past memories.


    Maybe understanding my hesitation, he stood up. But his brows creased a little and a light throaty groan left his mouth. He wasn¡¯t allowed to move much, and here he was doing it recklessly.


    I stood up as well, took the used syringe from him and said, "I¡¯ll do it. You rest."


    He went to sit on the bed, while I discarded the syringe and asked, "You got your medicines?"


    "I will in a while," he answered.


    I knew his medicines now. So, I got them for him.


    As I offered them to him, he said, "You don¡¯t have to force yourself to do it. It wasn¡¯t your fault."


    So he knew I was feeling guilty for causing it. And thest thing I wanted to do was to take care of him.


    "I am not forcing myself," I exined. "Others are busy... so..."


    He silently had the medicines, while I said, "Let me know if you need anything. Rest well."


    He hummed, and said, "You need to rest after this shot."


    I hummed and I left, unsure of how I was even feeling at the moment.


    There was still that distance between us, a knot in my heart, that it felt impossible to be more than this with him.

 Chapter 311: Phantom Heat- I

    <h4>Chapter 311: Phantom Heat- I</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Roman and Jason got better, and all of us got back to our usual routines. I could sense something was going on between the others, something serious which they avoided talking about in front of me.Maybe it was due to my pregnancy and not to stress me out, or maybe it had nothing to do with me.


    I had been reading the books dedicatedly, and a particr topic I read about made me feel like my body had started to act that way.


    Phantom heat.


    I had been restless since the morning, just the way it had been mentioned in the book, and how Phantom heat could be just as intense for a rare blood like me.I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, if I truly went through it, what would I do?


    Kael was my mate, but Roman and Lucian wanted to mate with me as well. Roman had marked me already, while Lucian had already expressed his desire that night.Rafe, though teased and tried to seduce me, had already told me he had no intentions of mating with me, and Jason was sane enough to know his ce in my life.


    Now, the other three were left, and I didn¡¯t want any conflict to be there, and I wouldn¡¯t be forced to choose someone on my own.It would hurt my mate, a father of kids, then it would hurt the other two as well.


    I better prepare myself to hide somewhere and endure it on my own. And also warn them to stay away from me, so nothing between them will mess up.And there was no way I was going to let them have me at once. I didn¡¯t want to hurt my baby.


    I was quiet for half a day, lost in my own thoughts and trying to convince myself that the symptoms are not what I was thinking. My mind was getting restless, and I was barely containing it.


    After lunch, the annoying Vampire couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Have a snake bitten your tongue today, that you rarely said a word, Caldwell? nning to save our ears?"


    Already vtile, I couldn¡¯t hold myself, "Yeah. Now bow before me. Thank me."


    "Woh! So angry? Who offended you now?" he teased, "Or it¡¯s just your pregnancy hormones."


    "You... It¡¯s you... your presence is enough to annoy the hell out of me," Ished out, "Just get the hell out and don¡¯t show up in front of me."


    There was a silence around the moment I said it. Everyone looked at me, and I realised I truly went overboard.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will," he said, "Soon."


    Anger and sudden guilt gripped my heart. If I stayed here, I might say something really bad which I didn¡¯t truly mean. I found it impossible to control my anger, my emotions.


    What would Raven think about me? If I continued this way, he would think I was a bad person.


    I stood up from my ce, "I want to be alone. Don¡¯t disturb me anymore," and left the home.


    The only ce that I could find peaceful at the moment was the side house.


    Entering the side home, I locked the door. I just wanted to hide somewhere. It happened the same way when I had my first heat. But Kael found me anyway.


    I just hoped they would understand this time that it was a phantom heat and leave me to handle it on my own.


    ----


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    It was evening now, and Eira had locked herself in the side house since noon. She hadn¡¯te out to ask for any food either, as she was feeling frequent hunger these days.We considered that she must have used whatever was in the kitchen of the side house. Kael made sure to keep it full since the day he and she mated.


    When Roman went to the side home in thete afternoon, she didn¡¯t open the door for him, but told him she was fine and to leave her alone until she came out on her own.We had no choice but to listen to her.


    Kael was calm the entire time. He didn¡¯t make any effort to take food or water to his mate, or ask about her, as if he was respecting her wishes.As her mate, he must be aware of her situation. He could feel her through the bond.


    I had my suspicions now. I think the others must have them as well, but no one said it aloud.She was Kael¡¯s mate, his fated mate, and he would decide for her first.


    As our Alpha and a brother, we trusted his decisions.


    It waste, dinner time had passed, and Eira still hadn¡¯t shown up. We made Raven eat and sleep, as he didn¡¯t need to know what was going on.


    "We shall go to her," I suggested.


    Kael seemed to have already decided on it and went to the side house, while we watched him from a distance. We weren¡¯t sure if she would let out strong pheromones in Phantom heat as well, so it was better to stay away rather than going crazy.


    Kael knocked on the door. "Eira, are you alright?"


    There was no response.


    "If you won¡¯t respond, I will enter the house," he said.


    No response yet.


    Kael waited for a while and kicked the door open as it was locked from inside. He looked calm on the surface, but worried inside.


    We all held our breaths to know if she was fine. After a few moments, my cellphone rang.


    It was Kael¡¯s call.


    "How is she?" I asked quickly, only to hear something shocking.


    "What?" I eximed, my brother equally stunned.


    Eira wasn¡¯t in the side house.


    Four of us rushed to the side house where Kael had finished inspecting the home. He was standing by the rear side window of the house. It was open.


    If the door was locked from inside, then she had escaped through the window.


    "She was here until an hour before," Kael said, as he could tell it from Eira¡¯s scent in this ce.


    "Where has she gone?" Roman asked. "We need to look for her."


    We went to the rear of the house and stopped at a certain ce the moment that strong, different scent hit us. It wasn¡¯t as strong as when she was in actual heat, but it was still dangerous.


    "She is truly in heat," I mumbled.


    Rafe, who was already being careful but followed us out of worry for her, stepped back, his entire body rigid.


    "Rafe," I turned to him.


    He shook his head as if he shouldn¡¯t have been here, and left at the speed of wind.


    There were others to take care of Eira, but Rafe. He needed me.


    I looked at Kael, letting him know my intentions, and left after Rafe.

 Chapter 312: Phantom Heat-II

    <h4>Chapter 312: Phantom Heat-II</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Now Kael, Jason, and I were left.


    "I¡¯ll go keep watch over security now that Lucian has gone after Rafe," Jason offered on his own. "They won¡¯t be returning for the night."


    Without waiting for Kael¡¯s response, he already turned and left. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to be affected by Eira¡¯s scent lingering in the air.


    He was aware, that he was thest person she would even want to mate. So, he decided it quickly.


    As for me, as much as I wished to go to Eira because, to me, she was mine as well. But at the same time, Kael was Eira¡¯s bonded, rightful, mate. I didn¡¯t want to cause him pain by letting him see his mate sleeping with someone else while carrying his child, especially when they had just sorted out their misunderstandings ande together.


    "Kael, you should¡ª"


    "Go to her," he interrupted me as he met my gaze with a firm resolve.


    Though calm on the surface, I could feel how difficult it was for him to say it at the moment. The muscles on his neck were tensed, and his fists clenched.


    "Kael..."


    "It¡¯s time for you toplete your bond with her," he interrupted me again, as if any more words from me and his resolve of not going to her would break. "You can¡¯t keep suffering because of the iplete bond. Just go to her, for both your sake."


    "I need to look after Raven."


    And he already turned to leave after handing me over the winter coat he had brought for Eira when he came to see her to the side house.


    I didn¡¯t want to fail his resolve, and he was right about my bond with her as well.


    I turned and left at the speed of wind in the direction where her scent led me. She must be in pain, and I won¡¯t let her wander around alone and helpless.


    With each passing moment, her scent was getting stronger, and so were my heartbeats, as if my heart would burst out of my chest. Her scent was truly intoxicating.


    After a few minutes, I finally stopped at a ce with a strong intoxicating scent. My wolf told me she was just here.


    So she came to the water pool, the same ce we brought her to during her first shift. Her wolf loved this ce. That must be the reason she was here.


    But where was she?


    My gaze roamed around, only to stop at the pool which had rock boulders and was elevated from the surface. Though I couldn¡¯t see her, I knew she was there inside.


    I put my winter coat on the grassy ground, removed my shirt to toss it over the coat, and walked over the rocks.


    Standing at the edge of the pool, I finally could see her. She was sunk into one corner of the pool, the water levelled to her shoulders. Her hands were wrapped around her chest, her eyes closed, brows knitted, lips trembling and gasping.


    She was doing her best to cool her body in the water of the pool, and control herself in that maddening heat.


    But she knew better. It wasn¡¯t working.


    I decided to go to her. I stepped inside the water and slowly walked towards her, not rushed. One step at a time, letting her realise my presence.


    The light waves in the water hit her body, and she opened her eyes. Our gazes met, her eyes shone silver as if her wolf was delighted to see me here. Her gaze hungrily wandered around, not just on my face but my exposed torso, and she let out a needy gasp.


    Not breaking my gaze with her, I continued to move ahead, water slowly reaching up my body.


    With the water reaching my chest, I finally stood before her. Our gazes still didn¡¯t leave each other.


    "Want me to help you?" I asked.


    She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. Her eyes carried need, yet conflict and worry. Unable to express herself, she lowered her gaze, her entire body trembling.


    I moved my hand, my fingers gently caressing her cheek.


    The moment my fingers touched her, it was as if a shock wave ran through her body. "Ro..ma..." she gasped and shut her eyes. Only the stone wall behind her stopped her from moving away.


    My fingers settled under her cheek and lifted her face up. "Look at me, Eira."


    Hershes fluttered open, revealing her teary eyes.


    "I am your mate, and it¡¯s only right if I help you," my voice was gentle and soothing. "You don¡¯t need to suffer like this."


    "My... baby..." she finally mumbled under her heavy breathing.


    "Trust me. Nothing will happen to the baby," my gaze and tone assuring. "I won¡¯t lose my mind. You and our baby are strong, stronger than you can think."


    I meant it when I called it my child.


    I didn¡¯t mind that she could only have a baby with her fated mate. What I needed was only her for who she was, and for how much I loved her. Having kids wasn¡¯t a priority. She wasn¡¯t a breeder, but a woman I loved.


    Her and Kael¡¯s kids were mine. And after Ipleted my bond with her tonight, my bond with her would connect me to the child inside her. I would be his father, by the bond I shared with his mother.


    "Trust me," I whispered. "Will you?"


    She finally nodded lightly, but still wary in her heart.


    I cupped her delicate face in my palms, letting the heat from them sink into her cold skin, my thumbs gently caressing her to calm her nerves.


    Her hands finally unwrapped from around her chest slowly, as if letting her guard down in front of me. Her hands settled at the back of my palm, enjoying the warm touch against her skin.


    My face inched closer to hers. My senses started to drown in the cold breath she let out, her intoxicating scent messing with my brain in a dangerous way now.


    "You won¡¯t regret this night with me," I whispered against her lightly parted, gasping lips. "I give you my words."

 Chapter 313: Fucking You Like This Had Been A Dream

    <h4>Chapter 313: Fucking You Like This Had Been A Dream</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    My entire body burned, as if my soul itself was set on fire. The cold water did nothing to soothe it, yet the instant he touched me, a wave of calming chill spread through me, wrapping around my senses like relief I had been craving.


    I didn¡¯t want to think. I didn¡¯t want to resist. I only wanted the pain to end, and he was the answer my body had already chosen. I trusted him. Every word. Every promise.


    When he said I wouldn¡¯t regret this night with him, my body believed him long before my mind could catch up. My wolf trusted himpletely, responding to his presence, drowning in his scent, ready to give in to everything he was offering.


    His eyes closed as his nose brushed against mine, a primal instinct taking over, a beast drawn helplessly to its mate¡¯s scent. I mirrored him, breathing him in, just before his lips crashed into mine with a hunger so fierce it stole the air from my lungs. My wolf purred in approval, eager, desperate, surrendering without hesitation.


    The water rippled around us as his mouth imed mine, deep and demanding, pulling me into him, pressing our bodies together. My back hit the cold stone wall of the pool, the contrast making me gasp, but his hand cradled the back of my head instantly, shielding me from the hardness, while his other arm locked around my waist, holding me firmly in ce.


    I kissed him back with everything I had, pouring every suppressed ache, every unspoken desire into that kiss. My body responded on instinct alone, melting into his touch, into the quiet promise in the way he held me, safe against the stone, shielded from the world.


    Our breaths tangled, hot and uneven, as his mouth devoured mine like he was starving for me. His tongue invaded mine relentlessly, teeth grazing and tugging at my lips, stealing everyst breath from my chest until I could do nothing but cling to him.


    Hisrge palm slid over my curves, possessive and needy, before settling over my chest, fingers squeezing and kneading my mounds with desperate intent. A broken moan escaped me as my body arched into his touch, pushing myself closer, craving more, needing more.


    When he finally pulled back just enough for me to gasp for air, both his hands moved to my back. In the next heartbeat, fabric tore under his grip, my dress giving waypletely, leaving me bare against him, exposed to the cold water and the heat of his body all at once.


    "Roman..."


    I whispered against his lips, my breathing just as heavy as his, but my voice faltered the moment I felt his hand slide between my thighs, his fingers brushing gently through my wet folds.


    A shaky breath escaped me as my body trembled under the touch of his fingers, skilfully exploring my pussy, unrestraint, sending sparks through every nerve.


    "Were you saying something?" he whispered against my gasping lips.


    My lips parted to answer, but he pinched my clit, and a loud moan spilled from me before I could form a single word.


    "Hmm?" he asked again.


    He was surely teasing me.


    Before I could respond, his finger slipped inside me, recing my words with wild moans and a single breathless answer, "Yes..."


    My soul was screaming inside, begging him to continue.


    He captured my mouth once more, and this time I felt him add another finger, stretching me slowly, deliberately, as if preparing me.


    But I was already more than ready. I was ready to take all of him, my bodypletely losing itself to the heat raging within me.


    "Roman..." I whispered again, desperation gripping my soul. "I... am ready..."


    The moment the words left my lips, I felt his body tense. Our gazes met, his eyes darkening with the primal desire I was leading him toward, allowing him to im.


    His fingers stopped moving inside me. That same hand slid along my thigh, lifting it, while his other hand held my waist, raising me effortlessly.


    As if in perfect sync, I circled my arms around his neck, letting him lift me higher. Both my legs wrapped around his waist, and his hands settled under my naked butt, holding me as if I weighed nothing.


    My face was level with his now. He gazed at me wordlessly, eyes dark, the muscles of his neck and shoulders tense, as if he was barely restraining the beast inside him.


    I felt his hard cock nudging against my pussy. I didn¡¯t even realise when he had removed his pants.


    He held me steady as he prepared to enter me. I clung to him firmly, my body humming with anticipation. He moved carefully, filling me slowly, deliberately, not wanting to overwhelm me.


    A loud gasp tore from my lips as I felt his thick, warm cock enter me.


    But the very next moment, his mouth sealed over mine, swallowing that gasp whole, thrusting hard inside me at once, as if he had finally lost patience after trying so hard to stay in control.


    A wild growl escaped him the instant he was buried deep inside me, his entire body tensing before he began to move, restrained yet powerful.


    Gosh, he felt so damn good inside me, hitting just the right ce, making me go crazier than I already was with each deep thrust.


    "More..."


    Loud moans followed that single word, the only thing I could manage to say. He held me firmly and gave me exactly what I asked for, making mee in no time as waves of my first orgasm washed over me.


    I clung to him as my body trembled violently, my breathing ragged and uneven.


    He stopped then, letting me absorb those pleasant moments my body had been craving.


    Once I finally calmed down, he pulled out of me, his cock still pulsating, hot and wild, before gently setting me back on my feet.


    Before I could fully understand what was happening, I was already turned around, facing the stone wall behind me. His strong torso pressed against my delicate back as he guided both my hands forward, settling them against the wall for support.


    "Fucking you like this has been a dream," he whispered into my ear. "That first day in the bathroom, I barely held back from fucking you. It was hard... I was hard..."


    His tone was wild and suggestive as his hand gently caressed my buttcheeks.


    He was referring to the first time he had helped me bathe.

 Chapter 314: Completed The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 314: Completed The Bond</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    I meant it when I said it. Keeping my desires under control all this time, while she had been right next to me, sharing the same bed, had been nothing but torture.


    Tonight, I wasn¡¯t going to hold back. I would fuck her the way I wanted, and for as long as I felt I could stop.


    We Alphas were known for our insatiable desires. We wouldn¡¯t stop unless the other begged us to. Even so, I had still been careful. She was pregnant, and I didn¡¯t want to cause her any harm.


    Eira seemed to understand my intentions. She parted her legs instinctively, bending forward just enough to offer herself to me, allowing me to take her from behind.


    I wanted to fuck her ass, but I knew she might not like it at the moment. Slowly, as she stayed with us, we would prepare her for everything, for all of it, so we could draw the best from her and ourselves.


    My hand tilted her face to the side so I could kiss that sweet, small mouth of hers. A wild thought crossed my mind, how good it would feel to put my cock in that mouth and have her suck it like my personal little whore. My thoughts were spiralling out of control, but I reminded myself again and again to be patient.


    I loved her. I wouldn¡¯t force her to do anything she wouldn¡¯t like. The memory of her sucking Keiren surfaced for a brief moment, and I didn¡¯t want her to ever think of me the way she thought of him.


    My tongue grazed her lips, prompting her to open her mouth. She was just as desperate as I was for that kiss, meeting me eagerly. Her willingness was my greatest reward. I wouldn¡¯t dare ask for more... yet.


    As we kissed again, my hand moved to her neck, holding her in a grip that was firm but bearable. At the same time, I thrust hard inside her swollen pussy, my hand muffling the moan that tried to escape her throat. Her face flushed red, and I knew she enjoyed it.


    The way her butt moved against my cock, taking me inpletely, was proof enough.


    "Greedy little cunt," I groaned against her lips as I thrust again and again.


    She moaned in response, as if epting my words as praise.


    I released her neck, moved back slightly, and settled both my hands on her waist, holding her steady as I continued to move inside her.


    Madness took over me once more as I began to move harder and faster, without restraint, like a beast finally unleashed, finding the perfect rhythm her body needed.


    Her hands braced against the wall, fingers nearly scratching the stone as she struggled to stay upright against the wild force behind her. She moaned and screamed loudly, enjoying every moment of it.


    The water around us rippled to the rhythm I created, sshing against the edges of the pool.


    Wild growls tore from my throat like never before. Only she could make me like this. No one else. Powerful, overwhelmed, intoxicated by desire.


    "Roman..." she cried my name again and again, as if chanting it would give her the strength she needed.


    Soon, another orgasm ripped through her, stronger than the first, and this time her legspletely gave out. Before her body could slide down into the water, my arms wrapped around her, holding her firmly, her fragile, trembling back once again pressed against my chest as it heaved wildly.


    But I was far from being done. I didn¡¯t want to keep her in the water for long, so I lifted her into my arms and carried her out of the pool.


    Iid her down on the winter coat I had brought with me and hovered over her, careful not to put any weight on her body.


    Finally I could properly see her face, flushed and exhausted, her breathing still uneven.


    "You are a pureblood. You shouldn¡¯t be exhausted so soon," I whispered, caressing her wet cheek with my fingers, gently pushing the damp strands of hair away from her face.


    "And... you are... a monster..." she murmured in a low,ining tone.


    I chuckled softly. "Didn¡¯t you like this monster and what he did?"


    "I didn¡¯t say that."


    I let my still-hard cock brush against her, deliberately slow. "And this monster is not done yet."


    She knew it well, yet her hand instinctively moved to her belly. "Be careful... maybe we¡¯ll end up overdoing it..."


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell me to stop outright, worrycing her voice instead.


    "I know," I assured her gently. "This one will be thest one."


    Relief flickered across her face at my words.


    Then I added quietly, as my fingers traced along her neck. "I am going toplete our bond."


    She hummed in response.


    She already knew. Still, I had to tell her, because I was going to bite her again in the same ce, this time while knotting her as well. I didn¡¯t want it to be a surprise and shock to her.


    My knee parted her legs as I settled between them, my hard cock already finding the ce it was meant to enter. Her cunt was dripping wet, just at the thought of being fucked once more.


    Her mind must have been worried about the baby, but her body simply craved to be fucked. That was how beast bodies worked. Instincts before thought.


    I leaned over her as I positioned myself to enter, her hands gripping my shoulders as she spread her legs wider for me.


    "I am not going gentle anymore," I warned her, and thrust harder than I had before.


    We weren¡¯t in the water now, and every movement was entirely under my control.


    She let out a loud scream as her nails scratched against my skin, drawing blood.


    "Care...ful..." she murmured in a pained groan.


    "Don¡¯t worry," I assured her, though I had already lost control.


    I knew nothing would happen to the baby, so I allowed myself to go as wild as I wanted for thisst time, just as I had told her.


    I fucked her mindlessly, exactly the way I had always imagined. She came again far too soon, but this time I didn¡¯t stop.


    Her loud moans echoed through the woods, filling the ce as I moved inside her like the monster she had called me just a while ago.


    "Almost there," I groaned against her lips in a kiss, warning her it would be over soon.


    I was close to knotting her.


    With a fewst hard, fast thrusts, I bit her neck at the same ce where I had marked her before.


    She whined in pain, yet pulled me closer, begging to be fucked more, screaming in both agony and delight.


    Soon my body stilled over hers as I came hard, knotting her, spilling myself deep inside while locking us togetherpletely. Wild growls tore from my throat as my wolf purred inside me like an unrestrained beast.


    Her body trembled violently as she came again with the knotting. Unable to take it anymore, she panted andy there with her eyes shut tight. Her entire body was soaked in sweat, mixed with the water that had nearly dried by then.


    I licked the bite, her blood tasting magical, irresistible. When I bit her this time, I felt the bond forming between our souls, nothing stopped my soul from connecting with hers.


    Mates.


    Finally we were mates.


    I moved back slightly and looked at her utterly exhausted face.


    "You alright?"


    She was too tired to respond, but I already knew the answer.


    I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "We have to stay like this."


    Of course, she knew that. She had been knotted before.Still, I told her anyway.

 Chapter 315: Drug From The Daddy

    <h4>Chapter 315: Drug From The Daddy</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    That bastard Rafe was quick to run away. This time, he didn¡¯t escape in a car but ran toward the other side of the estate, straight into the deep forest.


    He was fast, disappearing like a breeze. But I had my ways. Not just my speed, but my senses were far stronger when it came to tracking him.


    I ran through the woods, following the traces of his scent. Soon, I sensed movement. He was getting closer to the boundary.


    <i>Bastard¡¯s heading toward the border. Can¡¯t let him get out of the estate.</i>


    I sped up, pushing every bit of strength I had. If he left the estate, it would be difficult to track him down if I lost him. Inside the estate, despite its vast premises, there were cameras and surveince everywhere. Outside the border, deep in the forest, it would be nearly impossible.


    I closed the distance between us enough to mind-link with him.


    "You should stop already."


    "Fuck off!" I could sense his restlessness and irritation in his tone.


    "Don¡¯t make me use force," I warned.


    This time, he didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he sped up even more.


    "You¡¯re asking for it," I warned again and changed my approach.


    Within moments, I caught up to him, and the peaceful forest turned chaotic as we shed at the speed of lightning. I wanted to stop him. He wanted to escape.


    "She is not here. Why are you running away?" I asked while dodging his attack, trying to get him into my hold. "You can¡¯t even smell her here."


    "I want to run so far away that I won¡¯t return anytime soon," he answered. "Now fuck off and let me be."


    "Not gonna happen," I countered as we continued fighting, punches and kicksnding on each other. "Kael has given me orders¡ª"


    "Always Kael," he growled, his red eyes shing with anger. "You don¡¯t have a mind of your own."


    This time, I managed to overpower him. I grabbed his arm and threw him like a rag. He collided with a tree with tremendous force. A few of his bones must have cracked.


    But I wasn¡¯t worried. They would heal within moments. This bastard¡¯s healing abilities were faster than ours due to his half-vampire nature.


    "What? Want to kiss me likest time to calm me?" he smirked, though in pain, "So desperate to have me, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Yeah, I can¡¯t wait to fuck you," I replied coolly.


    Before he could recover enough to fight back, I moved in the blink of an eye and mmed him against the tree, his back facing me. One arm pinned him at the shoulders while my other hand twisted his arm behind his back.


    By that time, both of us were panting from fighting with all our strength. Speed and power cost a lot of energy, and chasing someone who was part wolf and part bat was even more taxing.


    "Bastard, my broken rib is poking my lungs," he muttered, letting out a pained groan.


    "You won¡¯t die," I told him, though I couldn¡¯t help but loosen my hold slightly. He breathed heavily and turned to face me. Breathing was difficult for him, and he closed his eyes, waiting for his body to heal itself.


    I didn¡¯t let my guard down. This bastard was skilled at diverting attention.


    "Do you always have to be a pain in my ass?" he muttered through gritted teeth.


    "I don¡¯t remember fucking you ever," I countered.


    He smirked. "After just a kiss, are you already dreaming about it?" He opened his eyes, his gaze mocking, and inched his face closer to mine. "I don¡¯t mind, but the one who¡¯d get fucked would be you."


    He was about to shove me away with great force to escape again, but I knew him too well by now. I grabbed him back, mmed him against the tree, and this time a syringe pierced into his neck.


    "Did you really think you could distract me by talking shit?" I snarled, earning a murderous re from him.


    He was truly angry now. The yful mask was gone.


    "What did you¡ª" Before he could finish the sentence, his body went limp.


    I caught him before he hit the ground and lowered him down carefully.


    I knelt beside him and smirked. "Daddy has discovered a new harmless drug for a baby. Now let¡¯s see how long it can keep you quiet."


    His eyes red at me like he wanted to kill me.


    The thing he hated most was confinement, whether it was physical chains or something like this. Being unable to move, being helpless, that was what he despised the most.


    I knew it well. But I had no choice.


    He could fight it out with meter, once we were back home.


    He swallowed his frustration and closed his eyes. "I am going to fuck the hell out of you before I kill you."


    "We will see," I said calmly, catching a breathe so I could put him on my shoulder like a bup sac and carry him back home.


    After a few moments of silence, when I finally moved to pick him up, the world turned upside down for me.


    I was pressed on the ground and the bastard was over him in a blink of any eyes, before I could even sense his moves.


    He pressed me firm by pressing his arm along my shoulder, and smirked, "Daddy¡¯s drug seemed to fail on this overly efficient and smart baby."


    I didn¡¯t resist or struggle to free myself and simply looked at him.


    "Has the snake got your tongue, daddy wolf?" he chuckled, but then stopped and raised a brow. Before he could be suspicious, once more a a needle was pricked in his neck.


    Too let for him to even dodge.


    His body froze again, as he looked at me.


    "It¡¯s time for daddy to test another drug," I smirked, "This one is stronger different the first one that failed."


    The next moment his body copsed over mine as he mumbled in the crook of my neck, "Fucking bastard."


    "It seemed to be the perfect time to test the both drugs," I said, not bothering to even move under his weight.


    Finally he was calm once more, and I hoped this drug won¡¯t fail me.


    Silence stretched between us, time passed but he didn¡¯t move.


    ¡¯This drug seemed to have worked on his,¡¯ I concluded.


    I gave out a sigh of relief. My hand moved to the back of his head and caressed it gently. "I know you don¡¯t like to be confined, but I had to."


    He didn¡¯t respond. I could understand his anger so I didn¡¯t mind either.


    "And, it¡¯s not because Kael told me to," I said, continuing to caress the back of his head, "You have always been my priority whenever it¡¯s about protecting you. And I will continue to do so till the end of my life. I won¡¯t ever let you go."


    I knew he was listening, but I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.


    As long as he was safe, as long as he was with us, it was enough.

 Chapter 316: Pleasure In Wolf Form

    <h4>Chapter 316: Pleasure In Wolf Form</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    By dawn, I stirred in my sleep. I felt something so warm and fluffy surrounding me, soforting that I felt like clinging to it. My hand moved on its own, only to brush against a thickyer of fur beneath it.


    <i>What is it?</i> It wasn¡¯t my nket for sure. But something alive and breathing.


    "Good morning, mate," I heard a familiar voice.


    I finally opened my eyes, only to find a wolf¡¯s face close to mine. Gunmetal grey. It was undoubtedly Roman. My wolf recognised him before my mind could.


    His massive wolf form had enveloped me entirely to shield me from the cold, his huge thick tail wrapped over me along with his paws.


    "Done with sleep?" I heard him again.


    I was confused. He talked?


    As if he knew what I was thinking, he said, "We are mates now, so we can talk through the mind link."


    I understood.


    My hand reached out to touch his face, too huge in front of my small hand. "You are beautiful."


    I heard him chuckle. "Beautiful? That should be you. Your wolf is the most beautiful one I have ever seen. So beautiful that I wished to fuck you in your wolf form, if you weren¡¯t restricted from shifting."


    The moment he said it, a shiver ran through me. Somehow, the idea of being fucked in wolf form enticed me. In fact, it enticed my wolf. Goosebumps rose on my body, and I felt unsettled in my lower belly, prompting me to close my thighs.


    He didn¡¯t miss it, or probably felt it through the bond.


    His face neared mine, and his tongue offered a lick along my cheek before moving to my neck.


    I let out a soft moan. Damn. I knew I was truly hopeless and helpless in front of my mate.


    His massive wolf form shifted over me as he stared into my eyes. "You want it, don¡¯t you?"


    I swallowed hard and looked away as I said, "I can¡¯t shift."


    Damn. I didn¡¯t deny it, but I admitted it indirectly.


    He was a massive wolf, and I was certain he would tear me apart if he fucked me in my human form.


    "I can¡¯t, even if I want to," he said as if he sensed my fear. "I won¡¯t ever hurt you."


    I felt relieved instantly.


    The sunrays had started to appear in the sky now, marking the beginning of a new day.


    "Want to return home?" he asked.


    He shifted back into his human form and carried me to the pool to clean ourselves. Standing inside the water, facing him once more, memories ofst night flooded my mind.


    My face must have given it away. He pulled me closer and offered a gentle smile. "We can often mate here if you like it that much."


    "Stop teasing me," I pped his bare chest with my wet hand.


    "Alright. Now let me do the most important thing." He moved my hair aside from my shoulder and checked the spot where he had marked me.


    I saw his brows crease. "It should be here by now, at least."


    "Is there no mark?" I asked, sensing his disappointment through the bond.


    He shook his head.


    <i>No mark? How?</i>


    I could feel his disappointment clearly when he didn¡¯t see a mate bond mark at the ce where Roman had marked me.


    Having a bond mark on a mate¡¯s body was the most prideful thing for any Alpha. I wasn¡¯t sure how deeply it hurt him to see no mark on me.


    But I could clearly feel the bond, the connection with him, which meant the bond was established. Then why was there no mark?


    When Kael marked me, I had a mark. But why not with Roman?


    <i>Is it because only my fated mate can leave a mark on me?</i>


    Damn. That would be so hurtful for Roman, as if his bond with me carried no value.


    It wasn¡¯t true. I valued it. I valued him. I would love to have his mark on me.


    <i>What should I do now?</i>


    His gaze was still fixed on the left side of my neck, as if he was waiting for some magic to happen, for a mark to suddenly appear.


    "Maybe it will take more time," I said hesitantly.


    He looked back at me and acted calm for my sake to not make me feel bad.


    He hummed, "Maybe you are right. Let¡¯s clean up and return home before you catch a cold."


    I felt bad for him, but I could do nothing. I simply hummed in response.


    He offered me an assuring smile and moved his wet hands to wipe my face. "Is it too cold?" he asked, trying to divert my attention.


    I shook my head. His understanding of everything always left me speechless.


    His hand slowly ran along my neck as he pushed my hair back from both shoulders, while I quietly watched him, trying toprehend his emotions and what he was suppressing inside.


    It must be a great disappointment for him that he couldn¡¯t even see the most treasured thing meant for any Alpha.


    He felt my gaze on him and looked back at me, probably understood what I was thinking. "Having marks is not important. We are bonded, and that is the only truth we need to know. You can feel the bond between us, don¡¯t you?" He asked.


    "I can," I answered.


    "That¡¯s it then," he smiled lightly.


    I quickly moved and hugged him, having no words to say to him. My silent way offorting him.


    His hand gently caressed my back, and he pecked my head. "If you keep this up, I am afraid we won¡¯t return home today."


    I let out a sigh and mumbled against his chest, "Raven might look for me."


    He chuckled. "Don¡¯t worry. I have no n of keeping you here. We need to return home."


    I let out a sigh of relief and moved back.


    Once more, he ran his hand along my skin, only to stop at my right shoulder. His gaze lingered on my neck, the side where Kael had marked me.


    Damn. Now it would make him feel worse to see Kael¡¯s mark.


    "What is it?" he mumbled in a surprise and gently ran his finger over that mark.


    "What?" I asked hesitantly. "Kael¡¯s mark?"


    "There¡¯s a change in it," he said.


    It puzzled me. "What change?"


    I hoped something weird didn¡¯t happen with Kael¡¯s mark Roman was already disappointed to not see his mark, and I don¡¯t want Kael to feel the same.

 Chapter 317: Another Addition To The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 317: Another Addition To The Bond</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    "There is another addition to it," he said, himself puzzled.


    "Is it because of your marking?" I asked.


    "I am not sure... but it seems like it," he said, still observing the mark. "I have never heard of any bond mark changing like this. Even if a female has multiple mates, the marks are always separate for each partner."


    "Maybe we ask Kael, and anyone who¡¯s aware of it," I suggested.


    He agreed. Both of us cleaned up and returned home before the sun was fully out, and so did the others.


    Entering Roman¡¯s room, the first thing I did was stand in front of the mirror and observe Kael¡¯s bond mark.


    Before, it was simply a ck rose with a vine full of thorns around it. But now, there was another vine circling in the opposite direction to the thorn vine, and instead of thorns, it had tiny leaves.


    "What does it mean?" I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. "Is it Roman¡¯s mark?"


    "If you want to rest, you can," I heard Roman say.


    I looked at him through the mirror. "I am not sleepy."


    I hummed, and both of us got ready instead, changing into fresh clothes.


    Roman left before me, while I took my time. It would be better to face the others when everything followed the usual routine, or at least when Raven was downstairs and I could busy myself with him instead of feeling embarrassed under everyone¡¯s gazes.


    Especially Kael. I wasn¡¯t sure how he was after his mate was marked once more by another male. I knew these five epted each other, but it must hurt in the end.


    ----


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    When I went outside, Jason was already there, starting his day in the kitchen.


    "Good morning," I greeted him.


    He replied while working in the kitchen, and I joined him. "Lucian and Rafe?"


    I was worried about Rafe, but since Lucian was with him, I could rx a little.


    "They haven¡¯t returned yet?" he replied.


    I hummed, and he asked again, "Everything¡¯s fine?"


    I nodded, though the issue about the bond mark still lingered in my mind, wondering what exactly had happened.


    "She is fine as well," I added, knowing he would want to know about her. "Maybe just embarrassed toe out yet."


    "As long as she is fine," hemented.


    Just then, Lucian and Rafe returned home. Before we could ask anything, Rafe headed straight to his room as if he hadn¡¯t noticed us.


    We looked at Lucian with questioning gazes, only to see him shake his head, silently saying <i>nothing</i>, before heading to his room as well.


    "Something wrong with those two?" Imented.


    Just like me, Jason had no answer. He simply watched Lucian¡¯s retreating back.


    Kael came downstairs too. As he grabbed a water bottle, he asked, "Why the long face?"


    The moment I saw Kael, the question about the mark filled my mind.


    "There is something," I said.


    "Go ahead."


    I exined to him about the absence of my bond mark on Eira, and the changes in his own bond mark.


    Just like me, Jason looked surprised, while Kael fell into deep thought.


    "Do you know why?" I asked him.


    "Let¡¯s check the mark first once shees out," he suggested.


    I decided to be patient.


    When Eira came downstairs, she busied herself with Raven as if she hadn¡¯t seen him for days. I could see the change in her behaviour toward him.


    Before, she had been careful and kept her actions measured, but now she was more rxed around Raven. She smiled, talked, and both of them looked happier together.


    We didn¡¯t want to disturb them.


    All of us had breakfast together in silence, and Lucian and Rafe joined us as well. Now both of them acted normal, back to their usual selves.


    After breakfast, Kael informed us, "I have hired a teacher for Raven."


    Kids of Raven¡¯s age had already started going to school, so we couldn¡¯t keep him behind. Though it wasn¡¯t safe to send him outside the home, we all found this idea weing.


    He looked at Raven. "We can¡¯t send you to school yet, so you have to study from home."


    Raven nodded. We weren¡¯t aware of his experience with school when he was in the Ravenw pack.


    The teacher had already arrived.


    "This is Kane, your teacher," Kael introduced the two.


    Kane was a beta, one of the most experienced teachers in the pack.


    "When I was your age, Kane taught me as well," Kael added.


    Raven observed the man silently, while Kane offered him a smile in return. "Good to see you, Raven."


    After a brief introduction, Raven and Kane were sent outside to the garden, as Kane offered to teach him in the open rather than being confined to a room.


    We agreed, as it would help Raven rx around him. At the same time, we could see them from the drawing room.


    Once their arrangements were made, we returned inside.


    Eira, now without Raven beside her, had to face us.


    "Come here," Kael called her.


    She quietly went to him and stood facing him. Kael pushed the hair back from her neck and observed the mark.


    Rest of us looked at it as well.


    The moment Kael¡¯s fingers touched the mark, the newly formed vine around the ck rose, showed reaction. A glow of gunmetal grey shed along it, the same colour as my wolf.


    He looked at me, "It¡¯s your mark."


    Eira looked at me. She looked more relieved than I was.


    "How did it appear here?" I asked, others waited.


    "I am not sure either," Kael said, "But it¡¯s yours."


    Lucian went to Eira and checked the mark as well. "Does that mean when rest of us mark her, our marks will appear with your mark as well?"


    "Seems like it," Kael said.


    This was entirely new thing for us all. We had never heard about such kind mate bond.


    I looked at Jason, "You book nerd, you haven¡¯t read or heard about it either?"


    Jason shook his head.


    "As long as we have bond with her, everything is fine," Lucian said, just as what I thought. "To be honest, I loved this way of bond mark forming on her. It will show us five as one with her. Three more additions to go."


    "It indeed looks beautiful," Kael said.


    I couldn¡¯t agree more. The five of us one with her.


    His mark has vine full of thorns, so this new vine made look soft, instead of just harshness of thorns.


    Would be interesting to see, what gets added when the other three marks her.

 Chapter 318: Daddy’s Wolf Form Is Not Scary

    <h4>Chapter 318: Daddy¡¯s Wolf Form Is Not Scary</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Raven¡¯s lesson with his new teacher was over.


    Once Kane left, I asked Raven, "How was it, Raven? Did you like it?"


    He nodded, still holding that new book about werewolves I had brought for him.


    Kane had praised Raven before he left, letting us know Raven was a smart student, just like me, his father.


    I was clearly pleased to hear him say that. That¡¯s my son, so he was going to take after only me.


    We had lunch together, and then Eira and Raven went for their afternoon nap, while I talked with my brothers.


    "Finally, we are summoned to the council. Tomorrow," I informed them of what we had been waiting for for the past few days.


    That bastard Asher was finally making a move.


    "He seems to have prepared something that assures him he can get Raven from us," Jasonmented.


    I hummed. "We will know once we are there."


    "I wonder how Raven will react to seeing him again?" Roman said, his expression worried.


    "He would be nervous to face him," Jason said, "and probably follow his instinct to obey him, which that bastard has instilled in the little guy."


    "He is a ck wolf as well and has that natural aura that everyone bows to," Lucian said. "I am sure Raven won¡¯t be left unaffected."


    "We have to assure him we are stronger and can protect him," Rafe chimed in. "He should trust us more than he fears that bastard."


    I hummed. "Tonight we will do it." I looked at them.


    The others agreed.


    We spent the entire day nning for the next day, the possible scenarios during the council meeting, and security arrangements.


    Tomorrow, we were going with our special security force, because this time we had two people to protect, and we couldn¡¯t afford to be vulnerable for even a moment.


    Just as nned, at night we all went to the garden for our usual stroll, but tonight we had additional ns.


    Roman had already told Eira about it, so she stood to the side while the five of us spoke to Raven.


    "Raven, you must be curious to see daddies in wolf form, aren¡¯t you?" I asked in a way he wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    He didn¡¯t answer, so I continued, "All five of us are different kinds of wolves. Strong and powerful enough to protect you. Don¡¯t you want to see how we will do it?"


    He looked at the other four.


    "My wolf form is truly beautiful and strong," Lucian said. "My fur shines like molten bronze."


    "And mine is moonlight blue," Jason said. "It shines beautifully under a full moon."


    "I am the most handsome, gunmetal grey one," Roman said.


    "I am the most beautiful," Rafe said, "but after your mommy."


    Raven looked at Eira, who was sitting on a chair.


    "Mommy can¡¯t shift into her wolf form because she is carrying a baby, but yes, she is the most beautiful in her wolf form," I assured him. "Once she delivers the baby, we will ask her to shift. Her fur shines like a sea of silver."


    Eira offered him an assuring smile. "I will. Promise. But you should see your daddies. They are the most amazing wolves you can ever see. I am sure you will be just like them."


    Of course, he would be just like me. A ck wolf. The most powerful one.


    "I am a ck wolf," I told him.


    His sudden curious gaze dimmed slightly. He seemed wary of ck wolves because of that bastard Asher. I was sure Asher must have shown him his ck wolf form to instil fear in him.


    "But I am not a scary one," I assured him. "Once I shift, you can decide on your own. Alright?"


    He nodded lightly.


    The five of us walked a little away from him so he wouldn¡¯t be frightened by our massive forms looming too close.


    Eira stood beside him, holding his hand, offering him a gentle smile.


    The five of us shifted right in front of him, our massive wolf forms appearing as our clothes tore away from our bodies.


    We could have shifted out of his sight and then appeared before him, but I preferred it this way. I wanted to prepare him for the things that were normal in the werewolf world.


    When he saw the others, Raven was fine, but his gaze changed a little in wariness the moment he looked at me. I knew well ck Wolf was the scariest form among werewolves. Even other alphas feared them, so what more a child.


    Eira gently caressed his hand. "I used to be scared of ck wolves as well. But now I¡¯m not anymore."


    Raven looked at her, and she said softly, "Daddy is not scary at all. He is kind and loves us. He is scary only to bad people who hurt us. Understood?"


    Raven nodded and looked back at me.


    I swear, more than Raven, her wordsforted me.


    I took a step toward him, slowly, careful not to overwhelm him, and stopped a few steps away. The others stayed where they were, letting me have my moment with my son.


    His gaze was still wary, but he stood his ground.


    My boy is truly brave.


    When he remained calm, I dared to close the distance further and stood within his reach. I lowered my head to his level, my eyes silently watching him.


    <i>Are you still scared of me, Raven?</i> I asked in my mind.


    Just then, he lifted his hand and touched my head. He shook his head slightly.


    It surprised me. <i>Can you hear me?</i> I asked him.


    He nodded lightly and continued to touch my fur.


    How? He was still a kid. How could he hear me? He should have been an adult and have his wolf awakened to mind-link with me.


    Was it some kind of miracle? His unique power?


    My desperation to seek his eptance must have triggered a mind link between us without me even trying.


    I was left utterly speechless.


    I lowered my head further, pressing my forehead gently against his tiny one.


    <i>I am d you can hear me,</i> I told him. <i>My son.</i>


    Could he at least talk in his mind so I could hear him? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. But even now, he replied only through his actions.


    I wished to see the day when we would converse secretly, our own little conversations, only father-and-son things.

 Chapter 319: Eira’s Perception

    <h4>Chapter 319: Eira¡¯s Perception</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once I got hold of my emotions, I told Raven, <i>You should meet the others as well.</i>


    Raven looked at them. I gestured for him to go ahead.


    As he walked, I stayed by his side while we faced the other four.


    They surrounded him and nuzzled him one by one to show their affection.


    He epted it by touching their heads with his hands, feeling their fur, epting them. I could feel how happy my brothers were.


    I wondered if the others could mind-link with him just like I did. I decided to leave it for them to discover. If they couldn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t want them to feel Raven had a special bond only with me while they were secondary.


    I couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that Eira could have kids only with me, so my kids would be theirs as well. And I couldn¡¯t let them feel any less as Raven¡¯s fathers. They loved him as much as I did.


    I joined the other four in forming a circle around Raven.


    I told him through the mind link, "Raven, do you realise how fortunate you are to have five strong daddies? We will always protect you from the bad ones."


    He looked at me. He trusted my words, but his gaze was still skeptical about the bad people I was referring to. Maybe it would take him some time toe out of the instinct that the bad ones were more powerful than us.


    I would make sure he soon realised he had no reason to fear with us by his side.


    "Want to go on a small ride?" I asked him through the mind link.


    He looked confused.


    I told my brothers, "Time for his first ride."


    Everyone was overjoyed to hear it.


    I lowered myself to the ground and told Raven, "Get on."


    Raven carefully held my fur for support and climbed onto me while the others helped him using their paws and supporting him with their heads.


    "What about Eira?" Lucian asked.


    "I¡¯ll get her," Roman said and went to her.


    They talked through the mind link, and she agreed to the ride.


    Before Roman could lower himself to let her climb onto him, Lucian reached them and said, "Haven¡¯t you done riding her yet?"


    Lucian didn¡¯t even bother cutting the mind link with the four of us before saying it to Roman.


    Roman chuckled and moved back quietly. The five of us always had our mind link connected whenever any of us used it. There was no ce for secrecy between us.


    Unaware of what those two had talked about, Eira climbed onto Lucian, who had lowered himself in front of her, nudging her to get on his back.


    Once all of us were ready to move, I told Raven and Eira through the mind link, "Hold tight."


    We moved slowly at first to let the two of them get used to it, then gradually increased our pace, though not too fast, since we had to consider Eira¡¯s pregnancy and Raven was still so young.


    We ran through the woods for a while and stopped at the cliff where one side of the rear part of the estate ended. We spent some time under the starry sky. The five of us sat on the grass, surrounding the mother and son to keep them warm, as we all looked up at the beautiful night sky.


    After we returned, Eira came to my room instead of going to Roman¡¯s. Maybe she was trying to bnce between her two bonded mates. Whatever it was, we weed her decision.


    Moreover, Roman and the other three were preparing for tomorrow, while I had to stay with Raven until he fell asleep before joining them.


    Iid Raven on the bed, with Eira lying beside him. Iy next to him and asked, "Did you enjoy today?"


    He nodded.


    "We will do it again," I said, pecking his forehead. "Good night."


    In response, he snuggled against my chest and closed his eyes. I forgot everything else and simply enjoyed the moment with my son, my hand gently caressing his back to lull him to sleep.


    Eira was quietly watching us. She probably wanted to say something but waited for Raven to fall asleep first.


    Once he did, I asked, "What is it?"


    She shook her head with a small smile on her lips. "I am just enjoying seeing you two together," she said softly. "I never knew a father could be like this. I thought only mothers has this gentle side, while fathers are meant to be strict always."


    She never had parents, and those bastard old hags had treated her strictly. Of course, she was unaware of parental affection.


    "But my perception changed after I saw you with Raven and how Roman¡¯s mother was with him," she said. "I realised fathers can be angels, and mothers can be demons as well."


    Her words took me by surprise. Not because she called me an angelic father, but because she had started observing and thinking about her surroundings like a normal person.


    "Our kids are fortunate to have both a mother and father like angels," I replied, moving closer to her.


    She wasn¡¯t with mest night, but tonight she was. I couldn¡¯t wait to pull her into my arms and feel that she was still mine.


    She turned to face me and looked at me. Our gazes met, and I kissed her without a moment¡¯s dy. She kissed me back, now already used to it.


    She had a long night yesterday, so I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm her with more, but this kiss was necessary to calm myself and my wolf, who had missed their mate.


    "I love you," I whispered against her lips.


    "I love you," she whispered back, and all my senses went numb.


    Did she really just say it? I had thought it would take a long time before I ever heard those words.


    Overwhelmed by unspoken emotions, I kissed her again. I didn¡¯t want to stop anymore.

 Chapter 320: Round Belly

    <h4>Chapter 320: Round Belly</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael and Raven had gone downstairs after getting ready, while I went to take a bath. Coming out of the bathroom, I stood in front of the mirror, wrapped in a towel.


    I had a rxing sleepst night in Kael¡¯s arms. These days, Raven rarely woke up in pain, so Kael preferred to sleep by my side as Raven didn¡¯t need him.


    I feltfortable and familiar with him, so when he said he loved me, I felt the same. I didn¡¯t say it for the sake of it. It came straight from my heart.


    I admit there was still bitterness inside me, but the sweetness I was experiencing was helping me suppress it, or rather, slowly get over it.


    He was the father of my babies.


    As I thought about the babies, my gaze moved to my belly, which had grown a little from being entirely t.


    I removed the towel and looked at my slightly rounded belly in the mirror.


    <i>So this is how it looks in the early stage of pregnancy. Slowly, it will get bigger.</i>


    Back then, when I got to know I was pregnant, my belly was already bigger than this. I never got to see myself like this. I could only feel it with my hands in that always dimly lit room, and whatever little view I could get by lowering my head.


    This time, I was going to see it every day and experience it.


    I was so lost in my own world with my baby that I didn¡¯t realise someone had entered the room and was already standing behind me.


    Kael.


    His hand settled over mine, which was resting on my belly.


    Startled, I looked at him through the mirror. His chin rested on my shoulder, his cheek gently brushing against mine as he said, "Our baby is growing well."


    I hummed and then realised my state in the reflection. Naked.


    I slowly moved my hand, trying to cover myself, though I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was trying to hide.


    His other hand caught mine, stopping me. "Not like I haven¡¯t seen you naked."


    I gave up because he was right. Still, seeing myself like this while he watched me felt a little embarrassing.


    "You look beautiful with this small round belly. I can¡¯t wait for it to grow more."


    I hummed, wishing to see it grow as well.


    "We will have to buy maternity clothes for you," he said. "We will do it soon."


    I hummed again, delighted to hear that.


    "I need to get ready," I told him.


    He let me go, as we had to leave for the council meeting. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen there regarding Raven, but I would follow the instructions they had given me so I wouldn¡¯t be a nuisance. It was about Raven, after all.


    All I wanted was for him to be back with us, safe and sound.


    After breakfast, all of us left for the council. Thest time I had been there, I hated that ce. It felt like I was standing in some evil ground, under the evil gazes of everyone present. Not to forget how I had killed someone right there. I truly didn¡¯t wish to step foot there again, but I had to for Raven¡¯s sake.


    Everything was discussed beforehand, and each of us was given instructions. I wasn¡¯t sure what Kael had told Raven or what he had instructed him about, but I trusted that Kael would take care of him.


    This time, the security team joined us. From what I understood from their conversation, it was the specialmando team that worked under Lucian. Many vehicles rode before and after us on the road.


    Previously, there had been no need for this. But this time, it made me wonder if something big was going to happen. The peopleing for Raven... were they so powerful? Would they cause such huge trouble that Kael and the others had to be this careful?


    After about an hour, we finally reached the council as our entourage entered the vast premises of the council estate.


    This time, I saw that the other party had also brought people, just like us. Maybe they were just as wary of us as we were of them.


    Kael, Jason, and Roman stepped out of the car they were sitting in with Raven. Lucian, Rafe, and I were instructed to stay inside our car. Kael didn¡¯t want me there, and he had to keep Lucian and Rafe to guard me. Yet he also wasn¡¯t willing to leave me at home. As if having me close was the only way he could be assured I was safe.


    Kael came to our car and said to me, "Stay inside."


    I nodded like an obedient girl, my eyes already searching for Raven.


    Jason was carrying him. He brought Raven to my window. I reached out to caress his cheek. "Mommy will wait here for you."


    He nodded lightly, while Jason told me, "We will be back soon."


    I hummed, and they turned to leave. My gaze followed Raven as he was taken away from me, as if a piece of my heart was being torn away.


    This feeling didn¡¯t feel right.


    I hoped everything would be alright.


    Lucian and Rafe got back into the car once the others were out of sight. Both of them sat on either side of me, trapping me between the two.


    "The car is big enough for you two to sit anywhere else," I frowned.


    "Stop throwing tantrums, Caldwell," Rafe countered and made himselffortable anyway.


    This bloodsucker was useless, so I looked at Lucian instead.


    "You will be morefortable between us," Lucian said as he pressed a button and rolled up the windows. The ss was dark-tinted so no one outside could see us... see me.


    "If you get bored, let us know," Rafe turned to look at me, his tone suggestive. "We have some good tricks up our sleeves to keep you entertained."


    Before I could respond, I heard Lucian say, "We will make sure you enjoy and ask for more."


    I looked at Lucian. His eyes truly carried the intentions his words implied.


    This bastard was always on a high dose of testosterone and seemed ready to get horny at any moment. He was dangerous. His words couldn¡¯t be taken lightly.


    I was stuck between a bloodsucker and a horny wolf.


    I let out a helpless sigh and leaned back in my seat silently.

 Chapter 321: At The Council

    <h4>Chapter 321: At The Council</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    We entered the council hall. Asher and his people were already there. But this time, there were more people present in the meeting. Bystanders from other packs had gathered, mostly to see what would happen between the two top-tier Alphas and who woulde out on top.


    Among them, only a few faces could be considered on my side. As always, most chose to follow evil and bow before the strongest out of fear.


    I had always known they couldn¡¯t stand how fast a young Alpha like me had risen to power, even after my pack was almost destroyed six years ago. They couldn¡¯t stand that my pack now stood as one of the strongest and was not easy to defeat, and that most of them had to bow before my power, just as they once had to before my father.


    Among the familiar faces I trusted, Alpha Gerald was one. I also trusted my father¡¯s judgment in befriending him and cing faith in him.


    When our gazes met, we exchanged a customary nod before he resumed talking to the Alpha beside him.


    Asher and I looked at each other. He was seated on the right side of the council arrangement, while I moved to the left with my brothers.


    His gaze lingered on me briefly before shifting to Raven in Jason¡¯s arms. I could feel the fear surge through Raven the moment he saw Asher, though he maintained theposure he had practiced.


    "Raven, my dear. Come to daddy?" Asher said to him, ready toe towards us.


    I moved and stood before Jason to block Asher from even reaching Raven, my gaze warning him to take a step ahead.


    Jason red at Asher silently while gently caressing Raven¡¯s back. "You don¡¯t have to be scared of him. Daddies are with you."


    Raven stayed quiet, as if our reassurance meant littlepared to the fear¡ªor thepulsion to fear¡ªthat bastard Asher had instilled in him.


    I clenched my fists. Seeing Asher reminded me of the cruelty he had inflicted on my son, and I had to make him pay for it. And more importantly, I had to make Raven understand that his daddy was the strongest of all, and that he didn¡¯t need to fear anyone. I had to prove to him that I could protect him.


    And today was the day.


    "Alpha Kael, not only did you abduct my son, but now you are tantly stopping me from even seeing him," Asher said, a smirk ying on his lips. "You don¡¯t know how much I have missed him since the day he was gone. Every night has been sleepless for me while remembering him."


    "I assure you, it will be the same going forward," I countered, my voice firm and cold. "Not your son anymore."


    "I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you with eye bags fromck of sleep," Roman stepped beside me. "That would be a sight to see."


    "We will see," Asher said, his gaze trying to get past me to look at Raven.


    He clearly had something up his sleeve that made him this confident. And he was already trying to scare Raven.


    The five council members arrived. Everyone who was seated stood up to greet them.


    That bastard Jeffery looked at Asher, offering him a knowing nce, then turned his gaze to us before sweeping his eyes over everyone present.


    "You may all take your seats," he said once he sat down, followed by the other four council members taking their ces.


    Jason made Raven sit in the chair between him and Roman, while I remained standing, waiting for the council to begin. Asher did the same. Both of us stood on either side of the council, waiting for that bastard Jeffery to start.


    Jeffery opened the file in his hand and read from the document inside as he looked at Asher. "Alpha Asher, you have filed aint against Alpha Kael and his four brothers for abducting your son. Is that correct?"


    "Yes," Asher answered.


    Jeffery looked at Raven and asked, "That little boy, is he the one you are referring to?"


    "Yes," Asher replied. "The detailed proof of his identity and my rtionship with him has already been provided to the council."


    Jeffery hummed as he flipped through more pages. The other council members did the same.


    The bastard nced at me from his seat, as if he finally had something in his hands to take revenge on me for thest council meeting, when I had clearly insulted him.


    Today wouldn¡¯t be any different for him.


    "Alpha Kael, what do you want to say about this usation?" Jeffery asked. "We have all the proofs that this child belongs to Alpha Asher, an heir of the Ravenw pack. It¡¯s a great offence. You, along with your brothers and your pack, will be punished gravely. You can¡¯t simply steal and abduct the heir of another pack."


    "Neither is he Asher¡¯s son," I dropped the honorific for the bastard who hurt my son. My firm voice echoed inside the council hall. "Nor is he an heir of the Ravenw pack."


    "Do you have proof to support your im?" Jeffery asked. "If not, you should hand over the child to his father and spare us the trouble of going through something that will only lead to grave punishment for you and your brothers."


    "Council member Jeffery," I looked straight into his eyes, "why are you making your own final judgement even before letting me present my side? Is this how the council works now? Listening to only one side blindly and passing judgement?"


    "Things seem clear as day to me," he said, showing me the file with documents to make his point, then looking at the other four council members. "What do you think?"


    Two of them agreed with him, while the other two stayed quiet, their expressions conflicted.


    "If things were as clear as day to you, there was no need for this meeting," I countered. "You could have just passed your final judgement to my home and saved everyone froming here."


    "Well, we can¡¯t just do that, as I am sure you wouldn¡¯t hand over the child, since you abducted him with great effort," Jeffery said. "So I had to bring you here in front of all the Alphas so they can see the truth and ept the judgement of the council. It makes sending the child back to his rightful ce easier andwful. Also, we need to set an example this time so no one ever dares tomit the atrocity of abducting an heir of another pack. And we are d you will be the one helping us set that example and create stronger rules against it."


    I raised a brow. "I feel like you aren¡¯t here to judge, but to act as a councillorwyer working for Asher." I scoffed and looked at Asher. "How convenient, when the judge is yourwyer."


    Asher smirked, his expression serious. "Because he can see the truth with the proofs I have provided."


    The smirk on my lips vanished as I looked back at Jeffery. "Stay in your ce and do the job you are meant to do. Or I will make sure to remind you of your duties in a way you will never forget."


    Jeffery¡¯s expression soured.

 Chapter 322: DNA Report

    <h4>Chapter 322: DNA Report</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael¡¯s words,ced with warning, had clearly rattled Jeffery. I could see it in the shift of his expression, from smug to cold.


    "Alpha Kael, are you threatening me in my own council?" Jeffery asked, his tone icy.


    "Not the first time for me, or for you either," Kael countered smoothly. "And if the council head himself forgets his own limits, then others can do the same. So you better stick to your role instead of passing judgement before listening to both sides fairly."


    Kael looked at everyone. "I am sure everyone prefers it the way it should be."


    It wasn¡¯t a request. It was an order.


    Before anyone else could speak, Asher did.


    "I agree with you as well, Alpha Kael," he said, then looked at Jeffery. "Please let Alpha Kael present his side, so there will be no doubt left for him to ept the punishment the council bestows on him."


    Punishment? It would be him receiving it from uster.


    Still, we couldn¡¯t see him as anything less than us. He clearly had more cards up his sleeve than he was showing to call for this council meeting. That meant he believed he could win for sure.


    But we were no less prepared. And as long as Kael stood there, there was no way we would lose. Losing had never been our Alpha¡¯s forte.


    Now all that remained was to wait for this bastard to reveal his cards, and then we would crush him.


    Yet I couldn¡¯t deny that in one corner of my heart, I was nervous. Nervous for Raven. And nervous for all of us.


    Because even when you are confident, you can¡¯t stop that tiny voice of worry inside. It¡¯s human nature.


    I was sure Kael felt the same somewhere deep in his mind.


    "Jeffery, you should start already with the fair proceedings and not waste our time," we heard Alpha Gerald¡¯s authoritative voice.


    Jeffery finally turned to Kael and said, "Please provide us with the exnation on why you have abducted Alpha Asher¡¯s child, Alpha Kael? We all know you have a pureblood with you to produce your own pureblood child and heir to your pack."


    "Having a pureblood with me to produce more kids has nothing to do with this matter, so I hope you do not mention her here," Kael looked straight in his eyes with a warning, "And about the abducted Asher child, I have done nothing like that. I have not abducted his child."


    Jeffery nced towards Raven who was sitting between Jason and me. "That child there, you brought him here that means you admit this matter is about him. And from all the proofs here we can see he is Alpha Asher child," he looked at the council staff, "Kindly show pictures on the screen for everyone to see."


    On the screen, the pictures of Raven from when he was a baby to now he was a five year old kid were being yed, and in each of them, Asher was with him.


    There was affection between them, the kind a father and son should have, but they were together.


    Those pictures showed Asher was holding baby Raven in his hands, then watching him when he had his first walk, both of them eating at the dining table together, sitting in the car to go to the school, Raven ying blocks puzzle and Asher watching him, and so on.


    Fuck it!


    It burned my heart, and I was sure Kael and Jason hated to see it.


    Raven was our child, but the first five years of his life he had spent with some bastard who pretended to be his father and stole those precious moments from our lives.


    Damn it! How I wished to beat the shit out of him.


    I watched as Kael had clenched his fists on the side as he watched those pictures. I wonder how he was able to swallow that bitterness and stay calm even in this situation instead of going for the throat of that bastard Asher.


    But as cruel and merciless Kael could be, he knew when to be rational and wait for the time when he couldnd a blow that his enemy wouldn¡¯t be able to handle. He was a perfect nner, and for his son¡¯s sake, he had to be at the moment.


    "We can see this is the same boy with you, Alpha Kael, that we see in the pictures with Alpha Asher," Jeffery said.


    "Yes, he is," Kael admitted haughtily, and then looked at Asher, "But he is not your son, nor the heir of Ravenw pack. You know it better."


    "You hadn¡¯t just abducted my son, you even im he is not mine at all?" Asher raised a brow, "How audacious!"


    "iming someone else¡¯s child as yours, is what we call utterly audacious," Kael countered as both of them faced each other, their gazes locked into silent war.


    "So are you going to im next that he is your child?" Asherughed, "What now? You have prepared a fake DNA report to prove it?"


    "I sure have one," Kael said.


    I stood up and handed over the document to council staff to show on the screen.


    "But not my DNA report with him," Kael added.


    Everyone looked at the screen, and Kael said, "The DNA report shows he is not your son, Asher. And if you think it¡¯s fake, we can have your gic sequence matched with the one in this report and also conduct the DNA test all over again."


    Asher¡¯s gaze changed, clearly surprised at it. He must have thought we got Kael¡¯s DNA report with Raven, but had it otherwise. It was a big shame as DNA sequencing of any pack alpha was ssified information of that pack.


    Instead of showing Kael¡¯s report, we did it as a warning for Asher to show nothing was impossible for us. And we could get him in his own territory. So whatever cards he was nning to reveal, he would have to be careful with it.


    His gaze swept from the screen towards us. Must be thinking how we got his DNA sequencing.


    Well, he had to ask his dear friend Kaizan who sold him in exchange for one disgusting bitch.


    My gaze moved to Kaizan who was sitting among other alphas. Our gazes met, a quiet smirk ying on his lips. The bastard was clearly enjoying it and didn¡¯t look like he regretted deceiving Asher.


    This damn wreck wasn¡¯t to be trusted anymore. Once we hand that bitch Sophia to him, we will have nothing to do with him.

 Chapter 323: Grandparents

    <h4>Chapter 323: Grandparents</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Asher turned to look at Kael, his shocked gaze forcibly shifting from the screen, now cold.


    "Alpha Kael, this is a security breach. No one is allowed to steal gic data from another pack. Are you asking for an addition to your punishment on top of abducting my child?"


    "Is stealing data from your pack the only way to obtain it?" Kael raised a brow with a smirk. "And do you have any proof we invaded that sacred data center of yours? Was there any report of a security breach from your people? If there was, shouldn¡¯t you have already filed an investigation case with the council? But from the look on your face, I can tell there was no security breach alert that you or your people received."


    Asher was left speechless.


    Kael turned to Jeffery. "That child is not Asher¡¯s."


    Asher quickly regained hisposure and kept his calm. "Kael, is sharing blood the only way to call someone your child? You of all people shouldn¡¯t im that only blood rtions matter. If you do, then I doubt you truly consider your brothers as your own. Are they any less just because they don¡¯t share the same blood as you?"


    Asher chuckled and turned to Jeffery.


    "Yes, Raven is my adoptive son. I have raised him since he was merely days old. I have given him everything a son deserves. Is it wrong to keep it from the world that we don¡¯t share blood? It was my way of protecting him from others looking down on him when he took my ce as Alpha of the Ravenw pack. Am I the only Alpha who has ever adopted a child? In the past, there have been many such examples. More than we can even count on our fingers."


    "You are right, Asher," Kael said, "but no one adopts a child after stealing them. Nor does anyone adopt and im a child as their own without the consent of the parents."


    Asher turned to look at him.


    "I saw a parentless child and adopted him. I saved a life when his parents weren¡¯t responsible enough for him," his gaze darkened. "Especially his father. Where was he when Raven¡¯s mother was giving birth? Probably somewhere enjoying his own life, not even knowing he had a child. Such a pathetic man he must be, that he doesn¡¯t deserve to have a child... especially one like Raven."


    He was clearly throwing daggers at Kael with his cruel words. We all carried regret over it, but this bastard had to rub it in our faces. Well, we deserved it.


    Ignoring him, Kael turned to Jeffery. "Raven is my son, my blood, and the heir of the Stormhowl pack."


    Dead silence fell inside the council hall the moment he said it. Then murmurs followed, spreading through the room at this shocking revtion.


    Jason and I looked at Raven, but he was calm even after hearing it. No shock and surprise on his face. <i>Had Kael told him already?</i>


    "Alpha Kael, what are you talking about?" Jeffery acted shocked, as if trying to imply Kael was lying. "If that¡¯s your child, what was he doing with Alpha Asher? That is something ridiculous I am hearing."


    Kael turned to Asher. "Want proof of him being my son? And it won¡¯t be some fake DNA report."


    Asher smiled, as if this hadn¡¯t been unexpected at all. This bastard had understood the moment we took Raven that we knew Raven was Kael¡¯s son. But to his surprise, we didn¡¯t know back then.


    I wondered if they were aware of Eira¡¯s presence with us. And whether she had been intentionally sent to us.


    Today, we would get those answers.


    "If you are his father, then as I said before, how irresponsible of you not to even know you had a child," Asher said. "You left his mother to rot somewhere while the child was up for sale... I mean, up for adoption? If that¡¯s the case, do you really deserve to have such a precious child?"


    He sneered. "And in this case, I can assure you, blood rtion does not matter. He is better off with me than with an irresponsible father like you. I will raise him well and give him what you couldn¡¯t. An unworthy father like you can¡¯t."


    Then he turned to the council and everyone present in the hall.


    "If I had not adopted that pureblood child, don¡¯t we all know what would have happened to him? I am the one who saved him, protected him from the worst, and gave him the position of son of a top-tier Alpha. His parents owe me for this. The security of pureblood children is the utmost priority in the werewolf world to protect our bloodline, and I carried it out with everything I had."


    He turned to Kael.


    "The very responsibility you failed, Kael" his voice rose, "which gives me every right to keep him with me. Raven is my child and will remain the same. I hope I made myself clear."


    Kael simply looked at him wordlessly, showing no reaction at all.


    "And I haven¡¯t stolen the child," Asher turned back to everyone. "The child was handed over to me by his grandparents themselves in order to protect him. They were worried someone would kill the child. So it¡¯s not stealing, but protecting."


    Jason and I looked at each other. Finally, this bastard hade to the point.


    "Handed over by grandparents, not by his mother?" Kael asked. "I am sure you must have protected the mother along with the child. After all, pureblood shewolves are the pirs of the werewolf world, and protecting them is of utmost priority. I wonder how you saved her. Did you ept her as your mate for the sake of her child? Or at least help her survive? Or did you n to have more kids with her? Ones that are your own blood?"


    I was sure Kael¡¯s heart must have been on fire while saying this. But he had a reason. He was leading Asher somewhere.


    Now we would know if Asher was aware of Eira being with us.


    "When they brought the child to me, they said the mother had died," Asher said. "So I don¡¯t have her. That means Raven is the only son I have, and I n to keep it that way. There won¡¯t be any other child but him."


    "How would we know you¡¯re telling the truth?" Kael countered. "Maybe you knew it was my child and stole him out of enmity toward me. Maybe you killed the mother and grandparents as well to hide the truth about my own son?"


    "Grandparents are alive and well," Asher said. "They are here, and the council can hear everything from them."


    I smiled inwardly. <i>Finally, the old bastards will show up from hiding. Well done, Kael.</i>

 Chapter 324: He Raped My Granddaughter

    <h4>Chapter 324: He Raped My Granddaughter</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Alpha Asher, please bring the grandparents here so we can know the entire truth about this child," Jeffery instructed, now entirely in his role as he had already decided who¡¯s gonna win this.


    Asher looked at one of his men to carry it out.


    Bringing these bastards in front of the council was important for my own purpose, while Asher had brought them for his own purpose in case things turned this way.


    Just like me he had calcted all the possibilities.


    But the way he acted at the mention of Raven¡¯s mother, it didn¡¯t seem like he knew Eira was with us. Maybe he was acting or whatever, we will know soon.


    Soon the old couple entered the council hall. The three of us had our gazes on them, while Raven seemed to be not thrilled to see them. He quietly lowered his gaze, a clear sign he didn¡¯t want to see them.


    Eira¡¯s grandparents, or just some bastards pretended to be ones.


    Both of them seemed to have been living a luxurious life at Ravenw pack that they wearing expensive clothes and essories and looking healthier than before.


    I clenched my fists. After selling my child, they didn¡¯t deserve this life.


    Jason caressed Raven¡¯s hand gently as he understood his distress. He lifted Raven from the chair to make him sit in hisp. "You don¡¯t have to look at them if you don¡¯t want to." He wrapped his hands around Raven¡¯s small body in a protective hold.


    "Oh! My baby Raven," the old bitch hurried to Raven the moment she saw him.


    In response, Raven sank back to Jason¡¯s chest. Thankfully Jason had already got him close.


    The woman, shameless and unfazed even after the rejection of a child, said anyways, "My baby, don¡¯t you remember your grandparents. Have these people threatened you to act this way towards me and your grandpa? You can tell grandma. We missed you. Grandma couldn¡¯t sleep even for a moment since you were gone..."


    "Yeah! Both of your radiant old faces tell the story of the glorifying sleepless nights," Romanmented sarcastically. "No eye bags, dark circles, and radiance almost blinding our eyes."


    She red at him angrily. "You. I know you well. A hooligan. Weren¡¯t you with Eira¡¯s friend¡¯s brother?"


    Roman stood up to face her. "Sleepless nights didn¡¯t affect your memory, huh?"


    "You used to bully my Eira, and you dare stay with her son." She frowned. "I am not talking to a hooligan."


    "Trust me, I prefer the same," Roman countered with a smirk. "Better save your energy for what¡¯sing your way."


    She frowned angrily, throwing him a killer re.


    "My baby," she once more turned to Raven with a fake smile. "Don¡¯t worry. We will take you with us soon. You will be safe."


    In response, Raven¡¯s hand clutched Jason¡¯s shirt.


    How I wished to p that smile off that witch¡¯s face. I had to control myself.


    I looked at Jason, who had already got the headphone from his pocket.


    He put them into Raven¡¯s ears once he said, "You can hear the rhymes instead listening to that old woman."


    Raven allowed Jason. I didn¡¯t want Raven to hear the crap these old hags were going to say. I could already guess it.


    Meanwhile, the old man turned to Asher. "Alpha Asher, thank you for finding our grandson. We can¡¯t thank you enough."


    "He is my son. I had to find him wherever he was," Asher replied. "The day I adopted him, he became mine."


    I felt like killing these two bastards for calling my son theirs.


    Asher turned to the council members. "Jeffery, you can hear from Mr and Mrs Caldwell about what happened to their granddaughter and how their grandchild ended up with me."


    Then he looked at me, offering a wicked smirk. "Time to expose all your sins, Kael."


    I didn¡¯t react. I simply looked at the old couple.


    They clearly felt intimidated under my gaze, but Asher¡¯s presence gave them strength.


    But until when?


    "Mr and Mrs Caldwell, please tell us the story," Jeffery said. "And do not lie. This is about the life of a pureblood child, and lying can subject you to punishment."


    Suddenly, that bastard Jeffery was ying his role perfectly.


    <i>Very well.</i>


    The old man looked at his wife, and the old witch faced the council members. They thought that making the old woman tell a tragic tale while shedding tears was going to save the day for them.


    Let them be. I wanted to hear what she had to say, to know the depth of their sins.


    The woman began by offering a polite bow to the council and everyone present in the hall, as they were all superiors to these half-bloods.


    "Respected council members, today I want to expose the nightmare I have been suffering for the past six years," she said, her voice firm with a tinge of anger and emotion. "I used to have a beautiful granddaughter whom I raised with care and love..."


    She continued describing Eira, how lovely she was, and their so-called sacrifices in raising her.


    "...We were happy that she was going to be an adult soon, would have her first shift... but..."


    She turned to face me.


    ...But this bastard Kael Raped her when she was still a minor."


    All the eyes in the council hall turned to me. Raping a minor was a grave sin and punishable offence. And I hadmitted it for sure for which I would never forgive myself.


    I said nothing at all, as I preferred to let her talk. One thing was sure. While Eira said she told no one about that night, not even her grandparents, this old hag was iming otherwise. It seems all my guesses about them were going to be proven right.


    "Alpha Kael, is she telling the truth?" Jeffery asked.


    I looked at him, impassive. "Why are you in such a hurry, Jeffery? Let the old womanplete her talk. Not a good thing for you to interrupt her."


    I could see the hatred in his eyes, but he did as I said. "Continue, Mrs Caldwell."

 Chapter 325: Asking For The Justice

    <h4>Chapter 325: Asking For The Justice</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "My Eira was so young and innocent. My heart broke seeing her crying and hurt over what this monster did to her," the old woman continued. "How must she have borne the knot of a top-tier Alpha. This monster didn¡¯t even think about her," she sobbed. "My little girl."


    The old man went to her side and patted her shoulder to calm her.


    What an act.


    "If that wasn¡¯t enough, to hide what he did to my little girl, he made sure she disappeared so no one would ever know what happened to her," she continued. "She was sent to jail. We tried to reach her, but we couldn¡¯t. Worried for our lives, we had to run from the pack."


    She looked at Asher. "At that time, I saw hope in the Alpha of the Ravenw pack. I went to him and told him everything that happened to us. He was generous enough to help us. Not only did he help us find Eira, but he even helped us get her child."


    Then she looked at me.


    "This bastard had sold her to traffickers. Raping her himself wasn¡¯t enough, so he made her suffer the greatest pain a woman can suffer."


    She stood facing me, her eyes red from crying.


    "I wonder why you did that. Why did you hate her so much? What wrong had she done to you, huh?"


    I stared at her wordlessly. Eira¡¯s suffering hurt me worse than anything else ever could, my own guilt eating my soul from the inside.


    But I kept my calm. "Why don¡¯t you bring her here and let us hear her pain from her own mouth?"


    I looked at Jeffery. "You should order them to bring that girl here."


    Jeffery looked at the old couple.


    The woman quickly replied, "She died while giving birth to her child. She was too weak to handle his knot. She was a minor, and growing a powerful pureblood child inside her cost her life. We buried her with our own hands."


    She turned to me again, pointing her finger angrily.


    "This bastard killed my Eira."


    I stared at her wordlessly, letting her dig her own grave.


    She looked at everyone in the hall and dered,


    "I want justice for my Eira. I want him punished for raping and killing my granddaughter. He doesn¡¯t deserve to have her child. Raven is safe with Alpha Asher. I can¡¯t let thest one in my family fall into a bastard¡¯s hands. Even Eira wouldn¡¯t want that. She would be angry in her grave if I let her child fall into the hands of her murderer. I request the council to grant justice to my granddaughter and to the only child she left behind."


    The entire council hall fell silent at herst words.


    The bitch hade well prepared with her speech.


    Asher looked at me, our gazes met. The bastard smirked at me as if he had defeated me.


    "Alpha Kael, do you admit the usation?" Jeffery asked. "The punishment of raping a minor shewolf is grave. But I believe as dignified as you are, you won¡¯t lie here."


    And this bastard? He couldn¡¯t wait to dere me guilty as soon as possible.


    "First, I have a few questions to ask this woman and her husband," I said.


    "Go ahead," Jeffery replied.


    I turned to the old bastards. "Do you know what Raven is?"


    They looked confused, but the old man answered, "Our great-grandson."


    "A pureblood child," I said, my voice firm and cold. "How can he be the great-grandson of lowly half-bloods like you two? Or are you going to im that you are purebloods as well?"


    The expressions on their faces shifted slightly, but I knew they had already prepared an answer.


    "She is our granddaughter. That is the truth," the woman said shamelessly. "We adopted her, gave her our name, and raised her into a fine young woman. We loved her."


    "Oh. Adopted?" I raised a brow. She was finally admitting Eira wasn¡¯t their blood. "And where did you find this pureblood she-wolf?"


    "We found her in the forest long ago. Someone had either abandoned her or kidnapped her and failed to keep her," she answered.


    "I am sure no one would abandon a pureblood she-wolf," I said. "They would rather raise her as an asset or sell her to someone powerful. Are you that na?ve about how pureblood she-wolves are treated in the current world and how precious they are?"


    "Well then, the second possibility stands," she replied calmly, though agitation flickered beneath. "We found an innocent child and made her ours..."


    "Or you decided to raise her as an asset when you found her," I cut in. "Maybe you nned to sell her once she became an adult. Look at you. From wandering in rags to now d in luxury. I wonder how much you got in exchange for the child she had with a top-tier Alpha."


    The woman¡¯s expression faltered. Panic flickered in her eyes, as if she had been caught.


    "Do not talk nonsense," the old man snapped. "If that were the case, we would have sold her to Alpha Asher. Why would she have faced punishment in your pack? Alpha Asher is a top-tier Alpha as well. With our granddaughter, he could have had his own child. Why would we need you?"


    I raised a brow slowly.


    "You truly don¡¯t know why you needed me?" I asked, my gaze turning dark.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" the old man snapped. "We needed you? The rapist of our granddaughter?"


    I looked at Asher to see his reaction, but he his his thoughts behind the mask of indifference.


    At this moment, I didn¡¯t find it right to reveal who Eira truly was, or she and our children would be in danger. A rarely born powerful she-wolf... everyone would want a piece of her and her child, even though she could have children only with me. I had to wait until she delivered the baby and make sure these bastards could no longer harm her.


    One thing was certain. They didn¡¯t know Eira was with me. So they hadn¡¯t nted her back into my life intentionally. Now that she was back, I would protect her.


    I also wondered who had plotted all this, and whether they had told these old bastards about Eira. It seemed like they were used through greed, without being told the entire truth of her birth.


    And this Asher, I could tell he was aware of it. Or why would he let her have a child with me instead of trying to have one with her. No Alpha is that idiot to let go of a pureblood shewolf.


    Also, that witch who had met Eira in prison... I didn¡¯t sense any witch¡¯s presence here. Otherwise, it would have been the perfect chance to capture her.


    This Asher and that witch seemed to be in cahoot while these old hags are just tools to be used.


    Just then, the old woman turned to Jeffery.


    "Respected council members, he is just trying to distract us from his sins. Kindly pass the right judgement. Let my grandson be with us and not with this monster. We beg you for justice. I want my Eira to sleep in her grave peacefully."


    "Are you trying to kill me while I am still alive, woman?"


    A cold female voice echoed through the council hall.


    Everyone turned to look.


    A frail figure wrapped in a thick winter coat stood at the entrance of the hall. Her icy eyes were fixed on the couple, burning with hatred and utter fury.


    Eira.


    She was here.


    The colour drained from the old hags¡¯ faces the moment they saw her.


    My gaze met Asher¡¯s. The bastard looked stunned.


    This time I smirked at him.


    Eira walked forward with utter confidence and fury. That frail and na?ve Eira was nowhere to be seen. At this moment, she wasn¡¯t just Eira. She was a mother who hade to protect her child.


    Well aware that Raven was her son.


    Eira made a beeline straight to the old couple and stopped in front of them.


    "What did you say about me? That I am dead?" she asked, her gaze and voice cold.


    "Eira... is that really you...?" the old woman asked, frightened yet desperate not to make a mistake.


    She quickly shed tears, as if she had been longing for Eira since eternity. "My dear, is it really you?"


    Eira remained unmoved by her tears.


    "Do I look like a ghost to you, who came here after being dragged out of my grave by your emotional words?" she snapped.


    "Eira..." the old man said. "You... are alive?" He shed tears as well.


    She red at him. "Why did you say I am dead?"


    "They... those traffickers told us you were dead," the old woman replied.


    A loud p echoed through the council hall.


    Eira¡¯s handnded in a crisp, tight p across the old woman¡¯s face.


    "Bitch! Didn¡¯t you say a while ago that you buried me with your own hands?" Eira snapped.


    Both of their faces turned ashen. They had indeed said it, and Eira had heard every word.


    I wanted to step forward and check her hand, in case it hurt after the p, but before I could even touch her, she shot me a sharp re.


    A warning.


    I understood her anger and quietly stepped back.

 Chapter 326: Eira’s Anger

    <h4>Chapter 326: Eira¡¯s Anger</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    I looked at Rafe and Lucian, who had followed Eira into the council hall.


    Rafe shrugged and showed me the earpiece he had removed from his ear.


    I said nothing and returned my attention to my mate. Meanwhile, those two moved to Jason¡¯s side, where he was sitting with Raven in his arms.


    Jason made sure Raven wouldn¡¯t see or hear any of this.


    "Eira... I said this bastard would be punished for what he did to you," the old woman said. "I didn¡¯t see you dead, but I believed what those bastards told me when they sold me your child. Trust me, I begged them to let me see you onest time, but they said they had already buried you somewhere among many other dead bodies from their ce. I had no option but to ept that truth. I was at least relieved that I could protect your child."


    There was no limit to the shamelessness of these people.


    "Really?" Eira gritted her teeth. "Then tell me, when did you get to know I was there with them and expecting a child?"


    The woman looked puzzled for a moment before replying, "I think a month or two before you gave birth."


    "So you knew I was there, but you didn¡¯t try to save me from them. You waited for me to give birth just to take my child?" Eira asked coldly.


    Once more, the woman was left speechless.


    The old man stepped forward. "Eira, we demanded they hand you over to us, but they refused. They said if we insisted, they would kill you and the child as well. They said they had to recover the hefty amount they paid to buy you."


    "And you relented?" Eira asked.


    "We had no other choice..."


    "Stop lying," Eira¡¯s voice echoed loudly in the hall. She was furious.


    "Didn¡¯t you have this wealthy Alpha who found me for you?" She turned to Asher. "This bastard who stole my child. Isn¡¯t he powerful enough to pay for me? Or force those sick traffickers to hand me over to you?"


    Her gaze locked onto Asher as she asked again,


    "Are you that useless that you couldn¡¯t help an old couple get their only granddaughter? Did youck money?"


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of my mate.


    If I were here, she would say there was no issue with Eira¡¯s mental state anymore. In fact, she was smart and fierce.


    "Things happened that way," Asher said, "You should be d that we at least saved your child or it would have been sold to some organisations that use pureblood in the worst way possible that you can¡¯t even imagine."


    Eira clenched her fists. "As if you did nothing of that sort with my son?"


    "I have only raised him perfectly to be my heir," he countered unaffected, "You can ask him right in front of everyone."


    I felt like Eira was going to march at him any moment. Her anger was something else.


    I held her hand finally and turned to Asher, "You know he doesn¡¯t talk."


    "Doesn¡¯t talk?" Asher acted surprised, "What did you do with him that he doesn¡¯t talk. As long as he was with me, he could," and looked at Raven, "I want to see what you did with my son."


    "Don¡¯t even dare look at him," Eira warned him. "You did something to him that he stopped talking to. And don¡¯t call him your son."


    In response, Asher went to the council staff, handed him over a device. Soon the screen showed a video of Raven when he was a baby until when he was two years old. When he was a baby Raven wasughing, crying and when he was older, he even said a few words growing up.


    For the first time we heard his voice. Eira¡¯s grip in my hand tightened, it showed her emotions to see her child, the time she had missed.


    "He could talk?" she mumbled.


    I hummed and caressed her hand. "He will talk again."


    Asher turned to us, "Now tell me what you did with my son. Or you have threatened him to not talk beforeing to this council."


    "Shut up, you bastard," Eira spat angrily. "You performed experiments on my pureblood child. That¡¯s why he is like that."


    Asher smirked, "I showed a lot of proof here that he was raised well and safe in my care. You should stop making usations about me, instead of confronting your rapist for what he did with you," he looked at our joined hands, "and not hold his hand like you have forgotten how he ruined your life."


    He looked at me, "The matter of raping a minor still remains to discuss in this council. I believe you are ready to ept that punishment, Kael."


    The old woman quickly turned to Eira, "Why are you holding his hand? He raped you."


    "That reminds me, when did I ever tell you that I was raped?" Eira asked, "Just like you never buried me with your own hands. Another lie? I heard lying here can be a punishable offence."


    The baffled woman said quickly, "You forgot maybe after so many years. You were hurt and barely conscious after returning that night. In your unconscious state you would tell me about it."


    "And you didn¡¯t file aint about it?" Eira asked.


    "What could we do against the powerful Alpha¡¯s son? They would have killed us all to save his son," the woman said. "All I could think about was moving out of this pack with you as soon as possible. I..."


    "And why did you lie to me that I was a lowly hybrid and not a pureblood?" Eira demanded.


    "It was for your own good. If others knew about the presence of a pureblood, you would have been taken away by other Alphas. We wanted to protect you by hiding it," the old man came to his wife¡¯s rescue.


    Eira let out an annoyed, helpless sigh. She clung to my hand, as if already exhausted. She was pregnant, and because of her thick winter clothes, others couldn¡¯t see it.


    I pulled her closer to support her and heard her mumble, "They have an answer for every question."


    She looked up at me. "If I lose my son today, I will never forgive you."


    "We won¡¯t lose him. Trust me," I assured her.


    Lucian came to stand on her other side and warned the woman, "Stay away from her. Your presence is disgusting."


    The woman stepped back but still said, "Eira, you shoulde to this side. These bastards have ruined your life and taken you away from us. Pleasee to Grandma. We will leave from here together, with you and your son."


    "Shut your mouth," I growled at her.


    The bitch was trying to take my mate away.


    "Say one more word," Lucian warned her coldly, "and I will snap your neck right here."


    "Alright!" Jeffery intervened as he knew Lucian¡¯s temper really well. He didn¡¯t give a fuck about anything when someone got on his nerves.


    Jeffery looked at Asher and said as if getting a cue from him, "Alpha Kael, we can¡¯t ignore the fact that you have raped a minor. So you will be punished as per the rules...."


    "Why are you in such a hurry?" Roman stood by my side, "Why don¡¯t you first ask how it happened and who made it happen?"


    "It won¡¯t change the fact that he raped a minor," Jeffery countered.


    "Ah! So your loyalty lies with other party that you won¡¯t even let us prove what exactly happened," Roman turned to others, "Don¡¯t you all want to know why a powerful alpha raped a minor girl. I am sure you all are curious. We should know the story before we punish someone."


    "We should give a chance to exin their side," Alpha Gerald said as he looked at Jeffery and few others with him said the same.


    "You can exin," Jeffery finally relented.


    "For that, we have a perpetrator as well as a witness of that incident," Roman said and looked toward our guard.


    Soon, a woman in a wheelchair was brought inside the council hall.


    Sophia.


    The old couple¡¯s expressions changed instantly as they clearly recognised her.


    Asher remained silent as well.


    While someone was there who was delighted to see Sophia, delighted in wicked way. Kaizan.


    "Shocked to see her alive?" Lucian asked the couple and Asher. "Well, the bitch is alive to pay for her sin."


    Sophia recognised the old hags too, but she showed no reaction toward Asher.


    With Sophia¡¯s arrival, everything wasid bare before the council. She revealed how she had nned with Kaizan to kill Eira out of jealousy and be the Luna of the pack. She told them everything Kaizan had shown her and allowed her to know.


    With her testimony, Alice¡¯s murder and Eira¡¯s innocence were proven as well. The right proofs were presented, and nothing was left to doubt.


    Eira was innocent. And no one could raise questions against her for being my mate.


    Sophia was taken away.


    "What I did with Eira remains for her to punish me for, not anyone else," I dered, then looked at Asher. "And what others did to us remains for me to punish them for, in my way, on my terms."


    He caught the warning in my gaze and the intent in my words.

 Chapter 327: Let The Child Choose

    <h4>Chapter 327: Let The Child Choose</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    "And now that everything is clear and all the lies have been exposed, no one has the right to im my son as theirs," I dered. "My son is mine."


    "Eira," the old woman panicked. "Don¡¯t listen to him. You can¡¯t be with him. He will use you again and¡ª"


    Another p echoed through the council hall.


    The woman was thrown to the ground by the brutal force, coughing blood as her body shook violently.


    "Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut your mouth?" Lucian sneered, shaking his hand as if he had touched filth. "Or will you stop only when your disgusting soul leaves your body?"


    He was a man with no mercy. If there ever had been any, he had already shown it by not killing her yet.


    The old man rushed to his wife, then looked at Eira, who was leaning against me calmly.


    "You are letting them hit your grandma? They¡ª"


    "They are my mates," Eira interrupted him. "They are more important than filth like you. Don¡¯t ever call me your granddaughter."


    The old man was about to counter, but Lucian shot him a warning re.


    We didn¡¯t want to exhaust Eira by arguing when she was already tired. Maybe it was because of the sudden surge of anger she had experienced, and now her mind needed rest.


    "I believe things are clear now. We are taking our child with us," I dered.


    "You can¡¯t," Asher said. "I assure you, today he is going with me. His dad who raised him."


    The glint in his eyes and the smirk on his lips told me it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    I hadn¡¯t expected anything else either.


    "Kael, I have nevere across another powerful Alpha who is as foolish and irresponsible as you," Asher said. "You allowed yourself to be tricked and drugged by a weak and idiotic woman? That¡¯s such an insult to our kind. As a top-tier Alpha myself, I would never want to sit on the same rank as you. You forget all the teachings and training we are given, and how we are innately smart enough not to be fooled. But you proved otherwise. What a shame."


    He turned to look at the council members and the other Alphas in the hall. "Am I wrong?"


    No one answered him. They were waiting for him to get to the point.


    "Kael, even if we set aside the drugging and assault incident, I cannot overlook the fact that you werepletely unaware that the same she-wolf had given birth to your child and that he was being raised by another Alpha," Asher said. "That alone proves how irresponsible, ignorant, and weak you are. Just because he carries your blood does not mean you deserve to be his father. And neither does the she-wolf you call your mate deserve to be called his mother.


    "Both of you failed that child by being weak enough to fall into someone else¡¯s schemes. If Keiren were alive, I wouldn¡¯t punish him. I would punish you two instead for being idiots."


    He turned to the council.


    "What I am trying to say is this. How can we hand over a pureblood child, the future of our werewolf world, to such irresponsible parents? What guarantee do we have that they won¡¯t fail him again? What if someone plots to take him away once more? These pathetic parents wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything."


    He continued, his voice firm.


    "We all know that this child carries the blood of a top-tier Alpha. That means he will grow into one as well. Who wouldn¡¯t covet him? His life will always be in danger. For his safety and for his future, he should remain with me. Just as I have raised him until today, I will continue to do so.


    "We must think about his future, which will be nothing but darkness if he stays with his biological parents."


    He finished his speech and looked at us. "Don¡¯t worry. I will take good care of him. You will thank me in the future."


    His words struck hard, because part of what he said about my past mistakes was true. I had allowed myself to be trapped back then. But that was the past. There would be no ce for such mistakes anymore.


    "Asher, I have a question for you," I said.


    "Go ahead," he replied confidently.


    "Why does it seem like you are so obsessed with my child?" I asked. "What is the real reason?"


    "I already told you. I care about the future of the werewolf world¡ª"


    "Of course you care," Lucian interrupted coldly. "But you can¡¯t produce one yourself, so you covet another top-tier Alpha¡¯s child. Isn¡¯t that it?"


    "Oh, Luke, how smart you are," Rafe chimed in, breaking his silence despite my earlier instruction for him to stay out of focus during council matters. "I think his dick doesn¡¯t even function well enough to have a child of his own."


    Asher looked like he was about to lose hisposure at my brother¡¯s insult, but he forced a smile.


    "Your snide remarks won¡¯t stop me from caring for a child who needs a responsible adult by his side," Asher said. "Unlike foolish ones like you brothers."


    "The same foolish ones are the ones the entire werewolf world fears enough to never mess with our pack," Roman chimed in. "Everyone knows what happens to those who even try. I am sure the examples of Alpha Keiren and his pack, and the recent one where someone dared to covet our shewolf, are still fresh in everyone¡¯s mind."


    "And you dare think the child is not safe with us?" Lucian scoffed, his gaze turning dark. "I dare anyone to even look at our mate and our child, and I will personally show them the way to hell within seconds."


    Asher nced at all of us, and then his gaze stopped at Raven, who was now looking at him.


    "Why don¡¯t we ask Raven what he wants?" Asher suggested calmly. "The child¡¯s wish matters, and I am sure none of us should have an issue with that."


    "We already know what he wants," Roman said as he moved to block Asher¡¯s line of sight to Raven.


    "You don¡¯t trust him, do you?" Asher chuckled. "There are always two ways to decide matters. Peaceful or bloody. And here I am trying to buy it the peaceful way, so the child won¡¯t have to witness bloodshed."


    He turned to the council. "Shall we see what the child wants? That will make everything easier. If hees to me despite spending time with his real parents, that means he wants me. That means I raised him well, and his future is with me."


    We brothers looked at each other. Why was he so confident Raven would choose him? He wouldn¡¯t have made this offer otherwise.


    Eira visibly tensed in my arms and looked toward Raven, who appeared unusually calm, hiding whatever was in his mind.


    With approval from several alphas, Jeffery said, "Let us hear the child¡¯s choice."


    "My child stays with me and he doesn¡¯t have to choose," Eira snapped at Jeffery, fury zing in her eyes. "Don¡¯t forget the rule you created yourself. A mother has the first right over her child. I am his mother. I decide everything for him. No one makes my child choose."


    "Are you scared he won¡¯t choose you?" Asher mocked, his gaze sweeping over all of us. "And that rule you¡¯re talking aboutes with conditions. Conditions like yours, where you people weren¡¯t even aware of his existence. His existence came to life with me."


    Eira clenched her teeth. "If you had not taken my child away¡ª"


    "So you would have raised your child in a brothel?" Asher cut in coldly. "Watching his mother being fucked right in front of his eyes by countless men? That his mother is nothing but a whore?"


    "Asher," my voice thundered through the council hall, deadly calm andced with killing intent.


    And in the very next moment, I was already in front of him.


    He didn¡¯t struggle. Instead, he smirked at me.


    "Say another word about my mate, and I will kill you right here," I warned.


    "You can¡¯t. We are equally powerful," he replied. "And you are clearly afraid to see your son choose me while rejecting you."


    "Shut up."


    "Why don¡¯t we try?" he suggested in a low voice. "If I win, we always have a way of bloodshed."


    "Alpha Kael, let go of him," Jeffery warned. "If you intended to settle this by tearing each other apart, you could have done it outside. There was no point ining to the council."


    I released him.


    I had my own reasons foring here.


    First, to introduce Eira to the werewolf world when all the important people were present.Second, to prove her innocence regarding the usations against her, so no one would ever dare question her ce as the Luna of my pack or insult her again. She had to reim the pride that had been stolen from her.


    Andstly, to protect my son and face this bastard to uncover clues about what we were still unaware of. Clues about what truly happened six years ago.


    We had not reached the full truth yet.


    And Asher felt like nothing more than another pawn in someone else¡¯s game.


    "Bring the child forward," Jeffery ordered. "Let us see what the child desires."


    Jason had already removed Raven¡¯s headphones and told him what¡¯s going on.


    Raven was standing in the middle where we were standing to one side, while the that bastard Asher was standing to other side.


    ¡¯He wille to us, I know. He is my son,¡¯ I tried to assure myself, but there was that void that told otherwise.


    All of us tensed while that bastard Asher was calm and delighted as if he was sure Raven would choose him.

 Chapter 328: Ready To Sacrifice Himself

    <h4>Chapter 328: Ready To Sacrifice Himself</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Raven, is it?" Jeffery asked.


    Raven simply looked up at him, not reacting.


    "I am informed that you cannot talk," Jeffery continued. "So I will take your silence as your consent. The reason you are standing here today is to decide which parent you wish to go with. Whether Alpha Kael... or the father who raised you for the past six years, Alpha Asher."


    Raven still remained silent.


    "Raven, you don¡¯t have to be scared," Eira said softly. "Come to Mommy, alright."


    He turned his head to look at her... then to me.


    I offered him a nod. "Daddy¡¯s here. You know I am always with you. I will protect you."


    But then Asher called him as well, "Raven."


    Raven looked at him, his gaze instantly wary. It looked like he couldn¡¯t ignore this voice at all.


    "You know what to do, my smart pup," Asher said his expressions calm, but his gaze carried a warning for Raven. "Daddy doesn¡¯t need to remind you again and again, right?"


    Raven¡¯s small hands clenched the sides of his pants as he stood there, visibly troubled.


    My brothers stood by our side, all of them silently assuring him.


    "Raven, our n... you know it," Rafe said. "I am about to finish it. So let¡¯s go home and enjoy it."


    But instead of responding to Rafe, Raven¡¯s gaze shifted back to Asher.


    Asher raised a brow at him, as if warning him again.


    Right in front of my eyes, I could see my child being intimidated. My blood boiled. I couldn¡¯t wait to kill this bastard, making him pay for each time he threatened my child.


    "Raven, I am sure you miss your cat... and the doggy you had," Asher said again, his tone deceptively gentle.


    At the mention of his pets, Raven stiffened again. I saw him swallow hard.


    An amused chuckled left his lips as if he was enjoying ying with the innocent mind of a child. "Raven, your mommy is just as cute as your cat," Asher continued, "and Kael looks just as lovely as your dog." His eyes held a wicked glint. "If you want, I can love them just as I loved your pets. Trust me."


    "The bastard is scaring him," Lucian said through our mind link.


    "He¡¯s using his pets against him," Jason replied through the mind link. "Must have done something to them."


    "The bastard did everything to keep Raven¡¯s mind in his clutches," Roman sneered.


    "We can¡¯t let him off," Rafe¡¯s voice angry as well.


    We heard Asher again as he put forward his hand in Raven¡¯s direction. "Come to Daddy."


    Raven looked at him and then at his hand. He looked like a scared little rabbit who had no other way left.


    "Raven," I called him. "Don¡¯t be scared of anything. You know we all love you."


    Eira couldn¡¯t hold her tears as I felt her fear through our bond. "Raven,e to Mommy, please. I will make cookies for you once we are home." Her voice trembled.


    He looked back at us, his eyes full of longing, as if we were far away from him and he couldn¡¯t reach us.


    At this moment, I realized I hadn¡¯t done enough to assure him that his daddy was strong and could protect everyone, including him.


    Everyone in the council hall waited to see who he chose, but for me, his answer should be no one but me.


    "Raven?" Asher called calmly. "Your pets miss you. Shall I get them out again? Your mommy and daddy can join them to y together with us. We do love our special games don¡¯t we?"


    Raven, who had been looking at us, shivered with some realization. He quickly looked back at Asher, fear seeming to grip his body.


    <i>What exactly did this bastard do with his pets?</i>


    "Raven," I called him, panic gripping my heart.


    Raven looked at me, his eyes moist. For the first time, I was seeing some other emotion in him which I never saw before. It hurt me to see him this way. His gaze showed pain and appology.


    <i>Shit! He is going to choose Asher. </i>


    <i>Daddy.</i>


    I heard a voice. A child¡¯s voice.


    But Raven hadn¡¯t opened his mouth to say anything. Yet his eyes told me he had called out for me.


    I realised I heard him through the mind link. I was stunned and frozen in my ce.


    We could mind link even in our human form?


    And he called me Daddy?


    ¡¯Raven,¡¯ I called him through the mind link. ¡¯Did you just call me?¡¯


    Silent tears finally rolled down his eyes. He was scared, and trapped in the cage the man who had raised had built around him. The cage of fear and obedience born out of it.


    ¡¯Raven,e to Daddy,¡¯ I told him through the mind link again, my own eyes teary. ¡¯Trust me, I can protect us all.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t respond... and turned around to go towards Asher, as if he was saying his final goodbye to me, to us.


    <i>No. No. He is going to him.</i>


    I heard the panic voiced of my brothers through the mind link.


    Eira gripped my hand tightly as I heard her crying voice. "Don¡¯t let him go. That¡¯s my son. I can¡¯t lose him again." Light sobs followed after.


    I heard others call for him, but Raven had already taken a step toward Asher.


    I clenched my fists, unleashed my Alpha aura. In a moment Raven¡¯s small body was carried toward me through the air in a swift movement. And now he was in my arms.


    "Kael," Asher growled at me, ready to use his Alpha aura as well. "Do you think I can¡¯t do that?"


    I held Raven tightly in my arms. "Let¡¯s go the other way."


    Asher smirked as if it didn¡¯te out as a surprise to him. "So you want to bleed today? I shall fulfil your wish."


    "We will see who bleeds," I told him.


    Asher looked at Raven. "I gave you a chance, Raven, but you were too slow to decide. That is not how I raised you. Now I have no option but to treat them just like I did with your pets."


    I felt Raven¡¯s body trembling in my arms. If I could lose my hold on him, he was ready to jump out of my arms and go to that bastard.


    It was out of fear that Asher will harm us if he won¡¯t obey him.

 Chapter 329: Don’t Die

    <h4>Chapter 329: Don¡¯t Die</h4>


    Kael¡¯s POV


    Today, I had to show my son that he wasn¡¯t something I could ever sacrifice, that his daddy was powerful enough to deal such monsters.


    Jason ced his hand over Raven¡¯s ears. "Don¡¯t listen to him. Today we are all returning home together. You should trust Daddy."


    Eira quickly held Raven¡¯s hands, doing her best to hold back her tears. "Yes, you should trust Daddy. I trust him as well."


    "You have five strong Daddies, Raven," Lucian said. "Your daddies can defeat the entire world."


    "You don¡¯t have to sacrifice yourself to protect us," Roman said as he caressed Raven¡¯s head.


    "You are too young to think that way, though I must say we are proud of you, bud," Rafe patted his back.


    Just then Jeffery¡¯s displeased voice echoed in the council hall.


    "Alpha Kael, you are interrupting the process of the council."


    I looked at the bastard. "What kind of process are you talking about?" My voice was cold and threatening. "Letting a six-year-old child be threatened by someone who knows his weaknesses and uses them against him to make him obey? Are you seriously leaving a judgment to a threatened child? Or are you blind and unable to see what is happening here?"


    "Alpha Kael..."


    "Jeffery," I interrupted him, "shut your mouth already. We have decided to battle it out," and I looked at Asher. "Didn¡¯t we?"


    Asher chuckled and turned to look at Jeffery. "He is right."


    Like an obedient dog to Asher, Jeffery understood and looked at everyone in the hall to address the matter.


    "Both alphas have decided to resolve this matter through a spar. We will witness it at the sparring ring on the council premises. The one who wins shall im the child."


    As he finished, Alpha Gerald stepped forward. "Aren¡¯t you forgetting to state the rules of the spar, Jeffery?"


    Jeffery let out a light smile. This bastard always seemed nervous when Alpha Gerald spoke.


    "I believe everyone is aware of the rules, so I didn¡¯t bother to remind them," he said. "But since you have reminded me, I shall follow protocol." He looked at me and Asher.


    "You both must follow the rules. You will fight in your wolf forms. No weapons are allowed. Only the might of your wolf form may be used. The battle will end when one of you is defeated and unable to fight back. You are allowed to hurt your opponent as you wish, but you are not allowed to kill them. Killing is prohibited."


    As we heard him, Asher turned to look at me. "I am not very good at following rules."


    "Me neither," I told him, my gaze icy.


    "Let¡¯s head outside," Jeffery announced as he stood up from his chair.


    Everyone began heading out. Alpha Gerald approached me.


    "Alpha Kael."


    I offered him a polite nod as I stepped toward him.


    "Fight well," he said, like an elder wishing strength to a younger one.


    I hummed.


    He looked at Raven in my arms. "Such an adorable child. He truly possesses your family¡¯s bravery to care for others at such a young age. I look forward to seeing you take your son back with you."


    "Thank you, Alpha Gerald."


    He nced at Eira standing behind me, Roman holding her and trying to console her.


    "Seems like it¡¯s not a good time to be introduced to your mate," he said, unable to approach her.


    "Once her emotions are stable," I assured him. "Soon probably."


    He hummed and turned to leave, heading outside where the others had already gone.


    As we walked outside, we brothers used a mind link to talk, as we didn¡¯t wish Eira and Raven to hear it.


    <i>¡¯He seems ready for the fight,¡¯ Lucian said. ¡¯Definitely, he has nned something.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯That wasn¡¯t out of our expectations, isn¡¯t it?¡¯</i> I said. <i>"Like us, he had calcted everything."</i>


    <i>¡¯Let me fight him,¡¯</i> Lucian offered.


    <i>¡¯Though you are strong, he is top tier and might subdue you with his Alpha aura,¡¯</i> I replied. ¡¯<i>It won¡¯t affect you like others, it would still be a disadvantage for you. Better let me handle it.¡¯</i>


    There was an extent to which Alpha aura affected other Alphas. And one like Lucian was able to handle it. But still, I couldn¡¯t risk him being at a disadvantage.


    <i>¡¯Kael is right,¡¯</i> Roman said. <i>¡¯Let him fight it. We can¡¯t risk it as it¡¯s about Raven. If it was something else, any one of us would have gone to fight.¡¯</i>


    Lucian understood.


    <i>¡¯He is confident about defeating you and taking Raven with him,¡¯</i> Jason said. <i>¡¯Be careful.¡¯</i>


    I hummed and asked Lucian and Rafe, <i>¡¯Found any traces?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯Not yet,¡¯</i> Lucian responded. <i>¡¯But if he is so confident, then we can expect to find it.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯I will give you as much time as possible,¡¯</i> I assured. <i>¡¯Don¡¯t miss it.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯Got it.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯I will help him,¡¯</i> Rafe said. <i>¡¯My senses won¡¯t miss it. Don¡¯t worry.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡¯We have to win. Losing is not an option anymore,¡¯</i> I told them.


    <i>¡¯We will,¡¯</i> the four replied.


    <i>¡¯We have to show our son that we are the strongest, not that bastard.¡¯</i>


    ¡¯This is the chance to earn Raven¡¯s trust over the fear of that asshole.¡¯


    We reached the sparring area, which was a huge circle. Everyone else was already present around it. I handed Raven over to Jason, as he understood his mental condition well and had been taking care of him since we arrived at the council.


    "Be with Jason," I held Raven¡¯s hands and caressed them gently. "And don¡¯t worry if you see daddy getting hurt. It¡¯s normal to be hurt during a fight. Just wait for me toe back to you and take you home, alright?"


    Though unsure, Raven nodded.


    I turned to Eira. Our gazes silently spoke of everything that needed to be said. Once I was back, I would have a lot of exining to do, and I was eager to do it.


    "Don¡¯t die," she finally said.


    "I won¡¯t," I assured her and started removing my clothes. I handed them over to Roman. "Don¡¯t leave her alone."


    "Don¡¯t worry," he assured me.

 Chapter 330: Eira Can See The Black Magic

    <h4>Chapter 330: Eira Can See The ck Magic</h4>


    <strong>Roman¡¯s POV</strong>


    Kael headed to the center of that vast sparring ground in his massive ck wolf form. Asher had transformed into a ck wolf form as well. Both their wolf forms were equally massive, threatening, and powerful.


    It must have been after so long that everyone was going to see two top tier Alphas sparring against each other to resolve a conflict.


    Our small family stood isted from others.


    We didn¡¯t want any bastard Alpha toy an eye on our mate. They must already be drooling inside at the thought that there was a pureblood among us, but they couldn¡¯t reach her.


    Just then, someone appeared behind us.


    "Exciting, isn¡¯t it?"


    We turned to look at him.


    Kaizen.


    <i>What is this bastard doing here?</i>


    I moved and blocked his vision from seeing Eira, hiding her behind me. No one was allowed toy an eye on my mate.


    He chuckled, his lips curving into a smirk. "Do I have to repeat again that brtes aren¡¯t my type?"


    "I don¡¯t care what your type is. Just stay the fuck away from her," <strong>I</strong> growled, my wolf¡¯s predatory senses awakening at the presence of another outside Alpha even around my mate.


    Lucian stood next to me and warned Kaizen, "Why don¡¯t you stand on the side and enjoy the sparring? I am sure you have every intention of it."


    "Of course," his gaze passed across the sparring ground. "I had been waiting for this day for a long time. Finally, it¡¯s here." Then he looked back at Rafe. "I was expecting to take my parcel back home."


    Unlike us, Rafe was calm with Kaizen¡¯s presence. Both of them seemed to get along well all of a sudden. That made me wonder what they had talked about when they met to make a deal about Sophia. Or maybe it was just that both of them were the same kind of psychopath.


    "That parcel needs some work to be done by our girl for some fun. But don¡¯t worry, I will make sure it drops at your door very soon," Rafe answered him.


    Kaizen let out a bored sigh. "Don¡¯t make me wait long." Then he looked over my shoulder to see Eira behind me. "There¡¯s so much all of you can thank me for, but... I will let it pass."


    <i>What is this bastard talking about?</i>


    "You are getting what you had been promised. Don¡¯t expect anything more," I countered.


    He chuckled mockingly once more. "Well... let¡¯s forget it. As long as the one is there where they are supposed to be."


    We brothers looked at each other as his words didn¡¯t make any sense. What had gotten into him to talk in puzzles?


    "Of course, everyone is where they are supposed to be," I countered coldly, still wanting to understand what he truly meant. But we didn¡¯t have time for it at the moment.


    He finally decided to leave, but before that, he looked at Lucian. "You might like to look for some external forces," then tilted his head to look at Eira. "You don¡¯tck a force either," and walked away.


    "What does this bastard smoke to say such bullshit?" I frowned as I turned to look at Eira. "He is gone."


    "He knows more things than he lets out," Rafe said. "For now, let¡¯s focus on our guy."


    We looked towards the center of the sparring ground. Kael and Asher, in their wolf forms, had taken their positions, circling the ground at a slow pace while growling and ring at each other before attacking.


    "What is that?" Eira mumbled as she looked towards Asher.


    "What?" I asked, and the others paid attention as well.


    "That Asher... he has..." she seemed puzzled. "Something around him. Dark. Foggy... It wasn¡¯t there before."


    "You can see it?" Rafe asked quickly.


    She looked at him and nodded, then looked at us. "You guys can¡¯t?"


    I shook my head. "But we can sense it. Especially Rafe, he senses it better than us with his Vampire senses."


    Rafe and Lucian looked at each other. "Seems like Kael was right."


    "What?" Eira asked.


    Rafe had already turned her around to face the ground, holding her shoulders firmly. "We will tell you, but first look around everywhere and tell me where else you see it. We need to find its origin."


    All of us were filled with urgency.


    Just then, both wolves lunged toward each other and the battle began. The loud growls echoed with dust filled the air.


    Raven sank into Jason¡¯s arms. "It¡¯s alright," Jason coaxed him, "Daddy will be back soon." Jason¡¯s ears were at our talk, but his attention was on Raven.


    Eira shivered at the sight of the way both wolves were ferociously attacking each other, the entire surroundings filled with their loud growls. Asher seemed to be more powerful, but Kael was giving him back the same.


    All the bystanders were enjoying the fears spar, not giving a shit that it was about the life of one child.


    Rafe tightened his grip over her shoulder as if to shake her out of the shock, and ordered in a strict tone, "Focus, Caldwell. We need to help Kael, so focus and find it. And you better do your best. DO. NOT. DISAPPOINT. ME."


    When Rafe was serious, he didn¡¯t spare anyone, not even Eira. And at this moment, no one was more important to him than Kael.


    Eira nodded and focused, her gaze wandering towards the woods beyond the sparring ground.


    "There," she was about to lift her hand, but Rafe held it. "Don¡¯t point it out. Just say it."


    "Thatrgest tree ahead," she said. "It¡¯s there."


    "Good," Rafe let her go. "Now you can enjoy the fight."


    "We need to hurry," Rafe told Lucian, and both hurried toplete the most important task in our n.


    Catch the witch.


    "What happened?" Eira asked. "What is that?"


    "That¡¯s ck magic from a witch who is helping Asher," I exined her. "If Asher is so confident about winning, because he had he nned it this way. The witch¡¯s power will help him overpower Kael and defeat him. Asher wants Raven at all costs, so he is resorting to all the dirty tricks.


    "The reason for himing to the council was this. And if he manages to take Raven with him today, no one will ever challenge him for having our kid with him. The entire werewolf world will consider it as a fair result and side with him."


    "That bastard," Eira gritted her teeth, her anger rising all of a sudden. She looked at me, not sparing me from it either. "And you people knew this was going to happen, and still all of you decided to go through it? Is my son a joke to you?"


    I held her shoulder gently. "Eira, I know you are angry, but we had to do it to find a solution once and for all."


    "All I know is that you baited my son over it," she shrugged my hands off.

 Chapter 331: A Shocking Power

    <h4>Chapter 331: A Shocking Power</h4>


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Meanwhile Jason made sure Raven didn¡¯t see her like this.


    "Listen to me, if you truly care for Raven," this time I said coldly and held her shoulder again, "and understand what I am saying."


    She looked at me, finally having some sense in her.


    "This was the only way, Eira," I let my tone soften a little, "Or do you think running away with him somewhere would end all the trouble?"


    As if I had caught what could be her next thought, she felt speechless.


    Running away was always the top of her solution lists, and that¡¯s the reason we didn¡¯t tell beforeing here that what was going to happen here, and that Raven is her son.


    "Because it wouldn¡¯t end with it," I repeated, "In fact more people would hunt for that pureblood child on the run. By doing all of this today, we are making sure everyone sees Raven is ours and they won¡¯t ever look at him. That Raven isn¡¯t a tool to toy around. Do you get it?"


    She nodded lightly, but I could feel her sadness.


    "I understand your anger, but unless we got into it, we wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯sing for us. Whatever is happening today since we arrived here wasn¡¯t a coincidence, but part of our ns that depended entirely on what our enemies had nned.


    "We knew this moment of battle mighte, and this is how it would go. So, we took this chance to capture that witch. We have to find a final solution to everything rather than being in danger all the time."


    "What if... what if he defeats Kael today?" she asked, her voice trembling, eyes moist. "What if he takes away Raven?"


    "Then we will have onest way left. A war between both packs, and we get our son back," I told her straightaway. "But we don¡¯t want to go there. We have to get Raven today, and for that we have to pray that Lucian and Rafe find that witch quickly, Kael defeats this bastard, and we eliminate the threat.


    "We were going to depend on Rafe¡¯s vampire senses to find her, but you came as a great help. Now Rafe and Lucian might finish it quickly, and Kael can get the fair chance at fight."


    She understood and looked towards the sparring ground. Asher and Kael both had hurt each other. Even from a distance I would smell blood.


    And from the looks of it, it was clear, Kael was hurt more and now looked weak in front Asher. If it¡¯s not for the ck magic, I was sure Kael would have ripped him open in just starting few attacks.


    Eira clutched my hand, "That ck fog around him is getting stronger," her voice trembled as in fear that Kael was going to be defeated.


    "Kael will try to hold as long as he could to wait for Lucian and Rafe to find her," I told her, but inside I was getting nervous as well.


    Damn! Lucian, Rafe, hurry up.


    Asher lunged at Kael again, and this time the attack was far more devastating than before. The ck magic wrapped around him seemed to have amplifying his power beyond its natural limit.


    The impact was brutal.


    Kael¡¯s massive wolf form was mmed into the ground with merciless force, his body skidding across the earth as stone cracked beneath him. A violent cloud of dust exploded into the air, swallowing everything in sight and turning the sparring ground into chaos.


    Through the bond, Kael¡¯s pain tore through us. Grave. Deep. Crushing.


    And if we could feel it this, then Eira was feeling it tenfold.


    I turned to her just in time to see her crumble, tears streaming freely down her face as her hand clutched her chest. She gasped as if the pain had pierced her own heart. Kael¡¯s suffering was tearing her apart from the inside.


    The crowd erupted. Voices rose in excitement and awe, praising Asher¡¯s strength, shouting that Kael was finished, that the battle was already decided.


    The dust finally settled.


    Asher emerged first, standing tall, unscathed, his massive ck wolf form radiating menace. Kael was still on the ground.


    Asher turned his head toward us. He didn¡¯t need words. The mocking gleam in his eyes said everything.


    He was going to kill Kael.


    My blood ran cold. I immediately tried to reach Rafe and Lucian through the mind link.


    <i>¡¯Where the fuck are you? Did you find that witch yet?¡¯</i>


    ¡¯<i>Following her,¡¯</i> Rafe replied instantly. <i>¡¯She injured Lucian, but he¡¯s fine. We¡¯re close.¡¯</i>


    "Shit," I hissed aloud, unable to keep it contained.


    "He¡¯s going to kill Kael," Eira whispered, her voice shaking as she tore her hand from mine.


    I looked at Jason. <i>Shall we?</i>


    Jason stayed quiet, but I knew he felt the same as I did. He put Raven on the ground. "Stay here. We need to help Daddy."


    Raven obediently offered a nod, worry was itched in his small face.


    We were ready to break the rules. Fuck them. Our brother mattered more. We would fight against anyone who tried to harm any one of us. Killing was forbidden, but Asher was about to break that rule himself.


    Kael forced himself upright, blood darkening his fur as he staggered back onto his feet. He was powerful and he won¡¯t be defeated so soon.


    Asher¡¯s wolf form smirked at us as he prepared to attack Kael, even before we could reach them. Jason and I surged forward, ready to shift into our wolf forms and stop that bastard, but¡ª


    All of a sudden, something happened.


    The world froze.


    Sound vanished. Motion died.


    Asher¡¯s wolf hung suspended in midair, jaws still wide, frozen just feet above Kael. Dust, debris, even falling gravel were locked in ce, as if time itself had been shattered.


    Kael stood below him, to fight back, but Asher never reached him.


    "What the fuck is happening?" I breathed, my eyes darting to Jason, who looked just as stunned as I was.


    Kael was no different. He stared at Asher¡¯s massive wolf form suspended in midair, then turned sharply toward us, disbelief shing through his eyes.


    Everyone else was frozen.Every Alpha. Every guard. Every spectator.


    Only our small family could move.


    Then we saw her.


    Eira.


    Power was leaking from her body in violent waves, the air around her trembling as if reality itself couldn¡¯t withstand it.


    Her eyes were locked solely on Kael, glowing with something ancient and terrifying. Every nerve in her frail body stood out, her muscles rigid, veins visible beneath her skin as the pressure of that power crushed her from within.


    She was losing control.


    "Kael, go!" Jason roared.


    Kael didn¡¯t hesitate. He moved instantly, shifting his position with pure instinct, throwing himself out of the killing path.


    At the same moment, Eira¡¯s strength gave out. The power copsed back into her, and her body went limp.


    I caught her just in time, wrapping my arms around her as she sagged, unconscious and spent.


    Behind us, time snapped back into ce.


    Asher¡¯s wolf came crashing down with brutal force, his massive jaws mming straight into the ground where Kael had been standing moments ago. The earth cracked beneath the impact.

 Chapter 332: We Are Going Home

    <h4>Chapter 332: We Are Going Home</h4>


    <strong>Jason¡¯s POV</strong>


    Shock rippled through the entire sparring ground. No one seemed to understand what had just happened. One moment Asher had been mid-air, jaws wide, ready to tear Kael apart¡ªand the next, he was mmed into the ground like a fallen god.


    It was as if the world had blinked and rewritten itself.


    Kael didn¡¯t waste a single second.


    Before Asher could even register the impact or recover from the fall, Kael lunged. His massive ck wolf form crashed into Asher with feral brutality, powerful jaws snapping shut around Asher¡¯s throat. Sharp teeth pierced deep, locking him in a death grip.


    Asher was helpless.


    For the first time since this battle began, the so-called top tier Alphay powerless beneath Kael.


    That told me everything. Two things had happened in that instant.


    Eira had bought Kael precious, life-saving seconds by using her powers. And Lucian and Rafe had seeded. The witch was caught. Her power was gone.


    The ck magic that had fueled Asher¡¯s powers had vanished.


    It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say everyone just worked in perfect sync at the perfect moment.


    Everything turned quiet all of a sudden once more, but this time it was due to the shock that Kael had defeated Asher, while everyone had been thinking it would be Asher who would win.


    "Alpha Kael," Jeffery¡¯s cold, sharp voice echoed through the stunned crowd. "You cannot kill him. You know the rule."


    The bastard remembered the rules only now¡ªonly because Kael was the one standing victorious.


    Kael loosened his grip and released Asher¡¯s throat. Asher¡¯s wolf form copsed onto the ground, gasping violently, his body trembling as he struggled to draw breath.


    Alive.


    Kael hadn¡¯t killed him.


    Even if Jeffery hadn¡¯t said it, Kael wasn¡¯t going to kill that bastard yet. It wasn¡¯t the goal, as he was the key to reaching the main viin and all the hidden truths.


    As Roman tended to Eira, I turned to Raven.


    The little guy stood frozen, staring at the defeated wolf on the ground. His world had just shattered¡ªthe man he had feared his entire life, the monster who had controlled him,y beaten and broken.


    I knelt in front of him. "Raven... are you alright?"


    He looked at me, but his expression was as if he didn¡¯t know how to react. Maybe he was too stunned to see the man he had been most scared of get defeated so brutally.


    "Daddy has finally defeated the bad man. Are you happy?" I asked.


    He stared at me for a moment before stepping forward and hugging me as if trying toe to the terms with the reality. His body was trembling. It must have been such a shock to him that he needed something to support him, embrace him,fort him.


    I hugged him in a firm hold, letting the warmth of my body slip into his almost cold and trembling one. I had the feeling that I would give up my life just to protect him and keep him away from any harm.


    Meanwhile, Kael had already transformed into his human form and came to us. Our guard handed him a dark robe, as Kael¡¯s body was badly hurt as well, his torso covered in blood that seeped down his legs.


    He wore the robe and wiped the blood away from his face before showing himself in front of Raven in such a hurt condition.


    As Raven was in my arms, Kael knelt on the ground where Roman was holding Eira. He had to made sure his mate was fine.


    "She is alright. Just unconscious," Roman told him, as they avoided talking anything more about her.


    Kael offered a nod and caressed Eira¡¯s cheek. We all knew what she did, and we could only be grateful to her once more. How many times was she going to be our saviour? Back then it was Lucian, and now Kael. We were going to owe her our lives.


    Kael looked at Raven.


    "Raven, daddy¡¯s here," I whispered gently.


    Raven moved his face away from my chest, opened his eyes, and turned to look at Kael, who was kneeling in front of him.


    "We are going home," Kael told him. "Our home. Your home with mommy and daddies."


    Kael never forgot to include us when he mentioned a family to Raven. Letting him keep in mind that he had five fathers.


    Raven stepped closer to him and looked at the huge scar on Kael¡¯s face that cut along his jaw and neck. Though he had wiped the blood away, the bloodied scar remained and would take time to heal, as it was given by another Alpha.


    "I am alright," Kael understood his worry. "It doesn¡¯t hurt much."


    Raven gently closed the distance to hug Kael.


    "I am dirty," Kael told him before he could reach.


    His hair was entirely disheveled and full of dust. His face had dried blood traces mixed with dirt. His hands as well. He needed a long bath to get rid of it all.


    Raven didn¡¯t care. He hugged him and let himself sink against his father, seeking reassurance that Kael was still there in front of him after witnessing such a dangerous battle just a while ago.


    His expression turned overwhelmed with emotion as I watched them, his eyes moist. Probably relief¡ªrelief that he didn¡¯t lose his son today, that he didn¡¯t lose in front of his son today.


    He could show his son that he was able to protect him.


    Leaving them, I went to Jeffery and others as I said in a voice loud enough that everyone hears it.


    "The result is clear. Right in front of you all, the Alpha of StormHowl pack has defeated the Alpha of Ravenw pack. We are taking our child with us. And I dare anyone to challenge this result."


    Jeffery looked like a cat has got his tongue. Bastard, only if I could rip it out of that filthy mouth of his. One day, for sure.


    Alpha Gerald came to me. "We all ept the result of this fight. The child is yours," and then he turned to look at others.


    Alpha Gerald¡¯s gaze was enough for everyone to open their mouths. And they all agreed with the result.


    Even if they didn¡¯t agree, we didn¡¯t give a fuck.


    "Is your mate alright?" Alpha Gerald asked.


    "She was just scared to see brutal fight and fainted," I answered, "she is not used to seeing how brutal our world is."


    Alpha Gerald hummed, "Take care of her. Though strong by nature, shewolves can be weak to emotional stress."


    I offered a respectful nod to his care-filled advice, and turned to leave.


    It¡¯s good he asked so others won¡¯te poking their noses and ask what happened with Eira, as they had seen her unconscious in Roman¡¯s arms. They got answer already.


    On the way, I looked at the side where Asher was being taken away by his people, not in his human form. The bastard looked at me, his gaze clearly angry as if he wished to kill me.


    I offered him a mocking smirk.


    His lips moved to say something, as the voice didn¡¯t make it out as Kael had hurt his throat. He said, "I will see you very soon."


    In response, I showed him a middle finger and walked back towards my family.

 Chapter 333: You Could Have Died

    <h4>Chapter 333: You Could Have Died</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once Jason took care of the matter, we were ready to return our home.


    Roman had lifted Eira in his arms, Jason joined us, and I held Raven¡¯s hand as together we headed to our cars, surrounded by our guards, blocking everyone from seeing our mate.


    "Lucian and Rafe, any updates about them?" I asked Jason.


    "Last we talked, Rafe said they found her and Lucian¡¯s hurt," he informed me. "Since then, we couldn¡¯t reach them."


    "I tried as well, but couldn¡¯t connect through the mind link," I frowned. "Phones are already unreachable."


    The headmando came to us and informed me.


    They found Rafe and Lucian thanks to themandos who followed them just in case. They would join us on the way back or meet us directly at home.


    I was worried if they had been hurt badly. I didn¡¯t want any of my brothers to suffer anymore. For that, I was here. I would take everything that came to harm them.


    We left the council premises and couldn¡¯t wait to return home as soon as possible. If only we had the power to teleport.


    I held Raven close to me, taking in the reality that he was with me and no one was going to separate him from me.


    Eira was still unconscious, Roman holding her carefully as they settled in the seat next to me.


    I wished to take her in my arms, but I didn¡¯t. I still had that bastard Asher¡¯s blood on me, and I wouldn¡¯t let it touch her.


    "We might have to call Liam to check on her," Roman suggested.


    I hummed.


    But just then, Eira stirred in her sleep.


    "Eira," Roman called out gently, but she woke with a loud gasp, full of anxiety.


    "Raven," she called out in panic.


    "He is here. He is here with us," Roman assured her. "Look next to you."


    Eira turned to look to her other side, only to move in panic and hug him, her hands wrapping around him in a firm hold, her teary eyes closing as her breathing slowly turned normal.


    "My baby. I thought I lost you again," she mumbled, assuring herself that he was there with her.


    Raven sat still, not resisting her. By now, he must have understood as well that she was truly his mother.


    I would have a talk with him once we were home. He needed to understand a few things that were meant for him to know. Though still young, I was sure he could take it. He had been through a lot already and his level of maturity was far ahead than the kids of his age.


    Throughout the journey, Eira sat quietly, her focus only on Raven in her arms. He fell asleep soon, which gave her a chance to admire him closely, letting herself sink into the reality that everything was fine now.


    We reached home. Lucian and Rafe must have already been there or would be reaching soon.


    Roman took Raven from her arms, and we headed inside the house.


    "I am taking him to my room to sleep," Roman told Eira, as Raven was still sleeping.


    Meanwhile, I called her, "Eira."


    She stood in her ce, not turning to look at me.


    My heart almost skipped a beat as I knew I had to face her wrath.


    "Eira..."


    She finally turned to look at me, her eyes staring straight into mine.


    I stepped ahead, facing her. "I¡ª"


    But the next moment, a crisp pnded on my cheek. She was angry, and she showed her anger.


    I didn¡¯t mind, but it worried me that her hand must have hurt.


    I was about to hold her hand, but she stepped back, her teary eyes ring at me.


    Her son had been right in front of her all this time, and she had no idea at all. Anyone would have been angry. At he same time she was aware what Raven had been through under Asher, she would have been furious.


    I understood.


    And she was allowed to hit me, kill me even, without having any reason. I deserved all of that.


    Jason stood silent behind me. Roman hade out of the room after leaving Raven to sleep. Lucian and Rafe had arrived as well.


    Dead silence filled the drawing room as she stared at me angrily. None of us dared to make a sound. Words failed me, and I could only swallow them back.


    She turned around and went to sit on the sofa, letting her tears flow and wiping them with her hands, but unable to stop them.


    I looked at Roman. Maybe he was the only one at the moment close to her and could coax her into calming down first.


    He knelt before her and held her hand. "Eira, you are right to be angry at us. Kael¡ª"


    Instead of responding to him, she snapped back at me, "Kael Valemont, has the cat got your tongue that you are making your brother defend you now?"


    Damn. All of us let out shaky breaths.


    Right at this moment, the fact hit me. This woman was my mate, and only she had the right to talk to me this way. Only she could.


    I went to her as Roman stepped away to make space for me.


    I knelt before her like a sinner. Yes, I was.


    "I am sorry," I said, looking into her teary eyes.


    "That¡¯s it?" she countered. "Apologies and everything is fine?"


    "No," I shook my head. "How many apologies I give you, even if I do it till thest breath of my life, it wouldn¡¯t be enough."


    She looked away, sad and hurt, wiping the tears away from her reddened cheeks.


    I held her hand. "But I want to exin myself. Don¡¯t you want that as well?"


    She didn¡¯t respond, but I continued, "At first, I didn¡¯t tell you then because of your psych condition and I advised against it. You could have taken both of your lives as you believed in reunion in afterlife.


    "When I brought him home, I didn¡¯t know Raven¡¯s our son. I rescued him as your son. I got to know it only when you were pregnant and Liam told us you can only have a child with me, your fated mate.


    "When I finally wanted to tell you that Raven is our son you had been waiting for, you said you wished to wait, you wished to heal yourself first, so I didn¡¯t want to stop you. As you said, I was waiting for you to tell me that you were ready. I told you that day, the moment you said you are ready, our son would be in front of you."


    "And about today, it was based on what Asher brought in front of us. He brought your grandparents which we weren¡¯t sure entirely, so you had to be there," I said. "We all followed through the probabilities of what could happen. If not for them, I would have told you once we had brought Raven home like we did now. That way, you wouldn¡¯t have been anxious that someone would take Raven away."


    I waited for her to respond, hoping she understood my reasoning.


    She inhaled deeply, trying to collect her emotions, and looked at me. Her eyes were still teary.


    "You would have died today. Do you realise that?"


    Her words left me stunned for a moment.


    <i>Was she worried I would die? </i>


    All this anger wasn¡¯t just because we didn¡¯t tell her about Raven sooner, but because worry for me was a part of it.

 Chapter 334: Hurt Lucian

    <h4>Chapter 334: Hurt Lucian</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Are you worried about me?" I asked anyway, dying to hear from her that I meant something to her.


    She stared at me for a moment, as if caught off guard. But then she turned to look away, wiping her tears.


    "Why would I worry about you? I was just worried about Raven. If something happened to you, who would fight against that other top tier Alpha and protect our son?"


    She didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    "Then I will make sure to take that bastard Asher with me to hell when I am about to die. That way... uhm..."


    Her hand covered my mouth before I could say more.


    "Stop talking nonsense," she warned. "Idiot."


    I removed her hand from my mouth. "Is it that difficult to admit you care for me?"


    She tried to pull her hand out of my hold. "I... I was just...."


    I pulled her hand with a light tug, and the next moment my lips sealed hers, shutting her mouth from making any more excuses. I savoured her sweet lips for a few moments and whispered, "I get it."


    She looked at me in confusion, and I said again, "I get it how important I am to you."


    She didn¡¯t deny it, and I wasn¡¯t going to push her anymore. This much was enough for me.


    "Are you calm now?" I asked her.


    She nodded lightly.


    "Good." I turned to look at my brothers, who seemed relieved now that she was calm.


    I stood up and looked at Lucian and Rafe to enquire about them, but Lucian had already headed to staircase.


    "Lucian," I called him.


    "I am fine. Don¡¯t worry," he said, and continued to walk, without even looking at me.


    He never acted this way. I was about to call him again, but before he could climb even a single stair to the first floor, he stopped for a moment and then fell to the ground.


    It shocked me. I hurried to him, so did the others.


    "Lucian," I knelt next to him. He was unconscious.


    It was so rare, or even impossible, to see him in such a condition. That meant he was hurt badly.


    "Tsk!" I heard Rafe, who knelt next to him. "He was at his limits, trying to run to his room. Wouldn¡¯t listen to me when I told him to go to the hospital. Stubborn ass! Would rather die than let anyone see him weak."


    "Jason, call Liam," I ordered.


    "I am already here," I heard a familiar voice. "You people can never let me be in peace."


    "I had already asked him toe home," Rafe informed. "No option when someone couldn¡¯t stop being an ass."


    Lucian was carried to the sofa, and Liam came to check on him.


    Roman stood by Eira to ease her worry. "Don¡¯t worry. He is a tough nut," he told her, but I could still see worry painted on her face.


    "He seems to be affected by ck magic," I told Liam. "Can you treat ck magic?"


    "Of course I can¡¯t," Liam said as he looked at me. "But there is someone who can. Your guards need to allow them to enter this home. Rafe already told me about it so I brought the person with me."


    On my instructions, an elderly-looking woman was soon led inside the home. Though there were no witches around, every pack had some witch doctors who treated injuries that couldn¡¯t be justified by science. This old woman was a witch doctor.


    I remembered seeing herst when I was a child. My mother had met this woman. As the Luna of the pack, she had to keep everything and everyone under her care.


    We stepped aside. The woman checked Lucian¡¯s pulse and then closed her eyes for a long time.


    She unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a huge dark scar covering the right half of his chest, from his shoulder to the end of his ribs.


    "It¡¯s the same kind for that Alpha had," Eira mumbled.


    "It¡¯s the same ck magic," Roman exined.


    "When we were catching that witch, he happened to block her attack on me," Rafe said, a hint of guilt in his voice, though he tried to act cool as always.


    Worry for Lucian couldn¡¯t be hidden in his eyes.


    "He is truly strong enough to withstand it," the woman mumbled and sprinkled some shiny powder on the huge ckened part. "The ck magic has been absorbed into his body. It will take a while for it to drain out entirely. Maybe a few days. He will be in pain, but that¡¯s just the effect of the magic circting through him before leaving his body. I am giving him a potion which will help ease his pain and drain the ck magic as soon as possible."


    Knowing he was safe was already a relief.


    She instructed us on a few more things and then left. Jason took the potion vials from her. He fed one to Lucian and kept the rest.


    Liam turned to me, his gaze wandering along the scar running from my jawline to my neck. "Feeling victorious after beating an asshole that you don¡¯t even feel your own wounds?"


    Sarcastic bastard.


    "I need to clean myself," I said and turned to go upstairs.


    "You better. That shit scent of that bastard¡¯s blood is nauseating me," Rafe said behind me.


    "Come, let me check you until then," I heard Liam saying to Eira.


    I had a nice bath and couldn¡¯t stand the stench of that bastard¡¯s blood on me. I finished it quickly. Due to the many scars on my body, I wore a ck robe. I hoped they would heal quickly so Eira wouldn¡¯t worry much.


    When I returned, all of them had moved to the medical setup room.


    "...It¡¯s just to see if the use of power had affected the baby," I heard Liam¡¯s voice, "But I am sure it didn¡¯t."


    They seemed to have already discussed Eira using another one of her powers.


    When I entered the room, Jason had taken his ce in front of the sonography machine, as Eira¡¯s gynecologist wasn¡¯t here.


    Liam turned to look at me. "As the matter of our patient using her powers shouldn¡¯t be exposed, I didn¡¯t bring her doctor."


    Of course he did well.


    "But we have a doctor at home, so that solves a lot of trouble," Liam said intently.


    He would never stop trying to get Jason back to his old profession. But Jason paid him no mind.


    Through the sonography, we got to see the baby once more.


    "It¡¯s growing faster than expected of a pureblood," Liammented in his professional way.


    "I would like it if you chose softnguage here," Jason warned Liam, clearly displeased with his choice of words, "Or better, say nothing."


    Jason then looked at Eira. "The baby is growing really well. Nothing to worry about."


    She hummed while looking at the screen.


    Liam chuckled. "Alright. I will leave it for you to talk to, ex-doctor."


    "We are done here. You can go out, Liam," Jason said coldly.


    Liam sighed, unbothered by his indifference. "I will, once I take a look at myst patient here."


    Jason and Liam together patched up my wounds, while Roman had already taken Eira out to keep her away from the sight. He returned once he left her with Raven.


    Liam began once all the wounds were covered, "It will take a day or two..."


    "I know," I interrupted him. "That¡¯s the least of my worries. Just make sure Lucian is fine."


    I looked at Rafe. "You. Weren¡¯t you hurt as well?"


    "Do I look hurt?" he smirked. "One crazy wolf jumped in to save me."


    Liam looked at him. "Won¡¯t harm to take a look at you."


    Rafe stepped back. "Don¡¯t even think about it. I am fine." Then he looked at me. "That witch is hurt. My bullets hit her right, and Lucian¡¯s one paw got a good chunk of flesh. The bitch managed to run away. If not for Lucian being hurt, I would have gone after her till the end of the world."


    "We can catch her again. Both your safety matters first," I assured him and then talked to Liam. "She seems to have another power."


    He hummed. "And it¡¯s truly unique," he exined. "I have read about pureblood she-wolves having various powers like healing, using their aura just like you do, some magic skills like moving objects using powers and disappearing from one ce to another in the blink of an eye, and so on. But this one is unique. Never heard of it."


    "This is the second power she has," I said.


    "She can have many more," Liam said. "We will get to see them with time."


    I hummed, and Liam continued, "From what I feel, her extensive emotional state triggers her power. Likest time she was desperate to save Lucian, and this time it was about you. Both times she thought you two were going to die."


    I couldn¡¯t disagree. "Her wolf, her growth, her powers had been suppressed for long, and they areing out this way where there is a need."


    "Given how special she is, we have to keep her abilities hidden," Liam suggested, exactly what I had been thinking.


    "As long as you keep your mouth shut," I warned him, though I knew he would never reveal it to anyone.


    He sighed. "Ungrateful bastards," and turned to leave. "Don¡¯t call me now unless any of you is dying for real."


    Once he left, Jason informed, "Asher is gravely injured, and his entire pack is distressed."


    "Bastard will keep quiet for a while, and let us breathe before nning something else," Roman said, "And we can prepare as well."


    "That witch as well. I am sure she won¡¯t be able to heal anytime soon and use her power," Rafe added, "My special bullets and Lucian¡¯s deadly attack almost killed her."


    Finally we were going to get a breather for a while. I could focus on my mate and my son.


    "How about a small vacation together?" Jason suggested, "Eira will also have a change in air."


    "We are going to Hollowcrest pack," I told them, "Alpha Gerald had invited us all for his son¡¯t birthday."


    "It almost skipped my mind," Roman said, "That would be great. Maybe Eira will get to meet another pureblood shewolf, Alpha Gerald¡¯s wife."


    I hummed. "It would be good to introduce her to people who are on our side. As a future Luna of this pack, it will help her."

 Chapter 335: Kael-Raven talk

    <h4>Chapter 335: Kael-Raven talk</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Raven had woken up. We needed to know how today¡¯s incident had affected him.


    I carried him out of Roman¡¯s room, his sleepy form still clinging to me like a baby.


    A light smile yed on my lips. The feeling of having your own flesh and blood in your arms was bliss.


    He smelled sweet andforting, that I could go on holding him forever.


    No one rushed him. Everyone acted as usual and let the little guy sink into reality.


    I kept walking slowly around the drawing room while others watched me. Especially Eira. I felt that longing in her eyes, wondering when her son would be thisfortable with her like he was with me.


    She was holding back to not rush him. I will talk with her about it and try tofort herter.


    "Aren¡¯t you done sleeping?" I asked.


    In response, he snuggled his face against my shoulder for a moment and finally opened his eyes. I haven¡¯t seen him sleep this rxed until now.


    Maybe now he knew the bad guy in his life was gone, he didn¡¯t have anything to fear or be alert about all the time, even in his sleep.


    "Mommy and other daddies are waiting for you to wake up so we all could eat together," I told him. "And I have cooked your favourite dishes as well. Aren¡¯t you hungry?"


    He looked towards the kitchen and then towards the dining table where Jason and Roman were arranging the food. He inhaled deeply, letting me know he couldn¡¯t wait to eat.


    "Let¡¯s call mommy first," I told him as I looked at him, our gazes meeting in understanding. "Will you?"


    He nodded and I ced him on the floor. "I¡¯ll wait for you at the dining table."


    I walked towards the dining table while watching what he was going to do. He went to Eira, who was tending to her pets. But her attention was on Raven.


    I wondered how he was going to say it to her. Finally say a word at least.


    As he stood next to her, Eira looked at him. She didn¡¯t react, waiting for him to say something.


    He offered her his hand.


    Well, not bad.


    "You want me toe with you?" she asked anyway.He nodded.


    "Where?" she asked again.


    He looked towards the dining table.


    "Oh! It¡¯s meal time," Eira said, trying her best tomunicate with him for any single chance she got.


    She put her hand in his and stood up. Both of them came to the dining table, hand in hand.


    I could feel a light smile on Eira¡¯s face. She was being patient with him, and it was paying off.


    We had a rxing meal together, while Lucian was still in deep sleep.


    After the meal, I decided to talk with Raven. I took him out into the garden for a walk. We settled in the gazebo.


    "Raven, I want to talk with you about something," I said. "Is it fine with you?"


    He nodded while looking at me, his expression calm.


    "You now know I am your real father and Eira is your real mother." It wasn¡¯t a question, but a conclusion.


    "Are you happy to know about it?"


    He nodded.


    "I wanted to apologize to you as well for not being able to protect you and that you had to stay with bad people for the past five years," I said. "Daddy is sorry."


    I waited to see his reaction, but he remained the same.


    "Are you angry with me for that, or at least upset with me?" I asked.


    He nodded, and then shook his head as well.


    I tried to figure it out and said, "Do you mean you were upset before, but now you are not?"


    He nodded. I wished he would talk instead, but it seems like I had to wait.


    "When did you understand I am your daddy?" I asked. "Today?"


    He shook his head.


    "You knew it even before?" I asked. "When?"


    He looked here and there as if trying to figure out how to reply.


    "I don¡¯t mind if you talk. That would make it easier."


    He ignored my words straight away and then pointed towards a ce in the garden.


    I thought about it. But as smart as he was, being my son, I shouldn¡¯t doubt his smartness. Am I being too arrogant about our smartness? Maybe, yes.


    Then he pointed towards me.


    "That night when you saw me in my wolf form?" I asked.


    He nodded and stepped forward, only to put his finger to my temple.


    Mind link.


    "You understood because I could mind link with you?" I asked.


    He nodded again.


    Damn! How did he know through that?


    "Have you read about it?" I asked. I was sure none of us told him about it.


    He nodded again.


    I smiled and patted his head. "You are truly smart. But do you know, you can only link up after you are an adult, shift, and get your wolf? Even if we are father and son, it applies to us as well."


    He nodded. But his expression showed he wanted to exin something yet didn¡¯t know how.


    "We are an exception, you are an exception," I told him. "And do you know why?"


    He shook his head.


    "I think it¡¯s because mommy is a powerful rare shewolf," I exined. "You saw what she did when I was in danger. She protected me and protected us all."


    He nodded again.


    "So, thanks to her, you are just as unique as her," I said. "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s great to have a mommy like her? She looks weak, but she is truly strong. When the timees, she can protect you well."


    He nodded. I wished to ce some positive thoughts about Eira in his mind and how she was important in his life.


    "You must be wondering why mommy wasn¡¯t with you all these years, just like I wasn¡¯t."


    He nodded.


    Though only through actions, he was more responsive and eager in this conversation.


    "When mommy had you, she was taken away by bad people. They hurt her and took you away from her forcibly when you were born. She cried for you every single day, suffered everything only in the hope that she would find you one day. My mistake was that I wasn¡¯t aware of her or your existence. When we got her back, we got to know about you as well and did our best to bring you to us," my tone was regretful. "I am to me for what you two had suffered. If you ever wish to me someone, just me daddy. But I want you to treat your mommy with love and respect. Bad people hurt her a lot, and she now needs our care. Do you get it?"


    He nodded.


    "I don¡¯t want you to do anything out of line that you don¡¯t want to do," I made it clear. "But being a little more responsive and attentive towards her will do. Alright?"


    He nodded again.


    He didn¡¯t look reluctant about anything I suggested.


    I patted his head and offered him a smile. "Do you know, I feel so fortunate to have you as my son. Nothing better can happen to me than having you."


    His eyes brightened to hear it, his lips curving into a light smile.


    After relishing the sweetness for a moment, I said, "So, we can talk through the mind link. Can you talk with other daddies as well?"


    He shook his head, but then shrugged his shoulders as well, as if he wasn¡¯t sure.


    "You haven¡¯t tried?" I said.


    He nodded again.


    "Until we discover you can talk with them as well, we can keep it as our little secret," I suggested.


    He nodded quietly.


    "But you have to use words when we talk through the mind link. Actions won¡¯t do. Or others will think I said nothing while you are reacting," I suggested again. "If we use words, no one will know."


    He went back to being silent. Whenever it came to the matter of talking, he was always like this. What was the matter? Was he scared of talking? Or was he forced not to talk at all? Was he threatened?


    That seemed to be the case. Raven must hold secrets, so they made sure he would never talk. How did they train him to not make any sound at all despite him being able to talk?


    My blood ran cold. They must have used some cruel methods, punishment to train him to keep his mouth shut.


    My heart, my mind, all of a sudden felt like falling into a dark abyss just to imagine it.


    "Raven?" My voice shook. "You called me daddy when we were at the council. I heard you through the mind link."


    His gaze turned wary, and I could hear his heartbeat rising.


    He was scared, scared to let anyone know he could talk.


    "I won¡¯t tell anyone," I assured him quickly. "That would be our secret."


    I felt him rx at it, but his gaze was still anxious.


    I held his hands and caressed them gently. "What I am going to ask you, you can choose not to answer it. Alright? No pressure at all."


    He simply stared at me, wondering what I was going to ask suddenly.


    "Those bad people, have they punished you for talking or making any sound at all?" I asked, my heart sinking.


    Once more, anxiousness covered his face. His heartbeat rose again.


    He stepped forward and hugged me instead, as if trying to find a safe ce for himself after remembering something horrific.


    I quickly hugged him back and caressed his back. "It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to say it. You don¡¯t have to." My tone was gentle andforting.


    My expression hardened. <i>Thankful I didn¡¯t kill that bastard today. Next time when I get him, I will put him through living hell for whatever he did to my son. Next time would be thest time he would ever breathe.</i>

 Chapter 336: Inviting A Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 336: Inviting A Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Kael¡¯s POV</strong>


    Once Raven was calm, I told him, "No one is going to punish you for talking. In fact, we all want to hear you. Maybe calling us mommy and daddy. But you can do it when you are ready, alright?"


    He nodded.


    "But if you want, you can call me daddy by using the mind link. I will hear you," I said.


    I knew I was being greedy, but I couldn¡¯t stop it. His voice when he called me daddy still rang in my ears.


    Maybe it was punishment for not knowing his existence for the past five years, that I can¡¯t hear my son.


    We returned inside the house. Others must have been wondering about what we talked about, but none of them questioned.


    Eira was waiting for Raven, but was still hesitant to reach him on her own unless there was something she needed to do with him.


    "Go to mommy," I told Raven.


    The little guy went to her, and she offered, "How about we read a story book?"


    He nodded. Both of them were immersed in their world.


    Standing on the side, I watched them. Regret feeling my mind once more. If I had not been ignorant six years back, so much more we would have done together with our child.


    I felt a hand over my shoulder.


    "You should rest. Your wounds are not to be taken lightly as well," I heard Roman. "Though you are strong, there is always a limit."


    I hummed and headed to my study instead of going to my room. I had work to do there.


    -----


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    It¡¯s a night Lucian was still unconscious, or I should say he was in a deep sleep. Roman had told me he might wake up tomorrow.


    Kael hadn¡¯te to the room yet, while Raven had fallen asleep without him. He showed up only for dinner and returned to his study again, instructing Raven to be with me.


    Now lying in the bed of the dimly lit room with Raven by my side, I was staring at the empty ce on the other side. It felt as if something was missing and sleep wouldn¡¯te to me.


    Maybe I was just used to seeing him on the bed whenever I slept here. I tried to sleep, but couldn¡¯t help but turn and toss. I wanted to know what he was doing. Was he not well with all those dangerous wounds on his body? Was there any other threat again that he was busy taking care of? So many questions grappled my mind.


    Today he fought for our son despite knowing the danger and that he could have died. I realized I didn¡¯t hate him anymore. The bitterness inside me might show up once in a while as my soul was wounded, but when I am rational, I can¡¯te to hate him.


    He brought our son back.


    I sat up in bed. ¡¯This won¡¯t do. I need to know what he is up to. I am his mate. I have the right to know everything.¡¯


    I made sure Raven was in deep sleep. ¡¯I¡¯ll return quickly. He should be fine.¡¯


    Leaving the room, I reached the silent drawing room. Everyone seemed to have retired to their room.


    But then I spotted Roman entering the home from the garden side. He seemed to be strolling outside and smoking, as I had a strong whiff of smoke the moment he entered the ss door.


    He came to me. "Are you hungry?"


    These days I ate so often that if I even wandered here and there, they would think I was hungry.


    "No...I was just..." My gaze wandered everywhere to find Kael¡¯s traces. Maybe he was outside strolling as well. No, he shouldn¡¯t. He is hurt.


    "Looking for Kael?" Hepleted my unsaid words.


    Hesitant, I looked at him. "He hasn¡¯t returned to the room yet, so I was worried...."


    "He is in the study," he gestured in that direction. "You can go to him."


    Shit! Roman is my mate as well, but once I mated with him, I hadn¡¯t paid him any attention like his mate should.


    I cleared my throat. "Aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?"


    "Didn¡¯t feel like it," he answered, his gaze observing my face.


    I wondered what more to say, but then heard him, "Don¡¯t worry about Raven. I¡¯ll be with him."


    "Umm...I¡¯ll be back soon," I told him.


    He didn¡¯t respond, but leaned closer and kissed me, his hands cupping my face. I responded back, letting this sweet sensation sink into my body. My mate showed his affection to me.


    He stopped soon and whispered against my lips, "Take your time. You don¡¯t have to hurry back."


    ¡¯Why is he saying this? I am just going to check on Kael.¡¯


    "I..."


    He put a finger on my lips to stop me from talking.


    "Good night." He pecked on my lips gently and left to go upstairs to apany Raven.


    I watched him leave, and then went to Kael¡¯s study.


    I knocked on the door once, very lightly, and waited for a while.


    There was no response. I gathered courage and decided to open the door. It was the first time I was entering his study, unsure what to expect.


    The moment I entered the room, I noticed a tall figure in a ck robe slumped on the dark leathered couch, one hand resting on the armrest, one leg stretched out while the other half folded on the floor, head slightly tilted up at the headrest. His brows were furrowed and his expression was restless.


    <i>He didn¡¯t hear when I knocked. Did I knock too softly, or he just couldn¡¯t hear it... because he is in pain?</i>


    As I took one step ahead from the entrance, he opened his eyes and stared at me.


    His eyes had a reddish dark glint in them, and the way he looked at me almost scared me.


    The same moment the door behind me closed, adding to the fear.


    My hands clutched my dress on the sides. Should<i> have I note? Is it going to anger him to enter his study without his permission?</i>


    Struggling between whether to stay or leave under that intimidating gaze of his, I decided to stay.


    <i>I am his mate. What can he do to me? I will tell the truth that I was just worried about him.</i>


    He still said nothing at all, and watched me with a dazed and dangerous gaze as if he had never seen me before. It made me wonder if something was wrong with him.


    I had never seen him this way since I came to this home, except for that one time... that night when he was dazed and his eyes were the same predatory.


    I swallowed hard as fear from that disastrous night of my life gripped me. <i>I should return.</i>


    "I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you. I willeter," I said, and turned to leave.


    My hand quickly found the door handle and pushed the door, but it closed in the same moment it opened. I pushed again, and this time it didn¡¯t move at all.


    <i>He is using his power.</i>


    My heart thumped in my chest, my mind turning anxious. I tried to move the handle, but I knew better, there was no use.


    The hair at the back of my neck stood up the moment I sensed movement. I could sense everything. He was walking towards me, and with each of his steps, my heart felt like it was banging against my rib cage.


    <i>What should I do?</i>


    I felt a warm breath over my head, a warmth against my cold back, without him even touching me yet.


    "Are you scared of me?" I head a hoarse and heavy voice over my head.


    <i>Damn! He caught me. Will it offend him if I said yes. </i>


    "I..was just..." I felt as if I didn¡¯t remember any other word. My mind had cked out due to anxiety.


    Both his hands rested at the door, trapping me between them. He leaned his face a little down and I heard him just over my earlobe, "You are my mate Eira. And the mother of my kids. I would rather die than ever harm you."


    His words made me feel guilty now. We had been together for so many days, mated and slept in the same bed, but he was nothing but a gentleman to me. Not even once he tried to force his rights as my mate over me.


    But some trauma from the past might not leave me so soon.


    He removed his hands from the door, and it opened the next moment. The gesture that he was allowing me to leave. Maybe my silence told him that I was scared.


    I held the door handle and closed the door instead of pushing it open entirely and leave this ce.


    I slowly turned around to face him, my gaze meeting his. His eyes were still the same. I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    I assured my heart and mind that there was nothing to be scared of about this man.


    "I was worried. You didn¡¯t return to the room," My voice was low and gentle.


    He stared at me for a moment, before asking, "Were you missing me by your side?"


    <i>Yes, I missed him. It would be a lie if I said no. </i>


    "It¡¯s your fault for making me used to your presence," I said in a low andining tone. "You should follow what you always do."


    He raised a brow. He must not have expected me to be so bold and admit it on his face.


    "What if I say you are not returning to our room tonight?" he asked, as if challenging me.


    "Then, I¡¯ll say...Roman is there by Raven¡¯s side," I replied, looking straight in his eyes.


    "You are inviting a wolf so boldly," his deep voice dangerously intimidating, his fingers ran along my jaw and down to neck, in a seductive touch. "You should truly be careful even if I am your mate."


    His touch sent shives down my spine, and swallowed hard, unable to answer him.


    He felt utterly dangerous, but at the same time me and my wolf craved for him.

 Chapter 337: Fuck Me!

    <h4>Chapter 337: Fuck Me!</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    "I gave you a chance to leave, but you chose to stay." His hand settled along my jaw, thumb tracing slowly over my lower lip as if memorizing the shape of it. "Will you regret itter?"


    "I won¡¯t," I whispered. The words came softer than I intended, but they were true. Standing this close to him, feeling the heat radiating from his body, I couldn¡¯t think of leaving.


    "The hurt wolf is more dangerous than you can think of," he murmured, his voice rough, heavy with restraint.


    Maybe that was exactly why I stayed.


    "Eira..." His tone lowered, warning and longing tangled together. "I meant it when I said you won¡¯t be leaving this room tonight."


    "I heard you." I didn¡¯t break eye contact. Something inside me refused to step back now.


    His gaze darkened, searching mine as if waiting for me to falter.


    I didn¡¯t.


    My hands lifted instinctively, wanting to touch him, to soothe the tension I could feel coiled beneath his skin. But his fingers closed around my wrists, pinning them gently above my head against the door.


    "Last warning," he breathed, though the tremor in his voice betrayed how thin his control had be.


    "Are you unwilling?" I asked quietly. "Then I¡¯ll leave."


    The words barely left my lips before his restraint snapped.


    "You..." he exhaled, and then his mouth covered mine.


    The kiss was not rushed. It wasn¡¯t wild. It was deep, slow, consuming, as if he had waited far too long to allow himself this moment. His free hand slid to my waist, pulling me closer, holding me steady.


    He smelled like mint and smoke. He must have smoked a while ago, and damn these days I loved this lingering scent of smoke on my mates.


    I didn¡¯t hold back either, kissing him with all I had.


    My breath tangled with his. My greedy tongue sought for his, loving the every stroke of his tongue in my mouth, so skilled and melting me into the intensity of it.


    Every heartbeat felt louder, heavier, echoing through my chest.


    He didn¡¯t devour me. He savored me.


    And that made it more dangerous.


    My body inclined to press against his, but his hand at my waist held me in a ce to retrain me. He was caring towards my slightly round belly and our child, while I almost forgot about it in the heat of a moment.


    How much more he was going to make me adore with his thoughtful actions? He was just making me fall for him harder that I already was.


    His lips softened after a moment, the tension melting into something warmer, more intimate. He lingered there, forehead brushing mine, his breath uneven.


    "You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re asking for," he whispered again, the warning rough and low, vibrating against my lips.


    "Maybe," I murmured, my breath unsteady. "But I know who I¡¯m asking."


    His gaze softened, the wild edge in his eyes easing just enough to reveal the man beneath the wolf, before kissing me again.


    "Your mate," he rasped, his voice hoarse, breath scorching my skin as we both gasped for air. "You have every right."


    His lips returned to mine, slower this time, as if he wanted to feel every breath I took.


    He tilted his head, changing the angle of the kiss, and a soft sound slipped from my throat before I could stop it.


    His breath hitched.


    "Fuck," he cursed under his breath, restraint snapping thread by thread. "I am going to make you moan louder than that."


    Heat rushed through me at his promise. The bond between us pulsed, alive and hungry, urging me closer, urging me to surrender every guarded part of myself to him.


    Now I understood what it meant to have a mate. Not just a lover, not just a partner. Someone you could give your soul to willingly,pletely. Nothing felt more raw, more sacred than this moment.


    He freed my hands, creating space between us only toce our fingers together, grounding me before guiding me away from the door. I barely noticed my steps as he led me toward the dark leathered couch, his gaze never leaving mine, heavy and consuming.


    When we stopped, he didn¡¯t ask again. Wordlessly, slowly, his hands moved to my dress, peeling it away from me with a deliberate patience that made every nerve in my body burn.


    "I am going to take you right here," he said, voice thick with promise. "On this couch."


    The words sent a shiver down my spine.


    Momentster I stood naked before him, exposed under the intensity of his stare. Yet there was no shame, only a boldness rising inside me as I lifted my chin and met his gaze, silently daring him to do exactly what he threatened.


    He lowered me onto the sofa with unexpected gentleness, one arm supporting my back as if I were something precious even while his dark eyes devoured every inch of my body.


    Slowly he moved back, shrugging off the dark robe, letting it fall away on the floor.


    My breath caught.


    His body was a map of strength and battle, wounds and bandages scattered across hard muscle, some scars still raw. He looked like a wounded predator, dangerous and untamed, every part of him coiled with restrained desire, ready to destroy whateveres in his sight.


    And at this moment, I was the only thing in his sight.


    His earlier words echoed in my mind. <i>¡¯The hurt wolf is more dangerous than you can think of.¡¯</i>


    My eyes betrayed me before I could stop them, drifting down his body, lingering where raw strength and restrained hunger met.


    The sight of his hard cock made me swallow hard, but at the same time made me aware of the ache between my thighs, where it craved for him.


    Heat spread through me, anticipation tightening my breath as I swallowed hard. Alpha for a dangerous. Everything about him should be intimidating, even it was his cock.


    He noticed.


    Of course he did.


    His lips curved into a wicked smirk, maybe taking a pride in how he made me feel. Boldly unting his nakedness at how it affected me.


    He lowered himself over me slowly onto the wide leather couch. One arm braced beside me, careful of my belly, careful of our child, while his other hand came up to cup my cheek.


    His thumb traced my skin, gentle, almost reverent, before his mouth imed mine again.


    The kiss stole the air from my lungs, the heat of his body spreading in me.


    His hand slid from my cheek down my throat, leaving a trail of warmth that made my breath catch.


    I arched toward him without meaning to, and his hand touched me just where I wanted him to.


    His hand cupped and squeezed my breasts, drawing moans through, that his mouth swallowed.


    A soft sound slipped from my lips, and his answering groan vibrated against my mouth, low and wild when his lower body brushed against my thighs, his hard cock rubbed against my aching cunt.


    But the next moment his hand reced his cock, his fingers running through my folds as if making sure I was ready.


    He seemed just as impatient I was.


    "Kael..." I gasped at the way his fingers had broke every ounce of patience in me.


    "Hmm?" he gazed at me, his fingers entering me. My legs already parted begging him to give me what he had promised me a while ago.


    I gasped, and pleaded, "Kael..."


    He acted as if he didn¡¯t understand, and the same time curling his fingers inside me, streching me, his thumb circling my clit.


    "Just do it..." I said, impatient.


    in response his dark gaze simply stared at me.


    Gosh! He wanted me to say it.


    "Just fuck me...I want it, now...." My voice trembled between the loud gasp under what his fingers were making me feel. "Please..."


    He smirked, his fingers stopped as he settle between my legs, his cock nudging against my hole.


    He lowered himself over me entirely covering my body under his, his both hands elbowed on my side as he slowly moved and his cock swiftly entered inside me.


    My breath stuck in my throat, my hands clutched his shoulder, "Please don¡¯t stop..." I couldn¡¯t believe myself, begging like a whore.


    Maybe every shewolf was just that to her mate.


    His hips moved skilfully between my parted legs that opened wide on their own just to take all of him inside as much I could.


    As he moved, his one hand strangled my throat in a firm hold, but not enough to choke me. He swept me into another intense kiss as he moved inside me, not more aggressive, each thrust hitting just perfect, pushing me to the heights where my soul wished to reach.


    My grip tightened at his shoulder, my nails anchoring into his skin, drawing blood from already wounded body, but I didn¡¯t care.


    He was just as wild as me, the wild, intense growl left his throat with each of his hard thrust, the next one powerful than previous one.


    My hand slid to his buttocks, feeling the muscles as he pounded inside me like a wild wolf he was.


    His study room filled with the wild sounds of intimacy, each moan of mine getting louder with passing moment, calling his name like a crazy bitch I was, asking him to fuck me harder and faster.


    And he was giving me just that.

 Chapter 338: Hold Tight

    <h4>Chapter 338: Hold Tight</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    The world shattered around me as I came.


    Heat crashed through my body so suddenly that I gasped against him, my fingers clutching at his shoulders as the wave tore through me, fierce and uncontroble. My breath came out broken, my body trembling under him.


    For a moment I couldn¡¯t think.


    Couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Couldn¡¯t do anything except feel.


    Kael¡¯s low growl rumbled near my ear, rough and raw, as if he could feel every tremor that ran through me. He wasn¡¯t done, not even close. I could feel it in the way his breathing stayed uneven, in the wild tension coiled inside him.


    "Easy..." he murmured hoarsely, his hand sliding along my back in a slow grounding touch.


    He gave me a heartbeat to breathe.


    Just one.


    My lungs dragged in the air, my body still trembling as I let the pleasure sink through me, trying to calm myself.


    But the moment my breath evened out, his hands moved again, firm and certain.


    Before I could fully gather myself, he lifted me.


    A soft gasp left my lips as he guided me onto my knees on the wide leather couch, turning me gently so my back faced the rest of the room as I faced the backrest of the couch. My hands instinctively reached forward, bracing against the backrest as I felt his presence behind me, warm and overwhelming.


    My heart hammered wildly.


    Every nerve in my body felt alive.


    He leaned closer, his hands resting on the backrest over mine, his muscr, warm chest against me moist back.


    He kissed gently along my nape, making me shudder.


    His breath brushed along my shoulder, slow and heated, sending a shiver down my spine over and over again, goosebumps rising at what he nned to do with me. Not being able to see him or touch me, made it worse to me, as if I was left at him mercy.


    "Eira..." he breathed my name, low and rough, as if grounding himself through me.


    I swallowed, my fingers tightening against the leather as anticipation coiled low in my stomach again. The room felt smaller, filled with the rhythm of our breaths, the quiet sound of movement, the tension stretching between us like a living thread.


    His hand moved along my side, slow yet possessive, reminding me that I had chosen to stay... that I had stepped willingly into this fire with him.


    "Hold tight," I heard him whisper in my ear, as if warning me.


    I did as he said, and I found his both hands holding my waist in firm grip, his hard cock once more nudging to enter me.


    I breathed in to rx myself, but...


    "Kael...." I screamed his name as he mmed inside me without any warning.


    The grip of my hands almost loosened on the backrest, but his one hand held me steady, preventing me from falling ahead.


    I didn¡¯t get a chance to recover, as he thrusted inside me again. <i>Fuck!</i>


    All I knew, at this moment, there was nothing gentle about the way his energy surrounded me now. The restraint he had been holding onto earlier was slipping, reced by something darker, deeper... something that belonged only to the bond between us.


    And despite the intensity, despite the wildness in him, I felt safe.


    imed.


    Desired in a way that made my heart race as much as my body did.


    I closed my eyes, leaning into the moment, letting the bond between us guide every breath I took as he continued fucking me, true to his words, the madness consuming every thought left in my mind.


    The world blurred into heat and breath and the slow creak of leather beneath us.


    A broken gasp left my lips as another wave of sensation rolled through me, stronger than before, stealing whatever breath I had left. My body trembled, leaning into him instinctively, trusting himpletely as he held me steady through it.


    When he finally lifted me again, I barely registered the movement, only the feeling of being carried, of being kept close.


    Papers scattered softly somewhere nearby as he cleared space on his desk, setting me down with a care that contrasted the intensity burning in his eyes.


    His gaze never leaving me he settled me on his desk, and stood between my parted legs. His hand brushed the hatstand stuck to my sweaty face.


    "You good?" he asked.


    I nodded, and he kissed me again. One thing I realised, tonight he was going to introduce me to every corner of his study that I would never forget. That he wasn¡¯t going to stop fucking me anytime soon, as if making him for all those silent nights we spent in his room, on his bed.


    He entered me once more.


    The room, the night, the past... everything faded into the rhythm of us once more.


    Time lost its shape. I didn¡¯t know how many times he made mee.


    When everything finally stopped after what felt like an eternity, I found myself back on the couch, straddling him, his knot had locked me with him.


    That was....


    Words failed me for real.


    I couldn¡¯t describe this feeling, this madness I had with him. And I did not regret it. I look forward to many more such maddening nights with him.


    Deep in the night I snuggled in his arms that I was free from his knot. Though exhausted to my bones, I didn¡¯t sleep.


    My head resting on his shoulder, he held me close, careful to support my belly.


    My hand moved over his wounded chest, few of the bandages had already came off when he fucked me without a care in the world, but he didn¡¯t care about those wounds.


    "Didn¡¯t the wound hurt?" I asked, "Be honest."


    "They were, but when I saw you, they stopped hurting," he answered.


    "Then why were you here instead of in our room, is seeing me eased your pain?" I asked, wanting to be yful with him.


    "It wouldn¡¯t end up just seeing you. I would have wanted more," he answered.


    "That¡¯s why you chose to note to our room?"


    "I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, or impose myself on you."


    "We are mates, if you are forgetting it," my tone was a littleining now.


    "I remember it with every fiber of my being, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to hurt you," he said, "Hurt wolf can be truly reckless and dangerous, and I didn¡¯t want to be the one."


    I knew he was keeping his words that he wouldn¡¯t mate with me unless I wanted him to and he chose to suffer here alone.


    But, there was no need now. We had passed that phase. I had epted him already.

 Chapter 339: Once You Open Your Mouth For Me

    <h4>Chapter 339: Once You Open Your Mouth For Me</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    I moved my head to look up at him, and he lowered his gaze to look back at me. He looked so calm and serene after venting out what he had been holding for long. Would have been so difficult for him.


    "Will you promise me something?" I said.


    "Anything you want," he assured.


    "You won¡¯t hide away when you need me. Instead be honest with me," I said.


    "Will you do the same?" he asked.


    I nodded.


    "I promise," he agreed and pecked on my forehead. "You should sleep now. Do you want me to carry you back to the room."


    "No," I said quickly, "Roman¡¯s there."


    "He wouldn¡¯t mind. Well aware what you had been doing here with me," he smiled lightly, maybe my shyness felt amusing to him.


    "Still. Just stay here."


    He relented to my pleading and we decided to stay here until the sun came out, which wasn¡¯t far now.


    -------


    When I woke up, I found myself in Kael¡¯s bed, under a warm nket, in a night dress that was different from what I wore the previous night.


    No one was in the room. I looked at the clock and it was almost noon. Damn! My monster mate had drained me so much that I slept this long.


    I got out of the bed, freshened up and went downstairs. Inside my heart was racing as if I was guilty of something.


    Was Roman in the room when Kael brought me back? I felt like I was stuck between two mates. What must he be thinking?


    "Afternoon, Caldwell," I heard Rafe.


    <i>This bastard will definitely say something to embarrass me. </i>


    "I thought you wouldn¡¯t wake up until the evening with the kind of adventures you had with our Alphast night."


    Just as I thought. I red at him. If he kept his mouth shut at least for once, that would be the day of the apocalypse.


    "Shut up!" I looked around because Kael wasn¡¯t there.


    "He has gone to the pack house to deal with some pack rted matters," Roman told me. "His Beta, called for an urgent meeting."


    "And in case you are wondering who took you back to the room, then that wasn¡¯t Kael," Rafe told me.


    Then who? Please, don¡¯t tell me it was Roman. But then it wouldn¡¯t make anything better if it was someone among the other three.


    "Kael was in a hurry, so he asked me," Roman told me as he came to me, "I hope you had a good sleep," and pecked on my forehead.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. One brother fucked me, and other took care of me. I hope Roman didn¡¯t feel ignored.


    I looked in his eyes to find the answer. He offered me a smile, "You shouldn¡¯t overthink."


    "Are you fine?" I asked, unsure what I was referring to.


    "I am." It didn¡¯t feel like he was pretending.


    "This is how things work when you have multiple mates. You will get used to it," he added. "Alright?"


    I offered him a light nod and asked, "Where is Raven?"


    He signalled towards the ss side window from where I saw Raven was sitting inside the gazebo with his teacher.


    Then I looked at others. Rafe busied himself on theptop, unsure what he was doing, but his fingers were running on the keyboard at a speed of lightning. His expressions were serious.


    Since when did this bastard have work to do?


    Jason wasn¡¯t there as I looked towards the kitchen.


    "Jason is taking care of security work," Roman answered.


    Relief washed over me that everything seems normal just like every other day. But then I remembered something....someone.


    "Lucian?" I asked.


    "He is resting in his room. He is awake, but Kael had warned him to stay in his room."


    "I should see him," I said.


    Roman offered a nod, and I headed to Lucian¡¯s room.


    I hoped he was entirely fine.


    I knocked on the door, lightly.


    "Since when we started knocking on the door?" I heard an annoyed voice.


    <i>Is it the right time to see him?</i> I wondered, but opened the door anyway.


    He was lying on the bed, hand covering his eyes, and he looked restless. Must be in pain.


    "Lucian," I called.


    He uncovered his eyes and looked at me. His pained expressions changed to the silent ones as he looked at me silently.


    "I...came to see you..." I muttered under his pressuring gaze. "...if you are alright?"


    He didn¡¯t respond, while I dared to go close to him, to his bed. I tried toprehend how one treats the patient when they visit them.


    I leaned a little and touched his forehead. "There¡¯s...no...fever..."


    What was I even saying? He wasn¡¯t a kid, but this was the only way I could figure out.


    He held my hand at a wrist in a firm hold, tugged me a little that made me sit at the edge of the bed, leaning at him, his face closer to mine, his gaze as if looking through my soul.


    <i>Did I offend him by treating him like a kid, while he loved to act all tough. </i>


    I opened my mouth, "I...."


    "You smell like Kael," his voice, every nerve on his body seemed tense, his gaze almost dark, "I can still smell it."


    Damn! My heart skipped a beat at his reaction.


    Was he jealous, upset? But Roman just said it was fine and I shouldn¡¯t overthink.


    <i>Was Roman truly pretending to be fine?</i>


    I looked at him warily. "Lucian...."


    He didn¡¯t budge and said instead, "Hurt wolves are dangerous. You should stay away, especially when the one is like me."


    <i>Is he asking me to stay away from him?</i>


    Last night Kael said the same thing. But he was anything but dangerous to me.


    As if he got back to his senses, he quickly let go of my hand and cursed under his breath. <i>Fuck!</i>


    "Are you alright?" I asked, anyways, trying to keep my calm.


    One thing I knew, none of them would ever hurt me.


    He shut his eyes and turned his face the other way as if he couldn¡¯t stand me. "You should stay away from me until I get better."


    "I...."


    "You should listen to him when he says it, Caldwell. He isn¡¯t Kael," Rafe had entered the room with something in his hand.


    A potion vial that witch doctor had given for Lucian.


    "He can truly be something that you might regret," Rafe said and came to my side, nudging me to step away. "You should keep in mind, this one is most dangerous among us all when ites to you."


    I stood up to make a way for him.


    He offered a bored gaze to Lucian, and let out a sigh, "Done with venting, Luke?"


    "Fuck off!" Lucian spat out as he looked at him, anger rising inside him once more.


    "I will, once you open your mouth for me," there was a teasing smirk on Rafe¡¯s lips, as if his words hinted something else.


    It clearly angered Lucian. He gritted teeth, his jaw tensed. "Wait for me to get better, and I will make you open not just your mouth, but your ass."


    My eyes widened a little. What was going on?


    A felt a hand around me, resting on my shoulder.


    I looked at Roman and he said, "That¡¯s how they talk. Do you mind?"


    I shook my head. I looked back at them, and thought it was interesting.


    A chuckle almost left my mouth at the memories from the past when Alice and I secretly read a boy couple novel. We were truly perverts for our age.


    She would be shocked to her bones to see her brother talking in the same manner to the other guy.

 Chapter 340: Lucian Has Kissed A Guy

    <h4>Chapter 340: Lucian Has Kissed A Guy</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Don¡¯t give me that attitude," Rafe¡¯s words got me back to reality. "I am here because your brother Jason begged me... I mean messaged me to give you this potion. I don¡¯t want to disobey the one who puts tasty food in my stomach every day. Now open your mouth, or I will ask Eira to do it for me."


    Me? Why is he dragging me into it? Lucian had already warned me to stay away from him.


    As if it worked, Lucian finally allowed him to feed that potion. "You do know how to be obedient and open your mouth... wide..." Rafe teased with a meaning.


    Lucian red at him, "I will make you open yours till you choke."


    I chuckled again. These two were back at it again.


    But this time my chuckle earned me stares from the other two.


    Rafe tossed the bottle in the trash bin and came to me with a judgemental gaze. "What are youughing at, Caldwell?"


    I quickly shook my head, sinking myself towards Roman, "I... wasn¡¯t..."


    He leaned down, his face level with mine. "Those loud talking eyes of yours tell me you were definitely thinking something naughty in your mind."


    I slipped under Roman¡¯s hand that was over my shoulder and hid behind him. "I wasn¡¯t."


    "Are you stepping out of the way?" Rafe asked Roman.


    "I was always standing here. She chose to use me as her shield. Don¡¯t drag me into both of your matters," Roman told him.


    I felt relieved.


    "Caldwell,e out on your own. Want to see me taking down Roman just to get you?" he warned.


    This stubborn bloodsucker. Why resort to fighting for absolutely nothing?


    The door was just behind me, a few steps away, but I didn¡¯t want to run in this situation, and this vampire would catch me anyway, as if he was so adamant on getting at me.


    I let out a helpless sigh and came out. Looking straight in his eyes, I said, "It was truly nothing."


    He pulled me towards him by holding my hand, "Say it already. Don¡¯t make me repeat. The vampire¡¯s patience is not at all patient."


    I felt like crying inside as this bastard was truly intimidating at this moment."I was just thinking about some past with Alice," I answered and looked away, feeling guilty about it.


    He lifted my chin up to make me look at him, "Care to share?"


    "It... was just about some... novel about boys... in love..." I finally said, "They talked just like you two... and I wondered how Alice would be surprised to see her brother... talking the same way...."


    He hummed and looked at Lucian with a yful smirk, "Your sister and this little one were truly perverts."


    "Don¡¯t call my sister that," Lucian spat angrily at him and looked at me, "Don¡¯t imagine shit on your own. There¡¯s nothing like that."


    "Shit?" Rafe scoffed and looked back at me, holding me close. "When you meet Alice next time, you can tell her that her brother had already kissed a guy...."


    "Fuck! You bastard," Lucian¡¯s anger echoed in the room.


    I almost shivered in fear.


    But Rafe and Roman were just as calm. Roman stood behind me and caressed the sides of my shoulders, "It¡¯s alright."


    "You are scaring her," Roman told Lucian.


    Lucian controlled his anger and looked away. "All of you just leave."


    But Rafe wasn¡¯t serious at all. He turned back to me, "And do you know the one he kissed?"


    "Rafe? Are you stopping or want me to shut you forever?" Lucian spat.


    "Well, that¡¯s for her to find out," Rafe told him, and turned to me again, "You can do it right?"


    "I don¡¯t want to," I told him, "That¡¯s his personal matter."


    "There is nothing personal among mates," he told me. "He is looking forward to fuck you and mark you. So you better get to know him well. Alright. Want a hint about that hellishly handsome, deathly charming and irresistible guy he had kissed?"


    "Roman, are you taking him away, or going to stand idle so I can kill this bastard?" Lucian warned.


    I could feel his impatience, annoyance, and anger strongly now. Barely holding back, maybe because I was here.


    "Stop it already, Rafe," Roman finally said. "Let¡¯s leave him alone."


    Rafe let out a sigh and held my hand, "Let¡¯s follow his wishes. It¡¯s not good to anger a patient. You need to be mindful."


    I almost rolled my eyes. ¡¯If you had been mindful before, he wouldn¡¯t be angry anymore.¡¯


    While leaving, Rafe said again, "Do you know why he is like that?"


    "He is hurt and in pain," I told him, "you should..."


    "Nah!" He interrupted me. "It¡¯s because he is stuck to the bed and confined to his room. And he can¡¯t fuck you at the moment, so..."


    "Fuck off, you bastard," Lucian¡¯s angry voice echoed as he threw something towards Rafe, but before that, the door closed on its own behind us.


    Whatever it was, it collided and crashed with the closed door before reaching us.


    "You could have hit Eira," Rafe said at the closed door.


    "I don¡¯t miss my targets, you bastard," we heard his angry voice from inside the room.


    "Who closed the door?" I wondered, as none of us were near it.


    Rafe moved his hand and fingers like a magician in front of my face, "Guess."


    "You have such power?" I asked. "Move things..."


    He smirked. "Want me to prove it by taking off your dress without even touching you?"


    I stepped away from him, folding my hands over my chest, "Don¡¯t you dare."


    Heughed as if I was some kind of entertainment. And then his gaze changed, "The real fun is taking off your dress with my hands, slowly one piece at a time...."


    "Shut up!" I red at him and walked downstairs, cursing him. "Perverted bastard, bloody bloodsucker, wingless bat..."


    In response, I heard hisugh. "You are getting creatively worse at cursing. You need training from me."


    I didn¡¯t know if he could see me as I had descended the stairs, but I showed him a middle finger anyway and walked away.

 Chapter 341: The Work Everyone Looks After

    <h4>Chapter 341: The Work Everyone Looks After</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    Raven¡¯s ss was over. The teacher had left while I talked to him, my son.


    "How¡¯s the ss today?" I asked him as I knelt before him.


    He stared at me before showing me the book in his hands.


    "You loved studying it?" I asked.


    He nodded.


    He didn¡¯t answer me, but it let me change my question to something he could answer through action. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at his smartness, while my attempt to get him to talk failed miserably.


    I caressed his head gently, "You must be tired. How about I get you juice to drink?"


    He nodded.


    I led him to sit at the dining table and went to the kitchen. Roman hade to the kitchen as well. "You are yet to eat," he said and headed to get food for me.


    I realised that aftering out, I went to see Lucian, and now I truly realized the hunger in my stomach. My baby must be starving.


    I got juice for Raven and settled in front of him. "The one you like."


    He smiled lightly and took the ss. He wasn¡¯t acting like a stranger with me now, and that was a relief. Maybe soon we would start to be like real mother and son. I couldn¡¯t wait to hug him tight, squeeze him in my arms until I felt every bit of his existence.


    Roman brought a meal for me and settled next to me in the chair. "You should eat."


    I nodded and looked at Raven, "Want to eat something as well?"


    He shook his head.


    "Kael made sure he ate well," Roman told me, "and Jason cooked just what our little guy loved the most."


    I could see that in my dish. Jason was thoughtful to always cook to everyone¡¯s preferences, especially Raven¡¯s and mine.


    Kael returned home byte noon. He had never stayed away from home for this long since I had been here. That made me wonder if something serious had happened.


    All of a sudden, home felt empty without him, and I was d he was finally back. Maybe I felt safer with his presence around for our kids¡¯ sake.


    But the moment our gazes met, the moments from the previous night shed in my mind. He came straight to me.


    I cleared my mind of any other thoughts and asked, "Anything serious...?"


    He shook his head, "Just a meeting about pack matters."


    "Before, I never saw you going for such a meeting..."


    "Caldwell, if you reduce your sleep time and pay attention to everything, you will know all of us are busy and have various things to do other than just be at your service."


    The bastard. I red at him. "I didn¡¯t ask you."


    "But I thought to tell you about it," he countered smugly, "We all have various departments in our hands, and we work when you are in your dreand."


    I looked back at Kael, and he nodded. "Don¡¯t mind his words."


    Of course I didn¡¯t. His words meant little to me.


    "Mypany work is secondary. As an Alpha, I have to have frequent meetings with pack leaders to look into various matters. I have carried these meetings through video calls since you came here, but today I had to go in person."


    "And other than Kael, the rest of us are various main leaders of different departments and work the same way," Rafe added.


    Instead of angry, I was curious now.


    "Who handles what?" I said to Kael. "I want to know."


    Kael hummed and led me to sit on the sofa, "You are already aware of Lucian being the head of pack security, and there are various leaders under him to carry his orders, update him about the situation, and then he instructs them."


    I hummed.


    "Just like that, Roman doesn¡¯t just handle the finances of thepany, but he is the head of pack finances. There are a few leaders working under him. Jason handles the health and education department and, in his spare time, also joins Lucian in his work, so in case Lucian is hurt like today, he is there to handle it."


    "Perfect for the top student of his time," Rafemented. "Jason was always the smartest in studies and also, being a doctor, made him eligible. He is our multi-talented guy. He should be the head of the food department as well, given how well he cooks."


    "Not a bad idea," Romanmented.


    I could only agree. Alice used to often yap about how her brother Jason was best in everything. A model student, her mother¡¯s most favourite child, and what not.


    "What does this idler bloodsucker do?" I asked.


    "He handles IT and other tech departments," Kael answered. "As everything is about technology nowadays, his role is crucial in our security."


    Oh! I saw him working seriously on aptop a while ago. Seems like he was busy working.


    "Good to know he doesn¡¯t idle around."


    "Less than you at least," he said.


    I pointed my finger to my belly and raised a brow, with a smirk on my lips. "I am sure this work beats what you do."


    "This work of yours goes through some hot, steamy, enjoyable nights, unlike mine boring ones," he smirked badly, "and my fingers only work on the keyboard, no wetness, no pleasure for me or myptop."


    "Shameless!" I frowned and looked back at Kael, "Please make sure Raven stays away from him. I don¡¯t want him to be a pervert like this bloodsucker."


    Even before Kael answered, he said again, "He will learn all the perverted things on his own. He is a child of a top-tier Alpha. After sleeping with his father, do you think a child will be any less than his dad? As far as I remember, Kael used to be just like Raven. But now look at him...."


    "Shut up," I interrupted him before he said something bold about Kael. I didn¡¯t want to hear it after experiencing it.


    "I am sorry. I didn¡¯t know you people are so busy," I said to Kael. "I will try to..."


    "Don¡¯t worry about it. My beta takes care of everything just fine, even if I am not there," he assured her. "Until we get rid of the threat for our kids, it will continue the same."


    I epted it, as for me, my kids came first.


    "They called you in person," Roman said, "Is it about what happened yesterday at the council?"


    Kael nodded. "Now they know I have a son, a heir of this pack, they wish me to introduce Raven to our pack," and looked at me, "they also want to meet their Luna."


    I was a little taken aback. I wasn¡¯t ready for it at all. I won¡¯t be. I just want to be in my small world, away from outsiders.


    As if he understood my worries, "Don¡¯t worry. We are not in hurry. I told them it will happen when you are ready. And about Raven, I have exined them about the situation and the threats around him. So they agreed with whatever I decide."


    That was a relief. I didn¡¯t want Raven to be in danger and be surrounded by strangers yet.

 Chapter 342: Figure In The Dark

    <h4>Chapter 342: Figure In The Dark</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    Tonight I decided to be with Roman. I should be fair to him as well. Kael didn¡¯t mind and headed to his room with Raven.


    These brothers had great understanding towards each other, and now towards me as well. It made things less difficult for me.


    As Iy in bed with him, I snuggled against him, in his arms as if it was how it was meant to be. I wasn¡¯t hesitant or embarrassed to be close to my mate. I was only morefortable with him than I was before.


    There was a silence between us as I breathed in his scent. I was expecting he would do something with me, but he didn¡¯t. I just wished to know what was in his mind.


    "Roman?" my voice muffled against his chest.


    "Hmm?" I heard him over my head.


    "Something bothering you?" I asked.


    "No." His tone was normal. "Why do you ask?"


    "Umm... you are quiet."


    "I just want you to have a good sleep tonight," he replied, his hand gently running through my hair. "Even if you sleep the entire day, night sleep is good for you and the baby. We can¡¯t keep you awake every night."


    Damn! Always so thoughtful, and that made me feel guilty towards him.


    "Umm... a little, I don¡¯t mind..."


    "I won¡¯t stop at just a little, and tonight we sure can¡¯t," he said.


    Tonight? I moved my head to look up at him, "What¡¯s tonight?"


    He stared at me for a moment before he leaned his face closer, "Your presence by my side makes it special," and he kissed me before I spoke more.


    Alright. I get it that he didn¡¯t want to answer.


    He swept me into a kiss filled with the longing he had for me when I wasn¡¯t with him. I understood him, his emotion, and reciprocated the same way.


    "That sweet little tongue of yours, I can just go on and on," he whispered in a kiss, before once more diving his tongue into my cavern.


    After a while he finally stopped, both of us gasping for air. His hand caressed my cheek. "Let¡¯s stop here, or tonight again you won¡¯t be having any sleep."


    I offered a light nod as his worry was logical, and I cared for my baby. I closed my eyes, snuggling against his chest, and decided to sleep.


    A kiss with him assured me that everything was fine between us.


    After a while, just when I thought I was drifting into sleep, my stomach asked to be filled. I was feeling hungry, my mouth had started to salivate as my mind thought about the desserts kept in the refrigerator. I wanted them right at that moment.


    I slowly moved Roman¡¯s hand away from me. "Hmm?" he asked.


    "Nothing. Just sleep. I¡¯ll be back in a while," I said in a low whisper.


    He hummed and closed his eyes, while I left the room. Outside, the drawing room lights were off, with a few nightmps left on, enough for me to wander around freely without bumping into anything.


    I walked slowly towards the kitchen, careful not to make sounds and wake up others. The moment I reached the entrance, I froze at someone¡¯s presence by the kitchen counter.


    A tall figure was leaning over the kitchen tform as if hiding in the shadows. One hand rested on the tform, the other holding a ss of alcohol, a cigarette stuck between the fingers of the same hand, head lowered, eyes closed.


    Lucian.


    <i>Shouldn¡¯t he be in bed, resting?</i>


    <i>He seems to be in pain. Is it?</i>


    Before I could open my mouth to talk, he turned his head to look at me.


    I swear, I froze the moment he looked at me. His gaze, his expression, maybe it was the effect of the dark, but he looked threatening. Even in the dark, the look in his eyes was distinctive, making me wonder how I could even see it. Maybe my wolf abilities allowed me to.


    "What are you doing here?" His deep, dangerous voice brought me back to my senses. "Alone?"


    "I..." unable to say a word, feeling pressured under his dark aura, I looked at the refrigerator while contemting whether to go back to my room. He had warned me to stay away from him. Maybe that¡¯s the reason he was not happy with my presence here.


    He lowered his head once more, inhaled deeply, maybe to calm himself, and then looked at me. "Are you hungry?"


    I hummed.


    He straightened himself, put out the cigarette before throwing it into the trash can, poured the alcohol into the sink and put the ss aside, turned on the oven, before turning anding to me.


    <i>Oven? Maybe he wants to reheat something for me. </i>


    "I didn¡¯t know you were here," I said, letting him know it wasn¡¯t intentional.


    "It¡¯s your home. You are free to go anywhere you want," he said and stood before me.


    That was touching to hear. <i>It¡¯s my home. </i>


    Before I could understand, I was already lifted by the waist and settled onto the kitchen tform. I didn¡¯t resist, not wanting to cause him trouble.


    He turned to the refrigerator and opened it. "What do you want to eat?"


    "There¡¯s a brownie in there, I think... and ice cream..." I couldn¡¯te up with a way to say ¡¯I want it.¡¯


    He hummed, put something in the oven, a stone te maybe, and then went to the fridge to get a brownie and ice cream.


    "Days are cold if you are forgetting," hemented, busy working.


    "I know... but..." I had no answer to my sudden craving. "Maybe a little will do."


    "Give me some time."


    I hummed and watched him in that dimly lit kitchen, working on the tform opposite mine, with his back facing me, wondering what exactly he was preparing for me. Everything around us was silent, and my eyes took this chance to observe him.


    Being bold at his back at me, my gaze couldn¡¯t stop wandering along his strong, powerful-looking torso. Even through that loose T-shirt he was wearing, I could trace the exact curve of every muscle of his back. He was strong, truly strong, and my wolf liked it, wish to reach him.


    <i>Here goes the pervert inside me, ogling one more man despite having two mates already. I am proving Rafe¡¯s words about myself true.</i>


    I didn¡¯t know how much time passed while staring at him, until the moment he finally turned to me, a proper dish in his hand.


    Hot chocte brownie. A pineapple slice ced on the hot stone te, a brownie over that pineapple slice, and a nice round scoop of ice cream over the brownie. And then he poured chocte syrup on it.


    Smoke erupted with the sizzling sound the moment the chocte syrup touched the hot te, making me drool over it already.


    I needed exactly that. How did he understand me so well?


    Another thoughtful man in my life. He must be in pain, but he made sure I ate what I wanted in a proper way. I had no way to measure the care they showed towards me.


    Suddenly I felt like it¡¯s not a bad idea to have multiple mates as I said. I could be selfish for once and get all the love and care in life that I had never experienced before. After the suffering of years, I surely deserved it.


    He pulled a movable wheeled, a foot-wide square tform in front of me and put the dish on it. "Take your time," and he moved back to stand while leaning against the tform opposite me, watching me from there.


    He could go back to his room, right?


    "You don¡¯t have to wait for me," I said.


    "It¡¯s alright."


    I didn¡¯t insist and started eating.


    Damn! It tasted more delicious than the one I had eaten in the past. One of Alice¡¯s favorites, and I loved it too. Brownie mixed with ice cream and hot chocte at the time, it was heaven.


    I didn¡¯t mind his presence and finished it very soon as the craving in my stomach was of utmost priority.


    Once finished, I looked at him, a content smile ying on my lips. "Thank you so much."


    But my smile, my words, didn¡¯t reach him. He was calm and under the shadows once again, as if gazing at his prey, whom he had just fed before devouring it.


    Damn it!


    He strode towards me as if he was just waiting for me to finish eating, pushed the table aside, and stood facing me, close.


    My breath hitched as I could already guess what it was going to be. No words, but his actions were enough.


    Both his hands moved to my hair, and his long fingers brushed through my hair that covered the sides of my face, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. His fingers remained locked in my hair, not letting it fall loose again.


    ¡¯At least say something,¡¯ I thought while his gaze wandered over my lips that I subconsciously licked to wipe the sweet traces of what I ate moments before.


    His gaze darkened.


    <i>I swear, I didn¡¯t do it intentionally.</i>


    I felt the grip of his hand in my hair tighten as if to restrain himself from going wild before he finally gave in and kissed me.

 Chapter 343: Lucian’s Confession

    <h4>Chapter 343: Lucian¡¯s Confession</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    That was all it took. A slow swipe of his tongue along my lower lip, as if tasting the faint sweetness left behind, sent a sharp spark racing through me. My breath hitched.


    Another slow stroke followed before his tongue pried my mouth open and imed me deeper, stealing the air from my lungs and holding me captive against him.


    Damn. The skill this man had was nothing like what I would expect from a robust warrior who looked like he only knew how to fuck mercilessly and walk away.


    Both his hands tangled into my hair at the back of my head, supporting my tilted face. The tips of his fingers grazed my scalp gently, as if grounding the violent storm of desire raging inside him, restraining it from breaking loose. It was effortless for him to angle my face however he wanted, and strangelyforting for me to surrender to that control.


    It felt so perfect that I could not help but respond. My hands slid to his sides, gripping the fabric of his T shirt to steady myself against the overwhelming force he carried.


    I felt myself melting into him.


    There was something about these alpha brothers. Whenever they stepped into my space, resisting them became impossible. Either they were meant for me in ways I could not understand, or my wolf was simply too horny and needy to think straight.


    The faint scent of smoke mixed with something darker clung to him, wrapping around my senses like a heavy haze. Every subtle movement of his mouth sent my pulse racing faster, my wolf stirring restlessly beneath my skin.


    The world narrowed to nothing but the quiet rhythm of our breathing. His lips moved against mine with patience at first, then with a growing hunger that drew me closer until breathing itself felt like a struggle.


    When he finally showed me mercy, a soft gasp slipped out as his nose brushed mine. His breath was warm and uneven, his eyes shut tightly, as if he were fighting something deep within himself.


    "Fuck..." he growled against my lips, the sound low and rough, as though holding back had be unbearable.


    I swore I felt his wolf stirring beneath the surface, urging him toward something darker, dangerous enough to make me swallow nervously.


    I had been with Kael and Roman without fear, but Lucian was different. He unsettled me in ways I could not name, leaving me wondering what he truly was beneath that controlled exterior.


    His lips lingered against mine in softer brushes, as though he were calming himself through my scent. My heart pounded wildly, my breath uneven as I remained suspended betweenfort and fear.


    "Eira..." he whispered against my mouth, my name sounding almost like a plea.


    "Hmm?"


    "What Rafe said today, ignore it," he murmured, his voice low, as if it were the most urgent thing in the world at that moment.


    The words pulled me back to reality. He leaned away slightly and looked straight into my eyes.


    "I did kiss a guy," he admitted quietly, "but it was to protect him. It meant nothing more than that. Absolutely nothing."


    I continued to observe him quietly. Alright. He did not have to exin anything to me. There was nothing wrong even if he had kissed someone, right? Then why did he look as though he hadmitted a sin, when he himself said it was only to protect that guy?


    That made me wonder what kind of protection involved kissing.


    Well, that was for him to tell if he ever wished to. From the look in his eyes, I could sense he did not want to speak about it any further.


    "The only person I love is you and has always been you. The only one I want to do every wild thing I have in my mind with," he said again, his voice earnest, as if he feared I would doubt him if he did not make himself clear. "I have been in love with you since the day you came to my home for the first time. You are the only one for me, and it will remain that way until the end of my life. Do you believe me?"


    I nodded.


    He released a relieved breath, his face moving closer again to capture my lips. After such an honest confession, I did not push him away.


    But just then the lights around us flickered on, startling me.


    "If you two are done with it, let¡¯s get to the important part of the night," a familiar voice called out.


    Rafe.


    Lucian stopped kissing me and we both turned to look.


    Rafe was not alone. Roman, Kael, and Jason stood there as well.


    Why were they awake? And what was that huge box in Jason¡¯s hands?


    "We are not done yet," Lucian told them before leaning in and resuming the kiss.


    I wanted to tell him to stop. They were all watching, and my two mates were right there, witnessing everything.


    But he murmured between kisses, refusing to let me go, "Ignore them for a while. They don¡¯t mind."


    Damn it. Their brotherhood was really something, and this bastard really had no intention of stopping.


    I had no choice but toply, though embarrassment crept over me. As if that was not enough, I watched Jason walk into the kitchen, pass behind Lucian, and grab something from the counter.


    Jason picked up a knife and walked away. A knife. Why?


    Half of my attention remained trapped in the kiss, while the other half followed the strange movements around us.


    Finally Lucian pulled back, looking at me with a satisfied expression, as if he had just enjoyed a perfect meal.


    He allowed me a moment to breathe before lifting me down from the tform. "Let¡¯s go."


    After kissing me senseless, he was now going to parade me in front of his brothers. In front of my two mates.


    I epted my fate and allowed him to lead me to the sofa, where he gently made me sit. I had no idea what was happening or why all of them were awake at the same time.


    On the table in front of me, Jason ced a huge cake. The others gathered around it, standing close as if guarding a secret.


    "Anyone¡¯s birthday today?" I asked, my gaze moving from one face to another.


    "You will know if you take a look at the cake," Jason replied, stepping back to join his brothers. The five of them stood in a curved line around the table.


    I lowered my gaze to the cake.


    There it was. The name written across the frosting.


    Eira.


    My name.


    Confusion settled over me. I did not even know it was my birthday. All I had ever known was a fake date, a fabricated memory meant to hide the truth.


    So they had found the real one. From the story I had told them about the witch, the day she came to meet me.


    "Today¡¯s my birthday?" I murmured, lifting my head to look at them again, silently asking for confirmation.


    "It is," Kael said softly. "Your real birth date."

 Chapter 344: Eira’s Birthday

    <h4>Chapter 344: Eira¡¯s Birthday</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "Caldwell, cut the cake already," Rafemented, ncing at the huge wall clock hanging on the wall. "The day has started."


    Jason silently handed me the knife. I took it, emotions rising unexpectedly inside me. My eyes burned, but I forced myself to stayposed. I did not want to cry. Not now.


    "Raven is in deep sleep, so I didn¡¯t bring him," Kael said gently.


    "Oh." I looked at him and nodded. "You did well. It¡¯s hard for him to sleep peacefully."


    "We are going to cut another caketer, the one Raven selected for you," Roman added. "That will make up for it."


    "He chose the cake?" I asked softly. "When?"


    "That¡¯s his secret," Roman replied with a faint smile. "Just know that he was very excited about it."


    I smiled, looking forward to it. The thought distracted me enough to steady my breathing, and I inhaled slowly to calm myself. All good now.


    I blew out the candles and cut the cake. They fed me pieces one by one, and I returned the gesture while they clicked pictures around us.


    Kael leaned closer and pressed a soft peck to my forehead. "Happy birthday."


    "Thank you," I said, smiling at him.


    "Happy birthday," Roman followed, brushing his lips against mine. "Hmm, cake tastes better this way."


    A soft chuckle escaped me. Lucian stepped forward next, his gaze falling to my lips again.


    Damn. He had already left them swollen and burning.


    As if sensing my thoughts, he let out a quiet chuckle and simply pulled me into a hug, careful not to crush me. "Happy birthday, Eira."


    I wrapped my arms around him and murmured, "Thank you."


    He released me, and Rafe stepped closer. "Well, nothing about you is left untouched today by some bastard, so I will just..." He dipped his fingers into the cream and smeared it across my cheeks. "Make do with this. Happy birthday, Caldwell."


    Couldn¡¯t he just call me by my name like everyone else? Whatever.


    "Thank you," I replied.


    "Happy birthday," I heard Jason say as he picked up a tissue from the box on the table.


    "Thank you," I repeated, and he gently wiped the cream from my cheeks.


    I stood still, unsure how else to react. Once he finished, he stepped back, giving me space again.


    Kael stepped forward again and came to stand before me, pulling a small box from his pocket.


    My gaze lingered on it as he opened the lid. "A birthday present for you."


    As if mesmerised, I stared at the beautiful red teardrop pendant hanging from a delicate chain. It did not look like an ordinary stone. There was something rare about it, something powerful. I could feel its energy, pure and protective, as though it carried a quiet strength within it.


    I looked back at him. "It looks precious."


    "That¡¯s why it¡¯s for you," he replied softly. "It belonged to my mother, a Luna. I wanted to give it to you."


    He was giving me something that belonged to his mother?


    Everyone knew how deeply Kael loved her. Alice used to tell me stories about it. I had seen him leave everything behind just to answer a single call from her, as if nothing else in the world mattered more. I had heard how kind she was too, apassionate Luna who cared for everyone under her protection.


    I wanted to ask if he was truly certain about giving it to me, but before I could speak, he had already lifted the chain and ced it around my neck.


    I touched the cool stone resting against my skin, just below my corbone, and finally could not hold back. "Are you sure about this?"


    "More than ever," he assured me with a gentle smile. "It belongs to you. A Luna of this pack, and a woman I love. My mate."


    I chose to ept it, honoring both his feelings and the meaning behind the gift.


    Then Roman guided me back onto the sofa. He pulled a stack of papers from arge envelope he had taken from the table and handed me a pen.


    "You have to sign this," he said.


    "What is it?"


    "A part of the Valemonte empire¡¯s shares in your name. The portion meant for the Luna of this pack," he said.


    I looked at him in surprise. I had no idea how big or small that offer truly was, but was it right for me to ept something connected to theirpany when I had nothing to do with it? I did not even work there.


    "All of own share of it. And our mate deserves equal rights in whatever we own," Roman exined calmly. "So this is rightfully yours."


    "You are the richest shewolf now, Caldwell," Rafe added with a crooked grin. "Just sign it. Don¡¯t hesitate."


    I looked at him, only for him to continue, his tone turning more serious. "You should understand by now that wealth gives you power, and you need to ept it when ites your way. The weaklings only get trampled."


    He sounded like the one who had experienced it first hand.


    "And having only the power of a werewolf trait is not enough in this advanced world. If it were, you would not have suffered despite being a pureblood," he added.


    His words made sense, even if they were blunt.


    I nced back at Roman, and he nodded encouragingly. "He is right. Sign it."


    Letting out a shaky breath, I signed the papers anyway, unsure how I would ever use something like this when I already had everything I needed and these five were always there to protect me.


    Lucian handed me a quiet, huge box and ced it carefully beside me on the sofa.


    He urged me to open it.


    I lifted the lid, and my eyes instantly brightened. Inside were countless photo frames, each holding moments from my life, from the past to the present.


    I took my time going through them one by one.


    Pictures with Alice, Jennifer, and these five from the days we gathered at Alice¡¯s home. It felt as if those sweet memories hade alive again, the happiest months of my life captured in still moments. Back then, they had been my entire world.


    There was nothing butughter and warmth in those images. My vision blurred with tears, and I quickly wiped them away so they would not steal my chance to relive those memories once more.


    "There are a few interesting ones too," Lucian said softly, handing me another set of frames.


    These were pictures from my present life in this house. I wondered when they had even taken them, because I did not remember posing for any of it.


    They were candid moments, small glimpses of me with each of them. Then my gaze fell on the sweetest ones of all.


    Me and Raven.


    Pictures of me with my son.


    My heart felt as though it might burst under the weight of so many emotions at once.


    Lucian reached out and gently wiped the tears from my cheeks. "You liked it?"


    I nodded quickly. "I did. I liked it a lot... thank you..."


    "We will have many more going forward," he assured me, and I nodded again.


    "If you are done crying, time to get to the fun part, Caldwell," Rafe¡¯s voice broke in as he approached.


    I looked up at him, and he handed me a rectangr, finely carved box. "Something of your interest, trust me." A wicked grin curved his lips.


    I hope he was not pranking me, but then his eyes told me that I was going to like it.

 Chapter 345: Skilfully Crafted Gift

    <h4>Chapter 345: Skilfully Crafted Gift</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I first observed the skilfully carved, finely crafted wooden box. It was beautiful, the kind of work that spoke of patience and devotion. The artist must have poured countless hours into shaping every delicate detail, turning it into something truly precious.


    Then I opened it.


    Insidey a beautiful dagger, resting perfectly within a velvet lining molded to fit its shape. The steel de was brand new and gleaming, sharp enough to reflect my face upon its surface. Its wooden handle was polished smooth, gently curved with arches that allowed the fingers to settle naturally when held.


    Something was written along the handle.


    I leaned closer and saw my name carved into it in elegant calligraphy.


    Eira.


    I never imagined I would feel intrigued by a dagger, yet this one drew me inpletely. It was beautiful, and I felt an irresistible urge to hold it. Carefully, I set the box on myp and lifted the weapon by its handle.


    "Be careful. It¡¯s sharp," Roman warned softly.


    I nodded and held it with care. The wooden grip felt as though it had been made specifically for my hand. The size, the bnce, the way my fingers curled around it. Everything felt perfect, as if the creator had known the exact shape of my palm.


    An overwhelming feeling rose inside my chest, and unspoken words echoed through my mind.


    <i>This is mine. Made just for me.</i>


    I looked at Rafe, and he raised a brow. "You seem to love it."


    I nodded.


    A smirk tugged at his lips. "I always knew behind that innocent face of yours there is a violent witch."


    I did not mind his words. I truly loved the gift. "Thank you for it," I said instead.


    "Thank me?" he scoffed. "Why are you thanking me? Thank the one who made it for you."


    My expression turned puzzled. He had handed it to me, so I had assumed it was from him. But then my gaze slowly shifted toward someone else, who hadn¡¯t gifted me anything yet.


    "It¡¯s a gift from Jason," Rafe said with a shrug, as though he had done nothing wrong. "He was taking forever to give it to you, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. His slow pace was making me impatient to show you my special gift." He nced at Jason and winked. "You don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    Jason did not answer him. He only looked at me, his expression calm and steady. "Happy birthday," he said quietly.


    "Thank you," I replied gently, still surprised by the unexpected turn of events.


    Rafe continued talking, unable to stay silent for long. "He made everything himself. The wooden box, the dagger, all of it. With the ridiculous level of dedication he carries." A yful chuckle escaped him. "He must miss using scalpels on patients¡¯ bodies, so he turns to carving wood to satisfy that doctor itch of his. Not bad though. At least something beautifules out of it every time he makes something."


    I decided to ce the dagger back into its box before I identally hurt myself trying to admire it. But Lucian extended his hand toward me. "Show me."


    I handed it over.


    He observed the weapon carefully, weighing and flipped it in his fingers like an expert. His gaze moved over every detail before he gave a faint nod. "As expected of my skilled brother. A perfect weapon for a perfect woman."


    Perfect woman? I did not even know how to use it properly, let alone defend myself or fight someone.


    "Once you deliver the baby and your body returns to normal, I will train you," Lucian said, his tone firm yet gentle. "You should at least know how to fight. How to use weapons. Self defense is necessary."


    I nodded. I truly wanted that, and somewhere deep inside, I felt my wolf agreeing with him.


    "Do you see the small circle on the handle?" Rafe asked.


    I leaned closer. On the polished wooden grip, right where my thumb would naturally reach, there was a small circr mark. I was about to touch it while Lucian held the dagger.


    "Don¡¯t touch it," Jason said quickly.


    I turned to him, surprised by the urgency in his voice.


    "When you stab someone and apply a soft press on that button," Jason exined calmly, "the de releases poison into the wound. It can paralyze them before they have the chance to counterattack."


    Damn. Was that really possible?


    I studied the dagger again, trying to find any visible mechanism, but the surface looked seamless, the button perfectly blended into the wood.


    I remembered hearing the others talk about Jason¡¯s skills with tools, how he created unique pieces with dangerously clever designs. It seemed those stories were true.


    "You should have added a deadly poison," Rafemented casually. "Something that would make her opponent meet the grim reaper immediately."


    Jason only gave him a silent look.


    "You don¡¯t trust her with that kind of weapon, do you?" Rafe chuckled, then nced at me. "Well, that¡¯s your fault for being so weak and clumsy. He knows you might end up hurting yourself and dying. Being paralyzed is better than being dead."


    I gritted my teeth. This bastard truly had nothing kind to say about me.


    "Weren¡¯t you impatient to show her your gift?" Kael asked, his voice calm as he stepped in, clearly sensing my rising irritation and trying to shift the mood.


    As always, he had remained quiet for a long time, simply watching us, allowing the others to have their moments with me unless it became necessary for him to intervene.


    "Of course," he said smugly, his gaze settling on me. "You are going to like my gift the most."


    I held his stare, wondering what he had nned this time. A strong feeling told me it would not be anything sweet or flowery, but something dangerous. Something I might actually look forward to.


    Though I hated his foul mouth, I could not deny that I was drawn to the darkness hidden beneath his always carefree spirit. A part of me wanted to step into that darkness again, just like the night in the dungeon when he had allowed me to cross a line I could never return from, when I killed that man with my own hands.


    Was I really hoping for another surprise like that?


    Excitement and anticipation curled inside me, growing stronger with every second.


    <i>Don¡¯t you dare disappoint me,</i> I thought as I watched the wicked smirk resting on his face.


    "I can already see the monster in your eyes, Caldwell," he said, as though he had read my thoughts.


    I looked away at once, trying to hide whatever was stirring inside me. "Hurry up, or forget it."


    He extended his hand toward me. "Come with me."


    I did not hesitate. My hand slipped into his almost instantly, and I rose to my feet.


    "So eager, huh?" he teased.


    I gave no reply.


    All I wanted was to see his gift.


    "Where are we going?" I asked, letting him lead me to the side exist of the home from the side house.


    "Your favourite ce." Bastard didn¡¯t answer straight.


    "And that is?" I asked again.


    "I will take you exactly where you want me to," he said, "Think about where you want us to be?"


    "Dungeon!" Finally I said what¡¯s in my heart.


    He offered me a smirk, "Such a bad girl you are going to be. But I love it."


    <i>So he¡¯s taking me to the dungeon for real? I can¡¯t wait to punish another bastard who had hurt me.</i>

 Chapter 346: One Of The Culprits

    <h4>Chapter 346: One Of The Culprits</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    The moment I sat inside the open cab meant to roam around the estate, I was almost certain he was taking me to the dungeons. Still, I refused to let myself grow too confident. This bloodsucker waspletely unpredictable. He could easily take me somewhere else just to mess with my expectations.


    After some time, the cab stopped in front of a heavily guarded entrance.


    The dungeon.


    The guards bowed to Rafe and stepped aside, walking away without a word.


    Just likest time, it seemed it would be only the two of us. The other four had not followed, and strangely, that felt right. Around Rafe, I did not need to hide the darker parts of myself. I could let my evil side breathe without hesitation.


    I walked beside him through the familiar closed corridor, its walls lit by cold lights that stretched endlessly ahead, leading us toward the chambers where prisoners were kept.


    Yeah. Kept to be tortured. What else could it be?


    Rafe pushed open the door to one of the rooms. The same one he had brought me to before, the night I killed that bastard.


    The moment I stepped inside, my gaze went straight to the chair at the center of the room. A figure sat there,pletely covered with a dark cloth.


    Everything else remained the same. The room was spotless, disturbingly clean, while an array of torture toolsy neatly disyed on a nearby table, waiting to be chosen like instruments in a twisted orchestra.


    He turned to me, one brow lifting. "Any guesses who is going to hell on the auspicious night of your birthday?"


    I studied the covered figure. It trembled slightly under the cloth, stiff with fear.


    Must be terrified like a little mouse.


    I observed the shape carefully. "A woman," I said slowly. "Or a very young guy."


    The frame was too delicate to belong to a grown man. Those were the only possibilities that made sense.


    Rafe stepped forward with a smirk and, in one smooth motion, pulled the cover away.


    "Tada."


    My eyes widenedpletely. Shock struck first, then a surge of burning anger flooded my mind.


    Sophia.


    Her eyes were wide, staring at me as though she had seen a ghost. Color drained from her face, pure terror shining in her gaze.


    A gag covered her mouth, silencing any scream she might try to release. Her body was strapped tightly to the chair at every possible point, leaving herpletely unable to move.


    This bitch.


    One of the real culprits who had ruined my life.


    I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening as my teeth ground together. I stepped toward her, but a hand caught my shoulder and stopped me.


    "Take it easy, little pup."


    My furious gaze snapped toward him, as if I wanted to hit him first, but he continued calmly, "You need to slow down and think about what you want to do with your target instead of ending it with one quick snap. An easy death would be mercy. Does she deserve that?"


    I forced myself to breathe and slowly shook my head.


    "Then rx. It¡¯s not good for the baby inside you." His hand brushed gently over my round belly in a careful caress. "The baby needs to see how smart its mother is and grow up just like her." His eyes shifted toward Sophia. "Bitch, don¡¯t you agree with what I said?"


    Her body trembled violently, sweat glistening over her pale skin.


    "You dare ignore my precious words?" he added with a wicked smirk.


    With the little movement she was allowed, she nodded weakly.


    Rafe turned back to me. "See? Even this bitch agrees that the baby needs proper lessons, and for that she will be our sacrificial goat."


    She tried to shake her head in denial, but the restraints held her firmly. Her mouth remained gagged, her voice trapped inside while silent screams filled her eyes.


    I found myself enjoying this.


    Mental torture felt far more satisfying than physical pain, and Rafe clearly loved breaking his targets this way before delivering the final blow. A truly merciless bastard who could make someone suffer without even touching them.


    My hand moved instinctively to my belly. I looked down at it for a moment before lifting my gaze to Rafe, a slow smirk forming on my lips. "I¡¯m sure the baby will learn the best from you."


    "Just like its mother," he replied, mirroring my expression.


    For a moment, it felt as though the two of us were agents of hell itself, standing side by side to punish a sinner.


    And I loved this hell with him.


    I looked back at her, wondering where to begin, but Rafe¡¯s voice cut through my thoughts.


    "One thing is clear. We can¡¯t kill her."


    I did not like that at all and shot him a sharp re. "You want this bitch who hurt me to keep living? Are you for real?"


    "Living is the real punishment for her. Trust me when I say that." His gaze softened slightly, trying to reassure me. "For Raven¡¯s sake, I had to make a deal, and I have to keep my end of the bargain."


    Only then did I remember what he meant. In my anger, I had failed to think about it.


    "But I can¡¯t let her go without doing something she will remember for the rest of her life," I insisted. "She needs to regret what she did to me."


    "I know." His gentle look faded, reced by the familiar wicked gleam in his eyes. "That¡¯s why you are allowed to hurt her twice, but nothing life threatening."


    "How strong is she?" I asked. I needed to assess her condition before deciding anything.


    "After being injected with your pure blood cells, she has recoveredpletely. She is strong enough to survive things like cutting her fingers, pulling out her nails, maybe a stab somewhere that isn¡¯t vital. By the end of it, she should be able to walk out of here on her own."


    I hummed thoughtfully and walked toward the table lined with tools. My fingers grazed over the knives, feeling their weight and bnce.


    "You can¡¯t harm her face," Rafe added another condition. "He needs her the way she used to be."


    I let out a quiet sigh. "Assholes never fail to lust after beauty."


    "Don¡¯t worry," he said, his tone almost soothing. "Her beauty will be ruined in a better way."


    I made my choice. Arge cleaver, the kind butchers used to cut through meat. It was heavy, but I gripped it firmly, testing its weight in my hand.


    Rafe said nothing after that. He simply watched from the side, trusting that I would not ruin his deal with another psycho.


    Sophia watched me, her breathing turning shallow. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes silently begging me to stop, though she knew I would not. Her throat strained against the gag, muffled sounds escaping as panic took over. It would not have surprised me if she had already lost control of her dder.


    A pampered princess had finally learned what it meant to be terrified of death.


    I circled her chair slowly, studying her body as though deciding where to begin. The cleaver no longer felt heavy in my hand. Every one of her senses seemed alert to my presence, to the danger coiling around her.


    "So many restrictions just to hurt a bitch," I muttered. "That leaves me with no other option but..."


    The next moment, a cruel thud echoed through the room.

 Chapter 347: Rafe’s Special Gift

    <h4>Chapter 347: Rafe¡¯s Special Gift</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    A delicate palm fell to the floor. Blood streamed along the wooden armrest, dripping down and pooling beneath the chair.


    I aimed for her wrist, and now her hand no longer had a palm. The same hand which she used to drug Kael, and ruined my life.


    Then I did what my ears truly craved. I ripped the tape away from her mouth with harsh tug and listened to her screams as they tore through the air.


    She was in immense pain, of course she was. But there was no mercy left in my heart. That part of me had died long ago.


    I nced at Rafe. His expression held a dark satisfaction, as if he admired what I had done.


    "Will she die from the bleeding?" I asked calmly, not a trace of hesitation in my eyes.


    He chuckled and shook his head, already grabbing a cloth to wrap that bitch¡¯s severed hand to slow the blood loss.


    "The bitch is strong," he assured me, busy wrapping her hand. "Her self healing has improved because of your blood."


    "Oh, really?" I murmured, amused, still gripping the cleaver slick with red.


    The de rose again.


    Another palm hit the ground.


    A fresh wave of screams filled the chamber, sharp and desperate, echoing like music to my ears.


    "Damn it," Rafe said with a pleasedugh, staring at the second severed hand.


    Both her palms were gone.


    "It won¡¯t affect her walking out of this ce," I said.


    "You are my smart girl," he added, as he got another clothe to wrap this hand.


    I loved it when he took pride in the evil inside me. He didn¡¯t judge me.


    I looked down at my round belly and caressed it gently. "Baby, this is how you punish someone who harms you. Never be kind to them or show mercy, because they will kill you the moment they get another chance."


    Rafe first pped the tape back over her mouth. "Her voice is annoying," he muttered, proceeding to wrap another hand.


    I could not agree more. "Everything about her must have been irritating since the day she was born."


    "Can¡¯t argue the im," he replied.


    She had turned deathly pale now. Tears clung to hershes, her eyes squeezed shut as her chest rose and fell in faint, uneven breaths.


    This bitch had once been so smug because of her beauty and wealth. I doubted she would hold onto either now. With both her hands gone, even preparing herself to look presentable would be impossible.


    "She won¡¯t die," Rafe assured me again once he finished wrapping the wounds.


    I hummed softly. "Not being able to put on makeup or even dress herself must have been her worst nightmare before."


    "Saves others from seeing her ugly make up painted face and those ass wipe kind clothes," hemented.


    It almost made meugh.


    We had no regard to her pain.


    "Someone is going to give her even worse nightmares while she stays wide awake," Rafe said casually.


    I had no interest in knowing what Kaizan nned to do with her next. I had done my part, and a heavy sense of satisfaction settled inside me.


    Rafe took the knife from me and ced it back on the table before catching my hand. "Let¡¯s get you cleaned up. Her shitty blood stained your dress."


    "My blood is no less shitty to your taste either," I shot back, since he never missed a chance to curse me.


    "Only if you knew," he sighed, leading me out of the room.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, following him closely.


    "Good that it¡¯s shitty," he replied casually. "If it were any different, I would have drained it out of you."


    So having shitty blood was a good thing? If it were better, he would have drained me dry. Was that what he meant?


    Yet something about his words feltyered with another meaning I could not quite grasp. Still, as long as he was not nning to drain me to death, I did not care.


    Just likest time, he had everything prepared. He helped me clean up and change into another dress. I felt lighter afterward. Her blood truly stank, and even my wolf seemed disgusted by it.


    We returned to the house, where the other four were still waiting in the drawing room. Their gazes followed me through the ss wall, making me feel oddly exposed.


    Rafe draped an arm around my shoulder before we stepped inside. "Rx. Stop thinking so much."


    I hummed softly and walked in, allowing him to guide me toward the sofa. "So, we are done with my special gift, and she enjoyed it a lot," he announced coolly. "Anything else left for the night?"


    I dared to nce at Kael first, wondering if he would question me about what had happened, but instead he simply asked, "Is there anything else you want from us? Anything, and we will make it happen."


    The tension inside me eased.


    "Is my old home still there? The ce I used to live before?" I asked quietly. "Or has it turned to rubble?"


    "It¡¯s still there," he answered without hesitation.


    "Then... can you take me there? I want to see it again," I said.


    That ce held months of my life, the only trace of my existence in this pack before everything changed. Visiting it felt like the only way to remind myself that something had once been mine.


    Even though that house had belonged to those old hags, the room I had stayed in was mine.


    "I will take you there tomorrow," Kael assured me.


    "Thank you."


    "You need to sleep," Jason said, watching me carefully with that calm, medical gaze of his. "You look exhausted."


    I truly was, and I knew I should listen to the doctor.


    Once again, the question lingered. With whom should I go tonight? Kael or Roman?


    I found myself wishing I had a room of my own. Then suddenly, something clicked inside my mind.


    "Can I ask for one more wish?" I said.


    "Go ahead," Kael replied, while the others waited silently.


    "Can I have my own room?" I asked, hesitance slipping into my voice, though the need for it felt real and urgent.


    Everyone had their own space. Even Raven had a room. Yet I felt like an object being moved from one ce to another.


    Silence settled around us as all of them stared at me.


    Shit. Had I asked for too much?


    "Sure," Kael said atst. "It will be ready very soon."


    His answer caught me off guard. I had almost convinced myself that they would dislike the idea of me wanting a separate space.


    "Thank you," I said again.


    Kael stepped closer and ced a soft peck on my lips. "Sleep well," he murmured before moving away.


    Did that mean he wanted me to go to Roman¡¯s room tonight? After all, I had been sleeping there before this celebration. It made sense.


    Kael turned and headed upstairs toward his own room.


    Lucian approached next, his intense gaze settling on me just like before. His fingers brushed along a loose strand of my hair, sending a faint shiver through me once again.


    This drug maker was a walking drug himself, I swear.


    "We will continue the rest once this ck magic shit is out of me," he said, his fingers ying with a strand of my hair before letting it fall, waiting for my response.


    I gave him a small, hesitant nod.


    "Good," he replied and turned to head upstairs.


    "Good night," Jason said gently before following Lucian.


    Rafe was thest to leave. "Have sweet dreams, Caldwell, if Roman allows you to sleep," he teased with a wink before disappearing toward his own room.


    That left me alone with Roman.


    He took my hand. "Let¡¯s go."


    As wey in bed, I could not stop myself from asking, "You guys had nned this, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you said tonight you wouldn¡¯t..." My words trailed off, the rest too embarrassing to finish.


    A soft smile touched his lips as he pulled me closer into his arms. "I didn¡¯t want you cutting the cake with one hand while the other one caress your sore waist."


    I pped his hand lightly to stop him from being naughty. "Good night."


    He pressed a gentle kiss to my head and inhaled my scent. "Good night, Eira."


    A smile appeared on my lips with the warmth he said my name.

 Chapter 348: Cookies

    <h4>Chapter 348: Cookies</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    The next morning, when I woke up, I found myself looking forward to visiting the home where I had once lived. After getting ready, I stepped out of the room and saw Raven waiting for me.


    My son was always an early bird, while his mother preferred to sleepte whenever she could. Once again, he wore one of the outfits I had bought for him.


    I could not help but stare at him in quiet awe. My son looked like a little gentleman, handsome yet incredibly cute at the same time.


    I knelt in front of him. "Good morning, my baby."


    Alright, maybe I sounded like a cringe mom, but today I could not stop myself from calling him that.


    He gave a small nod and picked up a card from the table, offering it to me. I took it gently and opened it.


    It was a birthday card he had made himself.


    He had drawn a picture of me on the front. It was not perfect, but to me it was the most beautiful thing in the world. He had drawn me the way he saw me.


    A woman sitting by the window, a cat resting in herp while a dog sat faithfully beside her.


    On the other page, he had written a few words.


    Happy Birthday, Mommy.


    My eyes turned moist the moment I read it. He had called me mommy. Even though it was written instead of spoken, it meant everything.


    I looked at him with teary eyes, though they were filled with happiness, and a soft smile curved my lips.


    Unable to hold back any longer, I pulled him into a hug, feeling his small, warm body against mine. "Thank you so much, Raven. Mommy likes it the most."


    When I released him, he stared at my teary face and quietly handed me a tissue.


    Such a little gentleman. I smiled again, my heart impossibly full.


    He picked up a small, beautifully handmade bouquet from the table and held it out to me.


    "You made this?" I asked softly, wiping my tears away.


    He nodded.


    "It¡¯s so beautiful. These are my favorite flowers," I told him.


    For a moment, I realized I had almost forgotten the little things I used to love, yet saying it felt natural.


    Raven nced toward Kael.


    "Daddy told you?" I asked gently.


    He nodded again.


    How did Kael even know that? Well, he once said he had liked me long before everything changed, so perhaps he had noticed the little things about me back then.


    Somehow, I felt certain that these five men knew more about me than I knew about myself. In the past, the thought of all of them wanting me would have terrified me, but now it felt like the most fortunate part of my life.


    I looked at Kael. He offered me a soft smile. "I told him because he asked me. He woke up early and collected them himself from the garden behind the house. Then he made the bouquet for you."


    Kael had once told me he built this house for me, nting my favorite flowers all around it.


    I leaned down and pressed a kiss to Raven¡¯s forehead. "Thank you for putting in so much effort. I¡¯m going to preserve these for a long time so I can always look at them and remember they were the first gift from my son."


    Raven seemed pleased with the idea, though his gaze lingered on the flowers thoughtfully. I did not know how, but I could almost hear the question forming in his mind. Maybe it was just a mother¡¯s instinct.


    "You are wondering how to preserve them?" I asked.


    He nodded, curiosity shining in his eyes.


    "We need to dry them in sunlight," I exined gently. "I¡¯ll teach youter. For now, let¡¯s put them in a vase."


    Together, we arranged the flowers carefully in a small ss vase.


    Breakfast was ready soon after, and we moved toward the dining table. Lucian and Roman were finishing setting the meal when a familiar scent drifted toward me from the kitchen. It did note from the dishes on the table.


    "What is that?" I asked softly.


    "Jason made some cookies," Lucian said as we watched Jason pull a tray from the oven, his gloved hands steady.


    The scent was the same as the cookies I used to bake.


    Jason ced the warm tray on the counter and set a te in front of me. "Let them cool down a little," he advised calmly.


    My gaze stayed fixed on them, my heart tightening with emotion. I used to make these exact cookies. They looked identical. Another piece of my past standing quietly in front of me.


    Impatient, I picked one up anyway and blew on it a few times before taking a bite.


    It melted in my mouth.


    Memories rushed back all at once. Learning to bake them for the first time. My failures and small victories. Sharing them with Alice, who would sneak some to her brothers. And my first Moon Festival, when I had spent hours in the kitchen making a batch just for <i>him.</i>


    Silence settled over the table for a while, as if no one wished to disturb me.


    Kael picked up a cookie and offered it to Raven. "Try it."


    I returned to my senses and looked at Jason. "Where did you get the recipe? That day we tried to make it, but it didn¡¯t turn out the same."


    "Just found it somehow," he answered vaguely. "I¡¯ll give it to youter."


    "Somehow?" Rafe chuckled as he grabbed one from the te and took a bite. "Tasty indeed." He nced back at Jason. "How does one get something somehow?"


    Jason gave him an unbothered look. "Stuff another one in your mouth and keep it shut."


    As usual, Rafe refused to stay quiet. "Do you mean spending the entire night in your old home¡¯s kitchen, going through trial and error until you recreated the exact taste?"


    <i>So Jason had worked on it himself, recreating it only from memory?</i>


    Jason remained calm and simply said to me, "Eat before this bastard finishes them all."


    "Way to ignore a brother who helps you earn brownie points because you are too selfless to do it yourself," Rafementedzily. "Is this how you are going to win her heart by not letting her know a thing?"


    "Focus on your own issues," Jason replied without looking at him. "Instead of making my brother chase after you every now and then."


    Rafe smirked shamelessly. "That is your brother¡¯s problem, not mine. He loves running after me even when I tell him to leave me alone."


    Lucian picked up a cookie and shoved it into Rafe¡¯s mouth. "You should keep your mouth shut at least seven days a week."


    That made me chuckle. Seven days a week meant he would never speak again.


    "All of you have ten minutes to finish breakfast and get ready to leave with us," Kael said, cutting through the noise. Then he looked at me gently. "You and Raven can take your time."


    They immediately focused on eating, understanding the unspoken meaning behind Kael¡¯s words to keep things calm.


    I preferred it that way too, before anyone said something too bold in front of Raven.


    After breakfast, we left for my old home. Later, we were going to meet Alice and Kael¡¯s parents as well. Raven had yet to be introduced to them as their grandson.


    And I was more curious to know what was left of me in that home. My room, did it still have my belongings. If yes, then I will bring them with me.


    My secret box. It must be still there right? Must be.


    Who would take an interest in an old, worn out box?

 Chapter 349: Ease With Jason

    <h4>Chapter 349: Ease With Jason</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    When we were ready to leave, my gaze drifted back toward the kitchen.


    "What happened?" Roman asked gently. "Do you want to eat something?"


    I shook my head. "I¡¯m full. We just had breakfast."


    He studied me again. "Then...?"


    "Umm..."


    "I will get it," Jason said, already heading toward the kitchen. "One batch is left."


    He understood without me even saying it aloud. I turned to Roman and admitted quietly, "I just wanted to take some cookies along for the ride."


    He smiled softly. "Of course."


    Jason returned a momentter with a neatly packed box. When we sat in the car, he handed it to me without a word.


    On my birthday, I found myself reconnecting with fragments of my past, and somehow it had all begun with these cookies.


    I still remembered the day Jason and I had tried to recreate them together, when I struggled to recall the recipe and we failed miserably.


    <strong>(shback days before)</strong>


    I had just woken from my afternoon nap and wandered into the drawing room. Feeling like snacking on something, I headed straight for the kitchen and grabbed one of the treats prepared for me.


    "Caldwell, we are still waiting to experience your cooking skills," Rafe called outzily. "Do you n to cook for us someday, or will you keep us dreaming forever?"


    I shot him a re as I swallowed my bite. "I will cook, but not for you. I will do it for my son, Raven." I nced at the little boy sitting quietly in front of the television. "Do you want to try?"


    Raven nodded.


    "Raven is safe since he still has his milk teeth," the bastard scoffed. "Even if he breaks them chewing your cookies, he will grow another set. The rest of us might need tools ready. A hammer, maybe a grinder..."


    "Shut up," I snapped, annoyed, and turned toward the kitchen counters. I had to prove this bastard wrong.


    "What are you looking for?" Jason asked, stepping closer. "I¡¯ll help you find it."


    There was still a faint hesitation in me whenever I interacted with him. "I... was just trying to get familiar with the kitchen..."


    "I have set this kitchen," he said calmly. "You can ask me anything."


    Alright. I decided to ept his help. The kitchen was his territory, and if it meant shutting that infuriating bloodsucker up for once, I was more than willing.


    "Umm... I wanted to know how this oven or microwave or whatever it is works," I said, gesturing toward the appliances. "And then I need to find the ingredients to make cookies. The ones I used to make before."


    He stepped toward the appliances and exined patiently, "You can use these buttons to switch to baking mode. Here you set the temperature you want. Then press the start button."


    I hummed in understanding. He carried the same serious expression he always had whenever he exined something about medicine or guided me through studies.


    "Try it," Jason said, stepping aside to give me space.


    Though hesitant, I tried to follow his instructions. "The small old style oven was better," I muttered. "Lessplicated."


    "You will get used to this one too," he replied calmly.


    Once I managed to figure it out, he asked, "What ingredients do you need?"


    I hesitated again. "I remember most of them, but I might forget something. And I¡¯m not even sure they will taste the same as before."


    "You can give me the list. We will figure out the recipe and the method together," he offered.


    I turned toward the pantry cabs, and before I could even ask, Jason handed me a notepad and a pen. "You can write them down."


    I took my time recalling each ingredient, slowly listing them. "I think I have forgotten the proportions... my brain feels uselesstely."


    "It has been a long time," he said gently. "It is normal to forget. After one attempt, we will know what is missing and adjust it to match the original."


    I hummed softly and tried my best to remember. Jason took the list and gathered everything we needed. Fortunately, all the ingredients were already there.


    We started preparing together. In truth, I only instructed while Jason worked with the precision of a skilled chef. Soon the cookies were ced in the oven, but uncertainty lingered inside me.


    "You can sit at the dining table instead of standing here," Jason said. "It will take some time."


    I waited quietly at the table. When they were ready, he brought the cookies to me. They looked exactly the same, but when I tasted one, the vor felt close yet not quite right.


    "Something¡¯s missing," I murmured.


    Jason took a bite and nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. I will have to try again with some changes in the proportions."


    Rafe walked over to us, picked up a cookie, and took a bite. He nced at Jason with a smirk. "As always, our prideful chef. You can create wonders even from her messed up recipe."


    "She guided me. That¡¯s why it worked," Jason replied calmly, clearly trying to stand on my side.


    But I knew better. It was Jason who had done most of the work.


    "Is that so, Caldwell?" Rafe turned to me. "I expected you to handle everything yourself."


    I frowned, unable to argue. Once again, he had proven his point that I could not manage things on my own.


    "I will try next time," I said quietly. "Be patient."


    "Sure, as long as you don¡¯t make us eat iron d cookies," he said, walking away with a mocking smirk.


    How badly I wanted to prove him wrong at least once.


    "Don¡¯t worry," Jason said gently. "We will make them againter. Exactly the way you used to."


    I looked at him. Something in his eyes made it easy to believe him, and I gave a small nod.


    <strong>shback over</strong>


    And he had proven his words. He recreated the same cookies.


    Soon I would learn from him and stuff them down that bloodsucker¡¯s throat so he would never dare mock me again.


    Somehow, through these cookies, the quiet tension between Jason and me had eased a little.


    He worked on his own just to get the recipe right, not sure how many times he failed and how much time he had give to it just because I wanted them the same.


    I felt like I could finally talk to him more normally now, even if it was not as easy as it was with the others.


    After a while, the car moved onto a familiar road. Though many things had changed over the past six years, I still recognized it instantly. This was the same path I used to walk to school or to visit Alice. Every turn carried memories, and for a moment it felt as if I had stepped back into my past.


    "Can you stop here?" I asked softly.


    Rafe, who was driving, pulled the car to the side. Kael, seated next to me, turned slightly. "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Before I could answer, one annoying bastard had to interfere. "The bushes around here are not dense enough to hide you if you need to pee."


    This bastard!

 Chapter 350: A Minor’s Room

    <h4>Chapter 350: A Minor¡¯s Room</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    "I want someone to hit him," I muttered with a frown.


    Lucian, sitting in the front passenger seat, immediately punched Rafe in the stomach. It was not too hard, yet Rafe exaggerated the reaction. "Oops, I almost stopped breathing," he said dramatically, then smirked at me through the rearview mirror. "Surprise. I¡¯m still alive, Caldwell."


    Lucian nced back at me. "Do you want me to drag him out and give him a proper beating?"


    I shook my head. "I don¡¯t want to spoil my birthday by looking at a vampire¡¯s filthy blood."


    "Your tongue is sharper than a knife," Rafemented.


    "Likewise," I replied as I stepped out of the car. "I want to walk."


    The others followed me out. Roman and Jason, who had been driving another car behind us, stopped as well.


    Without hesitation, I began walking down the road, old memories flooding back, a faint smile forming on my lips. The others trailed behind me quietly. Kael, as always, stayed close to Raven, giving me space to wander on my own.


    After a few minutes, something felt strange.


    The road waspletely silent. Not a single person passed by. No vehicles, no distant voices.


    "Is this area deserted?" I asked, ncing around. "I don¡¯t see anyone."


    "It¡¯s restricted while we are here," Kael exined calmly. "You can walk freely wherever you want."


    I nodded, not minding the emptiness.


    As we drew closer to the house, my gaze drifted toward a familiar spot. "There... I found Kitty there..."


    "Her name is Vixen," Rafe corrected.


    "One thief stole my cat," I said quietly, my voice calm, not really angry with him.


    "That thief saved her from dying," he corrected me again.


    Well, I would give him that.


    Finally, we reached the front of the house. The outside was surprisingly clean. The yard had been cleared, though I was not sure what the inside would look like. From the outside, it felt as if no one had lived here for years.


    "It has been cleaned entirely for your visit," Kael told me. "No one stays here. It has been empty for the past six years."


    That made sense. Still, I asked quietly, "Given how angry you must have been with me, you could have burned it down."


    Kael met my gaze, his eyes soft. "I couldn¡¯t."


    No more words were needed. Even then, he had loved me despite how much he hated me.


    "Thank you," I murmured before walking toward the entrance.


    Inside, everything looked intact, though untouched by renovation. The furniture seemed dull, the walls slightly faded with time. It felt preserved rather than lived in.


    I had never cared much about the rest of the house. Only the kitchen where I asionally spent time, and my room upstairs, had ever truly felt mine.


    I barely spoke to my grandparents back then. They were always busy somewhere else. And now, they were not my grandparents anymore.


    Behind me, Kael spoke gently to Raven. "This is the house where Mommy used to live six years ago."


    Raven looked around quietly, taking everything in.


    I headed upstairs straight toward my room, the others following behind. Roman¡¯s hand rested at my waist, steady and careful. "Easy," he said softly.


    When we stepped inside my small, cozy room, Roman nced around. "So this is where you stayed. I used to wonder about it back then."


    "Mind you, she was a minor," Rafe added casually.


    "I am only saying I was curious about the conditions she lived in," Roman replied calmly, "Nothing else."


    I turned to Rafe with a raised brow. "Says the one who used to stand below my window every now and then."


    The others immediately looked at him.


    "I was checking on Vixen," he defended himself. "I never entered her room or even peeked inside. Alright?"


    "Good that you knew your boundaries with a minor," Romanmented dryly.


    My gaze shifted for a moment toward someone else, the one who had once been inside this room with me, a minor¡¯s room as they are talking about.


    Heat crept into my face, and I quickly looked away, embarrassed by the memory.


    I wondered silently, <i>is he remembering it too?</i>


    I pushed the thought away and turned toward my desk. Everything from my school days remained untouched. Books, pens, and the small cheap desk essories I once found adorable were still arranged neatly. The bed, the faded walls, every little detail made me feel as though I had stepped back into the past.


    Then I remembered what I hade here for.


    I moved to the bedside table and opened the drawer.


    It was not there.


    My box. I clearly remembered keeping it here.


    I opened another drawer, but it was empty too. Slowly, I straightened, my gaze wandering around the room, disappointment settling across my face.


    "What are you looking for?" Kael asked gently.


    "There used to be an old box... it¡¯s not here," I said quietly. I returned to the desk and checked its drawers, then moved to the wardrobe that still held my old clothes.


    But the box was nowhere to be found.


    "You can describe how it looks," Kael said. "We will help you search. I¡¯m sure no one entered this house. It is a restricted ce. No one would break that rule."


    I exined everything I remembered, yet just as I feared, the box was gone.


    The others looked troubled as well, sensing my sadness.


    "I will ask security to check if anyone entered the house or took something from here," Roman assured me.


    I nodded slowly, though there was little else I could do. "Maybe those old hags took it before... if not someone else."


    "We will find it," Kael said firmly.


    "Don¡¯t worry too much about it if you can¡¯t," I replied, trying not to sound demanding. "It belongs to the past anyway. If they took it and threw it away, there is nothing we can do after six years."


    I won¡¯t expect anything about it. Maybe time to leave it behind entirely and move forward to have a peaceful days.


    <i>Not sure how long this peace willst until that bastard Asher recovers andes for us again. </i>

 Chapter 351: Want To Live In This Home?

    <h4>Chapter 351: Want To Live In This Home?</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Though I was disappointed about not finding the box, I chose to let it go and move forward. I still had to meet Alice.


    Just as we stepped out of the house, Kael spoke softly. "This home belongs to you now. Do you want me to renovate it? Make some changes?"


    I shook my head. "Leave it as it is. Let it fade with time."


    I did not want to cling to the past, nor did I want to erase itpletely. Every part of it had shaped who I was. One day, it would disappear just like me when myst breath came.


    We left soon after and drove toward the cemetery to visit Alice and Jennifer. Raven ced flowers on their graves along with us.


    "Alice, this is my son, Raven," I said softly, a faint smile touching my lips. "You are an aunt now..." I spoke to her quietly for a while, sharing little things as though she could still hear me. When I finished and wiped my tears, Rafe came to stand beside me.


    I looked at him.


    He brushed away the remaining moisture from my cheek, his gaze gentle for once, but the softness did notst long.


    "You should tell her what we talked about the other day," he said casually.


    "What?" I asked, confused.


    "About Lucian kissing a guy," he added, and just like that, theforting man vanished, reced by the usual asshole.


    "You..." I swallowed my anger as a hand suddenly grabbed the back of Rafe¡¯s shirt and dragged him away.


    Lucian.


    His expression was dark with irritation.


    "Luke..." Rafe started.


    "Shut your mouth while I am still being nice," Lucian warned, dragging him toward the car. He shoved him inside, gave him a sharp punch, and mmed the door. "Stay there," he ordered before returning to us.


    Lucian and Jason then ced flowers on their mother¡¯s grave. Both stood silently, heads lowered, eyes closed, as though speaking to her through their thoughts.


    I wondered what they might be telling her.


    They loved and respected their mother deeply, always trying to be the perfect sons for her. Her death must have shattered them, and somewhere in my heart, I carried the unbearable weight of knowing that, unintentionally, I had been part of the reason behind it.


    Back when I used to imagine a future with <i>him</i>, I often pictured Jennifer as my own mother too. She had been kind, warm, and gentle. They were lucky to have her. A part of me envied that bond, because I had never known what it felt like to have a mother of my own.


    Soon after, we left for the estate where Kael¡¯s parents once lived, the same ce where they had been murdered andter buried. This time Raven would meet his grandparents properly. Thest time we visited, no one knew the truth.


    Kael guided Raven toward their graves and spoke to him quietly. "They are my parents, which means they are your grandparents. They loved me the way I love you. We stand here today because they once existed. So you muste here and show them respect, even if one day I am no longer with you."


    Raven gave a quiet nod. He ced the flowers gently on both graves, lowered his head, and closed his eyes in silent prayer. He seemed to understand exactly what he needed to do.


    My son was truly adorable. One day he would be just like his father. Responsible, caring toward everyone, yet calm and silent.


    The rest of us paid our respects as well.


    "Do you want to see the house?" Kael asked Raven softly. "The ce where I was born and raised?"


    Raven nodded, and to be honest, I was curious too. Last time we were here, we left just after offering respect to his parents on their death anniversary.


    In the past I never had the chance toe here. Back then I was just nobody, an insignificant member of the pack whose existence barely mattered.


    Alice had once visited this ce with her mother and described how grand and beautiful it was. I used to dream about seeing the Alpha¡¯s residence someday. Little did I know that in the future, I would be part of the Alpha¡¯s family itself.


    The house stood like a miniature castle,pletely different from Kael¡¯s modern home. The grand entrance opened into a majestic foyer, followed by an elegant drawing room and a sweeping staircase that curved upward to the upper floors.


    It was mesmerizing. Regal. Luxurious beyond words.


    Kael turned toward me. "Would you like to live here instead of our current house? This ce belongs to the Alpha¡¯s family. We should all be living here."


    I looked at him quietly. His expression remained calm as always. The others watched me too, waiting for my answer as if they were ready to follow whatever I decided.


    "I¡¯m fine with our current home," I said gently. "We can visit here sometimes when we want."


    No one openly showed it, but I felt a quiet wave of relief move through them, as if they had hoped for exactly that answer.


    The reason I refused was simple. If Kael or the others truly wanted to live here, they would not have avoided it for six long years. Even though it was Kael¡¯s home, it held painful memories for him. No one wanted to live surrounded by ghosts of the past. No one understood that better than I did.


    Kael gave me a small smile, a silent acknowledgment of the understanding between us.


    We spent the rest of the day outside. We had lunch at a restaurant, then went shopping since I needed maternity clothes. And we even bought the things needed for the newborn baby.


    I couldn¡¯t do it back then, but I was living this pregnancy with everything I could.


    Also, his time, I was careful to select Raven¡¯s clothes, but little guy for a change went to the cute clothes section on his own. I helped him select a few. From his expressions I could tell he liked them.


    By the time the sun had set and we returned home, I was surprised at how easily the entire day had passed.


    It was fun. Perhaps the best birthday I had ever experienced.

 Chapter 352: Note From Eira’s Boyfriend

    <h4>Chapter 352: Note From Eira¡¯s Boyfriend</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    Later, we headed toward our rooms. As usual, Kael stayed by my side without hesitation. The boundaries between us had vanishedpletely since the night we shared in his study. A passionate night, I had to admit.


    It had be almost a routine. They preferred to kiss me goodnight before leaving. Not everyone, though. Rafe and Jason simply offered a customary goodnight instead.


    Roman was gentle, while Lucian kissed me as if he did not want to let go. Thankfully, he eventually did.


    Now that we were back in the room, it was Kael¡¯s turn. I found myself wondering whether he truly did not mind that his two brothers had just kissed me moments earlier and he was going to kiss that same mouth.


    From his actions, it did not seem like he minded at all. Kael¡¯s kiss fell somewhere between Roman¡¯s and Lucian¡¯s. Gentle at the start, warm and steady like Roman, yet ending with a quiet intensity that reminded me of Lucian. Perfectly bnced.


    "Good night," I murmured, catching my breath.


    I truly needed sleep after wandering around the entire day. My baby needed rest too.


    Kael gathered me into his arms and settled beside me, holding me close. His face rested against the back of my head as he inhaled my scent slowly, like it grounded him.


    I knew this was his favorite way of sleeping, keeping me close, using me like his ownfort pillow.


    The next morning, when I woke up and went downstairs, I greeted everyone as usual.


    "Caldwell, there¡¯s something for you," Rafe said, gesturing toward the center table.


    A gifty there.


    "For me?" I asked, just to be sure.


    "I think I said it loud and clear a moment ago, didn¡¯t I?" the bastard replied with his usual sarcasm.


    "Who is it from?" I asked.


    "Not sure. It was just there," Rafe answered with a careless shrug. "Open it or throw it away. That flowery wrapping is hurting my eyes."


    What was wrong with this bastard so early in the morning?


    I rolled my eyes at him, took a seat, and began opening the gift. Beneath the flower printed wrapping sat a familiar box.


    Not just any box.


    My box.


    My treasure box. The one I had searched for in my old room yesterday.


    "This is mine... Who got it?" I asked, looking around at everyone. They were busy with their morning routines, acting as though nothing unusual had happened.


    No one answered.


    "What does it matter who got it," Rafe said again. "If it¡¯s useful to you, keep it. If not, throw it away."


    "What¡¯s wrong with you, being this bitter so early in the morning?" I snapped, my voice rising. "Can¡¯t I ask a simple question?"


    "And can¡¯t you see that no one is answering?" he countered coolly.


    I nced around once more. The others behaved as if they knew nothing. Kael was upied with Raven, while the remaining three were busy in the kitchen.


    Never mind.


    First, I needed to check my belongings. I only hoped whoever retrieved it had not tampered with anything inside.


    A small sticky note rested on the side of the box. It had a message.


    [The box has never been opened.]


    Oh. So he had the decency not to open it. Then why take it in the first ce? It was not some priceless treasure.


    It had not been in my old house, which meant someone had kept it for six years.


    Annoyance bubbled inside me. What was wrong with them? Why not simply step forward and tell me who had brought it back? I would have thanked him sincerely.


    At least those who had not brought the box could have said they didn¡¯t bring it. That way I would have known exactly who did it.


    Wait.


    That was exactly why no one was answering. They were all protecting the one who had this box by staying silent, even if they didn¡¯t know who among them had done it.


    Damn them and their brotherhood. Too much for unspoken loyalty. I wished I could kick every one of them right now. Especially the one who was keeping this box, and had returned it this way.


    "I wish the person had the decency to leave the key here as well," I muttered, loud enough for them to hear.


    "Want my help?" Rafe asked casually.


    "Do you have the key? Are you the one who brought this box?" I demanded. "Given how you used to sneak around my house, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised."


    "You are free to believe whatever you want," he repliedzily. "Now tell me, do you want to lock it again or keep it open?"


    "It¡¯s private," I said sharply. "I¡¯m not putting my things on disy."


    "Well then..." He stepped forward and took the box from my hands.


    "Hey..."


    "Keep quiet," he warned lightly, pulling a hairpin from my hair. The next moment, the lock clicked open. He gave me a bored look and handed the box back.


    I understood the meaning. If I had said I didn¡¯t want to lock the box, he would have simply broken that tiny lock.


    I did not thank him. I simply settled into my seat, my heart racing as I prepared to look into the pieces of my past.


    Slowly, I opened the box.


    Everything inside was exactly the way I had left it.


    "What is this?" a voice came, and before I could react, a hand reached into my box and pulled something out.


    "Rafe..." I shouted, startled.


    Out of everything he could have chosen, he had to grab that.


    The moon shaped pendant hung from a delicate chain, wrapped around a folded note.


    My throat tightened. I still remembered every word written on that note, the message <i>he</i> had left for me before leaving my room that morning.


    Before I could snatch it back, he had already read it aloud for everyone to hear.


    "This was the best night I have ever lived through, because the girl I love was with me."


    For a moment, it felt as if the ground shifted beneath my feet. Nervousness rushed through me, sharp and sudden. My gaze lifted toward him, only to find him already looking at me. I quickly looked away before anyone noticed.


    "Give it back," I said, my voice rising as I grabbed it from his hand.


    "You spent a night with your boyfriend? Weren¡¯t you a minor?" Rafe asked bluntly. "And here you me me for wandering below your window once in a while."


    I feltpletely caught off guard. Felt exposed all of a sudden.


    I did not dare look at anyone. I did not want to know what they might be thinking.


    "It¡¯s not what you think," I said quickly, stuffing the pendant and the note back into the box in a hurry before turning away. "Don¡¯t ever ask me about it again."


    "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t," he replied from behind me. "Must be a worthless bastard to spend a night with a minor. If I ever see him, I might kill him."


    I did not look back as I climbed the stairs.


    That so called worthless bastard was standing right there. But he had not been worthless back then. He was the most precious person to me.


    I refused to look down on myself or treat those memories as something dirty.


    At that time, it had been the best thing that happened to me, and I would leave it where it belonged, as a part of my past when I was truly happy.


    Kill him? No, you would not. And I would never allow it.


    Because it happened with my consent. Because it made me feel loved in a way I had never known before.


    I loved him.


    And I never regretted those moments, even if there was a time I hated him.

 Chapter 353: A Surprise With A Twist

    <h4>Chapter 353: A Surprise With A Twist</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    I entered the room and went straight to the bed. Sitting at the edge with the box resting on myp, I inhaled slowly a few times, trying to calm the storm inside me.


    I opened the box again and pulled out the note and the ne. The moment I read the lines written on it, my heart tightened. My fingers traced the finely carved initials and my name etched into the pendant.


    But then the memory of Rafe exposing me downstairs shed through my mind. My grip tightened around it, and for a moment I was ready to throw everything into the trash.


    I could not.


    My heart refused to let go.


    Instead, I smoothed the creases on the note, folded it carefully, wrapped the pendant within that fold, and ced it at the very bottom of the box beneath the rest of my belongings. Hidden away from my sight, yet not discarded.


    After steadying myself, I began looking through the other items. Just then, a knock sounded on the door.


    "Come in," I said quietly.


    The door opened, revealing Kael.


    "Will I disturb you?" he asked gently.


    It was his room. Why was he even asking?


    His tongue had been tied downstairs when I needed someone to speak. He could have stayed with his precious brothers for all I cared. Damn them, all cut from the same cloth.


    "It¡¯s your room," I replied tly, continuing to sort through the box.


    He stepped inside anyway. Maybe guilt had brought him here after ignoring me earlier. Choosing between brotherhood and me must never be easy for him.


    But then again, I could not be sure if he was the one who had brought this box back. The house had always been under his authority. If anyone could retrieve it quietly, it would be him.


    He sat beside me while I deliberately avoided looking at him.


    Inside the box were small trinkets I had once collected. I moved through them slowly, one by one.


    "Are you angry?" he asked softly.


    "Are you asking the obvious?" I frowned, "Aren¡¯t we?"


    "I am sorry," he said. "But sometimes..."


    "I know what¡¯s going on," I cut him off, still focused on the items in my hands. "I am not as dumb as you think. You five can keep protecting each others asses."


    "Thank you for your understanding," he said quietly.


    "At least tell me this," I asked, keeping my voice calm. "Do you know who the other four are trying to protect?"


    "I am sorry... again."


    He did not answer.


    If he had said no, I would have known it was not him who brought the box. That would have narrowed it down to the others. And if he had said yes, then he would have ced himself under suspicion as well.


    They clearly did not want me to know who it was, regardless of whether they knew the truth themselves.


    If Kael refused to speak, then I would try with Roman. If I failed with him too, the rest would be impossible to crack. Roman was the softest target among them.


    "What is this?" Kael picked up a small folded piece of paper from the box.


    "Just some random scribbling from when I was younger, I guess," I answered casually.


    "It looks like some sort of mark," he observed.


    "I must have seen it somewhere and drawn it. I used to spend a lot of time alone. Drawing and scribbling whatever caught my attention was how I passed my days."


    He hummed softly and ced it back.


    "And this?" he asked, reaching for another item.


    Before his fingers could touch it, I caught his hand gently. "That¡¯s enough. No more digging through my things."


    He withdrew immediately. "Sorry."


    Once I finished sorting everything and locked the box again, I paused, wondering where to keep it.


    "You can put it in that drawer chest," he said, pointing toward the cab near the wall. "No one will touch it." He reassured me even before doubt could form.


    I ced the box inside.


    "You came back without having breakfast," he added. "You need to eat."


    Well, he was right. I was hungry. And getting irritated with that bloodsucker earlier had only made it worse.


    I followed him downstairs. At the breakfast table, the atmosphere felt quieter than usual. Their guilt over hiding things from me seemed to linger in the air.


    But Raven¡¯s presence softened my anger, and I chose to focus on him instead.


    After breakfast, the others scattered to their own tasks as if they could not quite face me, except for Rafe and Kael.


    Kael had already made peace with me through our conversation upstairs, while Rafe didn¡¯t give a damn.


    As usual, Raven¡¯s teacher arrived for his lessons. We had missed them for the past two days.


    Once Raven left for his session, Kael turned toward me. "You asked for your own room yesterday?"


    I nodded.


    "It¡¯s ready," he said. "Come and take a look."


    I blinked in surprise. "Already? How..." But I was truly excited at the same time.


    "We were out the entire day yesterday," he exined calmly. "They carried out the order quickly once I gave it."


    "That was fast," Imented, impressed. "Overly efficient, I must say."


    He only smiled.


    Finally I am going to have my own room, my own space, where no one will disturb me.


    "It¡¯s upstairs," he added, and I followed him. When we reached our floor, he shook his head slightly. "Not this one. The floor above."


    There¡¯s another floor which I had never been there before. "What¡¯s upstairs?"


    "The whole level is mostly for recreation," he exined. "There¡¯s a gym, a swimming pool, a gaming room, and even a small private theater for the family. More like an entertainment floor."


    This was not just a house. It felt like a luxury resort disguised as a home.


    The moment we stepped onto the grand upper floor, my gaze drifted toward a ss wall to one side.


    Someone was there.


    Lucian?


    "It¡¯s the gym," Kael said, though my attention had already locked onto the figure working out beyond the ss.


    Damn the muscles!


    "Too hot, isn¡¯t it?" someone whispered close to my ear.


    I found myself nodding as if in a trance,pletely captivated by that forbidden, almost divine figure working in the gym like an ancient deity carved from perfection.


    "I think the same," the voice whispered again.


    Just then, the man inside nced toward me. Our gazes met, and my breath caught sharply in my throat.


    Like a guilty thief, I turned my face away at once, only to find the one who had whispered in my ear a moment before.


    Rafe.


    He stood there with a smirk, as if he had caught me red handed again.


    "Your jaw almost hit the ground," he said.


    I quickly snapped my mouth shut, realizing it had been hanging open in pure awe.


    "Bastard," I muttered, then noticed Kael standing nearby.


    Kael lifted a brow slightly. "Do you want to see me in the gym too?"


    The question almost made me ask if he was trying to drive me insane, but I only shook my head. "Where is my room?"


    "This way," he said.


    We walked toward arge door, noticeably bigger than the other bedrooms in the house. It made me wonder why my room alone was ced here. There were plenty of empty rooms elsewhere, I knew that much.


    And if these men spent time in the gym right outside, I would either stay locked inside my room or end up staring at them like aplete fool.


    Kael opened the door and gestured for me to enter first.


    For fuck¡¯s sake.


    My eyes widened instantly.


    This was not a room. It was something else entirely.


    A gigantic bed dominated the space,rger than anything I had ever imagined. The couch looked like two full sets merged into one, and the wardrobe section was even bigger than the one in Kael¡¯s already enormous bedroom.


    I stepped closer to the bed, staring at its massive size. "Why is this bed so huge? I don¡¯t even need one fourth of it."


    "You don¡¯t," a voice came from behind me, making me swallow hard. "But the rest of us do."


    I prayed he had put on clothes, or I would end up staring like a shameless pervert again.


    "Rest of us?" I repeated slowly and turned around, only to see Roman and Jason had arrived as well.


    All five of them stood there, watching me as if they expected me to understand something obvious.


    "Rest of us," Roman said, gesturing toward himself and his brothers.


    Realization hit me all at once.


    "You... you five are going to stay here... with me?"


    "What did you think?" Lucian asked calmly.


    "I asked for a room for myself," I said, my gaze shifting to Kael.


    "This is your room," he replied evenly. "And we will be here only when there is a need. For that need, the bed has to be wide enough to amodate all six of us."


    The fuck.


    The meaning behind his words became painfully clear. There went my dream of having a quiet space of my own.


    "I... I don¡¯t think I will need all five of you..."


    My words faded when Lucian stepped closer.


    "You will," he said quietly. "Trust me, you will need us ALL." Thest word carried weight, as if he wanted to carve it into my mind.


    Under the pressure of his presence, the protest rising inside me died before it could reach my lips.


    Did I just trap myself by asking for my own room?


    I nced at Kael, who returned a calm, unreadable look.


    No wonder he had agreed so quickly when I asked for a separate space. And no wonder it had been prepared overnight.


    My hands moved instinctively to my belly as I stepped back from Lucian, nervousness creeping into my voice. "Let me remind you, I am pregnant."


    Suddenly, I felt like a fragile creature surrounded by dangerous wolves, my pulse quickening despite myself.

 Chapter 354: Want To Get Your Hands On Me

    <h4>Chapter 354: Want To Get Your Hands On Me</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Lucian did not step back. Instead, he moved closer.


    "Until how long are you going to hide behind your pregnancy?" he asked quietly.


    I swallowed hard.


    Alright. My pregnancy was the only shield I had against these powerful wolves. What else could I use? I was not strong enough to fight them, and there were no other excuses left to hold onto.


    And I would use it every time I felt cornered. Because I knew they would stop for the baby¡¯s sake.


    But he was right.


    Until how long?


    Once the baby was born, there would be nothing left to hide behind.


    Fuck. My life was going to be fucked.


    His hand settled over my slightly rounded belly, warm and firm, while his gaze studied my face as if he could see straight through my fear. "Only a few months left."


    I instinctively stepped back, only to hit the edge of the bed. I almost lost my bnce, but a hand caught my waist, holding me steady before I could fall.


    The heat of his body seeped into me even with the careful distance he maintained because of my belly.


    "Once you deliver the baby, this room will belong to all of us," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And don¡¯t expect mercy from us."


    Damn. My heart mmed violently against my ribs, my nerves tightening under the darkness in his eyes.


    I knew he meant every word.


    My gaze shifted toward the others, and they mirrored the same intensity. As if they were simply waiting for the moment my pregnancy ended.


    Lucian nced over his shoulder at his brothers. "And this time, Kael won¡¯t be putting another baby inside you. Not until I feel I¡¯ve fucked you enough, though it will never be enough."


    Kael responded with a quiet hum, calm and unbothered. He agreed.


    Of course I had no intention of having another child anytime soon, but at that moment, carrying the baby felt like the safest armor I had. The only thing standing between me and the ws of these wolves.


    "I noticed the way you looked at me when I was in the gym," he said quietly. "That gaze told me everything."


    I stared back at him. "What..."


    "That you couldn¡¯t wait to get your hands on my body," he continued, his eyes locked onto mine. "That you want me to fuck you."


    I shook my head quickly. "I... didn¡¯t..."


    "Want me to prove it?" he asked.


    Before I could even refuse, his hand had already slipped between my thighs.


    This wolf waspletely unhinged.


    I gasped softly. "Lucian..." His fingers moved along my folds over the thin fabric of my panties.


    My hands tightened around his T shirt. Without his grip supporting me, I would have copsed onto the bed.


    He knew exactly what he was doing, as if he understood every hidden need my body carried.


    The moment I saw him in the gym, I had felt myself grow wet. And he knew it. These wolves could sense everything. Fuck. There was no way to hide how my body reacted to them.


    "Still want to deny it?" he murmured, his fingers slipping past the flimsy barrier of cloth.


    "Lucian... please..." I gasped softly. "...the others are watching..."


    "Get used to it," he whispered, his fingertips moving through my damp folds, teasing me until soft moans escaped my lips. "You will learn to enjoy being watched. Trust me."


    <i>No. I don¡¯t want to.</i>


    Yet my gaze drifted toward the other four. The way they watched me, the hunger in their eyes, the quiet desire they did not bother to hide, stirred something deep inside me. A strange satisfaction curled in my chest.


    Rafe caught my gaze and winked. "Enjoy," he said before turning to leave.


    Why was he leaving? I had not asked him to go.


    Jason followed him out as well.


    "Why are you following me?" I heard Rafe ask just before they stepped out.


    "Tofort you while your man and woman are busy," Jason replied calmly.


    <i>His man and woman? Us? Lucian and Me?</i>


    Confusion flickered through me, and I looked back at Lucian, only to find him watching me closely.


    "Disappointed to see them leave?" he teased softly. "I told you, you would want them here."


    I had no answer.


    "Don¡¯t worry. Kael and Roman are not going anywhere," he added, guiding me gently back onto the bed. His hands supported me carefully as heid me down on my back.


    I met his gaze warily. Was he really going to do this now, at the start of the day? Not just him, but with Roman and Kael still watching?


    A shiver ran down my spine as he hovered above me, his weight bnced on his palms, his gaze fixed entirely on me. He did not touch me at first. He simply watched, studying every flicker of emotion that crossed my face.


    "I¡¯m not exactly clean...." he murmured, his voice low as he shifted back, guiding me gently toward the edge of the bed as he lowered himself onto his knees. My breath caught when he lifted my legs, settling them over his shoulders with slow, deliberate control.


    "...so I¡¯m going to take care of you like this," he added, his tone dark with promise. "I¡¯ve always wondered how you taste."


    Everything happened too quickly for my mind to catch up. My dress was pushed upward, the thin fabric of my underwear torn aside, leaving me exposed beneath his heated stare.


    Instinctively, I tried to close my legs, but it was impossible. His hands held me firmly, my thighs secured against his broad shoulders.


    I lifted my head, my voice barely steady. "Lucian..."


    He nced up at me, and before I could speak further, his fingers moved through my folds, teasing strokes that stole the words from my mouth.


    Fuck! A soft curse slipped past my lips as my head fell back against the mattress.


    "I¡¯ll take that as you don¡¯t want me to stop," he whispered.


    The next moment, he lowered his face, recing his finger with his mouth that sent a wave of sensation through me. His tongue worked


    A breathless sound escaped me as my back arched, my hands clutching the sheets beneath me, struggling to hold myself together against the overwhelming pull of pleasure.


    Just then I felt the mattress dip beside me. A hand rose to caress my cheek, and a face came close to mine.


    It was not Lucian.


    My soul recognized him even before I opened my eyes. The bond between us hummed softly.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 355: I Want To Fuck Her Bad

    <h4>Chapter 355: I Want To Fuck Her Bad</h4>


    Eira¡¯s POV


    I opened my eyes and looked at him, my breath still uneven, my body trembling.


    Roman.


    Hey on his side, one elbow pressed into the mattress as it supported his head. His eyes traced every inch of my flushed face. "You look beautiful like this," he whispered before leaning down to kiss me.


    His mouth swallowed the sounds leaving my lips. He captured mepletely, his tongue already seeking mine with slow, deliberate hunger.


    His hand slid from my cheek to my neck, then down along my shoulder, pushing my dress aside. His palm cupped my breast, his touch firm and knowing, never breaking the kiss that stole the air from my lungs.


    "She tastes amazing," Lucian said, lifting his head just enough to nce at us.


    My one hand moved to grip his shoulder while other moved to Lucian, my fingers entailing the deep brown stands of his hair, pushing my waist towards him to get more of it.


    God... I did not know where to focus. The sensation between my legs or the kiss that left me dizzy.


    Roman finally pulled back, allowing me to breathe again. He looked at Lucian with a smug curve to his lips. "You¡¯rete for the feast," and moved his attention my chest.


    "Bastard, showing off," Lucian muttered. "I¡¯ll make up for beingte."


    Iy there, breathless, listening to them talk about me as if I were some rare delicacy they had just discovered.


    And honestly, with the way he had just devoured me, I truly felt like one.


    My gaze found Kael. He had not moved from his ce, watching me quietly, his expression unreadable. It left me wondering what thoughts ran through his mind.


    Just then a finger entered me, and I let out fucking loud moan as if it¡¯s the first time I was taking something inside. Roman¡¯s mouth moved along my breasts, while Lucian continued his slow, deliberate torment.


    And yet my eyes never left Kael.


    I did not know why I searched for him in that moment, but I wished to look at him while I was withering under what the other two were doing to me.


    Was I inviting him?


    It felt like I was, because he finally stepped forward. Maybe he had been waiting for that silent call. Or maybe he had simply allowed his brothers their moment before iming his ce.


    He settled beside me on the empty side of mine and leaned towards me. My hand reached toward his face, fingertips brushing against his skin while my body trembled under the rising tide of sensation.


    "Kael..." I whispered, breathless, as if speaking his name alone would steady me against the overwhelming rush threatening to pull me under.


    He held my hand and pressed a gently peck in my palm and then I watched his tongue lick the inside of my wrist while staring in my eyes.


    Fuck. I wanted that tongue inside me, all over me.


    A faint smirk touched his lips before he leaned in, iming my mouth in a deep, breathless kiss. "You¡¯re doing well," he murmured against my lips, his voice low and steady.


    Meanwhile Lucian added another finger, his actions relentless as his mouth turned harsher.


    Gosh! Three of them together was turning me crazy.


    The waves of intense pleasure filled me, like I never felt before, my fingers digging in the flesh where they held, my teeth almost bit Kael¡¯s lips before he freed my mouth, letting my cries of pleasure filled that vast room.


    I felt weightless, as if drifting somewhere far above myself, then slowly falling back into my own body as it trembled violently.


    They paused, giving me space to ride through the aftermath. My eyes remained shut as I tried to steady my breathing, trying to gather the pieces of myself again.


    "She¡¯s incredible," Lucian¡¯s voice reached me, low and rough. "I want to fuck her bad."


    "You can," Roman replied, "She seems ready. Look how wet you have made her."


    <i>No. Not Now.</i>


    The words screamed inside my head, but my body felt too drained to form a sound. Exhaustion settled deep into my bones, leaving me suspended between awareness and surrender.


    "You should ask her first," Kael told him.


    My both legs were settled down from his shoulder, my toes touching the floor now. I felt his body hovered over me, and I opened my eyes.


    "Are you fine if we mate today?" he asked me.


    The intense desire in his eyes left me speechless. Stuck between his desires, and my own condition.


    he moved back and removed his shirt, letting his perfect body bare to my eyes. "Enough to convince you?"


    Damn! he knew just what to do. I swallowed hard, my lips felt dry and I licked them.


    "Got my answer," he said and leaned on me, his hand circled under my waist and he pulled me on that huge bed in one swift move as if I weighed like a feather to him, my legs now straightened on the bed.


    My hands were gripping his shoulders in firm hold, and I heard him, "Say no if you don¡¯t want to. You still have a chance."


    After seducing me again, he was asking for my consent. What a brat!


    I turned my face to look away.


    He made me look back at him, "Words Eira. I won¡¯t do it unless you say it yourself. I have to be entirely sure. I don¡¯t want that feeling that I forced you. Not a big deal for me at the moment to back down."


    His gaze, his word sincere, ready to follow my wish even when he looked to be on the verge of loosing it.


    "I mean it. You can say no," he repeated.


    My focus was now entirely on him, forgetting the other two in the room.


    "I...don¡¯t mind..." I finally said, my body had started to crave for him once more.


    The effect of previous pleasure had long gone, I wished for more now.

 Chapter 356: Ride Me

    <h4>Chapter 356: Ride Me</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Very well, sweetheart," Lucian offered a content smirk, the kind that warned me I was about to face a storm, one that had been buried inside him for far too long.


    "But..." I said.


    He raised a brow. "Having a second thought now?"


    I shook my head lightly, though hesitation lingered in my voice. "It¡¯s day... morning... not night yet..."


    "That should be the least of your concern when you are with me," his fingertips brushed gently along my jawline. "Because I am blind to day or night or the time when ites to you. All I know is that I want to fuck you until you can no longer take me."


    My mouth opened and closed again. I had no words to refute his dangerous promise.


    He leaned in, his lips brushing mine. "Just focus on me. And throw away every thought that doesn¡¯t involve me fucking you," he whispered before capturing my mouth again in a kiss, still careful not to ce his weight on me.


    The way he kissed me made everything else disappear, just as he said. Every thought faded except him. Every stroke, every flip of his tongue in my mouth felt ravenous, devouring my soul.


    The sound of the door closing reached me and I flinched.


    Lucian pulled back slightly. "Kael and Roman have left. It¡¯s my moment with you, our moment," and resumed kissing me.


    They had left us alone.


    And strangely, I did not mind. Whenever one of them chose me, the moment felt entirely theirs.


    "You alright this way?" he asked, his hand brushing along the sides of my thighs.


    I nodded.


    He leaned back onto his knees and removed the shorts he was wearing, leaving nothing on him.


    My eyes widened and my breath hitched before I realised how boldly I was staring at his erection.


    "Liked what you see," It was not a question. It was his pride, knowing well exactly what he was and how deeply he affected me.


    I swallowed hard.


    Settling on his folded legs, between my parted legs, his hand wrapped around his cock, stroking with slow, deliberate rhythm while his gaze remained locked on my face, daring me, watching every reaction I failed to hide.


    He was clearly enjoying watching me vulnerable to his gaze.


    But, no matter how wary I felt of him, my body betrayed me. It wanted him, his cock inside me. Heat pulsed low between my legs, answering the hunger burning in his eyes.


    Letting go of his cock, his hands moved to my parted thighs, lifting them higher until I my pussy was entirely exposed to him.


    "Beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick with approval. "Ready to suck me in."


    The fuck with his lewd words.


    "Lucian."


    He moved his gaze to me, but leaned his face down with his tongue sticking out to give a strong lick to my wet and entirely exposed folds.


    Damn, he looked sinfully hot, and the sight of him between my legs only made the heat inside me burn hotter.


    My core tightened instantly, a sharp tremor running through me as sensation spread through my body.


    But he stopped and pulled me closer, holding my folded thighs firmly as I felt the hardened press of his cock against my entrance, ready to enter me.


    I sucked in a deep breath, bracing myself to feel him inside me, but instead he dragged the head of his cock slowly along my folds, teasing my entrance and leaving me hanging on the edge.


    My brows furrowed in impatience, in want, in need.


    He offered me a wicked smirk, clearly pleased with the reaction he had drawn from me, and then...


    He slowly filled me, holding me steady by my lifted thighs.


    Gosh. My hands moved to grip his where he held me, the sensation overwhelming as that thick, hot, wildly pulsing cock filled me inch by inch until I took all of him. A sharp gasp tore from my lungs.


    He let out a content, wild groan, his fingertips digging into my soft flesh as if restraining himself, giving me time to adjust. Every muscle in his body looked tense, held back by sheer control.


    "Fuck!" he cursed, jaw clenched. "Little cunt...the way you are sucking me in..." he said through his gritted teeth.


    I watched him, fascinated by how I could turn this beast of a man into restrained one. His words were dangerous, his actions overwhelming, yet there was care hidden beneath the intensity.


    His hand moved over my round belly in a gentle caress, the touch unexpectedly soft.


    "I am fine," I told him before he could ask.


    Kael and Roman had fucked me mindlessly before, and just as they imed, my baby had remained safe. ording to everything I had read, the more intimate I was with my mates, the stronger the baby would grow, and the easier the delivery would be.


    After the experience with them, I could now trust those words in the book.


    He held me firmly, withdrew his cockpletely, and then thrust again.


    The sudden force pulled a startled cry from my lips. I had not been ready for it, yet the sensation burned through me in a way that felt dangerously good.


    Freeing my thighs, Lucian hovered over me, his palms nted on either side of my shoulders, his hands bearing his weight, careful toward me.


    With his entire body steady only hips began to move in a slow, deliberate rhythm between my legs, steady and relentless, drawing soft moans from my throat despite myself.


    My hands curled into the sheets beneath me, clutching at the fabric as if it were the only thing keeping me grounded.


    He watched me the entire time.


    Every shift of my breathing, every tremor that ran through my body, every flicker of emotion crossing my face. His gaze felt like heat sliding over my skin, possessive and intensely focused.


    "That sound," he murmured, voice low and rough. "You don¡¯t even realize how good you are sounding to drive me crazy."


    I bit down on my lip, trying to hold my voice, but another slow movement before he thrusted hard and broke whatever resolve I had left to hold myself back.


    "Lucian..." His name slipped from me without thought.


    He leaned closer, his breath brushing my cheek. "Look at me," he whispered, a teasing edge in his voice. "Don¡¯t hide from me when you¡¯re feeling everything I¡¯m giving you."


    My eyes met his, and the intensity there stole what little air I had left.


    His pace remained unhurried, almost cruel in its control, as if he wanted to draw every reaction from me one by one.


    "Tell me," he teased softly, watching my fingers tighten in the sheets. "Are you going to keep pretending you are not going crazy?"


    A broken sound escaped me in answer.


    The rhythm of his movements deepened, steady and hypnotic, until my breaths turned uneven again, my body arching instinctively toward him as if drawn by an invisible pull. Each thrust hitting just right, measured as if he knew my body well inside out.


    And all the while, he watched me unravel, leaving me nowhere to hide, not even inside my own thoughts.


    "Lucian...!" The wave crashed over me hard and fast before I could even grasp what was happening.


    He stilled instantly, letting me ride through it. Soft kisses brushed along my gasping mouth, my jaw, my neck as he breathed in my scent.


    My body trembled before slowly rxing, chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. My eyes remained shut, skin damp with a sheen of sweat.


    <i>Fuck. That was incredible.</i> My soul screamed it even if my lips did not.


    My hands slid along his shoulders, then up to the back of his neck, needing to feel him, to remind myself he was still there with me.


    He lifted his head, and our gazes met. My fingers moved over his face, unsure what to say, yet unwilling to look away.


    "We are not done yet," he said.


    "I know," My thumb traced slowly along his lower lip as I studied his handsome face, my gaze turning quietly suggestive. "After you kissed mest night in the kitchen, I kept thinking about kissing you again."


    "Then what are you waiting for?" he murmured, leaning closer, stopping just short of my mouth.


    I closed the distance myself, capturing his lips.


    The next moment he lifted me easily, our kiss deepening as he guided me up until I was seated Straddling him.


    His hands moved along my curves as if guiding rather than controlling, allowing me to take the lead.


    My fingers tangled in his hair, holding him close as I deepened the kiss, iming his mouth the way I had imagined before.


    When I finally pulled back, breathless, gasping against his mouth. The sound of our breathing filled the room, heavy and unsteady.


    "Ride me," he whispered.


    My eyes opened slowly.


    He leaned back against the cushions at the headboard,pletely at ease, watching me with dark, patient hunger. "I am all yours."


    His fingertips brushed over my hips in a slow, deliberate caress, the meaning behind his words clear without needing exnation.


    His gaze never left mine. "Put my cock inside you," his deep throaty voice felt like amand that I couldn¡¯t dare ignore.


    My pulse jumped, but instead of shrinking away, I straightened where I sat, letting my hands slide from his shoulders down his chest. The power shift felt new, dangerous, and strangely intoxicating.


    For a moment I simply watched him watching me.


    He did not move to take over.


    He only waited.

 Chapter 357: Knotted And Marked

    <h4>Chapter 357: Knotted And Marked</h4>


    <strong>Eira¡¯s POV</strong>


    Under his heated gaze, my hands moved further down his torso, finally reaching his cock, my eyes never leaving his.


    Leaning slightly as the headboard of the bed like a king, he just watched me.


    The moment I wrapped my fingers around him, he hissed and cursed, his entire body tensing. His gaze shifted from my face to my hand, his grip tightening possessively on my butt.


    At the same time, my own body hummed at the feel of him in my palm. I could not find words for that sensation, but it felt right. Natural. My hand moved along his length on its own, feeling him, watching the way his breathing changed.


    "You little cunt...asking for trouble..." he cursed through gritted teeth.


    "You asked me to," I whispered boldly, enjoying it, my thumb brushing over the tip of his cock.


    "Fuck!" he hissed. One hand slid behind my neck, pulling my face closer. "Put it inside already," he growled against my lips, biting down harshly.


    A sharp hiss escaped me, and my grip on his cock tightened in response.


    He groaned and released me just enough to watch my hand again. "Enjoying too much holding it? I will let you do it often. I won¡¯tin."


    Of course the horny wolf wouldn¡¯tin. But, I truly was enjoying it as well. The reaction I drew from him sent a dangerous thrill through me.


    His hands returned to my hips, silently urging me to lift up.


    I lifted myself slowly, one hand resting on his shoulder for support while the other guided his <strong>cock</strong> to where he wanted it.


    His palms supported my hips, his eyes dark and eager as he watched himself disappear inside me.


    I lowered myself carefully, breath catching as I adjusted to him again.


    "Easy," he murmured, voice tight with restraint, his fingers pressing into my skin as he held himself back.


    My hands braced against his shoulders, every muscle of mine straining before finally rxing.


    "Rx," he whispered, his hands sliding gently along my thighs.


    I let myself settle, letting the hesitation fade while he leaned forward to kiss me, giving me time to adjust. My body softened against his as his lips moved slowly over mine.


    He was like a fire, but like quiet storm when I needed it.


    "You can move," he murmured, his hands guiding my hips with a firm, suggestive squeeze.


    A soft gasp slipped from me as I began to move, slow at first, then faster as he guided me into a rhythm that made my breath unsteady.


    Our gazes stayed locked. My palm pressed against his chest, feeling the vibration of his low growls as they rolled through him.


    His one hand moved to squeeze my breast, making me whince in sweet pain. "If you weren¡¯t pregnant, trust me I would have made you do so many things, and would have done things to you that you wouldn¡¯t ever think about."


    My breath hitched.


    Should I feel relieved that I¡¯m pregnant or curious about what he truly meant to do with me? My wolf agreed with theter part, curious to know what else could he do with us.


    <i>Horny bitch!</i>


    The tension finally snapped inside him. With a sudden shift he turned us, pinning me beneath him once more, his presence overwhelming as the intensity between us surged again.


    But before I came, he stopped and flipped me onto my side, settling behind me.


    "I can¡¯t knot you that way," I heard his hoarse voice at the back of my neck.


    He did not want to put his weight on me when he would be locked with me for long. And I was sure it would be truly long, because his cock was too wild, making me wonder what it would do to me once knotted.


    My sweaty back pressed against a strong chest that felt powerful enough to engulf mepletely. One of his hands parted my leg, lifting it over his muscr thigh as he entered me again, taking me from behind.


    My hand clutched the sheets tightly. Every time he pulled out and entered me again, the sensation felt new, deeper, more overwhelming. While his hips moved to fuck me, he supported himself on one hand and turned my face toward him so he could kiss me.


    My hand reached back to his face. I kissed him, my moans swallowed by his ravenous mouth, leaving me in between to let me breathe.


    The faster he moved, I knew he was about toe, and so was I.


    But then something happened that I hadpletely forgotten about.


    A sharp sting bit into the side of my neck.


    He was marking me.


    As his canines pierced my skin, a strange warmth rushed through me. It felt deeper than pain, deeper than pleasure. Something within my soul shifted, a new bond weaving itself into my being. My wolf stirred in delight, weing the connection without hesitation.


    A soft gasp left my lips as the sensation spread through me, heavy and consuming, as if another thread had been tied between us forever.


    He cursed and growled with raw intensity, his powerful final thrusts shaking my body before he stilledpletely, holding me tightly as I came undone with him. My mouth fell open in breathless cries while he kept me steady in his arms.


    I felt his knot spreading inside me, pushing against my walls as loud moans escaped my lips, my body trembling wildly. He held me firm, careful and controlled, making sure the stretch would not hurt me. Our breathing turned ragged, heavy chests rising and falling together in rough rhythm.


    Fuck. That was an entirely new feeling, as if I had never been fucked like this before.


    This man was wild as fuck, and I loved it.


    My wolf loved it too.


    His hot breath burned against the back of my neck as he spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "You alright?"


    A weak hum escaped me, as if every ounce of strength had drained from my body.


    "Rest," I heard him murmur again. His warm tongue brushed over the mark he had left, sending a faint shiver through me.


    One arm slipped beneath my neck, curving around my shoulder, while the other settled securely around my waist, holding me close in a protective embrace.

 Chapter 358: Waiting For The Mark

    <h4>Chapter 358: Waiting For The Mark</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    It took longer than I expected for my <strong>knot</strong> to disappear, as if my body, my <strong>cock</strong>, refused to leave her.


    I had fucked many women before, but nothing had ever felt like this one. If I could, I would keep fucking her twenty four by seven, only if she could take me.


    My wolf did not want to let her rest. It wanted to take her again the moment the knot was gone. But seeing her exhausted and deep in sleep, I forced myself to restrain, even though it felt like hell of a torture to stay away from her.


    After cleaning her gently and covering her with fresh sheets, I slipped out of bed. It was already past noon. She had missed lunch, so I decided I would cook her favorite meal before she woke up.


    Feeding your mate good food after fucking her to her bones, that was what a perfect mate should do.


    I cleaned myself, wrapped a towel around my waist, and went downstairs.


    Rafe and Roman were in the living room while Kael, Jason, and Raven were nowhere to be seen.


    Both of them looked at me.


    Roman smirked as his gaze swept over my exposed torso, pausing at the marks Eira had left behind.


    "Trying to show off?" hemented.


    I nced down at my chest, running my fingertips over the nail marks like a kitten had scratched me. I smirked back. "Well, you should know how great it feels when she is all fucking high and hurting you."


    "Well, that¡¯s one of the best parts when she is all horny," Roman replied before ncing toward Rafe, who was busy with his phone after acknowledging my presence. "You shouldn¡¯t show off in front of your man."


    I looked at Rafe. What the hell! Why did I look at him at the words ¡¯my man¡¯.


    I controlled myself and said, "He¡¯ll get his chance with her. Or he can just fuck her along with me. A threesome would be better the way her body keeps asking for more."


    "Spare me," Rafe muttered, finally lifting his impassive gaze to the scratches across my chest, "I don¡¯t n to fuck her. Please enjoy yourself on your own."


    Roman chuckled teasingly. "Maybe he¡¯s pissed you didn¡¯t fuck him yet."


    Rafe raised his middle finger toward Roman without looking up and resumed his game.


    I had no idea what was going on inside Rafe¡¯s head. But why should I care?


    All I needed to focus on was my mate.


    I walked toward the kitchen and said, "There is nothing that involves me fucking him. So give up your wild fantasies already, Rome."


    "Tsk," I heard him again. "You two are getting boring."


    "We aren¡¯t here for your entertainment," Rafe countered, still focused on his game. "If you are that eager, I will take you to some interesting clubs where humans y with each other."


    "I am more interested in two wolves than filthy humans," Rome replied.


    "Too much daydreaming is not good for you."


    Their banter continued while I busied myself in the kitchen. "Where are the others?" I asked.


    "Kael has gone to the office, and Jason is handling both your responsibilities and his own together. Raven is in my room enjoying his nap. I had told him mommy needs rest today, so she won¡¯t show up. Little guy is truly easy to handle," But then, Roman let out a sigh. "And we are left here to watch you show off."


    "You can join me when I fuck her again," I offered.


    "You alone are enough for her at the moment," he said. "Leave it forter."


    I did not argue. Today, I wanted her only for myself.


    Byte noon she finally stirred in her sleep. I woke her even though she wanted to keep resting.


    "Baby needs food." It was the best excuse I coulde up with to make her eat.


    She sat up in bed but refused to open her eyes. "I am sleepy," sheined softly.


    "You just sit and chew. I¡¯ll feed you."


    She did not resist and ate everything I offered her, especially the chocte pancakes she loved. The way she hummed while eating told me I had made the right decision.


    "I will make pancakes every time after fucking you," I said.


    She hummed again.


    She returned to sleep again after eating and continued resting until evening.


    By then Kael had returned home, and Jason, who had been out handling security matters, came back as well.


    Kael looked at me. "How¡¯s she?"


    "Too exhausted. Still sleeping," I answered. "Any issues with thepany matters?"


    "Nothing special," he replied casually before moving toward Raven. "Did you miss Daddy?"


    Raven nodded.


    "Hey bud, I spent the entire day entertaining you, and you still say you missed Daddy?" Rafeined.


    Raven looked at him, unsure how to respond.


    Kael leaned closer and whispered something into his ear. Raven looked confused at first, but Kael added softly, "Trust me."


    Raven nodded and moved to Rafe¡¯s side. Climbing onto the sofa, he wrapped his arms around him in a hug.


    I saw Rafe¡¯s body stiffen in surprise. And before he could react, Raven even pecked his cheek.


    Rafe finally rxed, a small smile breaking through as he ruffled Raven¡¯s hair. "Your daddy is teaching you good things. You have to do this every time you upset me, alright?"


    Raven nodded again, and Rafe pulled him into a tight hug. "And this is how you do it."


    The atmosphere in the house felt warm and light.


    "What about me?" Roman said. "I kept youpany too."


    Raven repeated the same gesture with Roman, and it felt good to see the kid slowly rxing and acting like a child again.


    "And me?" I asked, stepping closer.


    His gaze moved to my chest, where faint scratch marks still lingered. The healing always slowed when the wound came from a mate.


    "A cat happened to scratch me. I¡¯m fine," I told him.


    "You better put on a shirt instead of roaming around in pants only," Romanmented. "Who are you trying to unt yourself to? Rafe isn¡¯t even looking at you."


    I knelt and hugged Raven, answering lightly, "I¡¯m letting the little guy see a perfect body so he sets a high standard for himself." I looked at Raven. "You want to be strong like Daddy?"


    Raven nodded eagerly.


    As he went back to ying with his toys, Kael asked me, "Is there a mark yet?"


    "Not yet," I replied.


    Even I was curious to see what kind of mark I would leave on Eira, but nothing had appeared so far.


    "Maybe by morning," Roman said. "It will show."


    I hummed quietly.

 Chapter 359: Lucian’s Mark

    <h4>Chapter 359: Lucian¡¯s Mark</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    She continued sleeping and finally stirred past midnight. It was as if she was making up for all the lost sleep from the past few nights.


    How much I wanted to fuck you... but I held back for her sake.


    She snuggled closer against my chest in her sleep, and I wrapped my arms around her. But instead of settling down again, she inhaled my scent deeply, her hand beginning to roam over my body.


    <i>Is she awake or just sleep-perverted?</i>


    If she was asleep and had no intention of being fucked, she better keep her hands under control. But...


    Gosh. Her hand reached my cock.


    "Eira..." I hissed softly. "You awake?"


    In response, her hand moved along my already hard cock as if it were her ything, and she even hummed in appreciation.


    "You should stop if you¡ª"


    Not just her hand now. Her body rubbed against mine, seeking friction. She clearly wanted it.


    And I didn¡¯t care if she was asleep.


    I held her thigh and lifted it over mine as wey on our sides, facing each other. All that was left was to push my cock inside her.


    Holding her hand, I guided it down to her pussy, rubbing it there. She moaned softly in her sleep and released my cock, instead pressing her pussy toward me.


    I didn¡¯t wait. I didn¡¯t want to.


    Gripping her thigh firmly over me, I pushed inside her with one hard thrust.


    She let out a sharp, pained cry, her eyes snapping open in shock. I stilled immediately, letting her adjust.


    Gasping, she looked at me, realization settling in.


    "You asked for it," I said in a restrained voice.


    I had been holding back since noon, and I had lost my patience the moment she provoked me herself.


    "And I¡¯m not stopping until I knot you again," I warned, my voice low and rough. "You have slept enough."


    Her hand braced against my chest. She didn¡¯t look unwilling.


    I pulled out and thrust hard again. This time she braced herself, her nails digging into my chest, her breath shallow.


    My hand moved to her butt to steady her as I began to move, watching every erotic expression that crossed her face, listening to those soft moans that only grew louder the harder I thrust.


    How badly I wanted to flip her onto her stomach, press herpletely beneath me, my captive, and fuck her mindless until she struggled to breathe...


    But her round belly stopped me.


    It stopped me from every wicked thing I wanted to do to her.


    I flipped and moved her body, taking her in a way I wished to. I must say having her on all fours and fucking her while wrapping her hair in my fists to arch her back was best way to fuck her.


    When I had my fill of fucking her, I finally knotted her again. I could go on and on like this until the end of my life. Fucking her seemed to be only goal I had in mind.


    I was truly getting crazy, she was driving me crazy.


    ----


    In the morning, when she woke up after the short nap I had allowed her once we were done, I checked the mark. Not the ce where I had bitten her, but Kael¡¯s mark.


    Just like Roman¡¯s, my mark should be there as well. And I was right.


    Eira stood in front of the mirror, trying to see it once she was ready to go downstairs.


    "It¡¯s there," I told her, standing behind her.


    "I can see it... but what does it look like?" she asked. "It¡¯s not easy to check it like this on my own body."


    I took out my mobile, clicked a picture of it, and showed it to her.


    There were newly formed buds on the vine around the rose, and the buds carried the same color as my wolf, molten bronze. Those buds were my mark on her.


    "This rose is getting beautiful," she murmured. "It¡¯s beautiful."


    "Indeed beautiful," I said, my gaze fixed on her instead of the tattoo.


    She was beautiful. Nothing could everpare.


    When we went downstairs, Eira went straight to Raven. She was clearly feeling guilty for staying away from him the entire day since yesterday.


    "Did you miss me?" she asked.


    The little guy nodded and studied her face carefully, as if checking something.


    "Your mommy is alright," I assured him, remembering Roman had told him she wasn¡¯t feeling well and was resting. "I took really good care of her."


    "The kind of care you will understand ining years, bud," Rafe¡¯s voice cut in.


    Eira shot him a re, silently telling him to shut up.


    "What?" he shrugged. "You can¡¯t expect him to stay innocent forever."


    "There¡¯s time. He is still a child," she countered.


    "When I was his age, I knew everything," Rafe added. "And that didn¡¯t affect anything."


    "That¡¯s why you are a pervert," she replied and then looked at Raven. "Please ignore him, alright? You are my good son."


    Roman simply nodded, unsure how else to respond.


    Roman wasn¡¯t wrong though. All of us had be aware of such things early on. Friends and social interactions had taught us. Raven, however, had lived in istion.


    It made me wonder how he would learn if he didn¡¯t socialize. Unlike humans, werewolf kids tend to mature faster.


    We couldn¡¯t keep him sheltered forever. He needed friends.


    I was sure Kael had already thought about it.


    After breakfast, Raven¡¯s teacher arrived and took him away for lessons. Finally alone with Eira, everyone had one thing on their minds, her mark.


    Kael checked it. Just like Roman¡¯s, when he touched those bronze buds, they glowed faintly under his fingers.


    "Another beautiful addition," Kael said, approving of the mark.


    Eira¡¯s eyes lit up with delight.


    "I wonder what Rafe¡¯s and Jason¡¯s marks will bring," Romanmented.


    I noticed Rafe¡¯s expression harden, while Jason¡¯s held no hope at all. One was certain he would never mate with her, and the other seemed to believe it was simply not possible between them.


    We would leave that to time.


    "You need to take your shot," Jason told Eira as he brought the box with him.


    Eira hummed andy on the sofa on her side.


    Jason injected her, instructing her to keep lying.


    "I feel like baby is moving," she told him.


    Jason put his hand on her round belly, "It¡¯s about time you feel the movement. Light ones now, andter it will be more prominent."


    A smile painted on her lips. "Raven used to move around a lot in thest month."


    Jason hummed, "That means the baby is healthy."


    Her smile widened, as her hands moved to her belly to caress it, to feel her child.


    When these two were doctor and patient, there were atplete ease with each other. I wished them to be at ease rest of the time as well.


    I want Eira to treat him just like rest of us. I know he had been dying with regret every day, I know him well.


    My brother deserved another chance to make up for his mistake, and I hope she will give that chance to him soon.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 360: Kaizan’s Reason

    <h4>Chapter 360: Kaizan¡¯s Reason</h4>


    <strong>Rafe¡¯s POV</strong>


    "Tomorrow we are leaving for HollowCrest pack," Kael informed us, "Make preparations."


    "Weren¡¯t we leaving the day after?" Roman asked.


    "I thought to be there a day before and spend some time with Alpha Gerald and his family," Kael exined, "Alpha Gerald wish the same."


    Eira turned to him, "Are you sure that pack is safe for us, our kids?"


    Kael offered her an assuring gaze, "You can trust me."


    Though a little doubtful, she agreed anyways.


    Just then I remembered something very important and stood up, "That reminds me I have to deliver a parcel to one bastard."


    "Don¡¯t go alone. Take our people with you," Kael said.


    "Of course I will. I am not going to carry that trash myself, and of course not in my car," I said and turned to Eira, "Only woman ever to sit in my car is this little witch."


    She red at me for calling her a witch, but I replied with a smirk, "If you look in the mirror careful, you will find the truth in my words."


    "Fuck off," she spat.


    I had to take that bitch Sophia to Kaizan as I had promised him. After she had lost her palms, she has now recovered enough to be presented to that bastard.


    I drove my car, while the guards stuffed her in the trunk of a car, and we left.


    After an hour, I reached the boundary between the StormHowl and DreadWyn packs.


    Kaizan was already waiting there, standing beside his car, his two brothers at his side and the guards around them.


    Thest time my brothers and I had crossed this boundary was during our killing spree in this pack, when we ended that bastard Keiren and his parents.


    Kaizan walked toward me the moment I stepped out of the car.


    "Much eager to get the bitch?" Imented.


    He smirked wickedly. "You have no idea."


    If anyone could match my face with anyone for the same wicked expression, it was this bastard. He looked just as dangerous as me, and my soul recognized the dark side of his instantly.


    My guards dragged the bitch out from the trunk of one of the cars and tossed her toward Kaizan¡¯s men.


    Her mouth was taped, and her hands were heavily bandaged, leaving no sign of the palms that were long gone. Her body trembling in fear.


    Kaizan raised a brow at me to see her hands.


    "Your conditions have been met and followed with utmost honesty," I said tly. "My girl was merciful enough not to kill her. Didn¡¯t harm her face. Didn¡¯t break her legs. The rest... well, she deserved that much."


    "I must thank your mate for making her desirably perfect then," Kaizanmented in delight. "She didn¡¯t need palms anyway. And she fits perfectly with my requirements."


    I wondered what exactly this bastard nned to do with her.


    "She is still fuckable," I told him.


    Kaizan scoffed, as if I had said something ridiculous. "Who wants to fuck her rotten cunt?" He nced at her with cold disdain. "I won¡¯t even let her lick my boots. I am allergic to filth."


    Hearing that, I knew nothing good awaited this bitch.


    "I won¡¯t thank you, then," he said, turning to leave.


    His guards moved to shove the bitch into the car, but Kaizan raised a hand.


    "Let her crawl in."


    One of the guards struck the back of her knees, forcing her down. She dropped onto the ground, her injured hands instinctively bracing herself, only to make her flinch in visible pain.


    "Get in," a guard nudged her with his foot. "Walk like a dog."


    She trembled, unable to scream through the tape covering her mouth. Her face had turned ghostly pale. For a brief second, her eyes met mine, silently begging for mercy.


    I answered with nothing but a cold re.


    She deserved no pity after what she had done to Eira and Kael. They mattered more to me than my own life.


    Slowly, painfully, she crawled forward.


    "Lovely," Kaizanmented, his voiceced with cruel amusement. "You can take Diva¡¯s ce. After you killed her, her kennel has been waiting for its next resident."


    Diva? Kennel?


    Kaizan turned toward me, noticing my confusion. "In case you¡¯re wondering, Diva was my dog, barely a year old she was. This bitch killed my little girl for her own amusement as if fucking my brother wasn¡¯t enough to soothe itch in her rotten cunt."


    I could see the hellish menace in his gaze.


    "So now this bitch is going to take Diva¡¯s ce in that beautiful kennel which has been waiting for her for the past six years," he looked at me as if talking about normal thing, "It will take time to train this bitch to be exactly like Diva, but she will get there. If you get time, you cane to have a look at my new trained pet. I will offer you a finest wine in my collection."


    <i>Damn. </i>I hadn¡¯t imagined this was why he wanted her so badly.


    "Sure," I said anyway.


    He must have loved that pet enough to risk everything to get Asher¡¯s blood just so he could get this bitch. He had waited damn six years for this, and he never forgot.


    <i>The fuck.</i>


    This bastard was a true sadist. Cruel to the core.


    And this bitch had just stepped into real hell.


    Before sitting in his car, he smiled at me for thest time, "You five bastards still have a thing to thank me for. But, I will let it slide. I will even it out for ridding me off from my bastard brother," and sat in his car before I could ask.


    <i>So he is happy we killed his brother? Seems like they didn¡¯t go along well. </i>


    And, it seems we didn¡¯t know anything about these brothers and their dynamics.


    Also, <i>another thing to thank him?</i> He had said the same thing at the council sparring ring. What else had he done for us, or for himself?


    <i>Maybe, I should visit him soon to see his newly trained pet, and so I can make him spill out what he is keeping from us.</i>

 Chapter 361: Lucian And Rafe

    <h4>Chapter 361: Lucian And Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    Rafe still hadn¡¯t returned, even though it waste.


    I should have been with Eira tonight as well. I wasn¡¯t done with her. But worry for that bastard had clouded my mind.


    She needed rest, so I didn¡¯t stop her when she went to Kael¡¯s room. She had missed her time with Raven as well.


    When I went to the security in charge, he informed me that the guards who had apanied Rafe to handover that bitch Sophia had already returned. Rafe had dismissed them midway and left on his own.


    Frustration boiled inside me.


    As expected of that bastard. I could never count on spending a single peaceful night when he was around.


    I returned inside, put on my jacket, grabbed the car keys, and headed out to get him.


    "Has he not returned yet?" Jason asked as he stepped out of his room, probably worried for Rafe too.


    I shook my head, keeping my irritation under control. "He disappeared somewhere again."


    "Must have gone hunting," Jason said calmly. "He likes to hunt for blood once in a while."


    "Maybe," I replied, though I doubted it. I knew him better than that.


    "I aming with you," Jason offered.


    I shook my head. "Just keep checking with security. I¡¯ll get him. Don¡¯t worry."


    He didn¡¯t insist.


    I got into my car and drove fast as if I couldn¡¯t wait to get to him.


    His phone was switched off, hiding his location. But I could guess the one ce he he could have gone to, the ce he preferred when he wished to be alone.


    It took me half an hour to reach the dense road where I had to park outside the boundary and continue on foot. I used my speed to run through the trees, unable to ignore the restless feeling tightening in my chest.


    And I swear I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about it.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how, but I could just sense it about him. That¡¯s how I could always catch him before he did something reckless.


    Or maybe it was simply because I had known him for years and understood his ways too well.


    Finally, I reached the clearing.


    It was a semi-circr patch of empty grasnd hidden within the woods. Beyond it stood a cliff overlooking a vast river below.


    This was his ce.


    The ce he came to be alone. The ce where he sometimes brought his targets and gave them cruel deaths while his little friends, the vultures feasted afterward.


    As expected, he was there, sitting near the cliff, his back facing me.


    Relief settled in my mind when I saw him safe. But something else tightened in my chest.


    Watching him sit there alone, facing the dark sky, made him look... lonely. Lost.


    Maybe it was just my imagination.


    I walked toward him quietly, making sure he wouldn¡¯t sense me. After spending so many years together, we had learned how to mask our presence from one another when it¡¯s needed.


    As I strode forward, something caught my eye.


    My steps faltered for a fraction of a second before my fists clenched at my sides, knuckles whitening, my jaw locking so tightly. Anger surged through my veins, hot and blinding.


    <i>I should have known better.</i>


    In the next heartbeat, I moved like a gust of wind, closing the distance between us and snatching the object from his hand.


    He stared at his now empty palm, then lifted his gaze to me. Shock flickered across his features before hardening into irritation. "What the fuck are you doing here?"


    "I should be the one asking you that," I shot back, my voice sharp as steel.


    His eyes dropped to the t box clutched in my hand. "And you have your answer."


    I tightened my grip on it, my fingers digging into the edges as though I could crush it into dust.


    He sprang to his feet at once, his voice cold and full of warning, "Don¡¯t you dare destroy this one. If you do..."


    I did not let him finish.


    With a single, deliberate motion, I hurled the box over the edge of the cliff.


    For a heartbeat, the world stood still.


    The calm mask he wore shattered. Fury ignited in his eyes.


    I kept my calm, "You said not to destroy it... Rafe... Bastard..."


    Before thest word fully left my mouth, he hadunched himself off the cliff, diving headlong toward the churning water below, chasing after the box I had thrown away.


    "Fuck!"


    I leapt after him without another thought.


    <i>I am not going to let him have it. I am not letting him kill himself. </i>Fuck! My heart pained with just the thought of it.


    The fall felt endless. The rush of air roared in my ears, tearing at my clothes, stealing the breath from my lungs. When my body finally struck the water, the impact was brutal, the cold slicing through me like a thousand des.


    It was fucking deep from the mountain cliff.


    Even as I plunged several feet beneath the water surface, disoriented by the force of the fall, my mind clung to one thought only. <i>Where is that bastard? Did he get the box?</i>


    I forced my limbs to move and pushed upward in cold water. When I came to the surface, dragging in a ragged breath, my gaze searched frantically for him.


    <i>There.</i>


    He was already swimming toward the shore, strong strokes cutting through the water. This river was nothing new to him, used to swimming in it like a part of it.


    And, the box was in his hands.


    <i>Damn it. I underestimated him.</i>


    The lightweight box must have floated, and he had caught it before it could drift away.


    I swam after him with everything I had, ignoring the burn in my muscles and the cold that seeped into my bones.


    He was not getting that drug. Not under my watch. Not as long as I was alive.


    I did not know how or from where he had gotten it this time. Every time I destroyed one source, another surfaced. It was like hydra heads. Cut one off and two more grew in its ce.


    Was I such a failure that I could not eliminate them all?


    By the time I reached the shore, he had already hauled himself out of the water. And I followed.


    We stood there, soaked to the skin, chests heaving, breaths ragged from the punishing fall and the long swim across what felt like an endless stretch of water.


    The box was still in his grasp.


    "Rafe, listen to me."


    This time I forced myself to remain rational, to keep my voice steady despite the storm raging within me.


    "You listen to me, Luke," he snapped, his eyes zing with a fury he rarely allowed anyone to witness. He dragged a hand through his damp hair, pushing it back from his face. "Why the fuck do you have to meddle in my life all the time? Why the fuck can¡¯t you stay away from my matters?"


    Anger did not suit him, yet it made him startlingly real. He had always worn the mask of the careless, unbothered, cool bastard who drifted through life untouched. To see that mask crack unsettled me.


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 Chapter 362: It Fucking Hurt

    <h4>Chapter 362: It Fucking Hurt</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    It seemed I had finally struck thest nerve he possessed.


    But, I did not care.


    "I can¡¯t," I answered quietly, taking a deliberate step toward him. "We are brothers. We protect each other."


    "Fuck with this brotherhood," he snapped. His chest rose and fell with a deep breath, then another, as he tried to steady the tremor in his temper. "You have a mate, you are doing good. Why can¡¯t you just let me be and focus on her? Why are you here after me? Want to kiss me again just to save me? Or rather fuck me?"


    "Rafe..."


    "So that you can go to her and tell her you did it again just to protect me? That how great are you to sacrifice your dignity into kissing and fucking another man just to save him? And then, it meant nothing to you at all, huh?" Other than anger, there was a hurt in his eyes. His voice rose in anger and frustration, "You don¡¯t have to do anything for me either. Stop being my protector already. You don¡¯t do things that you don¡¯t mean, Luke. Don¡¯t make me hate you."


    Gosh! My heart was beating at fullest, unsure how I had hurt him or rather I was the one hurt here.


    He heard it when I told Eira it meant nothing to me. That kiss was nothing. But yeah, it¡¯s suppose to be that way, isn¡¯t it? He wanted the same if I am not wrong.


    "I don¡¯t mean it when I kissed you?" finally, I said, my jaw clenched, teeth gritted, "Who was the one to act like it meant nothing to him once it was over. Who was the to ignore me like I am some idiot to even kiss you?"


    "So it meant something to you?" he asked, anger still there.


    I was the same, angry and breathing heavy in frustration. "Just like it meant nothing to you."


    I didn¡¯t know what I meant to say, or what he understood from what I said.


    We just stared at each other as if fighting in silence.


    "We are done," he said, "forever."


    <i>What does he mean? </i>I wondered.


    "Look," he said atst, lifting his gaze to meet mine. Other than anger, it carried earnest pleading. Desperation. "Just this once, alright? I need it this time. Please don¡¯t spoil it for me. It was difficult to get it already."


    The words were almost calm, and he was still struggling to breathe evenly.


    He was adamant about taking that drug. And I was adamant about stopping him.


    He knew it. I saw the realization harden behind his eyes. He had to hurry.


    The bastard began edging away from me, one cautious step at a time, as though retreating from a predator. His movements were subtle, calcted, seeking an opening, an escape.


    But he knew as well as I did that escaping me was nearly impossible.


    He understood my intentions perfectly.


    As he continued stepping back, his fingers worked with deceptive ease over the box. Sneakily. Methodically. I caught the faint click as he loosened it, preparing to draw out the syringe hidden inside.


    All the while, he held my gaze, keeping me engaged, weaving his words carefully.


    "Luke, I promise this will be thest time. You should understand why I need it. You of all people, I expect to understand me. We aren¡¯t just brothers, but something more than that..."


    He was trying to upy my mind, to dull my focus with conversation.


    But I was not the fool he hoped I would be.


    I knew he was not in a condition to fight me. The hunger in his veins had weakened him, thinned his strength, made his body restless but unsteady.


    And I was going to use that.


    My gaze never left his hands. I saw every subtle movement, every calcted shift of his fingers. He was only a heartbeat away from driving that syringe into his skin.


    If he had been any ordinary werewolf, he would have been struggling for his life in my hands by now.


    But Rafe was not ordinary.


    Which meant I could not afford even the smallest mistake.


    My fists tightened at my sides as I gathered my strength, drawing upon the full extent of my power. My vision sharpened, darkened, narrowing until there was nothing in the world except him and the object in his hand.


    "Kael?" I said suddenly, ncing over his shoulder as though someone stood behind him.


    The reaction was instant.


    His focus broke.


    He turned.


    And in that single, precious moment, I moved.


    The world seemed to flip for him. One second he stood braced and guarded, the next he was mmed against the rough bark of a tree, my forearm pinning his shoulders firmly in ce as I stood behind him. My other hand had already wrenched the box from his grasp, the syringe slipping free into my hold.


    "Luke!" he snarled.


    "You are not getting it today," I said, leaving no room for argument, no softness in my tone.


    He finally rxed as if he couldn¡¯t fight me at the moment. The bloodlust and not getting what he wanted, had turned him weak to fight me.


    I felt bad, but what I felt won¡¯t help him.


    Silence settled between us, thick and suffocating. He let his forehead fall against the tree trunk, the rough bark scraping against his skin. It was a gesture I knew too well.


    He had given up.


    Slowly, I eased my hold and stepped back, freeing him.


    But I did not lower my guard.


    "I want to see her newborn child," he said quietly, still facing the tree, his palms braced against the bark as though it were the only thing keeping him upright. "I want to hold her child like it¡¯s mine. I want to feel what it means to be a father even if it¡¯s not mine, and that happiness of having a family. I want to tell her how strong she is, and thank her for giving us another child."


    He was not arguing with me now.


    He was confessing.


    "I can¡¯t mate with her. I can¡¯t have a child with her. I can¡¯t stay with her for the rest of our lives," he continued, his shoulders trembling faintly. "But am I not allowed this happiness at least? I want to feel it all. Is that too much to ask for?"


    <i>Fuck!</i>


    My chest tightened as though a massive stone had been dropped upon it, crushing the air from my lungs.


    "You can," I said softly, though the words felt fragile. "Trust me..."


    "You know the truth," he cut in, still not turning around. "I am already at the edge. But I want to hold on until she gives birth and I fulfill my wish. That¡¯s why I need this drug, but..."


    "I am trying to find a way," I insisted, even as doubt wed at me.


    "I don¡¯t have that much time," he interrupted again, finally turning to face me.


    And when he did, I saw it.


    Tears.


    After so long, after everything we had endured, I had never seen him look like that. The sight of those tears hurt me more than I could have imagined. It felt like a de twisting slowly beneath my ribs.


    It fucking hurt!

 Chapter 363: Lucian’s Unspoken Feelings- I

    <h4>Chapter 363: Lucian¡¯s Unspoken Feelings- I</h4>


    <strong>Lucian¡¯s POV</strong>


    He sank to his knees, his body giving way as though the strength had simply drained out of him. His head bowed low, shoulders hunched in defeat.


    Helpless.


    "If you have ever thought of me as something," he said hoarsely, "let me have this. Don¡¯t take my only dream away from me. I can¡¯t hold on any longer without that drug."


    My resolve wavered.


    My vision blurred as my own eyes grew moist. He was not the kind of man who broke. Not even at the brink of death. Not even when the world had stripped him of everything.


    And yet here he was, shattered before me.


    I swore to myself I never wanted to see him like this again.


    I drew in a slow breath, forcing my lungs to expand, forcing my mind to steady itself against the turmoil he had stirred within me. My hand, which had been poised to crush the box without hesitation, gradually loosened its grip.


    Instead, I walked toward him.


    "I will let you have it just this once," I said atst.


    He lifted his head. Hope, fragile yet unmistakable, shed across his eyes.


    "But," I continued firmly, "I will inject it. And only a little. I will not allow you the entire syringe."


    "Fine," he agreed at once, too quickly. "As long as it helps mest a few more months."


    The desperation in his voice did not escape me.


    I slipped the box into my back pocket and kept the syringe in my hand as I knelt before him.


    "Hand," I ordered quietly.


    He extended his arm.


    I unsealed the syringe with steady fingers and pressed the needle carefully into his skin. My eyes remained fixed on the barrel as I began to depress the plunger, releasing only a measured amount.


    But in the next instant, his hand closed over mine.


    Before I could react, he forced the plunger down, emptying the syringe entirely.


    "Rafe," I snarled, attempting to pull back.


    It was toote. Most of the drug had already entered his bloodstream.


    I yanked the syringe away and red at him, fury zing through me.


    "The fuck did you just do, bastard?"


    He remainedposed. Calm. Almost content. Slowly, he rose to his feet as though nothing had happened.


    "That little wouldn¡¯t have worked," he said lightly, looking down at me, even managing a faint smile. "Thanks."


    That sad exterior of his now returned to his usual smug one.


    I hated him in that moment.


    I shot to my feet and shoved him back against the tree, my hand closing around his throat. My teeth ground together as I tightened my grip just enough to make my warning clear.


    "Don¡¯t ever take advantage of my trust and kindness. I hate it the most."


    He did not struggle.


    Instead, he smirked.


    "Calm down and go back to your mate," he said evenly, his voice only slightly strained. "I am sure she holds more interest to you than the anger you are feeling at me."


    My furious gaze roamed over his infuriatingly smug face, which only deepened my rage. I had never known what to do with him. He was impossible to control, impossible to predict. And I hated it.


    "Are you done with her after only one night?" he continued, deliberately provoking. "Are you that weak?"


    "Weak?" I spat, my grip tightening.


    "Are you not? Then go back to her."


    "Are you trying to provoke me into something else?" I asked, leaning closer, my breath warm against his skin.


    "Am I? Why would I?" His feigned innocence only fanned the mes within me. "What would I even provoke you into... Ugh..."


    Before he could finish that infuriating sentence, I crushed my mouth against his.


    One second I had him pinned against the tree, my hand tight around his throat, fury burning through me, and the next my mouth was on his.


    It was not gentle. It was not nned.


    It was fury. Frustration. Fear. Everything I had refused to acknowledge.


    I did not care if he called me out for itter. I did not care what this meant, or what itplicated between us.


    In that moment, silencing him felt just right.


    To be precise, kissing him felt just right.


    My fingers were still twisted in his shirt, gripping the fabric as though I could not decide whether to pull him closer or shove him away. My lips continued against his, teeth grazing, breath colliding. I tasted salt from the water and the faint metallic hint of blood where his lip must have split earlier.


    For a heartbeat, he froze. Then he kissed me back.


    His hands came up and gripped my wrists. Not to push me away. Not to fight.


    To hold.


    That only made it worse.


    I kissed him harder, as if I could force all my rage into him. As if I could make him feel what he had just done to me. The fear. The helplessness. The fucking terror of watching him choose death in slow motion.


    He answered with equal intensity.


    His back pressed more firmly against the rough bark of the tree as he tilted his head, allowing the kiss to deepen. His grip tightened, pulling me a fraction closer instead of retreating. There was defiance in it. There was always defiance in him.


    My breath turned ragged. So did his.


    The world around us seemed to vanish. There was no cliff. No drug. No ticking clock looming over his life.


    There was only heat.


    Only him.


    I did not intend for it to change, but it did.


    The violence in the kiss began to thin. My jaw loosened. My grip shifted from punishing to the want and need I felt. My mouth still moved against his, but something else had taken root beneath the anger.


    <i>Stay.</i>


    <i>Do not leave me.</i>


    <i>Do not make me watch you die.</i>


    I did not speak the words. I poured them into the kiss instead.


    His fingers slowly slid down my arms, no longer gripping in challenge. His breath trembled faintly against my mouth.


    When the kiss finally broke, it was not because I wanted it to.


    It happened gradually. Our lips parted inch by inch, reluctant to let go. My forehead almost brushed his. I could feel his breath against my skin, warm despite the cold water that still clung to us.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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