PEONY CRIMSON'S POV "N-No, Vi-Violet. She's gonna break her promise again and again!" I cried out, grimacing at the pain wracking my head and body every time I tried to open my mouth. Killian rewarded me with an angry glare, as his hands clenched into fists, the more pain his shadow tormented me with.“Silence!” Azalea gasped, “The first thing I'll do after absorbing her blessing is to kill you!”I laughed like crazy. “You hear that, sweetheart?”Violet pressed Rose even closer in her arms. She had a defensive look in her eyes as she shielded her sister with fierce protectiveness. Azalea seemed weary of this little game. Her steps galloped closer. No matter how loud I screamed, Killian held me down with his magic and Azriel restrained me from getting up. My face repeatedly slammed into the ground, I swallowed dust and grass, but no matter what I had to stop Azalea from touching my daughters.And then, at the promised moment, it was like time stopped and everything went silent. In a
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVThe gravestone bore Xander's name. A sculptor from Blue Moon skillfully carved it in no time. Even the carver was shocked when he was told to write his Alpha's name on it. This was due to the unpredictability of the man's permanent departure from the world.I was still in denial too. Only a few nights ago, Xander and I were finally on the same page, but later, I witnessed his body being placed in a casket and lowered into the grave.My eyes were swollen and my cheeks were puffy. My chest ached and my head was spinning. My energy was so drained that I didn't know how I'd find the strength to stand in front of Xander's grave. I was so mentally and physically exhausted that everything felt numb.My gaze shifted to the dozens of bouquets of flowers piled up on the mound of dirt. All of Blue Moon exploded in grief when the news came, then they flocked to accompany their Alpha to his final resting place. Xander was ruthless, volatile, and as fiery as his blood-red eyes,
PEONY CRIMSON'S POV Ten years later.His tongue swept across my teeth, claiming every inch of my mouth as his own. I was breathless, but with his hand on my ass, I couldn't help but deepen our kiss. The warm spring sunlight from the window falls on my hand on Xavier's nape. In his office, I was on his lap, pausing the kiss to take a deep breath. Our eyes met, locked, and the explosion of love in my heart grew greater and greater by the second.Xavier's thumb wiped away the saliva on the corner of my lips. His golden eyes glistened with warmth. His hand on my waist gave me a sense of security and comfort that hasn't gotten old at all over the past years.Xavier's hand traveled down my skirt. His touch burned every inch of skin and stung my inner thighs. I bit my lower lip when he rubbed my skin so gently and temptingly. I could see his mischievous grin when his finger slipped under my panties.“AHEM!” I gasped in surprise, almost falling over if Xavier didn't hold my waist. We both
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVLife on the run was hard, especially with my triplets. I didn't live a day without fear. Terrible secrets cloaked in beauty ready to pounce from the darkness. And my three daughters don't need to face any of that.On that morning, I gave each of my beautiful six-year-old triplets—Rose, Jasmine, and Violet—a charm before they left for school. The charm contained some magic to cloud their aura. As a werewolf, it’s the thing I did to keep my daughters hidden among the mortal. The triplets didn’t know this fact. I told them it was my secret way of making them feel special. The charms were made from wood and carved into the shape of flowers and butterflies. Each of them wore one on a silver chain around their neck.“Don’t lose your charms today,” I said. “Promise me.” I smiled at them with loving eyes.“Yes, Mama!” The girls nodded obediently and kissed me goodbye. Then they went off to school.Our next-door neighbor Gloria, a mid-level witch who opened a tarot shop,
PEONY CRIMSON’S POV“Leave us alone now, Stuart.” The man with sparkling red eyes shooed him away. Stuart nodded obediently and walked away. He was leaving my confused little girls behind.“Sir, with all due respect, that man is our Papa!” Violet raised her voice first. She was staring boldly at the red-eyed man.As if gaining strength too, Jasmine also chimed in with a stuttering voice, “R-Right, why did you tell him to leave?”“This is our first time meeting Papa!” Rose added.In my place, I just froze without being able to prevent my triplets protested. Even I couldn’t tell them whom they talked to. He was Xander Alverius, an Alpha of the Blue Moon pack. He was miles away on the end side of the continent, but what was he doing here? My mind and my motherly instincts collided. I had to pull my triplets away, but my legs wouldn’t move. I must look like a fool.“Why do you think Stuart is your Papa?” Xander asked, his arms folded across his chest. Arrogance was visible in the way he
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVIn a room illuminated solely by a small bedside lamp, I sat in a chair facing a big bed on which my three daughters lay soundly asleep.“And thus, the prince and princess lived happily ever after,” I ended, concluding their bedtime storytelling session. Closing the book, I tucked in all the girls and kissed each of their foreheads.I smiled thinly at their innocent faces, whispering, “Sleep well, Rose, Jasmine, Violet. You are my treasures, and I will always protect you at any cost.”After closing the bedroom door, I hurried out of my apartment and pounded on my neighbor’s door. “Gloria! Gloria, open up!” I impatiently cried out. The door swung open, revealing Gloria in her nightgown.“Uh…do you know it’s midnight?” yawned Gloria.I nodded. “I know! I came after putting my daughters to bed. Let me in!”“Fine, fine…Sorry, it’s a mess. You can sit there.”I didn’t mind the state of the middle-class witch’s apartment, so I immediately sat on the sofa. My heart raced a
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVI sat nervously in the uncomfortable plastic chair of the police station, my heart racing in anxiety and fear. I had come here to report my missing triplets, but the officers seemed to provide little support to help me.Despite giving them Xander name as the one I suspected behind the disappearance, the police had yet to take action. I could feel my patience wearing thin, my frustration building every second.As I sat there, staring blankly at the wall, I couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal. I had always believed that the police were there to protect and serve, but now it seemed like they were more interested in dragging their feet to buy donuts than helping me.I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I knew that getting angry wouldn't solve anything, but keeping my emotions in check was hard when worrying about my daughters.Just then, the door to the interrogation room swung open, and a gruff-looking officer entered. He didn't bother to introduce
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVI didn’t get a decent night’s sleep while my daughters were still out there. It wasn't clear how they were doing. Since I gave birth to them six years ago, I never relinquished their hands for more than seven hours. Every second, I always wanted to see Rose, Jasmine, and Violet. They’re the driving force behind my determination to keep going in this cruel world.I laid down on my triplet’s big bed. I sniffed their scent heartily, hoping to get a little clue about their whereabouts. I also opened the window wide. It made it easy for me to pray to the Moon Goddess, who I believed was watching me from the sky.Imperceptibly, tears melted from the end of my eyes. I managed to get the comfort I wanted for Rose, Jasmine, and Violet, but why did the new problem appear? I sobbed alone, hugging my daughters' favorite teddy bears.Xander shouldn't come into my new life. I was tired of crying, begging, and even fighting for my position just to be seen in his eyes. But everyt