LiyaSunrise came with a sour dose of memories, the type that caused me to swallow hard every minute.I was returning to the place I had been running from in the first place, trying to protect the same person that had made me leave.I wondered how she was doing, we hadn’t communicated in months, but I suppose she had her way of taking care of herself. She had always been a survival, and even though I thought she was weak some times, now I understand better.“Good morning Liya,” James smiled at me, as he took a seat beside me at the breakfast table.Yesterday, when I had agreed to return with my mates, James insisted on coming with me, and I may have accepted for two reasons.A justified one, which meant I needed James by my side as my friend and someone I really trusted.And also a petty one, his presence obviously pissed the triplets, and I would give anything for it to stay that way. If they wanted to play that game, they picked the wrong opponent.“Are you alright, Liya?” James que
Liya’s POVWe were standing so close to each other, but it felt like a giant hole separated us, wider than the distance between our packs.I looked at them, my heart a tangled mess of longing and resentment.Despite the tension, I ached for them, a central need gnawing at me. They were mine, my mates. I loved and missed them, but I still hated them.‘I hate my mates,’ I echoed in my head. For some reason, it gave me a twisted satisfaction, because I meant it.They had bullied me physically, and I was currently doing the emotional ‘bullying,’ and there was not much they could do about it.‘But we are also affected’ My wolf whined, but I ignored her.My wolf whined within me at the same time I felt the mate pull. It was so strong it almost knocked me over.I better not be going in heat. What the fuck was that?I was uncomfortable and I knew it was obvious. They could probably tell that I missed their touch and I wanted them. We were mates after all.I missed their touch, and craved thei
Liya’s POVHunter sighed, and looked at me, "Alright, Liya. What exactly do you want?""Simple," I said, my voice firm. "We want to be independent. We don't need you telling us what to do or how to live."Gunter scoffed. "Independent? You can't just waltz in here and demand independence for a rogue pack. It doesn't work that way!""Why not?" I challenged. "We have a strong alpha, a growing pack, and we're capable of taking care of ourselves.""But for how long?" Hunter countered. "Sooner or later, you'll attract unwanted attention. Other packs will see you as a threat, a loose cannon, and they'll come for you."“Then, let them come. Let them fucking come!” I seethed, angry at how low they thought about my pack.“Liya-” Gunter started but I was not done. “Let me remind you that you made the majority of them who they are now. You destroyed my father’s pack, leaving the ones that survived to become rogues. No one wanted them in their packs, why? Because of you, because of this very pack
Liya’s POVI stormed back towards the clearing where I left my pack members waiting. Frustration simmered in my veins, hot and angry. The negotiations, if you could even call them that, had gone about as well as a snowball in hell."Well?" Anya asked, her voice laced with concern as I approached. The others all turned to look at me, their faces etched with worry."Negotiations are over," I announced, my voice firm but laced with disappointment. "They're not willing to accept our independence."A collective groan went up from them. They knew, just as I did, that being a rogue pack wouldn't be easy. But they were also fiercely loyal, and the thought of bowing down to the A pack was unbearable."What happened?" James asked, his brow furrowed. He knelt down in front of me, his blue eyes searching mine.I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. There was no point in unleashing my fury on them."Basically, they want us to become part of their pack, give up our independence," I expl
Gunter’s POVThe moment I saw James lean in towards Liya, my wolf growled a warning. The audacity of the rogue! He was clearly trying to rile us up, to assert some kind of dominance over our mate.I scoffed with this believe. That little act was merely an intended provocation, an attempt to make us jealous. But before I could intervene, Ryder and Hunter were already there, their own possessive instincts flaring.My brothers obviously reacted with aggression. I wanted to join them, to teach James a lesson for disrespecting us and our claim on Liya.But something held me back. A flicker of understanding, a sense of strategy that often kept me grounded when my brothers were consumed by their emotions.This wasn't the time for a brawl. Liya was already on edge, and a fight would only push her further away.Before I could do something to try to de-escalate the situation, Hunter had already snatched Liya and Ryder shoved James aside. I smiled a little as Ryder stopped himself from injuring
Liya’s POVAnger flared in my eyes as Gunter opened the door, standing there shocked like he was not with his brothers in whatever rubbish they planned to do with me.There I was, half-naked and chained to the damn bed like a prisoner, while Hunter stood there, his face contorted in a grimace, and his hands clenched to fists.I could feel the anger radiate from him, but I was even more pissed. I hoped my powers would not seep out in this room as I was chained to the bed against my will. I could easily break through the chains but I was unsure if I wanted them to see that yet.The room was hot, and I know majority of the heat came from me. Furious was an understatement to how I was feeling. And what pissed me off even more was that My wolf was enjoying it.“Why the fuck would you like being chained on a bed” I seethed internally. “Because they are our mates” She replied, her voice too giddy for my liking.“They might as well claim us right here since the third brother is here. They wou
Liya’s POV"Don't worry, Luna Hana," I promised, squeezing her hand back. "I won't forget you. As soon as things settle down with the pack, I'm getting you out of here."She gave me a smile and turned away from me, her gaze distant. "I appreciate that, Liya. But for now, I'm content to stay hidden. The last thing I want is to cause you more trouble."We hugged, my heart warming towards her, a silent promise hanging in the air. Then, with a final wave goodbye, I turned and left the den.The walk back to the main house was filled with a whirlwind of emotions. Hana's words echoed in my mind: the triplets were trying to change. Were they really?A part of me wanted to believe it. After all, Gunter's apology had felt sincere, and his suggestion to visit Hana definitely wasn't a controlling move.But the other part of me, the part that still held onto the hurt and anger, remained skeptical.As I approached the house, I saw the triplets waiting for me on the porch, their faces etched with wo
Liya’s POVTo my surprise, despite the interruption, I actually managed to sleep pretty well that night. Maybe it was the ridiculously comfortable bed, or maybe the calming scent of those herbs. Or maybe it was the unexpected warmth of three alpha bodies surrounding me – I wasn't sure.The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and vey relaxed. The triplets were nowhere to be seen, but a breakfast fit for a queen awaited me in my room.Freshly baked pastries, exotic fruits, and a steaming cup of herbal tea – they really were spoiling me rotten.As I ate my breakfast, a knock sounded on the door. Alex entered. "Good morning, Luna," he greeted with a respectful bow. "The Alphas requested your presence in the study after your meal."I raised an eyebrow. "Really? What for?" I teased, a playful glint in my eyes.A small smile played on Alex's lips. "They apologize for the inconvenience, Luna. But they believe this is a matter of… urgency."Intrigued, I nodded my head and Alex understood