Astra's POVWhen I woke the morning after our wedding night, I found Ramsey still by my side. I turned my head, staring at his peaceful face as he slept on, oblivious to what was going on around him.I sighed as I watched him, his raven-black hair billowing around his head in curtains. His eyelashes were long and dark, forming shadows shaped like crescents under his eyes. The sun filtering from the window above our heads cast his face into bright lines, and a thin sheen of sweat was already forming on his forehead.I loved him so much. I was so scared of him that even the thought of something bad happening to him made me scared out of my wits.And I could not believe that we were finally married, irrespective of the big disruption from Noah."I love you, Ramsey." I whispered to him."Astra...." He breathed my name as he slept on.I raised my hand and caressed his cheek, remembering Noah and all that had happened the previous day. The sight of my former mate after almost a year of bein
Noah's POVThe ride back to my pack was the most silent I had ever taken.The silence pressed against us like a cold, wet blanket, sucking out the last of my hopes. My beta, Jasper, sat by me in the carriage. He was murmuring words of encouragement, but I wasn't listening. My mind was miles away, back in that pack house with Astra looking at me. Her eyes had held me the moment I had stared into them, the same way they had held my soul when we were still mates. It was appalling, the hold that woman still had on me. Even as I rode away from her, my heart wept with all the memories forgotten, all the chances lost.She had been my hope and sunshine. Now she was another man's.I heard Jasper sigh in frustration, and I pulled my thoughts away from the depths of despair. "Alpha, did you even listen to everything I have been saying?" He asked.I peeled my eyes away from the window pf the carriage and stared at him. His eyes was full of worry—worry for me, and worry for our prospects moving o
Kylie's POVI took a deep, shaky breath, my chest still heaving with anger from the confrontation with Alpha Noah. I had endured so many hurtful words and painful actions from him, but this was the height of it!As I stormed out of his office, my hands clenched into fists. The bitterness in my heart had been growing steadily, and tonight, it was definitely boiling over. "It's all Astra's fault," I muttered through gritted teeth. That crafty bitch had stolen Noah's heart, pulled him away from me, even though she was miles away with another wolf pack. How she still managed to have a hold on my mate was surprising.They had been separated for almost a year now. Noah should have forgotten about her and moved on with his life. He had gotten married to me. For the Goddess' sake, I was carrying his child! And yet he'd turned a blind eye to my feelings, gone after Astra as though she was the only woman in his life.I needed to get rid of her, for good this time. I needed to get her out of th
Noah's POVIn the early morning light, I sat behind my desk. Sun was filtering in through the window behind me, warming my back.However, what I felt inside of me was a scary coldness. A cold that had been ever since I left the Moon Stone pack without Astra.I groaned and shook my head vigorously, trying to dispel thoughts of her from my brain. Now was not the time for sentiments. Now was the time for action.I stared at the littered desk in front of me, the scattered papers reflecting my internal turmoil. My eyes were bloodshot from a sleepless night, and I couldn't shake the unease that gnawed at my conscience. I glanced up: six men stood at attention before me, including Jasper my beta, watching my every move. The room was tense, and I knew they were waiting for instructions or information.I muttered to myself, my voice strained and ragged, as if I were on the brink of madness. "Where is she? What has she done?" The papers beneath my trembling hands were filled with lists, plans,
Eleanor's POVI stood on the porch upstairs, my eyes fixed on the dense forest that surrounded the pack house. My heart was heavy with anger and disbelief. How could my son, Ramsey, have committed such an atrocious act while I was still alive? He had finally gone through with his wishes. He had finally married that girl and tainted our family line forever. The nerve!As if marrying that gypsy girl, Astra wasn't bad enough, he'd had to engage in a brawl with her former lover on his wedding day in front of hundreds of guests.I had watched the faces of the invited royal guests as Ramsey had fought with that alpha. They had been horrified—of course, they had to act horrified to look like they were on our side—but underneath the horror, I had seen amusement and jest, as clear as day on their faces.They were making fun of us in secret, I knew. They also wondered, like me, why Ramsey had ignored all the eligible women in his pack and gone for a mere commoner instead. A woman who was made
Ramsey's POVI stormed out of the pack house, leaving my mother on the porch. Anger coursed through me like a tempest, fueled by her stubborn refusal to accept Astra. But beneath the anger, a gnawing worry and fear for my mother's well-being lingered.She was a stubborn woman, my mother. But this seemed to be the height of it. She would rather starve than accept Astra!As I walked through the halls of the pack house and out into the open, I couldn't shake the image of my mother's sad and haggard appearance. She looked as if my wedding to Astra was taking a toll on her, and it pained me to see her in such a state. Yet, I knew that I couldn't reject Astra because of her. Eleanor was my mother, but Astra was the love of my life.I reminded myself that Eleanor hadn't eaten for days, which explained her pallor and sickly appearance. She needed nourishment, and perhaps, once she ate, she would feel better. At least, that's what I hoped.I couldn't lose either of them. They were the two mos
Ramsey's POVColin's words rang in my ears like an alarm bell. I stood rooted to the spot, staring into his eyes as if they held unknown secrets. "Alpha?" He called out to me, and I gave a small start."How is the situation of things at the border now?" I asked. "How are our soldiers holding up?""We're taking the lead, Alpha." Colin replied. "But you have to come, fast.""I always knew Ramsey would make good on his promise to come back for Astra," I muttered savagely, anger coursing through my veins. "No, Alpha." Colin muttered quietly. "These aren't Noah's men."I glanced up at him. "Who are they, then?""They're...." He paused. "They seem to be rogue wolves. I don't know where they're from or who sent them, but they're here."Rogue wolves?!Astra appeared at the door, a worried frown on her face. "Did you say rogue wolves?" She asked Colin.Colin opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted. "Astra, it is nothing you need to worry about." I grabbed her shoulders and tried to turn
Kylie's POVMy heart was thudding against my chest. Relentless and merciless.I couldn't rest; no, I couldn't. Not until I heard news from Kenneth himself.As I paced the perimeter of my room, my mind went back and forth, exploring several possibilities of what might have happened on that battlefield. The fact that I hadn't heard any news from Kenneth all night was extremely worrying.After I'd instructed him to go all the way to Moon Stone Pack to kill Astra, Kenneth had gathered all the rogue wolves he could find. That wasn't exactly hard, as he was a rogue wolf himself, an outcast from another pack. Nobody knew about that, except for me.He'd come here last night to bid me a last goodbye, before climbing out of my window, blending into the night like a dark shadow. Now it was high afternoon of the next day, and the sun was already floating across the sky. It would soon be evening, and still yet there was no news from him.Had he been captured?Was he dead?I stopped short in the mi