PEONY CRIMSON’S POV"Get off of me!" I struggled to break free from Xander's excruciating hold on my hands as he pulled me towards the tower. My heart was being squeezed by the bond, causing my chest to hurt, as Xander and I were experiencing similar strong emotions that may clash.Quietly, the two witches trailed after. Even though I was clearly dragged against my will, they chose to disregard me. I realized that with Xander's marriage to Azalea, he automatically gained power and authority over the Ravens as well. The wolf pack and the coven were normally partners on the basis of mutual benefit. One cannot dominate or control the other.Xander slammed the door to the room where the triplets were being cared for and shoved me inside. Gloria caught me in time before my face hit the floor. The door slammed before my eyes, even as I tried to pull the knob. It was stuck frozen by magic."Don't you fucking let any of them leave this room!" Xander's anger-filled voice rang out from behind
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVThe sweet warmth in Xavier's arms brought a sense of safety and serenity to my soul. For a few seconds, the world seemed to be ours alone. I drank in the rhythm of his heart, merging with my own. To the love I found in the way his eyes looked at me, a single tear slid from the corner of my eye.As he gently set me back down on the ground, out of nowhere an excruciating pain pierced my chest, making my breath catch in my throat."Ouch!" I hissed softly, trying to endure the pain. Xavier noticed immediately, his eyes full of worry as he released his embrace."Peony, what happened?" His voice was full of anxiety."Ughh!" I groaned, "I don't feel good."I squeezed my left chest, which felt as though thousands of needles were sticking out of it. My head was heavy and my breathing was laborious. Breathing became challenging, as if something were tightly constricted around my chest. The intense beating against my ribs and the churning sensation in my stomach made the pain
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVThe bright light gradually went out of my perception as my surroundings shifted. We were standing in the front yard of the packmansion, which appeared to be glowing after some repairs, with Xavier's hand still around my waist. The procession of maids and employees greeting us surprised me even more. "Welcome back," Xavier whispered, landing a sweet peck on my forehead."Welcome back Luna Peony." they all bowed respectfully.I didn't see this coming. Really, the last time I was here, they all seemed to have forgotten about me. Yet now they were bowing respectfully to welcome my return to White Moon. Xavier led me inside. I glanced at the maids and caught Fey among them. She threw me a fleeting smile of encouragement before bowing again. "What? Why do they call me that?" I asked, "I don't need this kind of excessive respect."Xavier giggled softly. "You need to. Zedd announced it officially yesterday."As I tightened my grip on Xavier's arm, I looked back. There w
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVI rested on Xavier's shoulder and closed my eyes, listening to the calm, regular beat of his heart. His arms encircled my nude body beneath the sheets. I could temporarily forget all the chaos in my life while I was in his warm, secure hug. For the remainder of my life, I needed this comfort, and my triplets did too.I told Luna Lucia about my dream a few hours before dawn, and then Xavier returned to convince me to go to bed. But knowing that Rose and Violet's fate was uncertain, how could I sleep? My longing for Jasmine was intensely pressing against my chest as well. I ended myself whimpering beneath Xavier as he kissed my anxieties off my body rather than falling asleep.I noticed that hues of purple and orange were beginning to emerge in the pitch-black sky outside the window. My body was exhausted from lack of sleep, but at least I was able to think a little more clearly and be more composed than I had been the night before.I blinked, watching Xavier play a
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVElenor gasped. "How?" Alpha Aragon and I assisted Luna as Xavier got a chair for her to sit in. I believed they had rushed here without caring enough about her pregnant self to tell me this right away. Alpha Aragon took off his jacket and set it on his wife's shoulder.I sent Elenor off with Gloria to take care of Rose and Violet's stability because I felt that the ritual would not be performed that day."How could the goddess reach you?" I asked."She came into my dream last night, just like you had that day." She more or less told me that in her dream, the Moon Goddess appeared in the form of a wolf exactly like the one I had seen in my own dream. I still couldn't believe that such a seemingly harmless and meaningless dream was related to all this."So we just cancel this ritual?" Xavier asked, "What do we do, then?"Luna Lucia asked Alpha Aragon to fetch an ancient calendar from the temple's storage cabinet. While scanning the dates on the calendar, Luna Lucia
AZALEA'S POVWith a snap, all the crystals on the hallway wall lit up. Its soft yellowish glow illuminated the darkness but still left enough shadow. I walked down the passage as I traced the surface of the wall with my fingertips. Feeling the dampness and coldness of the stones, and listening to everything that happened behind them. A tower for a witch wasn't just a building to live or work in, it was also a true friend and a good reporter. Because I could listen to everything that happened inside the tower with just one touch.I swung the door wide open. I ordered the two witches who were observing Jasmine's green crystal's performance to leave. The normally talkative and curious six-year-old girl remained completely quiet. To be frank, this was quite a pleasant sight. She never seemed to run out of questions, always keeping me on my toes and making my head spin. "Now what should I do with you?" I asked the air. I circled the bed, scanning the girl's body and the blackish patche
AZALEA’S POV"Did someone die?" I chuckled, "Peony, perhaps? No?"The calico cat wriggled her tail in the air as she leered at the door. I opened it, going where the cat's slick paws took me. When we eventually reached the tower, the cat changed into a fiery-haired woman in an instant."You're not going to like this," she said with a grimly serious expression."What is it, Elenor?" She didn't say anything until we arrived at Jasmine's infirmary. When we entered, Elenor leered at the girl then let out a long sigh as if being consumed by disappointment."She is not the blessed one.""Then is it Violet?" I asked, but she stared at me in dismay.To be honest, from the moment I saw the triplets on the day I took them in, my eyes had fallen on Violet. Her eyes showed that she was a brave and determined little girl who wasn't afraid to say what she thought or deal with the problems life brought her. She really nailed the role of the older sister. There was something in her eyes—a hint of
XANDER ALVERIUS' POV"Son of a bitch!" I threw my phone against the wall with anger boiling in my head when two knocks on the door came. "What do you want?" I snapped."Alpha, I brought the report you asked for yesterday." The voice came from Stuart. I wiped my face roughly, ignoring my phone that was shattered on the floor, and flung myself into a chair. "Come in."Stuart approached me with a reserved demeanor. He held a bunch of papers and added them to the chaotic heap on the desk. I casted a casual glance at the documents, my lack of interest evident as I reclined in the chair.Stuart cleared his throat. "First, I heard a rumor that Miss Peony and your brother have officially made their relationship.""Ha. I figured as much." I groaned, "I paid a hell of a lot of pain because of it."Deep down inside my left chest beat a heart, but no one could hear it since it was replaced by an enormous hole that only I could see. A void brought from the mating bond break. A clue that, while de