XAVIER'S POVFucking hell! This is not how I planned the night to get over. I ran my hands through my hair multiple times, remembering Athena's retreating figure.I did not spend five hours of my day, planning and decorating the backyard only to have her crying by the end of it all. I fucked up. I know. But she didn't understand my point. I wasn't taking anyone's side, to begin with. And I knew if I had to take sides, then it would always be Athena's. I would choose her again and again in a heartbeat. Scarlet really meant nothing. Not anymore. My heart doesn't jackhammer against my ribcage, neither do I feel the connection or sparks when I look at her. It's all empty. I only feel that way when I see Athena. There is not a single thread of bond left that is connecting me with Scarlet. Because I had rejected her. Completely. And she had accepted the rejection. Not like either one of us had a choice. But I didn't regret any of it. Not one bit, when I had Athena in my life now. She was a

XAVIER'S POVMy heart hammered in my chest as Cameron's words pierced the air, shattering the morning's anticipation of surprising Athena with breakfast. "Athena... missing?" I stumbled over the words, a surreal dissonance filling the room that had once been saturated with the scent of pancakes and love..Dread tightened its grip, coiling around me like a serpent. The joyful expectation of making things right between us twisted into a sickening knot of fear. I desperately clung to the hope that Cameron had misunderstood, that Athena was just momentarily absent. But Cameron's solemn expression crushed any delusions, and the reality sank in, heavy and suffocating.Without wasting another second, I rushed to the Luna Chambers and see it for myself. Cameron could have been mistaken. He wouldn't have searched properly. I pushed the door open, half-expecting Athena's playful smile to greet me. Instead, the room held an eerie stillness. The bed, neatly made, mocked the absence of her presenc

ATHENA'S POVMy body convulses, and a guttural scream tears through the air. Unbearable heat seared through my veins, as if a thousand fiery needles puncture my skin simultaneously as his nails dug in my arms to hold me still.Nate's grasp tightens, restraining my thrashing form. In this agony-fueled haze, I glimpse his elongated canines, ominous in the dim light. A primal instinct warns me of the impending bite. Panic grips me, but I can't break free from his vice-like hold.As his teeth sink into my neck, a searing wave of pain radiates from the point of contact. It's an unrelenting torrent, consuming my senses and drowning me in torment. The world blurs as my vision flickers with flashes of anguish.“No!” I screamed, trashing in his hold, but all my attempts were futile. The drug was in its complete effect and I could hardly move my limbs, let alone fight him. The only thing that I could do was scream. Which I doubted could reach anyone because all the walls of Moon Stone pack were

ATHENA'S POVMy eyes fluttered open, and an immediate surge of pain shot through every fiber of my being. The world around me spun in a disorienting blur. Attempting to move, I found my body resisting, muscles protesting with a fiery ache that reverberated through me. I fought against the urge to groan.The creak of a door broke through the haze, drawing my attention. Nate entered with relief marking his face."You're awake," he breathed, a mix of exhaustion and concern coloring his voice. Instinctively, I flinched away, unable to reconcile his familiarity with my fractured memories.He approached cautiously, worry in his eyes. "Easy, Athena. You've been out for over 48 hours. I was starting to think..." He trailed off, leaving the unspoken fear lingering in the air."48 hours?" I croaked, the effort to speak sending a shiver of pain down my spine. Confusion clouded my mind as I struggled to grasp the gravity of his words. "What happened?"Nate's gaze softened as he took another step

AUTHOR'S POV Xavier, accompanied by Cameron, Colby, Devon, and his fierce warriors in their wolf forms, tore through the underbrush with a singular purpose – to reach the Moonstone pack and find Athena. The urgency in Xavier's steps mirrored the rage that fueled his every move. It was Nate who had taken Athena, and Xavier's determination to rescue her burned like a wildfire within him.As they neared the outskirts of the Moonstone pack territory, the guards emerged from the shadows, forming a human barricade before the intruders. “Stop right there. You cannot enter without permission by the Alpha. Xavier's wolf’s eyes blazed with a lethal intensity. He didn't have time for this bullshit. Without a moment's hesitation, he launched into a merciless assault, taking down one of them guards. It was a signal for the rest of them to attack after their Alpha. Bones snapped beneath his powerful claws as he plowed through the guards, a silent promise echoing in the air that Nate would pay fo