《Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers》


 Chapter 1: Forsaken

    <h4>Chapter 1: Forsaken</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Tonight was supposed to be beautiful.


    The full moon was bathing the garden in silver light, illuminating the celebration in the pack. Laughter and music was filling the air as wolves danced, drank, and cheered for the future Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack - Ethan ckwood.


    <i>My Ethan</i>.


    My heart swelled as I watched him from the shadows, noticing how his golden eyes gleamed with pride. He stood tall, confident, like the very embodiment of strength and everything I had ever wanted. He was my beacon of light in this cruel world.


    For as long as I could remember, my life had been a never-ending nightmare. My mother died when I was young, and my father remarried a woman who despised me.


    My stepmother made sure I knew I wasn¡¯t wanted, and my stepsister, Lillian, took every opportunity to remind me of my worthlessness. As for my stepbrother, Damian... at his very thought, fear gnawed at my insides. He was the monster in the shadows, and the reason for my deepest fears.


    But Ethan... he had always been my escape, my sanctuary. He had cared for me when no one else did. Andst night, he had made me believe I was his.


    I was still able to feel his touch on my skin, his lips on mine, the way he made my body and soule alive.


    And tonight, I was here to confirm what I already felt deep in my soulst night. Ethan was my mate.


    My hands trembled as I stepped forward, pushing through the crowd. I could feel their eyes on me, their sneers and murmurs. I had been theughingstock of these two packs ever since my sixteenth birthday when I failed to shift.


    I was the daughter of Alpha Greystone from the Shadowfang Pack, and yet, I was wolfless. It made me nothing more than a shame on my father¡¯s legacy and name.


    But none of it mattered now as I was going to spend the rest of my life with the man who had never seen me as a mutt like everyone else.


    Ethan turned toward me as I reached him, and the moment our eyes met, something happened.


    A force unlike anything I had ever known crashed into me, searing through my veins like fire and ice. My body trembled, and I caught my breath as my vision blurred.


    The mate bond.


    It was real.


    It was <i>him</i>.


    I gasped. "Ethan..."


    And then everything went silent. Theughter died, the music stopped, and I felt the entire gardening to a still.


    At the same time, I noticed how Ethan¡¯s expression hardened before a slow smirk curled his lips, but there was no warmth in it.


    "Are you serious?" His voice was cold, filled with amusement.


    Confusion twisted inside me. "Ethan, we are mates. Don¡¯t you feel it?" I was excited to finally be mated to my boyfriend, but a strange feeling was starting to twist my insides.


    He chuckled, but it wasn¡¯t the sound I knew, the one that used tofort me. Thisugh was cruel, mocking.


    "Feel what?" he drawled. "Disgust? Humiliation? Because that¡¯s what I feel right now."


    A chill ran down my spine.


    My heart was pounding wildly, and I felt my chest tightening.


    No. No, this wasn¡¯t right.


    "Ethan," I whispered, reaching for him, st night... we..."


    His smirk widened. "We what?" He leaned in. "Did you really thinkst night meant anything?"


    Something inside me cracked at these words. I felt dizzy, as if the ground had disappeared beneath my feet.


    Ethan turned away from me and his golden eyes locked on someone else. I followed his gaze and felt my blood turn to ice.


    Lillian.


    She was standing beside him in a shimmering silver dress with her brown eyes gleaming with triumph.


    Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close before announcing, "Because I have already chosen my mate."


    I stopped breathing... for real.


    Lillian smirked down at me, tilting her head. "Oh, Eva. Poor, pathetic Eva. Did you really think you deserved a happy ending?"


    The crowd roared withughter.


    But I was barely able to process what I was experiencing. Before I could have even wrapped my mind around the betrayal, a sharp, searing pain exploded in my chest as Ethan spoke the words that broke me forever.


    "I, Ethan ckwood, reject you, Eva Greystone, as my mate."


    Agony.


    It tore through me like a thousand silver des, ripping apart every fiber of my being. My knees buckled, and I copsed to the ground, gasping.


    No. No. No.


    This wasn¡¯t happening.


    This was a nightmare.


    I clutched my chest, digging my nails into my skin as if I could physically hold myself together. My vision blurred with tears, and my body started trembling uncontrobly.


    And then... a heavy boot mmed into my back, shoving me face-first into the dirt.


    Laughter erupted around me once again while panic seized me as rough fingers tangled in my hair, yanking my head back.


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    A voice, dark and sickeningly familiar, murmured against my ear. "She looks so pretty like this. Broken. Humiliated."


    My blood turned to ice. I knew this voice - it was Damian. My stepbrother. My worst nightmare.


    His grip tightened, causing his nails to dig into my scalp. "Did you really think Ethan wanted you?" His voice was low, meant only for me. "He was mine to control, just like you are. Just like you¡¯ll always be."


    Terror flooded my veins.


    I struggled against his grip, but he only chuckled. "You have nothing now. No pack. No mate. No future." He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my skin. "And that means you belong to me."


    No.


    No.


    I had to get out of here.


    With thest of my strength, I twisted out of his grasp and ran.


    "Stop her!" someone shouted.


    But I didn¡¯t stop.


    Wolves lunged for me, but I was faster... for once. Fueled by desperation, I tore through the garden.


    I didn¡¯t stop running until I reached the gates. Until I crossed the borders. Until the darkness of the forest swallowed me whole.


    Only then did I copse to the ground, sobbing.


    I had lost everything. I had nothing.


    What I didn¡¯t know yet... by morning, I was going to lose even more.

 Chapter 2: The End of Everything

    <h4>Chapter 2: The End of Everything</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The forest was stretched endlessly before me, shrouded in an eerie silence. My breaths wereing in shallow gasps as I pushed forward even though my legs had started to tremble from exhaustion.


    I was on my way to pack house. It might be a stupid idea knowing Damian would be there, but I couldn¡¯t run away on empty hands. I just wanted to sneak in and grab some clothes and the little saving I had been secretly keeping. It might not be a lot, but it could earn me bread for a few days.


    The night air was damp against my skin, but I barely noticed. My mind was consumed by a single thought.


    <i>I have to get away. </i>


    Ethan had rejected me.


    The man I had loved... the only hope in my life... had shattered me without a second thought. Just hours ago, he had held me, made me believe I was wanted. And then, in front of everyone, he had cast me aside like I was nothing.


    <i>"You mean nothing to me."</i>


    His voice echoed in my head, sounding venomous and final.


    And Lillian - my perfect, cruel stepsister - had stood by his side with a victorious smirk on her lips as if mocking me - <i>"Ethan was always mine, Eva. Did you really think he would choose you?" </i>


    I clenched my fists, digging my fingernails into my palms as I ran. I had spent my whole life enduring torment at the hands of my stepmother, my stepsiblings, even my own father. But this? This was the final betrayal.


    I had nothing left.


    No home. No mate. No future.


    But at least I was free.


    The thought barely had time to settle before a sharp, metallic scent invaded my senses. My steps faltered as dread coiled in my stomach.


    <i>Blood</i>.


    The air was thick with it.


    I swallowed hard. My heart was hammering against my ribs as I forced myself forward. The trees thinned ahead, opening into the clearing where the pack was located. And that¡¯s when I saw it.


    Bodies.


    I stopped breathing as I took in the scene.


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    Dozens of bodies were scattered across the ground like discarded puppets. The warriors, the elders, the pack members who had once sneered at me, tormented me... were now nothing more than lifeless corpses.


    The pack was in ruins. Someone had set the houses on fire, including the pack house.


    I stumbled forward as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing.


    Shadowfang Pack was gone. It was annihted.


    A numb sort of disbelief settled over me as I took another shaky step. My father... where was he? Step mother? Lillian? Damian?


    I turned my head, searching for their faces among the dead, but it was hard. And that¡¯s when I saw it - a symbol, carved deep into the bark of a charred tree.


    A crescent moon, shed through by three w marks. It was the mark of the <i>Rogue Kings</i>.


    A shudder wracked my body as I realized who had done this - the four Alpha Kings who ruled the roguends. The ones whispered about in hushed voices, feared by every pack.


    River. Kieran. Draven. Oscar.


    I had heard the stories. How they had once belonged to a noble pack, only for my father to attack them, ughtering their people and seizing theirnds. And how the four brothers had survived against all odds, vowing vengeance.


    This was their revenge.


    And I was the only one left alive.


    A choked sob wed its way up my throat, but I swallowed it down. There was only one thought in my head - I had to run.


    If the Rogue Kings had wiped out my pack, they wouldn¡¯t leave loose ends. And I was thest one.


    Panic surged through me as I turned and fled into the darkness, leaving the ruins of my past behind.


    * * *


    <i>One Month Later~</i>


    The cold seeped into my bones as I crouched behind the abandoned shack. My heart was mming against my ribs crazily. The night was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but beneath it, something more dangerous was lingering.


    Wolves.


    And these were not just any wolves, but rogues.


    I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to remain still. I had been running for weeks, barely stopping to rest, never staying in one ce long enough to be found. But it had been getting harder.


    I had no money. No change of clothes. No food. And no shelter. And no matter how far I ran, they were always behind me.


    I had managed to stay ahead of them... until now.


    A low growl rumbled through the air, sending a shiver down my spine.


    They were close.


    I pressed my back against the wooden wall while my mind raced. My body was aching with exhaustion, my limbs were weak from weeks of starvation, but I couldn¡¯t let them catch me.


    I sucked in a sharp breath and prepared to run. But at that very moment, a voice cut through the silence.


    "Enough."


    The single word was calm, yet it carried a weight that sent an icy chill through my veins.


    Slowly, I turned my head.


    A man was standing just beyond the trees, mostly hidden in the shadows which made it hard for me to see his face. But even then, he looked - tall, powerful, and lethal.


    I took a step back as my instincts screamed at me to run. But before I could, the man stepped forward and his dark gaze pinned me in ce.


    "You are a hard one to catch, Ms. Greystone."


    They had found me.


    My chest tightened and my mind scrambled for a way out. "Let me go," I forced out, though my voice was barely above a whisper.


    He showed no change in his expression. "You need toe with us."


    My heart raced. "I¡¯m not part of Shadowfang anymore. The pack is gone."


    His expression didn¡¯t change. "I know."


    The weight of his words pressed down on me. He wasn¡¯t here for my pack. He was here for me.


    Before I could react, he moved. And he was fast. Too fast.


    I barely had time to gasp before his hand wrapped around my wrist, grounding me in ce. I twisted, trying to break free, but it was all in vain.


    "Let me go!" I struggled, but he didn¡¯t even flinch.


    "The Rogue Kings are waiting for you. It¡¯s time you stop running." He said, once again barely showing any change in his expression.


    And then everything went ck.

 Chapter 3: Dungeon Encounter with the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 3: Dungeon Encounter with the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The stench of damp stone and rot clung to the air as the guards shoved me into the one of the cells in the dungeon. And then, the metal door was mmed shut behind me with a deafening ng.


    The force of their push had me stumbling forward, and I barely caught myself before hitting the ground.


    The cell was dark and the only source of light was a flickering torch ced outside the iron bars.


    I shivered, but not from the cold - it was the weight of my reality finally sinking in. My life was hanging from a thread, and any minute could be myst.


    After I got caught by the rogues and passed out, I was shoved into a car and brought to whatever ce this was. And if I had to guess... I was surely somewhere in the Rogue territory.


    I slumped against the wall and my gazended on the heavy chains bolted to the floor. No one had bothered to lock me to them... yet.


    The following hours dragged by inplete silence, and each passing second amplified the suffocating dread in my chest. I didn¡¯t know what the Rogue Kings had nned for me, but I doubted they went to such great lengths to capture me just to show me mercy.


    The Rogue Alpha Kings wanted revenge, and they had seeded in their mission. All they needed was to eliminate the only survivor of Shadowfang pack - me.


    Considering everything I had been through in the past eight years of my life, I believed that there was nothing out there that I couldn¡¯t face, but this... this was different.


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    The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed down the dimly lit corridor, growing louder with each passing second. I sat up with my gaze fixed on the part of corridor I could see while my heartbeat escted.


    The scent of dominance and raw power hit me even before I saw him.


    Rogue Alpha King River.


    From what I knew, he was the eldest of the four brothers, and also the most ruthless of the quad.


    He stepped into view, his presence immediately dominating the small space. Tall and broad-shouldered, he carried himself with an authority that demanded submission. His cold green eyes found mine, and the sheer intensity of his gaze made me want to shrink back.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    "Stand up," hemanded in his deep voice that was dripping with disdain.


    I hesitated for only a moment before rising to my feet. I refused to cower even as his piercing gaze bore into me.


    "So, this is the daughter of the great Alpha of Shadowfang Pack," River said, his toneced with mockery. "Daughter of the man who thought he could rule mynd after killing my family. Funny how far you have fallen, isn¡¯t it?"


    I clenched my fists and swallowed the retort that was burning on my tongue. I understood his hatred, what I couldn¡¯t understand was his attempt at making me feel guilty about someone else¡¯s crimes. But I knew that there was no point in arguing. Nothing I could say would change his hatred for me.


    He studied me for a minute or two, taking in my expression before he suddenly asked, "You don¡¯t think that I despise you because you are wolfless, do you?"


    Before I could have even thought about answering him, he was already continuing, "No. I despise you because of your blood. Because you carry the name of a man who destroyed lives and betrayed his kind. My brothers and I have waited years to see the Greystones pay the price for their crimes. And now, here you are - thest pathetic remnant."


    His words were filled with so much hatred, but I refused to show just how affected I was. I met his gaze head-on, keeping my voice steady as I finally spoke. "If you hate me so much, why don¡¯t you just kill me?"


    A cruel smirk tugged at his lips as he answered, "Because death is too easy for you. You don¡¯t deserve the peace it brings."


    He stepped closer, causing his towering form to cast a shadow over me. "From this moment forward, you are no longer the Princess of the Shadowfang Pack. You will be nothing but a survivor here... but only if you know how to even survive."


    "What kind of survival?" I asked, surprised at how calm I sounded despite the tsunami brewing within me.


    He appeared lost in thought for a moment, as if he was actually considering what to do in order to make my life worse. And then, I saw as his eyes twinkle with an idea.


    "How about the Princess starting her new life as a maid?" He proposed and waited for some sort of reaction from me, maybe shock, or anger.


    But when he got absolutely nothing, a scowl appeared on his face and he added, "You will scrub the floors, wash clothes, and serve the very people who hate you. Consider it your first punishment for the sins your blood carries."


    He watched me for another minute, but I remained silent, giving him nothing but a dead silence in response. Eventually, he decided that he didn¡¯t want to waste any more time on me. But before leaving, he spared me few more words. "You will report to the head maid at dawn. Don¡¯t think for a second that I¡¯ll tolerate disobedience. If you step out of line, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it."


    And with that, he was gone, leaving me alone in the suffocating darkness of the cell to process what just happened.

 Chapter 4: The Alpha in Towel

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Alpha in Towel</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I did exactly what I was told - reporting to the Head Maid Sera the very first thing as dawn arrived. I was starving as I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the previous morning, but I didn¡¯t dare to say it to anyone.


    Soon enough, I was led to the maid¡¯s quarters. I stared at the small cot they had assigned me. The scratchy nket and the t pillow barely qualified asforts, butpared to the cold and hard floor of the dungeon, and everything I went through the past month, they were a pleasant sight for my eyes and body.


    But looking at the faces around me, I could tell that some of them were either pitying me orughing at my fall from grace. Little did they know that my life had been far from the luxury lifestyle they all believed I had been enjoying up until this point.


    Growing up as the wolfless daughter of the most powerful Alpha in the region was a nightmare disguised as a privilege. My parents never missed a chance to remind me I was a disappointment. My father¡¯s punishments were swift but cruel, and my stepmother never failed to make my life miserable.


    No one ever cared about the bruises I hid or the tears I swallowed. And now, here I was, once again a target.


    The other maids didn¡¯t bother hiding their disdain. Whispers followed me as I passed, and when I walked into a room, the conversations abruptly stopped.


    Those who didn¡¯t openly re at me kept their distance, as if I carried some contagious disease. I didn¡¯t me them. Being the enemy¡¯s daughter painted a bullseye on my back, and associating with me would only bring trouble.


    Since I was already given my work, I didn¡¯t stay behind and hurried away to start my work. I was starving and I needed to earn my food bypleting my work.


    I started my work by scrubbing the floors and polishing them until they were shining. Then I hauled buckets of water to fill up the barrels. I cleaned halls, polished windows, and dusted furniture.


    By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I thought I might finally be done. But of course, I wasn¡¯t that lucky.


    Sera found me and handed me another bucket and a rag. I wondered if It was just for me or that scowl was permanently etched into her face. But I kept the thought to myself.


    "The Master Floor needs cleaning," she said without an ounce of sympathy at my worn out appearance. "Start with the study and the private library before cleaning the bedrooms. And don¡¯t take all night."


    I wanted to argue, to remind her that I had been working nonstop for the entire day, but the look in her eyes told me that it would only make things worse. So, I bit my tongue, grabbed the supplies, and climbed the stairs to the top floor - the Master Floor - where the Rogue Alpha Kings lived.


    My pulse quickened as I stepped onto the plush carpet of the hallway, realizing that while I wasn¡¯t able to see the ce from outside when I was brought here the day before, I could still tell the ce was huge. It was almost like a mansion from what I could tell.


    I was worried that I might encounter the Rogue Kings, but both the study and the private library were empty, and so were next two bedrooms. I worked quickly, wiping down surfaces and trying to keep my presence as invisible as possible.


    Then I reached the third bedroom.


    The door was slightly azar and I hesitated before pushing it open. The scent of cedar and rain hit me immediately as I entered the room. It was a heady mix that was strangely intoxicating.


    My heart raced as I was half-expecting to find one of the Alpha King brothers lounging in there, ready to berate me for invading his space. However, the room was empty... or so I thought when I found no one inside.


    I had just finished dusting the bedside table when I heard the sound of footsteps and the soft click of a door opening behind me.


    I immediately froze.


    Turning slowly, I found myself face-to-face with Alpha King Oscar. The only reason I could recognize these brothers was because I had once seen a portrait of them.


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    He was standing in the doorway of the adjoining bathroom while steam billowed out behind him. His dark hair was damp, and droplets of water were sliding down his bare chest before disappearing into the towel slung low around his hips. His piercing green eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.


    "What the hell are you doing in here?" he demanded. His voice was a low growl that sent shivers down my spine.


    "I-I was told to clean," I stammered and clutched the rag in my hands like a lifeline.


    His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer. "This is my room. No one enters without my permission."


    "I didn¡¯t-"


    "Silence."


    The single word was sharp enough to cut, and I immediately mped my mouth shut. He loomed over me, his presence overwhelming, and I had to fight the urge to shrink back.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze swept over me and his lips curled in disdain. "Of course. The little Greystone princess, reduced to scrubbing floors. How poetic."


    I said nothing. My throat felt tightened with a mix of humiliation and fear. I was also surprised that he recognized me.


    "Now, get out of my sight," he snapped, his tone final.


    I nodded and turned to leave, but as I walked past him, my foot got caught on the edge of the rug. I ended up losing my bnce and stumbled right before crashing into him.


    The impact was electric.


    The second my hands touched his chest, a jolt shot through me. Warmth and tingles immediately spread throughout my body. And his sharp intake of breath told me he felt it too. For a split second, the world seemed to stop, and all I could focus on was the strange connection pulling me toward him.


    But the moment passed as quickly as it came.


    Oscar shoved me away. His touch was cold and forceful. I stumbled back, barely catching myself before I fell to the ground. His expression twisted in disgust, though there was something else flickering in his eyes - something he quickly masked.


    "Don¡¯t touch me," he growled in a voice dripping with venom.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean to-"


    "I don¡¯t care," he snapped, cutting me off. "Next time, watch where you are going. Or better yet, stay far away from me."


    The icy tone of his voice sent a chill down my spine. I mumbled an apology and hurried out of the room. My cheeks were burning with shame.


    My heart was still racing from the strange sensation as I made my way down the hall. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something strange did happen between us.


    But what?

 Chapter 5: The Girl With Apples

    <h4>Chapter 5: The Girl With Apples</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sun was hanging high in the sky, casting golden rays over the back garden of the mansion.


    But despite its warmth, I felt nothing but the cold emptiness that had taken root inside me. My hands were sore from scrubbing floors, my legs ached from hours of standing, and my stomach twisted painfully in hunger.


    I had checked the servant kitchen after finishing my tasks, but there was nothing left - no scraps, no leftovers, not even a stale piece of bread. It didn¡¯t surprise me. I was the lowest of the low here, an enemy in the eyes of everyone. If they had the choice, they would let me starve.


    And maybe that wouldn¡¯t be such a bad thing.


    I exhaled softly and trudged toward the stables. The heavy scent of hay and horses was filling the air, mixed with the faint scent of rain that lingered fromst night¡¯s storm.


    The stables stood at the farthest end of the mansion¡¯s grounds, past the lush back garden.


    As I stepped through the stone path leading to the stables, a small figure caught my attention.


    It was a little girl, no older than seven or eight, sitting on the edge of a flower bed. She had golden-brown curls that tumbled past her shoulders, and her chubby hands were clutching a small wicker basket filled with bright red apples. Her tiny legs swung as she hummed to herself,pletely unaware of my presence.


    Just as I was about to walk past her, she looked up, and her big, innocent green eyes met mine.


    My body stiffened, instinctively preparing for the worst. She would scream for a guard, call me names, or throw something at me - just like the others did.


    But she did none of those things. Instead, she smiled.


    "Are you hungry?"


    I blinked, feeling my body tensing. Was this some kind of trick? A cruel joke?


    Before I could react, the girl picked up one of the apples from her basket and held it out to me. "Here! You can have one."


    My throat tightened.


    I shouldn¡¯t ept it. If someone saw me taking food from her, I would be used of stealing. And yet... the hunger wing at my stomach made it impossible to ignore the offering.


    Still, I didn¡¯t move. "Why...?"


    She tilted her head, her curls bouncing with the motion. "Why what?"


    "Why are you offering me food?"


    She giggled, as if my question was silly. "Because you look hungry."


    Simple. Honest.


    Something inside me twisted painfully at her words. No one had ever looked at me with such pure kindness before.


    I swallowed hard, my hands shaking slightly as I reached out and took the apple. "Thank you."


    Her smile widened. "I¡¯m Liliana! But everyone calls me Lily."


    Her name was simr to my step-sister¡¯s, but they felt world apart from each other.


    I hesitated before finally replying, "Eva."


    Lily¡¯s dark eyes sparkled. "You have a pretty name."


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. No one had ever called my name <i>pretty</i> before.


    "Are you new here?" she asked curiously, swinging her legs again. "I haven¡¯t seen you before."


    Before I could answer, a sharp voice cut through the air.


    "Liliana! There you are!"


    Lily flinched, quickly hiding her basket behind her back.


    A woman in a crisp, dark uniform stormed toward us, her sharp eyes narrowing the moment theynded on me. I recognized her instantly. She was one of the senior maids.


    "What are you doing here?" she demanded from me, her voiceced with suspicion. "And why are you talking to the young miss?"


    Young miss?


    My eyes darted back to Lily. It made sense now. Her fine silk dress, her delicate gold bracelet... she wasn¡¯t a servant¡¯s child. She was someone important.


    "Lily." The maid grabbed the little girl¡¯s arm. "You shouldn¡¯t be talking to this woman. She is... not... someone you should associate with."


    Lily frowned. "But she was nice-"


    "Enough." The maid¡¯s grip tightened. "Come inside now."


    Lily¡¯s eyes met mine again, but this time, there was confusion in them. I could see the questions forming in her mind. She didn¡¯t understand why I was being treated like this. She didn¡¯t understand that in this ce, kindness was not meant for people like me.


    As the maid dragged her away, Lily twisted in her grip. "Eva! I hope we meet again!"


    I stood frozen as I watched her disappear into the mansion, and the apple in my hand suddenly started feeling heavier.


    ***


    I spent the rest of the day in the stables, scrubbing the floors, cleaning the stalls, and hauling heavy buckets of water. The other stable workers ignored me, some even sneered when I passed by. But I was used to it.


    The sun was beginning to set when I finally finished. My body was aching, my hands were blistered, and my stomach was still painfully empty.


    As I dragged myself back to the servant quarters, my mind drifted back to Lily.


    She was too kind, too innocent for this ce. If she knew who I truly was, would she still have smiled at me? Would she still have offered me that apple?


    Probably not.


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    I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the fruit.


    I hadn¡¯t eaten it.


    Not because I wasn¡¯t starving - I was. But because it was the first time someone had given me something without expecting anything in return. And for some reason, I wanted to hold onto that feeling a little longer.


    When I finally reached my small, cramped room in the servant quarters, I copsed onto the thin mattress.


    I was exhausted, but I knew sleep wouldn¡¯te easily.


    Because the moment I closed my eyes, the nightmares would return.


    They always did.


    ***


    That night, I woke up gasping. My body was drenched in cold sweat. If it wasn¡¯t Damian¡¯s years of torment haunting me, then it was Ethan¡¯s betrayal.


    My hands clutched the nket as my entire body trembled.


    No matter how much time passed, the past refused to leave me. It wrapped around me like chains, reminding me that I would never be free.


    I swallowed hard and sat up. The room was dark, and the only sounding was from the faint creaking of the old wooden bed frame.


    My fingers tightened around the apple in my hand.


    Maybe... maybe I wasn¡¯tpletely alone.


    For the first time in a long while, someone had been kind to me. And even if it didn¡¯t change anything... it still mattered.

 Chapter 6: A Storm in the Hallway

    <h4>Chapter 6: A Storm in the Hallway</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The night was long and restless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. His taunting smirk, his cruelughter, the sickening way he looked at me as if he owned me. My body still remembered the pain he had inflicted, the humiliation he had made me endure.


    Fortunately, morning came soon enough. The thin walls of the servant quarters did little to block the early morning noise. I had barely slept, but there was no time to rest. I knew that if I didn¡¯t get up now, I would be punished again.


    I sat up, ignoring the sharp pain in my lower back. My muscles were protesting, but I had no choice. I forced myself to my feet, reaching for my servant uniform. Once I got dressed, I headed to start my day.


    By the time I had finished my morning chores - scrubbing floors, polishing silverware, and fetching water from the well - my arms were on fire, and my back was throbbing.


    The other maids worked alongside me, but they acted as if I didn¡¯t exist. No one spoke to me. No one acknowledged my presence unless it was to bark an order or sneer in my direction.


    I was the enemy¡¯s daughter. And now, I was nothing more than a maid.


    I had just finished sweeping the back corridors when Sera stormed into the hall, her eyes zing with frustration. I would have loved to avoid her wrath, but I was never the lucky one.


    "You! Useless girl!" she snapped.


    I stilled, gripping the broom tightly. "Yes, Head Maid?"


    "The western wing is a mess," she growled. "The guards brought in mudst night, and none of the other girls want to clean it up. So guess who gets the honor?"


    Of course. Me.


    I lowered my gaze and nodded. "I¡¯ll get to it right away."


    "Make sure it¡¯s spotless," she snapped before marching off, muttering under her breath.


    I sighed and turned toward the western wing.


    It was one of the lesser-used areas of the mansion, mainly upied by higher-ranking warriors and visiting rogues. I hadn¡¯t been sent there before, and a part of me wondered if Sera was purposely making my life harder.


    Not that it mattered. I had no choice but to obey.


    With my cleaning supplies in hand, I trudged toward the western wing. The hallway was eerily quiet as the usual hum of servants was absent. A thickyer of dried mud was covering the floor, smearing into dark streaks by careless boots.


    I knelt down, scrubbing at the stains. The rough bristles of the brush dug into my palm, but I kept going, biting my lip against the difort.


    Minutes stretched into an hour. Then two.


    By the time I reached the end of the hall, my fingers were raw, and my arms felt like lead. I leaned back, wiping sweat from my brow.


    That¡¯s when I heard it.


    Footsteps - slow, measured, and deliberate.


    A shiver crawled down my spine as I realized that someone wasing. I scrambled to my feet just as a figure rounded the corner.


    He was tall, powerful, and unmistakablymanding.


    My heart skipped a beat as my eyesnded on him.


    Alpha King Kieran.


    The second-born of the Rogue Alpha Kings.


    Unlike Lucian, whose presence was cold and suffocating, or Oscar, who radiated controlled arrogance, Kieran carried an air of quiet intensity.


    He wasn¡¯t as outwardly intimidating as his brothers, but there was something about him that made the air feel heavier. His features were sharp but not cruel, and his shoulder-length blonde hair was slightly tousled, as if he had run his fingers through it absentmindedly.


    His deep green eyes locked onto mine. And for a second, I forgot how to breathe.


    Then his gaze flickered to the bucket of dirty water at my feet. "You missed a spot."


    His voice was calm. Smooth. But there was something underneath it... a quiet amusement, a test.


    I stiffened, gripping the cloth in my hands. "I was just about to finish."


    He tilted his head slightly, as if studying me. "So, you are the infamous princess-turned-maid."


    The way he said it made my stomach twist. I had no idea why they addressed me as ¡¯Princess¡¯ when I was just an Alpha¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m no royalty like them.


    "I was never a princess," I said before I could stop myself.


    His brows lifted slightly. "No?"


    I swallowed hard, lowering my gaze. "No."


    Silence stretched between us. Then, without warning, he crouched down, leveling his gaze with mine. The proximity sent a wave of unease through me. He was close. Too close.


    "Strange," he murmured. "I expected you to be more... bitter."


    I didn¡¯t answer. Because I wasn¡¯t bitter. I was just tired.


    His gaze flickered to my hands, to the raw skin on my fingers. "They are working you hard."


    "It¡¯s what I deserve, isn¡¯t it?" I said, keeping my voice even.


    His eyes darkened slightly. "You think so?"


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


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    I had been punished my entire life. First by my father, then by my stepmother, my stepsiblings, by the pack that never wanted me, and then by my fated mate.


    And now by them... the Alpha Rogue Kings.


    Kieran exhaled, standing back to his full height. "You should take care of your hands," he said simply before stepping past me.


    The moment he was gone, I released the breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    I didn¡¯t know what just happened. But one thing was certain - meeting Kieran was different.


    And for some weird reason - that terrified me more than anything.

 Chapter 7: A Night of Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 7: A Night of Shadows</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran¡¯s presence lingered long after he was gone.


    Unlike Lucian¡¯s suffocating dominance or Oscar¡¯s disgust, Kieran¡¯s gaze hadn¡¯t been filled with hatred. He had studied me like I was a puzzle, one he was trying to solve.


    And it unsettled me.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to be under the scrutiny of any of them, not when I was already walking on fragile ground.


    While at first I was almost ready to ept my end and greet it with open arms, I wanted to survive now. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what made me change my mind, maybe it was because I didn¡¯t want these Rogue Kings to feel like they had won.


    After spending these few days here, I realized that survival meant staying invisible.


    I forced myself to finish scrubbing thest section of the hallway before dragging my aching body back toward the servant quarters.


    I was making my way through the long hallway leading to the servant quarters, when Sera suddenly appeared at the other end and her sharp gazended on me.


    "Took you long enough," she snapped. "Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice you cking off?"


    I bit the inside of my cheek, and despite knowing better, I ended up opening my mouth. "I wasn¡¯t cking off."


    Her lips curled into a sneer. "Oh? Then what exactly were you doing in the western wing for so long?"


    I hesitated, but she didn¡¯t need me to answer.


    Her gaze darkened as she stepped closer. "Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t hear about your little run-in with Alpha Kieran."


    I stiffened at her words.


    Of course. Gossip spread like wildfire among the servants.


    Sera¡¯s voice dropped into a sharp whisper as she continued, "Are you trying to crawl your way into the Alphas¡¯ favor, whore?"


    <fnde5b> Read full story at </fnde5b>


    I clutched my hands into tight fists, causing my nails to dig into my palms. I had learned long ago that defending myself would only make things worse. But this time, the usation burned.


    I lifted my gaze to hers before speaking, "I bumped into him by ident."


    Sera scoffed. "And Oscar? Was that an ident, too?"


    I clenched my jaw, refusing to take the bait.


    Her eyes gleamed with cruelty. "You are nothing but a pest here, Eva. You should have died with the rest of your pathetic pack."


    The words sliced through me like a de, but I didn¡¯t let it show.


    She smirked at my silence, feeling satisfied. "Since you have so much energy to loiter around, you can clean the kitchen floors after dinner."


    I wanted to protest, but the fear of consequences helped me keeping my mouth shut this time. I bowed my head and muttered. "Understood."


    She clicked her tongue. "And don¡¯t think for a second you¡¯ll get a proper meal tonight. You¡¯ll take whatever¡¯s left, if there is anything."


    With that, she turned and stalked away, leaving me standing there with the weight of my exhaustion pressing down on me.


    I knew it was only going to get worse.


    Sera was angry because of Oscar¡¯s outburst at her. And she had chosen me as her punching bag.


    As for me, I had no choice but to endure it.


    ---


    As night arrived and Iy down on my bed, sleep once again refused toe easily.


    My body was aching from exhaustion, and my stomach felt hollow from theck of food, but it wasn¡¯t hunger or pain that kept me awake... it was the past, one that had refused to let me go.


    As I finally drifted into unconsciousness, the nightmare came. But this time, it wasn¡¯t like the ones I had be ustomed to over the years.


    No.


    This time, it was him.


    -


    <i>The scent of sandalwood and musk surrounded me. It was thick and intoxicating, making my head spin.</i>


    <i>I couldn¡¯t see him because of the blindfold covering my eyes.</i>


    <i>But... I was able to feel him. Every inch of him.</i>


    <i>His touch was fire, searing against my skin as he traced the curve of my waist. His rough palms skimmed the softness of my exposed body, making me shiver.</i>


    <i>I never thought that being with Ethan would feel like this.</i>


    <i>My Ethan. </i>


    <i>The man I had loved, the man I had wanted to give my everything to. </i>


    <i>And yet, I couldn¡¯t help but kept feeling that something was different. </i>


    <i>His grip was stronger, more possessive than I had imagined. His touch burned hotter, sending waves of need through me that I had never felt before. </i>


    <i>And the way he kissed me... desperate, hungry... like a man starved. </i>


    <i>His lips devoured mine, stealing my breath, leaving me weak beneath him as he pressed me into the soft sheets.</i>


    <i>My body responded to him even before my mind could catch up. I was arching into him, craving more. </i>


    <i>"Mine," he growled against my lips, his voice sounding deeper than usual. </i>


    <i>I would have paid more attention to this slight difference if not for the strange sensation I felt coursing through me at that one word. That feeling curled deep in my stomach, making my heart race. </i>


    <i>Fated mates. </i>


    <i>Was this what it felt like? </i>


    <i>Ethan had never spoken about mates, had never cared for the bond. But now, as he moved above me, his body molding against mine, I swore I could feel it. It was an undeniable pull, a connection that was deeper than anything I had ever known. </i>


    <i>I gasped as his lips trailed down my neck, his teeth scraping over my sensitive skin. </i>


    <i>"Say it," he murmured against my throat. His voice was too low that it was a surprise I even heard him in the first ce. </i>


    <i>"Say what?" I whispered, barely able to think. </i>


    <i>"Say you are mine." </i>


    <i>My heart started pounding. I was ready to say it, to believe it. But just as I opened my mouth, something stopped me.</i>


    <i>For the briefest moment, I felt a flicker of uncertainty. </i>


    <i>But then, pain consumed me only to be reced by pleasure momentster. Suddenly, there was too much going on.</i>


    <i>It was a sharp, overwhelming sensation as he imed mepletely, as he took everything I had to offer, leaving me breathless beneath him. </i>


    <i>My fingers dug into his back as my body surrendered to his. </i>


    <i>And then, his name tore from my lips... Ethan. </i>


    ---

 Chapter 8: Another Brother Hates Me

    <h4>Chapter 8: Another Brother Hates Me</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes flew open, meeting the darkness that was surrounding the small servant quarters.


    I was still able to feel the remnants of the dream clinging to my skin like a fever. My breath wasing in shallow pants, and my pulse felt unsteady.


    It felt too real.


    Too vivid.


    I was still able to feel the ghost of his touch, the weight of his body pressing me into the sheets, and the heat of his breath against my neck.


    Ethan...


    But was it truly him that night?


    I had believed it then. But now as time had passed and my memories kept reying that moment over and over, doubt had started creeping in like a poison.


    The man from my the night of my eighteenth birthday... he did feel different.


    He was stronger. More... possessive. And the way he touched me, the way my body reacted to him... It had felt like fate itself had bound us together.


    I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach, swallowing down the unease.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to think about it now, not when my reality was already a living nightmare.


    A loud knock at the door startled me, followed by a sharp voice.


    "Get up, Eva! You have work to do!"


    It was Sera.


    I took a shaky breath, and forced the dream into the farthest corners of my mind before dragging myself out of bed. My body was aching from all the work I had done the previous day.


    But there was nothing I could do about. I was hungry, and to get the food, I needed to work.


    ---


    The library was thest ce I wanted to be, but I had no choice.


    After scrubbing the floors of the eastern halls, one of the senior maids had shoved a pile of books into my arms, ordering me to return them.


    I kept my head down as I entered therge space, inhaling the scent of aged parchment and ink that soothed me a little.


    The walls were lined with towering bookshelves. Dozens of potted nts were sitting around, and the heavy velvet curtains were drawn halfway over the tall windows to let in slivers of thete afternoon light.


    The library should have been empty.


    It was always empty.


    Which was why the sounds that met my ears froze me in ce.


    At first, there was a hushed moan. Then a breathy gasp.


    And then... a deep, unmistakable growl of pleasure.


    My entire body locked up as I turned my head toward the source of the sound.


    Near one of the bookshelves, partially hidden in the shadows, was standing a man. And he wasn¡¯t alone.


    His back was against the shelves, and hisrge frame was barely visible. But the woman in his arms was all too clear. She was pressed against him, her fingers buried in his dark hair as her lips traced a path down his jaw.


    I took a step back, but it was toote.


    His gaze snapped to mine, and time seemed to stop.


    I knew who he was instantly, even though I had never met him before. There was no mistaking it.


    Draven - thest of the four Rogue Alpha Kings.


    And he looked exactly as terrifying as the others.


    His dark hair was almost as ck as midnight, but they had a blue hue to them. His eyes were a shade of hazel, unlike the emerald ones of his brothers. His features were sharp, as if carved from stone.


    I noticed how his jaw clenched as he held the woman against him. And for a moment, I swore I saw something flicker in his gaze. It felt like something other than fury, something sharp, calcting.


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    But it was gone just as quickly as it hade, reced by pure, unrestrained anger.


    "What," he bit out in a lethal voice, "are you doing here?"


    My mouth instantly went dry. The books in my arms felt heavier, but I couldn¡¯t move.


    I had walked in at the worst possible moment.


    Again.


    First Oscar, and now Draven.


    If River¡¯s hatred hadn¡¯t already sealed my fate, this certainly had.


    "I-I was just-"


    The woman in his arms turned to look at me then. Her lips were swollen, and her gaze was filled with clear annoyance.


    "Who is she?" she asked, not bothering to hide her irritation.


    "A maid," Draven growled in response while his gaze never left mine.


    I swallowed hard.


    "Then why is she staring?" the woman scoffed, brushing her fingers over his chest as if reminding him where his attention should be.


    Draven didn¡¯t answer. He just kept staring at me as if he was trying to see through me. Like he was trying to understand why I was here.


    I lowered my gaze, and bowed my head. "I didn¡¯t mean to intrude. I was just returning these books."


    I was rewarded with silence. And it was a thick, suffocating one that stretched on far too long.


    Then, after what felt like an enternity, I finally heard Draven letting out a slow, sharp exhale.


    "Get out."


    I didn¡¯t wait for him to say it twice. Clutching the books to my chest, I turned on my heel and hurried toward the exit.


    My heart hammering in my chest and I had barely made it into the hallway when I felt it... a presence.


    Not just anyone¡¯s... but his.


    <i>Draven. </i>


    He had stepped out of the library, and his gaze was burning into my back. But I didn¡¯t dare look.


    I just kept walking. Faster. As fast as my trembling legs allowed me to.

 Chapter 9: The Sickening Realization

    <h4>Chapter 9: The Sickening Realization</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped into the dimly lit corridor leading to the servants¡¯ quarters, I knew she was waiting for me. It seemed like every time I ended up encountering one of the Rogue Kings, it led me straight into her waiting arms.


    Sera was leaning against the cold stone wall, with her arms crossed, and her lips curled into a knowing smirk.


    "You just can¡¯t help yourself, can you?" she sneered, not bothering to hide the gleam of malice in her eyes.


    I instantly tensed and my grip tightened around the ragged hem of my apron. I had been dreading this moment, yet I knew it was inevitable. Sera thrived on moments like these... moments where she could twist the knife a little deeper.


    She pushed off the wall and stepped closer before speaking again. "First Alpha Oscar, then Alpha Kieran... and now Alpha Draven?"


    My breath hitched at the clear usation. "I didn¡¯t-"


    "Silence," she snapped the moment I tried to defend myself. Her voice echoed through the empty hall, cold and unforgiving.


    "The other maids saw youing out of the library," she continued in a voice that was dripping with satisfaction. "And I heard from a little bird that you were caught somewhere you shouldn¡¯t be."


    My heart sank at her words, and realization dawned on me-the whispers had already begun to spread.


    It didn¡¯t matter that I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. It didn¡¯t matter that I had barely spoken to Draven, or that my presence in the library had been a simple mistake. In the eyes of everyone here, I was guilty.


    "You enjoy this, don¡¯t you?" I asked bitterly as I was unable to hold myself back. And while my voice barely was above a whisper, but Sera heard me loud and clear.


    She tilted her head, and mock innocence shed across her face. "Enjoy what?"


    "Watching me suffer."


    Her grin widened at my words. "Oh, you bet I do."


    She stepped closer, until she was mere inches from me. And I didn¡¯t fail to notice how the scent of her cheapvender perfume was shing with the musty dampness of the corridor.


    "You¡¯ll be cleaning the main hall floors after midnight," she announced with a bright smile. "And don¡¯t expect any food before then."


    I clenched my fists, the only thing I was able to do in this moment.


    Even though I wanted to fight back, to tell her she had no right to treat me this way, that I had done nothing to deserve it... I remained silent. There was no point.


    The Alpha brothers were making my life hell. And Sera was taking every opportunity to make it worse.


    I had no allies here. No escape. No hope.


    Running was no longer an option as I knew I could never stay hidden for long from these four extremely powerful brothers, let alone the entire roguemunity.


    So... if I wanted to survive, I needed another n.


    ---


    By the time I finished scrubbing the main hall floors, my arms were feeling like dead weight. The stone was ice-cold beneath my fingers, and my knees had be raw from kneeling for hours.


    The massive chandeliers above were casting eerie, flickering shadows on the walls around me, and the silence of the empty hall seemed to be pressing down on me like a suffocating weight.


    I had long since stopped feeling hunger.


    There was only exhaustion now.


    With shaking limbs, I dragged myself back to my tiny chamber. The mattress was thin, barely more than a sack of hay, but right now, it felt like the most inviting ce in the world.


    I copsed onto it, pulling the threadbare nket over my trembling form. My eyes fluttered shut, but the moment I allowed myself to rx, a strange sensation rolled through me - a deep, twisting nausea.


    It started as a dull ache in my stomach, then turned into a sharp, unbearable churn. Panic seized me as I bolted upright, barely making it to the bathroom before I was heaving.


    My stomach clenched violently as my body rejected the nothingness inside it. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes as I gasped for breath, pressing my forehead against the cool wooden frame.


    It took a few moments before the nausea finally faded, allowing me to think properly. And as my thoughts started wandering, trying to think what could have caused this sudden wave of nausea, a sudden realization finally hit me hard.


    I could have dismissed it as nothing. Or med it on the fact that I hadn¡¯t eaten even a single proper meal in days. But I just couldn¡¯t, not after that one certain thought registered in my brain, refusing to leave no matter what.


    The horror settled deep inside me. Something far worse. It was a cold, sinking realization that had me panicking.


    I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach, my brain trying its very best to deny the thought that was taking root deep within me.


    No.


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    It couldn¡¯t be.


    It wasn¡¯t possible.


    And yet... as I recalled the night with Ethan and the fact that we didn¡¯t use protection... I started panicking even more.


    My period was almost two weekste, but I had been ignoring it, thinking that it was due tock of proper food and all the stress I have been going through ever since I ran away from my pack.


    But now...


    Terror wed at my throat as the truth settled over me like a suffocating shroud. There was a high possibility that I was... pregnant.


    With the child of my ex-mate - Ethan.


    My hands curled around my stomach, as my breath starteding in short, panicked gasps.


    How could my life keep going from worse to worst? How could there be no ending to my sufferings?


    Even before I realized it, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I was trembling, my breathsing in short gasps.


    If... I turned out to be indeed pregnant... what I was going to do?

 Chapter 10: I Don’t Want Her Dead

    <h4>Chapter 10: I Don¡¯t Want Her Dead</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    The scent of parchment, wax, and burning wood filled my nostrils as I stepped into River¡¯s study. The heavy mahogany doors closed behind me with a dull thud, sealing Oscar and me inside with our eldest brother.


    River was sitting behind his massive oak desk, his fingerszily flipping through a thick ledger. The room was dimly lit, and the glow from the firece was casting long shadows across the bookshelves that lined the walls. He didn¡¯t look up when we entered.


    <fna8ef> The rightful source is find?novel</fna8ef>


    What I didn¡¯t expect was to find Kieran here. He was lounging in a chair by the firece, one leg draped over the armrest. He looked rxed, but I knew better. Kieran never sat still unless he was deep in thought.


    "You are both frowning," River finally said, breaking the silence. "I assume this is about the girl."


    Oscar let out a sharp exhale and dropped into the chair opposite River¡¯s desk. "Of course, it¡¯s about her. Why the hell is she still here?"


    River nced up then, his gaze shifting between us before settling on me. "And you feel the same, Draven?"


    I clenched my jaw before replying, "Her presence is... unnecessary."


    Unnecessary.


    That was the safest way to put it.


    The girl, Evaline Greystone, was the daughter of our greatest enemy. She was the constant reminder of everything we had lost, a reminder of the blood spilled at her father¡¯s hands.


    She should have died with the rest of her wretched pack.


    And yet, she was here - Living. Breathing. And disrupting everything.


    "It would be easier if she were dead," Oscar muttered, tapping his fingers impatiently against the armrest. "The servants are already whispering. They say we are keeping her here out of spite. That we enjoy seeing her suffer. But if we let her leave, it¡¯ll look like we are soft."


    Soft.


    I nearly scoffed at the word.


    We were anything but soft.


    We had spent years hunting down everyst trace of the Greystones and Shadowfang Pack. Every man, woman, and child who carried that cursed bloodline had been wiped out.


    All except her.


    River leaned back in his chair. His dark green eyes were filled with amusement as he asked, "So? What do you want me to do?"


    "Get rid of her," Oscar said tly. "Send her away. Kill her. I don¡¯t care how you do it, but she doesn¡¯t belong here."


    River silently watched Oscar, and then his gaze shifted to me. "Would you two be satisfied if I simply killed her?"


    His voice was calm, almost too casual. But something about the way he said it made my stomach turn.


    My hands clenched into fists at my sides, but I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    Would I be satisfied?


    Yes.


    No.


    I didn¡¯t know.


    The thought of her dying should have been easy to ept. She was nothing to me. Just a burden. A stain on our family¡¯s history.


    And yet...


    A strange, unwee feeling curled in my chest at the thought of her lifeless body, her mesmerizing amber eyes dull and unseeing.


    I nced at Oscar, noticing how his expression had shifted as well.


    He had been the most vocal about getting rid of her, but now that River had suggested killing her outright, there was hesitation in his eyes.


    "Something wrong, Oscar?" River asked, his expression not changing at all. "You wanted her gone. I¡¯m giving you a solution. What¡¯s stopping you?"


    Oscar didn¡¯t answer, and neither did I.


    It was actually Kieran, who had been silent the entire time, who broke the unsettling silence.


    "Do you all hate her that much?" he asked.


    We all turned to him.


    He was still lounging in his chair, but his gaze was sharper now, focused.


    "I don¡¯t hate her," Kieran continued with a shrug. "I don¡¯t like or dislike her, to be honest. She¡¯s just... there."


    "Exactly," Oscar said, scowling. "And that¡¯s the problem. She shouldn¡¯t be here."


    "Neither should you, considering yourck of authority on the matter," Kieran returned, earning a re from Oscar.


    "We are talking about a girl who could be a threat to us." My brother was determined to get rid of <i>her.</i>


    River raised a brow before reminding, "She¡¯s powerless."


    "That we know of," I muttered.


    River sighed. "And if she¡¯s not? What then? Do you think I will truly let her live if she posed a threat?"


    Silence.


    We all knew the answer to that.


    River might be cruel, but he wasn¡¯t reckless. If Evaline posed even the slightest danger, he would have killed her already.


    And yet, he hadn¡¯t.


    Which meant, for now, she was harmless. But that didn¡¯t exin why I felt this way.


    Why the idea of her death left an ufortable weight in my chest. And I hated this unrecognizable feeling.


    My thoughts returned to <i>her</i>, and I scowled at the memory of our encounter.


    I had gone to the library for some privacy, only to end up with a willing woman in myp, andvher eager lips pressed against mine. I had been seconds away from losing myself in the pleasure of the moment... until I sensed someone nearby.


    And there she was.


    Evaline Greystone.


    The candlelight cast a soft glow over her delicate features, illuminating those amber eyes that widened in horror the moment she realized what she had walked in on. She froze like prey caught in the sights of a predator, and the second our gazes met, something strange pulsed through me.


    A spark of irritation, or maybe a flicker of something else.


    I had seen women blush before. I had seen them flustered, shy, embarrassed. But Evaline¡¯s reaction had been different.


    She had been afraid. And that fear irritated me for some reason.


    Even before I knew it, I was snarling at her, letting my anger spill out. But instead of reacting, she simply lowered her head, muttered an apology, and scurried away. The sight of her retreating form only annoyed me further.


    It was Kieran¡¯s deep sigh that pulled me out of my thoughts. "I didn¡¯te here to discuss the maid."


    River turned to him as well. "Oh? Then why are you here, dear brother?"


    "The Academy," Kieran said. "The entrance exams begin next week. We need to finalize our selections before the Council steps in."


    River¡¯s expression shifted slightly. "Ah," he murmured. "Yes, the Academy."


    A long silence followed.


    Oscar tapped his fingers against the chair¡¯s armrest, clearly still irritated about Evaline, but he didn¡¯t press the issue further.


    For now.


    River leaned back in his chair, exhaling. "Fine. We¡¯ll deal with the Academy matters first. As for the girl..."


    His gaze flickered between me and Oscar. "She stays," he said simply.


    Oscar tensed, but River cut him off before he could argue.


    "Unless you want me to kill her," he added.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether I felt relieved or frustrated by that decision.


    But one thing was clear.


    Evaline Greystone wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    And whether I liked it or not, she was starting to be a problem.

 Chapter 11: Worst of the Four

    <h4>Chapter 11: Worst of the Four</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The days started to pass in a suffocating blur.


    I had barely slept since that night. My mind was trapped in an endless loop of fear and doubt.


    My episodes of nausea had only worsened. They crept in like an unwee shadow at the oddest times - early in the morning, in the middle of chores, and even when I was alone in my chamber.


    The worst part was the helplessness.


    I had no way to confirm what I already knew in my heart. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t sneak out and buy a pregnancy kit. I was a captive in this mansion, and was surrounded by guards and acres of forest. I had no friends, no money, and no escape.


    But even if I could confirm it... what then? There was no way I could get an abortion. It wasn¡¯t just about finding a ce and enough money to do it, even escaping long enough to reach a clinic was impossible.


    I was trapped.


    <fn70f3> Find the newest release on Find_Novel(.</fn70f3>


    My stomach twisted violently again, forcing me to lean over the sink in the empty servant bathroom as another wave of sickness rolled through me. My body heaved, but there was nothing left inside me to throw up.


    My limbs shook from exhaustion as I wiped my mouth with trembling fingers. I slumped back against the wall as my chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths.


    If things had been different, if my life hadn¡¯t fallen apart the way it had, I might probably have felt happy about the idea of carrying a child.


    But not like this.


    Not after everything that had happened. Not after Ethan¡¯s betrayal.


    I still remembered the way he had looked at me when he rejected me...the disgust, the cold indifference. My so-called mate had cast me aside like I was nothing and chosen my step-sister over me.


    And then the Rogue Kings hade, burning my world to the ground.


    Now, I was possibly carrying the child of my ex-mate, a man I trusted and loved for as long as I could remember.


    The thought alone made my stomach churn with something far worse than nausea.


    I shook my head and forced myself to push those thoughts away. Right now, I had one goal - survival. I needed to stay unnoticed.


    I had been trying my best to avoid the brothers, staying in the shadows, keeping my head down, and working as hard as I could to keep Sera off my back. Thest thing I wanted was to run into one of the Rogue Alphas and give her another reason to make my life more miserable.


    But it was easier said than done.


    Servants were everywhere, and so were the guards who were stationed around the mansion all day and night.


    There was no ce I could hide, no moment I could be alone without someone watching. And amidst this all, my body kept betraying me in ways I couldn¡¯t control.


    The fatigue was the worst.


    Even if I ignored the nausea, even if I forced myself to keep moving, the exhaustion made everything harder. My legs felt heavier, my head constantly ached, and every task seemed ten times more difficult than before.


    But I couldn¡¯t let anyone notice.


    If Sera or any of the other servants saw how weak I was, they would take advantage of it. If the brothers saw... I didn¡¯t even want to think about what they would do.


    So I swallowed my pain and kept my head down.


    - - -


    The afternoon sun was a cruel reminder that time kept moving, even when my world felt frozen in ce.


    I was scrubbing the side hallways when I heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching.


    I immediately stiffened. I tried to brace myself for another cruel remark, another sneer, but when I turned my head to look in the direction of the sound, I was met with a familiar, small figure.


    Lily.


    The moment she saw me, her face lit up with a wide, beaming smile.


    "Eva!" she eximed and immediately rushed toward me.


    I blinked in surprise as I watched her. "Lily...?"


    She stopped right in front of me, her bright blue eyes shining with excitement. "I was looking for you! I haven¡¯t seen you in so long!"


    Something in my chest tightened. She was the only one in this entire mansion who looked at me with kindness. The only one who didn¡¯t treat me like an outsider.


    I forced a smile. "You shouldn¡¯t be here, Lily. If someone sees you talking to me..."


    She pouted at my words and crossed her arms. "I don¡¯t care what they say. You are my friend!"


    Friend.


    The word felt foreign to me.


    Had I ever truly had a friend?


    I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a sharp voice cut through the air.


    "That¡¯s enough."


    My body tensed immediately as I recognized the owner of the voice. At the same time, I noticed how Lily flinched.


    I turned slowly and my stomach dropped at the sight of River standing at the end of the hallway.


    His piercing dark green eyes locked onto me with that same cold intensity they always carried. He was taller than the other brothers, and his presence felt the most suffocating, like a storm waiting to break.


    Lily immediately straightened and lowered her gaze. "I was just-"


    "Go," Rivermanded.


    Lily hesitated and nced at me onest time before scurrying away.


    I swallowed hard, keeping my head low as insteas of leaving, he started making his way toward me. My hands were clenching the damp rag in myp as my pulse hammered against my ribs.


    Even if I wanted to pretend to not be affected by his presence, I couldn¡¯t. I was terrified and anxious as I knew my worst fears were about toe true.

 Chapter 12: Alpha River’s Warning

    <h4>Chapter 12: Alpha River¡¯s Warning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    He stopped merely inches away from me, and despite my anxious inner self, I found myself inhaling his strong scent that took me by surprise.


    He smelled like - storm and spiced amber - if I had to put it into words.


    It was like the sharp, electrifying scent of an approaching storm, carrying the raw energy of lightning and the briny bite of sea salt.


    But also, there¡¯s this warmth beneath the cold. The deep, resinous scent of amber added a subtle but undeniable presence, something rich and lingering.


    Without realizing it, without even meaning to do it, I found myself inhaling deeply and taking in his unique but irresistible scent. And as I did, my body actually started rxing, leaving me stunned.


    Unfortunately, this peaceful moment didn¡¯tst for long as I made the mistake to look up at his face and found his cold orbs fixed on me.


    My breath trapped in my throat, and my heartbeat started pounding against my ribs like a frantic bird trying to escape its cage.


    I didn¡¯t dare move. Didn¡¯t dare to breathe too loudly.


    And if the burning anger in his deep green eyes was anything to go by, I had every reason to fear him.


    I forced my hands to remain steady. I had known he didn¡¯t trust me, none of them did. But now, after seeing the way his expression had darkened upon finding me with Lily, I realized just how wary he was of me.


    And considering how important Lily seemed to be in this mansion, I could see why my presence near the child had only fueled his anger.


    He took a slow step closer, causing his boots to echo against the marble floor.


    I fought the urge to shrink away.


    "Stay away from Lily," he said in a controlled voice, but his tone left no room for argument.


    I nodded stiffly. It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice.


    "Do you think I¡¯m a fool, Evaline?"


    His question caught me off guard, and I hesitated before shaking my head. "No, Alpha."


    River¡¯s eyes narrowed. "Then you should know that I see exactly what you are doing."


    I swallowed. "I don¡¯t know what you mean."


    His jaw clenched at my response. "You have already caused enough chaos in my home. First Oscar, then Draven, both my brothers are furious, and do you know why?"


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    He took another step forward,ing really close. His towering frame was casting a long shadow over me.


    "Because of you."


    I felt my pulse spike and my throat drying at the sharpness in his tone.


    "You have been testing their patience, pushing them, making them angry. And now, they want you dead," he revealed coldly.


    My breath hitched and I felt my body going numb for a moment.


    "I can handle my brothers when they are angry, but when both Oscar and Dravene to me demanding the same thing..." His eyes gleamed with something dark, something unforgiving. "It makes me wonder if I should finally listen."


    I forced my hands to remain still even as a cold shiver ran down my spine.


    They wanted me dead. I had known Oscar and Draven hated me, maybe Kieran too. But for them to go so far as to demand my execution...


    I clenched my fists.


    I should have stayed quiet. Should have bowed my head and let him walk away. But something inside me snapped.


    I had done nothing wrong. And I was tired of being med for things I had no control over.


    "I never went anywhere near your brothers on purpose," I said in a steady voice despite the fear curling in my gut. "I have done everything I could to stay out of their way."


    River¡¯s expression darkened. "And yet, you still managed to anger them. That tells me one thing - you are a problem, Evaline."


    His words were sharp, precise, and designed to cut. But I had spent too many years being wounded by words to let them make me bleed.


    I lifted my chin slightly, digging my nails into my palms. "If my existence alone is enough to make them angry, then that sounds like their problem," I said. I was just unable to stop myself.


    And I knew that I made a mistake... a huge one.


    River¡¯s eyes turned cold. "Watch yourself," he warned. "If you keep testing my patience, I will kill you myself."


    The words should have sent terror crashing through me. And yet... a bitterugh almost escaped my lips.


    The words I wanted to say were right there, at the tip of my tongue.


    <i>Then do it.</i>


    <i>Kill me.</i>


    <i>End this miserable existence.</i>


    <i>I had nothing left.</i>


    <i>No pack. No family. No freedom.</i>


    <i>What was I even fighting for anymore?</i>


    But just as the thought solidified in my mind, something else shattered through me. My hand twitched over my stomach as the unspoken truth settled in my chest like a heavy stone.


    I might not be alone.


    There was a chance, however small, that another life existed within me. It was a life I hadn¡¯t chosen, a life I didn¡¯t know if I even wanted.


    But... it was still life.


    And for some reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to throw it away.


    I pressed my lips together. My heart was pounding so loudly I swore he could hear it.


    He was watching me carefully, as if trying to decipher my thoughts. But after a long, heavy pause, he exhaled sharply and turned on his heel.


    "I expect you to remember what I said," he called over his shoulder. "If you make my brothers angry again, I won¡¯t stop them next time."


    I stayed silent, watching as he disappeared down the hall.


    <fn396a> Readplete version only at find{n}ovel</fn396a>


    Only when I was certain he was gone did I allow myself to breathe. I let out a shuddering exhale and pressed my hands against the cool marble floor in an attempt to steady myself.


    I was trembling.


    Whether from fear, anger, or something else entirely, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    All I knew was one thing... I couldn¡¯t stay here.


    River had just made it painfully clear, if I remained in this mansion, I wouldn¡¯t survive. Whether it was Sera, Oscar, Draven, or even River himself... someone would kill me eventually.


    And if I really was pregnant... I wasn¡¯t just fighting for my own life anymore.


    I needed to escape.


    But how?


    My heart pounded against my ribs as I closed my eyes, taking a slow, steadying breath.


    I had no allies. No resources. No n.


    But I was going to find a way.


    I had to.

 Chapter 13: Silver Moon Academy

    <h4>Chapter 13: Silver Moon Academy</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I kept my head down as I moved through the dimly lit corridors of the mansion, keeping to the shadows whenever possible.


    The Rogue Kings¡¯ home was a maze of stone hallways and towering walls. It was a fortress meant to keep outsiders away, and in my case, to keep me trapped inside.


    I had done everything I could to stay out of sight, to avoid crossing paths with anyone who might bring trouble. After myst encounter with River, I knew better than to push my luck. His warning had been clear. His patience with me was running thin, and his brothers had already demanded my execution.


    The mere thought of it made my stomach twist. Or maybe that was just the nausea again.


    It had only gotten worse over the past few days. I could no longer predict when the sick feeling would hit me. Some mornings, I woke up lightheaded, barely able to stand without my vision swimming. Other times, the nausea would struck out of nowhere, forcing me to hold my breath and steady myself against whatever surface was closest.


    I did my best to hide it, keeping away from prying eyes.


    The servants already despised me, treating me like a burden at best and an enemy at worst. If they noticed my situation, they would pounce on it like vultures circling a dying animal.


    As for the brothers... I couldn¡¯t even make myself think about what they might do.


    So I focused on blending in, moving quickly and quietly through the halls.


    And that was how I overheard something that changed everything... for me and also for the brothers.


    It happened when I was passing by the kitchen.


    The smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread wafted through the open doorway, reaching me and making my stomach churn in protest. Still, I might have walked right past if not for the excited whispers of the servants that reached my ears and made me halt.


    "Silver Moon Academy," one of the maids said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.


    I had never heard of Silver Moon before, but the way they spoke about it sent a ripple of curiosity through me.


    An academy?


    "Tomorrow is thest day to submit applications, isn¡¯t it?" another servant asked.


    "Yes, and you should see the number of forms that havee in this year. It¡¯s overwhelming."


    "Well, of course. Silver Moon is the best academy in the shifter world. It¡¯s only natural that everyone wants a chance to get in."


    I held my breath. At this point, I was almost straining to listen their conversation.


    "Can you believe it¡¯s only been five years since it was founded? And it already has surpassed every other shifter academy out there."


    "Because it belongs to the Rogue Kings," someone muttered. "That¡¯s why."


    A hush fell over the room.


    <fn2c1c> Content originallyes from find¡¤novel</fn2c1c>


    Then another voice spoke, but this one sounded more cautious than the others. "I heard the entrance exams are brutal. Harder than any other academy. Only a handful of students pass each year."


    "That¡¯s true," the first servant confirmed. "It¡¯s not just about power or intelligence. The Rogue Kings don¡¯t ept the weak. They only want the best of the best. So, while anyone can apply, not all can get admission."


    I swallowed hard as I heard them mentioning the Rogue Kings.


    <i>Did they own an academy? </i>I wondered.


    It was something I didn¡¯t expect. The four most ruthless alphas in the world had built a school, an academy so prestigious that shifters from all over the world fought for a chance to enter.


    And anyone could take the entrance exam - this particr detail sent my mind reeling.


    They had said it so casually, but the words kept repeating over and over in my head. Anyone could apply.


    "It¡¯s no wonder that all the young wolves out there want a ce in Silver Moon. It¡¯s a school owned by the Rogue Kings themselves. It¡¯s a ce that promises a grand future to those who graduates - future Alphas, Lunas, Betas, even members of the Shifter Council, and academies around the shifter world."


    As they continued to talk about the academy, I listened attentively.


    "The best part is, anyone epted into the academy is under the protection of the Rogue Kings until the end of their term. Imagine being protected by the four most powerful Alphas walking on thisnd."


    I almost stumbled back at these words.


    The very men who wanted me dead... would be forced to protect me if I became a student in their academy?


    I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely noticed when one of the servants nced up and saw me lingering near the doorway.


    Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing here?"


    I quickly took a step back, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Nothing. I was just passing by."


    "Then keep walking," she snapped.


    I didn¡¯t argue. I turned and left with my heart hammering in my chest.


    -


    That night, I couldn¡¯t sleep no matter how hard I tried, and for the first time in weeks, it was not because of the nightmares but an entirely different reason.


    I just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Silver Moon Academy.


    The way the servants spoke about it made it sound almost mythical. It was the most powerful institution in the shifter world, and in just five years, it had be the ultimate goal for every young shifter seeking a future filled with power and prestige.


    It sounded like... my only chance at survival.


    If I managed to get in, I wouldn¡¯t just be another prisoner in this mansion, waiting for my inevitable end. Instead, I would be a student of Silver Moon Academy.


    And as long as I became a student there, I would be untouchable. Even River wouldn¡¯t be able to kill me. No matter how much he hated me, he wouldn¡¯t go against his own set rules to finish me off.


    A small flicker of hope ignited inside me. It was a feeling I hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time.


    But then reality set in.


    There was just one problem...


    How was I going to get admitted in the Silver Moon Academy?

 Chapter 14: Late Night Encounter with Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 14: Late Night Encounter with Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline: </strong>


    Sleep hadpletely abandoned me.


    I turned onto my side, then onto my back, or kept staring at the cracked ceiling of the chamber. The thin nket was barely providing any warmth, but that¡¯s not what was keeping me up.


    My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, filled with questions that had no answers. The Moon Goddess was finally presenting me with a chance, a real chance to change my miserable fate. And yet, I had no idea how I was supposed to do it.


    I kept wondering about Silver Moon Academy.


    <fna7ed> Original content can be found at find~novel</fna7ed>


    Where was it located? Was it somewhere nearby, hidden deep within these mountains? Or was it in an entirely different ce, far beyond my reach?


    And even if I could find out where it was, how was I going to get an entrance form?


    Could the Alphas have the forms in their rooms or the study? Should I try to sneak in and search for the form?


    But even if I could find one, how in the world was I going to submit it when I couldn¡¯t step out of the mansion?


    The endless questions were suffocating me. The opportunity was right in front of me, but I had no way to seize it.


    Frustration coiled in my chest. I needed air.


    With careful movements, I slipped out of bed and ced the pillow under the nket to make it look like I was still sleeping there. Then, I padded silently to the door, making sure to not wake up the five other women who were fast asleep across the chamber.


    Coincidentally, the back door of the chamber was right next to my cot, and it opened straight into the hallway leading to the side gardens.


    After two weeks of living and working in this mansion, I had memorized the guards¡¯ rotations, just in case I ever found a chance to run. That knowledge came in handy now as I navigated the halls, avoiding the patrols with ease.


    The moment I stepped outside, the cool night air wrapped around me, sending a shiver down my spine. I inhaled deeply, trying to steady my thoughts.


    But the questions wouldn¡¯t stop.


    Was I about to lose my only chance at freedom?


    I walked toward the side garden, wrapping my arms around myself as if that could keep my mind from spiraling further. The moon was full tonight, casting a silver glow over the mansion¡¯s stone walls and the wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze.


    I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice the approaching figure until it was toote.


    I collided with something solid.


    A guard?


    Panic shot through me as I stumbled back. My heart was mming into my ribs as I braced for the worst. But when I lifted my gaze, my breath hitched for an entirely different reason.


    The man standing in front of me was no guard, but Alpha Kieran.


    He stood before me, tall and broad-shouldered, his striking features illuminated by the moonlight. His hair was pulled back in a manbun with lots of loose strands framing his face, and his usually sharp eyes appeared hazy.


    He seemed... <i>drunk</i>.


    As I allowed myself to inhale deeply as my lungs were protesting for oxygen, his scent wrapped around me. It was cedarwood mixed with a hint of spiced vani. It was oddly grounding, rich and steady like the warmth of a cabin in the middle of winter.


    My stomach twisted as a strange heat spread through me. It was same with all four of them. Their presence was impossible to ignore.


    But Kieran...


    There was something different about him tonight.


    His usual warmth, the quiet gentleness that set him apart from his brothers, was buried beneath something else. A sadness, maybe. A weight I didn¡¯t understand.


    His eyes focused on me, and though his movements weren¡¯t as fluid as usual, he was still sharp enough to recognize me.


    The moment he did, his expression changed. And for a second, he looked intrigued, or maybe amused. His lips twitched as if he was suppressing a smile.


    I, on the other hand, was struggling to breathe. I needed an excuse, to find a reason for why I was sneaking around the garden in the middle of the night.


    But my tongue refused to cooperate. I opened my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. But nothing came out, not a single word.


    This only made his amusement to deepen. His lips curved into a slow,zy smile, and for some reason, the sight of it sent another wave of warmth through me.


    I hadn¡¯t seen him ever since our first encounter in the side hall. And as I stood this close to him, I realized just how breathtaking he looked.


    I hated myself for thinking it. I was supposed to despise them because of what they had done to me, and were still doing to me. But the Moon Goddess was cruel. She had made them irresistible.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but notice it.


    Before I could find a way to save myself from the awkwardness, he suddenly tilted his head and asked, "Do you know how to cook?"


    I blinked,pletely taken aback by his question that came out of nowhere.


    "Uh..." I cleared my throat, trying to find my voice that had refused to cooperate. "Yes?"


    The moment the answer left my lips, he moved.


    I barely had time to react before his fingers wrapped around my wrist and he started pulling me in the direction of the kitchen.


    "I¡¯m hungry," he announced as if that exined everything. "Make me something."


    I stumbled after him, too stunned to protest. "Wait... what?"


    "I said, I¡¯m hungry." He nced over his shoulder, shing me azy smile. "And you owe me a meal."


    "Owe you?" I huffed, trying to keep up. "For what?"


    "For sneaking around."


    I stared at him in disbelief. "That doesn¡¯t even make sense."


    But he ignored me, leading me straight to the kitchen like it was the most natural thing in the world.

 Chapter 15: Alpha’s Unexpected Offer

    <h4>Chapter 15: Alpha¡¯s Unexpected Offer</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment we stepped inside the kitchen, I was hit with the familiar scent of herbs, flour, and the lingering warmth of the ovens.


    All of the kitchen staff had already retired for the night which left the massive space eerily quiet.


    Alpha Kieran finally released my wrist and moved to lean against the counter, watching me expectantly.


    I was still pretty much at a loss about what was happening. "You do realize you could just order a servant to make you something, right?"


    "Yeah." He replied with thatzy smile still ying on his lips. "But this is more fun."


    I hated how my stomach flipped at that. I knew better than to read too much into his words. Also, I was aware of the mistake I just made - I was a servant too.


    I didn¡¯t move for a while and stood there while he just kept watching me. His deep green eyes were heavy-lidded, intense in a way that made my breath hitch.


    Something was so wrong here... and dangerously so.


    I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away. "Fine," I muttered. "But don¡¯tin if it¡¯s terrible."


    His chuckle was low and smooth as he spoke, "I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    I exhaled slowly and turned toward the pantry to gather ingredients. But even as I moved around the kitchen, even as I tried to ignore the way his gaze was following my every movement... I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this night was going to change everything.


    As I collected the ingredients I needed, he settled down on one of the high stools near the counter. He kept watching me with azy interest. His slightly unfocused gaze made it clear that he was still feeling the effects of the alcohol, but his sharpness wasn¡¯t entirely dulled.


    A voice at the back of my head kept reminding me that I shouldn¡¯t be here... with <i>him</i>. Yet, something about the way he looked at me made it hard to resist the moment. There was no outright hatred, instead, he looked intrigued.


    And it was rare - being in the presence of one of the brothers and not feeling like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to be shoved off.


    "Can you make something quick?" He asked, pulling me out of the depths of my wandering thoughts.


    I hesitated before nodding. "I can."


    I reached for the ingredients. My hands working on their own as I prepared a simple but filling meal. The scent of freshly chopped herbs and sizzling butter soon filled the air, mixing with the faint traces of his intoxicating scent.


    "You don¡¯t hate me the way your brothers do," I said before I could stop myself.


    And much to my surprise, he chuckled before asking, "And what makes you think that?"


    "You don¡¯t re at me like you want me dead," I muttered as I stirred the pot. "You dragged me here to cook instead of throwing me back into my chamber. That¡¯s something, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Maybe I just wanted food." His lips curved into a smirk. "And you seemed like the perfect little kitchen maid."


    I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from reacting. I wasn¡¯t a fool. He was teasing me. But at least it wasn¡¯t cruel. Not yet.


    Silence settled between us for a moment before he suddenly asked, "Why were you sneaking around sote at night?"


    I immediately went stiff and my grip on the spoon tightened.


    I could lie. I <i>should</i> lie. But my thoughts had been so tangled that, before I could stop myself, the truth was slipping past my lips.


    "The academy¡¯s entrance exam..."


    His expression shifted, but just barely. He tilted his head in the slightest and his eyes narrowed in the faintest. Yet, despite how carefully he concealed his emotions, I knew I had surprised him.


    "Hmm," he mused. "And why would you be interested in that?"


    I opened my mouth, then shut it again. I knew better to expose myself. I knew I should brush it off. But something about him made me feel like he already knew.


    I turned back to the pot and stared at the simmering broth as if it held the answers to all my problems. "I want to be safe," I finally admitted softly. "I want a future. And Silver Moon Academy is the best ce for that."


    He said nothing, letting me continue.


    "I heard it before," I went on in a much steadier voice. "You and your brothers protect your students. If I be a student, then you¡¯ll have to protect me, too. Or at the very least, you won¡¯t kill me."


    I finally looked up at him. I was expecting to see an amused look on his face, but his expression remained unreadable.


    "So that¡¯s your n," he finally said while leaning back against the counter.


    "Yes." I exhaled. "Or at least it would be... if I even knew how to get in."


    He hummed softly as his gaze flickered to the meal I was ting. "How do you n on getting admitted?"


    I paused at the question. This was the problem - I had no idea.


    I didn¡¯t know where the entrance forms were kept, how to submit them, or what the exams even entailed. The more I thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.


    As I failed to answer, silence took over the kitchen, making the air feel heavier.


    I finished cooking and quickly presented the food to him. Without a word, he picked up his fork and started eating. I was unable to tell what he was thinking, and it unsettled me.


    I had just exposed my wild n to one of the brothers. <i>Had I just made things worse for myself? Had I signed my own death warrant?</i>


    The tension in my shoulders didn¡¯t ease even as he spoke again, taking me by surpise by thepliment. "You are a good cook."


    <fn2158> Discover more novels at findnovel</fn2158>


    "...Thank you."


    He continued eating until his te was nearly empty. Then, just as I began thinking that the conversation had ended, he set down his fork and leaned forward.


    "I¡¯ll help you."

 Chapter 16: Alpha Wants Something From Me

    <h4>Chapter 16: Alpha Wants Something From Me</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I froze as the words hit me like a p.


    I stared at him, feeling unsure if I had heard correctly. "You will... what?" I finally found my voice to ask.


    "I¡¯ll help you get into the academy," he repeated, meeting my eyes.


    I almost stopped breathing. "Why?"


    He tilted his head and thatzy smile returned to his lips as he replied, "Because I have something I want you to do."


    I waited for him to reveal whatever it was that he wanted me to do in exchange of his help, and when he didn¡¯t, I decided to ask. "And what is that?"


    "That¡¯s forter." He made it clear that he wasn¡¯t going to reveal further details. The smile from his lips finally faded, turning into something more serious. "But if you get in, I¡¯ll tell you."


    I was hesitant... and for all the right reasons. What he just offered was a deal, a dangerous one. But it was also an opportunity.


    "I need to know if you are serious about this," he continued. "I¡¯m not going to waste my time if you are just ying around."


    I bit my lip, trying toe to a decision. I needed to weigh my options. I had already revealed my ns to him. Wouldn¡¯t I be calling for trouble if I refused his offer?


    "If you make it in, my brothers will find out," he warned. "And they will know I was the one who helped you. Whether you pass or fail, I will need to face them. But at least if you made it in, all the trouble will be worth it."


    I stared at him, trying my best to find what he was exactly trying to do here. Could he really be offering me help for something he needed me to do in return? But what could it be that I possibly help him with?


    "Are you sure you want to help me?" I asked.


    My question made a slow smirk to tug at his lips. He leaned forward as he replied, "I wouldn¡¯t have offered if I wasn¡¯t."


    I inhaled deeply, somehow aware that he wasn¡¯t lying. My heart was pounding crazily in the confinement of my chest as I realized that this could be my only chance.


    "I¡¯ll let you think about it," he said as he pushed back from the counter. "But you don¡¯t have much time. The deadline for submission is tomorrow."


    I stared at him while my struggle continued to process everything.


    "If you want my help, find me in my room before noon," he continued. "After that, the deal is off."


    He stood up and stretchedzily. The food had removed the little bit of drunkenness he had when he found me in the garden.


    Then, just as he turned to leave, he stopped and nced back at me. "Thanks for the meal, Eva."


    And with that, he walked out of the kitchen, leaving me standing there, stunned and my heart hammering in my chest.


    I didn¡¯t know what to focus on - all the shit that just happened, or the way something deep within me fluttered as he called me <i>Eva.</i>


    I quickly shook my head, trying to get rid of my unnecessary thoughts. Right now, I needed to return to my sleeping chamber before anyone could find me.


    I quickly cleaned the kitchen to make sure I wasn¡¯t leaving behind any visible trace of my presence here, before finally stepping out.


    Surprisingly, as I made my way back, I didn¡¯te across even a single guard on duty. Even though I was trying my best to avoid them, it was still weird to not see even a single guard anywhere on my way.


    I finally made it back and quickly climbed onto my cot, burning myself under the cover. Only then did I allowed myself to take in a deep breath.


    <fn8533> Content originallyes from Find_Novel(.</fn8533>


    Once I was calm enough to think properly, I allowed myself to recall everything that just happened.


    Alpha Kieran had just offered me a deal... one that could change everything for me.


    I stared at the ceiling with my heart still pounding and my mind racing through the possibilities.


    If I epted, I would be walking straight into the fire. There was no doubt about that. His brothers already hated me enough to want me dead, and if they found out he helped me, the consequences would be severe, not just for me, but for him too. I didn¡¯t know why he was willing to take that risk.


    What did he want me to do?


    That question gnawed at me. He hadn¡¯t said much, only that it was something only a student could help him with. It made no sense. He was one of the founders of the Silver Moon Academy. If he wanted something done, he had plenty of ways to make it happen. So why me?


    I sighed and turned onto my side, gripping the nket tightly.


    I had always known my fate in this ce was uncertain. I was weak, unwanted, and at the mercy of the very people who had destroyed my pack. But the academy... it could give me a future, and a chance to change my destiny.


    And he was right. If I failed, all of this would be for nothing.


    Could I even pass the entrance exam?


    I heard the servants talk about the exam. It¡¯s brutal, designed to weed out the weak. If even the shifters from the strongest packs struggled to get in, could I make it without my wolf.


    At that moment, I felt surpised that in my situation, I was even considering such an absurd possibility. But what other choice did I have?


    I could try to run away again, but where would I go? Even if I managed to escape, I would be hunted down within days. These Rogue Alphas were powerful more than I had initially thought, and I had nowhere to hide.


    The academy was my best chance.


    Even if it was a gamble, it was one worth taking.


    I just had to survive the entrance exam.


    The weight of my decision settled over me, but before I could let doubt take hold, exhaustion finally pulled me under. I needed to sleep.


    And tomorrow, before noon, I would give Alpha Kieran my answer.

 Chapter 17: The Shirtless Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 17: The Shirtless Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Morning arrived just as quickly as I expected. The moment I opened my eyes, I found myself recalling everything that happened the night before.


    Today, I needed to sneak into Alpha Kieran¡¯s room before noon. But the reality of this n was proving to be a nightmare.


    I started my day as usual, getting ready, grabbing a bread from the kitchen, and heading to start my work. But as I scrubbed floors, polished furniture, and cleaned the guards¡¯ quarters, my mind was focused on only one matter - how was I going to get to the Master Floor without being caught.


    But no matter how many scenarios I yed out in my head, none of them felt foolproof.


    The Master Floor was off-limits except for a selected few, and I was definitely not one of them. There were also guards stationed at key points to ensure that no one wandered where they shouldn¡¯t.


    Yet, despite all the troubles awaiting me on the way, I had no other choice. Alpha Kieran had made it very clear, if I wanted his help, I had to go to him before noon.


    I kept checking the time every chance I got. My nerves were twisting tighter as the minutes ticked by. By the time mid-morning arrived, I knew I had to make my move.


    I swallowed my fear and grabbed a stack of freshlyundered linens from the storage room. I was nning to use this as my excuse to wander through the halls with the belief that no one would question a servant carryingundry.


    I kept my head down and walked with purpose, making my way through the giant mansion. My heart was thundering by the time I arrived near the stairs that led to the Master Floor.


    Two guards were stationed at the bottom of the stairs.


    I didn¡¯t break my stride. Instead, I shifted my grip on the linens and acted like I was heading toward the rooms on the second floor. At thest moment, just before I reached the staircase, I pretended to trip and sent the linens spilling across the floor.


    Without wasting any time, I started gathering the scattered sheets while also frantically apologizing.


    "Stupid girl," one of the guards muttered with an unhappy groan.


    "Get out of here before you cause more trouble," the second one snapped.


    I mumbled another apology and ran from there. But instead of heading toward the second-floor rooms, I slipped into a small servant passageway. I had recently discovered another staircase from here that led to the upper floors. It was rarely used as it was mostly meant for emergencies.


    This was my best shot.


    My heart was racing crazily as I moved quickly. I was praying to note across anyone at all on my. Not only that, but to keep my footsteps as silent as possible, I had even taken off my shoes which was now proving to be a good idea.


    By the time I reached the third floor, my palms were sweaty, and my breath wasing in fast, shallow bursts. I pressed myself against the wall to listen if there were any movements.


    But I was greeted with pure silence.


    Letting out a shaky breath, I peeked around the corner and found the hallwaypletely deserted.


    It was now or never.


    With this thought in mind, I rushed toward the room that belonged to Alpha Kieran. I was just about to knock when my ears registered the sound of footsteps.


    I instantly froze once I realized that someone was heading my way.


    As panic surged through me, I didn¡¯t bother to think. I just grabbed the handle, twisted it, and slipped inside the room before shutting the door quickly behind me.


    I pressed my ear against the door, trying to listen, but I could no longer hear anything. I didn¡¯t even got a second to steady my breathing before a voice murmured right against my ear.


    "What are you up to, little troublemaker?"


    Shocked, I yelped and spun around only to have a warm and firm hand pping over my mouth to muffle the sound.


    My eyes went wide as I found Alpha Kieran standing there in front of me. He was way too close and his eyes were half-lidded with sleep. His hair was messy and falling over his forehead. It seemed like I had woken him up from his sleep.


    It took me a second, or probably longer that that, to register the fact that he wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt. And before I could have stopped myself, my gaze dropped lower.


    Oh.


    Oh, dear moon.


    My brain instantly stopped working as my eyes traced over the defined muscles of his chest, the sharp lines of his abdomen, and the deep V that disappeared beneath the low-hanging ck trousers that were sitting dangerously on his hips.


    I had seen men without shirts before, but none of them looked anything like this.


    Alpha Kieran had the kind of body that was carved by riches and power. He was lean but impossibly strong. His skin was wless and his muscles were firm. And the way he was standing -pletely at ease while pinning me with a knowing look - made it clear that he was well aware of what I was doing.


    And then, I made the situation even worse as I lingered despite knowing better.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t. I knew I should have looked away immediately, but my traitorous eyes took their time in absorbing every inch of him, every ridge, every curve...


    The low chuckle that rumbled from his chest, finally pulled me out of whatever spell had taken over my sanity.


    "I knew you had guts," he mused as his lips curled into azy, amused smirk. "But I didn¡¯t expect you to be this bold."


    Heat instantly flooded my face and I snapped my gaze up to his. I felt mortified. "I-I wasn¡¯t-"


    Before I could finish defending myself, he arched an eyebrow, making it clear that he didn¡¯t believe me.


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    "I see," he drawled as he finally removed his hand from my mouth, but didn¡¯t step back. "So, you break into my room and immediately start appreciating the view? Should I be ttered?"


    I let out a strangled sound. At this point, my entire body was burning with embarrassment.


    "I didn¡¯t-" I started shaking my head furiously. "I wasn¡¯t appreciating! I was just-"


    "Admiring?" he supplied helpfully while his smile widened.


    "NO!"


    My horrified reaction made him chuckle again. The sound was so deep and warm, and for some reason, it made my stomach twist.


    I took a step back as I needed space, but realized there was barely any as I was nearly pressed against the door.


    He tilted his head as he continued to watch me carefully.


    "Well?" he began, breaking the silence. "Are you going to tell me why you are here?"


    "I came to give you my answer," I replied firmly.


    He crossed his arms over his chest, making his muscles shift in a way that I pretended not to notice.


    "And?"


    I swallowed hard and took in a deep breath before finally speaking, "I ept your offer. I want to enter the academy."


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t say anything. He just kept watching me in silence as if he was assessing me. But then, with the smallest nod, he spoke, "Good."


    Relief flooded me at his response. A part of me had almost started worrying that he might no longer want to help me. But it turned out I was overthinking as always.


    Then, he added, "But you should know. Once you make it in, there¡¯s no turning back."


    I met his gaze as I answered in a firm voice. "I know."


    His smirk returned, but there was something different in his eyes now, something unreadable.


    "Then, let¡¯s get to work, little troublemaker."

 Chapter 18: Secret Message from the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 18: Secret Message from the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Exhaustion was all that I could feel as I stepped into the servants¡¯ quarters. It was pressing down on me like a heavy weight.


    My body was aching from the long day of work, and my stomach felt hollow as I ended up missing lunch. Thest time I ate was in the morning, and then too I barely got a bread and a bowl of vegetable soup.


    Shaking my head, I pushed open the thin curtain that separated my small cot from the rest of the room, only to freeze at the sight in front of me.


    There was a wooden box waiting on my cot.


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    I blinked, taking a moment to collect myself out of the shock and confusion before I quickly looked around. There was only one other maid in the chamber and she was busy in her own world.


    Returning my attention back to the box, I closed the curtain behind me and cautiously stepped closer.


    The box looked simple. It was made of dark wood with no markings or notes. It was small, barely the size of an average notebook.


    I hesitated for a second but then lifted the lid, only for my jaw to drop once I realized what the box held. Inside were four soft and round buns, neatly arranged and looking extremely mouthwatering.


    I inhaled sharply.


    The scent was almost overwhelming... sweet, warm, and delicious. My stomach clenched painfully at the smell, reminding me just how little I had eaten today.


    But instead of reaching for one, I took a step back as questions filled my head. Who left this here? And why?


    Food was rarely wasted in this ce, especially on me. No one would give away something like this without a reason. Was this a kindness? A trap? A test?


    I clenched my hands, keeping them firm at my sides. I couldn¡¯t deny that I wanted to eat those buns so badly, but my trust issues kept me from doing so.


    I sat down on the edge of my cot and stared at the buns as if they would give me the answer.


    But as minutes passed, my hunger started gnawing at me. It was making my head feel light, and my limbs weak.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t eat them, but the scent was curling around me, teasing, tempting, making my self-control waver.


    Finally, as I failed to hold myself back any more, I reached forward. My fingers hesitated over the soft surface of the first bun before I picked it up, finding that it was still warm.


    I swallowed hard as I stared at the round thing in my hand.


    <i>One bite. Just one.</i>


    Slowly, I lifted it to my lips and sank my teeth into it. And the moment its soft, fluffy dough melted on my tongue, I let out a quiet, shaky breath.


    It was delicious. Actually, more than delicious. It was the best thing I had eaten in forever.


    It was sweet and buttery, filled with something rich and slightly savory that I couldn¡¯t quite ce. The vors coated my mouth, spreading warmth through my entire body.


    Even if I died after eating these buns, I wasn¡¯t going toin. They were worth my life.


    My hands moved before I could stop them and I picked up another bun, then another. By the time I was halfway through the third bun, I bit down and felt... something.


    As I pulled the bun away from my lips, I found a small, folded piece of paper hidden inside it.


    My stomach twisted as I wiped my fingers and carefully unfolded it to find neat, beautiful handwriting starinb back at me.


    <i>Meet me in the side garden tomorrow at midnight. Bring everything you need to.</i>


    <i>-K.</i>


    I shouldn¡¯t have felt so sure about my guess, but I just knew that this was from none other than Alpha Kieran.


    It had been two days since I had stood in his room and epted his offer. Two days with no word, no instructions... until now.


    My fingers tightened around the note as I reread it. My mind started racing as I wondered about what the message might be implying.


    Was he going to take me to the Academy? Or why else he would ask me to bring whatever I wanted to take with me?


    I had no answers.


    The only thing I knew was that I would do exactly what the letter asked me to.


    - - -


    The next twenty-four hours passed in a blur.


    I barely slept that night, and once morning arrived, I went about my chores as usual. At one point, I did realize that I was trying extra hard to act normal even as my nerves were twisting tighter with every passing hour.


    I didn¡¯t want to draw attention to myself, but I knew I wasn¡¯t doing a great job of it. My hands were trembling when I cleaned. My mind kept reying different scenarios - what if it was another test? What if it was a trap? What if-


    No.


    I forced myself to push those thoughts away.


    Alpha Kieran wanted to meet me. That was all I knew. And that was all I needed to know.


    By the time night fell, my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.


    I waited until I was sure everyone was asleep and the hallways outside the servants¡¯ quarters were quiet.


    Only then did I dare to sneak out.


    I had once again taken my shoes off to not alert the guards with the sound of my footsteps, and I was wearing a ck cloak to blend myself in the shadows.


    Though the side garden wasn¡¯t far, getting there without being seen was the real challenge.


    The mansion¡¯s guards were alert, trained to notice even the slightest movement. I had barely taken five steps before I saw the movement ahead.


    I immediately pressed myself against the wall. My body tensed as I noticed two guards who were patrolling the hallway.


    I forced myself to breathe slowly and waited until they went another way. Only then did I dare to continue on my way. I crossed another hallway before finally arriving at the door leading to the side garden.


    At this pony, my nerves were so raw that my hands had started shaking. I inhaled deeply and pushed the door open just enough to slip outside.


    The cool night air hit my face as I took in the moonlit garden. As my gaze ran across my surroundings, I realized that there was no sign of Alpha Kieran there.


    I swallowed as my nerves started taking over.


    Was I early? Or-


    Before I could finish the thought, a hand grabbed my arm, forcing my heart to skip a beat.


    Another hand mped over my mouth before I could have made a sound, forcing my body to go rigid in fear.


    But then, a low voice murmured in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "You arete, little troublemaker."

 Chapter 19: Escaping the Mansion

    <h4>Chapter 19: Escaping the Mansion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I inhaled deeply to allow myself to calm down once I realized that it was none other than Alpha Kieran who had sneaked up on me. His grip on my arm was firm and he didn¡¯t let go even after I stopped struggling.


    "You almost got caught twice," he murmured, letting me know that he had been watching me all this time. "You need to be better than that."


    I swallowed, forcing myself to breathe evenly. The way he had appeared so suddenly, the way his hand had silenced me before I could even react, it sent a chill down my spine.


    "Follow me," he said and finally released me.


    Without another word, he turned and moved soundlessly through the garden. I hesitated for only a moment before following him. My bare feet barely made a sound against the cool grass as I trailed behind him with my shoes still in my hands.


    We moved quickly, weaving through the shadows until we reached the outer wall at the back of the mansion. There, hidden behind thick vines, was a narrow iron door.


    I watched as Alpha Kieran reached into his pocket and pulled out a key before unlocking the door with a soft click. He stepped aside and gestured for me to go first.


    I hesitated again, casting him a wary nce, but when he merely raised an eyebrow in challenge, I swallowed my doubts and slipped through.


    The moment I was on the other side, my gazended on the ck sports car that was waiting there, right outside the back door of the estate.


    And right next to that car was standing a young man with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. His sharp features were set in a neutral expression. His dark eyes flicked to me briefly before turning to Alpha Kieran who followed right after me.


    I watched as Alpha Kieran moved toward the car and opened the passenger door before gesturing for me to get in.


    This time, I moved despite the hesitation. I climbed in and he closed the door after me. The leather seat was cool against my skin, and the car had a clean and expensive scent that greeted me.


    I looked out through the window in time to notice the two men exchanging a few quiet words, but their voices were too low for me to catch.


    The young man gave a small nod before turning on his heel and heading toward the iron gates. Once he slipped inside, he carefully shut them again without making a single sound.


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    Who was he? How many people knew about this arrangement between Alpha Kieran and me?


    Before I could think too much about it, Alpha Kieran was slipping into the driver¡¯s seat beside me.


    For a moment, the only sound was the quiet hum of the engine as he started the car. Then, the vehicle pulled smoothly onto the empty road, leaving the estate behind.


    I stared out at the dark road ahead before finally gathering the courage to speak. "Where are we going?"


    He nced at me briefly, then returned his gaze to the road. Silence stretched between us for next few moments before he finally spoke, but instead of answering his my question, he presented me with one of his own. "Why didn¡¯t you bring anything?"


    I blinked, slighgly caught off guard by the question.


    My fingers curled around the old sneakers in myp. I had been holding onto them the entire time, but beyond that, I hadn¡¯t brought anything else.


    "There was nothing to bring," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "My pack was burnt down. I never got the chance to grab clothes or money before fleeing. And when your warriors found me... all I had was the pair of jeans and sweater I was wearing."


    I hesitated before continuing. "Even as a maid at the mansion, I was only given a pair of old maid clothes. For the past three weeks, I have been washing them and wearing them in turns."


    I tugged at the cloak wrapped around my shoulders, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "This... I found this a week ago. A guard threw it away, and I picked it up. The nights were getting colder, and I didn¡¯t have anything warm to wear."


    For a long moment, Kieran didn¡¯t say anything. His expression didn¡¯t change, but I noticed how his fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel, turning his knuckles white.


    I wondered if I had spoken too much. Maybe he found me too talkative.


    Biting my lip, I turned my gaze out the window, watching as the darkndscape passed by. Even though it was the dead of night, the silver moonlight allowed me to take in the beauty of the Rogue world. Dense forests were lining both sides of the empty road, their leaves rustling softly in the cool breeze.


    The sight was strangely peaceful.


    I hesitated, then reached out to lower the window on my side, craving the fresh night air. But before I could nce at the man beside me to check if he minded, he did something unexpected.


    With a silent press of a button, he lowered both our windows. A rush of cold air filled the car, and before I could stop myself, a bright smile bloomed on my lips.


    The wind swept through my hair as I leaned against the window, allowing myself to enjoy the ride.


    What I didn¡¯t notice was the way he finally turned to look at me and his gaze lingered for a while before he turned away.


    We drove in silence for another ten minutes before I finally noticed a town in the distance.


    As we neared, Alpha Kieran slowed the car, guiding it through the quiet streets. The town lookedpletely asleep at this hour with its empty streets and its buildings dark.


    I furrowed my brows, turning my attention at him. "Is the academy in this town?"


    "No," he said simply. "I was going to take you straight to the academy."


    I blinked. Was?


    He gave me a sideways nce before returning his focus to the road. "But now," he continued, "we are going shopping."


    I stared at him for a moment before repeating, "Shopping?"


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    "In the dead of night?"


    "In a town that lookspletely asleep?"


    He didn¡¯t answer right away. But the corner of his mouth curled into the faintest smirk. And for some reason, that smirk made my heart race.

 Chapter 20: Shopping with the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 20: Shopping with the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as he pulled out his phone, all the while he maneuvered the car through the quiet streets of the town.


    His fingers swiftly tapped and then he was dialing a number. It barely took a ring before the other person picked up the call.


    "Be ready in five," he said curtly before hanging up without waiting for a response.


    I nced at him with curiosity stirring in my chest. "Who was that?" I asked hesitantly, not sure if I would get an answer.


    "The boutique owner," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "She¡¯ll open the store for us."


    I blinked in surprise. "You are waking someone up in the middle of the night... just for shopping?"


    He shot me a brief look, as if debating whether to answer or not, before finally speaking. "Lakeshire is one of the towns most frequently visited by the students of Silver Moon Academy. Because of that, most of the town is made up of stores, cafes, restaurants, and a few hotels. The shop owners are used to unusual customer timings, especially during exam seasons."


    I nodded slowly, taking in the empty streets lined with cozy-looking buildings. The town had a charm to it - clean cobbled roads, streetmps casting a warm glow, and shop windows showcasing a variety of goods. Even though it was dead silent now, I could imagine how lively it must be during the day.


    Alpha Kieran pointed out a few ces as we passed.


    "That¡¯s one of the most popr cafes," he said, nodding toward a quaint two-story building withrge ss windows. "Students gather there after sses or before exams to study. The Academy library is great, but sometimes people just need a different atmosphere."


    My gaze lingered on the cafe, appreciating how beautifully its exterior was decorated with vines and fairy lights. It looked weing, a ce filled with warmth andfort.


    "There¡¯s the bookstore," the Alpha continued, nodding toward another building with a wooden sign that read Everleaf Books. "They sell both Academy textbooks and personal reading material. If you need anything for your studies, you¡¯ll find it there."


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    The idea of being able to buy books, or having the time to read again, made something warm stir inside me.


    "And over there," he said as we passed another shop, "is one of the best bakeries in town. Their chocte croissants sell out before noon every day."


    My stomach growled at the mention of food, but I pretended not to hear it.


    Five minutes passed in what felt like seconds, and before I knew it, we were pulling up in front of a boutique. The store was still dark, but standing outside were two women. One seemed to be in herte thirties, and the other younger probably in her early twenties.


    Alpha Kieran parked the car and stepped out without hesitation. And I hurried to follow, shivering slightly as the cool night air wrapped around me.


    The women immediately greeted him, bowing their heads slightly in respect.


    "Alpha Kieran," the older woman said.


    He gave a curt nod. "I need to buy her some clothes."


    Both women turned their attention to me as if only just realizing I was there. Their eyes flicked over my disheveled appearance, lingering on my cloak and bare feet.


    I could see the questions in their eyes.


    Who was I?


    Why was I with Kieran?


    But they knew better than to ask.


    The older woman, whom I assumed was the boutique owner, quickly regained herposure and smiled politely. "Of course, pleasee inside."


    But just as we were about to step in, I grabbed his arm and stopped him at the entrance.


    "You don¡¯t have to do this," I blurted out. Embarrassment was taking over me. I knew I talked too much by bbering out myck of clothes.


    "I-" I swallowed. "I don¡¯t want to owe you more than I already do."


    He studied me for a long moment before speaking. "You¡¯ll need clothes for the uing week of examinations. Do you n on staying in just one pair of clothes for the entire week?"


    I bit my lip because I already knew the answer. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right.


    As if sensing my hesitation, he continued, "Consider this my investment in our deal. You can pay me back by passing the entrance exams and doing what I brought you here to do."


    His words made it clear, I didn¡¯t really have a choice.


    With a small nod, I finally relented.


    Inside, the boutique was warm and well-lit, filled with rows of neatly disyed clothing.


    The owner, whom Alpha Kieran called Melinda, first showed me dresses, but I quickly shook my head. Dresses weren¡¯t practical for me.


    Instead, I went ahead with trousers.


    I wasn¡¯t a fan of skinny jeans, so I chose five pairs of trousers - two ck, a dark blue, a beige, and a white. Initially, I only wanted two, but Alpha Kieran insisted on more, so I settled on five.


    For tops, I picked a mix of shirts, crop tops, and woolen sweaters. Again, I tried to keep it minimal, but Alpha Kieran selected several more, finalizing about ten in total despite my denials.


    Once that was done, he turned to Melinda and said, "Shoes."


    That¡¯s how I ended up with two pairs of sturdy, high-quality shoes and even a pair of slippers.


    Just when I thought we were finished, Melinda led me to another section of the store, this time to choose undergarments.


    Heat rushed to my face, but I knew I couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    I quickly grabbed a few essentials, trying to finish as fast as possible.


    It was at this moment when my eyesnded on a small section near the counter that had face masks.


    An idea suddenly formed in my head. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of it was going to work, or if its even going to work, but it still gave me hope.


    Without hesitation, I grabbed two ck masks and a cap,pleting my shopping.

 Chapter 21: A Temporary Disguise

    <h4>Chapter 21: A Temporary Disguise</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Alpha Kieran noticed the masks and the cap in my hands when I returned to the front section of the store. Instead of asking it out loud, he just arched his eyebrows in a silent question.


    I hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him the truth.


    "I want to keep my identity hidden," I said, gripping the fabric between my fingers. "At least until I pass the exams and make it into the academy as a student. If one of your brothers is there during the exams, I don¡¯t want to risk them recognizing me. The masks and the cap will help with that."


    He listened quietly with an unreadable expression on his face. But as I spoke, a new, horrifying thought crashed into me.


    How could these masks and cap help me hide? If the brothers were indeed going to be present during the exams, wouldn¡¯t there be possibility that they would have lists of the students¡¯ names taking the exams?


    "Are they going to be there?" I asked,pletely failing in hiding the panic in my voice. "Your brothers, are they going to be present during the exams?"


    My mind was starting to fill with questions. Could they disqualify me from taking the exams? And if yes, then would they?


    I was still struggling to get a grip on myself when I felt fingers softly brushing over one of my eyebrows. Startled, I looked up in time to see Alpha Kieran pulling his hand back. The look on his face almost made me believe that even he was surprised by what he had just done.


    He buried his hands in his pant¡¯s pockets as if to physically stop them from doing something unnecessary again. "You don¡¯t have to worry about my brothers. Draven is still a second-year student at the academy. So, he can¡¯t be present at the entrance exams."


    That was one down.


    "But Oscar is a different story," he continued. "This will be his first year as an official trainer at the academy. He¡¯s going to be present during the final round of exams."


    I swallowed. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how I felt about this piece of information.


    He went on, as ifpletely oblivious of the storm brewing inside my head. "I¡¯m a professor at the academy and the person in-charge of the entrance exams. So, you will see me there,"


    That part I already expected, but my mind was already moving to...


    "And Alpha River?" I asked, almost dreading the answer.


    "River onlyes to the academy now and then. He has more pressing matters to handle as the ruler of the Roguemunity. It¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll be present during the exam week. His chances of appearance are just as low as Draven¡¯s."


    I released a slow breath.


    So the ones I had to worry about the most was Oscar. The only good part about this was that I wouldn¡¯t be seeing him until the veryst round.


    I watched as Alpha Kieran tilted his head slightly, his gaze locked on me. "You don¡¯t have to worry too much about my brother recognizing you during exams."


    I nodded, but I wasn¡¯tpletely convinced, and it seemed like he understood my lingering doubt because a momentter, he said, "I can help too."


    Before I could ask what he meant, he turned to Melinda and called her over. Once she arrived, he ordered, "Take her to the back and change her look."


    Melinda blinked in surprise before nodding. "Understood."


    "Wait-" I started, but before I could protest, Melinda and her assistant ushered me into a deeper section of the boutique.


    Everything after that happened in a blur.


    I was quickly made to change into a fresh pair of clothes and new shoes. The fabric felt strange against my skin. It was warm, soft, and unfamiliar.


    After that, I was made to sit down in front of a mirror, and Melinda¡¯s assistant started working on my chipped nails, shaping and painting them with a neutral color while Melinda herself focused on my hair.


    "Hold still," she murmured as she ran her fingers through the strands.


    A few minutester, I saw ck dye seeping into my silver hair.


    "This is temporary," she exined when she noticed the horrified look on my face. "It¡¯ll fade in about two to three weeks. But until then, no one will recognize you from your hair alone."


    Next, she handed me a pair of contact lenses, and instructed, "Try these on."


    I hesitated but did as told. The moment I blinked and looked at my reflection, my amber eyes were gone. reced by a deep brown color.


    I almost didn¡¯t recognize myself. When I entered the store about an hour ago, I was looking like a homeless girl. A stray. But now, I was hardly able to believe the reflection staring back at me.


    My new clothes fit me well. They were not too fancy, butfortable and well-tailored. My waist-length silver hair was now jet ck, and my amber eyes had darkened into an unremarkable brown.


    With the sessful transformation beingpleted, I was finally allowed to step out of the back room.


    Alpha Kieran was waiting by the counter, checking his phone, but the moment he looked up, his gaze locked onto me. It was hard to read his thoughts as he kept his expression neutral, but i could tell that he was satisfied with Melinda¡¯s work.


    "These changes will help you stay unnoticed," he said, crossing his arms as he studied me. "Your hair and eyes would have given you away immediately if Oscar saw you."


    I nodded, still mentally adjusting to my new appearance.


    I was still me... but I wasn¡¯t.


    The silver-haired girl who had suffered through years of pain, loss, and rejection, she wasn¡¯t visible anymore. The girl right now looked like someone new.


    It wasn¡¯t a fresh start, but a temporary disguise. And I was determined to make the best out of it.


    Kieran watched me closely before speaking again.


    "Are you ready?"


    I inhaled deeply, steadying myself before I answered, "Yes."<fne24e> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n findnovel</fne24e>

 Chapter 22: No Turning Back

    <h4>Chapter 22: No Turning Back</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The drive to the Silver Moon Academy was shorter than I expected.


    More or less fifteen minutes was all it took before we reached the towering mountain peak where the academy was located.


    The road leading up was winding, cutting through dense forests that seemed untouched by time. The higher we climbed, the clearer the night sky became with the silver moon casting a soft glow over everything.


    But despite the beauty, my nerves were starting to creep in. I was about to step into an entirely new world. A world I didn¡¯t belong to.


    When the car finally slowed to a stop, I expected to see the academy¡¯s grand gates. Instead, we were still at the foot of the mountain. Not far from us, there was a small clearing surrounded by trees. Several cottages were built in neat rows, their wooden exteriors blending seamlessly with the wilderness around them. A few scattered lights glowed from the windows, but most of the area was quiet.


    "This isn¡¯t the Academy?" I asked, turning to Alpha Kieran.


    He was already reaching for something in the backseat. "Non-students aren¡¯t allowed to step inside the Academy grounds until they pass the entrance exams," he exined. "So, the exams will take ce outside. Those taking the test are staying here until then."


    That made sense. They wouldn¡¯t want just anyone wandering into their prestigious academy.


    He pulled out a bag and ced it on myp. "Your essentials."


    I blinked at it before looking up at him, clearly confused. "Essentials?"


    "You didn¡¯t pack anything for yourself," he reminded me. "So, I did."


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. I should have expected it, considering how he forced me to buy more clothes than I initially nned, but the fact that he even thought of giving me essentials left me feeling... strange.


    Before I could say anything, he handed me a folded piece of paper.


    "This is your entry form. You need to show it to the guard at the clearing entrance," he said. "Once he verifies it, you¡¯ll be allowed to enter and get your assigned cottage."


    I took the paper, my fingers gripping it tightly.


    Though his expression remained neutral, something in his gaze softened slightly as he spoke the next words. "This is where we part ways for now. The first exam is the day after tomorrow. Until then, rest. Eat. Make sure you are prepared."


    He didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I knew I needed to be at my best. So, I nodded my head in understanding before adding, "I will."


    For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. I knew that it was time for me to climb out, but I was almost frozen in my seat.


    <fnd207> Th?s chapter is updated by find{n}ovel</fnd207>


    Then, I watched him leaning toward me, reaching for the door handle to open it. "Good luck, Eva."


    And just like that, I had to force my body to move. I gave him a nod and stepped out of the car with the bag. Then I grabbed the suitcase from the trunk and stepped to the side, watching as the car pulled away, leaving me behind.


    The moment he was gone, I let out a slow breath.


    This was it. There was no turning back for me now.


    Gathering my things, I made my way toward the clearing entrance, ready to face whatever awaited me next. In the meantime, I decided to take a look at the form in my hand.


    Even though I was wolfless, I still had more enhanced sensespared to a normal human. Plus the bright moonlight helped me read the small letter written on the piece of paper.


    It had my information and Alpha Kieran¡¯s seal on it. What caught my attention was that there was no surname mentioned with my name and in ce of my pack¡¯s name, there was written ¡¯rogue¡¯.


    He had nned everything so well. I myself wasn¡¯t looking forward to introduce myself as a Greystone or someone who once belonged to Shadowfang pack. So, I was content with the missing and changed information in the form.


    Taking in a deep breath, I approached the entrance and noticed a guard standing just beyond the wooden archway that marked the boundary of the clearing.


    He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, dressed in dark clothes that blended with the night. His stance was rxed, but there was no mistaking the sharpness in his gaze as he watched me approach.


    I stopped a few feet away and held out the form. "I¡¯m here for the entrance exams," I said, keeping my voice steady.


    The guard didn¡¯t say anything at first. He reached out, took the paper from my hand, and unfolded it. His eyes scanned the contents before he looked back at me.


    "Name?" he asked.


    "Evaline."


    His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn¡¯t question it. Instead, he turned and reached into a small wooden booth beside the entrance. He pulled out a clipboard, checked something off, then handed my form back.


    "Cottage thirteen," he said. "Follow the path straight ahead. You¡¯ll find it on the left."


    I nodded, murmuring a quiet, "Thank you," before heading inside.


    The path leading through the clearing was well-trodden, the dirt packed firm beneath my feet. As I walked, I took in my surroundings more carefully. There were about twenty cottages in total, scattered throughout the clearing in neat rows. Some had soft candlelight flickering through the windows, while others werepletely dark, signaling that their upants were already asleep.


    I wondered how many people were already here. How many would be taking the exams alongside me? Would any of them be like me? A nobody with no wolf, no pack, no real identity?


    I was probably too lost in my thoughts because the next thing I knew, I was bumping into someone, or maybe it was that someone who bumped into me.


    Fortunately, I was able to catch myself right before I could have ended upnding on the ground. I immediately turned around, ready to apologize, but...

 Chapter 23: Best friends For Years

    <h4>Chapter 23: Best friends For Years</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Sorry-" I started to say, but the words barely left my lips before the person was already moving past me.


    He was tall, dressed in dark clothes with a cap pulled low over his head and a ck mask covering the lower half of his face. The only thing visible was his eyes. They were a piercing icy-blue, sharp and cold as they met mine for a fleeting second before he turned away.


    Something about him made my instincts stir. But before I could even react, he was gone, disappearing down the path without another word.


    Strange.


    That¡¯s what I felt as I stared after him. I couldn¡¯t tell exactly why I felt this way about him just by bumping into him, but something just didn¡¯t set right with me about him.


    Shaking my head, I turned my attention away from the guy. It didn¡¯t matter. I had more important things to focus on right now.


    Gripping my suitcase, I continued toward my assigned cottage, following the path the guard had mentioned. The night air was still and quiet, and the only sound wasing from the asional rustle of leaves in the breeze.


    When I finally reached Cottage Thirteen, I stopped outside its entrance, hesitating. The house was filled with mostly darkness and there was no sounding from inside, making it obvious that people inside were already asleep.


    I took a moment or two before finally stepping inside.


    The interior was simple, dark, but cozy. Themon area had a few chairs and a small wooden table. There was also antern hanging from the ceiling, but it was switched off at the moment. There were four doors, each leading to a bedroom.


    A quick nce around told me that three rooms were marked upied, but the fourth one had one empty bed. The bedroom doors had these markings to make things simple. Making sure not to make too much sound, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    The room had two single beds, one on each side, with a small wooden dresser in between. There was a window on the far wall, though the curtains were drawn.


    The other bed was already upied, but not by a person. Someone¡¯s belongings were neatly stacked next to it, including a suitcase and a few folded clothes on the dresser.


    But there was no sign of the other upant.


    I exhaled and set my suitcase and bag down next to my bed. Maybe my roommate was out somewhere. Maybe they were already asleep in another part of the cottage. Either way, I wasn¡¯t going to dwell on it.


    I took off my boots and sat on the bed, running a hand through my hair. It had been a long, exhausting night. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I had a real bed to sleep in.


    Lying down, I pulled the nket over myself, allowing my body to finally rx. I was both excited and anxious about theing day.


    - - -


    When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that I was still alone in the room. The other bed was still empty, and there was no sign that anyone had returned during the night.


    Stretching, I got up and grabbed some fresh clothes before heading to themon showers. The water was ice-cold at first, making me shiver, but soon, it warmed up, allowing me to enjoy the rare luxury of a real shower.


    I scrubbed my skin and hair clean, washing away the dirt, exhaustion, and the lingering memories of the past two months. By the time I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, I felt fresher than I had in months.


    I changed into simple ck trousers and a long-sleeved gray top. Since my hair was still pretty much damp, I left them loose and put on my shoes.


    Even though my hair and eye color had been changed, I still decided to wear the mask to cover the lower half of my face, and only then did I stepped out of the changing room.


    <fn2877> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F¦Énd£Îovel</fn2877>


    By now, more people had woken up, making the once-quiet clearing to buzz with voices and movement, making the ce livelier.


    I made my way toward the dining area, following the scent of food. My stomach had started growling in anticipation, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since yesterday.


    And as I walked, I identally bumped into someone... again.


    But this time, it wasn¡¯t a quiet, masked stranger. Instead, it was a girl... a beautiful one. She had mesmerizing blue eyes and her blonde hair was cut short, not even reaching her shoulder.


    I also noticed how the roots of her hair were actually ck, making me realize that her hair wasn¡¯t originally blonde, but she had colored them.


    She looked up at me with a wide, friendly smile. "Oh! Sorry about that! I wasn¡¯t looking where I was going," she said,ughing a little.


    I took a step back, feelinb unsure about how to respond. "It¡¯s fine."


    Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she took in my masked face. "You are new, aren¡¯t you? Well, I guess we are all new here, technically." She giggled. "I¡¯m Mallory, Mallory Campbell, by the way! And you are...?"


    I hesitated for a second before replying, "Evaline."


    "Evaline," she repeated as if testing how my name sounded. "Nice to meet you! You can call me Mallo. Or Lory. Or even Allo, though only my brother calls me that."


    She was talking really fast and with a lot of energy. Her words were bouncing in the air like an excited puppy and I had no idea how to respond to someone like her.


    Instead of waiting for me to answer, she linked her arm with mine as if we had been best friends for years.


    "Come on! Let¡¯s get food before the good stuff is gone," she said, dragging me toward the dining area.


    I blinked,pletely unsure of what just happened.


    Had I just... made a friend?

 Chapter 24: Learning About the First Test

    <h4>Chapter 24: Learning About the First Test</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The dining hall wasrger than what I was expecting.


    There were rows of long wooden tables stretched across the room with students scattered throughout, either eating or chatting amongst themselves.


    A warm scent of fresh bread, eggs, and something sweet was lingering in the air, making my stomach tighten in anticipation. It had been a long time since Ist had a proper breakfast.


    It was Mallory¡¯s voice that pulled by attention back to her, reminding me that there was someone right next to me.


    "Looks like most people are already here. We should really hurry!"


    She then grabbed my wrist before I could say anything and started dragging me toward the food counter. Her energy was infectious, bubbly and chaotic in the best way possible.


    "Don¡¯t let the rustic look fool you," she continued while motioning toward the wooden interior. "The food here is actually amazing. My brother told me about it, but I thought he was exaggerating. Turns out, he wasn¡¯t."


    I followed her lead and picked up a tray as we reached the counter. There were plenty of options - eggs, sausages, fresh fruit, toast, and porridge. Since I was starving, I opted for a bowl of porridge, an apple, two boiled eggs, and a cup of coffe.


    But if I was thinking that my tray carried too much food, then I was mistaken. Mallory had her tray piled with everything she could fit in it, making it twice as full as mine.


    "Are you feeding an entire pack?" I asked, failing to stop myself.


    I was worried that she might feel offended, but found her grinning as she replied. "Nope! Just me. But you never know when your next meal will be, right?"


    I shook my head and tried to suppress the smile that was threatening to spill on my lips. She was absolutely right.


    Once we had our food, Mallory started scanning the area before spotting someone. "Oh! There he is. Come on, I want you to meet someone."


    Without warning, she pulled me along toward a table near the corner where a guy was sitting alone with a book open beside his tray.


    He looked up as we approached, and I took the chance to study him. He didn¡¯t look like the type to stand out in a crowd, not in the way most shifters did, anyway. He had an air of quiet intelligence about him, with neatly styled dark hair, sharp features, and a pair of thin-rimmed sses perched on his nose.


    He was wearing a simple, well-fitted ck shirt, and even though his posture was rxed, there was something guarded about him.


    "Kyros!" Mallory chirped as she sat her tray down across from him. "I broughtpany!"


    <fn6244> Updates are released by Find[F]ovel</fn6244>


    His gaze flickered to me for a moment before he gave a small nod. "I see that."


    "Her name is Evaline!" Mallory introduced me before I could even open my mouth. "We just met. Well, actually bumped into each other."


    "Evaline," Kyros repeated as he returned his attention to me. "Nice to meet you."


    I nodded and sat beside Mallory, across from him. "Likewise. And please call me Eva."


    The three of us started eating, and while Mallory did most of the talking, I observed. Kyros was theplete opposite of her, where she was loud and expressive, he was quiet and reserved. But somehow, their dynamic worked.


    "So, what were you reading?" Mallory asked between bites.


    Kyros closed the book and tapped the cover. "Just some notes on the Academy¡¯s entrance exams."


    That caught my interest. "You know about the exams?"


    Kyros adjusted his sses as he answered, "I have been preparing for them my whole life. I need to pass."


    "Same!" Mallory chimed in. "Well, not my whole life, but my brother took these examsst year, so I already know a lot about them."


    I leaned in slightly before asking, "What do you guys know?"


    The two looked at me as if they were surpised by my question. It was Kyros who answered first. "The first round is a written test. It assesses general knowledge about the shifter world."


    Mallory nodded. "There will be five questions, and you need to get at least three right to move on to the second round."


    That was... unexpected. I hadn¡¯t thought they would start with something like this.


    "What kind of questions?" I continued with my questions. And fortunately, these two were ready to answer.


    "Ranging from moderate to difficult," Kyros replied. "Each question is worth a different amount of points. Those points will determine rankings."


    Mallory leaned forward eagerly as she added, "And the person with the most points at the end of all the exams will get a special reward!"


    "What kind of reward?"


    "A privilege," Kyros answered. "It changes every year, but it¡¯s something valuable. Last year, the highest-scoring student got direct mentorship under one of the Academy¡¯s top trainers. Before that, someone received a rare enchanted weapon."


    Mallory nodded. "It¡¯s a big deal."


    I became quiet for a moment as I processed the information.


    A written test was actually good for me for two reason. First, because it didn¡¯t require me to use strength or speed - two things Ickedpared to other shifters. And second, I had a lot of knowledge about the shifter world.


    "How did you guys prepare for this?" I asked.


    Kyros shrugged. "Years of studying."


    Mallory grinned as she spoke, "Having a brother who tells me things."


    I found Kyros studying me for a second before he spoke. "You will need basic knowledge about packs, roguews, history of the Academy, and the hierarchy of shifters. If you don¡¯t know those things, I suggest you find a way to learn them before tomorrow."


    Mallory tapped her chin. "I could quiz you!"


    Kyros sighed. "Or she could read."


    Mallory pouted at that. "Where¡¯s the fun in that?"


    I chuckled softly. Despite their differences, they were both oddly entertaining.


    I cleared my throat, pulling both their attention toward me. "Can I bother you guys to tell me about the history of this academy?"

 Chapter 25: Missing Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 25: Missing Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After breakfast, the three of us wandered through the clearing, enjoying the morning air while continuing our conversation.


    The more time I was spending with Mallory and Kyros, the more I found myself learning about them, and about Silver Moon Academy itself.


    "So, you are from the Blood Moon Pack?" I asked, ncing at Kyros as we walked along a dirt path leading toward a clearing.


    He nodded, adjusting his sses. "My father is the beta."


    That exined his strict and disciplined demeanor. The Blood Moon Pack was one of the strongest packs in the region, known for their rigid hierarchy and elite warriors. If Kyros was the son of their beta, that meant he had been raised with high expectations.


    "And you?" I turned to Mallory.


    "Nightshade Pack," she said proudly. "Not as big as Blood Moon, but we are still a well-known pack."


    I hummed in acknowledgment. Nightshade wasn¡¯t as famous, but I had heard of them in passing.


    "You guys are both eighteen, right?" I asked.


    "Yup," Mallory confirmed. "What about you?"


    "Same," I replied.


    Kyros shot me a nce. "And your pack?"


    I had been expecting this question sooner orter. And despite that, U found myself hesitating for a brief moment. I carefully chose my words before responding.


    "I don¡¯t really remember much about my original pack," I admitted while lowering my gaze slightly to sell the act. "I have been a rogue for most of my life."


    Mallory¡¯s expression softened and she pulled me into a side hug. "Oh... that must have been tough."


    I gave a small shrug. "You get used to it."


    On the other hand, Kyros didn¡¯t say anything. But I found his sharp gaze studying me as if trying to read between the lines. I kept my expression neutral. I couldn¡¯t afford to let anyone see through my lies, at least not yet.


    To change the topic, I gestured around us. "So, tell me more about the academy."


    That got Mallory excited. "It was founded by the Rogue Alpha brothers five years ago. Crazy, right? In such a short time, it has became the most prestigious shifter academy in the world!"


    Kyros nodded. "The Academy started as an independent institution, but now even high-ranking packs send their best candidates here. If you graduate from Silver Moon, you are guaranteed a ce among the strongest."


    I already knew this part, and it did exin why people were so desperate to get in.


    I took it all in as we reached the end of the clearing. We found a spot under the shade of arge tree and settled down on the grass, letting the warmth of the sun bnce out the cool breeze.


    Mallory flopped onto her back with a sigh before speaking, "I could stay like this forever."


    I too leaned against the trunk and stretched my legs out before admitting. "Feels nice."


    Kyros settled down cross-legged before he pulled out his book again and got absorbed in it.


    A few minutes of pure silence must have passed before Mallory shifted the conversation back to me.


    "So, what made you want to join the Academy?" She asked.


    I exhaled, searching for right words. "Survival, I guess. Being a rogue doesn¡¯t offer much security. I figured if I made it in here, I would have a shot at something better."


    That wasn¡¯t entirely a lie.


    Kyros hummed softly. "Makes sense."


    Mallory also nodded. "Well, you are here now. And as long as we stick together, we¡¯ll all get through it!"


    I didn¡¯t respond, but I appreciated the sentiment.


    After a while, we got up and headed toward the dining hall for lunch. The meal was just as good as breakfast, and I found myself enjoying theirpany more than I expected.


    But eventually, exhaustion caught up to me.


    "I think I¡¯ll head back to my cottage," I told them after we finished eating.


    Mallory pouted. "Aww, already?"


    "I barely sleptst night," I admitted.


    Kyros adjusted his sses. "You should rest. Tomorrow is important."


    I nodded and bid them goodbye before making my way back to my cottage.


    - - -


    The ce was quiet when I arrived. There were seven other students assigned here besides me, but I had yet to meet them all.


    As I stepped into themon room, I finally spotted three of them.


    There was a tall, dark-skinned girl with short curly hair lounging on the couch while flipping through a book. Two guys were sitting nearby, one was blond with a lean build, while the other had shaggy brown hair and a mischievous grin.


    They all looked up as I entered.


    "New girl?" the blond asked.


    I nodded in response. "Eva."


    "Jace," he introduced himself. "That¡¯s Naomi, and the idiot next to me is Felix."


    <fncf77> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F?ndNovel</fncf77>


    Felix smiled softly as he spoke. "Nice to meet you, roomie."


    I gave a small nod. "Likewise."


    There was a brief silence before Naomi spoke. "Your roommate hasn¡¯t shown up yet."


    That made me nce toward my bedroom door and I replied, "Yeah, I noticed."


    "I saw him briefly yesterday morning when he arrived. But he has been gone ever since then." Jace shared.


    I hummed in acknowledgment before excusing myself and heading into my room.


    The bed opposite mine was still untouched, making it known that my roommate hadn¡¯t set his food inside ever since I arrived.


    With a sigh, I changed into somethingfortable and climbed into my bed, finally allowing myself to rest.


    Sleep came almost instantly, pulling me into a dreamers slumber.


    - - -


    When I woke up, the sun had already set.


    I groggily checked the time. Five hours. It was longer than I intended, but I still felt a bit tired.


    Deciding to shake off the sluggishness, I did some light cardio and stretching in my room before heading to the shower. The cool water helped wake me up, and by the time I changed into fresh clothes, I felt much better.


    Since my stomach was calling for food, I made my way back to the dining hall. And as expected, Mallory and Kyros were already there.


    "Took you long enough," Mallory teased as I sat down.


    "Needed sleep," I muttered as I focused on my food.


    Dinner was rxed, and after we finished eating, we took a slow walk around the clearing. By the time we headed back to our cottages, I felt a sense of ease.


    And despite the sleep I caught earlier, I still ended up falling asleep almost immediately. What I didn¡¯t expect was to wake up a few hourster...

 Chapter 26: The Army of Applicants

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Army of Applicants</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes flew open at the rustling noise that suddenly filled the silent room. My senses were on alert as I turned my head slightly, my gaze adjusting to the darkness.


    A figure just walked into the room, and the noise came from the door that they just closed behind them.


    For a brief moment, I tensed. But then I got a look at <i>him</i>.


    Despite the darkness, I recognized the broad shoulders, the lean frame, and the familiar mask covering his lower half of face.


    It was <i>him</i>.


    The man I had bumped intost night. And it turned out he¡¯s my roommate, the one who had been missing since previous night.


    I watched as he moved. He didn¡¯t make a sound as he crossed the room, keeping his footsteps light on the wooden floor. He didn¡¯t bother turning on the light or even acknowledging my presence.


    Without a word, he pulled back the nket on his bed and slid under it, turning his back to me in one fluid motion.


    And just like that, it was as if I didn¡¯t exist.


    I stared for a few more seconds, waiting to see if he would say anything. But he didn¡¯t.


    Shaking my head slightly, Iy back down and exhaled, forcing myself to rx. Tomorrow was the first test, and I needed all the rest I could get. So I ignored him and went back to sleep.


    - - -


    Once again it was the sound of movement that stirred me from sleep, and when I opened my eyes, I realized that my roommate was already awake.


    Just likest night, he didn¡¯t acknowledge me.


    By the time I sat up, he was already heading toward the door with the mask in ce. Before I could even think of saying anything, he was gone.


    I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I quickly grabbed my toiletries and clothes before heading to the showers.


    About fifteen minutester, I was in the dining hall for breakfast. Once again, Mallory and Kyros were with me, and I found myself realizing that I might have indeed found two friends.


    I knew that a lot of people had arrived to take the entrance exams, but it was only when we arrived at the hall where the test was going to take ce, did I got to know the real numbers.


    A hundred and fifteen.


    That was way too many people. And it turned out that not even half of us were going to make through the tests considering the history of previous years.


    This piece of information only made me worry about myself, but I tried to not think about it and focus on the test.


    The atmosphere was tense, filled with hushed whispers and nervous nces. And the only thing helping me distract myself was Mallory who was practically bouncing on her feet.


    "Eva! Ready for the big test?"


    "As ready as I¡¯ll ever be," I replied.


    Kyros was on my other side, lookingpletely calm. "It¡¯s just a written exam. No need to panic."


    Mallory scoffed. "Says the guy who¡¯s been studying for this his whole life."


    Kyros just sighed but said nothing. Looking at him, I just knew that he was going to ace the test.


    Before we could continue talking, a sudden shift in the air made everyone turn their heads.


    My heart skipped a beat as my eyesnded on a familiar figure making his way into the hall. His arrival changed the energy in the room. Conversations died down, and every shifter instinctively straightened.


    It was Alpha Kieran.


    He was dressed in an all ck suit that made his blonde hair and deep green eyes stood out more than usual. His silky hair was styled so neatly, and as he walked, his entire persona radiated power and authority.


    "Oh my!"


    I heard Mallory gasping beside me, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. Almost every person present in the hall was taken aback by Alpha Kieran¡¯s appearance and aura.


    Once he reached the front of the room, he took his ce in the center and his piercing eyes scanned the crowd, and for a brief moment, theynded on me. And then, just as quickly, he looked away.


    "As you all know, today marks the first round of entrance exams," he said in a calm yet authoritative voice. "Only those who prove themselves worthy will move on to the next round. Do your best."


    And with that being said, he turned and left the hall. Yet, his presence lingered even after he was gone.


    The tension in the room eased slightly, but not by much.


    "Well," Mallory whispered, "that was intense."


    "Focus," Kyros muttered as he adjusted his sses again. It wasn¡¯t normal for shifters to wear sses as they always had heightened eyesight. This made me wonder if the sses were his personal preference or something.


    <fn5db7> For more chapters visit find~novel</fn5db7>


    Minutester, the staff members overseeing the test entered the hall. There were two teachers, both older shifters with stern expressions, and a handful of senior-year students who had been assigned as exam supervisors.


    A teacher with graying hair cleared his throat. "The first test is a written assessment. It consists of five questions. You have one hour toplete it. Answer at least three correctly to move to the next round. The more correct answers you have, the more points you earn. The highest scorer will receive a special privilege as a first-year student at Silver Moon Academy."


    A murmur rippled through the crowd. There was no doubt that the special privilege reward sounded too tempting.


    Soon, we were guided to our seats. The long tables had answer sheetsid out, each marked with a student number.


    I took my assigned seat and exhaled slowly. I was as ready for this exam as I ever could. Since I hadn¡¯t done any sort of revision, I was only depending on the knowledge I had about our world.


    Momentster, the test papers were handed out.

 Chapter 27: A Genius Rogue

    <h4>Chapter 27: A Genius Rogue</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart was racing as the question papernded in my hand. I immediately flipped it over and scanned the questions.


    <i>1. Describe the history of the shifter world and how the current governing system came into power.</i><fn9ea2> Original content can be found at FindN0vel</fn9ea2>


    <i>2. Exin the hierarchy of packs and their political structure.</i>


    <i>3. What is the significance of Silver Moon Academy, and why was it established?</i>


    <i>4. How do roguemunities operate, and what are the challenges they face?</i>


    <i>5. Why do you want to join Silver Moon Academy?</i>


    I blinked and quickly reread the questions. These... weren¡¯t difficult at all.


    The first four questions covered topics I had already learned previously. Even though I had spent almost my entire life being tortured by my stepmother and her children, I was still treated like a proper Alpha¡¯s daughter up until my sixteenth birthday.


    I had best tutors giving me private lessons on academics andbat. I went to one of the best schools and was always at the top of my ss because I wanted to impress my father.


    And even though I lost all these privileges when I turned out to be wolfess on my sixteenth birthday, that didn¡¯t take away the years of knowledge and skills I had already garnered.


    That¡¯s why the first four questions made me feel relived. I knew I could answer them, at least good enough to pass the test.


    As for thest question? That was just a personal statement, but one that demanded probably the most attention as it was the question with most points.


    I picked up my pen and began writing.


    For the first question, I detailed the rise of the shifter governing system, how the powerful Alpha council had formed over the centuries, creatingws to maintain order among packs.


    The second question was just as easy. The hierarchy of packs was something I had grown up not only learning but also witnessing firsthand. I wrote about the structure - Alphas, Betas, and Gammas, followed by warriors and ranked members. And then continued with the ranks of packs around the world.


    For the third, I exined how Silver Moon Academy had been founded by the Rogue Alpha brothers and had risen to be one of the most prestigious training institutions in the world for various reason.


    I made sure to only write the answers to the point and not to exaggerate.


    The fourth question made me pause for a moment. Then I carefully wrote about how roguemunities often struggled without a pack structure, facing dangers from both within and outside their groups. Theycked resources, protection, and stability, making survival incredibly difficult... until the Rogue Alphas took over and changed everything.


    It took me a while to wrap up the fourth question. And then, I was left with thest one, and it made me hesitate.


    Why did I want to join Silver Moon Academy?


    I couldn¡¯t write the truth, that I was here to find protection from the brothers. That I wanted to grow stronger, to be powerful enough to keep myself and my unborn child safe.


    The thought had me inhaling deeply. I hadn¡¯t realized that over time, I was slowly epting the fact that I was carrying a child.


    Even though I still hadn¡¯t done a pregnancy test, all the signs were there. My period was more than three weekste and I was experiencing all the symptoms of an early pregnancy.


    I inhaled deeply once again and decided to craft a response that was believable.


    <i>"As a rogue, I have spent my life on the fringes of the shifter world, always on the outside looking in. Silver Moon Academy represents an opportunity for me to belong, to learn, to grow, and to be stronger. I seek a ce where I can sharpen my skills, gain knowledge, and forge my own future. This academy is not just a school, but a chance for me to prove myself."</i>


    I set my pen down and started reading over my words. My answer was nothing special, but at least it sounded honest enough.


    With a final nce at my paper, I leaned back in my chair.


    I had answered all five questions, and I was confident about passing the test.


    As soon as the supervisors called for the test papers to be collected, I pushed my chair back and stood, handing mine to the tall senior with icy-blue eyes who barely even looked at me.


    A momentter, I spotted Mallory waving from the other side of the room before she hurried toward me with Kyros calmly walking beside her.


    "Eva!" she hissed in a whisper-shout as she reached me. "How did you do?"


    I offered her a small smile before answering, "I think I did okay."


    Mallory groaned dramatically. "Okay? I only managed four questions, and I totally butchered the politics one."


    Kyros gave her a sidelong nce. "You spelled the Alpha Regent¡¯s name wrong."


    This earned us a loud gasp from Mallory who was staring at Kyros with wide eyes. "You saw my paper?"


    "I was sitting right beside you," Kyros replied ndly as he pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. "Your penmanship is hard to miss."


    She rolled her eyes before announcing. "I¡¯m not talking to you anymore."


    I chuckled softly. I was thankful for their presence. The tension from earlier was already beginning to fade.


    We walked outside together into the warm noon air. The clearing was buzzing with murmured conversations as more students trickled out of the building.


    "Honestly," Kyros said, looking thoughtful, "they made this test less about book knowledge and more about understanding the current and historical state of our world. It¡¯s smart. They want people who are aware, not just well-read."


    "Agreed," I said quietly as I nced around at the unfamiliar faces. "Still... I didn¡¯t expect to know all the answers."


    Mallory looped her arm through mine and pulled me closer. "Well, that¡¯s because you are secretly a genius rogue."


    I smiled at her joke but stayed quiet. My mind was already buzzing with the tension for next round.


    What it¡¯s going to be?

 Chapter 28: He Needs to Stop Thinking About Her

    <h4>Chapter 28: He Needs to Stop Thinking About Her</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The sun was almost at the horizon, casting a dim golden glow through the tall ss windows of my office. Though the warm light was painting the room in a peaceful hue, I felt far from rxed.


    Stacks of parchment and electronic reports were cluttering my desk. I had been sitting here for hours, poring over schedules, finalized dormitory cements, training protocols, and resource distributions for the new term.


    The Academy had grown exponentially in thest five years, and with that came an overwhelming increase in responsibilities.


    And I preferred to handle everything myself. Delegating these duties made sense on paper, but I couldn¡¯t make myself trust easily, especially when the reputation of Silver Moon was on the line.


    I just finished sending a mail when the silent office got filled with sounds of knocking on the door.


    "Come in," I called and straightened in my chair.


    The door creaked open, revealing a familiar face. It was Professor Rodrigo who stepped inside with a thick folder in his hand and his usual serious expression stered across his face.


    "Evening, Alpha Kieran," he greeted with a respectful nod.


    "Rodrigo." I gestured for him to take the seat opposite mine. "Is that what I think it is?"


    He nodded in a positive response. "Yes. The results of the written exam."


    I leaned forward, interested for obvious reason. "Let¡¯s hear it."


    He flipped open the folder and handed me the first few sheets. "Out of a hundred and fifteen applicants, seventy-three have passed. The remaining forty-two will be dismissed tomorrow morning and sent back to their packs."


    I scanned the list of names briefly and asked to confirm. "The second test is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon?"


    "Yes," Rodrigo confirmed. "It¡¯s all prepared. But before that, there are three applicants I think you should take a closer look at."


    He pulled out three answer sheets, each neatly stacked andbeled with the student¡¯s name and score.


    "This one-" he ced the top sheet before me, "-received a perfect score. Seventy out of seventy. His name is Kyros Graves."


    My eyes narrowed slightly at the familiarity. "Graves? As in...?"


    "Son of Beta Graves of Blood Moon Pack," Rodrigo confirmed my guess.


    I nodded slowly, taking the sheet into my hands and scanning it. The writing was precise while the content was sharp andprehensive. Every question was answered with the rity of someone who had studied not just to pass, but to master. He knew the weight of every word he had written on the sheet.


    "Impressive," I murmured as I set it aside. "Beta Graves always did take education seriously."


    Rodrigo ced the second answer sheet in front of me. "This one belongs to Emilie Broom. Sixty-nine out of seventy. Also an exceptional piece of work."


    I gave the sheet a nce. Her responses were thoughtful, concise, and showed genuine understanding. That one-point deduction was probably due to slight generalization in the rogue-rted question. But it was still impressive.


    "Keep an eye on her," I said absently. "Who¡¯s the third?"


    This time, Rodrigo hesitated just a second longer than he should have before cing the final answer sheet in front of me, and that got my attention.


    My gaze dropped to the answer sheet and I froze for a second there as my eyesnded on a very familiar name.


    Evaline.


    I stared at the letters as if they would rearrange themselves and give me someone else. But no. I knew that name. Knew it too well.


    "Evaline..." I said slowly. "She got seventy?"


    "Yes, Alpha," Rodrigo replied. "Perfect score. I was surprised too, considering her background. A rogue with no prior affiliations? But her knowledge rivals even the top-ranking Alpha-born students."


    I didn¡¯t respond. My fingers brushed across the page, trailing over her handwriting. It was elegant, measured. There was control in it... and grace.


    I read through her answers. One by one.


    Her exnation of the shifter governing system wasyered with historical references even some current pack schrs struggled to remember. Her pack hierarchy breakdown wasn¡¯t just urate, it was insightful. The way she wrote about the Academy¡¯s purpose... was almost reverent.


    And then there was her response to thest question.


    <i>"As a rogue, I have spent my life on the fringes of the shifter world, always on the outside looking in. Silver Moon Academy represents an opportunity for me to belong, to learn, to grow, and to be stronger. I seek a ce where I can sharpen my skills, gain knowledge, and forge my own future. This academy is not just a school, but a chance for me to prove myself."</i>


    A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. She had lied, obviously. But the lie was beautifully woven. It was subtle, believable, and emotionally potent. No exaggerated dreams or lofty promises. Just a quiet, persistent yearning to belong.


    The kind of honesty you can¡¯t fake.


    Beautiful. Just like-


    My fingers abruptly let go of the paper as if it had burned me and the answer sheet fell onto the desk.


    No.


    No, no. I wasn¡¯t going down that road.


    Rodrigo raised an eyebrow at my sudden shift but didn¡¯tment. Instead, he gathered the answer sheets.


    "Shall I post the results?" he asked.


    I cleared my throat and gave him anod of approval. "Yes. Go ahead. Let them celebrate a little before the test tomorrow noon."


    "Understood." He said and stood up, leaving the room.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind him, silence enveloped the office again.


    I knew that she would pass this test, but I was not prepared to see her actually acing it. But considering she was an Alpha¡¯s daughter, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she was well versed in academics.


    Under that scared and lost exterior of hers... was hiding a smart girl. And she was smarter than I expected.


    And she had lied so well. I couldn¡¯t decide if that impressed me more or bothered me. I was gambling with my decision of supporting her, and I didn¡¯t want for it to turn out as my worst ever decision.


    I leaned back in my chair, raking a hand through my hair.


    I needed to stop thinking about her.


    <fn488b> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fn488b>


    Right at that moment, my phone started ringing. Looking at the caller ID, I realized that it was Morris calling me.


    And his call meant one thing... <i>news. </i>

 Chapter 29: Helping My Enemy’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 29: Helping My Enemy¡¯s Daughter</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    "Morris," I said while leaning back into the leather chair. "What news do you have?"


    "I have two important updates, Alpha." Morris replied and the seriousness of his voice had me straightening again in my chair.


    "Let¡¯s hear the first."


    He wasted no time and revealed the first important update he had for me. "Alpha River¡¯s men are spreading past the forest area to search for her. A group of his personal guards even visited Lakeshire earlier today."


    My jaw clenched. I knew this was going to happen. River would never ept that adaptive ran away from right under his nose. He was too proud to let this matter go.


    "Did something happen at Lakeshire?" I asked to confirm even though I knew that Morris would never fail me. And my trust in him was proven right with his response.


    "Nothing. I personally confirmed it. No camera footage. No scent trails. The car was cleaned, and as per your orders, even Melinda has promised to y dumb if the guards ever decided to question her. Her assistant too."


    Good. While Melinda wasn¡¯t someone to ever y favorites among us brothers, she owed me this little favor. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t need to lie unless the guards asked her about Evaline.


    That night when I took Evaline away from the castle, Morris was left to observe the situation at the castle and inform if her absence would get detected during night.


    Fortunately, no such thing happened. It wasn¡¯t untilte next morning that her absence finally got detected when Sera failed to find her working anywhere in the castle.


    Though all hell broke loose once River got notified about the matter, those eleven hours were more than enough for me to put Evaline where no one would think to look, at least not anytime soon. I also took care of every loose end of her escape from the castle.


    She was safe. For now.


    Morris lowered his voice as he continued, even though he knew this line was secure. "I don¡¯t know how you pulled it off, but Alpha River is furious. He¡¯s convinced someone inside the castle helped her."


    "He¡¯s not wrong," I muttered.


    <fna7a9> Readplete version only at find[f]ovel</fna7a9>


    Morris grunted at my words before adding, "He doesn¡¯t seem to suspect you, though. Not yet."


    "He won¡¯t. As far as he knows, I couldn¡¯t care less about her. Besides, we are brothers." I paused at that. I knew how all this was going to unfold once truth woulde to light. My brothers would see me as a traitor, but it was toote for me to change anything.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t really want to change what I had done. So far, I didn¡¯t regret doing what I did, helping Evaline.


    Since this matter hadpletely caught River¡¯s attention, I was nning to quickly wrap up the next two rounds of entrance exam. Once Evaline would be officially registered as a student of Silver Moon, even my brother wouldn¡¯t be able to touch her... not without challenging the very rules he had set in ce.


    That was a game even he wouldn¡¯t dare y.


    "You want the second update?" Morris asked, pulling my attention back to him. The drop in his tone had me wondering if this was about <i>that </i>matter...


    "Go ahead."


    There was a silence on the other end, just long enough to make my skin itch. But then he spoke, "We still don¡¯t have anything."


    My fingers curled into a fist on the desk.


    Morris continued, "It¡¯s been nearly two months. No prints, no footage, no scent, no records. It¡¯s like whoever you saw that night didn¡¯t exist."


    He paused again before asking, "Alpha... are you sure it happened?"


    The question hung in the air, souring the room like rot. I closed my eyes, and for a moment, I was back there. That night. It was still too vivid in my memories to be considered my drunken imagination.


    I knew what happened that night. I knew what I felt...


    "No," I said quietly into the phone. "It wasn¡¯t my imagination, Morris."


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t trust me, but because he was at the end of options that could help him find the person I had him searching for the past two months.


    "I believe you," he finally said. "But this is going to take some time. I will keep digging, but we are already running out of ces to look."


    "I know," I muttered.


    There was silence as neither of us spoke for the next couple of seconds. But then he did, "I¡¯ll check in tomorrow. Good luck with the tests."


    The call ended after that with a soft click, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I just sat there with the phone still in my hands, not realizing as time passed by.


    When I finally returned to my senses, the outside world had long turned dark. The moon was just beginning to rise. It was beginning of fall and also a new semester at Silver Moon.


    While the Academy grounds werepletely silent at the moment, they were going to be filled with activities and sounds within days as students would start arriving.


    I stood from my chair and walked toward therge window, looking toward the southern peaks. Somewhere down there, nestled in the protected clearing, was Evaline.


    I had hated Greystones just as much as my brothers. After all, that man had taken away all our happiness and left us with nothing. I might have never added about his daughter if not for River bringing her to the castle.


    As I watched her pay for a crime she didn¡¯tmit, I started wondering if she really deserved what she was going through. Her only mistake was that she too was a Greystone. But could that be used to punish her like that?


    But despite my beliefs, I couldn¡¯t make myself question River¡¯s intentions. I knew better than anyone what my brother had gone through all these years. If anyone deserved to hate the Greystones the most, then it was him.


    And here was I... helping the daughter of the very man whom my brother hated with his every breath.

 Chapter 30: They Don’t Judge Me

    <h4>Chapter 30: They Don¡¯t Judge Me</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I was standing at the edge of the clearing while blinking up at the morning sky.


    People, some of whom were soon going to be students at Silver Moon, kept bustling past me. Their voices were filled with excitement and nerves. Some were talking about the written test and how well they had perfomed in it. Some were talking about those who failed the test and were leaving for their packs. And then there were those who were talking about the second test.


    <fnb904> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fnb904>


    <i>Second test.</i>


    That phrase alone sent my stomach twisting into knots. I was already feeling sick when I woke up two hours ago, and now my nerves had decided to y their twisted game with me.


    "You look like you are about to pass out." Mallory¡¯s familiar voice reached my ears first before she herself appeared beside me with her signature bounce and confidence. Her hair was wet, making it obvious that she just walked out of showers.


    "Maybe I am," I muttered and then gave her a side nce. "Do you know what this second test even is?" I was unable to stop myself from asking. I needed to know what I was going to face next.


    And as I watched a grin spread across her lips, I knew I had asked the right person. "That¡¯s what I came to tell you. Kyros and I want to share with you what we already know."


    Right on cue, Kyros joined us. He was holding a paper bag with something that smelled suspiciously like cinnamon rolls. "Morning," he said as he handed the bag to Mallory and nodded at me. "You eat yet?"


    I shook my head. My morning sickness hadn¡¯t allowed me to step anywhere near food yet.


    Mallory handed me a warm roll. "Eat. You are going to need it."


    "Why?" I asked while taking a bite and instantly realizing how hungry I was.


    Kyros folded his arms as he spoke. "Second test is team-based. They don¡¯t tell us what it¡¯ll be until the test starts, but the structure¡¯s always the same. There will be teams with three to seven members. And those who will fail to form a team, will be immediately out of the test."


    I nearly choked on the bite. "What?"


    "Yeah," Mallory said as she chewed thoughtfully. "Pretty brutal, right? They are trying to see who can work together, who¡¯s smart enough to n ahead."


    I wiped my hands, feeling my heartbeat picking up its speed. "So... what happens to people who don¡¯t get picked for any team?"


    "Immediate disqualification," Kyros said tly.


    My hands went cold. How was I going to survive this?


    "Why are you turning pale?" Kyros was first to notice, and his words had Mallory turning her worried eyes at me. "You don¡¯t have to worry. We are already a team. Even if no other person joins us, we will not be disqualified as we meet the minimum requirement of members."


    I stared at them, my eyes wide with shock. I was really surprised that they included me in the team without even a single thought. And while I knew that this was possibly my only chance to grasp if I needed to pass the test, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to cheat them.


    That¡¯s not who I was... or wanted to be.


    "I... I should probably tell you something," I said, and both of them turned to look at me.


    I swallowed, hard, before muttering out the secret. "I don¡¯t have a wolf."


    The words came out quieter than I intended, but they hit the air like a stone dropping into ake. The silence that followed was sharp and it had my insides twisting even more painfully.


    Kyros didn¡¯t react at first. He just looked at me while Mallory¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    "I have never shifted," I said quickly before they could say anything. "I have never heard a wolf¡¯s voice in my head, never felt the connection. I¡¯m wolfless. Always have been."


    I braced myself for the awkward goodbye, the polite excuse, the shifting of feet and careful distance that always came after this piece of information.


    But instead, Mallory just shrugged. "Okay."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "So?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are smarter than most of the idiots out there. You passed the written test perfectly, didn¡¯t you?"


    Kyros gave a small nod. "Top score."


    "And I¡¯m confident that you will give your best in this team-based test as well. You don¡¯t need a wolf to have brains and reflexes," Mallory said. "Honestly, the wolfless thing just makes it more impressive."


    I stared at her, genuinely stunned.


    My gaze moved to Kyros next and he gave me a look I couldn¡¯t quite read. "You in or not?"


    "What do you mean?"


    He held out his hand before speaking, "We form a team. You, me, Mallory. Right now."


    I looked at the outstretched hand, then at Mallory, who was grinning and nodding in agreement.


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t move.


    Why would they do this? Why would they risk their own advancement, their own chances, by adding someone like me?


    After another moment of hesitation, I finally took Kyros¡¯s hand.


    "Alright," I said. "Let¡¯s be a team."


    * * *


    By the next morning, our team of three became a team of five.


    It happened during breakfast when Mallory and I were finishing off our bowls of oatmeal in the dining hall and Kyros waved two people over to our table.


    "Eva, Mallory," he said while motioning to the pair. "This is Noah and Selene. They are from my pack."


    Noah was tall and lean, with warm brown eyes and a calm presence. Selene had a sharp, assessing gaze, dark brown skin and short-cropped hair. They both looked like they belonged in this world. They were confident, strong, the kind of people who didn¡¯t need to say much to make you notice them.


    "Kyros speaks highly of you two," Selene said after a brief nod. "So we are in."


    Just like that. No questions. No suspicion. No hesitation.


    We were a team of five now. A strange team, maybe - two boys, three girls, one of them wolfless - but it felt... right.

 Chapter 31: Second Test Begins

    <h4>Chapter 31: Second Test Begins</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The test was to take ce right after lunch. So we headed there once we were done eating.


    I barely felt like eating, half because of my nerves and half because I ate a bunch of strawberries just half an hour ago. Still, I forced myself to empty a bowl of chicken soup.


    The five of us walked out onto the training fields with other applicants. And I found myself closely observing my teammates. I was grateful to them, but that didn¡¯t mean I trusted them. Not fully. At least not yet.


    I had learned the hard way that trust was a currency few could afford. People left. People betrayed. Even those who smiled at you today could twist the knife tomorrow.


    So I was nning to enjoy this... warmth, this sense of belonging... but I would not lower my guard.


    Notpletely.


    The sound of a bell ringing reached our teams. It was a long, sonorous tone that vibrated through the very ground beneath us and it was summoning everyone to gather for the second test.


    Within next five minutes, everyone was present in a wide arena carved into the side of the lower hill. A tform was standing in the front, raised and shaded, where a few high-ranking officials of the academy were standing.


    And among them, I spotted him.


    Alpha Kieran.


    It was impossible to miss him, and noticing the way everyone around me was huddling together and whispering about him, I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    His pale hair was catching the sunlight like a golden crown. He wasn¡¯t moving much, wasn¡¯t speaking, but his eyes were sweeping over the crowd with silent authority.


    And when his gaze passed over me, I froze. He looked, just a fleeting second longer than needed, before turning away.


    Right then, a tall woman in a long ck coat stepped forward from the side of the arena. She was one of the academy¡¯s lead instructors<strong></strong>- Professor Mara.


    When she spoke, her voice was loud and clear. "Wee, applicants, to the second round of the Silver Moon entrance exam. You have all passed the first stage.<strong></strong>Congrattions. But the path to bing a student here is far fromplete."


    Her eyes silently scanned the crowd<strong></strong>as she continued, "This next challenge will test more than just your strength or knowledge. It will test your instinct. Your cooperation. Your trust in others."


    She gestured to the forested trail behind the arena.


    "Behind me lies the Ashgrove Maze. Your team will enter the maze with one mission - to retrieve the hidden sigil before time runs out. You will face obstacles. Creatures. Illusions. Each team will be assigned a unique route. You have until nightfall."


    She paused. Then added, "And remember, those without a team will not enter."


    I nced around and watched as those, who just learned about this particr requirement for taking the test, rushed to form a team.


    Getting disqualified even before the test even began was another level of horror.


    I inhaled deeply. I had a team. For once... someone had chosen me despite me being wolfless. And I was going to make sure they didn¡¯t regret it.


    The path into the Ashgrove Maze was narrow and cloaked in shade. Towering trees were bending inward from either side, their leaves filtering the afternoon sun into eerie patches of light. The five of us were now standing shoulder to shoulder just outside the entrance, waiting for the signal to begin.


    Around us, the other teams were preparing as well. They were either stretching, whispering strategy, or checking their gear. Some of the teams were even looking so sure of themselves. Confident. Polished. Elite.


    And then there was us.


    Mallory was humming under her breath like this was some kind of pic. Kyros was calmly rolling his shoulders, his eyes were narrowed toward the trees like he was calcting every possible danger before we stepped in. Selene was standing with her arms crossed, eyes scanning other teams with sharp assessment, while Noah was quietly adjusting theces of his boots like nothing in the world could bother him.


    And me?


    I was trying not to show the way my stomach flipped each time I looked at the maze.


    <fn6102> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FindN()vel</fn6102>


    "Remember," Kyros said in a low voice. "The sigil is our goal. But we won¡¯t find it just by walking in a straight line. They¡¯ll throw obstacles at us - mental and physical. We need to stay close. Communicate."


    Mallory nudged me gently. "And don¡¯t worry. If anythinges at you, I have got your back."


    I smiled faintly, feeling touched despite myself. "Thanks."


    A deep horn sounded momentster, echoing through the arena. And then, the gate to the maze creaked open.


    It was time.


    Without a word, our team stepped forward and immediately got swallowed by the shadows of the Ashgrove.


    It was quiet inside. The kind of quiet that made your skin crawl. The trees here were ancient, their barks were gnarled and covered with thick moss. There was no chirping of birds. No rustling of leaves as the wind was missing too. It was only the crunch of our boots on the dirt path that broke the silence.


    We moved cautiously with Kyros leading and Selene covering the rear.


    It was ten minutes in when the path spilt into two. Kyros stopped and all of us followed.


    "Left or right?"


    Before anyone could answer, I found myself pointing and speaking, "Left."


    All eyes turned to me. The question was loud and clear despite no one voicing it.


    I shrugged. "There¡¯s a faint smell... fresh water. The sigils are usually ced near ces of power, right? Rivers or groves. If we follow the scent, we might find a clue."


    Selene raised an eyebrow at my words. "Sharp nose for someone without a wolf." She wasn¡¯t hostile toward me for being wolfless, but she wasn¡¯t as friendly as Mallory or Kyros either.


    "Years of survival," I replied tly and it wasn¡¯t exactly a lie.


    Kyros didn¡¯t question it. He gave me a little nod before announcing, "Left it is."

 Chapter 32: A Special Test for Us

    <h4>Chapter 32: A Special Test for Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    We took the left path, moving deeper into the maze. And slowly, the forest around us began to change. Vines were curling down from branches like snakes, some even twitching as we passed. The shadows kept growing darker, and a strange mist was clinging low to the ground.


    And then... we heard the first scream.


    It was not from our team, but someone else. Probably another group, somewhere deeper in the maze. The sound was sharp, raw, and got cut off far too quickly.


    Mallory stiffened next to me. "That sounded real."


    "It was," Noah said quietly. "They don¡¯t hold back in these tests. The threats are controlled, but the danger is very real."


    We didn¡¯t speak after that. We just moved faster. By the time we reached the de, my heart was pounding. Not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of the maze.


    We had passed through a patch of whispering trees that tried to turn us against each other, spinning lies into our ears. Selene had nearly drawn her de on Kyros, until Noah snapped her out of it by throwing dirt in her face.


    It was a little unorthodox, but effective.


    Now we were standing in a clearing with arge stone pir in the center. Strange glyphs were carved into its surface, glowing faintly. At its base was sitting a riddle etched into a que.


    <i>I am always hungry,</i>


    <i>I must always be fed.</i><fn45f1> For original chapters go to Find1Novel</fn45f1>


    <i>The finger I touch,</i>


    <i>Will soon turn red.</i>


    "Fire," I said immediately as the answer popped into my mind the second I was done reading the riddle.


    The moment the word left my mouth, the glyphs shifted and a small section of the stone slid open, revealing a glowing ember inside.


    "Well done," Kyros said with a flicker of approval.


    I nodded, feeling quite proud of myself for being helpful. "Let¡¯s take it and go-"


    Before I could have finished the sentence, the ground beneath us started shuddering.


    "Trap!" Selene shouted.


    Vines shot up from the ground, aiming for our legs. Noah grabbed me, pulling me back just in time. Mallory was quick to unsheath her dagger and began slicing through the writhing nts. Selene spun midair andnded hard on one knee before swinging her own de in a wide arc.


    I took out my own dagger, something Kyros had given all of us after lunch. He believed that whatever test we were about to face, it would be dangerous and a dagger mighte handy. Turned out he was right.


    I was ready to help the others and slice down some of those vines, but I never really got the chance. Neither did Noah as he was basically protecting me.


    Within minutes, the vines were gone and the ground settled down once again. With the way cleared, Mallory stepped forward and retrieved the ember from the stone pir.


    "It¡¯s actually a sigil fragment," she said as she joined us. "It looks like we need two more."


    With that knowledge, we continued to look for the other two fragments.


    And the maze didn¡¯t give us another moment of peace. We ended up facing mirrored illusions of ourselves next. They were twisted, monstrous, and even tried to break us apart. But with Kyros and Selene leading us, we made it past them in no time.


    Then we solved another riddle. This one involved the names of the moon phases in reverse order. And it took all five of us to find the answer.


    Then we crossed a ravine next by using fallen branches and bncing ropes we made from vines.


    It was not until the veryte afternoon that we found the third and the final fragment of the sigil in the center of a ring of stones, hidden beneath a pool of still, dark water.


    We were expecting some kind of trap under the water, but as Noah dove in and came up with the fragment, we realized the only obstacle there was bone-chilling water - something none of us noticed until Noah came out shivering.


    Mallory and Kyros both had jackets on, so they quickly took them off and wrapped around Noah. While me and Selene tried to rub his hands and feet to channel some warmth in him.


    Poor Noah wouldn¡¯t have to go through all this if not for first rule of entrance exam - applicants weren¡¯t allowed to shift into their wolf forms.


    It took about ten minutes for him to calm down enough for us to focus on the three pieces we had sessfully collected.


    Kyros assembled them with practiced hands, clicking each into ce. Once all the pieces were in ce, the sigil started pulsing with a soft white light.


    "We did it," Mallory whispered with a small smile of victory on her lips.


    "We are not done yet," Selene surprised us by her next words while pointing in a certain direction. And it was only then that we realized someone else had joined us.


    The trees had parted to reveal the final exit, but standing between us and the end was a single figure. Tall. Cloaked. Masked.


    "I thought there weren¡¯t supposed to be final bosses," Mallory muttered.


    "Some teams get tested more than others," Noah replied before adding, "And it¡¯s always the top three ones."


    The thought of us being one of the top three teams, made me feel excited. But I held myself back and joined the others as we formed a line with our weapons drawn.


    I didn¡¯t have ws or wolf strength. But I had my mind and about ten years worth of physical training. It¡¯s just been a long time since Ist used thetter one.


    But I was determined to not let my team down.


    The fight was fast, brutal, making us realize that the test was no joke. The warden was moving like smoke, shifting between us, trying to separate and confuse.


    I took a hit to the ribs but rolled through it, drawing the warden¡¯s attention just long enough for Selene to strike from behind. At the same time, Kyrosnded the final blow - disarming and disabling without killing it.


    And with that, the warden vanished like mist, leaving the path ahead clear.

 Chapter 33: Nicest Words Spoken

    <h4>Chapter 33: Nicest Words Spoken</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Without wasting any more time, we stepped out of the maze just as the sun started to dip below the horizon.


    Dozens of eyes were watching us. These were the other applicants, some had already passed the test while others were those who got disqualified. And then there were also the staff of the Academy.


    Whispers filled the air as some looked at us in shock with others seemed impressed. As for the five of us? We were smiling.


    The five of us were dirty after spending so many hours inside the maze and going through all sorts of obstacles. All of us were bruised too, small cuts and scraps here and there. Exhaustion was beginning to dawn over us, especially on me. But... we all were proud.


    Mallory flung an arm around my shoulders as she spoke, "Told you we would make it."


    This made meugh, and it a rare, full sound that even I hadn¡¯t heard from myself in ages.


    "You were indeed right."


    <fn2810> This content belongs to find~novel</fn2810>


    We had passed the second test.


    * * *


    By the time we made it back to the clearing where our cottages were located, night had fully descended. The sky was velvet ck and stars were scattered across it, blinking like tiny secrets.


    A cool breeze whispered across my face, brushing away the remaining adrenaline still clinging to my skin like a secondyer.


    We had passed the second test, we were still standing, and yet, I couldn¡¯t shake the weight pressing against my ribs.


    Mallory was chatting animatedly with Selene and Noah. The three of them were recounting moments of the maze like it had been some thrilling, harmless adventure.


    Kyros was walking beside me in silence with his hands shoved in his pockets. I liked that about him. He never pushed me to speak. Just existed quietly beside me, like a steady wall in a world full of falling stones.


    I was grateful for that.


    "I don¡¯t think I have ever seen someone move the way you did," he said suddenly.


    I blinked, feeling startled. "What do you mean?"


    "In the fight with the warden. You didn¡¯t hesitate. You read his patterns like it was second nature."


    I shrugged, trying to make light of it. "I grew up needing to be faster than those trying to hurt me. Guess it stuck." It wasn¡¯t really a lie.


    His brows furrowed, but he didn¡¯t ask more which I was again grateful for.


    We finally reached the cottages and Noah was first to split from us, Kyros and Selene followed next, and then it was my turn. I was about to wave a bye at Mallory when she surpised me with a hug.


    "I¡¯m d you were with us," she whispered while pulling back. "Don¡¯t forget that."


    "I won¡¯t," I said quietly.


    She stepped back and gave me her signature bright smile. "Good night, Eva."


    I gave her a small but sincere smile before heading inside the cottage. After the first test, the number of applicants living in Cottage 13 had dropped from eight to six. And I wondered how many would be left after this second test.


    Once I was inside my bedroom, I let out a deep sigh. I was feeling extremely exhausted and I was thankful for the absence of my roommate, not like he¡¯s ever present except forte nights.


    I needed a quick shower and then plenty of sleep.


    * * *


    The next morning, I found myself wandering toward the outer field before breakfast as I felt drawn by the sound of distant shing.


    It was only when I arrived there did I notice Kyros.


    He was sparring with another student. He was moving like water and steel, fluid yet deadly. The other boy was tall and broad, but he was slower. Kyros ducked under a swing, twisted, and then knocked the weapon clean from his opponent¡¯s grip.


    Sound of pping and cheers filed the air from the spectators that had gathered to enjoy and appreciated the moment.


    "Impressive," I said once Kyros walked toward me when he noticed my presence among the crowd.


    He took a moment to watch me before asking, "Couldn¡¯t sleep?"


    "Not really." I admitted truthfully but didn¡¯t delve in the nightmares that haunted me during the nights.


    He nodded lightly before suddenly offering me a wooden de. "Want to try?"


    I arched a brow,pletely taken aback. "You want to fight someone with no wolf and no training?"


    "I have seen the way you move," he said simply. "You don¡¯t need a wolf to be dangerous."


    That... was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me. And that... made me reach forward and ept the de.


    I wasn¡¯t confident, at least not against Kyros. Despite his initial nerdy appearance and energy, he was strong and knew exactly what he was doing.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t want to take any chance by engaging into heavy physical activity, especially after going through the second test just the day before.


    With each passing day, I was getting more and more sure about my pregnancy and my worries were increasing with it. Time was slipping past and I still had no idea what I was going to do about my pregnancy.


    But at the moment, I had no time to think about this matter. First, I needed to make it into the Silver Moon as a new student, and then I would think about the rest.


    I focused my attention on sparring, and despite ying safe, we ended up going on for nearly half an hour.


    Kyros wasn¡¯t gentle, but he wasn¡¯t cruel either. His every strike was to test my reflexes, and every block forced me to think, to adjust. He didn¡¯t give me room to feel sorry for myself. And I respected that.


    By the time I stumbled back, chest heaving and hair sticking to my forehead, I was smiling. Genuinely.


    "You are fast," he said. "Sharp, too."


    I panted, trying to catch my breath. "You are not bad either."


    He grinned. "Come on. Let¡¯s go grab breakfast?"


    I nodded and fell into step beside him. I wasn¡¯t sure yet what to think about his and Mallory¡¯s presence in my life, but I was grateful for it. And I wanted these two to make into Silver Moon.

 Chapter 34: The Wrong Alpha Brother

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Wrong Alpha Brother</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The dining hall was bustling despite the decrease of nearly fifty percent in the original numbers of applicants.


    After the second test, only sixty applicants were left to take the third test. Thinking about the third and final test that was to take ce the day after, I felt my nerves tensing.


    I knew only one thing about this test - it¡¯s tend to be harder than the first two. And this alone was enough to make me nervous.


    "Is he that handsome?"


    Mallory¡¯s sudden question pulled me out of my thoughts and I turned my confused gaze at her. "Who?"


    "That guy over there. You have been staring at him." Mallory pointed at a certain guy at the other side of the hall, making me realize that in my trance, I had been facing him. Fortunately, he was busy with his friends and didn¡¯t notice me.


    I quickly shook my head. "I wasn¡¯t looking at him. I was thinking."


    "About?" She pressed, not ready to give up yet.


    I let out a small sigh before slipping into the seat opposite from hers. "About the final test. You guys must know what it¡¯s going to be. Right?"


    I was hopeful as I looked between her and Kyros, waiting for at least one of them, or both, to reveal some information about the final test.


    Kyros watched me for a long minute, making me wonder if I said something wrong. "What is it?"


    He exchanged a quick look with Mallory who, for once, looked just as clueless as me. Turning his attention back to me, he answered, "I¡¯m just surprised by your question. You make it sound like you haven¡¯t done any research on the entrance exams at all."


    This time, Mallory nodded her head, showing her agreement.


    "That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t." My response had them looking at me with shock and confusion. "I just heard about the exam and decided to try my luck at thest minute. So... I have no knowledge regarding these tests."


    The two were silent at my response. A moment passed. Then another. And then...


    "It¡¯s one-on-onebat," Mallory exined. "No wolves allowed. No weapons either. Just hand-to-hand. First one to either pin their opponent or force them to yield wins."


    "But if you get knocked out," Kyros added, "you lose. Immediately."


    My heart sank immediately, and I found myself asking, "And the people I¡¯ll be fighting...?"


    "Most will be shifters with stronger reflexes and healing than you," Mallory admitted softly.


    I inhaled sharply and then muttered, "You are not sugarcoating it."


    "No point," she said in honest and unflinching voice before adding, "But that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t win."


    "Mallory¡¯s right," Kyros said. "You are faster. Smarter. You read movements like you have been fighting your whole life. And your pain tolerance also seems to be high."


    I let out a small bitter and dryugh. Before I could have stopped myself, I was whispering the words. "That¡¯s because I have spent my whole life getting hurt."


    Mallory reached out and brushed her knuckles lightly against my arm. "Then maybe tomorrow will be the day all that pain finally count for something."


    Their belief in me... it was strange. Almost unfamiliar. I had never known people who stood beside me like this. Who didn¡¯t care that I had no wolf or that I was, in their world, broken.


    <fn32f5> Latest content published on Find~Novel</fn32f5>


    I still didn¡¯t trust easily. But this morning, I let myself hope.


    Even just a little.


    * * *


    The arena was already filling up by the time we arrived.


    There were dozens of applicants, instructors, and high-ranking academy members lining the benches. Even some seniors were present to witness the test, as if it wasn¡¯t already pressing enough without their presence.


    We were standing in a long line of applicants outside the circr ring. Each one of us was filled with tension, watching as names were called one by one to step into the center.


    I had no idea why I didn¡¯t think about this part when I decided to take on the exam. And now, I was at a loss about what I was going to do. I wanted to pass the test and join the Academy so badly, but at the same time, I was worried about the life forming in my belly.


    My hands itched to cover my belly, but I held myself back.


    "What if I get paired against someone like Noah?" I whispered under my breath.


    Kyros was standing right beside me and he didn¡¯t look the least bit concerned after hearing my question. Instead, he replied in a way that was so him. "Then beat him."


    I gave him a t look.


    Mallory snorted, clearly amused. "If you can outwit the maze warden, Eva, you can survive this."


    I knew they were trying to ease my nerves, but my stomach was still twisting. No matter how fast or clever I was, I was still wolfless. I had no boosted strength. No healing factor. No instincts to fall back on.


    I had... just me.


    And the memories of every fight I¡¯d had to survive before this one.


    I kept my eyes low, trying not to draw attention. I was hoping the officials would overlook me for the first few rounds, and maybe give me time to watch and learn.


    That was until the murmurs started behind us.


    It was Mallory¡¯s sharp intake of breath that made me look up. And that¡¯s when I saw him.


    Alpha Oscar.


    He just walked into the arena with his brother, Alpha Kieran. Their presence was unmistakable, drawing attention from everyone present there - applicants and staff alike.


    But while everyone else was appreciating either their looks or power, I felt the ground slipping beneath my feet.


    My lungs stalled.


    Why was he here? I asked myself even though I knew the answer. He was an instructor at the academy, and his presence during abat test made sense. But still, I was hoping to not cross paths with him until this test was over.


    My heart was thundering, louder than the crowd.


    "Eva," Kyros said under his breath once he noticed the sudden change in me. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Because in that moment, I knew something had gone terribly wrong.

 Chapter 35: The Wrong Name on the Slip

    <h4>Chapter 35: The Wrong Name on the Slip</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    A chill licked down my spine as I watched him make his way through the central arena, stopping at the raised officials¡¯ tform, nodding to a few of the instructors gathered there.


    I barely registered the murmurs of students around me, their excited whispers, dreamy sighs, or awestruck stares. The girls in the crowd were clinging to each other and gushing like he was a prince from a fantasy novel.


    But for me, he was no fantasy. He was a nightmare.


    I was thankful for the cap pulled low over my brow, and the mask I had dug out this morning for no particr reason. I hadn¡¯t worn them since my first day here as I wanted to blend in like every other applicant. But something in my gut had told me to cover up today. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was luck. Or maybe some part of me had sensed this was going to be the most important day yet.


    Even so, could a piece of cloth really hide me from him?


    My eyes quickly darted to Alpha Kieran. He was standing tall on the opposite side of the tform, speaking with two senior instructors. Calm. Composed. As if this was just another ordinary test.


    But something about seeing him... made my chest loosen just a little.


    It was relief.


    A strange sense of security washed over me the moment I spotted him. He was the man who had brought me here and wanted to me to make it through the exam.


    He didn¡¯t look at me. Not even once. His gaze was fixed on whatever conversation he was having with the others. But the more I looked at his calm demeanor, the more I started hearing that cruel voice in the very back of my head.


    "You okay?" Mallory¡¯s voice pulled me back.


    I blinked before turning my attention to her. Kyros was looking at me too with his brows knitting together in concern.


    "You have gone pale," Mallory added. "And you look like you just saw a ghost."


    I swallowed. "I¡¯m fine," I said, my voice thinner than I liked. "Just nerves, I guess."


    Kyros didn¡¯t look convinced, but thankfully, neither of them pressed further.


    And then, Alpha Oscar stepped forward to address the crowd. His voice sliced through the air like polished steel.


    "Good afternoon, applicants."


    The murmurs died instantly.


    The man had presence. Authority. Even power in the way he stood, it was unshakable and grounded.


    "I am Oscar Thorne," he said and his deep voice sent another round of dreamy sighs among the students. "I am one of the instructors at Silver Moon Academy, and I look forward to meeting many of you again... as students in the second term."


    <fnf8ef> Follow current nov?ls on f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnf8ef>


    He continued, "Reaching this final stage is not a small feat. You have shown wit, strength, and resilience. Now, for your final test, you will face one-on-onebat. No wolves, no powers. Just skill. Strategy. And determination."


    He looked around, gaze lingering on each section of the arena.


    I tensed when his gaze passed near me... but his eyes didn¡¯t pause, letting me breathe.


    Another instructor stepped forward and began reading out the matchups. I tried to listen, but my thoughts were like waves crashing over one another.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t know you are here. Not yet.</i>


    <i>But he might.</i>


    If he asked to see the applicant list, if he saw my name, or heard it... it would be over for me. Even if there might be many Evalines in the world, he would still not ignore that name. Would he?


    "Selene versus Liora Stone," the instructor called, pulling my attention back to reality as heard the familiar name.


    Selene stepped forward with a bored expression. She looked ready to win and get done with the test.


    "Noah Rivers versus Mallory Campbell."


    Mallory groaned. "Of course I get paired with Noah." She didn¡¯t look too worried about facing someone as physically strong as Noah.


    Then the instructor¡¯s voice shifted.


    "For the top five scorers in the first and second tests, you will be matched against instructors and senior students."


    My heart skipped. I nced sideways and found Kyros straightening and tightening his jaw with focus. He was looking forward to the test.


    On the other hand, my heart was ready to jump out at any minute. The dread of my name being called out by the instructor, was making my vision go dark.


    But then...


    "The top five applicants, please step forward and draw a slip." The instructor announced, and a wave of relief washed over me.


    I followed Kyros, keeping my head low.


    As first on that list, Kyros was the first one to draw the slip. When he opened it, his lips curved. "Senior Instructor Mara," he announced before walking to the staging area.


    As the second on the list, it was my turn.


    I took in a deep breath and reached out to pick a slip from the dozen others that were filling the ss bowl held by probably a senior student.


    I chose a random one, trying hard to stop my fingers from trembling. Pulling it out, I unfolded it.


    And my heart dropped.


    <strong>Oscar Thorne.</strong>


    The paper might as well have turned to ash in my fingers.


    The world dimmed around me and a buzzing roar echoed in my ears. I stared at the name like it might magically shift into someone else¡¯s.


    But it didn¡¯t.


    "Your opponent-" the instructor called, but I had no voice to answer him. I just stood there, staring at the name in shock.


    "Ms.-"


    "Let me."


    I looked up as my ears registered the familiar voice, and I found Alpha Kieran stepping in front of me and taking the slip out of my hand. He didn¡¯t look at me, not until he saw the name on the slip.


    When his gaze found mine, I finally felt his calm demeanor faltering... though just for a mere second. If not for the fact that I was standing right in front of him, I might havepletely missed it.


    He then turned to face the other instructors and the crowd of applicants before announcing my fate out loud. "Our second best applicant will be facing none other than... Instructor Oscar."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 36: Alpha Kieran Saving the Day

    <h4>Chapter 36: Alpha Kieran Saving the Day</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Alpha Kieran announced Alpha Oscar¡¯s name, gasps filled the otherwise silent air.


    Everyone knew just how powerful these rogue Alpha brothers were. Anyone fighting against them never held a chance of winning. Not even the strongest of the Alphas of the shifter world, let alone an applicant... especially a wolfless one like me.


    My fate in this test was not only clear to me, but to every person present in this arena. They all knew that I was going to lose.


    My fingers tightened around the slip that Alpha Kieran had handed me back.


    Oscar Thorne.


    Of all the instructors... of all the names... it had to be his.


    And while my entire being was having a hard time processing what just happened, I knew that I couldn¡¯t falter. I couldn¡¯t afford it.This was my chance. My only chance. If I passed the test, I would be a student at Silver Moon. That meant safety. Stability. Future.


    So I took a breath and forced my shaking heart to calm down. I needed to create a n to get through this.


    "You can do it."


    I looked up and found Alpha Kieran watching me. His expression was soft, but there was nothing special about how he was looking and talking to me. It was a professor motivating a possible future student.


    "You have done exceptionally well in the previous two tests, applicant. Don¡¯t let the name of Oscar Thorne affect your n of passing the final test. If you want it, then you can do it. Good luck."


    He kept his voice loud enough to be heard by those nearby. He gave me onest soft smile of encouragement before stepping away as if nothing had happened.


    I didn¡¯t dare to look at Alpha Oscar. I just kept my head low and searched for a possible good enough n that could help me turn the tide.


    The remaining three applicants also picked their partners, and then, the matches finally began soon after.


    Selene was the one to start the test. And she was a force to watch. Fast, efficient, and brutal. She won in less than two minutes, earning 18 out of 20 points and a round of apuse from the crowd.


    Two more roundster, it was finally Mallory and Noah¡¯s turn. I straightened in my seat, hoping for the former to win. I liked Noah too as he had been nothing but a nice person to me, but he still was far from Mallory who had been a constant source of warmth in my life during the past week.


    I pushed my own worries to the back for a moment and focused on their fight. Looking at Noah, I was having a hard time manifesting Mallory¡¯s win, but I still did it.


    They shook hands before the round officially began. They fought fiercely, neither of them holding back. And despite her soft looks and a normal wolf, Mallory was actually well trained inbat. She was smaller, leaner, and had a weaker wolfpared to Noah, but she knew how to use her shorings to her advantage.


    Their fight continued for about seven minutes where each second was filled with thrill and a goodbat performance. But then, Mallory lost.


    My heart dropped for a moment before the instructor announced that Mallory got extra points for how well she did in the test despite losing.


    With these new points added to her points from previous two tests, she made it through the required points for passing the entrance exam.


    As she returned to our section flushed and panting, she had a proud smile ying on her lips. And I was happy for her, she deserved to be a student at Silver Moon.


    "You better make it," she whispered while bumping her shoulder against mine. "Let¡¯s all get in together."


    I nodded as my gaze returned to the center of arena where a new pair was getting ready to take the test.


    <fn8d1a> Readplete version only at fin?novel</fn8d1a>


    About twelve more roundster, it was finally Kyros turn.


    "All the best."


    Both me and Mallory said as he stood up. He gave us a nod before heading down.


    His battle with Senior Instructor Mara was nothing short of epic. Dust swirled. Blowsnded sharp and loud. He pushed her harder than most students probably had, and for a few heart-stopping seconds, I thought he might actually win.


    But a single misstep cost him.


    Senior Instructor Mara saw the chance and struck with a swift and merciless blow, knocking him t on his back.


    Still, he earned fifteen points for how long hested and how well he did in thebat. Whenbined with his previous scores, that was more than enough to pass.


    So far, a total of five applicants had been able to make it through the test despite losing, and it gave me hope. But that didn¡¯t mean I was nning to lose.


    At the same time, looking at how brutally everyone was fighting, I was starting to get worried. I was still in my first trimester and one single wrong move could cost me a lot.


    Thest thing I wanted was to end up bleeding in the middle of the test. That sure was going to cost me my only chance to be a student at Silver Moon.


    No, I needed to y not only smart, but also safe.


    Two more roundster, it was finally my turn. Fortunately, Alpha Kieran was there to once again save the day as he took over the job of calling names.


    "Final match," he called. "Applicant 151... and Instructor Oscar Thorne."


    The crowd hushed as I stepped forward and walked into the arena. Every step I took echoed in my ears like a drumbeat. I had a n, but I wasn¡¯t sure how well it was going to work.


    Instructor Oscar was standing at the other end, rolling his shoulders with practiced ease. He looked rxed, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    He was watching me.


    Assessing me.

 Chapter 37: Defeating the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 37: Defeating the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I studied him just like he was doing with me.


    He looked as collected as ever, with his broad shoulders rxed, muscles loose. His face betrayed nothing, but there was something different about the way he stood. His eyes were fixed on me, sharp and narrow.


    He rolled his shoulders casually, but the intensity of his gaze said something else.


    He wasn¡¯t taking me lightly.


    He might not have recognized me yet, but he wasn¡¯t foolish like everyone else present here with us to not notice his brother helping me twice. Doing it once might not have caught his attention, but the second time definitely did that.


    So now, he was confused, intrigued, and looking forward to our match.


    He was reading me.


    And I knew what he was looking at - slim build, cap pulled low, ck mask covering the lower half of my face. Everything about me was screaming weird and mysterious to him, something I was nning to use to my advantage.


    My heart was pounding, not out of panic but resolve. The moment had finally arrived. And I only had one shot at this.


    I felt his eyes narrowing slightly. Could almost hear the thoughts racing behind that unreadable face of his.


    <i>Who is she?</i>


    <i>Why the secrecy?</i>


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Alpha Kieran helped me just because there was no other option to keep my name being called out by the other instructors, or if he knew just what would his involvement do to his brother. Either way, I was grateful to him.


    I bent my knees slightly, centering my weight as I took position.


    "Begin!" the instructor called.


    The sharpmand cut through the stillness like lightning and the match began.


    Oscar moved first.


    And he was... effortless. Smooth, like water flowing downhill.


    But he wasn¡¯t attacking to destroy. Not yet. He was probing, testing the waters. His strikes came fast, but not hard, like he was measuring my reactions.


    I dodged the first. Blocked the second. And spun out of reach before the third. My movements weren¡¯t as polished as his, but I made up for it with instinct and raw determination.


    Each time he reached for me, I slipped just out of reach.


    He circled, calcting. Still holding back as he studied me. And I was grateful for it... for as long as it mightst.


    Him going soft on me was helping me. Not only because it lowered the chances of a miscarriage, but also because I needed him off-guard to do what I had nned to.


    Every moment I kept my identity hidden brought me one step closer to the result I wanted.


    I breathed evenly. Focusing my attention to him and him only.


    I might be wolfless, but that didn¡¯t mean I had no knowledge ofbat. I was an Alpha¡¯s daughter, and was treated like one up until my sixteenth birthday. While my personal life was a mess at home throughtbjy entire life, I still went to the top school, learned from the best, and was trained by my father¡¯s beta.


    It was solely because of how good I was at academics, sports, andbat, which earned me the hatred of my stepmother and Lilian. Those might have ignored me all along if I wasn¡¯t ¡¯the perfect daughter¡¯.


    And though I stopped getting these privileges after my sixteenth birthday, I had learned enough to continue training in secrecy. I never stopped trying to get better... up until two months ago.


    So... as I faced Instructor Oscar, I still knew how to keep myself safe even though I was no match to him.


    But he was smart... too smart. He feinted to the left and came at me from the right. And this time, about seven minutes into our battle, his palm finally connected with my shoulder. It just grazed me, but was enough to knock my bnce.


    I stumbled backward, dragging my feet across the sand.


    A sharp sting pulsed through my arm, but I clenched my jaw and got back in position.


    The crowd started murmuring at this point.


    "She¡¯s not bad."


    "She¡¯s still on her feet?"


    "How is shesting against *him*?"


    Oscar tilted his head and a small crease formed between his brows. "Your stance," he said finally in a calm, probing voice. "Where did you learn that?"


    His voice was low, curious. But I didn¡¯t answer. I kept my silence, kept moving, forcing him to attack again... faster this time.


    He was no more testing me.


    I barely managed to slip out right before his fist would havended at my shoulder. I came behind him, and... smiled.


    He couldn¡¯t see it. But I smiled anyway.


    <i>It was time.</i>


    I braced myself as he turned around and surged forward again, this time with more speed and less caution.


    He wasing in close, exactly what I needed. I waited with my heart thudding in my throat as he got closer.


    One more step.


    And then, in a single breath, I reached up and pulled both my cap and the mask off, letting him see me for the first time.


    And just like I thought, he recognized me instantly. His body stopped mid-motion with his arm hovering in the air.


    His eyes locked with mine... and they widened.


    Shock flooded his face. There was recognition, then confusion, and then something else.


    "Y-you-"


    I didn¡¯t let him speak, didn¡¯t give him time to recover.


    I ducked, dropped low, and with a sweep of my leg, knocked him clean off his feet.


    <fn9b82> Chapters first released on F¦ÉndNovel</fn9b82>


    The crowd gasped as his body hit the ground with a heavy thud, and before he could roll away, I pounced andnded on him, pressing my knee into his chest and pinning him in ce.


    My fist hovered just above his face, tight and steady.


    This... this was how matches ended - a clear winning stance and unquestionable dominance.


    The silencested for way too long, but then, the whistle blew.


    "Match over!"


    The sound echoed across the silent field... and suddenly, the arena erupted with cheers, shouts, and screams of disbelief.


    I climbed off him slowly. My chest was heaving and heart rattling like it would explode.


    But he didn¡¯t move at first. Hey there with his chest rising and falling, and eyes fixed on me like I was something unreal.


    After what felt like forever, he finally sat up, but his gaze didn¡¯t leave mine even for a second. He still looked extremely confused and stunned, as if I had torn the ground out from under him.


    I looked down at him, unflinching as I spoke, "Hello, Alpha Oscar."


    And them, I turned around and walked away.

 Chapter 38: She Made His Wolf React

    <h4>Chapter 38: She Made His Wolf React</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong><fn135a> The source of th?s content is FindN0vel</fn135a>


    I remained sitting with the dust of the arena thick in my lungs, but it wasn¡¯t the fall that stole my breath... it was <i>her.</i>


    Evaline Greystone.


    The girl whose face had been etched into a corner of my mind I didn¡¯t dare acknowledge. The girl I had only seen once, barely for a few minutes, and yet her eyes had haunted me since.


    And now, she was here. In my arena. In my world. And she had just defeated me in front of dozens of people.


    I should have been angry.


    I should haveunched to my feet and demanded an exnation - who let her in, why she was here, what she wanted. She wasn¡¯t just anyone. She was <i>his</i> daughter.


    The daughter of the man who killed my parents, brought my pack to ruin. Who orchestrated the attack that nearly cost me and my brothers our lives. Her father¡¯s blood soaked the memories of our past, the same blood that ran through <i>her</i> veins.


    I was unable to remove my gaze from her retreating figure.


    She walked off with her head held high, spine straight, dark hair flowing freely behind her like a banner in the wind.


    She was unlike anything from our first encounter. It wasn¡¯t just her appearance that had changed, but even her persona. She had power in her step. Confidence.


    She didn¡¯t spare me a single nce, but I was still staring at her like I had just seen a ghost... or a storm.


    The air felt strange. It was charged and heavy. My heart was pounding against my ribs like it was trying to break free. My wolf was restless, pacing inside me, agitated.


    No. Not agitated, but awake.


    That pull, I felt it again. The one I had experienced the first time Iid eyes on her. Though it wasn¡¯t as strong as back then, I still recognized that familiar flicker of something I couldn¡¯t understand. It was like gravity shifting under my feet, like my instincts were being rewired around <i>her</i>.


    I had ignored it back then. Had refused to believe it.


    I told myself it was irritation, disdain, a sense of danger that came with her presence. After all, she was a Greystone.


    But now?


    Now I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    Everything in me buzzed with a sensation I couldn¡¯t name.


    Desire? Recognition? Bond?


    <i>No</i>. That was impossible.


    Or was it?


    I rose to my feet slowly, brushing dust off my shoulders while still staring at the space where she had stood. The instructors were speaking now, but their voices were a background murmur I couldn¡¯t bring myself to focus on.


    But then I saw him... Kieran.


    He was standing near the edge of the arena with his arms folded and an unreadable expression on his face.


    But I knew him too well.


    There was a tension in his jaw, a flicker of something behind his calm eyes.


    He had known.


    He had helped her.


    My stomach twisted at the realization.


    Kieran, my brother, my blood - he allowed her to face me without revealing who she was. He stood there while she fought me, while the entire arean watched, knowing exactly who she was.


    What the hell was he thinking?


    Heat bloomed beneath my skin. I marched toward him, clenching my fists at my sides and ignoring the nces thrown my way.


    He saw meing, but didn¡¯t move,


    "Kieran," I said in a low and sharp voice, "how long?"


    He didn¡¯t pretend not to understand. But his answer wasn¡¯t one I was expecting to hear.


    "Since the very beginning."


    I stared at him. Stunned. Confused.


    What did he mean by from the very beginning? Was it from when she applied for entrance exam?


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" I demanded, trying to hold the anger off my voice.


    He let out a small sigh before speaking, "You saw her fight. She earned that win. She¡¯s now a student at Silver Moon."


    "She¡¯s <i>his</i> daughter," I hissed, almost loosing my control. "Have you forgotten what her family did to us? What they cost us?"


    "I haven¡¯t forgotten," he said in a voice that was still maddeningly calm. "But neither have I forgotten that sins of the father don¡¯t always belong to the child."


    I shook my head. I was breathing hard at this point. I turned away before I could say something I would regret. My mind was a storm of disbelief and confusion.


    Evaline Greystone.


    The one girl I had sworn to hate. The one person who should have never been allowed to cross the Academy threshold. And yet, here she was, not only standing among us but rising through the ranks.


    I hated her for that.


    I hated her for the way she looked at me like I was just another opponent. For the way her eyes burned with that same quiet fire that had captivated me the first time we met.


    I hated the way my body had reacted to her.


    And most of all, I hated the fact that deep down, beneath the rage and betrayal, was a part of me that wasn¡¯t mad about her winning.


    <i>What the hell is wrong with me?</i>


    I walked through the corridors of the Academy, ignoring everyone and everything but the thoughts of <i>her</i>.


    I mmed the door to my office behind me and leaned back against it, exhaling hard.


    That moment in the ring kept reying again and again in my mind - her standing over me, victorious. Her voice, soft and confident.


    <i>"Hello, Alpha Oscar."</i>


    It shouldn¡¯t have affected me. It shouldn¡¯t have meant anything. But my wolf had stirred at the sound.


    Had <i>recognized</i> her.


    Had whispered something I wasn¡¯t ready to hear.


    <i>Mate</i>.


    No. It couldn¡¯t be.


    She was the daughter of our enemy. She was everything I should reject.


    And yet...


    I could still feel her presence like she had left something behind in the air between us.


    A mark.


    A im.


    No. I couldn¡¯t afford this weakness.


    Not now. Not with everything we had built, everything we had fought for. I had to find out why she was here. What she wanted. And why my instincts were beginning to betray me.

 Chapter 39: An Unexpected Betrayal

    <h4>Chapter 39: An Unexpected Betrayal</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The call came just as I was boarding the truck with my guards. We had beenbing through the edge of the neighboring town for nearly two days now, chasing rumors and shadows.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time we thought we had found her. But every lead turned to ash.


    And then Oscar called.


    His voice was low, tight with disbelief, and yet every word cracked like thunder in my ear.


    "She was there, River. In the arena. Masked. Fighting me."


    I froze mid-step and my fingers tightened around the truck door.


    "What?" I demanded as I stepped away from the vehicle. I was confused, and yet, there was a part of me that already knew whom he was talking about. "Who?"


    "Her. Evaline Greystone."


    I went still as the weight of that name dropped into my stomach like a stone.


    "No," I muttered. "That¡¯s not possible. She¡¯s supposed to be in hiding. We have been looking for her. We searched every possible-"


    "She didn¡¯te out of hiding," Oscar interrupted me. "She was already inside. Already enrolled as an applicant. She fought with me and... beat me. And then... then she took off her mask at the end..."


    Oscar was clearly having a hard time keeping his emotions under control. Whatever happened there, it had him in shackles.


    But I was in no ce to try tofort him as my own thoughts were going berserk. I stared at the dusty road, trying to piece everything together.


    No one could infiltrate the Academy... at least not without help, especially someone as weak as <i>her</i>. Not unless someone on the inside let her in.


    And then Oscar said the name I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear at all.


    "Kieran knew."


    It was like something cracked inside me. And it wasn¡¯t just anger, but a heavy sense of betrayal... one that came from my very brother.


    I didn¡¯t respond and just hung up the call without a word. Then I turned to the guards. "Return to the outpost. The girl¡¯s not here."


    They blinked at me in surprise.


    "But Alpha-"


    "I said she¡¯s not <i>here</i>. Dismissed."


    I didn¡¯t wait for a reply. I climbed into the car and drove myself back to the mansion.


    * * *


    The sky had turned purple by the time I reached our private estate - home for me and my brothers. It was a fortress between us and the rest of the world.


    My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I pulled into the gravel path. I knew Kieran would be inside and I made my way to his room.


    I found him there, fresh out of the shower with damp hair and a towel slung around his shoulders like he didn¡¯t have a single regret in the world.


    "Kieran," I barked.


    He looked up and gave me a smile... the same warm smile he used to greet me with every time.


    "You are back early."


    My blood was boiling, not just because of what he had done but also because I wasn¡¯t seeing an ounce of regret or guilt on his face.


    "Don¡¯t y games with me," I said as I stepped into the room and swung the door shut behind me. "You knew. You knew where she was this whole time."


    He didn¡¯t even flinch as he replied, "Yes." Just like that, no hesitation, no denial. He said it like it was nothing. Like he hadn¡¯t broken every vow we made when we founded this Academy. Like he hadn¡¯t gone behind my back while I wasted days chasing a ghost.


    I stared at him, stunned. "You helped her?"


    <fnd934> Find the newest release on find(?)ovel</fnd934>


    "Yes," he said again, still calm as usual. "I helped her apply. I helped her sneak out of the mansion that night. And I have been helping her stay hidden ever since."


    I felt the words like daggers, sharp and deliberate. "Why?" I asked, my voice low and tight. "Why, brother?"


    He shrugged as he answered, "Because she wanted to enroll into the academy."


    "That¡¯s not good enough!" I roared, mming my hand against the wall. "You put everything at risk - our position, ourws, this entire Academy. We searched for her across five provinces while you were hiding her in in sight. You lied to <i>me.</i>"


    "Not once did I lie," he corrected. "You never asked the right question."


    "That¡¯s bullshit." I stepped closer to him. I was breathing hard, and my fists were clenched, turning my knuckles white. "She¡¯s the daughter of the man who took everything from us, Kieran! You hate her!"


    His expression didn¡¯t change. "I did," he finally said... softly.


    That stopped me cold.


    Did?


    What the hell was going on?


    "You have seen what her father did. You were there. You know what we went through because of him. So why would you help his daughter?"


    Silence stretched between us as he didn¡¯t answer. But that told me more than anything.


    He <i>had </i>a reason. He just wasn¡¯t ready to say it. Or maybe he couldn¡¯t say it without digging deeper into something he didn¡¯t understand himself.


    My heart thudded with a bitter rhythm.


    I turned away from him, trying to rein in the fire inside me, trying to think. But the door creaked open behind us and another voice cut through the tension.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    It was Draven. He stepped in, dressed casually but alert. He looked between us and narrowed his eyes.


    "I heard yelling," he said as his eyes flickered to Kieran. "What did you do?"


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond.


    I turned to Draven as I filled him in. "She was at the exam. Evaline Greystone."


    His face went nk. "What?"


    "She fought in the arena," I continued. "Against Oscar and she defeated him. She¡¯s been here the whole time."


    Draven blinked, then looked sharply at Kieran. "And you knew?"


    When Kieran didn¡¯t answer, Draven cursed and ran a hand through his hair. "Brother, you helped <i>her</i>? That girl is the daughter of-"


    "I know who she is," Kieran cut in, finally letting some steel into his voice. "I¡¯m not stupid."


    "No," I said, "but you are reckless."


    "You think I don¡¯t know the consequences?" he asked. "You think I haven¡¯t spent every second knowing what this would mean if I got caught? But I didn¡¯t get caught. She passed every test. She earned her ce. And as for the rest, I did what I believed was right."


    "That¡¯s not your call to make," I snapped.


    "No," he said, "it wasn¡¯t. But I made it anyway."


    I stared at him. Fury was pulsing through me. But so did something else - helplessness.


    I couldn¡¯t hit him. Couldn¡¯t throw him out. Couldn¡¯t strip him of his rank. Not only because he was my brother, but because he <i>knew</i> I wouldn¡¯t.


    Kieran had always been the righteous one among us. The one who held us to a higher standard when we forgot our way. And that made his betrayal cut deeper than any de.


    But the worst part?


    He had outsmarted me. Because five years ago when we built this Academy from scratch, we made rules. Rules that protected the students... all students.


    And now, Evaline Greystone was a student.


    I couldn¡¯t touch her.


    Not without breaking the very code I had written.


    "She¡¯s off-limits now," Kieran said quietly. "You know that."

 Chapter 40: Burden of His Help

    <h4>Chapter 40: Burden of His Help</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sun had barely risen. Its gentle light was cascading through the thin white curtains of the bedroom window. My roommate was already gone... as we¡¯re his bags, and the other students were also busy packing their things.


    With the final test over, the air was buzzing with quiet excitement and fatigue. One by one, the other candidates were preparing to leave, heading back to their packs before the new semester officially began in three days.


    There were forty-two of us who had made it, epted as students into Silver Moon Academy. And somehow, <i>I</i> was one of them.


    Not just one of them, but <i>the</i> one.


    My name, Evaline, was sitting at the top of the final result sheet with top score - 98/100 points.


    This made me recipient of the Privilege Award that I was supposed to receive sometime during the first week of the term.


    But before that, there were still three long days that I needed to pass. I quickly showered, got dressed, and met with Mallory and Kyros for breakfast as they were about to leave.


    Mallory hugged me tight once it was time to leave. "You better message me the second you are settled in. Got it?"


    "Yeah," I lied while nodding. I didn¡¯t even have a phon, something she probably failed to notice.


    Kyros lingered a little longer. "You sure you are okay? You never said where you are going."


    I forced a smile and slipped into that familiar mask I had been wearing for years. "I¡¯ll figure it out."


    He frowned, clearly unconvinced, but didn¡¯t push.


    Selene and Noah waved from a distance. Their bags were slung over their shoulders and they were already halfway down the gravel path toward the transport station. Mallory ran to catch up with them and Kyros followed with a heavy sigh.


    And just like that... I was alone.


    Completely and utterly alone.


    The sun climbed higher as the day wore on. The cottages emptied, one after another. The chatter, the footsteps, theughter... all of it faded into silence.


    Even most of the staff had disappeared as they headed back to the Academy to prepare for the influx of students. Only a couple of guards had remained behind who were stationed idly at the entrance.


    I was standing near the wooden fence bordering the training grounds, staring at the horizon, while my suitcase and small carry bag sat next to me.


    I had no pack to return to. No family to wee me home. And definitely no money to afford a room for the night, let alone for the school supplies or the custom uniform required for the semester.


    I had no idea what I was going to do, or supposed to do, so I just waited... for either a miracle, or for the guards to throw me out as they were done waiting for me to leave on my own.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sun began to dip into the horizon, that the silence of the ce was broken by the sound of a sleek ck car that pulled up to the entrance. The engine purred as it came to a stop. The door opened and I found myself looking at a familiar face,


    Alpha Kieran.


    He stepped out in casual clothes, but the power and poise he carried made him impossible to mistake. He looked around once before his gaze found me, and he walked toward me with the calm of someone who never had to rush.


    I straightened, brushing the dirt off my trousers whike trying not to feel too awkward.


    "You stayed behind," he said as he reached me.


    "There was no one to pick me up," I replied.


    There was a pause before he gave a soft nod. "I figured."


    The next thing I knew, he had my stuff loaded in the trunk of his car while I sat on the passenger seat. Then, we were off to somewhere.


    I didn¡¯t ask a single question, but he exined on his own. "I have booked a hotel room for you in the nearby town," he said simply. "You¡¯ll stay there until it¡¯s time to return to the Academy."


    I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already pulling a small envelope from his coat.


    Inside was a key card, a sleek phone, and a silver bank card.


    "I don¡¯t-" I began as panic hit me. "I can¡¯t take this, Alpha Kieran. I already owe you for everything. I-"


    "You¡¯ll take it," he cut in gently but firmly. "You need a phone to stay in contact. You¡¯ll need funds to buy supplies and your uniform. You are a student now... <i>my </i>student. You can¡¯t afford to walk into the Academy unprepared."


    "But-"


    "It¡¯s not charity," he added. "This is part of our arrangement. You hold up your end of the deal, and I¡¯ll hold up mine."


    I swallowed hard.


    He was making it sound so reasonable. So professional. But deep down, I knew it was more than that. I could see it in the way he watched me, as if trying to figure out something even he didn¡¯t understand.


    He handed me a folded list of essentials.


    "This will help you know what to buy," he said. "Text me once you are done. Someone wille to pick you up and take you to the Academy. My number is already saved in the phone."


    I stared at the list, then at the items in my hand. The phone felt too light for the weight it carried.


    He nced at the sky, then back at me. "You did wonderful in the tests, Evaline."


    I looked up, surprised by the sudden acknowledge... or was it praise?


    He wasn¡¯t smiling. Not quite. But his eyes... they held a quiet kind of pride.


    "Thank you," I whispered, unsure why it made my throat tight.


    He gave me onest nod as we arrived at our destination. I climbed out and he followed, unloading my bags.


    "Have a little break and get your things. I¡¯ll see you at the academy, student," he said with a soft smile before slipping into the driver¡¯s seat and driving away.


    I stood there, clutching the bag and the phone and the damn envelope, watching him leave. The car pulled away, taillights glowing faintly as it disappeared down the road.


    And just like that... I was alone again. But this time, it felt different. Because now, I had a room waiting for me.


    A phone.


    Money.


    A future.


    And - whether I liked it or not - a thread connecting me to the very man who once stood on the other side of a war.<fna256> Get full chapters from Find¡ïNovel</fna256>

 Chapter 41: Two Positives

    <h4>Chapter 41: Two Positives</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hotel room was modest but clean. There was a queen bed, a hot shower, and fresh towels.


    And as I stood in the middle of it, I felt an overwhelming sense washing upon me.


    I dropped my bag by the door and settled down at the edge of the bed. A momentter, I picked up the phone, unlocked it, and stared at the saved contact.


    <strong>Professor Kieran. </strong>


    That¡¯s how he had saved his contact. Opening the message box, I quickly tyoed: <i>Got the room. Thanks</i>.


    Barely seconds passed by before the phone buzzed with a reply.


    <i>Good. Rest tonight. Start fresh tomorrow.</i>


    I stared at the screen for a long time. Then I put the phone down, let out a deep exhale, and let myself fall back against the bed.


    I had three days to prepare. To be the girl who topped the entrance test. To survive Silver Moon Academy.


    And somehow... to keep my secrets buried where they belonged.


    * * *


    The next morning, I left the hotel early with the list Professor Kieran gave me. The air was still crisp and the streets half-empty as the town slowly woke up.


    Though there wasn¡¯t a need for it anymore, I was still wearing the mask. Thest thing I wanted was to draw attention. Who knew if the other applicants of the exam were present in this town.


    The first thing I bought was the Academy¡¯s uniform - two pairs of it, one for daily wear and one spare in case of damage. I also got a simple sportswear in deep blue, made from breathable fabric as listed on the Academy requirements.


    I stuck to the list and only the list.


    Books, notebooks, pens, an enchanted rm crystal... check, check, and check.


    By the time I was done, my bag was heavy, but my heart was lighter. The card Professor Kieran gave me still had plenty left on it... I knew that. But I refused to use more than I had to.


    I didn¡¯t need more clothes, or food, or extras. The hotel room and meals were already covered. And thanks to that ridiculous midnight shopping spree he forced me into before the tests, I had more than enough clothes and daily essentials tost the semester.


    So I told myself I was done.


    I should have been done.


    But as I stood at the corner of the street, waiting for the light to change, my eyes drifted to the pharmacy across the road... and I stopped breathing.


    Though I didn¡¯t want to waste his money, I knew I needed to do this. I quickly crossed the road and walked straight into the store.


    I didn¡¯t say a word as I moved through the aisles and grabbed two boxes the moment I found them before heading to the self-checkout. I paid in cash, some crumpled bills I got as change at the previous store.


    Thest thing I wanted was a digital receipt to be sent to Professor Kieran¡¯s phone about my purchase at this store with his card. No one could know about it, certainly not him.


    Ten minutester, I was back in my hotel room. And the boxes were sitting on the bathroom sink.


    I stared at them for a long time.


    My heart was thundering in my chest as I finally opened it and followed the instructions. The silence in the room was suffocating.


    Three minutes.


    That¡¯s all it took.


    Three minutes to change everything. To confirm what I had known for a while by now.


    The first test turned out positive.


    <fnca52> Th?s chapter is updated by FindN0vel</fnca52>


    I sat down on the closed lid of the toilet, staring at it in stunned silence.


    Thest bit of hope I still had, it left me. But I still grabbed the second stick and did it again with trembling hands.


    Another three minutes and a second positive result.


    My head hit the wall behind me, and I shut my eyes tight, trying to will away the truth. But it was there. Clear. Unavoidable.


    I was pregnant.


    Now I was carrying a life inside me.


    I looked down at my stomach, it was t and quiet. Nothing was showing. Nothing was moving. But I was able to feel it now. That subtle, terrifying awareness.


    I didn¡¯t know whether to scream or cry or just crawl under the bed and disappear forever. Even if I believed all this time that I was pregnant, there was still a part of me that was expecting it all to turn out as a false rm.


    But not anymore.


    I grabbed both tests and covered them with tissues and packaging so they wouldn¡¯t be seen before shoving them deep into the trash. My hands were still trembling as I washed them and sshed cold water on my face.


    I looked up at my reflection.


    I was still Evaline Greystone. Still the top applicant of the entrance exams.


    But now?


    Now I was also something more.


    A mother.


    I pressed a hand over my stomach. All it took was just that fleeting moment where I made up my mind.


    "I¡¯ll protect you," I whispered.


    The words came unbidden, shaky but sure.


    "I don¡¯t know how yet... but I will."


    And just like that, I knew. I couldn¡¯t afford to break down. Not now.


    I had made it this far. And I was going to survive the Academy. And I was going to find a way to keep all my secrets hidden, no matter what it would take.


    I wasn¡¯t keeping the baby because I had no way to safely abort it, but because I just couldn¡¯t make myself end an innocent life.


    And I was determined to make sure that my child would have a safe environment growing up. A house, friends, and a future.


    I was ready to fight, tooth and w, for the life growing inside me, because no one else ever had for me.


    I would be the kind of mother I never had.


    Even if I had to do it all alone.

 Chapter 42: Arriving at Silver Moon

    <h4>Chapter 42: Arriving at Silver Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next morning, I was standing in front of the gates of Silver Moon Academy.


    It felt unreal.


    A pair of towering, wrought-iron gates were stretched out before me, embellished with symbols I recognized from the Academy¡¯s crest, it were two wolves circling a moon.


    As I stepped through, my heart started pounding in my chest, not from fear, but from awe.


    The Academy was... magnificent.


    It looked like something out of a storybook - grand, ancient, even though I knew it had only been built five years ago.


    The path leading to the main building had tall trees standing on both sides with leaves falling down as wind whispered by.


    The path was long, especially when I was dragging a huge suitcase and a bag along with me. But I wasn¡¯t the only one. Dozens of other students were also on their way to the administrative building that finally came into view.


    The stone walls of the main building were rising high into the sky, their gray surfaces were softened by thick, twisting ivy that was clinging to every crevice.


    Red and gold autumn leaves were speckling the ivy in patches, catching in the wind and fluttering like confetti. Today was thest day of August and the mountain air was cool and crisp, hinting at the nearing season change.


    The grounds were stretching endlessly in every direction. Wide, paved paths were cutting through lush greenwns, lining with tall, evenly spaced trees. There were students scattered about, some were moving luggage, others chatting in small groups, while a few were standing alone like me... still taking it all in.


    I nced around, hoping to spot a familiar face. Kyros. Mallory. Selene. Noah. But there was no sign of them.


    Though Mallory handed her number to me before leaving, I ended up miscing that piece of paper. And now, I had no way to contact her.


    So, I decided to settle down first before looking for them.


    At the reception, a woman in her early thirties was waiting. She was dressed in a sharp and elegant ck dress with the Academy crest pinned to her chest. She greeted me with a polite smile.


    "Ms. Evaline?" she asked to confirm as she nced at the monitor sitting in front of her.


    "Yes," I replied, clutching the strap of my bag tighter.


    "Wee to Silver Moon. Here¡¯s your dorm key and identification badge. You are in Dorm 2-B, second floor. You can scan the QR code here to join the Academy¡¯s official website as a new student. You will find your ss schedules, academy map, and other information there."


    "Thank you," I murmured as I epted the envelope with the key and badge before quickly scanning the QR.


    My footsteps echoed quietly against the stone path as I made my way to the dormitories.


    The dorm building was standing off to the west side of the Academy, tucked just behind a line of towering pine trees. It was a ten-story structure, rectangr in shape with old-fashionednterns lit even during the day along its walls.


    Unlike the grandeur of the main building, the dorm had a slightly humbler look, with wooden ents, climbing vines, and the scent ofvender drifting from a nearby garden.


    I entered through the wide, arched doorway and followed the signs until I reached my dorm.


    With a soft click, the key turned, and I stepped inside.


    The space was... nicer than anything I had imagined. Far too nice for someone like me.


    The main door opened into a sharedmon room,plete with a couch, a bookshelf, and a small round table near the firece. The pastel blue-colored walls were clean and unmarked, and the wooden floors looked freshly polished. There was even a small kitchte tucked into the corner.


    Two doors branched off from themon area and I chose the one on the left.


    Inside was a shared bedroom with two beds on either side, separated by ss doors that skide open into a small balcony. The far wall held two desks and matching closets. Soft light was pouring in through gauzy white curtains, casting gentle patterns on the floor.


    I walked over to the balcony and pushed the door open. A soft breeze immediately greeted me, cool and refreshing.


    The garden below was quiet, framed with blooming shrubs and neat stone benches. Beyond that, the mountain range rolled into the horizon with its sharp, jagged peaks covered in evergreens. And far to the left, just past a rocky outcrop, I saw a waterfall, glinting silver in the morning light as it cascaded down a cliff like liquid light.


    It was breathtaking.


    A tree was standing just outside the balcony, its branches close enough to touch. I rested my hand on the wooden railing and breathed in deeply.


    This... this could be my home. At least for now.


    I turned back inside and ced my bag on the bed near the window, the one with the better view. Since my roommate hadn¡¯t arrived yet, I got to pick first.


    I spent the next hour or so unpacking my essentials - books, notebooks, the uniform I had folded neatly, my shoes, and my daily clothes. Everything was ced in their right ces.


    After finishing, I headed out to grab lunch as it was almost noon.


    The map was a savior as it made finding the dining hall easier. The Academy was not only huge, but also confusing, especially for a new student like me.


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    The hall was massive with long rows of polished oak tables lining the area. Stained ss windows were towering overhead, and golden chandeliers were hanging from the high ceiling.


    The air was buzzing with conversation,ughter, footsteps. Students were everywhere now as most of the second and third years had already arrived during the past couple of days.


    No one paid me much attention as I got my food and found a quiet corner to sit in.


    I chose my meal carefully. Vegetables, rice, grilled tofu, a small fruit bowl, a slice of bread, and a cup of herbal tea.


    I needed to eat properly now. Not just for me. But also for the baby.


    Once I was done with the lunch, I set out again to continue exploring more of the academy.

 Chapter 43: Chaos in Dorm 2-A

    <h4>Chapter 43: Chaos in Dorm 2-A</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Once I decided exactly where I wanted to go next, I closed the map and took a path that led me through the central courtyard. It was a circr space with a massive stone fountain in the middle. The carving was of a she-wolf and her cubs beneath the crescent moon.


    Students were lounging here too, flipping through books, talking,ughing. A few staff members were also passing by, all dressed in the same sharp ck as the woman from earlier.


    The library was standing just past the courtyard, nestled between two lecture halls.


    And it was beautiful, with tall windows, carved wooden doors, and ivy curling around its edges like poetry.


    Inside, the scent of parchment and leather-bound tomes was filling the air. Rows upon rows of shelves were stretched out before me, neatly categorized by subject. There were high ceilings and spiral staircases leading to the upper levels. Tables with small readingmps and cushioned chairs were scattered throughout.


    I could spend days here, I already knew I would.


    I grabbed a few books on magical theory - nothing too advanced, just enough to get a head start before sses started. Then, I found a small table near the back and nestled down to read through the book.


    I got too immersed in it, that Ipletely lost track of time. By the time I flipped through thest page, the sun was already close to the horizon.


    I returned the book to its original ce before heading out, mentally taking note you get my library pass as soon as possible.


    The Academy was bathed in the golden evening sunlight and the mountain air was carrying the cool breath of the approaching September, rustling the ivy-covered walls and lifting the loose strands of hair around my face.


    I had barely taken three steps toward the dorms when a familiar voice called out, "Eva?"


    I froze, immediately recognizing the voice. Turning around, I spotted Mallory jogging across the courtyard toward me, her hair bounced behind her and a wide grin on her face.


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    "Mallory!" I said, the surprise slipping into a smile before I could stop it.


    She threw her arms around me in a tight hug. "I thought it was you! You look... different." She added thest part as she pulled back and took a look at my face.


    I tilted my head in question, and her gaze moved to my eyes, her own narrowing slightly.


    "Your eyes," she murmured. "They are... amber?"


    Ah. The contacts.


    I had taken them off before arriving at the academy. There didn¡¯t seem to be a point anymore as I no longer needed to hide from the brothers, at least not in the way I had been doing till now.


    "They have always been this color," I said quietly. "The ones you saw before were fake."


    She blinked at me, thenughed. "Well, I like the real ones better. They make you look fierce."


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that, but I felt oddly warm at thement.


    She looped her arm through mine without hesitation. "Come on! Kyros just arrived a little while ago. He¡¯s unpacking in his room, and he¡¯s already grumbling about how his suitcase exploded."


    My chest lightened at the thought of seeing him again. "Where¡¯s his dorm?"


    "Right across from mine!" she said brightly. "I¡¯m in 2-B. What about you?"


    I stared at her, surprised. Then a smile bloomed on my lips as I answered, "I¡¯m in 2-B as well."


    Her eyes went wide. "You must be in the other bedroom. Unfortunately, we aren¡¯t sharing the same room. But let¡¯s look at bright side. We are in the same dorm and Kyros is in right opposite ours!"


    The grin that slowly stretched across my face waspletely unguarded. "That¡¯s... really good news."


    "Right?" she beamed, giving my arm a squeeze. "Let¡¯s go see Kyros before he turns the entire dorm upside down."


    Dorm 2-A was still a mess when we entered. Boxes were half-unpacked, clothes were spilled across his bed, and his shoes were mismatched on the floor. Noah was leaning against the closet, arms crossed, looking vaguely amused as Kyros fought with a tangled bedsheet.


    "You know," Noah drawled, "It¡¯s a bedsheet, not your opponent. "


    Kyros turned toward us and then paused, eyes going straight to my face.


    "Eva?"


    His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, his brows furrowed as if something was out of ce. Then -


    "Your eyes."


    Mallory snorted beside me. "Told you. She took off the brown lenses. Look at those wolf eyes now."


    I shifted ufortably under the sudden attention, but Kyros¡¯s surprise quickly morphed into a smile.


    "Amber suits you better," he said softly.


    I looked away, brushing my hair behind my ear. "I didn¡¯t think anyone would notice."


    "We notice everything," Mallory quipped.


    "Especially when ites to you," Noah added with a faint grin.


    We helped Kyros finish unpacking. And it turned out he and Noah were roommates.


    When the room was finally in order, we all headed to the dining hall together. Dinner was louder than lunch, with more students pouring in as stars filled the night sky. The chandeliers were illuminating the hall which was buzzing with energy, excitement, and curiosity.


    We enjoyed the dinner while chatting about the rooms, specting about the courses, and sharing bits of nervousness over the assembly the next morning. When we were done, Mallory and I made our way back to our dorm while the boys lingered behind to finish a dessert Noah had be far too fond of.


    The moment we entered our dorm, I let out a long breath.


    Themon area felt warm and familiar now. The ce was looking more lived-in, especially with Mallory¡¯s pink slippers already by the couch and her jacket slung over the armrest.


    "Okay," she said, flopping down dramatically. "I officially love this ce. The beds arefy, the food¡¯s delicious, and we even have a garden view. This is way better than my home pack¡¯s training barracks."


    I smiled as I curled up on the opposite side of the couch. "It really does feel different here."


    She nced at me. "So... are you nervous? About tomorrow?"


    "Terrified," I admitted. "But excited too."


    "I get that." She picked at the hem of her sleeve. "I¡¯m d you are here, Eva. Really."


    "Me too."

 Chapter 44: Midnight Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 44: Midnight Reunion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sleep pulled me in the moment my body hit the soft mattress, and for once, it was peaceful.


    Until I was woken by the click of the dorm door.


    I stirred, half-asleep, squinting my eyes at the glow of the bedside clock.


    <strong>12:14 a.m.</strong>


    I blinked as footsteps entered themon area and then stopped just outside my bedroom. A momentter, the doorknob turned slowly.


    I immediately up and then... froze.


    There, in the doorway, was a tall figure in ck jeans and a matching sweater with a backpack slung over one shoulder. A familiar, silver-lined mask was covering the lower half of his face.


    My heart jumped as I immediately recognized him despite the darkness.


    He was the masked guy, the same one I had shared a bedroom with during the entrance exam week. The one who barely spoke, but whose presence had lingered in my thoughts.


    His eyes met mine. Ice blue. Sharper than I remembered.


    For a second, he said nothing. Then, his gaze swept over the room and the two beds.


    Of course. He was my roommate.


    He dropped his bag by the other bed without a word.


    I was still staring, struggling to find my voice. "You are... my roommate?"


    He looked at me again with unreadable eyes behind the curtain of dark hair and that half-mask.


    "Looks like it," he said in a low and calm voice. And it was the first time I had heard his voice despite sharing a room with him for a week.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. What kind of twist of fate was this?


    As he began to unpack in silence, I sat there frozen, my heart pounding louder with every tick of the clock. Silver Moon Academy was full of surprises.


    I sat in bed with the covers drawn to my waist and my eyes fixed on him as he moved around in the shadows. His tall frame was shifting silently through the room.


    He was careful with his steps, but not careful enough. A soft thud echoed when he bumped into the edge of the dresser.


    I winced at the sound, watching as he paused mid-motion. "If you are going to unpack, you might as well turn on the lights," I said quietly, breaking the heavy silence.


    He didn¡¯t reply immediately. His gaze flickered to me, and for a moment I thought he was going to ignore mepletely. But then, without a word, he reached out and flicked the switch.


    The room brightened in a warm amber glow, and I blinked to adjust.


    He moved quickly then, efficient and focused. Within minutes, his side of the room began to take shape. Clothes were folded neatly in drawers, a set of neatly stacked books was ced by the study area, and a small box of supplies was organized on the desk.


    There was a kind of warrior precision to his movements, like he had done this a hundred times before. No wasted steps, no hesitation.


    I sat quietly, observing him as I hugged my knees under the nket.


    Despite the quiet, there was something loud about his presence. He didn¡¯t have to say much, he simply filled the space by being in it. And as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn¡¯t.


    He moved to the edge of his bed and sat down slowly. Then, without a word, he reached up and took off the ck mask, finally allowing me to find out what he really looked like behind that mask.


    He was handsome with strong bone structure, high cheekbones, a faint scar on his chin like a secret he didn¡¯t talk about. His dark hair fell across his forehead, just brushing against those pale, intense eyes that looked like they could pierce through bone.


    I didn¡¯t realize I was holding my breath until I let it out in a quiet exhale.


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    He caught my stare, and his eyes locked with mine for a heartbeat. Then he stood and reached for the light switch.


    The soft hum of the light clicked off, returning the room to its previous quiet glow. Only now, the moonlight filtering in felt different, like it was reflecting something I shouldn¡¯t have seen.


    He moved toward his bed again and slid under the sheets, turning slightly toward the wall. I thought he would stay silent. But just before the room fully fell into stillness, he spoke.


    His voice was low and deep, almost a whisper. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow¡¯s the first day of the term."


    I swallowed, caught off guard again by the sound of his voice. It wasn¡¯t cold or dismissive. Just... calm. Collected.


    "I will," I said quietly.


    He didn¡¯t respond, and I didn¡¯t expect him to.


    Iy back down slowly and pulled the nket up to my chin. My heart had calmed down and I felt a sense of peace washing over me.


    A part of me had been curious about my roommate throughout the day. I kept wondering with whom I would be sharing my personal space and how I would manage to keep all my secrets hidden from a person staying so close to me.


    But now that I found <i>him</i> as my roommate, a sense of relief washed over me. Considering how he always kept his distance and was barely around, I couldn¡¯t ask for a better roommate.


    I turned my head slightly, staring at the moon beyond the ss window. It was half-bright, hangingzily over the mountaintop. The view was beautiful, and so was the moonlight, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t cover it with the curtains.


    The Academy felt like a different world already.


    And I had a feeling that the stranger on the other side of the room, who wasn¡¯t really a stranger at all anymore, was going to be part of it in ways I couldn¡¯t yet understand.


    I closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep once again as I indeed wanted to be prepared for what was awaiting me theing morning.


    Tomorrow, everything would change.

 Chapter 45: First Day of the Term

    <h4>Chapter 45: First Day of the Term</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The Academy uniform fit better than I expected.


    It was tailored in deep navy with silver ents. The zer hugged my waist just right, with the Silver Moon Academy crest embroidered neatly over the left side of my chest. The skirt was modest, pleated, and brushed just above my knees, paired with soft ck stockings and low-heeled boots.


    I buttoned thest silver sp and nced at my reflection in the mirror. I barely recognized the girl looking back. I looked healthier, the color had returned my pale face and there was a quiet steadiness in my posture, as if my spine had learned how to hold strength instead of shame.


    Was I really the same Evaline from a week ago? Let alone the one from two months ago The? The girl who ran for days through the woods, hiding from the betrayal and the brothers?


    I straightened the cor of my blouse and brushed a hand over my t belly. The first term wouldst from September to January. All I needed to do was to keep my pregnancy a secret by then.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be an easy task, but I was determined to find a way.


    The room behind me was quiet as my mysterious roommate had left before dawn, slipping out silently like a shadow.


    After onest look in the mirror, I grabbed my bag and headed out to meet Mallory and Kyros.


    They were already waiting in the dorm¡¯smon area. Mallory was wearing the uniform like she had been born in it - sharp and proud. Kyros was looking just as perfect and... nerdy. It was his appearance that fooled people at first nce. He smiled the moment he noticed me.


    "Woah," Mallory said as her eyes widened. "Someone¡¯s glowing today."


    I blinked. "What?"


    Kyrosughed. "She¡¯s right. You look... good. Strong."


    "Must be the uniform," I muttered though a small smile crept to my lips.


    We walked together to the main building where the dining hall was located. The morning air was crisp and cool against our skin. Mist was clinging low to the grass, and above us, the sky was pale with dawn light, streaked with soft golds and blues.


    The dining hall was buzzing just like the previous evening as students had filled up the ce. The only difference was that now everyone was dressed in their uniforms.


    I filled my tray with two boiled eggs, a cup of mixed berries, a sandwich, and a cup of herbal tea. I was making sure to eat a bnced diet as I had promised myself that I would do this right.


    As we ate, chatter filled the room. The first-years were mostly looking nervous, while the second and third years looked like they owned the ce. There were more staff members present todaypared to yesterday, but I still hadn¡¯t seen any professors.


    Once breakfast ended, Mallory checked the ss list. "Alright," she said, tapping her phone. "First ss is at the East Wing. ¡¯Werewolf Law and Pack Hierarchy¡¯ with Professor Alden."


    Selene groaned. "Great. A lecture to start the year."


    Weughed while grabbing our bags and making our way across the courtyard.


    The East Wing was filled with the smell of old parchment and lemon polish. We slipped into the lecture hall with minutes to spare and found seats near the middle.


    The room was tiered like an amphitheater, with rows of stone benches and desks, and arge ckboard at the front.


    The sound a bell filled the Academy momentster, announcing the start of the first official day of the new term.


    Professor Alden entered a momentter. He was a tall, gray-haired man with sharp eyes. He didn¡¯t waste a second.


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    "Wee to Silver Moon," he began and his voice boomed. "This is not your average academy. Here, you are not just students, but heirs of a world that lives in secrecy and survival. Understanding that world begins with its rules."


    We dove into a brief summary on the structure of packs, the responsibilities of Alphas, Betas, Enforcers, and Omegas. We learned about packws - ancient codes, inter-pack treaties, and the fragile bnce that kept werewolf society from tearing itself apart.


    By the end of the lecture, my notebook was nearly full.


    Next, we had Werewolf History and Politics. Professor Elira was a young woman with wild red curls and a whip-smart attitude. She spoke about the historical wars between Northern and Southern packs, the rise of rogue alliances, and the impact of human technology on werewolf secrecy.


    "Always remember," she said as she paced at the front. "Humans may be fragile, but they are clever. The age of silver bullets is over. They don¡¯t need to shoot to kill anymore... just expose us."


    A chill ran down my spine at herst words.


    After that came Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles. It was taught in one of the Academy¡¯s towers. It was a smaller ss, held in a circr room with ss walls and a perfect view of the distant waterfall.


    We learned how the moon affected our senses, instincts, and even our magic. The professor showed us how to track our strength levels using lunar charts, and what rituals helped in maintaining control during full moons.


    Kyros was busy jotting down notes furiously. And Mallory, she was leaning back in her chair, watching the professor with the same expression she used while listening to music.


    As for me? I felt all of it settle into my bones.


    This wasn¡¯t just school.


    It was survival. Knowledge. Power.


    By lunch, we were starving again. We found Noah already seated at a table, surrounded by two other boys who were apparently his and Kyros¡¯ dorm mates. They seemed friendly enough, and we all talked through our break.


    "You get used to it," Noah said. "Or you pretend to."


    After lunch, our final ss was Wolf Psychology and Emotional Regtion. It wasn¡¯t a subject I hadn¡¯t expected but quickly realized was vital. The professor, a soft-spoken woman named Rhea, spoke of the emotional ties between wolves, pack bonding, imprinting, grief, rage, and instincts.


    "This ss will help you understand not just yourselves, but each other," she said. "Control starts in the mind, not the ws."


    And the ss continued for an entire hour...!


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 Chapter 46: The Privilege Award

    <h4>Chapter 46: The Privilege Award</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time the lunch bell rang across the Silver Moon Academy grounds, I was already feeling exhausted. My head was hurting from trying to follow advanced theory in Wolf History, and my stomach was grumbling for food.


    I havee to a realization recently - I started feeling more hungry ever since I confirmed my pregnancy. Three meals a day were just perfect for me before that, but now, they didn¡¯te anywhere near enough.


    <strong>"</strong>Let¡¯s go grab food." I told Mallory and Kyros.


    At this point, I was finally epting the fact that these two were now my friends, real friends who were with me because they liked me for who I was, and not because they were ying some sort of game with me under someone¡¯s orders.


    We were about to enter the dining hall, when...


    "Ms. Evaline from Year One, report to Professor Kieran¡¯s office," the announcement echoed through the halls like a death sentence.


    I stopped walking and so did my friends. The two exchanged a nce before looking at my half confused and half stunned face.


    "Maybe it¡¯s about the privilege reward." Kyros provided and it did make sense.


    I quickly nodded my head. "I¡¯ll meet you guyster." I waved at them before heading toward my changed destination, the food was now wiped out of my brain.


    Professor Kieran.


    It had been a week since Ist saw him. His sses wouldn¡¯t be starting until two more weeks, and hence, there was never a chance where I caught have caught even a glimpse of him.


    One might stumble across an ancient ghost while walking around the Academy, but stumbling across Professor Kieran was just impossible.


    But I wasn¡¯t sure why I even wanted to see him. It wasn¡¯t like we were friends or anything. At most, we were two people who had a deal between us.


    However, no matter how much I tried to think otherwise, a part of me knew that I hade to appreciate Professor Kieran¡¯s attitude toward me. The way he looked at me was as if I mattered. Like I wasn¡¯t invisible. Like I <i>should</i> be visible.


    I walked down the west corridor toward the staff wing. The further I got, the more I felt something wrong in the air. It was just a feeling, one that I could neither understand nor ignore.


    But it kept making me feel like I should turn back.


    The office door was slightly ajar. I knocked once and stepped in, only for my breath to catch in my throat when not one, but three pairs of eyes turned to me,


    Professor Kieran was sitting behind the sleek wooden desk, his expression calm and almost... regretful?


    Then there was Instructor Oscar who was standing near the tall bookshelf with his arms crossed and his deep green eyes locked on mine like he was trying to read something hidden in my soul.


    Recalling thest time we met, in the arena duringst test, I quickly looked away from me. I didn¡¯t need him to voice it out for me to know that he might hate me now just as much as Alpha River, if not more.


    Talking about the devil, he was standing near the window. He was like a ghost of hatred wrapped in tailored perfection.


    He stood near the window, a ghost of hatred wrapped in tailored perfection. His silver-blond hair was styled neatly, and his eyes met mine with the sharpness of daggers.


    Every cell in my body started screaming danger, forcing me to take a step back.


    "Evaline," Professor Kieran said gently. "Come in. Please."


    I stepped in, but I kept my distance. "Am I... in trouble?"


    "No," he said softly. "Actually, you are here because you are due a privilege award."


    So, it was indeed about that. What I didn¡¯t expect was the presence of three of the four brothers just to hand over the award to me.


    "You ranked first in your cement evaluation," Professor Kieran continued as he pushed a sealed folder toward me. "It¡¯s tradition. The top-performing neer is granted a reward."


    Alpha River scoffed. "Imagine that. The daughter of a murderer being awarded anything."


    I didn¡¯t react, even though the pure hatred in his tone caused my heart to race even more quickly than it already was.


    What really caught my attention was how Instructor Oscar shifted ufortably, his jaw tightening. He didn¡¯t speak, but his difort was written all over his face. And this made me wonder what was going on with him.


    At the same time, Professor Kieran shot Alpha River a look. "Brother, we agreed to be civil."


    Alpha River only smirked in response. "I am. I¡¯m simply stating facts."


    I swallowed down the rising heat in my throat. "You said there¡¯s a reward?" I asked Professor Kieran. I wanted to get over with this as quickly as possible.


    He nodded. "Three options. You are to choose one. Each has its own benefits... and consequences."


    My fingers trembled as I reached for the folder. But before I could open it, River strode across the room and snatched it away.


    "I¡¯ll do the honors," he said smoothly and flipped it open. "Option one - a private one-on-one training session with each professor every week for the remainder of the term. This includes personal tutoring, simted case studies, and advanced theory. All tailored entirely to you."


    My eyes widened a little.


    This... sounded like a dream.


    But as I looked at River, I felt a sick feeling taking root in the depth of my belly. He might not be a professor at the academy, but I had no doubt about the authority he held here.


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    If I ended up chosing this option, not only I would be training under Oscar, but River might also find a way to use this to torment me. Besides, I was pregnant and being in direct sight of any of these brothers, or the other professors and instructors, sounded like a dangerous idea.


    "Option two," River continued...

 Chapter 47: Best of the Three Options

    <h4>Chapter 47: Best of the Three Options</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I listened closely as the second option got revealed.


    "... is ess to the restricted section of the Silver Moon Library. For the entire academic year."


    I couldn¡¯t hide my reaction this time. My gaze turned to Professor Kieran as I asked, "That¡¯s... possible?"


    He nodded in response. "For you, yes. That section holds ancient scrolls, forbidden histories, bloodline theories, magical relic records - things even staff are limited from essing without proper clearance. You could find things even we have never seen."


    I swallowed hard.


    That kind of knowledge... was something students could only dream about. The amount of knowledge I could gain from the restricted section was limitless. Not only that, but this one sounded like such a safe option with no threat of these brothers interfering in my life.


    "Don¡¯t think it¡¯s all rainbows." River added when I stayed silent and lost in my thoughts. "If you chose this one, you will be watched. Every book you open. Every note you take. Misuse of information, intentional or not,es with severe consequences. Expulsion is just the beginning."


    To say I wasn¡¯t intimidated, would be such a lie. But I wasn¡¯t really surprised by the strictness that followed this reward. When giving ess to such kind of knowledge, they would definitely make sure that nothing would go wrong.


    "And the third?" I asked quietly.


    <fn0e74> The source of th?s content is f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn0e74>


    This time, the one who spoke was Professor Kieran. "A personal rmendation for an internship under the Council."


    My eyes went wide.


    A small smile touched the corners of his lips at my reaction. "You would be the first first-year ever given such an opportunity. If you ept this one, you will travel during weekends and term breaks to work alongside some of the most powerful Alphas, learnw, negotiation, policy writing, and representation."


    I stood there in silence, my head buzzing with thoughts. Finally, I looked up and fixed my gaze of Professor Kieran as I asked, "Can I have time to think about it?"


    His eyes softened as he replied, "You have until the end of the week."


    "Or now," River interrupted. "Why dy the inevitable?"


    I stared at him, finally noticing something I failed to initially as I was too affected by his presence. He wasn¡¯t acting his normal self. The calm, collected, and powerful Alpha I hade to know him as, was now looking... helpless.


    And I might just know why - on one side was the daughter of his enemy whom he could no longer hurt, and on the other side was his own brother who helped me. His helplessness, it wasing from here. And that¡¯s why he¡¯s being like this... someone ready to pounce at me but had no idea how and when.


    Without even meaning it, a small - almost unnoticeable - smile tugged at my lips. And he saw it.


    The way his gaze heated up in anger, I was sure that he knew exactly what was going on in my head, and he definitely didn¡¯t like someone knowing his helplessness, especially me.


    He opened his mouth, probably ready to throw more hateful and degrading words at me, but before he could, someone else spoke up.


    "Let her choose in peace, River."


    My head snapped in Oscar¡¯s direction. It was the first time I heard him speak since I walked in. His voice was quieter than I expected. Thoughtful. As if he wasn¡¯t just defending me, but also defending <i>himself </i>from something.


    River too looked at his brother, clearly as stunned as me. Then, he inhaled deeply. It was an attempt at keeping his bubbling emotions from breaking out, but I could tell that he was at the very edge.


    He was already battling with Kieran¡¯s betrayal, and now with Oscar speaking up for me, he was feeling at a loss.


    At first, it felt like he was about to lose his mind, but then, he walked out of the room as if he could no longer breathe the same air as us... or me. He looked ready to take down anything or anyone that crossed his path at the moment.


    Once he was gone, the office got filled with silence. Then, Professor Kieran spoke. "Take your time to decide. You still have three days. It¡¯s your choice, Evaline. But choose knowing each option will change your path."


    I nodded my head in understanding before walking out of his office with the folder clutched tightly to my chest.


    * * *


    I didn¡¯t sleep much that night.


    Though I had asked for time, I already knew what I wanted to choose.


    The first option was already a big no from the very beginning. And while the second one sounded like the safest among all three, safe didn¡¯t mean best. This left me with the third option - internship at the council.


    I knew the stakes in this one were just as high as the one-on-one training option. I would be working under the Alphas, their Betas, and other important figures of the Shifter Council.


    But again, I wouldn¡¯t be working there all the time, only on weekends and during term breaks. This internship would not only pay me, but would also give me a chance to learn and forge a future for myself.


    I could use that money for my medical bills, to pay Professor Kieran back, and if possible, then to save some for the baby. And with the mention of this internship in my resume, it would be easier for me to find good jobs in the future.


    All in all, the option of internship appealed the most .


    The only thing I needed to worry about was the first term breaks. I would be around seven months pregnant by then, and it would be impossible to hide it.


    But I still had five months to worry about that. I was sure to find a way to make things work.


    With the decision made, I finally allowed myself to rx and fall into the depths of the slumber as I had sses in the morning.

 Chapter 48: Surprise in the Library

    <h4>Chapter 48: Surprise in the Library</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The academy¡¯s library was quiet as dusk began to paint the sky with shades of bruised purple and weary gold.


    The momentst bell of the day was heard across the academy, students rushed to take a break from another long day of sses. Since it was still the first week of the term, almost all the sses were theory based and there was a limit to how much theory shifters could take in.


    Instead of following Mallory back to dorms, I excused myself and headed toward the library. Not because I wanted to spend thest bit of the day reading through books, but because I needed some alone time.


    It wasn¡¯t as if I disliked Mallory and Kyros¡¯spany. I just still wasn¡¯t used to having friends - real, good friends.


    Besides, I loved the library for the peace it brought to my usual chaotic mind. I made my way to the back of the never-ending room, not really looking for anything and just surfing the shelves.


    My fingers traced the edge of a bookshelf, and I inhaled the familiar scent of old pages and ink. The library was my favorite ce at Silver Moon.


    I turned down one of the far aisles, looking for a copy of Magical Herbs and potions - Professor Kieran¡¯s subject. I was actually looking forward to his sses, a part of me knew that he was going to be one of my favorite teachers at Silver Moon, if not <i>the </i>favorite.


    I froze as I sensed something - a shift in the air. Like breath exhaled too close. My pulse quickened as I nced behind me.


    But there was nothing.


    Then suddenly, a rough grip pulled me backward between two towering rows of old encyclopedias, and before I could cry out, a hand was pressed over my mouth. My back hit the wooden wall of a shelf, causing my breath to get caught in my throat.


    "Shh," a voice whispered against my ear. It was deep, controlled, and dangerous.


    Panic immediately filled with blood, making me thrash against the strong hold me.


    "Don¡¯t scream," he murmured.


    And that¡¯s when I recognized that voice. Even though I had heard it only once before, barely for seconds, I somehow remember it.


    He was one of the brothers - Alpha Draven.


    His green eyes met mine. They were intense and unreadable, but not cold like River¡¯s or uncertain like Oscar¡¯s. They were burning like a green wildfire.


    He slowly removed his hand from my mouth, but didn¡¯t move away.


    "What the hell-" I started.


    "Keep your voice down," he cut in while his eyes flicked toward the hallway.


    "What are you doing?" I hissed.


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately, just stared at me like he had been waiting. Like he knew I would pass this aisle. Like he had stood there, still as stone, just for me.


    "Why are you here?" he finally asked.


    My brows furrowed. "This is a library. Students are allowed here."


    "I didn¡¯t mean the library," he said darkly. "I meant this school."


    I stiffened. There it was... that hatred I had be too familiar with qhen it came to these Rogue Alpha brothers. There was suspicionced in every word they all threw at me.


    "You want me to leave?" I asked quietly. "Get in line."


    His jaw clenched. "I don¡¯t want you anywhere near my brothers."


    "Believe me, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying."


    He stepped closer, and I had to force myself not to move. He was tall, almost taller than the others, maybe... and built like he belonged on a battlefield, not in a room full of books. And yet here he was, ring at me between the pages of dusty volumes as if I had walked into his territory.


    "I don¡¯t trust you," he said.


    "That makes two of us." I wasn¡¯t sure where all this confidence wasing from, but it felt good. Maybe it was because I knew he couldn¡¯t hurt me, at least not directly.


    He tilted his head, as if studying me. "Then why did youe here, Evaline Greystone?" He said my name like it was poison. Like it burned his tongue.


    "I came to learn," I answered evenly. "To survive."


    "You should have stayed away."


    I didn¡¯t respond. Because what was I supposed to say? That I didn¡¯t have a choice? That I had been offered a spot I couldn¡¯t refuse, and a chance I couldn¡¯t walk away from?


    And then his gaze shifted, and I realized he was looking at my hair that was still ck.


    "Is that all?" I asked. "Or did you drag me in here just to stare?" I pulled his attention back to my face.


    He took another step closer, and I felt it hit me out of nowhere... something like static in the air. My breath got caught as his hand brushed my arm.


    And then it hit us both... a pull unlike any, yet something I had experienced before... more than once.


    It wasn¡¯t violent, but quiet. A soft jolt. An invisible string that tugged at something deep, ancient, and terrifying.


    He blinked while I swallowed hard.


    "What-" I whispered.


    "I don¡¯t know," he said while pulling his hand away quickly. "That - wasn¡¯t supposed to happen."


    He took a step back and I was grateful as there was nowhere I could move to. The aisle was suddenly feeling too small. Too warm. Too dangerous.


    "We are not. Impossible." I whispered, more to myself.


    "No," he added sharply. "It¡¯s probably nothing." But the look in his eyes betrayed him. It wasn¡¯t nothing. And we both knew it.


    "Do your brothers know you are stalking girls in libraries?" I snapped, trying to gain back some sense of control.


    He gave a bitter smile. "I don¡¯t stalk girls. Just enemies."


    My spine straightened. "So I¡¯m your enemy?"


    He leaned close, just enough to make my pulse race. "You are the daughter of the man who murdered my parents."


    That silenced me.


    "I don¡¯t want anything from you," I said.


    "Good," he said, stepping back finally. "Stay away from my brothers. Stay away from me."


    "I would have, if you hadn¡¯t pulled me in here."


    He didn¡¯t respond, just turned and disappeared into the rows of books, his footsteps muffled by the old carpet.


    I let out a long breath, steadying myself against the shelf.


    This school was supposed to be hard.


    But this?


    This was something else entirely.<fnf85e> Fresh chapters posted on Find?Novel</fnf85e>

 Chapter 49: Something Happened to Roomy

    <h4>Chapter 49: Something Happened to Roomy</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note: </strong>Chapter 41-48 have been heavily edited. I¡¯m really sorry for the inconvenience caused.


    Also, thank you "Grace_Archuleta" & "Jennifer_Rea" for all the support you both have shown to the story. It means a lot!


    * * *


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Thest ss of the day finally ended, and I exhaled as I stepped out of the lecture hall.


    It was friday afternoon, and unsurprisingly, it was chaotic as students celebrated the end of the long week full of sses. The next two days, were to rx and enjoy.


    "Are you going to the library, Eva?" Mallory asked, "Howe you are turning out to be even more nerdy than Kyros?"


    Kyros just sighed while I chuckled softly. "No. I¡¯m not heading to the library. But I need to drop by one of the Professor¡¯s office. I¡¯ll meet you in the dormter."


    I didn¡¯t mention Professor Kieran¡¯s name because I didn¡¯t want her to pester me with questions about the so-called ¡¯dream Professor¡¯ of every girl at Silver Moon.


    "Alright. We will be waiting. Let¡¯s y some indoor games to rx in the evening." Noah suggested. Being Kyros roommate, he had be almost a permanent part of our group for most of the days.


    I gave a nod of approval before separating from the group and making my way toward the administrative wing of the Academy where most professors and senior staff had their offices.


    Professor Kieran¡¯s office was tucked away in the far west corridor, away from the general student traffic, which didn¡¯t surprise me. He never seemed to like attention, despite the authority and fan following he carried.


    I knocked gently on the wooden door and my heart skipped a beat when his deep but gentle voice replied, "Come in."


    He was standing near the window with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tailored cks. The sunlight was nting across his long blonde hair and calm expression. His familiar scent greeted me as I stepped inside.


    "Evaline," he said with a small smile. "I was expecting you."


    I gave a hesitant smile before speaking, "I have made my choice."


    He tilted his head. "And?"


    "I¡¯ll take the internship," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "I want to make best of this opportunity."


    He studied me for a long moment, nodding slowly as if trying to read between the lines. "That¡¯s a wise choice," he finally said. "And possibly the most difficult one."


    "I know," I said softly. "But I¡¯m prepared."


    He walked over to his desk, picked up a sealed folder, and handed it to me. "These are all you will be needing. Your work will start from next weekend and you¡¯ll be escorted on your first visit. Take the next two days to enjoy a bit because you won¡¯t get this privilege again."


    I epted the folder while nodding my head in understanding. "Thank you... for giving me a choice."


    His gaze softened. "You are a capable student. You deserved it."


    <fn11b8> This text is hosted at find?novel</fn11b8>


    I nodded, then turned to leave, not trusting myself to speak more without my voice betraying me.


    * * *


    Saturday arrived with a cool breeze and a golden sky. It was a perfect day for a break.


    After breakfast, the six of us - Mallory, Kyros, Selene, Noah, Ria, and I made our way to the academy gates. Ria was Mallory¡¯s roommate, with sharp wit and easy confidence. And in the few days we had known each other, we had bonded more than I expected.


    "I can¡¯t believe we survived week one," Selene groaned as she stretched her arms above her head.


    "Barely," Noah added with a grin.


    "You guys think this was tough?" Riaughed. "Wait until midterms."


    We took the academy transport shuttle to the nearest town - ckwood Hollow. It was a cozy, slightly rustic town nestled at the foot of the north of the mountain, full of cobbled streets, tiny cafes, bookstores, and boutiques.


    And for the first time in what felt like months, I let myself breathe.


    We had coffee at a corner caf¨¦, I obviously got herbal tea. Then we wandered into a quirky shop that sold handmade trinkets and herbs, and shared slices of warm apple pie at a bakery that smelled like cinnamon and childhood.


    "So... have you decided yet?" Kyros suddenly asked me as everyone was busy taking photos in front of a beautiful fountain in town¡¯s square.


    I nced up at him. "Decided?"


    "Your reward," Mallory chimed in as she joined us. "We have been dying to know!"


    I hesitated, then said softly, "I chose the internship at the council."


    Selene blinked. "Wait, that was one of the options?"


    Kyros gave me an impressed look. "Bold move. But that¡¯s exactly what I was expecting from you. I wish you all the luck in the world."


    "We too!"


    The others chimed in, and as I looked at their sincere smiles, my throat almost felt heavy with emotions.


    "Thank you."


    That was all I could muster. We spent another hour wandering through the twon before returning to the academy. The dinner was just as lively and when we were back in our rooms, I realized that my roommate was still absent.


    I curled under my nket and fell asleep almost immediately as I was feeling tired after having fun the entire day.


    But then, I was pulled awake... again.


    The door creaked open around midnight, and the faintest rustle of movement reached my ears. At first, I thought it was just the usual - him returningte as always.


    But then, I caught the scent of blood which forced me to shot up, my heart pounding.


    Moonlight was streaming through the balcony, painting him in silvery hues. His back was to me as he tried to move silently across the room. But he was slower tonight. Stiff. Struggling.


    "Turn on the lights," I said quietly.


    And he paused.


    I saw his shoulders tense, and for a second, I thought he might ignore me. Then the soft click of the switch filled the silence, and the room was flooded in soft yellow light.


    And my breath caught once again as I took in his half-torn shirt which was stained crimson. Cuts were shing across his arms and back, and there was a dark bruise blooming near his temple. His hands were trembling slightly as he ced a small pouch on his desk, trying hard not to make any noise.


    "You are hurt," I whispered.


    He turned then... slowly, like he was debating it. His face was pale, lips pressed tightly together as his piercing icy-blue eyes met mine.


    I didn¡¯t miss the blood dripping near his wrist. But before I could say another word, he simply said in a low and hoarse voice, "Go back to sleep, Eva."


    But sleep was thest thing on my mind now.

 Chapter 50: Playing Nurse with Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 50: ying Nurse with Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I should have gone back to sleep.


    He told me to.


    But as I sat upright on my bed, watching him wince under the soft light while blood soaked through his clothes, I realized that wasn¡¯t an option anymore. Not for me.


    The old Eva might have kept her head down and remained hidden under the covers, pretending she didn¡¯t see a thing.


    But I wasn¡¯t her anymore. I was changing, for the better..


    I pushed the nket off and slid off the bed. "You are bleeding," I repeated quietly.


    He didn¡¯t even look at me. "So?"


    "So," I said, frowning, "you are injured. Badly."


    "I¡¯ll heal," he muttered, half-sitting, half-slumping into the chair by the desk. "Just mind your business and go to sleep."


    "No."


    His head turned sharply toward me. His eyes were narrowed, the blue of them almost glowing under the light, but I stood my ground. I wasn¡¯t scared of him. Not anymore. Maybe I should have been. Maybe there were a thousand reasons to pretend I didn¡¯t see him bleeding all over the floor.


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    He opened his mouth to say something else, but I was already moving. I grabbed one of the clean hand towels from my drawer and slipped out into themon room, heading straight for the small kitchen tucked into the corner. The dorm was quiet and filled with darkness, the only source of light was from the bedroom as I left the door wide open.


    I wet the towel under cold water, wrung it out quickly, and hurried back with a bowl of water.


    He was still seated, now watching me with an unreadable expression.


    "Take off your shirt," I said softly.


    He stared at me like I had just grown a second head. "What?"


    "You heard me. I need to see how bad it is."


    "I told you, I¡¯ll heal-"


    "And I told you, I don¡¯t care. Just take it off."


    A tense silence settled between us, but surprisingly, he obeyed.


    He tugged the tattered shirt over his head and tossed it aside. I inhaled sharply at the sight of him, not just because of the lean, well-defined muscles or the striking contrast of his pale skin against the blood, but because of the bruises, the angry red gashes, and the dried blood that ran down his side.


    I dropped to my knees beside him and began to gently clean the wound on his shoulder.


    He flinched at first but didn¡¯t stop me.


    "Where were you?" I asked quietly, making sure to be as gentle as possible. "Who did this to you?"


    "That¡¯s none of your business," he said, but there was no anger in his voice, just tiredness.


    "I figured you would say that." I nced up at him.


    He didn¡¯t respond. Just stared at the wall behind me with his jaw set tight.


    "I won¡¯t tell anyone," I added. "But someone needs to take care of this."


    "They¡¯ll heal," he muttered.


    "I know," I replied. "Werewolf thing. But you are still bleeding right now. You are not invincible, just really good at pretending you are."


    For a moment, I thought he might get up and walk out. But he didn¡¯t. He stayed and let me clean the worst of the blood. The silence between us wasn¡¯tfortable, but it wasn¡¯t hostile either. More like... cautiously curious.


    I wrung out the towel again and pressed it gently to a bruised cut near his shoulder.


    "Do you alwayse back thiste?" I asked even though I knew the answer.


    "Usually."


    "Do you alwayse back bleeding too?"


    "Not always."


    I gave him a look. "Comforting."


    A corner of his mouth twitched, almost like a smirk, but it faded just as quickly as it came.


    I sat back a little, examining his injuries. Most of them had already begun to seal over. The skin was knitting itself back together at a remarkable pace, making me wonder if he was an Alpha. "They are healing fast," I said.


    "They would have healed faster if you hadn¡¯t stopped me to y nurse," he muttered, but there was no real heat behind it.


    "You are wee," I replied with a shrug.


    Finally, he leaned back against the wall, letting out a long, slow breath. For the first time, he looked... tired. Not just physically. There was a weight on his shoulders that didn¡¯te from battle alone.


    "Rowan," he said suddenly, without looking at me.


    I blinked. "What?"


    "My name," he said. "It¡¯s Rowan. Rowan Mills."


    I arched my eyebrowso at the sudden self introduction. "You are telling me your name now? After nearly two weeks of pretending I don¡¯t exist?"


    "You weren¡¯t supposed to be my roommate," he surprised me. "I applied for a single. Didn¡¯t expect... well, you."


    I sat down on the floor beside his bed, pulling my knees to my chest. "I didn¡¯t expect to share a room with a brooding, bleeding mystery man either, but here we are."


    His chuckle was soft. Barely there. But it happened, taking me by surprise.


    We sat in silence for a while after that. The awkward kind, sure, but it wasn¡¯t as heavy as before.


    "Thank you," he said a few momentster and I almost missed it if not for the deadly silence filling the room.


    <fn0468> Fresh chapters posted on F?nd-Novel</fn0468>


    I looked up and asked, "For what?"


    "For... not asking too many questions," he replied as he shifted his eyes to me. "And for not treating me like I¡¯m broken."


    "I don¡¯t think you are broken," I said, watching him. "I think you are hurting. And trying very hard not to show it."


    I was rewarded with another silence, but this one didn¡¯tst for too long.


    "You are... different," he said after a while, ncing sideways at me.


    "Different how?" I almost sounded curious.


    "You don¡¯t talk much, but when you do, it¡¯s not like everyone else." He paused. "You are quiet, but not weak. Soft, but... not fragile."


    I swallowed hard. Words like that meant more than I could say, especiallying from someone like him. Someone who saw things most didn¡¯t.


    "Well," I said, standing and gently tossing the bloodied towel into the small basket in the corner, "you are not as cold as you pretend to be, either."


    His lips twitched again. "Don¡¯t let anyone hear you say that."


    I smiled faintly. "Your secret¡¯s safe with me, Rowan."


    Hey back on the bed slowly, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion now that the worst of the pain had passed.


    "You should sleep," he murmured. "It¡¯ste."


    I nodded and slipped back into my bed but not before switching off the lights. And just before I could have drifted off, his voice came again. It was so quiet that I almost thought I imagined it.


    "Good night, Eva."


    Something in my chest twisted gently. I didn¡¯t reply, but a small smile did bloom on my lips.

 Chapter 51: The Mate Bond

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Mate Bond</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I should have been at the mansion.


    It was Sunday, and we had a rule to always return home during weekends no matter what. These were the days we always spent together, no matter how busy or angry we were during the week.


    But not today. Not with the heavy storm brewing between us, especially between River and Kethan.


    I held myself back from sighing and instead ran my fingers through my hair as I walked through the empty halls of the academy.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to ever use my quarters here in the academy, let alone doing so in my very first week as an Instructor. My quarters here were supposed to be a backup, a formality... not my shelter.


    And yet here I was... and that¡¯s when I saw <i>her</i>.


    She appeared as I turned a corner, like some cruel trick of fate.


    Evaline Greystone.


    She was walking alone through the quiet hallway, and from what I could guess, she seemed to be heading to the library.


    I stopped dead in my tracks.


    There was no one else around. Most of the students were out enjoying the day in the nearby towns, leaving the academy feeling ghost-like and still.


    Except for her.


    I should have turned around. I should have walked away, remembered every reason why getting close to her was wrong.


    Instead, I just... stared.


    My wolf started pushing hard against my chest and a growl vibrated low in my throat. It wanted what I had been denying it.


    And this led me to do something I shouldn¡¯t have. Without even realizing it, I started following her, making sure to not alert her.


    I followed her into the empty library and watched her walk between the tall shelves while she trailed her fingers lightly over the spines of old books.


    Few momentster, she disappeared deeper, oblivious to the way my heart was hammering in my chest or the way my wolf was practically howling now.


    She was too far and I couldn¡¯t see her face anymore. But I needed to see her face.


    <fnfb86> This content belongs to Find1Novel</fnfb86>


    The beast inside me demanded it.


    Before I could think better of it, I moved with quick, quiet strides. I followed the thread of her scent - fresh, warm, soft - and found her again near the back of the library, scanning the shelves with her back to me.


    "Eva."


    Her name left my lips before I could stop it, rough and low.


    She turned sharply at the sound, surprise shing across her features... and then she stumbled.


    Just likest time.


    I moved on instinct. One step. Two. And then my hands were on her, catching her before she could fall. I wrapped one arm firmly around her waist while the other steadied her shoulder.


    And the moment our bodies collided, it hit us both... <i>the bond</i>.


    It mmed into me so hard that I staggered, and I felt her gasp against my chest.


    The pull between us wasn¡¯t just me.


    She felt it too.


    She clutched my shirt as if to stop her body from trembling, but ended up pressing herself closer as if on instinct.


    And I... I was lost.


    I tightened my arms around her and pulled her flush against me before burying my face in her now ck hair, breathing her in like a starving man.


    My wolf howled with satisfaction as I finally had her in my arms, finally touching what was his.


    She smelled like wildflowers and sunlight and something sweetly forbidden.


    "Eva..." I breathed her name against her hair in a hoarse, broken voice.


    She tilted her head up and her wide amber eyes met mine. And Moon Goddess help me, I almost kissed her.


    Her lips were parted slightly and I was able to feel her warm breath against my corbone. I was also able to feel her heart pounding wildly against my chest, matching the frantic beat of my own.


    Without thinking, I brushed a strand of hair from her face and my fingers lingered against her soft skin.


    Her cheeks flushed under my touch, but she didn¡¯t pull away. Instead, she leaned into it.


    The small, unconscious movement shattered thest of my restraint. I cupped her face in both hands and lowered my forehead until it rested against hers.


    Our breaths mingled while ours souls begged to interwine... at least mine did.


    <i>Mine.</i>


    The word echoed through every fiber of my being.


    I didn¡¯t know how long we stood like that - seconds, minutes, an eternity. I didn¡¯t care. All I knew was that the ache inside me, the hollow, empty space I hadn¡¯t even realized was there, finally felt whole.


    But reality was a cruel, cold thing. The harsh reminder of her identity pierced through the haze like a knife, cutting me deep.


    I pulled back sharply, as if burned, though my every instinct was screaming against it.


    She stumbled slightly at the sudden loss of contact, her eyes looking confused. And I hated myself for putting that look on her face.


    I turned away, running a shaking hand through my hair while trying to gather the pieces of my shattered control.


    "You need to stay away from me, Eva," I rasped, my voice raw and unsteady.


    "But... I nev-"


    "No." I cut her off in a much harsher voice than I was intending. "This - whatever this is - can¡¯t happen."


    With my back to her, I couldn¡¯t see her reaction. But I couldn¡¯t make myself face her, not when I was hanging just by a thread of control.


    For a moment, neither of us spoke and the bond thrummed between us. But then, I opened my mouth to ruin things further.


    "What we felt just now... it doesn¡¯t matter," I forced the words out before I could take them back. "You are the daughter of the man who destroyed my family. My brothers would never ept this. I can¡¯t ept this."


    I wanted to sneak a look at her, but I knew I couldn¡¯t stay. Because if I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop myself from touching her again.


    From kissing her.


    From iming her.


    "Stay away from me, Eva," I repeated in an almost broken voice before I fled the library, leaving the only girl I could never have behind.

 Chapter 52: He’s a Good Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 52: He¡¯s a Good Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I mmed the dorm door shut behind me, causing the frame to rattle.


    The echo rang out through the emptymon area, but I didn¡¯t care. My blood was boiling, my thoughts were in chaos, and my heart - damn it - was aching.


    I stormed into my room and kicked the edge of my bed. Hard.


    "Stupid... arrogant... delusional brothers!" I seethed while pacing like a madwoman. "I didn¡¯t ask for this! I didn¡¯t <i>want</i> this!"


    Every step was making the rage bubble higher in my chest. The audacity of Oscar to pull me close, to stare at me like I was something precious... and then act like I was a mistake secondster? I wasn¡¯t some doll he could y with and then discard like trash.


    "I¡¯m not some helpless girl just begging for his attention!" I yelled into the empty room. "And I sure as hell don¡¯t need him or <i>any</i> of his brothers thinking I¡¯m desperate for their time!"


    I dragged both hands down my face and groaned in frustration.


    Why was it always like this?


    First Ethan. Now Oscar.


    One moment, they looked at me like I mattered, like the Moon Goddess had ced me in their path on purpose, and the next, they shoved me away, like I was cursed.


    Or I might really be cursed. Because what¡¯s with these bonds that I kept feeling with these men? How could I feel more than one bond?


    And I felt it. Oh, I <i>felt</i> it.


    The moment Oscar¡¯s hand wrapped around me in the library, everything else disappeared. The aching weight of the world lifted, and something deep inside me whispered - <i>Mine</i>.


    I knew what it was this time, there was no confusion or misunderstanding. The pull was soft and warm. Comforting.


    But only until he looked down at me with wide, horrified eyes and said, <i>"This can¡¯t happen."</i>


    That sharp memory burned like salt in a wound. My heart twisted violently, and the tears I had been holding back finally pushed through. I let out a broken sob, curling my knees into my chest as I sat on the cold floor.


    "I didn¡¯t ask for this," I whispered. "I didn¡¯t want this. Why does it always have to hurt?"


    I didn¡¯t even realize I was crying so loudly until I heard a faint thump.


    My head snapped up as the curtain over the balcony shifted, and then the ss door opened.


    "Woah - what the hell?" Rowan¡¯s voice cut through the silence. "Eva?"


    <fn118b> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel</fn118b>


    I sniffled and quickly wiped at my eyes, scrambling to my feet, but not before he saw.


    I was toote.


    He stepped inside only to freeze as he took in the sight of me - tears streaming down my face, face blotchy, and an emotional wreck on the floor.


    "What happened?" he asked as his eyes widened. "Did someone die?"


    "No," I croaked in a hoarse voice. "It¡¯s... I don¡¯t know. Hormones, maybe."


    His brows lifted slightly. "Right. That time of the month?"


    I gave him a dry, humorlessugh. "Sort of."


    He tilted his head but didn¡¯t push further. "Well... whatever it is, I have never seen you like this."


    "Yeah, well, I don¡¯t normally break down like this either," I mumbled while stepping back and trying to pull myself together.


    He walked over and leaned against the wall beside my bed, crossing his arms. "You wanna talk about it?"


    "No."


    "Great," he said with a casual shrug. "Then I¡¯ll just sit here and judge you silently for crying over... whatever the hell made you cry."


    I turned sharply to re at him, but the mock frown on his face, so painfully exaggerated, made me snort.


    "That¡¯s better," he said while pointing at me. "I think I saw the tiniest crack of a smile."


    I shook my head. "You are an idiot."


    "Yeah. But I¡¯m an idiot who knows how to cheer you up."


    There was something oddlyforting about Rowan¡¯s presence. He wasn¡¯t trying to dig into my feelings or offer some overly-sentimental speech. He was just... here.


    Uplicated. Normal.


    "I hate them," I said finally as I sank onto my bed.


    "Hate who?" Rowan asked, genuinely confused now. "Wait, are we talking about the professors? Did someone flunk you or something?"


    I stared at the ceiling as I replied, "No. Not professors. Just... people."


    He blinked, still looking lost. "Well, damn. Okay. Want me to break their legs?"


    Iughed, a realugh this time. "You don¡¯t even know who they are."


    "Doesn¡¯t matter. Anyone who makes you cry like that probably deserves a swift kick in the groin."


    "That¡¯s disturbingly sweet."


    "I¡¯m a disturbingly sweet guy."


    We sat in silence for a while. The storm inside me wasn¡¯t gone, but it had dulled now, like the worst of it had passed. Rowan didn¡¯t press me further. He just stayed nearby, flicking a small de in his hand in and out of its casing with soft clicks.


    "Do you... ever feel like the universe is just messing with you?" I asked after a while.


    He nced up before answering, "Every damn day."


    "I keep getting pushed into situations I never asked for. People I never wanted in my life keep showing up and... making it harder."


    His brows pulled together slightly, but he just nodded. "You are not the only one."


    There was something in his voice, quiet and tired, that made me pause.


    "You okay?" I asked as I turned my head to look at him.


    "Me?" He gave a crooked smile. "I¡¯m always okay."


    Liar.


    But I didn¡¯t push him. Just like he didn¡¯t push me. Maybe that¡¯s why I felt a little calmer with him here.


    "Thanks foring in," I said. "Even if you were sneaking in through the balcony like some kind of rooftop bandit."


    He grinned in response. "I prefer the term ¡¯professional entry expert.¡¯"


    I rolled my eyes, but there was a smile ying on my lips. All it took was an unexpected incident on Saturday midnight to break the wall between us.


    "You going to be okay?" he asked in a serious voice.


    I hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Just... needed to let it out."


    "Well... good. Thest thing I wanted was to hear you sobbing while trying to get some sleep." He said while standing up. "Let me grab some water for us."


    "Hey," I called before he could step out of the room, making him turn back.


    "I¡¯m d you are my roommate."


    His expression shifted just a little... softened. "Me too."

 Chapter 53: The Jealous Gang

    <h4>Chapter 53: The Jealous Gang</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Monday mornings should be ouwed.


    That was the first thought I had as the sun forced its way through the curtains and my rm rang like a vengeful banshee. I groaned while nting my face into my pillow.


    Rowan was gone already like always. The only evidence he had even been here was the faint scent of pine and ash that was still lingering in the room.


    <fn0713> This text is hosted at Find1Novel</fn0713>


    Dragging myself out of bed, I headed to themon girl showers before getting dressed in my bedroom. Once I was done, I joined Mallory and Ria before all three of us headed to the dining hall where the others were waiting for us.


    "So," Noah said as he popped a slice of fruit into his mouth, "who else nearly fell asleep during Professor Elwin¡¯s monologue on magical contractsst Friday?"


    "I did," Ria confessed immediately. "I swear his voice is cursed. He could read a battle n and still make it sound like bedtime poetry."


    "I think he¡¯s just old," Mallory said with a smirk. "But that doesn¡¯t exin why half the ss actually likes him."


    "Because he gives easy marks," Selene added with a shrug.


    I was half listening to them while half ncing around the dining hall that was buzzing with students. Our table was tucked into the corner beneath arge ss window, and it had be our little pocket of piece from the very first day.


    I was enjoying the view until my eyes halted on a familiar figure at the far end of the room.


    Oscar.


    He was standing near the staff table, dressed in simple ck training clothes. His attention was somewhere else. His hair was damp, probably from a morning run or some physical drill. He looked rxed, but I knew better. There was tension in his stance. The same tension I had seen in that library when our bodies collided, and the mate bond hit us like a tidal wave.


    I hadn¡¯t told my friends. Not a single word about that stupid Rogue Alpha had held me, breathed me in like I was a secret he had been dying to discover... and then pushed away as if I had burned him.


    And now he was just there, chatting with another instructor like he hadn¡¯t turned my world upside down and left it like that.


    I looked away quickly, stabbing a slice of fruit with unnecessary force.


    "Something wrong?" Mallory asked as she noticed the way my smile dropped.


    "No," I replied too quickly. "Just... remembered something annoying."


    Selene handed me a napkin. "Was it that Amara girl? She was ring at you during Professor Lysandor¡¯s lecturest week."


    "It¡¯s not Amara," I muttered. "Though her constant eye-rolling is getting old."


    Ever since the results of the entrance assessment were announced, things had... shifted. At first, I thought it was admiration. Now, I realized some students weren¡¯t thrilled that a rogue had not only topped the written exam but also received the privilege award.


    "She and her gang is just jealous," Mallory said bluntly. "You didn¡¯t just pass, you wiped the floor with them. And you did it without an ounce of noble blood or a famous family name."


    "Don¡¯t forget the rumor mill," Noah added with mock seriousness. "They are saying you bribed someone. Or cheated. Or seduced an instructor."


    I choked on my drink.


    "What?"


    Noah grinned. "Wee to elite werewolf education. Where talent must be exined away by scandal."


    Ria leaned in. "For what it¡¯s worth, I think it¡¯s hrious how pressed they all are."


    Noah raised his juice. "To Eva. Queen of the Rogues."


    I clinked my cup with theirs, halfughing, half-wishing I could crawl into a hole.


    * * *


    After breakfast, we headed to our Magical History ss, followed by a long and slightly tedious Herbology lecture. I tried to focus, but part of me kept drifting.


    Professor Kieran¡¯s sses were scheduled to begin next week, and even though I had already spoken to him privately on Friday about my choice for the privilege reward, I hadn¡¯t seen him since. And he hadn¡¯t tried to approach me either.


    This made me wonder about our deal as he hadn¡¯t spoken about it again so far.


    After lunch, we had a physical exercises ss - running drills, strength-building routines, and group stretches in the training field. Nobat training was allowed until the second term, but apparently, they wanted to make sure we were in "eptable condition" before we started.


    And I couldn¡¯t be more grateful about it. My pregnancy wouldn¡¯t allow me to take parts in thebat sses, but I couldn¡¯t ignore them either. Hence, not needing to worry about them for these couple of months was a blessing.


    At the same time, the physical training sses were good for me as I could get back in shape.


    "You are fast," Noah said between breaths while jogging beside me and Kyros. "Where did you train?"


    "Nowhere fancy," I said with a smirk. "Just... surviving life, I guess."


    We shared augh before Mallory stumbled into us, nearly taking us all down in a pile.


    "I¡¯m dying," she wheezed.


    "You are dramatic," Noah returned as he pulled her up by the arm.


    By the time the drills ended and we returned to our dorms, I was exhausted. My legs were sore and arms were aching, but my heart was lighter. My friends, annoying as they were, made things bearable.


    And for now, that was enough.


    Even if the shadows still followed me, even if the bond I felt with Oscar sat like a weight on my chest... at least I could still smile.


    At least I had people who didn¡¯t look at me like I was something to be silenced.


    I headed to showers and changed into casual clothes. It was when I returned to the dorm and was standing in front of the full-length mirror, did I notice the silver in my hair that had finally started making its appearance.


    "You look good in the original color."


    The familiar voice that suddenly filled the room had me turning to face... <i>him</i>.

 Chapter 54: Alpha’s Changed Heart

    <h4>Chapter 54: Alpha¡¯s Changed Heart</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "You look good in the original color."


    I spun around so quickly that the towel slipped from my hand andnded on the floor.


    He was standing there - Draven.


    He was standing by the balcony doors with his arms crossed as he was leaning casually against the frame like he belonged in this room.


    My stomach lurched. "What - how did you even get in here?"


    He lifted a brow and pushed off from the wall before stepping forward with an infuriating calmness. "Maybe you should lock your balcony."


    My eyes quickly darted to the balcony and I noticed the sliding ss door was unlocked. I never really bothered to lock them as Rowan had a habit of using them instead of the main door.


    "I didn¡¯t know I needed to guard it from entitled, brooding Alphas who break into others¡¯ rooms uninvited," I snapped even though my heart was hammering in my chest.


    He stopped just a few feet from me, close enough that I could see the slight tension in his jaw despite his cool demeanor.


    "You weren¡¯t at dinner," he said simply.


    I blinked at his words, feeling lost. "You came here because of that?"


    He said nothing.


    And I hated that I couldn¡¯t read him. Though he was youngest of the Rogue Alpha brothers, he was just as cold as the others. Just as proud. And just as infuriatingly unpredictable. And worst of all, he kept making me feel the same pull that had started terrorizing my life.


    It was a pull I had started fearing. A pull I didn¡¯t want... with anyone, let alone him and his brother.


    I watched as his eyes dropped to my hair and lingered on the silver strands as if confirming something. The tension in the air thickened, crackling like static, and something unspoken passed between us... maybe an acknowledgment of what we were both pretending not to understand.


    His gaze returned to mine. "You felt it too... didn¡¯t you?"


    I swallowed while backing up a step, only for my back to hit the edge of the dresser. "There¡¯s nothing to feel."


    My mind started racing as I couldn¡¯t understand what he was trying to do, or why he was even here. Just like his brother, he made it pretty clear that he didn¡¯t like whatever was going on between us... yet, here he was.


    He tilted his head and studied me like I was someplex equation he couldn¡¯t solve. "Keep lying to yourself if that helps you sleep."


    Before I could respond, he moved closer with slow, deliberate steps. My breath caught as he reached out and tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed my skin for a brief moment, and I felt it again... that telltale rush that burned low in my belly.


    No. No. I couldn¡¯t do this. Not again. Not with another one of <i>them</i>.


    "I think you should leave," I said, but my voice wasn¡¯t as firm as I wanted it to be.


    His hand dropped to my waist instead of stepping away, shocking me further. "I¡¯m tired of pretending this isn¡¯t happening."


    "Draven-"


    "Say you didn¡¯t feel it in the library," he cut me off in a quiet but demanding voice. "Say it to my face, and I¡¯ll walk out that door."


    I opened my mouth, but couldn¡¯t make myself deny the truth. So instead... "I thought you didn¡¯t want to associate with me. Then whye here demand-"


    The rest of the words changed into a gasp as his hand suddenly slid around my back and he pulled me flush against his chest.


    My breath escaped me in a single gasp and I stared at him, trying to get a hold on... <i>whatever</i>... was happening.


    He leaned closer and brushed his nose against my temple, then the curve of my cheek, inhaling deeply like he couldn¡¯t get enough of my scent. "You are driving me crazy," he murmured against my skin. "I hated you before I even met you."


    I stiffened.


    "But this... this bond doesn¡¯t care about hate."


    His lips grazed the shell of my ear, and I shuddered, feeling my legs going weak under me. I should have pushed him away. Told him to stop. But all I was able to do was cling to the dresser behind me as his other hand slid around my hip, holding me there like I might vanish if he let go.


    That¡¯s when my phone buzzed on the nearby desk.


    I blinked, trying to break free of the haze, and grabbed it quickly.


    <strong>Mallory: We are waiting. Where are you?</strong>


    My thumb hovered over the keyboard, but before I could type a response, Draven caught my wrist gently and pulled the phone from my grasp.


    "Draven," I warned, "I need to reply."


    <fn4272> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn4272>


    "Then tell her you will be there in a while," he said in a low and rough voice. But instead of handing the phone back to me, he quickly tapped a response and hit send before cing the phone back on the table.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was the pregnancy hormones, the bond, or just the look in his eyes, but something inside me cracked wide open.


    "Why are you doing this?" I whispered.


    "Because I have had enough," he answered simply. "Of pretending. Of trying to hate you when my wolf won¡¯t stop howling for you."


    His lips brushed my cheek this time, softer, lingering. "I told myself I would nevere near you again. That you weren¡¯t worth the trouble. But I can¡¯t stay away."


    My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.


    He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. "I don¡¯t care anymore that you are a Greystone. I don¡¯t care what happened between our families."


    His hand came up again, brushing along my jaw while his thumb traced my cheekbone. "I care about this," he murmured. "About whatever the hell this is that¡¯s tying me to you."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. So I said nothing.


    But I didn¡¯t stop him when he leaned down. Didn¡¯t push him away when he tilted my chin. And didn¡¯t fight it when his lips finally found mine in a kiss that was neither urgent nor soft... just honest. Filled with questions and longing and tension we didn¡¯t know how to name.

 Chapter 55: Ready to Accept Her

    <h4>Chapter 55: Ready to ept Her</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    The moment my lips touched hers, I knew I was in trouble. Not because she didn¡¯t kiss me back, but because she did.


    Completely.


    Wholly.


    Like her body had been waiting for this even longer than mine had.


    She tasted like honey and something else, something addictive and maddening, and I wanted more.


    I deepened the kiss almost instantly with no hesitation. My hand stayed curled around her waist, anchoring her to me, while the other rose to the back of her neck, sliding through damp strands of her hair.


    Her fingers were clenching the edge of the dresser behind her like she needed something to hold on to. Like she was trying not to fall.


    But I felt it.


    I felt the way her body pressed into mine, the way her breath hitched against my lips, and the way her chest rose and fell in sync with mine.


    And just like that, the kiss turned feverish.


    I growled low in my throat and pulled her closer, crushing the remaining space between us. She gasped softly at the force of it, and I took advantage of that moment, angling my head and deepening the kiss until we weren¡¯t just breathing each other in... we were consuming.


    Her lips were soft, warm, and addictive. Every movement, every breath, felt like it tore another piece of my control away. I wasn¡¯t supposed to want this. Not with her. Not with someone who bore the Greystone name and blood.


    But her scent was driving me insane.


    The connection between us was pulsing harder now, like something old had awakened and was wing at the inside of my chest, demanding I surrender - and my wolf was responding.


    It wasn¡¯t just lust.


    It was need.


    It was bond.


    It was <i>her</i>.


    When she finally broke the kiss, it was with a soft, shaky breath. Her lips were pink and slightly swollen. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and something else. Something fragile and unsure. But she didn¡¯t pull away from me.


    I watched her, trying to memorize every damn detail of her face, every flicker of emotion that was crossing her eyes. This close, I could see the golden halo around her pupils and I wondered if she knew how unnatural that was. How beautiful. How terrifying.


    "I wasn¡¯t supposed to kiss you," I admitted and brushed my nose lightly against hers.


    Her hand had somehow ended up curled into my shirt, and I doubted she even was aware of it. "Then why did you?"


    "Because I couldn¡¯t stop myself."


    The words came out rough. Honest. It hurt to speak them, like ripping a confession from my own bones.


    I was already unraveling.


    "Every time I see you," I said slowly, "I tell myself to stay away. That this is a mistake. That you are a mistake."


    Her jaw tightened, but she didn¡¯t interrupt.


    <fn63b8> Original content can be found at FindN()vel</fn63b8>


    "But then I catch youughing with your friends, or walking through campus like you don¡¯t know everyone¡¯s watching, and all I want to do is get closer. Hear yourugh. Touch your damn hand. Smell your skin. I don¡¯t know when it started. I just know I hate it."


    Her voice was soft as she asked, "Then why give in to it?"


    I let out a dry breath before answering, "Because I have been trying to fight a war that I have already lost."


    I leaned in again and brushed my lips over her jaw, her cheek, her temple. "When you are not around, I can breathe. I can think. But when you walk into the room, everything else stops existing."


    "I didn¡¯t ask for this, Draven."


    "I know," I said. "Neither did I."


    There was a long pause.


    Her breath ghosted across my skin. And I felt her body rxing slowly in my arms, like she didn¡¯t realize she was letting her guard down. And maybe she wasn¡¯t. Maybe something in her, something deeper than her mind, had already made the choice.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether that terrified me or thrilled me.


    Then, sheughed. It was hollow, one that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    "What?" I asked.


    She stared right into my eyes as she spoke, "Nothing. Just wondering how long it¡¯s going to take you this time to change your mind again. Maybe you will find me tomorrow to remind me who I am and how I should stay far away from you."


    Her words hurt, and for the right reasons. "I know you don¡¯t trust me, yet. But I¡¯ll prove to you that I¡¯m indeed ready to ept you."


    Her eyes widened in shock at my words, filled with disbelief. And I decided to mark my words with actions. So, I kissed her again.


    Harder.


    Hungrier.


    She responded with a soft sound - half surprised, half surrendering. Her body curved into mine like we were two halves of something ancient finally meeting at the seam.


    My fingers gripped her waist as I turned us slightly, pressing her back against the wall beside the dresser. She gasped into my mouth at the movement, but didn¡¯t let go. Her legs brushed against mine, and everything inside me roared to life.


    But I held back.


    Barely.


    Because if I kept going, I wouldn¡¯t stop. And I couldn¡¯t do that to her. Not yet.


    I broke the kiss slowly before pressing onest lingering kiss to the corner of her mouth.


    As I pulled back, she blinked. And I saw the moment reality came rushing back into her eyes.


    "I should go," I said quietly.


    Her expression didn¡¯t change and she only nodded.


    But as I stepped away, she reached out suddenly and touched my arm. Not hard. Just a light brush of her fingers. "Draven..."


    I paused and turned back toward her.


    Her mouth opened, then closed again.


    I waited.


    But she said nothing.


    And that was okay.


    Because we had said everything already.


    I stepped toward the balcony, sliding the door open and stepping into the moonlight. Her scent was clinging to my skin. Her taste still lingered on my tongue.


    I didn¡¯t know where this would go.


    But I knew one thing for damn sure.


    Evaline Greystone was mine.


    Whether she epted it or not.

 Chapter 56: Moon Goddess’ Plan

    <h4>Chapter 56: Moon Goddess¡¯ n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room became too quiet the moment Draven left.


    The echo of the door clicking shut after him was what cracked something inside me. I stood there frozen with my back still against the dresser. My lips were tingling with the memory of his kiss while my heart was thudding wildly like it hadn¡¯t realized he was gone.


    "What just happened...?" I whispered aloud and touched my lips, as if the pressure of my own fingers would somehow erase what had just transpired. But it didn¡¯t. It only made it more real.


    I kissed him back.


    Goddess.


    <i>I kissed Draven back</i>!


    The thought sent a chill down my spine. Not because it was unpleasant... it wasn¡¯t. It was the opposite. That was the problem. I kissed the youngest Rogue Alpha back and for a moment, I <i>wanted</i> it. I wanted <i>him</i>.


    And now that he was gone, I was finally able to breathe again. Only, every breath felt like a lie.


    I bent down and picked up the towel I had dropped earlier and tossed it in theundry basket sitting under my bed. Then, I started pacing across the room like a madwoman. My thoughts refused to sit still. They were wing at me from every angle, each more panicked than thest.


    I shouldn¡¯t have let that happen.


    I don¡¯t like him. I don¡¯t trust him. And I certainly don¡¯t want anything to do with whatever pull was working between us.


    But... didn¡¯t I just <i>melt</i> in his arms? Didn¡¯t I just shudder when he whispered those words against my skin? Didn¡¯t I lean<i></i>in when he kissed me?


    I groaned and dropped onto the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands. This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to go. I was supposed to survive this cursed pregnancy, find some peace, and maybe... rebuild my life in my own way. Alone. Strong.


    But now there was him... Draven.


    And worse, there was Oscar, too. Another Rogue Alpha brother who could make my insides twist with the same damned pull that now felt like it was wrapped around my soul.


    I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No. I wasn¡¯t going to fall apart like this. I couldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t.


    I stood up and nced at my phone. The screen was still lit up from the message Draven had sent to Mallory.


    <fnf5b6> The rightful source is find~novel</fnf5b6>


    I wanted to skip the dinner and just crawl into my bed. But instead, I forced myself to grab the phone, shove my feet into the shoes by the door, and walked out of the room.


    The hallway was too quiet, and my each step was echoing like a guilt-ridden confession. I paused in front of the elevator, then changed my mind and took the stairs. The physical effort helped a little. It forced my body to focus on something other than the kiss... the warmth of his hand on my waist... the way he had looked at me like I was <i>his</i>.


    I shook my head violently, trying to clear it.


    No. No. No.


    Draven wasn¡¯t mine. And I wasn¡¯t his.


    I halted as I reached the dining hall. Food was thest thing on my mind. I didn¡¯t want to be around anyone in my current messed up mood, and I definitely didn¡¯t want to see <i>him </i>again.


    But... I still walked in. Not only because my friends were waiting for me, but also because of the tiny heartbeat inside my belly. It deserved more than my emotional mess. It deserved food. Safety. Love.


    Theughter and low chatter around the table stopped as I arrived at our special corner with my food tray in hands.


    Mallory immediately pulled me toward the empty seat next to hers while speaking, "Here you are finally. We were about to send a search party."


    "Sorry," I muttered while avoiding her. "Got a little caught up."


    She raised a brow but didn¡¯t say anything. The others gave me looks as well, but didn¡¯t ask questions. That was the thing about this group. They didn¡¯t push unless you gave them a reason to.


    Still, I felt their eyes on me. Curious. Concerned.


    I picked at my food, managing to eat enough to not go hungryter, but my appetite had already withered. My mind was still stuck in the storm left behind by Draven.


    I barely heard what the others were talking about, something about visiting another town thising weekend. My gaze kept flickering around therge hall, half-expecting to spot <i>him</i>. But I didn¡¯t... fortunately.


    I stabbed a piece of roasted carrot with unnecessary force, once again pulling my friends¡¯ attention to me.


    Mallory leaned closer. "Eva," she whispered, "are you okay?"


    I looked up at her. "What?"


    "You are doing that thing of yours - where your soul leaves your body and we all have to pretend you are not halfway to another."


    This finally made me crack. It was a small smile, but it was enough for them. The atmosphere at our table immediately lifted.


    "Finally!"


    Noah whistled softly while others chuckled.


    I was finally feeling slightly better, so I finished my food. Though I still didn¡¯t participate in the ongoing conversation, they all looked content now that I was eating properly.


    As the dinner ended and we all returned to dormitories, I took my leave with the excuse of feeling tired. And thankfully, none of them stopped me. They just wished me "good nights" and let me slip inside my bedroom.


    My n was to sleep, but as I was back in the very same ce where <i>the incident </i>took ce barely an hour ago, my thoughts started getting overwhelming all over again.


    The memories returned and so did the questions and confusion.


    I had one problem to avoid - the Rogue Alpha Brothers - and so far, I had failed badly in doing so. It was as if the Moon Goddess herself had taken a liking to my fate connected with these men.


    And she really had... or why would two of the brothers turned out to be my destined mates?

 Chapter 57: Conflict Between Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 57: Conflict Between Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sleep refused to greet me even as midnight passed.


    I kept tossing and turning under the nket. My body was exhausted but my mind refused to rest. Thoughts of Draven - the feel of his lips, the intensity in his eyes, the way my whole body betrayed me - kept spiraling like a storm I couldn¡¯t outrun. I must have finally drifted off at some point because the next thing I knew, I wasn¡¯t in my room anymore.


    I was in a forest.


    It was bathed in silver moonlight. The trees were glowing like ancient guardians. Mist was swirling around my ankles, cool butforting. The leaves rustled with a sound like whispers, and there was a pull inside my chest. Gentle...coaxing... like something was calling me.


    Or someone.


    I turned slowly and the fabric of a white dress I didn¡¯t remember wearing brushed against my legs. My bare feet made no sound against the mossy ground, and though I was alone, I didn¡¯t feel afraid.


    "Eva," a voice called out. It was deep, smooth, and hauntingly familiar.


    My heart skipped a beat. I quickly turned again and found <i>him</i>.


    Oscar.


    He was standing at the edge of the clearing, dressed in ck. Shadows were clinging to him like a second skin, but his eyes - Goddess, those eyes were glowing with a golden touch to original emerald. They locked onto mine, and I felt it again. The pull. The ache. The impossible bond neither of us wanted but couldn¡¯t deny.


    He didn¡¯t speak, but I heard him.


    <i>Come to me.</i>


    I wanted to fight it. I wanted to run. But my body betrayed me once more. I took a step toward him. Then another. And another.


    "Oscar," I whispered. "Why are you here?"


    He didn¡¯t answer with words. Instead, he held out his hand, and the moment I touched it, I felt warmth flooding my chest.


    <fn344e> This update is avable on F¦ÉndNovel</fn344e>


    The next moment, the trees blurred and the moonlight dimmed. And then we were suddenly somewhere else entirely.


    A bedroom - not mine. Neither his.


    It was... just a space. Oscar sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled me gently into hisp like I belonged there, like I had always belonged there. One of his hand came to rest on my hip while the other moved to cradle the back of my head.


    "You are mine," he whispered against my ear in a rough, desperate voice. "Even if you fight it. Even if you hate me. I¡¯ll <i>never</i> stop feeling this."


    I shivered.


    Because I felt it too.


    The bond.


    The heat.


    The terrifying intimacy of someone knowing you before you even understand yourself.


    "I don¡¯t want this," I said as tears prickled behind my eyes. "I don¡¯t <i>want</i> to feel this for you. Or for Draven. Or for anyone."


    Oscar pulled back just enough to look into my face. His looked confused, almost cold and angry.


    And then he asked, "Draven?"


    The dream shifted, and suddenly, another figure appeared in the room.


    Draven.


    His presence was like heat after a frost. His gaze fell on me instantly while I was still sitting on Oscar¡¯sp in a daze. It was full of something dark and dangerous and... hurt.


    "You let him in," he said softly, as if betrayed.


    I shook my head. "I didn¡¯t mean to."


    His eyes turned on Oscar. "Leave."


    "No," Oscar growled and tightened his hold on me, refusing to let me go as I tried to climb down from hisp. "You don¡¯t control this."


    "She¡¯s <i>mine</i>," Draven snapped at his brother.


    "I felt the bond first," Oscar returned. "She came to <i>me </i>first."


    "I kissed her."


    "You did what?" Oscar was angry, really angry.


    "Stop it!" I shouted as I finally got myself free from his hold and climbed down. My heart was thundering. "You are not - this isn¡¯t -"


    But the room was no longer still.


    It cracked open beneath my feet, and in a terrifying surge, darkness swallowed the space and both men.


    All of a sudden, pain red across my chest.


    It was the bond. It was pulling me in two directions - Oscar and Draven.


    I screamed as the pressure built, as their voices turned into echoes, shouting my name over and over -


    "Eva."


    "Eva."


    "Eva - "


    "Eva!"


    I jolted awake with a strangled gasp. My hands were clutching the sheets and my skin was slick with cold sweat. The room was dark, but not silent.


    Rowan was sitting up on his bed, wide awake, and his face looked pale in the moonlight.


    "Hey, hey - breathe," he said quickly while swinging his legs over the bed anding to kneel beside me. "You are okay. You are safe. It was just a dream."


    I couldn¡¯t speak. My chest was rising and falling in rapid pants, like I had been running for miles.


    He reached for the water on my nightstand and handed it to me. "Here. Small sips."


    I took it with shaking hands and obeyed, forcing the cool liquid down my dry throat.


    He settled down on the bed next to me, not crowding me, but close enough that his presence was grounding.


    "I heard you thrashing and calling out," he said after a moment. "You were... scared. Like terrified."


    I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth and closed my eyes before speaking in a barely audible voice. "Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you."


    "Don¡¯t apologize." His tone was firm but gentle. "Are you okay now?"


    I nodded, though I wasn¡¯t sure if it was true. I hated how badly I was shaking. I hated how vulnerable I felt.


    He waited patiently. He didn¡¯t ask what the dream was about, neither pushed for answers. And for that, I was grateful.


    "I-" I started as I needed to let it out, at least a little bit. "I saw... someone. And I felt the bond. It felt like it was trying to tear me apart."


    His brows furrowed in confusion. "Bond?"


    I paused. "It¡¯splicated," I added a momentter. "And I¡¯m not ready to talk about it."

 Chapter 58: Sharing Secrets Late at Night

    <h4>Chapter 58: Sharing Secrets Late at Night</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Okay. When you are, I¡¯m here," He said with a soft smile, one that was filled with warmth.


    I looked at him, like really looked at him. Rowan wasn¡¯t like the others. He didn¡¯t carry the same edge or fire. He was calm. Steady. Kind in a quiet way that didn¡¯t make me feel judged.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    "You want me to stay up for a bit?" he asked. "Or do you want space?"


    "Just... stay. A little while."


    He nodded again and shifted so he was sitting beside me, his shoulder barely touching mine. "You don¡¯t have to exin anything. Just breathe."


    So I did.


    I breathed.


    In and out.


    <fn53c1> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn53c1>


    The room was still dim, and the only light spilling in was through the sliding ss door of the balcony.


    The two of us sat in silence for a while, side by side on my bed. Not touching, not speaking. Just <i>being</i>. And strangely, that was enough.


    Until it wasn¡¯t.


    "How about you tell me something about you?" He suddenly suggested.


    "About me?" I stared at him, my eyes wide in half confusion and half surprise as I wasn¡¯t expecting him to suddenly ask something like this.


    He didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at me. The expression on his face made me feel that he would understand if I decided to stay silent. But something in me... wanted to talk.


    I inhaled deeply and hugged my knees to my chest. "I don¡¯t talk about myself much. Not because I¡¯m mysterious or anything... just because it hurts."


    His silence was weing, like an encouragement, so I continued.


    "My family... they are gone." The words felt cold in my mouth, like I had stolen them from someone else. "It wasn¡¯t an ident. It wasn¡¯t an illness. It was just... fate, I guess. Something I couldn¡¯t stop."


    He didn¡¯t interrupt, didn¡¯t ask the obvious <i>how</i>. And I was grateful.


    "I used to belong to a pack," I added, deliberately keeping the name to myself. "We were small but strong. And then, one day, they were just... not there anymore. All of them. So, I ran away... and... became a rogue."


    Thest part wasn¡¯t really a lie. Since my pack was gone and I had no family left anymore, I was more or less a rogue now.


    His icy-blue eyes were calm, unreadable, but not cold. "That must have been hell."


    I gave a shortugh as I recalled the past two and a half months of my life. "Yeah, it wasn¡¯t great."


    More silence passed before I added, "I only found out about the Academy¡¯s entrance exam merely a day before the deadline. And somehow, I was lucky enough to submit my form before it would have been toote. And now... I¡¯m here."


    A slight frown appeared on his face, and then, he gave me a proud smile. "I saw you during the entrance tests. You did amazing in all three rounds. You deserve to be here."


    Something warm filled my heart at his words. I could tell that he really meant what he was saying, and it only surpised me. After Mallory, Kyros, Selene, and Noah, Rowan was another one who made me feel like I wasn¡¯t the weak, broken, and coward girl I believed myself to be all these years.


    "So, what¡¯s your privilege reward?" He asked, continuing our conversation.


    "Internship with the Council. I¡¯ll be starting this weekend." I replied.


    His eyebrows rose a little and another smile bloomed on his lips. "That¡¯s... impressive."


    I smiled lightly as I spoke, "It¡¯s a start. I want a future. Graduating from here and with my internship with Council, I might seed in building one for myself."


    That was as much of the truth as I could give. Maybe more than I should have.


    He was silent for a beat. There was no pity in his eyes. Just quiet respect. After a long pause, he exhaled and leaned his back against the headboard beside me. "My turn?"


    "If you want to," I said even though I was eager to learn more about him. He was the most mysterious person around me at the moment, and I knew that he was hiding just as many secrets as me, if not more.


    "I don¡¯t talk about myself much either," he began slowly. "Because there¡¯s not a lot to say. My parents died when I was a kid. I don¡¯t even remember my dad¡¯s face. Mom diedter... from sickness."


    He nced at the window briefly, then back at the wall in front of him. "I grew up in a small pack far from here. The kind of ce no one talks about because there¡¯s nothing worth mentioning. After Mom passed, my grandma took me in. She¡¯s tough as nails and twice as sharp."


    That brought a faint smile to my lips. "Sounds like someone I would like."


    "You would," he replied. "She¡¯s a storyteller. Talks about wolves and magic and destiny like they are all tied up in knots we have to untangle ourselves."


    He fell quiet after that. So, I asked that one question I had been wanting to for a while now.


    "Where do you keep disappearing to?"


    His body went still.


    "We are both first-years," I continued even though I was feeling a little hesitant now. "And yet... you are barely in sses. You leave before dawn and return after midnight most days. I know we are not exactly close, but... you are my roommate. I notice things."


    He didn¡¯t answer right away and the silence stretched long enough that I almost regretted asking.


    But then he spoke.


    "I¡¯m raising money."


    I blinked at that. "Money?"


    "A lot of it," he said in a soft voice. "And fast. Every spare minute I have goes into work. Not the kind of work you find on a Council bulletin board. The kind that pays in whispers and secrets."


    I didn¡¯t pry. Didn¡¯t press. But my heart squeezed painfully at the weight in his words.


    "Can I ask why?" I asked gently. "Why so much, so fast?"

 Chapter 59: Not Forgetting the Deal

    <h4>Chapter 59: Not Forgetting the Deal</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    There was another long pause before he answered. "Because someone I care about needs it. And I would burn myself down before I let them suffer."


    That was all he gave me. But it was enough.


    His truth was just as iplete and yet <i>just</i> as honest as mine. And somehow, that made all the difference.


    We didn¡¯t need to spell out our secrets. We just needed someone to understand that we <i>had</i> them.


    And for the first time since arriving at the Academy, I felt safe enough to rx.


    "Thanks for talking to me," I murmured as I shifted on the bed to slide back beneath my nket.


    Rowan pushed himself up and stretched before moving to his own bed. "You ever need to talk again, you know where to find me."


    "Hopefully, I won¡¯t be waking you up at two in the morning again for that," I joked weakly, trying to add some humor before sleep.


    He chuckled. The sound was low and surprisingly warm. "Don¡¯t worry. I have had worse."


    That made me go still for a moment. Something about him and his story made me feel that he had been through a lot, or might still be going through it. But I couldn¡¯t make myself ask any further questions. Not only because I wanted to respect his silence like he was doing with me, but because I was in no ce to offer him a helping hand in my current situation.


    As he pulled the covers over himself, I let my eyes close again. The weight in my chest was still there, but it was much lighter now. Easier.


    Though we didn¡¯t share everything, we had shared enough. And in a ce where I was hesitant about trusting anyone, Rowan was proving himself to be a friend I might find myself trusting.


    Still, I didn¡¯t let my hopes get too high. After all, I knew better than anyone what it felt like to have one¡¯s trust shattered.


    * * *


    Morning arrived four hourster, and while I barely got enough sleep, I was in good spirits. I felt... better. Clearer. Like a fog had finally lifted from my thoughts.


    Maybe it was the talk with Rowan. Or maybe it was just knowing someone else in this massive, unpredictable ce carried secrets too. Either way, I didn¡¯t feel as alone anymore.


    He was already gone as usual when I slipped out of bed and headed to the girls¡¯ showers.


    The day passed quickly. The lectures were dense, packed with theory and practical concepts that would have overwhelmed me if not for my regr visits to the library.


    I was following along easily as the second week came to an end, even answering a few questions in the sses that got me smiles of approvals from the professors but eye rolls from some of the other students.


    As the final bell rang and the halls began to empty, I headed to the administrative wing to meet him - Professor Kieran.


    I was felling slightly nervous as I approached his office door. I stopped for a moment to take in a deep breath before knocking softly on the door. It swung open almost immediately.


    "Evaline," he greeted as I stepped in. He was standing tall in a crisp ck shirt and charcoal trousers. His long hair was tied back loosely, and his eyes were glinting warmly under the soft light of thete afternoon that was filtering inside through the open window. "Right on time."


    I nodded. "You said toe after sses."


    "And I appreciate your punctuality," he said and gestured for me to sit across from him.


    "I won¡¯t keep you long," he said before adding, "I know it¡¯s been a long week."


    "Thank you," I murmured. "Is this about tomorrow?"


    He nodded. "Yes. You¡¯ll be starting your internship with the Council. It¡¯s a valuable opportunity, and I hope you make the most of it."


    "I will," I said quickly, meaning it.


    "One of my men will be waiting for you outside the Academy gates at eight in the morning. He¡¯ll escort you to the Council headquarters," he exined. "Once you are there, show your student ID at the main reception. The staff will fill you in on your duties and schedule."


    <fn9234> Newest update provided by find¡¤novel</fn9234>


    I nodded, mentally noting everything. "Got it. Thank you."


    His smile softened. "You have earned this. You are working hard. I have heard nothing but praise about your progress from the other professors."


    That surprised me. "You have?"


    He chuckled lightly. "I may not be teaching your ss yet, but I hear things. Apparently, you have got a sharp mind and a hard working spirit."


    I smiled faintly. "I¡¯ll take that as apliment."


    "You should," he said with a warm smile. "And I¡¯m looking forward to starting my own sses next week."


    I was also looking forward to his sses, not only because I found him to be a really kind and warm person to be around, but also because of the great things I have been hearing about him as a professor and his sses.


    Taking another deep breath, I began. "Professor... about the deal... the one we made before I came here."


    He stilled slightly but didn¡¯t seem surprised. He leaned back in his chair and studied me quietly.


    "I haven¡¯t forgotten," he said eventually in a low voice. "And I don¡¯t expect you to either."


    My pulse picked up, but I forced myself to remain still. "Then what do you want me to do?"


    He smiled gently. "Not today. We¡¯ll talk about it next week, once your internship has started and you have settled in. It¡¯s not urgent. Yet."


    I exhaled, not sure if I felt relieved or even more anxious.


    "Alright," I said finally. "Next week, then."


    He nodded once. "Good. In the meantime, rest up tonight. You¡¯ll need your energy."


    I stood and gave him a polite nod. "Thank you again. For everything."


    "You are wee," he said, his gaze lingering for a heartbeat too long before he looked back at the papers on his desk. "Good luck tomorrow."


    As I left his office and stepped back into the cool evening air, I realized I wasn¡¯t scared of tomorrow anymore.


    Nervous? Yes. Uncertain? Always.


    But scared? No.


    Because for the first time in a long while, I had a goal. A direction.

 Chapter 60: Into the Wolf’s Den

    <h4>Chapter 60: Into the Wolf¡¯s Den</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The chill of early morning was clinging to the air as I stepped outside the Academy gates at exactly eight.


    A tall, broad-shouldered man in a crisp uniform was standing by a sleek ck vehicle, arms crossed and posture like steel. The moment his eyes met mine, he nodded in acknowledgment.


    "You are Ms. Evaline?" he asked curtly.


    "Yes."


    "Get in."


    I didn¡¯t waste time with small talk. The moment I slid into the back seat, he started the engine, and we drove in silence through winding roads that cut through the thick forest and then opened up into a wide valley where a colossal stone structure was looming in the distance.


    The Council Headquarters.


    I had heard about it. It was a ce of legends and power. The building looked like a fortress with towers stretching high into the clouds. The ss and the dark stone was giving it an aura of permanence and authority. I tried to steel myself as we drove through the main gates and parked in arge courtyard.


    "Reception¡¯s through there," the man said while pointing at a pair of ornate double doors. "Good luck."


    I nodded and climbed out, smoothing down my clothes as I approached the building.


    Inside, the air was cool and clean. The reception area was vast, with floors of polished ck marble and banners depicting various packs and their territories hanging from the vaulted ceilings.


    A curved desk was standing in the center where I noticed a woman in her thirties who seemed busy as she scrolled through something on the monitor sitting in front of her.


    I approached hesitantly.


    "Name?" She asked without looking up.


    "Evaline," I replied and handed over my student ID. "First-year from the Silver Moon Academy. I¡¯m here for the internship."


    She scanned the card and typed something into herputer before smiling at me. "Wee, Ms. Evaline. You¡¯ll be working directly under one of the Council¡¯s Alphas."


    My heart stuttered at the words. "An Alpha?"


    "Yes," she said brightly. "An assistant position. It¡¯s rare for a student, let alone a first-year, but you havee with a privilege award and glowing rmendations from your professors."


    I opened my mouth to protest - I wasn¡¯t ready for this, not for such a big position- but she cut me off with a knowing look.


    "Consider it an opportunity. Alphas don¡¯t usually take interns unless they see potential. Or have ns."


    ns?


    I didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    "Which Alpha?" I asked cautiously.


    She blinked at me, then smiled as if it were some sort of inside joke. "You¡¯ll see soon enough. Just head to the elevator at the end of the hallway. Take it to the top floor. His office is at the very end."


    "Any tips?" I asked before I could stop myself.


    She paused, then leaned in slightly. "He¡¯s powerful, important, and... intense. Doesn¡¯t tolerate mistakes. But if you are smart, and careful, you might just survive. Lucky girl, working under someone like him."


    My stomach dropped.


    This wasn¡¯t luck. It felt like a trap.


    Still, I nodded stiffly and turned, walking to the elevator with stiff legs. My boots were echoing across the marble like warning bells as I made my way to whatever disaster was awaiting me,


    The elevator opened with a soft chime, and I stepped in before pressing the button for the top floor. The ride was smooth and silent, but my heart wasn¡¯t. It was pounding against my ribs like a caged beast.


    When the doors finally opened, I stepped out into a quieter hallway. Thick carpet muffled my footsteps as I moved toward therge, dark wooden door at the very end.


    Once there, I knocked.


    A voice called out from within - low, bored, and unmistakably familiar.


    "Enter."


    I froze.


    No. No, no, no.


    There was no way it could be him. But I already knew that I hadn¡¯t recognized the wrong person.


    <fnaf39> For original chapters go to Find_Novel(.</fnaf39>


    My hands were nearly shaking as I pushed the door open, and my nightmare greeted me with a slow, amused smirk.


    "Ah. Look what the wolves dragged in."


    River Thorne.


    The eldest of the Rogue Alpha brothers. The one whose re could freezeva. The one who hated me most of them all.


    And the one I had gone to extreme lengths to avoid.


    He was lounging behind a massive ckwood desk, dressed in tailored charcoal-gray with silver cufflinks. He looked like power personified. His dark hair was styled neatly, sharp features were hard and calcting, and his eyes were fixed on me with the precision of a predator who knew exactly where to strike.


    I stood frozen just inside the door, refusing to believe that I could be this unlucky when I knew that luck had never been on my side through these eighteen years of my life.


    "What... what is this?" I managed, but my voice was barely audible.


    Yet, he heard me loud and clear because of his enhanced hearing. He leaned back in his chair and thenced his fingers behind his head. "Your internship. Congrattions, assistant."


    My mouth went dry and I stared at him. "This is some kind of joke."


    "No joke," he said. "You are mine for the duration of your internship. I have let the council known." He then nced at his wrist watch before adding, "... by now, those at Academy would have learned about it too. Everything¡¯s by the book."


    Panic surged through me, sharp and unforgiving. I should have known. He was <i>the </i>Rogue Alpha King. He not only ruled the Roguemunity, but was also the most powerful figure in the Council. There¡¯s nothing he couldn¡¯t do.


    My hands curled into fists, and despite knowing better, I demanded. "I want a different cement."


    He stood slowly. His each movement was deliberate, calcted. He walked around the desk and came to stand just a few feet from me.


    "You don¡¯t get to want things, Evaline," he said, his voice soft but razor-edged. "Not here. Not with me."


    I red at him. I refused to back away even as my instincts screamed. "This is personal," I said. "You are doing this to punish me."

 Chapter 61: The Horror of Internship

    <h4>Chapter 61: The Horror of Internship</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as his smile vanished at my words.


    "You think this is punishment?" he asked while stepping closer, and it took some effort on my part to stay still and not take a step back. "Punishment would be dragging your name through the mud and getting you expelled. Punishment would be telling everyone at the Academy exactly who you are. But I haven¡¯t done that. Not yet."


    I swallowed hard.


    "I¡¯m here to learn," I said quietly. "Not to fight with you."


    "You are here to serve," he corrected. "You¡¯ll fetch reports, attend meetings, write summaries, and stay where I want you to. That¡¯s all I require."


    "And if I say no?" I challenged before I could stop myself.


    He shrugged to my surprise. "You won¡¯t. Because this internship matters to you. Because you are trying to build something, aren¡¯t you? A future. A new life. And you are smart enough to know that making me any further mad at you, than I already am, won¡¯t get you there."


    He was right.


    Damn him, but he was right.


    This internship was my only ticket to building a reputable future. To proving myself. And I couldn¡¯t afford to throw it away, not even for the satisfaction of mming the door in his face.


    I clenched my jaw and nodded stiffly while whispering, "Fine."


    His eyes glittered, and he looked extremely pleased. "Good girl."


    I clenched my fists at the words, but held back from saying anything.


    He moved past me and opened a side drawer, pulling out a thick stack of folders.


    "Start by sorting these by date and department," he said and thrusted them into my arms. "Then scan and log them into the database. Password¡¯s on a sticky note. If you make a mistake, I¡¯ll know."


    I said nothing. Just turned and walked to the side desk he pointed at, setting the files down with shaking hands.


    He had won this round.


    But this wasn¡¯t over.


    As I sat down and began to flip through the documents, I could feel his gaze still on me, heavy and unwavering.


    He hated me.


    But what unsettled me more was how little I knew about what I felt.


    He was infuriating. Unbearable. Arrogant.


    And yet... I was noticing other things about him as well, things I shouldn¡¯t be noticing. Like how handsome he was. How good ck looked on him. Or how his familiar scent was filling the very air I was breathing.


    I didn¡¯t want to notice. But I did. And I hated myself for it.


    <fnbfe9> ?????? ???? Find¡ïNovel</fnbfe9>


    Shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts, I tried to focus on getting the work done.


    I was expecting River to create more trouble for me throughout the day, but it turned out that he wasn¡¯t free enough to do so. As the Rogue King, he got a lot of work to handle, and that saved my day from getting any worse.


    By the time I left the Council buildingte thst afternoon, I was aching in ces I didn¡¯t know could ache. My wrists were sore from flipping through endless files, my back was stiff from sitting upright for hours. But worse than all of that was the weight of River¡¯s presence pressing into my skin, even long after I had left his office.


    I didn¡¯t think it was possible to feel someone¡¯s gaze long after it was gone. And yet, here I was, haunted by the memory of his deep green eyes and the cold edge of his voice as I climbed into the car to head back to the Academy.


    By the time I arrived at the Academy, the sun was already setting. I headed to my dorm, took a quick shower to get rid of the exhaustion and tension. As I was done getting dressed, I received a message from Kyros: <i>Waiting in the dining hall.</i>


    It was dinner time, and I was hungry, so I headed to meet my friends.


    "Eva!" Mallory stood up from our usual table once she spotted me.


    I smiled snd made my way over. All of them were crammed together. Their tes were piled with food, and faces were bright from the wind and sunlight they had basked in all day.


    "We missed you," Ria said, reaching out to squeeze my hand as I slid into the seat next to her.


    "You should have seen the market near the southern bridge!" Kyros said while pushing a bowl of garlic potatoes my way. "They had spell-bottles that could levitate fruit. Noah nearly bought one just to prank you."


    "I would have appreciated the fruit," I said, chuckling as I filled my te.


    Selene leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Tell us everything! What was it like? The Council? The headquarters?"


    Noah grinned, looking just as curious. "Come on, tell us. What was your first day like?"


    I hesitated for a moment before carefully assembling the truth, just not all of it.


    "The building is... ancient," I began. "But the inside? Totally high-tech. ss walls, enchanted elevators, even heard about a conference room that adjusts lighting based on who¡¯s speaking. It¡¯s kind of incredible. And the staff, well, let¡¯s just say no one¡¯s cking off in there. Everyone¡¯s either stressed or stone-faced."


    "And the food?" Mallory asked, wiggling her eyebrows.


    "Oh, it¡¯s good," I admitted. "Like, <i>chef¡¯s kiss</i> good."


    "Lucky!" Ria sighed dramatically. "So, what¡¯s your job?"


    I paused again. This was the part I didn¡¯t want to say. But I didn¡¯t want to keep it a secret either. "I¡¯m... Alpha River¡¯s assistant."


    "What?!"


    "Like... <i>the Rogue King River Thorne</i>?!"


    "No freaking way, Eva!"


    "That¡¯s huge!"


    Their voices rang with shock, awe, and disbelief, exactly the way I was expecting. Mallory was practically bouncing in her seat, Selene¡¯s mouth was hanging open, and Noah looked like he couldn¡¯t decide if he should bow to me or burst intoughter.


    "That¡¯s like being assigned to the Moon Goddess herself!" Kyros said, shaking his head.


    "You are going to learn so much," Ria added, grinning. "That¡¯s a dream internship, Eva. I¡¯m so proud of you."


    I smiled, but the expression felt both warm and wrong on my face.


    "Thanks," I said in a soft voice.


    They didn¡¯t see the weight in my chest. Didn¡¯t hear the unspoken truth wedged between my ribs. That I wasn¡¯t just working under Alpha River, but was walking a tightrope over fire, every step watched by the man who hated me more than anyone else in the world.


    And I couldn¡¯t tell them.


    Not now.


    Not ever.

 Chapter 62: I’m Not My Father

    <h4>Chapter 62: I¡¯m Not My Father</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The cold marble floors of the Council building echoed beneath my boots as I walked in for the second day. I was too tired to pretend I wasn¡¯t exhausted, too tired to hide the tension in my shoulders after yesterday. But I came anyway, because I refused to be chased out. Not by River. Not by anyone.


    The receptionist nced up at me, offered a wary smile, and nodded me toward the elevator. There was no small talk this time. Maybe she could already sense the storm brewing again.


    I rode the elevator up in silence. My reflection was staring back from the polished metal walls, making me realize that I was looking paler than usual. And it was mostly because of the morning sickness that had hit me the hardest today.


    I badly wanted to take a day off and just stay in bed. But I knew better than to dream about getting a day off on my second day of internship.


    So, I forced myself to get ready and arrived to my current least favorite ce, and to work for my least favorite person.


    The hallway to his office was feeling longer today. He hadn¡¯t messaged or summoned me, but I knew he was expecting me. That man probably timed every breath he took. Of course he would notice if I was five secondste.


    Once outside, I knocked.


    "Come in," came the cool, familiar voice.


    With a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    He was standing by the window again, a dark silhouette against the pale morning sky. His shoulders were straight, his hands sped behind his back. He was looking... Regal. Controlled.


    A devil with good posture.


    "You arete," he said without turning.


    "It¡¯s 9:01," I replied dryly.


    "That¡¯s not nine."


    I resisted the urge to scoff and moved toward the desk. "Next time I¡¯ll pitch a tent outside."


    That got his attention. He turned, slow and sharp like a de unsheathed, and his eyes pierced straight through me.


    "You are getting bold," he said, and I didn¡¯t miss the edge in his tone.


    "You are getting irritating," I shot back, walking to my desk. "Let¡¯s call it even."


    I didn¡¯t miss the sh in his eyes. But I didn¡¯t care. The only way I was going to survive this internship was by not letting him scare me.


    He walked to his side of the desk and dropped a thick stack of papers with an audible p.


    "These need to be sorted, indexed, and filed by region. I want a report on the Nightwatch patrols fromst week and apiled list of gged rogue movement in Sector Three. By noon."


    I raised a brow. "And what do I get if I finish early? A gold star?"


    He stared at me for three long seconds before replying, "You get to keep your seat."


    I matched his stare, and muttered, "How generous."


    He leaned forward slightly, and despite myself, I noticed how the muscles in his arms flexed beneath his sleeves. "Do not mistake your current position for safety, Evaline."


    "And do not mistake my silence for surrender," I snapped. I wasn¡¯t sure where I was finding this confidence from, but I sure was enjoying it.


    He red at me for a second. Another. And then, he moved.


    In less than a heartbeat, he was around the desk and in front of me. I stepped back instinctively, but he followed, herding me like a predator. I hit the filing cab behind me with a soft thud, trapped between cold steel and his burning presence.


    He braced one hand on the cab beside my head. His face was merely inches away from mine.


    "I don¡¯t care how special you think you are," he murmured in a dangerously low voice. "You are here because I let you be."


    "No," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I¡¯m here because I earned it."


    His eyes red in anger. "You were handed an internship most wolves would kill for."


    "Don¡¯t pretend this is about the internship," I hissed. "You just want to make me miserable."


    "You think I¡¯m ying games?" His voice turned colder, if that was even possible. "You are the daughter of the man who destroyed my family and pack. You expect me to treat you like a friend?"


    "No," I said, my own anger ring. "I expect you to treat me like a person."


    He didn¡¯t move, but much to my surprise, something in his expression cracked. The edge in his anger dulled and got reced by something else. Frustration? Confusion?


    "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice quieter this time.


    "What?"


    "You could have run. You could have stayed hidden. Whye here... into my territory?"


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer that. Did I even have the option of running away?


    "Because I¡¯m not afraid of you." I ended up saying instead.


    He stared at me, as if trying to see past my skin, past my walls. Then, before I could react, his free hand shot out - not to strike, but to grip the edge of the filing cab beside my hip. And then he whispered in a deadly low voice, "You should be."


    I swallowed, my heartbeat loud in my ears. "Why?"


    <fna943> Original content can be found at FindN0vel</fna943>


    His voice dropped to a whisper. "Because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do next."


    That scared me more than a threat ever could. And yet, I didn¡¯t look away. I didn¡¯t flinch.


    We were too close. I could feel the heat radiating off him. I could smell his familiar scent. My pulse betrayed me as it picked up speed for reasons I didn¡¯t want to name.


    He then exhaled slowly and stepped back, finally breaking the spell. "You are dismissed for the day."


    "But it¡¯s not even-"


    "I said go."


    I nodded stiffly and forced my legs to move as I walked past him. But just before I opened the door, I paused.


    "I¡¯m not my father," I said quietly, without turning around.


    He didn¡¯t reply.


    I left the room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it for a second to catch my breath.


    My legs were shaking. My throat was dry.


    What the hell just happened?

 Chapter 63: Summoned by the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 63: Summoned by the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The night was cool. Stars were littering the sky like scattered salt, andughter echoed off the stone walkways of the Academy as we walked back toward the dorms.


    Noah was animatedly retelling a story about how one of the second-year students identally turned his eyebrows into moss during ss, and both Ria and Mallory were nearly in tears fromughing. Even I found myself smiling, the weight of the Council and River was temporarily forgotten in their easypany.


    Then my phone buzzed in my pocket.


    I fished it out and blinked at the name on the screen: <strong>Professor Kieran</strong>.


    <i>Are you free for a moment? I¡¯d like to speak with you in my office.</i>


    "You alright?" Kyros asked when I halted in my steps.


    "Yeah." I slid the phone back into my pocket. "I need to stop by Professor Kieran¡¯s office. He wants to talk about something."


    "You want me toe?" he offered, all casual and unbothered, but I could tell from the slight crease between his brows that he was serious.


    "No, it¡¯s probably nothing," I said with a faint smiling. "I¡¯ll meet you guyster."


    He nodded, though his eyes lingered on me as I turned and walked away.


    The halls were quiet as I made my way to the staff wing. Themps were glowing softly, casting long shadows along the polished floors. Professor Kieran¡¯s office door was ajar, and the light was spilling into the hall like a golden invitation.


    Once there, I knocked lightly.


    "Come in," came his voice, calm but... weary.


    I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.


    He was seated behind his desk, surrounded by open folders and glowing scrolls. His hair, always neatly pulled back, was now slightly loose near his temples, and shadows were clinging to the skin under his eyes. He looked... tired. Not just physically, but like something had been eating at him from the inside.


    "You wanted to see me, Professor?" I asked cautiously.


    He looked up at me, and his eyes visibly softened. "Yes. Please, have a seat."


    I sat, suddenly more alert. His energy wasn¡¯t like usual, it was heavier, quieter.


    "I heard what happened at the Council," he began gently, folding his hands on the desk. "With my brother."


    My stomach tensed. I nodded once. "I handled it."


    "I¡¯m sure you did," he said with a small smile, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. "Still... I want to apologize. Both as your Professor and as River¡¯s brother. I thought the Council would be neutral ground... I was wrong."


    I blinked at him, stunned not just by the apology, but the guilt in his tone. "You are not responsible for his behavior."


    "I put you there," he said, his voice quieter now. "It was part of your reward. I should have made sure to supervise the assignment till the very end."


    He was silent for a moment before adding, "If you want me to change your position, or the reward entirely, it can be done."


    "I appreciate the apology," I said softly. "But I don¡¯t want to change it. Everyone knows now. If I back out, it¡¯ll raise suspicion. Questions neither of us want."


    He studied me for a moment, and I felt it - his worry, like a quiet current flowing under the surface. Then he nodded. "You are right. You have already handled it with more grace than most seasoned wolves would."


    I hesitated, then leaned forward slightly. "Are you alright?"


    He looked up, clearly caught off guard by the question.


    "You look... tired," I added. "More than... tired."


    He exhaled slowly and rubbed the back of his neck. "The full moon¡¯s ising soon. It always makes me feel like I¡¯m wearing skin that doesn¡¯t quite fit."


    I frowned. The full moon was still a week away. Still, I asked,9 "Is it... painful?"


    "No," he said, shaking his head. "Just... heavy. Like a constant hum beneath my skin. My wolf gets more restless. More aware."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. I didn¡¯t even have a wolf. But I could sense that he wasn¡¯t telling me everything. There was something in his voice that hinted at a deeper burden. One he wouldn¡¯t share. Not yet.


    Still, he leaned back in his chair and gave me a small smile, the tension in his shoulders softening just a bit.


    "You didn¡¯t have to check on me," he said.


    "I wanted to," I said, surprising even myself.


    Something shifted in the air between us. He tilted his head, studying me the way he did in ss when I gave a particrly interesting answer - curious, gentle, focused.


    <fn13c3> Original content can be found at findnovel</fn13c3>


    "You remind me of someone," he murmured.


    I raised a brow. "Hopefully someonepetent."


    "Someone brave," he corrected. "Someone who tried to fix things even when the world told them they couldn¡¯t."


    I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. No one had ever said that about me before. Not even my mother.


    "I¡¯m just trying to survive," I said honestly.


    "Sometimes survival is the bravest thing of all," he said quietly.


    We sat in silence for a moment. The kind that wasn¡¯t awkward, but... warm. Like the flickering calm after a storm.


    Then he stood,ing around the desk and offering his hand. "Come here for a moment."


    I looked up at him, uncertain, but ced my hand in his. His fingers were warm and calloused, surprisingly gentle as he guided me toward the small window overlooking the Academy grounds.


    "Do you see that?" he asked, pointing to the training fields where a fewte students were still sparring under the moonlight.


    I nodded.


    "You belong here," he said. "No matter what anyone else says."


    My breath hitched. Not because of his words, but the way he said them - with such quiet certainty, like he had seen straight through me and still wanted me here.


    I turned to face him.


    He was closer than I expected. Taller. Warmer. And for the first time, I didn¡¯t see him as just my professor or one of the Rogue Alphas.


    Instead, I saw the man underneath. The one carrying guilt not meant for him. The one offering me space in a world that wanted to push me out.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    He looked at me a moment longer, then stepped back. The moment broke, but the warmth lingered.


    "Get some rest," he said softly. "You have got sses tomorrow."


    I nodded and slipped out of his office, heading back to the dorm.

 Chapter 64: Whispers and Thorns

    <h4>Chapter 64: Whispers and Thorns</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time Monday morning rolled around, I was able to feel the change in the air like a pulse beneath my skin. The whispers were louder, more frequent. Eyes were trailing after me in the hallways, lingering a second too long.


    The students at Silver Moon Academy had always talked. It was their favorite pastime. But now, the gossip wasn¡¯t just about entrance scores or... my identity as a rogue, as a nobody. It was about my internship and the<i> Alpha</i>.


    Not only was I a top scorer. Not only had I secured the prestigious privilege award. But now... I was working at the Council. Under Alpha River.


    By some cruel twist of fate, my private misery had be public envy.


    It started innocently enough. I didn¡¯t realize at the time of dinner on Saturday evening, when I revealed about my position as River¡¯s assistant to my friends, someone at the table next to ours was listening.


    <fnac3f> Discover more novels at find~novel</fnac3f>


    By Sunday afternoon, the rumors had spread like wildfire. And by Monday morning, the students were no longer whispering about <i>my internship</i>, now they were whispering about me.


    And yet, as unsettling as it was, most of them hadn¡¯t confronted me. Not directly. They preferred to make passive-aggressivements in the halls orugh louder than necessary when I walked past.


    I could live with that.


    What I wasn¡¯t prepared for was Tuesday.


    Because Tuesday changed everything.


    * * *


    "Good morning, first-years," Professor Kieran greeted as he entered the lecture hall, the soft click of his boots echoing as students sat up straighter. He was wearing his usualposed expression, but there was an energy in him that hadn¡¯t been there the previous evening... something sharper, more attentive.


    The golden strands of his hair was shimmering beneath the lights as he nced at his tablet and then out across the room.


    His gaze swept across the students until itnded on me. And lingered.


    "Let¡¯s begin with a short discussion," he said before pausing. "Evaline, would you mind leading us into today¡¯s subject?"


    Every eye turned to me. And there were dozens of expressions - shock, confusion, narrowed eyes - all locked on me as if I had just grown a second head.


    And I was no different. I just sat there staring at him, and it was only when Mallory patted my thigh under the table, did I forced myself out of the shock.


    I stood slowly with my heart thudding, and recited the introduction of the lecture we had prepared. My voice was surprisingly steady despite the boiling stares stabbing into my skin.


    I could feel Kyros smirking from two rows behind me, probably proud. And Mallory offered me a discreet thumbs-up.


    But there were others, girls in expensive robes trimmed in family crests, males with entitled expressions, who were less impressed.


    When I sat down, Professor Kieran gave me a small nod. "Excellent start. As expected."


    And that... was when things truly spiraled.


    * * *


    By lunch, the whispers had evolved into open scorn.


    "Guess sucking up to the professors works after all," one girl muttered as I passed by her table in the dining hall Wednesday morning.


    "She probably threw herself at Alpha River to get the position of his assistant."


    "Have you seen how Professor Kieran looked so proud of her? What¡¯s even there to bother sparing her a second nce?"


    I gritted my teeth and forced myself to keep walking, with tray in hand and shoulders straight. I wasn¡¯t going to let them see me flinch.


    I had survived the streets. I had survived the massacre of my pack. I had survived betrayal and pain and nightmares. I had survived far worse than what they could imagine even in their worst nightmares. So, there¡¯s no way I was going to let these petty girls with too much lip gloss and daddy¡¯s money shake me.


    But the tension only thickened as the day wore on.


    By afternoon, it wasn¡¯t just strangers who noticed the change.


    "You okay?" Kyros asked as we walked out of Rune Theory.


    "I¡¯m fine," I lied. "Just tired."


    He gave me a look, one that said he didn¡¯t believe me, but let it go.


    "I have heard some of the girls talking," he said eventually. "About Professor Kieran. And Alpha River."


    I let out a sigh. "Let them talk. I¡¯m not here for their approval."


    "No," he said thoughtfully, "but some of them might try more than words."


    "What do you mean?"


    He gave me a grim smile. "You are new. You are smart. You are... unpredictable. That makes you dangerous to some of them. Especially the ones who think they have dibs on power."


    Iughed without humor. "What, like River¡¯s fangirls?"


    "Not just fangirls," Noah added as he joined us with Mallory. "There are senior students who believe they¡¯ll end up mated to one of the Rogue Brothers. They have built their entire future around it."


    That made me pause. "Seriously?"


    He nodded. "I would stay alert, Eva. Especially around-"


    "Speak of the devil," Mallory whispered sharply from behind us.


    I turned just in time to see <i>her</i>.


    Tall. Elegant. Dressed in a fitted Academy uniform that looked tailored and undoubtedly expensive. Her dark hair was flowing in soft waves around her shoulders, and her eyes - a striking violet - held no warmth.


    "She¡¯s Celeste Renwyn. Daughter of Alpha Renwyn of the Eastern Peaks. Senior student. High-ranking... and Powerful." Noah whispered next to my ear, letting me know whom I was facing.


    I had heard of Eastern Peaks and Alpha Renwyn. They were one of the most powerful packs.


    And by the looks of it... his daughter didn¡¯t seem like a fan of mine.


    She was nked by two equally striking girls, one with ice-blond hair and the other with gray eyes that were shimmering with amusement. They looked like royalty surveying their court.


    Celeste¡¯s gazended on me and her lips curved in a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    "Evaline, isn¡¯t it?" she said sweetly.


    "That¡¯s right."


    She extended a hand and I took it cautiously. Her grip was firm, cool.


    "I have heard so much about you," she said in a velvety voice. "Top of the entrance exam. Interning at the Council. How impressive."


    "Thank you," I said, unsure of what game we were ying. "I¡¯m just doing my best."


    "Oh, I¡¯m sure you are." She tilted her head slightly. "And working under Alpha River, no less. Such an... intimate position."


    I didn¡¯t flinch and replied calmly. "It¡¯s just an internship."


    "Oh, of course," she said with a tinklingugh. "It¡¯s just... most girls would kill for a chance like that. Especially when the Alphas are so... selective with who they let close."


    I didn¡¯t respond. Because there was nothing I could say that wouldn¡¯t fuel the fire.


    She took another step closer, and though her tone remained polite, her eyes sharpened.


    "Let me give you some advice, Evaline. This Academy thrives on bnce. Some of us have worked very hard to maintain that. When new variables arrive, especially rogue ones, it¡¯s easy to upset the flow. That kind of imbnce can lead to... unfortunate consequences."


    I met her gaze squarely as I asked, "Was that a threat?"


    She smiled at that. "Of course not. Just a friendly warning."


    Then she and her entourage turned and walked away with theirughter echoing down the hall like a pack of circling wolves.


    - - -


    By the time I got back to the dorm that night, my muscles were aching and my mind was buzzing. Mallory and Noah both had tried to cheer me up, but I could tell even they were feeling the pressure of association.


    Kyros, however, didn¡¯t mince words.


    "She¡¯s not done," he said as we stood outside our dorms after curfew check.


    "I know," I said while hugging my arms to my chest. "But I¡¯m not backing down."


    "I didn¡¯t expect you to," he replied. "But be careful. Celeste ys dirty. She¡¯s been eyeing the Rogue Alphas for years. Especially Alpha River."


    Iughed bitterly. "Then she¡¯s wasting her time. River hates me."


    He gave me a strange look. "Is that what you really think? Why would he even hate you?"


    I paused and thought back to the way River had red at me. The way he had lost his temper. The way his gaze lingered just a second too long when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking.


    "I don¡¯t know what to think," I said honestly, not being able to share the beef between me and the Rogue Alphas.


    "Then maybe don¡¯t think at all," he said with a soft smile. "Just keep doing what you do best. Surviving."


    But even as I crawled into bed that night, exhaustion pulling at me like vines, my mind wasn¡¯t on Celeste or the rumors or even the growing danger around me.


    It was on River.


    On the heat of his eyes when we argued.


    On the way Kieran¡¯s voice had softened when he said I belonged here.


    On the fact that somehow, despite everything, I was now tangled in a web of power, politics, and desire that I never asked for and couldn¡¯t seem to escape.


    But if they thought I was going to break... they had no idea who I really was.

 Chapter 65: Another Meeting with Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 65: Another Meeting with Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was only my third week at the Silver Moon, and the library had already became my haven. It was my most favorite ce - a quiet space carved out of the chaos where my thoughts could breathe, where the weight of expectations didn¡¯t press quite so heavily on my shoulders.


    And today, it felt like my only escape.


    It had been two days since I came across Celeste, and while I wasn¡¯t feeling threatened, I still couldn¡¯t entirely remove her and her words from my thoughts. Her veiled threats were still clinging to me like cobwebs I couldn¡¯t shake off.


    The whispers in the hallways had also grown sharper since many noticed our confrontation and took the initiative to presume that I was someone who could be turned into their newest prey.


    The usations wereced in honeyed tones and venomous smiles. My desk in the ssroom was even defaced with mocking words etched faintly in pencil. Nothing bold. Nothing direct. Just subtle enough to make me feel like prey.


    So I did what I always did when the world spun too fast. I retreated.


    Tucked away in the farthest corner of the library, surrounded by towering shelves of forgotten tomes, I let the silence wrap around me like armor.


    I was sitting with my legs tucked under me on one of the plush reading couches. And a book on defensive rune was left open on myp.


    I hadn¡¯t turned the page in twenty minutes.


    My focus had drifted back to the storm I had somehow walked into. Celeste. The rumors. River¡¯s cold indifference. Professor Kieran¡¯s silent concern. And that constant tension beneath my skin .


    I pressed my hand against my chest, willing the ache to settle.


    "I thought I might find you here."


    The voice was silk. Low andzy, like a slow-moving storm. It sent an involuntary shiver skittering down my spine.


    I didn¡¯t have to look up to know who it was.


    Draven.


    The most dangerous of the Rogue Alphas... for me at the moment.


    I turned my head anyway, and there he was - leaning against the bookshelf like he belonged in some romantic dream I had no business having.


    He was drressed in dark, fitted clothes that were clinging to his lithe frame, his hair was tousled just enough to look like sin. His eyes were shimmering in the dim lighting of the library, locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.


    He smirked. "Is this where you hide from all your adoring fans?"


    I rolled my eyes. "If you are here to tease me, you can keep walking."


    He strolled forward, ignoring my wordspletely, and dropped into the seat across from mine like he owned it.


    "I¡¯m not here to tease," he said, his voice dipping a little lower. "Not yet, anyway."


    I snapped my book shut. "What do you want, Draven?"


    "Now that¡¯s a loaded question." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and sping his hands. His gaze dropped to my lips and then moved back to my eyes with a slowness that made my skin burn.


    "I heard about the little drama storm around youtely," he said casually. "Celeste Renwyn making her move. Girls sharpening their ws. You interning under River."


    I groaned. "Let me guess. You are here to warn me too?"


    He raised an eyebrow. "Warn you?" Heughed. "No. I think it¡¯s adorable watching them panic. You have turned their little world upside down without even trying."


    I blinked. "Then what are you doing here?"


    He tilted his head and the grin on his face softened into something unreadable. "Maybe I wanted to see how you were handling it. Maybe I missed the way your eyebrows scrunch when you are pretending not to be annoyed by me."


    I stared at him. "You are impossible."


    He leaned closer. "So I have been told."


    <fne5bc> Th?s chapter is updated by ?ovelFind</fne5bc>


    The space between us shrank in slow degrees, but it felt charged, like every inch pulled us into a dangerous gravity. I forced myself to lean back, to break eye contact, to remember all the reasons why I should not fall into his orbit.


    "You should go," I said quietly.


    But he didn¡¯t move.


    "You know," he murmured, "the first time I saw you, really <i>saw</i> you, you looked like you wanted to disappear."


    I stiffened.


    "But then you stood up to River," he continued. "And arrived here, bing the talk of the town..." He paused. "You don¡¯t look like someone trying to disappear anymore."


    "I¡¯m not," I said before I could stop myself. "I¡¯m just trying to survive."


    His gaze darkened, but not in anger. It was... something else. Something I couldn¡¯t name.


    He reached out in in slow and deliberate move, and brushed his knuckles against my cheek. Just once. The touch was barely there, but it lit my every nerve on fire.


    "You don¡¯t have to survive alone, Eva."


    I jerked back, with my breath caught in my throat. "Don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what you are doing, Draven," I said in a trembling voice despite my best efforts. "But I can¡¯t - won¡¯t - get tangled in games with you."


    His smile returned, softer this time. "This isn¡¯t a game for me."


    "You flirt like it is."


    "I flirt because I like seeing you flustered. It¡¯s cute. But I¡¯m not ying." He stood, towering over me now, and the light caught the edge of the tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve, something dark and intricate.


    I couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t breathe.


    He leaned down, bracing one of his hands on the back of my couch. His mouth was merely inches away from mine.


    "Everyone wants a piece of you," he whispered. "They want to break you, im you, control you. But not me."


    "Then what do you want?" I whispered, hating the way my voice shook.


    He smiled. "To watch you set them all on fire."


    Then he straightened and walked away, leaving me breathless and burning.


    I sat there long after he was gone. My heart was pounding like it was trying to escape my chest.


    I hated the way he got to me. Hated how easily he crawled under my skin.


    But the worst part?


    I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted him to stop.

 Chapter 66: Not Worth the Pieces

    <h4>Chapter 66: Not Worth the Pieces</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Somehow, I managed to survive the next two days. But surviving wasn¡¯t quite the same as living, and definitely not the same as focusing.


    No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t push a certain Rogue Alpha out of my thoughts.


    Draven.


    Ever since the library meeting... everything had changed.


    Before that evening, I had only met him twice and barely caught even a glimpse of him around the Academy. But now, he was suddenly everywhere.


    I noticed him walking past me in the hallways, like a phantom brushing along the edge of my world. Then, he was in the dining hall, always a few tables away. He always kept his gaze cool and unreadable even though I knew... he was watching me.


    Another time, he passed by the north-wing courtyard where I was resting with my friends after a long history ss. His steps were measured and he kept his expression unreadable, like I wasn¡¯t even there.


    And yet my heart flipped in my chest just seeing the curve of his smirk, the way his eyes lingered for just a second too long.


    Then there was the library. Again. He didn¡¯t approach me this time, but he sat at a table a few shelves away, reading a book on ancient Alpha rites.


    Was it just a coincidence? No. But he was so subtle that no one else suspected a thing.


    And that was the terrifying part.


    Draven knew what he was doing. He wasn¡¯t parading around me. He wasn¡¯t shing me smiles or causing scenes. It was all... quiet. Deliberate. Calcted.


    Only I knew the truth. And I hated it.


    Because no matter how much I reminded myself to stay away, no matter how often I warned myself that he was dangerous and everything I couldn¡¯t afford to get involved in... I still noticed him. Every time. It was like gravity refused to work properly when he was around. Like I couldn¡¯t breathe unless I made sure he was real.


    And it was driving me mad.


    By the time Friday arrived, the entire academy was buzzing with excitement. Weekend ns, full moon night ns, people were chatting about getting extra rest or heading into town.


    Everyone was excited. Everyone but me.


    I sat with Mallory and Noah at lunch, forcing a bite of roasted vegetables into my mouth, barely tasting them. My head was throbbed and my chest was feeling tight. It wasn¡¯t just Draven haunting me, it was whating next.


    The weekend meant only one thing for me - Internship hours with River.


    My stomach twisted at the thought of stepping into that Council building again. Of facing him again.


    Thest Sunday didn¡¯t exactly end well. And it was making me dread theing day.


    "You have been quiet all day," Mallory said as she nudged me with her shoulder. "Is this about the internship again?"


    I gave her a half-hearted smile and nodded. "Just... trying to mentally prepare."


    I could tell that they all still felt confused about why I was so disturbed about the internship, but they didn¡¯t try to pay. They just made sure to motivate me.


    Kyros dropped a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You are strong, Eva. I¡¯m sure you will handle this internship well."


    I nodded again, but it felt robotic. The truth was, I didn¡¯t feel strong. I felt like I was breaking at the seams, caught in a whirlwind of Alpha egos, and impossible expectations.


    By dinner, I just epted the reality of my weekend fate. I barely tasted the food, exchanged minimal conversation, and nodded my way through goodnights.


    The only thing I looked forward to was my bed.


    I just wanted to get into my room, crawl under my nket, and hide. But when I opened the door to my dorm, I froze in the doorway.


    He was there.


    Draven.


    He was sitting on my window ledge like he belonged there. His one leg was hanging over the edge while the other was pulled up to rest an arm on. Moonlight was spilling through the window, casting pale silver across his skin, making him look like something unearthly.


    "You really need to start locking this door," he saidzily as if he hadn¡¯t just broken into my room.


    "What... what are you doing here?" I asked, my voiceing as a soft whisper.


    He tilted his head and a crooked smile yed at the corner of his lips. "It didn¡¯t feel right to let you go into the weekend looking like someone kicked your soul."


    I locked the door behind me and stepped forward, but kept my distance from him at the same time. "Draven, you can¡¯t just show up in my room. What if someone saw you?"


    "No one did." His smile widened. "I¡¯m good at shadows."


    And somehow, I could feel that he was telling the truth.


    "I don¡¯t need you to check on me," I said as I folded my arms across my chest.


    <fn5705> The source of th?s content is F¦Énd£Îovel</fn5705>


    He didn¡¯t seem bothered by my words. Instead, he replied simply. "Maybe. But I wanted to."


    There was something different in his tone. It was... softer. Quieter. But no less intense.


    "And maybe," he added in a voice that was barely more than a whisper now, "I needed to see you too."


    I swallowed hard before asking, "Why?"


    His eyes burned into mine as he answered, "Because you are impossible to ignore."


    "Don¡¯t," I whispered as my heart mmed against my ribs. "Don¡¯t do this."


    He stood slowly and stepped away from the window, closing the space between us until I had to tilt my head to keep looking into his eyes.


    "I¡¯m not trying to hurt you, Eva."


    "You already are," I whispered. "By being here. By making me feel things I shouldn¡¯t."


    His hand hovered in the air like he wanted to reach out, but he didn¡¯t touch me. Not yet. "I¡¯ll go," he said finally. "But not before I say this."


    I held my breath to hear what he had to say.


    "You think you are surviving," he murmured as his eyes searched mine. "But you are fighting. And you are winning. Even if it doesn¡¯t feel like it."


    And with that being said, he turned to go, only to stop before stepping out into the balcony. He nced at me from above his shoulder as he whispered. "Don¡¯t let my brother break you, Eva. He¡¯s not worth the pieces. No one is."


    Then... he was gone, while I stood there with my heart racing and my mind in chaos.

 Chapter 67: Something’s Wrong with River

    <h4>Chapter 67: Something¡¯s Wrong with River</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When morning arrived, so did Saturday.


    I was standing in front of the tall headquarters building, hugging my coat tighter around me. A cool wind rustled through my hair, but it wasn¡¯t the breeze that was sending shivers down my spine.


    It was the thought of him.


    River Thorne.


    I had prepared myself all week - mentally, emotionally, even physically. Or so I thought.


    As I walked into the building, I was surprised to find the front desk nearly empty except for one woman typing quietly. She offered me a polite nod but said nothing.


    The upper floors were quiet. It was the kind of calm only early weekends could bring. I hesitated in front of River¡¯s office, but then slowly pushed the door open.


    The ce was... empty.


    He wasn¡¯t here.


    I blinked before looking around to make sure I hadn¡¯t walked into the wrong room. But no, this was the same ce. His scent was still lingering faintly in the air.


    I stood there, in the middle of the room, in stunned silence which was finally broken momentster when my phone buzzed in my pocket.


    It was a message from River, the first one he had ever sent me. And the only thing that let me recognize it¡¯s him was the content of the message.


    <i>I won¡¯t be in today. Your tasks are waiting for you on your desk. Finish them before the day ends.</i>


    That was it. No hello. No exnation. No sarcasm or insults or veiled threats.


    For a moment, I just stared at the message. And then... I smiled.


    For the first time since the internship began, I smiled while standing in his office.


    The table was looking friendlier without him behind it. A neat pile of documents, a notebook, and a digital folder were waiting for me like loyal pets on my desk on the other side of the office.


    I slipped into the chair, pulled the files toward me, and started reading through the summaries and progress reports from various departments under his charge.


    With him not breathing down my neck, the atmosphere was shockingly light. I was focused. Energized. Everypleted task gave me a sense of aplishment.


    And even before I knew it, the morning was gone in a blink


    At lunch, I joined a group of interns in the cafeteria - a first for me.


    They were warm, talkative, and surprisingly curious about me. Though none of them asked directly about River, I caught the subtle looks.


    "Working directly under Alpha River must be intense," one girl whispered, but I only shrugged with a small smile. No one needed to know the truth - that the man was a beautiful, walking hurricane who shredded nerves and dignity for sport.


    By the time I returned to the office, I was in a mood I hadn¡¯t felt in weeks.


    Happy.


    With a tall ss of chilled coconut water in hand, I leaned against the desk and resumed my work. The humming came naturally. A light, silly tune I remembered from childhood. My shoulders were rxed. My mind stopped racing. And the space was feeling brighter. Peaceful.


    And that should have been my warning.


    Because peace neversted long for me.


    The door creaked open, causing my heart to drop. I didn¡¯t need to look up to know who it was.


    The room grew colder, heavier, as if winter itself had stepped in.


    Slow, confident footsteps echoed across the polished floor until he was standing beside the desk, just slightly to my right. I was feeling the weight of his gaze on me before I even looked up.


    Still, I did... slowly... and met his deep green eyes.


    He was looking... tired. His hair was slightly tousled like he had run a hand through it too many times. The dark button-up shirt was fitting him perfectly, as always, but his sleeves were rolled up and his jaw was more tense than usual.


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t say anything. Just stared.


    Then his eyes drifted to the half-empty coconut water ss beside me. "Having a vacation, are we?"


    I didn¡¯t flinch. "I finished all the morning files. Just returned from lunch."


    <fnbc37> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fnbc37>


    He arched an eyebrow. "And the humming? Was that part of the productivity strategy?"


    I tilted my chin up, not backing down. "It helps with focus."


    His lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. "Next time, hum silently."


    And just like that, the warm, calm space crumbled under his voice.


    I exhaled slowly and turned back to theputer. "You said you wouldn¡¯t be in today."


    "I changed my mind."


    Of course, he did.


    I resumed working, trying to ignore the way his presence was filling the room like smoke. He moved behind me, probably toward the files I hadn¡¯t gotten to yet. I heard him flipping through papers, tapping at his tablet, and even pacing asionally.


    Minutes passed.


    Maybe more.


    But the silence wasn¡¯t peaceful anymore. It was sharp. Watching. Testing.


    I nced sideways once and caught him leaning against the window. He had his arms folded, while his eyes were on me - not just watching but studying.


    "What?" I asked before I could stop myself.


    He blinked, slowly. "You are in a better mood today."


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t trust myself to.


    He tilted his head and continued, "Did I miss a birthday?"


    "Maybe you missed the part where you weren¡¯t here." I looked back at the screen and tapped too hard on the keyboard. "That probably had something to do with it."


    He pushed away from the window and walked around the desk until he was standing in front of me. I saw the shift in his expression. Not angry. Not smug. But... curious.


    "Interesting," he murmured. "So my absence improves your productivity."


    "Immensely."


    His gaze flicked over my face as if he was searching for something. "I¡¯m not the monster you think I am, Evaline."


    That caught me off guard. I blinked, not expecting... that. "Could have fooled me," I muttered much to myself, but he heard me.


    "I could have done worse," he said in a low voice. "You have had it easy so far."


    I pushed back from the desk and stood up. "Is that a threat?"


    His jaw tightened, and he stepped closer. "No. It¡¯s a reminder."


    Now we were inches apart, and I hated how fast my pulse was racing. His presence was like ice and fire all at once - unnerving, cold, and yet it sparked something in me I didn¡¯t want to name.


    "I don¡¯t need reminders, River. I¡¯m doing this internship because I earned it. I don¡¯t need you looming over me to prove a point."


    His eyes darkened. "You are right. You earned it."


    I blinked again. What?


    Before I could process his words, he stepped back and turned away.


    "Leave the rest of the files," he said over his shoulder. "You have done enough for today."


    I stood there, frozen for a few seconds, andpletely unsure whether I had just been praised or warned.


    Or both.


    He paused at the door and added, "Don¡¯t forget your water."


    I picked up the ss with my heart still thumping. I watched as he nced at me again with unreadable eyes.


    "For what it¡¯s worth, I didn¡¯t want to ruin your good mood."


    And then he was gone.


    The door clicked shut behind him, and I was left standing in a room that felt too quiet, too heavy... too confusing.


    What just happened?

 Chapter 68: Alpha’s Sinister Plan

    <h4>Chapter 68: Alpha¡¯s Sinister n</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong><fn31ef> Discover more novels at find?novel</fn31ef>


    By noon, I had signed twenty-seven documents, argued with three people, reviewed two field reports about rogue movements near the northern borders, and threatened to personally rip out the throat of an Alpha who thought rules of our world weren¡¯t for him.


    I was busy, <i>too busy</i>, to waste my time on petty distractions.


    And yet...


    Here I was, sitting in the backseat of a sleek ck car with my crest gleaming faintly on the door. Without even realizing it, I was drumming my fingers against the leather armrest as the city blurred past the window.


    Beside me, my secretary was sitting with a digital pad in herp. She was cautiously silent, perhaps sensing the sharpness in the air around me.


    "Remind me again why we are heading to headquarters?" she finally dared to ask.


    I didn¡¯t look at her.


    "For oversight," I said tly. "There are reports to review. Interns to monitor."


    She didn¡¯t speak again. Wise.


    I clenched my jaw and leaned back, fixing my eyes on the skyline. But even the towering buildings and cloud-smeared horizon weren¡¯t able to block the image in my mind.


    <strong>Her.</strong>


    Evaline Greystone.


    The daughter of the man responsible for my parents¡¯ death. The girl whose name I had once spat like poison. The girl I should have broken by now.


    And maybe I was going soft. Maybe I had wasted too much time letting her think she could win against me. I believed I could humiliate her with coldmands and endless assignments during her internship, but she still kept appearing in front of me with her head held high, her eyes defiant, and that mouth -


    Goddess, that <i>mouth.</i>


    No one else ever talked to me like that. Not the Council members. Not the Alphas. <i>Not even my brothers</i> - well, Kieran did sometimes, but that was Kieran.


    But Evaline?


    She looked me in the eye and spoke like I was a man, not an Alpha. She called me <i>River</i> like it didn¡¯t burn in her throat. Like the title meant nothing.


    And the worst part?


    I let her.


    Every. Single. Time.


    I could have corrected her. Could have reminded her of who I was, of what I was. I could have demanded she say <i>Alpha,</i> like every other breathing soul in ournds. But I didn¡¯t.


    Why?


    I didn¡¯t want to answer that question.


    Instead, I told myself I was going there for <i>vengeance.</i> Pure and cold.


    Evaline Greystone needed to be reminded of what her name meant. She needed to be <i>broken.</i> Not just bruised. <i>Shattered.</i> I wanted to see her confidence splinter. I wanted her to feel the weight of her father¡¯s sins. I wanted...


    I wanted to see if she would still stand tall when everything was taken away from her.


    The thought twisted in my chest.


    I should have stopped thinking about her after that first week. She was just a pawn. A piece on the board. I should have used her, crushed her, and moved on.


    But no. She had to be different. It barely had been a month since she escaped from the mansion, and she¡¯s nothing like the weak, scared, trembling girl whom I didn¡¯t even wanted to bother to look at.


    Now, she looked at me straight in the eyes... and she even hummed songs in my office when she thought I wouldn¡¯te.


    She had to smile today. And mean it.


    And the moment I saw that smile, saw her at ease in my space, I felt something coil inside me.


    Not rage. Not annoyance.


    <i>Jealousy.</i>


    Of what? Her joy? Her peace?


    Of the fact that she was finally rxing under my roof while I was losing sleep over the way she said my name?


    Pathetic.


    I watched her from the window for longer than necessary. She hadn¡¯t noticed me yet. She was working. Her lips were curved in a gentle smile as she read through a report, sipping something from a tall ss. Coconut water, maybe. She liked those. I had seen her drink onest week when she thought I wasn¡¯t looking.


    I should have walked away.


    Instead, I opened the door and stepped inside.


    Her hum cut off the second she felt my presence. And her smile vanished when she finally looked up. Her back straightened, hands stiffening over the papers.


    Good. She should be afraid.


    But she wasn¡¯t.


    "You said you wouldn¡¯t be in today," she said tly, as if I had interrupted her nap and not a work shift. "Thought you were busy."


    "I changed my mind," I said coolly.


    And I hated how calm she looked. How unfazed.


    When she replied, it wasn¡¯t with trembling lips or lowered eyes. It was with that <i>tone</i> again - firm, sharp, entirely too bold.


    No one used that tone with me.


    Except her.


    I tried to mock her, poke holes in her confidence. Something. Anything. But even when she pushed back, she didn¡¯t break. When I leaned in, she stood her ground. When I threatened, she challenged.


    And when she called me <i>River</i> again, I once again wanted to remind her of my identity.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    Because somewhere in the back of my mind, there was a voice whispering that I <i>liked</i> hearing her say my name.


    Damn it.


    I circled the desk slowly, hiding the chaos under my skin.


    <i>Get a grip,</i> I told myself. <i>She¡¯s a Greystone. She¡¯s the enemy.</i>


    You don¡¯t soften for the enemy.


    You destroy them.


    So why didn¡¯t I pull the trigger?


    Why did I end up telling her she had done enough for the day? Why did I let her keep that smile, even a faint one?


    And why, when I stood at the door, did I say, "I didn¡¯t want to ruin your good mood," like some idiot trying to sound considerate?


    Because something was changing.


    Not in her.


    In <i>me.</i>


    I hated it.


    And yet, even now, as I sat in the car again - alone this time, no secretary to witness the mess - I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her voice, her expression, the strength behind those amber eyes.


    A n had started forming in my head as I eventually convinced myself that all I wanted was to break her.


    I started nning something big. Something that would leave her stunned. Broken. Her reputation, herfort, her sense of safety - I wanted to take it all.


    I needed to remind her of who she was. Who her father had been. What the name Greystone meant.


    And yet...


    There was a part of me, quiet but persistent, that kept seeing more of Evaline Greystone than I should.


    More than the enemy¡¯s daughter.


    More than the girl with sharp words and stubborn pride.


    I saw herte at night in my thoughts. In the curve of her lips as she smirked. In the fire in her eyes when she stood her ground. In the rare softness when she was lost in her work, unaware of anyone watching.


    That part of me didn¡¯t want to destroy her.


    That part of me wanted to know her.


    And that... that was the most dangerous thing of all.

 Chapter 69: A Different Sunday

    <h4>Chapter 69: A Different Sunday</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting when I arrived at the Council headquarters Sunday morning.


    After how strangely Saturday had gone, with River suddenly acting so differently, I braced myself for another emotionally disorienting day. Maybe he would revert to his usual passive-aggressive jabs. Maybe he woulde up with new creative ways to ruin my day. Maybe he would finally snap and remind me exactly who he was - the Alpha who hated my bloodline.


    But none of that happened.


    He greeted me... like actually greeted me... when I walked into the office.


    "Morning," he said in an even voice without the ice or condescension.


    I blinked as surprise took over me, causing me to halt in my steps. "Good... morning?"


    Our eyes met for a second longer than they should have, and I noticed as something flickered there... just a breath of something unreadable... but it was gone before I could decipher it. He turned back to his screen without another word.


    I waited for the trap. Waited for a sarcastic remark or some impossible task. But he simply handed me a stack of notes and said, "Take your time. This one needs more organization than the others."


    That was it.


    No tone. No challenge.


    Nothing.


    The day passed like that. Strangely... peacefully.


    He was quieter than usual, which was saying something. He didn¡¯t hover, didn¡¯t nitpick. He reviewed my work with nods instead of sighs, passed my desk a few times with silent nces, and once - once - ced a ss of coconut water near my elbow without saying a single word.


    He didn¡¯t even look at me when he did it.


    At first, I thought it wasn¡¯t for me. I nced around the room, waiting for someone else to grab it. But when no one came, my stomach twisted.


    I drank it anyway.


    It wasn¡¯t poisoned. Not literally, at least.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t rx.


    The silence wasn¡¯tforting. It was loud in its own way. A quiet before a storm kind of loud. River wasn¡¯t just being ¡¯nice.¡¯ No, he was being... different.


    Detached, but present.


    Restrained, but barely.


    And I knew better than to lower my guards down around him.


    But other than his unusual behavior towards me, something else was also different about him today.


    I caught him once, staring out the window with his jaw clenched. His normally sharp, coldposure was reced with something rawer... more vtile. His shoulders were too stiff, and he was drumming his fingers against the ss too fast.


    And his eyes... there was a flicker of gold in them that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    It made sense,ter, when the thought finally clicked in my head.


    The full moon.


    <fnc716> For more chapters visit Find¡ïNovel</fnc716>


    It was tomorrow. Monday.


    And suddenly, everything about his strangeness made sense. At least the part where he was being silent, restraint, and the way his power kept shifting around the room like it couldn¡¯t decide whether to retreat or explode.


    I found myself recalling how Professor Kieran had looked almost simr to his brother just a week ago. But River was looking worse.


    Not physically - of course not. He looked perfect, as always. Crisp ck shirt rolled to the elbows. Watch glinting on his wrist. Hair slightly messier than usual, but not enough to seem deliberate. To anyone else, he looked wless.


    But I had spent enough time studying this particr Alpha for past few weeks to know better.


    His calm wasn¡¯t natural today. It was forced.


    By the time the clock struck five, I had finished my work, proofread three internal memos, and organized two files that weren¡¯t even mine. And River? He simply nodded, said, "Good work," and let me go.


    Just like that.


    No insults.


    No games.


    Just... calm.


    But he was too calm.


    I didn¡¯t know if I liked it. And neither did I know if I should like it.


    Trusting River Thorne was like standing on ice in bare feet. You would be fine for a few seconds, maybe even enjoy the cold bite of it, until it cracked under you without warning.


    So I didn¡¯t let myself trust it.


    But still... I noticed him.


    When I packed my things, I noticed how he rubbed his temple for the fourth time that hour.


    When I stood at the door and muttered a soft, "See you next Saturday," I noticed how his gaze dropped to the floor, not in dismissal, but in hesitation.


    And when I stepped out, I noticed how his power - usually wrapped around the room like a noose - recededpletely, almost like he didn¡¯t want me to feel it. Like he didn¡¯t want me to carry that weight.


    And I hated how much that tiny act affected me.


    And I hated it more that I didn¡¯t hate him enough.


    I didn¡¯t know what game he was ying, but if this was part of it, it was a dangerous one.


    He was more dangerous like this - quiet, human, almost... kind.


    Back in my dorm room, I tossed my bag onto the chair and copsed onto the bed with my shoes still on. The sky outside was a softvender, the kind that felt too peaceful to be real.


    I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. My fingers were itching to grab a pen, to write something, to do something... but all I could do was rey every nce, every word, every unnerving absence of conflict from today.


    What was he nning?


    Why this sudden change?


    Was it just the moon? Or something else?


    I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. I hated how easily these brothers couldpletely overtake my thoughts without even trying to... or maybe this was exactly what they wanted.


    One day, I might be worrying about River, and the other, my head might be filled with the thoughts of another of his brothers. Ever since they entered in my life two months ago, they had refused to let me live in peace.


    And right now, nothing scared me more than what Moon Goddess had nned for me when it came to Throne Brothers.

 Chapter 70: The Night of Full Moon

    <h4>Chapter 70: The Night of Full Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air was feeling charged from the moment I stepped out of my dorm.


    A gentle breeze swept through the gardens, but it was carrying an undercurrent of tension. It was almost like the moon, though still hidden beyond the horizon, had already whispered its promises into the hearts of every werewolf walking this campus.


    Except... for me.


    As someone without a wolf, my world continued like it was any other Monday.


    sses weren¡¯t canceled officially, but it didn¡¯t take long to realize that today wasn¡¯t normal.


    As I crossed the halls toward my first lecture of the day, I noticed the absences immediately. The usual clusters of students that filled the Academy every morning were thinned out. Those who walked did so more quietly.


    I reached the ssroom and stepped inside, only to find it barely half-filled.


    Mallory waved at me from her seat by the window. Noah was sitting in front of her, half-dozing but present, and Ria joined shortly after, her braid swinging like a tail with her every step. The rest of our group? They were nowhere in sight.


    "Where¡¯s Kyros?" I asked as I slid into the seat beside Mallory.


    She shrugged, "Took the day off. His wolf gets too antsy on full moons."


    "And Selene?"


    Ria answered this time, "Same. Alpha-blood wolves usually struggle more. The pull is stronger."


    That made sense. I didn¡¯t have a wolf, but I had eyes. Even without the moon rising, Kyros and Selene were walking vessels of power. On a night like this, it probably surged in them like a tidal wave.


    "I didn¡¯t know we could take the day off," I murmured as I flipped open my notebook.


    Noah yawned. "It¡¯s not announced formally. But yeah, most people don¡¯t show up - students or professors. Especially those with stronger wolves."


    His words rang true throughout the day.


    Professor Kieran¡¯s lecture was reced by a printed handout left behind by a substitute who didn¡¯t even show his face.


    During lunch, I overheard a conversation about how Oscar had taken the day off as well.


    And for the first time in the recent days, I didn¡¯t catch a single nce of Draven around the academy.


    What really left me feeling devastated was how the absence of these four brothers, even for just a day, had me thinking about them as if I had lost a part of myself.


    I tried to push it on the absence of my friends and how the academy was feeling so empty, but a part of me knew better than to believe in those lies.


    As evening settled in, my remaining friends started buzzing with energy. They were preparing for their night runs.


    "I can¡¯t wait to stretch out these legs," Ria said, practically bouncing.


    "You sure you¡¯ll be okay alone?" Mallory asked for the fifth time in thest hour.


    "Yeah," I said quickly. "I¡¯ll hang out in the library for a bit. Then head to dinner. Maybe an early night."


    "Text us if anything¡¯s weird," Noah added.


    I nodded, not bothering to remind him that his wolf would have no time to check his phone.


    By the time I reached the library, the sky outside had turned golden with dusk. Thest traces of sunlight were filtering in through the massive windows as the library¡¯s soft yellow lighting took over. I slipped into my usual corner table with a book I barely read and a mind that wouldn¡¯t quiet.


    Outside, the academy was emptying as all the students were heading out for runs.


    Even the staff were quicker to leave tonight.


    The librarian gave me a small nod as she collected her things. "Don¡¯t stay too long, dear. Head out before it gets toote, alright?"


    "Of course," I said.


    She gave me a look like she wanted to say more but didn¡¯t, then left through the side doors.


    The silence of the library wrapped around me. It wasn¡¯t the peaceful kind I usually enjoyed. It was too quiet. No creaking floorboards. No flipping pages. No footsteps.


    Nothing.


    I tried to focus on the textbook in front of me, but the words blurred together. My ears strained for sounds I couldn¡¯t ce. Every rustle of wind outside, every groan of the old wood, made my body stiffen.


    I wasn¡¯t scared.


    I told myself that.


    This was the Academy, the safest ce in the realm for werewolves. No outsider could step foot here. There were wards, guards, patrols.


    And yet...


    Something didn¡¯t feel right.


    After failing to concentrate for another half an hour, I closed the book and stood, stretching my arms and shaking off the paranoia. I was probably just tired. And maybe a little more sensitive to the energy in the air.


    Grabbing my bag, I turned to leave the library when I felt it.


    Pressure.


    Not like the kind River usually filled a room with, his was cold, sharp, and calcting.


    This... was heavier.


    Wilder.


    It pressed down on me like a wave of heat and tension.


    I froze halfway down the hall as I felt something moving between the rows of books in front of me.


    It didn¡¯t feel like someone, but... something.


    I stepped forward slowly as my heartbeat crawled up my throat. The light flickered slightly overhead as I moved toward the center of the room, eyes narrowing between the shelves.


    And that¡¯s when I saw it.


    A wolf.


    A full, massive, ck wolf was standing silently between the stacks of ancient books. Its deep green eyes were glowing with gold. Its shoulders were tense, muscles twitching under a sleek coat. Its presence filled the entire library like it had always belonged here.


    And it was staring directly at me.


    I stood frozen in my ce with my breath caught in my throat.


    The wolf didn¡¯t move.


    Didn¡¯t snarl.


    Didn¡¯t blink.


    But its presence was undeniable.


    It wasn¡¯t just a wolf.


    It was power.


    It was danger.


    It was wrong.


    <fn13dc> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n f?ndnovel</fn13dc>


    Every instinct in my body was screaming that this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. The Academy was protected. Full-moon or not, no one was allowed to shift outside the designated areas.


    And yet, here it was.


    Standing still.


    Watching me.


    Waiting.


    I took a single step back, and its ears twitched. Its gaze sharpened.


    And I suddenly had the feeling that running wouldn¡¯t help me.


    That nothing would.

 Chapter 71: The Big, Black Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 71: The Big, ck Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The wolf didn¡¯t move.


    But neither could I.


    My back was pressing lightly to the wooden railing of the stairs leading to upper floors. My feet felt frozen mid-step, and my lungs refused to expand fully, like any sudden breath might provoke the beast standing in front of me.


    I kept my eyes glued on it while it stood there - watching me.


    Not like prey.


    Not like threat.


    Just... watching.


    Its eyes were gleaming faintly in the dim lights of the library, but there was a depth in them I couldn¡¯t exin. Something human. Something aching.


    I swallowed and took another step back, only for the wolf to take a step forward.


    My stomach dropped immediately.


    A second passed. Another. And then, I turned and bolted.


    Stupid.


    So stupid, Eva.


    I didn¡¯t even make it to the main door. In seconds, the soft padding of ws echoed too close behind me. I stumbled against the reception desk just as a huge body blocked my path. The wolf didn¡¯t growl. Didn¡¯t pounce. It simply cut off my exit, standing tall and calm like a guardian or a wall.


    I backed away slowly. My palms were trembling as they brushed the smooth desk behind me. "I... I don¡¯t want trouble," I whispered, eyes on the wolf¡¯s unmoving form. "You are not supposed to be here."


    It blinked.


    Once.


    And then slowly, it sat.


    <i>Sat.</i>


    <i>The hell?</i>


    My breath wasing out in a heavy, disbelieving puff. The adrenaline was still pumping through me like fire, but a small part of my brain - my rational side - had started to catch up.


    The wolf hadn¡¯t attacked me. It hadn¡¯t chased me for sport. It was just... following.


    And now it was sitting there, like some beast-shaped statue with its tail curled neatly to its side and ears alert but rxed.


    "I don¡¯t understand," I whispered and saw it tilt its head.


    Goddess above, it was actually looking curious.


    Almost like -


    Could it be one of my friends?


    The thought suddenly struck me. And it made sense. Otherwise, why would a random wolf appear in front of me?


    But again, none of my friends had golden or green eyes. The only ones I knew with such eyes were -


    No!


    No. That couldn¡¯t be possible. But the more I looked at the wolf, the more familiar its eyes starting appearing.


    I nced toward the ss windows. Outside, the full moon had made its appearance, pulsing with a silvery glow that turned the world almost dreamlike.


    I moved around the desk carefully, trying not to look away from the wolf¡¯s eyes.


    "Okay," I said in a low and cautious voice. "I¡¯ll just... sit over here. Not moving. Not running. You can... do whatever you want."


    The wolf stood up instantly, making me flinch. But I calmed down when it didn¡¯t lunge.


    <fnc73c> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fnc73c>


    It started walking. Quietly. Slowly... To me.


    I stumbled into the chair behind the desk with hammering heart. But it didn¡¯t attack. Neither did ite too close.


    Instead, ity down in front of me, between the desk and the main exit, paws crossed like a statue and eyes trained on me. That was it.


    We stayed like that.


    Five minutes passed.


    Then ten.


    Then thirty.


    The longer I sat, the more my breath slowed. My limbs stopped shaking and my heartbeat steadied, if only slightly. The weight of fear was beginning to lift.


    "Who are you?" I asked softly and noticed how its ears twitched immediately.


    I wasn¡¯t expecting a response. But still, I found myself speaking again. "If you wanted to hurt me, you would have done it already."


    Still no movement.


    "So why are you here?"


    It blinked again, slower this time.


    I leaned back in the chair and my gaze drifted up toward the massive window overlooking the courtyard. The moon had reached its peak now. Its light was softer somehow, less blinding. Like it had finished whatever pull it held.


    "I have never met a wolf like you." The words came out without meaning to. I should be screaming. I should be trying to escape. But I wasn¡¯t.


    Because somewhere deep in my chest, a strange calm had settled.


    Maybe I was tired. Or maybe it was the quiet, the moonlight, the steady rhythm of breath beside me.


    Or maybe...


    Maybe I was feeling something. A connection. A bond. A familiarity.


    The wolf didn¡¯t move again, but I noticed the shift in its posture - just a slight adjustment of its head, a flick of its tail, like it was trying to getfortable.


    "Are you one of them?" I murmured the question before I could have stopped myself.


    And while there was still no response from the wolf, I knew that it belonged to one of the Rogue Alphas. Because that same pull was there that always came with the brothers.


    I just didn¡¯t know which one.


    Another ten minutes passed.


    I pulled my knees up to my chest in the chair and rested my chin atop them. Neither of us moved. The world outside had gone still, the campus swallowed in that deep, velvet silence that only came once the moon was highest and strongest.


    And then, I sensed a shift in the very air surrounding me. It was slow, gentle. Almost like wind rustling through the trees.


    I heard bones creak.


    Fur shimmered.


    My heart was thudding as the figure began to rise - limbs stretching, form contorting, light bending in ways it shouldn¡¯t have.


    I scrambled to my feet with wide eyes. The moonlight caught on skin, not fur, as the wolf - no, the person - stood up.


    Naked.


    Tall.


    And facing away from me. His back was tense, head bowed, and his dark hair was a mess.


    Even with his back facing me, I recognized him immediately. How could I not when the rush of familiar tingles hit me hard?


    My breath hitched as I watched him turn. Just slightly. Just enough for the shadows to part.


    I knew that voice the moment it whispered, low and soft.


    "...You stayed."

 Chapter 72: Giving in to Temptation

    <h4>Chapter 72: Giving in to Temptation</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Oscar.


    I stared at him like I was seeing a ghost... except ghosts didn¡¯t breathe heavy in the moonlight. They didn¡¯t hold your gaze with dark green eyes full of wild tension. They didn¡¯t smell like fire and pine and something dangerous that lived in the back of your throat and heart.


    But he did.


    He was real.


    And he was naked.


    I instinctively took a step back. My heart was mming so hard that it hurt. The weight of the mate bond red up between us like it had just remembered its purpose. A golden string pulled tight in my chest, vibrating, burning.


    He didn¡¯t move at first. His gaze was locked on mine, unreadable.


    He was the same man who kept telling me to stay away. Who hadn¡¯t even looked at me since ourst meeting when my world tilted and my heart betrayed me by epting him despite everything.


    <fn95a2> The rightful source is find?novel</fn95a2>


    He had rejected that bond. Rejected me. Even if not directly, his words that day were enough for me to know that he didn¡¯t want the bond, or me.


    But his wolf?


    His wolf had done the exact opposite.


    "I didn¡¯t know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn¡¯t know it was you."


    His jaw twitched. Still, he didn¡¯t speak.


    The tension thickened between us. It was like a pressure that was pushing against my skin like the heat before a storm. I should have left. I should have turned and walked straight to the door. But I didn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Because something in his eyes had changed.


    There was no cold dismissal there. No contempt. Just intensity. Heat. Hunger. And something far more terrifying... need.


    "I told you to stay away." His voice was low and raw, breaking the silence. "So why are you here?"


    My lips parted in disbelief. "You think I followed you? It¡¯s the other way around for your kind information."


    He took one slow step toward me and the air shifted.


    "You are in the library. Alone. On a full moon night."


    "It¡¯s my Academy, too!" I shot back, feeling slightly frustrated. "And if anyone¡¯s to me for this situation, it¡¯s your wolf, not me!"


    His expression faltered.


    Just for a second.


    And that second was all I needed.


    "Your wolf came here," I said, quieter now, almost breathless. "He found me. He waited for me. He didn¡¯t hurt me. He didn¡¯t leave."


    His hands clenched at his sides. "He¡¯s... not me."


    "Yes, he is," I whispered. "He¡¯s the part of you that you try to bury. The part that doesn¡¯t lie."


    I saw it in his eyes then - that war. That push and pull inside him. The Alpha and the man. The wolf and the stubborn fool who didn¡¯t want this bond.


    But tonight?


    Tonight, he wasn¡¯t the one making decisions.


    I stepped back, slowly, until I reached one of the lounge chairs by the window. I didn¡¯t sit. I couldn¡¯t. My legs were trembling too much. My heart was caught between fear and something dangerously close to longing.


    "Are you going to tell me to stay away again?" I asked softly. "Even now?"


    He didn¡¯t answer.


    Instead, he crossed the space between us in three big strides.


    He didn¡¯t touch me.


    But Goddess, he almost did.


    His presence towered over mine. The heat rolling off his body was wild and electric. The bond between us was screaming louder now, coiling around my ribs like vines with thorns.


    "I shouldn¡¯t be here," he muttered, more to himself than to me.


    "But you are."


    I looked up into his face. His lips were parted and his breath was uneven. The edge of his control was so thin I could feel it cracking. The full moon had done something to him. Not just to his wolf. But to him.


    "I fought this," he said suddenly in a harsh voice. "From the moment I scented you, I fought it. Because I didn¡¯t want this - you - to destroy what¡¯s left of my brothers."


    "I never asked to be your mate," I shot back and lifted my chin. "You think this bond doesn¡¯t terrify me, too? That I want to be tied to someone who looks at me like I¡¯m poison?"


    His face twisted, but I didn¡¯t back down.


    "I hate this," I admitted with a shaking breath. "I hate how it feels when you look at me. How my chest aches when you ignore me. How your wolf shows up and makes me feel like I matter, and then you disappear like I don¡¯t."


    His hand moved.


    Just a flicker of movement, like he was about to reach for me... and then stopped.


    But it was enough.


    My resolve cracked. And before I could think it through, before my fear could remind me how wrong this was... I stepped forward.


    The bond between us red at the closeness.


    I was standing so close now, causing our breaths to mingle. I stared at his lips. At the sharp line of his jaw. At the brokenness he tried to hide but couldn¡¯t anymore.


    "I don¡¯t know what you want from me," I whispered.


    But he didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he did thest thing I was expecting.


    He leaned down... slowly, so carefully... and rested his forehead against mine.


    The touch was light. Barely there. But it felt like being struck by lightning.


    "You drive me insane," he murmured in a hoarse voice. "I hate how you make me feel. How he..." he thumped his chest, "... how he won¡¯t stop wanting you."


    "Then don¡¯t fight him." The words escaped before I could stop them, and his breath hitched.


    "Don¡¯t tempt me," he growled.


    But I already had.


    And I didn¡¯t pull away.


    Not even when he gently, almost reluctantly, pressed his palm to my waist. Not even when his nose brushed along my jaw in the softest, most reverent way, like he was scenting me.


    Because some twisted, desperate part of me wanted it.


    Wanted him.


    Even after everything.


    "I can¡¯t give you what you want, Evaline," he said, his voice breaking. "But tonight... I just need to stay close."


    I nodded, chest burning. "Then stay."

 Chapter 73: Alpha’s Claim (I)

    <h4>Chapter 73: Alpha¡¯s im (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His touch was barely there.


    But it seared through my skin like wildfire, sinking into the hollow of my chest where his name had carved itself the moment we first met and the mate bond flickered to life between us.


    I didn¡¯t mean to lean in.


    But I did.


    I let my forehead rest against his. My breath was trembling between us, catching on every flicker of heat that licked up my spine. His hand on my waist wasn¡¯t firm, wasn¡¯t pulling, but it grounded me. Anchored me to him in a way I had sworn never to allow.


    And still, I didn¡¯t move.


    Because I couldn¡¯t.


    Because the bond between us had stopped being a whisper. It was a scream now. A hurricane inside me, shaking me from the inside out.


    His thumb brushed my waist, slow and unsteady. "You should hate me," he said. "You should want nothing to do with me."


    "Maybe I do," I said quietly. "But my heart stopped listening the moment you looked at me like I was yours."


    He exhaled, sharp and shaky. "I never meant to."


    "I know."


    His nose brushed mine again, and it made my knees threaten to give out. I could smell the fire on his skin and my body responded before my brain could. My hands lifted, unthinking, and I curled my fingers around the edge of his bare shoulders.


    He didn¡¯t flinch.


    Didn¡¯t step back.


    Didn¡¯t say my name like a curse or spit out the truth of my bloodline like it was poison on his tongue.


    He just stood there, letting me touch him.


    Letting me close.


    And for someone like him, someone like me, that meant everything.


    "I¡¯m not supposed to want you," he said again. "You are the daughter of the man who ughtered my pack. My parents. Me and my brothers lost everything because of your father."


    "I¡¯m not my father."


    "No," he admitted. "But when I look at you... I see him."


    My grip on his shoulders tightened and I felt my lungs squeezing painfully as I asked, "Then why are you still here?"


    His eyes, dark and stormy, locked on mine. "Because when I look longer...<i> I see you</i>."


    My heart cracked wide open.


    The truth shimmered between us... sharp and dangerous.


    His brothers hated me. Especially River. The eldest Rogue Alpha who stared at me like I was a ticking time bomb every time we crossed paths. And maybe I was.


    But right now?


    It was just us.


    Just the bond.


    The full moon.


    And the raw ache of wanting something we couldn¡¯t have but needed anyway.


    <fn82f6> Fresh chapters posted on fin?novel</fn82f6>


    His fingers flexed against my waist. His head dropped lower, and my breath caught when his lips hovered over mine. He didn¡¯t kiss me. Not yet. But it was so close I could taste the decision breaking inside him.


    "I used the full moon as an excuse," he admitted. "Said it was my wolf¡¯s fault. That I couldn¡¯t help it."


    My pulse thundered. "And now?"


    His lips brushed mine. It wasn¡¯t a kiss, just a cruel, beautiful tease.


    "Now I just don¡¯t want to fight anymore."


    I gasped, and that single breath was all it took.


    He closed the distance... and I shattered.


    His mouth crashed against mine with weeks of buried longing. Of fury and guilt and confusion and need. His lips moved like they had been starving, and mine answered like they were just as desperate. There was no softness in the kiss. No hesitation. Just heat and hunger and the bond roaring between us like a tidal wave.


    His hand slid from my waist to the small of my back, pulling me flush against his very bare chest. Heat to heat. Every inch of him was fire, and I was burning for him.


    My fingers found his hair and tugged at those soft strands. He groaned into my mouth. The sound was rough and low and devastating.


    The lounge chair was behind me, and he walked us back without breaking the kiss, guiding me until the back of my knees hit the cushion. He paused only long enough to stare at me again, like he wasn¡¯t sure I was real.


    "Tell me to stop," he rasped. "If you do, I will."


    I didn¡¯t.


    Because my body had betrayed me long ago. Because my heart never stood a chance.


    And because the part of me that should have told him to stop? That part was gone. Buried under every moment he had looked at me like he didn¡¯t want me... when deep down, I knew he did.


    "I won¡¯t," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I won¡¯t tell you to stop."


    His lips returned to mine with a force that shook me.


    We fell onto the chair, tangled and breathless, and his mouth never left mine. His hands mapped every inch of me, trembling like this was the first time he had touched something he couldn¡¯t destroy. And maybe it was. Maybe I was the first thing he didn¡¯t want to ruin.


    His wolf was close now. I could feel it, just beneath the surface, wing at him, wing at me, not out of rage but out of longing. I felt it when he scented me again, when he buried his face in my neck and let out a growl so low it vibrated through my bones.


    "Mine," he whispered like a confession.


    And Moon Goddess help me... I wanted to be.


    I pulled him closer. My breath catching when his hand slid beneath my uniform shirt that was no longer tucked in my skirt. The moment his calloused fingers came in contact with the bare skin of my waist, tingles erupted all over me.


    But something else struck me in that moment as well - realization. I realized just how aroused he was as his erection was pressing against my inner thigh. And I also realized that no matter how much we wanted it, I wanted him, we couldn¡¯t continue.


    I was still in my second month of pregnancy and I couldn¡¯t take any risks.


    The reminder of my pregnancy was like a bucket of ice cold water, making all my need and desire fading away in seconds.


    And right before his hand could have moved any up, I pushed him away...!

 Chapter 74: Alpha’s Claim (II)

    <h4>Chapter 74: Alpha¡¯s im (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment my hands pressed against his chest, I knew it wasn¡¯t fair - not to him, not to me. But the reminder of my pregnancy had yanked me back to reality, and reality was sharp and cold and merciless.


    "Oscar..." I said. My voice was shaky and quiet as I pushed him away.


    His eyes snapped open, breath catching as if just realizing how close we were to crossing a line we couldn¡¯te back from. I pulled away and wrapped my arms around myself instinctively. The space between us was too small, but it felt like a canyon in that moment.


    He didn¡¯t say anything at first. His breathing was still harsh, his body still strung tight with restraint, and his eyes - wild, hungry, beautiful - were watching me with confusion and guilt battling in them.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered, feeling the need to say something.


    His brows furrowed in confusion and he asked, "Why are you apologizing?"


    I looked away. The warmth of his body was still lingering on my skin, and the bond between us was tugging painfully, like it hated being interrupted. "Because I wanted it too," I said truthfully, "but I can¡¯t..."


    His gaze searched mine for a beat longer, and then he nodded.


    And for the first time since I had known him, Oscar stepped back. He gave me space. Not because he wanted to. But because I needed it.


    I took off my Academy zer and wordlessly offered it to him. He blinked at it, then gave a low, amused sound that was half a chuckle, half a groan. "That thing won¡¯t cover a damn thing," he muttered.


    I couldn¡¯t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "It¡¯s either that or the curtain, and I don¡¯t think Ms. Harlow would appreciate finding one missing."


    He eyed me for a moment, then took the zer. Since there was no way he could have fit into it, he tied it around his waist to hide the... most distracting part of his at the moment.


    Once he was done, he looked absolutely ridiculous, and somehow, still unfairly gorgeous.


    I bit my lip, trying not tough. "You look... respectable."


    "Do I?" His mouth curved into a lopsided smirk. "Remind me to carry a bag of clothes next full moon ."


    "Remind me to stay locked in my dorm next full moon."


    A short silence fell between us, but it wasn¡¯t awkward. If anything, it felt like an exhale. Like we had both been holding our breath for weeks, and now we finally let a little bit out.


    But the silence was broken when he suddenly made an unexpected request. "Sit closer to me."


    I hesitated for a second or two, before giving in. I curled beside him on the couch that was barely enough for both of us. He immediately folded his arms around me before I could settle, pulling me into his chest.


    Being held like that... felt perfect.


    His warmth was perfect. His scent. The steady thump of his heart. The way he rested his chin on top of my head and let out a quiet breath, like this - this - was what we had been needing all along.


    "Sorry for rushing you," he murmured against my hair. "I wasn¡¯t thinking."


    "You were thinking," I corrected. "Just... with a different part of yourself."


    He huffed augh. "Guilty."


    We stayed like that for a long moment, tangled together in the soft quiet of the library. The moonlight was casting silver lines across the floor.


    "Do you think we¡¯ll regret this in the morning?" I asked quietly.


    He tipped his head, just enough to press a kiss to the crown of mine. "Probably."


    I turned my head a little, enough to meet his eyes. "But not yet?"


    He smiled. "Not yet."


    Then another kiss followed. This one near my temple. Then another, along my jaw. My breath caught when his lips brushed the curve beneath my ear, making my entire body tense in the most delicious way.


    "Oscar," I warned.


    "Hmm?" he asked in a low, dangerous murmur.


    "I¡¯m trying to be good."


    "Me too," he said, kissing the side of my throat. "We are both doing a terrible job."


    Despite myself, Iughed softly. "You are going to get me into so much trouble."


    "I think you already were trouble, Evaline."


    He leaned down again, this time capturing my lips in a slow, tender kiss that sent my heart spinning. It wasn¡¯t rushed like earlier. It wasn¡¯t desperate or fevered. It was the kind of kiss that felt like a promise.


    A dangerous one.


    My hands found their way to his neck, and my fingers brushed against the soft hair at his nape as his tongue swept gently against mine. I should have pulled away. I should have ended it.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    Instead, I let myself feel.


    Because Goddess, I wanted to feel something good. Even if it wouldn¡¯tst. Even if the world was ready to burn around us.


    His mouth left mine only to return to the skin just below my ear. Every kiss was making my pulse race. Every breath I took wasced with his scent. And every whispered word he spoke in between made my chest ache a little more.


    "I think about you all the time."


    I blinked. "Even when you are being an ass?"


    "Especially then."


    I shook my head, but my smile betrayed me. "Well, I guess I think about you too."


    He grinned against my neck. "Even when I¡¯m being an ass?"


    I didn¡¯t answer, but my kiss on his jaw was enough.


    Eventually, the heat between us mellowed into something softer. Sleepier. He stretched out just a little, adjusting me more into hisp until I was half draped over him. His hands settled on my back, warm and heavy. I didn¡¯t realize how much I needed this closeness until now.


    "I could stay like this all night," I mumbled.


    "You are wee to," he said much to my surprise.


    The thought of this sweet momenting to an end, and him returning to his usual self - made my heart clench. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was strong enough to handle his rejection after experiencing something so beautiful with him like this.


    Before I could stop myself, I was cing a kiss on his lips.


    <fn5bdf> Updates are released by Find1Novel</fn5bdf>


    He stared at me, as if he could feel the shift of my thoughts. His hand came to cup the back of my head before he started running his fingers through my hair that were almost back in their original color.


    He let out a quiet sigh and nuzzled my cheek onest time. "I need to shift back before someone finds us like this."


    I hesitated, not wanting the moment to end. But eventually sat up reluctantly, already missing his warmth. He stood and slipped off the zer, handing it back to me with a wink. "Thanks for the modesty. Ten out of ten coverage."


    I folded it over my arm, shaking my head. "Next time I¡¯ll bring a towel."


    Heughed.


    Then his body shimmered, muscles tightening, bones shifting in a smooth, graceful ripple. Where Oscar once stood, now arge dark wolf stared at me with those same fierce golden-green eyes.


    Still him.


    Still mine.


    Even if I couldn¡¯t have him.


    I crouched and reached out, scratching gently behind his ear. He leaned into the touch, and a soft rumble vibrated through his chest.


    "Be careful," I whispered. "You are already making things worse just by being you."


    He gave a low huff, like he understood, and turned toward the shadows near the back of the library. Hisrge body moved soundlessly as he slipped into the dark, vanishing before anyone could see.


    And I was alone again.


    I stared at the spot he disappeared, zer still clutched in my arms and heart racing for all the wrong reasons.


    Tonight had been beautiful.


    Unexpected.


    Real.


    But it didn¡¯t fix anything. It didn¡¯t change the fact that I was still carrying a child that wasn¡¯t his. That I had felt mate bonds with more than one of the Rogue Alphas. That the others, precisely River, would never ept me.


    No one knew any of it and I couldn¡¯t make up my mind to reveal anything to anyone when we weren¡¯t officially together yet.


    I wrapped the zer around myself and stepped out into the hallway, head down, heart full of butterflies that fluttered and fought inside my chest.


    This night had changed everything.


    And somehow... it had only made everything worse.

 Chapter 75: Unnecessary Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 75: Unnecessary Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The second day after the full moon was when things finally started returning to normal.


    The howling in the distance had stopped. The energy in the air - the restless tension clinging to every hallway, stairwell, and hidden forest trails - had slowly faded like morning mist. Wolves were calm again, grounded. Students had filled the campus with their usual chatter. Professors also resumed lectures with the stern energy they always carried on daily basis.


    And I?


    I pretended.


    Pretended like I hadn¡¯t spent the full moon locked in the library with a man who wasn¡¯t supposed to want me.


    Pretended like Oscar¡¯s arms hadn¡¯t felt like something I secretly craved.


    Pretended like the mate bond wasn¡¯t still humming quietly beneath my skin, desperate and alive despite knowing that there was no hope for us.


    I put my hair up in a high bun, put on the uniform, and headed to dining hall with the same purpose I used to have before all of this mess. Focus. Learn. Survive.


    <i>Forget.</i>


    But Silver Moon Academy never really made it that easy.


    Especially when my first ss of the day was with Professor Kieran.


    - - -


    <fn06e3> Fresh chapters posted on F?nd-Novel</fn06e3>


    "Today we¡¯ll be working with Larkroot, Frostmint, and Blightvine," Professor Kieran announced as we filed into his greenhouse-turned-ssroom.


    "These herbs aremonly used in calming brews and sleep potions, but vtile when mixed improperly. A single drop too much of Blightvine will turn your entire mixture into poison. So pay attention."


    His voice was smooth and authoritative, the kind that made students straighten instinctively in their seats.


    I took my ce near the back with Mallory and Ria, slipping on my gloves and apron while sneaking a quick nce at the array of herbsid out on the long wooden tables. All freshly harvested. The room was filled with the smell of soil and crushed herbs, sharp and earthy.


    Professor Kieran was standing near the front, wearing a fitted charcoal vest over a dark green shirt. He had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows as he moved with fluid grace between the tables. His eyes scanned the room, notzily, but with focus.


    When his gazended on me, it didn¡¯t move.


    My breath caught for a second. Not because he was looking. But because of <i>how</i> he was looking.


    Warm.


    Lingering.


    Almost as if he was... relieved?


    I dropped my gaze to my tools.


    Stop it, Eva.


    Not now.


    "Miss Greystone," he said suddenly, making me snap my head up while half the ss turned to look at me.


    Even the brats in the front row - those ever-jealous, ever-watchful students who always seemed to sneer when I spoke too confidently - turned with narrowed eyes.


    "Yes, Professor?" I said, careful to sound neutral.


    He walked toward my table and ced a neatly bundled Frostmint stem beside my cutting board.


    "Would you mind assisting me during today¡¯s preparation rounds? You have consistently scored highest in potion bnce tests, and I could use an extra pair of sharp hands."


    There it was.


    The invitation.


    A spotlight I didn¡¯t ask for, but couldn¡¯t turn down. Not when knowledge was the one ce I still had power.


    "Of course," I said quietly and stood up.


    He gave a small smile... small, but real.


    I heard the hiss of whispers almost immediately. Someone behind me muttered something that included the words <i>ying innocent </i>and <i>bitch.</i>


    I ignored them.


    It was only my friends that gave me encouraging nods and smiles, like they always had.


    Professor Kieran led me to the front of the room where several bowls were already prepared with measurements of the three herbs.


    "I¡¯ll demonstrate the first brew," he said, loud enough for the ss to hear. "Miss Evaline will prepare the second. Watch carefully. You¡¯ll each attempt your own afterward."


    He moved like the herbs respected him.


    There were no wasted movements. Each leaf, root, and pinch of powder was handled with intention. Watching him work was like watching a spell be woven - not one of magic, but of mastery. He had that quiet,manding presence that even the most distracted students couldn¡¯t look away from.


    Once he finished, he stepped aside. "Miss Evaline?"


    I nodded and stepped up. My hands were trembling slightly as I reached for the Larkroot, but I steadied them. I had done this before. Countless times.


    Just never with every pair of eyes on me... including <i>his</i>.


    Growing up, herbology and potion making was my secret talent, one I started learning for personal gains but soon found myself falling in love with it.


    With this reminder, I got to work. I crushed the root with the pestle, added the Frostmint in small shavings, and stirred in a slow figure-eight pattern exactly as Kieran had demonstrated.


    And when I reached for the Blightvine, the dangerous one, I felt him move closer behind me.


    He wasn¡¯t touching, but close enough to sense.


    "You have got it," he said softly, too low for the others to hear. "Steady."


    I added the precise three drops and watched as the brew turned a gentle shade of violet... perfect.


    The ss murmured in approval.


    When I stepped back, Professor Kieran gave me a faint nod, and for a moment, I saw something flicker across his face. Pride?


    "Excellent work," he said aloud, returning to the center of the room. "Now, in pairs, begin your own preparations. I¡¯ll be checking each brew before ss ends."


    I made my way back to my table, trying not to flush under the weight of the res being shot my way from across the room.


    Noah leaned over from his ce beside Ria, whispering, "You realize the angry fan club is going toe for you with pitchforks."


    "I didn¡¯t ask to be chosen," I said tly.


    "That¡¯s never stopped jealous people before," Mallory added as she started chopping Larkroot.


    I tried to focus on their banter. I really did. But every time I looked up, I caught him watching me.


    He wasn¡¯t just observing. But Watching.


    And it didn¡¯t help that the more attention he gave me, the more the front-row gang red. It was a trio of girls - Nadine, Violet, and Bianca. They were whispering in huddled judgment, their eyes darting between me and Kieran like they were already drafting letters ofint.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what upset them more... that I had the professor¡¯s attention, or that I didn¡¯t appear to be enjoying it.


    And honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure myself.


    Kieran was... kind.


    Protective.


    Gentle in ways the others weren¡¯t.


    And yet, every time he looked at me with something soft in his expression, I felt torn. Because no matter how much warmth was there, I was just a girl whom he felt some sympathy for.


    And I didn¡¯t want his sympathy tond me in unnecessary trouble.

 Chapter 76: Alpha’s Alarming Request

    <h4>Chapter 76: Alpha¡¯s rming Request</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The rest of the ss passed in a blur.


    Even as I returned to my seat and attempted to help Mallory and Ria with their brew, my thoughts stayed tangled in the moment before - Kieran¡¯s voice close to my ear, the warmth in his gaze, the quiet pride. He hadn¡¯t praised anyone else aloud. Just me.


    And that should have felt good.


    But I had learned long ago that attention, especially the wrong kind, always came with consequences.


    When the ss ended, I barely had time to gather my notes before his voice rang out again.


    "Miss Evaline, stay back for a moment."


    It was casual, almost offhand. But to the girls who had spent thest hour staring daggers at me, it might as well have been an invitation to war.


    I heard Bianca¡¯s sharp intake of breath. Nadine looked like she was going to bite through her lip, and Violet didn¡¯t bother hiding her rolled eyes.


    I pretended not to notice any of it.


    "See youter," I whispered to my friends as they packed up.


    "You want us to wait outside?" Ria asked in a low and a little too serious voice, almost causing a smile to crack on my lips.


    "No. Just... go ahead. I¡¯ll be fine."


    Noah raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Text us if the Professor turns out to be a secretly love-struck vampire."


    I almostughed this time. Almost.


    The greenhouse emptied quickly, and once the door shut behind thest student, Professor Kieran began organizing the bowls and vials at the front table.


    His movements were calm and unhurried, unlike my racing heart.


    "Thank you for assisting today," he said after a moment, ncing at me.


    I nodded. "It was no trouble."


    "You performed well. As expected."


    Silence stretched again and I shifted awkwardly before mustering the courage to ask, "Was that all, Professor?"


    "No. Actually..." He walked over to his desk and picked up a small notebook. "There¡¯s a quiz scheduled for Monday. I want to make sure the ss is properly prepared, and you are the most capable person to assist with that."


    I blinked. "You want me to... help with the quiz?"


    "In a way," he replied. "I have prepared supplemental reports - herb breakdowns, reaction patterns, potential pairings. With those, you could conduct two prep sessions before the quiz. But the reports are at the mansion."


    My breath caught at thest sentence. "The mansion?"


    "Yes. I left them in my study. I¡¯ll be away on assignment starting tomorrow and won¡¯t return until Sunday evening. Which is toote to assist the ss."


    He said all of this so professionally, so rationally, that for a second, I just stood there like an idiot, trying to piece together what felt very normal... and yet not.


    "You... want me toe with you to your mansion?" I repeated slowly.


    "To retrieve the reports," he rified with a tilt of his head. "Nothing more."


    I opened my mouth, closed it, then tried again. "Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to ask one of your men to deliver them?"


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    He shook his head. "They are out on a separate task. And even if they could deliver them, you would receive them by tomorrow evening at the earliest."


    I frowned and muttered, "That¡¯s not terrible."


    "For the average student, no. But if you want the ss to benefit, and prepare in time, the best time to distribute the notes would be tomorrow morning."


    I was still hesitating.


    He stepped closer and folded his arms. "You have internship duties on the weekend, do you not?"


    I nodded.


    "Which gives you only Thursday and Friday to help your ssmates. And if you receive the notes Friday evening, that leaves no time to review, organize, or hold a session."


    Everything he was saying made sense. Perfect, undeniable sense. And yet...


    "You are not... worried about the way it might look?" I asked carefully.


    His brows lifted slightly as he asked, "How it might look?"


    "You are asking me, a student, toe with you to the private mansion of the rogue Alphas. Do you know how that sounds to people already determined to hate me?"


    His gaze darkened with understanding and he murmured a secondter. "I see."


    For a second, I thought he might say something like don¡¯t worry about them or let them talk - things teachers often said when they didn¡¯t truly understand the weight of being watched, whispered about, picked apart.


    But he surprised me.


    Instead, he walked back to his desk and picked up a folded paper from beneath a book. Then he turned to me and said,


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be announcing your new position tomorrow morning."


    "My what?"


    "You¡¯ll be the ss president of Year One."


    It took a moment for the words to register. And when they did, I almost forgot to breathe.


    "What?"


    He gave me the faintest smile. "You have demonstrated academic excellence in three courses, consistent leadership in assignments, and emotional resilience in the face of more... personal challenges. It¡¯s only natural that you step into a more visible role."


    "But... I didn¡¯t ask for this. No one even voted-"


    "I¡¯m within my rights as a professor to appoint leadership where I see potential. If anyone has questions, they cane to me."


    I opened my mouth again, but he was already packing thest of the tools into a wooden box.


    "After your sses end today, meet me at the Academy gates. I¡¯ll take you to the mansion to get the reports."


    "I don¡¯t think this is a good idea," I said, almost to myself.


    But he looked up and met my gaze directly.


    "I do," he said quietly. "Because I trust you, Evaline. And it¡¯s time others started doing the same."


    His voice was calm. Firm. Unshakable.


    And even though the knot in my stomach was twisting tighter, part of me - the part that still wanted to believe I could be more than the girl everyone whispered about - felt something stir at those words.


    Hope. Or maybe just... danger in disguise.

 Chapter 77: The Surpise at the Mansion

    <h4>Chapter 77: The Surpise at the Mansion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I shifted on my feet, watching the sun filter through the tall windows of the greenhouse ssroom. A strange sensation was making my chest feel heavier - prideced with hesitation.


    "You are going to make a lot of people ufortable with this power, Evaline," Professor Kieran added.


    I already was.


    "I want to choose the ss Keeper myself," I said quietly after I finally epted his decision.


    His head lifted slightly and his dark green eyes focused on me. I didn¡¯t flinch. "You do?"


    "Yes." Iced my fingers together, trying not to fidget. "If I¡¯m to lead this ss, I need someone I trust beside me. Someone reliable. Someone I know will always do the right thing."


    He leaned back against the desk and arched a brow. "And your choice?"


    I didn¡¯t hesitate as I dropped the name. "Kyros."


    As soon as the name left my lips, I saw something shift in Kieran¡¯s expression - a twitch of approval.


    "Kyros," he repeated, as though tasting the name. "Top scorer after you in the entrance exams. Alpha-blooded, clean record, sharp instincts. Loyal. Good choice."


    I allowed myself a small breath of relief. "He¡¯s also one of my friends. I trust him."


    He folded his arms over his chest. "I see no reason to object. Inform him yourself, he should hear it from you before the professors make it official."


    I nodded quickly. "Thank you, sir."


    He inclined his head, and I didn¡¯t wait around long enough to invite further questions. The truth was, his approval made my chest tighten more than it should have. I couldn¡¯t afford to think about how strange and careful his attention was bing.


    I hurried down the marble hallway toward my next ss, letting my feet carry me faster than my mind. My thoughts were a whirlwind - about Kyros, about my new role, about this entire idea of me going to the mansion.


    When I stepped into the ssroom, Mallory waved me over to the desk in third row, and Ria gave me her usual grin from beside her. Kyros had his arms crossed on the desk, head tilted, as if he already knew something wasing.


    "Took you long enough," Mallory whispered as I slid into my seat. "What did he want?"


    I exhaled slowly. "It¡¯s...plicated. He offered me a position."


    Their eyes widened.


    "ss President," I said. "Effective immediately. And Kyros," I nced toward him, "will be the ss Keeper."


    Kyros blinked. "Wait, what?"


    I smiled and leaned forward to whisper, "I asked for you. I wanted someone I trust."


    For a moment, his expression went perfectly still, then softened into something rare - genuine, quiet pride. "Thanks, Eva. I¡¯ll do my best."


    "You better," I teased.


    Mallory gaped. "You are President? Of Year One? Eva, that¡¯s... Goddess, that¡¯s huge."


    Ria elbowed her as she spoke, "Well deserved, if you ask me."


    I smiled softly at her, feeling my heart easing just a little. "It¡¯s... a lot. But I¡¯ll manage."


    The bell rang before we could talk more, and our focus shifted to lectures and note-taking. After lunch, we filed into History and Politics ss as the midday sun castzy shadows across the desks. I felt the shift in the air even before the professor spoke.


    Professor Elira walked to the front with slow, deliberate steps. She was younger than most, but her voicemanded the room with ease. She ced a folder on her desk before turning to survey the ss.


    "Before we begin," she said, "a quick announcement."


    I sat straighter, my heart skipping a beat as I prepared for what wasing.


    "With the full agreement of the Academy Council and all Year One professors, we are instating two student roles this term. Your ss President will be Miss Evaline."


    There were audible gasps. A few people whispered, and not kindly.


    "And your ss Keeper will be Mr. Kyros Graves."


    More whispers.


    Someone from the back scoffed. "Why her?"


    I turned slowly. It was Marcus - always loud, always arrogant. Professor Elira¡¯s gaze cut toward him with deadly precision.


    "You want to know why?" Her voice was calm, but sharp. "Miss Evaline ranked first in the entrance examination - the same one where you ced thirty-second, Mr. Bane."


    There were some chuckles and Marcus looked thoroughly embarrassed.


    Professor Elira continued, "Miss Evaline is consistently top of the ss in every subject. She shows discipline, attentiveness, and initiative. She has answered more questions in this ss alone than half of youbined."


    That shut everyone up.


    "She is also an intern at the Council... the youngest we have seen in a century," the professor finished, smoothing out her clothes. "So, unless any of you haveparable qualifications, I suggest you hold your tongues."


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    I lowered my gaze, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. Not from embarrassment, but from pressure. Every single word of praise felt like a spotlight. I didn¡¯t like it. But at least it kept the doubters quiet.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur of congrattions from some and res from others. When the final bell rang, I packed my bag quickly and slipped out of ss.


    I had to meet Professor Kieran, but I had no ns of going alone.


    I found Mallory by the lockers, and she tilted her head when she saw my expression. "What now?"


    "You areing with me," I said, grabbing her hand.


    She blinked. "To...?"


    "The mansion."


    Her mouth fell open. "What mansion? You can¡¯t be talking about <i>that mansion</i>!"


    I nodded. "Professor Kieran is taking me there to grab some reports. I figured... maybe it would be easier if you came too."


    Her eyes flicked between excitement and sheer panic. "I... should I be excited or terrified?"


    "Both," I muttered.


    We arrived at the Academy¡¯s front gate just as Kieran pulled up in a sleek ck car. The engine was purring like a beast, and the windows were tinted dark.


    When he stepped out, his expression flickered slightly upon seeing Mallory at my side.


    "She¡¯s with me," I said before he could speak.


    His unreadable gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he nodded once. "Fine. Get in."


    Mallory clutched my arm as we slid into the back seat. "For the very first time, he smells dangerous." She whispered.


    "He is dangerous," I whispered back.


    As the car sped through the forest road, I stared out the window. A whileter, the trees started thinning, revealing the towering gates of the mansion. Even now, after everything, the sight of it still gave me chills.


    The gates opened slowly, revealing a wide stone path lined with manicured bushes and fountains. The mansion was looming ahead like a fortress, majestic and cold.


    Mallory pressed her face to the ss. "This ce looks like a fairytale."


    "Not the good kind," I murmured before I could stop myself.


    When we stepped out, a few servants milling near the entrance paused. Their eyes locked on my Academy uniform, then flicked to Kieran, then back to me. They recognized me immediately.


    They knew who I was. They remembered. And they were looking ufortable.


    My gaze thennded on a very familiar face, Sera. She was standing by the doorway, watching us. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. But Kieran¡¯s presence silenced her. One look from him, and she lowered her gaze, stepping aside.


    I nced at Mallory who was too busy gaping at the sheer luxury around us to notice anything. Good. She didn¡¯t need to know what I used to be.


    I wasn¡¯t ashamed of the work I had done, I was ashamed of the memories. Of how powerless I used to be in these halls. And most importantly, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to exin my twisted rtion with the Rogue Alphas.


    Professor Kieran led us through the grand corridor, past rooms I had once cleaned.


    We rounded a corner toward the west wing when the air shifted.


    A man was standing at the far end of the hallway. Broad shoulders. Dark brown hair that they almost looked ck in shadows, just like his eyes. And though I have seen him only once before this, I recognized him instantly.


    Jasper.


    He was River¡¯s second-inmand. His Beta. And the same man who caught me during my run and brought me here to present to his Alpha.


    My pulse quickened.


    But he wasn¡¯t looking at me.


    His gaze had locked onto Mallory.


    And in that instant, the entire world seemed to still.


    His chest rose sharply, like he had been punched in the gut. Mallory blinked up at him, confused, unsure why the stranger looked like the ground beneath him had cracked open.


    "Who-?" she started, but he stepped forward, slowly, like a predator stalking prey.


    His voice came low and ragged.


    "Mine."


    Mallory froze.


    So did I.


    And somewhere deep in my chest, I knew... everything had just changed.

 Chapter 78: Tangled in Fate

    <h4>Chapter 78: Tangled in Fate</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The moment our eyes met, something snapped inside me. It wasn¡¯t painful, but it was jarring. Like my whole body had gone electric. Like I had suddenly stepped into a different realm entirely, one where the only things that mattered were his eyes on mine, and the breath I couldn¡¯t seem to take in.


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    My heart was hammering in my chest, hard and loud and fast. I couldn¡¯t look away. Couldn¡¯t breathe.


    And then I felt it.


    The bond.


    Every fairytale I had heard whispered in corners of the Nightshade Pack gatherings. Every dreamy sigh girls released when they talked about soulmates, true mates, destined partners. I thought those were just stories. I had never expected to feel something so real, so immediate, and so overwhelming.


    My stomach twisted and heat flushed my skin from head to toe. I couldn¡¯t make sense of anything... only that my soul was wing toward him. Reaching. Anchoring.


    But before I could even speak, before I could blink again, the handsome man with dark brown eyes was moving. He strode toward me like a storm in tailored clothes and predator-like confidence. His grip wrapped around my wrist firmly, but not cruelly, and the next thing I knew...


    "Wait - Mallory!" Eva¡¯s voice pierced through the haze, her fingers trying to catch my other hand. Her face was pale, her eyes wide, torn between panic and disbelief.


    But she couldn¡¯t follow.


    Professor Kieran stopped her and shook his head silently. It was like he knew something I didn¡¯t. Or maybe... he knew exactly what was happening to me.


    Because I didn¡¯t.


    Not really.


    Not until I found myself pulled through a set of quiet hallways and pushed inside a dim, cool, and quiet room. An office, maybe. Books were lining one wall. A desk was sitting neatly and untouched on the other. But I barely registered any of that.


    Because he was there.


    And I was in here. Alone. With him.


    I was trembling. Not because I was scared. But because everything inside me was thrumming with need, confusion, and an ache so bone-deep, I thought I might crumble if I didn¡¯t touch him.


    He mmed the door behind us, but the sound barely registered. I backed instinctively, needing space, air, sense... but his presence was overwhelming, dragging me under all over again.


    My back hit the wall.


    And he was there, towering over me. His muscles were tight beneath his dark shirt, face carved from shadows and fire. His scent - forest, spice, power - wrapped around me like silk and smoke. It made my knees weak and my lips dry.


    He nted one hand against the wall beside my head, and I swore the room spun.


    "I need your name," he said. His voice low and dark andmanding. It wasn¡¯t a growl, but it felt like one.


    I blinked. "M-Mallory," I breathed. "Mallory Campbell."


    His eyes flicked down to my lips before catching mine again. "Pack?"


    "N¨CNightshade," I whispered, barely able to speak around the pressure in my chest.


    His jaw tightened. "How old are you?"


    I swallowed. "Eighteen. I mean... I¡¯ll be neen in three weeks."


    He cursed under his breath, stepping back half a pace, but it didn¡¯t make breathing easier. His other hand joined the one on the wall, caging me in. Still close enough that his scent clouded my senses and made my skin flush.


    He was too much.


    Too tall.


    Too intense.


    Too everything.


    I tried to focus. Tried to be rational. Tried to remember I was a person, not just a trembling mess of hormones and emotions and whatever this man was doing to me.


    But he was staring down at me like he was trying to memorize me. Like he had found something he had been looking for forever and couldn¡¯t quite believe it was real.


    And I couldn¡¯t stop looking at his lips.


    They moved - he was asking something else, I think - but I didn¡¯t hear it. All I could think about was how close they were. How soft they looked. How desperately I wanted to kiss him. Taste him. im him.


    What was happening to me?


    I reached out before I could stop myself. My fingers brushed his forearm, finding solid muscle under warm skin. The contact caused a spark to explode through my hand before it bolted straight to my core. I gasped and snatched my hand back, feeling my cheeks flooding with color.


    His nostrils red, and his whole body went still.


    "Mallory," he whispered in a hoarse voice. "Do you have any idea what you are doing to me right now?"


    I shook my head as my breathing picked up its speed. "No. I... I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s happening?"


    He closed his eyes for a beat as if to collect himself.


    "I¡¯m your mate," he said finally, the words thick with something I didn¡¯t know how to name. "And you are <i>mine</i>."


    The way he said it... like it was aw written in the stars, unchangeable, undeniable... made something inside me click. It was the bond. That wild rush of heat in my blood. The way my body leaned toward him even when my brain screamed to find logic.


    It wasn¡¯t just attraction.


    It was nature.


    It was fate.


    "I¡¯m Jasper Walker. Alpha River¡¯s second-inmand." He introduced himself. Then his lips twitched, but it wasn¡¯t quite a smile. "I didn¡¯t expect my mate to be a Nightshade pup."


    I bristled at the word pup, even though it wasn¡¯t meant cruelly. "I¡¯m not a pup."


    "You are eighteen."


    "I¡¯ll be neen."


    "You are still so young." His voice softened then, something almost pained entering his eyes. "You don¡¯t even know what you are feeling right now, do you?"


    "I know I want to kiss you," I blurted out before I could stop myself.


    He froze.


    And so did I.


    Oh Moon Goddess.


    Why did I say that?


    I turned my face away, feeling mortified, but he gently caught my chin and turned me back to him.


    His eyes weren¡¯t angry. They were dark, yes. Intense. But there was heat in them. A storm brewing just beneath the surface.


    "You feel the bond," he said softly. "That¡¯s what this is. It¡¯s driving you to me. Making you ache. Want. Crave."


    I nodded shakily. "It¡¯s so strong. I don¡¯t know how to... to think."


    He nodded as his gaze dipped to my mouth again. "That¡¯s because you are feeling it for the first time. I have had years to learn. To know what to expect."


    His fingers brushed a lock of my hair from my cheek, and I shivered under the contact.


    "I¡¯m not going to take advantage of that. Not tonight. Not until you know me."


    "But I do," I whispered. "I feel like I do."


    He leaned in closer, his breath ghosting over my cheek. "That¡¯s the bond talking. But I promise, little mate... I¡¯ll give you time. I¡¯ll give you space to want me for real, not just because your wolf says so."


    I nodded. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.


    He exhaled slowly, like he was trying to cool the fire crackling between us. His hands lowered, resting gently on my waist.


    "You are beautiful, Mallory," he said in a voice that sounded like velvet and thunder. "Even without the bond, I would have seen you. Noticed you. Wanted you."


    My breath hitched, and I stared up at him helplessly. "What do we do now?"


    He tilted his head, watching me like I was the only thing that existed.


    "Now?" he murmured. "Now, I let you go. Just for tonight."


    "What if I don¡¯t want you to?"


    He clenched his jaw. The battle in his eyes was unmistakable. "You are my mate. You will be mine. But we¡¯ll do this right."


    His fingers traced the curve of my cheek as he added, "Even if it kills me."


    And then, just as suddenly as he had caged me in, he stepped back... leaving a chasm in the air where his warmth used to be.


    I wasn¡¯t able to move. Couldn¡¯t breathe.


    But I already knew...


    I was his.


    And I had a feeling that Jasper Walker would never let me forget it.


    I closed my eyes and started taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it took me, a few seconds or several long minutes, but once I was calm enough to walk, I raced out of the room.


    I needed to find Eva.

 Chapter 79: His Little Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 79: His Little Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The second Jasper gripped Mallory¡¯s wrist and tugged her forward, I blinked.


    I was startled, unsure if I had just imagined the tension crackling in the air or if the earth had truly tilted on its axis. But when I saw the dazed expression on my best friend¡¯s face - wide-eyed, stunned,pletely mesmerized - I knew something very real had just happened.


    "Wait, Mallory-!" I took a step forward as panic rose in my chest.


    I barely managed two steps before a firm handnded on my shoulder, halting me mid-stride.


    "She¡¯s fine," Professor Kieran said calmly, gently but with enough force to root me in ce. "Let them be, Evaline."


    I turned to him with a frown decorating my face. "What do you mean let them - what just happened? What did he do to her?"


    He wasn¡¯t looking concerned at all. If anything, his eyes were gleaming with quiet understanding.


    "They are fated mates," he said simply.


    But I wentpletely still.


    Fated... mates?


    I looked back toward the hallway they just disappeared into as my heart thudded in my chest. Mallory found her mate? Right here? Today?


    I had an inkling - that sudden shift in the air, the way her gaze locked on Jasper like he was gravity and she was just helplessly falling into orbit. But hearing the words out loud solidified it.


    Fated. Mate.


    "She found her mate," I whispered as the realization sank in like a stone in a stillke. "I just brought her along with me. I didn¡¯t think..."


    "That she would stumble into destiny?" Kieran said with a hint of a smile. "Fate has a habit of striking when you least expect it."


    I crossed my arms tightly, still stunned. "I mean... what are the chances?"


    "Apparently, one in one."


    He was far too amused for my liking.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t deny it. The pull had been unmistakable. The silence between them, the intensity... it had been more than a simple moment. That was the moment.


    "She¡¯s in safe hands," he said in a soft voice. "Jasper¡¯s rough around the edges, but he¡¯s one of the best wolves I have known. He wouldn¡¯t harm her. He¡¯s probably just... overwhelmed."


    I sighed. "So I should just let her be?"


    "For now," he said. "They need to talk. Or bond. Or argue. Or whatever it is newly mated wolves do when the world flips upside down."


    I huffed, but nodded. "Fine."


    "This way. Let¡¯s get your reports."


    I followed him through the grand halls of the mansion, down to his study. It was a well organized space with tall windows and rows of books. The scent of aged paper and warm cedar was filling the air. He handed me a sleek folder of reports, and I checked them quickly, skimming through the details I would needter.


    But Mallory still hadn¡¯t returned.


    So I waited.


    <fn3c19> Official source is find?novel</fn3c19>


    Pacing by the tall windows, I kept ncing at the door, debating whether to text her or not. But I didn¡¯t want to intrude. If what Kieran said was true, my dear friend was in the middle of the most important moment of her life.


    And I was... stuck in a giant mansion with too many enemies and not enough exits.


    "You are free to look around if you like. I¡¯m heading upstairs for a shower." Professor Kieran notified me as he rose from his seat.


    I gave him a tight smile. "Thanks."


    He left, and I let out a long sigh. I just needed to walk. To clear my head and maybe find a way to pass time until Mallory reappeared. I started down the master floor. My quiet steps echoed through the corridor lined with paintings and antique furniture.


    And then I froze.


    My breath caught as I spotted someoneing up the stairs.


    River.


    My stomach dropped.


    Out of all the people in this cursed mansion, he was the one I least wanted to deal with. Not today. Not after how weird he actedst Sunday. I still hadn¡¯t wrapped my head around that.


    He was dressed in all ck, and looking at the intensity in his eyes, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t in good mood.


    Nope.


    I was not emotionally prepared for this.


    Panic surged through me as I looked around. There was nowhere to run. No staircase. No hallway. Just a single door to my right.


    With no better n, I grabbed the knob and twisted.


    Locked.


    Damn it.


    I was about to turn and sprint down the hall when the door suddenly opened... from the inside.


    A hand reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into the room so fast my breath whooshed out.


    The door mmed shut behind me, barely making a sound.


    And I was suddenly pressed against it.


    My palmsnded t on the wood as a warm body hovered inches from mine. I blinked up.


    "Oscar?"


    He leaned one hand beside my head while the other was casually resting in his pocket. His expression was unreadable, but his presence... goddess, I was too aware of it.


    His eyes roamed my face like he hadn¡¯t seen me in years.


    "Well, well," he drawled as a smirk tugged at his lips. "Trying to sneak around the house, sweetheart?"


    "I... I wasn¡¯t-"


    "You were running, or at least trying to," he said, clearly amused. "And from the looks of it... not from me." His gaze sharpened. "Was it River?"


    I swallowed, still processing the fact that I was currently trapped between a locked door and a man who had once pretended I didn¡¯t exist - only to kiss me like I was oxygen on the full moon night.


    "I didn¡¯t want to deal with him. Not today."


    His smirk widened slightly. "Lucky me, then."


    I blinked, thrown off. He wasn¡¯t cold. He wasn¡¯t distant. He wasn¡¯t pretending he didn¡¯t remember the way our lips had touched, or how the bond had red between us.


    He looked...fortable.


    Sure.


    "Why are you acting like... we aren¡¯t just a mistake?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    His expression softened. "Because we aren¡¯t a mistake. I just pretended we were."


    I stared at him. "So what, now you have suddenly decided you care?"


    He tilted his head, leaning closer. "I never stopped caring, little trouble."


    My breath hitched at the nickname. While his eyes sparkled at the reaction.


    "I just thought I could keep pretending. Thought I could shut you out. Ignore the bond. Stay sane." He paused. "But I lost that power that night."


    I felt his body inch closer, and the door at my back felt too small, too confining.


    "I can¡¯t push you away anymore," he murmured. "Even if I wanted to... which I don¡¯t."


    I stared into his dark, hooded eyes, my heart thumping wildly. "What changed?"


    "You," he said simply. "You were always there. But that night, you were... mine. And it felt like my soul finally caught up."


    I wasn¡¯t ready for this. Not this version of him. The one who flirted with ease, stood close with intention, and said things that melted through the barriers I had built.


    He pulled his phone from his pocket and lifted a brow. "Give me yours."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "Your phone. I need to add my number before you run away again."


    I hesitated, then reluctantly handed it over.


    He typed quickly, then smirked, hitting the call button.


    His phone rang in his pocket. Then he looked at my screen and grinned.


    "What did you save yourself as?" I asked, nervous.


    He turned the screen toward me.


    "Mine"


    I almost groaned. "Seriously?"


    "You¡¯ll thank meter."


    "You are insufferable."


    "And you are blushing."


    I tried to push him away, but he caught my wrist and held it gently.


    "Evaline," he said, his voice dipping low. "I can¡¯t go back to ignoring this. And I know I have been a coward, a douchebag. But not anymore."


    He let go, and for a moment, I missed the warmth of his hand.


    "I won¡¯t pressure you," he continued. "But I want you to know I¡¯m done pretending."


    Silence hung between us, thick and fragile. I didn¡¯t know what to say. And I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed him yet.


    But for the first time, I wanted to.


    He stepped back just a little, giving me space to breathe, but not enough to escape. His presence was still wrapping around me like a warm cage.


    I crossed my arms, needing some kind of shield. "You are saying all the right things, Oscar. But what if it¡¯s just the bond talking?"


    He tilted his head, studying me like I was the only thing worth seeing in the room. "Maybe it started with the bond," he said honestly. "But it¡¯s more than that now. I have tried to forget you. It didn¡¯t work. You are in my head, Evaline. Every damn day."


    My heart twisted. I wasn¡¯t ready to fall into this, not when I had spent so long guarding myself from people. But the sincerity in his voice... it shook something loose in me.


    "I don¡¯t know what to do," I whispered honestly.


    He leaned in, close enough for our breath to mingle. "Then let me show you what I want. And maybe... you¡¯ll want it too."


    I swallowed hard, feeling my pulse racing. His eyes dropped to my lips for the briefest second.


    But before either of us could move, or say more, a knock echoed from the hallway.

 Chapter 80: Alpha’s Date Offer

    <h4>Chapter 80: Alpha¡¯s Date Offer</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The knock came again. Firmer this time. Sharp enough to yank me back into my own body.


    Oscar¡¯s eyes narrowed in irritation, and his jaw tightened. But he didn¡¯t move away though. Not right away. We both stood frozen against the door, his tall frame still blocking mine while his hand was still loosely resting on the door beside my head.


    It was insane how aware I was of him. His scent, the way his voice had wrapped around my name like he was afraid to let it go. And now... now that I had seen the side of him that didn¡¯t push me away... I didn¡¯t know what to do with it.


    "Are you going to get that?" I asked breathlessly.


    He huffed. "It¡¯s probably Kieran. He has the worst timing."


    With a reluctant nce down at me, he finally stepped back, but not without brushing his fingers against my arm in the process. That brief touch felt like a trail of fire across my skin.


    He opened the door, and much to my surprise, it was indeed Professor Kieran standing on the other side with his arms folded and an unimpressed expression on his face.


    "I assume Evaline wasn¡¯t giving you a tour of the bedrooms?" He asked dryly as his gaze flicked from Oscar to me and back again.


    Oscar shrugged shamelessly. "She looked like she needed saving. I just happened to be nearby."


    Kieran sighed, then turned to me. "Your friend is back. She¡¯s waiting in the foyer."


    Relief flooded through me. Mallory.


    "I¡¯ll be right there," I said while brushing past Oscar as quickly as I could without looking at him again. I didn¡¯t trust myself to. My heart was still tangled in the sound of his words - <i>You are in my head, Evaline.</i>


    And the worst part?


    He was in mine too.


    * * *


    Mallory was looking like she had just been pulled out of a whirlwind.


    Her cheeks were flushed, her blonde hair was slightly tousled, and her eyes were wide with the kind of dazed awe I recognized all too well. The same kind I must have worn that night of the full moon when everything changed between me and Oscar. Or every time I was with Draven.


    "There you are," she said, trying to sound casual as I approached, but her voice cracked slightly at the end. "Ready to go?"


    I nodded, thankful for the way Professor Kieran stepped away to give us a moment of privacy.


    "You okay?" I asked under my breath.


    She nodded too fast. "Yes. No. I don¡¯t know. I think...I think I found my mate."


    I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her into a brief, fierce hug. "Yeah," I whispered back. "I figured."


    She buried her face in my shoulder for a second, and I felt her take a deep, steadying breath.


    "I¡¯m scared, Eva," she murmured. "He¡¯s older. Stronger. I didn¡¯t know the bond would feel like this."


    I pulled back to meet her gaze. "It¡¯s alright. You will figure it out. You are not alone in this."


    She smiled, just a little, and that was enough for now.


    The ride back to the Academy was silent for the most part. Professor Kieran didn¡¯t press, which I appreciated, and Mallory was too busy staring out the window like the entire world had just been turned upside down... and maybe it had.


    What I found weird was - since Kieran had enough time to drive us back to the Academy, why didn¡¯t he picked up the report himself and gave it to me?


    But I didn¡¯t ask any question. I didn¡¯t dare to.


    By the time we reached the dorms, the sky was already darkening. Evening was settling over the Academy, casting long shadows between the stone buildings and glowing lights.


    I bid Kieran a quick goodbye and dragged Mallory with me up to our shared dorm before pulling her into my room. Closing the door, I tutned to her with a raised brow.


    "Okay. Start talking."


    She dropped onto my bed like her legs had given out. "His name is Jasper," she said, voice still breathless. "He¡¯s River¡¯s beta. And I have never met someone like him in my life. It was like... like the air changed the second I saw him."


    I sat down beside her, my heart softening at the look on her face. She was overwhelmed, clearly. But beneath all the shock, there was something else, something warm. Hopeful.


    "And what did he say?"


    She flushed. "He asked about me. A lot. My name, my age, my pack. He didn¡¯t touch me inappropriately or anything, but he did... stand really close. He smelled so good. Is that normal?"


    Iughed. "Very."


    She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I thought I was going to pass out. He was huge. Like, scary handsome. I couldn¡¯t even think straight. I don¡¯t remember half the words he said because I was too busy staring at his mouth."


    I coughed to cover myugh, nodding. "That¡¯s... yeah, that sounds... I don¡¯t know."


    Mallory peeked at me through her fingers. "Do I sound horny?"


    I chuckled and shook my head. "No. You don¡¯t... or maybe... a little."


    She groaned, clearly embarrassed. She then rolled over onto her side and looked at me seriously. "Do you think it¡¯s fate?"


    "Maybe," I replied. "Or maybe fate just gives us a nudge in the right direction, and the rest is up to us."


    She smiled. "That sounds like something you would say."


    "Because it is."


    We bothughed then, the tension breaking just a little. And even though the night was heavy with all the unexpected things that had happened, I felt better knowing I wasn¡¯t the only one walking this strange new road.


    * * *


    Later that night, after we returned from dining hall and I was alone in the room, I sat on my bed with my legs crossed and my phone in my hand. My fingers hovered over the screen, then hesitantly clicked open the contact list.


    There it was. Oscar, saved under the name he had chosen himself.


    "Mine," it said beneath his number.


    I stared at it for a while, with my heart thumping too loud in my chest.


    Then, before I could overthink it, I sent a message.


    <i>Evaline: I didn¡¯t thank you earlier... for pulling me into that room. River almost saw me.</i><fna538> This update is avable on Find1Novel</fna538>


    The reply came almost instantly.


    <i>Oscar (Mine): I didn¡¯t do it for River. I did it for me.</i>


    <i>Oscar (Mine): But if you want to thank me, pick a time. I¡¯ll take you to dinner. No pressure. Just me and you.</i>


    I swallowed hard, staring at those words until they blurred.


    Dinner.


    Just him and me.


    I should have said no. I should have thought it over. But I didn¡¯t.


    Because deep down, I wanted it.


    <i>Evaline: Okay.</i>


    The three dots bounced on the screen for a moment before his next message arrived.


    <i>Oscar (Mine): Tomorrow. After ss. I¡¯ll wait by the fountain.</i>


    I didn¡¯t reply again. I didn¡¯t have to. Because my heart had already answered.


    I didn¡¯t sleep much that night.


    Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Oscar - his half-smirk, his dark eyes that always seemed to look deeper than they should, the way he had crowded me against that door like he was trying to memorize the feel of my presence.


    I couldn¡¯t stop hearing his voice either. Calm. Confident. Flirtatious in a way that should have made me roll my eyes, but instead made my stomach twist with something dangerously close to anticipation.


    <i>Tomorrow. After ss. I¡¯ll wait by the fountain.</i>


    I clutched my pillow tighter and groaned into it. What was I doing?


    He was trouble. Oscar was the exact kind of chaos I was trying to avoid - unpredictable, emotionally unavable, and frustratingly attractive. Yet here I was, agreeing to have dinner with him like it wouldn¡¯t mess with everything I had been trying to keep stable.


    The worst part? I wanted that chaos. I wanted him.


    When morning came, I looked like I hadn¡¯t slept, because I hadn¡¯t. Mallory didn¡¯t notice though, she was still in her dreamy post-mate haze, moving around like her feet barely touched the floor. I envied her a little. The way she just epted what had happened with Jasper. No fear. No second-guessing.


    Me? I was second-guessing everything.


    sses went by in a blur. I barely heard anything my professors said. My thoughts were circling back to the same point - what would happen tonight? Was this really just dinner? Was Oscar trying to make things right between us... or was this another game?

 Chapter 81: Preparing for Quiz

    <h4>Chapter 81: Preparing for Quiz</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Though I was barely able to focus on anything, I still pull myself together for Professor Kieran¡¯s ss. Not because he was going to be there, but because I had the responsibility of helping my ss prepare for the Monday quiz.


    "Are you alright?" Kyros asked as we settled down around our usual table for lunch.


    <fn197b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fn197b>


    "Just worried about Herbs and Potions ss. It¡¯s our first time performing our new rules." I replied, speaking half-truth. After all, I couldn¡¯t confide in him about my dinner date with one of the Rogue Alphas.


    Kyros gave my head a pat, something he used to do whenever one of us were feeling down or unmotivated. "You can do it, Eva. And you will have me right next to you."


    I nodded my head, giving him a sincere smile. I was really happy to have him as a friend.


    With all the required materials ready, we headed to the lecture hall. Inside, the ssmates were scattered in groups across the room - some buried in notes, others busy talking. It was the usual mix of determined and indifferent.


    I ced the folder Kieran gave me on the front desk and began distributing the handouts and diagrams he had allowed me to copy. Several students perked up at the sight of official Academy material, quickly gathering around as I set up the board.


    "Alright," I began, "as you all know, we have got the quiz on Monday. Professor Kieran said it will cover Chapters six to nine, and he has emphasized the application sections, so I would suggest you all focus there."


    The ss murmured in acknowledgment, and a few began flipping through the pages I handed out.


    Everything was going smoothly...until I heard them.


    The whispers.


    They were low,ced with poison and polished smiles.


    Nadine, Violet, and Bianca.


    The Terrible Trio, as my friends had privatelybeled them.


    They were sitting in their usual corner seats, their manicured fingers flipping idly through the notebooks as they leaned in, talking in voices just loud enough to be heard.


    "She probably begged Professor Kieran for extra help, how else would she get this stuff?"


    "Or maybe she¡¯s hoping helping the ss makes her look useful... for once."


    "I mean,e on, she¡¯s not only a rogue but also wolfless? If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t even show my face here."


    The words hit me like invisible needles - sharp, well-aimed, and deeply familiar. Because I had heard them all before. Not just here.


    Back in my pack.


    There... even as the Alpha¡¯s daughter, I was always the other. The failure. The disappointment. The wolf-less heir.


    They even said it outright, insulted me to my face.


    I remembered the stares. The muttered words when I walked past. The pitied nces. The way even the people who were supposed to love me looked at me like I didn¡¯t belong.


    And here they were again, this time dressed in expensive uniforms and pretty hairstyles, doing the exact same thing.


    After the full moon night, it was amon knowledge now that I was wolfless. And some people were determined to use this to try to degrade me even more.


    I felt the burn rise in my chest.


    It wasn¡¯t anger. Not shame. But resolve.


    I turned around and faced the trio fully as the entire ss watched. I folded my arms and let silence settle in the room.


    "Did you say something, Nadine?"


    She blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Just chatting. Didn¡¯t think you would be so sensitive."


    I smiled. Sweetly. Calmly. But my words were anything but soft.


    "Oh no, I just thought if you had something to say, you could say it to my face, since you have already decided to be brave enough to whisper it in public."


    That earned a few quiet gasps and some exchanged nces.


    Bianca scoffed. "We didn¡¯t say anything worth your dramatics."


    I stepped away from the front desk and let my voice carry through the room.


    "You know, I used to think the worst thing about not shifting was the silence. The absence of something everyone else had. But I was wrong."


    I met each of their eyes, one by one.


    "The worst part? Was people like you. People who thought they had the right to define my worth because of what Icked. People who forgot that strength isn¡¯t just about power. It¡¯s about resilience."


    The air tightened.


    "And here¡¯s something else you might want to remember - I don¡¯t need ws or teeth to protect what¡¯s mine. Including my ce in this ss."


    There were murmurs now, quiet and stunned. But I wasn¡¯t finished. "I offered this material and study help because I care about our performance during Monday quiz."


    I turned back toward the board and wrote the quiz breakdown Kieran had detailed in his notes.


    "But let me make something very clear."


    I faced the room again, speaking in an unwavering voice.


    "You can choose to listen and prepare, or you can roll your eyes and keep whispering. That¡¯s entirely up to you."


    A pause.


    "But when the grades wille out and some of you will be left wondering why you are scraping the bottom of the rankings, don¡¯t look at me for answers."


    Then I walked back to the front desk and continued passing out the notes like nothing had happened.


    For a few seconds, no one moved. Then a few ssmates began to quietly gather closer, forming small groups to go through the handouts. I saw Ben and Lana whispering, clearly stunned, but their nces toward me weren¡¯t mocking. They were respectful.


    A couple of the quieter students even gave me nods of approval, including my friends who were looking at me with pride filled eyes and big smiles.


    I didn¡¯t look back at Nadine, Violet, or Bianca. I didn¡¯t need to.


    Their silence was speaking volumes.


    Maybe this didn¡¯t make me the most popr girl in ss.


    But it reminded them, and me, that I wasn¡¯t weak. That I wouldn¡¯t shrink just because people thought I should.


    My wolf may not havee yet. But my spine was intact.


    And that was more than enough.

 Chapter 82: The Alpha Who Will Wait

    <h4>Chapter 82: The Alpha Who Will Wait</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When the final bell of the day rang, I stayed seated for a minute longer.


    Just dinner. I repeated to myself like a mantra. No pressure. Just... dinner.


    When I reached the Academy¡¯s front courtyard, I spotted Oscar immediately by the fountain.


    He was leaning against the stone edge, dressed in space blue tshirt which was tucked in the beige pants. He had rolled his sleeves up, allowing me a view of his muscr, veiny arms. His hair was messy in the way that probably took effort, and he hadn¡¯t seen me yet.


    I knew that I still had the option of walking away. That I could still turn back now.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    Because when he looked up and his eyesnded on me, something in his expression shifted. It was calm giving way to warmth, teasing melting into something dangerously close to softness. I didn¡¯t smile back. I couldn¡¯t. Not out here in the open.


    There were too many eyes. Too many ears.


    And thest thing either of us needed was for people to start talking.


    So, I walked to him slowly, like he was nothing more than an Instructor I had to meet for some school rted stuff, not that he was teaching my ss at the moment. I kept my faceposed and my voice neutral when I said, "You are early."


    He tilted his head with a cocky grin. "So are you."


    He pushed off the fountain and straightened to his full height, towering over me. "Ready?"


    I gave a small nod, careful not to look at him too long. "Where are we going?"


    He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he nced around the courtyard, then subtly tilted his head toward the path leading out of the Academy gates. "Walk with me."


    I did, falling into step beside him, yet keeping just enough distance between us to look casual, distant. And still, I was able to feel the heat of him, of the bond humming beneath the surface, reminding me with every step that this was more than just a walk.


    It always was.


    Once we were far enough from campus, he slipped a hand into his pocket and finally spoke. "You are tense."


    "Can you me me?" I muttered. "Anyone could have seen us back there."


    "Rx," he said with a shrug. "I know how to keep things quiet."


    "That¡¯s notforting, Oscar."


    He paused mid-step and looked at me, brows raised. "You think I would risk your reputation?"


    <fn5bf0> Newest update provided by F?nd-Novel</fn5bf0>


    I didn¡¯t answer. Not because I didn¡¯t trust him, but because I wasn¡¯t sure what I trusted more - his words or the pull that kept dragging me toward him despite every warning in my head.


    He sighed, softer than I had ever heard before. "I wouldn¡¯t let anyone find out, Eva. Not unless you wanted them to."


    That surprised me. The Oscar I knew, or thought I knew, never sounded this patient. This careful.


    He gestured to a side road I hadn¡¯t noticed before, leading to a more secluded part of the Academy¡¯s outskirts. Trees were lining the gravel path, quiet and still under the soft blush of the setting sun.


    "You brought me to the woods?" I asked, a little amused.


    "There¡¯s a cabin," he said. "It belongs to one of the caretakers. Empty for the month."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Are you trying to lure me into a horror movie scene?"


    He grinned. "If I was, would you still have followed?"


    Unfortunately... yes. And we both knew it.


    Inside the small wooden cabin, it was warm and quiet. The faint scent of old books and cedar was filling the air, and there was a table already set with food. It was nothing fancy, but still screamed more effort than I was expecting.


    "You cooked?" I asked.


    "I had it brought here," he said honestly. "Didn¡¯t want to risk setting anything on fire."


    I smiled softly and settled down at the table. "Good choice."


    We ate in near silence for a few minutes. I was waiting for the tension to crack, for him to revert to his usual self and make somement to throw me off bnce.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    Instead, when I looked up from my te, I found him watching me. Not with hunger. Not even with flirtation. Just watching. Like he still couldn¡¯t believe I was sitting in front of him.


    "What?" I asked.


    He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "This is weird for me too, you know."


    "What is?"


    "This," he said, gesturing between us. "Having dinner. Wanting to have dinner. Not... pushing you away."


    I didn¡¯t speak. Because hearing him say it out loud did something strange to me.


    It made everything more <i>real</i>.


    "I was fighting it," he continued quietly. "The bond. You. I was fighting harder than I ever have. And it didn¡¯t work."


    I studied him, trying to read between the lines. "You are saying you gave up?"


    "I¡¯m saying I gave in," he corrected. "I still don¡¯t know if I deserve this. You. But I¡¯m done pretending like I don¡¯t want it."


    That honesty... it wasn¡¯t something I expected. Not from Oscar. And definitely not with that quiet vulnerability in his voice.


    It hit deeper than any flirtation ever could.


    I swallowed hard and ced my fork down. "We can¡¯t tell anyone."


    "I know."


    "This... whatever it is between us... it has to stay between us. No one finds out. Not until I¡¯m sure of where I stand."


    He didn¡¯t flinch. "I figured you would say that."


    "And?"


    He leaned back slightly. When he spoke, his voice was still low, but firm. "And I¡¯ll wait."


    I blinked at that. "You will?"


    "I told you, Eva. I can¡¯t ignore this anymore. I tried. You saw how well that turned out. So if waiting is what it takes, then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do."


    There was no mockery in his tone. No sarcasm. Just steady, quiet eptance.


    And suddenly, I wasn¡¯t feeling so unbnced anymore.

 Chapter 83: Worth Waiting For

    <h4>Chapter 83: Worth Waiting For</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say after that.


    His quiet confession sat between us like something sacred, something I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready to touch, let alone return. And yet... I felt it. That unmistakable tug between us. It was gentle but persistent.


    He saw the hesitation in my silence but didn¡¯t push. Instead, he let the moment breathe.


    "I meant what I said, Eva," he murmured while looking directly at me. "I¡¯m ready to ept the bond. All of it. You, us, the future thates with it. As well as the trouble that wille with it."


    I stopped breathing for a second as I took in his confession.


    He leaned forward slightly. "But I¡¯m also not stupid. I know you are not ready yet. And that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not here to pressure you. I¡¯m here to court you. Properly. Like you deserve."


    My heart stuttered.


    Court me?


    That wasn¡¯t the kind of thing I was expecting him to say. It wasn¡¯t the kind of thing I was expecting him to do.


    "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "I want to," he interrupted softly. "This isn¡¯t about obligation. It¡¯s about choice."


    Choice.


    That word struck something deep in me.


    For so long, everything in my life had felt like it was spiraling out of my control. My past, my wolf, my position in the Academy, my tangled, impossible bond with Draven... and Oscar. The idea that <i>I</i> got to choose - even if I wasn¡¯t ready to choose yet - was both terrifying and... freeing.


    And speaking of Draven...


    I opened my mouth, ready to confess about my bond with Draven, but the words refused toe.


    Not because I wanted to lie to him, but because this wasn¡¯t the moment. Not yet. This dinner, this strange, sweet quiet between us... it wasn¡¯t the time to shatter it with something I hadn¡¯t even begun to unravel myself.


    <i>Soon</i>. I promised myself. <i>I¡¯ll talk to both of them. But not tonight. </i>


    "Okay," I said finally in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "But you will need to be patient with me."


    He smiled, slow and breathtaking. "That¡¯s the n."


    Dinner became lighter after that.


    He poured me a drink, some herbal mix he imed helped with stress, and coaxed me into eating more than I intended. Every time I reached for something, he would beat me to it.


    "You are not like I thought you would be," I admitted, licking a bit of sauce off my finger before I caught the way his eyes followed the movement.


    It was a mistake. Immediate mistake.


    "And what exactly did you think I would be like?" he asked, clearly amused.


    "Cockier," I stated honestly. "More... infuriating."


    He chuckled. It was a low sound that did things to my spine. "Oh, I can be all of that. You just bring out my gentler side."


    "I don¡¯t believe you have a gentle side."


    He leaned in then, resting his forearms on the table. His voice dropped to something dangerously smooth. "That¡¯s because you have only ever seen me holding back."


    I absolutely loved the dessert. It was a warm chocte tart, a really delicious one.


    It was ten minutester, when my phone started to buzz with a flurry of messages, msking me realize just how long it had been since we left the Academy.


    <i>Mallory: Where are you?? We are heading to dinner!</i>


    <i>Kyros: Eva, are you still in the library? Want us to wait?</i>


    "Friends checking in?"


    "Yeah," I said, typing quickly. <i>Something came up. Skipping dinner tonight. Will see you guys in the dormter.</i>


    Putting the phone aside, I returned my attention to the desert and the man sitting opposite me.


    When it was finally time to leave, we didn¡¯t take the main path.


    "Come on," he said while reaching for my hand but stopping just before his fingers could brush mine. "There¡¯s another way. No one will see us."


    He led me down a barely-visible trail behind the cabin. A few minutester, we came to a small arch of ivy-covered stones that looked like nothing more than decoration... until he pressed his palm to the center, and the ground beneath us shifted.


    There was asecret door.


    "What the-?"


    "The Academy has numerous secret rooms, hallways, tunnels, and passages... and I know almost all of them." He sounded really proud as he spoke.


    "Of course you do."


    We walked down a narrow stone corridor that was dimly lit by oldnterns hanging from the walls. It was quiet, cool, and surreal.


    When we reached the other side, a concealed passage just outside the dormitory building, he stopped and turned to face me.


    "This is the part where I say goodnight."


    My heart skipped immediately.


    It shouldn¡¯t have felt like a goodbye. But it did.


    "Thank you," I said softly. "For everything."


    He stepped closer in a slow and measured move. "You don¡¯t have to thank me."


    I thought he might hug me.


    Instead, he leaned down. He was so close that I was able to feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. And he was waiting.


    It was a question.


    One I answered by lifting my chin and closing the small distance between us.


    As our lips met, everything else disappeared.


    His mouth moved over mine with a kind of fierce tenderness that left my knees weak. He kissed like he was memorizing me. Like he had waited for this longer than he was willing to admit.


    And when his hand slipped to the small of my back and pulled me closer, pressing us together, I let out a soft gasp... because it was too much. Too intense. Too perfect.


    But I didn¡¯t stop.


    <fn8960> Th?s chapter is updated by f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn8960>


    Not when his lips parted mine. Not when the bond between us red like a live wire, humming under my skin. And not even when I realized I was never going to walk away from this the same.


    He pulled back, just enough to look at me, resting his forehead against mine.


    "Now that," he whispered, "was definitely worth waiting for."


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t. Because I was still gasping. Still blushing.


    And still falling... hopelessly, breathlessly... into something I couldn¡¯t control.

 Chapter 84: Midnight Alarm

    <h4>Chapter 84: Midnight rm</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I finally reached my dorm, the sun was long gone. But the warmth from Oscar¡¯s kiss was still tingling on my lips.


    I was still able to feel the press of his hand at the small of my back, the phantom weight of his arm around me as we had walked through that secret tunnel. His voice was lingering in my ears too, every soft tease and every promise was wrapped in that low, warm tone.


    And yet, the moment I opened the door and stepped into themon area of my dorm, the haze of that moment shattered like thin ss.


    Mallory was there.


    And so were Kyros, Selene, Noah, and Ria.


    They were all lounging in various degrees offort. Selene was sprawled across the floor with her legs on the couch. Kyros was perched on the armrest, tapping away on his tablet. Noah and Ria were discussing something quietly in the corner. And Mallory had her nose buried in a thick textbook.


    "Eva," Selene was the first to notice me. "Where have you been? We thought you were buried in the library or something."


    Mallory sat up, her eyes narrowing yfully. "We almost sent Noah on a rescue mission."


    Noah raised a brow and added, "I had my cloak ready."


    I forced a smile, shaking my head with practiced ease. "Sorry. Lost track of time. Got caught up with some prep for Monday¡¯s quiz."


    That was a lie. But I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth.


    Ria grinned and nudged Kyros. "Told you she was in study mode."


    "I figured," Kyros replied in a gentle voice. "You have got that internship this weekend. Makes sense you would try to get ahead."


    He then reached down beside the couch and picked up a steaming bowl covered with an aluminum foil. "We saved you dinner," he said, holding it out to me. "Soup. From the dining hall."


    My heart dropped.


    "You smuggled it out?" I asked, taking the bowl carefully.


    He shrugged like it was nothing, but there was a note of pride in his tone. "Healthy. Easy on the stomach. You¡¯ll need the brainpower."


    My fingers tightened slightly on the warm ceramic. I was full... ridiculously full, actually. But the thought of him risking his neck just to sneak this out for me made guilt settle in my stomach like a stone.


    "Thanks," I murmured while looking at all of them in turn. "Really. It means a lot."


    They all brushed off my words, pretending like they had done nothing, but I noticed the soft, warm smiles on their lips.


    Eventually, they all trickled out one by one. Selene left first before Noah and Kyros bid their good nights. Finally, Ria and Mallory took their leave and disappeared inside their bedroom.


    Once the dorm was quiet again, I carried the soup to the kitchte, took a few slow sips - just enough to not feel like aplete fraud - and cleaned the bowl. Then I grabbed my toiletries and headed to the girl¡¯s showers down the hall.


    The warm water helped ease some of the lingering tension in my shoulders. I changed into my sleepwear, brushed out my damp hair, and finally crawled into bed. My limbs sank into the mattress like they had been waiting all day for this moment.


    Before I let sleep take mepletely, I set my rm for midnight.


    Exactly two and a half hourster, the soft chime rang beside my head.


    My eyes flew open immediately. I was feeling groggy but determined. I climbed down the bed and pulled open the sliding ss door of the balcony.


    The moment door opened, Rowan nearly tripped over himself.


    "What the-" he cursed under his breath, catching himself as I stared back at him with sleep still clinging to myshes.


    "Hi," I whispered.


    He blinked. "You... set an rm?"


    "To talk to you," I said while stepping back and letting him in. Once he was inside, I handed him a neat stack of notes I hadpiled earlier in the day. "Before you disappear again in the morning."


    He epted the papers slowly, blinking down at them in disbelief. "What is this?"


    "Everything I have for Monday¡¯s quiz," I said while crossing my arms. "Herbs and Potions. It¡¯s going to count toward thirty percent of your total marks. And I haven¡¯t seen you in ss since day one."


    <fnc782> Chapters first released on Find1Novel</fnc782>


    He scratched the back of his neck, still looking bewildered. "I didn¡¯t think anyone noticed."


    "I did," I said, quieter this time. "I know Silver Moon Academy lets students ck off for the first few weeks, but then they blindside you with the finals. It¡¯s brutal. People think they¡¯ll coast through until it¡¯s toote."


    He stared at me, the notes clutched in his hand like they were a lifeline.


    "You don¡¯t have to do this," he said after a beat.


    I offered a small smile. "I know. But I don¡¯t want to watch you crash and burn because no one warned you."


    He looked down at the notes again and a flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. Maybe it was surprise. Maybe something softer.


    "You are serious about this?" he asked.


    "Completely."


    Heughed under his breath, shaking his head like I had just pulled the rug out from under him. "My dear roomie, what am I going to do with you?"


    "Don¡¯t mock me," I warned lightly. "Just show up to ss on Monday with at least half of that in your brain."


    He ced the notes carefully on his table and moved to take off his shoes. "Fine. I¡¯ll read it. But if I fail, I¡¯m ming your handwriting."


    I sighed but there was a smile on my lips. "Fair enough."


    We didn¡¯t talk any further. He grabbed his clothes and left to take a shower.


    I once again slipped under the covers and sleep came faster than I expected this time.


    A lot happened today, and a lot had changed too.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure how it¡¯s going to change the future that I was trying so hard to build.

 Chapter 85: Peaceful Friday

    <h4>Chapter 85: Peaceful Friday</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Friday mornings always felt deceptively energetic at Silver Moon. Not because the day itself was special, but because it was thest day of the long weeks of studies and everyone was excited about the weekend.


    Rowan had a fixed timing of appearing and disappearing. He returned daily at midnight and left around five-thirty in the morning.


    Though he always made sure to stay as silent as possible, I was still a light-sleeper and knew exactly when he came and went away.


    During the second week, once I was sure of his timings, I created a schedule for myself. I started sleeping at ten o¡¯clock and waking up at six in the morning. After making my bed and freshening up within ten minutes, I spent next forty-five minutes doing prenatal ptes and prenatal yoga.


    At seven o¡¯clock, I would head for showers and get ready within thirty minutes. Since sses started at nine, I always had enough time for breakfast, stroll around the academy grounds with my friends, or for even some early morning self-study.


    This particr morning, I just finished getting ready for the sses when my phone buzzed on the side table.


    As I picked it up, I was mostly expecting the usual morning alerts from the school bulletin or an update from Mallory about breakfast. Instead, I found a small lineup of messages waiting for me... and not from who I was expecting.


    <strong>Professor Kieran:</strong>


    <i>Good morning, Evaline. Just checking in - how¡¯s the ss preparing for Monday¡¯s quiz? Hope the study guides I sent helped. Looking forward to seeing everyone¡¯s progress.</i>


    I smiled despite myself. It was him being himself - kind, diligent, and painfully unaware that more than half of the ss was dying to perform well in his subject, if not all. Still, his faith in me felt oddly grounding.


    Just as I was about to reply, another buzz lit up the screen.


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    <i>Good morning, Little Trouble. Hope today treats you kindly. Don¡¯t forget to breathe, okay? Text me if you get a break.</i>


    My cheeks flushed immediately. His words were simple, but they hit harder than they should have. Afterst night, everything about him felt... dangerous. The good kind of dangerous. The kind that made my pulse race and my head spin. I hadn¡¯t fully processed what it meant, but I didn¡¯t have time to spiral because there was another message waiting for me.


    <fn7a30> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find¡¤novel</fn7a30>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    <i>Dreamt of you. If that¡¯s not fate, I don¡¯t know what is. Let me know if you need help sneaking snacks out of ss today, little moon.</i>


    I groaned and flopped back onto the bed, holding my phone to my chest like it had personally betrayed me.


    Three out of four Rogue Alpha brothers had messaged me before 8 a.m.


    And none of them had <i>any</i> idea about the others.


    If karma was a real thing, I was surely in its crosshairs.


    Before my mind could spiral into conspiracy theories and romantic confusion, Mallory barged into my room without knocking, looking really excited.


    "Eva! Wake up, we are nning tomorrow¡¯s movie night and you are not allowed to skip this time."


    I sighed. "I have internship tomorrow, remember?"


    "Which ends by six," she said as she pulled me to my feet and fixed my hair. "Plenty of time for you to suffer through a horror flick and dinner with your beloved friends."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Define ¡¯beloved¡¯."


    Kyros popped his head in next. "That means me."


    Noah¡¯s voice came from themon area. "And me."


    Selene and Ria shouted together, "Don¡¯t forget me!"


    "I never get peace," I mumbled, but I was already smiling.


    They were relentless. And in the end, I gave in because a part of me really did want that sense of normal. The friendship, the movie, theughter... the reminder that not every day needed to be about survival.


    The day officially started with our first ss - <i>Herbs and Potions.</i>


    Professor Kieran¡¯s domain.


    Everyone arrived on time, except for Rowan as usual. They all were carrying notebooks and tablets, looking like they might actually care about learning. It wasn¡¯t because my yesterday¡¯s talk had worked wonders. No. They were motivated by something much more powerful... Admiration.


    Kieran had that effect. He wasn¡¯t just brilliant and patient... he was <i>beautiful</i>. In that effortless, golden-boy way that made people want to prove themselves to him. Add to that his identity as one of the original founders of Silver Moon and also being one of the Rogue Alphas, and suddenly everyone wanted to be a top student in his ss.


    I didn¡¯t mind. It made for a peaceful, productive ss. No snide remarks. No questioning my authority as the ss President. And no side-eyes from the trio who clearly disliked my very existence.


    Everything went... smoothly.


    After sses ended, I headed to the library with Selene while the others wanted a break before continuing with studies.


    The second floor was always quieter. Not many students liked the narrow spiral staircase or the dusty smell of the old archives stored in the corners. But I loved it. It gave me space.


    I found my usual nook tucked between the window and a forgotten bookshelfbeled <i>"Pre-Reform Spellcraft: Restricted Use."</i> The sunlight always hit the corner just right, and with the distant silence of rustling pages around me, I finally sank into my work.


    There was a lot to get through - an assignment on beast ssifications due Monday, my ongoing notes for Herbs and Potions, and a personal draft I waspiling for the next stage of my internship evaluation.


    Half an hour passed in focused silence before Selene left after getting a message from her roommate.


    And the moment she disappeared down the stairs, the scent of orange blossoms hit me. It was subtle, but there. Fresh. Real.


    Then I heard the footsteps, slow, confident, and not rushed.


    I looked up, sure that it wasn¡¯t Selene.


    Someone turned the corner into my aisle with an easy grace, holding a bottle of fresh juice and a small paper bag.


    My heart skipped a beat as my eyesnded on a familiar face.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 86: Studying With the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 86: Studying With the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was Draven Thorne.


    I should have known. Only he had the audacity to stroll into the second floor of the library like he owned the ce. He was holding a bottle of fresh orange juice in one hand, a small brown bag in the other, and azy grin on his face like he wasn¡¯t breaking at least four school rules just by being him.


    "You look like you are about to hex someone," he said in a low and amused voice "Please tell me it¡¯s not me."


    I looked up at him and asked before I could catch myself. "What... are you doing here?"


    "I¡¯m on duty," he said innocently, setting the items down on the table beside my open notes. "Evening shifts in the library. I just started today."


    "Since when do you volunteer for anything that doesn¡¯t involve rules breaking or detention?"


    He ced a hand on his chest like I had wounded him. "Eva. You wound me."


    "You just stole my line."


    "Technically, I borrowed it. And technically...," he leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with mischief, "... I requested this library job so I could see more of you. You study here every evening, always in the same corner, always with your face buried in books and barely a sip of water. It¡¯s impressive. And a little tragic."


    I raised a brow. "So you are stalking me?"


    "Observing," he corrected smoothly. "I¡¯m just good at paying attention to people whom I care about. Like how you prefer fruit-based drinks over milk-based ones. And how you eat exactly three slices of toast when they serve sweet potato stew. You never touch the meat unless it¡¯s grilled. You always go for extra servings of herbal soup on Thursdays because they add saffron, and you avoid all the junk stuff like they are cursed."


    I stared at him, left stunned.


    He grinned, clearly satisfied with my reaction. "What can I say? I notice things."


    That was putting it mildly.


    "Also," he continued as he settled into the chair beside mine without asking, "I know you have been stressing about the Monday quiz. My brother is probably the coolest professor out there, but his ss can be intense. It was my weakest subject when I started, but I figured it out eventually. I could help."


    "I thought you said it was your weakest subject."


    He gave me a sly smile. "Yeah. And I still topped the ss. I¡¯m not just here to look good and break rules, you know. I haveyers."


    I hated how easily he could make me smile. I hated even more how effortlessly he made my heart race just by sitting close enough for our knees to almost touch. The worst part?


    He had brought me food. The juice smelled fresh and delicious while the bag held a mini whole grain grilled sandwich, low sugar oatmeal cookies, and a few dried berries.


    <fnd3ad> For more chapters visit find~novel</fnd3ad>


    "I could get detention for eating this in here," I muttered, even as I took a sip of the juice.


    He gave a dramatic sigh. "What a tragic way to go. Receiving detention over snacks and study sessions with a handsome second-year."


    I sighed and reached for my notes. "Are you actually going to help me or not?


    "Of course," he said while scooting closer. "Show me what you are stuck on."


    To my absolute horror and reluctant admiration, Draven was a genius.


    He didn¡¯t just help me through the sections I was struggling with, he even broke things down in ways that made everything click. It was like he lived and breathed the subject now.


    I almost forgot that he was also the same man who could charm someone into handing over their deepest secrets with a single smirk.


    Almost.


    Because whenever I looked up from my notes, he was watching me.


    Not staring in a creepy way. But watching. With real interest. Like he was fascinated by how I processed information or how I chewed the corner of my lip when I was confused. Like he was enjoying just being near me.


    It was... overwhelming. And oddlyforting.


    After an hour, I finally leaned back and let out a deep sigh. "Thank you for the help."


    He smiled warmly. "Feel free to ask for help any time you want. I¡¯ll be in the library daily during evening from today onwards."


    And I was sure that I didn¡¯t like the idea of that. Library was my safe haven. I came here not only to study but also to give myself some alone, peaceful time.


    As if he read my thoughts through my expression, he quickly exined, "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disturb you too much. I will make sure not to overwhelm you with my presence. I¡¯ll respect your boundaries."


    A lump formed in my throat, and I hated it. I hated how sincere he sounded. How <i>safe</i> it made me feel.


    Because I didn¡¯t believe it. I couldn¡¯t.


    Two months ago, I was nothing more than a girl on the run. A broken, wolf-less nobody with nothing to offer and too many secrets to count. Then Kieran helped me get into the Academy. He was the first to show me kindness, the first to believe I deserved a chance.


    And now, both Oscar and Draven seemed ready to ept the very mate bonds with me that they tried to ignore in the beginning.


    Even River had cracked in some strange, almost painful wayst weekend.


    It was too much.


    Too good.


    Too perfect.


    And I wasn¡¯t the kind of girl fate favored. Not for long.


    So I gave Draven a small, grateful smile, took another sip of juice, and said, "Thanks for the help."


    But I didn¡¯t reach for his hand. I didn¡¯t lean into his touch when his fingers brushed mine.


    And I definitely didn¡¯t tell him how badly I wanted to believe him. Because I couldn¡¯t afford that kind of hope. Not when I know how painful disappointment felt like.


    I wasn¡¯t going to reveal my secrets or lower my walls, not even when my body and heart were ready to betray me any second.

 Chapter 87: The Alpha Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 87: The Alpha Gathering</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Saturday mornings usually meant exhaustion. At least for me. But this one came with a different kind of weight in my chest. It wasn¡¯t quite dread, not quite curiosity... just a tense anticipation as I made my way to the Council headquarters for my internship shift.


    A whole day under River¡¯s eye wasn¡¯t how I would like to spend my weekend. But I had no other choice. And after how strangely decent he had beenst time, I wasn¡¯t able to help but wonder what version of him I would be getting today.


    When I arrived, he was already in his office, going through a thick stack of reports. The moment his gazended on me, I braced myself... only to be thrown off once again.


    "You are early," he said simply. "That¡¯s good. Punctuality is a virtue."


    I blinked and waited for a sarcastic jab or some cryptic remark, but none came. He was civil. Maybe even, dare I say it, pleasant.


    <fnbd3c> This text is hosted at f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnbd3c>


    The first half of the day passed in a strange blur. He assigned me tasks without the usual cryptic instructions. He answered my questions. Gave guidance where needed. And never once raised his voice or looked at me like I was an inconvenience.


    Everything was going fine. Way too fine.


    By the time lunch passed and I returned to the office, I almost... almost... allowed myself to believe the rest of the day was going to remain peaceful.


    But then...


    "You¡¯ll be apanying me to the Alpha Gathering tonight."


    I nearly chocked on the water I was drinking.


    "Excuse me?"


    His face remained impassive. "You heard me. There¡¯s a private gathering tonight. High-level Alphas and a few selected Beta representatives will be attending. I want you there."


    "Why?" I asked, feeling baffled. "I¡¯m barely three weeks into this internship. What possible use could I be at an Alpha Gathering?"


    He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Because you are the top of your ss in behavioral analysis and political theory. Because I have already noticed your knack for observation. Because I need someone who will listen and report rather than try to impress everyone in the room."


    "I don¡¯t have anything to wear," I tried.


    "This isn¡¯t a fashion show. You are there to observe, not walk a runway."


    "I have ns tonight," I tried again. "I promised my friends-"


    He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want this internship or not?"


    I shut my mouth. He wasn¡¯t threatening me. Just stating facts.


    And unfortunately, he was right. I needed this internship. It was the kind of opportunity that could open doors I didn¡¯t even know existed. Even if it meant sacrificing a night of movies and dinner.


    "Fine," I muttered. "I¡¯ll go."


    He gave a single nod, then went back to reading his file as though the conversation was already over.


    I messaged my friends in between sorting reports.


    <strong>Eva</strong>: <i>Hey guys. Something¡¯se up at the internship. I have to go with Alpha River to some meeting tonight. I can¡¯t make it to the movie and dinner, I¡¯m really sorry.</i>


    Their responses were almost instantly.


    <strong>Mallory</strong>: <i>You have got to be kidding me.</i>


    <strong>Noah</strong>: <i>Why today?</i>


    <strong>Ria</strong>: <i>Ugh... That sucks. We¡¯ll miss you, Eva.</i>


    <strong>Selene</strong>: <i>This better be worth ditching us for, girl.</i>


    <strong>Kyros: </strong><i>Don¡¯t overwork yourself.</i>


    I sighed and tucked the phone away. They didn¡¯t oppose to my change of n, but their disappointment was practically vibrating through the screen.


    It wasn¡¯t really easy for me to focus on work after that as I felt nervous, but I still tried my best. And as clock struck six, we finally left for the hotel in his car.


    I was wearing a simple ck blouse tucked into te gray cks. My hair was pulled back into a clean, low bun. I was looking neat, professional, practical.


    But it took precisely one step into the grand hotel¡¯s ballroom to realize I was looking like someone¡¯s lost assistant.


    The room was glimmering with warm gold light. Chandeliers were dripping from the ceiling like constetions. Tables were dressed in white and silver. Men in tailored suits and women in elegant dresses were moving like royalty. There were even a few extravagant gowns that looked like they belonged on red carpets.


    I didn¡¯t even make it to the main floor before the stares began. But they were for the Rogue Alpha King.


    River, of course, didn¡¯t react at all. He moved like he owned the ce - calm, confident, effortlesslyposed.


    Meanwhile, I tried to keep my shoulders square and my steps steady. No matter how amateurish I looked, I wasn¡¯t going to shrink. Not tonight.


    River handed me a ss of water from a passing server and leaned close to speak near my ear. "Stick to listening. Note bodynguage. Who talks to whom. Who doesn¡¯t. You are not here to speak. Just absorb."


    I nodded silently, grateful for the rity, even though I noticed how this action immediately caused the people there to finally <i>notice </i>me, something they didn¡¯t until River whispered in my ear.


    We started making rounds. He introduced me to no one, and I offered no words unless spoken to... which wasn¡¯t often. Most conversations around us were loaded with polite hostility, veiled threats wrapped in business lingo, and political maneuvering so slick I could barely keep up. But I did my best to watch, to notice details, like River had asked.


    A tall man with sharp features kept adjusting the ring on his finger whenever the Alpha from the northern mountains approached him. Another younger Beta was trying to hide how his hands trembled every time River walked past him. A female Alpha in a deep emerald gown was watching everyone but said very little, her silence was more powerful than most speeches in the room.


    I was almost beginning to settle into the rhythm of it.


    Until I felt it.


    That icy prickle on the back of my neck. It was a sharp, instinctive awareness.


    I turned slowly... and my breath caught.

 Chapter 88: River’s Sinister Plan

    <h4>Chapter 88: River¡¯s Sinister n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Professor Kieran.


    He was standing near the far end of the ballroom, in a sleek dark suit, nked by two Alphas I didn¡¯t recognize. His posture was regal,manding, and his expression unreadable.


    But his eyes?


    They were on me.


    And they weren¡¯t the only ones.


    Because to his right, Oscar was standing with a wine ss in hand, his jaw ck with surprise. And just behind him, partially hidden in the crowd, was Draven.


    I swore under my breath.


    All four of the Rogue Alpha brothers were present in the same room, and while it shouldn¡¯t have been weird, a familiar feeling started blooming deep inside me.


    But before I could have focused further on that feeling, River ced a hand on my lower back and gently, but firmly, guided me toward a cluster of Alphas standing near the center of the ballroom.


    His touch wasn¡¯t feeling friendly. It felt calcted.


    "Come," he said smoothly with that unshakableposure on his face. "There are people I would like you to meet."


    I knew that tone. That calmness. It wasn¡¯t kindness. It was warning.


    And the second we stepped into the circle of powerful men and their perfectly groomedpanions, I knew I had been thrown into a pit of wolves, and not the kind that bared fangs. These smiled with poisonced words.


    "Evaline," River introduced. His voice was strong enough to pull the attention of every Alpha around us. "ss President. Top of this year¡¯s Academy entrance exams. She¡¯s actually the only wolfless entrant to ever achieve it."


    Silence followed his words. And then came the stares. Some were skeptical. Some amused. While some openly judgmental.


    Yet, I stood tall. Straight spine. Even breath. Neutral expression.


    "She¡¯s quite... casual, isn¡¯t she?" one of the women said with a too-sweet smile. She was wearing emerald silk and enough diamonds to weigh her down. "Is this your usual wardrobe for high-level gatherings, Miss Evaline?"


    "It¡¯s a work outfit," I replied evenly, not flinching. "I wasn¡¯t aware I would be attending until a few hours ago. Besides, Alpha River told me that I¡¯m here to observe and learn, not to join a fashion show."


    Thest one hit its mark, upsetting all the right people.


    Another chuckled behind her wine ss. "It¡¯s brave of you toe anyway. Most girls wouldn¡¯t risk being mistaken for a waitress."


    There wasughter. Soft, vicious.


    "She has unique coloring," an Alpha chimed in. "The silver hair and amber eyes are quite striking. Very... wild."


    "She would fit in well at a carnival," someone muttered just low enough to be audible.


    I said nothing. Doing so once ended up ring their dislike toward me. So, I let their words hit, sink, and slide off me. It wasn¡¯t the first time I was being picked apart. It wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    But River wasn¡¯t done.


    "She¡¯s more than just a pretty face," he said smoothly as he sipped his drink. "Evaline chose to be my assistant over a full year of training under experts or ess to the entire Silver Moon library. Bold, don¡¯t you think?"


    My stomach twisted.


    Each word was stinging like acid across raw skin. He was lifting me up just to drop me harder. He knew what he was doing. And I knew, deep in my bones, that he had brought me here for this.


    To show me off. To remind me what I was. To push me until I cracked in front of every person who mattered in our world.


    "She also defeated Oscar in the final round of the Academy entrance trials. Caught himpletely off guard with an unexpected move. Remarkable how far instinct can carry a rogue."


    There it was. The twist in his words. The knife dressed as praise.


    "Rogues do tend to be... unpredictable," another Alphamented only for hispanion to add, "And aggressive when cornered."


    I could feel eyes on me... burning from across the room. I didn¡¯t have to turn to confirm that the other three brothers had their full attention on me.


    And then, I felt <i>him.</i>


    Kieran.


    I didn¡¯t see him arrive, but I felt the shift in the air beside me. Warm. Calm. Like a wall at my side.


    His voice was quiet, but firm when he spoke. "River."


    River barely turned. "Kieran."


    "I believe Evaline¡¯s already met most of the gathering¡¯s key members. No need to parade her further."


    "Oh?" River smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. "She deserves the recognition. Don¡¯t you agree, brother?"


    <fnf078> Get full chapters from Find[F]ovel</fnf078>


    I flinched, just a flicker, but it was enough. The warning was clear in River¡¯s tone. No matter how much he loved his brothers, he wouldn¡¯t tolerate them questioning him in front of outsiders. He was the Rogue Alpha King, and his authority wasn¡¯t to be questioned.


    Kieran stepped in closer to me, subtly shielding me with his body from the surrounding Alphas and their women. "She didn¡¯te here to be your conversation piece."


    River¡¯s eyes glittered. "Of course not. I simply want our future generation of leaders to be inspired."


    He was enjoying every second of this.


    And I...


    I wanted to leave.


    I wanted to disappear from the scrutiny, the whispers, the polished knives disguised aspliments. But I couldn¡¯t... wouldn¡¯t... give River the satisfaction of seeing me break.


    So I stepped forward. Just half a step. And I gave the circle my most polite, Academy-perfect smile.


    "Thank you, Alpha River, for the generous introduction." My voice didn¡¯t shake. "And thank you all for your... insightfulmentary."


    I could feel Kieran holding back a breath beside me.


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to excuse myself now. My work hours are over and I have ns with my friends. If you will excuse me."


    A lie. A graceful, convenient one.


    Without waiting for permission, I turned. I wasn¡¯t too fast... just confident. I walked away with my head high and my spine straight.


    It was only when I reached the hallway outside the ballroom did I let out a slow, shaking breath.


    My walls didn¡¯t crumble. Not yet. But there was a crack now. A fracture beneath the armor.


    River had aimed his arrow well, and I felt the sting.


    But I didn¡¯t fallen. Not this time. And I was not going to forget it.


    Not theughter. Not the looks. And certainly not the man who wore a mask of calm while twisting the de in my ribs.


    Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

 Chapter 89: Searching for Her

    <h4>Chapter 89: Searching for Her</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    Evaline walked out with her chin high, her posture perfect, and her pace steady.


    To everyone else, she was looking unbothered. Untouched.


    But I knew better.


    I didn¡¯t know when it started - this strange, silent ability to read her. Maybe it was after watching her push herself so mercilessly that she would copse when no one was looking. Or maybe it was after witnessing her constantly putting on a strong and emotionless front while she was just an innocent and kind girl.


    But it was her eyes... always her eyes... that betrayed her.


    No matter how calm the rest of her seemed, her eyes always told the truth. And right now, they were screaming. Not with fear or anger, but hurt.


    I took a step to go after her, only for River¡¯s hand tond on my shoulder.


    "She¡¯s fine," he said softly, too softly for my liking. "She needs to learn to handle situations like these."


    I turned my face toward him slowly. "You think that was a lesson?"


    "I think it was reality. She wants to be part of this world, she needs to know how it works."


    I stared at him, feeling my heart twist. "She¡¯s eighteen, River. A first-year student. An alone girl who¡¯s barely finding her footing. You paraded her around like a trophy, then used her as target practice."


    His eyes darkened, but his face remainedposed. "I praised her."


    "You used her achievements as a leash. Every word from you was dressed in poison."


    From the corner of my eye, I caught Oscar slipping out through the side exit. Not long after, Draven followed in quick, urgent steps.


    My chest tightened.


    <i>What are they doing?</i>


    River caught my brief distraction and also noticed our brothers slipping away. "Worried our brothers might say something reckless?"


    "I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll do something reckless," I muttered.


    He scoffed. "They wouldn¡¯t hurt her."


    "No. But they might hurt her more, even without meaning to."


    His silence was answer enough.


    I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "River... this isn¡¯t like you."


    His brow lifted ever so slightly. "Isn¡¯t it?"


    "No," I said firmly. "You are strict, calcted, cold even... but this? You humiliated her in front of some of the most influential wolves in the country. For what? To prove a point? Or because you <i>hate</i> her?"


    Something flickered in his eyes. Then, just as quickly, it vanished.


    "I don¡¯t hate her," he said atst. "I just don¡¯t like her or trust her. I..." he trailed off as if he was having a hard time decide exactly what he felt for her.


    "And yet, you brought her here," I pressed. "Knowing how people would treat her. You set her up."


    His jaw tightened, but he didn¡¯t reply.


    <fn5521> Read full story at F¦ÉndNovel</fn5521>


    I took in a deep breath before continuing, "I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ll make sure she gets back safely."


    "She¡¯s not your responsibility, Kieran."


    "She¡¯s my student."


    He said nothing else as I turned and walked out.


    I didn¡¯t bother sparing anyone else a nce or word. Didn¡¯t storm off. I kept my steps measured, but every one of them was filled with urgency.


    As I stepped into the lobby of the hotel, the cool air hit me, and so did the sharp scent of worry.


    Oscar was standing by the main entrance with phone in hand, tapping at the screen with furrowed brows. Draven was pacing a few feet away, his hands running through his hair.


    They both looked up as I approached.


    "She¡¯s not picking up," Oscar said immediately, surprising me by the knowledge that he had her number.


    "She didn¡¯t take a transport from the main exit," Draven added, also looking worried much to my surprise. "I checked the tracker. She didn¡¯t even scan out."


    Though I was surprised to see my younger brothers worrying for her, there was no time to ponder on this matter at the moment. My mind was racing as I spoke, "Which means she¡¯s still around."


    "What the hell was River thinking?" Oscar muttered. "Bringing her here and then dragging her into... <i>that</i>?"


    I blinked. "You are upset?"


    "Of course I am!" he snapped, then looked away. "I mean... yeah. Maybe I gave her a hard time at first. But she didn¡¯t deserve <i>that</i>. No one does."


    Draven was quieter. "She didn¡¯t even flinch when they mocked her clothes. Not once. That¡¯s not normal."


    "She¡¯s learned how to survive that way," I said quietly. "Hide the pain. Stay invisible. Never show weakness."


    Oscar looked visibly shaken. "I thought she would snap. Or cry. Or scream. But she just walked out like it didn¡¯t matter."


    Draven muttered under his breath, "That¡¯s the part that makes it worse."


    I looked between them both.


    Their concern wasn¡¯t fake. It was real. Raw. But that made no sense.


    Neither of them had ever acted like they gave a damn about her well-being. Yet here they were.


    Worried.


    Looking for her.


    "You said she didn¡¯t scan out," I said to Draven. "Then she might have left through the back corridors. Try the east garden exit."


    "I already checked there," he said. "Empty."


    Oscar ran a hand over his face. "Should we contact the warriors?"


    "No," I said immediately. "What happened inside already put her into unnecessary limelight. If we made our warriors search for her through the city, it will only cause more gossip. And it will not be right for her."


    "Then what do we do?" Oscar asked in a tight voice.


    I inhaled deeply, trying to remember theyout of the hotel. "There¡¯s a lower parking level. It¡¯s usually quiet. Let¡¯s check there next."


    As we started toward the back elevators, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where she had gone.


    And more importantly... Why did she leave without asking for help?


    But I already knew the answer to that.


    Evaline Greystone didn¡¯t ask for help.


    Because life had taught her no one woulde when she did.


    <i>Not this time</i>... I promised silently as the elevator descended. <i>Not when I¡¯m here. Not anymore.</i>


    She was my student, my responsibility, and I was not nning to let her down.

 Chapter 90: Walking into Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 90: Walking into Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t remember leaving the ballroom.


    I only remembered the heat in my chest, the stinging behind my eyes, and the noise of clinking sses andughter blurring behind me.


    My barely made any sound on the glossy floor of the hotel lobby, then onto the pavement, and before I knew it... I was just <i>gone</i>.


    I was gone from that hall, from the humiliation, from River¡¯s smug voice painting me as something I wasn¡¯t - an object to prove a point. A tool. A showpiece. The very thing I had vowed to never be again.


    The air outside was cool and damp, tinged with the faint scent of the nearby river that was cutting through the city. I walked. Fast. Then faster. Turning corners, taking streets without looking at their names, ignoring the stares of passersby. I was still in that stupid blouse and trousers, clean and modest but in. Cheap.


    I kept walking and walking until the noise behind me faded, until the ache in my feet was too much to ignore, and until my breath wasing out in ragged bursts from both the cold and my emotions threatening to spill out.


    When the fog of my rage began to lift, the panic crept in.


    I was somewhere in the city - <i>somewhere</i>. But where exactly, I had no idea. Nothing was looking familiar. There were no signboards I recognized. No scent I couldtch onto. The city lights were casting an artificial glow over everything, making even shadows look unreal.


    I pulled out my phone, but the battery had already dipped into red. I could neither call nor message anyone, not like I had any idea whom to call and what to say.


    <fn5> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find{n}ovel</fn5>


    <i>Hey, I walked off in a fit of rage and now I¡¯m stranded in a city I don¡¯t know without a single coin to get back. Could someone please fetch this emotionally unstable rogue girl?</i>


    I let out a humorlessugh.


    The worst part?


    Even if I wanted to call a cab or hop on a bus, I couldn¡¯t.


    I had no money.


    Nothing.


    My internship stipend wouldn¡¯te until next week. The only thing I had on me was my ID and that ck card Professor Kieran had given me before the Academy year started. I still remembered how casual he had been about it - "Use it for anything you need" - but I hadn¡¯t touched it after buying the school supplies.


    I had already decided I would return that card soon. And even if it took me a few months, I would still pay back the amount I had spent from it. I wanted <i>nothing</i> that belonged to them.


    Especially not after tonight.


    I inhaled deeply and kept walking, even as my feet screamed. The city was buzzing with neon lights and chatter, but the street I wandered into next was quieter... too quiet.


    It was narrow... and mostly shrouded in darkness except for the faint lighting from a brokenmp hanging from a streetmp.


    This was the kind of alley that made the hair on the back of my neck rise.


    I paused. Maybe I just needed to turn around and find a more popted road -


    A shuffle.


    Then another.


    And I knew it was toote.


    Three figures emerged from behind a dumpster. Another two from the other side of the alley. Street thugs. They were tall, grinning with yellowed teeth and cracked knuckles. They were reeking of alcohol, sweat, and something darker... something I didn¡¯t want to identify.


    "Hey, sweetheart," the one in front said with a grin that made my stomach churn. "You lost?"


    I stepped back only for them to step forward.


    "We can help you out. Pretty thing like you shouldn¡¯t be all alone in a ce like this."


    I turned, ready to bolt, but a sudden, loud roar filled the air.


    A growl louder than thunder echoed in the alley as headlights bathed the thugs in white. A motorbike screeched to a stop right at the mouth of the alley, its rider tall and broad-shouldered. He cut the engine and pulled off the helmet, revealing a mop of unruly dark hair and eyes I knew.


    "Rowan?"


    He kicked the stand and swung off the bike, rolling his neck like he was preparing for a fight. "You guys have about five seconds to get the hell away from her."


    The thugs hesitated.


    "Two," Rowan said.


    And they scattered.


    I didn¡¯t even realize I had stopped breathing until thest of them disappeared into the darkness.


    Rowan strode toward me and immediately removed his jacket, wrapping it around my shoulders. "What the hell, Eva? What are you doing here?"


    I opened my mouth. Closed it. I was still shaking. The fog was back... different this time. Sharper. Cold.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean to," I said finally. "I just... I left. And I kept walking. I wasn¡¯t thinking-"


    "You clearly weren¡¯t," he muttered, then sighed. "Come on. Let¡¯s get you out of here."


    Before I could take a step, another voice cut through the alley.


    "Evaline!"


    I froze and so did Rowan.


    Professor Kieran appeared at the end of the alley. His coat was ring around him as he hurried toward us. He looked around, taking in the alley, the bike, Rowan, and me in one sweeping gaze. There was a furrow between his brows and a tightness around his mouth.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, looking directly at me.


    I nodded, then shifted ufortably. "I¡¯m fine."


    He turned his gaze to Rowan, brows narrowing. "And you are?"


    "Rowan," my roommate said smoothly, slipping one arm around my shoulder - just enough to be protective, not possessive. "Her friend. ssmate. I live in the same dorm room."


    Kieran blinked, clearly surprised. "You are one of the First Years?"


    "Yep. And you must be Professor Kieran," Rowan said, not bothering to hide the sharpness in his tone. "Didn¡¯t expect to see you here."


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond to that. He looked back at me. "Let me take you back. I have my car."


    "No," I said quickly, taking a step back from him and closer to Rowan. "No offense, Professor, but I would rather go with Rowan."


    His expression flickered with confusion, hurt, or something else I wasn¡¯t able to name. But he nodded. "Of course."


    Rowan gently steered me toward the bike. "You¡¯ll be warm enough?"


    I tightened the jacket around me and nodded. "Yeah."


    "I¡¯ll follow on foot until you are on the main road," Kieran said, stepping aside as Rowan helped me onto the bike. "Be safe, both of you."


    Rowan started the engine and looked over his shoulder. "I always am."


    And then we were off within seconds. The city lights blurred behind us as wind whipped past my face.


    My heart was still a mess. My mind, worse. But for the first time that night, I wasn¡¯t feeling alone.

 Chapter 91: Finding a True Friend

    <h4>Chapter 91: Finding a True Friend</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time we left the city behind, the wind had calmed my nerves. The bike ride with Rowan was smooth, fast, and strangelyforting. No words were exchanged, but something about the silence didn¡¯t feel heavy like it usually did. Maybe because it wasn¡¯t the kind that judged.


    Instead of heading straight for the Academy, he slowed down as we passed the first town nestled at the base of the Academy mountains. The streets here were quieter, cozier, lined with small shops, bakeries, and warm yellow streetlights that were glowing like fireflies in the night.


    Without warning, he pulled into the parking lot of a small diner that was looking like it had been pulled out of another era. Red booths were lining the windows. A neon sign was buzzing above the ss door, casting a soft pink glow.


    He turned off the engine and looked over his shoulder. "Come on. Let¡¯s eat."


    I blinked. "Shouldn¡¯t we... go back?"


    He shrugged. "The gates are open till midnight. We have got time."


    I hesitated only for my stomach to let out a sudden, loud growl.


    And while I was busy feeling embarrassed, he grinned. "Thought so."


    As we stepped inside, I was hit by the warm scent of butter, spices, and freshly brewed coffee. It made my mouth water. I hadn¡¯t even realized how hungry I was until that moment.


    We slid into a corner booth, and the moment the waitress came by, Rowan rattled off an order like he had been here a dozen times before - burgers, fries, something called "dragon-spiced dumplings," arge te of garlic butter pasta, and strawberry milkshakes.


    <fn4473> Content originallyes from f?ndnovel</fn4473>


    "You didn¡¯t ask what I wanted," I muttered once the waitress walked away.


    He just leaned back and grinned again. "Didn¡¯t need to. You¡¯ll like them all. Trust me."


    I narrowed my eyes. "And what if I don¡¯t?"


    "Then I¡¯ll eat what¡¯s left. Win-win."


    He said it so casually, so cheerfully, that augh slipped out of me before I could stop it.


    This made him grin wider. "There she is."


    When the food arrived, it was steaming and colorful. And to my surprise, every dish was amazing. The first bite of the dumpling was spicy and savory and just the right amount of crispy. I didn¡¯t even realize how much I was eating until half the table was cleared.


    "Slow down," he chuckled. "No one¡¯s stealing your te."


    "You ordered too much," I replied with a small smile as I wiped my mouth.


    "I nned to order too much," he replied in a light tone. "You needed it."


    I paused at that for a moment before asking, "You knew I hadn¡¯t eaten?"


    He shrugged again, but his gaze softened. "You looked like someone who forgot how to breathe, let alone eat."


    That... made something twist in my chest.


    "I¡¯m paying you back for this once I get my sry. Just give me few days," I said quickly.


    But he was quick to shook his head. "No, you are not. It¡¯s my treat. Let me have this one, alright?"


    "Why?"


    He tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable. "Because it¡¯s what friends do."


    <i>Friends.</i>


    That word shouldn¡¯t have meant so much. But right then, in that quiet diner where the world felt far away, it did.


    We finished the meal infortable silence, and when we stepped outside, the night air was crisp again. I turned toward his bike, but he shook his head and pointed toward the gravel path beside the diner that led toward the forest trail.


    "My friend¡¯s picking the bike upter. I figured we could walk. It¡¯s only half an hour to the Academy."


    I nodded, liking the idea of a walk.


    We walked in silence while the sound of our footsteps crunching on leaves, the asional hoot of an owl, and the rustle of wind through the trees surrounded us.


    After a few minutes, Rowan finally broke the silence.


    "So..." he said gently. "Want to tell me what happened back there?"


    I didn¡¯t answer right away.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I was hesitating. Maybe because telling the truth meant admitting how deeply it hurt. Maybe because I wasn¡¯t used to people caring.


    But then I nced sideways.


    He wasn¡¯t looking at me with suspicion. There was no pressure in his voice. Just... genuine concern.


    And something inside me cracked.


    So... I told him everything - from the unexpected invitation to the Alpha Gathering, to River¡¯s cold games in front of the others. I didn¡¯t spare the details.


    I expected Rowan tough, or roll his eyes. Maybe to say I was being dramatic or to use me of lying as I was talking about not some random guy but the respected Rogue Alpha King.


    But he did none of those things.


    Instead, his expression darkened. "River¡¯s a bastard," he muttered. "I don¡¯t care what title he holds. That wasn¡¯t right."


    I stopped walking.


    "...You believe me?"


    Rowan blinked. "Of course I do."


    "But... he¡¯s the Rogue Alpha King."


    "So?" he said with a frown. "He¡¯s not God. He¡¯s still a man. And a man who humiliates an eighteen-year-old girl in front of a ballroom full of wolves deserves a good punch in the jaw."


    I stared at him, feeling overwhelmed.


    Not because of what River had done... but because of <i>this</i>. Because of Rowan. Because he didn¡¯t doubt. Didn¡¯t question. Didn¡¯t tiptoe around my pain like it was something he couldn¡¯t touch.


    And before I could stop it... a single tear escaped.


    I quickly wiped it away, embarrassed, but he still ended up noticing.


    "Hey..." he said softly. "What¡¯s that for?"


    I shook my head. "I don¡¯t even know. It¡¯s not about what River did. It¡¯s just... I guess I didn¡¯t expect you to be like this."


    He stared at me for a moment, then stepped closer. His hand rose and gently patted my head, fingers brushing through my hair like it was the most natural thing in the world.


    And then, without asking, he pulled me into a hug.


    It was warm. Solid. Safe.


    I stood there frozen for a second, but then slowly melted into it.


    "Everyone thinks you are cold," I mumbled against his shoulder. "Quiet. Dangerous."


    He chuckled. "They are not wrong."


    "But you are kind," I whispered. "You are one of the kindest people I have met."


    He didn¡¯t say anything, just held me before we finally pulled apart momentster.


    We continued walking, slower than before, and didn¡¯t say much this time. But something had shifted between us.


    Rowan wasn¡¯t just a roommate anymore. He was <i>my friend</i>.

 Chapter 92: Missing Warriors

    <h4>Chapter 92: Missing Warriors</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sunday mornings at the council headquarters were usually quieter. Most of the council members took the day to rest unless something urgent required attention.


    But I arrived there at nine sharp, dressed in my usual clothes, hair pulled back, and with a calm expression. Or at least that¡¯s what I was showing on the outside.


    Inside, I was hollow.


    I didn¡¯t sleep well as the nightmares were back. Barely ate in the morning and my head was throbbing. Yet, here I was, pretending like I hadn¡¯t been paraded like a fragile pet by the most feared Alpha in our world.


    Sincest night, my phone had buzzed several times with calls and messages from Kieran, Oscar, and Draven.


    But I didn¡¯t attend the calls or opened their messages. I didn¡¯t need to read them to know what they would say.


    <i>"We didn¡¯t know."</i>


    <i>"River went too far."</i>


    <i>"Are you okay?"</i>


    A part of me knew that these three weren¡¯t directly to me for what River had done. They weren¡¯t the ones who humiliated me in that gilded ballroom. But another part of me, the part that still throbbed with shame and betrayal, couldn¡¯t separate them from <i>him</i>. They were brothers. A unit. Always moving together.


    And I didn¡¯t want to hear their apologies if they couldn¡¯t change the truth.


    So I kept walking past the buzzes and pings of my phone. Kept working like my bones weren¡¯t aching and my chest wasn¡¯t tight.


    River, of course, was already at headquarters when I arrived.


    He didn¡¯t speak to me. And I didn¡¯t look at him.


    But that didn¡¯t stop me from <i>feeling</i> him. His gaze was relentless, and the air between us was like thin ice over deep water - cracking, threatening to copse beneath the weight of what neither of us would say.


    He passed by me a few times throughout the day, and I sensed the hesitation in his steps. The subtle pauses. The nces. But I never lifted my head.


    He had already looked at me enough the previous evening... for the whole world to see.


    I wasn¡¯t giving him the satisfaction of a reaction now.


    It didn¡¯t take long for others to notice. By noon, the entire building grew colder.


    The people working in the main administrative wing - the secretaries, the researchers, the junior warriors and assistants - were moving carefully when they passed by us.


    They only talked in hushed voices and a few even fumbled their files when they caught the tension thick in the air.


    At first, I thought I was imagining it, but by the afternoon, even the low-ranking guards were ncing at us with tight lips and stiff backs. Word had spread, like wildfire through a dry forest.


    They didn¡¯t know what happened, of course. But they felt it.


    As for the Alphas and Council members? Not a single one of them dared to show their face at the headquarters that day.


    They knew what had happened. Some of them had even watched it firsthand.


    And no one wanted to be near River Thorne now that he was visibly, undeniably in a bad mood as he stared at the same girl who now wouldn¡¯t look at him. The same girl who walked past him as if he was nothing but a shadow on the floor.


    By the time the sun dipped low and thest of the administrative staff were preparing to head out, I finally allowed myself a breath.


    So far, this was my hardest day at work, and I was looking forward to returning to the Academy. Back to silence. Back to pretending again.


    I had just closed the final report file and was gathering my things when the door burst open.


    And Jasper stormed in.


    I had never seen him like that before. He was the kind of man who walked like wind - quiet, efficient, almost invisible when he wanted to be. But today, his face was pale and his eyes sharp with urgency. There was no softness in his tone when he addressed River.


    "A patrol team¡¯s gone missing," he said tly,pletely missing my presence in the office. "Five of our warriors. They were scheduled to check the borders around Red Hollow."


    River¡¯s head snapped up. "When did this happen?"


    "Last contact was seven this morning. They were supposed to report back by eleven. We have tried theirms... nothing. No trace of them on radar, and no scent trails near theirst known location. It¡¯s like they vanished."


    I stilled.


    <fnb1a3> For original chapters go to F?ndNovel</fnb1a3>


    Red Hollow. That was deep in the northern mountains, a forbidden zone


    River stood up, his expression finally cracking into something other than that calcted calm he wore like a second skin. "Who led the patrol?"


    "Corin," Jasper replied. "And before you ask - yes. I handpicked the team. They weren¡¯t new. They have run that route half a dozen times before."


    The silence that followed was crushing.


    River¡¯s eyes flicked to me for a brief second before settling back on Jasper.


    "Get me the map," he ordered. "And gather every tracker we have. We move within the hour."


    "I already have the files in the war room," Jasper said, turning on his heel.


    River looked like he was about to follow, but then paused. His gaze flicked back to me again, this time slower.


    Something passed in his expression.


    I didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t speak.


    I should have said something. Should have asked what we were going to do. I worked here. I was supposed to be involved.


    But my voice was gone.


    Everything that had been swirling in me all day - the anger, the resentment, the weight of silent eyes - finally pushed against my chest like a tide, threatening to drown me again.


    So I picked up my bag and walked away.


    Again.


    Just like I had on Saturday night.


    I didn¡¯t stop until I was in the car, heading back to Academy. I didn¡¯t check my phone. Didn¡¯t breathe properly until I was back in my dorm.


    But the moment I stepped inside my bedroom and switched on the lights, I came face to face with Draven.

 Chapter 93: New Addiction

    <h4>Chapter 93: New Addiction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When I opened the door to my room, all I wanted was to copse face-first into bed, pull the nket over my head, and shut out the world.


    So when I stepped in and saw Draven standing next to balcony door, I stopped cold and blinked.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Still there.


    Tall, sharp-edged, wearing a red silk shirt paired with ck pants, and looking just as handsome as always. His dark green eyes were watching me like I was a storm he wasn¡¯t afraid to stand in.


    I opened my mouth, but he beat me to it.


    "You weren¡¯t answering my messages."


    I dropped my bag on the floor with a little more force than necessary. "That wasn¡¯t an ident."


    He took a small, slow step toward me. "So you are ignoring me now?"


    "Yes," I snapped. "And I would like to keep doing that, so if you don¡¯t mind-"


    "I do mind," he cut in while stepping between me and the bedroom door. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m here."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Well, I¡¯m not in the mood to talk, Draven. Not to you. Not after everything that happenedst night. Not after the hellish day I have just had."


    He didn¡¯t flinch. Just looked at me quietly,patient. "I¡¯m not River," he said atst in a low voice. "I didn¡¯t drag you into that gathering. I didn¡¯t put you on disy."


    "No," I admitted and crossed my arms. "But you didn¡¯t stop him either."


    A heavy and thick silence settled between us. But then he said something I wasn¡¯t expecting,


    "I¡¯m not here to exin or defend anything." He stepped closer. "I¡¯m here because you looked like the world had yed you yesterday, and I couldn¡¯t just sit back and pretend I didn¡¯t see that."


    <fnb57d> Latest content published on find~novel</fnb57d>


    I felt my throat tighten but stayed silent.


    He nced toward the bed before asking, "Will you let me stay? Just for a little while?"


    I should have said no.


    I <i>wanted</i> to say no.


    But I was so tired. My feet was hurt. My head was throbbing. And beneath all that exhaustion, I didn¡¯t have the strength to fight someone who, for once, wasn¡¯t trying to argue or make excuses.


    So I gave a shallow nod and toed off my shoes.


    To my surprise, Draven crouched in front of me and started carefully undoing theces to help me take them off.


    I asked with a frown. "What are you doing?"


    "Helping," he said, gently setting the shoes aside before rising and pointing to the bed. "Sit. Please."


    Still frowning, I obeyed and dropped onto the edge of the mattress only to hear him asking - "Can I sit too?"


    I was surprised to see him seeking permission, especially when he had the tendency to enter my room despite me telling him not to. Still, I nodded my head and watched as he settled down beside me.


    "Now," he said while pulling out his phone with an almost mischievous glint in his eye. "You are going to y a game with me."


    "What?"


    "Yup," he said as he reached for my phone. "Give me this. Trust me, it¡¯s therapeutic."


    Too tired to argue, I handed it over and watched as he downloaded a game - some colorful little town-building thing with bouncing music and adorable graphics.


    He handed it back and scooted closer. "Wee to your new obsession."


    I scoffed, but my curiosity was winning. "What am I supposed to do?"


    "Build your town. Feed your vigers. y mini-games. Hoard coins. Rule the world."


    I gave him a skeptical nce, but the corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided grin, and somehow... I smiled back.


    As the minutes passed, I got lost in the game - collecting fruit, decorating little cottages, unlocking farm animals and bakery recipes. Draven kept leaning over asionally to give tips. His arm would brush mine, his voice low and warm in my ear.


    And I wasughing...actuallyughing... when my vigers all danced after I finished a sessful harvest.


    He chuckled too. "Told you it was good."


    "It¡¯s stupid," I said, smiling anyway. "But kind of... addictive."


    "Wee to the dark side," he whispered dramatically, and I shook my head.


    Right at that moment, my phone buzzed with a message from Mallory.


    <i>Where are you? It¡¯s almost dinner time. Are you still at headquarters?</i>


    I quickly closed the game and typed back a response, letting her know that I would be joining them in the dining hall within ten minutes. Then, I set the phone aside.


    The room became silent as we sat side by side on the bed. The gap between us now so small that I was feeling the heat of him.


    Then Draven asked, softly, "Are you still mad at me?"


    My heart thudded.


    I didn¡¯t look at him as I answered truthfully. "Yes."


    He nodded while whispering, "I figured."


    "But I don¡¯t hate you," I added, surprising even myself.


    When I turned to look at him, his eyes were on me -unusually open and vulnerable beneath the usual green.


    "Eva," he whispered. "Can I... kiss you?"


    I sucked in a breath atthe request that came out of nowhere. My first instinct was to say no. Not because I didn¡¯t want to. But because I didn¡¯t know if I should.


    Still, when I looked at him and saw the softness behind his sharp features, the question in his gaze and the care behind it...


    I couldn¡¯t say no.


    So... I gave the faintest nod. And he moved.


    Slowly.


    Gently.


    His hand came up to cup my cheek. The touch was warm and steady, and I leaned into it without meaning to. Then he was leaning in, brushing his lips against mine with such tenderness it almost unraveled me.


    It wasn¡¯t rushed. It wasn¡¯t hungry or desperate. It was sweet, like a promise whispered into the night.


    His lips lingered and I kissed him back, fluttering my eyes closed as I gave into the moment. His thumb stroked my cheek, and his other hand came to rest lightly on my knee. Everything about the kiss said, <i>I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m trying.</i>


    And for now, that was enough.


    When we finally pulled apart, neither of us spoke. There was no need. Then, he finally stood up a momentter.


    "I¡¯ll go now," he said quietly. "Before you regret letting me stay."


    I stood with him, walking him to the balcony door.


    He paused before opening it and turned back to me. "I¡¯ll do better. I promise. You deserve that. You deserve more."


    I didn¡¯t respond, just stared at him as I watched him take onest look at me, like he was memorizing the moment, before he finally left, closing the door softly behind him.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 94: The Quiz Day

    <h4>Chapter 94: The Quiz Day</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Monday came faster than I could have hoped. As the dawn light crept across the walls of my dorm, I groaned and rolled to my side, clutching my pillow like it owed me sleep. But reality was relentless - it was the day of the Herbs and Potions quiz.


    And I hadn¡¯t revised yet.


    Thanks to Saturday night, and everything that unraveled after, the weekend was turned into an emotionalndslide. I didn¡¯t even open my notes, let alone revising anything.


    I sat up with a sigh and quickly made my bed. But instead of my usual morning exercise session, I settled down in the balcony and started flipping through the notes.


    "C¡¯mon, Eva. You have got this," I muttered to myself as I scribbled keywords on the edge of my notebook.


    I wanted to do well in this quiz, not just to prove something to anyone else, but to myself. I needed some kind of win after how low I had felt all weekend.


    And then there was him.


    Kieran.


    His messages had kepting, and I had ignored them just like his brothers¡¯.


    I didn¡¯t even know if they were about the quiz, about Saturday night, or something else. I didn¡¯t want to open them. Because if I did, if I read concern or guilt or worse, apologies, I wouldn¡¯t know how to feel. He wasn¡¯t River. He hadn¡¯t hurt me.


    But he was River¡¯s brother. And that, somehow, was enough to tie a knot in my chest.


    Herbs and Potions was right before lunch. I walked in with my books hugged tightly to my chest and my nerves a bubbling mess beneath my skin.


    I slid into my usual spot beside Mallory and Selene. My friends were chattering quietly about the questions that mighte up. I got involved too. I was as ready for the quiz as I ever could be.


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    I hadn¡¯t heard anything about the missing warriors since returning to the Academy, and part of me wondered if it had all been handled quietly by the Council. Or maybe no one wanted to involve students in matters like that. Whatever the reason, the silence around it made it easy to push to the back of my mind, for now.


    I was just about to take out my potion form cheat-sheet when someone unexpected walked in.


    Rowan.


    He looked casual - messy hair, untucked shirt, and that always-too-cool-to-care air around him. He stopped at the front and started scanning the ss as if he was looking for someone.


    "Holy hell," Mallory whispered beside me. "Who is that?"


    Selene blinked. "He¡¯s not from our ss, is he?"


    I smiled as warmth rushed through me. "That¡¯s Rowan."


    "Rowan?" Mallory asked, raising her eyebrows at me. "As in the roommate you never let us meet?"


    "Howe it¡¯s my fault?" I murmured. "He usually has his own... schedule."


    Kyros turned to nce over his shoulder at us. "I think I saw him during the entrance exams. He was there for thebat trial, I remember."


    "Of course you would remember someone like that," Selene said under her breath, clearly watching Rowan with the kind of interest that made me want to chuckle.


    Rowan noticed us, and with zero hesitation, walked over and slumped into the empty seat next to me that Mallory emptied.


    "Hope you saved me a spot," he said with a wink.


    I rolled my eyes but couldn¡¯t stop the grin from spreading across my face. "You came."


    "You said it was important," he replied, shrugging like it wasn¡¯t a big deal. "I¡¯m here to ace this quiz and ruin the curve."


    Mallory leaned in, eyes wide. "Okay, he¡¯s charming and confident. Eva, you have been holding out on us."


    Iughed, for what felt like the first time all morning. "Everyone, meet Rowan. Rowan, these are my friends - Mallory, Selene, Kyros, Noah, and Ria."


    He nodded at them, shing an easy smile. "Nice to meet you. I have heard way too much about all of you."


    "You have?" Selene blinked.


    He smirked. "Eva talks in her sleep."


    My mouth dropped. "I do not-"


    "Okay, okay," Rowan chuckled, holding up his hands. "Maybe I¡¯m making things up. Maybe not."


    Kyros leaned over to Mallory. "I like him."


    "Same," she whispered back, smirking.


    The mood around us brightened instantly. Rowan had that effect. He settled into the group like he had always belonged. It wasn¡¯t forced or awkward, he just fit. And somehow, just by showing up, he made me feel more grounded than I had in days.


    Then the door opened again as the bell rang for the ss to begin. And the air changed as Professor Kieran walked in, causing all the chatter to die down immediately.


    I didn¡¯t look at him. I kept my eyes trained on the desk as he began cing the quiz sheets on each desk, one by one. My heart was thudding in my chest, and when he finally reached our row, I felt his presence before I saw the edge of the paper slide into ce on my desk.


    "Good luck," he said softly.


    I nodded once, but didn¡¯t dare to say a word. Not even thank you. My throat was too tight.


    I felt Rowan nce at me. Just briefly. Like he was checking if I was okay. But he didn¡¯t say anything either.


    I picked up my pen, took a steadying breath, and turned the paper over.


    Much to my surprise, the quiz wasn¡¯t too hard. There were a couple of hard questions, but overall, it was bnced properly to let all those pass who would have spent some time going through their quiz notes.


    It took me about thirty minutes to finish answering and rechecking, before I handed in my paper along with Rowan and Kyros.


    We waited in silence for others to finish and twenty minutester, the test officially ended.


    Mallory stretched beside me. "That wasn¡¯t too bad, huh?"


    "It could have been worse," I said, agreeing with her.


    "Honestly," Rowan chimed in, "I was expecting trick questions. Professor Kieran seems like the type."


    "He is," Selene agreed. "He¡¯s just sparing us since it¡¯s our first test."


    The bell rang and I started packing my things. I just finished packing when my gaze flickered once toward the front where Professor Kieran was organizing the collected quizzes.


    He looked up as if sensing my gaze and our eyes met.


    It was only for a second. But it made my chest ache in a way I didn¡¯t want to examine.


    So, I looked away and followed my group out of the ss.


    As we stepped out into the corridor, I finally breathed in deeply. The air was cooler out here. Lighter. And with my friends beside me, the knot of tension in my chest slowly began to loosen.


    "You okay?" Rowan asked as he appeared beside me.


    "I will be," I replied honestly.


    "Then let¡¯s go find lunch," he said. "Because I¡¯m starving. And I¡¯m hoping that quiz earned me at least one of the good desserts at the dining hall."


    I chuckled, realizing that it was his first time tasting the food at Academy¡¯s cafeteria.

 Chapter 95: The Top Scorers

    <h4>Chapter 95: The Top Scorers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    If someone had told mest weekend that the following days would pass without any drama, I would haveughed in their face. But here I was, Friday evening, five whole dayster and not a single emotional explosion, argument, or surprise ambush by any of the Rogue Alpha brothers.


    Well, except Draven.


    But even he had been... different.


    After Sunday night, I was expecting him to slip back into his usual teasing, overly forward self. Yet, despite seeing him every single evening in the library, he kept his promise.


    He didn¡¯t hover. He didn¡¯t push. He just existed like a quiet, consistent presence at the front desk of the library - checking in books, organizing the archive shelves, and asionally waving at me with a bright smile when I entered and left the ce.


    And I couldn¡¯t lie... it surprised me.


    <fn5443> For original chapters go to f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn5443>


    Maybe I was underestimating him. Maybe beneath all that smug confidence and flirtatious bravado was someone who genuinely wanted to do better.


    By Wednesday, his presence stopped bothering me. In fact, it even started to feel normal, like part of my routine. I would take my spot by the window in the far corner on second floor, light a small studymp, sip on the water, and do my work while he quietly moved about.


    He only approached me once all week.


    Thursday evening, I was organizing my history notes when I heard the soft thud of a book being ced on the table.


    "Herbs and Healing Through the Ages. Thought this might help with your next essay," he said.


    I nced up. "Thanks."


    He nodded, gave me a soft smile, and walked away.


    That was it. No unnecessary words. No lingering stares. Just quiet help, respectfully offered.


    The only time he actually <i>pestered</i> me was in-game.


    <strong>Draven</strong>: <i>Come on, Eva. You have reached level 25! Join my Co-op team already.</i>


    <strong>Draven:</strong><i>It¡¯s</i><i>Team Darkfang</i>. <i>We are number one for a reason. Don¡¯t make me beg.</i>


    <strong>Draven</strong>: <i>Okay, I¡¯m begging. PLEASE. We need your strategy brain for the next tournament.</i>


    I chuckled when I read his messages.


    It turned out that he was the leader of the top-ranked team in the town-building game we started ying together. He took it very seriously. Daily logins, coordinated side missions, tournament schedules - it was more intense than I expected. But it was fun. More fun than I¡¯d had in a while.


    So, after a bit of teasing on my part, I finally epted his invitation. His victory message was a barrage of celebratory stickers and virtual confetti.


    Despite myself, I was smiling more this week, especially on Wednesday.


    The quiz results were announced and I nearly dropped my toast when I saw the top scorers posted on the notice board in the main hallway.


    Evaline ¨C 100/100


    Kyros Graves ¨C 100/100


    Celine Warter - 98/100


    Nadine Parker - 97/100


    Rowan Bane ¨C 94/100


    Kyros let out a sigh of satisfaction before speaking, "Tied with you at the top. As it should be."


    "Should I feel threatened?" I teased.


    "Maybe just a little."


    But the real surprise was Rowan.


    He shrugged when we pointed at his name. "Guess I got lucky."


    "Rowan," I narrowed my eyes. "Don¡¯t even pretend. You <i>studied</i>."


    He smirked in response. "Might hve. Just a bit. And the credit goes to you."


    I shook my head before speaking, "Don¡¯t push the credit to me. You did a great job this time." I was indeed happy about his achievement, even proud. Not only he listened to me and appeared for the quiz, but even made it in top five.


    Mallory and Selene nodded their heads in agreement to my words, and thetter voiced out her appreciation for him. "Okay, now he¡¯s hot and smart."


    It felt good to share a win with my friends. It was like a tiny bubble of normalcy in a sea of chaos.


    Kieran did congratte us during his ss, and though he <i>did</i> nce my way a few times, we didn¡¯t exchange any direct words. But I did notice the look in his eyes that I failed to decipher. It was something quiet, almost regretful. But he never approached me.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure if I was relieved or disappointed.


    After the results, he canceled our sses for the rest of the week, iming that he was caught up with something important. But he made sure to leave us with ample amount of homework.


    I spent the better part of every evening working throughplicated potion analysis essays, herb mapping diagrams, and cross-referencing medicinal history.


    Still... the silence was appreciated.


    Since it were weekdays, I was saved from River¡¯s annoying presence in my life. And Oscar - well, I spotted him once, walking through the Academy halls with a couple of other instructors and professors.


    Part of me was grateful for the brothers¡¯ absence and the distance they had kept from me over the week.


    I needed this space. This breath of calm to gather myself. But this peace finally shattered Friday evening.


    I just submitted my History project to Professor Elira and was walking back to the dorms. Since the sses were over, the hallway was empty and quiet. Thete afternoon light was filtering through the tall windows, casting long golden shadows on the marble floor.


    Just as I turned a corner, I ended up nearly running into <i>him</i>.


    Oscar.


    He was alone. Dressed in a blue shirt and white pants. As his emerald gaze locked on mine, I almost forgot to breathe.


    Before I could have said a word, before I could have reacted, he reached out and wrapped his hand around my wrist. Not painfully, not harshly... but firmly.


    "Oscar-what-"


    "We need to talk."


    And then we were walking. We didn¡¯t stop until he had pulled me into the nearest empty ssroom and closed the door behind us.


    The room was dim, filled with old desks and covered boards, abandoned for the evening. My heart was pounding in my chest as I stepped back, creating that much-needed space between us.

 Chapter 96: The Reason Behind Her Anger

    <h4>Chapter 96: The Reason Behind Her Anger</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Finally having a normal week without any chaos, any unexpected events, and the constant presence of Thorne brothers in my life, I got enough time to calm down.


    I spent the week focusing on my work, on my sses, and... on the events of the weekend.


    And slowly, the sting of Saturday night began to fade.


    Not because it no longer mattered, but because I realized I had directed my anger at the wrong people. Kieran hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Oscar hadn¡¯t either. And Draven had actually been there when I needed someone.


    It was River who crossed the line. And him who yed with my emotions and trust.


    So, as I now stood facing Oscar in the empty ssroom, I was no longer furious. I was... guarded. Wary.


    But not angry.


    Still, I put on an indifferent face when he shut the door behind us. "Is this how we are doing things now? Dragging people into empty ssrooms?"


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t rise to the bait. He lookedposed as his eyes locked onto mine. "You have been avoiding me."


    "I needed space."


    "I gave it to you." His voice was calm. "But I can¡¯t stay silent anymore."


    As I looked at him, I was expecting the tension to rise again, for words to start spilling out in an angry flood, but... they didn¡¯t.


    Instead, he stepped closer. He was slow, cautious, and his movements careful, like he was afraid I might bolt.


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    "I didn¡¯t know what River had nned until I saw it happen. And by the time I did... you were gone. Avoiding everyone." He ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to give you space, but I also wanted to make sure you were okay. And that¡¯s the truth."


    I studied him. His eyes looked tired, his brow were creased faintly, snd his shoulders were holding tension even in stillness.


    And before I could stop myself, the words were slipping out.


    "I know it wasn¡¯t your fault."


    His eyes widened, just slightly.


    I looked down at my shoes, the knot in my chest loosening just a little. "I have had time to think. And you, Professor Kieran, Draven... none of you deserved my silence. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong."


    There was a pause.


    And then, without lifting my head, I added in a much softer voice this time, "If I was angry, it was because... I kept expecting you to say something. To find me. To-" My breath hitched. "To care."


    He stepped closer.


    Too close.


    And I finally looked up, only to regret it instantly. Because he was watching me, really <i>watching</i> me. His eyes turned soft with something that made my stomach flip.


    "You thought I didn¡¯t care?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.


    I shrugged helplessly. "You didn¡¯t even try to talk to me."


    His lips curved in response. It wasn¡¯t a mocking smile, neither smug. Just... warm. Like something inside him just fell into ce.


    "You are unbelievable," he said more to himself than to me. "You ignored all my messages, avoided every hallway I walked through, and then you are the one upset that <i>I</i> didn¡¯t approach you?"


    I opened my mouth to argue... and stopped.


    Huh.


    When he put it like that...


    "Oh my god," I muttered as I brought a hand to my face. "I¡¯m ridiculous."


    "Yeah," he teased. "A little."


    I groaned. "I didn¡¯t mean to say all that. It just slipped out."


    "I¡¯m d it did," he said while leaning a bit closer. "I like knowing you wanted to see me."


    "Oscar." My voice held warning, but my heart was already racing.


    "You missed me."


    "I didn¡¯t say that."


    "You didn¡¯t have to."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Are you smiling?"


    "I might be."


    And he was. That stupid, beautiful, infuriating smile of his was stretching across his face like it had every right to live there.


    "You are impossible."


    "And you are adorable when you are flustered."


    I was not flustered. I mean... maybe a little.


    He stepped even closer, so close that I was able to feel his breath on my cheek. One of his hands lifted slowly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was warm, gentle. It made my breath hitch.


    "I wanted toe to you," he confessed softly. "But I didn¡¯t want to push you. I saw how easily River¡¯s choices shattered your trust. I didn¡¯t want to be another wound."


    My throat felt tight as I quickly whispered, "You are not."


    He looked at me for a long time, like he was searching for something. And then, quietly, he asked, "Can I kiss you?"


    Stars.


    I didn¡¯t think I could breathe.


    But I nodded.


    That was all it took.


    His lips touched mine - soft at first, hesitant, like he was still giving me time to change my mind. But when I melted into him, his hand came up to cradle the back of my neck, and the kiss deepened.


    Warm. Slow. Meaningful.


    It wasn¡¯t rushed, wasn¡¯t desperate. It was careful and sweet and honest, like he was trying to tell me everything he hadn¡¯t said all week.


    When we finally pulled apart, my face was flushed and my heart was racing.


    "I should be mad at you for being so smug," I whispered breathlessly.


    He grinned. "But you are not."


    "Don¡¯t push your luck."


    Heughed and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in again. I rested my forehead against his chest, breathing in the familiar scent that was so uniquely him.


    "Let¡¯s start over," he murmured. "No more silence. No more avoidance. Just... us. Getting to know each other."


    I nodded into his chest. "Okay."


    When I looked up again, he kissed me... again. Slower this time. His hands held my waist firmly as his mouth moved against mine with a confidence that made my legs feel weak.


    I might have melted into the desk behind me. I definitely ended up perched on the edge of it with his hands on either side of my hips and his lips tracing a line from my mouth to my jaw, down to the curve of my neck where his breath lingered just a little too long.


    "Oscar..."


    "Mmh?"


    "Not here."


    He pulled back just enough to smile down at me. "Tempting though."


    "Control yourself, Instructor."


    He chuckled, kissing the tip of my nose. "You make that very difficult, you know."


    I bit my bottom lip to hide the smile I couldn¡¯t stop. "Let¡¯s go back before someone starts wondering where we are."


    "Or worse... finds us."

 Chapter 97: Whispers in the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 97: Whispers in the Dark</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning sun was filtering through the tall windows of the Council headquarters as I walked down the familiar corridors.


    The building always looked so grand and cold with its white marble floors, high ceilings, and that distant hush that never quite left, even when people were talking.


    It was Saturday again. A full month since I had started my internship.


    I received my first month¡¯s pay just two days ago, and while it wasn¡¯t arge sum, it felt... satisfying. Empowering, even. It was more than enough to give me some independence and the feeling that I was finally building something of my own. I hadn¡¯t grown up with money or resources. Every bit I earned now was mine and mine alone, and that gave me a quiet sense of pride.


    Since I didn¡¯t have many expenses - no rent, no food, no clothes obsession, no constant need for new gadgets - it was easy to put eighty percent of it aside as saving.


    I needed to earn and save money, and I needed to do it before the end of first term.


    River didn¡¯t show up at all throughout the day and arge part of me was relieved. I didn¡¯t have the emotional energy to deal with him, especially not in the very ce where I was trying to build a professional identity.


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    Without him, my workload was light. Too light, in fact. I spent more time organizing old reports than handling anything real, which would have bothered me if I hadn¡¯t been in desperate need of a quiet day.


    But something else was nagging at me.


    The reports fromst week... the missing warriors... it was as if none of it had ever happened.


    There was no mention of the incident. No whispers in the hallway. No tense nces exchanged between employees or even the Alphas who appeared at the headquarters. It was like the whole thing was wiped clean.


    I didn¡¯t ask, of course. I knew better than to bring up something that someone in power clearly didn¡¯t want spoken about. And I had a feeling that it had something to do with River.


    But I couldn¡¯t help the chill that crawled down my spine.


    Had I imagined it?


    Had it really happened?


    The memory was too clear to be fake. I remembered how tensed Jasper looked and how urgently River had reacted. And yet... there was no record, no update, not even a casualment.


    It made the silence feel loud.


    Too loud.


    I clocked out earlier than expected and asked Kieran¡¯s man, who had been driving me back and forth from Academy to council headquarters, to drop me at Lakeshire Town where my friends were waiting for me.


    They all were waiting for me at a small but cozy diner. The ce was warm with amber lighting, and the smell of seasoned fries and grilled sandwiches was filling the air.


    It seemed like we all enjoyed snuggling up in corners as Kyros had picked a booth at the very corner near the window. Noah was busy arguing with Selene about which dessert was superior -va cake or cinnamon rolls.


    "Don¡¯t start with me again," Selene groaned dramatically, nudging Kyros with her elbow. "You are just bitter because you can¡¯t handle chocte."


    "Excuse me," Noah gasped and ced a hand over his heart. "That¡¯s nder."


    Iughed as I slid into the booth as Mallory sided with Noah. "He¡¯s not wrong though. You nearly died after eating that dark chocte bar two weeks ago."


    "It was <i>too</i> dark. That¡¯s not even chocte anymore, it¡¯s emotional trauma in a wrapper." Selene depended herself.


    I chuckled as Kyros ced the menu in front of me. "Help me order. These maniacs are just too busy arguing."


    We ordered a massive tter to share. It had seasoned fries, onion rings, tiny grilled sliders, and grilled chicken.


    It was perfect. The food. The atmosphere. Everything.


    Until it wasn¡¯t.


    I was on my way back from the restroom. I took the long route around the diner, avoiding the tightly packed central tables. That¡¯s when I heard it - low voices, urgent and hushed,ing from the far corner where a small group of warriors were huddled together.


    I wasn¡¯t trying to eavesdrop. I wasn¡¯t even that close. But one sentence froze me in my tracks.


    "-the missing group fromst weekend-"


    I stopped breathing for a second as I instinctively stepped closer.


    One of the warriors, a dark-haired man with a jagged scar across his cheek, leaned closer to the others. "Still no sign. It¡¯s like they vanished into thin air."


    "Alpha River has sealed the report," another replied. "Only his brothers and a few of the top-ranking officers know anything. If you hadn¡¯t been on duty that night, you wouldn¡¯t even remember it happened."


    "So that¡¯s it?" a third voice said bitterly. "We give up? Like thest time?"


    There was silence.


    Then someone murmured, "Just like that kid from the Academy. One day here, the next... gone. No exnation. Just another secret swept under the rug."


    I pressed my back against the wall, making sure to stay hidden from their sigh. My theart was thudding in my chest.


    They didn¡¯t know I was there. Didn¡¯t know I was listening.


    The words echoed in my mind:


    <i>Missing warriors... sealed reports... just like the kid from the Academy... gone without a trace.</i>


    My palms were cold.


    The cheerful diner noises suddenly sounded far away, like I was underwater. I didn¡¯t imagine it. The warriors indeed went missing.


    But it had already been a week and no one was talking about it. No news, no search alerts. The warriors in that corner had already resigned themselves to defeat.


    Like it was normal.


    Like people disappearing into nothing was just another Sunday around here.


    I slowly backed away, careful not to make a sound, and returned to our booth with a practiced smile on my face.


    But the food tasted like ash in my mouth. And my milkshake was suddenly too sweet, too thick, too much.


    I kept ncing at the corner, at the warriorsughing now like they hadn¡¯t just spoken of hopelessness and missing lives.


    And that one word - <i>gone</i> - kept circling in my mind like a storm waiting to break.


    <i>Just like that kid from the Academy.</i>


    What did they mean by a kid from the Academy going missing?

 Chapter 98: The Heartbeat

    <h4>Chapter 98: The Heartbeat</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I let out a deep sigh and stood up to stretch my body.


    It was Sunday and River was absent again.


    Not that I was surprised.


    He hadn¡¯t shown his face since the weekend warriors went missing, and every time I came in for work, it felt like walking into a fog that refused to lift. The assignments he gave me through his secretary were straightforward and dry - sorting documents, updating reports, rewriting summaries.


    There was no mentions of ssified cases. No warriors. Just paper and silence.


    Though I did spentst night pondering on the matter, I eventually decided to put away the matter as it had nothing to do with me.


    By four in the afternoon, I was done with my work. It wasn¡¯t that I was rushing, I just worked faster when I wanted to be somewhere else.


    And today, I <i>did</i> want to be somewhere else.


    I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs, finding the familiar ck SUV in the parking just as it had been every weekend for the past month.


    Kieran¡¯s man had been taking me to and from the Council headquarters for weeks now, even after I insisted I could just take the bus.


    "You don¡¯t need to keep doing this," I had told him during the second weekend. "Really. I¡¯m not new0 anymore."


    But he had only said in his usual monotone, "Orders from Alpha Kieran."


    Today, however, I wasn¡¯t going back to the Academy.


    I hesitated outside the car for a second before getting in. Once the doors were shut and the tinted ss sealed us off from the world, I spoke softly.


    "Can you drop me in Mapleton Town today?"


    He didn¡¯t ask why. Didn¡¯t raise a brow or look suspicious.


    "Understood," was all he said as the engine came to life.


    The drive to Mapleton took about an hour. Thendscape blurred past the windows - endless rows of forest, glimpses of farms, and quiet towns that had the same sleepy charm every small ce did.


    I sat still the entire way, one hand on my belly.


    I was more than three months along now.


    <fndd81> ?????? ???? Find[F]ovel</fndd81>


    I knew I couldn¡¯t dy this any longer. I needed to get checked. I needed to know everything was okay. Not just for me. For the life growing inside me.


    When we reached the edge of Mapleton Town, I tapped his shoulder gently. "You can drop me off here. I¡¯ll manage from here."


    He looked at me through the rearview mirror but said nothing. Just nodded once and parked by a corner near a quiet row of shops.


    "Thank you," I said. "I¡¯ll call one of my friends. You don¡¯t have to wait."


    "Very well," he replied.


    As the car pulled away, I waited until it was out of sight. Only then did I pull out a ck cap from my bag and tuck all of my silver-white hair beneath it. The strands were always a dead giveaway, shimmering like moonlight even under shadow.


    Next came the mask. I slipped it over my face and tucked the edges beneath my ears.


    My reflection in the nearby store ss showed a girl who looked like any other in town. Not a she-wolf. Not a student. Not someone caught in theplicated web of Rogue Alphas and secrets.


    Just a girl.


    That¡¯s all I wanted to be today.


    I walked down the quiet main street, scanning the signs until I found what I was looking for: <i>Willow Creek Community Clinic</i>.


    It looked clean and small. Exactly the kind of ce that wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions if you came in with a mask and didn¡¯t give your real name.


    I stepped inside, inhaling the faint scent of disinfectant andvender that was filling the air. A receptionist looked up from her desk and smiled politely.


    "Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?"


    "No," I replied. My voice slightly muffled behind the mask. "But I was hoping to see someone for... a check-up."


    The receptionist¡¯s gaze lingered a bit, probably trying to guess my age behind the mask and cap, but she didn¡¯t pry.


    "Alright. Please fill this out. You are in luck. One of our OB doctors is avable today."


    I took the clipboard and sat in the corner of the waiting area. For a long moment, I just stared at the form. Name. Age. Reason for visit. Contact details.


    I filled in what I could with vague but believable information, using my mother¡¯s old surname instead of Greystone.


    The wait was short. Fifteen minutester, I was in a small examination room with light blue curtains and soft overhead lights.


    The doctor was a woman in her mid-forties with soft eyes and no-nonsense energy. She even gave me a kind look.


    "I¡¯ll just ask a few questions first," she said. "How far along are you, dear?"


    "Thirteen weeks," I replied quietly.


    "Any major symptoms? Bleeding, cramping, nausea?"


    "No bleeding or cramps. Just fatigue and some nausea in the mornings, but it¡¯s been getting better."


    She nodded and jotted things down. "Good. We¡¯ll do a quick ultrasound, check for heartbeat, measurements, and general development."


    Iy down on the table as she prepared the machine.


    I didn¡¯t know I was holding my breath until I saw it.


    A flicker of motion on the screen.


    It was a small shape, curled and moving faintly. And then... came the sound.


    It was the heartbeat. Fast, steady.


    I blinked rapidly, feeling my eyes suddenly bing warm.


    "There¡¯s your little one," the doctor said with a warm smile. "Heartbeat is strong. Measurements are all within range. Everything looks good so far."


    I nodded as I was unable to speak for a moment.


    It was real.


    It was alive.


    This wasn¡¯t some strange nightmare I was going to wake up from. This was my baby.


    The doctor printed out the sonogram and handed it to me. "We¡¯ll need to do another check-up in four weeks, but for now, I would rmend plenty of rest, small frequent meals, and avoid stress as much as possible."


    I wanted tough. <i>Avoid stress</i>, she said. If only she knew the chaos of my world.


    But I thanked her anyway and promised to follow the advice.

 Chapter 99: Chocolate Muffins

    <h4>Chapter 99: Chocte Muffins</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The night air was crisp as we walked down the cobbled street of Mapleton Town.


    "Coming here was a great idea. Thanks for calling us here, Eva." Selene said and the rest of us nodded along. This was our first time in Mapleton and we were enjoying it so far.


    We were walking past by a little bakery nestled between a flower shop and a closed tailor¡¯s store, when the scent of warm chocte and butter drifted out and curled around me like a promise.


    I stopped mid-step.


    "Wait," I said, turning toward the glowing windows. "I need something sweet."


    Selene raised a brow. "Didn¡¯t we just stuff ourselves like wild dogs?"


    "I have a separate stomach for desserts," I replied, tugging her and Eva¡¯s arms with a grin.


    "Don¡¯t we all," Noah added, already pushing open the door.


    The ce was warm and fragrant inside, and the air was thick with the aroma of baked goods and melted chocte. A ss disy revealed rows of cupcakes, cookies, and muffins, all glistening under soft golden lights.


    We each ordered a chocte muffin, and the first bite melted into my mouth like sin. It was soft, rich, gooey in the center with chunks of warm chocte that clung to my soul like a warm nket.


    "Oh my goddess," I moaned. "I could marry this muffin."


    "Not before I propose to mine," Selene said while closing her eyes in pure bliss.


    Even Eva, who wasn¡¯t usually one for sweets, had a small smile on her lips as she finished hers.


    Once we finished, we headed outside, stepping into thete-night cool breeze. And then, I felt someone brush against me.


    I turned... and froze.


    Jasper.


    Every cell in my body reacted to the sight of him. He was standing tall and calm under the moonlight. His dark clothes were clinging to his lean but muscr frame. And his impossibly dark, deadly eyes softened the moment they met mine.


    I stopped breathing. All I could do was stare at him.


    He was looking like a storm wrapped in silk - dangerous, powerful, but oddly gentle in that moment. His hair was tousled slightly by the wind, and I was hit with the memory of our first encounter at the mansion. That electric jolt the moment we realized we were mates.


    Since then, we hadn¡¯t seen each other face-to-face again. But he messaged me. Not every day. Not annoyingly often. Just enough to make me look forward to seeing his name pop up on my screen.


    He asked about my sses. My weekend ns. If I liked sunrise or moonlight more. It wasn¡¯t like anything I had expected from someone like him.


    And now... here he was.


    "Mallory," he said, his voice low and warm. "I was hoping I would see you tonight."


    I swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of my friends around me and the fact that I was probably looking like a starstruck idiot.


    "You look-"


    <fn51a2> The source of th?s content is F?ndNovel</fn51a2>


    "Stunned?" I offered.


    "Beautiful," he corrected smoothly as the ghost of a smile curved his lips.


    Eva¡¯s eyes narrowed yfully. "You are not stealing her unless we get a guarantee that she¡¯ll be in the dorms before midnight."


    Jasper didn¡¯t even blink. "I promise she¡¯ll be at the Academy before the gates close. Safe and sound."


    I turned toward my friends, giving them a small smile. "I¡¯m good, I swear."


    Eva stepped closer, squeezing my arm. "Take care."


    "I will."


    And then they left, disappearing into the street as the crowd thinned around us.


    Jasper didn¡¯t waste time. He gestured toward the street ahead. "Walk with me?"


    "dly."


    We strolled in silence for a few moments with the hum of night sounds around us - distant crickets, the whisper of leaves, the asional passing car.


    He was close but not too close. As if he was respecting the space but didn¡¯t want to be too far.


    "How was your dinner?" he asked.


    "Delicious. And I think I have met my soulmate in the form of a chocte muffin," I replied lightly.


    He chuckled. It was a quiet, velvety sound that made my pulse flutter.


    "I¡¯ll make a note of that. Chocte muffins - top of the list."


    I smiled and nced at him from the corner of my eye. "So you are making a list?"


    "I¡¯m trying to learn everything about you. Your likes. Dislikes. What makes youugh. What makes you run. What makes you stay."


    The way he said it - so simply, without ir - made my throat tighten.


    "I like rainy days. I hate beetroot. I read mystery novels before bed. I have a terrible habit of pulling all-nighters before exams and then acting like I¡¯m fine the next day."


    He kept listening like every word was worth gold.


    "And I have been good," I added after a moment. "Busy. But... content. Happier than I was months ago."


    His eyes softened again. "I¡¯m d. I wanted to ask you out sooner, but I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you."


    "I would have said yes," I admitted, biting the inside of my cheek. "If you had."


    He paused. Then smiled, a slow and crooked one. "I¡¯ll remember that for next time."


    We reached his sleek ck car parked near a quiet stretch of the road. He opened the passenger side door for me like it was instinct, not just courtesy.


    The drive to the Academy was silent but not ufortable. Just... quiet. Comfortable.


    I watched the moonlitndscape pass by through the window, ying with the hem of my sleeve. I was feeling a buzz in my chest that I couldn¡¯t exin, like something important was about to happen.


    When we finally pulled up near the gates of the Academy, he shifted in his seat to look at me.


    "I¡¯ll walk you to the gates," he said.


    But I didn¡¯t move.


    I stared at him for a long heartbeat. The way the moonlight softened his sharp jaw. The scar on his brow. The way he was calm andposed and quiet but somehow always made my heart beat like a war drum.


    He wasn¡¯t going to kiss me. I could feel it. He wasn¡¯t the type to steal things, not even kisses.


    So I did it instead.


    I leaned forward, my hand gripping his jacket near the cor as I pressed my lips to his.


    He inhaled sharply, as if caught off-guard, but the next second, his mouth was moving against mine with fire.


    It was nothing like the stolen kisses from boys at school.


    This was deep. Intense. It was molten and slow, lips sliding together with growing hunger.


    He tilted his head and deepened the kiss. One of his hands slid behind my neck while the other gripped my waist gently, as if grounding himself.


    His lips were soft and demanding all at once. I felt like I was being drawn in, dissolved and made new again in the heat of his mouth.


    When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless and flushed.


    And he was staring at me like he wanted to devour the air I breathed.


    "Goodnight, Jasper," I whispered with a wicked little smile on my lips.


    Before he could say a word, I slipped out of the car and jogged toward the gates, but his voice still reached my ears.


    "Goodnight, Mallory."

 Chapter 100: Assignments and Autumn

    <h4>Chapter 100: Assignments and Autumn</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The beginning of the sixth week rolled in with golden leaves rustling against the stone pathways of the Academy.


    Autumn had fully embraced the grounds, painting the trees in hues of amber, burnt orange, and deep red. If I were someone else, I might have romanticized the beauty of the season - the crunch of leaves underfoot, the mellow sunlight filtering through branches - but the shift in the air was not just in the weather.


    The peaceful lull we got to enjoy for the five weeks of the term came to a sharp, screeching halt.


    Professors across every subject seemed to have woken up with a vengeance, as if they all collectively decided that now was the time to remind us we were at the most prestigious and demanding academy in the shifter world.


    Over the week, we received assignments, group projects, and news of tests/quizzes that were to take ce I¡¯m seventh and eighth weeks.


    Some students actually groaned out loud in the middle of sses, others (like me) just buried their heads in their notes and braced for the wave.


    Still, what unsettled me the most wasn¡¯t the workload, but Professor Kieran.


    He returned mid-week, and the first moment he stepped into ss, I felt it like a chill wind slithering down my spine. He looked the same - long blonde hair tied back, his attire sharp and schrly, his posture perfect - but something about him was feeling different.


    It wasn¡¯t visible... but it was there. To anyone else, he was just as clear, efficient, and gentle in tone. But for someone like me, who had shared quiet conversations and half-smiles with him before, I could tell.


    His eyes were more tired. Less warm. The small, amused expressions that used to flicker across his face during lively ss discussions were gone.


    And I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed something had changed. At least not emotionally.


    "Did he seem...off to you?" Mallory whispered Thursday afternoon after ss, as we headed toward the library.


    "A little," I replied, though the weight of that "little" was sittinb heavy in my chest. "Maybe he¡¯s just tired."


    She gave me a long look and added, "Or maybe something¡¯s wrong."


    I didn¡¯t say it aloud, but I was thinking the same. He hadn¡¯t shown up for a few days, and then returned like nothing had happened. I had a terrible feeling it might be connected to the thing no one else was talking about - the missing warrior group. The incident that only I seemed to know about.


    But I said nothing. I couldn¡¯t afford to stir any more questions.


    As the week wore on, the rest of the Academy carried on in typical fashion - loud, dramatic, and asionally ridiculous.


    The usual crowd of jealous girls, and even some petty boys, never stopped throwing looks my way. They made it known that they still hated my presence, still whispered behind my back, still rolled their eyes if I so much as spoke in ss.


    They reminded my friends... again. Told Kyros he was wasting his potential by sticking with someone like me. Tried to corner Mallory with fake concern. I even overheard one idiot tell Selene that she was making a mistake trusting a girl with "no real past."


    But my friends didn¡¯t flinch.


    <fn9688> Find the newest release on Find1Novel</fn9688>


    "You people are so boring," Mallory had snapped at one point. "Find a new hobby."


    "We don¡¯t drop our own," Selene said another time, with that unnervingly sweet smile of hers.


    And Kyros? He just stared them down like a wolf ready to bite.


    I didn¡¯t say much during those encounters. I didn¡¯t need to. They fought my battles with me, and that meant more than they could ever know.


    Ironically, the meanest ones had gone quiettely. Likely because there hadn¡¯t been any public interaction between me and the Rogue Alpha brothers.


    And so, my life at the Academy was back into a rhythm again - stressful, but steady.


    I spent most of the week studying with my friends. When we weren¡¯t in ss, we sprawled across corners of the gardens, huddled together in dormmon rooms, in study halls, or library, surrounded by scattered books and ourptops.


    Some evenings were filled withughter, other times with collective groans as we stared at impossible problems in Spellcraft or Theoretical Rune Configurations.


    There was somethingforting about the shared struggle. It made things feel...normal.


    Until Runes ss.


    Professor Aldric cleared his throat dramatically as he stood before our seated ss on Friday morning.


    "I hope you have all been paying attention these past weeks," he said. "Because it¡¯s time to take things beyond ink and paper. Starting Monday, our ss will be traveling to Halendor Ruins."


    A buzz of excitement rippled through the ssroom.


    Halendor Ruins.


    I knew the name from books and overheard conversations. It was a historical site located two hours south of the Academy, known for its ancient rune stones and faded glyphs said to predate even the first wars of the ns.


    It was rare for students to be granted ess.


    "We¡¯ll be spending four days at the site," Professor Aldric continued. "You¡¯ll be partnered up and given a list of runes to identify, trante, and research. The final analysis will count toward twenty percent of your overall grade."


    Twenty percent.


    The gasps were loud, including mine.


    "You¡¯ll be expected to maintain academic decorum during the trip. No fooling around, no sneaking off, and no tampering with the protected areas. Anyone caught breaking rules will be sent back and fail this assignment."


    The room quieted fast.


    The rest of the period was spent reviewing ancient rune structures and ssifications. My mind kept wandering more than once, already trying to n for the trip.


    What would the ruins feel like in person? Would I sense something others wouldn¡¯t?


    I was both nervous and excited about this trip. Nervous because it wasn¡¯t just a trip but a field project that held extreme importance for final grades, and excited because... well... it was a trip after all.


    In short, I was really looking forward to it.

 Chapter 101: The Unexpected Driver

    <h4>Chapter 101: The Unexpected Driver</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Once again... it was Saturday.


    Two weeks had passed since the Alpha Gathering incident, and while the memory of it was still sitting somewhere in the corners of my mind, I had decided not to let it take up space in my heart.


    I wasn¡¯t going to spend another moment recalling the horrors of that evening. I had other much important matters to focus on. I had a future to build, a child to look after, secrets to hide, and I refused to be the kind of girl who clung to shadows.


    So I was actually feeling good - cheerful, even - as I left the dorms and headed toward the Academy gates. Thete autumn wind tossed my scarf around my neck as I crossed the stone courtyard, and for once, I didn¡¯t mind the way the cold was making my cheeks pink.


    Saturday meant another day at the Council headquarters. It meant focused work, neat files, and quiet corners where no one disturbed me.


    Mr. Wood always waited at the gates by this time to pick me up for work. Ever since I started my internship, he hadn¡¯t beente even once.


    So imagine my surprise when the car I saw waiting wasn¡¯t Mr. Wood¡¯s usual model, and the man leaning against it most certainly wasn¡¯t Mr. Wood.


    But... River Thorne.


    I stopped dead in my tracks.


    He stood tall as always, dressed in darkyers that were hugging his lean frame. A simple coat was slung over his arm, and his dark hair looked slightly tousled by the breeze. He wasn¡¯t smiling. In fact, he looked... impassive. Cold, even.


    But his presence, his sheer presence, was making everything else around him feel quiet.


    My stomach twisted, half in dread, half in confusion. And I wasn¡¯t sure which was worse.


    <fn716a> For more chapters visit Find~Novel</fn716a>


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, stopping a few feet away. I also realized that my voice came sharper than intended because of how surprised I was.


    He didn¡¯t even blink as he replied. "I¡¯m here to pick you up for work."


    "I-but where¡¯s Mr. Wood?"


    "I gave him the day off."


    My brows shot up at that, and I quickly asked, "Why?"


    This time, his gaze flicked to mine. "Because I¡¯m allowed to."


    That... wasn¡¯t an answer. But it was River Thorne I was talking to, and this man had always been good at giving half-replies and expecting obedience.


    Still, I hesitated. The thought of getting into a car with him, especially alone, made something in me twitch. I hadn¡¯t forgiven him. Not for that night. Not for the silence that followed. He hadn¡¯t even bothered exining himself, let alone apologizing.


    "I can take the bus," I said, keeping my voice cool and calm.


    But in his typical style, hepletely ignored me and opened the passenger door with one hand. "Get in, Evaline."


    I stared at him for a moment before finally giving in. But instead of heading to the passenger side, I moved to sit in the back only to get interrupted.


    "Don¡¯t even think about it," he said while pinning me with that intense eyes of his. "You¡¯ll sit beside me."


    I huffed and the words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them. "I¡¯m your assistant, not your girlfriend."


    For a moment, amusement flickered in his expression and he leaned in closer, speaking in a low voice. "And I¡¯m your boss, not your driver."


    Stars, he was infuriating.


    Still, my feet moved. Begrudgingly, I stepped around him and sank into the passenger seat. The car smelled faintly of cedar and something sharper - River¡¯s cologne, maybe. Clean, expensive, and distant.


    As he slid into the driver¡¯s seat beside me, I crossed my arms and turned to the window. I didn¡¯t want to talk. Not to him. Not today.


    "You seem happy this morning," he said, shifting gears smoothly as the car rolled forward.


    "Was," I muttered.


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately. The silence stretched between us, tense but not suffocating.


    "I have been busy," he said after a long moment.


    "Didn¡¯t ask."


    He sighed softly. "But I know you want answers."


    My jaw clenched. "No, I wanted answers. That ship sailed two weeks ago."


    He nced at me briefly, but I kept my attention on the familiar scenery flying by. Momentster, he finally spoke. "You are still angry."


    This time I failed to contain myugh, but there was no humor in it. "Wow. Genius deduction, Alpha."


    I noticed how his grip tightened slightly on the wheel, causing his knuckles to turn pale. "I¡¯m not here to fight," he murmured secondster.


    "Good," I returned. "Because I don¡¯t have time to waste on someone who thinks disappearing after a public humiliation counts as leadership."


    His jaw tightened, but he didn¡¯t speak this time.


    The rest of the ride passed in silence, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the asional click of the turn signal. It was oddly peaceful, much better than the two of us trying tomunicate and failing miserably.


    I was trying to lift my spirits and focus onpleting another day at work,pletely unaware of the storm that soon going to hit me.


    When I was busy bickering with River at the Academy gates, there was someone observing us, someone who shouldn¡¯t have seen us together - Mira, one of Celeste¡¯s closest friends.


    She recognized the Rogue Alpha King the moment her gazended on him, and she also recognized me - someone who should be keeping her distance from River as per Celeste¡¯s sweet warning.


    She was quick to pull out her phone for a quick picture that she immediately shared with someone with a short message:


    <i>Guess who¡¯s getting cozy with the Rogue Alpha King again?</i>


    And just like that, a storm began to brew behind my back.


    But inside the car, I remained oblivious. My focus was torn between trying to ignore the man beside me and nning on how I was going to keep my distance from him for the rest of the weekend.


    What Ipletely failed to focus on was why he came to pick me up in the first ce. After all, he couldn¡¯t have done it for nothing.

 Chapter 102: He Sees Her as a Threat

    <h4>Chapter 102: He Sees Her as a Threat</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It started as a twinge in my gut. The kind that whispered something was off, even if everything seemed perfectly in ce on the surface.


    River was back into his usual self - cold, distant, wearing that detached expression like a second skin. He looked every bit the powerful Alpha he always did, with his hair gleaming under the soft light of the early sun and his shoulders squared as he drove in silence.


    But as I sat beside him in the passenger seat, with my arms folded and attention locked on the woods outside, that feeling in my gut kept growing stronger.


    It wasn¡¯t just one thing. It was everything.


    The way his fingers were tapping restlessly on the steering wheel when he thought I wasn¡¯t watching. The way his jaw clenched every time his phone buzzed and he ignored it. Or the way he waspletely ignoring my presence. It was not with his usual arrogance, but as if he was genuinely... uneasy.


    This shift in him... made me uneasy.


    I turned my head slightly to study his profile. "You okay?" I asked, surprising even myself.


    He didn¡¯t answer. Not with a word. Just a slight shift of his fingers on the wheel, and that was all I got.


    I let out a small sigh and leaned back, trying to shake off the unease crawling up my spine. "Typical," I muttered under my breath. "Ask a simple question-"


    Before I could finish, the car jerked gently and began to slow down.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, sitting upright.


    He didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he pulled the car to the side of a long, empty stretch of road surrounded by tall trees and golden-brown fields.


    "What the hell-?" I started, but he had already unbuckled his seatbelt and was stepping out of the car.


    For a moment, I just sat there. Stunned. Confused. And filled with suspicion.


    The girl inside me, the one who remembered the cold sting of his hatred, immediately raised her guard. My fingers were twitching, and a thousand questions were rushing to my head.


    Was this a trap?


    Was he nning something?


    But no. I wasn¡¯t that scared girl anymore. I wasn¡¯t going to let fear dictate my actions.


    So I opened the door and stepped out, mming it behind me.


    "River!" I called as I walked toward him. "What the hell is going on? Why are we stopping in the middle of nowhere?"


    He was standing with his back to me, hands in his pant pockets. When he turned to face me, his expression was unreadable, but there was a fire in his eyes I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    "Tell me," he started in a low but hard voice, "what¡¯s going on between you and my brothers?"


    I swear I stopped breathing and the world stopped spinning for a second.


    "What?" I whispered.


    <fnd29b> Find the newest release on Find?Novel</fnd29b>


    He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "Don¡¯t y dumb, Evaline. First it was Kieran. Now Oscar and Draven too? What exactly are you trying to do - build your own collection of Rogue Alpha supporters?"


    My heart mmed against my ribs as I realized - he didn¡¯t know.


    He was angry - furious, even - but he didn¡¯t know about the mate bonds. Not yet. His usations were driven by jealousy, yes, and a need for control, maybe. But not knowledge.


    The relief that hit me was almost dizzying.


    I was barely able to breathe, but I forced my voice to stay steady. "Are you seriously using me of manipting your brothers right now?"


    "I¡¯m not using," he growled. "I¡¯m stating facts."


    I couldn¡¯t stop the chuckle, though my stomach was still twisted in knots. "Facts? You are the one who disappeared after the Alpha Gathering. You didn¡¯t speak to me for weeks. You made me feel like I was a problem you needed to erase. But the second you realize your brothers might not be as insane as you, suddenly I¡¯m the maniptive one?"


    His jaw clenched as he spoke. "I didn¡¯t disappear."


    "You sure as hell did," I snapped. "You just expected me to sit quietly and wait for you toe around again."


    "I didn¡¯t want this to get messy," he said through gritted teeth. "I didn¡¯t want them involved."


    "Oh, poor you," I hissed. "Maybe you should have thought about it about it you nned all that in the first ce."


    He looked like he wanted to argue more, but then something flickered in his expression... something dark and almost vulnerable.


    "They have been at my throat every damn day," he muttered in an almost bitter voice. "Kieran, Oscar... even Draven¡¯s started acting like I¡¯m the enemy. You have no idea how hard they have been pushing back since that night."


    "I didn¡¯t tell them to," I said quietly.


    "You didn¡¯t have to," he said. "They were always going to choose you over me. Just like you knew they would."


    The usation hit hard, making me feel guilty even though I knew that I shouldn¡¯t be feeling that. But a part of me could see the reason behind his bitterness.


    In his eyes, I was bing someone who could turn his dearest brothers against him. And he didn¡¯t want that to happen. I didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    This only made me wonder what kind of tsunami would hit me if River found out about my mate bonds with Oscar and Draven.


    So I shook my head slowly and took a step back, needing space to breathe. "Believe whatever you want, River. I¡¯m tired of trying to exin myself to someone who sees me as a threat."


    He looked at me, really looked at me, and for a moment, the anger drained from his eyes. Reced by something else. Guilt, maybe. Or regret.


    But I wasn¡¯t sure, and I didn¡¯t care anymore.


    I turned on my heel and walked back to the car. My hands were trembling slightly even as I forced myself to stay steady. He didn¡¯t follow at first. He just stood there, alone in the middle of the road, like a storm that didn¡¯t know where to go.


    And me? I sat back in the passenger seat, folded my arms, and waited.


    Eventually, he got in. And we drove the rest of the way in silence, but everything had changed.


    And deep down, I knew that I was sitting on borrowed time.


    Because one day, the truth was going toe out. One day, River was going to know about my bonds with his brothers.


    And when he did...


    The storm wouldn¡¯t just be between the Rogue Alphas. It would swallow me whole.

 Chapter 103: Calling Him a Coward

    <h4>Chapter 103: Calling Him a Coward</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    If I found the headquarters suffocating on my first day of internship, then today was far worse than that.


    From the moment River and I walked into the building, tension clung to us like a second skin. Neither of us spoke as we made our way to the Alpha floor.


    The silence between us was loud. Deafening, even. But I kept telling myself I would get through the day. I had already faced worse than River Thorne and his vtile moods.


    It didn¡¯t help that the atmosphere inside the Council headquarters was as heavy as ever. Warriors in crisp ck uniforms were standing at every corner, Alphas and their betas were moving like shadows through the halls, and I had tasks stacked on my desk waiting for me. There were reports to sort, summons to prepare, files to organize. The usual.


    I buried myself in the work.


    I didn¡¯t look at River unless I had to. Didn¡¯t speak unless required. And he... he stayed silent for the most part, though his tension was tangible - like he was a bomb ticking down to detonation.


    Somehow, the hours passed and before I knew, it was almost the end of the working hours. I stepped into the office and found River standing stiffly near his desk with his phone pressed tightly to his ear. His voice was low, dangerous, andced with the kind of sharpness that made your skin prickle even from across the room.


    "No, I don¡¯t give a damn what the High Table thinks," he growled into the phone. "Tell them if they push this any further, they are going to regret it."


    The line went dead with a final click, and he stood there, unmoving.


    I should have backed away. I should have turned and walked out without another word.


    But the printer had jammed, and I needed his ess to get into the file room. So, I stepped forward, pretending not to notice the fury radiating off him.


    Absolutely stupid of me.


    "Alpha River, the file room¡¯s on lockdown again," I said while keeping my tone professional and actually using his title to not give him a reason to shift his anger at me. "Could you-?"


    "Why is that report still on your desk?" he cut in sharply.


    I blinked, my mind freezing for a moment. "What?"


    "The request from the northern packs. It was supposed to be sorted and filed before lunch."


    "I-" I turned to look back at my desk. "I prioritized the southern territory logs because those had a Council deadline."


    His eyes darkened. "So you just decided which tasks were more important on your own?"


    "I-I wasn¡¯t trying to-"


    "Of course you weren¡¯t," he snapped, his voice rising. "You were too busy ying the sweet little assistant while plotting how to turn my entire life upside down."


    I froze. "What?" I was barely able to process the sudden shift.


    He stepped forward, looking extremely cold. "You act like you are this poor, innocent girl with no clue about the world around her. But I see you, Evaline."


    My breath caught in my throat.


    "I see exactly who you are," he continued. "You wear that soft face like a mask. You smile and y kind. You pretend you are weak. Helpless. But you only show your true self to me."


    I swallowed hard. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "You tricked everyone," he spat. "Kieran vouched for you. Oscar protected you. You made it to the Academy on the back of my brother¡¯s help and then lied to everyone¡¯s face about how you earned it. You think you deserve to be there? You are a fraud."


    His words were hitting like a p. Not because they were true, but because they weren¡¯t. Because I had worked. I had fought for everything I had, even when the world tried to knock me down.


    "I didn¡¯t lie about anything," I hissed. "I worked hard to be there. I earned my ce-"


    "Bullshit," he growled. "You tricked Oscar in the final round, didn¡¯t you? Used whatever little tricks your father taught you."


    And just like that, he went too far.


    My eyes widened. The burn started in my chest. It was a slow ze climbing up my throat.


    "Don¡¯t you dare bring my father into this," I said, my voice trembling with restrained rage.


    "Why not?" He demanded with a cruel smirk. "You carry his blood. The blood of a murderer. A traitor. You think you can hide from that?"


    I felt my knees going week with his each word... allegation.


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    "And now look at you," he sneered. "Turning my brothers against me. First Kieran, now Oscar and Draven. You are doing exactly what your father tried to do - tearing my family apart. He didn¡¯t finish the job back then, so you are trying again."


    "Stop." My voice cracked, but I refused to cry.


    "Don¡¯t act like the victim, Eva. You are no better than him."


    "I said stop!"


    The file I had in my hands dropped to the floor, making the papers scatter like leaves. My chest was heaving and my hands were clenched, but my voice... my voice stayed firm.


    "You don¡¯t know anything about me," I said as I took a shaky step forward. "You think you see through me, but all you ever see is what you want to see. My father might have been a killer, but I¡¯m not him. I have never been him. And if you weren¡¯t so obsessed with controlling everything, you might actually realize that I¡¯m not the enemy here."


    He just stared at me, his face nk just like his eyes.


    "You think your pain gives you the right to wound others?" I asked. "You think punishing me for my father¡¯s mistake is showing your strength? It¡¯s not. It¡¯s cowardice."


    His eyes red. And for a moment, I thought he was going to shout again. Say something worse. Something unforgivable.


    But instead, he just stared at me. Cold. Silent. Like he didn¡¯t recognize me. Or maybe... like he didn¡¯t recognize himself anymore.


    Right that moment, the door behind us opened and an assistant stepped in, only to get startled by the tension in the air. "Um-Alpha River, the Head Councilor is ready to speak with you now."


    River didn¡¯t even blink as he growled the words at the poor guy. "Get out."


    The guy scampered off, clearly shaken.


    I looked back at River onest time. And as I spoke, my voice was barely above a whisper. "I thought you were a lot of things, River. But I never thought you were spineless."


    And then... I walked away.


    I didn¡¯t wait for him to stop me. I didn¡¯t wait for his anger to burst again because of my words. I just walked back to my desk to pick my bag and phone, and then left the office as the clock struck the end of my shift.

 Chapter 104: The Line Between Us

    <h4>Chapter 104: The Line Between Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped out of the suffocating walls of the Council headquarters, the cool evening air hit me like a balm. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to chase away the fire that River¡¯s words had left burning beneath my skin.


    The parking lot was quiet, bathed in the fading light of dusk, and I was relieved - actually grateful - to see the familiar ck car parked near the edge. Mr. Wood was standing by the open back door, giving me a slight nod.


    I gave a tight nod back and silently slipped into the backseat.


    The second the door closed behind me, sealing me away from the world, everything inside me crumbled.


    I pressed my forehead against the cool ss window and tried to hold it in, but it was almost impossible to do. My throat gave a sharp, painful tug. My eyes were burning, my chest was heaving, and before I could stop myself, tears started pouring down my cheeks. Hot and heavy. Silent but relentless.


    Mr. Wood nced at me through the rearview mirror. He didn¡¯t say anything, didn¡¯t ask questions. He simply started the engine and drove.


    And for that, I was thankful.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone to ask what had happened. I didn¡¯t want to exin. I didn¡¯t even want to say his name out loud. The way he had looked at me... like I was the enemy. Like I was everything he imed.


    I didn¡¯t want to go back to the Academy. Not when I was still holding back sobs like they were knives threatening to spill from my throat.


    "Mr. Wood," I said softly, clearing my voice. "Can you drop me at Lakeshire... near the old station? I just need a bit of time."


    He looked at me again through the mirror with concern shadowing his kind eyes. But he gave a nod.


    "As you wish, Miss Evaline."


    The drive was peaceful. Serene. Far more forgiving than the chaos churning inside me. When we reached the little town tucked at the base of the mountain range, I gave Mr. Wood a faint smile and a quiet thank you before stepping out.


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    I found my way to the park near the pond. It was a ce I had stumbled upon once during my previous visits.


    Autumn had imed thend beautifully. Rusty golds, warm ambers, and faded greens were dancing in the breeze. The scent of fallen leaves and pine wrapped around me.


    Children were ying around the park. A couple walked past me hand in hand. And on the bench across the pond, a young mother was cradling a sleeping baby in her arms while the father kissed the baby¡¯s forehead with the kind of love that could make the world stop spinning.


    My throat tightened.


    I looked away, trying not to think about my baby. But how could I not? The ache in my chest intensified at the thought of the life growing inside me. So small. So fragile. Unaware of the mess its mother had been thrown into.


    I pressed a hand gently to my stomach.


    <i>I¡¯m sorry</i>, I whispered internally. <i>For everything.</i>


    I took a seat on one of the benches and allowed myself to breathe. I got too lost in my thoughts that Ipletely lost the track of time. It was only when someone called my name, did I returned to reality.


    "Evaline."


    I turned my head slightly to see Kieran standing a few feet away. He was dressed in a white suit and his eyes were full of quiet worry. He approached carefully, almost cautiously, like he was afraid I would bolt if he came too close.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised he found me. Mr. Wood worked for him. Of course, he would be informed.


    "I was worried," he spoke in a low voice. "Mr. Wood said you didn¡¯t want to return to the Academy. I figured something happened."


    I forced a small smile as I replied. "Nothing major. I just... got reprimanded. I didn¡¯t do my work properly. That¡¯s all."


    It was a not exactly a lie.


    His jaw clenched slightly, and I felt his eyes searching my face. Looking for the truth I wasn¡¯t going to give.


    But before he could press further, I changed the subject. I couldn¡¯t afford to let him see the raw parts of me right now, not when I was trying to pull away. Trying to regain control over my own story.


    "Do you remember the deal we made?" I asked quietly, straightening on the bench. "Back when you helped me get into the Academy."


    He blinked, startled by the shift. "Of course I do."


    "I want to be done with it."


    He frowned. "Evaline-"


    "I¡¯m serious." I reached into my bag and pulled out a bank card. His bank card. I held it out to him. "I don¡¯t need this anymore."


    He didn¡¯t take it. Instead, his gaze darkened. "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "I do," I cut in firmly. "I can¡¯t keep carrying it. Using it only reminds me that I¡¯m not here because I earned it. That I got in because of your help."


    "That¡¯s not true-"


    "It is true," I said with a shake of my yead. "You helped me. I wouldn¡¯t have made it without you. And even then, I needed your card to buy my supplies. I needed your help. But I don¡¯t want that anymore."


    I took out an envelope next. "This is a third of the amount I used from your card. I¡¯ll pay the rest in the next couple of months. And..."


    I hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I need you to tell me how much you spent on me the night you droppedme at the camp. I have a rough estimate, but I want the exact figure. I¡¯ll return it all as soon as I can."


    He finally took the card, and the envelope, though his expression had hardened with every passing second.


    "Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice rough. "Evaline-why now?"


    I looked away, fixing my eyes on the autumn leaves drifting over the pond¡¯s surface.


    "Because I need to stop feeling like I owe anyone for being where I am," I answered honestly. "I need to know that whatever happens from this point on, I got there on my own."


    His silence was heavy.


    "You helped me when I was at my lowest. I¡¯ll always be grateful for that. But I don¡¯t want to carry that debt anymore."


    He stepped closer and then kneeled down on the ground so he could meet my eyes. "This was never about debt for me."


    "I know," I whispered. "But it is for me."


    He was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice came quieter than ever before. "Does this mean you are cutting me off?"


    I shook my head as I answered, "No. I¡¯m drawing a line."


    And I was.


    It was a line that made things clearer. A line that put distance between us. That freed me from the guilt of needing help. A line that said I can stand on my own now.


    His eyes dropped for a moment, then returned to mine. "You have always stood on your own, Evaline. Even when you didn¡¯t realize it."


    Something twisted inside me at that. But I didn¡¯t let it show.


    I gave him a tight nod, then stood from the bench. "Thank you," I said softly. "For everything."

 Chapter 105: Everything’s Falling Apart

    <h4>Chapter 105: Everything¡¯s Falling Apart</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    "I don¡¯t need you to take me back," Evaline said for what must have been the fifth time.


    Her arms were crossed, her jaw set, and her eyes were locked stubbornly on the windshield of my car, where the streetlights passed by in gold-tinted streaks. She hadn¡¯t looked at me once since we left the park.


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    "I¡¯m not leaving you here alone," I replied as I returned my attention to the road ahead.


    "It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t take care of myself."


    I nced at her from the corner of my eye. "I know that. But it¡¯s getting dark. I¡¯m notfortable letting you wander around alone at a ce you have known for barely few weeks. This isn¡¯t up for debate."


    She didn¡¯t respond, just clenched her fists tighter in herp and exhaled sharply through her nose.


    She was trying so hard to push me away. Drawing lines. Paying back debts I never even considered as debts. Putting distance between us like it was the only way to breathe. And the worst part?


    A part of me was letting her.


    Because I could see how tired she was. How brittle she had be beneath her hard exterior.


    Still, I didn¡¯t trust the idea of her being alone tonight, and nothing she could say was going to convince me otherwise. The silence stretched between us like a wire strung too tight, and I focused on the winding road back to the Academy, pretending it didn¡¯t sting to feel her withdrawal.


    When we reached the gates, she murmured, "Thanks," and slipped out before I could even park properly. She didn¡¯t wait for a reply. Didn¡¯t look back.


    She didn¡¯t need to.


    I sat in the car for a few extra minutes, letting the silence wrap around me like a second skin. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing anymore. With her. With River. With myself.


    Eventually, I drove back to the mansion.


    The estate was quiet as always, but I was able to feel the tension humming beneath the surface. Like something was constantly pressing against the walls, waiting to break free.


    I stepped into the hallway and started toward my room, only toe face to face with River.


    He was standing at the other end of the corridor, walking toward his own chambers. He slowed when he saw me. But I didn¡¯t.


    I didn¡¯t stop. Didn¡¯t speak. Didn¡¯t even nce his way as I passed by.


    I felt his eyes burning into my back. There was a flicker of guilt and hesitation in the bond we shared.


    But I still didn¡¯t turn around.


    This had be routely. Cold shoulders. Muted footsteps. Conversations were reced by silence. Ever since the Alpha Gathering incident, I had been giving River the distance he had never asked for, but perhaps deserved.


    Because I didn¡¯t recognize the brother standing in front of me anymore. Not when he looked at Evaline like she was the worst person alive. Like she was nothing but her father¡¯s legacy.


    And just when I considered, briefly considered, breaking the ice, reminding him that I was still his brother no matter what, I received the news.


    Evaline... leaving the headquarters... while crying.


    I didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, but I didn¡¯t need to know that River was behind it.


    Because who else had the power to hurt her like that?


    I walked into my room and mmed the door behind me harder than necessary. My wolf stirred, pacing just beneath my skin, restless and uneasy.


    "What is wrong with him?" I muttered as I yanked my shirt over my head and tossed it aside.


    He had every opportunity to see who Evaline really was. To understand that she wasn¡¯t her father. That she wasn¡¯t a threat. That she was... kind. And hardworking. And brave in ways I couldn¡¯t exin.


    But no.


    River had made it his mission to break her. To push her until she finally shattered.


    I rubbed a hand over my face. I didn¡¯t want to take sides. I didn¡¯t want to be <i>that</i> brother who turned away. But as days were passing and River continued this path, he was making it impossible not to.


    At first, I had believed, hoped, that the internship might help River see the truth. That Evaline could stand on her own. That she didn¡¯t deserve punishment for a crime she didn¡¯tmit.


    But that belief... it was turning out to be my foolish optimism, a hollow fantasy.


    And then there was Evaline herself.


    My mind kept drifting back to her. The way her voice trembled when she handed me that envelope. The tight way she clutched her bag to her chest like it was the only thing anchoring her. The way she looked at me... as if any more kindness from me would only make her break.


    And damn me, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her.


    At first, I told myself it was pity. That¡¯s all it had ever been. A girl with too much on her shoulders, a girl trying to survive in a world that wasn¡¯t made for her. So I helped her.


    But somewhere along the way...


    Something had shifted.


    My wolf had started asking the questions I didn¡¯t want to answer.


    <i>Why is she the one you are watching in a crowded room?</i>


    <i>Why does it bother you when she smiles at someone else?</i>


    <i>Why does her pain feel like your own?</i>


    I didn¡¯t want to face the answers. Not when I already had a bigger problem. One that had haunted me for months.


    My mate.


    I had found her. Or I thought I had.


    It was a fleeting encounter, one that happened out of nowhere and left me shattered. Worse part? I had no idea who she was. I didn¡¯t know her name, her whereabouts, or even how she looked.


    All I knew was that she¡¯s <i>mine.</i>


    And then she was <i>gone</i>.


    There had been no trace. No name. No clue to her pack. It was like she had vanished into thin air. I had been searching ever since, tirelessly, but each lead ended in disappointment.


    It was driving me mad. My wolf was fraying at the edges, restless and snarling. Mates weren¡¯t supposed to just disappear.


    And in the midst of that chaos... there was Evaline.


    Always Evaline.


    In my thoughts. In my every waking hour. I kept catching myself looking for her, wondering what she was doing, how her day had been, if she was okay.


    I didn¡¯t even mean to. It just kept happening.


    And now... she wanted to sever that connection. To clear the debt. To draw lines between us and pretend it had all meant nothing.


    But the ache in my chest said otherwise.


    She had asked me to assign her the task. She wanted to fulfill her side of the deal. But I couldn¡¯t do it.


    Because I knew the kind of mission I had originally nned for her. And I knew her. I could no longer make myself put her in danger.


    She wanted to stand on her own. And I admired that. But stars, a part of me hated how it felt to be left behind.


    Where had things gone wrong? When did the lines between obligation and emotion start to blur? When did I go from being her benefactor to someone who couldn¡¯t stop wondering if she smiled after I left?


    I dragged my hands through my hair and settled down on the edge of my bed, with my elbows on my knees and eyes fixed on the floor.


    My life was spiraling.


    My brother was slipping from me.


    My mate was lost.


    And Evaline... Evaline was trying to disappear from my orbit just as I was beginning to feel things I shouldn¡¯t be for a student, for someone who wasn¡¯t my mate.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    But one thing was clear - something had to change.


    Soon.

 Chapter 106: The Mean Girls

    <h4>Chapter 106: The Mean Girls</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After Kieran dropped me off at the Academy gates, I thought I was finally going to have a moment of quiet.


    It was Saturday night, and most students were off-campus or downtown, soaking in their few hours of weekend freedom. The dorms were nearly empty. My friends were out too as usual.


    My head was throbbing from too much thinking. My heart was aching from too many conversations I didn¡¯t want to have. And the weight in my chest... well, that was nothing new. Ever since I stepped into the Rogue Alpha¡¯s world, it had be a constantpanion.


    I immediately headed for the showers. The hot water helped a little as it washed away some of the tension from my shoulders and cleared the fog in my head.


    For a while, I just stood there with my forehead pressed against the tile, letting the water cascade down my back like it could wash away everything else too - River¡¯s hatred, Kieran¡¯s conflicted kindness, the tangled bonds with Oscar and Draven, and the ache of trying to be strong when I was so very tired.


    But as always, peace didn¡¯tst long in my world.


    I barely stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped tightly around me, when I felt it.


    The shift in the air.


    The quiet that wasn¡¯t just empty... it was intentional.


    I reached for my clothes on the bench, but the sound of footsteps stopped me. Loud. Confident. Cruel. And then I saw her.


    Celeste.


    She was standing with a towel draped carelessly over her shoulders, makeup perfectly intact even at this hour, and her glossy hair was twisted into a sleek bun. She was looking like she just stepped off a runway, not walked into the dorm showers.


    Behind her were three more girls - two of them I recognized, the third I didn¡¯t. They were all dressed, clearly not here to shower.


    They were here for me.


    "Well, look at that," Celeste drawled as her eyes swept over me like I was something she had scraped off her boot. "The Academy¡¯s favorite stray. How cozy."


    I straightened on reflex. "I don¡¯t want trouble. I¡¯m just heading back to my room."


    "Oh, but see..." Her sharp and fake smile widened. "We want trouble."


    My fingers tightened around the fabric of my towel. But I didn¡¯t respond.


    "You have been busy today," Mira added with a smug expression. "First Alpha River picks you up in the morning. And then Professor Kieran drops you off tonight. Huh. Must be nice to get so much attention from the Rogue Alphas."


    "I didn¡¯t ask for-"


    "Oh, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t," Celeste interrupted, her voice syrupy sweet. "Just like you didn¡¯t ask to be born packless, as a rogue. Or to worm your way into the Academy by pure luck."


    "I didn¡¯t worm my way into anything," I said coldly. "I earned my ce here."


    Celeste¡¯s smile dropped. "You think you belong here?" She stepped closer. "You think you belong next to them? Just because they were stupid enough to throw you a few crumbs?"


    "She¡¯s nothing, Cel," the third girl scoffed. "She¡¯s just a mark for them to pity. A project. Someone to save so they can feel good about themselves."


    "Oh, don¡¯t say that," Celeste said mockingly. "You¡¯ll hurt her feelings."


    I had enough.


    I was tired. I was done. First River, and now these girls - everyone seemed to think I was wing my way to the top through the brothers, when the truth was...


    "I don¡¯t want to be near them," I snapped. "You think I want their pity? Their protection? I never asked for any of it! I just want to live my life without being dragged through the mud every time they decide to show up!"


    The silence that followed was thick.


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    For a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, they would back off. But then Celeste¡¯s expression darkened. "You really don¡¯t know your ce, do you?"


    She flicked her wrist. And then they surrounded me.


    There were four9 of them. I wasn¡¯t afraid, not exactly, but I knew I couldn¡¯t fight them, not like this. I didn¡¯t have a wolf. I didn¡¯t have strength. And right now, I didn¡¯t even have clothes on.


    "Don¡¯t touch me," I warned while stepping back. My heart was pounding in my chest as anxiety started wing its way up.


    "Oh, we are not going to hurt you," Mira said with mock sweetness. "Not really. But you need a lesson."


    Celeste was the first to move. She snatched my towel¡¯s edge and tugged hard.


    I held it tighter. "Don¡¯t-!"


    But before anything more could happen...


    "Enough!"


    The word sliced through the air like a whip, making all of us froze.


    And then, like a shadow peeling away from the dark corner of the hallway, Draven stepped forward.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else. He didn¡¯t have to.


    His presence was enough to make the blood drain from the girls¡¯ faces. Tall, broad-shouldered, and deadly calm, he had that kind of reputation - the kind that walked ahead of him like a warning.


    Even though he was a student, he¡¯s still one of the Rogue Alphas. And most importantly, he didn¡¯t bind himself with the same rules as his brothers.


    "Back off," he said in a calm yet deadly voice. "Now."


    Celeste was the first to recover. She lifted her chin, trying to muster confidence. "We weren¡¯t doing anything-"


    "Do you want me to repeat myself?"


    She hesitated. Then, with a scoff, she stepped back. "This isn¡¯t over," she hissed at me.


    Draven took another step forward which made her and her group turn on their heels.


    Within seconds, the hallway was empty again. There were just me... shaking... and Draven left.


    I clutched the towel closer to me, trying to get a grip on myself.


    Draven looked at me for a long moment before finally asking, "You okay?"


    There was no mocking, no condescension. Just a question.


    "I... I¡¯m fine."


    But he didn¡¯t look convinced. "Go get dressed," he said. "You are not walking back alone."


    I nodded.


    My legs moved on their own, still trembling slightly. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had been cornered. And it probably wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    But something about tonight had rattled me deeper. Maybe because I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. Maybe because now, I wasn¡¯t just responsible for myself.


    I was responsible for the life growing quietly inside me.


    And I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone touch a hair on my baby¡¯s head.


    Not River.


    Not Celeste.


    Not anyone.


    As I dressed and stepped out of the showers again, Draven was still there, leaning against the wall like a silent sentry.


    Without a word, he fell into step beside me, walking me back through the dim hallways of the dormitories.


    No words were exchanged. But somehow, that silence said more than anything ever could.


    And for the first time that day... I didn¡¯t feel alone.

 Chapter 107: In Alpha’s Warm Embrace

    <h4>Chapter 107: In Alpha¡¯s Warm Embrace</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Draven and I stepped inside my dorm room, a strange calm settled over me.


    It was the kind that came after a storm, unnatural and almost too still, like the world was holding its breath.


    He locked the bedroom door behind us without a word. His movements were silent but... protective. I didn¡¯t look at him. I couldn¡¯t. The pressure behind my eyes was building, threatening to spill. If I looked at him, I knew I was going to fall apart.


    So I walked straight to my bed and sat down with a dull thud. My towel was long reced with pajamas - warm, clean clothes that should have brought mefort but were feeling like paper on a raw wound. I drew my legs up and wrapped my arms around them, burying my face in my knees.


    The bed dipped slightly as he joined me.


    And then... I felt his arms wrapping around me.


    I didn¡¯t stop him.


    I didn¡¯t want to.


    He didn¡¯t speak at first, just held me. His arms were strong and grounding, not too tight, not too loose. It was like he knew exactly what I needed without me saying a word. And then his hand came up, brushing slowly through my damp hair, his voice whispering low into my ear.


    "You are safe now."


    That was all it took.


    The tears came like a dam breaking. Big, ugly, uncontroble sobs tore out of me before I could stop them.


    I clutched at his shirt, burying my face into his chest as he held me through it, rocking us ever so gently.


    "I have got you," he kept murmuring, again and again. His voice was the only thing keeping me from shatteringpletely. "I¡¯m here, Eva. No one¡¯s ever going to touch you like that again. I swear it."


    I didn¡¯t know how long I cried. Time blurred. Minutes felt like hours, hours like seconds. But he stayed. He didn¡¯t shift, didn¡¯t move away, didn¡¯t grow impatient.


    He just... stayed. And held me like I was precious. Like I was his whole world.


    Even when tears finally stoppeding, I stayed in his arms, breathing in the scent of him - pine, fresh, and something uniquely him that always made me feel... less alone.


    I had spent so long trying to keep him at arm¡¯s length.


    Pushing him away. Drawing imaginary lines between us. Telling myself that I couldn¡¯t afford to be close to anyone, least of my mate who was one of the Rogue Alpha. That it was safer this way. That I didn¡¯t want him getting too close, didn¡¯t want to be something fragile in his world of strength and power.


    But tonight, right now, I couldn¡¯t lie to myself anymore.


    <fnf041> This content belongs to Find?Novel</fnf041>


    He had always been there.


    From the moment he epted our bond, he had done nothing but try. And I... I was the one being unkind. Maybe not intentionally. Maybe not cruelly. But I kept dismissing his devotion like it was nothing. I took it for granted, his quiet, patient presence.


    And now, in his arms, I was realizing just how much he felt for me.


    I pulled away just enough to look at him, wiping at my tear-streaked cheeks.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered.


    His brows pulled together, confused. "For what?"


    "For not letting you in," I breathed. "For making you feel like you didn¡¯t matter. For pretending to not see everything you have done for me until now."


    His face softened. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against my forehead. "You never have to apologize to me, Eva. I told you... I¡¯ll wait for you. As long as it takes."


    My heart squeezed at the sincerity in his voice.


    He brushed his thumb against my cheek, and I leaned into the touch instinctively.


    "Do you want to talk about what happened?" he asked gently.


    I closed my eyes, feeling the sharp sting of the memory - the cruel words, the hands reaching for me, the humiliation curling inside my gut.


    But I was so tired.


    Of thinking. Of hurting.


    "No," I murmured. "I just want to forget about it for now. Please... just make it go away."


    He hesitated for a beat. Then, with a ghost of a smile, he leaned closer. "I can do that."


    "How?"


    His lips brushed against mine in answer. "Like this."


    The kiss was soft at first. Barely there. Like a promise whispered on lips that had never lied to me.


    Then it deepened.


    He kissed me like I was something holy. Like I was the answer to every question his soul had ever asked.


    My fingers tangled in his shirt, pulling him closer without thinking. His hand cupped my face, thumb caressing my cheek as his lips moved slowly. He was patient, indulgent. Not demanding, but worshipping.


    My body responded without hesitation, instinctively arching toward him while my heart pounded against my ribs like a caged bird.


    When his tongue flicked gently against mine, my breath hitched, and I let him in.


    The kiss grew - longer, warmer, wetter. He tasted like fire and heat, like something wild I didn¡¯t want to tame. Every stroke of his tongue was sending sparks through me, a hum in my chest that pulsed with something more.


    The closeness awakened the mate bond.


    I felt it bloom inside me like spring after a long winter, glowing gold and bright where it had once been silent. It pulsed between us, soft but undeniable. It was a connection of between our souls.


    And the way he responded to it, the way he cradled me like I was breakable and sacred... I had never felt anything like it.


    Heid me down on the bed with a gentleness I hadn¡¯t known he possessed. He hovered over me, lips brushing down my jaw, my neck, the delicate space just below my ear.


    My breath starteding in soft pants,and my body was trembling not from fear but from need.


    But he didn¡¯t push.


    Even as his hands explored, sliding over my arms, my sides, my hips... he never crossed the line. Every kiss, every touch was a question, and every time I tensed or hesitated, he responded by slowing down, grounding me again with a press of his forehead to mine.


    "You are mine," he whispered against my lips, kissing me again, slower this time. "But I¡¯ll never take more than you want to give."


    And I knew he meant it. I knew I could stop him with a look, a breath, and he would listen.


    So I let him love me in his way.


    With kisses that tasted like promises. With touches that asked nothing in return. With warmth that filled the cracks I hadn¡¯t even realized were still bleeding.


    I held onto him like I had never held anyone before.


    Because maybe for the first time since my world fell apart... I had someone worth holding onto.


    And he never let go.

 Chapter 108: Her Melting Heart

    <h4>Chapter 108: Her Melting Heart</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Despite everything that had happened throughout Saturday, despite the burning humiliation and the echo of cruelughter, I woke up on Sunday morning feeling... different.


    <fnb53c> Fresh chapters posted on Find?Novel</fnb53c>


    There was still an ache in my chest, the memory of shower incident was still lingering like a bruise under my skin. But it didn¡¯t sting as much anymore.


    Becausest night, someone had made me feel like I mattered.


    Draven left just before midnight, sneaking out with his usual stealth, leaving a half-empty food container beside my bed and a soft warmth still wrapped around my heart. He didn¡¯t say goodbye... he didn¡¯t need to. His scent was still lingering on my pillow, and I knew he would be back.


    He always came back.


    With a small, tired smile, I pulled on my clothes and tied my hair back in a loose braid before leaving my dorm. I could have taken the day off. Honestly, I probably should have. But after everything, I needed something to do, somewhere to be.


    To my surprise, River didn¡¯t show up. There was not even a whisper of his arrogant presence, not a sideways re or clippedmand.


    The office was blissfully silent.


    I managed toplete all the documents assigned to me without interruption, filing reports, updating the database, and organizing the scrolls in the backroom. It felt good to work with a clear head for once, to not have to watch over my shoulder.


    Byte afternoon, I packed up and left the building as the sun started dipping toward the horizon. Instead of heading to the dorms, I made my way to the Academy library.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why, maybe I just didn¡¯t want to return to an empty room, or maybe I needed to feel prepared. After all, we were leaving for Halendor Ruins Tuesday morning.


    I needed to be ready.


    The library was as quiet as I expected on a Sunday evening. Most students were out enjoying the weekend, probably at one of the nearby town caf¨¦s or lounging in the Academy gardens.


    But not me.


    Books and solitude were far saferpanions than people.


    I settled into the far corner on the second floor and began sifting through ancient texts on the Halendor region - its history, magical significance, and the curious disappearance of wolves near the northern cliffs. The deeper I went, the more I realized how little we had been told during ss. It wasn¡¯t just a historical field trip, it was a ce of buried secrets and lost magic.


    And if I had to step foot there, I wanted to know everything.


    "Of course you would be here."


    My head shot up at the sound of the familiar voice as a smile already started tugging at my lips before I even saw his face.


    Draven was standing just a few feet away, one hand shoved into his hoodie pocket, the other holding a cup of something steaming. He looked rxed with that permanentzy grin tugging at the corner of his lips.


    "You are not on duty today," I said softly while closing the book on myp.


    "Nope," he said with a smirk. "But I like to stop by. You know, just in case a certain someone decides to hide out in the back corner of the library reading about ancient ruins."


    My smile immediately bloomed into a big one. "You came here hoping to find me?"


    "Guilty," he said as he took a seat beside me. His knee brushed mine under the table, and I didn¡¯t move away. "And lucky today, apparently."


    The sunlight filtering through the stained-ss windows behind us, casted multicolored shadows across his sharp jaw and tousled dark hair, highlighting the blue hue in them. He looked like something out of a fairytale, dangerous and devoted all at once.


    "What are you reading?" he asked, peeking at the book I had been flipping through.


    "Halendor Ruins," I replied. "I wanted to prepare."


    He blinked once, then looked at me with a new kind of gleam in his eyes. "Wait... don¡¯t tell me. Your ss is heading out for the field trip?"


    I nodded.


    "Tuesday morning," I confirmed.


    A knowing smile curved his lips. "First Academy expedition. Bet your professor didn¡¯t tell you half the crap that goes down there."


    "Obviously not." I turned the book toward him. "So, tell me. What really happens?"


    What followed was possibly the most enjoyable hour I had spent in months.


    He told me about his own trip during his first year - about the thunderstorms that trapped their group in a half-copsed outpost, the magical beasts they weren¡¯t supposed to engage but did anyway, and how he ended up carrying one of his ssmates for three hours after he twisted his ankle trying to escape a cursed thorn maze.


    "But the most important thing," he said, leaning a little closer, "is not to eat anything that grows in these areas."


    "Why?" I asked curiously.


    "Because you¡¯ll hallucinate for hours and might end up confessing your love to a tree."


    I burst outughing, and this time, I didn¡¯t even bother hiding it.


    There was something so easy about being with him. So... natural. I wasn¡¯t afraid of judgment or pity or even the mate bond anymore. In that quiet, sunlit corner of the library, it felt like two souls findingfort in sharedughter and old stories.


    And as he kept talking, I found myself watching him.


    Not just listening... but really watching.


    The way his hands moved when he described things. The light in his dark hazel eyes when he saw me smile. The subtle way his body leaned closer without him realizing it.


    I stared too long. I knew I did. But I couldn¡¯t stop.


    He wasn¡¯t just my mate anymore. He was bing my safe ce.


    When he finally looked down at his watch and realized it was close to dinner, he let out a small sigh.


    "I should let you get back," he murmured.


    "Yeah." I swallowed the disappointment. "Tuesday morning, we leave."


    "I know." He grinned. "Which means tomorrow night I get to see you before that. I¡¯ll drop by after dinner?"


    I nodded, feeling my chest warm with anticipation. "Okay."


    "But before I go," he said softly and leaned closer... kissing my cheek. It wasn¡¯t rushed, but a slow, deliberate kiss that made my skin tingle and my heart to skip a beat.


    By the time I registered what happened, he was gone, leaving behind a warmth that lingered far longer than his presence.

 Chapter 109: Cuddles and Kisses

    <h4>Chapter 109: Cuddles and Kisses</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Monday mornings were always sluggish, but today, my steps were feeling lighter.


    Maybe it was the good night¡¯s sleep. Maybe it was the memory of my time with Draven in the library. Or maybe it was the good time I spent with my friends in our dorm after dinner where we yed games and nned for the trip.


    Whatever it was, I wasn¡¯t dragging my feet toward ss like usual.


    First ss was Herbs and Potions with Professor Kieran. I kept to myself throughout the ss, scribbling notes and avoiding his eyes.


    Standing at the front of the ss, he was looking impossiblyposed in a silk green shirt tucked in light beige colored pants. He started the lecture with a simple overview of our current lesson - dream-root mixtures and their various magical reactions when paired with sunleaf.


    I took photos of the forms and diagrams he jotted down on the board, made notes in myptop, and marked all the important topics in my book. I was unwilling to fall behind just because I was leaving for a trip.


    Near the end of ss, he closed his book and looked at the ss with his usual unreadable expression.


    "Before we end today," he said in his clear and authoritative voice, "good luck for your first ever trip. This project carries significant weight for your practical exams, so make sure you pay attention to more than just thendscape."


    A few murmurs spread through the ssroom. Some students were looking excited, others nervous. Personally, I felt a mix of both.


    "And as a small mercy," he added with a dry smile flickering on his face, "there will be no homework from my ss for the rest of the week. Focus on staying alive and learning something useful."


    Lightughter rippled through the ss, and a few students began packing up their things.


    I started packing up too with Mallory, but then...


    "Evaline. Stay behind a moment."


    His voice wasn¡¯t sharp, but it was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. And the pause in motion was instant.


    I stiffened, catching the distinct sound of someone scoffing behind me.


    I didn¡¯t even have to turn around to know who it was. Nadine. And with her, like always, were Bianca and Violet. I was able to feel their stares drilling into my back, full of spection and venom.


    I waited until the ssroom emptied out. My friends left me with a promise to wait in the hallway outside.


    Once the door closed, I took a steadying breath and approached Professor Kieran¡¯s desk. He looked up with an unreadable expression on his face.


    "I just wanted to wish you the best of luck," he said simply. "This field project is important. Treat it that way."


    "I will," I replied, a little stiffer than intended.


    The silence stretched, and I shifted ufortably. "Can I go?"


    He leaned back slightly in his chair. "Once you return, I¡¯ll hand you your task... what we agreed upon before. Be prepared."


    I blinked in surprise.


    Then a mixture of relief and curiosity settled in my chest. I didn¡¯t know what he nned to have me do, but at least we were sticking to boundaries now. No more favors. No more lingering nces or confusing interactions.


    "Alright," I said, bowing my head slightly. "Thank you, Professor."


    And just like that, I turned and walked out, never looking back.


    * * *


    Draven was already waiting for me when I returned to my dorm room after dinner.


    I barely got the door closed before he caught me in his arms, spinning me once in a quiet, yful circle. Iughed, my voice muffled against his chest as he held me like I was something precious.


    "You smell like cinnamon rolls," I teased softly.


    "You are wee," he smirked. "I had to sneak past the kitchens to grab snacks for you. Healthy ones. Don¡¯tin."


    Sure enough, he had brought an assortment of snacks - cinnamon rolls, trail mix, fruit bars, packets of herbal tea, even a reusable hot pack for cramps. Nothing expensive, nothing shy. Just thoughtful little things someone might pack for someone they <i>cared</i> about.


    This made my chest ached a little.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to impress me. He was just... being himself.


    He flopped down on my bed and patted the space beside him. I joined him without hesitation, tucking myself under his arm as he pulled the nket over both of us.


    "Did I tell you how adorable you looked during dinner today?" he whispered, brushing his fingers against my cheek. "Rxed, smiling, and enjoying the food."


    I smiled, feeling the heat rush to my face.


    We kept our voices low, giggling in whispers like teenagers hiding from their parents. Ria and Mallory were down the hall, and the walls here weren¡¯t exactly soundproof.


    We didn¡¯t do anything more than talk and cuddle... though the kisses he nted along my jawline were enough to make my heart flutter and my body flush.


    "Draven," I murmured as he nuzzled the side of my neck, "thank you. For everything."


    He pulled back just enough to look at me. "You don¡¯t have to thank me, dove. You are mine. Taking care of you isn¡¯t a favor. It¡¯s a privilege."


    That... that nearly broke me again.


    He kissed me long and slow before finally whispering, "You need to sleep."


    "I know."


    "Promise me you¡¯ll text me, okay? Updates. Everything. I¡¯ll be waiting."


    "I promise."


    He brushed a final kiss on my lips. This one was deep and passionate and enough to make my toes curl. Then, he finally slipped out of the bed and vanished into the shadows outside the balcony door like he was never there.


    * * *


    Tuesday morning arrived in a blur of early rms and scrambled breakfasts.


    The Academy was buzzing with energy as the first-year students rushed to the main gates where three ck private busses were waiting.


    I arrived there earlier with Kyros and Professor Aldric handed us clipboards to check names and bags of the students.


    As the ss Keeper and President, it was our job to make sure everyone was ounted for.


    "No one brought swords, right?" I asked him dryly as he went through the luggage pile.


    "Not unless you count Bianca¡¯s curling iron. That thing looks lethal." He replied with a shake of his head, joining me in talking nonsense.


    I chuckled.


    Once Professor Aldric confirmed that everyone was present and the equipment was loaded, Kyros and I finally boarded the third andst bus.


    I let him take a seat in the middle section while I moved all the way to the back, craving a little silence.


    Most of the seats were filled. Some students were chattering excitedly while others were already passed out with neck pillows and earbuds. The back row was empty, and I slid into the corner seat by the window.


    The bus rumbled as the engine started.


    I leaned my head against the window and exhaled. Finally, I was able to...


    "Mind if I sit here?"


    My entire body tensed at the familiar voice. I turned slowly and my eyes widened in disbelief.


    The person who just slipped in the seat beside me was the <ist</i> person I was expecting to see.


    Of all people, Oscar, slid into the seat next to me like he owned it... and maybe the bus too, if his smug expression had anything to say about it.


    He stretched out, deliberately brushing his arm against mine before casually leaning back, one leg draped across the narrow aisle like he was here to lounge for the next three hours.


    "Isn¡¯t there aw against tormenting innocent students on school trips?" I muttered as I hugged my arms over my chest.


    He tilted his head toward me as he replied in a low voice. "You are calling yourself innocent now? That¡¯s cute."


    I shot him a re. "There are at least thirty other seats."


    "Thirty," he said, resting his cheek on his palm, "but only one next to you."


    I shook my head and let out a sigh. "You are going to bring me unnecessary attention."


    At that, he quickly scanned the bus before turning his attention back to me. "No one¡¯s looking our way. And even if they did..."


    He then turned to face me, staring into my eyes with such intensity that I found myself holding my breath.


    As if he knew what kind of effect he was having on me, he leaned even closer, leaving just a few breaths of space between our faces.


    "... I dare anyone here to question my presence next to you."


    That made me arch one of my eyebrows. "Of course, they won¡¯t question you. But nothing and no one will stop them from cornering me."


    His gaze softened immediately and he reached out to take my hand in his own. The moment our skin made contact, sweet tingles rushed across my body.


    "I¡¯ll make sure to not cause you any trouble. I promise."


    <fne8cb> This content belongs to f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fne8cb>


    How was I supposed to stay strong against such words and sincerity? So, I gave in, letting him win this time.

 Chapter 110: Their Beloved Instructor

    <h4>Chapter 110: Their Beloved Instructor</h4><subtxt> The bus ride was... peaceful.


    Oscar kept holding my hand even when we were done talking. Not that I tried to pull away. His thigh asionally kept brushing mine whenever the bus hit a bump.


    The strangest part? No one seemed to care.


    No one nced at the back even once. Everyone seemed pretty busy either catching up on their sleep or just ying on their phones. It was almost as if no one was aware of Oscar¡¯s presence in the bus.


    But I highly doubted it. As a Rogue Alpha, his wolf tended to have a much stronger presence than usual Alpha wolves. This alone was enough to give away his presence anywhere unless he had it under control.


    What made it even more peaceful was the fact that by some miracle, none of the usual ss bitches - Nadine, Bianca, or Violet - were on this bus.


    Everything was just... calm.


    Well... except Kyros.


    I noticed him turning in his seat to check on everyone near the back, his eyes scanning with a practiced, responsible gaze, until itnded on me... and then on the man sitting next to me.


    I watched as his brow furrowed instantly in confusion. But before I could panic, he turned around, returning his attention to the front as if nothing happened.


    A few secondster, my phone buzzed in myp.


    <strong>Kyros:</strong><i>Why is Instructor Oscar sitting next to you???</i>


    I just unlocked my screen to answer when Oscar took the phone from my hand like he owned it.


    "Hey-" I began in a whispered voice.


    But he ignored me. He started typing quickly with one hand, while still casually holding mine with the other one.


    I peeked at the screen.


    <strong>Oscar (to Kyros):</strong><i> Because I¡¯m the assigned in-charge for this trip. Problem?</i>


    I gave him a sideways nce. "You are in-charge?"


    He shrugged while returning the phone to me. "Yeah. One of two. Me and Corey got tagged for it. Since this trip¡¯s to a historical site, they needed someone who could keep things under control. You know... in case something stupid happens."


    I blinked. "And who better than one of the Rogue Alphas?"


    He grinned. "Exactly."


    It made sense. Forty-something first-year students on a multi-day field trip? No way Professor Aldric could manage that circus alone. With Oscar around, the chances of anyone acting out were nonexistent.


    One hour into the drive, I finally rxed. The silence between us waspanionable, not awkward. The hum of the bus, the scent of trees outside, and Oscar¡¯s steady presence beside me - it all made me feel... safe.


    And that was the problem.


    Becausetely, Draven was making me feel that too.


    He had been patient, gentle, always trying. I was starting to see him in a new light, like really see him. How he kept sneaking in food just to make sure I ate properly, how he held me whenever I was feeling low.


    And now, Oscar.


    Though he took his time with the initial push and pull after learning about our bond, he had never once walked away from it since epting it. He had been just as persistent in trying to win my heart as his younger brother.


    And here I was, opening up to both of them.


    Only... they still had no idea about each other sharing a mate bond with me.


    And I knew that if I didn¡¯te clean, this delicate bnce that was finally making its way into our rtionships would shatter fast.


    I had seen what happened when Alpha wolves got territorial, especially over mates. I wasn¡¯t sure I could survive being the reason they turned against each other.


    At some point, I must have fallen asleep with my head still buzzing with thoughts.


    It was Oscar¡¯s deep voice near my ear that stirred me awake. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he murmured. <fn5996> This update is avable on ?ovelFind</fn5996>


    My eyes fluttered open, and I realized my head had been resting on his shoulder the entire time. Heat red in my cheeks as I straightened up, brushing my hair behind my ear awkwardly.


    "We are almost there," he informed. "Hotel¡¯s just up ahead."


    I rubbed my eyes and nodded. Thest thing I needed was for anyone to have seen us like that. But judging by the quiet atmosphere of the bus, no one had noticed us yet.


    When the bus finally pulled up near the hotel, which was nestled just at the foot of the Halendor Mountains, I shot up from my seat like I was lit on fire. Oscarughed under his breath as I made my way down quickly.


    Kyros was already by the doors with clipboard in hand. He handed me the list of names we were assigned to check before entering. I was grateful for the distraction.


    The duties of ss President gave me something to focus on besides the lingering warmth of Oscar¡¯s hand or the fact that my shoulder still tingled where it had pressed into him.


    Kyros leaned closer. "We¡¯ll talkter," he murmured, low enough that only I could hear.


    I nodded.


    Then came the chaos of students unloading, dragging bags, reuniting with friends from other buses. And then there was them - Nadine and her group.


    The moment they spotted Oscar, it was like watching a switch flip. Squeals. Giggles. Hushed shrieks of "Oh my god, it¡¯s him!" followed by pathetic attempts at fixing their hair in their reflections on the bus windows.


    Bianca practically tripped over her suitcase trying to strut past him. Violet twirled a strand of her hair like she was starring in a bad soap opera.


    While Nadine caught my eye and gave me a hard re. Her signal was clear - to stay away from their beloved instructor. Noted.


    I rolled my eyes and continued ticking names off the list, Kyros stood beside me, helping me with the duties. I knew he had questions, but he didn¡¯t press. He never did. That was something I really liked about him. He respected boundaries.


    After some minor chaos, all students had their luggage and were ready for room assignments. I hadn¡¯t even reached the front of the line when Mallory appeared by my side.


    "Roomies?" she asked with a huge grin.


    "Please," I smiled, feeling relieved. "I need someone sane to share a room with."


    We approached the check-in table where room keys were being distributed, and Mallory was already pointing out her preferred beds before we even got the number.


    But then... I felt it.


    That intense gaze.


    I turned my head slightly and locked eyes with Oscar, who was standing across the lobby near the check-in roster with Instructor Corey.


    He was looking right at me. Or rather... right at Mallory.


    His jaw was clenched. His expression was unreadable, but something about the way his eyes narrowed told me he wasn¡¯t happy.


    Why? What was his problem?


    Before I could piece it together, he turned away, handing a clipboard to Corey and murmuring something too quiet to catch.


    A chill slithered down my spine. Because I knew that look. He was nning something.


    And I had no idea what it was.</subtxt>

 Chapter 111: Her Roommate Got Snatched

    <h4>Chapter 111: Her Roommate Got Snatched</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    We had set off from the Academy at seven sharp, and by the time the buses rolled into the small mountain town nestled near the base of the Halendor Ruins, it was ten in the morning.


    Professor Aldric wasted no time. His voice rang out over the chatter of excited students, cutting through it like a bell.


    "Lunch will be served in at one. After that, we¡¯ll head to the first circle of the ruins. Everyone, use the next few hours to settle in, rest, or explore the hotel. But don¡¯t wander off too far. Understood?"


    A few cheers, a couple of groans, but everyone nodded or murmured acknowledgment. The real trip hadn¡¯t even started yet, but the energy was already buzzing.


    Since the entire hotel had been booked by the Academy, things were moving fast. With twenty-one rooms set aside just for students, each one shared by two people, and even more for staff and instructors, we were practically the only guests in the whole ce.


    Mallory and I headed to the elevator once we got our room cards. The hallway was dimly lit and quiet. The moment we entered the room, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft, appreciative breath.


    The ce was... nice.


    It was spacious enough not to feel cramped, yet cozy enough to feel intimate. The queen-size bed was looking inviting with its crisp white linens, and there was a plush dark blue couch positioned in front of therge TV.


    There was also a dressing table, a closet, and a massive ss window offering a breathtaking view of the forest-covered slopes of the mountains beyond.


    We freshened up quickly, sshing water on our faces and brushing out the tangles in our hair from the ride. After we were done, we headed down to the dining area on the ground floor to meet up with the others.


    Kyros was already there, leaning against a wooden pir near the buffet table with a te of fruit in hand.


    "Roomie update?" Mallory asked as she flopped into a seat beside him while I took a seat across them.


    He ced another te filled with fruits in front of me as he answered. "You are not going to believe this. I got paired with Rowan."


    Mallory blinked. "Wait, really? But I haven¡¯t seen him all morning."


    "That¡¯s because he wasn¡¯t on the bus," I added as I took a bite of a strawberry.


    "Yeah," Kyros said with a nod. "Apparently, he told Professor Aldric he would be runningte. So the Professor listed his name and gave him a room."


    "Wait! We can do that? Since when?" Selene asked as she appeared with Ria. The two of them were sharing a room on the fifth floor. Noah was right behind them.


    Kyros shrugged in response. "I have no idea how Rowan did it. But it¡¯s not usually seen. After all, students aren¡¯t allowed to step out of Academy gates during weekdays."


    Only if they knew that Rowan had been going out of the Academy on daily basis ever since the term started. That guy had too many secrets, and while I was curious, I had no ns of prying unless he felt like sharing.


    We just muched on fruits or enjoyed some juices while talking. Almost an hour passed when Rowan finally showed up.


    <fnd1eb> This update is avable on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnd1eb>


    Only... he wasn¡¯t alone.


    As the front doors to the hotel swung open, all eyes turned to see Rowan walk in, nked by Beta Jasper.


    The silence at our table was almostical. Hands paused midway to mouths. Conversations died. And Mallory practically froze. Her eyes were locked onto the tall, broad-shouldered man entering behind Rowan.


    Her mate.


    Jasper offered a polite smile to us all but kept his eyes on Mallory. The rest of the world disappeared for her in that moment. She curled her fingers tightly around the edge of the table as if anchoring herself in ce.


    Rowan casually tossed his jacket over his shoulder as he walked toward us. "Met him in one of the towns an hour from here," he said in response to our unasked question. "Figured I must give him a ride."


    Before anyone could have said anything, Oscar decided to make his appearance. And he was looking far too pleased with himself.


    "Jasper," he greeted the man. "d you could make it. Since you were nearby, I thought your assistance with student safety would be useful."


    Jasper dipped his head. "I¡¯ll do my best, Alpha."


    Then, Oscar turned his attention toward our table, his eyes locking with mine. "Speaking of which - have you gotten a room yet? I think it¡¯s actually perfect for you to have some good yime with your mate. Don¡¯t you?"


    My eyes widened slightly. Oscar... He knew exactly what he was doing.


    One look at Mallory told me she was flustered, unsure, hesitant. She wanted to say yes, but not if it meant leaving me. We had nned to stay together from the start, and even convinced Professor Aldric to assign us in the same room.


    So I gave her a small nod. "Do it," I whispered. "You¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Mallory," I said, resting a hand over hers. "You have four days. You won¡¯t get this chance again. Go."


    She hesitated for another heartbeat, and then smiled - a soft, grateful smile. "Thank you."


    She then quickly stood up and headed to meet Jasper before the two of them moved toward the elevators.


    My gaze returned to meet Oscar¡¯s and I found him smirking. He was looking very satisfied... because now I no longer had a roommate. And that gave him exactly what he wanted... a perfect opportunity.


    I didn¡¯t see him again until after lunch, when students started gathering their things to head out toward the first circle of the ruins. We would be hiking up in groups, led by Corey and Oscar, while Professor Aldric took the lead with Kyros.


    I just finished getting ready when someone knocked on my door.

 Chapter 112: First Circle of Runes

    <h4>Chapter 112: First Circle of Runes</h4>


    Evaline:


    <i>Is it him?</i>


    The thought entered my head as I found myself moving to open the door.


    And the moment I did so, Oscar stepped in without a word, pushing the door shut behind him. He turned the lock with a soft click that echoed through the room.


    "Oscar-?"


    I didn¡¯t even get to finish.


    His hand wrapped around my wrist, and in the next breath, my back hit the wall. And the next thing I felt was his lips on mine.


    Hot. Demanding. Absolute.


    My heart was kicking against my ribs as he leaned into me. His other hand moved to cradle the back of my neck while his mouth moved with purpose. There was nothing hesitant about it - he kissed like he was starving, like this was something he had been holding back for far too long.


    It happened so fast my brain barely caught up, but my body... traitorous as ever... was already responding.


    I curled my fingers in his jacket and kissed him back, matching his passion and hunger.


    After what felt like forever, we finally parted. Our breaths were uneven and chests were rising and falling.


    "You nned this," I said once I finally found my voice.


    He smirked, looking unbothered. "nned what?"


    "Don¡¯t you y dumb with me. You knew what you were doing the moment you paired Mallory with Jasper and sent her out of our room."


    He gave an exaggerated shrug in response. "I was just helping your best friend. They are mates. And considering Jasper¡¯s identity and duties, this is such a rare chance for them to get to know each other."


    He did make sense, but I still red at him because I knew he wasn¡¯t as thoughtful and nice as he was portraying himself.


    He leaned closer again, brushing his lips against my cheek this time. "I may have helped the stars align a little, sure. But it¡¯s not a crime to want some alone time with the woman I¡¯m trying to court, is it?"


    "Unbelievable."


    "Say that again," he murmured, pressing another kiss near the edge of my jaw.


    I flushed. My heart was hammering all over again. "We have to go."


    He ced a kiss on my forehead before stepping back. "I¡¯ll leave first. Don¡¯t want to give the giggling squirrels downstairs more gossip fuel than they already have."


    "Toote for that," I muttered, watching as he slipped out, just as silently as he had entered.


    When I finallyposed myself and left the room a few minutester, locking the door behind me, I couldn¡¯t help the way my lips were still tingling. The man was impossible. Infuriating. Shameless.


    Andpletely irresistible.


    * * *


    Downstairs, the ss was already gathering. With everyone dressed in hiking gear, their bags packed with notepads, research tools, and snacks, we were looking like a pack of over-prepared young archaeologists.


    Professor Aldric was standing at the front, already giving instructions in hismanding but oddly pleasant tone.


    "The first circle of the Halendor Ruins lies about thirty minutes from here," he exined. "A light uphill hike. Keep pace. Stay with your groups. Instructor Corey and Instructor Oscar will be nking both ends."


    My gaze flicked to where Oscar was standing a few feet away. He caught my eye and winked.


    I looked away, feeling my cheeks burning.


    The hike started smoothly. Trees were towering on both sides of the narrow trail, sunlight was filtering through the branches and casting dappled patterns on the path. The sound of birds and distant water flowing filled the silence between footsteps and casual chatter.


    Half an hourter, we reached the first circle.


    The ruins were a strange blend of forgotten beauty and quiet power. There were half-buried stone columns, some etched with old runes. Moss had crept up their bases, and tiny purple flowers were blooming through the cracks in the stone.


    Beyond the ruins, the forest thickened again, as if the mountain itself had wrapped its secrets tightly in vines and roots.


    "This circle was believed to be a trial ground," Professor Aldric said, as we gathered around him. "Ancient mages carved protective runes into these stones to contain wild elemental magic during their tests. Some say the remnants of those spells still linger."


    That exined the faint hum I was feeling in the air. Like something alive slumbered beneath the dirt.


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    We were divided into study groups. Mine consisted of Ria, Freya, Cedric, and Rowan.


    "Each group," he continued, "will be assigned a quadrant. Observe the runes. Sketch them. If you sense any magical residue, document it. But... DO NOT... attempt to activate any rune. Understood?"


    We all nodded.


    My group moved to the eastern section, near an arch that had mostly crumbled, but some of the runes were still intact along the base. Ria crouched beside me, already pulling out her rune guidebook.


    Cedric was hovering with his notebook while Freya took detailed photos with her tablet.


    And Rowan?


    He just watched.


    "You are quiet," I muttered to him under my breath as I ran my fingers lightly over one of the symbols, never touching it, just tracing the air above it.


    He tilted his head. "Just trying not to get in your way."


    I just shook my head and returned my focus on the rune. It was a swirling spiral that shimmered faintly in the sun. It wasn¡¯t just design... it was magic. Ancient andyered.


    "Binding rune," Ria murmured. "Low-level containment."


    "I think it¡¯s intertwined with a grounding sigil," I added. "See how it¡¯s ovepping with the corners?"


    Freya snapped a photo. "This is fascinating. Theyering means they probablybined spells into one set."


    As we moved around the arch, I noticed a cluster of herbs growing at its base. They had small blue leaves with silver-tipped edges.


    "Moonvein," I said as I recognized the herb. "Didn¡¯t think it would grow this far up."


    Rowan raised a brow. "You know about herbs?"


    "I try."


    There were more - blisterleaf, a potent burn salve ingredient, and even a few sprigs of shadowroot, which only bloomed near strong magical sources.


    It all made sense. The ruins weren¡¯t just a historical site... they were alive. The magic was still feeding the earth around it.


    I was kneeling near the base of a pir when I felt it. A soft pulse under my palm, like a heartbeat. It was... deep, ancient, and buried.

 Chapter 113: Sneaking Glances

    <h4>Chapter 113: Sneaking nces</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I immediately looked up, my gazending on the people around me. But I soon realized that none of them felt what I just did.


    Rowan caught my gaze and arched his eyebrows in a silent question. I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I just shook my head and returned my attention to the runes.


    This time, I felt nothing. No movement. No energy shift. It was almost as if I imagined that presence earlier. Because no one among the forty plus people around me seemed to have sensed the same.


    I almost dismissed the matter when... it happened again. The shift of energy that had nothing to do with any of us.


    And this time, I wasn¡¯t the only one who sensed it.


    Further back, I saw Oscar pause near a rune-inscribed stone. His hand was hovering over it before he turned to Corey and said something I couldn¡¯t hear.


    A sense of unease pricked at me.


    These ruins weren¡¯t entirely dormant.


    "Do we need to check these out too?" Cedric pulled my attention back as he pointed at a spell carved on a stone.


    "Let¡¯s take a picture to check it outter." I replied, taking Freya¡¯s tablet to click a clear picture.


    By the time we returned to the hotel, the sun had begun its slow descent behind the distant mountains, casting the sky in strokes of warm gold and mutedvender.


    It was just after five in the afternoon. My legs were aching from the hike, my fingers were sore from sketching runes and collecting herb samples, but despite that, I was feeling strangely energized.


    Professor Aldric had given us until dinner to startpiling notes and organizing our findings, so I joined my group in one of the lounges on the second floor. It was a quiet area with long wooden tables, and plenty of natural light.


    To my relief, working with my group turned out to be surprisingly smooth.


    Ria had her rune sketches organized with scary efficiency. She was already cross-referencing her notes with the Academy¡¯s database on ancient sigils.


    Rowan was also working quietly but diligently, scribbling his observations withoutint, asionally ncing up to offer insight or correct a rune sequence when needed.


    Cedric and Freya were both sharp and respectful. Cedric mostly helped with the research while Freya was taking digital scans of the ruins and crosschecking them with elemental energy readings.


    For once, I wasn¡¯t forced to defend myself or prove I belonged here. There were no condescending remarks, no second-guessing... just focused teamwork.


    And that alone made it a win in my book.


    "I think we are in a good ce," Ria said as she stretched her arms above her head after a couple of hours of work. "If we keep this pace, we¡¯ll be ahead of the others by tomorrow."


    "Agreed," Freya chimed in a thoughtful tone. "I¡¯ll fine-tune the energy readings tonight. If we are lucky, we might even iste the type of spell embedded in those ovepping runes."


    "We should write that into our outline," Rowan added without looking up from his notes.


    I leaned back in my chair, feeling grateful for getting the amazing teammates.


    ---


    Dinner was exactly what I needed.


    The dining hall had been transformed into something out of a rustic travel journal. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling, soft lighting glowed from enchantednterns, and long tables were lined with tters of fresh bread, creamy soups, herbed vegetables, and grilled proteins seasoned to perfection. The food was warm, vorful, andforting¡ªthe perfect end to an academic day.


    We all found ourselves at the same table¡ªme, Mallory, Selene, Noah, Kyros, and Ria. Even with tired limbs and sore backs, the mood was light and spirited. We talked about everything from the beauty of the ruins to how Rowan somehow managed to stay silent and effective without drawing any attention to himself.


    "He¡¯s like a ghost," Malloryughed, spooning soup into her mouth. "But the useful kind."


    Noah smirked. "Useful ghosts are a rare breed."


    While my friends bantered and teased one another, I found my gaze drifting more often than I liked across the hall.


    <fn926e> Chapters first released on Find[F]ovel</fn926e>


    Oscar.


    He sat at a table near the firece, dressed in a ck high-cored shirt and his ever-present cloak slungzily over the chair behind him. His attention was on the discussion happening between Professor Aldric and Instructor Corey, though his eyes flicked to Jasper every now and then. Jasper, in turn, seemed perfectly content¡ªrxed, confident, but undeniably focused on the meal and the conversation.


    And then there was Mallory.


    She kept sneaking nces at Jasper like a schoolgirl with a forbidden crush. Her cheeks flushed every time their eyes met. I could see the restraint in her fingers, the way she resisted the urge to wave or smile too big.


    I understood it.


    Too well.


    Because I wasn¡¯t much better.


    Every few minutes, my gaze found Oscar again¡ªonly this time, I wasn¡¯t the only one noticing.


    Kyros, seated directly across from me, narrowed his eyes after the fourth nce.


    "You good?" he asked under his breath.


    "Perfectly fine," I replied, grabbing a slice of bread that I didn¡¯t even want.


    Rowan, sitting at the far end of our table, watched me quietly over the rim of his ss, his expression unreadable.


    I chose to ignore both of them.


    ---


    After dinner, with full stomachs and a rare sliver of free time, we decided to take a walk around the property. The hotel sat nestled at the edge of a forest, with well-lit paths winding through flower beds, stone benches, and tall evergreens that rustled with every evening breeze.


    Instructor Corey gave us a very specific warning: "Don¡¯t stray too far. Stay within sight of the property. Thirty minutes, and then I expect every single one of you back inside."


    We agreed, naturally. And then immediately went about pushing that boundary as close to the edge as we dared.


    The walk was filled withughter and quiet conversation. Mallory and Selene wandered a little ahead, talking about how breathtaking the stars looked above the mountain ridges. Ria and Kyros were discussing their theories about the ruins, while Noah, as always, kept things light with his ridiculous stories of theirst field trip.


    I lingered toward the back, letting the night wrap around me like a familiar cloak.


    The cool air smelled like pine and old magic.


    It was peaceful.


    Just as instructed, we all returned inside the hotel within half an hour. Back in my room, I let out a sigh of contentment as I stepped into the bathroom. A hot shower was a small luxury, but it felt heavenly after the long day of hiking, studying, and pretending I wasn¡¯t staring at Oscar like some lovesick idiot.


    I dried my hair and wrapped myself in a thick bathrobe. I just finished doing my skincare when-


    <strong>Knock. Knock.</strong>


    I stared at the door while my mind scrambled for possibilities, but really, there was only one person who had the audacity to keep showing up like this.


    Still, I cracked the door open cautiously.


    And of course... it was him.

 Chapter 114: The Space Between Us

    <h4>Chapter 114: The Space Between Us</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The hallway was dimly lit and quiet as I made my way back to my room after bidding my friends ¡¯good nights¡¯.


    Jasper was still in conversation with Instructor Oscar and Corey when we returned from the walk and headed to elevators.


    I watched them for several minutes across the dining room, trying to read the stern lines of my mate¡¯s face. They were discussing something serious, perhaps trip logistics or training protocols, but all I could think about was the fact that we were going to sleep in the same room tonight.


    In the same bed.


    My heart refused to stop hammering in my chest ever since that realization sunk in for the first time.


    This wasn¡¯t the same as sharing a room at the Academy with friends. It wasn¡¯t like stealing nces. It was him. My mate. Jasper. And tonight, there was going to be no interruptions. No distractions. Just us.


    Just me and the man who had kissed me earlier that day like I was something precious.


    That kiss...


    My lips tingled just thinking about it. The feel of his hand around my waist. The heat in his eyes right before his mouth met mine. It wasn¡¯t rushed or hesitant like the first time - back when he dropped me at the Academy and I took the lead to make our first kiss happen. But that kiss was cautious, hesitant, unsure.


    But earlier today?


    That kiss was full of intent.


    He had wanted me. Chosen to kiss me. And I had floated through the rest of the day like I was wrapped in starlight.


    Now, back in our hotel room, the reality of it all was hitting me hard.


    I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, taking slow breaths. The room was just as we had left it. There were two pillows on therge bed, one suitcase half-unpacked, and his duffel bag in the corner.


    This was real.


    I went into the bathroom to calm my nerves. My hands were trembling slightly as I turned on the water. I took a long shower - warm, rxing, and just long enough to settle the butterflies in my stomach.


    By the time I stepped out, steam was curling in the air around me, clinging to the mirror and fogging my reflection. I wiped it away and stared at myself - flushed cheeks, damp hair, eyes too wide.


    I pulled on a soft pair of pajamas. It was light blue shorts and a matching top withce trim. It wasn¡¯t too revealing, but definitely not the oversized hoodie I usually wore to bed.


    <fn4ebb> For more chapters visit f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn4ebb>


    I wasn¡¯t trying to seduce him.


    Not really.


    Okay... maybe a little.


    I paced for a while, then sat on the edge of the bed with my bare legs pulled to my chest. I turned themp on beside me and flipped through a magazine I wasn¡¯t reading, then checked the clock.


    Ten minutes.


    Then twenty.


    Then forty-five.


    The door creaked open an hourter, causing my heart to leap into my throat.


    Jasper stepped inside quietly, looking tired. But his eyes lit up the moment they found me.


    "Hey," he said in a low voice as he closed the door behind him before locking it.


    "Hey," I echoed, standing up.


    There was a brief moment of silence, and then his gaze swept over me slowly, taking in my bare legs, my flushed face, and the way I was twisting my fingers together.


    "Did you... talk about something important with the instructors?" I asked, trying to fill the awkward space between us.


    "I might have. Not sure though," he admitted as he walked toward me. His steps were unhurried but firm. "I was thinking about this."


    Then he was in front of me, and I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    His hand brushed the side of my face. His fingers trailing through my damp hair as he looked down at me like I was something fragile.


    I leaned into his touch without thinking. At some point, my hands even reached out to curl into the fabric of his shirt.


    "Kiss me," I found myself whispering.


    And he didn¡¯t hesitate.


    His mouth met mine in a kiss that was tender at first... soft, exploratory... but quickly deepened into something far more intense. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me flush against him as his mouth moved over mine with growing hunger.


    I gasped when he lifted me slightly, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carried me to the bed. He knelt on the edge, still kissing me. His hands were warm on my waist as they slipped beneath my shirt, tracing the skin of my lower back.


    I had never wanted anything more in my life.


    We tumbled back onto the mattress and our kisses turned urgent. His hands started exploring, but never too much, just enough to drive me crazy. He was hovering above me, one hand cupping my face while the other held him up.


    He pulled away from the kiss only to trail his lips down my neck. His breath was hot against my corbone and I arched beneath him.


    The way he was kissing me made everything else disappear.


    As his fingers started exploring further, moving up, my heartbeat elerated. Then, I felt his thumbing in contact with the underside of my left breadt and I gasped at the contact, my body arching toward him instinctively. My hands fisted the front of his shirt, pulling him closer, needing more.


    "Jasper..." I whispered, "Please..."


    But suddenly, too suddenly, he stopped.


    His lips stilled, his hands froze. And then he slowly pulled back. He was breathing hard, and his eyes looked stormy with restraint.


    "I can¡¯t," he murmured Ina hoarse voice.


    "What?" I blinked, confused. "What do you mean you can¡¯t?"


    His hand slid out from under my shirt, and he sat back slightly, shaking his head. "We need to stop."


    I stared up at him, feeling stunned. "Did I do something wrong?"


    "No," he said quickly, running a hand down his face. "It¡¯s not you. Goddess, Mallory, it¡¯s not you."


    "Then why are you pulling away?" My voice trembled with something I hadn¡¯t expected... hurt.


    He looked at me then, his eyes filled with something I failed to read. "You are not ready yet."


    I flinched like he had pped me. "What?"


    "You are not ready," he repeated, softer this time, as if it would sting less. "We should take our time."


    Heat rose in my cheeks - first in confusion, then humiliation.


    "What does that even mean?" I asked as I sat up and pulled the nket around myself. "You kissed me. You carried me to the bed. And now I¡¯m not ready?"


    "I didn¡¯t mean it like that," he said while trying to reach for me again. "Mallory-"


    "No, exin it," I said as I pulled away. "Because to me, it sounds like you think I¡¯m too young. Or too inexperienced. Or not good enough."


    "No," he growled. "That¡¯s not it."


    "Then what is it?" My voice cracked this time, and I hated it.


    He stood up then and started pacing the room like a storm barely holding itself together. "Because if I go any further, I won¡¯t be able to stop," he said, finally facing me. "And I don¡¯t want to make you regret this."


    My breath caught.


    Regret?


    He thought I would regret him?


    The room was spinning.


    "I don¡¯t regret you," I said quietly.


    He closed his eyes like it physically hurt to hear that. "But I would regret rushing you. Hurting you."


    "You are hurting me right now," I whispered, blinking fast.


    He came forward again and kneeled in front of me. His hands were hovering like he wanted to touch me but didn¡¯t trust himself to.


    "Mallory," he said and his voice broke a little, "I never thought this was even possible. That you were possible. You don¡¯t understand how hard it is for me to even be in this room without touching you. But I don¡¯t want this to start with pressure or guilt. I want it to be right. For both of us."


    I stared down at him as tears threatened to fall.


    "You think I don¡¯t want that too?" I asked in a barely audible voice. "You think I haven¡¯t waited? Dreamed? Prayed for this day toe?"


    "I know," he said. "I know."


    "Then why does it feel like you are rejecting me?" My voice cracked, and I hated how small I sounded.


    He reached up to cup my face, but I turned away.


    He sighed heavily and stepped back. "I should go," he said after a moment of silence.


    I didn¡¯t say anything.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Because I knew if I spoke, I would start crying and wouldn¡¯t be able to stop.


    He hesitated at the door, waiting... hoping... for something. But when I didn¡¯t say anything, he slipped out quietly and closed it behind him.


    The second the door clicked shut, the tears came.


    Big, hot, aching tears that spilled down my cheeks and soaked the pillow I buried my face into.


    I cried for what could have been.


    For what wasn¡¯t.


    And for the space that now was feeling bigger than ever between us.

 Chapter 115: Falling For Her

    <h4>Chapter 115: Falling For Her</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The moment I stepped out of the shower and looked at myself in the mirror, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Not pacing around like a lovesick fool, not waiting for the "right time" to show her how much she meant to me... but with her.


    Eva.


    Even the thought of her name stirred something deep within me. It wasn¡¯t the wild heat of the mate bond alone, though that fire never really died. No, this was something different. Stronger. Deeper.


    It was the way her eyes softened when she was thinking, the way her shoulders held a strength she didn¡¯t even realize she had. She was fierce andpassionate, unafraid and yet so damn vulnerable it made my heart ache.


    With every passing day, I was falling harder. And it wasn¡¯t just because the universe decided we were fated. It was because <i>she</i> was everything I never thought I would find in someone. Brave, stubborn, resilient, kind. She was a contradiction of softness and steel that kept pulling me in.


    I hadn¡¯t nned to fall in love with her. But I was. Hard and fast.


    I made my way to her room. My each step was heavy with the anticipation that I could finally have a moment with her alone. Not as the instructor. Not as someone she should avoid or resist. But as a man in love... with every intention of earning her trust, her heart, and maybe, one day, her forever.


    I knocked once, softly, then again, louder. And when she opened the door, I found myself looking at her in nothing but a bathrobe. Her cheeks were flushed from the shower, hair was damp and falling around her face. And I forgot every ounce of restraint I was trying to build over the past few days.


    Beautiful didn¡¯t even begin to describe her.


    Without a word, I quickly slipped inside the room, not wanting anyone to notice us like this. Thest thing I wanted was for her to be the center of attention at the Academy because she got tangled up with me.


    I did watch her narrowing her eyes at me in half-hearted annoyance, but she didn¡¯t tell me to leave. And that was all the invitation I needed.


    "You can¡¯t keep doing this," she said. Her voice was soft butcked conviction.


    "Doing what?" I stepped closer. Her presence was already making the air feel heavier, sweeter.


    <fn81b9> Fresh chapters posted on find~novel</fn81b9>


    "Showing up unannounced. Kissing me. Getting into my head."


    God, how I wanted to be in her head. In her world. In her life.


    I took her hand and let my thumb trace over the soft skin of her wrist before lifting her fingers to my lips. "You say that like I¡¯m the only one feeling this, Evaline."


    She sucked in a breath. I felt it in the way her fingers twitched in my hand. I never called her by her full name unless I wanted her attention. And tonight, I wanted all of it.


    The faint twitch of her lips betrayed her. She tried to re. But she was smiling underneath it. I saw it.


    "Oscar-"


    "You are still thinking too much," I interrupted while stepping so close I felt the warmth of her against me. "You always think. Always run. When all I want..."


    I leaned in, brushing my lips against her temple, her cheek, until I hovered just at the corner of her mouth.


    "...is for you to finally stay."


    She didn¡¯t pull away. And I knew then... she wanted to stay too.


    The moment our lips met, it was like striking a match in a room already filled with gasoline. It wasn¡¯t just passion, it was hunger. A desperate need that had been simmering for days, weeks, maybe even longer.


    Her hands gripped my shirt, pulling me closer as my fingers slid through her damp hair, anchoring her to me like she was the only thing keeping me grounded.


    And maybe she was.


    Her robe slipped a little, revealing the curve of her shoulder. My mouth moved there without thinking, trailing kisses along her skin as she sighed into me.


    She didn¡¯t push me away. Instead, her hands found the hem of my shirt and slipped under it, her fingers grazing over my stomach and making me inhale deeply at the contact.


    BANG. BANG. BANG.


    The sound of urgent knocking startled both of us.


    I groaned, cursing whoever was outside that door.


    "Don¡¯t," I muttered, grabbing her hips and kissing her again before she could pull away. "They will leave."


    But then-


    "Eva... are you there?" Mallory¡¯s voice broke through, cracking like she had been crying.


    Eva stiffened in my arms.


    "It¡¯s Mallory," she whispered against my lips. "Something¡¯s wrong."


    I didn¡¯t want to let her go. But how could I stop her after hearing that voice?


    She pushed gently at my chest. "You have to hide."


    I looked around the room. There was nothing there to hide. No drapes thick enough. No ce big enough to squeeze into.


    And we were on the sixth floor. Jumping out of the window would have been idiotic, even for me.


    Eva moved quickly, fixing her robe and smoothing her hair. "Just wait by the door. I¡¯ll keep her distracted. When I pull her into the room, slip out."


    I didn¡¯t want to leave. Not like this. Not when we were finally... finally getting somewhere.


    But I knew she was worried for her friend. So I nodded and stepped back, waiting silently by the edge of the door as she cracked it open.


    "Mallory?" Her voice was warm, concerned. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I-I just needed someone," Mallory choked out in a trembling voice. "I didn¡¯t know where else to go."


    "It¡¯s okay," Eva said softly and stepped aside to let her in. "Come here."


    As Mallory stepped inside, I slipped out as quietly and quickly as I could. The air in the hallway felt much colder than it had a minute ago.


    I leaned against the wall just beyond her room, breathing hard. My heart was still racing, not from the escape, but from her. From everything that just happened. Everything she made me feel.


    I was falling for her. Hard.

 Chapter 116: Jasper’s Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 116: Jasper¡¯s Secrets</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    By the time I slipped out of Eva¡¯s room and into the quiet hallway, my mind was racing, but not with the heat still lingering from our kiss. No, that fire had been doused the moment I heard Mallory¡¯s broken voice from behind the door. And the expression on her face had only confirmed what I already suspected.


    Something was seriously wrong.


    And there was only one person who could possibly be the reason behind it.


    Jasper.


    Instead of the elevator, I headed for the stairs, taking two at a time. My boots almost made no sound against the plush carpeting of the hotel floor. The building was quiet, wrapped in thatte-night stillness where even time seemed to slow. It was close to midnight, and most of the students and staff had already retreated to their rooms.


    Except for Jasper.


    Sure enough, I found him in the dimly lit lobby on the ground floor. He was sitting on the farthest couch, near the darkened window. He didn¡¯t notice me immediately, and for a second, I stood there watching him.


    He was looking like hell.


    Elbows on his knees, head low, fingers tangled in his hair. His shirt was wrinkled, the top few buttons undone, and there was something raw in the way he stared at the floor, like he was battling something he didn¡¯t know how to fight.


    The only difference between him and Mallory was that he wasn¡¯t crying.


    I moved toward him and dropped onto the couch beside him. The cushions shifted under my weight, and only then did he look up.


    "What did you do?" I asked bluntly. "What the hell did you do to make her cry?"


    He blinked before his eyes widened just slightly. The confusion on his face was genuine and immediate. "She¡¯s crying?"


    That told me everything I needed to know.


    He hadn¡¯t meant to hurt her.


    Which didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t.


    Jasper groaned and scrubbed his face with his palms like he could somehow wipe away the guilt gathering in his bones. "Shit."


    "Yeah," I muttered as I rested my arms on the back of the couch. "Shit."


    We sat in silence for a while. The only sounds were the soft hum of the AC and the distant ck of the receptionist typing behind the counter. No one else was around. Just two screwed-up men with mates we were trying to impress.


    Eventually, Jasper let out a long, tired sigh. "I did something... that probably upset her. I didn¡¯t realize it would make her cry."


    I turned slightly, watching him with narrowed eyes. "What exactly did you do?"


    He let out another breath, heavier this time, and shook his head. "We were getting close. Too close. And... I pulled away."


    That was vague as hell. But I had a feeling I didn¡¯t want the details.


    "She probably thought it was because of her," he added quietly. "And I didn¡¯t give her a reason. So yeah, I get it now. I messed up."


    I stayed quiet for a moment. Processing. Watching the lines of stress carved into his face.


    Then I asked the question that had been sitting at the tip of my tongue since I saw Mallory¡¯s shattered expression.


    "Why would you pull away, Jasper?"


    He stiffened.


    The silencested for a while before he finally answered. "Because she doesn¡¯t know."


    "Doesn¡¯t know what?"


    He lifted his eyes to mine, and the weight in them almost made me flinch.


    "About Liliana."


    My heart sank as the realization hit me hard.


    Liliana was Jasper¡¯s seven year old daughter from his first mate - the one he lost years ago.


    I nearly forgot that he still hadn¡¯t told Mallory about any of it.


    <fnb276> Content originallyes from Find~Novel</fnb276>


    "She¡¯s my second chance," he confessed in a raw voice. "I didn¡¯t expect to get one. And I didn¡¯t expect it to be her. She¡¯s so... young. So full of life. She deserves more than a broken man dragging his past behind him."


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I let him talk. Because this wasn¡¯t something he shared easily.


    "I was going to tell her," he continued. "Eventually. Just... not yet. I wanted to give us time. Let her get to know me. Not my past. Not the pain or the baggage. Just me. Jasper."


    I nodded slowly, understanding more than he probably thought I could.


    "She doesn¡¯t even know I had a mate before," he admitted. "She doesn¡¯t know about Liliana. She¡¯s seven, Oscar. Seven."


    There was a beat of silence.


    "And Mallory... she¡¯s eighteen."


    When he put it that way, that part hit differently.


    "I know how that sounds," Jasper said quickly, seeing the expression I wore. "I know she¡¯s technically an adult, and the bond is real, and she¡¯s my mate. But gods, Oscar... she¡¯s still in her first year at the Academy. She hasn¡¯t even figured out who she is yet. What kind of life she wants. How can I throw a child into the mix and expect her to be okay with it?"


    I leaned back and stared at the ceiling.


    "She has a right to know," I said quietly. "About Liliana. About everything."


    "I know," Jasper said. "I just... I¡¯m scared, man. What if she walks away? What if she hears the truth and decides she doesn¡¯t want this? Doesn¡¯t want me? I don¡¯t think I can handle losing a second mate."


    He sounded so damn tired when he said it.


    And despite everything, despite the fact that I had always seen him as the man with everything under control, I saw now just how fragile he was under the surface. The man had lost a mate, was raising a child alone, and now had a bond with someone who might be too young to handle it all.


    "You think I don¡¯t understand?" I asked quietly, turning my head to him.


    He frowned. "Sorry Alpha, but you don¡¯t have a mate. And you are not dating an eighteen-year-old."


    I huffed out a breath, almostughing.


    If only he knew.


    If only he knew how badly I wanted to scream that I did have a mate.


    That she was young. Bright. Complex. Beautiful. And absolutely, infuriatingly off-limits.


    He didn¡¯t know about Eva.


    No one did.


    Not yet.


    So I just shook my head and said nothing, letting him think what he wanted to think. Because his struggle tonight wasn¡¯t about me. It was about him, and the girl upstairs crying in my mate¡¯s arms because the man she loved couldn¡¯t say the one thing she needed to hear.


    "I don¡¯t think she wants perfect," I said softly. "I think she just wants honesty. Maybe even a little reassurance. You are scared she¡¯ll run. But she¡¯s up there crying because you already did."


    He let out a bitterugh. "I didn¡¯t run."


    "You didn¡¯t stay either."


    He pressed his hands to his face again, groaning. "I don¡¯t know how to fix this."


    "Start by telling her the truth," I said, standing up. "You don¡¯t have to unload everything in one night. But give her the choice to stay. Or go. Just... don¡¯t lie to her. Not by silence. Not by omission."


    He didn¡¯t answer right away.


    So I left him there, sitting in the shadows of the lobby, hoping he would take the advice he would have given me if the roles were reversed.


    Because if there was one thing I knew, it was this - Love wasn¡¯t about perfection. It was about effort.


    And if he didn¡¯t fight for her soon, someone else just might.


    Because Mallory may be young, but she wasn¡¯t stupid.


    And hearts? They don¡¯t wait forever.

 Chapter 117: Her Broken Bond

    <h4>Chapter 117: Her Broken Bond</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I opened the door and saw Mallory¡¯s face, I knew something was terribly wrong.


    She was standing there like a ghost with red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. Her lips were trembling as though she was holding herself together by a thread. Her clothes were slightly wrinkled, her hair tangled from tossing around, and the moment our eyes met, she looked away like she was ashamed to be seen.


    I let her in and let out a sigh of relief when Oscar sessfully slipped out of the room.


    Mallory brushed past me with slow, uncertain steps. Her shoulders were curled inward as though they were carrying the weight of the world. I closed the door gently and followed her into the room.


    Instead of bombarding her with questions, I quietly guided her to the small couch near the window. She copsed onto it, sinking into the cushions like her entire body had finally given out. I grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, poured her a ss, and ced it into her hands before sitting beside her.


    Her hands were cold and her fingers were barely clutching the ss.


    Without a word, I began rubbing soft circles on her back, slow and calming, letting the silence stretch until she was ready. I was able to feel her shaking beneath my hand. Her breath kept hitching now and then, but I didn¡¯t push.


    She broke the silence first... in a cracking voice.


    "I¡¯m sorry... I just... I didn¡¯t know where else to go."


    I turned to her sharply. "Hey, don¡¯t say that," I said softly. "You can alwayse to me. No matter the time, no matter the reason."


    She swallowed hard, her throat working visibly. Her eyes stayed fixed on the water in herp, like she didn¡¯t have the strength to meet my gaze.


    "What happened?" I finally asked as I kept moving my hand gently against her back.


    She didn¡¯t respond for a moment, but then her shoulders trembled with a deep exhale.


    "It was Jasper," she whispered.


    And that was all I needed to understand.


    My concern deepened, but I didn¡¯t interrupt her. I just waited as she gathered her words.


    "We were... together. Alone in our room. Everything was going well. Sweet. Intense. And then he just... he stopped. Like...pletely pulled away."


    I frowned but kept quiet, letting her speak.


    "I don¡¯t know why," she continued, her voice rising with emotion. "One second he was touching me like I was his whole world, and the next, it¡¯s like I had done something wrong. Like he realized halfway through that... it¡¯s not right."


    "Oh, Mallory-"


    "I know, I know I¡¯m probably being stupid," she said quickly, wiping her cheeks. "There¡¯s a part of me that knows I¡¯m overthinking this. That maybe he just had a reason. A good one. But there¡¯s another part... the bigger part... that just keeps screaming that he didn¡¯t want me. That he was disgusted by me."


    My heart clenched as I listened to her voice shake.


    "He always keeps his distance," she continued bitterly. "Even before tonight. He never kisses me unless I initiate it first, never touches me unless I lean into him. And I thought it was just because he respected me, that he wanted to take things slow because of my age or whatever. I appreciated that. I liked that."


    She let out a sharp breath, wiping angrily at a fresh tear. "But tonight... it didn¡¯t feel like that. It felt like he was afraid to touch me. Like he was holding himself back not for me... but from me. And that¡¯s what broke me, Eva. That¡¯s what made me feel so... so unwanted."


    She pressed a fist against her chest like she was physically trying to keep her heart from falling apart.


    "I¡¯m scared," she whispered. "So damn scared that he doesn¡¯t want me. That maybe he¡¯s just with me because of the mate bond, but deep down he¡¯s regretting it. And if he ever says those words... if he ever rejects me... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll survive it."


    I didn¡¯t realize I was crying until she turned her face into my shoulder, her small body curling toward mine like a wounded child.


    "Oh, Mal..." I murmured, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into my embrace. "I¡¯m so sorry. I know how badly it hurts to feel like you are the only one fighting for something that shoulde naturally."


    "I thought he was different," she whispered. "He¡¯s so good to me most of the time. So gentle. But now I don¡¯t know what to believe. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy, Eva."


    "You are not," I said firmly. "You are not crazy, you are not wrong, and you are not alone."


    She sniffled, pulling back just slightly as her red eyes met mine. "You say that like you have been through this too."


    I paused.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to say those words out loud. They had just... slipped. But now her eyes were locked on mine, expectant and confused.


    I sighed.


    "Yeah," I murmured. "I have been there."


    She blinked. "You mean..."


    "I had a mate once," I admitted quietly, staring past her and into a memory that still stung. "I have known him since I was eleven. We were together before we ever confirmed the bond. His name was Ethan."


    She stayed silent, listening intently.


    "He was older than me," I continued, my voice distant now. "He turned eighteen a few months before I did. We were already close by then. Dating, I guess. Or something like it. But he never said anything about the bond. Never told me if he felt it."


    "You weren¡¯t sure if he was your mate?" Mallory asked gently.


    "I hoped," I admitted. "Every night I prayed for it. But I couldn¡¯t be sure. And then... the night I turned eighteen, I felt it. The bond. So strong, so real. It nearly knocked me off my feet."


    I paused, feeling the old pain rise again. The humiliation. The grief.


    "So the next day, I went to him. With my heart pounding, so full of hope... and he rejected me."


    Mallory¡¯s eyes widened. "He what?"


    I gave a bitter smile. "Said he wanted someone stronger. Someone who wasn¡¯t weak. Who wasn¡¯t wolfless like me. He said he couldn¡¯t waste his future on a mate who couldn¡¯t even shift."


    Her hand found mine, and she squeezed it hard.


    "I thought it was the end of the world," I whispered. "I cried for days. I hated myself. I hated my wolf... orck of one. I felt like I was unworthy. Useless. Like I was just something to be pitied and passed over."


    "Eva..." Mallory¡¯s voice was barely audible.


    "But I survived," I said softly. "And I came out stronger. I don¡¯t need him anymore. He made his choice, and I have made mine. I¡¯ll rise on my own."


    Mallory stared at me with awe and sorrow in her eyes. "You are so strong," she whispered a momentter. "And brave."


    I shook my head. "No. Just... determined not to break. And I think you are too."


    She fell silent, wiping thest of her tears. But her shoulders were straighter now. Her breathing more even.


    "Thank you for telling me," she whispered.


    "I¡¯m always here," I said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Always."


    For the first time that night, she smiled. It was small. Shaky. But it was there.


    <fnb412> For more chapters visit f?ndnovel</fnb412>


    And I knew, somehow, that we would both make it through.


    She ended up staying the night.


    She curled up beside me on the bed. Her hair was still slightly damp from the quick shower she had taken to wash the tears and tension off. We didn¡¯t turn off the lightspletely, leaving the bedsidemp on with its warm, orange glow casting soft shadows around us.


    Neither of us felt like sleeping.


    Instead, wey side by side, whispering in the quiet darkness about everything and nothing - boys, the Academy, awkward first kisses, the terrifying reality of being mated before you are even ready to love, and the silly little things that used to bother us before the weight of the bond and heartbreak made them seem trivial.


    We painted little dreams in the air - of what life could be like if things were simpler, if we weren¡¯t tangled in bonds andplicated emotions. Of maybe living in a tiny cottage with a garden, with no packs or expectations, just freedom. Just peace.


    Eventually, Mallory rested her head on my shoulder. Her breathing haf finally turned even and her voice sounded soft as she whispered, "I¡¯m really d I have you."


    I turned slightly and brushed a kiss to her hair. "Me too."


    And in that quiet, safe bubble of shared pain and unspoken promises, we drifted off together. Not as broken girls, but as two best friends who, no matter what, would never let each other break alone again.

 Chapter 118: Deeper into Halendor Ruins

    <h4>Chapter 118: Deeper into Halendor Ruins</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hotel¡¯s dining hall was already buzzing by the time sunlight started streaming through the grand windows.


    Students and staff were all preparing for the second day of the trip. Today, we were going to venture deeper into the Halendor Ruins - past the outer circle and further into the third and second circles.


    I focused my attention on tying bothces on my boots, not because I needed to, but because I had learned that small routines helped steady my nerves. My stomach was fluttery with a mix of excitement and nerves.


    I was excited to learn more in the ruins, and nervous because I kept sneaking nces at Oscar despite knowing better. What made thetter worse was that he too was looking at me most of the time.


    It was a miracle that no one had noticed us so far... except for Rowan and Kyros.


    Ignoring those two, I did a double check on my backpack. It had my notebooks, pencil kit, sample collecting packets and small containers, water, and a light lunch.


    Once I was assured that I was ready for the day, I settled down at the table and dived into food.


    Mallory was sitting beside me as usual, but her cheerful side was nowhere to be seen today. She was still carrying the shadow of yesterday, and everyone at our table had noticed it. But no one had the time to ask questions as Professor Aldric was rushing us.


    With the breakfast done, we all headed out of the hotel with our backpacks.


    Our hike was scheduled for forty-five minutes. For the werewolves, this was more like a leisurely trot. But for me, every upward step stung. My muscles were shaking the closer we got to the next field site, and my chest was burning in that peculiar "wolfless" way - like my lungs just didn¡¯t know they belonged in this terrain.


    But I didn¡¯t slow to a halt. If I had any chance of going on these trips without constant worry and feeling like a burden, I had to push.


    And my friends... they proved once again why I had been calling them friends all this time. It turned out both Kyros and Noah had packed extra water bottles as they knew I would need more than just 1 bottle that I packed for myself.


    The group also slowed down to match my pace, finding excuses every now and then to stop and let me catch my breath.


    Thanks to them, I didn¡¯t fall behind.


    We reached the circle of ruins ten minutester than the rest of the students. The secondyer wasrger, stones taller, glyphs ancient and deeper. Moss was crawling into crevices while vines were curling around edges. Magic was filling the air like perfume.


    Professor Aldric assembled us, briefing us on the main runes located around in third circle. We split into our respective groups to continue studying more runes.


    Freya had her tablet ready to capture more images. Cedric and Ria had their notebooks in hands just like me as we started sketching down runes. The only person who just silently watched everything was Rowan.


    If not for him proving the day before that he had a photogenic memory, he might have ended up causing chaos in our group as he was physically making no effort to help. Not only that, after returning to the hotel, he did his part well, satisfying the rest of our group members.


    I just finished sketching a rune and was moving through the huge rocks lining the ruins, when my gazended on a spiral-branched moss. Without wasting any time, I crouched to gather a sample.


    <fn6a82> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find{n}ovel</fn6a82>


    What Ipletely failed to notice was that there were two pairs of eyes watching me - Professor Aldric and Oscar.


    The next moment, Professor Aldric pped his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    "Evaluate the site as a living entity," he said. "Draw from every sense - touch, smell, sight, memory. Runes, flora, fauna, even sounds. Let this be aplete study, not just for the Runes project."


    He paused and his gaze drifted over us. "Take Evaline¡¯s example. Yesterday, she cataloged herb species and spell impressions around the ruins. And she¡¯s doing the same today as well while keeping up with the main project."


    Turning, he set his attention on me. "It¡¯s not effort, but authenticity. This is what you call true learning. And that is what life-long study demands."


    I gave the professor a half-hearted smile. He just stumbled upon me in the study lounge the previous day when I was studying the herbs samples I gathered from the outer circle of ruins. Little did I know that he was going to use that to inspire the rest of the ss.


    But I knew better than to believe that the students were going to like it, at least the majority of them, and my belief turned out right when I heard Nadine¡¯s voice merely seconds after Professor Aldric finished speaking.


    "Nice show, Evaline," she said in a voice that was dripping with disdain. "Who knew gathering moss in the middle of nowhere could look so academic?"


    One of her flunkies added, "Maybe if she stopped collecting weeds, she would run faster."


    The chuckles were loud enough to catch Professor Aldric and the Instructors¡¯ attention, and it made me feel slightly embarrassed.


    But I wasn¡¯t alone. I hadn¡¯t been since the day Kieran dropped me at the Academy camp for the entrance exam.


    Selene turned sharply and called, "Actually, she¡¯s demonstrating a model every student should learn."


    Rowan fixed his gaze on Nadine and her group, and when he spoke, his voice was ice-cold. "Maybe you can run faster if you spent more time reading and less time whining."


    He flicked his gaze toward me, and a small but warm smile grazed his lips. "But again, the only thing fast about you is that mouth of yours."


    The gasps and chuckles were far louder this timepared to what I received just seconds ago. I gave my friends a grateful look and they smiled back at me.


    We eventually returned to continue studying before stopping at noon for lunch break. We got an hour to settle down and rest before heading to the second circle to continue studying more runes.


    On our way, I fell into steps beside Mallory, noticing that she had been extremely silent the whole day. I didn¡¯t speak, just walked with her to let her know she wasn¡¯t alone.


    Minutester, she finally spoke. "Eva, thanks forst night. I... feel a little more like me, today."


    I nodded. "You are allowed to be hurt. He¡¯s allowed to be scared. Now it¡¯s time to trust. You deserve rity."


    She stared ahead for a few moments. Then looked at me. "Do you think I was... overreacting?"


    I inhaled. Thinking.


    "No. Being hurt doesn¡¯t mean you are overreacting. It means you matter."


    She swallowed. "But what if I¡¯m childish? What if he sees me like that?"


    "You can¡¯t be childish for standing up for your heart," I challenged gently. "He¡¯s the one with the power, to guide you through this. If he¡¯s honest with you, you¡¯ll know. The trust isn¡¯t your job to fix. It¡¯s his to earn."


    Mallory rxed a little. "Okay. Thank you."


    I reached out and squeezed her hand and she finally smiled for the first time sincest night.


    Once we were at second circle, we once again split into our respective groups to study the runes. I was alone under a broken stone arch, when I noticed something glimmering at the corner of my vision.


    It turned out to be a tiny, barely noticeable, energy ripple.


    I immediately nced around to see if anyone had noticed it too and found Oscar making his way toward me, catching attention from certain students whom hepletely ignored.


    He stopped next to me as I bent over to touch the ripple. It was like a disturbance in the runic ne.


    "Good eye," he said quietly. "That tends to mean... a seal line. Maybe created to shield, or protect, a site."


    I swallowed, staring into stone. It could be a barrier... or a trap.


    "Let¡¯s keep it documented." Oscar suggested, keeping his tone and attitude soft yet professional. With that, he walked away and I had to force myself to not let my gaze follow him.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur. We all continued to work until Professor Aldric called a halt, announcing that it¡¯s time for us to return to the hotel.


    With everything packed, we all started our descent. After such a long day, almost everyone was tired. So we all were mostly quiet, except for a whisper here or there.


    We were halfway through the way back to hotel, when... the silence shattered.

 Chapter 119: The Injured Student

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Injured Student</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything was fine one moment, and then-


    A sharp, terrified scream split the calm air, cutting through the silence like a de.


    Gasps followed as someone shouted a name. Students froze and all our heads snapped toward the direction of the sound. My heart was lodged in my throat as I turned in time to spot someone slipping off the trail¡¯s edge where the ground had given away.


    He failed wildly as he slid on the gravel and dirt, and then suddenly, he wasn¡¯t. Fortunately, there were thick and sturdy vines that tangled around his torso and arm, catching him before he could plummet to the depths below.


    But he was hanging.


    Hanging over nothing but air and jagged rocks hundreds of feet down.


    Panic exploded among the students.


    "Oh my god!"


    "Is he going to fall?!"


    "Help him - somebody do something!"


    <fn668c> For more chapters visit fin?novel</fn668c>


    "Stay calm!" Oscar¡¯s voice boomed through the cries. He immediately moved through the crowd with his arms extended to keep others back. "Everyone stay where you are! Do not move unless you are told!"


    Professor Aldric rushed to his side with a serious and unreadable expression. "Instructor Corey, Beta Jasper," he called sharply. "We need him up. Now."


    "Let me handle it." Oscar interrupted.


    I watched as he and Jasper didn¡¯t waste a single minute before they were already moving down the slope, steady and quick despite the crumbling terrain.


    I didn¡¯t even realize that I hadpletely frozen in my ce until I felt Mallory¡¯s warm, yet shaky, hand slipping into mine. Her gaze was fixed on the spot from where Jasper just went down with Oscar to rescue our ssmate.


    I squeezed her hand softly while I too kept my attention on Oscar.


    Most of the students were still standing there in stunned horror because of the boy¡¯s terrified screams that were echoing up the cliffs as he dangled from the vines. His fingers were losing strength, increasing his panic and fear.


    "He can¡¯t shift," someone muttered. "He¡¯s in too much pain, too afraid... he can¡¯t shift!"


    I inhaled sharply as I too noticed the injury. The guy was bleeding. I was able to see red soaking through the leg of his pants, and one of his arms was bent at a disturbing angle. He must have hit the rocks during his fall before grabbing the vines.


    Fortunately, Oscar was here.


    He moved like a predator - agile, graceful, and utterly focused. There was something about the way he descended toward the boy that made my breath hitch. Power was radiating from his every movement and his Rogue Alpha aura was crackling in the air around him like a storm ready to break loose.


    With Jasper guiding from above and Oscar climbing lower, they reached the boy hanging from the vines within minutes.


    "Don¡¯t move," Oscar said, trying to reassure the boy. "We have got you."


    "I-It hurts," the boy, named Gavin, whimpered.


    "I know. We are going to get you out."


    Oscar anchored himself with one foot against the mountain ledge and reached for the vines. He didn¡¯t even flinch at the risk.


    Rowan and Kyros joined Instructor Corey and tossed a rope for Oscar to tie around Gavin. Once he was secured, they started pulling him up little by little. Jasper was there in the mid-way to help Gavin up while being as careful with his injuries as possible.


    It felt like time slowed down. Every second was stretching longer than thest.


    And then... sighs of relief filled the air as Gavin was sessfully pulled up to safety. Kyros caught hold of him and pulled him further back onto the safe ground, and Instructor Corey was there within seconds.


    The n was help Gavin shift so that he could start healing. But he ended up passing out the moment his brain realized that he was in safe hands.


    "His leg," Ria whispered behind me. "It¡¯s broken. And his shoulder looks dislocated."


    "He couldn¡¯t even shift," someone else said in a shaky voice.


    Instructor Corey didn¡¯t waste a second and gently lifted Gavin onto his back with Oscar¡¯s help.


    "We need to take him to thf hotel quickly," he said.


    "But-" Professor Aldric began, "-what about a healer? Should we call someone from the Academy?"


    "No use. It¡¯ll take hours for them to reach here," Corey replied, already starting up the trail with careful steps. "We¡¯ll have to check for one in the nearest town once we reach the hotel."


    I could feel the uncertainty and fear in everyone around me. The instructors were already murmuring to each other about medical options nearby, trying to decide what would be best, while still managing thirty other students.


    So... before I could rethink, I stepped forward. "I can help."


    Every eye turned to me. I felt their stares, their confusion.


    "I¡¯m not a healer," I said quickly, "but I know my way around herbs and potions. I might be able to ease his pain, enough so he can shift and let his wolf heal him."


    Oscar¡¯s gaze was the most intense of all. His eyes locked onto mine, and I could tell... he believed in me.


    Professor Aldric approached. "Evaline... are you sure?"


    "Yes." My voice didn¡¯t waver. "Just give me fifteen minutes and some supplies."


    He exchanged a quick look with the Instructors and it was Oscar who made the decision. "Alright. Tell me what you need?"


    "I collected some herbs yesterday, but I still need red-mugwort root to make the potion. Try asking the hotel staff if they had one. I will also need ess to their kitchen, and alcohol." I quickly listed down the items I needed.


    He gave a single nod and turned to face Instructor Corey. "You take the kid back to hotel first." He then turned his attention to Professor Aldric and Jasper. "Help the rest of the students on the way back."


    Instructor Corey immediately disappeared in the growing darkness. As for Oscar, he took out his phone and called someone, seemingly someone from the hotel.


    Once he finished the call, he returned to my side. "You areing with me."

 Chapter 120: Worried Mate

    <h4>Chapter 120: Worried Mate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Why are you so nervous?"


    I was jolted out of my thoughts when he suddenly asked the question. We had left the rest of the ss behind and were about ten minutes away from the hotel.


    "Well... do you really need to ask?" I questioned while tightening my hold on his neck.


    Though I couldn¡¯t see his face as I was on his back, I could still tell that he was smiling. He didn¡¯t respond and continued gracefully descending the mountains.


    Instead of ten minutes, Oscar brought the two of us at the hotel in only five minutes, finally allowing me to get down from his back.


    The manager led me to the kitchen while Oscar left to grab the herbs from my room. For the next fifteen minutes, I was busy preparing the potion - measuring, crushing, grinding, and mixing the herbs.


    Once it was ready, Oscar led me to one of the rooms on ground floor where Instructor Corey was waiting with an unconscious Gavin.


    "We will need to set his arm back in ce first." He informed Oscar as we stepped inside.


    Gavin¡¯s right arm was turned at an unnatural angle. Just looking at it made me feel the pain.


    "Let me do it." Oscar said as he moved to set Gavin¡¯s arm in ce. His hands were steady as he gently pressed and coaxed the bones back into ce with a soft click.


    Gavin groaned, clearly in pain, but didn¡¯t open his eyes. When the joint snapped into line, all of us exhaled in slight relief.


    "Here¡¯s the potion." I handed the bowl to Instructor Corey who helped Gavin drink it.


    "He¡¯ll shift soon. I¡¯ll stay with him," he said once he finished cleaning the wounds on Gavin¡¯s body. "Thanks to you, he¡¯s stable now."


    "I just did what I could." I whispered back, feeling slightly overwhelmed at the sheer appreciation and approval in the Instructor¡¯s eyes.


    "You did great. You can return to join your friends now."


    I sneaked a nce at Oscar before slipping out of the room and heading to find my group.


    All the students were present in the dining hall with Professor Aldric and Jasper. The moment they noticed me, the former quickly asked, "How¡¯s the boy now?"


    "The instructors have set his arm back in ce and cleaned his wounds. He has drank the pain relieving potion as well. Instructor Corey said that he will be able to shift in a while now." I answered, keeping my voice loud enough for others to hear because I could tell they all were dying to know. Not because they cared, but because they all were shook from the incident.


    The relief was clear on everyone¡¯s faces. Instead of heading to our rooms, we all sat down for dinner. And once we were done, we were sent to our rooms directly with strict instructions from Oscar to not cause any further episodes for the day.


    Before I left the dining area, he approached me and softly reminded, "Make sure to lock your room and get good sleep. I might be too busy tonight to join you."


    I nodded and hurried away to catch up with Mallory. "Want to stay with me tonight?"


    She paused and nced down the corridor toward Jasper¡¯s room. "Actually... I should probably check in with him."


    <fn3932> Official source is F?ndNovel</fn3932>


    As if on cue, the door opened and Jasper stepped out of his room. Mallory exhaled in relief before she took a small step toward him, while he closed the remaining distance.


    I watched as the two of them gotpletely lost in each other the moment their eyes met. That was more than enough sign for me to take my leave. And I did, hoping for things to work out in my friend¡¯s favor this particr night.


    I finally reached my own room and locked the door behind me. After such a long day out in the mountains, I was desperate for a shower. The water washed away not only the grime of the day, but also the tiredness and anxiety. I leaned into the stream, letting the water fall down on my back.


    Once I was done washing up, I put on the bathrobe and wrapped my hair in a towel before stepping out of the bathroom. I just finished doing my three-steps skincare routine when my phone started buzzing.


    I picked up the phone and realized that it was actually a call from Draven.


    My breath caught.


    He asked me to stay in touch with him during the trip before I left the Academy, and I hadpletely forgotten about it because of everything going on around me.


    I knew that he had sent me several messages, but I still hadn¡¯t opened them. With a sigh, I reached out to answer the call, ready to apologize.


    "Hey," I whispered, half expecting him to startining immediately.


    But instead, his voice hit me with thunderous tension. "Eva-are you okay? I heard... what happened."


    I was stunned in silence for a while. "I-I¡¯m fine," I faltered. "It was... we handled it."


    There was a pause. Somehow, I was able to feel his concern even though we were miles apart. The silence stretched on for long enough to make me wonder if he was still there. And then he said softly, "Oscar called Kieran and informed about everything that happened there. I was close to him. So I... heard their conversation."


    I nodded my head in understanding but them realized he couldn¡¯t see me. But before I could have spoken, he continued, "How are things now? Are you really okay?"


    "It¡¯s... okay," I said carefully. "I¡¯m okay. Gavin, the boy who got injured, he¡¯s safe too. We are all safe. I just... I feel a little bit exhausted."


    He sighed, and I imagined the tension finally lifting off his shoulders. "Promise me you¡¯ll look after yourself."


    A small smile bloomed on my lips. "I promise."


    We talked a little more. It was mostly him talking about one thing or another, and me listening. But I was grateful for the change.


    When we ended the call half an hourter, I was in a much better mood. I quickly brushed my now dry hair, put on my pajamas, and slipped under the covers to get some much needed sleep.

 Chapter 121: Hopeful Beginnings

    <h4>Chapter 121: Hopeful Beginnings</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    I stumbled into the warm light of our hotel room. I was exhausted but still shaken from the day¡¯s events. Gavin¡¯s near-fatal fall had cast a long shadow over all of us, and my heart was still pounding with the memory of his wounds.


    I turned slowly to face Jasper who just locked the door. The two of us just stood there, staring at each other in a heavy silence.


    Before either of us could say a word, he stepped forward and closed the distance. His arms wrapped around me in a fierce, immediate hug - tighter and more protective than any embrace we had ever shared. It was as if he had spent all day fearing he might return toote.


    "I¡¯m here," he breathed into my hair. "You are safe."


    My lips trembled as I swallowed back tears. Slowly, I rxed against him, letting the steady beat of his heart anchor my own.


    When he finally drew back, we were mere inches apart. His eyes were lined with exhaustion and something like awe as he searched my face.


    "Are you-?" He swallowed hard. "Are you okay? About Gavin?"


    I managed a small nod. "I¡¯m fine. I mean, I was scared... but he¡¯s okay now."


    He pressed my hands between his, brushing his thumbs over my wrists.


    "Good," he murmured. "I couldn¡¯t..." His voice cracked as he looked away for a moment, then back. "I couldn¡¯t bear if anything happened to you. Hell, I noticed how shaken you were and yet... I couldn¡¯t be next to you."


    He pulled me onto the low couch. My heart was hammering - not from fear, not from stress, but from the closeness, the raw emotion in his voice.


    He settled down beside me, leaning close but not crowding my space.


    "Mallory," he began gently, "aboutst night..."


    I held my breath. Not sure what he was going to say next, and it made me feel even more anxious.


    He reached out and lifted my chin so I could meet his gaze.


    "I owe you an apology," he said in a low voice. "Not just for leaving, but for failing to exin. I know it hurt you... more than I even realized."


    "It¡¯s okay," I whispered, though my voice was shaking. "I... it felt like you didn¡¯t care."


    He winced. "I do. Stars, I do. I care so much it terrifies me. I wanted to spend good time with my mate... and I froze. Not because I don¡¯t want you... because I¡¯m terrified."


    <fn6495> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Find_Novel(.</fn6495>


    My heart twisted. "Terrified of me?"


    He nodded. "Terrified of losing you. I can¡¯t control things. I didn¡¯t want to get close, only to hurt you. So I thought... if I keep distance, then I can protect you."


    I shook my head as tears started pricking my eyes. "Pushing me away didn¡¯t protect me. It hurt me."


    He touched my cheek, gently. "I know. And I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking of <i>me </i>- keeping my assumptions safe. But I should have thought of you."


    He paused, swallowing. "I¡¯m trying, Mallory. I want to be with you, not because... not despite my fear, but because with you, I feel more... stronger. Like I can be more than my past."


    His hand tightened over mine. "Can we talk this through? Honestly?"


    I nodded, blinking back tears. "Tell me, Jas. Why did you freeze? What were you thinking?"


    He exhaled, his shoulders dropping. "I did care. Too much. And I thought... what if you regret it? What if you feel tied down, used, or... overwhelmed?"


    I swallowed. "I¡¯m eighteen, almost neen. I¡¯m scared of all this, yes." I gestured between us, to the bond, to the intensity of being called his mate. "But I didn¡¯t want to regret itter. I wouldn¡¯t havee to you otherwise."


    He drew a soft breath. "Thank you." He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. "Then understand me when I say, this is new for me too in a way. I have a past that has made me fear that loving again means losing again."


    I nudged closer, feeling his pain. "I... I understand."


    His eyes gleamed in the soft hotel light. He rose, only to kneel before me so we were eye-level even as he sat on the floor in front of the couch. He held my hands and bowed his head.


    "Mallory Campbell," he whispered, and used my full name. "I choose you. I¡¯m sorry it took me telling you this sone time, but I needed you to know that every inch of distance was me being afraid, not of <i>you</i>, but of losing <i>you</i>. And now... I won¡¯t run."


    I choked on my next breath. "Jasper, I..."


    He lifted his head, and I found his eyes glistening. "Let me prove it. I promise I¡¯ll share my past with you once I¡¯m ready, once we both are ready. And for now, let me hold you, talk to you... make up for peeling away when you needed me to pull in close."


    The quiet sincerity was like warm sunlight across my heart. I nodded as a smile curved the corners of my lips. "Yes."


    He moved to stand, offering a hand up. I epted, and he guided me in his arms. He held me gently, and I let myself rx into him. There were no words for a while, just the quiet cadence of two hearts aligning.


    He gave me kisses at my temple, cheek, hairline... affectionate, considerate. His lips left impressions of warmth and seal of promise.


    "I want us to work," he said atst in a low voice.


    "Me too," I whispered.


    We remained like that until I pulled away to get ready for the night. I quickly showered and put on my pajamas, letting him shower so that he could join me.


    We both slipped under the covers once he was out, and he silently pulled me into his arms. He held me as I curled against him, feeling the heaviness of sleep taking over me.


    He tucked the duvet around both of us. "Tomorrow," he murmured, "I¡¯ll be here. No more distance."


    I lifted my head to kiss him softly. It was a silent thank-you.


    And that kiss... it sealed everything - forgiveness, eptance, hopeful beginnings.

 Chapter 122: Innermost Circle of Ruins

    <h4>Chapter 122: Innermost Circle of Ruins</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Despite Gavin¡¯s unexpected ident the previous evening, our third day of the trip continued as nned.


    Early in the morning, around seven, the ss received a message from Professor Aldric in our group chat where he announced that we all would be setting out to explore the remaining parts of the Halendor Ruins as was initially nned.


    I just finished getting ready, and was packing my bag, when the familiar knocking on the door halted me.


    I knew who it was even before I opened the door. And just as I expected, I found him standing outside my room, looking almost breathtaking. He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and the top two buttons of his deep blue shirt were left open, allowing me a sneak peak at his corbone.


    As my eyes finished taking in these little details and finally moved up to his face, I found him staring right at me with a knowing smirk. I felt my cheeks burning in embarrassment.


    <fn5d7d> Chapters first released on find¡¤novel</fn5d7d>


    I straightened, tucked stray strands behind my ears, and took a steadying breath. "Morning," I said and walked back to the bed where my half packed bag was waiting.


    "Good morning, Eva," he replied, crossing the threshold and closing the door behind him with a soft click. "How was your sleep?"


    "It was good," I replied without looking at him.


    I felt him stepping closer but still didn¡¯t look up. I was still embarrassed about getting caught red-handed while checking him out. He stopped right behind me and I was able to feel his warmth against my back.


    "Did you not miss me at all, Little Trouble?"


    I sucked in a deep breath at his sudden use of the nickname, one that I hadn¡¯t heard in a while. Before I could have turned to face him, I felt his hands slipping around my waist from behind as he pulled me into a back hug.


    "Sorry I couldn¡¯test night. Between Gavin¡¯s shift and ensuring no one else was up to causing any trouble, it was hard."


    "It¡¯s okay," I assured him. "I was fine."


    He paused, then offered, "You handled everything beautifully. The way you kept calm and helped with the potion... Kieran and Aldric were both impressed. And yeah, I informed the former. He would have found out eventually."


    I finally turned around to face him, and almost once again lost my breath at the sight of him. He was indeed too handsome, just like his brothers. With such good looks, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that almost every other female student at the Academy had their eyes on them.


    I probably stared at him for way too long, because-


    "Stop looking at me like that." He whispered in a low voice, and I noticed how his eyes turned darker as he stared at me.


    "Like what?" I asked, my own voiceing in a breathy whisper that had him inhaling sharply.


    For a moment, I almost felt certain that he was going to kiss me. But he just leaned closer and pressed his forehead against mine while his hands moved to cup my face.


    "You are going to be death of me, my sweet little mate."


    I absolutely loved it when he called me with these nicknames. My entire life, I had been called either Evaline or Eva, and the only person who ever called me endearingly was my mother. She used to call me ¡¯honey¡¯. And it had been so long since she left me.


    So, hearing Oscar calling me these cute and sweet nicknames made a part of me really happy. Before this, I didn¡¯t even know that I was into such things.


    I didn¡¯t speak, just stood there while basking in his warmth and care. After several long minutes, he ced a soft kiss on my temple before finally stepping back.


    "You are gettingte for breakfast. Let¡¯s hurry up. I¡¯ll see youter," he said and then left the room.


    I quickly checked the time and realized that breakfast was about to begin in two minutes. Without wasting any more time, I finished packing and headed downstairs.


    The dining area was buzzing with energy. My friends were already waiting by a table with tes carefullyid out - oatmeal with berries, fresh bread, roasted nuts, fruits, and milk.


    "Did you sleep in?" Noah asked as I slipped in the empty seat between him and Kyros.


    "Not really. Just got caught up with packing my bag." I replied as I poured myself a ss of milk.


    My gaze then turned to Mallory and I immediately noticed the change in her. She looked... pretty much like her usual cheerful self, and it meant only one thing - she and Jasper had talked things through.


    She caught me watching and gave me a bright smile which I immediately returned. I was happy for her.


    We finished the breakfast and stepped out the crisp mountain air once it was time to set out.


    "Today is going to be the death of me." I whispered once Professor Aldric informed that we would be hiking for more than one and a half hour to reach the innermost circle of the ruins.


    "Stop worrying. You got us." Rowan dismissed my worries immediately and I knew that he and others indeed had my back.


    I was perfectly fine for the first half an hour before my body started showing signs of weakness. The trail also kept growing narrower with patches of golden moss that I quickly gathered as sample.


    My muscles were burning, but I forced a steady pace. My friends remained in sync. And Oscar was just behind us - quiet, watchful, checking each student to ensure no one slipped orgged.


    After a very long hike, we finally arrived at our destination. The innermost circle was spread in arge area. I had no doubt that exploring it was going to take the entire day if not more.


    At the heart of the ruins, a massive stone arch was rising over us with eep violet runes etched into its surface, faintly pulsing in the morning light.


    Professor Aldric gathered us, ready to start with another day of project research. For nearly an hour, he briefed us on what we were going to find in the ruins and what we needed to focus on.


    And then, I joined my project group to explore the final and most mysterious part of the Halendor Ruins.

 Chapter 123: Back at Silver Moon

    <h4>Chapter 123: Back at Silver Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I woke before sunrise on Friday. It was thest day of our trip.


    As usual, I finished my morning routine and stepped into the shower to wash away the sweat that was clinging to me after nearly an hour long workout session. Once I was dressed, I started packing.


    By the time I finished, it was already past eight. I joined my friends and the rest of the ss in the dining area for ourst meal at the hotel.


    "Not sure where to put this trip. Good one, or just..." Ria didn¡¯t finish, but we all knew what she was trying to say.


    In my opinion, this trip was an alright one, just filled with some unexpected happenings. But still, we got to learn a lot and had sessfully finished exploring the Halendor Ruins.


    "Here, Eva. Try these dumplings. They are really tasty," Kyros said as he ced a te of warm dumplings in front of me.


    "Thank you." I gave him my warmest smile as I dug into the savory balls filled with grounded seasoned chicken. There were also ones with variety of vegetable fillings.


    As I ate, my eyes started scanning the area and I finally found <i>him.</i>


    Oscar was standing at the other side of the hall with Instructor Corey and Jasper. He had his regr calm appearance on disy but his gaze kept swiping over the students in the hall every now and then.


    As if he knew I was watching, he looked up and fixed his gaze on me, almost making me choke on the dumpling. The smirk that curved the corners of his lips almost made me feel embarrassed.


    "We need to talk."


    The chopsticks dropped from my hand the moment I heard Rowan whispering the words in my ear. Of course, he caught that momentarily interaction between me and Oscar.


    Before I could have replied, Professor Aldric pped his hands to get our attention. "The original n was to let you all have a tour around this town before we would have returned after lunch. However, we have received orders from the Academy to return early. So we have to cancel the tour n, unfortunately."


    The groans of disapproval were loud and clear, but there was nothing anyone could do against an order that might havee directly from Kieran.


    "It¡¯s alright, everyone. Let¡¯s look at the bright sight. We sessfully finished exploring the ruins and gathered all the required data for your projects. You all might be returning with a lesson or two." Professor Aldric tried to keep the atmosphere light and optimistic.


    "Finish your breakfast and pack your bags. We will be leaving in half an hour." He finished and left us to enjoy our food.


    We boarded the bus at nine. This time, both me and Kyros were spared from our ss President and ss Keeper¡¯s duties as the instructors took over them.


    But this wasn¡¯t the only change. Unlike Tuesday, Oscar didn¡¯t join me on my bus this time. Instead, he was in the first bus Professor Aldric. From what I knew, Nadine and her group had also boarded that bus.


    I took a seat next to Kyros while the rest of our group fell into seats either in front, back, or on our opposite side.


    The air in the bus was humming with quiet conversation. Some were discussing the project that we needed to finish by next friday while some were still voicing out their unhappiness about not getting the chance to explore the town as they had been hearing about a lot of good ces from the hotel staff.


    "Can you trade your window seat with me? Please." I requested Kyros once I realized that I would be missing on the beautiful view from my seat.


    I was expecting an immediate agreement, but instead, he turned to me with arched eyebrows. "What are you going to trade with me?"


    "Well... my seat for yours?"


    "Very funny, Eva." He gave me a fake smile before continuing, "How about you exin to me exactly..." he leaned closer and whispered next to my ear, "... what¡¯s going on between you and that person?"


    I let out a small sigh and quickly whispered, "You can keep your seat to yourself."


    He was clearly not impressed with my response. "Eva, I know you might be feeling that I¡¯m trying to be nosey, but that¡¯s not the case. If it was someone else, I would have left you alone. But it¡¯s... him<i>. </i>I¡¯m worried because-"


    "How about we talk about this when we are back at Academy? This ce is... too crowded." Rowan¡¯s sudden interuption from the back seat took both me and Kyros by surprise.


    Werewolves had sharp hearing, and with a bus full of students, it was indeed not a great idea to talk about the current topic even if we were whispering. So, Kyros just exchanged his seat with me and left the matter there.


    But I knew that I could no longer ignore his and Rowan¡¯s questions. And I also knew why they were pressing me for answers for the first time. Just like Kyros said - <i>because it¡¯s him... Oscar Thorne. </i>


    The three-hour ride was smooth. When we reached the Academy gate, Professor Aldric and Instructor Corey were checking the names. I looked for Oscar but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead Professor Kieran was there, waiting at the head of the line.


    "Eva," his tone was gentle under his mask of instruction. "Good work."


    I nodded. "Thank you, sir."


    He met my gaze and let it hold. "Have the afternoon off," he said, addressing the entire ss. "But make yourself ready - two sses this evening."


    "Yes, sir."


    I didn¡¯t allow my gaze to linger on him more than that and walked away with my friends. And while I didn¡¯t look back, I still felt the pressure of his gaze following after me.


    There was nothing much to do once we were back in our rooms and we weren¡¯t really tired. So we all decided to gather in Kyros and Noah¡¯s dorm to have some good time before lunch.


    "You areing, right?" I asked Rowan when I noticed he showed no sign of moving from his bed.


    "I actually need to go somewhere." He replied, putting his phone away.


    I stared at him, trying to study him. "Somewhere as in... outside the Academy?" I knew that there was this unspoken rule between us where we didn¡¯t press for answers about each other¡¯s personal life, but I was really curious.


    "That¡¯s right."


    That made me arch my eyebrows. "You are allowed to step out of the Academy during weekdays?" I asked, staring at him in shock.


    A smile broke out on his lips and he quickly shook his head. "Of course, not Eva. I¡¯m not Draven Thorne. Why would I get such a privilege?"


    I tried to not react at his sudden use of Draven¡¯s name. Instead, I continued with my questions. "Then how are you going to get out?"


    "The main gates aren¡¯t the only way to go out. You know?"


    He said it so casually, but my jaw was literally hanging open. I didn¡¯t even know why I was surprised. It¡¯s not like his constant disappearance every night for the past two months hadn¡¯t been enough of a proof that he was breaking Academy rules.


    I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it. Because really - what could I say? Lecture him like an instructor? Demand to know where he went every time he vanished into the dark? No, that wasn¡¯t our dynamic. We weren¡¯t that kind of friends.


    "You are going to get yourself in trouble one day," I muttered, narrowing my eyes as I crossed my arms.


    He just shrugged, his trademark calm confidence settling across his features like a second skin. "I¡¯ll survive. I always do."


    I let out a sigh but said nothing more. Whatever he was up to, it wasn¡¯t my ce to stop him, not unless it put him or someone else in danger.


    So, I left it at that and walked out of the room only to find Mallory and Ria already waiting for me in themon area.


    "Is he noting?" Mallory asked, ncing at the bedroom door I shared with Rowan.


    I just shook my head in response.


    "Typical him," Ria said with a shrug abd the three of us stepped out of the dorm to head Kyros and Noah¡¯s dorm.


    <fn084a> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? F?ndNovel</fn084a>


    Laughter greeted us even before the door fully opened. Their other two dormmates were also there with Selene and her roommate.


    We yed games, talked, and then headed to the dining hall for lunch.


    Instead of returning to the dorm after that, we decided to work on Runes project as we still had four hours of free time. I messaged Freya and Cedric and the two joined me and Ria in the library. But Rowan was missing and I had toe up with excuse of him not feeling well.


    I was two hours into the work, when my phone started buzzing.

 Chapter 124: Rewards and Offers

    <h4>Chapter 124: Rewards and Offers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The phone started buzzing with a soft vibration that cut through the silence at our table.


    I looked down at the screen and found Professor Kieran¡¯s name staring back at me. My fingers hovered over the answer button for half a second longer than they should have.


    But then I quickly answered, not wanting to disturb my group any further. I moved to the farthest corner with no other student there before speaking, "Hello?"


    "Evaline," his deep voice rolled through the line, smoother than I remembered. "Can youe to my office? I would like to speak with you for a few minutes."


    I swallowed. "Of course. I¡¯ll be there shortly."


    Ending the call, I returned to our table. "I¡¯m summoned to the administrative wing. I¡¯ll join you guys as soon as I¡¯m done."


    "See youter," Ria whispered with a smile and I nodded before turning on my heel.


    The walk to Kieran¡¯s office felt longer than it actually was. The tall, dark halls of the administrative wing had an imposing presence, with flickeringnterns casting long shadows. The quiet here was different - a kind of charged silence that made my steps echo louder than usual.


    I knocked once and heard his voice call, "Come in."


    <fna52d> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fna52d>


    He was standing near therge window when I entered, facing the view of the back courtyard below. Thete afternoon was spilling over his shoulders, and for a brief second, I understood why people feared and respected him in equal measure.


    "Thank you foring," he said, turning toward me with that rare softness to his expression that I swemed to be receiving a lot. "Please, have a seat."


    I took the chair opposite his desk. "You said you wanted to talk?"


    He nodded. "I have spoken with Professor Aldric and the instructors about the incident with Gavin. They had nothing but praise for you."


    "I only did what I could," I murmured, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the prideful look in his eyes.


    Ever since the Alpha Gathering incident, everything had changed between me and the Rogue Alpha brothers. While it eventually made things better between me and the two younger brothers - Oscar and Draven, the distance between me and Kieran had grown a lot since then. I was the one who did it, and I knew that I made the right decision.


    While Oscar and Draven were my soulmates, Kieran was just their elder brother and my professor, and I wanted to keep things that way.


    I sneaked a quick look at him, only to find him observing me in silence.


    Momentster, he finally spoke, "What you did saved him... and the trip. You showed quick thinking,posure, and practical skill. That¡¯s not something every student possesses, especially a first year."


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I remained quiet as he continued.


    "The High Circle at the Academy has decided to reward your efforts."


    My eyes widened slightly. "Reward?"


    He nodded before continuing, "You will receive five points bonus in all your subjects and will also be formally recognized in the elite student records."


    I was so stunned that no words came out of my mouth. I never expected that one simple act of mine would result in something like this.


    "Umm... thank you." I finally forced the words out.


    He paused again, then added, "Professor Aldric also mentioned your work at the Halendor Ruins. Not just with the runes, but the herbs you collected."


    "I didn¡¯t have anything special in mind," I admitted. "I just wanted to study them, maybe identify a few lesser-known variants. It was mostly for curiosity."


    He nodded thoughtfully. "Curiosity is the foundation of mastery. Let me know if you need ess to the restricted section in the botanical archives. I can arrange that."


    My eyes widened a bit more. "You would?"


    He gave a rare, amused smile. "You have earned it. And if you are interested, there is a group of senior students who specialize in Herbology and Potioncraft. It¡¯s not an official course, more like an internal collective of high-performing students handpicked by the faculty. I would like to extend you an invitation."


    I blinked. "I... thank you. I¡¯m honored. But I... I would like to think about it before giving an answer."


    "That¡¯s fine," he said while folding his hands on the desk. "I understand you are already bncing quite a lot. You have proven capable, but no one wants you to burn out."


    There was silence for a few seconds before he spoke again. "And onest thing..."


    I straightened in my seat.


    "I would like you toe see me after your Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles ss tonight. We should talk about our... arrangement."


    My heartbeat quickened. I nodded. "Yes, sir."


    "You are dismissed."


    - - -


    The rest of the evening passed in a quiet haze.


    Our Werewolf History and Politics ss was as dry as ever, filled with tales of ancient lineage battles and alpha disputes that shaped the modern social structure. I took notes mechanically as I was more focused on the ticking clock.


    Dinner was peacefulpared to usual days as most of us were tired after the lengthy and boring history ss.


    Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles was a more calming experience. The soft glow of moonstones lining the ssroom¡¯s ceiling, and the professor¡¯s voice was almost hypnotic as she spoke about energy tides and their impact on werewolf transitions and emotions.


    I learned a few things, I think, but when the ss ended, I was barely able to recall a word.


    I headed back to the dorm to drop off my books and change out of the uniform. The night air was cool as I walked back across the grounds toward the administrative wing. This time, the shadows didn¡¯t feel quite so intimidating. Maybe because I knew I was expected.


    Still, with every step closer to his office, my heart pounded harder.


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what this meeting would bring, but I was certain it would change something.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready.

 Chapter 125: One of His

    <h4>Chapter 125: One of His</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hallway was quiet when I arrived outside Professor Kieran¡¯s office. Too quiet.


    The lights overhead flickered once, casting long, strange shadows on the polished floor. I hesitated before raising my hand to knock, but I didn¡¯t need to. The door burst open before I could touch it.


    Kieran stepped out. And for once, his usualposed gait was reced by hurried strides. His expression was sharp and tense and it took me a second to register it.


    Kieran Thorne, the man known for his stone-faced calm and unshakable authority, was actually looking... rattled.


    That alone sent a spike of rm through me.


    "Professor?" I asked quickly, my instinct overriding hesitation. "What¡¯s going on?"


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. His eyes flicked over me as if assessing something, and then, without a word, he turned sharply and started walking away.


    I blinked. "Wait-what?"


    <fn7758> This content belongs to FindN()vel</fn7758>


    "Follow me," he said abruptly, and his tone was moremanding than inviting. "Now."


    There was no time to question him. He was already halfway down the corridor, walking at a pace that demanded obedience. Confusion twisted in my chest, but I hurried after him, keeping close behind as we turned away from the familiar paths of the Academy.


    With every step we took, the surroundings were growing dimmer.


    We moved through back corridors and narrow halls I had never seen before. Here, thenterns were sparse, their glow faint and flickering, barely illuminating the cold stone walls. Soon, even the silence began to feel heavy. Each stair creaked beneath our feet as we descended deeper and deeper into the hidden spine of the Academy.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long we walked - five minutes? Ten? More? - but I knew we were no longer in any ce the average students could ess. The air grew colder. Thicker. I was able to feel something powerful clinging to the stones down here. Almost like a whisper of something forbidden.


    And yet, Kieran was moving like he belonged here.


    Which only confirmed my growing suspicion... this ce was hidden for a reason, and he was one of the few who had the right to be here.


    Eventually, the ustrophobic halls opened into a modestly sized stone chamber which was looking like amon room, if you could call it that. A singlentern was burning in the corner, casting just enough light to reveal an old table, worn chairs, and a hallway stretching into deeper darkness beyond.


    We had to be underground. Far underground.


    I wanted to ask where we were and what this ce was, but one nce at Kieran silenced me. Whatever this was, whatever had shaken him, he wasn¡¯t ready to talk. Not yet. His jaw was set and his eyes were burning with purpose.


    So I followed, silent, letting my curiosity simmer under the surface.


    He led me through another door and into a quieter room. It was warmer than the hall, almost eerily so. And inside, there were three people.


    One of them was unconscious, or just sleeping, I couldn¡¯t tell at first. He wasying motionless on a small cot against the wall, and his chest was barely rising.


    The second was a woman standing beside him with her fingers gently pressing over his pulse point. She was wearing a fitted uniform with a dark green sleeve badge that immediately caught my eye. It was a crescent symbol with vines and a single drop of water in the center.


    She was a healer.


    I realized then - that young man wasn¡¯t sleeping. He was injured.


    My stomach turned, but I didn¡¯t let it show on my face.


    The third person, a tall man in histe twenties or early thirties, was standing near the door with arms crossed and eyes sharp. His gaze locked onto mine the second I entered.


    "Alpha?" he asked, addressing Kieran. "Who¡¯s this?"


    Alpha.


    I knew immediately that this man wasn¡¯t a part of the faculty. That title didn¡¯t belong in Academy walls. This man was one of his. One of Kieran¡¯s outside personal men. Which meant... we were definitely nowhere students were meant to be.


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer him directly. He didn¡¯t even nce my way. "It¡¯s alright," he replied simply right before adding, "She¡¯s one of mine."


    It took too much for me to keep a straight face and not react at that. I knew I was overthinking, but the way he said it - <i>She¡¯s one of mine </i>- did something to me, something I didn¡¯t want to think about.


    I swallowed hard and kept my hands at my sides, trying not to fidget as my gaze flicked back to the man on the bed. Hisplexion was pale. There were faint bruises blooming along his jaw and neck.


    Kieran moved closer, his expression dark. "Status?"


    The healer didn¡¯t look up. Her hand was hovering over the injured man¡¯s chest and a gentle pulse of soft blue light was glowing from her fingers.


    "He¡¯s gone," she said tly. "Just like the student."


    I flinched. "What?"


    It came out before I could stop it.


    Gone?


    The healer nced at me, then at Kieran, silently asking if she could speak more freely. And he gave a single nod.


    "Whatever affected thest student... it hit this one the same way," she said quietly, removing her hand. "It¡¯s not a typical wound. Not poison, not a spell, not even a curse. It¡¯s something else entirely."


    "A draining," the other man muttered from near the door. "Like something... took him from the inside out."


    "But how?" Kieran asked under his breath, though it felt more like he was talking to himself. "No one is supposed to be able to breach the lower wards."


    "I checked the seals," the third guy replied. "They were intact."


    Silence settled in the room like a thick fog.


    I didn¡¯t move. I didn¡¯t even breathe too loudly.


    What student? What happened before?


    And what was this ce?


    But I didn¡¯t ask. I couldn¡¯t.


    This wasn¡¯t the time, and judging by Kieran¡¯s face... this was just the beginning of something worse.

 Chapter 126: Soul Death

    <h4>Chapter 126: Soul Death</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The night wind was carrying the faintest scent ofvender and earth as I sat silently on the old stone bench, nestled in the farthest, most forgotten corner of the Academy¡¯s grounds. The garden surrounding us was wild and secretive, like nature¡¯s hidden sanctuary. It was a quiet, overgrown escape that seemed untouched by the rest of the world.


    The only light illuminating the space wasing from the moon above - soft, cold, and silver. It was hanging low in the sky, nearly full, casting ghostly beams through the branches overhead. Its glow painted everything in shades of white and blue. As I tilted my head to stare up at it, a strange calm settled over me.


    Another full moon was near.


    Next to me, Kieran was sitting inplete silence with his elbows resting on his knees and his head slightly lowered. He hadn¡¯t spoken a word since we left the underground chambers. He simply guided me through the twisting paths of the Academy without exnation, and brought me here.


    I didn¡¯t argue. I didn¡¯t even ask where we were going.


    And now, I was sitting quietly beside him, despite the storm of questions brewing inside me. Questions that were wing against the back of my throat, demanding answers - about the man in the bed, about that ce deep beneath the Academy, and about what really was going on.


    But something about Kieran¡¯s posture stopped me from voicing them. There was a weight in his silence I had never seen before. He was looking less like the controlled, calcting leader I knew and more like someone quietly unraveling.


    His calm had cracks.


    And now that I was close enough to really see them, I realized something that sent a shiver down my spine - behind all the power andposure, behind the warm walls he always wore like armor, Kieran Thorne had been fighting battles I couldn¡¯t begin to understand.


    The faint sound of metal against cloth drew my eyes downward.


    He pulled something from the inside pocket of his jacket. It was a small ck can, worn at the edges. Without looking at me, he opened it and took a long sip of whatever was inside.


    I caught the faintest scent wafting from it - bitter, sharp, with a slight burn. Alcohol.


    Even with my dull, wolfless senses, I knew that smell. I raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to hide the way I was silently judging him.


    And he noticed. Of course, he did.


    A soft exhale left him. It was half a chuckle, half a sigh. "I don¡¯t usually drink on Academy grounds," he said, not bothering to defend himself too much. "Only around the full moon. And only when I feel like hell."


    He didn¡¯t say it to excuse himself. He said it like a man stating a simple, unpleasant truth.


    I didn¡¯t say anything to that. What could I say?


    So I let the silence stretch again. It wasn¡¯t peaceful, it was thick and restless, a tension sitting between us like a third presence. The cold of the bench was seeping into my skin, but I didn¡¯t move.


    Then finally... finally... he broke it.


    "The man you saw earlier," he said, his voice low and rough, "was one of mine."


    I turned to him, listening.


    "He was stationed here. One of the scouts tasked with patrolling the Academy perimeter. I ced him there a month ago, under direct orders."


    A beat passed in silence as he took another sip.


    "This evening, my men found him unconscious. Just outside the back border, near the forest trail. He shouldn¡¯t have been anywhere near there, but... we still don¡¯t know if he wandered or was dragged."


    The image of that man on the bed - pale, unmoving, bruises crawling up his throat - shed in my mind.


    "Is he dead?" I asked, finally finding my voice.


    He slowly shook his head and whispered, "No."


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    That surprised me. "But he wasn¡¯t responding. Not to touch, not to sound. Not even to your voice."


    "I know," he said. "That¡¯s because he¡¯s soul dead."


    I blinked at the foreign phrase that almost sounded chilling.


    "Soul dead?"


    Kieran leaned back and ran a hand over his face and took another sip, this one longer than the ones from before. "It¡¯s a... rare condition," he said. "One even most healers refuse to talk about because it borders on taboo. His body is alive. His heart is still beating. But his soul... it¡¯s gone."


    I stared at him in half confusion and half terror. "Gone? You mean..."


    "Taken," he said tly. "Ripped from his body by force."


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I had heard and read about a lot of things. Potions, curses, dark magic. Even forbidden rituals. But nothing had evere close to the concept of ¡¯soul death¡¯. It sounded like something pulled from myth. From nightmares.


    "Has anyone seen such a case before?" I whispered, curious to know more despite the chill I was feeling.


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately. But when he did, his voice was even lower than before. "Yes."


    The way he said it made my skin crawl. I didn¡¯t press him for details, but instead waited for him to continue on his own. Momentster, he did.


    "The first case of Soul Death was recorded about eighty years ago. I tried to find as much information on it as possible, but the records only mentioned a young girl being found in that condition in the woods near her pack by her pack members. The healers were only able to find out what was wrong with her, but they failed to find what did that to her or how to heal her."


    I processed the information, letting my mind wrap around what I was hearing. "What happened to that girl?" I finally found myself asking, and a big part of me was scared to hear the answer.


    He turned his head, his gaze locking with mine as he answered, "She died after sleeping for five long years."


    I forgot to breathe for a moment. Five years. Did that mean...


    "The senior fromst year and the one from today... do they have five years before..." I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence but he understood what I was trying to ask.


    Another sigh escaped him. "There¡¯s no confirming this theory. They might have five years... or maybe not even another day."

 Chapter 127: The Connected Cases

    <h4>Chapter 127: The Connected Cases</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    At some point, the cold night air became even sharper. Maybe it was the weather itself, or maybe it were the secrets that Kieran was unraveling.


    And as if I wasn¡¯t surprised enough, he ended up revealing another one.


    "You know, this isn¡¯t the first time I have seen someone in that condition," he whispered, and while his voice didn¡¯t waver, there was a heaviness in his confession.


    My heart was pounding as I asked, "What do you mean?"


    He let out a slow breath and fixed his eyes on the gravel path ahead. The moonlight was casting half of his face in silver, while the other half was in deep shadow. He was looking like someone torn between two choices - between truth and silence.


    He was silent for a while this time. Then, he finally spoke. "Last December," he began quietly, "a final-year student was found Soul Dead."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "In one of the abandoned ssrooms in the basement wing of the old Potion block. We never figured out how he got there or what happened to him. He was supposed to be in ss. Professors said he had shown up earlier that day. Then he was just... gone. Until he wasn¡¯t."


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    I stared at him,pletely in shock.


    "It¡¯s been nearly a year," he continued, "and we still have no real answers. The area didn¡¯t give us anything useful. And if his friends knew anything... they didn¡¯t say a word. Not one."


    "Not even under pressure?" I asked, trying not to sound as horrified as I was feeling.


    "They were questioned, yes. Even mind-probed... carefully... but all we got were fragments. Nothing that could be pinned down. It¡¯s like whoever or <i>whatever</i> was behind it... knew how to clean up every trace."


    I didn¡¯t realize how tight my fists were clenched until my fingers began to ache. "You kept it a secret?"


    "Yes," he admitted. "His parents gave us permission to contain the information. We couldn¡¯t risk panic, especially when we didn¡¯t know what we were dealing with."


    "And now this," I murmured. "A second case."


    He gave a curt nod. "Which means it wasn¡¯t just some freak, one-time incident. This... this is something real. And ongoing."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. Nothing could have prepared me for any of this. When I enrolled in the Academy, I thought the biggest dangers I was going to face would be unpredictable potions or maybe the asional wild beast during outdoor lessons. Not... this. Not soul-stealing, deathly silence, and secrets buried so deep they had started to rot.


    We sat there for a while, not speaking. The garden seemed to hold its breath with us as the night started pressing down with its weight.


    And then, without really meaning to, I blurted out a question that had been nagging me for days.


    "What about the warriors?" I asked.


    He nced at me, looking puzzled.


    "The ones who went missing a few weeks ago," I rified. "I overheard a conversation... some warriors were talking about a student incidentst year and... about the three who never came back."


    "You know about that?" he asked slowly, studying me.


    I nodded. "I heard about the missing warriors when I was at the headquarters. As for the rest, I just happened to be nearby at the diner where some warriors were talking about it. Though they didn¡¯t say much, the missing student part stuck with me."


    I noticed him hesitating for a moment before he finally spoke, "That wasn¡¯t just a rumor."


    "You are saying...?"


    "They were found," he said, voice low. "All three of them. And before you ask... yes, they were Soul Dead."


    I felt my blood run cold.


    "Where?"


    "Back mountains of the Academy," he answered, and my confusion deepened.


    "But - no. I remember clearly. The warriors at the diner said they were patrolling the northern border, far from the Academy-."


    "That¡¯s what we let people believe," he interrupted softly.


    I stared at him, trying to put together what I had missed. "Why would you-?"


    "Because the real location could have put the Academy¡¯s safety and reputation in jeopardy," he said, not harshly, but with a finality that left no room for argument. "Too many people had already heard about their disappearance. We had to redirect the narrative before anyone started asking the <i>wrong</i> questions."


    I watched him. And for the first time tonight, I felt something sharper than fear stir in me.


    Anger.


    "I get that you are trying to protect the Academy," I said, my voice trembling slightly, "but what you are doing could be putting more people in danger. Especially the students."


    He blinked at the steel in my voice.


    I pressed on, "Every day, we walk these grounds thinking the worst thing we might run into is a potion gone wrong or a boring lecture. We are not trained to defend against something like <i>this</i>. Not even the Alpha heirs. And you are hiding such a big secret. You can¡¯t fight a threat you can¡¯t even see."


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately. But I noticed his jaw tightening.


    Then, out of nowhere, he reached out and took hold of my hands, causing me to freeze.


    His grip wasn¡¯t rough, but it was... desperate. His fingers were trembling slightly, and when I looked into his eyes, the wall of control I always saw in him had cracked. Behind the usual calm andmand was something raw. Vulnerable.


    "Eva," he said softly, not calling me by my full name like usual. "I know what it looks like. But you have to believe me - I <i>am</i> trying. I have been doing everything I can to uncover what¡¯s happening. This thing... it hides in in sight. Leaves no trace. No scent. No magic residue. Every lead we have found, it vanishes into smoke."


    "But you can¡¯t do it alone," I whispered.


    "I know," he said, squeezing my hands. "But if I pull in too many people, it gets harder to control. More exposure means more panic. And if whoever is behind this gets wind that we are closing in... they¡¯ll disappear again. Just likest time."


    His voice cracked at the end, making the truth of his helplessness to bleed through.


    I stared at him, feeling torn between sympathy and frustration.


    He <i>was </i>doing his best. That much was clear. But he was also carrying too much alone... and for too long.

 Chapter 128: Alpha’s Changed Plans

    <h4>Chapter 128: Alpha¡¯s Changed ns</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    He didn¡¯t let go.


    His hand stayed wrapped firmly around mine, even as I shifted and quietly tried to pull away. It wasn¡¯t forceful, but it was deliberate. Steady. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was doing it to reassure me or himself, but either way, I gave up trying to pull away... for the time being.


    There were bigger things to focus on.


    So I stared at him. The lines of his face were more visible under the pale wash of moonlight that was spilling over the hidden garden.


    I didn¡¯t even know such a ce existed, tucked away in some forgotten corner of the Academy, but I had to admit - it was beautiful. Silent. Isted. The kind of ce that felt like it belonged to someone who carried secrets heavy enough to require silence.


    The kind of ce someone like Kieran woulde to breathe.


    "Why did you bring me down there?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet and careful. "Why tell me all these secrets? What were you going to ask me to do when you called me to your office?"


    He didn¡¯t speak right away, instead his thumb started brushing slowly along the back of my hand, distracting me. His gaze was fixed on the ground for a moment, as though searching for a way to exin things.


    Then his lips curved upward and... he smiled.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure what unnerved me more - the fact that he looked... almost approachable when he smiled like that, or the way my heart stupidly fluttered at the sight.


    "I was wondering when you would ask," he said, finally lifting his eyes to mine.


    My brow rose, but I stayed silent.


    "When I made the deal with you before the entrance exam," he continued, "I already had a job in mind. Something... quiet. Something only someone like you could do."


    "You mean someone wolfless," I said, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.


    He didn¡¯t deny it. "Someone who goes unnoticed. Who can blend in. Who no one would ever suspect of working with me."


    I tilted my head, still not fully convinced. "And what job was that?"


    "I wanted you to dig," he said simply. "Ask questions. Observe. Get close to the right people and figure out what happened to the senior student who was found Soul Deadst December."


    My breath caught. He was talking about the same case he had mentioned earlier. The first one. The one that started everything.


    "You made a deal with me before sses even started," I said slowly. "How did you know I would be any good at... spying?"


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    "I didn¡¯t," he admitted. "But I was desperate. As a professor and a rogue Alpha, most students either fear me or avoid me altogether. They keep their guards up, which makes it almost impossible to get real answers. Even Draven, who¡¯s technically still a student, is marked by the same suspicion. But you?"


    He leaned slightly closer.


    "You were new. Unknown. Unremarkable to most... and yet, something about you stood out."


    I felt bothplimented and insulted at once. "Gee, thanks."


    He grinned, but the look in his eyes turned serious again. "The senior student in question had already graduated, yes. But before his death, he was part of something. A group. Small. Secretive. It was made of students from first to fourth year. After he died, the group disbanded almost overnight."


    "And the rest of them?" I asked.


    "They are still here," he confirmed. "Of course, except the fourth year seniors from previous term. The rest are still walking the same halls as you. Attending sses like nothing ever happened. I tried to approach a few of them. But got nowhere. That¡¯s when I knew I needed someone entirely new."


    The weight of his words pressed down on me. A secret student group? Hidden projects? An incident no one wanted to talk about?


    It was a lot.


    Still... I understood his logic. He needed someone who could slip beneath the radar. Someone other students wouldn¡¯t expect to be gathering information. Someone who didn¡¯t belong anywhere, and so could go everywhere.


    And that... that was me.


    I had no pack. No wolf. No social group. No attachments. No loyalties.


    I could move through this ce like a shadow, and no one would care enough to notice. Not until it was toote.


    But before I could ask the most important question, the one that had already begun to form in my mind, he spoke again.


    "You don¡¯t have to do it anymore."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "I have changed my mind. You don¡¯t have to get involved in this."


    His words felt surreal.


    "Wait... why?" I asked with a frown. "You just told me everything. Showed me these secret ces. You clearly trust me enough to let me in... so why?"


    He pulled his hand away atst and leaned back slightly, folding his arms across his chest as he looked up at the moonlight cutting through the garden canopy.


    "Because up until recently, I believed this thing was just a one-time incident. I just wanted to find out what happened with that kid so that we can get exnations and find a way to cure him."


    He stopped to take a deep breath before continuing, "But it was my foolishness to think like that. This is more dangerous than I thought. And I¡¯m not going to put you at risk."


    "But I won¡¯t be doing anything risky. I just have to find the students of that secret group and investigate them. It doesn¡¯t sound too dangerous to me." I tried to reason.


    "It¡¯s still a no."


    "But why?"


    He turned his gaze to me as he answered. "Because I can¡¯t protect you if this gets worse."


    "That didn¡¯t seem to stop you when you first nned to give me this job."


    "I didn¡¯t expect to care back then," he returned.


    The silence that followed stretched long between us.


    My heart skipped a beat at his confession while my head tried to make sense of it. I didn¡¯t know what kind of care he meant - was it concern, guilt, something more? But the way he said it, quietly and with that grim look on his face, told me this wasn¡¯t easy for him either.

 Chapter 129: Falling For Her

    <h4>Chapter 129: Falling For Her</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I realized toote that I might have let slip more than I intended.


    The silence that followed was long, but then her voice finally cut through the stillness like a ripple across ss.


    "I want to help."


    I turned my head, blinking at her in surprise. I was sure I had misheard. "What?"


    "I want to help," she repeated, firmer this time. "I want to do this."


    She met my gaze with unwavering eyes. The same amber eyes that once held caution and unease were now burning with resolve. I had barely processed her words when she added,


    "I¡¯m nning to graduate from Silver Moon in four years. And for that to happen... this Academy needs to survive whatever is creeping through its shadows. I don¡¯t want to walk these halls wondering who¡¯ll be next."


    Damn her.


    Damn her bravery. Her heart. Her stubborn, unrelenting courage.


    I didn¡¯t want her involved. I couldn¡¯t afford for her to be involved. But as she sat beside me, spine straight, chin lifted, and the moonlight catching the soft strands of her gorgeous silver hair, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to shut her down.


    So I watched her.


    Watched her closely.


    She had gone through every stage of emotion tonight - confusion, shock, frustration, anger - but never fear. Not once. She had every reason to be terrified. Any normal student would have broken down or run away after hearing about soul deaths, secret groups, and cover-ups. But not her.


    Anxiety? Yes. She was fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. Her voice wavered once or twice. But fear? No. That wasn¡¯t in her eyes.


    She was brave.


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    Braver than I had ever expected.


    The girl I met months ago back at the mansion... she was cautious, wide-eyed, and so damn innocent. Back then, I had pegged her as fragile, someone I would have to protect if she ever walked through the gates of Silver Moon.


    But now...


    Now she was sharper. Her kindness hadn¡¯t faded, but it had been tempered with wisdom. Her sweetness was still there, yes - but there was something steel-like beneath it. Her growth had been subtle, almost unnoticeable if I hadn¡¯t been paying attention.


    But I had.


    Actually, I had been paying too much attention... more than a professor should be.


    She was still cute - Moon Goddess help me - but she was also strong. Smarter. Moreposed. She didn¡¯t crumble when she learned about the truth. She asked questions. She pushed me for answers. She challenged me.


    And I admired her for it, more than I should have.


    Maybe it was the alcohol whispering bad decisions into my head. Maybe it was the quiet of the garden or the way the moonlight wrapped her in silver. Whatever the reason, my hand moved before I could stop it.


    I reached out and gently, slowly, brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.


    She froze.


    I saw her inhale sharply and her lips parted just slightly in surprise. Her shoulders tensed. She wasn¡¯t expecting the touch, and honestly, neither was I.


    "Professor..." she whispered in a barely audible voice, but one that was filled with questions.


    That should have been enough. That one word should have grounded me, reminded me who I was, who she was. But my sane mind had long stopped functioning, drowned beneath the warmth in my chest and the ache I didn¡¯t want to name.


    Before I knew it, I leaned in. But not for a kiss.


    I pressed my forehead to hers, letting our breaths mingle, letting my senses fill with her presence. Her scent - sweet, delicate, with the barest hint of something wild beneath it - hit me hard.


    And my wolf responded instantly.


    It purred. It pressed forward, tail wagging like a pup, eager and content. And that was what terrified me.


    Because he had never responded like this to anyone.


    I felt her breath hitch. I felt the shiver roll through her body. She was trembling. Whether it was from shock or something else, I didn¡¯t know.


    But I knew one thing - I was at the edge of a cliff.


    One more second, one more breath, and I would lose whatever control I had left. My wolf would take over. I would pull her into my arms, taste her lips, and im something that didn¡¯t belong to me.


    And that¡¯s when it hit me... <i>she wasn¡¯t mine.</i>


    My true mate was still out there, somewhere, waiting for me. And if I took Eva now, if I let myself fall for her... it would be the worst kind of betrayal.


    Not just to my future mate, but to Eva herself.


    She deserved better than a man who was losing control because of alcohol and loneliness. She deserved someone who would choose her without hesitation or conflict.


    Which meant I had to let her go.


    I pulled back, forcing air into my lungs even as my hands clenched at my sides.


    "You need to leave," I said in my rough and low voice.


    She blinked.


    "Now, Eva." I stood up, dragging a hand through my hair and turning away before I could look at her again. "Before it¡¯s toote.".


    "There¡¯s a hidden path just behind the garden wall," I muttered. "It¡¯ll lead you past the greenhouse and back to the main building. Use it. Stay quiet. And don¡¯t stop for anyone."


    She stood slowly and walked away without a single. Her scent lingered around me even after she was no longer close.


    Then silence. And I was alone.


    The air was suddenly colder without her warmth beside me. I looked up at the moon again, the silver light blinding, cruel. It reminded me of her hair. It reminded me of everything I had no right wanting.


    I dropped back onto the bench, rubbing my face with my hands.


    I knew what was wrong with me.


    I was falling for her.


    Falling for a girl who wasn¡¯t my mate. Who didn¡¯t even know how deep she had crawled under my skin. And every instinct I had - Alpha, professor, protector - screamed that it was wrong.


    But the worst part?


    The part that gnawed at me like rot?


    It didn¡¯t want to stop.

 Chapter 130: Her Speechless Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 130: Her Speechless Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It took everything I had to remain calm as I stepped through the dim corridors of the Academy.


    The quietness around me was pressing in on all sides like a thick fog. My footsteps were light, deliberate, while my ears were alert for any sound - shuffling boots, or the low murmurs of patrolling faculty or warriors.


    It wasn¡¯t against the rules to walk the halls after dinner hours, but it was unusual. Most students tucked themselves away after ten, a habit bred by routine... and perhaps by an unspoken fear. I couldn¡¯t me them. After everything I had just learned, I too felt like shadows were watching from every corner.


    The tall staircases creaked beneath my steps as I climbed them, casting quick nces behind me every now and then, half-expecting someone to appear out of the dark and question me. But no one did. The Academy was asleep.


    It was nearly midnight by the time I reached the fourth floor of the dormitories and slipped quietly into my dorm.


    The moment I shut the door behind me, my heart seemed to finally acknowledge the tension it had been holding in. It was thundering against my ribs like a war drum, and my chest was tight with everything I had just experienced - Kieran¡¯s secrets... and everything that happened after that.


    I was still trying to process all of it when the bedsidemp clicked on, making me jump and gasp softly as light spilled across the room.


    Rowan was standing beside his bed, with his arms crossed and his features carved in steel.


    "It¡¯s midnight," he said in a low voice.


    Guilt rushed through me like cold water. I was expecting him to be still out there somewhere, actually hoping for it. But of course, he wasn¡¯t.


    <fn981e> This update is avable on F?ndNovel</fn981e>


    "I didn¡¯t mean to be out sote," I said, trying to keep my voice light as I slipped off my shoes and put them away.


    "Where were you?" He asked. To my surprise, he didn¡¯t sound angry or judging, instead, there was a hint of worry in his tone as he voiced the question.


    "I was with Professor Kieran."


    He narrowed his eyes slightly at that. "At midnight?"


    "He asked me to meet him after dinner. About... Gavin and everything else that happened. It turns out the faculty seniors are impressed by my overall performance during the trip." I provided him with a modified story which wasn¡¯tpletely a lie considering it did happen, just earlier in the day instead of after dinner.


    A smile finally made its way to his lips and I watched him visibly rx a little. "You indeed perform so well. You deserve their recognition." But then a frown made its way to his face and he asked, "Did you only talk about this for over two hours?"


    "Of course, not." I tried to keep my tone normal. "Remember the herb samples I collected, we talked about it. We got so immersed that time got away from us. He even told me about some group of senior students who are good at herbs and potion-making. He asked if I want to join."


    He nodded his head in understanding, finally rxingpletely. "That sounds like a good offer." He provided while taking a seat on his bed.


    I moved to sit on mine as I answered honestly. "It sure does, but I¡¯m not sure if I have enough time to be part of such an important group. I¡¯m already full with the uing assignments, tests, and my internship."


    As I watched him nod his head again, I had a feeling that I had managed to avoid raising any suspicion. But if I thought that it was the end of his questions, then I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    I was about to slip under the nket when his next question froze mepletely.


    "And what about Instructor Oscar?" His voice was low, but enough for me to hear him clearly. "Is he offering you ¡¯rewards¡¯ too?"


    My breath hitched. "What?"


    "You two," he said, gesturing vaguely. "There¡¯s something going on, right? I saw it in the way he kept looking at you... or the way you kept looking at him throughout the trip. And he clearly treats you differently."


    I looked away, my hands curling into the nket. I was tired - exhausted, actually - of running circles around these truths.


    Maybe it was the stress of everything I had just gone through, or maybe it was the pressure building in my chest since the moment I had stepped into this Academy. But something inside me snapped, and before I could stop myself, the words came tumbling out.


    "He¡¯s my soulmate."


    The silence that followed was deafening.


    Rowan blinked,pletely frozen. "What?"


    I met his eyes as I spoke in a much steadier voice this time. "Oscar is my soulmate. That¡¯s why... it¡¯s different. That¡¯s why I act how I act. That¡¯s why he-" I stopped myself before I said too much. "Even if people find out, they can¡¯t call it inappropriate. It¡¯s not my fault. The bond is real. I didn¡¯t choose it."


    He stared at me with his wide open, clearly reeling from the revtion. His mouth opened and closed again, but no words came out. He was looking like I had poured an ice bucket on his head.


    Before the poor man could have recovered, I decided to hot Jim with another blow. "There¡¯s more."


    He looked at me, still stunned.


    "Draven... He¡¯s my soulmate too."


    His eyes widened. "You-what?"


    I nodded. "Draven is my soulmate too. I don¡¯t know how or why, but I felt the bonds with both of them, and they did too."


    Rowan just stared at me, unmoving.


    And in that stillness, I felt the full weight of what I had just said.


    Two soulmates. Two Rogue Alphas. And I was at the center of it.


    And it seemed like my poor roommate was having a hard time digesting all that I just poured on him. But he asked for it.

 Chapter 131: They Got Her Back

    <h4>Chapter 131: They Got Her Back</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning air was carrying a soft breeze, rustling the hedges and stirring the wildflowers that were dotting the secluded garden behind the dormitory buildings.


    The early morning sunlight was filtering through the branches of the weeping willows, creating golden patches across the stone bench where I was sitting.


    The particr garden was one of the Academy¡¯s quieter ces, one of the few that rarely saw any students, especially on a Saturday morning. Most were either asleep or in the dining hall, dragging themselves through the first day of the weekend.


    But I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Rowan was sitting on my right with elbows resting on his knees and eyes fixed on the gravel path as if it held the answers to all of life¡¯s questions. Kyros was on my left, leaning back against the bench¡¯s curve with his arms crossed and brows deeply furrowed.


    No one spoke for what felt like forever.


    I knew why. My heart hadn¡¯t stopped thudding since I made the confession. There was no way to pretend anymore. The truth was out.


    There were two people who noticed things around me, about me, and those two wanted answers. While one of them got his answers the night before, I bestowed the same grace on the second one just moments ago after dragging him to this garden.


    Kyros reaction was almost identical to Rowan¡¯s from the night before. He was stunned. Silent. And eyes wide with disbelief.


    And I didn¡¯t me either of them. I had practically dropped a bomb in theirps.


    I shifted ufortably on the bench, tugging my sleeves down even though it wasn¡¯t that cold. The breeze was gentle, the air pleasant, yet I felt stifled... like something heavy was pressing down on my chest.


    I waited, hoping someone else would speak first.


    <fn2656> Latest content published on find{n}ovel</fn2656>


    Eventually, it was Kyros who broke the silence.


    "So... you are telling me... both Oscar and Draven are your soulmates?" His voice cracked slightly, as if he still couldn¡¯t believe the wordsing out of his own mouth.


    I gave a slow, small nod, keeping my eyes on the ground.


    "Both," he repeated, blinking at me.


    "Yes." I sped my hands tightly in myp. "It happened... I didn¡¯t ask for it. I didn¡¯t expect it. I just... knew. When I touched them, I felt it. They did too... so it wasn¡¯t just in my head."


    He let out a low whistle and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Damn, Eva..."


    Rowan finally moved beside me, drawing in a breath like he had been holding it the entire time. "That¡¯s... a lot."


    "I know," I whispered.


    No one spoke after that. The three of us just sat there, with the birds chirping overhead and the breeze rustling the leaves like nature¡¯s version of background noise for a dramatic moment.


    And then I stood.


    "I should go. The driver will be here to pick me soon, and I still need to go back and grab my bag from the dorm."


    Kyros didn¡¯t say anything, but Rowan¡¯s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist lightly. "Wait."


    I paused and looked back at him. His expression had changed. He was no longer just stunned, but thoughtful. Serious.


    "If you are mates with them," he started slowly, "do they... know about each other?"


    That took me byplete surprise.


    The answer was simple. And terrifying.


    "No," I said after a pause. "They don¡¯t."


    Both Rowan and Kyros stared at me, wide-eyed again.


    "You mean... neither of them knows that they are not your <i>only</i> mate?" Rowan asked, his voice slightly sharper from shock.


    "I haven¡¯t told them," I said, shame curling in my gut. "Not yet."


    Kyros sat up straighter. "Eva... you can¡¯t keep something like this from them. Especially not from Rogue Alphas. This could go south... fast."


    "I know," I quickly agreed. "I know it¡¯s wrong. I didn¡¯t mean to keep it a secret for this long, but everything¡¯s been happening so fast. And I didn¡¯t know how they would react, or how to even bring it up. I mean... how do you even start that conversation? ¡¯Hey, you are my mate. Also, so is your brother, by the way.¡¯" I threw my hands up. "It¡¯s not exactly dinner table talk!"


    They didn¡¯tugh. Not even a smile.


    Kyros sighed. "Girl... this is serious. Mate bonds aren¡¯t something to joke about. If either one of them finds out from someone else... hell, if they sense something before you talk to them... it could trigger all kinds of issues. Not just with you, but between them. You are not just dealing with ordinary wolves."


    "I know that," I sighed softly.


    "And you haven¡¯t talked to either of them?" Rowan asked again, like he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it.


    "I haven¡¯t had the chance. Not properly. And the truth is... I have been scared." I bit my lip, staring at the tips of my shoes. "What if they... reject me? What if they hate me for not telling them sooner? What if it <i>breaks</i> them?"


    Kyros let out another deep sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You are their mate. It might not be pretty, and it definitely won¡¯t be easy... but they deserve the truth. From you. Not through each other. Not through their instincts. From you."


    I nodded. "I... I know. You are right."


    There was another pause before Kyros leaned in, his voice softer this time. "If you are ready... Rowan and I can help you."


    I blinked. "Help me?"


    He nodded. "We can help you find an opportunity, or create one, to talk to them about this."


    I looked over at Rowan, who gave a firm nod in agreement.


    Something warm bloomed in my chest, a small spark in the middle of the storm of uncertainty I had been living in. For the first time in days, I felt the knot in my stomach loosen a little.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    "We have got your back, Roomie," Rowan said as he stood up and gave my head a warm pat. "Always."


    As we walked back to the dormitory building together, the garden faded behind us. The weight I had been carrying was feeling a little lighter. The truth was out, at least among the friends I trusted.

 Chapter 132: Riverstone Corporation

    <h4>Chapter 132: Riverstone Corporation</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I stepped into the Council headquarters, the morning sun was already high in the sky, casting a warm glow through the tall windows that were lining the hallway.


    My sneakers made no noise at all against the marble floors as I made my way toward River¡¯s office.


    It had been three weeks since the Alpha Gathering incident, but the tension was still clinging between us like a secondyer. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready for another encounter with the Rogue Alpha King, not after how things went the previous weekend.


    But when I entered his office and found the room empty, I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I had been holding.


    Good. No River.


    I didn¡¯t waste any time. I dropped my bag on the guest chair and got to work. There were still a dozen reports to review, a stack of letters to respond to, and an overwhelming amount of coordination updates from the border patrol teams to filter and file.


    The familiar rhythm of work was soothing, numbing the ufortable thoughts swirling in my mind. For a while, I managed to forget that he even existed.


    That peacested exactly one hour.


    My phone buzzed sharply on the table beside me. I nced at the screen and saw the Council¡¯s internal number. It was River¡¯s secretary.


    With a resigned sigh, I answered.


    "Miss Evaline?" came the polite voice of the secretary, one I had grown familiar with over thest couple of weeks. "Alpha River has asked that youe to hispany office. A driver is waiting downstairs to escort you. He has some documents and tasks he would like to hand over personally."


    I blinked. "Hispany?"


    "Yes," the woman confirmed. "He¡¯s currently upied with meetings and cannote to headquarters today."


    And the line went dead with that. She didn¡¯t even wait for me to confirm, probably because she knew I was going to decline.


    I stared at the phone for a long moment while annoyance rose like bile in my throat. What kind of Alpha King summoned someone like they were a glorified messenger? I was working at the Council headquarters. His request was definitely outside my responsibilities.


    Frustrated, I stomped my way to the front desk. I was intent on rifying my work scope and telling that secretary exactly where she could shove her instructions.


    Unfortunately, the answer I got wasn¡¯t what I wanted to hear.


    "As Alpha River¡¯s personal assistant," the front deskdy said carefully, "any task that falls under the scope of administrative or support work can be assigned to you... regardless of location."


    Trantion: as long as I wasn¡¯t being asked to clean his shoes, I had no excuse.


    "Of course," I muttered under my breath, suppressing a groan.


    It was an hour long ride before I arrived at the location.


    I had heard that River ran a business on the side, something beyond his duties as Rogue Alpha King and a member of the High Council. But nothing prepared me for the reality of it.


    Hispany - no, corporation - was standing like a ss giant against the skyline, looking sleek and intimidating. The building was twenty-six stories tall, adorned with the Riverstone logo etched in steel above the revolving doors.


    Uniformed staff was moving with professional precision, and expensive cars were lining the private lot. This wasn¡¯t just an Alpha with a side hustle, this was an empire.


    No wonder he was the richest Alpha in the shifter world.


    A receptionist greeted me with a polite nod before escorting me to a private elevator. We rode in silence to the twenty-fifth floor, where I was guided through a corridor of executive offices until I finally entered a space that could only belong to one person.


    His office was massive, more like a luxury suite than a workce. Floor-to-ceiling windows were offering a panoramic view of the city, while the walls were lined with shelves of books, artifacts, and framed photographs of historic moments.


    A sleek desk was sitting near the center, but what drew my attention was the plush leather couch set near the side which was clearly meant for guests or, in this case, reluctant assistants.


    <fnd19f> Checktest chapters at Find[F]ovel</fnd19f>


    "Please wait here," the assistant said. "Alpha River is in a meeting and will return shortly."


    I took a seat on the couch and began scanning the room. Every inch of it was screaming River. Powerful. Precise. Regal. Even the air smelled faintly like him.


    Ten minutes passed before the door finally opened.


    River walked in, talking on his phone. His expression was unreadable as always. He was wearing a navy-blue suit that clung to his tall frame perfectly, and the subtle shift of dominance in the air made it impossible to look away.


    His gaze swept over me briefly and he actually nodded in acknowledgment before he ended the call and crossed the room to his desk.


    "If you thought I called you here to waste your time," he said as he set a stack of files on the desk, "you¡¯ll be disappointed."


    I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.


    "I need these cross-checked," he continued, gesturing to the papers. "And these emails reviewed. They are from the northern patrol division and require detailed feedback. Also, we need to coordinate the arrival of the new trainees at the border outpost next week. You¡¯ll find their files in the folder."


    So... actual work. Rted to the pack operations I had been overseeing for thest two weeks.


    "Understood," I said, even though I hated how smug he looked as he walked away from the desk and left me to bury myself in paperwork again.


    The hours passed faster than I expected. The couch was surprisinglyfortable, and though I would never admit it aloud, working in his office came with a quiet efficiency that even the Council building couldn¡¯t offer. No interruptions. No distractions.


    Just me and a mountain of tasks.


    By the time the clock struck six-thirty, I was done organizing thest file into its folder and was stretching my arms overhead when I heard the rustle of fabric behind me.


    He entered the office, back from another meeting.


    "You are done?"


    "Yes," I replied, stacking the folders neatly. "I¡¯ll be leaving now."


    But before I could even take a step, his voice stopped me cold.


    "You areing with me."

 Chapter 133: Dressed for Deception

    <h4>Chapter 133: Dressed for Deception</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I blinked. "What?"


    He turned fully to face me now with that usual unreadable expression stered on his face. "To a business dinner. You¡¯ll be attending as my assistant."


    Thest thing I wanted to do was apany him to a business dinner.


    I didn¡¯t care if he was the Rogue Alpha King, the wealthiest shifter in the world, or even the moon goddess¡¯s personal favorite. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to be paraded around like hisnpersonal trophy while pretending the events of the Alpha Gathering had never happened.


    "No," I said tly, folding my arms as I stood across from him in hisvish office. "Take one of your other assistants. Or your secretary. Or your beta. Or any one of the thousand people who would happily follow you anywhere. I¡¯m not your showpiece."


    He didn¡¯t even flinch. "This isn¡¯t about that, Evaline."


    I scoffed. "Oh really? Then what¡¯s it about? Because I¡¯m pretty sure you made it clearst time what you think of me."


    His jaw tensed, but his emerald eyes didn¡¯t leave mine. "I want to make up for that night."


    I was stunned that he even acknowledged the Alpha Gathering. Let alone admit fault. For a second, just a second, his expression almost looked... guilty.


    But I had learned the hard way not to trust River Thorne. He was a master maniptor. Whatever he wanted, he always got it, no matter who he stepped on along the way.


    I opened my mouth to refuse again when he said something that silenced me.


    "I¡¯ll pay you a bonus," he said smoothly. "The exact amount of your one month¡¯s sry."


    Damn him.


    He must have seen the flicker of hesitation in my eyes because he added, "I¡¯m not doing this to trap you, Evaline. You¡¯ll get paid for your time. That¡¯s all."


    I wanted to say no... desperately. But I couldn¡¯t afford to. I needed this money. Not for myself but for the life growing in my womb.


    I clenched my fists at my sides and took a deep breath before nodding. "Fine. But this doesn¡¯t mean I trust you."


    "I wouldn¡¯t expect you to," he said softly, and for once, I didn¡¯t hear arrogance in his tone. Just something else... quiet. Unreadable.


    I expected we would head straight to the hotel or wherever the dinner was being held. Instead, River had his driver take a different route, and when the car pulled up outside an elegant boutique with floor-length windows and gold-ted handles, I stared at the building like it had personally offended me.


    "What is this?" I asked, already suspicious.


    He stepped out first and opened the door for me like a true gentleman, which only irritated me more.


    "You are not wearing that to a business dinner," he said simply, gesturing to my blouse and cks. "Come on."


    "I¡¯m dressed fine," I muttered as I followed him inside, but my argument died when I saw the collection of gowns, heels, and essories that were glistening under the soft lighting of the boutique. This ce was luxury incarnate.


    A woman in a sleek ck dress greeted River like she knew him. Of course she did.


    "Alpha Thorne," she said with a smile. "We have prepared the private room as requested."


    I turned to him. "You nned this?"


    He didn¡¯t answer, just gave me that infuriating look - the one that said <i>don¡¯t fight me on this</i>. And I hated that it worked.


    Minutester, I was ushered into a dressing room with a dozen gowns waiting for me. I tried to argue again, but his voice was clear outside the curtain.


    "Evaline," His voice was low and firm, "the ce we are going tonight has a formal dress code. You either get changed... or I¡¯ll find a way to have someone choose for you."


    "I hate you," I muttered through clenched teeth.


    "Noted," he replied, not even sounding remotely offended.


    Grumbling under my breath, I slipped into the first gown. It was an emerald satin piece that hugged my curves and shimmered under the lights. I looked in the mirror and blinked. With my silver hair cascading down in soft waves, my amber eyes framed by thickshes, and the pale contrast of my skin, I looked... ethereal.


    Still, I stepped out to show him without saying a word.


    He was sitting on a leather chair with a tablet in hand, but the second he looked up and saw me, he froze. His gaze dragged slowly over the gown, and I watched as the hesitation in his expression quickly got reced by something unreadable.


    "It¡¯s nice," he said after a beat. "Try another one."


    I didn¡¯t respond. I just turned and went back in.


    The next one was a ck dress. And it was unlike anything I had ever worn. It was sleek, off-shoulder, and fit like a second skin, with a slit running high up one leg and a subtle shimmer that only appeared under certain lights. It was ample amount of my cleavage and the back had a slightly low cut. I felt exposed. Powerful. Dangerous.


    I almost didn¡¯te out.


    But curiosity got the better of me.


    When I stepped back into the room, River was no longer lounging. He was standing.


    And staring.


    I might have mistaken it... but it almost seemed like his eyes darkened as he took me in. His throat worked as he swallowed. "You look..."


    I raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"


    "Stunning," he said to my surprise. "But not for tonight."


    I stared at him in silence.


    "You are wearing the navy one. Formal, elegant, professional. The ck one..." His voice dipped, almost too quietly. "It¡¯s too much."


    Too much for... whom?


    But I didn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t want to know what was behind that look.


    I changed into the navy gown, and my makeup and hair were done in less than thirty minutes. I barely recognized myself by the end of it. The woman in the mirror looked nothing like me.


    When I stepped out of the boutique, River was already waiting in a new suit - a charcoal grey with silver cufflinks. His hair was perfectly styled, and his presence was effortlesslymanding.


    He offered me his arm like this was some fairytale.


    I didn¡¯t take it. But I did follow him into the car.


    We drove in silence as the city lights blurred past us. My hands were resting on myp, clenched tightly as I tried to steady the chaos in my chest.


    I didn¡¯t trust him. Not for a second.


    Even when he said, "I promise I won¡¯t repeat what I did three weeks ago."


    I looked out the window as I whispered loud enough for him to hear. "You shouldn¡¯t have to promise not to humiliate someone."


    The silence that followed was almost deafening.


    When we arrived at the hotel - an elite, five-star monument of wealth and prestige - he turned to me onest time before we exited the car.


    "You don¡¯t owe anyone in that room anything," he said quietly. "But tonight, you are here as my assistant. Act like it."


    I didn¡¯t know if it was meant to empower me... or remind me of the role I had to y.


    Either way, the doors opened... and the night began.<fncea2> Checktest chapters at FindN0vel</fncea2>

 Chapter 134: A Hell of a Night

    <h4>Chapter 134: A Hell of a Night</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Half an hour into the business dinner and not a single soul had even looked in the direction of the dining hall.


    The ballroom was full of warm light andughter, champagne flutes raised in toasts I didn¡¯t understand, and music that yed a rhythm I didn¡¯t feel connected to.


    Men in expensive suits and women in gowns glittered under the chandeliers, dancing, drinking, and talking in low, calcted tones. If there was a point to this gathering beyond social disy and business gossip, I hadn¡¯t found it yet.


    The only good thing? No drama had found me.


    Yet.


    River was whisked away almost immediately, pulled into one conversation after another with humans whose names I didn¡¯t recognize but whose bodynguage was screaming power. I barely got a word in after we arrived, and part of me was d for that. Thest thing I wanted was to be pulled into something I didn¡¯t understand.


    "You¡¯ll learn a lot just by watching," he had told me before disappearing into the sea of suits and silk.


    So that¡¯s what I did.


    But there wasn¡¯t much for me to actually learn - at least not in the way River probably expected. I was from the shifter world, born and raised there. And majority of the people here were human. Their world was structured differently. It was cold and polished, ruled not by physical strength or Alpha blood, but by wealth and maniption dressed in designerbels.


    Werewolves weren¡¯t big on billion-dor corporations. Packs were our priority, not portfolios.


    Still, I was observant. And a fast learner, whether I wanted to admit it or not.


    I picked up on small details - who wasmanding attention when they spoke, who people were deferring to without question, who wasughing too loudly at someone¡¯s joke and who was watching from the sidelines like they were calcting every move on an invisible chessboard.


    I picked up names ofpanies that were dominating the market, and others that were barely holding on. I watched how people were shaking hands - firm, but not too firm - how they were making eye contact, how women were carrying themselves in heels that could kill a man if needed.


    There was something to be learned here. Maybe not something I could use immediately. Maybe not something I even wanted to know. But still, it was knowledge.


    Whether I belonged in this world was another matter altogether.


    Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I made my way to the refreshment area where an almost endless disy of appetizers and drinks were awaiting. I avoided anything suspicious-looking, especially the raw seafood, and instead picked up a few healthy snacks that didn¡¯t scream "fancy poison" and a tall ss of apple and mint juice.


    The couch in the far corner of the room was looking like a safe spot, tucked away but with a perfect view of the floor. I imed it like territory, sinking into its plush cushions and silently observing everything around me.


    Including River.


    He was standing like he belonged there -manding and still. One of the things that I learned tonight was that River Thorne was just as a big name in the human world as he was in the shifter world. Hemanded respect and awe from both worlds.


    He was holding a ss in hand with a small, polite smile that never reached his eyes. He kept nodding along as a man in his fifties talked animatedly beside him.


    And then he nced at me.


    It was brief, half a second at most, but I caught it. That flicker of attention, the quick check-in, as if he was making sure I was still okay.


    I blinked and looked away, focusing on my juice. <i>That didn¡¯t mean anything</i>, I reminded myself. River Thorne didn¡¯t care. He calcted. Everything he did was part of a game I didn¡¯t even know the rules to.


    An hour passed. Maybe two.


    I lost track of time somewhere between my fourth bite-sized snack and my growing urge to leave.


    Eventually, someone clinked a ss loudly and announced that dinner would be served in the adjoining hall. The crowd finally moved. I followed quietly, slipping into one of the seats at a round table mostly filled with assistants like me - young, observant, and mostly ignored.


    River settled at a few tables ahead, still surrounded by the powerful and influential. I knew that he had already drunk quite a lot. But as dinner began, the ss in front of him was not left empty. It wasn¡¯t because he was enjoying himself. No - his shoulders were tenser than usual and his jaw was tight. He was drinking because the night demanded it.


    And that... wax worrying me.


    <fn0d89> Read full story at find~novel</fn0d89>


    Not that I could say anything. What could I say?


    <i>Hey, I know I don¡¯t trust you, but you should really slow down before you pass out in front of half the business world?</i>


    Three hours. That¡¯s how long the dinnersted. Not including the endless introductions, toasts, and calcted banter. I barely tasted the food. I was too distracted by the constant watchfulness of being in an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar people.


    By the time thest round of drinks was served and people began filing out of the hall, I was done. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.


    And River?


    He was worse.


    I found him slumped slightly in his seat with his face a little flushed and his eyes ssy. But somehow, he was still looking handsome. Still intimidating. But definitely drunk.


    "Of course," I muttered under my breath as I crouched beside him. "You just had to drink yourself into this state, didn¡¯t you?"


    His lips twitched like he wanted to smirk, but all he managed was a low, slurred, "Did...good tonight..."


    "Yeah, yeah. You are a regr king of finance." I sighed and tugged on his arm. "Come on. Let¡¯s get you out of here before someone sets their eyes on you."


    I was talking about some particr women I had noticed taking extra interest him throughout the dinner. And right now, some of them were watching me very carefully.


    Fortunately, I had exchanged numbers with his driver earlier, just in case. I fumbled with my phone and called him while trying to hold River up with one arm.


    "Car ready?" I asked.


    "Yes, Miss Evaline. Pulling up now."


    The driver¡¯s voice was calm and efficient, and I nearly wept in relief. I guided River out of the hall, half-carrying, half-dragging him toward the hotel¡¯s front entrance.


    He was leaning on me heavily, mumbling something incoherent that I didn¡¯t bother asking him to repeat.


    And there were definitely eyes following us... unimpressed and angry ones. I was just relieved that no one came to stop me and snatch him away, because I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do then. After all, he gave me no instructions in this regard.


    The driver pulled up just as we reached the curb, and I helped ease River into the back seat before climbing in after him. The door closed behind us with a soft click, sealing us inside.


    I leaned my head back and let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Well... that was a hell of a night."


    Only if I knew...!

 Chapter 135: The Penthouse

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Penthouse</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    If I thought the car ride back would be peaceful, I was VERY, VERY wrong.


    The moment the doors shut and the engine hummed to life, I was expecting River to lean back, close his eyes, and drift off into a blissful, drunken sleep. That¡¯s what normal drunk people did, right?


    But River Thorne was anything <i>but</i> normal.


    Instead of passing out, the Rogue Alpha King became... animated.


    "Evaalineeee," he slurred, stretching out my name like it was the most fascinating sound in the universe. "Why are you so far? C¡¯mere. Sit closer."


    I didn¡¯t move an inch.


    He tried again, leaning across the seat and pointing a clumsy finger at me. "You look like an angel tonight. All glowing and shiny. You are not gonna sprout wings and fly away, are you?"


    I was staring at him with my mouth hanging open in pure shock. "Stars... You are drunk."


    "I might be," he said proudly while slumping back but only for a second. "But not drunk enough to miss how pretty you looked in that ck dress."


    I inhaled sharply, recalling the intensity I noticed in his eyes when he saw me in that dress.


    "That wasn¡¯t even the dress I wore tonight," I said after a moment, trying to pull myself together.


    "And that¡¯s for best," he said in a low voice. "You looked... like temptation in it. You know what temptation does to men, Evaline Greystone?"


    I tried not to react.


    Tried.


    But it was impossible. Seeing him like this... this version of the great River Thorne... was like watching apletely different man. Gone was the cold, calcting Alpha King with his thousand-yard stare and unreadable expressions. This man was unfiltered, dramatic, and - stars help me - ridiculously charming in the worst, most chaotic way.


    He tried to open the small minibar hidden beside the seat but fumbled with thetch. "What¡¯s the point of being filthy rich if the car bar won¡¯t open?" he grumbled.


    "River, don¡¯t you think you have had enough?"


    "I haven¡¯t had enough," he replied far too quickly, then snorted like he had just made the cleverest joke in the world.


    I threw my head back against the seat and let out a groan. "Stars, you are worse drunk than sober."


    "You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing," he said with mock offense.


    The driver, bless his soul, kept silent until I finally leaned forward and said, "Please drop me off at the Academy."


    There was a pause.


    Then he hesitated before saying, "Miss Evaline... I think it would be best if we dropped Alpha Thorne at the hotel first."


    I frowned. "The hotel? Why not the mansion?"


    The driver nced at me through the rearview mirror, choosing his words carefully. "He doesn¡¯t go to the mansion when he¡¯s like this. It... doesn¡¯t happen often, but when it does, he always books the penthouse. Says he doesn¡¯t want anyone from the estate seeing him in such a state, especially... the other Alphas."


    Something twisted in my chest.


    For all his power, his wealth, and his reputation, River had his own walls. Walls even his brothers weren¡¯t allowed to see through.


    I nced at him again. He was now lying t on the seat, with one leg propped up like he owned the whole damn car. And he was actually mumbling a song under his breath. The Rogue Alpha King. He was a drunk mess.


    "Alright," I sighed. "Hotel it is. But I need to be back at the Academy. It¡¯s nearly midnight."


    "Ah, don¡¯t worry about not making it by the curfew time. Since you are out because of work, Alpha Thorne will take care of any such issues with the faculty," the driver informed me and I nodded my head in understanding.


    At least, now I didn¡¯t have to worry about gettingte.


    When we finally reached the hotel ten minutester, I helped the driver get River out of the car. That part was harder than expected since he wasn¡¯t exactly cooperating.


    "Why are we here?" he whined. "Where¡¯s Evaline? I¡¯m not going in unless shees too."


    I let out a frustrated sigh and looped his arm around my shoulders. "You are such a handful."


    "But a handsome handful," he said with a lopsided grin.


    "You really want to be knocked out cold, don¡¯t you?"


    He only chuckled in response.


    The hotel staff, used to this kind ofte-night drama from the rich and powerful, barely batted an eye as we made our way to the elevator. The driver used a special keycard to ess the top floor, and the penthouse opened into an elegant, sprawling suite.


    The n was simple - drag River to bed, let him pass out, and leave.


    Simple in theory. But not so much in practice.


    I helped the driver get him to the bed and then straightened, brushing my hair back from my face. "Okay. He¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s get going."


    Except he wasn¡¯t settled.


    The moment I turned toward the door, his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. "Don¡¯t go," he mumbled.


    "River-"


    With surprising strength for someone as drunk as he was, he pulled me down... and I fell straight onto the bed,nding hard against his chest. A startled gasp left my lips as he rolled, trapping me beneath him.


    "River!" I snapped. "Get off me!"


    His eyes were half-lidded but still sharp as they met mine. "Warm..." he murmured. "You are warm."


    I struggled, pushing at his chest, but he caught my hands with a firm grip. "Let go-"


    "Ahem."


    I turned my head sharply and saw the driver standing by the door, looking anywhere but at us.


    "I¡¯ll... wait outside in the hallway," he said awkwardly, then backed out of the room like the ce was on fire.


    The door shut with a soft click.


    <fn28b9> For original chapters go to find¡¤novel</fn28b9>


    And I was left alone.


    Under River Thorne.


    His weight wasn¡¯t heavy, but his presence was. His scent wrapped around me like a second skin. My breath caught, and I hated myself for the way my body was starting to betray me, reacting to the feel of him, the warmth, the tension of his hold.


    "River..." I said, quieter now. "Please. Let go."


    He looked down at me and something strange flickered in those dark emerald eyes of his.


    And then-

 Chapter 136: Drunk Rogue Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 136: Drunk Rogue Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "River..." I said in a much softer voice which was less demanding and more pleading. "Please. Let go."


    His eyes locked with mine. They were dark and unfocused, yet still burning with that maddening intensity he always carried. He didn¡¯t move and his weight above me started feeling too real, too solid. His grip on my wrists, though not painful, was firm, grounding me beneath him.


    Then, just when I thought he might actually start talking or pass out-


    <strong>Thump.</strong>


    "OW!" I gasped as my vision blurred with sudden stars. "What the hell?!"


    He had just... headbutted me.


    Full-on. No warning. He just lowered his damn forehead and mmed it into mine like he was greeting me the way rogue wolves greet each other in battle, painfully and withoutmon sense.


    "River Thorne!" I hissed. My eyes had already started watering. "You. Are. Insane!"


    He groaned like he was the one suffering. "That hurt," he muttered, rolling off me atst and flopping on the mattress like a starfish. "Your head¡¯s hard."


    "My head?! <i>You</i> are the one who decided to m your forehead into mine!" I rubbed my temple, checking for blood, but thankfully, there wasn¡¯t any, just a red patch that would likely turn into a bump by morning.


    He chuckled... actually chuckled."You were talking too much. I wanted you to shut up."


    My mouth fell open. "You tried to knock me out?!"


    He turned his face toward me, his eyes fluttering closed. "I think it didn¡¯t work. I can still hear you."


    I stared at him in disbelief, then grabbed a pillow and smacked him square in the chest. "You-You reckless, irresponsible, ego-inted idiot!"


    "Pretty," he mumbled as he grabbed the pillow and hugged it to his chest, all the while his eyes remained shut. "Even when angry. Actually... especially angry."


    I stared down at him, panting from fury... or exasperation. Or both.


    What was I doing here?


    Why was I still here?


    I should have left. I should have walked out the second he pulled me down. But now I was dizzy from the damn headbutt, while he - the terrifying, infuriating, powerful Rogue Alpha King - was lying in front of me like a drunk, oversized puppy who had no clue what he had just done.


    And somehow, some very messed up part of me was finding all this... ridiculous. Endearing, even.


    I groaned again and pressed my hands to my face. "I need help," I muttered.


    But there was no one here to help me handle this drunk Rogue Alpha King.


    "Get up," I said, nudging his arm. "You are a grown man, not a drunk teenager. At least make it under the covers properly if you are nning to pass out."


    "Are you tucking me in, Evaline?" he asked, cracking one eye open.


    I deadpanned. "Do I look like your nanny?"


    "You could be." His voice dropped slightly and that teasing glint returned to his tone. "A hot nanny."


    "I swear to the moon, River-"


    "Alright, alright," he slurred,zily rolling toward the head of the bed and pulling a corner of the nket over himself. "But if I die from cold exposure, I¡¯m haunting you."


    "You live in a penthouse and wear clothes that cost more than my sry. You¡¯ll survive."


    When he finally stilled, his breathing evening out slightly, I stood up and straightened my dress. My reflection in the tall mirror near the bed was showing a woman with flushed cheeks, a mess of silver hair, and amber eyes filled with irritation and... something softer.


    I turned away.


    Despite the urge to leave him just like that, I forced myself to stay a little longer to tuck him in properly. I took off his shoes and then his socks. Then I pulled him into a sitting position, which was definitely not easy, I took off his suit and his tie.


    "This should be enough for him to sleep peacefully. Right?" I asked to no one in particr.


    Out of all people, why it had to be me stuck in such a situation with him?


    Letting out a sigh, I took off his watch and ced it safely on the bedside table. I also took out his phone from his coat pocket and ced it next to the watch. Then, I even opened the top two buttons of his shirt to make it morefortable for him.


    Lastly, I tucked him in under the nket, ced a ss of water on the bedside table with hangover tablets that the driver brought. And switched off the lights, leaving just one bedside tablemp on.


    "You know you are impossible, right?" I muttered once I was done making everything asfortable for him as possible.


    "Mhm," he actually hummed softly in his sleep. "Still better than Kieran."


    That stopped me cold.


    I stared at him, clearly startled. "What?"


    But his breathing had already deepened, signaling that he was finally asleep this time.


    My heart was thundering as I stood by the bed. Did he mean that? Or was it the alcohol talking?


    I shook my head. There was no point in trying to decipher drunk-River. Not now. Not when everything in me was already in disarray.


    Carefully, I moved out of the bedroom before stepping out of the penthouse.


    Just like the driver promised, he was waiting in the the hallway. He looked up, clearly relieved to see me.


    "He¡¯s passed out," I told him. "And hopefully, he¡¯ll stay that way till morning."


    "Are you alright, Miss Evaline?" he asked, eyeing the faint red mark on my forehead.


    I waved him off. "He headbutted me. I¡¯ll survive."


    The man blinked. "Headbutted-?"


    "Don¡¯t ask. Just... let¡¯s get out of here."


    He nodded and guided me to the elevator, pressing the button as I leaned back against the polished ss-paneled wall, sighing deeply.


    This night had gone from ufortable to ridiculous and now bordered on surreal.


    <fn6da3> Read full story at find?novel</fn6da3>


    And somehow, it still was feeling more real than anything I had experienced in weeks.

 Chapter 137: His Nice, Little Kiddo

    <h4>Chapter 137: His Nice, Little Kiddo</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t get scolded.


    Just like River¡¯s driver had promised, no one from the faculty stopped me when I stepped past the gates of the Academy - nearly an hour past curfew. But that didn¡¯t mean I escaped notice.


    The few faculty members and night duty warriors, who were still out and about, didn¡¯t say a word as I walked past, but their eyes lingered, darting toward the slit on the side of my long navy-blue dress, the sparkling shoes heels, the expensive jewelry still clinging to my neck and wrists, and the messy waves of my silver hair.


    The moment I stepped into the dorm building, I silently prayed not to run into anyone I knew. Thankfully, the corridors were quiet, and the lighting was dim enough to keep my flushed cheeks hidden.


    I slipped through the door to my dorm room like a whisper and made my way into my bedroom, letting out a sigh of relief as I locked the door behind me.


    "Wow," came a familiar voice from the room as the bedside tablemp was switched on in a simr manner from the previous night. "And here I thought I was the only one who made midnight returns."


    I nearly jumped.


    Rowan was sitting on his bed with his legs stretched, wearing one of his oversized hoodies, and holding a half-eaten protein bar. His gaze fell on me, and for a second, his expression froze.


    "Damn," he muttered as his eyes scanned my appearance. "You look like you just stepped off a runway. What - did Alpha River drag you to a werewolf fashion show?"


    I groaned and tossed my bag near the wardrobe before copsing onto the bed face-first. "Worse," I mumbled into the nket. "A business dinner. And humans drink a lot."


    He chuckled, walking over to perch at the edge of my bed. "So you finally caved and picked up my habit of staying outte, huh?"


    I turned my head enough to re at him. "Only because I had to."


    "Sure," he said, the grin on his face not faltering. "I believe you. But just so you know, no matter how pretty you look, you can¡¯t sleep in that dress. It looks like it costs more than the entire dormitory."


    "I¡¯m too tired to move."


    "Too bad." He knelt down and began undoing the straps of my heels. "You are getting changed before you ruin this thing."


    "You are so bossy when I¡¯m exhausted," I groaned.


    "That¡¯s because you get dramatic when you are tired. Come on, show me where you keep your pajamas. I¡¯ll grab them and get out."


    "Second drawer," I said, waving azy hand toward the wardrobe.


    He walked over and pulled out afy set of pajamas before handing them to me.


    <fnfe9b> The source of th?s content is find[f]ovel</fnfe9b>


    "Thanks, Rowan."


    He was already halfway to the door. "Anytime. Oh... do you even have makeup remover?"


    I blinked. "Why would I?"


    He paused. "Because you have makeup on."


    "I don¡¯t use makeup. Just gloss. The stylist did it all."


    He sighed dramatically. "Of course."


    The door closed behind him, and I slowly peeled myself out of the elegant and expensive prison I had been dressed in. The dress dropped to the floor like spilled ink. I didn¡¯t even bother hanging it up. I just slipped into the soft cotton of my sleepwear, threw my hair into azy bun, and fell backward on the bed with a relieved groan.


    Sleep. That¡¯s all I want.


    My eyes had just fluttered shut when a soft knock came from the door.


    "Come in," I mumbled.


    The door opened, and Rowan stepped inside, holding a bottle and some pads. "Got this from Mallory. She¡¯s got a whole drawer full of makeup stuff."


    He sat beside me again, setting the items on the nightstand. "You okay with me helping?"


    Too tired to care, I gave a small nod. "Just don¡¯t poke my eyes."


    He grinned. "No promises."


    His hands were surprisingly gentle as he wiped theyers of foundation and shimmer away. Each sweep of the remover pad was soothing, like being tucked into warmth.


    "It¡¯s bad to sleep with makeup on," he said, brushing a pad under my jawline. "Clogs your pores."


    "Noted."


    When he tilted my chin up to swipe across my forehead, I flinched, and his hand froze. "What was that?"


    "Nothing," I said before adding a lie, "Just hit a wall."


    "You hit a-? Eva. Seriously?"


    I forced a smile. "I¡¯m clumsy, remember?"


    His eyes searched mine, and I was able to see he didn¡¯t believe a word. But to his credit, he didn¡¯t push me. He nodded slowly and cleaned the rest of my makeup, being extra gentle with my forehead.


    Then, he reached over to the drawer and pulled out the little medical kit I had put there.


    "You got this for me, didn¡¯t you?" he asked, unscrewing a jar of balm.


    "Yes. You are always getting injured mysteriously."


    "Well, I¡¯m d you did. Because now I get to use it on you."


    He dabbed his fingers into the balm, then began applying it carefully on my forehead. The touch was cool, tingling slightly, but gentle. It hurt, yes, but nothingpared to how it hurt when I received it.


    "You are really good at this," I whispered.


    He smirked. "I know. I practice on myself a lot."


    "Of course you do."


    When he finished, he ced the balm back in the kit and picked up the gown, folding and cing it aside.


    "You need rest," he said, tucking the nket over my shoulder before switching off the light.


    "You, too," I murmured, eyes already closing. "Thanks, Rowan."


    "For what?"


    I let out a sleepy breath. "For always being here."


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. But I felt his hand giving the top of my head a soft, gentle pat.


    "You are such a nice, little kiddo. I like looking after you." He finally spoke.


    I wanted to argue about him calling me ¡¯little¡¯ and ¡¯kiddo¡¯ in the same sentence, but I was too tired. Maybe another time?

 Chapter 138: Embarrassed

    <h4>Chapter 138: Embarrassed</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When my rm started buzzing at six, I was already awake.


    I sat up and rubbed my temples gently, wincing as my fingers brushed over the sore bump on my forehead. It was throbbing a little but wasn¡¯t as bad as I expected. Thank the moon for Rowan¡¯s balm.


    With a sigh, I got out of bed and started my morning routine. Today, I was nning to leave half an hour early, so I called Mr. Wood and confirmed with him.


    Instead of going straight to the Council Headquarters, I made a quick stop at a dry cleaning store in Lakeshire Town. The boutique dress fromst night, after being folded carefully and stored in a garment bag, was now hanging in my arms like an unwanted secret. I paid the dry cleaning charges and gave the Council headquarters¡¯ address for delivery as I requested they deliver it byte afternoon.


    The heels and jewelry fromst night were neatly packed in a smaller bag, hanging from my shoulder. Once the dress would be delivered, I would return all these things back to River.


    When I finally reached the Headquarters, I was met with the usual scent of fresh linen, brewed coffee, and expensive polish. The grand lobby was gleaming under the sunlight filtering through the tall windows.


    I greeted the receptionists and a few passing employees on my way in.


    "Good morning-"


    Their heads turned, and then... their eyes widened.


    Some halted in their steps, others blinked, obviously caught off guard. Not by my arrival, but by the giant, red, angry bump right in the middle of my forehead.


    The balm might have helped with the pain, but it barely did anything to stop it from bing a very highlighted and obvious bump.


    "Ms. Evaline! Are you-?" the front deskdy, Tania, started to ask.


    <fnb5a7> This text is hosted at find(?)ovel</fnb5a7>


    But I was already walking toward the elevator.


    "Just clumsy," I called over my shoulder with a wave. "Ran into a wall."


    It was a weak excuse. A lie, really. But not far from the truth, if you counted River¡¯s head as a metaphorical wall. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like I could go around telling people that Rogue Alpha King headbutted me in his drunken state.


    Inside the elevator, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Because of my pale skin, the redness of the bump was standing out far too much.


    Rowan had suggested that I not cover it up with makeup, no matter how tempted I was.


    "It¡¯ll just trap the heat and irritate it more," he had said while pressing a coolpress to it. "Let it breathe."


    And he was right. It wasn¡¯t just about hiding it. Why should I be the one trying to conceal it? The one who should feel guilty, embarrassed, or concerned... was the idiot who headbutted me like a rowdy pup. Not me.


    By the time I reached my floor, River still hadn¡¯t arrived. I wasn¡¯t surprised. If he was showing up today, it wouldn¡¯t be until the world stopped spinning around him.


    I got to work quickly - sorting through new reports, highlighting updates on border security issues, and gging a few files that had gone untouched sincest week.


    Despite myself, I found my thoughts drifting to River more than once. Would he remember anything fromst night? Would he recall headbutting me? Would he even acknowledge it if he did?


    I let out a softugh under my breath.


    The image of him with flushed cheeks, unsteady steps, and eyes that were sparkling with mischief instead of malice - that River felt so different from the man who usually sat behind this desk like he owned the world and everyone in it.


    And I hated to admit it, but... I had smiled more in that chaotic car ride than I had in months with him.


    <i>You are hopeless, Eva</i>, I told myself and shook my head to collect myself.


    It wasn¡¯t until close to noon that I finally heard the elevator ding again and the distinct echo of familiar footsteps in the hallway.


    I didn¡¯t have to look up. I was already able to feel his presence.


    He walked in like a storm bottled in a finely pressed ck coat. His dark hair wasbed back, suit tailored, and face as expressionless as ever... or at least, it tried to be.


    His eyes found me in an instant... and froze.


    It was quick, subtle, and maybe no one else would have caught it, but I did. The slight widening of his eyes, the almost imperceptible pause in his steps, and the tight flicker of his jaw.


    His gaze zeroed in on the bump.


    And for the first time since I had met him, the cold, untouchable Rogue Alpha King... looked embarrassed.


    He tried to school his expression into something neutral. But he failed.


    His lips twitched. His gaze flicked toward his desk, then back to me, like he was trying toe up with something to say... anything... that would acknowledge what he did.


    When he didn¡¯t speak, I raised an eyebrow.


    "Morning, Alpha Thorne," I said calmly, as if my forehead wasn¡¯t screaming for attention. "Feeling better?"


    His lips parted, then closed again. He cleared his throat and nodded stiffly, stepping around the desk and pulling out his chair.


    He pretended to adjust his cuffs as he finally broke the silence. "I... trust the driver got you back safely."


    "Eventually," I said, tilting my head.


    A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes again before he forced his usual stoic mask into ce.


    Once again, his gaze drifted to my forehead and lingered this time.


    "I..." He paused, then swallowed. "Apologize."


    That stunned me more than anything else. Not because I didn¡¯t think he was capable, but because hearing it from him was like hearing thunder in a clear sky - jarring and unexpected.


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    "I said I apologize. For the injury."


    My lips twitched. "You headbutted me."


    There was a pause before he spoke, "I¡¯m aware."


    I leaned back in my chair as I continued, despite knowing better. "You are lucky I¡¯m not suing you."


    He leaned in his chair and I noticed that usual gleam of pride and power returning to his eyes. "Don¡¯t test me, Evaline."


    Instead of feeling threatened, I just smirked and yed with the pencil with my fingers. "I knew it."


    That got his attention, causing a slight frown to appear on his face. "Knew what?" He asked as I turned my full attention to work.

 Chapter 139: The Bonus She Didn’t Ask For

    <h4>Chapter 139: The Bonus She Didn¡¯t Ask For</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "That you can¡¯t pretend to be anyone but you for more than just a few seconds."


    The second those words left my mouth, the air in the office seemed to tighten.


    From the corner of my eye, I noticed his fingers stilling where they were tapping against the side of his chair. The gleam in his eyes, the one that had begun to return just moments ago, was now narrowed with intensity.


    His voice was quieter when he asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"


    I didn¡¯t look up from my paperwork. "You know exactly what it means."


    "I want to hear it from you," he said in a slightly sharper tone, it was edged with that signature Rogue Alpha demand. "Exin yourself, Evaline."


    I met his gaze only briefly, then calmly returned to my notes. "Not in the mood to y twenty questions today."


    His jaw flexed. He was clearly not used to being dismissed so casually, especially not by someone like me. A month ago, I might have frozen. Even a week ago, I might have tried to hold myself from pushing him too much. But today, I was feeling oddly in control.


    Just as his mouth parted again, probably to press the matter further, my phone started buzzing on the desk between us. I nced at it and saw my lunch reminder shing across the screen.


    Saved by the bell.


    "I have to go," I said, rising to my feet and grabbing my phone. "Lunch hour."


    He didn¡¯t say anything as I walked past him, but I was able to feel the weight of his stare all the way to the door.


    - - -


    The cafeteria wasn¡¯t crowded, thank the stars.


    I grabbed a tray and a simple lunch - roasted vegetables, rice, and soup - before finding a quiet spot near the far windows. My head was still throbbing lightly and I was in no mood to be social.


    While I ate, I thought back to what I had said. I hadn¡¯t nned to poke at him, but something about him pretending to be indifferent when I could see through him... It made my fingers itch.


    He wore his power like armor, butst night, for a flickering moment, the armor had cracked. Beneath the cold confidence, I had seen something <i>human</i>. And now he hated that I had noticed.


    After lunch, I returned to the office expecting more tension or confrontation. But surprisingly, he didn¡¯t bring it up again. Instead, he handed me a file folder with a few reports that needed reviewing and a note on what he wanted highlighted.


    Then he busied himself with calls and paperwork, the way a proper Alpha King should.


    There were no smug remarks. No cryptic insults. Just quiet professionalism.


    It was almost disappointing.


    Byte afternoon, around four, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. The person on the other end introduced herself as one of the delivery staff from the dry cleaning store.


    "I¡¯m here at the lobby to deliver your item, miss," she said politely.


    "Be right down," I replied and hung up.


    When I reached the lobby, the woman handed me the familiar garment bag. The dress was now freshly cleaned and folded with perfect care. I thanked her, signed the delivery note, and carried it upstairs with a sigh. It was finally time to return thest of it.


    Back in the office, I grabbed the bag with the heels and the box containing the jewelry from the cab behind my desk, then walked over to River¡¯s desk.


    He was flipping through some documents, but the second I ced the items on his desk, he looked up with a frown.


    "All of the stuff are here," I said while pointing at the bags.


    He studied the bags, then leaned back in his chair. "They are yours now."


    I blinked. "No, I¡¯m returning them."


    "They are yours," he repeated, now with that exasperating calm of his. "Consider it your bonus for apanying me to the dinner."


    I folded my arms. "You already promised me double sry for that."


    He smirked. "Then consider it... gratitude. For ensuring I reached the hotel and was sleeping in the penthouse safely."


    I gave him a t look. "I still won¡¯t ept them. They are way too expensive."


    That earned me a raised brow, but only for a second. He leaned forward and nudged the bags back toward me.


    "I mean it," he said as his gaze held mine. "I owe you."


    I let out a short breath. "You really don¡¯t."


    "Evaline."


    My name, it was spoken like a warning but sounded almost... tender.


    "I appreciate the gesture," I said, carefully. "But I don¡¯t want things I didn¡¯t earn."


    He narrowed his gaze. "You didearn them."


    "I didn¡¯t do it for rewards," I said firmly. "I just didn¡¯t want you passed out in some hotel with dozens of people eyeing you like you were their prey for the night."


    We locked eyes in a tense silence.


    Then, finally, he sighed and picked up the smaller jewelry box. He held it between us, studied thebel, and said, "The boutique doesn¡¯t take returns."


    I blinked. "Then donate them."


    "Evaline."


    I hated how easily he said my name. Hated how it almost always softened my resolve.


    "If you won¡¯t keep them," he continued, "then throw them away. I don¡¯t need them, and I¡¯m not interested in bartering over a pair of heels."


    "You are seriously going to waste-"


    "They are yours," he cut me off, his tone final.


    And that was the end of it.


    I stared at the bags, still sitting stubbornly on the edge of his desk, and realized he meant it. He really wasn¡¯t going to take them back.


    <fna4e8> Th?s chapter is updated by f?ndnovel</fna4e8>


    I grabbed them slowly and turned to walk back to my desk, muttering under my breath, "You are impossible."


    He didn¡¯t deny it.


    I carefully ced the items in the cab. They were looking more like trophies than gifts.


    I didn¡¯t want them. Not really. Not when they came with a night full of unwanted memories - awkward hotel room chaos, an idental headbutt, and a glimpse into a man I still didn¡¯t fully understand.


    But throwing them away wasn¡¯t an option either.


    So, for now, I was keeping them.

 Chapter 140: A Busy Week

    <h4>Chapter 140: A Busy Week</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time the weekend faded into Monday morning, I was ready to slip back into my routine as a student of Silver Moon Academy.


    Monday passed without incident - smooth lectures, a quick lunch, and quiet evenings filled with finishing touches on the Runes project. Tuesday mirrored it with the same unbothered rhythm.


    I got so absorbed that I almost forgot that just a days ago, I had been pinned to a hotel bed by a drunken Rogue Alpha King with the strength of a boulder and the grace of a toddler.


    By Wednesday morning, the bump on my foreheadpletely disappeared as the balm worked its quiet magic over time. I examined myself in the mirror, tilting my head left and right to make sure the evidence was truly gone. Satisfied, I pulled my hair into a neat braid and headed out.


    Wednesday was also the most silent day at the Academy because of the full moon. More than half the students had taken the days off, not because they all needed it but because they could. And all three Rogue Alpha brothers were also absent just like the month before.


    Unlikest month, I didn¡¯t find myself heading to the library after dinner or stumbling upon a glowing-eyed wolf that turned out to be my mate. No, this time I did what every sane person should do, I locked myself in my bedroom.


    Not out of fear. Not because I didn¡¯t want to see one of my mates again in their wolf form. But because it wasn¡¯t really safe to be found in a simr situation by any of the staff. Not like many would be wondering the halls on a night of full moon, but still.


    <fn7917> Fresh chapters posted on F¦ÉndNovel</fn7917>


    I couldn¡¯t risk being discovered.


    So I stayed in. Note night studying. No creeping through corridors. Just me, my notes, and a mug of warm milk.


    Thursday was a flurry of nerves and paper scraps as we pulled together the final draft of our Runes project. We had been diligently working on it for nearly two weeks now, and while everyone had done their part, the final presentation still had to be polished.


    Freya triple-checked the footnotes while Cedric wrote out the exnations in his neatest handwriting. I went over the diagrams and made sure the glyph alignment matched the historical patterns. Ria and Rowan were tasked with the digital format of the project.


    After all the work, we were as ready on Friday as we ever could. Professor Aldric had booked all three periods before lunch. So as soon as we were done with our breakfast, we all headed to his ss.


    It didn¡¯t take us long to realize that Professor Aldric wasn¡¯t ying around with this project. He was very thorough as he raised questions from each group.


    My group was the sixth to hand in our project and give a presentation on it. Fortunately, we also answered all the questions correctly.


    The moment we were done, it felt like a heavy weight had lifted from our shoulders. Once the remaining groups were done with their turns, Professor Aldric quickly announced the results.


    "Full marks," he announced as he returned our physical projects. "Group Six - A."


    I blinked in surprise. Even if I knew that we had done quite well in the project, I still wasn¡¯t expecting to get an A.


    Ria clutched her heart and let out a little squeal. "Oh my goddess, I thought we were going to get a B at best like the rest of the ss!"


    We were one of only two groups to get full marks. The pride and disbelief in our little group was palpable.


    But our joy was short-lived.


    Right after lunch, Professor Elira dropped the hammer - a new assignment on Werewolf History and Politics. And a written test scheduled for next Wednesday.


    The collective groan from the ss was loud enough to rattle the ceiling.


    "Elira enjoys watching us suffer," Noah muttered as we shuffled out of the ssroom.


    "She¡¯s probably the descendant of some ancient war general," Ria added dryly.


    And with that, another week wrapped up. Quietly. Peacefully. Almost boringly.


    The usual crowd who made it their mission to throw shade at me - Nadine and her girlies - didn¡¯t try anything new. A few dirty looks here, some whispering in the hallway there. But nothing major. After all, they too were pretty upied with the project and considering their group also got an A, they definitely worked hard.


    After the shower incident, Celeste and her group had also left me alone. And while I was grateful for that, I had a feeling that this peace might notst for too long.


    But for once, nothing major happened.


    Throughout the week, I was trying to talk to Kieran about the secret investigation I was going to conduct, but I didn¡¯t get a single chance. Either he was genuinely busy, or he was avoiding me.


    I didn¡¯t know which possibility frustrated me more.


    It was almost frustrating. If he really wanted me to stay far away from these incidents and whatever was behind them, he should have never told me about them in the first ce.


    Even if I wanted, I couldn¡¯t pretend that nothing bad was going on right in the very Academy that was supposed to be my safe haven for next four years.


    But it wasn¡¯t just Kieran who kept his distance.


    Oscar and Draven were busy two. It turned out the second years were going through a physical training test from Monday to Thursday and Oscar was the incharge instructor. Thus, both the brothers were pretty busy throughout the week.


    Still, they made sure to leave me messages and even call me once in a while to ask about how my days were going.


    It wasn¡¯t until I didn¡¯t get to see glimpses of Oscar across the hallways, meet Draven in the library every evening or y the twon building game with him like usual, I didn¡¯t realize just how used I had be of their presence in my life.


    With this busy week finally over, I was actually looking forward to a hance encounter with, at least, one of my mates.

 Chapter 141: A Date Night From Nowhere

    <h4>Chapter 141: A Date Night From Nowhere</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Saturday passed far more peacefully than I was expecting.


    River didn¡¯t show up at the Council headquarters at all, and for once, there wasn¡¯t a mountain of work waiting for me. The silence and calm were... refreshing.


    I managed toplete my assigned tasks by five in the evening. My bag was already slung over my shoulder as I made my way to the elevator, mentally nning a quiet evening with some snacks and research material for History assignment, when my phone started buzzing in my hand.


    It was Draven.


    A small smile tugged at my lips, but I quicklyposed myself before answering.


    "Hey," I said, trying to sound casual.


    "Hey," he replied, and just like that, my heart was doing that strange fluttery thing again. "What time will you be done?"


    "I¡¯m just about to leave," I told him. "Heading back to the Academy now."


    There was a pause on his end, and then his voice dropped slightly. It was softer, more hesitant, like he was treading carefully. "Would you... like to go out for dinner with me tonight?"


    For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.


    Dinner. With Draven.


    Our first date.


    I blinked at the elevator panel, unsure if I had heard him right. "Are you asking me on a date?"


    "I am," he said simply, but confidently. "If you arefortable with it."


    I was. I really was.


    But being seen with him was going to lead to too many questions - ones I wasn¡¯t ready to answer.


    <fn5921> ?????? ???? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn5921>


    He must have sensed my hesitation because he spoke again quickly. "You don¡¯t have to head back to the Academy first. Meet me at Willowcross, the small town just next to Lakeshire. I¡¯ll pick you up there, and we¡¯ll head to one of the nearby cities. No one from the Academy will see us."


    My heart started pounding harder.


    He had thought this through. He wanted this. He wanted me.


    I looked down at myself. ck trousers. A brown button-down shirt. Low heels. My hair was twisted up in a bun from the morning rush. I wasn¡¯t exactly dressed for a date, definitely not the kind Draven probably had in mind. And going back to the Academy to change would ruin the n.


    But I didn¡¯t want to say no.


    I couldn¡¯t miss this chance.


    "Okay," I said softly. "I¡¯ll meet you there."


    Instead of heading to the lobby, I ducked into the women¡¯s restroom near the office wing. It was empty, thankfully. I pulled my hair out of the bun and fluffed it slightly, frowning at the slight crease on my shirt and the dull look on my face.


    I sshed cold water on my skin and patted it dry, feeling a little bit of lip gloss wouldn¡¯t hurt. I pulled the small bottle from my bag and started applying it when the restroom door swung open.


    Be and Emily walked in the next moment. The two of them were some of nicest assistants I had gotten to know during my weeks here. Be worked under Alpha Caden, and Emily worked under Alpha Reed.


    Both women paused when they spotted me at the mirror.


    "Well, well," Be grinned, arching an eyebrow. "Is that lip gloss I see?"


    Emily¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. "Someone¡¯s getting ready for something."


    I smiled awkwardly at being caught red-handed. "I, uh... might be going on a date."


    Both of them gasped - dramatically, of course - and suddenly I was surrounded.


    "A date?" Emily practically squealed. "That¡¯s amazing!"


    "With who?" Be asked, arms crossed, pretending to be stern. "Is he a student from Academy?"


    I just nodded my head in s positive response.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to say more than that, and thankfully they didn¡¯t push. Instead, they noticed my outfit and how not so date-coded it was, and immediately switched into helper mode.


    "We can fix this," Be dered.


    "I don¡¯t have much time," I warned, but that didn¡¯t stop them.


    They got to work like they had done this a hundred times.


    Be started with my clothes. She rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and unbuttoned just enough of the top to offer a subtle glimpse of cleavage. She took off her gold pendant and matching earrings and ced them gently into my hands.


    "Wear these. You can give them back tomorrow," she said with a wink.


    Emily unstrapped her sleek golden watch and handed it to me with a yful grin. "To make your wrist look expensive."


    I tried to argue, but they wouldn¡¯t hear it. "You are going on a date, girl," Be insisted. "You deserve to look stunning."


    I sat on the bench while they worked on my hair and makeup.


    Emily used a mini curler to put gentle waves in my silver locks, letting them fall around my shoulders in soft curls. Be applied just enough makeup to enhance my features - coral blush to match the outfit and the vibes of the season, a little highlighter on my cheekbones, a touch of mascara, and a lip tint that brought out the warmth in my amber eyes.


    By the time they were done, I didn¡¯t even recognize myself.


    I looked... confident. Glowing. Like someone who deserved a perfect first date.


    When I looked in the mirror, I could hardly believe how much a little care and effort had transformed me. I didn¡¯t look overdressed, just elegant in a subtle way. My trousers were perfectly fitted, the shirt was now chic with its minor alterations. The essories tied it all together.


    "You are going to make someone very, very breathless tonight," Emily whispered with a grin.


    "And if he doesn¡¯t treat you right, just let us know," Be added with a genuineugh.


    "Thank you both," I said sincerely, hugging them one at a time.


    They walked me to the lobby before heading to their respective rides, and I sent a quick message to Draven that I was on my way to Willowcross.


    With butterflies in my stomach and my heart thudding with excitement, I stepped out into thete evening light, looking nothing like the tired assistant from minutes ago.


    No. Tonight, I was just Evaline.


    And I was going on my first date with my soulmate.

 Chapter 142: The Dinner Date

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Dinner Date</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Even Mr. Wood had to do a double take when I stepped into the parking lot of the Council headquarters.


    He blinked as his eyes scanned me from head to toe. I knew I was looking nothing like I was this morning when he dropped me here. Now, with soft waves in my silver hair, a little bit of makeup, and jewelry lending me a glow I didn¡¯t usually wear, I probably was looking like someone else entirely.


    But, to his credit, he didn¡¯t let his surprise linger. He quickly slipped on his professional expression, cleared his throat, and opened the car door for me.


    "Where to, Miss Evaline?" he asked as if sensing I might not be returning to the Academy


    "Willowcross," I replied, unable to hide the slight tremble in my voice.


    He said nothing, just nodded and started driving.


    It was a calm, silent ride. Thete evening sky outside was slowly deepening into the richer hues of dusk, and my nerves were beginning to catch up with me. I kept fidgeting with the sleeves of my shirt, mentally repeating that it was just dinner. With my mate. A dinner. A date. No big deal.


    Except it was a big deal.


    Mr. Wood dropped me outside a charming little bakery. The town of Willowcross was quaint, warm, and alive even during this hour. I spotted people walking their dogs, kids riding bicycles, and soft music floating out from the stores.


    I moved to a corner and called Draven.


    "I¡¯m outside the Sugar Garden bakery," I told him.


    "I¡¯m a minute away."


    Exactly sixty secondster, a sleek ck car rolled to a smooth stop in front of me.


    The driver¡¯s door opened, and my heart forgot how to beat as Draven stepped out.


    He was dressed for the asion in a ck button-up shirt that was hugging his lean, powerful frame perfectly, paired with a dark coat and cks. A pair of sunsses was shielding his eyes despite the sun already setting, and a ck mask was covering the lower half of his face.


    Of course. We were in public, and this was a town close to the Academy. Any person walking on these streets could recognize him when paid enough attention.


    Still, even with most of his face covered, I was able to feel his eyes on me.


    He walked over, opened the passenger door for me with a slight bow of his head like a perfect gentleman.


    "Mdy," he murmured.


    I smiled despite myself and slid into the seat, clutching my bag on myp to calm my nerves.


    Once he got in, he started the car and pulled away from the curb. For the first few minutes, there was only silence -fortable but charged.


    Then he peeked at me.


    "You really said yes," he said with a soft smile in his voice. "I didn¡¯t think you would."


    "I almost didn¡¯t," I admitted, feeling my cheeks heating up.


    He chuckled, and the sound was low and smooth. "Well, I¡¯m d you did."


    His eyes scanned me quickly, and I noticed appreciation shining behind his shades. "You look beautiful tonight," he said sincerely. "Did you put on makeup just for me?"


    I tried to roll my eyes, but my smile gave me away.


    "I didn¡¯t have time to go back and change," I said. "So... let¡¯s just say, it was a team effort."


    He raised a brow. "Should I be thanking someone else for helping my mate look this stunning?"


    "Maybe," I said with a smile. "But you can thank me for saying yes."


    Heughed again. "Deal."


    We fell into conversation easily after that. We talked about our week, uing sses, and things we had learned. He congratted me on getting an A in mytest trial and called me brilliant. When I learned he had also aced his physicalbat assessment, we both agreed the night called for a double celebration.


    Half an hourter, he pulled into the parking lot of a cozy and warm looking restaurant, with vines trailing up the outside and golden lights glowing through the windows.


    He walked around the car and opened my door again. Every action he made tonight was so gentle, so considerate, it softened something in me I didn¡¯t even realize had gone tense.


    He led me inside, and the hostess guided us not to the main dining area, but toward a private room.


    The door opened to reveal a softly lit space, decorated with candles, a small chandelier overhead, and a single round table set for two. Gentle music was ying from hidden speakers.


    I turned to him as the door shut behind us.


    "You nned all of this?"


    He pulled down his mask and removed his sunsses, revealing his full face for the first time tonight.


    "I wanted to make this night special," he said. "For both of us."


    And it was.


    Dinner was delicious - steamed vegetables, herb-marinated grilled chicken, and a velvety cream pasta that melted in my mouth. Dessert was a decadent chocte mousse with a tart raspberry drizzle.


    But it wasn¡¯t just the food. It was the way he listened so attentively, the way he smiled every time Iughed, the way he kept sliding tinypliments into the conversation like he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    "I think I¡¯m starting to like this date thing," I said between bites.


    He raised his juice ss. "Then here¡¯s to our first of many."


    By the time we finished eating, I thought the night couldn¡¯t get any sweeter. But then, slow music filled the air.


    He stood and offered me his hand.


    "May I have this dance?"


    I stared at him.


    "There¡¯s no one here," I said with a small smile.


    "Exactly," he replied, "so no one can judge my dancing."


    Laughing, I ced my hand in his and he pulled me close. His one hand moved to rest on my waist, while other was holding my hand gently.


    We swayed us to the music, and my heart swayed with us.


    <fnf40a> Fresh chapters posted on FindN()vel</fnf40a>


    It felt... safe. Real. Like something I had been longing for without knowing.


    The music faded, but he didn¡¯t step back right away. He let his hand slide down and reached into his coat pocket.


    "I got you something," he murmured.


    And then he pulled out a small velvet box.

 Chapter 143: After Dinner Fun

    <h4>Chapter 143: After Dinner Fun</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I blinked in surprise, my gaze shifting from the velvet box to the man holding it. "Draven..."


    "It¡¯s not a ring," he teased. "Rx, Love."


    He then opened the box, and inside was a silver charm bracelet, looking delicate and beautiful. There were two charms already on it - a tiny wolf and a moon.


    "Just a little reminder," he said as he sped it on my wrist. "Of what you are, and what you mean to me."


    I looked up at him, feeling my eyes stinging. Ever since my mother left me, no one had ever treated me this gently, until I arrived at Silver Moon and got to know some of the nicest people ever... including my mates.


    "I don¡¯t deserve this," I whispered.


    He reached out and cupped my cheek gently. "You deserve so much more, Evaline."


    I watched him in silence, as my heart felt surrounded with a rare feeling of warmth.


    Though the dinner was over, there were still more than three hours left before curfew. And Draven soon made it obvious that he had more ns in store for the night.


    He brushed a strand of hair from my face as he asked, "Can I take you somewhere else? Somewhere fun?" His voice was hopeful, just like his eyes as they waited for my response.


    I smiled at him before whispering, "Wherever you want."


    That made his smile widened. "Then let¡¯s go to my favorite ce."


    In a blink, we were weaving through the town. I was wondering where we were heading until he pulled in front of a bright neon glow - an arcade. My eyebrows lifted in surprise, delight, and nerves.


    <fn3c79> Th?s chapter is updated by </fn3c79>


    Inside the building, a symphony of lights and sounds greeted us - coin drops, bleeps, cheers. I nced at him as I spoke. "I have never done this before."


    He took out a card from his wallet and showed it to me. "Who cares? Win or lose, it¡¯ll be fun."


    It turned out the card was for ying games. Since he was a usual visitor to this ce, he got a custom card to pay for the games instead of using regr coins.


    Our first stop was an area filled with w machines - some had plushies in them, some had snacks, and then there were ones with DIY sort of things.


    I watched as he scanned his card and guided the w to snag a plush bear. It dropped with a <i>thunk</i> and he lifted it, handing it to me with a boyish grin. He tried again and this time also seeded, getting me a chocte bar.


    He made it look so easy that I was feeling pretty confident... until I tried and failed miserably. Not just once but three times in a row.


    "Here, let me help you."


    I turned to nce at him, and my breath caught when I realized just how close he was. His chest was nearly brushing against my back, and I was able to feel the heat radiating off him like the soft hum of summer sun.


    My hands tightened instinctively around the w machine controls. I was suddenly too aware of everything as he stepped behind me fully and reached around with both arms. His hands closed lightly over mine, guiding my fingers to the buttons.


    "You are moving the w too fast," he murmured, his breath brushing against my temple and sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. "Go slow. See that little blue bunny in the corner? Let¡¯s try for that."


    His fingers were warm as they steadied mine. My pulse was thundering in my ears, louder than the beeping of the machine. I was barely able to concentrate on the w. All I could think about was the feeling of being wrapped in his arms like this, even if it was just for a silly arcade game.


    "Okay, now - press."


    We moved as one. I was holding my breath as the w dipped, caught on the bunny¡¯s head... and lifted it. I watched as the bunny swayed dangerously beforending safely in the prize chute.


    A squeal escaped me. It was part relief, part excitement, part... something else. I heard himughing. It was a soft, happy sound right by my ear, and I turned my head without thinking. As our eyes met, I realized he hadn¡¯t moved away yet.


    "See?" he said, still smiling. "You are a natural. Just needed a little help."


    I nodded, dumbly, feeling my cheeks ming. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was from the win or from how my heart was practically doing cartwheels in my chest.


    With the bunny tucked safely in my arms, we continued with more games. And he was good at everything. Literally. There wasn¡¯t a single game he tried and lost. He was winning like he was a professional.


    But he wasn¡¯t ying only by himself, he was making sure that I too was having a good time. He motivated me whenever I lost and congratted on my small wins.


    When we finally stopped over an hour and halfter, we had earned enough tickets to exchange them for a week¡¯s worth of snacks. Not only that but I had six different plushies and a chocte bar from the wins as well.


    It was... clearly overwhelming. "I-oh my goddess-" I let out a littleugh while shaking my head.


    We loaded everything in the backseat of his car before we finally headed back. I was expecting him to drop me off at the Academy, instead, he drove past the road leading to the main gates and entered the dense woods surrounding the Academy.


    I was confused but I didn¡¯t ask anything, just waited. About ten minutester, we pulled up at the foot of a cliff.


    "Where are we?" I finally asked as I climbed out of the carbwhen he opened the door for me.


    "This is another one of my favorite ces, a ce just for me. I have been wanting to show it to you for a while." He was looking at me with excitement filled eyes, and it made me feel curious to know what else was in store for me tonight.


    "Alright," I said, slipping my hand into his waiting one, "Show me what it is."

 Chapter 144: Alpha’s Safe Place

    <h4>Chapter 144: Alpha¡¯s Safe ce</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Draven held my hand as we made our way along a narrow trail that was wrapped around the base of the cliff. The trees were denser here, their shadows ovepping beneath the faint moonlight.


    My curiosity was bubbling over, but I stayed quiet, letting him lead me.


    Then, without warning, he stopped before what was looking like a wall of vines and thick greenery. I blinked. There was no path, no opening - justyers of tangled ivy and hanging moss. But he pushed a few aside like he knew exactly where to look, and that¡¯s when I saw it.


    A narrow wooden door, nearly invisible unless you were standing right in front of it.


    "You brought me to a secretir?" I whispered with a grin, half teasing, half breathless in awe.


    He chuckled and nced at me. "Something like that."


    The door creaked softly as he unlocked it and pushed it open, pulling me inside. Warmth greeted me first - not from heat, but from the space itself. It was small but charming.


    The entrance opened into a short hallway with smooth stone walls and soft lighting from wall sconces. At the end of it was a cozy living room, neatly connected to apact but beautiful kitchen. A bedroom and a bathroom were branched off to the side.


    The floors were wooden, polished and clean, and the air was carrying the faint scent of wildflowers and something earthier... something like Draven himself.


    But what truly surprised me were the fairy lights. They were strung around the edges of the ceiling, softly glowing with a warm amber hue, wrapping the ce in a dreamlikefort. It felt magical, like something out of a storybook.


    I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You... have fairy lights?"


    He looked sheepish, scratching the back of his neck. "Oscar made fun of me for weeks. Said they were ¡¯unnecessary.¡¯ But I liked how they looked, so I kept them."


    <fnfdcf> Read full story at find?novel</fnfdcf>


    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. "They are perfect."


    He showed me around, walking me through each room. The ce was tidy, minimal but lived-in, like it was holding memories waiting to be made. By the time we returned to the living room, I was wrapped infort, and something deeper I couldn¡¯t quite name.


    He handed me a ss of water and tugged a nket over my legs as I settled down on the big couch. "It¡¯s getting chilly," he murmured, settling beside me.


    I nodded. Autumn was in its final days, and winter was beginning to nip at the edges of night.


    "This ce is yours?" I asked.


    "Had to beg River for weeks," he said with augh. "He thought I didn¡¯t need it. But I wanted a ce that was mine. A ce where I could just... be. And no one¡¯s stepped in here since it was built. Until now."


    I looked at him in surprise. "Why me?"


    He turned his body slightly, facing me. The warmth in his eyes had changed, it was deeper, heavier, almost stormy. "Because you are not just anyone, Evaline."


    I inhaled sharply. And he noticed it.


    He leaned forward slowly, his voice dropping as he continued, "I have been thinking about this for a while now. About us. About the bond. And I just... I¡¯m ready, Eva. To share everything. This ce, my life... my soul."


    I stared at him, stunned, unable to speak.


    "I want this," he whispered. "You. Us. Completely."


    His hand came up, brushing a stray strand of hair from my cheek, and then he leaned in.


    His lips touched mine softly at first, like a question. And I answered by moving closer, wrapping my fingers in the fabric of his shirt and pulling him to me. The kiss deepened slowly, like a tide pulling us under.


    His hands cupped my face as he kissed me - slow, patient, consuming.


    I gasped softly when he tilted his head and kissed me again, this time with more intensity. My hands found their way around his neck as his fingers slid to my waist, drawing me closer.


    In that moment, the world beyond the cliff and trees vanished. There was only the heat of his mouth, the press of his body, the sound of our breathing bing more urgent.


    We melted into each other and our kisses grew longer, and touches more desperate. I shifted, straddling hisp while the nket slipped to the floor unnoticed.


    His hands started roaming my back, my hips, my thighs. Each touch was setting fire to my skin. His lips trailed to my jaw, to the hollow beneath my ear, and I couldn¡¯t stop the soft sigh that escaped me.


    This was Draven - strong, quiet, loyal - and right now, he¡¯s mine.


    When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine while both of us struggled to catch our breaths.


    "I have never wanted anything more," he whispered. "I¡¯m ready to ept our bond, Evaline. To make it official. Verbal or not, soul to soul. I¡¯m ready."


    His words were like lightning, beautiful and terrifying all at once. And they made me froze.


    The intensity in his expression shifted into concern as he noticed the immediate shift in me. His arms remained around me, but his voice cracked slightly as he asked, "Do you not want it? Or... are you not ready yet?"


    The vulnerability in his eyes pierced straight through me. "It¡¯s okay if you are not," he added quickly, as if trying to shield himself from the pain already beginning to bloom in his chest.


    "No! Draven, no." I cupped his face in my hands. "I do want it. I want you. More than anything."


    Relief flooded his features, but I saw the question still lingering in his eyes.


    "It¡¯s just..." I took a shaky breath. "There are things about me - truths I haven¡¯t told anyone yet. Things that might change how you see me. And if we seal the bond before you know them, before you truly know me, I¡¯ll always wonder if you would have made a different choice."


    He frowned slightly. "What kind of truths?"


    "I can¡¯t tell you yet," I whispered. "Not tonight. But I promise I will. Just... give me couple of days. Let me tell you everything before we take that final step. And if after that you still want to seal our bond... then I¡¯ll be more than happy to agree."


    He was quiet for a long moment. And I waited, with heart in my throat, feeling extremely terrified that I had just ruined something so perfect.


    But then he nodded, and the gentleness in his expression returned.


    "One week," he said softly. "But no more hiding. I want the real you, Eva. All of it. Even the parts you think I won¡¯t be able to love."


    I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Deal."


    He pressed onest kiss to my lips. This one was soft, almost reverent. Then he pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me like he had no intention of letting go.


    And I just hoped that when he would finally learn my secrets, he would still hold me like this, like I was his entire life now.

 Chapter 145: Her True Friends

    <h4>Chapter 145: Her True Friends</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I thought promising Draven a week would buy me some peace.


    But as the time crept forward, I realized I was nowhere near ready to reveal the truth. Not even close.


    It was gnawing at me - this growing fear. Of what I would lose. Of how they would look at me once everything was out in the open. Of what I would destroy with my own words.


    Because somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, I had started falling for Oscar and Draven. Not just because they were my fated mates, but because they were... good. Gentle, loyal, frustrating at times, yes.. but good.


    They both had showed me that I could build a future with them. Oscar with his quiet strength and the way he made space for me to breathe. Draven with his cocky smirks and surprisingly thoughtful gestures that always caught me off guard.


    And now... I was terrified.


    What if the truth shattered everything I had with them?


    I carried that weight into Sunday. My chest was heavy with thoughts that refused to settle. Thankfully, River was absent again. ording to the receptionist, he was handling an important business deal at hispany. I didn¡¯t ask for details, I was just relieved.


    The headquarters felt almost serene without him. No intimidating aura lingering in the office, no silent judgment as I tried not to mess up my tasks.


    I spent the day at my desk, filing reports, reviewing submissions from various rogue packs, drafting responses for River¡¯s review. These were just mundane tasks... but peaceful.


    And I needed that peace. Even if it was fragile.


    By Monday, I tried to fall back into my usual routine as a first-year student at Silver Moon.


    As sses began, I tried to focus on what the professors were teaching during their periods, or working on my ¡¯Werewolf History and Politics¡¯ assignment that was still far frompletion.


    During ¡¯Herbs and Potions¡¯ ss, we got to learn that Kieran wouldn¡¯t be attending the sses for the rest of week as he was away for work. But instead of his sses getting canceled, a senior from final year turned up as our temporary teacher for the entire week.


    I was too lost in my own thoughts and worries that Ipletely overlooked Kieran¡¯s sudden absence from the Academy.


    Fortunately, I was able toplete my assignment on time and submitted it on Tuesday. And despite not doing my best preparation for the test, I was still able to answer all the questions, though not as well as I might have if not for my distracted thoughts.


    I just stepped out of the building when a strong hand curled around my wrist.


    "Hey," Kyros whispered, tugging me away. "Come with us."


    Before I could have collected myself from the shock of his sudden appearance and asked anything, he was already dragging me to somewhere.


    Rowan appeared at my other side, but offered no exnation. He just gave a silent nod and guided me down the east corridor which was rarely used outside ofte evening sses.


    The moment we turned a corner and stepped into one of the small, shaded courtyards tucked between the buildings, I knew something was up.


    "Alright," I sighed while crossing my arms. "What¡¯s going on?"


    Kyros raised an eyebrow. "That¡¯s our line."


    "You have been off," Rowan added. "Quiet. Distant. You have been avoiding the entire group for days now."


    "Not avoiding," I muttered, "just... busy."


    Kyros tilted his head, clearly not convinced. "We have known you long enough to fall for that. Something¡¯s eating you up, and we want to know what. Before the rest of the groupes swarming in with their own questions, especially Mallory."


    The tightness in my chest expanded, then cracked open. I nced between them. These two were the only ones who knew about my mate bonds with Oscar and Draven.


    I sucked in a breath before finally speaking, "I... made a promise. To Draven."


    Kyros folded his arms and leaned against the tree beside him. "Go on."


    "I told him... I would tell him everything. All of my secrets. By the end of the week."


    Rowan¡¯s eyes softened as realization hit him. "That¡¯s a good thing, Eva."


    <fnd070> For original chapters go to FindN()vel</fnd070>


    "No, it¡¯s terrifying," I snapped, then winced. "Sorry. I just-" I dragged a hand through my hair, feeling my voice faltering. "What if they hate me after they find out? What if they can¡¯t look at me the same way? I have built something real with them and now I might destroy it all."


    Neither of them responded immediately, and for a second, I wanted to turn and run. But then Kyros stepped forward and ced a hand on my shoulder.


    "You are doing the right thing," he said firmly. "Hiding it forever isn¡¯t the answer."


    "I know," I whispered.


    "Look," Rowan said gently. "I won¡¯t pretend to know exactly what you are scared of. But I do know this - Draven and Oscar? They are not going to walk away just like that. Not if they know it¡¯s still you. Not if they have already seen your heart."


    I looked down, blinking quickly. The lump in my throat was burning.


    "And if they do?" Kyros added. "Then they are idiots. And they don¡¯t deserve you."


    I didn¡¯t respond, because I couldn¡¯t tell them exactly why I was so worried. This fear wasn¡¯t from the brothers learning that they both were my mates, but about my other secret.


    One moment, I was feeling all alone and cold, and then I felt strong, warm arms surrounding me as Kyros pulled me into a hug.


    "Whatever happens," he said in a softer voice, "you are not alone in this. Not anymore."


    "He¡¯s right. You have us, Eva." Rowan added as he gave my shoulder a light squeeze.


    I pressed my lips together and nodded slowly.


    I wasn¡¯t calm, not entirely. The fear was still there, lingering just beneath the surface. But the panic had quieted. The chaos in my chest had stilled, if only for a moment.


    Because I wasn¡¯t alone.


    I had friends, true friends, who weren¡¯t just there for the good moments. They were here for the fear, the doubt, the vulnerability. They were here for me.

 Chapter 146: Before Everything Changed

    <h4>Chapter 146: Before Everything Changed</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time the sun was starting to dip behind the Academy¡¯s stone walls that Wednesday evening, I found myself staring at my phone like it was a ticking bomb.


    My thumb hovered over Oscar¡¯s contact. I had never called him before. It was always him initiating, always him teasing or coaxing me into replying, always him taking the lead.


    But this time, it had to be me.


    I sucked in a breath and hit the call button before I could second-guess myself.


    It rang once.


    Twice.


    And then his voice came through - bright, warm, a little out of breath.


    "Eva?"


    The sound of my name in his voice made something flutter violently in my chest.


    "I-hi," I managed, finding slightly breathless myself.


    He chuckled in a low and surprised tone. "Wow, okay. I did not expect that. You called me."


    I smiled, even if he couldn¡¯t see it. "Yeah. I hope it¡¯s not a bad time."


    "Bad time?" he scoffed. "You could have called me during an earthquake, and I would have picked up. I¡¯m d you did." Then, after a pause, his tone softened. "I¡¯m sorry, by the way. For not being around more. Training trials for second and third years started previous week and are still ongoing, so I have been a little busy."


    "It¡¯s okay," I murmured. And I meant it. The way he sounded sincere, happy just to hear me, it melted something heavy inside me.


    We talked for a little while. About his week. About mine. And he seeded in making me smile more times within those few minutes than I had in days.


    But then, I had to say it - the reason I called him.


    "Would you... like to go out with me on Friday?"


    The silence on the linested a heartbeat too long. And then-


    "Hell yes."


    I almostughed, at his reaction, not from the fact that he was ready to join me on Friday. A part of me was actually wanting him to deny with work as excuse. But that obviously didn¡¯t happen.


    "I¡¯ll message you ce and time tomorrow. See you then." I ended the call before he could respond.


    - - -


    Next morning, I found myself hunting down Kyros and Rowan after lunch and found them in the Runes ssroom.


    Now that we were entering our fourth month of the term and the weeks were mostly filled with assignments or tests, Rowan was turning up in sses more frequently.


    "Hey," I called out as I took the seat next to Rowan. I kept my voice down to not alert Mallory and Selene who were sitting right in front of us.


    Rowan turned his attention toward me and immediately asked, "You okay?"


    "I called the second one yesterday and asked him to meet me tomorrow. But I still need help figuring out where to take them. It can¡¯t be the Academy or anywhere crowded."


    Kyros nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, you don¡¯t want anyone overhearing what you are about to unload."


    Rowan crossed his arms, looking thoughtful. "What about that base camp where our entrance exam took ce. Now that Academy session has started, that ce is leftpletely abandoned. I have been there once or twice, the ce ispletely... deserted."


    "Not bad," Kyros added. "It¡¯s private. Safe. You won¡¯t get interrupted."


    That sounded like a nice enough ce, so I nodded my head. "Thanks, guys."


    "You have got this, girl," Rowan said as he offered me an encouraging smile.


    And I wanted to believe that. I really did.


    That evening, the library was nearly empty as I packed up my notes. My brain was foggy after hours of working on study notes, but I had made progress and that was something.


    I stepped into the hallway, adjusting the strap of my bag, when I stopped short.


    Oscar.


    He was leaning casually against the wall a few feet ahead, with his arms crossed and eyes gleaming like they had no business being that pretty under the flickering hall light. There were only a couple of students nearby, and every single one of them seemed very aware of his presence.


    I froze. If I stepped closer, it would draw attention. So I did nothing. Just stood there.


    He didn¡¯t say a word.


    Instead, he tilted his phone slightly, subtly, and walked away.


    Frowning, I pulled mine from my pocket.


    <strong>Oscar:</strong><i>Room 21. Sixth floor.</i>


    I blinked. Sixth floor?


    The first four levels of this building were the library. Fifth held quiet study halls. But the sixth and seventh floors? They were rarely used. There were mostly forgotten ssrooms and old administrative offices.


    I waited a beat to make sure no one was watching. Then, as quietly as I could, I climbed the stairwell, keeping to the shadows until I reached the sixth floor.


    Room 21 was at the end of the corridor.


    I stepped in, barely a foot past the door, before I was pulled into a warm, tight embrace.


    He wrapped his arms around me like he was afraid I would vanish. He tucked his face into the crook of my neck, and I heard the shaky sigh he released against my skin.


    "I couldn¡¯t wait," he murmured. "I thought I could. I really did. I told myself I would see you Friday and wrap up my work before then. But afterst night, after you called, I just..."


    He pulled back and cupped my face gently. "I had to see you."


    <fn7723> Discover more novels at f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn7723>


    My heart clenched painfully.


    Because I didn¡¯t know if I would still have this after tomorrow.


    "I¡¯m d you came," I whispered.


    His thumb brushed over my cheek. "You sure? You look like you are about to cry."


    I smiled at him and shook my head. "Just tired after studying for the entire day."


    He smiled and ced a feathery kiss on my forehead. "It¡¯s good that you are focusing on your studies, but don¡¯t overwork yourself."


    I nodded and let myself lean into his chest again, wrapping my arms around his waist. I listened to his heartbeat, steady and real. I memorized the warmth of his skin through his shirt, the scent of his cologne, the low hum in his throat when I shifted closer.


    I wanted to stay in this moment - just a little longer. Before everything changed.


    Before I took the risk of losing him.


    And so I did.


    Even if it made it harder to let go.

 Chapter 147: Back To Cottage 13

    <h4>Chapter 147: Back To Cottage 13</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fn8704> Original content can be found at F?ndNovel</fn8704>


    Friday came like a storm.


    The kind that sits on your chest the moment you open your eyes and doesn¡¯t let you breathe.


    I had barely slept as my thoughts spiraled into all the ways things could go wrong - into every reaction I feared from Oscar and Draven. Into every word I didn¡¯t know how to say.


    By the time dawn painted the Academy halls with its pale gold light, my stomach was already churning.


    I still got out of bed. Still dressed. Still tied my hair back with trembling fingers and forced myself to walk into the day.


    But I wasn¡¯t okay.


    And it didn¡¯t take long for my friends to realize it.


    Kyros noticed first. One look at me in the hallway and his usual smile faded into quiet understanding. Rowan joined us momentster, falling into step beside me with a silent nce and a nod. They knew what today was. They knew I was barely holding it together.


    And they stayed close.


    The others, though... they had questions. So many questions. I could feel them building throughout the morning - curious nces during ss, hesitant whispers between breaks.


    By the time lunch arrived, I was running on empty.


    Literally.


    I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since morning except the ss of milk Rowan forced me to drink before dragging me to ss. Even now, as we all sat around the long table in the dining hall, I was unable to stomach the idea of food. I kept picking at my te, pushing the food around with my fork as I tried to ignore the growing pit in my stomach.


    Kyros nudged me quietly. "Eat. Just a little."


    I shook my head while keeping my gaze fixed on the still full te.


    That¡¯s when Mallory lost it.


    "Okay, no," she snapped, mming her fork down. "What is going on with you, Eva? You have been acting like a ghost all week. You barely focus on sses, you barely talk, and now you are not eating? Someone better start exining because I¡¯m done sitting here watching you wither like this."


    I flinched.


    Kyros leaned forward and spoke in a firm but calm voice. "Not today, Mal."


    "Kyros, I swear-"


    "She¡¯s fine. Just give her space."


    "She doesn¡¯t look fine!" Mallory hissed, eyes shining with frustrated worry. "She looks like she¡¯s about to break."


    I did feel like that. But I still couldn¡¯t say anything. Not yet.


    Fortunately, Rowan spoke for me. "Please. Just today. Let it go."


    Mallory¡¯s lips tightened, and after a beat, she stood and stormed off, her half-eaten lunch forgotten. I hated myself for it, for being the reason behind that hurt look in her eyes.


    But I couldn¡¯t reveal anything... at least not at the moment.


    Right after lunch, I excused myself from the table and pulled out my phone. My fingers were shaking as I typed the message.


    <i>Cottage 13. Academy Base Camp. 6 PM.</i>


    I sent it to Oscar and Draven before I could overthink it again.


    It was time.


    sses ended at five. I was feeling like I floated through thest hour, like my body was present but my mind was buried under the weight of the approaching conversation. My notebook was full of scribbles I didn¡¯t even remember writing.


    Outside the lecture hall, Kyros and Rowan were already waiting for me.


    Kyros gave me a soft smile. "Still breathing?"


    "Barely," I muttered.


    Rowan passed me a small bottle of water and a gran bar. "You¡¯ll need strength to face your men."


    I didn¡¯t argue this time. I drank. I ate. And then I hugged them both, holding on tighter than usual.


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen," I whispered, "but thank you. For everything."


    Kyros squeezed my shoulder. "Go do what you need to do."


    Rowan smirked. "And if either of them reacts badly, just say the word. I¡¯ll knock some sense into them."


    I smiled faintly. My heart was pounding as I turned away and left them behind.


    The secret passage was exactly where Rowan had said it would be - along the outer edge of the old herb garden, covered in thick ivy. I peeled it back carefully and slipped through the broken section of the Academy wall. It was just big enough for someone to pass without crouching, hidden so well no one would ever suspect it.


    Beyond the wall, the air was different. Freer. Quieter.


    I reached Base Camp in fifteen minutes on foot. Just like Rowan said, the ce was quiet with not a single soul around.


    Cottage 13 was looking the same as I remembered from my entrance exam. No one bothered to lock the main door, so I easily slipped inside and closed the door behind me.


    Dust was clinging to the air and the furniture after the ce being left unused for months.


    I was early. Good. It gave me time to steady myself.


    But all I did was to pace around themon room and wait. Minutes were ticking by like years, and after what felt like forever, my ears finally registered sound outside the cottage.


    I peeked out through the cracked window and noticed Draven making his way toward the cottage.


    I swallowed hard and moved quickly to the door, opening it just as he reached the porch.


    He raised an eyebrow. "Base Camp? Really dramatic meeting spot."


    I didn¡¯t smile. I couldn¡¯t.


    "Come in," I said softly and stepped aside.


    He walked in, ncing around at the dusty room and the scattered furniture. "You brought me all the way out here to... talk about your important matter?"


    I turned to face him and slowly nodded my head. "Let¡¯s... there¡¯s someone elseing."


    He blinked in surprise. "Someone else?"


    He looked around, clearly puzzled. "Should I be worried? Or ttered?"


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t know how, and the silence stretched between us.


    Then he sighed and walked up to me, slipping an arm around my waist and pressing his hand gently to my back. "You are shaking," he whispered. "Eva, whatever this is, you don¡¯t have to be afraid."


    I leaned into him, just for a moment. "I wish that was true."


    He opened his mouth to say something else, but then... a knock.


    The sound echoed in the quiet room like thunder.


    I pulled away from him and walked to the door. My heart was hammering so loud I was sure both of them would hear it.


    I ced my hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath... and then I opened it.

 Chapter 148: Revealing Her Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 148: Revealing Her Secrets</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I opened the door, and there he was.


    Oscar.


    His dark emerald eyes softened the moment they met mine. His lips parted like he was about to say something, but I didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    I stepped aside without a word.


    He seemed surprised but didn¡¯t question it. Instead, he stepped inside the cottage as his eyes took in the space with a flicker of confusion.


    "You are really into abandoned cabinstely, huh?" he muttered lightly, though I could tell he was only half-joking. "What¡¯s going on, Eva? Why did you-"


    And then he stopped.


    His gaze locked on Draven, who had just straightened from where he had been standing near the window with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. The second their eyes met, everything in the room froze.


    Oscar¡¯s whole body stiffened. "Draven?"


    "Yeah," Draven said, his voice low. "That¡¯s me. And what the hell are you doing here?"


    Neither of them moved.


    They didn¡¯t need to. The weight in the room was heavy enough already.


    I closed the door slowly and locked it behind me, the click of the bolt sounding louder than it should have.


    When I turned, both of them were still staring at each other. They didn¡¯t seem hostile, or angry... but confused. Shocked. A thousand unspoken questions were passing silently between them.


    It was Draven who pulled himself together first.


    He looked at me with a frown decorating his handsome face. And when he spoke, his tone was carefully controlled. "Eva, why... why is my brother here?"


    I swallowed hard as I forced myself to hold his gaze.


    Oscar was looking at me too, silently echoing the same question with his eyes.


    I took a breath. "I asked both of you to meet me here today," I began, "because there are some things about me that you both deserve to know. Before anything... esctes further."


    They nced at each other again, clearly unsure why the other¡¯s presence had anything to do with this conversation.


    "This is about you?" Oscar asked carefully.


    I nodded. "Yes. And it¡¯s about both of you, too."


    He was clearly hesitant, but he still motioned to me with his hand. "Go ahead, say it."


    I was feeling my heartbeat in my throat, heavy and erratic. My palms were cold despite the warmth in the room. There was no turning back now.


    "I... You are both my mates."


    Silence.


    It was like time stopped inside the little cottage.


    Oscar¡¯s mouth parted slightly. And Draven... he just blinked. But neither of them spoke. They just stared at me, then at each other, and then back at me.


    "You mean-" Draven started.


    "Both of us?" Oscar finished.


    I nodded. At this point, I was barely able to breathe. "Yes. I don¡¯t know how or why. But you both are my mates. I just... didn¡¯t know how to tell you."


    They exchanged another long look. Their faces were mirrors of disbelief and stunned confusion.


    "No," Draven whispered, rubbing his hand down his face. "That¡¯s not... I mean, that doesn¡¯t happen. You can¡¯t have two."


    "I didn¡¯t think so either," I said, my voice shaking. "But this is indeed the truth."


    Oscar¡¯s jaw clenched. He turned slowly in a half-circle, trying to process it. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes."


    They were silent again. And every second of that silence was like a dagger to my chest.


    Then, Oscar looked at Draven, and when he spoke, his voice was filled with a hint of possessiveness that almost scared me. Thest thing I wanted was for the brothers to start fighting.


    "She¡¯s my mate, Draven. I can confirm that-"


    "And mine too!" Draven interrupted, sounding just as possessive as his brother. "She¡¯s my mate."


    I was holding my breath, terrified that they were about to start fighting, but instead-


    "So, it¡¯s true," Oscar said as he nced at me, "We both are her fated mates."


    Then, they both fell into silence, one that stretched on for way too long that I started feeling the need to say something to fill it.


    "I never meant to hide it this long," I whispered. "I didn¡¯t know if either of you would even want the bond. Then when it became clear that you might... I didn¡¯t know how to bring it up. How to say it that... I have both of you as my mates."


    "I¡¯m not angry," Draven said softly as he looked at me with unreadable eyes. "Just... surprised. Shocked. Confused as hell."


    "Same," Oscar muttered while crossing his arms. He was now staring at the floor like the answer might appear in the grain of the wood. "But not mad."


    I let out a breath I didn¡¯t even realize I was holding.


    "It¡¯s not your fault," Oscar added as he finally nced up. "You didn¡¯t choose this."


    Draven nodded. "The Moon Goddess must have had a reason. Even if it doesn¡¯t make sense right now."


    They weren¡¯t smiling. They weren¡¯t entirely okay. But they weren¡¯t mad. And that - stars, that was enough to make me want to cry.


    But I wasn¡¯t done yet.


    There was one more truth. The scariest one of all.


    I had already opened the first door. And now, I had to walk through the second before I lost my nerve.


    "There¡¯s... one more thing," I said, almost forced the words out. That part of me, a huge part of me which was scared of ruining everything, was now screaming at me to stop before it became toote.


    I watched as both of them turned toward me again, physically bracing themselves.


    <fn2f91> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fn2f91>


    I didn¡¯t soften the words. I couldn¡¯t. The longer I waited, the harder it would get.


    "I¡¯m... pregnant."


    Silence again.


    But this time, it felt different. It was heavier. Thicker. As if the very air in the room had frozen mid-breath.


    Oscar¡¯s lips parted, but no words came out. And Draven was looking at me like he hadn¡¯t heard right.


    I didn¡¯t rify. I didn¡¯t rush to exin. I just stood there - too afraid, exposed, and trembling from head to toe.


    And I waited.

 Chapter 149: Her Broken Mates

    <h4>Chapter 149: Her Broken Mates</h4><subtxt> The silence was... deafening.


    It was thick and cruel and endless.


    Neither of them moved. Neither spoke. They just stared at me, like I had sprouted wings or grown a second head. And with every second that passed, fear wrapped tighter around my ribs until I could hardly breathe.


    Then Oscar blinked, twice, like he was trying to wake himself up from a bad dream. He looked directly at me, and when he spoke, his voice soubded hollow. "What... what do you mean?"


    I swallowed as I barely managed to push out the words again. "I¡¯m pregnant."


    Draven staggered back a step like the air had been punched from his lungs. He gripped the edge of the chair beside him so tight that his knuckles turned white. Saying it once had stunned them, but saying it again confirmed it. This wasn¡¯t a joke. This wasn¡¯t something they had misunderstood.


    And Oscar...


    His shock twisted into something else entirely within seconds. And then he snapped his gaze to Draven, narrowing his eyes with raw fury, and for a second, I genuinely thought he was going to lunge at his brother.


    "Wait-what the hell?" I breathed. "Oscar, why are you-?"


    But Draven beat me to it. "Oh my God," he muttered as horror washed over his face. "You think it¡¯s me? You think I got her-? No! No, Oscar. I didn¡¯t-I would never-"


    Oscar didn¡¯t say anything. His jaw was clenched so tight it looked painful.


    "I swear," Draven said quickly, his voice rising with desperation. "We haven¡¯t even done anything! Not at that level. We have kissed, sure- but that¡¯s it! No heat cycles. No marking. No sleeping together. Nothing like that! I didn¡¯t get her pregnant."


    He looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded mutely but quickly.


    Oscar¡¯s fists slowly uncurled and he exhaled sharply, clearly trying to calm the rage coursing through him.


    But Draven wasn¡¯t done.


    He turned the usation back toward his brother. "Then you did it. Gods, Oscar, she¡¯s barely eighteen, and you got her-"


    "I didn¡¯t!" Oscar snapped. His voice cracked with the force of it. "Don¡¯t you dare throw this on me. I didn¡¯t get her pregnant! I will neverpromise her like this."


    Draven stared at him. And Oscar stared back.


    And then it happened... the realization.


    It swept through them like an invisible wave. First confusion. Then dawning awareness. Then something far more terrible.


    They both turned to look at me.


    This silence... it was worse than any that hade before. Because this one demanded answers, and I owed them. I owed them the truth.


    Even if it broke everything.


    I folded my arms across my chest to still their trembling and forced myself to meet their eyes.


    "I had a mate before I met either of you," I said quietly and watched as they received another shock.


    I went on. "He rejected me the same night River attacked my pack. That¡¯s who the baby belongs to."


    The words burned.


    I saw how Oscar¡¯s face tightened and his jaw went rigid. The storm behind his emerald eyes was churning. Draven was no better. His breathing was sharp, and shoulders taut like he didn¡¯t know what to do with the anger threatening to rip him apart. <fnbffd> Checktest chapters at find~novel</fnbffd>


    "You are carrying the child of the man who rejected you?" Draven said. His voice wasn¡¯t cruel, but it was devastated.


    My heart cracked as I nodded. "Yes."


    "Why?" Oscar asked, his voice too low for me to grab his real emotion. "Why are you keeping his baby if he¡¯s no longer in your life? You are so young. You have just began a new life. Why do this to yourself?"


    I watched him in silence for a few moments, trying to study him. I so badly wanted to know what was going on in his head. While Draven¡¯s emotions of shock, confusion, anger, and denial were written all over his face, Oscar had stopped giving me anything at all, and that was scaring me the most. I would rather have him shouting at me then going this calm.


    "I didn¡¯t know at first," I whispered. "I suspected, but I wasn¡¯t sure."


    They both just stared at me, still not speaking, still trying to wrap their heads around it.


    I went on, my voice shaking harder now. "After I lost my pack... after River brought me to the mansion... I was trapped there. I had no ess to a doctor, no tests, nothing. But I started noticing the signs."


    I paused to take a breath. My throat was tight. "And then I got into the Academy. It was the first time I had freedom again. And while I confirmed that I was pregnant, I still didn¡¯t have any money to get an abortion. Once I received my first sry from the internship. I immediately went to a clinic."


    Tears stung my eyes, but I didn¡¯t let them fall. "I was already three months pregnant by then. I knew I still had time. That I could terminate if I wanted. But when I heard it..." My voice broke. "The heartbeat."


    I clenched my fists at my sides. "It was small. So small. But it was there. Alive. Real. And in that moment, I couldn¡¯t go through with the idea of eliminating it."


    I looked up at them then, at their stunned, horrified faces.


    "I was going to," I admitted. "I didn¡¯t have money. I didn¡¯t have a home. I didn¡¯t have anyone. No family. No friends. No one to turn to. And I knew... I knew I couldn¡¯t do this alone. But when I heard the heartbeat, when I realized this baby was growing inside me despite everything..."


    I closed my eyes. "I didn¡¯t want to give that up."


    The tears finally fell.


    "It was the only thing that made me feel like I still had something worth protecting. Something worth fighting for. I was broken. Alone. Dying inside. But this baby... it reminded me I still had a future. A reason to survive."


    The room was quiet.


    So quiet.


    Oscar had sat down at some point, hands over his mouth, elbows on his knees. He was like his world had been tilted off its axis. Draven was pacing slowly near the window, running his hand through his hair, again and again.


    And I... I was watching their worlds crumble at my hands.</subtxt>

 Chapter 150: Everything’s Gone

    <h4>Chapter 150: Everything¡¯s Gone</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The tears didn¡¯t stop, but kept falling without a single sound.


    I wasn¡¯t sobbing, or even crying loudly, the tears just kept rolling down on their own.


    I didn¡¯t even know why I was crying anymore. Was it because Draven and Oscar hadn¡¯t said a single word in minutes? Because they just stood there, stunned and silent, like statues carved from confusion and disbelief?


    Or was it something else?


    Maybe it was everything - every emotion I had bottled up over the week. The fear, the anxiety, the guilt, the hope, the desperation. All of it was bleeding into a thousand tears that wouldn¡¯t stop, couldn¡¯t stop.


    All I knew was that it felt like my world was crumbling, and I couldn¡¯t hold it together anymore.


    I was jerked out of my misery by the sound of footsteps. When I looked up, Draven was moving sharply and quickly, heading for the door.


    He paused with his hand on the knob. I kept looking at him through tear-blurred vision, hoping, pleading, for something. Anything.


    "I need air," he whispered in a hollow voice. "I need... to clear my head."


    And then he was gone.


    The door clicked shut behind him, and the sound echoed like a punch to the chest.


    I didn¡¯t move.


    Not when silence settled again.


    Not even when Oscar shifted.


    But when I saw him step toward the door too, when I saw that slight movement out of the corner of my eye, my heart gave a painful lurch.


    That was it, then.


    It was over.


    Just like I had feared.


    They could handle the impossible bond between us, just barely. But this? Carrying the child of a man who didn¡¯t even want me? That was beyond what any mate could ept. Even I couldn¡¯t lie to myself about that.


    If I were in their shoes... would I have stayed?


    No.


    I wouldn¡¯t have.


    So how could I me them?


    I bowed my head, bracing myself to be left in this lonely little cottage with nothing but broken memories and truths too heavy for my soul to carry.


    But then... Oscar¡¯s footsteps halted.


    I didn¡¯t look up.


    He spoke in a t and distant voice. "I¡¯ll drive you back."


    <fn6f5d> This content belongs to find¡¤novel</fn6f5d>


    My head jerked up, startled. "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "I¡¯m not asking," he cut in. "I¡¯m telling you."


    His voice wasn¡¯t cold. But it wasn¡¯t warm, either. It was just... numb. Like everything good in it had been drained out, leaving behind a hollow shell.


    I wiped at my face, trying to stem the tears. They didn¡¯t stop, but I tried. "I can go back on my own."


    "You are not walking back in the dark. Not while you are... like this."


    I didn¡¯t fight him after that.


    There was no point.


    We left the cottage without another word. He didn¡¯t reach for my hand. Didn¡¯t brush his arm against mine like he always used to. He just walked to the car, opened the passenger door for me like it was some automatic habit, and then slipped into the driver¡¯s seat.


    The ride was silent. Stifling. Like being trapped in a room where the walls were slowly closing in.


    I stared out the window, curling my fingers tightly in myp. Oscar didn¡¯t even turn on the radio. The only sounds were the hum of the engine and the asional swipe of the windshield wipers.


    I couldn¡¯t look at him. I couldn¡¯t bear to.


    And he... he never looked at me, either. Not even once.


    Even when we reached the gates of the Academy, he didn¡¯t nce my way. Just stopped the car and stared straight ahead.


    My hand was trembling as I reached for the door handle. "Thank you... for bringing me back."


    There was no reply.


    I stepped out slowly. The night air was biting against my skin, but I barely felt it. The door shut behind me with a soft thud, and a momentter, the car pulled away.


    I kept standing there, alone at the gates, watching the red taillights until they disappeared into the darkness.


    Only then I turned.


    And somehow, on legs that barely felt steady, I walked through the huge iron gates and entered the Academy.


    My mind was nk. Empty. Just white noise and echoes of everything I had just lost.


    No one saw me.


    The dorm hallways were eerily quiet as most students were still at dinner. There were no curious stares. No whispers. No judgmental nces.


    Only silence.


    And I was grateful for that.


    Because the moment I stepped into my room and locked the door behind me, the dam finally broke.


    I dropped to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut, my knees hitting the ground hard, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I wrapped my arms around myself, curling inward, and sobbed.


    Shaking.


    Gasping.


    Shattered.


    Everything was hurting.


    My heart, my head, my body.


    I had tried to be brave.


    I had done what I thought was right, what I knew was right. I had told the truth. I had trusted that my mates would see me, really see me, and understand.


    But in the end...


    I was still alone.


    Still unwanted.


    Still... broken.


    My baby - my baby - was the only thing I had now.


    I pressed a trembling hand to my abdomen which was still t and soft, but so impossibly precious.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered to the life growing inside me. "I¡¯m so sorry... I ruined everything."


    The tears didn¡¯t stop.


    I didn¡¯t know for how I stayed like that - lying on the floor and looking like as if my soul had left my body. Maybe it was just few minutes, or several hours, I had no idea.


    After what seemed like forever, the door of the room was pushed open and someone stepped inside, but I didn¡¯t look up. Not until strong arms were wrapping around me and pulling me up before I was pulled into a warm and... almost healing... embrace.


    And just when I thought my tears were all gone, they began falling all over again. And this time, they didn¡¯t stop.

 Chapter 151: An Emotional Mess

    <h4>Chapter 151: An Emotional Mess</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    I ran.


    I didn¡¯t know where I was going. I didn¡¯t care.


    The moment I stepped out of that suffocating little cottage and shifted, I let my wolf take over, at least halfway. I still had just enough control to keep myself from barreling through the towns at the door of the mountain or crashing into the woods blind. But my thoughts... those were beyond my control.


    <i>She¡¯s pregnant.</i>


    The words kept bouncing around in my skull like shattered ss, slicing at every coherent thread I was trying to pull together.


    Not with your pup...


    No.


    No, that was the worst part.


    My mate, our mate, was carrying another male¡¯s child.


    A male who had rejected her.


    A male who didn¡¯t want her.


    And yet, she had kept it. She was still carrying that child inside her, all while looking at me with those tear-filled eyes, hoping I would stay.


    And I left.


    <i>"Coward,"</i> my wolf growled inside me.


    I growled back, loping through the woods, branches snapping beneath my paws as I leapt over stones and tore through underbrush. I needed the burn in my lungs, the cold night air on my fur, the thunderous rhythm of paws against earth.


    Because the chaos in my head? That wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    The moment she told us, me and Oscar, about the pregnancy, something in me had just... broken.


    I thought I had felt pain before. Thought I understood betrayal, shock, fear. But nothingpared to that moment.


    I wasn¡¯t just angry. I wasn¡¯t just hurt. I was devastated.


    And my wolf?


    He was feral with heartbreak.


    <i>"She lied,"</i> he growled again. <i>"She kept this from us. She chose to hide it."</i>


    "She was scared," I snapped back, mentally. "She had a right to be."


    <i>"She should have trusted us. Trusted you. Mates don¡¯t hide things like this."</i>


    My wolf¡¯s bitterness coiled tighter in my chest, wrapping around the fear I was too damn proud to name.


    I wasn¡¯t just scared because Eva had kept secrets.


    I was scared because I didn¡¯t know what this meant for us.


    Was I supposed to look at her every day, knowing that the life she carried wasn¡¯t mine?


    Could I?


    The questions were eating me alive.


    After what felt like hours, I finally stopped. My body was aching, my breath wasing in short pants as I shifted back to my human form behind a thick patch of pine trees. Naked and shivering, I walked barefoot toward the safe house.


    The ce was supposed to be my retreat. My ce of peace when the world got too loud. But tonight, it felt like a prison.


    I stepped into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the water cascade over me. First ice-cold. Then boiling hot. Then cold again.


    But neither was working.


    I was still shaking.


    I pressed my forehead against the cold tile and shut my eyes, trying to control my heaving chest.


    Why? Why hadn¡¯t she told us sooner? Why had she let things go so far?


    Because now it was toote.


    I had already fallen for her. Not because of the bond, not because the Moon Goddess had forced our paths to cross... but because of her.


    Because of the way she always looked like she was about to bolt but stayed anyway.


    Because of the way sheughed with her eyes before her lips caught up.


    Because she tried. Even when she was scared. Even when she was clearly falling apart inside.


    I had fallen in love with Evaline Greystone.


    And now I didn¡¯t know what to do with that love.


    Still dripping wet, I stepped out of the shower and threw a robe on. My hand reached automatically for my phone, even before I knew what I was doing.


    Oscar.


    I needed to know if she got home safe.


    <i>"Because you left her,"</i> my wolf sneered. <i>"You left her to cry alone. Pathetic."</i><fn26e4> Chapters first released on findnovel</fn26e4>


    I ignored him and hit dial.


    No answer.


    I tried again.


    And again.


    My pulse was pounding louder with every ring. Why wasn¡¯t he picking up?


    On the fourth call, the line finally connected.


    "What do you want?" Oscar¡¯s voice was slurred, heavy, like he had already downed more alcohol than he could handle.


    "I just..." I hesitated, finding my throat suddenly dry. "I wanted to know if... if she got back safe."


    There was a beat of silence. Then, quietly, he answered, "I dropped her at the Academy."


    His voice was rough, frayed at the edges. "She¡¯s probably safe," he added, then ended the call.


    I stared at the screen for a long time, watching it fade to ck.


    She was safe.


    That should have been a relief.


    But all I felt was... emptier.


    I sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing my hands over my face, trying to breathe through the tangle of thoughts and emotions crashing through me.


    Anger.


    Confusion.


    Fear.


    Guilt.


    Goddess, the guilt.


    I had left her. I saw her falling apart in front of me and I still chose to run. Because I couldn¡¯t be the mate she needed. Not then. Maybe not now either.


    <i>"She¡¯s not who we thought,"</i> my wolf murmured, quieter now. Not cruel. Just... sad.


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    Because he was right.


    But I also knew something else.


    That night, in the arcade, when I held her hands over that w machine... the way she smiled when the bunny dropped... the way she looked at me like I was the best part of her day-


    That was real.


    And when I brought her here to my safe house and watched her eyes light up at the fairy lights - hell, the fairy lights I thought she wouldugh at - that was real too.


    I knew her. Not all of her. But enough of her.


    Enough to know that her pain wasn¡¯t made-up. That she hadn¡¯t kept her secrets to deceive us.


    She had kept them because she was terrified. Because she didn¡¯t think we would stay.


    And maybe she was right.


    Because here I was, in my own safe house... while she was probably curled up alone in her dorm room, thinking I had turned my back on her.


    Had I?


    Iy back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.


    "Tell me what to do," I whispered.


    My wolf didn¡¯t answer.


    He was quiet now, mourning too.


    And suddenly, this cabin wasn¡¯t feeling safe anymore. It was feeling like the loneliest ce in the world.

 Chapter 152: The Good Friend

    <h4>Chapter 152: The Good Friend</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I woke up with a dull ache in my spine and a stiffness that reached from my neck to the soles of my feet. My body was feeling like a block of stone - sore, heavy, andpletely drained.


    My head was throbbing, and my eyes were burning as they adjusted to the muted morning light filtering through the windows.


    For a moment, I was disoriented.


    Then, slowly, like dust settling in an empty room,st night¡¯s memories came crashing in.


    The confession.


    The silence.


    The heartbreak.


    I had cried myself to sleep.


    On the floor.


    But I wasn¡¯t alone.


    I blinked, realizing with a jolt that I had been using someone¡¯s shoulder as a pillow, their arm around me, and their warmth grounding me through the night.


    It was Rowan.


    He was seated awkwardly against the wall. His back was slumped, legs were half-stretched out, and one arm was loosely draped around my shoulders. His other hand had fallen limp over his stomach, and he was definitely not sleepingfortably.


    And I had been treating him like a living mattress all night.


    I slowly and carefully peeled myself away from him, guilt washing over me as he winced and shifted, and a soft groan escaped his lips.


    "Ugh..." he muttered, cracking one eye open. "What the hell did I sleep on? Concrete?"


    I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Despite the ache in my chest, despite everything I had gone through the night before, a tiny smile slipped onto my lips.


    He caught it instantly.


    "Was that a smile?" he asked with mock disbelief, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Goddess, maybe I should start sleeping on the floor more often if that¡¯s what it takes."


    I let out a soft huff and shook my head. "You are such an idiot."


    "True. But I¡¯m your idiot," he said, nudging my knee lightly with his. "Feeling any better?"


    The smile died before I could answer. I stared at my hands which were tangled in myp.


    How was I supposed to feel after losing my mates all over again?


    Ethan¡¯s rejection had felt like a de to the chest. But Oscar and Draven¡¯s silence... their absence... that was something else entirely. They hadn¡¯t rejected me outright. They hadn¡¯t shouted. They hadn¡¯t said cruel words.


    But they had left. They had gone quiet. And somehow, that was worse.


    It was hurting deeper than a rejection.


    It made me feel like I wasn¡¯t even worth their anger.


    I didn¡¯t speak, just shook my head again as the knot in my throat swelled too thick to swallow.


    Rowan didn¡¯t press. He didn¡¯t ask what had happened. He didn¡¯t need to.


    He had seen mest night, shaking and sobbing and barely able to breathe. I vaguely remembered him pulling me in his arms, whispering calming things, and eventually sitting beside me in silent support.


    I also remembered, somewhere in that haze of tears, him muttering something like, "Just say the word and I¡¯ll go punch them both."


    And honestly... that had helped. Even if just a little.


    I nced over at him now as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was looking like hell himself. His shirt was rumpled, hair was a mess, and his neck was bent at a weird angle that probably made everything hurt.


    "Thank you," I whispered softly, meaning it more than I could ever put into words.


    He smiled at me gently for a heartbeat before letting out a dramatic groan. "But next time, if you are going to use me as a bed, at least let me lie down first. My spine¡¯s probably shaped like a pretzel now."


    A realugh escaped me then. It was short, tired, but real. And that made him grin wide enough to show his canines.


    "Saturday," he said, stretching. "You have got work today, right?"


    I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Yeah."


    He raised a brow. "You sure you should go? Take a day off. Call in sick or something."


    I shook my head firmly. "I have only been working there for two months. I¡¯m just an intern, Rowan. Taking a day off, especially without a valid reason, isn¡¯t a good idea."


    He frowned. "Being emotionally wrecked is a valid reason."


    "Not one I can put on a report," I said with a tired smile. "Besides... maybe being at work will help. Keep my mind busy."


    He didn¡¯t like it, but he nodded slowly. "Alright. But only on two conditions."


    I blinked. "What conditions?"


    "One - you eat a proper breakfast. No arguing. You barely ate anything yesterday, and you need to eat something to function."


    I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off.


    "Two - I¡¯m driving you. No sneaking off on your own."


    "Rowan-"


    "Nope. I¡¯m not budging. You are not in a state to pretend you are fine."


    I groaned softly but relented. "Fine. But we are not making a big deal out of it. Quick, healthy breakfast, then you drop me off. Deal?"


    "Deal," he said, standing up and stretching his arms with a wince. "Now get your ass up and get dressed. I¡¯ll meet you at the gates in half an hour. We will eat in town."


    I did exactly that.


    Showered. Threw on fresh clothes that didn¡¯t look like they had just witnessed my breakdown. And got ready for the day.


    When I stepped out of the Academy gates, the sun had just crested over the edge of the dorm buildings, and Rowan was already waiting with his monstrous bike.


    The drive to the town was quick.


    <fn806c> Official source is Find?Novel</fn806c>


    We stopped at a little caf¨¦ tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop, one that was smelling like cinnamon rolls and toasted oats. Rowan ordered for both of us - smoothies, oatmeal with honey, some fruit on the side - and made sure I finished every bite.


    I hated how my stomach churned with every spoonful.


    But I ate.


    Because he was right. I needed to take care of myself and the baby.


    Even if it felt like the world had fallen apart.


    By the time he pulled up outside the Werewolf Council headquarters, I was feeling a tiny bit more human.


    Still bruised.


    Still fragile.


    But breathing.

 Chapter 153: Peppermint Tea

    <h4>Chapter 153: Peppermint Tea</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The headquarters building stood tall and pristine under the morning sun, its ss walls gleaming with polished perfection, just like everything else in River¡¯s world.


    I walked in, swiped my ID, and stepped into the elevator, watching the floor numbers tick upward with mechanical rhythm.


    With each level I passed, my heart was beating a little faster.


    >Level 10: Council Legal Division.


    >Level 11: Strategy and Operations.


    >Level 12: High Council Memebers offices.


    The moment the doors opened, a strange chill gripped me. The hallway was quiet, lined with clean grey tiles and sterile fluorescent lighting. Familiar. Routine. But my steps grew slower, heavier, more hesitant with every inch I crossed.


    Suddenly, I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to be here at all.


    What if River already knew?


    What if he had heard everything that had happened between me and his brothers?


    What if he knew I was pregnant?


    The thought alone sent a rush of dread through me.


    River wasn¡¯t just my boss. He was Oscar and Draven¡¯s eldest brother. The Rogue Alpha King. Powerful, calcting, emotionally cold... and absolutely terrifying when he wanted to be.


    Even before all of this, I was convinced that he would never ept me as a mate to either of his brothers. Especially not both.


    Now...?


    Now that I came with more secrets than most traitors?


    I stopped in front of the office door and tried to steady my breathing, fighting the wild swarm of anxiety that was stirring in my chest.


    My hand was hovering in midair as I fought internally.


    <i>Maybe I should just turn around. Call in sick. Leave for the day-</i>


    But before I could have acted on that thought, the door was pulled open from the inside and River¡¯s secretary stepped out with a stack of folders.


    "Morning, Evaline," she greeted me with a pleasant smile, totally unaware of the storm churning in my head.


    I managed a weak nod. "Good morning."


    "He¡¯s inside," she said, motioning to the office before heading down the corridor with confident clicks of her heels.


    Damn it.


    I couldn¡¯t run now.


    If River hadn¡¯t already noticed my presence from the sound of my heartbeat alone, he certainly would after that.


    And right on cue-


    "Come in, Ms. Evaline," his deep voice called from inside, smooth andposed like always.


    My pulse stuttered. I forced my fingers to stop trembling as I twisted the knob and stepped inside.


    He didn¡¯t even look up at first. He was standing near the window with a file in one hand, flipping through it with bored disinterest.


    "You are two minuteste," he remarked.


    Normally, that would have irritated me. Normally, I would have snapped back with something snarky or red at him for nitpicking.


    But right now?


    I almost sagged with relief.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t know.</i>


    Because if he did, he would be colder. Crueler. Sharper. But he was behaving like he always did - annoyed, stoic, and just River.


    It was oddly...forting.


    Still, I didn¡¯t move from my spot. I stayed rooted near the door like some lifeless statue. The ache behind my eyes was making everything blur at the edges.


    Then, he finally looked up... and froze.


    I saw the double take he did, the sharp sweep of his gaze that went from my face to my posture to the dull glow in my usually bright eyes.


    I tried to look normal. I really did. But apparently, I had failed.


    He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to solve a riddle. "You look like hell. Are you alright?"


    I swallowed hard and forced my shoulders back. "Just tired, Alpha. Didn¡¯t get much sleep."


    His brows rose sharply, and I immediately realized the reason.


    <i>Alpha.</i>


    I never called him that. I barely even acknowledged his title before, not because I didn¡¯t recognize it... but because I had never respected him enough to use it.


    The smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips said exactly that.


    "Hmm. You calling me Alpha must mean you have been possessed, or you have lost a bet. Which one is it?"


    "I just said I¡¯m tired," I muttered, too drained to fight.


    He let the jab pass. "Then go get some coffee. It¡¯ll help you stay awake while you battle the mountain of paperwork waiting for you."


    <fnf9e5> ?????? ???? Find1Novel</fnf9e5>


    I nodded and turned toward my desk, not nning to actually follow his advice. Caffeine wasn¡¯t out of the options.


    "...I don¡¯t drink coffee," I whispered as I sat down and powered up the tablet issued to me for Council tasks.


    I barely caught the way he paused, just for a split second. Then, without another word, he picked up the telephone on his desk and dialed a number.


    I tried not to pay attention. But it was hard not to listen when you were the only two people in the room.


    "Brian," he said smoothly. "Bring me a cup of peppermint tea. Now."


    I blinked.


    Peppermint tea?


    And then he did the most unexpected thing - when Brian arrived a few minutester with the steaming cup in hand, River didn¡¯t take it.


    Instead, he pointed to me. "She hasn¡¯t slept. Give it to her."


    Brian turned to me with raised eyebrows and a half-smile. "Looks like you have earned tea privileges."


    I blinked again, caughtpletely off guard as I reached for the cup. "Thank you."


    "You are wee," he said before leaving the room.


    I turned slowly in my chair, staring at River, but he was already back to work, eyes on his screen and fingers flying over the keyboard.


    Like nothing had happened.


    Like he hadn¡¯t just quietly acknowledged that I was struggling without calling me out. Like he hadn¡¯t just offered something resembling kindness.


    I took a sip of the tea. It was hot and minty and soothing. Exactly what I needed.


    And for a moment, I felt like maybe... maybe... this day wouldn¡¯t crush me after all.


    River didn¡¯t speak again, and I didn¡¯t press for conversation. We just worked in quiet tandem for the next hour. It was strange... but also oddly peaceful.


    Still, beneath that fragile calm, my mind was constantly spinning.


    Would he find out?


    Would Draven or Oscar tell him?


    Would he look at me the same way they had?


    Would he throw me out? Would I lose my job? Or my ce in the Academy?


    For now, all I could do was breathe. Sip tea. And survive the day.

 Chapter 154: The Sleeping Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 154: The Sleeping Beauty</h4>


    <strong>Rowan:</strong>


    After dropping Eva off at the Council headquarters, I didn¡¯t linger. I didn¡¯t want her to feel watched, even if part of me wanted to stay and make sure she was okay the entire day.


    She said she would be fine. So I let her go.


    But I had somewhere else I needed to be.


    I pulled my hoodie up, mounted my bike, and took the familiar turn out of the wilderness. Familiar viges passed by as I made my way through the route that was nearly etched into my bones now - each tree, curve, and signpost burning into my memory.


    Greenville City.


    It was one of the few cities within shifter territory borders. Nestled just beyond the mountain bend and surrounded by long stretches of pines. Shifters didn¡¯t love the buzz of human cities. Concrete jungles didn¡¯t call to our blood the way nature did.


    Greenville, though, was different.


    It had a hospital. A damn good one. And for someone like me... that made all the difference. It had both high rank healers and doctors, making it best of both worlds.


    Almost an hourter, the city came into view with its bustling streets, towering buildings, and rush that was unlike the peaceful life in our packs.


    I slowed my bike outside a cozy little caf¨¦ across the street from the hospital. The smell of freshly baked croissants hit me even before I stepped in.


    The barista grinned the second she saw me.


    "Same order?" she asked, already reaching for the takeaway trays.


    "You know me too well," I said as I pulled out my wallet.


    She waved it off. "Put that away. This one¡¯s on the house. You missedst Saturday."


    I gave her a sheepish smile. "Was... a bit tied up."


    She handed me the bag, packed with steaming pastries andbeled cups. "Say hi to Nurse Faye and Tan Uncle from me."


    "Will do."


    Next stop was the flower shop. I stepped into the floral haven filled with gentle piano music and the scent of roses, jasmine, and lilies.


    "Rowan," the elderly florist beamed from behind the counter. "They came in fresh this morning. Here, Blue tulips... just for you."


    I took the bouquet with both hands, letting my thumb brush over the petals. "Thanks, Miss Elena. They are perfect."


    Her gaze softened. "She¡¯s lucky to have someone like you."


    I didn¡¯t say anything. Just nodded and left.


    The hospital¡¯s scent of antiseptic hit me instantly as I entered the building. I took the elevator up to the seventh floor where the private wards were located. It was a familiar territory by now.


    The doors opened with a soft ding, and there he was. Uncle Tan. The old janitor with a smile that could light up hallways and a mop he treated like an extension of himself.


    "Morning, Tan Uncle," I greeted.


    He turned and brightened at the sight of me. "Aiyo! The sunshine boy is back!"


    I handed him the croissants. "Still calling me that?"


    "You bring food, flowers, and smiles. What else should I call you?" he said with a wink.


    I chuckled. "You are impossible."


    "And you arete."


    I made my way down the corridor until I reached the room at the far end. The door was slightly ajar.


    Inside, Nurse Faye was standing by the monitors, jotting down notes. She looked up, and her tired face lit up.


    "Finally," she sighed. "Do you know how unbearable this kid gets without his pastry?"


    I grinned and handed her the coffee. "I live to serve."


    She took it with a grateful groan. "Bless you, Rowan."


    My eyes drifted to the bed across from the monitors. A familiar small form was sitting upright under pale green nkets. His wild chestnut curls were a mess, and his nose was buried in aic book.


    "Hey, troublemaker."


    The boy looked up, eyes lighting up like fireworks. "Rowan!"


    <fne19f> ?????? ???? F?nd-Novel</fne19f>


    I crossed the room and handed him the paper bag with his favorite pastry. "Still being a pain to the nurses?"


    "I told Nurse Faye she looked like an angry bird today," he said with a giggle. "She still gave me pudding."


    "Because she¡¯s a saint."


    The boy devoured the pastry like he hadn¡¯t eaten in a week.


    "How¡¯s the heart?" I asked, crouching beside the bed.


    "Beats loud and fast when Nurse Faye yells," he said with augh. "But they said I¡¯m doing good. Mom says I¡¯ll be out soon."


    "Damn right, you will. And when you are, we are going for the biggest ice cream sundae ever."


    "You swear?"


    I held out a pinky. "Swear."


    He linked his with mine solemnly.


    The boy¡¯s mother came around just then with a kind smile. "Rowan. It¡¯s good to see you again."


    "You too, ma¡¯am."


    "Let me take him out for a walk," She said and turned to help him into his wheelchair.


    "I¡¯lle with you." Nurse Faye added.


    I felt warmth filling my heart at their kind gesture of giving me some alone time. I waited until the door clicked shut behind them. And only then did I turn.


    She was still there. Still sleeping. Or pretending to.


    I crossed the room and moved to the other bed.


    The blue tulips had begun to wither. I quietly removed them from the vase, filled it with fresh water from the bathroom sink, and carefully arranged the new ones in their ce.


    Then, I took my seat.


    My eyesnded on her face.


    Even in sleep, she looked peaceful. Her dark hair was spilled across the pillow in soft waves, and her skin was as pale as moonlight. No movement. No flutters. Just stillness.


    My chest ached.


    I reached for her hand, finding it cold.


    Too cold.


    "I miss your warmth," I whispered.


    "Your stupidugh. Your dumb jokes. The way you used to tug my sleeve when you wanted my attention even though you had a perfectly functioning voice." I smiled through the ache. "You were so annoying."


    The smile faded.


    "And I miss all of it."


    My thumb brushed over her knuckles. "I don¡¯t know how to fix this. I have tried... I have tried everything, you know? Magic. Prayers. Begging. I would give anything to hear you call me dumb again."


    Only silence answered me.


    My heart clenched. A tear slid down my cheek, but I didn¡¯t bother wiping it away.


    "So much has changed," I continued, softer now. "I have a new friend. Her name¡¯s Eva."


    I let the words linger in the air, as if her sleeping soul could soak them in.


    "She¡¯s strong, kind... and hurting in ways no one sees. Watching her is like watching someone drown in silence. She keeps smiling, even when she¡¯s breaking. She reminds me of myself. It¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at a mirror when I look at her."


    I swallowed.


    "I think I have started to see her as family. Like a little sister I never had. She reminds me of you, in the way she never gives up - no matter how much the world breaks her."


    I took a breath. "I want to bring her to meet you. I think you would like her, a lot. I think... you would understand each other."


    My voice cracked at the end.


    The room was quiet. Peaceful. But the weight of grief, of love left hanging in the air, was suffocating.


    Still, I sat beside her, hand in hand, like I always did.


    Hoping.


    Praying.


    That one day... she would squeeze my fingers back.

 Chapter 155: The Unexpected Praise

    <h4>Chapter 155: The Unexpected Praise</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sunday arrived with a pale grey sky and a heart heavier than it had been the night before.


    It should have been a good day considering it was payday.


    I got my sry, more than I had ever held in my hands before. River kept his word about the bonus, letting me earn twice my usual sry.


    I should have been thrilled. Proud. Excited to finally make real money from honest, hard work, especially with no one else to depend on.


    But instead, I was feeling... nothing.


    There was no joy. No pride. Just a hollow ache in my chest that hadn¡¯t eased since Friday evening.


    Forty hours. That¡¯s how long it had been since I stood in that cottage and watched my mates walk away. Since I dropped the truth on them like shattering ss, one shard after another. Since I saw Draven¡¯s back as he stormed out, and Oscar¡¯s detached voice as he told me he would drop me off like I was some stranger.


    It had been forty long hours without a single message from either of them, let alone a call.


    That¡¯s right! A foolish, desperate part of me - one that I thought I had buried long ago - kept checking my phone. Hoping. Praying.


    But there was nothing.


    It was like they hadn¡¯t just walked out of that cottage, but out of my life. And the truth was... I couldn¡¯t me them.


    How could they possibly ept everything I dumped on them? Being mated to both brothers was one thing - unusual, even rare, but it had happened before. But carrying another man¡¯s child? A child from a mate who had already rejected me?


    Even I wouldn¡¯t have epted that if I were in their ce.


    So really, the silence shouldn¡¯t have hurt. But it did. It was hurting more than Ethan¡¯s rejection ever had.


    <fn7447> Get full chapters from Find1Novel</fn7447>


    Maybe because this time, I had let myself hope. And my life had taught me one thing very clearly... hope was a dangerous thing.


    By Sunday afternoon, even River started to notice something wasn¡¯t right.


    I felt his eyes on me as I fumbled over the third set of documents I was supposed to finalize. I was usually ahead of schedule, efficient to the second. But this weekend? I misspelled a major Alpha¡¯s name in an official report, a name I had written dozens of times before. I misced an important report. And failed to respond to three calls that I received from River.


    "I¡¯m starting to think you have been swapped with a body double," River muttered as he leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes on me. "One that¡¯s too stupid to function properly."


    I blinked up at him, startled out of my daze.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry," I mumbled while straightening the papers that were scattered over the desk. "I didn¡¯t mean to-"


    "That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about." He snapped the folder shut and leaned forward on his elbows. "You haven¡¯t made a single damn mistake in two months, and now suddenly you are fumbling over basic tasks?"


    He paused. "What the hell is going on with you?"


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell him that the girl he saw as a walking intern manual had her world fall apart two nights ago.


    So I just lowered my head and offered a weak apology again.


    He sighed. For once, it didn¡¯t sound annoyed. It sounded... disappointed. He was looking even confused at my behavior.


    "You are one of the best I have ever had in this position," he said suddenly.


    My eyes shot up, only to catch the look of surprise taking over him in time. He didn¡¯t mean to let the praise slip.


    "I mean, you were," he said quickly, trying to cover his slip. "Before you started screwing things up."


    The corner of my mouth twitched. I hadn¡¯t smiled in days. It was small, barely there, but it was something. And of course, he noticed.


    He frowned. "Don¡¯t smile. You are still on thin ice."


    Then, without giving me a chance to respond, he stood abruptly and grabbed his zer. "I have got a meeting with Alpha Marcus. Try not to burn the ce down while I¡¯m gone."


    And just like that, he was out the door, fleeing like a man who had identally shown a sliver of humanity and hated himself for it.


    For the rest of the day, I forced myself to keep working. I did everything twice, triple-checked my spellings, and read reports out loud until they no longer made sense.


    I made it to 6 PM.


    When the office hours ended, I was barely able to lift my arms. My body was drained. But my mind was worse.


    I declined my friends¡¯ invitation to meet them in Lakeshire. Noah had texted twice. Kyros once. And Mallory had been calling.


    I turned my phone on silent and shoved it in my bag.


    I just wanted quiet. So I told Mr. Wood to take me back to the Academy when he asked about where I wanted to go.


    The dorm was empty when I entered. Everyone still out enjoying the weekend.


    I took a long shower, letting the water run until my fingers wrinkled and my skin turned pink. Still, I wasn¡¯t able to wash away the ache.


    Back in the room, I slipped into bed, pulling the covers over my head and hoping for sleep to take me away from the reality I didn¡¯t want to face.


    But my bed was cold. The room was colder. And everywhere I looked... I saw memories.


    Draven sitting on the edge of my bed, brushing a strand of hair from my face. Him leaning against the windowsill, grinning at something stupid I said. Hisughter. His warmth. It was all gone.


    Just like that.


    I closed my eyes, hoping to escape into nothingness. And at some point, I finally drifted off.


    Until-


    <strong>Knock. Knock. Knock.</strong>


    My eyes shot open as the sound came again. Then there was a pause before-


    <strong>Knock. Knock.</strong>


    I sat up, trying to brush away the heaviness of the sleep.


    Someone was at the door.

 Chapter 156: He’s Getting Engaged

    <h4>Chapter 156: He¡¯s Getting Engaged</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The knocking came again.


    It wasn¡¯t too loud, nor too demanding. Just... patient.


    Dragging myself out of bed felt like moving through msses. My limbs were heavy, sore, and weighed down by more than just sleep.


    When I cracked the door open, the coomon room light spilled into my dark room, and I found myself looking at two very familiar faces - Mallory and Kyros¡¯.


    Mallory¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed on my face. Her gaze scanned over my half-asleep, half-broken expression, taking in the dampness around my eyes, the sag in my shoulders, and the silence in my throat.


    "Oh, babe," she said softly, "Did we wake you? You already went to bed?"


    I gave a faint nod and rubbed the heel of my palm against my eye, trying to rub the weariness away. "Yeah... I was just resting," I murmured.


    She tilted her head as she asked, "Are you okay? Did you eat dinner at least?"


    There was concern in her voice. Genuine, warm concern. I didn¡¯t want to lie to her, especially not tonight. So I gave her the simplest, most honest answer I could.


    "I¡¯m just tired," I said. "Really tired. And I had some fruit sd and yogurt in the afternoon... I didn¡¯t feel like eating again."


    Her frown only deepened at my response, but she didn¡¯t press me. Not yet.


    Kyros was standing beside her silently. He didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t need to. When his eyes met mine, steady and calm - those warm ocean hues were filled with understanding, with patience, with silent support. He knew. He understood the storm behind my eyes without me having to say a single word.


    It was him who gently nudged Mallory. "Let her rest," he said quietly. "She¡¯s had a long week."


    I expected Mallory to follow his cue and leave. And she almost did.


    Almost.


    She turned to go, then froze as if something struck her.


    "Oh, wait!" Her eyes lit up with excitement. She spun back toward me, practically vibrating. "I totally forgot! I have <i>news</i>! And not the boring kind, but the kind that¡¯s gonna shake up the whole Academy!"


    I blinked, surprised by her sudden burst of energy. I couldn¡¯t deny the flicker of curiosity. "What... kind of news?"


    I didn¡¯t fail to notice how Kyros tensed immediately beside her. His jaw ticked as he turned toward her, trying to usher her away with his bodynguage alone. "Mallory, not now," he muttered in a low voice that almost sounded like a warning.


    But Mallory was too caught up in her own excitement. "Oh,e on, Kyros! It might cheer her up!" She turned her eager grin back to me. "And you definitely want to hear this before it spreads through the Academying morning, Eva."


    "No, she doesn¡¯t," Kyros snapped.


    But it was toote.


    Mallory leaned closer, her voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "Oscar Thorne and Jasmine Bills are getting engaged."


    The world stilled. And I stared at Mallory as if I no longer recognized her or the words she was speaking.


    I felt everything in me go still, like time had stopped. Like someone had punched me straight in the chest, leaving a gaping hole in my ribs where my heart used to be.


    "What?" I asked in barely a whisper, not sure if I even said it aloud.


    Mallory seemed oblivious to the bomb she had just dropped and kept going. "We saw them! Me and the others. We wereing back from Lakeshire and passed that high-end restaurant near Pinehill Street - you know, the fancy one that charges by the second you breathe inside."


    She gave a shortugh, then continued. "Alpha River was there. So was Alpha Bill. They were shaking hands like some major deal had been sealed. Jasmine was practically wrapped around Instructor Oscar like a gift. Her hands were all over him as she keptughing, smiling like she had won the biggest prize of her life. And Instructor Oscar, he didn¡¯t even push her away!"


    I couldn¡¯t hear the rest.


    My mind was already drowning out her words with a sudden, agonizing ringing in my ears.


    Oscar... and Jasmine?


    An engagement?


    Jasmine Bills - she was the perfect daughter of a wealthy Alpha, beautiful and poised and everything I was not.


    Of course. It made sense.


    She wasn¡¯t carrying another man¡¯s child. She didn¡¯t have aplicated past full of pain and secrets. She was perfect.


    And Oscar?


    He was a Thorne. The third of the Rogue Alphas. A respected instructor at Silver Moon. The academy¡¯s golden boy.


    Of course he would want someone like Jasmine. Of course River would want him with someone like her.


    Kyros finally snapped. "Mallory, that¡¯s enough!"


    Mallory paused, blinking in surprise. "What? I¡¯m just telling her what we saw-"


    "That¡¯s enough," he repeated, more firmly this time.


    The sharpness in his voice startled her. Her eyes darted to me, and for the first time, she seemed to notice the way my body had stiffened, the way my hand was trembling where it gripped the doorframe.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean to upset her," she stammered, confused and suddenly guilty.


    "It¡¯s okay," I said, my voice sounding hoarse and brittle like ss on the edge of a fall. "You don¡¯t know anything."


    Mallory frowned, clearly still unsure, but offered me a soft "Good night, Eva," before turning to leave, throwing a confused look over her shoulder at me and Kyros.


    The silence she left behind was crushing.


    Kyros lingered at the door, watching me with something that looked like sympathy, but he didn¡¯t move closer.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he said.


    I shook my head. "Don¡¯t be. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She doesn¡¯t know anything and just wanted to share the new big gossip to cheer me up. You shouldn¡¯t have raised your voice at her. Go and talk to her."


    He nodded in understanding before speaking, "But don¡¯t take her words seriously. What she just said was all based on her spections. Nothings been confirmed yet."


    I lowered my gaze, staring at the floor as I felt the back of my eyes burning and that familiar heaviness clotting my throat. "But it still hurts."


    He was silent for a moment before asking, "Do you want me to stay?"


    "No." I forced a small smile. "But thank you."


    He didn¡¯t argue. "I¡¯ll be around if you need anything. Anything, Eva."


    "I know." My voice cracked again.


    <fnea3d> Get full chapters from Find~Novel</fnea3d>


    He gave me a look - soft, protective - and nodded. Then, finally, he turned and walked away.


    I closed the door behind him.


    And let the sob shatter out of me.

 Chapter 157: Her Best Friends

    <h4>Chapter 157: Her Best Friends</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything was a blur from the moment Mallory¡¯s words cut through the night like a de.


    <i>Oscar Thorne and Jasmine Bills are getting engaged.</i>


    I didn¡¯t remember how long I stood frozen by the door after that. Minutes. Maybe an hour. My body moved withoutmand, sliding down against the wooden frame and curling up at the base. This was bing my new favorite ce to fall apart.


    I didn¡¯t remember if I cried again or just sat there, feeling empty. Broken.


    The next thing I was truly aware of was Rowan.


    His scent reached me before his voice did, that warm forest-and-mint blend that always made me feel like I was somewhere safe - even when nothing else in my world was. He didn¡¯t say anything at first. Just walked over and crouched beside me. No questions. No judgments.


    And then he touched me.


    Gentle hands around my shoulders, strong arms easing me up like I weighed nothing at all, like I wasn¡¯t dragging the weight of my entire world with me.


    He helped me to bed and held me in his arms like I was a child. I probably looked like one too, curled up against him, trembling but no longer crying, because I didn¡¯t think there were any tears left in me. I was dry, like a well that had been bled hollow by grief.


    "I have got you," he whispered.


    He always did.


    I didn¡¯t speak, not once. And neither did he, after that. He just let me be, let me exist in silence while he kept me grounded like one steady heartbeat against my back. Iy there like that, staring at the moonless sky through the balcony ss, watching the clouds crawl across a ck sky that looked like it had swallowed the stars.


    There was no light up there.


    None in here, either.


    At some point, probably near dawn, I drifted off - not into peace, not intofort, but into the quiet numbness of sleep.


    I barely stirred when I felt movement beside me. Myshes fluttered as consciousness tried to reach me, but before I could open my eyes fully, Rowan whispered softly, "Sleep, sunshine," his voice was barely more than a breath as it brushed my skin like a luby.


    And I obeyed. Not because I wasforted, but because I had nothing else left to give.


    ---


    <fn9e51> Get full chapters from F?nd-Novel</fn9e51>


    The second time I woke, the room was still filled with darkness.


    No sunlight was filtering through the balcony. Someone, undoubtedly Rowan, had drawn the thick ckout curtains and turned off every light. The room was cloaked in shadows, and the silence was as deep as the emptiness inside me.


    I blinked at the darkness, too exhausted to do anything else, and before I could even think of lifting my head, sleep stole me again.


    ---


    I didn¡¯t know what time it was when I woke next, but the moment I opened my eyes, I felt something different - a sense of urgency.


    My body was aching from lying still for so long, but I forced myself upright, blinking at the pitch-ck room until I reached for my phone on the bedside table. The second I saw the screen, my heart leapt with panic.


    12:41 PM


    I sat up straight - too fast.


    "Ah-!" I gasped as pain shot up my back and into my ribs. My body screamed in protest from the sudden movement, and I clenched the nket against my chest, steadying my breath. But the panic was already there, wing at me.


    I missed sses. I missed the whole morning.


    My chest tightened until I saw the message notifications.


    <strong>Rowan: </strong>I<i> told the Academy you weren¡¯t feeling well and got a leave approved for you. No stress. Get some rest, okay?</i>


    <strong>Kyros:</strong><i>Don¡¯t push yourself today. Sleep. Heal.</i>


    <strong>Mallory (10 minutes ago):</strong><i>Hey sleepyhead! Don¡¯t you daree to the dining hall. We are bringing your lunch! Be ready!</i>


    I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    Warmth trickled into my chest at the words. At the concern. At the effort. These people... they didn¡¯t owe me anything, and yet, here they were, wrapping me in their quiet love without needing a single exnation. I was grateful. So damn grateful.


    But still...


    I opened the notifications tab again, scanning through all my missed calls and unread messages, hoping - stupidly, desperately - that maybe, just maybe...


    But there was none. Nothing.


    No messages from Oscar or Draven. No missed calls either. No attempts to check in. Not even a sign that they still cared.


    My vision blurred.


    Just when I thought I was done cryinb... just when I thought I couldn¡¯t possibly have more pain left to feel.


    A tear slid down my cheek, hot and bitter.


    How could it still hurt this much?


    How could I still hope?


    I swiped the tear away fiercely and exhaled through clenched teeth. "Get up, Eva," I whispered to myself. "Stop acting like your world ended. It didn¡¯t. You are still here. You are still breathing. So get up."


    I didn¡¯t feel strong. But I pushed the nket off anyway, pulled my legs out of bed, and grabbed a change of clothes from the closet.


    ---


    The girls¡¯ showers were quiet at this hour. Most sses were still running and only a few students skipped lessons, so the bathroom was practically empty when I stepped in. The moment the warm water hit my skin, I felt a knot loosen in my chest, just a little.


    I closed my eyes and let the water wash over me, sliding down my back and soaking through my hair like a gentle apology. Like maybe the universe was trying to say - <i>You are still here. You are still alive. Let me clean some of this pain away.</i>


    But water couldn¡¯t fix everything.


    It couldn¡¯t scrub away the memory of the way Oscar had looked at me in that cottage, with his eyes full of silence and doubt.


    It couldn¡¯t erase the image of Draven walking out the door, leaving me behind.


    And it certainly couldn¡¯t take away the ache that lived in the space where my hope used to be.


    Still, I cleaned myself. Dressed slowly. Braided my hair like my mother used to when I was little. I needed thatfort today, even if only in a small, symbolic way.


    By the time I got back to my room, the pain hadn¡¯t left, but I was able to breathe through it again.


    ---


    I returned to the dorm and settled down in themon room. It was already lunch time and all I needed to do was to wait for my friends to grab the meals from the dining hall and turn up here.


    It was actually against the Academy rules to eat outside dining hall, but since Mallory sounded so confident despite knowing this rule well enough, I knew they had nned something or at least asked for permission.


    Ten minutester, I heard movement outside the door before someone entered the code and opened the door.


    Next moment, the entire group entered much to my surprise - Mallory, Kyros, Rowan, Selene, Ria, and Noah. They all were carrying trays full of food, napkins, and juice boxes.


    Mallory¡¯s eyes immediately softened when she saw me. "Hey, sleeping beauty. You are looking better."


    "I showered," I offered softly, managing a faint smile.


    "And you are awake, which is an improvement," Noah added as he lifted a covered dish into the air. "We brought mushroom soup, garlic bread, and fruit sd."


    My stomach let out a growl I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    Ria chuckled. "Guess that means you approve."


    They stepped in and set everything up on the small coffee table, making it look overcrowded. I sat cross-legged on the couch and watched them bustle around me like it was normal, like nothing had broken inside mest night... or two nights ago. And I let them. I let them pretend.


    Because sometimes, pretending was the only way to keep breathing.


    Mallory plopped beside me and handed me a spoon. "Eat first. Existter."


    I smiled. For real this time.


    It still hurt.


    But for the first time in three days... I felt a little less alone.


    I dipped the spoon into the mushroom soup, letting the warm steam wrap around my face like a hug I didn¡¯t know I needed. The first sip was slow, hesitant, but as the taste settled on my tongue, I found myself reaching for another, and another.


    The warmth of the soup was like a gentle balm sliding down my throat, untying knots of grief that had been sitting heavy in my chest.


    "You need to eat like this every day," Selene scolded lightly, watching me with a raised eyebrow. "You are way too thin."


    I gave her a small shrug. "Food¡¯s hard when everything inside feels like a mess."


    "Still, you have got people around you now," Rowan chimed in gently from where he was standing with arms crossed and leaning against the wall. "People who¡¯ll help you eat, even if they have to spoon-feed you."


    That made me smile, faint but real. Kyros let out a chuckle as he added, "And we would do it too. Especially Mallory. She¡¯s not above wrestling you to the ground for your own good."


    "Damn right," Mallory said proudly, popping a piece of garlic bread into her mouth.


    Looking around at this group of people, I almost felt like crying... but from happiness this time.

 Chapter 158: The Brothers’ Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 158: The Brothers¡¯ Arrival</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    Lunch was over, and the weight of my responsibility settled back on my shoulders like a familiar cloak - ufortable but necessary.


    I had been running from her for weeks now.


    Not literally, of course. I was far too dignified for that, or so I liked to believe. But I had avoided meeting her - even when she personally came looking for me on several asions, I arrived on time and left on time from sses, found excuse to avoid the Herbs and Potions ss for the entire previous week.


    Every time I heard her voice in the hallway or caught a whiff of her scent, my stomach twisted in ways I didn¡¯t have names for. And so, I avoided. Avoided her... avoided the truth of what I was feeling.


    But that couldn¡¯t continue, not when it was beginning to impact my students.


    I was not only one of the founders of the Academy, but also a Professor. And with that came expectations. Standards. Duties. So I was back.


    I took a breath deep enough to steady the churning in my chest and pushed open the door to the ssroom.


    The familiar scent of parchment and dried herbs greeted me, as did the chatter of students settling into their seats. My gaze swept over the room on instinct.


    It took me all of two seconds to realize she wasn¡¯t here.


    Evaline¡¯s seat was empty.


    The absence hit me harder than I liked. I blinked, steeling myself. This was fine. She could be runningte. Or perhaps...


    I turned toward the ss, forcing myself to ignore the twist in my chest. "Good afternoon," I greeted them in a calm and measured voice. "Before we begin, I would like to hear how your experience went under your senior¡¯s guidancest week. Anyone brave enough to volunteer a summary?"


    My gaze roamed slowly, naturally, toward the window seat where she usually sat, surrounded by her small but fiercely loyal group of friends. That¡¯s when I noticed Mallory Campbell shifting ufortably in her seat.


    "Miss Campbell," I said with a faint smile, "I don¡¯t see Miss Evaline today. Any idea where our star student might be?"


    The moment her eyes flicked to Kyros Graves, I knew something was off.


    "She has taken the day off, Professor," Miss Campbell finally said.


    I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Is she unwell?"


    Kyros Graves stepped in before Mallory could have spoken. "She¡¯s been overworking herself throughout past week. I think it finally caught up with her. She¡¯s not been to the infirmary, but she¡¯s resting now and feeling a little better now."


    I kept my face neutral, even as something unpleasant stirred inside me. I nodded once. "Very well. Thank you. Please ensure she does visit the infirmary if her condition worsens. Ack of rest and proper nourishment is not something to be taken lightly, especially with the curriculum we follow here."


    They both nodded.


    I was about to begin the lesson when a hushed voice reached my ears. It was low but clear enough for my wolf-enhanced hearing to catch.


    "She¡¯s probably just too weak to handle Academy life. What did you expect? She¡¯s wolfless."


    Nadine Myres.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know she was smirking, surrounded by her like-minded followers. A low chuckle followed from her group, and I noticed Eva¡¯s friends immediately tensing, ready to defend her.


    "Miss Myres," I said, my voice slicing through the room like a de wrapped in silk.


    The ss went silent and all eyes turned to her.


    "If you have something worth contributing to the lesson, I would be delighted to hear it. But if all you have to offer is yourck of empathy and judgment, I rmend you silence yourself before you embarrass us all further."


    Her mouth dropped open slightly, but I didn¡¯t stop.


    "This Academy was built to honor merit and effort, not privilege or bloodlines. If anyone in this room believes strengthes from what you were born with rather than what you earn, I suggest you reconsider your enrollment."


    She shrank back into her seat, her smug mask reced by pale difort. Then, she softly murmured an apology.


    "Sorry, Professor."


    I let the silence linger, ensuring the messagended. Then I moved on.


    "For today¡¯s lesson, we¡¯ll be diving into a new unit - special herb species with dual elemental properties. Please open your texts to page 142. Let¡¯s begin."


    Forty minutester, I dismissed the ss, offering a final reminder for everyone to revise before next week¡¯s practical exam. I gathered my notes and made my way out.


    I had barely stepped into the hallway when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a message from River.


    <fn85d8> Updates are released by find?novel</fn85d8>


    <i>Come to the office. Now.</i>


    Great.


    I changed course and headed toward the main tower where our offices were located. When I reached mine and opened the door, I found both River and Oscar waiting for me.


    It wasn¡¯t an everyday thing for River to drop by the Academy. He only did so on special asions. And since there was nothing special about today and not only him but Oscar was here too, things appeared serious.


    And whatever this was, it wasn¡¯t good.


    A dreadful feeling suddenly settled over me as one possibility suddenly hit me. <i>There couldn¡¯t be another case of Soul Death? Could be? </i>


    Just the thought of it was enough to freeze me in my ce at the entrance. For the second time today, I took a deep breath to calm myself down and stop thinking too much.


    Stepping inside the office, I closed the door behind me with a soft click and raised an eyebrow at my brothers.


    "This better be important," I said evenly, "interrupting me during ss hours? You couldn¡¯t wait until evening to call me back to the mansion?"


    River turned slowly, and the tightness in his eyes, so rarely seen, made the hair on my arms rise.


    And Oscar¡¯s silence was heavier than steel.


    Something was very, very wrong.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 159: Alphas Without Mates

    <h4>Chapter 159: Alphas Without Mates</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    If there was one thing I hated more than walking into chaos, it was being kept in chaos with no exnation.


    Oscar was standing by the window with his arms crossed, scowling at the floor like it had personally offended him. River was sitting behind my desk like a king on his throne, stone-faced but smoldering beneath the surface.


    Neither said a word.


    "Are we doing this in silence now?" I muttered and turned to Oscar, who was looking like he would rather w through the ss than speak. "Alright, little brother. Start talking. What the hell is going on?"


    He finally opened his mouth, but it was River who barked out first in a voice that was sharp with frustration. "What¡¯s going on is that our baby brother has suddenly decided to be stupid."


    I raised a brow at that. "That¡¯s a bit dramatic. Stupid how?"


    Oscar, clearly bristling, turned to face me now. "I refused to get engaged to Jasmine Bills."


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    River barked a bitterugh. "See what I mean? Stupid."


    Oscar ignored him and looked at me. "And now he¡¯s throwing a fit because I said no."


    I rubbed my forehead. "Okay, let¡¯s back up. Refusing? That doesn¡¯t sound like you, Oscar."


    "I¡¯m not being stubborn," Oscar cut in, looking both irritated and exhausted. "I just don¡¯t want to get engaged to her, that¡¯s all."


    "You just don¡¯t want to?" River echoed mockingly, standing up now. "Do you even realize what this engagement means for us? The Bills are one of the wealthiest packs across the western territory. Joining with them would seal alliances, open resources, and-"


    Oscar groaned. "And turn me into a political pawn?"


    "You are not a pawn," River growled. "You are one of the heirs to this family. Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary."


    I stood there quietly, letting my brothers go back and forth. I wasn¡¯t surprised. As the Rogue King, River was always looking at therger picture. And while Oscar was passionate and impulsive, he wasn¡¯t foolish. If he was fighting this hard, there had to be more to it.


    "You¡¯ are 21," River continued, exasperated. "We are not asking you to marry her tomorrow. Just get engaged. You two can take your sweet time tying the knot."


    Oscar scoffed. "Then you do it."


    River¡¯s jaw clenched. "Excuse me?"


    Oscar turned and red at him. "You want the alliance so bad, you marry Jasmine."


    I winced, knowing this was going to light the fuse.


    "She likes you, Oscar," River shot back, his anger finally ring. "She¡¯s not throwing herself at me or Kieran or Draven. She wants you. So stop acting like a brat."


    Before Oscar could throw another jab, I stepped between them before the air turned to lightning.


    "Enough," I said, my voice calm but final. "If this was just another of your little brotherly arguments, I would let you bite each other¡¯s heads off. But this? This sounds serious. So let¡¯s treat it like it is."


    I turned to Oscar first. "Let¡¯s be honest here. Is this about the engagement itself? Because if it is, if it¡¯s about timing, you can dy the wedding. You don¡¯t have to marry Jasmine right away."


    He opened his mouth to argue but I stopped him.


    <fnb3f7> Find the newest release on f?ndnovel</fnb3f7>


    "Or is it because you don¡¯t like her?" I continued. "Because sure, she¡¯s a little spoiled - what Alpha¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t - but she¡¯s smart, one of the ss topers, and trained to run a pack. She would make a good wife with the right guidance."


    He still didn¡¯t look convinced.


    "Then let me ask you this," I said softly, watching him carefully. "Is there someone else?"


    The silence that followed was not empty.


    Oscar didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t breathe. But I saw it - the faintest flicker of tension in his shoulders, the twitch in his jaw. And I knew.


    River¡¯s brows pulled together, his sharp gaze honing in. "Oscar," he said, the name tight with warning, "you know better than anyone that not just anyone can be a part of this family. If you are-"


    "What if it¡¯s my mate?"


    Oscar¡¯s voice sliced through the tension, it was low but powerful.


    And then everything went still.


    The words hung in the air like frozen thunder, and I couldn¡¯t help the sharp breath I sucked in.


    <i>Mate.</i>


    He said mate.


    River visibly froze, and I... I didn¡¯t even know what to say.


    We had never spoken of it out loud, but we all had same thoughts about our mates... or theck of them.


    Most werewolves found their mates soon after they turned sixteen, or within a few years. If they didn¡¯t, there was always some dy - distance, location, rare exceptions. But River was twenty-five. I was twenty-three. Oscar was twenty-one. And Draven neen.


    And still, none of us had found ours.


    Well... I had once felt the mate bond four months ago, but it vanished before I could track it down. And I had failed to find her no matter how hard I was trying.


    But now... Oscar. My little brother.


    My chest tightened.


    "You are serious," I said, watching him closely.


    He nodded once. "Yes."


    "You have confirmed the bond?"


    He pressed his lips together and nodded. "Yes."


    "Do we know her?" River asked, his voice a little rougher now.


    Oscar hesitated. And his hesitation was all the answer we needed.


    River leaned back against the edge of the desk, folding his arms again. His jaw was clenched, but he didn¡¯t explode - not yet. He was processing.


    And I was still stuck in the storm of my own thoughts.


    If Oscar had found his mate... that changed everything. It exined why he refused the engagement. It exined the sudden distance, the storm in his eyestely.


    "I understand now," I said finally, exhaling slowly. "But that brings us to the next problem."


    Oscar looked at me warily. "What?"


    "River¡¯s right. The Bills alliance is important. If you are turning it down for your mate, then she must be someone worth losing that opportunity over, and I¡¯m not talking about her status or family background. So who is she, Oscar?"


    He opened his mouth, then closed it again.


    But before he could speak, River pushed off the desk. "Who is she, Oscar?" he repeated, and this time, the Alpha in him was starting to show.

 Chapter 160: The Chaos in Corridors

    <h4>Chapter 160: The Chaos in Corridors</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    Oscar¡¯s head was lowered slightly, hands resting inside his jacket pockets, but his stance was firm. Steady.


    He wasn¡¯t going to tell us who his mate was.


    Not yet.


    "I¡¯m not hiding her forever," he spoke after a moment, his voice softer now. "When she¡¯s ready to meet the family, I¡¯ll bring her to you. Until then, I just want to enjoy this... without judgment, pressure, or any sort of interference. I know what I¡¯m asking for. But I also know I have never asked for much from either of you."


    He was right. Oscar had always been the golden boy. Our second youngest. He neverined, never rebelled, always carried his share of the family burden with more grace than anyone his age should be expected to.


    And now he was simply asking to be left alone with the one person who finally made him feel whole.


    I stepped forward first, unable to suppress the smile tugging at my lips. I pulled him into a hug, not the kind of stiff embrace that passed as masculine among most shifters, but a real one, like the big brother I was.


    "I¡¯m happy for you," I said, thumping his back before letting go. "You are lucky, Oscar. Most of us are still waiting to find our mates... Don¡¯t take it for granted. Cherish her."


    He gave me a small, grateful smile, one that barely reached his eyes but still meant something. I turned with him toward River, who had yet to say a word. His jaw was locked, eyes unreadable, and he was tapping his fingers against his folded arms.


    "River," I said, calling his name when he didn¡¯t respond.


    He finally looked up.


    His gaze shifted between me and Oscar, and then slowly, he pushed himself off the desk. His expression was stoic but not cold. "I still think declining the Bills alliance is short-sighted," he said in a firm voice but it was no longer confrontational. "But I respect your decision."


    <fn64b0> Th?s chapter is updated by f?ndnovel</fn64b0>


    Oscar straightened a little more, slightly surprised.


    River held up a hand before Oscar could say anything. "That being said, I won¡¯t investigate who your mate is. I won¡¯t push it. But I expect that when the timees, you¡¯ll tell us. No surprises."


    "Of course," Oscar nodded.


    "Just like Kieran said, you are lucky. Cherish her."


    And then without waiting for a response, he stepped past us, opened the office door, and left, leaving behind a silence that was much lighter than before.


    Oscar exhaled with visible relief. And I smiled at him. "Well. That went better than I thought it would."


    He chuckled. "Speak for yourself. I thought River was going to order me to marry Jasmine right here."


    We walked out of the office together, the tension behind us but still clinging faintly to the edges of our thoughts. I had no more sses to attend, but Oscar still had third-years in his next period. We were walking through the hallway that connected the administrative wing to the east study corridor when I saw her.


    Evaline.


    My steps slowed without conscious thought, my eyes locking onto her slender form walking along the opposite hallway.


    She wasn¡¯t alone, Rowan was with her, but even from this distance, I could see it.


    She didn¡¯t look like herself.


    Her shoulders were sagged as if the weight of the world rested there. Her skin was pale, her steps small and unsure. There was no smile, no spark in her movements. Only... exhaustion. Sadness.


    My heart twisted painfully.


    "Hey," Oscar¡¯s voice pulled me back, and I realized I had stopped walking. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    I didn¡¯t respond immediately, I was still staring at Evaline. His eyes started following mine.


    And then-


    "Oh, Oscar!"


    A sugary voice cut through the air, so high-pitched it nearly made me flinch. We both turned just in time to see Jasmine Bills skipping - yes, <i>skipping</i> - down the hallway toward us.


    And before Oscar could react, sheunched herself into his arms.


    "What the - Miss Bills -?" he tried to say, staggering slightly as her arms locked tightly around his torso like a vine choking a tree.


    I took a slow step back and raised a brow.


    Oscar looked horrified. He turned to me, with wide, pleading eyes, as if begging me to extract him from the mess.


    I smirked and shook my head.


    "I¡¯m not getting in the middle of that," I mouthed the words, already turning back toward the opposite hallway.


    But Evaline was no longer there.


    Rowan and she had disappeared from view.


    Something like panic struck me then. I hadn¡¯t seen her in nearly two weeks. I had spent those days pushing her out of my mind, distancing myself, thinking it was for the best. But now, watching her walk away like that, shattered and barely standing... it left me feeling like the worst coward in the world.


    Behind me, Oscar finally broke free from Jasmine¡¯s death grip and took a step back. "We are not getting engaged," he said bluntly, brushing off his jacket. "My brother will cancel this engagement deal with your father today. And I would appreciate it if you will keep your distance."


    Jasmine¡¯s face crumbled into stunned silence, her mascara-linedshes fluttering as if he had just smacked her across the face.


    Oscar didn¡¯t look back. He turned and walked away down another corridor, vanishing around the bend.


    And I?


    I fled the other way.


    My legs moved on their own, my mind filled with one face - Evaline¡¯s. I didn¡¯t know what I would say when I found her. I just knew I needed to see her again.


    It didn¡¯t take long.


    I spotted them at the entrance of the dormitory wing - Rowan and Evaline. He was holding her up, his arm tightly around her waist. Her legs looked barely functional, her steps stuttering like her limbs were refusing to support her anymore.


    She was crying.


    Even from afar, I could see the tears streaming down her face. And it broke me.


    Then... she crumpled.


    "Evaline!" I called, rushing forward, heart thundering in my chest as her body gave way and she copsed into Rowan¡¯s arms.


    He barely caught her in time, his voice panicked as he called her name again and again. "Eva! Eva, look at me!"

 Chapter 161: Worried Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 161: Worried Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t remember when my legs broke into a run - only that by the time I reached them, Rowan was kneeling on the floor with his arms tightly wrapped around Evaline¡¯s unconscious form.


    I didn¡¯t even have a chance to ask what had happened when he looked up at me. His voice was sharp and urgent as he spoke, "We need to get her to a hospital."


    Not the infirmary. A <i>hospital</i>.


    His words threw me. "What? The Academy¡¯s Healer is more than capable-"


    "No!" He snapped, his eyes wide and frantic. "Not the healer. Please, Professor. Just... please trust me. She needs to go to a hospital."


    There was a desperation in his tone that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. He wasn¡¯t just being dramatic, this wasn¡¯t panic from someone unfamiliar with medical emergencies. No, this was something else. Something deeper.


    And Rowan... he wasn¡¯t just any student. He had always been one of Evaline¡¯s closest friends, someone fiercely protective of her. If <i>he</i> was asking me to take her to a hospital instead of the infirmary, there had to be a good reason.


    My gaze dropped to Evaline. She was looking so pale, so fragile in that moment. Her breathing was shallow, her skin mmy, and I immediately felt the sharp stab of guilt for not noticing how badly she had been spiraling.


    <fn4663> Find the newest release on find[f]ovel</fn4663>


    "Alright," I said. "We¡¯ll go to Lakeshire Hospital."


    I stepped forward to take her from him, but he instinctively pulled back, adjusting her slightly in his arms.


    "I¡¯ll carry her."


    I hesitated only for a second before nodding. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Given my position as a professor, and his closeness with her, this was better. More appropriate. I spun on my heel and took the narrow, unused path that cut through the east side of the Academy grounds, avoiding main routes.


    As we walked, I called one of the warriors stationed near the outer ring.


    "Bring my car to the front gates. Now."


    Rowan followed silently, holding Eva like she was the most precious thing in the world. I noticed how careful he was with every step, shielding her from the wind, adjusting her in his arms whenever her head tilted too far. His jaw was clenched, and I could practically see the storm raging behind his eyes.


    And a part of me wasn¡¯t feeling too happy to see her being held by him like this.


    The warriors at the gate stood to attention when we arrived, but none dared speak a word. I nodded to the one who brought my vehicle and opened the back door while Rowan carefully slid in with Eva still in his arms.


    I got in and drove fast, much faster than I normally would, but with just enough caution not to attract unnecessary attention from the town patrols. The twenty-minute ride to Lakeshire Town felt like it stretched for hours.


    We arrived at the hospital and rushed inside, with Rowan still carrying her. The staff responded immediately, taking Evaline to a private room while I handled the paperwork.


    It didn¡¯t take long before one of the doctors stepped out.


    "She¡¯s stable now," he said. "She passed out due to abination of emotional exhaustion and physical weakness. She¡¯s severely fatigued. Dehydrated. Stressed."


    I exhaled, nodding slowly. That much made sense, given how she had looked.


    "But there¡¯s something else," the doctor continued, flipping through the preliminary test results. "In her condition, it¡¯s critical that she receives proper care. She can¡¯t afford to skip meals, lose rest, or-"


    "Don¡¯t say it," Rowan interrupted sharply, stepping in front of me.


    The doctor blinked, confused.


    Then, as if catching on, his eyes widened a fraction before he gave a small nod. "Right. Of course."


    I frowned, turning to Rowan. "What was that?"


    But he didn¡¯t answer. His shoulders were tense, and his face carefully nk. I could see the effort he was putting into staying calm.


    "She¡¯ll need to stay overnight," the doctor continued. "We¡¯ll monitor her vitals, give her fluids, and make sure she gets proper rest. One of you can stay with her."


    With a polite nod, he left us alone in the small room. Evay on the hospital bed, connected to an IV. Her features were peaceful now, but too pale, too still.


    I sat down beside her, folding my hands together, watching her chest rise and fall slowly.


    Rowan stayed standing, hovering protectively just beside the bed, his eyes locked on her face.


    "You going to tell me why you stopped the doctor?" I asked quietly.


    He looked at me, clenching his jaw. "It¡¯s not my ce to say anything."


    That was answer enough. There <i>was</i> something. Something big. Something she hadn¡¯t told anyone. And Rowan, being who he was, was protecting her.


    I didn¡¯t press.


    Because more than anything, I wanted her to open her eyes.


    She looked so much smaller in that bed than I ever remembered. Gone was the fiery girl who used to argue with others when she knew she was right, who would stand unflinching even when facing someone like River. Gone was the strength she so fiercely held onto.


    And the part that hurt the most?


    I hadn¡¯t even realized she was falling apart until now.


    "Has she... has she been like this long?" I asked, breaking the silence.


    Rowan nced at me. "She¡¯s been pretending she¡¯s okay for days. Maybe longer. Ever since..."


    He trailed off, notpleting that sentrance and leaving me confused and curious about what exactly happened that led her to end up in the hospital.


    My chest tightened.


    While I was running away from her, or trying to, she was going through her own struggles. I left her alone because I was busy thinking about myself.


    Neither of us spoke after that, falling into silence while lost in our own thoughts.


    Minutes passed.


    I kept my eyes on her face, silently praying to Moon Goddess if she still listened to selfish wolves like me.


    <i>Just wake up, Evaline. Please.</i>


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    4 Chapters straight in Kieran¡¯s pov, hopefully y¡¯all are enjoying!

 Chapter 162: Alpha’s Desperate Search

    <h4>Chapter 162: Alpha¡¯s Desperate Search</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t look back - not at Jasmine¡¯s stunned face, not at Kieran¡¯s retreating figure, and definitely not at the mess I was leaving behind. My feet carried me across the stone corridor toward the west study wing when it hit me.


    It was a dull ache, right in the middle of my chest.


    I stopped mid-step, feeling startled. The pain wasn¡¯t intense, it wasn¡¯t sharp. But it was sudden, like something inside me had shifted. Bent. Cracked.


    I pressed a hand to my chest and stood there,pletely still, trying to understand what was happening. My brows furrowed as confusion bled into unease.


    Why now?


    The pain wasn¡¯t physical. Not like a cramp or the aftermath of a blow. It was something... deeper. Under the skin. It was like a pressure building inside that didn¡¯t belong.


    <f99> This update is avable on F?nd-Novel</f99>


    I closed my eyes and tried to center myself, tried to reach out to my wolf, but he was already pacing... unsettled.


    "Talk to me," I muttered under my breath.


    But he didn¡¯t answer me with words. Instead, he shared his emotions. Fear. Anxiety. Urgency.


    And one word started echoing over and over again - one name, one truth.


    Mate.


    I went cold. And my eyes flew open while my heart started racing. Was something wrong with her?


    I didn¡¯t stop to think.


    My legs moved on their own,unching me into a sprint back toward the administrative wing. Since first-term didn¡¯t have any physical training sses, I didn¡¯t have their ss schedule. This meant I had no idea about where she was. I hadn¡¯t seen her since-


    No. I couldn¡¯t think about that.


    I skidded into the hallway, heading for the offices. Kieran¡¯s office door was still locked, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t be back anytime soon. I immediately entered the code and unlocked the door.


    Inside the office, I dropped into his seat, waking the screen of hisptop. Fortunately, Kieran never locked it, just password-protected the initial login, and I knew it.


    The moment the desktop blinked to life, I began searching for the ss schedule list.


    Where would she be...?


    First-years had Runes ss this period. I grabbed a screenshot of the list and ran out again, heading straight for the Runes lecture hall.


    Professor Aldric¡¯s voice was echoing through the hallway as I approached. When I peeked inside, I didn¡¯t even have to walk in to know she wasn¡¯t there.


    I stepped in anyway,posing myself.


    "Ah, Instructor Oscar," Aldric greeted, a little startled to see me. "Something I can help you with?"


    "Apologies for the interruption," I said smoothly, forcing a calm tone. "River wanted me to pass on a message to his assistant and if I¡¯m not wrong then she must be attending this ss."


    The professor¡¯s brow furrowed slightly before he shook his head. "She sent word earlier in the morning that she wasn¡¯t feeling well. She¡¯s taking the day off."


    My stomach clenched at the news. What happened to her?


    I thanked him quickly and walked out, my mind racing to figure out what to do next. Since she wasn¡¯t in ss, I could try calling her. So I did.


    But it was off.


    I tried again but in vain.


    My wolf was howling inside me, wing, yanking at my nerves. Not wanting to give up, I tried again. Same thing.


    She always kept her phone on. She always replied. Always answered. But not today.


    Panic settled in my bones like frost.


    Why couldn¡¯t I feel her properly? The ache was there. The bond was there. But it was still faint. We hadn¡¯t officially epted the bond yet. And that only made everything worse. It was like reaching out for someone in a dream but never quite touching.


    She¡¯s in danger, my wolf snarled.


    No, I told him. We don¡¯t know that. But something¡¯s wrong.


    I returned to Kieran¡¯s office and once again opened theptop, this time searching for the lists of the student dorm assignments.


    My fingers stilled as I found her room number.


    And there it was, right beside her name - Roommate: Rowan Bane.


    That guy...


    I remembered him from the trip to Halendor Ruins. He was Quiet. Observant. And one who never left her side.


    I knew the moment I saw him that he was close to her. Not just another ssmate, but a close friend.


    There was a number listed next to his name and without thinking, I copied it down.


    Within next five minutes, I was running through the dormitory halls in search of my mate. Once I arrived outside her dorm, I started pounding my fist against the door without any second thought.


    Though I was trying to be discreet in my search, trying my best to not catch too much attention or raise suspicion, I was almost at the end of my control. I was desperate to see her.


    Good thing was that the hallway was empty and all the students were currently in their Runes ss, or I would have made a spectacle of how ruthlessly I was knocking on the door.


    But no matter how much I knocked, there was nothing. No answer.


    I tried again.


    Still nothing.


    She wouldn¡¯t just ignore this.


    I reached for my phone and dialed Rowan¡¯s number without a second thought, praying that he would pick up and knew where I could find her. If he didn¡¯t answer, I didn¡¯t know what I would do.


    It rang once.


    Twice.


    "Hello?" His voice was low, wary.


    I didn¡¯t waste a second. "Where is she?"


    I was answered with a long pause. And I felt my heartbeat slowing as I waited for him to speak. It was just seconds, but felt like eternity to me, before he finally spoke, "She¡¯s at Lakeshire Hospital."


    The world tilted as my ears registered the words, and I almost dropped the phone.


    "...Why?" I croaked. "Is she okay?"


    "She¡¯s stable now," he said, his voice tight. "She passed out earlier today. We are with her."


    "We?"


    "Professor Kieran brought us here. He¡¯s with me."


    I felt myself swaying slightly as relief battled the overwhelming dread still twisting in my chest.


    "I¡¯m on my way," I muttered and ended the call.

 Chapter 163: Fear of Losing Her

    <h4>Chapter 163: Fear of Losing Her</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The ride to Lakeshire was a blur of sharp breaths and pounding heartbeats.


    I was gripping the wheel so tightly my knuckles were turning white, but the ache in my chest didn¡¯t let up. No matter how fast I drove, it clung to me like a second skin - reminding me again and again that something had gone wrong.


    And worst, my wolf wouldn¡¯t shut up.


    This is your fault.


    "I know."


    She needed us, and you walked away.


    "I didn¡¯t walk away-"


    You did. After everything. After what she told you, what she trusted you with... and you still walked away.


    I clenched my jaw as shame crawled up my spine.


    She¡¯s our mate. And you chose your pride over her.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. No matter how hard I tried to justify it, the truth stayed ugly and bare - I had distanced myself from Evaline after that night at the cottage. I couldn¡¯t process what she had told us, couldn¡¯t ept it - not right away. And in my silence, I had left her alone in a storm she never should have faced alone.


    And now she was in the hospital.


    A bitter taste filled my mouth as my wolf growled low and unforgiving.


    If she¡¯s hurt... if anything¡¯s wrong with her health, it¡¯s on you.


    My grip on the steering wheel tightened further.


    Minutester, I finally arrived at the hospital. I swerved into a space and threw the gear into park before jumping out, not even bothering to shut the car door properly. I all but stormed through the front doors.


    "Excuse me," I said to the receptionist at the desk, my voice sharper than intended. "There was a patient admitted here by Kieran Thorne about an hour ago. I need the room number."


    The woman blinked at me, recognition dawning in her eyes almost instantly. Of course, she knew who I was. No one in the shifter towns surrounding the Academy didn¡¯t recognize the Rogue Alpha brothers.


    "Alpha Thorne," she said politely, tapping something on her keyboard. "Yes, your brother arrived about an hour ago. The patient was admitted to the second-floor east wing, Room 208."


    <fn45df> Readplete version only at find(?)ovel</fn45df>


    I was already halfway down the hall before she could say anything more.


    My feet carried me faster than my thoughts. I had no idea what condition she was in. Was she awake? Was she in pain? Had she even asked for me?


    I reached the hallway, and the first face I saw was Rowan.


    He was standing leaning against the wall outside her room with folded arms and a paper cup of lukewarm hospital coffee in hand. The moment his eyesnded on me, I could feel how cold and unweing they were. And utterly uninterested in anything I had to say.


    "Where¡¯s Kieran?" I asked, trying to steady my voice.


    "He went to buy some porridge for Eva," he replied coolly. "She just woke up a few minutes ago. Doctor¡¯s still in with her."


    There was no hostility in his tone, no direct usation. But his words still struck like ice. I could read it in his expression - he wasn¡¯t a fan of mine. And I didn¡¯t me him.


    "She fainted?" I asked, trying not to sound as panicked as I felt.


    His jaw clenched, and he gave me a look that cut straight to the bone.


    "You really want to know what happened?" he asked, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. "She cried herself to sleepst night. She hadn¡¯t eaten properly in days. She¡¯s been throwing up more than she¡¯s been keeping anything down. I begged her to rest. She didn¡¯t. She still wanted to head to the library to get some work done."


    There was a pause, one that increase the dread in my chest.


    "And then she saw you," he added quietly, "with Jasmine Bills wrapped around you like a new ything. And not even three days after you broke her heart, her trust, and her hope."


    The words hit me like a physical blow.


    I didn¡¯t respond right away. I couldn¡¯t.


    Because the image of Eva seeing Jasmine clinging to me, her arms looped around my neck, her smile so bright - Goddess.


    My heart dropped.


    She saw that? my wolf whispered.


    Of course she did, I replied bitterly.


    That¡¯s when it hit me - the exact moment I had felt the ache earlier today... it had been moments after when Jasmine had thrown herself at me in the hallway.


    Eva was there and she saw that, and she misunderstood.


    And I had no one to me but myself.


    The doctor stepped out just then, removing his mask and looking mildly surprised to find another Thorne standing in the hallway.


    "Mr. Thorne," he greeted politely.


    I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. "How is she?"


    "She¡¯s recovering," he said. "The fainting was a result of extreme fatigue and emotional stress,pounded by ack of proper nutrition. She¡¯ll be staying overnight for monitoring, but she should be okay with rest and proper care."


    He looked at Rowan then, gaze lingering for a second too long. Something unspoken passed between them, and I picked up on it instantly.


    "Make sure she eats," the doctor said. "And that she doesn¡¯t exert herself. She shouldn¡¯t be dealing with any further emotional shocks, especially in her condition. You can meet her now."


    I was more than ready to storm inside, but the moment I took a step toward the door, Rowan raised a hand.


    "Don¡¯t," he said quietly, but with unmistakable steel.


    I paused. "She¡¯s my mate."


    "I know."


    "She deserves to know I¡¯m here."


    He didn¡¯t move. "She deserves peace. That¡¯s what I¡¯m giving her right now."


    I bit down on my lip hard, trying to rein in the urge to shove past him. But his next words stopped me cold.


    "Don¡¯t cause her any more harm, Oscar," he said, locking his warning filled eyes on mine. "You weren¡¯t there when she needed you the most. And I¡¯m not letting anyone - anyone - push her over the edge again."


    Something twisted deep in my chest. Not just guilt. Not just regret.


    But fear.


    Because for the first time, I was starting to understand the weight of what I had done. How close I hade to losing her.

 Chapter 164: He Knows

    <h4>Chapter 164: He Knows</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything hurt.


    It wasn¡¯t just my head or my limbs, not just my stomach that felt tight and was cramping with dull pain. No - this ache went deeper. Into my bones. Into the very core of who I was.


    When I opened my eyes and realized I was lying on a hospital bed, I was surprised. Everything around me was unfamiliar. Thest thing I could recall was the pain that made me lose consciousness.


    As I recalled that moment, a familiar face shed through my memory.


    Jasmine Bills.


    Herughter. The way she threw herself into Oscar¡¯s arms like she belonged there. Like she had every right to touch him like that. Like I didn¡¯t exist at all.


    And Oscar...


    Just when I started thinking that I had no more tears left, that I had cried enough for past couple of days while my heart quietly fell to pieces, I was proven wrong. The sight of Jasmine Bills wrapped around <i>my mate</i>... it torn open a new wound. A rawer, deeper one.


    "Miss Evaline?"


    I was jerked out of the painful memories at the sound of the doctor calling me. I fixed my gaze on him and tried to give him a polite enough smile to let him know I was listening.


    "You are doing better," he said gently. "Your blood pressure has stabilized. You¡¯ll need to stay under observation for the night, but with rest and food, you¡¯ll be okay."


    I nodded quietly.


    He didn¡¯t ask any questions. Didn¡¯t mention what I suspected he had discovered during his examination. The pregnancy.


    I watched him leave, and finally took in my surroundings. It was a modest private room, neat and quiet. Not overly fancy, but definitely not the infirmary where I should have been.


    <fn1b50> This text is hosted at find?novel</fn1b50>


    That was when confusion set in.


    The Academy never allowed students to seek treatment outside unless the infirmary itself referred them. I wasn¡¯t taken to the infirmary.


    Rowan must have brought me here directly. But how? And more importantly - why?


    No matter how much I thought, there was only one possible reason - <i>he knows about my pregnancy. </i>


    Because if I was taken to the infirmary, the healers would have done their usual tests and checkups and would have discovered the pregnancy. And once word got out...


    I closed my eyes and took a slow breath.


    No rule at Silver Moon Academy said a pregnant student couldn¡¯t continue their studies, but rules weren¡¯t the problem. People were. Whispers. Judgments. The istion. The shame. I didn¡¯t even know if I would have been allowed to continue my internship. My entire future would have been changed overnight.


    But Rowan... he had protected me. Without even asking.


    A soft sound pulled me from my thoughts as the door was pushed open.


    "Rowan?" I called weakly, expecting him.


    But it wasn¡¯t him. It was... Oscar.


    My entire body went still.


    I blinked, thinking for a second that I was imagining him... but no, he was real. Very real. And the second his eyesnded on mine, he rushed forward like gravity itself was pulling him toward me.


    He was by my side in an instant, and wrapped his arms tightly around me before I could even react.


    His scent - so familiar, so intoxicating - surrounded me. And his warmth, it wrapped around me like a cocoon.


    He held me like he was afraid I would disappear. Like I was the most precious thing he had ever touched. His heart was racing against mine, and when I felt his lips brush the top of my head, something inside me cracked.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he whispered. "I¡¯m so, so sorry..." His voice was trembling, and sounded full of desperation.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Was I dreaming?


    "Oscar..." I managed softly, resting my palms against his chest and gently pushing him back so I could see his face.


    He pulled away slowly, just far enough to meet my gaze. And what I saw nearly brought tears to my eyes again.


    His eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears. Pain. Guilt. Fear. They were all there.


    "I was a coward," he said in a low and broken voice. "I hurt you. I didn¡¯t listen to my wolf. I didn¡¯t listen to you. I walked away when I should have held on tighter. I should have protected you, not pushed you away."


    I swallowed hard. My chest was aching with every word he spoke.


    "I didn¡¯t-" he broke off, shaking his head. "That night, after you told us everything, I-I couldn¡¯t handle it. I didn¡¯t understand. I was confused, and scared, and selfish. And instead of talking to you, I pulled away. I acted like an idiot."


    I stayed quiet and let him speak. I needed to hear this.


    "And then Jasmine-" he winced at her name, "-she came out of nowhere. I didn¡¯t ask her to. I didn¡¯t want her to. She threw herself at me, and I swear to you, I didn¡¯t touch her. I didn¡¯t hug her back. I didn¡¯t even speak to her before she did that."


    My fingers curled into the nket.


    "I¡¯m not getting engaged to her. Or anyone else. There¡¯s no deal, no arrangement. I told River no. I told Jasmine no. Because I already have someone. I have you, Evaline. My mate. My only mate."


    A sharp breath escaped me, and his hand came up to cradle my cheek.


    "I was stupid," he whispered. "And I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me right away. I just... I need you to give me a chance to prove that I can be better. That I will be better. For you."


    His hand was trembling against my skin. "Let me fix this," he said. "Please."


    There was silence. A heavy, suffocating silence as I processed every word.


    I had longed to hear this. For days, I had wished, cried, prayed for him to say these exact things. And now that he had...


    There was one thing still unsaid.


    One truth he hadn¡¯t acknowledged yet.


    I looked into his eyes, and searched his face. Then, slowly, very slowly, I asked the question.


    "And the child I¡¯m carrying..." I whispered, my voice so quiet it was barely more than a breath. "Are you ready to ept them too?"

 Chapter 165: First Acceptance

    <h4>Chapter 165: First eptance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment the question left my lips, the entire room stilled.


    I could hear the faint beeping of the heart monitor beside me. I could hear the distant chatter of nurses in the hallway. I could even hear the rhythmic drip of IV fluid sliding down into my veins.


    But Oscar¡¯s silence was louder than all of it.


    "I had to ask," I whispered. "I needed to know before I let you back in... before I risked my heart again."


    "I understand," he finally spoke, shifting a little closer and sitting right beside me on the edge of the bed. His hand brushed mine, tentative and soft. "And I want you to know, I¡¯m not just here for you. I¡¯m here for both of you."


    That made me blink. "Both?"


    "You and the baby."


    Something tightened in my throat as my brain tried to process his words and their meaning.


    "I¡¯m not ready to be a father," he admitted and a slightly nervous chuckle escaped him, "I have never even thought about it. I mean, I¡¯m barely holding myself together most days and the idea of raising a child... it scares me."


    He lifted his eyes to meet mine again, and I saw it there - vulnerability, truth, love. "But I do know this, Eva. You want this child. You have chosen to keep them. And if this baby is a part of you, then they are already a part of me too."


    My eyes welled up. I pressed my lips together, trying to contain the flood that was quickly rising behind them.


    "I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be perfect," he continued, brushing his thumb softly over the back of my hand, "I¡¯ll probably mess up. I¡¯ll probably say the wrong things or panic more than I should. But I will learn. I¡¯ll read every book there is. I¡¯ll talk to Jasper and learn from him. I¡¯ll even talk to Kieran and even River if I have to. I¡¯ll be there for every appointment, every check-up. And when the baby arrives... I¡¯ll be there to hold them, to protect them, to help you raise them."


    <fn8953> Discover more novels at F?ndNovel</fn8953>


    There was no holding back the tears this time, they escaped... silent and relentless.


    "I¡¯ll carry the weight with you," he whispered. "Because you shouldn¡¯t have to do it alone."


    I was stunned. I didn¡¯t know what I had expected - perhaps hesitation, perhaps a gentle refusal masked in politeness. But I hadn¡¯t expected... this. The sincerity. The unwavering conviction in his voice. The soft glow of determination in his emerald eyes.


    Still, something inside me was still whispering doubts.


    "But it¡¯s not your child," I said quietly, voicing the one thing I had feared most. "It¡¯s not yours, or even your brother¡¯s. It¡¯s Ethan¡¯s. And you barely know me, Oscar. You didn¡¯t even want to speak to me after Friday night, and now you are... saying all this? Why?"


    He didn¡¯t hesitate. Not for even a second.


    "Because it¡¯s yours," he said simply.


    Those words... they hit harder than any vow, harder than any confession of love.


    And the dam inside me brokepletely.


    A choked sob escaped as I looked at him through blurry eyes. "You are not supposed to say things like that. You are not supposed to make it so easy to love you."


    "I mean every word," he whispered, taking both of my hands now and pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "Eva, I don¡¯t care who the father is. I care about you. You are the one who carried the pain. You are the one who made the choice to protect a life that came from heartbreak. You are brave, stronger than anyone I know. And this child... they¡¯ll be a part of you. That¡¯s all I need to know."


    I felt my chest copse with emotion. My heart was thudding in my ears, and the pressure behind my eyes became unbearable.


    "I don¡¯t want you to feel like you have to do this," I said between tears. "Don¡¯t say these things just because you feel guilty or because your wolf is pushing you. You deserve your own path, your own bond, your own family-"


    "My path is with you," he cut in. His voice was firmer now, a warm conviction rising in his tone. "It¡¯s always been with you, even when I didn¡¯t realize it. And you are my family now... both you and the baby."


    His eyes locked onto mine, filled with a rare vulnerability I had never seen in him before. "I have failed you in the past. First, I wasn¡¯t strong enough to ept our bond, and then I walked away when you opened up to me and were at your most vulnerable. And not a single second has passed since that I haven¡¯t regretted it. I will not walk away again. Not from you. Not from the life you are building."


    I reached for him slowly, cupping his cheek with trembling fingers. And he leaned into the touch like he had been starving for it.


    "I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m strong enough for this," I whispered.


    "You don¡¯t have to be," he whispered back as he rested his forehead against mine. "We¡¯ll be strong enough together."


    I let out augh-sob, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him into the softest, most fragile hug I had ever given anyone.


    And he held me like I was made of ss and gold.


    In that moment, there were no secrets. No past. No guilt. No fears.


    Just us.


    "I¡¯ll be by your side," he murmured into my hair. "Through everything. And when the timees... I¡¯ll love that child with all I have got. Because they¡¯ll be part of the woman I love."


    My heart stuttered.


    He pulled back once again and locked his gaze with mine, seriousness clouding his emerald orbs along with something else - love.


    And then, he spoke the words-


    <i>"Evaline Greystone, I, Oscar Thorne, ept you as my mate. I embrace your past, your truths, your bond with Draven, and the child you carry. I ept all that you are,pletely and without condition, to stand beside me as my fated mate and my future Luna."</i>

 Chapter 166: Her Full-time Babysitter

    <h4>Chapter 166: Her Full-time Babysitter</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    All I could do was to stare at him, frozen in my ce.


    The moment he said those words - his voice steady and eyes unwavering - something deep inside me shifted. A warmth surged through my chest, spreading outward like sunlight on frozen skin. It wasn¡¯t like the burning mate mark on the neck, not like the physical seal of teeth that wolves used to finalize their bonds. But I could feel it - the bond between us responding... it wasing to life.


    It started like a breath, subtle and unsure, then quickly bloomed into something real. Tangible. It was like a pulse tethering us together.


    And still, I couldn¡¯t move.


    I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I just stared at him... my mate... who had epted not just me, but the child growing inside me, my messy past, my bond with Draven, and all those pieces of me I had been too afraid to show.


    His hands moved gently to my cheeks and he cupped my face, his thumbs brushing away silent tears I hadn¡¯t realized were falling. "Eva..." he whispered while leaning closer. "Aren¡¯t you going to ept me back?"


    That snapped me out of the trance. "Y-Yes!" I gasped, the words tumbling out. I stared into his eyes, my heart beating wildly, as my mouth spoke the words.


    <i>"Oscar Thorne, I ept you as my mate... with all my heart."</i>


    I barely finished before he pulled me into another embrace - so full, so overwhelming, so warm. His lips found mine without hesitation, and I leaned into him, into us.


    Our kiss wasn¡¯t fast or frantic. It was slow, intentional, full of unspoken words and second chances. His lips moved gently over mine, as if trying to memorize the shape of them, while one of his hands remained on my cheek and the other cradled the back of my head like something precious.


    I gripped the front of his shirt tightly, holding on like he might disappear again if I let go.


    <fn95e6> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? F¦Énd£Îovel</fn95e6>


    Everything else faded - the beeping machines, the sterile hospital room, the ache in my chest - all gone. There was only us. This moment. This bond.


    When we finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against mine instead ofpletely pulling away. He kept his eyes still, his breathing as uneven as mine. Then he spoke in a serious and stern voice... too stern actually.


    "I¡¯m watching you now. From this moment on, I¡¯ll be paying attention to everything - your sleep, your meals, your stress, your rest. Everything."


    I blinked. "Wha-?"


    "I mean it," he added as he pulled back to meet my gaze, and I saw just how serious he was. "You don¡¯t get to push your health aside anymore, Eva. Not when you are carrying a life inside you. Not when you are mine."


    I stared at him, both touched and mildly rmed. "Oscar... you sound like a full-time babysitter."


    "I sound like your mate," he said without flinching. "And you are in trouble, Greystone. Big trouble."


    I was about to argue, maybeugh a little, but just then someone knocked on the door, and I tensed instinctively, only to rx again when Rowan stepped inside.


    "Rx, it¡¯s just me," he said to Oscar with a slight smirk, before turning to me.


    And that¡¯s when I noticed it - how tense Oscar went after hearing the knock. He was on edge.


    Confused, I nced between the two of them. "Is something wrong?"


    But Rowan was already at my side, ruffling my hair like he always did now - though this time, there was something extra gentle in the gesture. I saw Oscar notice it too, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing.


    "You scared the life out of me today, kiddo," Rowan said, his voice quieter than usual.


    I looked down. "I¡¯m sorry..."


    "And thank you... for bringing me here," I added softly. "For everything."


    He shrugged, brushing it off. "You can always count on me. You know that, right?"


    "Yeah," I whispered. "I know."


    He gave me a small smile. "Just... don¡¯t go fainting on me again, alright? I¡¯m too young to have heart attacks."


    Iughed weakly. "I¡¯ll try not to."


    Rowan straightened then and turned to Oscar. "Kieran should be back any minute."


    That piece of information made me freeze.


    "What?"


    "You don¡¯t know yet?" Rowan looked mildly amused. "He helped bring you here. He drove us, actually."


    Oscar cleared his throat. "Yeah... and I should probably not be here when he gets back." But then he gave me that signature smile of his and teased, "Unless you are ready to reveal our bond to him."


    The idea was... horrifying.


    "I... I don¡¯t think..." I struggled to politely decline. Thest thing I wanted was to hurt Oscar, but the very next moment he made it clear that he was well aware of my unspoken thoughts.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll wait for you to make the choice whenever you arefortable."


    Stars... why did that make me fall harder?


    He leaned down and brushed his lips against my forehead. "I¡¯lle backter," he promised, his voice soft now, protective, affectionate. "Just rest for now. I mean it."


    And just like that, he left.


    When the door shut behind him, Rowan turned to me, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.


    "What?" I asked.


    He folded his arms across his chest and raised one eyebrow. "So... you guys have made up? After he made you cry and faint?"


    I groaned. "Don¡¯t start."


    "Oh, I¡¯m not starting," he said with a softugh. "I¡¯m just saying... someone looked veryfortable cuddling his mate in a hospital bed."


    I covered my face with both hands, blushing like a tomato while hisughter filled the room.


    When I peeked at him through my fingers, he was smiling gently again, the teasing gone. "I¡¯m happy for you, Eva. If you think he deserves a second chance, I¡¯ll support that. Just know, if he screws it up again-"


    "You¡¯ll be the first to threaten him?" I asked, smiling faintly.


    "Always," he promised.


    Before I could respond, the door opened again... and in walked Kieran.

 Chapter 167: The Feeling of Betrayal

    <h4>Chapter 167: The Feeling of Betrayal</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment he stepped inside, his eyesnded on me, and his face shifted fromposed to something softer.


    On the other hand, I felt my stomach tensing - not with hunger, but with nerves. Rowan gave him a short nod, then turned to me with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. "I¡¯ll wait outside," he whispered.


    "No-" The word caught in my throat before I could push it out. But it was already toote. He had stepped outside and gently pulled the door closed behind him, leaving me alone with the man who had been avoiding me for past two weeks.


    Kieran didn¡¯t say anything at first. He just quietly sat down on the visitor stool near my bed, and started unboxing the meal he brought. He then ced one portion in front of me.


    The silence was... heavy, but not ufortable. He looked calm, but there was something unreadable in his eyes.


    "You should eat," he said, his voice soft, the same warm baritone I had grown to associate with safety that always came with his presence.


    I nodded and picked up the spoon, letting the familiar scent of warm porridge settle my stomach a little. I took a bite. It was simple,forting.


    "How are you feeling?" he asked gently after a while.


    "Better," I replied quietly. "Tired."


    He gave a small nod. "You scared us. Rowan especially. He seems like a really good friend."


    I smiled faintly at that, but I didn¡¯t look up.


    He was still the same - gentle, supportive, kind... and my professor. Thatst fact clung to my thoughts like a thorn.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t right, either. The way my heart reacted to Kieran sometimes. It was almost like betrayal. I hated myself for it. I was bonded to Oscar and Draven. I had no right to be feeling this way about their elder brother... and my professor.


    And it wasn¡¯t like Kieran had ever given me a reason to think he saw me that way. No. He had always been careful, respectful. He was just... him. The one who gave me a chance when no one else did. The one who saw something in me when I was surrounded by darkness.


    Maybe that¡¯s why it hurt so much when I thought he was avoiding me these past weeks. I had convinced myself I didn¡¯t care... but I had. I still did.


    I waited for the questions. About what happened. About why I fainted. I was also worried that he might have learned about my pregnancy from the doctor. So I waited for his questions. But they never came.


    Instead, he filled my container with more porridge and said, "You need to rest. Let your body recover. And take better care of yourself from now on. There are people who worry about you."


    I blinked at him.


    "I have already approved a leave request on your behalf for tomorrow," he added.


    "What?" I sat up straighter. "No-Professor, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be okay to attend sses."


    He gave me a look. The kind that wasn¡¯t up for debate. "You¡¯ll rest. That¡¯s an order. You are a student, yes. But you are also a person who needs to heal right now."


    I opened my mouth again but he raised a brow, and I shut it.


    He nodded, looking satisfied. "Good."


    He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and typed something quickly before standing. "I have to get back to the Academy, there¡¯s an important matter that needs my attention. But I¡¯lle by in the morning to pick you up."


    I was quick to decline. "You don¡¯t have to, Professor. Really, you have already done so much."


    His lips pressed into a line. "It¡¯s no trouble."


    Rowan chose that moment to step inside again. Kieran looked between the two of us, then gave Rowan a short nod. "She¡¯ll need rest and care. Keep an eye on her."


    "I will," Rowan promised easily.


    I could have sworn something flickered in Kieran¡¯s eyes as he looked back at me, something that looked suspiciously like disappointment or sadness, but he quickly masked it and gave me onest nod.


    <fn3b8d> Original content can be found at </fn3b8d>


    "Get well soon, Evaline," he said.


    "Thank you... for everything."


    Then he turned and left.


    I slumped back against the pillows, feeling... heavier. Like I had just exhaled a storm I didn¡¯t know I was holding in.


    "You okay?" Rowan asked as he took the seat Kieran had vacated.


    I nodded, focusing on my food again. "Yeah. Just tired."


    He watched me for a while as I ate, then said, "The others know."


    I looked up. "What?"


    "About you being in the hospital," he rified. "They are worried. Mallory¡¯s almost lost it."


    Guilt stabbed me.


    "She¡¯s been trying to talk to you all week, Eva. You have been keeping things from her. I¡¯m not saying you have to teel her everything, but at least don¡¯t make her feel left out."


    "I know," I whispered. "I¡¯ll talk to her."


    He smiled. But then his face shifted to something more serious. "Do you want to ask me something too?" he asked, studying my face. "You have been eyeing me like I¡¯m hiding your favorite book."


    I hesitated.


    "I... do," I admitted. "You know, don¡¯t you?"


    "About the pregnancy?" he provided in a low voice.


    I immediately froze.


    He sat down beside me on the bed and sighed. "Yeah, I know."


    I stared at him. "How?"


    "Eva, we share a room. Even if I¡¯m not there all the time, I¡¯m not blind." His voice was soft but firm. "I noticed the nausea. The exhaustion. The way you would avoid certain smells. And then... the night when I helped you get your pajamas, I saw the clinic paperwork tucked in your closet."


    My throat tightened. "You didn¡¯t say anything..."


    "Because it wasn¡¯t my ce. You were already carrying too much. I figured you would tell me when you were ready."


    I looked down at myp, feeling both exposed and strangely relieved. "I was scared. Of what people would say. Of what my mates would think. Of being judged before I even got to prove myself."


    "You don¡¯t need to prove anything," he said gently. "You are already stronger than anyone I know."


    Tears pricked my eyes again and I quickly wiped them away.


    "I¡¯m here, Eva. Always. Whether you are okay or not. Whether things are light or dark. I have got your back."


    I nodded, unable to speak through the lump in my throat.


    He reached over and ruffled my hair again. "Eat. Sleep. Heal. That¡¯s your only job right now, kiddo."


    "Thanks... Rowan."


    We sat in silence after that, with just the hum of machines and the low rhythm of peace after chaos apanying us.


    It felt good to have a friend who was ready to ept me with all the mess I was carrying, but... what he didn¡¯t know was that I was still guarding my darkest secrets.

 Chapter 168: Alpha’s Regret

    <h4>Chapter 168: Alpha¡¯s Regret</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    I hadn¡¯t stepped outside since Friday night.


    Since I walked away from her.


    Since I stood in the middle of the cottage, with her scent still lingering in the air and my heart torn between wanting to pull her close and running away.


    And I had chosen the coward¡¯s path. I ran.


    Now it was Monday evening, and I was still holed up in my safe house like some damned fugitive. Not from enemies, but from myself. From everything I was feeling. And from her.


    I was sitting in the dim living room, the only lighting from the firece that had long turned into a dull ember glow. My phone had buzzed countless times since the weekend started - River, Kieran... my friends, even Professors. But not her.


    There wasn¡¯t a single message, not a single missed call. Nothing.


    Not that she ever reached out first, but some stupid part of me... some desperate, selfish part of me had hoped she might, just this once.


    "Stupid," I muttered, dragging a hand down my face.


    I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes, but all I saw was her. Her eyes, wide and uncertain. Her lips parting to speak before I cut her off with my silence. Her voice, so soft and brave as she told us she was pregnant.


    I groaned and clenched my jaw.


    I hadn¡¯t stopped thinking about that moment. About her. About everything.


    The bond between us was undeniable. It was burning in my chest like wildfire. Even after I had walked away, it hadn¡¯t faded. If anything, it grew more intense - angrier, more demanding.


    But even more than that, it was hurting.


    A dull ache had taken root in my chest sometime around early afternoon. It wasn¡¯t enough to double me over, but it was... there. Annoying. Haunting. Like a soft cry echoing from the part of my soul where she resided.


    My wolf had been silent since Saturday morning. Just... gone. Not asleep. Not resting. Just silent.


    I tried reaching him a dozen times, calling him back into my mind, into my emotions. But all I got in return was a heavy, suffocating wall of anger and pain.


    He was furious with me. Not for feeling conflicted, but for leaving. For turning my back on our mate when she was finally reaching out.


    And maybe I deserved that silence.


    He was right. I should have stayed. I should have listened. I should have held her hand and told her we would figure it out. But I had choked. When I saw the pain in her eyes, the guilt in her voice, and heard those words - <i>I¡¯m pregnant</i> - my instincts betrayed me.


    I couldn¡¯t deal with it.


    Not then.


    But now...


    Now I couldn¡¯t stop imagining her in pain. Crying. Alone. Hurt. And all because I wasn¡¯t there.


    The ache pulsed again. I pressed a hand against my chest.


    "Stars, what have I done..."


    The sound of my phone buzzing broke through the haze. I almost ignored it, again. But then I saw the caller ID: Oscar.


    He hadn¡¯t called me once ever since Friday either. I didn¡¯t even think. I snatched it up and answered.


    "You finally remembered you have a phone?" His voice crackled on the other end, and it wasn¡¯t amused in the slightest. "How long were you nning to sulk while our mate¡¯s lying in a goddamn hospital bed?"


    I shot up. "What?"


    "You heard me. She fainted. Copsed. Was taken to Lakeshire Hospital this afternoon."


    My blood turned to ice.


    "What happened?" I demanded, already moving, grabbing my keys and jacket. My heart was racing with a fear I hadn¡¯t known I was capable of.


    "They said she passed out from weakness. Emotional stress. The doctor said she¡¯s stable now but has to stay overnight. Rowan¡¯s with her."


    I didn¡¯t wait for more. I ended the call and bolted for the door, throwing it open like I was charging into battle.


    The cold air hit me like a p, but I didn¡¯t care. I jumped into my car that I hadn¡¯t bothered to park in the underground parking area. The tires squealed as I shot down the dirt path leading down the mountain and onto the main road toward Lakeshire.


    My hands were trembling on the wheel as my thoughts spiraled.


    <fnc485> Latest content published on Find[F]ovel</fnc485>


    She fainted. She¡¯s in the hospital. Alone.


    The ache in my chest was burning hotter now, more urgent. I gritted my teeth and pushed the car faster.


    Why the hell didn¡¯t I go to her? Why did I wait?


    Because I was scared. Because I didn¡¯t know if I could love a child that wasn¡¯t mine. Because I was a selfish bastard.


    But stars help me... I missed her. I missed everything about her. Her scent. Herughter. Her frowns when she got annoyed. The way her lips curled when she was trying not to smile.


    I had fallen for my mate.


    I was in love with her.


    And I left her.


    "I¡¯ming, Eva," I whispered. "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ming."


    By the time the hospital appeared on the horizon, my heart was ready to burst out of my chest.


    I barely parked the car before I was out and sprinting toward the entrance. I mmed through the doors and rushed to the front desk.


    "Evaline," I said breathlessly. "She was admitted earlier this afternoon."


    The nurse blinked and then recognition dawned in her eyes. She looked stunned for a moment but she quickly pulled herself together.


    "Room 208," she said softly. "Second floor, east wing."


    I didn¡¯t thank her. I just ran.


    Each step down the hallway felt longer than thest. My lungs were on fire by the time I turned the corner and came face to face with the room.


    I stopped.


    Rowan was sitting on a bench outside the door, staring down at his phone. He looked up when he sensed my presence, and frowned.


    "She¡¯s sleeping," he said quietly.


    I nodded, barely breathing.


    He stood and came toward me, his expression unreadable. "I didn¡¯t think you woulde."


    "I didn¡¯t think I would be thiste," I said, noticing how hollow my voice sounded. "How is she?"


    "Better. But she¡¯s fragile." He studied me for a second longer, then added, "You hurt her, Draven."


    "I know."


    "She still asked for you."


    Those words hit harder than any punch.


    I looked past him to the closed door. "I want to see her."


    "She¡¯s resting."


    "I¡¯ll sit by her side."


    He hesitated.


    "I won¡¯t upset her," I said. "I just... I need to be there."


    He finally gave a short nod and stepped aside.


    I opened the door slowly and stepped inside. My heart was hammering in my chest as I got my first look at her since Friday evening.


    She was lying on the bed, IV in her hand. Her hair was spilling across the pillow. Her face looked pale, tired, but even in that state... she was beautiful.


    My mate.


    My heart.


    And I had left her.

 Chapter 169: Alpha’s Silent Care

    <h4>Chapter 169: Alpha¡¯s Silent Care</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stirred from sleep slowly, almost unwillingly. The warmth of the bed and the steady rhythm of someone¡¯s hand moving through my hair kept me from leaving behind this rare moment of peace.


    Whoever it was, they had such a gentle touch - so soft, so careful - it made me want to stay in that limbo between sleep and awareness for just a little longer.


    But the hand stilled, and that sudden pause pulled me from myfort. I blinked open my eyes and the hospital room¡¯s dim lighting greeted me first... and then <i>him</i>.


    Draven.


    I almost didn¡¯t believe it. For a long second, I wondered if I was dreaming again - like I had on the other nights since Friday, where my subconscious conjured him just to break me all over again when I woke up alone. But this wasn¡¯t a dream.


    He was here.


    He was sitting beside me with that familiar stoic expression, his eyes shadowed with something deeper. Guilt? Regret? Relief? I didn¡¯t know.


    We stared at each other while locked in a silence that was pressing like a weight on my chest. I wanted to say something. Stars, I <i>needed</i> to say something. But the words got stuck somewhere between my throat and heart.


    What was I supposed to say?


    I was d to see him, but terrified too. My gaze drank him in, finding him as beautiful as I remembered. But unlike Oscar, he didn¡¯t rush to hold me, to kiss my forehead, or tell me everything was going to be alright. No, Draven was not Oscar. I had to stop expecting him to be.


    "I heard from Oscar," he finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was quieter than usual, but still rough, slightly scratchy, as if he hadn¡¯t spoken much in days. "He told me what happened. I came to check on you immediately."


    I nodded, still unsure whether this was a dream or reality.


    "It¡¯s half past nine," he added while ncing toward the window though it was already dark outside. "Oscar has gone to speak with the doctor, and Rowan is in the hallway outside."


    "I see..." I said, my voice raspier than I expected. "Thanks foring."


    His brows pinched slightly at that, like he didn¡¯t know how to respond. "How are you feeling?" he asked finally.


    I hesitated, then answered, "Better... much better."


    He nodded. That was it. We didn¡¯t talk about Friday. We didn¡¯t talk about the cottage or the secrets or the pain that still was lingering between us. We just... sat.


    His presence filled the room, grounding me in a way only mates could. But there was still a distance between us, emotional and fragile. I didn¡¯t want to push him, and maybe he didn¡¯t know what to say either.


    "Take care of yourself, Eva," he said after a few moments of silence. "Don¡¯t scare people like this again."


    His tone was casual, but the weight in it struck deeper. Was he talking about himself? Was he scared to hear about me?


    I didn¡¯t dare ask. Maybe it was just my heart hoping for more than I deserved.


    The door creaked open then, saving me from answering. Oscar stepped in and his eyes immediately lit up as theynded on me.


    "You are awake," he exhaled and crossed the room in three long strides. He then leaned down and kissed my forehead tenderly. "How are you feeling now?"


    I smiled softly. "I think I have fully recovered."


    He smiled back, the warmth in his eyesforting in a way that softened some of the ache still inside me.


    Rowan followed him in, with his arms crossed and eyes scanning me and then my mates.


    "Instructor Oscar¡¯s been trying to convince the nurses to let him stay the night," he informed me. "Unfortunately, hospital policy allows only one person."


    Oscar opened his mouth to protest, but I quickly turned to Rowan. "You should go rest," I told him gently. "You have looked after me for the better half of the day."


    He raised an eyebrow at me, clearly unimpressed with the suggestion. "And you think he¡¯s going to be any less annoying than me?" he asked, nodding toward Oscar. Then he leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "Keep the nightly <i>activities</i> lowkey, okay? You need rest."


    My eyes widened and a wave of heat crawled up my neck as his implication registered... and the fact that both Alphas in the room had clearly heard him loud and clear.


    "Rowan!" I hissed under my breath.


    He chuckled and winked before giving Oscar a mock salute and muttering something like <i>"She¡¯s all yours" </i>before walking out of the room.


    Oscar didn¡¯tment, though the slight flush on my cheeks made his lips twitch. Draven, on the other hand, was looking like he wanted to murder someone.


    Oscar turned back to me and his smile faded into a more serious look.


    "I talked to the doctor," he began. "They are going to run some tests on you within next ten minutes."


    Confused, I asked, "What kind of tests?"


    "Prenatal," he said gently. "You are four months along, and I just want to make sure everything¡¯s alright with the baby."


    "I was at the clinicst month," I protested weakly. "Everything was fine."


    He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear gently as he spoke, "Still, I want you to get checked up here. This is one of the best hospitals around the Academy. And it¡¯s close - just a fifteen-minute drive downhill. Once sses get heavy, you won¡¯t have to worry about traveling too far for checkups."


    I frowned, but before I could argue again, he added, "I promised to take care of this baby with you, didn¡¯t I? That means I get to be worried about both of you."


    My throat tightened, and I looked away before he could see the tears forming.


    This was happening. He meant it.


    <fn7022> This text is hosted at find?novel</fn7022>


    Draven hadn¡¯t moved from his chair, but I was feeling his presence like a storm cloud behind me - silent, tense, and watching.


    "I¡¯m not trying to control anything," Oscar added. "But I want to be involved. I want to be there, from now on. No matter what tests need to be done, what vitamins you need, whatte-night cravings you have... I want to do this right, Eva."


    My fingers curled around the bedsheet as a strange mix of guilt, gratitude, and affection surged through me.


    How did I get so lucky... yet so terrified?


    I nodded slowly. "Okay... we¡¯ll do the tests."


    He smiled and kissed my forehead again. And out of the corner of my eye, I nced toward Draven.


    He was still quiet. But his eyes... they were no longer nk. They were watching me, watching us, with something far moreplicated than just indifference.


    And even though he hadn¡¯t said much... I knew he cared.

 Chapter 170: Her Mate’s Warm Embrace

    <h4>Chapter 170: Her Mate¡¯s Warm Embrace</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hospital was feeling strangely quiet as the nurse wheeled me through the hallway for my prenatal checkup.


    And I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Oscar was walking right beside me, holding the clipboard the nurse had handed over. But what surprised me most was the presence behind me - silent, steady, and somehow moreforting than I was expecting.


    Draven.


    He hadn¡¯t said a word since we left the room. But he was here.


    He hadn¡¯t walked away.


    And as the nurse led us into a room, I nced over my shoulder. He was watching everything - me, the nurses, the equipment - carefully, silently. And not with detachment.


    He was present.


    They prepped the equipment and applied the cold gel over my stomach, and soon the familiar, fast-paced thudding filled the room. My baby¡¯s heartbeat.


    I was hearing this sound for the second time - so small, yet so powerful. And this time, I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Oscar let out a breath of pure shock, identally squeezing my fingers as he stared at the monitor in a trance.


    I turned my face toward Draven, unsure of what to expect... but he was standing still, with his hands in the pockets of his ck jacket and eyes locked on the monitor with an unreadable expression. He said nothing. No gasps, no smiles. Just... silence. But his eyes. His eyes gave him away.


    There was something in them. Something I couldn¡¯t quite name.


    When the doctor came in with the reportster, he exined everything - how my vitals were a little better, how the baby was developing well, and what I needed to look out for. He listed the foods I should avoid, the exercises I could do, and the schedule for the next checkup.


    Oscar nodded at everything with the seriousness of a soldier in training.


    But Draven didn¡¯t miss a word either. Even in his silence, he was listening. Closely.


    And that, more than anything else, made my chest warm.


    Because if he didn¡¯t care, if he really meant to sever all ties, he wouldn¡¯t still be here. He wouldn¡¯t be listening to a doctor talk about a child that wasn¡¯t his.


    But he was.


    We returned to my ward after that and since it was closing to midnight, Draven decided to take his leave.


    I watched him approach my bedside, feeling uncertain if he would just say goodbye and disappear again. But he didn¡¯t.


    He leaned in slightly. "You should rest properly tonight," he said, his voice low and rough. "Don¡¯t let things get this bad again."


    "I¡¯ll try," I whispered, hoping it meant something that he was here, saying this.


    Then, to my surprise, he reached for my hand, the one that was attached to the IV when he first arrived. His fingers wrapped around mine lightly, almost hesitantly, like he wasn¡¯t sure if he should touch me. Itsted only a few seconds, but those seconds were enough to make something twist in my chest.


    And then... he was gone, leaving me in Oscar¡¯s care.


    Since it had been hours since Ist ate, Oscar got me a bowl of soup and watched as I emptied it. Then I freshened up with the nurse¡¯s help, and got back in bed as the nurse hooked me up to another round of fluids.


    Oscar was preparing to settle onto the couch, already unzipping his jacket, but something in me didn¡¯t want him all the way over there. I was tired, yes. Emotionally frayed and physically exhausted.


    But I didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    I scooted to one side of the hospital bed and gave him a pointed look.


    He blinked. "Are you...?"


    I nodded. "Come here."


    A wide smile broke across his face, and he stood up quickly. He was careful not to disturb the IV tubes as he settled beside me. And the moment he was in bed, his arms slipped around me, pulling me against him gently but securely.


    His warmth wrapped around me immediately.


    We had kissed before, made out even, touched and held each other... but nothing, nothing had ever felt this intimate. This vulnerable. Just lying in his arms, hearing the rhythm of his heartbeat and feeling his steady breaths... it grounded me in a way nothing else ever did.


    "I have made sure no one at the hospital will say a word about your pregnancy," he murmured against my hair. "Not to Kieran, not to River. Not to anyone else."


    I blinked at him. "Thank you."


    "And it¡¯s not just that," he added, brushing his lips over my temple. "No one will know Draven and I were here either. Rowan knows, but he¡¯s not going to say anything. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything getting leaked, your privacy... nothing."


    That simple assurance made my throat tighten.


    How could he be this thoughtful about everything?


    He pulled me a little closer. "You are safe now, Eva."


    I swallowed past the lump in my throat.


    Then he whispered, "I know you have been wondering about Draven."


    My body tensed.


    "I know he hasn¡¯t said much. He¡¯s always been the quiet one. But he loves you, just as much as I do," he said gently.


    "I¡¯m not sure if he-"


    <fnd6b1> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fnd6b1>


    "He does," Oscar interrupted, his voice quiet but firm. "He¡¯s just... struggling. He doesn¡¯t know how to deal with this. With you being pregnant. With the fact that the baby isn¡¯t his or mine. He¡¯s neen, Eva. He¡¯s never had to deal with anything like this before."


    "I know," I whispered. "I don¡¯t me him."


    "And yet, he came," he pointed out. "He stayed. He listened. That¡¯s his way of showing he still cares."


    I closed my eyes and breathed in Oscar¡¯s scent, feelingforted more than I wanted to admit.


    "I just don¡¯t want to be a burden to either of you."


    "You are not," he said without hesitation. "You are our mate."


    My heart stuttered.


    "And the baby?" he added. "Whether Draven¡¯s ready or not, I¡¯ll make sure you and the baby are taken care of. You are not alone in this anymore. I promise."


    I didn¡¯t respond right away. Instead, I just let the silence wrap around us like a nket.


    He tightened his hold slightly and kissed the top of my head. And I closed my eyes, allowing myself to fully rx, to fully let go of all my worries in the first time in a long time.

 Chapter 171: Back To A Familiar Place

    <h4>Chapter 171: Back To A Familiar ce</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Eva... sweetheart, wake up."


    Oscar¡¯s voice drifted into my dreams, soft and low, pulling me gently back to consciousness.


    Myshes fluttered open, and the very first thing I saw was his face - still a little sleepy, his hair tousled adorably, and that warm, heart-stealing smile lighting up his features.


    And just like that, my day began wrapped in something I hadn¡¯t felt in so long - safety.


    It wasn¡¯t just his voice or his smile. It was waking up beside someone who made me feel wanted, cherished. Not like a burden. Not like a problem. But like I mattered.


    I hadn¡¯t felt this way since I lost my mother almost a decade ago. Back then, mornings were warm hugs and her soft hands brushing my hair back. Since her death, mornings had always been cold. Lonely.


    But not today.


    Today, I had my mate by my side. One who pulled me into his arms without a second thought, one who held me through the night and protected me in silence.


    "Morning," I whispered, my voice still raspy from sleep.


    His smile widened, and he brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. "Good morning, my beautiful mate."


    The word mate still made my heart stutter.


    I wasn¡¯t used to being someone¡¯s anything. But I was his. And maybe... slowly, I was starting to believe I could be his, truly.


    Around midnight, the nurse hade in and removed my IV. I was feeling better than I had in days - lighter, stronger, even if just a little.


    Oscar helped me sit up and asked, "Still feeling okay?"


    "Better," I answered honestly.


    Minutester, the doctor stepped in for a quick round of checkups. After examining me, asking a few basic questions, and going through the report fromst night¡¯s scan, he gave us the green g. "You are good to go, Miss Evaline. But take it easy for the next few days, alright?"


    I nodded. "Thank you."


    Oscar squeezed my hand, then excused himself toplete the discharge papers.


    The moment he stepped out, I looked around the room and then toward the attached bathroom. It wasn¡¯t fancy, but it had a shower, and the doctor had said I could clean up if I felt up for it.


    And I did.


    With permission granted and a towel in hand, I slipped into the bathroom, weing the soft warmth of the water. It was soothing, washing away the dull ache of exhaustion clinging to my skin. When I stepped out, I found my clothes from yesterday, neatly folded and fresh - clearly dry cleaned.


    It was undoubtedly Oscar¡¯s doing. This man was going to ruin me with his thoughtfulness.


    By the time I stepped out of the ward dressed and ready, he was already waiting by the nurses¡¯ desk. He signaled me to follow him and we headed out of the building with afortable distance between us.


    But the moment we stepped outside, I shivered.


    <fnadbc> Updates are released by F¦ÉndNovel</fnadbc>


    The morning sun was nowhere to be found. Instead, clouds were hovering low and gray, and the cold wind that brushed against my skin was sharp and biting.


    Without hesitation, he pulled off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. "You should have said something."


    "I¡¯m alright, " I mumbled, sinking into the warmth of his jacket.


    "You are pregnant," he said as he opened the car door and helped me inside, "you are allowed to whine."


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile tugging at my lips. But even as he slid into the driver¡¯s seat, I found myself looking around.


    The lot was... empty.


    Strangely so.


    There wasn¡¯t a single patient. No visitors. Not even a wandering nurse or janitor.


    I turned to Oscar, narrowing my eyes. "It¡¯s your doing, right?"


    He just smirked. "Let¡¯s just say the cold scared everyone from stepping outside of the hospital."


    I just shook my head, mumbling, "You are impossible."


    "I¡¯m protective," he corrected and started the car. "And I¡¯m not ready to let people see what¡¯s mine."


    <i>Mine</i>.


    Another word that made my chest flutter.


    As we drove away, he filled the silence with calm chatter about the Academy and his uing sses.


    "The third-years have their first round of trials today," he exined. "I¡¯ll be on the training grounds most of the day."


    I nced at him. "Don¡¯t feel guilty. You are an Instructor first. You can¡¯t be babysitting me all day."


    He gave me a sideways nce. "I don¡¯t babysit you."


    I raised an eyebrow which made himugh. "Okay, maybe I do. But only because you are terrible at asking for help."


    I bit back a smile. "Maybe."


    I was expecting him to drive straight to the Academy, but instead, the car began winding through roads I was finding familiar. Forest-lined paths reced the smooth academy highway with tangled branches overhead.


    And then we stopped after venturing extremely deep in the mountains.


    We were at the base of a cliff, surrounded by trees and ivy. A thick wall of vines was clinging to a stone facade - one I had seen before. Oscar walked over and gently pushed some of it aside to reveal the door.


    Before I could ask, he turned to me with a soft smile. "Come on."


    He helped me out of the car and walked with me toward the door.


    When he knocked, it only took a few seconds for the door to creak open... and there he was.


    Draven.


    He was looking the same, and yet... not quite. His ck hoodie was hanging loose, and his hair was slightly messy, but his tired eyes brightened ever so slightly when they met mine.


    I blinked in confusion. "What-?"


    "Oscar," Draven greeted simply, stepping aside.


    "I have trials to lead," Oscar said as he truned to me. "I would worry if I left you alone, so I¡¯m leaving you with someone I trust."


    He looked at his brother with quiet meaning and Draven gave a small nod.


    Then, Oscar kissed me softly on the cheek. "I¡¯ll see you after sunset."


    And just like that, I was left standing there... with Draven.

 Chapter 172: Draven’s Love Language

    <h4>Chapter 172: Draven¡¯s Love Language</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I just stood at the entrance,pletely thrown off and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I wasn¡¯t at the Academy but standing in Draven¡¯s secret cabin nestled in the heart of the mountain.


    This wasn¡¯t part of my n.


    I was supposed to return to my dorm, crash on my bed for a few hours, maybe drag myself to lunch with my friends and then spend the afternoon in the library trying to catch up on studies I had missed.


    But Oscar - my sweet, stubborn, protective mate - had flipped that n on its head by dropping me off here... and leaving me alone with his younger brother.


    The same younger brother who hadn¡¯t spoken more than five sentences to me since Friday.


    I nced over at Draven.


    He was standing there quietly, hands in his pockets and still that same unreadable look in his eyes. I realized that the tension between us hadn¡¯t decreased at all, not even after his visit to the hospitalst night. That same invisible wall was standing firm. Stiff. Unspoken.


    Still, for better or worse... we were stuck here. Together. For the entire day.


    He was the first to break the silence once Oscar¡¯s car disappeared from our view. He pushed the door open wider and said, "Come in."


    I followed him inside as he locked the door behind us. The interior of his safe house was just like I remembered from my previous visit - warm, clean, and weing.


    He led me to the living room and gestured for me to sit. I sank down into the couch, the silence stretching awkwardly between us like an invisible barrier neither of us could break through.


    "I¡¯m going to make us some breakfast," he finally said while rubbing the back of his neck and turning toward the kitchen.


    I surprised myself by speaking up, "Do you... want some help?"


    He paused, then turned slightly to nce at me. For a second, I thought he might refuse, but then a soft, brief smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something.


    "You can keep mepany. That¡¯s help enough."


    I stood and followed him into the kitchen, seating myself on one of the stools along the counter as he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He had taken off his hoodie, and was now in just a fitted ck T-shirt that clung to his frame in all the right ces.


    I hated how my breath caught for a second. He was ridiculously attractive without even trying. His forearms kept flexing as he whisked eggs, and his jaw tightened in concentration as he chopped vegetables.


    He was moving with such ease, like he had done this a hundred times before.


    "You cook a lot?" I asked, trying to fill the silence.


    "Not really," he replied, flipping the veggies in the pan. "This is the first time I have ever cooked a full breakfast for my mate."


    My heart skipped a beat.


    He didn¡¯t say a girl, or someone he like, or even a friend. He said <i>my mate</i>.


    And suddenly, memories began shing in my head - about how he always brought me snacks. How he always made sure I was eating properly, that I was never running empty stomach.


    <fncd51> The source of th?s content is find?novel</fncd51>


    Werewolves had their own lovenguages, and food was a major one of them. And it turned out to be his as well.


    I stared at him, feeling my heart tightening with unexpected warmth.


    By the time we finished setting the table, I waspletely floored.


    Pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, sauteed vegetables, cheese omelets, fresh fruit sd, and hot chocte with cinnamon sticks. It was looking like a spread meant for ten people, not two. I gawked at the table and then looked at him.


    He caught my gaze and gave a light shrug. His eyes flickered with just the faintest bit of shyness. "Like I said, it¡¯s my first time cooking for my mate... for you."


    The words didn¡¯t stop echoing in my mind, even as we sat down to eat. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what it meant... how deeply rooted the instinct must be in him to feed and care for the one he was bound to.


    And he was showing it... even while being distant. Even while struggling with things left unspoken.


    "Thank you," I murmured.


    He looked up from his te, as though surprised.


    "For this," I added. "For taking care of me. For cooking all of this. I know I must have disrupted your day."


    He shook his head slowly. "I didn¡¯t have ns."


    That caught my attention. "What about your sses?"


    His fork stilled. "I haven¡¯t been back to the Academy since Friday night."


    I blinked in surprise and it took me a second to absorb that. He hadn¡¯t just walked away from me Friday night, he had walked away from everyone. Everything.


    The rest of breakfast passed in thoughtful silence, and when we finished, I helped him clear the tes, though he quickly shooed me out before I could touch the dishes.


    I returned to the living room and checked my phone, finally catching up on the messages piling in.


    The first message that I opened was from Kieran: <i>Rowan called me to inform that he will be bringing you back to the Academy today. So I¡¯ll not being. Have a good rest today.</i>


    This exined why he didn¡¯t show up this morning like he promised. I quickly typed back a response.


    <i>I¡¯m back at the dorm and will rest today. Thank uounfor everything, Professor. See you tomorrow in Herbs and Potions.</i>


    Then I opened Rowan¡¯s message.


    <i>Oscar told me to lie to Professor. I did it because I knew you will want to stay with Oscar rather than his older brother. Just rest today and message me if you need anything.</i>


    A small smile tugged at my lips.


    <i>I will. And thank you... for everything</i>, I replied.


    My inbox was filled with messages from Mallory, Kyros, Noah, Selene, and Ria - all concerned, all wishing me well. I replied to them quickly, thanking them all, but I saved something special for Mallory:


    <i>Let¡¯s have a girls¡¯ talk tonight. Okay?</i>


    By the time I set my phone down, Draven was walking back into the room, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel.


    And just like that, the awkward silence was back. He stood by the armchair, while I was curled up on the couch. Both of us were trying to avoid the other¡¯s eyes like we were scared one look would unravel everything we had been keeping tightly sealed inside.


    Then, to my surprise, he tilted his head slightly and asked, "Want to y our town-building game?"


    I blinked. "Now?"


    His lips twitched. "Unless you have better ns."


    I let out a small sigh and nodded my head, once again reaching for my phone. "Let¡¯s do it then."


    And just like that, the mood shifted.

 Chapter 173: The Boy Who Walked Away

    <h4>Chapter 173: The Boy Who Walked Away</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Who would have thought?


    Of all the things in the world, it wasn¡¯t a grand apology or an emotional heart-to-heart that thawed the lingering frost between us.


    It was <i>our game</i>.


    Our ridiculous, pixted town-building game with bunch of fields to grow crops, veggies, and fruits, a bunch of quirky vigers, and an endless list of quests - daily tasks, side missions, and reward chests that popped up every now and then with shiny loot.


    That¡¯s what broke the ice.


    At first, we were barely speaking, just the asional word or instruction from Draven while I tapped on my screen and tried not to lose focus.


    <fn7408> Readplete version only at </fn7408>


    He stayed on the other couch for the first few quests, helping from a distance. His voice was calm, his tone matter-of-fact, but there was an ease slowly seeping into the air between us, softening everything like a gentle tide rolling over the sand.


    Eventually, we decided to take on a group quest, one that required both yers to work together in real-time. That¡¯s when he got up and came over, settling beside me on the same couch.


    "I can¡¯t guide you from across the room," he said with a small shrug.


    I just nodded, pretending like my heart wasn¡¯t starting to beat faster at the thought of him being right there. Close enough for me to feel the heat from his body. Close enough that our knees kept brushing now and then.


    The quest was easy enough, but neither of us were really focusing anymore.


    We were talking. Laughing. Bickering over who forgot to nt the magic herbs or missed an opportunity to defeat the tiny invading goblins.


    The longer we yed, the more we spoke.


    And with eachugh that escaped my lips, with each amused nce he threw my way, the tightness in my chest was beginning to loosen. The stiffness from this morning, the tension fromst night, even the heartbreak of Friday... it all was slowly fading into the background.


    At one point, he reached over and poked my screen. "No, you missed the loot chest."


    "Hey!" I red at him, nudging his arm. "I was saving it."


    "For the fairy queen?" He smirked. "You know that thing¡¯s totally bugged, right?"


    "Shut up! She gives extra EXP if you save the final chest."


    "Sure," he said, not sounding convinced in the least. "Let¡¯s test that theory."


    He snatched the phone from my hand.


    "Draven!" I gasped, trying to get it back.


    He held it above his head, looking all smug and teasing.


    "Give it back-!"


    "You are gonna lose-" he sing-songed, taunting me.


    I scrambled to grab it, leaning into him as heughed, blocking me with his arm. And then, with onest sneaky tap, he lost the round for me.


    My jaw dropped. "Draven! That was my streak!"


    "I was just making it fair," he grinned.


    I turned to re at him... only to realize how close we had ended up.


    His arm was still wrapped around me from his yful attack. Our legs were tangled. My chest was rising and falling too fast. And our faces were just inches apart.


    The moment stilled.


    I didn¡¯t hear the game chime in failure. I didn¡¯t care that I lost a quest. I didn¡¯t even notice the phone slipping from my hand andnding on the carpet.


    All I could focus on was him.


    His eyes weren¡¯t teasing anymore. They were locked on mine - serious, intense, and hesitant all at once. That teasing grin slowly faded as something else crept into his expression.


    Something raw.


    Something real.


    And then, with a slow, shaky breath, he leaned forward.


    He moved like a man testing the water - delicate, uncertain, terrified of what he might find on the other side. But he didn¡¯t stop. His lips brushed against mine softly, so softly that it almost wasn¡¯t a kiss.


    Just a touch. A breath. A taste of something we had both been craving.


    Then he pulled back, just an inch, his forehead nearly resting against mine. His eyes searched mine, desperate, pleading, waiting - for rejection... or permission.


    I didn¡¯t even think.


    I just closed the space and kissed him. And this time, there was no hesitation. This time, I needed it.


    His breath hitched in my throat, and then he moved - no longer holding back, no longer tiptoeing around the line we had been too afraid to cross since previous night.


    His lips found mine again, harder now, firmer. He tilted my head with one hand and pulled me closer with the other, and I melted into him like I belonged there.


    Because I <i>did</i> belong there.


    He tasted like caramel and warmth and something purely him, something I had missed so badly it almost ached.


    His hand got tangled in my hair while my fingers curled against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat under my palm, thundering just as wildly as mine.


    We deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against mine with a slow, sensual confidence that stole every ounce of air from my lungs.


    We weren¡¯t thinking anymore. We weren¡¯t worrying about what we had said, or what hadn¡¯t been said, or what was still hanging between us.


    This was need. Pure and simple.


    He leaned back against the couch and pulled me onto hisp with ease. My legs straddled his, the fabric of my trousers brushing against the rough texture of his. His hands slid to my hips, gripping them tightly, anchoring me against him as our mouths moved in sync - hungry... almost starved.


    I made a bold move and slipped my fingers under the hem of his T-shirt, mapping the ridges of his stomach and feeling the way his muscles tensed under my touch. He let out a quiet groan, one that vibrated against my lips and shot straight through me.


    This was Draven.


    My mate.


    My wolf.


    The boy who walked away... and the one who had just kissed me like I was everything he ever needed.

 Chapter 174: Wanting Him

    <h4>Chapter 174: Wanting Him</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    There was no voice in my head warning me to stop. No whisper of guilt. No lingering hesitation.


    There was just Draven, and the heat of his mouth on mine. There was the way his arms held me, possessive and trembling, like letting go would tear something inside him.


    My body, my soul, and the mate bond that connected us were singing at his touch. Singing. Thriving.


    Every inch of me was feeling more alive than it had... in forever.


    And he must have felt the same, because he kissed me like I was the only thing tethering him to reality. Like he was drowning, and I was the only air he knew.


    His hands were careful as they roamed over me, his each movement lighting fire under my skin. His mouth devoured mine again and again, and I gave myself up to him fully. My body melted against his, and my hand clutched his shoulder, desperate for more of this, more of him.


    We kissed like we were starved. Like we had been dying of thirst and finally found water.


    I barely even realized how long we had been at it... until I gasped, out loud, at the sudden sensation of his hand slipping beneath the hem of my blouse and brushing against the bare skin of my lower back.


    And he froze.


    His lips stopped moving and his body turned still. I heard his breath hitching.


    And just like that, the mood shifted.


    "I-" he started, breathless, his voice was thick with a tangle of emotions. "I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-shit-I shouldn¡¯t have-"


    He was already starting to move me off hisp. The guilt and panic were flooding his eyes. But before he could have shifted me away, I reached out and cupped his face, stopping him.


    "Wait." My voice was quiet, but steady. Clear.


    His eyes found mine. He was looking stunned, unsure, as though I had said something in a foreignnguage.


    So I repeated it. Slowly this time, because I needed him to hear me.


    "What if... I want this?"


    He blinked.


    Confusion flickered first in his eyes. Then disbelief. He didn¡¯t say a word, just stared like I had knocked all the air out of his lungs. My cheeks turned red, and a part of me screamed to take it back, to soften it. But I didn¡¯t.


    I didn¡¯t want to lie to him, or myself.


    "I mean..." I swallowed, gathering the pieces of my courage and pushing them to the surface. "Not sex. Not... everything. But... more than just kissing. I-I don¡¯t want us to stop yet. I want you."


    The words left my lips before I could filter them. And the moment they did, I wanted to bury my face in his chest and nevere out again. What was I thinking?


    There were so many unspoken things between us still. So many questions unanswered. And here I was, acting like everything was alright.


    But still, even in my embarrassment... I didn¡¯t regret it. At least I had told him the truth.


    He didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t speak, didn¡¯t blink.


    Seconds were passing like hours, and I was beginning to regret my choice as the feeling of dread started wrapping around my spine.


    I was about to climb off him, pretend it never happened, when his hands gripped my waist gently and he tilted my face up with his fingers holding my chin.


    His eyes weren¡¯t angry. Or judgmental. Or even conflicted. Instead, they were... soft. Aching. Deep.


    "I¡¯ll give you whatever you want," he whispered. "Because that¡¯s what mates do, Eva. They give. They care. They... love."


    My heart flipped.


    "But-" his voice cracked slightly. "You need to understand something."


    I nodded slowly, afraid of what he might say.


    "I still don¡¯t know how I feel about the child."


    There. It was out. And it stung... even though I had been expecting it.


    His gaze dropped for a moment. "I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯te around. I¡¯m trying. I want to. But right now, I don¡¯t want to lie to you. I love you. You are my mate. You are my everything. But I¡¯m not ready to ept the baby... not yet."


    His honesty didn¡¯t wound me the way I had been fearing. Because he wasn¡¯t cruel. He wasn¡¯t cold. He was just... normal. Struggling.


    And maybe that was enough for now.


    "I¡¯ll wait," I said softly.


    He looked up sharply.


    "I mean it," I continued. "I know it¡¯s not easy. And I¡¯m not going to push you. You don¡¯t owe me or the baby anything just because you are my mate. You have every right to take your time. To decide what you want."


    He opened his mouth, maybe to argue, but I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his.


    "I¡¯m not asking for a promise you can¡¯t make," I whispered. "I just want... you."


    The sound he made next was more like a groan than a sigh.


    Then he kissed me.


    <fnf130> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find~novel</fnf130>


    And this time... he didn¡¯t hold back.


    His mouth crashed into mine like a wave - intense, deep, hungry. All the control he had clung to before? It was gone. And in its ce was pure, raw desire.


    He kissed me like I was his entire world.


    His hands started roaming again - this time boldly, possessively. He gripped my hips tighter, pulled me flush against his chest. Our breaths mingled, sharp and uneven.


    He ended the kiss momentster only to trail his lips down my jaw, then to my throat where he kissed, nipped, and left a clear mark that I was going to struggle to hideter.


    I gasped when his teeth grazed that sensitive spot just under my ear.


    "Draven..." I moaned.


    He shuddered at the sound, pressing his lips into the curve of my neck. "You have no idea what you do to me..."


    I clung to him, arching into every touch. His hands slid up beneath my blouse again, and this time, he didn¡¯t stop. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Slowly, his fingers trailed along my waist, my ribcage, and higher until...

 Chapter 175: A Feeling Like Any Other

    <h4>Chapter 175: A Feeling Like Any Other</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <i>Until...</i>


    I raised my arms.


    He pulled the blouse over my head, tossing it somewhere behind the couch, leaving me in just my ck silk bra.


    His eyes darkened as they roamed over me, slowly, reverently. One hand lifted to brush along the edge of the fabric, then trailed down my bare waist again.


    "You are beautiful," he murmured.


    I blushed, biting my lower lip. I knew I was far from beautiful, at least my body that had been deprived of proper food for years up until recently. Before arriving at the Academy, I was nothing more than a walking skeleton with skin on.


    It was only after I started taking bnced diets,bined with strength training and cardio routines every morning, that I started gaining weight and muscles. But even now I weighed only 99 lbs which was still underweight.


    So, him calling me beautiful barely made much sense. And yet, he was looking at me as if he had never seen a better looking woman ever before.


    As his gaze swept over me, something in me coiled tight. His eyes weren¡¯t just looking at me, they were seeing me. Every curve, every breath, every small tremor in my body as I sat there in nothing but my bra and a thundering heart.


    I had never felt this exposed.


    Never this seen.


    A hot flush crept up my neck and into my cheeks. I turned my face away on instinct, the shyness slithering in despite the heat between us. My fingers clenched softly on the edge of the couch. I wasn¡¯t used to this - being bare under the golden glow of fairy lights, not hidden in shadows.


    Thest, and only, time I had been intimate with someone had been that one night. My eighteenth birthday... with Ethan. But even then, I was drugged before he came to save me, and that suite was shrouded in darkness which barely made me felt seen.


    I barely remembered much of that night, except the power of the mate bond I experienced and how good he made me feel despite the initial pain. But that night¡¯s events were no longer something I wanted to remember.


    So, I was feeling extremely shy and self-aware at the moment. But, at least, I didn¡¯t make a move to cover myself.


    And Draven kept looking at me now like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.


    "Eva," he said, his voice low and hoarse. "Eyes on me, sweetheart."


    My breath caught at the nickname, it was warm and intimate. I lifted my gaze - slow, nervous.


    His lips curved in a soft smile before he lowered his face and brushed a tender kiss to the swell of my breast, just above the fabric. I inhaled sharply as warmth flooded me. Then he lifted one of his hands and gently cupped one of my breasts.


    I gasped again, instinctively tightening my fingers against the cushions.


    His thumb brushed against the peak, slowly, over the fabric, before it began a soft, sensual massage that sent a ripple of heat through my stomach. My lips parted, my breathing in tiny pulls. He didn¡¯t rush. Every movement was deliberate, like he was taking his time to learn me - how I was reacting, where I was trembling, and what was making my breath catch.


    Then, with practiced ease, he leaned back and tugged gently on the waistband of my trousers, pausing just enough to give me time to object.


    I didn¡¯t. Instead, I moved to help him.


    He peeled them off, revealing my flushed skin, and then reached for his own t-shirt. As he pulled it over his head and tossed it aside, my breath caught again.


    Stars.


    He was... breathtaking.


    His chest was all defined lines and ridges, a sculpture of strength and warmth. He had those perfect model abs that made my fingers itch to feel them.


    I shamelessly took my time to drink him in, just like he did with me, and when I finally looked up, I noticed something primal stirring in his eyes. Hunger, yes... but more than that. Reverence. Like he was in awe of me, and maybe even terrified to break the moment.


    We came together again in a tangle of limbs and heat. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back into hisp, our mouths reconnecting like we were made to fit. His hands slid down my sides and around my back, reaching behind me with skilled fingers to unsp the bra.


    I stiffened for a heartbeat, but it melted away the moment his lips left mine and found the sensitive skin at the base of my throat. His hands pulled back the bra straps, slow and careful, like he was unwrapping a gift he had been waiting for. And then...


    I was bare waist up.


    Completely.


    The air kissed my skin, and then he did. His mouth was soft, warm, and open over my breast. His tongue flicked over the hardened bud and I arched, a soft moan escaping me without permission.


    My body was trembling as I drowned in the sensation.


    His other hand found its way to the second peak, circling, teasing, pressing. My hips shifted helplessly on hisp, and I felt the evidence of his arousal pressing against me, hard and hot through his sweats.


    The scent of our bond was thick in the air - spiced, musky, charged.


    And I wanted more. So much more.


    <fn691a> This content belongs to f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn691a>


    His kisses trailed lower, then shifted back up as his hand slid down my waist and over the curve of my hip. I gasped when he found the heat between my legs. My body was already aching, wet, ready.


    He stilled when he felt the wetness through my panty, and lifted his head to look at me. Whatever he saw there must have been answer enough because he leaned in and kissed me again, slow and deep, as if sealing an unspoken promise between us.

 Chapter 176: Game of Pleasure

    <h4>Chapter 176: Game of Pleasure</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His eyes met mine onest time, asking - no, begging - for silent permission. And when I didn¡¯t stop him, when I just nodded and shifted to give him space, he slowly hooked his fingers into the sides of my panties and pulled them down.


    In that single moment, I was utterly bare to him. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. There was nowhere to hide. Nothing to protect me. And strangely... I didn¡¯t feel afraid. Not with him.


    Not with my mate.


    The air felt thick, charged, and humming with energy. The mate bond between us was ring up like wildfire, curling around me in waves of warmth, tugging at something deep within my soul. I felt like I was glowing, like every nerve ending was alight.


    Once again I watched him taking me in, and I didn¡¯t miss the way his gaze darkened in pure desire, one that he made no effort to hide as he brought his eyes back to mine.


    His fingers grazed the inside of my thighs, slowly, teasingly. And I inhaled sharpy when he came so close to my aching core. But instead of continuing, he stopped and pulled back his hand, leaning forward to once again capture my lips in a searing kiss.


    He then trailed his mouth down my throat to my hardened nipples, giving both buds a fleeting kiss before he continued his exploration south.


    I was inhaling sharply by the time his mouth reached my bellybutton, and just as I was expecting, he didn¡¯t stop there. He lowered himself between my legs with a reverence that made my heart clench. His lips trailed wet kisses all over my inner thighs while I was almost on the edge of losing my sanity because of his teasing.


    He suddenly looked up, and a smirk curved the corners of his lips once he registered the clear desperation in my eyes. He lowered his face again, and this time, his lipsnded right over my wet folds.


    I forgot to breathe when his tongue slipped between my folds and found my aching clit, giving it a hard lick that sent sparks flying throughout my body.


    My hands flew to his hair, and I dug my fingers in his soft strands as pleasure sang through me in sharp, pulsing waves. Every flick of his tongue, every press of his lips, every hum that vibrated against my core... it was too much. It was everything.


    I moaned - his name, maybe, or something close. I wasn¡¯t sure. The bond between us roared, sparking to life in ways I didn¡¯t know were possible. The power it poured into me made my skin feel like fire and silk at once.


    He kept going, giving me no reprieve, no space to think... just feeling of pure pleasure.


    And when the orgasm hit me momentster, it hit like a storm. My back arched, a broken cry escaped my lips, and my entire body pulsed as the pleasure crashed down and shattered me apart. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I clung to him, breathless and shaking.


    I barely noticed when he kissed my thighs gently, his touch softening. I didn¡¯t even feel embarrassed. Not under his gaze. Not when he looked up at me like I was the center of his world.


    Then he pulled me into his arms and wrapped a soft nket over my naked body, tucking my face against his chest. My ear was pressed to his heartbeat, it was steady and strong, like him. And it lulled me, warmed me, cocooned me.


    I wasn¡¯t even tired... but I still fell asleep in his arms.


    - - -


    When I stirred, it was alreadyte afternoon. Draven¡¯s familiar scent was wrapped around me but he wasn¡¯t there.


    My body was aching in the best way, but I was no longer on the couch. Instead, I found myself in bed. Stillpletely naked.


    I sat up slowly, clutching the nket around myself, confused butforted by the neatness of the space and the soft pillow under my head. Draven had moved me... gently, carefully.


    And yet... he was nowhere in sight.


    I scanned the room, and immediately realized my clothes weren¡¯t there. Feeling awkward and unsure, I tiptoed to the bedroom door and cracked it open just enough to peek out.


    "Draven?" I whispered, my voice stillced with sleep.


    He was there instantly, like he had been waiting. But when his eyesnded on me, peeking out in nothing but a nket, he stopped just outside the door, his brows raising.


    "Clothes," I said, blinking up at him.


    Something in his expression shifted - amusement, maybe, or affection. "Top drawer of my dresser," he said, pointing behind me. "Grab a shirt and some shorts. They¡¯ll be morefortable than your trousers for now."


    I nodded quickly, closed the door, and turned to the dresser.


    Wearing his clothes felt... weirdly intimate. And wonderful.


    I chose a in white shirt that smelled of a really nice detergent and something uniquely <i>him.</i> The shorts were soft cotton and hung low on my hips. The shirt was too big, it covered me to mid-thigh but I didn¡¯t care. I felt safe. Warm.


    Cherished.


    When I stepped out of the room, my heart was fluttering. I followed the smell of fresh-cut fruits to the kitchen and found him there.


    He was barefoot and still shirtless - something I didn¡¯t notice when I called him just now. He was slicing strawberries with practiced ease with his back to me.


    "Hey," I murmured softly.


    He turned, and for a moment - just one long heartbeat - he didn¡¯t say a word. He just... looked.


    At me. In his clothes.


    <fn1e10> Get full chapters from F¦Énd£Îovel</fn1e10>


    Something shed through his gaze. Possessiveness. Heat. Awe.


    The next thing I knew, he was crossing the space between us. In a few strides, I was in his arms, lifted effortlessly, and my legs wrapping around his waist.


    "Draven-" I started, stunned.


    But then his mouth was on mine and I forgot everything else.


    The kiss was different now - still hungry, but slower. Softer. A little sweeter. His hands gripped my thighs as he set me gently on the kitchen ind, never breaking contact. My fingers threaded into his hair as I kissed him back with everything I had.


    I was still breathless when we finally parted and he pressed his forehead against mine.


    "You are dangerous in my clothes," he murmured, his voice low and rough.


    I flushed, but there was no stopping the smile that tugged at my lips. "You told me to wear them."


    "Mistake," he whispered, brushing his nose against mine. "Now I want to take them off."


    I smiled and watched as he finally pulled away. He helped me down before grabbing the fruit ter he had prepared.


    "Let¡¯s go. I got us some really nice fruits to enjoy while we wait for Oscar¡¯s arrival."

 Chapter 177: Her Shameless Mate

    <h4>Chapter 177: Her Shameless Mate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The Academy gates loomed in front of us, their towering iron bars now softly lit by the golden haze of the setting sun.


    Oscar brought the car to a gentle stop, parking beneath the shadow of the old sycamore trees that were lining the outer wall. The silence in the area was almost uncanny. No students, no staff, no movement, just the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant call of an evening bird.


    It was Tuesday, and we all know how weekdays worked here. No one was allowed to leave campus, not without express permission. Most students would be in the dorms, study halls, or grabbing early dinner in the dining hall by now. The path ahead, stretching from the gates to the administrative building, waspletely empty.


    I exhaled quietly and turned to Oscar, unclipping my seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride," I said. "And for... everything else. For taking care of me."


    He didn¡¯t say anything right away, but the way his emerald eyes settled on me with a mixture of warmth and mischief should have warned me.


    I reached for the door handle, ready to slip out quickly and quietly-


    "That was the most insincere thank you I have ever heard," he said tly.


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    He tilted his head, smirking as he leaned backzily in his seat. "Don¡¯t ¡¯excuse me¡¯ me. You are brushing me off like I just loaned you a pen, not... carried you through a whole pregnancy check-up and dropped you off after a night full of doting and emotionalbor."


    I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head at the theatrical way he phrased it. "Okay, fine. How do you want me to thank you then?"


    Without missing a beat, he turned his face and tapped his cheek with a finger. "A kiss. Right here."


    I raised a brow, my smile turning sly. "You are serious?"


    "Deadly," he said.


    I leaned toward him, already ying along when-


    "And don¡¯t worry," he added with a devilish grin, "I¡¯m not too heartbroken that you might not want to kiss me now that Draven has satisfied you thoroughly all day."


    I froze halfway, my breath catching in my throat. "W-What?"


    He didn¡¯t look the least bit apologetic. In fact, he looked immensely pleased with himself as he turned to look at me fully.


    "You heard me," he said, his voice casual, teasing. "It¡¯s okay. I get it. You two had your fun. I mean, it was very obvious from the way I felt that emotion spike."


    I felt like my soul left my body.


    "H-How do you know that?" I managed to squeak, my face undoubtedly resembling a tomato.


    "You really forgot?" He chuckled. "We epted our bond, Eva. Verbally. That was enough to open an emotional link between us. Not as strong as being marked or mated, but enough. And emotions, especially intense ones, tend to leak through."


    Pleasure. He felt my pleasure through the bond.


    The realization had my hands flying to my cheeks. I buried my face in them with a soft groan. "This is mortifying."


    Heughed outright now. "Hey, don¡¯t feel bad. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect to be so... okay with it."


    That had me dropping my hands and looking up. "You are not bothered?"


    He shook his head slowly. "Surprisingly, no. I¡¯m actually... d. d that Draven took good care of you. That you got to feel that close to him. That you both had that time."


    My chest squeezed at the raw honesty in his voice. I hadn¡¯t expected this reaction. Not from a possessive, high-ranking Alpha. Not from a mate.


    He tilted his head again and added with a sly grin, "The only part that made me slightly jealous was knowing it wasn¡¯t me making you feel that good."


    I gawked at him, torn betweenughing and crawling under the seat.


    He leaned in again, turning his cheek to me once more. "Now, are you going to reward me properly this time?"


    I rolled my eyes fondly and leaned in again. But just as I pressed my lips toward his cheek... he turned.


    And our lips met.


    <fnac1a> Checktest chapters at fin?novel</fnac1a>


    It wasn¡¯t deep. It wasn¡¯t urgent. It was sweet, unexpected, and soft. My eyes fluttered shut instinctively, my heart lurching in my chest as our lips moved gently in sync. I felt the warmth of his palm resting against my jaw, cradling me as if I were something fragile.


    I pulled away first, breathless.


    He didn¡¯t chase the kiss. He just smiled - that slow, smug smile of his. "Much better," he whispered.


    "You tricked me," I said, giving him an using look.


    "You loved it."


    I couldn¡¯t argue.


    I looked away. My hand returned to the door again, but this time I paused.


    "I¡¯m really d it was you," I said softly. "That you were the one with me through all of this."


    He didn¡¯t tease this time. "Me too."


    With onest lingering nce, I stepped out of the car with his jacket wrapped around my shoulders and his scent clinging to my skin along with Draven¡¯s.


    And even though I was walking alone toward the Academy gates, I didn¡¯t feel alone at all.


    The cold evening air nipped at my cheeks as I silently slipped inside. There was only one warrior stationed there and he didn¡¯t even blink as he saw me entering. I didn¡¯t have to wonder who was behind all this.


    I nced back once.


    Oscar¡¯s car was still there, headlights off, his silhouette just visible through the windshield. He was watching me, I knew it. I gave him a small wave, and the sh of his hand in return made me smile.


    Pulling the jacket tighter, I headed toward the dorms. The path was empty, the Academy quiet except for the crunch of my shoes on gravel. It felt strangeing back to all this... normal. The dorm rooms, the study halls, the Academy life - so unchanged while so much had changed for me.


    I was tangled in a world of emotions and bonds, and yet, for the first time in days... I didn¡¯t feel lost.

 Chapter 178: Elder Sister, Little Brother

    <h4>Chapter 178: Elder Sister, Little Brother</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had barely stepped into the hallway when the air around me shifted, just enough to send a shiver down my spine.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know who had just entered the building behind me. The smell of expensive perfume mixed with overconfidence was a dead giveaway.


    "Look who finally decided to show up," Nadine¡¯s voice rang out, smug and sweet with just enough venom to cut skin. "Heard you passed out like a delicate little flower."


    Beside her, Bianca and Violet snickered.


    "Poor thing," Bianca drawled. "Spends one night unconscious and now suddenly too frail to take the stairs like the rest of us."


    "Guess being a genius doesn¡¯t save you from being wolfless," Violet added in her high and mocking voice. "So much for top scores when your body can¡¯t even carry your own weight."


    Theyughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world. I arrived at the elevator and pressed the button, ignoring them. I didn¡¯t have the energy - not for their taunts, not for their attempts to get under my skin.


    "Silent treatment?" Nadine sniffed. "Careful, Evaline. You may think you are special now, but the second term focuses on strength and physical testing. I doubt the professors will care how well you score on paper if you copse halfway through a sparring match."


    The elevator dinged as the door opened, and I stepped in without a word. As the door was closing, I heard one of them scoff behind me, followed by a sarcastic "Princess can¡¯t be bothered."


    I took a breath and exhaled slowly as the elevator took me to my floor. Stepping out, I walked down the hallway.


    Once at my dorm door, I entered the security code and pushed it open, stepping into the warm glow and sudden loud chatter of familiar voices.


    "Eva!"


    The room felt like it shifted, like it breathed, and then all five of them were on their feet.


    Selene got to me first, throwing her arms around me. "You scared the hell out of us!"


    "Are you okay now?" Ria asked, hugging me right after.


    Noah offered a side-hug that came with a quiet, "d to see you upright again."


    And Kyros, he wrapped me up in a warm, bear hug. "We have got <i>so</i> much to talk about," he whispered near my ear, and I followed his gaze as he subtly nodded at the jacket around my shoulders.


    He¡¯s the only one who noticed. And that¡¯s because he was the only one in the room who now knew parts of my secrets.


    Once he stepped aside, I found Mallory standing a step away with her arms tucked close to her chest, looking uncertain. Her eyes were shimmering like she wanted to cry or shout, but she didn¡¯t move.


    So I did.


    I closed the gap between us and wrapped my arms around her. Her hesitation shattered immediately, and she hugged me back just as tightly.


    We hugged for the longest, and when we finally pulled apart, we both had genuine smiles on our faces.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said quietly to them all. "For making you worry. I promise, I won¡¯t let it happen again."


    "No kidding," Selene muttered, half-scolding, half-relieved.


    Noah opened his mouth, and I could already tell he was about to ask what had actually happened, but before he could speak a word, Kyros said instead, "You were in the infirmary the whole time. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a kind of experience in its own, right?"


    I blinked, staring at him while he keptbhis calm gaze fixed on me. "Yeah... right. It indeed was - one I¡¯m not looking forward to experience anytime soon again."


    The others chuckled while Kyros gave me an almost unnoticeable nod of approval.


    This answered everything I needed to know. It seemed like no one knew I got admitted to a hospital, instead, they all believed that I had been in the infirmary all this time.


    I didn¡¯t have to wonder too much about who might behind all this - Kieran. Only he had such kind of authority over the Academy to involve the infirmary and the healers in such kind of lie.


    I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Mallory speaking next. "They wouldn¡¯t let us see you. Said you needed total rest and weren¡¯t allowed visitors."


    "I¡¯m really sorry, Mal," I said again. "But you guys didn¡¯t miss out on anything. I was busy sleeping most of the time."


    They all chuckled and we all settled down into thefort of ourmon room. For a moment, I just sat there watching them - my friends, my found family - and felt a warmth bloom in my chest. Despite the chaos, despite everything I was keeping from them, they were here. They cared.


    As dinner time approached, we all bundled up and left for the dining hall together. I let myself blend into the conversation,ughing at Noah¡¯s sarcasm and Ria¡¯sints about assignments.


    On our way down, I turned slightly toward Kyros. "Any idea about where Rowan might be?"


    He shrugged. "Nope. He¡¯s been missing since after sses. Thought he would be with you."


    I pulled out my phone. I hadn¡¯t checked it since entering the dorm, and I was surprised to see an unreadable message waiting for me... from Rowan.


    <i>Heading out of the Academy for the evening. Will be back around midnight. Have a good dinner.</i>


    A smile crept onto my face without permission.


    He had told me. Like a little brother reporting to his big sister.


    I was sure he would hate being called the "little" one. He always acted older than most of us, more reliable. Maybe we should sort it out properly. Birthdays and all. He deserved that much. But I liked the idea of being the elder Sister.


    I slipped my phone away and followed the others inside the dining hall. Mallory caught me smiling and bumped her shoulder lightly into mine.


    "What?" she asked.


    "Nothing," I said, warmth blooming in my chest again.


    Nothing... and everything.


    Because even in the madness, the pain, and the secrets... I had people. I had bonds - the ones I was creating myself and the ones given to me by the Moon Goddess.


    And despite everything that still needed to be faced, tonight... I had peace.<fncd69> Chapters first released on f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fncd69>

 Chapter 179: The Girls Talk

    <h4>Chapter 179: The Girls Talk</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After dinner, we all parted ways with softughter and tired goodbyes.


    It had been a long day, and though I spent most of it in thefort of Draven¡¯s safe house, returning to the Academy, to the bustle of friendships and familiar ces, had tired me in a different way - emotionally more than physically.


    "Good night, you two," Noah called with a wink before he disappeared inside his dorm. Kyros waved at us before he followed next. Selene had already parted with us on the previous floor.


    The remaining three of us girls entered in our dorm and Ria took her leave first as she had to call her parents.


    "Sleep well, Eva" she said as she unlocked the door to her room.


    "You too," I smiled back.


    As soon as she was gone, I nced at Mallory. "Come with me," I said softly, and without waiting for a reply, I tugged her toward my bedroom.


    "Is this finally going to be the much-awaited girls talk?" she teased as she followed behind.


    Once we were inside, I sat cross-legged on my bed and patted the spot beside me. She plopped down with a pillow hugged to her chest, one brow raised in curiosity.


    "So," she said, drawing the word out. "How are you actually feeling now?"


    "I¡¯m fine," I said honestly as a soft smile tugged at my lips. "No, better than fine. I think... I¡¯m doing better than I have been in a long time."


    My tone must have given something away, because her eyebrows shot up in suspicion. "That was a very loaded answer. Spill. All of it. Don¡¯t you dare hold back."


    Iughed, chewing on my bottom lip as I debated where to even begin. "Alright. So... I found my mates."


    She blinked.


    Then she gasped.


    "Mates? You mean mate - wait. Plural?" Her eyes widened, and she leaned in, staring at me like I had just said the sky was green and gravity stopped working. "Eva. Eva. Did you just say mates as in... more than one?!"


    I nodded, trying to hide my amusement at her reaction. "Yeah. Two."


    She looked like she was about to faint.


    She stared at me, blinking rapidly, opening and closing her mouth like she wanted to say something but just... couldn¡¯t.


    "I... How... Who?" she finally managed, breathless.


    I hesitated for a moment, not because I didn¡¯t want to tell her, but because I knew how big the reveal was going to be. These weren¡¯t just any two guys. They were Oscar and Draven Thorne - names that carried their own weight, fame, and power.


    "You know them both," I started, watching her intently. "Oscar Thorne... and Draven Thorne."


    Dead. Silence.


    Mallory¡¯s entire body froze.


    Her jaw dropped open and stayed that way for a solid ten seconds before she finally blinked, shook her head like she was trying to reboot her brain, and gaped at me.


    "You are joking."


    "I¡¯m really not."


    "You are mated to two of <i>the</i> Thorne brothers? Oscar and Draven? THE Rogue Alphas?!" Her voice was a whisper-shriek, like her brain couldn¡¯t decide whether to shout or be silent for national security reasons.


    I gave her a sheepish smile. "Yes."


    She still couldn¡¯t speak. So, while she sat there, trying to process everything, I took a deep breath and began telling her everything.


    I told her about how I felt the mate bond with Oscar first, then with Draven. How both of them initially reacted poorly - how cold they were, how indifferent and unweing. I exined how I was so unsure of where I stood that I never told either of them that I was bonded to both.


    I told her how, slowly, things shifted. The walls cracked. They saw me and I started seeing them for who they really were.


    "And then things started getting serious," I continued softly. "They were ready to ept me, both of them. And I... I decided toe clean. I told them the truthst Friday."


    She was listening in silence, wide-eyed andpletely absorbed.


    I told her mostly the truth, just kept my pregnancy a secret as I wasn¡¯t ready to reveal that to anyone except for the ones who already knew.


    Fully, her eyes softened and something clicked in her mind. "That¡¯s why..." she trailed off, then suddenly sat straighter. "That¡¯s why you reacted the way you did when I told you about Oscar and Jasmine Bills!"


    I nodded slowly. "Yeah."


    "I¡¯m so sorry," she whispered, guilt clouding her features.


    I shook my head, reaching out and taking her hand. "Don¡¯t be. You didn¡¯t know. I never told you. You weren¡¯t wrong to share something you thought I should know."


    She squeezed my hand, a hint of relief crossing her expression.


    "So... now things are okay?" she asked hesitantly. "Between you and them?"


    I smiled, thinking of Draven¡¯s embrace, of Oscar¡¯s yful jealousy, of the gentle way they both touched me, held me, protected me.


    "They are better," I said. "Not perfect. Draven still hasn¡¯tpletely epted the matter. But he¡¯s trying. And Oscar¡¯s been... incredible. Honestly, I still can¡¯t believe that things are finally settling in. I wanst expecting them to return to me this quickly after they left on Friday."


    Mallory kept looking at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a grin bloomed across her face. "This is insane. And amazing. And... so hot."


    <fn9d4c> This update is avable on f?ndnovel</fn9d4c>


    I burst outughing. "Only you would say that."


    "Excuse me," she said, flipping her short hair. "You are dating - no, mated to - two of the hottest and most powerful werewolves in existence. And I¡¯m your best friend. I get bragging rights."


    Iughed again, the sound lifting some of the weight from my chest.


    We stayed up for hours after that, talking, whispering secrets, giggling about things that had once made me cry.


    With Mallory¡¯s experience as recently finding her own mate, we had a lot to talk about and share. And we did just that until... we both ended up falling asleep in my bed, snuggled up like besties did.

 Chapter 180: Winter Is Here

    <h4>Chapter 180: Winter Is Here</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Wednesday morning arrived draped in a curtain of icy mist. The chill was sharper than the days before.


    My breath fogged up the balcony door as I stared outside, watching the frost etch delicate patterns onto the ss. Winter was no longer just approaching, it had arrived.


    Silver Moon was also beginning to transform with the changing season. Long gone the colors of autumn, and now, everyone was beginning to appear in thick and warmer clothes.


    Cold drinks had been reced by warm ones, fireces were glowing inmon rooms, and snow was in the air - figuratively for now, but literally any day. Everyone was counting down to three things: the first snowfall, Christmas, and perhaps the most anticipated of them all - the Winter Solstice Ball.


    I heard people talk about it in the hallways, in the dining room, in the study halls, and even in the most peaceful ce - the library. There were whispers of dresses, who was escorting whom, which Alpha¡¯s family would be in attendance, and what connections could be made.


    The Winter Solstice Ball wasn¡¯t just some dance, it was a royal event in our world. Attended by the Council, Alphas from across the globe, their Lunas, their Betas, their heirs, and few selected others who were lucky enough.


    It was a dream for many. A chance to mingle with the elite, to dress like royalty, to be seen.


    But me?


    I didn¡¯t care.


    I was a nobody now, and even when I was a Greystone, I never attended these balls or gatherings where politics mattered more than feelings. A ce where someone like me - a wolfless nobody - would be nothing more than a target for judgmental stares and hushed whispers.


    So instead, I focused on what mattered - catching up on my sses.


    The days passed in a quiet, productive rhythm. I dove headfirst into study materials,piling notes, submitting assignments, and prepping for the uing wave of tests.


    Almost every day, I ended up at the library.


    It had always been my safe space. A ce I could escape to when everything else felt overwhelming. It was the same now... only better.


    Because he was there.


    Draven.


    He had returned to his volunteer duties at the library and, just like before, he always found time to slip away from the front desk and join me at my secluded table on the second floor - one tucked away near therge windows where I liked to study. Sometimes he would only stay for a minute or two, sometimes longer if no one was on the floor. And almost always, he brought me something.


    <fnef53> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n F?nd-Novel</fnef53>


    Fruits. A bottle of milk. Warm herbal tea. asionally juice. They were always paired with a soft word and a brief touch.


    He never said anything dramatic. He didn¡¯t need to. His every little gesture spoke louder than words.


    Each time I saw him enter the library, a part of me rxed. My world felt steadier.


    Oscar, on the other hand, was drowning in work. The trials for the senior sses were in full swing and he barely had any free time. But despite his hectic schedule, he never missed a night.


    He called me without fail - sometimes before dinner, sometimeste in the night when he could barely keep his eyes open. He always asked how I was feeling, how the baby was doing, what I ate, and whether I missed him.


    I always said yes.


    And he promised toe see me on the weekend.


    Everything was back to normal, peaceful in my life. No, actually perfect.


    As the week went on, the weather dipped further. The balcony door remained fogged most mornings, and ourmon room was beginning to smell perpetually like cinnamon and hot cocoa.


    The entire campus buzzed with pre-holiday excitement. ns were being made, gift lists were being exchanged, and all the talk of snowfall had everyone in high spirits.


    That was when I realized something crucial - I didn¡¯t have anything suitable for the cold weather.


    My wardrobe was woefully underprepared for the harsh winter that wasing, and with my pregnancy,fort was bing even more important.


    "I need to go shopping," I muttered to myself friday morning, tugging at my academy zer.


    Saturday would be the perfect day. After my working hours at the Council headquarters, I could drag Mallory along and pick up some warm clothes. And maybe start looking for Christmas gifts for my friends. For Oscar. For Draven.


    The idea made my chest warm.


    I already knew I wanted the gifts to be personal - something handmade or thoughtful, not something expensive or grand. But I¡¯d need time to n and prepare.


    Saturday morning arrived faster than I expected. The dorm was chilly even with the heater on. I was heading out in my simple full-sleeve top and trousers when Mallory caught me and gave me one of her sweaters.


    I thanked her and quickly headed out as I was gettingte. When I arrived at the Academy gates, the familiar car was waiting there.


    "Good morning," Mr. Wood said as he opened the back door of the car for me and I quickly slipped inside.


    "Morning, Mr. Wood. Hopefully, I didn¡¯t make you wait for too long." I said with a smile as he slipped into the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Not at all, Miss Evaline." He replied kindly and started the engine.


    When I arrived at the headquarters, the sun was finally beginning to show itself but the sunlight was too weak to confront the morning chill.


    There was no sign of River in the office, so I just began my work by going through previous week¡¯s reports - the ones I failed miserably to do properly. But even as the lunch hour arrived, River hadn¡¯t shown up and neither I got any message or call from his secretary.


    This was actually a good thing. Who knew if he would have made me do overtime. Then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue with my shopping n. But now, as he hadn¡¯t shown up, I didn¡¯t need to worry about my n getting canceled.


    Only if I knew...!

 Chapter 181: Change In Plan

    <h4>Chapter 181: Change In n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The second the clock on the wall struck two, I reached for my phone and hit the call icon beside Mallory¡¯s name. She picked up on the second ring, her voiceced with surprise.


    "Eva? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be working right now?"


    I smiled at the sound of her voice. "I am... or I was. But River¡¯s nowhere to be seen, and I haven¡¯t been assigned any new files, so I figured I would take the chance to breathe a little. And maybe make ns."


    She gasped dramatically. "Wait - your boss hasn¡¯t shown up at all?"


    "Nope," I replied, popping the ¡¯p.¡¯


    "That exins the sudden free time," she chuckled. "So what¡¯s the n? You sound like you are up to something."


    "Well," I leaned back in my seat, letting my voice grow just a little yful, "I was thinking... I need to go shopping. It¡¯s getting way too cold, and I have exactly zero winter-friendly clothes. But I¡¯m still not super familiar with the towns or where to shop. So, I was wondering... would youe with me this evening? Be my shopping guide?"


    She squealed. "Absolutely! You don¡¯t even have to ask twice."


    I chuckled. "You sure? You might regret it halfway through."


    "Never," she replied, her tone softening. "You and I have never gone out together, just the two of us. After over three months of friendship, I think it¡¯s high time we fix that."


    Warmth bloomed in my chest. She was right. For all the things we had been through - sses, assignments,te-night study sessions, even surviving mate drama - we hadn¡¯t just... hung out. It was long overdue.


    "Then it¡¯s a date," I smiled. "I¡¯ll text you when I¡¯m done here. Let¡¯s meet in Lakeshire."


    <fn1953> This text is hosted at find{n}ovel</fn1953>


    "Yup! Can¡¯t wait!" she chirped before hanging up.


    I was barely five minutes back into reviewing documents when my phone buzzed with a new message.


    <strong>Mallory:</strong><i>Girl, your man is too much TT</i>


    I blinked at the screen, my brows knitting in confusion. My man? What the hell?


    Before I could even formte a response or call her back, another message popped up, this one was from Oscar.


    <strong>Oscar</strong>: <i>I¡¯ll pick you up from the headquarters at six. Your friend is too busy to apany you, so I¡¯ll be the recement.</i>


    I stared at my phone.


    What just happened?


    I quickly dialed Mallory¡¯s number, and she picked up with augh before I could even speak.


    "You are not going to believe what happened," she said, clearly still caught between exasperation and amusement.


    "Try me," I said,pletely dumbfounded.


    "So," she began, dragging the word with dramatic ir, "I was actually walking down the west wing corridor when I picked up your call. Unbeknownst to me, Oscar was just around the corner. He must have heard everything."


    "Really...?"


    "Oh yes," she continued. "And the second our call ended, bam! He showed up. Walked right up to me and - politely, might I add - asked me about your shopping ns. And then, right there, he told me to find something else to do tonight because he would be the one taking you out."


    I groaned. "Did he at least ask nicely?"


    "He was very polite," Mallory admitted, "but you know when someone¡¯s being polite but also very clearly issuing a warning? Like ¡¯step aside, I got this.¡¯ Yeah, it was that vibe."


    I buried my face in my hands. "I¡¯m so sorry-"


    "No, no, don¡¯t even!" Sheughed. "I was about to put up a mock fight when guess what?"


    "What?"


    "Jasper messaged me!" she squealed. "He wants to go on a date tonight. So, I¡¯ll be busy with Dinner. Walk. Cuddles."


    The shift in her voice from yful outrage to pure glee made meugh. "So you are saying you have already moved on from being mad at Oscar?"


    "Girl, I don¡¯t even remember what I was mad about anymore," she giggled. "Go, enjoy your evening with your possessive, overbearing, annoyingly hot mate. I¡¯m going to focus on mine."


    I shook my head, still smiling. I had a feeling that Oscar might have something to do with Jasper¡¯s n. I wasn¡¯t saying that Jasper wouldn¡¯t be making ns to spend the evening with his mate, it¡¯s just the timing of his message was too much to be just a mere coincidence.


    After ending the call, I sent a quick message to Mr. Wood letting him know he didn¡¯t need toe pick me up this evening. Then I dove back into work, determined to finish everything before six.


    Time flew faster than I expected.


    As the clock ticked closer to six, I wrapped up my work and headed to the washroom on the third floor. One of the biggest things I had learned from myst unexpected date night with Draven was to always carry essentials in my bag. Just in case.


    I washed my face and pat it dry before applying a softyer of moisturizer. Then I added a touch of blush, a thin coat of mascara, and a subtleyer of brown lip glosster. And I was finally feeling fresh again.


    My hair had been in a bun all day, but I opened it now,bed through the soft waves with my fingers, and pulled it into a loose side braid. A few strands were fanning across my face, softening the look. I reached into my bag and pulled out the only essories I had on me - Draven¡¯s charm bracelet and a simple pair of gold earrings that used to belong to my mother - and slipped both on.


    I fixed my clothes and took onest look at myself in the mirror before heading out of the washroom.


    My heart was beating a little too fast by the time I stepped out of the building and spotted Oscar¡¯s car waiting at the very back of the parking lot, near the back exit.


    I exhaled slowly, walking up to the car. I was just reaching for the handle of the passenger door when, to my surprise, the back door opened.


    And then... a hand shot out from inside the car and grabbed mine.


    I gasped, startled, but before I could react, I was pulled gently - yet firmly - into the back seat.

 Chapter 182: Going To a Human City

    <h4>Chapter 182: Going To a Human City</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I would have screamed.


    Truly, I would have let out the loudest, most startled scream of my life if not for the sheer shock that struck me dumb as I was pulled into the backseat of the car.


    The door had barely closed when I found myself wrapped in a familiar, solid warmth that sent an electric jolt through me.


    "Draven?" I whispered.


    His arms tightened around me, and when I looked up, I found him beaming like a fool. Mischievous and proud and just a little bit smug. That familiar twinkle was back in his beautiful eyes.


    "What is happening?" I began to ask, still half caught between surprise and amusement, but I barely got the words out before Oscar¡¯s voice rang from the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Do you two think I¡¯m your chauffeur or something?"


    My jaw dropped open as I leaned sideways to peek past the seat. "Wait - you both nned this?"


    <fn093f> This update is avable on FindN()vel</fn093f>


    Draven chuckled lowly and, with no shame at all, pulled me closer to him like I was his favorite pillow.


    "Drive," he addedzily to Oscar, waving a hand like a king on a throne. "Before someone sees us."


    Oscar huffed, but I saw the smile tugging at his lips in the rearview mirror as he restarted the car and pulled out of the lot. We drove in silence for a few minutes, but my brain was a chaotic swirl of questions and confusion.


    Finally, I found my voice.


    "Okay. Seriously. What¡¯s going on?"


    Draven leaned back slightly, angling his face down so he could study mine. "What, you are really not happy to see me?" His tone was yfully hurt. "Were you nning to spend the whole evening alone with my brother, hmm?"


    His bottom lip jutted out just a tiny bit in mock sulk.


    I blinked. "What? No! I mean - of course I¡¯m happy to see you. I was just surprised, that¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t expect both of you. I thought it would just be me and Mallory, then just Oscar, and now... both of you."


    A wide smile tugged at his lips. "Good. Because now it¡¯s all three of us."


    Just then, Oscar slowed the car and steered it to the side of the empty road. I furrowed my brows. "Is something wrong?"


    He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt, twisted in his seat, and leaned over the middle console. Before I could say another word, he reached out, curled a hand around the back of my neck, and pulled me forward.


    And then... he kissed me.


    His lips were soft but demanding, full of teasing warmth and just enough heat to make me forget every coherent thought I had in thest five minutes.


    When he pulled away, I blinked at him, stunned.


    He just smirked before leaning back into his seat and clicking his seatbelt back in ce. "I needed some motivation for the two-hour drive," he said casually, like he hadn¡¯t just stolen my breath and melted my spine.


    And beside me, Draven was looking utterly betrayed.


    His hand was still holding mine, but his expression was now narrowed, and when their eyes met in the rearview mirror, Oscar just gave him azy shrug.


    "Next time, move faster," Oscar said.


    It was the mention of the drive that finally pulled me back into full awareness. "Wait, two hours?!" I stared at them, wide-eyed. "Where are we going?"


    Draven chuckled as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Oscar had this brilliant idea to take you shopping in a human city. Somewhere far enough from shifter territory that we don¡¯t have to worry about anyone recognizing us."


    "Are you serious?" I asked, blinking between the two of them.


    Oscar nodded. "We wanted it to be... rxed. No hiding. No stress. Just us and you. So we figured a city where we don¡¯t have to look over our shoulders was a better bet."


    I opened my mouth to argue about how long the drive was or how unnecessary this all seemed, but the gentle press of Draven¡¯s thumb against my knuckles and Oscar¡¯s brief nce in the mirror calmed me down.


    "We have enough time," Draven assured me. "We¡¯ll shop, have dinner, and be back before midnight. Promise."


    There was something in the way he said it - steady, certain, and kind - that made me nod. "Okay," I said softly. "Okay. Let¡¯s go."


    The car fell into a quiet rhythm after that, and I allowed myself to finally rx.


    Draven once again wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against him, letting me lean against his chest as we drove on. The steady thump of his heart wasforting, grounding me more than words ever could.


    Surprisingly, the long drive turned out to be exactly what we needed. Somewhere between the winding roads and flickering sunset, the three of us started to talk.


    "Favorite season?" Oscar asked randomly.


    "Spring," I answered instantly.


    "Figures," he muttered. "You have spring energy."


    Dravenughed. "She does. All softness and warmth."


    I tilted my head. "And yours?"


    "Winter," Draven said. "Everything¡¯s quiet. Peaceful. It feels like the world pauses."


    Oscar nodded. "Autumn for me. Something about the fading heat and the early chill makes me feel... alive."


    We moved on to favorite foods, worst fears, childhood nicknames, guilty pleasures, most embarrassing moments.


    Oscar confessed that he once broke the roof of the training hall while showing off in front of River when he was seventeen.


    Draven admitted he used to secretly sketch in a hidden notebook, but stopped when someone found it and made fun of him.


    I shared how I once climbed a tree just to avoid talking to my stepsiblings, and ended up stuck there for nearly three hours until my father found me. I didn¡¯t share what happened after that. They didn¡¯t need to know that. No one did.


    There wasughter, quiet pauses, teasing jabs, and soft confessions.


    I nced out the window just as the first signboard for the city glowed under the streemps. The skyline was twinkling in the distance, weing us with lights and possibilities.


    I smiled, leaning closer into Draven¡¯s chest, feeling Oscar¡¯s calm presence up front, and whispered a silent promise to myself.


    No matter how twisted fate got, I would hold on to moments like this. Because this rare, perfect feeling was mine.

 Chapter 183: Shopping With Alphas

    <h4>Chapter 183: Shopping With Alphas</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The streets were decked with twinkling lights. Store windows were dressed in gands and festive charm. Holiday spirit was in the air, and I felt like a wide-eyed tourist - excited, overwhelmed, and oddly content.


    Our first stop was a boutique nestled between a bakery and a home decor store. Its window was showcasing mannequins draped in cozy winter outfits: oversized sweaters, long woolen coats, ankle boots, and scarves in every texture imaginable. It was looking exactly like the kind of ce I had been hoping to find.


    The moment we stepped inside, I had no time to speak.


    Both Oscar and Draven switched into their "mate mode."


    "Winter clothes. All styles. Neutral colors and pastels. Show us what you have got," Oscar instructed the boutique attendant in a polite yet firm tone.


    "And nothing too tight," Draven added quickly, ncing at me from the side. "She¡¯s going to needfortable fits. Nothing restrictive. Think breathable, soft, and warm."


    The boutique attendant blinked but nodded. She was looking a little star-struck, probably wondering how two ridiculously attractive men were fussing over me like I was royalty.


    And I... well, I let them. Because for once, it felt nice.


    They kept ncing at me as they spoke with the staff, asking for my input on colors, fabrics, even sleeve lengths. It was adorable, really - how they made sure to include me without overwhelming me. I barely had to lift a finger, and somehow, they still made it feel like I was part of every choice.


    Racks of clothes were rolled toward us. zers, knit sweaters, oversized sweatshirts, flowing dresses, long coats, leggings, and loose-fitting trousers - all in winter-appropriate fabrics.


    And what surprised me the most?


    Every single item they picked was thoughtful.


    They weren¡¯t just pretty or trendy. Not just ¡¯this would look hot on her¡¯ type of picks. They were warm. Comfortable. Practical. The kind of clothes I could wear to the Council HQ or in my daily life without fidgeting. Longline sweaters with soft cors that didn¡¯t choke me. Dresses that were both elegant and forgiving. Trousers with stic bands I hadn¡¯t even considered I would need in a few months.


    I found myself smiling.


    They didn¡¯t just see me as their mate. But they saw me as someone who needed care. Someone who would change and grow, and who deserved clothes that changed and grew with her.


    I tried on the clothes in a surprisingly spacious changing room while the boutique assistants fluttered about like helpful fairies. I woulde out each time to find the two of them sitting like kings - Draven cross-legged and Oscar leaning back, both looking up with full attention like nothing else mattered.


    Draven always offered an opinion first, often with some teasing. "That coat makes you look like a mysterious CEO. I approve."


    Oscar was gentler, a hand to his chin, thoughtful. "You look beautiful... but maybe try the blue one next?"


    They kept the trying-on process easy and light. If I even looked mildly tired, they would tell me to sit and offer me water.


    Once the clothes were decided, they whisked us over to the shoe section. I chose a pair of warm ankle boots, lined ts, sneakers, and a pair of really soft and fluffy house slippers.


    Then came scarves, gloves, fuzzy socks, and even a few beanies. Draven picked a deep plum one, held it up, then just plopped it on my head with a proud smile.


    "There," he said. "Perfect."


    I let out a sigh and shook my head, which only earned me a soft chuckle and a wink.


    By the time we were done, the boutique looked like it had been raided by a winter queen and her two bodyguards. The counters were filled with bags, all bundled and tagged.


    I took out my phone, already calcting the total in my head. It wasn¡¯t astronomical, thankfully. This wasn¡¯t one of those high-end luxury stores that charged a fortune for a scarf. The quality was amazing, but it was still within a budget I could afford.


    Or... it would have been.


    Because before I could even get to the payment screen, Oscar handed his card to the attendant.


    "Wait-Oscar, no," I said, reaching for his wrist. "I got this. Really."


    He just looked at me, calm and unbothered. "No, you don¡¯t."


    "Seriously, this is too much-"


    "I have waited years to find my mate," he said, his voice soft but unyielding. "Years, Eva. Years of saving money with no one to spend it on. Now I do. You are not taking that away from me."


    <fnb07a> Fresh chapters posted on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnb07a>


    "But these aren¡¯t even expensive-"


    "Exactly. If I ever buy you a luxury gown worth more than my car, then you can argue." He paused, then added with a grin, "Also, if you buy me clothes one day, I¡¯ll wear them and not say a word."


    I blinked.


    He meant it. Every word. And that my protest died in my throat. Instead, I smiled. "Okay. Fine. But I¡¯m paying for dinner. Non-negotiable."


    "Deal."


    As we moved to leave, our arms filled with shopping bags, I realized Draven had disappeared.


    Just as I was about to turn back to look for him, the door opened, and he walked out from the far corner of the store with a ck boutique bag in hand.


    He didn¡¯t say what was inside. Just gave a small, lopsided smile and nodded toward the car.


    "Let¡¯s go," he said.


    We loaded the bags into the trunk. There were so many of them that Oscar had to rearrange them twice, and then we all climbed in. Oscar adjusted the mirrors and started the engine as the streetlights flickered on above us.


    It was then that Draven handed me the ck bag. "I got you something," he said in a low voice as if he was worried I might reject it.


    I looked at him, my eyes wide. "You didn¡¯t have to-"


    "I <i>wanted</i> to."


    And that was that.


    He didn¡¯t borate. Didn¡¯t even look at me as he said it. Just sat back with his arms crossed, pretending to stare out the window while a faint flush colored his cheekbones.


    My fingers curled around the bag¡¯s handles. My heart was fluttering with curiosity as I looked inside the bag.

 Chapter 184: The Starry Sky

    <h4>Chapter 184: The Starry Sky</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I carefully opened the bag and found a sleek ck box inside. It was looking elegant - unassuming at first nce, but the weight and finish told me it was something special. I popped the lid open, and my breath hitched.


    Inside the box was a transparent package that held nearly two dozen pairs of earrings.


    Golden.


    Each pair was unique and breathtaking in its own way.


    There were delicate hoops - small, medium, andrge, each with a slightly different twist in design. A few round gold studs, a couple of heart-shaped ones, and even a pair shaped like tiny butterflies. There were pearls too - soft cream-colored ones in two different sizes. And one pair, a long, elegant drop earring with tiny red gemstones at the end, caught the light as I tilted the box.


    They were all so beautiful.


    "I... Draven..." I breathed, lifting the package to get a closer look at the beautiful pieces.


    He was already watching me with a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "Do you like them?" he asked, his voice low and tender.


    I nodded slowly as my heart swelled with warmth. "I love them."


    His fingers brushed back my hair, and then his palm cupped the side of my face before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my temple. My skin tingled instantly, warmth blooming under every inch he touched. His scent enveloped me and I leaned into him instinctively.


    "You look beautiful when you wear earrings," he whispered, grazing his thumb over the little golden studs I was already wearing.


    My body hummed.


    That was the thing about being mates. Every kiss, every touch - no matter how innocent - ignited something deep inside me. The bond didn¡¯t just link our souls. It connected our desires, our hearts, our emotions. Even the smallest caress felt like fire and silk.


    I caught movement in the rearview mirror and nced up to find Oscar smiling. And he wasn¡¯t just smiling... he was smiling <i>at us</i>.


    There was no jealousy or awkwardness in his eyes, but something warm... eptance.


    And I realized... this was really happening. They were truly okay with sharing me. That fear I had been carrying in the corners of my heart, the one that kept whispering it might eventually fall apart any moment, finally started to dissolve.


    A few minutester, we pulled up in front of a charming diner strung with fairy lights and dressed up in full Christmas cheer. A Santa us staue was standing at the entrance, and the ss windows were glowing with red and green ornaments and golden bells.


    Inside, the atmosphere was cozy. The smell of warm food, cinnamon, and coffee hit me immediately. We were shown to a quiet table in the corner, right by the tall ss wall that gave us a full view of the twinkling street outside. Candles were flickering gently on every table, and soft music was ying in the background.


    "Ladies first," Draven said once we were seated, handing me the menu.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to order blindly.


    "What do you guys like?" I asked, looking between the two of them. "I want to make sure everyone¡¯s happy."


    Oscar gave me a warm smile as he answered first. "Anything spicy. And meat. Lots of meat."


    Draven chimed in. "Same. Except maybe tone down the spice. My tongue still hasn¡¯t forgiven you for that chili ramen you made me try two weeks ago." Thest bit was directed at Oscar who just smirked.


    I smiled, flipping through the menu. We ordered three hearty dishes - one spicy beef stew, creamy chicken pasta, and a vegetariansagna just for bnce. Plus garlic bread, hot chocte, and a strawberry cheesecake to finish off.


    Dinner was... perfect.


    We talked andughed like old friends, though I couldn¡¯t help but notice how both of them never let me go too long without brushing my hand, or sneaking a smile.


    It felt normal. It felt like everything was finally clicking into ce.


    By the time we finished dinner, it was only half past nine.


    I reached for my phone before either of them could move. "My treat," I announced proudly.


    Draven was mid-reach but pulled back with a mock sigh. Oscar grumbled under his breath but let it go. He had made a deal. And he knew better than to argue when I was this determined.


    We headed back to the car, stuffed and happy.


    But I noticed something strange as soon as we started driving. Oscar wasn¡¯t heading toward the Academy.


    The lights of the city slowly faded behind us, reced by quiet roads nked with trees. The music in the car turned softer, more atmospheric, and after about fifteen minutes, we turned onto a narrow road that led to a cliff.


    The moment I stepped out of the car, the world fell away.


    The cliff opened into a breathtaking view of the ocean. Waves were crashing softly below. The city was sparkling in the distance like a sea of stars. Above us, the sky was clear, painted with a half moon and stars that were stretched for miles.


    I stood there, stunned.


    Cold wind blew around us, making me wrap my arms around myself. I turned to look at them and said, "This ce is incredible. But seriously... are you two trying to freeze me to death?"


    Oscar just chuckled, stepped behind me, and wrapped his arms around me from the back. He engulfed me in his long ck coat, sealing me against his warmth.


    "You¡¯ll never be cold with me around," he murmured against my ear, his breath making me shiver in all the best ways.


    And damn it, he was right. Being in his arms made me forget the coldpletely.


    Draven opened the trunk and pulled out a nket,ying it t on the ground. He gestured with a grin.


    "Come on, your highness. You can¡¯t see the stars properly while standing."


    We all settled down - me in the middle, the men on either side. The nket was thick, shielding us from the damp chill, and both of them tucked me close like I was their shared heartbeat.


    The waves below sounded like whispers. The wind carried salt and magic. It felt like time had stopped.


    Draven leaned closer, lips near my ear. "Okay... riddle time. What do you call a werewolf who gets cold every full moon?"


    I blinked. "What?"


    <fn61d6> Latest content published on find?novel</fn61d6>


    He grinned. "A chili dog."


    "That¡¯s terrible," Iughed.


    But they both joined in, the sound of ourughter rising into the starry sky.


    Then... silence. It was a warm, soft silence that wrapped around us like another nket.


    I turned to look at Draven, intending to tease him about the joke, but the words caught in my throat.


    He was staring at me. Not with a smirk. Not with teasing. But with something far deeper. Something intimate.


    "What?" I whispered.


    He didn¡¯t answer. At least not by words. He just leaned in and kissed me.


    Slowly.


    Deeply.


    My heart thundered as I kissed him back, melting into him, until I forgot where I was, forgot who I was, forgot everything but the feeling of his lips on mine.

 Chapter 185: Moonlight and Heartbeats

    <h4>Chapter 185: Moonlight and Heartbeats</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t realize just how close I was to both of them until that kiss ended and the weight of the moment settled in around us like the cold night air.


    Draven¡¯s lips left mine slowly, like he was reluctant to part, and before I could gather my breath, I felt Oscar¡¯s strong arm around my waist tighten ever so slightly, pulling me backward until my back met the heat of his chest.


    His warmth surrounded me, but it was the way his breath touched the nape of my neck that made my skin erupt in goosebumps.


    I drew in a sharp breath, suddenly hyperaware of everything - of how close we all were, how Draven¡¯s eyes were still on me, now darker with something intense.


    I felt Oscar¡¯s hand slipping under my sweater, his palm brushing over my blouse-covered stomach with a tenderness that sent sparks dancing along my skin.


    The mate bonds were reacting to their touches. I could feel their emotions humming beneath the surface like two separate chords, both building in pressure and frequency.


    Draven¡¯s deaire for me wasn¡¯t just physical - it was emotional, thick with love, longing, and need. And Oscar¡¯s touch was... grounding and possessive in the most delicious way.


    When Oscar turned my head gently to the side, his lips met mine with a slow, lingering kiss. There was nothing rushed about it, just unspoken emotion poured into the soft brush of his mouth.


    I melted into the kiss, already breathless from Draven, but nowpletely lost in Oscar. Then, Draven leaned in, brushing his lips against my throat, just below my jawline, and kissed me there like I was the center of his entire world.


    A shaky moan escaped me, swallowed by Oscar¡¯s kiss.


    I was feeling surrounded - imed, cherished, adored. My fingers clutched the nket below us for support as I closed my eyes, letting myself feel. Their touches didn¡¯t ovep, theyplemented.


    They were reading each other¡¯s cues like this wasn¡¯t their first time caring for the same person, like they were used to this dance. But I knew better. This wasn¡¯t practiced coordination. This was instinct. Mate bond instinct.


    Oscar¡¯s hand gently stroked my belly again, lingering there, and I swore I felt a ripple of emotion flow through our bond - something between eptance and wonder. It wasn¡¯t the full embrace of my pregnancy, but it was something. A beginning.


    "I can feel your heart racing," Draven whispered against my throat, his hand slipping into mine before he threaded his fingers with mine. "You like this."


    I smiled softly, still breathless and dazed. "Obviously."


    "Good," Oscar murmured from behind. "Because we are not rushing anything. But you should know... we both n to spoil you more than you are ready for."


    I smiled as I turned my head, catching Oscar¡¯s cheek in a kiss, then looked back at Draven who leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine.


    The three of us stayed like that for a while. No one said anything more. The ocean whispered below us. The stars blinked overhead. And time... well, it paused for us.


    Eventually, the cold seeped through even the thickestyers, and I let out a soft whimper that made both my matesugh.


    "Alright, alright," Oscar said as he stood first. "Let¡¯s get our girl home before she turns into a popsicle."


    "Speak for yourself," Draven added with a grin, helping me to my feet and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "She¡¯s too warm to be frozen."


    I shook my head but didn¡¯t protest when both of them nked me on either side, walking me to the car like two overprotective guards with an arm around me each.


    The drive back was quieter than before,fortably so. This time, Draven got the duty to drive while I sat in the back with Oscar, snuggled into his side.


    The windows were starting to fog slightly from the contrast of cold outside and the heat inside, and I found myself ying with Oscar¡¯s fingers while Draven hummed along softly to the music on the radio.


    It felt... surreal. Not because I didn¡¯t believe in moments like these. But because I never imagined I would get one. Not after everything. Not after my past. Not after Ethan. Not after I had resigned myself to being alone... even with a child on the way.


    But here I was, enjoying this warmth with two men who had slowly and painfully grown to care for me, ept me, and even protect me from my own doubts. I didn¡¯t know what the future was holding for us, but tonight, I didn¡¯t need to.


    When the Academy gates finally appeared in the distance, I sat up straighter. While it took two hours to reach the city, the drive back was only an hour and half long because the Academy was located closer than the Council headquarters.


    I took my time to look around to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone to notice me climbing out of the car.


    "Stop worrying, we aren¡¯t taking the front gate." Draven informed when he noticed me ncing around with worry-filked eyes.


    "Back gate?" I asked, ncing between my two mates.


    "That¡¯s right."


    Momentster, the car stopped outside the back gate of the Academy and I noticed someone waiting there - Rowan.


    Of course! I was realizing that Oscar and Rowan were slowly bing partners in crime when it came to me.


    When the car stopped outside the gates, both of them got out to help me carry the bags. Oscar passed me a smaller one while the rest were handed to Rowan.


    "Thank you," I said, meaning it deeply. "For everything tonight."


    Oscar smiled and reached forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "We¡¯ll always be here, Eva. Remember that."


    Draven kissed my hand softly. "Good night, sweetheart."


    "Good night."


    I then quickly made my way to Rowan and slipped inside through the smaller side gate. "Who¡¯s going to lock it?" I asked when Rowan didn¡¯t bother to lock the gate.


    <fn25d1> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? Find_Novel(.</fn25d1>


    He shrugged his shoulders, not looking bothered at all. "Maybe the same person who opened it."


    And it turned out we both had no idea who this person was.

 Chapter 186: Her Trust Issues

    <h4>Chapter 186: Her Trust Issues</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    There was a certain kind of joy that bloomed in your chest when your life, even if just for a fleeting moment, felt perfectly stitched together.


    That¡¯s what I felt as I walked through the entrance of the Council Headquarters that morning.


    Sunday morning was always quieter than most days, but I was feeling anything but quiet. My heart had a rhythm of its own - light and buoyant, echoing every step I took.


    I was bundled in my newest winter coat - a long white one that made me look extremely elegant. It was making me feel like I actually belonged here among all the powerful shifters who showed up at the headquarters.


    My ck woolen turtleneck was hugging me with gentle warmth. It was paired neatly with loose-fit ck trousers and boots. My outfit was practical yet confident. Sophisticated yet simple.


    I had taken care of myself this morning more than usual. Not because I wanted to impress anyone, but because... I was feeling good. This was the happiest I had felt in years.


    As usual, I didn¡¯t put on any makeup, save for a sweep of mascara and a tint of lip oil. My lips had begun to chap from the increasing cold, so protection was necessary. I also pampered my skin with moisturizer and sunscreen, and my usual high bun was reced with a low ponytail that rested neatly between my shoulder des. Simple. Comfortable. And somehow... elegant.


    I was even wearing the medium-sized golden hoop earrings Draven bought me, as well as his charm bracelet which was nestled on my wrist like a secret touch from him I could carry into my day.


    The charms were jingling gently with each step. And apparently, my happiness was on full disy.


    Rowan was the first to notice. He was the only one awake when I got ready. I was slipping on my boots when he walked into themon room, rubbing sleep from his eyes.


    "You look... glowing," he mumbled, still half-asleep. "Good night?"


    I didn¡¯t need to answer. The smile I shot him had been enough.


    "Tell them to keep spoiling you. It¡¯s working."


    Iughed, whispering a soft, "Get some more sleep," before slipping out the door.


    Mr. Wood was the next. As I made my way to the car, he gave me his usual reserved nod, but this time, there was a gentle smile on his lips.


    "Good morning, Miss Evaline. Lovely day, isn¡¯t it?"


    "It really is," I replied with a grin.


    And now as I walked in the headquarters building, the front deskdy - Theresa Albright - peeked up from her monitor and let out a soft, startled chuckle.


    "Well, if it isn¡¯t sunshine itself walking through these doors," she teased. "What did you eat this morning, Miss Evaline? Happiness cereal?"


    "Just sandwiches and yogurt with fruits," I replied with a smile


    She winked. "You should stick to that breakfast more often. It suits you."


    By the time I reached the lift, I was unable to keep the grin off my face.


    I hummed as I rode it up, brushing my fingers over the metal buttons as if the elevator itself shared my mood. The hallway to River¡¯s office was still dimly lit as most of the other staff hadn¡¯t yet clocked in.


    <fn3430> Find the newest release on f?ndnovel</fn3430>


    I slipped my ess card through the scanner and stepped in, my voice rising in a gentle hum - something melodic I didn¡¯t realize I was doing until I twirled once, just to feel the weight of my coat swirl around my legs.


    And that¡¯s when I saw him.


    River.


    He was perched on the far couch like some cold, ruthless fashion ad, with a file in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.


    My song died mid-note, and I froze mid-twirl. If I had been holding something, I would have dropped it.


    He was looking... perfectly poised. Dressed in a navy blue luxury suit, his long ck coat was tossed casually over the couch arm. He was looking just asposed as he always had... except for one particr drunken night that I was forbidden from ever mentioning.


    He raised an eyebrow. There was no smile. Just that unreadable expression and a slow rise from the couch as he ced his coffee on the table and began walking toward me.


    "Good morning," I finally muttered, trying to sound natural, though my voice betrayed me with a crack at the end.


    "What are you doing here?" I blurted next, and regretted it instantly.


    He tilted his head, and I noticed a flicker of amusement in his eyes... or was it offense? "I¡¯m a Council member... and your boss. Remember?"


    I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.


    "I meant... I thought you wouldn¡¯t be in today," I tried to recover. "You weren¡¯t here yesterday."


    "I hadpany meetings to attend yesterday," he replied coolly.


    I nodded slowly, trying not to look like I wanted to sprint back to the elevator. My confidence from earlier had evaporated like steam on frosted ss.


    "You are... in a good mood," hemented, folding his arms across his chest.


    "I am," I admitted, lifting my chin slightly.


    "What happened?"


    His tone was neutral, but his eyes glinted with curiosity. Since I couldn¡¯t answer that question withouting up with a lie, I was considering dodging the question, but before I could evene up with a witty deflection, he shrugged.


    "Never mind. Whatever the reason, it¡¯s working. You look... stable."


    "Stable?" I echoed with confusion.


    He walked back to the couch and picked up the folder he had been reading. "Your revised documentation fromst week. I read through all of them this morning. You caught almost every mistake, corrected them clearly, and even optimized the format."


    I blinked. "Oh. That."


    "You have done good work over the past few months, but this-" he tapped the folder "-this is the best so far."


    I straightened under thepliment. "Thank you."


    Then he surprised me with his next words.


    "I¡¯m starting a new project this week," he said, looking right at me. "I want you to assist me."


    I blinked again. "Me?"


    "Don¡¯t sound so horrified," he quipped. "You are capable. I wouldn¡¯t ask if you weren¡¯t."


    It wasn¡¯t horror, exactly... it was dread. I liked my current workflow. It was... manageable. Safe. Predictable.


    A project? With him? That sounded like twelve-hour days and unbreathable pressure.


    "I... appreciate the offer," I began carefully, "but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to take on any sort of project considering I only work during weekends and I still have my studies. I think Senior Analyst will be a great choice-"


    "I want someone who¡¯ll question the system, not follow it blindly," he cut in smoothly. "You do that. You observe. You push back when needed. Andtely... you are improving. Rapidly."


    I didn¡¯t know whether to be ttered or terrified.


    "I-"


    "I will double your bonus," he added before I could say anything, "And you will only need to work your usual hours during weekends. No overtime."


    I just stared at him. The more pleasant he was trying to make this project sound, the more skeptical I was feeling. There¡¯s no hiding my trust issues when it came to this man.


    "How about triple of your bonus?"

 Chapter 187: The New Project

    <h4>Chapter 187: The New Project</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <i>"How about triple of your bonus?" </i>


    The words froze my tongue right at the tip of my refusal.


    I had opened my mouth to firmly, politely, and definitively reject River¡¯s offer to join his mysterious new project, but instead of a sharp ¡¯no,¡¯ my lips parted... and nothing came out.


    I blinked, trying to reboot my brain. "I-what?"


    He didn¡¯t repeat himself. He didn¡¯t have to. His unreadable gaze - half calcting, half indifferent - met mine like he already knew the chaos his words had triggered in my head.


    Triple. Bonus.


    That wasn¡¯t a small increase. That was aplete flip of the table. My sensible self had been ready to walk away, shielding itself from the storm that was River Thorne, but now it was quietly pulling up a chair and weighing the possibilities.


    I needed the money.


    Badly.


    Despite my mates being more than capable of supporting me if I ever needed it, I didn¡¯t want to rely on them for things I could still do on my own. I still had no idea how much the pregnancy would cost me in theing months, let alone the personal shopping, medication, and uing holiday gifts I had been budgeting for.


    I closed my eyes for a second, trying to will my resolve back into ce.


    But when I opened my mouth again, the words that came out were utterly traitorous to what I had nned to say.


    "...Okay."


    I startled myself. And River looked like he had expected this oue from the start.


    "But," I said quickly, raising a hand to stop whatever smug thing he was about to say next. "If I do this, I have conditions."


    His brow rose just slightly in interest, but he said nothing.


    "One," I started, "I won¡¯t do overtime just like you mentioned. Not once. I don¡¯t care how urgent the project is. I have school, and I¡¯m not going to kill myself juggling work and studies."


    "Fair," he said without blinking.


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    I blinked instead. I hadn¡¯t expected him to agree so quickly, believing that he was just trying to make me agree to join the project by putting the ¡¯no overtime¡¯ tag.


    "Two," I continued, "If this project, at any point, starts affecting my academic performance, I¡¯m out. No questions, no guilt trips, and absolutely no drama."


    "Understood," he replied again with the same ease.


    I frowned. "And don¡¯t just say that to trick me into starting-"


    "I¡¯m not," he interrupted. "I have already wired the first half of your bonus. Check your phone."


    "What?" I stared at him, confused, before digging my phone out of my coat pocket. My eyes widened as the banking app pinged with a message. My jaw dropped slightly at the figure.


    "Half now. Half with your next paycheck," he said, already heading to his desk to grab a thick folder. "Consider it a show of trust."


    "Trust," I muttered under my breath, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. "That¡¯s riching from you."


    "You¡¯ll need that trust to get through what¡¯s awaiting us," he said, walking back to me and handing me the folder. It was thick. Heavy. Too heavy.


    I opened it slightly, flipping through the papers. Pack documents, maps, political charts, trade deals... what the hell?


    "What is this?"


    "Our project," he said calmly. "You are to study every line, every detail. Learn it. Memorize it. You¡¯ll need to be fluent with this information before we depart."


    "Depart?" I echoed slowly, lifting my eyes.


    "Yes. We¡¯ll be visiting the Nightshade Pack next weekend. That¡¯s when the project kicks off officially."


    I gaped. "Wait-Nightshade? That Nightshade? As in... the biggest pack by size, known for its strict istion and internal disputes?"


    He simply nodded, not giving me anything else before grabbing his coat. "I have another meeting. Review the file. We¡¯ll discuss more on Saturday morning."


    And then, just like that, he walked out.


    Left alone, I took my seat at my desk and opened the thick folder, flipping through the pages and scanning the dense information with growing confusion.


    The Nightshade Pack was massive. One of the oldest. It was located deep in the snowy pine wilderness, their territory bordered both Council-run domains and roguends. It turned out theirst Alpha had died just a few days ago, and a new one was yet to be chosen.


    Apparently, the ceremony to choose the new Alpha would be held at the end of the month. The council had been invited. Which meant River, being the Rogue Alpha King and the most powerful seat-holder in the council, would be attending. That much made sense.


    But what didn¡¯t?


    Why me?


    Why did I need to study a pack¡¯s hierarchy, territory, political bnce, trade partners, and security protocols?


    This wasn¡¯t just an assistant¡¯s job. This was intelligence work.


    There were full profiles of the potential Alpha candidates - sons and daughters of former betas, even some from neighboring allied packs. Each had their own strengths and agendas. There were also notes on recent attacks near their borders, suspicion of smuggling through the eastern ridgeline, and disputes over rogue refugees being allowed into the Nightshade territory.


    I frowned as I read.


    This wasn¡¯t just about the Alpha choosing ceremony.


    Something deeper was brewing under the surface and River was at the center of it.


    I sat back, exhaling sharply as the reality of it all began to settle in.


    River hadn¡¯t brought me on board because I was capable. He brought me on because I was disposable. A convenient option. Someone no one would suspect. Someone smart enough to do the groundwork, but low enough on the totem pole to be ignored if things went wrong.


    The bonus wasn¡¯t generosity. It was a bribe.


    I leaned back against the back of my chair and stared at the folder like it had grown teeth.


    But even as that bitter realization burned through me... I couldn¡¯t make myself regret agreeing.


    I had demanded fair terms. I had gotten them. And like it or not, I needed this money. If River thought I was just some na?ve intern he could toss into the fire, he was in for a surprise.


    Because if I was going to be part of this mission... I was going to learn everything.


    Every name. Every secret. Every pressure point.


    And when the time came, I would know how to protect myself, and the people I cared about.

 Chapter 188: The Whispers in the Corridor

    <h4>Chapter 188: The Whispers in the Corridor</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The week passed in a blur of lectures, notebooks, and hastily consumed cups of milk.


    Between the two tests I had on Tuesday and Thursday, my days were a well-organized chaos of study sessions, rushed breakfasts, and cramming notes until my fingers started protesting.


    When I wasn¡¯t in ss or scribbling away in the study halls, I was at my usual hidden corner on the second floor of library where Draven would sneak by with his usual knowing smirk and some freshly sliced fruit, or a warm drink.


    We didn¡¯t always talk.


    Sometimes he just sat across from me, flipping pages of some ancient historical tome as his leg brushed mine under the table. Sometimes, he would lean over and whisper some random fact in my ear that had nothing to do with what I was studying, just to make me smile.


    And smile, I did. Stupidly. Helplessly.


    My rtionship with him was growing by the day - like the soft, quiet snowkes that built a mountain without anyone noticing.


    As for Oscar... well, he was never too far away either.


    I caught him watching me all the time. From across the dining hall, from the opposite side of the training yard whenever I was walking through the corridor next to it, even in the hallways. Our eyes would lock for a split second before we would look away. Heat would rise to my cheeks, while my heart thudded ike I had been caught doing something forbidden.


    Because in a way... I had been.


    I was someone¡¯s mate... two someones¡¯ mate... and yet neither of those rtionships could be public. At least, not yet.


    Still, not all my thoughts were consumed by romance and secrecy. A strange awareness had been threading itself through my mindtely. It had a name, or maybe it didn¡¯t, but the feeling was centered around Kieran.


    He had always been kind. Always a little soft-spoken with me. Even when I pushed him away, even when I put a boundary between us, he respected it.


    Buttely... I could feel his eyes on me.


    Not constantly, and never in a way that made me feel ufortable or unsafe, but just present. As if he was always aware of me. Watching. Waiting.


    The few times I did cross paths with him outside of Herbs and Potions sses, there was a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. Something close to sorrow... or maybe longing.


    And guilt.


    Which made me feel guilty. And confused. And, frankly, terrified.


    Because I couldn¡¯t afford to wonder about Kieran, not now when I was already trying to manage the tangled threads of two growing bonds and a secret pregnancy.


    I was already walking a tightrope. One unexpected gust, and I might fall.


    - - -


    It was Friday morning when the world shifted again.


    I left Professor Elira¡¯s ss mid-lecture to retrieve a specific archive book from the library. She sent me with a quick note and instructions to return fast. I was hurrying down the western corridor when I heard it.


    A single word.


    <i>"Dead."</i>


    It cut through the air like a de, causing me to freeze mid-step.


    The corridor waspletely empty as everyone was in ss. The only reason I was even out here was because of the errand. No one else should be here.


    Which meant... someone wasn¡¯t where they were supposed to be.


    I shifted silently, hugging the wall and peeking around the next corner. Thats when I saw two seniors standing just outside a disused ssroom, half-hidden by the hallway¡¯s shadows.


    I didn¡¯t know their names, but if I wasn¡¯t wrong, they they both were in second year.


    They were speaking in hushed voices, unaware of my presence.


    I strained my ears to catch what they were saying, my heart hammering in my chest.


    "...I don¡¯t think we should go," the girl whispered. "What happened to Carson-Stars! He¡¯s dead."


    "There are rumors that he¡¯s not DEAD dead," the guy whispered back. "They are calling it something like... damn! I can¡¯t recall the term."


    My stomach dropped.


    <fna86b> Read full story at findnovel</fna86b>


    Carson. Though I didn¡¯t recognize the name, I had a feeling that these two were talking about the senior who was found Soul Deadst term.


    This made me wonder about these two second-years. Were they part of that so-called secret student group Kieran mentioned?


    "I¡¯m telling you," the boy continued, "they are regrouping. He¡¯s back. And he¡¯s calling in the old circle."


    "No one even says his name anymore," she muttered. "I thought he disappeared."


    "Well, he didn¡¯t," the guy said. "And if he¡¯s asking for us to show up tonight... we can¡¯t say no."


    A silence followed.


    "Are you going?" she finally asked.


    "...Yeah. I have to. We have to."


    The girl cursed under her breath, low and sharp. "This is a mistake. A big one."


    "I know. But if we ignore it... we might end up like Carson."


    I clutched the corner of the wall, trying to keep my breathing silent as fear and dread pooled in my chest.


    A secondter, the two seniors stepped back into the hallway and started walking in the opposite direction. I didn¡¯t move until I could no longer hear their footsteps.


    When I finally did, my hands were shaking.


    It turned out what happened to Crason wasn¡¯t really a secret, at least not among the people who might be a part of that secret group. Was it the group¡¯s doing then... what happened to Crason?


    Was it a punishment? A curse? A ritual gone wrong?


    And who was the <i>he</i> they were referring to, the one calling the group back?


    My mind was buzzing with questions but there was no one to answer them. My first thought was to look for Kieran, but I had no idea where he might be and I also needed to return to my ss.


    So, I continued on my way to ss while trying to calm myself down. But no matter how hard I tried, I was barely able to focus on anything throughout the day.


    To make things worse, there was no sign of Kieran and his ss was also canceled. This left me at aplete loss about what was I supposed to do with what I overheard earlier.

 Chapter 189: Playing Shadow Tag

    <h4>Chapter 189: ying Shadow Tag</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It had been over an hour.


    I had checked every corridor, every ssroom, every lounge space in the South Wing which was basically an entire building reserved just for final-year students.


    And yet, there was nothing.


    No flicker of light under doors. No whispered voices or hurried footsteps. Not even warriors on night duty. There were just empty halls and eerie silence, the kind that clung to my skin like cold mist.


    The ssrooms I passed still smelled faintly of chalk and old paper, but the rest of the building felt... abandoned. Dead.


    Each door I pushed open creaked just enough to make my skin crawl. The whole ce reminded me more of a forgotten castle than a prestigious academy.


    And now, I was trudging through the North Wing, this was a space typically buzzing with students from the second and third years. I had checked all three floors. Nothing. No signs. No students.


    Just quiet.


    And more darkness.


    I should have turned back by now. It was nearly midnight.


    What was I even doing? Lurking around campus like a poorly-trained spy?


    I rubbed my arms as I wandered the connecting corridor toward the East Wing. My boots tapped against the cold tile floor, the sound echoing eerily around me. The North Wing was better lit than the South, but not by much. Half the lights were flickering dimly, and most were already off.


    The more I walked, the more I felt like aplete idiot.


    What was I even expecting? That I would just stumble upon some shady cult meeting in a ssroom? That they would all be in ck robes, chanting over candles and offering secrets on a silver tter?


    <i>Stupid</i>, I cursed myself. I should have listened to Kieran. He told me to stay out of it. Told me this group was dangerous. Told me to leave the dead alone.


    And I tried. I really did.


    But sleep refused toe tonight. The whispers I had overheard this morning - the fear in that senior girl¡¯s voice, the way she said the word "dead" - they wouldn¡¯t let go.


    So, here I was. ying shadow tag with the night warriors and following a hunch that probably didn¡¯t even matter.


    With a sigh, I stepped onto the outdoor corridor connecting North Wing to the East Wing, hoping that maybe a bit of fresh air would clear my foggy thoughts.


    And that¡¯s when I saw it.


    A movement, just barely, it was a sh of motion at the far end of the building.


    I immediately pressed myself into the shadows beside the outer wall, my breath catching in my throat.


    Someone was there.


    And they weren¡¯t walking casually. They were running.


    A student slipped into the side of a stone tower that was standing wedged between the North Wing and a small garden. I had always assumed it was a storage unit or just a leftover piece of architecture - one of those useless towers that were more for aesthetics than function.


    But then a second figure appeared. This one looked around quickly, like they were making sure they weren¡¯t being watched, before they also slipped inside.


    My pulse started racing as I realized I had found <i>them</i>.


    I waited and saw another student dart inside the tower merely momentster. Then another. And one more after that.


    They were five in total.


    And just like that, the quiet returned.


    I didn¡¯t move for a full minute, counting the seconds and scanning the area to make sure no one else wasing. No patrols. No lights. No more movement.


    It was now or never.


    I carefully crept out of the shadows and made my way across the open path to the tower. I tugged the door open an inch and slipped inside.


    This ce was worse than the rest of the wingsbined.


    It was dark, cold, and dusty. The air was smelling like stone and mildew. Not a single light flickered, and the only illumination came from a slit of moonlight through the high windows.


    There were no traces of the students.


    Only the fading echo of hurried footsteps - downward.


    Instead of heading up the spiral stairs, they had taken a narrow hallway leading to a basement staircase tucked behind an old wooden door.


    My instincts screamed at me to turn back, but my curiosity was louder. And so was my need to understand.


    <i>Stupid! Absolutely stupid!</i>


    But stupid things were exactly what people like me did. Right?


    I carefully descended the stairs, keeping close to the wall. My senses weren¡¯t as sharp as a normal werewolf¡¯s since I was wolfless after all, but I had learned to move silently, to rely on instinct when eyesight or hearing failed me.


    The staircase twisted tightly, and I could barely see past the first few steps. I gripped the railing, moving slowly, counting the turns.


    One. Two. Three.


    Then the basement opened up.


    A long, narrow corridor was stretched before me, with old iron sconces dotting the walls, long rusted over and unusable. There were doors on either side - some sealed shut with locks, others slightly ajar, revealing old shelves and dusty storage supplies.


    The sound of hushed voices drew me forward.


    At the end of the corridor, I noticed those give students slipping inside the final room. The heavy wooden door thudded shut behind them, muffling whatever conversation had started within.


    <i>I can¡¯t follow them in. That¡¯s too risky.</i>


    I nced around, my eyes adjusting to the gloom.


    Then I spotted it.


    <fn0b03> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fn0b03>


    A window. It was small and square, tucked into the wall beside thest room, almost hidden behind stacked wooden crates and supply boxes.


    I quickly made my way over and crouched behind the boxes. With a bit of maneuvering, I was able to position myself behind them without being seen.


    The crates would keep me hidden from anyoneing down the corridor.


    And the window...


    I leaned in and pressed my ear to the wood. At first, all I heard was my own breathing.


    Then I realized the window wasn¡¯ttched.


    I gently, <i>so gently</i>, slid it open a crack. Warm air rushed out, carrying the muffled sound of whispers, someone pacing, and the tension of a dozen breaths waiting to break.

 Chapter 190: Getting Chased

    <h4>Chapter 190: Getting Chased</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I leaned further into the gap of the window. The slit was barely wide enough to breathe through, but the dark night outside and the flickering firelight within worked in my favor.


    Shadows were dancing inside the room - long limbs and shifting bodies, heads bowed, arms folded.


    There were more students than I expected. More than a dozen or even two. Probably more, considering how packed the room was looking. And the sheer number made my stomach drop. If this group was half as dangerous as I feared... Why were so many part of it?


    From my low angle, I could only glimpse the lower halves of their bodies - boots, shoes, nervous tapping feet, the asional glimmer of silver buckles or crest rings. They were all standing, or at least most of them were. Like they were waiting for something... or someone.


    Then, out of nowhere, a figure stepped right in front of the window.


    <fn567a> Fresh chapters posted on </fn567a>


    I flinched, my heart leaping into my throat.


    For a second, I thought they had seen me. My breath caught, body stiffened, and fingers curled so tightly I almost tore the skin on my palms. But they didn¡¯t look down. They were just... there, blocking my viewpletely.


    So I leaned back.


    I couldn¡¯t see anymore, but I could still hear.


    "...This is a mistake," a girl said, her voice quivering. "We shouldn¡¯t be here. After what happened, after Carson-"


    "Do you think we have a choice?" someone else - another girl, bolder - snapped back. "You think I want to be here?"


    "Carson should have been a wake-up call," a third voice added, sounding solemn and heavy. "We should have disbanded after that."


    That name, Carson, fell like a stone in the room. The murmurs stilled. No one spoke for a beat. The weight of it lingered thick in the air.


    The more I was hearing this name, the more sure I was bing that he was the Soul Dead senior.


    Then, a fourth voice, slower and heavier than the rest, broke the silence.


    "Carson didn¡¯t just end up like that because of bad luck," the person said. "He found something. Something he wasn¡¯t supposed to see and that was his mistake. And we all know... <i>he </i>doesn¡¯t like mistakes."


    They paused. I could hear the shift of fabric, like someone leaning in.


    "And if any of us make the same mistake... we¡¯ll end up just like him."


    A few audible inhales echoed in the room. The fear was real... palpable. Thick enough to seep through the wall and infect me too.


    There was that mention again - <i>him</i>.


    The man they seemed to be afraid of. The one mentioned by the second-years earlier that day.


    I didn¡¯t know if he was the leader, the founder, or just some terrifying enforcer, but every time someone mentioned him, it was apied by pure fear.


    Like speaking his name would summon him.


    Suddenly, someone - one of the boys - broke down.


    "I-I can¡¯t do this anymore," he cried, his voice cracking. "I can¡¯t-I can¡¯t end up like Carson. I never even wanted this! He scares me. He scares me. I want out-I want out!"


    His words were desperate. Raw.


    Then...


    A new voice, one I hadn¡¯t heard yet, cut through the chaos like ice on bare skin. It was a girl, but her tone was unlike any of the others - sharp andmanding, cold as the stone walls around us.


    "If you don¡¯t shut your mouth right now," she said calmly, "I will kill you where you stand."


    Silence.


    Complete, terrifying silence.


    There wasn¡¯t even the sound of a breath.


    Her words echoed like a whip crack, and in that moment, I could feel every soul in that room freeze.


    And so did I.


    I was so stunned, so horrified by her words that a small, involuntary gasp escaped me.


    And then... came instant regret.


    I pped a hand over my mouth, but it was toote. Everyone inside that room was a werewolf, and I knew better than to believe they didn¡¯t hear me.


    Inside the room, there was a pause. And then-


    "Someone¡¯s there."


    The girl¡¯s voice was no longer calm. It was sharp, urgent. "Someone¡¯s listening-catch them!"


    Panic mmed into my chest.


    <i>Run</i>, my mind screamed.


    I didn¡¯t need to be told twice.


    I bolted from behind the crates, my heart hammering as I tore down the corridor. My shoes thudded against the stone floor, echoing louder than they should have, too loud, too fast.


    Door flew open behind me and sound filled the hallway.


    They wereing.


    And I was already too slow.


    I hadn¡¯t even made it halfway to the stairs when they almost caught up with me. I pushed harder, trying to recall the way out. Stairs. Then the side corridor. Then up... don¡¯t miss a step... don¡¯t trip... don¡¯t fall...


    I turned the corner and saw the base of the stairwell - thank the stars.. then a hand grabbed my coat.


    I shrieked, yanking away, spinning toward the shadows as I wrestled free.


    Voices behind me barkedmands, and I heard their footsteps gaining again. I couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯t think. I was running on pure adrenaline now.


    Up the stairs, two at a time. Through the narrow hallway. My lungs were burning, my legs screaming.


    But they were gaining. Fast.


    I reached the towernding and shoved open the door, but the moment I stepped through... a hand shot out of the shadows and grabbed me.


    I screamed again, but it never left my mouth.


    The hand mped over my mouth, another arm wrapped around my waist, and before I could fight, I was pulled into darkness.


    A door clicked shut softly as I blinked wildly, but there was only pitch ckness.


    My heart was thundering so loud I couldn¡¯t hear a thing for a few seconds. Then, slowly, I realized something.


    I wasn¡¯t in the corridor anymore.


    I was in a room, or maybe a hidden alcove. There was barely any light, just enough to make out the faint outline of the person holding me. I couldn¡¯t see their face. Just the glint of their eyes.


    Their hold on me wasn¡¯t cruel, but it was strong. Secure.


    I wasn¡¯t alone anymore.


    And I didn¡¯t know if that was better or worse.

 Chapter 191: The Reckless Fire

    <h4>Chapter 191: The Reckless Fire</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t move until I was sure the footsteps outside had disappeared.


    Only then did I tighten my hold on her wrist and tug gently. "Come on," I whispered.


    She didn¡¯t protest, didn¡¯t even hesitate... just followed. Her feet was light and careful against the cold stone floor. We passed through the hiddentch and descended into the narrow tunnel that ran beneath the Academy buildings.


    The space was damp and silent, lined with old stone and scattered with faint traces of dust and spiderwebs. Even the smallest sound was echoing like a whisper of ghosts.


    I felt her pulse hammering through the fragile bones of her wrist. It was fast. Wild.


    Was it from the cold or the fear?


    Her fingers were trembling slightly in my grip. She must have been freezing. The temperature in these tunnels was always lower than anywhere else on campus. And she wasn¡¯t even wearing proper clothes to keep her warm, just a sweater and a cloak too thin for the biting wind outside.


    <i>Dammit, Evaline.</i>


    I didn¡¯t say it aloud. Not yet. I kept walking, guiding her through the darkness with the ease of someone who had memorized every turn, every crack. I had used these tunnels too many times to count. But the further we walked, the more the questions inside me burned.


    What was she even thinking?


    Sneaking out thiste. Eavesdropping on that group. She had no wolf. No backup. Not even the sense to call someone for help.


    And she had almost been caught.


    That thought, that image, sent a wave of red-hot fury crawling through my veins.


    She didn¡¯t understand how close she came to something she wouldn¡¯t walk away from.


    <i>Stars above</i>, if I hadn¡¯t seen her slipping into that tower from the window of my quarters and tailed her...


    I clenched my jaw as I felt my anger mixing with relief in a cocktail I didn¡¯t know how to handle.


    We reached the exit behind the west wing, and I pushed open the concealed door that led to the corridor behind the faculty quarters. Soft golden light from the hallwaymps spilled into the shadows as I stepped out first.


    She followed close behind.


    I heard her gasp when the dim light finally revealed my face and she recognized me.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but I sensed her body rxing, just enough to tell me she knew she was no longer in danger. Not from the people chasing her anyway.


    But she was smart enough to know that I had my own brand of trouble waiting.


    I said nothing as we walked. A few stairs, then two empty hallwayster, we reached the door to my quarters. I entered the passcode, the lock clicked, and I pushed the door open, motioning for her to step inside first. Once we were in, I locked the door behind us and flipped on a singlemp.


    The soft glow painted the living room in warm shadows.


    Only then did I turn to her with my full attention.


    She didn¡¯t speak. Her gaze skittered from wall to floor to bookshelf, anywhere but at me. She was trying to lookposed. Innocent. But the guilt was all over her face.


    And maybe that¡¯s what made me snap. "What the hell were you thinking, Evaline?" My voice cracked like a whip through the room.


    She flinched.


    The sound echoed off the walls and seemed to freeze the air between us. The second I saw her shrink into herself, the rage I was feeling turned to instant regret.


    My wolf thrashed inside me, unhappy, furious... ashamed. He hated that she flinched at my voice. Hated that <i>I</i> made her look like that.


    Her lips trembled, and then, without a word, she turned her face away. Still I noticed the lone tear that slid down her cheek. Silent. Small. But sharp enough to cut me clean through.


    She wiped it away before it could fall, as if pretending it didn¡¯t exist would undo it.


    "Eva-" My voice was softer now, almost desperate. "I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to yell. I just-"


    I exhaled hard and dragged a hand down my face.


    "I was worried. Okay? I was terrified you would get caught. You have no idea how dangerous this matter is. Carson wasn¡¯t a warning to us. He was a message."


    She still didn¡¯t speak. Her arms were folded around herself, shoulders tight. But she wasn¡¯t crying anymore either. She was just... still.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t have, but I stepped forward and gently pulled her into my arms.


    <fn964e> This update is avable on FindN0vel</fn964e>


    She went rigid for a second, like she didn¡¯t know how to respond. Her hands stayed glued to her sides.


    "It¡¯s okay," I whispered against her hair. "You are safe now. I promise. I have got you."


    For a moment, nothing changed.


    Then slowly, her arms lifted and curled around my torso. She passed her forehead to my chest, and I felt it.


    The shift.


    Her walls breaking down. Her breath shaking. The emotions she had been holding in, all of them, crashing through her like a wave. Fear. Guilt. Anger. Relief.


    She trembled in my hold, and my only instinct was to pull her closer, tighter, like I could absorb all of it into myself and leave her light again.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to be reckless," she murmured into my shirt. "I just... couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what I heard. I couldn¡¯t sleep. I needed to know."


    I closed my eyes. Her voice... it was small. Honest. It hurt to hear her this vulnerable.


    "I know," I said. "But next time, you don¡¯t go alone. Do you understand me?"


    She nodded.


    "And next time," I added, my lips brushing the top of her head, "youe to me. You want to know something, I¡¯ll find the answers. You don¡¯t get to throw yourself in front of danger just because you are curious."


    She looked up, and her eyes met mine. And stars help me, there was something in her gaze that made it hard to breathe.


    She wasn¡¯t just the girl I once helped in the passing.


    She was the center of everything I couldn¡¯t have.


    Everything I <i>shouldn¡¯t</i> want.


    And still...


    I gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.


    "You are going to be the death of me, Evaline Greystone."

 Chapter 192: Playing Detective

    <h4>Chapter 192: ying Detective</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I kept my voice low as I stood in the far corner of Kieran¡¯s living room, my phone pressed against my ear.


    "I¡¯m fine," I whispered softly, my free hand curled into the sleeve of Kieran¡¯s big ck cloak I had been wrapped in. "It was just a nightmare. I¡¯m okay now."


    Oscar wasn¡¯t convinced. I could feel it through the bond, the simmering concern that stirred his emotions and had woken him from sleep. Guilt gnawed at my insides. I hated lying to him. But the truth... the truth would only lead to more chaos. And tonight, I had already tiptoed too close to disaster.


    "Are you sure?" he asked. His voice was still husky with sleep, sounding both warm and rough in my ear. "I felt... your emotions, or at least a part of it. I thought something happened to you."


    "I promise," I murmured, forcing lightness into my voice. "I¡¯m alright. It was just a bad dream, that¡¯s all."


    "Alright," he finally exhaled. "But next time, even if it¡¯s just a nightmare, call me no matter what time it is. Please."


    My chest tightened. "I will. I promise."


    I ended the call and dropped my arm to my side, tucking the phone back into the pocket of my trousers. The living room was dimly lit, but not cold, there was a gentle warmth to it. The softmp light was casting shadows on the hardwood floor. The ce smelled faintly of vani and mint, and something else... something earthy. I realized the faint aroma wasing from the potted nts that were lining the window sills and corners of the room.


    Even though the space was furnished modestly, there was something deeplyforting about it. Kieran¡¯s quarters felt just like him... quiet, reliable, safe.


    I hadn¡¯t even heard hime back in, but when I turned, he was already there, walking toward me with two sses of warm water. One of them had a golden tint.


    He handed thetter to me without a word and motioned toward the couch.


    I settled into the plush cushion, holding the ss in both hands. The warmth seeped into my skin, calming the jittery nerves that had yet to settle from the night¡¯s madness. And as the aroma reached my nose, I realized he had added honey in mine.


    "Who was that?" he asked, lowering himself onto the other end of the couch.


    I sipped the water and looked away. "Rowan. He woke up and saw I wasn¡¯t in bed, so he called to check."


    I hated lying again, but telling him it was Oscar would only spark more questions. And thest thing I needed was Kieran knowing about my mate bonds with his younger brothers.


    He didn¡¯t press.


    For a while, we sat in silence. The only sounds were the soft tick of the wall clock and the quiet hum of the heater kicking in. The air between us was still, not heavy... just waiting.


    He was the first to break it.


    "It¡¯s almost one," he said, ncing at the clock. "You have work in the morning. I¡¯ll walk you back to your dorm."


    I nodded, but made no effort to move. As if he read through my thoughts, he added merely a momentter. "Or, if talking would help... you can tell me what happened."


    That was all the invitation I needed.


    I told him everything.


    How I overheard the conversation between those two second-years in the corridor. How something about it had unsettled me enough to sneak out. How I wandered the entire South and North wings looking for clues. And then how I saw students slipping into that old tower and followed them all the way to that dark basement, how I listened from the window, and what I heard - the mentions, the threats, the fear.


    He didn¡¯t interrupt once. He just sat there, elbows resting on his knees, his fingersced loosely in front of him, and his head tilted slightly as he listened.


    When I finished, he exhaled a long, slow breath.


    "That was insanely dangerous, Evaline."


    I winced. "I know."


    "No, you don¡¯t," he said, firmer this time. "You have no idea how lucky you are that they didn¡¯t catch you."


    <fn09b9> Chapters first released on fin?novel</fn09b9>


    His voice wasn¡¯t angry this uime. It was tight with worry.


    "Whoever¡¯s running this group... they are not just some troublemakers breaking rules in the dark. This group... it¡¯s organized. And it¡¯s scared of someone who can apparently soul kill. That means they are either involved in something they can¡¯t escape from, or they are protecting something far worse."


    I swallowed hard. "You think they knew about Carson?"


    "They didn¡¯t just know." He looked at me then, a storm swirling in his eyes. "They understand what it meant. And they are terrified of it."


    He was right.


    They weren¡¯t speaking about Carson like he was a tragic ident. Instead, they were speaking about him like a warning.


    Like a consequence.


    His gaze dropped briefly, and then moved to something in my hair. A flicker of amusement touched his lips, but there was confusion in his eyes.


    "What did you do to your hair?"


    I blinked, then instinctively touched the strands that were framing my face.


    "Oh... that." I bit my lip. "I thought it might help me stay hidden. The color. It¡¯s just spray. Temporary. It¡¯ll wash off in the shower."


    His eyebrow quirked. "You dyed your hair ck just to y detective?"


    I nodded, then looked away. "I... also had a mask. But I lost it while running. It must have fallen somewhere in the corridor..."


    I trailed off when I saw him reach into his coat pocket.


    He pulled out a small ck mask and ced it on the coffee table between us.


    My mouth dropped open.


    "Wha-how?"


    "I found it on the floor near the stairs," he said casually. "I figured it might be yours."


    I stared at it in disbelief.


    Then, I whispered the words quietly. "Thank you."

 Chapter 193: First Snow

    <h4>Chapter 193: First Snow</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I was reaching out to pick up the mask when I found him smiling, and it wasn¡¯t the usual warm one he gave people.


    This one... was different.


    It was teasing. Amused. Like he was trying hard not tough.


    Amused because of... me?


    I blinked, unsure how to react, when he finally spoke.


    "I never knew you were that talented in cosy," he said, lifting the mask off the table with two fingers and dangling it gently. "But thanks to your ¡¯precautions,¡¯ there are fewer chances any of those students chasing after you would have recognized you."


    My face heated instantly, but I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be proud or embarrassed.


    <fn198c> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FindN0vel</fn198c>


    "I was just... being careful," I muttered, curling my fingers around the warm ss of water in my hands.


    He chuckled softly and leaned back against the couch, his expression shifting into something gentler.


    "Did any of them see your face?"


    His tone was casual, but I caught the subtle tension in his jaw. The question wasn¡¯t random. It mattered... because if someone had seen me, then things were about to get even moreplicated than they already were.


    I took a moment to think.


    "No," I said, more confidently than I felt. "I kept my hood up the entire time. And I didn¡¯t lose my mask until I was almost out of their reach. I don¡¯t think anyone got a good look at me. Besides, it was dark in there."


    He visibly rxed. His fingers tapped against the arm of the couch as he gave a small nod.


    "Good."


    We sat in silence for a few long moments after that. The kind that wasn¡¯t ufortable, just... thoughtful.


    The warmth from the honey water had begun to spread through my limbs, settling the worst of my tension. And as the adrenaline of the night slowly faded from my veins, I could finally think more clearly.


    "Did you recognize anyone?" He asked suddenly, his voice low but alert.


    I was about to shake my head when something flickered across my mind - a vague memory. A face. Two, actually.


    "I didn¡¯t catch any names," I admitted, "other than Carson¡¯s... but the two students I saw in the corridor this afternoon when I overheard that conversation, they were both second years. I know I have seen them before. And I think... I might recognize one or two of the students who entered the tower."


    His eyes lit up with something sharp... purpose.


    "That¡¯s good. Really good."


    He stood from the couch with renewed energy and began pacing in a tight circle, muttering under his breath before looking at me again.


    "Come to my office tomorrow evening," he said, suddenly all business. "After your shift ends at headquarters. I¡¯ll have the digital files ready - the profile records for all second, third, and final years. We¡¯ll go through them together. You point out anyone you saw. Even one ID could give us a thread to pull."


    I nodded, slowly absorbing that we finally might have a lead to work on.


    He moved closer again, crouching slightly to meet my eyes. "And Evaline..." His voice dropped, almost into a whisper. "You can¡¯t do anything like this again. Not without telling me. Not without backup. You have to promise me."


    I looked at him, really looked, and saw not the professor, not the Alpha... but a protector. The one who had already saved me tonight.


    "I promise," I whispered. "No more solo missions."


    That seemed to satisfy him. He exhaled and gestured for me to stand.


    "Come on," he said. "I¡¯ll walk you back. You need sleep. And you have that internship shift tomorrow."


    Together, we slipped out of the apartment and into the quiet halls of the administrative building. He led me through another hidden tunnel, this one narrower and damper. The walls were cool to the touch and lined with stone. The silence between us wasn¡¯t awkward. It felt almost sacred, like something had shifted tonight between us for the better, something quiet butsting.


    When we finally stepped out into the small garden tucked behind the dormitory building, the world felt still. The clouds had rolled in thick overhead, masking the moon, and the air was bitingly cold.


    Kieran stopped a few steps before the side dorm entrance and turned to face me.


    "I mean it," he said, voice barely above the wind. "You scared me tonight, Evaline."


    I gave him a tight smile as I confessed, "I scared myself too."


    He looked at me, with something unreadable in his expression. Then, softly, he spoke, "But you were brave. And reckless. And thatbination¡¯s going to be the death of me."


    My smile instantly became bigger and I looked down at my shoes.


    "I really do mean it," I said, ncing back up. "Thank you. For saving me."


    He was about to respond when something light and coldnded on my nose. I blinked.


    Then another soft, weightless touch on my cheek.


    I tilted my head up, and my lips parted with a gasp.


    Snow.


    Tiny white kes were floating gently from the sky, swirling around us like feathers.


    "It¡¯s snowing," I breathed, holding my hand out as one ke melted on my palm. "The first snow."


    He looked up as well, his face cast in the soft silver light reflected by the clouds. A few snowkes were dusting his shoulders and the ends of his hair.


    "Guess winter decided to arrive tonight."


    "It¡¯s beautiful," I whispered and looked down at him.


    He gave a small smile and nodded. "It is." But he wasn¡¯t looking at the snow.


    We stood like that for another moment - him in silence, and me grinning like a little kid seeing snow for the first time.


    Then, reluctantly, I took a step back toward the gate. "I should go."


    "Yeah," he said softly. "I¡¯ll wait until you are inside."


    I turned back onest time before stepping into the hallway. The snow was already falling faster now, catching on the edge of his coat, his hair, the tips of hisshes.


    And for a second... I wished I could just stand out there with him. Forget the mystery. Forget the shadows and secrets and dangers in the dark.


    But I had a long day at work awaiting me. So I quickly headed to my dorm.

 Chapter 194: Visiting Nightshade Pack

    <h4>Chapter 194: Visiting Nightshade Pack</h4>


    <strong>Evaline: </strong>


    I kept my eyes glued to the scenery outside the car window, doing everything I could to not fidget.


    The world beyond the ss was looking like it had been dusted with powdered sugar - white snow clinging to rooftops, tree branches, and the empty roads. The forest we passed through was quiet and hauntingly beautiful beneath the soft gray sky. Still, no matter how pretty it was, it did nothing to calm the anxious rhythm pounding in my chest.


    Instead of heading to Council Headquarters like usual, I was picked up directly from the Academy that morning. River was already seated in the sleek ck car when I climbed in, sipping ck coffee and scrolling through his tablet. Now, over half an hour into the journey, we hadn¡¯t spoken a single word... until he finally broke the silence.


    <fn9c93> Th?s chapter is updated by find?novel</fn9c93>


    "Why are you so anxious?"


    I stiffened, dragging my gaze away from the window to nce at him. He hadn¡¯t looked up from his screen, but I could feel his attention shift toward me. Like always, he had this quiet way of making you feel like he knew everything already and was simply testing how well you would lie.


    "I¡¯m not anxious," I replied, perhaps a little too quickly.


    The corner of his mouth tugged upward. "Miss Evaline."


    That was all he said. Just my name. But somehow, it sounded like a warning and a challenge all at once.


    I exhaled slowly, giving up the act. "Maybe I¡¯m nervous," I admitted. "Just... not for the reason you think."


    Finally, he put the tablet down on the leather seat beside him and turned to face me fully. "Then what reason is it?"


    I stared out the window again, watching the frost-covered fields blur past. "Because I don¡¯t trust you."


    There. I said it. No sugarcoating.


    I expected him tough or throw some snide remark my way, but when I turned to look at him, he just blinked... almost like I had pped him. His brows rose ever so slightly, clearly unimpressed.


    "That¡¯s... direct," he muttered finally.


    "Should I apologize?"


    "No." He leaned back in his seat, folding his arms. "I value honesty, even if it¡¯s pointed like a dagger."


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue the conversation, so I fell silent. From the rearview mirror, I caught the driver¡¯s eyes. He was trying not to smile. Was it me? Or the fact that we almost sounded like bickering teenagers?


    Either way, I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted the day to end.


    A second car was trailing behind us - carrying Jasper, River¡¯s secretary, and one other warrior I didn¡¯t recognize. It had been nearly over an hour since we left the Academy, and my back ached from sitting stiff for so long. Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take another mile of awkward silence, the driver finally announced that we were entering Nightshade Pack territory.


    The car slowed as we approached high iron gates that swung open before us. From there, it was a short ride down a long gravel path lined with tall pines dusted in white. At the end stood the Nightshade Pack mansion. It was an old, towering structure of stone and dark wood, looking more like a fortress than a home.


    When we pulled up, a group was already waiting at the entrance.


    The Pack Elders were standing at the front, lined shoulder to shoulder like some council of judgmental ghosts. Beside them were the family of the previous Alpha, Beta and his family, and a few other important-looking figures I recognized from the records.


    Every one of them bowed respectfully when River stepped out of the car. I followed quietly behind, keeping my head low and hands folded in front of me.


    To them, I was a nobody. Just an intern. A temporary assistant. A girl River probably brought along to run errands or carry files. And that was exactly what I needed them to think.


    I stayed behind as River shook hands, exchanged words of greeting, and epted their wee like a king returning to one of his provinces. His presence wasmanding, no matter where he went. The Nightshade wolves treated him with a mix of awe and fear, as expected for the Rogue Alpha King.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur of activity. We were given a tour of the estate, including the training grounds, council chambers, and the sacred grounds where the Alpha selection would soon take ce. I remained silent, nodding and taking mental notes.


    At lunch, I sat at the far end of the table, quietly observing. The discussions ranged from pack alliances to trade negotiations. River took the lead in everything, but I noticed how he would sometimes nce my way before speaking, as if checking that I was paying attention.


    I was. Every word.


    By the time the afternoon sun began to dip and shadows stretched across the snow, I felt like I had been walking on eggshells all day. Everyone was cordial, but the tension was thick as the discussion of uing Alpha selection started.


    Finally, at around four, River signaled to Jasper that it was time to leave. Thank the stars.


    We said our goodbyes. I bowed again, received a nod from one of the Elders, and slipped into the car without a single person speaking to me. That was good. That meant I was forgettable.


    Exactly what I needed to be.


    As the car pulled away from Nightshade Pack territory, I allowed myself a long exhale. The snow had started to fall again, just lightly, as if the sky was breathing out a secret. River said nothing for the first several minutes. But just before I thought he might stay silent for the rest of the ride, he spoke again.


    "You did well today."


    I turned to look at him, my brows lifting in surprise.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything."


    "Exactly," he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You observed. You listened. You didn¡¯t draw attention. They think you are harmless."


    "And you think I¡¯m not?" I asked, half-joking.


    He met my gaze. "I think you are dangerous in a very specific way, Evaline."


    I didn¡¯t ask him what that meant. I didn¡¯t want to know.

 Chapter 195: Back In The Tunnels

    <h4>Chapter 195: Back In The Tunnels</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time River¡¯s car came to a stop outside the Academy gates, it was nearing five-thirty in the evening.


    I was barely out the door when I realized just how many people had decided to be right there at that exact moment.


    It felt like the entire Academy had suddenly remembered they had somewhere to be near the gates. There were nearly two dozen students, maybe more - chatting, walking,ughing - and they all froze when they caught sight of the sleek ck car with its matte finish and familiar emblem.


    Then, their gazes slid toward the backseat. When the door opened and I stepped out, a hush fell over them like someone had just hit mute.


    And then, they saw him.


    River Thorne.


    He was still seated inside the car, half-shadowed by the tinted windows, yet the distinct edge of his jaw and cool indifference was unmistakable. He didn¡¯t even nce at the crowd. Just casually scrolled through something on his phone like a King dropping off a servant who mattered more than she should.


    I didn¡¯t wait for him to say anything. I nodded politely, shut the door behind me, and turned away from the crowd, walking as if the weight of all their burning gazes wasn¡¯t pressing into my spine.


    Some of them looked shocked.


    Others looked... jealous.


    And a few? Downright hostile.


    I caught Celeste standing just inside the gates with her group. It looked like she just returned to the Academy after a day out.


    Of course, she had to be here as well!


    Her expression was unreadable. Her arms were folded, her eyes on the car, and her lips pressed into a line tight enough to slice paper. When her gaze shifted to me, it sharpened.


    I held back a sigh.


    Great.


    Of all things I wanted to avoid, drama was at the top of the list. I didn¡¯t care how many girls at this Academy dreamed of River Thorne. I had no intention of fighting over him. She could have him. All I wanted was for the world to leave me and my mates alone.


    Oscar. Draven.


    They were all that mattered to me. The rest - Celeste, jealous nces, hushed whispers, River Thorne - meant nothing.


    I reached my dorm a few minutester. It was empty, as expected. All my friends were out in town celebrating the first real snowfall of the season. I could have joined them, but I was far too drained.


    Instead, I grabbed some clothes from the closet - trousers and a woolen top - and headed to the girls¡¯mon showers.


    The water was deliciously warm, washing away the tension from the long day. I stood there for a good ten minutes, letting the steam wrap around me like a nket before finally stepping out and drying off.


    Back in the dorm, I went through my evening skincare routine with mechanical ease - body moisturizer, face serum, a light moisturizer, lip balm, and hand and foot cream. I slipped into a pair of winter socks and pulled my hair back in a loose, practical hairstyle.


    By then, my stomach had begun to grumble, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t eaten since lunch. I figured I would grab something small from the dining hall, maybe a hot drink or a muffin, before heading to the study hall to study for next week¡¯s history quiz.


    But just as I stepped out of the dorm, my phone buzzed in my pocket.


    <strong>Oscar: </strong><i>Meet me in the garden behind your dorm building in five.</i>


    My brows lifted and I reread the message.


    What is he up to?


    Without wasting time, I took the elevator down and stepped into the garden through the side door. The sky was dimming rapidly, and soft shadows were stretched across the path. The garden at the back of the dormitory had always been quiet. Forgotten, almost.


    It was just as deserted as always. Not a soul in sight. Snow was resting lightly on the low hedges and benches, untouched and pure. I scanned the area, pulling my coat tighter around. And then I noticed it... movement.


    A slight shift near the stone archway at the far end of the garden, hidden behind tall bushes.


    <fn1e02> ?????? ???? find{n}ovel</fn1e02>


    That ce...


    Recognition dawned in an instant. It was the exact same ce the secret passage to the tunnel was located - the one Kieran used the night before to send me back. The passage was practically invisible unless you already knew it existed.


    I took a cautious step forward, then another. My eyes scanned the dorm windows above to make sure no curious eyes were peeking out.


    And then I saw him.


    Oscar.


    He emerged halfway from the shadows, meeting my gaze for a heartbeat before he reached out and grabbed my wrist, tugging me gently toward the arch.


    "What are you doing?" I whispered curiously.


    He didn¡¯t answer. He just pulled me into the shadows, his body warm against the chill. My heart skipped a beat as we stepped through the hidden stone opening and into the narrow tunnel.


    He led the way through darkness, and I followed, my steps echoing slightly as we passed through the quiet passage.


    "Where are we going?" I asked after a moment as I was unable to hold back.


    "You¡¯ll see."


    His fingers didn¡¯t let go of mine the entire way. After a few turns, corridors, stairs, and narrow halls, we reached a door located in somewhat familiar hallway.


    He punched in a passcode and the lock clicked.


    The moment the door opened, a wave of warmth enveloped me. We stepped inside, and I blinked at the sight before me.


    If I had to take a guess... then it was his private quarters at the Academy.


    It was a small, private apartment just like Kieran¡¯s. It was simple, masculine, but warm. A crackling fire was lightening up the firece across the room, its golden glow bouncing off the soft tan walls. There was a deep gray couch with a nket tossed over it, a shelf lined with books, and even a kettle whistling softly in the corner.


    He closed and locked the door behind us before finally releasing my hand. H3 then walked to the firece, and added another log before turning to face me.

 Chapter 196: Understanding Between Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 196: Understanding Between Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stood there like I was frozen, still by the door of his quarters as the warm scent of burning wood and hot cocoa wrapped around me like an invisible nket. I should have moved. I should have said something. But I didn¡¯t need to.


    Oscar came to me.


    Without a word, he stepped close, slid his arms around my waist, and pulled me into his chest. And just like that, everything else faded.


    The moment my body met his, our mate bond lit up like a warm ember in my soul. It pulsed gently, calmly, as if sighing in relief at finally having us close again. I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding and melted into his arms. With my cheek pressed against the soft fabric of his shirt, I could hear his heartbeat - slow and steady.


    I tilted my chin up and looked at him.


    His emerald eyes met mine, gentle and full of that quiet affection that always took me by surprise.


    "I... I have to be somewhere in a while," I whispered reluctantly.


    One of his eyebrows rose. "Where to?"


    "I was nning to grab a bite from the dining hall, study a bit... just till seven... and then head to Professor Kieran¡¯s office."


    <fn5e8b> Latest content published on F?ndNovel</fn5e8b>


    His expression didn¡¯t shift the way I was expecting it to. No flicker of confusion. No questions about why I was meeting his brother. Instead, he just asked-


    "Are you hungry?"


    I blinked at him. "I mean... yeah. A bit."


    A soft smile curved on his lips. He reached up, cupped my face in both hands like I was something precious, and pressed a warm kiss on my forehead. "Then text Kieran. Tell him you¡¯ll meet him after dinner."


    I opened my mouth to protest. "Oscar-"


    "No," he interrupted gently, cing a finger against my lips. "I haven¡¯t had time to be with you in days. I want to feed you. Talk to you. Be with you. Just for a while. Is that too much?"


    His words were quiet. Sincere. And something in my chest clenched in response.


    How could I say no to him when he was being like this?


    I sighed and pulled my phone from my pocket. Quickly, I typed a message to Kieran.


    <i>Professor, I¡¯m feeling a little tired after the long day at work. Would it be okay if I meet you after dinner instead?</i>


    His reply came almost instantly.


    <strong>Kieran:</strong><i>Okay. Rest well.</i>


    I locked the phone, slipping it back into my pocket.


    Oscar smiled again, clearly pleased. "Good. Nowe."


    He led me to the couch and helped me settle down. The cushions were thick and soft, and the throw nket was warm against the chill. I tucked my legs up on the seat as Oscar walked over to the open kitchen.


    "I¡¯ll make you something," he said, rolling up the sleeves of his dark olive shirt. "Something easy, but healthy. You are eating for two now."


    My heart gave a tiny flutter at his words.


    I didn¡¯t say anything. Just watched him.


    The firelight yed across his face as he moved. He opened the mini fridge and started pulling things out. One by one, he held them up for my approval.


    "Carrot sticks?"


    I nodded.


    "Hummus or Greek yogurt dip?"


    "Greek yogurt."


    "Sliced apples with peanut butter?"


    "Yes, please."


    "Cheese cubes?"


    "Only the soft ones."


    He nodded, tossing the harder cheeses back into the fridge.


    "Whole grain toast or rice cakes?"


    "Rice cakes."


    He nodded again.


    "I won¡¯t be able to eat all that," I said when he showed me two boxes with strawberries in one and blueberries in the other.


    He smiled. "I know. I just want to know your preferences."


    Then he opened a cupboard and took out a small sealed ss container. "These are homemade pumpkin oat cookies. Kieran made them. Want one?"


    "If Professor Kieran made them, then yes."


    It only took him a few minutes to put together a beautifully arranged te - sliced fruit, a small bowl of dip, some rice cakes topped with almond butter, a few cookies, and a handful of roasted almonds.


    He brought it over and sat beside me, cing the te on the coffee table before settling in with our knees touching.


    I stared at the food, then at him.


    "You didn¡¯t have to do all this."


    He leaned his head against the backrest and looked at me sideways. "I wanted to. I always want to do things for you, Little trouble."


    I swallowed, my heart doing something wild in my chest again.


    His gaze lowered to my belly, then back to my face. "How are you feeling? Any pain? Dizziness?"


    "No," I whispered. "Just tired. Today was a long day."


    He nodded. "Good. Eat now."


    So I did. He even fed me a bite or two with his fingers when he thought I was being too slow. He made me felt... taken care of.


    And safe.


    Right then, my phone buzzed with an iing message. As I unlocked the phone and took a look, I realized it was from Draven.


    <i>"Have a great time with Oscar today. I¡¯ll be looking forward to spend time with you tomorrow evening. Your mate!" </i>


    I arched my eyebrows and turned my questioning gaze to the man sitting next to me. I showed him the text and asked, "Don¡¯t tell me you two have nned about who¡¯s going to spend which day with me."


    In response, he gave me an innocent smile that screamed he was guilty. But instead of getting mad, I smiled at him. To know that my mates were having such kind of understanding, where they could discuss such things without any jealousy or awkwardness, made me feel relieved.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Oscar suddenly asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    Confused, I asked, "Like what?"


    He inched closer, his warm breath fanning my face. He stared right into my eyes as he spoke, "Like you are falling in love with me all over again."

 Chapter 197: Doctor Said It’s Safe

    <h4>Chapter 197: Doctor Said It¡¯s Safe</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Instead of answering his teasing words, I leaned in and kissed him.


    It was soft... so soft that for a second, I wasn¡¯t sure he even felt it. But I knew he did. His breath hitched. His eyes widened for the briefest moment, then fluttered closed as he responded by kissing me back. The surprise melted into something warmer, something deeper.


    My fingers curled into his shirt and I anchored myself to him as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. His lips were moving against mine slowly, deliberately, coaxing, savoring. Like he had all the time in the world to memorize me. It was unhurried at first - just mouths meeting, lips brushing, breaths shared.


    I sighed into the kiss, and that¡¯s when I felt something shifting.


    Something changed between us, something raw and hungry stirred.


    His hand found my waist and then slipped under the woolen top I was wearing. As I felt the warmth of his palm making contact with the bare skin of my lower back, I gasped into the kiss.


    And this was all it took for him to take charge. His other hand came up to cup the back of my head, tilting me just the way he wanted, and then he kissed me like a man starved.


    And I responded like someone who had waited too long.


    I fisted my fingers into his shirt as he kissed me deeper, harder, and pulled me closer until there was no space left between our bodies. I was able to feel every inch of him - his solid frame, his rapid heartbeat, his desire bleeding into mine through the mate bond.


    His tongue brushed mine, teasing, and I moaned before I could stop myself. And that single sound seemed to ignite something in him.


    He pulled me into hisp, his hands gripping my hips as if anchoring himself, and then his lips trailed from my mouth to my jaw, down to my throat. I tilted my head for him instinctively, offering him more.


    His kisses were open-mouthed, slow but firm. His hot breath against my skin was doing unexinable things to me. And when his tongue brushed over the sensitive spot just under my ear... I shivered. He lingered there, cing a kiss that sent a bolt of heat straight through my spine.


    "Oscar..." I whispered, sliding my hands into his hair and letting my fingers tangle in those soft, dark strands.


    His hands moved along my back, up to my sides, until he was caressing the curve of my waist with feather-light strokes. Then they slid forward, bold but careful, as if asking for permission without words. I didn¡¯t stop him. I didn¡¯t want to.


    His every touch, every breath, every kiss, was making me feel desired, wanted, seen.


    He kissed me on the lips again, and then his mouth started traveling lower - down my throat, then my corbone, across the skin just above the neckline of my top. He nuzzled the space between, then gently sucked at a spot that had me arching against him with a soft gasp.


    My body was burning.


    Everywhere he touched, I felt like I was unraveling. My breath was shallow, my thoughts scattered, and all I could focus on was the way his hands and mouth were exploring and how my body was desperate to be closer... so much closer.


    I rocked slightly in hisp, and he suddenly froze.


    His breathing was ragged, but he pulled back, his hands still cradling my waist as he looked at me with wide, lust-darkened eyes. "Eva..." he said my name like a warning and a prayer at the same time. "We... we should stop."


    I blinked at him, confused, dazed, and still caught in the haze of desire. "What?"


    His fingers brushed the curve of my cheek, tender and hesitant. "I don¡¯t want to do something you are not ready for. And... you are also pregnant."<fnc0de> Checktest chapters at F¦ÉndNovel</fnc0de>


    I stared at him. His words weren¡¯t wrong. He was being considerate, kind, the good mate that he always was.


    But I didn¡¯t want him to stop.


    "I want you," I whispered, surprising even myself with how steady my voice was. "Oscar, I want this. I want you."


    His eyes searched mine, still conflicted. "I just... I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Or the baby."


    My cheeks flushed, and I looked down for a second before forcing myself to meet his gaze again. "At the hospital, the doctor said it¡¯s safe."


    His eyebrows shot up, and I noticed the hint of amusement taking over his eyes. "You asked?"


    I felt mortified for some reason. I knew my cheeks were burning as I quickly shook my head. "Of course, not! She told me on her own."


    His lips twitched as he tried to hold back a grin, but his eyes were still full of amusement. "You are really telling me right now that the doctor said¡ª"


    "She said," I interrupted, fixing my gaze on his and forcing myself to be bolder than I was actually feeling inside, "that I can have sex as long as we are careful andfortable."


    He just stared at me. And I knew exactly what was going through his mind. I wasn¡¯t the type to say things like this. At least, not until now. He wasn¡¯t used to me taking the lead, saying bold things without hesitation.


    But he also looked at me like I had just flipped some invisible switch in him. Like I had surprised him in the best way.


    And when I reached up, ran my fingers along his jaw, and whispered, "I want you, Oscar," this time softer, more sure.


    His gaze darkened, his desire returning and taking over the amusement. I felt one of his hand moving up my arm before it reached my face and grabbed my face between his fingers in a firm but gentle hold.


    "Make no mistake, love. If we began, you¡¯ll not find the chance to stop me before we are done."


    The warning was clear, but I knew what I wanted. "You talk way too much-"


    And his mouth was on mine in a heartbeat.

 Chapter 198: In His Arms

    <h4>Chapter 198: In His Arms</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His kiss consumed me. It was tender at first, but soon ignited with a hunger that mirrored the fire blooming in my chest.


    I responded without hesitation, threading my fingers through his soft hair and tilting my head to kiss him deeper. There was no room left for shyness or second thoughts. Only us. Only now.


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    Oscar kissed me like I was the only thing in the world he wanted, like nothing else mattered. I wasn¡¯t just receiving his kiss, I was meeting it with every piece of me that ached to belong to him.


    My hands found their way to the front of his shirt, and before I even registered what I was doing, I had begun unbuttoning it, one button at a time. My fingers were trembling from a mix of nerves and need, but I didn¡¯t stop until the fabric parted, revealing the warmth of his bare skin.


    When my fingertips brushed against his toned abdomen, a deep, shuddering breath left his mouth against mine. I felt his muscles tensing slightly under my touch, but his kiss only grew deeper, more insistent.


    Before I knew it, he broke the kiss just long enough to breathe my name - <i>"Evaline..."</i> - and then stood up effortlessly with me in his arms.


    I gasped, both surprised and thrilled, as I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist. Our eyes locked and both of us broke out into smiles, still out of breath from the intense kissing.


    He didn¡¯t say a word as he carried me out of the living room. And then his lips returned to mine halfway down the hall. I could barely focus on our surroundings - his kiss, his presence, his scent had all but taken over my senses.


    I heard a door click open, felt the cool air of the room wash over us as he stepped inside, and then the door shut behind us.


    We were in his bedroom.


    Moonlight was streaming in through a half-drawn curtain, casting a silvery glow across the room. He didn¡¯t stop moving until he reached the edge of the bed. There, he gently set me down on my feet, but our bodies never parted. He stayed close, his hands holding me by the waist as he leaned in, brushing his lips down the side of my neck.


    I let my head tilt, baring more of my throat to him.


    His kisses trailed lower, featherlight at first. Then warmer. Hungrier.


    A soft gasp escaped me as his lips reached the hollow at the base of my neck and he sucked on the skin in response. His hands were now exploring the curve of my back before they slipped beneath the hem of my top.


    "You are so beautiful," he murmured against my skin. The way he said it - reverent, sincere, almost disbelieving - made my heart stutter.


    I responded by reaching for his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders. It slid down his arms and fell to the floor without a sound. I let my fingers glide across his bare skin, tracing every line, every ridge of his sculpted chest. I couldn¡¯t help it. I leaned closer and pressed my lips against his corbone, then down the center of his chest. I felt the way his breath caught when I did.


    He gently pulled back to look at me, his eyes searching mine as if to silently ask again - <i>Are you sure?</i>


    I nodded once, firmly. "I want this. I want you."


    He smiled at me, a smile that almost said he was proud of me.


    That look on his face made me giggle, just a little. "What?" I teased. "You didn¡¯t think I woud say something like that?"


    "I just..." His throat moved as he swallowed. "You keep surprising me."


    "Good," I whispered, leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth. "Let me surprise you a little more."


    The atmosphere shifted again, from soft amusement to something heavier. Richer. My top slipped over my head and joined his shirt on the floor. His hands moved with reverence, as if memorizing every inch of my skin. Each time his fingers brushed over my stomach, I could feel his emotions through our bond - tenderness, protectiveness, and something even deeper than desire.


    Love.


    He wasn¡¯t just touching me. He was cherishing me.


    He then surprised me as he suddenly kneeled in front of me. Taking one of my hands in his own, he pressed his lips over my knuckles. Then he leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss over the curve of my belly, where my child was growing. My chest ached with so much emotion, I thought I might burst. It wasn¡¯t just passion anymore. It was connection. Wholeness. Something sacred.


    "I never thought I would have this," he murmured, still kneeling before me while looking into my eyes. "You. This bond. A family of my own..."


    My fingers slipped into his hair again, holding him close. "You deserve it all," I whispered.


    He rose slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. Then, his hands were moving to remove the remaining pieces of clothes on me. We helped each other,yer byyer, between kisses, between soft chuckled, between looks that said more than words ever could.


    As I stood bare in front of him, his eyes taking me in with a wildfire zing in them, I felt like the most beautiful woman in that moment.


    "That¡¯s not fair," I said as he pulled me close.


    "What?"


    I pointed at his pants. "You are still wearing them."


    He smiled again, inching closer until her lips were barely breaths apart. "Be patient, Love. You will get your chance to enjoy the view. But for now, it¡¯s my turn."


    He thenid me down on the bed, the sheets cool against my back. He followed and hovered over me like a shield, his hand brushing hair from my face. His kisses returned... slower now. Deeper. More reverent. As if every touch was a promise he meant to keep for the rest of our lives.


    And when our bodies finally pressed close, the world faded around us.


    There was only him.


    Only us.


    Only this moment, suspended in time - two hearts, two souls, and one bond that shimmered like silver fire beneath our skin.

 Chapter 199: Love Confessions

    <h4>Chapter 199: Love Confessions</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong><fn9bb2> Latest content published on F¦Énd£Îovel</fn9bb2>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I scanned his face when he pulled back after cing a soft feathery kiss on my chin, and found his eyes filled with desire that made butterflies flutter in my stomach.


    I opened my mouth but words refused toe out. Instead, my slightly parted lips invited yet another kiss. This one was soft too. His tongue gently traced my lips, making me gasp and gave him the entrance he sought.


    His tongue invaded my mouth as one of his hands trailed down my shoulder, then my arm, before he found my palm and entwined his fingers with mine.


    Our tongues danced together, fueling our building desire further instead of quenching it. He only ended the kiss when I was almost out of breath.


    He pulled away from my mouth only to trail wet kisses down my throat. "Stars, Eva," he groaned into the crook of my neck before lightly nipping on the skin, forcing a gasp out of me.


    I felt like I was floating.


    His touch was both grounding and electrifying. With his one hand supporting his weight, he pulled out his other one from mine and started trailing it down the curve of my waist, causing my skin to erupt in goosebumps. I arched into his touch instinctively, my breath catching when his lips sucked on a spot right on the swell of my left breast.


    Each kiss was leaving a trail of warmth, and when his tongue finally closed around my aching nipple, I lost all control. A soft moan escaped me before I could stop it.


    He groaned softly, as if feeling contended by my response. He gave the bud another lick. Then another.


    "Do you have any idea," he whispered while tilting his head up to look at me, his voice roughened by restraint, "what you are doing to me?"


    I blinked at him as my heart hammered in my chest. "You are not exactly innocent either."


    A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as he stared at me with that intense, emerald gaze. "I¡¯m trying to be good, little mate."


    "Don¡¯t," I whispered as I let my fingers ran through his soft locks. "Just... be with me."


    Something in him shifted. His jaw clenched, and he lowered his head again, and this time... it wasn¡¯t just a lick that I received. This time, there was no patience - only heat. Want. Devotion.


    I moaned as he sucked the nipple, yed with it until my core was clenching with need. And when he stopped, it was only to shift his attention to the twin.


    My hands found his bare back, exploring every line of muscle, every shift of strength beneath his skin. His body moved over mine, pressing me into the mattress, and yet somehow he was still careful - still controlled. Always aware of me. Of the child I carried.


    That care made me ache for him even more.


    When he had yed enough with my nipples, he started his journey south. His mouth left trails of kisses down my abdomen, over my belly where he stayed for a moment. The kisses he ced there weren¡¯t the ones filled with desire... but love.


    I felt the back of my eyes burning when I realized what his gesture meant, and how much it meant to me.


    A lump formed in my throat when he looked up and I found his eyes shining with a simr emotion.


    "I have wanted this for so long," he murmured against my skin. "Even when I told myself I hated you... part of me still wanted you."


    My heart twisted. "I know," I said softly, threading my fingers through his hair. "I felt it. Every time you looked at me, it was like you were fighting yourself."


    "I was." He epted. "I was angry. At you, at myself... at the bond. I didn¡¯t want it. I didn¡¯t want <i>you</i>."


    He moved up and cupped my face gently. "But the truth is... I didn¡¯t know you. I only knew the version of you who was my parents¡¯ murderer¡¯s daughter. And the more I saw the real you, the harder it became to hold onto that hate."


    My throat tightened. I blinked rapidly to fight the tears threatening to spill.


    "You were brave," he continued. "So damn brave. You endured everything we threw at you. And you still held your head high. You still protected others. You still kept your heart open."


    "I didn¡¯t have much choice," I whispered. "It was either fight... or be crushed."


    He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I¡¯m d you chose to fight," he said. "Because if you hadn¡¯t, I would have never known what it felt like to be loved by you."


    He brushed his thumb over my cheek as he continued, "I know I have taken too long to say this, but I¡¯m sorry, Eva. Sorry for how I and my brothers treated you in the past. Sorry for destroying your family and pack. Sorry for destroying your life. You don¡¯t have to forgive me. I just want you to know that I¡¯m aware of my mistakes and genuinely feel regretful."


    I shook my head, trying hard to keep the tears from spilling. "I have long forgiven you. I have had my prejudices against you just because you were one of the Rogue Alphas. But with time, I realized the real is so much more than just that identity. And I love that real you, Oscar."


    His eyes widened the moment he heard me confessing my love, and surprisingly, the one who ended up crying first was him. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he cupped my face.


    "I love you too, Evaline Greystone. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. I love you so damn much..."


    I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. I pulled him down into another kiss, tasting the raw truth in his words, the ache in mine. The air between us grew heavy again, our bodies aligning as if guided by instinct alone.


    His touch was everywhere - my waist, my hips, my thighs - slow and reverent, never rushing. Every kiss he gave me felt like a silent vow. I responded to each one with my own wordless promise, my body arching into his with a kind of desperate need I had never known before.

 Chapter 200: Getting Impatient

    <h4>Chapter 200: Getting Impatient</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter</strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Oscar..."


    I moaned his name as he sucked on my nipple gently. The things his tongue did to me... were unexinable. My breath hitched as I felt his hand gliding down my belly, but instead of finding its way to my aching core, he grazed his fingers along my inner thigh - caressing, teasing, indulging.


    He shifted his mouth to my other peak that was standing erect. At the same time, his fingers moved over my folds. I sucked in a deep breath, waiting for him to finally touch me. But he didn¡¯t.


    Instead, he pulled backpletely, leaving me dazed and confused. But before I could have asked anything, he was shifting lower, between my legs that were spread wide for him in invitation.


    The sudden realization about how bare and open I was to him in that moment, left my cheeks burning. It was on instinct that I started pulling my legs together, but he stopped me, his handsing to rest on my knees.


    He stared into my eyes. "What? Feeling shy now, mate?" He asked, his tone slightly teasing before it grew serious. "You are beautiful, Eva. So let me see you all I want."


    My breath hitched.


    "Then stop teasing me," I breathed the words before I could have stopped myself.


    A smile curved the corners of his lips. "As you demand, my love."


    I watched as he lowered himself down between my legs, pressing a kiss on my knee before trailing a wet line along my inner thigh until he was right in front of my core.


    I held my breath as I watched him take me in from up close, and this time, I didn¡¯t shy away. I waited... until he leaned in and ced a soft feathery kiss right over my folds.


    A gasp forced its way out through my lips and I arched into him when his tongue suddenly slid between my folds and found my aching clit. The contact sent a sudden rush of tingles through my body, leaving me almost breathless.


    One of his hands moved to hold my waist as he continued to y with my bud, while the other moved to my core and I felt his fingers moving over my folds.


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    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    My skin felt like it was set aze with every stroke of his tongue, every whisper of his fingers. My body writhed under his touch, not from difort, but from a need so intense it left me dizzy. He wasn¡¯t just touching me - he was worshipping me, exploring every inch of my skin as if it held the secrets of the universe.


    And maybe it did. Maybe it held the secret of us.


    He slipped one of his fingers inside my core while his tongue continued ying with my clit. I groaned as he pumped his finger, taking it out then back in, slowly and gently.


    I reached down instinctively, threading my fingers into his hair, holding on to him as if I might otherwise float away. He was taking his time, moving slowly, deliberately, like I was something precious, something fragile. But the look in his eyes held a fierce hunger that told me otherwise. He desired me. Fully. Deeply. Entirely.


    And I... goddess, I wanted him just the same.


    He slipped a second finger in momentster, stretching me further, loosening me for what wasing next.


    My hips moved of their own ord, seeking more as his tongue and fingersbined almost brought me close to my orgasm. But just as I was about to reach that height, he stopped.


    "You are insatiable," he whispered against my thigh, pressing another kiss there. "You are going to undo me."


    "You promised to not tease me." My words were barely above a whisper, but he heard them loud and clear.


    He ced another kiss on my inner thigh before whispering, "I just can¡¯t help it." And then, before I could could grasp his intention, his tongue was back on my clit.


    He didn¡¯t stop this time. Sliding his fingers back in my dripping core, his tongue yed with my clit until I was moaning non-stop.


    It didn¡¯t take long before a powerful orgasm hit me, leaving me shaking while he slowed down but didn¡¯t pull away. He ride me through my release before finally pulling back.


    I reached for him, silently pleading, and he seemed to understand. He rose slowly, kissing a path along my stomach, up my ribs, until he hovered above me again, propped on his arms. His skin brushed mine, warm and firm, and my heart raced with anticipation. But more than that, it was the look in his eyes - pure devotion, desire, love - that undid me.


    "You okay?" he asked gently, his thumb brushing over my cheek. "Tell me when to stop."


    I blinked up at him. "Don¡¯t."


    That one word held everything - my trust, my yearning, my choice. His gaze softened even more, if that was possible, and he dipped his head to kiss me again. This time, the kiss wasn¡¯t wild or needy. It was slow, full of unspoken emotion, and I kissed him back with everything I had.


    His hand trailed down again, drawing gentle patterns across my hip, then curling around the back of my thigh as he pulled me closer. I felt the steady beat of his heart against my chest, matching mine in a rhythm older than time itself.


    I whispered his name again, and he paused, resting his forehead against mine. "Eva, if we go further, there¡¯s no turning back."


    I smiled, threading my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "I don¡¯t want to turn back."


    He groaned, low and deep, and captured my mouth again.


    I let my hands slip from his shoulders and found my way to the waistline of his pants. He pulled back and gave me a knowing smirk. "Getting impatient, aren¡¯t we?"


    I watched as he finally moved away and took care of his remaining clothes, leaving himself bare to my eyes.


    And oh Moon Goddess... what a body he had!

 Chapter 201: Always One

    <h4>Chapter 201: Always One</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I found myself taking my sweet time to gaze at Oscar¡¯s body just like he did with mine. My eyes lingered at several ces but I felt no shame. I took in his well-built physique and marveled at the thought of finally touching it.


    My eyes took in his chest, his abs, before moving down and stopping at his length that was already hard. The sheer sight of it had my throat feeling dry.


    But my sweet time of appreciating his fine body came to an end when he returned to the bed, hovering over me once again. "Like what you are seeing?"


    I reached out and snaked my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "You are beautiful too, mate."


    He smiled before once again seeking my lips. He pushed his tongue deep, engulfing my mouth in a deep, passionate kiss.


    At the same time, I felt his other hand slide between our bodies. My breath caught when I realized what he was doing - he wrapped his fingers around his hard length, and with slow, deliberate movements, he rubbed the crown of it against my aching bud.


    The moment his velvety skin made contact with my swollen clit, sparks of pleasure shot through me like wildfire. I moaned, but he caught the sound in his mouth as he kissed me deeply, thoroughly, not once breaking the contact between us.


    The friction, the anticipation, the heat - it was unbearable and intoxicating.


    When he finally pulled away from the kiss, I barely had time to catch my breath before I felt the thick head of his arousal press firmly against my entrance.


    "Let me know if it hurts. Okay?"


    I nodded.


    He pushed against my entrance, sliding in just a little bit before stopping. He was slow as he kept going, sliding in just a little bit every time. But it was clear how much he was struggling. His jaw was set straight and his biceps were bulging.


    "It¡¯s alright. Go in," I whispered as I felt my inner walls stretching at his invasion.


    He looked at me as if to confirm I was alright, and then, he thrust the rest of the way in, stretching me to my limit and filling mepletely.


    I gasped. My body arched into him, and my arms instinctively wrapped around his broad shoulders. His muscles rippled beneath my fingertips.


    A guttural growl left his throat - a raw, feral sound that made my stomach twist and a fire spark inside me.


    "Stars, Eva. You are so funking tight."


    He slowly pulled out, dragging every inch of himself against my sensitive walls before thrusting back in, deep. At first, he moved slowly, giving us both time to savor every moment. But the restraint didn¡¯tst.


    He groaned and began moving faster, harder, giving in to his need and mine alike.


    Each thrust sent waves of pleasure crashing through me. I held onto him tightly, my nails digging into his back as I struggled to keep myself grounded. The pace, the angle, everything was perfect. As if he knew exactly how to unravel me, piece by piece.


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    "Uhhh..." I gasped, unable to hold it in as the pressure inside me built higher and higher.


    My body trembled beneath him, warmth pooling low in my belly. My breath came in short bursts, and the heady scent of sex filled the air, wrapping around us like a storm cloud. Our bodies met again and again, the sound of skin against skin echoing in the room, joined by my moans and his groans.


    I felt... precious in that moment. Adored. Loved. The way Oscar touched me, kissed me, imed me, it made every nerve ending in my body light up.


    I could feel everything.


    The way he stretched me with every thrust, the friction that hit just right, the deep connection pulsing between us through the bond we shared. It was almost too much.


    My inner walls clenched tightly around him, and he let out a groan that sounded like he was on the edge himself.


    "Ah...!" I cried out as the pleasure took over, sharp and sweet. My body spasmed around him, a dam breaking inside me as I surrendered to the overwhelming ecstasy. I threw my head back, my vision going dark for a second as my climax crashed into me, wave after wave.


    And still, I felt him.


    Oscar plunged deeper, faster, chasing his own release as I trembled beneath him.


    Then I felt it - something warm and thick spilling inside me as he followed me into bliss, his body shuddering with the force of it.


    He stayed inside me for a moment, both of us catching our breath. My back was arched, my chest heaving, and I could feel my inner muscles fluttering around him as aftershocks rippled through me.


    He watched me closely. His eyes were dark, wild, and heated. His chest was rising and falling rapidly. I barely had time to think before he moved again.


    He pulled out slowly, only to seize my thighs and m himself back inside with in one single thrust that had me crying out, but the sound never reached the air. His mouth captured mine, his tongue plunging deep as he swallowed every sound I made.


    I whimpered into the kiss, overwhelmed and buzzing. My body was still twitching from thest climax when he started to move again.


    His lips trailed down to my neck. He kissed, nipped, and licked along the sensitive skin until I was breathless again.


    Each thrust was rhythmic, purposeful, as if he needed more. As if we both did.


    The sparks inside me hadn¡¯t fully settled from the first high, and they were already building again, flickering like a fire ready to ignite. Without meaning to, I clenched around him again.


    He groaned and shuddered, the pleasure hitting him hard. He bit down lightly on my neck, just above the pulsing vein, and I gasped - half startled, half desperate.


    He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes.


    He kept thrusting, his pace growing more erratic as he buried his face against my neck again. His lips brushed over the spot, tongue flicking out, teasing me.


    A gasp tore from my lips as I felt our bond exploding with sensation, humming and glowing like a live current between us.


    Onest, deep thrust... and everything shattered.


    My release hit me again, even more intense than the first two, and I heard Oscar groaning my name into my neck.


    For those brief, blinding moments, there was no world outside of us.


    No noise. No thoughts. Just him and me - soul to soul, body to body. One.


    Always one.

 Chapter 202: Plans for Holidays

    <h4>Chapter 202: ns for Holidays</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Wrapped in Oscar¡¯s arms, I felt the quiet pulse of our shared heartbeat. His fingertips were gently tracing circles on my back as he whispered, "Are you okay, love? Any pain or difort?"


    I shook my head, settling deeper into the warmth of his embrace. "Honestly... I feel... incredible. I¡¯m perfectly fine, so stop worrying."


    Though my body was aching a little, it was in the best way. And somehow, I knew the baby was perfectly fine just like me.


    A soft, relieved exhale of air escaped him at my words. Once I felt him truly convinced, I whispered, "I think I need to freshen up."


    He nodded and pointed toward the bathroom. "Take your time. I can help if-"


    I smiled softly, earning a yful smirk from him. "I¡¯m good."


    No sooner had I closed the door behind me than I heard the faint rustle of sheets being reced. I took my time washing up and cleaning myself. When I emerged momentster, I found hi. back on the newly made bed, d only in pants and still shirtless.


    He smiled up at me and patted the mattress beside him. I stepped forward, pulling on his bathrobe I had found in the bathroom - it smelled faintly of him, and the soft fabric feltforting against my warm, slightly-sore skin.


    "Why did you ruin the bed again?" I teased, sitting beside him. "Shouldn¡¯t we go back out to the living room?"


    He slid an arm around me and pulled me close. "Because when I lie down hereter tonight, I want these sheets... this room... to smell like you. I want every breath to remind me of you." His voice was a hushed promise, filling me with emotion.


    I curled into him as he draped the nket over both of us. Around us, the warmth from the heater was gentle against the biting cold outside. Avender-scented candle was flickering on the small bedside table, casting a soft glow. In the background, I recognized the low, rhythmic patter of rain ¨C a carefully chosen ambient track Oscar had set up to calm our senses. Everything was serene, intimate, perfect.


    Wey there, and for the next forty minutes, time seemed to slow.


    He pressed soft kisses to my hairline. We spoke quietly about nothing and everything ¨C about my sses and his, my day at work, and our ns for uing holidays.


    His schedule for the rest of the month was packed. He had another set of trials foring week, then he had to attend the Winter Solistice Ball, then the Christmas, and finally the Nightshade Pack¡¯s Alpha selection ceremony before he would be returning to the Academy as the holidays woulde to an end.


    Me, on the other hand, barely had much nned. I had my sses before holidays beganing weekend. Winter Solistice Ball was out of the option. Since I had no family to return to during holidays, I would be staying at the Academy. But before the end of holidays, I had to important events to attend - first, Nightshade Pack¡¯s Alpha selection ceremony on the 28th, and second, Mallory¡¯s birthday on the 30th.


    When I revealed my n of staying at the Academy during holidays, I noticed the way his smile disappeared and his eyes darkened. But he quickly schooled his expression and leaned in for a kiss.


    Our lips met, soft at first, then deeper, more certain. There was a sweetness to it that had me moaning into it. I felt every brush of his fingertips across my skin, every brush of his breath. This time together was like a luby, like catching our breath in a chaotic world. With him here, I felt calm, cherished, safe.


    When we finally ended the kiss, we both broke out into big smiles.


    I opened my mouth to ask him about his tattoo that was covering most of his left chest and shoulder, when my phone buzzed suddenly.


    The soft vibration from the bedside table made me realize just how thoughtful my mate was that he grabbed my phone from living room and ced it on the bedside table.


    I reached for the phone and unlocked it, finding a message from Mallory.


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>Hey, we are leaving the cafe - arriving at the Academy in 15. Where are you?</i>


    I turned my attention to my mate, suppressing a contented sigh. "My friends are on their way back. I told them I would meet at the dining hall."


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    He brushed a strand of hair from my face. "Take your time getting ready. I¡¯ll guide you through the tunnels."


    A pang of reluctance tugged at me - the urge to stay, to breathe in this moment forever - but I knew I needed to return to my friends.


    "We still have couple of minutes though," I said softly and leaned forward to ce my lips against his. And he weed me eagerly.


    Ten minutester, Oscar climbed out of the bed and held out a hand. I took it and stood too, pressing a final kiss to his shirtless chest.


    I got dressed andbed my hair. Once I was ready, he guided me out of the apartment and down the hallway before we slipped inside the secret passageway.


    "This tunnel opens up in the library building, right behind that big witch portrait up by the far north corner." He exined as he guided me through the darkness.


    Once we arrived there, he immediately pulled me into his arms and pressed a light kiss to my cheek. "Stay safe, Love."


    A smile bloomed across my lips. "Always."


    We shared a lingering kiss before I pushed the portrait open, stepping out of the secret passage and into the dark corner of the library where everything was covered in dust and cobwebs.


    I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and made my way out of the library and toward the dining hall to find my friends to have a nice dinner with them.


    My heart was full with love and warmth, and I had a feeling that I was radiating from head to toe. I just hoped I wouldn¡¯t make my friends suspicious. But I should have known better.

 Chapter 203: Keeping Her Eyes & Ears Open

    <h4>Chapter 203: Keeping Her Eyes & Ears Open</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stepped out of the dining hall and into the gentle hush of snowfall. The entire Academy was glowing softly under a thick nket of crystalline white.


    The night air bit at my cheeks, but I pulled my fur-lined coat tighter and set off toward the administrative building. Despite spending more than three months here, I still got taken aback this ce¡¯s sheer beauty. Every step felt like stepping into a storybook - the corridors, themp-lit paths, the warriors patrolling around the ce.


    But my own breath felt taut, mixed with the anticipation of the evening ahead.


    Halfway through the West Wing, I passed Professor Aldric and another second-year instructor. I offered a polite nod and "Good evening," and received friendly smiles in return as we headed our respective ways.


    Snowkes were falling heavily now, clinging to the hem of my coat as I took a shortcut through a courtyard. A wave of warmth greeted me as I entered the office area. The heaters kept the ce warm - a stark contrast to the cold outside.


    Once I arrived outside Kieran¡¯s office, I rapped gently on the door. Within moments, I heard the soft authority of his voice inviting me in.


    Inside, the room was glowing in golden light as the firece roared softly, spraying sparks across the hearth. The air was thick with warmth and the faint scent of woodsmoke. I looked up to see Kieran not at his desk, but curled on the long couch, an arm draped across a pile of papers, loose strands falling into his face as he looked up. He gestured to the space beside him, and I made my way there.


    "Thank you," I said, holding a paper bag in myp that held his coat from previous night. I sat down as he leaned forward, pushing the hair from his eyes and taking a look at the bag.


    "I sent it for dry-cleaning at the Academyundry, and I... well, I used a light-scented perfume of mine. I hope you don¡¯t mind." I forced a shy smile.


    He froze on his way to take the bag from myp. I realized my mistake and my heart tightened. "It-"


    He inhaled, the air shifting between us.


    "You smell different," he said quietly.


    Panic shed behind me. Oscar¡¯s scent lingered on my skin. My chest tightened. I had feared this... so I had prepared in advance. I just hoped it would work. "It¡¯s Kyros¡¯s coat," I lied smoothly. "Mine got food on it. He gave me this so I wouldn¡¯t freeze."


    His eyes flickered. He opened his mouth and then closed it. Silently, he rose and made his way to the only closet in the room. When he returned momentster, he had a dark fur coat in his hand - heavy, plush, impably tailored, and definitely expensive.


    "Can you please take off the one you are wearing?"


    I stared at him, stunned and confused. "I-Professor-"


    "Miss Evaline," he interrupted, "Please."


    I shouldn¡¯t have done it, but I did. Even before I realized it, I stood and my hands were taking off the coat. He then draped his coat around my shoulders and pulled it tighter around me.


    "This will do a much better job of protecting you from the cold," he said softly.


    It felt like being wrapped in more than just wool - like a shield made of concern and something deeper. Not knowing how to respond, I just whispered, "Thank you."


    His gaze held mine for a moment too long, and then he pulled away. He gestured to the tablet sitting on the coffee table. "Let¡¯s start."


    I nodded and both of us settled down on hhe couch. Switching on the tablet, he pulled up the profiles of second-year students and handed the gadget over to me.


    The snow drifted down outside the frosted window panes while I scrolled. A picture of one of the two faces I remembered from the corridor encounter came into view just momentster.


    "Professor," I said softly, tapping on the screen to get his attention to the profile. He immediately leaned in, taking his first proper look at the student whom I just recognized.


    "This one," I said, pointing to the profiles. "The one from the corridor."


    He nodded and typed something on his phone while I continued to scroll. Merely secondster, I found the other one from second-year and showed her profile to Kieran who once again typed something in his phone.


    Then I immediately shifted my attention to third-years and five minutester, I had two more students identified, these were the ones whom I noticed slipping inside the tower previous night.


    I wasn¡¯t able to recognize anyone else after that, but Kieran looked satisfied with my help.


    He smiled slightly. "Very good." His tone was businesslike, yet something warmed behind his eyes - pride, relief, maybe even affection. "We focus on these four. Discreetly."


    <fn1e44> Find the newest release on find{n}ovel</fn1e44>


    I nodded, setting the tablet back on the tablet. "I can watch them dyring meals, in the library, or study halls. I¡¯ll keep quiet."


    He immediately looked displeased with my idea. But before he could have said anything, I quickly added, "I promise to not do anything dangerous likest night. I¡¯ll just keep my eyes and ears open to make sure I don¡¯t miss anything important. And if I ended up finding anything at all, I¡¯lle to you first."


    He was silent. Though he didn¡¯t approve, he also didn¡¯t reject immediately which meant I had the chance to convince him.


    "Professor, please. Let me do this, and I promise to not give you another chance to feel disappointed in me."


    I gave him my most genuine pleading look. And it worked.


    "I never felt disappointed in you, Miss Evaline. Never!" He corrected before adding, "And I never will."


    I nodded, a warm feeling filling my heart at the trust and pride I saw in his eyes toward me.


    He then let out a small sigh. "Fine. You can do your spy work. But no going out of your way to get any information. And definitely not putting yourself in danger. Are we clear?"


    "Yes." I nodded mh head almost mechanically.


    "Miss Evaline," he said quietly, "stay safe." His voice carried something deeper than caution.


    I managed another nod. "I will."

 Chapter 204: Buying Presents

    <h4>Chapter 204: Buying Presents</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The brass bell above the store door tinkled softly as I stepped into the cozy gift store with Draven. His fingers were twined around mine, and my heart was fluttering with that familiar warmth thates from being with your mate


    We moved down the aisles as bright lights danced off colorful packages. Everyone around us seemed happy, festive... even the shopkeeper, a kindly older woman humming holiday tunes. It struck me how different this was from the world of shifters, packs, politics, and secret tunnels. Right now, it felt like a haven.


    It was Sunday evening and we were back in the human city we visited previous weekend with Oscar.


    When Draven called me earlier this morning to discuss our n for the evening, I told him about my n of buying Christmas presents for my friends.


    <fn33a5> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? FindN()vel</fn33a5>


    Since holidays were starting froming weekend, today was perfect for buying the presents. And fortunately, Draven was more than happy to apany me spend our date night shopping for presents.


    Since River was at the headquarters, we met at Ravenden Town instead of himing to pick me from HQ as we didn¡¯t want his brother to notice him. Also, Ravenden was quite far from the Academy unlike Lakeshire and Willowcross towns, so the probability of using across students from the Academy there was also very low.


    And now, we were finally here - in the bustling human city that was covered in snow, christmas vibes, and festive mood.


    As walking around for a while, I pulled Draven toward the first disy shelf that was overflowing with cute and quirky items. "Let¡¯s start with Mallory," I murmured as my eye caught a pristine white ceramic mug, engraved with a dainty flower wreath and in its centre was etched "I¡¯m My Best Version" in soft rose gold.


    I turned it over, realizing just how well it suited Mallory¡¯s personality. "This."


    Draven smiled and held the mug along with the other present I had already purchased from a store at the starting of the street. "Why two gifts for her though?" He asked, sounding curious.


    "It¡¯s her birthday on the 30th," I said while I weaved through the aisles, "This mug is her Christmas present and the set from earlier is her birthday present."


    I had bought a set of three newlyunched lip tints of Mallory¡¯s favorite makeup brand, knowing that she¡¯s gonna love them.


    Momentster, my eyes caught the sight of a beautiful friend?charms bracelet. It had tiny silver moons and stars dangling from a leather band. But what really made it special was the words carved on the only full moon dangling from it - "Best Brother".


    It immediately reminded me of Rowan. If there was one person who had always watched over me, it was him. I imagined him wearing it and it made me smile, a reaction Draven caught immediately.


    "He does seem like a great big brother," he said while brushing his fingers over the bracelet, "I¡¯m sure he will love it."


    Next, I picked a sleek oil diffuser in soft grey, plus a trio of calming scents -vender, eucalyptus, and forest pine. This one was for Kyros as he once mentioned about his interest into aromatherapy. This could help him rx during stressful days or nights that theing Academy months were about to bring.


    Noah¡¯s gift was practical but thoughtful - a waterproof portable speaker. He always had music ying, but his old one nearly drowned during showerst week. Now he could safely bring his soundtrack everywhere.


    For Selene, whose dorm soaked in herbal scents and tended pots, I picked a rare potted nt - an airy string-of-pearls sulent in a charming white pot inscribed with a beautiful quote. I knew she would adore it.


    Ria¡¯s gift was on the creative side - a personalized notebook, leather-bound. To make it more personal, I got her initials embossed in gold on it at the payment counter. That girl was into DIY stuff and she had a couple of diaries filled with those.


    Each item felt like a piece of me, tied to something I had noticed or learned about them.


    I also grabbed chocte and cookie gift sets for everyone, including Kyros and Noah¡¯s other two dormmates.


    After paying for everything, we returned to Draven¡¯s car and loaded everything in the trunk. Then, I turned to him.


    "Please wait here, I¡¯ll be back in a while," I said, leaning close and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. He gave me a teasing bow and said, "Princess."


    I made my way to a certain store I noticed before. It was a boutique that carried luxurious knits and cool essories. I found an impossibly soft cashmere scarf in dark chocte brown. It felt like silk to the touch, and the rich color made it stand out in the best way possible.


    It smelled faintly of cocoa. Maybe it was from the dye or some hidden ingredient, but I inhaled deeply and knew... this was it. My mind pictured Oscar wearing it and immediately bought it.


    But I wasn¡¯t done. That cocoa smell made mee up with another idea. So, I entered a perfume store next. It took me a while but I finally found that mini perfume bottle - the exact version of my mom¡¯s treasured scent. If there was one scent I was attached to in my whole life, one that made me feel grounded, it was this one.


    I smiled as I got the scarf and the perfume packed together as a gift set.


    Next, I stumbled on pairs of baby-blue couple sweaters embroidered with "My Love." One for me, one for Draven - they fit our shared warmth and gentle teasing. I imagined us lounging together in these.


    At another store, I bought really cute looking soft star-shaped fairy lights, and finally a leather keychain shaped like a wolf¡¯s paw.


    Finally, my gazended on a sleek pen set in the stationer¡¯s corner. It had deep bluecquer with silver ents. This felt just right for Kieran, who brought discipline and calm. I could picture him holding it thoughtfully during council meetings.


    With everything tucked in bags, I made for the door, my heart feeling full. But before I could have stepped out, a sh of something on the side shelf caught my eye and I paused.


    I picked it up to get a proper look and felt thrilled when a certain person¡¯s image shed across my eyes.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to get him anything, but this was too good to be missed. So I grabbed it with a sinister smile ying on my lips and returned to the payment counter.

 Chapter 205: Date Night with Christmas Vibes

    <h4>Chapter 205: Date Night with Christmas Vibes</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Soft snowkes drifted around us as we stepped out of a book store, arm in arm. We were like two lovers lost in our own winter wondend.


    Draven¡¯s hand felt so natural entwined with mine, as if it belonged there forever. The streets of the human city were aglow with festive lights. The air was crisp and cold against our cheeks. Shops were disying twinkling decor, their window counters were lined with gingerbread in family shapes, steaming cider, and soft fleece scarves. Everywhere we looked, Christmas was making its debut.


    Draven paused outside a tiny stall offering free samples of hot chocte. He handed me a cup warmed by steam. "For the chill... and us," he said, smiling. I sipped while smiling back. The rich sweetness instantly filled me with warmth.


    Once we were done, ee wandered further, sampling cinnamon-dusted pastries - tiny puffs that melted on our tongues - and steaming mulled ciderced with cloves. Each bite and sip wrapped us further into the beautiful night.


    He guided me down a street lined with craft-stall vendors, the kind that sold scented candles, knitted mittens, bespoke ornaments - the kind you would find in a film about Christmas. We stopped now and then.


    At one stall, I found a fuzzy ornament shaped like a wolf pup. It looked really cute but I didn¡¯t have a need to buy it, so we continued on our way. Next, we paused at a wooden stand selling miniaturenterns that were glowing with LED lights and smoky pine scent. This time I bought one to ce on my bedside table.


    As we strolled, we snapped a lot of selfies, just us - kissing with snow spiraling around, our breath warm against cold air. One especially perfect pose, with meughing and him kissing my forehead as snow drifted down, I knew would be framed somewhere someday.


    Eventually, we reached a vintage-style photo booth tucked between two caf¨¦s with ss-paneled facades. The queue was short, so we hopped in. Instantly, the air warmed as a string of tiny lights lit the cabin, and the machine whirred. We pressed close on the bench - him behind me with his arms around my waist.


    The booth¡¯s countdown shed - 3... 2... 1...


    "Wait! Is that it?" Draven suddenly shouted which made meugh. And that very moment, he leaned down to kiss my temple - giving a perfect pose for the photo right on time.


    Another - 3... 2... 1...


    This time, he buried his face in my neck and a smile spread across my lips. The sh captured it all, those stolen intimate moments.


    I pressed my palm against his cheek as thest snapshot clicked. The machine spit out our four-lens strip and I held it between us, smiling at the sweet record of us.


    He held my hand as we left the booth and stepped into the cold with both of us holding one set of our photos.


    "That was perfect," I murmured. He nced at the photos and kissed me. "This is us," he whispered. I nodded as my heart fluttered in my chest.


    We walked until the scent of roasted chestnuts led us to another glowing cart. He bought a paper cone of hot and fragrant nuts. We shared them as we continued, nibbling and talking quietly.


    After walking around those streets for another twenty minutes, we finally reached a cozy diner bathing in christmas light and holiday wreaths. It was looking warm, inviting. We entered, breathing out puffs of mist. Inside, the atmosphere enveloped us - muted jazz, hazy fairy lights, and id cushions. We took a booth near the window overlooking snow-dusted cobblestones as a waitress wrapped us in menus and steady warmth.


    We ordered hearty soup - pumpkin bisque for me and root veggie stew for him. We also ordered a cheese board to share, along with hot chocte topped with whipped cream. As we waited, Draven wrapped a nket around my shoulders. I leaned into him, inhaling the spicy-sweet aroma of the diner while the candlelight danced through the windows.


    We chatted easily. He asked how my work went these past two days, how was my time with Oscar the evening before, and finally... how was the baby doing.


    I was taken aback for a moment, but before I could have responded, our soups arrived.


    We thanked the waitress and I picked up my spoon to taste the warm soup that was filling the air around me with its delicious aroma. After a couple of sips, I finally spoke. "The baby is doing great. Thank you."


    He looked up at me, probably hearing how genuine I was in thanking him. He smiled and brought his spoon to my lips to let me taste his soup.


    As the rest of our orders arrived, we fell into our usual funny and easy-going vibe. We looked at our photos from the booth and ended upughing at ourselves.


    "You," he whispered, brushing a snowke off my hair, "are magic."


    "Only because you make me feel safe and loved," I responded.


    He studied me with his gentle green eyes. Then, he leaned in and kissed my forehead. The glow from the lights and the candle made us feel private, the noisy diner a backdrop to our small, perfect world.


    "Time¡¯s flying," I said lightly when my gazended on my phone and I noticed it was already nearing ten.


    He nodded. "Soon we¡¯ll have to head back," he said with a brief shadow in his eyes. I nodded but prayed my heart it could beter.


    We finished dinner slowly and stepped out of the diner after taking care of the bill.


    As we left, he gathered my hand tight. Outside, the snow was still falling lightly. We walked back along the festoon-lit street with our arms linked. At the car, I paused and turned to him. "Tonight was... perfect." And we kissed for the dozenth time this evening, this one slow and warm.


    He settled me into the passenger seat before sliding into the driver¡¯s seat himself. As we drove off into the snowy night, I felt light, loved, and ready for whatever came next - with him and with Oscar by my side.<fn83f6> Official source is Find[F]ovel</fn83f6>

 Chapter 206: Leaving Silver Moon (I)

    <h4>Chapter 206: Leaving Silver Moon (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next week blurred by in snow-flecked mornings, packed halls, and more tests stacked like frosted cookies. Every afternoon felt like a sprint to Friday, and then suddenly the bell rang on thest ss of the week... and with it, fifteen days of holiday freedom burst open like the academy gates themselves.


    Almost all the students hurried out by Friday afternoon, not waiting for the official departure on Saturday. Instead of lingering by the oak benches to say goodbye, they dashed toward the Academy gates with their luggages.


    My friends were no different. Most of them, especially Mallory and Ria, had their luggage packed the night before. Now, we all were gathered in our dorm¡¯smon room to bid goodbyes to each other.


    Ria was first to leave. She threw quick smiles and hugs before grabbing her suitcase. "Enjoy the break guys! And let¡¯s stay in contact." And then she was gone.


    Selene was the next to follow. She also gave us hugs and warm smiles. "Take care everyone ande back soon!" She then also grabbed her bag and exited themon room. Noah was right behind her once he too quickly bid us goodbyes.


    With these three gone, only four of us were left in the dorm now - me, Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan. And no one was making any move to step out of the door next. They didn¡¯t seem ready to disappear into their own holidays without me.


    Mallory hovered like a bird on a wire, her voice soft but insistent, "Eva, you really shoulde home with me. My parents and my little siblings - they would adore having you. Christmas by the firece, snowball fights, home-cooked dinners..." Her eyes glowed with the dream of it.


    I hesitated, the thought warming me, but... it didn¡¯t feel right to spend the entire holiday at her ce.


    I gave her an apologetic look and she sighed. This wasn¡¯t her first time trying to convince me to join her and her family for celebrations.


    When she failed, Kyros chimed in to try his luck. "My pack will always wee you. Come with me - light the holidays with firelight and family music. I would love yourpany."


    Rowan was looking even more serious as he too shared his n. "If you are staying for the holidays, at least let me stay with you in the dorm. You don¡¯t have to be alone." His voice was quiet but determined.


    They were spoiling me with offers, each more generous than thest. I pinched the corner of my sweater and breathed in the scent of pine-scented cleanliness. I was about to speak when a knock on the dorm door sliced through the softness.


    Almost in unison, mine and Mallory¡¯s head whipped toward the door, while Kyros moved to open it.


    <fn2bf9> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn2bf9>


    When the door opened, a figure stood in the threshold. His sweater¡¯s hood was up, and his face was wrapped behind a scarf. We stared in confusion as they stepped inside.


    "Who-?" Kyros began as he stood by the door, not sure whether to close it yet or not.


    Surprisingly, it was Rowan who spoke first. "It¡¯s alright. One of us."


    My gaze darted from Rowan to that person when a familiar scent reached me. I found the stranger removing their scarf and when their face came into view, I found Draven standing there. His eyes found mine and a big smile immediately bloomed on his lips.


    Mallory gasped. Kyros¡¯ jaw dropped. But Rowan simply shrugged, looking calm as snow filtering through evergreen.


    "You knew?" I hissed at him, my eyes wide from shock and confusion.


    He shrugged again, lifting his eyebrows. "All I knew was that he¡¯sing here."


    I turned my attention back to Draven and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Much to my mate¡¯s credit, he looked unhappy. "What a cold way to greet your mate. Here, let me teach you the right way."


    I watched in confusion as he stepped forward next, closing the distance between us, and pulled me into his arms. The next thing I knew, he was pressing a kiss to my cheek, long and deliberate. My heart stuttered while my friends glowed with shock and something close to amusement.


    When he pulled back, he had a bright smile ying on his lips. He kept one of his arms wrapped around me as he turned to face my friends. "Sorry for my sudden appearance. If I have guessed it right, you all are worrying about leaving her behind alone at the Academy. You all don¡¯t need to worry any longer about Eva¡¯s holiday ns. She¡¯sing with me - to my family¡¯s mansion. I want her Christmas."


    He looked down at me as he spoke thest sentence. Though it was supposed to romantic, all I felt was shock.


    This was nowhere in my ns - returning to the Rogue Alphas¡¯ mansion and that too to spend my holidays there.


    I wanted to question Draven but a light squeeze of his fingers on my waist stopped me. One look into his eyes and I understood. So instead, I turned my attention to my friends.


    I saw Mallory¡¯s lips parting like she wanted to ask something, but Draven raised a finger to hush her in a yful yet gentle action. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of her. I promise."


    This made my friend immediately nod her head in approval.


    Rowan ced his hand on my arm softly, getting my attention. "If you need me - text, call, message. I¡¯ll be there."


    I nodded.


    Kyros gave me a hug and a soft pat on my head. "Have fun with the Thornes. And don¡¯t forget us."


    Mallory¡¯s hugsted the longest as she had a lot to whisper in my ear. "Don¡¯t let your mates make you forget about me, okay?" She squeezed me before stepping back with a teasing smile ying on her lips.


    One by one, my friends melted out of the dorm in grins and waves. Their voices trailed faintly until silence took over.

 Chapter 207: Leaving Silver Moon (II)

    <h4>Chapter 207: Leaving Silver Moon (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    With all my friends gone, I locked the dorm¡¯s main entrance before finally turning to face Draven.


    <fn4a63> This update is avable on FindN()vel</fn4a63>


    I cleared my throat. "And you are taking me to your mansion for the holidays...?"


    His expression softened, and he nodded. "That¡¯s exactly it. I¡¯ll drive you there, and then you¡¯ll stay with us during the holidays - with me, Oscar, Kieran, River. I promise you will have a great time there with us,."


    I blinked, not sure where to begin about how many things were wrong with this n. "I-Draven, I¡¯m grateful. I really am, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right. Kieran and River, they don¡¯t even know about my mate bonds with you and Oscar. What it¡¯s gonna look like to them if I turned up at your house like an uninvited guest. We can¡¯t even say that I¡¯m your friend."


    That¡¯s right. There wasn¡¯t a single possible excuse for me to spend the holidays at the Rogue Alphas¡¯ Mansion even if I had a reason and even a right to be there.


    Draven watched me with that soft look in his eyes. "You worry too much, Eva." He then took out his phone from his jacket¡¯s pocket and started dialing a number.


    "Kieran?" he asked softly. His tone pulsed with both respect and ease. "Could you... tell Eva what you said to me earlier about her staying at the mansion for holidays? She might want to hear it from you."


    I took the phone when he handed it over. My fingers curled around the cool edge as if holding onto safety.


    "Professor?"


    I heard soft crackleing. His voice was carrying strength, warmth, and a subtle apology all at once as he spoke. "Miss Evaline. Please ept our offer. Stay with us for the holidays."


    "Professor, it¡¯s so nice of you to consider inviting me. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to stay at your mansion." I quickly spoke my thoughts. But I soon found that these men had made up their mind.


    "Miss Evaline, let me apologise first. And I insist that you ept our invitation. After all, we are the reason you no longer have a family, home, or pack to return to."


    My throat tightened, not because I felt sad about not having a home, but because they still believed I ever had a home and a family to begin with.


    "I... I don¡¯t know what to say," I whispered, voice thin as frost.


    "You don¡¯t have to say anything, juste. We want you there," he said.


    Draven nodded at me, his eyes gentle as if he was affirming his brother¡¯s words.


    We ended the call, and for a moment the air was thick - with snow, with hesitance, with possibility.


    Draven took my hand in his. "I¡¯ll help you pack. We have the evening. Most students will be gone, so we¡¯ll be able to slip out without getting noticed."


    I nodded softly before leading him to my room. The moment we stepped through the door, something clicked in my mind and I ended up chuckling which made him arch his eyebrows.


    "What¡¯s so funny?"


    "I just realized this is your first time using the main door instead of the balcony ones to step into my room," I said and watched as realization hit him too.


    "That¡¯s... well... it is what it is." He shrugged and moved to grab my suitcase while I started taking out clothes from my closet.


    Woolen tops, trousers, sweaters, long winter coats, thermal wear, casual clothes, pajamas, a robe, inner wears, socks, a pair of shoes, toiletries, skincare and little bit of makeup, my medicines - Draven kept checking items on some invisible list as he helped me pack.


    It took barely half an hour for us to pack enough for me to survive two weeks at the mansion.


    Once we were done packing, I quickly fixed my bed and double-checked whether the balcony door was locked or not. Then, the two of us moved to themon room along with my suitcase.


    "Have you already taken care of your friends¡¯ Christmas presents? I didn¡¯t see them just now." He asked as the two if us settled down on the big couch in front of the firece.


    "I did yesterday." I replied, letting him pull my head to rest against his chest.


    Fortunately, the Academy provided the courier service for Christmas. So I visited the office previous evening and posted all the presents.


    The fire crackled gently as snow began to swirl against the windowpanes. I nestled into Draven¡¯s chest, allowing the warmth to soak into my bones.


    He stroked my hair softly. "You are a wonderful friend. Your friends are lucky."


    I closed my eyes. "I¡¯m lucky." I leaned up and kissed his jaw. It was a soft, lingering brush of lips that made his breath hitch.


    The two of us fell quiet, wrapped in each other¡¯s presence. There were no more questions, no more talking for a while, only the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat beneath me. Minutes ticked by until he finally whispered, "Are you ready?"


    I nodded. "I feel ready. At least as much as I ever can to face that ce of yours."


    It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t returned to the mansion at all ever since getting admitted to Silver Moon, but that brief visit barely countedpared to the two weeks I was about to spend there. Not only I didn¡¯t have great memories of that ce, but I was still wondering on how River was going to react to my presence in his house.


    "Stop worrying," Draven whispered as he tightened the nket around us before cing a kiss on the top of my head. "We still have nearly two hours to wait. You can get some sleep in the meantime if you want."


    I rxed fully, letting his steady warmth lull me toward sleep. The crackle of the fire and the soft click of the clock¡¯s pendulum lulled me into that drift between wakefulness and dreams.


    His voice, low and almost reverent, pulled me back. "I¡¯ll wake you up once it¡¯s time."


    I nodded through my sleep-fogged mind. "Mmm."


    He chuckled quietly, and I felt him kissing my hair again.


    And before I even knew it, I was lost in the world of pleasant dreams.

 Chapter 208: Planning to be Friends

    <h4>Chapter 208: nning to be Friends</h4>


    Evaline:


    I gazed through the car window as Draven steered through the towering iron gates of the Thorne estate. Even though night had already swallowed the sky, the world beyond was banished by the glow ofmp-posts lining the winding drive.


    The entire estate was aglow with twinkling Christmas lights that were tracing the edges of hedges and the mansion¡¯s gothic spires. A soft cinematic hush followed us inside the gates, punctuated only by the crunch of fresh snow under tires.


    Draven pulled into the cobblestone courtyard beside the grand fountain, and I did not bother distracting myself with thendscape anymore. I was already holding my breath while my heart fluttered in anticipation.


    He turned the car off before stepping out and opening the passenger door. I climbed out, shivering with more than just cold. There was a mixture of anxiety and wonder crawling through me.


    I watched as Draven propped my suitcase beside the car trunk and shut it.


    Just then I spotted Sera and three familiar staff making their way from th east side of the building. Their expressions froze as soon as their curious gazesnded on me, their eyes widening in surprise.


    I turned abruptly toward the car that just came to a stop behind Draven¡¯s, needing something else to focus on. Less than a secondter, Kieran stepped out with crispposure.


    He handed the car key to one of the servants and made his way toward us. "You two just standing out here is ridiculous. Come inside before you freeze." His tone was filled with amusement as he walked past me and took the lead.


    We followed him through the main entrance into the mansion¡¯s great hall. The grandeur was always there, yet tonight?... the ce looked breathless. Columns wrapped in gands, a huge crystal chandelier lit with pale gold light, and firelight flickering across tapestries of deep reds and greens made it feel like I had stepped into another world.


    But I wasn¡¯t really looking at decorations... I was searching. And it turned out someone was aware of my scanning gaze.


    Kieran teased softly, "Don¡¯t worry, River is not crouching behind a holly bush to scare you." Embarrassment made me flush, the joke wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Maybe I was afraid of how he would react to me showing up here unannounced.


    Dusty snowfall was pattering faintly against the windows as Draven and Kieran guided me upstairs. We climbed the wide staircase, then down a long hallway before turning toward a door.


    "Here¡¯s your room." Draven announced softly, almost as if he was holding his breath, before shoving the door open.


    I stepped inside... and my breath caught.


    The bedroom was HUGE! It was big enough that one could set up five different bedrooms in it.


    Wide eyed, I took in every little detail of the masterpiece of architectural elegance and modern luxury present before me.


    A massive, arched floor-to-ceiling window was dominating one wall, its ck metal grid dividing the ss into perfect symmetry. It was flooding the room with the soft hues of the dcorative lights outside, casting golden reflections across the gleaming marble floors.


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    The bed was positioned against a paneled feature wall with built-in lighting. The bedding was in soft brown and beige, with plush pillows and a sleek velvet bench at the foot of the bedpleting the picture of indulgentfort.


    Arge photo of a misty forest scene was hanging above the bed. Below, nightstands with elegantmps and bronze details were sitting on either side of the bed.


    To the left of the bed, near the window, was a cozy seating nook with two leather chairs and a low coffee table. There were also tall indoor nts sitting around the room.


    A thick rug was spread across the floor, inviting me to walk on it bare feet.


    But if this wasn¡¯t already breathtaking enough, I waspletely at a loss for words when my gaze followed the spiral staircase next to the bathroom, leading up to what seemed like a private library/study.


    The room was designed as a double-height ceiling with a mezzanine level. A sleek, wrought-iron railing with gold ents enclosed the space, running the length of the upper floor. From below, I was able to see bookshelves filled with leather-bound books and scrolls.


    "River designed this ce. It was a lounge area, a rxing space for us. But we haven¡¯t used this ce in recent years. So, when I was discussing with Oscar and Draven about inviting you here, we decided to renovate it just for you." Kieran filled me in as he watched my stunned expression.


    His words made me turn my shocked gaze to him. Not only he just confirmed that except for River, they all were part of this n, but also that such a room had been renovated within days just for me.


    I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to fathom how much money they poured into transforming it so quickly. They cared that much... enough to give me a private, grand bedroom I didn¡¯t deserve.


    My eyes searched for Draven and I saw him observing me closely, it was almost as if he was waiting for some sort of confirmation.


    Kieran pulled my attention back to him as he spoke. "Take your time. Settle in. We¡¯ll be down for dinner in about an hour." He gave me a warm smile and turned to leave, motioning Draven along.


    But Draven... he was up to something. He stepped beside me and draped one arm around my shoulders. I stiffened slightly, surprised by his action. "I¡¯ll stay here to her unpack, I¡¯m nning to be friends with her since we are almost same age."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes flickered to Draven¡¯s resting hand. He reached out and effortlessly pped it away. "Respectful distance, Draven."


    Draven opened his mouth, as if to protest. He nced at me, his eyebrows raised, then directed his question to me. "Is it okay if I help you unpack?"


    I took a breath and ¡¯considered¡¯ before answering. "Yes-yes, I would like that."


    My lie felt thin. The truth was, I was thrilled at the idea of him staying near me.


    Kieran was silent for a moment but he didn¡¯t object. He gave one more brotherly warning to Draven through onest nce before he left the room.


    <strong>* * *</strong>


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    Hopefully, the details of the bedroom wasn¡¯t too much (though I feel it was).

 Chapter 209: A Temporary Home

    <h4>Chapter 209: A Temporary Home</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Once Kieran exited the room, I turned. I was about to ask Draven about the ¡¯friends¡¯ statement, but I froze when he suddenly pulled me into his arms and kissed me.


    A surge of surprise overwhelmed me for a heartbeat... then desire took over. I wrapped my arms around him, returned the kiss just as passionately, feeling the warmth of his lips, the familiar scent of him, wrapping around me like a nket.


    Our lips moved together in sync and our breaths deepened. My head started spinning as our bond¡¯s feelings overwhelmed me. After a few moments, I tried to pull back, whispering, "The door¡¯s not locked... what if Kieran-" My words trailed off as he pressed into me deeper.


    But then he paused mid-kiss and his eyes flicked to the door. He released me, stepped away and walked over to lock it with careful fingers. I watched him, shaking my head with an amused smile. He returned to me, sliding his arms around me again, and our lips met once more... softly at first, then turning hungry.


    We only broke apart when we were both out of breath. I leaned into him, my chest heaving as I looked up. The firelight was casting soft shadows across his face.


    My pulse was throbbing in my ears. I finally found air and spoke, my voice trembling with a mixture of emotion and nerves. "What was all that... about being friends?"


    His lips curved into a sly smile. "That was part of the n," he said, and then almost made me shriek when he spun me gently in his arms before settling again. "By saying ¡¯friends,¡¯ I get to be near you, enter your room... touch you - like friends do - without raising suspicion from Kieran or River."


    Pride was shining in his eyes as he continued, "As long as I¡¯m your friend, I can be with you... around you, without needing to sneak. That way they will think it¡¯s all innocent."


    Iughed softly, shaking my head... but warmth flooded me. I leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek. At seven inches shorter than him, I bobbed up to do so. His grin let me know I had delighted him.


    "Oh!" He suddenly clicked his fingers and the shine in his eyes became brighter if even possible. "I just realized that this n of mine might make someone jealous."


    I didn¡¯t need to ask him who he was talking about. "You are such a mean brother."


    He immediately pulled me closer and stared down in my eyes. "Why? Feeling bad for your other mate?" There was a hint of possessiveness in his voice, but not the bad kind. He wasn¡¯t mad about me caring for Oscar.


    I ran a finger down his temple and stopped at his chin, tilting his face up as I inched closer to whisper against his corbone. "Not as long as I get to enjoy both yourpanies during my stay here."


    The smile he gave me made it clear just how happy he was with my response. We shared another quick kiss before we finally turned our attention to the task at hand - unpacking.


    He led me over to the long wall along the headboard side of the bed. Beside it, he pointed out a nearly invisible sliding panel, cleverly camouged with woodgrain.


    "That¡¯s your walk?in closet and dressing room," he said, sliding it open to reveal racks, shelves, mirrors, and soft lighting built in. I stared at it, once again speechless. I had never had space like this. Scratch that, I hadn¡¯t seen a bedroom like this even on inte. The ce felt like a modern fantasy.


    I sent a look to him, half-amazed, half... well, overwhelmed. He shrugged but with affection. "You needed the space. Oscar and Kieran helped design it... and so did I."


    Over the next ten or so minutes, we unpacked together. I ced a few sweaters and shirts onto shelves, folded scarves in drawers, set down my small selection of skincare and medicines. I lined up my shoes and hung up dresses and coats. Even then, my things upied less than a quarter of the space.


    Draven stepped back and asked, "Do you... like it?"


    I paused at the final drawer, turned to him slowly, nodded... and blinked back tears of gratitude. "It¡¯s... it¡¯s unbelievable." My voice was shaking slightly. "Did you... did you really set it all up for me?"


    He pushed a single silver strand from my face, brushing his thumb across my cheek. "Oscar, Kieran, and I... we discussed how to make this special for you. Kieran personally arranged the library upstairs, and I¡¯m sure more than half of those books are on herbs and potions."


    I chuckled while he smiled, then continued.


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    "Oscar and I worked on the rest. Oscar took care of the furniture, decorations, and nts, while I picked the color palette and designs. We pooled ideas and... this is the final result."


    I let the disbelief melt into awe. "You all made this... for me." My words were breathless.


    He nodded. "You deserve it." He guided me into a gentle hug, and I inhaled his warmth once more.


    We returned to finishing tiny details - cing myptop, tablet, and chargers on the table, put academic books on a small bedside shelf, and lit up a scented candles.


    Once we were done, I walked up to the floor-to-ceiling windows, taking in the snow that was falling heavily now.


    I felt Draven stepping behind me before he slipped his arms around my waist from behind. I stiffened, mu eyes searching the garden down below.


    "Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s one-way ss." He whispered in my ear as if he knew exactly what caused my worry. I rxed immediately, even feeling good about the piece of information.


    "How about we go downstairs now?" he murmured. "Dinner¡¯s waiting."


    I nodded, resting my head against his chest. My own heart was pounding, mind awhirl. As we prepared to leave, I paused for a second. "Thank you," I whispered.


    He kissed my temple. "It¡¯s my pleasure, Love."

 Chapter 210: Alpha’s Fun-spoiler

    <h4>Chapter 210: Alpha¡¯s Fun-spoiler</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I made my way toward the door and unlocked it, ready to step out, but froze when I found someone standing there with their hand raised as if about to knock.


    Before either of us could speak, Draven appeared behind me and drew me close from behind, looping his arm around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder and turned his head slightly, shing that impish grin of his.


    I felt his amusement, and shook my head before turning my attention back to Oscar who was watching us with one eyebrow arched in yful curiosity.


    "How can we help you, brother?" Draven purred, his tone teasing as he kept me snug against him.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze traveled from Draven to me and back, and quiet amusement danced in his eyes. His tone warm and steady as he asked simply, "What¡¯s going on here?"


    He didn¡¯t seem surprised or jealous, just curious to know how his brother had ended up in my room. He leaned forward, seeking exnation.


    I drew a steadying breath and spoke calmly. "Darven told Professor Kieran that he wants to be friends with me and stayed behind to help me unpack," I exined, trying to soften my tone even as I felt my cheeks warming. "He said this is his n to stay close to me openly for next two weeks without alerting Professor Kieran or River."


    Oscar shifted his gaze back to his brother, almost looking impressed.


    "And he also said it might make you jealous," I blurted, not wanting to miss this chance to tease Draven.


    I felt his body shifting behind me as he whispered in my ear, "My fun-spoiler." His breath was warm against my ear, but it almost made me shiver.


    "What do you say?" Draven asked Oscar.


    Oscar nodded his head, confirming that he was indeed impressed with his brother¡¯s n. "Whatever little brain you have in there, it¡¯s working great for you. Keep up the work."


    Draven groaned while I tried to stop the smile that was threatening to curve the corners of my lips, but failed miserably.


    Oscar then stepped forward and surprised me as he brushed his lips against my forehead in a quick, affectionate gesture. The warmth of that kiss brushed through me.


    He stepped back but not before brushing his fingers over my cheek softly. "I¡¯ll join you guys downstairs shortly." And with that, he turned around and walked away, his warm smile lingering behind.


    I was ready to step out, but before I could have taken a step forward, Draven pulled me back and closed the door. The next thing I knew, my back was pressed firmly against the door and I was held there captive by my mate.


    His eyes were dark, and when he spoke, his voice sounded deep. "You¡¯ll be punished for spoiling my n of making him jealous."


    And before I could have even wrapped my head around that warning, his mouth imed mine in a deep and urgent kiss.


    It was five intense, electrifying minutester that we both finally stepped out of the bedroom and made our way downstairs. I had to even apply a lip oil to hide the redness that resulted from the heat of kissing.


    We finally entered the grand living room and my eyesnded on Kieran who was already there, dressed casually and looking the most rxed I had ever seen him.


    He was busy carefully cing a crystal ball ornament onto the towering Christmas tree. His golden hair was brushed loose over his shoulders, adding a softness to his usually tidy professor look.


    The room was glowing from the lights of the firece and the tree, making it felt cozy, warm, like a sanctuary after the sensual rush backstage.


    <fn41ea> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find¡¤novel</fn41ea>


    Draven settled down in one of the plush couches and signaled for me to do the same. Kieran chose that moment to turn his attention to us and our gazes collided. He smiled and I smiled back in response, feeling slightly nervous.


    "Feeling at home?" he asked gently as he motioned for me toe over to here he was standing. I approached him and he handed me a booklet from some Christmas tree store.


    "It¡¯s really nice here," I said, looking at the booklet in confusion before shifting my attention to him.


    "One of the most fun and important part of celebrating Christmas is to decorate the tree. Unfortunately, ours got almost fully decorated before we came up with the idea of inviting you here," he started exining, "Now, you can pick one of the trees from this booklet to your liking and we will order it. There¡¯s not just different sizes avable but also options for decoration themes and pallets. Of course, if you want to go shopping for one yourself, it can be done as well."


    I stared at him, surprised how considerate he was being. I shook my head. "I really appreciate the offer, but I don¡¯t there¡¯s need to-"


    "Oh c¡¯mon Eva! Stop declining everything."


    Draven suddenly spoke, stopping me mid-sentence. I watched as he stood up, approached me, and grabbed my hand before pulling me to sit on the big couch and took a seat right next to me.


    He was so quick and natural with his move, that it wasn¡¯t just Kieran staring at him surprise, but even my heart was thundering in my chest.


    "It¡¯s Christmas. You are supposed to enjoy it. And just like Kieran said, decorating the Christmas tree is one of the most fun part of it. So, it¡¯s decided. We are getting you a tree to set up in your room, and we all will decorate it together." His tone was final, and his eyes seemed to be saying more than just his words.


    He wanted to do this with me - decorating the tree.


    I smiled softly and nodded my head. "Alright."


    "Well done, Draven."


    Oscar¡¯s voice greeted us as he entered the living room and made his way toward us. Kieran was also looking at his youngest brother with an approving gaze.


    Right at that moment, the sound of a car pulling up in front of the mansion caught my attention. I held my breath, and waited... knowing already who wasing.

 Chapter 211: The Accident

    <h4>Chapter 211: The ident</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence settled like a heavy nket in the living room. And I wasn¡¯t the only one staring at the entrance, the brothers too had their eyes fixed on the entrance as we all waited for a certain person to stepped in.


    Seconds ticked by, but in that moment time felt endless. I could feel the tension humming in the air, vibrating against my skin. My each heartbeat was echoing louder than thest. I quickly nced between the men, and found each of them frozen in their own hope and uncertainty.


    And then, after what felt like forever but were merely a couple of moments, River finally stepped inside.


    He paced in with a confident stride, intent on his phone call. He was talking about some important business project. He barely cast a nce our way as he gave his brothers a quick nod, still engrossed in conversation. A servant approached to take his coat and disappeared with it just as quickly and quietly.


    Secondster, he ended the call, pocketed his phone, and looked up.


    His gaze swept across the group and froze when it registered me. Surprise flitted on his face, then doubt, then an inscrutable calm. His eyes darted to his brothers, and I held my breath.


    Though he didn¡¯t voice the question out loud, Kieran still provided the exnation. "River... Miss Evaline is staying with us for the holidays," he announced casually, though each word felt drenched in significance.


    My heart was thundering against my ribs as I anticipated his objection. After all, he had always told me clearly to stay away from his brothers. He made it perfectly known. I knew he wouldn¡¯t be happy about my presence in his house. But, as the seconds stretched, he simply nodded. "Okay."


    Just that single word.


    All I could feel was the slick of shock in my brain. Disbelief. He didn¡¯t push back. He didn¡¯t re. He didn¡¯t ask why. No anger... just eptance, or even approval.


    A hush descended, broken only by the quiet shuffle as Sera materialized from the shadows. River instructed her crisply, "Dinner in five minutes." Then he turned to us. "I¡¯ll be down shortly," he said, before taking that brief, lingering look at me - it was like an acknowledgment, and then he walked away.


    I stared after him in shock, and the brothers were mirroring my bewilderment, their eyes flickering between each other. But then Oscar exhaled and all three of them rxed. The important thing was - River wasn¡¯t against my stay here.


    In the dining hall, we found our ces easily. The table was set grandly - eight chairs, flickering candlelight, the scent of roasting meats and spiced wine draped across the atmosphere. I slipped into the chair between Draven and Oscar, and they both fell into position as though this had been nned forever.


    Kieran sat opposite Draven. River returned in five and settled down on the head seat, as though nothing unusual had happened.


    But everything was unusual.


    At one point, I felt his gaze on me, but when I looked up, I found him talking with Kieran.


    My attention then shifted to the maid who appeared next to me with a bowl of warm chicken soup. But as she lifted it, something went wrong... or so I thought. The bowl tipped and spilled down my thigh and knee, hot liquid soaking through the wool of my trousers.


    A sh of agony seized me. Hot pain bloomed through my leg. I gasped and jerked... suddenly aware of every eye on me.


    Draven reached out as though to steady me, Oscar¡¯s hand locked on the armrest. Kieran stood up so fast the chair screeched back. Only River remained sitting steady as the storm broke.


    <fn04a1> ?????? ???? F?nd-Novel</fn04a1>


    "Get ice-at once!" he barked.


    Within seconds, other servants rushed to obey. Kieran strode to my side, now fully present as his calm demeanor vanished, reced by steel. He took the ice packs and pulled my chair away from the mess on the floor.


    Then he was kneeling in front of me and raising my trouser to ce the ice packs against my burnt skin that had already turned bright red.


    I felt Oscar and Draven¡¯s presence around me and then the former ced his hand on my shoulder. Without thinking, I reached out to grab it, whimpering as pain made the back of my eyes burn.


    "It¡¯s alright. Just breathe." Draven whispered, the worry clear in his voice.


    "Draven,e here and hold these packs. I¡¯ll grab a burn healing ointment from myb." Kieran let Draven rece him and disappeared somewhere, only to appear momentster.


    He handed me a small crystal vial of potion that was for relieving pain, and then once again kneeled to apply the cold and soothing gel balm on my burnt skin.


    "How are you feeling now?" He asked once he was done carefully applying the ointment.


    I nodded my head, already feeling much better than I was moments ago. "I think it¡¯s working. Thank you."


    He released a small sigh and stood up, turning to face River. But before he could have spoken, River spoke. His voice was ice-cold, dripping with his Alpha aura that had me shivering and clutching on Oscar¡¯s hand tightly.


    "Did you spill this by ident?" He asked the maid who had spilled the soup. His tone was quiet but lethal, and there was a clear warning that he wouldn¡¯t ept a lie.


    A hush fell over the dining hall. I would have considered the maid innocent if not for how badly she was trembling while standing next to Sera.


    Sera swallowed. "M-my lord, I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry. She didn¡¯t mean to-"


    "Are you saying it was an ident?" River¡¯s eyes narrowed on her. "She were steady until this moment. She was handling the bowl... and then, it fell." He took a breath and spoke to the entire staff present. "This is Miss Evaline, our special guest over the holidays." His voice lifted, strong andmanding. "I want every single one of you on your best behavior around her. And if anyone makes her stay ufortable - no slip-ups, no apologies - if I have even the faintest suspicion, you will all regret it."

 Chapter 212: She’s Paranoid

    <h4>Chapter 212: She¡¯s Paranoid</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room stilled as River¡¯s warning rang in the silence. The servants froze and so did I. Thest thing I expected was to witness him standing up for me... and that too against his own staff.


    "Am I clear enough?" He asked, his gaze drifting over the group of servants who all quickly followed Sera¡¯s lead and echoed ¡¯Yes, Alpha¡¯.


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    But if I thought this was the end, then I was in for a surprise as River next turned his full attention to the maid who had spilled the soup on me.


    "No sry for next three months. Send her to work in the fields for next three months." His voice held no mercy or warmth, just pure coldness and an authority that no one in the room dared to defy.


    The maid was on her knees, her head bowed as she cried silent tears but didn¡¯t dare to ask for leniency. No one did.


    River¡¯s gaze then moved to Sera. "Take her as a lesson and make sure such mistakes aren¡¯t repeated, or you will be the first one to answer."


    "Yes, My Lord." Sera quickly bowed, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled the maid to her feet and disappeared from the dining hall.


    Within minutes, the floor was cleaned and everyone was back at the table to finally start the dinner.


    "How are you feeling?" Oscar asked as he settled down in his chair once again.


    I nodded. "The pain is almost gone." Now that things were calming down, I was finally able to recall my mistake when I grabbed Oscar¡¯s hand. But neither River or Kieran seemed like they had noticed, or if they did, then they didn¡¯t think too much about.


    "Do you want to get changed first?" Kieran asked when he noticed me fixing my trouser that was still rolled up to keep the burnt skin from getting irritated.


    I quickly shook my head. "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll get changedter. Please start the meal."


    Kieran nodded and the dinner finally began as the earlier tremor of tension eased into a steady hum of polite conversation. I mostly stayed silent unless Kieran asked me something every now and then to keep me included in the conversation.


    I kept my focus on the food that pretty much made up for the pain that I just experienced moments ago. Knowing that it wasn¡¯t just an ident, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how unhappy the servants, or at least few of them, were to see me returning here... as a guest this time.


    I also felt Oscar¡¯s worry for me through our bond, and I passed him a soft smile when I was sure River and Kieran weren¡¯t noticing. On the other hand, while my bond with Draven wasn¡¯t strong enough for us to feel each other¡¯s emotions, I knew he was just as worried as his brother. So I gave him a reassuring smile as well.


    Myst meal was the lunch, so I was really hungry. Hence, I made sure to fill my stomach with the dishes that made me feel like I was eating at a fice-star restaurant.


    I ignored the cold smoked salmon and reached out for the delicious looking sd. It tasted just as good as it looked. Chicken soup no longer looked appetizing so I instead focused my attention to the lemon herb roasted chicken. I also added veggies, a stuffed bell pepper, and a little bit of the creamy mashed potatoes to my te.


    For desert, there were two options - strawberry cheesecake and warm apple tart. I went for thetter and almost moaned the moment it melted in my mouth. My taste buds were on cloud nine at the moment.


    I was about halfway through my apple tart, when I caught River looking at me... and this time, he didn¡¯t bother looking away. And as I looked into his eyes, I realized that he wasn¡¯t simply tolerating my presence... but he had epted it, embraced it.


    My heartbeat stuttered. I was confused by the realization. What did this even mean? What was he up to this time?


    Call me paranoid for all you want, but I had learned my lesson - to not blindly trust River Thorne - in the worst way possible. Even if he was indeed being considerate toward me as a guest, I would rather believe he had something sinister nned in disguise.


    I was the first one to look away and I quickly finished the desert. Still, I didn¡¯t move to leave as it didn¡¯t seem like the right thing to do as a guest.


    Five minutester, the dinner came to an end. Servants appeared to clean up the table while the brothers stood up to head to the living room.


    "I¡¯ll retire to my room now. Thank you for the lovely dinner," I said with a polite smile, ready to disappear.


    Fortunately, no one objected or tried to apany me. But Kieran did add - "I¡¯ll drop byter to check the burn. Okay?"


    I nodded and turned away, making my way out of the dining hall while I felt all four of their gazes fixed on my back.


    Back in my - Huge - bedroom, I locked the door and pressed the switch Draven showed me earlier to cover the windows with curtains. Even though I knew it was one-way ss, I still couldn¡¯t make myself undress until thick, dark curtains were covering them.


    With the room secured, I finally started peeling my clothes away. The inside if the mansion was warm because of the heating system, so there was no need for wearing severalyers of clothes. Even a simple top and bottom was enough to walk around the ce without feeling any cold.


    I wrapped a stic wrapped around the burned area on my leg before I got under the shower. To keep the skin from getting irritated by clothes, I ended up wearing the only pair of shorts pajamas I tossed in my suitcase during packing.


    I just finished getting ready for bed when I heard someone knocking on my door.

 Chapter 213: A Sip of Truth

    <h4>Chapter 213: A Sip of Truth</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The door shut behind me with a soft thud as I entered my room, sealing me off from the rest of the world...or at least for tonight.


    My limbs were aching and my neck was stiff from sitting through endless meetings at thepany. Too many numbers. Too many people. Too many damn eyes watching me, waiting for a single crack in the image I had spent years perfecting.


    Without turning on the main lights, I made my way to the bathroom, tugging off my tie and tossing it somewhere near the chair. My clothes were gone in no time. The shower hissed to life, its warm spray fogging up the ss. I stepped under it, letting the water beat against my skin, hotter than it probably should have been. But I weed the sting. It cut through the stiffness in my muscles and the deeper, darker tension buried beneath my skin.


    I stayed there longer than usual. Long enough for the steam to fog up the mirror and drip down the tiles like sweat. But eventually, I turned the water off and reached for the towel.


    With pajamas on and damp hair brushed back, I stepped into the warmth of my bedroom, drawn immediately to the small wine cab in the corner near the firece.


    This wasn¡¯t a celebration. This wasn¡¯t a moment of joy. Instead, it was one of those nights I needed something stronger than silence.


    I uncorked the bottle and poured myself a ss. The fire had already been lit earlier, and a soft glow was dancing against the ss windows overlooking the east garden. I settled into the couch with ss in hand, watching the quiet flicker of mes.


    I had barely taken my second sip when the knock came.


    Soft. Predictable.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t have to.


    <fn8bca> This content belongs to Find?Novel</fn8bca>


    The door opened, and in walked Kieran - freshly showered and wearing his usual silk pajamas that made him look far too harmless for someone like him. His eyes swept over the wine bottle and ss in my hand, and one brow lifted in silent question.


    "Long day," I said simply.


    He didn¡¯tment. He walked over and dropped onto the couch opposite mine, his usual ease dulled by something heavier tonight. Without a word, I poured him a ss too and handed it over.


    We drank in silence, the crackling of fire the only sound between us. Minutes passed. Maybe ten. Maybe five. Long enough for the questions in his head to ripen and press against his lips.


    "Why did you agree to let her stay?"


    Ah. So we were doing this now.


    I leaned back, swirling the wine in my ss. "That¡¯s what¡¯s bothering you?"


    His lips tightened. "It¡¯s not like you."


    I chuckled, but it was dry and humorless. "What¡¯s bothering you more? That I didn¡¯t object... or that I approved it?"


    He didn¡¯t even pretend to think. "That you approved it."


    At least he was honest.


    I sipped again, this time letting the silence hang between us. I could feel his eyes on me - curious, cautious, even a bit concerned. But before I gave him what he came for, I decided to turn the table first.


    "Then let me ask you something," I said, shifting slightly to look him in the eye. "Why did you invite Evaline here in the first ce?"


    He didn¡¯t flinch. He set the ss down and met my gaze with something that bordered on fury, but a controlled one, the kind only he could manage.


    "Because you destroyed her world," he said, not bothering to sugarcoat the truth. "You didn¡¯t just kill the Alpha. You razed the entire Shadowfang Pack to ash. Her home. Her family. Her future. She has no one left, River. No ce to go. No family to hold her. We took that from her. You took that from her."


    He paused, exhaling slowly as if trying to release the weight of it. "So offering her a ce to spend her holidays for a few weeks isn¡¯t kindness. It¡¯s the bare minimum. It¡¯s what we owe."


    His voice stayed calm. Gentle, even. He always did have a way of making harsh truths sound like lubies. But I knew the storm behind his restraint. Knew how hard it was for him to say those words out loud.


    I didn¡¯t mind them. Not anymore.


    I tapped my finger against the rim of the ss and pointed at him. "That¡¯s exactly why I said yes."


    He blinked, visibly thrown. "What?"


    "I said yes for the same reason you brought her here. Because we took everything from her. We left her with nothing."


    His suspicion was instant. He sat up straighter, the wine forgotten. "Are you saying you feel guilty?"


    My lips lifted at the corner. "No."


    That wasn¡¯t it. It was never just guilt.


    "Then...?" he asked, searching my face as if trying to see through the cracks I rarely showed anyone.


    I tilted my head, watching the firelight dance in his winess. "She¡¯s still breathing, Kieran. Still standing. After everything we did... I did... she hasn¡¯t begged. She hasn¡¯t broken."


    I looked up at him, my voice quieter. "Don¡¯t you want to know why?"


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. His eyes flicked down, something close to shame settling in the lines of his face. "I thought you had lost it," he said quietly. "The ability to care."


    My heart didn¡¯t sting at his words. It should have, but it didn¡¯t.


    I raised my ss and finished it in a single slow sip. "Maybe I had."


    He looked up, his face unreadable now.


    "But not entirely," I added. "Apparently."


    He gave me a faint smile. "Thank you, River."


    I nodded, barely acknowledging it. "Go to bed brother."


    He stood and left, pausing only at the door to look back at me. Then he was gone.


    And I was alone again.


    Momentster, I stood slowly and walked to the shelf beside my desk. My fingers moved with practiced ease, retrieving the folder hidden behind two thick ledgers. I returned to the couch, flipping it open with a soft breath.


    The familiar pages greeted me - Photos. Reports. Witness statements. Surveince stills.


    Every detail of Evaline Greystone¡¯s life from the day she was born to the day she was captured and thrown into my dungeons.


    The day Jasper handed me this folder, I was expecting anything but what it contained, it carried the story of a girl the world had already broken... long before I ever stepped in.


    I remembered the nausea that had twisted in my gut as I read the summary of eighteen years of her life.


    And I remembered the chill that ran down my spine as I realized -


    She wasn¡¯t fighting me.


    She was surviving me.


    And after learning everything about her, I didn¡¯t start to pity her. No! I started respecting her.


    I closed the folder, cing it gently on the table before me.


    The firelight flickered softly, and for the first time in a long while, I wasn¡¯t sure who the real monster had been in the end.


    Me?


    Or the world that had created her?


    Either way... I knew now... I hadn¡¯t been breaking her.


    She had been broken long before I ever touched her.


    And that knowledge?


    It haunted me more than her silence ever could.

 Chapter 214: First Morning at Thorne Estate

    <h4>Chapter 214: First Morning at Thorne Estate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Crossing<strong></strong>the room, I unlocked the door and opened it.


    Only to freeze in ce.


    Kieran was standing in front of me... but he wasn¡¯t alone. Right behind him were Oscar and Draven.


    I blinked once. Then again.


    My heart gave a wild little jump in my chest as I took them in, all three tall and striking in their own ways, filling the narrow hallway with their sheer presence. Kieran looked like he belonged here - calm, gentle smile and warm eyes meeting mine. Oscar, with his unruly hair and quiet intensity, had his hands buried deep in his pockets. Draven stood with his usual rxed arrogance, one brow raised as he studied me.


    I must have looked like an idiot, just standing there staring.


    "Are you going to let us in," Kieran said lightly, his lips curving into a teasing smile, "or would you rather we camp here all night?"


    Heat rushed to my cheeks as I stepped aside. "Sorry-please,e in."


    They walked in without hesitation with Kieran leading the way with his familiar confident stride. Oscar followed with silent grace, while Draven gave me a wink as he passed. And both my mates made sure to brush their hands against mine as they stepped in.


    I shut the door behind them and followed after them.


    "I hope we are not intruding," Kieran began as he turned to face me. "Oscar and Draven wanted to check in on you. They insisted oning with me, and I figured... well, I figured you wouldn¡¯t mind. But I understand if this is too much."


    I gave him a small smile. He didn¡¯t need to exin. He probably thought it was odd for three men to show up at a woman¡¯s door at night just to ¡¯check¡¯ on her. But I knew the truth - Oscar and Draven weren¡¯t here just as the hosts of this ce.


    They were here because they were my mates.


    "No, of course not," I said, carefully keeping my voice neutral. "You are not intruding. It¡¯s nice of them toe."


    I turned to Oscar and Draven, letting a more genuine smile touch my lips. "I¡¯m feeling much better now. The pain is gone thanks to that potion Professor Kieran gave me, and the ointment is working. The skin¡¯s just red now, but it hasn¡¯t gotten worse."


    I kept my words polite and formal... after all, Kieran didn¡¯t know about the mate bonds, but I let my eyes linger a little longer on the two.


    And they understood what I meant - that they didn¡¯t have to worry anymore.


    "That¡¯s a relief," Oscar said softly, his gaze sweeping over me like he needed to confirm it for himself.


    Draven tilted his head. "d to hear it."


    I caught Kieran ncing between us with a soft smile, but he didn¡¯t appear suspicious about the interaction. Instead, he nodded and gestured toward my leg. "Would you mind if I checked the burn again? Just to be sure."


    "Of course," I said and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.


    The skin was still an angry shade of red, but fortunately, it hadn¡¯t developed any blisters. It looked... manageable now.


    Kieran kneeled before me with practiced ease. His fingers were cool and sure as he applied another thinyer of ointment. His brows furrowed as he examined the area.


    <fnefa2> Get full chapters from Find[F]ovel</fnefa2>


    "This is healing faster than expected," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "By tomorrow morning, or at thetest by noon, it should be almost gone."


    I nodded, grateful. "Thank you, Professor."


    "You are wee," he said with a smile as he got back on his feet.


    I looked up to find all three of them studying me - with concern, relief, and something I hadn¡¯t realized I missed - care.


    Kieran gave me a brief pat on the shoulder before stepping back. "Alright, you should get some rest. That¡¯s the best thing you can do now."


    Oscar gave me a small nod. Draven was thest to move, and his eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than the others. He didn¡¯t say anything, but his gaze spoke volumes - <i>I¡¯m here. You are safe.</i>


    I gave him the tiniest smile.


    With that, they turned to leave.


    "Good night," I said quietly as I walked them to the door.


    "Good night," Kieran and Oscar echoed in unison.


    Draven¡¯s voice was softer, but warmer. "Night, Eva."


    When the door closed behind them, the silence settled back into the room.


    I locked the door and walked back to bed, muscles already starting to rx. I was tired... more than I realized. The emotional toll of the day, the pain, and everything else had worn me down. But the bed was warm, the mattress soft, and I let myself sink into itsfort.


    Sleep imed me quickly.


    * * *


    The beeping of my rm jerked me out of slumber at six on the dot.


    I stretched slowly, my body stiff but refreshed. Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep had me feeling refreshed and ready for another Saturday


    After a quick trip to the bathroom, I returned to the room and drank a full ss of warm water from the thermos sitting on the bedside table.


    I used the rug as the yoga mat and began my morning routine - stretching, breathing exercises, and cardio workout approved by the doctor. My muscles ached a little at first but warmed up quickly. The meditation at the end was the best part. I could almost pretend that I was just an ordinary woman, not someone caught in the middle of powerful alphas, secrets, and wounds deeper than skin.


    By seven-thirty, I was showered, dressed, and ready for the day.


    I wore a fitted ck co-ord suit with sleek trousers and a cropped zer. A long white coatyered over it added elegance and authority. My favorite boots - soft leather and sturdy soles - clicked softly as I moved. I pulled my hair into a loose bun, slicked on lip balm afterpleting my five-step skincare routine.


    I looked... professional.


    And strong.


    The way I needed to look.


    When I descended the stairs, the scent of breakfast greeted me first - coffee, toasted bread, butter, and something sweet.


    I paused at the edge of the living room as I found all four brothers already there.


    River was standing near the window, dressed immactely in his signature ck-on-ck suit. He had his phone pressed to his ear as he gave curt orders. Kieran was sitting on the couch, flipping through what looked like a book on herbology, back in his casual workwear even though there were no sses for him to teach today. Oscar and Draven were lounging on the other couch in pajamas, both of them looking like they would have loved to stay in their beds longer... if not for me.


    I offered them a soft smile. "Good morning."


    All but River returned it. "Morning," Kieran said cheerfully. Oscar and Draven echoed him with their own soft and warm greetings.


    Kieran looked up. "How did you sleep?"


    "Better than I expected," I replied.


    Draven was next. "How¡¯s your leg now?"


    "It¡¯s fine now. The burn looks even better this morning."


    He nodded, satisfied, while Oscar gave me a small, approving smile.


    We moved into the dining room and shared a quiet breakfast. Kieran kept me engaged as he talked about the ingredients of a certain tea. On the other hand, Oscar and Draven were busy arguing half-heartedly about who drank thest of the orange juice.


    River didn¡¯t speak to me directly - not that I expected him to. But I noticed he didn¡¯t leave the table until I finished eating. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence.


    After breakfast, I walked toward the front entrance with my phone in hand and a growing sense of dread. I hadpletely forgotten to tell Mr. Wood that I wasn¡¯t at the Academy and he needed to pick me up from the Thorne Estate instead.


    I was about to call him when a voice beside me said, "Need a ride?"


    I turned to find Draven there, dressed in a ck t-shirt and joggers. His car keys were dangling from his fingers and that cocky smirk was ying on his face.


    "I wouldn¡¯t mind," I admitted with a small smile.


    Before I could say more, a car horn cut through the air.


    We both turned simultaneously.


    A sleek ck car was already parked at the entrance.


    The back window rolled down smoothly, revealing River¡¯s unmistakable side profile. He was staring at a tablet, his brows drawn in concentration. He didn¡¯t even nce in our direction.


    "Get in," he said, his voice clipped. "You will bete if you wait for Mr. Wood toe here from the Academy to pick you up."


    I blinked in surprise. So did Draven.


    And before either of us could argue, River added without looking up, "Now, Miss Evaline."


    I didn¡¯t dare make him repeat himself a third time, I knew better than that. Giving Draven a tight smile, I climbed in the seat next to my boss¡¯.

 Chapter 215: Unexpected Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 215: Unexpected Reunion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The car ride to the Council headquarters was wrapped inplete silence. Not thefortable kind, not even the awkward kind... just a void silence that seemed to pull at my thoughts like gravity.


    River didn¡¯t nce at me once after I got in. He sat there, angled just so that his sharp profile caught the glimmer of morning light, scrolling through his tablet like I didn¡¯t exist.


    I sat upright, one leg crossed over the other, and hands tightly clutching my office bag on myp like it might anchor me from the whirlwind of tension that hung between us. After a moment, I slowly pulled out my phone and turned the screen brightness down so he couldn¡¯t catch even the smallest glow.


    I quickly texted Mr. Wood.


    <i>Good morning, Mr. Wood.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m so sorry that I failed to inform about change in my ns. I¡¯ll be staying at the Thorne estate during the holidays. I¡¯m heading to the Council now with Alpha River. Please pick me up from the headquarters after my shift ends this evening. Thanks.</i>


    I paused.


    Then typed another message. This time to Draven.


    <i>Sorry about earlier...</i>


    His reply came instantly.


    <i>Why are you apologizing, sweetheart? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Have a good day at work. And don¡¯t forget to take care of yourself.</i>


    I stared at the message for a second too long. My heart clenched at the term of endearment. "Sweetheart." The word seemed to melt into me, fighting the frosty atmosphere in the car. A soft smile tugged at the corner of my lips, but I forced it down, careful not to draw River¡¯s attention.


    When we finally arrived at the headquarters, he surprised me again when he didn¡¯t get out.


    I blinked. "You are noting in?"


    "No," he said, still not looking at me. "I¡¯m heading to thepany."


    He had driven all this way... just to drop me off? That wasn¡¯t like him. At all.


    Before the car rolled away, he said in that same clipped tone, "Once you are done with the meeting prep, go through the Nightshade Pack updates again. Make sure you are ready before next Sunday."


    "Got it," I replied, even though the car window was already up and his silhouette already fading behind the tinted ss.


    I walked inside, trying not to let the interaction sit too heavily on me. There was work to do.


    Inside the Council building, the mood was brisk and efficient. I joined four other assistants in the main conference room, all of us armed with our individual checklists and agendas. We spent the next few hours checking everything - from the documents for meeting, to the table arrangement, to the updated Alpha Council seat assignments.


    By the time we were done, it was past one, and my stomach growled loud enough to make the woman next to me chuckle.


    Lunch was a brief but pleasant affair. I sat with some of the assistants I had grown familiar with over the past couple of months. The conversation floated between work updates, council politics, and the ridiculous new herbal tea craze that one of the senior members had gotten obsessed with.


    It was easy, grounding. Normal.


    Back at my desk, I pulled up the email from River¡¯s secretary and opened the PDF report on the Nightshade Pack. I dove in with full focus.


    By the time I looked up again, the office was dim, and the digital clock on my screen blinked 5:54 PM.


    Forty minutester, Mr. Wood dropped me back at the Thorne estate.


    As I stepped inside, warmth enveloped me - not just from the carefully controlled interior temperature, but something deeper. Familiar. Inviting.


    But I wasn¡¯t prepared for the next thing I saw.


    Standing near the giant Christmas tree was a small figure in a peach-colored sweater dress, holding a pack of sour candies in one hand and a hopeful smile on her face.


    "Lily?" I breathed out.


    The eight-year-old girl blinked up at me and her eyes widened with recognition.


    "I was waiting for you!" she said, her voice bright with excitement as she ran toward me.


    My heart felt like it had cracked open.


    Last time we met, I was a prisoner here- a filthy, tired, and terrified maid. I still remembered the day she offered me the apple, her tiny hands holding out the fruit like it was a treasure. She didn¡¯t ask questions. She didn¡¯t care that I wasbeled as an enemy.


    She was just kind.


    I knelt and opened my arms. She barreled into them, hugging me tight.


    "You look... different!" she said, pulling back to examine me with her wise little eyes. "You look happier."


    Iughed softly. "Do I?"


    She nodded. "Last time, your eyes were really sad. I remember. But now... they are not."


    I stared at her, surprised by how easily a child could say what most adults couldn¡¯t even guess.


    "Did you really wait just to meet me?" I asked.


    "Mm-hmm. Daddy said you were staying for the holidays. I have been asking the maids since morning if you were back yet."


    I blinked. "Does your father know you are talking to me?"


    She tilted her head. "Why wouldn¡¯t he? He told me himself that you were staying."


    Right. Of course. I wasn¡¯t a maid anymore. I wasn¡¯t a prisoner either. No one could stop her from alking to me now.


    We sat on the edge of the couch in the living room while she told me all about her new painting hobby, her favorite books, and how she wanted to learn how to braid hair. I listened with a full heart, my eyes barely straying from her bright little face.


    Eventually, she paused and looked at me seriously. "Are you going to stay forever?"


    I smiled, but didn¡¯t answer. What could I even say? Forever wasn¡¯t a luxury I could promise...not yet.


    Instead, I touched her cheek gently. "I¡¯ll be around. For a while."


    "That¡¯s good," she whispered. "Because you are my favorite."


    My throat closed up. I swallowed hard and pressed a kiss to her forehead which made her beam at me.


    Somewhere behind us, I heard footsteps approaching, and I stood just as one of the servants came in.


    "Miss Lily, your tutor is ready," he announced.


    She groaned but didn¡¯t argue, and as she left, she waved back at me with both arms like I was some sort of hero she was cheering for.


    For a few seconds after she was gone, I just stood there in the hallway, staring after her.


    Then I turned around and headed upstairs to my room with a smile ying on my lips.<fn4e62> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn4e62>

 Chapter 216: Tempting Her Mate

    <h4>Chapter 216: Tempting Her Mate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was already my third night at the Thorne mansion. A full three days had passed since I stepped back into this ce that once felt like a gilded cage. And now... it was beginning to feel like something else entirely. Warm, weing, and strangely, a ce where I was able to fall asleep peacefully.


    Time was moving quicker than I thought it would. The dread I had anticipated on my first day never arrived, instead, it was reced by a slow, gentle rhythm of routine and moments that made me smile.


    I had expected to feel awkward here, guarded. But I wasn¡¯t. And most of the credit went to my mates... and to Kieran and Lily.


    Oscar and Draven had mastered the art of sneaking around like lovesick teenagers - brushing their fingers against mine in the hallway when no one was watching, catching my hand just before I disappeared behind a door, leaning in for a quick, forbidden kiss in the privacy of my room when they dropped by "without Kieran" right before I went to sleep.


    Each kiss was different. Oscar¡¯s were slow and lingering, like he wanted to memorize every second. Draven¡¯s? Fast, heated, leaving my heart racing long after he pulled away. It was thrilling. Fun. New.


    And then there was Lily.


    Sweet, thoughtful Lily, with her messy curls and that infectious giggle. Earlier in the evening, she spent nearly two hours with me. She had been waiting for me the moment I returned from the Council headquarters an hour early.


    As soon as I stepped inside the mansion, she came barreling toward me like a little whirlwind and dragged me to the couches. We shared snacks and warm chocte milk, and I helped her with her homework - mostly a colorful mess of crayon and glitter.


    And then the board game began.


    We yed four rounds. And I lost all four.


    The little devil celebrated every win like it was a national holiday. I wasughing so much my cheeks started hurting. I didn¡¯t realize how much I missed this kind of joy... how much I missed living.


    When Jasper and River arrived back at the mansion, Lily reluctantly ended our fun. River didn¡¯t say a word, as usual, but his gaze lingered on me longer than I wasfortable with. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was judgment, confusion, or just observation... but he watched. Quietly. Carefully. Then, Jasper thanked me for spending time with Lily and mentioned it was gettingte.


    River tried to convince Jasper to stay for dinner, buttter¡¯s eyes flicked between me and his Alpha before he declined. "I have ns."


    One look into his eyes and I knew what kind of n he might be talking about.


    The moment I got back to my room, I flopped onto the bed and fished out my phone with a wicked grin. I tapped on Mallory¡¯s contact and hit "call."


    She picked up on the second ring.


    "Well, well, well, look who decided to call me back," she teased.


    "You are going on a date with Jasper tonight, aren¡¯t you?" I used, my tone yful and singsong.


    She groaned dramatically. "Are you spying on me now?"


    Iughed, "He came to pick up Lily just now. He left early and told River he had ns. I just knew it has to do something with you."


    "Okay, fine. Maybe I do have a date with my mate. But let¡¯s talk about you, Eva, not me."


    "Me?"


    "You have been living under the same roof as your mates for three days now. Don¡¯t try to tell me nothing has happened."


    "Nothing¡¯s happened," I said, biting my lower lip even as my mind wandered to all the kisses and the touches and-


    Her gasp was loud enough to make me wince. "What?! Still?! Oh,e on! I expected better from Oscar and Draven. You have been in that big mansion, right in their very own territory, and not one of them has even tried to jump you yet?"


    "They have tried," I said,ughing. "Just... not all the way."


    She groaned again, muttering something about useless mates and wasted opportunities. We talked a bit longer before finally ending the call, her parting advice echoing in my ears - "Don¡¯t overthink it. Let yourself be happy, Eva. You deserve it."


    Dinner was surprisingly peaceful. I didn¡¯t talk much... only when one of the brothers made an effort to include me. Draven asked me about work once, but River shut him down with a stern reminder about the "no work talk at the table" rule. It was oddly charming... or perhaps just authoritative.


    Either way, I didn¡¯t mind the silence.


    After dinner, I returned to my room and went straight for a hot shower. The warm water helped melt the tension from my muscles, and thevender shower gel I was growing fond oftely rxed me more than I expected. It was like washing away every bit of the day¡¯s exhaustion.


    Wrapped in a thick robe, I stood in front of the mirror brushing my hair, already half-lost in thought, when the softest knock pulled me back.


    I didn¡¯t have to ask who it was.


    My heart, or more like the mate bond, had already answered.


    Oscar.


    I padded across the room and opened the door, finding him standing there with that smile that always managed to melt my resolve. He slipped inside quickly, both of us grinning like teenagers sneaking around.


    "I¡¯m starting to think you enjoy the risk," I teased, closing the door behind him and locking it.


    "I like the reward," he said, his voice low and smooth. "And anyway, I¡¯m not worried about the servants catching me."


    "Maybe you should. You could get caught."


    "By the servants? No." He smirked. "They know better than toe near your wing at night."


    That made me pause. "Did you... do something?"


    Oscar shrugged, clearly unbothered. "Let¡¯s just say... I have my ways."


    I narrowed my eyes. "So that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t seen anyone around here in days..."


    "They still clean your room," he pointed out, stepping closer. "They just do it when you are gone."


    He reached out and tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear, fingers lingering against my cheek. The way he looked at me... like I was something fragile but precious... sent warmth spreading through my chest.


    "You smell likevender," he murmured, stepping even closer. "You always do after your showers."


    "Is that why you time your visits?"


    "No," he chuckled. "That¡¯s just a bonus."


    Iughed softly, leaning into his touch. He pulled me closer until there was barely a whisper of space between us.


    Then, his lips brushed mine - soft at first, testing. Then firmer. Deeper. My hands found the fabric of his shirt, gripping lightly as he kissed me like he was tasting something he had missed for far too long.


    When we pulled apart, we were both breathing a little heavier.


    <fnc70c> The rightful source is f?ndnovel</fnc70c>


    "You make it very hard to leave," he said.


    "Then don¡¯t," I whispered before I could stop myself.


    The words were soft, unsure... but real. And I didn¡¯t regret speaking them out loud.


    He smiled again, this time slower, warmer. "Tempting," he said, resting his forehead against mine.

 Chapter 217: The Angry Whip Marks

    <h4>Chapter 217: The Angry Whip Marks</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I curled my fingers tighter around the front of his shirt, gripping it with silent desperation. I didn¡¯t want him to go. I didn¡¯t want this moment to end.


    My heart was racing, but I didn¡¯t feel nervous. I felt seen, wanted... safe. And for once, I didn¡¯t want to pretend otherwise.


    He must have felt the unspoken plea in my grip because he smiled again, that warm and devilish smile of his. Then he leaned forward to kiss me once more. I melted against him without hesitation, my lips parting for his as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    <fn98e1> This text is hosted at F¦ÉndNovel</fn98e1>


    He kissed me with slow intensity, like he had all the time in the world to enjoy the taste of me. By the time he pulled away, my knees were weak and my breath hitched in my throat.


    And yet, as he looked at me again, a frown took over his face.


    "You are going to get sick," he muttered as his fingers grazed my damp strands. "Why didn¡¯t you dry your hair? It¡¯s winter. You know that, right?"


    I blinked, a bit dazed. "I was going to-"


    "No excuses." His voice was firm, but yful. He took my hand and tugged me gently toward the walk-in closet. "Sit."


    I obeyed, a little too willingly, and settled in front of the dressing table as he rummaged around for the blow dryer. When he returned, he plugged it in with practiced ease and tested the heat with his fingers. Then he stood behind me and began drying my hair.


    It started as a gentle hum of warm air, but the sensation quickly became something deeper. Somethingforting. His fingers threaded through my wet locks with such care that I found myself leaning into the touch. He moved slowly, methodically, smoothing the strands, his other hand brushing down the length of my hair with a tenderness I didn¡¯t know I needed.


    "You really like taking care of people, don¡¯t you?" I murmured, meeting his gaze through the mirror.


    "I do," he admitted, focused entirely on his task. "But I like taking care of you the most."


    The blow dryer shifted angles as he worked, creating a soft breeze that warmed my skin. Neither of us spoke much after that. The silence between us was filled with something softer than words.


    The asional brush of his fingers against the nape of my neck, the low hum of the dryer, the warmth of his body so close to mine... it was all too easy to forget everything else in that moment.


    Once my hair was dry, he turned off the dryer and put it aside. I stood up just as he stepped away from the vanity, only to feel him stop me gently with a touch to my arm.


    "Not so fast," he said, his voice low again. "Come here."


    I circled the stool, moving closer until I stood beside him. He reached for my wrist, guiding me in front of the mirror again, then stepped behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders.


    "You look like moonlight," he murmured, taking a section of my now dry silver hair and curling it slowly around his index finger. "I swear, when the light hits you just right, you look like a goddess sent straight down from the stars."


    A breath caught in my throat. I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "And this," he whispered, letting the strand fall and reaching to lightly tap the tip of my nose, "might just be my favorite thing. So perfect. You don¡¯t even know how tempting you are when you wrinkle it while thinking."


    That made meugh, it was a soft surprised sound. "You really think I¡¯m that pretty?"


    "I think you are..." He paused, his tone turning more serious as his hand came to hold my chin gently. He tilted my face up until our eyes met in the mirror. "You are breathtaking, Evaline. These eyes..."


    His thumb traced along the underside of my eye. "Amber. Like fire. I love seeing them glow in sunlight. But even in the shadows, they pull me in."


    My heart started thudding, hard and loud in my chest. The way he was looking at me made me feel like the only person in the world. I was so busy trying not tobust under the weight of his gaze that I didn¡¯t even notice his other hand until I felt it at my waist, fingers deftly tugging at the belt of my robe.


    "Oscar..." I breathed.


    "Rx," he murmured.


    He didn¡¯t pull it openpletely... just enough to let the fabric slide off my left shoulder. My breath hitched as the air hit my newly exposed skin. My shoulder. My corbone. The faint upper curve of my left breast. All of it was now visible in the mirror, but I didn¡¯t feel shy. Not when he was looking at me like <i>that</i>.


    "Your skin..." he whispered, bending down to press a slow, lingering kiss on my shoulder. "So smooth. Like a baby."


    His lips left a trail of wet kisses down the length of my shoulder, and I watched it all happen through the mirror...watched the way his eyes softened, the way his expression turned reverent, like he was worshipping me.


    And then...everything shattered.


    His voice. Those exact words.


    <i>So smooth. Like a baby.</i>


    Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t hear Oscar anymore. The room blurred. The soft glow of the vanity lights turned harsh and cold. My heart was now pounding not with affection but with terror. And my hands started trembling.


    And then the memory struck me like a whip.


    ---


    <i>I was huddled in the corner of a dark room, knees pulled to my chest. My hair was dirty, my skin bruised. A figure loomed in front of me - young, but cruel. His eyes held no warmth.</i>


    <i>"Did you forget how much I liked your fair, baby-smooth skin?" he yelled.</i>


    <i>I shook my head frantically, whispering a soft, "No... I didn¡¯t forget."</i>


    <i>His hand pped across my cheek with brutal force and my head jerked back.</i>


    <i>"Then why the hell are there still whip marks on you?!" he screamed, grabbing my arm and pulling it roughly to reveal angry redshes. "Why haven¡¯t you used the ointment I gave you?"</i>


    <i>"I-I will," I cried. "I just... forgot."</i>


    <i>"You forgot?" His voice dropped into something cold and poisonous. "If I see another scar on you, Eva, I swear... I¡¯ll make a new one myself."</i>


    ---


    "Eva." Oscar¡¯s voice was sharp, panicked. "Eva!"


    I gasped.


    The image faded. The room around me shifted back into ce - the warm lights, the soft rug under my feet, the mirror, and Oscar¡¯s arms around me... holding me tight.


    "You are safe," he whispered fiercely. "You are safe with me."


    I clung to him, burying my face into his chest as my whole body shook. I couldn¡¯t speak. Couldn¡¯t find the words. But he didn¡¯t ask. He didn¡¯t push.


    He simply held me, one hand cradling the back of my head, the other gently rubbing my back.


    And for now, that was all I needed.

 Chapter 218: Oscar’s Lullaby

    <h4>Chapter 218: Oscar¡¯s Luby</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes fluttered open slowly. The darkness around me felt unfamiliar at first, though a faint golden glow was flickering nearby - a lone candle burning on the nightstand. The me barely chased away the shadows in the massive room, but it was enough to cast soft silhouettes across the walls.


    The room was filled with warmth, but the warmth surrounding me was different.


    And I soon realized why.


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    Strong arms were wrapped around me from behind, cocooning me in a nket of safety andfort. The familiar scent was wrapped around my senses. His heartbeat was thrumming against my back, steady and grounding, and the bond between us was gently pulsing like a second heartbeat inside my chest.


    Oscar.


    He was awake. I could feel it, not just from the way his thumb was brushing softly against my arm in slow, absent circles, but through the silent awareness humming between us.


    I vaguely remembered him carrying me to the bed, and it seemed like I ended up falling asleep while wrapped in his protective embrace.


    I shifted slightly under the nket, just enough for my hand to find his resting on my waist.


    "You are awake," he whispered. His voice was low and deep, rumbling behind me like distant thunder on a quiet night.


    I turned in his arms, blinking up at him as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. His face came into view, half-cast in candlelight, the other in shadow - yet every inch familiar, every angle painfully beautiful. A soft smile touched his lips.


    "It¡¯s not even midnight," he said, brushing a strand of hair away from my cheek. "You have only been asleep for half an hour."


    "Oh," I murmured, my voiceing out as a whisper of breath. I didn¡¯t know why I woke up. Maybe it was the echo of fear lingering from earlier. Or maybe... I just wanted to look at him.


    His fingers gently traced over my wrist. "Are you still feeling troubled?"


    I paused. My throat tightened with the words I didn¡¯t know how to form. But then, seeing the worry swimming in his eyes, I forced a small smile - not forced because I had to fake it, but because I wanted to reassure him.


    "I don¡¯t want to talk about it yet," I whispered, lowering my gaze. "Not because I don¡¯t trust you... I do. More than I ever trusted anyone. I¡¯m just... not strong enough yet to face that part of my life."


    I looked up slowly, waiting for his expression to twist in disappointment, or frustration, or worse... pity.


    But all he did was nod.


    And then he pulled me close again, tucking my head under his chin and pressing a soft kiss to the crown of my head.


    "I¡¯ll wait," he whispered. "For as long as you need."


    Tears pricked my eyes, but I didn¡¯t let them fall.


    "Do you want to go back to sleep?" he asked, his voice still warm with the gentleness only he and Draven ever showed me. "I¡¯ll stay with you until dawn. Promise."


    I nodded and buried my face in his chest, trying to find thatfort again, the one that held me so tenderly earlier.


    But instead of silence, something else happened.


    He began to sing.


    Softly. Barely above a hum at first, but with a voice that melted like caramel against my ear. I blinked in surprise and a breathyugh slipped from my lips as he sang the first couple lines of a luby. His voice was deep and soulful, holding more emotion than I could have imagined.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, peeking up at him through half-lidded eyes, unable to stop the warmth blooming in my chest.


    He smiled, eyes twinkling. "Practicing."


    "For what? A singingpetition?"


    "No." He leaned down, brushing his nose against mine in the softest nuzzle. "I¡¯m practicing to sing lubies... to our child."


    My breath caught.


    <i>Our child</i>.


    Those words hung in the air, soft but heavy... and the world seemed to tilt slightly under their weight. Tears stung at the back of my eyes, blurring the golden light around his face. It was the first time he had ever called the baby <i>his</i>... ours.


    He knew the truth. That the baby wasn¡¯t his. That it was never supposed to be his responsibility, or burden, or joy. And yet... here he was. iming them as his without a flicker of hesitation.


    "I..." I whispered, blinking through the tears I couldn¡¯t stop now. "You really mean that?"


    His hand moved to rest on my belly. It was the gentlest, softest touch... like he was afraid to break me.


    "There¡¯s no his or yours when ites to you and me," he said softly. "If the baby is part of you, then it¡¯s part of me too."


    The tears slipped free then, hot and quiet. I didn¡¯t even try to wipe them away.


    He just kissed my forehead again, then continued singing.


    His voice filled the quiet, every note tender and full of love I hadn¡¯t realized he carried in such depth.


    <i>Hush now, little light in the dark,</i>


    <i>Safe in the arms that shield your spark.</i>


    <i>The night may whisper, the wind may cry,</i>


    <i>But I¡¯ll be near until stars say goodbye.</i>


    <i>Dream of a world where the skies never fall,</i>


    <i>Where love builds bridges, strong and tall.</i>


    <i>Your heartbeat¡¯s music, your breath a song,</i>


    <i>In this world of mine, you always belong.</i>


    <i>Sleep, my moonbeam, under silver skies,</i>


    <i>Mama¡¯s love in your soul, in your father¡¯s eyes.</i>


    <i>And when the morninges bright and near,</i>


    <i>You¡¯ll wake to a world where you are held so dear</i>.


    By the end of the luby, my tears had dried, and something else had taken root inside me. It felt like a strange kind of peace. Not the kind that says everything is fine... but the kind that says, I¡¯m not alone anymore.


    I pressed a soft kiss to his corbone, feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he gently held me.


    And as I drifted off to sleep once again, I came to a realization.


    Sometimes, family wasn¡¯t about blood or fate.


    Sometimes, it was about the people who stayed.

 Chapter 219: Awkward Morning

    <h4>Chapter 219: Awkward Morning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fn953f> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find~novel</fn953f>


    It was the faint sound of my rm that pulled me out of the warm cocoon of sleep. My eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by a soft morning light sneaking in through the heavy velvet curtains. Instinctively, I reached out to the other side of the bed... only to find it empty.


    But it wasn¡¯t cold.


    The sheets were still warm. Oscar had left... but not long ago. My lips curled into a soft smile as I buried my face into the pillow he used. His scent was still lingering - fresh pinewood, quiet strength, and somethingforting I couldn¡¯t name. For a moment, I let myself be greedy and held onto that warmth.


    And then it hit me.


    For the first time in nearly four months, I had no sses, no long day of work waiting for me, no responsibilities wing at my heels. I was... free. Completely and utterly free to spend the day however I wanted.


    I silenced the rm, as it started ringing again, with a satisfied sigh and curled back under the nket. My fingers rested lightly over the ce Oscar had just upied, and I let myself fall back asleep, feeling more peaceful than I had in weeks.


    When I woke next, the digital clock on the side table blinked <i>9:02 AM</i>. I stretchedzily before pulling myself out of bed, making it neatly out of habit. A little hum left my lips as I padded to the bathroom.


    I didn¡¯t bother with my full morning workout today, but a few stretches made my muscles sigh in relief. After a refreshing shower, I slipped into a soft blue-colored turtleneck and loose ck trousers. It wasfy, cozy, and decent enough for being around the mansion.


    My stomach rumbled as I made my way downstairs. The long hallways were quiet, echoing with the distant footsteps of servants or warriors walking around and their asional muffled voices. I wasn¡¯t sure if any of the brothers were still home. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even know what the n for the day was.


    But I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting to walk into a room full of strangers.


    The moment I stepped into the main living area, a dozen or so heads turned toward me.


    I froze.


    And so did they.


    The air grew thick in an instant, and for several seconds, no one said anything.


    I stared at them - men and women, all dressed sharply, standing in small clusters like they were in the middle of an important meeting. A few were holding folders, others were discussing fabrics and essories lined across the massive ce.


    They were stunned. Not just by the fact that I walked in on them... but because I was here. In <i>this</i> house. In <i>these</i> clothes. And clearly... I didn¡¯t look like a staff.


    I opened my mouth but no words came out.


    Then someone stepped forward.


    "Miss Evaline?"


    It was a familiar voice. I blinked as I recognized the woman in her mid-thirties who was now moving toward me. I realized that she had a new haircut... her previously long hair was now cropped short. She was wearing a crisp grey suit, and holding an iPad in her hand. She was none other than River¡¯s secretary.


    "I-It¡¯s good to see you, Ms. Emma," I stammered awkwardly.


    She smiled - the usual polite, professional, but I didn¡¯t miss the surprise flickering in her eyes. "You too. I didn¡¯t realize you were... here."


    Neither did I. Not like this.


    The others still hadn¡¯t said anything, but I could feel their minds racing behind thoseposed expressions. Who was I? Why was Iing from the hallway leading to the staircases that led to the upper floors - the private rooms? Why was I dressed casually instead of a uniform? Why did River¡¯s secretary seem to know me?


    I was two seconds from awkwardly excusing myself when thest person I expected, or maybe the exact person I <i>should</i> have expected, appeared behind me.


    "Rx, all of you."


    I turned at the sound of River¡¯s voice.


    He was dressed in a ck shirt. The sleeves were rolled up, and a silver watch was glinting on his wrist. His hair was slightly tousled, like he had juste back from outside. He gave me a sideways nce, then stepped beside me without missing a beat.


    "These people are here to help us get ready for the Winter Solstice Ball tonight," he announced to me, not even bothering to address the group. "Don¡¯t mind them."


    I blinked. <i>Right</i>. The ball. How could I have forgotten that?


    He didn¡¯t introduce me. Didn¡¯t offer them any exnation. And that, more than anything, sent a silent message to the room - <i>She doesn¡¯t owe you answers.</i>


    Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was grateful for his help for pulling me out of the awkward situation.


    "Come," he said next, surprising me as well as the dozen people who were still closely watching me... and now River too. "You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?"


    I shook my head, and he led the way.


    The moment we entered the dining room, I felt my nerves settle just a little... but not by much. River was quiet as he gestured for the staff to serve breakfast. I contemted a little before moving to sit on my usual seat, but stopped when I felt his eyes on me.


    I chewed on my lower lip as I pulled my hands back from where they were resting on the top of the backrest of my chair. Slowly, I moved toward Draven¡¯s chair, on River¡¯s right, and sat down.


    Sitting this close to him, the long dining table fstarted feeling too formal with just the two of us. And while the silence between us wasn¡¯t awkward... it sure was heavy.


    Breakfast arrived immediately - a tray of freshly cut fruits, warm bread, avacado toast, spiced omelets, a ss of milk for me and a cup of ck coffee for River.


    But I realized my appetite had vanished.


    I nibbled at the bread, sipped the warm milk, and tried not to squirm under River¡¯s unreadable gaze.


    And then... just when I thoughts things couldn¡¯t go any worse... he dropped the bomb.


    "You¡¯ll be attending the Ball with me tonight."

 Chapter 220: The Heated Moment

    <h4>Chapter 220: The Heated Moment</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The fork froze halfway to my mouth and the omelet slipped back onto the te as my hand fell limp. I blinked at River, his words still echoing through my head like they had been spoken in anothernguage.


    <i>You will be attending the Ball with me tonight.</i>


    I stared at him, unmoving, unbreathing, the silence stretching between us like a tight wire threatening to snap. Then it hit me.


    "What?" I said. Or maybe I choked. I couldn¡¯t tell. It was hard to think when my heart was punching against my ribs.


    He just sat there, looking asposed as always, calmly sipping his ck coffee like he hadn¡¯t just dropped a bomb in the middle of breakfast. My body went rigid. Confusion warred with disbelief, then gradually twisted into irritation... and then anger.


    "You have got to be kidding me," I muttered, mming my fork down way harder than I intended.


    His gaze slidzily from his coffee to my face, one brow raised. "I¡¯m not."


    I stood up so suddenly that the chair behind me screeched. "Why?"


    The word came out sharp,ced with all the frustration I had bottled up for months. I wasn¡¯t just asking about tonight. I was asking about <i>everything</i>.


    Why <i>me</i>?


    Why <i>always</i> me?


    And as always, he gave me that same rehearsed answer. "Because you are good at blending in. You observe quietly. You absorb things without being obvious. This Ball is full of people you need to understand if you ever want to truly seed in the world you are nning to build for yourself."


    Iughed.


    It was a sharp, emptyugh that didn¡¯t reach my eyes.


    "Seriously?" I said, my voice rising. "You are pulling that card <i>again</i>? That same crap about how everything you throw at me is supposed to <i>help me grow</i>?"


    His expression didn¡¯t change, but I swore I saw something flicker in his eyes. Pity? Amusement? Irritation? It was gone before I could figure it out.


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    "You act like you are doing me a favor," I continued, my voice tight, "but all you ever do is push me into things I didn¡¯t ask for. And you don¡¯t even give me a choice. You didn¡¯t ask me if I <i>wanted</i> to go to the Ball. You <i>told</i> me. Like I¡¯m your puppet."


    "Evaline," he began, but I cut him off.


    "No!" I snapped. "Why does it always have to be me, River? Why not someone else? Why not one of your other assistants? Or one of the thousands of employees working under you? Or literally any of the hundred people more qualified than I am?"


    His jaw tensed.


    "You think I¡¯m some eager little girl who¡¯ll just keep doing what you say because you use pretty words like ¡¯career¡¯ and ¡¯potential.¡¯ But I¡¯m not that girl anymore."


    My chest was heaving as I red at him, not caring that we weren¡¯t really alone. The quiet kitchen behind me was now deathly silent. I didn¡¯t need to look over my shoulder to know the staff was staring. I was standing in the heart of the Thorne mansion, yelling at the Rogue Alpha King himself. And I didn¡¯t care.


    I could tell what they might be thinking about me - either I was too foolish, or too brave. But I didn¡¯t care.


    He stood up, slow and measured, his tall form casting a long shadow over the table. "I¡¯m not ying games with you."


    "Then what <i>are</i> you doing?" I snapped. "Because from where I¡¯m standing, it looks like you enjoy pulling my strings. What is it about me that you hate so much, huh? Is it our past? Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?"


    His face remained nk, but something behind those cold emerald eyes shifted. I didn¡¯t give him time to answer.


    I took a step forward. "I know you hate me. I have known it since the first time we met. And it¡¯s fine, really. Hate me all you want. But don¡¯t pretend like you are doing me some favor every time you toss me into a pit full of wolves and tell me to ¡¯learn and grow.¡¯"


    He looked down at me for a long moment before he finally spoke, voice calm... too calm. "You want to survive in this world, Evaline Greystone? You need to learn how to walk in it. That Ball is filled with powerful people, future allies, enemies, and maniptors. You want to be more than someone¡¯s little pet project? Start acting like it."


    I barked out another bitterugh and shook my head.


    "You are so damn good at this," I said, stepping back. "So good at acting like everything you do is for someone else¡¯s good. But you and I both know the truth. You don¡¯t care about me learning or growing. You care about control. And you are not going to get it."


    I turned to walk away.


    But I didn¡¯t make it more than three steps.


    A firm hand suddenly grabbed the back of my neck. It was not hard, but firm enough to stop me mid-step. I gasped as I was pulled back, spun around like a doll, until I was facing him again.


    His eyes were still unreadable, his expression still emotionless. But the grip on me told a different story.


    My breath hitched.


    We were close now... too close. His fingers were still at the back of my neck, not hurting, not threatening. But grounding.


    "I don¡¯t hate you," he said softly, his voice low enough that only I could hear.


    "Really? You want me to believe that?" For some weird, twisted, and stupid reason, I wasn¡¯t feeling like backing down.


    "Yes."


    "Why?" I pressed. "Why should I believe that you have suddenly forgotten about all your hatred toward me and you genuinely want to help me?"


    He inched closer, leaving merely few breaths of space between us. I forgot how to breathe.


    His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, "Because-"


    "What¡¯s going on here?"

 Chapter 221: Blame The Hormones

    <h4>Chapter 221: me The Hormones</h4>


    Evaline:


    "What¡¯s going on here?"


    We both turned toward the voice, and while my heart stumbled with something close to panic, River showed not even a flicker of surprise.


    He didn¡¯t move away in haste, didn¡¯t pretend to be caught red-handed. Instead, he stepped back slowly... like he had all the time in the world and not a care for who had seen us standing so close.


    It was Kieran.


    River spared him only a brief nce as he stepped aside from me and said in a low voice that was only meant for my ears, "If you are so against it, Miss Evaline, then forget it. Consider the matter closed."


    His voice was as smooth and unaffected as always. Then, with no further exnation and no apology, he turned and walked away. His tall form disappeared beyond the heavy dining hall doors, leaving a lingering silence in his wake.


    Kieran watched him leave and then turned to me, his brows furrowed in concern. "Evaline... what just happened?"


    His voice was low, worried.


    I opened my mouth to answer but couldn¡¯t find the words. I didn¡¯t want to talk about it... not now, not when everything was still burning under my skin.


    He stepped closer, gently resting his hand on my elbow in aforting gesture. But my body reacted before my brain could catch up. I jerked my arm away, recoiling from his touch like it burned. And then I turned away, walking a few steps toward the exit.


    But the realization of what I just did hit me hard... apanied with guilt.


    I stopped.


    Damn it.


    I turned back around quickly. And my heart dropped at the stunned, almost hurt look on Kieran¡¯s face before he quickly masked it. He looked away, his lips parting like he was about to say something, but held back.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said softly, taking a step toward him. "I-Ididn¡¯t mean to... react that way."


    He looked at me for a long second before nodding. "It¡¯s okay."


    But it wasn¡¯t. We both knew that.


    Still, I didn¡¯t know how to fix it, not right now. So, I walked out without another word and hurried up the stairs, not even caring if anyone else had witnessed that mess of a scene.


    My bedroom door shut behind me with a soft click, and only then did I finally take a deep breath.


    It was quiet. Safe.


    I leaned against the door and closed my eyes as I tried to make sense of everything. What the hell had just happened? I hadpletely lost my cool. In front of River.


    In his mansion.


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    Not to mention, I shouted at the damn Rogue Alpha King like he was a misbehaving child. What was wrong with me?


    I let out a long breath and shook my head. Pregnancy hormones. It had to be that. The only logical exnation. I had been managing just fine until this evening. Now suddenly I was all rage and fire and flinging usations.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t regret it. At least I didn¡¯t have to attend that sted ball tonight.


    With that one silver lining in my thoughts, I moved toward my bed and picked up my phone. I had left it here before heading downstairs, and now the screen showed two missed calls from Oscar.


    Ten minutes ago.


    My pulse jumped. Had he felt something? Had I sent waves of emotion down the bond?


    I quickly tapped to call him back, pacing the room as the phone rang. He picked up on the second ring.


    "Finally," he said in his smooth and familiar voice, instantly easing the storm in my chest. "You really know how to ignore someone, huh?"


    "Sorry," I muttered. "I left my phone in the room."


    "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m in Ravenden. Just wanted to know if you needed anything. Snacks? Cravings? Murder weapon?"


    I chuckled softly. "Nothing, thank you. I¡¯m good."


    "You sure?" he teased, then added, "You sound off. Are you okay?"


    I paused.


    Thest thing I wanted was to create strain in the brothers¡¯ bonds. I needed to learn to live with River... peacefully.


    "I¡¯m fine. Just a weird mood," I said.


    "Mood swings. Cute. I¡¯m writing it off as pregnancy madness."


    "Can¡¯t even deny that," I muttered with a small smile.


    His voice then turned more yful. "You are missing me already, aren¡¯t you?"


    "I am," I said without hesitation, because I didn¡¯t need to pretend around him.


    Heughed, clearly pleased. "I¡¯ll be back in two hours. Maybe less, if I get the work done quickly."


    "You better focus on your work then. I don¡¯t want youing home all grumpy."


    "Grumpy?" he snorted. "I¡¯m never grumpy. Ask Draven."


    "Speaking of, where is he?"


    "He went out for something important. But he should be back by now... if not already, then very soon. Go bug him until I return."


    "I will."


    After a few more minutes of light teasing, we hung up.


    I ced my phone on the bedside table and stood up, smiling to myself. Oscar always made things feel simpler. Softer.


    I straightened my clothes. Crossing the room, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway... and instantly stopped in my tracks.


    Several servants were approaching from the other end of the corridor, each carryingrge cartons in their arms. Their eyes widened slightly upon spotting me, but none of them stopped walking. They moved efficiently, heading straight toward my room.


    "What...?" I blinked, stepping aside as one passed me.


    Before I could ask anything, I saw him.


    Draven.


    Trailing behind the servants with a single small carton in his arms.


    He was wearing his usual ck-on-ck outfit. His hair was slightly tousled from the wind. His eyes found mine instantly, and he stopped walking.


    His expression was unreadable for a second... but then, a huge smile pulled at the corners of his lips.


    He shifted the box in his arms and looked at me, eyes glinting with something that made my heart skip a beat.


    "Surprise."

 Chapter 222: The Wrong Feelings

    <h4>Chapter 222: The Wrong Feelings</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "What¡¯s going on?" I asked, watching as the final few cartons were brought inside.


    He walked up to me. His expression was innocent but eyes were glinting with amusement. "Since you failed toplete the simplest task of picking a Christmas tree to decorate your room, I took the liberty to do it for you."


    I blinked. "You... what?"


    "All of those-" he gestured grandly to the now box-filled space behind me, "-are for your room¡¯s Christmas makeover."


    I turned my head slowly toward the mountain of boxes now upying the corner of my bedroom. "All of those?"


    "There¡¯s no rule about decorating small, Eva. You should have known better." He grinned.


    My jaw dropped slightly. "Oscar said you went out for something important-"


    "And this is important," he interrupted, walking into the room. "Besides, Oscar would have done it if he wasn¡¯t busy with pack business."


    I followed him in, still processing the sheer number of boxes. The servants exited one by one, leaving the door open behind them until thest one shut it gently.


    "I thought we could call the others and make a thing out of it. You know, decorating together like a family-" Draven paused, shooting me a sideways nce. "Except River, of course. Let¡¯s not even pretend he would lift a finger for tinsel. The only thing he contributes to the main tree every year is judging the symmetry."


    Iughed despite myself. "What about Professor Kieran?"


    He shrugged. "I was going to call him, but if you want to invite him personally-"


    "I do," I cut in a little too quickly.


    He looked at me, curiosity flickering in his dark eyes just for second, but he didn¡¯t pry. "Alright then. The tree will be standing tall by the time you return."


    "Thanks," I whispered and left.


    Climbing the stairs to the Master Floor felt heavier than usual. My mind was still a whirl of regret over how I treated Kieran earlier in the dining hall. He didn¡¯t deserve that. And even if I med pregnancy hormones or my own frazzled nerves, it wasn¡¯t an excuse.


    I paused outside his door, gathering my thoughts. The hallway was quiet, and the air felt heavier up here. I hesitated for a moment, then raised my hand and knocked softly.


    To my surprise, the door creaked open with the lightest push.


    I stepped in, blinking at the dim light spilling from a sidemp. The room was massive - though not asrge as mine, it carried the same air of authority and quiet opulence. Everything was clean, minimal, but carefully ced. Kieran¡¯s usual personality was reflecting clearly in the space.


    "Professor?" I called out, softly closing the door behind me.


    I didn¡¯t expect a reply. Not immediately.


    I almost thought he wasn¡¯t here, but then my gaze fell to the figure on the floor. His back was leaned against the side of the bed and the pale light was carving soft shadows on his face, making his features appear more tired, more human, more vulnerable.


    His head was bent low, fingers loosely holding a cigarette that had almost burned down to the filter. He wasn¡¯t moving. He was just... sitting. Still. Quiet.


    And my heart clenched at the sight.


    "Kieran?" I called again, this time more softly and using his name for some twisted reason even I didn¡¯t know.


    And this time, he looked up slowly, as though waking from a dream. His eyes widened slightly when they met mine, a sh of emotion I couldn¡¯t ce dancing behind them before vanishing. He blinked once and the expression was gone.


    "Evaline." His voice was hoarse. "Didn¡¯t expect you."


    "I didn¡¯t expect to find you like this either," I said truthfully.


    He looked away, taking a breath and stubbing the cigarette out on a nearby tray. "Is there something you need?"


    "No," I said quietly, stepping closer. "I mean, yes. I came to talk to you. To apologize."


    That got his attention.


    He looked up again, brow furrowed.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have reacted like that earlier," I said. "You were only trying to be kind... and I just-" I exhaled, feeling the guilt burn in my throat. "I was a mess. And I took it out on you. I¡¯m sorry."


    Silence stretched between us.


    He didn¡¯t speak right away. Instead, he slowly got to his feet, brushing nonexistent dust off his pants, still not meeting my eyes.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have touched you without asking," he finally said. "I startled you."


    "That¡¯s not-" I paused. "That¡¯s not why I pulled away."


    His jaw tensed slightly, but he didn¡¯t speak.


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to me," I admitted, stepping closer. "I feel things more deeply now. Anger, panic, confusion. Sometimes I cry for no reason. Sometimes I want to scream. And sometimes-" I stopped myself.


    He finally looked at me. "Sometimes?"


    "Sometimes I just want someone to hold me and not ask why I¡¯m feeling the way I¡¯m feeling," I whispered. "And maybe I was afraid you would see how messed up I really am."


    "You are not messed up," he said immediately, with more force than I expected.


    I looked up at his face and our eyes locked. And for a moment, it felt like the world stopped.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was the dim lighting or the aching silence between us, but something about this moment felt different. Heavy. Charged.


    He stepped closer, slowly, as if afraid any sudden movement would send me running again.


    "You are allowed to feel overwhelmed. You are allowed to have moments where you don¡¯t know what you want," he said, his voice low. "But don¡¯t shut people out. Don¡¯t shut <i>me</i> out."


    His words were like a balm. A painful one. Because I didn¡¯t know how to stop.


    "I¡¯m scared," I whispered.


    <fn92a5> Original content can be found at F¦Énd£Îovel</fn92a5>


    He reached out... slowly, hesitantly... but stopped just inches from my cheek.


    "You don¡¯t have to be," he said. "Not with me."


    And then his handnded softly on my cheek. His touch was warm, grounding, like a gentle tether in a storm I couldn¡¯t name.


    We stood there in silence, eyes searching, breaths shallow, caught in that undefined space we always seemed to linger in.


    Neither of us mentioned the strange way our skin seemed to hum when it touched. Neither of us acknowledged how drawn we felt toward each other, like invisible threads were pulling us together despite everything.


    Finally, he stepped back.


    "You came to invite me to something, didn¡¯t you?" he asked, his voice softer now.


    I nodded. "Draven brought home enough decorations to fill a warehouse. We are decorating my room¡¯s tree. I thought... maybe you would like to help?"


    Something flickered in his eyes. Amusement. Fondness. Maybe even relief.


    "I¡¯ll be down in five," he said.


    I smiled.


    And this time, when I turned to leave, my steps felt lighter.

 Chapter 223: The Disastrous Decoration

    <h4>Chapter 223: The Disastrous Decoration</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I returned to my room, feeling much better when I left to invite Kieran just minutes ago.


    A couple of empty cartons were sitting neatly in the hallway outside my room, indicating Draven had already begun clearing things out. And the moment I stepped inside, I froze.


    Right by the windows, beside the marble firece and the cushy couches, was standing a stunning Christmas tree. It was towering majestically, and its thick green branches were dusted in artificial snow. It wasn¡¯t decorated yet, but even bare, it was perfect. Regal. Warm. Beautiful.


    My eyes softened.


    There were some wreaths ced around the room.


    My eyes searched for Draven and I found him upstairs. He was in the middle of fixing a lush green gand, wrapped with red ribbons and pinecones, over the railing.


    "You work fast," I called out with a teasing lilt in my voice as I closed the door behind me.


    He nced down at me with a smirk. "Efficiency is a lovenguage, sweetheart."


    I smiled and climbed the spiral staircase, heading up to the cozy upper level of my bedroom where he was working. I hadn¡¯t had a proper chance to rx in this part of the room since I arrived on Friday. The snug reading nook with leather armchairs, the floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves filled with hardcovers and ancient scrolls, the arched ss window that framed the snowy sky - it all looked like something straight out of a winter fairy tale.


    I had nned to spend some quiet time here today... but now that the tree and decorations were happening, maybe I would have to move that n to tomorrow.


    I walked to the nearby bookshelf, running my fingers over the spines.


    "So?" Draven asked casually. "What did Kieran say?"


    I didn¡¯t turn around. "He said he¡¯ll join us shortly."


    I barely finished speaking when I felt his presence behind me before I even saw him. His arms circled my waist from behind, pulling me gently away from the shelf and turning me toward him.


    My heart skipped.


    I didn¡¯t resist, but I nced toward the top of the stairs. "Draven," I whispered, my voice barely holding back a nervousugh. "The door is unlocked... Kieran might walk in any moment."


    "And I¡¯ll know when he does," he said in a low and dangerous voice, just before he kissed me.


    It wasn¡¯t a soft kiss.


    He kissed me like he was starving. Like this might be hisst moment with me. His hands gripped my waist tighter, and when I pushed gently at his chest, it wasn¡¯t to stop him... it was because I couldn¡¯t breathe. My head was spinning, my heart roaring in my chest.


    "Draven..." I tried again between breaths, lips brushing against his, "we shouldn¡¯t..."


    But he shook his head. "I missed you," he said, his forehead resting against mine. "Fuck-I don¡¯t even care if we get caught."


    And honestly, I might not care either... at least, not in that moment. I was aching for him too.


    Thest time we were this close was Saturday night, when he had snuck into my room just to say goodnight. Since then, there had been no private moments, no stolen kisses or hugs. More than a day had passed and nothing.


    So, I gave in.


    My arms curled around his neck, and the moment my lips met his again, everything else melted away. He deepened the kiss, his fingers tangling in my hair, and I felt my knees go weak. My back bumped gently against the bookshelf behind me, and still, we continued kissing.


    If he hadn¡¯t pulled away when he did, I wasn¡¯t sure I would have stopped. His breathing was ragged as he stepped back. His jaw was clenched tight as he returned to fix the gand on the railing like nothing had happened.


    I stared at him, my lips tingling and mind fogged. And then I heard it - the sound of the door opening downstairs.


    I moved closer to the stairs and looked down just in time to see Kieran stepping inside.


    Of course.


    That¡¯s why Draven pulled away.


    I cleared my throat and descended the staircase like it hadn¡¯t taken everything in me to act normal.


    "Hey," I greeted Kieran with a gentle smile.


    He nodded, looking around the room. "Wow. You have made some progress."


    Draven walked down the stairs behind me. "Of course I did. You think I woud wait for your slow ass?"


    Kieran rolled his eyes and smirked. "Please, like you know how to decorate a tree beautifully."


    The three of us ended up spending the next hour and a half decorating the tree... and honestly, it was the most fun I had in days.


    Kieran brought up a ylist of soft jazz and ssic carols. Dravenined about how glittery everything was. I may or may not have thrown a handful of fake snow at both of them when they started bickering.


    Draven held up two ornaments. "Which one for the front? Reindeer or this ridiculously sparkly snowke?"


    "Reindeer," Kieran and I said at the same time, then exchanged a soft smile.


    By the time we were halfway through, snow started falling outside. Not the soft, romantic kind... but heavy, blinding flurries.


    I moved closer to the window, worry filling my heart. "Oscar..."


    I barely said the name when the door opened again.


    And there he was.


    Wearing a thick ck coat, his hair damp with snowkes, he stepped in like the snowfall was merely an afterthought.


    He smiled, and I smiled back, holding myself still. If Kieran hadn¡¯t been standing right there, I might have already run into Oscar¡¯s arms. But I didn¡¯t. I just smiled - soft and warm - and he returned it before his eyes started scanning the room.


    "Looks like a snowstorm threw up in here," he said dryly, ncing at the glitter-covered floor and ornament boxes.


    Draven snorted. "Then wait till we hang the lights."


    We allughed.


    By the time the clock hit one, we were heading downstairs for lunch. River joined us as well. He said nothing to me, and I said nothing to him, not like we were talking before this anyway. I didn¡¯t even look at him. Not because I was angry anymore, but because I didn¡¯t know how to.


    <fn070f> For original chapters go to ?ovelFind</fn070f>


    As soon as lunch ended, River stood up. "Kieran, I need you in the study. It¡¯s urgent."


    Kieran gave me an apologetic look and followed him.


    And just like that, it was only me and my two mates again.


    Back in my room, Draven walked in first... and turned the key in the door behind us with a solid click.


    I raised a brow. "You locked the door?"


    He turned to face me with that slow, wicked grin of his. "You didn¡¯t think I was going to let anyone interrupt us again, did you?"

 Chapter 224: Tangled in Light and Fire

    <h4>Chapter 224: Tangled in Light and Fire</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    They did try to decorate. Honestly, they did.


    For a whole ten minutes, ribbons were fluffed, ornaments were gently unpacked, and Oscar was calmly setting the big star aside for the tree topper while Draven adjusted the lights on the lower branches.


    I had just started cing a few of the crystal ornaments on the side of the tree when I felt the familiar presence behind me... again.


    Ten minutes. That was his limit.


    He wrapped one arm around my waist before pressing a soft kiss on my neck. I tilted my head slightly, half amused and half exasperated.


    "Draven," I warned,ughing under my breath. "We are supposed to be decorating."


    He hummed against my skin, that deep, rich sound that always sent a ripple of heat through my core. "We are. Just... decorating you instead."


    I turned around to give him a pointed look, only to have him lean in and kiss me.


    And I... I didn¡¯t resist.


    His kiss was slow at first - teasing, warm, a gentle press of lips that melted far too quickly into something more. The world slipped sideways again as I kissed him back.


    I clutched the front of his sweater as his arms pulled me closer, one hand sliding up to cup the back of my neck. Hus familiar scent wrapped around me like a nket I never wanted to shed.


    It was the kind of kiss that made you forget everything else. Made you forget snowstorms, tree ornaments, time itself.


    And then I felt it... Oscar.


    Not with a touch, not with a sound, but with a shift in energy that only came when he was near. It was something maic. My senses had started recognizing it, even when my back was to him.


    Draven must have sensed him too, because he slowly broke the kiss, though his hand lingered on my waist, and his lips brushed my cheek as he whispered, "You are not off the hook yet."


    Then he stepped back just a few inches, and I turned slightly... and there he was.


    Oscar.


    Leaning casually against the arm of the couch, with arms crossed, eyes dark and unreadable. But the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips said everything.


    "Well," he murmured. "d I didn¡¯t miss the fun this time."


    My heart skipped. I knew that look.


    I didn¡¯t even get a chance to speak. One moment, we were standing near the tree, and the next, I was on the couch, breathless, with Oscar¡¯s lips on mine.


    His kiss was firepared to Draven¡¯s storm. Where Draven kissed like he was trying to memorize me, Oscar kissed like he already had and was trying to make me forget everything else.


    My hands curled into his shirt as he deepened the kiss, slow and confident, coaxing me into matching his rhythm. There was somethingmanding in the way he kissed me, like he wasn¡¯t asking... he was iming. And yet it never felt like too much. It felt right. It always did with him.


    Just as the air between us started to thin, I felt a shift again.


    Hands - Draven¡¯s - on my waist, and then his breath near my ear as he murmured, "Told you, not off the hook."


    Oscar smiled against my lips and then pulled back just enough for Draven to lean in and kiss me again.


    Being caught between the two of them like that... I wasn¡¯t sure I could think straight anymore.


    They didn¡¯t push, didn¡¯t demand... but they surrounded me, nked me, each one taking turns and giving space when needed. Oscar¡¯s fingertips brushed against my thigh as Draven¡¯s lips trailed down my neck. The intensity was dizzying, every sensation heightened by the way they worked in sync without needing to speak.


    A breathless moan left me before


    My body was sinking deeper into the couch cushions as they each took a side, caging me in, but never making me feel trapped. Only... adored.


    That was the word.


    It wasn¡¯t just hunger, it was adoration.


    The way Oscar kissed the corner of my lips before resting his forehead against mine. The way Draven pulled back just enough to search my eyes before leaning in again.


    It was overwhelming in the most breathtaking way.


    I knew, with all certainty, that if either of them went even an inch further, I wouldn¡¯t stop them. But they didn¡¯t. They knew where to pause, how far to lean in without crossing into something more. Their restraint wasn¡¯t cold... it was intentional. It was love, cloaked in heat.


    My heart was racing, my skin was flushed, and my lips were tingling, when Draven finally sat back with a deep breath, running a hand through his hair like he needed air.


    Oscar exhaled beside me and leaned back against the cushions, draping his arm across the back of the couch behind me, his fingers brushing my shoulder.


    "Well," he said, voice husky and amused, "that exins why no one gets any decorating done when the two of us are together."


    Iughed softly, my cheeks still warm as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and looked at the mess of gands and lights on the floor.


    "We barely got through the first box," I muttered.


    Draven chuckled. "That¡¯s still better thanst year."


    I turned to him, eyebrows raised. "You have done this before?"


    "Let¡¯s just say thest time the four of us tried to decorate a tree together, Oscar and I ended up wrestling on the floor and knocked the whole thing down. River was... unimpressed."


    I burst intoughter at the image. "I can only imagine."


    But before any of us could say more, a gust of wind howled outside the window, and I turned toward it, eyes widening.


    Snow.


    Heavy, thick snow was falling fast... so fast that the distant hills were already vanishing behind a curtain of white.


    "Oh no," I whispered, standing quickly and walking toward the window. "Oscar... you were out earlier. Did it look this bad when you came back?"


    He was already behind me, but kept enough distance as Draven had unlocked the door. "Not even close. It started picking up about ten minutes ago."


    <fn65fe> Fresh chapters posted on Find?Novel</fn65fe>


    I was about to say something else when the door creaked open and Kieran walked in, with snowkes clinging to his dark coat as if he had taken a walk outside.


    My breath caught.


    He looked... striking, as always. Tall,posed, a soft flush on his cheeks from the cold. But what caught me most was his gaze - warm and unwavering, as itnded on me.


    Oscar took a step back, and I smiled at Kieran as he made his way into the room.


    "Good timing," I said lightly, trying to act casual. "We have made almost no progress."


    He nced around the room, at the half-lit tree, the open boxes, and then at me.


    His lips curved. "I can see that."


    But instead of teasing or saying something sharp, he walked closer and picked up a ribbon from the box near the firece.


    "We still got some time."

 Chapter 225: The Winter Solstice Ball

    <h4>Chapter 225: The Winter Solstice Ball</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I let out a deep sigh, the kind that wed up my throat with weight and hesitation.


    My hand hovered on the door handle of the ck luxury car, hesitant to leave the safety of its leather-lined interior. But River had been standing outside for a while now, holding the door open, his tall frame casting a long shadow into the vehicle. His presence was a silentmand I could never resist for too long. So I pushed aside the knot of nerves and stepped out.


    The moment I did, chaos erupted.


    Camera shes hit me from all angles. They were blinding, relentless. The sudden burst of lights made my vision blur, and I reflexively turned my face. My eyes even started watering as the sound of frenzied shouting and screaming tore through the cool evening air.


    "Miss! Over here!"


    "Who is she?"


    "Alpha Thorne! Alpha Thorne, look this way!"


    "River! Alpha River, over here!"


    Fangirls were screaming his name like it was a battle cry, some even pushing past the red velvet ropes as if their lives depended on getting a closer glimpse of him. And the fanboys... oh, they were worse, holding cards, phones, even gifts.


    River reacted immediately.


    In one fluid motion, he stepped closer and his body shielded mine from the blinding lights and intrusive camera lenses. His arm circled around me protectively, and I felt the strength of it, the calm power he carried like a second skin.


    "Come," he said in a low and smooth voice, as if the chaos around us didn¡¯t even exist.


    I let him lead me forward. My heart was thudding with both anxiety and a strange, fluttering thrill. Once inside the towering ss doors of the hotel, the world muffled to a hush. The shes stopped. The screaming faded behind the thick soundproofed walls. The air, warm and fragrant with winter spices, weed us.


    I released a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I had been holding and turned slightly toward River.


    "Thanks," I muttered, trying not to sound breathless.


    He was already looking at me.


    Even with the mask covering half his face, he looked unfairly good... better than good. The dark formal suit hugged his lean, tall frame like it had been made just for him, his silver cufflinks catching the chandelier lights. His ck-and-gold embroidered half-mask added an air of mystery, but it did nothing to hide the way he watched me.


    A smile tugged at his lips, just for a second, before he schooled his expression back to its usual calm.


    I rolled my eyes, slightly flustered, and looked away.


    Yes, I was here. At the Winter Solstice Ball. With River.


    After all the dramatic protests I had thrown this morning. After swearing I would lock myself in my room and read until sunrise. After dering I didn¡¯t care if the Ball was the event of the year.


    But... here I was.


    Let¡¯s not even get into how that happened. My mates knew how to get their way, especially when they teamed up like overgrown puppies... grumpy ones. With Draven¡¯s endless texts and Oscar¡¯s quiet guilt-tripping...bined? I was doomed. Even Kieran was on their team.


    To be fair, what tipped the scale in their favor was the one saving grace of the evening - it was a masquerade.


    Which meant I could hide. Hide everything - my identity, my nerves, and the anxious weight sitting on my chest.


    And the stylists who helped me get ready for the night, they did their job well.


    My hair was a masterpiece - long ck extensions blending in with my natural silver locks to create an oreo-like pattern that was elegant and dramatic. My amber eyes were covered with brown contact lenses that shifted my entire appearance.


    My gown was luxury, pure yet sexy - dark blue with shimmering ents. Its soft fabric was clinging at the right ces, had flowing sleeves and a train that moved like whispers behind me. My mask was made of delicatece and gemstones, and it hid the upper half of my face entirely.


    I was... unrecognizable.


    The staff guided us toward a private elevator, and in mere seconds, we were on the floor where the Grand Ballroom awaited.


    When we entered the ce, I stilled.


    The ballroom was nothing short of a dream.


    Crystal chandeliers were hanging from an impossibly high ceiling like frozen raindrops. Gold ents, velvet drapes, walls adorned with enchanted snowkes that drifted slowly down before fading into the air. Everything was sparkling - tables, lights, even the floor had a faint shimmer, like it had been dusted with stardust.


    A giant ice sculpture was standing in the center of the room, shaped like a crescent moon wrapped in roses. Music was ying softly, ssical and haunting, the kind that soaked into your skin.


    <fncbf2> Readplete version only at find¡¤novel</fncbf2>


    The crowd was a blur of luxury - dresses and tuxedos, masks and perfumes. But it wasn¡¯t until we stepped inside that the energy shifted.


    The entire ballroom hushed.


    Heads turned. Conversations halted mid-sentence. Every single pair of eyes locked onto us.


    Correction... on <i>him</i>.


    Despite the mask and the elegant pretense of anonymity, River was impossible to miss. He had that kind of presence, the kind that drew people in and warned them to stay away. Like thunder wrapped in silk.


    He stood tall beside me, spine straight, his aura washing through the room like a wave. Not demanding attention...manding it.


    He was the Rogue Alpha King.


    Even his silence was loud.


    And suddenly, I regretted stepping in with him. With my hand on his arm, no less. Maybe I should have waited twenty seconds and walked in alone. Or pretended to be a random guest who just happened to walk through the same door.


    I nced up at him, trying to pull my hand back discreetly, but his grip tightened ever so slightly. He looked down, his eyes gleaming beneath the mask, and he offered a calm, unreadable smile before guiding me deeper into the ballroom.


    "Rx," he murmured.


    Easy for him to say. He thrived in attention.


    I did not.


    Still, I took a breath and followed, weaving through the thick tension of the room, every step echoing on the glistening floor. I could feel people whispering, their masked faces turned in our direction, their curiosity wrapping around us like smoke.


    But River didn¡¯t flinch.


    And slowly, I let myself stop flinching too.


    The long night was just beginning.

 Chapter 226: The Masquerade Heat

    <h4>Chapter 226: The Masquerade Heat</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had never felt more trapped by shimmering silk, polite smiles, and the weight of a thousand eyes pretending not to stare.


    Ten minutes after River and I entered, the air shifted again, like thunder rolling in before a storm. And there he was.


    Kieran.


    He was the first of the brothers to make an appearance after River. The murmurs started from the far end of the ballroom and rippled forward, parting the crowd like they had rehearsed it for years.


    Kieran stepped in dressed in all white. His blonde hair was pulled into a perfect manbun, and he was wearing a simple but elegant half-mask that only made his sharp jawline more striking. He wasn¡¯t looking at anyone. Not yet. His gaze moved slowly over the room like a silent predator getting a read on the battlefield.


    My breath hitched as our eyes met across the room.


    I offered a smile, timid but genuine. He didn¡¯t smile back, but his gaze softened just enough to let me know he saw me.


    <fn28d1> This text is hosted at Find¡ïNovel</fn28d1>


    A few minutester, Oscar strolled in with his usual swagger, and the mood in the room changed once again - lighter, flirtier. Gasps and giggles followed his every step as he adjusted the cuffs of his dark red-colored suit jacket.


    His mask was gold and ck, and the confidence in his walk said he wasn¡¯t hiding. Not really. Like Kieran, he also looked right at me, winked, and then blended into a group of high-ranking officials, probably already charming the Luna daughters standing nearby.


    I sighed. I knew the look in their eyes. The soft usation. The silent plea. Why River? Why not him or Draven?


    Because River felt safe. Because his fans would pass me as his secretary or one of his assistants unless they saw me hanging on his arm after this night as well.


    Just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get more intense, Draven arrived.


    The ballroom went silent... for the fourth time.


    He didn¡¯t walk in. He entered. Dressed all in ck with a silver-trimmed mask and not even the hint of a smile. His presence was overwhelming, dangerous even. Women visibly stepped aside as he passed, some clutching their wine sses like the very ss might melt if they stared too hard at him.


    He didn¡¯t spare a nce at anyone... until he spotted me.


    His gaze pinned me to the spot like a mark waiting for judgment. And for a second, I forgot to breathe.


    I turned my head quickly, pretending to sip the apple juice I had picked up earlier. I could already feel the weight of their gazes following me from across the room.


    "Careful," River murmured beside me, his voice low, amused. "You looked like you were about to choke."


    I didn¡¯t respond. I was too busy trying to calm my racing heart. But then my gaze drifted past River¡¯s shoulder, and I stilled.


    Celeste.


    The very image of elegance and venom in a deep green gown, standing with her usual entourage. And her beautiful violet eyes were locked... not on River... but me.


    And the second our eyes met, I looked away while my heart started pounding in my chest. Of all people... her? When I was considering River¡¯s fan girls, Ipletely forgot about her.


    "Something wrong?" River¡¯s voice pulled me back to the moment.


    "Your future wife is drilling holes into my skull," I whispered back dryly.


    His brow arched over the edge of his mask. "Future wife?"


    I resisted the urge to sigh. "Celeste Renwyn," I said, trying to gesture subtly with my ss.


    He nced over my shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Green dress?"


    "Yeah."


    He turned his attention back to me, lookingpletely unbothered. "Never seen her before."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "Don¡¯t recognize her."


    "You don¡¯t-" I almost choked again. "She¡¯s been obsessed with you for years. Rumors say she¡¯s already picked her wedding dress."


    He chuckled under his breath. "And what about you?"


    "What about me?"


    "Have you picked your dress?"


    I just stared at him for two long seconds in disbelief. "Not funny."


    He only shrugged. "If she¡¯s so set on marrying me, maybe I should be warned about women like her trying to leap into my arms during the waltz."


    "She looks like she would do it."


    He nodded sagely. "I¡¯ll stay close, then. You¡¯ll protect me."


    I looked away, unable to keep up with his shift in behavior. These days, his behavior toward me was beyond my understanding. Either he would ignore my very existence even if I was standing right next to him, or this... whatever this was to begin with.


    I caught sight of Kieran standing near the orchestra, while Oscar speaking to some influential dignitaries, and Draven was standing in the far corner talking to absolutely no one, drink untouched in his hand. But their eyes... their eyes kept drifting back to me.


    I told myself this was the smartest move. That ying River¡¯s assistant, or secretary, or whoever the public decided I was, gave me enough cover to exist at this event without bing tabloid bait. No one would question River bringing a woman around. They already suspected every beautiful girl he was seen with was "just another assistant."


    "I¡¯m getting something to eat," I muttered, taking a step back, trying to shake the heaviness in my chest.


    He turned to me. "Wha-"


    "I¡¯ll be back in a minute."


    I barely made it three steps when I felt it... his hand around my waist, pulling me back.


    I stilled, my breath caught. The touch was light, not demanding, but firm. Comforting.


    And it made my pulse race.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    A special "Thank you" to all of you for the immense love and support you guys showed to this story throughout the month. The milestones we achieved together were not even imaginable for me when I started this story.


    I will try my best to keep the story entertaining as we enter a new month. Hopefully, you all will keep showering the story with your love and support too.


    And the promised 5 Chapters Mass Release will be up in next few hours. I won¡¯t rob you all from it :)

 Chapter 227: The First Dance

    <h4>Chapter 227: The First Dance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It wasn¡¯t just my heart that skipped a beat.


    The entire ballroom seemed to freeze with me. Conversations faltered. Music dimmed into the background. It felt like someone had snatched the air from the room. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my imagination or if I actually heard someone¡¯s wine ss clink against the marble floor nearby.


    But my gaze remained locked on River.


    He didn¡¯t look the least bit bothered by the eyes now shamelessly staring at us. He simply stared down at me as if this room full of nobles, alphas, and their heirs didn¡¯t exist... like he hadn¡¯t just single-handedly caused the most attention-grabbing moment of the entire evening.


    "River," I breathed, finally finding my voice. "What... what are you doing?"


    It wasn¡¯t panic in my voice. Not really. But it was definitely confusion. I wasn¡¯t expecting this, not from him. River wasn¡¯t the type to cause a scene, and he certainly wasn¡¯t the type to touch me in public unless necessary. Yet here he was, holding me like we were much more than just friends, or a boss and assistant.


    To my relief, his hand loosened almost instantly, and he took a small step back, allowing me to do the same. The warmth of his palm lingered on my waist, and I could still feel his fingers like phantom heat through the silky fabric of my dress. The space between us returned, but the attention didn¡¯t fade.


    I quickly nced around the room and noticed something else - the Crescent Pack¡¯s Alpha and Luna, who were speaking with River just moments ago, had tactfully excused themselves. How convenient. Or maybe how intentional. They were probably smart enough to pick up on the shift in tension... or whatever this strange, quiet pull between me and River was.


    He let out a small exhale, brushing a hand through his dark hair before meeting my gaze again.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he said softly.


    My heart stopped. Again.


    Had I heard that right?


    I blinked at him, wide-eyed. "What did you say?"


    He tilted his head slightly and gave me a look, like I was overreacting. But I wasn¡¯t. Absolutely not. That word - sorry - it just didn¡¯t belong in River¡¯s usual vocabry. I had known this man for nearly half a year now, and I could count on one hand the number of times I had seen him show vulnerability. And yet... this was the second time he had apologized to me.


    That alone was enough to leave me breathless.


    He looked at me with unreadable eyes and added, "I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. I just... wanted to remind you to be cautious tonight. With your food and drinks."


    I frowned. "Why would I need to be cautious? It¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s trying to drug me."


    His expression didn¡¯t change, but the pause before his response said enough. That unreadable look sharpened slightly, and he nced around the ballroom once, like he could see every potential danger tucked behind the glittering smiles and graceful gowns.


    I followed his gaze, still confused. "I mean... nobody here would have a reason to-" I stopped mid-sentence.


    <fn1400> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fn1400>


    He didn¡¯t say a word. He just looked at me.


    And then it clicked.


    Celeste.


    The venom in the girl¡¯s re had felt sharp enough to slice through my spine. I could still feel it tingling at the back of my neck, like a ghost refusing to let go. I had brushed it off earlier, but now that River had pointed it out, I realized how careless I had almost been.


    "I... see your point," I muttered, lowering my gaze.


    He didn¡¯t look smug about it. He simply nodded, as if he had said what needed to be said. Nothing more.


    I ced my untouched ss of apple juice on the nearest table and added under my breath, "I suddenly don¡¯t feel like eating or drinking anything anymore."


    River gave a soft sound of agreement and was about to respond, but the music shifted at that moment. A change in tempo swept across the hall, slowing everything to a delicate rhythm. It was enough to draw every head toward the ballroom¡¯s open center, where the first official dance of the evening was about to begin.


    I turned toward the sound, only to catch River already speaking to someone behind me.


    The Luna of Blue Moon Pack, dressed in an elegant sapphire gown that matched her house¡¯s sigil, was standing gracefully beside us. I had heard of her - Lady Alina, one of the few respected women in the northern territories. She was known for her diplomacy and her strong pack alliances.


    "My Lord," the Luna said, smiling warmly. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?"


    I took a step back out of instinct, preparing to excuse myself. River had more important people to entertain than me. But his answer stopped me in my tracks.


    "I¡¯m ttered, Lady Alina," he replied with a respectful nod. "But I came here with a partner tonight. My first dance belongs to her."


    It wasn¡¯t just what he said... it was how he said it.


    No hesitation. No doubt. No second nce toward me.


    Just... truth.


    Lady Alina raised an elegant brow and thenughed softly, clearly impressed. "A gentleman, I see. Don¡¯t forget to save me er then, Lord Alpha."


    "I¡¯ll look forward to it," he answered.


    And with that, she vanished back into the crowd.


    As for me, I was frozen in ce.


    I didn¡¯t know how to describe the feeling blooming in my chest. It wasn¡¯t giddiness. It wasn¡¯t desire. It wasn¡¯t even the fluttery nervousness I often associated with Draven¡¯s or Oscar¡¯s flirting or touches.


    No, this was something else.


    Warmth.


    That was the only word for it.


    I didn¡¯t think River was capable of making me feel something as soft as warmth. But he had. Just now. With nothing more than words and a small act of consideration that no one else would have noticed... except me.


    He turned to face me then, taking a slow step closer.


    And in front of all the powerful wolves of the continent, he extended his hand to me, eyes steady and voice low.


    "May I have this dance?"

 Chapter 228: The Forbidden Dance

    <h4>Chapter 228: The Forbidden Dance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a moment, I just stared at the hand he had extended toward me, unsure if I should really take it.


    The golden ballroom was still lit up in sparkle and grandeur, filled with the finest people of the werewolf elite. And here I was... standing like a statue, questioning a simple invitation to dance.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to ask me. Sure, he brought me here, held my arm when we entered, stayed close through the chaos of whispers and res... but dancing?


    My hesitation must have been obvious, because his brows lifted just a little under the elegant mask. "You don¡¯t know how to dance?" he asked, his voice low but still audible over the music.


    "No, it¡¯s not that," I admitted quickly, tugging at my gloves. "I have learned. Years ago. But... I¡¯m not sure I can keep up with you now." I wasn¡¯t lying. From what I had seen of River¡¯s public appearances, mostly through clips or mentions online, he wasn¡¯t just graceful, he was wless. Everything about him was precision, power, and control.


    To my surprise, he smiled.


    Not the smirk he used on others. Not the cold, knowing twist of his lips I had gotten used to. This was... soft. Almost tender. "Don¡¯t worry," he said, gently taking my hand in his. "Just follow my lead, I¡¯ll take care of the rest."


    Then, in one swift movement, he leaned in - so close that his breath fanned the curve of my ear. "Trust me, Evaline."


    My breath caught. My heart mmed against my ribs once, twice, before skipping altogether.


    Then he was pulling me toward the center of the grand ballroom, our joined hands slicing through the sea of eyes and whispers like we were parting it onmand.


    I didn¡¯t even have to look up to know people were watching. The silence that fell across the room was enough.


    And then something strange happened - couples started stepping aside, parting around us until River and I were the only two left in the center of the dance floor.


    My mouth felt dry.


    His hand gently settled at the curve of my waist. My other hand remained in his as he slowly guided me into position. The music began again - a lively, upbeat piece that demanded rhythm and ir.


    And River delivered.


    He spun, dipped, guided, and pulled me through the steps like we were born to dance together. Every move was fluid, seamless. He didn¡¯t rush, didn¡¯t dominate. He simply led, and I... I followed. Effortlessly.


    For the first few seconds, I was too focused on not stepping on his foot. But when I realized I was moving in perfect sync with him, without thinking, I let go of the panic. I let the music sink into my bones. I let the energy of the room fuel my limbs.


    We earned a round of apuse before the song faded and melted into a slow, romantic melody.


    The crowd returned to the dance floor, blending into pairs, but I barely noticed.


    Because he hadn¡¯t let go of me.


    His movements softened, slowed. His hand at my waist remained, holding me with the gentleness of someone who knew how fragile I was, even when I wore masks and fake confidence. His other hand held mine securely.


    And suddenly... I wasn¡¯t dancing anymore.


    I was feeling.


    I could feel the warmth of his touch through the fabric. The way his thumb lightly brushed over my knuckles. The way his body leaned ever so slightly closer than necessary. And when I finally dared to look up at him... I almost gasped.


    He wasn¡¯t looking around.


    He wasn¡¯t aware of the crowd anymore.


    He was looking at me. Entirely. Like I was the only person that existed.


    My throat tightened.


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.


    Not with him.


    Not when it was him.


    My thoughts began to blur, sinking into something heavier, deeper than confusion. Attraction. Admiration. Something so dangerous that I didn¡¯t even dare to name it.


    What made it worse was that he looked like he belonged in every fairytale I ever read. The sharpness of his jaw was softened only by the shadows from the chandeliers. His mask covered the top half of his face, but nothing could hide the intensity in his eyes. They were glowing ever so faintly, something only I seemed to notice.


    "You are staring," he murmured, his voice low and quiet.


    "I¡¯m not," I whispered, tearing my eyes away.


    "You are," he insisted, and I could feel the smirk even if I couldn¡¯t see it fully. "Not that I mind."


    My cheeks burned. And then I realized - he wasn¡¯t letting go either. We were still swaying slowly to the music, the world a blur of gold and white light, and this man, this forbidden man, was holding me like I meant something to him.


    I shouldn¡¯t feel anything for River.


    He was the Rogue Alpha King. Dangerous. Elusive. Calcted. And most importantly, he wasn¡¯t supposed to be the one who made me feel... safe. Yet here I was - melting under his gaze, aching for his touch, wanting this moment to never end.


    And it wasn¡¯t like he was unaffected either. He hadn¡¯t looked away once. Not even to acknowledge the people around us. Not even when Celeste passed nearby with another Alpha on her arm, shooting daggers in my direction.


    He only had eyes for me.


    My mind was screaming. I didn¡¯t know if it was to run or to stay. To protect myself... or to fall.


    Because somewhere deep down, I knew. Something was changing between us.


    And maybe... just maybe... a small, forbidden part of me didn¡¯t hate the idea of this change.


    But that part didn¡¯t get to linger for long.


    A sudden presence approached from our side, and River finally broke his gaze from mine to nce toward the interruption. I turned slightly, following his eyes...


    And found Kieran standing there.


    "Mind if I cut in?" Kieran asked, his voice light and charming. He offered a smile as he extended a hand toward me.


    My stomach did a full flip.


    Not because I didn¡¯t want to dance with Kieran. But because of the way River¡¯s body went tense beside me.


    Still, I stepped back. more out of instinct than decision. River let go. His jaw was set tight, and eyes unreadable now.


    "Sure," I said, taking Kieran¡¯s hand.


    Kieran shot his brother a pointed look, then turned back to me with a smile.


    River stepped away, his gaze lingering just a second longer before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.


    <fnf99a> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fnf99a>


    And just like that, the spell was broken.

 Chapter 229: Forbidden Currents

    <h4>Chapter 229: Forbidden Currents</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I hadn¡¯t expected Kieran to ask me to dance. But when he extended his hand with a small, sincere smile, I found myself epting.


    Stepping forward with him felt both safe and dangerously illicit. My thoughts were throbbing with confusion. Oscar, Draven... they were my anchors, my mates - but with Kieran, there was an undeniable pull that always left me feeling confused, guilty, and needy.


    As soon as the music changed, he drew me into a soft waltz. He held me carefully yet possessively, guiding me into the rhythm. I felt the crowd¡¯s eyes on us as we moved, but I only noticed his firm, warm grip on my waist and his careful hand atop mine.


    He twirled me elegantly, careful not to let slip the storm of intensity his gaze held - those deep emerald orbs never left my face. He brought me back into his arms, my back pressed nearly against his chest. His breath brushed my temple in subtle warmth. His hand moved along my spine with confident ease, and I suddenly realized he wanted me to dance with him tonight. He wanted this closeness, and I... I wanted it too.


    A tidal wave of emotion crashed through me. I had mates. And still... I was feeling this forbidden pull toward their elder brothers. I felt torn, confused in a way I had never before. My pulse thudded not just in my ears but through every nerve ending.


    This wasn¡¯t physical attraction alone. This was adoration and longing wrapped in graceful movement. And I was drowning... while knowing that I shouldn¡¯t.


    Thankfully, the song ended. I pulled away softly, but immediately, desperate for some distance, and he bowed politely, disappearing into the crowd with a courteous nod. I exhaled shakily.


    Looking for refuge, I wandered through the edge of the ballroom. There, standing like a silent thundercloud guarding his corner, was Draven. He wasn¡¯t locked in conversation, he was motionless except for the asional lift of his hand as he greeted his friends - ones I had seen him with back at the Academy.


    Just as I was about to look away, he lifted his head and our eyes locked.


    Instantly, he excused himself from his group and headed my way.


    He handed me a chocte cupcake - small, with creamy frosting, topped by a dusting of edible silver. I held it like a relic while suspicion shadowed my features. I didn¡¯t doubt him, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the cupcake.


    "Completely safe," he chuckled softly as he read my thoughts loud and clear. "I bought the box myself."


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile and took a bite. It was rich, moist, perfect. He signaled to a friend, who delivered the said box with five more cupcakes in it. My heart melted at his consideration.


    "You look like you haven¡¯t eaten all evening," he said, half teasing, half worried.


    I nodded and epted only two more. I was too overwhelmed to eat more, but it helped greatly.


    His friend started to ask my name, clearly intrigued to see almost every Thorne brother acquainted with me. But Dravenid a gentle hand on the man¡¯s arm, shaking his head with a whisper. The friend bowed out quickly.


    I noticed Oscar dancing with ady who appeared to be in her forties and the way she was smiling, I could tell he had already charmed her. But I felt no jealousy, maybe because I could tell thedy had no bad intentions toward my mate.


    On the other hand, River was fulfilling his promise to the Luna of the Blue Moon Pack. I noticed them dancing on the other side of the floor.


    Just then, Draven offered me his hand and guided me into a circle of slower dance that was lighthearted and warm. Our bodies moved close, but we kept it respectful. No kisses, no touches beyond polite rhythm and reassuring brushes of our fingertips. Still, I felt cherished.


    I could taste chocte on my lips, feel the faint perfume of cinnamon and fir needles in the air. In that moment, I desperately wanted to pause time.


    <fna76f> ?????? ???? find?novel</fna76f>


    But after only a handful of measures, I excused myself to find River again.


    This time, I found him near the balcony, arms crossed and discreetly observing guests.


    He was looking impable, holding a ss of red wine to his lips... but paused before drinking it.


    He lowered the ss slightly, and his gaze Sharpened.


    My throat tightened as I immediately realized something was off.


    "Alpha..." I said softly.


    He didn¡¯t put away the ss, instead, he pretended to sip.


    "I¡¯m leaving my safety in your hands from now on." He surprised me with his words that were spoken just for my ears.


    "Your talk about this being good for me... it¡¯s just talk, isn¡¯t it?" I blurted in a low voice as we stepped to the edge of the hall.


    He didn¡¯t respond at once, not tried to defend himself as I continued to use him. "Is this just so you don¡¯t have to rely on someone else - like Jasper - to protect you?"


    Finally, he answered.


    "Trust me, in situation like these, Jasper always has his hands full with much more important matters to y my babysitter."


    "What about Ms. Emma?" I pressed.


    "My secretary is married, busy with her kids. I can¡¯t afford losing her if she¡¯s overworked."


    Letting out a sigh, I nodded my head. I wanted to know how many more excuses he had up his sleeve. "Then why not find someone for this specific job?"


    His voice was steady but softer than I had ever heard as he answered, "There¡¯s no one else I trust enough."


    How could he-


    I just stared at him in silence while my heart thudded. I was absolutely hating whatever y he was performing tonight. It was like his every word, every action... was meant to touch my heart.


    I quickly averted my gaze, afraid he might see something in my eyes that shouldn¡¯t be even there to begin with. When I spoke, my voice was as cold as the weather outside.


    "You shouldn¡¯t trust me either. Don¡¯t forget I have more than enough reasons to leave you in the hands of your enemies."

 Chapter 230: Elixirs and Whispers

    <h4>Chapter 230: Elixirs and Whispers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The ballroom was glimmering under crystal chandeliers, the soft golden light creating an illusion of warmth over polished smiles and poised bodies.


    I stood beside River, like his silent shadow, my senses sharper than ever. He carried himself like he always did - graceful, sharp, intimidating - but tonight, I saw just how much effort it took to wear that armor. He hadn¡¯t eaten a bite, nor touched anything unless it came from a tray Jasper had vetted earlier. But Jasper was nowhere in sight now.


    I remained close, watching the way people gravitated toward him. Alphas, Betas, and their elegantly dressed Lunas constantly approached with false politeness and predatory eyes.


    He offered them his usual detached courtesy - no more, no less. But it was the younger women, the daughters of power-hungry families, who caught my attention. Dozens of them were floating around the ballroom like moths, every gaze flickering toward him. They wanted him. But none dared to walk up on their own. It was always their parents initiating introductions, which River dodged with silent nces and cold nods.


    Still, the tension among them was palpable. And the res I received from across the room didn¡¯t go unnoticed. After all, I had danced with River. And with Kieran. And Draven. I wasn¡¯t naive enough to think people hadn¡¯t noticed. Especially not the girls who hade here dressed to seduce the infamous Thorne Brothers.


    When I finally excused myself for a bathroom break, I weed the moment of solitude. The bathroom was asvish as the ballroom - marble counters, golden ents, and soft white towels stacked neatly by the sink. I closed myself in a cubicle, letting my body rest for a second.


    But then, the click of heels echoed in the space, and a pair of giggling voices followed. I would have ignored them... until I heard one of them say River¡¯s name.


    I froze.


    <i>"You saw that too, right? That girl dancing with River, and with Kieran? Who the hell does she think she is?"</i>


    <i>"She danced with Draven too. I saw them together. I don¡¯t care how pretty she is, she clearly doesn¡¯t know the rules here. You don¡¯t touch all of them like that."</i>


    <i>"God, the nerve of her. Whoever she is, she¡¯s going to regret showing off like that."</i>


    My stomach tightened. They were talking about me, clearly. But I stayed quiet, my hand clenched tightly into my dress.


    Another voice joined them, more hushed and secretive, yetced with venom. <i>"Forget her. I have bigger news. My mother overheard Alpha Renwyn talking to his Luna and beta - he¡¯s nning to propose a marriage between Celeste and River. Probably in next couple of days."</i>


    My breath caught in my throat. A marriage?


    The girl went on, <i>"But I¡¯m not giving up that easily. My parents already made ns. They even got me the elixir."</i>


    <i>"Elixir?"</i> another girl whispered. <i>"What elixir?"</i>


    <i>"Something rare. A powerful stimnt and emotional enhancer. If River drinks it, he¡¯ll feel... euphoric, responsive. If I y my cards right, I can get him alone, and then..."</i> She giggled. <i>"Well, the rest will fall into ce."</i>


    <i>"That¡¯s risky. He doesn¡¯t drink anything not vetted by his beta."</i>


    <i>"He has to drink. He¡¯s the Rogue Alpha King. If he refuses a toast from another Alpha, he risks starting tensions. All we need to do is get the right Alpha to initiate it. And that¡¯s already handled. My father knows what to do."</i>


    They all giggled again before footsteps echoed, their voices fading as they exited the bathroom.


    I remained frozen for a long moment, every cell in my body burning with disbelief.


    River¡¯s going to be drugged.


    The girls didn¡¯t know who I was - thank the goddess - but that didn¡¯t lessen the threat. My n of staying low-key had failed spectacrly. They were after me already. But River... this was worse. Far worse.


    I burst out of the cubicle, quickly washed my hands, dried them, and stepped out into the ballroom once again, my eyes sweeping the crowd frantically.


    River was standing near the center now, surrounded by a circle of Alphas, all of themughing and toasting. In his hand was a ss of golden liquid. His smile looked real. Hisposure, solid. But now I knew better.


    I scanned the room. There were too many people. Too many unfamiliar faces. I had no way of knowing which of those women had the elixir or which Alpha had passed it to River.


    I couldn¡¯t just walk up to him and blurt out what I heard. He wasn¡¯t alone for a single second. He was ying politics. He couldn¡¯t afford to show vulnerability. And yet I couldn¡¯t just watch him drink it either.


    Worst of all, there was no sign of Kieran or Oscar, and Draven was surrounded by his group of friends and some other young Alpha heirs.


    I made my way to River, staying close enough to intervene if needed, but helplessly unsure of what to do. Fifteen minutes passed. Twenty. I watched him take asional sips, but never finished any drink. I thought maybe, just maybe, he was still safe.


    <fndbad> Newest update provided by Find_Novel(.</fndbad>


    But then, around the thirty-minute mark, something shifted.


    He turned slightly, speaking to the Alpha beside him, when his hand suddenly jerked. It was so subtle that I had missed itpletely if not for how closely I was observing him. The ss trembled in his grip. Then, with barely a nce toward the people around him, he stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.


    His hand was cold and trembling.


    "Evaline," he said in a low voice. "We need to go."


    I looked into his eyes... and my heart dropped.


    The sharp awareness in them had dulled. His pupils were slightly dted, his breathing shallow. Hisposure was beginning to crack.


    "Come with me," he murmured, almost pleading.


    I nodded, panic coursing through me as I quickly adjusted his grip so I could steady him. His fingers clung to mine like I was his anchor in a storm.


    He had been drugged.


    No one else noticed. They were too busyughing, drinking, dancing. And River still lookedposed to everyone but me.


    But I could feel it - the slight unsteadiness in his steps, the way he blinked just a second too long. He was fighting it, whatever was in that drink. But it was getting to him.


    I guided him away from the crowd, weaving carefully between dancers and servers, aiming for the quieter hallway that led to the terrace.


    His grip tightened on mine.


    "Don¡¯t let go," he whispered. "I can¡¯t think straight."


    "I won¡¯t," I promised as my heart raced.


    And as we disappeared behind the tall velvet curtains, I knew one thing for certain...


    Whoever had dared to drug him was going to regret ever stepping into this ballroom.


    And I... I was going to make sure he didn¡¯t fall into anyone¡¯s trap tonight.

 Chapter 231: Alpha Who Doesn’t Want to Hurt Her

    <h4>Chapter 231: Alpha Who Doesn¡¯t Want to Hurt Her</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River¡¯s grip on my wrist trembled as I guided him out of the ballroom, each step growing heavier beneath his feet.


    The moment we crossed into the empty hallway, the warmth and music of the ballroom disappeared, swallowed by the hushed darkness. Only our hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. The hotel¡¯s lights were dimmer here, flickering once or twice as I supported his weight.


    His skin felt far too warm, and a faint sheen of sweat was glistening on his brow. The drug was working fast, faster than I expected, and I had no idea how much time we had before he lostplete control.


    I stopped at the far end of the corridor and pressed him gently against the wall, trying to steady my own breath as I kept him upright. We were out of the direct sight from the ballroom, but still close enough to get caught.


    "We got out of there, but it won¡¯t be long before someone notices. You have been the center of attention all night," I whispered, more to myself than him. "If they are watching you, they¡¯ll notice your absence... if they haven¡¯t already."


    River¡¯s head tilted toward mine, his eyes hazy but still burning with that familiar intensity. "Eva..." His voice was rough, strained. "This hotel... it¡¯s mine."


    I blinked. "What?"


    His hand slipped down to my waist as he slumped slightly, the weight of the drug pulling him down, and I had to brace him again. "It¡¯s mine. I own it."


    That changed everything.


    I straightened quickly, my mind racing. "Okay. Okay, that¡¯s good. Then we have got options."


    Without wasting another second, I reached for his phone. "Give it to me."


    He handed it over with no questions, unlocking it with a quick swipe. I searched his contacts and quickly dialed Jasper.


    The call barely rang once before Jasper¡¯s calm, clipped voice came through. "Alpha-"


    "It¡¯s not River," I said quickly. "This is Eva. He¡¯s been drugged. I need help. Now."


    There was a pause for merely a second. Then Jasper¡¯s voice sharpened with concern. "Where are you?"


    <fn8373> The rightful source is Find~Novel</fn8373>


    I gave him our exact location, then nced up and down the hallway. "Is there anywhere we can hide until you get here? Somewhere out of sight?"


    "Yes. There¡¯s a storage room one floor up. End of the east wing corridor. Use the stairs. I¡¯ll send someone now. Keep him out of sight."


    "Got it."


    He gave me a few more instructions before we ended the call. I wrapped an arm around River and began leading him toward the stairwell. He stumbled more than once, and I had to practically drag him up the steps, whispering reassurances the whole way.


    When we reached the storage room, I opened the door with relief and ushered him inside. I locked it behind us and turned both our phones to silent. The corridor outside was already showing signs of movement. Distant voices. Shadows. They were looking for him.


    River leaned against the wall, his breathsing quicker now, his fingers trembling as he started pulling at the cor of his shirt. I moved to help him, just to loosen the tightness around his neck, but stopped when his hands slid down and he began unfastening more than necessary.


    "Hey," I whispered, gripping his hands gently. "You need to stay focused. Help ising."


    His eyes were fogged with something deeper now as they met mine. "It¡¯s burning," he murmured. "Inside me."


    I swallowed hard, unable to think of a response. I just gave his hand a squeeze and he pressed his head against the wall, closing his eyes.


    Seconds passed as they were hours, and finally, there was a soft knock on the door. My heart raced until I heard the whispered code Jasper had given me before ending the call. I opened the door to find two hotel staff members - a man and a woman - waiting silently.


    Without a word, they led us through a discreet hallway and into a private ellivator restricted for only staff use. We went up to the penthouse level. And the moment we stepped inside the luxurious suite, River¡¯s hand clutched mine tightly.


    "Send them away," he murmured.


    I nodded and dismissed the staff quickly, locking the door behind them.


    But before I could turn, he was already there.


    His body pressed against mine, his hands caging me between himself and the door. My heart thundered. "River-"


    His head dropped into the crook of my neck, his hot breath brushing across my skin. "I can¡¯t control it," he growled softly. "Get away from me."


    I pressed my hands to his chest. "You need to stop. You know who I am, right?"


    He let out a guttural sound that didn¡¯t quite reach his lips. His nose grazed along my jaw, and I froze as his lips hovered just above my throat. "I know," he whispered hoarsely. "And that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to hurt you, Evaline."


    "Then please," I whispered, "try to fight it."


    His hands twitched against the doorframe. His whole body was trembling as though caught in the grip of something much stronger than himself. For a long, terrifying second, I thought he might lose the fight. That the River I knew might disappear under the influence of the drug.


    But then... he shoved himself back.


    A groan escaped him as he stumbled away from me, his fingers digging into his scalp. "I need... to get away from you."


    "River-"


    He ran, straight into the nearby bedroom and mmed the bathroom door behind him. I heard water running, his harsh breathing echoing even through the door. My knees nearly buckled from the weight of the tension as I tried to steady myself.


    My hands were trembling as I reached for my phone and dialed Kieran¡¯s number with shaking fingers. My breath hitched when it rang once... twice...


    Suddenly, the penthouse doorbell rang.


    Startled, I walked over to the monitor and blinked at the screen.


    Kieran.


    Without hesitation, I unlocked the door and flung it open. His hair was tousled, concern etched in every sharp line of his face.


    He looked at me once, just once, and I felt the tears prick the corners of my eyes from sheer relief.


    "He¡¯s inside," I whispered. "He needs help."


    Kieran stepped in immediately, holding my arms and grounding me as his eyes searched my entire body as if looking for any sort of injury.


    And just like that... relief crashed through me.

 Chapter 232: Morning in His Arms

    <h4>Chapter 232: Morning in His Arms</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The first thing I felt was a soft kiss brushing against my cheek.


    Then another... this one on the bridge of my nose.


    A thirdnded just at the corner of my mouth.


    A giggle slipped from my lips before I could help it, but I kept my eyes shut, choosing to enjoy the moment. I knew who it was. I didn¡¯t need to see him to recognize the way his lips moved with yful devotion, or how hisrge hand was resting protectively at my waist.


    "Draven," I murmured, still not opening my eyes. I buried my face deeper into the crook of his neck and his scent wrapped around me. I felt warm, safe, and cherished.


    When he chuckled, it was low and quiet, like the sound was meant only for me. "I was starting to wonder how many kisses it would take to wake you."


    "Apparently more than five," I whispered sleepily as a smile formed on my lips.


    "Might have to try ten next time," he said, and his mouth found mine.


    The kiss started sweet, but with him, sweetness rarely stayed innocent for long. His fingers skimmed up my spine through the oversized shirt I was wearing - his shirt, I realized with a sudden, drowsy flush.


    His lips moved over mine with slow, devastating confidence, and soon, my breath was stolen entirely. He kissed like he had nowhere else to be, like the world outside didn¡¯t exist, and for a few minutes, I let myself believe that.


    But then, reality started to return.


    I opened my eyes.


    The light filtering through the curtains was dim, the sky outside still carrying the early hue of morning. A soft golden glow was bathing the room, but it wasn¡¯t familiar. The scent in the air wasn¡¯t mine. And neither was the bed. This wasn¡¯t Thorne Mansion.


    I blinked, slowly sitting up just a little.


    Dark walls. Expensive furniture. The velvet curtains and skyline view. It was the penthouse.


    <fn0b2e> Fresh chapters posted on findnovel</fn0b2e>


    And then, the memories rushed in like a crashing wave.


    River. The ballroom. The drug. Sneaking him out. The panic. The penthouse. And finally... Kieran showing up.


    After that, Kieran and Oscar took River to the hospital while Draven stayed behind to look after me.


    "Hey," Draven said softly, brushing his fingers over my cheek. He had been watching me, waiting for the realization to dawn.


    "You remember?" he asked, and I nodded slowly.


    He leaned forward and pressed another kiss to the center of my forehead. "Good morning, Eva."


    I opened my mouth to return the greeting, but the moment was stolen again by his lips. This time, his hand cradled the back of my neck, and the kiss was deeper, hungrier,ced with everything he didn¡¯t say.


    He pressed his bare chest against me, warm and solid, and I was able to feel the rapid thrum of his heartbeat as if it mirrored my own.


    He tasted like cinnamon and the remnants of dreams, and when he finally pulled back, my lungs were aching and my cheeks were flushed.


    "Morning," I whispered breathlessly.


    He smirked, brushing a thumb over my swollen lower lip. "That was much better than coffee."


    "You are unbelievable," I muttered, burying my face in the crook of his neck again. But this time, I wasn¡¯t hiding sleep, I was hiding the fact that my heart was doing cartwheels in my chest.


    Wey like that for a while. Wrapped in warmth. Tangled in limbs. My fingers curled around the hem of the shirt I was wearing. It still smelled like him. Scratch that, I smelled like him.


    He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You were amazingst night," he said, his voice quieter now. "Thank you for helping River."


    I pulled back enough to meet his eyes. "He would have done the same for me." Surprisingly, I believed what I just said and it left me confused.


    Did I trust River?


    Draven nodded, his eyes shadowing for a moment before he spoke again. "I got an update from Kieran about half an hour ago," he said. "The drug... it wasn¡¯t just strong. It was something new. Almost ten times the normal strength. They are calling in a specialist to identify the source."


    My breath hitched.


    "He¡¯s awake now," he added quickly, catching my expression. "River woke up around five. His wolf kicked back into control, and he¡¯s already healing. If everything goes well, he might be discharged by noon."


    Relief bloomed in my chest so fast it nearly made my head spin.


    I leaned against him again, holding onto the moment. "Whoever did this..."


    "There won¡¯t be a ce in this world safe enough for them to hide," he said, his voice low and terrifyingly calm. "They crossed a line."


    We fell silent again, letting the weight of it hang in the air.


    After a while, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head and said, "Let¡¯s get ready. We have got to head back soon."


    I groaned. "Five more minutes."


    "Ten," he bargained.


    "Twenty," I whispered, and heughed as he pulled me even closer.


    We stayed in bed for another twenty minutes, whispering, asionally kissing, and sharing the kind of peace that felt stolen from the chaos around us.


    Eventually, I dragged myself into the bathroom for a quick shower. The hot water felt like heaven, washing away the tension in my muscles. By the time I stepped out, warm sets of clothes had been deliveredfor both of us.


    Breakfast was set out on the table - fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, toast, fresh fruit, and hot tea.


    We ate in apanionable silence, the events of the past night still hanging heavily in the air, but not suffocating.


    Once we were done, Draven stood and held out his hand. "Ready to go home?"


    Home.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I considered Throne Mansion anywhere near <i>home... </i>but I surely considered him and Oscar my new home.


    I slipped my fingers into his, nodded once, and let him lead me toward the door.

 Chapter 233: A Christmas Like No Other

    <h4>Chapter 233: A Christmas Like No Other</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next few days blurred past me like kes of snow against a foggy window.


    Just as Draven had said, River returned to the mansion that very afternoon. His expression was unreadable but his steps steady. He looked better - less pale, more himself. I had half-expected him to avoid me or downy the whole thing, but he surprised me.


    When I passed him in the hallway outside the grand staircase, he slowed to a stop and looked at me. The moment held weight. Jasper stopped just a few paces behind him.


    "Thank you," River said, his tone low but clear. "For staying. For helping. For proving me right."


    I nodded, my voice lost somewhere between relief and awkwardness. "I¡¯m just d... you are okay."


    He nodded once, and the moment ended as swiftly as it came. They moved on, and I was left standing there, watching his retreating form like I always did - trying not to think too hard about what I felt and why I shouldn¡¯t feel it.


    - - -


    The next three days were spent tucked inside a bubble of warmth I hadn¡¯t known I needed.


    While the mansion¡¯s halls glittered with lights and gands, my room slowly transformed into a cozy winter haven. Oscar insisted we go "all out" with the decorations. He brought even more crates of ornaments, warm lights, a fake snow machine - yes, seriously - and even a velvet red tree skirt.


    Draven showed up with hot chocte, a smug smile, and an armful of pine-scented candles. Kieran somehow had the most practical ideas -mand strips,dder handling, and knowing how many bulbs a string could support before fizzling out.


    Weughed a lot and I enjoyed theirpany much more than the alone time I used to prefer in the past.


    But the biggest surprise came on the evening of the 24th, when we were adding final touches to the tree.


    Kieran was adjusting the ribbon, Draven was untangling yet another strand of lights, Oscar was and I were on the floor, sorting through a box of leftover ornaments, when the door creaked open.


    And River walked in.


    None of us had expected him. He was dressed in ck as always, but without a coat, his hair slightly tousled. He didn¡¯t say a word. Just walked past us, reached for the golden star resting on the small coffee desk, and... without ceremony... ced it at the top of the tree.


    The moment froze.


    He stepped back, gave the star onest nce, then turned and walked out.


    No exnation. No nod. Noment.


    We all stared after him, wide-eyed and silent.


    Oscar was the first to speak. "Okay, that... just happened."


    Draven hummed. "Did he even blink?"


    "At least now the tree has his approval." Kieran added with a shake of his head.


    As for me, I had a smile ying on my lips that threatened way more than I was ready to admit.


    That night, while the brothers hosted the Roguemunity¡¯s Christmas Eve party, I opted for a quieter evening.


    I curled up in my favorite knit sweater with my tablet and a te of cookies, Face-Timing Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan.


    <fn62d4> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fn62d4>


    Mallory was wearing a glittery red dress and had obviously already downed one too many candy cane martinis. "Girl, you are glowing. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice."


    I shook my head. "It¡¯s the lighting."


    "It¡¯s the Rogue boys," Rowan chimed in with a teasing smirk. "She¡¯s in the middle of her own winter romance novel."


    Kyros just smiled knowingly, sipping from a ss of spiked eggnog. "You deserve peace, Eva. Especially this kind."


    Despite their teasing, it was good to see them. To hear themugh. To feel grounded.


    - - -


    When Christmas morning finally arrived, I woke up slowly, buried underyers of soft nkets and the faint scent of pine and cinnamon.


    A faint glow from my Christmas tree was filling the room in gold and green hues. But what really caught my attention were the gifts - over a dozen of them - neatly arranged under the tree.


    My heart skipped.


    I didn¡¯t dare touch them yet. Instead, I slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom to freshen up.


    Just as I stepped out after getting dressed, a knock sounded at the door.


    I opened it to find Oscar and Draven standing there, both grinning like boys who knew they were up to no good.


    "Merry Christmas," Oscar said as he stepped inside and pulled me into his arms, kissing me squarely on the lips.


    Iughed, feeling slightly breathless as Draven literally snatched me away from his brother. His kiss was slower, deeper, and he whispered his greeting against my lips.


    They didn¡¯t even give me time to wish them back. But I didn¡¯t mind. Being wrapped in their warmth was the best start to this special day.


    After getting dressed in cozy matching Christmas sweaters - thanks to Draven¡¯s coordination - the five of us gathered in the living room near the roaring firece and the giant Christmas tree.


    River sat with a book in one corner, pretending not to be part of the group while clearly listening to everything. Kieran handed out steaming mugs of cider and spiced hot cocoa, while Draven yed soft instrumental Christmas music in the background.


    Oscar was in his element, of course. He passed out gifts with a dramatic ir, announcing each recipient like an award presenter.


    Most of their gifts came from the Alphas and high-ranking people from around the shifter world, or their fangirls. And honestly, none of them looked excited to even spare another nce at those presents.


    After a while, Oscar got tired and turned to face me.


    "Just give me a hint on what kind of present wrap you have used, or the size of the box, or any other information that can help me find your presents. I can¡¯t keep going like this."


    I noticed how the other three immediately shifted their attention to me, even River.


    I stood up and walked toward the cluster of gifts, easily finding the boxes I secretly ced theretest night.


    "Great. Let¡¯s bring all these to your room and open our presents together."

 Chapter 234: A Big Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 234: A Big Mistake</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft glow of the tree lights greeted us as we all made our way into my bedroom. I hadn¡¯t realized how warm and cozy this ce had be, with the tree twinkling in the corner, the fire crackling gently in the hearth, and the room filled with the presence of the brothers.


    It was supposed to be a calm, quiet Christmas Day. But the moment all four of them followed me here - uninvited, but wee - I knew things wouldn¡¯t stay quiet for long.


    My room was spacious, but not enough for fourrge, muscled Alphas to loungefortably. The couch near the firece could seat two at best, and the armchair beside it held another. River imed the armchair without a word, lounging with a quiet sort of elegance only he seemed to possess.


    "I¡¯ll take the floor," I said and settled down on the thick, soft rug between the firece and the tree.


    Kieran surprised me as he joined me there without a word. He lowered himself beside me, folding one leg beneath the other, his body warmth brushing against mine.


    This left the couch for Draven and Oscar.


    The gifts they had brought were sitting before them. All four were wrapped neatly in the same in, cream-colored paper with a silver bow - my doing. I had spent nearly an hour choosing the right paper, the right words for the note cards... and now, I was regretting every second of it.


    They hadn¡¯t brought any other gifts with them, just mine.


    "You guys aren¡¯t opening the presents you gave each other?" I asked.


    Draven was the one who answered. "We have been giving each other gifts for years. Same styles. Same brands. It¡¯s all very predictable by now. Not much of a surprise left." He shrugged, then added with a knowing smirk, "I¡¯m actually looking forward to seeing what you got me."


    My stomach did a nervous little flip.


    I wasn¡¯t looking forward to that at all.


    The gifts I got for Draven and Oscar were personal. Intimate. Because they were my mates. But if they opened their presents right here, in front of River and Kieran... there¡¯s no chance the two wouldn¡¯t notice.


    And then there was River.


    God. The box I wrapped for him now felt like a ticking bomb. I had not expected to be in the room when he opened it.


    "You start," Oscar said suddenly, gesturing at the pile of gifts beside me. "Let¡¯s see what your friends got you."


    Grateful for the change in focus, I nodded and reached out for the nearest box. It had Mallory¡¯s handwriting on it. I opened it to find a set of my favorite skincare products sitting inside. Along with it were handmade Christmas choctes and cookies. I grinned, my heart warming at the thoughtfulness.


    Kyros had sent me a small pocket-sized book of motivational quotes and an expensive fountain pen set. It was simple, but meaningful. <i>"For all your notes and secrets</i>," he had written on the tag.


    Rowan¡¯s gift made me pause. It was a personalized leather journal with my initials embossed in rose-gold. The pages were creamy and nk, waiting to be filled. I smiled, running my fingers over the cover.


    Noah had sent a beautiful set of scented candles, each onebeled for a mood - "Focus," "Rx," "Dream."


    Selene¡¯s gift was a framed photograph of our whole group taken on Halloween. I blinked hard at the sudden rush of memories it brought.


    And Ria, sweet as always, had sent a spa gift box - bath bombs, oils, scrubs, and a fluffy robe with my name embroidered on the cor.


    I had never felt so seen. So cared for.


    But as thest of my friends¡¯ presents was opened, the weight returned to my chest. There were only four left now.


    I didn¡¯t want to open them. Not with River and Kieran present in the room.


    "I¡¯m tired," I said suddenly, shifting my position and reaching for the one person I hoped would understand me without question. "Draven, why don¡¯t you go next?"


    I looked right at him, pouring all the silent pleading I could into my gaze.


    Please. Understand. Don¡¯t open it here.


    There was a pause and I held my breath.


    His eyes twinkled as he turned the box over in his hands. "Hmm... I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to share what I got," he said dramatically. Then, with a grin, he stood. "I¡¯m taking this somewhere private."


    Before anyone could react, he was already halfway out the door, the box tucked under his arm.


    Oscar let out a soft snort. "Drama king. Let me go and see what he¡¯s up to."


    With that, he stood too and raced after Draven. But I didn¡¯t miss how he too had taken his present away.


    And then it was just me, Kieran, and River.


    The tension returned like a cold breeze. Kieran picked up his gift and sat a little straighter.


    "I¡¯ll go next then," he said, unwrapping the cream paper with casual ease.


    Inside was the custom pen I had gotten him - a sleek, matte-ck writing instrument with his initials engraved in gold on the cap. It was elegant and powerful, just like him. A symbol of intelligence and authority.


    <fn227b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find(?)ovel</fn227b>


    He held it between his fingers, testing the weight, before looking at me with a slow, warm smile. "This is perfect. Thank you, Evaline."


    I nodded, feeling oddly shy. "I thought it matched your style."


    "It does." He leaned closer and whispered, "I¡¯ll treasure it."


    But then he turned his attention to his brother. "River? Your turn."


    No.


    I could have screamed it out loud.


    My stomach sank. My heart stuttered. But I couldn¡¯t stop him now.


    River¡¯s eyes flicked from Kieran to me. He leaned forward, long fingers picking up the gift box I had wrapped for him with so much care. The same silver ribbon. The same paper. But inside...


    I swallowed hard as he began to pull at the bow.


    I knew... it was a big mistake.

 Chapter 235: The Gift of Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 235: The Gift of Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t even realize I was moving until I felt the soft fibers of Kieran¡¯s sweater against my fingertips.


    My gaze was fixed on River, who was now nearly done peeling the gift wrap off the small rectangr box in his hands. Panic crept into my chest as if everyyer of that wrap was a protective shield, and with each one being stripped away, I was being exposed.


    Why did I even buy that book?


    The wrapping fell awaypletely, revealing the smooth ck box. Kieran shifted beside me, ncing at my hand now clutched at his side, his brow quirking slightly in confusion.


    I quickly shook my head, pleading silently for him not to say anything. To his credit, he didn¡¯t, though one of his hands came down and gently covered mine. Normally, that small gesture would have distracted me... but right now, I was too focused on the time bomb in River¡¯s hands.


    River lifted the lid and looked inside.


    And just like that, his entire face froze.


    Gone was the calm,posed Rogue Alpha King. Gone was the mildly amused, mildly curious man watching me open gifts just moments ago. In his ce was cold, unforgiving silence. A wall of ice formed in his gaze as it immediately lifted to meet mine.


    That re. It was sharp enough to slice through my confidence like paper.


    I instinctively curled further behind Kieran, gripping his sweater tighter.


    He stiffened. "What did she get you?" he asked, his voiceced with curiosity and amusement,pletely unaware of the war I was having with my soul at the moment.


    River pulled out the book with slow deliberation, as if showing evidence of a crime.


    "Learn How To Be a Better Boss," he read aloud, the sarcasm practically dripping from each word.


    There was a beat of silence.


    Then Kieran snorted.


    And in the next breath, he burst outughing. Hard.


    "Oh my god," he wheezed. "You actually gave him that? You gave him a book on how to be a better boss?"


    I didn¡¯t answer. Couldn¡¯t. My head was bowed low, my cheeks hot enough to melt the North. I was cursing every impulse, every ounce of mischief that had once made me think this gift would be perfect to irritate the life out of my boss.


    River¡¯s aura felt lethal.


    "I thought it was funny in the store," I muttered in my defense, barely audible.


    "Don¡¯t be mad at her," Kieran said through moreughter. "It¡¯s a very thoughtful gift. I mean,e on, you do need the motivation, brother. Like, desperately."


    I closed my eyes.


    Kieran. Stop talking. Please.


    I felt River¡¯s mood go from icy to cial. Even Kieran¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t enough to protect me now. Not when he was fanning the mes like that. I peeked up only when I heard movement - River was rising to his feet, holding the book up for me to see.


    His jaw was tight. His voice calm. Too calm.


    "You¡¯ll definitely see a better version of your boss in the near future," he said with a clipped smile that did not reach his eyes. "Consider this a promise, Miss Greystone."


    With that, he walked out.


    I let out a long groan and copsed back onto the rug, burying my face in my palms.


    "I¡¯m going to die," I whispered.


    Kieran chuckled again, and I felt his hand ruffle my hair gently. "You¡¯ll be fine. He won¡¯t make things hard for you."


    I lifted my head just enough to squint at him. "You clearly don¡¯t know your brother as well as you think you do."


    "Maybe," he shrugged, still smiling, "but I do know he respects you, even when you test him like this."


    I grumbled again, refusing to believe him, but let myself be soothed by his calm energy. It was nice, being with Kieran. He was like that one grounding element in a storm of chaos. Even now, when I felt like burying myself in a snowbank out of embarrassment, he had a way of making things feel a little less tragic.


    To change the subject, and probably give me a reason to breathe again, he reached over and picked up one of the four remaining boxes near the tree. And then handed it to me. "Here. Open this one."


    I nced at the tag. From Kieran.


    Feeling my nerves settle slightly, I unwrapped it carefully. Inside, I found several scrolls bound with deep green ribbon, a cluster of small sample vials nestled in cushioned lining, and a leather-bound notebook.


    I picked up one of the scrolls and unrolled it gently - potion recipes. Detailed, well-written, and clearly categorized. I turned to the notebook next. It was old, slightly worn at the edges, and filled with Kieran¡¯s familiar handwriting.


    "I wrote that notebook when I was in my final year," he said softly, watching me with a quiet pride. "It¡¯s mostly about herbs and potion crafting. Some of the rarerbinations are near the end."


    I stared at him.


    "This... this is amazing," I said, stunned. "You are giving me your notes?"


    He nodded with a smile. "You have a natural curiosity for herbs and potions. I thought maybe this would help."


    "It¡¯s more than help," I breathed, flipping through the pages. "This is... this is years of work."


    "And now it¡¯s yours."


    My heart swelled. This wasn¡¯t just a present. It was a gift from someone who saw me and believed in the work I had been putting in for months now.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else. He didn¡¯t need to. His presence alone wasfort enough. After the chaos of River¡¯s re and the adrenaline of that awkward moment, this - his soft gaze and his thoughtful gift - felt like a warm nket.


    I hugged the notebook to my chest. "Thank you," I said softly.


    He simply nodded.


    <fnf028> Original content can be found at F?ndNovel</fnf028>


    And for a few moments, we just sat there, beneath the warm glow of the lights strung across my tree, surrounded by the scattered bits of wrapping paper and lingering scent of pine.


    Minutester, he stood up too. "I shouldn¡¯t get going too. Get some rest. I¡¯ll see at dinner."

 Chapter 236: The Black Dress

    <h4>Chapter 236: The ck Dress</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft click of the door echoed behind me as I twisted the lock and leaned against the polished wood, finally alone.


    I turned away and walked toward the couches, brushing my fingers over the torn wraps from earlier. I gathered the mess into a bag, smiling to myself at the memory of the beautiful and thoughtful presents I had received from my friends.


    With the room tidied and the chaos of wrapping paper cleared, I turned back to the remaining three boxes sitting atop the low table. My hand hovered over them before settling on the biggest one to the left. It had sleek, matte ck paper with a red velvet ribbon tied in a clean bow. No tag. No name.


    But I didn¡¯t need one.


    As I lifted the extremely heavy box into myp, the faintest trace of spicy sandalwood and ck amber met my nose. It was Draven¡¯s favorite perfume - rich, subtle, grounding. I could recognize it in my sleep.


    My lips curved into a smile, and I carefully untied the ribbon, peeling back the wrapping to reveal a pristine white box beneath. Lifting the lid, I let out a soft gasp.


    Inside was sitting the most elegant ss tea set I had ever seen. Crystal-clear cups with gold detailing at the rim and base, a sleek teapot with delicate patterns etched in silver, and a matching tray.


    Nestled beside the set was arge velvet pouch filled with my favorite herbal tea - raspberry leaf, blended with hints of lemon balm and rose petals. It was safe for my pregnancy, calming for the nerves, and sweet on the tongue.


    He was so thoughtful.


    My chest warmed with affection, my fingers lightly brushing the rim of the teacup. The present was thoughtful, useful, elegant. Just like him.


    I set the tea set aside carefully and turned to the next gift. This one was smaller, wrapped in forest green paper and tied with twine. There was no scent this time. No name. Just a box and a mystery.


    The moment I opened it, my breath hitched.


    Inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, was a pendant. A simple chain, but the charm caught the light like starlight on snow. A delicate crescent moon intertwined with a single rose made of deep crimson stone, glowing faintly against the silver. My heart skipped.


    Oscar.


    There was no mistaking it. This pendant... it felt like a piece of him. Like the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn¡¯t watching. Quiet reverence. Protective pride. That deep, endless tenderness he never spoke but always showed.


    I traced the crescent moon, resisting the urge to sp it around my neck. No, I wanted him to do that. His fingers brushing my skin. His warmth so close. I set the box aside with a reverence I didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Only one box was left.


    My hands moved more slowly as I reached for the final package. It had sleek silver wrapping - minimalistic, pristine. No ribbon. No card. No scent. But my gut already whispered the answer. River.


    I peeled the paper away with care, and when the box opened, the breath was knocked from my lungs.


    There it was.


    <fn0281> Content originallyes from find?novel</fn0281>


    The ck dress.


    The same sleek, off-shoulder one with the high slit and the dangerously low back. I hadn¡¯t seen it since that evening - when I apanied River to a business party.


    I thought I would never see this dress again, let alone receive it as a present from <i>him</i>.


    I sat there frozen for a moment, my fingers trembling slightly on the fabric. The shimmer was subtle, the fabric soft and luxurious. Elegant. Seductive. Dangerous.


    Before I could talk myself out of it, I stood and tugged off my sweater, unzipping myfortable trousers. My skin shivered against the air, and then... I slipped the dress on.


    The fabric hugged me like silk and moonlight. I made my way inside the walk-in closet and stood in front of the full-length mirror and... stopped.


    Stars.


    My silver hair was spilling over my bare shoulders like liquid starlight. The ck dress hugged my frame perfectly - curves that hadn¡¯t been there months ago were now filling out the fabric just right. My amber eyes caught the glow of the warmmp, and for a moment, I didn¡¯t recognize the woman in the mirror.


    I looked... beautiful.


    Powerful.


    Desired.


    I remembered the way River¡¯s eyes had darkened that evening when I stepped out to show him this dress, how his jaw had tightened, how his hands had curled slightly as if restraining something. And now... he had given it to me.


    Why?


    What did it mean?


    I shook my head, snapping myself from the spiral. Stop it, Eva. I was overthinking. Again.


    I quickly slipped out of the dress and changed back into my soft, warm clothes. I folded the dress carefully, my hands lingering for a second too long, before I ced it back in its box.


    I carried it to the walk-in closet and slid it into the bottompartment, covering it with a throw nket. Out of sight, out of mind.


    Sort of.


    I sat on the bed for a moment, breathing deeply, before grabbing my phone. I texted Draven and Oscar, thanking them for their thoughtful gifts. Both replied quickly - Oscar with a voice note that made me smile, and Draven with a short message:


    <i>I¡¯m d you liked it. I¡¯ll make tea with you next time</i>.


    My heart fluttered.


    I stayed in my room until it was dinner time. When I entered the dining hall, the soft glow of Christmas lights and theforting aroma of roasted vegetables greeted me. Jasper and Lily were already there, the little girl beaming when she saw me.


    "Eva!" she chirped, running up with her tiny arms.


    "Merry Christmas, Lily," Iughed, crouching to hug her and handing her a neatly wrapped gift.


    She squealed when she saw the set of colors and markers. "Thank you! I¡¯m gonna draw you!"


    "That¡¯s a high honor," I said with mock seriousness.


    Dinner passed with warmughter and delicious food. Everyone was in good spirits. Draven and Oscar nked me at the table, each stealing quiet moments with me when they knew no one was watching.


    Draven gently rested his hand against mine beneath the table, while Oscar sneaked me an extra slice of dessert when no one was looking.


    Once dinner was over, everyone moved to the living room. River immediately got engaged in low, serious conversation with Jasper and Kieran on the far side of the room.


    I stayed back with Lily, Draven, and Oscar for board games. Lily dominated the game, giggling every time she beat one of us. After two hours and seven rounds of game, Jasper scooped the sleepy girl into his arms, and I pressed a kiss to her forehead as I wished her goodnight.


    She mumbled, "Eva and I win everything," before curling into her father¡¯s chest.


    I grinned as they left, then turned to the brothers. River was deep in conversation again. Kieran met my gaze across the room and nodded slightly, as if silently checking on me. I gave him a soft smile.


    Then I stood, yawning. "I think I¡¯m going to head to bed."


    Oscar opened his mouth, then stopped. Draven just gave me a small nod, his gaze unreadable.


    I walked out of the living room and headed toward the stairs. My heart was thudding softly as I sensed the presence of the person following me.


    I reached my door and stepped inside, ncing back just once.


    No one was there.


    But just as I was about to push the door closed, a hand caught it.


    My heart jumped... not from fear but from sheer thrill. It made me realize just how much these men were spoiling me to make me enjoy these sneak-ins.


    A tall frame slipped inside the room before I could react, and the door clicked shut behind him. Then he turned the lock.


    I looked up, and met the eyes of the man who was looking me with so much intensity in his eyes that I almost forgot to breathe for a second.


    "What if River or Kieran noticed your absence from... wherever you lied about going?" I asked, my hand reaching out to grab the front of his sweater.


    "Well... that¡¯s why I have asked for your other mate¡¯s help. Now it¡¯s his duty to make sure those two don¡¯te looking before me before morning." He replied while taking a step closer.


    I arched my eyebrows at him. "What makes you think I¡¯ll allow you to stay the night here?"


    His lips curved and his gaze darkened ever so slightly as he took another step closer, removing almost all the space between us. When he spoke, his voice was just above a whisper.


    "And what makes you think I can¡¯t smell that thick arousal of yours that¡¯s begging me to spend the night right here... with you?"

 Chapter 237: Game of Desire (I)

    <h4>Chapter 237: Game of Desire (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I sucked in a sharp breath, my face instantly heating at his words.


    The way he looked at me... like I was something forbidden he wanted to ruin... set my entire body on fire. I swung my hand up to lightly punch his chest, hoping to diffuse the tension, but he caught me faster than I anticipated. His fingers wrapped around my wrist, and with one smooth motion, he twisted my arm behind my back.


    I gasped as it brought me flush against him, our bodiespletely aligned. Chest to chest. Heat to heat.


    I could feel everything.


    "You are impossible," I muttered, trying to re up at him even as my voice trembled.


    "Is there any lie in what I said?" he asked, his voice low and silk-wrapped danger. His eyes searched mine, challenging me.


    There wasn¡¯t. That was the problem.


    My lips parted, but no answer came out. My heartbeat was a frenzied mess in my chest, thudding loud enough that I was sure he could hear it. He didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t blink. Just waited, like he knew I had two choices - melt in embarrassment or y the damn game he had started.


    And for once, I didn¡¯t want to retreat.


    I tilted my chin up. Boldness flickered through my veins as I inched closer, makinh the tip of my nose graze his jaw. My lips were barely a breath away from his skin, and his intoxicating scent filled my lungs.


    "Is there anything wrong in wanting my mate?" I whispered against his skin, my voice steadier than I expected.


    Thst made his grip falter... just for a second.


    My lips curled into a sly smile as I leaned even closer, my cheek brushing his. "Because you are no different... are you?"


    Before he could answer, I did something that stunned even me.


    I moved my free hand between us and pressed my palm against the thick, hard ridge of his arousal.


    <fn36ff> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn36ff>


    He hissed in a breath, his jaw tightening as if he was holding onto thest shreds of control. "Eva..."


    But I wasn¡¯t stopping.


    Not now.


    He suddenly caught both my wrists in one of his hands and mmed them above my head, pinning me against the nearest wall. The cool surface was a shocking contrast to the inferno rising between us.


    His body pressed into mine, the hard length of him unmistakable now as it nudged insistently against my lower belly. "You are being very naughty," he rasped, his breath fanning over my cheek. "You shouldn¡¯t test me."


    His voice was rough, strained. I knew he was trying to be the one in control, but he didn¡¯t realize I had him exactly where I wanted him.


    "Maybe I want to test you," I murmured.


    I tipped my head forward and kissed the hollow of his throat, right where his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed with a hard swallow. He stiffened. His hand tightened around my wrists but he didn¡¯t pull away.


    Feeling bold, I kissed down his neck. His scent, his heat, his taste - it was addictive. I tugged at the neckline of his sweater with my teeth, then used my fingers to pull it down enough to expose his corbone.


    I trailed soft, slow kisses over the exposed skin, then opened my mouth and bit him lightly.


    He groaned.


    I felt the tremble that went through him. He let me do it. Let me tease. Let me y with fire.


    But then came the warning... again.


    "If you keep going," he growled, his forehead resting against mine, "you better be ready for the consequences."


    I looked up into his eyes. Those intense, beautiful emerald orbs. And I didn¡¯t flinch. Didn¡¯t blink. Instead, I rose on my toes and kissed him.


    It started soft.


    Our lips met like a sigh, like a question.


    But the moment he responded, when his lips moved against mine and his hand slid down from my wrists to cup the back of my neck, it turned into something else entirely.


    I wasn¡¯t just ying anymore.


    I needed him.


    This wasn¡¯t just desire, it was hunger. Starvation. And he matched it with every inch of his soul.


    He groaned into my mouth as his hands finally released minepletely, one cupping my cheek, the other roaming down my waist, gripping my hip like he needed something to anchor him.


    I barely had a second to register the change before he gripped my thighs and lifted me off the ground.


    My legs wrapped around his waist automatically, my arms around his shoulders as he carried me deeper into the room.


    His mouth devoured mine, his kisses growing deeper, wilder. His tongue traced the seam of my lips, demanding entry. And I gave it to him without hesitation.


    Our mouths moved like they had done this a thousand times - perfect rhythm, perfect heat, no hesitation.


    He backed me against another wall, one hand gripping my thigh, the other pressed to the back of my neck as he kissed me like he had been waiting years for it.


    I moaned into his mouth, grinding against him instinctively. The friction made him curse, a guttural sound that vibrated through my entire body.


    He broke the kiss only to trail hot, open-mouthed kisses down my jaw, my throat, the ce behind my ear that made my toes curl. I arched against him, needing more.


    His lips returned to mine, iming me all over again, fiercer than before. My fingers tangled in his hair, tugging, pulling, needing him closer... like we weren¡¯t already one body pressed so tightly together.


    "You are driving me insane," he muttered against my mouth.


    "Good," I panted, nipping at his lower lip.


    He groaned and pressed me harder into the wall, rocking his hips against mine in slow, deliberate movements. My head fell back as a sharp wave of pleasure surged through me.


    The fabric of our clothes felt like a cruel barrier. I could feel every inch of him through them - hot, hard, desperate - but I wanted skin.


    I slipped my hand beneath his sweater, feeling the heat of his stomach, the taut muscle under my fingers. He sucked in a sharp breath as I trailed my nails lightly up his torso.


    His mouth returned to mine in a hungry kiss that left no room for hesitation.


    No more teasing.


    No more games.


    He wanted me. I wanted him.


    And tonight, we stopped pretending otherwise.


    But then, he suddenly ended the kiss and put me down.


    The warmth of his body vanished so fast it made my skin feel cold. I blinked, stunned, as he lowered me on the floor and stepped back just far enough to create a space between us, enough to feel the ache of separation.


    My heart was racing, my breath uneven, and my lips tingled from the intensity of his kiss. I stared at him through the fog of desire still clouding my brain, searching his face for an exnation.


    That¡¯s when he said it.


    "Strip."

 Chapter 238: Game of Desire (II)

    <h4>Chapter 238: Game of Desire (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart stopped.


    For a second, I wasn¡¯t even sure I had heard him correctly. The word echoed in my head, bouncing around like a bell with no rhythm. Strip?


    I blinked again, my brain stuttering as it tried to catch up. Heat red in my cheeks and all the blood in my body started rushing in too many directions at once.


    He said what?


    I stood frozen, staring at him, wide-eyed and unmoving.


    He tilted his head slightly, and a crooked smirk teased his lips. He looked smug and amused. "Are you done ying the game now?" he asked, his voice calm, almost bored.


    There was a glint in his eyes though. A challenge.


    He didn¡¯t think I would do it.


    He thought I would blush, maybe stammer orugh it off. That I would back down.


    And maybe, just maybe, that¡¯s exactly what I would have done a couple of months ago. Or maybe even a month ago.


    But that¡¯s not who I was anymore.


    I dropped my gaze to the hem of my red Christmas sweater, the one with little snowkes along the edge, the one that looked so innocent but now suddenly felt like a barrier between me and something far more dangerous.


    I grabbed it with both hands and in one swift, fluid motion, pulled it over my head and tossed it aside.


    The air kissed my newly exposed skin, and I caught the sh of unmistakable shock in Draven¡¯s eyes.


    Victory.


    I smirked, my chest rising and falling in anticipation.


    But I wasn¡¯t done.


    Not yet.


    My fingers dipped into the waistband of my trousers. And slowly, deliberately, I pushed them down my hips, letting them fall in a quiet rustle to the floor. I stepped out of them, barefoot on the warm rug, standing in nothing but my matching red silk bra and panty set.


    They hugged my curves perfectly, both small pieces adorned with little bows that somehow made them feel even more revealing than they already were.


    I felt the shift in the air as his gaze swept over me. His eyes burned across every inch of my skin, slow and possessive. And the longer he stared, the more beautiful I felt. Not just because of the way I looked, but because of the way he looked at me... like I was his entire damn universe.


    I had always known I was pretty. People told me since I was a child. But for a long time, that beauty had been my biggest trauma and Itter lost it to malnourishment. It wasn¡¯t until recently - after I started eating better, after I started healing - that I felt truly at home in my body.


    Tonight, I wasn¡¯t just showing off for him.


    I was iming my space. My power. My right to be desired.


    When he still didn¡¯t move, I lifted an eyebrow at him in challenge. "Well?" I asked, my voice low andced with false innocence.


    Draven¡¯s lips curved into a slow, wolfish grin.


    He reached for the hem of his own sweater and pulled it off in one motion, tossing it carelessly onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor.


    Then came the ck jeans. He unbuttoned slowly, with just enough deliberation to make my breath catch. He slid them down, stepping out of them like he had all the time in the world.


    And then... his boxers.


    Gone.


    He stood there,pletely bare, without a hint of shame or hesitation.


    And god.


    He was breathtaking.


    It wasn¡¯t my first time seeing him like this, but every time felt like the first. Like the universe had sculpted him just for me.


    Broad shoulders, toned chest, lean hips, and thighs strong enough to cage me in any way he wanted. His length stood proudly between us, thick and hard, already glistening slightly at the tip. A sharp contrast to his otherwiseposed expression.


    My mouth went dry.


    He took a single step toward me.


    Then another.


    Until he was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him again, wrapping around me like an invisible touch.


    "Kneel," he said, his voice dark and velvet-smooth, but there was steel beneath it.


    My breath hitched.


    It wasn¡¯t a request.


    It was amand.


    And gods, I hadn¡¯t realized how much I needed to hear that side of him until now. The side that didn¡¯t just tease or smirk or y - this side that took.


    I wasn¡¯t afraid, or hesitation. I was actually excited.


    The air left my lungs in a slow exhale as I dropped to my knees on the soft rug beneath us.


    My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest, loud and chaotic, and the rush of warmth between my legs made me tremble.


    <fnd331> Follow current nov?ls on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnd331>


    Draven stepped closer, the head of his length just inches from my face.


    He reached out and gently ran his fingers through my hair, caressing my head with a surprising tenderness.


    His voice was low when he spoke again. "Go on, mate. Show me just how much you want me."


    The sentence burned through me. Every word sank into my skin like me, lighting something feral inside me.


    And without hesitation, I lifted my eyes to meet his... and obeyed.


    I didn¡¯t break eye contact with him as I inched closer, but instead of reaching where he clearly expected me to, my lips found the softer skin of his thigh.


    He inhaled sharply, the sound barely audible, but enough for me to feel the effect I had on him. His eyes fluttered shut.


    "Keep them open," I whispered against his skin. "Watch me, Draven."


    There was a pause, just a heartbeat, and then hisshes lifted. And when our eyes locked again, the look he gave me nearly undid every ounce of control I had.


    Desire was burning in those depths, mixed with reverence, as if I were something sacred. Something untouchable. And yet, here I was, touching him like he was my most cherished person in the world.


    And he was.

 Chapter 239: Game of Desire (III)

    <h4>Chapter 239: Game of Desire (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I ran my fingertips over the lean muscle of his thigh, my nails barely grazing the skin. It was a teasing touch. A promise. He clenched his jaw, his breath catching. That small reaction gave me confidence I didn¡¯t know I possessed.


    I had never done anything like this before with anyone. But the way he responded, like every inch of him was attuned to me, told me I wasn¡¯t fumbling. I was learning, and he was willing to let me explore every part of him.


    I pressed a kiss to his other thigh, softer this time, and felt the tension in his body deepen. His fingers curled into tight fists, turning his knuckles pale.


    "Eva," he breathed. My name, nothing more. But the way he said it - hoarse, low, needy - it was enough to make my heart race.


    I looked up at him, taking in the way his chest was rising and falling rapidly, while he struggled to keep the hunger in his gaze barely in check. And still, he didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t rush me. He let me lead, let me take my time. There was something beautiful about that trust. Powerful.


    So, I finally stopped torturing him. My fingers wrapped around his length, and I felt the shudder that rippled through his body. His breath hitched again, and his eyes - stars, those eyes - never left mine.


    "You are driving me mad," he whispered, his voice strained.


    I smiled, my confidence growing as I watched his every reaction. "Good," I said, barely above a murmur. "Maybe now you¡¯ll understand what you do to me."


    He let out a low, almost growling sound, halfugh, half-moan, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. And then, I leaned in and took the crown of his length into my mouth.


    His gasp was immediate, sharp and unguarded, and it made something flutter wildly in my chest. I felt the tremor that ran through him as I explored him with slow, deliberate care - unhurried, curious, reverent.


    There was power in this, not the kind that demanded submission, but the kind that bloomed from mutual trust, from the way he allowed himself to unravel beneath my hands, beneath my lips.


    I used my tongue to trace the veins of his length, wrapped it over the crown before taking him in again and giving him a hard suck while my fingers moved over the length I wasn¡¯t able to take in.


    <fn0980> Fresh chapters posted on F?nd-Novel</fn0980>


    His fingers remained curled tightly as he forced himself to stay still. I knew he could have taken control at any second, he was more than strong enough, but he didn¡¯t. He let me have this moment. Let me be the one who made him lose control piece by piece.


    When I nced up, his eyes were still locked on me, burning with so much emotion it made my breath catch. Lust, yes. But also awe. Devotion. Need.


    "You don¡¯t know what you are doing to me," he said, his voice low and wrecked.


    I smiled and continued to y with his length while my other hand moved to find his balls. I felt him getting harder under my touch, if that was even possible considering he was already hard as a rod.


    I continued with my sloppy moves, moving up and down on his length for few more minutes before his hand finally grabbed my arm and I was pulled up to stand.


    Then his mouth was on mine, kissing me like he was dying of hunger. I weed the kiss, allowing entrance to his tongue and kissed him back just as passionately.


    His mouth devoured mine. The hunger in his kiss sent sparks down my spine, awakening something raw and trembling in me. My hands clung to his shoulders, holding on as if letting go would unravel mepletely.


    He started backing me up until the back of my knees hit the edge of my bed. He then lowered me onto the mattress with gentle but unyielding insistence, our lips still locked, our breaths mingling in the heated space between us.


    His hands moved with reverence, tracing the curve of my waist, the line of my ribs, until they moved to my back and found the sp of my bra.


    He paused then, breaking the kiss just long enough to meet my eyes. "Can I?" he whispered.


    I nodded, unable to form words.


    He unhooked the sp with a flick of his fingers, but removed the silk as if it was the most delicate thing he had ever touched. He looked at me as though he was seeing something sacred, something precious. It made my breath hitch.


    "You look fucking delicious, love," heplimented.


    I chuckled at his choice of words but the sound turned into a moan when he bent his head and pressed a kiss just above my heart. Then another. And another.


    His lips moved slowly, exploring me in a way that made every nerve in my body stand to attention. He kissed the swell of my breasts, the valley between them, the sensitive skin just below. Each kiss was soft, deliberate, filled with a quiet kind of worship.


    I arched under him when he finally took one sensitive peak into his mouth. A moan escaped me before I could hold it back. His tongue moved with slow circles, sending pleasure rippling through me. One of his hands cupped my other breast, teasing it gently, making my skin feel too tight for my bones.


    I buried my fingers in his hair, holding him there, and he let me guide him, let me show him where I needed more. When he moved to the other side, I bit my lip to stifle another sound, only for him to nce up and say, "Don¡¯t hide your sounds from me, Eva. I want to hear all of them."


    My breath starteding in short, shallow bursts as he continued his path downward, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses down my stomach. My muscles trembled under his mouth, my hips shifting restlessly.


    When he reached the waistband of my panties, he paused again, his eyes on mine.


    I nodded once more, this time more eagerly, and lifted my hips slightly to help him.


    He peeled the fabric down slowly, kissing each newly revealed inch of skin like it was the most precious discovery. By the time he dropped the garment on the floor, I was trembling.

 Chapter 240: Game of Desire (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 240: Game of Desire (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - - </strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His eyes darkened as he took in the sight of me fully bare beneath him. "You are glistening for me," he murmured, and even though his voice was low, it sent a full-body shiver through me.


    His hand slid between my thighs, parting them gently. My breath caught again as his fingers traced the slick folds of my core, tender and unhurried. His touch wasn¡¯t rushed - no, it was exploratory, reverent, like he was memorizing how my body responded under his fingers.


    He dipped a finger into me, then another, curling slightly as he began to move them in a slow rhythm. I let out a soft cry, my hands fisting the sheets. Every motion was precise, teasing the ces that made me feel like I was unraveling.


    "You are so soft and tight down here," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the inside of my thigh. "So warm... so perfect."


    His fingers continued their slow dance, building the pressure inside me until I was squirming, my legs tensing around him. And yet he didn¡¯t rush. He kissed the insides of both thighs, the dip of my hip, even my belly, until I was dizzy with want.


    My fingers clutched at his shoulders as he crawled back up my body, lightly pressing his weight over me, kissing my mouth like he needed the taste of me to breathe.


    I felt him at my entrance, the thick heat of him nudging against me.


    But again, he paused. His forehead rested against mine, his breath mingling with mine.


    "Evaline," he said, his voice hoarse, almost broken. "Tell me. Do you want this? Do you want me?"


    My chest rose and fell rapidly beneath him. My heart felt so full, so open it almost hurt.


    "I do," I whispered. "I want you."


    The moment I gave him my answer, his restraint finally unraveled.


    He kissed me again - deep, slow, and utterly consuming. I felt the crown of his length noving over my aching clit, building my need until I felt I was about to shatter. Then, he positioned himself at my entrance and slipped in with careful, deliberate ease.


    I gasped into his mouth, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I stretched around him, feeling every inch of him filling me, iming me in a way that left me breathless.


    My heart pounded in rhythm with the soft groan he released, like he just found something he had been searching for forever.


    "You feel..." he began, but the words trailed off into a choked breath as he settled fully inside me. "Stars, Eva. You feel like home."


    <fnc55b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? findnovel</fnc55b>


    Tears burned the corners of my eyes, not from pain, but from the overwhelming swell of emotion crashing through me. His body was pressed flush against mine, his chest heaving as he stilled inside me, allowing me time to adjust, to breathe.


    I wrapped my arms around his back, drawing him closer, and whispered against his neck, "Don¡¯t hold back."


    His lips brushed the edge of my jaw. "Never with you."


    And then he began to move.


    Slowly at first - measured, reverent thrusts that allowed us both to feel everything. The way our bodies molded together, the heat that built between us, the soft sounds of skin against skin and breathless moans that filled the room. He moved like he wanted to memorize the shape of me from the inside out, and every motion made my toes curl and my back arch to meet him.


    My first release came quicker than I expected, a warm rush that tore through me with a quiet cry. He swallowed my moan with a kiss, slowing slightly to let me ride it out while his touch kept me grounded through the storm.


    "You are incredible," he whispered against my lips. "Watching you fall apart... feeling you clench around me... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be the same again."


    He didn¡¯t give me time to recover fully before picking up his rhythm again, this time more urgent, more hungry.


    His hand slid beneath my thigh, lifting it higher so he could thrust deeper, hitting that spot inside me that made me tremble and whimper his name. I clung to him, my nails dragging down his back and breath catching with each powerful stroke.


    "You were made for me," he rasped, kissing the side of my throat. "My sweet, little mate."


    His words undid me almost as much as his body did.


    "Say it again," I whispered, desperate to hear it.


    He raised his head and looked down at me, his eyes burning like twin stars, fierce and tender all at once.


    <i>"Evaline Greystone, I, Draven Thorne, ept you as my mate. I ept your past, your present, and your future that has yet toe. I ept all that you are,pletely and without condition, to stand beside me as my fated mate and my future Luna."</i>


    The world seemed to stop for a heartbeat. The room fell away, and all I could see, all I could feel, was him.


    Then he thrust deep - so deep I cried out - and something inside me shattered.


    Pleasure exploded in my veins, white-hot and endless. My vision blurred, my back arched off the bed, and a sob tore from my lips as I convulsed around him. My second release was so strong, soplete, it stole the breath from my lungs. I didn¡¯t just fall apart... I unraveled.


    "Eva," he groaned, his voice breaking as he pushed deeper one final time and followed me into bliss. I felt him shudder above me, felt the tension snap from his muscles as he spilled his release inside me, his hands trembling where they gripped my hips.


    He buried his face in the crook of my neck, holding me close as his body stilled. Our heartbeats thundered together, our chests rising and falling in sync. Wey there, tangled in each other, caught between exhaustion and the lingering echo of something profound.


    Something unbreakable.


    His arms wrapped tighter around me as if he would never let go.


    And I knew, in that moment... he wouldn¡¯t.


    Not now. Not ever.

 Chapter 241: Accepting The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 241: epting The Bond</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    As thest of the aftershocks rolled through me, leaving my limbs trembling and my breaths shallow, I finally began to return to myself.


    My chest was rising and falling in sync with his, and I was able to feel it - the steady, unwavering warmth of our mate bond swarming through me. It was alive now, stronger than ever before, pulsing with his eptance.


    Draven still had his face buried in the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my skin as he rode out his own release. His body was heavy over mine, but instead of feeling trapped, I felt cocooned... safe. Cherished.


    When he finally pulled back, his eyes met mine for only a moment before his lips found mine again. This kiss was different - less hungry than before but still deep enough to make my toes curl. It was the kind of kiss that made me forget the world outside the bed, forget the unspoken fears, forget everything but him.


    When he drew back, his gaze roamed over my face, searching for something. But then his expression shifted, and I saw it... worry.


    His eyes scanned me as though searching every inch of my body, looking for any sign of difort or pain. "Are you alright?" His voice was low but tight with concern. "Is the baby alright?"


    My brows furrowed in surprise, but before I could answer, he added quickly, "I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t control myself."


    I shook my head, smiling at his sudden panic. "Draven... I¡¯m fine. Perfectly fine." My hand came up to cup his cheek. "Though you did go a little rough," I teased softly, "I don¡¯t feel any difort. And I can tell the baby¡¯s fine."


    Relief washed over his features, though his jaw still held a hint of tension. Finally, he exhaled, as if letting go of the fear that had been holding him.


    He slowly pulled out of me, the movement gentle, but it didn¡¯t stop me from feeling the emptiness he left behind.


    He shifted his weight to lie beside me, but still hovered just enough that his presence surrounded me. Then, without warning, his palm came to rest over my still-t belly. His fingers grazed softly over the ce where my child was growing.


    It was the first time he had touched me there like that. It wasn¡¯t by ident. Not in passing. But intentionally... as if he was acknowledging the life growing inside me.


    I watched his eyes soften in a way I hadn¡¯t seen before. That guarded hardness of his melted, reced by something warm and unguarded. My throat tightened, and my eyes stung as I swallowed back the sudden rush of emotion.


    <fndd5a> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fndd5a>


    "I have a gift for the baby," he said suddenly.


    "What?" I blinked at him in surprise, but before I could ask again, he was already pushing himself up.


    "Stay in bed," he said firmly, giving me a look that brooked no argument.


    Confused, I watched him disappear into the bathroom. A few minutester, he returned - not with a gift in hand, but moving straight toward me. Without a word, he slid one arm beneath my knees, the other behind my back, and lifted me effortlessly into his arms.


    "Draven!" I gasped, instinctively clutching his shoulders. "What are you doing?"


    "I prepared a bath for you," he announced simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.


    He carried me into the bathroom and set me down gently beside therge tub. The water was warm, steam curling into the air, and the surface was scattered withvender petals. The soft scent of essential oil filled the space, calming and sweet.


    Before I couldment, he was already gathering my hair, twisting it into a bun, and pinning it in ce with a clutcher. His touch was careful, almost reverent, as he helped me into the tub.


    I expected him to join me, but instead he took a seat behind me on the bath¡¯s edge. His strong hands found my shoulders, kneading them in slow, steady motions.


    "Mmm," I sighed, letting my head fall forward as the tension melted from my body under his touch.


    But then, something tugged at my mind. I turned my head slightly, forcing him to pause mid-stroke.


    "Draven," I said softly, meeting his eyes.


    His brows lifted, waiting.


    "I ept you," I told him. "As my mate."


    I didn¡¯tplicate the eptance and kept it simple. Still, it held all the power of an official eptance.


    The bond between us red instantly, sealing fully for the first time. I felt his eptance from earlier intertwining with mine, creating a depth of connection that made my breath hitch.


    He bent forward and kissed me. It was slow, deep, lingering... until I felt all his love and care pouring into me through that bond. When we pulled apart, I couldn¡¯t stop the small smile that curved my lips.


    When the bath ended, he helped me into a soft bathrobe. Before I could protest, he scooped me up again, ignoring my yfulints about being perfectly capable of walking.


    Back in the walk-in closet, he picked a blue pajama set for me, handing it over before stepping out to give me privacy. While I dressed and went through my skincare, I heard faint movement from the bedroom.


    When I walked out, I found a freshly made bed awaiting me.


    "Draven," I murmured, warmth flooding my chest.


    He didn¡¯t answer, just guided me under the covers and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Rest," he said quietly, before heading into the bathroom.


    He returned minutester with only a towel slung low around his hips.


    Sliding into bed beside me, he tugged the towel away and tossed it aside without hesitation.


    I raised a brow at him. "No clothes?"


    He gave me a slow, almost boyish grin. "Didn¡¯t have anything appropriate for sleeping."


    I rolled my eyes, but my heart was still fluttering at the sight of him - at the realization that tonight wasn¡¯t just about passion. It was about him finally letting me inpletely.


    And I knew, without a doubt, that I had done the same.

 Chapter 242: Sweetest Present

    <h4>Chapter 242: Sweetest Present</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Surrounded by his warmth, his arm draped securely around me, I felt like I was lying in the safest ce in the world. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat under my ear and the heat of his skin against mine made it all feel like a dream I didn¡¯t want to wake up from.


    I snuggled closer without thinking, letting my fingers rest against the firm ne of his chest. The fact that he waspletely naked under the covers didn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. If anything, it made the moment feel more intimate, more real.


    But then his voice rumbled low above me, a warning wrapped in that deep, husky tone that sent shivers down my spine.


    "Eva," he murmured, "stop moving... unless you want another round."


    I froze instantly, though a huge smile fought to break across my lips. I didn¡¯t dare look at him because I knew my expression would give me away.


    He let out a faint chuckle, the sound warm and rich in the quiet room. Then he shifted slightly, reaching over to the bedside table on his side. I hadn¡¯t even noticed there was anything there before, but when he returned his hand to me, he was holding a small box wrapped neatly in ck paper, tied with a delicate blue ribbon.


    He held it out to me without a word.


    My smile softened as I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position, my back against the headboard. My fingers trembled faintly as I reached for the box, the thought hitting me hard - this was a gift for my unborn child.


    I untied the ribbon with care and peeled away the wrapping, almost hesitant to rush. The lid came off, and the breath caught in my throat.


    Inside, nestled in soft tissue, was the smallest pair of knitted socks I had ever seen. They were a beautiful shade of soft blue, the kind that reminded me of spring skies, with tiny pearls tied into the knots of the delicate strings.


    A huge smile bloomed across my lips as I picked them up, running my fingers over the smoothness of the yarn. They were so small, so perfect, I could almost imagine tiny feet filling them.


    Before I could say anything, Draven¡¯s voice came softly, almost shyly, from beside me.


    "I made them," he said.


    My head snapped toward him. "You... what?"


    His eyes dropped for a moment, as if he wasn¡¯t sure how I would react. "I knitted them myself," he admitted. "I... I wanted my first gift to the baby to be something personal. Something I made with my own hands. I didn¡¯t want it to be just another thing I bought. So, I... searched the inte for hours before I found the idea."


    "You... knit?" I repeated, still stunned at the confession.


    The corner of his mouth lifted faintly. "I used to. Back in middle school. It was... a hobby I didn¡¯t tell many people about."


    I stared at him, the socks clutched in my hands, and felt my chest swell with so many emotions I couldn¡¯t put into words.


    Before he could say anything else, I leaned in and kissed him. Not a quick, fleeting touch, but a deep, lingering kiss filled with everything I couldn¡¯t say aloud - love, gratitude, the overwhelming ache in my heart at this quiet, vulnerable side of him.


    Through the bond, I let him feel it all. And he returned it instantly, his armsing around me again, holding me like he never wanted to let go.


    When we finally broke apart, I let my forehead rest against his. My lips still tingling from the kiss.


    "I love this," I whispered, my fingers brushing over the socks again. "And the baby will love it too. So much."


    A single tear slipped free before I could stop it. He caught it with his thumb, brushing it gently from my cheek.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he murmured, his voice thick. "That it took me so long to ept the baby. I... I wasn¡¯t strong like Oscar, I couldn¡¯t just cope instantly."


    I shook my head firmly. "No, Draven. Don¡¯t apologize. You are not at fault, and you are notte. I can¡¯t even put into words how happy I am that you and Oscar have epted..." I swallowed, my voice softening, "my baby."


    The moment the words left my lips, his eyes sharpened.


    "Our baby," he corrected, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Not only yours, Eva. Ours."


    My breath caught, my heart stuttering in my chest.


    And in that moment, I knew - no matter whose blood ran in my child¡¯s veins - Draven and Oscar had imed them as their own.


    My throat tightened, and I had to blink fast to keep the tears from spilling over. But the bond between us carried my emotions to him anyway - every flicker of relief, every thread of gratitude, every quiet, aching joy.


    His hand slid over mine, curling my fingers around the tiny socks again, as if to anchor both of us in this moment. "I¡¯m going to protect you both," he said softly, his gaze steady on mine. "No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be there for both of you... as your mate and as our child¡¯s father."


    The promise sank deep into me, steadying something I hadn¡¯t even realized was still trembling. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.


    "I know you will," I whispered.


    We stayed like that for a while - me holding the socks against my heart, him holding me like I was the only thing keeping him grounded. His warmth seeped into my skin, into my bones, until it was hard to tell where his presence ended and mine began.


    And for the first time since I had learned I was pregnant, I truly felt... my child was going to have a proper, loving family.


    <fnfe88> Checktest chapters at find[f]ovel</fnfe88>


    This wasn¡¯t just my fight anymore. It was ours.


    And our baby... our child... would never be alone

 Chapter 243: Man From Her Past

    <h4>Chapter 243: Man From Her Past</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I let out a long, silent sigh as I stood near the back of the grand hall, letting my gaze drift across the crowded room. Every corner of the majestic space was buzzing with movement and murmured conversations.


    Clusters of Alphas and their entourages were moving with careful ease, cloaked in power and political poise, exchanging calcted smiles and shallow words.


    It was Saturday afternoon, and I found myself in the heart of the Nightshade Pack¡¯s territory, surrounded by some of the most powerful and politically influential wolves in the region.


    Tonight was the Alpha selection ceremony. It was no ordinary gathering, but a battlefield made of polished floors, custom suits, and veiled intentions.


    I was here as part of River¡¯s team - his eyes, his ghost in in sight. I knew what I had to do... but no idea why I had to do it.


    The hall was breathtaking - massive crystal chandeliers were hanging from vaulted ceilings, shimmering with the kind of quiet grandeur only old money could afford. Velvet-lined banners bearing the Nightshade crest were draped along the walls. The entire space had been transformed into a show of power, wealth, and tradition.


    But even with all the glittering detail, my attention was elsewhere. I wasn¡¯t looking at the gold-ted grandeur or the borate table spreads. I was watching the people.


    After months of working with River, I had already met most of the Alphas from the major and medium packs, their Betas and Lunas included. And even those I hadn¡¯t spoken to directly - I had learned their names, territories, alliances, and, more importantly, their games.


    I was now almost an expert in using my eyes to see through masks, to read bodynguage and subtle exchanges


    River often pointed my observation skills. He said I could watch a room for ten minutes ande back with a political map more urate than his advisors. I never knew if he was exaggerating, but I knew one thing for certain - I had always been good at noticing things others missed.


    Even as a child, I could watch someone walk by and tell you who they were mad at that morning or if they were hiding something. Back then, I had used it asionally to mess with my bullies, though it never ended nicely for me. Now, I was using it for River.


    I had started identifying which packs were close allies - through blood, marriage, trade, or fear. Who bowed out of necessity and who out of true respect. Who leaned in when River spoke, and who clenched their jaws behind polite smiles.


    And it didn¡¯t surprise me anymore to realize that none of them were loyal to him. They feared him. They respected him, yes. But loyalty? That was a luxury none of them could afford, not when everyone had their own empire to protect.


    Another sigh escaped me before I could stop it. And this one caught River¡¯s attention. He was mid-conversation with the Nightshade Pack¡¯s Beta - a man with ambition carved into every line of his body.


    <fn73d3> Find the newest release on Find_Novel(.</fn73d3>


    His head turned slightly, his sharp eyes locking with mine for just a moment. There was a clear warning in them. A reminder. I immediately straightened my posture andposed my face into a nk mask of professionalism.


    He returned to his conversation, and a secondter, Jasper appeared at my side. His voice was quiet, but his words lingered. "Keep your eyes and ears open."


    That was it. No further context. But I knew better than to dismiss his cryptic advice. Especially today. I still believed River was nning something. Something important. And I still had no clue what.


    So I remained close, but not too close - watching, listening, blending into the background like a shadow dressed in formal navy blue. I didn¡¯t speak. I didn¡¯t move unnecessarily. But I missed nothing.


    After nearly twenty minutes, River finally leaned slightly in my direction. "Go take a break if you want."


    Thank the Moon Goddess.


    I slipped out of the hall, the tension in my shoulders slowly easing the farther I walked from the thrumming nerve of power inside that room. The restroom was down a side corridor, and I took my time, enjoying the silence.


    By the time I was making my way back, my mind had begun drifting again. I was halfway down the corridor, adjusting the fabric of my sleeve, when I came to a slow halt.


    River was there. Standing in the corridor with his back resting against the wall. Alone.


    I frowned and made my way to him. "What are you doing here?"


    He looked at me then, and I knew he was about to answer - but his words never reached my ears.


    Because everything around me stopped.


    The air in the corridor shifted, thickening like smoke in my lungs. And my gaze, entirely on instinct, was pulled behind River - to the other end of the hallway where soft footsteps echoed against marble floors.


    And that¡¯s when I saw him.


    The world dropped out from under me.


    No. No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    But it was.


    A tall figure was walking down the corridor, unhurried and assured. Familiar. Too familiar. That stride. That presence. That face etched into my memory like a scar that never faded. Even before I fully saw his features, I knew who it was.


    My breath hitched. My chest seized. And the hallway started feeling too narrow, too cold.


    My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms. My heart thundered so loudly I could hear it in my ears, but the rest of the world? Silent. As if time itself had stopped just to mock me.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I couldn¡¯t think.


    I could only watch as the man I had mourned - the man I thought I had buried in the ruins of what could have been - closed the distance between us.


    And in that moment, my world fractured. Not with grief. Not with rage. But with a fear so vast it drowned every other emotion.


    Because there he was.


    Ethan.


    Alive.


    And walking straight toward me.

 Chapter 244: River’s Protection

    <h4>Chapter 244: River¡¯s Protection</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stopped breathing.


    The world didn¡¯t slow - it copsed. Time folded in on itself, pulling me back to a memory I never wanted to revisit. But the famikiar and haunting face walking toward us dragged me there anyway.


    He was looking just the same and yet somehow worse. Time had sharpened his features, but to me, he was nothing more than a storm I thought I had outlived.


    My chest tightened as memories surged to the surface, pounding into my ribs with every step he took closer.


    The boy I had once looked at like he hung the moon. The one I trusted blindly. The one I was ready to spend the rest of my life with.


    And the man who told me I was never enough.


    The mate who humiliated me in front of the entire pack while my stepsister clung to his arm like she already owned him. Because she did, didn¡¯t she?


    He chose her.


    All the affection, thefort, the illusion that he was my safe ce - it had all been a lie. A carefully constructed y orchestrated by Damian, my stepbrother. I had fallen for Ethan¡¯s every word, every touch, every promise. I had believed he saw me, needed me, loved me.


    But all he did was to shatter that illusion in the cruelest way possible.


    I thought I would never see him again. I hoped our paths would never cross after I left my past behind. But here he was.


    Unashamed.


    And walking toward me like we didn¡¯t share a graveyard full of pain.


    My vision blurred. I couldn¡¯t breathe. My fingers were twitching uselessly by my sides. Panic tightened around my throat, and every instinct inside me screamed to run, to vanish.


    I started trembling - violently, uncontrobly.


    I reached out, desperate for something to ground me, and my hand found River.


    His arm was solid beneath my palm, and the moment I touched him, his head turned sharply. His eyes narrowed as he registered the fear I was radiating, like a dam breaking inside me.


    "Evaline?" His voice was quiet, cautious. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    I couldn¡¯t answer.


    Ethan was too close now.


    Too real.


    I couldn¡¯t look away. I couldn¡¯t move. I felt frozen, like a deer staring down a hunter, but this hunter had already pulled the trigger once.


    My lips parted, but only one word slipped through.


    "Help."


    If I hadn¡¯t been unraveling, I might have noticed the change in River. The way his entire body tensed, like my whisper had pierced something far deeper than the surface. His eyes widened briefly as if my request had struck some cord he didn¡¯t even know he had.


    He didn¡¯t ask again. He followed my gaze.


    He turned his head just enough to nce over his shoulder... and saw Ethan.


    And that¡¯s when he moved.


    So fast it felt like a gust of wind, he stepped into me, pulling me tight against his chest in a smooth, protective motion. The world spun, and suddenly I was enveloped in his coat, my face pressed to his warm chest,pletely hidden from view.


    He wrapped his arms around me - firm, immovable. They felt like a barrier between me and my past.


    Right at that moment, the footsteps halted beside us.


    "Alpha Thorne," Ethan¡¯s voice rang out - far too familiar, far too cheerful. "It¡¯s such an honor to meet you in person. I¡¯m Ethan ckwood from ckwood Pack."


    River didn¡¯t respond.


    I felt the shift before I sensed it - the weight of his power rippling outward, silent and suffocating. Like a tidal wave crashing against the edges of the corridor. His aura flooded the space with such quiet menace that I felt Ethan flinch even though I couldn¡¯t see it.


    The silence dragged.


    And then Ethan¡¯s voice came again, weaker this time. "I didn¡¯t realize you were with someone. My apologies, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your... moment."


    There was a pause. River¡¯s arms stayed locked around me like a shield, his body unmoving. His power pressed harder.


    Ethan swallowed. I heard it.


    "I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll be on my way. Sorry again."


    <fnb15e> Th?s chapter is updated by F?ndNovel</fnb15e>


    His footsteps retreated quickly - almost too quickly. He was running from River¡¯s presence, not from guilt. He didn¡¯t even realize who I was. Of course he didn¡¯t.


    I waited.


    Even after the sound of his steps vanished down the corridor, I couldn¡¯t move. My fingers were clutching the fabric of River¡¯s suit coat like a lifeline. The terror hadn¡¯t ebbed. It was still coiled in my chest, strangling me.


    River¡¯s hands were gentle when they shifted, one moving to my lower back, the other brushing softly along my arm.


    Then he said, quietly, "Come with me."


    Still in a haze, I let him take my hand. His grip was firm, unyielding as he led me away from the hallway, away from the grand hall, away from all of it. I followed blindly, my mind still spinning in a fog of disbelief.


    We ended up in a side room - some office or meeting chamber, empty and dimly lit. He closed the door behind us, then turned the lock with a click.


    The sound grounded me more than anything else had. My heart thudded against my ribs, but I was no longer gasping.


    I stood still, trying to catch my breath. The silence between us stretched, thick and heavy.


    "I thought he was dead," I finally whispered. And I meant that. Since he was with Lilian that evening, I had assumed that he might have be a victim of the annihtion.


    River said nothing. He just waited.


    I met his eyes. "I just... thought I would never have to see him again. I built a life without ever expecting to cross paths with him again."


    I was babbling at this point. River didn¡¯t even know who Ethan was or how I was rted to him. Most importantly, why would he care about my reaction-


    "I might not know anything, but I <i>do </i>care, Evaline."


    His sharp words had me staring at him in confusion for a moment until I realized that I just spoke my thoughts out loud.


    He closed the space and came to stand right in front of me. "Ethan ckwood... what¡¯s your rtion with him?"

 Chapter 245: He’s The Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 245: He¡¯s The Beginning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River¡¯s question cut through the haze in my mind like a de. My panic didn¡¯t vanish, but it dulled - reced by sharp awareness. I was suddenly hyper-conscious of every tremor in my body, every breath that still came too fast, every ounce of vulnerability I had just exposed.


    He had seen too much.


    More than anyone ever had.


    And I needed to fix that... fast.


    Swallowing hard, I pulled my shoulders back, straightened up, and forced the emotion from my voice. "It¡¯s nothing," I said, too quickly, too tly. "Let¡¯s get back to the main hall. We have been gone too long."


    I turned toward the door, needing the distance more than anything. But before I could reach it, River moved.


    Fast.


    He stepped in front of me and blocked the door with his body, one hand braced against the wood behind him. "No."


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    "What¡¯s going on with you and Ethan?" he repeated, quieter this time, but there was steel beneath the calm.


    "I told you," I said, forcing my tone into something dismissive. "It¡¯s not-"


    "No." He cut me off.


    I reached for the door handle behind him, but his hand shot out and caught mine.


    Before I could react, everything shifted.


    One second I was trying to push past him. The next, I was pinned.


    My back hit the wall beside the door, not hard - but firm enough that it knocked the breath from my lungs. River¡¯s hands had captured mine, both of them held high above my head. His grip wasn¡¯t painful, but it was unyielding. His body was close... too close... and his eyes were locked on mine with an intensity I had never seen from him before.


    I froze, stunned.


    "River-what the hell-"


    "You reacted like he was someone you are terrified of," he said quietly, cutting me off again. "You grabbed me like I was the only thing keeping you from breaking downpletely. And now you are pretending it was nothing?"


    I opened my mouth, but he didn¡¯t give me a chance.


    "Ethan ckwood," he went on, his voice low, "only son of Alpha ckwood of Bloodmoon Pack. A small pack, neighboring Shadowfang. The two have been allies for decades. Strong alliance. Trade routes. Warrior aid. Mutual celebrations. Even some marriage talk in the past."


    My breath caught.


    His eyes narrowed. "He was rumored to be your only friend. The one who pulled you out of istion. Always at your side, even when the rest of the pack ignored you." His voice dropped lower. "So why did you look like you had seen a ghost when he appeared? What happened between you two?"


    My stomach turned to stone.


    He had done his research. Into me.


    He knew.


    He knew more than he was saying.


    "You investigated me," I said, the usation slipping from my lips like venom. "You actually looked into my past."


    He didn¡¯t deny it. Didn¡¯t even look guilty.


    His expression was unreadable. "Of course I did."


    Of course.


    Why wouldn¡¯t he?


    Considering our rtion, he had every reason to dig into my past.


    I wasn¡¯t just his enemy¡¯s daughter anymore, I had be his assistant - someone he brought into his inner circle, someone he was entrusting with secrets, business, alliances. He needed to know who he was dealing with. And now I knew - he had looked into the life I had been trying so hard to bury.


    The years that nearly broke me.


    The lies. The betrayals. The rejection.


    And Ethan...


    Ethan had been at the center of it all.


    But considering his question, he didn¡¯t seem to know that Ethan was my mate.


    Still, a deep tremor passed through me and I felt my legs weaken. My knees almost buckled.


    River noticed.


    His grip tightened slightly, still careful, but I could feel his control - his strength. He could hold me there for as long as he wanted, and we both knew it.


    <fn2f49> This text is hosted at ?ovelFind</fn2f49>


    But I wasn¡¯t going to fall apart. Not again. Not in front of him.


    I forced myself to take a slow, steadying breath.


    "Let go of me," I said, sounding calm... too calm.


    My voice sounded like someone else¡¯s, cool and controlled, not the voice of a woman still unraveling inside.


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t move. His eyes searched mine like he was looking for something - truth, weakness, maybe even guilt. But I held his gaze without flinching.


    Then, finally, he stepped back.


    Released my wrists.


    The sudden absence of his touch left a strange emptiness behind, but I shoved the feeling away.


    He took a few paces back, his expression unreadable once again. Watching. Waiting. But saying nothing.


    Just like always.


    I smoothed my sleeves down with trembling hands and cleared my throat. "Thank you. For earlier."


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    "You don¡¯t need to know anything about Ethan and me," I added, tilting my chin up. "It doesn¡¯t concern you."


    His jaw clenched just slightly, but he didn¡¯t argue.


    I didn¡¯t wait for a response this time.


    I turned, opened the door, and walked out. And fortunately, he didn¡¯t try to stop me this time.


    The hallway was quieter now, but I still felt the echo of that encounter pulsing in my bones. My hands were still tingling where he had held them. My chest waa still aching from the panic. But more than anything... my heart felt bruised. Not from seeing Ethan. But from realizing how much River knew.


    And how much more he could know if I wasn¡¯t careful.


    I returned to the main hall, straightening my back, forcing every emotion into the steel vault I had perfected over the years. Theughter, the hum of conversations, the clinking of sses - it all swept over me in waves. I blended in like I always did. Just a shadow in the background. River didn¡¯t follow immediately, and I was d for the space.


    I needed to breathe.


    I needed to think.


    Unfortunately, if I thought the surprises were over with Ethan¡¯s return... I was so, so wrong.


    He wasn¡¯t the end.


    He was the beginning.


    And the night hadn¡¯t even started yet.

 Chapter 246: Ghosts That Shouldn’t Exist

    <h4>Chapter 246: Ghosts That Shouldn¡¯t Exist</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    No matter how hard I tried to keep a straight face, I was failing. Miserably.


    I stood by one of therge windows in the main hall with a flute of untouched sparkling cider in my hand, while my eyes supposedly scanned the elegant crowd gathering for the Alpha Selection Ceremony.


    But I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the glittering dresses, the too-loudughter, or the whispers of alliances forming in real time.


    I was searching.


    <fnca1d> This text is hosted at ?ovelFind</fnca1d>


    Not for someone I wanted to find, but for someone I desperately wanted to avoid.


    Ethan.


    Every few minutes, my eyes flicked to the crowd, sweeping over the tall men in dark suits, hoping I wouldn¡¯t see his face again. But the damage was already done. He was here. Alive. Walking and breathing and behaving as if nothing had happened... as if he wasn¡¯t the man who had shattered me into pieces.


    I pressed my free hand to my abdomen for a second before lowering it.


    The biggest reason behind my fear of meeting Ethan wasn¡¯t just our past... but my child.


    And he was the father.


    He didn¡¯t know. And I prayed for it to stay that way.


    Because if Ethan ever found out I was carrying his child...


    My stomach twisted violently.


    What if he decided he wanted the baby... not me... but my child? What if he tried to take it away, to twist the situation into something I couldn¡¯t control? Or worse - what if he didn¡¯t want the child and saw it as a threat? What if he-


    No. I couldn¡¯t even let myself think it. The horror of that possibility was enough to make my heart stutter.


    I couldn¡¯t let him find out. I couldn¡¯t let him know I was still alive.


    I nced to my side, half-expecting River to be standing nearby, as he usually was. He had been staying within reach ever since what happened earlier.


    But now... he was gone.


    I blinked, turning slowly on the spot.


    Gone.


    That had never happened before. Not once.


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed him leave.


    The anxiety already wing at my chest spiked. I searched the crowd again, more frantically this time. No sign of River. No sign of Jasper either. However, Emma was still across the hall, speaking to a Luna I didn¡¯t recognize.


    I needed to move. Standing here was doing nothing but fraying my nerves further.


    I slipped out of the hall and into one of the quieter corridors. The silence hit me like a balm, but it didn¡¯t ease the worry churning in my gut.


    I wasn¡¯t just running from Ethan anymore.


    I was searching for River.


    And I hated how much I needed to find him.


    I moved quickly through the corridors, climbing the elegant staircase to the upper level. The map of Nightshade Pack House was etched into my mind from weeks of preparation. I knew which halls led to which wings, which rooms were locked and which were private... but what I didn¡¯t know was where River might have disappeared to.


    Still... something told me he wouldn¡¯t be in the middle of the chaos. Not when he had a n brewing for tonight¡¯s ceremony. Knowing him, he would tuck himself away in a quieter corner, somewhere hidden, somewhere secret.


    And he wouldn¡¯t be alone.


    I walked faster, following the upper-level corridor that led toward the administrative wing. Most of these rooms would be locked or empty, but as I passed a set of double doors with ornate handles, I heard something.


    Voices.


    Muffled, but distinct.


    I paused, my heart thumping.


    One of the doors was slightly ajar, the light inside dim and warm. I moved silently, keeping to the wall as I inched closer.


    River¡¯s voice reached me first.


    "...how the hell did you miss something this significant?"


    He didn¡¯t sound angry, not exactly. But there was heat beneath his words. Frustration, maybe even disbelief.


    Jasper¡¯s voice came next. "I didn¡¯t miss anything. All the information we gathered about her came directly from Shadowfang and Bloodmoon pack members. And most of it lined up. You know how many stories there are about her - it wasn¡¯t easy to filter what was real."


    "I don¡¯t need stories," River snapped. "I need the truth. She saw him and froze. That wasn¡¯t grief. That was terror. You think that reactiones from reuniting with a friend?"


    Jasper hesitated. "No. But-"


    "Then go deeper," River ordered. "You said Shadowfang Pack members gave you intel. Fine. But if the report was iplete, we need answers from another source."


    There was a brief pause.


    And while I struggled to make sense how could there be any Shadowfang Pack members left, I heard Jasper speak again.


    "Do you want me to contact her family?"


    My heart stopped.


    Family?


    What family?


    My knees nearly buckled.


    They were dead. All of them. Everyst one of them. My father, my step-mother, and her children - they were all gone. Killed and then burned in that fire. The fire that destroyed everyst trace of Shadowfang.


    Or so I had been believing in for nearly half a year... and now... Jasper was talking about them like they were reachable. Like they were alive.


    River¡¯s response came next.


    "Do it," he said. Cold. Commanding. "By tomorrow evening. I want to know exactly what happened between her and Ethan. I don¡¯t care what it takes - get me the truth."


    The world spun.


    I stepped forward before I could stop myself.


    The door creaked open under my touch and the warm light of the room spilled onto my face.


    Both men turned toward me.


    River¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, but Jasper looked like he had seen a ghost.


    Maybe he had.


    Because I wasn¡¯t sure I was standing on solid ground anymore.


    "What... what family are you talking about?" I managed to whisper. My voice trembled despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "The Greystones are dead. All of them."


    Neither of them answered right away.


    My entire body was shaking now. The world tilted beneath my feet.


    River stepped toward me, slowly, his brows drawing together. "Eva-"


    "What family, River?" I said louder, my voice rising in panic. "Who are you contacting? Who are you talking about?"


    Jasper shifted ufortably, avoiding my gaze.


    But River¡¯s eyes never left mine. They were unflinching. Unreadable.


    "Evaline," he said again, gentler this time. "There¡¯s something you should know-"


    "No." I took a step back, arms wrapping protectively around my middle. "Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t say it unless you are sure. Because if you are wrong, if this is some twisted way to get information from me-"


    "I¡¯m not wrong."


    His voice was final. Solid. And it broke something in me.


    My breath caught.


    The silence pressed down like a weight.


    And for the first time since the night of annihtion, since Shadowfang fell, since I left my past behind...


    A thought crept into my mind that shattered every belief I had clung to these past couple of months.


    What if they were not dead?

 Chapter 247: The Truth I Didn’t Want

    <h4>Chapter 247: The Truth I Didn¡¯t Want</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The mere thought of my family still being alive sent cold, bone-deep fear ripping through me.


    It wasn¡¯t relief. It wasn¡¯t joy. It was sheer, suffocating dread.


    I stared at River like I didn¡¯t recognize him. My breath had turned shallow, my chest was rising and falling too fast. But he didn¡¯t speak. He just watched me - silent, steady, as if my reaction was some kind of puzzle he was trying to solve.


    It was Jasper who finally broke the heavy quiet.


    "You should know," he began carefully, "the rumors you have heard... about Alpha River killing everyst person in Shadowfang Pack... they were just that. Rumors."


    My fingers curled into my palms. "Rumors?" I repeated, my voice cracking. "I saw what you did to Shadowfang Pack with my very own eyes."


    His gaze flicked briefly to River before settling back on me. "Alpha never nned to kill your entire family, let alone the entire Shadowfang Pack. That night... his n was to kill Alpha Greystone and those directly responsible for what happened to his parents and his Pack decades ago."


    I flinched at the name, my stomach knotting.


    "And that¡¯s exactly what he did," Jasper continued. "He killed Alpha Greystone. He killed every Shadowfang member who had a hand in your father¡¯s crimes. He burned down the Packnds... but no innocent life was ughtered. Instead, we relocated them to other packs, scattered them so no one could rebuild what we destroyed. As for your family - your stepmother, your stepsister, and your stepbrother - they weren¡¯t killed either. They were exiled to a small, weak pack in the western region."


    The words hit like stones.


    My Stepmother. Liliana. And... Damian.


    I heard the names without him saying them. My mind filled them in.


    Jasper kept talking, exining more details, but my thoughts had already spiraled into a ck hole.


    Anyone else might have been grateful - maybe thrilled even, if they had good rtions with their step family - to hear that their family still lived. But I wasn¡¯t anyone else.


    If it had just been my stepmother and Liliana, maybe I could have ignored it, buried the knowledge. But Damian?


    The name alone made my skin crawl.


    Damian wasn¡¯t just my stepbrother. He was my shadow, my constant tormentor. My biggest bully. He had broken things in me that would never fully heal. And worse - he had promised that he would always find me.


    <i>"No matter how much fate tries to separate us,"</i> he had whispered once, after pinning me to the cold stone wall of Shadowfang¡¯s old corridors,<i> "I¡¯ll always find you, sweet sister."</i>


    I had believed him then. And I still believed him... even now.


    He might be exiled. He might be suffering. He might even be rotting somewhere. But the fact remained... he was alive.


    Alive meant dangerous.


    <fn3ef7> Content originallyes from Find~Novel</fn3ef7>


    Jasper¡¯s voice started to fade in again, just as he was about to say something else. But I finally found my voice.


    I looked straight at River. My tone was soft. Too soft.


    "Why didn¡¯t you kill them?"


    Both men froze.


    Jasper¡¯s brows shot up, like I had just spoken in anothernguage. River¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but something sharpened in his gaze.


    When neither spoke, I repeated the question, each word clearer than thest. "Why. Didn¡¯t. You. Kill. Them?"


    "Miss Eva-" Jasper started.


    River didn¡¯t even look at him. Just lifted one hand, a silentmand for him to leave.


    Jasper hesitated, then slipped past me and out the door, shutting it behind him.


    The moment we were alone, River stepped forward, closing the space between us. His presence filled the room, a quiet, heavy force that pressed against my skin.


    "Say it again," he said evenly.


    I lifted my chin. "If you were going to kill, why not kill all of them?" My voice trembled, but not from fear of him... fear of what his answer might be. "Why did you have to leave them alive? Why did you have to ruin things for me every single time something good starts to happen in my life? Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?"


    My voice had risen without me meaning it to, each sentence cutting sharper than thest.


    His jaw tightened.


    And then it cracked - hisposure breaking just enough for him to bite out, "Because I can¡¯t leave you alone."


    The words mmed into me, stealing my breath.


    Before I could process them, my hand moved on instinct.


    <strong>Smack.</strong>


    The p echoed in the dim room. His head turned slightly from the force, and a faint red mark immediately bloomed across his cheek.


    "How," I asked coldly, "could you let those monsters go free, but be hell-bent on ruining my life just because I carry the Greystone blood?"


    For a second, he just stared at me, silent.


    Then, in one smooth motion, his hand shot out and closed around my arm, pulling me in until there was barely a breath between us. His eyes were like shards of ice, unflinching, unyielding.


    "If all this drama," he said slowly, each wordced with danger, "is because I left your bullying stepfamily alive... I can fix that."


    The low, deadly certainty in his voice made the air feel heavier. It was the kind of tone that didn¡¯t invite argument, but one that promised action.


    I gave a humorless chuckle. "And you expect me to believe you? That you would kill anyone for me?"


    His grip didn¡¯t loosen. If anything, it tightened.


    "I could kill anyone for you, Evaline, " he said without hesitation. "Let alone the people you hate."


    I blinked at him, startled by the sheer bluntness of it. I would have loved to believe he was lying, but I knew he wasn¡¯t.


    "Why?" I demanded, my anger rising again because I felt tired of whatever game he was ying. "Why pretend to care?"


    The faintest curve touched his lips... it wasn¡¯t a smile, but something darker, more dangerous.


    "Because," he said, his voice dropping lower, "I have fallen for you, Evaline Greystone."

 Chapter 248: An Impossible Fate

    <h4>Chapter 248: An Impossible Fate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    He... what?


    I wasn¡¯t expecting a confession from him.


    In fact, it might have been thest thing I could have ever imagined hearing from the River Thorne. And yet... here we were.


    For a heartbeat, I just stared at him. The silence in the room suddenly started feeling too loud, while my own heartbeat was drumming against my ribs. My lips parted but no words came out.


    Once the initial shock loosened enough for me to breathe, I shook my head in small, sharp movements, as if the physical act could somehow erase what he had just said. The look I gave him must have made my feelings in - I didn¡¯t trust him. Not with this. Not with me.


    But before I could speak, his voice cut in again.


    "When I first saw you," he began, his tone low and steady, "I hated you."


    The bluntness of the words made my chest tighten.


    "You¡¯re not wrong when you used me of hating you just because you carried your father¡¯s blood," he went on, his eyes locked on mine without a shred of hesitation. "For some reason, I thought you would be no different from your garbage father... or from your equally garbage step family. I didn¡¯t want to know you. I didn¡¯t even want to give you the chance to prove me wrong."


    I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.


    "But then..." His gaze softened, though his voice still carried weight. "I started to see the real you. The one who kept fighting for herself despite everything going wrong in her life. The one who didn¡¯t crumble, even when the world seemed determined to break her... when I seemed determined to break you. And I realized-" He let out a slow breath, almost like the words cost him something. "-I was wrong."


    My nails bit into my palms as he continued.


    "At first, I just started to admire you. To respect you. But then... it changed. I can¡¯t tell you the exact moment I fell for you, Evaline Greystone. But I know I did. And I have known for a while now."


    The sincerity in his tone wasn¡¯t something I had ever heard from him before. This wasn¡¯t a game or a ploy. It was... raw. Honest.


    It wasn¡¯t just a confession - it was the kind of deep, deliberate truth that made me wonder if anyone could even make up something like this.


    Then he added, almost casually but with a dangerous edge, "And if you want someone gone, anyone out there... I can take care of it."


    The way he said it... he wasn¡¯t bluffing. Every word carried the weight of a promise I knew he could keep.


    And just like that, Damian and Ethan faded from my thoughts. The anger I had been holding, the usations I had been throwing... none of it mattered in that moment.


    All I could think about was River. And his confession.


    I started stepping back, fumbling for words, because this - whatever this was - was too much, too sudden... and most importantly, wrong. I had my mates... and he was their brother. I couldn¡¯t even began to ponder how twisted all this was.


    "Alpha... I-this is impossible. We can¡¯t-"


    I didn¡¯t get to finish.


    Before I could take more than a single step, he closed the space between us in one swift movement, his hand curling around my arm once again. The next thing I knew, I was colliding with him. His chest was solid against mine, his arms anchoring me like he wasn¡¯t about to let go.


    And then it happened.


    The air between us seemed to shatter, reced by something... electric. Something ancient. Something I had felt before... three times, and each time with a different person.


    It mmed into me - into us - like a tidal wave. My breath caught as warmth and light rushed through my veins, curling deep into my chest, my soul. My heart gave a wild, unsteady lurch, and in the depths of my mind, an undeniable truth pulsed into existence.


    <strong>Mate.</strong>


    The bond didn¡¯t just hum... it roared, wrapping around us both like a maic pull that was impossible to fight. My pulse matched his, the beat syncing until I could barely tell which one was mine.


    <fn3a63> Fresh chapters posted on FindN()vel</fn3a63>


    River froze and his eyes widened, the same shock I felt mirrored in his expression.


    We stood there, locked together, both too stunned to speak - two people who had been enemies, who had doubted each other, now bound by the most unbreakable connection in our world.


    And neither of us had seen iting.


    And even though we both were shocked, there was still miles of difference between our reaction.


    His shock came from disbelief, the good kind. His shock was one of happiness and I saw it right through his eyes that started gleaming once the initial shock of the bond started dissipating.


    But me, I could hardly make myself believe what just happened. Not only I just found another mate, but it was none other than River. What were the odds?


    If having both Oscar and Draven as my fated mates wasn¡¯t confusing and shocking enough, then feeling the mate bond with River just made everything even more surreal and impossible.


    It¡¯s not a everyday story of someone finding more than just one fated mate. Though such things had been mentioned in myths, I had never known anyone my entire life who had more than one mate.


    So exactly what was going on with me? And what was I supposed to do now?


    I watched as River¡¯s lips moved, as if he¡¯s about to say something. But I was quicker this time.


    With one strong pull, I stepped away from him. Though his features twisted with a confused frown, I kept my expression cold. "Nothing happened."


    His frown deepened, and I continued.


    "Like I said, it¡¯s impossible between us. So let¡¯s not talk about this ever again. As for the... bond... I can release you from it."

 Chapter 249: Three Sentences

    <h4>Chapter 249: Three Sentences</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    My heart dropped.


    The moment her words left her lips - soft, hesitant, but firm enough to carry their meaning - I knew exactly what she meant.


    <i>"Release you from the bond."</i>


    She wasn¡¯t talking about setting me free in some poetic way. She meant rejecting me. As her mate.


    And the worst part? I had just found out that she was mine. My fated mate.


    The sheer happiness that had swelled in me - Stars, it had been just seconds ago - was still sitting in my chest, raw and alive, when her words tore it open. I had been ready to revel in the truth, to thank the Moon Goddess and every force in existence for bringing her to me. But instead... she was already pulling away.


    There wasn¡¯t even a word to describe exactly what I felt in that moment. Pain, yes. Panic, absolutely. Hurt - sharp enough to cut bone. My wolf whimpered in my head, the sound low and broken.


    She must have seen it. My reaction, my silence... because her eyes widened, her expression shifting from guarded determination to something that looked almost like guilt.


    "River, I-" She stopped, swallowing hard, fumbling for the right words. "I didn¡¯t... mean to hurt you." Her voice shook. "I just... I¡¯m sorry, I-"


    Her gaze darted to the ground, but I caught the glisten in her eyes. She was tearing up. And that did something strange to me. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was relief, that she wasn¡¯tpletely unmoved, or if it only made the ache worse knowing she still wanted to push me away despite feeling this way.


    "Then don¡¯t," I said before I could stop myself.


    She blinked at me.


    Slowly - so damn slowly - brgI reached out, my hand hovering before it touched hers. I didn¡¯t want to spook her, didn¡¯t want her to jerk away before I even got close. When my fingers finally wrapped around hers, her body went still. Not cold, not pulling away... just still.


    The bond surged instantly. It was like my whole being recognized her on every level - mind, body, soul. The pull was maic, dizzying. My wolf howled in satisfaction at the simple contact, and it took everything in me not to close the distancepletely, to not pull her against me and im her lips until she couldn¡¯t breathe without me.


    But I couldn¡¯t. Not like this. Not when her eyes still held that wariness, that distance.


    So I kept my voice soft, careful. "I know you don¡¯t like me," I said. The words were bitter on my tongue, but it was the truth. "And I¡¯m not asking you to suddenly change that. But don¡¯t... reject me."


    Her lips parted slightly, but she didn¡¯t speak, so I went on.


    "Give me a chance. Give us a chance." My thumb brushed over her knuckles, the small movement grounding me. "I¡¯m not asking you to feel the same today, or tomorrow, or even next month. But... Moon Goddess gave us this bond for a reason. I want to prove to you that I can be the one for you."


    Shock flickered over her face. Her eyes went wide, and her lips trembled slightly. I could tell she wasn¡¯t expecting this from me. Hell, I wasn¡¯t expecting it from me either. I had never been the man to speak softly, to ask instead of take. But something about her... she brought it out in me.


    Even my wolf, usually wild and restless, was calm now, urging me forward. <i>She¡¯s listening. Don¡¯t let her go.</i>


    I was about to tell her she could take all the time she needed, that I would wait as long as it took - when she cut in. Her voice was steady but her eyes... stars, her eyes looked lost.


    "It¡¯s not about how I feel toward you," she said quietly.


    <fn0656> Th?s chapter is updated by find?novel</fn0656>


    I froze.


    "What is it about, then?" My voice came out sharper than I intended,ced with an edge of desperation.


    She looked at me then - really looked at me - and for a moment, I thought I saw something break inside her.


    "You wanted to know my rtion with Ethan," she murmured, each word deliberate. "I¡¯ll tell you."


    My chest tightened.


    And her next words mmed into me like a blow I never sawing.


    "He was my mate."


    My head went nk for a second. Ethan - her mate. As I repeated her words over and over in my mind for a few times, a sudden realization hit me.


    <i>Was.</i>


    She said it so casually, but it hit me like a punch to the chest.


    "Was," she repeated, meeting my gaze without flinching. "He rejected me just hours before you attacked Shadowfang Pack."


    For a split second - before I could stop myself - relief bloomed in my chest. I hated myself for it, but it was there, sharp and selfish. I kept my face nk, unwilling to let her see.


    But she wasn¡¯t finished.


    "Now, I¡¯m mated to two of your brothers," she said, steady but quiet. "Oscar and Draven."


    The air thickened as the weight of her words sank into me. My brothers. My blood. I could feel my pulse in my jaw, in my temples, pounding harder with every second.


    I barely had time to process that when she spoke again - words soft, but heavy enough to split the ground beneath me.


    "And I¡¯m pregnant... with Ethan¡¯s child."


    The world stilled. My thoughts scattered like leaves in a storm. I stared at her, but I wasn¡¯t really seeing her - I was seeing every implication, every tangled knot these revtions created.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.


    She looked away first, and that alone told me how much she dreaded my reaction. I could feel my heart hammering, the mate bond thrumming with emotions I couldn¡¯t untangle - shock, disbelief, a strange, bitter kind of hope, and something dangerously close to jealousy.


    Three sentences. That¡¯s all it took for her to dismantle everything I thought I knew.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure if I hated her for it... or if I hated myself more for still wanting her.

 Chapter 250: River’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 250: River¡¯s Decision</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t even know why... or how... I ended up telling him all my secrets just like that.


    It was reckless. Foolish. Absolutely out of character for me.


    And yet... I did.


    The words had just spilled out - raw and unfiltered - before I even had the chance to weigh their consequences. I told him everything. That Ethan was my ex-mate. That I was now pregnant with my ex-mate¡¯s child. That I was already mated to Draven. That I was already mated to Oscar.


    I didn¡¯t try to sugarcoat it. I didn¡¯t try to soften the truth.


    Because if he really meant what he said earlier - that he liked me and was ready to ept me as his mate - then he deserved to know who I really was, every tangled, messy part of me.


    I waited for the sharp sting of rejection. I braced myself for his eyes to harden, for his voice to turn cold. But none of that came.


    He was silent.


    And I... I wasn¡¯t sure if I was disappointed by that silence or grateful for it.


    <fnf3aa> Discover more novels at find(?)ovel</fnf3aa>


    On one hand, he didn¡¯t reject me - not right away, at least. On the other, his face had turned unreadable again, his gaze giving nothing away. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was thinking of walking away from me forever or finding a reason to stay.


    And the worst part? I wasn¡¯t sure what I really wanted - for him to walk away, or... to ept me despite the mess I was.


    Slowly, I pulled my hand from his. Not in a rush, not abruptly - just enough to show him I wasn¡¯t pushing him away, but giving him the space to think. After seeing how hurt he was from my initial reaction to our bond, I didn¡¯t want to hurt him again.


    When I finally spoke, my voice was soft, almost careful, carrying the faintest hint of a smile I didn¡¯t quite feel.


    "Take your time," I told him. "When you have decided... let me know."


    I turned, ready to walk out before the weight of the moment crushed mepletely...


    "I ept."


    I froze mid-step.


    I could hardly believe the words my ears just registered. There¡¯s no way he would have said it. Right?


    Slowly, I turned to face him, my eyes searching his expression for the joke that had to be there. "You are not... going to take time to think it through?"


    His answer came without hesitation, his voice certain. "I don¡¯t need more time to decide. I ept you as my mate."


    The words hit me like a current, rushing through my veins, settling deep into my bones. His official eptance - spoken out loud - sealed our mate bond from his side, even if only on a basic level. And I felt it, every inch of it, in the way my chest warmed and my heart stumbled over its own rhythm. And most importantly, in the way the bond got swarmed with a warmth that only came from a mate¡¯s love and care.


    I was almost overwhelmed by these sweet feelings, and yet, when I opened my mouth, it was to argue. "You are being too-"


    "I¡¯m not someone who makes hasty decisions." He cut me off, his eyes locking onto mine with a force that made me forget how to breathe.


    And then he said the one thing I never expected to hear from him, the one thing that almost melted my heart in a way I didn¡¯t think he was capable of.


    "My feelings for you didn¡¯t appear because you are my mate, Evaline Greystone. They were there before Moon Goddess blessed us with this bond. So they are not going to disappear just because you told me you are mated to my brothers... or that you are pregnant."


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even speak. I could only watch him as his gaze shifted, deliberately, to my stomach. My very t stomach.


    "How far along are you?" he asked quietly.


    I swallowed, feeling a strange lump in my throat. "I just entered my twenty-third week."


    He nodded once, like he was filing that away in some private part of his mind, and then - almost out of habit - nced at his expensive wristwatch.


    That¡¯s when it hit me. We had been here for far too long. The ceremony must be about to start, maybe even moments away. I was about to tell him we needed to head back, that there were more pressing things to handle right now, but he spoke first.


    "I have one more question before we go."


    I hesitated for a heartbeat, then gave him a small nod. "Okay."


    He didn¡¯t waste time. "Do Oscar and Draven know about your pregnancy? And... when did you find out they were your mates?"


    Two questions. Both sharp, deliberate. I knew better than to try dodging them.


    I took a breath. "I felt my bond with Oscar on my very first day at Thorne Mansion."


    It took him a second, just a second, to realize I wasn¡¯t talking about my recent visit. I was talking about five months ago, when I had imprisoned in Thorne mansion and was made to work there as a servant.


    "As for Draven..." I looked down for a moment, remembering that day. "We felt our bond a littleter. After I joined the Academy."


    I didn¡¯t give him details - some moments were too personal, too tangled with pain and confusion to revisit right now. But I told him the truth that mattered.


    "I eventually told them," I continued. "About being mates with both of them. About the pregnancy. About... everything." My throat tightened, but I pushed through it. "And they... they epted me. They epted the child, too."


    He didn¡¯t interrupt. He just listened, his gaze steady, his expression unreadable again, but not cold. Never cold.


    I didn¡¯t know what would happen next. I didn¡¯t know if this eptance would hold when the reality of our situation truly set in. But right now, I wanted to be as genuine and transparent with him as possible.

 Chapter 251: Mallory’s Birthday

    <h4>Chapter 251: Mallory¡¯s Birthday</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I sang along with everyone else, our voices blending into a slightly off-key but cheerful version of the birthday song.


    Mallory closed her eyes for a brief moment, made a wish, and blew out the candles with a bright smile. Everyone pped and cheered, while Noah was still hunched over his phone, snapping pictures of every possible angle like a professional photographer on a mission.


    We were all seated around a long wooden table in one of Lakeshire¡¯s most popr caf¨¦s, the kind that always had a waiting list no matter the day. The warm yellow lights overhead made the chocte frosting on Mallory¡¯s cake look even richer, and the sweet scent of vani and coffee lingered in the air.


    Rowan and Kyros immediately took charge of the cake-cutting, their usual banter surfacing as they argued over whether the slices should be perfectly equal or just "roughly" equal. Seleneughed at them while Ria sipped hertte like this was her weekend entertainment.


    I reached for the gift bag I had kept under my chair and slid it toward Mallory.


    "This is for you," I said with a small smile.


    Her eyes widened when she opened the box and looked at the gift. "No way... you got me the newunch set?" She pulled out the lip oil collection box, cradling it like it was something sacred. "Eva, these are sold out everywhere."


    "I know," I shrugged lightly. "Was lucky to get them on time."


    She grinned and leaned over to hug me tightly. "This is such a wonderful gift. Thank you so mucg."


    I smiled back, but there was a faint heaviness tucked somewhere in my chest that I couldn¡¯t quite shake.


    <fn51f0> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find{n}ovel</fn51f0>


    It had been three days since the Alpha Selection Ceremony in the Nightshade Pack. Three days since River confessed he liked me... since we discovered we were mates. And three days since I told him... everything.


    The memory of that evening still made my stomach twist. I had bared myself to himpletely - my past, my secrets, the parts of me I didn¡¯t like showing anyone. And after all of that, he didn¡¯t push or question me further. He simply looked at me for a long moment, then told me I should return to the mansion.


    At first, I tried to argue - my work at the ceremony wasn¡¯t done, and I didn¡¯t like leaving things unfinished. But he had been firm, saying it would be easier for him to focus on the rest of the ceremony once I was somewhere safe and away from Ethan¡¯s eyes.


    And... I hadn¡¯t exactly fought him on it. The truth was, I was really terrified ofing across Ethan again.


    The next morning, I learned from Draven that the one who had won the championship and imed the title of Nightshade Pack¡¯s new Alpha was one of River¡¯s men. The way Draven described it, the battleground had been a bloodbath. And with one night¡¯s work, he had gained control over one of the biggest and richest packs in the region.


    He had yed his cards perfectly.


    Since then, River had been buried in work - managing his new Alpha, establishing control over Nightshade Pack, securing alliances. I had only seen him in passing, catching glimpses of him eithering into the mansionte at night or leaving early in the morning. He wasn¡¯t there for meals, nor for the so-called "bonding time" Draven insisted we all have every evening.


    And I hadn¡¯t told Oscar or Draven about the mate bond yet. I kept telling myself I would do it before the holidays ended - four days from now - but every time I thought about saying the words, my chest tightened. As for what was going to happen between River and me... I didn¡¯t know. And I couldn¡¯t bring myself to think about it too much.


    "...Earth to Eva?"


    Mallory¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She was grinning, already halfway through her cake slice. "You spaced out. Were you daydreaming about something, or should I say someone?" She wiggled her eyebrows.


    I rolled my eyes. "No."


    She smirked but didn¡¯t push further. "Well, anyway... I¡¯m spending the evening with Jasper. And Lily."


    I blinked. "Lily?"


    She lowered her voice just a bit, though our friends were busyughing at something Noah had said. "It¡¯s my first time meeting her."


    She leaned in, whispering like it was some top-secret mission. "You have toe with me. Please. I¡¯m begging you."


    "Why?"


    "Because I¡¯m nervous, okay? I have met grumpy, battle-hardened warriors and scary Alphas, but an eight-year-old with a sharp mind? Terrifying." She made a pleading face. "I don¡¯t want to mess this up. And Lily already knows Jasper¡¯s dating me, so if she hates me, I¡¯ll know instantly."


    I bit back a smile. "You are worrying for nothing. Lily is the sweetest and kindest person I have ever met in my life. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to love you. Besides, do you think my presence will make her like you?"


    "I think your presence will make me less awkward," she admitted. "And maybe keep Jasper from fussing over every little thing I do."


    I pretended to think about it. "So, you want me to be your emotional support human?"


    "Yes!" She brightened. "Exactly."


    Iughed softly. "Fine. I¡¯lle."


    She let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "You are the best."


    By the time the cake was gone and the tes cleared, the caf¨¦ was filling up with the evening crowd. We lingered for a while, chatting and sipping thest of our drinks before finally stepping out into the chilly evening air.


    We split up outside - Rowan and Kyros heading toward former¡¯s bike, Ria and Selene deciding to take a walk, and Noah was still clicking pictures of everything from the caf¨¦ sign to thempposts.


    Mallory and I made our way to the car Jasper had sent for her. She seemed unusually quiet, fiddling with the strap of her bag.


    "You¡¯ll be fine," I told her as we slid into the backseat.


    Her lips curved into a faint smile. "You think so?"


    "I know so. And for the record, you are way scarier than an eight-year-old."


    Sheughed at that, tension easing just a bit.


    Still, I could see the nerves in the way she smoothed her dress and nced at her reflection in the window every few minutes.


    But I knew that she and Lily were going to be best friends in no time.

 Chapter 252: Mate’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 252: Mate¡¯s Daughter</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The moment the car rolled past the towering, wrought-iron gates of the Thorne Estate, I had to bite my tongue to stop the gasp trying to escape my mouth.


    I had been here once before with Eva, but apparently, the awe factor didn¡¯t fade with familiarity. The ce looked like something pulled straight out of a fairytale... if that fairytale had been dipped in snow, wrapped in pure aesthetic vibrs, and sprinkled with just the right amount of Christmas magic.


    Through the frost-speckled window, I took in the mansion as it came into view, standing proudly beyond the sweeping front gardens. Twinkling lights were lining the edges of the massive windows, wreaths were hanging like emerald crowns, and a towering pine - decorated to perfection - was standing in the center of thewn. The whole scene looked like it belonged on the cover of a holiday magazine.


    Leaning closer to Eva, I murmured, "How does it even feel living in a ce like this? I would get lost just trying to find the kitchen."


    She gave me a sideways smile, that knowing little look she always had when she thought I was overreacting. "You get used to it. Mostly. Just... don¡¯t wander off without telling someone. This ce has more hallways thanmon sense."


    I chuckled softly, shaking my head. Easy for her to say - she actually belonged here now.


    Instead of turning toward the mansion, the car took a side road lined with bare-limbed trees wrapped in fairy lights. The glow followed us like a trail, guiding us to a smaller but equally picturesque home. The vehicle slowed before a charming vi with warm light spilling from its windows, snow nketing its roof, and smoke curlingzily from the chimney.


    We had barelye to a full stop before my door swung open from the outside, and there he was.


    Jasper.


    My mate.


    His weing brown eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as his lips curved into that smile - the one that made my knees threaten to give out. "Evening, birthday girl," he greeted, offering me his hand like some old-fashioned gentleman.


    I took it without hesitation, warmth blooming in my chest as I stepped out of the car. The moment my palm touched his, my pulse jumped. The cold air nipped at my cheeks, but he didn¡¯t let go until I was standing close enough to catch the faint scent of pine and something unmistakably him.


    Over his shoulder, I spotted Eva already out of the car, smirking at me in a way that made my face heat. She breezed past us and greeted Jasper. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced," she said, offering Jasper a polite smile.


    He brushed it off immediately. "You are always wee. The more, the merrier. Lily¡¯s been missing you anyway, she¡¯ll be thrilled to see you."


    I smiled softly at the mention of the little girl. I had heard about her so much from both Jasper and Eva, and despite anxiety, a part of me was really thrilled at the idea of our first meeting.


    Jasper still hadn¡¯t released my hand as he led us toward the entrance. I tried subtly pulling away, thinking it might be better to keep some distance in front of Lily, but his grip only tightened, bringing me closer until our arms brushed.


    I opened my mouth to tell him that maybe we should keep it low-key, but before I could say anything, a high, cheerful voice rang out from inside.


    "Eva!"


    The front door had been left slightly ajar, and a small blur of movement came hurtling toward us. A little girlunched herself into Eva¡¯s legs with the kind of fearless affection only a child could manage. She had Jasper¡¯s eyes and the same golden-brown hair, though hers was curly and tied with a red ribbon.


    "Lily," Evaughed, bending down to hug her back. "You have gotten cuter!"


    I hung back a little, unsure if I should interrupt. Meeting a mate¡¯s family, even just one member, was intimidating enough, but meeting his daughter? That was a whole different kind of pressure.


    Eva must have sensed my hesitation because she gently took Lily¡¯s hand and guided her toward me. "Lily, this is Mallory. She¡¯s a very good friend of mine... and Jasper¡¯s mate."


    Lily blinked up at me, studying me like she was deciding if I passed some invisible test. "You are pretty," she finally dered.


    Thepliment caught me off guard, and I smiled, crouching down to her level. "Thank you. You are really pretty too. I love your ribbon."


    That earned me a shy little grin, and in the next moment, she was showing me her sparkly shoes and telling me about the gingerbread house she had been working on all afternoon.


    The awkwardness melted away like frost in sunlight, and before long, we were sitting at the kitchen table with Eva, helping Lily add gumdrops to her sugary masterpiece.


    <fna250> Official source is Find_Novel(.</fna250>


    Dinner was warm, cozy, and full ofughter. Jasper kept slipping little nces my way, his expression soft but tinged with something deeper. Whenever our eyes met, his lips would quirk just slightly, like he was thinking something he wasn¡¯t going to say out loud in front of his daughter.


    At one point, he passed me the breadbasket, letting his fingers brush mine for just a second too long. Later, when he refilled my ss, he leaned in enough that his breath grazed my ear as he murmured, "Hope you are hungry... because dessert isn¡¯t just cake tonight."


    The heat that rushed to my cheeks had nothing to do with the food.


    By the time dinner was over, Lily had gone back to her gingerbread house, and Eva was helping her find more candy decorations. Jasper stood close beside me, his hand brushing the small of my back.


    It was dangerous... how good it felt.


    When Eva finally straightened and turned toward us, her brows rose slightly. One look at Jasper¡¯s arm curling around my waist and my flushed face, and her lips curved into a sly smile.


    "I can take Lily to the mansion for the night," she offered casually. "Give you two... privacy."


    I immediately waved my hands. "Oh, no, that¡¯s not necessary-"


    "Yes," Jasper cut in without a second of hesitation, his voice low and sure. "Thanks, Miss Evaline."


    I whipped my head toward him, eyes wide, but he only looked back at me with that slow, wicked grin that told me exactly what he had nned.


    And suddenly, I was very aware of how fast my heart was beating.

 Chapter 253: One Brother Left

    <h4>Chapter 253: One Brother Left</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I knew Mallory well enough to expect a dramatic reaction, but even so, her shriek nearly made me spill the tea in my hand.


    "You are what?" she half-whispered, half-yelled, her eyes going impossibly wide as if I had just told her I was moving to the moon.


    I winced, quickly setting my mug down on the bedside table and reaching over to press my hand over her mouth. "Sshhh! Do you want the entire estate to know?" I hissed.


    She mumbled something against my palm, still looking at me like I had sprouted a second head. I narrowed my eyes before slowly pulling my hand away. "Mallory, lower your voice. The door¡¯s locked and the room¡¯s soundproof, but still... you are loud enough to make my ears ring."


    "Sorry," she said automatically, though her tone suggested she was anything but sorry. "But you can¡¯t just drop a bomb like that and expect me to stay calm. River? Out of all people, River is your mate too?"


    Her disbelief was so palpable that I almostughed. Almost. "Yes," I admitted, running a hand through my long silver locks.


    We were perched cross-legged on my bed, with pillows scattered around us and azy afternoon sunlight spilling in from the window. Jasper had picked up Lily earlier, and Mallory hade with him but stayed behind while he left with his daughter. I had been holding this in for days now, and she was one of those few people I could trust to hear it without the situation spiraling.


    At least... that¡¯s what I thought.


    "Have you told Oscar and Draven?" she asked finally, all traces of yfulness gone from her voice.


    I exhaled heavily, shaking my head. "No. But I¡¯m nning to tell them after dinner tonight."


    "Eva..."


    "I know," I interrupted, holding up a hand. "I know. I just... I¡¯m scared, Mal. Things have only just started getting better between us, and now this happens. What if it ruins everything? What if they think I have been keeping secrets from them again?"


    <fn4> Read full story at Find_Novel(.</fn4>


    Her hand came to rest on my shoulder, and she gave me a warm squeeze that grounded me. "Eva, you have to trust them. Mate bonds are gifts from the Moon Goddess. We don¡¯t control who they are with. If the Moon Goddess tied you to more than one person, it¡¯s because she decided that¡¯s your fate. No one should hold you responsible for that."


    I looked at her skeptically, but she continued firmly. "If I can understand this, they can too. And besides... River is their brother. That might actually make it easier for them to ept him as your mate. Think about it - there¡¯s no stranger here. They know him. They trust him. Just like they did with each other."


    I sat in silence for a moment, mulling over her words. Maybe she was right... or maybe she was being overly optimistic for my sake.


    She broke the quiet with the one question I had been hoping she wouldn¡¯t ask. "So... how do you feel about River?"


    I opened my mouth, but she immediately raised a hand. "And be honest. Think before you answer."


    Her tone was light but serious enough to make me pause. I dropped my gaze to the patterned quilt beneath us, my fingers tracing an absent line. "Our rtionship started on a bad note," I admitted slowly. "I didn¡¯t hate him, but I disliked him for a long time. Even after bing his assistant, I kept my distance."


    I hesitated before continuing. "But... I havee to know him better these past couple of months. He¡¯s rich, powerful, strong, and a businessman through and through. The cold, intimidating side everyone sees... that¡¯s because his identity and position demands it. I have seen other sides too. Sides you wouldn¡¯t expect. He can be... cute, in his own strange way. Out of control sometimes. And... kind, when he wants to be."


    I took a deep breath. "And yes, he¡¯s... attractive. But then, which of the brothers isn¡¯t?"


    Mallory¡¯s grin had been growing the entire time I spoke. "Oh my god, you have already fallen for him, haven¡¯t you?"


    "What? No!" I said quickly, my head snapping up. "Whatever I feel for River is... it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s respect. And maybe a little fear. But romantic? No."


    She tilted her head, unconvinced.


    "I mean it," I insisted. "Even if I do find him attractive, I have never let myself think about him that way. I already had mates. It would have been wrong. So I kept a wall up between us."


    Mallory leaned back, resting her elbows on a pillow. "That wall," she said knowingly, "is exactly why you have never considered him that way. But now? He¡¯s your mate too. There¡¯s no reason to keep that guard up anymore. You can... explore whatever this is."


    I rolled my eyes, not wanting to admit she might have a point.


    "And honestly," she added with a wicked grin, "at this rate, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if one day Kieran turned out to be your mate too. Can you imagine? Three out of four brothers already, and the poor fourth left out? That would be a cruel joke from the Moon Goddess."


    I groaned, grabbing a pillow and smacking her lightly with it. "Don¡¯t even joke about that!"


    Sheughed, falling back dramatically onto the bed. "Oh,e on, you would secretly love it. After all, it¡¯s <i>the</i> Professor Kieran we are talking about."


    I snorted, though my lips twitched in amusement. "You are impossible."


    "And you are in deep," she teased again, earning another pillow smack.


    We both ended upughing, the tension easing between us. But even as we joked, a knot of anxiety remained in my stomach. Tonight, I would have to tell Oscar and Draven. And no matter what Mallory said, there was no guarantee how they would react.


    Still, I kept faith in the bond we had been building... and their love for me.

 Chapter 254: Feeling the Presence

    <h4>Chapter 254: Feeling the Presence</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The warmth of the fire flickered across the room, but it was nothingpared to the heat blooming in my chest when Oscar¡¯s lips met mine.


    I moaned into his mouth before I even realized it, the sound swallowed up by his slow, consuming kiss. My off-shoulder woolen top left my skin bare for Draven¡¯s feathery touch, and I shivered when his lips ghosted over my exposed shoulder, brushing so lightly that it felt like silk gliding across my skin.


    By the time Oscar pulled away, I was gasping for air, my pulse drumming against my ears. His gaze lingered on me, dark and molten, as if he was memorizing every flush and every breath I took.


    Dinner had been a blur this evening. I couldn¡¯t even remember what I had eaten - only the way both my mates¡¯ eyes had followed me like shadows, their touches lingering longer than necessary, their teasing almost unbearable.


    <fnfa66> Get full chapters from f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnfa66>


    I had nned to talk to them - about River, about the fact that he was also my mate. I needed to tell them before it became a bigger problem. But the moment we left the dining room and made our way upstairs, it felt less like I was leading them to my room and more like they were silently herding me there.


    Now, here we were - me, seated in the middle of the big couch in front of the firece, Oscar to my left and Draven to my right. The glow of the fire painted their faces in amber and gold, shadows moving over their sharp features like they had been carved for moments like this.


    I was still catching my breath when Draven finally spoke. "River and Kieran are away for the night. Perfect for me and Oscar to spend it with you without worries." His lips curled into a smirk. "Besides, it¡¯s thest day of the year. Barely two hours left before midnight."


    "Considering it¡¯s council¡¯s New Year party," Oscar added. "They won¡¯t be back before morning."


    This was my chance to speak. I straightened a little, inhaling, ready to tell them exactly what I had been holding back for days...


    But the only sound that escaped my mouth was a sharp, startled gasp when Oscar leaned in without warning and pressed an open-mouthed kiss against the side of my neck.


    My fingers clutched the couch cushions as his warm lips trailed downward, mapping the curve of my skin until he reached the crook of my neck. He lingered there, the press of his mouth deepening, making heat and tingles explode down my spine.


    I arched toward him helplessly, my head tilting back. For a few seconds, I forgot everything - River, my ns, even the fact that Draven was sitting right there. All I could focus on was the way Oscar¡¯s mouth pulled sweet, shivery sensations from every nerve in my body.


    "That again," Draven¡¯s voice cut in, low and filled with something far heavier than amusement. "Do that again. I want to capture her."


    My head turned toward him, brows drawn in confusion, but before I could even ask what he meant, Oscar was already repeating his path... soft kisses down the side of my neck, a slow pause at the crook, and then the deliberate pull of his lips against my skin.


    Another wave of those sweet tingles rushed over me, my hands instinctively clutching at his shirt.


    When I opened my eyes again, Draven was holding out his phone to Oscar, his expression unreadable but his eyes glinting with heat. Oscar took it, nced down at the screen... and I caught the shift in his gaze, the way it darkened in a way that made my pulse trip.


    "What?" I breathed.


    Without a word, he moved the phone so I could see, while he spoke to Draven, "Share that with me."


    The picture on the screen made me go still.


    It was me... but not the me I was used to seeing in mirrors. My head was tilted back, lips parted, eyes fluttered shut, with Oscar¡¯s mouth at my neck. My skin was glowing in the firelight, and the expression on my face... it was raw, vulnerable, almost dream-soft. I looked... ethereal.


    I barely had time to process it before Draven took the phone from my hand, setting it aside. The next moment, his lips were at the other side of my neck, his touch firmer than Oscar¡¯s. And his mouth drew a gasp from me all over again.


    By the time he trailed his kisses down to my shoulder, my breaths were uneven, the air in my lungs refusing to stay steady. But then... I froze.


    Not because of them, but because of the sudden, faint, strange sensation low in my abdomen. My palm pressed over my belly without thought.


    Both Oscar and Draven went still instantly, straightening. "What happened?" Draven asked, his tone sharp with concern.


    "I... I just felt something," I whispered, still stunned.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze dropped to where my hand was resting, and his eyes widened slightly. "You mean... the baby?"


    I nodded slowly. "It wasn¡¯t... movement, exactly. But there was something. Just for a second."


    He exchanged a look with Draven, and without asking, both of them moved their hands to my belly, pushing mine gently aside.


    We waited in silence, the only sound the crackle of the fire.


    Then, both of them stiffened. Their eyes met, widening with something almost reverent.


    "You feel that?" Oscar murmured.


    Draven nodded once. "Presence."


    My brows drew together. "Presence?"


    Oscar looked up at me. "You know that werewolves can sense their pup¡¯s presence in their mate¡¯s womb. Right? We are sensing it too. It¡¯s... like a bond that¡¯s pulsing back."


    For a moment, none of us spoke. I just sat there, watching them both touch my stomach like they were afraid I would vanish if they looked away.


    Then Draven¡¯s lips quirked in a teasing smirk. "Maybe the pup¡¯s just reacting to their mom¡¯s... reactions." His tone held unmistakable amusement.


    I felt heat rush to my cheeks instantly.


    He leaned toward me again, eyes glinting with that yful danger he wore so well, but this time I pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him before he could kiss me.


    "No," I said, shaking my head even as my heart pounded. "I need to talk to you both."


    It didn¡¯t matter that the fire was warm, or that their touches had my body betraying me at every turn. I couldn¡¯t keep avoiding this conversation, not with everything hanging over us like a de waiting to fall.


    They needed to know before it¡¯s toote!

 Chapter 255: Alphas’ Reaction

    <h4>Chapter 255: Alphas¡¯ Reaction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment they realized I wasn¡¯t joking about the "we need to talk" thing, both of them straightened on the couch.


    "Alright," Draven said, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. "Say whatever it is you need to say."


    "Yeah," Oscar added while tilting his head at me. "You have had that look on your face all evening. Just spit it out."


    Easy for them to say. Now that it was my turn to actually reveal the secret, my throat felt like it had sealed shut. I could feel the weight of my own heartbeat in my ears. My fingers twisted together in myp, and the anxiety swelled so high it was impossible to hide.


    Of course, they noticed.


    Without a word, Draven¡¯s hand slid over mine, warm and steady. On the other side, Oscar¡¯s fingers wrapped around my other hand, squeezing gently as if to say - <i>You have got us.</i>


    The gesture should have made it easier. It didn¡¯t. My voice still trembled when I finally closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.


    <i>You can do this.</i>


    "When I... when I visited Nightshade Pack with River for the Alpha selection ceremonyst weekend..." I started, then hesitated, the words almost sticking to my tongue again. I forced them out anyway. "...I felt a mate bond with him."


    The silence that followed was awful.


    Both of them went still. Too still.


    The only thing keeping me frompletely falling apart was that neither of them let go of my hands. Their touch stayed firm, anchoring me even though my mind was running wild with worst-case scenarios.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long itsted - five seconds, ten, a full minute, or even longer than that before? - before I dared to look up. They were both staring at me, not with anger exactly, but with an unreadable mix of emotions that made my stomach twist tighter.


    Draven was the one to break it. His voice was low, careful, but there was no mistaking the sharp edge of disbelief.


    "So... River is your mate too?"


    I nodded slowly, my mouth suddenly dry. "Yeah. He is."


    And then, as if my anxiety wasn¡¯t already making me ramble, the words just spilled out of me like someone had opened a dam.


    "It happened so suddenly-I didn¡¯t even see iting. We were arguing-obviously-and then the mate bond just... flickered to life out of nowhere. I waspletely stunned, confused, even mad? I mean I already have you two, but the Moon Goddess had to pick another? And that too him? I still don¡¯t understand why or how..."


    I stopped to take in a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you both about it immediately... but... but I got too scared. I¡¯m worried that you two will be mad at me. But... trust me-I didn¡¯t ask for it... I just-"


    Oscar¡¯s hand moved before my brain caught up.


    He pressed a finger lightly against my lips. "Shhh."


    The sound was soft but it worked like a switch, and my babbling cut off immediately.


    <fn9842> This text is hosted at f?ndnovel</fn9842>


    And then I noticed the tiniest curve on his lips. Not mocking, not forced - just a faint, real smile. Something in my chest loosened. Maybe... maybe this wasn¡¯t going to go as badly as I had feared.


    Draven leaned back slightly, his head tilting in thought before he spoke again.


    "You know," he said, his tone so casual it made me blink in confusion, "it would have been better if it was Kieran instead of River."


    I frowned. "What?"


    "It¡¯s just hypothetical," he continued, almost like he was discussing the weather. "Kieran would have been a better option. I mean, imagine River as part of this family." He motioned at the three of us. "You two are constantly at each other¡¯s throats - I can only picture a lifetime of you both trying to outstubborn each other."


    My jaw dropped. Out of all the reactions I had prepared myself for - anger, jealousy, cold silence, or even eptance - this was not one of them.


    "You are... seriously not mad?" I asked, still half expecting him to suddenly change his tune.


    He just gave me a look like I had asked him if the sky was blue. "Why should I be? A mate bond isn¡¯t something you can control. It¡¯s a gift from the Moon Goddess. The most scared thing in a werewolf¡¯s life."


    The way he spoke, it was with so much understanding and rity that I was having a hard time believe that he was indeed not mad at me.


    He saw me staring at him in stunned silence and it made a smile - a genuine one - bloom on his lips. He leaned closer and looked straight into my eyes.


    "Besides, you are... unique." His voice softened as he reached out to brush the back of his fingers down my cheek. "If the Moon Goddess wants to surround you with loyal protectors, I¡¯m not going to argue with her logic."


    Oscar chuckled at that, the warm sound making my chest ache. He shifted closer, sliding an arm around my shoulders and pulling me back against him, his chest solid and warm against my back.


    Draven¡¯s lips quirked up faintly as his gaze moved between us. "Though I¡¯m still not betting on you and Riversting a full week without a fight."


    That earned anotherugh from Oscar, who pressed his chin lightly to my shoulder. "I give it three days."


    I tried to re at both of them, but my vision was blurring too much. I blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears from spilling over.


    What did I ever do to deserve them? How could they be so... understanding? Supporting?


    Oscar¡¯s arm tightened around me like he already knew what I was thinking. He then ced a kiss to my temple - a soft, feathery one that melted mepletely.


    "Hey," Draven said quietly. "We are not going anywhere."


    And for the first time since that mate bond with River snapped into ce, I believed it.

 Chapter 256: Lost A Game

    <h4>Chapter 256: Lost A Game</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I slept better that night than I had in days.


    The knot in my chest from keeping the ¡¯River¡¯ secret was gone, and with Oscar¡¯s arm heavy across my waist and Draven¡¯s steady breath warming the back of my neck, I felt... safe. Anchored.


    I didn¡¯t wake until sunlight was already spilling across my bed. Both of them were still there, like they had no intention of letting me start the new year without them. I might have let them stay all morning if I didn¡¯t know how stubborn they could be, but at nine, I gave them each a firm shove.


    "Go," I ordered, trying not tough at their groggy protests. "Shower. Dress. I want breakfast before noon."


    They finally left, dragging their feet like children told to clean their rooms.


    It was the first day of the new year, which meant the countdown to reality had begun. I only had three more days before the Academy reopened on Monday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday - and thest two were already spoken for with my internship at the Council headquarters. That didn¡¯t leave much time to just... be with my mates.


    Which was exactly why all three of us were determined to make the most of it.


    Once I was dressed, I found Oscar and Draven downstairs waiting for me. Kieran and River were absent just like I assumed - still out from the partyst night. Knowing how these parties worked, they had either stayed at a hotel or found some pack member¡¯s guest rooms to crash in.


    Breakfast was warm, filling, and full of teasing remarks that had me rolling my eyes more than once.


    Afterward, the boys drove me to Lakeshire Hospital for my prenatal checkup. We parked in the private underground garage, took the ¡¯only staff¡¯ elevator, and met with my gynecologist.


    The appointment was smooth - baby¡¯s heartbeat was strong, growth was perfect - and though neither of my mates said much, the way they both hovered told me everything I needed to know.


    Despite my still t belly, the doctor said everything was progressing normally and there was no need to worry. And truth be told, I was more than happy with my t belly. Even though I knew it wasn¡¯t going tost for long, I wanted toplete my first term at the Academy in peace.


    As for after that... I didn¡¯t want to think about it for the time being.


    By the time we got back to the mansion, it was close to lunch. None of us were really hungry, so Oscar suggested a movie.


    Without River and Kieran around, both of them had dropped even the pretense of keeping a "safe" amount of space between us. No kissing, sure, but Oscar¡¯s arm resting across the back of the couch and Draven¡¯s knee pressed to mine made enough of a statement. The staff at the mansion noticed... they definitely noticed... but no one said a word.


    I didn¡¯t ask them to stop. Not anymore.


    River already knew, which meant the only real risk of scandal had passed. I wasn¡¯t about to hold back thefort of my mates for the sake of whispers.


    It didn¡¯t mean I was ready to scream my rtionship status out loud for people to hear, but I was also no longer feeling the urge to hide my mate bonds.


    We were maybe thirty minutes into the movie when the front doors opened and Jasper walked in, his one arm slung tightly around a very drunk River.


    My back was half against Draven¡¯s chest, and I immediately tried to sit up straight, but his hand on my hip kept me firmly in ce. Oscar, who was lookingpletely unbothered, raised an eyebrow.


    "Why¡¯s he still drunk? It¡¯s already past noon and the party has been over for hours."


    If Jasper noticed the closeness between us, he didn¡¯t react. His tone stayed casual. "There was a Council members gathering during lunch. He drank again. A lot. Add that to whatever he hadst night and... well, here we are."


    River¡¯s head lolled slightly, but his eyes - heavy-lidded and ssy - locked on mine. And for a second, it was like he wasn¡¯t drunk at all, like he was seeing me clearly.


    Jasper shifted his grip. "I¡¯ll get him to his room."


    Oscar and Draven nodded but neither moved to help him. They probably were used to seeing their brother like this considering how many such gathering River attended on usual basis. But then, I also recalled learning that he never returned to the mansion whenever he¡¯s this drunk. Which made me wonder why he returned today.


    A few minutester, Jasper reappeared, nodded to us, and left.


    Two hourster, the movie ended, and we had tea and snacks in the sunlit living room. Then, predictably, my shadows followed me back to my bedroom. With Kieran still not back because he¡¯s busy with some pack business, they seemed intent on using every moment of their newfound freedom.


    It had been bright all day, but as evening approached, snow began to fall. The three of us were sitting cross-legged on the rug by the firece, assembling an borate 3D fantasy pce. Draven was in the middle of fussing over a tower wall when he suddenly looked up.


    "We haven¡¯t checked on River in hours."


    Oscar was halfway to standing when he stopped, turned his head toward me, and smirked. "Actually... you should go check."


    I blinked. "Why me? He¡¯s your brother."


    "Exactly," Draven said, already siding with Oscar. "Which is why you should show him some care considering we will be a family in future."


    I gave them both a t look. "Not happening."


    Oscar¡¯s eyes glinted. "Rock, paper, scissors for it."


    "No," I said instantly.


    "Scared you¡¯ll lose?" Draven taunted.


    <fn3027> This update is avable on find?novel</fn3027>


    I narrowed my eyes, but they were relentless. Teasing, nudging, even putting their hands right in front of me until my stubbornness cracked.


    Five secondster, I was ring at them over my losing hand sign.


    Draven grinned like the cat who had caught the canary. "Looks like it¡¯s you."


    I groaned, already regretting giving in.

 Chapter 257: In The Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 257: In The Darkness</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stood outside River¡¯s room, staring at the dark wood of his door like it might bite me. My inner voice was screaming for me to just turn back and leave, pretend I never came here. This wasn¡¯t my problem.


    And yet... here I was.


    I let out a slow, reluctant sigh and lifted my hand, rapping my knuckles against the door. The sound was soft, almost hesitant. I waited, but instead of footsteps or a gruff e in," the door creaked open slightly, as if it had been left utched.


    Through the narrow gap, I could barely make out anything. The inside was dim as a single flicker of amber light danced in the darkness.


    "Alpha?" I called, my voice steady enough, though my chest felt oddly tight.


    Nothing.


    I frowned, pushing the door open wider.


    The room was hushed, shadows stretching over everything. My gaze caught on the lone candle burning on the bedside table, its soft light barely chasing away the gloom. The bed was neatly made... empty.


    My brows drew together.


    Where was he?


    I walked slowly, my eyes sweeping over the corners, until I stopped near the closed bathroom door. Maybe he was in there. I listened, straining for the sound of running water. Nothing.


    I knocked lightly. "River?"


    Still no answer.


    Another sigh left me, this one heavier. I turned to leave... only for my gaze to snag on a shape in the shadows near the bed. My breath caught sharply.


    There was a figure... on the floor, with his back against the side of the bed.


    My heart jumped hard against my ribs.


    "What the hell-" I started, stepping closer.


    It was River.


    He was slouched against the bedframe, one armx over his bent knee. An almost empty bottle of wine was sitting beside him, while he was holding a half-filled ss in his other hand, the liquid catching faint light as he tilted itzily.


    The shock that hit me burned into anger before I could even think. I dropped to my knees in front of him and snatched the ss from his hand, the words spilling before I had time to soften them.


    "What do you think you are doing?" I demanded. "You drankst night, you drank at lunch, and now you are sitting here, trying to see how much more your body can take? Are you trying to kill yourself with alcohol?"


    Not a flicker of surprise crossed his face. He just watched me, silent.


    That¡¯s when I noticed it.


    His eyes.


    They were... soft. Warm.


    And the faintest ghost of a smile was tugging at his lips.


    It stunned me so much I faltered mid-re. I was used to River being sharp,manding, a lot bit infuriating... but not this man who was looking at me like I was singing him a luby instead of scolding him.


    I didn¡¯t like it.


    Well... that wasn¡¯t true. I didn¡¯t know what I liked about it, but it left me feeling unsteady.


    I took a deep breath, trying to gather my footing. "Listen, it were your brothers who asked... forced me to check on you," I said finally, crossing my arms. "I only came because I lost a stupid game, so don¡¯t read too much into this."


    He nodded once. Just... nodded.


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    I stared at him, more thrown than I cared to admit. Who was thispliant version of River? Where was the fire, the bite in his tone?


    The sensible thing would have been to leave. Let Oscar and Draven deal with him. But my legs refused to listen to the perfect suggestion of my brain.


    "Why are you still drinking instead of resting?" I asked.


    His answer was maddeningly casual. "Felt like it."


    I blinked at him. "You need to get your head checked then."


    That faint smile curved his lips again, and I frowned. "And stop smiling."


    To my surprise, he actually did. His mouth straightened, but the softness in his eyes didn¡¯t fade.


    I sighed again. I was going to wear my lungs out at this rate. "Come on. Get on the bed."


    When he didn¡¯t move right away, I reached out, taking his arm and urging him up. He let me, his body warm and steady despite the alcohol. Once he was sitting on the edge of the bed, I grabbed the wine bottle and ss, setting them on the far side of the room where he couldn¡¯t reach them.


    "You are going to drink this instead," I said as I picked up the ss and filled it with lemon water from the jug sitting on the bedside table and handing it to him.


    He took it without a word, drinking while I pulled the nket over his legs.


    "Do you have any scented candles?" I asked, ncing at him.


    He nodded toward the drawer.


    I found avender one and swapped it with the in candle. Almost instantly, the room got filled with a soothing scent and a subtle calm settled over the air.


    Turning back to him, I crossed my arms again. "I¡¯ll ask the staff to bring you hangover soup. Drink it and sleep. Let your body recover."


    Another obedient nod.


    It should have ended there. But instead of leaving, I found myself lingering, watching the way the candlelight brushed across his face.


    He was still looking at me - not like I was a nuisance, but like I was the only thing in the room worth noticing.


    It made my chest feel strange.


    Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet. "You are different when you are angry at me."


    I blinked, unsure how to respond. "That¡¯s because you make me lose my calm just with your sheer presence."


    He tilted his head slightly, almost amused, though he didn¡¯t smile. "And yet you stayed."


    I hated that he was right.


    I turned toward the door before I could think too much about it, telling myself I had done my part. But as my hand touched the handle, his voice reached me again... softer this time, almost vulnerable.


    "Thank you, Miss Evaline."


    It stopped me in my tracks.


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t move. Then, without turning around, I said, "Just drink the soup," and left before I could lose the will to.


    But the image of him on the floor, looking at me like that... it followed me long after I closed his door.

 Chapter 258: Missed Silver Moon

    <h4>Chapter 258: Missed Silver Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was half past six when Mr. Wood pulled the sleek ck car to a stop in front of the Academy¡¯s main gates. The familiar stone archway loomed ahead, its edges dusted with fresh snow, and a warmth I hadn¡¯t expected bloomed in my chest.


    Two weeks. Just two weeks away, and yet stepping out into the crisp winter air felt like returning home.


    I tugged my scarf a little higher, offering Mr. Wood a quick wave of thanks before I turned toward the gate. My boots crunched over the snow-covered path as I passed through, and for the second time since I joined Silver Moon, I allowed myself to slow down and take it all in.


    The sprawlingwnsy buried under soft nkets of white, the ss windows of the main building glowing faintly against the dusky sky. As I took the familiar path wounding its way toward the first-years dormitory, I realized just how much I had missed this ce - the steady rhythm of Academy life, the banter in the dining hall, and, most of all, my friends.


    The campus was alive again. Students were moving in groups,ughter was spilling into the cold air, their breath visible like little clouds. Warriors in their dark uniforms were already standing stationed at their posts, their eyes scanning the crowd with practiced focus.


    I caught glimpses of some of my ssmates and a few upper-years, some looking at me with genuine smiles, others offering me looks that could have cut through steel.


    Some things never changed.


    By the time I reached the dorm building, the hum of voices and warmth spilling from inside chased away the winter chill clinging to my coat. I made my way to my dorm and stepped into themon room, my gaze instantlynding on the cluster of familiar faces around the coffee table - Mallory, Kyros, Rowan, Noah, Selene, and Ria.


    "Eva!" Mallory¡¯s voice rang out, and before I could even shut the door behind me, they had pulled me into their little circle.


    I could see it in Mallory¡¯s eyes - that spark of curiosity she always got when she¡¯s looking forward to gossip. Kyros and Rowan too looked like they were dying to ask about my stay at the Thorne mansion. But with others around, they kept their expressions neutral, steering the conversation toward safer territory.


    The talk quickly turned to what was awaiting us theing weeks. Kyros leaned back in his couch, running a hand through his hair. "The new schedule¡¯s out," he announced grimly. "Brace yourselves - assignments, projects, and tests, all packed in before exams."


    Rowan groaned. "When are exams again?"


    "Between January twenty-fifth and February tenth," Kyros recited like it was a death sentence. "Mid-term break starts right after - February eleventh through twenty-eighth. New term starts first of March as usual."


    The collective groans that followed was almostical. Even Selene, who thrived on academic pressure, muttered something about professors being sadists.


    I stayed quiet, chewing on my bottom lip. Almost forty days of non-stop study pressure. My internship would eat up big chunks of that time. I would need to be strategic, maybe apply for holiday leave during the exam weeks, or at least ask them to lighten my workload.


    Dinner at the Academy dining hall was a wee distraction. The warm scent of baked bread and spiced stew made me realize how long it had been since I had eaten here. We lingered longer than usual, catching up between bites.


    When we finally headed back to the dorms, Ria surprised us by announcing, "I need to stop by my friend¡¯s dorm for a bit."


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    That left our dorm blissfully free of extra ears. The moment we stepped inside, Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan exchanged a look that made my instincts prickle.


    They didn¡¯t even try to be subtle. Mallory practically dragged me to the couch near the firece while Rowan locked the door. Both boys dropped into seats opposite us, their expressions varying degrees of expectant.


    Kyros opened his mouth. "So-"


    "Did something happen with River?" Mallory cut in, eyes narrowing with suspicion.


    I blinked, momentarily thrown.


    Kyros and Rowan¡¯s reactions were instant. They had identical looks of shock and confusion that would have been hrious if the air hadn¡¯t suddenly felt heavier.


    "Wait-River?" Rowan¡¯s tone was all disbelief. "What about him?"


    I sighed. No point in dodging it now. "He¡¯s... also my mate."


    The silencested all of two seconds before Kyros made a choking sound, leaning back so quickly he nearly tipped over. Rowan just stared like I had grown a second head.


    Mallory¡¯s smirk said she had been waiting for this moment.


    I told them everything - how I had felt the bond, the conversation I had with him about Oscar and Draven being my mates, how I told Oscar and Draven about River. I had already told Mallory before, but Kyros and Rowan listened with wide eyes, asionally ncing at each other like they were checking if this was actually happening.


    By the time I finished, Kyros let out a low whistle. "The River Thorne," he said, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."


    "Almost impossible," Rowan corrected, but his lips were curving into the beginnings of a smile.


    Mallory just looked smug. "Called it."


    And then, in that way they had of catching me off guard, both boys softened. Rowan¡¯s voice was warm when he finally said, "We are happy for you, Eva. You deserve the best."


    Kyros nodded. "Yeah. And those three? They might actually be worthy of you."


    I didn¡¯t trust my voice enough to respond, so I smiled instead, the tension in my chest loosening a little.


    Of course, Mallory wasn¡¯t done. "So... back to my original question. Did something happen with River? You worked with him all weekend, right?"


    I shook my head. "Not really. He was busy at the Nightshade Pack and thepany. Didn¡¯t drop by the Council headquarters at all."


    Her face fell in dramatic disappointment. "You are no fun."


    "I¡¯m telling you, nothing¡¯s going to happen," I said firmly.


    Kyros started grinning suddenly. "Oh, I¡¯m now actually looking forward to your future with the Rogue Alpha King. Sounds exciting already."


    I groaned, sinking back into the couch, but I couldn¡¯t quite hide the tiny, reluctant smile trying to tug at my lips.

 Chapter 259: A Busy Week

    <h4>Chapter 259: A Busy Week</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    As soon as Monday rolled around, the rhythm of my days changed.


    The quiet mornings andzy evenings from the past weeks were gone. Now, everything was a blur of books, lectures, and the sharp scratch of my pen against paper or my fingers over keyboard.


    The teachers had officially dropped the "gentle reminders" and reced them with piles of assignments, extra practice sessions, and pointed mentions of the uing exams.


    It felt like they were suddenly in a hurry to cram every piece of knowledge possible into our already crowded brains.


    My rm went off at six every morning without mercy. I would drag myself out of bed, rub the sleep from my eyes, and spend the first two hours doing my morning stretches and exercises before getting ready. Breakfast was quick but filling. And by nine, sses began, and from then until three-thirty in the afternoon, we barely had time to breathe.


    After sses, we didn¡¯t even think about going back to my dorm. Every free hour before dinner was spent in the study hall or the library, either buried in notes or working on projects. It wasn¡¯t easy keeping my focus, especially when my brain liked to wander to certain people far too often, but I forced myself to stay on track.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one living in this whirlwind of busyness.


    Draven, being a second-year student, was just as swamped with preparations for his own exams. And yet... he still made time for me. Every single evening, like clockwork, he would find me during his evening shift at the library. He would join me in our secluded little corner on the second floor - our quiet spot away from prying eyes.


    We didn¡¯t talk much. Sometimes, not at all. But there was something oddlyforting about his silent presence. Just knowing he was there, sitting across from me, was enough. And without fail, he kept sneaking in healthy evening snacks, making sure that I, and the baby, didn¡¯t go hungry. I didn¡¯t say it out loud, but it meant more to me than he probably realized.


    Oscar was another story entirely.


    As an Instructor, his workload had doubled - no, tripled -tely. Not only did he have to conduct trials for the second and third years students at Silver Moon, but he and Senior Instructor Mara were preparing for joint trials of final years students of Silver Moon with Nevermore Academy and Crescent Peak Academy. It meant long hours, endless nning, and little time for us to actually meet in person.


    Most of our connection now was through messages and phone calls. Still, without fail, his good morning text was the first thing I saw when I woke up, and his good night message was thest thing before I closed my eyes. Every other day, we would speak on the phone, even if just for a few minutes.


    And then there was River. Or rather, there wasn¡¯t River.


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    No messages. No calls. No unexpected appearances. And honestly? I was grateful for that. Thest thing I needed was the distraction of a new mate when my brain was already drowning in deadlines and exams.


    But my thoughts didn¡¯t stop with these three.


    Because Kieran...


    He had been on my mind for reasons I couldn¡¯t ignore, no matter how much I tried to push it aside.


    He was absent during our Monday ss, which wasn¡¯t unusual in itself. He was busy, after all, especiallytely - handling Rogue pack business while River was tied up with the Nightshade Pack.


    But when he showed up on Tuesday, I noticed it immediately. He was paler than usual, like the color had been drained from his skin.


    At first, I chalked it up to exhaustion. He had been working non-stop for days, and the kind of pressure he handled wasn¡¯t light. But as the week went on, I kept catching that slightest falter in his otherwise perfect facade - on Wednesday, on Thursday - and that faint weakness never seemed to fade.


    It wasn¡¯t something most people would notice. But I did.


    Because I had seen him like that before. The faint loss of control, the subtle edge to his movements... it usually came when the full moon was near. Only, this time, the full moon was more than a week away.


    That left me with an ufortable, gnawing feeling in my chest. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    I told myself it wasn¡¯t my business. I told myself I had enough on my te and that I shouldn¡¯t stick my nose where it didn¡¯t belong. But those arguments didn¡¯t work for long.


    By Friday evening, I was sitting in the study hall, staring down a particrly difficult Chapter on potion-making, and realizing I had read the same sentence at least five times. My concentration was gone.


    I closed the book with a snap and exhaled slowly.


    Before I could change my mind, or talk myself out of it, I gathered my notes,ptop, and books, stuffed them into my bag, and walked over to the row of lockers in the study hall. I stored everything safely inside, slung my coat over my shoulders, and made my way toward the administrative wing.


    The closer I got to Kieran¡¯s office, the more I questioned my decision.


    When I reached his door, I paused. My hand hovered over the wood for a few seconds before I finally knocked.


    "Come in," his voice called from inside.


    I pushed the door open, stepped in, and closed it behind me.


    He was sitting behind his desk, though he wasn¡¯t facing me. His chair was turned toward therge window, where snow was clinging to the ss in thick, swirling patterns. His back was to me, broad shoulders silhouetted against the pale winter light.


    The room was dim, the only real lighting from the firece crackling quietly on the far wall, and the air smelled faintly of burning cedarwood.


    Now that I was here... I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    He didn¡¯t turn around. Didn¡¯t even nce over his shoulder to see who had entered. The silence stretched on until I started feeling almost... unwee.


    Finally, I cleared my throat. "Good evening, Professor."


    He didn¡¯t respond, so I continued, my voice a little hesitant. "I... came to check on you. You haven¡¯t been looking well these past few days."


    Silence again.


    I felt my fingers twitch at my sides. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I should just leave before-


    "How do you know that?"

 Chapter 260: Cracks in His Perfection

    <h4>Chapter 260: Cracks in His Perfection</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was the flicker in his voice that caught me.


    Not his words. Just... the faintest drop in his tone, like a perfectlyposed melody missing a single note.


    I faltered. Confused, I asked, "How did I know... what?"


    He was silent again for next couple of seconds, making me wonder if he was going to answer or not. But then...


    "That something was wrong with me," he finally said, but still didn¡¯t turn around. "No one else noticed anything. Not even my brothers. And yet you are here, asking me about it with such surety."


    The fire popped softly in the firece. It was the only sound breaking the long stretch of silence that followed.


    I stared at him, unsure what to say. "I-" My words stalled before I could form them. "Maybe... I just noticed the slightest miss in your usual... perfect persona."


    It sounded ridiculous out loud, but it was the truth. Even now, despite how bad his state might have been, his posture was wless, his voice level, his movements deliberate - he was every bit the untouchable, immacte Professor I hade to know. And yet... there had been something clearly not right with him these days.


    The signs were barely there, but enough for me to see it.


    Why? I had no idea myself.


    He was silent for a while, the firelight throwing gold against his hair that was left loose today.


    Then, finally, his voice returned.


    "You must be paying very close attention to me, then."


    My mouth opened automatically to deny it... but nothing came out. I couldn¡¯t think of a proper answer. Instead, I stood there awkwardly, feeling the weight of his words more than I expected.


    And then he moved.


    He stood up, slow and unhurried, and finally turned to face me. The light shifted over his face until the pale tinge to his skin was softened by the glow of the mes. He walked around the desk and closed the distance between us in a few steps before stopping right in front of me. He was suddenly close, so close that I was able to feel the heat of him against my skin.


    My breath caught.


    Not because of the proximity - well, not entirely because of it - but because of his eyes.


    There was... so much in those beautiful emerald orbs.


    A tide of emotions I couldn¡¯t ce. A faint shimmer, as if he were holding back something he didn¡¯t want me to see. For a heartbeat, I thought his eyes were getting watery. But before I could confirm it, he did something that stunned me entirely.


    He dropped his head against my shoulder.


    It was sudden... so sudden I froze, unsure if my body had forgotten how to move. The weight of him was warm, solid, unfamiliar in its vulnerability.


    My first instinct was to step back - this was my Professor, after all. He, who carried himself like nothing could touch him. He, who was never less than perfectlyposed. He, who wasn¡¯t supposed to need... this.


    But then...


    Something cold touched the side of my neck.


    I stilled... and realized.


    He was crying.


    The thought of pulling away vanished like smoke. My arms moved on their own, wrapping around him, holding him as carefully as if he might break under the wrong touch. "Professor ..." I whispered, leaning my head slightly against his. "What¡¯s wrong?"


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    He only shook his head. No words. No exnations. Just the quiet sound of his breathing against me, uneven but not too loud.


    My chest ached. I wasn¡¯t looking at him as just my benefactor anymore. Not even as just my Professor. Somewhere along the way, he had be something else - a friend, a quiet constant, maybe even family considering my mate bonds with the rest of the brothers.


    And no, I wasn¡¯t thinking about the confusing pull I always felt toward him. Not right now. Not when he was like this.


    Without wasting another second, I tightened my hold on him. My one hand moved to rest on his back, while the other was gently stroking along the line of his shoulder. I murmured small, calming words that I wasn¡¯t even sure he heard.


    And then, slowly, I felt his arms circle my waist.


    Not tentative - no. Firm. Certain. As if he had decided, in that moment, that he could allow himself this one thing. And then he pulled mepletely into his embrace.


    The fire crackled softly behind us, painting the walls in amber shadows.


    Before I could ask again what had happened, he finally spoke. His voice was low, almost a whisper.


    "I¡¯m tired."


    There was no dramatics in his tone. No heavy sigh, no bitterness. Just those two words, spoken like a truth he couldn¡¯t keep inside anymore.


    I held him tighter, grounding him as best I could. "Then take a break," I murmured. "From... whatever it is that¡¯s taking this much out of you."


    My fingers moved in gentle circles at his back, feeling the tension in his muscles, the way he seemed to be holding himself together even now. I could feel his heartbeat against my own, steady but faintly strained.


    "You don¡¯t have to..." I trailed off, realizing there was no point finishing that sentence. He wouldn¡¯t stop being who he was just because I told him to. But maybe he didn¡¯t need someone telling him what not to do. Maybe he just needed someone to stand here and hold him until the weight wasn¡¯t so heavy.


    So that¡¯s what I did.


    I wasn¡¯t sure for how long we stood there - a minute, two, maybe five minutes?


    But then he finally pulled back to look at me. His eyes were still holding so much in them, but they no longer looked overwhelmed.


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s making you feel this tired," I started, feeling the need to say something. "But I hope that whatever it is, you will soon find a way to deal with it. I don¡¯t like seeing you like this. But I¡¯m here if you need me... like a good friend."


    The trace of a faint smile finally touched his lips. "But what if I don¡¯t want you as a friend?"

 Chapter 261: What If My Heart Wants You?

    <h4>Chapter 261: What If My Heart Wants You?</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I watched as her eyes widened instantly, that flicker of shock shing across her delicate features like a ripple over still water. Confusion followed just as quickly, softening her brows, making her look like she was trying to fit together puzzle pieces that didn¡¯t belong to the same set.


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    Her lips parted... just slightly... as though she wanted to ask something, but no words came out. The silence stretched between us, and I let myself take it in.


    A genuine smile broke across my lips before I could stop it. And the moment she caught it, her confusion shifted to suspicion.


    "You are making fun of me, aren¡¯t you?" she demanded, tilting her head the slightest bit while narrowing her beautiful amber eyes at me.


    I didn¡¯t deny it... but I didn¡¯t confirm it either. Truth was, I wasn¡¯t making fun of her. Not entirely.


    Instead, I nodded toward the chair across from my desk. "Sit."


    She hesitated, clearly unsure where this was going, but she moved, settling into the seat. I didn¡¯t take my usual ce behind the desk. Instead, I pulled out the second chair and sat beside her, turning fully so I could face her.


    I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted her to know the pieces of me I rarely gave away. But the risk of saying the wrong thing - something that might make her withdraw from me - was a leash I couldn¡¯t quite slip.


    Silence returned as both of just sat there, seemingly lost in our own thoughts. I didn¡¯t even dare to look at her more than just a few seconds now that we weren¡¯t speaking.


    She was so close to me, that if I raised my hand, I would have been able to touch her. The need to do it was right there... almost making me breathless. But I held myself back from making that mistake.


    I curled my fingers, letting my nails dig into the flesh of my palm and feel that sting to pull myself together.


    Then she spoke. Her voice was soft, warm, and impossibly steady. "If you trust me enough, you can tell me what¡¯s bothering you, Professor. I... might not be able to fix it, but I can at least listen."


    That was my undoing.


    How could I hold back when she looked at me like that? Like I actually mattered to her?


    I drew a slow breath, weighing each word before I let it out. "Duringst summer break... I found my mate."


    I caught the flicker in her eyes - surprise, and maybe something else - but I pressed on.


    "It¡¯s been seven years since I turned sixteen. Seven years without even a hint. Then, that one summer night... I finally found her." I swallowed hard, the memory like a ghost that both haunted and warmed me. "But I lost her just as quickly. I was... too intoxicated. The ce was too dark. I didn¡¯t see her face, not clearly... or I just couldn¡¯t recall it. By the time I woke in the morning, she was gone."


    Eva stayed still, but I could feel her listening. Every ounce of her attention was locked on me.


    "I searched for her," I continued. "The hotel¡¯s CCTV had been damaged by someone. The surrounding area cameras... my men found nothing helpful in them. There was no one who fit. The registration desk didn¡¯t have anything useful either. It was like she had never existed at all." Iughed softly, but it was hollow. "Six months of searching. Nothing. And now... the hope is just... slipping away."


    She blinked at me, visibly taken aback by the rawness in my tone. Then... hesitantly... her hand lifted. She hovered for a moment, almost pulling back, but finally rested it over mine on the desk.


    She then gave me a soft pat. Just enough for me to feel the warmth of her skin before she withdrew.


    "Since the Moon Goddess chose her for you," she said carefully, "then you¡¯ll meet her again. Maybe not right away, but... I think it¡¯s just a matter of time."


    Her certainty should have felt naive, but somehow... it didn¡¯t.


    A smile pulled at my mouth before I could stop it, even as the ache in my chest remained. My wolf had been distant for days now - silent, withdrawn. And still, just hearing her say those words loosened something in me.


    She studied me for a moment, then asked, "Is this why you have been downtely? Did another search fail?"


    I should have nodded. I should have said yes. That would have been the safe answer.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I shook my head, and before I could second-guess it, the words slipped out. "No. It¡¯s... because I think I have developed feelings for someone else."


    Her lips parted again, and her eyes went wide in shock as she stared at me as if I had started speaking in anothernguage.


    "Now you see what¡¯s killing me from the inside," I continued, "Not only I¡¯m constantly failing to find my mate... but I have already betrayed her by falling for someone else."


    She cleared her throat, looking as if she was struggling to wrap her head around my confession. But when she spoke, she didn¡¯t call me out for my betrayal. Instead...


    "Have you confessed your feelings to... this girl?"


    I shook my head. "I can¡¯t... she only sees me as... a friend?" Saying it out loud, it hurt more than just knowing it in my heart.


    Her eyes darted to the firece for a moment. She was clearly choosing her next words carefully. Then, she looked back at me. "I¡¯m sorry, Professor. I really... don¡¯t know what to say. I can¡¯t possibly tell you to leave your mate, neither I can tell you to give up on your feelings for that other girl. I... I don¡¯t know what-"


    "It¡¯s okay, Evaline." I cut her off when I noticed how badly she was struggling to say the right thing. "I just wanted someone to hear me. As for how to deal with this... situation of mine... I seemed to have found a way."

 Chapter 262: The Missing Friend

    <h4>Chapter 262: The Missing Friend</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Fifteen minutester, I finally stepped out of Kieran¡¯s office.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind me, my phone buzzed again in my pocket, almost angrily, like it was scolding me for ignoring it for so long. A dozen unread messages lit the screen - Mallory, Kyros, even from Ria. All of them were asking where I had disappeared to.


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    I replied with a quick ¡¯On my way¡¯ and slipped it back into my coat.


    But as I made my way toward the dining hall, my thoughts were still tangled up in what I had just learned from Kieran.


    All this time, I had thought my mate... love life... was messy. Messy enough to keep me lying awake at night, questioning my own sanity. But after tonight, I realized I had been looking at chaos through a keyhole. Kieran had opened the door, and the storm on the other side made mine look tame.


    I couldn¡¯t decide whether to feel sorry for him... or worry about how he¡¯s going toe out of this situation without hurting anyone.


    The warm, savory smell of roasted herbs and bread hit me the moment I stepped into the dining hall. The ce was buzzing with chatter, clinking utensils, and bursts ofughter that almost made it feel like a safe, normal evening.


    My friends had already imed a table near the center, and they waved when they spotted me.


    "Finally!" Mallory called as I slid into the seat beside her. "Where were you? We thought you had been kidnapped."


    I forced a small smile. "Went to discuss something with Professor Kieran," I said vaguely.


    Dinner was... hearty. Warm bread rolls, thick stew, roasted vegetables, and sweet cider that left my cheeks tingling. The only one missing was Rowan. He had disappeared earlier in the evening, same as always. No exnation. No hint of where he went.


    It reminded me of the first couple of weeks at the start of the term, when he would vanish almost daily and only return around midnight... sometimester. Months had passed, and I was still in the dark. And maybe I had stopped asking because I was busy dealing with my own life.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t shake the small pinch of worry in my chest.


    Across the room, my gaze caught on Draven. He was surrounded by his friends,ughing at something one of them said, but every so often, his eyes would flick to mine. Our smiles were small, brief, but they lingered in a way that made my heart feel a little too warm.


    Oscar was easier to spot. He was seated at the staffs¡¯ table, looking perfectly at ease among them. And yet, even from across the hall, I felt the weight of his gaze on me more than once.


    Kieran, however, was nowhere in sight.


    When we finally stepped out of the dining hall almost an hourter, my legs felt heavy with exhaustion. The day had been long, and my head was still clouded from Kieran¡¯s revtions.


    Before heading to the dorms, Mallory apanied me as we headed to the study hall to grab my bag from my locker. The halls were quiet, save for the faint scratching of pens from a handful of students still workingte.


    By the time we reached the dorm, I was really tired. I mumbled goodnight to Mallory and Ria, closed my door, changed into my pajamas, and let myself copse onto the bed.


    I don¡¯t even remember pulling the nket over me before sleep took me.


    Hourster... a sound woke me.


    At first, it was faint - just a small, almost muffled noise that blended with the wind outside. My eyes fluttered open to darkness, the shapes of the room barely forming as they adjusted.


    "Rowan?" I called softly, my voice still heavy with sleep.


    Silence.


    I frowned, reaching for my phone on the bedside table. The screen¡¯s glow lit up the dark - 12:40 a.m. I darted a nce at Rowan¡¯s bed and found it empty with the sheets still untouched.


    A knot formed in my stomach.


    He still hadn¡¯te back.


    I sat up, hesitating for only a second before slipping out of bed. The sound came again - closer this time. And I immediately realized where it wasing from.


    I crossed to the balcony door, pulled the curtains aside... and froze.


    Snow was falling in thick sheets, swirling in the wind, and there, sitting hunched against the railing, was Rowan.


    My heart stuttered.


    I shoved the door open without thinking, the icy air hitting me like a wall. "Rowan!"


    He didn¡¯t answer. Just... groaned. A low, pained sound that sent my pulse into overdrive.


    I rushed to him, crouching in the snow. My breath caught as my eyes adjusted to his face.


    He was injured. Badly.


    A gash split across his cheekbone, his lip was cut, and his skin was pale under streaks of blood. The heavy, metallic scent of the blood hit me like a second wave of cold.


    "Stars, Rowan-" My voice cracked. "What happened to you?"


    He didn¡¯t answer, only shook his head slightly, wincing at the movement.


    Panic wed at my chest, but I forced myself to pull it together. "Come on. We need to get you inside."


    It took all my strength to help him up, his weight heavy against me. We staggered through the balcony door, the warmth of the room a stark contrast to the freezing bite outside. I shut the door quickly, locking out the wind, then guided him to his bed.


    When I flicked on the bedsidemp, the sight made my stomach twist harder.


    Though he hade back with bruises before, it was never like this. His shirt was torn, the fabric at his side was stained dark red. His hands were scraped raw. There was even dried blood at his temple.


    "Rowan," I whispered, my hands hovering uncertainly before I forced them to work, checking his face for deeper cuts. "You are bleeding everywhere..."


    His eyes, shadowed and unfocused, met mine for just a moment before drifting away again.


    I swallowed hard, realizing this was far worse than anything I had seen him return with before.


    And I didn¡¯t know if I was more terrified of the injuries... or the reason behind them.

 Chapter 263: What Am I?

    <h4>Chapter 263: What Am I?</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had patched Rowan up more times than I could count since the term began. Every time he slipped back into our dormte at night, bruised and cut from whatever it was he did when he disappeared, I took care of his wounds.


    I never asked him questions. I told myself it wasn¡¯t my business. I told myself he didn¡¯t owe me an exnation. But tonight... tonight was different.


    The moment I saw his injuries, I knew this wasn¡¯t one of his usual nights. His body was trembling - not just from the cold, but from the sheer weight of pain he was trying to swallow.


    "We need to get you to the infirmary. Now," I blurted, jumping to my feet before I could think twice.


    But before I could take a step, his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. His grip was weak but firm enough to stop me.


    I turned to him, startled. "Rowan, what are you-?"


    And then it hit me.


    If I took him to the infirmary, if anyone saw him like this... they would know. They would find out he had been sneaking out almost every other night, breaking one of the strictest rules of the Academy. They would demand exnations he couldn¡¯t give. And even if by some miracle he managed to lie his way through, the teachers weren¡¯t fools. They would punish him, maybe even expel him.


    And deep down, a part of me knew... whatever Rowan was involved in, it wasn¡¯t something the Academy could know about.


    I exhaled shakily and gently pulled my wrist free from his grasp. "Fine. No infirmary," I muttered, my voice heavy with reluctant eptance.


    His eyes softened slightly, though he said nothing.


    Suppressing the tremor in my hands, I walked over to the small cupboard by the closet and retrieved the first aid kit I had assembled just for him months ago when I noticed how often he returned with injuries - a cut here, a bruise there.


    I sat beside him on the bed and opened the box. I didn¡¯t even realize my hands were trembling until Rowan reached out and his cold hand curled lightly over mine, steadying me.


    I froze, meeting his icy-blue eyes in the dim glow of themp. There was no teasing in them tonight, no usual air of mystery. Just exhaustion. And something else I couldn¡¯t quite ce.


    I drew in a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. "Alright. Let¡¯s do this," I whispered more to myself than him.


    The room was silent except for the sound of my breathing and the faint hiss of wind against the balcony ss as I cleaned his wounds one by one. I started with the smaller cuts before moving to the gash on his side. The sight of it made my heart clench painfully - it was deep, angry, and bleeding far too much.


    <i>Please be okay, Rowan. Please, please, please.</i>


    The words kept repeating in my head like a mantra. I couldn¡¯t speak them aloud, but I willed them into the universe with everything in me.


    I pressed a cotton pad soaked in medicine against the gash, while my other hand fumbled through the box for arge bandage. My eyes blurred for a second - whether from panic or the sting of tears, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    And then I heard him sucking in a sharp breath.


    I froze. My head snapped up while my panic spiked again. "What is it? Did I hurt you?"


    But he just shook his head faintly. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "No... it¡¯s just... your hand. It feels... warm. Different."


    I blinked at him in confusion, then nced down at my hand. The one pressing the cotton against his wound.


    <fn86b4> Official source is ?ovelFind</fn86b4>


    Warm?


    Slowly, I lifted it away.


    And the world seemed to tilt sideways.


    The gash... his horrible, bleeding wound... was gone.


    Itpletely vanished as if it was never there to begin with. Not stitched. Not scarred. Just... gone. The skin on his side was smooth, pale, and unbroken, as though it had never been cut open in the first ce. The blood that had soaked his shirt was still there, the medicine still staining his skin, but the wound itself... had vanished.


    My breath hitched loudly. "W-what... just happened?"


    Rowan followed my gaze downward, and when he saw it for himself, his entire body stilled. His expression, usually unreadable, cracked with shock. He gingerly touched his own side, running his fingers over the wless skin.


    "Impossible..." he whispered.


    But I wasn¡¯t listening. My heart was hammering in my chest, my mind reeling. My hands started shaking violently now, and I had to clutch them together to keep from falling apart.


    I healed him.


    I healed him.


    No, no, that wasn¡¯t possible. I wasn¡¯t a healer. I wasn¡¯t anything special. I didn¡¯t even have a wolf. My family made sure I never forgot how... ordinary I was. How weak.


    So how in the world had I just erased a wound that should have taken hours, if not days, to recover from?


    I stared at my trembling hands as though they belonged to someone else.


    Rowan¡¯s voice pulled me back. "Eva," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me shiver. "What did you do?"


    "I-I don¡¯t know!" The words spilled out, breathless. "I didn¡¯t do anything - I just - I was holding the cotton, and then-" My voice cracked, panic swelling inside me. "Rowan, this... this shouldn¡¯t be happening. I¡¯m not-"


    But I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    Because what was I supposed to say? I¡¯m not special? That had always been my truth. My curse. But now... maybe it wasn¡¯t.


    He reached out to grab my trembling hands and gave them a light squeeze. But he didn¡¯t speak.


    We sat in silence, the air between us thick with confusion and unspoken questions.


    I wanted to run, to deny what I had just witnessed. But I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from his side - smooth, wless, whole.


    And the only thing I could think was...


    What am I?

 Chapter 264: The Power I Shouldn’t Have

    <h4>Chapter 264: The Power I Shouldn¡¯t Have</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t realize I had been holding my breath until the silence between us became unbearable. Rowan¡¯s piercing gaze didn¡¯t waver, waiting for me to speak. My lips parted, and the words slipped out before I could stop them.


    "Maybe... maybe it was just a coincidence."


    Even as I said it, the lie burned on my tongue. A coincidence? How could such a big wound simply vanish because of one? What kind of coincidence could erase gashes like that?


    Rowan¡¯s jaw tightened. He inched closer, gently cupping my chin to make me face him fully. His eyes searched mine, sharp but not unkind. "You don¡¯t believe that any more than I do," he said firmly. "Eva, you should try again. We need to know for sure."


    I shook my head instantly, panic rising like a storm inside me. "No-I... I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t even know what I did. What if it was nothing? What if it doesn¡¯t happen again?"


    But he didn¡¯t let me hide. He caught my hand in his again, squeezing gently, grounding me. His touch was warm, steady - so unlike the chaos in my chest. "Listen to me," he said, softer this time. "If this is real, you deserve to know. We both do. Try again... please."


    His words settled something inside me. The desperation in his tone wasn¡¯t for himself, but for me. Slowly, my frantic breaths evened out. Maybe he was right. Maybe I couldn¡¯t just run from this.


    <fnc691> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnc691>


    "All right," I whispered, nodding faintly. "I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll try."


    His gaze softened, approval flickering in those icy eyes.


    I forced myself to look at him properly. The gash on his side, the worst one, was already gone. What looked back at me was his smooth skin with traces of medicine left behind. My stomach flipped again at the impossibility of it. But his right hand... that one still looked raw, scraped and angry.


    I raised my trembling hand, hovering it just above his injury. I didn¡¯t touch him, but I knew he could feel the faint heat radiating from my palm. My eyes lifted to his face, nerves twisting my insides.


    "I... I don¡¯t know what to do," I admitted, my voice breaking.


    For the first time that night, his lips twitched into the ghost of a smile. It startled me, and before I could help it, my own lips curved into a faint smile. "That makes two of us," he said quietly. "I have never known a healer personally. But maybe..." His thumb brushed over my knuckles, coaxing me forward. "Maybe just repeat what you were thinking before. When it worked the first time."


    I swallowed hard, trying to recall that exact moment. And then I remembered - I had been desperate. All I wanted was for him to be all right. To stop bleeding. To heal.


    Nodding slowly, I drew in a shaky breath. "Okay. I¡¯ll try."


    I focused my gaze on his wounded hand, my palm hovering close. <i>Heal. Please heal. Just... get better. Please</i>. My mind reyed those wishes again and again, clinging to them with all I had.


    Seconds ticked by. But nothing happened.


    I didn¡¯t even realize that I was holding my breath as I continued to try, even when I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was supposed to do.


    Still nothing.


    I finally tore my gaze away, meeting Rowan¡¯s eyes with defeat heavy in mine, but also feeling lighter in my heart. "Maybe it really was just... some kind of miracle," I said, voice barely above a whisper.


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. He studied me, his brows pulled together, his expression a mix of confusion and unwillingness to ept my words. He didn¡¯t look convinced, even though I was trying to be.


    I turned back to his injury, frustrated and desperate to help in some way if not with this strange, terrifying power. Carefully, I slid my hand beneath his injured one to support it.


    My other hand reached for the vial of wound-healing potion sitting in the first aid box. I dipped the cotton swab into the liquid, focusing only on being practical, on doing something that made sense.


    But just as the soaked cotton was about to touch his skin...


    I froze.


    Right before my eyes, the angry scrapes began to mend. The traces of blood vanished, the redness faded, and the torn flesh smoothed over as if invisible fingers were stitching him back together.


    I dropped his hand instantly, the cotton swab falling from my trembling fingers. My breath hitched sharply.


    Rowan sucked in a deep breath too, his chest rising and falling with disbelief.


    Ignoring the panic hammering through me, I moved closer. My hand lifted on its own, brushing the air just above his temple where a small but stubborn cut remained.


    This time, I didn¡¯t hesitate. I focused every ounce of myself, every frantic thought, every desperate beat of my heart into one need - Heal. Please, just heal.


    Warmth surged through me, moving through my hand and spilling into him. And as if obeying my will, the wound started healing before itpletely vanished within seconds, leaving smooth skin behind.


    I pulled back, clutching my own hand like it wasn¡¯t even mine anymore.


    The silence was deafening. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.


    Before either of us could speak, a sharp sound broke through the silence. It sounded like a scrape, a faint tter. Both of us snapped our heads toward the balcony.


    And my stomach dropped. Rowan was already sitting beside me. So who was on the balcony now?


    Before I could have pondered on the question any further, the ss door slid open and two figures stepped inside.


    Oscar and Draven.


    Their faces were pale, worry etched deep into their features. The moment they were inside the room, their eyes searched the room andnded directly on me.


    I didn¡¯t even realize that Rowan was clutching one of my hands until Oscar¡¯s gazended on our joined hands.


    "What¡¯s going on here?"

 Chapter 265: Caught In Lies & Truths

    <h4>Chapter 265: Caught In Lies & Truths</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at them - my mates. Shock and confusion mmed into me like a wave.


    Of course it was them. If there was anyone in this Academy besides Rowan who thought the balcony was a personal doorway into this room, it was Draven. And this time, he wasn¡¯t alone. Oscar was right behind him, both of them standing tall in the faint light, their eyes sharp and searching.


    Rowan stiffened beside me, but then I felt his hand, the one holding mine, slowly loosened and slipped away. I turned to look at him and he leaned in just enough to whisper, his voice barely above a whisper.


    "They must have felt it... through the bonds. Your sudden rise in emotions."


    My lips parted as realization dawned. That exined the worry etched into their faces, the way they barged into my room in the dead of night. I swallowed hard as guilt curled in my stomach.


    I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but Draven moved before my words could form. He crossed the room in three long strides, his expression thunderous. His hand wrapped around my arm, tugging me firmly to my feet, pulling me away from Rowan¡¯s side.


    "What happened?" His voice was low but sharp, leaving no room for evasion. His eyes bored into mine. "We both felt it. Worry. Panic. Fear. What made you feel that way, Eva?"


    Oscar¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t as fiery as Draven¡¯s, but it was cutting nheless. His eyes darted between me and Rowan with confusion... and something dangerously close to suspicion.


    My heart raced. My mind was a battlefield. Where was I supposed to start?


    I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth - not all of it. Not that Rowan had been sneaking out. Not that he hade back with wounds so bad I had nearly dragged him to the infirmary. If they found out, Rowan would be finished. And I couldn¡¯t - wouldn¡¯t - do that to him.


    <fn5914> The source of th?s content is Find1Novel</fn5914>


    But if I didn¡¯t say anything at all, how was I supposed to exin the panic that had rattled through our bond so strongly it dragged them out of their rooms?


    I was caught in the middle of lies and truths, and I hated it.


    Oscar broke the silence first. His sharp eyes pinned Rowan like a hawk sighting its prey.


    "What happened to you?" His tone wasn¡¯t curious, it was demanding.


    Panic surged in me again, stronger than before. I couldn¡¯t let him press Rowan like that. The words tumbled out before I could stop them.


    "I panicked because... because I found him slightly injured-."


    "Slightly?" Oscar¡¯s voice cut through mine like a de.


    My brows furrowed at his tone, and I followed his gaze. Rowan wasn¡¯t looking at Oscar. He was looking at me. Then, wordlessly, he tilted his chin toward his bloodstained <strong>white</strong> shirt.


    The realization hit me like a bucket of ice water. The blood.


    Even though I had healed the wound... had somehow, impossibly, erased most of thempletely... the blood hadn¡¯t disappeared. The shirt was soaked through, damning evidence of how severe it had been. And no matter what excuse I tried to make, there was no way that amount of blood could havee from a "slight" injury.


    Oscar stepped closer to me, his tall frame casting a shadow that swallowed me whole. His expression wasn¡¯t furious, but there was steel in his voice when he spoke.


    "Don¡¯t y with me, Eva. Don¡¯t lie to us."


    My chest tightened. His words weren¡¯t cruel, but the weight of them pressed on me harder than if he had yelled.


    Rowan finally stood, his voice quiet but firm. "If you want answers, ask me. Don¡¯t overwhelm her with your questions."


    Draven shifted, his hold on my arm tightening just slightly as if to keep me from moving back toward Rowan. The tension between the three of them sparked like a storm waiting to break.


    And I couldn¡¯t let it.


    "Stop." My voice cut through their brewing sh. "All of you."


    They froze, the room falling into silence heavy enough to crush me.


    "Keep your voices down unless you want to wake Mallory and Ria," I hissed, ring at each of them in turn. "Do you really want them barging in here asking questions you can¡¯t answer?"


    That seemed to snap them out of it. Draven¡¯s hand fell away from my arm reluctantly, while Oscar¡¯s jaw unclenched. Rowan exhaled, some of the fight draining from his posture.


    I let out a shaky breath and gestured toward the beds. "Sit. All three of you. Please."


    They obeyed, though not without a little friction. Rowan sank back onto his bed, looking pale but calm, while Draven and Oscar moved to mine, the two of them side by side. Their presence on my mattress made the bed look ridiculously small, their shoulders nearly brushing the wall on either side. The sight would have beenical under any other circumstance, but right now it only made me feel suffocated.


    I sat on the edge of Rowan¡¯s bed again, gathering the courage I desperately needed.


    "Listen to me," I began softly, my eyes flicking to Rowan. He met my gaze, and I gave him the smallest nod - the promise that I would take care of this. That I wouldn¡¯t let them turn on him for what happened. He gave the faintest of nods back, his trust heavy on my shoulders.


    I turned back to Draven and Oscar. "Here¡¯s the truth. I woke up tonight and heard something on the balcony. It was Rowan. He was injured. Badly." My voice faltered, and I forced myself to continue. "That¡¯s why I panicked... initially. That¡¯s what you felt. The fear of seeing him like that."


    Oscar leaned forward, his elbows braced on his knees, his gaze never leaving mine. "And the injury?"


    I drew in a shaky breath, my throat dry. This was the part that terrified me more than anything. I could have lied again. But the truth of what happened - the warm feeling of magic rushing through me, the sudden disappearance of blood and wounds - it still burned in me. Hiding it felt impossible.


    So I took the plunge.


    "When I was tending to him, something... happened. I don¡¯t know how or why. I just know that when I touched his wound, it disappeared." My words tumbled out fast, desperate. "They were just... gone. Completely gone. As if they were never there."


    Silence followed, thick and unyielding.


    Draven¡¯s brows furrowed, suspicion and concern warring in his expression. Oscar stared at me as though weighing every syble, his sharp mind no doubt running through a hundred possibilities. Rowan stayed quiet, though his eyes never left my face - steady, unwavering, trusting.


    Finally, Oscar broke the silence, his voice quiet... even softer now.


    "Eva... do you understand what you are saying?"


    I shook my head. "No. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t understand it at all. But you saw the blood. And you can see there¡¯s just one small cut left on his body now. Whatever happened... it came from me."


    Draven leaned forward, his gaze fixed on me. "You are saying you healed him."


    The word healed made me flinch, as if saying it aloud made it real.


    "Yes," I whispered. "That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying."

 Chapter 266: Healing Power

    <h4>Chapter 266: Healing Power</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    I had never seen her like this.


    My mate was sitting there, torn between disbelief and fear, as though she wasn¡¯t sure if what just happened was real.


    Her hands were trembling slightly, her breaths were uneven. She opened her mouth once, twice, like she wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t find the right words. And that alone was enough to tear something inside me apart.


    Through the mate bond, I felt her distress like it was my own. My wolf whined in my chest, restless, demanding me to close the distance, to pull her into my arms and never let her go. But before I could move, she was already speaking - her voice soft, shaken, yet determined.


    "Watch," she whispered and her hand moved toward Rowan.


    Her palm pressed against the only injury left on him - a deep cut on his right cheek. My wolf stilled, and my instincts became sharper as the bond red alive inside me. In the next heartbeat, I sensed it - her power. It rushed through her, through the link of our bond, like the air before a storm. And then... before my eyes, the cut on Rowan¡¯s cheek closed. The torn flesh knitted together seamlessly, leaving behind smooth skin, as though it had never been there at all.


    I froze.


    <fn6e33> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fn6e33>


    I didn¡¯t even know what to feel, let alone say. My chest tightened, my wolf growled, but not out of anger... out of sheer shock. My mate... healed him.


    Healed.


    Oscar was silent beside me, but I knew, through the understanding we shared as brothers, that he was no less stunned. His silence carried the same disbelief, the same pause of breath.


    Our mate... seemed to have healing power.


    Eva pulled her hand away as though it had burned her. Her wide eyes lingered on Rowan¡¯s healed face, and then she turned to us. She lifted her hand slowly, pointing at Rowan, her lips trembling.


    "You see?" she said in her breaking voice. "Do you... do you understand what I have been trying to say?"


    For a long moment, I couldn¡¯t move. My mind was still caught in that image - her hand on Rowan, the sudden surge of power, the wound disappearing as if the Moon Goddess herself had touched him.


    Finally, I exchanged a quick look with Oscar. He was just as stunned, but the seriousness in his eyes was clear. We couldn¡¯t let her spiral into fear. Not now. Not when she needed us the most.


    I rose from the bed without another second of hesitation. Crossing the space in two small strides, I reached her. She looked so small, so lost. I didn¡¯t wait for her permission - I pulled her up onto her feet and wrapped my arms tightly around her, pressing her against my chest.


    "Eva," I murmured into her hair, my voice rougher than I intended. "Listen to me. You are not alone. I¡¯m here. Oscar is here. We¡¯ll take care of everything, do you understand? You have us."


    For a heartbeat, she resisted and her body went stiff. But then... finally... she let go. The tension bled out of her frame, and her trembling slowed as she melted into my hold.


    My wolf sighed in relief, curling protectively around her presence in my chest. I tightened my embrace, promising silently that nothing in this world would harm her as long as I was breathing.


    For the first time since stepping into her room, I felt her let go.


    She pulled back a few momentster, though she didn¡¯t leave my arms. She stayed there, close, as though she couldn¡¯t bring herself to create distance. And I didn¡¯tin.


    Oscar shifted on the bed, scooting closer until he was sitting near us. And as he looked at our mate, his eyes held gentleness that only belonged to her. He reached for her hand, his fingers curling around hers carefully, as though she might break. His voice came soft, warm - the kind of tone he used only for her.


    "You do seem to have healing powers, Love," he said. "But to confirm it... we¡¯ll need someone who knows healers, someone with experience. Still..." his thumb brushed her knuckles in reassurance, "this isn¡¯t something to fear. I know it¡¯s shocking, but it¡¯s not bad. Healers are one of the most beautiful blessings the Moon Goddess has given our kind. This power... it¡¯s rare. And powerful."


    Eva¡¯s brows furrowed, her eyes flicking from Oscar to me. Her lips parted, but the next words she spoke carried the weight of confusion, not relief.


    "But... how?" she asked. "How could it even be possible? Healers are born with their mark. That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been, right?"


    She lifted her left wrist to show us. Her skin was smooth, unmarked. "Every healer has a mark here," she said, her voice trembling with both fear and certainty. "A circle entwined with a crescent... it¡¯s what determines their identity as a healer from the moment of birth. But me? I don¡¯t have it. I never did."


    Silence.


    Neither Oscar nor I had an answer.


    I lifted a hand, cupping her face gently, forcing her to meet my eyes. "Then we¡¯ll find out what this means," I told her firmly. "We¡¯ll figure it out. But right now, you need to trust me... and trust Oscar. Whatever this is, whatever it bes, we¡¯ll handle it together."


    Her amber eyes flickered with uncertainty, then softened. She nodded slowly, her breath shaky. "I trust you," she whispered.


    My wolf swelled with pride at her words. I pressed my forehead briefly against hers before pulling back.


    But the moment of fragile calm didn¡¯tst.


    Because when I looked past her shoulder, Rowan was still there. He was sitting stiffly on the other bed, his expression unreadable but sharp. His gaze flicking between the three of us as if he was feeling like a third... no, a fourth wheel.


    It was Oscar who broke the silence first. His voice held curiosity, but also a bite of challenge.


    "Rowan," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing, "how exactly did you end up with such injuries in the first ce?"


    The air in the room shifted.


    And for the first time since Eva¡¯s powers revealed themselves, my attention snapped away from my mate... and onto her roommate.

 Chapter 267: A Secret Between Us

    <h4>Chapter 267: A Secret Between Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Oscar asked the question, I froze. My entire body stiffened before I even realized it, and I knew Draven had felt it.


    He turned his questioning gaze toward me, but I couldn¡¯t bear to meet his eyes. Instead, I stepped out of his hold. My feet moved on their own, and once again, I sat down beside Rowan.


    Without hesitation, I ced a protective hand in front of him, as though my small move could shield him from the storm gathering in this room. My gaze locked firmly on Oscar, daring him to push further.


    I saw the surprise sh in both of my mates¡¯ eyes, their expressions hardening with disbelief. To them, I must have looked as though I was choosing Rowan over them, protecting him from their judgment.


    Oscar opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Draven¡¯s voice broke through the heavy silence.


    "Are you... trying to protect him from us?" he asked, his voice low, carrying an edge I couldn¡¯t mistake. Shock... or maybe jealousy... was burning in his tone.


    I didn¡¯t flinch. I didn¡¯t falter. Instead, I lifted my chin and answered with a firm nod.


    Both men looked stunned.


    Rowan shifted slightly, trying to ease the tension. His voice was gentle as he whispered, "Eva, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to-"


    But I cut him off immediately. "No. Rowan, listen to me. If I don¡¯t stand up for you now, you are going to be in deep trouble. Please, go. Get out of here. Shower, get changed, and let me handle this."


    He stared at me, worry etched across his face, and then nced toward Oscar and Draven. Neither of the brothers made a move to stop him. Their silence felt like a trap snapping shut.


    Rowan hesitated only a moment longer before he stood up to grab his pajamas and a towel from his closet. With quiet, almost hesitant movements, he slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.


    The moment he was gone, I heard the click of the lock. Draven had moved, securing the door with an air of finality. His eyes then turned back to me, sharp and unreadable.


    Before I could speak, Oscar suddenly stood up. His tall frame loomed as he began pacing the small room. The space was far too cramped for someone like him, and each step felt like thunder shaking the walls. My chest tightened as I watched him stop abruptly, spinning on his heel to face me.


    "Do you have any idea how serious this is, Eva?" His voice was calm, but I could see the storm he was barely holding back.


    "Yes," I said without hesitation, keeping my voice steady. Now that it was Rowan who¡¯s in trouble, I felt like all my energy was back in my body to defend and protect him. "I do. And still... I¡¯m on Rowan¡¯s side."


    The fire in his eyes red.


    He ran a hand through his dark hair, clearly struggling to keep hisposure. "How long have you even known him? How long for you to trust him this much?"


    I didn¡¯t even know what made me say it... but I did.


    "As long as I have known you."


    The silence that followed was heavy enough to choke me.


    The shock on Oscar¡¯s face was unmistakable, as if I had pped him. Even Draven¡¯s carefully guarded expression faltered, his lips parting in surprise.


    I stood from Rowan¡¯s bed, the creak of the mattress loud in the quiet room. Slowly, deliberately, I walked toward Oscar. He didn¡¯t move, but I could feel his emotions radiating like heat from a fire. Reaching out, I caught the sleeve of his long ck coat, clutching it lightly.


    "I¡¯ll tell you everything," I said, my voice softer now. "And you can ask Rowan all the questions you need to. But... please... tonight¡¯s matter must stay a secret. No one else needs to know. Not Kieran. Not the Academy faculty. No one."


    His jaw tightened, his expression hardening even more. He clearly wasn¡¯t happy with what I was asking of him. In fact, he looked furious.


    But I was prepared for this. If I had to, I would use the only card I had - the one thing I knew neither of them could easily fight against.


    Letting go of his sleeve, I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. His body stiffened instantly at the sudden closeness. Resting my chin against his chest, I tilted my head back to look up at him. My eyes searched his emerald ones, pleading but unyielding.


    "I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, Oscar," I whispered. "But I need you to trust me when I say Rowan is a good person. Please... believe me."


    For a moment, I thought he would push me away. His hands twitched at his sides, as though he didn¡¯t know what to do. But this was a battle he couldn¡¯t win... not against me, not when I had thrown my heart into the plea.


    I saw the fight leave his eyes, piece by piece, until finally, he let out a heavy sigh.


    "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "You have one chance. Tell us everything."


    Relief washed over me, though I didn¡¯t let it show. Loosening my arms around him, I stepped back and nodded.


    And so I told them.


    I told them about the very first day of the entrance exams, when I had met Rowan. How, even then, he used to sneak out at night. How he had continued the habit even after the Academy term began. At first, he disappeared almost every other night, but as the sses became harder and the workload grew, his nightly escapades slowed. Eventually, he stopped... until tonight.


    "Tonight was his first time sneaking out in a long while," I exined. "And when he came back... he was injured. That¡¯s how I found him."


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    Draven¡¯s eyes narrowed, he looked thoughtful and intense. Oscar remained silent, but I could see his hands curling into fists at his sides.


    "I never asked him where he went," I admitted, my voice soft but unwavering. "I never pushed him for details. But he never returned like this before. Hurt this badly. Exhausted. Something happened out there tonight. I know sneaking out breaks the Academy¡¯s rules. I know it puts him at risk. But I also know he has his reasons. And whatever those reasons are... I trust him."


    I looked between both of them, my chest tight. "All I¡¯m asking is that you hear him out before making any decisions. Don¡¯t be rash. Don¡¯t expose him. Please."


    Oscar¡¯s expression was unreadable, though I could still see the simmering anger beneath the surface. He didn¡¯t like this, he didn¡¯t like any of it. But I also knew that, for now at least, he had agreed to my request.


    And for Rowan¡¯s sake, that would have to be enough.

 Chapter 268: Between Fire and Storm

    <h4>Chapter 268: Between Fire and Storm</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had said everything I needed to say. Every thought, every exnation, every plea that had been burning inside me spilled out like water from a broken jar.


    When silence followed, I dared to lift my head, my eyes moving between Oscar and Draven. Both of them wore unreadable expressions - shadows in their eyes, their jaws tense, their shoulders rigid.


    That was when it hit me.


    Two angry mates. At the same time.


    A lump rose in my throat. How was I supposed to handle this? Whom was I supposed to pacify first?


    My gaze shifted from Draven¡¯s clenched fists to Oscar¡¯s tightened jaw. I knew them well enough by now - Draven could be stubborn and sharp when angered, but he was also quicker to soften if I reached him in the right way. Oscar, though... Oscar was the kind of storm that didn¡¯t easily pass once it started.


    After a moment of internal debate, I decided to start with the one who was harder to deal with if left unattended - Oscar.


    I took a deep breath and stepped closer to him again, closing the small gap I had created earlier. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I pressed myself against him and tilted my face up to meet his eyes.


    "Are you mad at me?" I asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.


    His eyes met mine - emerald, sharp, filled with emotions he wasn¡¯t even trying to hide. There was no sugarcoating in Oscar¡¯s expression, and his voice was exactly the same.


    "Mad? Eva, I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s the right word." His lips twisted as he exhaled, his tone clipped. "I was... surprised. Shocked, even. And yes, unhappy. Angry." His hand moved slightly as though he was tempted to grip my shoulders but then stopped midway. "Do you even realize how it looked? You didn¡¯t just defend Rowan - you pleaded for him, you sided with him against us. Against me."


    The jealousy was there - clear in the edge of his words, in the flicker of his gaze - but it wasn¡¯t just jealousy. It was something deeper.


    I could have tried to downy it, could have reassured him with soft words and little lies to ease his heart. But that wasn¡¯t fair. Not to him, not to me.


    So instead, I didn¡¯t hide anything.


    "You don¡¯t understand," I said firmly, shaking my head.


    Both Oscar and Draven turned their eyes toward me, the same look of confusion crossing their features. It would have beenical in another situation, but right now it only made my chest ache.


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    "No," I repeated more softly, "you don¡¯t understand. Rowan isn¡¯t just a friend to me. He isn¡¯t like family to me."


    I looked at Oscar, then at Draven, and finally back again, my throat tightening.


    "He <i>is</i> family. A family I chose. A family I trust."


    The words came out raw, unpolished, but true.


    "Rowan was the first one who found out about my mate bonds with you both," I continued, my voice trembling. "He is the only one who knew about the pregnancy before anyone else. He¡¯s the one who stood by me when I didn¡¯t even know I needed someone. When I was breaking down because of you two-" I swallowed hard, my eyes stinging- "he¡¯s the one whoforted me. Who held me together."


    The tears I had been trying so hard to keep inside slipped free, escaping down my cheek before I even realized. "He¡¯s the one who made me believe in family again."


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed Oscar¡¯s hand moving until his thumb brushed across my cheek, wiping away the tear. My breath caught at the gentleness in his touch. His gaze, once sharp and restless, had softened now, the fire dimming as he looked down at me. His other arm moved and he finally wrapped it fully around me, pulling me closer.


    I leaned into him, my forehead pressing briefly against his chest as I whispered, "So... Rowan is important to me. Important enough that I¡¯ll defend him, even from you. Important enough that I¡¯ll risk upsetting you if it means protecting him."


    Oscar exhaled heavily, a sound that felt like both surrender and understanding. Then, without warning, he cupped the back of my head and pulled me tightly against him, his embrace firm and grounding.


    "I get it," he said quietly, his breath warm against my hair. "I understand now."


    His hand stroked lightly along my head before stilling. "I¡¯ll do as you want. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll question Rowan myself. I¡¯ll hear his side before I make any judgment." He pulled back slightly, enough to meet my eyes again. "And if it turns out he¡¯s doing anything dangerous or against the Academy¡¯s rules - other than sneaking out obviously- I¡¯ll handle it myself. On my level. I won¡¯t take it to Kieran."


    My breath caught in my chest. Gratitude swelled so strongly inside me that I could hardly put it into words. My lips trembled as I looked up at him, all of it - my relief, my love, my thanks - was reflecting in my eyes.


    He seemed to read it, because his lips curved into the faintest smile. Then he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine in a soft, lingering kiss.


    When he pulled back, he whispered against my lips, "You should have known I would side with you. No matter what."


    Before I could say anything, before I could let the words of thanks tumble out of me, he gently pressed his forehead to mine for a moment, then pulled back. His gaze flickered behind me, to where Draven stood, and he gave the slightest nod.


    "Go," he murmured. "Take care of him. Before it¡¯s toote."


    I blinked, pulling back slightly to look at him properly, but he only gave me that knowing half-smile of his, urging me silently.


    And so I turned.


    My eyes met Draven¡¯s... and my stomach dropped.


    Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe Oscar wasn¡¯t the harder one after all.


    Because the storm in Draven¡¯s eyes told me that the real challenge was still ahead of me.


    And now... now I had to face him.

 Chapter 269: The Mad Wolf and the Gentle Tempter

    <h4>Chapter 269: The Mad Wolf and the Gentle Tempter</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Draven still wouldn¡¯t look at me.


    No matter how I shifted, moved, or leaned closer, he kept his gaze fixed stubbornly away, as if the walls of my room were suddenly more fascinating than me. My patience was thinning, my heart thumping with worry and guilt, but his coldness was sharper than any de.


    I nced over my shoulder at Oscar, who had made himself far toofortable. He was sitting on my bed like he owned the ce, his arms folded and lips curved in that infuriating smirk that said he was enjoying every second of this. His legs were crossed, his back leaningzily against my pillows as if he had settled down to watch a private show.


    One look at him and I knew. No help. No support. No rescue. He was content to let me drown in Draven¡¯s sulking storm.


    Turning back to Draven, I reached out and caught his arm. I gave it a small swing, almost childlike, tugging gently as I tilted my face up at him with the most guilty, pitiful look I could muster. "Draven..." my voice came out soft, pleading. "Why are you still mad? I already exined everything."


    Finally... finally... his intense eyes flickered down to me. His jaw was clenched, but his voice was steady when he said, "I¡¯m not mad anymore."


    Relief bloomed in my chest, but it shattered the next instant when his next words cut through the air.


    "But I¡¯m jealous, Eva. More jealous than I have ever been in my entire life."


    Before I could even form a response, his hand shot up, cupping the back of my head with sudden, fierce possession. And then... he kissed me.


    Not just any kiss. A consuming, punishing, hungry kiss that stole the breath from my lungs and left my thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. His lips crashed against mine, deep and forceful, and I was too stunned to do anything but drown in it. My knees weakened instantly, my hands trembling where they were clutching his arms, not sure if I should push him back or hold on tighter.


    By the time he finally pulled away, I was gasping. He was still ring at me, still not over his mood, his chest rising and falling quickly. His expression was fierce, but his eyes - oh, his eyes - were looking like those of a furious, wounded, jealous wolf.


    I blinked, gathering myself, until the shock ebbed enough for me to breathe again. My heart was still racing, but I raised my arms slowly, looping them around his neck and pulling him down toward me again. My voice was quiet but firm.


    "Rowan is my brother, Draven," I whispered against his lips. "But you... you are my mate."


    And before he could argue, before he could throw any more doubts or usations, I kissed him.


    This time, I took the lead.


    I pressed my lips against his with determination, pouring all my guilt, my reassurance, my stubborn love into that kiss. His sharp inhale vibrated against my mouth, and his grip on me faltered just long enough for me to deepen it. My hands slid up into his hair, tangling through the soft strands as I tilted my head to fit perfectly against him. The taste of him, the warmth, the intensity... it all hit me at once.


    He groaned low in his throat, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. His arms tightened around me like steel bands, dragging me closer until there was absolutely no space left between us. The kiss grew hotter, deeper, more desperate, our bond tugging at both of us, filling the room with that almost electric need.


    Every brush of our lips, every sh, every stolen breath left me dizzy. I wanted more. I wanted all of him. My heart felt like it was on fire.


    But just when the kiss was about to tip into something we couldn¡¯t pull back from, Draven tore himself away. His lips were swollen, his breath uneven, his eyes dark and wild.


    "Not that easy, Eva," he growled, his voice thick with lingering hunger but edged with frustration. "You don¡¯t get to make up for your mistakes this quickly."


    I blinked, stunned. "What do you mean?"


    His smirk was dangerous, almost wicked. "You need punishment."


    My eyes widened. "Punishment?"


    "Yes." His gaze burned into mine. "Meet me and Oscar at my house after work on Saturday. And... be ready." He leaned down, his lips brushing mine once more. "Because you are not getting away that easily."


    My mind was still reeling when he kissed me again, a quick, fierce press of his mouth against mine that made my knees buckle once more. Then, without another word, he pulled back.


    "Get some sleep, Love," he said quietly, though his voice still carried that dangerous edge.


    And with that, he walked toward the balcony.


    I stood frozen, staring at him as he stepped out into the night air, the cold wind rushing in through the crack of the door. Instinct had me moving, about to follow him into the freezing night... but before I could, a hand caught mine.


    Oscar.


    He tugged me back gently but firmly, stopping me. Then, without a word, he wrapped his coat around me from behind, shielding me from the icy air that had seeped into the room.


    The warmth of his body, the scent of him, the unexpected tenderness made my chest ache in apletely different way.


    I turned in his arms, facing him. His smirk was gone, reced with a softness I hadn¡¯t seen the entire night today.


    "Don¡¯t worry," he murmured. "It¡¯ste. You should rest." His hand brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear with surprising care. "But you should better be ready to deal with a jealous Draven."


    I groaned, leaning my forehead against his chest in frustration. "Don¡¯t tease me."


    His chuckle vibrated through me, warm and teasing, and when I looked up again, he was already leaning down.


    His lips brushed mine in a kiss so different from Draven¡¯s that it nearly broke me. Where Draven¡¯s had been all fire and demand, Oscar¡¯s was water - gentle, steady, coaxing. His kiss was lingering, soft but deep, unhurried, like he wanted me to feel every second of it.


    My toes curled at the sweetness of it, my body melting under the tenderness he poured into me. His hand was resting lightly on my waist, not pushing, not demanding, just anchoring me as his lips moved against mine in a slow rhythm that made the world fall away.


    When he finally pulled back, my lips were tingling, my heart still racing, but in an entirely different way than before.


    He smiled, brushing his thumb lightly across my lower lip. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow,e find me, with Rowan, after your sses."


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    And just like that, he stepped back, gave me onest lingering look, and left.


    I stood there in the middle of my room, Draven¡¯s fire still burning on my lips, Oscar¡¯s sweetness still clinging to me, my heart caught between the two storms.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but wonder - how in the world was I going to survive them both?

 Chapter 270: Rowan’s Story

    <h4>Chapter 270: Rowan¡¯s Story</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Rowan¡¯s silence was deafening. He was sitting stiffly in the chair beside me, his hands gripping the armrests as though they were the only things keeping him grounded. His shoulders were tense, the lines of his jaw tight, and though he didn¡¯t say anything, I could feel the storm raging inside him.


    It was Friday afternoon, and Oscar¡¯s office was carrying a particr calm heaviness, as though the walls themselves knew that secrets were meant to be shared here. Oscar was outside in the hallway, still talking with Instructor Corey. That left just Rowan and me inside, waiting.


    I stole a nce at him. His hair was a little messy, strands falling over his forehead, and his skin was slightly palerpared to usual, but it had nothing to do with the injuries from previous night or the cold.


    He was tense, and just seeing him like this was making something tighten inside me.


    I still hadn¡¯t asked him where he wentst night, how he got hurt so badly, or why he was pushing himself to this extent. He was already wound tight as a bowstring, I didn¡¯t want to add another weight to his chest.


    So instead, I whispered softly, "Trust Oscar. Tell him everything truthfully, Rowan."


    For a moment, his throat bobbed as if he wanted to protest, but he said nothing.


    I reached over and gave his hand a light squeeze, hoping he could feel the silent promise in it - that he wasn¡¯t alone, that I was right here.


    To my relief, he gave me a small, genuine smile. It was faint, but it was real, and that was enough to make my own chest loosen just a little.


    The door opened then, and Oscar finally stepped inside. He closed it carefully, locked it with a soft click, and moved across the room. His presence alone was grounding - steady, calm, unshaken.


    He gave me one of those warm smiles he always reserved just for me, one that made me feel like everything would be okay, before he turned his attention fully to Rowan as he settled in his chair.


    Rowan shifted in his seat, his posture tense all over again.


    "Rowan," Oscar said, his tone even, yet there was an unmistakable weight in his words. "Why have you been sneaking out of the Academy?"


    The questionnded like a stone in the silence. Rowan froze. His lips parted but no words came out.


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    Oscar didn¡¯t let the silence stretch too long. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over the desk. "And why did you end up injured like that? Not just a scrape or bruise, but serious injuries. What exactly have you been doing out there?"


    Rowan¡¯s gaze flickered immediately to me, searching my face. I met his eyes and gave him the smallest of nods. I could see the fear in him - the fear of judgment, of rejection, of consequences - but I wanted him to see my trust. My encouragement.


    Finally, he exhaled a shaky breath and started speaking.


    "I... don¡¯t have a family," he said quietly. His voice carried the weight of old wounds. "My parents died when I was seven. I have no siblings. I grew up in the Roguemunity."


    I stared at his side profile, my eyes widening in shock. This was the first time I was hearing any of this. He never talked about himself, never opened up about his past.


    "I had a close friend," he continued, his fists curling in hisp. "She was everything to me. But... she got into an ident. She¡¯s been in aa for almost a year now." His throat worked as he swallowed hard. "The hospital bills keep piling up. I couldn¡¯t just watch her waste away. So... I started fighting."


    My breath hitched. "Fighting?"


    "In the underground fights," he admitted, his eyes dropping. "I have been sneaking out to take part. The money¡¯s fast, but the fights are brutal. Last night¡¯s injuries..." He gave a humorlessugh. "I won all three fights. That¡¯s why I¡¯m still in one piece."


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. Underground fights? Risking his life night after night just to pay hospital bills? My chest ached. I lifted my hand and gently touched his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. I wanted him to know he wasn¡¯t alone in this.


    I turned my gaze to Oscar then. He had been silent through all of this, listening carefully, while keeping his expression unreadable. But when he finally spoke, his voice was calm - steady, like a judge who had already weighed every side.


    "Rowan," Oscar began, "sneaking out is against Academy rules. And the underground fights you have been participating in..." He paused, his gaze firm. "They are not only illegal, but they go against the werewolfmunity¡¯sws. You are fighting in human cities, against humans, while you are a werewolf. Do you understand how serious that is?"


    Rowan flinched, his fists tightening. "I don¡¯t care about rules. I need the money. If I stop, she dies. I can give up my ce here at the Academy, but I can¡¯t give up the fights. I can¡¯t give up on her."


    His voice cracked at the end, filled with raw desperation.


    But Oscar didn¡¯t waver. He leaned forward, his tone sharper, though still not unkind. "If you continue these fights, you won¡¯t just lose your ce here. You¡¯ll be branded a criminal in the eyes of the werewolfmunity. You¡¯ll lose your future entirely, Rowan. And as a criminal, you won¡¯t be able to support her either. Do you want that?"


    Rowan clenched his jaw, breathing harshly. I could see the conflict in his eyes - his worry for his friend shing with the danger of everything Oscar was saying.


    Before he could speak again, Oscar held up a hand to stop him.


    "I have another option for you," he said.


    Rowan blinked. "What?"


    Oscar¡¯s gaze softened slightly. "A legal job. One that will pay you enough to cover her bills, without breaking rules, without risking your life, and without endangering your future."


    Both Rowan and I stared at him in shock.


    "You would... do that?" Rowan asked, his voice almost disbelieving.


    Oscar nodded firmly. "Yes. Because you are a good student. You have potential that shouldn¡¯t be wasted in underground fights. It would be the Academy¡¯s loss to let you go."


    Rowan blinked rapidly, clearly overwhelmed. "But... you would really help me like that?"


    "How much are the hospital bills?" Oscar asked, straightforward.


    Rowan hesitated, then gave him the figure.


    Oscar leaned back, thoughtful, before nodding to himself. "I might have the perfect job for you."


    The silence that followed was thick, but it wasn¡¯t heavy. It was full of possibility. I squeezed Rowan¡¯s shoulder again, smiling softly at him. And for the first time sincest night, I saw hope flicker in his eyes.

 Chapter 271: Blessed With a Brother

    <h4>Chapter 271: Blessed With a Brother</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room started feeling quieter after Rowan took his leave first while I stayed behind. And with him gone, I noticed that Oscar¡¯s presence was different now - more muted, like the snowkes still clinging to the window panes.


    I stayed near the tall ss, my eyes following the way thete afternoon light softened as it spilled across the snow-covered grounds of the Academy. The reflection was almost too bright to look at directly, so I let my gaze blur, losing myself in the stillness of it.


    I didn¡¯t even realize Oscar had finished locking his office door until I heard the soft tread of his boots approaching. My heartbeats picked up their pace just a little, but I didn¡¯t move. The silence stretched until I found myself whispering, "Thank you... for helping Rowan."


    He stopped beside me, close enough that I could feel the faint warmth radiating from his body even though the office was already warm enough. Slowly, he raised his hand, and his touch was feather-light as he cupped my face.


    I looked up at him, my gaze locking on his emerald orbs that now held only love and gentleness.


    "You don¡¯t need to thank me," he said, his voice low and steady, though there was something unspoken threading beneath the words. His thumb brushed against my cheek as he shook his head slightly. "At first, my reason was selfish. I only stepped in because of you."


    I wasn¡¯t surprised. After all, I literally pushed him to handle this matter and help Rowan out.


    "Since you have taken Rowan as your brother, your family," he continued, his eyes dark and unreadable. "And pleaded for him with your whole heart... I couldn¡¯t turn away. But that¡¯s not the only reason."


    He drew back just enough to look me directly in the eyes. "Rowan has a sharp mind. More potential than half the students in this Academy. Losing him would have been our loss as much as his."


    I swallowed hard, warmth spreading through me - not just because of what he had done for Rowan, but because he too had recognized the potential in Rowan that I had noticed a long time ago.


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    Before I could respond, Oscar¡¯s hand moved again, tucking a loose strand of my silver hair behind my ear with unhurried care. His fingers trailed down the side of my neck in a barely-there touch that made every nerve under my skin spark alive. They stopped at the stiff cor of my uniform before he withdrew, tucking his hand into the pocket of his coat as if to anchor himself.


    The sudden distance between us felt sharper than the cold air sneaking through the window cracks. My eyes darted to his face, searching for some sign of what he was thinking.


    "Leave," he said atst. His voice was firm, though softer than usual. "Before I change my mind... and keep you here for the next couple of hours."


    Heat red across my cheeks at his meaning, and my heart thudded against my ribs. I was more than ready to bolt, yet some part of me clung to the moment.


    Still, I forced myself to meet his gaze and said softly, "Whatever your reason was, you helped Rowan. That means everything to me. I¡¯ll always be grateful."


    And before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned in quickly, rose to my tiptoes, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was fleeting, but the warmth of his skin lingered on my lips.


    "That¡¯s so you don¡¯t think I brushed you off with just a thank you," I whispered with a smile before retreating.


    His face shifted. There was just a flicker of surprise before a crooked smirk tugged at his lips. I caught the glint in his eyes as if he hadn¡¯t expected me to do that, especially after his warning.


    My smile widened, then I panicked at myself and turned on my heel, practically sprinting to the door.


    "Be careful," his voice followed after me, low and deliberate.


    I didn¡¯t stop, didn¡¯t dare look back. The moment I stepped into the hallway, I forced the smile off my face. No one needed to see me grinning like a fool in the administrative wing. Professors and instructors were already strict enough, I didn¡¯t want to invite suspicion by looking like I had just stolen something - because in a way, maybe I had.


    There was still time before dinner, so I made my way back to the first-year dorm. The moment I stepped inside the dorm room, I noticed Rowan sitting stiffly on one of the couches near the fire, his eyes flicking to me as if he had been waiting all this time.


    The moment he noticed me stepping inside, he stood abruptly and made his way to me even before I finished getting out of my coat that was covered in snow. His arms wrapped around me tightly before I could say anything.


    "Eva," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. For everything. I¡¯ll never forget what you did for me today."


    I patted his back, smiling into the fabric of his coat. "You don¡¯t need to thank me. I only did what a sister should do for her brother. That¡¯s all there is to it."


    He pulled back just enough to look at me, and I found his icy-blue eyes glistening as if he was struggling to hold back tears. That look - so raw and vulnerable - twisted something deep in my chest.


    "Then let me say this," he said firmly and hugged me again, tighter this time, his voice resolute near my ear. "Your brother will never disappoint your trust or your love. I promise you that, Eva."


    I closed my eyes, letting myself melt into the warmth of his words, the sincerity of his vow. For so long, I had fought my battles alone, shoulders weighed down by burdens no one else could see. But now... Rowan was here.


    The Moon Goddess... finally blessed me with a real brother, one who would protect me and love me just like I had longed for my entire life.

 Chapter 272: Blame The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 272: me The Bond</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fna366> Checktest chapters at f?ndnovel</fna366>


    Another Saturday. Another day at the Council headquarters.


    By now, I thought I would be used to this routine - waking up early on weekend while the rest of the dorm was still sleeping, stepping out in early morning¡¯s biting cold, mentally checking off to-do list before the day even began. But this morning felt different, and I knew exactly why.


    River.


    The entire time - from doing my morning exercises to walking through the grand ss doors of HQ - I had been mentally preparing myself to face him again after what felt like forever. Rehearsing how I would keep my expression neutral, how I would sit at my desk and pretend his presence didn¡¯t matter to me, how I would survive the weight of his eyes on me if he decided to look.


    But what I didn¡¯t prepare for... was not seeing him at all.


    "River¡¯s not in yet," the front deskdy had casually mentioned when I arrived. And when I asked, she said he wouldn¡¯t being at all today.


    I swallowed back the disappointment that rose like a stubborn lump in my throat. Ever since the Alpha selection ceremony at Nightshade Pack, also the night our mate bond came to life, we hadn¡¯t spent real time together. Just brief, unavoidable encounters. The only exception was that one evening of the new year when I got to see his drunken side for the second time.


    Since then, he had buried himself in Nightshade Pack affairs. And when that was done, he buried himself inpany work. Today was supposed to be different. Today, I thought, maybe we would finally cross paths properly. But no.


    He wasn¡¯t here.


    Of course, there was a huge possibility that he really was busy. River wasn¡¯t the kind to shirk responsibilities. But no matter how much I tried to reason with myself, I couldn¡¯t push away the nagging thought - he was avoiding me.


    Avoiding me, when it was him who had confessed first. Avoiding me, when it was him who looked on the brink of breaking down the moment our bond sparked to life. Avoiding me, when it should have been me running the other way.


    The thought soured my mood so much that I didn¡¯t realize how hard I was pressing my pencil into the desk until the tip cracked with a sharp snap. My hand jerked, losing bnce, and just like that... I was dragged out of my miserable spiral.


    Great. One pencil down. One heart... no, mind... still restless.


    Realizing just how much his absence was affecting me when I had been preparing for his presence made me even more frustrated. Contradictory emotions - wasn¡¯t that my new specialty ever since this bond tied me to him? I buried the thoughts, shoved the broken pencil aside, and forced myself to focus on the file in front of me.


    Somehow, painfully, I survived half the day.


    After lunch, I dragged myself back into the office, clutching my water bottle like it was the only thing tethering me to sanity. My mind was a mess - equal parts irritation, disappointment, and sarcasm that I didn¡¯t dare let spill out loud.


    I pushed the door open, stepped inside, and was halfway to my desk when a voice stopped me cold.


    "Good afternoon, Miss Evaline."


    That voice.


    I froze mid-step, as if my body had short-circuited. My gaze snapped toward the boss¡¯ desk... and there he was.


    Sitting in his chair, attention fixed on a file in his hands, like his presence wasn¡¯t the single most noticeable thing in this entire room.


    I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "G-Good afternoon," I managed, though it came out softer than intended.


    My heart was pounding against my ribs as though it wanted to leap right out and announce, <i>Yes, I¡¯m ridiculously aware of you. Thank you for finally showing up.</i>


    When I didn¡¯t move and stayed glued to my spot like an idiot, he finally looked up. His dark green eyes locked onto mine, steady and unreadable. Slowly, he closed the file in his hand, set it down, and rose to his feet.


    The distance between us shrank with each step he took. He stopped in front of me, not close enough to step into my personal space, but close enough that I felt the brush of his presence curling around me.


    He cleared his throat, surprising me as he looked slightly lost for words. And when he finally spoke, it was to surprise me even further. "I have been busy with work at Nightshade Pack and thepany. And there have been... activities in the Roguemunity as well."


    I blinked, taken aback. His tone was calm, factual, but the exnation - it was almost too precise. Like he wanted to make sure I understood.


    All I could manage was a single nod. My voice refused to cooperate, and honestly, I didn¡¯t trust it not to betray the storm of emotions inside me.


    His gaze lingered on me a moment longer, then shifted slightly, softening in a way I rarely saw. "Do you need days off for your exams?"


    The question startled me. But I quickly nodded, grateful for the safer topic. "Yes. My exams are between 25th January and 10th February. There are two weekends in between - 30th and 31st January, and 6th and 7th February. I wanted to request those four days off. And... if possible, maybe less workload during the weekends before my exams start."


    I braced myself for him to agree only halfway, or maybe even frown at my request. He wasn¡¯t exactly the most lenient boss.


    But instead, he nodded without hesitation. "You can take those days off."


    My eyes widened slightly. Relief washed over me, but before I could thank him, he added, "And starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll only work half-day shifts until your exams are over."


    "What?" The word slipped out before I could stop it.


    I had expected the bare minimum. Maybe approval for the leave days. Not this.


    He must have seen the disbelief on my face, because a flicker of amusement ghosted over his features. "Do well in your exams, Miss Evaline," he said, his voice dropping into that firm,manding tone again. "Don¡¯t ruin my reputation at the Academy or at Council headquarters. As your boss, I expect nothing less."


    I stared at him, caught between gratitude and exasperation. Before I could form a proper reply, he turned and walked out of the office, his strides smooth and unhurried.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I spoke out a little too loud, "If I had known better, I should have given you a book on how to be a good mate instead of how to be a good boss."


    What I didn¡¯t know was that he was still standing right outside.


    And when my words reached him loud and clear, a small smile broke across his lips.

 Chapter 273: Between Two Flames

    <h4>Chapter 273: Between Two mes</h4>


    Evaline:


    <fn11e8> Checktest chapters at find(?)ovel</fn11e8>


    The clock at the Council headquarters had just struck four when I finally wrapped up the day¡¯s reports. My pen scraped across thest sheet, the ink blotting a little at the end from my rushed hand, but I didn¡¯t care. My mind was already racing ahead, not with pack reports, patrol assignments, or Council updates, but with the one thing that had been looming over me since morning - Draven.


    By the time I reached the Academy, the winter sun had already dipped low, painting the snow with an orange glow. My pulse quickened with every step I took toward my dormitory. I didn¡¯t even bother with tea or snacks, and went straight to the showers.


    The hot water felt divine on my skin, melting the cold that had seeped into my bones from the walk back. I washed my hair carefully, massaging my scalp until the tension in my head loosened, then lingered under the spray longer than I should have, bracing myself for whatever ¡¯punishment¡¯ Draven had in store for me.


    When I finally stepped out, steam was clinging to my skin, and the sight of my flushed cheeks in the mirror made me smile nervously. I headed back to my dorm and locked myself in my room, preparing to get ready.


    The cold outside had painted my cheeks pink already, so I skipped the blush I usually wore for such special meetings with my mates. I did my skincare, applied my favorite lip oil, and finished with body moisturizer.


    Blow-drying my hair, I let the strands fall down freely. Draven liked it that way. Too much? Maybe. But my mates had a way of seeing through my efforts no matter how small they were.


    Once I was satisfied with my reflection, I picked up my phone and sent a quick message to Oscar.


    <i>Finished getting ready.</i>


    His reply came almost instantly: <i>Meet me outside the gates in 10.</i>


    I had just enough time. I tapped open the group chat with Rowan, Mallory, and Kyros, typing a short message: <i>Heading out with my mates. Don¡¯t wait up.</i>


    Kyros was the first to reply, as usual, with a mischievous sticker of a wolf smirking.


    Rowan¡¯s response was more thoughtful: <i>Enjoy the evening</i>.


    But Mallory - oh, Mallory - her voice message had me pressing the phone against my ear in disbelief, my face heating so quickly I thought steam might rise again. I couldn¡¯t even listen to it twice.


    <i>No need toe back tonight. Just make sure the brothers are the ones crying out your name in pleasure.</i>


    "Mallory, you are impossible," I muttered under my breath, my ears burning.


    Grabbing my coat from the closet near the door, I slipped it on, wrapped a scarf around my neck, and stepped out. Snowkes swirled gently in the air, catching in my hair andshes as I crossed the courtyard and headed toward the Academy gates.


    The stationed warriors were standing stiff and unbothered by the cold. Outside, I spotted Oscar¡¯s car parked a little ways down the road.


    I hurried across the path, my boots crunching on the snow, and slipped into the passenger seat.


    "Hi," I greeted softly, brushing snowkes from my hair.


    His smile was warm enough to rival the car¡¯s heater. "Hey, little mate." His voice carried thatzy ease that always made my chest tighten. He reached over to fasten my seatbelt before pulling the car into motion, the tires crunching against the icy road.


    We drove in silence for a while, the Academy vanishing behind us as he steered onto a narrow, snow-covered dirt road that twisted deeper into the forest. The woods here were quiet, undisturbed, their branches heavy with snow.


    We were probably more than halfway to Draven¡¯s secret house, when Oscar slowed the car to a stop. My brow furrowed as I turned to him. "Why are we-"


    Before I could finish, he unbuckled his belt, leaned across, and did the same for mine. His hands were firm but careful as he tugged me across the console, settling me on hisp with such ease it stole my breath.


    "Oscar!" I gasped, my hands flying to his shoulders. "What are you doing?"


    His smirk curved and his eyes gleamed like frost beneath moonlight. "Stealing some time with you before I hand you over to Draven." His words sent a shiver down my spine. "He doesn¡¯t get to keep you all to himself."


    I barely had time to speak before his lips were on mine. The kiss was demanding, fierce, every stroke of his mouth against mine pulling me deeper. He sucked, teased, coaxed, until I was clutching his jacket for bnce, my lungs burning for air.


    When he finally let me breathe, it was only to trail his lips down my jaw, to my neck. His fingers sweeped my hair aside before tugging at the neckline of my sweater. His touch was everywhere - one moment holding me firmly, the next brushing so lightly it sent sparks skittering across my skin.


    "Oscar..." My voice was a whisper, half-protest, half-plea.


    He only chuckled against my throat, the sound vibrating through me. "You taste too sweet to stop."


    I was lost in his warmth, in the sheer intensity of the moment, when the sharp sound of a phone vibrating cut through the haze. Oscar pulled backand fished his phone from his pocket.


    "Draven," he said, his lips quirking as he showed me the caller ID. He pressed ¡¯ept¡¯ and put it on speaker.


    "Where are you?" Draven¡¯s deep voice filled the car, a hint of impatience in his tone. "You should have been here already."


    Oscar¡¯s hand slid back into my hair, tilting my head so his lips brushed my ear. "Caught up," he answered smoothly, his free hand tracing down my spine. "We¡¯ll be there soon."


    Caught up? My eyes widened as he kissed me again, deliberately messy, the sound of it impossible to miss through the line.


    Draven was silent for a heartbeat. Then his voice lowered, dark and edged with something primal. "I can feel her, Oscar. Don¡¯t y games. I can sense her emotions rising through the bond, and if you don¡¯t bring her to me soon..." His words trailed off, heavy with promise.


    Oscar¡¯s smirk deepened against my lips. "Rx, brother. I¡¯m only warming her up for you."


    My heart pounded at the exchange, my face burning hotter than the car¡¯s heater could ever manage. Between Oscar¡¯s touch and Draven¡¯s voice rumbling through the speaker, I felt caught... pulled tight between two mes, each consuming me in their own way.

 Chapter 274: At The Secret House

    <h4>Chapter 274: At The Secret House</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The car slowed to a halt, tires crunching against the thick nket of snow until we stoppedpletely. My eyes flickered toward the windshield, and my heart gave a squeeze when I realized where we were.


    The cliff.


    Even though the world was painted white with snow and the familiar terrain lookedpletely transformed, I knew exactly where I was. The sharp jagged rock face, the slope leading down into the dense trees, and the faint trail that snaked upward - it all told me we had reached Draven¡¯s secret house.


    I had been here only twice before today, yet somehow, the ce had carved itself into my memory. Maybe because of who it belonged to. Maybe because every time I stepped into this house, I felt the weight of what it meant - being pulled deeper into Draven¡¯s world.


    My pulse was racing so fast it was a miracle Oscar couldn¡¯t hear it. No matter how much I tried to steady myself, my palms were slick with sweat even though the air outside the car was freezing. And of course, Oscar noticed. He always noticed.


    "Eva," his voice came low and calm, like he was trying to cut through my racing thoughts.


    I turned toward him slowly, my eyes betraying just how much my nerves were getting to me. He reached over without hesitation, capturing my hands in his warm ones. The simple contact made my chest loosen a little, though it didn¡¯t erase the anxious butterflies tearing through me.


    "You are trembling," he whispered, his eyes soft but steady, pulling me into their safety.


    I pressed my lips together, not trusting my voice.


    He gently turned me more toward him, and then his hand came up to cup my face. His thumb brushed against my cheek, grounding me. "Listen to me, little mate," he said, his tone firm but carrying a strange tenderness. "You don¡¯t have to be afraid. Draven and I... we¡¯ll never do anything you don¡¯t want. Ever. That¡¯s not what this is. You just have to trust us."


    Trust.


    That was the thing - I did trust them. Completely. It wasn¡¯t fear that made my stomach tighten... it was the unknown. I had an idea of what Draven meant when he promised to punish me, but I couldn¡¯t predict how he would carry it out. And that mystery was enough to have me on edge.


    Still, Oscar was right. No matter what happened, they wouldn¡¯t push me past what I could handle. That thought anchored me, and I let out a long breath before giving him a small, certain nod.


    A smile tugged at the corner of my lips, and before I even realized what I was doing, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his in a quick, daring kiss.


    The effect on him was immediate. His eyes widened just a fraction, and then narrowed with something far more dangerous. For a moment, he looked like he couldn¡¯t believe I had done it.


    "Eva..." he warned, his voice hoarse, strained with control. "Don¡¯t test me. I might not stop this time."


    I held his gaze, feeling the boldness inside me re to life, chasing away some of my nerves. "Who said I want you to stop?" I whispered back.


    The air between us ignited in an instant. His emerald eyes darkened, burning with an intensity that had me pinned in ce. I could see it in him - the struggle to keep himself restrained, the way his hands twitched as if wanting to pull me closer, to im me right here and now. My own breath came shorter, faster, because part of me wanted that too.


    But before anything else could happen, a firm knock on my side window shattered the spell.


    I jolted, whipping my head toward the sound.


    And there he was.


    Draven.


    The snowy dusk framed him like a figure cut out of shadows and steel. His eyes swept over us, lingering long enough for me to realize he had seen exactly what state Oscar and I had been in. There was no missing the look in his gaze - a mixture of knowing and dangerous amusement.


    He opened my door without a word and held out his hand. My heart skipped, but I ced mine in his without hesitation. His grip was strong, steady, and he pulled me out of the car with ease. The moment my boots hit the snow, I felt the shift in the atmosphere.


    "Park the car in the garage," Draven said over his shoulder to Oscar.


    <fn67d0> Follow current nov?ls on f?ndnovel</fn67d0>


    Oscar gave a small nod, still watching me as though reluctant to let go even though it was just for a few minutes.


    Meanwhile, Draven tugged me gently along, his hand warm around mine as he led me toward the house. The snowfall had thickened, the kes wereing faster, stinging lightly against my cheeks as the wind picked up. Twilight had already begun to descend, and with it, the world seemed quieter, lonelier.


    But then we were at the door of his safeky hidden house.


    The moment we stepped inside, warmth enveloped me, chasing away the chill that had clung to my skin. The scent of an aromatic candle and faint spices was filling the air, familiar andforting.


    Draven carefully slipped my coat off my shoulders, followed by my scarf, and hung them on the rack near the door. His fingers brushed against my skin in the process, a fleeting touch that still sent shivers down my spine.


    "Sit," he instructed softly, guiding me toward the couch closest to the heater. I found myself getting wrapped in a cocoon of heat as I sank onto the cushions.


    Draven stood for a moment, his eyes fixed on me in a way that made my stomach flip. He was calm... too calm. And that calmness was its own kind of tension. Because I knew beneath it, he was nning, deciding exactly how this night was going to unfold.


    And for the first time since we left the Academy, my nerves didn¡¯t feel like a weight.


    They were feeling like anticipation.

 Chapter 275: Stealing The Cookie

    <h4>Chapter 275: Stealing The Cookie</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as Draven knelt in front of me, hisrge hands dwarfing mine as he rubbed my chilled palms between his, coaxing life and warmth back into them.


    "Why are you trembling, love?" he asked quietly.


    "I¡¯m just... nervous," I admitted, unable to hide the quiver in my voice.


    His eyes lifted to mine, steady and unreadable, and yet they seemed to pierce right through me. "Good. You should be nervous. You know why you are here."


    His words weren¡¯t cruel - they carried weight, yes, but not danger. Still, the reminder made my stomach flip. I nodded faintly. "I know."


    The edges of his mouth curved into something that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, but close enough to make my breath catch again. "Then you also know that running isn¡¯t an option."


    "I¡¯m not running," I whispered.


    His hand cupped my chin, tilting my face up so that I couldn¡¯t look anywhere but into his eyes. "No," he agreed, his voice lower now like silk wrapping around steel. "You came willingly. That matters."


    Before I could form a response, the muffled sound of a door opening and then closing reached us, followed by the crunch of boots on the wooden floor. I didn¡¯t need to turn my head to know it was Oscar. A flicker of relief passed through me at his arrival, though it was quickly tangled with fresh nerves.


    Oscar entered with his usual casual ease, snow still dusting his shoulders and hair. His eyes swept the room, lingering a moment longer on me before flicking toward Draven. The faintest smirk tugged at his lips.


    "I see you have already started without me," he drawled, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it over a chair.


    "Not yet," Draven replied smoothly, his hand still on my chin. "I was just reminding her why she¡¯s here."


    Oscar¡¯s gaze slid back to me, heat glimmering there, though it was tempered by the steady patience I hade to know. "And does she need reminding?"


    "I don¡¯t think so," I said quickly, surprising myself with the firmness in my voice. Both of them looked at me, and my cheeks warmed. I shifted slightly under the weight of their eyes, but I didn¡¯t look away. "I came because I trust you both. I know what this is about... I¡¯m just..."


    "Nervous," Oscar finished for me, his tone gentler than Draven¡¯s, though no less charged. He crossed the room, stopping beside the couch. His hand brushed over the back of it, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him at my side. "That¡¯s natural. But remember what I told you in the car - no matter what happens, it¡¯ll never be something you don¡¯t want."


    The sincerity in his words steadied me more than I expected. My heartbeat was still wild, but my breathing evened out a little.


    Draven¡¯s thumb brushed against my lower lip, shifting my entire attention back to him with the small gesture. "And yet, not a single part of your nerves is from fear at all, right?"


    My face burned. I couldn¡¯t deny it - not when both of them were watching me so closely, as if every flicker of emotion I had was written clearly on my skin. I swallowed hard, whispering, "No. It¡¯s not fear."


    Oscar chuckled under his breath, low and knowing. "That¡¯s what I thought."


    Draven finally released my chin, but not before trailing his fingers slowly down the column of my throat, leaving a path of fire in their wake. His touch stopped at the edge of my cor before retreating altogether, as though he too was restraining himself.


    The air between us thickened, heavy with anticipation. I sat there frozen, my body caught between the warmth of the fire and the simmering heat of their presence.


    Oscar leaned in slightly, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine. "Do you want this, Eva?" he asked softly, his eyes searching mine.


    The question was simple, but the weight of it pressed against my chest. My lips parted before I even realized I was speaking. "Yes."


    Draven¡¯s gaze darkened at the sound of my answer, and Oscar¡¯s hand finally came to rest against the small of my back, grounding me in the middle of the storm building around us.


    The fire crackled, snow continued to fall outside, and yet here, in this hidden house deep in the mountains, everything narrowed down to just the three of us.


    <fn4b25> This content belongs to Find¡ïNovel</fn4b25>


    "Are you hungry? Have you even anything after lunch?" Draven asked suddenly, brushing away some of the tension that was starting to suffocate me.


    I was slightly surprised by his question, but I shouldn¡¯t have. After all, he always made sure that me and the baby were full. "I haven¡¯t eaten." I answered honestly.


    "I knew it. I have baked some cookies. Try them."


    He made his way to the kitchen and took out a tray from the oven. The mouth-watering aroma of chocte cookies immediately filled the air, overtaking the scent of herbs and the rose scented candle.


    Oscar settled down on the couch next to mine, his gaze following Draven as well while thetter made his way back to us with a te full of freshly baked chocte cookies.


    "How about a ss of milk?" He asked as he handed me the te,pletely ignoring Oscar¡¯s expectation filled eyes that had been fixed on the te of cookies.


    I immediately shook my head. "Honestly, I¡¯m not that hungry. These cookies will be enough."


    He didn¡¯t press and took a seat on the rug at my feet instead of sitting on the couch.


    I picked up a cookies and took a small bite, and almost moaned as the rich taste of chocte coated my taste buds. When I opened my eyes, which I might have closed at some point, I found both men staring at me.


    I quickly moved the te toward Oscar and he picked up a cookie. But when I moved the te toward Darven, he shifted to his knees and reached out to grab the back of my head, pulling me closer before he was stealing the cookie that I was holding between my lips.

 Chapter 276: About Three of Us

    <h4>Chapter 276: About Three of Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I almost choked on the cookie.


    My eyes flew wide at Draven, surprise pounding through me as thest trace of sweetness dissolved on my tongue. I hadn¡¯t expected him to lean in like that, to close the space between us with such daring swiftness, stealing the cookie straight from my lips as though it was the most natural thing in the world.


    And the worst - or maybe the best - part? He was looking utterly innocent when he pulled back. As if he hadn¡¯t just left my pulse tripping over itself and my mind tangled in thoughts I didn¡¯t dare put words to.


    I swallowed hard, clearing my throat, pretending it hadn¡¯t shaken me, and quickly grabbed another cookie from the te.


    This time I shoved the whole thing into my mouth before he could try any funny business again. My teeth crunched against it, my jaw working quicker than usual, as if chewing faster could drown out the pounding in my chest.


    By the time I reached the fourth cookie, the shock had dulled enough for me to remember something really important.


    "These are... so delicious," I blurted between bites, finally forcing myself to look at him.


    For a moment, Draven simply watched me with an unreadable gaze, as if he was weighing the sincerity of my words. Then, slowly, his lips curved into a proud smile, one that softened the sharp edges of his usual expressions.


    "I¡¯m d you think so." He leaned back against the wooden coffee table, his eyes still fixed on me. "Truth is, I didn¡¯t know much more than the basics before. But I have been taking online cooking ssestely."


    My chewing paused. "Cooking sses?"


    He nodded once, the corner of his mouth lifting higher. "Figured if I¡¯m going to keep you and the pup fed, I might as well learn how to do it properly."


    My chest warmed at that, the sweetness of his words overpowering the sweetness of the cookie. I couldn¡¯t help but smile - soft and unguarded. Who would have thought he had been sitting through cooking tutorials just for us?


    It was a side of him few would ever imagine, and the thought filled me with an odd sense of tenderness.


    I picked onest cookie from the te, savoring it slowly this time before setting the dish aside. Oscar immediately handed me a ss of water without a word, as if he could sense my sudden thirst. Our eyes met briefly as I epted it, and a silent exchange passed between us.


    "Thank you," I murmured, taking a sip.


    But as soon as the ss left my lips and I ced it on the table, reality came crashing back. I was no longer busy eating, no longer distracted by cookies or water. It was just me now - me, and the two men sitting far too close, their gazes heavy with unspoken things.


    The nerves began to creep back in, threading into my chest like fine, invisible wires pulling tighter with each passing second.


    "Come. Sit here with me." Draven said as he patted the space beside him on the thick rug.


    My bodyplied faster than my mind, and I found myself taking a ce beside him. From my current position, I was facing Oscar who had rxed in his couch as if he was preparing to watch something really interesting.


    And then it happened... it was subtle at first, so natural that I almost didn¡¯t notice it.


    Draven shifted closer, his presence enveloping me like a shadow, deliberate but unhurried. His hand slid over mine, fingers brushing so lightly it sent a shiver racing up my arm. His eyes held mine for a lingering beat, wordless, before he leaned in and dipped his head toward my shoulder.


    The faintest touch of his lips ghosted over my skin.


    I inhaled sharply, my body stiffening before melting under the warmth of his mouth. He kissed the curve where my neck met my shoulder, slow and deliberate, his breath feathering over the sensitive spot as though he knew exactly what he was doing to me.


    "D-Draven..." My voice came out softer than I intended, almost breathless.


    He hummed low in his chest, a sound both dangerous and tender, and pressed another kiss higher this time, just beneath my ear. My pulse stuttered.


    From the corner of my eye, I caught Oscar watching. He wasn¡¯t intervening, wasn¡¯t teasing... he simply watched with an unreadable expression, though his emerald eyes were shining with an intensity that matched the rising heat in the room.


    And maybe that was what made this feel so much more overwhelming - knowing that Oscar was there, silent witness to every kiss Draven was trailing along my neck.


    His hand found my waist, firm but not forceful, guiding me closer until I was practically in hisp. The world narrowed to the sound of the heater humming nearby.


    He lifted his head, his lips brushing against my cheek before hovering mere inches from mine.


    "You still haven¡¯t apologized properly," he murmured, his voice low, dark, teasing.


    My breath caught, heat blooming across my face. "I-"


    But before I could find words, his mouth captured mine.


    The kiss was not rushed, not wild - it was slow, deliberate, a punishment in its own right. Each brush of his lips against mine was measured, controlled, as though he intended to unravel me piece by piece.


    His hand cradled the back of my head, holding me steady as his lips coaxed mine open, deepening the kiss by fractions, never giving too much at once. It was maddening, intoxicating, the kind of kiss that pulled me under without ever letting me fully drown.


    Butterflies churned in my stomach, restless and wild, fluttering against the walls of my chest.


    I clutched at his sweater, my fingers curling into the fabric as though it was the only anchor I had left. My mind was a blur, senses sharpened to nothing but the taste of him, the warmth of him, the way his lips moved with such unrelenting patience.


    When he finally pulled back, my breath came in short, uneven gasps, my lips tingling and swollen.


    He studied me, satisfaction flickering in the depths of his emerald orbs. "Better," he murmured, as though he had won some silent battle I hadn¡¯t realized I was fighting.


    My heart hammered so loudly I was sure Oscar could hear it from the couch.


    And when I dared to nce at him, I found his gaze still locked on me, his jaw tight, his eyes darker than before. He hadn¡¯t moved, hadn¡¯t spoken... but the way he was looking at me sent a fresh wave of shivers down my spine.


    For the first time, I realized this wasn¡¯t just about Draven¡¯s punishment.


    It was about the three of us.


    <fndd7a> Readplete version only at Find¡ïNovel</fndd7a>


    And the night was only just beginning.

 Chapter 277: Bound in Silk

    <h4>Chapter 277: Bound in Silk</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I inhaled sharply.


    Oscar¡¯s steady gaze was still locked on mine, pinning me where I sat on the couch, but the voice in my ear made my blood run hot.


    "It¡¯s time for you to take off your top."


    Draven¡¯s words slithered down my spine, low andmanding, yet there was something in his tone that both startled and thrilled me. My lips parted, my breath catching as though the air itself had thickened.


    Slowly, I turned my head while my heart pounded against my ribs, and found him there - slightly behind me, so close I could feel the warmth of his breath grazing my cheek. My pulse stumbled when his arm circled around my waist, tugging me flush against him.


    And then his fingers slipped beneath the hem of my dark blue woolen top.


    A shiver cascaded through me as his fingertips brushed against my bare skin, tracingnguidly along the curve of my waist and across my belly. My breath hitched, and without pause, he kept sliding the fabric upward, coaxing it higher and higher until he pulled it clean over my head.


    The soft wool fell away, leaving me in just the blue silk bra I had carefully chosen this evening - two shades lighter than my top.


    Exposed, my skin prickled, but before my nerves could take over, his hand cupped my right breast.


    A sigh slipped from my lips, and my eyes fluttered shut. His other hand trailed teasingly over the waistband of my white trousers, dipping close but never quite low enough. His grip alternated between squeezing and caressing my breasts, switching sides with infuriating patience. My head tilted as he pressed kisses over my now bare shoulder, his lips hot and wet, his teeth tugging yfully at the thin strap of my bra.


    I drew in sharp breaths as he trailed back to my neck, each kiss anchoring me in a haze of sensation.


    "Time for these to go too," he murmured, his voice felt like velvet, as his fingers slipped under my waistband.


    <fn7d1e> Newest update provided by Find~Novel</fn7d1e>


    I didn¡¯t resist. I couldn¡¯t.


    With one deliberate tug, he drew the trousers down over my hips, dragging them along my thighs before pulling thempletely off my legs.


    A rush of awareness swept through me. I had been smart as I anticipated... something. Maybe not this, but something. That¡¯s why I had chosen a matching set - silk bra and panties in the same soft shade of blue. Yet even with the warmth of the house surrounding me, a tremor ran through me. Not from the cold. But from everything else.


    I expected his next touch. Instead, he surprised me again.


    "Sit," he ordered gently, guiding me onto the big couch.


    Confused butpliant, I settled into the cushions. My nerves were buzzing as I watched him walk toward the side table nearby, open a drawer, and retrieve something. When he returned, my brows furrowed.


    He was holding silk scarves. Two of them.


    My lips parted in question, but no words left me.


    He approached slowly, purpose clear in his eyes, and then raised one of the scarves toward my face.


    I froze.


    The soft fabric brushed against my temples, over myshes, and then tied securely at the back of my head. The world dissolved into darkness.


    My heart jumped in my chest, every nerve on edge.


    "Draven-" I started, feeling uncertain about the shift I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting.


    "Shh." His voice was calm, soothing, threaded with the quiet dominance that made my stomach twist with heat. "Rx, love. Trust me."


    And then I felt it.


    His reassurance pouring into me through our bond, steady and unyielding, and a warm promise of safety wrapped around me like a cloak. My body loosened, my pulse steadying, though anticipation still burned beneath my skin.


    My breath stuttered when he took my hands next, gently pulling them together. And then, I felt the second scarf wrapping around my wrists, the silk smooth and deceptively soft. It wasn¡¯t too tight. Secure, but not harsh.


    "Hold them here," he murmured, guiding my bound hands up until they rested against the backrest above my head.


    I obeyed. My breathing was turning shallow, and my body was beginning to thrum.


    The couch dipped beside me as he took a seat next to me. Then... warm lips grazed my neck, my shoulder, the line of my jaw. Each kiss left fire in its wake.


    When he finally reached my lips, I weed his kiss, feeling the need starting to settle in my bones. His tongue eased past my parted lips and deepening the kiss until I was feeling weak all across my body.


    He ended the kiss earlier than I expected, his lips finding its way to kiss my earlobe


    I gasped softly when his hand returned to my breasts. He tugged at the cups of my bra until they slid down, baring me to the open air. His fingers pinched, rolled, and teased at my hardened nipples, coaxing soft sounds from me no matter how hard I tried to swallow them.


    But then...


    I gasped, louder this time, when something hot and wet flicked against me. His tongue.


    A moan broke free as he sucked and licked, and just when I thought I could sink into it, the same sensation came on my other nipple.


    My heart lurched.


    Wait... two at once?


    And then it hit me in a rush.


    Oscar.


    The realization stole thest of myposure. A cry slipped past my lips. My body arched instinctively, trapped between both sensations - Draven¡¯s tongue at one peak, Oscar¡¯s at the other.


    The blindfold only intensified everything, every nerve on fire, every sound louder, every touch magnified.


    I tugged faintly against the silk binding my wrists, but it held me secure, leaving me open to them. My breaths came fast, uneven, as I tried to ground myself, but their mouths moved in tandem, relentless and devastating.


    My world narrowed to heat, silk, and sensation.


    And I waspletely at their mercy.

 Chapter 278: The Silk Scarves (I)

    <h4>Chapter 278: The Silk Scarves (I)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t know how much more I could take.


    The heat, the shivers, the maddening pull of my bonds - everything blended into one hazy, dizzying storm that kept dragging me deeper and deeper into helplessness.


    Both their mouths were at my chest, relentless and wicked, teasing me until my mind spun. Their tongues were almost in sync, circling, grazing, and flicking over my swollen buds before closing around them with wet, sucking pulls that sent sharp jolts of pleasure rushing through my veins.


    I arched against them, my back bowing and a strangled sound breaking from my lips as the twin sensations tore through me.


    My nipples had never felt so sensitive, so unbearably alive under the dual assault of their mouths. Every swirl of their tongues left my chest aching for more, every light graze of teeth left me shuddering and tugging at my restraints. My wrists strained above me, but the silk only bit deeper into my skin, a reminder of my powerlessness.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell which of them was where anymore.


    Was it Draven¡¯s mouth tugging on my right peak while Oscar licked the left, or had they switched? I swore I felt them switch ces once, maybe twice... but maybe it was only a trick, another way of keeping me from knowing who did what.


    The bond wasn¡¯t helping either. Their energy, their scents, their heat - it all was melting together, leaving me breathless and disoriented. I couldn¡¯t separate them. Couldn¡¯t distinguish which hand belonged to whom, which mouth drove me closer to the edge.


    And the worst part? I didn¡¯t care.


    Every graze, every pull, every hot drag of tongue had me whimpering and twisting. I had be a ve to the fire licking up my nerves.


    Then, I felt a hand slipping behind my back, fumbling with the sp of my bra. My heart leapt into my throat. Maybe it was Draven, or maybe Oscar - I couldn¡¯t tell, not anymore. All I knew was the soft <i>snap</i> of the sp giving way, the sudden looseness of the fabric against my chest. The bra was pulled down my arms, but with my hands bound, the straps snagged at my wrists and left it dangling uselessly.


    Not that either of them cared.


    Their mouths only grew hungrier with the fresh ess. Their lips closed over bare skin, tongues ttening over the stiff peaks as if iming what had just been unveiled. I gasped sharply, my head falling back and my body straining to meet every wet, relentless drag they gave me. Fire spread beneath my skin, while my pulse hammered so hard I swore they could feel it.


    Then it happened... one of them moved lower.


    I felt a hand on my thigh, fingers pressing down, forcing my knee to part. My breath caught as a second hand slipped between my closed thighs, moving deliberately, almost teasingly slow. My legs started trembling, my instinct fighting to stay closed, but that firm grip kept me spread, vulnerable.


    The hand brushed up my inner thigh, closer, closer... until it stopped just at the edge of my panty-covered core.


    I sucked in a sharp breath.


    My body arched instinctively, anticipating the touch, begging for it. But instead of giving me what I so desperately wanted, the hand slipped upward again, gliding over my belly, then higher, until it cupped my breast firmly and gave it a delicious squeeze.


    A moan slipped from me. Half frustration. Half need.


    But before the sound could even fade, the hand began its journey south again. This time, slower. Crueler. My chest was rising and falling in shallow gasps as fingers dragged over my navel, lower, lower still. When they finally brushed over my covered folds, the touch was so light, so fleeting, that it made me jerk against them. My thighs were trembling with the effort to push forward and hold them there.


    The fingers grazed me again, not pulling away this time, and then slipped under the waistband of my panties.


    I froze, only for a heartbeat, before the heat of skin on skin consumed me.


    Those fingers found my folds, slick and already aching. They parted me with sinful ease, spreading the wetness before seeking out the swollen bundle of nerves throbbing with need. The moment they pressed against my clit, I cried out, the sound raw and desperate, my body jerking against the sensation.


    A chuckle answered me. Low. Dark. Taunting.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was Draven or Oscar. I couldn¡¯t focus enough to care. My entire world narrowed to the wicked fingers stroking me.


    Slow. Lazy. Drawing tight circles over my clit before dipping lower, sliding two fingers inside me.


    The sudden stretch made my knees tremble while another broken moan spilled out as my head fell forward. They pumped into me at a slow, steady rhythm, the heel of the hand pressing down while the thumb teased my clit again. My chest heaved, my nipples still caught between their mouths.


    The dual assault was too much.


    The wet suction of lips at my peaks, the hot swirl of tongues tugging me tighter, the steady rhythm of fingers plunging into me while the thumb teased my clit... it was a storm, pulling me under. My body clenched and tightened, my cries growing louder, breath breaking into gasps.


    It barely took more than a couple of minutes before I shattered.


    The orgasm ripped through me, sharp and merciless, leaving me crying out as the world went white behind my closed eyes. My body trembled violently against them, legs shaking, wrists pulling desperately at their bonds as I rode the overwhelming wave. Pleasure coursed through me in hot, shaking bursts until I sagged against the cushions behind me, breathless and chest heaving.


    I barely registered the mouths finally pulling away from my swollen nipples, the fingers slipping from inside me.


    But I did hear the whisper.


    Hot breath against my ear, the voice deep and rough.


    "I¡¯m dying to taste you, love," Draven murmured.


    The words sent a fresh shiver rolling down my spine, goosebumps prickling over my heated skin. My breath caught again, and a weak sound broke from my lips.


    <fn3f7e> Newest update provided by f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn3f7e>


    But before I could even answer, before I could even prepare myself, I felt the shift of weight, the brush of movement between my legs.


    Someone was there, slipping lower.


    Maybe it was Oscar. Maybe it was Draven. I couldn¡¯t tell.


    Maybe I was tripping. Maybe they wanted me lost like this.


    But all I knew was that whatever came next... I was powerless to stop it.

 Chapter 279: The Silk Scarves (II)

    <h4>Chapter 279: The Silk Scarves (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My body was still trembling from the first climax, the aftershocks shuddering through me when I felt fingers slipping under the waistband of my panty on either sides of m,y hips and pulling the fabric down.


    My bodyplied immediately, maybe even before my brain gave the signal. And just like that, I waspletely naked.


    I felt the person settling between my thighs, the brush of his shoulder, the warmth of his breath ghosting over my already sensitive core.


    I sucked in a breath, my bound hands twitching above me as I tried to lean up on instinct even though I was blindfolded, but a palm pressed against my sternum and pushed me firmly back against the cushions. I stayed pinned, breathless, with no choice but to feel.


    And oh Moon Goddess, I felt everything.


    A slow exhale washed over my folds, hot and teasing, raising goosebumps across my damp skin. My hips jerked forward instinctively, chasing it, but a hand mped down on my thigh, keeping me still. The grip was iron, leaving no room for disobedience.


    Then... finally... lips.


    The first kissnded just at the crease of my thigh, far from where I wanted them. A slow, deliberate press of mouth to skin, followed by another just beside it. My head fell back while frustration curled in my belly, every nerve ending burning in anticipation.


    They were drawing it out.


    Another kiss, higher. Another, lower. Soft, iming, almost reverent - each one dragging me higher, tighter, without even touching where I needed them most. My breath hitched, a broken sound catching in my throat.


    And then... finally... the first wet stroke of tongue over my folds.


    I nearly cried out.


    The touch was slow, a long,nguid drag that parted me easily, the heat of their mouth pressing in close. My legs started trembling violently, knees straining against the grip that were holding them apart. My hips tried to arch forward, but the hand pinning me kept me down, forcing me to take whatever rhythm they chose to give.


    The tongue circledzily once, twice, before dipping lower, stroking through my slick folds, teasing at my entrance before gliding back up. When it finally brushed over my clit, the jolt made me gasp aloud, a shudder wracking my body.


    I couldn¡¯t tell who it was.


    Draven had always carried a certain wickedness in his touch, a yful cruelty that made me ache. Oscar, though, was darker, more deliberate, like he wanted to consume me whole. But here, now... tongue swirling over me, lips closing to suck gently on my clit before pulling back to lick again... I couldn¡¯t separate them.


    Maybe they wanted me confused.


    Maybe that was the point.


    While the mouth worked between my thighs, the other hand - whose hand, I couldn¡¯t say - returned to my chest. Fingers pinched and rolled my swollen nipple, tugging lightly before soothing it with a soft rub. My whole body twisted at the dual sensation, torn between the wet heat below and the sharp flickers above.


    I moaned helplessly, the broken sound filling the air.


    The tongue moved faster now, flicking over my clit in quick, merciless strokes before ttening against me and dragging slowly up through my folds again. The rhythm was maddening - fast and slow, relentless and teasing all at once. My thighs trembled harder, my wrists tugging desperately at the bonds, wanting... needing... to sink my fingers into someone¡¯s hair, to anchor myself to something solid.


    But I couldn¡¯t. I was bound, spread, open and helpless under them.


    The thought only made the heat spiral tighter.


    Then came the fingers.


    Two of them slid inside me again without warning, filling me, stretching me, pumping in a rhythm that matched the tongue working over my clit. I cried out loudly this time, my back arching clean off the surface.


    My body was a mess of sensations - the wet suction at my clit, the pumping fingers curling deep inside me, the sharp tug at my nipple. It was too much, too sharp, too good.


    "Please-" I gasped, not even knowing what I was begging for. Release? More? To know who was breaking me apart like this? My voice dissolved into another moan as the tongue pressed harder against my clit, circling, sucking, teasing me right to the edge.


    The chuckle came again - dark, low, vibrating against my skin where his mouth was buried between my thighs.


    It wrecked me.


    Pleasure coiled hotter, tighter, my body clenching helplessly around the fingers driving into me. Every stroke, every lick, every flick of tongue sent me higher until I couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t think, couldn¡¯t do anything but fall apart.


    The orgasm ripped through me violently.


    Stronger than the first.


    It tore a cry from my throat. My body convulsed as the pleasure burst sharp and overwhelming. My thighs shook uncontrobly, my hips jerking against the mouth that didn¡¯t stop, that kept licking, sucking, teasing even as I shattered. I was clenching so hard around the fingers inside me that I thought I might break. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes from the sheer force of the orgasm, dampening the silk covering them.


    <fn4aa9> For original chapters go to find[f]ovel</fn4aa9>


    The wave kept rolling, over and over, leaving me trembling, gasping, utterly undone.


    I copsed back, with my chest heaving and every nerve ending alight. My body was still twitching with aftershocks as the mouth finally pulled away from my thoroughly devoured core.


    But even then, even as Iy there wrecked and panting, I couldn¡¯t tell who it had been.


    Draven? Oscar?


    The bonds between us swirled, tangled, making the heat and energy indistinguishable. Maybe they were both in on it. Maybe the one who had whispered wasn¡¯t the one who went down on me at all.


    I didn¡¯t know.


    And I was slowlying to the realization that this was my punishment that Draven had prepared -pletely at loss to tell them apart, not being able to see them pleasure me or to be able to touch them.


    He surely was cruel.

 Chapter 280: The Silk Scarves (III)

    <h4>Chapter 280: The Silk Scarves (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong><fncd09> Original content can be found at Find1Novel</fncd09>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The aftershocks were still rippling through me, leaving my chest heaving, my skin flushed, and my body twitching with the echoes of the second orgasm. My arms ached where they were bound, but the ache was drowned under the heavy, molten heat still pooling low in my belly.


    And then... warmth.


    A mouth brushed over mine, soft but unyielding, iming me before I had the chance to even take another breath. My heart pounded as I tried to recognize who it was. But when lips parted mine and a tongue slid between them, my heart lurched.


    I tasted myself.


    Not the sharp tang of Draven¡¯s darker, spiced essence, nor the subtle sweetness that always clung to Oscar. No, this was me. My own taste smeared across his lips, spread on his tongue, making it impossible to tell who it was.


    A groan broke from my throat, muffled into the kiss - half frustration, half surrender.


    The man chuckled lowly into my mouth, the vibration passing into me as he cupped the back of my head, holding me firmly in ce. His grip was strong, steady,manding. I could do nothing but melt into it, my body arching weakly as the kiss deepened, tongues tangling, his taste and mine mixing into something that stole my breath.


    When the kiss finally broke, my head was spinning, lips swollen, chest still heaving as if I hadn¡¯t been given air. Before I could even gather my bearings, strong arms slid beneath me.


    I gasped as I was lifted off the couch, my bound wrists brushing against his chest.


    The sound of footsteps followed, firm and unhurried. Then the creak of a hinge. A door opened, closed. My ears strained, my heart racing.


    Then... softness.


    The sheets beneath me were cool, making me shiver as my overheated skin met them. A low sigh left me as I shifted, the faint chill was a shocking contrast to the heat radiating through my body.


    I didn¡¯t have time to savor it.


    Because they were both there.


    Mouths, hot and insistent, trailing over my body again, stealing any sense of space or time. Lips grazed my belly, my sides, my breasts, my throat - greedy, iming, tasting every inch of me.


    Then a mouth found mine again. I recognized it instantly... the same one from before. The same faint taste of myself lingering on the tongue as it slid against mine, deepening the kiss until I was gasping, moaning into him, giving up all hope of separating one man from the other.


    My body arched helplessly into the kiss, and that was when I felt movement between my legs.


    The sheets dipped as someone settled lower, spreading my thighs gently but firmly. My breath caught when I felt his skin brushing mine, hot and bare. At some point, while I had been lost in the dizzying kiss, the other one had shed his clothes.


    My mind spun at the realization.


    And then I felt him.


    The thick length of him pressed against my folds, hard and unyielding, sliding slowly over my slick heat. He rubbed deliberately over my swollen clit, teasing, sending sharp sparks racing through my already overstimted body. My hips jerked involuntarily, chasing the sensation.


    Being pregnant made my body more sensitive than ever. Every brush, every touch, every press of his length over my folds had me gasping, thighs trembling, belly tightening faintly with the strain of pleasure.


    The head of his length nudged against me again, sliding easily through the wetness coating my folds. My body clenched in anticipation, knowing what wasing, helpless against the instinctive need to be filled.


    And then... he pressed forward.


    The blunt tip slipped inside me with sinful ease as my body yielded without resistance. A strangled moan tore from me as I felt him stretch me, fill me, sink deeper, inch by inch. My head fell back against the sheets, lips parting in a wordless cry as my body adjusted around the thick intrusion.


    It was almost too much - pregnancy had made me tighter, more sensitive, every nerve ending sharper. The sensation was overwhelming, drawing a helpless whimper from my throat.


    A mouth swallowed that sound.


    The same mouth, the same taste, pressing hard against mine as if to silence me, as if to im me entirely. His tongue tangled with mine, rough and demanding, while below, the other man¡¯s hardness seated fully inside me with one final thrust.


    I was filledpletely, stretched around him, my body fluttering helplessly in response.


    He didn¡¯t linger.


    The moment I adjusted, he pulled back only to drive into me again - slow at first, deliberate, making me feel every thick inch of him. My thighs started trembling violently as the rhythm built, each thrust pushing deeper, dragging against every sensitive ce inside me.


    My bound wrists tugged desperately above my head, my chest heaving, breasts bouncing with each roll of his hips. My belly shifted faintly with the force of it, a reminder of the child inside me, but even that only heightened the sensation, made me more aware of how utterly consumed I was by the two men around me.


    The one kissing me groaned into my mouth, cupping the side of my head, keeping me pressed against him as if he couldn¡¯t bear to let me go.


    The one inside me was moving faster now, hips snapping against mine, his length sliding through my slick heat, every thrust rubbing against the swollen bundle of nerves inside that made stars burst behind my eyes.


    I broke the kiss with a cry, my head thrashing against the pillows.


    I couldn¡¯t tell who it was.


    Was it Oscar¡¯s yful cruelty that had him pounding into me this way, or Draven¡¯s dark hunger that made him im my mouth so mercilessly? My bonds blurred it all, the taste, the heat, the rhythm, leaving me lost, floating, drowning in pleasure.


    Another thrust hit deep, and I shattered again.


    My body mped around him hard, the orgasm tearing through me with brutal force. I cried out, raw and breathless, my back arching high as I clenched around him while trembling uncontrobly. My belly tightened faintly again, heat spilling through me in wave after wave until I copsed back against the sheets, boneless, gasping.


    But he didn¡¯t stop.


    Even as I trembled and broke beneath him, he kept moving, relentless, each thrust drawing out the pleasure, keeping me trapped in the spiral of sensation.


    And above me, that same mouth descended again, swallowing my moans, iming me with every heated stroke of tongue.


    I couldn¡¯t tell who was who.


    And maybe... I didn¡¯t want to.

 Chapter 281: The Silk Scarves (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 281: The Silk Scarves (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been lost to them.


    Time didn¡¯t exist anymore. Only sensation. Only heat. Only the steady rhythm of his hips mming into mine, stretching me, filling me, taking me.


    My chest heaved as air tore in and out of my lungs, and my blindfold pressed against my skin, turning my world into darkness. Every sense was stolen, narrowed until there was nothing but the sound of my moans, their low groans, and the slick, obscene sounds of our bodies colliding.


    The man inside me was relentless, his thrusts hard, deep, angled just so that every stroke rubbed against the ce inside me that made me cry out. I could feel my body shift faintly under the force, a reminder of how vulnerable I was, how close to the edge of breakingpletely.


    My body was already wrung out from the first three orgasms, trembling, oversensitive... but he gave me no escape. His length drove into me again and again, stretching me tighter, pushing me higher.


    And I shattered.


    Another orgasm ripped through me like lightning, raw and merciless. I screamed, my body bowing sharply against the binds as the pleasure tore through my core. My walls mped down on him hard, pulsing, fluttering around his length. I felt him groan against my skin, his pace faltering for the first time.


    Then, suddenly, he was gone - slipping almost fully out before he drove in onest time with a guttural sound.


    Heat flooded me, filling me deep, pulsing hot and thick inside until I gasped at the sheer intensity of it. My body clenched around him instinctively, milking him, holding him as if I didn¡¯t want to let him go.


    I copsed back, boneless, trembling from head to toe, my chest rising and falling in ragged gasps. My mind spun, barely tethered to my body, bliss still pulsing through me in violent aftershocks.


    But I wasn¡¯t given time to recover.


    The moment his weight shifted away, strong hands grabbed me, rolling me onto my side. My blindfold kept the world ck, but I could feel everything - the cool sheets against my cheek, the binds tugging against my wrists. A hand curled under my thigh and lifted it, spreading me open even as I whimpered from overstimtion.


    And then, I felt him.


    The second one.


    Thicker, hotter, pressing against my soaked entrance with no hesitation. My body, already drenched and stretched from the first, offered no resistance. He slid in with one deep, sure thrust, burying himself inside me until I gasped aloud, arching into the sheets.


    The sudden fullness stole the air from my lungs, a sharp cry breaking from me as my body clenched violently around him. I was still pulsing, still trembling from thest orgasm, and now he was there, filling me anew, stretching me all over again.


    I couldn¡¯t think. Couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯tprehend anything but him.


    He didn¡¯t start slow.


    No teasing. No testing.


    He drove into me with a hunger that bordered on savage, hips snapping hard, the sound of flesh meeting flesh filling the air. My bound wrists jerked where he was holding them above my head, while I clung desperately to the sheets, blind and helpless, every nerve lit on fire.


    The new angle had me moaning uncontrobly. Each thrust pushed him deeper, hitting ces inside me that had me crying out, begging though I didn¡¯t even know what for. My belly was pressed into the sheets, my swollen breasts were brushing against the fabric, the binds biting harder into my wrists as my body twisted and strained under him.


    A mouth found mine again.


    Hot. Demanding. Familiar.


    <fn7cb6> Discover more novels at Find[F]ovel</fn7cb6>


    I didn¡¯t taste myself on his tongue. But I still couldn¡¯t tell who he was. He swallowed my cries, my gasps, his hand cupping the back of my head as he kissed me with brutal possession.


    My mind was spinning.


    Who was inside me now? Oscar? Draven? Did it matter? The bonds made their energies blur together, left me drowning in heat and confusion. All I knew was the ruthless pace of his thrusts, the slick slide of his length, the way my body pulsed and fluttered helplessly around him.


    I broke the kiss with a sob, my blindfold turning damp as I cried out again.


    The overstimtion was unbearable.


    Every thrust rubbed against my clit, every deep stroke pressed against the ache inside me, every kiss stole my breath. My body, already pushed past its limit, spiraled toward another climax I couldn¡¯t stop even if I had wanted to.


    "Please-" The word broke from my lips, weak and raw, swallowed again by the kiss.


    He didn¡¯t stop.


    If anything, he moved harder, faster, his hips mming against mine with relentless force. The hand on my thigh tightened, holding me wide open, forcing me to take every brutal stroke. My bound wrists ached, my throat burned from the moans spilling out of me, and my body clenched faintly with the strain.


    The orgasm tore through me with violent force.


    The fifth one.


    I screamed into the kiss, my body convulsing, walls mping down so tight around him that I felt his rhythm falter. My legs trembled violently. My hips jerked helplessly as the climax ripped me apart, wave after wave crashing through me until I thought I might break.


    And still he moved.


    Through my shuddering release, he thrust into me, chasing his own. My body fluttered around him, pulling him deeper, milking him until finally, with a guttural growl, he mmed into me onest time and spilled himself deep inside.


    Hot. Thick. Filling mepletely until I whimpered at the sensation of being so utterly imed again.


    The world spun around me.


    I copsed against the sheets, trembling, my chest heaving as thest aftershocks faded. I could feel them both - one¡¯s weight still pressing into me, the other¡¯s lips brushing faintly over my damp cheek.


    I still didn¡¯t know who was who.


    And I was too tired to care anymore.

 Chapter 282: In Their Arms

    <h4>Chapter 282: In Their Arms</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Iy there, trembling, every muscle in my body aching from the intensity of what they had put me through. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath.


    Someone finally freed my wrists, but they felt heavy, useless, like they belonged to someone else. The blindfold was gone too secondster, but my eyes remained closed, refusing to meet theirs.


    I could still feel them on me - warm hands smoothing over my belly, fingers ghosting over my hips, lips pressing kisses over the marks they had left on my skin. My body was humming with aftershocks, my thighs felt weak, and my core was still pulsing faintly from thest wave they had dragged me into. Yet I didn¡¯t give them a word. Not even a sigh in response.


    I was mad.


    Or at least I wanted to be.


    They had pushed me, yed me, left me confused, lost, floating in a sea where I couldn¡¯t tell whose touch belonged to whom. I had begged in ways I never thought I would, broken apart in their hands... and instead of giving me rity, they drowned me in mystery.


    So I stayed silent.


    If they wanted my words, they would have to earn them.


    The bed dipped as one of them moved, and then a warm, damp cloth brushed against my skin. I startled at the touch, myshes fluttering open only for me to quickly avert my gaze, staring at the wall instead of at them. The cloth moved carefully over my chest, down my belly, between my thighs - gentle now, tender, so unlike the ruthless way they had imed me just moments ago.


    "You are still shaking, love" Draven murmured, his voice low and coaxing. "Don¡¯t hold it in, Eva. Let us take care of you."


    I pressed my lips tighter, refusing to answer.


    I felt him shifting closer before his arm slid beneath my shoulders and he pulled me against his chest. His familiar scent wrapped around me, and I was finally able to tell him apart from Oscar. He brushed his fingers through my hair, slow and unhurried, as if untangling the chaos they had left me in.


    "Mad at us, hm?" he whispered against my temple. There was a smile in his tone. A knowing one. "I can feel it... you want to re at us, don¡¯t you? But you can¡¯t even keep your eyes open."


    I exhaled sharply through my nose, trying to push against his chest, but it was half-hearted at best. My strength was gone, and he knew it.


    Oscar returned with a fresh cloth, this one warm instead of damp, and he pressed it against my inner thighs, cleaning me with patience. Every stroke was careful, reverent almost, like he was afraid I would break apartpletely if he wasn¡¯t gentle enough.


    "Easy, sweetheart," he murmured when my hips twitched from the sensitivity. "We have got you."


    I wanted to tell him to stop calling me that, but the word wrapped itself around me, softening the edges of my anger.


    When he finished, the cloth was taken away, and then I felt the brush of a nket being pulled over me. Thick, soft, smelling faintly ofvender. Draven adjusted both of us, tucking the nket around my shoulders, his hand smoothing down my arm as though sealing me inside the warmth.


    "You are too quiet," he teased gently, his lips brushing my hairline. "Usually by now, you would have started arguing. Telling me exactly what you think of my punishment."


    I turned my face into his chest, hiding my expression.


    <fn4140> Read full story at find~novel</fn4140>


    Maybe I wanted to argue. Maybe I wanted to scold them for pushing me that far when this was my first time with both of them together, for not letting me catch my breath, for making me fall apart so helplessly. But the truth was... I didn¡¯t regret it. Not the way they touched me, not the way they made me feel alive, even when my body ached and my heart burned with frustration.


    I hated that they knew me too well. That they knew silence was never my weapon... it was my shield.


    "Don¡¯t be mad, little mate," Oscar said, his voice softer now. He had settled on the other side of me, his fingers trailing over the barely there swell of my belly. He caressed it with such care that my chest squeezed. "You are everything to us. You know that, don¡¯t you?"


    My throat tightened, but I didn¡¯t answer.


    He pressed a kiss against my belly, right where our pup shifted faintly under his palm. "You have every right to be mad... but let me remind you, not once you asked us to stop."


    That was right. I couldn¡¯t argue about that. I didn¡¯t ask them to stop because I didn¡¯t want them to stop.


    Draven shifted his hold on me, pulling me even closer, until I had no choice but to melt against him. His hand slid up my back, rubbing slow, soothing circles. "It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll spoil you until you forgive us," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. "Stroke that stubbornness away until you are soft again."


    A tiny sound escaped me before I could hold it back - a half-groan, half-whimper of frustration. He chuckled, the sound vibrating against me.


    "There it is," he said softly. "The sound I was waiting for."


    I wanted to re at him, but my eyelids were too heavy. My body was exhausted, sinking deeper into the mattress with each passing moment. Their warmth surrounded me, one pressed against my front, the other against my back, their bodies creating a cocoon I couldn¡¯t escape.


    And maybe... I didn¡¯t want to.


    Because for all my stubbornness, all my silence, the truth was that my heart was already melting under their touch.


    The kisses to my temple, the hand in my hair, the tender strokes over my belly... it was too much. Too much to keep holding onto the anger when every inch of me was wrapped in their love.


    "Sleep, mate," Draven whispered as he kissed my forehead.


    Oscar moved closer, his bare chest pressed against my bare back. Then, I felt the soft brush of his lips on the back of my neck.


    I let out a shaky breath, my resistance slipping away. Myshes fluttered closed, and this time, I didn¡¯t fight it.


    Thest thing I felt was their arms tightening around me, their breaths syncing with mine, their warmth seeping into my bones. And then, finally, I let go - falling asleep in the only ce I couldn¡¯t pretend to be angry.


    In their arms.

 Chapter 283: They Planned Everything

    <h4>Chapter 283: They nned Everything</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The shrill buzz of my rm sliced through the stillness of the room, dragging me unwillingly out of sleep. For a moment, Iy there confused, blinking against the soft glow that wasing from a dimmp nearby.


    I found myself cocooned in warmth, familiar andforting, and I buried my face deeper into the pillow with a faint groan.


    But then it hit me.


    This wasn¡¯t my room at the Academy. This wasn¡¯t my bed. The steady rhythm of a heartbeat beneath my ear reminded me I wasn¡¯t even alone.


    I froze. Slowly, I tilted my head upward and met thezy half-awake eyes of Oscar, his arm still draped possessively over my waist. On my other side, Draven stirred, muttering something under his breath as if he was annoyed at the rm for disturbing his peace.


    Heat rushed to my face instantly. Memories fromst night - every whispered word, every searing kiss, every moment they had unraveled me - came crashing back like a tidal wave. My entire body flushed hot, my skin prickling with the ghost of their touch. I swallowed hard, wishing I could somehow sink into the mattress and disappear.


    Four times. They had pushed me to the brink four times until I was trembling and boneless in their arms. And now, lying between them in the quiet aftermath, I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to scream, run, or hide.


    Oscar¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile as his eyes roamed over my burning face. "Morning, little mate," he murmured, his voice husky with sleep.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I couldn¡¯t. My heart was pounding so fast I thought they could hear it echo in the room.


    Instead, I scrambled upright, clutching the nket to my chest like a shield. "It¡¯s Sunday," I blurted, more to myself than them. "The internship. I-I need to get to headquarters-"


    Panic surged through me. My schedule shed in my mind, the half day I was supposed to spend working on the Nightshade Pack¡¯s report. And me? I was here, away from the academy and tangled in bed with two mates who seemed far too calm about it.


    Draven finally opened his eyes. He sat up, stretching with azy elegance, and then said simply, "Rx. You¡¯ll be there on time."


    "Rx?" I asked, my voice carrying my inner turmoil. "I don¡¯t even have clothes, Draven! I can¡¯t show up in-" I nced down at the nket that was the only thing keeping me covered.


    Draven¡¯s lips twitched, but he didn¡¯t smile. He reached to the nightstand, picked up my phone, and handed it to me. "I already thought of that. You don¡¯t need to worry about clothes. Everything you¡¯ll need is here."


    I blinked at him. "Everything?"


    He nodded once, matter-of-fact. "Fresh clothes, toiletries, whatever you would need. I made sure of it."


    That only made my blush deepen. My mates had nned all of this - like they knew I would end up staying the night. Like they had expected me to break.


    "You should text Mr. Wood," he added calmly. "Tell him not toe pick you up. Oscar and I will drop you at headquarters."


    Oscar hummed in agreement, still sprawled on the bed like he had no intention of moving. "Unless you would rather show up with bed hair and wearing our clothes," he teased.


    My re shot to him immediately, but it only earned me a low chuckle. My face felt like it was on fire. Without answering either of them, I pulled the nket off them. Clutching it tightly around me, I climbed out of bed and padded toward the bathroom.


    I could feel their eyes on me as I walked, the heavy weight of their attention like invisible fingers brushing over my skin. My legs wobbled slightly, still sore fromst night, and I hated how much it reminded me of everything.


    Inside the bathroom, I paused. My breath caught.


    They really had prepared everything. A toothbrush, still sealed in its package. My favorite shower gel and the shampoo brand I used were neatly ced on the counter. Even a light green bathrobe and a soft towel were sitting folded on the rack.


    Standing in front of the mirror, I pressed the heels of my palms against my burning cheeks. "What am I doing," I whispered to myself.


    I should have been furious. Embarrassed. Determined to keep distance. But instead, my heart felt like it was unraveling thread by thread, pulled by their quiet care, their maddening calmness. Even when they had taken me apartst night, they had been careful with me. Even now, they were making sure I didn¡¯t have to worry about the small things.


    I hated how much that meant to me.


    Shaking my head, I quickly freshen up before heading out. Oscar was still in bed while Draven was on his phone. Thetter looked up even he heard my movement.


    Even before I could have said anything, he made his way toward me and handed me a short that looked just my size, and... a shirt that undoubtedly belonged to him.


    "Thank you," I said as I took the clothes and headed back to the bathroom to get dressed.


    <fn3304> Find the newest release on fin?novel</fn3304>


    I was too sore to do my morning stretching and exercises, so I decided to return to the bed and go through my history presentation on my phone.


    By the time I finished revising all thirty slides, I heard the shower running in the bathroom. Oscar was still in the bed, which meant it was Draven who slipped inside while I was focused. Of course, he would be up and moving before anyone else. That was just like him.


    I put aside my phone, and pulled my hair into a messy bun as I listened to the faint ssh of water behind the door. For a second, a dangerous thought crossed my mind - how it would feel to join him, the heat of his body under the spray - but I quickly shook it off. Absolutely not.


    Instead, I sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through my phone as I drafted a message to Mr. Wood.


    <i>Good morning, Mr. Wood. You can have the day off today. My friend will be dropping and picking me up today.</i>


    When Draven emerged, towel slung around his waist and droplets of water still clinging to his skin, I snapped my eyes away instantly, pretending to be very invested in my phone screen. My face felt like it mightbust.


    "Bathroom¡¯s free," he said, his tone carrying a teasing undertone. But he didn¡¯t say anything further and stepped out of the bedroom without another word.


    I exhaled shakily, then stood and gathered the courage to head for the shower myself.


    But just as I stepped inside and reached for the door to close it... a hand caught it from the other side, and in the next second Oscar slipped in, shutting it firmly behind him.

 Chapter 284: Already Hers

    <h4>Chapter 284: Already Hers</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I kept my gaze fixed on her wide, startled eyes as the bathroom door clicked shut. She had been about to close the door on me, but I slipped in before she could. For once, I couldn¡¯t help it.


    I wasn¡¯t supposed to want this much. I wasn¡¯t supposed to need this badly. And yet... here I was, my chest tight, my heartbeat unsteady, my gaze locked on the one person who could shatter me with a single word.


    Her lips parted, just the smallest bit. "Oscar..."


    That sound alone nearly undid me.


    I had built my whole life on restraint, on keeping myself controlled and unshakable. River led, Kieranforted, Draven fought - but me? I had been the silent shadow, the calcting one, the cold and untouchable one. And everyone believed it. Everyone thought nothing could touch me.


    But she did. My mate did.


    Every time her amber eyes found mine, I felt it... the unraveling. Every time her hand touched me, I burned. Every time she breathed my name, I broke a little more inside.


    And here, in the silence of the bathroom, she was staring at me with questions swarming her beautiful eyes.


    I reached for her before I could think. My fingers brushed her arm, then slid down until they caught her wrist. I wasn¡¯t rough. I wouldn¡¯t dare after previous night.


    Letting go of her wrist, I started unbuttoning Draven¡¯s shirt she had put on earlier. I removed it and put it aside on the counter. Then I crouched to pull down the shorts, and sheplied without a single word.


    Thest piece of fabric to go was my own pajama. The moment we both were naked, I pulled her into the shower and turned on the warm water.


    The sound of rushing water filled the space between us, but it wasn¡¯t enough to drown out the pounding of my heart.


    "Don¡¯t run from me," I said quietly, the words almost breaking against my tongue.


    She blinked, surprised. And then, she smiled.


    Her body softened, leaning into mine, and in that moment I knew... I wasn¡¯t going to be able to keep myself restrained for too long.


    The heat of the shower sprayed against us, soaking both of us as I bent down and pressed my lips to her forehead. It was such a simple kiss, such a small thing, and yet I felt the weight of it in my chest. She stilled against me, her breath hitching, her hands moving to my waist before she finally touched me back.


    Her fingers came in contact with my bare skin, clinging. And I - Moon Goddess help me - I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    <fndea8> Th?s chapter is updated by F?ndNovel</fndea8>


    I cupped her face in my hands, tilting her head up, and when our eyes met, there was no thought, no restraint left in me. Just her. Always her.


    When my lips brushed hers, I swore my entire world shifted. The first kiss was soft, testing. But when she sighed against my mouth, the dam inside me broke.


    I deepened it, desperate and aching, my tongue brushing hers, swallowing her small sounds. She rose on her toes to meet me halfway, pressing herself against me with a need that echoed my own. And suddenly, there was no space left. No distance.


    I pressed her back against the tiled wall, my palms braced on either side of her head as I kissed her like she was the only thing that mattered. Because she was.


    "Eva," I murmured against her lips, my voice rougher than I had intended. "You have no idea..."


    Hershes fluttered. "Then show me."


    I wasn¡¯t expecting her to say that, not after knowing fully well how sore she was afterst night.


    The water streamed over her shoulders, over the curve of her neck, and I bent to taste it, to taste her. My lips moved along the line of her throat, down to the hollow of her corbone. She shivered, and when I felt it, my chest constricted painfully.


    I wanted to mark every inch of her, to memorize her skin beneath my mouth. My wolf kept telling me that we should mark her, im her as ours for the rest of her life.


    But I couldn¡¯t do it. Not now. Before marking her, all four of us needed to sit down and talk. And right now, her rtion with River was too fragile for such an important talk.


    I was pulled out of my thoughts when she lightly nipped at my lower lip, taking me aback for a second before I was consumed by her kiss.


    She arched into me, her fingers threading into my hair, holding me closer as if she couldn¡¯t stand the thought of letting go. And stars, the sound that tore from me then... it wasn¡¯t something I would ever let another person hear. A low, broken groan.


    She had no idea what she was doing to me. Or maybe she did.


    Her softest touches were enough to undo everything I thought I was. Every drag of her nails along my neck. Every sigh against my ear. Every quiet gasp when I pushed closer.


    I wasn¡¯t just kissing her anymore... I was worshipping her.


    When I finally entered her, it wasn¡¯t with the roughness she experiencedst night. No, there was only reverence. My hands shook as I held her hips, guiding her slowly, carefully, until she gasped against my shoulder.


    I buried my face in her neck, my breaths uneven, my chest pressing to hers as though I needed her heartbeat to keep me steady.


    "Eva," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Mine."


    She clung to me tighter, her nails biting into my back, and I knew she had heard me.


    Every thrust was measured, tender despite the desperation burning through me.


    Her cries filled the bathroom, her body trembling against mine, and I kissed away every sound, every shiver, every tear of pleasure that escaped her. I wanted to take it all, wanted to give her more, wanted to be the reason she forgot everything else.


    And when her body clenched around me, when she shattered with my name on her lips, I lost myselfpletely.


    The release tore through me, but even then, I couldn¡¯t stop holding her. Couldn¡¯t stop murmuring her name like it was the only word I would ever need.


    Afterward, I didn¡¯t let go. Not even when she sagged against me, breathless and weak. I held her in my arms under the warm spray of water, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other tracing slow circles down her spine.


    Her cheek pressed against my chest, and I swore I could feel her heartbeat syncing with mine.


    And in that fragile silence, I realized that I had long lost this battle.


    I was already hers. Entirely, hopelessly, and irrevocably hers.

 Chapter 285: Clash of Scents

    <h4>Chapter 285: sh of Scents</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My body was sore in ces I hadn¡¯t known could ache, and my cheeks burned when my mind betrayed me with shes of the night... and the shower earlier that had nearly stolen every ounce of strength from me.


    The two men had finally left me alone to get ready, and I was grateful because otherwise I would be runningte.


    It turned out Draven had bought a couple of pairs of clothes for me in case of such... emergencies. There were options for formal, casual, and even pajamas. Every color, every style, every print was ording to my preference. And the realization of how thoughtful and attentive he was, made my heart fill with warmth.


    I chose dark blue trousers, a white woolen turtleneck top, a beige long coat, and my white boots toplete the look.


    There was even skincare and makeup products, but I only used the former. I pulled my freshly blown out hair in a low ponytail and put on my charm bracelet and the pendant - both gifts from my mates.


    Once I was ready, I pulled my phone out of charging and headed out of the room. Draven was still in the kitchen while Oscar was busy setting up the dining table.


    As I made my way to the dining table, he pulled out a chair for me to sit. But the moment I did, my body protested, making me wince a little.


    "You are sore," he stated simply, as if he could feel the ache in my bones himself.


    I turned my head to look at him, my eyebrows arched high.


    His mouth curved just slightly. It was barely a smile, but enough to undo me. "Don¡¯t be mad, little mate. I¡¯ll give you a massageter. An hour, at least. So you can sit through your studying tonight without wincing every time you shift."


    My heart gave a stupid flutter. He always said things like that, as if his way of loving was in the quiet promises, the unshakable care hidden beneath steel.


    Before I could answer, Draven¡¯s voice carried back from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"


    The warmth of the food pulled me in despite myself. Draven had prepared a hearty meal - thick vegetable stew, warm bread fresh from the oven, and spiced tea that filled the little house with a fragrantfort.


    "Sorry about the soreness, sweetheart." Draven said as he took his seat at the table.


    I narrowed my eyes at him, but he only winked and slid a steaming bowl in front of me. "Here, drink this." He set down a small vial filled with shimmering liquid. "Potion to ease the aches. Won¡¯t erase everything, but it¡¯ll help."


    Oscar leaned back in his chair, watching me with that unreadable stare of his. "Take it," he said. "Don¡¯t argue."


    I sighed, but obeyed, the warmth of the potion spreading through me slowly, numbing the sharp edges of soreness. When I finally lifted my gaze from the meal, both men were watching me with quiet satisfaction, as if mypliance was enough to make their morning whole.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that," I muttered, tearing a piece of bread.


    "Like what?" Draven smirked.


    "Like I¡¯m... yours."


    Oscar¡¯s voice cut in, firm and certain. "That¡¯s because you are."


    Heat flushed up my neck, but I busied myself with food instead of replying.


    Later, Draven drove me to the Council HQ, the forest path winding down the mountain nketed in snow. His hand kept slipping over to my thigh, his thumb brushingzily against my skin even as he kept his eyes on the road.


    "You¡¯ll be back before evening, right?" he asked.


    "Half day," I nodded.


    "Good. Don¡¯t overwork yourself. One of us wille to pick you up."


    When the car rolled to a stop outside the HQ, he didn¡¯t let me leave right away. His hand caught my wrist, tugging me back into a long, lingering kiss that left my lips tingling and my cheeks warm. By the time he let me go, I was flustered and nearlyte.


    "Go," he said with a grin, voice low. "Or I¡¯ll keep you here all day."


    I shoved him lightly before stepping out into the cold.


    The moment I stepped into River¡¯s office, my smile abandoned me.


    He was there.


    Seated behind his desk. His presence was filling the entire room, heavy and suffocating like the weight of the storm outside. His deep green eyes lifted the second I entered, and my steps faltered.


    "River..." I whispered.


    His gaze sharpened, darkening as it swept over me. And then, before I could even breathe, his nostrils red.


    My heart skipped.


    His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing with something dangerous. "Oscar. Draven." His voice was low, sharp enough to cut through air. "You are covered in their scents."


    My entire face went up in mes.


    <fndc6b> Find the newest release on find[f]ovel</fndc6b>


    I stammered, "I-I..." but words failed me.


    He rose from his chair with the kind of controlled grace that made my stomach knot, his height and presence overwhelming as he stepped around the desk.


    The scent between us grew heavier - his own, thick and demanding, shing against the lingering traces of my other mates. I wanted to disappear, but my body betrayed me, frozen under the intensity of his gaze.


    "You came to work like this," he murmured, each word edged in ice. "Parading their marks, their scent."


    I flinched, my ears burning so hot I swore they might melt the snow outside. "I didn¡¯t mean-"


    "Didn¡¯t mean?" His steps closed the space between us until I had to tilt my chin up to meet his eyes. "Or didn¡¯t care?"


    My throat tightened. There was always this between us these days, or maybe it had always been here but I didn¡¯t dare notice - this unbearable tension, this pull that made me dizzy. He was ruthless, untouchable, yet every nce, every word wrapped around me like a chain.


    "I came here to work," I managed, forcing the words past the lump in my throat.


    His eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but then his hand braced against the wall behind me, caging me in. His scent wrapped around me, far more intoxicating than it had any right to be.


    "You think I don¡¯t notice?" he whispered, voice dangerously low. "The way you look at me. The way you burn when I¡¯m near."


    My breath caught. "I don¡¯t-"


    He leaned closer, his lips brushing just near my ear without touching. "Do you know how hard it is for me? To see them on you? To smell them on you? When all I want is to-" He cut himself off sharply, his jaw tightening, as though his own words threatened to betray too much.


    The office was spinning, my pulse hammering so loudly it drowned everything else out.


    This wasn¡¯t how I thought my day would start.


    Not with River¡¯s voice in my ear, not with his body close enough to ignite every nerve in mine, not with his truth pressing so dangerously close to mine.


    And yet, even as I stood there trembling, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to step away.

 Chapter 286: He Knows Her Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 286: He Knows Her Weakness</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence stretched between us like a taut string ready to snap. My back was pressed lightly against the wall, my hands fisting my coat on my sides, and yet it wasn¡¯t the cold wall behind me that sent shivers spiraling through my body. It was him. The sheer weight of his presence - his towering frame, the storm in his stunning deep green eyes.


    I held his gaze, searching, trying to decipher what exactly was going through his mind. But River was a fortress, as always. His expression gave nothing away save for the faint tension around his jaw, the faint re of his nostrils as though every ounce of his control was being tested.


    Then, without warning, he closed his eyes. His chest expanded with a slow, deep inhale, and I naively thought that he was trying to calm himself down. That perhaps he was reminding himself to be civil with me, his assistant, his mate, the one who seemed to always push his boundaries without meaning to.


    But the illusion shattered a heartbeatter. His lips curled into a curse, guttural and low, followed by a deep growl that rolled from his chest like thunder.


    I flinched.


    It took me only a second to realize what had happened. He had inhaled me. He had pulled my scent into his lungs... except not just my scent. Their scent. Oscar¡¯s and Draven¡¯s.


    His eyes snapped open, and the re he leveled at me was sharp enough to slice me in half. As if all of this - my existence, my arrival, my very nerve to stand in his office smelling like his brothers - was my fault.


    I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it. I hadn¡¯t imagined, not for one moment, that he would notice this easily. That the second I stepped into his office, he would smell Oscar and Draven clinging to me, woven into my skin like a secondyer. And even if I had considered it - how was I supposed to predict this reaction?


    I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but he beat me to it.


    "Do you know," he said suddenly, his voice sharp but controlled, "that your mates¡¯ scent on you is... special?"


    I blinked. My lips parted, but nothing came out. Special? What was he even talking about?


    He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "Oscar and Draven didn¡¯t just mark you with their scents carelessly. The way you are carrying them... only your mates would notice. No one else in this building smelled them on you. Only me."


    My confusion must have been in on my face, because he tilted his head slightly, studying me like he was dissecting every flicker of thought across my expression.


    "You didn¡¯t know," he said tly.


    I shook my head slowly, still trying to wrap my mind around his words. Scent-marking in such a way that only mates could pick it up? I didn¡¯t even know that was possible.


    But before I could ask, his next words stole the ground from beneath my feet.


    "Do you know why they marked you like this?" His voice was lower now, almost taunting.


    I shook my head again, my chest tightening with unease.


    His lips curved, but it wasn¡¯t a smile. It was sharper than that. "Because they wanted me to notice. They wanted me to smell them on you. They marked you like this to tease me."


    I stared at him, my mind whirling. For a moment, I was ready to dismiss it, to argue that he was reading too much into things. That Oscar and Draven, for all their yful torment and secretive ways, wouldn¡¯t stoop to such pettiness. But then the thought lodged deeper, and I froze.


    They would.


    They absolutely would.


    Oscar with his cold, calcting subtlety. Draven with his mischievous smirks and relentless need to push buttons. Together, they were perfectly capable of crafting such a deliberate torment just to rile their eldest brother.


    Heat flushed across my cheeks, but not from embarrassment this time. If I could have stomped into the mountain cabin at that moment, I would have given them both a piece of my mind. Sweet, heartwarming as their scent-marking felt to me, it hadnded me straight into River¡¯s radar. A battlefield I had no defenses against.


    I was still lost in those thoughts when River stunned me all over again.


    "Let me mark you with my scent."


    The words hit me like a physical blow.


    My breath caught. My eyes widened. My heart stuttered so violently in my chest that I was sure he could hear it.


    I stared at him, speechless, my mind nk as snow. Had I heard him right? Surely, I hadn¡¯t. Surely, River - the ruthless, controlled, untouchable Rogue Alpha King - hadn¡¯t just asked me if he could scent-mark me.


    But his eyes, those deep green eyes, held me in ce, sharp and unyielding. He had said it.


    When I failed to form a single syble, he spoke again, his voice deliberate and steady.


    "I don¡¯t want to give them the satisfaction. Letting them believe their little trick seeded..." His gaze hardened. "No. I¡¯ll answer them the only way they won¡¯t expect. By marking you with my scent instead."


    I blinked rapidly, my lips parting. Words finally tumbled out, shaky and incredulous. "Why... why should I let you?"


    Something shifted in his eyes at that. He stepped closer, so close I could feel the faint warmth of his body, so close the steady rise and fall of his chest brushed against mine. My heart started racing wildly, my breath sharp and unsteady.


    He leaned down, his lips hovering just near my ear, and his voice dropped into a whisper that coiled around my spine like smoke.


    "Because you don¡¯t need to pretend."


    <fn4b1b> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F?nd-Novel</fn4b1b>


    My body stiffened.


    "It¡¯s not like your body isn¡¯t about to melt at the thought of my lips grazing your skin."


    The air rushed out of me, and my knees nearly buckled.


    I wanted to protest, to push him away, to say no. It should have been the easiest thing in the world to refuse him. I was supposed to dislike him. I was supposed to keep my distance, to draw a line in the sand and never cross it.


    And yet...


    My body betrayed me. My breath came faster, harsher. My heart thundered. And the image - his lips on my skin, his scent wrapping around me - did things to me I couldn¡¯t begin to admit.


    He was right. He was so painfully right.


    I should have said no. I should have resisted. But the word refused to form. My lips moved uselessly, and my body leaned into him instead of away.


    And just when I thought I couldn¡¯t possibly be any weaker against him, as if I wasn¡¯t already struggling enough to refuse him, he tipped the scalespletely.


    His breath brushed against my ear again, deliberate, dangerous. "I¡¯ll even offer you your bonus for the month."


    My eyes widened.


    Oh, no.


    Not that.


    He knew. He knew exactly what my weakness was.

 Chapter 287: Utterly Undone

    <h4>Chapter 287: Utterly Undone</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My brain was still struggling to process his sudden and outrageous offer of a bonus when his deep voice cut through the haze again.


    "I¡¯ll double it."


    My head jerked up. My mouth fell open. He couldn¡¯t be serious. "Wh-what?"


    His eyes gleamed with an intensity that made my stomach flutter in knots. "Double. Your bonus."


    <fn6803> Newest update provided by F¦Énd£Îovel</fn6803>


    Shock burned through me, snapping me out of my trance. "If you think," I blurted, my voice pitching higher than I intended, "that I would give in because of money, then you are-"


    "Triple."


    The wordnded on me like a hammer, cutting my protest in half.


    I froze, staring at him like he hadpletely lost his mind. Three times my entire monthly sry... as a bonus? Just for allowing him to mark me with his scent?


    The air in the office suddenly started feeling thinner. I couldn¡¯t breathe. My chest was rising and falling rapidly as the temptation slithered inside me, warm and undeniable.


    I wanted to scoff, tough, to toss the offer right back at him, but the truth was clear in the flutter of my chest. That was too much money to pretend I wasn¡¯t tempted.


    And River knew it.


    He didn¡¯t speak again, didn¡¯t push further. He just stood there, those green eyes of his fixed on me, sharp and merciless, studying me in silence. Waiting. Waiting for me to finally give in.


    I pressed my lips together, biting back a groan of frustration. My heart hammered as I looked up at him, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I would try onest time to refuse. To salvage what little dignity I had left. But when I opened my mouth, the words that slipped past my lips weren¡¯t refusal at all.


    They shocked me as much as him.


    "Are you going to continue?" I whispered breathlessly. "And offer me... four times?"


    The instant the audacious question left me, I pped a hand over my mouth, my eyes going wide. Oh Goddess. Did I really just say that?


    But River...


    He didn¡¯tugh. He didn¡¯t mock me. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Instead... he sealed the deal.


    "Done. Four times," he said with brutal finality. "Plus your usual sry."


    My hand slid down from my lips. I sat frozen, staring at him, my heart pounding so hard it drowned out every other sound.


    Four times my sry. Plus the regr paycheck.


    If I refused that, I would be the biggest idiot to walk the earth. I was sure even my unborn little one would be disappointed in me for letting such an opportunity slip through my fingers.


    And anyway, the main point wasn¡¯t even the money. River was my mate too. My stubborn, ruthless, cold-as-stone mate. Letting him mark me with his scent wasn¡¯t something I should feel guilty about. If anything, it was only fair.


    Besides... I also wanted to see the look on Oscar and Draven¡¯s faces when they would smell their eldest brother on me.


    A tiny, wicked spark of satisfaction red in my chest.


    I was pulled out of my self-exnatory, self-justifying spiral when River¡¯s voice broke through again.


    "Stop overthinking," he said quietly, almost amused.


    My head snapped up, only to see the faintest smile tugging at his lips. He knew. He knew I was done resisting. He knew I was already caught.


    "Now that we have reached a conclusion," he murmured, turning toward the office door.


    I blinked in confusion... until he twisted the lock with a sharp click.


    My pulse spiked.


    Then he turned back toward me and reached for my hand. His fingers curled around mine, firm andmanding, and I didn¡¯t even think to resist. I just followed him like an obedient child, my legs shaky as he guided me toward his massive desk.


    Without another word, he cleared the files stacked neatly on its surface, pushing them to the side. Then, with terrifying ease, he caught me by the waist.


    I gasped in pure shock when he lifted me as if I weighed nothing and set me down atop the desk.


    "River-" I tried to find my voice, but it was lost the moment he stepped between my thighs like... like he belonged there.


    Heat surged through my veins. My racing heart was back, louder than ever, almost deafening.


    One of his hands was still resting on my waist, but now... now his fingers had slipped beneath my coat. The only barrier left between his palm and my bare skin was the thick fabric of my woolen top. And yet, I was burning. I was vividly aware of every inch of his hand there, searing me even through the cloth.


    My breath caught when his other hand moved, brushing gently against my hair. He tucked the strands that had fallen over my shoulder to the front back behind me before his fingers grazed my skin right above the cor of the turtleneck.


    Shivers raced down my spine.


    "What are you-" My voice cracked. "What are you doing?"


    He gave me a look then, one so sharp, so piercing, that it rendered me speechless all over again. It was a look that asked if I really didn¡¯t know.


    And then...


    His lips were there.


    Not on mine, not iming my mouth, but lower - at the curve of my neck. The ce where my pulse pounded, frantic and helpless. He had pulled down my turtleneck and coat almost down my shoulder.


    I shuddered, my entire body jolting as his mouth brushed against my sensitive skin. His lips lingered, soft but firm, his breath hot against my skin.


    "River..." My voice was barely more than a whimper.


    His response was a low sound, more exhale than word, as his lips trailed along the column of my throat. Slowly, deliberately, he kissed my skin, over and over, each press deeper, more consuming. His teeth grazed lightly at one point, sending sparks of electricity through me, and I nearly doubled over.


    I couldn¡¯t think. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Every brush of his lips, every graze of his teeth, was marking me... iming me in a way words could never manage. His scent enveloped me, seeping into my skin, into my bones, until it was a part of me.


    My hands clenched uselessly at the edge of the desk. My thighs trembled around his hips.


    The tension between us was unbearable. I was unraveling, burning alive, every nerve alight beneath his mouth.


    And then, atst, he stilled.


    He drew back, just enough to press his forehead against mine. Our breaths mingled, shallow and ragged, fire still crackling in every inch of me.


    I stared into those deep green orbs, dazed and trembling. His gaze dropped lower, lower, until itnded on my parted lips.


    His voice was gravel when he spoke, low and devastating.


    "If I requested... would you allow me to kiss you?"


    I froze, unable to form a word. I didn¡¯t answer. But deep down, I knew the truth. If he asked, if he leaned in, if his mouth imed mine... there was no way I would be able to refuse.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    Instead, he abruptly pulled away, the loss of his warmth hitting me like ice.


    I blinked, startled, my body screaming in protest.


    And without another word, without even a nce back, he turned and walked out of the office.


    Leaving me burning. Breathless. And utterly undone.

 Chapter 288: Guilty Mates

    <h4>Chapter 288: Guilty Mates</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River never came back to the office that morning.


    Not once.


    And yet, he never really left me either. His scent clung stubbornly to my skin, burning with every breath I took. My neck still tingled where his lips had pressed, and I found myself absentmindedly brushing at the spot as if I could erase it.


    Except I couldn¡¯t.


    For the next couple of hours, I barely survived. Every passing second felt like a battle to pretend nothing had happened. Papers blurred before my eyes, words on the screen made no sense, and every time I walked out of the office and met someone, I felt like they might look at me and know.


    It was maddening.


    By the time noon finally arrived, I let out the breath I didn¡¯t realize I had been holding. Freedom. At least for the rest of the day.


    I gathered my things quickly, tugged on my coat, and headed downstairs. As I stepped out of the building and made my way to the parking lot, I spotted a familiar ck car. Sleek, polished, perfectly noticeable.


    It was Oscar¡¯s car.


    My steps faltered and my chest tightened a little, before I forced myself to keep walking. I could do this. I could act normal.


    Reaching the passenger side, I tugged the door open and climbed in without a word.


    Oscar turned his head toward me, clearly ready to greet me... but the moment his sharp senses caught River¡¯s scent on me, his expression froze. Whatever words he was about to say died in his throat.


    His face was unreadable, but his jaw tightened, and his nostrils red ever so slightly as he inhaled again, confirming what had stunned him in the first ce.


    I, of course, pretended to be perfectly normal.


    Fixing my hair in the reflection of the side mirror. Smoothing down my coat. Pulling my phone from my bag as if I had the busiest schedule in the world.


    The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, until he finally found his voice.


    "You are covered in..." His voice was low, rough, but he didn¡¯t finish.


    I didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    "River," I supplied bluntly, speaking his name as casually as if we were discussing the weather.


    Oscar¡¯s head snapped toward me fully this time, his deep green eyes widening just a fraction. My confirmation only seemed to confuse him more. His lips parted but no words came out for a long beat.


    Finally, he managed, "How... how did he end up marking you with his scent? You and River aren¡¯t close enough for-"


    "He offered me bonus."


    I cut him off without hesitation, my tone almost too matter-of-fact.


    The way Oscar¡¯s face froze again, you would think I had just told him I agreed to sell my soul.


    The silence that followed was deafening. His throat worked as he struggled to process my confession.


    Just like River had predicted, Oscar clearly hadn¡¯t expected to smell his brother¡¯s scent on me. And what he expected even less was to hear me say that I let it happen... for money.


    When he finally spoke again, his voice was tight, heavy with disbelief.


    "The bonus was that tempting?"


    I turned then, finally giving him my full attention. Meeting his gaze, I didn¡¯t flinch.


    "Yes."


    His eyes widened slightly at my bluntness, but I didn¡¯t let him interrupt.


    "The offer was beyond tempting. And money wasn¡¯t the only reason."


    I lifted my hand and began pointing with my fingers, one by one.


    "First, River is handsome."


    His jaw flexed.


    "Second, he¡¯s attractive."


    I noticed as his grip on the steering wheel grew visibly tighter.


    "Third, he¡¯s my mate... despite all our differences."


    I ticked the third finger, my voice sharper now.


    "And fourth... he was honest with me. He told me exactly what he wanted, exactly what the marking would mean. He didn¡¯t go behind my back to use me as some tool to tease his brothers."


    My eyes narrowed deliberately, locking on his, sharp as a de. And the unspoken usation hung in the air, heavy and clear.


    Then, without giving him time to react, I leaned over and plucked his phone from the console where it rested. My thumb brushed the screen, and I saw the active call.


    My brows arched.


    "Well, isn¡¯t this interesting," I muttered.


    Oscar followed my gaze and his expression made me realize that he hadpletely forgotten.


    He was on call with Draven.


    Oh, this was perfect.


    I pressed the button to switch it to speaker, setting the phone down between us. Then, leaning closer, my voice dripping with false sweetness, I asked into the open line, "Tell me, Draven. Am I right?"


    The car filled with silence again. A different kind this time - heavy, loaded, dangerous.


    Oscar¡¯s jaw was locked, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths as he kept his eyes straight ahead.


    I, on the other hand, smirked faintly, though inside my pulse was thundering at the thought of what Draven might say.


    And Draven... oh, he didn¡¯t stay silent for long.


    His voice came soft as a whisper, filled with guilt. "I¡¯m sorry, love. It was my idea... marking you with our scents to get under River¡¯s skin. But we never meant to put you in a hard spot."


    Oscar quickly nodded his head, reaching out to hold my hand... and I didn¡¯t pull away. Yes, I was mad at them for what they had done, but not to the point where I would try to push them away.


    "Little mate, forgive us this time. It won¡¯t happen again... not without your knowledge."


    I shook my head and let out a small sigh, rxing in my seat and reaching for my seat belt. "Well... I might forgive you if you kept that promise if giving me massage-"


    Before I could have finished, Oscar was cing a kiss on my knuckles. "Don¡¯t worry. I know how to satisfy you."


    My cheeks started burning, and then I heard Draven speaking from other side of the call.


    "You have already experienced our services. You can have high expectations."


    <fn4ac9> The rightful source is </fn4ac9>


    Oh Moon Goddess... did I just push myself into a trap?

 Chapter 289: That Time of the Term

    <h4>Chapter 289: That Time of the Term</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The weekend slipped by far too quickly.


    It had been warm, full ofughter and touches, stolen kisses and lingering embraces. Time spent with my mates always seemed to bend around me, disappearing before I could cling to it. And this time was no different.


    By Sunday afternoon, after the promised massage therapy session that left me so rxed I nearly fell asleep in Oscar¡¯s arms, I found myself being dropped back at the Academy gates.


    Draven leaned over from the driver¡¯s seat, a teasing smile ying at his lips as his fingers brushed over mine before I climbed out.


    "Don¡¯t stress yourself too much about the exams. You have got this."


    His voice carried the kind of steady reassurance I hade to rely on. I smiled, nodded, and waved him goodbye before heading inside. And just like that, the real world came crashing back in.


    From the moment I stepped into my dorm room, I forced myself to set aside all thoughts of Oscar, Draven... even Kieran. My textbooks sprawled open on the coffee table, notes scattered everywhere, my mind already buzzing with runes, history, potions, and forms.


    The days blurred together after that.


    Morning sses bled into afternoons of project deadlines. Evenings were a haze of study groups with Mallory, Kyros, Rowan, Noah, Selene, and Ria.


    I had to admit - despite the looming pressure of exams, there was something oddlyforting about our little circle. We would huddle together in the library, heads bent over notebooks and ink-stained fingers, exchanging notes and helping each other memorizeplicated rune patterns or potion recipes.


    Of course, between all that, my mind kept drifting.


    Too often.


    To them.


    The Thorne brothers.


    River didn¡¯t speak to me during the week. He never did. He was the one who existed on the periphery of my life, looming like a shadow I couldn¡¯t quite shake. But ever since that afternoon in his office - the way he had pressed his lips to my neck, the way his scent clung to me, the way he pulled back just when I thought I would fall - I found myself thinking of him more than I should.


    His restraint unsettled me. His intensity lingered in my bones. And every time I reyed that moment, heat pooled low in my belly, shame quickly chasing it away.


    Oscar and Draven, on the other hand, were too busy to keep me distracted from River¡¯s ghost.


    Oscar had his duties as an instructor. I would sometimes catch a glimpse of him in the dining hall, his sharp profile tilted down at his tablet even while sipping coffee, too focused to notice me staring.


    Other times, I passed him in the hallways, and our eyes would meet for a brief second - enough to make my heart stutter before we both carried on as though nothing happened.


    Draven was no better. As a second-year, he was just as consumed by exam preparations. His break from library duty only meant we couldn¡¯t meet. And while we exchanged quick messages or the asional short call, his presence felt fleeting at best. I missed his teasing smiles and warmth.


    And then there was Kieran.


    The man I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about.


    He looked much better now, healthier, sharper, but I still found my gaze drifting to him during Herbs and Potion sses. The way his hands moved over delicate nts, the calm authority in his voice, the steadiness of his posture. He was maic, and every time I caught myself staring too long, I snapped my attention back to my notes, my cheeks burning.


    It didn¡¯t matter that he had told me he already had a mate. That he harbored feelings for another girl. It should have been enough to stop these stray thoughts from wing into me. But no matter how much I scolded myself, I would lose control, again and again.


    Each time it happened, guilt gnawed at me.


    Mallory¡¯s words haunted me.


    Her crazy theory... that since I was already mated to three out of the four brothers, maybe fate intended me to be mated to the fourth as well.


    I told myself she was wrong. That Kieran¡¯s confession about his mate and the girl he had feelings for should have closed that door forever.


    <fndcf5> ?????? ???? </fndcf5>


    And yet...


    I hated myself for even letting the thought linger.


    Another weekend rolled by.


    But unlike thest, this one was empty.


    Oscar and Draven were buried in preparations for the uing exams, and I didn¡¯t have time for romance either. River didn¡¯t show up at the HQ at all. And just like that, I was left with nothing but my books, my friends, and the gnawing ache of loneliness I couldn¡¯t admit out loud.


    The week blurred, one day folding into the next. And then, almost without warning, the exams arrived.


    January 25th.


    The date loomed like a thundercloud, and when I woke up that morning, the first thing that hit me was the weight of it. My first exam - Runes.


    I sat on the edge of my bed, rubbing my temples, inhaling deeply as I tried to steady my nerves.


    Fifteen days of battle stretched ahead of me.


    Fifteen days of exams that would test everything I had learned, everything I had memorized over the past couple of months.


    And so it began.


    My life shrank to nothing butptop, pen, parchment, and whispered study sessions.


    Days and nights spent in thepany of my friends.


    They kept me sane.


    Together, we transformed the library into our battlefield. The long oak tables became our fortress, lined with stacks of books and ink-stained fingers. Sleep became a luxury, meals were eaten hurriedly, conversations strayed only to exam questions and whispered jokes to ease the pressure.


    Every now and then, I caught myself drifting again. Thinking of the brothers. But then Rowan would ask me to check a rune sequence, or Mallory would swat my arm and tell me to focus, and I would snap back into the present.


    And slowly, painfully, the days ticked by.


    One exam. Then another. And another.


    Each one leaving me drained, but also oddly exhrated... because I was surviving it, or more like acing it.


    And with each passing day, the finish line drew closer.

 Chapter 290: Promises in the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 290: Promises in the Dark</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The heavy wooden doors of the exam hall creaked open, releasing us into the chilly night. I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding as Rowan, Kyros, Mallory, and I stepped into the open corridor together.


    The wall clock above the entrance struck five past ten, its echo bouncing faintly in the vast Academy halls.


    Three hours. Three long, excruciating hours of scratching pens, glowing runes, shifting moon diagrams, and practical demonstrations under the ever-watchful eyes of Professor Triss. "Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles" was as demanding as it sounded, and thebination of theory and practical work had drained every bit of energy from us.


    But despite the exhaustion weighing on our limbs, a wave of relief washed over the group.


    "It¡¯s done," Mallory whispered, her face breaking into a grin. "Finally done."


    Her words made us all smile. Even Rowan, who rarely showed much expression during exams, allowed himself a small chuckle. The air around us seemed lighter, despite the shadows cast by the moonlight flooding in through the tall windows.


    No more exams. No morete-night cramming or waking up early, no more groaning about how tough the exams were. Now, eighteen days of freedom were stretched before us - eighteen whole days until the new term began on March 1st.


    Eighteen days of holidays.


    My stomach growled softly, a sharp reminder that relief didn¡¯t fill hunger. Thest thing any of us had eaten was a hurried snack hours before the exam started. Now, at the end of it, hunger gnawed at us like restless wolves.


    "Dining hall?" Noah asked as he, Selene, and Ria finally joined us.


    We all nodded in unison.


    The dining hall was nearly deserted by the time we entered, save for a few kitchen staff members clearing tables. The usual chatter of students was reced with the soft clink of dishes and the muffled crackle of the firece.


    Our footsteps echoed faintly in the silent space as we slipped into a corner table.


    Warm bowls of soup, fresh bread, roasted vegetables, and a simple rice dish were ced before us within minutes. Nothing extravagant - justte-night fare - but it felt like a feast.


    We ate in hushed whispers, too tired to talk much, though Mallory asionally mumbled about how she nned to spend her break, her voice fading as she fought sleep.


    By the time the tes were cleared, the clock was edging near eleven. The exhaustion from exams and a full stomach weighed heavily on us.


    "Tomorrow," Kyros said softly as we walked back toward the dorms. "We¡¯ll talk about holiday ns tomorrow. I can¡¯t feel my brain anymore."


    "Same," Mallory muttered, dragging her feet as if gravity had doubled just for her.


    We all agreed silently. Tomorrow would be forughter and nning. Tonight was for sleep.


    When I slipped into my room, the familiarfort of weed me. I quickly peeled off my Academy uniform and changed into my nightclothes, savoring the warmth of the thick winter nkets as I opened the door to let Rowan.


    Then I slipped under the nket and turned my back to him as he changed. Once he was done, he too climbed on his bed. With a soft click, we switched off the bedsidemps, plunging the room intoforting darkness.


    The silence was almostplete, broken only by the faint whistling of the wind against the windows. My body melted into the mattress, exhaustion tugging at me with every blink.


    "Eva," Rowan¡¯s voice came softly through the darkness.


    I hummed in response, too drowsy to form a full word.


    "Are you... going back to the Thorne mansion for the holidays?"


    I opened my eyes, staring into the ckness above me. "Yes," I answered quietly. "The brothers insisted. I don¡¯t really have anywhere else to go... and honestly, I don¡¯t have a reason to refuse."


    The word "insisted" was politepared to the way Oscar and Draven had practically demanded it. But beneath their stubbornness, there had been a fierce protectiveness I couldn¡¯t ignore. And Kieran had also told me to stay at the mansion.


    Rowan let out a small sigh, one that carried a note of relief. "Good. That¡¯s where you should be. With them. It¡¯s... the right thing. Especially now."


    His hesitation told me exactly what he meant, even without him saying it aloud.


    I rested my hand gently against my stomach beneath the nkets. Thirty-one weeks. The thought sent a shiver of disbelief through me. Time had slipped by so quickly.


    My belly had finally begun to show a little just before the exams started. Nothing dramatic yet, just a subtle curve, but enough to remind me daily of the life growing inside me.


    The thick winteryers helped conceal it for now, but my body was changing. The backaches came more often. And the most magical, overwhelming change of all - the baby had started kicking.


    It happened for the first time during first exam week. I wasn¡¯t able to share it with Draven or Oscar, too consumed by revision and the pressure of tests. But Rowan was there, sitting beside mete one evening when the gentle flutter startled me. I just grabbed his hand without thinking and pressed it against my side.


    The way his eyes widened, the raw emotion on his face... it was one of the most precious moments of my life.


    "I can¡¯t wait to let Draven and Oscar feel it," I murmured, more to myself than to him.


    Rowan didn¡¯t reply, but I could feel his quiet agreement in the silence.


    "You shoulde visit me often," I added softly, turning my head toward his bed even though I couldn¡¯t see him in the dark. "You are the only one who knows. About... all this. I want you there."


    "I will," he promised without hesitation. Then, after a pause, he asked, "When are you going to tell the others?"


    The question hung in the air like a weight.


    I closed my eyes. "I don¡¯t know," I admitted honestly. "I haven¡¯t thought that far ahead. But once the holidays are over, there¡¯ll be no way to hide it. March will bring summer back... and by then, I¡¯ll be showing too much to conceal. I¡¯ll have to tell them, especially Kyros and Mallory..." I trailed off, sighing. "Maybe I¡¯ll invite them to the mansion during the holidays. Tell them then."


    Rowan hummed in agreement, though there was an edge of concern in his tone. "It¡¯ll be better that way. Secrets... only get heavier with time."


    I knew he was right.


    The silence settled again, warm andpanionable, until he spoke once more... his voice hesitant, as though he was unsure if he should share what was on his mind.


    <fn9ee3> For original chapters go to Find_Novel(.</fn9ee3>


    "Eva?"


    "Yes?"


    "There¡¯s something I want," he began, then stopped. After a breath, he continued more firmly. "I want to take you to meet someone. My friend in the hospital."


    My eyes softened in the darkness. The vulnerability in his tone was unmistakable.


    "Of course," I whispered without hesitation. "I would be more than happy to go."


    I couldn¡¯t see him, but I could imagine the faint smile tugging at his lips.


    "Thank you," he murmured.


    And with that, we both let the silence im us once more, drifting slowly into sleep... relieved the exams were over, uncertain about what the holidays might bring, butforted by the quiet promises exchanged in the dark.

 Chapter 291: Not Caring Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 291: Not Caring Anymore</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning came too soon. My body was still heavy fromst night, but I didn¡¯t have the luxury of staying curled up in the warmth. By the time the rm rang at six-thirty, I dragged myself out of bed, washed up, and pulled on a cozy sweater.


    The dormmon room was already half lit with the glow of firece that was burning with life. The air was crisp and quiet until the sound of footsteps filled the hallways.


    By seven sharp, we were all gathered in themon room. Everyone looked drowsy but excited, faces bright despite the lingering shadows of exams. The relief was palpable - holidays were here, and for the first time in weeks, we didn¡¯t have to think about tests, projects, or sleepless nights of studying.


    "Finally," Selene groaned, curling into a chair and tugging her nket tighter around her shoulders. "I swear if I had to look at one more potion form, I would have set the whole book on fire."


    Noah chuckled, his eyes still half-lidded with sleep. "You say that after every exam, Selene."


    "And every time I mean it," she shot back, narrowing her eyes.


    Iughed quietly with the rest of them, but my smile faltered when Selene suddenly turned her gaze toward me. "So, Eva," she asked, tilting her head, "where will you be staying for the holidays?"


    My breath hitched, but before I could fumble for an excuse, Rowan¡¯s calm voice filled the silence. "She¡¯ll be with me." He leaned back against the arm of the couch with casual ease, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    Selene¡¯s brows rose. "With you?"


    "Yes," Rowan said smoothly. "My house is more than open for her. She¡¯ll be fine with me."


    I quickly nodded, grateful beyond words for his cover. "Yeah. Rowan offered, and I... I didn¡¯t want to bother anyone else."


    That seemed to ease their worries. Ria smiled warmly. "That¡¯s good. We were just worried you would spend the holidays alone."


    My chest squeezed a little at that. Their concern was genuine, and I hated keeping secrets, but this was the only way.


    Once the conversation shifted, we began making ns for the break. Selene insisted we shouldn¡¯t let distancee between us, and soon we agreed on a simple arrangement - meet every Friday, no matter what.


    The n was to visit each other¡¯s towns instead of sticking around the Academy region like always. I could already picture Selene dragging us all through every market stall in her pack¡¯s territory, Noah showing off his favorite coffee shops, and Ria taking us to theke she always spoke about.


    The warmth of belonging spread through me at the thought. I wasn¡¯t used to this - people nning things around me, including me without hesitation. It was something so simple, yet it meant everything.


    When we finally wrapped up our nning, everyone scattered to get ready for the day. I showered, got ready, and then headed to the dining hall with the group.


    The Academy was buzzing more than it had in weeks. Laughter, chatter, and the tter of dishes filled the hall, and the smell of fresh bread and hot cocoa drifted in the air.


    Outside, the snow was gleaming like crushed diamonds under the sun, a perfect morning after a heavy night of snowfall.


    It almost felt like life had returned to its normal rhythm. Exams were behind us. Holidays were ahead. For once, the world seemed... light.


    After breakfast, we returned to our dorms to pack. Within two hours, Noah, Selene, and Ria were gone, their hugs and promises of phone calls lingering with me as their bags rolled out the doors. Half of the Academy emptied just as quickly, and the dorms grew quieter.


    Mallory was next. She pulled me into a tight hug, her voice warm with a smile. "I¡¯ll visit often, okay?"


    I nodded. She would definitely be dropping by at Jasper¡¯s house, so I knew I would be seeing her around at the mansion.


    Her grin softened. "Good. Then don¡¯t forget me when you are off with your... big ns."


    I didn¡¯t reply to that, just hugged her tighter before she left. Minutester, Rowan and Kyros carried our bags to the Academy gates with me trailing behind, my boots crunching in the snow.


    And then... my heart stuttered.


    Draven was waiting.


    His tall figure leaned casually against a sleek ck car, but the moment his eyes found me, hisposure broke. He pushed off the car, striding forward with long, confident steps. And then, without a care for who was watching, he pulled me into his arms.


    The hug was warm, steady, grounding. His scent wrapped around me, making my knees weaken, and before I could even process it, he pressed a kiss against my cheek.


    Heat flooded my face. I could feel eyes on us, whispers curling in the cold morning air. But Draven didn¡¯t care. He pulled back only to nce at Rowan and Kyros, his expression shifting into something softer. "Thanks for helping her."


    <fn4efe> For original chapters go to F¦ÉndNovel</fn4efe>


    "Anytime," Rowan replied smoothly. Kyros only gave a short nod.


    Draven¡¯s gaze lingered on them a moment longer before he added, "Do you need a ride home? I can drop you both off."


    They declined politely, though I caught the flicker of surprise on their faces at his civility. "We¡¯ll manage," Rowan said, giving me a small smile before stepping back.


    Kyros leaned in just enough to murmur, "Call if you need anything."


    I nodded quickly, my throat too tight to speak. With final hugs and promises to keep in touch, they turned away, leaving me standing between the two worlds I belonged to - the friends who saw me as Eva, and the bond that tied me to Draven and his brothers.


    Draven opened the passenger door for me, his eyes lingering on mine with a silent reassurance. I slipped inside, my heart pounding. He closed the door gently before moving to the driver¡¯s side.


    Through the window, I caught sight of a few students whispering and pointing in our direction. My mind spun. Word of this would either spread like wildfire across the Academy, or die without a single mention, depending entirely on Draven.


    But he looked unconcerned, his face calm as he started the engine. If he wasn¡¯t worried, I decided I wouldn¡¯t be either.


    So I leaned back in my seat, watching the Academy fade behind us as snow-covered roads stretched ahead.


    For the first time in a long time, I didn¡¯t feel like I was leaving something behind.


    I felt like I was heading exactly where I was supposed to be.

 Chapter 292: Is She Ready?

    <h4>Chapter 292: Is She Ready?</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Surprisingly, returning to the Thorne mansion almost felt like... returning home.


    I hadn¡¯t expected it, hadn¡¯t thought I would feel anything but nervousness the moment the car rolled past the grand gates and stopped before the wide stone steps.


    But as I stepped out, the crisp winter air brushing against my skin, what I felt wasn¡¯t intimidation. It wasn¡¯t dread. It was something warmer, softer.


    Familiarity.


    Memories.


    Belonging.


    The towering structure that once looked so cold and unweing during Christmas now carried a different air. It didn¡¯t feel like a cage anymore. Instead, it was... safe. A ce I could return to. A ce that held my mates.


    For the first time, the mansion didn¡¯t seem like a fortress built to keep me imprisoned, but like a home waiting for me to walk in.


    Draven walked ahead of me, carrying my bag over his shoulder as though it weighed nothing. His other hand was curled around my suitcase handle, dragging it behind him.


    A servant had rushed forward the moment I stepped through the entrance, nearly tripping in his hurry to relieve Draven of the load. But Draven dismissed him without even sparing him a nce, his jaw tight and eyes unreadable.


    "I¡¯ll take care of it," he said tly, leaving no room for argument.


    The servant bowed and stepped back instantly, though I could still feel his gaze on us as we made our way upstairs. None of the staff or even the patrolling warriors looked surprised to see me here. They bowed politely to Draven... and then to me. Respectfully. As if I belonged here. As if I wasn¡¯t an outsider anymore.


    That small gesture filled my chest with an odd ache.


    Thest time I was here, their stares had been different - shocked, suspicious, even a little wary. But now? Now, it was almost as if my presence had been expected.


    Once we reached my bedroom, Draven shut the door behind us. I hadn¡¯t even turned to face him before I was swept up in his arms, my back pressing against the door.


    His lips crashed against mine.


    The kiss was rough, hungry, overwhelming. His grip on me was desperate, his chest heaving like he hadn¡¯t breathed until this moment. My head spun from the sheer force of it, and my fingers curled into his coat to steady myself.


    When he finally pulled away, he didn¡¯t let go. He crushed me against him, burying his face into the crook of my neck.


    "Do you have any idea how much I missed you?" His voice was muffled but raw. "Every night, Eva. Every single night."


    The sincerity in his tone stole my breath.


    He tilted his head back just enough to look at me, his eyes dark with something I couldn¡¯t name. "I almost came to your dorm," he confessed, lips quirking with a bitter smile. "More than once. I even stood down your balcony one night. I thought... just for a second... that I didn¡¯t care. But then I reminded myself that you needed to focus on the exams... and I walked away."


    My heart ached at the thought of him, alone in the shadows outside my room, fighting with himself just for me. I reached up and cupped his cheek, pressing a soft kiss to his lips in return.


    "I missed you too," I whispered.


    That seemed to be enough for him. He released a shaky exhale, his arms tightening around me before finally pulling away. Together, we unpacked my things - well, he unpacked while I half-heartedly tried to help, only to be swatted away with a re.


    By the time we were done, it was well past lunch hour. My stomach growled, making him chuckle as heced his fingers through mine and tugged me downstairs.


    The dining hall was warm, the fire crackling in the hearth, filling the space with a cozy glow. He pulled out a chair for me and sat beside me as usual, his arm casually draped across the back of my chair.


    We had only just begun eating when the heavy oak doors swung open and Oscar stepped in.


    He walked in with his usual careless confidence, dark hair falling into his eyes as his lips curved into a grin the moment he spotted me. Without hesitation, he crossed the room, bent down, and wrapped me in a hug before pressing a kiss to my temple.


    "Missed me?" he teased, the sparkle in his eyes daring me to deny it.


    I shook my head, but my smile betrayed me.


    At that moment, I became acutely aware of the servants lingering in the corners, quietly setting dishes or pouring drinks. My stomach tightened when I realized they had seen everything.


    Not just Oscar kissing me. But Draven, sitting close enough to touch me, looking perfectlyfortable with it.


    The shock radiating from the staff was almost palpable, their movements faltering, their gazes darting between the three of us. But none of them said a word. They couldn¡¯t. Not about their Alphas. Not about their private lives.


    Still, the weight of their curiosity burned against my skin, and I found myself staring hard at my te to avoid their eyes.


    Draven, however, didn¡¯t so much as flinch. Oscar either. To them, there was nothing to hide anymore.


    And maybe... maybe they were right.


    Before I could sink too deep into my thoughts, the staff quietly vanished, leaving us in privacy.


    Oscar grabbed a te and sat across from me, digging into his food with a sigh. "I¡¯m d you are here," he said, his tone a little more serious now. "I¡¯m going to be busy for a few days - the Academy still has us tied up with the exam results. Kieran too. But unlike him, I¡¯m not staying there. I¡¯lle back every night."


    I paused mid-bite. "So Kieran won¡¯t be here?"


    Oscar nodded. "At least for next five or so days. He¡¯s up to his neck with work. But once it¡¯s done, he¡¯ll be back for the holidays."


    He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharpening on me. "Which is why we need to talk about something."


    Something in his voice made my fork freeze against the te.


    He nced at Draven, then back at me. "When Kieranes home, are you ready to tell him?"


    I blinked. "Tell him what?"


    "You know what," he said gently. "About me. About Draven. About River. About... the baby."


    The fork slipped from my fingers, ttering against porcin.


    My throat tightened, clogged with an emotion I couldn¡¯t quite name. There was no reason to hesitate. No reason to deny the truth. Kieran deserved to know... he was their brother.


    And yet... something in me recoiled. Something deep, unrecognizable, wed at my chest, whispering against the idea of revealing everything.


    I forced a smile anyway, even though my lips felt stiff. "Yes," I said softly. "Let¡¯s tell him."


    <fn49c3> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find?novel</fn49c3>


    Oscar¡¯s face lit up with relief, while Draven¡¯s expression eased beside me. Both of them looked... happy. Reassured.


    I swallowed hard, pressing my palm against my stomach as if the baby inside me could ground me.


    But that strange, choking unease refused to fade.


    <i>Why did the thought of telling Kieran feel so... wrong?</i>

 Chapter 293: The Special Birthday (I)

    <h4>Chapter 293: The Special Birthday (I)</h4>


    <strong>7 Months ago...</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I almost couldn¡¯t breathe from how fast my heart was racing. My eighteenth birthday. The day I had been waiting for, dreaming about, counting down to. And not just because it marked the day I was finally considered an adult... but because this evening I was going to meet Ethan at our usual secret spot.


    He had promised.


    The moment I had turned eighteen, I would finally be able to feel the mate bond - the magical, unbreakable thread between destined mates. And since Ethan had already told me he had felt it the moment he turned eighteen months ago, I would feel it too. I just had to.


    I reached the small forest clearing near the border of the pack, tugging my hoodie tighter around my shoulders as the evening breeze rustled the trees. My palms were sweaty, my stomach twisting with nerves and excitement.


    I kept running through how it would happen - maybe a spark the second he touched me, maybe a warmth spreading through my chest when I looked into his eyes.


    And then, he arrived.


    "Eva." Ethan¡¯s voice carried through the clearing, and in the next heartbeat, he was right in front of me, grinning the way he always did when he saw me.


    He didn¡¯t waste a second. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close as he lifted me slightly off my feet and spun me around. I squealed,ughing, clinging to his shoulders. The sound of my giggles echoed softly in the quiet woods.


    But... nothing.


    No spark. No magical pull. No sudden burst of warmth in my chest.


    I tried not to let disappointment sink in. Maybe it wasn¡¯t always instant. Maybe I was overthinking. He felt the bond, he told me so... then I would too, eventually.


    When he finally set me down, I nced up at him with a shy smile. My cheeks flushed pink when he leaned in and pressed a soft peck against my cheek. I held my breath when his eyes flickered down to my lips. I noticed him leaning closer... only for my legs to betray me.


    I took a small step back.


    It shocked us both. His lips froze an inch from mine. My heart plummeted, panic rising like a tide.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean-" I blurted out, hands twisting nervously. "You are my mate, Ethan. I want this, I do. I¡¯m finally eighteen, there¡¯s no reason for me to..." My words stumbled out uselessly. I bit my lip, feeling the sting of embarrassment. My chest felt too tight. "I¡¯m just... nervous."


    For a second, his eyes darkened. Something sharp flickered there, a shadow I wasn¡¯t used to seeing. My breath hitched... but then, it was gone. He smiled warmly, the Ethan I knew again, brushing off the moment like it didn¡¯t matter.


    "It¡¯s alright," he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I understand."


    Relief crashed into me so strongly I almost sagged in ce. He wasn¡¯t angry. He wasn¡¯t upset.


    "In fact," he added, his grin widening, "I have nned something for you. A little party. Come on, birthday girl."


    "A party?" My smile faltered.


    I knew exactly what that meant - his friends. His group. The same people who whispered cruel things about me when they thought I couldn¡¯t hear. Who called me a wolf without a wolf. An embarrassment to the pack.


    But when I hesitated, Ethan gave me that look - the one that made me feel like if I said no, I would be hurting him.


    So I nodded. "Okay."


    He looked satisfied, taking my hand and leading me out of the clearing. We crossed into the back alley of a small inn in the nearest town. The streets were dimly lit, the sky already a nket of dark navy with scattered stars. My hood stayed firmly up to keep my silver strands hidden away. I kept my head down. I didn¡¯t want anyone to recognize me.


    Ethan knew the way well. He slipped through the inn¡¯s back door into the kitchen and pulled me along with him. From there, he guided me down to the basement - a ce he called his territory, where only his closest friends were allowed. Not even the staff entered.


    <fn65f3> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? f?ndnovel</fn65f3>


    The moment we stepped inside, I instantly hated it.


    The basement pulsed with loud music, shing lights, and the strong stench of alcohol. Laughter and shouting echoed off the walls. People were crammed together, cups in their hands, dancing and swaying. They weren¡¯t even legal to drink, and yet the bottles on the tables told another story.


    I shrank into myself.


    Almost immediately, Ethan was swept away by his friends. I took the chance to slip into a corner seat, out of the way, invisible. That was always easier.


    Minutes passed before Ethan returned, holding out a ss with a charming smile.


    "Green apple juice. For you."


    I frowned. "Ethan, I don¡¯t-"


    "Eva." He gave me a pitiful look, tilting his head the way he always did when he wanted me to give in. "It¡¯s your birthday. Just this once. For me?"


    He always knew how to bend me with words. My chest tightened, guilt pressing in. I didn¡¯t want to seem ungrateful.


    So I took the ss. And I drank. All of it.


    The sweet taste lingered only for a moment before my head began to feel heavy, my thoughts foggy. The music seemed louder now, the lights too bright, everything spinning slightly around me.


    He was pulled away again before I could say anything.


    I stood, clutching the edge of the table to steady myself. Maybe I just needed some air. Maybe the bathroom.


    But before I could make it far, a hand caught my arm. A girl¡¯s voice, soft but firm, said, "Come on, I¡¯ll help you."


    Ethan¡¯s friend, maybe.


    "No," I muttered, tugging my arm free. Something deep inside me didn¡¯t trust her. I stumbled toward the door instead, ignoring her protests.


    Thest thing I heard before I stepped out was her voice calling behind me, "I¡¯ll tell Ethan!"


    The hallway outside was dim, narrow. My vision blurred at the edges, but I forced my legs to move. I didn¡¯t know where I was heading, only that I had to get away from that suffocating basement.


    Up a few stairs.


    Past doors, most locked when I tried them. My hands shook as I fumbled with the handles, searching for something, anything, away from the music and the noise and the eyes watching me.


    And then...


    One door gave way beneath my touch.


    I stumbled forward, nearly tripping, only to be caught by strong arms before I hit the ground.


    My breath caught.


    The second his touch steadied me, something crashed through me like lightning - warmth, fire, magic. A pull so strong it knocked the air from my lungs. My knees went weak, my entire body trembling as a strange, powerful energy overwhelmed my senses.


    I gasped and my eyes went wide, my heart hammering in my chest.


    Because in that instant, I knew.


    <strong>Mate.</strong>

 Chapter 294: The Special Birthday (II)

    <h4>Chapter 294: The Special Birthday (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room was swallowed in absolute darkness. Not even a crack of light slipped through the heavy curtains, and for a moment, I wondered if I had lost my sight entirely. My dizzy head wasn¡¯t helping either - everything was hazy, muffled, and blurred.


    My chest constricted.


    <i>Ethan...</i>


    The name didn¡¯t leave my lips, but it rang in my mind as certainty crashed over me. Who else could this be? Who else would make my very blood hum and my bones ache with awareness? He was my mate. It was finally confirmed.


    The realization struck harder than any blow I had ever taken in my life. For a heartbeat, I felt weightless. Then his arms tightened around me, strong and steady, and suddenly I wasn¡¯t falling anymore.


    The mate bond burned between us like fire and frost all at once - every nerve alight, every sense screaming. My breath caught as my body was pressed against his chest, hard and unyielding, and then his face lowered into the crook of my neck. The deep rumble that left his chest wasn¡¯t just a growl... it was a im, a sound that sent shivers racing down my spine.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but I didn¡¯t need words to understand. He was just as lost in this as I was.


    And then, after what felt like forever yet was only seconds, his lips brushed my neck, and he whispered one single word - his voice low, deep, raw... almost unrecognizable.


    <fn582d> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? FindN0vel</fn582d>


    "Mate."


    I swore the world stopped.


    The way he spoke it, ignited something I had never known existed inside me. That one word made me feel whole and fractured at the same time, made my lungs seize and my heart pound so violently I was certain he could hear it.


    My skin turned hypersensitive, tingling where his lips had touched, as if he had branded me.


    I hadn¡¯t even recovered when I felt the slow trail of feathery kisses along the side of my neck. My body tensed, but not from fear... from something else, something I couldn¡¯t name. Each kiss was like a spark, each touch a reminder that I wasn¡¯t imagining this.


    When his mouth finally reached mine, I froze.


    It was a hesitant kiss. Barely there, just a brush, a taste... almost as though he thought I would run. His lips lingered but didn¡¯t im. He waited, testing the line.


    Memories of the clearing shed in my mind - of me stepping back, of the uncertainty that had twisted in my chest. I had run then, too afraid to let him close, too afraid to feel.


    But this time was different.


    This time, I didn¡¯t want to run.


    I wanted him to kiss me.


    I wanted to know if the whispers I had heard in the packhouse, the giggles of the girls after stolen kisses, the descriptions in romance books about lips meeting lips - was it really that crazy? That dizzying? That unforgettable?


    Before I could second-guess myself, my body betrayed me. My lips moved against his.


    And I kissed him back.


    The second I did, the kiss changed. His hesitation shattered. The bond surged alive, wrapping us both in heat, pulling tighter and tighter. His lips grew surer, firmer, moving against mine with a hunger that made me gasp. He tasted like warmth, like fire after a storm, like everything I never dared to hope I would deserve.


    My hands fisted in the front of his shirt, clinging as though I would copse without the anchor of him. My mind was a mess, scattered between panic and exhration. My heart screamed yes, while fear whispered too much.


    But the mate bond drowned out everything else.


    Every time his lips pressed deeper into mine, I felt myself unraveling. His kiss wasn¡¯t just a kiss - it was a promise, a brand, a tether pulling us together so tightly I couldn¡¯t tell where he ended and I began.


    And it wasn¡¯t just the kiss. It was the way his hand cupped the back of my head, gentle but unyielding, holding me in ce as though he couldn¡¯t bear to let me go. The way his other arm circled my waist, crushing me against him, making me feel small and safe and wanted all at once.


    The world beyond that dark room ceased to exist.


    It was just us.


    Just this.


    When I broke away for air, I was trembling. My lips felt swollen, tingling, and I knew his were no different. His forehead pressed to mine, his breath ragged, his chest rising and falling like he had just fought a war.


    "Mate..." he groaned, sounding desperate, reverent, starved.


    I didn¡¯t speak. I couldn¡¯t. My throat was tight, my voice gone. Instead, I leaned back in, greedy, needing more. His mouth crashed back to mine as though he had been waiting for that very invitation.


    This kiss was wilder. He devoured me, and I let him. My lips parted without thought, without hesitation, weing him, needing to feel him closer. My heart raced, my stomach twisted, and yet... there was no fear. Not anymore.


    Only want.


    Only need.


    Only him.


    My mind spun as if I had drunk too much, but my body knew exactly what it wanted. When his hands began to roam, I gasped, every nerve firing under his touch. His fingers brushed the curve of my waist, and my body betrayed me again - arching closer, demanding more.


    The touch was tentative at first, almost questioning. But when I didn¡¯t push him away, when I didn¡¯t flinch... he grew bolder.


    His hand slipped beneath the hem of my oversized hoodie, his palm resting on my waist. The sensation was electric. I thought I would scream from the sheer intensity of it. My breath stuttered and my pulse thundered in my ears.


    I should have stopped him.


    I should have pushed his hand away.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Instead, I let him.


    I let him explore the curve of my waist, my body trembling as his touch burned into me. And then - before I realized what was happening - he gripped the fabric of my hoodie and pulled it upward in one swift motion.


    The oversized hoodie slipped over my head and was tossed carelessly aside.


    I stood before him in nothing but a thin tank top and jeans, my chest rising and falling rapidly, my skin flushed.


    And my world tilted, because I wasn¡¯t afraid.


    Not anymore.

 Chapter 295: The Special Birthday (III)

    <h4>Chapter 295: The Special Birthday (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air between us grew heavy, the silence broken only by the sound of my own uneven breathing. My arms instinctively crossed over my chest, as though that thin barrier of fabric could hide the way my heart was pounding against my ribs.


    The man before me - my mate, my Ethan - hadn¡¯t said a word since slipping the hoodie off my shoulders, but I could feel him watching me, even in the darkness of the room. His presence wrapped around me like fire and shadows all at once, a mixture of danger andfort that made my knees weak.


    I licked my lips nervously, and that was when I noticed the taste still lingering on my tongue. Wine. Rich, heady, unmistakable. He had kissed me just moments ago, and now I knew for certain he wasn¡¯t sober.


    My pulse skipped. If he was drunk, was I? The world tilted faintly when I tried to step back, dizziness fluttering through my head. Something was wrong. My drink earlier - it must have beenced with something, because no matter how much I tried to steady myself, the room felt unbnced. My instincts screamed that this wasn¡¯t normal, but at the same time, the mate bond thrummed in my veins, drowning reason in its tide.


    When I stumbled, his hands were there instantly, strong and sure, catching me by the waist before I could fall. My breath hitched. His touch was searing, and the sparks that ignited where his fingers met my skin left no doubt - this was real. This was my mate.


    "Careful," his voice rumbled low, husky, and strained. I shivered at the sound, clutching at his shirt for bnce.


    A small part of my brain noticed how different he was feeling. His body, his scent, his voice... he was different.


    "I-sorry," I whispered, though it came out more like a shaky exhale.


    He didn¡¯t let me go. Instead, he pulled me closer, his chest brushing mine, and even through theyers of fabric I felt his heat. My mind screamed at me to think, to question, to demand answers. But my body, my very soul, moved to the rhythm of something older and stronger than reason.


    I tilted my head up, and his mouth was already there waiting. His lips imed mine in a kiss that sent shivers down my spine. This one was hungry, desperate, as though he had been waiting for me his whole life.


    And maybe he had.


    The bond red so intensely it nearly knocked me off my feet. I gasped into his mouth, trembling, while his hands slid up my arms and framed my face. He kissed me deeper, coaxing me to open up to him, and when I did, a small sound escaped me - half whimper, half surrender.


    The taste of wine on his tongue mingled with something darker, something undeniably him, and I couldn¡¯t pull away even if I tried. He devoured me like I was the only source of air, and my own hunger rose to meet his.


    <fnc643> The source of th?s content is find[f]ovel</fnc643>


    When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless. His forehead rested against mine, and though I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, I could feel the heat of his gaze burning into me.


    "You are mine," he whispered, voice ragged and low. The words vibrated against my lips.


    I should have been afraid. Instead, the im settled deep into my chest, sparking warmth where there should have been fear. My throat was dry, but somehow, I managed a soft, "Yes."


    That single word seemed to snap thest of his restraint.


    In one fluid motion, he bent and scooped me into his arms. I gasped, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me toward the bed. His steps were steady, deliberate, and every nerve in my body lit up in anticipation.


    The mattress dipped as heid me down gently, almost reverently, as though I were made of ss. For a moment, he just hovered over me, his breath hot against my cheek, his body a tense line of control barely held together.


    I reached up blindly, fingers brushing along his jaw, finding smooth skin.


    "Look at me," I whispered without thinking.


    A harsh breath escaped him, and though the darkness hid his features, I felt the weight of his eyes as he obeyed. The intensity there made my stomach flip. I had never been looked at like this before... like I was both a salvation and a storm.


    Then his lips found the hollow of my throat, and I arched helplessly beneath him. His kisses trailed down, slow and deliberate, leaving a path of heat that made me forget the dizziness, the confusion, everything but him.


    His hands moved with the same aching patience, tracing my sides, brushing over the thin fabric of my tank top. When his fingers slipped beneath the hem, brushing against bare skin, I shivered violently.


    "Too fast?" he murmured against my corbone, his muffled voice almost breaking with restraint.


    I shook my head, words failing me. All I could do was tug at him, desperate to keep him close.


    His answering groan vibrated against my skin, raw and unguarded. He kissed me again, slower this time, as though he was trying to savor every second. His tongue brushed mine, and the connection deepened until I thought I would melt into himpletely.


    Piece by piece, the world around us fell away - the cold outside, the shadows in the corners of the room, even the questions wing at the back of my mind. All that remained was him. My mate.


    The way he touched me was both careful and iming. His hands worshipped every inch, yet his kisses grew hungrier, rougher, as though his control was unraveling with every heartbeat.


    When he finally pulled back enough to whisper, "Tell me to stop, and I will," my chest tightened painfully.


    I swallowed hard, my voice trembling but certain as I said, "Don¡¯t stop."


    And just like that, thest thread snapped.

 Chapter 296: The Special Birthday (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 296: The Special Birthday (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The mattress dipped beneath his weight as his body came down over mine, shielding me from the lingering chill of the dark room. My breath caught when his lips brushed the curve of my jaw, soft but unsteady, as though even he was fighting the wine that burned in his veins.


    His hands - broad, warm, trembling - slid over my bare arms before pausing at my waist. For a long moment he hovered there, his forehead resting against mine, and I could hear his uneven breaths, ragged, hungry, restrained.


    I could feel him. The bond pulsed between us like a living thing, warm and insistent, each throb syncing with the frantic beat of my heart. It terrified me. It thrilled me.


    His fingers moved on my waist, grazing the skin of my stomach, and I arched into his touch. A soft gasp escaped me, and I felt his lips curve faintly against my cheek at the sound... as if he was memorizing it.


    My top was gone in the next breath. I barely realized how quickly he pulled it over my head before his mouth covered mine again, deeper, hungrier. His taste was sharp with wine, yet beneath it lingered something wholly him... warm, dark, intoxicating. I drowned in it, let it anchor me when the room kept spinning.


    His hand cupped my cheek while the other traced down my side, steadying me as I trembled beneath him. Every brush of his fingers against my skin made me burn hotter, needier, and yet he moved with aching patience, as though afraid to break me.


    When his lips left mine, they traveled down - over my throat, to the hollow at its base, and lower still. I gasped again, fingers clutching the sheets when his mouth closed around the swell of my breast through the fabric of my bra. My back arched helplessly, pressing myself into him. His groan was low, muffled, vibrating against my skin, but it made heat pool deep inside me.


    I couldn¡¯t think. Couldn¡¯t question. Couldn¡¯t stop.


    His hands moved with surety, unsping the barrier between us, letting the fabric fall away. Cool air brushed my bare skin for only a second before his mouth imed one of the nipples. His tongue teased, his lips sucked gently, while his hand kneaded the other breast as though desperate to worship every inch.


    My breath came in shallow pants. "Please..." I whispered, not even sure what I was begging for, but I knew I needed more... needed him.


    He lifted his head at that, and though my vision failed me in the darkness, I felt warm all over because I was able to feel the intensity of his gaze. His breathing was alsoing uneven... just like mine.


    In the silence, our bond pulsed stronger, weaving around me, through me, until it felt like I couldn¡¯t exist without his touch.


    His hands trailed lower, over my ribs, my hips, stopping at the button of my jeans. For a heartbeat he hesitated, his thumb brushing over the metal as though asking silently. My body gave the answer before my mind could. I arched toward him, my thighs parting slightly in surrender.


    The sound he made then was primal, a growl choked with need, but still he was careful. He unfastened my jeans slowly, dragging the zipper down inch by inch, before sliding the denim over my hips and legs. The rough fabric left goosebumps on my skin, leaving me bare in only a scrap of cotton underwear.


    He hovered above me again, but lower now, his lips brushing my stomach, trailing fire as they dipped lower. I squirmed beneath him, my fingers tangling in his hair when his breath ghosted over the thin fabric barrier.


    My body was trembling while heat pooled deep within me so fiercely I thought I would shatter. And when his mouth finally pressed against my aching core, even through the fabric, I gasped out loud.


    He froze. Just for a moment. But then his hands tightened on my thighs, pulling me closer, and his mouth returned with a hunger that stole every thought from me.


    And then... thest piece of fabric on my body was gone in seconds, tugged away by impatient hands, and then there was nothing between us.


    Before I could even process the fact that I waspletely naked under him, another gasp left my lips as his mouth found my clit. His tongue slipped between my folds, grazing the hidden sensitive bud that had sweet tingles of pure pleasure running through my entire body.


    He wasted no time as he began worshipping me - slow, reverent, yet unrelenting. His tongue was relentless, and he didn¡¯t slow down until I was writhing beneath him. The sheets twisted in my fists and tears stung the corners of my eyes from the sheer intensity.


    Every flick of his tongue, every suck, every gentle scrape of his teeth sent me spiraling higher. He held me firmly when I tried to twist away from the overwhelming pleasure, his low growl vibrating against me.


    Every touch, every kiss, every lick... was new for me. No one had ever touched me like this ever.


    Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, it came... crashing over me like fire and lightning, my first release, raw and blinding. I cried out, my voice breaking, my back arching as the world tilted and shattered.


    He didn¡¯t stop until I slumped back against the pillows, trembling, breathless, my body too sensitive to bear another touch. Only then did he lift his head.


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    His eyes met mine in the darkness, and though I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, I knew. I felt it in the bond, in the way my heart clenched. This was my mate.


    He kissed me again, tasting of wine and me, desperate and consuming. And when I felt his body press against mine fully for the first time - hard, hot, straining beneath theyers of his clothes - I knew this night was only beginning.

 Chapter 297: The Special Birthday (V)

    <h4>Chapter 297: The Special Birthday (V)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The world blurred around me, lost between shadows and the heat of his body. My back sank deeper into the mattress as his weight settled above me, careful, controlled, yet trembling with restraint.


    As his bare skin came in contact with mine, I shivered. He just undressed, but the room was too dark for me to see his fine body. And even though I felt my fingers twitching to touch him, feel him... I kept them by my sides.


    The mate bond was pulsing between us like a living thing, humming louder with every breath. My heart was racing, drowning out the faint creak of the bed as he aligned himself closer.


    I gasped when I felt him, hard and burning against me, pressing insistently against the my inner thighs. My legs trembled, instinct making them part and inviting him without words.


    His lips brushed my cheek, then moved lower, ghosting over my jaw as if he couldn¡¯t decide whether to kiss me or simply breathe me in.


    His hand slid down, fingers trembling as they trailed over my skin. My body arched into him, helpless, as if I had been waiting my entire life for this single moment. My chest was rising and falling rapidly, my skin alive under his touch, my entire being screaming for him.


    His mouth found one of my nipples again and he gave it a long luck before sucking it in, forcing a groan past my lips. His hand massaged the other nipple before it got reced by his mouth.


    Then, his hand moved south. His fingers trailed a burning path down my belly and slipped between my thighs without hesitation this time, his fingers slipping past my wet folds and finding my entrance.


    And then I felt one of his fingers slipping inside me, stretching me and causing a moan to escape me. Once he started pumping his finger in-and-out, I was moaning non-stop. And just as I started feeling like I was getting closer to the edge of some cliff, he pulled his finger out and his mouth stopped switching between my nipples.


    He shifted, and I once again felt his hard length... this time right against my entrance. But instead of moving forward...


    He paused.


    Even in the dark, I felt the hesitation ripple through him. His forehead rested against mine, breaths ragged, body shaking with the need he fought to contain.


    I whimpered, the sound soft, broken, desperate... and his control snapped.


    Slowly, achingly, he pressed forward.


    The stretch burned at first, unfamiliar and overwhelming, but my body weed him, instinctively molding to his shape. My nails dug into his back as a low cry escaped me, muffled against his shoulder.


    He froze, groaning deep in his chest, every muscle in his body drawn tight as a bowstring. His hands cupped my face, lips brushing mine as if to soothe, to ask without words if I could bear it.


    And then... I melted.


    The pain dulled just a bit, but the warmth that bloomed deep inside me and expanded with my every shallow breath, pulled my attention away from the pain. I clung to him, pulling him closer, silently telling him not to stop.


    His hips moved, tentative at first - small, careful thrusts that made my breath hitch. Each movement sent sparks racing up my spine, each shift of his body inside mine binding me tighter to him.


    The room spun, but I didn¡¯t care. All I felt was him... surrounding me, iming me, filling the hollow ces I never knew existed.


    My legs wrapped around his waist without thought, urging him deeper. His answering growl rumbled against my throat, and this time, he obeyed.


    He slid deeper, filling mepletely. My mouth parted in a soundless cry as my body arched helplessly beneath him, overwhelmed by the sudden fullness.


    <fn05bf> Readplete version only at F¦ÉndNovel</fn05bf>


    His lips captured mine, muffling the sound, kissing me as though I were air and he was starved.


    The world outside ceased to exist. There was no inn room, no past, no future... only the dark, the heat, the bond tying us together as his movements grew stronger, surer, hungrier.


    Every thrust sent waves of pleasure coursing through me, scattering my thoughts until all that remained was instinct. My fingers tangled in his hair, my body rising to meet his.


    He whispered something - words I couldn¡¯t hear clearly, slurred by wine and need - but the way his low voice broke against my ear made my chest tighten. Whether it was my name or nothing at all, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Because I already knew.


    He was mine.


    And I was his.


    The mate bond zed inside me, fierce and unrelenting, until I felt as though my very soul was entwined with his.


    The rhythm built, feeling as if a storm was gathering. Each movement faster, deeper, harder, until I was gasping, trembling, clutching him as though letting go would tear me apart.


    "Please-" I breathed, though I didn¡¯t know what I was begging for.


    He answered with his body, his thrusts growing desperate, wild, yet never cruel. Even in hunger, he was gentle, guiding me through the storm instead of drowning me in it.


    And then the world shattered.


    Heat exploded inside me, white and blinding, every nerve alight as I cried out, my body clenching around him. His groan followed, raw and broken, as he buried himself deeper, holding me through the storm of release.


    Time stilled.


    He copsed against me, his chest heaving, our sweat-slicked skin clinging together. My hands ran weakly down his back, nails leaving faint trails as I held him close.


    I could still feel him inside me, twitching faintly, as if reluctant to leave. The bond pulsed gently now, soothing, humming like a luby.


    Tears burned in my eyes, but they weren¡¯t from pain. They were from the overwhelming truth that nothing would ever be the same again.


    I had given myself to my mate.


    And even if the world crumbled, even if the night was only a haze of wine and shadows... this moment was mine. Ours. Forever.


    Only if I knew...!!

 Chapter 298: Late Night Cold Shower

    <h4>Chapter 298: Late Night Cold Shower</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - - </strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The dream felt so real I could almost taste her.


    Her lips were soft beneath mine, pliant yet urgent, as though she craved me just as much as I craved her.


    I kissed her like a starving man, my hands syed across the smooth warmth of her bare back, my body pressing into hers until not even the air dared to slip between us.


    When her breathy little moan slipped free, I swallowed it greedily, desperate to hear more.


    The world beyond the bed ceased to exist. There was only her... my mate.


    Her throat arched beneath my mouth, the delicate curve calling to me. I trailed fevered kisses down her skin, tasting every inch as though I could imprint myself onto her. My lips grazed her corbone before I sank lower, finding the soft mound of her breast. She gasped, shuddering beneath me, when I took her nipple between my lips and sucked.


    "Kieran..."


    That soft whisper - breathless, needy, achingly familiar - mmed into me with more force than any de or blow ever could. My head jerked up, breath ragged, and my gaze collided with a pair of amber eyes I knew better than my own reflection.


    Amber. Glowing. Haunted. Hers.


    Her long, silver hair was spilled across the pillow in wild disarray, catching the faint light of the room like strands of moonlight. And there she was - Evaline Greystone. <i>My mate</i>.


    The realization crashed into me so violently it stole the air from my lungs. My chest clenched, my pulse raced, and then...


    I woke.


    My eyes snapped open to darkness. And despite the darkness filling the space, my enhanced sight recognized the familiar ceiling, bed, and surrounding of my solitary quarters at the Academy.


    "Damn it..." I whispered into the stillness, dragging a hand down my face as the fragments of the dream clung to me like cobwebs. My chest heaved, my heart refusing to calm as her voice... my name in her voice... echoed inside my head again and again.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I had a dream like this. For months now, my nights had been haunted by the faceless silhouette of my mate. Her touch, her warmth, her moans - it was always there, just out of reach, taunting me with what I didn¡¯t have.


    But recently... recently, the dream had changed. The faceless blur had sharpened into someone real. <i>Her</i>. Evaline.


    And I didn¡¯t know if it was a gift from the Moon Goddess or the cruelest torture imaginable.


    A nce at the clock on my bedside table showed me the time. Two in the damn morning.


    Sleep was out of the question now. Even if I tried, there was no way I would escape the problem pressing against me. A certain part of my body was throbbing painfully, straining for release.


    I groaned low in my throat, rubbing my temples in frustration. This wasn¡¯t new, either. Waking hard from dreams of her had be its own kind of curse.


    But tonight... tonight was worse. Because now, every time I closed my eyes, it wasn¡¯t some nameless fantasy. It was her face, her eyes, her lips parting for me, her voice moaning my name.


    And I wanted her. Stars, how I wanted her.


    Grinding my teeth, I shoved off the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The cool air hit my overheated skin, but it did little to help. I stalked toward the bathroom, stripping as I went, until I stood naked in front of the mirror.


    My body was aching with need, my length heavy and flushed, throbbing in time with my heartbeat.


    I turned on the shower, twisting the knob until the water gushed out ice cold.


    That¡¯s what I needed. Something sharp, punishing, enough to remind me of reality.


    Stepping beneath the spray, I hissed as the frigid water mmed into me, but I forced myself to stay there, my muscles tensing beneath the onught. Droplets ran down my chest, my stomach, my thighs. My breathing turned hard, ragged, but I didn¡¯t move away.


    Instead, I closed my eyes, seeking the numbness the cold should have brought.


    But all I saw was her.


    <i>Evaline.</i>


    She was haunting me tonight more than usual.


    Her beautiful face appeared behind my eyelids with merciless rity. Those amber eyes, staring up at me with a mix of hesitation and trust. Her lips, flushed and trembling as though she had just been kissed raw. That silver hair fanning out like a halo.


    And the moment I let myself picture her, it was over.


    I wrapped my hand around myself with a guttural groan, my body jerking at the contact. My length pulsed in my grip, desperate, and I pumped slowly at first, trying to fight the rush of heat that surged through me even under the icy spray.


    <fn89a2> Get full chapters from Find[F]ovel</fn89a2>


    My mind betrayed me, painting images I couldn¡¯t resist.


    Her pressed up against me in this very shower, the water soaking her silver hair, making it cling to her pale skin. Her lips parting as I kissed her senseless against the tiles, her hands clutching at my shoulders.


    "Kieran..." she would moan, her voice breaking as I touched her.


    I tightened my grip, stroking harder, faster, chasing that image of her. My breaths turned ragged, my chest heaving with every desperate movement of my hand.


    In my mind, she touched me back. I pictured her small hand sliding down my stomach, curling around me, tentative at first and then bolder as I guided her. I imagined the way her eyes would widen at my size, the way her lip would catch between her teeth as she stroked me the way I was stroking myself now.


    Stars, I would lose my mind if that day ever came.


    My hips bucked into my fist as a growl tore from my throat. The shower¡¯s icy spray was forgotten, eclipsed by the heat building in my veins. I imagined pinning her against the wall, lifting her with ease, sliding into her inch by inch until I was buried inside the one person who had haunted every waking and sleeping moment of my life for months now.


    She would gasp and clutch me tightly, her nails digging into my skin.


    She would moan my name, over and over, as I drove into her.


    And I would worship her with my body until she knew... knew she was mine.


    A shudder wracked me as the fantasy consumed me whole. My strokes grew frantic, every nerve in my body straining toward release. My balls tightened, my breath caught, and I surrendered. My climax tore through me with a guttural growl that echoed in the small bathroom.


    My seed spilled into the spray, mixing with the cold water as I sagged forward, bracing my free hand against the tiles.


    My chest heaved. My body trembled.


    And still... still all I saw was her.


    Evaline.


    The girl who shouldn¡¯t have mattered from the very beginning. The girl I should have despised, or at the very least ignored. The girl who wanst my mate.


    But instead, she was in my dreams. My fantasies. My very bones.


    I closed my eyes again, the water cascading down my face, trying to wash her away.


    It didn¡¯t work.


    Because no matter how much I fought it... she was mine.


    And some part of me knew... she always would be.


    I turned the shower off and walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist. My body had turned cold, but it wouldn¡¯t take more than just a couple of minutes before I would be warm all over again.


    I put on pajamas and grabbed a wine bottle and a ss from the cab next to the closet. I rarely drank within Academy grounds, but tonight was an exception. I needed this drink more than I needed my next breath.


    I poured myself a ss and walked toward the balcony, sliding the ss door open, I stepped out in the cold of the dark night. It wasn¡¯t snowing tonight, but the sky was dark with no sign of the moon or the stars.


    I sipped the wine, but barely tasted it. Instead, all my attention was on <i>her</i>. While I was here dreaming about her, she was back at the mansion. If not for my duties as the a professor, as well as the headmaster, of the Academy, I would have returned to the mansion to spend time with her.


    As I took another sip, I made up my mind to finally end my torture. Once I would be done with the exam results, I would head straight to her, and... I would confess my feelings to her.


    As long as she would allow it, I was ready to court her and win her heart. And I knew I would seed.


    A smile immediately made its way to my lips and picked up my phone from the beside table to send a message to Mark.


    <i>Stop the search.</i>

 Chapter 299: A Day in Halewick

    <h4>Chapter 299: A Day in Halewick</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My first night in the Thorne mansion was... peaceful. Almost unnervingly so.


    After dinner, I returned to my room. Yet, when Oscar and Draven both insisted on staying with me, hovering around my room like stubborn shadows, I surprised them, and myself, by saying no.


    "No, I want to be alone tonight," I had told them quietly. My voice hadn¡¯t wavered, though my heart had thumped hard in my chest.


    The look on their faces was almostical. Oscar¡¯s sharp jaw had clenched as if I had just denied him air itself, while Draven¡¯s eyes darkened with something that was neither unhappiness nor disappointment, but a mix of both. Still, they respected my decision, even if they walked away grumpy and muttering under their breaths like sulking children.


    And after making their nights lonely and quite miserable, I slept peacefully.


    Really slept.


    When I blinked awake the next morning, the soft golden light nting through the curtains told me I had overslept badly. My body felt like it had been submerged in some healingke, all fatigue drained from me. A nce at the clock confirmed it - I had slept nearly eleven hours. Eleven! It was the longest I had slept in... forever probably.


    I stretchedzily, almost catlike, before rolling out of bed. I was filled with energy after such a good and long sleep.


    After a long shower, I pulled on a soft sweater and jeans. I brushed my hair quickly before tying it into a messy ponytail. My stomach growled the moment I stepped out of my room. Following the faint sound of voices downstairs, I padded toward the living room.


    That was where I found him.


    Draven was lounging on the couch, one long leg crossed over the other, and a phone pressed against his ear. He was smiling faintly, speaking in a low tone to whoever was on the other end. Probably one of his friends. His ck hair caught the light, causing the blue hue in them to stand out. Strands were falling across his forehead in that perfectly careless way he always seemed to manage.


    The moment his eyes lifted and met mine, his smile widened. And just like that, the call ended. He slipped the phone into his pocket and rose to his feet.


    "Good morning," I greeted softly.


    He crossed the space between us in three easy strides and bent down, brushing a kiss against my forehead. The touch was feather-light, yet it left warmth blooming through my skin. "Good morning, Eva," he murmured.


    "You must be hungry," he added, his voice carrying the certainty of someone who knew me better than I knew myself. Before I could even answer, he was already summoning Sera, instructing her to set the breakfast table. But instead of sending her toward the dining hall as usual, he nced back at me with a mischievous spark in his eyes.


    "Not inside. Set the table in the front garden."


    I blinked, my brow furrowing. "The... garden?"


    He chuckled when he saw my puzzled look. "It¡¯s a rare sunny morning," he exined, his hand brushing lightly against the small of my back as he guided me toward the door. "Perfect for sitting outside, don¡¯t you think? You¡¯ll see."


    When we stepped outside, I did see.


    The winter air was crisp, but the sunlight was pouring down generously, painting the grass and bare trees in warm hues. My lips parted in a small, unbidden smile as I tilted my face up to the sky. In these freezing months, such mornings were nothing short of a blessing.


    "I love it," I admitted softly.


    Within minutes, the servants set up a small round table,ying it with steaming tes of fresh food. Two chairs faced each other, and Draven pulled one out for me before taking his own.


    He didn¡¯t eat much himself, only sipped on his coffee, but he made sure I ate properly, nudging dishes closer. The food was delicious as usual.


    As we talked, I learned that Oscar left early for the Academy, while River had gone to the office. "He came backtest night," Draven exined when I mentioned not seeing River at all yesterday. "He was visiting one of the packs."


    I nodded, though part of me felt a little guilty. I had gone to bed so early, without even waiting to see him. But before guilt could take root, Draven changed the subject.


    "Do you have any ns for today?" he asked, his emerald eyes holding mine.


    I shook my head. "No. None."


    "Good." His lips curved in satisfaction. "Then, would you like to join me and some of my close friends? We are going to spend the day in a neighboring town."


    I blinked, caught off guard. "Your... friends?"


    The idea startled me. I knew of them vaguely, having seen him surrounded by people at the Academy sometimes, but I had never spoken to them, never even caught their names. My stomach twisted nervously. How was he going to introduce me? As his mate? As... what?


    He must have read the uncertainty on my face because he reached across the table, his hand covering mine. The warmth of his palm was grounding.


    "Don¡¯t worry," he said firmly. "I would never let you get close to people who weren¡¯t worthy of you. My friends are good people. You¡¯ll like them." His thumb brushed over my knuckles gently, coaxing me to rx. "Besides... they have been pestering me nonstop ever since they noticed I was with someone. I think it¡¯s time I introduce you."


    His eagerness softened the edge of my hesitation. He truly wanted me to meet them. And if he, with all his sharp instincts, trusted them... then maybe I could, too.


    I let out a slow breath and nodded. "Alright."


    His answering smile was radiant. "You won¡¯t regret it."


    Once breakfast was done, we headed back inside, and soon after, slipped into Draven¡¯s sleek ck car. The engine purred to life, and before long, we were on the road, the mansion fading behind us.


    The drive was smooth, the world outside shifting from the snowy outskirts of the rogue packnds to the bustling edges of another town. The name rolled off Draven¡¯s tongue casually as we neared it - Halewick.


    Halewick town was different from the Academy¡¯s polished grounds and even from the nearby towns. It had a vibrant, slightly chaotic energy. Lively shops lined the streets,ughter spilling out of caf¨¦s, while the faint scent of roasted chestnuts hung in the air.


    Draven parked the car in a lot near the center of town, then reached across to unbuckle my seatbelt for me before I could do it myself. His hand lingered a moment longer than necessary, his eyes locking with mine. "Ready?"


    I swallowed hard but managed a small nod.


    Together, we walked down the busy street until we reached arge building with colorful signs and shing lights - an Arcade.


    <fn4f7d> Newest update provided by F¦Énd£Îovel</fn4f7d>


    Inside, the cheerful hum ofughter, clinking tokens, and game machines buzzed around us. And there, near the back, four people were waiting for us.

 Chapter 300: The Unexpected Visit

    <h4>Chapter 300: The Unexpected Visit</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Draven¡¯s friends caught sight of him walking into the lounge, their voices rose with cheer,ughter, and easy banter that filled the air. But then... their gazes shifted, sliding past him andnding on me.


    It was subtle at first, the way their smiles faltered, but I noticed it instantly. Surprise flickered across their faces. Confusion too. Four pairs of eyes moved between me and Draven, as if silently asking - <i>Who is she, and why is she with you?</i>


    Before I could shrink under their scrutiny, Draven did something that made my chest tighten - he reached for my hand, entangling his long fingers with mine, and led me confidently toward them. His grip was firm, grounding, like he wasn¡¯t ashamed or hesitant, like he wanted me there with him.


    "All right," he said with a grin, tugging me closer. "Don¡¯t look so shocked, idiots. I want you to meet someone important."


    The four of them rose from the couches almost in unison. Draven¡¯s presence wasmanding, but I realized he was about to ce me right in the center of their focus, and it made my palms feel mmy.


    He gestured toward the first couple. "This is Mario, and that¡¯s his mate Ang."


    My gazended on the only girl in the group. She was pretty with short brown hair and a beautiful smile. She gave me a little wave, her smile warming up as her gaze shifted to me. Standing next to her was a tall and broad-shouldered man - Mario - who gave me a nod of acknowledgment, his expression friendly.


    "And these two troublemakers," Draven continued, pointing at the other pair, "are Cristian and Ronan. They are twins."


    Both boys smirked, giving me matching waves that made me blink. They looked so different that I would have never guessed them being rted, let alone being twins.


    "Everyone," Draven said then, and I felt his arm suddenly curl around my waist, tugging me flush to his side, "this is Evaline. First year. And... my mate."


    Thest word echoed in my ears. Mate.


    For a second, there was only silence. My heart pounded like a drum, waiting for their reactions, waiting for any sign of disapproval or judgment. But instead...


    "You are kidding me!" Cristian burst out, grinning. "You actually found your mate? Damn, Draven, about time!"


    Marioughed, pping him on the back. "I knew something was different about youtely. No wonder."


    Ang sped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she turned toward me. "Oh, she¡¯s beautiful. And undoubtedly smart. You are lucky, Draven."


    Heat rushed to my cheeks at her words. I wasn¡¯t used to beingplimented so openly, especially not in front of others.


    "Lucky?" Cristian scoffed. "More like blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. We are all gonna have to keep an eye on him now for Evaline. Don¡¯t let him mess up."


    Theirughter bubbled up, light and teasing, and I felt the tightness in my chest ease. They weren¡¯t cold or harsh like I had feared. They were... weing. Genuine.


    But then Cristian leaned forward a little, his grin widening. "Wait, I know you. You are that Evaline, aren¡¯t you? The one who topped the entrance exams?"


    I blinked, startled. "Uh... maybe?"


    Ang gasped softly, eyes wide. "Oh! You are her. No wonder your name sounded familiar. The professors keep talking about you - how disciplined you are, how sharp you are with your studies."


    "And we all have heard stories of how you wiped the floor with Instructor Oscar duringbat trial," Ronan added with a mischievous grin.


    I felt my eyes widen. "Wait... people know about that?"


    "Know?" Mario chuckled. "It¡¯s practically Academy legend now. First-year student with no wolf takes down one of the rogue alphas in hand-to-handbat? Everyone in Silver Moon knows your name, Evaline."


    My stomach dropped. I wasn¡¯t used to attention. For someone like me - an introvert who had spent years trying to make myself invisible - it felt like someone had just pulled a rug from under my feet.


    "I... uh... I didn¡¯t realize," I mumbled, flustered.


    Beside me, Draven smirked, his pride practically radiating off him. His arm tightened around me, a clear sign that he wasn¡¯t embarrassed by what they were saying. If anything, he was glowing with pride.


    "Of course she¡¯s famous," he said. "She¡¯s my mate."


    The teasing rolled on after that. Mario and Ang congratted us with sincerity, Ang even squeezing my hand gently, as if to wee me. Cristian and Ronan cracked jokes about how Draven better treat me right or they would step in.


    By the time the introductions were over, I found myself breathing easier. Their warmth chipped away at my walls, and slowly, I loosened up.


    When the games began, Ang pulled me to her side immediately. "Partners?"


    <fn81da> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn81da>


    I nodded eagerly, thankful to have her nearby. We ended up against our mates, and the two of usughed the hardest when Draven groaned about betrayal.


    "You are supposed to have my back, Ang!" heined as she purposely sabotaged his turn.


    "I have Evaline¡¯s back now," she shot back with a wink.


    Iughed so hard my cheeks started hurting. They made it so easy for me to feel... included.


    Three hours passed in a blur ofughter, teasing, and yfulpetition. And then, aste afternoon arrived and the sunlight stared disappearing, it was them for good byes.


    Cristian leaned down slightly as he sped my shoulder. "If Draven ever gives you trouble, you tell us. We¡¯ll straighten him out."


    Ronan nodded solemnly, though the mischief in his eyes gave him away. "Seriously. Don¡¯t let him get away with being a grump."


    Ang hugged me before we parted, slipping my phone into my hand with her number already saved. "Call me anytime. We¡¯ll go out for meals."


    "Thank you," I whispered, touched by her kindness.


    Draven and I finally left, heading back to the mansion. The car ride was quiet, my head still spinning with everything that had happened. But when we pulled up outside the mansion, Draven¡¯s phone buzzed.


    He frowned at the screen before answering. "Yeah?" He shifted his gaze to me. "Now? Fine. I¡¯ll be there."


    When he hung up, he answered my silent question. "It¡¯s Kieran. He needs me at the Academy."


    "Of course," I said with a nod.


    He leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "I¡¯ll see you soon."


    And then he was gone, the car pulling away, leaving me all alone in the giant mansion... except the dozens of servants and warriors, of course.


    Inside, the house was quiet. I climbed the stairs to my room, and headed to freshen up. Returning to the room, I picked up my phone and sat down on the bed. The group chat with Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan was buzzing.


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>How you guys doing? I¡¯m already bored over here. Never though I will miss Academy so much. I think I¡¯m addicted to that ce already. </i>


    <strong>Rowan: </strong><i>Nothing special going on here. I¡¯m kind of bored as well. Looking forward to my first day at work tomorrow though.</i>


    <strong>Kyros: </strong><i>I¡¯m babysitting my cousin.</i>


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>Where are you, Eva? Don¡¯t ignore is because of your threesome. </i>


    <strong>Kyros: </strong><i>For Goodness sake, Mallory!!</i>


    I groaned as I read Mallory¡¯s message. She really didn¡¯t have a filter. I quickly typed a reply.


    <strong>Evaline: </strong><i>Stop talking nonsense. I went out with Draven to meet his friends. Just returned.</i>


    I just hit ¡¯send¡¯ when someone knocked on my door.


    The sound made me look up. Slowly, I slid off the bed and padded toward the door. When I opened it... River was standing there.

 Chapter 301: The Unexpected Acceptance

    <h4>Chapter 301: The Unexpected eptance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the wall clock. I stood frozen, my hand still on the knob, staring at River as though he had grown a second head.


    He stared back at me, his unreadable green eyes holding mine with unnerving steadiness. I wanted to speak, ask him why he was here, and why he was looking at me like that... but my lips refused to form words. My heart hammered against my ribcage, echoing in my ears louder than anything else.


    Finally, it was him who broke the silence.


    "Are you going to let me in, Miss Evaline," he asked quietly, his voice carrying that low intensity only he could pull off, "or should I stand here all night?"


    The words startled me into action. Quickly, I stepped aside, pulling the door wider. He brushed past me, and the air around me shifted as if the entire room shrank in size just from his presence.


    Among the brothers, he had rarelye into my room before - except for once or twice during Christmas but that too in his brothers¡¯ presence - and now, seeing him step inside alone felt... different. Intimate. Too intimate.


    I hesitated for a moment before following him in, leaving the door open behind me. My feet carried me a step behind him, my senses alert, as though I needed to prepare for whatever mood he was in tonight.


    He stopped abruptly, turning around to face me. His sharp gaze flicked toward the open door, and then back to me. His eyebrows arched ever so slightly, the kind of look that said without words - <i>You are really going to leave it open? </i>


    The silent judgment burned hotter than if he had spoken it out loud. I swallowed and said nothing.


    And in the next instant, he took a step closer.


    My breath caught, and instinctively, I took one back.


    He followed with another step.


    Again, I retreated, my pulse quickening.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" his voice was calm, almost probing. "Worried I might do something to you?"


    The question caught me off-guard. My lips parted, but no words came out. What could I say? That maybe, deep down, I was afraid of him? That my instincts screamed to never be cornered by him, and yet... here I was, cornered willingly?


    He didn¡¯t give me time to sort through my scrambled thoughts. He took another step forward.


    And another.


    My back brushed against the wall, cold against my spine. I stiffened, realizing toote that I had let myself be trapped.


    He nted both hands against the wall, one on each side of me, caging me in. His presence was suffocating, his scent filling my senses. He leaned forward, closing the distance until just a few breaths of space separated us.


    "Not running anymore?" he asked, his voice dropping into a low murmur that curled through my chest like smoke.


    I finally lifted my eyes to his, ready to throw some retort at him, something sharp enough to slice through the tension. But the words never left me. Instead, a sharp cry escaped my lips,pletely unbidden.


    He immediately straightened, rm shing across his usuallyposed face. "What is it?" he demanded.


    I looked down... automatically, instinctively... at my belly. His eyes followed mine, and for once, I had the upper hand in startling him.


    "It¡¯s not me," I whispered through a shaky breath. "It¡¯s... the baby. It just kicked."


    The silence that followed was heavy. For two heartbeats, he only stared, his expression stunned. His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Then, as though something inside him shifted, he dropped to one knee in front of me.


    I froze, my heart climbing into my throat as his hand hovered uncertainly just above my stomach. His eyes lifted to mine, silently asking for permission.


    My throat worked as I swallowed, nodding slowly.


    He ced his palm gently over my small bump.


    We both waited, suspended in that fragile moment. And then... there it was. A soft movement beneath my skin.


    My eyes darted to him instantly, but his face didn¡¯t change. He only shook his head slightly, as if disappointed. My brows knit in confusion, but before I could question him, instinct took over.


    I reached down, took his hand, and slipped it beneath the hem of my sweater. His skin touched mine, hot against my belly, and we both inhaled sharply at the contact. His hand was broad, slightly calloused, and strangely grounding.


    And then... the baby kicked again.


    This time, River felt it.


    I didn¡¯t expect the way his eyes widened, didn¡¯t expect the slow, breathtaking smile that curved his lips. For a second, the icy, unreadable River was gone, reced by a man whose green eyes shimmered with awe and emotion so raw it stunned me into silence.


    He looked at me, then back down at my belly, his thumb unconsciously brushing over the curve of my skin as if trying to memorize the moment. His lips parted, but he didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t need to. His expression said enough.


    It was eptance.


    It was wonder.


    It was... warmth.


    I had thought that Oscar or Draven would be the ones to show such open affection toward the baby first. But River? I hadn¡¯t expected this from him.


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    Before I could gather my thoughts, before emotions could overtake me, he pulled back, standing fluidly, his face sliding back into its usual guarded calm. He slipped his hands into his pockets and tilted his head slightly.


    "What do you want for dinner?" he asked, his tone so casual I almost choked.


    "What?" I blinked, dumbfounded.


    "Dinner," he repeated, watching me with a neutral expression. "What do you want to eat?"


    I stared at him as though he had spoken in anothernguage. A second ago, he was kneeling at my stomach, touching my skin, smiling at my baby¡¯s kick... and now he was asking about food?


    "Are... are you going to cook?" I asked hesitantly.


    To my shock, he nodded.


    I blinked. "You... cook?"


    One of his brows lifted in challenge. "Surprised?"


    "Well, yes," I admitted honestly. "I mean... maybe not."


    That earned me the faintest twitch of his lips. "I can cook."


    I bit my lower lip, hesitant. "I¡¯m not picky. Anything¡¯s fine."


    He gave a single nod, as if that was all he needed. Then, without waiting, he turned and walked toward the door. Over his shoulder, he added, "Come with me. I want somepany while cooking."


    And for reasons I couldn¡¯t fully exin, my feet moved after him without hesitation.

 Chapter 302: Alpha’s Seduction

    <h4>Chapter 302: Alpha¡¯s Seduction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The mansion¡¯s kitchen wasrge and bustling, the air warm with heat and spice. Pots nged, knives chopped against cutting boards, and the staff moved with quick efficiency, all immersed in their rhythm of preparing dinner.


    But the instant River stepped in with me trailing behind him, the entire kitchen froze.


    It was like someone had pressed pause.


    Every pair of eyes darted toward us, then immediately lowered in respect as the air shifted with awareness. The cooks and maids bowed their heads, their movements stilling, even the sound of bubbling broth seemed quieter.


    "Alpha," several voices murmured together.


    I wasn¡¯t used to being the center of attention, but in that moment, I knew it wasn¡¯t me they were staring at... it was River, and then, briefly, me. Confusion passed through their faces, but none of them dared to speak it aloud.


    "You may all leave," River¡¯s voice cut through the silence, low and firm. "Take a break. I¡¯ll prepare dinner for my brothers, and..." his gaze flicked to me for a brief second, making my breath catch, "...for Miss Evaline."


    The kitchen staff blinked, stunned. I caught the tiny flicker of disbelief in their gazes, some darting quickly toward me before returning to the floor. River cooking? That had to be unheard of. He was their Alpha, not someone who ever had to set foot near stoves and knives.


    Still, none of them dared to question him.


    "Yes, Alpha," the head chef murmured, bowing slightly.


    River added, "Return in an hour to prepare dinner for the rest of the staff."


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    "Yes, Alpha."


    Within moments, the kitchen cleared. The maids and cooks slipped out quietly, leaving behind only the lingering scent of herbs, sizzling oil, and River¡¯s presence filling the space.


    My palms pressed against the side of my jeans. The silence was heavy now, almost intimate, as if the entire mansion had vanished, leaving just the two of us in this cavernous kitchen.


    River moved with the same unhurried confidence he always carried. He slid his suit coat off his broad shoulders, his fingers working the fabric with precise care. For a second, I thought he was going to ce it on one of the chairs.


    Instead, his eyes lifted... directly to me.


    I froze.


    Before I could process, he crossed the short distance between us, and in one fluid motion, draped his coat over my shoulders.


    My breath hitched.


    The fabric was warm, carrying his clean, familiar scent that seemed to seep straight into me. It was overwhelming in the best, most terrifying way.


    "Sit," he instructed in a calm voice, as if nothing unusual had just happened. As if lending me his coat was something he had done countless times before.


    With my heart hammering in my chest, I obeyed, sliding onto one of the high chairs at the counter. My legs swung slightly from the height, a nervous habit I didn¡¯t manage to control.


    He turned back to the counter, rolling the sleeves of his crisp white shirt with practiced ease. The fabric stretched against his forearms, and my eyes betrayed me... they stayed glued to the ridges of his veins, the strength beneath his skin.


    I swallowed hard.


    Then, almostzily, he loosened his tie, pulling it from his cor and without ncing, handed it toward me.


    For a second, I blinked at it, not understanding. Then, hesitantly, I reached out, my fingers brushing the soft silk. It felt like an exchange far too intimate for words.


    He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt next, exposing the faint line of his corbone, the barest glimpse of skin. My cheeks were burning at this point.


    It almost felt like he was... teasing me.


    Seducing me.


    And Moon Goddess help me, it was working.


    My eyes refused to leave him. I watched every move as he pulled out pots and pans with sure, confident hands, as if he had spent his whole life in kitchens rather than boardrooms or packhouses. He moved gracefully, slicing vegetables with precision, stirring oils and spices into pans, the air filling quickly with rich aromas that made my stomach tighten with hunger.


    He didn¡¯t look at me once, but I somehow knew that he was very aware of my gaze burning into him.


    The silence wasn¡¯t ufortable. It was thick with something else, something that made my pulse quicken and my chest tighten.


    Minutes slipped by, and twenty minutester, the kitchen was rich with the scent of seared meat, garlic, onions, herbs blending together. My mouth watered just breathing it in.


    Then, his voice broke the quiet.


    "Call Oscar and Draven," he said simply, as he dropped diced vegetables into the pan. "Ask how long before they arrive."


    "Oh," I blinked, scrambling. "I... I left my phone in my room."


    I slid off the chair, ready to dart upstairs. But before I could take more than a step, he finally lifted his head and looked at me.


    "Where are you going?"


    His voice stopped me mid-motion. I turned, chewing my lip. "To get my phone."


    He surprised me again.


    Instead of saying anything, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. With one hand, he extended it toward me. "Use mine."


    I froze.


    "Uh..." My hand hesitated before taking the device. His phone was sleek, expensive, and heavy in my palm. Something about holding it felt... personal, almost more so than using my own. "It¡¯s locked."


    "1227," he said smoothly, without hesitation.


    My fingers tapped in the digits one by one. 1. 2. 2... and then 7.


    The password sounded nothing special at first, but by the time my finger tapped on 7, realization struck me like lightning.


    My chest stuttered, breath catching.


    December 27th.


    The day our mate bond ignited.


    I looked up, wide-eyed, only to find him watching me. He wasn¡¯t smirking, not really. But there was a shift in his expression, something satisfied, something darkly pleased that I had figured it out. Like he had been waiting for me to notice.


    Heat bloomed through me, twisting low in my stomach.


    I didn¡¯t dare say anything, though the air between us hummed with the unspoken weight of it.


    My fingers trembled slightly as I scrolled to the contacts and tapped Draven¡¯s name.


    The phone rang once, twice, and then connected.


    "River?" Draven¡¯s familiar voice answered on the other end.


    "Uh... it¡¯s me," I said softly before I could stop myself.


    There was silence. A sharp inhale.


    "Eva?" His voice shifted instantly, stunned.


    "Yes," I murmured, gripping the phone tighter.


    "Why are you calling from River¡¯s phone?" He sounded confused, and clearly surprised.


    I licked my lips, my gaze darting to River, who was calmly stirring his pan like he wasn¡¯t listening to every word. "He... he asked me to. He wants to know how long it¡¯ll be before you and Oscar are back at the mansion."


    There was another pause. I could almost hear the wheels turning in Draven¡¯s head on the other end.


    Finally, his voice came through again. "We are already on the way. Ten minutes, maybe less."


    I nodded to myself. "Okay... I¡¯ll tell him."


    I hung up, my heart pounding with River¡¯s phone still warm in my hand.


    And when I looked up, he was watching me again.

 Chapter 303: Carved As a Memory

    <h4>Chapter 303: Carved As a Memory</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft fabric of River¡¯s coat still smelled faintly like him - draped over my shoulders as I sat on the kitchen stool. His tie was wrapped loosely around my fingers, his phone resting on the counter beside me. A strange sense of belonging buzzed through me at the thought that he had left all three things in my possession so casually, as if he trusted me to guard them.


    He moved with practiced ease in front of the oven, the light glinting off his sharp jawline as he leaned down to check on the food. He wasn¡¯t saying much, but for the first time since I had met him, his silence didn¡¯t feel distant. It felt heavy. Focused.


    And then, his voice broke through, low and smooth. "What did you do today?"


    I blinked, startled. He never asked questions like that. He wasn¡¯t one for small talk. Clearing my throat, I shifted the tie from one hand to the other, suddenly too aware of his eyes flicking to me before returning to the tray he pulled out.


    "I went out with Draven," I said. "He... wanted me to meet some of his friends."


    River didn¡¯t even look surprised. He just gave a quiet hum, almost approving, and set the steaming tray down. The chicken glistened, perfectly browned, herbs spilling their fragrance into the air. My stomach tightened with hunger so sharp I nearly forgot my words.


    He worked silently for a moment, ting and dressing with precision that made even the simple roasted chicken look like art. My mouth watered just watching him drizzle a thin sauce across the edges of the te.


    But then, footsteps andughter echoed down the hall. I turned toward the door just as Oscar and Draven appeared.


    "Well, would you look at that," Oscar whistled, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "River¡¯s actually cooking. Rare sight. Someone write this down before the world ends."


    I couldn¡¯t help it... aIughed.


    Oscar didn¡¯t waste time. He came straight to me, leaned in, and stole a kiss without hesitation. His lips were quick, teasing, but warm, and it made my chest flutter. I smiled back at him despite myself, though I could feel River¡¯s gaze burn like fire from across the counter.


    Oscar winked before moving toward his older brother.


    Then Draven was beside me, a slow grin on his lips. His kiss lingered a fraction longer than Oscar¡¯s, more deliberate, his hand brushing against my arm as if to ground me. The kitchen suddenly felt hotter than it should have.


    With the two of them in the room, everything shifted. The air filled with voices, warmth, and yful bickering.


    "Eva," Draven said, dropping into the chair next to mine with exaggerated ease. "You have no idea how lucky you are tonight. River¡¯s the best cook among us. He could put Michelin star chefs to shame."


    I blinked, ncing at River, who just continued slicing onion as if he hadn¡¯t heard.


    "It¡¯s true," Oscar chimed in, snatching a piece of lettuce off the counter before River swatted his hand away. "Guy¡¯s wasted running businesses and whatever broody things he does all day. Should have opened a restaurant. Too bad he hasn¡¯t cooked for us in... what, years?"


    "Busy," River said simply, shaking his head as if already tired of their chatter.


    I stared at the spread on the counter - roast chicken, soup, sds, bread, side dishes so vibrant and fragrant they made my stomach ache with anticipation. Could River really be that good?


    Oscarughed. "Poor Kieran. He¡¯s missing out on the miracle."


    River ignored him, methodically sliding perfectly sliced chicken pieces into a box. His movements were precise, almost ritualistic.


    "What are you doing?" Oscar finally asked.


    River didn¡¯t even pause. "Packing for Kieran."


    And just like that, the teasing quieted. River sealed the boxes in a big bag, wiped his hands, and called in a calm voice, "Sera."


    The kitchen door opened almost immediately, and Sera stepped inside as if she had been waiting just outside. River handed her the dinner bag without a word.


    "Deliver it to Kieran."


    Sera nodded once before vanishing back into the hall.


    Then it was dinner time.


    I helped Draven and Oscar set the table, though River was already ahead of us, carrying dishes with that same quiet efficiency. Soon the table was full, warm light glinting off polished cutlery, steam rising from the food.


    The moment I sat down, my stomach tightened with hunger again. I picked up my fork and took the first bite of chicken... and nearly moaned aloud. The vor burst across my tongue, tender and perfectly seasoned, bnced in a way I had never experienced.


    I froze when I realized no one else had started eating yet.


    Three pairs of eyes were fixed on me.


    River¡¯s jaw was tight, his gaze so intense it made me squirm. Draven leaned back in his chair, his lips curled in amusement, and Oscar smirked knowingly.


    "It¡¯s... amazing," I admitted, my voice soft, almost reverent.


    River¡¯s shoulders rxed the slightest fraction.


    "See?" Draven grinned, kicking Oscar under the table. "Told you."


    Before I could take another bite, Draven suddenly stood and switched ces with River, nudging him toward the chair beside me.


    River didn¡¯t protest. He moved quickly, almost too eagerly, and took the seat next to mine. The air shifted again, heavier, charged, as though his presence alone filled the space between us.


    Without a word, he picked up thedle, poured soup into a bowl, and set it in front of me. His movements were quiet, careful, as if the act itself meant something he couldn¡¯t put into words.


    "Try it," he murmured.


    I lifted the spoon and tasted the soup. Heat spread through me, not just from the broth, but from how good it was. "It¡¯s delicious."


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    The corner of his mouth twitched, almost a smile.


    And then, the strangest thing happened. For the next few minutes, he picked out one dish after another, setting portions onto my te, waiting for me to taste them. The others didn¡¯t interrupt, only watched as I ate and described how each bite melted on my tongue.


    I had never eaten food like this. Not in my pack, not in the Academy, not in the neighboring human city, not anywhere. It wasn¡¯t just good... it felt likefort, like safety, like someone had poured care into every detail of each dish.


    When I finally looked up, cheeks warm, I met River¡¯s eyes.


    "You are incredible," I said softly.


    For a second, I thought he might actually blush.


    But instead, he just picked up his fork, as calm and unreadable as ever, though the faintest warmth lingered in his gaze.


    And in that moment, with Oscar and Draven there, the table full of food, and River quietly watching me, I realized something... this dinner wasn¡¯t just a meal. It was a memory being carved into me.


    Something I knew I would never forget.

 Chapter 304: Running From Butterflies

    <h4>Chapter 304: Running From Butterflies</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Dinner finally ended, and I couldn¡¯t have fled the room faster if someone had chased me with a pack of raging rogues.


    My heart was still hammering against my ribs, my cheeks were burning, and every step I took down the hall felt like running from something... or maybe running from someone.


    Before slipping away, I made sure to hand River his coat, his tie, and his phone. I practically shoved them into his hands before I escaped, mumbling a quick thanks that sounded more like a squeak than actual words.


    Only when I reached the safety of my bedroom did I let out a deep, heavy sigh, copsing onto the bed.


    How was I supposed to process all of this?


    Did I love the food? Absolutely. Every dish had been perfect - vors that danced across my tongue in ways I didn¡¯t think food could. Did River make me nervous? Every single second. His sharp gaze, his calm presence, his way of focusing entirely on me... it was enough to make my pulse trip over itself.


    And... did I enjoy hispany, his attention, the subtle ways he made me feel like I mattered?


    Yes.


    The word slipped unbidden into my mind. I buried my face deeper into the sheets as if I could smother it, as if pretending hard enough could make those ridiculous butterflies in my stomach vanish. But no matter how much I tried to deny it, they were there, fluttering furiously like they had found a permanent home.


    Barely a few minutes passed before a soft knock pulled me from my thoughts. The door creaked open a momentter, and in came Oscar and Draven.


    "Little mate," Draven greeted warmly, his voice carrying that steady calm that always made me feel grounded. Oscar, however, wasted no time. He strode across the room, hopped onto the bed, and within seconds, had his head resting against myp.


    I blinked at him.


    His face was turned toward my bump, his breath tickling through the fabric of my sweater as he snuggled closer. "I missed you," he murmured, his tone unusually soft, almost vulnerable.


    My heart warmed, and just as I was about to reply, he pressed a quick kiss against my bump.


    "Did you miss me too, pup?" he whispered.


    My jaw almost dropped. My eyes went wide, and I stared at him as though he just got caught cheating. Wait... what? That "I missed you" hadn¡¯t been for me? It was for the pup?


    Draven must have noticed my scandalized expression because he burst intoughter, the deep, rich sound filling the room. He draped his arm casually around my shoulders, tugging me against his solid warmth. He pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Eva. I missed you."


    I blinked between the two brothers, not sure whether tough, pout, or just shove Oscar off the bed. He clearly knew exactly what he had done because the moment he looked up, he winked and blew me a flying kiss.


    I smacked his shoulder lightly, but I could feel the heat creeping into my cheeks.


    Before I could retort, another knock echoed through the room. This time, when the door opened, it was River.


    The air seemed to change instantly. My spine straightened, and without thinking, I pushed Oscar off myp and shifted away from Draven. Both of them shot me questioning looks, but I ignored them, my eyes fixed on River as he stepped inside.


    He was carrying a paper bag in one hand, his presence asmanding as ever despite the casualness of the moment. Closing the door behind him, he made his way toward the bed and set the bag on the bedside table.


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    Without a word, he began unpacking. Bottles and small boxes soon lined the table - massage oils, stretch mark oils, creams with soft pastelbels that looked strangely delicate in hisrge hands.


    "I spoke to your gyno," River said matter-of-factly, his deep voice cutting through the silence. "These are the best brands to use during pregnancy."


    My mouth opened, then closed. I didn¡¯t even know how to respond. The thought of him going out of his way to not only buy these but also confirm with my doctor... it tugged something deep inside me that I wasn¡¯t ready to acknowledge.


    He turned toward me. "Do you want to bathe before bed?"


    For a second, all I could do was blink. Then, wordlessly, I nodded.


    "Good," he said simply, and without waiting for more, he disappeared into my bathroom.


    I whipped my head toward Oscar and Draven. Both of them looked as lost and wide-eyed as I felt. We exchanged silent expressions of <i>is this really happening? and what on earth is he doing?</i>


    He returned a few minutester and informed me the bath was ready. Without wasting any time, I slipped inside the bathroom and locked the door behind me.


    When I finally stepped out after the long, soothing bath, dressed infortable pajamas, I felt lighter, more rxed. But the moment I walked back into the bedroom and found all three men still there, waiting for me, that rxation evaporated instantly.


    "Lay down," River instructed calmly.


    I hesitated, ncing at Oscar and Draven, but neither moved to stop me. With my heart beating far too fast, I settled onto the bed. River picked up one of the massage oils, unscrewed the cap, and rubbed some into his palms.


    Then he took my foot in his hand.


    The first touch sent a shiver racing through me. His fingers were warm, strong, and impossibly gentle as he began to massage my foot. I gasped softly, the sound slipping out before I could stop it.


    He kneaded carefully, his thumbs pressing into the arch with just enough pressure to melt the tension I didn¡¯t even realize I had been carrying all day.


    "Oh..." The sound was barely audible, but I couldn¡¯t help it. My toes curled, my head tipping back against the pillows.


    He didn¡¯tment. His expression remained unreadable, focused entirely on myfort as his hands worked over my foot, then up to my ankle. He slid the hem of my pajama bottoms upward, baring my shin and calf as his fingers trailed higher. Every movement was precise, deliberate, as if he had memorized exactly where to press, where to soothe.


    I couldn¡¯t stop watching him. And yet, every time his fingers pressed into my skin, a strange flutter stirred inside me. Not justfort... something else. Something warmer, softer, far more dangerous.


    Oscar and Draven exchanged looks, though neither interrupted. They seemed just as surprised, just as caught off guard, as I was.


    River¡¯s voice broke the silence. "I have booked a masseur for you. She¡¯s trained in prenatal massage. She¡¯lle tomorrow evening after you return from work."


    My heart skipped a beat.


    He said it so simply, as though it wasn¡¯t one of the most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for me. As though he didn¡¯t just turn my carefully guarded emotions upside down.


    I swallowed, not trusting my voice, not trusting myself to speak when his hands were still gliding over my skin, soothing and awakening me all at once.


    And as Iy there, caught between rxation and butterflies, between disbelief and something dangerously close to yearning, one thing became painfully clear... River had no idea what he was doing to me.


    Or maybe... he did.

 Chapter 305: Gasps and Murmurs

    <h4>Chapter 305: Gasps and Murmurs</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Warmth. That was the first thing I felt when consciousness brushed against me, heavier than sleep yet soft like a nket wrapping me up. I snuggled deeper into it, pressing my cheek against the pillow, until the faintest movement made me stir.


    Myshes fluttered open, adjusting slowly to the quiet darkness of the room. The curtains had been drawn shut, and the room was filled with darkness, but I didn¡¯t need much to see the tall figure moving carefully beside me.


    Recently, I had realized that my eyesight had improved quite a bit over the past couple of months.


    "...Oscar?" My voice was still thick with sleep, but he froze instantly, his head turning to me.


    He must have thought I was still asleep because guilt flickered over his face before he softened, a sheepish smile curling his lips. Instead of continuing to climb out of bed, he came back, lowering himself to sit on the edge beside me. His hand was gentle as it slid over my hair, patting it softly.


    "Sorry," he murmured, his voice low and hushed as though afraid to disturb the peace of the room. "Didn¡¯t mean to wake you."


    I blinked up at him, still fighting the heavy pull of slumber. Behind me, Draven¡¯s warmth was a weight at my back, steady and grounding, his breath fanning softly against my nape. If it weren¡¯t for Oscar moving, I might have slipped back under.


    "You are leaving for the Academy, aren¡¯t you?" I asked, my voice slow, slurred by drowsiness.


    He hummed in affirmation, leaning down just a little. "Yes. I¡¯ll be back soon, little star. I¡¯ll wrap everything up quickly and return to you." He bent to press a kiss against my temple, his hand still stroking my hair in that soothing way he always did. "Now go back to sleep."


    I almost obeyed him... almost. My eyes fluttered shut, but then, a sudden ache bloomed in my chest, fierce and stubborn. The thought of him walking out without something more... without me giving something back... was unbearable.


    Before he could pull away, I reached up and caught the back of his head, surprising even myself. His hair slid like silk through my fingers as I tugged him down, my lips finding his in a kiss.


    At first, it was supposed to be quick. Just a fleeting brush, a whisper of good-bye. But he didn¡¯t let it stay that way.


    The moment my mouth touched his, he stilled, and then I felt it... that hum beneath my skin, the mate bond vibrating with satisfaction, with happiness. It was like pouring my soul into him, into the connection that tied us together, showing him my love without words.


    But when I began to pull back, thinking I had given enough, his mouth chased mine. A soft sound escaped me when his lips captured mine again, firmer this time, his hand slipping to cradle the side of my face.


    I gasped, and he swallowed the sound, deepening the kiss. My heart raced wildly in my chest, heat coiling in my stomach as he tilted his head to better mold his mouth over mine. I clutched at his night shirt, torn between pulling him closer and reminding him he needed to leave.


    But when he kissed me like that, slow and yet consuming, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. The bond thrummed, alive, sparking through every nerve until I moaned softly into his mouth.


    That sound changed something in him. He growled low in his throat, not with anger but with something primal, protective, and it sent shivers racing through me. He kissed me like he didn¡¯t want to let me go, like this was thest breath he would ever take and he wanted it to be mine.


    By the time he pulled away, I was breathless, my lips tingling, my chest heaving. His forehead leaned against mine for a moment, his breath mingling with mine. The bond thrived so strongly I thought my heart might burst.


    Behind me, Draven shifted. His arm tightened over my hip as though iming me all over again, and then I felt his lips press against the side of my neck in azy, possessive kiss.


    "Good morning, brother," he rumbled, voice still thick with sleep.


    Oscar chuckled, though his gaze lingered on me for another moment. He bent down to nt onest kiss on my lips - gentle this time, lingering - and whispered, "Rest, little star. I¡¯ll be back before you miss me."


    And then, reluctantly, he slipped away, his footsteps silent as he finally left the room.


    I turned immediately in Draven¡¯s arms, burying myself against his chest. His warmth was intoxicating, the steady beat of his heart lulling me. I had maybe one more hour before six. One more hour before I would have to rise.


    <fn8bf1> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?ndnovel</fn8bf1>


    It took less than five minutes for sleep to im me again.


    * * *


    The shrill ring of my rm clock dragged me back to consciousness. My eyes shot open, and I quickly fumbled to silence it before it disturbed Draven. He grumbled faintly behind me, but didn¡¯t stir.


    Smiling faintly, I leaned down to press a soft kiss to his cheek before slipping out of bed. The bathroom light was too bright, but it helped chase the sleep from my body as I sshed my face with warm water.


    The next hour passed in the rhythm I had built for myself. Warm water to wake my body, gentle stretches to loosen stiff muscles, then meditation and yoga to center my mind. My body still remembered the old days when I had nothing, when I couldn¡¯t trust even my own home to keep me safe. But this... this routine grounded me.


    By the time I stepped into the shower, steam curling around me, I already felt lighter. Fresh clothes clung softly to my skin when I stepped out, toweling my hair.


    "Sit."


    I nced up at Draven, who was already awake and showered, a towel around his shoulders. He held the hair dryer in one hand, motioning to the stool near the mirror.


    "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "Sit." His tone brooked no argument, so I obeyed. And, as always, I was d I did. My arms grew tired when I tried to blow-dry my hair myself, but Draven¡¯srge, steady hands worked through the long strands with ease, his patience unmatched.


    By the time he finished, my hair was soft and dry, and he was dressed as well. Together, we descended the stairs.


    River was already there in the living room, sipping his ck coffee. Jasper was there too and he greeted me politely with a nod. They seemed to be talking about Rogue activity near the borders of Nightshade Pack.


    Breakfast followed, though River merely sat with us, sipping his dark brew. The meal was simple but warm, and the quiet domesticity of it all still startled me sometimes.


    With the meal over, Jasper left first, duty pulling him away. Then River rose, and so did I.


    We walked out of the mansion and the familiar ck car was waiting there. River stepped into the car first, his long coat brushing against the door, while I lingered for just a moment.


    Because Draven caught my wrist.


    Before I could blink, he leaned down and kissed me on the porch - right in front of at least a dozen servants and warriors who pretended not to stare. My face med as gasps and murmurs filled the air, though quickly smothered into silence.


    When he pulled back, his eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.


    "Have a good day," he murmured.


    I could only nod, still blushing furiously, before slipping into the car after River.


    The door shut. The engine purred to life. And just like that, we were off to the Council headquarters.

 Chapter 306: Too Many Raised Eyebrows

    <h4>Chapter 306: Too Many Raised Eyebrows</h4>


    <strong>Rowan:</strong>


    The slim silver hands of my watch ticked with a rhythm far too slow for my restless heart. I had just moved my wrist again, about to check the time, when a familiar voice cut into my thoughts.


    "That¡¯s the dozenth time you have looked at it in the past five minutes," the barista said as she ced a steaming cup of coffee on my table, her voiceced with quiet amusement.


    I looked up, and there she was - Amara, the woman who had been serving coffee here longer than I had beening to this ce. Her arched brow dared me to deny it, but all I could do was smile.


    "You caught me," I admitted, leaning back in my chair.


    Her gaze softened with curiosity as she wiped her hands on her apron. "Who are you waiting for anyway? Can¡¯t be a date - you don¡¯t look nervous enough for that."


    I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head. "Not a date. My little sis."


    Her mouth fell open, and for the first time since I had known her, she was actually speechless. "You... have a sister?"


    I didn¡¯t get to exin because my phone buzzed on the table. My eyes darted to the screen, and my chest eased at the name shing across it. <strong>Eva</strong>.


    I picked up instantly. "Where are you?"


    "Outside," her voice came through, sweet and familiar. "At the caf¨¦ you told me toe to. Are you inside already?"


    My gaze swept beyond the ss windows, and there she was... standing near the curb, wrapped in a pastel blue sweater under a beige coat, slim beige pants softening her figure. The morning light caught in her silver hair, and even in the crowd, she stood out.


    My wolf stirred, recognition and warmth spreading through me as if the world had shifted just by her being here.


    Before I could move, Amara followed my gaze. Her lips curved knowingly as she wiped her hands once more. "That must be your sister, then. I¡¯ll get her."


    I blinked, almostughing. "Amara-"


    But she was already striding away, her ponytail swishing.


    Through the ss, I saw Amara approach Eva, say something that made herugh softly, and then gesture toward the caf¨¦. My chest tightened at that sound - Eva¡¯sugh. Pure, unguarded. The kind of sound that felt rare. Precious.


    Secondster, the bell above the door chimed, and they both stepped in.


    I was already on my feet.


    "Eva," I said, my voice warm, as I wrapped her in a hug. She melted into it easily, her smile brushing against my shoulder. My wolf hummed in contentment.


    When she pulled back, her amber eyes were glowing.


    "You look happy," I said, meaning it.


    Her cheeks flushed pink. "I am happy. And I¡¯m so looking forward to meet this special person finally,"


    I smiled and gestured to the seat across. She sat down, folding her coat neatly over herp.


    "Want anything to drink?" I asked, sliding her the menu.


    She shook her head. "No, thank you. I¡¯m still stuffed from breakfast. Draven made sure I was full."


    I shook my head while my smile only became bigger, happy that her mates were taking care of her.


    <fn79ad> This update is avable on F¦ÉndNovel</fn79ad>


    We talked while I sipped my coffee. I asked her about how thest four days had been, if she was enjoying her time at the Thorne mansion.


    When my cup was empty, we rose to leave.


    Amara wasn¡¯t done, though. She fussed over Eva, scolding me lightly that she hadn¡¯t tried anything in the caf¨¦, thenplimenting Eva¡¯s beauty in the way older sisters did. Eva¡¯s cheeks colored again, but she smiled with that gracious warmth that seemed to disarm everyone she met.


    Once outside, I opened my mouth to tell her we needed to stop by the florist shop before heading to the hospital... but she beat me to it.


    "Rowan," she said, pointing toward the shop. "Let¡¯s stop there first. I want to buy flowers for your friend."


    I stopped in my tracks, staring at her. Sometimes I wondered if she could read my thoughts. But no... this was just her. Thoughtful. Kind. Always thinking of others before herself.


    "Of course," I said, trying to hide how much it touched me.


    The bell above the florist shop chimed as we entered. The air smelled of lilies and roses, of earth and warmth. Behind the counter, Miss Elena looked up. Her wrinkled face softened instantly.


    "Rowan," she greeted, her voice fond. "Right on time."


    "Miss Elena," I returned warmly.


    But then her eyes shifted to Eva, and something flickered there... curiosity. Eva also nced at me, her brows raised in silent question.


    "This is Eva," I introduced quickly. "My sister."


    Miss Elena¡¯s lips curved into a smile. "Well now. I see. Wee, dear."


    Eva returned the smile, and for a second, the two women simply studied each other. There was no tension, just quiet acknowledgment.


    I chose the blue tulips as always. Eva insisted on paying, and despite my protests, she handed the notes over to Miss Elena with a proud little tilt of her chin. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Soon, we were back on the street, tulips in hand, and then stepping into the hospital.


    The familiar sterile scent of antiseptic filled the hallways as we made our way up to the seventh floor. My chest tightened with every step. Eva¡¯s hand brushed my arm once, a quiet gesture, as though she sensed my unease.


    In the room, Nurse Faye was adjusting the drip for the young girl in the bed opposite. She nced up, offering me a familiar smile.


    "Rowan," she greeted. Then her gaze slid to Eva, and her brows lifted... something that had already happened twice before today.


    Another round of introductions followed, and soon enough, Faye was smiling warmly at Eva as well. Eva seemed to win people over effortlessly.


    And then, my eyes went to the bed by the window.


    Nairay there, her chest rising and falling shallowly, her skin pale against the white sheets. Her dark hair spread across the pillow, framing her delicate face.


    I swallowed hard.


    "Eva," I said quietly, moving closer, "this is Naira."


    The words almost broke in my throat.


    Eva stepped forward, her gaze softening as she looked at Naira. Then she turned to me, her eyes shining with something I couldn¡¯t name.


    The smile she gave me next was warm... too warm. Because in her eyes, I could see the truth. She knew. She knew Naira wasn¡¯t just a friend.


    And yet, she didn¡¯t ask. She didn¡¯t judge. She just stayed by my side, steady and kind.

 Chapter 307: Guilt From Past

    <h4>Chapter 307: Guilt From Past</h4>


    <strong>Rowan:</strong>


    Nurse Faye, bless her heart, was always considerate. She quietly moved around the room, drawing the curtains so the three of us could have some semnce of privacy.


    The air was still heavy with antiseptic and the faint hum of machines, but the softer lighting made it feel less like a sterile hospital room and more like... a ce where memories could still exist.


    Eva sank into the chair closest to Naira¡¯s bedside, her movements careful, almost reverent. I pulled another chair closer and sat down beside her, my eyes falling on Naira¡¯s pale, unmoving face.


    My hand instinctively reached out, wrapping around hers. Her skin was cold... too cold for someone who should be young and vibrant, running around,ughing,ining about me forgetting to eat.


    "Hey, Naira," I said softly, forcing a smile that cracked at the edges. "It¡¯s me again. I know, I know, you are tired of me talking your ear off when you can¡¯t even tell me to shut up." A bitter chuckle escaped me, but my voice trembled. "How have you been?"


    Of course, there was no reply. There never was. Still, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking. Maybe some foolish part of me believed she could hear, tucked somewhere in the void she was lost in.


    <fn6c9f> Updates are released by FindN0vel</fn6c9f>


    I nced at Eva. For a moment, I debated putting the mask back on - the steady, unshakeable Rowan that everyone knew. But Eva... she had already seen too much. Seen me snap, seen me falter, seen the cracks in the armor I built so carefully over the years. And she never judged. Never pulled away. Somehow, with her, I didn¡¯t feel the need to pretend.


    My throat tightened as I spoke again, this time to Naira. "Remember I told you I had a friend I wanted to bring to meet you?" My voice lowered, breaking slightly. "Well, she¡¯s here."


    I lifted my free hand and reached for Eva¡¯s, warm and alive in contrast to Naira¡¯s lifeless one. Slowly, I ced Eva¡¯s palm on top of Naira¡¯s hand, so the three of us were connected. My chest ached as I looked between them.


    "This is Eva," I said gently. "My little sister." I swallowed, my jaw clenching before I forced the words out. "And Eva, this is Naira... my childhood friend, my love, my only family before you stepped into my life."


    Eva didn¡¯t say much. She didn¡¯t need to. Her amber eyes softened, glistening faintly under the dim light, and a small, warm smile touched her lips. There was no pity in her expression, only understanding. Deep, unspoken understanding.


    Her fingers squeezed lightly, pressing both mine and Naira¡¯s hands. "She¡¯s beautiful," Eva whispered, and I almost broke right there.


    For a long moment, silence filled the room. It wasn¡¯t empty silence, though... it was heavy, thick with the weight of everything unsaid. Then, softly, Eva asked, "Will you... tell me what really happened with Naira?"


    The words dug deep. Nobody else had asked me that, not like this. Everyone wanted surface-level answers, something quick they could package neatly into sympathy. But Eva wasn¡¯t asking for a summary. She wanted the truth.


    And I wanted to give it to her.


    I hadn¡¯t told anyone outside of the authorities and the doctors. But Eva wasn¡¯t just anyone. She was my sister, my family. And if I couldn¡¯t trust her with this, then who else?


    I drew in a shaky breath, still holding Naira¡¯s hand as though letting go would shatter me.


    "It wasst March," I began, my voice hoarse. "She had a shift at the little caf¨¦ near the town where we lived. Just a normal evening, nothing out of the ordinary. I was supposed to meet her after, but something came up with work and I waste." My jaw clenched at the memory, the guilt still as raw as it had been that night. "When I called her, she didn¡¯t answer. At first, I thought maybe she was still busy or her phone died, but... Naira never ignored my calls. Not once."


    The images came back in fragments - my worry building, the way my heart pounded harder with every unanswered call.


    "I went to the caf¨¦, but they told me she had left hours ago. That she left the moment her shift ended. That¡¯s when panic hit me. She had never done anything like that before. And there had been... reports of rogues in the area recently." My hand tightened over Naira¡¯s, the memory of dread crawling up my spine all over again.


    "It started raining," I continued, my voice dropping. "Pouring so hard I couldn¡¯t see properly. But I ran through the streets, checked every corner, every path she might have taken. When I couldn¡¯t find her, I shifted into my wolf and searched the woods. I was half out of my mind."


    I swallowed hard, my eyes burning. "I found her by a stream, just before midnight. She wasn¡¯t hurt. Not a scratch. Not robbed. Nothing. Just lying there... unconscious."


    Eva¡¯s eyes widened slightly, but she didn¡¯t interrupt. She just listened.


    "I carried her to a healer first," I said, my voice breaking now. "But the healer couldn¡¯t find anything wrong. Nothing physical. Nothing magical. She told me to take her here, to Greenville Hospital."


    I paused, dragging in a trembling breath. "The doctors checked her. Healers checked her. They all said the same thing. She wasn¡¯t injured, wasn¡¯t poisoned, wasn¡¯t attacked. She was just... asleep. In aa. There was no reason. No exnation."


    My throat closed, the memory of that first night wing at me. "I sat by her side until morning, waiting for her to wake up. She didn¡¯t. Not that day, not the next. They had to put her on life-support. They still couldn¡¯t tell me why. And it¡¯s been eleven months."


    Tears finally spilled down my face. I had held them back for so long, but saying it aloud tore something inside me wide open. "Eleven months, Eva. And she still hasn¡¯t woken up."


    By the time I finished, my voice was broken, my body trembling with the weight of everything I had kept buried.


    I didn¡¯t expect it, but I felt Eva¡¯s hand brush against my cheek, wiping away the tears that wouldn¡¯t stop. Then, without hesitation, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me.


    Her embrace was warm. Grounding. Human in a way nothing else had been in months.


    She didn¡¯t whisper empty promises like others did. Didn¡¯t tell me "everything will be alright." Didn¡¯t urge me to be strong.


    Instead, her voice was soft against my ear. "Cry, Rowan. Let it out. I¡¯m here. For you... and for Naira."


    And those words broke mepletely.


    I buried my face against her shoulder, gripping her tightly as sobs I hadn¡¯t let myself feel in nearly a year wracked through me. The dam I had built inside finally shattered. And for once, I let myself fall apart.

 Chapter 308: Between Life and Sleep

    <h4>Chapter 308: Between Life and Sleep</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Rowan¡¯s body trembled in my arms, his face pressed against my shoulder as he let his tears flow without restraint.


    I held him tighter, refusing to let go, my palm slowly rubbing circles on his back as if that could lessen the weight he carried. His pain came out in broken sobs, muffled but deep, and it cut me more sharply than any knife could.


    Minutes passed before the storm inside him began to quiet. His breaths grew ragged but steadier, and finally, he pulled away. His eyes were red and swollen, his cheeks streaked with tears. The moment he saw the dark patch on my coat where his face had rested, his expression twisted with guilt.


    "I-sorry," he muttered, quickly wiping his face with the back of his hand, avoiding my gaze.


    I shook my head before he could say more. "Don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s alright, Rowan. Really." My voice came out softer than I expected, but I meant every word.


    He gave me a small nod, the kind people gave when they didn¡¯t fully believe but didn¡¯t want to argue either. Then he cleared his throat. "I should... go wash my face."


    "Okay," I said quietly.


    I watched as he slipped into the bathroom, and the sound of running water followed soon after. My gaze drifted toward Naira lying on the bed, her pale face peaceful yet heartbreaking, and the small smile I had tried to wear vanishedpletely.


    The weight on my chest grew heavier.


    Taking a deep breath, I stood and pulled my phone from my coat pocket. Stepping out of the room, I walked toward the far end of the corridor, away from the ward¡¯s door.


    The hospital¡¯s fluorescent lights buzzed faintly above me, and the polished floor reflected my own anxious face as I stopped and scrolled through my contacts.


    <fnff2a> Content originallyes from ?ovelFind</fnff2a>


    My heart was hammering so hard it felt like it would break through my ribs when I pressed the call button.


    Even though I knew he must be busy, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I needed him.


    The line rang once, twice... then on the third, his voice answered, low and warm with surprise.


    "Evaline?"


    I squeezed my eyes shut, my throat suddenly tight. "I-I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Professor. I know you are busy with work..."


    He cut me off immediately, his tone firm yet gentle. "Evaline, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about that. What¡¯s wrong?"


    The way he asked... it was as if he could already hear the unease in my voice, as if he was standing right in front of me. I hesitated, my fingers tightening on the phone. My tongue stumbled over words.


    "I... I¡¯m sorry again for calling like this. It¡¯s just... can youe to Greenville Hospital?"


    For a heartbeat there was silence. Then his sharp inhale reached me through the speaker.


    "Hospital? Are you alright?" His voice had risen in panic, the worry so raw that my chest ached at hearing it.


    "Yes! Yes, I¡¯m fine," I hurried to reassure him, shaking my head as if he could see me. "I promise, Professor, I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s not about me. I just... there¡¯s something I want you to take a look at."


    There was another pause. Longer this time. My heart sank. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have called him. He was busy, and Greenville was more than half-hour drive from the Academy. What was I thinking?


    "You don¡¯t have toe now," I blurted out quickly. "If you are busy, it¡¯s fine. You can... you cane some other time, when you have time."


    "No," Kieran¡¯s voice cut firmly across my words, leaving no room for argument. "I¡¯m on my way."


    And before I could say anything else, the call ended.


    I lowered the phone slowly, staring at the nk screen as my pulse continued to race.


    When I returned to the ward, Rowan was stepping out of the bathroom, his hair damp, his face freshly washed. He looked at me in confusion, his brows furrowing.


    I raised my phone slightly with a faint smile. "Just went out to make a call."


    He nodded in understanding and didn¡¯t press. Together, we walked back to Naira¡¯s side and settled into our seats. The girl on the other bed was already fast asleep.


    The next while passed in conversation. Rowan told me about how he and Naira first met, about the small moments that grew into something bigger between them. His eyes softened when he spoke of herugh, of how she used to scold him for being careless. He shared stories of their life before everything changed, of the struggles, the little joys, and finally of how he ended up joining Silver Moon.


    I listened intently, absorbing every detail. It felt important... these pieces of his life, the mosaic of who he was. He also told me about his first two days at his new work during the weekend.


    Time slipped away without us noticing. When he nced at his watch, his eyes widened slightly.


    "We should probably head back now," he said.


    I stopped him with a small shake of my head. My fingers curled around the edge of my coat as hesitation knotted inside me. His eyes narrowed in question, confusion in on his face.


    "What is it?" he asked gently.


    I swallowed hard, then admitted, "I... called someone. We should wait."


    His brows lifted. "Someone? One of the brothers?" His tone hinted at what he truly meant... my mates.


    Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in myp. The name on the screen made my breath catch.


    Professor Kieran.


    I picked up quickly. "Hello?"


    "Evaline," his voice came through, steady but edged with tension, "I¡¯m at the reception. Where are you?"


    "Thest room on the seventh floor," I replied.


    "Stay there. I¡¯ming."


    The line clicked dead.


    When I looked up, Rowan was studying me with curiosity, questions unspoken but clear in his eyes. My chest tightened. I couldn¡¯t exin... not yet.


    "Please," I whispered instead. "Trust me. I¡¯ll exinter."


    He held my gaze for a long moment before nodding without hesitation.


    The room fell into silence again, broken only by the steady beep of Naira¡¯s monitor. My heart started beating faster with each passing second.


    And then... the door opened.


    Kieran stepped inside. His tall frame filled the doorway, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room beforending on me. In the next instant, he was in front of me, his presence overwhelming yet grounding all at once.


    His eyes scanned me, his expression tightening as if he was searching for any sign of harm.


    "I¡¯m fine," I told him quickly, my voice soft. Then, after a pause, I shifted my gaze at Naira, "But... there¡¯s someone I want you to take a look at."

 Chapter 309: A Hope To Hold On

    <h4>Chapter 309: A Hope To Hold On</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I held my breath as Kieran moved closer to Naira¡¯s bed. His tall frame cast a shadow across her fragile body, the dim hospital lights outlining the sharpness of his features.


    I stood right beside him, every nerve in my body wound so tightly that I thought I might snap. My gaze never left his face, as I searched for even the smallest flicker of change in his expression.


    But his face was carved from stone,pletely unreadable.


    On my other side, Rowan shifted uncertainly. I didn¡¯t need to look at him to know he was confused, maybe even anxious, but he stayed silent. Just like I had asked him to. His silence pressed heavier on me with every second, his unspoken trust both afort and a burden.


    Kieran lingered, his eyes fixed on Naira. The room was quiet except for the steady beep of the monitors, each sound echoing in my chest. Then, finally, he turned to me.


    "Who is she?" His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of weight in it.


    I swallowed, my throat dry. "She¡¯s... Rowan¡¯s family," I exined quickly. "Last March, he found her in the woods after she failed to return home. She wasn¡¯t injured - no wounds, no sign of poison, or curse, or anything at all. But she never woke up." My voice faltered slightly, but I forced myself to continue. "The doctors couldn¡¯t exin it. The authorities couldn¡¯t either. She¡¯s been like this ever since."


    Kieran¡¯s gaze stayed steady on me, unblinking, while his mind seemed to work behind those deep green eyes. He looked back at Naira once more, his expression tightening ever so slightly before he spoke again.


    "Evaline... you called me here because you think she might be-"


    "No." I cut him off sharply, almost too quickly. My chest tightened as panic rushed through me. "Maybe..."


    His eyes narrowed slightly in concern, but I pressed on. "I recalled that guy from back that night." My words tumbled out, heavy and shaky. "The way she looks... it¡¯s exactly the same as him." I stopped short of saying more. My fists clenched at my sides. "I want it to be wrong. Stars, I want it to be wrong." My eyes lifted to his, desperate, pleading. "Tell me I¡¯m wrong."


    "Eva?" Rowan¡¯s voice broke through, uncertain, thick with questions he didn¡¯t dare put into words.


    I reached out instinctively and gave his arm a gentle squeeze, silently asking him to wait just a little longer. My heart hammered in my ears as Kieran finally stepped forward, lowering himself beside the bed.


    With a steady hand, he reached out and ced his palm against Naira¡¯s forehead. His eyes slid shut, and the room felt like it held its breath with me.


    Seconds stretched into an eternity.


    <fncd06> Read full story at find(?)ovel</fncd06>


    When his eyes opened again, he turned to me. And in that moment, I didn¡¯t need words.


    The apology in his gaze told me everything.


    My stomach dropped. My knees wobbled, strength draining from my legs as if I had been struck. I swayed, and immediately Kieran¡¯s arm was there, steadying me. On the other side, Rowan caught me too, his grip firm, his voice rising with concern.


    "What¡¯s going on? Eva-what is it?" His panic grew with every word, his eyes darting between the two of us.


    Kieran looked at him then, his tone low but unyielding. "Evaline called me here because she had doubts about Miss Naira. And... it¡¯s true." He paused, his voice gentler when he spoke the next words. "She¡¯s Soul Dead."


    Rowan froze. Confusion flickered across his face as he repeated the term slowly, almost disbelieving. "Soul... Dead?"


    Before Kieran could speak further, I stepped forward. My voice came out steadier than I felt inside. "Rowan... sincest year, there have been a few cases like Naira¡¯s. But they have been kept confidential by the Council for various reasons."


    His eyes widened, but he didn¡¯t interrupt, so I continued. "There have been people... just like her... unconscious, no wounds, no poison, no curse. Nothing anyone could exin. Their bodies alive, but..." I swallowed hard, forcing myself to say it. "But their souls gone. That¡¯s what Soul Death is. Something, or someone, took their souls."


    Rowan¡¯s lips parted, his breath catching. Shock washed over his features, but even then, his gaze turned back to Naira, as if he hoped she would suddenly stir and prove me wrong. His hands curled into fists, the veins in his arms standing out.


    "How-how do we heal her?" His voice was almost a demand, trembling under the weight of his desperation.


    My heart clenched.


    Kieran inhaled, his lips parting as if to answer, but I couldn¡¯t let him.


    "No cure has been found yet," I cut in quickly, words spilling before Kieran could speak the truth. "But Professor Kieran... he and the Council... they are looking into these cases. They are searching."


    I turned sharply toward Kieran then, my eyes pleading with him. <i>Please don¡¯t. Please don¡¯t take away the only hope he has left.</i>


    He met my gaze, his jaw tightening, and for a moment, I feared he would speak the truth anyway. But then he stopped, silent, his eyes shifting back to Naira.


    I exhaled slowly, then forced a small smile for Rowan, though my chest ached. "This is actually a good thing, Rowan. We didn¡¯t know before. But now... now we do. We know what¡¯s wrong with her, and we know where to search for her cure."


    Rowan¡¯s eyes suddenly with something fragile yet powerful at my words... hope. He nodded quickly, as if clinging to my words with all the strength he had left.


    "Yes. Yes, you are right," he whispered, almost to himself. His hand reached out, gently brushing Naira¡¯s pale fingers as though she might respond. "We know now. We¡¯ll find it. We¡¯ll find a way."


    The sight twisted something deep inside me. I wished I could believe my own words the way he did.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    And the weight of that truth pressed harder on my chest as Rowan held on to the hope I had just given him.

 Chapter 310: Hanging On a Hope

    <h4>Chapter 310: Hanging On a Hope</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran stopped the car in front of a restaurant tucked neatly along the corner of the busy street. The warm glow from its windows spilled into the afternoon light, a sharp contrast to the heaviness that still hung in my chest after the hospital visit.


    He shifted the gear into neutral and turned slightly in his seat to look at us - me and Rowan, who were sitting side by side in the backseat.


    "Go inside," Kieran said, his voice even, steady. "I¡¯ll park the car and join you."


    <fnf269> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on Find_Novel(.</fnf269>


    I reached for the handle, but before I could push the door open, his voice came again, firmer this time.


    "Evaline."


    I froze and turned back. His eyes, sharp as ever, were fixed on me. "I need a word with you."


    My breath hitched. For a moment, I thought of pretending I hadn¡¯t heard him, but Rowan¡¯s gaze was already flickering between the two of us, confusion shadowing his features. His eyes narrowed slightly, as though he wanted to ask, but held back out of respect.


    I forced a small smile for him, silently reassuring him it was nothing to worry about, before slipping out of the car. He climbed out from his side as well, shutting the door behind him.


    "I¡¯ll go get us a table," Rowan said after a moment, still giving me that slightly searching look.


    "Get a private room," Kieran instructed before I could say anything.


    Rowan nodded. "Alright." His eyes lingered on me a second longer, and then he headed inside.


    Once he was gone, I walked around the front of the car and slid into the passenger seat. The moment the door clicked shut, the car felt like it had shrunk, pressing me in with the silence. Kieran pulled the car away from the curb, driving us toward the far end of the lot. Neither of us spoke, the only sound the low hum of the engine and the faint noise of traffic from outside.


    Finally, he found a spot and killed the engine. The quiet that followed was heavier, settling like a nket between us.


    I waited for him to speak first, my fingers twisting together in myp.


    It took him a full minute before his voice broke the silence. "Why did you lie to him?"


    I turned my head sharply, meeting his eyes. "I didn¡¯t lie," I said firmly, maybe too quickly.


    His gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    "I didn¡¯t," I repeated, softer this time. "I told him there¡¯s no known cure for Soul Death. That¡¯s true. And I told him you and the Council are still investigating. That¡¯s true, too. I didn¡¯t lie."


    Kieran nodded slowly, but it wasn¡¯t agreement... it was disapproval, a silent stripping apart of my defense. "That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about," he said finally. His voice was calm, but every word carried weight. "I¡¯m talking about the hope you gave him. You made him believe a cure might exist, when even centuries of research have failed. Even now, with all the resources we have, we haven¡¯t found anything close."


    The words cut like des, but I shook my head stubbornly. "That doesn¡¯t make it a lie."


    "Eva-"


    "No, listen to me," I cut him off, my voice rising before I caught myself and forced it softer. "Just because no cure was found before doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t be found tomorrow, or next month, or next year. Just because history has failed doesn¡¯t mean the future will. How can you say with absolute certainty that there¡¯s no cure?"


    His eyes narrowed slightly, but I pressed on before he could interrupt.


    "And even if there isn¡¯t one right now, what¡¯s so wrong about giving him hope? He¡¯s been carrying her pain for nearly a year. Do you know what it would do to him if I told him outright there¡¯s no chance, no possibility at all? Hope is the only thing he has left, Professor. And I won¡¯t take it away from him."


    My throat burned with the words. I didn¡¯t realize until then how fiercely I meant them. "If I can help him hold on to that hope, even if it¡¯s fragile, even if it breakster... then I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll help him search for that cure myself."


    At that, Kieran¡¯s gaze sharpened and his jaw clenched ever so slightly. For a moment, I thought he would scold me the way he sometimes did when he thought I was being reckless. Instead, he let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his seat, rubbing his hand across his forehead as if to smooth away a headache.


    "I told you," he said after a long pause, "I wanted you to stay out of this matter."


    "I tried," I whispered, staring down at myp. "I really did. After that tower incident... I told myself I would stop when you asked me to. But it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, does it? Somehow, I keep being pulled back into it." I lifted my eyes to his, my voice steadier now. "And I¡¯m done pretending otherwise. I can¡¯t stay away, not anymore. Not when Rowan¡¯s involved. Not when Naira¡¯s lying in that bed because of it."


    He stared at me for a long moment, unreadable as ever. His lips parted, but no sharp rebuke came. No demand. No order. Just another sigh, heavier this time, as he leaned back in his seat.


    "You are going to give me headaches," he muttered under his breath, almost too low for me to hear. "Always making me worry."


    Something inside me softened at that, though I didn¡¯t let it show. I simply sat in silence with him until the moment passed.


    Finally, we both climbed out of the car and walked toward the restaurant. Neither of us spoke again until we stepped inside and a server led us to the private room Rowan had booked.


    The small space was warm, with cushioned seats around a polished table and curtains drawn over the ss windows. Rowan was already waiting for us, a faint smile tugging at his lips when we entered.


    "You took your time," he teased lightly, though his eyes flickered with curiosity at whatever had dyed us.


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond, only gestured for us to sit.


    Once the server brought water and menus and left us alone, Kieran leaned forward slightly. "This room is private," he said. "We can speak freely here."


    I nodded, then turned to Rowan. "There¡¯s something you might want to know," I began carefully. "About how I first learned of the Soul Deaths."

 Chapter 311: Being Part of His World

    <h4>Chapter 311: Being Part of His World</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Rowan¡¯s brow furrowed, but he stayed silent, listening.


    "It started with the Academy entrance exams. You know how I got in?"


    "Top of the camp," he said.


    "Not just that," I exined. "Professor Kieran... helped me. He arranged for me to apply. And in exchange, I promised him I would help investigate a secret group inside the Academy."


    Rowan¡¯s lips parted in surprise, but I pressed on. "That group was tied to a Soul Death case of a senior fromst year. His name was Carson. He was found unconscious, just like Naira. No wounds, no poison. At first, it¡¯s believed to be an isted case, but... when new term began, a group of warriors went missing and wereter found Soul Dead."


    Rowan¡¯s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.


    "I coincidentally managed to identify a couple of students tied to that group," I continued. "And Professor Kieran followed up on them, but... they didn¡¯t know much. Barely scraps, and nothing about what caused Carson¡¯s condition. The trail went cold. There haven¡¯t been any new leads since then... at least, none we knew of. Until Naira."


    Kieran leaned forward now, his tone level but heavy. "Which means Carson wasn¡¯t the first case. Naira was. That makes three such incidents in total - Miss Naira, Mr. Carson, and the patrol team of three warriors who copsed in the beginning of previous term."


    Rowan¡¯s hands tightened into fists on the table.


    "And the warriors..." Kieran¡¯s voice dropped lower. "I don¡¯t think they were the targets. I think they were in the wrong ce at the wrong time."


    My stomach tightened at his words as this was the first time he had shared this insight.


    "That leaves us with the same questions," Kieran went on. "Why Naira? Why Carson? Was it random... or was there a reason they were chosen?"


    The silence that followed was heavy. Rowan finally broke it, his voice firm. "Then I want in. On this investigation."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes snapped to him. "Rowan-"


    "I can help, Professor," Rowan pressed. "I can look into the group from inside. I can help Eva."


    Kieran¡¯s gaze shifted to me. I didn¡¯t say anything, but my eyes held his steadily, silently telling him I wasn¡¯t against it.


    His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he would say no. But then, slowly, he exhaled. "Fine. But officially. If you are going to be involved, it¡¯ll be under my watch. Not on your own."


    Relief softened Rowan¡¯s expression, and when he looked at me, there was a quiet smile of contentment on his lips.


    I returned it with a faint smile of my own. I didn¡¯t tell him what I was really thinking... that maybe it was indeed better this way. If I couldn¡¯t stay at the Academy during theing term because of my pregnancy, then someone needed to carry this on. Rowan could. I knew he would.


    The lunch was delicious. Kieran paid for the meal in his usual wordless, efficient way, and half an hourter, the three of us were filled and ready to head out.


    The sunlight outside was muted, heavy clouds swallowing the brightness, leaving the world in shades of gray. Snow still hadn¡¯t fallen sincest night, but the air carried its sharp promise.


    "I¡¯ll give you both a ride," Kieran offered, his gaze shifting between Rowan and me.


    Rowan shook his head almost immediately. "Thank you, Professor, but I have something else to do. Could you send Eva back safely?"


    I nced at him, curious, but didn¡¯t ask what it was that pulled him away. He had already given me so much of himself today. Prying would only add to his burden.


    <fnef58> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F¦ÉndNovel</fnef58>


    "Of course," Kieran said with a soft smile.


    Rowan leaned in for a quick hug. His warmth pressed against me for only a second, but I clung to it quietly, nodding against his shoulder. "Take care," he murmured before pulling away. He left with onest nce over his shoulder, his figure swallowed quickly by the crowd outside.


    Kieran and I headed to his car. The leather seats were cold when I settled into them, the silence stretching between us, not heavy, but thoughtful. My fingers twisted in myp until I found the courage to break it.


    "Can Ie with you to the Academy?" I asked softly. "Help you with work if there¡¯s any for me?"


    His hands stilled on the wheel for a heartbeat, a flicker of surprise breaking through his usually calm expression. He turned just enough to look at me, as if making sure I wasn¡¯t joking.


    "You want to apany me?" His voice was low, careful.


    "Yes," I answered, meeting his gaze. "I want to do something useful. And if it eases even a little of your burden, then I want to."


    Something unreadable passed over his face before he nodded once. "Alright."


    The rest of the drive was quiet, the hum of the car blending with the winter winds outside. By the time we pulled into Silver Moon, snowkes had begun to fall, soft and pale against the stone walls of the Academy.


    The courtyards, usually filled with students,y hushed under the early snowfall. Warriors were patrolling with muffled steps, and I noticed a few faculty members crossing the corridors with scrolls and parchments in hand. The silence felt strange, butforting.


    Inside his office, warmth greeted me first - the steady crackle of the firece, the scent of ink and parchment filling the air.


    "Make yourselffortable." Kieran told me while he made his way to his desk. He moved with practiced ease, removing his coat, rolling up his sleeves, and immediately immersing himself in work. His pen scratched across paper, the crease in his brow deepening with focus.


    I drifted to the couch near the fire, where a stack of documents waited. I picked one up - histest report on herbs and potions - and began reading. The words were dense, full of details and observations, but I waspletely immersed in it.


    Somehow, it felt right... being here in this quiet, being part of his world in this small way.


    Halfway through the report, sleep began to tug at me. The fire¡¯s warmth, the rhythmic sound of his pen - it all made my eyelids heavy. I curled onto my side on the couch, tucking my legs in. I managed two more pages before the parchment slipped from my hand and my eyes closed.


    Just as thest threads of awareness unraveled, I felt it - his presence, steady and familiar.


    A soft weight draped over me... a nket.


    And then, a touch. Fingers brushing strands of hair from my face, so gentle it sent a bloom of warmth through my chest.


    Even as sleep imed me, I couldn¡¯t help the faint smile tugging at my lips.

 Chapter 312: Cherish The Rare Gift

    <h4>Chapter 312: Cherish The Rare Gift</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The phone screen glowed faintly against my palm as I finished replying to Draven¡¯stest string of messages. He had started getting restless... almost like he was past his limit of staying away from me. I sighed quietly, locked the screen, and slid the device back into my coat pocket.


    We were only a few minutes away from the Thorne estate, but the snow had thickened, swirling against the windshield. The world outside had gone pitch-dark except for the car¡¯s headlights cutting two pale beams across the road. Kieran drove slower than usual, his hands steady on the wheel, his profile calm despite the storm pressing in around us.


    I sneaked a nce at him, hesitated, then mumbled, "Sorry."


    His head tilted slightly, eyes flicking toward me for a second with genuine confusion. "For what?"


    I bit down on my lower lip, staring at my hands sped in myp. "For wasting half of your day. First, I dragged you to Greenville... and then instead of actually helping, I fell asleep in your office. And now, you are stuck driving me back through this weather."


    For a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of the engine and the soft hiss of the heater. Then, much to my surprise, he chuckled... the sound was low and warm, not mocking, but amused.


    "You think today was a waste?" he asked, shaking his head slightly. "Evaline, if anything, I learned about Miss Naira being first case of recent Soul Deaths. That alone makes it worthwhile. Besides," he added, his lips quirking faintly, "I now have another person to rely on for spy work inside the Academy walls."


    Despite myself, I smiled a little.


    "And," he continued, his tone casual, "you proofread nearly sixty percent of my report before you fell asleep. You corrected my mistakes. You even added your own notes. That¡¯s hardly wasting my time."


    I blinked at him, startled that he had already taken a look at the report.


    "And driving you back?" he added, eyes still on the road. "It gave me an excuse to spend the night at the house. A meal with my brothers... and with you. That¡¯s something I have been missing."


    I felt warmth stir in my chest, but before I could even respond, he added softly, "Even if you took all those reasons away, I still wouldn¡¯t call it a waste of my time. Not if it¡¯s you."


    The wordsnded like a spark in my chest, too bright, too warm. I wasn¡¯t prepared for them... I never was with him. My throat tightened, but I forced a small nod, mumbling, "Thanks."


    And then I went silent, because if I said anything more, I was afraid I would read too much into it.


    By the time we reached the estate gates, the snow was falling in thick sheets, dusting the wrought-iron bars in white. The gates creaked open, and we drove through. The tires crunched over the gravel drive until we rolled to a stop in front of the porch.


    We hurried out into the cold, rushing inside to escape the storm. Warmth and light spilled from the main hallway as I made my way to the living room, where River, Oscar, and Draven were all waiting.


    The moment I stepped inside, three pairs of eyes fixed on me. Their gazes were carrying the weight of worry and disapproval, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I was about to get an earful... especially from River. But the second they noticed Kieran walking in behind me, their expressions shifted. Relief flickered across their faces, softening the edge of their concern.


    Having their brother home, even unexpectedly, lit something bright in them. And they were clearly relieved to see me safely back with them.


    Dinner was lively after that. Conversation flowed easily, warmth threading through the dining hall asughter asionally broke out. I learned between bites of roasted vegetables and soup that Kieran was nearly finished with his current round of work. By Wednesday evening, he would be back at the mansion for the rest of the holidays.


    And wednesday was only two days away.


    After dinner, I excused myself quietly, intending to head up to my room. But as I reached the hallway on the bedroom floor, I found Kieran already there, waiting.


    "Send me Rowan¡¯s number," he said without preamble. "I¡¯ll make a chat group for the three of us."


    I nodded, pulling my phone out, but before I could open my contacts, he surprised me with his next words.


    "Have you used your healing powers since that night?"


    I froze, looking up at him with surprise. Slowly, I shook my head. "No... I haven¡¯t."


    He inclined his head, unsurprised. "Oscar told me about them."


    My lips parted, but no words came.


    "Evaline," he said firmly, "no matter how or why you got those powers, don¡¯t be sad about them. Don¡¯t treat them like a burden. Healing power is rare. It¡¯s a gift. Cherish it. Wee it."


    His words pressed into me like a balm, easing the quiet unease I hadn¡¯t even realized I was still carrying. Slowly, a small smile tugged at my lips.


    And then he did something I hadn¡¯t expected at all. He reached out, his palm brushing lightly against the top of my head in a gentle pat.


    "I¡¯ll help you with it," he promised. "When I¡¯m back for the holidays."


    The simple gesture made my chest tighten with a warmth that spread slowly outward. I nodded, the smile lingering on my face. "Okay."


    We bid each other goodnight then, parting ways at the hall¡¯s end.


    <fnf488> Chapters first released on ?ovelFind</fnf488>


    I slipped into my room, closing the door behind me. And just as I predicted, Oscar and Draven appeared at my door not long after to ask again if they could stay with me tonight. But with Kieran here, I couldn¡¯t let them. Not yet.


    Which only made them more determined, more resolved, to finally tell him about the bonds they shared with me.


    By Wednesday evening, there would be no more hiding.

 Chapter 313: Alphas’ Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 313: Alphas¡¯ Sacrifice</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Mallory twirled the camera toward the blue dress, I knew the search was finally over.


    "That one," I pointed at the screen with exaggerated finality. "It¡¯s perfect. That¡¯s your dress for tonight."


    Mallory squinted at her own reflection in the mirror, the silky fabric held up against her frame. "You think so? Not too in? Not too... safe?"


    I shook my head with a firm smile. "It¡¯s not safe, it¡¯s elegant. It makes your skin glow, and Jasper¡¯s jaw is going to hit the floor the second he sees you."


    Her face softened into the kind of giddy smile only she could pull off. Relief washed over me, but I tried not to show it. After nearly an hour of going back and forth - her rejecting every suggestion I made for one excuse or another - I was close to throwing my phone across the room. She had emptied one whole wardrobe for me to judge, and by some miracle, the blue dress finally broke through her impossible standards.


    But, of course, it wasn¡¯t over.


    "Okay, fine," She said, setting the dress carefully across her bed. Then, without missing a beat, she flipped her phone¡¯s camera toward her floor-to-ceiling rack of shoes. "Now, help me pick the heels. Something warm but ssy. And don¡¯t say boots, Eva. I refuse to wear boots on a date."


    I groaned dramatically, flopping backward onto my mattress. "Mal, you are going to bete if you keep this up!"


    "Stop whining," she teased,pletely ignoring me. "This is important. You know how nervous I get with these dates."


    "What are you talking about? You two have been together for months. What¡¯s there to get nervous about?" I demanded, and she spared me a single judgemental nce that had me sighing and moving my hands up in surrender pose.


    And just like that, another round of battle began. I scrolled through endless pairs of heels, pointed at three coats, narrowed down two purses, and even got dragged into picking which lipstick shade she should use. By the time she finally ended the call... only because I reminded her again she literally didn¡¯t have time left... I felt utterly drained.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help smiling as I tossed my phone aside. Mallory might have tested my patience, but seeing her genuinely excited about her date made the effort worth it.


    My stomach rumbled, breaking my little moment of peace. Pushing myself up, I decided to head downstairs for something to eat. But I only made it halfway down the second floor when I froze.


    Draven was standing at the foot of the stairs, his hair perfectly styled, his maroon sweater tucked neatly into tailored pants. The long ck coat made him look even taller. He looked... unfairly gorgeous.


    "Are you... going somewhere?" I asked, blinking at him.


    His lips curved into that infuriatingly confident grin. "I was just about to tell you. I¡¯m heading out with some friends tonight."


    Before I could respond, he crossed the space between us in two strides and wrapped me in his arms. His embrace was warm and strong, stealing my breath for a moment. "I¡¯m going to miss you so much," he whispered against my hair, his toneced with an almost boyish longing.


    Heat crept into my cheeks. He said things like that so easily... things that made my heart skip without warning.


    Then, as if the thought had just urred to him, he pulled back and raised a brow. "Unless... you would like toe with me?"


    The question was yful, hopeful even. But I shook my head almost instantly. "Go. Have fun with your friends."


    His lips turned downward in a pout so cute I had tough. Reaching up, I cupped his face between my hands. "Don¡¯t give me that look," I teased, and before either of us could think twice, I leaned up and kissed him.


    His arms tightened around me in response, deepening the kiss as if he couldn¡¯t get enough. We stole a few more like that - quick, lingering, yful kisses - before finally untangling ourselves. Both of us giggled like we had been caught doing something we shouldn¡¯t.


    By the time we reached the living room, Draven had already stolen another kiss before we stepped into the dimly lit space. Someone cleared their throat and I immediately turned my head in the direction only to find Oscar.


    I blinked at him, arching an eyebrow. He was dressed almost as sharply as Draven, his usualposed demeanor softened by the faintest curve of his lips. "You too?" I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate. "I¡¯m heading out to handle some pack business. Someone has to keep things moving so River can finally breathe for a change."


    Before I could reply, a voice cut across the room.


    "That¡¯s not entirely true," River announced, strolling in from the hallway. His tone was calm, but there was a spark of amusement in his eyes that made my stomach flip. "The truth is, these two are going out together tonight. So that I"... he nced at me, his lips twitching into the smallest smile... "can have some private time with you."


    My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Private time? With River?


    My face burned instantly, and my heart seemed to leap into my throat.


    "River!" Draven groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face. "Could you be any worse at keeping things subtle?"


    Oscar, on the other hand, looked far too amused. He stepped toward me and tugged me into his arms, brushing a teasing kiss against my temple. "Don¡¯t let our sacrifice go to waste, sweetheart."


    <fn6273> Updates are released by f?ndnovel</fn6273>


    I smacked his chest lightly, though my face was still hot from River¡¯s bluntness. Private time. With him. The thought alone was enough to make me dizzy.


    Draven gave me onest lingering kiss before finally heading out the door with Oscar, the two of them bickering as they went. And just like that, I was left standing in the living room, my pulse racing, with River¡¯s steady gaze fixed on me.

 Chapter 314: The Game She Lost

    <h4>Chapter 314: The Game She Lost</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Being alone with River in one room was already enough to make my heart hammer, but now... now the entire mansion felt too quiet.


    Draven and Oscar had just left, theirughter still faintly echoing in my ears, but their absence was loud. Too loud. It was just me and River now... well, and the servants and guards somewhere in the distance, but they didn¡¯t count. Not when every step River took seemed to resonate through me, every quiet nce stealing my breath.


    I couldn¡¯t even disappear into my bedroom to avoid him. My legs refused to move, my heart was doing somersaults, and instead of fleeing, I stood rooted in ce like some deer caught in headlights.


    Fumbling with my fingers, I darted nces everywhere except at him - the polished floor, the crackling fire in the living room firece, the grand staircase. Anywhere but his face.


    And then, inevitably, I did look.


    He was standing a few paces away, hands in his pockets, watching me with an expression that didn¡¯t belong to him... or at least, not the him I thought I knew. There was no coldness. No rigid mask of duty. His deep green eyes which usually looked sharp and unreadable, now held warmth. His lips were curved, ever so slightly, into the gentlest trace of a smile.


    <fn7f9d> For original chapters go to find(?)ovel</fn7f9d>


    That softness... it didn¡¯t belong on River Thorne¡¯s face. He wasn¡¯t supposed to look at me like that. He wasn¡¯t supposed to have this kind of tenderness hidden beneath his armor. And yet, here it was... like some secret he was quietly offering me, one he never showed to anyone other than his brothers.


    The realization made my chest tighten painfully. I wasn¡¯t ready for this side of him. I didn¡¯t know how to respond. So I stayed quiet, hoping he would take pity on me and break the silence first.


    Thankfully, he did.


    "Do you have any ns for the evening?" he asked, his voice steady, calm.


    I shook my head quickly. "No."


    He nodded, as though he had expected that answer. "Then how about this... we y a game."


    My brows lifted. "A game?"


    He tilted his head slightly, studying me with quiet amusement. "Yes. If I win, we spend the evening my way. If you win, we¡¯ll spend it your way... even if your idea is simply to have dinner and hide away in your room."


    I swallowed. Oh, he knew me too well. The temptation was strong - victory meant I could retreat to safety, tuck myself beneath my nkets, and pretend none of this heart-racing nonsense existed.


    It actually sounded fair, maybe even fun. So I nodded, curiosity outweighing my nerves. "Alright. What game?"


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he started walking toward me, each step measured and deliberate. My pulse skyrocketed. He stopped when there was barely any space left between us, and before I could process, he leaned down, bringing his face level with mine.


    "Tell me," he murmured, his voice impossibly soft, "what game are you terrible at?"


    My lips parted, but no sound came out. My mind nkedpletely. I could barely remember my own name, let alone answer him. The closeness, his gaze, the low timbre of his voice... it unraveled me in ways I couldn¡¯t exin.


    And why was he asking about what game I was terrible at? So that I end up losing?


    He was studying my reaction while I struggled to understand what he up to. And then, for the briefest heartbeat, he smiled. Not the tiny, polite curve of lips he sometimes gave others, but a real smile. Bright, amused, unguarded. It lit up his face, transforming him into someone even more breathtaking than his usual handsome face that something inside me stumbled, hard.


    I must have looked ridiculous, standing there frozen, because he straightened quickly and cleared his throat, as though hiding the smile he hadn¡¯t meant to show. "Truth and dare," he said, hisposure sliding neatly back into ce. "Whoever fails their turn loses."


    Truth and dare. My nerves prickled. A part of me was telling me this wasn¡¯t the right game. Still, I nodded. "Okay."


    "Good. I¡¯ll start." His voice carried a quiet confidence, like he already knew the oue. "Dare."


    I blinked. Already? My brain scrambled for something that might challenge him. Something outrageous. Something he would never ept. The first thought that popped into my head slipped out before I could stop it.


    "Give me a month off from internship without cutting my sry."


    The words hung in the air, bold and ridiculous. My eyes widened. What did I just say?!


    But what turned out even more ridiculous was his response. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Not even for a second. "Done," he said smoothly, as if I had asked him to fetch me a ss of water.


    My jaw nearly hit the floor. "You-you can¡¯t be serious."


    He arched an eyebrow. "A dare¡¯s a dare."


    I just stared at him, stunned, trying to process the fact that I had essentially dared him into doing something I knew he would never agree to... and yet he had. Casually. Effortlessly. Like bending rules for me wasn¡¯t a big deal at all.


    Before I could recover, he leaned forward slightly, his voice low. "Your turn. Truth or dare?"


    "Truth," I blurted, thinking it was safer than another disastrous dare.


    He moved closer again, lowering himself just enough that his eyes were level with mine, his face so close I could feel his warm breath. "Have you started liking me?"


    The question mmed into me like a tidal wave. My heart stopped, then raced so fast I thought it might burst. My lips parted, but no words came. I was drowning in his gaze, in the intensity of the question, in the unbearable closeness that made my thoughts scatter into nothing.


    <i>Say something, Eva. Anything.</i>


    But nothing came out. Not even a whisper.


    His eyes softened, but he didn¡¯t let me look away. And in that moment, I knew... I had lost the game.


    Was it so hard to say no? Absolutely not!


    What I actually found impossible was to say... Yes!

 Chapter 315: Intoxicated By The Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 315: Intoxicated By The Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When my silence stretched too long, River finally leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving mine.


    "Time¡¯s up," he said quietly, but there was no mockery in his tone. Just certainty. "You lost."


    Heat rushed to my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t even argue, not when he was right... I had failed to answer. My lips parted as if to protest, but instead I whispered, "I... I ept my defeat."


    Something flickered in his eyes, satisfied and warm. "Then it¡¯s decided. Tonight goes as per my n."


    And as though my body had been waiting for that exact cue, my stomach growled loudly, breaking the moment in the most humiliating way possible. My eyes widened, and I felt my face burning hotter. Perfect timing, stomach.


    When I dared to nce up at him, he had a knowing smile on his lips... the kind that made me feel even more exposed. He pped his hands once, lightly. "Then first, dinner. I¡¯ll cook for us."


    Before I could say anything, he was already leading the way toward the kitchen.


    The staff looked stunned when we walked in, their gazes flickering between me and River like they couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. It was so simr to their reaction from the previous time that it was almostical.


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    But I didn¡¯t me them. How often did their Alpha stroll into the kitchen? Twice now, and both times because of me. Before they could even process River¡¯s presence, his voice cut through the air. Calm. Commanding. "You may leave. I¡¯ll handle it."


    Some of them exchanged quick looks before they all bowed, and then they were gone, leaving me standing in the wide, gleaming kitchen with him.


    My heart thudded.


    He was about to tell me to sit down again, I could feel it. So before he got the chance, I blurted, "I want to help this time."


    For a moment, he just studied me, and I braced myself for his refusal. But instead, he nodded once. "Alright."


    That single word almost made me stumble. I hadn¡¯t expected him to agree. But before I could feel relieved, he was pulling an apron from a drawer. He stepped closer, holding it out. I reached automatically to take it, but he ignored my handpletely, lifting the apron and looping it around my neck.


    Then... oh stars... he didn¡¯t step behind me to tie it. No. He stepped closer. So close his chest brushed mine lightly as he leaned forward. His arms wrapped around me as though it was the most natural thing in the world, and my heart went absolutely wild.


    I froze, utterly trapped in his warmth, his scent, his steady presence that pressed in on every nerve of my body. His fingers worked at the knot at the small of my back, but he took his time, far longer than necessary.


    By the time he finally stepped back, my legs were feeling like jelly. His expression was calm,posed, as though he had done nothing unusual. But I knew better. My heart knew better.


    I quickly turned away, desperate for distraction.


    And then he began undoing his suit. He draped the coat neatly over a stool, pulled his tie loose, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves with deliberate precision. My throat went dry.


    It was just like the other night. Except this time, I wasn¡¯t just an observer... I was supposed to participate. My eyes shamelessly followed the strong lines of his forearms as he folded his sleeves up.


    And then he looked up.


    Our gazes collided, and I knew I had been caught staring. Heat flooded my cheeks, and I spun around quickly, grabbing the nearest thing on the counter just to look busy.


    <i>Smooth, Eva. Very smooth.</i>


    He didn¡¯tment, though I could feel his gaze lingering. Instead, he put on an apron himself and began pulling out ingredients. Vegetables. Chicken. Eggs. Herbs. Before I knew it, the two of us were working side by side.


    It was... surprisingly easy. Comfortable, even. He handled the main dishes, his movements practiced and precise, while I took on the smaller tasks he assigned me. Washing vegetables, peeling potatoes, chopping onions.


    It was almost normal. Almost.


    Until it wasn¡¯t.


    I was cutting carrots when I nced at him. "Did I slice this the right way?" I asked, half-proud of myself.


    He looked over. Then, instead of answering, he crossed the small distance and stepped behind me.


    "Not quite," he murmured, his voice low by my ear. And before I could react, his hands closed over mine. Hisrger hands guided mine gently, moving the knife to cut thinner, cleaner slices.


    My breath caught.


    Every nerve in my body lit up under his touch. He was so close I could feel the warmth radiating from him. His chest brushed my back each time he leaned slightly forward to adjust my grip. My heart pounded so loudly I was convinced he could hear it.


    He didn¡¯t move away after showing me. He stayed there, his hands over mine, guiding me through the entire carrot. Slice after slice. He moved deliberately and unhurried, as if savoring every second of this unnecessary closeness.


    I wanted to tell him I understood. That I could do it myself now. But my voice refused to work, my lungs forgot how to breathe properly, and my body - traitorous as ever - didn¡¯t want him to let go.


    When thest slice fell onto the board, his hands finally slipped away, leaving mine cold and trembling.


    "Better," he said simply, his tone smooth, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


    I exhaled shakily, gripping the knife a little too hard to keep from showing how much he had affected me.


    And that was only the beginning.


    Every so often, he found some excuse to brush against me, to stand close enough that his arm grazed mine, to reach past me when there was plenty of space to go around.


    Once, when I struggled with opening a jar, he took it from me, but instead of stepping back, he popped it open with effortless strength while still standing so near I could feel the faint heat of his breath against my temple.


    Each moment left me more flustered, more shaken, and yet... a part of me thrilled in it. In him.


    By the time the food was simmering and filling the kitchen with mouthwatering aromas, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was more intoxicated by the smell of dinner or by River himself.

 Chapter 316: No Break For The Heart

    <h4>Chapter 316: No Break For The Heart</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time River started giving the final finishing touches to his dishes, the kitchen was smelling warm and heavenly. A mix of spices, herbs, and that rich savory scent of roasted chicken filled the air, making my stomach curl with impatience.


    But I kept myself busy with the counter so I wouldn¡¯t stare at him like an idiot... again.


    I wiped the marble surface clean, polished it until it gleamed beneath the lights, and neatly set up the cutlery. Forks, spoons, tes, and water sses... all aligned as perfectly as possible. It gave me something to do, a reason to keep my hands upied, and more importantly, it kept my eyes away from him as he ted the dishes.


    When I carried thest te over, I realized something I hadpletely overlooked. We weren¡¯t going to eat in the dining hall tonight. It was just the two of us, so we were eating here at the kitchen counter.


    Which meant... we would be sitting side by side.


    I froze with the te still in my hands. The image shed in my head - the two of us sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, arms brushing, his presence seeping into every breath I took. There was no way I would be able to focus on food, let alone enjoy it, like that.


    Quickly, before he could turn around and notice, I slid one of the three stools away and angled the other two just slightly apart. Not too far... just enough space so it wouldn¡¯t look strange, but also enough so that I wouldn¡¯t feel trapped under the weight of his closeness.


    Satisfied, I sat down on the stool with a tiny smile tugging at my lips. Perfect. This way, I could breathe properly without my pulse betraying me every second.


    River finally untied his apron and set it aside, rolling his sleeves further up as he washed his hands. He looked maddeningly casual, like he hadn¡¯t just cooked an entire dinner with the ease of a seasoned chef. He wiped his hands and walked over to the counter with that effortless grace of his.


    My heart stuttered. <i>Please don¡¯t notice</i>, I begged silently.


    If he did notice, he didn¡¯t show it. His expression remained calm and unreadable as he took the stool next to mine. I almost rxed, my shoulders loosening. Maybe, just maybe, I had seeded.


    Until his hand reached out.


    In one smooth motion, he gripped my stool and pulled it toward him.


    The scrape of wood against marble echoed in the silent kitchen, and before I could even process what was happening, I found myself right beside him again, exactly where I hadn¡¯t wanted to be.


    My eyes flew to his face, wide with disbelief. He didn¡¯t look at me. Didn¡¯t acknowledge my shock. His attention remained firmly on the food in front of us, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.


    I was speechless. Completely stunned and breathless. My heart was hammering so hard I thought he might actually hear it.


    How could he just do something like that?


    I wanted to say something... anything... but then he calmly picked up a piece of golden-brown chicken with his fork and ced it onto my te. His gaze met mine briefly, steady and quiet, before he tilted his chin slightly, urging me with his eyes to taste the food he had cooked with so much care and... love.


    Swallowing hard, I forced myself to break eye contact. I couldn¡¯t sit here and let him unravel me with just one look.


    The chicken melted on my tongue, bursting with vor, but I barely registered the taste. My mind was too tangled up in the fact that his presence was so close, his warmth brushing against my senses like a second skin.


    Ever since he confessed to me and our bond came into existence, he had been nothing like his usual self. Maybe he stopped being his usual cold self even long before that evening, but nothing from those days couldpare in the slightest with his current behavior.


    The only simrity between the current River and the River before the night of his confession was that both of them held the power to make my heart race... just for entirely opposite reasons.


    However, I had started missing the previous River... he was so much easier to deal with.


    The next twenty minutes passed in silence. Pure, unbroken silence.


    And though my heart never stopped racing like a fool, I was grateful nothing else happened. At least I could focus on eating without worrying about another shock... though "focus" was a strong word when every nerve in my body was painfully aware of the man seated beside me.


    When the tes were nearly empty, I volunteered to clean up the counter. Anything to keep moving, to avoid sitting here any longer under his invisible pressure. He didn¡¯t argue, only carried the dishes to the sink and began washing them with an ease that surprised me.


    We fell into a rhythm again - him rinsing and me wiping down surfaces, putting things back in order. I deliberately worked slower than usual, timing my pace with his so we would finish together.


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    Part of me hoped this was where our evening would end. That once thest dish was set aside, I could excuse myself, retreat to my room, and give my pounding heart a chance to calm down.


    But then, I remembered. This was River.


    He never did what I expected... or wanted.


    When he set the final dish on the rack, he dried his hands with a towel. I nced at him briefly, just for a second, and froze when his eyes lifted to meet mine.


    There was something there... something unreadable, yetmanding enough to make me straighten instinctively.


    And then he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "We are going to enjoy a warm bath together."


    The towel slipped from my fingers.

 Chapter 317: A Bath Together (I)

    <h4>Chapter 317: A Bath Together (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When River announced a "bath together," I had nearly choked on air. My imagination had run wild in a thousand dangerous directions... none of them remotely safe for my heart.


    But the moment we entered the hidden wing of the mansion and I saw the sight in front of me, relief washed over me.


    It wasn¡¯t a bathtub.


    It was an indoor heated pool.


    I stood at the entrance, eyes widening as I took it all in. The space looked nothing like the rest of the polished mansion. Instead, it was designed like some secret cave, with stone walls softened by thick ivy crawling up and across them.


    The faint, golden light fromnterns was casting warm shadows, and thin ribbons of steam were curlingzily above the surface of the pool. The water itself was crystal clear, inviting, as if whispering a promise offort.


    I exhaled slowly, feeling grateful. My heart hadn¡¯t stopped hammering since dinner, but at least this wasn¡¯t what I had pictured.


    River walked beside me, his usualposed aura settling over the space as though he owned not just the pool but the entire world around it, which he obviously did. Without a word, he guided me toward a smaller side area.


    "Changing rooms," he said simply. He opened a door for me, and inside, I found neat stacks of clothing - both men¡¯s and women¡¯s. My brow furrowed.


    There were clothes for me too.


    As if he had prepared it in advance.


    River, meanwhile, picked up his own set of swim shorts and strode toward the opposite side of the changing space, vanishing with effortless confidence.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a long, shaky breath. Finally, I was alone.


    My gaze took in the options avable for me and I immediately realized all of them were bikinis in different styles and colors. I hesitated, staring at them as though they might bite me. I had never in my life worn something like that in front of someone else, much less in front of River.


    But refusing wasn¡¯t an option.


    After a long moment of debate, I picked a dark green two-piece bikini - the color rich and deep, not too loud. To give myself some sense of modesty, I grabbed a white cotton t-shirt too.


    Inside the cubicle, I pulled the curtain closed and started changing.


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    It fit perfectly, almost like it had been made for me. The top pushed my breasts up just enough that they looked fuller than usual, and the deep color contrasted beautifully with my pale skin. I caught my reflection in the full-length mirror and froze.


    Was that... really me?


    Healthy. That was the word that came to mind.


    I no longer looked gaunt. No longer fragile from malnourishment and neglect. My body had begun filling out, soft curves returning where there had once only been sharp edges. And then, of course, my eyes fell on the small swell of my stomach. My baby bump.


    I lifted a hand and caressed it gently.


    I swallowed and quickly tugged the white t-shirt over my head. It ended just at the tops of my thighs, long enough to hide the most revealing parts.


    I took another breath. Deep. Steady.


    <i>I could do this.</i>


    When I stepped out of the changing room, the warmth of the pool area hit me again. And so did the sight of River.


    He was already in the water, chest-deep, sleek lines of muscle glistening faintly under the soft lights. He wore only a pair of ck swim shorts, his body all sharp nes and perfect symmetry. Broad shoulders, sculpted chest, arms that looked like they could crush steel... and yet he moved through the water withzy grace, like some predator conserving his strength.


    My feet refused to move.


    Draven and Oscar both had perfect bodies too, but something about River¡¯s presence made it impossible to look away. He wasn¡¯t just attractive. He was maic. Dangerous in a way that wasn¡¯t about his muscles but the absolute control he radiated even when doing nothing.


    I finally forced my legs to move, making my way toward the pool stairs. The waterpped at my ankles, warm and soothing, easing away thest of my hesitation. I stepped in further, the water enveloping me inch by inch until I was waist-deep.


    And then he moved.


    Effortless. Silent.


    He swam across the pool with long, powerful strokes, cutting through the water like it was nothing. My throat tightened as he closed the distance between us.


    I froze in my ce.


    The water rippled, brushing against my skin as he reached my side. Close. Too close.


    "Comfortable?" His voice was low, husky, almost swallowed by the steam-filled air.


    "I-I guess," I stammered, cursing my own voice for sounding so breathless.


    His eyes flicked downward, lingering for the briefest second on the t-shirt that had be wet and see-through. When his gaze lifted back to mine, there was the faintest glint in his eyes... a spark of something unreadable but potent.


    I swallowed hard.


    "Good," he said simply. And then, without warning, his hand brushed the edge of my arm as he moved the water around.


    It was nothing. A light touch. Innocent enough. But my body reacted as though he had set me on fire. My heart thudded against my ribs, my breath caught in my throat, and the warmth of the water suddenly felt scalding.


    "Come," he said, moving back slightly into the deeper part of the pool. His hand, however, lingered just a second too long on my arm before he released me.


    I followed, though my legs felt shaky under the water.


    When I reached him, he was watching me... quiet, unreadable, but with a focus that made me feelpletely exposed.


    The steam curledzily between us, blurring the edges of his perfect body, but it didn¡¯t soften the intensity of his gaze.


    I hated how easy it was for him to unravel me with just his presence.


    And yet, when he reached out again, fingertips grazing mine beneath the water as though guiding me forward, I didn¡¯t pull away.


    I couldn¡¯t pull away.

 Chapter 318: A Bath Together (II)

    <h4>Chapter 318: A Bath Together (II)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The steam curledzily over the surface of the pool, blurring the edges of her frame but never enough to dull the effect she had on me.


    Every little movement, every shift in her breathing, the way her fingers were fidgeting beneath the water... it was impossible for me not to notice. My senses were too sharp, my focus too precise when it came to her.


    She was nervous. That much was obvious. The stiffness in her shoulders, the way her eyes kept darting between me and some safe point on the wall, the way her breaths came faster than they should for someone just standing waist-deep in warm water. She wanted to run. Hide. Retreat into the sanctuary of her room where she thought I couldn¡¯t reach her... or, at least, wouldn¡¯t try to reach her.


    And yet, beneath that anxiety, there was something else. A current of anticipation.


    Excitement.


    If not for that - if not for the faint but undeniable spark of desire beneath her unease - I would have let her go. I would have abandoned the n to draw her closer tonight, to show her the kind of bond we could share if she let me in.


    But she wanted this. Even if she hadn¡¯t realized it yet.


    The silence stretched between us, heavy but not suffocating. I found myself caught in it, lost in the sight of her.


    Stars, she was beautiful.


    Not just now, glowing with health, her skin luminous, her body softening and filling with life in ways that made my chest ache with primal satisfaction. No, I remembered the very first moment I saw her - dragged into the dungeon, dirty, malnourished, trembling. She should have been forgettable in that state, and yet... she hadn¡¯t been.


    I remembered stepping into that corridor, the dim torch flickering against damp stone wall, and seeing her for the first time. My breath had stalled in my lungs. Even pale and weak, hair tangled, eyes hollow from hunger and fear - she had stood out.


    There had been something about her presence that drew my gaze, something I couldn¡¯t exin. I had told myselfter it was nothing. But deep down, I knew the truth.


    I had never been spellbound by a woman before Evaline Greystone.


    And since that day, she had only grown more beautiful.


    My gaze slipped lower before I could stop it. The water reached her waist, but her shirt... damn it. The thin white fabric clung to her like a second skin, transparent now, leaving very little to my imagination.


    The dark green bikini underneath was outlining her curves perfectly - breasts fuller, waist softening slightly with the swell of her stomach. My throat went dry, heat coiling low in my body, sharp and unwee.


    I tore my gaze away before she could catch me, clenching my jaw tight. Stars, I should have brought wine down here if I was going to survive this. She probably thought I was torturing her by dragging her into this pool. She couldn¡¯t know... I was the one being tortured.


    I forced my focus back to the water, tried to steady the wild beat of my heart.


    Then her voice cut softly through the steam.


    "...I¡¯m sorry."


    My head snapped toward her. She wasn¡¯t looking at me, her gaze cast downward, her voice so small I almost thought I imagined it.


    "Sorry?" I asked, confusion breaking through my restraint.


    Slowly, she lifted her eyes to mine. The sight hit me like a de. They were wide, vulnerable, threaded with something fragile I rarely saw from her these days. She sighed, the sound shaky, almost weighed down.


    "I have been wanting to say this for a while," she whispered. "But I never knew how to start. So... I¡¯ll just say it. I¡¯m sorry. For what I said that night. When the bond came alive."


    My chest tightened.


    Even before she spoke the words, I knew what wasing. And when she said it... the pain came roaring back as if the wound had never dulled.


    "That I would reject you."


    Rejection.


    The word alone was enough to make my wolf stir in anguish, a low groan echoing in the depths of me. That evening, when she had said it so effortlessly, as if it were the most natural choice... her voice haunted me still. My body remembered the tearing sensation of that single thought - the woman the Fate and Moon Goddess chose for me wanted no part of me.


    My face must have betrayed the rawness of it, because she instantly moved closer. The water rippled around her as she stopped in front of me. Her hand lifted, reaching for me... but she hesitated halfway and then her hand fell back uselessly into the pool.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she said again, her voice breaking just enough to scrape against my defenses. "I never should have said that. I know how much it hurts. I..." She swallowed hard. "I didn¡¯t mean it. I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you."


    Her words tumbled out fast, unpolished, her usualposure gone. She was truly nervous, truly desperate for me to understand.


    "I was scared that night. I didn¡¯t know what to do, what to say. And the first thought in my head was something so stupid I can¡¯t believe I said it out loud."


    Finally, her eyes locked with mine. Wide, pleading, begging me to believe her.


    And then she said the words that knocked the air clean out of me.


    "No matter what... I would have never rejected you. If you had refused, I wouldn¡¯t have gone through with it. I was confused, afraid, stupid... but I would never have made that choice on my own."


    Something inside me shifted.


    The pain that had lived under my skin since that night, and her confession... helped the gnawing, burning ache to ease. Diminish. My wolf had been restless for weeks, but it too quieted instantly.


    She meant it. I could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes.


    For so long, I had carried that moment like a stone in my chest. But here she was, washing it away with her truth.


    The tension in my jaw loosened. The tight grip I had on myself eased, and for the first time since she uttered that cursed word, I let myself believe.


    <fn002b> Content originallyes from Find1Novel</fn002b>


    Believe that she didn¡¯t want to leave.


    Believe that maybe... just maybe... she wanted me too.

 Chapter 319: A Bath Together (III)

    <h4>Chapter 319: A Bath Together (III)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    "I believe you."


    The moment the words left my mouth, I saw the change in her immediately. Her shoulders softened, her lips parted in relief, and her entire face looked like a weight had been lifted.


    The fragile tension that had been wrapped around her like a shield began to melt away, and I realized then that this was what she had been waiting for. Not just my forgiveness, but my belief in her.


    She took a deep breath, and a small and delicate smile stretched on her lips. "Thank you. Really." Her eyes were almost moist as if she¡¯s trying to hold back tears. "And I¡¯m really sorry for what-"


    Before she could spiral further, I finally gave in to the instinct I had been fighting for far too long. My hand moved of its own ord, brushing gently against her temple, trailing down the soft curve of her cheek. Her skin was warm beneath my fingertips, so warm that I almost forgot myself and lingered longer than I should have.


    And the way her breath hitched... it nearly undid me.


    But I forced myself to pull away, even though my body screamed against the separation. My wolf snarled in protest too, but I ignored it, telling her softly, "You don¡¯t need to apologize anymore, Evaline. I have epted it. I have forgiven you."


    She blinked at me, her eyes shimmering as though my words were some rare gift she had never thought to receive. The moment was too heavy, too fragile, and if we stayed in it any longer, I knew my restraint would shatter. So, I broke it the only way I could.


    "Do you want to swim someps with me?" I asked suddenly, pretending the shift in topic was effortless.


    Her head jerked up, startled by the suggestion. "What?"


    I smirked at her confusion. "Swim with me. Or..." I leaned back slightly, letting mischief tug at my lips, "... do you want to race?"


    Her eyes widened, and for a second, I thought she would decline. But then, to my surprise, she darted forward in the water, already swimming before throwing her voice back at me.


    "Sure!"


    Iughed. She had cheated.


    Pushing off the wall, I followed her, though I kept my strokes slow at first, watching her. She wasn¡¯t the fastest swimmer in the world, but she moved with a kind of determination that made my chest swell.


    She reached the other end first. She pped the pool wall with her palm and turned to grin at me with an expression so bright it nearly stopped my heart.


    "I win!" she dered, her amber eyes sparkling with yful triumph.


    I let out a huff of augh. "You cheated."


    Her grin widened. "Says the loser."


    Thatugh... it was infectious. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I needed to hear it until now. So, for the next round, I slowed my pace deliberately, letting her reach the wall first again. She squealed in victory, her joy radiating so strongly it drew me in like a moth to me.


    We swam a few moreps like that, herughter filling the air, her energy wrapping around me until the tension between us was nothing but a memory. Finally, she stopped near the far wall, her back resting against the smooth tiles, her chest rising and falling with quick breaths.


    I made my way toward her, intending to rest beside her and maybe tease her about her unfair victories. But as I neared, something mischievous sparked inside me. Without warning, I sent a ssh of water directly at her.


    Her scream echoed through the pool chamber. "River!"


    I smirked, already bracing for retaliation. Sure enough, her hands cut through the water, sending waves sttering against my chest. In seconds, we were locked in battle,ughing, shrieking, sshing like children who had forgotten the world outside existed.


    Then, before she couldunch another wave, I lunged forward, catching both her wrists in my hands. Water was dripping down her arms, her skin slick and warm under my grip.


    She gasped, frozen as I held her close. Theughter died on both our lips, reced by a silence that vibrated with something entirely different.


    Something heavier. Stronger.


    She was pressed against me now, her nearly bare body molding against mine, separated only by wet fabric. My throat went dry instantly once again , and my pulse thundered in my ears. I swallowed hard, struggling to keep myposure as her wide eyes lifted to mine.


    In a slow, deliberate motion, I pushed her gently back until her spine met the pool wall. She didn¡¯t resist, didn¡¯t look away.


    My hands still held her wrists, but I shifted, releasing them so I could steady her waist instead. The urge to im, to touch, to keep... everything within me screamed louder than it ever had.


    And then I did what my wolf had been urging me to all along. I lifted her. My hands slid firmly around her waist, hoisting her up onto the ledge so she sat at my eye level, water dripping down her body, making her look like some ethereal vision I didn¡¯t deserve to touch.


    Her breath came uneven, soft and rapid. "River... what are you doing?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, threaded with nervous anticipation.


    I tilted my head, a small smile tugging at my lips though my own heart was racing wildly. "You still haven¡¯t answered my question."


    Confusion flickered across her face. "What question?"


    I leaned closer, close enough to catch the faint scent of her skin beneath the chlorine, close enough to see every fleck of gold in her eyes. My voice was low, edged with the same intensity I felt gripping me.


    "The one from truth or dare," I reminded her. "Have you started liking me?"


    Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her hands clenched at the edge of the wall beside her thighs, as if grounding herself from the storm of emotions that question stirred inside her.


    <fnb6a0> ?????? ???? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnb6a0>


    I waited, every muscle in my body taut, every instinct hanging on the edge of her answer. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was bracing for rejection again or daring to hope for something more.


    But whatever she said next... I knew it would change everything.

 Chapter 320: A Bath Together (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 320: A Bath Together (IV)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure who was more nervous - her or me.


    My chest ached from the force of my heartbeat, every thud was ricocheting through my ribs like a drum. My lungs were burning, but I couldn¡¯t take in air properly. It was as if my whole body had gone still, suspended in this fragile moment, desperately waiting for her answer.


    She sat there, perched on the edge of the pool wall, with her eyes wide, lips parted, and her throat bobbing as she swallowed. She held her breath as tightly as I did, neither of us daring to move. The silence between us stretched, thick and suffocating, yet charged with something I couldn¡¯t put into words.


    I needed her answer. I needed it more than my next breath.


    Her lips moved, opening and closing as if she wanted to speak, but no sound came out. My eyes followed every attempt, every twitch of her mouth, every flicker of hesitation across her face. And the longer she struggled, the more dread pooled in my chest.


    The thought hit me like a de - what if she was hesitating because her answer was <i>no</i>?


    What if she didn¡¯t like me at all and simply didn¡¯t want to say it aloud because she didn¡¯t want to break me?


    The idea was poison, seeping through my veins and choking me. The thought burned in my head as cruelly as the word ¡¯rejection¡¯ had that evening. Maybe worse. Because this time, I had dared to hope.


    And I wasn¡¯t strong enough to hear a no. I never could be.


    Before she could speak, before she could crush me with the truth, I pulled back. My body acted on instinct, desperate to retreat, desperate to put distance between us before her answer shattered everything. All I could think was to run, to escape before the damage was done.


    But I didn¡¯t make it far.


    Her hands caught me... small, soft, and warm against my shoulders. She grabbed me firmly enough to stop me in ce, and before I could evenprehend what she was doing... her lips were on mine.


    It broke me.


    No, it remade me.


    For a split second, my body short-circuited. My brain stuttered, my heart stopped, and my wolf went utterly silent in stunned reverence. Her lips were soft, delicate, trembling against mine, and I was too shocked to even respond. The world itself seemed to fall away... there was no water, no pool, no air, no light. Only her. Only this.


    But just as quickly as it happened, it was over. She pulled back, ending the kiss almost as soon as it had begun.


    I just stared at her, unable to breathe, my world tilting violently as I tried to process what had just happened. Her eyes met mine, and for the briefest, most dangerous moment, I swore I saw something in them. Something raw, something fragile, something I could almost mistake as... <i>feelings for me.</i>


    I didn¡¯t give myself the chance to doubt it.


    Before the moment could break entirely, I surged forward. My hand slid to the back of her head, tangling in her damp hair, and I crushed my mouth against hers.


    The kiss was nothing like hers - hesitant, fleeting, uncertain. No, this was mine. This was every sleepless night I had endured, every ache in my chest, every second of restraint I had forced upon myself since I realized I was developing feelings for her, since the bond tied me to her. It was desperate, hungry, consuming.


    I poured everything into it - all my feelings I had buried deep, all the desire I had caged, all the torment of wanting her but holding back. She tasted like fire and water all at once. Her lips were warm, her breath quick against mine, her body tensing then softening under my hold.


    Her hands trembled where they braced against me, her mouth parting beneath mine in a way that nearly undid mepletely. My wolf howled, wild with triumph, with need, with possessiveness. This was ours. <i>She</i> was ours.


    I only stopped when I felt her hands press lightly against my chest. Not pushing me away, not rejecting me... but signaling. A plea for breath.


    I pulled back just enough to see her, both of us gasping for air, our chests heaving. Her lips were kiss-swollen, her face flushed, her eyes dazed. Stars, she was breathtaking.


    But restraint? That word no longer existed for me.


    I dipped back in, stealing another kiss. Then another. And another. Each one deeper, slower, harder than thest, until I was dizzy with it, until I couldn¡¯t tell where she ended and I began. I devoured her, worshipped her, lost myself in her.


    "River," she cried softly, her voice breaking on my name. It was a plea, a desperate whisper that somehow cut through the haze and reminded me that I was overwhelming her.


    I froze for a moment before pressing my forehead to hers, my breathing harsh and ragged. Her hands still rested against my chest, but she wasn¡¯t pushing me away. If anything, she was clinging, trembling beneath the storm we had both unleashed.


    My voice came out low, rough, unsteady but unyielding.


    "You don¡¯t have the option of turning me away anymore, Evaline." My eyes burned into hers, daring her to challenge me. "Not now. Not ever. I won¡¯t let you change your mind. I won¡¯t let you go, even if you beg me to."


    Her breath hitched sharply, and her eyes widened as my words sank in. But I didn¡¯t soften them. I didn¡¯t take them back.


    "It¡¯s actually good," I added after a moment, my lips brushing hers again, my wolf growling his approval. "For you to learn early... I¡¯m not the soft, sweet type. I¡¯ll never be that. I¡¯m selfish when ites to you. Possessive. Controlling, if I have to be. Because you are mine, Evaline. <i>Mine</i>."


    Her lips trembled against mine, her hands clutching weakly at my chest, but she didn¡¯t argue. She didn¡¯t run. And that was enough to set my soul aze.


    <fnb218> This text is hosted at Find~Novel</fnb218>


    Because she had kissed me first.


    And that one act had indeed rewritten everything.

 Chapter 321: Alpha’s Shameless Flirting

    <h4>Chapter 321: Alpha¡¯s Shameless Flirting</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I padded my way down the stairs, my fingers nervously grazing along the cool banister as I descended each step.


    The house was quiet... eerily so. I wondered if either Oscar or Draven had returned home yet. It was already ten in the morning, farter than I usually slept in, but my night had been far from restful.


    I knew River might already be gone. He usually left around eight sharp for work. And that would have been convenient. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready to face him again afterst night. My heart still hadn¡¯t decided if it wanted to flee from him or cling to him and never let go.


    But as soon as I stepped into the living room, my stomach plummeted.


    Because there he was.


    He was standing tall by the floor-to-ceiling ss wall that overlooked the side garden, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, the other hand tucked casually in his pocket.


    He was dressed to perfection in his expensive CEO attire - a tailored ck suit that fit him like it had been designed by the gods themselves. His emerald-green tie brought out the sharp gleam in his eyes even from here. He looked powerful, in control, untouchable. Every inch the Alpha and the rich CEO that the world feared and respected.


    And I had kissed him.


    My heart stumbled in my chest as his head turned, his gaze colliding with mine. That piercing green stare mmed into me, shattering the fragile wall of denial I had been building since the moment I woke up.


    The memories ofst night came rushing back in an unstoppable flood - the way his mouth had imed mine, the desperate hunger in his kiss, the heat of his body caging me against the pool wall.


    And worse... the fact that I was the one who kissed him first.


    My stomach twisted, and I felt my palms going mmy. Even now, I still couldn¡¯t believe it had happened. That I had leaned in and pressed my lips against his. That I had given in to the pull instead of running like I had made myself believe a hundred times.


    No wonder I didn¡¯t get to enjoy a peaceful sleep. The entire night was an endless torture of reliving it all - the spark in my blood, the fire he ignited with nothing more than his lips, the way he left me both terrified and craving more.


    It was madness. I had never wanted to run away from and cling to the same person so badly in my life. And the worst part? Both urges had equal strength. They fought inside me without pause, leaving me suspended in limbo, helpless and utterly clueless about what I should do.


    I rubbed my hands together nervously as I forced myself to move closer to him. My voice barely came out, just a whisper, but I managed a soft, "Good morning."


    The corner of his lips curved upward in that maddeningly subtle way, his smile soft yet enough to make my heart leap into my throat. "Good morning," he replied smoothly.


    I quickly averted my gaze, terrified of drowning in the depths of those deep green orbs. My cheeks heated, and I bit down on my lip, pretending to find the rug beneath my feet fascinating.


    "Did you sleep well?" he asked suddenly, his voice velvety, probing.


    I nodded quickly, too quickly, hoping he would drop the subject. But of course, River was River.


    "You are not a good liar, Evaline," he said, his tone deceptively casual as he sipped his coffee. His eyes glinted with amusement.


    I froze. My mouth opened to deny it but no wordsing out.


    And then... oh, stars above... his next words made my knees weaken.


    "Were you missing mest night? Couldn¡¯t fall asleep because of that?"


    I nearly choked on air. My head snapped up and my eyes went wide. Was he actually... flirting? River? The man who usually spoke with cold precision and terrifying calm? He was standing there, smirking at me, throwing out shameless lines like he did it every day?


    "No-! I-I mean-" My words tangled into knots as my face burned.


    His smirk widened ever so slightly, as if my flustered reaction was exactly what he wanted.


    Desperate to regain someposure, I scrambled for a safer topic. "Why... why are you still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at the office by now?" My voice wavered, but at least it wasn¡¯t betraying just how much his teasing affected me.


    He tilted his head, then gestured toward something behind me. I turned instinctively, following the direction of his signal. Only then did I notice the sleekptop sitting open on the coffee table between the living room couches, the screen alight.


    And on it - a dozen sharply dressed people were staring directly at me.


    My jaw dropped. Horror crashed over me in a tidal wave. They had seen everything... they had seen me!


    Mortification swallowed me whole. I moved on pure instinct, darting forward and grabbing River¡¯s arm, hiding behind his tall frame like a child clinging to a shield. My face burned hotter than it ever had in my life.


    Then River¡¯s calm,manding tone cut through the chaos in my head. "This meeting is over," he said tly.


    I peeked over his arm in disbelief just in time to see him close theptop with a decisive click. He slid out an earpod from his ear and ced it on the table with unhurried grace.


    His every movement was steady, confident, deliberate... as if he had been in control of the entire situation from the very beginning.


    And then he turned to face me.


    I wanted to dig a hole in the marble floor and bury myself in it forever. "I-I¡¯m so sorry," I stammered, mortification spilling out of me in a rush. "I didn¡¯t realize you were in a meeting... I just walked in like that - oh stars, they saw me-"


    I groaned loudly, burying my burning face in my palms. My stomach twisted itself into knots. How could I ever recover from this? How could I show my face at hispany again knowing half his board members had just witnessed me stumbling around his mansion like some awkward schoolgirl?


    <fn7bf9> Original content can be found at f?ndnovel</fn7bf9>


    But then... I felt firm fingers wrapping gently around my wrists, prying them away from my face. His touch was warm, grounding, pulling me out of the storm of shame. I had no choice but to meet his eyes as he made me look at him.


    There wasn¡¯t a trace of irritation on his face. No anger, no frustration, not even mild annoyance. In fact, his expression was infuriatingly calm. Almost amused.


    "River..." I whispered, my voice trembling. "You are not... mad?"


    The corner of his lips twitched, that dangerous almost-smile ying at them again. And the way his gaze held mine... it was almost as if he was silently telling me I had nothing to apologize for.


    He let go of my hands only to reach out and rub the back of my head gently. "You are my mate, Evaline. I¡¯m so proud of you that I want to show you off to the entire world, let alone these board members."


    <i>How could he... say something so romantic with such a straight face? </i>I wondered. But his words eased some of my embarrassment.


    "Looks like you two didn¡¯t wastest night after all."

 Chapter 322: Bombshell After Bombshell

    <h4>Chapter 322: Bombshell After Bombshell</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment River and I turned our heads, a smile immediately formed on my lips.


    Draven had just stepped into the living room, brushing snowkes from his messy dark hair. His eyes glimmered with something between amusement and mischief, a smile tugging at his lips as if he had caught us in the middle of something scandalous.


    "Draven."


    The mischievous glint softened into warmth as his stride quickened toward me. He shrugged out of his long coat, the fabric heavy with snow, and carelessly tossed it onto the couch before pulling me into his arms.


    The sudden chill from his snow-soaked clothes made me squeal. "Ah! Cold!" I tried wriggling out of his embrace, but his arms only tightened around me.


    "Nope," he murmured against my hair, his voice low and unyielding. "You are not going anywhere. Do you know how badly I missed youst night?"


    I froze for a moment, torn betweenughter and embarrassment. His words held a weight I didn¡¯t expect, and my heart twisted in response. Before I could react, Draven peeked at River from over my shoulder and spoke.


    "Don¡¯t expect me to make that kind of sacrifice again," he teased, his voice light but edged with a hint of truth. "Last night was a one-time exception."


    River looked unbothered, but he still inclined his head with thatposed grace of his. "I wouldn¡¯t ask again. Thank you." His gaze shifted to me, lingering with that quiet warmth that made my chest ache. "I need to leave now."


    My lips parted, disappointment rising before I could hold it back. But he was already grabbing his phone from the coffee table. Onest lingering look, so full of meaning it made my heart stumble, and then he was gone.


    And suddenly, it was just me and Draven.


    I wriggled free from his hold atst, swatting lightly at his chest. "You are freezing! Couldn¡¯t you at least shake off the snow before hugging me?"


    He grinned, utterly unapologetic. "Sorry," he said, though the amusement in his voice betrayed him. Leaning down, he pressed a warm kiss to my cheek, melting the remnants of my protest.


    I huffed, but the corners of my lips curved despite myself.


    Both our stomachs grumbled almost at the same time, and we burst intoughter. So together, we made our way to the dining hall for ate breakfast.


    After eating until we were bothfortably full, Draven excused himself to shower. I stayed behind in the living room, sinking into the couch with a book in my hands, titled - The Journey of Motherhood. My fingers traced the pages absently as I tried to absorb the words. I wanted to prepare, to understand what wasing.


    It was then that someone stepped into the living room again.


    Oscar.


    Unlike Draven¡¯s icy arrival, Oscar radiated warmth as soon as he stepped inside. He tugged off his coat and jacket, shaking out his hair, and before I could even stand, he was crossing the room in long strides. His arms wrapped around me, firm and grounding, and I melted into him without hesitation.


    The familiar warmth of him seeped into me. I pressed my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat, and I sighed softly.


    "You are warm," I murmured.


    His chuckle rumbled against me. "And you are hot. Guess that means we fit just right."


    I rolled my eyes, but the smile tugging at my lips betrayed me again.


    Momentster, Draven reappeared, his damp hair clinging to his forehead and a fresh sweatee clinging to his frame. With the three of us gathered together, the couch became our haven. I nestled against Oscar¡¯s chest, my head rising and falling with each breath he took, while Draven imed the space at my feet. He tugged them into hisp and began massaging gently, his strong fingers kneading away the tension I didn¡¯t even realize I carried.


    <fna20b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fna20b>


    I sighed in contentment.


    My hand drifted back to the book on myp, and curiosity pulled me back into the words. I flipped another page, skimming through the advice, but it was Oscar¡¯s voice that pulled me from my focus.


    "What are you reading?" His chin rested lightly on top of my head, his voice low and curious.


    "About motherhood," I admitted softly, almost sheepishly.


    That single word - motherhood - seemed to ripple through him. His chest stiffened beneath me for a moment before rxing again. Then, with sudden decisiveness, he said, "We should start shopping."


    I blinked up at him. "Shopping?"


    "For the baby." His voice was steady, certain. "Clothes, nkets, everything. We can¡¯t wait too long."


    The realization struck me like a wave. I hadn¡¯t bought a single thing. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it. My heart thudded as guilt and excitement tangled inside me.


    Draven leaned back, nodding in agreement. "He¡¯s right. And it¡¯s not just about shopping. We also need to set up the nursery."


    The word hit me differently than it should have - nursery. My baby would have a room here, in this sprawling mansion. With them. My mates.


    The thought filled me with such warmth that tears threatened to prick my eyes. This... this was my baby¡¯s future.


    We soon got lost in the details, making ns about lists and colors and furniture, when another person joined us.


    "Kieran," Oscar murmured before I even looked.


    My head shot up. There he was - broad-shouldered, snow dusting his blonde hair, his expression neutral as his gaze flicked between us.


    And then he spoke.


    "For whose baby are you nning all this shopping?"


    My world froze.


    My heart hammered in my chest, and panic wed up my throat. This was it. The moment. The truth poised on the edge of revtion. I should have felt relieved, but instead, dread twisted inside me, sharp and merciless.


    Before I could open my mouth, Oscar¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    "I¡¯m ready to introduce my mate to you, Kieran."


    I whipped my head toward him, my breath stuck in my lungs.


    Kieran¡¯s brows lifted, surprise shing across his face. Slowly, a smile tugged at his lips. "Really? That¡¯s... good news. Invite her for dinner. I would like to meet her. All of us would."


    But before I could even breathe, Draven¡¯s voice cut in. "I found my mate too."


    Kieran¡¯s expression shifted to shock. "You-what?"


    "And River as well," Draven added casually, as though dropping the world¡¯s heaviest stone.


    Kieran blinked, visibly struggling to process the information. "You mean to tell me that... not one, not two, but all three of you have found your mates?"


    "Yes," they answered almost in unison.


    And then, as if the ground beneath me had dissolved, both Oscar and Draven¡¯s arms reached out, wrapping around me. They drew me into their embrace, holding me close, as they announced proudly...


    "She¡¯s our mate, brother."


    My lips parted, my lungs straining for air, but nothing came out.


    To make it painfully clear, Oscar¡¯s voice rang with conviction. "Eva is mated to River, Draven, and me. All three of us."


    The room spun.


    And then Draven, with no hesitation, added the final blow.


    "And there¡¯s one more happy news... she¡¯s pregnant with our child."

 Chapter 323: The Endless Pain (I)

    <h4>Chapter 323: The Endless Pain (I)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Read at your own risk</strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    When I stepped through the mansion doors, I could barely restrain my wolf. He was prowling beneath my skin, restless with anticipation. My chest was tight, my breaths uneven, because today... finally, after what felt like an eternity... I was going to tell her.


    No more waiting. No more hesitation. No more excuses.


    For days, I had been rehearsing the words, carrying them in my chest like a burning secret. I had imagined every possible way it could go - her disbelief, her surprise, maybe a smile if fate was kind enough. My wolf had been urging me relentlessly, his excitement bleeding into mine. Today was the day I would confess to Evaline.


    The woman I loved. The woman who had be the air I breathed without even knowing it.


    But the moment I entered the living room, the ground crumbled beneath me.


    My eyesnded on her instantly. She was nestled between them - Oscar and Draven - both their hands all over her.


    And then... I heard them say it.


    <i>"She¡¯s our mate, brother."</i>


    For a moment, I thought I had misheard. My mind rejected the words, my wolf froze in ce. Surely... surely this was some cruel joke.


    But then Oscar¡¯s voice, clear and unyielding, followed.


    <i>"Eva is mated to River, Draven, and me. All three of us."</i>


    My world copsed.


    No. No, that couldn¡¯t be real. That couldn¡¯t be my reality.


    My wolf howled in protest, thrashing inside me like a caged beast. She¡¯s ours! She¡¯s supposed to be ours! But the scene before me left no room for denial. She wasn¡¯t looking at me. She wasn¡¯t standing beside me. She was surrounded by them. My brothers.


    And before the jagged edges of those words could even finish slicing through me, Draven delivered the final blow.


    <i>"And there¡¯s one more happy news... she¡¯s pregnant with our child."</i>


    The air left my lungs in a violent rush.


    I stood there, frozen, a storm of emotions tearing me apart. Horror. Pain. Disbelief. My chest felt as though it had been split open, my heart ripped out and trampled right there on the marble floor. My wolf howled again, mournful this time, the sound echoing in the hollow chambers of my soul.


    I couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t speak.


    Every dream I had dared to hold onto shattered in an instant.


    Evaline... my Evaline... the one person who had made me believe in light again, who had made me believe I could deserve happiness, wasn¡¯t mine. She never had been. She belonged to them. To my brothers.


    And one of them had already nted his child inside her.


    I felt sick. My stomach churned violently, my hands curling into fists so tight that my nails bit into my palms. It took everything in me not to copse where I stood.


    But then Oscar¡¯s eyes met mine, expectant, waiting for my response.


    I forced a smile.


    It felt like dragging broken ss across my lips, but I did it anyway. My brothers deserved happiness. They deserved to celebrate. Thest thing I wanted was to cast a shadow over their joy.


    "Congrattions," I managed, my voice hoarse but steady enough to pass. "All of you."


    Evaline looked at me then. Just for a second.


    My heart screamed at the sight of her, but I tore my gaze away before I could drown in it. I couldn¡¯t look at her, not when the memory of every smile, every touch, every unspoken moment we had shared now burned like acid in my chest.


    "I-uh," I cleared my throat, desperate to flee before the cracks in my facade showed. "I should... I should let you guys continue with your nning for shopping. I have got some work to catch up on anyway."


    I didn¡¯t wait for their response. I didn¡¯t trust myself to.


    I turned and walked out, my steps heavy, each one dragging me closer to the inevitable breaking point. I didn¡¯t stop until I reached the sanctuary of my room. And the moment the door shut behind me, the mask crumbled.


    <fn0a43> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? </fn0a43>


    I sank to the floor, clutching my chest as the sob tore out of me.


    Raw, unrelenting pain.


    My wolf howled, the sound reverberating through every corner of me, wing at the walls of my soul. He didn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t ept it. She¡¯s ours! She¡¯s meant for us!


    But the truth was undeniable. She was theirs. She had chosen them. Fate had chosen them. And now... she carried one of their children.


    I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking as wave after wave of grief crashed through me. I had never known heartbreak could feel this violent. As though every breath I took wasced with shards of ss. As though my entire being had been hollowed out in an instant.


    Memories assaulted me mercilessly - the way herugh always made the world brighter, the way her eyes had lingered on me sometimes longer than necessary, the way her presence had be the anchor I didn¡¯t know I needed.


    I thought... I thought maybe those moments meant something.


    I thought maybe she felt it too.


    But I had been wrong. So terribly, pathetically wrong.


    The hours blurred as I stayed on that floor, lost in the storm of my own anguish. At some point, the tears slowed. My breathing evened out. The pain was still there - sharp, aching - but exhaustion dulled its edges just enough for me to think.


    And that was when rity came, cold and cruel.


    Evaline deserved happiness. My brothers deserved happiness. And if that happiness came from being together, from building a family with her, then who was I to stand in the way?


    My feelings... my love... it had no ce here. It never did.


    If I truly loved her, then I couldn¡¯t let my selfishness destroy the life she was building.


    So... to keep myself from destroying their happiness, I made the only decision that seemed right... for all of us.

 Chapter 324: The Endless Pain (II)

    <h4>Chapter 324: The Endless Pain (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Read at your own risk </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong><fnea2d> For original chapters go to Find?Novel</fnea2d>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The hours passed in a blur of silence.


    I stayed locked in my room, refusing to answer the soft knocks at my door, refusing food, refusing to face any of them. My chest still felt raw, torn open, every breath an effort to drag myself through the day.


    When the clock on the wall told me it was past four, I finally rose. My eyes were dry now, though the ache behind them hadn¡¯t dulled. The decision I made earlier was still firm. It was the only way I could survive this.


    I packed.


    The suitcase felt heavy in my grip as I carried it down the stairs. Each step echoed like a final nail being driven into a coffin... my coffin. I could already smell them downstairs, hear the faint hum of conversation. And her... her scent wrapped around me before I even reached thest step.


    They were all there.


    Oscar and Draven were lounging casually, their faces bright with the ease of men who had no idea that their happiness had shattered their brother. River was standing by the ss wall, his presence like a de I couldn¡¯t escape. And then... Evaline.


    Her eyes found me instantly.


    Something twisted violently in my chest, and I nearly stumbled under the weight of her gaze. My wolf pressed against me, desperate to look at her, but I forced my eyes away, fixing them instead on the floor, on my suitcase, on anything but her.


    Their expressions lit up when they saw me, but the joy flickered out almost as quickly. Confusion reced it when their eyes dropped to the suitcase in my hand.


    River¡¯s voice cut through the tension, sharp and steady.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    The air left my lungs. He always saw too much. Always cut right to the truth.


    But not this time.


    "I have got a flight to catch," I said, keeping my tone calm, casual, as though this were nothing out of the ordinary. "I¡¯m heading to Midnight Wolf Academy."


    The silence that followed felt suffocating.


    I added quickly, "It¡¯s ast-minute thing. They offered me a slot to join the seminar on newfound herbs, and... I epted. Couldn¡¯t really pass it up."


    It was flimsy, barely held together, but it was all I had. If River dug too deep, I would crumble.


    Before they could ask anything else, I smiled and forced myself to keep going. "I¡¯ll call once I get there. But I¡¯m already runningte, so I should head out."


    I moved to River first, patting his shoulder. It was the lightest touch, but it felt like I was saying goodbye to more than just him. Then I turned to Oscar and Draven, smiling again, pretending the corners of my lips weren¡¯t trembling.


    "Congrattions to you all. I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be able to celebrate this properly right now, but... we¡¯ll do that when I return."


    And then I turned away.


    I didn¡¯t look at her.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Her eyes were burning into me, I could feel it, but if I dared meet them, I would lose everything I was holding together by the thinnest thread. My wolf was wing at me, screaming to look at her, to not leave her behind... but I pushed him down, gripped my suitcase tighter, and walked out.


    The evening air was biting cold. Snow drifted down from the sky, soft kes that melted on my skin but never reached the fire in my chest. I loaded my suitcase into the car and slid behind the wheel, starting the engine with hands that were shaking.


    And then I drove.


    I left the mansion, the warmth of theirughter, the scent of her, behind me in the rearview mirror. The world grew darker as I pressed forward, snow falling harder, swirling around me like the world itself wanted to bury me alive.


    At first, I tried to focus on the road. On the hum of the engine. On breathing.


    But it didn¡¯tst.


    The mask slipped. My chest cracked open all over again. My wolf keened inside me, his pain so raw it blurred with my own.


    By the time the tears came, I couldn¡¯t stop them.


    They blurred my vision, spilled hot down my frozen cheeks, dripping onto the steering wheel as sobs wracked through me. My body shook, my breathsing sharp and uneven.


    The ache inside me had no edges... it was endless, all-consuming.


    The image of her, smiling between them, her belly soon to swell with their child... it wouldn¡¯t leave me. It dug into me like knives, tearing at my insides until I thought I might bleed out right there in the car.


    I gritted my teeth, trying to hold on, but my control slipped further, unraveling.


    And then it happened.


    The tires skidded on the icy road.


    The car spun.


    Metal screamed as I lost control, and in the next heartbeat, I was crashing. The vehicle jolted violently, snow spraying as the car veered off the road and mmed into the frozen ditch.


    And then, there was just silence.


    My chest heaved. My hands were clutching the wheel, my knuckles white, as my entire body trembled from the shock. The car was ruined, but I barely noticed. My pain was louder than the crash, louder than everything.


    I mmed my fists against the wheel, and the sound echoed in the empty night.


    "Why?" I screamed, my voice raw and broken. "Why me?"


    My words tore out of me, ragged with despair.


    "Why did you do this, Moon Goddess? Why did you give them everything, and leave me with nothing? Why them? Why not me?"


    My voice cracked, the anguish spilling free.


    "Why did I never find my mate again? Why did you let me fall in love with her when she was never mine? Why her? Why make her theirs?"


    Each word broke something deeper inside me.


    "Why did you forget me?"


    The woods around me were silent, and the falling snow uncaring. No answer came. There was only the hollow echo of my own despair.


    My wolf roared within me, unable to bear it any longer. The grief, the rage, the betrayal of fate itself... it was too much.


    I stumbled out of the car, the cold night air mming into me, and before I knew it, my bones were cracking and fur ripped through my skin. My howl tore through the darkness as I shifted, the pain of my body twisting almost a reliefpared to the torment inside.


    And then I ran.


    Through the snow, through the trees, through the endless dark. My paws pounded the frozen ground, carrying me nowhere and everywhere.


    I ran from the harsh, bitter reality. From my brothers. From her.


    From the truth that was killing me.


    But no matter how fast I ran, her face followed me. Herughter. Her touch. The warmth of what could never be mine.


    And in that cruel, endless night, I realized the truth that shattered me all over again...


    No matter how far I ran, I could never escape her.


    And I could never escape the fate that had abandoned me.

 Chapter 325: Beginning of a New Storm

    <h4>Chapter 325: Beginning of a New Storm</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sh of Ria¡¯s phone blinded me for the fifth time in less than ten minutes, and I forced a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach my eyes as she squealed, "Perfect! Another one for the memories!"


    I nodded, my cheeks aching from holding the same expression. It was Friday noon, our little group¡¯s promised day to gather during the holidays, and this time we were in a quiet town nestled inside Kyros¡¯ pack. The restaurant buzzed faintly around us - clinking sses, bursts ofughter from neighboring tables - but it all felt so far away.


    Everyone was sharing how their week had gone. Noah had been traveling, Selene had gone back home to her grandparents, and Ria had spent most of her days shopping and meeting cousins. Mallory was busy dating, Kyros was helping at his family cafe, and Rowan... he was still trying to adjust to his new life where he no longer needed to participate in underground fightings.


    Iughed at the right ces, answered when asked, and even teased Mallory when she admitted she overslept most mornings. From the outside, I was just as much a part of the fun as always.


    But inside? I was sinking.


    Ever since yesterday, ever since Draven and Oscar told Kieran everything, I hadn¡¯t been able to shake off this gnawing dread sitting heavy in my chest. And when he left the mansion in the evening... my heart twisted so hard I could hardly breathe. He had smiled, spoken normally, and even gave a good enough reason for his sudden departure, but I couldn¡¯t believe it. There had been something too carefully stitched about his calmness, a crack I could feel even if no one else seemed to have noticed. He hadn¡¯t looked at me once. Not even once.


    And that hurt more than I wanted to admit.


    Because beneath the relief of finally being epted by the three brothers who were my mates... beneath the overwhelming joy of the life growing inside me... I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the one brother who had walked away with a shadow in his eyes.


    Lunch ended, though I could hardly remember eating much of it. As we stepped out of the restaurant, cool winter air brushed against my skin. Everyone said their goodbyes quickly, as if pulled back into their own busy lives. Selene hugged me tight before leaving with Noah and Ria, and that left me with Rowan, Kyros, and Mallory... the three who knew me far too well.


    I sighed even before they opened their mouths. "You don¡¯t have to say it," I told them with a small smile.


    Kyros crossed his arms, his sharp eyes narrowing at me. Mallory raised a brow, her lips already parting. And Rowan just stayed quiet, watching me with that silent understanding he always carried.


    I beat them to it. "I¡¯m fine. Just... a little tired, that¡¯s all."


    Mallory arched both brows this time. She didn¡¯t buy it. Not fully.


    I slipped my hand through her arm, tugging gently. "I promise. It¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯m just... not feeling too great inside, that¡¯s all."


    It wasn¡¯t a full lie. The heaviness in me wasn¡¯t just emotional, my body was feeling it too. Off-bnce. Exhausted. But I didn¡¯t dare say the real reason.


    For a moment, Mallory studied me with those sharp eyes of hers. Then, with a reluctant sigh, she let it go. "Fine. But you would better not be keeping something from me, Evaline."


    I smiled, and this time it was genuine. "I¡¯ll tell you when it¡¯s the right time."


    Before they could press further, the sleek familiar car across the street caught my eye. Draven¡¯s car. He was already leaning against it, tall and brooding, his gaze fixed on me with that mix of protectiveness and quiet affection.


    The moment I approached him, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I melted into his chest without thought, inhaling his familiar scent. Safe. That¡¯s what he felt like. Safe and grounding.


    "Eva¡¯s been down since yesterday," he said suddenly to my friends, his deep voice breaking through the little bubble I had created.


    My head jerked up in surprise, my eyes flicking to him. He gave me a look - soft but knowing. I realized then what I had overlooked. The bond. Of course. He and Oscar must have felt the waves of distress I had been drowning in since Kieran left.


    "Maybe," Draven continued, looking at my group, "you could all spend the evening at the mansion with her? I think she would feel better with you around."


    <fn1c1a> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn1c1a>


    I swallowed hard, emotion clogging my throat, before nodding. "I would love that."


    Because maybe... maybe distractions were exactly what I needed right now. Something to stop me from spiraling into thoughts of Kieran. Something to give me courage to finally tell Mallory and Kyros the truth I had been hiding - the pregnancy.


    To my relief, all three of them agreed almost instantly, brightening at the idea. Mallory even pped her hands together, her suspicion momentarily reced with excitement.


    We climbed into Draven¡¯s car, the four of us fittingfortably. The drive was filled with chatter, Kyros pointing out ces as they passed by, Mallory teasing Draven who, to my surprise, actually humored her. Rowan stayed quiet as usual, though I caught his eyes flicking to me more than once. He knew. He always did.


    When we arrived at the Thorne estate, the awe on their faces reminded me of my own first time. The sprawling mansion rose against the winter sky, elegant and intimidating. Even Mallory, who had been here twice before, still looked impressed.


    Draven excused himself, pressing a kiss against my temple before leaving us in the foyer. "Call me if you need anything," he murmured, his hand lingering on my waist a little longer.


    I nodded, watching him disappear down the hall. Then I turned to my friends with a smile. "Come on. I¡¯ll show you my room."


    Rowan¡¯s lips quirked faintly. "The infamous princess suite?"


    I rolled my eyes but led them upstairs anyway. The moment I opened the door, both Rowan and Kyros let out appreciative noises.


    "Okay," Kyros said, spinning slowly, "I have officially decided I¡¯m moving in here. Hope you don¡¯t mind."


    Iughed, taking a seat on the couch with Mallory while the boys took their time to look around the room.


    Not long after, Sera and a few servants arrived with trays of refreshments. Tea, juice, pastries, fresh fruit - everything neatly arranged. Once they left, silence settled in the room. The kind of silence where I could feel all three sets of eyes on me.


    Rowan gave me the smallest nod, as if telling me it was time.


    I took a deep breath, my fingers twisted together nervously. Then I lifted my gaze to Mallory and Kyros.


    "There¡¯s something I need to tell you both," I said softly. "Something important."


    Mallory tilted her head, suspicious again. Kyros frowned, his arms crossing.


    I exhaled slowly, my pulse thundering in my ears. "I might not be able to attend the second term at Silver Moon."


    Their eyes widened.


    And in that moment, as their gazes pinned me down, I knew... this might be the beginning of a new storm.

 Chapter 326: Yet Another Shock Bomb

    <h4>Chapter 326: Yet Another Shock Bomb</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "What are you talking about?" Kyros asked, he and Mallory staring at me as if daring me to spout any nonsense.


    I inhaled deeply, fixed my gaze on the two of them, and made the announcement - "I¡¯m pregnant."


    Silence.


    That was thest thing I was expecting. Not a squeal, not a scream, not even one of Mallory¡¯s usual gasps that always made heads turn. Just silence.


    Kyros and Mallory both stared at me like I had just sprouted wings... or worse, horns... right in front of them. My chest tightened. My fingers twisted in the hem of my sweater as I waited for one of them to say something, anything.


    It was Mallory who broke free first.


    She blinked rapidly, then waved her hand in the air like she was swatting away a fly. "Ha-ha, very funny, Eva. Do better with your jokes next time, will you? For a second, I almost believed you."


    My lips parted in disbelief. Mallory, of all people, thought I was joking? Ever since I had known her, I had dropped such shock bombs in herp numerous times and she always believed me. But for the first time, her reaction was... denial.


    Kyros, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t moved an inch. He was still staring at me with wide eyes, lips parted as though words had left himpletely. His gaze flickered between me and Mallory, like he was trying to decide who to believe.


    I sighed softly, the sound slipping out before I could stop it. "I¡¯m not messing with you guys," I said quietly. "I am really pregnant."


    Mallory froze this time. Her eyes narrowed at me like she was trying to read if this was another one of my asional dry teases. But I held her gaze. I didn¡¯t look away. Didn¡¯t blink. Didn¡¯t let my lips twitch into a smile that might betray my seriousness.


    And then... finally... it clicked. Her eyes went wide. Shock red across her face as she realized I wasn¡¯t ying around.


    Right at that moment, Rowan¡¯s calm voice filled the silence.


    "She¡¯s telling the truth. She¡¯s pregnant."


    Both Mallory and Kyros whipped their heads toward him so quickly I almost worried they would strain their necks.


    <fn0827> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fn0827>


    "You knew?!" Mallory shrieked, her voice a mixture of betrayal and disbelief.


    Rowan gave a simple nod, his expression unreadable as always.


    Kyros was the next to find his voice, his tone more measured but equally stunned. "Since when?"


    Rowan leaned back in his couch, folding his arms. "Almost since the beginning. Since we entered Silver Moon."


    Mallory¡¯s mouth opened. Then closed. She repeated the process like a fish gasping for air before finally managing words. "Wait. Hold on."


    Her fingers lifted, counting off on each one as she spoke. "You felt your mate bond snd got together with Draven and Oscar after you got into Silver Moon. And River... that was just recently. But if what Rowan¡¯s saying is true, then-" She turned to him sharply. "That means she was already pregnant before the term even began."


    Rowan dipped his chin once in quiet confirmation.


    Mallory whipped back to me, her eyes so wide I thought they might pop right out of her face. "So... you got pregnant before you even met your mates? Is that what you are saying?"


    Her voice rose higher with every word, ending in a squeaky question mark.


    I closed my eyes for a second, inhaling deeply, before releasing the truth I had been holding close for far too long. "The baby... belongs to my ex-mate."


    The room went silent again.


    But this time, it wasn¡¯t disbelief. It was processing.


    Mallory and Kyros exchanged a look, and I knew exactly what was running through their heads. They had known about him... about the mate I once had, the one I lost... because I had told them long ago in one of those raw,te-night conversations when we opened up to each other. But knowing I had an ex-mate was one thing. Finding out I was carrying his child was another.


    Finally, both of them nodded slowly, their faces softening with understanding.


    But then Mallory¡¯s eyes sharpened again. I could almost see the gears turning in her mind before she looked down at my belly.


    "Wait a minute," she muttered, her brows furrowing. "It¡¯s been six months since we joined Silver Moon. You are saying you were already pregnant before that. Which means..." Her gaze trailed from my face down to my midsection, stopping there. "Then howe...?"


    Her voice faded as the unasked question hung in the air between us. Her stare remained glued to the gentle curve hidden beneath my oversized sweater.


    I swallowed and gave her the truth. "I¡¯m already thirty-three weeks along."


    The collective gasp that followed nearly shook the walls.


    "Thirty-three?!" Mallory practically screamed. "As in... like... eight months?!"


    I nodded faintly.


    "That¡¯s insane," she whispered, pointing at my stomach in sheer disbelief. "How is that even possible? You don¡¯t... I mean... You look-" She waved her hands helplessly. "You don¡¯t look eight months pregnant, Eva! No where close to it!"


    Before I could answer, Kyros finally spoke, his voice firm butced with quiet frustration at her obliviousness. "Did you forget what she looked like when we first came to Silver Moon? She was only skin and bones, Mallory. A skeleton."


    Mallory paused, her mouth closing.


    I nodded, my voice soft. "He¡¯s right. My bump didn¡¯t show at all until the end of the second trimester. My body was too weak, too thin. But now... it¡¯s catching up fast. Thest two weeks, it feels like everything just exploded. My bump¡¯s grown twice the size, but winter clothes are hiding it well."


    Mallory blinked at me, then down at my stomach again, realization dawning.


    Her lips parted, her eyes wide with horror and awe all at once. "That means... your due date could be in a month or so."


    Her words hung heavy in the air, settling into all of us at once.


    And just like that, it clicked for her... why I wouldn¡¯t be able to return to Silver Moon Academy anytime soon.

 Chapter 327: Godmother & Godfathers

    <h4>Chapter 327: Godmother & Godfathers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had braced myself for silence. For pity, maybe even judgment... though I knew Mallory and Kyros weren¡¯t like that. But still, a part of me had feared it. What I hadn¡¯t braced myself for was the joy that lit up their faces once the questions were done and all the pieces of truth finally fell into ce.


    Mallory pped her hands together so suddenly that I flinched. "Oh, Moon Goddess!" she squealed, bouncing on the edge of her couch like a child. "I can¡¯t believe this... Eva, you are going to be a mom!"


    Her excitement was so raw, so contagious, that my lips parted in shock before a smallugh bubbled out of me.


    And then, as if it wasn¡¯t enough, she leaned forward, her eyes sparkling, and announced, "I¡¯m calling dibs right now. I¡¯m going to be the pup¡¯s godmother!"


    I blinked at her, wide-eyed. "You... what?"


    "Yes!" she said firmly, folding her arms like it was already settled. "Don¡¯t you dare give the role to anyone else. I mean it, Eva."


    My heart swelled. Mallory wasn¡¯t just excited for me... she was staking her im in this baby¡¯s life.


    When I turned my gaze to Kyros, I found him looking at me with his eyes full of hope. "Then... could I be the godfather?" he asked, almost shyly, though his towering frame and deep voice made the request sound anything but small.


    I was stunned for a moment, my throat tightening. I nodded quickly before emotion choked me up. "Of course you can."


    Kyros¡¯ shoulders eased as relief broke into a bright, warm smile.


    And then my attention shifted toward Rowan, who hadn¡¯t spoken yet. His arms were crossed, one brow arched, his gaze leveled on me with that signature daring re of his. The one that screamed - <i>Don¡¯t even think about leaving me out of this.</i>


    I burst intoughter, unable to help myself. "Fine! You too, Rowan. I wasn¡¯t going to forget you. I can never forget you."


    His lips curved into a smirk, and he looked pretty satisfied.


    Warmth filled my chest. For the first time in nearly twenty-four hours, the cold heaviness inside me thawed.


    Maybe Draven had felt it too - my joy, my soft relief - because minutester there was a knock on the door before it opened, and there he was. He was bncing a tray in his hands, steam curling up from the mugs of cocoa lined neatly on it.


    "I thought you all might like this," he said smoothly.


    Kyros jumped to his feet at once to take the tray, setting it on the low table. Together, he and Draven began passing cups around until everyone was holding one, the rich scent of chocte filling the air.


    "Mind if I join?" Draven asked, his voice calm and his eyes warm.


    Mallory waved him over immediately. "Please do! And-oh! Congrattions, by the way."


    Draven froze for a heartbeat, blinking at her as though she had just spoken anothernguage. "Congrattions...?"


    "On bing a dad, obviously." Mallory grinned.


    And I watched it happen... watched the exact second her words sank into him.


    That smile. That rare, blinding smile bloomed across his face, so full of pride and joy that it almost hurt to look at. He slipped down beside me on the couch, draping his arm across my shoulders, and pulled me gently into his side.


    "I..." His voice caught before he steadied it. "I consider myself one of the luckiest men alive. Having a mate like Eva, and now... waiting for our pup? I have never been this happy."


    His words wrapped around me like the warmth of the cocoa in my hands. I leaned against him, letting myself bask in the safety of his embrace.


    We talked,ughed, and joked for another hour. Mallory teased Rowan about babysitting duty, Kyros promised to build the pup a training ground when it grew up, and Draven just sat there looking far too pleased with himself every time someone called him dad.


    But eventually, the world outside reminded us of its presence. The world outside had started turning dark and it seemed like it might start snowing soon.


    Mallory groaned, checking the time. "We should head back. My mom will freak if I stay out toote."


    Kyros and Rowan agreed as well.


    Draven, of course, immediately said, "You should all stay for dinner. Better yet, spend the night here."


    But my friends onlyughed, insisting they woulde back another day for the promised sleepover.


    One by one, they hugged me tightly and bid their goodbyes to Draven before heading out to the car he had arranged to take them home safely.


    And then it was just the two of us.


    Draven slid his hand into mine, his grip warm and firm as he led me back inside. "Come on," he said quietly, a softness in his tone. "There¡¯s something I want to show you."


    Curious, I followed him up the stairs to third floor and down the hall, stopping at a door I recognized instantly. Oscar¡¯s room.


    Draven knocked. The door opened secondster, revealing Oscar¡¯s familiar smile. His eyes brightened the moment theynded on me, and before I could even greet him, his arms were around me, pulling me close.


    I melted instantly against his warmth.


    When he pulled back, his grin widened. "Perfect timing. I was waiting for you."


    I blinked up at him. "For what?"


    Instead of answering, he guided me inside. And there, on the thick rug before the firece, I saw hisptop open with several tabs filled with nursery designs and shopping lists spread around.


    Draven shut the door, and the three of us soon huddled together on the rug, flipping through ideas. Crib designs, wallpaper themes, color palettes. Oscar scribbled notes about what the baby would need, Draven suggested structural changes for a nursery room, and I... I just sat there, overwhelmed and touched by the fact that they were so excited and happy as they prepared to wee our child.


    Half an hourter, the door creaked again.


    River stepped in, his expensive coat still draped over one arm, his hair slightly tousled from the wind. His eyesnded on us - me nestled between Oscar and Draven, surrounded by lists - and his lips curved in the smallest, softest smile.


    "Couldn¡¯t resist leaving me out, could you?" he teased lightly as he walked over, lowering himself gracefully onto the rug with us.


    Within minutes, he was leaning over theptop, giving his own quiet input.


    And somehow, between theughter of my friends earlier, the excitement of my mates nning the baby¡¯s future, and the love and warmth radiating around me... I felt my chest loosenpletely for the first time since Kieran left.


    Especially when River nced at the three of us and, almost casually, said, "Kieran called me earlier today. He has arrived at Midnight Wolf Academy safely."


    The relief that flooded me was indescribable. My body slumped, the tension draining all at once.


    Finally, finally, I allowed myself to breathe again.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    Alright, everyone!


    It¡¯s time to share your thoughts whether y¡¯all want a baby girl or baby boy.


    Please let me know your choice in thements (also share if you have a particr reason for your choice).


    <fne41e> Find the newest release on find?novel</fne41e>


    Thank you!

 Chapter 328: Feeling Petty and Unhappy

    <h4>Chapter 328: Feeling Petty and Unhappy</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped into the familiar<strong></strong>building of HQ, I knew I was in no mood for pleasantries.


    I<strong></strong>had been sulking ever since breakfast, though I tried hard not to admit it even to myself. Fine... maybe my mood had something to do with the fact that when I stepped out of the mansion this morning, ready and dressed for work, I saw River¡¯s sleek ck car gliding out of the driveway without me.


    He didn¡¯t even pause. Didn¡¯t he remember it was the weekend? Didn¡¯t he see me all dressed up for work? Or... worse... did he leave without me on purpose?


    The questions wed at me the entire ride while Oscar drove me to HQ. A tiny reasonable part of my brain whispered that River never promised I could ride with him, and maybest weekend had just been an exception. But therger, pettier, unreasonable part of me... oh, she was in full control today.


    By the time I reached HQ, the sight of familiar faces in the corridors - warriors, council members, fellow assistants and secretaries, even the front deskdy - did nothing to cool my mood. I barely acknowledged their greetings, ignoring their confused stares as I marched straight to River¡¯s office.


    I swung the door open, my lips pressed in a thin line. And to my surprise, I found him there. He was sitting behind his desk, papers in one hand and coffee in the other, looking every inch the untouchable, maddeningly handsome Alpha-CEO.


    The sight of him here - at HQ, not hispany or elsewhere - made my blood boil hotter. So he really had left me behind.


    He looked up, found me standing at the entrance and his brow rose in genuine surprise. "Evaline?" He set down his paper like a man pausing mid-calction. "What are you doing here?"


    The sharpness in my voice betrayed me before I could temper it. "Wow. Did you actually forget that it¡¯s the weekend?" It wasn¡¯t a question... it was a p wrapped in sarcasm.


    For a heartbeat, his emerald gaze widened in unguarded surprise, then narrowed with theposure he had cultivated for years. "That¡¯s not what I meant-"


    "Oh?" I cut him off, folding my arms automatically, the posture of a woman ready for battle. "Then maybe you forgot that I work here. As your assistant."


    River, who always had a retort poised like a razor at the end of his tongue, was suddenly wordless. He blinked in a way I had never seen before - vulnerable and slightly off-bnce. "That¡¯s not what I meant either," he finally said, his voice softening, his tone careworn in a way that made the sharp edge of my irritation wobble but not fall.


    His gaze scanned me then, careful, as if he were reading an unfamiliar script. "Evaline... are you mad?"


    <fn372d> Checktest chapters at ?ovelFind</fn372d>


    The wordnded awkward and loud in the quiet office. Mad. It felt trivial next to the storm of anger and hurt that had been coiling in me all morning. Iughed, the sound sharp and humorless. "Mad?" I echoed. "Do I look like I¡¯m mad?"


    I saw him swallow hard before he looked away for a second. A small sigh escaped him, and the sound pushed my irritation higher rather than dimming it. There was that infuriating mix in him - an ease that made him look unbothered,yered over with an edge that always told you he was always three steps ahead.


    I turned away before I could say anything else, because silence felt safer. I moved to my desk like a woman in a half-remembered ritual. I powered up theputer, rearranged folders and pens that did not need rearrangement, cleaned the already-polished surface until the motion steadied the thrum of my pulse. Anything to avoid looking at him directly.


    The silence between us grew heavy, thick enough to cut.


    "Evaline." His voice came again, low and steady, a soft chisel against my resolve.


    I ignored it, pretending to tap across the keyboard.


    "Evaline." His voice was closer this time. Insistent.


    Still I refused to turn. The stubborn part of me held tight, feeding on the principle of not being emotionally avable on his terms. But then the back of my chair spun, and I had no chance to brace myself.


    He took me in one fluid motion - no drama, no announcement - and lifted me bridal style, making my world tip.


    "River!"


    My protest was automatic, instinctual. My arms flung around his neck without thinking.


    In my head I pictured him setting me down with a teasing smirk. Instead he walked across the office with the kind of ease that belonged to a man who owned not just the space, but the weather in it.


    He sat on the wide leather couch and kept me nted squarely in hisp, encircled by those arms I had watchedmand business negotiations and pack councils.


    My body was pinned by the certainty of his hold. The motionless steadiness of him made my cheeks burn for reasons I didn¡¯t want to name.


    "Why are you mad?" he asked, calm as an announced storm. He didn¡¯t ask in a way that left room for a performative answer. The question was a gentle device of excavation - intentional, unyielding, as if he had already decided evasion wouldn¡¯t be allowed.


    I scoffed and looked away, because I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing how small I felt under his eyes. "When did I say I was mad?" I snapped, though even as the words left I felt the cheapness of them.


    He arched a single dark brow. The act so familiar that it made some private muscle in my chest twitch, and I found my gaze snagging on the curve of his mouth, on the way the light caught his jaw. The fight in me faltered. And an audible sigh slipped out, soft and involuntary, betraying me.


    He didn¡¯t let it stand. His fingers came up and curled under my chin, tilting my face until I could not look anywhere but at him. The motion was precise, patient, and utterly disarming. "Why," he repeated, word by deliberate word, "are you mad?"


    There was no dismissal in his tone. No attempt to sugarcoat, no attempt to negotiate my right to be small or petty. He simply asked again with the quiet insistence of someone who refused to let issues drift like loose leaves.


    The intensity behind his green eyes was not usatory, it was an invitation to be honest without punishment.


    His insistence pried at my defenses. The part of me that had spent years practicing a tough, collection-of-iced stares began to crumble under the warmth of his palms and the directness of his gaze.


    I felt the old childish shapes of jealousy and fear rise unbidden - fear of being unimportant, of being left out like some afterthought.


    When I finally spoke, my voice came out thinner than I intended. "Because you left me behind earlier."

 Chapter 329: He’s Mine

    <h4>Chapter 329: He¡¯s Mine</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The words had barely slipped past my lips when silence stretched thick between us.


    <i>"Because you left me behind earlier."</i>


    My voice sounded too thin, too fragile, and the second it hung in the air, I wanted to snatch it back.


    River stared at me, his face a picture of confusion, surprise, and something close to disbelief. His lips parted like he had something ready, but then he hesitated. Instead, he let out a long, weary sigh that seemed to fill the room.


    He leaned back slightly, his sharp gaze fixing on me. "You mean... earlier? When I came to here on my own and didn¡¯t bring you along?"


    The way he said it - careful, deliberate - made heat rush to my cheeks. I gave a small nod, my lips pressing together in embarrassment.


    Another sigh escaped him, this one heavier and tinged with disbelief. He let go of my chin and rubbed his temples, then looked at me again, his expression somewhere between exasperation and tenderness. "Evaline... you asked for a month¡¯s leave. Because of that, I thought you wouldn¡¯t being to work at all for the next four weeks."


    I blinked. That was his reason? That was why he hadn¡¯t even looked back when he left?


    My snark returned before I could hold it back. "Why on earth would I use that leave now when I¡¯mpletely fine stepping out of the house and working?" My words came fast, sharp, defensive. "The leave was for when my due date is close, not now."


    He stilled and his brows drew together. I could see the exact moment understanding dawned. His jaw softened and his eyes flickered with regret. He gave a slow nod, then sighed again.


    "You are right. I should have confirmed with you before jumping to conclusion." His gaze searched mine carefully, his voice quieter now. "But... is just one month enough? You and I both know it¡¯s far from enough."


    The question hit like a pebble in my stomach, sending ripples of unease. Of course one month wasn¡¯t enough. But what choice did I have?


    I shrugged, trying to act casual even though the weight of this matter had been pressing down on me for days now. "It¡¯s not enough. But I couldn¡¯t possibly demand a six-month leave, could I?" Myugh came out humorless, brittle. "Would you have even agreed to such a tant request?"


    Before I could look away, his fingers slid beneath my chin once again and he tilted my head up. His touch was gentle but firm, leaving me no escape. His deep green eyes burned into mine as he spoke, slow and deliberate.


    "I would have agreed, Evaline. No matter what you asked."


    I froze. The sincerity in his tone left me stunned, speechless. His gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    "I would give you anything you wanted," he continued softly, the depth in his voice making butterflies stir wildly in my stomach. "All you need to do is say the word."


    My lips parted, but no sound came out. Something about the raw promise in his words made it hard to breathe. The thought of asking for something so impossible had felt foolish a moment ago, but now...


    I swallowed hard, my voice barely a whisper. "But... is it even possible? To take such a long break from both work and school?"


    His lips curved in a small, knowing smile. "Is there anything I can¡¯t do?" His thumb brushed over my jaw in a soothing sweep. "I¡¯ll take care of everything... for your work and your studies. Leave it to me."


    The steady certainty in his voice unraveled the knot of worry that had been gnawing at me for so long. I didn¡¯t have to ask twice to know he meant every word. River didn¡¯t make promises lightly. If he said it, he would make it happen.


    And just like that, the burden that had been pressing against my ribs loosened. I felt lighter, freer, and before I realized it, my lips curved into a smile. A small one, but genuine and warm. My first real smile since this morning. "Thank you," I murmured softly.


    <fn7d92> Latest content published on find?novel</fn7d92>


    But his expression shifted instantly, a faint scowl pulling at his brow. "That ¡¯thank you¡¯ was insincere." His tone was low, deep, enough to make my pulse skip. "You are thanking me like I¡¯m some outsider doing you a favor."


    Before I could respond, he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my cheek as his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "I¡¯m not an outsider, Evaline. I¡¯m your mate."


    The word ¡¯mate¡¯ rolled from his tongue like amand and a promise in one. Hearing it in his deep voice did things to me I couldn¡¯t dare put into words. Heat rushed through me and my chest tightened.


    When I finally spoke, my voice came out unsteady. "Then... how do you want me to thank you?"


    The corner of his lips curved slightly with the faintest ghost of a smirk. "Like this."


    Before I could even process, his mouth descended on mine.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t tentative. It was consuming, toe-curling, and deep enough to steal every coherent thought from my head.


    His lips moved against mine with deliberate hunger, coaxing me open, iming, demanding. My hands clutched at his coat as if it was the only thing keeping me grounded.


    He angled his head, deepening the kiss until I felt like I was drowning in him - his taste, his heat, the way he tilted my chin just so, forcing me to yield. Each drag of his lips over mine sent sparks shooting down my spine.


    When he finally pulled back just enough to let me breathe, his lips trailed along the edge of my jaw, grazing soft kisses down my throat. The contrast of his warmth against the sensitive skin there had me tilting my head back, a small gasp escaping before I could stop it.


    He lingered at the hollow of my throat, his mouth brushing, sucking lightly, as if he wanted to leave his mark where the world could see.


    My pulse raced wildly and body started trembling under the sheer intensity of him.


    "River..." I whispered, though it came out more like a plea than his name.


    He hummed against my skin, the sound vibrating deliciously along my throat. His lips moved slower now, softer, as if savoring me instead of devouring.


    Finally, he lifted his head, and before pulling backpletely, he pressed the gentlest kiss to my forehead - a soft, feathery promise that made my chest ache in a way nothing else could.


    It was so simple, but it made me melt.


    And for the first time all day, my anger, my insecurity, my doubts - all of it - slipped away, leaving me with nothing but the dizzying warmth of his arms and the knowledge that he was mine.

 Chapter 330: It Was Home

    <h4>Chapter 330: It Was Home</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River kept his promise. By the time Monday arrived, he had already taken care of everything.


    He had made sure my leave from both the Academy and HQ was arranged without me having to lift a finger.


    Of course, I knew he hadn¡¯t bent rules for me. River wasn¡¯t that type - he never mixed personal feelings with responsibility, even if I was his mate. He simply used his influence to put the right papers in front of the right people, leaving the decision up to them.


    At HQ, he wrapped everything neatly. Instead of prolonging the matter, he decided my internship would conclude at the end of this month. Just one more weekend left.


    February was almost over, and it meant I had officially worked there for five months straight. It hadn¡¯t been easy, but the Council rewarded me in a way I hadn¡¯t dared hope for - the option to return anytime within a year as a permanent employee.


    That alone almost made me cry. It wasn¡¯t charity. It was recognition. And I knew it. I had worked hard, proven myself again and again, and though River was my mate, I was proud that my results weren¡¯t simply handed to me.


    As for Silver Moon Academy... he handled it with the same precision. Medical leave for three months, approved. The professors were strict, and the academy council didn¡¯t just nod because the founders were the Rogue brothers.


    If I hadn¡¯t topped the entrance exam, if I hadn¡¯t proven myself as a ss president, if I hadn¡¯t pushed through presentations, quizzes, tests, topped the first term exams and still held my ground while doing my internship - no way would they have agreed.


    It felt surreal. Almost as though my past self, the girl who had no wolf, no family, no future, had been erased. And yet, sometimes when I looked into the mirror, I still saw her shadow staring back.


    But when my hands rested on my growing bump, I remembered why I was doing this. Why I needed the time, the space, the energy to prepare.


    The days began to pass faster after that.


    Most of my time was spent with Oscar and Draven. Shopping for our baby became our routine. Winter air bit our cheeks every time we stepped out, and Oscar always insisted on wrapping a scarf around my neck while Draven grumbled that I wasn¡¯t wearing thick enough socks. They both carried bags, argued over colors and patterns, and somehow ended up buying twice the amount we had agreed on.


    River joined us on rare asions, his presence quieter but just as steady. He would point out what was practical, what wouldst longer, what brands had better quality. He rarely fussed, but when he did, it carried weight.


    By Friday, the renovation team Oscar had called finished with the nursery. The moment the workers left, Draven practically barricaded the door.


    "You are not allowed in," he had told me firmly.


    Oscar only folded his arms in agreement. "We want it to be a surprise."


    River said nothing, but his hand lingered on my shoulder, steady and warm, as if sealing the decision.


    I tried to peek anyway, but three grown men blocking my way was impossible to get past. They didn¡¯t even argue about it... they simply refused in that unshakable, united way that left me smiling despite myself.


    And so, I let them have their secret.


    The weekend came quickly, and with it, myst days at HQ.


    I hadn¡¯t expected to feel so emotional about it. The building had be familiar - the polished marble floors, the endless stone staircases, the halls that echoed with the sound of boots and heels clicking. Working under River hadn¡¯t been easy, but it had been rewarding. I had learned more in these five months than I thought possible.


    When it finally ended, River kept his expression unreadable, though I caught the faintest flicker of pride in his eyes.


    "Good work, Miss Evaline," he said simply.


    That was enough.


    The other interns, those who were also concluding their terms, decided to go out for dinner together. Weughed, shared stories about days spent typing reports or running around on errands, and ate delicious food.


    It felt lighthearted, a proper farewell. But somewhere deep inside, a part of me wasn¡¯t fully present.


    Because every time myughter faded, a single name echoed in the back of my mind.


    Kieran.


    I hadn¡¯t seen him. I hadn¡¯t heard from him. He never contacted me. And I never gathered the courage to contact him.


    More times than I could count, I had opened our chat, staring at the empty box where my words should be, and then closed it again with trembling fingers. My heart screamed that something wasn¡¯t right. But my head... my head told me to stop. To focus on my mates, my child, my future.


    And yet...


    Why was he still lodged in my thoughts? Why did guilt mix with longing every time I whispered his name in my mind?


    I didn¡¯t have an answer. And I wasn¡¯t brave enough to search for one.


    By then, my bump had grown even more. Loose sweaters and thick coats weren¡¯t enough to hide itpletely. And even if I somehow hid it under theyers of clothes, people started noticing that I was getting slightly plump and how I seemed to have a natural, rosy glow on my face.


    They didn¡¯t mean to pry. Their words were kind, harmless. But every time, my heart raced. I felt as though the secret was burning at the edges of my clothes, desperate to break free.


    Ending my internship felt like lifting a heavy weight from my shoulders. At least I wouldn¡¯t need to hide anymore. At least not at the mansion.


    As another monday arrived, so did thest day of February and the end of the ongoing holidays. While my friends were already back at Academy, I was still at the mansion.


    More specifically, facing my mates.


    Oscar and Draven were already grinning when they found me in my bedroom that evening, their eyes glinting with mischief. River followed them, his expression calmer but no less purposeful.


    "What are you three up to?" I asked suspiciously, narrowing my eyes.


    "Nothing," Draven said far too quickly.


    Oscar smirked. "Come with us."


    Before I could protest, a soft cloth slid over my eyes. I squeaked. "Hey!"


    "Trust us," River¡¯s voice whispered near my ear.


    And so, blindfolded, I let them guide me. Their hands were steady, their steps sure, and though I tried to guess where we were, I couldn¡¯t. My heart raced with anticipation.


    Finally, we stopped, and secondster, the blindfold slipped away.


    And I froze.


    Before me was the nursery. Our baby¡¯s nursery.


    The room was glowing with soft golden light, the walls were painted in gentle tones that reminded me of dawn skies. A cradle was standing in the center, carved with delicate patterns, a mobile of stars and moons swaying above it.


    Plush animals were lining the shelves, cubboards standing against the wall, nkets folded neatly, and a rocking chair was waiting in the corner. The air was smelling faintly ofvender and wood polish.


    Tears blurred my vision as my hands flew to my mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t just beautiful. It was love, carved and painted into every detail.


    And in that moment, surrounded by my mates and with their eyes fixed on me, I realized...


    This wasn¡¯t just a nursery.


    It was home.<fn3439> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Find_Novel(.</fn3439>

 Chapter 331: Nightly Routine

    <h4>Chapter 331: Nightly Routine</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The fire crackled softly in front of me, the golden glow chasing away the chill that lingered even through the heavy drapes.


    I was curled up on the long couch with myptop bnced across my thighs. My fingers were flying across the keyboard as I typed out the notes I had beenpiling all evening.


    The tablety beside me, open to the PDF Kyros had sent earlier in the afternoon. It had summaries of everything covered in ss from Tuesday through today. It wasn¡¯t much, just the basics of the new term, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    I didn¡¯t want to let things pile up until I felt buried. Thest thing I needed was to return to the Academy and drown in half-finished assignments.


    So here I was, a Friday night, not at the Academy or bundled in bed, but hunched over my screen, tapping away like the model student everyone still expected me to be.


    An entire hour had slipped past without me noticing. I only realized how long I had been sitting here when a gentle knock sounded on my door. I didn¡¯t need to look up to know who it was.


    A secondter, the door pushed open, and Oscar stepped inside.


    I nced at the clock on myptop - it was a little past nine. We had all gone our separate ways after dinner, each retreating into our own rooms. After changing into pajamas, I had gotten straight to work and hadn¡¯t moved since.


    "You have been at it long enough, haven¡¯t you?" His voice was smooth, with that quiet authority he carried everywhere, but softer now that it was just for me.


    I offered him a sheepish smile. "I wanted to get through these notes before the weekend."


    He sat down beside me on the couch, his shoulder brushing mine. His eyes flicked to theptop screen before settling back on my face. "How much longer?"


    I blinked at him, thenughed softly. "None." With a decisive snap, I shut theptop closed and reached for the tablet. Both devices went onto the coffee table, their glowing screens reced by the warmth of firelight.


    I turned and burrowed against Oscar¡¯s side, letting out a sigh I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    His arm wrapped around me instantly, pulling me tight against his chest. The scent of him - fresh, crisp, faintly woodsy - seeped into my lungs and eased something inside me.


    For a long time, neither of us spoke. We simply sat together, the steady rise and fall of his breathing syncing with mine. The baby gave a sudden kick, and I couldn¡¯t help but giggle.


    His lips curved in the faintest smile. "Someone¡¯s restless tonight."


    "Or maybe just excited," I teased, pressing his hand to the spot where the movement had been strongest.


    Another kick followed, and both of us chuckled at the tiny life squirming inside me. This had be part of our routine... pausing each evening to feel our pup moving, to marvel at the miracle we were eagerly waiting to wee.


    During the holidays, both Oscar and Draven had made it their mission to experience almost every flutter, every roll of the pup. It had grown into a ritual that none of us wanted to miss.


    Oscar shifted suddenly, his arm sliding under my knees as he lifted me with ease. I let out a startled squeak and wrapped my arms around his neck.


    "You need to rest," he said simply, carrying me the short distance to the bed.


    The mattress dipped as heid me down, then joined me, propping himself against the headboard with me tucked against his chest.


    Since it was the weekend, he hade straight home from the Academy as soon as hisst ss ended that afternoon.


    On the other side, Draven hadn¡¯t been as lucky. His Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles ss dragged onte into the night, and he wouldn¡¯t return until morning. I missed him, but I knew better than to distrcat him from his studies.


    For now, it was just Oscar and me.


    At least, until another knock sounded at the door.


    <fn9bde> Discover more novels at F¦Énd£Îovel</fn9bde>


    This one was softer, more measured. I didn¡¯t even need a bond to know who it was.


    Sure enough, River entered after a pause. His damp hair was brushing his temples, ck pajama shirt hanging loose against his lean, yet muscr frame. His gaze flicked briefly to Oscar, then settled on me with quiet intent.


    Oscar didn¡¯t even look surprised, he just simply announced, "Time for your nightly massage."


    I smiled faintly. This too had be routine. Every night, River came to my room after dinner to ease the tension in my feet and legs with his skilled hands.


    At first, I had protested, insisting he didn¡¯t need to, but now... I couldn¡¯t imagine going without it. My body had grown addicted to the relief he brought, the way he seemed to know every knot, every ache before I could evenin about it.


    Without a word, River crossed the room, picked up the small bottle of oil from the bedside table drawer, and sat at the edge of the bed. He lifted my feet into hisp, the warmth of his palms seeping into my skin as he began to work.


    My head tilted back against Oscar¡¯s chest, a soft sigh slipping past my lips as River¡¯s fingers pressed expertly into the arches of my feet. He moved slowly, deliberately, each stroke designed to melt away the heaviness of the day.


    Oscar reached for the book resting on the nightstand, the one he had been reading aloud to me each night while River massaged me. His voice flowed smoothly through the room, weaving the story¡¯s words into the rhythm of River¡¯s touch.


    Thebination was almost too much. My eyes fluttered closed, my body sinking deeper intofort, drifting on the edge of sleep.


    Until I felt the hem of my nightshirt being lifted.


    My eyes snapped open, and I found myself staring into River¡¯s deep green gaze. He held up a small bottle of stretch-mark oil in silent exnation before pushing the fabric higher, baring my bump to the soft glow of the firelight.


    His hands moved with even more care now, spreading the oil across my skin in long, gentle motions. The touch was reverent, almost worshipful, as though he feared pressing too hard, feared causing even the smallest harm.


    I watched him quietly, my breath catching in my throat at the tenderness in his eyes and the way he was touching me.


    Oscar was watching me instead, a knowing smirk ying at the corner of his mouth. I didn¡¯t need the bond to tell me he felt the shift in my heartbeat, the way it skipped under River¡¯s touch.


    I spared him a quick nce and the smile on his lips only grew bigger. He was probably even more aware of my feelings for River than I myself was.


    When River finished, he tugged my shirt back down with the same precision, as though these past five or so minutes weren¡¯t enough to make me forgot how to breathe. He set the bottle aside and rose smoothly to his feet.


    "Goodnight," he said softly, as he always did.


    He turned to leave.


    But my hand shot out before he could take a step, my fingers curling around his arm.


    He stilled, and surprise flickered in his eyes as he turned back to me.


    Slowly, I shifted my gaze toward Oscar. My other mate was watching me closely, silently. I gave him a small signal, a tilt of my head, the barest nod.


    I didn¡¯t need to speak the words out loud for him to understand what I wanted from him. But just because he understood didn¡¯t mean he was happy about it. His smile immediately turned into a small pout for a second before he let out a sigh.


    "Alright," he murmured and then leaned down to press a brief kiss to my cheek. The warmth lingered even as he pulled away, standing to his feet.


    He let out another sigh that almost made me chuckle. The sound was heavy with reluctance, with unspoken emotions he didn¡¯t quite manage to hide. But he didn¡¯t argue. He walked to the door, opened it, and left, closing it behind him with a quiet click.


    The room fell into silence, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire.


    River remained standing by the bed, his deep green eyes fixed on me, sharp with questions he didn¡¯t voice.


    And I sat there, with my heart thundering in my chest and my hand still tingling from the feel of his arm.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    Thank you everyone for your pick between a baby girl or a baby boy. I have made up my mind, and yourments even gave me ideas for future.


    Also, sorry for just one Chapter today. I¡¯m busy running some errands. But I¡¯ll make it up to you guys soon!!

 Chapter 332: Sleep With Me (I)

    <h4>Chapter 332: Sleep With Me (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a moment my hand hung in the air, clutched around River¡¯s forearm as if I could hold him there with the weight of my grip alone. The world narrowed to the warmth of his skin beneath my fingers and the steady, low hum of the firece on the other side of the room.


    There were nearly a dozen sensible things I should have said - thank you, please, can you stay for a while, can we talk - but they all died on the tip of my tongue. In their ce, an odd, panicked nkness spread through my mind, leaving me with nothing but a hollow, ridiculous certainty that I had no idea what to say or do next.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to stop him like this. Though there was something I needed to tell him, I hadn¡¯t prepared anything... or better to say - I felt like I wasn¡¯t prepared enough. Yet, here we were - one hand on his arm, my chest tightening with a nervousness that made my fingers tingle.


    Silence pooled between us. It was a thick, expectant silence that seemed to press against my skin, waiting for me to speak. I kept my eyes fixed on the small, delicate line of his wrist where my thumb had settled. It felt like the only honest thing I had in that moment.


    He cleared his throat. It was a small sound, gentle, but it broke the silence with the soft authority I hade to recognize when he was unsure and wanted me to take the lead. "Evaline," he said quietly, "is there... something you wanted to say? Or something you need from me?"


    His voice wrapped around me like the first cautious light of morning. I should have been able to string words together - simple requests, a thank-you, a more coherent exnation for why I had held him back.


    Instead, all the rehearsed, reasonable sentences scattered like dry leaves, and the only thing that came out was thest thing I expected my own mouth to produce.


    "Do you-do you want to sleep with me?" The question tumbled out before I could stop it. It hung in the air, sounding far clumsier and more exposed than I had intended.


    My brain registered the words a heartbeat after my ear had and heat immediately flooded my face.


    <i>What in the name of stars, Eva?</i>


    My cheeks med hot enough that I could feel the warmth all the way up into my ears. Immediately, a cold, horrified panic wed at my throat. I pped the other hand down across my mouth as if that could somehow take the sentence back.


    "No-no, I mean-" I scrambled for salvage. "Not like that. I didn¡¯t mean... I just meant - sleep. You know, stay the night. Nothing else." My words came out in a breathless rush, each syble a small apology.


    But even the exnation didn¡¯t do anything to calm me down. I didn¡¯t even know why I proposed such a thing to him out of nowhere. This wasn¡¯t on my mind at all when I stopped him from leaving.


    So, instead of stopping at the bad exnation, I continued to babble on. I was way too flustered to pause "Actually, it¡¯ste. I thought... I just wanted somepany. Not that I-stars, I didn¡¯t mean it like-"


    His face didn¡¯t change at all as I struggled to fix the mess. It remained the stoic, unreadable mask he almost always wore, the face that bottled his emotions behind those deep-green eyes.


    But I couldn¡¯t miss the tiny lift at the corner of his mouth. It was the faintest, almost imperceptible curve that hinted at amusement. It made my embarrassment triple.


    I shut my eyes tight and internally scolded myself, so harshly I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out.


    How had I gone from holding a simple thought in my head to blurting out the sort of nonsense that had me blushing and stumbling for excuses?


    The real reason I had stopped him... now sat like a calm pool behind a veil of shame. I had meant to tell him something else entirely. Something that I had been wanting to say for a while. But now... now I had not only messed up the mood but I even seed in embarrassing myself.


    I swallowed and opened my eyes. "Don¡¯t mind me," I said, and if my voice wavered, I didn¡¯t me it. "I... what I just said wasplete nonsense. I-I don¡¯t even know why I said it..."


    At this point, the more I was speaking, the more foolish I was feeling. So, I decided to just wrap it up. "It¡¯ste. You should go... go to your room. Get some sleep. I¡¯ll get some as well. Good night."


    I reached blindly for the nket at my feet, my fingers fumbling through the soft fabric as if I could cloak away my blush with the weave of cotton. I began to pull it up, intent on covering my face and my embarrassment in the same motion.


    But his next words stopped me in my tracks. They were slow, deliberate. His deep voice sounded almost amused in a way that both ttered and mortified me.


    "epted," he said simply. "I will <i>sleep</i> with you."


    He stressed the word ¡¯sleep¡¯ with a deliberate emphasis that made the heat in my face spike again.


    I froze with the nket half raised to my chin. I quickly looked up and found him walking up to the other side before he climbed onto the bed. And I found myself noticing how his movements were deliberately, without the slightest rush.


    <fnc98b> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fnc98b>


    He folded himself beneath the nket with the efficiency of a man used to making calcted movements. He reached for the bedside remote, switched the overhead lights off, and then turned off themp on his side.


    Even if I said something so stupid, I wasn¡¯t expecting to him to actually agree. But here we were... in <i>my </i>bed. <i>Sleeping</i> together!

 Chapter 333: Sleep With Me (II)

    <h4>Chapter 333: Sleep With Me (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart started pounding in a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I watched River getfortable in my bed.


    A second or twoter, I tooy back and pulled the nket higher, the fabric a feeble, thin barrier between my raging embarrassment and the suddenly cool night.


    I reached over to my bedside table and flipped off my ownmp, plunging myself and the room into almost darkness. Only the moonlight, through the open curtains, and the faint reflections from the firece were filling the space now, turning River¡¯s silhouette into a darker shade, a presence more felt than seen.


    Silence returned, but it had a different edge to it now. It was neither anticipatory, nor expectant. It was heavy with possibilities, with the warm fuzziness I had mistakenly hoped to avoid when I had tried to send him away.


    I tried, with everything I had, to steady my breath, to let my heartbeat slow to something remotely resembling normal. But it didn¡¯t work.


    Minutes stretched with the weight of hours. I could feel River¡¯s breaths, they wereing regr and steady, making me assume he had already fallen asleep.


    I attempted to close my eyes, inhale, and rx. I tried to imagine snow drifting against my window, the safe, distant hum of the Academy at night. I counted sheep like a child. I tried to will exhaustion to set in. But nothing worked. Each attempt at sleep seemed only to push wakefulness deeper into my bones.


    Time lost meaning. I tried to estimate how long I had been lying there like an awkward log on this bed, curdling into worry. Ten minutes? Twenty? An hour? I didn¡¯t know.


    Eventually I dared to peek over the edge. River¡¯s eyes were closed. His face had rxed into an expression I rarely saw - the one reserved for absolute repose.


    For a moment, the rhythm of his breathing convinced me that he had slipped away into sleep after all. Relief washed through me in a small, hot wave, and I turned to find some small corner of peace. I rolled over, setting my back toward him like that would shield me from the residue of my anxiety.


    The position did not help.


    My heart continued its wild marathon. Even though we both were sleeping on our sides of the bed, I could still feel the heat of his body, the mattress shifting faintly beneath him, and that sense of being watched - even if only by the memory of his presence - kept tugging at me.


    I was not good with liminal spaces - not when feelings sat heavy in the air like storm clouds. I tried to pretend I was calm, rational. I closed my eyes and tried again to sleep.


    This time the minutes felt endless. But my thoughts refused to let go off the men sleeping beside me. A silly part of me was almost expecting for Oscar to walk into my room as I knew he was feeling my emotions through our bond, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t do that unless I would call for him.


    At some point, my thoughts started wandering - possibilities of what could happen with the two of us alone in my room, in my bed.


    I tried to shake those thoughts and images off, but they kept returning... until I could not bear the pressure of it any longer.


    With a deep, almost theatrical sigh that felt as if it came from the very core of me, I forced myself upright. The motion made the nket slip from my shoulders and the air kissed the damp warmth of my skin and snapped me sharply awake.


    River shifted at the sound, one hand moving from beneath the cover before he too moved to a sitting position.


    I met his eyes without allowing myself to flinch. For a heartbeat his face was nk, but the stillness in him suggested he had been awake all along. The truthnded in my chest like a stone that finally settled at the bottom of a well.


    I noticed his mouth moving. He was about to speak, to say something, or to ask something, but I spoke first. Before I could have second-guessed my words, before I could have messed up again, I said them out loud.


    "Alpha River Thorne," I started, keeping my eyes locked with his while my heart pounded so hard I was afraid it might jump out of my chest at any given moment, "I - Evaline Greystone - ept you as my mate."


    My voice was steadier than I expected. It rang in the quiet room, firm against the hush. Saying it aloud made it feel even more intimate.


    I watched as he froze. His entire body went rigid beside me. His eyes widened, and that calm, unreadable mask shattered as raw shock flickered across his strong features.


    For a long heartbeat, he didn¡¯t even breathe. Then I felt it - something tugging deep inside me, a thread pulling tight, a warmth flooding through my chest as if a fire had been lit from within. His bond. His end of it was awakening now that I had officially epted him as my mate.


    His hand curled into a fist against the nket, his jaw clenched as though he was fighting to hold himself steady. His usually stoic, unshakable presence wavered, and once again I saw the extremely rare sight of vulnerability in him. It was pure, unguarded emotion breaking through his walls.


    His gaze snapped to mine. The storm in his green eyes was so intense it made me shiver. When his lips parted, it was to let out a breath he had been holding all this time.


    I had epted Oscar and Draven before, and while their reactions had left me warm and happy, I wasn¡¯t ready for River¡¯s reaction.


    The way he reacted, the way he¡¯s looking at me right now... it¡¯s almost as if he feared I wouldn¡¯t ept him and our bond. And that thought clenched my heart.


    He finally shifted and closed the distance between us like gravity itself was pulling him to me.


    And then... his lips parted.


    "Evaline Greystone..."<fn24c7> Get full chapters from Find~Novel</fn24c7>

 Chapter 334: Only The Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 334: Only The Beginning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart felt like it was going to pound straight out of my chest as his voice filled the quiet of the room.


    "Evaline Greystone..."


    His tone was rough, deep, andced with something that made my skin prickle. Then, in a breath that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, he spoke the words that I had been waiting for.


    "I - Alpha River Thorne - also epts you as my mate."


    The moment the words left him, I felt the bond locking into ce like an unbreakable chain, but instead of cold metal, it was warmth, a golden thread weaving tightly between us.


    The warmth not only filled my chest, but also my veins, my lungs, my very soul. The mate link finally opened between us, and I gasped as a rush of emotions mmed into me.


    Love. Fierce, relentless, consuming love.


    It was so overwhelming, so raw, that tears stung my eyes before I even realized they had formed.


    River had always been unreadable, his emotions buried so deeply I sometimes wondered if he even allowed himself to feel them. But now... now there was no wall between us, no mask.


    Through the bond, I felt the truth of him. His tenderness. His protectiveness. His devotion that he had only recently started making known and seen.


    A shaky sound escaped my lips, somewhere between a sob and a sigh. My fingers trembled as they clutched the nket, as if holding on to something solid might ground me.


    His eyes didn¡¯t leave mine. Green, dark and bright all at once, zing with the same love I felt pounding through the bond. For a long moment, neither of us moved. We just stared, breathing the same air, letting the bond wrap tighter and tighter around us.


    And then... I didn¡¯t know who leaned in first. Maybe him. Maybe me. Maybe it was the bond pulling us both. But the space between us vanished.


    His lips pressed against mine, and I swear my entire body melted.


    The kiss started soft, tentative, as if he was giving me a chance to pull away. But I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. Instead, I leaned into him, into the warmth of his mouth, into the heat of his hand that slid from the nket to cradle my cheek.


    My breath caught when his lips moved more firmly, brushing, molding against mine with a hunger that made my toes curl.


    I tilted my head and parted my lips for him, and that was all it took. He groaned low in his throat. The sound rumbled through his chest and into me, before his tongue slid past my lips to meet mine.


    The first stroke was tentative, testing, but the second was bold. Heat red as our tongues tangled, teasing, tasting, exploring. My hands moved of their own ord, one fisting into his nightshirt, the other sliding up his shoulder to the nape of his neck. His hair was still slightly damp from his earlier shower, and my fingers tangled in the strands as he deepened the kiss.


    It wasn¡¯t rushed. No, he kissed like he had all the time in the world, like every second was a treasure he would never let slip away.


    His mouth was hot and demanding, but there was tenderness in the way his lips lingered, the way his tongue coaxed mine into a rhythm that had my heart racing even faster.


    When his teeth grazed my bottom lip, I gasped into his mouth, and he immediately took advantage, capturing my lip between his teeth before soothing it with a slow, gentle sweep of his tongue. The move sent a shiver down my spine so strong it made me arch against him.


    The kiss grew wilder, hungrier. Our lips crashed together, parted, then sealed again in a rhythm that left me dizzy.


    His hand slid from my cheek down to my jaw, then lower, brushing over my throat before finding my waist and pulling me closer. The nket tangled around us as I shifted, pressing my body to his, desperate to feel him even closer than the bond already allowed.


    I moaned softly into his mouth, and the sound seemed to undo him. His grip tightened on my waist, his thumb stroking in small, almost reverent circles against my skin through the thin fabric of my nightshirt. He kissed me harder, his tongue stroking mine with a need that made my head spin.


    Our breaths turned ragged, every inhale filled with the other¡¯s warmth. I felt the scrape of his teeth again, this time along the corner of my lip, before he kissed it away with almost painful gentleness. The contrast left me whimpering, my body arching helplessly toward his.


    He pulled back just a fraction, and dropped his forehead to mine. His lips hovered, brushing mine with the barest ghost of a touch, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to let gopletely.


    His breaths came hot and uneven against my lips. And through the bond, I felt his turmoil - his hunger, his restraint, his overwhelming love.


    "Evaline..." he murmured again, my name more a groan than a word, as if it burned his throat with how badly he needed me.


    And even though my own body was burning with the same need as his, we both knew we needed to stop now.


    We stayed like that - with our foreheads pressed together and our breaths mingling - for few more minutes before he finally pulled away. And when he looked into my eyes this time, the hunger was reced by pure love.


    "Can I hold you tonight?" He asked, his voice so low that I would have almost missed it if not for the fact that I was looking at him.


    Without wasting any time, I nodded my head. Iy down and turned to the side, putting my back to him. There was movement behind me for a second or two before his arms snaked around my waist from behind, his palming to rest on my bump.


    And this time when I closed my eyes, my heart was at peace, my mind calm, and a soft smile ying on my lips.


    Because I knew, without a doubt, that this bond had been worth every second of waiting.


    And this... was only the beginning.<fn03f6> Newest update provided by find¡¤novel</fn03f6>

 Chapter 335: Let Go of Past

    <h4>Chapter 335: Let Go of Past</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When I woke up, the other side of the bed was cold.


    I blinked against the pale morning light and turned my head toward the bedside table. The clock¡¯s hands pointed stubbornly to half past ten. My lips parted slightly in shock.


    I could tell that River had left hours ago, and yet, I hadn¡¯t even stirred when he did.


    A strange emptiness pooled in my chest at his absence, but I pushed it down. He had duties, always did. Andst night...st night was still too raw in my mind, too overwhelming.


    The bond we had officially epted was still humming inside me, as if my very soul was learning how to share its space with his along with his brothers.


    With a sigh, I slid out of bed and began straightening the sheets. The simple rhythm of smoothing the nket helped ground me, pulling me back into routine.


    Once done, I padded across the room, poured myself a cup of warm water from the sk left for me, and drifted toward the ss wall.


    The view below was breathtaking. The side garden was buried under a nket of snow, pristine and untouched, sparkling faintly in the weak sunlight.


    Thin clouds were covering the sky, driftingzily to cover and uncover the sun, allowing only shy fragments of sunlight to reach the earth. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough to soften the harshness of winter. I exhaled slowly, savoring the smallfort.


    Today was Saturday and Rowan, Mallory, and Kyros would be arriving soon. They had promised to spend the day with me at the mansion. I should have been happy, and I was, but a pang of guilt tugged at me all the same. Noah, Selene, and Ria still didn¡¯t know about my pregnancy, or the truth about my mate bonds with three of the Thorne brothers.


    They deserved to know, but I didn¡¯t have the energy... not yet. Answering their questions, facing their judgment or even their worry, it felt like too much to carry in my current state.


    So after thinking about it and talking with Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan, I had decided that I would tell them everything once the baby was born. Only a few more weeks. I could hold out until then.


    With my cup empty, I set it aside and began my morning stretches. Each movement and each breath felt deliberate. I finished with meditation, centering myself in silence, before slipping into the shower.


    The hot water loosened my muscles, washed away the remnants of restless dreams, and by the time I dressed, I felt lighter.


    But my stomach didn¡¯t care about meditation or rity. It was grumbling loud enough to echo.


    Heading downstairs, I expected to find Oscar in the living room, maybe Draven if he had returned already. Instead, I stopped in my tracks the moment I stepped inside.


    Because Sera was standing there, as if waiting for someone... for me.


    My brows lifted slightly, though I quickly schooled my expression. She was dressed in her usual crisp ck-and-white uniform, her hair pulled back tightly into a bun. Her posture, her eyes - polite but distant - were familiar. So familiar it pulled me straight back tost summer, when I was still nothing but a prisoner here.


    Back when she had looked at me with disdain.


    "Good morning, Lady Evaline," she greeted, her voice carefully measured.


    I blinked at her before forcing my lips into a small, polite smile. "Good morning, Sera."


    There was a time when hearing her voice would have made my blood chilled. When even standing in the same room with her felt unbearable. But so much had changed in the past eight months.


    I was no longer a maid in this house, no longer the unwanted daughter of their enemy. My swollen belly and the bond with the brothers had altered everything... whether they admitted it or not.


    Still, I didn¡¯t expect what came next.


    Sera lifted her hand, signaling silently.


    And within moments, the vast living room filled. One by one, servants poured in. Cooks, maids, butlers - faces I hadn¡¯t seen together in one ce since... ever. The once-spacious room suddenly looked crowded, every inch of floor taken.


    Before I could ask what was happening, they all bowed. And in one voice, they spoke, "Lady Evaline, we are sorry."


    I froze, the words settling in my chest like a weight.


    They straightened only when I asked them to, my voice shaky but firm. And then Sera stepped forward, her eyes softer than I had ever seen them.


    "We are deeply sorry," she said. "For how we treated you when you first came to this mansion."


    Her gaze didn¡¯t waver, though guilt flickered in her expression. "At that time, you were the enemy¡¯s daughter. You had no ce here, and we let our judgments cloud our humanity. But..." she hesitated, ncing briefly at the others before continuing, "it wasn¡¯t until you returned for Christmas that we realized how wrong we had been."


    Her words dug straight into me, stirring memories I had buried deep. The whispers. The res. The constant weight of being unwanted, unwee.


    "You earned the Alphas¡¯ trust," she went on. "You became one of their own. And yet, despite how we treated you... you never took revenge. You never abused your position. You never once used their affection for you as a weapon against us. You remained polite. Humble. Kind."


    Her voice cracked faintly on thest word.


    I swallowed hard as my throat tightened. Their faces, all of them, showed guilt, regret, sincerity. And against my will, warmth bloomed inside me, tangled with the ache of old wounds.


    I shook my head quickly, blinking back the sting in my eyes. "Please... you don¡¯t need to apologize anymore. I let go of that past a long time ago. And you should too." My voice trembled, but I meant every word.


    It was then that the sound broke through.


    <i>p. p. p.</i><fn4870> Follow current nov?ls on find?novel</fn4870>


    It was slow, deliberate.


    The entire room turned, including me, toward the source of the noise.

 Chapter 336: Claimed & Announced

    <h4>Chapter 336: imed & Announced</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart jolted in my chest as I turned toward the sound... only to see Oscar and Draven standing at the entrance of the living room, thetter stillzily bringing his hands together as if he had all the time in the world.


    The staff quickly dropped their heads in deep bows.


    "Alpha Oscar. Alpha Draven."


    Their voices blended into one respectful greeting as the two brothers strode in with the sort of effortless authority that belonged only to them.


    Oscar came straight to my right, his presence a shield and afort all at once, while Draven stepped to my left, his eyes flicking over the crowd before settling on me for the briefest moment.


    "Well," Oscar spoke first, his smooth baritone curling around the room, "this isn¡¯t a sight I expected to walk into this morning." He paused deliberately, his lips twitching at the corners. "But it is, indeed, a pleasant one."


    Histter words were directed toward Sera, who stiffened but immediately bowed her head deeper. "Thank you, Alpha," she said, her voice low, her pride flickering beneath her humility at receiving his approval.


    But before I could even breathe properly, before I could process the fragile relief humming through me after Sera¡¯s apology, something utterly unexpected happened.


    Oscar¡¯s arm slid firmly around my waist.


    And a heartbeatter, Draven¡¯s arm came around my other side, mirroring his brother¡¯s.


    The sudden warmth of them pressed against me from both sides sent my breath stuttering in my throat. My cheeks burned with shock, but what truly made my chest constrict was the audible gasp that rippled through the gathered staff.


    The air thickened instantly.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze swept over the servants like a de, sharp yet steady, and when he finally spoke, his voice carried a weight that brooked no question. "You were wrong about one thing though."


    He then turned his head, his piercing eyes locking onto me, and in that moment the world seemed to narrow to just his words. "She is not a guest. Nor a friend." His lips curved faintly as pride glimmered in his emerald orbs. "She is our fated mate."


    A chorus of shocked gasps filled the air, louder this time, vibrating through the walls themselves.


    I felt Draven tighten his hold on me, grounding me in the storm of disbelief. His calm, steady voice followed smoothly, cutting through the murmurs. "And by ¡¯Our¡¯ we mean - mine, Oscar¡¯s, and also River¡¯s."


    His gaze then dropped to my very visible swollen belly, and his tone softened in a way that made my chest ache. "And she carrying our pup."


    My hands instinctively brushed against my bump, suddenly hyperaware of every pair of eyes on me. I had long known the staff must have noticed - I was not so naive as to think winter clothes could hide a swelling stomach forever - but none of them had ever dared say a word. Still, to have the truth spoken aloud, in the open, like this...


    I wanted to shrink back, shy and flustered under their stares. Yet at the same time, a wave of relief surged through me. No more whispers in the dark. No more assumptions. No more silent judgment over why I was entangled with three of the Thorne brothers instead of just one. Now, they knew. Now, it was clear.


    I belonged.


    The silence stretched, heavy and stunned, until Sera straightened, her eyes flicking quickly between Oscar, Draven, and me. Her lips parted, then firmed with decision.


    <fnadf2> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? Find?Novel</fnadf2>


    "Congrattions, Alpha Oscar. Alpha Draven," she said, her voice steady despite the astonishment still written across her face. "For finding your fated mate... and for the child you will soon wee."


    She hesitated then, just for a beat, before turning her gaze on me. "And congrattions to you as well, Lady Evaline."


    I nodded, offering her a polite smile despite the flurry of emotions churning inside me. "Thank you."


    That was all it took.


    The rest of the staff followed, their voices ovepping as congrattions poured out in a wave of sincerity. Some looked stunned still, some almost awed, but there was no mistaking the respectced in their words.


    "Congrattions, Alphas."


    "Congrattions, Lady Evaline."


    "Blessings for the pup."


    Warmth filled me so strongly it threatened to spill over in tears. eptance... true, unreserved eptance... was something I had thought I might never find in this house from these people. And yet here it was, wrapping around me like sunlight in the coldest of winters.


    Sera was the first topose herself quickly and lifted her chin. "That will be enough. You will keep your mouths sealed unless told otherwise by the Alphas themselves," shemanded the staff, her voice firm as steel. "Not a word of this leaves these walls."


    "Yes, Head Maid!" the staff echoed together, their posture crisp with obedience.


    But before dismissing them, her eyes brightened in a way I had never seen before. She sped her hands together, her lips curving into something that almost looked like... excitement.


    "This calls for celebration." Without waiting for permission, she spun on her heel and all but ran toward the kitchen, barking quick instructions at a group of servants who quickly followed her.


    I blinked after her, half-dazed, half-amused. Celebration? I hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what she had in mind, but the way she hurried off made it clear she intended something grand.


    The rest of the servants bowed once more before dispersing, leaving the living room to fall back into its usual spacious quiet.


    And me?


    I stood between Oscar and Draven, still tucked against their sides, my cheeks warm and my heart full.


    Because in that moment, I wasn¡¯t just their mate in secret shadows. I wasn¡¯t a stranger forced into their world.


    I was epted. imed. Announced.


    And when Draven¡¯s hand gently brushed over my bump, as if reaffirming the words he had spoken to everyone, I realized something deeper... something that nearly undid me.


    He hadn¡¯t just imed me and my child. He had given my pup... our pup an identity, a ce, a family.


    The kind of belonging I had once thought impossible was now here, beating steady and strong in the very walls of this house.

 Chapter 337: From Warm... To Ice

    <h4>Chapter 337: From Warm... To Ice</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My breath came out in little clouds as I pulled the shawl tighter around me, my fingers clutching at the soft wool as though it could chase away the stubborn bite of evening air.


    April had arrived with her promises of spring, and yet the chill lingered... like the shadow of winter reluctant to leave. At least the snow had stopped. For nearly two weeks now, the sun had dared to stay longer in the sky, its warmth fighting against the stubborn patches of ice that clung to the grounds of the estate.


    I let my gaze wander across the expanse of the gardens that were once buried in white, but were now showing hints of green peeking through the melting slush.


    The air smelled damp, tinged with the earthy freshness of thawing soil. Soon, flowers would bloom here again. Soon, there would be color everywhere instead of this endless gray and white.


    My shawl slipped from one shoulder as I turned toward the mansion, deciding it was time to cut my walk short. A sigh escaped me, heavy and full of something I couldn¡¯t quite name... loneliness, perhaps.


    The weekdays were the hardest. Oscar and Draven were tied up at the Academy, while River was still at work, and I was left wandering this vast ce with only the servants forpany. They were kind and respectful now, of course, but it wasn¡¯t the same.


    I missed my mates.


    By the time I reached the living room, the warmth of the house embraced me, but it didn¡¯t reach the cold spot in my chest. I eased myself onto one of the couches, my back grateful for the support. My hands moved instinctively to my bump, my fingers caressing the firm roundness beneath the soft fabric of my dress.


    Ten more days. Just ten.


    The thought sent a thrill of nervous excitement racing through me. My baby. Our baby. It was almost surreal to think I had made it here, so close to the end of the journey.


    I still remembered the day I first confirmed the doubt of my pregnancy, still remembered the mix of fear and joy and disbelief that had tangled inside me. Now months had passed in the blink of an eye. Every kick, every flutter, every change in my body... it all led to this moment. And very soon, I would hold my child in my arms.


    I smiled softly, lost in my daydreams, when the sharp trill of my phone pulled me back. Reaching for it, I felt my lips curl into a wider smile when I saw Mallory¡¯s name sh across the screen.


    "Hey," I greeted, only for her loud,ical wail to make me flinch andugh at the same time.


    "Evaaa, help me!" Mallory cried between sniffs, and I could practically imagine her pouting face scrunched up with mock misery.


    "What happened?" I asked, chuckling despite myself.


    "It¡¯s Professor Kieran!" she groaned dramatically. "He tortured us with Herbs and Potions for half the day. Half the day, Eva! Who does that? My brain is fried, my notes look like chicken scratch, and I swear my hands will never recover from writing so much."


    The moment I heard her mention Kieran, my breath hitched.


    But then her tone shifted slightly... softer, uncertain. "And... I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s... different. Ever since he came back from Midnight Wolf Academyst weekend, he¡¯s not the same. He¡¯s colder. Sharper. Like he left his heart behind there. It¡¯s... it¡¯s like he¡¯s heartbroken."


    I stilled at herst word, gripping the phone tighter.


    <fn6667> Th?s chapter is updated by Find?Novel</fn6667>


    Heartbroken.


    My chest tightened. I had known Kieran had returned as the brothers mentioned it during the weekend. But he hadn¡¯t oncee by the mansion. Not even for just an hour.


    He was avoiding this ce... avoiding <i>me</i>. And as much as I wanted to deny it, a part of me knew why.


    The guilt sank deeper, sharp and relentless.


    What made it worse was that I could feel my mates¡¯ worry for their brother. They too had noticed the change in him - his absence, his distance - and though none of them said it outright, I could feel their confusion, their unspoken hurt.


    And here was Mallory, unknowingly twisting the knife with her innocent observation.


    I swallowed past the lump in my throat, forcing a calm tone. "Maybe he¡¯s just... not feeling well. You know how he is. He¡¯lle around soon, I¡¯m sure."


    Mallory sniffed but didn¡¯t sound convinced. "I hope so. It¡¯s weird. He used to be so... warm. Now he¡¯s just... ice." She sighed. "Anyway, I¡¯ll let you rest. I just wanted to let out some of my grief. Early good night?"


    "Early good night," I echoed, trying to sound brighter than I was feeling.


    When the call ended, the silence pressed in on me again, heavier this time. My chest ached, my emotions knotted together in ways I didn¡¯t want to untangle. Kieran¡¯s absence was a shadow I couldn¡¯t ignore. Not anymore.


    I pushed myself up from the couch, deciding I would better head upstairs before I drowned in thoughts I couldn¡¯t fix. My body felt weary, the day pressing down on me, but I told myself a warm bath and some rest would help.


    Unfortunately... I never made it that far.


    I had just reached the staircase, my hand brushing along the polished wood of the banister, when the world tilted.


    A wave of dizziness mmed into me so hard I couldn¡¯t even gasp. The floor beneath me spun, blurring into a swirl of colors and shadows. My knees buckled, and I felt my body pitching forward before I could find bnce.


    There was no time to scream, no time to cry for help, but my mind still sent one desperate signal.


    My arms wrapped tightly around my bump, cradling it even as the steps rushed up toward my face. The only thought in my mind, the only prayer, was that my baby stayed safe.


    And then... I was falling.

 Chapter 338: The Horrifying News

    <h4>Chapter 338: The Horrifying News</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The tip of my pen scratched faintly against the parchment as I circled yet another ring mistake in a second-year¡¯s written recipe. I let out a sigh through my nose, pinching the bridge of it for a second before moving on to the next paper. However, my chest refused to let me concentrate properly.


    For thest ten minutes or so, there had been this tightness right over my heart. A strange weight was pressing down on me with every breath. It wasn¡¯t unbearable, but it wasn¡¯t something I could ignore either. I shifted ufortably in my seat, pressing my palm against the spot, as though the pressure of my own hand could soothe it away. It didn¡¯t.


    I forced myself to focus on the stack of answers before me. The sleeping potion was one of the simplest recipes on the sybus, something that should have been second nature to any student past their first year... but half of these attempts looked like they had been written by blindfolded children. Wrong herb quantities, wrong preparation order. If this had been a practical test, half the Academy would have been knocked out cold within minutes.


    When I reached Draven¡¯s paper though, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease slightly. His neat, precise handwriting filled the page, every instruction clear and correct. Perfect. Exactly as I expected.


    A small, wry smile tugged at my lips. There had been a time years ago when Draven had been absolutely hopeless with Herbs and Potions. He used to grumble and roll his eyes whenever I tried to exin the basics, iming he would never use such knowledge.


    I had been forced to find creative ways to make him engage, turning lessons into little games, showing him firsthand how herbs could heal cuts or bruises, even making small concoctions togetherte at night. Somewhere along the line, he had not only caught up but excelled.


    My fingers stilled over the paper as another thought intruded - an uninvited one, sharp and familiar.


    Evaline Greystone.


    The name alone made my entire body lock up. My breathing caught, and the pen nearly slipped from my hand. I cursed silently, lowering my head and squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. I shouldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. But no matter how much I tried, she was there. Always there.


    She was one of the few students who had ever rivaled my natural ease in this subject. Genius, I had called her once. She absorbed knowledge like the earth drank rain. Even now, when she was not here at the academy, no longer someone I should be thinking about, I couldn¡¯t forget.


    I dug my nails into my palm, forcing myself to remember the line I had drawn. She wasn¡¯t mine. She was my brothers¡¯ mate. And my brothers¡¯ happiness meant more than mine ever could. I had chosen already, hadn¡¯t I? I had chosen distance.


    I hadn¡¯t stepped foot inside the mansion since my return from Midnight Wolf Academy. Every instinct screamed at me to go, to see her, to just... be near her. But I had kept myself away, steel bars around my heart, reminding myself again and again... <i>she¡¯s theirs. Not yours</i>.


    The sharpest wave of difort yet mmed into my chest at that exact moment, hard enough that the pen almost slipped from my grip. I clenched my jaw, one hand clutching the desk, the other pressing t against the ache over my heart.


    "What the hell is this..." I muttered under my breath.


    My wolf whimpered softly in the back of my mind, his unease echoing my own. <i>I don¡¯t feel right either</i>, he admitted, his voice low and pained. <i>Something¡¯s wrong, Kieran.</i>


    My brows furrowed. Wrong. Was it me? Was I falling sick? I never got sick. Maybe I needed to see a healer-


    A loud tter in the ssroom jerked me from my thoughts. I looked up sharply.


    "Draven!" someone cried, their voice sharp with worry.


    My gaze zeroed in on my brother. Draven was hunched over his desk, one hand gripping the edge, his other clutching at his stomach as if trying to hold something inside. His usually sharp features were twisted in difort, pale under the ssroom lights.


    I was on my feet before my chair had even finished scraping back. "Draven," I barked, crossing the room in long strides. My hand shot out to steady him as he swayed, pulling him upright and then easing him back down onto his chair. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    He grimaced, his voice rough. "I-I don¡¯t know. I feel sick. Like something¡¯s... off. It¡¯s making me nauseous."


    My stomach twisted. This wasn¡¯t just me. Draven was feeling it too.


    I turned to the ss, my voice sharp and authoritative. "Keeper, watch over them until the end. Do not let anyone attempt the potion without supervision."


    The young woman nodded immediately, stepping forward. Satisfied, I slid Draven¡¯s arm over my shoulder and half-carried him out of the room.


    The fresh air outside helped a little. I eased him down onto a bench in the small garden, crouching in front of him as he breathed deeply, a little color slowly returning to his cheeks.


    But my mind was already racing. It couldn¡¯t be coincidence. My chest pain, his sudden nausea... this felt connected. What if it had to do something Oscar or River? Could one of them be in trouble?


    My hand fumbled for my phone, my thumb already swiping through to River¡¯s number. He was the first I needed to check on since he¡¯s the only one outside the protective walls of the Academy.


    But before I could hit call, Draven¡¯s phone buzzed in his hand and the screen lit up with River¡¯s name.


    We exchanged a nce, tension thick as ice between us, before Draven swiped to answer. "River?" he said, his voice steady despite his pale face.


    What came through the receiver was anything but steady.


    River¡¯s voice was raw, hoarse with something I hadn¡¯t heard in him for years - pure, unfiltered panic. "Draven... it¡¯s Evaline -" His words came fast, choked, nearly incoherent. "She fell - stairs - she¡¯s - oh stars, the baby-"


    <fn38ff> Readplete version only at Find?Novel</fn38ff>


    Every syble mmed into me like a hammer. My wolf went dead silent, then howled in the back of my mind, a sound of terror that turned my blood cold. My body froze for a single heartbeat, the world narrowing to River¡¯s voice spilling through the receiver.


    Evaline.


    Fell.


    Baby.


    No. No, no, no.


    I felt the color drain from my face as my chest constricted so tightly I thought I would stop breathing. Draven looked no better, his knuckles were white around the phone, his face pale from the wave of horror we both felt.


    River¡¯s voice broke again through the line, a desperatemand more than anything. "Hurry up."


    And then the call cut, leaving only the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

 Chapter 339: The Fragile Thread

    <h4>Chapter 339: The Fragile Thread</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The sound of Draven¡¯s phone ttering against the floor was what finally broke me out of my own frozen state. My youngest brother¡¯s horrified gaze snapped to me, wide and disbelieving, as if he had just heard the most unthinkable words.


    "I-I need to get to her. I need to-" Draven stammered, his voice breaking halfway through.


    I didn¡¯t let him finish. My own chest was tight, my heartbeat a furious drum that echoed against my ribs, but I forced himself to act when my brother could not. "I¡¯ll drive," I said firmly, my voice sounding steadier than I felt.


    Draven didn¡¯t argue. He only nodded, sharp and frantic, and the two of us bolted together - through the garden and into the long corridor, and through another garden path that seemed endless this evening.


    I didn¡¯t care who I shoved past, or how many startled faces turned my way. The only thought filling my mind was Evaline... and the fact that she¡¯s hurt.


    By the time we neared the Academy gates, another figure appeared from the direction of the main administration building. Oscar. His usuallyzy smirk was gone, reced by a pale, tight expression. He didn¡¯t need to say anything. The look in his eyes said he already knew.


    My chest constricted. For a moment, panic threatened to drown me, but I forced my feet to keep moving. I grabbed both Draven and Oscar by the arms, forcing their stumbling bodies to stop.


    <fn7d16> Original content can be found at find{n}ovel</fn7d16>


    "Wait for me at the entrance," I ordered, meeting their wild gazes with his own. "I¡¯ll get the car."


    I didn¡¯t give them the chance to respond before I tore away, sprinting toward the parking lot. Every step felt like a lifetime wasted. My wolf wed inside my chest, begging me to run faster, to get to the woman we loved, to protect what we were supposed to protect.


    The next fifteen minutes were chaos. Tires squealed, horns red as I cut through the streets with reckless speed. My hands were tight on the wheel, knuckles white, while Draven muttered desperate prayers under his breath in the passenger seat.


    Oscar was sitting in the back, silent but tense, his fists clenching and unclenching, his wolf leaking through his aura with every passing second.


    By the time we reached Lakeshire Hospital, my heart was hammering so violently I thought it might burst.


    Jasper was waiting in the underground parking lot, his face pale but his posture steady, as though forcing calm for all of our sakes. "This way, Alphas" he said, already moving toward the private lift. None of us wasted a second.


    The lift was suffocating. The silence inside was filled with only our heavy and uneven breathing. When the doors slid open, the first thing I saw was River.


    Our eldest brother was standing in the middle of the hallway, hands clenched at his sides, his expression carved out of stone. But I could see the cracks - the tightness around his eyes, the faint tremble of his jaw.


    The entire floor had been sealed off, warriors posted at both ends. Not a single stranger was allowed near. A team of the best doctors and healers in the shifter world was already being ushered inside.


    Even in his panic, River had taken care of every detail.


    Before I could open my mouth, Oscar was already striding forward, his voice sharp and desperate. "What happened? Tell us what the hell happened to her!"


    River¡¯s gaze flickered, just for a second, and then he spoke. His voice was steady, but beneath the calm, I could hear the storm.


    * * *


    <i>shback ¨C Third Person POV</i>


    River¡¯s car had just entered the estate when it struck him.


    An excruciating pain, sharp and unrelenting, mmed into his chest. His vision blurred. His wolf howled, wing at him with panic. He knew... without doubt, without reason... that his mate was in agony.


    He didn¡¯t even wait for the car to stop. He threw the door open and was running before the driver could react. His footsteps thundered across the front garden, through the porch, main door, and hallway leading deeper into the mansion.


    Chaos. That was all he saw. Warriors and servants were running around, their voices raised in panic. Some turned toward him, trying to speak, but he didn¡¯t listen. His bond was pulling him, yanking him toward the staircase.


    And then he saw her.


    Evaliney crumpled at the foot of the staircase, her body trembling weakly, surrounded by servants and warriors trying to help. Sera was there, her usually calm face twisted with fear, barking orders to prepare a car.


    River didn¡¯t hear any of it.


    "Move!" His voice thundered, and the crowd parted instantly. He was on his knees, gathering Eva into his arms. Her body was limp, her skin mmy, and her breaths shallow. His heart stopped.


    Her eyes fluttered open, ssy and wet, and she looked at him. Just him.


    Her lips moved, and a mere whisper escaped, but he heard it as if she had screamed the words.


    <i>The baby...</i>


    His vision blurred with rage, fear, helplessness. Before he could speak, her eyes closed, her body falling unconscious against him.


    "No-no, no, no," he muttered, his voice breaking as he lifted her against his chest. "Stay with me, Evaline. Stay with me."


    The next seconds were a blur. He carried her down the hallway, out the doors, and into the waiting car. The moment they arrived at the hospital, she was rushed into the emergency room, doctors and healers flooding around her fragile body.


    And River... River was left standing there, his hands stained with the scent of her fear and pain, his heart breaking with every second she was out of his reach.


    * * *


    <i>Back to Kieran¡¯s POV:</i>


    I swallowed hard as River¡¯s voice fell silent.


    For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no movement... just the weight of his words pressing down on us all.


    Then Oscar moved. His body shook as he stepped forward, straight into River¡¯s arms, and Draven followed, his ownposure finally breaking. Both of them clung to our eldest brother as though he was the only thing keeping them from falling apart.


    I stood frozen, watching the three of them. I had always known River to be unshakable, the pir the three of us leaned on when everything else failed. But now, even as he held our younger brothers, I could see it - the slight tremble in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched too tight, the faint, desperate way he gripped them back.


    River was breaking too.


    My chest constricted painfully. And I forced himself to move, each step heavy until I reached them. Without a word, I wrapped my arms around all three of my brothers, pulling them into one tight, desperate embrace.


    For once, River leaned into me. Just slightly. Just enough to let me know how much he needed it.


    And in that moment, surrounded by their fear and pain, I realized how they all were so terrified of losing her. Not just because she was their mate, but because Evaline had already be the fragile thread holding them all together.


    And if that thread snapped, they might never recover.


    And neither would I.

 Chapter 340: The Longest Wait

    <h4>Chapter 340: The Longest Wait</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I had never waited so desperately to hear the sound of a door opening as much as I did in that moment.


    The doors of the emergency room swung outward, and the attending doctor stepped into the hallway, his mask pulled down, his expression grave.


    My stomach dropped instantly. The air around us seemed to thicken, and I could hear Oscar¡¯s sharp inhale, Draven¡¯s boots scraping against the floor as he surged forward, and River¡¯s aura pressing down on all of us like a thundercloud about to break.


    The doctor¡¯s eyes flicked between us, wary, as though he knew one wrong word might cost him his life. "Alpha," he addressed River first, his voice steady but heavy. "We need to move her. The contractions have started... the baby is on the way."


    For a second, I didn¡¯t breathe.


    Contractions. Baby.


    My knees almost gave out under me, and I found myself gripping the back of a waiting chair in the hallway just to keep standing.


    The doctor continued, his tone tightening. "Because of this, we can¡¯t stabilize her with the standard healing protocols. Healing energy at this stage could trigger rejection in both mother and child. Her body may mistake the baby as a foreign threat. And with the injuries she sustained..." He hesitated, ncing at River, then at all of us. "It will not be an easy delivery."


    "What injuries?" Oscar¡¯s voice cracked like a whip.


    The doctor swallowed. "Internal bruising along her ribs. Two fractures... possibly three. Good thing is that there¡¯s no internal bleeding and just slight external scraps and cuts. But the pain..." His voice dropped. "She¡¯s enduring more than most wolves could at once in this state. We can¡¯t numb her without risking the baby¡¯s heart."


    Draven cursed under his breath and turned away, dragging his hands through his hair. I could feel his wolfshing inside him, the same way mine was, wing, pacing, demanding we tear down walls to reach her.


    "Another good news," the doctor added secondster, "is that the baby seems stable... so far. Strong heartbeat. Responsive movements. But..." he warned, "with her condition... the stress ofbor could tip the bnce at any moment."


    <fnfc5d> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find(?)ovel</fnfc5d>


    My vision swam. The thought of losing her... pressed against my chest so hard I could barely breathe.


    River¡¯s voice cut through the fog. "Do whatever you have to," he ordered, his voice low and sharp, hismand heavy with Alpha authority. "But you save Evaline."


    The doctor bowed his head, ready to turn back, but River¡¯s next words stopped him cold.


    "And the baby too."


    I snapped my gaze to him, and for the first time in years, I saw River falter. Just a fraction. His fists were tight, his jaw clenched, but his eyes - those hard, unyielding eyes - burned with something raw, something desperate.


    Before any of us could respond, Jasper appeared at the end of the hallway, moving quickly, and behind him came a team of shifter doctors and healers - the best in our world. They swept past us, their hands glowing faintly, carrying cases of herbs, potions, and equipment.


    The hallway grew quiet after they disappeared behind the emergency doors again. Too quiet.


    My brothers and I were left outside, standing in a suffocating silence, each of us unraveling in our own way.


    Oscar paced the hallway like a caged animal, his fists bloody from where he had punched the wall. Draven sank into one of the chairs, his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he fought to control himself. River stood against the wall, still as stone, but the air around him vibrated with suppressed power.


    And me?


    I felt useless. Helpless. The woman I loved was lying in there, her body torn apart, her life hanging in bnce, and all I could do was wait. My hands trembled. My chest ached so badly I thought my ribs might shatter.


    I remembered the first time I had seen her smile. The softness in her amber eyes. The quiet strength she carried despite the weight she bore. And now, she was suffering because we hadn¡¯t been there to protect her. Because I hadn¡¯t...


    "She¡¯s strong," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "Evaline¡¯s strong. She¡¯ll fight."


    "She shouldn¡¯t have to," Draven shot back, his voice muffled but sharp. His head lifted, eyes bloodshot. "She shouldn¡¯t be in there alone."


    I didn¡¯t argue. Because he was right.


    Minutes turned into hours, though the clock on the wall told me it had only been over an hour since they had taken her inside. An hour of pacing, of silence, of flinching every time a healer passed the hallway. An hour of imagining every worst-case scenario until my mind was a battlefield I couldn¡¯t escape.


    At one point, a scream pierced the air - a raw, agonized sound that tore straight through me. Oscar froze mid-step. Draven bolted upright. My wolf howled so loudly inside me I thought the entire floor must have heard.


    And River pressed his palms to the wall, his head bowing forward, his body trembling once before he straightened again, his mask of strength sliding back into ce. But I saw it. The crack. The break.


    We were all breaking.


    A healer found us twenty minutester. His face was grim as he delivered updates. "She¡¯s fighting. But the pain is making her weak. We are using abination of healing herbs and controlled magic to keep her stable through the contractions. The baby¡¯s heartbeat is strong, but..." He hesitated, then added softly, "the longer this drags, the more dangerous it bes."


    And then he left again, leaving us in the same silence, the same torment.


    I couldn¡¯t sit anymore. I paced with Oscar, my ws itching toe out, my body thrumming with restless energy I couldn¡¯t burn off. Draven¡¯s eyes never left the emergency doors, like if he red hard enough, they would open and give him the truth. River stood, unmoving, but his breathing had grown shallow.


    It felt like an eternityter when the doors finally opened again.


    This time, it was another healer and he looked in such hurry that all four of us were on our feet.


    "The father shoulde inside. The baby¡¯s about toe." He announced and it took more than just a second for all of us to register his words.


    My wold wed at me, telling me to step inside and find her, but I couldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t the father.


    "Can we all go in?" Oscar asked, staring at the healer who looked surprised for a second before he nodded his head in approval and headed back inside.


    Oscar and Draven immediately rushed inside after the healer. And just when I thought about taking a seat again to wait, I felt River¡¯s fingers wrapping around my arm before he was dragging me inside with him.

 Chapter 341: Arrival of Bundle of Joy

    <h4>Chapter 341: Arrival of Bundle of Joy</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The moment the healer¡¯s words left his mouth, the world tilted beneath my feet.


    The father shoulde inside.


    My wolf lunged forward, demanding we go, demanding we be there for her. And when I noticed Kieran stepping back when he clearly wanted to be there with Evaline, I grabbed his hand and dragged him inside the emergency room with me.


    The sharp smell of blood, sterile, and herbs hit the moment we entered. Doctors and healers swarmed the room, and the air pulsed with urgency.


    And in the middle of it all... was our Evaline.


    <fn37dc> For more chapters visit findnovel</fn37dc>


    Shey on the bed, drenched in sweat, her face pale and drawn, lips trembling as she gasped for air. Her hands gripped the sheets like lifelines, her amber eyes zed with pain but burning with determination.


    "Eva..." Oscar¡¯s broken whisper cracked through the chaos as he stumbled to her side, clutching her hand.


    Draven was on her other side in an instant, pressing kisses along her temple, whispering something frantic and soothing all at once.


    I stood at the foot of the bed with Kieran, my body locked in ce, my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to tear free.


    "Push, Miss Evaline," one of the doctors urged. "One more time, just one more strong push."


    Evaline whimpered, shaking her head, her body arching with pain. "I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t-"


    "Yes, you can," Draven urged, his voice shaking. "You have survived everything, Eva. You are stronger than all of us put together. Please... just one more push."


    Oscar leaned close, his forehead pressed to hers, their hands white-knuckled where they clung together. "For our baby, love. For us. Just once more."


    My chest burned as I watched her bite down on her lip and nod, gathering every ounce of strength. And then she pushed.


    The room filled with the sound of her cry... and a heartbeatter, another cry split the air.


    High-pitched. Fierce. Alive.


    My knees buckled. Kieran gripped my arm, not to hold me but for his own support, his breath breaking beside me. Oscar¡¯s sob tore through the room, and Dravenughed - it was a sharp, disbelievingugh choked by tears.


    "It¡¯s a boy," the doctor announced, holding the tiny, wriggling bundle high for just a second before quickly bringing him over to be checked.


    A boy. Our boy.


    I couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t breathe. All I could do was stare at the miracle that had just entered the world.


    Despite the chaos around her, despite the agony twisting her body, Eva¡¯s voice came, broken but clear. "Let me... let me hold him."


    The healers hesitated. One started to protest, but the doctor nodded his head in approval, "Skin-to-skin is good for both of them."


    And just like that, the newborn was ced against her chest, her gown parted so his tiny body could rest against her skin.


    Her shaking arms cradled him as tears slipped silently down her cheeks. She smiled through the pain, through the happiness, through the exhaustion. "Hi, my love," she whispered to him, her voice raw but full of wonder. "Mama¡¯s here."


    The baby quieted almost instantly, curling against her warmth, his tiny fingers pressing against her skin.


    It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.


    The healers worked quickly, tending to her injuries now that the delivery was over. Elixirs were prepared, medicines and IVs were getting ready, and the healers used their magic to help the fractured ribs knit back into ce, but I hardly saw them. My eyes were fixed on her... <i>on them</i>.


    That was when a nurse stepped closer, speaking softly but firmly. "After the mother, one of you should hold the pup skin-to-skin. It helps bond him to the pack, strengthens the connection."


    Draven¡¯s eyes shone, and Oscar blinked, but before either could speak, Kieran¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    "Can I?"


    I turned to him sharply. His voice was low, tentative, almost pleading. His eyes shone with unshed tears, his lips trembling as though he had said something forbidden.


    Oscar and Draven both gawked at him, confusion shing across their faces. But when I met Kieran¡¯s gaze, I saw the truth. The depth of his love. His longing. His silent suffering.


    He wanted this... needed this.


    And in that moment, I nodded. Once to him, and once to my younger brothers, telling them to let it be. This wasn¡¯t the time for questions and exnations.


    Kieran looked like I had just given him the world.


    When the nurse gently lifted the baby from Evaline¡¯s chest, Kieran was already tugging at his shirt, baring his chest. The tiny pup was ced against him, and the moment skin met skin, Kieran broke. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched the baby close, whispering something over and over that I decided to not hear.


    Draven was next. He trembled as he held the boy. His jaw was tight, his eyes shining. He bent low, pressing his lips to the pup¡¯s soft head, and a choked sob escaped him.


    Oscar followed next, his usualposure shattered. He cradled the baby like ss, hisrge hands trembling. His tears were also falling freely as he murmured promises to our pup.


    And finally, it was my turn.


    I had long lost my coat and my shirt was gone in seconds before the nurse ced him in my arms, and everything inside me stilled. He was so small. So fragile. His tiny heartbeat fluttered against my chest like a bird, yet his presence filled me with a weight so powerful I could barely stand under it.


    My son.


    I didn¡¯t know how to describe the storm inside me - fear, love, protectiveness, awe. It was too much. Overwhelming. Beautiful.


    But even as I held him, my gaze never left her.


    She was watching us, her lips curved in a faint, tired smile, her eyes soft despite the pain she still endured. She looked at us like we were her whole world, and even as the darkness tried to im her, she fought to stay awake for us.


    One by one, we approached her bed again. Oscar kissed her lips, Draven pressed his lips to her cheek, Kieran gave her head a soft pat and told her she¡¯s been brave.


    When it was my turn, I bent low and pressed a kiss to her damp hair. "You were extraordinary," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I love you."


    She sighed softly, her hand brushing weakly against my arm.


    The doctors eventually returned the baby to her, cing him at her breast to feed for the first time within the golden hour. Her arms curled around him, her smile tender as she guided him.


    We were ushered out then, the healers and doctor needing space to stabilize her fully.


    Fifteen agonizing minutester, the attending doctor emerged and delivered the words that finally loosened the vice around my chest - "Both mother and child are resting. They are safe."


    Safe.


    For the first time since this nightmare began, I let myself breathe.

 Chapter 342: Unexpected Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 342: Unexpected Discovery</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Thest twenty-four hours of my life had been nothing short of a whirlwind. One moment, I was tumbling down the stairs, terrified for both myself and the little life inside me. The next, I was drowning in the most agonizing pain I had ever known. And then finally... he was here. My baby.


    Now, as Iy propped up against the hospital bed, my eyes fixed on the tiny figure wriggling beside me, everything felt surreal. He was real. He was here. Mine.


    His little hands were balled into fists, opening and closing as though testing the air. His nose was small, perfectly shaped, and his cheeks looked so soft and chubby I couldn¡¯t resist brushing them with my fingertips. He had the same silver hair as me - fine and silky. His skin was pale, delicate, almost translucent, as though the world hadn¡¯t yet fully painted him.


    Every breath he took felt like a miracle.


    Without a doubt, I knew he¡¯s the best gift the Moon Goddess had ever given me.


    A smile touched my lips as I studied him, drinking in every detail now that we had both had some hours of rest. But then... my gaze fell on his eyes.


    They were open, wide and curious, blinking slowly at the light filtering into the room. Considering he¡¯s a pup, his eyesight was meant to be sharper than normal human babies.


    But as I looked into his eyes, my breath hitched.


    Instead of amber or golden eyes, I found myself staring into deep green orbs.


    I inched my face closer, wanting to confirm it wasn¡¯t a trick of the lightening. But no matter from how close I looked, the green didn¡¯t change into golden or amber. Not only that, I also noticed the flecks of gold shimmering faintly in his irises.


    Recognition mmed into me.


    Those eyes. I have seen them before.


    The smile slipped from my lips, dread curling in the pit of my stomach. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t breathe. My chest tightened painfully as my mind screamed to deny what I was seeing.


    <fn1646> For more chapters visit </fn1646>


    No. It couldn¡¯t be.


    I tore my gaze away, but the image seared into my mind wouldn¡¯t fade.


    Just then, the door opened with a soft click, pulling me out of the storm inside me. River and Oscar stepped in, apanied by my attending doctor.


    Both of my mates looked freshly showered, but their exhaustion showed in the shadows under their eyes, in the stiff set of their shoulders. They had spent the entire night on edge - waiting, worrying, suffering alongside me. Even after I had finally fallen asleep with the baby, they hadn¡¯t rested. No, they had run back to the mansion just to shower and force down food before returning here, as if staying away any longer was unbearable.


    Oscar was the first to cross the room. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead, then another feather-light one to the baby¡¯s crown. His warmth anchored me, eased me, and I smiled at him despite the unease twisting inside me.


    "Hey, love," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "You both look... perfect."


    The doctor cleared his throat gently, pulling out his clipboard. "How are you feeling, Miss Evaline?"


    "Tired," I admitted, forcing a soft smile, "but better than I thought I would be."


    He nodded approvingly. "Good. Your recovery is going remarkably well. In fact..." He hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "... you are healing rather fast despite not having a wolf."


    In the past, these words would have been a knife to my chest. A reminder of everything Icked. Abel stamped on me since childhood - <i>wolfless</i>.


    But now... now, I didn¡¯t feel the sting.


    Instead, I smiled at him, wanting him to know his words didn¡¯t hurt me. Not anymore. Because now I knew I wasn¡¯t weak because Icked a wolf. I wasn¡¯t less. And I knew the doctor hadn¡¯t meant it as cruelty.


    His brows lifted slightly at my reaction, then he smiled back before making a few final notes.


    Momentster, a nurse and healer entered. The nurse quietly reced my IV while the healer handed me a vial of shimmering blue liquid. I drank it down, grimacing at the bitterness but already feeling warmth spread through my chest.


    When it came time to check the baby, the nurse gently lifted him from my side. My arms immediately felt empty, but I didn¡¯t protest. He needed this.


    Oscar immediately followed them out, like a protective shadow unwilling to let his pup out of his sight.


    River stayed behind.


    And as soon as the door closed, the quiet thickened.


    He moved closer, pulling a chair to my bedside, his eyes fixed on me with that unshakable intensity that always seemed to strip me bare.


    I didn¡¯t need words to know he had felt the shift in me earlier. He always felt everything. My storm couldn¡¯t be hidden from him, bond or not. And yet, it wasn¡¯t just me... he seemed burdened too, as though there was something heavy pressing against his chest.


    He opened his mouth, then closed it again, pressing his lips together.


    I fiddled with the edge of the nket, waiting while my heart pounded.


    Seconds stretched. Then, as if the silence could no longer contain us, we both blurted out at the same time -


    "We need to talk."


    "I need to tell you-"


    The words collided, hanging between us like a live wire.


    I froze and my heart tightened.


    His deep green eyes softened, but they didn¡¯t waver. "You first," he said quietly.


    My pulse started racing, my mind whirling with the truth wing at me, begging to be spoken. The baby¡¯s eyes. That impossible familiarity. The dread that I couldn¡¯t shake.


    But could I say it? Could I voice it out loud and risk shattering everything?


    I opened my mouth, then closed it again, swallowing hard. My fingers twisted in the sheets, searching for courage.


    And before I could speak, he leaned closer, his hand brushing mine, his voice low.


    "Evaline," he murmured. "There¡¯s something I need to tell you about the pup."


    My heart stopped.

 Chapter 343: The Castle Built On a Lie

    <h4>Chapter 343: The Castle Built On a Lie</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at River, my pulse hammering so violently I could feel it in my throat. Fear wasn¡¯t just creeping in, it was crashing over me in waves, each one heavier than thest.


    What was he going to say about my child?


    Had he noticed it too?


    The eyes.


    Those impossibly familiar eyes that had turned my joy into confusion... and fear.


    My breath grew shallow, and before I could gather myself, River was suddenly there - no distance left between us. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me firmly against his chest. His warmth, his scent, his steady heartbeat... it all rushed into me through the bond, soothing my fraying edges.


    "Don¡¯t panic, Little Star," he whispered, his voice a low, grounding rumble. "Trust me."


    His words weren¡¯t just words, but they carried weight through the bond. Love. Care. Trust. He poured it all into me without hesitation, weaving a cocoon around my storm. My racing heartbeat slowed a little, enough for me to breathe again. And the nickname felt like a balm.


    He tilted my chin up, cupping my face in hisrge, steady hands. His deep green eyes locked onto mine, serious but so full of tenderness I felt myself shatter. "Are you okay?" he asked.


    My throat felt too tight to speak, so I only nodded, letting him see the truth in my eyes.


    He pressed a kiss against my forehead, lingering there for a heartbeat before pulling back. Returning to his seat at my bedside, he didn¡¯t let go of my hand. His fingers wereced through mine, strong and unyielding, as if grounding us both.


    "Trust me with one thing," he said softly. His voice was calm, but beneath it I felt the weight of something much deeper. "No matter what we are about to talk about... no matter what the oue is... my love, my trust, my care for you, and for our pup, will not change. Not even a little."


    The promise hummed through our bond, steady and resolute.


    And I couldn¡¯t doubt him. Not for a second.


    He never spoke empty words. Every vow he had ever made, he had carried to the end of the world if he had to. He was many things - fierce, terrifying to his enemies, unwavering as steel - but to me, he was all of that and more.


    I drew in a deep breath, releasing it slowly, and nodded. "Okay."


    <fn0ec0> Readplete version only at find¡¤novel</fn0ec0>


    Even if every part of me wanted to run from this conversation, I knew I couldn¡¯t. The questions already wed inside me, demanding answers. Pretending ignorance would only dy the inevitable.


    We sat in silence for a long moment. The quiet wasn¡¯t heavy, but it wasn¡¯t light either. It was filled with things unsaid, waiting to spill.


    Then he finally spoke.


    "Little Star," he murmured, his thumb brushing across the back of my hand. "Did you notice the pup¡¯s eye color?"


    My stomach dropped.


    The moment those words left his lips, I felt my heart lurch painfully.


    So he <i>had</i> noticed.


    Of course he had. If anyone else could see the strangeness in those eyes, it was River.


    Because he was the only one, aside from me, who had ever met Ethan. He knew what color Ethan¡¯s eyes were. And he knew what mine were. Which meant, like me, he could see what others couldn¡¯t - that our child¡¯s eyes matched neither mine nor Ethan¡¯s.


    The truth I had been desperately trying to push down roared back with sharp rity.


    And worse... those golden-green eyes weren¡¯t just unusual. They were familiar.


    Too familiar.


    I knew only one person with eyes like that. One person whose gaze carried that same mixture of green depth and golden fire.


    And that identity was thest thing I had ever expected to be tied to my child.


    Nothing was making sense anymore.


    My whole world tilted sideways, my thoughts scattering like broken ss.


    When I finally managed to find my voice, it was rough and trembling. "River... that¡¯s... that¡¯s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. His eyes."


    I swallowed hard, struggling to form the words that could hold everything I was feeling - my confusion, my fear, my disbelief.


    <i>Had hee here seeking an exnation? Was he waiting for me to confess something I didn¡¯t even understand myself?</i>


    <i>How could I exin something that defied logic?</i>


    For months, I had let everyone believe Ethan was my child¡¯s father. I had believed it too. There hadn¡¯t been a single reason to question it... until now. Until those golden-flecked eyes looked back at me, and suddenly, nothing made sense anymore.


    But before I could stumble further into the chaos of my own words, he spoke again.


    And what he said turned my world upside down.


    "Kieran," he said quietly, his gaze steady on me. "He felt it the moment he held the pup. A bond."


    I froze. My mind went nk.


    "A... bond?" I echoed faintly.


    He nodded once. "It¡¯s a rare bond that only exists for extremely powerful Alphas. It¡¯s a bond between such Alphas and their true-born children. There¡¯s a thread - something deep, instinctual, and undeniably... magical. Stronger than instinct, more undeniable than scent. A father always knows his own blood when that bond awakens."


    His words mmed into me, each one heavier than thest.


    Kieran.


    Kieran had felt a bond.


    With <i>my</i> child.


    My lips parted, but no sound came out. I just stared at River, my heart thundering so loudly I could barely hear anything else.


    If what he said was true... then everything I thought I knew was a lie.


    My child... wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s?


    My gaze flickered helplessly to the door, where Oscar and the nurse had carried my baby only moments ago. My chest squeezed painfully.


    Golden-green eyes.


    The same as Kieran¡¯s.


    And now this bond.


    It couldn¡¯t be... could it?


    The dread twisting inside me wasn¡¯t just fear anymore, it was almost like a nightmare. Because if it¡¯s true... then everything I had believed in for past nine months, and everything I built on that belief... was nothing but an illusion, a misunderstanding, a lie.

 Chapter 344 - 10th of July

    <h4>Chapter 344: 10th of July</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Professor Kieran?"


    His name slipped through my lips before I could stop it, trembling with confusion and fear. I repeated it again, softer this time, like maybe saying it twice would make the weight of River¡¯s words settle differently.


    And as if the sound of his name was an invocation, he appeared.


    The door opened with the faintest creak, and there he was.


    Kieran.


    He didn¡¯t stride in or rush forward - no, he lingered just inside the threshold, his tall frame half-shadowed by the doorway. His eyes, that same impossible shade of green with golden flickers I had just seen in my son¡¯s, were locked on me with such intensity that my lungs forgot how to work.


    He had been there, right outside the door. Listening. Waiting.


    <fn712a> Updates are released by F¦ÉndNovel</fn712a>


    A shiver raced through me as I realized he must have heard every word between River and me. And now... now he was here to im what he hadn¡¯t yet spoken aloud.


    I had seen him briefly earlier when I gave birth. His face had blurred in my pain-ridden haze, his voice had been softer than I remembered when he asked if he could hold the baby first. At the time, I hadn¡¯t had the strength to feel his presence, to truly see him.


    But now, with nothing between us except truth pressing heavily in the air, I felt him more than I ever had before.


    I had missed him.


    Missed him with a desperate ache since the day he left for the Midnight Wolf Academy without a single word of goodbye. His absence had haunted me. I had thought of him, worried for him, grieved for him, even hated myself for reasons tied to him. And now...after all that silence, after all those nights reying his pain in my mind... he had returned not with exnations, but with the possibility that he was the father of my child.


    The world was cruel. Or maybe fate had been crueler to us both.


    He stopped a few steps away from my hospital bed, his boots halting against the sterile floor. He looked like a man fighting a war within himself, torn between crossing the remaining distance or anchoring himself where he stood. His hands were clenched at his sides, his shoulders stiff.


    I drank him in with my starving eyes.


    Where my other mates carried exhaustion in their faces, Kieran carried devastation. His usually calm, tender gaze was shadowed by sleepless nights, his sharp jaw lined with tension. He looked like he had been carrying a weight too heavy for any man to bear... and had been carrying it alone.


    My throat tightened, because I wanted to ease it. Wanted to reach for him. But I couldn¡¯t move, not under the hurricane of everything that was unraveling.


    Our eyes met, and it was like something infinite opened up between us. Emotions flooded there - confusion, longing, guilt, fear, something more fragile than hope but stronger than despair.


    I wanted to speak, but before my lips could shape a word, River¡¯s voice cut through the thick silence.


    "Evaline." His tone was gentle but sharp, slicing into my paralysis. Both Kieran and I turned to him. His deep green gaze burned into me withpassion and gravity. "Why did you believe your child was Ethan¡¯s?"


    The questionnded like a de straight to my chest.


    And I froze all over again.


    My mouth opened, then closed. My gaze darted helplessly between the two brothers - River was steady as ever, while Kieran was unreadable but visibly waiting, desperately needing to hear my answer.


    My pulse thundered as I forced air into my lungs, searching for words that could exin me. "Because..." My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. "Because on my eighteenth birthday, I spent the night with Ethan. It was the first and only time I was ever with someone... before I found out I was pregnant. I had no reason to doubt it. No reason to think it wasn¡¯t his."


    The words tumbled out, each one heavier with the memory of shame and guilt.


    My gaze dropped to my hands, to the sheets crumpled in my fists. "And as for why Ki... why Professor Kieran felt a bond..." I trailed off. My chest heaved, but no exnation came. Because there wasn¡¯t one. Nothing logical that my mind could cling to.


    Silence settled over the room. Thick and oppressive.


    Then River and Kieran shared a look - a look that made me feel like there was something they both understood that I didn¡¯t.


    River¡¯s hand squeezed mine gently, dragging my eyes back to him. "Little Star," he said softly, "will you answer some questions about that night? Your birthday." His tone was cautious, as if testing fragile ground. "It might help us figure out what¡¯s going on."


    My breath caught. Talking about that night - about Ethan, about the single mistake that had chained me to a lifetime of regret - was thest thing I wanted to do.


    As if sensing it, he quickly added, "Only if you arefortable. We can wait. We can talkter."


    The understanding in his voice almost broke me.


    I looked at Kieran then, and the way his eyes darkened with restrained desperation made something twist painfully in me. He was dying for answers. And so was I.


    Even if it meant walking through fire, I couldn¡¯t turn away from this truth anymore.


    "Ask," I whispered, my voice barely holding. "Ask whatever you need."


    A flicker of gratitude shed in River¡¯s eyes. He opened his mouth, and I braced myself for questions. But what came out wasn¡¯t a question at all.


    "Your birthday," River said, his voice low and certain, "was the tenth of July."


    My heart stopped as I waited for what he¡¯s about to throw at me.


    He leaned forward, holding my gaze with unflinching intensity. "That¡¯s the exact date Kieran met his mate for the first timest summer."


    The air in the room shifted, and it became heavy, electric, suffocating.


    I blinked at him, stunned, my lips parting without sound. My chest rose and fell too quickly, panic mixing with something far more dangerous... realization.


    His words echoed inside me, ovepping with everything I had buried.


    Tenth of July.


    My birthday.


    The night I thought belonged to Ethan.


    The same night Kieran found his mate.


    Nine months ago.


    I stared at Kieran then, my voice breaking on his name. "Kieran..."


    His eyes softened with something raw, something that burned and bled all at once.


    And in that moment, the ground beneath everything I thought I knew gave way, leaving me suspended between horror and hope.


    Could it be true?


    Had fate twisted our paths together that night in ways I couldn¡¯t evenprehend?


    And if it had... then where did things went wrong? And how?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 345: The Play of Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 345: The y of Darkness</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence that stretched inside the ward felt suffocating. It wrapped around me like a heavy nket I couldn¡¯t shake off. My pulse was thudding so loudly in my ears that I was sure Kieran could hear it, but still neither of us spoke.


    Finally, River let out a small breath, the kind that sounded like he had been holding the world on his shoulders and had decided, just for a second, to set it down. He stood up, his tall frame casting a shadow across my bed.


    "You two should talk and clear this," he said gently. "I¡¯ll step out."


    Panic surged through me instantly. My fingers tightened around his hand as though letting go meant losing myst thread of bnce. I wanted to talk to Kieran, needed to, but the fear that had been gnawing at me since River first brought up the possibility wed its way deeper into my heart.


    What if this made them all ufortable? What if this unravelled the fragile peace I had with my mates? What if I lost their trust? What if...


    Before the storm in my head could drown me, River bent down and cupped my face between his palms. His touch was warm, grounding. He tilted my chin up until my eyes locked with his, refusing to let me retreat into myself.


    "I love you," he said, his voice steady and unshakable. "And I always will."


    And then his lips pressed against mine.


    It wasn¡¯t a long kiss, nor desperate. It was short, but it carried weight... so much weight. A kiss that told me everything he wanted to say but didn¡¯t put into words. A kiss that told me I wasn¡¯t alone in this.


    When he pulled back, I was already blinking back tears.


    "This news is shocking," he admitted softly. "But it¡¯s not unwee. Not to me, not to Oscar, not to Draven. For us, it¡¯s actually good news that our pup carries our bloodline and not... that ckwood¡¯s."


    He gave me a quick peck on the lips, like sealing a promise, then straightened and gave Kieran¡¯s shoulder a firm pat.


    And then he walked out, leaving me alone with the brother I had tried so hard not to think about inappropriately for months... and had failed miserably at.


    Kieran lowered himself into the chair River had just emptied. He didn¡¯t lean back, didn¡¯t rx. He just sat there, stiff, his eyes fixed on me like he was afraid I would disappear if he dared to look away.


    <fn7905> Read full story at Find[?]ovel</fn7905>


    One thing I had learned from River¡¯s words was that he and the others already believed Kieran was my child¡¯s real father.


    That alone made my heart race. Not because I didn¡¯t want him as my child¡¯s father, but because this meant the past nine months of my life were built on a misunderstanding.


    The room filled with silence again, and it took every bit of courage I had to look up at him. My lips parted, my voice trembling as I asked, "Where... where did you meet your mate that day?"


    His gaze didn¡¯t waver as he answered, "A small town called Windmere," he answered without hesitation. "It sits at the outskirts of where Shadowfang Pack used to be. I stayed that night at a ce called Hollow Creek Inn."


    The words mmed into me like a physical blow. My breath caught in my throat, and I stared at him in stunned disbelief.


    Windmere. Hollow Creek Inn.


    The same town. The same inn.


    If it had just been the date, I might have forced augh, brushed it off as some strange coincidence. But it wasn¡¯t just the date. It was the town. The inn. The details were too exact to be anything else.


    A ray of hope, fragile and trembling, began to push through the confusion clouding my mind.


    I swallowed hard and found my voice again. "You... you once told me you didn¡¯t see your mate¡¯s face. What happened that night that even your Alpha eyesight failed you?"


    His jaw clenched, and his throat worked as if the memory itself was something bitter. His voice was raw when he finally answered.


    "I was drugged," he said quietly. "At a party I attended that afternoon, someone slipped a powerful aphrodisiac into my drink. I barely made it out before losing control. My beta, Mark, he realized what was happening and helped me get to a small inn in the nearest town while he tried to reach my brothers and healers. He left me in a room, but..."


    His fists curled on his knees. "The drug was too strong. The room was pitch dark. I couldn¡¯t see her face. Or if I did, I can¡¯t recall it. No matter how hard I have tried, I never could."


    My chest tightened.


    Before I could form a response, his next words came like a strike straight to my heart.


    "Evaline," he said, his voice deep and steady, "are you sure it was Ethan you slept with that night?"


    The air froze around me. My lips parted to say <i>yes</i>, to confirm the truth I had believed for months, but the word caught in my throat.


    Images flooded back to me. The dark room. The overwhelming pull of the bond. The way everything felt both wrong and right at once.


    And then Ethan¡¯s smug face next evening, his confidence, his certainty.


    But had I actually seen him that night in that room?


    With a tremor in my voice, I confessed, "Since it was dark, I never really saw his face. I just believed it was Ethan because... I felt the mate bond with him. And Ethan had been telling me for months, ever since he turned eighteen, that he felt the bond with me. So when I felt it too, I thought it could... only be him."


    I lowered my gaze, shame and confusion burning in equal measure. My voice dropped to a whisper.


    "Even when I found him different that night."

 Chapter 346: One Last Step To Seal The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 346: One Last Step To Seal The Truth</h4>


    <strong>IMPORTANT:</strong>


    Please check the ¡¯Author¡¯s Note¡¯ in this Chapter¡¯sment section before reading the Chapter.


    <strong>* * *</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had barely finished whispering those words - that I had felt Ethan different that night, that maybe, just maybe, it hadn¡¯t been him at all - when Kieran suddenly moved.


    His hand lifted, reaching toward mine with a trembling hesitance that struck my chest harder than any pain could. I thought he was about to take my hand, to anchor us both in the chaos unraveling between us. But just before his fingers could brush against mine, he froze.


    I watched as his hand curled into a tight fist, every vein straining against the skin as though he was holding himself back from something he desperately wanted. And then, he eventually withdrew, pulling the warmth of his touch away before I even had the chance to feel it.


    A hollow ache rippled in my chest.


    "Kieran..." I whispered, letting go of his ¡¯Professor¡¯ title, but he didn¡¯t meet my eyes. Not yet.


    He took in a deep breath, his broad shoulders rising and falling heavily. Then, with a steadiness that betrayed the storm behind his eyes, he began speaking.


    "Do you still remember," he asked, his voice low but cutting through the silence, "me telling you once... about how I developed feelings for someone who wasn¡¯t my mate?"


    My heart lurched.


    Of course I remembered. That conversation had been etched into my memory, haunting me like an echo I could never silence. His words from back then, heavy with guilt, had carved their way into my heart. At the time, I hadn¡¯t known what to make of them, hadn¡¯t known if I should be hurt or not. But now... now that I knew I could possibly be his mate... those same words burned like fire in my chest.


    The thought of him having feelings for someone else, left a bitter taste in my mouth. A jealousy so sudden and sharp it startled me took root inside me.


    Before I could let that jealousy swallow me whole, his next words shattered my every thought.


    "You," he said simply, firmly, his gaze finally rising to meet mine. His voice shook, but his eyes burned with raw truth. "It was you. You were the one I was talking about. The one I fell for despite having a mate bond somewhere out there. Despite the wall of our student and professor role. It was always you, Evaline."


    The air rushed from my lungs.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I was even surprised. It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t felt the pull between us before. It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t noticed the softness in his eyes when he looked at me, or the way he sometimes lingered just a moment too long in my presence.


    But I had buried it all, dismissing it as me misunderstanding his kindness, twisting his gentleness into something it wasn¡¯t because of my own confused heart.


    And yet here we were. The truthid bare between us, undeniable, unshakable.


    My lips parted, but no sound came.


    He wasn¡¯t done.


    "I was stuck," he continued, his voice heavier now, more broken. "Caught between this stranger of a mate I was destined to find and the feelings that grew in me every time I saw you. I didn¡¯t know what to do with it. I felt... guilty. Guilty for loving someone who wasn¡¯t supposed to be mine. Guilty for wishing things could be different. I hated myself for it, but I couldn¡¯t stop. Not when it was you."


    Each word pierced me, leaving behind a sting I knew too well.


    Because I understood.


    I had been there, too. Feeling guilty every time my heart leaned toward him, hating myself for findingfort in his presence while bound to his brothers. Our sins had been reflections of each other¡¯s - two souls caught in the same web of impossible emotions.


    When he finally lifted his head fully, his eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. My breath caught at the sight of them.


    "I¡¯m sure, Evaline," he whispered, his voice cracking but firm at its core. "I¡¯m more than a hundred percent sure now. You are my mate. And I am our pup¡¯s father." His gaze flickered toward the empty cradle next to my bed, and a softness entered his features that nearly broke me. "There¡¯s no doubt in me anymore."


    I opened my mouth, my heart beating so loudly I thought it would echo in the room.


    But before I could say anything, he drew in a deep, steadying breath, and added, "Still... for you. For us. For him. I want this truth sealed. I want no lingering questions. So... will you allow me to prove it - to do a DNA test? That way, we¡¯ll never have to live with shadows again."


    My throat tightened.


    Part of me wanted to tell him it wasn¡¯t necessary. That I already believed him. That the coincidences - the date, the town, the inn, our mutual attraction and feelings for each other, his bond with our son - they were too much to dismiss as chance.


    But another part of me, the one still haunted by doubt, still chained by Ethan¡¯s shadow, craved the finality of proof.


    I nodded slowly. "Yes," I breathed. My voice trembled, but my words were clear. "Let¡¯s do it."


    The way relief spread across his face nearly made me cry.


    He didn¡¯t waste another second. He stood, squared his shoulders, and called softly for River.


    The door opened almost instantly, as though River had been waiting just outside all along. His sharp gaze scanned the room before settling on me. His presence was grounding, as always.


    Kieran exined, his words steady but his hand trembling faintly at his side. When he finished, River turned his eyes to me, waiting for my confirmation.


    I gave him a small nod.


    The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile - warm, reassuring, the kind of smile that wrapped me in a nket of safety. "It will be alright," he promised me softly. And then he was gone again, striding down the hall to find the doctor.


    Minutester, the doctor returned with his team. His eyes were sharp but respectful, aware of the gravity of what we were about to do. He exined the process, his words technical but kind.


    Kieran went first. His sample was taken quickly, efficiently. He didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t hesitate. His gaze never left me.


    Then it was my son¡¯s turn. They used a painless, soft swab and rubbed it inside the baby¡¯s cheek to collect the cells.


    When it was done, the doctor assured us the samples would be run immediately. "But," he added, "we¡¯ll need at least ten hours for results."


    Ten hours.


    It might as well have been ten years.


    Kieran exhaled slowly, his eyes closing briefly before he opened them again and looked at me with a gaze so intense it pinned me to the bed.


    "We¡¯ll wait," he said simply.


    <fnc5c9> For more chapters visit Find1Novel</fnc5c9>


    And for the first time since this storm had begun, I believed him.

 Chapter 347: She Gave Me You

    <h4>Chapter 347: She Gave Me You</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    <i>Special thanks to Caly888 for the Magic Castle!</i>


    <strong>* * *</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The doctors left with the samples. Their footsteps faded down the corridor until the ward grew quiet again, filled only with the faint hum of machines and the steady, rhythmic breaths of my newborn child.


    River had stepped out not long after, leaving me with Kieran once again. Oscar and Draven were nowhere to be seen, and the absence of my mates was starting to press on me like a strange kind of silence.


    But in that silence, there was peace too.


    I lowered my gaze to my son. His tiny body was curled beneath the soft nket the nurses had tucked around him. His breathing was even, the faint rise and fall of his chest a melody that both soothed and tightened something in me.


    He was so small. So fragile. Yet at the same time, his very existence felt like a miracle.


    I hadn¡¯t realized I was smiling until I heard a quiet whisper fill the silence.


    "He¡¯s so cute."


    My head turned almost instinctively, and there he was... Kieran. His gaze was fixed entirely on the sleeping pup, his eyes softened with a love so pure it made my throat ache. I had seen him being gentle before. I had seen him patient, kind, endlesslypassionate. But this was different. This was the rawest part of him, stripped bare, vulnerable and radiant all at once.


    The sight made my chest swell with something overwhelming, something dangerously close to tears.


    I bit my lip, smiling faintly, trying to hold myself together. I didn¡¯t want to cry. I couldn¡¯t let myself crumble, not now, not when I wanted to imprint every moment of this into my memory - the first time Kieran looked at our son like he was his whole world.


    For a long time, we sat in silence. Him staring at the pup, and me subconciously staring at him.


    And then, slowly, his attention shifted. His eyes lifted from the baby to me. He looked hesitant. His lips parted, but then pressed closed again, like the words tangled on his tongue. He was struggling internally, I could see it in the tension of his jaw, in the way he inhaled deeply as though searching for courage.


    Finally, he let it out.


    "Evaline..." His voice was quiet, almost fragile. "Are you... unhappy? At the possibility that Ethan isn¡¯t your first mate... or the pup¡¯s father?"


    For a heartbeat, my chest went hollow.


    I smiled. But it wasn¡¯t one of those smiles that warmed from within. It was one of those fragile, broken little curvatures of lips, a reflex born out of years of learning how to hide pain or conflict. It didn¡¯t reach my eyes, and I knew Kieran noticed. He always noticed.


    "No," I said softly. "I¡¯m not unhappy."


    He just stared at me, as if waiting to hear more. So I drew in a breath, gathering the courage to peel open my heart in front of him.


    "There was a time," I admitted, "when Ethan was the most important person in my life."


    I saw it then - the stiffness appearing in his shoulders, the slight flinch he tried to disguise. He didn¡¯t interrupt me, but I could feel his restraint like a rope pulled taut.


    "I thought I was in love with him," I continued, my words trembling even as I forced them out. "I clung to that belief because I wanted... no, needed... someone desperately to hold on to. Someone to prove I wasn¡¯t alone. Back then, I thought having him made me less broken. Less... unwanted."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes darkened, and I noticed pain flickering in their depths.


    "But now," I said firmly, my voice gaining strength, "I know better. Meeting the four of you taught me what love really is. Ethan was never love. He was a wound I mistook for healing. He was... desperation. And desperation isn¡¯t love. It¡¯s chains."


    I lifted my gaze and locked it with his, making sure he saw the truth etched in every word.


    "Ethan is my past. A dark past I both regret and hate. Knowing that my son might have nothing to do with him? That I might have never truly been tied to him at all?" I let out a shakyugh, tears threatening at the edges of my vision. "That doesn¡¯t make me unhappy, Kieran. It makes me relieved. Delighted, even. If my son and I share nothing with Ethan ckwood... then I thank the Moon Goddess every single day for it."


    For a long moment, he just stared at me. Then, slowly, the rigidness in him eased. The corners of his mouth curved upward, hesitant at first, then blossoming into something radiant.


    <fnb381> Content originallyes from find~novel</fnb381>


    The kind of smile that looked like victory.


    The kind of smile that looked like hope.


    There was a gleam in his eyes now, as though my words had lifted a weight he had carried far too long.


    But then, just as quickly, hesitation returned. His smile faltered, reced by uncertainty once again.


    "Then...," he murmured, his voice unsteady, "would you ept me? As your mate? As your child¡¯s father?"


    The world seemed to pause.


    There wasn¡¯t even a single second of hesitation in me. No doubt. No question. No weighing of choices.


    "I will," I said firmly, my voice unwavering.


    His breath hitched, as though he hadn¡¯t dared to believe I would answer so quickly.


    Before he could even ask, before he could even try to exin himself further, I pressed on, my words tumbling out with a force that surprised even me.


    "And before you think I¡¯m saying this out of pity, or out of obligation, let me make something clear."


    His eyes widened, still locked on mine.


    "I could never have asked the Moon Goddess for anything better than this," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion I could no longer contain. "If you are truly my mate... if you are truly the father of my child... then that¡¯s the greatest gift I could ever receive. Do you understand that, Kieran? Do you understand what that means to me?"


    His lips parted, his breath shaky.


    "It means..." I smiled through the tears now streaming down my face, "...that on the night of my eighteenth birthday, when I prayed for the Moon Goddess to give me a bond that would save me, heal me, make me whole... she answered. And she gave me you."


    The silence between us broke under the weight of emotion.


    Kieran¡¯s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, his lips trembling as though he wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t find the words.


    And I didn¡¯t need him to.


    Because in that moment, everything was already said.


    I reached out, slowly, deliberately, and this time he didn¡¯t pull away. His fingers trembled as they met mine, his hand engulfing my smaller one with a warmth that seemed to seep straight into my soul.


    Our child stirred faintly in his sleep, as if sensing the unspoken promise binding his parents together.


    I looked at Kieran, and for the first time, there was no fear. No guilt. No doubt.


    Only truth.


    Only love.


    Only us.

 Chapter 348: One Complete Family

    <h4>Chapter 348: One Complete Family</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The words on the page blurred before my eyes.


    <fn9383> Get full chapters from f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn9383>


    I blinked rapidly, tried to steady myself, but the harder I focused, the less I could see. Tears clung stubbornly to myshes until they spilled, running down my cheeks unchecked. The report in my hands trembled violently. My grip tightened, causing my knuckles to turn white as though I could ground myself with pressure alone.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe. The air was caught in my throat, heavy and jagged.


    The file might as well have been nk. I didn¡¯t need to see the letters again. I had already read them... already burned them into my mind.


    The truth was right there in ck and white, and it hit me with such force that my body didn¡¯t know how to react. Relief, joy, disbelief - they tangled together until they hurt.


    But to anyone watching me... I probably looked broken.


    When I lifted my head, my vision cleared just enough to see the four men in front of me.


    <i>My mates.</i>


    They were all watching me as though their lives depended on my next breath. Tension stretched tight across their shoulders, their gazes locked on my face with unbearable intensity.


    River¡¯s jaw was clenched hard enough to make the veins in his neck stand out. Draven¡¯s fists were curled at his sides, his restless energy bleeding through his stillness. Oscar was standing frozen, his usually rxed features drawn tight with worry. And Kieran... dear stars, Kieran... looked as though his entire soul teetered on the edge of shattering.


    And the moment my tears fell, the moment they saw them glistening on my cheeks, their panic sharpened.


    Oscar moved first.


    He crossed the space in three strides before sinking to his knees at my feet. He didn¡¯t nce at the report in my hands, not even once. His eyes stayed on me, wide and frantic, as his hand found my knee in a grounding touch.


    "Eva," he whispered, his voice cracking. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    His grip tightened, his thumb brushing against me in a silent plea.


    I looked past him, at the others. At the way every ounce of their fear wasn¡¯t for the result, but for me. Not one of them cared about the paper in my trembling hands more than they cared about the expression on my face.


    And in that moment, my heart nearly broke from the sheer weight of their love.


    Could I have asked the Moon Goddess for anything more? For anyone better?


    No. Never.


    The decade of loneliness, the misery, the chains of desperation that had once bound me... all of it faded in the face of this truth. She had given me the best people on the to stand at my side. My fated mates. My family.


    And that alone was enough for me to forgive her for every wound she had allowed me to suffer.


    More tears slipped free, falling onto my hands where they clutched the report. Oscar¡¯s fingers pressed harder against me in response, and the flickers of panic in River¡¯s eyes grew. Draven¡¯s frown deepened. And Kieran looked seconds away from breaking apart entirely.


    I couldn¡¯t let them wait another heartbeat.


    Drawing in a deep breath, I forced my lungs to steady, and my heart to calm. Then I lifted my head, meeting each of their gazes in turn.


    "Kieran," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Kieran is indeed... our child¡¯s father."


    The words echoed, thick with finality.


    I turned the report outward, letting the truth stare them in the face.


    Silence mmed into the room.


    Then everything broke at once.


    Oscar exhaled so hard it came out as a shudder, his head bowing until his forehead rested against my knees. Relief poured from him in waves, his shoulders finally rxing.


    Draven let out an incredulousugh, it was half-emotional and half-disbelieving. And then he too was crossing the space and approaching me. He dropped onto the bed beside me. His weight shifted the mattress, grounding me as his arm slipped instinctively behind my back.


    And Kieran... he crumbled.


    He sank to his knees, just like Oscar, but his body shook with sobs he didn¡¯t even try to suppress. He buried his face in his hands as he cried his heart out from sheer relief. His chest was heaving as his entire being unraveled under the sheer flood of relief.


    His relief was just as big as mine, or probably even bigger. And I understood the reason and meaning behind his tears. Seeing him like that on his knees, made me want to close the distance and wrap my arms around him, but I was in no state to even stand up, my body feeling too weak from the emotional storm.


    River¡¯s hand found his brother¡¯s shoulder, squeezing hard, his own eyes shimmering though he forced them upward, fighting forposure.


    I sat frozen in the middle of them all, my tears spilling freely now.


    Draven¡¯s arm tightened around me, pulling me closer until my head was resting against his shoulder.


    "You nearly gave us all heart attacks," he muttered, his voice rough but tinged with a humor that broke the tension. "Don¡¯t ever do that again."


    There wasn¡¯t a shred of anger in his words. Only affection. Only care.


    Iughed shakily, the sound muffled against his shirt as more tears came.


    Then Oscar¡¯s voice reached me, muffled from where his head was still resting against my knees.


    "Our family," he whispered, his voice thick, "is finallyplete."


    The words hung in the air like a blessing.


    And as I looked between them - River¡¯s quiet strength, Draven¡¯s steady warmth, Oscar¡¯s fierce devotion, and Kieran¡¯s shattered relief - I realized something deep in my bones.


    This wasn¡¯t just my victory.


    It was ours.


    Theirs.


    The Moon Goddess hadn¡¯t only given me a family. She had given them one too.


    And in this small hospital room, surrounded by my mates, with my son sleeping peacefully in his cradle... I finally understood what it meant to belong.


    Truly, irrevocably, beautifully belong.


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 Chapter 349: Oscar’s Lie

    <h4>Chapter 349: Oscar¡¯s Lie</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Mallory¡¯s hands came together in a p that was almost too loud for the hospital ward. She gasped softly, then covered her mouth with her palms. At this point, her eyes had be wide and glimmering.


    "Oh my Goddess," she whispered, her voice reverent. "He¡¯s... he¡¯s perfect."


    Beside her, Rowan leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the side of the cradle as though he couldn¡¯t get close enough. His usually sharp, aloof expression was gone... softened into something warm, something utterly smitten.


    Kyros was standing on the other side, looking no less enthralled. His lips were parted in a grin that showed the dimples that always made girls swoon, though now his attention was fully captured by the tiny being inside the cradle.


    My son.


    Their collective awe was enough to tug a chuckle out of me. My chest tightened, filling with a warmth that spread through every corner of me. My friends were rarely at a loss for words, but seeing them like this - reduced to puddles of wonder over a small pup - they reminded me why I had chosen to keep them close, no matter the chaos of my life.


    It had been five days since I brought my son into this world. Five days of healing, of navigating the overwhelming flood of emotions, of learning what it meant to hold a tiny piece of myself in my arms. And today... today was the day of my discharge.


    Because it was finally Saturday, my friends had been able to leave the Academy ande visit me properly. I hadn¡¯t realized until now how much I missed them. Seeing their faces here, seeing their awe and joy for me... it anchored me in a way little else could.


    The door opened before I could say anything, and Draven stepped inside. His dark hair was slightly mussed, his eyes sharp but glowing with an excitement that gave him away.


    "River and Kieran have taken care of the discharge procedure," he announced smoothly, hands tucked into his pockets. "It¡¯s time to head home."


    "Already?" Mallory whined softly, her hand pressed against her heart. "But we just got here."


    Rowan gave her a subtle nudge with his elbow, clearly about to voice his ownint, and Kyros had already opened his mouth to add something when Draven lifted one hand, stopping them before the protest could build.


    "You are alling with us," he said firmly. "Home. With Eva and the pup."


    That shut them up.


    For a moment, the three of them just blinked at him, as though processing his words. And then, almostically in sync, their shoulders dropped and their expressions softened into relief.


    Not one of them argued. Not today.


    I smiled to myself. The truth was, I wanted them with me too. They had been beside me for so much of this journey - through pain, through confusion, through growth. It felt right for them to be there now, standing at the beginning of this new Chapter of my life.


    Ten minutester, I was sliding into the backseat of River¡¯s car. My son¡¯s cradle was secured beside me, his tiny breaths even as he slept peacefully. Oscar slid in on in the passenger seat, his presence solid andforting as always.


    Thanks to the herbs, elixirs, and the skill of the healers, my body felt like my own again. The injuries from my fall, the raw exhaustion of childbirth... all of it was gone. My belly was almost t once more, only the faintest softness was left behind, the kind that I knew would vanish within the next week. If not for the cradle beside me, one would never guess I had just delivered a child.


    That was the gift and curse of being a werewolf. Our bodies healed impossibly fast, bouncing back from what would leave a human bedridden for weeks, if not months. And even without my wolf, I was still able to heal quickly because of all the rare and special treatment I received. And I was grateful for it.


    None of that mattered though. Not when my mates had given me these days of peace.


    River had set aside his Alpha and CEO duties. Kieran had stepped away from his demanding responsibilities as Headmaster and a Professor. Oscar had taken leave from the Academy as an instructor. And Draven had paused his studies.


    All four of them had made me and the pup their first and only priority.


    And in those quiet days, I had learned something I would carry with me forever... just how deeply they loved not only me, but the child we now shared. Each of them, in their own ways, had stayed by my side every hour, every minute, proving again and again that the Moon Goddess had not been cruel when she gave me to them. She had been merciful.


    The car rolled smoothly out of the hospital gates. For a while, I was content to just watch the scenery shift, to feel the quiet hum of the road beneath us. My hand drifted toward the cradle, my fingertips brushing lightly against its edge as I peered down at my son.


    But then... something tugged at my awareness.


    The road.


    The turns.


    The direction of the car.


    My eyes narrowed slightly as I nced out the window. This wasn¡¯t the path to the Thorne estate.


    We weren¡¯t heading home.


    Leaning forward, I called softly, "Oscar?"


    He shifted in his seat, ncing back at me with his usual easy smile. "Yes, love?"


    "Where are we going?" I asked carefully.


    "To the Academy," he replied smoothly, not even hesitating. "We need to pick Jasper up before heading home."


    His calmness almost disarmed me. Almost.


    I sat back slowly, my gaze flickering to the road once more. If he hadn¡¯t answered so confidently, I might have pressed further. But there was something about his tone - it was too steady, too practiced - and that made me pause.


    The thing was... I could have sworn I saw Jasper at the hospital earlier.


    My suspicion pricked at me, sharp and undeniable. Oscar was lying.


    But why?


    I didn¡¯t call him out. Not yet.


    Instead, I folded my hands neatly in myp, calmned my expression, and decided to wait.


    Wait, and see what my mates were plotting this time.<fn7fff> Original content can be found at f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn7fff>

 Chapter 350: Alphas’ Secret

    <h4>Chapter 350: Alphas¡¯ Secret</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The Academy came into view soon, and I felt a strange tug inside me. It was a longing so deep it startled me. My chest grew warm, my heart squeezed softly as if I had been deprived of something I hadn¡¯t realized I missed until this very moment.


    Silver Moon.


    It had only been a month and a half into the second term, and two months since Ist walked through the buildings and corridors of this ce . And yet, seeing the tall towers stretch proudly into the sky again, my throat tightened.


    Winter had almostpletely left thend, leaving behind only stubborn caps of snow clinging to the mountain tops. The Academy grounds had shifted into something more alive, more magical, than ever. Vines that had slept in brittle brown slumber were now returning to life, faint shades of green was curling back onto the stone walls of the great towers.


    It was just a matter of time before blossoms would be peeking shyly among branches that had once been bare, while patches of early wildflowers were already beginning to cover the fields like secret kisses from spring.


    The air carried that soft, promising warmth of day. A hint of sunlight was brushing my skin even through the car window. I pressed my palm against the ss as though I could touch it, as though I could step back into that version of me who had once walked these paths with nothing more troubling her than exams, professors, and the asional cruel sneer from particr students.


    For the briefest second, I wished I could return to that simpler chaos.


    I was still soaking in the breathtaking scenery when the car suddenly veered left, away from the path that led directly to the Academy¡¯s front gates. My head turned automatically, confusion flickering, but I caught Oscar¡¯s eyes watching me through the rearview mirror.


    That look - sharp, assessing, but so very soft when it came to me - sent a flutter through my chest. He didn¡¯t say anything, just the faintest lift of his brow, as if challenging me to question him. I didn¡¯t. Instead, I shifted my gaze back toward the window and pretended to be lost in thought, letting the scenery keep me distracted.


    Minutester, the car rolled past the back gates of Silver Moon, and still I said nothing. But suspicion was beginning to curl in my gut. My mates had been too quiet all morning. Tooposed. Too...plotting.


    The car kept on, leaving the familiar stone walls and winding deeper into the quiet stretch of woods behind the Academy.


    Finally, after another five minutes, the car slowed and stopped altogether. My curiosity snapped. I leaned forward, trying to see through the windshield. But from my angle, all I could make out was the glint of ake, its surface slowly breaking free from winter¡¯s grip, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Beyond it stretched tall trees, shadows dappled across the earth.


    I leaned harder, but Oscar shifted deliberately, blocking more of my view. My lips parted in disbelief. "Really?" I muttered.


    Before I couldin further, my door swung open. Draven was standing there, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he extended his hand toward me with a grin. "Come on, Mama Wolf," he teased, "out you go."


    I slipped my hand into his, letting him help me up even as I shot Oscar an usatory look over the roof of the car. "You brothers are being suspicious," I said immediately.


    "Who? Us?" Draven repeated, lookingpletely innocent. "Maybe you are talking about Oscar."


    "Hey," Oscar¡¯s voice cut in smoothly from the passenger seat, but I swore I saw the corner of his mouth twitch upward.


    Just as my feet settled on the ground, I turned fully, hoping to catch sight of whaty ahead-


    Only to gasp when soft fabric suddenly covered my eyes.


    The scent of clean silk, mixed with something darker, enveloped me. My body stilled in surprise. My hands twitched as though I might rip it off, but before I could, River¡¯s deep voice came from right beside me.


    "Don¡¯t," he murmured, his breath brushing against my ear. "We have got a surprise ready for you...and for him."


    My heart stuttered at the "him." He¡¯s talking about our pup.


    Before I could think of a reply, warm, lean fingers slid into mine, locking our hands together. And I realized it was actually Oscar. On my other side, Draven caught my other hand, his grip firmer, steadier.


    <fn4c11> Get full chapters from find~novel</fn4c11>


    I swallowed hard, my world drowned in ckness but alive with sensation. I could feel their excitement buzzing under their skin, pulsing faintly into me through the bond. Excitement...and a sliver of nervousness.


    My heart started pounding.


    I took a careful breath, and in that breath, I realized we weren¡¯t alone. My senses red and I caught the familiar presence of River with the pup, steady and calm like the earth itself. The warmer, gentler hum of Kieran. My friends¡¯ scents reached me too - Mallory¡¯s sweet perfume, Kyros¡¯ crisp energy, Rowan¡¯s woodsy spice.


    There were even more - faint heartbeats, breaths, presences I didn¡¯t immediately recognize, but I didn¡¯t panic. My mates were here. My pup was here.


    I was safe.


    Step by step, they guided me forward. The ground beneath my shoes shifted from gravel to softer earth, then to something more solid again - wood, maybe a tform. My senses sharpened at every noise, every brush of wind. The scent of water lingered nearby, fresh and cool from theke.


    Finally, after what must have been a hundred paces, they stopped.


    My pulse roared in my ears.


    Then Oscar moved behind me, his presence like a wall at my back. His fingers brushed against the back of my head, tugging lightly at the silk knot. Before freeing me, his lips dipped close, so close I could feel his warmth searing into my ear.


    "I hope," he whispered, his voice lower than usual, edged with something raw, "you¡¯ll like this."


    And then the blindfold loosened, the silk slipped away, and light returned.


    I blinked, letting my eyes adjust, and then... my breath caught, stolen clean out of my lungs.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 351: A Place For Her

    <h4>Chapter 351: A ce For Her</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    What stood in front of me was a house straight out of some fairytale.


    I blinked once, twice, almost convinced my eyes were deceiving me. But no, it was real. It stood tall, proud, and heartbreakingly beautiful - a ce that seemed carved right out of dreams I never dared to dream for myself.


    The two-story house had a modern touchced into its bones, yet its foundation and aura carried a vintage charm, as if time had touched it lovingly but never worn it down.


    The walls were a blend of brown and dull green hues, muted stone and deep wood blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest, giving it the feeling that it belonged here, that it had always been a part of this wild, magicalndscape.


    And yet, the roof was a striking, breathtaking dark blue. Bold against the otherwise blending palette, it made the house stand out in the most elegant way possible, like a jewel resting among shadows.


    A tall, sturdy wall was wrapped protectively around the property, enclosing both the front garden and, I assumed, a backyard hidden from my sight. A huge maple tree dominated the left corner of the front garden, its branches stretching outward like weing arms. Though still in its initial phase froming out of the winter¡¯s grip, I could already imagine how glorious it would look in a few weeks - lush leaves turning the whole front yard into a world of shade and color.


    And beyond the house was the glisteningke only a few steps away, its surface still slowly freeing itself from winter¡¯s icy hold. The woods stood watchful around it, and farther still, mountains kissed the horizon, their snowcapped peaks cutting sharp and proud against the sky.


    It wasn¡¯t just a house. It was a vision. A sanctuary.


    And I... I was speechless.


    A warm, stunned silence stretched inside me. My chest felt tight, my throat clogged. I wanted tough, to cry, to run forward and touch the walls, to make sure this wasn¡¯t some borate illusion conjured by my overworked imagination.


    When atst I pulled myself from marveling, I turned to the ones responsible... the only ones who could be responsible. My gaze flicked immediately toward Oscar and Draven, who stood just far enough to let me drink in the sight uninterrupted. My heart flipped at their quiet patience, at how intently they were watching my every reaction.


    I arched my brows, my voice soft butced with demand. "Okay...what is going on?"


    Oscar¡¯s lips twitched, but before he could speak, Draven moved first. He stepped behind me, sliding his arms gently around my waist. His chin brushed the top of my head as he rocked me gently from side to side.


    His voice was low, amused. "Answer me this first, sweetheart - what¡¯s your first thought when you look at it?"


    I swallowed, staring back at the house as his warmth seeped into my back. "It¡¯s...beautiful," I admitted honestly, my voice hushed. "So beautiful. And weing. Like it¡¯s been waiting for someone toe home."


    His arms tightened around me, the rocking slowing, and then he dropped his next words casually - words that knocked the air straight from my lungs.


    "Can you see yourself living here? With us. With your family. For the next couple of years?"


    I froze. My head whipped to the side, forcing me to meet his eyes over my shoulder. "What-what did you just say?"


    His eyes gleamed with mischief, but also sincerity.


    Before he could reply, Oscar finally stepped in. He shook his head at his younger brother, clicking his tongue as though scolding him. "You are terrible at this. Keeping her hanging in suspicion too long." His smooth and deep voice carried a rare softness just for me.


    Then he looked directly at me. "It¡¯s a surprise, Eva."


    I blinked at him, then at the house again, then back at him. A house? A surprise? My heart scrambled to keep up. "A...what? Why would you have-"


    "Because," Oscar interrupted, his voice still calm but his eyes glinting with that quiet determination of his, "we have been nning this since November."


    My jaw nearly dropped. "November?"


    He nodded once. "Back then, Draven and I had a long conversation about how difficult it would be to keep traveling between the Academy and the estate once the pup was here. It¡¯s only half an hour each way, true, but when you add it up daily - for the next three years you¡¯ll be studying here, plus our schedules at the Academy - it would have been exhausting. For all of us. For you most of all. And then there was the question of whether the academy council would even allow you to leave Academy grounds during the weekdays."


    I was staring at him as my heart pounded and tears started prickling the backs of my eyes.


    "So," he continued, his tone softer now, "we decided you deserved something better. A home closer. A ce where you could raise our pup while continuing your studies without the stress of either traveling every day or staying away from the pup during weekdays. A ce right behind the Academy so we would always be near. For you. For him."


    My lips parted, but no words came out.


    Draven¡¯s chin brushed my temple as he hummed. "And because we wanted you to have somewhere that was yours. Not the estate, not the dormitories. Yours."


    Emotion surged inside me so violently that my knees wobbled. I spun in his hold, and wrapped Draven into my arms. My tears finally fell as I pressed my face into his chest. "You two...you..." My voice cracked, breaking apart. "Thank you. Thank you."


    <fne081> Official source is find~novel</fne081>


    Oscar¡¯s hand slid into my hair from behind as he cradled me gently while Draven pressed his face into my neck, rocking me again.


    "It wasn¡¯t just us," Oscar murmured after a moment. "River joined the project in January. He helped us improve a lot of the designs andyout."


    River. Of course he had. The steady, thoughtful touch in every detail... it made sense now.


    Iughed weakly through my tears. "You aee all...unbelievable."


    "Only for you," Draven whispered against my skin.


    Finally, with gentle insistence, they guided me forward. We walked through a small gate in the wall, and I gasped again.


    The front garden stretched before me properly now - stone pathways weaving between beds of early flowers, delicate shoots poking through the earth. The great maple tree loomed to the left,manding and protective. But it wasn¡¯t the garden that caught my attention next.


    It was the line of people waiting on the porch.

 Chapter 352: Welcome Home, Little One

    <h4>Chapter 352: Wee Home, Little One</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <strong>A</strong> group of servants stood there, their heads bowed respectfully. They straightened when we approached, offering warm greetings not just to the brothers but to me.


    But it was the old woman at the center who made my breath hitch.


    She must have been in herte fifties, maybe early sixties. Her back was straight despite her age, her silver-threaded hair tied neatly in a bun. Her eyes were kind, twinkling, and endlessly warm... and they settled on me with a familiarity I couldn¡¯t ce at first.


    River stepped closer and I felt his handing to rest lightly on my back. "Evaline," he said softly, "this is Madam Elira. Sera¡¯s mother. She was also my brothers¡¯ nanny when they were young - especially for Oscar and Draven."


    My heart squeezed as the woman reached out, sping my hands firmly in her own. Her palms were warm, steady, full of strength.


    "My Alphas could not have chosen better," she said with a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. "I am so very happy to know they found such a beautiful and warm mate. And now, a family with you."


    My throat closed up. I squeezed her hands back, utterly overwhelmed once again.


    Just when I thought it was finally time to step in, Madam Elira raised her hand.


    "One moment, my Luna," she said, her voice warm but carrying the quiet authority of someone who had cared for Alphas since they were children.


    But it was the title that shook mepletely, yet none of the brothers seemed the least bit surprised.


    "Before you bring the little one into this new home, allow me to perform a small ritual from my hometown. It will ward off evil, cleanse the air of lingering shadows, and invite only warmth and blessings for you and your pup."


    My heart softened instantly. The sincerity in her eyes made it impossible to deny her. I smiled and nodded eagerly. "Of course. I would be honored."


    I bent down and carefully picked up my son from the stroller. He stirred a little, but when I cradled him against my chest, he settled quickly, his tiny breaths tickling my corbone.


    I stepped closer to my mates, who instinctively closed the circle around me, their warmth pressing against my back and sides. For some reason, standing there with them, I felt like no shadow in the world could ever reach us.


    And then I watched as Madam Elira began.


    She lit a small y bowl filled with dried herbs - sage,vender, and wolfsbane flower petals. Their smoke curled skyward in a pale silver stream. The scent was sharp yet soothing, tinged with something earthy that made me want to inhale deeply. She held the bowl in one hand while dipping her fingers into a tiny vial of moon-blessed morning dew with the other.


    First, she traced a crescent shape on the pup¡¯s forehead, whispering words in an old dialect I didn¡¯t understand. The cadence was low, melodic, like a luby carried through generations. Then she repeated the same motion on my forehead.


    "For the bond of mother and child," she murmured. "Unbroken. Protected."


    Next, she circled us with the bowl of smoking herbs, moving clockwise. The smoke clung to us like a soft veil, wrapping around the pup, around me, and around my mates who were surrounding me with their warmth and protection.


    "May no malice pierce your walls," she intoned. "May no curse linger in your air. May only love and loyalty dwell in this home."


    When she finished, she dipped her fingers into the dew again and touched each of my mates - first River, then Kieran, then Oscar, then Draven - marking the same crescent on their brows.


    "For strength to protect, for love to guide, for unity tost through storms."


    The brothers bowed their heads slightly in respect, even stoic River, and something about the sight made my chest ache.


    Finally, she poured a few drops of dew into the bowl itself, and the smoke shifted, turning a shimmering silver-blue for a brief moment before fading back into pale wisps. With that, she closed her eyes and whispered thest blessing.


    "So be it."


    She blew gently across the bowl, extinguishing the me.


    A hush fell over us. My pup shifted softly in my arms, as if sensing the peace that had settled. My eyes prickled with tears again - not of sadness this time, but of gratitude.


    "Thank you," I whispered. My voice trembled, but Madam Elira only smiled knowingly, patting my hand.


    "It is my honor, child."


    With the ritualplete, River ced a steadying hand on the small of my back again. "Shall we?" he asked, his deep voice breaking the moment with gentleness.


    I nodded, clutching my son closer, and finally stepped inside the house.


    The air inside smelled faintly of wood, herbs, and fresh paint. But it wasn¡¯t the scent that made my breath catch. It was the sight.


    The front hall opened wide, bathed in soft golden light from the tall windows that let the morning sun spill across polished wooden floors. The walls carried that same bnce between modern elegance and vintage charm - stone columns wrapped in climbing ivy that had been carefully preserved indoors, paired with sleek railings and ss fixtures that gleamed like starlight.


    To my left, a cozy sitting room stretched open,plete with a stone firece whose mantle already held framed photos - me, the brothers, and even a few from the Academy with my friends. My throat tightened at the thought of them sneaking these into ce before I arrived.


    To the right, I glimpsed what looked like a study or library, tall shelves already lined with books. It smelled faintly of parchment and ink, and I knew instantly it was a space meant for River, Kieran, and me.


    But before I could linger too long, I heard the chorus of gasps andughter from behind.


    <fnc7a3> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? F¦ÉndNovel</fnc7a3>


    Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan had followed us in, their phones in hand, snapping pictures and recording little videos. Mallory sped her cheeks dramatically. "Oh my goddess, Eva, it¡¯s like a dream house! Look at that chandelier! Look at this - no, Kyros, get a picture of this staircase-"


    Rowan, calm as always, gave me a smile as he filmed. "I think I just found my new favorite ce to visit."


    Their excitement made me chuckle, my heart warming even more. To see my friends here, part of this new beginning, made the house feel even more alive.


    I shifted my son gently, pressing a kiss to his tiny forehead as I whispered, "Wee home, little one."


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    I have received some amazing name suggestions from one of you. If there¡¯s anyone else with a name in their minds for our ¡¯Little One¡¯, please do share!

 Chapter 353: Spilling The Secret

    <h4>Chapter 353: Spilling The Secret</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had barely finished admiring thest little detail of my new bedroom when the sound of the door clicking shut caught my attention.


    Oscar had just closed it behind him and Draven, their hushed voices spilling into the air before it faded into silence. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to wonder what the two of them were talking about, because Mallory¡¯s sharp voice cut straight through the room.


    "Spill."


    I blinked, confused, staring at her with the same nkness mirrored on Rowan and Kyros¡¯s faces. The two men weren¡¯t paying much attention, their gazes were fixed with soft fascination on the pup sleeping soundly in his crib next to my king size bed.


    His tiny chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, his little hand curled against the nket, and I couldn¡¯t me them for being distracted. He had that effect on everyone.


    "Spill what?" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes at Mallory¡¯s folded arms and the suspicion radiating off her in waves.


    She gave me that look - half dramatic, half smug, like she had caught me red-handed even though I had no idea what crime I was being used of.


    "Professor Kieran," she said simply.


    The namended like a stone in a still pond, sending ripples of awareness straight through me. My stomach tightened, and I didn¡¯t need her to borate because I knew instantly what she was hinting at.


    One nce at Kyros and Rowan was enough to tell me they had picked up on the same thing. Their sharp and knowing gazes followed the way my throat bobbed as I swallowed.


    Mallory, however, wasn¡¯t content with just tossing the name into the air. She leaned forward, her voice dropping but her words precise, each one a needle threading through the quiet.


    "At first, I thought it was nothing - him being at the hospital waspletely normal. After all, he¡¯s your mates¡¯ brother. But then..." She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes with dramatic ir. "Then I noticed something was different. The way he stood with you during Madam Elira¡¯s ritual, like he belonged there. And don¡¯t even try to deny it, Eva, because those little nces you two kept sneaking? They weren¡¯t nothing. You looked like... teenagers in secret love."


    Her tone wasn¡¯t using so much as it was scandalously delighted, but the words still burned my cheeks hot. I opened my mouth, then shut it again. My lips trembled with the weight of truths that weren¡¯t so easy to just blurt out.


    But Mallory¡¯s pointed stare left me no escape. And honestly, it wasn¡¯t like I had any ns of keeping anything a secret from these three.


    So, I drew in a breath, straightened my shoulders, and spoke.


    "You are not wrong," I admitted softly. "Professor Kieran... he¡¯s my mate too. Just like River, Oscar, and Draven. And..." I hesitated, the words heavy and yet freeing as they left my lips, "...he¡¯s also my child¡¯s biological father."


    The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.


    For next couple of minutes, I repeated everything that happened the morning after I gave birth. Once I finished, I watched the trio.


    Rowan¡¯s jaw ckened, his usually calm features tipping into raw astonishment. Kyros froze mid-breath, blinking at me like his brain was physically rejecting the words. And Mallory - oh, her expression was a masterpiece. Her eyes went impossibly wide, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.


    For a heartbeat, I didn¡¯t know whether tofort them orugh. The scene was so surreal, I half expected someone to yell ¡¯gotcha!¡¯ and im this was a prank.


    And then, true to form, Mallory snapped out of it first.


    She let out a squeal so high-pitched it probably startled birds outside, then proceeded to jump up and down like she had won the lottery. "I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" she shrieked, her voice so loud that panic shot through me.


    "Mallory!" I hissed, darting forward with Rowan and Kyros in tow. Together, the three of us scrambled to quiet her, hands waving frantically, urgent whispers falling from our lips.


    Toote. The pup stirred in his crib, his tiny face scrunching as he let out a faint whimper. My heart nearly stopped. But then, as if the universe was feeling merciful, he sighed softly and drifted back into peaceful sleep.


    Mallory pped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with guilt. "Oh, Goddess, I¡¯m sorry," she whispered, her voice finally hushed. "I didn¡¯t mean to - he¡¯s just so cute and I-" She cut herself off, then threw her arms around me in a hug that nearly knocked me back.


    "You have no idea how happy I am right now," she said into my shoulder, bouncing slightly even in her attempt at being quiet.


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    When she pulled away, her grin was blinding. "Do you remember? Do you remember what I told you during Christmas holidays? That I had a feeling about Kieran? That he would turn out to be yours too? Well, look who was right!" She pointed both thumbs proudly at herself.


    I groaned, but I couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    "And not only that," she went on, barely containing her glee, "but he¡¯s also the baby¡¯s father? Eva, you are living in some kind of wild, once-in-a-century romance novel plot. Our cool, untouchable professor sh headmaster? He¡¯s <i>yours</i>. Oh, stars, no wonder he¡¯s been so broody all this time. Poor guy was pining for his mate."


    She sped her hands together in mock-dramatic swoon. "Thank the Moon Goddess that mystery is solved. He won¡¯t have to be cranky anymore."


    I buried my face in my hands, torn betweenughter and mortification.


    Kyros finally broke his silence, his tone thoughtful rather than surprised now that the truth had settled. "Honestly, it makes sense," he said, leaning against a shelf.


    Rowan nodded, still staring at the pup. "It does. Fated to all four brothers - it¡¯s strange, yes, but also... fitting. It feels like the bond was always meant to be whole."


    Hearing their calm reasoning after Mallory¡¯s chaotic explosion sent warmth rushing through me. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I had braced for judgment, for someone to look at me differently. Instead, what I found was their eptance as always - messy and loud in Mallory¡¯s way, steady and rational in Kyros and Rowan¡¯s.

 Chapter 354: Draven’s Sinister Plan

    <h4>Chapter 354: Draven¡¯s Sinister n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Dinner had stretched longer than I expected, and for once, I didn¡¯t mind.


    With the house so close to the Academy, practically behind it, my friends agreed to stay for dinner on my insistence. At first, I worried they might feel awkward around the brothers, but my fears melted away when I saw how easily the evening unfolded.


    Kyros and Draven somehow ended up deep in conversation aboutbat training methods, while Mallory had somehow managed to rope Kieran into a debate about how to take care of a newborn properly.


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    I couldn¡¯t decide if she was brave or reckless to challenge him so boldly, but to my surprise, he looked more amused than irritated, his sharp features softened by the faintest smirk.


    Meanwhile, Rowan had naturally gravitated toward Oscar. It made sense - Rowan had been working under him for a while now, and the ease between them was undeniable. Their conversation flowed seamlessly, as if they had known each other for years rather than months. Watching them, I felt a swell of warmth inside me.


    These were the two halves of my life - my mates and my friends. To see them merging without tension, to watch the edges of fear and formality blur into something morefortable, it was more than I could have hoped for.


    I leaned back in my chair, cradling my ss of water, and just let myself soak in the moment.


    But of course, peace neversted long in my life.


    By the time dessert was cleared away and my friends had finally stood up to head back to the Academy, promising to return tomorrow for a "baby-naming game" Mallory and Kyros had plotted, I thought I might finally get some quiet. Tomorrow¡¯s event was already giving me butterflies - half nerves, half excitement - but I couldn¡¯t deny how sweet it felt to have them so invested in my son¡¯s future.


    But the moment the door closed behind Rowan, and I turned to face the living room, I realized quiet was thest thing on my agenda tonight.


    Because I was surrounded.


    Draven stood to my left with a dangerous glint in his eyes that screamed trouble. Oscar loomed to my right, wearing the exact same expression - mischief sharpened to a point. They didn¡¯t even try to hide it.


    I crossed my arms and gave them both a look. "What are you two up to?"


    Draven smirked first, stepping closer until his shadow mingled with mine. "Oh, nothing sinister. Just... nning for the night."


    I arched an eyebrow. "The night?"


    "Yes." He tilted his head, utterly shameless. "We need to decide sleeping arrangements."


    Oscar chuckled, low and smooth, like this was all some grand joke. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be amused or worried.


    Draven, clearly pleased by my wary expression, leaned down until his breath tickled my ear. "See, we can¡¯t all pile in with you... not yet, at least. The baby needs space. So, I have devised a n."


    He rocked back on his heels and folded his arms, clearly proud of himself. "Four brothers. Four nights. Each one of us gets a turn sleeping with you. On the fifth and sixth nights, we pair up. Two brothers with you. And the seventh day..." His grin widened, downright wicked. "...that¡¯s your choice. You can sleep alone, or invite someone. Or..." He let the word hang, his eyes glinting, "...all of us."


    Heat rushed to my cheeks before I could stop it. "Draven!"


    "What?" he asked innocently, though his tone was anything but.


    Oscarughed outright this time, his eyes dancing as he added, "Don¡¯t look at me. He¡¯s the one putting it into a schedule. I just agreed it was fair."


    Despite Draven¡¯s cheekiness, there wasn¡¯t really anything wrong with the idea. I did need someone with me to help during the nights. Madam Elira had kindly offered to keep the baby in the nursery with her, but I wanted him with me, at least for these first few months. I needed to breastfeed him, to wake up at the first sound he made. Keeping him close wasn¡¯t just about practicality... it was instinct.


    Thankfully, none of my mates had objected to that. And truthfully, Draven¡¯s n did make sense.


    "Fine," I muttered, trying to sound exasperated even as I fought a smile. "But how do you n to decide the order? Draw straws? Rock, paper, scissors?"


    Oscar¡¯s grin turned sharp. "A game, of course."


    I groaned. Of course.


    The next ten minutes were filled withughter, a deck of cards, and far too much smugmentary. I sat off to the side, rocking the baby¡¯s crib gently with one hand while watching the chaos unfold. River yed his hand with ruthless precision. Draven cheated shamelessly, only for Oscar to call him out every time, and Kieran sat among them with the calmest expression of all.


    Which is why I nearly choked when Draven suddenly announced, "Winner of first round - Kieran!"


    My head snapped up. "What?"


    Kieran blinked, clearly just as surprised as I was, but Draven was already grinning like he had orchestrated the whole thing. "That¡¯s right, darling. Tonight, you¡¯ll be sleeping with our esteemed professor here."


    I gawked at him. Of all four of them, it had to be him. My heart lurched in my chest, and heat pooled under my skin. Kieran - who I had only just found as my mate. The thought of sharing a bed with him tonight, of being so close when we hadn¡¯t yet had a moment alone since the truth came out...


    I narrowed my eyes, suspicion prickling. "You rigged it."


    Draven ced a hand dramatically over his heart. "Darling, I¡¯m offended you would think me capable of such underhanded tactics."


    Oscar coughed. "You are being overdramatic, little brother."


    I groaned again, burying my face in my hands.


    When I finally peeked through my fingers, it was to find Kieran watching me, his eyes unreadable but his lips tilted with the faintest, tentative smile. Something in my chest fluttered violently, half nerves, half anticipation.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but think... of all the nights, of all the possibilities, maybe this was exactly the one I needed most. Or did I?

 Chapter 355: Sharing The Weight Together

    <h4>Chapter 355: Sharing The Weight Together</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The pup¡¯s tiny breaths were warm against my skin as I held him close, nursing him onest time before bed. His little hand curled around my finger with surprising strength, and the soft sounds he made almost lulled me into sleep.


    When his lips finally loosened and his eyelids fluttered shut, I carefully ced him back into his crib. He shifted once, a soft whimper leaving him, before sinking back into a deeper slumber.


    Madam Elira leaned in, her presenceforting. She brushed her hand over the baby¡¯s nket. "He¡¯s out like a light," she whispered, smiling warmly at me. "Now you, My Luna, should rest too. Go shower. I¡¯ll stay with the young master."


    Gratefulness filled my chest, and I nodded quickly. "Thank you, Madam Elira."


    The warm water was exactly what I needed. It washed away the tiredness from my body, loosening stiff muscles and calming my restless mind. I lingered under the spray longer than usual, letting the steam curl around me until my skin flushed pink. By the time I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, I already felt lighter.


    I slipped into my new favorite pajamas - a soft silk set in a calming shade of purple. They always made me feel just a little braver, a little more myself. Running ab through my hair, I let it fall loose over my shoulders before stepping out of the bathroom.


    Only to freeze mid-step.


    Instead of Madam Elira, Kieran was standing by the crib.


    The dim golden glow from the smallmp washed over him, highlighting the sharp lines of his face, softened by the calmness in his expression. He was already in his pajamas too. His hair was down, brushing against his shoulders, slightly mussed from a day of running fingers through it.


    He was staring at the baby with a tenderness I wasn¡¯t sure he let anyone else see. And for some reason, that sight made my heart thud violently inside my chest.


    As if sensing me, he looked up, and our gazes locked.


    And suddenly, every thought I had been fighting off since the game, all the whispers of how awkward this night would be... came rushing back all at once. My brain filled with noise, my body tense, and my heart... stars, my heart felt like it was going to give out.


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    I forced myself to move toward the bed, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my nightshirt like a nervous schoolgirl. But the closer I got, the harder it became to breathe. His eyes stayed on me again, steady, unreadable, but always warm.


    Then, out of nowhere, his voice broke the silence.


    "Should I sleep in my room tonight?"


    I blinked, feeling startled, and my steps halted once again.


    He wasn¡¯t teasing. He wasn¡¯t trying to test me. His tone was even, calm, utterly genuine. "If you are notfortable sharing the bed yet... I can go. I don¡¯t mind."


    There was no judgment. No hidden sting. Just... consideration.


    And that was what shook me the most.


    My throat tightened. "N-no," I blurted quickly, shaking my head. "It¡¯s alright."


    His lips curved into a faint smile, but he said nothing more.


    I swallowed hard, forcing steadiness into my voice. "Should we go to bed then?"


    "Sure."


    That one word carried the weight of an agreement... nothing more, nothing less.


    I climbed into the bed, tugging the nket up to my chin as though it might shield me from my own racing heart. My hand shot out to flick off my bedsidemp, leaving the room in semi-darkness. Only the faint glow from the pup¡¯smp remained, casting soft light over the room.


    Kieran followed, moving with the quiet grace he always seemed to carry. The bed dipped under his weight as he settled on the other side, pulling the covers over himself before switching off hismp too.


    The room was quiet except for the steady rhythm of the pup¡¯s breathing.


    And my heart refused to calm down.


    I turned slightly on my side, staring at the faint glow against the ceiling, battling with every thought in my head. He was right there. My mate. The father of my child. The man I had secretly, quietly, hopelessly cared for in ways I had buried under guilt and fear.


    Now, he was within reach.


    And I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Every breath felt too loud. Every shift of the nket seemed magnified. I risked a nce out of the corner of my eye and saw him lying straight on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He hadn¡¯t moved once since lying down, as if afraid that even a small shift might disturb me.


    He was awake too.


    I almost opened my mouth to say something, anything to break the tension, but the words never came.


    Eventually, exhaustion won. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier until they slipped shut, pulling me into sleep despite the storm raging in my chest.


    It was the sharp, piercing cry of the pup that jolted me awake three hourster.


    I sat upright instantly, my instincts overriding everything else. My heart lurched with panic until I saw him squirming in his crib, his tiny face scrunched up as his cries filled the quiet room.


    I threw the nket aside, moving toward him, only to realize I wasn¡¯t the only one who had reacted.


    Kieran was already out of bed.


    His tall frame bent gracefully over the crib. His hands moved with surprising skill as he scooped the pup into his arms. His voice was low, soothing, a gentle hum. "Shh... it¡¯s alright, little one. We have got you."


    My breath caught.


    I stood frozen at the edge of the bed, watching the sight I had never imagined but would never forget. Kieran holding our son like he had been waiting for it all his life.


    The pup quieted almost immediately, nuzzling against Kieran¡¯s chest as though he belonged there.


    Something inside me broke open at the sight. A tidal wave of emotion surged through me - love, relief, ache, disbelief - all tangled together until I couldn¡¯t tell them apart.


    He turned then, his eyes finding mine in the dim light.


    And for the first time all night, the silence between us didn¡¯t feel heavy. It felt... fragile. Sacred.


    "Do you need to feed him?" he asked softly, his voice warm in a way that made my chest tighten.


    I nodded and stepped forward with trembling hands.


    And as he passed the baby into my arms, his fingers brushed mine - steady, warm, grounding.


    I realized then that maybe this night wasn¡¯t about awkward silences or racing hearts.


    Maybe it was about learning how to breathe in the same space. About sharing the weight of something new and terrifying and beautiful.


    Together.

 Chapter 356: Never Let Go

    <h4>Chapter 356: Never Let Go</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran had always been quiet, but tonight his presence was louder than thunder to me.


    I froze when I realized he was watching. My hand stilled on the half-undone button of my nightshirt, my breath caught as if he had stolen the very air out of my lungs. One look from him... one look into those warm golden-green eyes... was enough to tell me he understood. Without a word, he turned away and returned to his side of the bed.


    Relief washed over me in waves. He had given me space without needing me to ask. That simple gesture, that quiet care, made my chest ache in the gentlest way.


    I turned my back toward him, finally unbuttoning my nightshirt and guiding my son to nurse. The room filled with silence, except for the soft suckling sounds of the pup, the faint rustle of fabric, the whisper of my own heartbeat against my ribs. Slowly, curiosity got the better of me, and I peeked over my shoulder.


    What I found made me smile.


    Kieran hadn¡¯t just turned his back to me. He had curled onto his side, his broad shoulders a protective wall, his back a silent shield. It wasn¡¯t distance, it was protection, a way to make me feel safe even while I fed our child.


    The smile on my lips came unbidden, soft and tender. He always did this... he made room for me, gave me choices, respected the spaces I didn¡¯t know how to ask for.


    Once the baby was done, I shifted him gently in my arms to nurse on the other side, careful to prevent the ufortable ache of milk leaking. When his belly was finally full, I fixed my nightshirt and carefully adjusted my hair, tucking it behind my ears. My heart felt lighter somehow.


    "Professor," I called softly, my voice hardly above a whisper. "You can turn now."


    He rolled onto his back first, then to his side, his gaze immediately seeking out our son. By then, the little one was wide awake, kicking his tiny feet and waving his fists in the air as though he was ready to wrestle the world.


    Augh escaped me. The sound drew a small smile from Kieran - one of those rare, unguarded ones that melted his usual solemnity. He sat up and crossed his long legs on the mattress, scooting closer until he was directly in front of me. Hisrge hand reached out, careful and deliberate, and he wrapped his fingers around our pup¡¯s tiny hand.


    My breath caught again, though for apletely different reason this time.


    Every now and then, our gazes locked. And every time, I felt my heart stumble in my chest, skipping beats, tumbling over itself as though it couldn¡¯t keep up. Just a week ago, I never thought I could look at him like this without feeling weighed down by guilt. But things had changed. He wasn¡¯t just my mates¡¯ brother or my professor anymore. He was mine now. Entirely, wholly mine.


    "If your heart doesn¡¯t calm down soon," he murmured suddenly, his thumb stroking the baby¡¯s hand, "it might end up jumping out of your chest."


    My mouth fell open. Heat red up my neck and into my cheeks, and I instantly pped my free hand against my chest, as though I could muffle the wild rhythm he had noticed. His lips twitched, a shadow of amusement tugging at the corners.


    The mortification in me doubled when he tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with a quiet curiosity. "Tell me, Evaline... when exactly did you fall in love with me?"


    His question was like a lightning strike - unexpected, sharp, and impossible to ignore. My throat went dry. Words tangled on my tongue, caught somewhere between truth and anxiety.


    "I..." I gulped. "I don¡¯t have an exact time. It wasn¡¯t one moment... it was... everything. Over time, I just realized what I felt for you wasn¡¯t just respect or gratitude anymore. It... it was more."


    The weight of my confession hung between us, fragile and delicate like ss. I feared he might press me, ask for more I wasn¡¯t ready to unravel. But he didn¡¯t. He simply gave me a soft nod, epting my words for what they were, no questions asked. Relief flooded me again.


    Instead, we turned our focus to the pup. His little fingers curled around ours, and for half an hour, time lost all meaning. We yed with him,ughed quietly at his small antics, and just... existed. Together.


    When his movements grew sluggish and his eyes fluttered drowsily, I whispered to Kieran, "Here, let me show you a trick."


    I shifted the pup onto myp, his tiny head restingfortably against my thigh. Gently, I swayed my leg side to side, slow and rhythmic. Within minutes, his eyelids grew heavy, and then he was fast asleep.


    We both chuckled softly, the sound mixing in perfect harmony, before I carried him to the crib and tucked him in.


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    When I returned to the bed and slid beneath the nket, I realized quickly that sleep wouldn¡¯te to me easily a second time tonight. Not with Kieran lying right beside me. My thoughts were an endless storm - memories, confessions, the way his eyes had burned into me.


    I tried closing my eyes, tried breathing slowly, but my heart betrayed me every time.


    That was when I felt the movement. A shift in the mattress and the soft rustle of fabric. I turned my head and found him turning toward me, edging closer until there was hardly any space left between us.


    Then, without a word, he reached for my hand. His fingers slipped between mine, warm and steady, entwining them as though they belonged there all along.


    "Close your eyes," he said gently.


    I obeyed.


    "Take a deep breath."


    I inhaled shakily, then released it, my chest loosening under the weight of his voice.


    "Again," he murmured. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, grounding me in ways I didn¡¯t know I needed.


    When my breaths steadied, he continued, "Now... imagine tomorrow. Imagine how you¡¯ll spend it... with our son."


    Images filled my mind without resistance. Morning sunlight spilling into the room, the pup¡¯s tiny fingers grasping mine,ughter echoing through the house. Kieran¡¯s voice guided me through each breath, each thought, until my heart finally slowed to a gentle rhythm.


    Somewhere between his words and my own imagination, sleep tugged at me. Myst conscious memory was of his hand holding mine, steady and warm, as though he would never let go.

 Chapter 357: The One Pulling the Strings

    <h4>Chapter 357: The One Pulling the Strings</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The man on the floor was hardly recognizable. His body was broken, swollen in ces from blows, split open in others where blood still seeped sluggishly. But the wounds were already knitting together... signaling that he would soon be ready for another round of torture.


    I stared at him, with my arms folded across my chest and my jaw locked so tightly I thought it might shatter.


    This was him.


    Ethan ckwood.


    The so-called <i>mate</i> Evaline had once believed in. The boy who had stood in front of everyone and torn her heart apart.


    Though the truth was finally out that Kieran, and not Ethan, had been the mate she sensed that night, it still didn¡¯t exin why she felt the mate bond with Ethan the very next day and even experienced the pain when he rejected the bond. Was he indeed her mate?


    I had hated Ethan since that night of Alpha selection ceremony at Nightshade Pack. But now... now I wanted answers.


    Oscar crouched in front of him, his eyes glowing with barely leashed rage. "Start talking, ckwood. Or I swear you won¡¯t leave this ce alive."


    Ethan coughed, spitting blood onto the stone floor. His hands shook as he tried to push himself upright, but Draven¡¯s boot pressed him back down against the cold surface.


    "Stay where you are," Draven growled, his voice dark and heavy with the kind of menace only he could wield.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes darted between us, fear clear in their depths. He had already withstood hours of questioning, but not even a fool like him could keep silent forever.


    "I... I didn¡¯t n it," he rasped finally, his voice hoarse. "It wasn¡¯t me. It was Damian."


    My blood ran cold.


    "What?" I bit out, my voice like a whip crack in the room.


    Ethan¡¯s chest heaved. His face twisted with pain - not from his injuries, but from fear. "Damian Greystone. He nned everything. That night, on her eighteenth birthday... it wasn¡¯t me she was supposed to sleep with. It was him."


    Draven pressed his boot harder into Ethan¡¯s chest, his growl vibrating the air. "Be very careful with your words, ckwood. You are talking about her brotger."


    "I know!" Ethan¡¯s voice broke. "He hated her. He wanted to... to make her suffer. He was always obsessed with her. He had a vial... something he got from the dark markets. A drug. He wanted to use it on her, to cloud her senses, make her-"


    "Shut your mouth," I snapped, fury snapping my control. The very idea of Damian¡¯s twisted intentions toward Evaline made bile rise in my throat.


    Ethan flinched, his hands rising as if to shield himself. "I swear! I didn¡¯t touch her! She disappeared before Damian arrived. We never found her that night."


    My heart thundered, but I forced myself to keep my voice level. "And the next day? She felt a bond with you. She felt the rejection. Exin <i>that</i>."


    He swallowed hard, his split lip trembling. "It was a spell. Damian used a spell. Some kind of... illusionary tether. He was furious that she escaped that night, so he wanted to punish her. To humiliate her. He cast the spell so that she would feel the mate bond... with me. And then he told me exactly what to do. Reject her. Publicly. So she would feel the pain. The spell onlysted a short while, but it was enough."


    The room went deathly still.


    I felt my ws digging into my palms as rage wed its way through me. The image of my mate, trembling in front of two packs, her pain as the rejection tore her apart... all of it had been fabricated. All of it had been Damian¡¯s cruelty.


    Oscar surged forward, fisting Ethan¡¯s cor and yanking him upright. His eyes burned, his teeth bared. "You are telling me she went through that horrible pain, that shame... because of a spell?"


    "Yes!" Ethan cried, desperation spilling from him. "I didn¡¯t want to! I only did it because Damian forced me - he threatened me. I only ever spoke to her because he told me to. He said... he said to befriend her, to make her believe I cared. And then when I turned eighteen, he ordered me to tell her I felt the bond. It was all part of his n!"


    "Lies." Draven¡¯s voice cut through the air like ice. He crouched down, his eyes level with Ethan¡¯s. "You expect us to believe you were nothing but a pawn? And someone else was pulling your strings from behind the scenes?"


    "I swear!" Ethan¡¯s tears mixed with blood now, his voice cracking under the pressure. "Everything I did was under Damian¡¯s orders. I never wanted to be her friend.. I didn¡¯t care about her. I just... I followed what he said. Because if I didn¡¯t, he would destroy me."


    I closed my eyes for a brief second, pain spearing through me.


    Evaline. My sweet, strong Evaline. She had carried all that pain, all that heartbreak, for so long... believing she was unworthy, believing Ethan¡¯s rejection meant she wasn¡¯t enough. And all of it had been nothing more than a cruel maniption.


    "Do you realize what you have done?" My voice shook with suppressed fury. "You shattered her. You stood there and let her bleed for something that wasn¡¯t real."


    Ethan¡¯s mouth opened, but no words came out. His shoulders trembled.


    Oscar¡¯s fist connected with his face in the next breath, the sound of bone cracking echoing through the room. Ethan crumpled sideways with a groan, blood pooling beneath him.


    "Coward," Oscar spat, shaking his hand out. "You let Damian use her. You watched her suffer and even joined him. You are filth."


    Draven leaned close, his voice so low it was nearly a snarl. "And for every tear she shed, for every scar she carries... you will pay."


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    I couldn¡¯t speak anymore. My throat was tight, my chest burning with anger and helplessness. All I could see was Evaline¡¯s face on the night of Alpha selection ceremony. The agony that had haunted her, all because of this man and her vile stepbrother.


    Now we had our answers. But answers didn¡¯t ease the fury simmering in my veins. If anything, it made it worse.


    Because now I knew exactly who to me.


    And Damian Greystone would not live long enough to cast another spell.

 Chapter 358: Blade of Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 358: de of Guilt</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The coppery stench of blood lingered in the dungeon like a curse. Ethan¡¯s shallow breaths rasped against the stone floor. His face was mangled, his body a patchwork of bruises and torn flesh.


    Every part of me screamed to end it. To finish him. To drive my ws through his chest so he could never again draw breath, never again taint this world with his existence.


    He had already destroyed too much - my mate¡¯s innocence, her trust, her sense of worth. For that alone, he deserved to die.


    My ws flexed at my sides. My wolf ready toe out and handle the matter. It would be so easy. One strike. One heartbeat, and this would be over.


    But not yet.


    I forced myself to step back, my chest heaving with the effort of restraint. "No." My voice echoed in the stone chamber, rough and unyielding.


    Oscar¡¯s head snapped toward me, his eyes burning with disbelief. "No? River, he deserves to die. You heard him. He admitted it. He admitted everything." His fists clenched, blood still dripping down his knuckles.


    Draven bared his teeth, a snarl lodged deep in his throat. "You are stopping us for what? He humiliated our mate. He made her cry. He caused her suffering and pain. You want him to breathe another day?"


    I turned to them both, meeting their fury head on. They were younger, their tempers quicker, their rage harder to contain. But I was not just their brother, but also their Alpha. And more than that... I was also Evaline¡¯s mate. I could not afford to be reckless. Not now.


    "We can¡¯t kill him yet," I said firmly. "Not until we know everything. We need him alive long enough to tear out every truth he and Damian are hiding."


    Oscar growled low, but I saw the conflict in his eyes. He wanted blood - Ethan¡¯s blood. Yet he also knew I was right.


    Draven shoved a hand through his dark hair, pacing the length of the dungeon. "Damn it." His voice cracked with raw frustration. "I hate that you are right."


    "Good," I muttered. "Then trust me. He will die... but only when we have wrung him dry of what he knows."


    The words didn¡¯t taste satisfying, but they were necessary. Ethan ckwood would get his death, but on our terms.


    I stepped back, breathing hard, and nced once more at his limp, broken form. "Keep him unconscious," I ordered. "No food, no water until I say. He can heal in the dark while he waits for what¡¯sing."


    The decision weighed heavy, but it steadied me. There was more to uncover, and that meant one target still remained.


    "Jasper." My voice rose in the silence.


    My beta stepped forward from the shadows, his expression grim, awaiting my nextmand.


    "Bring me Damian Greystone," I ordered. "Alive. From the bordering pack where I exiled him." My voice dropped lower, harsher. "I don¡¯t care what it takes. Break him, chain him, drag him by his throat if you have to. But bring him here."


    Jasper bowed his head once,. "Consider it done." Without another word, he vanished into the shadows, his steps fading quickly.


    I exhaled slowly, running a hand over my face.


    The dungeon felt tighter, suffocating, as though every brick absorbed Ethan¡¯s sins. I turned away, my brothers following in silence.


    We left Ethan broken on the floor. For now.


    - - -


    It was nearly dawn when we climbed the stairs out of the dungeon. Six in the morning. Two hours had slipped by in that pit of blood and confessions. Two hours since Jasper had first called to say Ethan ckwood had been captured and locked away in our estate.


    I hadn¡¯t wasted a second rushing down here with Oscar and Draven. And we hadn¡¯t stopped until the truth had been beaten out of him.


    But now the sun was beginning to creep across the horizon. Kieran was still with Evaline, guarding her and the pup at the new house. He had no idea what we had done while he held their world together.


    I clenched my jaw. Thest thing I wanted was for Evaline to even sense the darkness we had carried tonight.


    Oscar and Draven fell into step beside me. Both were bloodied, their knuckles raw, their clothes stained. We couldn¡¯t return to her like this. Not when our pup was waiting for us too.


    "We clean up first," I said as we crossed the hall. "Showers. New clothes. Not a trace of this touches her and the child."


    Neither of my brothers argued. We might not agree on when Ethan should die, but we all agreed on one thing - our mate and the pup would never be stained with the filth of this vengeance.


    - - -


    <fn4ecd> Content originallyes from f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn4ecd>


    By the time we stepped out of the showers, steam rolling away in thick clouds, the stench of blood had been reced with soap and fresh linen. New clothes hung crisp against our shoulders. We looked presentable again - calm, collected. No one would know where we had been.


    But inside, rage was still burning.


    The car ride back to the new house was quiet at first, the hum of the engine a dull background to the storm in my head. Then Oscar broke the silence.


    "How the hell did Damian even get his hands on a spell like that?" His voice was sharp,ced with disbelief. "Spells don¡¯t just fall into yourp. They have been gone for centuries."


    Draven frowned, his gaze fixed on the passing forest outside the window. "He had to have had a contact. Someone hiding, someone with ess to the old bloodlines. But who?"


    I gripped the steering wheel tighter. They were right - magic had no ce in our world anymore. The witches were gone, their kind wiped out long before any of us were born. The rare descendants that remained had buried themselves deep in exile, hiding on distant inds or cloakednds. The chances of one crossing Damian¡¯s path were nearly nonexistent.


    And yet... here we were.


    "It wasn¡¯t chance," I said finally, my voice low. "I have this feeling that there¡¯s more to this than we know."


    Silence stretched again, heavier this time.


    Then Draven¡¯s words cut through it, sharp with disbelief. "I still can¡¯t wrap my head around it. Damian wanted to drug her. He wanted to-" He stopped himself, rage ring hot in his eyes. "What kind of monster thinks that way about his own sister?"


    The question twisted inside me like a de.


    Because it wasn¡¯t just rage I felt now. It was guilt.

 Chapter 359: She is Extraordinary

    <h4>Chapter 359: She is Extraordinary</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    For months I thought I knew her past. My men had dug through her history before I ever made her mine. I had discovered the surface - her mother¡¯s death, her father¡¯s ignorance, her stepmother¡¯s cruelty, her stepsiblings¡¯ and pack¡¯s bullying. It was enough to make me want to protect her, enough to try and heal her scars. Or so I thought.


    But tonight had opened my eyes.


    The truth ran deeper, darker than anything I had imagined.


    I stared out at the pale dawn breaking over the treetops, my chest heavy. All this time, I thought I knew. I thought I understood what she endured. But I only knew what was in in sight. And now... now I realize there¡¯s more. Things she never told anyone. Things she buried so deep she hoped no one would ever dig them up.


    I noticed how Oscar was clenching his fists in hisp, while Draven had a grim expression on his face as he stared out the window.


    I breathed out slowly, the ache of it pressing against my ribs. I wanted the truth. I needed it. But stars help me... I was terrified of what we would uncover.


    Because if what Ethan ckwood confessed tonight was only the beginning... what else had our mate survived before she came to us?


    And how much of her pain was still hidden, waiting to shatter us all?


    We pulled into the driveway of our new home just as the first rays of dawn touched the sky, painting it with pale gold. I cut the engine and sat for a moment, my hands tight around the steering wheel. My brothers were restless as well, both Oscar and Draven still buzzing with the remnants of violence, anger, and unanswered questions. I could feel their tension like sparks in the air.


    But when my eyes lifted toward the windows of the new house, my chest loosened just a fraction. Behind those curtains, Evaline and our pup were still sleeping. Kieran too, no doubt curled close to them. That sight alone made everything worth enduring - the blood on our hands, the questions left gnawing at me, the restraint it had taken not to end Ethan¡¯s life tonight.


    "Go get some rest," I told Oscar and Draven once we stepped out.


    They both looked at me, reluctant, their hands flexing at their sides as if they still wanted to spill more blood. I understood the feeling too well. But right now, exhaustion threatened to weigh them down, and thest thing I wanted was for Evaline to sense the storm raging inside them.


    <fn7f4f> Find the newest release on F?ndNovel</fn7f4f>


    After a beat, Oscar rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, "Fine." Draven only grumbled under his breath but followed him upstairs.


    I didn¡¯t follow. My blood was still running too hot for sleep. My head too full. Instead, I crossed the hallway and made for the study, shutting the heavy door behind me. The silence that followed was thick, grounding. It gave me the space I needed to breathe, to think.


    Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts until my thumb hovered over a familiar number. ndor. The old healer had long retired from the Council and now spent his days with family, far from the chaos of our world. I had promised I would never bother him again. And yet... here I was.


    I hit dial.


    It only rang twice before his warm, aged voice answered. "Alpha River Thorne? Now this is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure, my lord?"


    A corner of my mouth lifted. Even now, he teased. "It¡¯s been a while, old man. I wouldn¡¯t have disturbed your retirement if it wasn¡¯t important."


    He chuckled softly. "Ah, so it¡¯s not a courtesy call. Good. My grandchildren already think I¡¯m losing my mind. Tell me, then. What¡¯s troubling you?"


    I leaned against the desk, staring at the floorboards as I chose my words carefully. "I need your thoughts on a case. Hypothetical."


    "I¡¯m listening."


    I inhaled slowly. "If... a girl felt the mate bond with a man on their first chance encounter... and when they met again, she never felt it again. What could cause that?"


    Silence.


    I could almost hear the frown on his face through the line. Finally, he spoke. "That is unusual. The mate bond doesn¡¯t simply vanish. Once it reveals itself, it lingers. Sometimes softer, sometimes overwhelming, but always present. Unless..."


    My chest tightened. "Unless what?"


    "Unless something is wrong with either wolf. Do both parties have their wolves intact?"


    The question caught me off guard. I froze for a second, then forced myself to answer. "The girl... doesn¡¯t have a wolf."


    There was a pause. Then, in a low, steady voice, ndor said, "That exins it. A wolfless one cannot sustain the bond in the same way others can. Without a wolf, she can only experience that overwhelming, magical connection once - the very first time fate reveals her mate. After that, what remains is the pull, the attraction, the undeniable tether... but never again that first spark."


    His wordsnded like stones in my chest. Heavy. Irrefutable.


    "You are certain?" My voice came out softer than I intended.


    "As certain as one can be with something so rare," he replied. "I have only heard of it through ancient ounts, healers older than me. But it matches what you have described exactly."


    My grip on the phone tightened. Evaline¡¯s voice echoed in my memory, her quiet confessions that she only felt the bond once with each of us. How she had med herself, as if something in her was broken. How she had wondered if it made her less.


    All this time... it wasn¡¯t her fault. It was the fate.


    As if sensing my silence, ndor¡¯s tone softened. "River, whoever she is... she is not less. Fate doesn¡¯t waste bonds on the unworthy. If she bears such a condition and still has a bond? That only proves how extraordinary she is."


    My throat burned. I shut my eyes, forcing my voice to steady. "She is," I admitted. "More than extraordinary."


    "Then don¡¯t let her forget it," he said firmly. "Others will doubt her. She will doubt herself. But you... you cannot. Remember that, River."


    The call ended soon after, but I didn¡¯t move. I stayed leaning against the desk, the phone heavy in my hand, staring at nothing.


    ndor was right. My mate was extraordinary. Every damn day, she carried the weight of being wolfless in a world that worshiped wolves as life itself, and yet she survived. She fought. She built her life from nothing. And still, she smiled. Still, she loved.


    I thought I knew strength. I thought I embodied it. But next to Evaline Greystone, my kind of strength felt shallow. She bore scars I couldn¡¯t even begin toprehend. And now, with this answer... I understood her better. Her fears. Her hesitations. Her silence when Kieran turned out to be our pup¡¯s father.


    I let out a long breath, raking a hand over my face before straightening. It was still early. The house was quiet. And for the first time in hours, so was I.


    I left the study and walked up the stairs and down the hall until I reached her room. I didn¡¯t go inside. I only stood there, hand brushing the doorframe.


    Inside, I could hear her soft breaths, the tiny sound of the pup shifting, the faint rustle of nkets. My wolf pressed hard against me, wanting me to open the door, to look at her, to touch her, to assure myself she was safe.


    Not yet. She needed her rest. They both did.


    I turned and walked away, heading to my own room. Even the strongest needed rest. Iy down, and though my body resisted sleep, when it came, it carried with it images of amber eyes and the softugh of a pup.

 Chapter 360: The Naming Game

    <h4>Chapter 360: The Naming Game</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time brunch was over, my belly felt pleasantly full and my heart even fuller. Madam Elira had outdone herself with the food, and my friends had not stoppedughing since they had sat down.


    Rowan teased Kyros over the way he piled his te like he hadn¡¯t eaten in days, Mallory and Draven were busy nning something in hushed whispers as if not everyone around them had a wolf¡¯s hearing strength, and somehow Oscar had managed to win every small debate at the table, as if the meal was just another battlefield.


    After the dishes were cleared, we all migrated to the living room. The house suddenly felt alive, brimming with voices,ughter, and the asional sound of the pup¡¯s soft gurgles. Our sony in my arms, dressed in the pale blue outfit Mallory had brought as a gift. He seemed content, blinking up at the ceiling as if it held secrets only he could see.


    Mallory pped her hands, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. "Alright, time to y! We can¡¯t keep calling him ¡¯pup¡¯ forever. The little master deserves a name, and today we are going to pick it."


    Kieran, who was lounging near the window, arched a brow. "And how exactly do you intend to make that decision, Miss Campbell? By drawing straws?"


    Mallory grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Close. We are going to y a naming game."


    "Oh, Goddess," River muttered under his breath, making us chuckle.


    I tilted my head, curious. "What kind of game?"


    She stood in the middle of the room like a host about to unveil a grand performance. "Here¡¯s how it works. Everyone has already thought of a name, right?"


    There were nods all around. Even Kyros lifted his hand.


    "Good. We¡¯ll write our chosen names on slips of paper. No one signs their slip. Then, we¡¯ll put them in this bowl" - she snatched an empty fruit bowl from the table - "and shuffle them."


    Oscar smirked. "Sounds too simple. Where¡¯s the game in that?"


    Mallory¡¯s grin widened. "Patience. Once the names are shuffled, we¡¯ll draw them one at a time. Each person will read the name aloud, and then the room votes with tokens."


    "Tokens?" I asked.


    Rowan produced a small pouch with colored stones. "Already taken care of. Mallory recruited mest night."


    Mallory took the pouch, tossing it lightly in her hand. "Everyone gets three stones. You can use them to vote for whichever names you like, but you can¡¯t ce more than one stone on the same name. At the end, the name with the most stones wins."


    "And if there¡¯s a tie?" Draven leaned forward, grinning like a predator who already smelled chaos.


    "Then the mother gets to choose," Mallory dered. "She has the final say."


    I blinked, surprised. "Me?"


    "Of course you. You carried him, birthed him, and you are raising him. The rest of us are just here to make things fun."


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that. My cheeks warmed as all eyes briefly turned to me, but I nodded. "Alright. Let¡¯s y."


    Madam Elira, who had been hovering at the edge with a fond smile, fetched paper and pens. Everyone scribbled down their choices with exaggerated secrecy. Draven hid his hand like a gambler guarding his cards, while Rowan turned his backpletely to make sure Kyros wasn¡¯t peeking. I wrote mine quickly, my fingers trembling slightly. Naming my child... it felt so monumental, like branding him with a piece of my heart forever.


    Once the slips were folded and tossed into the bowl, Mallory shook it dramatically, then held it out to me. "Mama gets to draw."


    I reached in and pulled out the first slip. Unfolding it carefully, I read, "Lunaris."


    A murmur rippled through the room. "Nice," Rowan admitted. "It means something along the line ¡¯of the moon¡¯, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "Latin origin," Mallory supplied.


    Votes were ced. Three stones. The name was beautiful, but it didn¡¯t quitend.


    The next slip revealed "Elias." Strong, sharp. Draven sat straighter, and I suspected it was his. That one earned four stones, mostly from my friends.


    Then came "Ryan."


    My heart tugged at the sound. I noticed as Oscar¡¯s lips curled slightly, and I knew it was his. Five stones.


    Round after round, names were drawn - "Kaelen," "Oliver," "Luceris." Each one sparked whispers, smiles, and a little rivalry. But none struck with finality.


    Finally, I unfolded thest slip.


    "Lioren."


    The moment the name passed my lips, silence fell. Even the pup blinked up at me as if he recognized it. I repeated it, softer this time, tasting it like honey. "Lioren."


    "Moonlight," Kieran said quietly from his ce by the window. His voice was low but certain. "It means moonlight."


    I turned my head toward him. He wasn¡¯t smirking or posturing like the others. His gaze rested on the pup, tender and unguarded in a way that made my breath catch.


    "Moonlight for the boy born on the night of the full moon," Mallory whispered, her usual teasing gone.


    Oscar dropped his stone first, the clink echoing in the hush. Then Draven, River, Rowan, Kyros, and finally Mallory. I set mine downst, my fingers trembling. Every single stonended on Lioren.


    Iughed softly, overwhelmed. "Unanimous?"


    Mallory pped again, though her eyes were shining. "Unanimous."


    "Lioren Thorne," River said, testing the sound. His deep voice made it resonate through the room.


    Draven leaned forward, grinning at the baby. "Little Lioren."


    Oscar nodded approvingly. "It suits him."


    I looked down at my son... at Lioren. His tiny hand had curled around the edge of my blouse, and he yawned, as if to ept the name we had given him. My chest swelled, my eyes prickling. "Lioren," I whispered again, kissing the soft crown of his head. "My Lioren."


    <fn8821> Fresh chapters posted on Find1Novel</fn8821>


    Kieran still hadn¡¯t moved. His eyes were locked on us, unreadable shadows flickering in their depths. But when my gaze caught his, something passed between us - an unspoken truth. This wasn¡¯t just a name. It was a promise. His promise.


    The room erupted again with chatter, jokes, and yful arguments about who would spoil Lioren the most. Kyros imed he would be the fun uncle, Rowan swore he would teach him how to have fun, and Mallory immediately announced she would make him the best-dressed pup in themunity.


    But I barely heard them. My world had narrowed to the now sleeping child in my arms... and the quiet, steady presence of the man who had given him his name.


    Lioren.


    Moonlight.


    Yes, it was perfect.


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