Chapter 69
Juno’s POV
That night, sleep eluded me. I lay beside Augustin, listening to his steady breathing as he slumbered peacefully next to me. My mind refused to quiet, cycling through the events of the day, searching for connections, patterns, anything that might make sense of the chaos.
Who would want to frame Fireland and Forestvale? What purpose did Helena Holbrooke’s death serve? I knew so little about her, which made the entire situation even more baffling.
I rolled onto my side, studying Augustin’s profile in the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains. He was too exhausted to notice my restlessness, his features relaxed in sleep in a way they rarely were when he was awake.
My thoughts drifted to Clifflands, to Forestvale, to the potential danger Augustin’s mother still faced. But most of all, I worried about Evanth’s hostility toward me. It felt personal, visceral, and I couldn’t understand why. What had I done to earn such hatred from a man I barely knew?
Eventually, I must have drifted off because the next thing I knew, early morning light was streaming through the windows.
I crept out of bed, careful not to wake Augustin, and made my way to the bathroom. The hot water of the shower was a welcome distraction from my troubled thoughts. I closed my eyes, letting the water cascade over me, hoping it would wash away my anxiety along with the tension in my muscles.
So absorbed was I in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Augustin had joined me until I felt his hands on my waist. I jumped, startled, and turned to find him standing naked behind me, already aroused.
“Sorry,” he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
His eyes narrowed as he studied my face. “What’s wrong? You look worried.”
I sighed, leaning back against his chest. “I can’t stop thinking about what happened to your mother. If she had died…”
“But she didn’t,” Augustin reminded me gently, his arms tightening around me.
“If she had, you might have declared war on Forestvale,” I continued. On my people. On Matthew.”
Augustin turned me to face him, his eyes serious. “I wouldn’t attack your people or your ex because I love you. I’m not the man I was before, Berry. I investigate first, then act.”
“Evanth thinks I’m involved somehow.”
Augustin’s jaw tightened. “Evanth can’t hurt you. I won’t allow it. I trust you with my life, Juno. I know you’d never betray me.”
The conviction in his voice was overwhelming. Before I could respond, he lifted me effortlessly, guiding my legs around his waist.
“Now,” he grinned, his mood shifting, “it would be a shame to waste this.” He glanced down meaningfully.
I laughed despite myself, the sound echoing off the bathroom tiles.
Augustin carried me from the shower to the bed, leaving a trail of water droplets behind us. F his head between my thighs without preamble.
me down gently, then lowered
I gasped at the first touch of his tongue, my hands immediately finding his damp hair. He knew exactly how to please me, alternating between gentle licks and firmer pressure against my pussy.
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Chapter 69
Then his fingers joined his mouth, sliding inside me with practiced ease, crooking to find that spot that made me see stars. ! moaned, my back arching off the bed.
–
It didn’t take long before I was huddering through my first orgasm. Before I could fully recover, he was positioning himself at my pussy, sliding into me with one powerful thrust.
His hips snapping against mine with an urgency that suggested he’d been waiting for this all night. I wrapped my legs around him, meeting each thrust with one of my own.
“Mine,” he growled against my neck, his teeth grazing my skin.
“Yours,” I agreed breathlessly, feeling another climax building rapidly
building
Augustin lasted an impressively long time, bringing me to completion twice more before finally allowing himself release with a deep groan. Afterward, we lay side by side, catching our breath.
“I can’t think about war,” he said suddenly. “Not when all I want is to build a family with you.”
I turned to look at him, surprise evident on my face.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” Augustin continued, his expression earnest. “There’s a reason I’ve never taken precautions with you, Berry. I want to settle down and have children. I want you to be my wife, my mate, my Luna Queen.”
Tears sprang to my eyes, and I nodded, unable to speak.
Reaching over to his nightstand, Augustin retrieved a small velvet box. “I’ve been carrying this around for days, waiting for the right moment. But I don’t want to wait anymore.”
He took my hand in his, his thumb stroking my palm. “You make me feel whole, Juno. I want to make this official.”
“No one will ever call you a whore or a prisoner again, because you’re not those things. You’re the woman I love, the woman I want by my side for the rest of my life.”
His eyes burned with intensity as he continued, “I offer you my respect, my life, and everything I am. Will you take this step with
me?”
Opening the box, he revealed a stunning ruby ring. “I chose rubies because they match your hair,” he explained, sliding it onto my finger. The white gold setting made the deep red gems look even more exquisite.
I kissed him, my heart overflowing with emotion. This was my second proposal, and I prayed it would be my last.
Augustin seemed pleased with my response, pulling me back into his arms for another round of lovemaking. This time was different
each touch, each kiss infused with certainty and commitment.
He took his time, worshipping every inch of my body with a reverence that brought fresh tears to my eyes. His movements were sure and passionate, his body claiming mine in the most fundamental way.
As our passion built, I felt our wolves stirring within us. Augustin’s wolf, Fenris, was taking over, making everything wilder, more primal. My own wolf, Seraphine, awakened in response, eager to join this play.
In this more primitive, instinctual state, our wolves also agreed – we would be mates for life.
Mine. Fenris growled.
Yours. Seraphine responded.
2/3
The Broken Luna’s Sacrifice
Matthew’s POV
The atmosphere in the Pineridge Pack meeting hall was thick with tension. I could feel the fear and anger coming off the Alphas who had remained loyal to me.
I stood at the head of the long table, surveying the faces of those who had answered my call. Some looked defeated, others defiant, but all of them carried the weight of our current crisis. The invasion of Forestvale by Kieran’s forces had pushed us to the brink.
“Thank you all for coming,” I began, my voice firm despite the exhaustion pulling at me. “I know the situation is dire.”
Alpha Charles, Isabelle’s father, leaned forward. “Dire? That’s putting it mildly, Matthew. Half our territory is already under Kieran’s
control.
“And whose fault is that?” Bruce spat, glaring across the table at Quinn, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “If you hadn’t invited that bastard into our lands-”
“Enough!” I slammed my palm against the table. “Placing blame won’t solve our problems.
The room fell silent. I understood their anger – Quinn’s decision to ally with Kieran had opened the door to this invasion. But I hadn’t called this meeting to watch them tear each other apart.
What’s done is done,” I continued, making eye contact with each Alpha in turn. “What matters now is how we move forward. Kieran isn’t just satisfied with those who voluntarily joined him. He wants all of Forestvale under his control – including us.”
Maddox sitting to my right, snorted. “He’s delusional if he thinks well ever bow to him.”
“I called you here because we need to discuss a peaceful resolution,” announced.
The words had barely left my mouth when the room erupted in outrage. Voices overlapped as Alphas shouted their opposition.
“Peace? With that madman?”
“He’s already rejected our neutrality!”
“We should fight back!”
I let them vent for a moment before raising my hand for silence. “I understand your frustration. But we need to be realistic about our options.”
Charles scoffed. “The man has lost his mind. He’s calling himself the rightful Alpha King because he killed Nathanael Levenston years ago. How do you negotiate with that kind of delusion?”
I nodded, acknowledging his point. “That’s why we need to make our position clear. We don’t recognize his claim. We don’t want war with Clifflands. We just want to be left alone.”
“And how exactly do we do that?” Alpha Alvin asked, his normally confident voice now tinged with doubt. “We’ve already declared neutrality, and he’s still harassing our borders, taking our people.”
nidly, “Maybe… maybe we should
Jonathan, one of the older Alphas whose granddaughter had been taken to Clifflands, spoke just accept what’s happened. Juno’s letter said our people are safe in Clifflands. Maybe fighting will only lead to more suffering.”
I smelled the fear emanating from him. Jonathan had surrendered his granddaughter as tribute to save his pack after his daughter had already been claimed by another Alpha. His guilt and fear had hallowed him out.
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Chapter 70
“Coward’s talk, Bruce growled his eyes flashing gold. “I say we show this upstart that not all of Forestvale is his for the taking. We fight back, prove our strength)
The scent of aggression filled room, but I shook my head firmly. No. War is not the answer.”
Then what is? Bruce challenged.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “We’ve already lost three Lunds to Cliffjands. Our packs are weakened, our leadership compromised.” I paused, thinking of Juno’s words from long ago. “Juno used to say that sometimes being smart is better than being strong. We need to be smart now.”
“So what’s your plan?” Maddox asked.
“I will meet with Kieran. Face to face. Try to negotiate peace terms.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Then Bruce laughed, the sound bitter and sharp.
“Negotiate? With Kieran? The man is greedy for power. He won’t stop until he has everything.”
I stood my ground. “We have to try. For our people.”
“This is Quinn’s mess,” Charles said, pointing an accusatory finger. Let him risk his neck meeting with that monster.”
I felt my patience wearing thin. “This isn’t just Quinn’s responsibility It’s all of ours. We made decisions as a council. And as the leader of the strongest pack in Forestvale, it falls to me to meet with Kieran.”
Maddox stood suddenly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. “If anything happens to you, Matthew, we’ll declare war on Kieran. We might not win, but we’ll make damn sure he bleeds.”
I studied Maddox’s face, recognizing the personal vendetta in his eyes. His hatred for Kieran wasn’t just about territory – it was
about Scarlett.
“I’ve written to Scarlett multiple times,” he said, as if reading my thoughts. “Not a single reply. Maybe Juno’s letter was written
under duress.”
I felt a growl building in my chest. “Don’t compare your situation to mine, Maddox. I never raised a hand to Juno. I was a husband to her in every way that mattered.”
“And yet you let her go,” he challenged.
“I would die for her,” I replied. “Can you say the same about Scarlett?
He had no answer for that, and I hadn’t expected one. I’d seen the scars left by silver weapons on Nova’s white fur. Can’t believe Maddox was cruel enough to hurt Scarlett’s wolf like that, but I kept my mouth shut at the time. It wasn’t my place. And now I suspected Maddox was simply looking for a thrill, not mourning a woman he’d truly loved.
“Quinn,” I said, turning to the silent Alpha. “Arrange a meeting at the border between Emberhill Pack and Fireland. Kieran will feel
safer there.”
Quinn nodded, relief washing over his features at being given a purpose.
“This meeting is adjourned, I announced, already feeling drained. “I’ll update you all after I
oken with Kieran.
As the Alphas filed out, I noticed my phone buzzing with messages from Isabelle. She’d been trying to reach me throughout the meeting. With a sigh, I headed home, wondering what new crisis awaited me there.
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Chapter 70
My heart raced as I approach my honek khả spotted C Climands warriors had visited my home, they’d taken by
Stay calm, I told myself.
I walked up to my door. Inside, I found textile Nevering rusively pregnancy that would give us triplets – Heve that she had incomplete, shattered by the knowledge that I wouldn’t experience
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I’d begun to accept that it was my own weakness, not fate, that fat Broken my heart.
Matthew,” Isabelle said, relief evident in her voice. “Clifinde sent a emissary. He’s waiting to speak with yes.
I nodded, steeling myself for whatever was to come.
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