Keal’s POV
Eira had fallen asleep in that soft mattress by the glass window. Her pets huddled by her side. I went to her and gently carried her in my arms, making sure her sleep won’t be disturbed.
I could feel my four brothers’ gazes on me as they must be still surprised at my actions. But I chose to ignore them, while they didn’t dare ask me a thing.
Inside my room, I placed her in the bed. Another night I would be spending with her, a peaceful night and devoid of any torment that I had been going through for the past six years.
Now I know the reason of that pain. I truly deserved every bit of it.
I turned off the lights, got into the bed, and as if staring to be closer to her since ages, I held her in my arms. Surrounded by her presence, her scent, the world felt quiet and peaceful.
I could hear my wolf letting out a soft growl of contentment. He was at a peace as well.
It should have always been like this. Her and Me. It was meant to be.
We were meant to be.
---
Roman’s POV
The next day, the drug Grimhaze was to be given to Eira. All of us were tense in our own ways, though no one dared to show it. We placed our trust in Lucian’s judgment—he knew the effects of every drug, its risks, and its outcomes.
She had spent the previous night in Kael’s room. I did not know why he insisted on it, but he was our Alpha, and we followed him. Since learning she was not the reason behind his parents’ slaughter, he had grown softer toward her, almost protective.
I could see the sincerity in his eyes, the desperate way he tried to win her attention. Yet he failed miserably each time. It was both laughable and pitiful, watching the proudest, most powerful Alpha lower himself for someone. Kael, who never bowed to anyone, had made Eira his exception.
No doubt he must curse me to see how easily I got her attention. Well! He could take his time learning the things or two.
Eira had breakfast in her usual place, apart from us, ignoring my invitation without a second glance. No one pressed her further. She ate with her two pets, forming a quiet little family of her own. We let her be.
Lucian had prepared her favorite chocolate pancakes that morning. By fortune, the rest of us were allowed to share them as well.
As I ate, my thoughts wandered to the moon festival. What should I give her? It would be the first time I ever bought a gift for a woman. I needed something she would not reject.
"How long till the drug takes effect?" Kael asked Lucian.
"After breakfast, she will feel sleepy for a while," Lucian answered calmly. "Then it will begin. Twenty minutes, at most, with the dose I gave her. We have to be gone before that."
We hurried through the meal, though none of us truly ate. Soon, we left the house to avoid letting her sense our presence. But we did not leave entirely. Instead, we gathered in the security room, watching her through the glowing screens.
The guards had been dismissed, and the five of us settled into the chairs, silent and tense.
I shifted uneasily, eyes fixed on her image. "Don’t you think one of us should stay nearby? Just in case she—"
"We are werewolves," Lucian cut me off sharply. "How long would it take to reach her at full speed? A few seconds?"
"Well—"
"Stop acting like a weak human," he snapped, his voice thick with annoyance. "And don’t pretend you’re the only one who cares for her."
"I have every right to act this way," I shot back, refusing to yield. "The way you bastards treated her, I can damn well say I’m the only one who cares for her. You can shove your newly found care up your asses."
Lucian’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and I lifted a brow, daring him to deny the truth of my words.
"Smug bastard," he muttered with a scowl. "Then go to her, if you want. If the plan fails, we’ll have to drug her again—thanks to you."
I exhaled sharply, leaning back. "Yeah, I’ll stay put. But if things get out of hand, I’ll go straight to her."
Lucian did not argue further. His gaze shifted to Kael. "You, especially, must stay out of her sight until she calms."
The flicker of pain in Kael’s cold eyes did not escape me. Any one of us could go to her, but not him. To her, the creature she feared most was his kind—a black wolf.
Kael hummed in reluctant agreement, his stare fixed on the screen where her image glowed, distant yet unbearably close.
Eira’s POV
Were they giving me some medicine to keep it in check?
I almost smiled. This naughty cat...
My breath seized. I sank myself further back in where I was sitting. My eyes widened in horror, and my heart nearly stopped beating. A wave of panic and dread crashed over me. My body trembled uncontrollably as sweat broke out across my skin, each drop cold as ice.
That black wolf never broke his glare. His eyes, burning with murderous intent, followed me as he took one heavy step forward. His intentions were clear—he wanted to kill me.
My chest tightened with panic. Yet more than my own life, it was my pets I feared for.
"Stay away!" I cried, my trembling voice barely escaping my throat.
"Vixen, Fluffy, go! Run away!" My scream tore out, hoarse and desperate. "That wolf will kill you!"
Fluffy turned his head toward me, ears pricked, but Vixen only continued playing as though nothing threatened her. "Fluffy! Vixen! Come here!" I shouted again, louder this time, the edge of hysteria in my voice.
Faithful Fluffy obeyed, running to me, but Vixen only sat where she was, staring with wide, unknowing eyes. My heart pounded with dread.
"That wolf will eat you!" I screamed at her, but she tilted her head innocently, as if she could not sense the danger at all. I wanted to go to her, but my feet wouldn’t move. The fear had left my body utterly immovable.
Perhaps her pregnancy dulled her instincts. She did not realize the monster that stood before her.
I shot to my feet and snatched up whatever my hand found—a cushion. I hurled it at the wolf with all my strength. It missed, falling uselessly, just as the bullets once had.
My hands trembled as I seized a vase from the table and flung it at him. "Go away! Don’t harm my pets!" My voice broke into a raw shriek.
One by one, I hurled anything within reach. Objects shattered against the floor, the walls, yet never struck the beast. My ears rang with the crash of breaking glass and Fluffy’s furious barking, sharp and relentless.
But the wolf did not falter. He advanced, unshaken, each step louder, heavier, until his massive form towered over me. A monstrous shadow ready to devour. His growls filled my mind with another wave of fear
My legs buckled, and I collapsed to the floor, scrambling back until the wall behind trapped me in place. My breath came in ragged sobs. His muzzle dipped low, his face looming closer—so close his hot breath brushed my skin.
His jaw opened, teeth glinting in the dim light, a maw of death reaching for me. With a cry, I curled in on myself, covering my head with my arms, and screamed and screamed my throat out.
But then, I found a pair of hands circled me and pulled in the warm and protective embrace.

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