Chapter 31

POV: Eve

I wasn’t planning to kiss Gavriel.

I wasn’t planning any of this.

But the moment his lips met mine, everything else vanished.

No war. No witches. No Caelum.

Just us.

Just the mate bond pulsing between us, raw and undeniable, like a drumbeat in my blood.

His mouth was heat and command, molding to mine with a hunger so fierce it unraveled me.

I gasped against his lips, my hands finding the solid heat of his chest—muscle and strength, all power restrained.—his sculpted, solid warrior’s chest. My fingers curled, grasping for something to hold on to.

I needed to feel him.

I needed this.

My hands slid over his shoulders, up his neck, tangling into his dark blonde hair. I tugged lightly, and he growled into my mouth, his grip on my waist tightening as he pulled me against him.

A broken sound escaped me as his tongue slid against mine, deep and slow, like he was memorizing the taste of me.

And I let him. Gods, I needed him.

I let him. I wanted him.

His hand slid into my hair, fingers twisting in the strands, his grip almost desperate. His other hand pressed into my lower back, pulling me flush against the hard lines of his body.

I melted.

Because this—this was what I should have had.

What had been stolen from me.

And then, just as my body surrendered completely to him—

A sharp burn flared at my neck.

My breath caught.

Caelum’s mark.

It scorched my skin like fire, sending a pulse through my veins.

A reminder.

I was his.

I stiffened, torn between the bond that was meant to be and the one that had been forced upon me.

Both real.

Both undeniable.

Both mine.

“Luna Eve.”

The voice was distant. Like I was underwater.

I barely registered it, lost in the storm of Gavriel.

And then—

“Luna Eve.”

I recognized the voice this time.

Ellara.

My lips parted from Gavriel’s with a sharp intake of breath, my chest rising and falling too fast.

I looked up at him, my fingertips still touching my lips, remembering the way he felt.

His hazel eyes burned, his expression a mix of overwhelm, longing, and something deeper.

I swallowed hard. “I—I have to go.”

He nodded, but he didn’t step back.

And neither did I.

I left a piece of myself there, with him, as I walked away.

Caelum was looking for me.

I didn’t want to go.

Not yet.

I needed time. Space. A breath that didn’t feel stolen from my lungs.

But my feet moved anyway.

By the time I reached his office, the door was slightly ajar.

A memory struck me—

The first time I’d stood at this threshold. When I overheard him speaking to Kazzar.

When I first learned that he had known.

He had a choice to tell me the truth. To give me even an ounce of control over my fate.

He didn’t.

That thought alone sent a fresh wave of anger burning through me.

I shoved the door open.

Caelum stood behind his desk, hands pressed flat against the surface, his head bowed.

He looked up.

And in his eyes, I saw it.

He knew.

He felt what I had just done.

His mark on my neck was still burning, but the fire in his gaze was worse.

Something dark and dangerous coiled inside of him, his jaw clenching so tight I thought it might break.

I forced myself to stand tall. To meet his gaze without flinching.

I wouldn’t hide from this.

From him.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Did you enjoy it?”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “What?”

His green eyes burned. “His kiss.” His voice dripped with venom, but beneath it—pain. The kind that dug deep and didn’t bleed out.

Anger flared in my chest. “You don’t get to ask me that.”

He pushed away from the desk, moving toward me too quickly, too intensely—

I stepped back on instinct, but he stopped, his hands flexing at his sides like he wanted to grab me. To claim me.

He exhaled sharply, like he was forcing himself to stay in control.

“I felt it.” His voice was low, rough. “I felt every second of it.”

My throat tightened.

Of course, he had.

We were bonded. Our connection wasn’t just physical—it was woven into my soul.

I bit my lip. “Then maybe you understand how I feel now.”

His expression darkened.

“Because that’s what you did to me,” I said, my voice rising. “You took something that wasn’t yours. You stole my choices. You didn’t protect me, Caelum. You possessed me. And now, you think you have the right to be angry with me?”

Caelum’s fists clenched. “He can’t have you.”

A cold laugh left my lips. “Because you already took me first?”

His eyes flashed. “Because he can’t protect you like I can.”

I took a step closer this time, my pulse pounding. “Is that the only reason, Caelum?” I searched his gaze. “Or is it because you can’t stand the thought of me loving him too?”

The moment the words left my mouth, I saw the way his breathing changed.

The way his lips parted, like he wanted to deny it.

But he didn’t.

He just stared at me.

And in that moment, I knew.

He wasn’t just angry because of the bond.

He was angry because it wasn’t just the bond anymore.

Because I loved him.

And I loved Gavriel.

I was drowning in both of them, and I didn’t know how to breathe anymore.

The room was too quiet.

Too charged.

I shook my head, my voice barely above a whisper. “I need space.”

Caelum’s jaw tightened. “Eve—”

“I need space,” I repeated, stronger this time.

His hands trembled at his sides. But after a moment, he nodded.

I turned away before I could change my mind, before I could let my emotions pull me under.

But the second I stepped through the door, I heard him say—

“I won’t let him mark you.”

I stopped.

I didn’t turn around.

I just closed my eyes and whispered, “You don’t get to decide that.”

And then, I walked away.

Chapter 32

POV: Eve

The training grounds were the only place I could breathe.

Or at least, pretend I could.

Here, under the open sky, surrounded by the sound of clashing weapons and shifting bodies, I could lose myself in movement.

I tightened my grip on my blade, shifting my weight as Loric circled me, his sharp eyes assessing.

“You’re thinking too much,” he said, his voice calm. “That’s why you’re off balance.”

I exhaled sharply. “That obvious?”

He arched a brow. “Only because I know you.”

I lunged forward, aiming for his ribs, but he deflected easily, pushing me back with a quick sweep of his leg. I barely caught myself, frustration burning through my veins.

Loric lowered his blade slightly. “You want to talk about it?”

I scoffed, wiping the sweat from my brow. “Not really.”

“Too bad,” he said, stepping closer. “Because you’re practically radiating confusion.”

I let out a short, bitter laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”

His expression softened. “You don’t have to figure everything out today, Eve.”

I swallowed hard, gripping the hilt of my sword tighter. But I did.

Because every second, my heart was being pulled in two different directions.

And the worst part?

I wanted both.

Before I could respond, a familiar presence filled the space, sending a shiver down my spine.

I turned, and my breath caught.

Gavriel.

He was already watching me, his hazel eyes unreadable.

“Mind if I join?” he asked Loric.

Loric glanced at me, then nodded, stepping back. “She could use a better partner anyway.”

I shot Loric a glare, but Gavriel just smiled, stepping into the sparring circle with an ease that made my stomach flip.

And then, we moved.

It was effortless.

A dance of steel and instinct, perfectly in sync.

He knew where I would move before I did.

Our attacks and defenses flowed together like we had trained our whole lives for this moment. Our movements weren’t trained — they were instinct. Each strike, each dodge, felt choreographed by something older than us. Something in our blood.

It felt right.

Like we were always meant to be standing here, facing each other like this.

And yet—

My heart clenched.

Because I had felt this before.

Not just with him.

With Caelum.

The thought nearly threw me off balance, but Gavriel countered my next move, knocking my sword from my grip in one clean strike.

In one fluid motion, he disarmed me—blade flying from my hand before I even processed the shift.

Gavriel stepped in, his voice low, edged with steel. “You’re distracted.”

I swallowed, my breath uneven. “I know.”

He tilted his head, his eyes searching mine, like he could see all the war inside me.

And maybe he could.

Because he was my mate.

And yet, my body still burned for another.

The burning didn’t stop.

Not even after I left the training grounds.

I pressed a hand against my marked shoulder, gritting my teeth as the heat grew unbearable.

It was like fire under my skin, twisting through my veins, demanding something I couldn’t give.

I needed to stop this.

I barely made it to Kazzar’s chamber before the pain forced me to my knees.

The sorcerer was already watching me when I stumbled inside, his dark eyes knowing.

He sighed. “You’ve been with Gavriel.”

I clenched my jaw. “So?”

Kazzar folded his arms. “So your natural mate bond is content. It’s raw, but it’s still forming. But the other one—” his eyes flicked to my shoulder, “—it’s already sealed. It’s finished. And it’s screaming.”

I swallowed hard. “How do I stop it?”

Khazar exhaled slowly. “You won’t like the answer.”

The burning intensified, and I clenched my fists. “Tell me.”

He stepped forward, his voice calm, but firm.

“You have to be near Caelum.”

The words struck me like a physical blow.

“No,” I whispered.

“It’s not a choice,” he said. “Your body is rebelling. It was marked by a mate it’s not with. And Caelum—” he hesitated, his voice darkening, “—he’s feeling it too.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

Caelum was in pain.

Because of me.

I squeezed my eyes shut. “I don’t want to go to him.”

Kazzar’s gaze softened. “I know.”

But when the pain twisted deeper, I barely stifled a gasp.

I didn’t have a choice.

I didn’t knock.

I didn’t have the strength.

Caelum was already standing when I pushed open the door, his green eyes locking onto me.

He looked—wrecked.

Like he had been holding himself together by a thread.

The second I stepped inside, his body tensed, and I knew he felt it.

My pain.

His pain.

I clenched my fists. “Don’t touch me.”

He exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. But he didn’t move.

The burning worsened, sending me staggering against the wall.

I sucked in a breath, my body trembling.

And then—warm, strong arms wrapped around me.

Heat surged around me as arms closed in—solid, unyielding.

I tensed.

But the moment his hands touched my skin, the pain dissolved like mist.

Replaced by something worse.

Comfort.

Like a wave of relief crashing through my entire being.

I collapsed against him, exhausted.

Caelum didn’t say anything.

He just held me.

Not possessively. Not as an Alpha demanding submission.

Just as a man who couldn’t stand to see me hurting.

His hand slipped into my hair, fingers stroking gently. Soothing.

“I hate this,” I whispered.

His breath was uneven. “I know.”

“I hate that it helps.”

A bitter sound left his throat. “I know.”

My eyelids grew heavy, exhaustion dragging me under.

Caelum moved, settling onto the couch, shifting me carefully until my head rested on his lap.

His fingers continued to stroke through my hair, slow and gentle.

And for the first time in days, I felt at peace.

Even if I didn’t want to.

I let myself drift, my last thought before sleep taking me under—

I’m falling apart.

And I don’t know how to stop.

Chapter 33

POV: Eve

I woke up to warmth.

A steady, grounding heat beneath my cheek.

Fingers moving through my hair, slow and methodical.

For a moment, I let myself sink into it.

The exhaustion, the pain, the impossible weight of everything—it felt distant here.

But then reality crept in.

I shifted slightly, my muscles protesting as I realized I was still in Caelum’s lap.

And then I felt another presence.

My eyes fluttered open, and my breath caught.

Gavriel.

He was sitting in a chair across from us, watching quietly, his expression unreadable.

My heart stumbled, torn between comfort and guilt.

I glanced back at Caelum, at the warmth still lingering in his green eyes.

Then, he spoke.

“You were talking in your sleep.”

My stomach clenched. “What?”

Caelum’s fingers stilled in my hair for a fraction of a second before he exhaled.

“You weren’t really resting,” he murmured. “Not completely.”

I swallowed.

He tilted his head slightly. “So I called him.”

I stared at him. “You… what?”

Caelum’s gaze didn’t waver. “You needed both of us.”

Something cracked inside my chest.

I looked at Gavriel, but he just watched me, calm and steady.

And still, he didn’t look away. That steady hazel gaze pinned me like a blade—sharp, silent, sure.

That was when I realized—

The pain was gone.

I hadn’t even noticed.

The burning in my mark, the sharp ache in my bones from being away from one of them—it had all faded.

Because they were both here.

Because Caelum knew.

He understood that I couldn’t rest without them, so he made sure I could.

I clenched my jaw, something twisting in my throat. “Caelum… You’re the fucking Alpha. You can’t just—” I gestured at him, at me still on his lap. “You can’t just sit here for half the day holding me.”

His expression didn’t change. “I can.”

Frustration spiked through me. “You have a pack to run.”

“I do,” he said evenly. “But I love you more.”

The words hit me like a physical blow.

I sucked in a breath.

His fingers started moving through my hair again, as if that confession wasn’t the most devastating thing in the world.

“I’ll spend the rest of my life helping you fall asleep,” he murmured. “If that’s what it takes.”

I didn’t know how to answer that.

Didn’t know how to handle the way it made me ache.

I pushed myself up, slipping from his lap to sit between them, suddenly needing distance.

I ran a hand over my face, trying to force my brain to function.

But there was no logic to this.

Nothing made sense anymore.

So I spoke the truth.

“I can’t do this,” I whispered.

The words made both of them tense.

“I know it’s confusing,” I said, my voice stronger this time. “I know it’s awful. And I know I asked for space, but I can’t have space. Not from either of you.”

My hands curled into fists. “Every time I’m far from one of you, it feels wrong. It burns. It hurts.” I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “And the worst part? I feel torn in half. I can’t choose between you.”

I looked at Caelum then, something angry and raw twisting inside me.

“You already had your true mate,” I whispered. “And now you have me. So don’t tell me you don’t understand what I’m feeling.”

Something flickered in his green eyes.

A crack in his control.

But he just exhaled sharply, frustrated, and looked away.

The silence stretched, heavy and unyielding.

Then—

“I do.”

My head snapped toward Gavriel.

He was watching Caelum, something knowing in his gaze.

“I learned from the best, and I know that when something is impossible,” he said slowly, pointedly, “you do the most reasonable thing.”

Caelum’s jaw tightened.

I narrowed my eyes. What was he talking about?

Gavriel turned back to me, his voice steady.

“You’re in pain,” he said simply. “You can’t be away from us.” He glanced at Caelum again. “So you shouldn’t be.”

A sharp silence.

Something shifted in Caelum’s expression—something like reluctant acceptance.

Then he spoke.

“I can’t stand seeing you like this,” he muttered, his voice almost gritted.

His fingers curled into fists on his thighs, like he was forcing himself to say the words.

“I’ll have another bed brought in,” he finally said. “In my room.”

I froze.

My pulse pounded in my ears.

“It’s the most reasonable thing,” he said. “To keep you sane.”

I just stared at him.

Then, slowly, I turned to Gavriel.

He didn’t hesitate.

He just nodded.

A breath rushed out of me.

I didn’t know if this was right.

I didn’t know if this was a solution or just another way to make everything worse.

But at least we had this.

At least, for now, we weren’t fighting against what was already breaking us apart.

Dinner was quiet.

It wasn’t the comfortable kind of quiet, the kind that settles over people who know each other too well to need words. This was the awkward kind, thick with unspoken thoughts, with glances that lasted too long and silence that felt heavy.

And now, standing at the threshold of Caelum’s bedroom, it felt even heavier.

I swallowed. The room wasn’t unfamiliar. I had spent nights here before—angry nights, desperate nights, nights where I hated him, and nights where I couldn’t stop wanting him. But now? Now it was different.

Because Gavriel was here too.

The three of us together. Sharing a bed.

I took a breath and stepped inside.

They were already waiting. Caelum stood near the fireplace, his arms crossed, his jaw locked tight as his eyes landed on me. Gavriel was near the bed, leaning against the post, his fingers tapping idly against the carved wood.

And both of them stared.

I felt it. The way their gazes dragged over me, the way their bodies tensed.

The nightgown I wore wasn’t anything scandalous—it was simple, soft fabric that brushed against my thighs, the neckline dipping just enough to hint at curves. But with the way they were looking at me?

I felt bare. Exposed. Like every inch of me had already been claimed — and neither of them had touched me yet.

I might as well have been wearing nothing.

I clenched my hands at my sides, forcing myself to speak. “Should we just—” I motioned toward the bed, feeling ridiculous.

Gavriel’s throat worked as he swallowed. Caelum exhaled through his nose, his fingers twitching like he wanted to grab something—me, maybe.

But neither of them spoke.

They just moved.

Caelum took one side of the bed. Gavriel took the other. And I… I climbed in the middle.

The moment I laid between them, I felt how wrong this was.

Not because I didn’t want them.

Because I did. I wanted them both.

And that was the problem.

I wanted to turn, to bury my face in Gavriel’s chest, to feel his arms wrap around me, I wanted to roll toward him, bury my face in his chest and taste that quiet ache that lived in him.

I wanted to shift, to feel Caelum press against me, his heat, his scent, his strength that had always made me feel protected.

But I did neither.

I laid still, my breath shallow, my fingers curling into the sheets.

They were close. So fucking close.

Caelum’s warmth pressed against one side of me. Gavriel’s slow, steady breathing filled the silence on the other. I could feel their presence, their energy, their frustration.

No one moved. No one spoke.

I swallowed past the tightness in my throat. “I just… I wanted to say thank you.” My voice was quiet, but I knew they heard it. “For this.”

Caelum shifted, but only slightly. “You don’t have to thank us.”

“Yes, I do,” I whispered. “I know you’re both… sacrificing something by being here. By doing this. I know you don’t want to share.” My throat burned. “But you are. And I don’t know how to… I don’t know how to fix this, but I know I love you both.”

Silence.

Gavriel’s breath hitched. Caelum’s body tensed.

I had never said it out loud before. Not like this.

Not to both of them.

I closed my eyes. “Goodnight,” I whispered. And then I did the only thing I could—I forced myself to sleep.

The scent of cedar and smoke filled my nose, a heavy arm draped over my waist, holding me against a solid, firm chest.

Caelum.

I inhaled, trying to get my bearings. But then I felt something else.

A steady heartbeat beneath my cheek. A different kind of warmth against my front.

Gavriel.

I was between them.

Not just laying beside them. In their arms.

Caelum’s body was pressed along my back, his arm wrapped around my waist, his nose brushing the top of my hair. Gavriel’s chest was beneath my cheek, my arm draped over him, our legs tangled together.

We had spent the night trying not to touch.

And yet, now we were wrapped around each other like we belonged this way.

Chapter 34

POV: Eve

I woke up feeling warm.

And trapped.

The scent of cedar and smoke filled my nose, a heavy arm draped over my waist, holding me against a solid, firm chest.

Caelum.

I inhaled, trying to get my bearings. But then I felt something else.

A steady heartbeat beneath my cheek. A different kind of warmth against my front.

Gavriel.

I was between them.

Not just laying beside them. In their arms.

Caelum’s body was pressed along my back, his arm wrapped around my waist, his nose brushing the top of my hair. Gavriel’s chest was beneath my cheek, my arm draped over him, our legs tangled together.

We had spent the night trying not to touch.

And yet, now we were wrapped around each other like we belonged this way.

I stiffened, sucking in a breath. Caelum stirred behind me, a low groan vibrating through his chest as his hold on my waist tightened.

Gavriel made a sound too—a sound I shouldn’t have liked so much. His fingers flexed against my hip, his breath warm against my forehead.

I needed to move. I needed to move now.

But I didn’t.

Because for one selfish moment, I let myself just feel it.

The warmth. The comfort. The rightness of it, even when it was all so wrong.

But then reality crashed back down.

I pushed away, my breath shaky as I sat up. Caelum’s grip loosened instantly, but Gavriel blinked at me, half-lidded and still lost in sleep.

He looked beautiful like this. Soft. Real. Mine.

My throat tightened, and I forced myself to get out of bed.

Caelum watched me, his expression unreadable. Gavriel exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

And I stood there, feeling like I had just crossed a line I could never uncross.

Because I knew, deep down—

This was only the beginning.

I went to training to clear my head.

That was the only reason I was in the training hall’s changing room, pressing my palms against the cool stone wall, breathing through the mess in my chest.

I had spent the night tangled between both of them.

And somehow, it still wasn’t enough.

I had wanted more. I had wanted them.

I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away. I needed to train. Training always helped. It was the only place my body moved without thinking, where I could stop feeling like I was being ripped apart in two different directions.

But then I heard the door creak open.

And I knew.

I knew before I turned that it was him.

Gavriel.

His scent hit me first—smoke, steel, and something warm beneath it, something that always made my stomach twist and my legs ache. He stepped inside, wearing only the dark pants of his sparring uniform, his bare chest damp with sweat from an earlier session.

His eyes landed on me. And just like that, I couldn’t breathe.

Neither of us spoke for a moment.

I exhaled and finally said, “I didn’t think you’d be here.”

He shrugged, stepping closer. “I needed to clear my head.”

I huffed a quiet laugh. “Same.”

His lips twitched, but his expression didn’t fully soften. There was something guarded in his eyes.

I hesitated before saying, “I wanted to… thank you.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “For what?”

“For last night,” I whispered.

His throat bobbed.

“I haven’t slept since that night I left you both,” I admitted. “Not really. It was… agonizing.” I shook my head, rubbing a hand down my arm. “I thought I could handle being alone. That if I had space, I’d be able to think clearly. But every night without you—without both of you—was worse than the last.”

His gaze didn’t waver. “You don’t have to explain, Eve.”

“Yes, I do.” My breath shook. “I know it’s strange for you. Sleeping in the same bed as him. I know you didn’t ask for this—”

He cut me off, voice steady. “I would do whatever I could to make you feel okay.”

My throat tightened.

I believed him.

Even though this was the last situation he wanted to be in, he was still here.

He was still choosing me.

“I don’t know how to make this easier for you,” I admitted. “I wish I could.”

“You don’t have to,” he said simply. “I wanted to kiss you the moment I saw you. Wanted to take you. But I knew how overwhelmed you were—by the bond, by Caelum, by everything—so I stayed quiet. I thought the best thing I could do was just… be there. Even when it was fucking killed me.”

I looked away, staring at the floor. “Me too. The bond between us… it’s natural. It’s what the Moon chose.” I swallowed. “But the bond I have with Caelum—it’s by choice. And it’s still so strong. So, the way you feel for me? I feel for both of you.”

Silence.

The words felt too heavy in the air, pressing against my ribs.

I dared to glance up at him.

And the moment I did, I knew.

I saw it in his face—the way his lips parted slightly, the way his brows drew together like something in his chest had just shattered.

I had said it before. I had told them both that I loved them.

But I had never stopped to ask if he loved me, too.

Gavriel took a step closer, closing the space between us.

“You said you love us both,” he murmured. “But I never said it back after it.”

My breath hitched.

“Eve.” His fingers lifted, barely brushing the side of my jaw. “I love you.”

The words hit something deep in me. Something scared. Something starved.

Were like lightning in my chest.

I didn’t let myself think. I moved.

I closed the last bit of space between us, my hands pressing against his bare chest as I pulled him down into a kiss.

His breath shuddered out of him, but then his hands were on me, one on my waist, the other threading into my hair as he deepened it.

It was not like the first kiss.

That one had been instinct. A stolen moment.

This one?

This one was real. Claimed.

He kissed me like he meant every word he had just said. Like it had been waiting inside him for too long.

Like he had spent too many nights watching from a distance, aching to touch, aching to claim, aching to be mine.

I made a quiet sound against his lips, curling my fingers against his skin, and he growled softly in response.

But then—

A loud cough shattered the moment.

We broke apart instantly, turning to see Loric standing in the doorway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

I swore under my breath.

Gavriel exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face.

“The training session is about to begin,” Loric said. His voice was too casual. Too amused.

I straightened my shoulders, trying to compose myself. “Right. I’ll be out in a second.”

Loric nodded, but before he left, he looked at me, then at Gavriel.

And then he said, “You do know he’s not just some warrior, right?”

I blinked. “What?”

Loric tilted his head slightly. “Gavriel wasn’t just any fighter before all of this. He was the best. Caelum’s best. His right hand, his most trusted blade. And now, well…” He let out a dry chuckle. “Now he’s here.”

His gaze flickered to Gavriel one last time before he left.

Gavriel hadn’t said a word.

But I saw it in the way he stood now. Straighter. Still. Braced for something heavier than judgment.

He wasn’t just carrying me.

He was carrying this.

The room felt different.

Like something had just shifted. Like something that should have been obvious before was suddenly real.

I turned back to Gavriel.

He didn’t say anything, but the weight in his expression told me everything I needed to know.

It wasn’t just difficult for him to be here.

It was impossible.

Because this wasn’t just about love or jealousy or a mate bond.

This was about loyalty.

And somehow, I was the one thing in the world that could make him question it.

Chapter 35

POV: Eve

I was still trying to shake off the way Gavriel’s lips had felt on mine.

The way his voice had shattered something inside me when he said those three words.

But as I stepped onto the training field, all of that faded because he wasn’t the only one waiting.

Caelum was there too.

They stood on opposite sides of the ring, both of them already dressed in their sparring gear, their bodies thrumming with energy.

And suddenly, I was aware of everything.

Of how much they were alike and yet completely different.

Caelum—dark hair, emerald eyes, broad and commanding, every inch of him carrying the power of an Alpha. The kind of man who owned every room he walked into without trying.

Gavriel—dark blonde, hazel eyes that flashed like molten gold in the sunlight, every line of his body honed like a blade, sharp and controlled.

Two warriors. Two men who ruled in their own ways.

And I was in the middle.

I swallowed as I walked toward them.

They both watched me.

I could feel it in the way their eyes dragged over me, in the way their muscles tensed when they took in the way my uniform hugged my body.

For a moment, I felt exposed. Like prey caught between two predators.

But then I smirked and raised a brow. “Are we training, or are we just going to stand here and stare at each other?”

Caelum huffed a laugh. “Impatient as always.”

Gavriel’s lips twitched. “She’s right. We should start.”

And so we did.

The Training Turns Dangerous

At first, it was simple.

I trained with Caelum first, pairing with him for sparring. His strikes were powerful, precise. He had taught me once, had shaped the way I fought, and even now, I could feel the way his body moved in sync with mine.

Then I moved to Gavriel.

With him, it was different. Faster. Sharper.

Where Caelum fought like a commander, Gavriel fought like a warrior.

And I could feel it.

The way my body reacted to both of them.

But then I heard the trainer call out, “Next pair— Alpha Caelum and Gavriel.”

And immediately, I knew it was a bad idea.

“Wait—” I started, but it was too late.

They stepped into the ring together.

And then the air shifted.

They moved fast—too fast.

At first, it was controlled. Tactical. But then—**one hit, one block, one misstep—**and the frustration I had felt in both of them erupted.

They weren’t just training anymore.

They were fighting.

Their movements turned brutal. Hard. Each blow rattled the ring, their power clashing in a way that made the other warriors go silent.

And I felt it—this wasn’t just about skill or dominance.

This was about me.

Me between them. Me sleeping between them. Me kissing Gavriel in the changing room.

I took a sharp breath as they locked arms, both of them breathing hard, eyes flashing with something too dark to name.

They were both too good.

Too fast. Too strong.

This wouldn’t stop until one of them broke.

And I couldn’t let that happen.

I moved.

I stepped between them and shoved hard.

“Enough!” I snapped. “This is fucking ridiculous.”

They both froze.

My chest was heaving. My hands were shaking.

I glared at them both. “You’re acting like children.”

Caelum’s jaw clenched. Gavriel’s hands curled into fists.

“I won’t do this with you two,” I said, voice tight. “I won’t be some fucking excuse for you to tear each other apart.”

Neither of them spoke.

So I turned on my heel and walked away.

And I didn’t stop until I was out of the ring, past the training grounds, through the halls—

But I should have known he would follow.

His footsteps were silent, but I felt him.

Caelum.

I didn’t turn. “If you’re going to yell at me, don’t bother.”

“I’m not going to yell at you.”

His voice was rough. Tired.

I exhaled sharply and turned.

And the second I met his gaze, I knew.

He knew.

“I know you kissed him again.” His voice was low. Frustrated.

I didn’t deny it.

He stepped closer. “Do you regret it?”

I swallowed. “No.”

Something flickered across his face. “I miss you.”

That simple sentence broke me.

Because, fuck, I missed him too.

I closed my eyes. “Caelum—”

“I miss you,” he said again, voice hoarse, broken. “And I know you’re angry. I know I lied. But I can’t—” His breath shook. “I can’t do this without you, Eve.”

My chest ached.

Caelum’s hands clenched at his sides, his knuckles white, his entire body coiled tight like a beast barely restrained. His green eyes burned into mine, raw, tormented.

“I can’t do this,” he rasped, voice rough with something breaking inside him. “I can’t keep feeling you and not touching you. I can’t keep tasting you and not claiming you.”

My breath caught.

He swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. “Maybe I should end this. Reverse the spell. Send the prophecy—and the witches’ future—to hell.” He exhaled sharply, almost like the words physically hurt to say. “Maybe I should reject you. Let you be with him. Happy.”

My chest caved in. My pulse roared in my ears.

“No.” My voice was barely a whisper, my hands trembling as I reached for him. “Caelum, don’t—”

His fingers twitched, like he wanted to grab me but forced himself not to. His expression was agony.

And then I realize, as clear as water.

“I would rather burn,” I choked out. “I would rather die than live a life where you’re not mine.”

His breath shuddered

But before I could say anything, before I could stop him, his hands cupped my face.

And then he kissed me.

I made a noise of protest, pressing my hands to his chest, ready to shove him away.

But then—

I melted.

Because I had missed him too.

And as his lips slanted over mine, as his body pressed hot and desperate against me, as his fingers dug into my waist like he was afraid to let go—

I knew.

I would never stop loving him.

Even if it hurt.

Even if it tore me apart.

I let my hands slide up his chest, curling into his shirt as I kissed him back, hard, angry, desperate.

And for a moment, there was nothing else.

No war. No betrayal.

No pain.

Just us.

I was still angry.

I was still furious.

But when Caelum kissed me, when his lips crashed into mine like a force of nature, I broke.

It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t gentle.

It was desperate.

Like he was gasping for air. Like I was the only thing keeping him alive.

Like we had been starving for each other, and this was our first taste in a lifetime.

And I—I let him.

I kissed him back with the same fire, my hands sliding into his hair, gripping him, pulling him closer until there was nothing left between us but heat and rage and longing.

His hands gripped my waist, and in one sharp movement, he lifted me—effortless, like I weighed nothing.

My legs locked around his body, and fuck, I could feel all of him—his strength, the way his muscles coiled beneath his shirt, the way his heartbeat thundered against my chest.

I should have pulled away.

I should have told him that he had lied, that I was still angry, that I wasn’t ready to forgive him.

But then he kissed my mark.

And I shattered.

A sound tore from my throat—helpless, ruined.

It was instant. The way my body arched into him, the way my fingers dug into his shoulders.

It was instinct. A bone-deep, primal ache.

I had gone so long without him, without this.

And now that he was touching me again, now that his mouth was on me, I felt like I was finally breathing after being held under water.

Caelum must have felt it too, because his grip on me tightened. “Eve.” My name was a groan, a prayer.

And then he was lowering me back onto my feet.

Slowly.

Reverently.

Like I was something precious.

Like he had been waiting forever for this moment.

His fingers brushed my waist, traveling painfully slow as he unfastened my uniform, peeling it from my shoulders like he was unwrapping something sacred.

I trembled as he watched me.

Green eyes dark, devouring.

I had seen Caelum in battle.

I had seen him covered in blood, standing over the bodies of his enemies, feared by packs and witches alike.

But now, as he sank to his knees before me—

I had never seen him so powerful.

The Alpha. The monster. The King of Beasts.

Kneeling. For me.

His hands traced up my thighs, slow and worshiping, parting them as he hooked my leg over his shoulder.

I gasped, off-balance, overwhelmed.

But he just smirked against my skin. “I’ve missed this,” he murmured.

And then his mouth was on me.

I cried out, my back arching, my fingers plunging into his hair, gripping him so tight because there was nothing else to hold on to.

I was drowning in him.

His tongue, his lips, his teeth—fuck. He wasn’t gentle. He was devouring me.

I whimpered, shuddered, trembled.

He growled, the sound vibrating through me. “I forgot how sweet you taste.”

I almost collapsed.

His hands gripped my hips, holding me still as his tongue flicked, licked, sucked—merciless.

I felt everything.

The way my body lit up, the way my bond sang, the way every part of me was screaming for more, more, more.

And then—

Release.

It crashed through me, violent and consuming, and I sobbed his name as I came hard, fast, wrecked.

Caelum groaned against me, licking me through it, taking everything I had to give.

And when he finally pulled away, when he finally stood, his lips were glistening.

He wiped his mouth with his thumb, then dragged it across my lips.

“I love you,” he murmured, voice like gravel, like thunder, like a storm that had finally found its home.

My breath hitched.

And before I could speak, before I could beg him for more—

He kissed me. Hard. Deep. Possessive.

Then he pulled away.

And walked out.

Leaving me ruined, shaking, aching.

Craving him more than I ever had before.

Chapter 36

POV: Eve

They were waiting for me.

I felt it the moment I stepped into the room.

The air was thick with tension, buzzing with unspoken words, crackling with the remnants of whatever fight they had just barely avoided.

Caelum stood on one side of the room, muscles coiled tight, his jaw locked, his arms crossed over his chest like a king surveying his battlefield.

Gavriel was on the other, just as tense, just as rigid—only instead of cold fury, there was something softer in his hazel eyes. Something like conflict. Pain. Need.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them acknowledged each other.

They were simply… tolerating each other’s presence.

Barely.

I let out a slow breath, my gaze tracing over them.

They had both trained today.

I could tell by the way their shirts clung to them, still damp from sweat, the way their muscles stretched and tensed beneath the fabric as if their bodies had memorized the fight even if their minds had refused to settle it.

They were both so different.

Caelum, with his dark hair and piercing green eyes, a predator in every sense of the word.

And Gavriel, with his dark-blond hair and burning hazel gaze, a warrior carved from steel and fire.

Different. But the same.

Both breathtaking.

Both mine.

And I was so fucking tired of watching them act like this was a battle to be won.

I folded my arms. “You know,” I said, voice calm but firm, commanding, Luna. “I figured it out.”

Caelum’s eyes narrowed. “Figured what out?”

I met his gaze, then Gavriel’s. “Gavriel was your best warrior, wasn’t he?”

Gavriel stiffened slightly. Caelum didn’t move.

But the silence was enough of an answer.

I exhaled, shaking my head. “And not just that. You were—friends, once.”

Caelum let out a low, sharp laugh. “I don’t have friends.”

I arched a brow. “Maybe not.” I turned to Gavriel. “But you were the closest thing, weren’t you?”

Gavriel’s jaw ticked. He didn’t confirm it.

He didn’t need to.

I turned my attention back to both of them, eyes burning. “So that’s why this is so fucking ridiculous.”

Caelum’s expression darkened. “Excuse me?”

I took a step closer. “You’re fighting like enemies when you were once brothers. You’re standing in this room like you don’t both love me, like I haven’t already told you that I love you both.”

I shook my head. “You don’t need to prove yourselves. Not to me, and not to each other.”

The silence that followed was heavy.

For a moment, they just… stared at me.

And I knew, in that moment, that my words had hit them both like a slap to the face.

They had spent so long resenting each other.

So long fighting over me.

And neither of them had stopped to think about how it was tearing me apart.

I took another step forward, breathing them in. “I can’t live without either of you.” My voice was softer now, but no less firm.

“If you can’t live without me, then you need to figure out how to live with each other.”

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them moved.

I swallowed. “If you can’t, then walk away now.”

More silence.

A muscle in Caelum’s jaw ticked. Gavriel’s fingers curled into fists at his sides.

But neither of them moved.

Neither of them left.

Good.

So I turned away and climbed onto the bed.

I didn’t wait for them.

I didn’t ask.

I just lay down, letting the exhaustion pull at my body, letting the weight of the night settle over me.

I heard the soft shuffle of footsteps.

Then the bed dipped on one side.

Then the other.

And even though they weren’t touching, I could feel them both so close, their warmth seeping into me, their presence wrapping around me like a shield.

But that wasn’t enough.

So I did what I always did.

I took control.

I reached for Caelum’s hand, dragging it over my waist, pressing it flat against my stomach.

Then I shifted, inching closer to Gavriel, resting my head against his chest.

I felt them both tense.

Then—

A breath.

A slow, reluctant surrender.

Caelum’s grip tightened around me, his body molding against my back.

Gavriel’s heartbeat thudded beneath my ear, steady and strong.

They weren’t touching each other.

But they were here.

With me.

And for now, that was enough.

I sighed, nuzzling closer, letting my eyes flutter shut. “Good,” I murmured sleepily.

And before darkness could pull me under, I whispered, “I love you. Good night.”

This time, they both answered.

“I love you.”

“Good night.”

And for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.

---

I expected the stares. The doubt. The weight of tradition pressing down on me like a thousand voices whispering: She’s just a girl. She’s just a daughter. She’s just a mate.

But I wasn’t just anything.

I was their Luna.

I stood at the head of the war room, my hands pressed against the heavy wooden table. Around me, warriors and council members muttered in low voices, waiting to hear what I had to say.

Caelum sat at the far end, his green eyes unreadable, his fingers resting lazily against his chin as if he were waiting for someone to challenge me just so he could rip their throat out.

Gavriel stood near the wall, arms crossed, his sharp gaze flickering over me like he was seeing me differently.

I breathed in. Calm. Controlled. Commanding.

“The borders are vulnerable,” I said, dragging my finger along the map spread before us. “We focus too much on the south, but the rogues have moved west. You want proof?” I lifted my gaze to the skeptical older warrior across from me. “Your last patrol was ambushed there. Two men nearly died.”

The warrior stiffened. “Luna, with respect, it was just a rogue pack. Hardly—”

“Hardly a problem?” I cut in, arching a brow. “Tell that to the warriors still recovering. And what happens next time? What happens when they bring more numbers? More witches?”

The room fell silent.

They were listening.

I turned, facing another warrior. “We reinforce the west with three more patrols. Not two. Three.”

He hesitated, glancing at Caelum as if asking for permission.

Caelum didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just watched me with that same unreadable expression.

I lifted my chin. “Or do you think I’m wrong?”

Silence.

Then, finally—

“No, Luna.” The warrior straightened. “You’re right.”

Satisfaction curled deep inside me.

I moved on. More tactics. More decisions. The men who had once doubted me were taking orders from me now.

I felt powerful. I felt in control.

And I felt them watching me.

Caelum.

Gavriel.

One, quiet and brooding, pride buried deep beneath his unreadable stare. The other, his admiration almost burning through me, as if he had never realized how much he wanted to see me like this.

Finally, I finished.

The warriors nodded, stepping away to make preparations. The moment the last one left, silence settled in the room.

Caelum leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. A smirk curled at his lips. “Remind me why I let you speak again?”

I arched a brow. “Because I’m right.”

His smirk deepened.

Gavriel took a slow step toward me, his gaze heavy. “You know,” he murmured, “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you like this.”

I turned to him. “Like what?”

He tilted his head slightly, his hazel eyes running over me in a way that made my skin heat. “Like a queen.”

Caelum already called me queen, and now Gavriel….

The words sank deep.

Because that was what I had become.

And they knew it now.

Both of them.

Chapter 37

POV: Eve

I didn’t expect this.

Not from him.

The battlefield was where I had always seen Gavriel—the training grounds, the war room, standing at Caelum’s side, fierce and unshaken. Not here. Not like this.

The meadow stretched endlessly around us, golden under the morning sun. A quiet place, untouched by war, untouched by duty. Just the two of us.

“I thought we could use a break,” Gavriel said, setting down the basket he had been carrying. His hazel eyes flickered over me, watching my reaction like he wasn’t sure if I’d scoff or leave.

I didn’t.

A break.

I let out a slow breath, only now realizing how much I needed this.

Gavriel looked so hot in more relaxed clothes. I was used to seeing him in the guard uniform, and he was breathtaking like a warrior, but now he looked more like my mate.

“You planned this?” I asked, lowering myself onto the blanket he had spread out.

His lips quirked a hint of something almost… shy. “Maybe.”

I smiled. It was a small thing, but I knew what it meant coming from him.

He wasn’t like Caelum. Gavriel didn’t claim things, take them, command them. He waited. He watched. He stood beside me even when he didn’t have to.

And that was why, sitting here now, I was nervous.

Because I knew what this was.

And I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.

We talked.

About things that didn’t matter—how the berries he brought were too sweet, how I hated the feeling of grass under my bare feet, how he somehow knew exactly how much honey I liked in my tea.

Then we talked about things that did.

“I was adopted.”

His voice was quiet, careful. But there was weight behind those words, something he had never said aloud before.

I turned to him, watching the way his jaw tensed, his fingers digging into the fabric of his pants.

“I never knew my real parents,” he admitted. “I don’t even know what pack they were from. The only thing I know is that I was found at the border of Caelum’s land when I was barely a year old.”

Something tightened in my chest. “You were abandoned?”

His eyes met mine. “I was given a second chance.”

I swallowed. “Caelum took you in?”

Gavriel gave me a shrug on his shoulder. “Kind of. His old Beta—Darian— found me. Raised me like his own. Caelum…” He hesitated. “Caelum accepted me into his pack when I had no family.”

The words should have been bitter, but they weren’t.

And I understood why.

Caelum had never been the type to coddle or nurture. But he had let Gavriel stay. Had given him a place to grow, to become the warrior—the man—he was now.

And Gavriel had spent his whole life proving he was worthy of it.

I reached out without thinking, covering his hand with mine.

“You were never nothing,” I whispered.

His breath hitched.

Slowly, his fingers curled over mine, gripping tightly.

I felt his hesitation, his need, his fear.

And I felt my own.

Because I knew what would come next.

Because I wanted it too.

He kissed me.

Gavriel’s hand slid to my neck, his touch featherlight, like he was still afraid I’d vanish. But there was a tremble in his fingers now, a heat in his eyes I hadn’t seen before—like something inside him was slipping.

He kissed me like he couldn’t believe it. Like he had waited his whole life for this.

It was slow. Gentle. Reverent.

But beneath that tenderness, I felt it—his control fraying. His hunger rising.

I melted into him, my hands gripping his arms, my body already aching with need. His lips moved against mine with growing urgency, as if he was tasting me for the first time and knew he’d never get enough.

“I love you,” I whispered against his mouth.

Gavriel froze for a breath.

Then something inside him snapped.

A low growl rumbled in his throat—primal, possessive—and suddenly I was on my back, the soft blanket cool beneath me, his body covering mine like a shield.

“You have no idea,” he rasped, his voice thick with heat and restraint, “how long I’ve wanted this. How many nights I’ve imagined you… moaning my name.”

His words scorched me.

He leaned down, his lips dragging over my jaw, my throat, the hollow between my breasts. “I’ve dreamed of tasting you. Of burying myself so deep inside you, you forget anyone else ever touched you.”

“Gavriel—”

“I know,” he whispered. “I know, baby.”

He sat up, just enough to look at me, and slowly slid the fabric of my dress down my shoulders. His eyes devoured me. Every inch he revealed. Every breathless sound I made.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he muttered. “Do you even know what you do to me?”

I shuddered as he kissed my collarbone, then the curve of my breast. His lips closed around my nipple, sucking gently at first—then harder when I gasped, arching into him.

“That’s it,” he groaned. “Give me those sounds. I want to hear you fall apart.”

The mate bond pulsed between us, golden and warm and electric. It made everything sharper. Hotter. Deeper.

He kissed his way down, worshipping every part of me. And when there was nothing left but my underwear, he looked up at me, eyes dark, wild.

“Tell me you want this,” he said. “Tell me I can have you.”

“Yes,” I whispered, breathless. “Gavriel… please.”

That word. Please.

It broke the last thread of his restraint.

He tore the lace from my hips, groaning as he finally saw me. “Fuck, Eve…”

And then he kissed me there.

His tongue was slow at first. Gentle. Reverent.

But when I cried out, when my thighs trembled and my hands fisted in his hair, he growled and buried his mouth deeper.

“You taste like heaven,” he groaned, his voice vibrating against me. “Sweet and wet and mine.”

I writhed beneath him, overwhelmed.

He licked, sucked, devoured—no mercy, no pause. The wet slide of his tongue, the scrape of his teeth, the soft curses he whispered against my skin—it was everything.

“I need you,” I gasped. “I—I can’t—”

“You can,” he said, voice like gravel. “You will. Come for me, baby. Right now.”

And I did.

My climax slammed into me, violent and consuming, and I screamed his name as I shattered beneath his mouth.

Even as I trembled, he kept going, licking me through every wave, like he couldn’t get enough.

When he finally lifted his head, his lips were wet, his eyes burning. He wiped his mouth with his thumb, then brushed it across my lips.

“I’ll never stop wanting you,” he whispered. “Even if I live a thousand years.”

I reached for him. “Then take me.”

He stripped off his tunic in one brutal motion, and gods—he wasglorious.

Broad shoulders, corded muscles, the strength of a warrior honed in battle… but it was the way he looked at me that undid me.

Like I was sacred.

Like I washis.

He lowered himself over me, the heat of his skin sinking into mine, his cock hard and hot between us.

“You feel like paradise,” he whispered, lining himself up. “Like home.”

He pushed inside slowly.

Stretching me. Filling me.

Claiming me.

I gasped, my nails biting into his back as he seated himself fully, groaning into my neck.

“Gods,” he whispered. “So tight… so fucking perfect…”

He held still for a beat, forehead resting against mine, breath ragged.

Then he moved.

Long, deep thrusts that had me crying out, my body singing for him, for this.

“You were made for me,” he growled against my skin. “Every inch of you—mine.”

“Yes,” I whimpered. “Gavriel, please—don’t stop.”

He didn’t.

He moved harder now, faster, each thrust driving me closer to the edge. His fingers slid between us, finding that last place, stroking it just right—until I shattered again, screaming his name as I came around him.

“Fuck—Eve—”

He came with a shudder, burying himself deep, moaning into my mouth as he let go.

And then he collapsed over me, holding me so close, I could barely breathe.

He kissed my temple. My cheek. My shoulder.

I whispered, “Don’t let me go.”

His answer was instant.

“Never.”

After all that love with Gavriel, I wasn’t ready to face Caelum. So I trained until my muscles ached, then bathed until my skin was raw. Anything to push back the inevitable.

But the moment I stepped into my room, I felt him.

Caelum.

Chapter 38

POV: Eve

He was already there, waiting. Sitting in the armchair by the fireplace, his body draped in shadows, his presence like a storm gathering on the horizon. He looked like both my hero and my villain.

His green eyes burned into me, so intense I forgot how to breathe. My pulse pounded in my ears.

I swallowed hard. “Caelum—”

“Did you think I wouldn’t feel it?” His voice was quiet. Too quiet.

My chest tightened. I knew exactly what he meant.

“I—”

He stood, every movement controlled, but I could feel the storm inside him, the force barely contained. Each step forward sent heat licking up my spine, and when he reached me, I saw it—how much he had missed me. How much his mark on my shoulder still bound us.

His hand slammed against the wall beside my head, caging me in. He didn’t touch me. But he was so close, the space between us crackled like a live wire.

“I felt you,” he whispered, his breath ragged. “I felt everything.”

Heat rushed to my face. I clenched my fists. “I told you. I love him.”

His jaw ticked. “I know.”

“Then why are you acting like this?”

He let out a dark, rough laugh. “Because I love you too, Eve. And it’s fucking killing me.”

The words hit harder than I expected.

Not because I didn’t know.

Not because he hadn’t said it before.

But because this time, I could feel it. Raw. Consuming. Absolute.

I stared at him, breath shallow, heart pounding. “Then why—why didn’t you—”

His fingers caught my chin, tilting my face up to his. His eyes were wild, but his touch was unbearably gentle.

“Because I don’t get to keep you,” he murmured. “Not the way he does.”

My throat tightened. “Caelum…”

His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth, his voice rough. “But you’re still mine.”

Then he kissed me.

This wasn’t a kiss.

This was a fucking war.

Raw. Furious. Desperate.

I gasped against his lips, my hands flying to his chest—to push him away, to pull him closer, I didn’t know.

I shouldn’t let him do this.

I shouldn’t let myself want this.

But the moment his tongue parted my lips, the moment his hands gripped my waist, I melted.

Caelum growled against my lips, his grip tightening, his body pressing me flush against the wall. I whimpered when his teeth grazed my bottom lip, when his hands dragged down my sides, gripping me like he wanted to carve his claim into my skin.

“I missed you,” he rasped, his lips trailing down my throat. “I fucking miss you every second you’re not mine.”

“Even when I’m his, I’m still yours…”

The truth spilled out before I could stop it. Because being with one didn’t erase the other.

Caelum stilled. Then he groaned, a deep, guttural sound that sent a shiver through me.

He pressed his lips to my mark.

And the moment he kissed it, I broke.

I arched into him. My fingers tangled in his hair. I let him consume me.

His hands slid down, gripping my thighs, lifting me effortlessly. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the bed, too raw, too possessive to even let me walk.

One moment, I was against the wall.

The next, I was beneath him.

His body caged mine, and he ripped away the barriers between us. My uniform was gone. I didn’t even know when he took it off.

I didn’t care.

I wanted him.

I needed him.

I loved him.

Caelum kissed and bit his way down my body, each sensation blurring the lines between pleasure and pain, between surrender and ruin. His green eyes were dark with hunger as he licked along my slit, teasing, worshiping, destroying.

I cried out when he sucked my clit, when his tongue worked me into madness. He held me down, taking everything, not letting me escape the pleasure wracking through me.

“Be a good girl and come for me.”

His command sent me over the edge. I shattered, moaning his name, and felt his whole body react to it.

“Caelum,” I breathed, my fingers sliding into his hair, pulling him to me.

He kissed me, hard and deep, letting me taste myself on his lips.

His hands worshipped.

His lips memorized.

He took my wrists and pinned them above my head, taking control, forcing me to just feel.

And when he pushed inside me, I gasped.

I arched.

I drowned in him.

His rhythm was relentless. Each thrust sent me higher, faster. My breath came in shallow gasps as pleasure coiled, ready to snap.

“You’ll come for me,” he growled against my lips, his hands tightening on my wrists. “With me.”

He thrust deep, once. Twice. And I shattered.

My body convulsed, my cry lost in his mouth as he followed, groaning my name.

He buried his face against my throat, his entire body shaking. His teeth found my mark, and when he bit down, another wave of pleasure crashed through me, tearing me apart all over again.

“Mine,” he rasped.

I gasped.

Yes.

Fuck, yes.

We didn’t stop.

Not even when we were breathless.

Not even when my body begged for rest.

Caelum didn’t just make love to me.

He claimed me.

And I let him.

Because I was his, too.

Even if my heart belonged to both of them.

I took a bath after it, and I was in my room trying to figure out what to do next.

I should’ve slept there.

I should’ve felt sated, exhausted, done.

But my body still felt like something was missing.

My heart still ached.

And I knew why.

Even after everything—after Gavriel and Caelum took me apart and put me back together—it wasn’t enough.

Because I needed them both.

I needed Caelum and Gavriel.

I don’t even remember leaving my room.

All I remember is my feet moving on their own, my heartbeat steady, my soul pulling me toward them like it always did.

And when I reached the room we shared…

They were both awake.

Waiting.

They didn’t speak.

Not as I stepped inside, not as I looked at both of them.

Caelum’s green eyes burned as they locked onto me, his jaw tight, his body still tense from everything that happened.

Gavriel sat on the other side of the bed, his bare chest rising and falling too evenly, like he was trying to control himself.

Like he had felt everything through our bond.

The night was heavy with unspoken words.

I should’ve said something.

I should’ve apologized. Or explained.

Instead, I just… crawled into bed.

Because I couldn’t sleep without them.

Because I didn’t want to be alone.

Because even after everything, even after how complicated, fucked-up, and messy this was…

They were mine.

And I was theirs.

Gavriel was the first to move, he climbed to bed.

Slowly, hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure if he should.

Then he sighed, his arm sliding beneath my waist, his hand resting against my stomach, holding me.

My chest tightened.

Because he still loved me.

Because even after everything, he still let me in.

And then—

Caelum exhaled.

A deep, shaky breath, and he climbed too.

I didn’t even have to ask before he reached for me too, his arm wrapping around my back, his body pressing against mine from behind, his warmth grounding me.

My heart clenched.

Because he still loved me too.

Because even after everything, he couldn’t let me go.

I closed my eyes, finally exhaling.

This was home.

This was where I belonged.

Between them.

And as I whispered, “I love you. Both of you,” my heart felt lighter.

Caelum kissed my shoulder.

Gavriel pressed his lips to my forehead.

And for the first time in so fucking long, I finally felt real peace and love.

Chapter 39

POV: Eve

Warmth.

That’s the first thing I felt.

A solid, steady warmth surrounding me, pressing into my skin, keeping me safe.

Then—breathing.

Slow, deep, masculine.

And a heartbeat.

Two of them.

My eyes fluttered open.

Gavriel was in front of me.

His golden skin glowed in the early morning light, the scar on his jaw more noticeable now. His dark blond hair was a mess, his hazel eyes still closed, his breathing even.

He was beautiful.

And then I felt it.

A hand.

Not his.

Resting against my stomach, pulling me back.

Caelum.

His breath was warm against my neck, giving me shivers, his chest rising and falling with mine, his body so close I could feel his heartbeat against my spine.

Fuck.

We were still here.

All three of us.

In the same bed.

And none of us had moved.

I barely shifted, but it was enough.

Caelum exhaled slowly, his arm tightening around my waist before he realized what he was doing.

And then—

He went rigid.

So did Gavriel.

I felt it, the instant they both woke up.

The moment they realized where they were.

Where we were.

I held my breath.

I knew the second their eyes met over my shoulder.

And I swear I could feel the weight of it.

The tension.

The unspoken words.

The fact that they’d spent the entire night holding me—and in the process, touching each other.

Caelum’s arm was still over Gavriel’s.

Gavriel’s leg was still half over mine, nearly touching Caelum’s.

They had never been this close before.

Not in, I don’t know how much time.

Not since everything changed.

Caelum was the first to move.

His fingers slowly curled into a fist, pulling away from my stomach like my skin burned him.

I felt the loss instantly.

Then, Gavriel sat up.

He ran a hand over his face, his jaw tightening, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Like he didn’t know what to do with this.

Like he didn’t know what it meant.

Neither of them did.

Neither did I.

For a moment, none of us spoke.

We just sat there.

Breathing the same air.

Holding onto the weight of the night before.

Until finally, I said the only thing I could.

“Good morning.”

They were so uncomfortable.

It was honestly adorable.

Caelum was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand over his jaw, clearly trying to process the fact that he woke up holding Gavriel’s arm over my stomach.

Gavriel was standing by the window, arms crossed, too tense, too still.

Both of them were pretending like nothing happened.

I smirked.

They were acting like cowards.

And that just made me want to push them further.

I got up.

Slowly.

Both of them watched me.

Neither of them spoke.

I stepped toward Gavriel first.

He tensed as I got close, his hazel eyes burning into mine.

I could feel it—his emotions.

Last night had changed something for him.

For all of us.

And I wanted him to know that I wasn’t ignoring it.

That I wanted this.

Him.

Both of them.

So I reached up, placed a hand on his jaw, and kissed him.

Soft.

Slow.

A lazy, morning kiss that made his breath hitch and his fingers curl at his sides like he was desperate to pull me in.

But he didn’t.

Not yet.

I pulled back, smiling at the way he chased my lips.

The way his pupils were blown wide.

Then I turned.

Caelum was staring.

His green eyes dark.

Unreadable.

I could feel his possessiveness rising through the bond.

That jealousy.

That need.

So I went to him next.

He didn’t move when I climbed into his lap.

Didn’t breathe when I cupped his face.

And then I kissed him.

Deep.

Slow and claiming.

His fingers dug into my hips instantly, his control shattering as he pulled me closer.

This kiss was different.

Angrier.

Hungrier.

A reminder that he was still mine.

That I was still his.

And when I pulled back, his breath was ragged, his hands still gripping me too tightly.

I pressed my forehead against his.

“Don’t be so tense, my Alpha,” I whispered, my fingers dragging through his hair.

Then I climbed off his lap, smirked at both of them, and walked toward the door.

“Come on, boys. Let’s have breakfast.”

The dining hall was too quiet.

The air was too thick.

Caelum sat at the head of the table, his usual spot.

Gavriel sat to his right.

And I sat across from them.

Every time I reached for something, I felt their eyes on me.

Every time I spoke to someone, I felt the way they watched my lips move.

Like they were still remembering how they felt against theirs.

I smirked into my tea.

Good.

Let them suffer.

“You’re quiet today, Gavriel,” I mused, slicing a piece of fruit.

His hazel eyes snapped up to mine.

I didn’t miss the way his grip tightened around his fork.

“Just thinking, Luna.”

Luna.

My smile faded.

So that’s how he was playing it.

Fine.

I turned to Caelum.

“And you? Are you thinking too, my Alpha?”

His green eyes darkened.

His jaw clenched.

But he didn’t look at me.

He just reached for his glass of water and took a slow sip.

“Always.”

Oh, so that’s how it was going to be?

Like last night hadn’t happened.

Like this morning hadn’t happened.

I should’ve expected this from Caelum—he was too damn stubborn to admit what he wanted so easily.

But Gavriel?

He was putting up walls too.

And that…

That annoyed me.

So I leaned back in my chair.

“You both look tense,” I mused, running my fingers down my cup.

Caelum finally looked at me.

A slow, unreadable look.

“Do we?”

I tilted my head.

“Mmhmm. Like you barely slept.”

Gavriel exhaled sharply through his nose.

Caelum smirked.

The bastard actually smirked.

“I wonder why.”

Oh.

So we were playing that game?

I smiled sweetly.

“Maybe you should take a nap then,” I teased, popping a grape into my mouth.

Gavriel coughed.

Caelum just kept smirking, tapping his fingers against the table.

“Not tired, little wolf.”

Fuck.

That nickname.

That damn voice.

I pretended to focus on my food, but my body was on fire.

And both of them knew it.

They knew exactly what they were doing.

Loric sat down next to Gavriel, completely unaware of the storm in the room.

He raised an eyebrow at the tension, then looked at me, then at both of them.

He chuckled.

Shook his head.

“You three are exhausting,” he muttered, grabbing a piece of bread.

Caelum shot him a warning look.

Gavriel ignored him.

And I?

I just smiled, my eyes flicking between the two men across from me.

Yes, they were tense.

But they were also mine.

The morning felt oddly peaceful.

The sun stretched lazily through my office window, bathing my desk in gold. Papers lay before me, neatly stacked, detailing patrol schedules, border reports, and plans for an upcoming summit.

It was my job now.

Not just as Eve Montrose, daughter of an Alpha.

But as Eve Montrose, Luna of this pack.

And I was good at it.

The knock on my door was soft, familiar.

I didn’t look up.

I didn’t have to.

“Gavriel.”

A low chuckle.

“You’re getting better at that.”

I finally lifted my gaze to find him leaning against the doorway, arms crossed. His dark blonde hair was slightly tousled from the morning’s tension, but his hazel eyes were bright, warm.

“You’re late for training,” I teased.

He smirked.

“Came to say goodbye first.”

He crossed the room in three steps.

One hand braced against my desk, the other trailing to my chin, tilting my face up to his.

His lips brushed mine—just a whisper of contact. A tease.

Then he deepened it.

Slow. Savoring. Like he was memorizing me.

When he pulled away, my breath was uneven.

“Meet me there later?” he murmured.

“Both of you,” I corrected, because Caelum would be there too.

Gavriel exhaled a small laugh.

“Right. Both of us.”

One more voice joined my office.

“Luna Eve?”

I glanced up to see one of the pack house staff—a younger woman I didn’t know well. She shifted awkwardly, her fingers twisting in her apron.

“Someone’s asking for you.”

I frowned. “Who?”

“A woman. Veronica.”

Something stirred in my chest.

The name was vaguely familiar.

But not in a way that made me feel safe.

“Where is she?”

“Just outside.”

A pause.

“She said it’s important.”

Gavriel pressed one more lingering kiss to my forehead, then stepped back.

“See you soon, Luna.”

And I left with the woman.

I should have hesitated.

I should have questioned it.

But I didn’t.

Because I was Luna now.

Because people needed me.

So I stood, smoothing out my uniform, and followed the woman out the door.

And then—

Darkness.

Chapter 40

POV: Caelum

The first time I saw Eve Montrose, she was a problem I needed to solve.

She was leverage. A strategic move.

Her father and I sat across from each other in his office, the air thick with tension. The alliance was necessary. His pack had silver. And I needed it—not just for weapons, but to keep it out of the witches’ hands.

Eve was the price.

I should have hated that.

I should have looked at her and seen nothing but a bargaining chip.

Instead—

I saw a fire I hadn’t expected.

She wasn’t obedient. She wasn’t timid.

She was defiant. Sharp-tongued, unwilling, fierce in a way that sent an unfamiliar heat through my blood.

And I hated that I noticed.

That I wanted to watch her burn.

She should have been nothing to me.

But she got under my skin.

The first time I saw her fight, it was like watching a storm take form—untamed, wild, relentless.

I’d never seen a Luna throw a punch like that.

I’d never seen one take a punch like that, either, and still spit blood on the ground, smiling like she was starving for more.

And then it got worse.

I saw her with my pack. With my people. I watched the way they loved her. How she started to belong in a way she didn’t even realize.

How I wanted her to belong.

Not just here.

With me.

And then there was the way she looked at me.

Like I was both a monster and a man. Like she wanted to run and stay all at once.

I tried to fight it. I fucking tried.

But inch by inch—

She ruined me.

I told myself I had control.

That the bond was only a means to an end.

That marking her was necessary for the prophecy. The war. The alliance.

I lied to myself.

Because the second I put my eyes on her and her scent flooded my senses, I knew—

This wasn’t political.

This wasn’t about silver mines or witches or the fate of my pack.

This was her.

Eve.

Mine.

The First Time I Kissed Her

It wasn’t supposed to happen.

Not like that.

Not with rage in her eyes and my hands clenched at my sides, desperate to keep from grabbing her.

We were arguing. Again.

She was furious with me for controlling her. For deciding her fate without her consent.

And she was right.

But I couldn’t give her the truth. I couldn’t tell her that if she had a choice—if she truly had a choice—

She wouldn’t be mine.

So instead, I watched her storm closer, spitting fire, her chest heaving, her hands clenched into fists like she was seconds away from swinging at me.

And I lost control.

One second, I was standing still, forcing myself to hold the line.

The next—

She was in my arms.

My hands fisting in her hair.

Her lips parting in shock just before I crushed my mouth to hers.

And then—nothing else fucking mattered.

Her taste—gods, her taste.

She fought me at first. I felt her fingers digging into my chest, pushing me away even as her body melted against mine.

And then something broke.

She kissed me back.

Fierce. Angry. Desperate, like she hated herself for it.

Like she hated me for making her want it.

My back hit the wall as she chased my mouth, demanding more, her hands tangling in my hair, her lips bruising against mine.

I knew then.

She was mine.

Even if she didn’t realize it yet.

Even if it was temporary.

Even if I had to lie to keep her.

And the worst part?

She wanted it too.

Even with hate in her eyes. Even with anger in her voice.

I felt it. The mate bond—real, unnatural, but just as strong.

And I knew in that moment—

I would never let her go.

The monster in me had never known softness.

But somehow, with her, I found myself wanting to give it.

Not because I had to. Not because it was expected.

But because I wanted her to feel at home.

I ordered the gardens to be planted with lavender and chamomile, the same flowers that grew outside her childhood window. I didn’t tell her. I didn’t need to. But when she walked through the pack grounds one morning, when her eyes widened at the sight of them, when she brushed her fingers over the petals like they were something sacred—

I knew she noticed.

I watched the way she exhaled like some invisible weight had left her shoulders.

And fuck, I loved that look on her.

She still had fire in her, still had rage and resistance, but that moment? That moment was peace.

And it was because of me.

Because of the monster.

And I hated how much I loved it.

At first, I didn’t plan to invite them.

Her parents.

This was supposed to be a political marriage. A bond forged for power. Strategy. Survival.

But that was before I knew what it felt like to love her.

Before I knew what it felt like to have her sleep beside me. To hear her laugh. To watch her walk through my pack and bring something back to life inside of it.

Inside of me.

So I sent word.

I invited them.

Because this wasn’t just an alliance anymore.

This was a real fucking marriage.

One that I would have chosen, even if I hadn’t needed to.

I shouldn’t have touched her.

I should have kept my hands to myself, because once I had her I knew I wouldn’t survive losing her.

The first time I had her, she wasn’t soft.

She was fire and rage and desperate need.

She kissed me like she wanted to hurt me. Like she wanted to own me the same way I already fucking belonged to her.

Her hands clawed at my skin, and I let her take. Let her use me, let her ruin me, let her mark me in ways that no one else ever had.

And when she came apart beneath me, gasping my name—

I knew.

This wasn’t just a forced bond.

This wasn’t just a strategic choice.

This was her.

My mate.