Chapter 49

Phoenix

After staying up all night making love to Selene, I watch her drift off to sleep, her chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. The peaceful smile on her lips stirs something deep inside me—a feeling I'm still trying to wrap my mind around: love.

I knew things would feel different after creating a mind-bond with her, but I didn't expect it to be this intense. It's not just sex anymore—hell, maybe it never was. It's a connection that goes way beyond the physical, one that reaches into my very fucking soul and binds us together in ways I never thought possible.

When I'm with her, I feel like I'm more than just the sum of my flaws and scars. It's like every dark part of me fades into the warmth of her embrace. I used to think "making love" was something stupid, something I was completely incapable of. I enjoyed fucking women with all of my strength, making them scream my name, leaving them deliciously sore. But with Selene, it's different. I crave the connection we share, the way she sees every broken piece of me and accepts it without hesitation.

Thinking back to the first time I met her, I wanted to break that fire in her eyes, to tear down her defiance and make her bend to my will. But now, that fire is what I live for. The more I'm with her, the more I need her and crave every part of her—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

I never thought I'd mark a woman, much less create a mind-bond. But here we are, our thoughts, our emotions, our very souls tangled in a bond that will never be broken.

I hold her tightly, afraid that if I let go, she might disappear or something. I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, savoring the warmth of her skin against my lips and the way her body instinctively curls closer to mine.

As much as I want to stay in the bed with her, maybe get some rest for once in my fucking life, I know I can't. There are things that need to be done, plans to be made if I want a future with my little wolf. She's everything to me now, and I can't afford to be complacent. There are threats lurking around, dangers that could tear us apart if I don't act now.

I carefully untangle myself from her, moving with a stealth and precision I have learned over years of training. I refuse to risk waking her up, not when she's sleeping so peacefully. Quietly, I slip out of the bed, my feet making no sound as they hit the cool floor.

The room was bathed in the soft glow of dawn. I cross the room to the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to peer out. The world outside appears quiet, but I know better than to trust appearances.

As I stand there, my mind races. Luke and I still haven't come up with a solution to the mess with the Devils. And I haven't even began to figure out how I'm going to confront my father with the information we already learned. How is he going to react when I shove the truth in his face? Is he going to try to silence me the way he did my mother?

I move silently towards the door, casting one last glance at Selene. She's still peacefully asleep, and I suddenly feel a surge of love so powerful it nearly brings me to my knees. Is it her feelings or mine?

Either way, this woman is my world, and I'll do whatever it takes to make her safe again.

Even if that means killing for her.

I walk downstairs to find my uncle already sitting at the kitchen table, lost in his own thoughts.

"Anything new?" I ask, heading straight for the coffee machine. We both need it—hell, who knows when either of us last slept. We're too wired, too caught up in this crazy shit to rest.

After my mom died, I think barely slept for like two whole months. It was knowing she was murdered and there wasn't a shred of evidence left behind to prove it that kept me up for days on end. Now, it's Selene's stalker and the threat my father's recklessness has brought down on our family.

"I stayed up all night reading this file. Look at this shit," he grumbles, sliding the file across the table. If the tense lines in his forehead are any indication of what's in this file, I'm almost afraid to look in it.

I pass him his coffee—black, just the way we both take it—and sit down across from him, eyeing the file.

Do I even want to fucking know?

I take a deep breath, and fling the file open, as if it's a ticking bomb that will go off at any second. As I read it, a cold sweat breaks out over my back.

Fucking hell. It's more than just money laundering and the definite murder of my mom. He's selling drugs, transporting them from roguesburg.

I freeze when I turn to the next page. Human trafficking?

"Unc, is this-" I begin to ask, but the words are trapped in my throat.

Killing his mate and mother of his child is one thing, but he's running an entire underground operation of selling women and children for sex.

The thought makes my stomach churn with nausea.

No. This can't be real.

Luke looks at me with sympathy and anger in his eyes. "Yes, It's real. We can longer keep this from Christina and Selene. They need to know what Philip is doing, and that he has put them in danger. It could make things easier when it comes to protecting them. If they know the gravity of how much danger they're in, they'll start taking their safety more seriously," he explains, his voice grave and unwavering.

I nod. "Yeah, you're right. They need to know."