BEYOND REDEMPTION

Alpha Edward's POV

For the first time in a long while, I smiled.

Not the usual cold, calculated smirk my pack was used to. No-this was real. Genuine. It came from deep inside me, the moment I looked into her soft, innocent eyes.

Kora.

She had always been the one I admired from a distance. The woman I could never have, because fate had already tied her to another Alpha, Aaron. When I learned she'd been marked by him, I forced myself to step back. I buried the feelings and moved on. Or so I thought.

But the years did nothing to erase her from my memory.

So when I saw her again at their anniversary, standing alone, dressed in grace and pain, it was as if time hadn't moved at all.

She hadn't changed. Her beauty is still quiet and powerful. Her eyes still held a fire she had forgotten.

And when I saw that flicker of sadness in her gaze, I knew something was wrong. I saw everything that happened that night-the way she disappeared from the hall, the tension in her steps. I could've asked her then. Demanded the truth.

But I didn't want to pressure her. Not when she was already breaking inside.

Now, she's here. My Luna.

The title suits her more than she realizes. And I'm not going to lose her to anyone, even if it means raising a war for her.

I parked the car in the lot outside the mansion and stepped out quickly, walking over to her side. She was silent, but I could tell her mind was racing. She had just agreed to carry my child... and I had no intention of letting her face it alone.

I helped her out of the car, guiding her inside.

Once we stepped into the foyer, I turned to the waiting maids.

"Move all of Luna Kora's belongings to my room," I said firmly.

I felt her freeze beside me, and when I looked at her, surprise was written all over her face.

"Why?" she asked, her voice quiet.

I turned to her and met her gaze. "I can't allow you to sleep alone. Not now. I want to be close. I've never been a father before... and I don't want to miss a moment of this. I need to be there, every step of the way."

Her eyes widened, and I caught the way she looked away, almost flustered. She didn't expect this. She thought I would be cold. That I'd treat her like a contract.

But she doesn't know the truth.

The contract was just an excuse... a desperate move to finally keep her close.

She chuckled softly and let me guide her to the couch. I noticed how she looked around the mansion, probably searching for my sister.

"She's not home," I said. "Alina went to the eastern border with her Friend. She'll be back tomorrow."

Kora sighed dramatically and leaned her cheek against her palm. "Now I'm bored," she muttered like a child.

I chuckled. The sound surprised even me. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed like that.

"You're bored already?" I teased. "Should I cancel all my Alpha duties to keep you entertained?"

She gave me a playful glare. "Yes, actually. You should."

I smirked. "Very well. As you wish, Luna."

She smiled, and for a moment, the heavy silence that always followed me... disappeared.

Later that evening, I stood in the hallway, watching as the maids carefully placed her things in my room. The room felt different already. Lighter.

I leaned against the wall, arms folded.

She didn't know it yet, but I meant every word I said. I wasn't going to leave her side. Not through this. Not ever.

Soon, she would start noticing the changes in her body. The morning sickness. The cravings. The fatigue. I wanted to be the one she leaned on.

And more than anything, I wanted her to heal. To find peace here.

Even if it wasn't love yet... I would give her everything she needed to feel safe again.

Because this time, fate gave me a second chance.

And I wasn't going to waste it.

After making sure all her things were arranged in my room, I returned downstairs.

Kora was sitting on the couch, legs tucked beneath her, staring at nothing in particular. There was a calmness in her face, but also a quiet storm just behind her eyes.

I stepped closer. "Still bored?" I asked, hands in my pockets.

She glanced up at me, a tiny smirk tugging at her lips. "Very."

I walked to the center table and picked up a deck of cards, one of the maids had left behind. "Ever played 'Truth or Dare'-the Alpha's version?"

She raised a brow. "The Alpha's version?"

I shrugged, sitting beside her. "Same rules. But if you lie, I'll know. And if you try to dodge a dare... I make it worse."

Kora chuckled. "You're making that up."

"Maybe," I said with a grin. "But it got your attention."

She agreed, and we began. At first, the questions were light, teasing-favourite color, childhood memories, harmless dares like doing a spin or humming a song.

But then the silence between rounds grew slower. Heavier. More intimate.

I leaned a little closer. "Truth or Dare, Luna."

She rolled her eyes. "Truth."

I looked her dead in the eyes. "Do you regret signing that contract?"

She blinked. Her lips parted, but no words came out at first. Then slowly, she whispered, "No."

I felt something shift. Something fragile but important.

I moved even closer. "Truth or Dare?" she asked this time, voice low.

"Truth," I replied.

She swallowed. "Why did you want me to carry your child?"

Silence stretched between us.

I looked at her-not just at her beauty, but her pain, her courage, her strength.

"I didn't just want a child, Kora," I thought quietly. But didn't say anything

You will know very soon," I said.

She gasped slightly, stunned.

Neither of us moved for a long moment.

Then, as if the air between us pulled us closer, I leaned in. So did she.

And we kissed.

It was soft at first, testing, gentle, like a question. But the moment her fingers brushed my jaw, it deepened. Months of tension melted into that kiss.

I'd kissed before. But this... this was something else.

When we finally pulled apart, her face was flushed, and my heart was racing.

I was about to speak when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Reluctantly, I reached for it, expecting a pack update.

Instead, my entire body went cold.

Message from Alpha Aaron:

"I know she's with you. Kora belongs to me. I want her back. Now."

I stared at the screen, jaw tightening.

"Kora," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "go upstairs and get some rest."

She frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"

I stood, slipping the phone into my pocket. "Nothing you need to worry about."

But as she walked away, something inside me shifted again-only this time, it wasn't warmth.

It was rage.

Alpha Aaron thought he could lose her, betray her, nearly kill her, and now demand her back?

Not while I'm breathing.

But a deeper worry clawed at the back of my mind.

Kora was unmarked.

And that meant if Alpha Aaron tried to claim her again, through force or manipulation, it would be easier for him. He might still have a chance to take her back... unless I did something about it.

I stood up and made my way upstairs.

She needed to be protected. Not just by walls or guards, but by the strongest bond our kind knew.

When I entered the room, I found her standing in front of the mirror. She was brushing her hair absentmindedly, lost in thought.

She turned when she saw me, her expression soft but slightly confused.

I walked toward her without a word.

"Kora," I said quietly.

Her brows furrowed as I came closer. "Edward...? Is something wrong?"

Instead of answering, I gently pulled her into my arms. She stiffened at first, clearly startled by the sudden closeness. Her hands pressed lightly against my chest as if to create distance.

"Wait," she whispered, "what's going on?"

"Just trust me," I murmured, holding her tighter.

She stilled. I could feel the tension leave her slowly, her breathing growing steady against me.

When I felt her relax completely, I bent down and lowered my head to the curve of her neck. My lips brushed her skin.

And then I sank my canines into her.

She gasped sharply, her nails digging into my shirt as pain rippled through her.

I pulled back immediately, watching as she winced and brought her fingers to her neck.

A thin trickle of blood slid down her collarbone, but already the mark was glowing faintly-proof of the bond now sealed.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, cupping her cheek. "I had to. He sent a message. He wants you back."

Her eyes widened. "Aaron...?"

I nodded. "But he can't have you anymore. You're mine now. Fully. Completely."

She didn't answer right away.

She reached up to touch the mark, her eyes locked with mine.

There was no fear in them anymore. Just acceptance.

And something else.

Something that felt a lot like hope.

Can you do something for me? She asked.

What? I asked

I want revenge," she said, her eyes looking into mine.