Chapter 286\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nightfall\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The towering headquarters of the Shadowbane Consortium blazed with lights-an unusual sight, considering Alpha of the Shadowbane Pack rarely worked late.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tonight, however, the entire tower hummed under his\u00a0<\/p>\n
presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside the upper floors, Jackson felt his soul nearly leave his body as he stared at the photos sent to his phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The plan had been simple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send that male actor-the one Skylar had casually praised as \u201cpleasant to look at\u201d-to keep Skylar occupied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Distract her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Keep her from wandering back to the Aysel every day to spend time with Aysel, leaving their Alpha alone in an empty den.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why in the Moon\u2019s name was that male wolf hovering around Aysel?\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the photos, the man was pouring her drinks, leaning close, flashing smiles far too polished- his entire posture screaming courtship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was he courting death?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jackson wanted to howl. To reach through the screen and shake the idiot awake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, it was clear that the first wolf to die tonight would not be the actor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because behind him-\u00a0<\/p>\n
A gaze fell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lethal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 286\u00a0<\/p>\n
Firushed\u00a0<\/p>\n
Magnus had seen the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alpha\u2019s presence darkened instantly, his aura turning suffocating, predatory, thick with killing intent. The air itself seemed to recoil.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jackson, who had just experienced the greatest failure of his professional life, could only scream internally:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Idiot teammate. Absolute idiot teammate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To be fair, wolves who survived long under constant scrutiny-especially under lenses and crowds-were skilled manipulators. When they set out to charm, they did so with devastating precision.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And so, Aysel and Skylar\u2019s visit to the set had been\u2026 enjoyable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After dinner, the pack had gone singing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aysel\u2019s cheeks were flushed, her steps light and unsteady, her scent sweetened by alcohol and laughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside the dim, noisy private room, someone reached out to support her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She waved them off with a lazy flick of her wrist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no\u2026 not you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who do you want?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another hand closed firmly around her arm-possessive, unyielding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aysel turned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A familiar presence wrapped around her like nightfall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She plunged into a chest that smelled of cold snow and cedarwood-an Alpha\u2019s scent so deeply imprinted into her instincts that even intoxication could not confuse it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Smiling brightly, she burrowed closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Magnus Sanchez pinched her soft cheek.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho am I?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 286\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aysel paused, brows knitting as she thought hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy boyfriend,\u201d she answered proudly. \u201cMagnus.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She brushed his hand away, pouting as she hugged his waist, her voice soft and clingy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sleepy\u2026 want to go home. Want to sleep.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was drunk-but she had not mistaken her mate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The frost around Magnus eased, just slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His wolf huffed internally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pup has done nothing wrong. The fault lies with the shameless males outside the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He bent and swept her into his arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grinding his teeth, he muttered, unwilling to sound harsh:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll settle this when we get back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind them, the film crew stood frozen-half their drunken haze evaporating in terror.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Moon above.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That Alpha\u2019s presence was terrifying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anyone unaware would think he was about to slaughter them like livestock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even the director stood in stunned silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So the gentle-looking woman\u2019s fianc\u00e9 was that Magnus Sanchez-the Shadowbane Alpha infamous for his aversion to females.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The director had once seen him kick a woman who threw herself at him several meters away without blinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet now-\u00a0<\/p>\n
That same Alpha held a woman as if she were moonlight incarnate, anger restrained behind clenched jaws, his voice low and coaxing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unbelievable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The male lead\u2019s legs were shaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:05 Mon, Dec 22\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 286\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who could have known?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had misidentified the target, and the woman he\u2019d tried to please turned out to be the most precious treasure of the continent\u2019s apex Alpha.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three words described his state of mind:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sky has fallen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Among the stunned silence, only Skylar, thoroughly drunk and having the time of her life, shouted cheerfully:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAysel! Aysel! Where\u2019d you go? Come back, let\u2019s keep singing!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jackson-who had just lost his bonus and all joy in life-lunged forward and grabbed Skylar, who was as hard to restrain as a festival hog.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLady Skylar,\u201d he begged silently,\u00a0<\/p>\n
please stop singing-another note and this becomes a funeral dirge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In truth, this had been an internal gathering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Skylar was an investor. Aysel was her friend.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone knew the limits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even Adam-the male lead-had kept his distance after Aysel made it clear she disliked people standing too close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had merely been\u2026 enthusiastic. A little flattering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their clothes hadn\u2019t even brushed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unfortunately-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aysel\u2019s Alpha was a jealous beast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anyone daring to preen before his mate triggered instant hostility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adam wanted to howl injustice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was a top-tier star, not some low-rent gigolo!\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had taken the gentle humor, emotional support route tonight!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet Magnus had not expected this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:05 Mon, Dec 22\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 286\u00a0<\/p>\n
Avoided clubs. Avoided bars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And still, a simple set visit had drawn butterflies to his mate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Regret hit instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He should never have let her leave the den that morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aysel belonged in his grasp. His pocket. His territory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Car\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the backseat of the Maybach, Magnus grasped her waist and lifted her onto his lap, positioning her face-to-face with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby,\u201d he asked softly, voice edged with grievance,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cdid you have fun today?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aysel nodded eagerly, eyes unfocused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Magnus ground his molars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I didn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like working alone. I don\u2019t like strange males circling my mate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even drunk, Aysel remembered how to soothe him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She leaned forward, pressing light kisses to his lips like a small, affectionate wolf pup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be mad\u2026 love you the most. Be good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Magnus took more, licking at her lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how will you comfort me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She blinked, confused and innocent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His rough thumb traced her wrist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
5\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:05 Mon, Dec 22\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 286\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
67\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, the instinct roared-\u00a0<\/p>\n
to cage her, hide her, keep her where only he could see.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he remembered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hated confinement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hated darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hated losing freedom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So like a restrained beast, he marked her instead-gentle enough not to hurt, fierce enough to claim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His teeth grazed the curve of her throat, where a wolf\u2019s gland should have been, biting just enough to promise permanence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The car had already entered the estate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The driver had long since withdrawn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the backseat rocked harder and harder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aysel was easy to coax when drunk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first time had been the night Celestine Ward was captured-back when distance still existed between them, when desire had to be crushed under control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her drunken obedience became his excuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They did more than what she had promised him that morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Much more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the end, Aysel was crying herself awake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The limit had been crossed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blindfolded by a loosened tie, tears mixed with parted lips and breathless sounds as Magnus soothed her without the slightest revulsion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whenever her head knocked against the roof or window, his hand cushioned it instinctively.\u00a0<\/p>\n
6\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:05 Mon, Dec 22\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 286\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he finally carried her into the villa, wrapped in his suit, she was drained-body and soul.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only Magnus remained alert, vibrant-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like a demon wolf fully fed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All carlier frustration from storming out of the Shadowbane tower to reclaim his mate-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Completely gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
730\u00a0<\/p>\n
B\u00a0<\/p>\n
7\/7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Midnight Letters by Daniel Crowe 286 Chapter 286\u00a0 Third Person\u2019s POV\u00a0 Nightfall\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 The towering headquarters of the Shadowbane Consortium […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pack-princess"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20559\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}