Avery’s POV I couldn't believe he said it; he said he loved me. Tears filled my eyes as I felt his words echoe in my soul. Did this mean that our relationship was for real, and he wasn't going to do to me what he did to Victoria? Should I say I love him back? No, I couldn't do that right now, because if I did, then it meant that I had totally lost my heart to him. And I wouldn't be able to endure the consequences if this went sideways. But then, why hasn't he marked me yet? If he loves me like he claims he does, why hasn't he claimed me as his own? It felt like I wasn't going to get any rest without answering these questions, but I forced myself to close my eyes and melt into his arms. Soon morning came, and he made love to me again. It seemed that he really couldn't get enough of me. But it was fine because I couldn't get enough of him either. Later, we decided to head down for breakfast in the lounge, and when we got there, I couldn't help but recall all the thin
Avery’s POV The next morning, we began to prepare for our journey to the estate. I’m usually a confident person, but I was feeling a little anxious about the trip. Because, I was supposed to meet Kane's most beloved and only family, who I was really hoping would like and approve of me. Then, secondly, I was supposed to steal a precious book from this same family while hoping that they would not find out and kill me. So, yea, I was more than a little anxious. Everyone knew that Kane thought very highly of Lord Gregory's family. The old lord was still a precious father figure to Kane so I really wanted to impress him, or at least, not make him hate me. Plus I was also nervous to meet the rest of the family members I hadn’t seen before. That was lord Gregory himself and his eldest son, Max who was Victoria’s husband. I hadn’t heard a lot about Max except that he was a nice guy and he did not like politics, but Lord Gregory sounded intimidating. Zander and Greyson all told me tha
Avery’s POV Shit! Shit! Shit! This was not how I’m supposed to die! Imagine being found dead, because you were trying to steal from the family of the man you said you loved. What would people say? How would Kane begin to explain it? It would be the proof Alexander would need to show that I was truly a western spy and I doubt that Kane would be able to stop the whole north from seeking revenge. Alexander would finally get permission to kill everyone in the spring pack. Even Brianne and Marie would not be spared. And knowing how Royal politics works, Kane would probably be forced to give his throne to Alexander as his punishment for bringing in a western spy to steal from them. Hot panic began to flood my veins, but I suddenly remembered that Lucian said if this were to happen, I should apply more of Mona's blood to the glass and try again. That sounded like a hopeless wish for good luck, but what other options did I have here? None! so I immediately pulled out the vial
Avery’s POV Alexander got frustrated and shoved me into one of the cage like- cells, stepped outside, and locked the cage. Just then, I heard a sudden loud commotion outside, and the door burst open with one of the soldiers forcefully dragging a furious Brianne. The soldier got pissed at Brianne’s defiance and smacked her in the face. I gasped, but before the air left my lungs, Brianne raised her fist and punched him straight in the nose, allowing a satisfying crack to fill the air. The soldier fell on the floor, groaning in pain, while Brianne just flipped her hair and willingly walked into the cage and stood beside me as a shocked Alex locked the cage.Alex continued to glare at me through the bars of the cage. "This is where you belong, you filthy traitor. Western trash like you is meant to be in prison with rats and cockroaches."I looked at him straight in the eye and smirked, showing him that his words could not hurt me. Just then, a warrior burst into the room, ran
Avery’s POV The goddess had answered my prayers. When we got to my room, we found Lucian standing there with his sword drawn. He had refused to let the warriors search my room, stating that it would be treason for the common guards to search through the King’s private things. The guards realized he was saying the truth, so they scampered away in fear. I sighed in relief, thankful of Lucian’s presence with us. Kane ushered me into the room and drew a hot bath for me. In 5 minutes, I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, still trying to process everything that had happened in the last 12 hours when Kane walked in. His face was a picture of worry and guilt. Without saying a word, he took off his clothes, stepped into the bath and started running a warm cloth over my skin, washing away the grime and tension from the rough day we had. His touch was soft, almost worshipful, and I could see the guilt in his eyes as he worked. "I'm really sorry I wasn't there," he mur
James’s POV I stood at the edge of my pack, staring out over the fields that used to be so vibrant and full of life. Now, they were barren and desolate. It was a painful reminder of how much had changed since Avery was taken from me. It felt like all the peace, order, and happiness and even color had vanished with her disappearance. Since she left, the deadly pandemic called the Blight had been spreading like wildfire, killing several of my people and destroying so many farmlands. It was as an unbelievable, and almost ironic situation, considering the fact that it was our own pack which had never ever been affected by the blight for almost 2 decades. it was like were Immune somehow. But the same day Avery was taken, the Blight suddenly attacked, like it was waiting for her to leave. But that was impossible right? The Blight was just a disease, so It couldn’t think for itself, and even if it could, it had no business with Avery, so it’s sudden appearance couldn’t be tied
James’s POV I locked the letter in my desk, feeling puzzled and irritated about its contents. I couldn’t believe Kane had just threatened Avery. My own Avery.I could feel rage bubbling up inside me, but at the same time, a part of my logical brain pointed out that this threat against Avery was completely out of character.Yes Kane had sent threatening laters to us before, especially when we tried plotting something against him, but this felt totally uncalled for.I and my men have purposefully stayed the hell out of Kane’s way, so there was no need for such a letter.I was beginning to feel that something was deeply wrong somewhere. I firmly locked my office and headed to bed to find Lizzy waiting for me in a sheer nightgown.It was clear that she was trying to seduce me, but I wasn’t in that kind of mood tonight."Hey, What's the problem?" she asked when she saw the look on my face."It’s nothing. Don't worry about it," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant but it was cle
Kane’s POV Avery’s been upset ever since we realized I couldn’t claim her, and it’s been tearing me up inside too. I can feel the pain of not having her deep down in my bones—especially Valkar, my wolf. When he discovered he couldn’t claim the one he wanted, he has become more restless, more possessive, more aggressive with his passion for her than ever before. It’s like he’s trying to make up for the fact that we haven’t been able to mark her, to make her ours in the way that really matters.Since that night, I’ve had the urge to suddenly press Avery against the wall, kiss her out of nowhere, just because I can’t control my need around her. Every time we’ve made love, it’s been with a desperation that I can’t shake. It’s like I’m driven by some primal need to claim her, to make her mine in every way possible. And it’s not just my need—it’s hers too.I was glad to find that Valkar’s aggressive displays of affection seemed to be calming her down too. I remember the night