Harper's POVThe night has grown cold, and quiet. I'm sitting in the corner shivering, wishing I had brought a stupid jacket with me this morning. I've been wondering for hours now if anyone has noticed I'm gone.I'm sure Amaris noticed I was missing when I didn't show up for our walk this morning, and hopefully Asher thinks something is up since I haven't joined him in bed.I've had the same routine for weeks since I arrived. I have a shower around nine p.m. and then get into bed with Asher to read a book. Sometimes we'll talk about our day, or we'll both read in silence. I've never not been in bed at that time, so I hope he has realized that and is searching for me.Maybe everything I've been doing has been a mistake; Asher, the marriage and trying to become Alpha. I should've left everything the way it was, and I wouldn't be in this mess. My life was normal and easy with my pack. I could be an unofficial Alpha to them and still live my life however I please. It was great.Ins
Asher's POVBefore I'm fully awake, I can tell something isn't right. I feel empty and alone. I roll over to Harper's side of the bed, and I realize it hasn't been slept in all night. This isn't like her; I know her night-time routine and being out all night isn't part of it.I'm out of bed without thinking. Either she is with Amaris or something terrible has happened to her. I don't bother changing out of my pajamas or put shoes on before I leave the room.I race through the hallways, calling out Harper's name in hopes she is somewhere inside the compound. A door to my right opens and I skid to a halt. Amaris is looking at me sheepish, rubbing her eyes."What's wrong, Asher?" She mumbles, "It's too early in the morning to be listening to you yelling.""Harper is missing," I say, frantic, "She didn't come to bed last night. I assumed she was watching a movie with you."She stands in thought for a moment, "Now that you mention it, she didn't show up for our hike yesterday aftern
Harper's POVMy body feels like lead, weighing me to the ground. Asher urges me to stand to my feet, but moving my arms and legs is a struggle. Being stuck in the cave for twenty-four hours has really taken a toll on my physical state. I'm weak, thirsty and starving. Every time Asher touches me, a cold shiver spreads across my skin.I'm lying on my back, my eyes struggling to stay open. Asher appears in my vision, his mouth moving but there are no sounds being released between his lips. His face is dirty and scratched up, sweat pouring down his neck disappearing under the collar of his shirt. Is he wearing his pajamas?I have no idea how he found me. I'm so far away from the compound, I thought I was never going to be found. Could he sense where I was? Was he able to track my scent?A sharp groan leaves my throat when Asher scoops me into his arms. My body feels as though it's both on fire and made of ice. It's the most uncomfortable feeling I've ever experienced."Where are we
Asher's POVHarper sleeps peacefully beside me, her chest moving slow with each breath she takes. Her hair is fanned around her like a halo, making her appear as if she is glowing. I don't always watch her sleep, but sometimes when my mind won't stop racing in the middle of the night, I turn to watch her in hopes my brain will fall asleep, too.I haven't been sleeping much since I found Harper stuck in the cave. I know she isn't clumsy enough to have fallen in on her own or would have willingly gone in herself. Something, or someone, is behind this. I just know it.I'm finding it hard to believe my uncles could've been involved because I know they would try and harm me first, not Harper. But it's impossible to believe it could've been anyone else. No one in the pack dislikes her and she's so kind to everyone, so I don't think someone would try to harm her.I roll on my back; a small sigh leaves my lips. Not knowing the truth is driving me insane. Harper is convinced my uncles wer
Harper's POVDays turn into weeks; mornings turn into night. I've settled into a routine with Asher's pack rather quickly. I'm learning day by day how things are run around here, and they've allowed me to insert myself in daily activities. Women in the pack have started coming to me for advice and it warms my heart.Asher hasn't said much since the cave incident. Every time I try to bring it up, he shuts me down and says he's sorting it out. Whatever that means. I don't like when he's worried about me, but at the same time I enjoy the fact that he cares about me and wants to protect me.I haven't seen Julius or Dean around the compound much in the past few weeks. I think they must be keeping a low profile since Asher announced he was taking full control over the pack, and they were to answer to Asher and me instead of holding a privileged position within the pack. That's the way I like it, just Asher and me.For the first time since leaving my home, I'm happy and content with lif
Asher's POVHarper moves around the bedroom gracefully. Her long hair trails behind her, bouncing with each step she takes. The way she moves has me enraptured and I don't know why. Who knew someone walking to the bathroom would have me losing my mind.I haven't been able to get her out of my head since we sparred together last week. The way she held herself in the situation was so attractive to me. I hadn't realized just how strong she is until that moment. Now every time I see her, I can't stop thinking about her for hours.It's a confusing time. Just the other week, I had written a letter to Zoey, expressing my undying love for her, and now I'm starting to look at Harper in a different way. My feelings and emotions are all over the place, and I don't know what to do about it.I'm sitting at my desk watching Harper move around the room as she tidies up. Her brows are set into a soft frown, and I smile without thinking. Everything she does is cute."Are you listening to me?" Ha
Asher's POV"Do you still love her?""I- What?" My mouth becomes dry, and I struggle to form a complete sentence."You heard me," She flips her hair over her shoulder, "I'm just curious."I haven't had anyone ask me that question for years. I'm not sure how to respond to it, because I don't know how I truly feel. Sometimes my heart begins to pound when I think about how beautiful she is, and other times I get so angry about her leaving me that I wish to never see her face again.I don't know how I feel about her, especially now that Harper is in the picture. I had thought Zoey was my Mate, that it would be a gradual pull towards her, but I'm starting to think that's not the case anymore."It's complicated," I sigh."I don't believe that," Harper responds, there's something behind her eyes that I can't quite put my finger on. Is it confusion? Anger?"I think you're still in love with her and can't admit it to yourself," she continues, the flames in her eyes roaring.I almost
Harper's POVIt's quiet between us when we get back to the bedroom. Asher told Jack he'll meet him in the games room in ten minutes before awkwardly following me here. I don't know what to say to him after the moment we shared together outside.The 'fake date' didn't feel fake after we almost kissed. I was happy to keep my attraction for him pushed to the side, thinking he wouldn't feel the same way about me. But now things are going to get complicated because we're meant to be in a fake marriage. I'm not sure if I'm ready to commit to him if the opportunity were to present itself.Asher walks to the desk, pulling out a bottle of whiskey. He pours a nip into the crystal glass he has displayed on the desk, and swirls it around, watching the contents inside form a small whirlpool."Do you want to go for a run in the morning?" He asks, not making eye contact with me.I shrug, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I don't see why not."He nods, placing the glass down on the desk without
Harper's POVThe rest of the day feels weird. I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that I'm officially Alpha. When my Mother heard the news, I don't think she was particularly happy about my decisions.She was very against me banishing Artemis and Ansel, but I had no other choice. If I allowed them to stay, they would've tried watching over me like Julius and Dean does to Asher. But when I told her that, it still didn't change her mind.She's so blinded by the way Artemis has presented himself to others, that she doesn't realize just how evil he is. If I told her about what he did as a child up until this point, she would be either horrified or think I'm a liar. So, I'll keep that information to myself for now. I haven't had the chance to catch up with Asher after I heard he banished his uncles. I'm so proud of him for standing up for himself and finally taking that leap to ensure he has full control over his pack. I'm sure a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders s
Harper's POV"I surrender."Those two magic words are all I needed to hear. I shift back, a sigh of relief leaving my lips. A massive weight feels like it has been lifted off my shoulders."Are you serious?" I huff, trying to fill my lungs with fresh air.That was probably one of the toughest fights I've ever been in. Ansel held his own for a good while, but he was no match against my strength.Artemis nods his head, "Yes, I'm serious. You've clearly proven you're the strongest sibling. Hell, you even took out Ansel and he's a beast."I frown, something seems off. I didn't think Artemis would give up this quickly, let alone praise me in the same sentence. It's like he's trying to get into my good books, so I don't punish him."I told you from the start that I wasn't here to f*ck around," I say, looking over my shoulder at Asher, "I was born to be the Alpha."Artemis bows his head, "And I can see that now. You win."He moves past me to overlook the backyard. Everyone must've
Asher's POVI order the pack to form a single line beside Harper and me, allowing the members to huddle together for when the battle begins. Artemis orders his pack to do the same, and before long everyone is in attack mode, waiting for someone to make the first move."Any last words?" Artemis calls out to Harper."Yeah," She replies, "F*ck you!"I try to hold back a laugh but it's impossible. Harper is so funny without even trying. The comment appears to make Artemis angrier, because he lifts his hand in the air and shouts 'Go!' without a warning.His pack lunges forward, shifting as they begin running towards us."Are you ready?" I ask Harper.Without looking at me she says, "Not at all," before shifting and running towards the enemy.I watch her run away, her golden coat shining under the sun that has now appeared from behind the clouds. I can never get over how beautiful her coat is when she shifts, I've never seen a wolf like her. She's stunning.As members of the pac
Harper's POVI'm awake before the sun has risen. I wasn't able to get much sleep the night before because I'm so anxious about the battle; wondering if at the end of the day I will take back the Alpha title or not. I also laid awake staring at the roof thinking about Asher. I'm dying to know how mad he is at me and what our relationship will be like after today. At first, he was supportive of me wanting to be Alpha, but now things have changed. He's concerned I'll get hurt by Artemis, but I know how to handle myself.Not having Asher by my side today is really going to hurt my chances of beating Artemis. If I had Asher's pack behind me, it would be more than enough to overpower Artemis. Having only thirty people helping me is going to be one hell of a challenge.I told the group to meet in the backyard at nine a.m. sharp. I don't want to delay this battle more than it needs to be.I take my time getting ready. It doesn't matter what I wear because I will be shifting anyway, but
Harper's POVAfter the couple snuck me into the compound to a secret meeting place they have, I was able to meet with the group who are aligned with me. There is about twenty to thirty odd people out of the almost ninety people who live here who are on my side and hate Artemis being in power.I got to spend the rest of the day getting to know these people and learning about what's been happening since my Father passed away. I learnt that Artemis was quick to step into the role and didn't seem to mourn the loss of his parent.Artemis has been enforcing new rules such as a curfew after ten p.m. and everyone must be in the dining room at seven p.m. on the dot so dinner can be served. If anyone is late or breaks these rules, they get publicly humiliated with beatings or verbal abuse.How does my Mother think this is okay? My Father never treated anyone unkindly or resorted to violence. Hearing how Artemis has been treating everyone makes my blood boil. We don't use violence on each o
Harper's POVThe car ride was long, and at times I had to pull over on the side of the road to have a quick sleep because I couldn't keep my eyes open. I had too much time to think about how I deceived Asher after a special moment between us.He went to sleep thinking he would wake up with his arms wrapped around me. Instead, he's going to wake up in bed alone and wonder where I am, only to realize I left without telling him. He's going to be so mad at me when I return.If I didn't leave now, I would never get the chance to take on Artemis. Although this wasn't my initial plan, it'll have to do because I'm out of options at this point. My Father would be beyond disappointed if he saw Artemis's true colors like I have in the past.Artemis is ruthless and cunning; he's willing to push people under the bus if it means saving his own a**. He's not a true Alpha.By the time the sun has risen in the sky, I'm parking along the road outside my family's compound. I need to find a way to
Harper's POV"To kill Harper Cole."My blood begins to boil at the mention of someone attempting to take my life again. I'm sick of it. I'm tired of always watching my back and being scared of what, or who, is lurking around the corner trying to take me down. It's time I stood up for myself.I limp over to the man lying on the ground, trying my best to ignore the searing pain in my leg. I push past Asher, stepping on the man's injured leg as hard as I can. I want to smile when I hear another crack and the man screams louder.I kneel until we're at eye level, "I have a message for Artemis," I push down on his leg harder, "You tell him I'm coming after him, so he better be ready."I take my foot of him, and he sighs in relief, clutching his leg. I turn to Asher, trying to remain calm."I'm leaving tonight," I say, looking around at the members of the pack who are watching in shock, "This can't go on any longer. Artemis needs to be stopped."Asher reaches for my elbow, but I snat
Asher's POVThe days following the visit from Harper's brothers have been quiet and uneventful. Harper has been spending more time in bed, presumably mourning the loss of her Father. She has requested not to be disturbed by anyone, not even Amaris.I'm doing my best to comfort her as much as I can during this hard time. I know what it feels like to lose a parent, so I know she just needs some time to process what's happening. When my Father passed away, I wouldn't leave my bedroom for a week. I felt like I couldn't live my life without him in it. It was the hardest time of my life.Seeing Harper this upset makes me feel so helpless. She's devastated that Artemis is officially Alpha because she knows he will be the worst leader for her pack. She's never gone into detail about what he's capable of, but from the sounds of it, he will go as far as he needs to, to get what he wants.I knock on the bedroom door, warning Harper I'm about to come in. I'm shocked to see her sitting at t
Harper's POV"Artemis?"Ansel gets out of the passenger seat, looking tired and drained. He looks like he hasn't slept in days. Whereas Artemis looks like he's drunk five energy drinks and is bouncing off the walls.The two of them walk along the pathway leading to the porch. It feels like my heart has stopped beating in my chest, and the tips of my fingers have become numb.I'm beyond shocked to see my brothers here. A million things are running through my head right now, but the only thing I can pull from the chaos is the simple question; why are they here?"This isn't much of a welcoming party," Artemis says, dusting the snow off his coat."Maybe if you would've given me a heads up I could've pulled something together," I say, trying to regain my composure.Ansel takes a seat across from me, "It was a last-minute trip."At that moment, Asher walks through the front door holding two cups of coffee in the one hand and a plate full of pieces of toast in the other."I hope yo