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 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 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
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 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
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 POVThe sun beams down on my skin, music blasts through the small earphones into my ears. The noise distracts me from the pain searing up and down my legs. Each mile I run becomes more and more painful, but I know I need to do this. I need better endurance. Running has never been my strong suit.A line of tall, green hedges come into view, indicating I'm approaching the compound. I release a sigh of relief. My legs are on fire, I cannot wait to cool off inside. Skidding to a stop, I see my youngest brother, Artemis, glaring at me from the balcony on the top floor. Attempting to catch my breath I return his glare. He shoots me a sarcastic smile and returns inside. A**hole.Two small rabbits run past me, playing together in the long grass. I envy their free and simple life. Sometimes I want to run away and live life with not a care in the world.The realistic part of my brain burns the thought alive and screams at me to live up to the Alpha life I'm meant to lead. I only thi
Asher's POVThe room was tense from the moment I entered. Everyone appeared angry when I opened the door, especially the girl I almost ran in to. Her eyes were wild and as bright as emeralds. I'm sure if the room was pitch black, they would glow brighter than the full moon.I look past her head, locking my eyes with Alpha Lawrence. I haven't seen him since he visited my Father's pack when I was a small boy. They were best friends. The grey hairs in Lawrence's curly locks pain me for a moment, making me wonder what my father would look like at this age.I offer up a friendly smile and move past the girl. I can feel her eyes following me as I move towards Lawrence to shake his hand. My uncles follow suit, and we all take our seats at the end of the table.The girl huffs and storms out of the room, her long hair trailing behind her. I wonder what her problem is."Oh my, Asher, you have grown up to be quite the handsome young man." Lawrence smiles, bringing his wine glass to his lips.
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