ROWAN“We found the wolf. The one who tried to kidnap the other alpha. He is in the dungeons.”Well, isn't that just wonderful?Even the world is on our side.“Shall we?” Viktor asks and together, we make our way to the dungeons.“Andre?” He calls.“Yes, alpha?”“I need you to contact the Luna of the Herring pack. Let her know that her mate has been found.”“Yes, alpha,” he says before leaving.“Would she cause trouble?” I ask him“No, at least, I don't think so. Kaylee is a… character, it is true. But she is a straight shooter and can't stand any bullshit and she has made her opinion about Dominic and his behavior very clear, especially when there are gatherings that we are obligated to attend.”“Sounds like my own kind of woman.”“Are you trying to make me jealous?”“Do you get jealous that easily?” I retort.“When it comes to you, apparently yes.”“Well, fortunately for you, I like men.”“Fortunately.”As we get closer to the dungeon I am stunned by the strong and imposing structur
VIKTOR For a good minute, I stare down at the wolf. He is of average build, with enough muscles to hold his own in a fight, a defiant gaze that is common amongst his pack. He is also very bruised. With a burst lip, two black eyes, a few scrapes on his chest and arms, and judging from the way it is hanging, I am pretty sure his shoulder is dislocated. “What is your name?” I ask him. “Fuck you!” He spits. Classy. “Tommy,” Rowan says and I see the wolf jerk in surprise at that. “What?” I ask, turning to her. “His name is Tommy,” she repeats. “He is the usual buffed up, dumb brute. More brawn, less brain. Lives by every word that comes out of Dominic's mouth and breathes by the air that comes from his ass and is unnecessarily cruel. You can't break him. To him, Dominic is the beginning and the end. Which is good,” she finishes. “Why is it good?” I ask “It is good because he is loyal and Dominic recognizes that. From what I remember, he is one of Dominic's trusted people, pa
VIKTORKnock.Knock.Knock.“Are you going to answer that or do I have to kill someone this morning?” Rowan grunts from over my chest, her eyes still closed in sleep.“I might settle for the killing,” I tell her grumpily as I slowly blink open A glance at my alarm clock tells me it is just past five.In the goddamn morning.Death, it is.Knock.Knock.Knock.With an annoyed growl, I get off the bed and stall toward the door.“What?!” I snarl as I pull it open. Andre rears back from me with a wide eyed look.“Whoah!” He says. “Calm down. Why are you in such a mood?”“It is barely five in the morning and you are asking me that?” I growl at him“You have been up earlier than this before!”“Well, I didn't have my beautiful mate sleeping by my side before, did I?!”“All right, fair point. I am sorry.”“Just tell me what was so urgent that it couldn't wait.”“Ah, right. Dominic is here.”It is… beyond annoying how almost all my problems and issues seem to revolve around that man.“What do
LOUISA.“You have got to be kidding me!” Dominic snarls as I stand at the entrance, frozen in terrified shock.This is a nightmare.I knew that whoever my mate would be wouldn't be happy about it but I didn't think it would be Dominic, the Alpha.“How in the goddess’s name does this make sense?!” he continues. “You can't even shift into your wolf? How are you my mate?!”“I am so- sorry,” I stuttered, head bowed to avoid his gaze. “I didn't- I am-”“Enough! Goddess, you are pathetic. What was the goddess thinking? Pairing me up with you?” he mutters as he runs his hands through his hair.I stay silent, unable to answer.Honestly, I am wondering the same too. Why would I be paired with Dominic? The man hates me with a passion.“Why are you still here?” he snaps at me.“I am sorry!” I exclaim as I quickly look up, only to see the look of pure unadulterated loathing on his face. “You… you called for me… I don’t-”“Ugh,” he groans as he walks towards me pushing me out of the way and headin
LOUISA.The sun comes up to see me, huddled in a corner of his room.Bruised, bloody, and hurting.While he sleeps soundly without a care in the world.I want to kill him.The thought is as strong as it is alarming.In all my years of living with Dominic, I have never resented him for the way he treated me.Oh, I didn't like it, but I understood him.So, I tried my best to never cross his path.But this…This makes me cold.Not a sad kind of cold but a building rage that I try to tamp down.It is every shewolf’s dream to have a beautiful mating ritual, filled with tenderness and love from her mate.I… I was brutalised. Raped and broken all because of his own misconceptions about me.I never did anything to him.Never undermined him or insulted him, why would he hurt me like this?His own mate?It's not right.It's not fair.It makes me mad.And for the first time, I contemplate killing someone.My own mate.And yet, I don't move.I just stay here, huddled in a corner, like a pathetic
LOUISA.News of Dominic and I being mates quickly spread across the pack and the general atmosphere is that of shock and tension.Shock, because who would ever think that Dominic would be mated to me?Tension because they know who he is and are wary of how he would act.Hell, I am wary of his reaction but I don't plan on staying to find out.I hear it in the quiet whispers of those who pass by Harriet's door and in how they try to look inside.I see it in the tailor’s look as she takes my measurements for the ceremonial gown.I feel it in the sudden silence that envelops a place when Dominic walks by.And through it all, there is just one resounding thought in my head.Leave.Leave before it is too late.“This is a beautiful gown,” Harriet comments as she takes an admiring look at me, standing on a podium.I turn to look at my reflection and I will give it to her, it is a stunning dress.The gown is made from smooth, pure white silk, adorned with intricate silver stitching that sparkl
ROWAN.“Going somewhere? Mate,” he asks, his voice cold and his eyes even colder.“Dominic-”THWACK.My head hit the floor at the force of the slap and I tasted blood in my mouth from my split lip.“I told you never to call me that! It is Alpha to you!”“I am sorry…” I say, only to notice my vision going blurry.Something he seems to notice as I try to look up at him.“Good, it is working,” he remarks as he gets to his feet.“I told you it would,” a voice says.Clarisse.She is here…She drugged me.And he knew about it.Why?“You must be wondering what is happening right now,” he says. “So am I. Tell me, where are you going?”I don't answer him.He is not stupid, he can clearly see what I was planning to do.“Wow, she really has grown some guts,” Clarisse croons as she walks towards him, her vicious voice spitting poison at me. “She must think she is something special because she was mated to you.”“Quiet Clarisse, can't you see I am talking to your Luna,” he asks.“Luna my foot! How
ROWAN.It is the voices that lull me to consciousness.At first, they are just murmurs, indecipherable sounds that just hover over me and then they become clearer.“I think she is coming around.”“What? How do you know that?”“I saw her hand just twitch. There! It did it again. Did you see it?”“Really? hi! Hello, can you bear me? Can you try and open your eyes? Hello?”Several gentle taps on my face later and I manage to squint my eyes open.The first thing I notice is that I can see.Whatever it was that Dominic had Clarisse put in my food must have worn off. My eyes are so clear that I have to turn away from the shining rays of the sun.The second thing I notice is the pain.Turning my head from the direction of the sun causes shafts of immense pain to run through my body, ripping out a strangled groan from me.“Ugh,” I groan as I try to take in a deep but measured breath.“Hey, hey, hey. I wouldn't move if I were you,” one of the two voices cautions. “You have some pretty rough br