ROWAN “... so, the shipment will arrive latest by next week, unfailingly.”“That's good,” I say as I sign the documents before handing it back to our liaison with the human world. You have been most helpful.”“It has been a pleasure working with you,” the lady says as she heads for the door, leaving at the exact moment Rina and Alden show up.“Everything good with the shipment?” Rina asks as she settles into a seat.“Mmm. Just some technical delays, that is all.”“It better be. All these happenings have made me antsy lately,” she returns.“You? Antsy? What is the world coming to?” I tease her.“Haha. Very funny. You are hilarious,” she deadpans. “You know, just because I am an optimist doesn't mean I don't worry about stuff.”“True. And speaking of worrying occurrences, what do you have?”“We went out to the mainland, as well as sending some of the seasoned ones among us,” Alden speaks up. “There has been no talk about any failed attacks or missing wolves. It is like they are ghosts.
VIKTOR.“Mummy!”I watch as the little girl runs up to Rowan. There is a bright warm smile on Rowan’s face as she lifts the girl up into the air.“Why are you out, Jhenelle? You are supposed to be in class,” she says to the girl.“I finished my work first, so Mr. Tom let me out to play.”“Rally, now? It looks like I have a little genius in my hands.”“Genus? He called me that. What does it mean?”“Genius. Say it with me, genius.”“Geeenius.”“Good girl.”“What does it mean?”“It means… someone that is very good at a skill or subject. Better than others.”“Really? I am a genus?” the kid asks with wonder in her eyes and voice.“Yes, baby. You are.”“That is cool.”“It is. Have you seen our new guest,” she says as she changes the subject. “His name is Louis.”“Hello, Mr. Louis. I am Jhenelle. Mummy's baby girl.”The others laugh at her introduction and I can't help but smile.She is adorable.“Hello Jhenelle, it is a pleasure to meet you.”“Did they kick you out too?” she asks as she sta
DOMINIC OBSIDIAN PACK.“What do you mean you can't find them?!” I snap as I fling the placeholder at the wolf before me. “How do large numbers of wolves just up and vanish and no one has a clue?!”“They covered their tracks well,” he responds, his head bowed low. “Not well enough that we didn't find out about them. Have you figured out who was involved? What they were involved in?”“They were the Alphas of some of the packs in the west. We also discovered that they had a few meetings with Alpha Viktor -”“Viktor? They met up with Viktor?! What for?!”“We… we don't know, Alpha.”“Useless… you are all useless,” I snap. “Get out!”They all scramble out of my office like a bunch of spineless mutts.Viktor.Why is it always him?It was purely coincidence that I had found out that some of the Alphas were planning an attack.In none other Than the Winter Wolf Coalition.I had reached out to them, offering my assistance but they had brushed me off.“... there is no such plan, Alpha Dominic…
ROWAN Knock! Knock!“Come in,” I call out quietly, my head bowed over my desk, still preoccupied with the reports and maps before me.“Hi, mummy!” Jhenelle’s voice calls out, bringing me out of my thoughts. “We brought lunch!”We?I lift my head to see her as well as Louis walking with trays.What is going on here?“Why are you two together?” I ask.“Louis said he wanted to make you lunch and asked me to help. He wanted to make your favorite meal,”she answers as she waddles up to my desk to place her tiny tray. “Can we eat together?”“i-”“We made Pasta Amatriciana,” he says, the r’s rolling of his tongue in a smooth timbre. “I hope you don't mind.”He places the tray and removes the napkin over it to replace a wide set of plates with the steaming dish.The hot red sauce catches my attention first as it clings to each strand with bits of crispy guanciale bits peeking out. In the steam that rises from it I can smell the aroma of garlic and onion mixed with the cheese that is artfully
VIKTOR “I still don't get why I have to come with you,” I say as I get into one of the black trucks with her.It is a hilux truck, with a stunning, shining black paint coat, with sleek tires and a purring engine and there are three others ready to go.I know had seen it before but I am astounded by their wealth. No ordinary rogue settlement can be this well organized and well to do without a structure.It was foolish of us to look down on them and even more foolishly of those wolves to think they are easy to kill.Or subdued.“What is there not to get!”she asks as she closes the door after her. “Are you not curious to see if any of those wolves might recognize you?”Not particularly, no.Not if it jeopardizes my chance of getting my mate to look at me with something other than suspicion.“I am, but how sure are you that the wolves out there are from the same pack as the ones that you found?”“I am not. Which is why I am going with a company of twelve wolves.”Fair point.The ride to
VIKTOR “What do you mean she is missing?” I demand as I stare into her eyes, the same panic and fear I feel at her words is reflected in hers.I might have just known Jhenelle for a few days but I swear I could kill for her already.Even more so, since she is my mate's child.“What happened?” Alden asks as he hurries over to us.“Rina… Rina called, she said the teacher that was… that was meant to watch her can't find her. They have been looking for her since we left!” she says.“Damn it!”“Where could she have gone to?” I ask, trying to keep everyone focused.“The cameras caught her sneaking into the back of one of the jeeps. But when I checked them now, she is nowhere to be found.”“So that means she is somewhere in this town,” I deduce. “The jeeps were all packed in front of the building, right?”“Yeah,” Alden responds.“And while we were there, no one saw anything,” I continue. “Which means she must have gotten out when we came over here.”“So, she can't be far away,” Alden summar
VIKTOR.“Alpha?”Whirling around with inhuman speed, I catch sight of Andre, my beta looking at me with disbelief and joy, waring in his eyes.“Alpha!” he exclaims as he rushes towards me. “You are alive!”“Shh!” I snap. “Keep it down.”“What?” he asks in confusion as he watches me take several stones back.I can't afford to show familiarity to him. Rowan might be watching us right now.“Don't call me that!” I say. “Are you okay, Viktor? Do you know me? Maybe I should get..”“No, don't get anyone,” I say as I keep my distance. “I am alright, just undercover. So, you do not know me, I am not alpha, my name is Louis.”“Louis.”“Hmm.”“Alp- sorry, Louis, are you being threatened? No, that can't be it. Who can dare threaten you?”Andre, in addition to being my beta, is also my best friend, a feat I still don't understand how it is possible.He is a talker.And can be quite dense.“I said stop talking to me!” I whisper in annoyance as I begin walking away from him.“What do you mean I sho
VIKTOR“Well?” Alden asks into the silence. “Why do you look so shocked?”“Because you shocked me, you asshole,” I retort as I think fast. “What? Were you just waiting at the door to pull that move?” I demand.“Kind of, yes,” he answers. “So, who is he?”“I don't know who he is!” I snap at him. “This is the first time I am seeing him.”“But you two were talking.”“I-”“Um, excuse me?” Andre calls out as he walks up to us.Please, please don't mess this up.“Yes?” Alden asks as he switches his dead goldfish stare.“I can see that I have caused some …tension,” Andre answers. “I am sorry, I didn't mean to come between you two.”“What?!”“Excuse me?! There is nothing going in between us!” Alden snaps.“Oh, okay. Um, it is just… uh, you kept questioning him like a lover, so I just thought…”“You thought wrong!” I snap back.This asshole.Lovers?Really?“Okay! Okay, I am sorry. Your argument was just… nevermind. I don't know this man, okay?” he says, turning to Alden. “I saw him moving aro
ROWAN“Mummy looks like a princess!”I laugh at the remark as I stand in front of the full-length mirror, fingers trailing over the delicate fabric of my mating dress. The soft white folds cling to my body like a second skin, flowing down in elegant waves to pool around my feet. The intricate gold embroidery along the bodice and hem catches the soft light, making it glimmer like stars across a night sky. The dress is modeled after ancient Greek designs, and yet it feels uniquely mine, as if it were made for this exact moment. Which it was.“You are right,” Lisa tells Jhenells as she adjusts the waist, while Rina’s fussing over my hair, placing small white flowers into the delicate braids. “But a queen instead. You are the princess.”Kaylee stands off to the side, smiling at me like she already knows what I am thinking.“You look... perfect, Rowan,” she says softly, her eyes filled with warmth. “Viktor won’t know what hit him.”I let out a small laugh, a nervous tremble in my chest
DOMINIC The world narrows down to just Viktor and me, as it was always going to be. This fight has been a long time comingHis eyes burn into mine from below, and I snarl down at him from the balcony. All the noise, all the chaos around us fades into nothing. Just him. Just me. My pulse thunders in my ears as I leap from the ledge, muscles coiling, ready to tear him apart.In mid-air, the change rips through me. Bones snap, skin stretches, and fur bursts from my skin. The transformation into my wolf form is savage, overwhelming. And in the space of a heartbeat, I am no longer a man but a beast. I barely register Viktor doing the same, his massive body surging upward to meet mine.We collide like thunder.Teeth flash, claws slash, fur and flesh tear. I drive him to the ground, snarling, biting, desperate to tear out his throat. But he fights back just as viciously, his teeth sinking into my shoulder with a brutal snap. The pain is white-hot, but I don’t feel it. Not really.
DOMINICThe fight surrounds me the moment I step into the clearing, chaos, mouse, bloodshed, everything swallowing up the night. Wolves… mone and outsiders…they are everywhere. It is impossible to tell who is who at first, just teeth, fur, and blood under the slivers of moonlight. They… Viktor and Rowan, they were ready for us. That much I expected, but what I didn’t count on was the sheer number of them.I should have been warned. I should have seen this coming. But no one told me. Not even Calvin.I can see Viktor and Rowan through the mayhem, cutting through my wolves like they knew every move we would make. Like someone had informed them of my protocols When I find who that fucking traitor is, he or she would wish their parents had never met.How the hell did they get so close? I wonder as my pulse quickens with anger, as I push through the bloodied mess to get to them.But then I see the others- Maxwell, Fin, Sven, Kaylee and her weakling husband, Donald. Traitors.Wha
DOMINIC“Let me out! I hate you!”Jhenelle’s voice rings out again, shrill and desperate, making the fragile peace I had hoped for, to be nothing more than a dream Her words slam into me, causing a visceral reaction that surprises even meHer small fists bang against the door, over and over, relentless. Each hit feels like a direct assault on my patience. She doesn’t understand. No.She refuses to understand. I stand just outside the door, my hands pressed against my temples, trying to drown out her cries. But no matter how hard I press, her voice breaks through, each shout like a blade carving away at my restraint. I have given her everything, more than Rowan ever could, more than anyone could. A life free from struggle, safety, power, a future in her rightful place by my side.As the future Alpha of the obsidian pack.What more could she possibly want?Why does she keep rejecting me? Why does she keep fighting me like this?“Jhenelle, stop!” I snap, but my voice is lost bene
ROWAN They say the truth always finds a way to come out.And that is better you let it come from your own mouth than anotherI just hope that is true.Especially now.The tension in the air is so thick, I can almost taste it. This the first time the settlement has been this packed, with wolves from all over have gathered, and it is like the entire place is holding its breath, waiting for an explosion. Their eyes are on me, waiting for answers. You can differentiate my wolves from the others.They are angry, confused, a little scared because of the foreign pack wolves but more than anything, they are restless. Dominic has crossed a line, touched their little wolf and they want blood.The other wolves are just curious about why they have been summoned and are waiting for an explanationIt is Kaylee that first steps forward first, her mate, Donald, right behind her.“What are we doing here, Rowan?” She asks, her voice cutting through the low murmurs of the other wolves. “You have e
ROWAN SLAM!The door to my study bursts open, crashing against the wall with a force that sends a shudder through the room, making me whirl around, heart racing only to see Alden dragging a trembling wolf behind him. A familiar wolf.Martin.One of the deserters.Oh, I knew it!I knew I shouldn't have accepted these scums into the Coalition Martin's face is ashen, his eyes wide with panic, darting around the room like a trapped animal. I stand abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. "Alden, what is this?" My voice is steady, but there is a hint of rage that I can't hide.Alden says nothing at first, simply steps aside to let two others enter. A young woman and a young man, both wolves from the obsidian pack, step forward. Their faces are tense, their eyes locked on me.Lisa, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, rises to her feet, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the scene. Viktor, standing by the window, moves closer, his presence commanding the room while Rina
ROWANEverything is moving too fast, yet not fast enough. Wolves are running, voices are shouting, and I feel trapped in a slow-motion nightmare, each second dragging on while the urgency inside me screams for action. My heart is racing in my chest, fear gripping every part of me, and I know -I just know- that Jhenelle is no longer here. Dominic… he was here.He must have taken her out of the park.The bastard. "She is not here," I whisper, more to myself than to anyone else. But Viktor, standing close, hears me."Rowan, we are doing everything we can," he says firmly. His voice is calm, but I can see the tension in his eyes. He is scared too. But that fear, it is not enough. It will not bring her back. We have to do something. I have to do something. Sitting here, waiting for others to find her, is not an option. It just will not work."No," I say louder now, my throat tight as I turn to face him. "No, Viktor. You do not understand. She is not in the settlement. He would
DOMINICThe audacity!That fucking bitch!I can't help but seeth as I stand at the edge of the clearing, just beyond the flickering light of the bonfire, cloaked in shadow. The night air is heavy with the scent of pine and smoke, mingled with the sharp tang of burning wood. Wolves are scattered around the fire, their faces lit with joy and warmth. The air hums with celebration, laughter ringing out into the night as if they have nothing to fear.But they should fear me.I watch them, my eyes narrowing on the center of the celebration. There, in the glow of the fire, are Rowan and Victor, laughing together as if they have won. My chest tightens, a bitter taste rising in the back of my throat as I watch how her hair catches the light, gleaming like embers in the dark, her smile that should have been mine is now directed at that bastard, ViktorI clench my fists, nails digging into my palms. Louisa. How dare she get another mate after being rejected by me?How can the fucking goddess
DOMINICA DAY AGOThe crackling of the fireplace is the only sound in my study as I sit behind my desk, fingers drumming against the polished wood. The flickering flames cast long shadows across the room, but they do little to dispel the cold that has settled into my bones. It is taking too fucking long.How hard is it to get such simple Intel.This is what I get when I work with incompetents.My phone buzzes against the desk, bringing me out from my thoughts and I glance at the screen. It is Martin. It is about time.I bring the phone to my ear, answering in a curt manner “Speak,” I say, my voice calm but laced with the authority that makes sure nobody disobeys me.“Alpha,” Martin’s voice is quiet, like he is whispering, and there is an urgency behind it. “There has been a development.”“What is it?”“Alpha- Viktor Thorn is here. He arrived today. And then Ro- Louisa annoyed that there will be a bonfire party. They are holding it tomorrow night. Everyone’s going to be there.”I