Scarlett’s POVShady Grove was cast into darkness. In that moment, it felt to me as though it were Ryker himself creating that pocket of shadow; all the light in the world was sucked into him, drawn by like calling to like. I shuddered, writhing in his grip. It was tight enough to make me wheeze, but not tight enough to kill. Yet.“Nothing smart to say this time, hmm?” he purred, loosening his fingers one by one. It was a show of power, a reminder that I could do nothing to stop him. I knew that somewhere deep, somewhere intrinsic; my mind and body were a hacking, red-faced mess, my only conscious thought of getting oxygen into my straining lungs.“Do you understand your place yet, Omega?”I couldn’t even nod. I stared at him, bug-eyed, and waited for him to decide what to do with me next.“I’ve been away, you see. There have been… whispers, shall we say, for many years, about a beautiful and dangerous power lying in wait. Some of those whispers suggested that such a power had been ri
Enzo’s POVThe sun set and the moon rose. Dawn fractured the navy sky, and the pale sun rose and set again. Every day that passed blurred into the next, the week becoming a swathe of endless grey as the storm continued to rage. Swirling mist and black midday skies accompanied my misery as I read books in the library with Davin and as I talked to members of my pack with Marla. The monotony of it all made the pain in my heart more obvious, a striking red set against a backdrop of nothingness. I missed Scarlett more with every agonising second that ticked by.Having her for such a short amount of time made it ache all the more. I’d grasped joy for less than a month, had barely brushed my fingertips against it, before it’d been dragged away from me.I ground my teeth together. “I just feel useless,” I admitted quietly to Davin, closing the worn, yellowed book I’d been reading and sliding it across the table towards him. He nodded. I knew him well enough to understand what it meant - acce
Scarlett’s POV Hot hands grasped my shoulders, dragging me, bleary-eyed, out of the dark room. I squinted against the onslaught of daylight. Heavy chains dragged my sore limbs down. My stomach growled; I fought to ignore it. This was my new normal. Ever since I’d stood up to Alpha Ryker – how many days ago was it now? Three? Four? Five? It was hard to tell in the darkness – I’d been kept in a dimly lit room in the ass-end of the pack house, a room Ryker fondly referred to as his oubliette. A French word meaning to forget. But he’d not forgotten about me. God, life had to be fucked when being left to starve in a pit was preferable to my present reality. My time alone in the room, with my wrists and ankles chained in cold iron, was actually the highlight of my lonely existence. Sure, I ached all over, and sure, I couldn’t ever get comfy, bound upright as I was to the solid frame at the heart of the otherwise empty room, and sure, there was no food, no heat, no reprieve – but at least
Enzo’s POVMy parents lived in a small cabin on the coast. It took me half a day’s hard run to reach it, and I finally shook the water from my fur as the solar lights dotting their front porch came on. Dancing from paw to paw, I stared at the two steps I had to walk up to reach their front door. They were rickety, but in the worn sort of way that looked well lived in rather than abandoned and spooky. Fairy lights glittered against the rolling grey storm, trembling in the wind beneath a slanted half-log roof shaken by the wind. Wind chimes howled and clattered, smashing into the upright logs that formed the outer ring of the porch. A steady drip fell onto the shaggy welcome mat. Warm orange light filled the steamed-up windows, spilling out into the navy darkness and catching the uppermost edge of the rolling grey fog. Even from here I could smell the embers of the fire in the hearth and the deep, rich aroma of their nightly glass of red wine. Chilled in the spring and summer, mulled
Scarlett’s POV My breathing stopped. No. No, I didn’t want to hear it. It was a truth that had lurked in the back of my mind, watching me from the corner of my eye; one I’d never dared poke for fear of what would happen to me if I did. Of course Alpha Ryker had killed my parents. Of course he had. Almost two years’ worth of memories flashed before my eyes: the vague description of their death, which I’d accepted all too easily; the way Enzo had eyed me strangely when I’d recounted it to him; the fact that they’d disappeared and Ryker had been the one to tell me that they’d died… I’d known all along, really; I just hadn’t let myself think about it for long enough to accept it. Ryker himself had basically told me in Shady Grove, when he’d said he couldn’t take my family from me again. I’d shoved it aside, ignored it, done everything I could to pretend it wasn’t true to save myself the agony of accepting the truth. Even the notes my parents had written one another, tucked into the old
Enzo’s POVSilence filled the room. It was palpable, the kind so thick that a knife would struggle to cut it. The weight of my words hung heavy in the air, the accusation stinging even me.Mum’s lip quivered. Seeing that was a lance straight through my heart. “You – you think we poisoned her?” she asked, her voice trembling.Dad wouldn’t meet my eyes, and his question was just as evasive. “Scarlett has been poisoned?”His coldness was easier to bear than my mum’s heartbreak. “Both of us were,” I said levelly, fixing my gaze on the fire. “At the initiation bonfire.” I slid my gaze to my dad, whose brow had furrowed. “That you didn’t attend.”“Oh, Geno, I knew we should’ve told him!”“Told me what?” I glanced between them, chewing on the inside of my cheek.“We didn’t want to worry you, son.” Dad’s smile lines pulled taut as he frowned. “Well, now I am. What the Hell is going on?”“No, no, you must tell us what happened to you first!” Mum cried, clutching a cushion to her chest and squ
Scarlett’s POVAlpha Ryker never knocked. The pack house belonged to him, as did every soul living under its roof. Me more than most.His piggy blue eyes narrowed as he took in my prone form, the duvet pushed back from my body to let my too-hot leg, still stuck in its cast, stick out into the cool spring air. The windows were thrown wide, and the early time of his visit meant that the sun was yet to spill over the horizon.“Well?” he barked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I kept my word. Now it’s time for you to make good on your side of the deal, Omega.” He ground his teeth together. “Scarlett.”“Old habits die hard,” I said, stalling. I couldn’t give him what he wanted and I had no way out. I could lie to him. Tell him I’d made him immortal and then say, hey, I know how I can prove it – let me try to kill you. I swear it won’t work. But, even if he went along with it, I knew I’d never be able to do it. No matter how much he’d hurt me – no matter what he’d done to my parents – I
Enzo’s POVMy jaw dropped. “Hang on just a minute. They attacked you?”Dad waved a blasé hand. “Well, we’re fine, aren’t we?”Mum nodded along with him. “Exactly. There’s no need to blow this out of proportion, sweetheart.”I threw my own hands into the air. “Why didn’t you say anything?” They shared a long look that spoke volumes. My reaction was why. Schooling my features into what was hopefully a look of cool nonchalance, I waited patiently – as patiently as I could, anyway – for them to go on with their story. But neither of them did. “Well?” I pressed eventually, my expression sliding into one of sheer disbelief. “That’s it?”“They left us knocked out in the woods. We woke to a note that said this was a warning, and they wouldn’t be so gentle next time.” Mum shrugged. “All’s well that ends well.”“No, wait.” My brow furrowed. A muscle ticked in my jaw. “A group of rogues managed to overpower you? What happened to not needing backup?”“We let them do it.” Dad sighed over-emphatica
Bennett’s POVThings had taken a while to fall back into place after the battle. With the pack house left in ruins, Scarlett and Enzo had worked with his parents to rehome everyone that lived inside it while it was rebuilt. His mother and father had stayed close, lending their expertise as they got to grips with navigating life post-Ryker.They hadn’t been the only ones to stay, though. I’d asked to remain in Moose Creek. Enzo had accepted my cagey reasoning with narrowed eyes, but he would’ve said yes to just about anything with his mate’s hand on his arm. In truth, I didn’t know where else to go now. Everything in my life had been building up to this. Crafting prophecies for people to find, leaving breadcrumb trails, making messages, telling everyone just the right thing at exactly the right time – I’d never known a moment to myself. Now that was all I had. And I couldn’t See my way forward. Not anymore. I’d told nobody that Scarlett hadn’t been the only one to lose her powers t
Scarlett’s POVI opened my eyes.Sunlight blinded me. No – not sunlight. My own light, golden and magical, surrounded me. Held limp in its grip, it lifted me into the air.But I – I’d been dead. Hadn’t I?I remembered the feel of my life leaving me. I remembered losing my energy, my strength, feeling my body wilt beneath the weight of the magic tearing through my veins and rushing out through my palms. But now the wind was here, holding me, healing me, and I felt it dance across my skin, through my hair, as it pulled my arms out and pointed my legs down towards the ground. I remembered dying.But that wasn’t all I remembered. Vague, fuzzy shapes filtered into my mind, taking form as the light raised me higher and higher. I saw humans, knew their names, saw Adelaide, saw a city and a death and a chase, saw Bennett and a library and Enzo – My beautiful Enzo. How could I ever have forgotten all that we had shared?The memories poured in as my brain healed, the light coming from within
Bennett’s POVI was dying. Such a fact was two things: simple and irrefutable. To fight it was futile; to ignore it was idiocy. But I had done as I had been bid by the visions that had plagued me since birth. I had fought the prophecy and, I hoped, saved the world from the tyranny breeding at its wolven heart.It was hard, seeing the world in pathways and possibilities. Even now, as I lay upon the gleaming white floor of Moose Creek’s medical centre, sedative spilling through my veins and blood streaming from my chest, photos of the futures forking from this moment blinded me. I saw Scarlett stood amidst the dead, the only survivor in a war she’d never asked for. I saw her bent over her mate’s body, sobs wracking through her. Then I saw her fumble for the outstretched claws of a fallen werewolf and use them to slit her own throat.I squeezed my eyes shut at that one. It did nothing to halt the visions, of course, but it always made me feel as if I had some semblance of control over
Enzo’s POV I blinked into a sudden burst of gossamer sunlight. “Scarlett,” I rasped, choking up blood. All of me hurt, save for my heart. That was lighter than it had ever been. She was okay. She was a vision in the dying light, her auburn hair with its blonde ends glimmering softly, like the shimmering surface of a ruffled lake; her beautiful blue-green eyes wide, shining with unshed tears; her stance strong and proud and powerful, even as she fell apart at the sorry sight of me. “Fuck,” she whispered, her eyes filling. “Enzo. Oh, God…” “I’m okay,” I grunted. It was a lie. A dying man’s lie to make the love of his life feel better. Blood streamed from my neck; my body felt numb from my face down. The pain was gone, but my feeling was gone with it too. I was outside now, and I’d definitely been inside the last time I’d been conscious. Had my body been trampled beneath the paws of hundreds of Ryker’s wolves? In the heat of battle, it was just as likely that my own pack had buried m
Scarlett’s POVI stared numbly at the doorway. Emila stood at its centre, hands on hips, her expression all furrowed brows and wide eyes. “Scarlett!” she gasped. “What are you doing?”I met her gaze unflinchingly. “He doesn’t need to be in an induced coma,” I said boldly. I’d never felt so damned bold in all my life. “Does he, Medic?” I spat.She held her hands up and walked towards me slowly. “I’m not sure what’s got into you, or why you’re doing this, but please, Scarlett, step away from my patient. He needs to rest to heal.”Doubt started to creep in. I clutched the sedation tube, letting it dangle from my fingers. I’d been so sure…What if I was wrong? Had I just signed Bennett’s death certificate?Gritting my teeth, I held still. He’d woken up before when I’d used my magic to keep the sedation at bay. And he’d told me to stop her – had he meant Emila all along? He had to know what she planned to do to him. My resolve firm once more, I looked back up at her.She smiled weakly, app
Enzo’s POVWe were pushed back further and further. I was the last one standing in the doorway, using my huge wolven body to block out the attacking army. Though we were fighting a losing battle, I was proud of my wolves. We’d kept Ryker’s pets at bay far longer than I’d thought we’d ever had any hope of doing. The sun was dipping lower in the sky, brushing the tips of the massacred pine trees, burnishing their bottle-green needles a deep, glittering gold.It also shone on the pools of blood. The ground was soaked in it, rivulets running down the slight hillock upon which the pack house stood. Bodies of wolves broke its streams; my wolves, Ryker’s wolves. They were clawed and bitten, missing limbs, missing chunks of fur and flesh. Such violence would stain the land here forever.But worse still than the gore and the sightless eyes of my fallen warriors was the gnawing worry about my mate. I hadn’t seen Scar since she’d run into the crowd. Unable to mindlink her, I was left drowning in
Scarlett’s POVI ducked through the wolves, narrowly avoiding the swiping, slashing claws. Nobody seemed to notice me as I ran – they were focused on the other wolves with teeth bared and blood soaked into their muzzles. I brushed under the bellies of those in Enzo’s pack, using them to protect me from the enemy wolves.Then I was pushed forward by a surge of movement from behind. Arms wheeling, I stumbled through the front line of our warriors and fell, head first, into the tangle of Ryker’s wolves.“Fuck,” I gasped, smacking into warm, bloodied fur. I bounced off its firm, muscled body, and rolled until I hit paws. Then I scrambled to my feet – Only to be clawed down my face. I bit back a scream, pressing my palms to the wound. Blood streamed between my fingers, pouring over my eye. I squeezed it shut. My head throbbed; each pulse shook me, the cut burning and stinging. Barely able to see, I ran, my back bowed, zig-zagging through the writhing mass of wolven bodies.Running through
Enzo’s POVI shoved down my terror as the wolves swelled around us, a writhing, unforgiving tide. Like a stone upon the shore I stood firm, knowing I must withstand its force. My terror was not for me, and neither was my determination. It was for her – my mate, the beautiful woman sat upon my wolven back – and for my pack members. They had not chosen this fate, no more than Scar or I had. This was our only chance to make it right.Scarlett knotted her fingers in my fur. She leant forward and whispered, “I’ve got you.”Then the enemy was upon us.I surged forward, meeting them rather than allowing them to breach our front line. My Beta and Gamma lunged with me, our movements so well practised we barely had to think of them. I had to adjust my balance more with Scar on my back, but it was instinct, raw and as natural as breathing, to keep her secure atop me.My jaw locked around a grey wolf’s neck. I clamped down, pulled back, tore flesh from bone. The wolf fell to the ground, dead. Blo
Scarlett’s POV“Pretty much,” said Isaak, his gaze downcast. He shuffled his weight from foot to foot. “I’m sorry.”“Why did they target your sister?” I asked, leaning closer to the cell bars. He shrugged. “She’s the only family I have left. They knew I’d do anything for her, I guess. Even…”I nodded. “Even this.” But then my eyes narrowed. “How did they know you well enough to target her?”Isaak’s cheeks flushed. He started picking at his cuticles and refused to meet my eyes. “They have scouts too,” he said. I felt convinced it was a lie. Before I could push the matter, though, Enzo grabbed my arm.“Hey,” I said, trying to pry his fingers off. They were white knuckled. My belly hollowed out. “What is it?”“Marla just mindlinked me,” he whispered, glancing furtively at Isaak. Understanding immediately, I towed him out of the cells and up into a nook at the top of the stairs. My back was pressed flat against the wall; Enzo huddled close, biting his lip as he looked around anxiously.O