Emma's I blinked my eyes open, disoriented. My mind was sluggish, like it hadn’t fully woken up with the rest of me. At first, everything was a blur. I couldn’t even tell where I was. But after a few seconds, my brain began to catch up, piecing things together. The cold, hard surface beneath me. The roughness of stone pressing against my back. I coughed, the taste of dust sharp in my throat. Slowly, I tried to sit up. The effort was harder than it should have been, and a sharp pain ran down my arms as my hands scraped the ground. That’s when I felt it—the tightness around my legs. I glanced down, heart sinking. My legs were bound with thick rope, leaving me unable to move freely. Where am I? The question slipped out of my mouth, my voice barely a whisper. But no one was there to answer. The room around me was cloaked in darkness. I could barely make out the shape of anything—just shadows merging into more shadows. I was alone. Completely alone. "Georgory!" I called o
Emma's Pov And then, just as I thought it couldn't get worse, the door swung open with a creak, making my breath catch. I blinked, trying to focus. Melinda? “Melinda!” I croaked, my voice shaky and weak. I couldn’t believe my eyes. “What… what are you doing here?” Melinda stepped fully into the room, her presence commanding. She tossed her head back and let out a laugh, a sound so sharp it felt like it was slicing right through me. She took her time walking over, her heels clicking sharply against the stone floor, each step adding to the knot in my stomach. “Oh, pretty Emma,” she sneered, stopping just a few feet away. “If only you knew how many people are in on this. Your enemies have friends, lots of them. You wouldn’t have been so free and nonchalant if you knew.” I stared at her, my mind spinning. I tried to process her words, but nothing made sense. How could Melinda—someone I had known—be here? Working with them? My father’s deep voice cut through the fog
Georgory's Pov I gripped the bottle tighter, the weight of it anchoring me in my chair as I stared blankly at the swirling liquid. The burn in my throat was all that reminded me I was still here, still stuck in this endless loop. "Will you stop this?” Daniel's voice cut through the fog of my mind, but I didn’t look up. His footsteps approached, echoing off the walls of the dimly lit room. “That’s your fifth bottle. You need to stop.” I laughed bitterly, bringing the bottle to my lips again. “Stop? What for, Daniel?” I muttered, my voice low and rough. “We’re on the edge of war. People I trusted betrayed me, Emma’s gone, and my children…” I trailed off, swallowing hard. “What am I supposed to do? You tell me.” Daniel stood before me, frustration radiating off him in waves. “You think drinking yourself to death will solve anything?” he snapped. “You’re the Alpha, ! You need to get your head straight. The pack is in chaos—borders are being breached, people are being murdered. And
Gregory’s wolf growled in the back of his mind, the sound vibrating through his chest. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the urge rising inside him. Eve was too close. That scent, so similar to Emma’s, was messing with his senses, clouding his thoughts.Before he could stop himself, he turned toward her, his eyes locking onto hers. Something primal flashed in his gaze—something dark and uncontrollable. Eve’s breath hitched, but she didn’t move. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she held his gaze, her eyes soft with understanding.And then, without thinking, Gregory closed the gap between them. His lips crashed onto hers, fierce and desperate. Eve’s body tensed for a moment, surprised, but then she melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck.The taste of her lips—it wasn’t right. It wasn’t Emma. But his wolf didn’t care. It growled louder now, pushing him further. The heat between them escalated quickly, and Gregory’s hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer until
Gregory’s body trembled uncontrollably. He sat on the cold floor, half-dressed, his shirt still on but his pants undone, exposing the evidence of what had just happened. His eyes darted between Eve and the door where Daniel’s voice had come from. The shame, the regret, it all hit him at once like a crashing wave. “What have I done?” he whispered, barely audible, his voice choked with guilt. He buried his face in his hands, his body shaking as he fought back tears. Eve, standing nearby, hesitated for a moment before walking toward him. She knelt beside him, reaching out but stopping just short of touching him. "Alpha," she said softly, her voice tinged with guilt, "I understand… and I’m really sorry I didn’t stop you." She paused, trying to find the right words. “Even though this was my first time… I would willingly do it again, for you. You’re my Alpha, and I would do anything for you. I don’t blame you for what happened.” Gregory didn’t respond, his face still buried in his
Emma's POV It had been days. Weeks, maybe. Time had lost all meaning in this place—this wretched prison masquerading as a household. The walls seemed to close in on her with each passing hour, the stench of captivity clinging to every inch of her skin. Emma could barely remember what it felt like to be free, to feel the warmth of the sun or the wind on her face. The darkness had become her constant companion, settling deep within her bones, and the cold, unforgiving floor was now her bed. She shifted, wincing as the ache in her body sharpened, the pain of her ordeal weighing heavily on her back. Her arms, legs, every part of her body screamed for relief, but there was none to be found. She slowly pressed her back against the wall, feeling the rough stone scrape against her torn skin, and rested her head. There was nothing else she could do but wait, wait for the next wave of pain or whatever torment her father had in store for her. Her father hadn’t brought another man
Daniel Pov The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a single lamp. Shadows danced on the walls, stretching and shrinking with the faint movement of the light. I sat on the edge of the bed, slumped over, my mind too clouded to focus on any one thought for long. Tobias was next to me, his arms wrapped around me, holding me close. His fingers stroked through my hair, a comforting gesture, but it barely registered through the haze of everything I was feeling. I leaned into him, needing the contact but also feeling weighed down by the storm raging inside me. My brother's tears… I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. He’d never cried before, at least not in front of me. And yet tonight, his sobs had broken something inside me. “I don’t understand…” I muttered, my voice raw. “I’ve never seen him cry. Not ever. And now… now it’s like the world’s just… falling apart. ” I paused, struggling to find the right words. “Where’s the peace, Tobias? Everywhere I turn, there’s anoth
Ati approached the prison, the stench of the place hitting her as she walked in, but she ignored it. She had come with a purpose. After taking permission from the guard, she headed straight to where Katie was held. She knew where they kept pack members who had offended, and it didn’t take long for her to find Katie curled up by the wall. “Katie,” Ati called out softly. Katie stirred and looked up, her eyes wild. She made a low growling noise, warning Ati to leave her alone. But Ati wasn’t easily intimidated. She stepped closer. “I’m really sorry for everything that happened,” Ati began, her voice calm but firm. “I just wanted to tell you… I’m no longer interested in Alpha Gregory. You can keep him if you want.” Katie just stared at her, saying nothing. “I found my mate,” Ati continued. “Last week. It was the most amazing thing, really. I just thought you should know. And I wanted to apologize for what I did. I know you didn’t kidnap Emma, but I had to act then. It was... c