ONEKA'S POVWe stand silent, my mind running over the possible excuses I could come up with. Why did mum have to come here in the first place? Athena. Right. She was missing. But now, how are we going to get out of this mess? Now I understood what Athena might have gone through when I sneaked into the pack and Xavier caught us. Well, what could I say….like mother like daughter. “I didn't know we were having a guest over..” Cameron trailed, not knowing what else to say. Obviously, he was looking at me to explain what a woman was doing in our bedroom. “Oh yes umm…Cameron. She is—”“Your mother? Right?” I frowned. How did he know that? “I'm sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop but while I was coming in, I might have heard you call her your mom.” Oh. Well. We are surely busted now. “Is everything alright though? You never talked about your mom before, and now that she is here, I think it might be something important.” “Yes. Everything is alright. I..didn't know actually. That she was comi
MAGGIE'S POV“Wasn't making my mother miserable enough for you that you had the audacity to show your face in my pack again?” Xavier growled ferociously and I'm sure everyone could hear the commotion now if they couldn't before. “Dad made a mistake. Now I'll make sure to clean it up for him. From scratch,” his voice was threatening low as his hands encircled my neck, lifting me off my feet. “How dare you! How dare you show me your face after doing that to my mom? My family! You ruined our peace! You made my mom miserable,” fuck. This was bad. I didn't expect him to go as far as strangling. “Stop..pl..please,” I struggled to breathe as the words left my lips. I couldn't breathe. The air felt like it was being squeezed out of my lungs, and darkness clouded my vision. Xavier's grip tightened around my throat, his fingers digging into my skin. Panic surged through me, but I couldn't make a sound. All I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, drowning out the ch
ATHENA’S POVThe chains bit into my wrists, their cold metal links a constant reminder of my captivity. I could feel the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me, every muscle strained from the endless struggle against the restraints. How long had it been since I last roamed freely? Days blurred into nights, merging into an unending cycle of captivity.Through the small opening in the ceiling, a sliver of light teased my senses, a cruel reminder of the world beyond these damp walls. Day and night danced in an eternal waltz, but for me, time had become an abstract concept, lost in the depths of my confinement.Footsteps echoed in the darkness, the sound reverberating through the cold, dank basement. Scarlet's silhouette materialized, her presence a mix of dread and fleeting hope. She was the one I loved, yet the one who held the key to my suffering."Athena," her voice cut through the oppressive silence, carrying with it the weight of inevitability.I turned my gaze towards her, the ch
ATHENA'S POV “Why?” My heart was caught in my throat as I looked at the person in front of me. “Why?” I cracked. “Xavier trusted you, and…” my eyes widened as I realized Oneka….had been mated with him all along? A liar like him! “Why Cameron?” I screeched, knowing my piercing voice will be heard loud and clear by everyone in the room. All this time it was him! And Xavier so carelessly told him everything. He knew every secret of the pack. Every way in and out of the pack. He was the mole all along. His audacity! He laughed. He laughed the great old evil life proving he wasn't even ashamed of what he did. After breaking Xavier's trust, Oneka's trust, his pack’s trust! He didn't feel an ounce of shame. “Calm down, Luna. No need to get so emotional and worked up. And to break it to you, yes. Yes I betrayed everyone. The whole pack. And Xavier. But do you know why?” He took threatening steps towards me, trying to tower over my figure. But I wasn't afraid of him. Not one bit! “It's beca
ATHENA'S POVI don't how long I had been walking for, but these fuckers didn't give me a break. They didn't allow me to shift in my wolf neither did they themselves bothered to. I was fucking draimed because I kid not, we had been walking for hours. And realizing the fact that they had been injecting weird stuff into me, didn't help with my condition either way. I trudge through the dense forest, my body aching with every step, my wrists bound in cold chains that chafe against my skin. The chains around my ankles clink with each movement, weighing me down like anchors. There was no sign of Cyrus for now, but his men flank me, their presence ominous as they drag me forward with callous indifference.Two of them, burly and relentless, grip my arms with an iron grip, their fingers digging into my flesh, leaving bruises in their wake. I stumble over roots and fallen branches, the earth beneath me unforgiving and uneven. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my strength waning with every passi
ATHENA'S POVThe cool, damp walls of the laboratory pressed against my back as I strained against the ropes binding me, their coarse fibers cutting into my skin. My heart raced, pounding against my ribcage like a caged bird desperate for freedom. Dread clawed at my insides as I watched the ominous tableau unfold before me.A woman, her features twisted with malice, hovered over a cauldron, stirring a concoction of blood and unknown substances. Her dark eyes glinted with an otherworldly gleam as she muttered incantations that sent shivers down my spine. She was a witch. Other men who I guessed were vampires accompanied her with the ingredients, some of them chemicals and one I recognized as blood. My blood. I could feel the dark energy pulsating through the room, suffocating me with its malevolence.Then he appeared— Cyrus. With a swift kick, he shattered the silence, his presence sending a chill down my spine. His very essence seemed to radiate darkness, engulfing the room in an aura
ATHENA'S POV‘Psstt. Do you hear me?’ I heard Avory seep into my consciousness. ‘Ficking finally,’ I rolled my eyes at her, still trying to break through the ropes after I was left alone. ‘You can't blame me. The drugs kept me at bay. But they have started to wear off now that they aren't giving you more.’ ‘Ok, then use some of your energy and break us out of here.’ The silence of captivity enveloped me, broken only by the distant echoes of footsteps reverberating through the empty corridors. My heart quickened as the sound drew nearer, anticipation mingling with fear.Then, Scarlet emerged, her expression blank and unreadable. I held her gaze, searching for any flicker of humanity in those eyes, but found none. Before I could plead with her, reason with her, she silenced me with a single, disdainful glance."Scarlet, think about what you're doing. You don't—" My words faltered, swallowed by her interruption, by the weight of her disregard."Shut up, will you?" Her voice cut throu
XAVIER'S POVMy vision clears to the sight of Athena, held captive in Cyrus' grip, a dagger poised menacingly at her abdomen, a threat dangling precariously over the heart of my world."Stop!" My voice reverberates with command, cutting through the chaos that ensnares us. My eyes widen and only one thought blares in my mind—to safeguard the life of my mate and our precious pup. The turmoil among the werewolf ranks momentarily pauses, the tension palpable in the air, as Cyrus' sinister beasts snarl malevolently, savoring the impending spectacle."Good," Cyrus taunts, his smirk dripping with malice. "Now tell them all to shift back." Gritting my teeth, I issue the reluctant command, my heart heavy with the weight of inevitability. My loyal warriors obey, their forms morphing back into their human forms, submitting to the whims of our oppressor.Cyrus revels in his triumph, the gleam of triumph dancing in his eyes as his minions descend upon us with savage fervor, crushing my men beneath