*** Unknown POV 1
I was almost asleep when I heard it—the sound of nothing. Winter sounds are limited, but there’s always the slight hum of nightlife, even in the dungeons. The scurrying and scampering of small creatures, the distant rustle of leaves. But the sound of silence? That always woke me up—it usually meant they were close.
I felt that familiar sense of dread creeping up on me now. Peeking out from my hiding place under the evergreens, I saw that the moonlight had revealed the start of snowfall. Such luck; it could cover my tracks.
Tentatively, I slipped out from under the branches, testing the strength in my legs. Surprisingly, I had some. Hematite might just be my new favorite “jewel.” Testing my legs further, I crouched and began to take wide steps, keeping my movements as quiet as possible. Luckily, I have small feet, and at the rate the snow is falling, I imagine it’ll only take about te
*** Alpha Eamon's POVI mind-linked my trackers a little after sunup, telling them to give up the hunt. She was good—very good—and they weren’t even close to finding her trail. The only trace she left behind was a pile of rocks that smelled pungent of bile.I also sent a quick update to my Beta and Gamma, letting them know what I was up to. Occasionally, they’d send me updates on other goings-on, but my focus was entirely on the scene unfolding before me.It was astounding how far she had traveled on foot. We were well outside the regional kingdom now, moving south at an impressive pace. I knew that in my wolf form, I could make it back to the war pack in less than a day, but she had managed to cover this distance in such a short time without any aid. It spoke volumes about her determination and resilience.The she-wolf sat beneath a Pinus strobus, facing the trunk in a submissive prayer pose. I watched her closely, noticing a faint ripple across her neck, and then, slowly, a growl beg
*** Luna Nailo’s POVThere was nothing around me—not even dead dandelions to scrounge for roots, no food to be found. If I couldn’t feed my body, perhaps I could feed my soul.As I wandered further, I began to suspect I had passed beyond the borders of the Regional realm. The white pines had begun to tower above me, their imposing presence a sign I had ventured out of the prince's territory. These trees were not native to the Regional areas, yet they stood here, sacred and beautiful, as if guarding the land itself.It had been so long since I had walked beneath their majestic branches that I felt compelled to honor them. These pines, ancient and wise, had stood sentinel over the land for centuries. Their presence was a reminder of all that had been lost and all that still needed protection. I owed them respect—no, more than that, I owed them my devotion.I knelt beneath the largest of the pines, an elder among giants, and prostrated myself before it. The earth was cold beneath my skin,
*** Eamon’s POVI had no intention of pushing Liliana's control any further tonight, though it was tempting to keep her teetering on the edge just a little longer. The long, lonely years had twisted me a bit like that, turning my need for connection into something slightly sadistic.But I’m working on it.Instead, I treated her to some vanilla love for the rest of our evening until we were both too exhausted to move. The intensity of our earlier connection had drained us, leaving only a tender warmth between us.I think she was halfway to sleep when she reached her last orgasm, her body completely relaxed as she let go. Fenri curled up in the corner of my mind, thoroughly satisfied with himself.The night had taken its toll on both of us—Liliana, physically, and me, emotionally. I wasn't afraid to admit that her awakening had stirred things in me I hadn’t felt in centuries. Over two hundred years had passed since I lost my first mate, and I couldn't help but marvel at the improbability
*** Liliana's POVI was startled awake by a buzzing sound, the kind that drags you from the depths of sleep whether you’re ready or not. Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I squinted against the light from the screen.——— > Don’t leave the apartment.Well, that’s a little cryptic for the morning, I thought, frowning at the message. Eamon. He’d left again before I woke up, and a pang of irritation twisted in my chest. Was this how it was going to be? Long nights together followed by longer days spent apart, with only mysterious messages to hold me over?——— > Tonight we’ll talk.I sighed, setting the phone down beside me. There it was—confirmation that the pattern might continue. I glanced across my studio apartment, my eyes landing on the gaping hole in the sheetrock and the bent wood in the doorframe. A sh
*** Liliana’s POVI regretted coming as soon as I got here. 2 hours later and I my endurance was spent.“I’m taking off,” I tell Lisa, trying to mask my discomfort with a casual tone. She smirks knowingly, her eyes flicking toward Ryan, who was in mid-conversation across the yard.“Guess Ryan was chatting you up again,” she notes, not hiding her amusement. Lisa always invites Ryan to her summer BBQs—they’ve been friends forever—and she’s decided that my grieving period should be over. For the past couple of months, she’s been subtly trying to play matchmaker, convinced that Ryan and I would make a perfect couple.“He’s sweet,” Lisa presses, her tone suggesting she’s thought this through far too much. “You could give him a chance, Lil.”I force a smile. “I have a date,” I say, trying to sound firm. Lisa eyes me suspiciously, sensing my reluctance to engage.“Oh really?” she teases. “And if you’re talking about ‘Glenda Jackson,’ she doesn’t count.” She knows I haven’t dated anyone since
*** Kirk’s POVI watched as the little Honda zipped away, weaving through the sea of sleek luxury vehicles parked up and down the block for Elirisha Ravenshade’s party. That tiny car seemed so out of place, like a kid sneaking into a private club where they didn’t belong. The stark contrast caught my attention, but only briefly. My mind had more pressing matters to focus on.“She’s kinda cute for her age,” Grimnir, my wolf, observed, his voice echoing in the back of my mind.“Whatever,” I muttered, keeping my attention on the rest of the gathering. Grimnir wasn’t wrong, Liliana had a certain look to her, but there was no time for distractions. Eamon had already chimed in about his observations, she wasn’t of interest to us. I had a job to do, and a possible new lead was about to unfold right
*** Red’s POVI could feel him the moment I stepped away from the party. His presence was unmistakable, like a shadow lingering just at the edge of my awareness. They were watching, of course. It wasn’t a surprise—Elirisha Ravenshade wasn’t the kind of woman to hold a casual BBQ without attracting attention. The authorities had been keeping tabs on her businesses for a while now, and it was only a matter of time before they started looking closer at her inner circle.Still, the wolf tailing me was persistent. His energy clung to the air behind me like a bad cologne, following me through the streets as I made my way to the brewery. I could have lost him easily, but there was no time for games. My task was urgent, and if push came to shove, I was confident I could dispose of him without breaking a sweat.
*** Red’s POV“He’s not as dumb as he looked,” my wolf, Nyx, noted dryly, her voice dripping with reluctant acknowledgement. The wolf tailing us hadn’t been thrown off by our diversion tactics, even if he lumbered along like an ogre.“He is kinda hot though”, Nyx added.“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” I muttered, trying to stay focused. It sounded like a beast was on our trail, clumsy and very un-wolf-like. If he were trying to stay hidden, he wasn’t doing a great job of it.“I’ll be sure to let Dawn know how much you love her gift of ShadowSense,” I teased.Nyx huffed in response, sulking in the back of my mind.I rolled my eyes.Nyx loved to take credit for all the rune-granted abilities like they were her own natural talents. It was exhausting sometimes. I wasn’t in the mood to coddle her ego today, especially when we were being followed.These woods weren’t dense enough to lose a seasoned tracker, and they didn’t stretch on for very long. Still, they emptied out into a busy and, more
*** Lisa’s POVI waited, watching Drax lean back in his makeshift throne—a beat-up recliner that had seen better days. The room itself reeked of something desperate, something hollow. The kind of place that pretends to be more than it is, much like Drax himself.He was reveling in the aftermath of his climax, a disgusting display as the girl struggled between his legs, her body twitching as she made her final, desperate attempts to free herself. She clawed at his legs, weak punches landing uselessly against his torso. It wasn’t long before her fight drained out, her last breath spent in a stifled scream, her mouth still impaled on his cock. With a final shiver of satisfaction, he shoved her off, her limp body collapsing in a heap next to the other two women he’d discarded like broken toys.I didn’t flinch. I’d seen worse. Done worse.“Drax,” I said coolly, my voice cutting through the murky air. “This will be your last chance to leave before you’re just another body at my feet.”His e
*** Third Person POV“We were asleep for a reason, a good one." Her voice was calm but edged with a severity that made Eamon pause. Skadi stood across the room, her stance rigid, her eyes locked onto his with an intensity that demanded his attention."It would have to be, considering the risk Lil faces shifting at her age." Eamon’s tone was controlled, but beneath it was a thread of concern. He took a seat back on the edge of the bed, watching her closely, his body tense as if preparing for something he couldn’t yet see."The shift is the least of our worries." She tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as if daring him to challenge her.The room felt charged, the air thick with unspoken tension. Skadi's voice was low, her words deliberate, each syllable weighted with meaning."Death isn’t a worry?" His voice held a sharper edge now, frustration creeping in. "Being taken alive is the worry." Her reply was cold, almost dismissive, as she crossed her arms, her eyes darkening.
*** Riona's POV"Will you do it again?" I had asked Dawn, my voice steady but my heart racing."Every time," she had answered without hesitation, her tone as cold as ever."When?""That's not the question you want to ask me," she had replied, her sharp eyes narrowing in that way that always told me she was two steps ahead."Aren’t you tired of burying them?" My voice cracked just slightly."You bury them," she had said, emotionless."Fuck you," I’d spat back, knowing it wouldn't cut as deep as I wanted."Is that all?""Give me the charge," I had demanded, my desperation barely contained."It’s simpler to bury them," she had said with that infuriating calmness."Give. Me. The. Charge."And then, a voice I didn’t recognize had cut through the air. "It’s already done. I hope you survive. I really do."Another night, reliving the same moment. More than four decades later, I’d make the same choice. Every single time. The only thing I’d change? Maybe adding a rune to automatically summon a
*** Eamon's POVLil had left the party hours ago, but still wasn’t home.I regretted not following her, but I couldn’t reconcile that with abandoning the surveillance. It had seemed like the obvious choice at the time—keep my eye on the case, let her do what she needed. But as the night dragged on, regret settled in, gnawing at me like a wound that wouldn't heal.There had been no sense of urgency or danger through the mate bond, so I wasn’t exactly worried. Annoyed? Yes. Worried? Not yet. After all, I had explicitly told her not to leave the house but she’d done the opposite. My frustration grew tenfold knowing she wasn’t answering her phone because she’d left it behind in her apartment. I’d heard the damn thing buzzing when I tried to call.I busied myself with checking in on my team. Kirk had tracked Red to a Sanctum club, the kind of place with a dubious reputation and an even more exclusive clientele. She apparently had VIP access, which only fueled our optimism that tailing her w
*** Kirk's POVThe wave of her climax rippled through me, a surge of heat that coursed from her body to mine, snapping the mate bond into place. I could feel her walls clenching around me, involuntarily stroking me, pulling me deeper into her, beckoning my own release. My body responded instantly, the tension coiling in my core until I growled low in my chest, releasing myself inside her. The pleasure hit me like a storm, my hips jerking into her as my mouth released her neck. I lapped up the blood at the place where I’d marked her, sealing the bond.The taste of her on my tongue sent another shiver through me, but even as I finished, I couldn’t stop. My body still craved her. I was still hard, still thrusting, the need for her not yet sated. I wanted her to ride me forever, to keep this moment suspended in time, right here against the wall, with her body wrapped around mine. The euphoria of my release began to settle into contentment, but something was wrong.She wasn’t moving.Riona
*** Riona’s POV"Mate," he breathed the word into my ear, his voice like a prayer. His mouth descended to my exposed neck, lips brushing softly against my skin. The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down my spine, and then his tongue—slow, deliberate—lapping at the skin where I knew he could mark me. Electricity crackled at the point of contact, a gentle tingle that spread outward like wildfire. Everywhere his lips touched, everywhere our bodies connected, it was like I was waking up—coming alive under him.I could feel my body screaming for him, every nerve ending on fire, the heat between us building to a point I could hardly stand. He smelled it too. I knew he could sense my arousal, smell it in the air. His growl rumbled low in his chest, vibrating against me as he pressed harder into my body. My breathing grew more ragged, more desperate, as my wolf, Skoll, roared in my mind, lust and need crashing over me in waves.I was almost breathless when I mumbled, "If you want me… then
*** Riona’s POVThe club was exactly what I’d needed tonight—an escape, a promise. The kind of place where desires were laid bare, and the shadows offered protection. This wasn’t a dive bar filled with humans and their cheap thrills. No, this was for our kind, for those who could afford the exclusivity. The lights were low, casting a seductive glow over the polished wood and velvet, and the faint scent of the finest perfumes and expensive cigars lingered in the air. Dancers moved on the stage like art, their bodies shimmering beneath the chandeliers that dripped with crystal.I didn’t come here for business, and I definitely didn’t come here to be bothered by him—who I had been sure I’d lost hours ago.Skoll had been restless for weeks, and I’d promised her some action tonight. A little reward for her patience. After all, it wasn’t every night I found time to indulge in what this place offered—namely, anonymous satisfaction. I deserved it. She deserved it. But this? This wasn’t what I
*** Kirk’s POV"We’ve noticed that Miss Ravenshade has had some bad luck recently." Kirk’s voice was low, his words measured as his eyes tracked every subtle movement in Red's body.Red turned to him, a coy smile playing at the edges of her lips. "Has she? I hadn’t noticed." Her expression glinted with a hint of surprise, as if Kirk's line of questioning caught her off guard. This wasn’t where she thought the conversation was headed—it wasn’t why she thought they were following her. Maybe they weren’t dirty cops after all."We don’t like disturbances Others cause," Kirk continued, his tone carrying a quiet authority. "Especially when they turn up on the Humans' radar."Her gaze softened slightly, thoughtful. "Well, Miss Ravenshade doesn’t want to be on any radar, thus the increase in ‘disturbances.'"A less perceptive wolf would have missed the subtly in her response , but I understood. The attacks on Ravenshade had been relatiory. She was refusing to play ball with someone. There was
*** Kirk’s POV“In my game, I ask the questions, and if I like your answers, I’ll reward you,” I whispered, my breath grazing Red’s ear and trailing down her neck. Her skin was smooth, and I noted, just as I suspected, no mate mark. The thrill of control coursed through me, heightened by the lack of any visible bond on her.“Let me guess,” she quipped, tilting her head slightly in response to my closeness, “If you don’t like my answers, you’ll punish me? So original.”“I’m all about originality, baby. If I don’t like your answers, I’ll just slit your throat instead,” I said smoothly, letting my words hang in the air like a knife. Grimnir stirred in my mind, pleased at the threat.She snorted a laugh, the sound light but unimpressed. “Well, that would be original for a cop... unless, of course, you’re crooked,” she mused, her voice dripping with amusement as she trailed off.“I’m straight as an arrow, baby,” I growled, grinding my hips forward into her backside, feeling the tension betw