Jackson’s POVWhen my guards informed me that Akira was here to see me, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of eagerness. I knew she wouldn’t come all this way for nothing. She had to have vital information for me, something I could use. But as much as I wanted to see her and hear what she had to say, I couldn’t afford to be careless. Akira might have been working for me, but I wasn’t stupid. Trust wasn’t something I gave freely.I ordered my guards to search her thoroughly. I didn’t want any surprises—a wired tape, a hidden weapon, anything that could pose a threat. Thirty minutes later, they finally let her approach. I watched as she entered the room, her eyes scanning her surroundings, something she always do even though she has been her a couple of times, before locking onto me.“Akira,” I called out with a forced smile that didn’t reach my eyes. I knew she could see through my facade, but I didn’t care.“Oh please, Jackson,” she replied, rolling her eyes as she sat down without wa
Hunter’s POVSeth pointed at the map on the table, tracing a route with his finger. “It has been confirmed that Jackson will still go for the meeting, so the operation will still be taking place ,” he said, his voice steady. “If we’re lucky, he won’t use any other route except the one he always takes.”I glanced at Akira to make sure she was following.She nodded, her face calm, but I could sense the tension beneath her cool exterior. She had to be nervous. We all were, even if we didn’t show it. This operation was a double attack that had to be executed perfectly. If anything went wrong, we might end up losing more lives.Seth kept talking, his eyes flicking between the map and us. “Akira,” he said, looking at her directly now, “you remember everything I said, right? It can get intense out there. You need to be able to act fast.”Akira nodded again, her expression unchanging. “I remember everything,” she replied, her voice steady.Seth didn’t seem convinced. He studied her for a mo
Akira’s POVThe night of the mission had arrived, and my heart pounded in my chest as Hunter fastened the belt of my black outfit—a sleek combination of fitted trousers, a bodycon top, and comfortable boots. He had picked the outfit himself, saying black was ideal for blending into the darkness. I agreed with him. The less attention I attracted, the better.Once he was done adjusting my belt, he stepped back, his sharp gaze sweeping over me to make sure everything was in place. He nodded, satisfied. “All good and ready to go,” he said, a smile playing on his lips.“Thank you,” I replied, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. He smiled back, but there was something in his eyes; it was concern and fear. His expression softened as he spoke.“Doll,” he began, his voice low and serious, “you know you can still back out if you want. I can handle rescuing the girls with the men. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”I rolled my eyes, but the gesture was playful. “Sweetie, we’ve been over this. N
Akira’s POVI quietly pushed the door open, revealing the familiar dark tunnel that led underground. The tunnel was almost pitch black, and as I stepped inside, I hesitated. I had completely forgotten about the torch the guards used when they dragged me down here before. How could I have been so unprepared?“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling up inside me. I could feel the eyes of Hunter’s men on my back. Great, I was already making a fool of myself.Suddenly, a soft click came from behind me, and the tunnel lit up slightly. I turned to see Hunter holding a small flashlight, the beam casting a vivid glow on his face. He winked at me, a smile playing on his lips. “I came prepared,” he whispered.Relief flooded through me, and I couldn’t help but smile back at him. He was always one step ahead, always looking out for me. ‘This man is just a darling,’ I thought to myself, and he must have sensed my thoughts because his smile widened even more.With the flashli
Seth’s POVThe evening was still, but something didn’t sit right with me. My instincts were going wild. I couldn’t shake off this strange feeling—a pull in my gut that told me we needed to leave for the ambush earlier than planned. Without wasting any time, I gathered my men and ordered them to get ready. Their surprised faces met mine, but none of them questioned me. They knew better. They could feel and see the seriousness in my face, the kind that only comes when something big is about to go down.When my men came out of the building, ready and equipped, I stood there watching them. They were all solid warriors, but one face stood out—August. His eyes were on me, questioning. I knew those look, his inquisitive side was probably questioning why we are leaving early then planned. He was a man who always like to speak up.As I approached the truck, August walked right into me, colliding with my shoulder. I shot him an annoyed glance.“I thought I was supposed to follow Hunter,” he s
Hunter’s POVThe early morning air was crisp as I stepped out of the truck, the first rays of sunlight slowly creeping over the horizon. Akira, my men, and I had just returned from the mission to rescue the women, and everything had gone better than expected. As I took in a deep breath, the tension from the night’s events slowly melted away. It felt good to be back home, back at the estate, back to my pack; it’s not every time we have such a successful operation especially when things had been chaos lately. I turned to my men, who were still unloading the trucks and helping the rescued women.“You all did well today,” I said with a proud smile, patting one of the men on the back. “I’m proud of you all.”They grinned at me, their faces showing both exhaustion and relief. “Thanks, Alpha,” they said in unison before getting back to work, guiding the women into the worker’s estate where they could rest.Akira appeared by my side, her soft hand resting on my shoulder as she smiled up at
Hunter’s POV“You can’t be serious,” I snapped at Seth again, this time with even more anger. The frustration boiled in my chest as I stared him down. “You can’t keep accusing her every time something goes wrong with our mission.”Seth’s face was hard, but he didn’t back down. “Just hear me out, Alpha,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “What if, when we sent her to Jackson to deliver the false information, she made a deal with him instead? What if she decided to align and work with him?”“That’s absurd!” I practically spat the words, disgusted by his suggestion. “You’re overthinking this, Seth. You have always seen her as a mole, and it’s clouding your judgment.”“Hear me out,” Seth pleaded, his tone now more desperate. “We can’t ignore the possibility that the enemy is closer than we think, just because she’s close to us.”I could feel my blood simmering beneath my skin. “You need to stop,” I warned him, my voice dangerously low. “I’m sick of this. This accusation is getting sick.”
Jackson’s POVI sat back in my wine bar, feeling the satisfying burn of blood wine slide down my throat. The smile on my face was wide and smug—Hunter and his men should be dead by now. They were probably ambushed right where I’d planned. It was all too easy. They had set a location for me, and like fools, they’d walked right into it. I could already imagine their surprise when they were met with my men, disguised as me, ready to strike.I chuckled as I sip down another of the wine.Yet, something gnawed at me. What was taking them so long? My men.It had been over a day now, and I hadn’t heard anything. I glanced at my watch, frowning. I’d sent my best men, the ones who knew how to handle an ambush. They should’ve returned by now with news of Hunter’s demise. Instead, silence. I shrugged; the fools probably went for merriment of triumph after the ambush; it was their way.“Alpha! Alpha!” A voice pierced my thoughts, frantic and loud. I turned, irritation aerated in my chest. One o
Kestrel’s POVI hurried back to the kitchen as fast as I could. My failed attempt to pry information from Akira still stung, but I wasn’t giving up yet. That servant, the one who had boldly insulted her, was my next target.Surely, she wouldn’t be as difficult as Akira.When I stepped into the kitchen, I was met with silence. The loud commotion from earlier had completely dissipated. A few servants were busy with their tasks—chopping vegetables, stirring pots, and kneading dough—but there was no sign of the one I had come for.I stood there, scanning the room, unsure of what to do next. Should I ask the other servants about the incident? Would they even tell me anything useful?Before I could decide and almost made up my mind to ask the other female servant, the kitchen’s storage room door creaked open, and she stepped out.I smiled to myself. Perfect.The servant looked different now. Her shoulders slumped, and her face carried an air of sadness. It was strange. She had been so fierc
Kestrel’s POVI watched Akira disappear down the hallway, out of the kitchen and the small estate and heading to the main estate. Her steps hurried, almost as though she was trying to escape the harshness of the words hurled at her in the kitchen.My mind swirled with questions about what I had just witnessed. Seeing her humiliated like that, seeing her near the brink of tears— it was oddly satisfying. I couldn’t deny it.A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. She deserved it, every bit of it.Still, an idea crept into my head, one I couldn’t ignore.What if I went to her now, pretending to care? It would be a perfect opportunity to dig deeper, to find out what was really going on. The mighty Akira brought low was a rare sight, and I wasn’t about to waste it.Without bothering to grab the snack I had originally gone to the kitchen for, I quickly followed her down the hall.“Akira,” I called out, my voice laced with a false sweetness.She didn’t stop. She didn’t even turn around inst
Kestrel’s POV Standing at the desk in sitting room of Hunter home, I tossed the paperwork I had been pretending to work on across the table. My head pounded from staring at the meaningless columns of numbers, my eyes darting repeatedly toward the clock. No matter how hard I tried to focus, my mind always circled back to Hunter— and Akira. I stretched my arms above my head, rolling my shoulders. My muscles were tense, a clear reflection of my frustration. Pretending to support their ridiculous union had been more exhausting than I had anticipated. Coming here to apology weeks ago had been my only way back into the pack’s fold, but every word I’d spoken had burned my tongue. Apologize to that Akira? A mere upstart who had stolen everything from me? I sighed remembering how they had acted when I walked in on them apologizing for the very thing I hated; their union. No matter how it may still sound, Hunter was mine. Or at least, he should have been. Why shouldn’t we be together? W
August’s POVTaking a deep breath, I forced a neutral expression onto my face and opened the door. “Seth,” I said, feigning surprise. “Didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you by?”He didn’t answer immediately, his sharp eyes scanning me from head to toe. “Can I come in?” he finally asked, his tone unreadable.I hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping aside to let him in. “Sure. Make yourself at home,” I said, trying to keep my voice casual.Seth walked in, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey, his tall frame casting a shadow across my dimly lit living room. My heart raced, pounding in my chest like a trapped bird, but I forced myself to stay calm. I plastered a neutral expression on my face, hoping it would mask the sheer panic bubbling beneath the surface.Inside, my mind was racing. What was he doing here? Had Akira told him what she saw? Did he suspect me? Did he know? Had Akira seen more than I thought?He didn’t sit down, he ju
August’s POVThe air in my house was stifling, and my shirt stuck to my skin as I leaned against the wall, catching my breath. My heart was pounding like a drum, my lungs struggling to keep up after the frantic sprint through the woods.Damn Akira!If she had caught me sneaking around Hunter’s estate tonight with Jackson, I wouldn’t be standing here. The thought alone made my blood boil.I ripped off my torn shirt which was in pieces as a result of transforming back to human form, letting out a growl of frustration. Turing to werewolf to speed off my running speed was the best decision I had done immediately I had sighed her and I was glad that was swift.I had barely escaped, and now, I had to deal with Jackson and his incessant complaining. Grabbing my phone from the table, I punched his number and pressed it to my ear. The line rang twice before he answered.“August,” his gruff voice barked. “What now?”“What now?” I snapped back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “What now is that I
Hunter’s POVThat same evening, the evening air felt thick with tension as I stood by the window, staring out into the fading light. Akira had vanished into the shadows not long ago, heading off to confront Jackson. I had did as my instincts had told me and tried to stop her, but she was as stubborn as the day was long. She had insisted she’d be fine, and I had to trust her. Still, the worry gnawed at me.I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something wasn’t right.Behind me, I heard footsteps entering the living room. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Seth had always moved with a deliberate stride, and he didn’t bother hiding his presence.“That was a quick meeting,” Seth said, coming to stand beside me. His voice was casual, but I knew him too well. He was fishing for answers.“Yeah,” I replied without turning to look at him. My focus remained fixed on the direction Akira had gone. The shadows stretched longer across the compound, and with each passing moment, my
Akira’s POVAs soon as the older Alphas walked out of the sitting room, I turned to Hunter. “Did you see the look Jackson gave me?” I asked, my voice low but tense.Hunter leaned back slightly in his seat, his eyes narrowing as he replayed the scene in his mind. “Of course, I saw it,” he replied. “The man’s full of spite. He hates you because he thinks you’re not being the spy he expected you to be.”My mind wondered in so many thoughts.Jackson’s gaze wasn’t just hateful; it was accusing, as though he’d been wronged. And the way his eyes lingered on me—it sent a chill down my spine. “I’ll go talk to him,” I said, standing up abruptly.However, before I could take a step, Hunter grabbed my wrist. His grip was firm, almost protective. “No,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument. “With the way things went here, he might unleash his anger on you. I won’t let that happen.”I looked into Hunter’s eyes, seeing both his worry and his resolve. But I also knew Jackson well enough to
Seth’s POVThe estate felt colder tonight, or maybe it was just the weight of the task ahead pressing on my chest. Hunter had always expected loyalty from me, but tonight, I could feel the edges of doubt creeping into my thoughts. I couldn’t afford hesitation. Not now. Not when everything was on the line. The double agent had to be dealt with before Jackson made his move. Hunter had given me a simple task: find the traitor, and eliminate him quietly. I wasn’t blind. I knew that even the smallest mistake could unravel everything we’d worked for, so I was meticulous. I followed the usual routes— checked in with the informants I trusted, observed the pack’s movements— but something felt off. There was a flicker of something different, something I couldn’t quite place. My instincts itched at the back of my mind, telling me there was more going on beneath the surface.The first clue came when I noticed Aric’s nervous behavior. Normally, he was sharp, confident, but lately, his movements
Kestrel’s POVI stood in front of Hunter’s door, ready to knock, but noticed it was already half-open.Curiosity got the better of me, so I peeked inside. My heart sank as I saw them—Hunter and Akira—wrapped up in each other. She was sitting on his lap, his arms possessively around her, and they were kissing, laughing, and talking softly. The way they looked at each other made my stomach turn. It wasn’t just physical; it was deeper than that. They were now connected. The kind of connection I had always wanted with him but never had when I was literally gracing his bed. I sighed. My hands clenched at my sides as I watched them. They looked like a power couple—two people who were not only lovers but friends. That was the part that hurt the most. Hunter and I had never had that kind of relationship. Even when I tried to start something he was always distant with me, now he ended up being cold. But with Akira, he was soft, playful, and affectionate. I could feel my anger boiling insid