JULLIAN POVARGENT PACK HOUSETHAT SAME DAY(SAME AS STORMHAVEN PACKHOUSE)Avery was in Jack's pack house. It was confirmed by the spies I had sent. I didn't know what to do with the information, but somewhat it sent a sort of relief coursing through me, knowing that she lived and wasn't dead.At the same time, I couldn't help but feel jealous, knowing Jack's feelings for Avery.But I knew I couldn't do anything to ensure her safety, even if I went down to his pack house to demand her return.I was powerless despite being a powerful alpha."Hey, bro."I stared at James as he stepped into the room. I have been using my office a lot this day. It was the only place I could be in without interruption, even from Emily.She knew better than to come into the office when I was busy. She only had the chance to have a discussion with me when I was out.James was also the only person who could come in and out of here. He was my Beta, after all. My mother, too, except that I hadn't spoken to her s
JULLIAN POVIt was easy to detect an imposter, but at the same time, it wasn't easy. To detect an imposter, you only need to listen to the tone of the voice with rapt attention and then make a comparison.Sometimes, it could be tricky if you hadn't had a previous conversation with the person, but from a closer look, anyone would do just fine.The reason using the scent might not appropriately worked was that it could be masked. Your senses could be blocked, and you wouldn't be able to perceive anything.In my case, I didn't think my senses were blocked, as I could still smell James when he stepped into the room."It's the coffee, right," I said to Emily.Emily swirled her hand in the air, and the coffee cup transformed. I didn't know what was inside, but it burned continuously.So, I believed the steam from the coffee cup was actually smoke, and the more I inhaled it, the more it blocked my senses.Pinching my nose, I pointed to the cup, "Take that away from here."Emily splayed her h
JULLIAN POVI gasped, jerking awake. Wincing as I opened my eyes, I squinted, my brows furrowed as I looked around me.I wasn't in the office, and Emily wasn't here. Sophia was nowhere to be found either.Looking around, I realized I was in some sort of room. I couldn't exactly tell where it was, but I knew this was still around the pack house, as I could see some boxes with the pack house logo."It's the third warehouse," A voice said. "You should know that you are the alpha."I turned slowly to see who it was, and I frowned as I saw James.He was sitting on the floor; both his hands were chained, and his legs were. He wasn't wearing any shirt, and I saw bruises all over his body."It's weird you don't know a lot of things," he replied.It wasn't weird. I didn't need to know a lot of things. Besides, I wasn't in the pack house most of the time, so James had been the one in charge while I was away.So, it made sense if he knew things around the pack house better than me."What are you
AVERY POVSTORMHAVEN PACK HOUSE"Jullian," I cried, cradling his head in my hand. His body was cold, and he wasn't moving."He's dead, whore, and it's all because of you!" Sophia screeched at me."No!" I shook my head. I didn't want to believe that he was dead. There was no way he had died. We had a lot of things to discuss, and there was no way he had left me hanging with an answer!"This is your offspring?" Emily returned with Jason in her hand. She gripped his neck, and a snarl escaped her lips."He stinks, just like his mother." she dangled him in the air, and I couldn't believe he was still living if he hadn't tried to open his eyes several times.Also, his mouth opened and closed as he tried to gasp for air."We don't need tainted souls in our pack house, and we definitely do not need any form of unity because the Vukari are powerful as they are and do not need inconsequential beings to make them even more significant!" She cackled.The knife with her, gleaming with Jullian's bl
JACK POVI had been awake for a while now, but I couldn't bring myself to leave the room. It wasn't because I didn't want to, but Avery intrigued me.I had never been intrigued by a sleeping woman form before, and it might seemed weird staring at someone while they were sleeping, but I couldn't help it.Avery twisted on the bed, gripping the duvet in her hand. I clasped one of her hands, which was laid on her stomach, while my other hand, on the right, touched her hair, brushing it back from her face."Jullian," she whispered, a smile formed on her face."Jullian?" I murmured with a frown. Even in his absence, he could still catch her attention.She definitely had a nice dream about him because there was no way you'd smile when you were having a nightmare about someone.I couldn't help but think about what was happening in her dream."Stop," she giggled, her grip on my hand tightening.I gripped her shoulder and moved to shake her awake but thought against it.Avery sighed. Aside from
JACK POVI returned to the pack house to see Avery waiting for me.She stood by the entrance, a worried look etched on her face."What's up?" I asked as I casually stepped towards her."I searched the whole pack house for you," she said. "I thought something happened.""Why would you think something had happened?"There was nothing out of the ordinary. Although it was starting to get dark, the pack house was still in its usual bustling mode.Members walked around, carrying one or two things. The shops were still open, and children ran around playing tag.Or maybe she learned about what had happened. Knowing how big of a gossip the women were around here, they could have mentioned one or two things to her."Ma'am," Aisha interrupted. She bowed before me, and I nodded, acknowledging her greeting before she straightened.Aisha didn't return to the Argent pack house. Even as I tried to convince her to do so, she swore never to return, except that Emily was out of it.The only way Emily co
JULLIAN POV"Will you quit doing that?" I grimace, kneading its temple.I glared at James, who was still playing with the chains that were used to hold his hands in place."Sorry," he shrugged with a smile on his face. I knew he wasn't sorry. "I'm just trying to keep this place livelier.""While I am trying to think of a way out. You are not helping," I said.James stopped what he was doing, held his face with his hands, and stared at me with a raised brow. "What's the secret? I am curious to know how you wish to get us past these guards in front of us."Right. That was what I was thinking, too. Emily thought it funny to double the guards in the room. There were about ten before; I knew that because I counted each of the people that had come here in the last few hours. They kept changing.Now, I was seeing more faces. I wondered why she had done so. Maybe she knew an escape plan was in place, hence she didn't want to take the chance of us escaping."I do not believe we can get out of
AVERY POVGroaning, I gripped the seat of the toilet. My stomach hurt from hurling all the food I had eaten the night before, and so did my jaw because I had slammed it into the bathroom room while making my way to the toilet."How do you feel?" Jack asked, gripping my hair out of my face and rubbing my back."I feel like shit," I murmured, wincing."How about we call the doctor?" he asked.I shook my head, wincing at the pain that spread through it. "I'm fine. I believe I ate something bad last night."I couldn't really recall what was wrong with what I had eaten—beef and broccoli stir-fried with soy sauce.Or maybe it was the cake I had eaten soon after but I doubted that was the cause."Maybe not," Jack said. "I look perfectly fine," he pointed to himself.He was right. We had dined together and he looked healthy. He didn't look like he would be sick any moment from now."Maybe it's the flu then," I said. It was that time of the year for it. Although I would be the first person com
AVERY POVI knew it would come to this. The talk about the prophecy and using it against me. I knew all about the prophecy and what had been said because Eileen had told me all I needed to know. However, I wished they could have added why Julian had been a jerk to me.If the prophecy had been all that, why did the family treat me like dirt when they knew Julian and I were supposed to work together? Also, why had he allowed them to treat me in that manner?"And if I refuse to work together with him?" I asked her as if we were in a business together.Julian's mother shook her head. She rose to her feet, walked to the window side, and then returned to where she had been sitting.But she didn't sit. Instead, she stared at me."This isn't what you can agree on, Avery. It isn't a business transaction. You were in his life for a reason. I believe you were created for him—""Unbelievable," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Of course, the goddess is that jobless to create me so I'd satisfy the urge
AVERY POVI was pregnant; I knew that. I felt the same way I felt while with Jason. Somehow, during our back and forth, plus Jason's disappearance, I had managed to allow Julian access to my body again.Of course, I know that was stupid, but then he was Julian. I couldn't resist him when it came to that.With my Aversion to food and everything happening, I had wanted to believe it was the flu and it would all go down until I took a pregnancy test.Well, Aisha was the only one who knew about that because she had bought the test and secret and I had told her to keep the result a secret.I didn't want anyone to know, not even Jack.I groaned, rising from the bed.My eyes wandered around the room and stayed on Julian's mother.Since her return, she had been trying her best to get closer to me. Even as I had tried to avoid her, I never let her not have access to Jason.She was Jason's grandmother, and despite how much I loathed her, there was nothing I could do about her. She was the cause
JULLIAN POVAvery was still out, and I hadn't received any feedback on her health yet. I was not currently in the pack house; otherwise, I'd have known how she was doing.But James still kept me updated, even though I did not trust he was in the same place as Avery. Since his arrival here, he had the habit of moving around with the girls. I wondered if he wasn't affected by the fact that we were currently without a packhouse or on the verge of being at war since Emily had decided to wage one at us.Or maybe he was trying not to make our current situation affect him by not thinking about it. My mother was another thing. I hadn't heard about her since we arrived here.She had indulged herself in activities around Jack's pack house. Jack didn't have a problem with her. In fact, he was the one who even recommended that she help out if she wanted to.Jack didn't have a problem with James, either. He only had a problem with me, and that was due to Avery.I frowned as we arrived at what seem
JULLIAN POVI paced from the bed where Avery was lying down to the window and returned to the bed again. I had been doing that since she became unconscious.The doctor who was supposed to check her was yet to be here, and I wondered what was taking him that long. I couldn't believe he didn't have a reserve doctor for emergencies for a packhouse as big as Jack's.I had wanted the ones available to at least look at what was happening to Avery, but they seemed inexperienced. They could only stabilize her and ensure she was still living.I groaned, pushing a hand through my hair, tugging."You need to sit; my eyes are starting to spin because of you," James said, rubbing his eyes."I never asked you to be here," I stated, glaring at him."Aren't you a ray of sunshine, big brother?" James replied sarcastically, and I glared at him.Avery was in my room at the moment, even though Jack had been against it. Despite the fact that he had told me I didn't have a say over his pack house, I still
AVERY POVI shouldn't have said that, and I couldn't take my words back. Jullian's eyes darkened. They stayed on mine for a brief second.He said nothing to me. He just watched me. I couldn't exactly say what he was staring at, but if the look could kill, I should be dead by now because it felt like he would strangle me if he had the chance to do so."You've been sleeping with my best friend?" It was a simple question, yet it sounded overly dangerous to him."What does it have to do with you?" I retorted, holding his gaze.Jullian snarled; he clutched my chin, tilting it towards his. I stood on the ball of my feet due to how he was pulling me and our height difference."It has every fucking thing to do with me, Avery. Are you trying to test my patience? Are you lying to me now, and do you want to see what I can do for you?" he asked me."Avery!" Jack interrupted me before I could speak.Fuck! Why the hell was he here? Jullian was furious and looking for someone to pass the aggression
AVERY POVMy heart thumped wildly in my chest as I gazed around the room. Jason wasn't here. Aisha had left with him.His absence made my anxiety even skyrocketed. I didn't want to be alone with Jullian, and I didn't even want to speak to him. But now that he was inside my room, I doubted I could do anything.The lock clicked, and I bit on my lower, avoiding his gaze."Avery," he said. His voice was gruff.I shook my head, not responding to him directly because what could I say? I had nothing to say to him!"Avery," he said again. I took a step backward, hoping he wouldn't come closer, but he did anyway.Turning to face him sharply, I glared. What does he want with me? That was the question that kept swirling in my mind. Had he not done enough? No, he was definitely enjoying tormenting me!He enjoyed seeing me in pain and he had come back to torment me even more."Glare at me all you want, but you should speak to me, Avery," He said.I sucked in a deep breath. Then stared at him, poin
AVERY POVI had always been prepared for the unexpected. I believed that was how my life was set out. The goddess had created me and deposited me in the middle of chaos, so I wasn't often fazed when it came to things happening in my life, except for when Jason was taken.This wasn't the unexpected I had wanted to happen or be expecting.Biting my lower lip, I stole a glance at Jack. I noticed he was staring at me, and I saw Jullian staring at him from the corner of my eyes.Aside from the chattering from James and his mother, the tension in the dining room was as thick as steel.I could feel it and wondered if the rest were feeling it. The food I often enjoyed was barely enjoyable due to the silent communication going on between Jack and Jullian.Swallowing, I set my fork on my plate, still filled with food, and stood to my feet.Jack and Jullian did the same.I started from Jack to Jullian and then back to Jack."I volunteered to be in the field. They are short of workers," I said."
JULLIAN POV"That isn't good on you, brother," James said as he stepped into the room.What was he doing here? I believed Jack's pack house was large enough to accommodate my mother, James, and me in different rooms.Also, Jack had not said anything about me sharing rooms, although I wouldn't object to it if I were asked to. This wasn't my pack house, so I shouldn't be choosing what I do in it and whatnot."Tea, coffee? Whichever," James said, setting the glass tray with him on the table.I frowned staring at the steam coming from the cup, before letting my eyes wander to James.He undid the rope on the robe he was wearing to reveal a plaid blue t-shirt, and then he sat on the sofa in the room's center and crossed his legs. Taking one of the cups, which I believed to be the tea's Cups, he took a sip of the steaming liquid before wincing."Fuck, that's hot," He hissed. "I told that little shit to make it fit for drinking.""She probably did that to bring this shitty reaction from you,"
JULLIAN POVWhile coming here, I had prepared my mind for what I would see exactly but didn't think I prepared enough.I thought I didn't care about Avery. At least, I made myself believe that I didn't and wouldn't bat a lash where she was involved.But what was this weird feeling that kept surging into him? Also, her nearness, her scent. It had ignited all that I didn't want to feel anymore.Of course, my thoughts were also to be mad at her. She had escaped with my best friend, and only the goddess knew what they had been doing together. I wanted to demand she say everything that had happened between them, but I knew I wasn't in the proper position to do so as I had awfully failed her."My dear friend," Jack said, causing my attention to leave Avery.I searched his face. It was void of humor. Somehow, I could read every of the damned expression on his face.I saw fear, and another time, I saw anger. Then, I saw determination as well and fear again."To what pleasure do I owe you a vi