AVERY POVTWO DAYS LATERIt was exactly two days and a few hours since Jason was taken from the pack house, and no, he hadn't been found. Despite all the assurance I had gotten, Jason hadn't returned.I had nagged at Julian and said whatever to anyone who cared to listen, but they only stared at me. They only looked at me with pity.No one could help me, and no one had been able to help me. I was utterly alone.Now I wondered why I had come to the Argent pack house in the first place. I asked why Eileen had told me that Julian could help me and I should run to him.Perhaps she had done that so I would run for my life. I believe she herself wasn't sure if I was going to be helped or not.I paced to the window side, parted the curtain, and opened the window.Letting in a deep breath, I let it out slowly as the wind whipped my face. It was frigid today, and I doubted it would be good to walk outside despite how clear and lovely the sky was.Aside from not seeing Jason, I hadn't seen Juli
AVERY POVJulian was hiding something from me, and I knew that. At least, I knew he wasn't injured, as he had wanted people to believe. It was all just a ruse. Why? I didn't know.And for the life of me, I didn't know where he had gotten the blood on him from. It was as if he had killed an animal and soaked himself in its blood.Julian winced as Aisha returned for the third time today. I stared at him to see him looking at me discreetly with a smile.I also wanted to return the smile, but it would be weird to do so in this situation. For now, Aisha assumed he was wounded and needed the utmost care.It needed to be kept as such."Do you need anything else, ma'am?" she asked me and stared at Julian."Rest," Julian whispered. "I need a rest for the day.""Do I get the beta?""No!" Julian exclaimed quickly, and then he winced again.I raised a brow at him, frowning."For now, no one should know about this. I trust you well enough to keep your mouth shut, hence coming to you," He said.Ais
JACK POVTHE SAME DAYFAR FROM THE ARGENT PACK HOUSE. UNKNOWN LOCATIONGroaning as I came awake, I opened my eyes slowly, blinking away the black dots lining my vision. It took a few minutes for my eyes to get accustomed to the dimness of the room.When it eventually did, I grimaced. I couldn't ascertain where I was. In a slaughter room, maybe due to the blood that was splattered on the wall, and well, the many devices I was seeing.It was the most devices I had seen for torture. Despite being an alpha and many people believing I do partake in torturing those who offended me in the pack house, I hadn't seen this much device before.And for one, I had never partook in punishing anymore. There were people for that, and no one was punished unjustly."How does it feel being at the mercy of another, Alpha? Alpha Jack," my captor said.I hadn't seen him since I got taken."How's your head? I believe it's healing fast," he said again."Healing fast?" I snorted, "Why don't you come to see for
JULIAN POVTHE NEXT DAY"Hey," I gripped Avery's hand as she walked past me for the hundredth time."What?" she answered, and her eyes narrowed."Lose that expression," I said."Why should I?" she retorted.I groaned, shaking my head.He'd been this way since I returned from the journey alone. She barely answered my questions appropriately, and she glared more at me.The intensity of her glare scares me and makes me want to do everything by her. I had never seen Avery furious until now, even when she slapped Sophia, which had pleased me secretly as I had been waiting for whom to make her keep shut.She never seemed that much angry as now. Now I believed if she had the power, she was going to rip out my heart and put it on a stake in front of me, then watch me slowly desiccate and turn to ashes."Are you mad at me?"I asked, even though I knew she was mad at me. It wouldn't take a genius to know that.Avery's brows furrowed and she narrowed her eyes at me."You did something wrong?" she
JACK POVI stared at who was before me again, blinking several times, hoping I saw things and the image would disappear to reveal the natural person behind all that was happening, but nothing happened, which meant it was real.She was real. As she stepped closer, I was hit by her scent. I was used to the same citrus; now, it seemed even more potent. I wondered if it was because we were in an enclosed place. Maybe it was the reason I could smell her even better."Y...you," I murmured as I found my voice again."You looked shocked," Emily said. She sighed, flipping her hair out of her face.Clicking her fingers, another figure appeared; this time, it was one of the guards, and he had a chair with him.He placed the chair behind Emily, and she slowly sat on it."You were in the infirmary," I said. At least, I was aware she was in there. She was lying sick on the bed, waiting to be treated. Was that all a lie? Avery was telling the truth then, and we didn't believe her. No, I believed Ave
AVERY POVq"Tell him, Avery. Tell him the truth about who you are before he finds out from someone else!"I jerked awake, my heart thumping wildly.Eileen wanted me to tell Julian what I was. Shit. No. I couldn't. I couldn't risk telling him that. Although finding out from someone else would be riskier, at least I would be out of here before that happens. I was sure of that. I couldn't risk doing that to myself and Jason and then facing another ridicule other than the one I was currently facing. I stared around where I was. I was inside the room, but Julian wasn't there. I remembered speaking to him but couldn't remember falling asleep.Groaning, I climbed down from the bed and staggered to the vanity. Brushing my hand through my hair as I stared into the mirror, I grimaced as my hand went to the back of my neck. There was a bump there, but I couldn't remember how I got it."Julian," I murmured, looking around the room again before shuffling to the bathroom. He wasn't in the room or
AVERY POVA FEW HOUR EARLIERI watched Julian walk to the wardrobe, open it, and toss out a few clothes."What are you doing?" I asked, moving away from the wall I had been leaning on."You have yet to tell me everything I need to know," I said."I did tell you everything," Julian grunted, taking a dress shirt.He slipped out of the torn shirt and hastily put on the red plaid dress shirt, and then he stepped out of his pants as well."Are you going somewhere? You gave me half the information. Who's tailing you?" I said as he began to wear the chinos pants he had set aside."It's for your safety," Julian murmured."Yeah, my son was kidnapped for my safety, too," I rolled my eyes at him.Julian stopped what he was doing briefly to stare at me. "Trust me, Avery. Even when I sit you down to tell you everything you need to know, you'd still be confused, and secondly, I'd be exposing you to more danger."I let out an impatient sigh. I wasn't satisfied with the answers he was giving. I wante
AVERY POVPRESENTLYNow, by size, Aisha was barely above average. I was a few inches taller than she was, but I believed our body mass would be the same. I knew there was something special about her.Even as I had never seen her combat skill, I knew she'd definitely be strong. At least, she looked the part, although she was timid.I didn't know she was this strong.I had believed Aisha was a werewolf. Now I know better."I am a witch," Aisha said as if she knew what I was thinking. "I am sorry I didn't reveal myself to you."She winced staring down at her feet, "I was too weak to defend Jason. I couldn't bring myself to fight off the attackers. I failed you."I wanted to blame her. If she had this strong enough magic to knock me out, why hadn't she done the same when the attacker came to take Jason away? Why did she watch them go with him without fighting back with all her might?But then again, it wasn't her fault. I knew she couldn't fight with all of them because Julian was also ha
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