[SYLVIE’S Point of View]“I won’t let you throw any more insult to the woman I love, Dad. So stop it!”Julia Howard’s eyes widened. “Are you insane, Ray!? That woman killed Mandy! The woman you are supposed to be married to! What did she do to you son?!”“Alpha Ray, please…” I stopped him but he didn’t let go of my hand. He squeezed it and looked at me for a second with a determined look in his eyes as he pursed his lips before he looked back to his father and hissed. “I won’t let you disrespect her in front of me!”“Ray! I can’t believe you are yelling at your father for that kind of woman!” His mother lashed at him with her eyes wide with anger. “We didn’t raise you to become such a disappointment like this, Ray! You used to be rational about a lot of things! But this!?”“I did what I had to, Mom,” Alpha Ray answered with so much respect despite his anger. “But Sylvie is my second chance, and I won’t think twice if it means saving her from Lucas, who ruined her life.” He looked at
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]I took my earrings off while glaring at my reflection on my vanity mirror. Alpha Ray stood behind me, leaning against the side of the open door with his arms folded on his chest. He had been silent the whole time since we left the dining hall and I could tell he had thoughts in his mind that worried me.Was I too harsh when I talked back to his mother and father? Was he upset that I was impolite in front of them?I exhaled in exasperation as I removed my lipstick with cleansing wipes. Thinking I disappointed him, I lowered my face and covered it with both hands. My chest felt heavy. So heavy it was hard to breathe. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to be rude or disrespectful to anyone, especially to the parents of the man I love. But it felt as if everything and everything was testing me. It felt as if they were testing my patience. My anger. Of how I could hold back the emotions—a storm that was destroying me from the inside out. It was exhausting
[ALPHA RAY’s Point of View]After that wonderful night we shared, Sylvie became so busy we didn’t have enough time for each other again.I understood that she wanted to prove to my parents that she could save the company from what the Black Gold Group did. She didn’t have to, though. I believe that Sylvie was capable of saving my company after she succeeded in several projects that brought Westridge to the top of the marketing firm. But this time, it was different. Black Gold Group destroyed the reputation of my business after the incident happened when Lucas came to my territory to take Sylvie and Oliver away. So many investors left, scared that Westridge was the next target to be destroyed by those scumbags.Slumping on the chair in my office, I bit the side of my knuckle and sighed. I was so angry. I thought I could handle it on my own. I didn’t know the damage was beyond my ability to deal with what they did to me. The door creaked open and I saw Sylvie entering my office with se
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]I knew something was not right.Seeing my boyfriend's face looking troubled, I immediately realized his father was punishing him again. It was much worse this time because it was in front of so many people who enjoyed seeing how uncomfortable Alpha Ray was. His mother remained holding him in place and refused to let go, not wanting him to approach me. I could hear him hiss at his mother but she ignored him while the old lady looked at me with a blank expression on her face as if threatening me not to go near any of them.Goddess, it was awful.Alpha Ray gave me a look as if telling me to go out of the grand hall. I wanted to, though. But that look on his mother’s face irritated the hell out of me and I lifted my chin, straightened my back, and slowly approached them, reminding myself not to cover or bow down to any of those aristocrats.Julia Howard glared at me like an angry cat. I felt something brush gently in my mind. Like a touch of a feather, I realized
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]It was as if the whole world stopped as I looked at everyone gaping in complete shock at me while I held the neck of the broken bottle.Goddess, why did it feel so satisfying?I bit my lower lip. I waited for the regret to attack me but all I felt was amusement as I watched Rex and Julia Howard gasp as if their souls had escaped their bodies. Ray, on the other hand, went pale and I wish I could explain why I did it through our mate bond, but I would let everyone think I was the night's villain. I would let them think whatever they wanted to think as the smell of the wine wafted all over the room and the red liquid spread underneath my shoes.“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, WOMAN!”Rex Howard’s scream echoed and the horrified faces of the people turned paler as they flinched away from the scene. Ray’s eyes were locked with mine, both in confusion and in panic as he waited for me to explain why I did such a thing. [Please trust me with this.] I answered throu
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]“Is that true, Giovanni? Is she telling the truth?” A man from the crowd yelled.“What is happening here?” one of the ladies in black nightgown said.“I don’t think Alpha Giovanni would. That cost is just a penny to him!” the other guy said, still believing in Rex Howard’s pretentious guest.I exhaled in exasperation. I expected already that no one would believe me. What was important for me was Ray. I couldn’t let a man like Giovanni Gordon take advantage of the weakness of the Westridge pack.[Are you certain of it?] Ray asked through our bond as I felt his hand on the small of my waist.I didn’t have the chance to answer. Giovanni was already laughing at me like it was the biggest joke he had ever heard. “Did you hear what this woman said? Me, bringing a fake wine? Who do you think you are, Sylvie Hall? You are just a nobody! A she-wolf who mingles with humans because you are too scared to face your responsibilities to Lucas Wright, who is your designed mat
[ALPHA RAY’s Point of View]I didn’t know how to deal with what was going on but all I knew was to make sure no one would ever dare hurt my mate.Through our bond, I read what Sylvie was thinking about the kind of man Giovanni Gordon was. I didn’t know how or where she met him and discovered his evil schemes, but I trusted Sylvie more than anyone. I believed she knew what she was doing. I just had to stand behind her and make her feel safe.My father was still trying to prove his point, even after Sylvie told everyone that Gordon was a fraud and was only trying to take advantage of the pack. But his desperation to take Sylvie down made everything more complicated than it had to be. If only he could appreciate Sylvie’s work and how much she was willing to sacrifice to make sure the company would survive after the catastrophic attack from the Black Gold Group, I was sure this problem would be solved in no time.But he never wanted to cooperate. He was more eager to watch Sylvie eat her
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]I was still petrified of what happened.Alpha Ray’s mother called the sentinels after my boyfriend left to go after his father was harsh, especially when they pulled the silver chains as they made their attempt to arrest me. I panicked, scared that they would take me away without Ray knowing about what happened to me. Knowing his mother, I was one hundred percent sure she would lie to him that I left the pack mansion after creating a scene.But they couldn’t understand that I intended to make sure Giovanni wouldn’t take advantage of them. I used to love reading articles during my lunch break and I had read a news story about him about how he tried to help a pack before and the pack ended up having a huge debt on him, resulting in Giovanni taking over the pack and banishing its Alpha away.I would never let them do that to Ray. No matter what kind of fight he and his parents had, I would never let them take away what Ray had been working hard for his son and hi
[ALPHA RAY’s Point of View]All I should focus on is determining any threat that might happen to Sylvie.I couldn’t help but admire the woman I chose to be with as she expressed her anguish and her detest against what these aggressors did to her family and her former pack. I thought when I told her about my plan of attending this banquet to let everyone witness the true colors of the Silver Blade Pack using the testimony of the people who experienced their horrible attacks on the northern villages.This was a promise to her that I would do anything to stop Lucas Wright and his father from spreading violence all over the region. I didn’t know how or who suggested that Karl was the right wolf for the position in the parliament. All I knew was they made a huge mistake giving him such power when all Karl knew was bloodshed throughout the years of his service as the Alpha of the Eastridge—which is now known as the Silver Blade.Seeing the outburst of one of my trusted and most skilled sold
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]I took two steps forward with my eyes locked on Karl Wright. Lucas pushed his father behind him and met my glare as if protecting the old man. The gesture made Karl a little unhappy. I bet he hated that his son made him look weak.“Don’t ever think that we came here without proof,” I said to them, and everyone got curious about what kind of proof Alpha Ray and I brought to testify against the Wrights. “Alpha Ray and I had been waiting for this moment to reveal to everyone your true colors. That your intention isn’t as pure as what you are telling these folks.”Karl Wright squinted his eyes, anxious about what Alpha and I had to ruin his plans. Lucas, however, was more concerned about me getting hatred from the crowd despite Alpha Ray’s effort to avert their attention from him. Everyone thought of me as the bringer of bad luck to every pack I used to stay. And the looks they had on Alpha Ray were the kind that they felt bad that he was stuck with me. I didn’t k
[SYLVIE’s point of View] There was silence as they all looked at the most powerful Alpha of the West region.“I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Ray Howard of the Westridge Pack.” Karl Wright laughed as if my mate had said something ridiculous in front of his audience. If there’s something that pleases me, it is the look on his face. Karl couldn’t hide the humiliation on his face as he glared down at us with a crooked smile. Lucas, on the other hand, seemed to have already expected this kind of scene, knowing that I and my mate would contradict their plan, no matter how well they would deliver it.Evil is evil, even in any form.“Everyone here knows of what happened to the Moonlight pack and still chose not to talk about it.” Alpha Ray called out to everyone as he looked around. Hoping to see any shame on their faces. But those people only averted their eyes from us. The others glared, wishing the Wrights didn’t waste their time inviting us to the event. Lucas knew this w
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]“Who is that woman!”All the eyes were on me as I stood with the heaving chest. My mind suddenly panicked when I realized I had done it again—that I had made myself the center of attention after failing to control my temper.But I had no choice. Everyone in that hall thought they were watching and listening to a bastard who could bring glory to the purebloods, but they didn't realize it would cause a catastrophe that would bring the Shifter’s world into peril. And I mean humans versus our kind—I couldn’t imagine that kind of war would break into this region when The Shifter’s Council made it clear that humans were to be protected by our kind for a peaceful relationship with them.That’s what the Moonlight Pack believed—that humans, despite being vulnerable and frail, unlike us shifters, deserved to co-exist in this society. They were never a threat. They were essential to balance our nature to become more sensible to every creature in this world and not to bec
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]“I need to go to the bathroom,” I whispered to my mate as we went to the tables and pretended to get more drinks.“Sure. I’m just here, love.” Alpha Ray’s eyes were wary as he looked around, smiled, and kissed me. “Don’t make it too long.”“Of course,” I smiled back, giving him one sultry stare as I planted a soft kiss again on his lips. He knew I needed time to calm my nerves after everything I had heard from Karl Wright. I saw him look down on my trembling fingers and he held my hand and squeezed it.I went straight to the bathroom. I had to collect myself before I did something stupid. I never wanted to complicate things and make a scene again, just like what happened with me and Giovanni Gordon at the wine tasting in Alpha Ray’s house. I had to keep it cool and play along with the old man. There’s no way I would let them taint my mate’s name because they succeeded in making me the jester of the night and it was frustrating that I couldn’t even do something
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]I felt as if I was going to explode.After Alpha Ray revealed to me the details of Ruby Morgan's attempt to reach out to him to spare her from his wrath for what her father had done to Ray's first mate, my mind was blown after I learned that Lucas' father, Karl Wright, was still alive!My face was red when I lifted my head to face the mirror. I stared at my reflection for about three minutes as I calmed myself down. I never wanted to scream, to break, or to lose control in front of my mate, but knowing that old man was still alive—it was agonizing. A tear rolled down my face, thinking that he was still thriving after what he did to me and my family.“I know nothing about Lucas’s words are worth believing.” I snarled as I glared at my reflection in the mirror.“He sent the invitation with his name on it. I can see he’s taunting us.” Alpha Ray’s voice was full of detest as he stood behind me and looked at the open window of my room. The sheer white curtains danc
[ALPHA RAY’s Point of View]I knew I could never get away from that nightmare—the tragedy that almost destroyed me several years ago.As much as I wanted to look as if I wasn’t affected by it, I was never good at pretending I was fine after I saw that cursed mark that was tattooed on Ruby Morgan’s skin. There’s no way I could be mistaken. Although the Council of Shifters told me that certain lineages in the Morgan family tree were eradicated after their diabolical way of dealing with their enemies—perhaps the poison, the same poison they used to kill my first mate—deep in me, I knew they still existed. And I was right. One hundred percent right that they were only hiding. And it was funny that I didn’t think about Silver Blade Pack. The only pack that can tolerate such atrocious crimes for the sake of power.Sylvie was worried. I could feel it. When I thought that part of my life was already kept in the deepest, darkest part of me, I never thought it would submerge again after seeing
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]I frowned. I knew the woman’s family was one of the famous families from this region. But Alpha Ray seemed agitated, with eyes glaring down at Ruby Morgan.Terrified, Lucas’ fiancé took advantage of the shock on Alpha Ray’s face and immediately hopped in her luxurious car and drove crazily straight out of the building parking lot and onto the main road. I wanted to know what made him agitated after he recognized that Ruby came from a certain pack and clan, but I decided not to approach Ray first after seeing him drowning in deep thoughts. Not too long after, some of the building's security burst into the parking area and arrested the intruders. That chequered-shirt guy glared at me as the guards lifted him from the ground and dragged him toward the patrol vehicle. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time we would see each other, so I answered his glare with a cold stare, showing him I was never afraid of him.“Are you hurt?”Startled by his deep voice, I
[SYLVIE’s Point of View]“Sylvie!”“I have to go.”I rushed out of my office after Ruby Morgan ruined my day. Alpha Ray’s face was worried, but I had to go, or I would explode in anger. I never wanted any of the people in the office to see me lose my composure.The horrible incident about me ending Mandy’s lunacy had already stopped, and I didn't want another issue to taint the name of my fiancé’s pack anymore. I had to avoid troubles as much as I could while Uncle Bennett still trusted Alpha Ray and me and that we could make Westridge successful again.“Sylvie!”“I just need some fresh air.” I stopped in the hallway to tell Ray I had to be alone for a second. “I will be okay, I promise.”He didn’t look convinced, though, as he looked at me gravely. After what happened between me and Lucas yesterday, Alpha Ray started to become overprotective of me. “I don’t think you should go anywhere without a sentinel, love. At least let me send four guards to wherever you want to go.”His sky-blu