Alpha Ian’s POV “Is that Ian or am I too high on blood right now?” Philippa said, looking in my direction as the woman in her lap blinked several times, no doubt trying to regain her equilibrium. “If it isn’t our newly wedded Alpha!” Caleb bellowed. He pulled me into a side hug as I sat next to him. It was a decision I was probably going to regret before the night ended. “It’s good to see you, my friend,” I said to him, patting his back. “Philippa, who is this poor woman you’re draining right now?” “This is Anastasia,” Philippa said and proceeded to suck on her neck for a bit. “She’s the loveliest. So accommodating too! Say hello to Ian, darling.” “Hello Ian,” Anastasia slurred. “Philippa, I think you’ve had enough for one night. Anastasia, you’re excused,” Damien said, tone leaving no room for argument. Both Anastasia and Philippa were less than enthused about his order but they knew better than to contest it. “Wait for me in our special room, okay?” Philippa said. She l
Alpha Ian’s POV Dominic’s words echoed in my head as the night breeze whipped past us. The atmosphere was somber as I retreated into my thoughts. Caleb picked up a cigar and started smoking. Philippa’s attention was momentarily claimed by her phone. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was sexting Anastasia. Damien was staring at Dominic while the latter was playing with his fingers. When I’d stood at the altar promising myself to a woman who wasn’t my fated mate, I knew the path that lay before wouldn’t be easy. I’m beginning to realize I had no idea how fucking impossible it was going to be. My wolf hated me for it. My own body will fight me every step of the way. Living with Francesca meant I had to fight every instinct I had pulling me toward her. It seemed as though there was no magical solution to my problem. There was no quick fix that would put an end to my torment. I had to walk through the fire. At some point, if I am lucky, all of it will become easier. “So this is why you’v
Francesca’s POV For the past two weeks, it’s been feeling very much like I’ve been watching myself from afar. I’ve been outside of my body, moving on autopilot. Bianca and Patrick have been on edge. They’ve been watching me like a hawk. They may be thinking I haven’t given myself enough time to process my loss and healthily deal with my emotions. To me, I’ve felt more like there were no emotions to deal with. The only thing driving me forward was anger. It was all I had and it was the only thing I needed as well. Anger built you up. It made you a stronger and more resilient person. It meant you were ruthless enough to cut your enemies down without thinking twice. There was a reason I’ve been doing so well in training. I think I’m becoming deadlier with each day that passes. Patrick never stood a chance when we sparred. Bianca has had to up her game to remain undefeated and even with that, there were times when I tore through her defenses and emerged victorious. He kept watching me
Francesca’s POV It’s been five days since the month of August graced us with its presence, and it’s been raining non-stop. This has in no way meant training has ceased or slowed down. Although we’ve spent more time at the shooting range and the indoor training hall. Dominic has been driving us insane with all the weightlifting and heart-thumping cardio exercises he insisted on daily. But the man did know what he was doing. All the extra energy was doing me a lot of good. I was always in high spirits after the intense workouts. Much like the constant pouring weather, my mood was usually somber when I returned to my mood. I would pace around, watching the rain through my window, and the atmosphere would quieten the chaos in my head. I listened to chill and moody music, songs that made you feel as though you were gliding through sugar-spun clouds. Sometimes, I ate junk food while watching documentaries or thrillers with the occasional sound of thunder cutting through. If I was bein
Francesca’s POVA few hours into the party and we were as fucked up as we could be. Even our supernatural metabolism couldn’t recover fast enough to allow for sober thoughts. Somehow, this suited me just fine. Bianca, Patrick and I have given up on the drinking. We were now on our third joint individually. The weed was kicking in and I was feeling deliciously mellow. There wasn’t a single bad thought to be had. Patrick was dancing in front of us. He wasn’t very good at it. He only knew a few moves and he could execute those well, I would give him that. But right now, he wasn’t sober enough for that to be the case. He was basically flailing about, a goddamn comical sight that made Bianca and I howl in laughter. “Goddess, Pat, you’re embarrassing,” I said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. My eyes closed momentarily as the high got to my head. It felt so good. I had missed the feeling that came with it.“We should denounce him,” Bianca suggested amidst a series of giggles. She was leaning heav
Louise’s POV One might be wondering how I, Louise Giroud Fontaine, a twenty-three-year-old all-powerful French Quarter witch came to be in an alliance with a psychopathic rogue Alpha werewolf. Well, there were days even I wondered the same thing myself. The story was a long and complicated one. Many chess pieces were moved by our coven of witches to make sure I found myself in this exact situation, standing next to Ezekiel, and spying on a group of young werewolves who were none the wiser of the danger they were in. It started about a year ago when my coven met with the vampire king of New Orleans, Damien Du Pont. Meeting him was an experience I wouldn’t forget any time soon. His beauty had been a mesmerizing thing to behold, and I seldom looked twice at a man. Yeah, I was all about tits, sue me. However, Damien had pulled me in, and I had almost forgotten all about his deathly reputation and the natural disposition of an all-powerful vampire. But the one I had ended up hooking up
Louise’s POV Once I declared that I should be the witch to go undercover with Ezekiel and his rogues, everyone’s attention was directed at me. Damien and Caleb seemed slightly surprised by conviction while Philippa only was grinning from ear to ear like the cat who ate the canary. One would think she knew me well enough to predict what I was going to say. She looked smug and proud at the same time, as though, as though she had a hand in my decision. Aunt Lettie had a similar expression on her face, but it made sense where she was concerned. She’s always prepared me for a moment such as this one. The only one who seemed apprehensive was my mother. I could see the worry and anxiety in her gaze. I could also sense it in the energy of her magic. I knew she was well aware I could take care of myself but something like this wasn’t exactly child’s play. Ezekiel was as deranged as they came, and his minions were just as ruthless. They were devoid of all humanity. The only thing they cared a
Louise’s POV The only reason why I returned home with my mother and aunt after our meeting at Damien’s mansion was so I could pack my things. I didn’t spend a lot of time loitering about. Caleb accompanied me. Also, I wanted to avoid meeting my father for now. I didn’t want to listen to his millions of reasons as to why this wasn’t the best idea. I was already aware of that. The man babied me a little too much. I was twenty-two for crying out loud. I was old enough that I could venture out and get myself in trouble, learn from my mistakes and evolve at the same time. How could I know how powerful I truly was if I was locked up at home practicing all day every day? After I had grabbed a couple of things I would need to stay with the vampires for a couple of days, I returned to the mansion with Caleb. Philippa was waiting for me in the courtyard. She had a blinding smile on her face as I approached. She linked our arms before I could utter a word and led me inside as though I was arr
Francesca’s POVThe coronation of the Alpha King and his chosen Luna is one of the most sacred events for any Pack. It’s one that is celebrated in a grand affair, and remembered for months after the fact. Every Pack had its own special way of going about it, the rituals they always made sure took place and all the flurry of activity and prayers that happen, taking advantage of the full moon and asking the Moon Goddess to bless us and grant our heart’s deepest desires.“Mother, you look absolutely stunning,” I said, my tone dripping with admiration as I stared at Alpha Jessica Reginald, where she sat dressed in a lovely golden gown, about to be crowned the Luna of the Sangria-Crescent Pack.“Thank you, darling,” Jessica replied, smiling, her blonde hair framing her gorgeous face like a halo. “Come sit with me.”The other women who’d been helping my mother get ready for the coronation excused themselves and walked out of the drawing room.I threw them a discreet smile as they exited the
Francesca’s POVAs we approached mid-September, the Fall weather really began to set in. The unbearable heat of the previous month was abating with every second that passed. The leaves of the trees were changing color, losing their life force and vividness, and falling to the ground in a melancholic but beautiful display of the wonders of nature.Our summer vacation was still very much ongoing. Bianca, Patrick and I had at least another two weeks before we were due to return to campus so we were definitely making the most of our last days of leisure. Although to define our days as leisure was subjective. Our training sessions were more intense than ever. Alpha Ian has been present and running most of them. Ever since his therapy sessions came to a fruitful conclusion, he has been more determined than ever to push us to our limits. There was an obvious shift in how he now regarded Ezekiel and the imminent war between us. His hatred was less personal. It was no longer the kind of acidi
Ezekiel’s POVI was standing back a considerable distance as training went on. As much as I had said I wanted to oversee it, my intention was not to interrupt it in any way whatsoever. I also didn’t want our warriors to feel under pressure or act as though they had to do anything different simply because I was present. I wanted to observe them as they always were during each session. And of course, I had the utmost trust in their tutors that they would do a good job today as they’ve been doing for as long as they’ve had the responsibility.So far, I was mighty pleased with everything I was seeing. Our warriors seemed to be disciplined, determined, unceasingly strong, and above all, they all had a killer instinct. From what they were showing, they would absolutely have no qualms in striking down any enemy they came into contact with, and those were the kind of warriors I needed on my side when I made my first calculated attack against the Crescent-Sangria Pack.Alexander and Eve were m
Ezekiel’s POVGreat Aunt Elizabeth’s sprawling estate has long ceased being hers. Not since the day I snuffed the life out of the stubbornly staunch old woman right after making her sign over the deeds. That was another lifetime ago, way before I grew into myself. Sixteen-year-old me wasn’t exactly the brightest. I can’t believe he tried to have it all, tried to hold onto Ian even when he knew there was no way the other boy was going to be accepting of the inevitable path I was going to choose.The path I was already on when we were merely thirteen-year-olds and I decided on animal sacrifice to summon the Moon Goddess. I didn’t even think twice about killing those helpless bunnies that I’d spent weeks raising. That should have been Ian’s warning shot, and maybe it was but he definitely did not heed it.But what made me hope, that I could bring him over to my side, even if I had to use lies and manipulation to aid me was how he reacted after he watched me commit cold blooded murder for
Alpha Ian’s POVThe idea of going to some cold and lifeless office of a therapist was enough to make me want to puke. If I was going to cut my skin open and bleed for a complete stranger, I had to do in a place I felt safe and comfortable in. The sessions had to take place in my Study and nowhere else. And this was how the therapist that had been chosen for me by Jessica found herself sitting on my high-backed chair facing me, as I reclined on the sofa. Her name was Valentina. She was a beta wolf, and the energy she gave off was of someone kind and capable at the same time. She had honey blonde hair that was cut in a bob and it framed her oval face in a flattering way. She wore red lipstick, and had a nose-ring.It was the nose-ring that threw me off when she arrived. It didn’t match the image I had of the look of a therapist in my head. But somehow, that injected this chill vibe into the atmosphere. And I could almost delude myself into thinking I was about to have a conversation w
Alpha Ian’s POVIt was a different kind of torture, having to narrate practically everything I told Francesca and the others to my wife the next day. She listened to me with the same empathy and compassion that I received from everyone who was present in my Study the night before. She didn’t cut me off necessarily, only asked questions when she felt that I had mentioned something too important to skim over.By the time I was done with my narration, Jessica let out a loud sigh and said, “I’m afraid Francesca is right on this one, Ian. You do need therapy.”I nodded, she took my hand in hers and squeezed it in comfort. We were sitting side by side on a sofa in our bedroom. I’d alerted her we needed to talk about something right before she turned in for bed. Jessica wasn’t one to dwindle when her specific time to sleep arrived.“I know, darling,” I said to her. “I’ve already accepted that this is something I need. It’s high time I dealt with this unfinished business so I could move forwa
Francesca’s POV“So, what’s the verdict?” Alpha Ian asked after I hadn’t uttered a word after his vulnerable confession. “Am I still in love with a monster?”I fixed him with an intense stare then, really looking at him. There was a vacant look in his eyes, it seemed as though he was bracing himself for the worst. It was kind of tragic, the entire situation was, if I was being entirely honest.And I couldn’t bring myself to feel any sort of jealousy toward Ezekiel. Maybe, it would hit me later and I would hate him even more for being my fated mate’s first love. But now, I was more concerned with helping Alpha Ian sort through his emotions and any lingering feelings he might still harbor for the king of the rogues.“Well?” Alpha Ian prompted. “Will you say something?”“I don’t know,” I finally said.“Excuse me?” Alpha Ian sat up then, and fixed me with a disbelieving stare. “What don’t you know?”I shrugged, breaking eye contact. “I don’t know if you’re still in love with him or not.”
Francesca’s POV“What did you just ask me?” Alpha Ian said in a dangerously low tone, his eyes narrowing as they gazed into mine.“You heard me very well,” I said, “But I can still repeat myself: are you still in love with Ezekiel?”This time, he seemed unable to form words. He opened his mouth several times but ended up closing it again. I guess one can say, he wasn’t expecting that kind of question from me, or from anyone for that matter.Even I wasn’t completely sure why I asked it. Okay, I did know why. The root cause wasn’t jealousy. It was a true desire to help him sort through any lingering feelings he might have had where Ezekiel was concerned because a love that intense doesn’t just disappear altogether. I wasn’t even sure I could decipher all the different kind of feelings and emotions that I experienced while listening to him go into depth about his relationship with Ezekiel, the bond they shared, their subsequent honeymoon in the penthouse, and ultimate rupture.At some
Alpha Ian's POV"So that was how it went down," Dominic said, looking like someone who's entire world has been tilted on its axis. "Man, you kept all of that inside you when you returned, and pretended as though you merely failed in convincing Ezekiel to come back with you and plead his case.""Yeah... pretty much. that's what happened.""I bet he was impossible to be around when he returned," Francesca wondered."Oh yes, he was was," Denise replied to her. "It was worse than when Ezekiel had just been banished. The Ian who returned was a completely different person.""He seemed to have shoved all his emotions in a box, locked them away and and threw them in a raging volcano," Dominic said."Hey, I wasn't that bad," I said, tone defensive."You so were," Dominic and Denise said at the same time and then they started laughing as they stared at each other."You were worse than bad, big brother," Dominic said. "You were frighteningly cold. It seemed as though the only emotions you allowe