Seth’s POVSomething was wrong. I could feel it.Camilla wasn’t back home and I was beginning to get worried. I paved back and forth in the living room, Lucius in my arm crying as if he knew there was something wrong too.“Ugh, she isn’t still back yet?” Tracey voice grated from the sofa and I gritted my teeth and ignored her—just like I have since we got here.Her phone was on the nightstand and the clock had just struck at past five in the evening.“Daddy, hee crying too loud.” Jorge said from beside Tracey, robbing his eyes with his little hand and my eyes snapped to him and I breathed out a deep sigh.“Sorry buddy, I’m just—he needs his mom.” I said and took a seat on the couch opposite them. I watched as his eyes darted back and forth between Tracey and us before he slid off the sofa.“Can I carry, Lucian? I haven’t touched him since he came back with the other woman and he looks… bigger now.” Jorge voice was small but it hit me hard and my heart tightened.“Sure.” I said just as
Camilla’s POV“Ava!” I yelled, my eyes wide as I looked at the woman opposite me. “Ava!” No response.My heart beat hard against my chest and I fell to the ground and rolled myself onto my side and crawled to hee. I took in a deep breath as used my head to hit the side of her leg and still yet, nothing.I pushed myself up so I was seating next to her and moved my head to hers. I opened my mouth, and clamped my teeth into the sack still on her head and yanked it.It fell to the side and Ava’s head slumped against my shoulder. “Ava,” I chocked out, my voice breaking as tears rolled down my cheeks. “Please, Wake up.” I begged and pressed my ear to her chest listened for a heart beat and I was relieved when I caught the faint rhythm of a heart beat.I pressed my head to the wall and closed my eyes. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” I whispered and it wasn’t long that sleep took me as my head continued to pound at the back of my head.—My eyes opened with a gasp as I heard the sound of the door
Seth’s POV“What do you mean, Lucius?” Zane asked, gripping my arm and halting my steps.“I mean Lucius is behind my mate— our mates’ disappearance. I just know it,” I gritted out, pulling away and continuing down the hall.As we entered the elevator, I mind-linked my men on the training ground to meet me on the third floor—specifically at Lucius’ apartment.When we reached his door, I gripped the handle and twisted, but it was locked. “Lucius!” I yelled, slamming my fist against the wood just as nine of my men flooded the hallway.I turned to them, my chest heaving. “Break it.”Without hesitation, they crashed into the door, splintering it on impact.I stormed inside, jaw clenched tight as my eyes scanned the dim room. I flicked on the light and took a deep breath, but the only scent here belonged to Lucius.Frustration burned through me as I stalked to the kitchen, pulling open every drawer, every cabinet, looking for anything—anything that could lead me to her.My fists tightened u
Lucius POVI ran my tongue over my bottom lip and tasted the blood there. A chuckle escaped my lips as I looked at the man in front of me with a smirk. He though he was smart—he fucking thought he fucking had me.One of the guards unbounded me from the chair and I brought my wrist from behind me and massaged the red spot.Seth was standing by the door glaring at me and I made sure not to take my eyes off him which I knew was pissing the shit out of him.The door opened again and Zane walked in and took in a sharp breath as his eyes landed on me. He turned to his Beta and jabbed a finger to his chest. “You asked if I trusted you and I did, now look where the fuck it brought us.” He snapped at him and I watched as Seth only clenched his jaw but his eyes were still on me.Zane turned to face me and I finally took my eyes off Seth. Zane stretched his hand towards me and said. “I’m really sorry for the misunderstanding.” He said, his voice stiff and I clenched my jaw.“Misunderstanding?” I
Camilla’s POV“How long do you think we’ve been here?” Ava asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I glanced at the cracks in the wall, but they did nothing to tell us the time of day.“Maybe a day or two,” I murmured, sighing as I rested my head against the cold, unforgiving stone.Silence settled between us for a moment before I spoke again. “Lucius is behind everything.” My voice was low, but Ava leaned forward at my words.“I know,” she said quietly.“No, I mean everything,” I said, my voice a bit sharper now. She frowned, confusion flickering in her eyes.“The experiment on you, Ava. Marcus wasn’t the one pulling the strings. It was Lucius.” The truth weighed heavy on my chest as I spoke, and I watched her reaction closely.Her eyes widened as she processed what I said, then she leaned back against the wall, her face pale. “With everything that’s happened… I can believe that,” she sighed, her voice heavy with regret or maybe tiredness?I swallowed hard and stared at the door. “I
Seth’s POVMy arms were crossed, and a deep frown carved into my face as I watched Zane interrogate-no, beat the shit out of Paul.“Where are they, Paul?” Zane asked, gripping Paul’s chin so he was looking at him.Paul said nothing, just like he had been for the past two days. I pushed myself from the door and made my way to stand next to Zane.“This is hopeless,” Zane said, his voice laced with frustration. He ran his fingers through his black hair and looked at me, his blue eyes now dark.“He isn’t saying a damn thing. Nothing!” Zane sneered, punching the wall enough to make Paul flinched.But I kept my gaze on Zane."I'm losing my mind here, Seth," Zane whispered harshly, his eyes flicking back to me. "How are you so calm?”I exhaled and dropped my hands to my sides. "I'm not."I took a step closer to Zane, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I want to find them as much as you do, Zane, and also find the person responsible for it,” I added, and both of our heads turned to look at Pau
Camilla’s POV "Why are you moving away from us, Mia? Do you think we're going to hurt you with our hands and legs bound?" Ava asked, with Mia glaring at us. "I don't know, Ava, maybe you can. Blow my guts on the wall just like you did to Zoe," she spat, and I sighed. "I don't know how you did it, Ava, but you can do the same thing to me." I rolled my eyes and looked at Ava, who was doing the same. "Are you done?" I asked Mia, who huffed and threw her head to the side. Slowly, I dragged my eyes away from her to Ava and nodded. "Now, let's think of how to get out of here." "How?" Mia asked, clearly intrigued and wanting to leave here as much as we do. "I can’t touch Ava with my bare hands because she's tied with a silver chain," I said, and Mia's eyes widened. "H-How?" she stammered, eyeing Ava like she was a ghost. "It would kill you in an instant," she muttered, and Ava shrugged. "It won't kill Ava, but it will kill me if I get close to it. So now that you are here, we can fre
I rushed to Mia’s side and took her in my arms. “No. No. No. No!” I panted, my eyes brimming with tears. Mia blinked at me, her gaze unfocused, confusion clouding her face.“Paul. Where’s Paul?” she asked, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. Blood filled her mouth, and my hands trembled as I wiped her tears away.“Mia, look at me. Look at me,” I begged. Ava tugged at my arm.“We have to go,” she said, but I shook my head.“We—we can’t just leave her here to die!” I snapped. Mia’s eyes locked on mine for a brief, lucid moment.“Camilla… I’m so sorry for… ever—”“Camilla!” My head jerked up as Lucius approached, a gun gleaming in his hand.“Don’t you dare move away from me,” he growled, and I heard Ava curse beside me.“We have to go, now!” she urged, more desperate this time. I nodded, my movements slow and heavy, as I rose to my feet. I looked back at Mia, lying limp on the ground, and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”We ran, the sound of Lucius’s heavy footsteps pounding
Camilla’s POVThe day I left the hospital, everything felt different—brighter, sharper, as if the world had come into focus for the first time in weeks. Maybe it was the absence of pain, or maybe it was because I hadn’t been outside in so long. Either way, something had shifted, both inside and out.Seth drove in silence, his fingers drumming on the wheel like they always did when something was on his mind. The space between us was heavy, thick with all the things we hadn’t said. Ever since the fight with Tracey at the cliff where he had revealed what he did, I had been there—we hadn’t spoken about it but it was lurking just beneath the surface. I knew we’d get to it eventually. We always did.When we pulled into the driveway, the house was quiet. Jorge had passed out on the couch, his book still open, while Lucien was curled up in his crib, breathing softly. Seeing them like that, touched by everything we’d been through, made my chest ache. How could they look so peaceful when our wo
Camilla’s POVBeep. Beep. Beep.I wanted to block it out, but the sound grew louder, drilling into my mind.Beep. Beep. Beep.I wished it would stop.Beep. Beep—My eyes fluttered open, and the sudden brightness hit me hard. The light was too harsh, too familiar, pulling me back to memories of the first time. The first time I had met my mate."Camilla?"That voice. I knew that voice. The first time he'd said my name, I’d been here, in a hospital bed, just like now. A hand slipped into mine, warm and steady. Sparks danced up my skin, and I turned my head toward him, blinking to clear the haze. Seth’s face came into focus, his eyes wide, hollow, like he’d seen a ghost. Maybe he had. My brain was sluggish, working overtime to piece together why I was here.“Oh goddess... you’re awake... you’re really awake,” he whispered, his hand squeezing mine before he pulled away. I heard him talking, probably calling the doctors, but I couldn’t focus on his words. I wanted answers.When he came ba
Dear readers, in this chapter, you’ll experience flashbacks moving between the past and present. The point of view will also shift between Seth and Tracey throughout, so keep an eye on who’s narrating as the story unfolds.Seth’s POV- The pastSeven years ago.It was on the night when Zane was going to be appointed the new Alpha of the pack and my father would be handing over his role as Delta to me. That was when I first laid my eyes on her.She was beautiful… breathtaking. I was just twenty three years when I met her and we had ran together… I felt connected to her almost like she was my mate.I couldn’t find her after the run that night and it felt like my heart had been shattered. I didn’t even get her name.“Hey!” A female voice snapped as I bummed into her as I rushed to Alpha Zane’s office to inform him of the visitors we were having.My eyes met with who it was and my breath hitched. It was her… the female that I had ran with. The female I couldn’t stop thinking about.“It’s
Tracey’s POVWe were in the old wrecked cottage where Lucius had once chained Camilla, a place that still reeked of mildew and memories of the past. Dust clung to every surface, and the broken windows let in the cold autumn air, making the walls groan as if they, too, could sense the danger. I stood at the threshold, watching them—my child, Jorge, and that… that filthy woman’s boy. Lucien. I could see the way Jorge had wrapped himself around the brat, shielding him from me as though I was the monster here.As if that little parasite deserved his protection.Jorge’s eyes met mine for a brief moment before he turned his face away, his lips trembling. His hands tightened around Lucien, and the sight only made my blood boil. That was supposed to be us. Jorge, me and Seth, a family. But she had taken everything from me.“What is it, Jorge? Don’t you want to be with me again?” I took a step forward, my voice soft yet dangerous.He shook his head, his brown curls bouncing slightly, and I cou
Seth’s POVMy whole body was humming with anger, anxiety, and fear. Damn it, I had thought she’d come for me, that Tracey’s obsession would be aimed solely at making me pay. But no, she hadn’t gone after me directly—she’d gone after our children. She had taken the boys to lure both Camilla and me into her twisted trap.I kept clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to focus on anything other than the gnawing pit in my stomach. The fear was crawling through me like a sickness. And right now, the worst part was the waiting. We were still stuck here at the hospital, waiting to hear from the doctors about Ava. We couldn’t even leave to start looking for Jorge and Lucien. Every minute felt like a lifetime.Camilla sat next to me, staring at the wall. Her legs bounced on the floor, Ava’s daughter, Fiona sleeping on her lap, her eyes were wide, and they were bloodshot. She hadn’t said a word since we’d arrived at the hospital. Hell, I hadn’t known what to say either. What could I even say
Camilla’s POV“Where’s the piñata?” I yelled over the loud music blasting from the speakers. The air was filled with the scent of sugar and sunscreen, and the laughter of children echoed all around. I had a juice box in one hand and a crying Lucien in the other. My eyes darted around, scanning the crowd for any sign of Seth, who was supposed to bring the piñata about fifteen minutes ago.The juice box slipped from my fingers, splattering onto the ground, and I muttered a curse under my breath. I barely managed to avoid colliding with a guest, offering a hurried apology before continuing my search for Seth. Lucien started to wriggle in my arms, his tiny fists pounding against my chest, clearly wanting to get down. The music, the heat, and the noise were all starting to overwhelm me.“Oh goodness… Ava!” I called out, spotting her across the yard. She was chatting with some of the other moms, her hand resting protectively on her baby bump. Another baby cooking inside of her. She looked
Camilla’s POVI could hear the soft creak of the door opening, and I turned around just in time to see Seth walking in. His shoulders slumped down in a way that sent a chill through me. Something was off, something was wrong.My stomach twisted as I frowned, hurriedly turning off the stove before pulling the apron from around my neck. I tossed it aside, my movements slower than usual as I approached him. My eyes scanned his face, taking in the exhaustion etched into every line. His eyes... they were red—bloodshot, almost like he’d been crying. But when I looked deeper, it wasn’t tears. No, it was something worse. He had been thinking, too much.“Oh, no,” I whispered, feeling my breath hitch in my chest. I reached him and cradled his face between my hands, my thumbs brushing softly over the stubble on his jaw. “Seth, what’s wrong?”His forehead met mine, and his eyes closed for just a moment, as if gathering whatever strength he had left. “We might want to sit down for this,” he mutter
Seth’s POVI couldn’t tell Camilla the truth. I couldn’t tell her that I’d seen someone that night.No, something.I wasn’t imagining it. I wasn’t going crazy. That much I knew for sure. Whatever it was, it had to be real.“We can’t keep doing this, Seth.” Landon’s voice broke through the silence. I hadn’t even heard him coming out of the woods, but there he was, joining me at the cliff’s edge. The same cliff where it had happened—where Tracey and Lucius had fallen.“I know.” The words felt hollow. What else could I say?“It’s been months,” Landon reminded me as he came up beside me, his eyes tracing the same path mine had followed a thousand times—down to the waterfall that disappeared into nothingness below. “They couldn’t have survived that.” His voice dropped to almost a whisper.I stared down, my chest tightening. “No, Landon. I saw something. The eyes of a wolf.” I began pacing, unable to stand still, my thoughts chasing each other like prey. “It’s been haunting me. Every day, e
Camilla’s POVNothing in this world could take away my smile or happiness. All my problems had been washed down the river—literally.I pointed to a long, flowery wedding dress, its soft lace catching the light just right in the picture book. “Oh, look at this one! It’s perfect,” I said, unable to hide the excitement bubbling up inside me.Caroline, sitting beside me, gave a soft smile, nodding. “Yeah, it’s beautiful, Luna,” she said in her usual respectful tone.I waved her off, leaning back into the couch behind me, a playful smile creeping across my face. “Please, drop the ‘Luna’ already,” I teased. I knew it was second nature to her by now, but it still felt strange sometimes.She smiled back, a bit awkwardly, not quite sure what to say. Even though we were close, she couldn’t fully shake the formalities.The wedding date had been set, and it was coming fast. Two weeks after the boys’ birthday, which meant I had only three weeks to prepare for the ceremony. Three short weeks to pla