Author's POVAnderson gasped, his body caught in a vicious tug-of-war between the past and present, as if Alpha Derek had torn open a vault to drag his buried secrets into the light.Then, darkness swallowed him whole.Meanwhile, outside, the grand feast continued, oblivious to the storm brewing within the walls.But when the elders noticed Alpha Derek’s prolonged absence, concern began to ripple through the gathering.Suspicious, one of the elders turned to Alaric. "Where is your father?”Alaric stiffened, his instincts flaring. Sofia had returned minutes ago, claiming Alpha Derek wanted privacy with Anderson. But too much time had passed.His eyes met Axel’s in a silent, urgent exchange—something was wrong.Without hesitation, they shot up from their seats."Excuse us,” Alaric muttered, his voice clipped, leaving the elders whispering in confusion as uncertainty spread through the courtyard.The moment they were out of earshot, Alaric turned on Axel, his voice sharp with anger.“Thi
Anderson's POVBlood was everywhere—splattered across the walls, pooling on the marble floor, even dripping from the ceiling like some gruesome rain. The whole office reeked of death, turning the space into something out of a nightmare.I stood in the middle of it all, my breaths ragged, chest rising and falling as I shifted back into my human form—naked and covered in blood.The last time I had lost control like this was during my first shift. Back then, the massacre had been a mistake—innocent people torn apart in a blood frenzy I could not control. But this time… this time, I had been fully aware. The carnage was not an accident. It was a sentence carried out. And every single one of these bastards deserved it. They were all guilty.Every last one of them worked for the loan shark company Sarah owed—a company that thrived on preying on the desperate, feeding off their misery, and stripping them of everything until they were left with nothing but despair.While secretly following he
Sarah's POVThere was no explosion, no earth-shattering moment, but my life still felt like a ticking time bomb. The ultimatum Anderson had given me—God, even thinking about it sent an itch crawling under my skin. Did it really bother me, though? I was not sure.The deadline had passed, and yet, I remained restless, my mind tangled in the question of whether he had truly let go or if this was just another one of his sick games. A display of power.The most unsettling part? He had stayed away. Or rather, I had avoided him. But he was not the type to be deterred by avoidance. If he still wanted to sleep with me, he would have already done it. So maybe he’s actually over me.I should have felt relieved. Instead, an uneasy feeling gnawed at my insides.That same unease followed me into my office after I finished taking his class because he was not in attendance. And the Anderson I knew would never skip class.He thrived on the attention, soaked in the way his people—the students in this c
Anderson's POVSomething about this city was cursed for me. I had known triumph, dominance, and control for as long as I could remember, but since moving here, I had tasted defeat twice. Twice. And it was humiliating.The powerlessness I felt last night at the Blackwood Pack still lingered. It weighed on me, making it impossible to sleep after I got back from the loan shark’s office, as I spent the entire night rolling restlessly in bed, like a man drowning in his own thoughts, gasping for a breath that never came.I could not bring myself to go to school today because my mind was still in shambles.Lucas, clueless as ever, had knocked on my door before leaving, telling me to hurry up or we’d be late.When I lazily told him I was skipping school, barely lifting my head from the pillow, he asked me why."Nothing," I replied."Just go without me." I struggled to sound convincing.However, when he kept asking why there must be an exact reason, I ended up lying that I just did not feel li
Anderson's POVMr Callahan wasted no time launching into his complaints the moment we stepped into Principal Gaines’ office.“He was rude, arrogant, and completely disrespectful in front of the entire class. He refuses to acknowledge authority, and his behaviour is completely unacceptable.” His voice was tight with anger.Principal Gaines turned to me, studying me carefully."Anderson,” he said slowly, “is what Mr Callahan said true?”I tilted my head. "Well, he’s not lying."Principal Gaines blinked. He clearly hadn't expected me to be so blunt.Mr Callahan gave Principal Gaines a look that practically screamed I told you so.Clearing his throat, Principal Gaines said, "First off, Mr Callahan, I'm sorry about what happened, but I'll take it from here.""You can go back to your class," he added.With a curt nod, Mr Callahan turned to leave, but not before shooting me a murderous glare. I just smirked in response.Folding my arms, I stood there, waiting for whatever came next.To my su
Anderson's POVThe classroom was heavy with silence as I scoffed at Sofia’s request."Discuss something privately?" I leaned back in my seat, tilting my head mockingly."What for?” I asked, my tone laced with mockery."Or wait—” I let out a humourless chuckle, leaning back slightly."Are you here to finish what your father failed to? You know, actually kill me this time?”Gasps echoed across the room.Someone muttered, “What’s going on?”Another voice followed, confused, “Wait—what does he mean?”—not directed at me, just thrown into the air like the weight of my words had stunned them all.Sofia exhaled sharply, visibly pissed but trying to keep her composure."Please, just follow me,” she said."It won’t take much of your time. I promise. I just want to talk.”I narrowed my eyes."If you can’t say whatever you need to right here, in front of everyone, then forget it,” I said, my voice cutting through the air like ice."I’m not moving an inch.”She flinched slightly at my tone but did
Anderson's POVI turned, my expression frozen in disbelief. It was as if I did not hear her right. It was too ridiculous. So ridiculous that I scoffed before I even processed my own reaction."What did you just say?" I asked."I love you, Anderson. I've always do." She repeated.“You’re joking, right?” I said, my voice laced with mockery.But Sofia, standing there like a wounded animal, did not waver. Her eyes held that desperate glint that irritated me more than anything else.“No,” she murmured.A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it."You?” I gestured at her, disbelief evident in my tone."You love me?" I let out another chuckle, shaking my head."Wow. That’s a new level of delusion, even for you.”"And that's why I’ve been acting this way. I know it’s stupid. You can call me anything you want—I’ll accept it. I deserve it. I just…”“Well, thank God you know how stupid this is,” I muttered under my breath.She exhaled shakily. “I just can’t help it, Anderson. Seeing y
Sarah's POVThe long rectangular table at the centre was cluttered with paperwork and a few pens rolling aimlessly.Principal Gaines had just finished having a brief meeting with us—the teachers.After he left, a few teachers leaned back in their chairs, arms crossed, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and irritation.At the head of the table, Mr Callahan, a history teacher with greying hair and tired eyes, recounted with frustration how Anderson had disrespected him earlier when he confronted Anderson for arriving late and walking in confidently."I just can’t believe this." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head."On a normal day, what Anderson did would warrant at least a three-week suspension. But no, he decides to just let him off the hook? Unbelievable."A few teachers nodded in agreement.Mr Douglas, the strict mathematics teacher, scoffed. "Gaines is getting soft. A kid shows blatant disrespect, and instead of consequences, he gets a slap on the wrist?"Ms Harper, the fiery E
Author's POVIn the skeleton of an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city, Harry, Anderson's adoptive father, paced like a caged animal, his shoes scuffing against the dirt-strewn floor.He checked his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes, his jaw clenched tight as he drummed impatiently against it.“Damn it. She should be here by now,” he muttered, glancing toward Gaines."Every second we waste..." He shook his head, the moonlight catching the beads of sweat on his temple."Every second we waste is another second closer to everything falling apart. If Derek connects those dots..." His voice trailed off as he slammed his fist against a concrete pillar."We don’t have the luxury of time.” His voice was sharp, filled with mounting frustration.Gaines, leaning casually against a pillar, exhaled through his nose.He had been watching Harry’s restlessness with mild amusement, but there was an underlying tension in his stance as well.He checked his own wristwatch before res
Anderson's POVI did not expect to see my adoptive mother return with Lucas."Didn’t you leave already?" I asked flatly, raising a brow at her as she strolled in with Lucas."Weren’t you supposed to leave with Dad? What's wrong?” My voice was laced with suspicion.Something felt off.She smiled—too easily, too calmly. “Oh, nothing’s wrong. We just decided I should stay here overnight while he handles things.”I did not believe her for a second—it was as if she had another agenda other than just to spend time with me a bit before leaving the next morning like she had claimed.But before I could press further, she seamlessly changed the subject."We should have dinner together," she suggested, her tone light but leaving no room for refusal.I did not argue. I never really did with her or my adoptive father."Fine," I muttered, already rising to head to my room."I'll join you later. Need to freshen up first."She said nothing, but I felt her eyes on me as I walked off.Under the water,
Anderson's POVMy adoptive father's voice snapped me out of my thoughts."I need to know everything—what he saw and why he let you go just like that."At first, I did not want to tell them. But after thinking about it, I realised Alpha Derek’s reaction last night meant my identity could actually be at risk. If I were in his position, I would not have let it go so easily either.I took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. "Fine.""When he looked into my memory, he didn’t see anything important—just random, irrelevant memories. Nothing that could expose who I really am."Instead of the shock I was expecting, the expressions on my adoptive parents were unreadable.That did not sit right with me."You’re not surprised or shocked," I said slowly."Why?""Because it’s possible," he admitted.My brows arched. "How?"Then, he explained that powerful Alphas and Lycans could block certain memories from being seen when someone tries to dig into their minds—their subconscious automatically shields
Anderson's POVHad my entire life been built on lies and deceit?The weight of my adoptive father's revelations pressed against my chest, suffocating me like a noose tightening around my throat.The people I called my parents were nothing but liars, feeding me fabricated stories and twisting truths to keep me in the dark for a reason I was yet to find out.First, they lied about being my biological parents. Then, they concocted some absurd story about why I was a lycan, making me believe I was the only one left in existence—history also backed the claim.And now… now, I was being told that Alpha Derek was not just a werewolf but a lycan himself, who had somehow created an army of lycans of his own—more like his assassins and puppets—before the great curse that sent lycans into extinction was placed.It did not make sense. None of it did."What do you mean?" I asked, my voice strained as I stared at my adoptive father.My legs felt weak, and before I realised it, I had collapsed onto t
Anderson's POVMy jaw tightened as I turned to face my adoptive father, eyes narrowing."Why does it even matter?" I demanded, my voice laced with anger."Why are you acting like you care when your decision has already been made?""You’ve got it wrong," my adoptive mother said."We are not here to take you back home."I stared at her, confusion flashing across my face."What?" The word escaped before I could stop it.If they were not here to drag me back, then why the hell were they here?"Then why are you here?" I demanded, my patience thinning by the second.She gestured toward the sofa. "Sit."Reluctantly, I obeyed, sinking back into the sofa, my body tense.She then shifted her gaze to Lucas. "Stand up and return to your seat."He obeyed, shifting beside me.Then, my adoptive father spoke. "There's a reason you are here in the first place—the dream—and what Evelyn said about it."Back home, she was a witch our pack turned to whenever there was a need to.When I kept having the sam
Anderson's POVThe second I pulled into the driveway and saw my adoptive father’s car parked right outside the mansion, my blood boiled. So that’s why Lucas had insisted I come home. That sneaky bastard.I shoved the car door open, my jaw clenched so tightly it ached. He had promised—promised—he would not tell them. And yet, here they were, almost midnight—making it clear they weren't just here for a casual visit.The moment I stepped inside, my eyes locked onto him, sitting across from my adoptive parents.Anger flared inside me as I strode toward him, completely disregarding my adoptive parents' presence.“You are a goddamn snake,” I spat, my voice dripping with venom."A sly, two-faced bastard who doesn’t even have the guts to own up to his hypocrisy.”I let out a slow, mocking clap, my lips curling into a sneer. “If there were an award for backstabbing and hypocrisy, you'd be clutching it right now, standing on a podium, giving a speech on loyalty while stabbing someone in the bac
Author's POV"Choose your next words very carefully," Alpha Derek said quietly, his voice laced with venom.Katya sneered. "Or what?""I've lost so many of my people. We are the ones suffering the most from these murders, so yeah, I have every right to speak."Alaric leaned forward, confusion evident on his face. "What the hell are you talking about? Every person in that organisation was slaughtered except the werewolves who weren't there because of our moon feast. That's why we've been protecting them all this time while also using them as bait, knowing the killer would come for them soon."Her laugh was sharp and cold. "Exactly! How convenient that the werewolves just happened to be absent on the night of the massacre. How convenient that the killer chose that night, knowing they wouldn't be there. How convenient that none of you have been affected by these killings. How convenient that, despite all your father’s supposed power and resources, he still hasn't found a single trace of
Author's POVAlaric could not shake off the nagging feeling that something was off back at the river because Sarah’s sudden change in mood had caught him off guard. One moment, she seemed fine, and the next, she was insisting on going home—so desperately that she even tried to leave without him. That was what made him suspicious.So after dropping her off, he didn’t just drive away. He waited outside her apartment building, watching as she bolted inside, hoping to find out what had her so rattled.But he could not because of his father's call, reminding him of the emergency council meeting among the four supernatural factions.Now, as the heavy wooden doors of the castle’s grand chamber creaked open, Alaric stepped inside.The vast room stretched before him, its vaulted ceilings towering overhead, ancient tapestries lining the walls. This was where the top-tier supernatural leaders gathered—where decisions that shaped their world in the city were made.A long, obsidian table stretched
Sarah's POVThe moment the door clicked shut, I rushed forward, locking it as if that could somehow keep out the mess of emotions and desire he left behind.Then, I collapsed onto my bed, pressing the heels of my palms to my eyes.My chest rose and fell with heavy breaths as Anderson's words echoed in my head and as my body throbbed from the tension he had built up and left unfulfilled. My mind was at war with itself."Sarah, you are playing with fire," I muttered under my breath, torn between reason and the gnawing desire clawing at my self-control.My skin still buzzed from his touch, as if his fingertips had left invisible embers behind.I pressed my fingers against my lips, as if that could somehow erase the way he had owned them—teased, tasted, and claimed them with nothing but his lips."Can you handle the aftermath if you do?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.I knew what giving in could mean—hell, he could use it against me, tell people just t