Lila’s POV I rushed in to see the machines attached to my mother being removed one after the other. I held her hands and tried to call her name, but my mouth failed me—I couldn’t speak. I don't know if it was the pain or the bile forming in my throat due to the tears, but my throat felt clogged, no words could pass through it. I knelt beside her bed with her hand in mine and kept crying. I wished there was a way I could ease her pain before dying, I wished she hadn’t died in such a painful way. “Lila, you have to let go of your mom, she needs to be taken care of,” Brian said as he and Dominic approached me. His hands rested on my shoulders, and I knew he was only trying to console me. “You don’t understand Brian,” I finally managed to say, “I can’t let her go.” I sniffed my nose, “I can’t lose her to death like this.” I cried harder. I staggered before I could finally manage to rise to my feet. I hugged her body and it was so cold, but what made me burst into tears further was th
Alpha Victor’s POVI arranged for a few men to go with me as I visited Blackwood Pack. Alpha Dominic had always proposed several business deals, but I refused because, unlike other packs, I didn’t want my pack to be subjected to his authority. Call it an inferiority complex or anything, but I felt that it was the best way I could protect my pack. A business deal I had recently, fell through and that was because I wasn’t in alliance with the Blackwood, I had to admit that I underestimated Alpha Dominic’s influence. After what happened in my pack twenty-five years ago, I became the Alpha even though I had no Alpha blood. All packs neglected my pack and insisted we joined another pack so we could be under an Alpha, the issue dragged on until Dominic became the Alpha at sixteen. He was the one who eventually requested that my pack be left alone on the condition that I had to marry an Alpha blood so we could produce an Alpha that would eventually lead the pack. So, I married one, and
Victor's POV “What…what do you mean by a witch, Alpha?” I asked. I adjusted my expression so my stuttering wouldn’t appear guilty or whatsoever. “You know we hate witches the most in Shadowfangs, given our history with one of them.” I gave a more convincing statement. “That's right, I forgot it might be a sensitive topic for you.” He lowered his head a bit so I assumed he was sincere about his apology. And I let out a huff of relief since that proved he wasn’t suspecting me, he was only asking just in case I knew. But how did he get to know about Morgana’s prefix? “It’s fine. I haven’t heard of a witch with that name. But if I do come across someone who knows, I’ll let you.” I gave him a fake assurance. And the smile that followed appeared more to be fake than genuine and I was glad he didn’t notice. I left his office and headed straight for the room Jonathan directed me to. I put a call across to Morgana right away, I needed to know what else Alpha Dominic knew. I knew he wa
Victor's POV I laughed lightly at his words and placed my hands under my chin before proceeding to ask, just to be sure he meant what he said. “You are joking, right?” I asked him, but he just kept staring back at me. “I mean…..I thought you gave up on being the Alpha years ago—all you wanted was to make some money.” I said, dropping my hands on my thighs. “I gave up because I didn’t think I’d have a chance one day. And bless the moon goddess, here you are—presenting me with a chance again.” He said confidently like he knew I was going to accept the deal no matter what. “You don’t have a choice. You must be delusional to think Dominic will let you live when he discovers what you did to become a real Alpha—he won’t let you live. So is it not better if you kill him alongside his mate?” He reasoned, and I knew he had a point. There’s only one way to do it, never let my cover get blown. I stretched forth my hand for a handshake with Luther. I knew it would be difficult but I was re
Lila's POV It’s been two days since I met that weird guy at the elevator. I wanted to tell Brian about it when he came to my room that night, but I eventually decided against it. He probably didn’t mean it in a bad way, and since he was Dominic’s guest, I didn’t want to cause a fuss thereby leading to me disrespecting his guest. Maybe he just had a weird way of consoling people. That’s what happens when you’ve gone through a lot of traumatic shit—you become weird. Brian told me that their hospital was government-accredited and he could fix me a job there. I decided to send a letter to my boss at my original place of work, that I would not be coming in for a while, even though I knew he might end up telling me I’d be fired if I didn’t show up. But I wished I had better choices to make, my case with the werewolves was getting longer than we had expected. And the investigation was leading nowhere according to Brian. He told me all that went down in the dungeon, and I must admit th
Lila's POV Yes, Luis and I dated for two years, but it wasn’t a solid relationship. It happened in our first year in school; we both met at the school cafeteria. He was the only one eating at a table with an empty seat, so I had to join him. Out of courtesy we exchanged names and casually talked about how we were adjusting to the school. I left the cafeteria, not knowing I’d see him again; though our courses were different, there were times we had to take shared courses, so we met randomly in class and eventually exchanged contacts before we fell in love. I ignored Brian’s reaction to Luis’s words and proceeded to ask the question that had been on my mind since I laid my eyes on him. “So, how did you get to know them?” I asked, stretching forth my hand a bit so he would know I was referring to Brian and Dominic. “I should be asking you that.” He said, giving the weird look that I was used to since he looked at me like that a lot back then. I squeezed my face, hinting that I did
Lila's POV I didn’t turn to look at him even though I was taken aback by his declaration. I had no idea about what was going through his head. But one thing was certain; He's gotten bolder. I clenched my fist in an attempt to contain my rage.We broke up about six years ago and when I look back at our past relationship, it didn’t end well. We were both young and naive; like me, he was an orphan, so we both had our difficulties. I ought to blame and hate him for what happened but I had more pressing life issues than to think about a guy who broke my heart, so I eventually forgot him as time went by. But there he was some minutes ago, talking about still wanting me. That crazy jerk!The interview was brief, they asked about my past work experience and what I expect to be my salary. I assumed Brian must have spoken to them about my situation because compared to my former workplace, their interview was brief, and the questions they asked were simple. I stepped out of the room only t
Lila's POV Brian choked on the water he was drinking, spitting it out. Luckily, no one was close enough for the water to splash on them. My mouth widened in disbelief. Luis really said that. It wasn't new information, but his delivery was completely off.If it had been someone else saying it, I might have supported their point, but I couldn’t bring myself to agree with Luis. Though Dominic wasn't great to me, I would choose him over Luis— it was a choice of the lesser evil."Says who?" Dominic asked in a deep, authoritative tone, his hands calmly resting in his pockets. What trick was he trying to pull?It was already a known fact that we had rejected each other. I slipped my hand into my pocket as the pain in my stomach intensified.Luis shifted his gaze to me, “Lila, were you not rejected?” That bastard, why did he have to drag me into it? I laughed weirdly at Luis’s question, what was he expecting me to say? “Who told you I was rejected?” I asked without batting an eye. There w
Judith's POV “Where is Lauren?” I went straight to the point, definitely not in the mood to put up with her behavior. She can wait for Lila to get better then they continue their feud.“And how am I supposed to know that?” She folded her arms over her breasts with her gaze matching mine.“Don’t mess with me, I don't have the patience for that,” I warned, my voice instantly turning cold.She scoffed, stepping closer. “I don't know where Lauren is, if I were you I'd be worried about much bigger things than trying to get an innocent lady upset.” The way the words rolled out of her mouth felt so wrong. Like she knew something we all didn't. Something is wrong. Her confidence, everything.I arched an eyebrow, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”She shrugged nonchalantly, “I don't know, we'll see.”Her eyes sparkled with something deadly, something darker. Something beyond my understanding. I watched as she walked away, swaying her hips, my self-control slipping by the second. The s
Judith's POV I watched her struggling to hold them off, her arms vibrating as they stretched forth holding the already breached barrier in place. A stray tear rolled down the corner of my eye at the sight of her fighting to keep her eyes open.“Lila,” I called softly, a little whimper involuntarily escaping my mouth.I didn't think she could hear me, but she did; her eyes searched everywhere until they found me, her formerly lively face now paler by the second.“Lila,” I called again, feeling a little helpless at her current state. She's all alone out there, scared, drained. Fighting for the people who once treated her as an outcast because she was birthed by a witch. For the people who had wanted nothing more than to throw her out of the Packhouse.“Judith,” She whispered weakly, “You shouldn't be here.”I shook my head, tears spilling from my eyes. Tears I didn't want to shed for the fear of making her weaker. Tears I fought to hold back just so I could give her some kind of motiva
Brian's POV Saying I expected those words from Judith would be a blatant lie. I was taken aback myself. Didn't she break down a while ago when they got separated? Now she's throwing it all under the bus for some heroic move? Is this how quickly it is with women? The mood swing thing?“Excuse us,” I pulled her to the side, maybe I could talk some sense into her, just maybe. “What are you doing?” “Staying here to help. Isn't it obvious?” She asked back, feigning confidence even though I could see through her eyes that she wanted to be with him more than anything else.I sighed, shaking my head slightly.“There's nothing left for you to do here. Go to your mate.” “No.” She replied bluntly, making no attempt to comply, her eyes holding mine as if this was a staring competition.My hands moved until they settled on my waist, maintaining that posture for a while, just peering intently into her face. “You know, you and Lila, I'm starting to wonder who is more stubborn.”She shrugged casua
Judith's POV I staggered backward until I crashed to the ground, my legs suddenly finding it difficult to carry my body.Fear gripped me, my eyes taking in the gruesome scene before me.My ears suddenly became alert, realizing that the killer might still be lurking around waiting for the next victim.My heart throbbed vigorously against my rib cage, fear clouding my senses at the thought that there was a murderer in our midst and on the loose. And we had no idea who it was.I sprang up to my feet with determination, sprinting out of the room as fast as I could. I had to warn the others. Whoever it was that had managed to penetrate the Packhouse and eliminate Morinda was dangerous. They had to be alert.My legs descended the stairs rapidly, my steps were as light as a feather. It felt as if I was flying over them. “There's a killer in the building!” I announced breathlessly. My intention wasn't to scare anyone, just to keep them alert, but my approach was wrong. They stared at me wit
Judith's POV The ache in my body threatened to rip me apart. It was too much, too intense. This is probably the end of it for us. How did we not know it was the full moon tonight? Now we're all a wrecking mess, praying for some kind of miracle to happen.“Urgh!” My throat cracked along with the bones of my body. Why did this have to happen now? Has the moon goddess forsaken us? Is this how we perish?I would never have thought that the witch could harness the full moon’s energy to resurrect the dead. I've heard that it was possible. Only heard, not really believed it. And this was said to have happened over two hundred years ago. When witches were still allowed to coexist with werewolves. It all seemed like a nightmare I wanted to make up so badly from.“We have to leave now.” Jonathan’s voice interrupted my train of thought as he wrapped his arm around me, nudging me to move. His eyes burned with contained pain. He was trying his best to be strong for me. For us.Shaking my head in
Lila's POV I found it difficult to sleep after my encounter with the witch in that memory lane. For some reason, it scared me; I feared that she would reappear in my dream and trap me there. I've been trapped before, it's not a funny experience. Not something I wish to experience again.Her presence felt oddly familiar and I feared what that could mean. In the library, I searched for a book on ancient spells; I was bent on finding out how she was about to touch me in a trance. Despite looking for a while, I couldn't find anything tangible, but I kept looking, keeping my mind open for possibilities.Then the lights went out and I found myself stuck at the library. It was just me there, nobody else. A feeling of fear washed over me as my heart thumped rapidly against my chest as if it could explode at any minute.Luckily I was with my phone, so I was able to keep my corner illuminated until the saved energy was restored. I was going to return to my room when I met Judith and the rest.
Brian's POV “Where's your phone?” I demanded, my voice calm and measured despite the crawl I felt under my skin. I needed to find mine but I couldn't see a thing. The darkness thickened, increasing the tension in the air.“Wh– why should I give you my phone?” I could hear her shallow breathing through the silent night.“I need to find my phone!” A frustrated groan left my throat. What did she think I was going to do with her phone? Couldn't she see that I need even a flicker of light to help my vision? Moreover, I was losing patience. I needed to be with Lila. I needed to make sure she was safe.The feeling of uneasiness clung to me like a second skin, triggering my senses.Her phone's screen shone softly on her face, making her the only glowing spot in the dark. Slowly, the flashlight came on and I immediately spotted my phone. Without hesitation, I reached for it.The screen was cracked but it was manageable. At least the flashlight was working.I dashed for the staircase, determin
Juliana's POV It's been one week since I got disowned by my only surviving parent. This increased my hatred for Lila; since her arrival to the pack, things have gone the direct opposite in my favor. She has taken everything from me.This was the height of it all. I couldn't take it anymore. I could kill her if I got the chance. She's a bad omen and doesn't deserve to live among people.She carried trouble with her everywhere she went, effortlessly emitting bad luck like a transmitter, inflicting everyone within reach.‘Just wait until I'm done with you.’ I said in my mind as I glared at Lila from across my table as she ate with Brian and a little girl. Today is the night of the full moon. I can't wait to finally put her in her place.As it stands, I don't care about the details. I only cared about eliminating Lila. She's the biggest threat to the existence of wolves and the supernatural world. I sat patiently, waiting for Lauren's signal or role designation.Over the past few days, w
Juliana's POV There's something strange about the determination in Lauren's voice that piqued my interest. There was a hint of disgust in her voice if I'm not mistaken.“Are you already giving up on Dominic? Deep down you know he belongs to you. You know she hasn't done anything to deserve him.” She spoke steadily, peering intensely into my eyes. I fought the urge to scoff. “What should I do when he already chose someone else instead of me?”He made his choice. Despite the pain that comes with admitting to this fact, I've come to accept it.“Their union is a disaster, I'm sure you've heard that. Would you rather intervene now or stay apartheid and watch the worst come to Blackwood? Even if Dominic might die in the process?” Her eyes never left mine as she spoke.If she was aiming to scare me, then she was definitely doing a great job at it because a dreadful shiver overtook my body for a split second after the words left her mouth.Luther had mentioned the same, now Lauren. There ha