I had taken every precaution: fully clothed, hood mask in place, scent completely neutralized, and lenses worn. Yet, he still called me by my name. I stood there, silent, unwilling to give a response; maybe he had only made a wild guess. Thane walked forward; he was so close to me I could perceive his scent; this was a wicked reminder of what we had once, but now, now it was all over. "Would you take the hood off or do you prefer I do that?" he questioned. That intense look he gave me forced me into taking a step back. "Don't come any closer," I warned. My voice shook, and I hated it. I wouldn't cry, not in front of him, but the pain I felt was so unbearable. "Is that a threat? , didn't sound much like it." I took off the mask, dumping the material to the ground. Then I met his gaze. We shared a long look, and there was something different in the way he stared at me. I could swear I saw the longing in his eyes, but I didn't forget how good an actor he was. "Riley, y
"The last time I was here, you seemed to be in such a hurry to do just that.""I thought I was keeping you safe; if only I knew you were like a problem magnet.""So let me guess, you would give me a whole crap talk about how you were willing to hurt me, humiliate me, just to âprotectâ me."That silenced him, and then his gaze found something I had left on, my engagement ring. For some reason, I felt the need to hide it.He grasped my hand, staring at it."What is this?""What does it look like?""You're engaged?" He said the words like it didn't make sense."Yes, and keeping me here isn't really helping me in any way."His eyes were once again those cold orbs that sent chills down my spine."I guess I deserve this," he says more to himself than to me. "I should be happy you've moved on, but I can't be happy for you, Riley," he says, looking away from me as if it hurts to stare.Bullshit. I pulled my hands away from his hold, taking some steps backwards."I never wanted this Thane. I l
**THANE**I had no right to hold her captive, not after everything I had done to her and yet I couldn't bring myself to let her go. Maybe it was because I knew that this was my last chance and if I did screw it then that was it.Still her words pierced deep.I knew she didn't mean it. I knew a part of her still loved me even if she resented that part, but hearing her say those words straight to my face⊠hearing her compare me with my father who I thought was the monster made me realized how bad I had screwed up.More than once I had given up on staying away from her, but Axel was always there to stop me. He never really forgave me for what I did, even though he knew I had every reason to. He thought I deserved the punishment I got. "You cannot go to her" he would always say, "If she had managed to move on, seeing you would only cause her more pain and she don't need that".Finally I had gotten a grip of the beast I had become, If only Riley knew that she had fueled up the need in me
A healer tended to my wounds in the dungeons; Thane had offered that I stay in the available guests room since we both knew I wouldn't be agreeing on returning back to the room we once shared, but I didnât need his generosity; if he thought I couldnât handle the cold floors of the dungeons, then he was indeed mistaken.I didnât like how the healer kept staring at me. I am sure Thane had informed her not to tell anyone about this, but still her gaze was unnerving.âI think that would be all,â she said after the last stitch. âIs there anything else you need?ââNo, you may leave,â I said to her, and she rose to her feet and offered a bow before walking away.A few hours passed, and Thane entered with a tray of food. He set it before me, but my gaze remained fixed on the wall, ignoring him entirely.âYouâve lost a lot of blood; you need to eat Riley, please,â he says softly.My eyes never left the wall, and finally he left, giving me some space to think about my escape. Yes, I needed stre
âYou are fucking dying; you need to let go of your pride and eat something.âI had the words in mind to respond, yet my throat was so sore, I couldnât utter a single word. There was a slight fear in his eyes; he was scared I would go through with this.I didnât think Thane loved me, but I donât think he wanted me dead either.He attempted spoon-feeding me; I wouldnât eat a single thing; I wouldnât let him win. âYou either eat or I will make you." I had been about to ask how exactly would he âmake meâ, âThere are these pipes that can be used to pass food directly into your body, and I would do that if I had to.ââYou have no right,â I say. My voice sounded so tiny.âI am trying to keep you alive.ââAnd I donât care. You either let me go, or Iâll die here. I bet you would love to see that.ââWhat do you want, Riley? I am ready to do any other thing, and I donât care what it is; say it and itâs done; all you have to do is eat the damn food.ââAnything?â I asked"Anything,â he repeated, a
**THANEâS POVâShe is engaged Thane, she was moving on quite well, you need to let her goâ Axel says and he was right, but we both knew I wouldnât do that. I wasnât going to screw things up the second time. She couldnât even bear to look me in th eyes anymore, damn she was starving herself just to get back at me and it was working, I couldn't eat either, not with the knowledge that she is down there, cold and starving. I should let her go, that was the easiest way, but it had taken everything in me to make that decision the last time and now, seeing her after two months, I knew I could never let her go, not ever again.âShe is mine, my mateâ I say, knowing well how stupid that sounded and already knowing what Axel would say next.âYou did send her away, I hate to break it to you, but she doesnât belong to you anymore, she is betrothed to anotherâ he reminds me and I hated that reminder.If only he understood that I couldnât imagine Riley with any other person, it took everything in me
Hunger pangs gnawed at my stomach, I could almost see myself giving up.Grudgingly, I picked up the glass of water. I could let myself have this; I emptied the cup immediately, and still it wasn't enough to cure my thirst.I had only managed to place the cup down before the door was once again unlocked. I looked up.It was Axel and Thane; that's what I thought till I saw the third figure.Nick.I staggered to my feet, running into his arms. "You are here," I managed to say. I was indeed surprised."What the hell did you do to her?" Nick asked, his eyes blazing with fury."Nick, I'm fine," I say. Thane hadn't harmed me yet; I had been the one who refused his food and shelter."You don't look fine to me," he says. Finally, he turned to Thane. "I am willing to offer you anything you want, so long as you let her go," Nick said. He was furious and only managed to keep it in."What can you offer me, Alpha? There's nothing I'll need from a pack so tiny." Thane said I threw him a glare; he on
THANE'S POVI didn't like the idea of the Raven Clan Leader in there with her. But Riley had been willing to let go of her pride and make a bargainâthe very same bargain I had practically begged her for for days.Let's say it hurt my ego that she had so quickly accepted my terms just to have a few minutes with the man. Was he worth that much to her? If I did kill him, how long would she mourn him?That had been the question on my mind."That's it, Axel; I'm going in."He smirked, "It had only been minutes, but I don't like him in there with her either.""We've given her enough time, right?""Not quite enough; if they were 'getting at it' in there, then they would need a few more minutes." Axel taunted.That's the line.I walked to the door and pulled it open.The metallic smell of blood hit my nose triggering an instant alarm, my eyes scanned Riley frantically to make sure she wasn't hurt.She was fine.Oh. If she was hurt, at least that would be my little excuse for killing the man,
ALEXANDERâS POVMy blurred vision slowly cleared, and I realized I was in what looked like a small, empty room.The wall facing me was made of thick, transparent glass.I couldnât tell how they managed to get me in hereâthere was no window or door, only a narrow slot likely meant for passing food and letting in just enough air to keep the âprisonerâ alive.I could only assume there was some kind of hidden entrance.My hands and ankles were bound with thick silver chains.The chains felt excessiveâI could barely move a muscle.More wolfsbane than Iâd ever consumed in my entire life had been pumped into my system, completely immobilizing me and filling me with this nauseating, sickly feeling. I hadnât realized I was shivering until I noticed the tremble in my fingers.The room was chillingly cold, and with the wolfsbane suppressing my werewolf abilities, I was no exception to the cold. I tried to summon flames. Nothing.Maybe I was just too weak to summon the flames. The crushing feeli
1KADIAâS POVWhen I discovered the news of my pregnancy, I had been so happy. But I knew a lot would have to change.I had to be more cautiousâfor the baby. That meant I wouldnât be able to keep training the pack soldiers for much longer. Of course, Iâd have to give up that duty eventually and it had become a part of my life. I would have to watch my diet, too. And then there were other things. Like the fact that I would grow big, and I might not look the same. My toned stomach which I had spent years working on would be no more.This had been the type of life I once abhorred, but everything was different nowâI wanted this. I could see a future with Alexander, filled with laughter and little kids running around, and the thought made me smile.Lara was the first person to find out I was pregnant.After I discovered the pregnancy test was unmistakably positive, I was as scared as I was excited.Lara happened to be visiting the pack, and we kind of bumped into each other. She was all s
KAIDAâS POVThe flesh-eaters were all gone. Packs that had been destroyed were slowly rebuilding; the chaos had finally settled. But there were still many things to attend toâlike the few humans who now knew that dangerous supernatural beings lived among them.The human president had reached out to us; He was ready to pay whatever sum was needed to keep creatures like the âflesh-eatersâ away, as they could cause civil unrest among the people. He was willing to pay even more so things could return to the way they were when humans and supernatural beings lived separately.Alexander sent a letter back, assuring him that the âcreaturesâ were gone and that things would continue as usual. What they didnât realize was that many werewolves and supernatural beings already lived among humans. They owned major companies and enterprises worldwide. From popular clothing brands to tech products, much of it was secretly controlled by the werewolf community.One constant worry lingered on my mind â
JADE POVEarlierI had chosen to spend my final hours in the little underground lair just beneath the small house I owned.At the other side of the room, trapped behind a magical wall, was a flesh-eater. I had captured it and brought it back here. If Aliyah does go through with her words, then the creature wouldnât last until the next day.Hours passed, and the beast remained cagedâstill alive, still stupidly trying to push through the magical barrier I had created to contain it, no matter how many times it got scarred from trying.I wouldnât blame the girl if she backed out; she had every right to make that decision. She was young and in loveâit wasnât easy to let go of everything for people who were mostly strangers.Beside me was a picture of Ralph. The only one I had, and the only thing that had accompanied me through the years. Many would say I lived a lonely life, but that was the only way I knew how to liveâthough it hadnât always been that way.I thought back to when Ralph wa
DAEMONAliya was in the same silk white nightgown sheâd slept in. A soft breeze blew through her silver hair. She looked surreal, like an angel. âI have to do this.â She said, and I could see the determination in her eyes.âNo, you donât have to do this. I told you I would find a wayâŠââThere is no other way.â she said, cutting me off. âThis is the only way. I can end the war, and this is what I have to do to end it.âIâd remember those words in the dream I had. Sheâd told me how she could âend the war.âThose eyes stared at me like she could read exactly what I was thinking.âDo you love me enough to let me go?â she whisperedâand thatâs when it hit me: it was never a dream. âThe undead would be gone if Solene died. The war would end if I took my lifeâwith this dagger.ââTell me one thing, Aliyah. If you were in my place, would you let me go?â I asked. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She didnât answer, maybe because we both knew what that answer was. âWhy in the hell do you think
ALIYAHI stood watching the lake.The memory of what had happened here resurfaced, and I smiled. There were still so many things I had yet to do, so many adventures waiting out there.I looked down at the dazzling diamond on the engagement ring Daemon had given me. It must have cost a fortune, but that wasnât why I thought it was beautiful. It would always be my most prized possession because of what it signified.Now I could see the truthâDaemon would have given up his title to be with me.I didnât deserve his love. I didnât deserve him. And yet, I wanted him.The best days of my life were the ones I spent with Daemon. Truly, he was the greatest gift life had given me, and I would always be grateful for that.But I had to make a decision.**FLASHBACK**âI need to speak to the girl alone,â Jade said, and I watched the others walk away, leaving me alone with the sorceress.âI remember it all,â I confessed. âI remember how many people died because of me⊠how many others I killed.ââThat
âWhat did I taste like?â Aliyah asked.âDifferent⊠better.â If that was even possible.âThatâs because I still have her powers. Even if sheâs locked away, sheâs still in there.ââYou feel her?â I asked.âI hear her. She never stops reminding me that my time is ticking.â Aliyah said.âI will make her pay for what she did to you,â I promised.âShe will pay.ââŠIn moments like this, we truly see the vanities of life. Wealth, power, titlesânone of them hold any true value. What truly matters are the small, fleeting moments shared with the people you love. Those are the things that endure.Time, too, is a precious thing. It belongs to no one, and no one can stop it. Aliyah walked out of the bathroom.âThis is the best bath Iâve had in a really, really long time.ââWould have been better with me in there.ââMaybe, but Iâm sore, and we both know you canât keep your hands to yourself.ââYouâre right about that. Now take a seat.ââWhy?â"Or stand, if you prefer," I said, watching her raise an
DAEMONâS POVThis wasnât a dream.It was real; Aliyah was back.All I wanted to do was apologize, over and over again, for every wrong Iâd done to her. I wanted to beg for forgiveness, but we only had a single day, and I wasnât going to waste a second of it. I just wanted to make her happy and give her something to hold onto.âHave I ever told you how beautiful you are?â I asked, and she smiled.âYes, you have, but hearing it a few more times wouldnât hurt.âIâd decided to take her away from this packâto somewhere far from all the chaos and everything that had been happening these past few days.âHow did it feel?â I asked, and I didnât need to say more, she understood exactly what I meant.âAwful. I was there, and yet⊠not. I couldnât see what was happening, couldnât control anythingâbut I could hear. I heard everything.â She looked up at me. âI did hear when she tried seducing you. And I felt her embarrassment when you turned her down.âHer smile widened.âShe might have your body, y
KADIAâS POVTwo packs had been attacked by the flesh-eaters; only a few survivors escaped.The other packs were strengthening their security to avoid being caught off guard. Humans werenât exempted; many had reportedly gone âmissing.â Though their government was doing its best to cover things up, it wouldnât be long before they could no longer dismiss it as a âserial killer attack,â the work of âkidnappers,â or even âwild animal attacks.âWe continued to receive a flood of messages from packs allied with us, requesting aid and weapons. No matter how hard we tried, we couldnât help them all. The Nightshade Pack was under curfewâonly patrollers and soldiers were allowed outside after nightfall. It was a necessary safety measure, even though the flesh-eaters still lingered to the south.I watched as Alexander opened an envelope and pulled out a letter.âWhatâs that?â I asked.âA letter requesting aid. Whatâs the packâs financial situation?â he asked, and I pulled out the file.âItâs the