Damon's POVNot here." Samael yelled from where he was several meters away from us.Shit. That means we had to turn back because there was no use going ahead since he had already told us nothing was here.This is the third fruitless search we had undertaken this week after we uncovered some leads.I had to dodge a twig before it came back to smack me in the face. The sound of dead and dry leaves crunching under our feet was the only sound I heard for hours as we all made our way back to where we had abandoned the vehicle in haste to get here. My men's faces were drawn with disappointment as we were all highly hopeful that this might be the one. I told them some little ones had been taken and we needed to invest all our time and energy in unmasking the culprits and getting to the button of this. I thought about telling them the truth but decided against it. We were already in a fragile period at the moment, I didn't want to cause more friction but I suspected some of them already knew.
Damon's POVI HAD been liaising with Zirah so I could have information about it. Studying this particular issue has left me with no other conclusion than it was someone from her pack and also this was carefully planned. If not for that I had asked Zirah repeatedly if she drank or ate anything during her walk to the park and she replied in the negative, I would have thought that they also drugged her.Everything was too well planned, too organized.They made sure not to leave any prints on the stroller, either cleaning it off meticulously or making sure not to come in contact with the stroller. Also, nobody saw them taking the children away. If it was just one child, I wouldn't have been surprised but these are *three* children we're talking about, it's not easy to lug three kids about without being noticed. They cleared up their tracks too well. I had asked Zirah if it could be one of Noah's enemies but she says she doesn't know and her face is always strained or closed off whenever
Damon's POV "Please don't kill me!" The woman squealed as she fell to her knees, her whole body trembling with fear.I cocked my large head to the side, trying to figure the woman out. Yes, those wolves were attacking her and possibly they were the ones behind the shooting.That reminds me, we're sitting ducks out here. We need to move to a more sheltered area so I can ask questions here. I turned around, walking to the tree I was hiding behind earlier, my paws sinking into the soft earth. Reaching behind it, I changed seamlessly back to my human form and bent down to pick up the pack I had clutched between my teeth when I set out for this journey.Traveling in my wolf form was faster and easier so I changed when I had passed the border to my city and raced here.Quickly wiping the blood off my body, I dressed in loose-fitting pants and a shirt and walked around the tree.The woman was still there, kneeling on the floor with her hair covering her face. She was smart not to run while
Zirah's POVThe sound of the phone ringing was cutting into my sweet sleep time.Seeing as it was the only time I could blot out my current nightmare with my kids missing, I was pretty upset with who was interrupting my sleep. I opened bleary eyes to a blurry ceiling. I had to blink thrice before I stopped having double vision.I wasI reached over to pick up the phone, forgetting that I wasn't in my former bedroom and I didn't have a bedside table in this room. Meaning the phone was on my bed.Noah and I had a huge fight a week ago and since then I've been sleeping here to spite him and because I needed some distance, thinking he would even come to me but I haven't seen him since. I didn't even hear anything from him or the men that work with him about updates on my kids.I looked at the screen and saw Damon's name flashing on the screen and immediately any sign of sleep ran away from me and I was fully alert.With shaky hands, I pressed answer and placed the phone in my ear."Hello.
Zirah's POV"He has," I confirmed what he heard. " And I have to leave to get my kids back." I omit the fact that I wouldn't come back.He shook his head at me, downing glass after glass until I began to worry about him as he teetered unsteadily on shaky legs. I wondered how much he must have had to drink."It's what you wanted all along, wasn't It?" "What?! No-" I deny vehemently but he cut me off."You know what? I don't want to hear it, Do whatever the fuck you want, I don't care anymore." He banged the door as he left and the echo of the door hitting the wall echoed in my mind long after I left.I didn't have much time to ponder on how he reacted to what I had to tell him because I had to put my children first. I gathered a little bag and set out of the city, letting my guard escort me halfway through until I sent him back with flimsy excuses.Knowing that Noah would have men following me, I walked a longggggg time before I glanced this way and made sure that I had lost them befor
Zirah's POV"You can't FUCKING control me!" I yell, my entire body thrumming with rage as I banged the door shut. I expelled a large breath as I fluffed my hair in annoyance. Before my ass could even touch the bed, the floor flung wide open, hitting the wall with a bang.I sat up in surprise as Damon rushed towards me, his eyes looking crazed. I tried to back away from him but there was nowhere to run to."Where the hell did you think you were going to, huh?" He breathed down on his, his breath hot and rancid as he captured my wrists between his hands. I squirmed, afraid and scared as I tried to get him to let me go but no way, he was fucking stronger than me."Huh?!" He yanked me closer to him. I asked you a fucking question, Zirah."I whimpered, the pain getting more intense by the minute but the sound didn't register to him, his eyes dancing about wildly, still lost in wherever he is in his head. "Let me go, please.""I want you to answer me! You're so good at running your mouth so
Zirah's POV The past few days have been weird, to say the least. The relationship between Damon and me has been a little strained, unlike what we had before. I haven't even moved back to the room he gave me, instead choosing another one farther from it. I guess some part of me is still apprehensive about his behavior, I've never seen him like that not even when he's talking to his men, so I was afraid that he could do that to me.Urgh! I've been dwelling on it for so long.My phone dinged with a notification and I opened one eye, stretching my hand to pick it up and turn the screen over. It was a message from Noah.Fuck. I know I can't keep lying to him forever but I wasn't ready to tell him the truth, although I feared he already had his suspicions.I loved staying in Autumn pack because of Damon even though I wasn't all that welcome by his people, and staying with Noah was also great because his people made me feel welcome and made me understand what it was to be loved by a pack b
Zirah's POV It was stark white, as in, snow white. The type of white you would see on an easel.It was a long time before I could shift. Back then when my parents were alive, they would tease me that I was a late bloomer and always comfort me that while it may take some time, I would come into my ability and shift. Having the comfort and support of my parents kept a lot of emotions at bay. But I didn't know until they died. And that horrible bastard was my custodian.He would laugh at me cruelly and insult me that I was deformed, a kyelsha. A kyelsha was a wolf shifter who couldn't access her wolf form, she was unable to and was forever stuck in her human body. Amongst our people, it was like a curse and that person was cast out of the pack. But I surprised my stepfather, even calling him that in my mind made disgust and revulsion slither all over my body.When I turned sixteen, on the anniversary of my mother's death, I changed.If I had changed alone, I think that would have bee
Zirah's POV Right into his neck. Damon staggered away from me with a stunned look on his face while his hand slowly went up to the clutch at the side of his neck. He brought his blood-stained hand to his face with a shocked look on his face like he still couldn't believe what happened. "Why?" He asked, still with an air of confusion around him. And I broke down. "You left me no choice!" I sobbed out loud, thinking back to when I decided to do this. When I saw them fighting and he threw Noah into the wall, crashing into the metal tray and dislodging his items, instinctively I So I played him. The weak demeanor, the submissive woman, the arousal that shivered through my body as he ran his hands over my body…...was all fake. I had to swallow down my revulsion the moment he touched me, knowing I had to sell my submission enough or he wouldn't believe me. He opened his mouth to speak but instead gargled on his blood and his knees went weak and he crumpled to the floor. I careful
Zirah's POV I sat there frozen…..helpless.While I watched my former lover circle my mate like a predator looking for his next meal."Damon...no! Please... I- uh," I babbled incoherently, forcing words out of my mouth in a silly attempt to stop him from ramming the knife into a fragile spot on his body that could claim his life.He stopped behind Noah when my pitiful cries reached him and for a moment I thought that maybe he had changed his mind.However, he lunged forward pressing the thin part of the blade exactly into the jugular spot at his neck pressing firmly with those cold eyes trained on mine."You know what I need from you." He ground out harshly, his deep tone barely making his words distinguishable but I managed to catch it."Damon, I-" I had no idea what I was about to say but for some crazy reason I just had to open my mouth.His odd eyes hardened and the brief flicker of hope I'd seen bloom in his eyes died out and he turned his attention back to his semi-conscious pat
Zirah's POV Ice-cold water was splashed on my body, jerking me awake abruptly pulling me from the reins of unconsciousness.I flung my head, my eyelids fluttering as I sought to get my bearings.Everything was spinning, and my eyes felt like they were glued shut for the longest time.My body also felt heavy... probably 'cos I haven't used it for a while.I raised my head slowly and I realized two things.One, I couldn't move….at all.That jarred my senses and I awoke fully to see that my legs and hands were restrained with thick metal straps laced with chains, proving it impossible to get out of.Even if I could break through the leather straps, the chains had the distinct yet faint smell of silver which would be tough if not impossible to get out of.Secondly, I was in an underground dungeon that stank like the devil's behind.How I got here seemed to get away from here, but why was it a different case?I was here because I refused to give in.I think back to what happened after Dam
Noah's POV It soon became obvious what their ace was….or rather, who.It soon became obvious when Damon separated himself from his pack, that was what I had taken to calling considering how they fluttered around him.When the two of us caught the other's gaze, it held for the longest and the tension, the need for bloodshed was calling out to us.Riding us both hard.He was standing now unobstructed, without his men underfoot, his white shirt flapping around him as the wind blew up a notch.His dark pants and heavy boots looked worse for wear, but that wasn't what drew my attention.It was the unnaturally still way he held himself, it was like his body was encased in eyes but from here I could see his eyes were sharp, picking up on every movement.It felt like no one else existed but the two of us, even though I could hear distant sounds of roars and men fighting.Everything that happened was building up to this point."You need to go," I said quietly to Zirah who was still behind my
Noah's POV We were winning.Or so it seemed.No, I know we were winning. It started as a tough battle at first especially when they got the upper hand by taking us by surprise- I still wondered how they might have known where we were and we fought to regain our defense since they were attacking mercilessly but hours of training won out and we started to beat them back.Their numbers were gradually reducing, and it also helped that we had support from the Grand Canyon pack since they were furious that they were attacked in their home. I was tearing my way through the men, my eyes trained on the prize, killing mercilessly and without remorse as I inched closer to the man at the helm of all this.Damon Westwood.I had had enough of his constant interference in our lives, and once and for all...I wanted to end it.By stabbing a knife through his cold heart.Or by beheading him.Whichever way works for me.But it seems that just when I was within reach of him, I would spin around and he w
Damon's POV All five of us were surrounding the table. Me, Skylar, Amanda, and two other werewolves one from my side and hers each named Frank and Erik when someone rudely barged in without knocking. We were currently in a private meeting, as we were thinking through our next moves and I had left explicit instructions not to be disturbed in the meantime.Now this.Immediately I got to my feet in front, ready to strangle whoever it was but Erik held me back, placing a hand on the table to stop me."What is it?" He asks the heavily panting young man quietly, patiently waiting for him to compose himself before talking.He was doubled over, sweat soaked through his body. He slowly raised his head, wiping the sweat dripping into his eyes."I-I-I…" his eyes were wide, his face pale as if he just realized what he had done."Get on with it!" I spat out. "We don't have all day.""You can see he's in no shape to talk." Erik points out, scraping his chair back as he stands up. "It looks like he
Zirah's POV Traveling en masse with such a large crowd while trying to move stealthily proved to be a big deal for us.Also for different packs who are just getting acquainted with each other for the first time, being enclosed in a small space wasn't the ideal choice and soon enough after a couple of days, they started to get on each other's nerves.I learned that lots of testosterone and small spaces don't mix when Noah had to come between a brawl brewing for the third time in two days.We'd been traveling for almost a week which was longer than expected but Noah insisted on the element of surprise so mostly we traveled in small clumps during the day and large during the night. It slowed down our progress significantly but it did the job.We were stopping at a neighboring pack who was a very good friend of Noah's and graciously offered to host us.We had eagerly accepted, anxious to get a reprieve from camping life and the tension or altercation brewing every minute.I, for one, had
Damon's POV For some people, it would be hard to lead two different people on a united front. But luckily for me, I had experience in such and it seemed quite seamless the way I effortlessly combined Amanda's people and some of mine. I had called in some favors and put a call through to some of my most loyal men and of course..they answered. Amanda's father was wealthy, and apart from that he was also vastly connected which was how we got this massive mansion to hide our people in and conduct our business without query. If he had any idea of Amanda's plans, he did well to turn a blind eye to it. We were engaging in mindless chatter when a murmur rippled through the small crowd that had gathered here on the balcony. One thing I loved about this place was the view. Sometimes when I stood here, it gave me this empowering feeling, you know, like I could do anything I wanted. And of course, you guessed right, it quickly became my favorite spot in the house. I was lounging in my corner
Noah's POV The taste of defeat left a bitter tang in my mouth as I gathered my men and went back home.The car itself was silent, no one daring to utter a word. To say I was furious with myself was putting it lightly but there was nothing more I could do…. except turn back time which was out of my power. So I sulked all the way home, rehashing all the possible ways that situation could have gone.All too soon, we arrived at the gate's entrance and then I realized I still had people waiting to talk to me.The car stopped in front of the house, and before I went in I was making small talk with the men when I heard my name."Noah!" Zirah screamed, gathering her flowy summer dress in her hand as she hurriedly rushed down the stairs.I was struck by how beautiful she looked at that moment. For a second, she appeared young and carefree….like she should always be.I felt a twinge of guilt when I saw how scared she was, and the guilt expanded to become a large block resting on my chest.She