Zirah's POV We kept on drinking, Erica more than me for some reason best known to her.She would giggle and laugh at the slightest provocation, leaning into me and whispering gibberish.She was also been flirtatious, very flirtatious.She was throwing hot, dark looks from her spot over at the bar and would make sure she brushes her body against mine at the slightest opportunity.Either she subtly caresses my foot with hers, or tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, her hand lingering on my skin or brushing her breasts against my arm.Basically, she was trying to rub herself all over me, which I didn't appreciate but unluckily for me, with each glass that she downs, she also becomes more aggressive.And I'm in no position to fight her off.She was currently leaning on my shoulder, her cheeks pressed against my arm, her mouth expelling warm puffs of air on my neck.I squirmed on the bar stool, trying to push her off but she just snuggled in closer, her eyes half-closed.She brough
POV I SAT down on the edge of my bed, thinking about easier and faster routes out of this city.Unfortunately, I don't know very well due to the fact I'm always locked up like a common criminal, or my access is restricted.The only person I knew to help me get out of here in one piece was Erica, and I would bet that Erica wouldn't let me go that easily.Leaving a city under attack would be much easier on my own but strapped with not one, not two but three kids was going to a hell of a situation, which was why I needed help even though convincing Erica is going to be very difficult.I weighed my options, going through the pros and cons, and decided it was better to leave without her knowing.It could be a very messy thing if I tried to convince her but she refused to budge.It was best I just leave, I'm sure I would be able to figure out a way out of this city.My mind made up, I stood up from the bed, checked in the other room, and saw that Mikaheal and Amber were awake, Alexei stil
Zirah's POV My feet hit on a stone causing me to stumble and almost lose hold on the stroller, but luckily I managed to grab it at the last minute.I kept on running until I saw a light at the end of the hallway and I pumped my legs faster, trying to also keep an even pace not to jostle the children too much.As soon as I came out, I had to dodge as quick as I could to the other side 'cause a man was thrown in the same direction, the same spot I was in moments earlier.I looked at him and found out that he had broken his neck in the fall and he was dead.I whimpered and dragged the stroller close to me, ducking and walking as fast as I could so those men wouldn't notice me and engage me.It was utter chaos out here, some people were running helter-skelter while some had changed to their wolf forms fighting men garbed in the same type of uniform that man that had attacked us on our way to the bunker wore.In fact, the more I looked, the more I saw them everywhere.They were taking peo
Zirah's POV The car was moving at a steady pace with our car in the middle, while two cars were flanking us both at the front and at the rear of the car.While I understood the need for security, I felt four cars were a bit overkill and I said so to Noah."No, it's not. We have no idea what we're going to meet out here, not to mention we're also going to pick up precious cargo," he cooed, tapping at Amber's cheeks while he spoke. "I didn't want to leave anything to chance.""That makes sense," I murmured, seeing the logic in his decision.His gaze lingered on my bloody and soot-filled face, trying to figure out what happened but I was in no mood to start explaining, not after the day I'd had.After a hot meal, warm bed, and several days of rest, not necessarily in that order I might be willing to talk more about the experience I had here.He seemed to get that and swallowed back what he had to say."I was so worried about you."He moved closer to me, surrounding me with his warmth wh
Damon's POV IT ALL started with the letter.After I'd sent Zirah away and was tired of the incessant meetings, I was outside sipping my scotch trying to blot away the ever-present image of Helen's dead body when I got it.I'd just been debating on how it seemed like Tristan had disappeared off the face of the earth, every effort expended to find him was futile neither was he picking up my calls.I got that he didn't agree with what I did and was frustrated with me, but he was my brother, who shouldn't have abandoned me when I needed him the most.Nevertheless, I would shrug off his betrayal and show him that I could be a stronger and better Alpha without him.I was done with my late evening walk and was about to walk into the house when I saw the piece of paper fluttering on the wide steps of the back porch.The paper which turns out to actually be a letter was held down by a rock.I looked around the area, not hearing or seeing anyone, and approached cautiously to pick up the paper
Damon's POV I Jumped blindly into the fray with no weapon except my fists.The first man came my way and I made quick work of him, grabbing his gun and emptying several bullets into his body.I hoisted the gun and made my way to the front of the house, careful that I remained out of sight of others.From here, I could see men shifters, coming down from armored trucks with guns drawn and their claws unsheathed, out to attack their fellow shifters.I looked around in confusion, wondering what madness this was.Fellow shifters attacking their own.I kept on trying to clear a path between the men coming at us and my own people, seeing some of my men gone reinvigorated me to get to the root of this.As I came closer to the entrance, another boom rocked the house and I peeked out the window, I saw some men get a missile ready to launch.I wondered if they wanted to level the house to the ground, luckily, my men intercepted them and killed them.Out front, more men started to pour in throug
Damon's POV Diego and Jack were able to get out communication system up and running again, and this way we could communicate with all our pack members, ushering them to safe locations and trying to keep a secure line open so anyone could reach out to us.I called all my betas, enforcers, and some lesser alphas scattered around the city to the, soliciting their help to keep our city safe from intruders.Unfortunately, a few had defected and was fighting alongside Ramsey but we still had the larger percentage on our side.With that, I gave out orders and went out myself with my highly skilled team to protect my city.So far, we have managed to drive them out of the city's square, killing or capturing the traitors that we could but they were still very much present in the lower part of the city.They were not easy opponents to deal with, and we sustained a lot of casualties on our side but we kept on using our strategy which had worked excellently up till now.Attack with force and prec
Zirah's POV "Hey!" The sound of Noah's voice floating into the room jolted me from my wayward thoughts, and I guilty dropped the phone on the table, face down before I turned to look at him."You okay?" He searches my face before looking down at the phone and back at my face."Yeah, I'm good." I hastily replied trying to keep my expression vacant but I could still see the suspicion in his eyes."I just wanted to ask if you'll come down for dinner." He said let it go."I'll be right down," I replied, pasting a bright smile on my face.Once he left, however, the smile slipped from my face and I fell back into the cushion of the pillows, letting out a small scream which was muffled by the number of pillows surrounding me.Ever since we got back, Noah was still himself but after asking me again what transpired in there, I was nervous and fumbled.I mixed up the story before hastily correcting it but now he doesn't believe me anymore, he thinks there's more to why I hightailed it out of t
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