Cynthia’s POVI’m not entirely sure how long they’ve been torturing me, but I’m fairly certain I’m going to die here.“Please, please, please don’t–” I protest weakly, voice barely above a rasp.It’s useless, of course. As Beth raises the whip and sends it arcing down across the sunken flesh of my arms.I don’t even have the energy to scream any more. I just let out a weak whimper as Beth prepares for her next strike. As I’ve endured my torture, only one thought has been floating around my head:Where are you, Vikrov? Vikrov, save me…“Not so special now, are you?” Annette snarls as the next attack hits my skin.I just groan in response, slumped against the wooden chair.Maybe the maids were right about who I am to Vikrov. Beth lowers the whip for a second to cross the room and adjust the restraints around my wrists until they’re almost completely cutting off my circulation.“See?” She whispers mockingly in my ear just before she pulls away. “Just like we thought. You’re weak.” “I
Vikrov’s POV The moment I break down the door to the cabin, I know something is deeply wrong. I’d wanted to stay with Cynthia after she fainted. I hate to admit it, but I missed her desperately while I was off fighting rogues. I wanted to be there when she woke up, but I do have duties. I had to leave. “What have you done to her?” I roar at the maids.An unholy anger floods me as I look at Cynthia’s nearly-unconscious body in the chair, sprawled out pathetically. I recognize the shape of the empty bottle in one of the maid’s hands, the curve of its rim. The bottle is filled with an evil-looking shimmery purple liquid. Only wolfsbane potions are stored in bottles like those. Wolfsbane. They were going to make Cynthia drink wolfsbane. “We were just–we were just…” one of the maids murmurs weakly. They both look dazed, completely overwhelmed by the Alpha aura I’ve unleashed. I haven’t fully released my Alpha aura yet, but even the smallest fragment of it is enough to terrify Omegas l
Cynthia’s POV After the days of torture I’ve endured, being saved just feels like another part of the hallucination. I’ve been hallucinating quite a bit, after all. My heart has burned with desperation. That familiar figure from my memory seems to be growing closer and closer, and then all at once, he vanishes. And Vikrov is in front of me. Could he be the man I’ve been seeing? Maybe those beautiful scenes are the happy times in the past.I think I’m remembering what it felt like to fall in love with him. “Vikrov!” I try to cry out, but the words die in my parched throat, and I only cough instead. The burning taste of blood lingers on my tongue. Through the delusions and haze, I can feel him tearing the restraints from my wrists, then barking commands to the maids. He sweeps me up into his arms and carries me reassuringly. I feel safe there. Every time his hands brush against my forehead soothingly, my heart beats a little faster. I hope he chalks my blushing up to the fever, b
Cynthia’s POV“I can’t do that!” I blurt out, tensing up and curling away from Vikrov. I blush and cover my chest with a nearby blanket. “I need to–I need to–” Oh, Moon Goddess, I’m panicking. I want him, I really do, but I’m not ready to be naked in front of him. I mean, it’s all too fast. I swallow hard and exclaim, “I need to finish eating first!”Vikrov raises an eyebrow, then smiles slightly. His gentle gaze bores into me as if he can see right through to my heart. I grow even more flustered and pull the blanket tighter around myself, but forget about the many wounds on my body. The blanket rubs against my sensitive skin, making me wince in pain. “Alright.” Vikrov's relaxed playfulness vanishes. His expression turns serious as he notices my discomfort, but his voice remains gentle as ever. “Let's eat first. Will that be okay?”“That would be nice,” I reply, flushing bright red.“Shall I move you to the couch?” He asks, but his domineering tone makes it sound less like a question
No she-wolf has ever refused me before.Even though I’m not interested in them, I know every girl I’ve ever come across has hoped to have a chance with me. I’m used to them throwing themselves at me–being completely, unabashedly shameless in their attempts to catch my eye. Cynthia is the first to refuse me.And she’s refused me more times than I can count at this point.So when her response to my offer to join her in the shower is, “No, thank you, I should probably shower alone,” it gives me pause.I stay neutral-faced, though, nodding curtly. “Of course. Enjoy your shower.”“Thank you,” Cynthia says with a sweet smile.I watch as she steps into the bathroom and closes the door behind her. What am I doing wrong? She trusts me, I know that much, but has she fallen for me yet? Am I not good enough? Has she begun to doubt me?I need her to love me, or my plan will never work. ‘You’ve never met a girl like her before,’ my wolf Tempest says. I chuckle under my breath. ‘True enough.’ Moo
Stop refusing me, love.The words echo through my mind. Stop refusing me. And why am I refusing him? The warmth of the quilt wrapped around me is overwhelming. He is my mate, isn’t he? There’s no reason for me to be so nervous around him. He loves me deeply, I can feel that much. It’s not his fault that I’ve lost my memories, so I shouldn’t keep distancing him because of it.Slowly, tentatively, I reach my hand out from underneath the blanket and tuck it into his. The moment his skin touches mine, my breath quickens to shallow gasps. My heart starts to thud. I’m grateful for the blanket–it means that Vikrov can’t see how fiercely red my face is. He saw me. Naked.And I want him to see me like that again.I want it so bad it scares me. I gasp ever so slightly as Vikrov starts to rub something into a wound slicing across the palm of my hand. As he tends to my wounds, I wriggle out of the blankets so I’m no longer burrowed under the sheets. Instead, my torso is wrapped in the blanket,
Cynthia’s POV The warmth of Vikrov’s breath against my spine is intoxicating. I shudder as his deft fingers pull the quilt away from my back, leaving the skin there pathetically exposed. I hold the blanket to the front of my torso, protecting my modesty there. I’m mesmerized as he applies some of the ointment to his own fingers, then pauses a moment before he touches me. “May I?” Vikrov asks. I can barely breathe. It takes everything in me not to whimper as I nod once. I feel absolutely wretched, completely vulnerable, but I’m doing everything I can to hide it from him. Vikrov applies just a dab of ointment to the first wound. “Oh,” I gasp out before I can stop myself, immediately turning bright red. Vikrov chuckles. My blush deepens. “Feel good?” “Yeah,” I breathe out helplessly, voice ragged. “Thank you. Could you–could you use more?” “Of course,” he whispers. His voice is low, wicked, and dead sexy as he rubs more ointment into the wound, and my shuddering breaths only
Vikrov’s POVIt pains me to leave Cynthia, but at my father’s command, I have no choice but to obey his orders. I take a moment to adjust my hair–Cynthia’s hands most certainly left it in disarray. I shoot Cynthia a sly wink before following the maid out of the room and through the pack house, to my father’s office. I’m still reeling from the kiss, but my thoughts are tangled up in so much chaos I have no idea how to feel about it.This is good. Definitely. It means she trusts me, and nothing more. It means my plan is working. “Vikrov,” my father says the moment I set foot in his office. I close the door so it’s just the two of us in the room. “I just heard that you expelled a pair of Eclipse pack maids over a dispute with your little captive. Is this true?”That’s my father. He never cares if I get hurt in battle, nor will he say, ‘Hey, it’s good to see you alive after the fight.’ Although I am used to his indifference, I am still angry about it.“Why so quiet?” My father asked st
Cynthia’s POVVikrov wraps his arms around me, pulling me close enough that I’m certain he’ll never let me go.Just as I start to flood with relief and joy, convinced he’s finally opening up to me, his next words hit me like a cold shower.“I’ve been lying to you,” Vikrov says in a low voice. I freeze. “What?”“About–about your amnesia. The life you led before.” He looks away, almost ashamed to meet my gaze. “You’re not a member of the Eclipse pack, and you never have been. Your true identity is the Beta of the Blood Moon pack, and the Eclipse pack is your most vicious enemy.” My mind goes blank with sheer horror. I stare at him in shock. It can’t be true. “Is this some sort of joke?”Vikrov shakes his head, heaving a sigh. “No. It’s the truth. Beta Brooks recognized you when he found you hurt at the bottom of the cliff, and he knew who you were. We were going to use you against your pack, but when you woke up, you didn’t have your memory. So we changed our plan.”I look away so he
Cynthia’s POVLumina…“Oh my goodness, you’re gorgeous!”“What’s her name?”“Cynthia mentioned you. You know, we’re best friends.”Along with Lumina’s voice, a second voice echoes through my mind. Her voice is familiar too, laughter sweet and bright.Who is she?My head starts to ache. ‘Lumina, who is this girl?’ I try to ask my wolf through the haze of pain. But there’s no answer.‘Lumina?’ I ask tentatively. Nothing but silence. I sob, crumpling over Vikrov’s unconscious body. Even after such a brief moment with joy, I’m met with an even greater disappointment. ‘Lumina, are you still there?’Minutes slip away. After a while, I’m certain she’s gone again. But just as I’m about to abandon all hope, Vikrov stirs.“Uh…” he groans. I looked down at him in surprise, touching his face gently. “Vikrov?” I ask quietly, almost afraid to believe it. Vikrov looks up at me in horrified shock. “What are you doing here?”“Saving you,” I whisper back. It’s such a relief to see him awake. I c
Cynthia’s POVAlpha Maverick’s gaze slips up and down my body in a way that makes my skin crawl. I find myself frozen where I stand as he walks towards me. He pats my shoulder gently.“Go see him,” he urges, whispering in my ear.Then he leaves.I shiver, wiping the spot where he touched me. I feel thoroughly disgusted by his touch. He doesn’t seem angry that I’m here.Why doesn’t he seem angry?I can’t dwell on that now, though. I have considerably bigger things to worry about. Before me, I can see a dark, damp tunnel stretching onwards, and I can hear the sound of rushing water. Water starts to pool around my ankles. As I move down the tunnel, I can see jagged stone walls that could slough skin right to the bone and torture devices even more horrible than the ones Galen was subjected to in the cabin. The sound of water echoing becomes louder and louder. The water starts to feel just a bit more viscous. I look down, and my heart clenches.The water is turning red.It must be Vikrov
Cynthia’s POV“The water prison is in a cave,” Galen explains quietly.He draws in a deep, labored breath, as if it hurts him to continue speaking about it.“Are you alright?” I ask tentatively.“Yeah, yeah.” His tone is dismissive, but I don’t quite believe him. “Just… it’s. Um. It’s horrible to think about. Sorry. The water prison is in a cave–there’s this natural waterfall tucked somewhere in the mountains, and the cell is in a little hollow right by the water. My father adds some sort of special substance to the water that prevents werewolf wounds from healing, so after being beaten and put in the water prison, the body gradually grows weaker and weaker from blood loss.”I clap a hand over my mouth in horror. I feel sick to my stomach–almost like I could throw up. “How could such a terrible place exist?”Galen looks away. “I mean. You’ve met my father, right?”“I have, but to subject your son to such a cruel punishment…” I trail off, absolutely disgusted. “Actually, this isn’t Vi
Cynthia’s POVIn just a few days, I’m going to get married to Vikrov, and I couldn’t be happier. I had to hear the news from Galen, which is strange. Ever since that night on the mountain, I haven’t seen Vikrov. Galen had to tell me that rogues have been causing trouble at the border, so Vikrov has been hard at work fighting them off. Galen’s been bringing me all my news, lately. With Vikrov away, he’s my only friend in the Eclipse pack.As the sun starts to set, I walk up the mountaintop. Galen is already there waiting for me. With Vikrov gone, and the two of us being more or less loners in the pack, the mountain has become our “spot.”“Is Vikrov still off fighting the rogues?” I ask, opening a can of beer and taking a long sip. I can’t help but feel down. I miss him desperately. “He…” Galen bites his lip, dodging my gaze.My eyes widened. A bad feeling washes over me, making my stomach churn. “What happened to him?” I ask tentatively.Galen sighs as though facing a difficult decis
Vikrov’s POVCynthia is, without a doubt, the most special girl I’ve ever met.She’s so kind, sincere, smart…And passionate.Right now, she’s already managed to get my shirt unbuttoned. I can’t help but laugh at the practiced ease with which she undoes the buttons. Her hands caress my shoulders gently, sending shivers along my skin. Her fingers trail along my chest, my abs, moving downward…Just as she starts to unbuckle my belt, I grab her hand.I don’t want to stop her. I’m so hard it’s almost painful. But if Cynthia and I are going to sleep together, this isn’t how I want to do it. “You’re drunk, Cynthia,” I pant.She tilts her head playfully, thinking for a moment as though she doesn’t quite understand what I’m saying. Her face is flushed. She looks beautiful. I don’t think Cynthia understands how much I want her–all she knows how to do is tease me mercilessly, and everything she does only makes me want her more. Cynthia’s eyes, filled with stars, mesmerize me. She was made to
Cynthia’s POVLate at night, I’m waiting at an isolated mountaintop in the Eclipse Pack’s territory, basking in the moonlight glow.“Why did you tell me to meet you at such a remote place so late?” Galen complains as he struggles up the mountaintop, but he seems relaxed overall. He sits down next to me quickly. “Sorry about the climb,” I apologize. “I hope you’re healing up okay. I would’ve liked to meet you at the pack house during the daytime, but then Alpha Maverick could’ve spotted us, and he would’ve beaten you to a pulp.” My heart twinges a little when I see him flinch. Galen shrugs, stretching out. I can see that his wounds have mostly healed–on a surface level, at least.“The view here is great, isn’t it?” I say, reaching into the basket I prepared and handing him a can of beer.He hesitates for a moment, then accepts the can and cracks it open. “Why are we here?”“To drink!” I say, opening a can for myself and clinking it against his. “Cheers.”I take a big swig of cold bee
Liam’s POV“Where’s Cynthia?”I look up, disheartened, as Elena asks the question. She’s clearly fretting, wringing her hands and pacing back and forth. Unfortunately, my returning alone won’t do anything to alleviate her concerns. “Is she hurt?” Elena continues. “Resting in her room?” She turns to leave. “I’ll go check on her.”As she walks past me, I grab her wrist. “She stayed at the Eclipse pack,” I say mournfully.“What?” Elena’s eyes widened in shock. “Why didn’t you bring her back? We had so many warriors, we easily could have–”I shake my head. “It’s no use. She…” I pause. It’s a painful memory. “When I attacked Vikrov, she stood in front of him. She wouldn’t let me attack him.” “She protected him?” Elena asks incredulously. “The Cynthia I know would never do anything like that. What’s going on?”I sigh. “I don’t know. We need to interrogate those maids from the Eclipse pack again. They must be hiding something.”Elena and I make our way to the dungeon where the maids are be
Cynthia’s POVOver the next couple days, with Vikrov’s help, I’m able to sneak Galen food a few times.We’ve developed something of a routine, Vikrov and I, with distracting the guards while I sneak in and out of the cabin. And Galen has become adapted to the routine too–despite bearing new wounds every day, he doesn’t resist me anymore. He finishes all the food I bring him, and cooperates well with his injections. The dungeons may be horrible to go through, but I’m glad I’ve been able to help Galen through all of this. And I think it’s good for Vikrov, too, to have a way to show his brother he cares. Their situation is complicated, but I hope it can get better from here. I breathe out a sigh of elation as I walk around the outside of the pack house to Galen’s room. Today was his last day in the dungeon–he’s free now, and has finally had the chance to be looked over by an actual doctor, which he was in desperate need of. Because Alpha Maverick seems to resent Vikrov and Galen gettin