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 POVI haven’t seen Vikrov since we kissed in my bedroom two days ago, and I’m going crazier than I’d like to admit without him. I keep replaying that moment in my mind–how his lips felt pressed against mine wickedly close, how his hands wrapped around me and held me like they were meant to be there, how my body fit perfectly against his. I want to kiss him again.No–it’s more than a want. It’s a need. I need to kiss him again. It’s possible that he’s out on some mission or another. His father–the Alpha–did call him away, after all. So Vikrov could just be busy with his Alpha duties. Still, though. Why hasn’t he checked on me at all?At least I won’t have to deal with the maids ever again.The maids. I shiver, remembering what they’ve done to me.After having spent a day and a half alone in my bedroom, boredom sends me wandering through the pack gardens. A few Omega maids eye me as I wander about, but no one dares give me a hard time anymore. Not after what Vikrov did to Be
Cynthia’s POVAll I can do is watch as two ruthless Eclipse warriors drag the boy away.I want to help. I really do. But I’m so weak, and it happens so fast. I stare, mouth agape, the Alpha’s command still rattling through my skull. ‘Take him away,’ the Alpha had said without a hint of mercy, and the warriors had just obeyed. The boy goes kicking and screaming off to who knows where. The Alpha follows behind them, and even from my position twenty yards away, I swear I can see the steel in his eyes.Once they’ve left, I approach the spot where they’ve just argued. My heart sinks when I spot a small patch of orange fur nestled in the grass.The fox’s body.Limp.Lifeless.And the way he killed it–knowing how to kill is a skill any Alpha needs, surely, but that’s a measure reserved for enemies. Beings that could actually hurt you. A fox? A small injured fox? Killing something like that is sheer cruelty. Tears start to fall from my eyes as the heartbreak and shock ricochet through me. My
Cynthia’s POVVikrov may not care about what most people think, but I’m his mate. He has to care about what I think.For just a moment, he seems startled by my question. His apparent indifference towards Galen–his own brother–hurts me. Without waiting for his response, I press on. “You can stay neutral about this if you want to, Vikrov. I’m going to save Galen.”Before he can say a word, I start to sprint in the direction Galen has been taken.“Cynthia!” Vikrov’s voice echoes from behind me, but I ignore it as I run.Even in the best of health, Vikrov must be a faster runner than me, and with all my injuries, I’m moving at less than half the speed I’d be able to travel at before. I know at this point that Vikrov is letting me run ahead of him at this point. If he wanted to stop me, he would, which means he’s decided to let me go.Some part of me resents the level of control he’s exerted over me, even subconsciously.Even though I’ve lost my wolf, my sense of smell is as acute as ever
Cynthia’s POVThe moment Alpha Maverick leaves the clearing, I collapse into Vikrov’s arms.“You were right,” I cry as he wraps his arms around me. “He–it happened just like you said it would, I made things worse…” I can’t believe it was all true. Just like Vikrov had predicted, the Alpha made Galen’s punishment worse, just because of my interference. My rash actions have only brought more suffering upon the poor boy. I find myself wracked with guilt, helpless in Vikrov’s secure embrace. I bite my lip and try to swallow back the sobs, unsure of what to do next. “I know. I know. It’s okay,” Vikrov whispers in my ear, patting my shoulder gently. “Let me take you back to your room.” I shake my head, still pressed against him. I know he just wants to comfort me, but I can’t just walk away now.After what I’ve made him go through, what he’s about to go through…“I owe it to both him and myself to see him,” I explained quietly. “I have to see Galen before I leave. I need to know if there
Vikrov’s POV“What are you doing here?”I glance down at Galen, who’s only just started to stir. His voice is weak, but far from friendly. Looking at him sprawled out in the hay, he almost looks like he could be dead without a bit more examination. His werewolf instincts are still strong, though, no doubt, so it’s easy for him to sense Cynthia and I. It’s not his first punishment. But it’s his first time ever seeing me in the dungeon. “Drop the pretense. I don’t need it,” Galen snarls. I roll my eyes at his dismissal, but make sure to speak to him with kindness. “Save your strength. It’ll be awhile before you have access to food and water.”“That’s none of your business!” Galen snaps. He’s right, I suppose. We’ve never really acted like we care about each other like we should. It’s almost as if we’re not brothers. My gaze shifts to Cynthia, who seems to be observing the nature of our interaction with profound curiosity as she looks from me to Galen to me again. She was bound to
Cynthia’s POV“You’ve been beaten by Alpha Maverick?”I ask the question before I can debate whether it’s something I should ask or not. I look up at Vikrov in shock, unable to believe that he could’ve gone through something like that.I mean, he’s strong, smart, always victorious, a vicious fighter for his pack–he’s his enemy’s worst nightmare, and his pack’s greatest hero. Everyone in the Eclipse pack fears him as much as they love him. Alpha Maverick respects him. So how could he have possibly been…Vikrov looks at me quietly with sad, solemn eyes.He doesn’t answer.But his silence feels like an admission. “Oh, Vikrov,” I say quietly, taking his large hand in both of mine and holding him close. “When you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here.”Something in Vikrov’s expression relaxes, softening ever so slightly. His endlessly piercing ocean eyes, once probing, turn warm. My face starts to flush. I realize that we’re standing awfully close together–he’s standing in front of me, and