Vikrov’s POVThe moment I sense my father’s Alpha aura approaching, I mind-link Galen.‘Get Cynthia out of there,’ I urged. I can’t help but worry for Cynthia. I can see my father in the distance, and Cynthia, now, climbing out one of the cabin’s windows. She’s not going to make it, I think to myself.She’s climbing slowly and awkwardly–it must be her old injuries acting up again. By the time Cynthia manages to jump out of the window, I can see that my father has spotted her too. I sprint towards them. I have to protect Cynthia.“Alpha,” I say, stepping between the two of them to separate her from my father.My father’s eagle-like eyes bore into me angrily. I can feel his skepticism. “You seem exceptionally concerned about your brother, Vikrov.”I purse my lips. “I’m only here to ensure that the warriors carry out the punishment as ordered, without showing any leniency just because Galen is the Alpha’s son,” I explained smoothly. Cynthia’s eyes flash with confusion for a second, but
Liam’s POV“The Eclipse pack has captured Cynthia!”“What?” I look up in shock as Elena bursts into my office, clearly in distress. Her face is flushed, and her eyes, lined with deep purple circles, are gleaming with unshed tears. Cynthia’s absence has done a number on both of us. “My father just got the news,” Elena says, collapsing into an armchair. “Liam, she’s been with the Eclipse pack this whole time.My heart tightens as though gripped by an invisible hand. “Tell me everything.”“There’s not much to tell,” Elena says shakily. “The Eclipse pack recently expelled a pair of maids. My father apprehended and interrogated them. They confessed that the Eclipse pack’s Beta returned to the Eclipse pack with a girl covered in blood about half a month ago, and that she’s been held hostage ever since. Liam, she–” Elena looks like she’s holding back tears. “It’s Cynthia.”“Damn it!” I roar, slamming my fist onto the desk. Elena jolts in shock. “If the Eclipse pack has her, they’ve been to
Cynthia’s POVWhen Vikrov finally returns from Alpha Maverick’s office, there’s something undeniably off about him. I’ve been pacing around Vikrov’s office for at least an hour waiting for him to come back, and I’ve spent every second of it wracked with nerves.“Did Alpha Maverick suspect anything?” I ask nervously, walking up to him. Vikrov doesn’t speak. He just shakes his head lightly, sitting down on the couch and pouring himself a glass of water. He doesn’t drink it, though. His gaze is far away and glassy. “Can we bring Galen more food tomorrow?” I ask tentatively. Vikrov stares at me for a long moment, then nods slowly. “If you want to.”I’ve never seen him like this before.My stomach sinks. Is it me? Did I do something wrong? Or has something much worse than I could ever do happened?I hesitate a moment before asking the question. “Vikrov, what happened?”“Nothing.” His answer is quick this time.I pause, looking him up and down for a moment. Since Vikrov is saying it’s
Vikrov’s POV‘Alpha Liam and his warriors have breached our borders,’ Beta Brooks mind-links me when he sees Cynthia in the office.So that slimy bastard finally found out.I sigh, pursing my lips. I don’t know how long Cynthia’s memory will stay gone for–I have no idea what her seeing Liam might do. What will she remember, if anything?And if she remembers even the littlest thing, will she try and leave?“I’ll handle this,” I tell Cynthia, kissing her forehead lightly. “You go back to the room and rest.”“But you…” she trails off, gaze dropping to my chest, where my shirt is covering my injuries once more. “It’s nothing,” I assure her. “Not the first time this has happened.”I’m not sure if the reassurance will soothe her nerves, but it’s a start. Cynthia sighs, looking up at me with concern, but shuffles out of the hallway and presumably into her bedroom. “They’re gathered at the west gate,” Alpha Brooks tells me as we walk to the border. His expression is grim. “I’ve already dep
Vikrov’s POVA moment before Liam’s sharp claws slice into Cynthia’s skin, he stops abruptly.He recognizes her.And he’s horrified by what he sees.It’s a horrifying sight for him, I’m sure. Cynthia–who was once so loyal to his pack, loyal enough to serve as his Beta, loyal enough to perhaps serve as more than his Beta–having become so thoroughly endeared to me that she’s put herself in harm’s way. But I can only find the whole situation entertaining. He’s lost, and I think he knows it. The battle rages on relentlessly behind us, warriors clashing brutally, but Liam seems unable to focus on any of it. Endless shock, confusion, and pain floods his eyes, and I have to admit, it’s extremely satisfying to see. An unprecedented joy and fulfillment floods my soul. For possibly the first time in my life, I feel immensely content. See? I want to gloat. See, she chose me.But that would reveal more than I’d like to Cynthia. As far as she knows, she’s never had that choice to begin with. Sh
Cynthia’s POVThe moment I see that man’s face, my head begins to ache unbearably.I collapse into sobs after a few moments. He says something. My name. His name. Liam. All I can see is him, and Moon Goddess, he’s painful to look at. I don’t know what will happen next. Arms envelop me, then they leave, then I’m walking, then I’m wandering through the pack house, then I’m sprawled out in a soft bed heaped in blankets and all I can do is cry.Who is Liam? He’s our enemy, from another pack. He wants to hurt Vikrov. I should hate him. I do hate him, but–Why do I feel like I know him? The pain of the headaches is familiar. I’ve felt like this before. And the pain I felt when I saw Liam is familiar, too.We have a history.I can feel it. He knows me. He knows my name. And the look in his eyes is so painful…Who is he?The more I try to recall the answer, the more my head throbs. It’s a splitting, horrific kind of pain that makes it impossible to focus on anything. I can’t help but whimper
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
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 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