IslaThe healers commended me for the first aid I delivered to Axel, and I felt a bit of pride as they said because of my help, Axel was going to get better quickly, but we were not sure if it would be in time for the surgery, which was tomorrow.Axel offered to do the surgery despite knowing survival for him might be slim because of his fever, but still, he didn't want to jeopardise the health of our baby girl any longer, and my heart swelled with a mix of emotions I wasn't ready to unpack, at least not until I knew what exactly was the way forward.The preparations for the surgery were in full force, and I was mentally preparing myself not to break down during the surgery and be strong for my baby girl.The healer administered a drug that was sure to give Tessa energy, which made Tessa drowsy. It was counterproductive, but the healer promised it was going to show during the surgery.The healers also advised that it would be better to have the surgery tonight. I vehemently refused b
LanaSleep was a luxury I couldn't afford. Night was the time I was tormented the most. The threats were getting worse than anything I had ever seen before and they weren't just empty threats.I learned the hard way.The evil In the actions were more than I thought Isla was capable of.Turns out I was right, because as I ran with Isla junior in my arms as fast as I could without waking her up, I knew there was no way in hell Isla would want me to kidnap her child.This was greater than anything I had ever witnessed. I shivered as I recalled yesterday, when I had decided that I had enough of the threats and the impossible missions. I packed my things, attempting to leave the pack for good, I was no one's dog.My dreams to be Luna were long dead. My life was on the line. If I stayed just one more day in the pack.But my hopes were trashed as I was ambushed on the way.No one could hear my screams for help as I was dragged in the woods, I thought that was it. I was going to die all becau
AxelMy heart rang in my head as Isla ran in, tears in her eyes as she told me Tessa had been taken.Rage clouded my vision, and I ripped myself off the bed. I could barely think of anything apart from ripping whoever took my daughter apart.My world came crashing down when I saw the nanny who was supposed to be watching her almost dead due to consumption of too many sleeping pills. She was drugged so she could be easily disposed of.The person who did this was definitely someone who knew the ins and out of this pack and the schedule of our surgery plans.I assigned a couple of guards to question the healers. They were definitely involved in the disappearance of my daughter.It could also be the last person who made them change the DNA test results. Could it really be the person in my mind?In that case, I might be too late."Spread out into every part of this pack! Houses, stores, anywhere that isn't locked and that is locked!" I barked at a large part of the guards. They all went to
IslaAxel laid on the bed beside Tessa, and the last thing I saw before I was ushered out of the room was the slight twitch of his fingers."We would do everything we can to make sure everything goes well ma'am." One of the healers helped me to the reception where Tristan sat with Cindy, both looking solem, especially Tristan.His glassy eyes met mine as soon as I walked in, his legs carrying him as fast as they could until he jumped into my arms, his little arms gripping onto me like I was his life line. I held him tightly, and for some minutes we just stayed in that position, while I tried to to tear up again in his presence.Cindy offered me a warm smile from where she was seated, but I wasn't able to return it. I wasn't exactly feeling warm.Tristan pulled away a bit to look me in the eye, a lone tear falling from his eye. "Is Tessa going to be okay mummy? I don't want her to leave me behind."I held Tristan close, wiping away his tears with my thumb. "We're going to hope for the
IslaA little hand tugged on mine, causing my eyes to flutter open. Light flooded into my senses, compounding to the headache already throbbing at the side of my temple."Mummy," a familiar voice called, but I was still in the interval of consciousness and unconsciousness."Mummy, " the voice called again, more urgently this time around.Tristan. Surgery, Tessa, Axel.As the memories poured in, my eyes widened, and I sat up straight so fast, I almost fell unconscious because of the speed."Careful Isla." Cindy's soft voice reached me, and her hands held me up.Tristan sat at the side of my bed, watching me expectantly. We were now in a room in the clinic, the last thing I remembered was the healer saying…"So it wasn't a dream?" I whispered, my heart aching as I studied both their faces.Cindy gave a warm smile. "You didn't wait for the healer to finish, Isla.""Tessa is awake!" Tristan beamed, and since I woke up from my unconscious state, I just noticed the smile on his face.My Tes
IslaThe healers said both Axel and Tessa would need monitoring for a few days. Axel had Internal bleeding, but survived despite the odds, bit he was weak, terribly so.He was going to need help to do basic tasks. And with the unstable security in the pack, I was the only one trusted to care for him.Yes, yes, Axel is the person I'm most grateful for in the world as it is, but that didn't mean I am happy to care for him.Things were weird between us, and after he woke up miraculously and I registered my hold in his hand, things were back to being incredibly awkward as the healers flocked around him, while his gaze met mine from time to time.Tessa and Tristan couldn't wait to see their dad. Although Tessa was weak, she could still get around with a wheelchair. Seeing my baby okay again, brought tears to my eyes.She couldn't understand why we were all fawning over her, the only thing that she wanted was to see her father, who the healers were still attending to.I was the only one all
UNKNOWN POVWith each step she took, the flowers beneath her feet withered away from the blackness of her aura, at least that is what they would have done if they felt it, but even the animals of the earth cowered before her, not wanting to be the recipient of her wrath next- they all saw what happened to the ones who did.As brutal as death, maybe even more, she stood proud. Beautiful but just as cold. If she was a weather, she would be that one day that rarely happens in the winter, where brutal hail rained just as it snowed. Even death dreaded her. She was the chess master, and she was so close to victory, she could feel it in her fingertips.Afterall, the king was hers for the taking, and she was preparing to move her final piece.Checkmate.*** AXEL’S POVIt was a joyous moment for all that the surgery was successful but I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate. Not when something continuously nagged at the back of my mind, reminding me of the things I struggled with moving on from.
Isla"Dante, listen–""You can't really tell me to listen, Isla. It's been a month. I miss my family." Dante's agitated voice came from the other side of the line as I stood in the lobby, trying to explain why plans changed and why we wouldn't be able to come as early as we planned.Funny how that was the major problem for him and .ot the fact that Axel risked his life for Tessa's or how Tessa almost didn't make it.Or how Tessa was kidnapped.No, the problem was us staying back just a little longer, to ensure the man who saved our baby girl was okay.That wasn't the only reason. Even the doctors need a few days to ensure they are no complications.But fiancé of the year doesn't want to see that.I doubt if— ah, no maybe its my lack of sleep and adrenaline causing me to think like this. Dante is a sweet person normally. He wasn't the selfish guy I was currently talking to."This feels so wrong. Are you even sure that man actually has issues from the treatment he did, or all that is a
ISLA'S POVDante was back once again.It was like he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.“I’m back, my love,” he slurred, moving close to Axel and me. “Did you miss me?”I inhaled a stench coming out of his mouth. He was drunk.“Guards!” Axel called out. “Take this man out of my palace.”“Axel, he’s in a poor state. I don’t think -"“- He needs to go!” Axel interrupted in a firm voice and then turned to face his guards. “Seize him.”They bowed their head before turning to apprehend Dante forcefully, and then they dragged him out of the palace.“I’m going to be back, and I’m not going to stop until I prove to you that I’m worthy of your forgiveness.”“This is madness!” Axel said once Dante had left our sight, “Pure madness.”“If you say so!” I said calmly.“It seems his little act is beginning to soften you!” He arched a brow.“It’s not. I want him to be as far away from me as possible. But it’s dark, and he’s in a vulnerable state. We can’t just leave him out there like that.”“Whe
ISLA'S POVI was glad that Dante obeyed my words and left, and my only concern was if he would truly stick to his words.“I will see that he lets you be.”Axel's voice drew me out of my thoughts, and I faced him with a smile.“Thanks.”I closed the door behind me, and I was finally able to take the nap I desperately needed.The next time I woke up, the sun had gone down, and I was confused about how long I had fallen asleep.I was still trying to figure it out when I heard a knock on the door, so I drew my dress tightly around my body and proceeded to the door. When I opened it, my anger resurfaced.“Dante! I made it very clear that you should leave.”“I know you did, but then I realized that you haven’t rested after everything that happened. That’s why you acted that way,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. “We are adults, Isla, and matters like this can be handled with any fuss, and I got you this.”I didn’t realize that his hand had tucked behind his back until I saw him str
ISLA'S POVThe scene in front of me was devastating.I might have hated Stephanie for betraying me and pretending to be who she wasn’t, but I couldn't shake off the thought that she was once a friend as I turned to look at her.She had changed and didn’t look like the person I had known. Her features were different.“Throw her into the woods,” Axel instructed his guards, “And make sure you don’t leave until she’s eaten by some animal.”The guards nodded, carrying Stephanie away, and then Axel turned to face me. He moved closer, wrapping me into an embrace.“I’m so glad that you’re safe,” He murmured before placing a kiss on my head.It was the sweetest thing I had seen Axel do. Maybe the fact that he had almost lost me made him realize a lot of things.“How did you even find me?”“I used the mate haunt. I discovered you were missing after I sent Ray to inform you about the kids.”“The kids? What happened to the kids?”“Stephanie had tried to drown them,” he deadpanned.My face fell. “W
AXEL'S POVI didn’t want Isla to find out that I was going in search of the children. I told her I had important things to do, and she seemed to have bought it because she didn’t question me.I was glad I didn’t tell her they were missing, as I could only imagine how she would have felt seeing her daughter in that state.As I pulled myself out of my thoughts, my eyes landed on my daughter’s body, which appeared so lifeless, and my heart ached so badly.I wrapped her in my hands, heading to the nearest hospital with my men and Tristian by my side.“Drive faster!” I shouted at the driver, and my hands, which were wrapped around my daughter, were quivering.He didn’t respond, but he increased the car's speed, and I kept staring at my daughter, pushing her hair backward.“You’re going to be fine!” I said as I continued to caress her hair. “Hang in there for me.”“Is she going to be okay, Daddy?” Tristan’s voice met my ears. He sounded afraid.“She’s going to be alright. You don’t have to
TRISTIAN'S POVTristian watched as Stephanie grabbed his sister’s hair. He was frightened, but he knew his sister would get hurt if he didn’t intervene.“Let my sister go!” Tristan stood up from where he was and moved in Stephanie’s direction.As he got closer, his eyes reflected sternness, but the next thing that happened took him by surprise. He didn’t expect it and knew he couldn’t stop it.Stephanie grabbed him by the hair, and her fingers, or rather claws in Tristian’s description, dug into his skull. He felt pain radiate through his body at that point and yelled above his lungs.He wasn’t the only one yelling. His sister was also shouting and fussing, trying her best to free herself from Stephanie’s clutches.Tristian didn’t have it in him to kick, so he just kept yelling, increasing his tone every second, and he hoped someone would come to save them - probably his dad, mom, or some guard.In his six-year-old mind, he was hoping for a miracle. Actually, he was wishing for someth
STEPHANIE’S POVMy plans were working.The euphoric feeling pumping through my blood couldn’t go unnoticed, as every step I took away from Isla was rhythmic. The sad look on Isla’s face caught my eyes, and I felt very satisfied. I couldn’t wait for the final plan. The pain Isla was feeling couldn’t be compared to the pain she would feel once she discovered that her kids had been drowned.As for Axel, little did he know that his life had crumbled. The kids are gone, and Isla is about to have the shock of her life and die from a heart attack when she finds out about the death of her kids. Gosh! How much I loved how everything was playing out. I was having a good day, and it was only going to get better. I was going to see Axel, and I planned to visit him looking like Isla.Before heading out, I went to see Isla again. Her head was hung low when I entered, but she seemed to have heard my footsteps because she looked up, gnawing at me. “Hey! Hey!” I said, moving closer to her. “You do
STEPHANIE’S POVI heard a knock on the door and stood up quickly, hoping it wasn’t Isla. My cheeks hurt from fake smiling all day and pretending I cared about her.I couldn’t wait for the hour when the sun would set so I could execute my plans, and I smirked just thinking about it, but the smirk left my lips the second I heard the knocking sound.I walked to the door and opened it gently, and the pissed look on my face faded after my eyes landed on Isla.As I questioned her, my cheeks were hurting from smiling, but I had to keep up the act.“Yes, how do I look?”I gave her a reply, and I watched her giggle like a happy little kid as she walked away. I couldn’t wait to wipe that smile off her face and watch her beg for mercy and the kids. How could I forget how I would make those little angels suffer?Isla and Axel would never know what hit them. It would be like a storm crashed into their life and wrecked it all.I laughed and shut the door behind me as I moved close to my bed and dro
ISLA’S POVI headed to my room with joy spiraling in my heart. The fact that Axel had apologized made me so happy. I didn’t expect him to make that move, but I was glad he did, and the minute my eyes landed on my room door, a smile caressed my lips.I pulled it open quickly, walking in the direction of my wardrobe right away. I didn’t have any idea of what I was going to wear, and as I pulled open the wardrobe, I realized deciding what to wear would be a very difficult task.I took a deep breath before digging into the pile of clothes in my wardrobe, and I started with a black dress with a cute slit, but it didn’t look appealing when I tried it on, so I decided to try on another cloth with a similar design but a different color.When I stood in front of the mirror, I wasn’t very pleased with my appearance, so I removed the gown and sat on the bed.I hated this.I wondered why I was dressing up for Axel. I wanted to just try on something simple, but this was the first time Axel and I w
AXEL’S POV“I feel like a bad mother,” Isla said, and the sadness in her eyes caused my heart to churn. The stern demeanor I had on dropped that instant.“The kids hate me. That’s why they are mad at me and why they’re not talking to me and rejecting my food. And things feel so weird.”“I think you’re overthinking it.” My voice sounded a bit edgy.“I’m not, Axel. I could feel that distance between us, and Stephanie also communicated their feelings to me.”“I understand,” I said, feeling her pain. “But you don’t need to let that bother you. I’m sure they would come around.”“How can I not? My own children hate me,” she continued speaking. “A mother is meant to be a role model to her kids, but I’m nothing of that much.”“You’re Isla. You have always been a role model to your kids.”“Well, I don’t think they feel so, and you’re only saying these words to make me feel better.” She sighed sadly, a sign I wasn’t doing an excellent job of helping her feel better.I wasn’t really good at coax