Cage's POV"You're everything to me, Cage. You've always taken such good care of me. Please, don't worry about me now," Grace whispered, her voice trembling as she turned her head away. She winced, and the subtle shift in her expression told me more than words could. My pulse quickened. Something was off. I knew Grace better than anyone—she wasn’t the type to hide things, yet here she was, avoiding my gaze like she was hiding a secret. "This is not a small thing, Grace," I said, my tone rough with frustration. "You hit your head, and now you're telling me you can handle this on your own? Look at me—tell me she didn't hurt you. Tell me you weren't pushed. Or I swear I won't believe a word you say."I could feel the tension building, a knot of suspicion gnawing at me. Grace wasn’t clumsy—never had been. She wasn’t the type to stumble twice in heels. And yet here she was, looking like she was about to lie to my face."Look at me," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. I ob
Berrilyl's POVMy back still ached from the lashes, each painful strip serving as a harsh reminder of what had just transpired. My body was shaking as I stayed there, and my breathing was irregular and shallow. The agony in my chest was far worse than the pain radiating through me.Cage had stood there, silent, as I had been punished. I had begged him to see through Grace’s lies, to understand that I had done nothing wrong, but he had simply watched me, his eyes empty and distant. His indifference had hurt more than the lashes. It was as though he had closed off any part of himself that could have cared about me. I could still feel the weight of his gaze, cold and unfeeling, burning into me, even now.I wanted to scream, to demand answers, to ask why he had done nothing while I had suffered. But I stayed silent, because what good would it have done? He didn’t care. Not really. And Grace had made sure of that.I tried to steady my breathing, to gather the strength to move, but my body
Cage's POVI paced the room, the stress rolling off me in waves as I replayed the events of the day in my head. My fists clenched involuntarily, and the echo of Berrilyl's defiant glare burned into my memory. How could someone so fragile have the audacity to stand up to me? It wasn't bravery, it was foolishness. And yet, that recklessness stirred something in me that I didn't want to examine too closely.The door creaking open had snapped me out of those spinning thoughts."Enter," I called sharply, raising myself taller in my seat and keeping my facial expression neutral.Grace entered carrying a tray of food with her, even in her walk, she was measured and cool as usual, but today something lay sharper in her eyes. Grace set the tray down on the table, then turned toward me and crossed her arms across her chest.You need to curb your anger, Cage," she said, not mincing words.I arched an eyebrow, folding my arms in turn. "And what makes you think I need advice on that?""Because you
Berrilyl's POV The tap at the door was gentle. I didn't look toward the door. My eyes, instead remained set at the ceiling, like the cracked pattern there should give answers to my plenty of questions. Another rap, loud enough this time. "Come in," I spoke finally, never raising myself up to sit.The door creaked open and Talia stepped inside, carrying a small wooden tray. Her face was smooth, yet a flicker of unease danced in her eyes as she neared. "I brought the medicine," she whispered, placing the tray down on the small table beside my bed. "Cage ordered me to help you apply it to your wounds."At her words, a jolt of anger surged through me. My fists clenched at my sides, and I pushed myself upright, glaring at her. “Cage ordered you?” I repeated, my voice dripping with disdain. Talia nodded, clearly uncertain how to respond to my tone. “He said it’s important you heal properly.”A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could check it. "Of course, he did. He's probably just
Cage's POVThe meeting room was silent except for the rustle of papers and the occasional murmurs among my advisors. I sat at the head of the table, my gaze fixed on the Beta of the Goldenmoon Pack, who had just concluded his presentation. His pack’s desperation was evident, even if he tried to conceal it behind a polished and professional demeanour. Across from me, the Beta adjusted his posture, his shoulders squared and his expression carefully neutral. Behind him stood a pair of guards, their hands resting on the hilts of their weapons. They looked tense, though they did their best to appear calm. This was no ordinary proposal—it was a plea for survival. “Alpha Cage,” the Beta began, his voice steady, “our pack believes this alliance will be mutually beneficial. We offer an unparalleled supply of ammunition and weaponry, resources that your pack can put to immediate use. In return, we seek your protection against the increasing rogue attacks.” I leaned back in my chair, steep
Cage's POVAs soon as the Beta and his guards exited the room, the faint echo of their footsteps fading down the hall, my focus shifted entirely to Berrilyl. The anger I had restrained during the meeting surged forward, bubbling up and demanding release. I turned to her sharply, ready to unleash my frustration. “Who do you think you are,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous, “to imply that I need you so badly, that without you my plans would crumble?” Her response was infuriatingly dismissive. She didn’t speak a word, only rolled her eyes, the faintest smirk curling her lips. “You better listen, and listen carefully,” I warned, stepping closer. “Don’t you ever try that again, or you won’t be able to handle what’s coming for you.” She raised her chin defiantly, her voice calm yet laced with exhaustion. “Stop pretending I’m lying. You do need me. If you didn’t, you would’ve killed me long ago. You’ve had every reason to do it, haven’t you? Yet here I am, alive and standing in
Berrilyl's POVI woke up in a haze, disoriented and confused, staring at the ceiling. My head throbbed, and my body felt heavy like the weight of the world had settled on me. As my mind started to clear, I felt a presence beside me. Someone was holding my hand. I turned my head, groggy, and saw the physician by my side, checking my pulse. His face was kind, and professional. But his presence did little to calm the storm inside me. What happened? The last thing I remembered was arguing with Cage. He had been furious, warning me about Grace. The tension between us was suffocating, but everything after that moment was a blur. I shifted my gaze, and that’s when I saw him—Cage. He was standing near the physician, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed on me. His eyes burned with an anger so intense, that I could almost feel it searing through me. If his mask had covered his eyes too, I wouldn’t have known how much he hated me. “How are you feeling?” the physician asked, his voice gentle
Berrilyl's POVI stared at the food in front of me, trying to force down the disgust I felt. Cage’s words echoed in my mind—*“Only the goddess knows whose toe is inside the food.”* I could almost feel the taint of his cruel words poisoning the meal. It smelled so good, though—too good. The temptation was almost unbearable, but his sick laugh still rang in my ears. He was a monster, and I couldn’t trust anything he gave me, no matter how innocent it looked. I glanced at the door. Cage had already left, his laugh trailing behind him as he slammed the door with enough force to rattle the walls. I knew it was a challenge—a test of patience, of trust, or perhaps just another one of his sick games. Part of me wanted to dive into the food and finish it all in one go, to ignore the horror of what he might have done to it. But another part of me, the cautious part—the part that had learned from all the abuse, from every twisted trick he’d played—held me back. His words stung, and the last
Cage's POVThe room had fallen into heavy silence after the rogues were done talking. The words lingered in the air like a thick fog, and the weight of their accusation was choking. The rogues had revealed their truth which made everything shift. It looked like the Great Elder and the elders were trying hard to maintain calm.I glared at the Great Elder, my stare cold, unyielding. They were trying hard to conceal their panic-it was an open book before me. They had been found out, and no denial would cover up what had just transpired.I took a deep breath and let the silence out, my voice firm as I spoke to the room. "Does anybody have anything to say?" My words cut like a knife through tension. "Anything to refute what's just been said?There was silence for a while. The Great Elder's eyes flickered towards the other elders, and I saw them exchange looks subtly. They were waiting for one of them to break the silence, waiting for the Great Elder to answer.Finally, after what felt like
Cage's POVI stayed seated, my eyes fixed on the great Elder as he spat venomous words at me while other Elders watched."You are a traitor. Going behind our backs to do shady things for your selfish benefit. You don't think about us at all. The consequences of your actions. Killing one of my sons was nothing to you and you dare question me. Why?" He lamented woefully.The continuous accusations made some of them, who were satisfied with the ongoing confrontations, feel like they could question me, too. So, one by one, they asked me questions, trying to prove me guilty and suspicious."Why would you question him like that? Making him seem suspicious. What are you trying to insinuate?" One asked."Did you truly kill his son?" Another elder feigned shock. The Elders with him joined in, their voice rising in a cacophony of accusations. But I remained calm, my expression unreadable.The Great Elder bellowed "You are a liar Cage!, You might be planning to betray us this very moment" I did
Cage's POVI sat in the middle chair of the conference room, my fingers steepled in front of me, my face expressionless. A half-circle of Elders sat stiffly to my left and right, some arms crossed, others leaning back as if their time was too precious to be wasted here. Irritation, impatience, and worst of all, disrespect, were mirrored in every pair of eyes."Why have you called this emergency meeting, Alpha?" asked one of the Elders’s wiry men whose tone clipped and dismissed easily. "Some of us do have more important things to deal with rather than indulge your whims."A soft murmur of agreement rustled around the room. My jaw tightened, but I didn't react. Instead, I merely stared at them, letting the weight of my silence press against their arrogance.It was at this point that it dawned on me: I had been so thoroughly hooked up on my desire for vengeance, my urge to squash whatever was in my way, that I had forgotten my Pack. I had let control slip right through my fingers and al
Author's POVThe Great Elder stood firm not scared of Milano's treat, he looked at Milano with anger in his. Still refusing to leave, and the Elders with him agreed. They felt something was wrong, something in the air was off. They didn’t trust Milano or what was happening. But they weren’t going to give in. The Elders kept saying the same thing—Cage should come and meet them personally, not send his messenger. They would not leave until that happened.Well, I am not interested in your demands or whatever you have to say. I am here for a reason, and am not going to waste time. Milano said as he moved slowly toward one of the Great Elder’s sons, the one who had been shouting insults and trying to act tough. He had been yelling at Milano, thinking his position and family power would protect him. But Milano didn’t even flinch. Without saying a word, he moved towards the older son and grabbed his arm, twisting it suddenly with a sharp movement. A loud snap echoed as the bone broke, and th
Author's POVThe Great Elder stood up from his seat, his face showing explicit dissatisfaction. Still, there was more than that dissatisfaction-an uneasy feeling crawled up in his chest, which he couldn't get rid of. His warriors that rushed in spoke in hurried and stuttered words, seemingly scared by whatever had happened.We... we were attacked, Elder. Ambushed. We did not see it coming. The enemy—" One of the warriors tried to conclude, but his eyes were shaking in fear.The room fell silent, as the other Elders stared at each other, incredulous and concerned. No one could believe what they were being told. The mansion of the Great Elder was always a safe place, always secure.Who dares to attack us?" asked another Elder, full of anger and confusion in his tone. "Who has the guts to challenge the Great Elder's mansion?The Great Elder did not waste any time as he ordered his close subordinates to handle it straight away. "Assemble the warriors and find out who did this; take care o
Author's POVThe grand dining hall of the great Elder's mansion shimmered under the glow of golden chandeliers. The long, polished table was adorned with the finest silverware, rich meats and the most exquisite wines that were hard to find.At the head of the table, the great Elder sat, his eyes gleamed with arrogance as he lifted his goblet filled to the brim with a deep crimson wine.The middle-aged men seated with him were all dressed in fine garments, and they looked important. Their faces lit with eager anticipation. Behind them, silent servants stood attentively ready to refill their glasses and plates at any moment.The great Elder laughed heartily as he toasted his guest, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "To our future success!" He exclaimed, with pride and confidence."With Cage and his subordinate finally out of the way, the pack would be ours. Everything in it would become ours. Every single thing" He looked at his wine and laughed at it like a very crazy man. One of the
Cage's POVHe instantly understood what I said and in a jiffy, new secret guards streamed in and surrounded the rouges.The rouges stumbled backwards, their eyes darting wildly as they struggled to process the sudden turn of events. Their leader's face contorted into a mixture of disbelief and fear. His shoulders sagged as his confidence fell. He looked at me with regret, his composure almost slipping."This shouldn't be happening!" He exclaimed, his voice shattering into a thousand pieces. "Fight back. Fight With your best," one of the rogue leaders ordered as he saw his rouge warriors getting overpowered."It's way too late for that. The probability of you guys winning is too thin. You better accept defeat" I looked him straight in the eye and told him.He unleashed a fury of rage, launching himself at me with tremendous force. Anticipating his attack, I swiftly moved away, blocking it. With a loud growl, he sped past me and slammed into the wall."Oops," I grinned with satisfaction
Cage's POVThe instant the scream from Berrilyl reached my ears, my heart contracted in a way it shouldn't have. My body had moved well before my brain kicked in and I turned sharply in the direction of her voice. I caught her running toward me, a look of concern twisting her face, along with something else, it was fear.In That split second, the distraction almost cost me my life.A rogue caught me out of focus and charged at me, his blade was aimed right at my exposed side; I barely had time to react. Instinct kicked in, and I twisted my body in time, the blade grazing across my ribs instead of burying into my flesh. The pain was sharp, but I pushed it aside, countering it with a vicious strike that sent the rogue stumbling back.I hadn't had a chance to finish him off.Berrilyl was too close now, too close."What are you doing?!" I snapped at her, latching onto her arm and yanking her behind me. My grip was firm as my heart still hammered in my chest from the near miss.The rogue
Cage's POVTonight, the air is weighted with unvoiced challenge. I sit at the far edge of Mansion's yard, my body bent and tensed on guard. The torches from behind the stone walls seemed to threaten and would violently hang, casting malicious shadowing alongside me in silence. Miliano stood on my right-hand side, still as a ghoulish smile stretched his tanned skin from nose to neck end."Bring the secret guard and surround the Mansion," I ordered, having my voice drop steady, emotionless when inside me chaos brewed.Miliano nodded profoundly. "Aye." And with that, he turned on his heel and motioned for the men we had trained in secret to take their position. They shifted like ghosts and moved into their positions, efficient but silent; slipping into darkness as if they were spawned from it.Just as we were going to make our move, I felt it, the unnatural shift in the air, followed by the distant yet unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps. Lots of them. My instincts screamed a war