“I have to unpack! Bye!” I cried, running upstairs to avoid whatever she was going to say. She had nothing against Jacob, but there was a possibility of her asking questions I didn't want to answer. A big smile was on my face when I looked into the huge mirror that had been in my room since I was nine. Just as I'd left it, photos of my high school moments were pasted all around the border, and there were sticky notes that my younger self had written, detailing my growth over the years.My hand itched to add another note, but I restrained myself. I'd gone through a lot of shit in those years, which was why I'd distracted myself with the cute notes. However, I was older now - little rubbish like that couldn't solve real-world problems. The smile I'd had before due to Jacob's actions dimmed, and I looked away from the mirror.“Life is just amazing,” I sarcastically said to myself. Then I picked up my bag to actually unpack, not because I'd told Diane that, but because I was going to d
Roman POV:“This is bad,” Jacob said, his expression grim. I'd called for a meeting with him and Julian, and had just finished explaining the situation of things. Julian unfolded his arms and pushed himself off the wall. “You think?” My Gamma frowned, and I could see that he terribly wanted to punch him, but he kept a stoic face and focused on me. “Can I see the note?”Wordlessly, I pulled it out of a file and showed him. His expression turned grimmer still. “Shit.”I nodded. “Shit is real.”In the corner, Julian let out a snort. Jacob and I ignored him. “What do you have in mind, Alpha?” I rubbed my chin. “I have an idea of who these people are, but I'm not sure. Have you heard of the Crimson Wolves?” He furrowed his brows and then released them. “They're the ones rumored to have killed the last national pack chairman, yes?” I nodded, slightly impressed. “They are. But that's not all there is to them. They’ve been known to head assassination attempts in various packs around Am
“I'm thinking white. I hear it's virgins’ favorite color.” He paused for a second before the realization of what I said hit him, and I dodged the playful punch heading my way. “I kissed Kira for your information. Even though her tongue tasted like tarp.”“I'm aware,” I chuckled. “But you did tell me how you chickened out of sleeping with Renée because you were so hard and were afraid you'd wound her during coitus due to her cute little frame-” “Shut the fuck up,” he said in a serious tone, but the next minute we both erupted into laughter. He sobered up before me, however, and sighed. “I know the circumstances surrounding the beginning of our friendship were tragic, but I'm really glad we're friends. I hope you know that.”I grinned. “I do. And I'm glad we are too. You've called me out on my shit more times than I can count, but you're also the only one I'd be proud to have as my best buddy and best man.” “I'm not wearing white.”“We'll make it cream then.”He swore again, and I c
“You're her servant for today. She told me the Beta is coming as well, which is why she invited you, but you will still act in the capacity of a help. Whatever she needs, you will provide it without question. Unless the Alpha or Beta decides to be a gentleman, you will be at her beck and call. She's not aware of this, by the way, but you know what you must do.” I pursed my lips before releasing a breath. She'd done worse. “Okay.”“Splendid.” She clapped her hands together. “I'd be off now. I have a meeting with the pack's widows. Ensure you do exactly as I say, darling.” Out loud she cried, “Bye Tanya!”“Bye Mother!” my stepsister replied in such a cheerful tone, I wanted to cry. Diane didn't give me a second glance as she turned on her heels and walked out the door. Not too long after, the doorbell rang, and I froze for a millisecond before remembering my place and scrambling to the door.“Um…who is it, please?” “...Roman.” The voice the had just spoken was deep, unfamiliar, bu
Roman POV:By the time we pulled up at the mall, I was a mess. It might not have looked that way outwardly, but my mind was raging with thoughts that threatened to throw my mental health out of balance. Although, if you considered the fact that I was the Alpha of a pack facing numerous battles, now with a bounty on my head, you could say my health was already out of balance. I let out a curse as Julian's voice echoed in my head for the umpteenth time, then blocked him again. Throughout the ride, he hadn't let me rest, constantly indicating that he wanted to talk to me. And I knew what he wanted to speak about, so I didn't let him.“Is everything alright, Roman?”I looked up to see Tanya's worried face, her sister's turned away from us. As usual, my frown melted into an easy smile. “I am, don't worry. I just stubbed my toe.”The worry on her features turned to confusion, below swimming back to worry. “Oh, no! Shall I have one of the mall attendants check for bleeding?”I blinked. “Wha
Now I knew why she'd looked familiar in that file. She looked exactly like her father. I hadn't forgotten Bernard’s face, but Julian had experienced more torture at the man's hand when he started visiting regularly, so it made sense for him to remember his face more clearly. “Okay, but that doesn’t mean-” “Recall that Gatrix-Hill had ties to the Crimson Wolves, Roman. This lady left our pack about three years ago, around the same time that they officially announced to be residing in human civilization.” I paused. “What?”He scoffed. “I’m the Beta. I did my homework. And everything points to the fact that she might be dangerous. Very, very dangerous.” I said nothing for a while. “What if she isn't?” I retorted, plastering a smile on my face as Tanya finally came out wearing an exquisite gown, her eyes twinkling. The girl Audrey stood behind her, hands clasped and headed down, as though she was her servant. That same sweet scent appeared as she raised her head, and an odd feeling
I stared at him in disbelief. “You've concocted all of these on an assumption, and instead of finding out what the truth is, you're here accusing me?” He blinked. “On the contrary, I'm trying to find out the truth from the horse's mouth. The horse, in this case, if you haven't realized, is you.”We went silent for a few seconds after he said that, our eyes boring into each other, but I soon snapped out of it and moved back before glaring at him.“Tanya needs me,” I stated firmly, whirling around and heading for the changing room. The Alpha was a lot worse than I thought. At first I'd assumed he was only looking at me because I looked very pitiful as always, but to accuse me of having something to do with the rogues that attacked him the other day, as well as trying to seduce him to get back at Tanya-I stilled as electricity zipped through my arm and into my brain, and inside me, my wolf let out a whimper. I turned immediately to see what had caused it, only to find a hand on my arm
Roman POV:Audrey persuaded me to walk back into the mall alone so she could join us all a few minutes later with some flimsy excuse. I'd been against that, my wolf wanting to be near her instead, but I knew in that moment that it was probably best to do as she said. I had no idea why she was so afraid of Diane, but I was willing to go along with what she said. The first thing I noticed was the manner in which my to-be mother-in-law was dressed as she gushed over her child's dress.“Aw, look at my baby!” Diane was saying as I walked in. She was teary-eyed, but I didn't miss the disguised glare she sent my way. Instead of responding in that moment, I went to stand beside Julian and observed the situation.Diane was decked in a terribly official suit, like she was going for a diplomatic mission. Knowing her, she wasn't dressed like that without purpose, and I noted my Beta glaring at her with suspicion.“Roman, darling!” the she-devil suddenly said in a fake, high-pitched voice. “Could
Roman POV:“You did quite well,” Julian said to me while I watched Jacob supervise the cleaning of the conference room. It'd been about fifteen minutes since the meeting ended, and a part of me had reveled in the fear the elders had in their eyes whenever they crossed the body of their dead comrade. “You really didn't have to kill anyone though.”“They are infuriating,” I said emotionlessly as the cleaners began their job. “It was high time they learned that I wasn't just the old Alpha's son. I am the Alpha.” My best friend gave me a look. “I hope that doesn't mean you plan to resort to the harsh ways of your father.”“Never,” I grunted. “But I'll have to place some respect in these elders’ hearts. They need to be reminded of their position before me.” My Beta merely passed a breath through his mouth. “If you say so, Roman. I just really hope you're not using your anger with your mate's disappearance to cloud your greater sense of judgment.” “Audrey's disappearance has nothing to
Audrey POV:I gawked as Sam opened a portal the moment I accepted his hand. He grinned at me while the magic door pulsated with energy, and placed a leg into it. “Come on, young lady.”I hesitated, suddenly feeling very unsure and stupid. The moment he extended his hand, I'd snatched it without thinking. As soon as he opened the portal, it hit me. Just who exactly was I about to follow through a portal that only he knew that location it led to? Sure, he'd claimed to have known my father, but almost everyone knew my father then. Not only did I not know his true intentions, but he'd been part of the men that watched my humiliation. He cocked his head to the side when he saw my hesitation. “What's the matter?” “I don't know you. You might want to kill me,” I blurted, turning red when he began to laugh. “That's what you’re bothered about, darling?” he chuckled. “I just saved you from getting raped and potentially mauled by that piece of scum.” He stepped forward. “You really think you
Roman POV:“This is preposterous!” I glared at the elder who'd just spoken, and he wisely kept his mouth shut immediately. Lucky for him. I would have slit his throat if he made one more sound. I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be out saving Audrey. I was supposed to have gotten her into my arms, and rescued her from whatever hellhole Edward Kim had put her in. “I apologize for speaking out of turn, Alpha,” the elder who'd just interrupted my speech said, fear shining in his eyes. “I was just…I'm laden with emotion at how much torment this pack has fallen into.”I schooled my features into blankness. “Thank you so much for your concern, Logan, but you haven't even been around to know how much torment we are in right now.” He reddened and turned away, knowing what I'd said was true. Just like Diane Hill, he'd disappeared for a while, but he'd returned a bit earlier than she had. A nasty thought about him dying just like Kennedy and Hill crossed my mind, but i waved it
Audrey POV:I was returned to the dark room when the men had had enough of me. The visiting Brothers were not returning to their homes, so I was to be a spectacle for them again the following day. In the meantime, Derek wanted me to ‘rest’, which essentially meant he didn't want me to die yet. Normally I would have willingly killed myself to escape his torture, but I had people’s lives tied to mine. I had no idea what Edward Kim would do if I committed suicide. That would be against the deal we made, right? So I kept quiet and let Derek do whatever he wanted till he finally ended my life. My body was bruised all over again from the beatings Derek had given me, and every time I laid against the cold wall or put too much pressure on the side of my body that rested on the hard ground, I cried out in pain. I wanted to curl into a ball and cry, but I knew the would cause unimaginable agony. And Derek's words at the beginning about him wanting to hear me cry out in pain haunted me, so I f
Audrey POV:“I still don't know what exactly to do for her sendforth into the great beyond,” my holding master laughed as I coughed out blood, feeling the life slowly draining out of me. I'd been presented on a makeshift stage before some of the ‘Brothers’ that Derek had invited to watch my torture spectacle. They were surrounded by lots of food, and they chuckled at Derek's jokes while I writhed in pain. “Perhaps you should save her the torment of a prolonged death,” one of them said. “Just one swipe across her throat and you'll be done with it.”Derek seemed to consider the idea. “The issue now is, I don't want to do that. I don't want to be done with it so easily. She's still alive. Her eyes haven't lost their spark.” He bared his teeth playfully at me. “I need that spark to disappear first. Then I'll kill her.” Fear gripped me, and if my wrists weren't bound and my body hurting, I'd have attempted to slide away. “Any news from Kim?” another of the Brothers asked, spearing a pi
Tanya POV:“You did good,” Marvin said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “They didn't suspect a thing. I'm proud of you.” I didn't say a word, merely staring ahead, like I expected my mother to appear before me. The moment I heard the explosion, I'd sunk to my knees, crying out loud. Marvin had immediately gagged me again and held me close, being both good and evil at the same time. I'd leaned against him, too tired to decide what was right or fair and what wasn't. The following morning, I woke up cuffed to a chair, and he laid beside me, his eyes closed. However, the moment I shuffled, his eyes opened wide, and his gaze bored into mine. It was then I knew I wasn't going anywhere, no matter what he did to me. Not because I was afraid of him, but because I’d given myself to him. Mind, body and soul. For better, for worse, right? “Jacob is coming soon, so you'd better dress up.” His hand pressed on my shoulder. “And look very presentable.”I gave an almost imperceptible nod. Jacob had
Roman POV:“Hold on,” Julian said while I absentmindedly kicked a small rock along the road. “Your mother is…Ruby? Ruby is your mother? I don't understand.” It'd confused me too, but after I returned to my room, I found Ruby staring wide eyed at me. It hit me that she probably wasn't completely aware of what was happening with her. We were on our way to Marvin's apartment to pay a courtesy visit to Tanya regarding the destruction of the Hill residence. According to Julian, Diane Hill's body had still not been found, but the probability of her being burnt to ashes was much higher than the probability of her crawling out of the inferno. I didn't like the woman at all, but that didn't completely mean I wanted her gone. She was Tanya's backbone, from what I noticed when we together, and finding out about her mother's death must have been very hard for her. That's why I asked Julian to accompany me. “It really doesn't make any sense,” Julian was mumbling. “Did your mother go back in ti
Roman POV:“My son,” the woman before me said, a sad smile on her face. “My little boy.”I couldn't move, as my eyes roamed all over her face. She was the one, no doubt about it. Just as it had been in the portrait. But I couldn't go closer to her. It was as though each time I tried to move, something stopped me. “Am I dead?” I whispered, and she laughed. “No, you're not. You're in a different dimension, Roman.” The woman- no, not the woman- my mother smiled at me again, much brighter this time. “I had to bring you here so I could speak to you.” How was that possible? I voiced my thoughts, and Mother shrugged. “I…” she paused for a moment as if to think about her next thoughts. “This is going to be a very confusing discussion, but…let’s start with this. I’m a witch, Roman. Well, half-witch with a suppressed lycan side.” The silence in the room was frightening after that statement. I blinked once, twice, trying to wrap my head around her statement. She must have noticed the confus
Audrey POV:Derek came back a while later, a devilish grin on his face. “Hello, Princess.” I couldn't respond to him. I hadn't been given any food or water, and my wrists were bruising. I could feel the wounds that had been formed from the constant contact with the binding chain, and every slight movement was pain. He stood before me and surveyed my body, a gleam in his eyes. “Well, I'd say you look like shit, but you already know that.”The glare I gave him made him laugh, his shoulders jerking slightly. “Now, we're going to try something different. I'm going to take you off the wheel of death- get it?- and you're going to express your gratitude by sucking my dick. Is that understood?” My eyes widened, and he smiled even more broadly. “You heard me right, Sweetness. I'm very curious to see what Roman Blackburn has been enjoying. Because outwardly, there's only so much one can actually credit you for. I'll tell you though- your face isn't one of them. Your body, on the other hand…”