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
“Julian,” I called.His eyes, which were on the three women giggling among themselves (well, the two women; Audrey was shivering) slid to me before moving back to them. “Yeah?”“We've got a big problem.”He snorted. “I would never have guessed.” ♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎Audrey POV:Thankfully, Diane had made some excuse about needing to be somewhere and had left almost as soon as I arrived. But from the Beta and Alpha's quietness after her departure, I knew something had gone wrong. Tanya was oblivious, as usual.It wasn't long before we set to return to our pack, and unlike it had been the first day I returned, my wolf had been restless throughout the ride back to our territory. Tanya obviously felt my disturbance, but I kept sending forced smiles her way and sagging against the car seat whenever she wasn't looking.I knew exactly why I was feeling that way, and it was killing me. In the rearview mirror, Roman was constantly trying to catch my eye, but I couldn't let him. I was afraid that one sl
Tanya POV:When the doorbell rang for the fourth time, Marvin groaned, his cum spilling into my mouth as he emptied himself. Then he caressed my hair and opened his eyes. “Stay here, baby,” he said when the doorbell rang again. “I'll be back soon.”I watched him leave, feeling empty. When was the last time I felt alright? Truly alright? I couldn't remember. The past few days had been a whirlwind of mind blowing sex for Marvin and I. He would corner me everytime he had the opportunity, no matter the location, and make me cum numerous times, then clean me up and tend to me like I was some priceless object. Before, I'd have been touched by those actions, but after my mother's death, I was merely existing. I'd lost all form of contact with life and the only reason why I was still here was because I realized there was nowhere I could go. None of my mother's men would be willing to take me unless I could offer them something, and I wasn't going to give my body to the same old coot my moth
Audrey POV:I fluttered my eyes open to the view of a room, my body felt like a thousand needles were stabbing into my side.I groaned and opened my eyes before shutting them almost immediately from the brightness of the candlelight that shone in the corner of the room.It was then I realized that I was on a relatively soft object, and when I moved my hand slightly, I felt a mattress. Alarm bells rang in my head, and I sat up abruptly, wincing from the pain that shot through my body."No! Don't move abruptly!" a familiar male voice yelled, and a figure ran to me. I was almost flinched when a sweet smell engulfed my nostrils, and I blinked rapidly, now clearly seeing the man bending over me and cussing. “Oh, thank Luna. The wound didn't reopen.” "Roman?" I muttered questioningly, trying to wrap my head around how he got here. The last thing I remembered was running from those rogues, and fighting for myself. He looked sadly at me. "Hey." "H-how are you here? Where are we? How did
Audrey POV:I raced through the woods, my heart pounding in fear. I'd shifted in the course of my escape, and my senses were terribly heightened now. It was as though I was one with the woods. Every scent, every twig crack, every noise…I could perceive them all. I could especially perceive the wolves that were currently bounding after me. The sound of their snarls echoed in the woods behind me, causing stabs of fear to run through my heart. I almost couldn’t breathe.The cold air slashed through my lungs as I ran, my paws slamming against the damp earth, scattering leaves and dirt in every direction. My heart thundered in my chest, a deafening rhythm that drowned out everything- save for the snarls behind me. They were getting closer to me, each one louder and more closer than the last. The forest around me blurred, a dizzying smear of bark, shadow, and moonlight. Twigs snapped under my foot, branches tore through my fur.Somewhere, somehow, in the middle of my desperate run for s
Roman POV:The air that left my lungs at her statement slowly returned, but that still didn't stop the shock from flowing off me in waves. “What-” I paused at my choked voice, coughed, then started again. “What do you mean by that?”She gave me a sad look. “Roman, if I can't find Audrey right now, then it means she's in danger. Whether it is that she's unconscious- for someone could have knocked her out- or that she's…well…”“She's not dead.”No. It couldn't happen. She'd only just walked into my life. I couldn't lose her just like that. Audrey was a light, a beacon of hope that I could find love, even in this bleak world where I was surrounded by so much hate and betrayal. Mother shook her head. “Obviously, I don't wish for her to be. She's such a sweetheart. What I'm trying to say is-” “Audrey's not dead!” I snarled despite myself. She bit her lower lip and turned away. “No, Mother. She cannot be dead. For crying out loud, it hasn't even been up to a year since she stepped into m
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