“The infamous Roman Blackburn.” My eyes narrowed at the man who stood before us with a small smirk on his face. Despite his rumored rank in the Crimson Wolves’ community, Edward Kim wasn't the sort of man labeled as ‘pleasing to look at’. A long scar ran from his temple down to his chin, over one of his eyes so that he couldn't see through it. The skin around the scar seemed mangled, and one of his ears seemed mangled, as though an animal had tried to bite it off. His nose had a deep indentation in its tip, as though a knife had carved into it, and finally, his two arms were covered in burn marks.Despite all of those scars, and the others on the rest of his body, like his one surviving leg, he was still one of the most important people to the Crimson Wolves, and had committed himself to being invincible in combat. That didn't mean he couldn't be killed, however- it just meant it'd be hard for him to be. And he was fully aware of that, which is why he carried himself with an aura o
Audrey's POV:I stared at the clouds in the evening sky, wishing that I was feeling as bright as they were looking. But I was too overwhelmed by sadness to be. I sat overlooking my room window, the cool breeze caressing my face as I ruminated over the events of the day. ‘Fuck you,’ Jacob had said. The incident had occurred earlier in the day, but his words kept playing in my mind, and I relived his insults over and again. ‘Five times over,’ he'd responded to my outburst of anger, with no hesitation. He hadn't looked apologetic at all, and he'd been clear about what he felt.When did it all change? We were thick as thieves, and would have continued to be if Diane hadn't prevented us from communicating when I ran away. We'd cared for each other like siblings, and when I discovered that he liked me, he didn't let that hinder his kindness towards me. He’d even kissed me on the forehead. So what changed? What had I done that was so evil, he was ready to toss our friendship away? By ki
Roman POV:Initially, our- that is, Julian and my- thoughts were tuned towards the cloaked figure rescuing us due to almost deafening yowls the rogues sent into the atmosphere. Then we found out he was a magic user, but also an enemy of ours. Before we could make our escape, the concealed person caused us to fall face flat onto the ground, preventing us from moving as he spoke to Kim.We lay there on the ground for so long, I began to feel insects crawling over me, and I wanted to rip someone's head off his shoulders.“Well then, Alpha Blackburn,” Edward Kim said after what seemed like a long time, and it'd taken so much to even look up at him. “Information reaching me says I shouldn't kill you. My master wants me to just rough you up a bit.”Julian immediately barked, “Over my dead body!” Kim gave him a bored look, and I was almost afraid he would tell the magic user to kill him. Instead he blinked, his eyes turned green, and Julian howled. “There. That should hold you for a bit.” T
Audrey POV:“What do you mean, injured?” I’d asked the night before, when I'd received the most disturbing news. The servant that had burst in had swallowed deeply before answering, and my heart dropped to my stomach when I heard that Roman had been ambushed by some rogues and almost killed. “He was so bloody when they brought him in!” the servant had wailed. “Oh, dear Luna. I thought he might die!”I'd immediately tried to get to him, but Paul had stopped me, advising me to wait till morning came. Which is why I raced to Roman's room the following morning, my heart pounding. The pack doctor and a nurse stood a short distance away from his door, their heads bowed over some ointment. They both looked up when they saw me, and the doctor's face burst into a huge smile. “Hello, future Luna!” I always resisted the urge to cringe whenever I heard that title, but I had begun to train myself to accept it wholly. “Hello, Dr. Garrett. Um…is the Alpha…”He beamed. “He's awake, ma'am. And muc
Roman POV:The room was silent for a moment as my question hung in the air, but my head was pounding. I couldn't move my hand to rub my head, however, because it hurt like a bitch after my failed attack on Edward Kim.What the hell had I just asked her to do?I'd been thinking about her before she entered, and seeing her triggered the part of me that wanted her terribly, despite the hurt I felt as a result of her lying to me. As a result, my presentation of that desire to her was absolutely disgusting. ‘I just need to heal?’ I groaned inwardly. ‘Who the hell says that?’She suddenly coughed, and I was drawn back to the reality of us being alone in silence. What was going through her mind? What was she so afraid to tell me about?“I-” she paused, coughed again, then attempted to speak. I turned slightly to see her looking puzzled, then annoyed. At what, I couldn't tell. “Well, I- I can't tell you, Roman.”Of course she couldn't. “Why not?” “Because-” she sighed and stood. “I just can
Audrey POV:I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I know I'd messed up by not telling him about Jacob, but I'd never expected that he didn't trust me at all. It was a somewhat ironic thought process, but I'd have preferred to break his trust than to find there was nothing to break in the first place. And when he'd brought up my father, well. Agonized, I raced out of the Alpha’s quarters, I made for the open field where the soldiers usually trained, knowing that the major trainings wouldn't have begun. As it was, I didn't even care who I met there. I just needed air. So when I ran straight into Marvin’s arms, I felt nothing. “Whoa, babe,” he said in his usual cheery voice, then frowned when he noticed the tear streaks on my face. “Dear Luna. Who- what happened to you, Audrey?” “Nothing,” I responded, trying to evade him, but he was much stronger, and he glared at me while holding my arm when he saw what I was trying to do. “Nothing happened, okay Marvin?” “Your tear-streaked face
Tanya POV:“You want me to what?” Marvin’d grinned at me from over his laptop. “You heard me, baby. I want you to join the Pack Guard.”“Do I look like I can work in the Guard?” I'd shrieked, then shut my mouth when a flame of anger flickered in his eyes. “I mean, come on, Marvin. That- that's a lot to ask of someone like me.” He’d raised his brow. “What's too much about it? You’ve an athletic build, and I've seen you on your personal workout.” He crossed his legs and leaned against the couch.After my mother fled the pack because of Marvin's presence, he'd moved into the Hill residence and stayed in one of the guest rooms. However, it seemed he was one to mix business with pleasure, because he was at my room almost every night, and though we hadn't had sex yet, there were a million other things he'd done with me. The personal workout session he'd seen me on had been another avenue for him to play with me. The oddest thing about the arrangement was the fact that not a single compla
Audrey POV:Paul met me when I arrived back at the Alpha's quarters, his expression unreadable. But I was not in the mood to dish out apologies, and I only paused at his huge figure for a second before brushing past him. “Good morning, Miss Audrey,” he said behind me. “I reported to your room earlier, but… you were not around.” I'd dismissed him much earlier than normal yesterday, despite the news of Roman’s injuries. He must have been worried. “I went to see Roman,” I responded, not bothering to explain more about why I wasn't in Roman's room then. Fortunately, he said nothing more, choosing to follow me silently as I raced up the stairs to my room. When I reached the door, I paused, my wolf pining for our mate. But I remembered Roman's words and Tanya's smirk, and I wanted to punch something. Maybe I just needed a distraction.I whirled around, and if Paul had been startled by that abrupt action, he didn't show it. “Ma'am?”I groaned. I was exhausted, and rightfully so. I'd just
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
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