Roman POV:It felt like something had been ripped out of me, and my head immediately snapped up to the Alpha's quarters, a short distance away.“Audrey,” I whispered. Julian snarled in my mind, bringing me back to reality. “This is no time to be fantasizing about your mate, Roman. We have a serious problem here.”We did. As soon as the words in the air dissipated, some stupid elder had called for an emergency meeting. Thus, I was seated at the head of the table, while the elders went back and forth over the current matters on ground- namely, Kennedy’s death. “Who's next?” Graham Wilbur said, his voice gruff as he slammed on the table. “Who will these people take next, huh, Alpha? They've killed so many of our people, yet nothing is being done to deal with them!” Julian tensed beside me. Only he knew what was really going down. Jacob had been sent to the pack square along with the Epsilon of each family to try and pacify the people. I took in a deep breath, ready to speak, just t
Audrey POV:I gasped as I fell onto a meadow, the smell of grass hitting me almost immediately, like a hard slap instead of a soft caress. Unlike my terrible fall, Edward Kim lowered himself to the ground quietly, then gave me a look, as if saying ‘That's how you do it.’ I glared at him. I wasn't a magic user, for Luna's sake. “Where are we?” “Romania.” “Oh, Romania.” I nodded vaguely at first, but then the knowledge of the name struck me again. “Romania?!” He sent an annoyed look my way. “Yes, Miss Audrey. Romania. Have you never heard of it?”“Romania is thousands of miles away from the United States!” I shrieked. “How's it possible that we're in- all of this happened in less than five seconds?!”He bristled, very annoyed by the look of things. “That's why we went through a portal, girl. Have you any brain in that skull of yours?”I blushed in embarrassment and slight anger. He'd stopped being courteous to me as soon as we came through the portal. My guess was that since he’d go
Roman POV:I'd known something was wrong as I entered the house, but it wasn’t until I was a few feet away from what I sensed as Paul’s battered body that I could finally put my finger on it. Not only was the stench of blood thick in the air, but I also couldn’t feel the mate bond. I’d paused at the discovery. Though Audrey’s scent lingered in the air, it trailed off into the distance and out of the reach of my senses. That set off multiple alarms in my head, and I barked for all the servants to step out, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Paul lay sprawled on the floor, nasty bruises littering his skin and an eye swollen shut. He was surrounded by three corpses, each one brutally murdered.“Where is she?” I’d asked, my voice low, almost slipping into a growl. Paul’s gaze met mine, and a single tear drop had rolled down the side of his cheek. It was then I’d noticed that Paul’s lips were gone. As in, his mouth had completely disappeared, replaced by a layer of smooth skin. The r
Roman POV:“I came to see you,” my stepbrother said, grimacing at the carnage before him. “But if I'd known today was ‘Slit-a-couple-of-throats Day’, I wouldn't have bothered.” I ignored his usual jibes and barked orders at the servants who stood like statues in an almost concealed part of the area to clean the parlor. They sprang to life almost immediately, scrambling to put things in place, while Marvin watched it all with an unreadable expression. “What did you come here for?” I asked when I decided he'd stared for long enough. “To ask for permission.”That caught my interest. No matter what, Marvin never asked for permission. I gave him an incredulous look. “What for?”“I wish to take Tanya Hill back to Romania when it's time for me to.” I thought I hadn't heard right. “Tanya? Audrey's stepsister?”His gaze flickered briefly when I mentioned my mate's name. “Yes.” I lifted a brow. Marvin was known for being anything but serious with women. Even when he’d been with the girl
Tanya POV:I watched, slightly irritated, as my mother prattled on and on about how infuriating Roman was. She'd returned home about three hours ago, but had gotten up as soon as the shouts began. I'd run outside after her, and my blood had run cold at the writings in the sky. In contrast to my shock, however, my mother's face radiated glee, and she went back into the house, almost skipping in fact. I'd been puzzled, but then again, she was my mother. She was always alternating between infuriating and puzzling me. “You need to have seen his face though,” she laughed, and I blinked at her happy expression. “It felt like I was looking into Keith Blackburn's frustrated face all over again.”I didn't speak, turning my attention from her to the television and turning the volume just a bit higher, enough for her not to notice. Then I forced myself to concentrate on the media, though nothing was entering.She continued to prattle on and on, ignorant of the fact that I was no longer listeni
Audrey POV:“Audrey Hill, you said?” I was still in the company of the brethren. Kim had left me alone with them so he could ‘freshen up and stop looking like some damned grandfather’, and they'd placed a small chair before them so they now seemed to be way above me even while seated. That only added to my trepidation. If Edward Kim’s actions were anything to go by, these men were bloodthirsty people who would not hesitate to kill. Their aura permeated the air, and I almost cowered in their presence. But I recalled the bond Roman and I shared. What we had solidified my place as Luna, despite the fact that we hadn't had the official crowning ceremony. I was, by lycanthrope laws, the rightful Luna. I was not going to show obeisance before these people, scared as I was. That didn’t stop my hand from shaking as I set down the glass of juice they'd forced me to take. “Y-yes, ma'am.”“Does that mean you're Gatrix-Hill’s daughter?” I stilled for a millisecond, my emotions conflicted t
Roman POV:“Him? Of all people?” Jacob looked confused as Marvin folded his arms and glared back at my Beta with the same intensity. “I'm not here to work you, fool. I'm working with Roman.”“I'm Roman's best friend,” Julian retorted. “You're some lucky bastard who stumbled upon the truth.”I frowned as Jacob's eyes widened. “Julian.”Marvin snarled, but held himself at the last minute and gave Julian a cocky smile, a mask over his true feelings. “At least I'm a lucky rich bastard. You're some help's boy that Roman had pity on.” I noticed the tick in Julian's jaw. “Fuck you.”“I'd rather masturbate to a diaper commercial.” “Shut up,” I growled. “The two of you.” They frowned at the command, but complied, insulting themselves with their eyes. I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. I hadn't foreseen this when I accepted Marvin's offer to help out with Audrey's situation. “What do we know about Edward’s interest, Julian?” I asked. He looked away from Marvin to me and pursed his lip
Roman POV:Julian eyed the girl suspiciously, but her green eyes were only on me, shining brightly.“You're a good Alpha,” she suddenly said, placing one of her small hands on mine. I almost flinched at the contact, but paused when I discovered it felt…natural. Like her hand was supposed to be on mine, comfortingly. “Very good Alpha!”A strangled sound left Marvin's mouth, but it didn't register in my mind, because I was staring at the little girl with dark locs that was now smiling at me. “Ruby, was it?” She beamed and nodded her head vigorously. “I like you, Alpha! You’re not like that bad man at all!” As she spoke, she pointed at the guard's corpse, then lifted her chin proudly. “I killed the bad man for you!” I blinked. And blinked again. “Wait, what?” If I understood her correctly, then she was essentially saying the guard had been caught in some illegal affairs, and she'd discovered it before me, so she'd killed him on my behalf. For a child, that was a serious allegation. “W
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…”