~Declan~
“What do you mean she’s gone?” I slammed my fist on the Oakwood desk. The glass of bourbon I’d been nursing after handing down Serena’s sentence rattled.
Lia flinched, quickly hiding her trembling hand behind her back. “I followed Serena as soon as I could, but the rogues got to her before I did.”
Stunned, I clenched my fist, feeling my world crumble. Lia had one job. She needed to make sure Serena made it through the Hallow Forest, take her to my contact in The City of Brille, and explain why I did what I did.
I can’t believe this. My Serena. She’s gone?
I shook my head, anger simmering inside me. Trying to keep my anger at bay, I took a huge breath and met Lia’s eyes. “How fucking sure are you that the rogues got Serena?”
Lia was perfect for this job. She was an exceptional warrior, and Serena trusted her. They were best friends. If there was anyone Serena would listen to after what she had gone through, it was Lia. Did I make a mistake choosing Lia for this job?
“I…” Lia swallowed hard. She was never one to stutter. Warriors in our pack would shake in front of me, but not Lia. Seeing her shift from one foot to another would’ve been funny if this were another situation. She met my gaze before continuing. Fear and sorrow shone in her eyes. “I saw the rogues gobble the last of her, Alpha.”
The hair on the back of my neck rose. Images of rogues ripping Serena’s limbs like savages filled my head. Clenching my fist, my nails carved crescents onto my palm as anger filled my every fiber.
“Are you lying to me, Lia?” I let a sliver of my alpha aura slither out of my hands. It swirled through the air in thin waves only I could see, wrapping around Lia’s neck and body.
Fear settled in Lia’s body, her wolf whimpering inside her as my power wrapped around her in a chokehold. Lia shook her head, her legs wobbling, but she remained frozen across my desk, panic glowing in her eyes.
My power has grown considerably since I married Serena. What was the use of this power and title if I couldn’t even protect the woman I loved? This entire week has been a fucking shit show. I thought the finale would be sentencing Serena to exile, fooling everyone in Embercrest with my best-laid plan. Then things would finally calm down, and I could be with her in a couple of weeks.
I had everything planned out. I needed to get her out of Embercrest, then ask her what truly happened. Grandfather’s men knew nothing about what had happened inside his office that day. All witnesses died inside that room apart from Serena. She was the prime suspect, and the council was in turmoil. The clash between Embercrest and my old pack was a civil war waiting to explode in a violent, bloody fight.
I was holding the thin thread between keeping Serena safe and keeping Embercrest from ripping apart. All my effort went to waste? What the fuck am I going to do now? I cannot simply accept that I failed Serena. I promised I would protect her, and I failed miserably.
Lia’s clenched hands remained on her side, her eyes watering as she stared at me. Her small frame shook as though turbulence raved inside her body. Her cheeks were turning deep red, silver swirled in her eyes, her wolf clawing its way out.
Drawing my power from holding Lia frozen, she dropped to her knees, gasping, chasing her breath.
“I would never lie to you, Alpha.” Lia looked up at me, tears welling in her eyes. “Serena was my friend. She was family. I want her safe more than anything else.”
There was a faint rogue stench in the air coming from Lia. But there were a lot of scenarios as to why Lia brought a rogue stench with her.
She shoved her hands inside the pocket of her zip-up jacket, then removed the distance between us, placing a ring on my table.
I stared at the ring with wide eyes. My heart broke in every possible way as my wolf howled in fury and pain.
I would recognize that ring anywhere. It was Mom’s ring which I gave to Serena the day we got married.
Molars grounding, I commanded Lia. “Get out.”
“Alpha-”
“Get the fuck out!”
Lia scrambled to her feet, tripping over the carpet. As soon as the door slammed closed in her wake, I stood and grabbed the glass of bourbon on my table, taking a sip. As the liquid spiraled down my throat, anger boiled within me. I hurled the glass to the wall, hitting the books stacked on the shelf across my table. The alcohol drenched the books as the glass splinters flew everywhere.
I felt sick, lightheaded. My chest rose and fell, the air around me became heavy. A massive chain suddenly appeared around my throat, tightening as the truth settled in.
No one could lie under the alpha’s command. Lia was telling the truth. Serena never made it out of Hallow Forest, and I was the one who sent her to her death.
Growling, I slammed my fist on the table. It broke in half with a sickening crack. I stared at the broken furniture; the remnants of the security breach reports on the south border littered my office floor. Serena’s ring glistened as it caught the light from the ceiling.
Here I was, scrutinizing how a rogue managed to slip through our security on the morning after my wedding, the week in which we had the tightest security in place since we invited the alpha of the neighboring packs in The City of Brille. I was reading paperwork while my wife fought for her last breath, losing her life in a rogue attack.
What kind of alpha am I? I couldn’t even protect my wife? A fucking useless alpha, you dipshit!
I looked around the office that once belonged to Alpha Lucian. He was more of a father to me than my own. Serena insisted that I use this office, too, because it reminded her so much of her father.
She even put a picture of us on the wall where her family’s photos were hanging.
All of this was her idea. I never wanted to become an alpha in the first place. If I wasn’t the alpha, I could’ve gone to her myself and saved her from those rogues. I would die protecting her!
Feeling the walls closing in on me, I sprinted on my unsteady feet towards the balcony, shifting mid-air. Landing with a furious groan on the ground, my black wolf dashed at lightning speed toward the woods.
My paws dug into the ground, leaving prints on the muddy ground. Now that Serena was gone, everything I worked for went to waste. I was a strong fighter and a good leader because of her, and I wanted her to be proud of me.
Growling, I jumped in the air and slammed my body on the tree blocking my path. The trunk broke in the middle. I rolled on the ground from the impact, gaining my balance before the top half of the broken trunk touched down the forest floor.
Serena’s gone? Someone, please wake me up from this nightmare. I simply cannot live in a world where she doesn’t exist.
I howled. My agony reverberated through the woods, disturbing the birds and animals in the forest. My wolf refused to accept this fact. This isn’t how we were supposed to spend our first week as husband and wife.
“Alpha, where are you going?” Jared’s worried voice vibrated through the mind link.
Now that I am Alpha, everyone has their eyes on everything I do. Nothing I do seems trivial. It’s fucking suffocating.
“Alpha?” Jared asked again. As my beta, he must know where I am. “You’ve just crossed the border. Where the fuck are you going?” But as my best friend, he knew very well that I was not in the right mindset right now. “Declan?! Fuck!”
I shut him out, my paws digging into the dirt, the darkness of Hallow Forest cloaking my black wolf.
….
~Five Years Later~
“Don’t you think it’s enough that Embercrest is rogue-free?” Jared asked from the SUV’s driver’s seat.
I kept my eyes focused on the twinkling lights of Brille. Its noise and bustle in the middle of the night were a huge change from the serenity of Embercrest. The city never sleeps. Skyscrapers pitched on each side of the street operated twenty-four hours, housing the grandiose casino where humans squandered millions each second.
“Seth invited me,” I murmured, thumbing over the cufflinks of my white dress shirt. “I didn’t invite myself to this loud city.”
Seth Hawkins, the alpha of Fallenmist pack, was a good friend of mine. He’s holding a charity event for his birthday. ‘That’s what billionaires in the human world do,’ Seth explained when I asked him what the charity was for. Seth was also a shifter, and unlike us, living a quiet and peaceful life in Embercrest, his entire pack blended well with the humans. So I made the exception of taking this ten-hour drive, half of it spent in heavy traffic, for a fucking drink.
Jared blew a breath, his disbelief in my words filling the entire space of the car. “So you’re not here because of Roy’s report?”
We had to adjust our tactics and mirror what the human government does. We’ve placed spies and moles in all cities. When shit goes down, we wouldn’t be blindsided by rogues anymore. They’ve become smarter as time goes by. I don’t know how they did it, but their attacks had been more synchronized. Rogues were supposed to be lone wolves, yet they seemed to have found a way to bend the law of nature.
“I didn’t even pay attention to his report,” the lie dribbled out of my lips like honey. Jared pursed his lip, giving me a side-eye. “Did Roy finally get laid?”
“You’re such a bad liar,” Jared huffed. Since we were stuck in traffic, he kept himself entertained by playing with the radio dial. “You endured a ten-hour, excruciating drive just to attend Seth’s charity ball? Not to mention promising to wear a suit and tie for his charity event?”
I paid Jared’s teasing tone no mind. I’m not a bad liar. He just knows me so well.
“I’m all in for having fun with the rogues here, but can we at least enjoy the view?” In Jared’s books, enjoying the view meant spending two nights drinking and fucking random girls, human and shifter, whoever was available and willing.
“You can have your own fun,” I murmured, watching the pedestrians on the side of the street go about their mundane lives. “Seth mentioned we could stay in his hotel for however long we want.”
“Hell yeah!” he made a fist bump in the air.
My beta was such a kid sometimes. I shook my head, doing a double take at the woman ambling on the sidewalk.
I will never forget that angelic face- plump lips, soft, round jaws, and a striking blue cat’s eye. She might have blond hair, but I know that face.
Serena.
“Stop the car!” I commanded Jared.
Jared jumped in his seat. “We aren’t moving, man! We’ve been stuck here for ten minutes! Wait! Where are you going?” His protest and questions faded into the background as I slipped out of the car and dashed towards the sidewalk.
~Declan~I was careful not to use inhumane speed in chasing Serena’s doppelgänger. The ghost of her had haunted me for the last five years.No, I haven’t forgiven myself for causing her pain and death. Part of me knew I was chasing someone who didn’t live in this realm anymore, but my wolf refused to accept that Serena was really gone. He was a stubborn one, more stubborn than me.A war raged between my mind and my heart as I merged into the crowded walking path. My mind said it was all my imagination, but my heart believed this imagination, and so did my wolf. He was restless. If someone in this crowd would investigate, they’d see the gold swirling in my eyes. My wolf fought for dominance. I paused and willed my wolf to calm down, craning my neck in search of the blond girl in this ocean of people going about their lives.There were about thirty blond-haired women within a hundred yards. Through my heightened sense of sight, I spotted the blond in the pedestrian lane at the corner o
~Declan~“Stop fidgeting. You look great, Alpha,” Jared whispered. The laughter in his voice made me frown. The elevator chimed, signaling that we had finally reached Seth’s penthouse.“I look fucking ridiculous,” I grunted as the elevator door parted, revealing a dimly lit hallway. “You made me wear tights!”Jared stepped out, chuckling. “Trust me. You will have every woman’s eyes in that ball the second we walk in.”“Of course, why wouldn’t they? We both look ridiculous in these outfits!” The muffled bass drummed beneath my feet as we approached the double doors at the end of the hallway. Two men in sharp suits manned the doors.Jared handed them our invitations. They scrutinized our outfit with a passive expression before nodding.“Wait, you forgot this.”“What now!?” I growled. I swear I was on the brink of losing my shit when Jared held out a gold glittering mask. “For heaven’s sake, Jared?!”“It’s a masquerade ball, Al- Declan,” he stopped himself before calling me alpha.Face p
~Declan~The moment my foot settled on the ground floor landing, I understood why my wolf had been eager to know the lady in the blue ball gown.It started with a scent so delicious that I deliriously salivated for a single taste. A growl rumbled from my chest, loud enough for Seth to look over his shoulder and frown at me. His frown quickly morphed into concern.“Declan.” His wide eyes scanned my face, then our surroundings, worried someone might notice the change in me. It took all of my strength to control my wolf from catapulting forward to take over the situation. The tension coiling inside me was chaotic, a storm ready to wipe out everything in its path. Liquid gold filled my eyes, my canine elongating, and my fingernails lengthened, digging into my palms as I tried to keep it together.I was shifting. And a crowd of influential people in the human and shifter world would witness it if I didn’t control my wolf.Deep breaths in and out, I willed my heart to slow its beating and
~Serena~I stared at the fire dancing up in the air, the gorgeous Cinderella ball gown burning inside the steel drum. The beautiful ball gown just went to waste. The nasty scent of burning fabric drifted through the air, but it wasn’t enough to erase Declan’s scent. It annoyingly lingered around, like an itch I couldn’t scratch.Pulling out a packet of cigarettes from my leather jacket pocket, I lit it up and took a long pull.Fucking Declan Mitchell. I huffed, peering up at the glowing moon above.‘What kind of sick joke is this, Moon Goddess? Really? Declan? I don’t mind not having a mate. I don’t need a man to complete me, much less the bastard who was the reason I lost everything in the first place.’“Penny for your thoughts,” Spade asked, materializing beside me from the darkness of the forest behind the cabin, one of the many safe houses I owned. I didn’t hear him coming, but I sensed him before he made himself known.“Do I look like I need a penny?” I retorted, scowling at him
~Declan~My fingers in one hand were enough to count what I liked about being an alpha. In the eyes of an ordinary wolf in a pack, being an alpha was a noble title. Some wouldn’t hesitate to spill blood just to gain control over a pack. In the wrong hands, being an alpha could be a powerful sword he could wield to overpower the weak.It comes with power and respect, but if anyone would ask me what being an alpha was like, it was a heavy burden I had to carry over my shoulder. Although it was my birthright, being an alpha didn’t have its appeal to me. I blamed this bloodline for my mother’s death. If my father wasn’t the alpha’s son, those rogues wouldn’t have targeted our family.Serena was the only reason I agreed to be an alpha. Honoring her is also the reason I am still an alpha to this day. It felt like letting go of Embercrest also meant letting go of her memory.I had help, of course. All these years, Jared had kept me sane. He protected me from the scrutinizing eyes of the Ember
~Declan~As if on cue, Seth’s beta, Clint, knocked and opened the door. “There’s a Heart and Spade in the lobby. Wouldn’t say their surnames,” he announced with a frown. “They said they’re here for the meeting with Chief Ramirez.”That’s odd. Seth employed humans in his company and if you were meeting with the CEO with Seth’s caliber, it was an unspoken courtesy to give your full name or you’d be considered a threat to his security.“They are the team I’m speaking about,” Chief Ramirez cut in, his eyes anticipating Seth’s next instructions. Beside me, Seth’s fingernails were already drawing blood from his palm. I hear a low growl rumble from his throat. Then he nodded at Clint. “Let them in.”Mind link between Seth and me wasn’t needed for me to understand what was running through his head right now. However, he had to take into consideration that Chief Ramirez was an outsider from the shifter world. He didn’t understand that shifters were territorial creatures, that we rarely work w
~Serena~I will never forget the day the life I knew was ripped from my grasp by the people I trusted and loved. This was the day I tasted the bitter tang of betrayal, leaving me with nothing apart from anger and hatred. This was the day I learned how revenge can motivate a person to endure anything, even death.~~The chains linking the shackles around my wrist sang a terrible song of death and agony. It was heavy and cold, leaving bruising marks on my blood-matted skin.Anton and Mike dragged me by the arms, their fingers digging into my skin. They had been part of my family’s security detail since I was a little girl. Now, they’re the entourage leading me to my execution. They were indifferent. Cold and distant. They don’t see me as the princess of this pack anymore, but a mere criminal who tainted their pack with disgrace.Everyone we came across through this excruciating walk towards the amphitheater where I’ll meet my end vibrated with hate and anger.We halted before a metal do
~Serena~The raging sentiments of the townspeople, the blistering heat of the sun, and Gerald’s protest on the podium became trivial as Declan served me a one-way ticket to my death on a silver platter. We stared at each other, our eyes conveying what our mouths couldn’t utter.Mine was a culmination of confusion and anger. While Declan had already detached himself somewhere no one could reach him, hiding behind a mask of indifference. I knew a way to reach that side of him, but there was only one way we would be touching again, and that was me shoving a dagger in his heart.Anton and Mike grabbed my arms, ushering me at their alpha’s command. Declan’s eyes were heavy on my back as I stepped down the platform. It was like stepping back into reality. I became aware of the outraged pack members in the arena. Words were thrown at me, demeaning my rights in this pack.Behind the double door, more soldiers joined my entourage. For a sentence given seconds ago, I say they were more than pre
~Declan~As if on cue, Seth’s beta, Clint, knocked and opened the door. “There’s a Heart and Spade in the lobby. Wouldn’t say their surnames,” he announced with a frown. “They said they’re here for the meeting with Chief Ramirez.”That’s odd. Seth employed humans in his company and if you were meeting with the CEO with Seth’s caliber, it was an unspoken courtesy to give your full name or you’d be considered a threat to his security.“They are the team I’m speaking about,” Chief Ramirez cut in, his eyes anticipating Seth’s next instructions. Beside me, Seth’s fingernails were already drawing blood from his palm. I hear a low growl rumble from his throat. Then he nodded at Clint. “Let them in.”Mind link between Seth and me wasn’t needed for me to understand what was running through his head right now. However, he had to take into consideration that Chief Ramirez was an outsider from the shifter world. He didn’t understand that shifters were territorial creatures, that we rarely work w
~Declan~My fingers in one hand were enough to count what I liked about being an alpha. In the eyes of an ordinary wolf in a pack, being an alpha was a noble title. Some wouldn’t hesitate to spill blood just to gain control over a pack. In the wrong hands, being an alpha could be a powerful sword he could wield to overpower the weak.It comes with power and respect, but if anyone would ask me what being an alpha was like, it was a heavy burden I had to carry over my shoulder. Although it was my birthright, being an alpha didn’t have its appeal to me. I blamed this bloodline for my mother’s death. If my father wasn’t the alpha’s son, those rogues wouldn’t have targeted our family.Serena was the only reason I agreed to be an alpha. Honoring her is also the reason I am still an alpha to this day. It felt like letting go of Embercrest also meant letting go of her memory.I had help, of course. All these years, Jared had kept me sane. He protected me from the scrutinizing eyes of the Ember
~Serena~I stared at the fire dancing up in the air, the gorgeous Cinderella ball gown burning inside the steel drum. The beautiful ball gown just went to waste. The nasty scent of burning fabric drifted through the air, but it wasn’t enough to erase Declan’s scent. It annoyingly lingered around, like an itch I couldn’t scratch.Pulling out a packet of cigarettes from my leather jacket pocket, I lit it up and took a long pull.Fucking Declan Mitchell. I huffed, peering up at the glowing moon above.‘What kind of sick joke is this, Moon Goddess? Really? Declan? I don’t mind not having a mate. I don’t need a man to complete me, much less the bastard who was the reason I lost everything in the first place.’“Penny for your thoughts,” Spade asked, materializing beside me from the darkness of the forest behind the cabin, one of the many safe houses I owned. I didn’t hear him coming, but I sensed him before he made himself known.“Do I look like I need a penny?” I retorted, scowling at him
~Declan~The moment my foot settled on the ground floor landing, I understood why my wolf had been eager to know the lady in the blue ball gown.It started with a scent so delicious that I deliriously salivated for a single taste. A growl rumbled from my chest, loud enough for Seth to look over his shoulder and frown at me. His frown quickly morphed into concern.“Declan.” His wide eyes scanned my face, then our surroundings, worried someone might notice the change in me. It took all of my strength to control my wolf from catapulting forward to take over the situation. The tension coiling inside me was chaotic, a storm ready to wipe out everything in its path. Liquid gold filled my eyes, my canine elongating, and my fingernails lengthened, digging into my palms as I tried to keep it together.I was shifting. And a crowd of influential people in the human and shifter world would witness it if I didn’t control my wolf.Deep breaths in and out, I willed my heart to slow its beating and
~Declan~“Stop fidgeting. You look great, Alpha,” Jared whispered. The laughter in his voice made me frown. The elevator chimed, signaling that we had finally reached Seth’s penthouse.“I look fucking ridiculous,” I grunted as the elevator door parted, revealing a dimly lit hallway. “You made me wear tights!”Jared stepped out, chuckling. “Trust me. You will have every woman’s eyes in that ball the second we walk in.”“Of course, why wouldn’t they? We both look ridiculous in these outfits!” The muffled bass drummed beneath my feet as we approached the double doors at the end of the hallway. Two men in sharp suits manned the doors.Jared handed them our invitations. They scrutinized our outfit with a passive expression before nodding.“Wait, you forgot this.”“What now!?” I growled. I swear I was on the brink of losing my shit when Jared held out a gold glittering mask. “For heaven’s sake, Jared?!”“It’s a masquerade ball, Al- Declan,” he stopped himself before calling me alpha.Face p
~Declan~I was careful not to use inhumane speed in chasing Serena’s doppelgänger. The ghost of her had haunted me for the last five years.No, I haven’t forgiven myself for causing her pain and death. Part of me knew I was chasing someone who didn’t live in this realm anymore, but my wolf refused to accept that Serena was really gone. He was a stubborn one, more stubborn than me.A war raged between my mind and my heart as I merged into the crowded walking path. My mind said it was all my imagination, but my heart believed this imagination, and so did my wolf. He was restless. If someone in this crowd would investigate, they’d see the gold swirling in my eyes. My wolf fought for dominance. I paused and willed my wolf to calm down, craning my neck in search of the blond girl in this ocean of people going about their lives.There were about thirty blond-haired women within a hundred yards. Through my heightened sense of sight, I spotted the blond in the pedestrian lane at the corner o
~Declan~“What do you mean she’s gone?” I slammed my fist on the Oakwood desk. The glass of bourbon I’d been nursing after handing down Serena’s sentence rattled.Lia flinched, quickly hiding her trembling hand behind her back. “I followed Serena as soon as I could, but the rogues got to her before I did.”Stunned, I clenched my fist, feeling my world crumble. Lia had one job. She needed to make sure Serena made it through the Hallow Forest, take her to my contact in The City of Brille, and explain why I did what I did.I can’t believe this. My Serena. She’s gone?I shook my head, anger simmering inside me. Trying to keep my anger at bay, I took a huge breath and met Lia’s eyes. “How fucking sure are you that the rogues got Serena?”Lia was perfect for this job. She was an exceptional warrior, and Serena trusted her. They were best friends. If there was anyone Serena would listen to after what she had gone through, it was Lia. Did I make a mistake choosing Lia for this job?“I…” Lia s
~Serena~Werewolves live and hunt in packs, and when a member is sentenced to exile, they become rogue, destined to live and die alone. I can consider myself a rogue now, except I am wolfless. This rogue would recognize me as a human with the scent of a wolf from Embercrest. His enemy.As the alpha’s only child, I was taught self-defense at an early age, but I never needed to use these skills outside of sparring or training. Heart lodged in my throat, and I pressed my back against the tree as a rogue emerged from the bushes before me. Barely skin, fur, and bones, its mud-matted brown fur clung to its body like a second skin. Hunger gleamed in its eyes, seeing me as its first meal after famine. Baring its teeth, it snarled and crouched, leaping in my direction. Its movement was unsteady and slow.I jumped out of my hiding spot, rolling away from the rogue as its body slammed into the tree with a loud thud. It hissed, shaking its head to gain his balance, locking eyes with me as I stoo
~Serena~The raging sentiments of the townspeople, the blistering heat of the sun, and Gerald’s protest on the podium became trivial as Declan served me a one-way ticket to my death on a silver platter. We stared at each other, our eyes conveying what our mouths couldn’t utter.Mine was a culmination of confusion and anger. While Declan had already detached himself somewhere no one could reach him, hiding behind a mask of indifference. I knew a way to reach that side of him, but there was only one way we would be touching again, and that was me shoving a dagger in his heart.Anton and Mike grabbed my arms, ushering me at their alpha’s command. Declan’s eyes were heavy on my back as I stepped down the platform. It was like stepping back into reality. I became aware of the outraged pack members in the arena. Words were thrown at me, demeaning my rights in this pack.Behind the double door, more soldiers joined my entourage. For a sentence given seconds ago, I say they were more than pre