Leila's POV.My head felt like I was carrying a heavy weight, as if my skull were caving in on itself.I groaned and shifted the weight in my arms again but it wouldn't budge.It was like there were rocks weighing down my chest, preventing me from moving, from breathing properly in the world around me.My eyes fluttered open and I found myself lying face down in the ground, my whole body ached.My arms burned and my hands trembled like they'd never been shaken before.I could feel sharp pains at my ribs, poking through the skin like tiny spears being driven into them, making it hard for me to breathe.But that wasn't what was hurting me the most.My heart thudded against my rib cage like it wanted to burst out of my chest. It was so loud that it was hard to think.My hands rushed to my tummy out of impulse, searching desperately to find some kind of comfort from feeling my baby.I sighed in relief when I realized it's still alive, I winced in pain as I tried adjusting myself.It hurt
Darren's POV.I'm in a fit of rage, the rage in me, it's like a tornado about to explode, I could be anything from a raging werewolf to a raging wolf inside me, my eyes are blood red. I feel it in every fiber of my being. The anger is burning within me, inside my soul but also all throughout my body. My entire body feels as if an enormous weight is pressing against it, I could feel how heavy it iscrushing down on me, how much it is weighing on my very soul.I could feel how heavy it is crushing down onto me as I sat there staring at the wall with tears streaming down my face. It was so painful that my chest ached and my heart was breaking into pieces.It's been days without her, it has been more than a week now, I still couldn't find her, and it left me empty.Without her here, everything felt wrong, empty, it would be nice not having to be lonely, it felt horrible without my mate beside me, my Luna, it was terrible and I was struggling to not get angry.But I wasn't sure of that t
Leila's POV.The door creaked open, waking me up immediately, I wasn't happy to hear the footsteps coming closer to where I slept.The cold floor sent a sharp pain to my back and made my body ache with every breath that came out of my mouth.My eyes opened slowly, blinking away tears at first before adjusting to the light that came from the door being wide open.The realization that the door was open and I could see what was outside for the first time since I was kidnapped here had me standing up immediately.I forced myself to sit up, the pain made me wince slightly as I finally sat up.I swallowed nervously when I realized it was the witch.She was the most scary one to me here, I knew she could somehow discover I am pregnant easily and I didn't want that.The way she stared at me, made me feel like crawling inside a hole and never coming out.I tried looking out the door, but she moved to it and closed it immediately, her eyes narrowing."I've prepared everything for the ritual so
Darren's POV.The sadness I'm experiencing is too deep for this world, it whispers to me and takes hold of my mind and body.I can't even move from the bed, since I killed Alpha Rick I thought I would feel better and I thought I would find Leila that day.But it didn't happen, I searched and searched and even found my way back to the Alpha Rick's pack.But I didn't see her, I couldn't smell her, the fact that she was nowhere to be found made my head spin.I was overwhelmed with the sadness I felt, it made me feel weak in the knees.I woke up very early today, trying to prepare for my search, but I couldn't stand up.The sadness that made me numb to everything, I felt it inside and out. It hurt my heart and mind.It hurts me so badly, my heart aches with sorrow.I just want to make this pain go away,but it wasn't leaving without Leila being here with me.The sadness took control over me. It consumed me until there was nothing else to feel anymore. All I felt was the constant gloominess
Shantel's POV.I sneaked back to the pack as fast as I could, Dean was there to make my hiding better.I couldn't wait to meet the Alpha, I had everything perfectly planned in my heart and I was sure it would work perfectly.I smiled as I stared at myself in the mirror, my reflection was too beautiful to behold.My mission was simple and I knew I could achieve it easily.All I needed to do was seduce the Alpha, the outfits I wore were mind-blowing.There was no way he would see me and not try touching me, even for a second.The only problem was seeing him in his room. Dean told me he had locked himself up in the training room since morning. He has been trashing the whole place and no one can open it.I knew he did all that because of that stupid Leila, I groaned immediately I thought of her.She seemed to leave a bitter taste anytime I thought of her, ever since she had come into our lives. I hate her so much.I'm happy I killed her, it was very essential that she dies, and I was ha
Shantel's POV.If I thought I was upset with Leila before, it wasn't compared to how I felt right now.If I could break down the whole walls of the pack I would right now.I was vibrating with the anger in me, I could feel my legs and knees shaking because I was trying to balance and walk to my room.The embarrassment I felt would be in my mind for life, I couldn't wait to make Leila pay for what her mate did to me.The humiliation felt like it was only befitting for her to pay for it.I could feel my heart gladden, with the immense punishment I thought of given to her immediately I reached where she was.I couldn't wait to make her feel the undiluted rage in me right now, I feel like blasting down everything around me.Seeing if anything could make me less angry than I am right now,I cleaned the makeup immediately wiping it away with anger.It was so unbelievable that after all the preparations, he still sent me out of his room.I I started and destroyed every object I could find try
Darren's POV.I woke up with an annoyed growl, every bad feeling overwhelming me again.I staggered trying to arrange my room, I kept sending out other slaves, seeing them reminded me of when Leila cleaned my room.And it ended up bringing sadness and anger, so instead of putting everything back as it was, I just threw everything on a chair or something. I didn’t have time for that right now anyway, I had more important things to do.I rushed to the bathroom, took a quick shower, it cooled me down and felt good as well.And then I put on some clean clothes. It was all dark colors and black leather.The black represented the gloominess I felt, my wolf growled already getting angry.I couldn't blame him, even though I was barely able to keep my anger in check.Anyone who saw me ran away,some stood at arms length, even my Beta was wary of my mood, it could change any second and anything they did upset me.Everyone in my pack, threaded carefully with me since Leila disappeared.So it ma
Darren's POV.I kicked Dean immediately Aidan dragged him to the torture room.I'm so livid, the truth was right under my nose and I didn't know it."Alpha please." He begged.I slammed his head against the wall, his eyes rolled back in his head as he fell on the ground.Doing that to him didn't help my rage or anything,it made me want to hit him more.And I knew it was just the beginning, but right now I needed the anger to go away."So it's you and Shantel, and I've been trying to find out who did it all this while." I said I was still shocked.He stared at me like I was saying rubbish, "Alpha I don't know what you're saying." He said."So you won't tell me the truth about all the plans?" I asked.He refused to say something, it felt like he was being purely defiant.I smiled, I dragged him by his hair, yanking him up with a jerk, "You think you're tough?" "Let's see how tough you can be." I dragged the chains out, letting them snap around one of the poles. He started to freak o
Leila's POV.I followed him, I was too giddy and excited.He kissed me, ruffling my hair, as I giggled in delight. He told me how proud he was of me and we both laughed at it. His face formed into a smile that didn't exist and it made the butterflies I felt in my stomach go wild again. I loved it when he smiled at me or made me happy.I felt so good, everything was lovely and wonderful, and then he looked down and whispered, “We have to go or we won't see the sunset." He said.I followed him, feeling like I was floating on air, as he carried me up.I couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened and how I felt now.I was filled with so much happiness, love, adoration. I wanted more than anything else to spend my life with this amazing man who had given me all I had ever wished for.He gave me protection, love and care, and I couldn't ask for anything more."We're almost there." He whispered.He covered my eyes as I stumbled trying to find my balance."Be careful." He said
Leila's POV.I groaned as the incessant knocking on the door jolted me awake from my peaceful slumber. Rubbing my eyes, I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the door, struggling to shake off the lingering remnants of sleep.I swung open the door to reveal a young maid standing on the other side. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a tight bun, and her eyes darted nervously around the room. She curtsied before me, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke."By Alpha's orders, I have been sent to get you ready for the celebration, ma'am," she announced, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's the mating ceremony today."Confusion washed over me like a cold wave, and I frowned, trying to gather my thoughts. Mating ceremony?"What... what ceremony?" I stammered, my voice still laced with drowsiness."The mating ceremony, ma'am," the maid repeated, her eyes widening. "You and Alpha Darren's he had been preparing for it all day"My heart skipped a beat at the realization. How could I h
Darren's POV.I stepped into the kitchen, the savory aroma of freshly cooked food wafting through the air. It had been a long day, but I wanted to make sure Leila had a proper meal.She deserved something special, something that would nourish her body and lift her spirits. As I glanced around the kitchen, my eyes settled on the ingredients neatly arranged on the countertop. It was time to create a healthy and delicious dinner for my mate.I started by selecting a vibrant array of vegetables. Bright red tomatoes, crisp green lettuce, and vibrant orange carrots caught my attention.I carefully washed and chopped them, the sharp knife slicing through the vegetables with precision. Next, I reached for a head of cauliflower and broke it into florets, ready to be roasted to perfection.With the vegetables prepared, I turned my attention to the protein. I had bought fresh salmon, knowing that the omega-3 fatty acids would be beneficial for Leila and our unborn child. I seasoned them with a d
Leila's POV.I woke up with a pounding headache, my temples throbbing as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. Slowly, the fog lifted from my mind, and I realized I was in my own room. Relief washed over me, mingling with confusion.How did I get here? Why was my head hurting so much? And then, like a dam breaking, my memories flooded back, crashing into my consciousness with the force of a tidal wave.I remembered meeting the healer and all, I just know the memory didn't leave. Shantel. The name echoed in my mind, carrying with it the terror of the past few days. I had been kidnapped by her and the witch, held against my will in a nightmarish ordeal.Tears welled up in my eyes as I allowed myself to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. The Moon goddess had spared my life, and for that, I was eternally grateful, I'm sure she sent the blasting moon to kill them.The room seemed simultaneously comforting and alien. The familiar sights and sounds of my sanctuary took on ne
Leila's POV.Opening my eyes, staring at the healer as she cleaned off my bruises, applying ointment on it as the memories of Shantel's wickedness dawned on me.I felt so proud of myself for surviving all the pains and all the torture I received in the hands of that monster Shantel.I remembered how the Alpha carried immediately when he saw me there.She made my life a living hell, my child was my hope and my strength so I had to survive.I would have been devastated if I had lost my child to Shantel's torture, even at the expense that she doesn't know that I'm pregnant her torture was enough to kill a mother and her child."Whoever did this to you must be hell bent on having you dead" The healer said as she slowly rubbed the ointment on my legs."Oh she's definitely hell bent on killing me and Alpha Darren, she's a monster. You should have seen what she did to me. This is just because the wounds were healing." I uttered hastily, trying hard to shade off the thoughts of Shantel becau
Darren's POV"We have to go and find Leila, if anything happens to her I wouldn't forgive myself" I uttered, wondering what Leila must be passing through in the hands of Shantel, the fact that I wasn't there and I don't know where she could be filled me with the thoughts of incapabilities.I've got to find Leila to shade off my thoughts of incapabilities and also to prove to Shantel that she can't get away with her plans, her obsession is quite killing her. "It's dangerous out there,we got hurt when we came back."Aidan stuttered, knowing that his words would get me pissed. Truly his words got me pissed to some point, I lost my appetite for even eating this beautiful meal."I don't care... Besides it's the reason I want to rescue her out of the hands of Shantel" I retorted in a manner that he understood that he had to think about his words before saying it to me to avoid my wrath."Having you in the hands of Shantel would mean her gaining full victory over you and her plan could be to
Leila's POV.I was tied up on top of a stone, my hands behind my back.I was nervous, wondering how the ritual would be, when I woke up, I saw myself here.I was about to become a sacrifice for a greedy witch, and here I was.I couldn't move, I felt paralyzed, everything in me was frozen, unable to respond to anything other than the cold.The sensation spread throughout me like ice, freezing every part of my body. There wasn't enough air in my lungs, and yet I could feel nothing, no air moving through my throat. My stomach turned uncomfortably and I started to gag involuntarily.The nausea came in waves, and it took all of my will power to fight them off until they subsided again, slowly returning to a normal state.I was terrified, my heart beating so fast I thought it might explode.My mind went blank, my breathing slowed, and the world stopped spinning around me, just as my body was starting to slow down from its frantic heartbeat.In an attempt to distract myself, I began counting
Leila's POV.A scream rips from through my throat as ice cold water cascades down my body."Get up" Shantel hisses at me in a harsh tone, I can see her silhouetted figure in the room, my mind is in a haze and I try to focus, to regain my bearings. Her voice pierces my ears but all I see are blurry spots, "Get up" she repeats with more emphasis, I can't move, my limbs are shaking violently, "Stand up at one and do not waste my time, the ritual is happening elsewhere. " She snaps at me, it takes my brain a few seconds to process this, the ritual she speaks of means death. They are going to kill me and take my powers, I try to stand, and immediately I am hit with another wave of dizziness.Fear shoots through my spine in a hot wave, gripping me, my mouth goes dry, my throat clogs up and my eyes water. I feel my knees give out, they give way beneath me, and I collapse on the floor once again, a sob tears from me as I curl up into myself, wrapping my arms around my shivering body.
Shantel's POV.I shivered, fear filled my body, and I could barely breath for a second. It wasn't because of the cold due to the rain. No, this was more than fear and pain.I couldn't believe what I heard from Dean, the Alpha was suspicious of me and I didn't know what to do.I was so terrified and Dean wasn't picking up his calls, or even texting me like he usually would. He's not picking up his calls, I wonder if the Alpha caught him already.I paced the corridor, trying to figure out what to do.I called his line again, and it was switched off.I bit my fingernails, my whole body shook, but my eyes stayed glued on my phone as I waited for another text message or a call.The witch came back already and she was doing her final preparations as she told me.I really didn't care about that, all that mattered to me was seeing a reply from Dean.I kept looking at my phone, waiting for anything, any kind of notification. My hands were shaking as I tried to text him again, my mind raced