Alvara's Point of View
I couldn't stop shaking. Glancing between the injured and deceased. Blood spatter stained the tar. As the sun rose in the sky, light banished away the shadows beneath the bridge. Scarlet drops shimmered and ebbed into bigger pools. Vacant eyes stared at nothing.
Sybil had wrapped me in a silver blanket. Space blanket. Ciaran had come for me. Threw himself against Eugene, just to protect me. In that moment, I would have gladly gone with Eugene if it meant keeping my boys safe. Happy. Eugene had betrayed his word. Infiltrated the territory. Wiped away the men at the road block just up ahead. Carnage surrounded us all and for what?
Money?
Closure?
Love?
The entire meeting had been a bad idea from the start. If only I had listened to Ciaran. Dealt with Eugene swiftly and viciously. So many people would still be breathing. And my self-hatred wouldn't have increased ten fold. Naïve little girl,
Ozias' Point of ViewBlack swirled at the edges of my vision. Dreams danced in front of my eyes. I knew they were dreams, even if they were of her. My mate. My love. Alvara. Books floated around her head, words spilling into the world.She wasn't in that horrid dress from before anymore. Nor was she hunched over in fear. Light sparkled around her as she ready from the book in her hands. A world coming to life inside her mind. I reached for her, happy to just feel her skin beneath my touch.The image slipped. Fell into the tendrils of dark looming just outside my vision. Books came crashing to the floor. Alvara misted into nothingness.Pain echoed on my side and I clutched at it. Taking away my hand, crimson came into view, generously coating my fingers. The spot on my body grew in pain. Sharp as needles, it tore through me. Ate up the most raw parts of my soul until it had devoured me whole. It wouldn't end.Alvara faded b
Dargan's Point of ViewThe fight had been bloody. Saving Alvara from Eugene's grasp was the only thing I thought of doing in that moment. Keeping her away from him. Safe. Happy within our walls. Come what may, that was all that had mattered to me.Ciaran had sustained serious injuries. So had Ozias. It had been hell knowing that I could have helped them. I had gotten to Ciaran too late and a bullet had caught up with him. A nasty feeling to know that if I had acted faster, he wouldn't have slept through most of the morning.Alvara had also holed up within her room, only visited every so often by Ozias. Her tears hadn't stopped flowing but none of us had actually seen her cry. Seen her break. Instead, we listened to it through her locked door. Such a travesty, her tears.Maverick and Sybil had gone out to inform the families of the deceased. Ozias had refused, wanting to tend to Alvara and keep an eye on Ciaran. The body count was
Alvara's Point of ViewCiaran woke up just after lunch. Devoured the rest of the meal in one drawn out go. His wounds were half-way to healed. Not enough that he wasn't in pain, just enough that he could move exactly four times before winching.Teagan had dragged me from my self-pity. A special party only reserved for the weak and down-trotted. Somehow, she had made me laugh. Made me throw away all those troublesome thoughts about men being murdered in front of me. Or how it was all my fault. She made me smile, along with Dargan and Ozias, whom only joined us at lunch.Our plans for the day was do as little as possible. No meetings or plans. Just the six of us, blissfully enjoying a Wednesday afternoon. Sweltering afternoon, more like it.The air conditioners were on full blast. Curtains tightly shut. Teagan had stripped to her underwear. Harland to his boxers. I had remained in my pajamas. Satin was breathable at times and getti
Alvara's Point of View We had turned to alcohol to lighten up the mood some more. Music rumbled in the background as Teagan and I danced in the living room. The boys had moved the furniture for us. Laughed around the coffee table now close to the wall. They enjoyed the show. Laughed when either Teagan or I stumbled over our feet from moving too fast. I enjoyed it. Letting go. Thoughts no longer buzzing around me like flies. Plus, their eyes devoured me. I caught them shifting their pants to ease the pressure. Wicked smiles would flash across my face. Vodka had been my poison. My kryptonite. Unbeknownst to me, they had a cellar full of wine. Within that cellar was another fridge stocked with premium alcohol. Eugene had always limited me to just one beer. I hated the taste. Strawberry vodka burnt more but at least it was sweet. Intoxication loomed ahead, yet I had no chance of stopping. Adelia would join us on the makeshift dan
Ciaran's Point of ViewMoving around too much made the healing wounds smart. Dancing with Alvara last night had a lingering effect on my overall pain levels. Some of the more deep cuts had split. Blood had trickled out into the bandages. The pain was but a mild irritation compared to the joy I had felt. The freedom of just being around the people I cared for. Excluding, Adelia.Why she had shown up at the house was beyond me. Her audacity was rivaling even her mother's. But Alvara had tolerated her at the beginning. Enjoyed her presence by the end of it. The once conniving young woman had made my mate's evening pleasurable. Contributed to the funny stories exchanged.Sadly, it was now time for business. Eugene had declared war and left us with a day of silence. Stewing in what we could have done better. Soothed our turbulent minds with whispers of gratitude that Alvara had at least made it out alive. Horseshit. She was alive but utterly
Alvara's Point of ViewOily food was the only cure for a severe hangover. Or so I've heard. I had never been hungover before. Never dared drink more than Eugene had allowed. Last night had slammed into me the moment I put my head on the bed. I wasn't alone in that. Both Teagan and Adelia had puked up their guts alongside me.This morning, we decided it best to go out to eat breakfast. Or rather a lunch. Something deep-fried, preferably. Calorie counting was a thing of the past for me, as well. We had settled on Menlyn. Sybil had dropped off clothes for Adelia. Harland had fetched some for Teagan in the car. After a short dressing session, lots of water, and sunglasses we were ready.The boys were in the living room when we approached. All of them had dressed. Looked as if they were in deep concentration. They all had laptops on their laps. Ozias glanced up, smiling. Adelia stopped beside me, Teagan bringing up the rear.
Alvara's Point of View I had been right to assume Teagan knew someone for the tattoo. She had made her dislike of the thought clear but still supported me enough to introduce me to one of Harland's friends. Jean had his ears stretched. Almost every piece of skin was covered in tattoos. Except for his face, besides for one random unicorn close to his hairline. He was a happy-go-lucky type of person. Artwork framed his walls along with him and another man together in photos. Everything was sterile. Clean to a point where even Ozias would approve. Thankfully, his shop was inside Menlyn. The bright daylight outside would only worsen my headache. Alcohol, I had realized, was not meant to be consumed in large quantities. Our oily lunch had helped stabilize my stomach but not much for anything else. Adelia loved my act of love. Loved that I would put my body through pain just to prove to them that I was theirs. I had hoped the pain wo
Dargan's Point of ViewThe five of us had scrambled to gather more information about the looming war. How many men Eugene had at his disposal. Who else might aid him except for the royal family? Any other details that might help us during this turbulent time.As we had suspected, we weren't informed of the progressing situation until Nerezza had phoned. Frantically, we had gathered our resources. Maverick even phoned all of his friends from different packs across the continent for support. Anything to give us an edge. An advantage.The odds were currently not in our favor. Eiecrunt was inhabited by mainly civilians and our security detail. New soldiers could be trained within a few weeks but it didn't look promising. Our more lethal pack members had been dispersed to allies of ours who had wars waging in their areas. Human wars affected all of us. Hopefully, aid would come.Ciaran refused to recall his men from America. The
Alvara’s Point of View “Aunty Adelia!” Aurelia screeched and ran to the front door. Adelia leaned against the frame, arms crossed over her chest, until she saw my daughter. Her face lit up like a thousand little lights. Her arms unfolded and reached forward. The little girl jumped full force into her. Nearly knocked her inside the house. Dargan came in behind me carrying the diaper bag. As he passed me, he kissed the side of my face. His wedding ring glinted in the afternoon sunlight. I swelled at the sight, still transfixed at the thought that I was a married woman. Married to the loves of my life. “My sweet girl!” Adelia exclaimed and threw Aurelia into the air. A giggle escaped the two-year old. Her dress puffed out around her. Hair fluttered in the wind. Dark golden blonde. Curly, like mine. The trees were a bright green. The grass neatly trimmed. Flowers bloomed all around us. Maverick was next to walk up. His hand settl
Alvara’s Point of ViewJessebelle stood at the edge of the fighting. Kept a close eye on all of her men. Guns fired in rapid succession. Wolves tore men limb from limb. Blood coated the grass. Between it all, Ciaran had a standoff with Eugene.Both sides landed blows. Bones crunched beneath their combined strength. Ozias had run after the Beta. Maverick shot whoever got closest and Dargan was still passed out cold.For a moment before Ciaran had arrived, I was sure I would be dead by the end of this. I was sure that I wouldn’t see the morning. Yet, Jessebelle had pulled through. Made sure that the odds were fatly stacked against Eugene. With however many reinforcements he called, he still wouldn’t win. Money drove him. Drove his pack, which wasn’t a good motivator. Love and freedom drove ours.Mason had gotten away in the chaos Harland caused. Got hold of Jessebelle and convinced her that we needed h
Maverick’s Point of ViewThe truck collided with the first of their cars. I lurched forward, gripping tightly onto the dashboard. My driver floored it. Scraped the road with their scrap metal. I braced as we hit another one. Men darted from their positions. Drew their guns and fired rapidly at the sides of the truck. Bullets peppered the steel but refused to go through. Thousands and thousands of rands were spent securing my people.The border patrol was thin tonight. Almost lax. According to Mason, we would have a hard time getting through, but this seemed almost too easy. Some of my men jumped from the rear. I heard their feet hit tar. Saw them run beside us. They opened fire. Some of Eugene’s men held up small flags with a diamond on it. I opened my window and craned my neck outside.“Don’t hurt the ones with the flags! They are on our side!” I screamed to my men. All of them nodded and proceeded to atta
Dargan's Point of ViewMy feet ached from the pace I was setting. I dodged trees. Cleared ditches. Lungs screamed for me to slow down. Air came in short supply. I had to take it easier. But I refused. It had been years since I ran with such ferocity. With so much intent and purpose, it nearly drove me mad.Alvara sounded far beyond distressed. Her voice had pitched and fallen. The fear was tangible in my mind still. She needed us and she needed us now. Everything we had endured led up to this moment. I would not let her have the same fate as Savanah. Let her die in a pack that hated her deeply. Die beside a man that had used her all her life.Those revelations set my mind blazing. My legs pumped harder. Drove me further. I could see the lights of houses in the distance. Slowing down, I sniffed the air. Picked up the scent of several enemies. I lightened my steps and avoided the trail where the scent was strongest.Two secon
Ciaran's Point of ViewMaverick nearly crawled out of his skin the moment Alvara left. Her mind link had shut between us. Locked us out of her thoughts. But I could feel every tremor of fear. Every quickening of her pulse. The panic she felt. Her small feeling of pride. Like she was still with us. Yet, none of us could reach her. Speak to her mentally. It drove us insane. Made us bite our nails and down glasses of whiskey. This was hell.Our minds remained open at all times. We had a plan but plans could change at any moment. Alvara had to be able to reach us at a moment's notice. Thus, we played riddles and made jokes through the mind link. To keep it sharp and make sure it was open even whilst we were sleeping.Ozias wouldn't stop pacing. Dargan smoked more than he had ever before. We weren't far from her. Maybe 80 kilometers, tops. Maverick and Dargan were closer. Harland camped out on a farm close to the edge of Half-Moon. We were w
Alvara's Point of View All the lights in the house were off when I woke up. Glowing moonlight sifted in from the open curtains. A cool breeze drifted over my bed. Yet I had woken up. No nightmares plagued me. No monsters hidden in shadows. My body had made peace with my surroundings, even if my mind was a bit slow to adjust. There wasn't a sound to be heard. Barely a cricket chirping. But I was awake and it was hell. Maybe two in the morning. I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes once more. Sleep danced at the edge of my mind and I rolled back onto my back. Then I heard it. The near-silent struggle in the room beside mine. Soft groans. Scraping of nails across flesh. Grunts of satisfaction. I covered my ears with a pillow. Eugene had a lady visitor over. As I had told Angelique, he would never change. I willed myself to sleep until I realized that Teagan's room was beside mine. Cold dread settled into my spine. Blind panic
Alvara's Point of ViewAs I had thought, Eugene never came to dinner. He had made paint swatches with Mariposa. We could all hear them laughing and bantering above us. Then, she had insisted they go out to eat. Something about having a craving met. So, that was exactly what they had done. Without so much as a whisper about spending too much money, they were off.If she had arrived before any of this had happened, I would have believed it when he told me she was just some woman he was helping. Clung to the idea that some part of him was still good inside instead of rotten and foul. Now, I knew better. Knew that she was his mate and I had been used for my money all these years.Stolen from my pack. Kept under lock and key because they couldn't find the keys to my family's kingdom. Somehow, after spending so much time with my own mates, I understood why he was so excited. Happy. She brought out the best in him as all mates would. But she w
Alvara's Point of View"You asked for me?" I said from the door. Eugene lifted his head, looking at me with a soft smile. He nodded and I stepped inside."Did you find everything you were looking for today?" A vague question. Very vague. It set me on edge enough that I lowered my gaze. Made my eyes appear larger than they actually were. Eugene put a hand out towards me and I took it when I got closer."I forgot how expensive everything was. I am sorry you had to spend money on me." I whispered back. Eugene kept that soft smile on his lips. Gently, he tugged me into his lap. I nuzzled into his neck, draping my legs over his.This was wrong. Utterly wrong. Being close to another man in such an intimate way hurt my heart. Every memory I had of my mates flashed into my mind, making my soul hurt even more. They were far away and I was inside the monster den with only Teagan to help me."Anything for you. I hate how we left thin
Alvara’s Point of ViewMason met us at the house. Unlike when I had first met him, he had a suit on. Sunglasses. Polished shoes. As if he had changed overnight. The young man I had come to know was gone. When Eugene greeted him, he simply gave a curt ‘Alpha’ and a bow of the head. Everything felt formal. Stuffy. As if the air had thickened in just a few seconds. Teagan looked between the two men and shrugged when I looked at her.I had personally asked for Mason, but it still didn’t mean that we were completely safe to wander around. The rest of the pack was still on Eugene’s side, and I had returned. Once an outsider, always an outsider. At least now I knew why they had stayed away.As for Lover’s Quarrel members, they had stayed away because Eugene had threatened them. Told them that if they interfered with me, they would lose their jobs or their lives. None of them would risk that. Until now.