Payton: “What is happening to you?” I laid him down straight on the couch while he squirmed in pain. The storm had worsened too. The windows were banging, and so were the doors. I needed to take care of everything, but where the heck did the warriors go? I was getting anxious but wasn’t showing too much concern towards the absence of the warriors.I thought they would check the backyard and the back road and be back already.“I need--more wolfsbane to calm down this pain. If my wolf goes into a deep slumber for now, I won’t feel that much pain,” he said. He knew he would still be in pain from the wound on his back, as his healing would slow down even more, but I guessed the pain from breaking a bond was even more intense.I nodded and left to grab him more wolfsbane, but at the same time, I picked up my phone to call my warriors and ask them what was going on and where they had gone.“Hello, where are you guys? Why haven’t you returned already?” I asked the warrior, rushing to my bro
Payton:My eyes started to turn blurry, but I forced them open so I could at least see who had attacked me. As the thunder lit the room, I was able to make out who the person was.It was a shock, even when it shouldn’t have been. I should have known it would be him.Right at my feet stood Matt, not wincing in pain or crying in agony. The last time when I saw him, he was acting like he was in so much pain. I now understood it was all one big lie. He had his back straight and his hands in his pockets. His eyes were locked onto my face with the most malevolent look in them.And then, for a brief period of time, I passed out. The impact of the wolfsbane he had given me usually knocks one out for a while.By the time I was waking up, I found my hands tied to the chair where I had been sitting. I was still half asleep, forcing my eyes to open and look around. I could smell the familiar scent and tell I was still in my brother's study.“What—?” Wincing as I tried to move, I finally jolted my
Sawyer: Years Ago:“What did he accept? What is the offer?” As soon as I asked her that question, I heard loud banging on my bedroom door. She clutched me tightly, hugging me and ensuring we didn’t make a sound.I knew she would lie that we were sleeping at that moment, but she wanted to avoid confronting him while he wasn’t in his right mind. However, the banging didn’t stop as it usually did every other night. Tonight, he wasn’t just checking to see if we were asleep; he was determined to wake us up and make us answer the door.She placed a finger to her lips, gesturing for me to remain silent until we heard the cries from outside.“Open the door,” he sang, laughing as if he knew we had heard the screams of little Payton and Ronan. “They opened the door, so why wouldn’t you?” It was the most terrifying moment, and it wasn’t like it was a secret anymore that he had killed people in the woods after having fun torturing them in the basement of the mansion.But why did he want us to op
Payton:“You two are making a mistake. Just stop it and leave. Sawyer is on his way here, and if he finds out what you two have been up to--” I was beyond terrified. This was not how I expected the night to unfold.They had turned the study upside down, searching for the keys to the basement.“Your brother is not coming back home.” While Matt kept searching, Jack paused briefly to speak with me.“Your brother is busy looking for his mate, isn’t he?” As he hunched over and smirked, I lost my breath.How did he know about Carena being missing?“How do you know that--” I asked, gulping in fear.“Because I know where your sister-in-law is,” he pretended to lean down and whispered, “she is with me.”As he finished, I let out a yelp. It had all been their plan.But why and how?How did Jack manage to get his hands on Carena and then fly here?Why hadn’t the airport seized him?I was losing my mind, mostly scared by the way they were searching for the keys.They had plans far worse than thei
Sawyer:Everything seemed like a blur. All I could think about was the fact that Carena was missing. Ever since I received that call, I couldn't think straight. My wolf kept urging me to do something reckless, but I had to remind myself that killing someone or setting the pack on fire wouldn’t help me. I needed to find Carena, and for that, I needed to pay full attention to my surroundings.I reached the Red Raven Pack’s mansion, and the warriors had already gathered in the hallway to await my orders.“How the heck did none of you go with her?” I yelled at the top of my lungs.“How is it that I leave the mansion and my mate is left all alone?” I was screaming, losing my mind. It had been hours since someone had seen Carena. She must be so worried and confused why her Sawyer hasn't found her yet. They all seemed clueless about where she might have gone, but I had a very bad feeling about it. There was someone in this pack who didn’t want to leave her alone. I should have been more vig
Sawyer:At this point, he was talking about random shit and wasting my time. I needed to get to the point and demand for her safe return. However, I am not sure how it would work. Since he didn't go through all the trouble of kidnapping her just to set her free.“Where is Carena?” I groaned inwardly, hoping he wouldn't make this difficult and would confess where he had taken her. However, that wouldn’t be the case. He wouldn’t have taken such a huge step if he aimed to return her.“She is fine with her mate.” His words ignited a fire of anger within me. If he were in front of me right now, I would make sure he never spoke of her again. Every moment without Carena was a reminder that instead of asking him to be de-crowned, I should have eliminated him.“Jack, when I find you--” I was trying to cool myself off before I transitioned and wasted time, but he intervened.“Listen, I’m not calling you to gossip. I was actually calling to ask you where you keep your keys.” I wasn’t a fool; I k
Jack:I felt incredible having Sawyer on the phone, talking to him. Telling him that his loved ones were at my mercy gave me a deep sense of satisfaction. I still hadn't forgotten how he had thrown me out of his pack, forcing me to crawl on all fours like an animal. And when that wasn’t enough for him, he convinced the council to demote me—and they did.He had used his power and influence to take everything and everyone away from me, and now it was my turn. I was going to use everything I had against him.“Do you see the picture frame of Carena and me on my desk?”I inwardly groaned at his audacity to still rub his relationship with Carena in my face.“I see it. You don’t need to remind me that I lost her to you,” I hissed, glaring at the photo of them together. She looked so happy with him.But that was because she didn’t have a choice. She didn’t realize that everything she was doing was just to spite me.“The key is in the frame,” he replied bitterly. His tone was harsh, and I coul
Jack: We were frozen in place for a few minutes, unable to process what we were seeing. I thought I would be shocked but I didn't know I would be so stunned that even a single word would refuse to come out of my mouth.“What is this?” Matt demanded angrily, throwing Payton down the stairs in frustration. She tumbled forward, landing face down, but managed to stop herself after a few steps. I rushed down after her, running around the basement like a madman. She was probably hurt and wheezing in pain but our focus was on what we were seeing before our eyes.There was no evidence. Nothing. Just a bare floor, empty walls, and some old blankets and furniture, exactly like Payton had said.My anger rose as I was met with disappointment. I had so much hope from this basement. I fucking dreamed about fining the evidence and then getting rid of Sawyer, and taking over whatever he owned.“What is this?” I shouted at Payton, who sat on her knees, looking around before a smug smile crept across