[William’s POV]I climb into my car and pull out my phone, checking my messages from the day, and am shocked to find a number that I don’t recognize. Frowning, I click on it and then feel my eyes widen as I take in the message on the screen.Meet me at the old pub on Burben Street.There is neither a name attached nor an explanation as to what it was that the sender wanted. Reading it again, I wonder whether or not I should actually go, and when curiosity weighs out caution, I rev my car to life and begin to drive.When I arrive at my destination, I move slowly while extending my senses. Since there was no specific place to meet, I couldn’t let down my guard. As I move, I let my eyes scan the area, and when I enter and the overpowering scent of cigarettes and alcohol attacks my nose, I realize why I was asked to meet here. Of course, this would be the perfect place since I couldn’t utilize all my senses.Going on alert, I move slowly until my phone goes off again.Booth in the back co
[Rosco's POV]I lead my mother out of the pack house and toward her waiting car. After my blowup earlier in the night, the atmosphere between us was tense, and I knew that she was most likely wanting to ask what exactly happened but also didn't want to pry.When we reach her car, she turns and takes me in with sad eyes.“Your father would fall in love at first sight with Serenity.” She says, her voice quiet as she treads dangerous waters. “You should really...”“What?” I ask, trying to keep my temper in check. It was her fault that my father and I were currently like this, and there wasn't any reason for me to take anything out on her. “Give him a call when he hasn't bothered calling.”“You know him,” she tries now, but stops as I let out a growl of warning.“He shouldn't put you up to trying to guilt me.” I hiss through gritted teeth. “And I have no intention to apologize. He was the one who made the decision to remove me from the pack due to false allegations against my mate. He is
[Elise's POV]“ELISE!”Rosco's booming voice startles me from a light doze, ruining any semblance of sleep I may have gotten after shifting around for hours to get comfortable.Grumbling, I begin to move again, searching for the perfect spot so I can take a cat nap before breakfast is served.“Elise!” He repeats, finally reaching my cell.“Sorry, Elise isn't home right now; please state your business and then go away.”“Don't you dare fucking play with me right now.” Rosco growls, grabbing my bars and making them groan. “You better fucking answer what I'm about to ask you.”“Is that how you speak to a woman?” I ask, prying one eye open to look at his rage-filled face.“I would hardly say you're a woman.”“Really?” I giggle, opening my other eye and getting to my feet. “Would you like to see whether or not I am?”As I speak, I move forward, and when I'm inches away from Rosco, I hook my fingers in my pants, preparing to remove them.“Make one more move, and I'll fucking kill you.” He w
[Denali’s POV]I cradle Serenity, my eyes fixed on the mark on her wrist. The more I look at it, the more it looks like a serpent, and I can’t help but wonder if this was some sort of mark of doom. Although I know I shouldn’t work myself up until we absolutely know what it is, I can’t stop the sense of foreboding I feel.Lately, things were just going too well for Rosco and me. Even when we had a trial looming over us for my father, Beatrice, and even Elise, we finally had peace. Well, for the most part, there were occasional attempts at ruin from Harold due to Nadia’s sudden death.Sighing, I try to process the complicated feelings that begin to bubble up in me from knowing that she won’t be around anymore to scheme and put me in harm's way. Although I was relieved, I was also saddened by the death of someone so young.“That was a mighty big sigh.”Lifting my gaze, I look in the direction of the voice and watch as Rosco makes his way toward me. His earlier look of panic is now gone,
[Denali’s POV]I swallow hard while I’m led down a long hall that is lined with metal doors. This was the place where the worst criminals to be arrested were kept so that they couldn’t attempt to escape, and at the very end of this hall was where my father was being kept.With each step, my heart kicks up in speed, even though I know that there is no way he could hurt me. I guess all those years of abuse and suffering were still rooted deep within me, and anytime I laid eyes on the man, I expected to go back to that time.“We’re here, Luna,” Jeffery, the one responsible for guarding these criminals, announces. “Are you sure you want to go in?”“Yeah,” I respond, taking a calming breath. “Thank you for your concern.”Nodding, Jeffery digs in his pocket and pulls out a keycard, then presses it against the lock on my father’s door.Stepping back, he waits as the metal slides to the side, revealing bars, and once those bars begin to lift, my father’s head lifts and his dark gaze comes to
[Rosco’s POV]My eyes grow wide as I watch Denali collapse on the ground while blood explodes from her mouth. Fuck! I should have known that she would do whatever it took to get answers from her father.‘Help her!’ Fabian whimpers. ‘You shouldn’t have let her go alone!’‘You don’t have to tell me that!’Surging forward, I gather Denali into my arms and then shoot a glare in Roger’s direction as he watches on in amusement.“It seems she is still the same pathetically weak omega she has always been.”A low growl of warning escapes me as I fight the urge to slit the bastard's throat. Not now. Not yet, when a more severe punishment was waiting for him. Soon, he wouldn't be so cocky, and I looked forward to seeing him get every fucking bit of karma he deserved.Fighting my very instincts, I slowly stand with Denali in my arms and then turn to leave.“Enjoy the time the two of you have left!” Roger calls from behind me. “Because once things are in motion, your end will come.”“I don’t know
[Rosco’s POV]“Will you keep an eye on Denali?”I turn to my mother, taking in her look of confusion and worry. When I was finished with Manny, I would need to tell her what was happening. I knew that in the end she would be worried, but this involved not only me and Denali but also her grandchild.“Of course.” She responds immediately. “Please, go ahead with what it is you need to do.”Nodding, I motion for Manny to move, and when he does, I start to follow. As we move, Manny doesn’t speak, but from the way he is carrying himself, I know that he is uncomfortable, and that doesn’t help with the fear I’m trying to keep at bay for my wife and daughter.“Please, go in.” He announces when we reach our destination, a small room with books lining the wall and a single desk. “We won’t be heard here since the walls are soundproof.”“Is what you’re going to tell me that bad?” I ask, feeling my anxiety spike.Instead of responding, Manny lifts a finger to his lips and nods toward the interior o
[Elise’s POV]“Warren!”I cling to the bars of my cell while the guard's name dances off my tongue. I knew he was here, even if he was trying to pretend he wasn’t.“Warren!” I repeat, crushing my face between two bars. “I know you’re there; why are you ignoring me?”Goddess, I was bored, and there was still so much time left before we were allowed to head out to the grounds to get some exercise. Add in that I didn’t sleep worth a shit due to my vision of something dangerous taking place around my niece, and I was chomping at the bit to release a lot of pent-up nervous energy.“Oh handsome!” I continue. “Don’t tell me you’re going to ignore me because of what that spoilsport pretty boy said.”“Pretty boy?”The voice drifts towards me, grating on my last remaining nerve. Why was he here? Shouldn’t he be with my sister and their child, protecting them, since anything could happen?“Are you disappointed I’m not Warren?” Rosco asks, making his appearance. “Sorry, but I need to speak with y
[Elise’s POV]I stare at the Goddess while she waits for me to decide what my next path will be. Of course, remaining here where there was no more suffering or pain was ideal, but I couldn’t just leave Serenity and those who I cared for back on earth to fend for themselves. However, even if I went back there, I wouldn’t be able to be a part of their world like I had been.A pang of pain shoots through me as William’s face appears in my mind, and the thought of him with another woman slams into me. Even if I were beside him again, I couldn’t tell him that I was me and that I would be so much younger than him.“Have you made a choice?” The Goddess asks when I meet her waiting gaze.“I…” I begin, knowing what would be the right thing to do. “I have.”Even if I went back there, where no one truly knew it was me, I could be with those I cared for once more, and I could keep my promise to Serenity. I would also get to redo the childhood that I was never given until it was time to attend the
[Rosco’s POV]I wrap my arm around Denali and pull her against me as she stares at her father’s unmoving form. Where we touch, I can feel all of her emotions and know that what she did couldn’t have been easy but was necessary.“He got what was coming to him.” I murmur, kissing her cheek. “Don’t think too much about it.”“I know.” She sighs, finally dropping her weapon. “But do you truly think that all of this is over?”Was all this over? That was a damn good question. I knew that those responsible for threatening my daughter's well-being were taken care of, but that didn’t mean that more wouldn’t pop up in the future.For the time being, the best thing we could do was learn more about the original members of Denali’s mother’s pack and the curse that their leader brought about. With knowledge was power, and it would help us better understand what was happening and plan accordingly.“As long as I’m here, I won’t let anything happen.” I assure her. “I’ll protect you and Serenity with al
[William’s POV]The next day, I stand between Jose and Charlie while members of Rosco’s pack work to prepare pallets for Elise and Uncle Hamilton. Once they’re in place, Rosco comes forward with a torch in hand. He doesn’t speak as he begins to set the pallets ablaze.As Elise’s body goes up in flame, I feel the last remaining pieces of my heart begin to shatter. This was it; there was no continuing to trick myself into believing that she would magically come back to life.I fix my gaze on Elise’s face as flames surround her body and lick at it, slowly burning away her clothes so they can begin on her skin, muscles, and bones.Swallowing the yell that wants to escape me, I watch on. As she disappears, it feels like a piece of me disappears with her, and when she is finally gone, I feel empty.“I’m sorry, man.” Charlie murmurs, clamping a hand on my shoulder. “I know you…”“Don’t,” I say slowly. “Just don’t say anything.”Although I know that he means well, I know that if I let him con
[Rosco’s POV]I keep my gaze fixed on Charlie as he looks from me to William, who keeps his back to us. Despite my words, I can tell he wants to stop William, but this is a sensitive matter.“Fine.” Charlie finally sighs, deflating. “Go,” he continues to say to William. “Go to that hospital and cause trouble since you’re so hell-bent on it.”“I will.”Not bothering to look at us, William moves, storming out of the packhouse and disappearing. Only once he’s gone do I focus on Charlie again.“Since he is going to deal with retrieving the bodies, I want you to tell me everything that actually happened.”Although I had a general idea of what went down, I was sure there was more to the story.Why did Uncle Jaxon take William back there?What led him to think the only option was blowing up the building?How did Elise and my father end up dying?So many questions raced through my mind, causing my head to spin and my ears to ring. Or maybe it was the illness taking over again. I didn’t know,
[Rosco’s POV]“I told you I was fine!” I hiss as Maria and Olga fight to keep me in bed. Many hours had already passed since Elise, Charlie, and Jose went to save William and retrieve my father, and despite the time, no one had contacted me yet. “I can’t just sit here while my people could be in danger!”“Rosco!” Denali sighs. “You can’t take your frustration out on the ones attempting to help you.”Opening my mouth, I prepare to argue, but I stop as I realize that she is right. However, that didn’t mean that this was frustrating. To sit back and not do anything with such things happening in my old pack lands drove me crazy.Sighing, I prepare to try to reason with them, but stop as the sound of a car pulling in reaches me.Hearing it too, Denali moves, making her way to the window, and when I see her tension disappear, I know that the others have returned.“Thank the Ggoddess.” She sighs, bringing a hand to her chest. “This means that they won, right?”“It has to.” I agree, forcing m
[William’s POV]I look around, trying to figure out what the source of the sudden rumble is, and I quickly get my answer as a loud boom sounds and the roof above our heads disappears.“Shit!” Charlie hisses, beginning to move. “These bastards really are fucking crazy.”Crazy was an understatement. Was this my father’s way of saying that if he couldn’t have Crystal Fang, then no one else could? He was destroying the whole fucking building and any type of proof toward what it was he was doing.Looking around, I try to spot the bitch that was working with him, only to find that she has already escaped. But what about my father? Continuing to search, I finally find that Jose, who is approaching us quickly, has him thrown over his shoulder.“Don’t just stand there!” Charlie continues. “We need to get the hell out of here before the building collapses.”Nodding, I pull Elise, who is fading in and out of consciousness, closer to me and begin to move. However, when we reach the stairs that wi
[William’s POV]Disgust rushes through me as the crazy woman behind me lets her canine touch my skin, and when I feel the rustlings of her mark begin to come to life, I move, yanking my other hand free from its bindings.Ignoring the pain that shoots through me, I use my wrists to grab the woman’s head and then heave, throwing her toward my father and Elise so that she lands between them.“ELISE!” I roar as they remain momentarily distracted. “LEAVE THIS TO ME!”At my words, Elise’s gaze takes me in and then shifts to my feet, which are still chained, and I can almost hear her sarcastic remark.Smirking, I feel a wave of relief knowing that she is still in one piece after barging her way into this place, but how did she do it without getting caught?Nevermind. Now wasn’t the time to be worrying about that. Instead, I need to focus on getting my feet free and taking down my bastard father.Tearing my focus from Elise, I start to work the cuffs around my feet as my hands heal. The metal
[William’s POV]I stare ahead, taking in the scene in front of me in disbelief. How? How could this be happening? I knew that my father was a monster for power, but to go as far as killing his own brother in order to achieve it was not something I believed he could do.As I watch on, so many memories begin to flash before me—images of his kind smile, though those were rare—and of him comforting me. Were all those actions a lie to trick me into believing that he was good?“Why?” I growl quietly. “Why the hell is this happening?”Even if it was my father doing everything, I still felt as though I was also guilty. It was because of his absolute need to make me the alpha of Crystal Fang that he was doing this. Didn’t that make me guilty by association?“Stop.” I hiss, drawing my father’s crazed gaze toward me. “STOP THIS!”Beside me, the woman who my father wished to marry me off to gives a giggle, causing the anger that is slowly building to begin to bubble over.“You’re cute,” she sighs
[Elise’s POV]I wince at the big lug’s words. Man, that was harsh to hear. Not only did William’s crazy father kidnap him while I wasn’t here, but he even managed to murder Hamilton.“Any means necessary?” I ask slowly, needing confirmation of what I could do. “Because I’m pretty fucking close to exploding.”“By any means.” The big lug confirms.“Rosco!” Denali gasps, her eyes growing wide. “You can’t possibly...”“By any means necessary.” Rosco repeats.“Bahahaha!”Feeling my anger spike, I turn to take in my bastard father, who is listening in carefully.“Shut the fuck up, old man.” I snap, lifting a foot and slamming it into his face.Pulling away, I watch with satisfaction as his freshly busted lip and broken nose begin to bleed. Serves him right for finding pleasure in others suffering.‘That was just us a little over a year ago.’ Anna points out. ‘My sweet Elise, you’re growing into a reasonable adult finally.’‘No chance.’ I sigh.I wasn’t being a reasonable adult. Or maybe I w