Nerezza's Point of ViewDespite our argument last night, Reginald had sent Harold bright and early. Before I could speak to Farren and Phaedra. Before I could even gather my thoughts. After last night's revelation, I was hesitant to follow through with whatever this was. Terrified that I might bind myself to this man for eternity. Because he seemed to care less and less for me with each passing day. I shared the sentiment but at least I hadn't pressured him into marrying me.Something was missing. Unknown to me. I hated it. Hated to know that in this I was one step behind him. Sure, he wanted to keep me around when he passed away. But what stipulations came with that contract? What should I give up in return?I knew what stance Phaedra would take in all of this. It would help our cause a great deal. Give me a solid foundation to build my case. If I was the queen before I overthrew Reggie, people (meaning the upper class of wolves) wouldn't be as enraged. Meaning I wouldn't have a civ
Nerezza's Point of ViewHarold droned on about everything that needed to be arranged. The dresses for Farren and Phaedra. Flowers. Cakes. Who will be invited and who won't. Even if I had no family to bring along, Harold never asked about my side of things. About the family I might have somewhere. I chalked it up to negligence on his part but knew better.This was a political affair. High-ranking nobles would come from all around the globe. Human presidents and dictators who were in on the secret. Alphas with a lot of income and amassed wealth. Not Ciaran and hiss pack, though. Reggie didn't want Ciaran anywhere close to the palace. Harold had said that they were still rogues in essence and would sour the occasion. I knew better.Ciaran wouldn't hesitate to take Reggie on in front of everyone. Most likely beat him senseless whilst the other three men watched. Alvara would have a heart attack but she wouldn't stop him either. He had done too much damage to their respective packs. Hurt t
Lysander's Point of ViewWork was a slump. Code drifted over the screen. I would type furiously, knowing what I had to do by heart. Mundane. Easy. Like any other day. But she kept popping into my mind. What I had said to her. What mother had said to me? It all became one big blur. A movie that bled into each other.After some time, I couldn't distinguish between what was said and what was reality. It was an awful feeling. The feeling of being trapped inside this place. Not just this place but this life and all of the choices that came with it.If I were someone else, things would have gone smoothly. I would have found my mate at the supermarket. She would have been a teacher. Shy. Caring. Soft-spoken. We would have mated within the week. Maybe have children within the year. That would have been ideal. After a while, she would quit her job and I would be the breadwinner. Pamper her until she knew nothing else.Instead, I had ended up with Nerezza. Strong-willed. Fire in her veins and i
Priamos' Point of ViewGetting a fawn through customs was a pain in my ass. Apparently one needed several different papers. Shots for the fawn. A carry-on. Having it in my arms for the entire duration was frowned upon, you see. Having it shit in the airport halls was even worse.People pulled up their noses. Looked at me as if I was a crazy person. I wanted to sneer at them to mind their own business. But they were human. They would never know the value of something's life. Their wars were a testament to that. Lack of humanity even when they were so very human.Nonetheless, Bambi and I traveled through several airports. Bribed and begged where needed. Most of the officials were human as well. I would indicate that he was an endangered animal. That I am going to get rich on his sale. Logically, they would want in on the action. That was when bribes came in. Large sums of money depleting my savings. Fucking perfect.But I was comforted by his presence, oddly enough. I had killed his mot
Nerezza's Point of ViewWhen I had envisioned Lysander's workplace, this was not it. For some odd reason, I had thought it to be in a basement. Secluded. Multiple balding people hunched over screens with sweat dripping from their foreheads. This was not it. Was so far away from it that I might as well have dropped from heaven and landed in hell.With windows for walls on the entire side of the building, looking out over Makatza. Glass desk with several state-of-the-art monitors on it. A swiveling chair. Not meant for an office but more for a gamer, ready to conquer his fantasy world. No personal touches. None. Not even a photo of his mother. Or a plant, basking in all of this magnificent sunlight.Yes, this was far removed from the dark basement. Lysander dominated the space. Filled up the room with his presence. Here, he was in charge. The lord of this domain. From the people slithering away when he looked at them, he was a strict ruler. The boss no one wanted to cross. That image w
Nerezza's Point of ViewThe way out seemed so clear now. So easy. Letting all of this go, my worries would vanish. Yes, people's lives would take a hit because of it. Yes, people were going to be angry with me. But I couldn't do this anymore. The weight of it all was crushing me down. Grinding me into the earth. I was now a fine powder drifting along with the current of people who wanted me to do whatever was in their best interest.Then along came three arrogant bastards. Who pressed me. Pushed me. Pulled me. To be better. Do better for me. No longer was it viewed as selfish to take care of yourself. No longer was it frowned upon. Numerous times, they had begged me to stop. Pause and take a good long look at what I was doing to my heart and soul.Now, I had to give them up as well. The last hope I had beside from finding Conan. Like fucking hell I would.As I had assumed, the guards marched me into the palace. Made a spectacle of bringing me back to my cage. Neither of them spoke. On
Priamos' Point of ViewBeing back in Makatza, I was reminded why I had hated it so much to begin with. There were cars everywhere, hooting and accelerating until their exhausts made loud noises. People screaming at each other in the streets. Children playing pranks on the elderly. It was too busy. Too loud. Not an inch of this place had a quiet space. A place to rest and unwind.I had no idea why I hadn't lost my mind all those years ago. Or maybe I had an idea as to why. Because I had to look after Farren. Drown out the rest of the city as I focussed on my sister. On my work. Money had come in slowly at the beginning. Then, as I crawled up the ladder, it started flowing in.Then, when Farren went to the hostel to live on campus, I found Nerezza soon after. She also kept me grounded. Made the buzzing around me sound softer. Made the watery streetlights look like fireflies instead. Brightened up an otherwise dull world. So I had kept my sanity by providing for everyone around me. Focus
Nerezza's Point of View Thanking my lucky stars that Phaedra was nowhere in sight, I stepped into the apartment. My blood was singing in my ears. I could feel my heart hammer against the inside of my chest, begging to be let out instead of caged here. Stepping forward, I stopped a moment. Looked around, taking it all in. This would be the last time I was here. The last opportunity I had to bask in the glow this life had offered me. The maids had cleaned for the day, that much was evident. Our kitchen sparkled, the smokey quartz sparkling in the countertops. All the crystal wine glasses hung from their perch. I let my eyes trail to the living room. To the couch I had declared as mine when we had just moved in. It always caught the last rays of sunshine right before the sun sank below the horizon. There was a breeze playing with the curtains. A lone figure stood out there on the balcony. Watched the gardens beneath. Her hair refracted the moon's light, letting the rainbow play in her
Alvara's Point of ViewEveryone was waiting. Everything was ready. Perfect. The best day of my life. But I couldn't help the sudden surge of nerves. What if the cake fell off the table? What if Ciaran had forgotten the rings? So many things could go wrong so fast. It was an endless cycle of what would be worse.Someone showing up in white or the brides' maids tripping halfway down the aisle. "Can you stop fidgeting? Geez. You look perfect!" Teagan exclaimed. Downed the last bit of champagne in her glass. I frowned at her. Looked toward Adelia to back me up. She only shrugged. Smiled and stood.Her long blue dress swayed against the tiles. Heels clicked as she moved closer. Wrapping her arms around my shoulders, we stared into the large mirror together. "You do look perfect. And you are marrying the loves of your life. Nothing can ruin today. I promise." She tried to comfort me. It wasn't working. My large A-line dress did the best it could at hiding the fact that I was pregnant. Nea
Nerezza's Point of ViewFarren had changed the estate exponentially. Enhanced it to the point where I was uncertain if we had come to the right place. No longer were the walls a dull black fence. In their place stood a large hedge with flowers sprouting in every direction. Security posted at the white frosted gates. White gravel leading into the place. It was exactly the type of wonderland I had thought her capable of constructing. A mansion fit for a fairy queen.I could feel my jaw slipping open. Feel awe creep up on me. She had accomplished so much in just over two weeks' time. Knew where her strengths were and used them to the best of her abilities. It was astonishing. We stopped in front of the gates. Were greeted by guards I knew the faces of. Couldn't place them immediately until one spoke up. "Miss Nerezza! Farren wasn't expecting you to be back so soon!" The man exclaimed. Held open his arms for a hug. I looked back at my mates. Noticed their frowns. But the gesture finally
Nerezza's Point of ViewWe had gathered everyone in the open space in front of the house. Gave them all blankets. Scavenged some clothes in all the surrounding houses and dressed the youngest of the children. Not all of the garments fit properly but it was enough to stave off the cold. Protect their innocence. Especially seeing as they had been through so much already.Conan was still passed out in the blanket Priamos had taken him away in. Milla sat close to him. Hugged his legs to her. Whimpered whenever one of my mates would get too close or linger too long. Her clear distrust of anyone was to be expected but I had never imagined someone of her age would already possess such hatred for other people.Alastair had turned back into his wolf form. Scouted for any remaining men in the surrounding area. He made his second lap around the premises before I stopped him. Held my hand on the patch of white he had on his forehead. The dark brown wolf nuzzled my hand. Looked me in the eyes."Go
Nerezza's Point of ViewThe brute had no time to recover. Or dodge. Only time to twist before Zaven lunged at him. This gave me an opening. Enough time to slip past the brawling bodies. Snarls and yips echoed into the hall. Slithered down my spine.I pushed them all away. Focussed on finding my son again. The chaos coming from downstairs was enough to bring me to my knees. The fighting had spilled inside. Men peppered the house with bullets. But none came up. Saw me at the top and shot but never pursued. "Conan!" I called down. Felt fear ripping at my heart again. If he was down there, the odds of him making it out alive were slipping away by the second. "I am in here!" The boy called dutifully. His voice came from behind me. From the door I had seen the brute enter. Slipping inside, I closed it. Pushed the closest thing I could find in front of it. Which was a doll house. Large enough that a toddler could climb in and disappear. The roof of the house was a bit worn but brand new t
Nerezza's Point of ViewThe second floor of the house wasn't nearly as run down as the first floor. Held much more luxury. Paintings of people long since passed. Pieces of art. The floors were of high-quality stone. Made me feel almost guilty for walking all over them with my dirty feet. Children's toys were also scattered about. Littered the landing of the stairs. Along with the modern living room beyond. Off to the right, there was a kitchen. Neat. Clean. State of the art. Glass front cupboards lit up by lights on the inside. It almost rivaled my own."This way." The elderly lady whispered. Touched my arm briefly in passing. She lead us down a short hall. Past two other rooms with their doors tightly shut. A bathroom light was on at the far end, just beyond the third room. This was where the lady slowed down. Stopped in front of. The door had a name on it in colorful lettering. Conan.I felt my heart skip a beat. Until voices drifted into my ears. Amadeus hadn't followed us up. H
Nerezza's Point of ViewWe moved toward the light. Split up into our respective groups as we progressed. Our paws made less noise in the snow. Or maybe I couldn't hear them anymore above the pounding of my own heart. Either way, Amadeus and I remained behind the rest. Lagged a bit.From our current vantage point, I could make out two trucks closest to us. Neither looked to be filled with children, which was a slight relief. Until I realized where most of them were. In a hole, unable to ever return to their hopeful parents.Under Reginald's rule, several hundred children had vanished, seemingly, into thin air. I had a part to play in that monstrosity of negligence. Had always swept it under the rug so that he focussed on what I had wanted first. Now I came to regret it. Knew that those children had most likely been peers of Conan's later on. Priamos lead the way for Lysander's team. Curled his head left. The assassins and the heir padded off in that direction. Settled in somewhere out
Nerezza's Point of ViewConan might be in a dark and freezing hole somewhere. Trapped by other children's corpses. His soul unable to return to the goddess by proper burial. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run to that village. Scream at the top of my lungs until my son answered. But it was out of the question.I would get killed before I even made it inside the first circle of houses. Bunkers. Whatever they used to store these neglected children in. Anger mixed in with my despair. Coated my heart in a sickly black slime.They had to pay. Whether Conan was alive or dead, they had to face the consequences of their actions. Humans had long since forgotten there were monsters lurking in the dark. Had forgotten that firelight never scared us away. We would have to hunt all of them down. Every last one. Devour them.Because they had taken my son from me. The last ray of hope I had left in this life. No amount of tears would fill the hole he had left inside of me. I braced mysel
Nerezza's Point of ViewPriamos, the twins, and Lysander set out at first light. Four men innocently walking around in the jungle wouldn't spark much interest in the enemies we had more to the north. They had taken hunting bows with them. Arrows. Face coverings. No one would suspect them to be anything but four men trying to find food in this frozen wasteland.Zaven had set out to look for more firewood for the day. Or so he had claimed but I had a feeling there was something else brewing on his mind. Whatever it might have been was irrelevant. Trivial. We could deal with all the emotional fallout of the group once Conan was safely back within our reach."Have you ever fought someone before?" Kalliked asked. Shook out his black hair from some snow that had fallen on him. The snow made his caramel skin look lighter than it was. Made him seem less threatening and more clumsy. But it also made the white tattoos surrounding his neck stand out.Shaking off some of the same snowfall, I nodd
Nerezza's Point of ViewWe had drifted off to sleep. Comforted by the various warm bodies, I couldn't help myself. Felt more loved at that moment than I ever had before. It was a revelation to know that after so long, you were indeed loved and cherished. By the very men you had wronged time and time again.The goddess had known exactly who to give me. Even if I had failed to see that at the beginning. At least I was grateful now. If not for the cold then for their warmth.A persistent knocking drove me out of my slumber. I looked toward the door. Noticed the knocking turned into a frantic beat. This made me wiggle my way out of the mess of bodies. Some of them were even snuggled together. Like Lysander holding Priamos. Zaven holding Alastair. Slipping out of bed, I stared down at them. Felt my heart swell.After everything we had been through, they still remained. Devoted themselves to my happiness. To finding Conan. A few more hours of rest couldn't do anything to them but improve th