Adelia's Point of ViewHalf an hour later we were walking into the meeting with our heads held high. Or as high as they could go with the two of us giggling all the way in.Everyone looked at us as we came inside. But their eyes instantly flashed towards where Nessa was. Narrowed in on the girl with razor-sharp precision.Ciaran, as always, took the head of the table in the boardroom. Dwarfed Alvara on his left, who sat with a scowl deep on her brow. To Ciaran's right sat Ozias, his Beta, and one of Alvara's other mates. No signs of Dargan and Maverick, Ciaran's Omega and Delta, respectively. And Alvara's other two mates. No doubt those two were off doing some or other errand for their Alpha. Ran amuck in the underworld with their dealings. Teagan also sat at the table, Bellamy her mate, and the Alpha of Desert Sun beside her. Along with her other two mates, Ulrich and Harland. Delta and Beta respectively of Desert Sun.It was only the men who scowled when Nessa came in behind me.
Adelia's Point of ViewThey got the uranium...The thought clanged through me. Sat on the tender spot right beneath my heart.Ozias carried on reading the report and beside me, I could feel Nessa stiffen. Saw how her face drained of color. Became ashy and close to death when they mentioned how Phaedra planned to use what she had gotten.One name also did that to me.Felix.He had done it. He had actually gone to Phaedra with the uranium the moment he found out I was there. Offered himself up, along with anything else they might need, in exchange for my safe return.I was touched and horrified at the revelation. Some part of him was still my father. Still cared, even when I no longer did. The report ended with Dargan's name. The culprit behind what we had just learned. That's why he wasn't here. He was somewhere up in Africa gathering information about what we were facing. What my capture made possible for the enemy."This leaves us with only a few options. We can either tell Regina
Adelia's Point of ViewEveryone filed out of the boardroom after the initial shock of the news wore off. Muttered that they would have to go back to Eiecrunt and prepare for the war.Only Nessa was left beside me. Along with a dumbstruck Michael who looked anywhere but at me."The woman that is coming to help Dargan..." He said into thin air. Spoke to no one in particular. "It's my fiancee." He admitted with a long breath.Nessa stiffened beside me. Glanced my way but made no excuse to leave. Stood by me as any Beta would. I leveled a look at Michael, even as my heart plummeted into my shoes. Then beyond. "What does that have to do with me?" I barked with more emotion than I had initially wanted to give.The deeper parts of my soul wanted to scream at him. Ask him how he could be so obtuse. So fucking dense that even a diamond wouldn't cut through. He had lied and it was still eating at me, even now as I stared at him. Although I knew it had little to do with me and everything to do
Adelia's Point of ViewBy the time I was done bathing Nessa had made herself comfortable in her new room. It was a few doors down from mine, in the private wing of the house. As the new Beta, the move was one to show my faith in her. That she was now within my private boundaries and there was no going back on her word.I would have appreciated her going to Killian and explaining what was going on but something else nagged at the back of my mind. Why did she never seek him out? Siya thought it was to keep them both safe but it didn't make sense to me. She would want her other brother around her as well, given that she had no one else. Still, she never did.Was there more to their relationship than she let on? Then why the willingness to go to him on my behalf?At least one thing was handled.I no longer needed Michael. Nessa posed no threat. And I should have known it from the beginning but couldn't bring myself to place my pack in any sort of harm.Now I made the girl-My phone rang
Adelia's Point of View In the morning I was bombarded with messages from Siya. They ranged from him asking that I go back to him and all the way to cursing me for choosing to go home instead of staying with him. A far contrast to his demure tone only last night. And the last message he had sent to me... 'I hope you appreciate the present I am sending you.' Utterly strange. But I brushed it off and carried on with my day. More meetings. Fundraisers. Introducing Nessa to everyone we encountered that we hadn't exchanged words with yesterday. Faces worn with age and laughter and love occupied most of our time. Children flitted between their mother's legs. Fathers tried their best to wrangle the little one away from their tired mates. And by the end of the day, my face was hurting from all of the smiling. No sign of Michael or Ciaran to sour my day. Just a whole lot of laughter and friends. People that admired me for all the work I put into restoring their pack. Several new me
ThAdelia's Point of ViewNeither of us wanted to touch the box. The thought of opening it was even further from an option. We just stared at the damned thing, swaying from foot to foot.Nessa leaned back, subconsciously. But remained standing beside me. Like she wanted to be by my side to protect me if the need arose but she also wanted to be as far away from the box as possible.From the sheen on her face from nervous sweat, I knew this was something Siya had done often in her life."So... Are you going to... Open it?" She asked hesitantly, eyes never leaving the cursed box.Now that it stood in front of the door long enough, I could see the darkness from the bottom seeping onto the tiles. Scarlet. Glaring and bright.I shivered and shook my head. "I don't think I have the stomach to see what I might find," I confessed and gripped my stomach for show.Nessa nodded. Flicked her gaze to me for a second. "Yeah. From the stories I've heard, I wouldn't want to open it either. But if we le
Adelia's Point of ViewI sent Nessa away with Teagan and Alvara the next day. Told her to go shopping for the house she was going to move into by the end of the week. From the scowl on her face, I knew that she would have rather remained with me. To make sure I was fine or to make sure I didn't do anything I would regret later. I didn't know which one it was but her concern was heartwarming.Walking into the office buildings Ciaran and his brood used when they were here, I saw Michael on the opposite end of the reception. Noted the deep lines between his brows. The way he hopped from foot to foot.Until his eyes landed on me and his whole body stilled.Swallowing down my growing emotions, I walked to him. "Good morning. Ready to face a few wolves?" I asked lightly and retained a healthy distance between the two of us. His eyes scanned me from head to toe. Rested on my lips before moving away. "I was wondering the entire night if you really had to do this. I mean, we both know Ciaran
Adelia's Point of View"That wasn't what we had talked about last night, Adelia, and you know it," Michael growled and led me back into the room by my elbow.The sparks that came from his touch were undeniable. Nearly stifling. But his lies bubbled to the front of my mind, leaving an acrid taste in my mouth.I yanked my arm away before he could touch me more. Before he could get a hold of my head and my heart.When I turned to stare at him, fear seemed embedded in his face. Stern lines dotted his forehead. I only pursed my lips and tapped my foot listlessly against the tiles. "What do you mean this isn't what we spoke about last night? I told you I wanted to go back to get my mother. Or at best just to free her of them and plant her somewhere safe." I retorted.He shook his head, dropping his voice to a whisper so that whoever else might be lingering couldn't hear the full conversation. "You told me you were going to ask them for help. To send some men with you, in case shit went sou
Adelia's Point of ViewThey both cleaned up well. Looked dashing in their suits. But the scene in front of me was obscenely strange. Two fully grown men hiding behind a bush. One with an empty glass of some type of alcohol in hand. The other laughing maniacally into the dark If it hadn't been for me noticing their scents nearby, we wouldn't have found them at all.With their vantage, they could see the entire party perfectly. Still, they chose to hide away. Watched from the outside.And the moment they turned around to look at us, both of their jaws dropped to the floor.I knew Nessa had done a good job of styling me. Knew I looked better than I had ever done before. But their reactions were priceless. Worth every single burn Nessa had given me when she tried to curl my hair for the updo."Close your mouths, boys, it's fly season." Nessa joked from beside me. Chortled when all Michael could do was curse again, eyes digging up my flesh inch by inch. Siya wasn't far behind. Let his ey
Siya's Point of ViewI was a mated male.For one, I couldn't believe I wasn't dead yet. At the end of my twenties and I was still alive and well. Or as well as I could be, given that my body was a royal fuck up at the moment.But not dead. Not yet. And not anytime soon. Second, I was mated and in a new pack. Watched now as my old pack members streamed into a lush and vibrant garden made up for them and only them. To welcome them into a new and more stable home.If only the rest of my pack could have followed as well. Could have escaped the hell that was now Noha Khoeli.My mother would have been proud to see me now. Would have loved to know that her son was not only living but thriving. Saddened by the fact that her daughter had turned into such a cruel monster, yes, but glad to know her son had escaped that reality."Well, don't you clean up well," Michael crooned as he approached me from behind.I was standing in the shadows. Avoided anyone looking at me yet. Speaking to me. Mainly
Adelia's Point of View"Stop fussing! Everything has been sorted outside. It is two hours before the ceremony starts, we need to get ready!" I screeched at Nessa, hand clamped around her wrist and pulling her furiously into my walk-in closet.She was finding every reason in the book not to go inside and look at all of her options. From the decor to the food and everything in between. "Shit needs to be perfect and that fucking florist put one too many fucking roses in the centerpieces," She argued back whilst pulling away from me.A child with a new toy, that's what she was acting like right now."One too many roses isn't going to kill anyone, Nessa! But we can't be late for our own party," I hissed again and finally dragged her the rest of the way into the closet.The overhead lights flickered on the second they detected us. Flooded the small but packed space with light. And shimmers and sparkles from the clothes around us. This was where I kept most of my fancy clothes. The kind t
Adelia's Point of ViewI left Michael at the pack house with Aiden.Both men were walking around the place, making sure that every security measure under the sun was well in place. Nukes weren't the only threat we had to face. If Phaedra wanted to she could send an entire army to come and eviscerate us for what we had done to her pack. A tit for tat kind of thing. So the men peacocked around, trying to figure out every single weak point within the pack house grounds."I'm back," I called into the house and closed the door behind me.Groans sounded throughout the house, coming from upstairs. Groans. Moans. A few curses every once in a while. This was followed by a shrill voice that I couldn't make out the words from.Making my way up the stairs, I felt my teeth grind together as the groans intensified. Nessa was doing a number on her brother and showed zero remorse.When I walked in, she was straddling his ass, working her hands up and down the length of his spine. Siya's face was tw
Adelia's Point of ViewHis lips were as soft as I had remembered them. As intoxicating as well. But this time, his hands roamed my body freely. Hungrily. Claiming every inch as if he would never have the chance again. As if he needed to feel me to believe that we were doing this.Settling my own hands in his hair, I pulled his face away and smiled at him softly. Felt my heart still beating a mile a minute as he stared down at me. Blue eyes were half-lidded and twinkling when he looked down at me. Smiling like a damned fool.Ever so slowly he brushed a hand down the side of my face. Swept some of my baby hair back behind my ear. "You are so utterly beautiful that I might just die from looking at you too long." He whispered, breathing fanning my face in a minty puff. I rolled my eyes and shook his head for him. "That was maybe the cheesiest thing you have ever said to me," I bemoaned, unable to look even a tad bit disgusted by it.Because he could say those things to me my entire lif
Adelia's Point of ViewFor the first night where both of my mates were with me, we all collectively decided to sleep on our own. Not because I wouldn't have loved it to be the filling between both men but rather because neither of them felt very comfortable with that yet.Which was to be understood.I wouldn't know how to feel sleeping with my mate and his other mate.But Nessa's couches slept like utter shit! The girl had really said 'fashion and fuck the rest'. They were lovely to look at. Wonderful to curl up on. Horrendous for the back. So, when I finally woke up, I felt like an old woman climbing out of her coffin. My spine was shot to hell. Knees creaked from having had to curl them to my chest for the entire night.And if I felt this way, I didn't even want to know how Michael must have felt."We really should have brought another mattress," I groaned and stretched. Some of my limbs popped in their sockets, making me wince.Siya grumbled something into his pillow on the mattre
Adelia's Point of View"And you made sure to ask him that everything was disabled? Thrown away? Burned?" Nessa screeched, hands on her hips as she paced the length of the living room.Every time she passed Aiden, he reached for her but she was having none of it. Dodged his efforts every single time with a dip of her shoulder. Or a sneer when he got too close to calming her down."Ozias asked Dargan to check everything. He even sent over a plan of the house and where Ciaran placed everything," Michael explained and let his eyes dance over to mine. "He also apologized profusely for what his Alpha has done." "In what regard? Because everything he has done has been more than fucked up from what I hear." Nessa seethed again.Aiden made a last lunge towards her and when she dodged out of his way, he threw his hands up in exasperation. Looked done with trying. Hell, with living at this point.It was funny to witness them together.Him, the pragmatic planner who thought shit through. Her, wh
Michael's Point of ViewShe was fine. More than fine, actually, from the looks of things. Adelia was joking and laughing. Kidding around with Siya and his lack of cooking skills. Made fun of the fact that a carrot nearly took him out. And her with him, if she hadn't stopped healing him when she had. But she was bubbly and happy. Looked relaxed, even when I tried to tickle her feet. Or got her to snort coffee through her nose by accident.This felt comfortable. Easy. Like this was the place I had always been destined to find. A home I always needed to occupy.Logically she had tried several times to get back to planning. Or tried to sneak away with her phone, just to make a few calls, she had assured us. Neither of us let her, on orders of the Beta of the pack.Your first healing was as taxing on the body as your first shift. Something I had to keep in mind once I won her over and got her to turn me. The process and changes of it all were grueling enough that even Alpha pups were
Adelia's Point of ViewI was helped down the stairs. Helped, like a damned invalid. All because my body had decided healing a gash on an arm was one too much.Sure, give it a kidnapping. Nearly being killed. Being held captive by your deranged mother. Escaping said Mother. Organizing one large ass ceremony. And everything in between. But goddess forbid I tried healing someone. That was just fucking unacceptable.At first, both had offered to help me down. Neither wanted the other to help. A few glares had been exchanfged. Maybe a profanity or two, said through their eyes and luckily not their mouths.By the time they were done with their pissing contest, I was already at the door, tired of their bullshit. Scolded them for handling me like I was broken and not just tired. That had been the final straw for them to back off. Michael had been the winner in the end, to my utter dismay.His hand around my waist and my arm around his shoulders caused us to touch all up my side. Forced so m