Tyler's Point of View When I went upstairs after Adriana, I was prepared to incite Daemon's wrath. Adriana needed comforting after witnessing that woman coming on to Daemon as if she were his mate. Adriana was our Luna, not her. I was expecting her to be upset. When I got upstairs, I was not expecting her to be angry like that. I had never seen Adriana angry before, and she was a force to be reckoned with. I could almost pity Daemon for riling her up. Almost. Another thing I was not expecting was for Adriana to have a bag packed and be leaving. "What are you doing?" I asked her. "I'm leaving," she said, stating the obvious and pushing past me. "I can't let you do that," I replied, as there was no way in hell that Daemon would let his mate leave. Then Adriana did something I never knew she was capable of. She gave me an Alpha command that I couldn’t help but be compelled to do as she said. What the hell? This was no mere Luna command. I would have been able to override that becaus
Daemon's Point of View "Where is my mate?" I demanded of Callie and Zeke. Damn those two for hiding her from me. I vaguely remembered meeting them before when they came and sought permission to work and live outside of the pack lands. Depending on how much they had to do with Adriana disappearing, I might be rescinding my approval. What surprised me was Callie's outburst, though, and I had to give it to her for being a loyal friend to Adriana. It also gave me insight into what Adriana had told them. They now knew she was my mate and that she believed I would choose that stupid woman above my beautiful Adriana. How could she have thought that? Geez. Where had I gone so wrong as to not make it clear to her that I wanted her and no one else? In hindsight, I should have sat Adriana down immediately after her heat and told her what I had planned for us. Instead, I waited until I spoke to my father, and everything went to hell. Yet again, I had some fixing up to do in regards to her. I j
Daemon's Point of View Tyler, Adam and I were travelling at top speed down the highway, hopefully towards Adriana. Kilometre after kilometre flitting past. None of us sought to make conversation, for which I was thankful. Theo and I were extremely apprehensive about Adriana, and the pain in my mark irritated me and made me short-tempered. I would prefer not to snap at either Adam or Tyler. Ahead of us, we could see the bus still in the middle of the road and police cars surrounding it, with their lights flashing. It didn't look like the bus had crashed or anything, but we weren't going to be able to tell if it had until we were much closer. I silently prayed to the Goddess that it hadn't and that Adriana was okay. As we neared, one of the city constables indicated for us to pull over. Adam wound the driver's side window down. "We won't be long, and then you can go on your way," said the police constable. "Excuse me, Constable, we need to catch up to the bus," Adam replied "Yeah,
Adriana's Point of View Things were looking bleak. I had woken up in an unfamiliar place I had no idea where it was. Clearly, I was inside, and it was a storage room based on the old boxes stacked in the corner. However, it didn't seem as if it was somewhere used often, if at all. There was a musty, rancid smell. The kind that came from rotting produce that had been decaying for years. Many years. In the room with me were five shifters. I could smell them. Four of them had been in the vehicle with me and smelled the same; fetid and gross. It stunk. It wasn't normal. The apparent leader had a completely different smell, like a regular shifter, except that he wasn't regular in any way, shape or form. "Take your contacts out," he demanded. I could feel his Alpha aura trying to overpower me and compel me to do as he commanded. It wasn't working, but I was in shock, and all I could do was stare at him with my mouth open, catching flies, as my mother used to say. My mother. The only othe
Daemon's Point of View "What do you mean Alpha Brandon uses rogues?" I asked Tyler. "Alpha Brandon from the Red Devil Pack?" "It's just a rumour," he answered. "Though it is a popular rumour." "Why would he need to use rogues?" Adam asked. "Is there any way to find out the validity of the rumour?" "Sure," I answered. "Well, probably, but that is going to take time. Time we don't have." I rubbed my neck to try and ease the painful throb from Adriana's mark there. That wasn't the only pain. For some reason, my wrists hurt as well. However, there was an empty hole in my heart from missing her." The trip back to the pack took almost an hour. While that wasn't much time in the space of things, it felt like a lifetime. I wanted to get started finding Adriana as soon as possible. We would have to have a meeting straight away when we got back. It meant having Mitchell there, but he needed to help fix this. When we entered my office, I could still smell Adriana's scent in the room, thoug
Adriana's Point of View Alpha Brandon finally came back into the room. I don't know how long it had been since he left, but it seemed like hours. Even though there was no bed in the room, I managed to fall asleep lying on the wooden floor. I was starving and sore. The agonising throbbing in my neck was getting worse. To make matters worse, I had fallen in love with Daemon, and his betrayal left a void in my heart. "Here is some food," he sneered, dumping a tray on the floor next to me. "Enjoy it while you can." "And what do you mean by that?" I asked, absolutely sure that I didn't actually want the answer, but at the same time, some sick sense of wanting to know made me blurt it out. Brandon just laughed at me as if he were well aware of what I was thinking. I sighed, thinking he wasn't going to tell me what he had planned. Whatever it was, I was sure it would end in my death. Would that be such a bad thing? Wow! How had I gone from hoping for a chance to escape all the way to won
Daemon's Point of View The following two nights were hell. The nerve-wracking waiting for all the trackers to come back and report, hoping that at least one person had found Adriana. I knew it would take time for them to find her. A lot of preparation was needed for all the trackers to minimise their scent so they weren't putting themselves in danger. I totally understood this, but this was my mate and their Luna in trouble, and I was having difficulty reconciling priorities. Adam coordinated between the commanders, ready to put attack plans into action as soon as we had found her. Tyler spent his time organising the other work I would usually do. It was very remiss of me, but I couldn't concentrate on anything other than getting Adriana back. Tyler was also consoling me between jobs and ensuring Theo didn't take control and attack someone... anyone. "Alpha. Tyler. One of the trackers has come back. He thinks he's found her," Adam mind-linked us. "Meeting in my office now!" I order
Adriana's Point of View It had been two days that had passed since getting dragged off the bus. I was sure of it. At least Brandon is feeding me. I get two small meals daily, which consist of dry bread, some form of cooked meat and stale-tasting water. I was undoubtedly used to tastier food, but it is better than nothing. Prisoners can't be choosers. I know the saying was “beggars can't be choosers”, but I refuse to beg. My hands were still cuffed and causing welts. Despite this, I was not tied down in any other way, leaving me free to wander around the storage room. In one of the visits, Brandon gloated that the welts were caused by the silver handcuffs. I already knew this and told him so. He flipped his lid and had a massive meltdown. Easily riled piece of shit, although I might have used the word "doh!" while telling him. The look on his face when I laughed at him. At times, I thought my mum was nearby in spirit. Where I had felt like giving up before, I now felt like I would no
Marc's Point of ViewThe moment we reached the edge of Charleston’s industrial district, our mood changed to serious mode. The dilapidated warehouses loomed ahead, their skeletal frames standing against the faint glow of distant city lights. The air was thick with the acrid scent of saltwater and rust, a sharp contrast to the quiet rage simmering within me.Every fibre of my being was screaming to charge in, to find Lucienne and end this nightmare, but I couldn’t afford to lose control. Not now. Not when we were this close. I glanced at Cole, who sat rigid in the seat next to me, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were bone white. His wolf, Blaine, was barely restrained, a growl rumbling deep in his chest.“Breathe,” I murmured through the mind-link, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside me. It was a simple command, but it carried more weight than either of us could have anticipated. I wasn’t sure if I was reminding him or myself.The tension from us was plain to
Cole's Point of ViewThe growl of the SUV’s engine echoed my mood—low and simmering with restrained fury. A day’s drive to Charleston felt like an eternity. Every kilometre of road we travelled was one less between us and Lucienne, but it didn’t feel fast enough. Every second on the road felt like a century.My Lycan, Blaine, prowled at the edges of my mind, eager to tear into anyone who had dared harm her. The fact that we had to wait to reach her made my blood boil. Marc sat in the back seat next to me, his posture rigid and his eyes locked on the road ahead, his knuckles white as he gripped the armrest. The fire burning in his amber eyes mirrored my own.Queen Adriana sat in the front with King Daemon driving, their presence commanding yet oddly comforting. Daemon had been our anchor through this ordeal, his steady voice reminding us that charging in mindlessly would only hurt Lucienne. Gamma Ellis was quiet beside us, his jaw tight as he stared out the window.Tension crackled in
Marc's Point of ViewThe day and a half since Lucienne’s abduction had been the longest of my life. Every moment stretched like an eternity, the bond Cole and I shared with her still present but muted. Every attempt to reach her through the mind-link was met with silence. It was maddening. Cassius, my Lycan, prowled restlessly within me, his frustration mirroring my own. We were helpless, and it was tearing us apart.King Daemon and Queen Adriana had been our anchors through the chaos. King Daemon, in particular, had taken us aside, his voice heavy with a mixture of pain and understanding. “I know what you’re going through,” he said. “When Adriana was taken years ago, I thought I’d lose my mind. But rushing in blind only makes it worse. You have to trust the process. You have to trust her.”Trust. The word felt hollow when my mate was out there, suffering. But his experience was hard to ignore. Adriana had been sitting beside him, her gaze fierce yet compassionate as she nodded in agr
Cole's Point of ViewI could feel the tension in the air as we got out of the cars. It was a mess. The only positive point was that everyone was here and alive. Everyone except Lucienne. Given that our Lycans were not completely losing control, there was still hope. Hope that she was still out there, still alive.Marc mind-linked our father, urgency lacing his voice as he delivered the grim news—Lucienne had been taken. But what came next was a devastating revelation. Elizabeth and Michaela had escaped, aided by none other than Dwayne. The timing was far too coincidental, a connection that couldn’t be ignored. Whoever was behind this knew exactly what they were doing.Father also sent through half a dozen of our best trackers via a portal that Queen Adriana had created. The trackers spread out, scanning the area with the precision of trained hunters. But they had about as much luck as we had in human form. We knew the general direction they had gone, but that was it. Marc decided that
Cole's Point of ViewI could feel the tension in the air as we got out of the cars. It was a mess. The only positive point was that everyone was here and alive. Everyone except Lucienne. Given that our Lycans were not completely losing control, there was still hope. Hope that she was still out there, still alive.Marc mind-linked our father, urgency lacing his voice as he delivered the grim news—Lucienne had been taken. But what came next was a devastating revelation. Elizabeth and Michaela had escaped, aided by none other than Dwayne. The timing was far too coincidental, a connection that couldn’t be ignored. Whoever was behind this knew exactly what they were doing.Father also sent through half a dozen of our best trackers via a portal that Queen Adriana had created. The trackers spread out, scanning the area with the precision of trained hunters. But they had about as much luck as we had in human form. We knew the general direction they had gone, but that was it. Marc decided that
Lucienne's Point of ViewThe faint echo of footsteps from above stiffened me, and my senses strained for any sign of danger. Every sound in this cell was magnified—every whisper of air, every creak of the floorboards. It had been hours, maybe longer since I had last seen anyone. My body ached, and my wrists were raw from the restraints, but I forced myself to stay alert.When the door creaked open, I expected Beatrice’s manic figure or Rodney’s menacing leer. Instead, Michaela’s familiar form came downstairs, her face carefully blank but her eyes darting nervously. She carried a tray of food, the smell wafting toward me, making my stomach growl despite myself.She hesitated before crouching down to push the tray through the bottom of the bars. She moved to the box on the wall that adjusted the chains. The weight eased slightly, and I could finally lift my arms enough to rub the soreness from them.“You need to eat,” Michaela said softly, pushing the tray toward me. Her tone was quiet,
Lucienne's Point of ViewI sagged against the chains, reeling from the sting of the whip. My wrists were still tightly bound, but the slight loosening of the chains gave me a moment to catch my breath as I gasped, my chest heaving. Beatrice stood in the dimly lit cell, her body tense and poised, the whip in her hand slicing through the air with a sharp crack.Suddenly, the heavy door slammed open, and Rodney stormed in, radiating a palpable fury that seemed to charge the air around him. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out and seized her wrist, the force of his grip causing her wrist to break, and she staggered slightly. With a swift motion, he wrenched the whip from her hand, sending it flying across the cell to land with a dull thud on the cold stone floor.Beatrice's heart raced as she met his intense gaze, realisation dawning on her that the confrontation was far from over."She's already been whipped today," he snarled. "The plan is not to kill her.""I don't care!" Beat
Lucienne's Point of ViewClio stirred. At first, it was faint—a mere flicker of warmth beneath my skin, like the distant glow of a candle struggling against the darkness. It wasn't the full return of her vibrantly strong presence, but it was enough to send a wave of relief coursing through me. For the first time since I'd been dragged into this grim, lightless cell, I felt a sliver of hope.Her energy was weak and groggy, like waking from a deep, drugged sleep, and I could sense her struggling against the lingering effects of the wolfsbane. She couldn't speak, couldn't send me her thoughts, but I felt her there—a fragile yet unmistakable connection humming faintly within me. It was proof that the activated charcoal Michaela had smuggled to me was starting to work, pushing back against the poison that had muted her.I closed my eyes and concentrated, drawing strength from that tenuous bond. Clio's presence reminded me of who I was, of the power locked away inside me. Even if she couldn
Lucienne's Point of ViewAs the sound of their retreating footsteps faded into silence, the tension holding my body upright gave way. My legs buckled, and I sank to my knees, the chains rattling softly as my arms hung limply above me. Pain radiated across my back, sharp and relentless, each breath pulling at the torn skin where the silver whip had bitten deep.For a moment, I allowed myself to feel it all—the anger, the fear, the helplessness. The weight of the situation bore down on me, pressing the air from my lungs. I clenched my fists, forcing my mind to remain clear. I couldn’t let this break me.“They’ll come for me,” I whispered, my voice cracking against the stillness of the cell. “Marc and Cole will find me.”I repeated the words like a mantra, willing myself to believe them. Marc and Cole were my mates. They wouldn’t rest until they tracked me down. The wolfsbane might dampen the bonds between us, but they were still there, faint and fragile threads that connected us. Once C