Adriana's Point of View After another night in the medical centre, Calliope woke, and I began to heal. Doc, whom I found out was named Samuel, allowed me to return to the packhouse early the following day. Despite my insecurities and lack of confidence, I decided to give Daemon a chance. I pushed those feelings down in hopes that they wouldn't surface. I wasn't feeling all that optimistic about it, but I prayed we could fix our relationship. When we arrived at the packhouse, I told Daemon, "I need to go and clean up and change my clothes," before walking towards the stairs. "Sure," he answered. "I'll be in the office. Come and get me, and then we can go and get breakfast." I nodded and then continued up the stairs to the top floor. Instead of going into Daemon's room, I turned left. Despite having moved into Daemon's room before I left, I knew I still had some clothes in my old room. It felt safe and almost a haven before I had to deal with starting up where we left off. It moment
Daemon's Point of View I sat in my office, waiting for Adriana to return after a shower and getting dressed. She had been rescued three days ago and was finally able to come home. There was still a lot of healing for her to do, both physically and mentally, but at least her wolf, Calliope, was awake now. After about half an hour, I could hear the bedroom door open and close, then Adriana walking down the stairs. Instead of coming into the office, she continued down the stairs to the ground floor. What the fuck? I took off after her. By the time I got downstairs, Adriana was already in the kitchen with the Omegas. They were talking, and thanks to my shifter hearing, I could well and truly hear their conversation. More importantly, I could hear the Omegas making comments. "Oh, look, Diana," sneered Lucia, "it's the Alpha's personal assistant." "Perfect timing. The dishes need doing too," replied Diana before telling me, "The dishcloth is over there. Get started." I was so fucking a
Adriana's Point of View Daemon and I were sitting down and waiting for our breakfast. Part of me was thrilled that he had defended me and told those Omegas that I was his Luna. It meant he supported me. While it wasn't a declaration of love, it showed at least he was serious about our relationship. The other part of me was worried. Daemon knew I had purple eyes, but neither of us had discussed what it meant. I was sure that he might not want a hybrid Luna. Even if he did, what about the rest of the pack? Would it affect his leadership if the pack didn't want me? I was about to tell him about my Fae heritage and why Brandon and Kree wanted to kill me. At that moment, Diana and Lucia came into the dining room with our breakfast, so we concentrated on eating for the next 15 minutes or so. I was ravenous now that Calliope was awake. Both of us needed the extra food so we could heal properly. "What is it you want to say?" asked Daemon. Obviously, I was not being subtle, so I took a dee
Daemon's Point of View After breakfast, Adriana finally told me what was worrying her. It was all to do with her amethyst-coloured eyes and her Fae ancestry. I was not surprised that the knowledge of her being a hybrid was troubling her, but she could be half-vampire for all I care. I would still love my mate. To think that I questioned the Moon Goddess' choice of mate for me. She was perfect. "I don't think any different of you, regardless of your bloodline, and frankly, neither will most people," I told her with all sincerity. "But... how can you be sure?" she asked me. Yes, she was worried, but I declared, "Just trust me on this," and I hoped she would. I informed her, "Both Tyler and Adam know you are part Fae. In fact, so do my parents. They have known for years." Although Mitchell had explained he knew about the colour of her eyes, he hadn't mentioned that he knew the reason behind it. "If it makes you feel any better, I could ask Mitchell to talk to his contact in the Cou
Adriana's Point of View "Elders," Daemon said to them, "I would like to introduce you to Adriana, daughter of the late Alpha Davide and Luna Mara from the Silver Wolf Pack, my fated mate and soon-to-be, our Luna." Holy shit! It was so real now that Daemon had declared me to be his Luna in front of the elders, no less. I was not sure how much power the elders had. I filed that question to ask Daemon later. If I had only known who I was, I might have been able to ask my mother to teach me about pack politics. I knew each pack was different, but some things must be similar. If I had learnt those things, I wouldn't feel so woefully uneducated now. I realised that Daemon had not only introduced me to the elders as his mate but also named the late Silver Wolf Pack leaders as my parents. That might bring trouble, but I wasn't sure. "How did she survive?" asked Elder Parker. Oh. That was not the question I wanted to answer at this stage. In fact, I wasn't sure exactly how to answer it wi
Daemon's Point of View Having Adriana in my arms again was pure bliss. I would never let her go if I could help it. After we made love, I held her in my arms while she napped for a short time. Between her injuries, the walk and incredible sex, I had tired her out, but I was unrepentant. I had been worried that Adriana would pull away from me after everything that happened, not that I would have blamed her. I hadn't treated her as well as I should have, and because of that, Adriana was put in a position that nearly cost her her life. Making it up to her would be my life's work if needed. Making love to Adriana was one of the most incredible feelings. Knowing that the Moon Goddess made her just for me made it all just that so much better. I lay beside her, just watching her as she napped. When she woke, it was close to lunchtime. "Let's have a shower and then lunch," I suggested. Adriana smiled in agreement, so I mind-linked a request to prepare lunch and make some sandwiches. Ad
Adriana's Point of View Daemon and I were now walking back to the packhouse after a meal and a drink at the local pack bar, Shifters. I enjoyed the entire day with Daemon and didn't want it to end. For the first time, Daemon declared to everyone that I was his Luna, and I was hopeful that our relationship would continue progressing as it had been. What I really wanted was for Daemon to declare his love to me. How would I get him to state this without seeming as needy as I was feeling? Was I supposed to ask him straight out? It was times like these that I missed being able to talk to my mother. We never did get a chance to have all those discussions about boys and growing up that Callie seemed to have with her mum. I honestly can't think of any other way of finding out other than to ask him. It felt like he was showing me he cared, and I certainly felt wanted. Was this love? Maybe it was, and I was just that clueless. I just wanted to be entirely sure that what I feel for him is the
Daemon's Point of View Adriana opened up to me last night, and I fully understood where she was coming from and her emotions. I felt humbled that she had shared her feelings with me. Like her, I had felt vulnerable too, but as an Alpha, I needed to be the one to look after and protect my mate. I never wanted Adriana to ever feel unhappy about our relationship. I wanted to be the rock of her life, so I needed to work on communicating with her. Something that neither of us was good at. I needed to be a better mate, and I was going to be, starting with making sure she had recovered from her ordeal. As soon as Adriana had awakened, I served her breakfast in the seclusion of our bedroom. The Omegas were already downstairs preparing food for those of us who lived there. I had them put breakfast on a tray which I took upstairs to Adriana. Food is one of the love languages of shifters, and feeding our mates was a way of letting them know we love and cherish them and could provide for them.
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
Lucienne's Point of ViewThe dim light flickered weakly outside my cell, casting jagged shadows on the walls. I inhaled deeply, searching for clues, but my surroundings offered little more than damp air and the acrid tang of rust. Still, faint and fleeting beneath it all, I caught a scent that made my pulse quicken.It was subtle, just a thread woven through the murk of mildew and stone—a sharp, bitter aroma tinged with something earthy. My senses struggled to place it entirely, dulled as they were by hunger and wolfsbane. But I’d know that scent anywhere: witchcraft.This wasn’t like the warm, herbal scent of Aunt Delilah, the liaison between the Royal Family and the Witch’s Council. She wasn’t really my aunt, but that was what we called Alice’s mum. Delilah’s magic smelled of rosemary and lavender, soft and soothing, a presence that felt like home. This was different—harsh, acrid, and wrong. It clawed at my senses, leaving an unpleasant taste in my mouth.A rogue witch, maybe. Or wo
Lucienne's Point of ViewWhen I opened my eyes, dim light greeted me—weak and distant, barely illuminating the space. My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing at the base of my skull, and the cold, damp air bit into my skin like icy needles.I shifted slightly, trying to orient myself, only to feel the sharp tug of iron biting into my wrists. My arms were outstretched, pulled taut by heavy chains fastened to the walls on either side of me, leaving me in an awkward, uncomfortable sitting position on the hard stone floor.The light source was far away, casting faint shadows across the cell and doing little to push back the gloom. It was just enough for me to make out my surroundings—bare, unwelcoming, and suffused with the oppressive weight of captivity. The dim glow created more questions than answers, each corner of the cell cloaked in an eerie half-light that left me straining to see.For a moment, I couldn’t make sense of my surroundings. The air reeked of mildew, blood, and something
Duncan's Point of ViewThe sharp, acrid tang of blood hit my nose the moment I stepped into the prison's lower levels. The cold stone walls seemed to amplify the metallic scent, and I clenched my jaw as I surveyed the carnage. Two guards lay lifeless on the floor, their throats torn open with brutal efficiency. Blood pooled beneath their bodies, soaking into the cracks of the stone. Six guards flanked me, their faces pale but their stances resolute. While they knew death was a possibility, it was a risk they had long accepted as part of their duty. Their determination radiated in the unyielding set of their jaws, ready to uphold the pack's safety, no matter the cost. While fear lingered in their eyes, it was drowned out by their loyalty, which made them march forward into the unknown without hesitation."Spread out," I barked, my voice cutting through the tense silence and echoing down the cold, dimly lit corridor. "Check every cell, every corner. I want answers—find out how this hap