Nicolas POVIt was well past noon, and I rubbed my eyes, exhausted from not getting a single minute of sleep.I crinkled my nose in disgust. Everywhere I went, I could still smell the stench of rogues, as if it followed me everywhere.I was so exhausted, both mentally and physically, and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I needed some desperate sleep after last night.Yet, every time I closed my eyes, even for a moment, the awful assault continued to flash behind my eyes.With a sigh, I dashed to my office, not having the patience to wait for the elevator to arrive. Ray helped me accelerate to the top floor in no time. He, too, wanted to get some rest.Ronan sat in the lobby, waiting patiently. He knew me all too well. He knew I would come here first before returning to my quarters to get some sleep.Ronan gave me a tired nod, which I returned, and he stood up to follow me silently to my office.After pausing at my office door and letting out a long breath, I exhaustedly extended
Nicolas POV"What do you mean that she is not there?" I screamed at Levi on the phone.Ronan's face turned to ash a few seconds ago, and I could see the fear in his eyes. He had given the phone to me.Levi choked, "I-I-we can find her," over the receiver. "I have searched all over for her.""When was the last time you saw her?" I paced my office as I asked."The last time I saw her, she went to her room to calm down.""And then?" My fingers around the phone went white as I snarled. The fact that I had not broken the phone while I was holding it surprised me. "Has anyone visited her? Taken her?"Was Noah responsible for this?Has he abducted her?"Her bedroom was locked from the inside," Levi clarified. "It is likely that she jumped from her window.""Remember Levi's statement that Zara would not dare do that?" Ray chipped in."If she did that, how the hell did no one notice?" I asked, disregarding what Ray had said. "Is there any other scent in her room?""No!" Levi's voice broke as h
Nicolas POV"I am so glad you waited," Terra said with the sweetest voice. "I wanted to come and give you a personal thank you."Terra tilted her head sideways, observing the quiet Ray. He did not move. He was staring at Terra with disgust.Yet she misread the hostility as something else, which made me nauseous."Do you like what you see?" she asked. "I have ensured that every aspect of me is flawless just for you!"The dark bruises on Terra's slender body had vanished, and the cuts on her face had healed—her wolf had done her magic.Terra grinned, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and placed her hands on her hips. She was not embarrassed by her appearance; instead, she began to parade before me as though she were at a fashion show.She spun around quickly, flaunting all of her assets."This is all yours," she said, pointing to her body. "You can have a taste of me now; I would not mind, and it could be our little secret. I want to express my gratitude to you for saving me."Ray shoo
Nicolas POV"This feels cozy, does not it?" Winking at me, Terra licked her upper lip and whispered. Upon my attack, Terra managed to miraculously shift back into a human. Ray came tumbling down on top of her, and we all ended up stuck in an old rotten tree stump tangled in some overgrowth. Now she was purposefully rubbing her nude body against mine, taking advantage of our vulnerability.Ray became agitated by the second, and I let out an embarrassed sigh inwardly. When he growled at her to stop rubbing her body against him, she became even more determined to do so."I think Alpha Nicholas had enough of your childish games," Ronan said, drawing nearer. "Is it not evident from his growl how irritated he is?""Irritated? That sounded more like a purr than a growl," Terra remarked as she extended her hand to caress Ray's head.Ray growled, but Terra simply winked at him and withdrew her hand.Ray moved his massive body uncomfortably, attempting to put distance between Terra's and his bo
Nicolas POV"Where are you going?" I inquired as Ray abruptly veered off course and sprinted past the cave. "The cave is just there!""The lake," he replied, "we can't go look for Zara smelling like Terra. She would be furious, and I don't want her mad at us."I acknowledged Ray's point and nodded in agreement, but it would cause us to fall further behind schedule.Dammit! Why would Zara decide to run away at a time like this? Couldn't she just stay put?When the lake finally appeared, the sight of its pristine blue water was mesmerizing. At least the cave was not too far away.Ray always loved water, and he crashed into it, making a huge wave.I let him run and play in the water for a minute so he could enjoy the cool water."Feeling better?" I asked after he returned to shore."Yeah," he answered. "We also smell a lot better."Ray shook his fur to remove the water, then scampered back toward the cave. It appeared as if the water had carried away all of his troubles during those flee
Zara's POVMy entire body was burning, and it had spread like wildfire. I was in so much pain that I was having trouble breathing and moving.My frantic screams had long since subsided, and I was now barely conscious."Oh, Goddess, Zara!" A familiar voice chimed in my ears. "What have you done to yourself?!"I could hear the worry in his voice, but I could not tell who it was. My eyes were full of tears, making it difficult to see him.Perhaps it was my dad? Did he find me?"Before the goddess punishes me for neglecting you, we had better get you inside," he murmured to himself. "I can't believe you would do this to yourself! If the goddess sees you in this state, what will she say?"With a sigh, strong arms scooped me up from the cave floor. He stroked my hair tenderly while carefully pressing my head against his chest."Everything is going to be alright," he muttered, his heartbeat lulling me to sleep. "I will look after you."His words contained a promise that I could not ignore.H
Nicolas POV The moment I saw Zara, the anxiety from just a few minutes before vanished."Mate!" The single word escaped my lips, and it felt great to do so.Zara stared at me in confusion, not knowing how to respond.Was she scared of Ray being in control?There was nothing else for me to do. Her scent was so powerful that it led me right to her.Slowly, Zara rose from the bed and approached. She did not know what to do."Ray," she uttered in a tremulous voice. "Return control to Alpha Nicolas, please.""Are you sure?" he asked. "Neither of us thinks that is a good idea."She recoiled in surprise."Why?" Her voice cracked as she asked."Because he would not have self-control around you," Ray answered.Zara's brows furrowed in perplexity. Has she not figured it out yet?"How come?" She looked into Ray's eyes and asked.I sighed.When our mates went into heat, it was usually our wolves who went crazy. Only the Goddess knows why, but it felt like Ray and my rolls were switched around wh
Zara's POV"Heat? I am in heat...?"I could not believe what Nic was saying. I was shocked by what I heard.Why would I go into heat now? Have I done something wrong?I knew I would eventually go into heat, but what caused it? I was fairly certain that we only went into heat when we were marked... or...Slowly, my eyes shifted to Kaya. She appeared rather guilty."Is this your doing?" I asked.She shook her head hastily."So why do you look so guilty?" I asked."It was bound to happen," Kaya said, as if it were nothing. "You two have been taunting the bond for a while now. The fact that it did not occur sooner shocked me.""Really, Kaya?" I lost my temper. "You were aware that this would occur, yet you remained silent about it! Why didn't you just tell me? Now look at us!""I only figured it out this morning," she whispered in defense."You what!? You knew! And you failed to warn me!" I snarled. "If someone had scented my heat, what would you have done?""Well, no one did," she said w
Zara's POV"Do you, Alpha Nicolas Dalton, take Zara Silverwood as your beloved mate?" the councilor asked.Nicolas smiled at me and rubbed his fingers over my hands, leaving sparks under his touch."I do," he said, his husky voice sending tingles down my body and ending at my core.I loved this wolf more than anything in the world."And you, Luna Zara Silverwood, do you....""I do," I replied, interrupting the councilor."You're always in such a hurry," Nicolas teased, holding my gaze."I hereby, with the power invested in me, pronounce you..."Nicolas didn't give the council a chance to complete his thoughts. He drew me in, crushed his lips against mine, and kissed me deeply and passionately.The wolves howled and cheered behind us, sending shivers down my spine.We had officially mated in front of the Goddess, following tradition and the law.Nicolas pulled away, and I whimpered at the loss of contact. I wanted more. I wanted to taste him again. Pregnancy hormones only intensified m
Zara's POV"Zara," Levi's voice chimed in my ears as he opened my bedroom door. "Are you ready?" His gaze swept over the room in search of me. It's been almost a month since the kidnapping.Levi gasped. His gaze trailed over me."Close your mouth, Beta," I said. "People might think you're straight."Levi blinked a couple of times and shook his head. He stepped forward, taking my hand."You..." he trailed off, searching for the right words. "You look amazing. Alpha Nicolas will not be able to keep his eyes off you...""Neither would he be able to keep his hands to himself," my father's voice filled the air, making me blush.My core tightened, causing my fluids to spill out. For the past few weeks, Nicolas and I have been inseparable. We couldn't get enough of one another, and his collection of my panties, positions, and places grew bigger and wider by the day..."Father," I smiled, pushing the naughty thoughts to the side, and reached out to him. He came closer and kissed my cheek."Yo
Zara's POVI managed to escape from under Levi's watchful eye. He quickly attended to Ronan, and I slipped away into the cave.I took care to remain invisible; I didn't want them to know I was there.I crawled closer on my belly, hiding my scent. I could hear Alpha Jack, smell the sulfur in the air, and feel the vibrations of Nicolas's heart pounding uncontrollably with anger."She's back!" Kaya suddenly mused happily, making me frown."Who...?" My thoughts trailed off, feeling the surge of power burning through my veins."My magic?" I whispered, surprised. "She is back? She feels kind of pissed?"Kaya nodded, getting on her feet. "She doesn't like what Alpha Jack just said!""Me too," I replied.It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen and experienced.The indescribably strong surge of magic coursing through my veins was incredible.I wasn't sure how my magic found its way back to me, but I guess when Jamie changed into that hideous creature, he must have slipped his hold on me
Nicolas POV"Goddess," I mumbled, astonished under my breath as I watched Zara make her way to the third dragon head. "She is incredible....""Yeah, and irresponsible!" Levi continued, deftly evading a rogue and effortlessly dismantling him.I growled at him.His head snapped to me. He smiled, taking my reaction as a compliment. He grabbed another rogue, snapping his neck."It's the truth, Alpha," he said, dropping the rogue to the floor. "That right there," he pointed out at Zara. "That's precisely how your future will unfold. She has always been a magnet for getting us into trouble!"The dragon-like creature swayed out of control—the two heads were dangerously going at each other.Wolves scrambled out of the way, afraid to be crushed under the dragon's paws."Watch out!" I heard Luke yell over the noise.My gaze snapped back at Zara; she had made her way up the third neck. She was about to reach his eyes when the second dragon head collided with the third, sending her flying over ou
Zara's POV"Nicolas?" I whispered in disbelief. "Is that you?" His intoxicating honey and vanilla scent suddenly hit my nostrils, calming my racing heart.It was really him. He came for me!I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was different, yet so familiar. He looked and smelled like home.Beautiful raven fur covered most of his body—except for his chest; it was covered in the distinctive silver-colored fur. It was so mesmerizing. It was a symbol of power, stating that he belonged to one of the mightiest silver wolf packs around.I furrowed my eyebrows.What had happened to him?Why was he looking like that?Did he and Ray merge into one? Was this Ray's doing?"Zara," Levi's voice chimed in my ears, interrupting my thoughts. I unwillingly dragged my attention away, seeing him crawling closer. He held a dagger in his hands."What are you doing here?" I whispered, surprised. I didn't expect Levi to help with the rescue.Levi rolled his eyes, feeling annoyed, and huffed."Well, hall
Nicolas POVIt was hard not to just barge down there and rip everyone apart. Maintaining my composure was a challenge."Is the tunnel clear?" I mind-linked Alpha Rick. He has taken hostages and was now running between the Alphas checking up on them."All the tunnels are clear," he replied. "And all exits are blocked and secured.""Noted," Ronan replied."We are sending two groups of warriors over to Alpha Jack's and Alpha Noah's pack," Alpha Rick continued. "We don't want any surprises.""You can proceed, Alpha Rick," I said. "Be vigilant...""We will. Take care and bring my Zara home," he said, and cut the link before I could say anything more.Now that there was a direct link created between Alpha Rick and me, he would be able to link me directly.The new gift was not only exceptional; it was handy as well. I could select in mid-mind-link if I wanted and needed to have anyone else join. It especially became handy when I needed to strategize and give out orders, and the best part, th
Zara's POV"I guess you ran out of things to say," Jamie taunts with a grin. He had finished setting up the candle circle around me and was admiring his work. He seemed pleased."It's really a pity," he went on. "I actually enjoy talking to you. If it were under better circumstances, I might even like you. We have the potential to develop a close friendship.""Not a chance," I sneered, rolling my eyes. "I could never be friends with someone who turned his back and betrayed the Moon Goddess...."Jamie pouted and nodded his head slowly as if he was considering what I just said."And you are about to do the same...." he chuckled, finding the situation humorous and ironic.I raised my gaze to find his. I had that burning need to slowly claw that grin from his face.My temper boiled over, and I growled, fighting against the ropes that he had tied me down.That made Jamie laugh even louder."So feisty!" he said. "No wonder Alpha Jack instructed me to bound your magic. You have your father's
Nicolas POVMy blood felt like lava boiling inside my veins as I witnessed Zara being tied down at an open altar. She and Alpha Keiran, at the looks of it, were in deep conversation while he tied her up and prepared for the rituals.I couldn't get rid of the feeling that whatever Alpha Keiran was telling Zara was terrible. Her face had turned pale, and she looked as if she was about to burst out crying or throw up.My mind went into automatic mode, my body complied willingly, and I stepped forward. I did not care about the consequences of my actions.All I wanted to do was rescue my mate and destroy everyone who was responsible.I had mentally and emotionally prepared myself for this. As long as Zara was safe and well, I didn't care if I died. I will give my life to her.I took another step forward, the anger growing inside me. That was it; I was ready to make my presence known.Someone abruptly grabbed my arm and yanked me back. A roar erupted over the link. Who would dare challenge
Zara's POV"Where are you taking me?" I hissed as one of the guards pushed me forward down the dark tunnel. They had tied my wrists together and tied a rope like a leash around my neck."We are heading down to the forbidden temple," Alpha Jack answered, sounding quite excited about it. "That is where Jamie, my faithful beta, will kindly remove Alpha Nicolas's mark from your nape.""I don't understand," I replied. "I thought that was Alpha Noah's grandfather?""He goes by many names," Jack said. "The council knows him as Alpha Keiran. I know him as Jamie, my Beta, who possesses exceptional powers."I knitted my eyebrows together, confused. What the hell was Alpha Jack going on about?"He seems to me just an ordinary Alpha wolf?" The words slipped from my lips.Alpha Jack abruptly came to a stop, threw his head back, and laughed. The wolves snickered around me, finding my remark hilarious.Was I the only one who didn't know this secret?"Are you sure?" Alpha, Jack asked, searching my ga