Emma's POVThe man's eyes softened when he heard my words. He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to me like a gentleman, “We are always here for you, Emma. I am not quite sure about others but I can vouch for myself, I am definitely here for you and I always will be.”His words made me smile, for some reason it was silly to hear all these heartwarming words from an emotionally stoic man.“Thank you…”He stared into my eyes, “Don't thank me. To be honest, I am sorry that you felt alone and as if you had no one in your life. I should have expressed it better.”I hugged him and said, “It means a lot, Ducian.”The man walked a single arm around me and said in the same stoic tone, “You mean a lot to me, Emma. More than I can ever express.’The next day…The soft chime of the doorbell echoed through the quiet house, stirring me from the haze of thoughts that had consumed me all morning. My gaze flickered towards the front door as I sat up on the couch, cradling a cup of lukewarm coffe
Emma's POVThe suggestion hung in the air between us, filling the silence with a potential that both excited and intimidated me. “A trip?” Ashel echoed, her interest piqued.“Yeah,” Alex said, looking over at me. “A little getaway. Get out of the house for a while. Change of scenery might do you all good.”He continued further, “It’s been a tough few weeks, Emma, for all of you. Maybe a change of scenery will help you all take your minds off things. The kids will get a break from school, and you will get some time to breathe.”I didn’t know how I felt about it at first. A trip meant leaving the comfort of home, leaving the familiar, and that terrified me. But then again, Alex had a way of making things seem simpler than they were. Maybe I needed that. Maybe we all did.I glanced at Asher and Ashel, who were now both eagerly nodding, their faces lighting up at the idea of an adventure. “You think it would help?” I asked Alex, my voice quieter now, almost uncertain.“Of course.” He sai
Emma's POVThe message from Alpha Draven echoed in my mind like an incessant drumbeat. The vacation we had been looking forward to had just turned into another reminder of how little control we had over our lives. The bright, tropical island surrounding us seemed like a cruel joke now, a stark contrast to the dark cloud hovering over us.I glanced at Alex, still holding his phone in his hand, eyes narrowed in concern. I asked, “Why suddenly? Om what grounds is he asking us to return.”“Apparently there has been some intel that the rogues are planning to attack us. He wants everyone to return to the pack for safety purposes.”I wasn’t buying it. Not for a second.“So, let me get this straight.” I said, my voice clipped, trying to control the growing irritation in my chest, “Draven wants us to return to the pack because there’s some rogue attack coming? That’s why he’s pulling us back in the middle of our vacation?”Alex sighed, looking like he was weighing whether to argue or just give
Emma's POVThe restaurant buzzed with chatter and the clinking of silverware, but none of it mattered to me. The noise and the laughter all faded into the background as my gaze swept desperately across the room. The twins were nowhere to be seen.I checked the corners, scanning every table, hoping to catch a glimpse of their faces. Nothing. I could not find them anywhere!My heart hammered in my chest as panic started to crawl under my skin. It was unlike them to wander off, to be out of my sight for so long. I forced myself to breathe, taking slow, deliberate breaths as I stood up from the table."Excuse me." I said, my voice tight as I approached the nearest waitress, "Have you seen two children, about six years old? Twins, a boy and a girl?"The young woman blinked at me, her eyes wide with confusion, "I am sorry, ma’am, I haven’t seen any kids around here."Frustration coiled inside me, but I forced myself to stay calm, "Are you sure? They were just here, playing around."She ga
Emma's POVI barely registered his words. Everything in me screamed that the twins were out there, somewhere, and I wasn’t about to let anyone stand in my way.I shoved the door open, but before I could take a step inside, two large hands grabbed me from behind. "Let go!" I yelled, but the grip tightened, pulling me away from the room."Emma!" Alex shouted, but he was too far away. One of the restaurant workers was holding him back now, pinning him against the counter."Let go of me!" I screamed and struggled in the man’s arms. And before I could realise, I threw a punch across his face, "I need to see them! I need to know where they are! Step away from me!”“That's it. I am calling the cops.” The owner immediately ran away, tapping on his phone when he was unable to control the crowd, "Yes, officer, I need you to send someone to the restaurant. We have a disturbance here."I could hear the sirens before I even realized it, their sound cutting through the air like a knife. My breath c
Emma's POVAlex held his ground, but I could see the tension in his posture. He was trying to defuse the situation, to keep Draven from escalating further.I said, “Let's… Let's not do this. I…”Draven turned to me, almost screaming in my face, “Why are you like this, Emma? Why are you so stubborn? Why could you not just listen to me?”“I…” I did not have any answer for it, “I did not know it was serious…”He scoffed, “You must have thought that I was doing it to sabotage your little vacation, didn't you?”I pursed my lips, too ashamed to admit it. I have lost my kids because of my pride and ego, how can I ever admit to doing something so horrible?Draven started again, “You have lost the kids, Emma! It is entirely your fault.”His words were hitting me like nail hitting the coffins. I felt my eyes stinging with tears as I kept staring at my feet. I could not even look up to meet his eyes! Even though Draven was not the best father, he always made sure to go an extra mile to make sure
Emma's POV“Alpha Draven. I heard your kids are gone.”A shock ran through me, paralyzing my limbs for a split second. My breath caught and my pulse quickened as I processed his words inside my head. I looked up at Draven, my eyes wide and my heart beating louder with every passing second. I don't know why but whenever something like this happens, I always look up to study his reaction.The man was still, almost unnervingly calm, but there was something in his posture that made my skin crawl. I watched his eyes darken, and this told me that I was not overthinking anything; this call was actually what my gut was telling me it was.I was not ready for it…Alex saw my reaction and he stepped forward to stand next to me. He put his arm on my shoulder protectively, silently telling me not to worry."Who are you?" he asked, his voice colder than ice, a clear warning to the person on the other end of the line. A shrill line of laughter echoed from the other side of the phone, sending chill
Emma's POVA lump formed in my throat, and before I could stop myself, I rushed forward. "Please... don’t hurt them." I cried, my voice shaking as I reached for Draven's phone. He held it firmly, keeping it out of my grasp, but his expression faltered, just for a second. I saw the conflict in his eyes—his desire to stay calm for me, to protect me from this nightmare, but also the terrifying certainty that this wasn’t a bluff. "Give it to me.” I pleaded, my hands trembling as I reached for the phone again. "Please… let me talk to them. Please…"Draven turned to me, his gaze softening just for a moment, "Emma," he said, his voice a quiet command, “Let me take care of this, okay?” He wasn’t angry, nor was he trying to silence me. But there was something in his eyes that told me he needed to keep control. He needed to remain steady, to be the pillar I had always seen him as. My hands dropped to my sides, my fingers clenched into fists as I tried to swallow my rising panic. I nodded,
Emma's POVMy composure crumbled. “Draven,” I choked out, “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I am hallucinating. I think I am losing my mind.”“Hey, hey. Breathe. Tell me what happened.”I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling as I sent him my location, “Please, hurry.”“I AM on my wa.,” he assured me. “Stay put.”Just as I hung up, movement caught my eye. A figure stood in the middle of the road, draped in a black robe.My pulse spiked. My instincts screamed at me to drive, to leave, but something held me in place. Slowly, I rolled down my window. “Do you need help?”No response.My phone chimed again. I glanced at the message from Draven—Almost there.When I lifted my gaze, the figure was gone.A shiver ran down my spine. I scanned the area, my breath catching when I turned to my side—The figure stood right next to my window.I barely had time to gasp. My heart slammed against my ribs, my chest tightening with panic. The woman’s hood cast deep shadows over her face, but I could f
Emma's POVJust when I thought that I was hearing things, I heard her again, “Mom… Can you hear me?”The voice was faint, distant, but unmistakable. My heart leaped into my throat and I gasped, my breath hitching as I heard the familiar voice echo through my head.“Ashel?” I called, my eyes darting frantically around the dimly lit space. But there was no one there, just the cold walls and the flickering bulb above me.My heart pounded against my ribs and I was dying to just hear her voice one more time. “Ashel!” I yelled again, desperation creeping into my voice.“Mom, please save me. I am scared.” Her unmistakable voice spoke to me.“I am here. I will get you, sweetie. Don’t be scared.” I pressed my ear against the door to see if anyone was there and heard the faint mutters of the housekeepers talking to themselves. I started pounding on the door with clenched fists, “Let me out!”The initial chatter stopped dramatically and there was dead silence now.A sharp wave of panic surged th
The air was thick with tension as I watched Traces disappear into the hallway, his silhouette fading into the distance of the Pack house. My heart twisted with unease. The children. Where were they? Were they safe? Every second that passed felt like an eternity, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on my chest like an iron hand.And then, out of nowhere, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. The ground beneath me tilted, my vision blurring at the edges. A soft gasp escaped my lips as my knees buckled. I tried to stabilize myself and grab something to help me from falling but alas, it was too late. I didn't even have time to prepare or understand what was going on, I just felt my body fall towards the ground.I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact but before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me mid-fall. The scent of embers and something unmistakably him enveloped me, steadying me even as my head spun."Emma!" Draven’s voice was sharp with concern, his gr
Emma's POVThe air was thick with tension as I watched Traces disappear into the hallway, his silhouette fading into the distance of the Pack house. My heart twisted with unease. The children. Where were they? Were they safe? Every second that passed felt like an eternity, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on my chest like an iron hand.And then, out of nowhere, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. The ground beneath me tilted, my vision blurring at the edges. A soft gasp escaped my lips as my knees buckled. I tried to stabilize myself and grab something to help me from falling but alas, it was too late. I didn't even have time to prepare or understand what was going on, I just felt my body fall towards the ground.I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact but before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me mid-fall. The scent of embers and something unmistakably him enveloped me, steadying me even as my head spun."Emma!" Draven’s voice was sharp with conc
Emma's POVMy fingers curled around the armrest as the plane finally touched down. The turbulence had been mild, but my exhaustion made everything feel heavier, the vibrations of the landing rumbling through my already tense body. More than twenty-four hours had passed since I last slept, but fatigue had yet to claim me. Restlessness coiled tight in my chest, refusing to let go.I stole a glance at Draven beside me. He was checking his phone, his sharp features set in a mask of unreadable focus. The moment the aircraft doors opened and we stepped into the terminal, his phone rang. The distinct vibration pattern told me it was Robin. Draven did not even waste a second and picked up the call immediately.“What is it?” His voice was low and controlled, but I could sense the undercurrent of tension.I stayed close as he listened, his expression darkening with every second. By the time he hung up, his jaw was clenched so tight I thought it might crack.He asked, “Are you sure you have the
Alex's POVDesiree froze on her spot and looked at me and Robin simultaneously, “What? Was I not supposed to say that out loud?”I narrowed my eyes as I gestured toward the tattoo on the grainy surveillance photo, “Do you even know what this means?”Desiree scoffed, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips as she crossed her arms, “Of course I do. I spent the majority of my life in Italy, Alex. You think I wouldn’t know about the underworld?”“Desiree, I swear on the Moon Goddess I will send you back to the pack on the very next flight if you are playing around with me.”“I don’t need to, Mr Frost. I am already bored here, I won’t give you a useless puzzle to solve so that you spend more time here investigating. Honestly, I just want to get out of here.”Robin and I exchanged glances, not sure how to react to this new information that was revealed to us. The girl looked too confident in what she was saying, there was no way she could be messing with us. But still, we could not blind
Alex's POVI stood near the edge of the tarmac, arms crossed, watching as Draven and Emma disappeared into the terminal. I could not shake Emma’s worried face off my head, Ashel and Asher were her whole life, and losing them was putting her in a spiral. I exhaled sharply, pushing away the gnawing feeling of unease that settled in my gut. For some reason, I felt like this was happening all because of me. I was the one who bought them here, I was the one who was responsible for their safety. I should have looked after them, but instead, I slacked off and now not only Emma’s family but the entire pack was in shambles.I have to find the kids, no matter what! And I had no time to waste, the time was ticking fast and I had to be quick.Just as I turned on my heel, ready to leave, a slow, deliberate smirk caught my attention. Desiree.She stood a few feet away, her arms lazily draped across her chest, eyes gleaming with a knowing amusement that instantly put me on edge. My jaw clenched seei
Emma's POVThe hum of the airport was a blur in my ears as my focus remained on Desiree’s face.“Desiree?” I involuntarily called out her name, causing her to look up. The usual haughty confidence that had been always there in Desiree’s eyes were replaced by flickers of shock when she us.She came to a halt right in front of us, staring at our faces as if we had caught her red handed or something.I barely had time to process her presence before Draven’s voice sliced through the tension. “What are you doing here?” Draven’s tone was sharp, authority laced in every syllable. Desiree tilted her head, an infuriating smile playing on her lips, “What does it look like? I mean, why do people even come to Hawaii? I am here for a mini vacation.” “I thought I made it very clear—no one leaves the pack.” Draven said, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone.Desiree shrugged nonchalantly, “Oh, I saw your little decree, Alpha. I just chose to ignore it.” I glanced at Draven, his jaw clenched
Emma's POVThe security room was a cramped, dimly lit space filled with monitors and buzzing equipment. The owner fumbled with the controls, his hands shaking as he brought up the footage from the day of the kidnapping. I stood to the side, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as I watched the grainy footage play out on the screens. Her mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions—fear, hope, anger, and an overwhelming gratitude for Draven. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He stood tall and unyielding, his sharp features illuminated by the flickering screens. There was something about him that made me feel safe, even in the face of the chaos surrounding us. “Here.” Draven said, pointing to one of the screens. The footage showed the children playing near the entrance of the restaurant, their laughter faint but audible. The grainy footage played on repeat, the flickering image of Asher and Ashel being dragged away at gunpoint seared into my mind. Three men—faceless, thei