Emma's POVThe dimly lit room was abuzz with the soft hum of conversation and the occasional clinking of glasses. The air was thick with tension as two men sat huddled around a poker table, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. The card dealer formally explained the rules to the men but neither of them were paying heed to him.Xavier said, “Best of luck, Alpha.”Draven did not say anything, unlike Xavier he remained calm and emotionless. The cards were dealt and the game officially began. The two men checked their cards and played the game carefully.The audience held their breath, especially me! Both of them were pretty confident and focused on the game. One could not even guess what the result was going to be like.The deals of the first round was revealed and it turned out to be strangely straightforward and unexpected. “The winner of this round, Master Stone.” The card dealer announced, taking everyone be surprise.Everyone started to gossip amongst themselves as the Alpha final
Emma's POVAs soon as Xavier walked away, Draven turned to look at me. I opened my mouth to congratulate him but before I could do that, one of the seniors interrupted us.He took Draven's hand and shook it fiercely, “That was a wonderful game, Alpha. You really kept us all at the edge till the very end.”“Yes, Alpha. I knew you would triumph!”“Can you teach us your way, Alpha? How do you play so well.”More and more people to surround him to congratulate, ultimately pushing me out of the crowd.All I could do was chuckle and walk away. As I stood at the edge of the crowded ballroom, sipping my champagne and trying to make small talk with the other guests, my eyes couldn't help but drift back to him. He was standing in the middle of the crowd of people admiring him but he still managed to remain humble and untouched.He did not say much and only acknowledged their words with a slight nod every now and then. He had always been a force to be reckoned with, and it seemed that nothing h
Emma's POVI stood in the hallway, my fingers trembling as I tugged at the hem of my dress. The banquet’s noise felt like a distant hum, the laughter and chatter of people fading into nothing as I found myself standing here, alone in the quiet. The world outside this room felt far away, almost unreachable. My thoughts were spinning in tight circles, tugging at the edges of my sanity as I struggled to make sense of it all.I thought I had grown! I thought I had mastered the art of being a woman of composure, of control, but tonight… it was all different. Nothing was making any kind of sense to me. Not my heart, not my thoughts, and certainly not Draven. Even though he was unpredictable, I thought I knew the Alpha, or at least I thought I knew what we were, what we had, but now... now I was starting to question everything.Was it real? Was any of it real?The past few months had been nothing short of a whirlwind. I feel like I am constantly left to drown, pulled under by the intensity
Emma's POV“What is it, Draven?”“I am going back home. Let me drop you and the kids home too.” He offered.“No, thanks. I will book a cab.”“Stop being so stubborn.” He said, “Tell me where you are. I am coming over to pick you up.”I rolled my eyes and remembered something, “Uhhh, Draven can’t do. We just now got into the cab. We are already leaving.”“Is that so?” The man asked. Just when I was rejoicing that I had managed to fool him, someone pulled the phone away from me. “Hey. Are you fuc-” I swallowed the rest of the words down my throat when I realized that the person who had pulled my phone away was none other than Draven. He hung up on the call and said, “Didn’t know your cab had catering services too.”I was too embarrassed to answer so I turned away. He asked the kids if they were full, and once they said they were, he footed the bill and got us out.Draven put the kids in the car and asked me, “Why are you acting strange?”“What?” I did not expect him to confront me like
Draven's POV“Draven watch out.”Emma screamed out of nowhere, taking me off guard and that was when I noticed it. I saw a car coming towards us through my peripheral vision. Instinct took over and without thinking, I grabbed Emma’s arm, pulling her to the side. But before I could get her far enough, she did something I didn’t expect. She shoved me.In a single, desperate motion, Emma pushed me out of the way, sending me stumbling backward, away from the car that was hurtling toward us. It was too fast. The moment stretched out in slow motion, the headlights blinding me as I reached out in vain to grab her, to pull her out of harm’s way.But it was too late.The car collided with her with a sickening thud. Time seemed to stop as I watched her body crumple under the force of the impact. My heart dropped into my stomach, the panic surging through me like a tidal wave. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. All I could do was watch in horror as Emma fell, her body twisting unnaturally as
Draven's POVThe world around me felt like it was crumbling, yet I couldn’t move. I stood in the sterile, white hallways of the hospital, my mind spinning, but my body frozen in place. The harsh fluorescent lights above seemed to buzz louder than the voices of the doctors and nurses rushing past me, their faces blurred, their words muffled.Emma. She had been in critical condition, they told me that, but it didn’t seem real. The blood, the pain, the moment she had fallen to the ground… It was all so far away now, a nightmare that I was still trapped in, unable to wake up from.I couldn’t breathe. The pressure in my chest was suffocating, but it wasn’t just from the panic or fear. It was the weight of guilt, of knowing that I had failed her. I had failed the one person who had ever trusted me, the one person who had ever made me feel like I mattered, and I couldn’t undo it. I couldn’t fix it.I didn’t even know where I was going anymore, my feet moving without thought, my body pulling
Draven's POVI closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, trying to quiet the noise in my head, but it wouldn’t stop. The guilt, the shame, the fear. It all mixed together in a cocktail of despair, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I don’t know how long I stayed there like that, I was completely numb to what was happening around me.Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, my phone rang again. Robin. I hesitated, but then answered, my voice hoarse.“Alpha,” Robin said, his voice calm but filled with relief. “The Luna’s out of surgery. She is stable. The operation was a success. She is saved.”For a moment, I couldn’t process the words. Saved. She was saved.It was like a weight lifted off my chest, but it was fleeting. I didn’t feel relief, not really. Not when I knew I had almost lost her. Not when I knew what I had almost done.“How is she now?” I asked, calming myself down and trying to regain my composure.“She is out of danger, Alpha. She is yet to regain consciousness but
Emma's POVThe soft beeping of the heart monitor was the first thing I heard as I slowly regained consciousness. My head was foggy, like I had been submerged in water, struggling to break the surface. My limbs felt heavy, as though they were made of lead, and every inch of my body screamed in pain. But the worst part? The cold, empty feeling in my chest. I couldn't remember what had happened. I couldn't remember how I had ended up here, lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by bland white walls.I tried to open my eyes, but they felt weighted, unwilling to obey my command. With a small groan, I forced them open, squinting against the bright lights above me. The world around me was blurry, the shapes and figures shifting like shadows. But I could make out the figures of my children—Asher and Ashel—sitting beside me, their faces filled with relief, their eyes wide with worry. Asher’s hand was holding mine, his grip warm and familiar.“Mom?” Asher’s voice was gentle, but I could hear the r
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