Draven's POV“Good! Good… She was a good-for-nothing-for-nothing anyway. I am happy that we are finally getting rid of her.” My mother complained and went back to reading her magazine.Since the topic was over, I decided to go upstairs and sort things out with my kids. Just when I was about to leave, Desiree asked, “Draven, who are those kids?”“Kids? What kids?” My mother asked, making me stop on my strides. I swear on the Moon Goddess herself, if I could, I would have strangled my sister right now. Desiree ignored my glare at her and continued her conversation with Mom, “You have not met them yet? They were upstairs when I was getting ready for the Ball. I did not have time to ask them who they were since I was in a hurry.”“Is that so? Who are they, Draven?” My mother asked me, “Why are there kids in your house?”Robin stepped in and said, “They are my niece and nephew.”“Niece and Nephew?” Desiree raised an eyebrow, “I never knew you had them.” She looked at the housekeeper clean
Emma's POV“Shit! Shit! Shit!” All the drinks last night did me dirty as I slept off my alarm today. Since I took half a day's leave yesterday, I had to make up for it by taking today's morning shift. I thought the girls could use some rest so I agreed to this plan, I clearly did overestimate the influence of alcohol over me.I grabbed a slice of bread and chugged up a glass of milk, rushing outside to catch my bus. As I was making my way out, I saw a new car parked outside, and standing next to it were two men clad in suits. They had no expression on their face but their watchful eyes followed me. I ignored them as I did not have time to investigate this and made my way out of the complex. But then, I was stopped by the same two men, “Miss Whitemane.”“Yes?” I stopped to answer. They said, “I am Henry and he is Marcus. We work for the Alpha.”“Oh, him.” My expressions turned sour just by the mention of that man. I said, “What does he want now?”“Alpha wants to meet you. He asked us
Emma's POV Draven watched as I signed the contract, I did not even read it because… what’s the point? He won't let me change a thing about it even if I don't like it.He secured the documents and locked them inside a briefcase, “Good. You can have the kids now.”“Where are they? Can I take them home with me now?” I asked. I was eager to meet my kids.Draven stood up and said, “They are not with me right now. They are with Robin.”“Oh.” I mused, “I can go and pick them up.”“No, need for that. We have something important to do before that.”“What?” The man picked up his jacket and car keys, “Come with me.”“Where?” Again, utter silence. Asking this man a question was like throwing a stone in the ocean. Completely useless! I rolled my eyes and followed him behind. We got into the elevator and he called his receptionist to inform her that he was heading out and canceled all his meetings for the day.We got into his car and the car set out in the city. None of us talked, he was starin
Emma's POV “Come.” Draven said in a slow tone before getting out of the car.As soon as I entered the house, I was caught in awe. The bungalow was massive and handsomely decorated, everything about it screamed rich and lavish.“You like it?” He asked, making me break out of my fantasies.I said, “Yes, it’s nice but I am worried about the chandelier. We have kids in the house.”Draven looked at the gigantic glass chandelier hanging on the roof and grunted, “We will get it removed.”“Mommy! Daddy!” Ashel’s voice grabbed our attention and I saw her running toward me.“Baby.” I got on my knees to scoop her in a hug. Behind her, I saw Beta Robin and Asher coming our way.“Alpha. Miss Whitemane.” He greeted before handing some documents to Draven, “Everything is done, Alpha. All it requires is your sign.”“Hang on.” The man looked at us and asked, “Do you like the house?”“Yes.” Ashel was the first one to answer. Beta Robin had brought the kids earlier to give them a house tour and by her
Emma's POV The two of us stood there, gazing into each other’s eyes. I did not know what to do, my mind had stopped working and was pooling with so many questions.“Daddy. Mommy. Is everything alright?” He let go of my arm and distanced himself from me when we heard Ashel’s voice. She and her brother were standing at the stairs, looking at us with a complicated expression.Draven cleared his throat and I spoke up, “Yes, everything is alright.”“Are you sure? We heard you two fighting.” Asher said. Even though he maintained a straight face, he could not conceal the worry in his voice.I said, “Yes, darling. Daddy and I disagreed on something but it is alright now.”“Okay.” Ashel muttered but she did not look too convinced by us. I grew up watching my adopted parents fight, it used to put me in a lot of anxiety. I did not want to put my kids through that.I changed the topic, “I haven’t seen the house yet. How about you two give me a house tour?”Their spirits went from zero to hundred
Stella's POV “Mom… Thank you for coming back on such short notice.” I grabbed Sherra's hand and said in a teary voice. She caressed my hair and said, “Don't be silly. There is no way we won't come to help you when you have a problem.”I smiled until Desiree spoke up, “Girl, you should have told us this sooner that she is back. Why did you wait for so long?”I bit down on my lips. I was the one who invited Sherra and Desiree back to the pack and told them about Emma. They already knew that she was back but we were pretending to be oblivious because they did not want to drag me.I trust Draven, I do but for some reason… I feel like his heart is not in the right place now. If he seriously wanted to divorce Emma, he would have done it by now instead of dragging this case.Also, there were kids involved. They were enough to make him emotional.I said, “I did not want to cause trouble for my own selfish reasons.”“It's not selfish.” Sherra comforted me, “Draven is yours, she stole him from
Emma's POV I looked at Stella and then at Draven, neither of them looked as if they were happy about this. Draven pulled his lips together in a straight line and put down his phone. Stella walked up to us, her eyes were buried on the man in front of me.“Hello, Draven. Can I know what is happening here?” Stella stopped right next to the table and asked. She swam her eyes across me and the kids, “Out here to have lunch with the family, I see.”Draven opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but Stella spoke first, “Mind if I join? Thank you. Waiter… Can you bring me an extra chair, please?”The four of us sat there awkwardly until the staff brought a chair for her to sit.“Lovely.” She took the menu she was handed and said, “A T-bone steak with the side of mashed caulis, parmesan snap pea pasta, and sweet potato fries. Also, bring me some sorbet and tiramisu.” She handed back the menu and giggled, “What? Don’t look at me like that. I was on a diet trying to lose weight for
Emma's POV “You don't know?” Alex clicked a few times on his phone before handing it over to me. Opened on the phone screen was a long discussion forum.“What is it?” I took the phone from him and looked at the post which was currently going viral on social media. My eyes spread open in surprise as I recognized this, it was from the banquet.Turns out someone secretly shot a video of my and Stella's argument in the ball and posted it online. The video was circulating around and captioned as “The rumors are true, Alpha Draven and Emma Whitemane are getting divorced.”Last time when I told the media that we were getting a divorce, Draven used his influence and made every single media house delete the footage. The news never came out so the netizens never got to know that we were in the process of separating. But now, it was different!The cat was out of the bag and everyone was talking about it. Even if Draven wanted, he wouldn't be able to shut down the news this time.I scrolled thro
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