NEILLA'S POVWe arrived at a moderate hotel in one of the districts close to my old pack using a rental car. Although, having sensed we were foreigners, the treatments from the werewolves in the area were nothing short of polite and courteous. If I didn't know them well enough, I'd have warned the others with me to beware of their smiles.Luckily for us, I'd made provisions by swiping one of Lykos' black cards while I was packing a bag to travel. Compared to the heavy amounts in others, the funds in this was very little. Still, it was certain to last us pending the duration of our stay, even if we decide to start spending extravagantly everyday until then.Surely, he wouldn't miss it to the extent of trying to block me out. Would he?I learnt later on that the hotel we picked was the best in the area, hence the classiness. However, we were least concerned about how much it'd cost. We merely needed a place to closely observe the neighborhood. Marcell picked an executive room with two
NEILLA'S POV With a gasp of terror tearing out of my throat, I jerked awake. I was startled to find myself lying in bed with a thick blanket wrapped around me. My body hummed from the scare I'd gotten, my eyes darted wildly about the room. It was void of anyone but me. I struggled to retain back the calm beating of my heart while battling to sit up.A wet napkin which I hadn't realized, dropped onto my thighs still covered in the blanket and the scent of Lykos swam into my nostrils. Greedily, I inhaled it in deep, aching to be swept up in his arms once more. Even if it was for one last time. Luckily for me, I just happened to be in one of his grey sweatshirts which I'd swiped off his clothes rack as I packed. I pressed my nose to the front of the material, tears rolling down as the scent only brought memories of the one I love.Tossing the blanket aside and wiping my face clean, I stepped out of bed gingerly. Even though my body swayed a little bit, I regained my composure pretty fast
LYKOS' POVIt remained uncertain if it was mere imagination playing tricks on my mind but Neilla walking out the door was as real as ever. The image etched itself into my brain and refused to budge, rousing me from the deep sleep I fell into. My eyes were still closed when I reached to the side of me for Neilla. Against all the worries in my head, there she was; soft and cold, her jasmine scent messing with my thoughts process again."I had the strangest dream, moró, that you left me without a reason nor a trace. Here you are however, and I realize it was nothing but a dream. Do not scare me like that, alright?" I murmured, my voice a deeper husky tone from sleep. She said nothing in response. I knew she heard me, so I wrapped my arms tightly around her slim waist, trying to reposition myself for another round of sleep when the incident at the birthday party clicked in my head. The triplets. I was supposed to be out and in search for them. Right then, the door swung open with a bang,
NEILLA'S POVWhen my eyes opened again, it was still dark in the room and silent all around. I listened intently but couldn't even hear the croaking of any living thing outside. It was like all was dead apart from the sounds of heartbeats and Annabella's soft snore coming from the other side of the bed. From the sheer patterned curtains, I could make out the sweeping motions it made as the breeze from outside rolled in. On normal circumstances, I would be going back to a blissful sleep to continue from where I left off. However, there was no luxury of sound sleep and there would be none until I have the triplets enveloped in my arms and back in Greece. I reached the bedside table for my phone, shot up from my sleeping position when I couldn't find it within reach. I stood up with an urgency as a sudden apprehension gripped me at the thought of a break-in. On second thoughts, I might have placed it in my backpack and forgotten to take it out. Feeling a little at ease at my conclusio
NEILLA'S' POVIn less than no time, we had exited the hotel premises and were now seated in the rental car which would take us to Lykos' pack. The centre of my palms got clammy with sweat and everytime Annabella took note of it, she'd hold my hands in hers in a bid to ease the anxiety off me.If she weren't a female, I'd kiss her on the lips to show how much I appreciated her gestures. I gazed out the window, watching objects and people wheeze us following Marcell's speed on the steering. Everyone seemed to be busy about their daily struggles, hiding their pains and real meanings behind those masks they show to others. What I'd pay to swap fortune with anyone else right now. Only that, it was too sad an unfortunate incident to wish upon even an enemy. As we ventured closer and closer, the air of nostalgia grew stronger and stronger. We were close. I could sense it in the familiar sightings around. However, when we drove past the new road through what I knew to be the boundaries, I wa
RYLAN'S POVI collapsed on the bed, feeling spent and exhausted from the hours of sex Venn and I decided to indulge in. While I panted like a thristy camel who'd gone rounds in the desert for an extended period without water, she didn't even look as beaten up as I did.She clapped her hands sharply and two handmaids walked in carrying trays of drinks and cool hand towels. I smiled at her thoughtfulness, picking one towel from the tray and a tall glass of grey colored drink swirled with tinges of blood. Hers. It was another one of Venn's specially made concoction for me to replenish my system after every of our sexcapades. This time it was a bittersweet flavor with a certain tanginess at the end of each swallow. I watched her take a sip of her own drink which had my blood in it. What could be more intimate than the taste of your mate's blood mixed with juice extracted from an exotic fruit, sliding down your throat?It was a different kind of feel. Since the death of Neilla and the disc
NEILLA'S POVI noticed a lot of changes to the pack house, a lot of new faces, all foreign, stoic and strange. For a moment there, a sliver of fear shot up my spine as I gazed about the unfriendly faces. As I turned, somebody walked in, striking a chord of recognition within me. It was Zadik.I was relieved to find somebody I knew at least. It was also relieving that it meant Rylan was still Alpha here and it probably shouldn't be any issue trying to meet with him. Our plan so far was swinging well into motion. However, I realized from Zadik's aghast expression that he didn't feel the way upon seeing me."Neilla?" He called with an uncertain voice, staring at me with shock and astonishment rolled into one. I'd have said he was staring like he'd just seen a ghost but the only hindrance to that was I had blood flowing in my veins."Do you know that guy?" Marcell asked as he stepped up beside me. He was high at alert and suspicious of him, probably sensing some sort of threat since the ot
RYLAN'S POVAs I walked into Sheila's spiritual home with Venn leading me, I recalled that this place used to be my father's other home where he sometimes spent time rebranding himself as an Alpha. Sheila offered him all the spiritual guidance needed to empower him for the task ahead and difficulties he would face while in leadership.However, she turned her back on me the moment I became Alpha and had to make decisions to keep the pack safe. Ever since then, I turned to Venn for advice instead and up until now, she hadn't given me a reason to doubt. Why was it now after all those years that Sheila wanted to make amends for her mistakes. I didn't need her then and most certainly won't need her now.With that decision in mind, I pulled my hand out of Venn's hold. She turned with a worried expression. "Why?""I don't need to speak to anyone who thinks it perfect to abandon a leader they'd sworn to serve all their life. That's rebellion. She's lucky I didn't have her exiled for it." "
NEILLA'S POV "You were saying, sweet uncle?" I smiled sweetly at him, enjoying the look on his face. For the first time ever, he bore an expression other than arrogance and it thrilled me to no end. Setting the book down without taking my hands off it nor my eyes off him, I ripped each page disregarding how it scalded my palms. I would heal eventually so it bothered me less. "No! Anything but that, please." He crumbled to his knees, as he begged. "Anything but that. That is all I have of my mate." "Wrong! She did not ask you to avenge her or go taking packs forcefully." I debated in an anger that led me yanking off more pages in quick succession. "If you have lost a mate, you would understand." That touched a sore spot in me and I paused in the middle of my actions. "Lies!" Nia spat out for the first time since I came back to life. "In that book is all the secrets of his existence as a hybrid alongside all the monsters that do his bidding. Do not fall for his wi
NEILLA'S POV I broke down, in shameful admittance of my failure to her. Everyone spoke of my mother in reverence in awe and when they knew I was her blood, they had exalted expectations of me. Even I had expectations of myself only to be slapped with the wicked truth. I was nothing compared to who my mother was before her death. "That's where you got it wrong, my daughter." My mother cooed, as she framed her face again with her soft hands. "You don't compare to me, I don't compare to you. I let sentiments get me into a trap that cost me my family, that cost me you." "If I had killed Vincent a long time ago, when I should have, you won't be in this mess. But I didn't, because he was family to me. He was my only sibling." She revealed, avoiding my face but laying strict attention to my hair. Was it something about my hair or something about the words she was saying? I wondered, pulling out of her hold. "Vincent was your brother and he killed you?" What kind of blood relation was h
NEILLA'S POV"That's not true!" Nia pulled my arm, trying her best to dissuade me from confronting Vincent by myself. "You can't be the Alpha's daughter, you don't know what you're saying!" We turned to her, a buzz of energy humming around us as we replied her. "It is true. If you hadn't said that lie, we wouldn't have been brought to our fate."We turned our focus back to Vincent who slowly descended the short flight of stairs, hands behind his back and that cynical smile on his face.The model definition of a psychopath. "No, Neilla. Let me handle him. Save the kids." Lykos ordered as he appeared by us in the blink of an instant. "I said this is my fight!" We roared suddenly. Frightened, the triplets scampered to Lenora quickly. "Stay out of my business and go be with them!" We warned with our voice ringing out clear.The vein in his neck ticked, his jaw did the same. He was angry with us but who cared? We wanted to get things done with once and for all. "Now, now." Venn's faux
NEILLA'S POV"I can't." Nia said, stopping us in our tracks. Before we started to raise our claws, impatient to strike her down and let ourselves out of the cell, she quickly filled in her reasons."If we do so together, Vincent might discover a little too early of my betrayal to him.""Like you haven't betrayed your own people already."Nia all but snapped at us. "We have already established that, Neilla. You don't have to bring it up everytime." She sighed, "As I was saying, you have to be in here for a few minutes while I go up alone. If the coast is clear, I'll send one of my trusted persons to come get you.""Let's hope they don't betray you too." My wolf spat out cynically before retreating back into the backseat of my head as I took rein now.I felt no remorse for my wolf's words. It was the truth anyway.She said nothing else in reply, went out of the room. Lenora proceeded to secure the locks from within and together we sat in the dim light of the lamp, waiting for her arriv
NEILLA'S POV My ears picked up on the sounds of commotion from way above us. Nia must have as well because she paused briefly so she could tilt her head to the side and listen. "What is that?" I asked in alarm. She shook her head, rose from her seat. "I cannot say for sure." She ventured close to the heavy doors. "If my guess is right, then Vincent, or should I say Lonnie, has lost his mind yet again." "Tell me, does this happen frequently?" I quizzed, my eyes following her every move even as I paid attention to the distant commotion. "You don't want to know how many times he loses his mind in a day. Whatever character he might have been displaying to you was a faux." She added, finally coming back to sit. The noise had all but stopped. However, it was reduced. I found that the kids were no longer playing with their toys. They probably heard the commotion too. I thought back to the short time Vincent add I spent in each other's presence. I found it almost impossible to
NEILLA'S POVNia arose from her position to give I and the triplets a moment to ourselves while she stepped to the darker room with the human girl, Lenora. The kids made sure to talk my ear off with half baked stories of their adventures, the friends they made who were just the fake servants that abducted them that day "I told them about our birthday." Jade was saying. She found a spot in the curve of my arm and settled there. "How aunt Nia told us to follow some people so she could have time with us."Her story drew my interest, same time repelled me. Did I really want to know how they were abducted? The truth of how it really happened?I decided against it. "That's enough, Jade. I'm glad you're here with me, alright?" She nodded and as she did so, the tendrils that were peeking from her crown, bounced."When mean uncle said you wouldn't come back to us, it hurt my feelings so much. I yelled at him and told him he was wrong. He was laughing at me." Juno said, his face reflecting t
NEILLA'S POVI hastened my steps, pushing to meet up with Nia who had become interestingly faster than she was some seconds ago. The servants who saw us coming only took a second to observe me, perhaps out of curiosity, before they immediately lowered their heads.I had seen more than ten of them do the same.What were they scared of?Who was Lonnie?"He's not going to do anything to his sister, is he?" I voiced out my thoughts as we hurried along the hallway that didn't seem to have an end.Nia's grip on my wrist tightened further and she inhaled sharply. "Trust me, you do not want to know."We took the very first turn before getting to the end of the endless hallway. It led us down several stairwells. A few servants met us on their way up. I heard their little whispers as soon as they thought we were out of earshot. "She's going to be in trouble." I managed to catch.I was already in trouble, that was a no-brainer. I was just yet to figure out a way to extricate myself and my tri
NEILLA'S POV.Nia recovered from the shock of seeing me. She turned to the siblings with an angry glare. "What is she doing here? I thought you said you were not going to bring her until you have made a bargain? Why didn't you give me a heads-up first?"Venn leaned back in her seat to regard Nia properly. She plucked one seed of grape and bit into it slowly, taking her time. She dropped the other half of it."I see you have forgotten your place. That is not a problem. Might I remind you that you work for me and not with me and you know what that means, right?" Nia rolled her eyes, nodded all the same. "Still, you should have said something."I didn't even let their conversation come to an end before I started to vent. "Nia, how could you?" We might not have been on cordial terms, but this was an outright betrayal of trust. "We trusted you.""Oh, please." She replied with scorn. "That was you being gullible and that's on you, not me."Everything started to make sense to me. Her sudden
NEILLA'S POVThe long walk from the portal brought us to a yard whose environment brought back a feeling of nostalgia to me. The stranger whose name was Lonnie, walked behind me as Venn went up front. She had reverted to her normal self on the way which I had to admit to myself, was more unnerving. The werewolf façade was a misleading representation of the true nature of her being. There was so much innocence in her pretence than in the form she presented to us.I decided instead that I could deal with the veiny, bloodthirsty vampire that she really was. At least, dealing with people in their true elements made all the work easy.We came to what resembled a throne room with vault ceilings, flower ornaments in each corner, an entire floor of polished marble against which the soles of my boots thudded.There were several paintings of one man whom I guessed was probably the Alpha. With a strong and chiseled jawline, a aqualine nose over a mouth that looked like it said little but promi