LYKOS' POVI went straight to work signing documents and getting done the things that needed to be. Having already placed a call to the company which Axel demanded I reach out to personally, a mutual agreement was made and business was to resume as usual. Stock market was no playground for babies and one's failure to validate prices could mean a massive loss. I have seen and heard of packs who ventured into it, and crumbled. At the inception of stock exchange in my pack, a lot of the members of the council stood against it, all fearful for the collapse of the pack's economy. Yet, it remained firm till this day.Thanks to the countless sleepless nights trying to understand what it entailed. Another wise thing to do was not putting the entire pack's finance into it. A dangerous mistake attempted by a lot of Alphas whom I was now accommodating in my pack or were now spread out to take refuge in other packs.Shameful indeed."That was real tough." Axel exclaimed tiredly, plopping down on
NEILLA'S POV"You speak so highly of her while referring to her in past tense." Nia noted.By now, the air of hostility around her had long vanished and we spoke to each other like age long acquaintances. For her to have figured the way I spoke of my mother meant that she was indeed drinking in every word I said."Sadly, she passed away seven months ago. That was the day Lykos found me. I was leaving my old pack and got ambushed by four flesh eating monsters, and having succeeded in finishing off three, there was no more fight left in me. He swooped in and saved me." The memories still clung to my brain like the after-scent fragrance of a perfume oud.It was indeed worth reminiscing about."That's quite sad." She whispered, turning to me, eyes filled with empathy. I looked away, not wanting to be pitied. "Natural cause or..."I shrugged helplessly, picking up the mug to take a sip, then stopping halfway when I realized how cold the chocolate drink had become. I set it back down whilst
FIVE MONTHS LATER...LYKOS' POV"Your Majesty, what if this is another false labor like the others?" One of the active werewolves present at the meeting, quizzed. I was halfway rising from my seat when he asked that and my monster shoved his way forward, painting my vision in a red glow. Our voices merged together as one, "Whether or not it turns out false, I'll be the judge of that."That was final and no one dared uttered anything in opposition.Indeed it might be another labor scare like the ones before. It wasn't even the fifth time I'd gotten a message that Neilla had gone into labor and needed me by her side. Each time I'd gone, it turned out to be false. I wasn't going to sit this one out even though it might eventually be false. She was in her twelfth month of pregnancy and I was starting to worry about the state of her health.Were the pups okay? Was she okay?I turned to the rest of them all seated around the table, after my monster had gone back into the recess of my mind t
THREE YEARS LATER...NEILLA'S POV"Wake up!"I frowned in my sleep, rolling over to lay on my front and place the pillow over my ears with the intention to block out the noise and light."No, you don't. You can't pretend I'm not in here with you, trying to drag your lazy ass out of the bed." The intruder continued. There came sounds of the person moving around and pulling curtains open to further illuminate the room. I groaned in frustration, my voice muffled by the bed. A week before today, it had been the daily ritual; storming into my room to shriek morning calls like an alarm clock, bring sunlight in and drag me out of bed; an action that was bound to happen any minute now. As predicted, I felt hands grip my ankles and yank me downward to the edge of the bed. "But I don't wanna." I protested with a whine.The covers flipped over my head and Nia's unimpressed face came into view. "You're the one with three kids and yet you act like you're the kid amongst us all.""That is harsh."
NEILLA'S POV By the time I stepped out of my room, Nia was dressed in a party dress with flowery patterns which came up to her knees. I realized then that although it wasn't exactly same, it matched with what I had on as well. Same with Annabella. Obviously Annabella planned this non-accidental coincidence."What color do you want?" I heard one of the triplets ask as I approached the stairs. Someone was supposed to be keeping an eye on them and making sure none of them was wandering about, spying on the preparations. "Josie, Jade, Juno, where's aunt Nia?" I made my presence known as I descended the annoying flight of stairs, coming to meet them at the window where they were hovering and watching the yard through the glass window.Jade turned to me first, her opal eyes shining through as she smiled. "We just wanna know what daddy is up to outside." She explained while she returned her gaze back to the window.The facial features were mine alright but the eyes were a lot like Rylan's.
LYKOS' POVI watched Neilla step out into the yard, hand in hand with Aunt Justina, looking every bit and more of what I'd pictured she would look like. The sweep of her gorgeous brown hair to her other shoulder and a green number that seemed to dazzle as she moved. I fell in love all over again. Tonight was it. Tonight was the night I was gonna come out with the truth. Maybe I was selfish but I'd done the best I could to keep it s secret from her and she'd fallen in love with me freely and without the mate sentence hanging over her head. Having thought so much about it and even developed a migraine while at it, tonight wasn't going to pass without me giving it a shot.I think I deserved that much too. If she shied away once more, I'd take it to be her unpreparedness. I would wait for her consent even if the end of time came."With that look in your eyes, I'm certain you love this dress, don't you?" Neilla questioned as she finally stopped in front of me, with her brown eyes reflect
NEILLA'S POVI enjoyed relentlessly teasing Lykos and I loved that he enjoyed it as well. Being with him gave me the horizon to explore and be more myself than who he wanted me to be. Unlike a certain person I now loathed meeting, Lykos was every bit of the gentleman around me and took his pleasure from making sure he met mine. Whether it was in the bedroom or it was at a public space like this. As opposed to the timid kitten I used to be around people, I could handle myself well either in his presence or without. It all just came naturally to me.When he said he had a surprise for me, I couldn't quite place my finger on what it was. First, it wasn't even my birthday but that of my pups and so far, I knew there would be tons of gifts waiting for me in our room as always. I would have taken them for early birthday gifts since my day was only after the triplets but when the morning of my birthday dawned, another set of presents rolled out.Even more mind-blowing than the previous.One
LYKOS' POVA few days back, I determined in my mind to surprise Neilla with the unexpected presence of her most treasured people. For all the years she'd spent away from her pack after she made her decision, not a day went by when she didn't make mention of either one of them.I started making plans since the second birthday of the triplets, tasking Axel, despite the silent disagreement that was ongoing between us at the time, to make inquiry about the family whom Neilla lived amongst.Fortunately for me, things were going according to plan with the discovery of Mirald and Matteo. Axel also didn't fail to mention the change that had occurred in the pack; how hybrid strangers now ruled as counts and the Alpha seemed to be at peace with all of it. As long as the region was not under my pack, there was no need to intervene. Neilla was not in that redundant pack anymore and that reason ceased my to help.Again, I wondered how she would feel if she realized the recent happenings with her l
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