Adira’s POV Even though I still didn’t have my memories of Alpha Zane, I had a feeling he was a good man. My wolf was at ease with him, making me believe that he was good to us in our past life. There was also the fact that he had trained me and that spoke volumes since it was against all the rules set by the elders. I could clearly see that Lyra was smitten by him and he was with her and it made me happy that she found her true mate too. Alpha Liam held my hand tight as we walked back into the packhouse and into the room that was lined with the elders. Whispers now began to move throughout the room and I knew it was because of me somehow and I wondered if the word had already gotten to them of what happened with my sister. “Alpha Zane, what is this?” One of the elder men asked him. “I am sorry to inform you, but I had been betrayed by one of my pack members. My betroth’s twin sister Aira had pretended to be her and tried to fool me into mating with her. My father has our men
Liam’s POV My warriors surround us not letting the guards near us. I knew that me being here might cause a bit of a problem. Now I see that Nightshade was never going to be accepted by the council of elders because we don’t conform to their beliefs and laws set by them. But I had hoped when my parents signed me up for this, that things had changed, but as I can see now nothing had changed. Nightshade was an outcast and we would always remain an outcast as long as the elders controlled everything. The Mating Ceremony was just one of the many things that they controlled and I was done allowing them to dictate everything. “As you can see, I came prepared for your decision.” I told them as they were all now surrounded by my warriors, both male and female. “Yes, Nightshade has never conformed to your ways, and we have kept the values of our original ancestry. I will not abide by your rules, and neither will my pack. My members are free to be with who they choose not who you decide is
Adira’s POV To see so many true mate bonds forming among the wolves was a true blessing from the Moon Goddess and I was so proud of my mate standing up to the elders like he did. I was also happy to see that Alpha Zane had my mate’s back and also that he was accepting the bond between him and Lyra. A part of me wishes that my wolf would allow me to remember my past because I knew whatever it was that it would not affect who I am now, but she is still refusing to allow me access to them. As we left the room that housed the elders Alpha Liam and Alpha Zane began to talk to Alpha Zane’s father about reinforcing the security at Crimson. Alpha Liam gives full access of his warriors that he has brought to help with the added protection. Needing to know, I ask, “Have you found Aira and her father yet?” Alpha Zane’s father looked at me with regret when he says, “I have men storming their house now, but there are no signs of her, or your parents.” It felt weird hearing him say “your pa
Liam’s POV It felt like I had run into a brick wall as my face stung in pain. Standing in front of me was Adira with her hand raised in the air coming straight for my face. Grabbing her hand in full swing towards me I had to wonder why she was going to slap me until I looked around the room to see what was happening. The smell of Jasmine now filled my senses, and I realized that the room had been tainted. Adira’s eyes were fixed on something behind me, and I turned to see the two elders that were to be off the Crimson’s pack lands. Turning back around I see something that will probably scar me for a while as Alpha Zane and Lyra were into it hot and heavy. There was only one way to stop this madness and figure out what the hell the elders were up to. Pulling from deep within me I let out an Alpha growl that shook the floor we were standing on. Everyone in the room, including Adira reached for their ears as the growl was meant to wake even the dead. I then watched as everyone took
Adira’s POV “Omg, I am so embarrassed. What was, that?” Lyra asks me as she fixes her dress and we move out of the room trying to get away from the smell of Jasmine in the air. “I don’t know but I am guessing that the head elder had something to do with it.” I told Lyra as we moved outside to get some fresh air, noticing a large group gathered in the back yard. Everything outside seemed okay as I looked around to make sure that none of the elders that left the room were in sight and I wondered where Blaze was now, that Alpha Liam and Alpha Zane took off after the head elder. The head elder was obviously up to something, but what, I did not know, but I was sure if Alpha Liam caught up to him, we would have answers soon. Looking around at the wolves gathered in the backyard, I noticed only a few from Nightshade, but the rest of them must have been from different packs. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted movement and quickly turned to see the one elder that had been standing
Liam’s POV A howl now rippled through the air from beside me as Alpha Zane tries to restore order among the wolves. Thankfully, it worked, and we both shifted back into our human form. One of my warriors approached me right away and said, “They took our Luna and Lyra.” “Who?” I quickly asked him, needing to know who had my mate and my sister even though I had an idea of who was behind it. “We don’t know, but we captured one of their warriors.” My man told me, and anger began to fill my body knowing that my mate was in trouble. “Take us to him.” Alpha Zane told my man, and I could hear the concern in his voice for my sister’s wellbeing. We followed my man around the corner, and I saw Blaze tying up someone who was already beat so bad that I thought he was already dead. “Alpha, I am sorry, but they took Luna.” Blaze tells me, as he finishes tying the man up. Kneeling down on one knee, I grab the man’s chin in my hand and make him look at me before I ask, “Who has my Luna?”
Adira’s POV “Who was that?” Lyra now asks me as I move to sit back down on the cool cement, as I take in all my memories that came flooding back to me just a moment ago. I couldn’t believe that a father could be so hateful towards his own flesh and blood. However, when power was at stake, I realized that his generation would do anything for it. “That there Lyra was what my wolf was protecting me from. That man is unfortunately my father and from what you heard from him, he cares nothing about my wellbeing, and he never has.” I tell her not really shocked because now that I have my memories back it seems about right for the way he just treated me. All he was worried about was the bump that I had put into his plan, which is now what I am worried about myself. If anything happened to Alpha Liam because of me, I would never forgive myself for placing this upon him. “Now I see why your wolf protected you from your past. Thank the Goddess she brought you to us.” Lyra says to me and I
Liam’s POV Alpha Zane had a lockdown put on the packhouse. No one was allowed to come in or go out. As we started to gather the warrior’s names that the elder had given us. Thankfully, Alpha Zane’s father assisted us doing so and was a great help with locating the warriors on our list. There was one name that stood out plain as day to me and that was Jeffery Wilson, Adira’s father, which we still didn’t have a location on him or the rest of the family. There was no doubt in my mind that he was a part in the abduction of my mate and my sister. It was taking every ounce of strength I had to keep my wolf at bay as the time started to tick away. He wanted blood and I promised him when it was time, he could have that blood that he desired. Everyone that had a hand in taking my mate and my sister would pay for their crime and I wouldn’t settle till they all did. “We have everyone on the list except for a handful of warriors and my guess is that they are with our Lunas now.” Alpha Zane
Adira’s POV “Why does this hurt so damn bad?” I asked the nurse and the pack doctor as I began to push to another contraction. “Pup birth is a beautiful thing.” The doctor said back to me and I let out a growl letting him know there wasn’t anything beautiful about this. I would take being poisoned again with wolfbane over this. “Where is Liam?” I cried out after I gave them one hard push like the pack doctor had asked for. Lyra quickly moved to the bed and took my hand in hers. “They are on their way. Does it really hurt that bad?” Lyra asks with big eyes knowing that she wasn’t far behind me giving birth to hers and Alpha Zane’s pup. Another contraction came and I squeezed her hand in pain as she let out her own scream from the pressure I was putting on her hand. “I take that as a yes.” She said as she winced. “Let’s just say, I would rather go to war, have my stomach ripped open and be shot up with wolfbane.” I tell her through gritted teeth. “I don’t think you are help
Adira’s POV “You’re my aunt?” Finally came from my lips as my heart began to beat fast from this revelation. “It seems that I am.” Stella said and turned to look at my mother and added, “That frog thing doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Ali gave out a burst of laughter and I had to hold back my ow as I knew what she was referring to and I had to wonder what kind of relationship my mother and Stella had as siblings. “Wait, mother why didn’t I know you had a sister?” Aira now asked her mother as she eyed Stella. “She is only my half-sister.” My mother says to Aira and then adds, “And as you can see with your eyes, I was always the prettier one.” I don’t know why but at that moment I let out a growl to my mother warning her. It may have been her mean words spoken to Stella or it may have been because I knew those words spoken to myself for so many years. Either way I was done with hearing these hurtful words from the both of them. Aira smirked at me, and said, “Now I see wher
Adira’s POV After Ali’s mother and coven left Crimson, I knew I had to find my own closure with the rest of my family before we headed back to Nightshade. My mother and sister Aira were being kept at a separate facility that was for less misdemeanor, since my father was the mind behind all that had happened. Ali insisted that she join me and I knew it was because she wanted to see Aira again. Ali hadn’t had the pleasure of being tortured by Aira and she had no clue how ruthless Aira had become over the years as our father groomed her to become the next Luna of the Crimson pack. I, on the other hand, had a front row seat to all of this and was treated by all of them as the mistake that happened since Aira was the beauty queen out of the two of us. Alpha Liam and Alpha Zane had work what needed to be done at the packhouse before our return back to Nightshade. I reassured Alpha Liam that I would be fine going with Ali by my side. Of course, he said he would feel better if I took some
Adira’s POV The war had been won today but there was still closure that I needed and so did Ali. Both of us were the product of this messed up world that the elders had created. Ali on the other hand had a mother that truly did love her and from what I had just witnessed loved my father dearly too. It was a shame that he picked the way of the elders over the Moon Goddess and the mate that she had blessed him with. As the two of us walked down the grand staircase together, Ali’s mother stood beside what I now learned was the High Priestess and her mother. Ali was not just any witch she was born into royal blood. She one day could have been the High Priestess of her coven, but her mother’s choice to be with my father took that right from her. She was only half witch and that meant she could never hold the title of High Priestess. Ali’s mother’s eyes moved from her to me and when she saw the two of us together, she realized that she had made a grave mistake earlier when she had tri
Adira’s POV My eyes opened to a splitting headache as my eyes tried to focus on the figures standing over me. All three began to speak at the same time and I quickly reached for my head as it felt like it had been squeezed tightly. Finally, I heard Stella say, “Quiet.” And the room went silent and my head instantly felt a bit of relief. This time when I opened my eyes, they focused on the faces of three individuals that stood over me, watching me with worry in their eyes. “I’m okay.” I said as I tried to pull myself up to a sitting position with some help from Lyra. “I’m so sorry. My mother didn’t know what she was doing. She must have gone mad after seeing father laying there on the ground. Please forgive her.” Ali said to me and as I remember back to the last memory I had before darkness took me, I remembered the face of the woman staring at me. I hadn’t recognized her at the time but now that Ali said, her mother, her face now rang a bell to me from my dreams. There was no do
Liam’s POV Adira’s warning that the witches were here and to take the final blow, was the last thing I heard from her as she disappeared from my view with Stella and Lyra. Hearing this I knew it was time to stop toying with my prey and I let my claws elongate and pulled my hand back to take the final blow. As my hand came down across Adira’s father’s neck, I felt his skin tear beneath them as they became coated in the crimson color of his blood. An ear-piercing scream now filled the air around me before I went flying in the air. At first, I thought that it was Ali and that she had gone against the pack, but as I flew in the air, I saw her fighting along aside Blaze and knew it wasn’t her as I landed hard by the stage. Alpha Zane quickly moved to me as I began to slowly get up from the hard impact. “The witches are here.” I tell him as I get to my feet. “Good. Now we have them right where we want them.” Alpha Zane says as he lets out a howl calling in the reinforcements, we had
Adira’s POV My eyes remained glued on Alpha Liam as my father took his fighting stance, but Liam just stood there like my father was not a worthy opponent. This of course upset my father as he let out a growl warning Alpha Liam to take him seriously. The death that Alpha Zane was giving my father I thought was too good for what he had done. Yes, he was born a warrior, but he shouldn’t be allowed to go out with a warrior’s death, and I can see that Alpha Liam agrees with me as he mocks my father by not taking a fighting stance, showing him no respect. “If I am to die, then give me a warrior’s death if you think you can.” My father now says to Alpha Liam. Alpha Liam let out a growl before he says, “A warrior’s death is too good for you.” “Seems that we are on the same page. I will make sure to give you an honorable warrior’s death.” My father then said as he leaped towards Alpha Liam. I wanted to cry out to him to watch
Liam’s POV Holding onto Adira’s hand I watched as her father was led to the stage and I could feel what she was feeling as her walls were down and her feelings were flowing freely to me. I began to worry that this was too much stress on her and our unborn pup and I should have insisted that she stayed in our room. Stella moved closer to us and I watched as she reached for Adira’s other hand. As soon as she touched Adira, I instantly felt Adira calm. I knew that Stella was the one doing this, as I stared at her, she gave me a nod. Stella had promised me that she would take care of Adira and she was doing just that. Blaze and Ali stepped to the side as Mr. Wilson was brought onto the stage and I watched Ali closely to make sure Adira was right about her. I could see that it was affecting her just as it was affecting Adira, but I could see that she now also saw the truth about her father. When Blaze and her both took their position in front of the steps, Blaze took her hand into his
Adira’s POV I knew that something felt off today and after Ali and I had returned to our rooms, I found myself an emotional wreck, which I knew was not like me. I knew how my father was and the words he had chosen to say to us were of no surprise, but here I was crying my eyes out. Thankfully, Stella came when I called her to my room and within seconds she verified what I had assumed. It wasn’t like I didn’t know this was a possibility after my heat and all the sex that Alpha Liam and I had over the last couple of days, but a part of me wishes that it would have held off one more heat so that I could be the one to make my father pay, myself, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now I had to hope that my mate would be the one to make him pay for all the wrong that he had done and stop this madness of the elders for the sake of our unborn pup and the future of our kind. When Liam entered our room, I remained staring out the window at the place my father would take his last breath and the pl