Chapter 111 Orion's POV I twirled the pen in my hand absentmindedly. My body was sitting in my chair behind my desk in the office but my mind was miles away. What good was rejecting Ciara as my mate if I was going to feel restless when she was hurt or in pain? It was like we were more connected than ever and it took all of my willpower to stand up and walk out of that room when all I wanted to do was sit by her side and stroke her hair. I dropped the pen and began tapping my fingers on the desk. “You're an idiot.” My wolf said and I sighed. He was right, I was the biggest fool. Why would I reject my mate even if she was moving on? Why would I try to reassure my nemesis that she was alive just to calm his wolf when I should have blamed him for her condition? It wasn't his fault that Brianna had shown up at his pack but he could have kicked her out already. Mum had no idea her sister was back and from the looks of things, Brianna had no plans of showing up here to anno
Chapter 112 Ciara's POV “Come at me harder, you can do this.” I grunted as I charged towards Bryan, panting heavily. He was quicker though and by the time I got to him, he had moved. “Faster,” he chorused behind me, clapping his hands. I turned and frowned when I saw the smirk on his face. “You're enjoying this.” I accused and he shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not but what you gonna do about it?” he taunted and I sneered as I charged towards him. “Not fast enough,” he snickered as he swerved out of the way again, beating me for the tenth time that morning. I snorted and stepped aay, making my way to the bench where we had kept out things. “Giving up so soon?” He asked but I ignored him as I grabbed my water bottle and drank from it quickly. The tremor in my body relaxed a little as the water passed my throat and circulated. We had been at this since dawn. Bryan woke me up with a passionate kiss and promised to finish what he started if I agreed to train for four hours. N
Chapter 113 Ciara's POV “Well, what are you doing here?” Grandma Grace exclaimed as she opened the front door for me. I rolled my eyes and handed Lacey over to her as I walked inside. Ryan was sitting in the car outside and no matter how much I had convinced him to come in, he refused. “Of course I'm happy to see you, I'm just surprised.” She closed the door and turned to me. “Is everything okay?” She asked and I nodded. “Why wouldn't they be?” She raised an eyebrow and I sighed. “Everything is fine Grandma I promise. I just missed you all so much and I thought, why don't I come visit?” She didn't look convinced but she wasn't trying to pry the real reason out of me either. “Where's Mikey? The house is too quiet.” She laughed. “Well, he and your grandfather went to the store.” I narrowed my eyes. “Alone? Grandma, it's…” She cut me off before I could finish giving her a lecture. “You don't need to remind me how unsafe it is around here child but your grandfathe
Chapter 114 Bryan's POV “Alpha Bryan is here to see you, Alpha,” “Tell him I'm busy,” I rolled my eyes and pushed the door open, tired of his excuses. He was obviously avoiding me or Ciara or both but it was clear. “What do you think you're doing?” I asked as I walked inside. Orion sat up in his seat, a scowl on his usually tight face. “Bryan, I don't remember agreeing to a meeting.” I shook my head. “I don't remember asking,” I turned to James. “You can go now, I'll take it from here.” James eyed Orion before he sighed and walked out leaving us alone. “What are you doing here Bryan? I have a lot of work to do.” “Yeah? Like what?” I asked as I walked around the desk. “There is no serial killer on the loose any longer as it turns out, all is right in the world again.” He sighed and slammed the folder in his hand on the table. “Goddamnit Bryan can't you just go and be happy with her? I'm trying here.” I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?” He rolled h
Chapter 115 Ciara's POV I got down from the car and muttered my thanks to Ryan before walking towards the house. I had been texting Bryan in the car on the way here so I knew he was already home but I didn't expect to find him standing at the entrance, waiting for me. When he saw me, his face spread into a wide grin and he opened his arms wide. I smiled and ran into them, burying my face into his neck as he held me by my waist, my feets not touching the ground. “I missed you,” he whispered in my ears as his arms tightened around me. I held on tighter and inaled his scent. “I missed you too and before you ask, Lacey is with her grandparents. They decided they wanted her around.” He groaned as I struggled to be put down but obliged. Once my feet touched the ground again, I leaned against him and kissed him deeply like I had wanted to do when I first saw him. I didn't know it was possible to love someone so deeply but yet here I was falling helplessly in love with him mo
Chapter 116Ciara's POV “Focus lavender,” Gramps sang as he sent a punch my way. I ducked out of the way just in time to avoid it hitting my face. Gramps had offered to help me transition beautifully into my dire wolf phase and since he knew more above them than I did, I had taken him up on his offer. It had been two weeks of torture and each time I walked more frustrated than ever. I had a lot on my mind and I had hoped this would help distract me but it wasn't. “Snap out of it,” I sucked quickly before his hand could touch my face. He grinned and I rolled my eyes. Straightening my back, I leaned forward again and blocked his next attacks, sucking in air as the pressure in my chest increased. “Okay, I think that's enough for one day,” he said and pulled back. I frowned and stared at him in confusion. “What's going on?” He pinned me with a hard look as if trying to read me. “I should be asking you that.” “What?” I asked, avoid his gaze. He shrugged and picked up a water bot
Chapter 117Bryan's POV “Hey,” I whispered and watched as she squinted, trying to get a hand on her surroundings. “You slept the entire way. Old Man Heartfield must have done a number on you.” She groaned and sat up, wincing as she grabbed her arm. “You have no idea. I can't feel my legs right now.” I chuckled as I got out of the car. I walked over to her side and opened the door. “Well it's a good thing you have me. Hop on,” I turned my back to her and waited. It felt like I had been waiting a long time before she finally jumped on my back. I straightened and began walking into the packhouse. “Alpha,” Ryan greeted me just as we were halfway to the house. I nodded at him and threw the keys at him. “Help me lock up,” He ran off after catching the keys and I carried Ciara into the house heading for my office instead of the room where I'd normally have taken her. “What are you doing? I need to lie down.” She said and I sighed. “I know but we have to talk first.” She stiffened a
Chapter 118Orion's POV “What do you mean she went running and never came back?” I barked into the phone as I shrugged my coat on. The temperature was at least -30° and I wasn't looking to catch a chill. “Alright, I'm on my way.” I hung up and tossed the phone in one of the pockets before grabbing my keys from the nightstand. I paused at the door as movements from the bed caught my attention. “Go back to sleep,” “Where are you going?” Sophia asked, her voice groggy and hoarse. I sighed as I pulled the cloth tighter around me. It felt like I was going to war. “Go back to bed,” I'll be back before you know it. I finished the rest in my head and let myself out the room, closing the door gently behind me. I made my way to the boys room and slipped inside gently not wanting to wake any of them up. If that happened, I'd never be able to leave and I had to. Ciara needed me or rather Bryan did. The dynamo between us had shifted from enemies to somewhere in between civil and barely
Chapter 142 Orion's POV “He's still not picking up?” I asked and James shook his head. “No Alpha. It keeps going to voicemail,” I sighed and banged my fists on the table repeatedly. What was going on with my brother? Surely he wasn't still mad at me because I called Sophia's bluff? We were both mature adults and we could harsh it out like men. James had informed me that he had been here to see me a couple of days ago but I never received him in office. I had been confused when James told me about it. Why had my brother come to see me but then changed his mind last minute? My heartbeat picked up as I remembered that the same day, Lucas and I had been discussing something sensitive in my office. A gasp left my mouth before I could stop it and I nearly tumbled out of my chair. Could he have heard our conversation? “Alpha?” If he had, surely he'd have barged in and challenged me for lying right? He wouldn't just storm off like that. At least that's what I wanted to
Chapter 140 Ciara's POV It's been two weeks since I found out I was pregnant and so far I have been doing a horrible job at hiding it from James and Brianna. The maids have stopped serving me since Brianna took over making it easier to hide since Brianna is as oblivious as they come. In a couple of months from now it would be rather difficult to hide it because then I'd have a noticeable bump. If I was home and had access to my wardrobe then I'd have selected a couple of maternity gowns. Here I'm stuck with shirts and my single pair of jeans that I had on when they kidnapped me. Now there's a slight bump that isn't noticeable except I take my shirt off which I would never do in the presence of these people anyway. I had to think of a way to ask for more clothes or find a way to get myself out of here before my child would be at risk of being used for Sophia's dirty games. It was getting close to noon and since Brianna had already fed me once for breakfast, my next mea
Chapter 141 Ciara's POV “Hey,” I raised my head and rubbed my sleepy eyes to see James standing at the door, one foot in and the other outside. With a frown I sat up as my mind began to race. “Did something happen? What's going on?” What time was it? He shook his head and walked in fully, closing the door behind him. “Good morning to you too,” he teased with a smirk and I raised a brow. “Okay okay, I know this might be weird for you,” “Weird? Try strange, uncomfortable amongst other things,” I sighed and slipped on a smile. “What can I do for you?” His smile grew bigger. “Oh it's nothing I just came to keep you company that's all. If you don't mind of course. I could leave if you don't want me…” He turned his back to me and started to move towards the door. I flew off the bed and grabbed his arm. “No, sorry,” I let my hands fall to my side again and took a step back, my cheeks flushed pink. “What I mean is I'd love to have another human being besides myself in this room
Chapter 139 Bryan's POV “How could you do something like that?” “You weren't thinking clearly,” The heavy words I had spoken to my brother yesterday without thinking came back to haunt me as soon as I laid down to rest for the day. Guilt and a sense of loss filled me. When he had walked out after bowing and calling me ‘Aloha’ I should have realized how much I had screwed except I chose to turn a blind eye and kept fumming. But as I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes, images from that moment started to replay like a film in my mind ripping my peace away. In truth I had been the one who told him to stand up to that dreadful woman and when he took my advice, I had turned my back on him. How could I have been so stupid and judgy why all he had done all these while is trying to protect our mate? He had been forced to sleep with the enemy literally and wine and dine with her while I got to live my life free just without Ciara in it. If I was being completely honest, h
Chapter 138 Orion's POV “Alpha,” James greeted me as I walked past him but I didn't respond. My head was clouded with different thoughts all centered around Bryan and his reaction when I told him how I stood up to Sophia. For someone who didn't want to entertain Sophia from the beginning, his reaction had been less than satisfactory. I had gone there with my head held high feeling extremely proud of myself for sticking it to Sophia and I had expected he'd be proud and pat me on the back. Instead he lashed out at me as if I were a little kid. I hadn't been expecting the completely different 360 reaction he dealt me today and it was still a bitter pill to swallow. My office door slammed behind me but I didn't flinch as I made my way to the chair. Setting down on it, I shook my head as if to expel every negative and hurtful thing he had said to me. Even if he was angry, he shouldn't have spoken to me in that manner and tone. Not even my mother would speak to me the way
Chapter 137 Bryan's POV “Since the killings have stopped, our people have grown more secure and more confident in your leadership Alpha Bryan,” one of the elders said and I almost scoffed at his attempt to flatter me. We were having a council meeting that had started since 7am but my mind was divided. After Old Man Heartfield's visit yesterday, I found myself thinking a lot about Ciara and her wellbeing. I wondered how she was doing and if Sophia was treating her right just like she promised Orion she would when they made their deal. I was going to keep being strong and not give Ciara any reason to worry about me. The less she worried about us, the better for her. All she had to do at this point was focus solely on staying alive and eventually getting out of there in one piece. Once she was safe in my arms again, she could go back to being the worrywart she always was. “Have we found the cause of the killings?” Another elder asked and I looked at Ryan. He flushed an
Chapter 136 Orion's POV “Hey babe,” Sophia whispered as she walked into the dining room. I grunted and turned my face away when she tried to kiss me. “What's wrong? Did someone upset you?” She asked and I scoffed. Was she really that oblivious to the disgust I felt for her? I motioned for one of the servants to set the table and pushed Sophia away lightly. She huffed and went to sit down but she kept touching me and leaning over to put her hands on me. “Don't you take a hint? I wish to be left alone,” I yelled, unable to tolerate her behaviour anymore. “Why are you reacting like this? I always do this,” I shook my head and stood up. “Have breakfast by yourself.” I stormed off, fuming and shaking in anger. I made my way to the room and slammed the door hard behind me. She ran after me and walked into the room after a few seconds. “What is going on? What did I do wrong Orion?” I shook my head and pointed to the door. “I just want to be on my own. Is that too m
Chapter 135 Bryan's POV “How long have you known?” The old man made a sound in the back of his throat but didn't respond. I shifted in my seat feeling very uncomfortable. After a while of silence, I cleared my throat. “I didn't mean to keep the truth from you. I was just hoping I'd have found Ciara by now.” He grunted but still kept quiet. I cleared my throat. “Please say something,” I begged, almost about to fall on my knees before him. “I know I should have told you. I was wrong to keep something as important away from you but I thought I was protecting you and her family from the pain.” He nodded and finally spoke, his words shocking me. “How have you been holding up?” I blinked, wondering if I had heard him right. “You…” He sighed. “Look Bryan,.I get why you did what you did. Am I angry you hid the truth from me concerning my granddaughter's situation? Yes I am. But at the end of the day, you did what you thought was best and I can't fault you for that.” My eyes
Chapter 134 Bryan's POV Turning on my side in bed, I opened my eyes and yawned. A smile slowly made its way to my lips as I recalled the events planned for today. Ciara would be coming home today after several months of being held hostage by her crazy relative Orion had been so sure that Lucas and his men would come up with better results than the other men we had assigned to the job a while back. I had my doubts but with no other options available, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Lucas didn't disappoint and gave us the first major clue. He had managed to do what we couldn't do in the months since we had been conducting the investigation. The best part was the place had been infiltrated with our own people who knew that Ciara's life was the top priority. I had repeated it constantly to Lucas that I'd rather have Ciara held hostage but alive than dead and gone. Despite having all this set aside, I couldn't brush off the nagging feeling in my mind tha