VANESSA'S POV"It's been a couple of weeks already. If you continue to starve yourself this way, something might happen to you."Arya.The poor maid was doing her job, trying to talk me into eating the food she brought into my room since I haven’t stepped foot out of the room in the safe house in days. Neither have I had it in me to eat whatever food is being brought into my room. I haven’t been feeling or feeding well since the attack. Most of the time, I lose my appetite as soon as I see the food, and my mind would immediately wander off to none other than my missing son. I’d be plagued with questions upon questions with no answers in sight; Is he okay? Did he have someone to pet him to sleep? What are they feeding him? Are they even feeding him at all?What if Tristan is right? What if he’s truly gone forever?These thoughts have become the first thing that runs through my head every time I try to eat, and I suddenly become tired and unable to stomach my food. "You need to get yo
DECLAN'S POVRelief washed over me, as I woke up in a much lighter mood. The thought of the boy slowly caving in soothes my mind, and I decided to see how he was doing this morning.I went into his room, where I had carefully put him to bed last night, to see him sound asleep.I couldn't help but be drawn to the boy sleeping across from me. His features bore a striking resemblance to the childhood pictures of mine that I had tucked away in a dusty old album. It was as if I was peering into a mirror of my younger self.But just as I was lost in this uncanny connection, my phone rang, breaking the moment. I fumbled in my pocket to answer the call, torn my attention between the boy before me and the urgent voice on the other end.It was the representative of the packs in the alliance. I decided to take the call outside, in order not to wake the boy up."Speak," I said into the phone impatiently as I left Tiger's room, eager to end the call as soon as I picked up."A meeting will be held
VANESSA'S POVI sat in the dimly lit room, the weight of sorrow pressing down on me like a leaden blanket. It seemed as if time had become stagnant, refusing to move forward. I stared at the family picture, hanging on the wall, but my only focus was on Dame. They said burning pictures of the dead is a way of wishing peace on them, but I can't bring myself to do so, not when I have a feeling that he would return to me someday.The door cracked open, breaking the stillness like a thunderclap. Tristan stood in the doorway, his face swirled in a mask of fury. I watched as he clenched his fists, his jaw working furiously, with the air crackling with the intensity of his emotions.I hesitated for a while, as I contemplated between the urge to respect his privacy and the need to understand the source of his rage. Finally, unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I mustered the courage to speak."What happened, Tristan?" My voice came out, barely as a whisper.He turned to me, with a burn
DECLAN'S POVAfter several failed attempts to bring Tiger to eat, the maids eventually gave up and turned to me for help."Alpha, the boy won't accept anything from us," they told me.I instructed them to bring the boy into my room along with his food, and they returned shortly after.I gently encouraged him to take a bite. He glanced up at me, his eyes wide, a hint of stubbornness in his gaze. It was clear he wasn't accustomed to letting strangers care for him.Just as I'm making some progress, Jude strides in, a mischievous grin on his face. "What's going on here?" he asks, feigning innocence. I feel a surge of irritation rise at the sound of his voice. I can tell that he is here to pester me with his nonsense.I glanced at Jude, my brow furrowed in annoyance. "He won't eat from anyone else," I grumble, my voice edged with frustration. I can see Jude's expression shift from playful to teasing, his eyes dancing with amusement.He chuckles lightly. "Looks like you've become a nanny ov
TRISTAN'S POVI sat at my desk, staring into space, as the weight of the pack's struggle pressed down on me.The thought of being helpless made me feel stupid and all I wanted was to provide comfort for my pack members, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't seem to stabilize the pack and get it back to how it used to be.The door cracked open, revealing Bruce, my Beta. He had been away for a couple of months to talk the Alphas of the Southern packs into joining forces with us for a business idea, but he had to leave everything behind and come back home as soon as he heard the news."Alpha, I saw a few people before coming here and I can't say that I am pleased with their situation. What do we do now?""Bruce," I sighed, frustration and worry evident in my voice, "we're running out of options. Our pack needs food, and we're struggling to provide it. If we don't find a solution soon, we might have to consider merging with another pack."Bruce stood by the window, his eyes fixed on
TRISTAN’S POVI fists tightened, my heart beating as a rush of adrenaline rose through my veins. The thought of strangling Declan flashed through my mind, a dark impulse driven by my boiling rage."Why on earth would I even consider that?" I snapped, my voice tinged in a fierce tone. I won't allow him to turn Vanessa into a pawn in his stupid game."Because this means more to you than it ever could to me," he retorted calmly, his audacity pushing me to the edge."This is just a way of getting back at me, isn't it? You don't even know my Luna. You want her out of spite just so you can brag about it to the world," I accused, my words laced with anger."You're right," he muttered with a shrug. "I need the power, and you need to rebuild your pack. The alliance are in support of you because you had a son and a Luna. Now that your son is dead, if I manage to get your Luna, I will earn their respect." He pointed.My blood boiled with anger, as he continued to spill out his nonsense."You thi
VANESSA’S POVSome situations call for extreme measures, and when hunger is included in the list, who knows what one would do?I navigate through a convenience store, to buy a few things, with my subconscious constantly reminding me that I have no money.I looked around for a blind spot like a petty thief, hoping to steal a few things without getting caught, and yay! Heaven answered my prayer.I turned towards the part where there was no CCTV to pick a few cookies and chocolate that could fit into my dress and ate a few to suppress my hunger.Once I was done, I walked towards the entrance casually, as if I couldn't see what I was looking for when the security guard at the door stopped me."Return everything that you picked." Busted! I pretended as if I didn't understand what he was saying, and before I knew it, he was already dialing a number which I assumed was for the police on the table phone. The cashier appeared with a frown on her face and took all the cookies I hid under my dr
VANESSA'S POVDifferent ideas popped into my head on how to leave without drawing the police's attention, as I sat behind the van. I have to think fast. I approached one of the officers, doing my best to keep my voice steady."Excuse me, officer," I stammered, "I'm feeling really pressed and I need to... you know, ease myself."He glanced at me, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "Can it wait? We are in the middle of something here."I bit my lip, feigning urgency. "I'm sorry, but it's really urgent. Please, can you just point me to a nearby restroom?"The police officer gave me a suspicious look and I immediately knew that he wasn't buying my lie. I adjusted my dress, pulling it a little lower than necessary to reveal a little cleavage, as I began to flirt with the man.If this would get me out of the situation before Tristan arrives, then I am willing to do it.The officer's gaze was fixed on my cleavage, and I knew my plan was working. I twisted my long hair playfully, as I moved clo