Gaius’s POV. “I refuse!”The effect of the words made me feel like crossing over to the other side of the room and strangling the good for nothing man to his death. However, I knew I couldn’t. That was what brought me here in the first place when I could have easily gotten my mate out of the prison hold the man had her in. “All for the greater good!” That feminine voice came over me again, making me release the tightened fists by my sides. *Just a little bit more, and we can kill off the man.* My wolf, Leon, growled within me, also fighting for control just as I was. “Alpha Gaius!” A voice beckoned in urgency behind me. I turned around and saw my guards storming in into the room where I was with Alpha Cyrus. “We came as fast as we could.” This was from my Gama, Dan, who rushed to my side, all his body tensed to indicate that he was ever ready for whatever command I was going to issue next.“You dared to bring your soldiers into my territory?!” Alpha Cyrus stormed at me. I hiss
Evelyn’s POVTHAT MAN!Not in a million years could I ever have thought that that man would end up being my mate. A second mate at that. And how weird could it be that the man ended up looking exactly like him - my dead mate. Archer Hartwood. Just as the name came to my mind, so did the memory of us together. Even though it was only for a short while, it was one I would not forget in a hurry. And I had thought that we would have a lots of time on our hand to create many more beautiful memories. And even as I tried my best to stop the memory that threatened to burst forth, it still came. That night when he had died. It had all looked like a dream to me when one minute we were laughing and chasing each other around, and the next minute, a scream had rented the air and all I saw when I went to the place the sound came from was the dead body of my mate, Archer. Somebody had thought it fun to take a knife through the heart of the man and had left him there in his agony to fend for
Evelyn’s POV“You are free.”Those words felt like a million and one dancing butterflies in my stomach because of how excited I got at hearing them. Might never seem like a huge feat to most people, but for someone like me who has always been bounded by people and the kind of situation I found myself in, they were a whole lots. But while it felt a whole lot of good to finally be free and have the freedom to do whatever I wanted with my life, I realized that I didn’t even have anything to begin the life with. Not even a change of clothes. Sheepishly, I looked at the man whom I could now refer to as my savior. “Would you like to come with me?” He asked, even as he mounted on his bike. I didn’t wait for any other invitation before I jumped on the bike and sat behind him. Before I could say jack, he ignited the bike and zoomed off on full speed. His guards, who accompanied us, all got into the four cars that were parked around and flagged us about, still trying to protect us. At that
Evelyn’s POV If embarrassment was a person, I was sure it would be me at that point. Worst of all, I couldn't even move to cover my nakedness or even turn around to protect my body. All I felt was being glued to a spot, not able to do anything at all. “Sorry.” I heard Alpha Gaius apologize in a small voice - a complete contrast to his usual masculine one - before he turned around to give me some privacy. The women with me took that advantage and quickly got my night dress up. Once they were sure I looked presentable, they gave me encouraging smiles and sped out of the room, leaving me alone with my new found mate. By the moon goddess. “Sorry about earlier. I thought you were done with the whole thing.” Alpha Gaius apologized the moment he turned around. He stared directly into my eyes, and I felt myself burning away in his brown eyes. I blushed like a teenage girl, and found that I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to. My nipples contracted - my first sign of arousal. When I
Gaius’s POV. The tears that she had managed to stop before came back with full speed. They streamed down her soft cheeks, and I found myself feeling guilty for being the reason why she was like that. Not after I had promised myself that as long as I was breathing, she was never going to be sad again. Still, I was right in everything I did. I was right in my thoughts. She was supposed to belong to my brother. She would have, if the man was still alive. “Evelyn, listen to me…” I began but her head shaking broke me off. I wanted to keep mute as she had insinuated, but something in me kept pushing to explain to her. “Archer…” I began again, but again, I had to stop because of how much hurt was reflecting in her face. I knew exactly how she was feeling at the moment. It had come as a rude shock to me when I heard the news of the death of my only brother. The news had quickly reached me that he had been killed by an unknown person on the very first date he had with his mate.
Evelyn’s POV. I suddenly found myself back in the elevator, going up to the top of the floor to see my husband and announce to him about the baby we were going to have together. My wolf, Bree, was busy sharing in the excitement and the hope for what the future would bring for us with Alpha Cyrus now that there was a baby in the picture. Everything seemed to be going just fine. Until then!Halfway through the elevator ride, the elevator door suddenly opened. Before I could have time to react or even acknowledge the presence of the strange man who came in, I was knocked down with a hit in my stomach and the stranger was out of the elevator, leaving me bleeding and close to death. “No! Not my baby!” I screamed, swaying my hands in the air in the bid to protect my baby. I flew up from the floor and gasped for air while looking around. That was when I realized that what I just faced was a nightmare of the past. I was not in the past, but rather on the bed. I sighed and reached for th
Evelyn’s POV. That idiot had killed my first mate!By the moon goddess!I was going to kill him and make sure that even his corpse would be left in the field or the mountains or wherever for vultures to feed on. How dare he!“And do you want to know why?” Alpha Gaius's voice trembled as he let out. “Just because Archer had sworn an oath that Cyrus was not going to commit all his atrocities. At least, not as long as Archer was breathing. Which was why the evil man killed him.” He explained. It was hard to comprehend the words. To think that I had always thought that my ex husband had been nothing but good and kind to everyone - except me - all these while, only to be dealt this news of his cruelty. How could a man with power think that the next best thing to do was kill another person just because the person was trying to stop them from committing evil?Was all that I knew of Cyrus a facade then? Was he worse than Rogues whom we had all been warned while growing to steer clear off
Gaius’s POVI could see it in her eyes. The depth of disappointment she had in her ex husband. Tinted with the disappointment was grieve for herself and maybe some guilt. I knew she was overwhelmed by everything that had been going on. While it seemed a little cruel that I was dumbing everything on her, I knew that it was something that was necessary. Not only would it help her to take her stand seriously, but it would also help her to kill whatever feeling she might still have left for the man. “I am so sorry. For everything each of you had gone through in the hands of that monster.” She said after about a minute or two of silence. Lisa and Adam nodded their heads to show that they heard her. “Evelyn,” I called to get her attention. She raised her head to look at me. “Like I said, there is a fourth associate. They were supposed to be a part of this meeting but they couldn’t make it here tonight. When the time is right, you will meet them,” I explained to her. She nodded her he
EvelynThe news of Cyrus’s latest attack had spread like wildfire, leaving fear and uncertainty in the minds of everyone.I stood near the large window in our study, staring out at the pack grounds. People were gathered in small groups, their hushed voices and wary glances betraying their fear. I could feel their doubts, their growing mistrust, and it stung more than I wanted to admit.Gaius sat at the desk behind me, his head resting in his hands. His normally strong, and commanding presence seemed dimmed, burden by the pack’s safety.“They’re scared,” I said quietly, not turning to face him. “I can feel it. Their fear is everywhere.”Gaius lifted his head, his green eyes meeting mine. “And they’re turning that fear into blame,” he said, his voice heavy. “They don’t think we can protect them anymore.”I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. “We’ve faced worse before, Gaius. They know what Cyrus is capable of, but we’ve always fought back.”“This time feels different,” he mu
CyrusThe photograph of my father lay on the desk before me. It's edge was worn and the image slightly faded, but his eyes still seemed to pierce through me as they always had.“You doubted me, didn’t you?” I muttered, leaning back in my chair.“You thought I’d never amount to anything more than a disappointment.”I picked up the photo, running my gloved fingers along the frayed edges. His expression was as cold and unforgiving even in death as it had been in life. My lips twisted into a sharp smile.“But look at me now,” I said softly, my tone almost mocking. “I’ve surpassed even your wildest dreams. A world where the strong rule unchallenged, where no council, no laws, no Alphas can stand in the way—that’s what you always wanted. And I’ve made it a reality.”The smile faded as my wolfs growl rumbled low in my chest, the sound filling the silence of the room. “All that’s left are the two thorns in my side. Gaius and Evelyn.”Their names rolled off my tongue like a curse. They h
EvelynGauis sat across from me in silence, his eyes distant, fixed on something far beyond the room we were in.“You’ve barely said a word since you got back,” I said softly, my voice low. “What’s wrong?”He turned to meet my gaze, his jaw tightening before he spoke. “At the amphitheater,” he began, his voice low, as though speaking too loudly might shatter the moment, “I saw someone.”I tilted my head, frowning. “who?”“A woman,” he said, shifting slightly. “She was backstage, standing near the edge of the crowd.” He paused, asif searching for the right words. “She looked like you, Evelyn.”The room seemed to spin, his words throwing me off balance. “Like me?” I whispered.Gaius nodded, his gaze intense. “Not just in appearance. The way she moved, the way she stood—it was so familiar. And her face... It wasn’t completely clear, but...” He hesitated, the lines on his face deepening. “I think it was your mother.”I felt air leave my lungs in a rush, and I gripped the edge of
GaiusThe forest grew quieter the farther we ran, the shadows swallowing the sounds of pursuit until it felt like we were alone with the whispers of the trees. The boy clung tightly to me, his small hands gripping my shirt as though letting go would mean the end of his fragile safety. Raven loped beside me in her wolf form, her breathing ragged but steady, her injured shoulder leaving a faint trail of blood on the forest floor.The hideout was less than a mile away, an old hunting cabin reinforced to serve as a temporary safe house for situations exactly like this. The closer we got, the more I allowed myself to hope we might make it without further incident.Raven reached the clearing first, shifting back into her human form with a sharp grunt of pain as she clutched her injured shoulder. She didn’t look at me as she opened the cabin door, but I could feel her frustration radiating like heat.Inside, Adam and Lisa were waiting, their tense postures relaxing only slightly when the
GaiusCyrus stood tall on the stage, his voice booming with twisted conviction as he flaunted his power. The sight of the boy, trembling and locked in that cage, burned in my mind, and I knew there was no time to hesitate.Raven, beside me, moved with practiced stealth as we crept along the perimeter of the massive gathering. Her hood had concealed most of her face, but the tension radiating from her was unmistakable. “Gaius,” she murmured under her breath, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd, “this is madness. Even if we get the boy, we’ll have every rogue in this forest on our heels.”“I know the risks,” I replied, my voice low. “But leaving him here isn’t an option.”Her jaw tightened, and for a moment, she said nothing. Then she exhaled sharply. “Fine. But if we’re doing this, we’ll need to create a distraction. Something big enough to scatter them.”“Leave that to me,” I said, my mind racing with possibilities.We moved quietly through the group of rogues, careful not to draw
GaiusEvery step Raven and I took was deliberate. We moved in silence as we approached the secluded location of the Shadow’s grand gathering.The intel we got was just enough to confirm Cyrus’s presence and the purpose of the meeting. The rogues were gathering to swear loyalty to their new “Supreme Alpha” and witness the unveiling of his latest weapon.Raven walked ahead of me, her features covered by the hood of her cloak. “This isn’t just a meeting,” Raven whispered as we neared the clearing. “It’s a show of power. Cyrus wants to remind them why they follow him.”I nodded, adjusting the mask covering my face. “Then we’ll make sure we see everything,” I said, my voice low.The clearing came into view suddenly. The rogues had gathered in a makeshift amphitheater carved into the earth, a steep circle of jagged rocks surrounding a central stage. We slipped into the crowd unnoticed, our disguises blending with the rogues around us. The sounds of murmured conversations and the occ
EvelynThe house was quiet.It was the kind of calm that should have been soothing but instead made me uneasy.I sat at the dining table, stirring my tea until the liquid had cooled to the point I felt it was undrinkable no more.My mind churned with the thoughts of Gaius’s mission preparations, Raven’s lead, and the decisions we had to make. Just knowing that Cyrus was still out there, regrouping, left a constant ache in my chest. My wolf stirred uneasily.A knock came at the front door, the sound startled me enough as the spoon from my hand jolted. Grace appeared moments later, holding a pale envelope. She had an unreadable expression written on her face.“This just arrived for you, My Lady,” she said, handing it to me.I frowned, taking the envelope cautiously. There was no name or address on it, just the words Luna Evelyn written in elegant, handwriting. The paper felt rough beneath my fingers. It smelt like herbs.“Who delivered this?” I asked.Grace shook her head. “A cou
GaiusI sat in my office, staring at the map laid out before me, my thoughts a storm of frustration and helplessness. The fractured bond between Evelyn and me lingered in my chest like a physical ache, but there was no time to dwell on it. Not when Cyrus remained a threat, regrouping in the shadows like the viper he was.A soft knock on the door broke my reverie.“Come in,” I called, my voice heavier than I intended.The door opened to reveal Raven, her expression unreadable as she stepped inside. She no longer carried the air of detached confidence that once defined her. Living among the pack, isolated and distrusted, had stripped away some of her bravado.“What is it?” I asked, my tone guarded.“I have a lead,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension in the room.I raised an eyebrow, leaning back in my chair. “A lead on Cyrus?”She nodded. “He’s moving to regroup with the Shadow’s leadership. There’s an old abandoned stronghold in the eastern mountains. It’s isolated, for
EvelynCyrus’s laughter echoed through the cave, each note grating against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. His smirk widened as he turned his attention to me, his predatory eyes gleaming with amusement.“And you, dear Evelyn,” he drawled, his tone dripping with condescension, “how the mighty have fallen. Tell me, does it ever get tiring, hiding behind stronger men?”My chest tightened, his words hitting a tender spot I hated to acknowledge. My wolf growled beneath my skin, restless and furious, but I held her back. This was not the time to lose control.“I hate you,” I spat, my voice trembling with fury.Cyrus’s smirk deepened. “Oh, I’m counting on that.”His taunts cut deep, stoking a fire that had been burning since the moment he destroyed everything I held dear. He turned to Roman, his shadow, who stood still and silent, his gaze locked on me. Something flickered in Roman’s expression—something cold and unreadable—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.“You’re a coward,