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
Evelyn’s POVMy father had something that could bring down Alpha Cyrus?I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what that could be. Apart from them meeting at the meetings for Alphas, I was not sure I had ever seen them together again. Still, I knew that I couldn’t rule out the possibility especially when I knew quite well that both my ex husband and my father were cunning men. They were both so bad that I couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to tell which one of them was worse than the other. My heart thumped in excitement as I wondered what exactly my father had against Cyrus. And if he did have something against the man, why?Why had he deemed it fit enough to keep a record against the man?“Evelyn?” A hand shook me slightly, bringing me back to the present. “Are you here?” I looked up to see that it was Alpha Gaius and he had a worried look on his face. “Sorry about that,” I apologized to him. “What were you saying?” I asked with a small smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Adam was as
Gaius’s POVWith my heart so heavy, I walked away from my mate. Even though it broke my heart to leave her standing in the dark, I knew that there was little to nothing else I could do. Even if I wasn’t feeling guilty that she should have belonged to my brother, I knew that I needed to give her space and enough time for her to forget her ex husband. At the thought of that man who had us all pent up, my anger returned and I hissed loudly. “What is it?” I heard Lisa ask. I paused from my walking and looked up, only to see that I was already halfway through the room. I couldn’t believe that I had been so angry and lost in thought that I hadn’t even figured out that I was walking and would have hit the wall if Lisa had not spoken up. “She is still refusing to get the vital evidence for us from her dad?” She asked again when I didn’t answer the first question. I knew that the ‘she’ in this context was only referring to Evelyn. Evelyn.The name that made me both happy and furious. H
Evelyn’s POVI watched as the man who was supposed to be my mate walked away from me like I was a fly that would perch on him if he accidentally stayed. Unwilling to let myself think more about everything that was going on with me and Alpha Gaius, I turned my back to the wall and forced myself to get back to sleep. By the time I would open my eyes again, the sun was already seeping through the window. I sighed and got out of the bed even though I had no idea what I was going to do with my day. At first, I thought about making myself breakfast, but I kicked against it. I was in a strange house and place. Rushing to the kitchen on my first day at the place might be frowned upon. I thought about staying indoors all day next, but again I kicked against that, knowing that was not the way to appreciate the people who had done nothing but made me feel welcome when they didn’t know me from anywhere. Determined to make the most of the day, I cleaned up and made my way to the living room of
Evelyn’s POVNo. Not that I almost dropped the phone. It actually slipped from my hand. “Evelyn!” The voice yelled at me from the other end. Unable to control myself, I quickly grabbed the phone and placed it back to my ear. Not in a million days had I expected to hear that voice so soon again. It made me dumb enough that I didn’t even know what exactly it was that I was supposed to do. “He-hello?” I managed to stammer out again. I wanted to be sure it was truly who I thought it was and not just that I was hallucinating. “Yes. How are you?” The voice asked me. The tone was not one that suggested that the person in the other end truly wanted to know how I was doing. Cyrus!Why the hell was he calling me now?“I’m not even going to wonder why you are not talking.” He said, laughing hysterically in the background. It was an evil laughter - one that suggested that he was deliberately taunting me. I wanted to retaliate. I wanted to curse him. I wanted to yell at him and ask him to
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,