Carlos’ POV
Looking over my shoulders to ascertain no one was coming behind me, I quickly threw my hood over my head and then stole into the night.Walking hurriedly like someone was after my life, I made sure I kept on with this pace until I got to the borders.At first, I didn't see anyone but on a closer look, my eyes fell on a man dressed in black cloak.“Damon.” I called, hurrying to his side.Now a few feet away from him, I folded my hands in front of me and then did a curt bow. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Sneaking out of the palace became tedious.” I muttered.“You don't have to apologize. I just arrived too.” He said in a carefree tone, making me let out a relieved chuckle.“Thanks to you, everything is going on smoothly.” He said, with a shrug.“I'm just fulfilling my end of the bargain. I need to make sure everything goes on smoothly so at the end of it all no one would hold grudges.” ICarlos' POV “Isn't the amount too much?” Justin asked, leaning over me. “The antidote will bring her back to life, don't worry.” I replied, pulling myself up.After a few minutes of staring at her motionless body, I began to walk towards my study only to halt all of a sudden. “What if they find out that the bodies don't belong to the royal family. I mean, the rogues… wouldn't they be identified?” I asked, my gaze fixated on Justin. Shrugging, he pushed his hands into his pockets, “I doubt if they are going to find out. Not when he already has plans to bury them.” For a moment, I went mute as I left my gaze on him.Cranking my head to the side, I tried to speak but words refused to form. “Why don't we administer the antidote to them? I’m scared something might happen to them if we keep delaying.” He ratted out and since I wasn't against his suggestion I began to trail after him. Getting to the physicia
Nora's POVThe moment my eyes flickered open, the first person I saw was Carlos and immediately I remembered what happened at the borders. Throwing my feet off the bed, I quickly charged towards him, “I'm going to kill you.” I spoke through my teeth, tightening my grip around his neck. Thrashing about, he began to plead for his life but I wasn't going to spare him. Giving him a second chance, he wouldn't mind killing me for real this time around and I couldn't take chances. “Die!” I yelled only for the door to creak open and Justin rushed in.He was about to stumble out when I grabbed his arm, and with my Lycan strength, I lifted both of them with their necks. “Nora! I can explain.” Justin yelled, increasing his thrashing only then did I decide to let Carlos go since he wasn't the one who fired the arrow. Coughing violently, he held my arm, trying to release Justin from my grip until I finally gave in. “Ca
Nora's POV Just as we planned, Carlos helped us make the perfect plan to enter the kingdom. I tried to contact Karen but I just couldn't get in touch with him. I was becoming afraid, thinking of what could have happened to him. If Damon could plot to kill the royal household, Karen was just a tip of the iceberg. " Carlos, could you please try to get Karen's location? I can't seem to get through to him-" " The last I heard from him was the time of the war. I tried searching for him but he wasn't reachable. It's strange-" " I hope he is alright," I mumbled. Once I was done with the matter of Damon, I will look for him. When we arrived at the throne room, there was commotion everywhere. The pack members were running helter skelter like they had just seen a ghost. Of course we were ghosts just like Damon had painted us to be in their eyes. “What is going on here?” Elder Ryan asked, his lips trembling as he held onto the wall like he was going to fall any moment. “But… he sai
Third POV It was already two days since everything returned to normalcy, yet Vina was still troubled. She was always on the tip of her toes, looking around as if someone was after her. She was literally losing her head with each passing minute.Even though Carlos had made a promise not to report her, she was still scared that he would break his promise. She feared for her life and each time she remembered how Damon had ended, she imagined herself following that same path. With her head lifted up, she stared at the sky for a while as tears rolled down her eyes in torrents. “I can't continue to live like this.” She muttered, wiping her eyes with the back of her palms. Just then, Carlos walked past and at once she rushed towards him. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him to a corner, looking around to ascertain if someone was lurking around or watching them from afar. Yanking his hand off, he rubbed his wrists as he peered at her, “What do you want?” He asked. “Are you going to keep
Third POVThe news of Nora and Carlos' engagement spread like a wildfire. Everyone was literally talking about it in high spirits. Vina on the other hand decided to leave to her parents home before she finally leaves for another pack as she couldn't stand seeing Nora. She was still scared and feared that she would find out and that would be the end of her. Karen on the other hand feigned to be happy with their relationship but deep down, he was furious but somehow he managed to hide it whenever he was around them and so they didn't suspect a thing. Wrapping around herself, Nora was pacing the length and breadth of her bedroom with a wide smile on her lips. She was reminiscing of everything that had happened and couldn't help but to giggle as she thought of the up and down they had faced. Suddenly, she halted and then plopped on the edge of her bed. With her lips in between her teeth, she was racking her head, trying to come up with the perfect gift idea for Carlos. “If Vina wa
Third POVThree days later, Carlos was still in his pack. He had gotten Nora’s gift as Justin had suggested but was trying to make sure things were running smoothly in his pack before he returned to the Lycan Kingdom. He had just finished a brief meeting with the elders when Justin rushed in. With the look on his face,he didn't need anyone to tell him that all was not well and immediately he began to search his face for answers. “What's going on?” Carlos asked, his gaze not leaving him even for a second. “It's been three days since they last saw Nora.” He blurted out and immediately, Carlos dropped the scroll he was holding. With his head running haywire with different ideas all at once, he dashed out of the courtroom only to run back in as he tried to get a grip of himself. Meanwhile, back at the Lycan Kingdom, there was unrest as everyone was skeptical and worried about her sudden disappearance. Every n
Karen's POVImmediately I left Carlos' side, I stormed towards where I had hid Nora, all the while seething with anger as I thought of what to do with him.Nora wasn't my only target, I had to deal with him too but first, Nora has to go. Arriving at the dilapidated building, I was about to walk straight in to meet with Nora when Vina blocked my path. Fiddling with her fingers, she kept darting her eyes around like a little kid that had been caught in a crime red handed. “What do you want?” I asked with an irritated tone. The moment I discovered that we were mates, I was furious. I have never thought of once that we would have a thing together not to talk of being mates. The more I thought of it, the more furious I became. “Uhm… I mean… it's about…” “Are you going to keep stuttering all day? If you have nothing to say to me, you should step aside as I have more important stuff to handle.” I snarle
Carlos POVNora's sudden disappearance didn't go well with me.Each time I thought about me, my head would start making up scenarios which always threw me off balance. “Karen keeps insisting she went on a trip, if that is the case she should be back by now.” I muttered, clenching and unclenching my fists as I thought of it. To make matters worse, there was no one in the palace who had the slightest hint of when she left the pack. “If only Vina was, she must have an idea where she is but she is nowhere to be found.” I muttered, still racking my head in a bid to come up with the slightest idea. Frustrated, I let out a low sigh and then proceeded to comfort George and her parents who were mourning like she was already dead. Determined to find Nora and bring her home, I spoke with a loud and firm voice, “I'm going to bring Nora home, all you have to do is to believe me, nothing else.” I was speaking to her parents and George in the courtroom . With a low voice, George said, “We have
CARLOS' POVBlood dripped from my split lip, and my ribs ached where Griffin landed a solid punch. But physical pain was nothing compared to the rage burning inside me."What have you done to Nora's memories?" I demanded.Griffin's smile was wolfish. "I simply helped her remember what you really are."Something changed in the air suddenly. A shift in energy that raised the hair on the back of my neck. Griffin rolled his shoulders, and I recognized the telltale signs of what was coming."You!" I accused. His only response was a low chuckle as his body began to change.The change took him quickly—bones cracking and reforming, skin stretching over growing muscle, human cries morphing into bestial growls. Where Griffin had stood moments ago, a massive wolf now crouched, teeth bared in challenge.I had no choice. I let my own transformation take me, embracing the pain as my body shifted forms. Within seconds, I sto
CARLOS POVI stared at Nora across the room. Her eyes, once warm and trusting, now held nothing but suspicion and anger. She had been questioning me for hours now without stopping. "The pendant," she said, her voice steady despite the emotion in her eyes. "The pendant I gave you. You rejected it, right?"I swallowed hard, choosing my words carefully. "The pendant? The same pendant you gave me? Come on Nora. None of those matters right now.""That's not what I asked." Her fingers tightened around the glass of water she held. "In my vision, I saw you reject it. I saw the look on your face. The look of disgust abd disdain. Why?"I remembered how I rejected Nora and her pendant. But telling her that now would only lead to more questions, questions that would inevitably reveal the worst of my past actions. It would only make her hate me even more. "I never rejected the pendant," I lied, forcing myself to meet her gaze. "You're remem
CARLOS POVI felt it without warning—a sudden rush of power surging through the walls of our home, the unmistakable energy signature of the pendant. It was the same overwhelming sensation I'd experienced during the war when the pendant's power had first manifested. My heart raced as I bolted upright from my desk, papers scattering to the floor unnoticed."Nora," I whispered, already running.I sprinted down the corridor towards the room. When I flung the door open, the room was empty, windows closed. I cursed under my breath. There was only one place she could be."The secret room," I muttered, increasing my steps. I feared for what was happening. I hoped that it was not what I was thinking, even though I was trying to prevent myself from thinking about it. I avoidedthe thoughts because it would only make me panic even more. As I raced through the winding passages of the house Elder Silvarum's warning echoed in my mind... "Keep
NORAI heard a voice calling my name, pulling me out of the swirling vortex of memories. The sound seemed to come from very far away at first, then gradually grew closer."Nora! Nora, can you hear me? Wake up!"My eyes fluttered open, struggling to regain focus. The room seemed dark at first, but gradually my eyes began to adjust. Not the secret chamber where I had passed, but our bedroom—familiar walls. I was lying in our bed. Carlos sat beside me, his face filled with worry and concern. "Thank god. You're finally awake Nora." Finally, relieve displayed on his features and he sighed deeply. I stared at him, trying to reconcile the man before me with the one in my memories—the one who had rejected me, sent wolves to push me off a cliff, the one who had nearly ended my life because I wasn't the right kind of wolf he wanted. I wondered if that was another dream? Waking up in the bedroom meant that I was dreaming
THIRD POV (Memories 2)The flood of memories continued filling Nora's unconscious form, each revelation more shocking than the last.A new face emerged from the swirling memories. The same face she had seen countless times in her dreams. The man she had always called Karen in her dreams stood before her in the palace training grounds, wooden practice sword in hand."Again," Karen commanded, circling Nora on the packed dirt of the training arena. "Your enemies won't give you time to catch your breath, Princess."Nora's younger self lunged forward, sweat dripping down her face as she executed a complex series of moves with her own practice sword. Though her muscles trembled with exhaustion, determination blazed in her eyes."Better," Karen said with a slight nod. "But your left side is still vulnerable. You have to put in more effort if you want to get it right."Nora thought that she had put in all the effort she could access and
THIRD POV (Memories 1)As Nora lay unconscious on the bare floor of the hidden chamber, her mind was floating in a sea of recovered memories. The first memory came in vivid detail. A warm summer evening, stars scattered across the sky like diamonds. A younger Nora stood before Carlos in an opening, her heart pounding with anticipation and filled with love. In her outstretched hands lay the pendant, its opal gleaming in the moonlight.Nora was smiling sheepishly. Although, she was shy... she still managed to do what she wanted to do. "I want you to have this," she told him, her voice trembling slightly. "I brought it for you. It's to show how deeply I love you." Carlos's face— younger, but with the same features, looked down at the pendant with an expression Nora couldn't quite read. She slightly lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling shy. "The moon goddess sees all true connections," Nora continued, hope evident in her voice. "Wi
NORA'S POV The world seemed sharper somehow, colours more vivid, scents more distinct. And there was something else— a pull, like an invisible thread tugging at my consciousness. I shut my eyes, thinking I could ignore it at that point. While my eyes was closed,I saw myself in another world. I was surrounded with books. I opened my eyes quickly, hoping to have been teleported, but found myself still standing at the same spot. Nothing had returned to normal yet. Leaves rustled loudly, and the sound of distant voices came with the air that kept sweeping across me. Voices that I could not male anything out of. I could hear, but I could not even understand. Something suddenly began to pull me forward against my wish. My legs moved even when I didn't put in any effort to lift my legs or carry myself. I stood shakily, my hand instinctively clutching my head. The pull strengthened, drawing me toward the library."What is this?" I whispered, but
NORA'S POV "I can't just leave," I told Griffin, my voice steadier than I felt. "Carlos is my not just my mate. We are married with kids, Griffin. With kids." Griffin moved closer to me. He did it like a reflex, and each time he got close enough, he pause before getting too close for comfort. "Nora, think about it. If Carlos truly cared for you as a mate should, why keep so much from you? Why let you stumble blindly through life, never knowing who or what you truly are?"I knew that Carlos would not just lie to me. He must have his reasons for doing so. I could not just leave him because of that. I hoped to be able to convince Griffin, even though his offer was tempting. "Maybe he was afraid," I countered, though doubt was beginning to creep in. "Afraid of losing me if I knew the truth. Afraid of something else. Perhaps, just trying to protect me." Griffin shook his head. "It goes deeper than that. Carlos has been actively w
NORA'S POV I paced nervously around my living room, waiting for Griffin to arrive. My heart raced. No matter hoe hard I tried to focus on something else, my mind kept going back to the thoughts I was running away from. The doorbell rang, bringing me back to reality. I sighed as I headed towards the door and opened it. Griffin was standing out there, noth hands in his pocket. "May I come in?" he asked, his voice low.I stepped aside. "Sure." "We can talk in the kitchen."Griffin followed behind as I led him into the kitchen. He grabbed a stool and sat on it. "Where's Carlos?" He asked as he looked around the kitchen. "Out," I replied simply. "Do you think this place is quiet enough?" "You think someone could be listening?" I asked, suddenly chilled."I think we can't be too careful." Griffin leaned forward. "Have you found anything else since we last spoke?""Just more