Kai's POV:“To hell with that!” I gritted out through my teeth, finding no other suitable place for my rage. I had come here to find some clarity, but so far, Fynn’s presence and horrible suggestions were just making the mist of confusion and anger grow denser. I could see very well that Fynn was just as worried about Vienna… maybe even more than I was. But again! My twin’s stubbornness was overriding his sensibility, and I wished I could have told him earlier, how much he really sucked at acting. “Will you stop acting this way, how long are you planning to be mad at us for that?! She is our mate, for fuck’s sake–”“I wouldn’t say that.”Fynn’s jaw tightened as he said coldly. “Not when she hasn’t accepted me as her mate in front of the pack members and with Moon Goddess as our witness. Until then, she has at least accepted or acknowledged you as her mate, so that's good! I'm happy for you.”I growled, the sound rumbling deep in my chest. “What bullshit! You know the Mating Cer
Vienna's POV: I tossed and turned in my bed, trying to put pressure on my stomach, desperate to ease the sharp, stabbing pain. My sleep-addled brain was struggling to push past the discomfort, but it was useless. Even after fifteen minutes of this, I wasn't feeling any better; nor could I succumb to the call of sleep, no matter how heavy and droopy my eyelids were getting. Finally, I gave up and stumbled out of bed, clutching my stomach with both hands. My head was dizzy, and the realization hit me like a brick: it was already a new morning, which meant an entire day had passed, without anyone entering my room or bringing me any food. I reached out hesitantly and turned the latch of the door. Thankfully, it was unlocked, and I let out a shaky breath. Hopefully, that meant I could sneak down to the kitchen unnoticed. But as I crossed the hallway and turned to head down the stairs, I felt a shove on my shoulder, causing me to trip. I tumbled forward, the hard edge of each step
Vienna’s POV: Tessa’s anger melted into doting affection within a matter of seconds. “You’re right, my darling. What would I do without you, she would have boiled away all my blood with her presence alone, not to forget, how ill mannered she really is!” Gemini smiled brightly. “But I'm here, aren't I? So forget about her! It’s Sunday and I have plans to go on a lunch date with Asher, so I wanna have a light breakfast. Whatever you have made, leave that aside. I need something light.” "Of course, love. What exactly do you feel like eating? Tell me, and I’ll make it for you. Anything you want, all you have to do is speak!” “Um… not much, maybe a few quesadillas, some waffles… just a few though, not too many! Some fresh apple juice, and two omelets. That should be enough." Tessa’s smile widened. “Oh, lovely! I have already prepared the quesadillas, and I’ll whip up everything else within minutes. Just come along with me…” I bit my cheek to stop the snarky laugh climbing up m
Fynn’s POV:The chill of the early morning was sharp and moist, the cool air rushing in through the windows while I shuffled into the kitchen, the sleep still not fully gone from my eyes. I pulled a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with water from the tap, before I walked over to the freezer and grabbed two trays of ice. The coldness was biting against my fingers, the cubes crackled and hissed as I dropped them into the water. Setting the bowl down on the counter, I reached for some spare towels and cut them up into long strips.Kai hadn’t been this sick in years.I don't remember a time when he might have developed such a high fever… save for that one when we were pups, barely old enough to shift. And even then, it hadn’t been this bad. He was always the protective one, the older twin– as he loved to flex, any chance he got… that cocky bastard. And because of his tendency to be loud and boisterous, it was completely jarring to see him in this state. Was I too harsh on him yes
Author's POV:Gemini was getting ready with complete excitement, knowing that the only obstacle in her way was going to vanish from her life soon. After the way Asher had been acting after the mating ceremony on Vienna's birthday, the fear of Asher going after that witch to chase her back, had again started to pinch in Gemini's heart. However, she found some peace in the way things had turned out at home, and judging by how her father was reacting, it was becoming certain that Vienna wasn't going anywhere near her two mates. And neither was Gemini in favor of leaving any scope for her to get back to Asher, in any condition. The fire of betrayal in Asher's heart has already been ignited once, and now she just had to keep fueling it so that it wouldn't die anytime soon. If her words didn't do the trick, then she had the perfect idea to distract him today. She pulled out a skin-tight spaghetti strap sundress in sheer, cream colored fabric. The neckline plunged scandalously low, draw
Author's POV:Once their plates were cleaned and the waiter had cleared the table, Asher leaned back in his seat, pulling out his wallet and tossing some cash onto the table. “Get your coat,” he said, standing up. “We’re leaving.”Gemini tilted her head, batting her eyelashes up at him. “What’s our plan for the rest of the day? We've got the whole evening ahead! Maybe a movie, or—” “I’m taking you home.” Asher interrupted, shrugging on his jacket. The smile froze on her face, he couldn't be bored of her already, was he? “Home? So soon?” “Yeah.”He said flatly, already heading toward the exit without bothering to check if she was even following him. “I have got some things I need to drop off there.” Gemini blinked, rushing to catch up to him while her heart plummeted into her stomach. And then it clicked: the gifts she had seen in the back seat of his car! Her mood lifted instantly, and she did a little happy dance in her mind. He was so considerate! He was thinking ahead
Fynn's POV:The sun had almost covered half its journey across the sky, and by now, I had brought over all the paperwork from the pack house, back into our room. The desk here was smaller and difficult to organize, but this way, I could also keep an eye on Kai, who was mumbling but still asleep. I glanced over, thinking he was just tossing in his sleep again. But in a burst of energy, he launched himself from the bed, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. “Kai, what's the matter?” I called, setting my pen down. He didn’t respond to my call, as if he didn't hear it all. Instead, he stumbled over to grab a pair of pants, yanking them on in a hurry. He was halfway through the process of pulling a hoodie over his head, when I shot up from my chair. “Whoa, whoa…” I rushed to him and grabbed his shoulders to steady him. “What do you think you’re doing? Get back in bed, you’re burning up with fever!” Kai’s eyes were wide and hazy, but he had the energy to shake his head stubbo
Fynn's POV:I could feel it in my own bones, since my wolf had already started taking over all my sensible thoughts by now. She was not well… but I couldn't claim the bond, nor could I give Kai the false hope. So it was better for me to remain quiet for now. And that's why, I decided to lie and continue my lie further, gently nudging Kai back towards the edge of the bed until he was sitting down again. “Look, I think you’re just having feverish hallucinations, and nothing else. To put your overactive imagination to rest, let me try calling Vienna, okay? You can hear it from her own mouth.”He nodded reluctantly, and I grabbed my phone, dialing her number. The line rang and rang, but there was no answer. I called her again, but still nothing. On the third attempt, the ringing tune was replaced by an automated message that stated, her phone was switched off. Kai was already getting anxious, and I said quickly;“Wait! Let me try the landline at the Belmont mansion first.” He waite
Vienna's POV:I could feel the tension in the air; and the awkwardness was thick enough to choke on, as Orion stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "What... what are you saying... about Vienna?" Before I could respond, Tessa’s voice cut through the silence, dripping with frustration. “Gemini isn’t your daughter, you thick-headed fool!” “So stop thinking of ways to get her killed and beg Vienna to save her life. Or I won’t let you take a single breath in peace! I’ve done all this, planned all of this… just for my daughter’s sake! And I’m definitely not going to leave her fate in your hands, so that you can risk her life in a Blood Auction.” Tessa was definitely scared out of her wits, since she had gone from pleading with Orion to threatening him within minutes. And Orion didn’t seem to know what to make of it. He stared blankly at Tessa for a moment, still scrambling for some form of clarity, his voice shaky. “Vi… Vienna is my daughter… and not Gemini…” That was thw
Author's POV:Tessa had been lurking in the shadows, listening intently to every word.She knew better than to step forward too soon, knowing that if she revealed herself in the middle of the conversation, it would only increase the bitterness in Vienna’s, making any chance of negotiation impossible. So she has been hiding herself behind the pillars, making sure that she was hidden from every eye present in the room; while at the same time she was able to hear everything that was going on between the people standing in front of her eyes.Normally, she relished watching Vienna suffer, but this time, the stakes were too high. She couldn’t afford to let Gemini bear the consequences. But then Orion—foolish, impulsive Orion—had gone and destroyed everything. The moment he spat out that Vienna wasn’t his real daughter, he had severed the last thread of control they had. He had stripped himself of any authority over her, giving her the perfect excuse to bring their family’s dirty secrets
Vienna's POV:Once the words left my mouth, Orion’s entire demeanor shifted. I didn't even want to refer to him as my father from now on, and my words had already made it clear to him.His expression hardened, but his tone became suddenly gentle, almost fatherly and affectionate. If didn’t know better, I would’ve thought he was genuinely concerned, but I had been burned by this syrup too many times. “What are you saying, Vienna? How can you drag your sister to the Law Tribunal? The Council has been assembled to deal with matters of actual seriousness and significance between packs, not trivial family matters and… sisterly jealousy.”He scoffed, as if recalling some fond memories between us, which were never there to begin with. "I know you have always been jealous of your little sister, but think properly, look closely…all she has ever done was to think about your well being and has always supported you in your good or bad decisions, she was even ready let go of her first love, jus
Author's POV:Vienna's idea about her family was indeed right. This idea was not built on the mere foundation of her assumption, instead it was based on her experience. And the ideas built on experiences rarely tended to be wrong, just like this one… the reality was exactly matching every single detail according to her thoughts.Because right now, Orion was sitting in the comfort of his grand mansion, his fingers tapping impatiently against the armrest of his chair. And if he wasn't forced to pretend that he cared for Vienna, his older daughter who was supposed to return with Asher, the future Alpha of the Pack, he wouldn't even have been here. He would have utilised this free time to sleep in peace, after celebrating his unfilial daughter having vanished into thin air, to never show her face ever again.Beside him, Alpha Blackwood sipped his drink with ease, though his eyes flickered toward the door every few moments. He wasn't ready to miss even a single percent of possibility of
Vienna's POV:The doctor unfastened the blood pressure monitor strap from my arm. As I looked up at him, he assured me calmly. “Everything looks normal. Your heart rate was elevated, but that’s just from the shock. Just relax, there is nothing to be worried about, you should be fine now.” I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself as I replied with a small smile of my own. I didn't want to leave the doctor’s effort unnoticed while my words had decided that they still needed some time to jump out of my throat, using my mouth. However, even though Kai and Fynn were right by my bedside, neither of them was really paying attention to the doctor. Instead, they were busy arguing amongst themselves, in a hushed tone to maintain the decorum of the hospital. “This is the result of our complacency,” Kai snapped. “That bastard had the guts to walk into a goddamn hospital and kidnap Vienna. If we let this slide, what’s next? They’ll march into our territory and claim it as theirs? We should
Author's POV:Tessa sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers fumbling with the hem of her dress. She had finally been convinced to drop her go bag from her; although she still wasn't sure how she had been roped into Gemini’s plan.This girl had a way to convince her to take part even in her unrealistic plans, and today was proof of it. Because even though she hadn't returned her jewels to their real compartments and boxes, she had at least placed the packed bag inside her wardrobe. And now, both mother and daughter were sitting together, working out a story which they needed to tell Orion as proof of Gemini's innocence– the story of the last conversation between Gemini and Vienna. "You'll say it like this," Gemini instructed. "Vienna was going to run away, and I tried to stop her. I was just looking out for her because I didn't want her to make a mistake that would ruin her life. So, I did whatever I needed to do, to keep her from running off."Tessa glanced at her daughter, fro
Author's POV:Asher's body stiffened in shock as he heard Fynn's voice ring through the alley. His heart skipped a beat, surprised that they had found them. After the fight he was sure that they would need months to recover from the physical injuries and for the mental one, they might take few more lifetimes to face Vienna again, and even after he was sure about them never appearing in front of him or Vienna ever again, he was still so cautious about keeping her away from them at any cost.And this is why he had made sure to bring Vienna just outside the pack borders, far enough from any tracking signals, believing he had covered all his bases. He thought he'd be able to isolate her, convince her that he was the only one who truly cared for her. But now, this—Fynn’s voice echoing through the damp night air.Ruining his plans! Making him extremely angry once again.Asher spun around, his eyes flashing with panic as he searched for the source of the voice. Because as Fynn's voice has
Vienna's POV:I couldn’t believe what was happening. One moment, I was walking calmly through the night, and the next, I found myself pressed against something cold and damp, a wetness seeping through my clothes. The burning, acrid smell of smoke invaded my senses, making my stomach churn. My head spun as nausea threatened to overwhelm me. I tried to take a breath, but it felt impossible, like the air had been sucked out of the space around me. My body tensed as I fought to keep my composure, but it wasn’t enough. I was on the verge of throwing up when I saw him—Asher. He stepped into view, his grin wide and unsettling, I felt the feeling of uneasiness growing stronger in my chest. As my heart pounded in my chest, and even though I wanted to , I couldn’t look away from him. With his left hand still buried in his pocket, he made a sweeping gesture with two fingers, and just like that, the thing that had been holding me released its grip. I gasped for air, sucking it in greedily, my
Vienna's POV:I watched them with growing concern, my hands gripping the sheets tightly. But I didn’t even know who I was worried about? Because the two people who matter the most for me were fighting with someone who has never been fair to anyone in any dynamic, but the reason for my fear was sounding logical and illogical at the same time.Was it the fear for Fynn and Kai, that my heart was unable to beat properly the moment they stepped in front of Asher or was I afraid for myself? My protection? That they might not be able to handle so many opponents at once? No, of course not. They were strong, stronger than anyone I had ever met. I had no doubt they could protect me against anything, against anyone.Or was it for Asher? That he was stupid enough to challenge two Alpha wolves who were older and more experienced than him, without knowing their true power? Maybe. Because I wanted nothing to do with him anymore, but that didn’t mean I wanted him dead. He was reckless, arrogant, an