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: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
Vienna’s POV:“Happy birthday! When are you going to cut the cake?”A cheerful voice broke through the noise, and I looked up to find a girl standing in front of me. Her face was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t remember her name. "Thanks," I gave her a quick smile. “I’m just waiting for Asher.”“So when will he be back?”“Umm! Wait, let me look for him. He told me he'll be back by now.”“Okay, enjoy your birthday!" The girl adjusted her glasses and smiled at me. I slipped past the crowd, stepping out into the corridor.Asher was my boyfriend, the one who had organized this whole party. All thanks to him, our college cafeteria looked completely unrecognizable, and half the student body was here to celebrate my birthday. But even though everyone else seemed to be having fun, my eyes were searching for him. Where was he…?The noise of the party faded behind me as I walked past a classroom next to the cafeteria, towards the basketball ground. My feet paused when I heard Asher's laug
Kai’s POV:I started the car and checked the time on my wristwatch— 11:45 AM. I still had plenty of time; the engine vibrated softly as I turned the wheel, backing out of the driveway. A notification from the navigation app popped up on the dashboard, but I declined it with a quick swipe. I didn’t need an app to get around this city, I knew it like the back of my hand. This was my territory, even though we had been living halfway across the world, in Cape Town, until last week. My jaw clenched as I thought about our sudden move here. I would’ve stayed in Cape Town with Fynn and Mom, if it wasn’t for him… Alpha Griffin. My knuckles started to turn white as I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, trying to keep my focus on the road ahead.My father, Alpha Griffin Maddox– the world knows him as the former Alpha of the pack. But we know him as the drunkard and philanderer he really is, because he was the reason we had left our Azuremist pack in the first place. Ten years ago, whe
Vienna's POV: I finally reached the classroom and sat down in my seat with a thump. It took a few more minutes for my shaky breaths to become stable. And as the anger that had been boiling in my chest slowly started to simmer down, it left me with a horrifying realization. ‘What have I done?’I had kissed someone. Not just someone, but a complete stranger… in public! My cheeks started to burn, and I quickly laid my head down on the desk. ‘Although I have spent the last twenty one years as a werewolf, today is the first time I have behaved more like an animal than a civilized human!I was getting secondhand embarrassment from myself… I had kissed him without consent, and I didn’t even know if I had apologized to him after. “Maybe it wasn't so bad. He did kiss you back, you know?”A voice echoed in my mind, trying to console me– but I crushed it within seconds. Whether he liked it or not, it didn’t change the fact that I had crossed a line. I sighed in frustration. It was my firs
Vienna's POV:Gemini and her friends left the cafeteria like they had seen a ghost and wanted to escape the haunting desperately. Meanwhile, I remained standing there, rooted to the spot in complete disbelief. Did he just… threaten them with expulsion on my behalf? Did I hear it correctly…?My mind was still trying to catch up when he turned around, looking at me with concern in his eyes. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt anywhere?”His voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked up at him, surprised.Oh, God. My heart is doing that weird flutter thing again. “No, I’m good. Thank you for stepping in to help me, though.”The words felt strange coming out of my mouth. Showing gratitude to someone wasn't something I was used to. I was five when my mom passed away, and I had been doing everything on my own since then– no matter how important, or how insignificant the task was.I had never relied on anyone, I had never felt gratitude towards anyone for taking a stand for me…I swallowed
Vienna's POV:Shock and embarrassment washed over me as I realized my mistake.By the time I could process the whole "twin" thing, the door swung open, and in walked someone else.My eyes widened.The new arrival strolled in, laughing as if he had heard the entire conversation. He glanced from me to Kai, while I blinked, completely taken aback. If it wasn’t for the fact that Kai had just told me about the existence of his brother, I would’ve thought I was losing my mind. "So, I take it you’ve met my twin already?"He said, his voice carrying that same smooth tone Kai had, though with a little more seriousness. I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was joking or not. "Fynn, meet Vienna," Kai introduced me, his lips curling into a small grin. "I think there’s been a bit of confusion.""A bit?" Fynn smirked. "She looked like she was about to interrogate you on hot coals! But I'm curious, did you seriously think we were the same person?"I blinked again, feeling the heat rise t
Vienna's POV:I stood in front of my dresser, holding the mascara wand in hand, trying to perfect my smile. I practiced again in the mirror, although it felt more like a forced rehearsal. Today was supposed to be a milestone birthday, but so far, it was turning into a day of endless embarrassment. But as much as I wanted to spend the rest of the day rotting in my bed, I couldn't skip the gala.I had to get ready for the ancient rituals that were going to be held later. As I swept the mascara across my lashes, coating them evenly, my gaze drifted to the small open box of opal earrings sitting on the dresser. My father’s customary birthday gift… I snapped the box shut, feeling a pang of annoyance as I tucked it away into a drawer filled with identical boxes. Fifteen of them to be precise, stacked neatly beside one another. Every year, without fail, he tossed the same earrings at me, probably considering that it was a thoughtful gift. He didn’t even care to remember which ones he ha
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