Two more chapters coming...
~Justin~ After we exited the warehouse, we swiftly made our way to where we had parked our car. Sophia felt incredibly light in my arms, a stark reminder of the unhealthy weight she had been reduced to. How could she have a healthy weight when they had been starving her? No one should ever endure such dehumanising treatment. Anger coursed through me. Throughout our mission, I had often maintained a passive demeanour, but not tonight. Tonight, I was seething with anger. She had been abducted at the age of sixteen, and only the goddess knew the horrors she had endured for nearly two years. I had my doubts about whether we could fully mend her, but I took solace in the fact that she was still alive. Hopefully, we could bring her some measure of justice. I gently settled her into the back seat alongside Charlotte while Caspian took the driver's seat. The car ride was marked by a heavy silence, with my constant glances backwards to check on Sophia. Charlotte had removed her prosthetic
~Justin~ We stepped out of Sophia's room momentarily, allowing Zaya to share her findings with us in the hallway so as not to disturb Sophia's peaceful sleep. I walked out with a sense of reluctance, anxious to hear Zaya's assessment. I needed to know the extent of the situation before calling Liam and my father to provide them with an update. "How is she?" I inquired impatiently, cutting straight to the chase. I needed a clear understanding of Sophia's condition. Zaya began her report, "She was severely starved, but her wolf is stable, and she should recover. I noticed numerous scars on her skin, which suggests she might have been flailed while in silver chains. The wounds didn't heal properly with the assistance of her wolf, which must have been an excruciatingly painful experience. I feared she might have suffered other forms of abuse, but I found no evidence of physical trauma. It appears that whoever mistreated her refrained from physical violence in that regard. However, we ca
~Liam~A searing pain gripped me, though I couldn't discern if it originated in my head or heart; it simply hurt terribly. Moments ago, Josephine and I had been sharing laughter and conversation in Justin's office, but now, the news Justin had delivered had left me in agonising torment.While I should have felt happiness, I couldn't help but envision the nightmarish experiences Sophia must have endured for nearly two years. Despite the relief that she was still alive, I couldn't help but wonder how much of her remained intact.Then, abruptly, the line went silent, and the phone slipped from my grasp. My vision blurred, and I recognised the impending storm of emotion, but I surrendered to it. I allowed the tears to flow, hoping that each drop would gradually release the tight knot constricting my chest.For a while, Sophia's trail had grown cold, and there were unspoken murmurs that she might have met an unfortunate fate. Although nobody mustered the courage to verbalise their suspicio
~Justin~The night watch duty proved challenging, especially given my lack of sleep and overall exhaustion. Two hours of rest was far from sufficient, and my body was vehemently protesting against it. It was three in the morning, and I had unintentionally dozed off several times, roused only by the subtle sound of the nurse entering the room to attend to Sophia. I had made it a point not to allow the nurse to linger in the room with me, ensuring that I would hear whenever she came in to check on Sophia. Sophia lay in her bed, fast asleep, her appearance strikingly fragile. My gaze shifted to the nearly depleted yellow drip she was receiving. The urgency to find the nurse welled up within me, but fortunately, she appeared at that very moment. It seemed she had accurately timed her visits to the patient's needs, arriving precisely when necessary. "Are there more?" I inquired of the woman, observing her as she sifted through a bag that resembled a black plastic cooler, although it lack
~Justin~ Two peaceful days slipped by as I observed Sophia gradually regaining her strength. Though the spark in her eyes had yet to return, I found solace in our shared understanding of time's healing power. She had started consuming small portions of solid food and occasionally graced us with a faint smile when Charlotte fed her, but her words remained sparse and her silence profound. At this rate, I harboured doubts about acquiring crucial information within our time constraints. Our focus remained fixed on the warehouse, and I firmly believed that the other captives still languished within its confines. Naturally, a search for the missing slave had been initiated; evidently, she held some significance in the eyes of her captors. It was evident that we needed to expedite our efforts if we intended to rescue the remaining victims. To achieve this, we would have to gently coax Sophia into revealing the information we required. In addition to our efforts, we conducted a trace on th
~Justin~ I sat in silence, my patience unwavering as I waited for Sophia to unravel her story. Anxious about what I might hear, yet clinging to the hope that her words would provide a much-needed breakthrough, as we were currently at a dead end. "My father returned home that night covered in blood and tears," she began, her voice filled with a mix of anguish and determination. "He was weeping, and my mother became frantic. At the time, I was in the living room, watching television, but when my mother asked me to go upstairs, I remained frozen." She continued, recounting a moment that had left an indelible mark on her life. "I had never seen my father covered in blood before. I had never seen him cry, but he was crying." Sophia's voice quivered with emotion as she described the scene. "My mother moved closer to him, but he shook his head, begging her to stay away." She then began to narrate her father's frantic words, her eyes glistening with tears. "He said, 'I had no choice,
~Liam~Two days had elapsed, and my patience held steady as I awaited Justin's return with Sophia. Uncertainty hung in the air, but one thing was certain: I felt immense relief knowing that she was finally safe. They had chosen to extend their stay in Cains by an additional four days, which meant it had been a little over a week since they had found her. I refrained from dwelling on the potential horrors she might have endured. Instead, I clung to hope that joyful memories could eventually overshadow the past.Numerous questions swirled in my mind. Were her parents still alive? What had become of those responsible for the ordeal? My phone conversation with her had provided some solace when I heard her laughter. Although she wasn't quite her former self, it was evident she had a profound story to share. Sophia made a concerted effort to ease the situation, and I held onto the hope that, with time, we could help her rediscover happiness.Josephine has been one of the most significant sou
~Liam~I found myself staring at the computer screen in utter shock, grappling with the implications of the email. I knew Racheal Armstrong was a friend of Justin's, but had she confided in him about her past and what she had endured? I turned to Josephine, who appeared somewhat tense."What's running through your mind, Jo?" I inquired, and she shrugged."This is happening way too fast, but there doesn't seem to be any immediate gain for Miley or Racheal in doing this," she responded, echoing my thoughts."It does seem rather premature, and perhaps they are displeased that Jacob didn't make Adrian face the consequences of his actions," I mused as I pushed back from the table. Josephine got up from my lap. My urgency to check on Harper and discuss the matter of Adrian was mounting. We couldn't afford this kind of attention right now. If Adrian's character was truly questionable, Harper needed to find other ways to express her rebellion against our father. Adrian was a dangerous man."Wh
Thank you all for supporting this story and helping me to bring the characters to Life. It was an amazing journey, mainly because of the overwhelming support I got from all of you. I truly appreciate it. I am grateful for every comment, vote, review and purchase. It kept the book alive.Wild Hearts will be released next week, and Dark Obsession will be released this week. As much as I would love to please everyone, I can only write one book at a time So I planned to go with Wild Hearts, but since some of you have already started Dark Obsession, I will release it and continue to write it gradually. I have decided to run with both books. Once my schedule is better, the update days will improve. For those who are wondering about Dark Obsession, It is a standalone, and you do not need to read Forged in the Flames to enjoy the story. I would love feedback and hope the energy will be the same in that book. I am counting on your support and encouragement. Thank you. 🙏 😊 🤗
~Sophia~ Justin's kiss was sweeter than the last I remembered. He had stayed away from me for a while, and I was mad at him for it, but I knew he would make it for my eighteenth birthday. I knew he would come, and I anticipated it. He stayed away mainly because he didn’t want to cross the line, but tonight, fate told us it was okay, and we embraced it. My tears could not stop flowing. They were tears of joy and relief. I was grateful. So grateful. Justin lifted me in his arms and carried me inside; my eyes remained fixed on him, not caring about the surroundings. I knew he had put a lot of work into it, but we had to finish our unfinished business before we attended to the other stuff. His gaze remained on mine, making me giggle. “You look so beautiful tonight, Sophia,” he said, and I was glad he liked the effort. It was for him. Laying me on the bed, he kissed me and travelled from my neck to my sweet spot. Justin was a guy who liked to make out a bit rough and overwhelming, b
~Justin~ I stayed away after we had solved the case and made all the arrests. Things had not ended well for many people who were on the wrong side of the law. For the rest of us, we had moved on. Rachael ended up with her mate, who happened to be a Stepanov from one of the ten Ruling houses in the west. It was as if she knew she was meant to be with a great man all along, and fate had answered her prayers. As much as I did not want to discuss the punishment for the criminals, I just have to say most of them had been killed. There were scheduled executions for most of them, as there were many. The King wanted everyone involved to pay, no matter how small their part was. Fortunately, Uncle Vino had pushed for Jessica, something I knew Jewelles had everything to do with. She got fifteen years of sentencing, not after they asked Adrian and Rachael if they were okay with it. They both had moved on and didn't care what happened to her, so she was lucky there. At least she will get to see
~Liam~ One week passed, and Adrian Jacob, Harper and Jewelles returned to Lumas. Our parents had made a series of arrests. The activities were all over. Underground warehouses were found, crime lords were arrested, and factories were shut down. Unknown to my father, this operation started shortly after they defeated Yuri, and it was started by none other than Walter Armstrong, Nelson's lab technician, who messed up the D3 formula and destroyed Cones Village. The real reason behind the ban. Apparently, the defective D3 did not come from Nelson's lab but from one of Walter's makeshift labs that he tried to pass off as Nelson's goods when he was building his crime Network. Unfortunately for him, he was apprehended and locked up. His mate, Natasha Armstrong, being his partner in crime, feared that the law would catch up with them, so she faked her death, abandoning her children with lots of unpaid debts and an uncertain future. The cold-hearted bitch did not bother to look back. Nata
~Jewelles~ A week had passed since we discovered the truth, and our parents worked tirelessly to arrest all implicated. During the arrest, we discovered an underground recruitment for warriors. We might never know what the sick bastards planned, but I was glad we could trump their plan before it was in motion. The biggest mistake they made was to take Sophia. If that parcel hadn’t been delivered to Luna Glenda, the traitor and murderer, we wouldn't have been the wiser, and they would have gotten away with their crimes unnoticed. As much as Jacob hid his pain, I could see it. His mother was one of the people who would receive a long sentence. She would have been executed, but I had pleaded with my father to put in a word for her for Jacob's sake. Jacob didn’t ask me to do it, but I knew it was eating him inside. He found out what I did this morning, flipped and hasn't spoken to me. It has been a long, agonising day. Jacob was also yet to seal the deal. He was mad at me for taking m
~Charlotte~ After spending time with everyone in the garden, Caspian and I decided to retire. Our parents were so busy with arrests and judgements that we did not have a general dinner, but it was okay. Snuggled in Caspian's Arms in our room. Aunty Tamia planned to give Jewelles, Harper and me permanent rooms in the estate. They wanted us to always have a reason to come home with our mates. I could understand, and I appreciated it. Our rooms were still being renovated; they were in the Delta wing of the mansion. Many rooms were unoccupied there, and since our family was expanding, we would be given rooms there. All of us, including the guys. That way, we will all be in one wing when we are around. I could not believe everything was finally over. Although there had not been any sentencing yet, our part of the investigation was over. Our parents had dreaded it leading to war, but it didn’t this time. It might have if they had successfully mass-produced their Agk32 to create an army.
~Justin~ While Sophia was with her father. I decided to make some plans. The case seemed closed on our side. We had finished the initial assignment, which was figuring out what happened that night. Uncle Sylvester had also explained that only people with jurisdiction can interfere with the case onward. There wasn't much to do but pick up the people mentioned. It was over, meaning an alpha would be appointed for Grizlo. It meant we would have to get to our normal lives, and I could not see a normal life without Sophia. I was nervous now that her father had been found and he would be free. I wondered if she would feel the same. I hoped to drag the case a bit longer, but it was impossible. I decided to call the staff at my house in Lucland to fix the place up. I wasn’t sure why, but I knew that once Sophia turned eighteen, I would not hesitate. She had asked me about where I lived in Lucland. I planned to spend time with her there and live with her in the near future if she would hav
~Justin~ It was time to question Mike, and Noah was the first to link me. Of course, he would be eager. He had a theory, and Mike’s account would help him fit the pieces together. His reasons differed from Liam's and mine. Mike was a puzzle Noah and Sebastien wanted to solve, while we wanted to find a way to save Sophia and exonerate Mike if he was innocent. Jellewes came with Lily to get Sophia. My entire team would have to be present at the questioning, so Harper and Jo would not be available. I needed Lily and Jewelles to help take her mind off what was happening. Jewelles and Lilly planned to keep her occupied until after the questioning. I thanked them for their kindness. Although Lisa's team were not invited, Lisa insisted to be a part of it. My sister was overzealous like that. I couldn't wait for her to settle down and get on with her life. Tanya had returned home to her mate. The entire ordeal with Harper had shaken her completely. I doubted she would be volunteering for a
~Justin~ After planning our questioning strategy with my team, I spent time with Sophia. We planned to question Mike in the evening to avoid dragging the investigation too long. Adrian wanted to take Harper back to Lumas in two days. Likewise, Jacob and Jewelles, so I knew we had to move quickly. Although I hoped they would stay a bit longer. It was fun having them around. I didn't feel so old. Usually, I was forced to act like an uncle to my cousins, and that made them uncomfortable around me, and they saw me as boring, but with Caspian, Adrian, and Jacob in our team, I was more comfortable now. I had also made new friends who were now part of my family. Caspian wasn't leaving until the case was done, but I hoped Adrian and Jacob would stay a bit. Not that I will tell them. Sophia had spent the morning with the ladies. Harper had come to get her, and I think it helped her a lot because she felt a lot better knowing Harper and Lily were fine and weren’t traumatised by the inciden