POV: Darrel WilliamsThe stifling hush that had enveloped our campsite seemed like a viselike grip tightening with every instant. There were no more soft murmurs or covert looks directed my way; only a tense silence hung in the air, laden with anxiety about the seismic disclosures about to explode our lives.Countless eyes followed my every step as I walked toward the central forum where the ruling council had gathered. Though their criticism was not expressed, there was clear silent censure behind it. From which there would be no comeback should I choose to validate the devastating proof Ivory had supplied, I was guiding them into an unknown land.The passageway veered abruptly ahead, and I instinctively looked for possible ambushes a lifetime of survival skills turned on full tilt. It was then that I saw the obvious movement in the shadows: figures moving into offensive stances, weapons sliding free with a terrible whisper of steel on leather.The trap burst in a flash. From their
POV: Jeremy WilliamsMy head was whirling and a stinging agony seared across my brain as I gradually came to. When I tried to move, my ankles and wrists were tightly chained. Looking about, I found I was in a poorly lighted room with just one door and no windows.Where was I? Uncle Callum striking me down in the forest clearing came last on memory. His chilly, unforgiving eyes still tormented me. What was going on? Why was he gathering that few men? Why then did he target me?The door cracked open to reveal a tough-looking man. He glanced at me before he spoke. "The lad is awake." Callum would like to see him.My heart hammered. Uncle Callum, Following his actions? Though I knew I had no choice, I wanted not to see him. The man untied me and hauled me violently to my feet, guiding me along a poorly lighted hall.At last, we arrived in a bigger room where Uncle Callum sat, his face unreadable. His devoted lieutenant Kavrin stood next to him."Leave us," Uncle Callum told the guard.Unc
POV: JennaMy pulse racing with a mix of anger and terror, the walls seemed to be closing in on me as I walked back and forth in my rooms. How would this be occurring? After all I had given, all the deliberate alliances and cautious navigation I had developed, my hold on power was erasing like grains of sand.My agitated dream was broken by a knock on the door. "Enter," I said, malice tinging my voice.Callum's devoted lieutenant Kavrin entered with a solemn countenance. "My Lady, I bring unpleasant news.""Out with it, then," I insisted, my endurance running thin.Kavrin cleared his throat, his gaze down. "It seems Darrel found the truth regarding Ivory's persecution. He has freely said he intends to pursue justice, even if it means opposing his own pack."I was inundated in white hot anger. That moron, Darrel, was endangering what we had laboriously created. Did he not appreciate the need of our actions? Ivory was a threat, a cancer that had to be removed before it might contaminate
POV: Ivory WellsAs I went over the stack of papers in front of me, each page unveiling another piece of the jigsaw I had been fervently trying to solve, my heart flew. For years, the fate of my daughter Darcy had been a mystery, a pain that would reignite with every unresolved issue not healing.But now, as the proof grew, a sliver of hope started to slink into the depths of my psyche. Darcy might be alive and under the custody of someone trying to safeguard pack secrets at any cost.I woke from my dream startled by a gentle knock at the door. "Come in," I said, quickly gathering the disorganized papers.Jeremy peeked his head in, worriedly wide eyes. Ivory, are you good? From your room, I heard voices rise.I mustered a kind grin, calling him inside. "I am good, Jeremy. Just... negotiating some challenging revelations."He moved across the room and seated next to me; his friendly demeanor provided solace in the emotional turbulence I was experiencing. "What have you found?"Breathin
POV: Darrel WilliamsWith every laboring breath, the weight of the truth seemed like a crushing load falling on me. I found myself lost in a sea of remorse and self-doubt, doubting everything I had believed in as the disclosures about my part in Ivory's banishment and Darcy's abduction surfaced.How could I have been so naive, so readily controlled by people I knew? Unquestionably, the data was a devastating critique of the basic pillars supporting my life.The stifling quiet that had encompassed my rooms was broken with a gentle knock at the door. "Enter," I said, my voice tinged with hardly-felt intensity.Hardin entered, his battered features marked with concern. "Darrel, we must speak."I sighed tiredly and pointed for him to settle in. "Old friend, I know what you are going to say. We must be strong and preserve the customs and beliefs that have led our pack for millennia.Hardin dropped himself down onto the chair across from me, wrinkling his forehead. "You are partially right,
POV: JennaEvery labored breath I was choking from the weight of my collapsing kingdom as the walls closed in. I could feel the tendrils of power slinking through my fingers like grains of sand as the truth about my part in the conspiracy against Ivory started to leak.How could this be occurring? Was all the sacrifices, the well-planned manipulations, the lies, and betrayals for naught? The idea of losing my role as Luna, of seeing all I had worked so hard for, turned to ash, drove me to the brink of insane.My whirling thoughts were jerked from by a frenzied beating on the door. "Enter!" I snapped, venom tinging my voice.Kavrin tore through the door, his face pallid and drawn. "My Lady, we have a situation."Rising from my seat, I closed my hands into white-knuckled fists. "Kavrin, what is it now? You cannot perceive I am currently handling a crisis?"Kavrin choked hard, his eyes darting about the room. "It's Darrel and Ivory." Working together, they are launching a rescue effort t
POV: MiaEvery strained breath seemed like a vice, gradually tightening around my chest. The weight of the truth. I was lost in a sea of contradictory feelings as the bombshell disclosures about my family's participation in the conspiracy against Ivory surfaced: astonishment, resentment, and a terrible sense of betrayal.How would this be? My flesh and blood, the same people I had trusted and loved without doubt, had been involved in the abduction of my closest friend's child and persecution of her. The proof was damning, a scathing condemnation of the lies and dishonesty spun around me for years.I was startled from my whirl of ideas by a quiet knock at the door. "Come in," I said, sounding strained and raspy.Ivory entered, apprehension wrinkled over her brow. Mia? Are you ok?I pushed a flimsy smile, pointing for her to sit next to me. Ivory: "I'm not sure. I lately... I discovered something that has rocked me to my very core."Ivory's eyes grew wide and she stretched out, comforti
POV: Callum WellsEvery logical idea, every last shred of sanity, was consumed by the fires of obsession burning white hot inside me. Ivory Wells had driven me to the verge, her unrelenting search for the truth an intolerable affront to everything I had labored so hard to create.The walls appeared to shut in about me, smothering me with the weight of my aspirations as I walked back and forth in my quarters. Like grains of sand washed away by an unstoppable tide, I could feel the tendrils of power sliding through my fingers.A quick tap on the door startled me out of my whirling ideas. "Enter," I snarled, my voice tinged with just subdued wrath.Kavrin dropped into the room, his worn-out features marked with concern. "Sir, we have got concerning reports. Ivory and Darrel seem to have teamed together and are organizing their friends in readiness for a rescue effort.A terrible snarl tore from my throat as his words sank in. Ivory, that terrible wench, dared to rebel once more, working