âIrina showed herself to me that night in the forest, during my patrol within the borders.âAll of us gathered in the council meeting hall; we were all curious and eager to know what happened to my husband that night when he disappeared. It took me a lot of patience to wait for this moment after we shared passionate lovemaking last night and after everyone recovered from the intense fight against Irinaâs men, we decided to talk about it in the council building, where anyone wouldnât be able to hear us. The room was built to be soundproof, and it was the perfect place for my husband to share the things that we never wanted the council to know.âItâs been a week, Evan. What did Irina do to you? Do you remember anything? Did she hurt you?â Sheiyan asked; her eyes were full of worry for her brother and I couldnât blame her. He was under the spell of the witch who worked with Irina and we didnât know what else that woman did to my husband.That thought brought a sickening feeling to my gu
âEvander, wait!âI grabbed his hand so forcefully that Evander swiveled, and his dark eyes met mine. I was taken aback by that stern look on his face but I gritted my teeth and glared at him, letting him know how mad I was when he walked out of the council meeting hall.He was already halfway down the hallway towards the library building when IâYou heard Shei. You should stay away from me, Holly.â He snarled in his husky voice; his eyes were burning with anger yet his face remained cold and composed. âYou are not safe around me, Holly.âI made my face as cold and hard as steel. There was no way he would let this happen! I wonât let him push me away again just because he wasnât sure if he could protect me or not! âI donât need protection, Evander. I donât need anyone to watch over me. I can take care of me! I can protect myself and our baby and I can fight!I expected him to explode into anger and scream at me but Evander, despite the deadly look on his scary calmed face answered to m
âHappy to see you woke up with all your limbs still intact, Holly.âAlecâs snide remarks made Evander growl as he glared at the Agarwood Alpha. âWhat are you doing here, Alec? Are you not needed on your own turf? I noticed you have been spending too much time here. You are enjoying too much in this place, Alec.âAlec raised an eyebrow at my husband. His eyes went soft on me and then he smirked at Evander, taunting my husband very early in the morning. âWell, I donât think your crew can handle this so you should thank me for helping you, Evander. Admitting to yourself that you are lucky to have me here wonât hurt that much.âEvander scoffed. âAsshole.âShei rolled her eyes at the two while Melinda, as her usual self, just minded the food in front of her. I noticed how she loves pudding for breakfast.âDid anything happened?â Beta Kian asked, but when he realized his words had hidden meaning to them and made Shei blush, he immediately added with a little panic, âI mean, not that, you kn
[Calm down, Holly.]How the hell could I calm down?!Evander was behind me as well as Alec. I didnât care if Alec went with us. All I knew was that my whole body was trembling with both fear and trepidation for my fatherâs life.The guard led us straight to the bedroom of the Alpha King. Iâve never been into this part of the Snakewood Palace and thatâs how I realized how sad it was that I wanted to get away from this place so badly to be with my husband that I hadn't even considered how my father would feel about it.Tears rolled down my face as the sentinels guarding my dadâs room opened the heavy wooden door decorated with gilded linings and exquisite carvingsâthe map of his realm.Sometimes, when dad acted so natural and silly in front of me during our breakfast bondings, I always forgot he was a king. An Alpha King who had been protecting his people and his realm and had been restoring peace between packs and their alphas. I forgot that he was a powerful man who destroyed so many
âGot Daddyâs approval to finally like your husband?âI frowned and turned to see Alec walking towards me with his hands in his pockets. There was a taunting grin on his face that I didnât like so I answered him with a glare.âWhy are you even here, Alec? Itâs a family matter. You are not supposed to be in here.â I snapped at him as he stood beside me while staring at the Alpha Kingâs bedroom door. Evadner was still inside, talking with Dad, and my heart had been beating so loud and nervous, wondering what kind of conversation they were having.âIâm here for the Alpha King, Holly. Of course, I am worried for him as well. This realm will fall if we lose the man who has been keeping the peace on this continent. I will never let Randalf win this war, Holly. After what he and Irina did to you and the people of this realm, I swore to myself that I would stop them with everything I had." His eyebrow rose with distaste as he looked back at the door and crossed his arms against his chest. âEve
[IRINAâs Point of View]âIrina! Donât you turn your back on me!âI felt like I was going to explode at any momentâthat if I didnât walk out of the room, I might forget that he was the man who brought me into this world. I tried my best to suppress the boiling anger in me. I couldnât accept my recent defeat after I failed to kill the woman who ruined my life! The girl who ruined everything for me and my father! Who ruined the pack that took care of her her whole life!That ungrateful b*tch! I wanted to smash her like an insect in the palm of my hands. Torture her until she begs me to end her suffering. But, of course, I wonât make it easy for her. I wanted her to watch every person she loved die in front of her eyes, begging her to save them or screaming and blaming her for the fate that happened because she came into their lives.I wanted her to wish she never existed!âI already explained it to you, Dad. Thatâs all that happened! I nearly got her!âDad glared at me, his face shudderi
[ALECâs Point of View]My eyes darted when I heard the rustling of bushes near the gazebo I was sitting on.My whole body tensed and my mind became completely alert when I leaned forward to prepare and defend myself from anythingâor anyoneâbehind the thick undergrowth just behind where I was sitting. My fingers flexed and my nose searched for any strange smell until I caught that familiar scent, a scent that I knew belonged to.I thought I was just hallucinating, though. After a few bottles of wine and refusing to eat breakfast, my mind slowed down until I couldnât process anything anymore. Thatâs what I wanted. To stop thinking and feeling everything around me.To stop the guilt that had been eating me from the inside.I almost jumped when she stood on the shrubs and my eyes widened. I gazed at the face I never expected to see at my mansion in the Agarwood Pack.âGoddess! You almost gave me a heart attack!â My hand automatically went to my chest as I shifted my seat, still wary of th
[HOLLYâs Point of View]The wood creaked as I tightened the rope on the headboard of our bed. I was worried this might leave scratches on my husbandâs wrists tomorrow but Evander made it clear that I had to tighten it or he had to leave the room to make sure he wouldnât hurt me if ever the spell might overtake his consciousness again.I gritted my teeth as I pulled the rope tighter and heard Evanderâs hiss. I hated it as much as he did but we both knew it was only temporary. The Blackwood and Snakewood patrol soldiers had finally tracked down Randalfâs men towards their camp and we were all just waiting for the soldiers to return so we could plan the attack and the Ambrosesâ entrapment.âDo you think this will work?â I asked him as I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the bare feet. I wiggled my toes and then sighed as I lifted my face and saw my reflection in the mirror of my vanity table. Since I got pregnant, it has become rare for me to criticize my looks. As I gazed into my
[HOLLYâs Point of View]Evander held my hand and squeezed it tight as we watched Alec jump his way down the mountain with Misha, who was still unconscious, on his back.âAre you ready?â Evander asked. There was sadness and fear in his green eyes, but he was smiling at me. He was smiling with a promise that he would do everything to keep me safe and alive no matter what.And that scared me.When it was just me and him and the war that was waiting for us both, thatâs when I felt the terror and I knew he saw it in my eyes. But instead of telling me that things were going to be alright, instead of telling me that we would survive this, he kissed my forehead and pulled me to him in a tight embrace. We stayed like that for a minute as we listened to the rustling of the leaves in the forest. The sound of the birds in the sky and the water of the stream as it splashes softly against the small rocks. We felt each otherâs warmth and the gentle brush of the cold breeze on our bare skin. His lips
[HOLLYâs Point of View]I stood and gave my dad a determined look. I would never hide again. I would never just watch and wait. âI can fight, and I will fight for my friends and family.âDadâs exhausted face beamed with pride and love as he patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me. âLetâs go kick someoneâs *ss.âI laughed softly at the unusual words Dad used, and then we nodded at each other, preparing to lunge midair to shift into our wolves. My eyes were on Alec and my husband. Evadner was still on top of Randalfâs reaching for the old manâs head, but Randalf, despite his age, was still physically strong for his human form.On Dadâs cue, we jumped high from the ground, so high that all the eyes in the camp got distracted from us. Two glittering silver wolves, so ancient and beautiful, everyone stopped from what they were doing. Even Evanderâs eyes widened with both awe and shock as he saw us, and Randalf took advantage of it and immediately ran away from my husband like a terrifie
[HOLLYâs Point of View]There was no way I would let him go again. No way I would let him dive back into Randalfâs camp now that the old man knew he wasnât on their side.I heard Dadâs scream even when I got out of the main hall and straight to the courtyard, where I shifted back to my wolf form and fought three more rogues before I had to hide behind the tall walls of the garden labyrinth to breathe. My strength was slowly depleting and the wounds on my back hadnât completely healed yet. I had to go after my husband and make sure he could go out there alive with or without the witch who helped him.Randalf will kill him on sight once they see him.[Evander!] I screamed, trying to reach out to him through our bond. [Evander! Where are you!?]But it seemed he was too far away or something interfered with the mind-link connection, so I decided to stand on my four paws again and used my ability to sneak around without being detected. The mountainside wasnât too far from the Snakewood Pal
[Hollyâs Point of View]âDad!!!âI was about to lunge myself towards them, but strong arms pulled me back. I was baffled when I saw Alec pulling me away from Irina, who was still holding the short sword to my fatherâs neck.Every part of me ached, but nothing could compare to how my heart felt as I saw the despair in my fatherâs eyes. He mouthed the word âNo.â but I shook my head as tears rolled down my face. There was no way I would leave him in the hands of the man who wanted him dead! There was no way I would let him die!âTell me what you want, Randalf! Just donâtââ I swallowed hard as a sob emerged from my swelling throat. âJust donât kill my father!ââWe already have what we want, Holly! We donât need you! Now that we have the Alpha King, the whole palace and the realm will kneel to my father, and nothing can stop us now!â Irina yelled at me with detest in her voice. âKill both of them!ââStay behind me, Holly!â Alec yelled as he shifted back to his wolf form and kicked and cla
[HOLLYâs Point of View]âEvander disappeared from the frontline.âMy focus on my baby Evlon was distracted by Kianâs murmur as he noticed Evanderâs disappearance from Randalfâs side. It suddenly made me nervous. What happened to him? Where did he go?Mel took baby Evlon from me when I pushed myself to sit on the sofa. The room was still filled with the scent of my blood, but my family didnât mind. They were more concerned with my healing and Evanderâs situation, while all our eyes were now focused on the news.âI have to go there,â I said, still wincing from the pain, but I had to do something. For my father and for my husband. âI have to be there for my dad and Evander.ââYou just gave birth, Holly! Your body is still healing, and your wounds are still fresh! There is no way I will let you go there in this condition! My brother will kill me!â Sheiyan hysterically uttered, knowing that when I said things, I would do anything to do it.But this time, Shei was right. I assessed my body,
[ALPHA EVANDERâs Point of View]My whole body tensed as I stood slowly with both my hands on the level of my head.Charlieâs eyes told me that I would be dead once I made a wrong move, and I had to be careful. He was already thinking that I sided with Randalf, and without him knowing the truthâabout what really happened in the mountainsâHollyâs father would never understand why I had to do all of this.âListen to me, CharlieââCharlie sighed, and the dark look on his face turned into disappointment. I felt my whole being finally relaxed as he stepped away from me and onto the chair of his desk. He clasped his hands, and I finally saw that exhaustion that deepened his set of honey-brown eyes.âHolly told me everything, Evander. I was really furious that you put your familyâs life in danger, but I understand when Holly told me that all of you were after that pearl. And she told me everything about that pearl. About how Randalf stole parts of her memories and stored them in that thing. U
[ALPHA EVANDERâs Point of View]âWhat is wrong with you, Evander? You look like you had seen a ghost.âI barely heard Randalfâs voice as I kept my breathing in control while having this excruciating pain I felt in every inch of my body. My head felt like being pierced by thousand spears, and it took me a lot of strength not to fall down on my knees and scream from the pain.Misha looked at me as she put her fingers on my pulse and felt my forehead with the back of my hand. My jaw tightened as she gave me a warning look not to make the pain look too obvious. âI think he is having a fever. It must be the infection he got from the pit.âRandalf scowled at Misha. âGo and give him something, Misha! We canât display any weakness while we are being broadcast all over the continent. Go and do something about that infection or whatever the hell is that!ââYes, Alpha Randalf.â She bowed her head to the old man. I gave Randalf one piercing look from the corner of my eyes and then averted immedia
[HOLLYâs Point of View]âWhat is the commotion about, Kian?âEveryone was in the sitting area with all their eyes focused on the sixty-inch-wide television screen. Shei increased the volume, and I saw so many rogues standing on the northern borders of the Snakewood Territory. I didnât feel good this whole morning, and all I had were eggs. Other than those, I threw them up, and thatâs why I had been dizzy the whole day.All the Snakewood soldiers lined up in defense positions outside and inside the gates and the wall; all were armed with razor-sharp metal claws, all strapped around their legs and paws. Some were armed with crossbows with silver arrows for it was forbidden to use guns inside the continent and within the realm.âRandalf isnât bluffing at all. He really has thousands of Rogues with him,â Alec murmured in horror. His mouth was slightly open and his face was pale as paper when the excruciating memories of their stay in the rogue camp returned to him.Everything was shot liv
[HOLLYâs Point of View]The banging on the door suddenly sounded unreal. Then for once, I thought the noise was just from the thumping of my own heartbeat reverberating through my deafened ears. The violent winds from the mountains threw the windows of my room open. The hinges creaked threateningly as the white sheer curtains whipped against the glass panes.Melâs small hands were painfully tight against my wrists and she was incredibly strong; it terrified me. Something was happening to her. It was as if the darkness stored inside that pearl necklace had influenced her mind when it should be her who was supposed to command the âthingâ to obey her bidding.The power that was stored in the pearl was too much for Melinda to control and I saw it on her face. She was asking me for help.âMel! Just tell me whatâs happening!â I asked through gritted teeth. I tried my hardest not to panic as the black completely covered her eyeball and my neck and shoulders started to feel so heavy it felt