“Happy to see you woke up with all your limbs still intact, Holly.”Alec’s snide remarks made Evander growl as he glared at the Agarwood Alpha. “What 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.”Alec 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. “Well, I don’t 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 won’t hurt that much.”Evander scoffed. “Asshole.”Shei 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.“Did anything happened?” 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, “I mean, not that, you kn
[Calm down, Holly.]How the hell could I calm down?!Evander was behind me as well as Alec. I didn’t care if Alec went with us. All I knew was that my whole body was trembling with both fear and trepidation for my father’s life.The guard led us straight to the bedroom of the Alpha King. I’ve never been into this part of the Snakewood Palace and that’s 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 dad’s room opened the heavy wooden door decorated with gilded linings and exquisite carvings—the 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
“Got Daddy’s approval to finally like your husband?”I 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 didn’t like so I answered him with a glare.“Why are you even here, Alec? It’s a family matter. You are not supposed to be in here.” I snapped at him as he stood beside me while staring at the Alpha King’s 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.“I’m 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. “Eve
[IRINA’s Point of View]“Irina! Don’t you turn your back on me!”I felt like I was going to explode at any moment—that if I didn’t 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 couldn’t 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 won’t 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!“I already explained it to you, Dad. That’s all that happened! I nearly got her!”Dad glared at me, his face shudderi
[ALEC’s 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 anything—or anyone—behind 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 couldn’t process anything anymore. That’s 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.“Goddess! You almost gave me a heart attack!” My hand automatically went to my chest as I shifted my seat, still wary of th
[HOLLY’s 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 husband’s wrists tomorrow but Evander made it clear that I had to tighten it or he had to leave the room to make sure he wouldn’t hurt me if ever the spell might overtake his consciousness again.I gritted my teeth as I pulled the rope tighter and heard Evander’s 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 Randalf’s men towards their camp and we were all just waiting for the soldiers to return so we could plan the attack and the Ambroses’ entrapment.“Do you think this will work?” 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
[ALPHA EVANDER’S Point of View]We didn’t waste any more seconds and went straight to the mountains. All of us shifted into our wolf form besides Mel, who was riding on the back of one of the female medics. I had twenty shifters with me. Two medics, eleven soldiers, five patrols, and then Melinda and Alpha Alec Aoki. I didn’t know why Alec insisted on joining my team but I had a feeling it was about Mel.I didn't know what reason he had this time but I couldn’t trust him completely. What if he came here to kill her in the woods? I knew my wife told me before that Alec was never involved in Irina’s plan when that wretched woman kidnapped her. But I had to make sure. I had to think of the worst before it happened. I just wish my instinct was wrong or I will be forced to kill Aoki with my own hands once he does something to Melinda.The sky was dark with heavy gray clouds billowing over us. I smelled rain would fall any minute as the earth permeated that musky scent, distracting my nose
[ALPHA ETHAN’s Point of View]“Tell me, James. Who made you join the pack? What pack were you from before you entered my turf?” I asked him without through my brows and James went rigid as he stood in front of me. His face was of pure terror.James, a fifteen-year-old who had just recently joined the pack and was recruited as a patrolman, brought suspicion on Melinda and Alec. I hate scaring young shifters but if what my friends said was true, then I should do something about it.“I…I was recruited by my brother, who is serving as one of your foot soldiers, sir.” He answered with a grimace as fear surrounded his face. “I want to serve and protect the Blackwood pack because it is now my home, where my brother and I live. Away from the Ivory Pack and the Ambroses.”My eyes sharpened as I heard the name, “You came from Ivory Pack?” I breathed threateningly.“Yes.” His lips trembled as tears started to form in his eyes. I didn’t know why I felt bad for him but I couldn’t show any mercy wh
[HOLLY’s 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.“Are you ready?” 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, that’s 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 other’s warmth and the gentle brush of the cold breeze on our bare skin. His lips
[HOLLY’s Point of View]I stood and gave my dad a determined look. I would never hide again. I would never just watch and wait. “I can fight, and I will fight for my friends and family.”Dad’s exhausted face beamed with pride and love as he patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me. “Let’s go kick someone’s *ss.”I 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 Randalf’s reaching for the old man’s head, but Randalf, despite his age, was still physically strong for his human form.On Dad’s 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 Evander’s 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
[HOLLY’s Point of View]There was no way I would let him go again. No way I would let him dive back into Randalf’s camp now that the old man knew he wasn’t on their side.I heard Dad’s 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 hadn’t 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 wasn’t too far from the Snakewood Pal
[Holly’s Point of View]“Dad!!!”I 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 father’s neck.Every part of me ached, but nothing could compare to how my heart felt as I saw the despair in my father’s eyes. He mouthed the word “No.” 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!“Tell me what you want, Randalf! Just don’t—” I swallowed hard as a sob emerged from my swelling throat. “Just don’t kill my father!”“We already have what we want, Holly! We don’t 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!” Irina yelled at me with detest in her voice. “Kill both of them!”“Stay behind me, Holly!” Alec yelled as he shifted back to his wolf form and kicked and cla
[HOLLY’s Point of View]“Evander disappeared from the frontline.”My focus on my baby Evlon was distracted by Kian’s murmur as he noticed Evander’s disappearance from Randalf’s 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 didn’t mind. They were more concerned with my healing and Evander’s situation, while all our eyes were now focused on the news.“I have to go there,” I said, still wincing from the pain, but I had to do something. For my father and for my husband. “I have to be there for my dad and Evander.”“You 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!” 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 EVANDER’s Point of View]My whole body tensed as I stood slowly with both my hands on the level of my head.Charlie’s 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 truth—about what really happened in the mountains—Holly’s father would never understand why I had to do all of this.“Listen to me, Charlie—”Charlie 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.“Holly told me everything, Evander. I was really furious that you put your family’s 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 EVANDER’s Point of View]“What is wrong with you, Evander? You look like you had seen a ghost.”I barely heard Randalf’s 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. “I think he is having a fever. It must be the infection he got from the pit.”Randalf scowled at Misha. “Go and give him something, Misha! We can’t 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!”“Yes, Alpha Randalf.” She bowed her head to the old man. I gave Randalf one piercing look from the corner of my eyes and then averted immedia
[HOLLY’s Point of View]“What is the commotion about, Kian?”Everyone 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 didn’t feel good this whole morning, and all I had were eggs. Other than those, I threw them up, and that’s 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.“Randalf isn’t bluffing at all. He really has thousands of Rogues with him,” 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
[HOLLY’s 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.Mel’s 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 ‘thing’ 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.“Mel! Just tell me what’s happening!” 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