[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]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]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 saw how Irina looked at the dress miserably. I could tell her indecisiveness about what to wear after Dad, Randalf Ambrose, Alpha of the Ivory Pack sent her so many expensive dresses for whatever occasion that was coming.I couldn’t help but lean on the wall, not too far from my sister’s room. I sadly sighed while holding a broom in my hand. The calluses and blisters were nothing compared to the pain I felt for wishing Dad to love me as much as he loved Irina—for wishing that he could treat me the same way he treats Irina with so much adoration. I hated it. I wish I could change things.But of course, I don’t have power over the destiny that was given to me. I was wolfless. Weak. A burden to my father’s pack and everyone. Maybe if I was in a different situation where my Dad wasn’t the Alpha, the people here had already thrown me away from this place. A wolfless like me was an embarrassment to everyone. A weakling that makes a pack look vulnerable to the enemi
“You know what kind of werewolf Evander Edgerton is!”That cursed voice again. But at that moment, he sounded desperate.I hated that I was starting to grow a habit of hiding myself while eavesdropping on the people of this house. But it was my only way to know if they were planning something against me, or if Dad said something concerning about me staying in his household. Dad was not happy about my stay here.He used to yell at me that being wolfless was worse than losing all my limbs and because of it, I was nothing but a mere insect in his eyes and that horrid gaze every time he saw my face made me want to run away and never look back to this place, ever.But Dad was getting older and he never wanted anyone to serve his tea but me. I thought maybe Dad still had a soft heart for me. And that was enough reason for me to stay and take care of him despite the treatment I received from him and Irina.Inside the receiving area was my Dad sitting across from Irina and Alec who were side
I couldn’t move. I was numb all over.Everyone refused to look me in the eye except Alec who was glaring at me with his elbows on the table and his hands clasped over his face. I didn’t know why he had that kind of expression but I was sure he enjoyed watching me being tortured in front of my Dad and his new fiancee—my little sister, Irina.“Oh, before I forget, I bought something for you, Irina, dear,” Dad said to my sister happily, changing the cringing topic so badly as if seeing me standing in front of them was sickening, “I want to see you try them!”Didn’t he just buy her new dresses the other day?“Oh, Dad! Sure!” Irina was extra excited now that the burden of the family was no longer hers to suffer. She leaned closer to Alec and touched his chin with the tip of her finger, her eyes were like sticky honeydew when she flirtily blinked at him. “Can I go with Dad, love?”“Sure,” Alec smiled at her and held her hand. Their sweetness to each other gave a wrenching feeling in my stom
[EVANDER’s Point-of-View]White smoke from the cigarette blew from between my lips as I exhaled sharply through my teeth, a newly lit stick was between my index and third finger. It tasted bitter and mint in my mouth as I clicked my tongue, feeling all bored and exhausted.A loud thud of a heavy body filled the room and I turned the swivel chair to look at the glassy, steady look on the dead man’s eyes. I put the cigarette stick on the ashtray while studying the face of the lifeless man lying on the carpet of my office. His blood soaked the textile cover on the floor and the metallic smell of his blood wafted through the vast space, mixed with the strong smell of the cigarette disgusted me.A wave of a hand was enough for my Beta, Kian Ridley, to understand that he could get rid of the body. I didn’t have a choice. I had to eliminate a problem and threat to my business and the pack. This man had caused so much trouble after he committed arson and burned one of the storage supplies tha
[HOLLY’s Point-of-View]“Holly!”“Yes, Dad?”Dad’s voice was cold. His eyes were focused on the papers he was reviewing—as if looking at me was a waste of his time, “Have you prepared Irina’s dinner? She told me she’s going out with her college friends tonight, and I want to ensure Irina has everything she needs before she leaves the house.“Yes, Dad,” I answered. It was hard to hide the sadness in my tone, “Irina said she will have dinner with her friends.”“Hmm…good.”“Alpha Randalf, your Beta said you need to talk with me—”I froze when Alec entered the Office and he and I locked into each other’s gaze. I never expected his presence in my father’s study area and if I only did, I would never think of going there.I awkwardly averted my eyes from him the second his eyes glared at me disdainfully. The argument we had still sunk in my head, and the hatred I saw in his face was too much for me to bear.“Leave us, Holly.”Alec was still glaring at me from his shoulders. His eyes were sha