[IRINA’s Point-of-View]I couldn’t find him.In his room? No.In his office? No.In the garden? NO! NO! NO!I was raging like an erupting volcano when I went to my car and started the engine. My lips pursed against my teeth. He was not answering my messages and my calls! He has been out since last night and I haven’t heard anything from him!“That g*ddamned j*rk!” I hissed between my teeth and drove downtown. Someone tipped me where he had been staying a lot since the Alpha of the Blackwood pack took away Holly. That woman! She’s the reason why Alec was behaving strangely these days! I didn’t know what she did to him! I didn’t know what she said to him to make him feel so miserable like this!My eyes were sharp and piercing as I maneuvered to the highway. It’s Holly’s fault! That b*tch did something to my fiance and she will pay for it once I see her face again!Everything changed after Holly was taken by the Alpha. I thought my life would become better now that she’s gone. But Dad ac
[HOLLy’s Point-of-View]I don’t believe him.Alec did everything to destroy my relationship with my family and whatever he said about Alpha Evan, I knew they were only lies just to confuse me and make me hate him.I threw the phone on the bed and never looked at it again.“Holly?” Alpha Aleksei was surprised when he saw me walking to the kitchen with his sister, Shei, “What are you doing? Are you feeling better already?”Shei smiled and squinted at her brother teasingly, “Well, it seems she’s feeling better now, brother. But I have to remind you she needs a healer.” Her eyes pointed at the bruises that were marked on my skin.I saw Alpha Evan’s eyes widen and his shoulders drooped. There was frustration on his face when he walked towards me to see the bruises clearly, “Holly, I’m so—”Shei put her hands up to her head like a surrender, “Okay, lovebirds. I have to go now so both of you have the privacy to talk. I can tell you have a lot to discuss today.” she winked at me and waved at
[EVANDER’s Point-of-View]I smiled. And for the first time even before I met Cindy, the first woman who broke my heart, there was hope in me that I could be a better man because of Holly. Her innocence, her kindness, and how she cares for the people around her were the most amazing things I ever saw in a girl, who grew up with a kind heart, despite the abuse she endured from her family.After I saw how she was treated in the Ambrose manor, that’s when I told myself I would take her away from those people. She would never be treated like a servant again. That I will protect her no matter what.“So everything didn’t happen according to plan?” There is a teasing grin on Kian’s face as he looks at me while his arms where folded on his chest, “This isn’t about revenge anymore, isn’t it, Alpha Evan?”I exhaled in exasperation and slumped on the couch, feeling tired and confused with my feelings. There were so many emotions I couldn’t recognize and I hadn’t felt before but after what happene
[HOLLY’s Point-of-View]Tears stained my face.I didn’t know where to go. All I knew was I had to get out of that place and away from Alpha Evan. Away from the people who wanted to hurt me.The sky was gray and it was about to rain. As soon as I reached the lobby, I made sure no one would recognize me after I pulled my hair into a bun and hid it under a cap. I was wearing shades as well and with a gray baggy jacket and loose jogging pants, no one would ever think I was the Alpha’s mate, even the receptionist and the lobby attendants didn’t stop to take a good look at my face.I knew Alpha Evan would notice that I was missing so I half walked, half ran towards the gate without looking back. I avoided the security and ensured no one would follow as I got out of the gates and walked to the highway without an idea of where to head next.I haven’t been in any place in the Blackwood territory and I couldn’t stay on the road because Alpha Evan’s men would definitely find me. So even though I
[HOLLY’s Point-of-View]I groaned.I smelled rusting metal and the fresh scent of the forest around me. I smelled wet concrete and heard the splattering of the rain on the musky earth.My eyelid flutter. Every inch of me was aching and when I moved, my ears were filled with the clanging noise of the chains I felt around my wounded wrists. The searing pain the metal was inflicting on me made my head panic. It was a silver chain! I had to remove it before the metal ate my flesh deep into my bones!I squinted and found myself in the middle of a vast, abandoned building. The walls were filthy and covered with moss. The roof has huge holes and the rainwater entered the building, creating puddles of mud around the area.My chest was heaving. I had to get rid of the silver chain as fast as I could but I was too weak to destroy it. The thing that they injected me stopped me from using my werewolf strength. I was slowly dying and I couldn’t do anything but scream.“HELP ME!” I screamed at the
[ALEC’s Point-of-View]Alpha Alec, someone urgently needs to talk to you,” Robert, my Beta, handed me the wireless telephone. I looked at his face stoically, annoyed and not wanting to answer anybody’s phone call. Not today when I was in my worst mood because of Irina’s outrageous behavior in the bar.“I don’t want to talk to anyone. And if it’s Irina, tell her I am out of town. Or out of the country. I don’t have any energy to deal with her right now.”“I’m afraid it isn’t Lady Irina, Alpha Alec. It’s Alpha Evander Edgerton of the Blackwood Pack waiting for you to answer it.”I froze. I never expected a call from a man who nearly destroyed everything I worked hard for after the crazy thing I did when I confessed all my feelings to Holly. I was in my weakest moment that day and all my plans were destroyed because of the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack.I never thought a she-wolf could be mated with someone just a few days after she survived rejection. I couldn’t understand why the Moon Go
[EVANDER’s Point-of-View]My hand trembled as I put the phone down on my desk.Kian’s face was etched with worry when he stared at me, “What did he say? Is Lady Holly back in Ivory pack?”“She’s not there,” I exhaled, fear crawling up my neck. So many bad scenarios played in my head but I shook them away. There was something wrong happening and I felt it. I felt she was in danger and needed to find her before it was too late.I stood from my table and Kian’s back straightened. He had already anticipated the orders I would give him, “Expand the search area! Send more patrol men all over the pack and alert all the ones who are guarding the border! Close the gates and don’t let anyone get in or out of the gates!”Kian bowed his head, “I’ll do everything I can to find Lady Holly,” he gave me a nod of reassurance and I nodded back at him, giving him my trust one hundred percent.I held the necklace I gave Holly on her last birthday. It was indeed from my mother who passed away a few years
[HOLLY’s Pint-of-View]My vision was too blurry I couldn’t see Irina’s face anymore.It was like seeing through the bottom of the glass and using it as a monocular. The pain was everywhere. Physically, mentally, and the most painful of all was seeing the sister taking pleasure in watching me while I die in front of her.The poison was spreading fast and I felt it as my heart started to beat so slowly that I was scared it would stop any time soon. My breaths were shallow and fast and my lungs felt leathery, too stiff to expand and make room for more oxygen to sustain my dying body.I was dying. I could feel the poison slowly spreading throughout my body, killing my organs one by one.“I-Irina…” I murmured and reached for her, begging her for help but she only stood in front of me, watching me like my suffering was a very amusing thing for her. I wondered if she had completely lost her mind. It was as if she never cared about whatever the consequences she did. All she wanted was for me
[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