ISLA'S POVPacing around the entrance of the mansion wasn't ideal, but it was the only thing I could do. I wanted to get in a car and follow them, but I knew I'd be disobeying his orders. Zordon knew what he was doing, and he expected me to trust his judgment.Still, I couldn't reach them. Couldn't get a hold of anyone. And it bothered me.I didn't know if they were okay.Taking Daisy along had been a mistake. She was only going to be a liability, and I knew that from the start.It was almost 1 am when I finally heard the car pull into the compound. I rushed out of the house and met them on the stairs.Zordon was carrying Daisy in his arms.I glanced at Stefan. Blood covered all three of them. Zordon walked right past me without a word and headed inside.I followed, trying to keep up, but his long strides made it almost impossible."Somebody get me a doctor!" he shouted into the air, not to anyone in particular.I immediately pulled out my phone and dialled the family doctor. It was a
ZORDON'S POV The first day came and went. Daisy and Stefan were still in bed. By the second day, Stefan had managed to get out of bed. I had already reached out to Luna Evelyn and explained everything that had happened. She scolded me for putting Daisy in danger, then told me it was okay if we didn't attend the gala. I honestly didn't want to skip it, but I had no one to attend with, and I was certain that if I laid eyes on Dexter, I would kill him. So much time and effort had gone into planning this war. Soldiers were training twice as hard. Everyone was exhausted. But in the middle of it all, I was only worried about one person — Daisy. She had sustained the worst injuries. And even though she looked fine on the outside, she still hadn't woken up. I was in the study, going over paperwork, when a knock came on the door. Stefan poked his head in, and I looked up. "I don't think you should be on your feet just yet," I said, closing my laptop and pushing it aside. "I'm al
ZORDON'S POVI couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Ingesting the wolfsbane wasn't working for him anymore. The more he put it in her food and drinks, the more her wolf fought back. She kept resisting it until it was like she was becoming immune. When my father noticed this, he began injecting her with it instead, telling her it was medicine that would make her feel better. She trusted him with her life, and he abused that trust. But her wolf began telling her not to trust anyone, so that night of her first transformation, my father followed her in his truck and ran her over when her wolf attempted to cross the road to enter the other side of the forest where the stream was." "That fucking bastard!" I yelled. "I found out the truth after he got into an argument with my mother. She threatened to expose him. He killed her and said she died of a heart attack. He was a monster. And I wasn't going to let him kill Daisy the same way he killed my mother. I couldn't just sit back and do n
DEXTER'S POVI walked into the office and grabbed the vodka bottle on the shelf. I took a gulp before throwing it across the room. It shattered the moment it hit the wall. I growled, confused and angry, not knowing what to do."Now's not the time to throw tantrums. We need to find out what kind of wolf Daisy is and how we can take her down," Xavier said, walking into the office."Take her down? She moves faster than anything I've ever seen. She didn't even need to phase into her wolf form to defeat four witches, and you think you can take her down? I'd love to see you try!" I spat at him."You know her better than anyone. You know her weaknesses. If anyone can take her down, it's you. You were able to hurt her tonight because you know her, so it was easy for you to predict her moves. I need you to pull yourself together and think!" Xavier yelled."I can't give you what you want because I have nothing to give. I don't know her. She's a different person than the one I gave to Zordon. If
DAISY’S POVI woke up and looked around. The sun hung high in the sky. I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The last thing I remembered was being on the battlefield with Zordon.Zordon!I tried to sit up but groaned in pain. I touched my stomach and noticed it was bandaged. The room was empty until the door opened and Zordon walked in, his aura and charisma following him. I tried to sit up again, but the pain was excruciating.“Don't do that. You shouldn't be up just yet,” he said, adjusting the pillow behind me and nuzzling me back down.“Where's my cousin? Did he make it out?” I asked, my voice trembling.“He's fine. You don't have to worry about him,” he assured me.“How did I get here? The last thing I remember was being on the field, trying to wake you up after… after killing the witches,” I said, my voice breaking with guilt.“Stefan said you put up a fight. I'm proud of you, but I'm so sorry I put you through that. You didn't deserve it. You're full of love and you're so i
KENDRA'S POVI had called Dustin, just as my father instructed. I didn't expect things to unfold in a way that would cause him to abandon Dexter entirely. But that was the plan—my father wanted to destroy Dexter, and to accomplish that, he had to isolate him from the pack, and more importantly, his beta. Anyone who could help him recover had to be removed. Once Dexter was alone and vulnerable, the final blow would be easy.My father was a beast in human skin, but he was still my father, and I had no choice but to follow his orders.They'd been yelling for hours now—Dexter and Dustin, but I wasn't about to interfere. Dexter had gone out tonight, thinking Daisy would return with him. That was all he cared about. Daisy. Always fucking Daisy.I was sick and tired of hearing her name in my own marriage. Every conversation seemed to circle back to her. Every action I took was compared to how she would've done it. It was exhausting. And what made it worse, I loved Dexter anyway.I know. Lov
DEXTER'S POVI couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was absurd that Dustin wasn't on my side in all of this. The one person I was certain would stand by me was the one telling me he didn't support my decisions. He was taking Zordon's side, of all things. I had already lost a fight, and now he was telling me to give up. To give up on Daisy? There was no way I could do that. There was nothing Dustin could say or do that would change my mind."So what are you saying? Whose side are you on?" I screamed at him."There are no sides here," Dustin replied coldly. "But if you decide to go ahead with this, I won't be going with you. And I won't let you drag the entire pack down with you. Whoever wants to follow you into this madness can do so, but those who feel the same way I do won't be coming along. Tomorrow, the pack will make its choice: stand with you or not. Whatever they choose, I'll accept it. Whoever stands with me will leave with me. I will n
DEXTER'S POVI smirked at Xavier. I felt like I was being manipulated, but I wasn't sure, nor was I ready to back down. I couldn't stop now. I needed to see this through to the end. There was no turning back now.By daybreak, Dustin was going to make himself my enemy. I would miss him, but it would be for the greater good. I wasn't going to let him get in the way of my victory, and I certainly wasn't going to let him stop me from getting Daisy back. There was no one in the world who could prevent that—not even him.“I think you've had enough to drink for one night. You need rest. Tomorrow, you'll stand in front of your people. If they are going to support you, they need to see their alpha with his head held high. They won't support someone drunk and unable to keep his house in order,” Xavier said, taking the glass from me.“I can hold my liquor. I don't need sleep, and I certainly don't need to impress my people,” I replied, snatching the glass ba
ZORDON’S POVI walked out of her room, anger burning in my chest. Was it anger—or jealousy? I couldn't even tell anymore. I headed to the bar and sat down. Moments later, Isla joined me. She grabbed a glass from the counter and picked up the bottle I was drinking from, squinting at the label like she was trying to figure it out. I smiled.There was a time when I wouldn't have even let her near the bar. Now, I didn't care. She was old enough to make her own decisions.She poured herself a glass and knocked it back in one gulp."Not bad," she said."You still don't trust my taste in alcohol? That's crazy," I replied."I don't trust anyone's taste when it comes to whiskey," she shot back."Well, you should trust mine. Aren't you supposed to be driving in less than seven hours? Probably not the best time to get drunk.""I'm not planning to get drunk," she said, setting the glass down. "Just wanted to clear my head. Why are you drinking, though?""I don't know, Isla. Everything feels like
DAISY'S POVDustin smiled warmly as he stepped into the room, the affection in his eyes saying more than words ever could."Isla said you wanted to see me. I went for a drive with your cousin, and we just got back. Why are you having dinner in here?" he asked."I don't want to sit at the same table as Zordon and his ex. They're getting on my nerves. I'd rather just stay away from both of them," I said, handing him a spoon.He pulled out a chair and sat across from me, his smile gentle and sincere."Are you bothered by her?" he asked."Not really... maybe a little. She showed up out of nowhere, and now she suddenly seems important to him. I don't know how to feel about it. He's entertaining her—the same way..." I paused, closing my eyes and sighing."The same way Dexter entertained Kendra," Dustin finished for me."Yeah, exactly," I muttered, poking at the mashed potatoes on my plate."I don't think Zordon is like that. I know he cares about you—and so does Dexter. Dexter acted out of
DAISY'S POV“I'm going to spend the day packing. I should be ready to leave by tomorrow morning," Isla said to me as she stepped out of the study."Can Daisy and I have the study?" Zordon asked Stefan and Dustin.They nodded and left together, chatting and laughing as they walked away. I could hear them catching up, just like old times. I once heard that the three of them—Dexter, Dustin, and Stefan—were inseparable when they were kids. People often mistook them for brothers because of how close they were. That's why Dexter’s betrayal hurt so much. It didn't make sense. There was no justifying his actions.Once the door closed, I turned to face Zordon. His eyes were blazing with anger."What are you trying to prove?" he demanded."Prove? I don't have anything to prove. I just think Dexter and I have unfinished business," I replied calmly."No, you don't. You don't need to talk to him or see him. You're acting out—trying to hurt me. You're just using this as an excuse to get close to De
DAISY'S POV I was out of breath when he pulled away. But he didn't stop there. He lifted me off my feet, and I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist. He set me down on his study table and tugged my hips closer. My eyes dropped to the bulge in his pants, but he touched my chin and tilted my gaze back up to meet his. "My eyes are up here," he said with a soft chuckle, kissing my nose. "What's all this about?" I asked, trying to catch my breath. "I needed a reminder of why I chose you," he said. "This is about her, isn't it? The woman who was here when I walked in?" I asked, gently pushing him away as I stepped down from the table. I had overheard their argument while waiting for the right moment to step in. I didn't know her—he never mentioned her. But it was clear she meant something to him. I just didn't know how much. "It has nothing to do with her. She's not as importa
ZORDON'S POVI stood there in her arms, like a desperate child just longing to be held and loved. My wolf howled in disagreement, rejecting every thought running through my mind. I pulled away from the hug and looked at her. She was still as beautiful as the first day I laid eyes on her. There were no words to describe how I felt—it was as though a part of me that had been frozen for so long was finally beginning to thaw."I'm sorry for showing up unannounced," Liv said softly. "I heard what happened at and needed to make sure you were okay. I know I ran off and things got messy, but I'm here now. I want to stay. You know how good I am in battle—you'll need me in this war. And honestly, this is the only way I know how to keep you safe.""I'm just glad you're back, Liv," I said. "You don't know how relieved I am to see you, to talk to you, to hold you. But you've got to tell me why you've waited so long to come home." I took her hand and led her to the study.I had two hours before my
ZORDON'S POVThe sun hung high in the sky, but I wasn't ready to get out of bed. I just wanted to sleep in. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. The press was going to find out what happened — it was only a matter of time before they came looking for answers.I didn't know what today would bring. I didn't know what Dexter had planned. I didn't know what to expect. He always had too many tricks up his sleeve. At this point, there was nothing I could do.I lay there, groaning. I didn't understand what was happening anymore. I started to wonder if holding on to Daisy was worth all this chaos. It wasn't that I questioned her worth—she was everything. But was my love for her worth all this? That was the question.I groaned again and rolled to the other side of the bed.A knock came at the door. I groaned louder and threw a pillow over my head.The knock came again. I sat up."Someone better be dying," I yelled."Alpha," the messenger replied through the door, "Beta Isla has requested your
ISLA'S POVI jumped out of the car and headed to my own. Dustin and I had talked, and he'd agreed to come with me—he didn't really have anywhere else to go.He wasn't sure where he'd sleep that night, and with the Pinewood pack after him, there was no place safer than the Deathclaw mansion. It was the only place he could truly be protected. He didn't know the way to our pack, so I had to lead him there.The ride was long. I kept glancing in my rearview mirror, making sure he was still behind me. My phone rang, but I couldn't answer it. I knew it was someone from the pack checking in.Stefan didn't have my number, but Zordon might have given it to him. I smiled at the thought of Stefan waiting up for me. I wouldn't be home until midnight, and knowing he was awake, waiting—it made my heart race.When we finally pulled into the pack-yard, I didn't stop. I drove straight to the mansion.Once I reached the house, I parked in the garage, and Dustin followed suit. As we walked to the front d
ZORDON'S POV“You will do nothing, Zordon. Mistakes happen. We don't even know how they managed this, but you keep forgetting that we're dealing with a pack that's made a deal with witches. They're capable of anything. You can't punish someone for something they weren't expecting," Daisy reprimanded me."It's their job to expect everything. I pay them to protect this pack from all kinds of attacks, and if they can't do that, then what good are they to me? I can't take this risk! This is war, and we're not even prepared for it! How am I supposed to deal with Dexter if this keeps happening?" I said, struggling to control my anger."Dexter is a coward. That's why he's attacking like this. We still have the upper hand," she said."No, we don't. He's shown he has no limits, and he'd rather kill you than see you with anyone else. I'm not letting that happen. Go to your room while I handle this," I told her."No! I'm not a child you can just send to her room when the tough conversations happ
ZORDON'S POVI spoke to Isla once more, and she said she was on her way back home. I had hoped she was bringing Dustin with her. I saw things from her point of view, and she was right. We needed him on our side. We needed everyone Dexter sent away. It would be easier to convince them if they held a grudge.I walked out of my room and sighed. After that argument with Daisy, I wasn't sure she would want to see me. But I decided to try. I didn't want her with me just because of a contract anymore. No, she was more than that to me. She meant more. She had sacrificed her life for mine, something no one had ever done before. I'd asked her to run, but she stayed and fought for me, even though it was her first time on a real battlefield.Too many thoughts crowded my mind, and then the ugliest one resurfaced. The witch would take her price. I decided then that I wouldn't get intimate with her in any way. I couldn't get Daisy pregnant, only for her to lose the baby.I headed to the gym. I had