ZORDON'S POV"Tell her? Did you hear his warning? He said we are not supposed to say anything to Daisy,” I sighed, trying to calm myself before I continued lecturing Isla. “If we do this, it will put her in danger. Telling her is not an option. We will keep her in the dark for as long as we can," I finished and I thought Isla would drop this debate too, but I was wrong. "The more information she has, the more she can protect herself.” Her voice got high and I wanted to use my Alpha’s aura on her to push her back in her place, but for some reason my wolf wanted to hear what she had to say. “We don't even know if this guy's real name is even Stefan. He could be a spy for Dexter. We know nothing about him, and I am not willing to trust him blindly without having any confirmation. If you want to do that, be my guest, but I am not doing that. The only person who can verify his identity is Daisy. If we randomly bring up her cousin over lunch, she will have questions. When she asks those qu
DEXTER'S POVIt had been three days since I last saw the sun. I had locked myself in my quarters, waiting for some miracle to happen. I had questioned every decision that I had made since that gala. Furthermore, I had allowed Xavier to mess with my head so much that I didn't see the wrong in what we were doing. My plans didn't seem wrong at the time. Although my wolf had constantly told me to let go of Daisy and just try to be happy with Kendra, but there was no way I could do that. I loved Daisy more than I was letting on. She was the reason I wanted to live and now that she was with another man; I didn't see any reason to live anymore. My entire world had crashed overnight. Kendra had ruined my life, and I was going to have to deal with. A knock came on the door for the millionth time since I had barricaded myself in this room. I knew it was Kendra, trying to get me to open up and let her inside, but there was no way that was happening. I sighed, and I raised the bottle of spir
ZORDON'S POVI heard a knock at my door and opened my eyes. I looked at my wristwatch and noticed it was lunchtime. I groaned and rolled out of bed. As I swung open the door, the maidservant cleared a path and greeted me with a bow. I gave her a nod before making my way to the dining room. I opened the door and saw Isla sitting there alone. I observed my surroundings and realized that Daisy was missing. She was late again. It was as if Isla tapped into my thoughts because her response came so quickly."She is running late. But she'll be here," Isla let out. Daisy stepped inside shortly after. I took one good look at her and caught myself falling for her all over again. She styled her hair in a ponytail. She wore a white dress that accentuated the brilliance of her dark blue eyes. The dress clung to her body, hugging her every curve. I traced her curves with my eyes. I watched as her breast gently jiggled when she lowered herself into the seat. I lifted my gaze and encountered her
DAISY'S POVI couldn't sit at the table with Isla anymore. She was comfortable offering up my cousin as her sacrificial lamb. I wasn't down for that. I couldn't believe that Zordon was on her side in all of this, even though he knew Stefan was my only family. I didn't even know that I had any left until now, and they were already planning on slaughtering him and offering him as a sacrifice. I didn't know what got over me, but I wanted to tear Isla's throat out. "YOU WILL NOT TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" I roared, and she cowered away from me. "I AM THE LUNA OF THIS PACK AND I DEMAND YOUR RESPECT!"Before I knew it, my claws were out and going for her neck, but Zordon caught my wrist before I could do anything. "Daisy! Don't," she spoke, clearly shocked by my action. So was I. I'd never felt this kind of rage before. Like an insatiable need for blood. I dropped my hand and looked at Isla. She had her eyes wide open, staring at me. "I'm leaving. I've had enough of this dinner." I didn't
ZORDON'S POVI watched her walk away, and I ran my fist into the wall. Her words replayed in my head. I knew she was right, but what choice was I left with? Stefan was offering to be the scapegoat. I wasn't going to send someone else when I already had him volunteering to do it. I looked around to ensure nobody had witnessed what had just happened between us. She said that I was doing it for myself. Oh, how wrong she was. I was doing everything to ensure the danger stayed away from her. I didn't want to put her in a situation where she would have to fight and get hurt. She didn't deserve that. She was too precious to me to get hurt. She needed to be protected. Maybe she was right, or perhaps I was a coward, but I had finally found something that made me want to live again; she brought so much colour to my life. I would not risk losing her again. She meant the world to me, and I was going to do everything to keep her safe. My phone beeped, and I looked at it. It was a text from Xav
DAISY'S POV I dropped onto my bed and decided that it wasn't worth it to hold all of these emotions in. I closed my eyes and let the tears break loose. I was so tired of acting like I was strong and unaffected by everything that was going on around me. I cried until I fell asleep. I woke up to feeling a warm hand on my bare skin, and I opened my eyes. My blurry vision needed a second or two. I blinked continuously. I rolled my eyes when I saw him. I dropped back on my pillow, but he dragged the pillow away from me. "Were you crying? Daisy, c'mon, you don't need this. Why would you cry yourself to sleep?" he urged me."I don't want to talk about it. What do you want?" I challenged him, grabbing my pillow from him and turning away."I was harsh earlier and some of the things you said were true. I was being selfish, and I know that now, but I need your help, maybe your advice even," he suggested to me. I decided to give him a li
DAISY'S POVWe ate our meal in silence after that. I hadn't understood the gravity of what we were doing until now. He was right. It felt like the weight of the world rested on our shoulders. And my was it heavy. I looked at him, and he seemed as calm as he did on a regular day. I didn't know how that was possible. It was almost like he wasn't bothered by any of it. He was so used to this tension that it looked like he wasn't affected by it. I ate slowly, and then he got up. He peered at me, his countenance cold as ice."We need to go now," he muttered.All I did was nod like a dummy. I grabbed my phone and headed out with him. This was one of the few times that I had seen him drive. I got into the front seat and stared at him. He reached for my seatbelt, buckling it before I had the chance to object. I rested in my seat and closed my eyes. I felt the car move out of the compound. I rarely left the compound, and I should have been enthusiastic about having to explore the outside wo
ZORDON'S POV I glanced at her, unsure of what exactly drew me in. Was it her stubbornness? Or maybe it was the way she made me feel like the only man alive? I turned the steering wheel, guiding the car onto a quieter road. "Where are we going?" she asked. "I told you we have a couple of stops along the way. This is one of them," I said, keeping my eyes on the road. "When we get there, I need you to stay in the car. I'll go in alone. No matter what happens, do not follow me. Lock the doors and wait. I'll knock twice when I return. Not once. Not three times. Twice. If you don't hear that, drive away. Don't think. Don't hesitate. Just drive." "This sounds bad. Tell me, where exactly are you going?" "Somewhere we don't visit on ordinary days," I replied. "And I need you to keep this between us. If Dexter's pack is really working with dark witches, then we need to consult our own and fight fire with fire." "You mean we have to work with witches too?" she asked, her voice risi
ZORDON'S POVI sat on her bed, and she looked at me. I saw it in her eyes. Something dark and distant. I just didn't know what to say or do. I couldn't let her know that I knew she had been spelled. If she realized that, she could put everyone in danger. Daisy was powerful enough to take down the entire wolf force I had built. She was that strong.I reached out and touched her hand. It was cold. She was a wolf, her body was supposed to regulate temperature, but not now. Not like this. I took a deep breath and gave her a soft smile."I just came to check on you. I didn't get the chance to say goodbye this morning, and I want you to know how sorry I am for that," I began. "I was scared... scared that Dexter might convince you to stay. I let my emotions get the best of me. I should've handled things better and I didn't. I just can't imagine my life without you. Making sure you're okay... that's more important to me than anything.""You don't have to apologize for anything," she said flat
DAISY'S POVI walked down the hallway, heading back to the sitting room where I'd left Isla. If she wasn't done with her conversation, I was fully prepared to drag her away from it. I didn't care anymore. But just as I turned the corner, I stopped in my tracks. Lila was there.She wasn't wearing a mask this time. She stood with her real face, her own face.I froze, words caught in my throat. At one point, she'd been my best friend.Lila was a witch. When we first met, she was practicing revival magic on dying flowers in the garden. Even though she looked way younger, I was only a year older, but it never mattered. I wasn't a witch and couldn't do magic, which made everything she did all the more fascinating. I used to sit and watch her bring dead petals back to life. Eventually, she noticed me, smiled, and waved me over.Witches and wolves were never meant to mix, but with her, it was different. Her parents didn't care that I was a wolf. Neither did she. She welcomed me with open arms
ZORDON'S POVI called her once. No answer.Panic spiked in my chest as I looked at Stefan. Isla never ignored my calls — not unless something was wrong. Stefan reached for his phone, but I held up my hand, stopping him cold. We couldn't tip them off by making more noise.I called again. My grip tightened on the phone as I muttered a quick prayer.This time, she answered on the second ring."Is that him?" I heard Xavier's voice bark in the background. "Perfect timing. How fucking convenient.""Isla," I growled into the phone. "What the hell is going on? Are you both okay? Is Daisy with you?""We're fine, Zordon," she replied quickly. "We'll be heading back soon. Daisy went to see Dexter alone — thought they deserved privacy. But she stormed outside. I'm almost done here.""You let Daisy go off alone?" My voice was low, controlled but simmering with anger. "In enemy territory? Everyone wants her. Find her. Now.""She can handle herself, Zordon," Isla shot back, steady as ever."I don't
ISLA'S POVDaisy walked away, and I immediately saw the relief flood Xavier's face. It was almost pathetic, how easily her presence rattled him. I smiled to myself, savouring the small victory. The moment she disappeared from sight, he rushed toward me, burying his face into the curve of my neck.I hated that a part of me still ached for him, even as the rest of me seethed with hatred. I had hoped to talk some sense into him, but if that failed, I was prepared for the next time we met — and I would kill him without hesitation.I forced myself to relax in his arms. He must have felt the shift because his grip around my waist loosened. He breathed me in, as he always used to, clearly comforted by the scent he loved. A small pang tugged at my chest. I missed that too.He eventually let me go, brushing his fingers through my hair. I didn't flinch. I wasn't afraid of him. Not yet. But I kept my guard up — he had once tried to kill Zordon. I will never forget that."I've missed you so much,
DAISY'S POV"You brought Lila out to the field? How did I not realize that was her?" I asked him, my voice sharp."She's one of the most talented witches we have," Dexter replied. "She masked her identity so you wouldn't know she was the one who murdered the newest love of your life. She was never going to hurt you. The only person allowed to strike you directly was me. You pushed me to that decision, and I haven't been able to live with myself since. I know I've done a lot of things to drive you to where you are now, but if I could go back and change it all, I would. I would give anything to undo what I did—to stop myself from handing you over to Zordon," he said, his voice cracking."Handing me over?" I repeated, laughing bitterly. "You say it so lightly, like it means nothing. Is that how you justify it to yourself at night so you can sleep? You keep lying to yourself, and it makes sense because it's you we're talking about. You never take responsibility for your actions, and that'
DAISY'S POV"You think you're special because you've meddled with some ancient magic? You're not," Kendra spat, her voice shrill with rage. Meddled in magic? What the heck was she talking about? "Everyone might be afraid of you, but I'm not! You're not welcome here. This is my home, my pack. I am the Luna of the Pinewood Pack, and I order you to leave!"I didn't even flinch. "You don't have to worry, Kendra. I don't plan on staying long." I tilted my head, studying her. "But tell me—why have you chosen to stay here with him? After all the humiliation, the beatings, all the embarrassment he's caused you... I would've thought you'd be long gone by now. Honestly, I'm disappointed. And amused." I smiled coldly. "What did he promise you that's worth enduring this? What was so precious you decided to stay even though he caused you a miscarriage?"She wasn't part of my mission. I wasn't going to get any real information from her, but I wasn't about to miss the chance to rattle her. After wha
DAISY'S POVI didn't know when I finally drifted off to sleep, but when I woke, I could immediately tell I was back in the Pinewood Pack. The air was exactly as I remembered it—heavy with tension and unease. As we drove through town, a few curious glances followed our car, their wary eyes tracking our every move. We parked a few miles from the packhouse and sat quietly for a moment.A knot twisted in my stomach. It felt like my entire being was rejecting this place. Something was deeply wrong here—it was too obvious to ignore. I was surprised the wolves hadn't spoken up about it... or maybe they had, and no one was listening.I stepped out of the car, and Isla followed, her expression just as grim as mine. I could tell she felt the same discomfort—maybe not with the same intensity, but it was there."Let's get whatever we came for and get the hell out of here," she said."I couldn't agree more," I replied, heading toward the packhouse.The sun was scorching, but Isla didn't seem to mi
ZORDON'S POVI watched their car pull out of the compound, and it was heartbreaking. I wanted to run after it, to beg her not to go with Isla. I wanted her to know she was more important to me than any mission. But she had made up her mind, and I wasn't going to change it.She wasn't doing this for me, she was doing it for her people.'She said she loves you. Loves us,' Eli reminded me. 'Yes. She did. And I was so stunned, I couldn't say a word.'I smiled to myself as the cold water ran down my body. I had taken a cold shower this morning, and somehow, it felt right. I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist.Standing in front of the mirror after a shower had become a ritual. It was the only place my thoughts ever felt clear.A knock at the door pulled me from my mind. I glanced at my phone. It was too early for the maids; no one dared disturb me before eight.I groaned, grabbed my robe, and slid my arms into it, tying it loosely. I was just finishing the kno
DAISY'S POV"Zordon watched you for weeks before he even told you he'd seen you at the library," Isla said. "He was observing you, trying to figure out what kind of person you were. It wasn't because he found you beautiful or attractive, or even because his wolf recognized you as his mate. It was your nurturing side—your strength—that caught his attention. He told me about the omega family you helped, bringing them groceries and medicine every week."I looked at her, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. “Zordon never told me any of this," I whispered."That's because he likes people to think he's a big meanie when really, he's just a giant teddy bear," she smirked. "That's why I kinda hated you so much at first. It's not like I hadn't seen him with other women before, but with you... I knew you were here to stay. I knew my chances with him were over.""Thank you for telling me this, Isla," I said softly."You're welcome. Now dry your eyes—let's get some revenge on our exes.""Ri