Maddox's POV
Kayla stood, feet hip-width apart, arms crossed, chin jutting out in defiance. If it wasn't for the sleep ruffled hair sticking out of her head at random angles she'd be almost fearsome. A silence so heavy you could slice it with a knife filled the office.
"The Lycans will help us," she repeated confidently.
Casper shook his head. Lena raised her carefully shaped brows and pursed her lips.
"She's actually insane," Blake muttered.
"Kayla," Casper said calmly, taking her tiny hands in his massive bear paws. "The Lycans have never, ever helped werewolves."
"But they will now," Kayla insisted.
I glanced at the map. It would take us half an hour out of our way but no one else had come up with anything. We needed to protect Casper and Serena at all costs. My pack were fierce warriors but without Blake, Lena and myself they were leaderless. If an attack came Casper's concentration would right
Maddox's POVShadow circled in my mind. Blake and Lena held each other's hands so tight their knuckles glowed."ENTER!" The sound reverberated off the stone walls. My stomach clenched. I inhaled, closed my eyes and pushed the doors open with my eyes closed. The sound of feet shuffling came from behind me.I opened my eyes slowly. Sunlight streamed through tall, stained glass windows, casting a rainbow over the polished stone floor. Intricate tapestries hung from the walls. A red carpet led from the doors to a small set of stairs.The King sat on a large, grey stone chair, his fingers templed together as he looked down at us his head tilted."Mr Mason," He said curtly nodding his head.I stepped forward, "Your Highness.""Last time I checked, I wasn't your King," he sneered. The few Lycans who were gathered in the throne room snickered. I scanned the room. Five Lycans huddled together in
Maddox's POV The room came back into focus slowly. Kayla stood by my side, her tender hand rested on my shoulder, concern etched into her face. Blake and Lena stand behind her, hand in hand. Most of the Lycan's had dissipated into the bowels of the gargantuan stone building. The King hovers at the back of the room chatting with a younger Lycan. This one was different to the rest, leaner and cleaner with clear scar-free skin and slicked back ebony hair. He wore the obligatory black combat pants and t-shirt and clutched a glass of ice water in one hand and a small white box in the other. He turned his attention from his King to me and sauntered over to our group. I remained on the wooden chair that was shoved under me minutes ago my body still too ravaged with agony to stand. "Here," he said, tipping out two white pills from the small box he held. "What are they?" I asked, tracking my thumb over one. "Tyle
Maddox's POV We piled into the armoured truck the only sound came from the singing birds and the gentle breeze brushing through the trees. Lena, Blake, Will and Kayla crawled into the back. Kayla's wide eyes locked on me as the doors closed. Sparks of gold swirled in her hazel irises. She tugged on her hair, her face devoid of colour. Lena had the same fierce look she always did before a battle. Her jaw locked tight, her wolf stirred at the surface ready to take action. Blake held her in his lap, inhaling her scent. Will lost himself in his cell phone. And then the doors closed shielding them from my view. The King climbed into the driver's seat. "You coming or what?" He asked shrugging his shoulders as if he asked nothing more than if I was joining him for drinks. I trudged around the side and eased myself into the truck, my nerves twitching and my stomach in sickening knots. Usually, going into battle didn't bother me
Kayla's POVEveryone left, all following Maddox's orders. It was just me and Maddox standing alone in blood and carnage and the last place I wanted to be was the last place Alpha Patrick was but I had to know. I had to know for certain he was out so I could prepare myself."We'll kill him," Izzy growled. "We're stronger than him."If only I had her confidence. She wasn't there. She didn't understand how he broke me piece by piece until I believed I was nothing more than a runt, unworthy of love, of a family. The last few months I started to think he was wrong but if I saw him again..."Ready?" Maddox asked taking my hand in his. Sparks ignited inside me at the warmth of his touch. I leaned into him taking in his rich, comforting scent. I concentrated on Maddox, the safety of his arm around my waist, holding me tight against his firm body as we navigated the stairs, hopscotching over sticky splotches of blood.The dung
Maddox POV Fighting broke out all around us. The sickening sound of fangs tearing into flesh filled the silence. Graham's band of survivors scattered and then the howling and begging for mercy started. Shadow didn't hesitate. My bones crunched and bent, fur sprouted on my skin, my clothes ripped falling from my body as Shadow broke free and raced towards the sound of death. Lena's wolf was snapping his heels keen for a taste of traitor blood. A hulkish black wolf stepped from the shadows, head lowered, glowing amber eyes locked on Shadow. My heart froze. Shadow paused cocking his head and inhaled. The wolf's familiar scent hit us like a cement block, shattering our heart. I scanned my surroundings, desperate for an answer. "He's a prisoner," I told Shadow. "Alaya must have taken him years ago and faked his death. It can't be him. It can't." Emotion swelled in my chest, threatening to drown me.
Eighteen Years AgoAlaya's POV"I reject you."The words crashed into my dream, shattering the peaceful bliss of sleep. I bolted upright, kicking the sheets to the floor. Tears soaked my face and pillow. What remained of my heart shrank a little more in my chest. the space left behind was one of agony and nightmares. Those three words terrorised me every night. They were the first thing I had on a morning and the last thing at night. I'd sit, popcorn in my lap, chocolate at my side, a glass of wine in my hand engrossed in my favorite movie and they'd pop into my head. I reject you."Ally, honey, are you okay?" My mother called up the stairs."Fine, mom.""You were screaming again.""I had a nightmare.""About him again?""No, mom, go back to sleep."I lied. I always lied. I told people I was mistaken. He wasn't really my mate and the rejection didn't turn my heart to
Alaya's POV"Alaya, you have to get up," My mother dragged the blankets off my head. The sunlight pouring through the window burned my eyes."Why?" I whined burying my face into my pillow."This is not healthy. You haven't been on a pack run in weeks. You haven't been to work. King Ralph is concerned about you."I sighed, burying my face further into my pillow. Anton died six weeks ago and Fyre still refused to speak to me. Whenever I tried to shift she resisted, instead wallowing in grief in the furthest corner of my mind."No one blames you for what Anton did, Alaya," she assured me. "He shouldn't have tried to steal if he couldn't take his punishment."She didn't know he was my mate and I rejected him. No one did. He tried to tell people but they refused to believe him. I denied it all, sticking to my story of him attempting to steal from the throne room.My mother sighed, gently clicking the cl
Alaya's POVMy packmates all piled into the packhouse to stuff their faces with whatever the paid kitchen staff prepared. Pre-Ralph the Omegas prepared our food and there was more to go around with those highest in rank eating first, the way it is supposed to be. Now, we scrambled for food like common animals, each grabbing what they could fit into their grubby paws. It was enough to put me off my appetite on a good day.I waited until they'd all gone inside before sneaking back into the clubhouse. The gloves still lay on the floor where they landed when the stupid Omega threw them in my face as if I was a common wolf. My lips curled as I strode past them towards the lockers.My key clicked in the lock. Stale, musty air slapped me in the face. My training gear, still unwashed from the day I rejected Anton was in a crumpled heap in the bottom of my locker. I had to wash my own clothes now. We all did. We all carried around our
The Patient's POVA burning sensation pulsed through my head like something was screaming inside my brain. My body ached and tensed with lightening hot pain, as if my limbs were twisting and breaking. I tried to open my eyes but the light pierced through me.I didn't know where I was but I knew I needed to be somewhere. Desperately needed to be somewhere. Something was missing. Something more important than anything else in the world. Something more important than air or food. It was like a part of me was missing, ripped away by a terrifying darkness. I took a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing, scratching pain in my ribs, and forced one eye open. The room I was in was dim and dusty but the warm glow from the fire was enough to make my eyeball scream in agony. Despite the pain, I forced my other eye open, squinting against the soft, orange glow of the flames dancing in the open fire. A deep knot tightened in my gut. I didn't know where I was. I frantically scrabbled through my brain,
Alaya's POVI tossed the empty rabbit trap back to the ground, scowling at it as if my rage would somehow shame it into trapping something edible. Without Fyre hunting was next to impossible but my patient would need sustenance if he ever woke up. A few dozen rabbits waited in the freezer for him, hardly enough to last a large werewolf three days. There was no telling how long it would take him to gain the strength to hunt for himself if he ever awoke.I'd snuck into a local human settlement a few days after finding him and stole some supplies. Patrick left a full pantry when he left but he couldn't live on sugar water forever. His body was already smaller and weaker than when I found him three weeks ago.Since Obsidian finally left me I had trawled Cedar Woods day and night, desperately searching for food. Yet more desperate was my search for survivors or any evidence that my people still lived, that Obsidian had not obliterated my entire pack along with every other pack in our regio
Alaya's POV I woke on the soft, mossy mound Henry left me on. The iron tang of blood still rested on my tongue. The horrors of the night came flooding back. The desperate pleas of women and children begging for their lives flooded my mind. It wasn't supposed to be like that. They were supposed to worship me for rescuing them from the moronic leadership of Ralph and his insipid son. The only ones supposed to die were Ralph and Casper and their soldiers. Oh Goddess, the Princess. She was a newborn, only a few days old and innocent. Fat, heavy tears rolled down my cheeks. I wanted power, I wanted revenge for losing Fyre. I wanted people to cower in my shadow. I didn't want terror and massacre. "Hmm," Obsidian murmured as she woke from her slumber. "Last night was the best night of my life," she grinned. "The screams, the terror and the carnage wasn't it just amazing?" "You're insane," I snapped. "You're sick.
Skye's POVWords spewed from the mouths of my friends and my family. My pack, our pack, Maddox's and mine but they made no sense. Maddox was lost. Not gone and yet they insisted on spewing lies at me instead of looking for him. On holding me tight, suffocating me with their grief instead of scouring the lands for him. He wasn't gone. I refused to believe it.We won. Maddox told me we won. Those were the last words he spoke to me before he was lost. Maddox would not lie to me.He promised me if he didn't make it our bond would slowly fade along with the mark he left on my skin but I felt it more than ever. He needed me. He was out there, lost and broken and he needed me."Skye," Blake said holding his hand to me."He's here," I said, "he's right here."I clasped my hand to my heart."Gage has called for transport back to Greystone. We can't stay here."Everything inside me boiled with rage an
Blake POVI dragged myself up from the mud and leaned against a half uprooted tree. Every bone in my body screamed in agony as I scanned the chaos around me. Bodies lay broken and battered. Trees were felled. Dirt and debris still fell from the sky.Skye stood in the middle of it all, howling an agonised howl that burned into my memory like a wretched scar."Maddox! Maddox!"No matter how loud she screamed he offered no reply.I looked over to where I last spotted Lena and my heart crashed to my knees. My stomach twisted into a thick knot. Her tiny, bruised body lay motionless in a crumpled heap against a rock. Blood matted her golden hair."Lena," I croaked still struggling to breathe after the massive blast of energy from Alaya threw me sailing through the skies. "Lena."She rolled to her side, groaning quietly and I deflated.Lena's eyes scanned the same mess mine had seconds earlier, des
Maddox POVAlaya stormed towards me her amber eyes locked on Henry's lifeless corpse and his blood-soaked son still standing over him with his fangs bloody and dripping. She didn't care who got in her way, her own warriors or mine, they were all fair game.She tossed their bodies aside as if they were nothing more than ragdolls. They smashed into trees or slammed into the ground their bones snapping and cracking as they landed. The anguished wail tearing from her lungs never waned.Skye tried to slow her down throwing the ground beneath her thick, heavy paws into the air. The earth rumbled and shook. Warriors, ours and Alaya's fell down crevices opening in the ground, their bodies buried by the debris raining from the sky.Willow's coven chanted spells, desperately trying to slow the beast down.I readied the syringe and rushed towards it, jumping over fallen trees and broken bodies. the beast fell to all
Maddox POVI stood back as my warriors slowly peeled their clothes off and released their wolves."Unless you can develop opposable thumbs in the next thirty seconds and can handle a syringe, this is my fight," I told Shadow."I understand," he said. We'd finally come to an understanding. He respected me and I listened to him and now it was all about to bed.Blake, Lena and Skye were the last to change."You take care of each other," I warned them."And you take care of you," Blake said as he shifted into his wolf."I love you," Skyesobbed as she let Izzy free. I kept my eyes on her massive white wolf as she took off into the herd rushing over the ridge. Lena was last to leave.Lena, my best friend for as long as I could remember. No matter how bad things got she was always at my side, always defending me and watching my back. She was the strongest wold I knew.
Maddox POVWarriors crammed into every inch of the entrance hall. Some spilt out of the kitchen and office, others piled on the balconied landing behind me. Hundreds of warriors, stood waiting for me to address them. Skye stood at my side at the top of the staircase. Casper, Serena, Blake and Lena stood behind me. The silence was sickening, deafening. Even the birds in the trees beyond our fortified walls stopped their singing and listened.Our families were secreted away in Greystone Manor. Whisked away amid tears and goodbyes to safely live another day. We all knew some of us would not live to see them again. My Gran took it hardest of all, wringing her hands in her apron and sobbing hysterically as she was forced into a four-wheel drive and taken away to safety. She knew as well as I did what needed to happen. Only I could force the cure into Alaya. And I would not survive it.Skye gripped my hand, her palm damp from the t
Maddox POVSkye's eyelids flickered. She nuzzled further into me in a vain attempt to block the morning sun from dragging her away from her dream. A soft smile rested on her lips."Mmm," she sighed, arching her back."It's morning," I whispered brushing a stray curl from her face. Her smile faded. She twisted to her side pulling herself up on her elbow to face me."It's today, isn't it? We go to war today?"I nodded swallowing down the lump in my throat.We had the perfect night last night, alone in the woods with only the song of the crickets for company we finally sealed our bond. We were mates. True, bonded mates and today we go to war with the vilest enemy my people have ever faced.Skye twisted herself around, pulling her knees into her chest as she faced the sunrise. We sat in silence, enjoying the last moments of our final morning on Earth. Golden rays of light kissed Mountain Ridge far in t