Alpha Edward POVMy anger bubbles just under the surface as I scan the table. I’ve decided to have a private meal with everyone listed on the council’s reports and include my high-ranking officials, too. A few of the officials’ subordinates were listed. But I can’t show my cards yet. I must keep it hidden until I know for sure who has done this to my daughter and the pack. My gaze stops on Bethany, my daughter’s best friend. Her normal happy-go-lucky expression is there, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Keeping my emotions under wraps, I calmly ask, “Bethany, I’m sorry your parents couldn’t join us. With everything going on in the pack, I thought it would be a good time to relax and try to unwind like we’ve done in the past, while including my new son-in-law so he knows what to do in the future.”For a moment, she stiffens, but quickly relaxes again. She looks up from her plate with a spoon in her hand. A look of something flickers through her eyes, but I can’t quite place it. “
Bethany POVI gather all my energy together to keep myself from violently shaking as I stare at Alpha Edward. His question roles around in my mind, but how can I answer it? Do I have any other option than to tell the truth? I’m sure the council has provided him with all the information they have gathered, but he has never mistreated me. He has often told me I’m like another daughter to him. I swallow the lump in my throat and slowly shake my head. In a mousy voice, I timidly answer. “Trent wasn’t there. As a group, we decided to have some fun first and to sign the documents later.”I nibble the inside of my lower lip and stare at the alpha, hoping he will leave it at this and not ask any more questions. After what seems like an entirety, he finally nods. “Okay.” He turns back towards Drake. “So, why would you ask or even think of postponing the signatures? Everyone knows things aren’t finalized on a contract until all signatures are present.”The Alpha gives Drake a sharp
Alpha Edward POV“What! The King is coming. Now? No one told me they were coming.” I sit upright in my desk chair as my beta, through our pack link, relays the information the checkpoint has told him. My heart races and then an idea pops up. Is he coming to tell me Trinity is fine will be back here soon? But why would the King come here? He could have called instead.Unsure, my panic evaporates and is replaced with a hint of excitement. My daughter might come home. The pack will be so happy. I push myself away from the desk and, with a spring in my step, I dash out of my office towards the entrance of the pack house. For once, I can’t hide the slight smile dancing around on my face. If I’m right, my daughter will be home soon.A couple of black SUVs pull up in front of the building just as I burst through the front door. My beta and other high-ranking officials are standing at attention outside the building along both sides of the sidewalk.I take a deep breath and force m
Trinity POV“Dad, I couldn’t tell you. Until we know who has attacked me, it isn’t safe to say anything. They didn’t tell me they were going to inform you of Lance being my mate or that we claimed each other. Did you do something to push their backs against the wall?” I take a deep breath while my fingers tighten around my phone. “But I’m your father. You should have told me, no matter what everyone else says.”I shake my head. “It wasn’t safe. If you accidentally say something to the wrong person, I could have another group of people here in seconds wanting to harm me, or worse, an army.”My hand instantly goes to my flat stomach. I’ll do whatever I must in order to protect my baby. It isn’t just me now, I’m looking out for. I have a family, including Lance.My father’s voice softens. “Will you at least tell me anything else that comes up with you? I don’t want to be hearing about important things from other people.”My shoulders drop, and I know what he is feeling, but
Alpha Edward POVSitting at the end of the long table, I lean towards the council members near me and ask, “Are you sure this is really necessary? Can’t we wait until after we discover who has plotted against my daughter and the pack?”The nearest old man turns his wrinkled face towards me and slowly shakes his head. “No. This needs to be conveyed right away. There is no need for Drake and his father to continue thinking Drake is married to your daughter.”I know that, but I haven’t had a chance to figure out what to do regarding the alliance agreement. If the marriage is off the table, we will have to come to terms with something else, but what? I wanted to strengthen our pack and find an option for Trinity to have a supporting mate, since she couldn’t find hers. But now, that isn’t needed. An uneasy feeling nibbles away at me. I can’t put my finger on it, but something doesn’t feel right. The meeting room’s door opens and Drake and his father walk in. They politely greet e
Trent POVI run through the forest, taking my frustrations out on the ground under my paws. The wind whips through my fur while the lower tree branches snag my side, but I don’t care. I almost want more of it. The small little pricks of pain remind me I’m not dreaming. How could my father allow the King and the crown prince to treat me like that? As the alpha of the pack, he should have stood up for me. I bet if it was Trinity on the receiving end, he would have defended her. Anger pulses through my veins as a low growl slips from me. My paws pound harder against the forest floor as my mind spins in every direction. This is why I should be the alpha heir. I wouldn’t have ever let an outsider treat anyone within the pack like this, regardless of who it is. That is unacceptable. When I’m alpha, this won’t ever happen again. I’ll also make sure those stupid lycans never come onto our pack lands again. Someone needs to teach those arrogant jerks a lesson. I dart around a pin
Trinity POVThe TV comes to life while I flip through the channels and plop down on the couch. I normally don’t watch TV, but with all this free time on my hands, I thought I could watch a few movies and dramas which had sounded interesting, but I never had the time to watch before. Hopefully, this investigation will finish up soon. The palace is enormous, but there is only so much you can do every day before you get bored, and I’m fast approaching the boredom stage. I’ve read all the new books in the library, and if I want to keep reading something, I’ll have to select an older book which I’ve already read. If things keep going on like they are now, I might do that. With the doctor’s approval, I’ve also used some of my time each day to practice my fighting skills to keep myself in shape and at the top of my form. The downside is the doctor limited me to only a short time each day for now.A faint smile carves into my face as I find the drama I had been looking for. But before
Lance POV With a towel draped over my head and another one around my waist, I walk out of the bathroom, drying my hair. Little beads of water glisten off my bare chest. “Babe, are you sure you’re alright? My mom said you seemed a little out of it and jittery after Chad’s stupid attempt to get into the palace. I still don’t know why he did that, but I’m sorry my idiot friend scared you.” Trinity wiggles further under the covers , and her sweet voice eases my nerves. “I’m fine. After the attack, I’m a little more jumpy than normal. As time goes on, I’m sure I won’t be so bad. If I’m in a battle, I can’t let loud noises startle me. It could be the difference between winning and losing.” Her voice cracks when she says attack. My heart aches knowing the incident has left such deep scars on her mentally. I think it is more about the betrayal which cuts so deep. Someone she knows and has trusted has done this to her with the goal of killing her. For what? A title? She shakes he
Trinity POV *** Two years later *** “You look amazing.” A smile erupts from me as I turn and face my parents and brother while they walk into the bedroom. Bright smiles adorn my parents’ faces and my brother cracks a small grin, which I’m still not used to seeing. Through the years growing up, he usually would carry a look of frustration and irritation when dealing with me. But now, he has slowly won the pack over, and they have accepted him as the pack’s alpha. It wasn’t a small thing, either. A few of the pack members held out for what felt like forever. In the end, his heroic actions in various battles, including saving a group of small children, won them over. They couldn’t deny it any longer. My brother deserves the alpha title. His continued effort to improve his alpha skills and knowledge has also helped show everyone he is the right person for the job. I carefully step forward, making sure not to step on the floor length ornate robe. “You made it. I’m so hap
Lance POVMy heart pounds as fear consumes me. It isn’t time yet. The baby shouldn’t be coming now. Something is wrong. I know it. With Trinity in my arms, I run through the mansion towards the front door. The doctors had been preparing a special delivery room in the mansion, so she wouldn’t have to leave. But it isn’t ready yet. They thought they had more time. “UGH!!!!” Her body tightens in my arms while her hands cradle her stomach. Pain, like I’ve never felt before, shoots through our bond and my body. My knees almost buckle as her scream echoes down the hall. I’ve been in plenty of battles and have been wounded many times, but this almost stops me in my tracks. I’ve already told the medical staff we are coming. My gaze stays focused ahead as a couple of staff walk into the hall. I shout, “Open the door!”Bethany and her parents run beside me. Bethany caresses the top of Trinity’s head. “Everything will be alright. They know what they are doing. You are in the b
Trinity POV “How are you doing? You are smiling. Does it mean things are going well?” I ease down in the dining room chair across the table from Bethany. My hand caresses the side of my large baby bump. I almost thought there were two in there, but the doctor has proved to me there is only one, really large pup. A shiver runs through my body. Hopefully, there won’t be any complications when the time comes. Bethany glances up from her plate of breakfast food and nods. “Luckily, things are going better. I’m still not able to eat with everyone in the dining hall, but the doctor thinks I can ease myself into it soon. One good sign is seeing the male staff doesn’t cause me to flinch anymore. I’m so thankful for the King allowing his friend to come and help me. When the doctor first arrived, I was too afraid of him, and all men. But I’m so much better now.” She has come a long way but has so much farther to go. Her scars are deep. “Good. Regardless of where you are at, I wi
Lance POVThe scent of blood and sweat, along with something rotten, assaults my nose and has me wishing I would have brought something to counteract it. Trinity marches beside me, but the stench doesn’t seem to affect her. Her eyes are fixed on the door a short distance ahead of us. Muffled screams of agony seep out from under the solid metal door, while the determination in her gaze never wavers and stays strong. Our heavy footsteps echo through the corridor, signaling the end is coming soon. In a hushed tone, I huff, “I’ll handle the interrogation. There is no need for you to put yourself in danger. You have…”Her lip twitches as she steps ahead of me and grabs the door handle. With steam rolling off her, she growls, “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”She yanks the door open and lets it slam against the wall before she storms inside.If I have thought the stench was bad in the hallway, it is nothing compared to the overwhelming foul smell in the dingy room. Blood
Trinity POVPeople. Everywhere. My feet slowly drag along the cement floor as I make my way through the bunker. Every spot has been converted into a hospital area. The medical staff have packed beds in any place where one will fit. Each patient has the same symptoms as the next. As soon as the white mist got near them, they collapsed.Luckily, all the medical staff had gotten to the bunker in time before any explosions happened or any chemicals were released into the air. I still have heard nothing from my father regarding his pack, but I’m going to assume the same thing has happened there. I silently pray to the moon goddess he got all the medical staff safely in the bunker before the chemical attack started. My stomach churns, and a sense of dread gnaws at me. If the goal was to break Alpha Derrick out of his cell, his brother has gone through all this and has come up short. The lycans had prepared for this and were waiting. Anyone stepping close to the dungeon or the al
Trent POV My father’s voice booms in my head. “The King and Queen are under attack!” My stomach sinks. It can only mean one thing. The wait is over. Seconds later, a howl reverberates through the training grounds, and my head whips around in its direction. Luckily, after healing me with my sister’s blood, I feel like a kid again. My energy is off the charts, and I seem to have a spring to my step, even when I’m angrily stomping around. I turn back to the field full of warriors. “This is it. We have known this is coming. Use your training and don’t let them get to the pack house. They must be stopped at all costs.” My alpha voice confidently roars out with my last sentence. It doesn’t hold the force and authority it will once I officially take my title and go through the ceremony, but it is still a command they must follow. The large group nods before turning towards the warning cries. Through the pack link, my father barks orders and the group scatters in all dir
Trinity POVSeveral weeks have gone by without an incident. The information the King had gotten must be wrong, but I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. This isn’t over yet.Everyone in the two packs was getting restless and wanted out of the bunkers, so my father and the King had no choice but to allow it. Neither of them wanted to agree. The two could have stood their ground, but they didn’t have a solid reason to deny the people’s demands. Plus, everyone was lashing out at each other. Being locked up for a few weeks, even though both bunkers are fairly large, was getting on everyone’s nerves. If they had to stay down there much longer, there would have been a fight within packs. Something tells me they will regret their requests. Lance tightens his arm around my bare back and pulls me closer to his broad chest. “Babe, what is wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is there something wrong with the baby?” The corner of my mouth curls downward as I shake my head and s
Trinity POV“Why do you need more blood? Is something wrong with me?” A flicker of fear takes hold of me, and my throat tightens. “Is there something wrong with the baby?”Please don’t let there be anything wrong with my pup. Please. The Queen looks up from her table full of medical supplies and shakes her head. Confusion fills her eyes. “No. Nothing is wrong. I’m wanting to see if I can isolate and reproduce the qualities in your blood which provide the healing powers to my son, your brother, and Bethany. If I can isolate what makes your blood different from others, I can generate enough for whatever may come our way.”My eyebrows knot together as I tilt my head and stare at her. “I don’t understand. Yes, my blood heals people faster, both lycans and werewolves. But what does that have to do with trying to isolate the reason for it?”She gives me a faint smile and a soft chuckle. “Is your pregnancy having this much effect on your thinking?”I scrunch my eyebrows closer
Lance POV“Are you sure?”I glance across the desk at my father as he rests his elbows on his desk and drums his fingers together. The slight smirk and spark in his eyes dare me to answer incorrectly. Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly shake my head. “I don’t know. I’ve been coming home late and leaving early to avoid her as much as possible. She has said nothing.”He raises an eyebrow. “Has she even been awake to say anything?”I shift nervously in the chair as he stares at me. His gaze is like a spotlight I don’t want to be under. After a few seconds, I slowly shake my head. “I think she has been asleep.”He snorts and rests his arms on the desk. “I don’t think ‘think’ will work. If she is anything like your mother, she has been awake and waiting to see what you will do. She has probably called her parents and has gotten all the information she wants about the attack and her brother already. There is nothing to hide or sneak away from. If she was going to go to her fa