WINTER I knew what I had to do when I saw that cloth drenched in blood. I’ve wasted too much time thinking that all the bad things that have been happening to us is just as a result of coincidence and occasional bad decisions, especially the ones Patrick made till the day he died. I know why all this is happening and I’m going go face her one on one. I’m going to face Isador; the problem. She either tells me how to fix it or she tells me how to fix it, they’re no two ways about it. I don’t know why I thought a knife with me to fight a witch but it kind of helps me feel safe. The only problem I have now is Hunter. Why the hell is even following me, I know he doesn’t think that I can take care of myself but this is outrageous, I’m not a child that can’t play with sharp objects. He looked like a cat got stuck in his throat when he saw me holding the knife, his eyes were practically yelling all the emotions he was feeling at the moment; fear, shock, indecision, resignation. . . ever
DAPHNE. “Plans are underway, I’ll destroy them before they even realize that they’re in danger, you don’t have to worry about a thing.” “Now, that’s the Daphne I know and raised.” My father gloats proudly with a toothed smile and gives me a light pat on the shoulder. As a kid, that smile used to mean everything to me and I wanted it every time but now, nothing has changed. I still crave his approval more than ever. I want him to look at me and be proud the same way uncle Elkan looks at his sons. I want him to tap me on the shoulder and show me off to his friends and the more I work for it the farther I get from it but this time, nothing is going to stop me. I’m going to avenge my father, make his proud and make a name myself so my children don’t have to suffer the same fate I suffered. I don’t want them to have to beg for anybody's approval to live. They’re going to grow up to be independent women just like I wanted to be. “What plans do you have underway?” my father asked t
NIKOLAI.I still have my doubts about this trip the priest asked us to take but I’m desperate too. I have to find her. He gave me two options, I either go and find her at the only cave in the entire pack that I never even knew even existed before now or I visited a witch, which is outrageous because witches are supposed to be out of bounds for werewolves and I never even knew there was one so close. I’m still not sure where I’m supposed to go. He was a little hesitant to tell me about the witch but he was not hesitant to tell me that she was the most effective way to find the woman I’m looking for. He kept referring to her as “the woman” like he’s never met her before. Maybe they have some kind of history I’m not aware of but I still thought it was a bit rude. I’ve never been in contact with a witch in my entire life and I’m scared I won’t be able to find Aunt Hyacinth in time if I go through the “bushy paths leading to the cave” like he said.I can feel the lines on my forehead f
WINTER.“I don't remember asking you to come in.” Isador glares at me hatefully and I’m not even mad at her. I came here with so much anger that I thought I was going to kill her the moment that I saw her but here I am face to face with her and the only thing I want to do is apologize. Isador has come to my aid so many times and somehow I only see the bad in her which is not fair because there’s hardly any bad in this witch that I’m looking at. She looks like a regular granddaughter to me. Okay, not anymore. She just made a cup come to her instead of going to it, that’s not regular at all.“If you’re here for me to help you fix your problems then I suggest you go somewhere else, I I'm not going to help you.” She greets harshly. “That’s a be ale harsh, don’t you think?” I say timidly. “You don’t get to talk to me about harsh because you have no idea what it feels like.” She points her finger at me as she lashes out and I’m scared that she’s going to unintentionally zap me with her
HUNTERConfused is an understatement for what I’m feeling right now, the tension in this room is so high that I think our feet are no longer on the ground. I am terrified as hell but I’m even more terrified of betraying Nikolai so when the witch throws the question at me for the second time after the interruption, I choose to stay right next to Nikolai.“A very unwise decision you just made my dear friend.” The old woman that just walked in cackles making me even more nervous. She doesn’t have to look around before placing her butt on a chair which gives me the impression that it’s not her first time here. The witch's eyes starts to glow in a different color. A shimmering red, which is a contrast to her initial eye color. Sea blue.She picks up Nikolai from the ground without even touching him and flings him in the air. He lets out a loud grunt as his back hits the wall and Winter screamed on top of her lungs. It kind of reminds me of the day Nikolai punched me during practice but
NIKOLAI. My father once told me that the most brutal way to kill a man was to set him on fire and now that it feels like I’m burning from my insides out, it makes so much more sense. I very much prefer the pain from a stab wound to this heat. The itch is so intense that I’m starting to bleed and what’s worse is that it feels like my skin is burning and I can’t get away from the heat no matter what I do. I want to beg but my pride has shackles wrapped around my mouth and Isador doesn’t even look like the type to be easily appeased so my pleas will be useless. I didn’t prepare for this, the priest DID NOT warn me about this.“Thread with caution.” His words echo in my head like a reminder, one that’s an entire lifetime too late. I thought it was just the regular statement that people make but don’t really mean like; “be careful” and “I wish you were here” I didn’t know I was going to face a literal beast. She’s locked us in here with a spell because the gate doesn’t even have a lo
HUNTER I’ve never felt so much ache in my entire life, not even when I got beat up for no reason at the slave mansion. It feels like my entire body is about to fall apart into different places and Isador is sitting across from me with a wide smile spread across her face like she didn’t just paralyze me and imprison my friends after beating them up. Nikolai is covered in blood and Winter is drenched in tears. There’s a million reasons she could have been crying, the obvious one being that she was locked up in a witch's cage with no plan of escape but if I didn’t know Winter, I would have concluded at that, I know her and I know that it had something to do with what that which was saying earlier. I don’t know what it was all about but from the look on their faces, it’s not a fight that is going to end with a simple apology. “Before we go on, I’d like to ask for a favor.” Nikolai whimpers and Isador gives a tired sigh which I find funny since she was the one dishing out the punishm
WINTER. I didn’t ask to go with him but here I am in a dark bushy path with no trace of Aunt Hyacinth anywhere. As much as I want to find her, I also have a score to settle with Isador. She can’t just put a price on the life of my husband because we had a fallout. She’s a witch that sees far and beyond, how could she not see that I hadn’t betrayed her just yet? I wasn’t going to but there was no way I could when it was always one problem after the other in the pack? “There she is!” Hunter screams and we all find ourselves running in the same direction. Aunt Hyacinth is lying on the floor soaked in blood and it’s not a sight I want to keep in my mind for a long time. Her clothes are filthy but there’s no mistaking the heavy scent of blood. “Is she alive?” I ask the heavy question weighing on all out minds. “She’s alive!” Nikolai shouts as he sweeps up in two hard tries. “What do we do now? Where do we go from here?” Hunter asks the obvious question, none of us thought of how we
EPILOGUE 2018 A Maybach gears up after the traffic lights turn green. There's a man in a suit in the back seat. He's looking out the window and staring at the billboard of an author and popular model. She's beautiful. He thinks, and he continues staring until his phone rings. "Hello?" "Liam, will you still make it for the meeting?" "Yes, Zach. I'm on my way. There's no traffic, so I'll be there in about five—" The car comes to an abrupt halt. He hears the sound of crash and mutters a curse under his breath. He will not be getting out of this one easily. He looks up and sees the angry driver of the other vehicle already slamming their door closed. He turns to his driver. "What happened?" "I don't know. She just stopped abruptly. I have no idea why. This woman is obviously crazy." He pinches his forehead and comes down from the car after his driver does. She is furious and crazy because the way she's already raving about her bashed car has him taking cautious steps forward.
NIKOLAI Winter's giving birth. I'm as anxious as a live wire. I'm pacing the halls of the house while the midwives and the pack physician deliver our son. Hunter is with me. He's carrying his daughters and feeding them breakfast on the dining table. The house has been gloomy for months since Tara died. This is the first thing that has brought joy to all of us. Our son. I can't wait to meet him. I wonder who he would look like. Deep down, I want him to look like his mother. I smile to myself, and Hunter calls me out. "Pull yourself together. You are embarrassing me." I clasp my sweaty palms together. "I guess this was how you felt when the twins were born." Hunter smiles genuinely. He doesn't do that anymore. There's no reason for joy in his life, and I truly feel sorry for him and for everything he's been through. He lost Daphne and lost Tara, and to think he will always have the memories lodged in his head is pure torture, even for me. "Yes. I'm pretty damn sure I felt much wors
WINTERSix Months Later...It's been six months since Daphne and her father tried to destroy us. Six months since we've heard anything about her whereabouts. Life seemed to go on in contast paranoia that they would be back, especially for Nikolai. I'm almost due. My bump is large, like someone trapped a volleyball inside there. The pack doctor examines me. He says I keep getting weaker and weaker. I've told no one about the conversation Isador and I had the night of Hunter and Tara's big escape. But I know why I'm being diagnosed as weak. I have little time left with my son and mate. It's breaking my heart.I know Elkan didn't survive his brothers wrath. Killian killed him and his triplets before Hunter could make do with his promise. It's beating him up, but he doesn't show it. The fact that he failed those innocent children. It only means one thing, though. Killian owes use all a life, and he will pay up when the time comes.The pack doctor shakes his head. "Your temperature and bl
HUNTER They had beaten me to a pulp, but they were going to need more than that to end me. I just need to know if Tara is alright. Since Daphne carried her into that separate room, I have seen nothing and heard nothing. My wolf is terribly weak. I struggle against the chains. I've been doing that for hours. Killian came and asked Daphne when she was going to kill me. She may hate me now, but I know she can never do something as horrendous as that. Daphne still loved me. I couldn't kill her as well if given the chance. There was just something holding us back. She stalled my execution date until two days from now. Meaning, Nikolai has 48 hours to rescue me successfully, or I have just that amount of time to break free before they sell her off to Ander. I need to save her, or else I won't forgive myself. I struggle against the chains bound to the ceiling above. It hung me up. I pull with all of my might, but nothing can save me from the weakness freezing my wolf out. I feel helpl
NIKOLAITheir weapons are laced with wolf's bane and poisons of various calibres. We are outnumbered, and it's also impossible for us to win this war against Ander. My wolves are perishing all around me, and I feel helpless. Ander is on his horse wrecking havoc with the mighty scythe in his hand.I run for him, growling as my fangs gleam under the afternoon sun. He's about to hit one of my closest wolves from behind. I dive on his horse and throw him to the ground, cartwheeling and dodging the scythe's blade by a narrow miss.Ander roars, getting on his feet. It's between the both of us. I'm not armed, and I know I've got to be careful while going against that blade. Winter warned me about that, and I promised myself I would make it out alive.I charge at him, and he comes for me as well. We clash, baring our teeth. Our wolves around us are still going at each other. Still, it is clear that Ander is winning. He shoves me to the ground. I bring out my leg and swipe it across, making him
DAPHNE Tears burn my throat. It didn't occur to me that he would actually find my replacement. I still loved him deeply, but I couldn't disobey my father. If he chose me now, I would have abandoned everything and saved him from this hell. But the man I love is interested in another woman. This must be my karma. I walk into the barren room where Tara has been kept inside. I know she's scared, but I'm so livid that I could pluck out her entire hair. How dare she steal what is mine? "Ander would love to hear you survived his trap. He would take your sorry ass back and punish you for life because that is what you deserve." Tara starts begging. She knows what it's like to be slaved under Alpha Ander. Not to mention being punished eternity by him. It's pure hell, and I want to laugh at the terrified look on her face. I do laugh. "What? Scared, are we? This is what you get for taking what's not yours." "I didn't know you and Hunter were an item. I met him by chance and he said nothin
HUNTER I told her not to go. I told her I had to stay put right here inside the damned pack house, but she just won't listen. One thing I've learnt about Tara is that she's as pig headed as they come and can't take no for an answer. She literally dragged me out from the house to come and pick herbs in the woods. Her argument is that it's close by and we won't be gone for more than half an hour. It takes only a second for things to go epically wrong, but I don't know why I can't resist her anymore. When she speaks, she always finds a way to get to me, and she doesn't even do much. She only just has to say the word. I don't what to make of it, but I'm trying to school myself into making this the only time such would repeat itself again. Sure, she can pick her herbs for now, but next time, I won't consent to something as careless as this, leaving the pack house unguarded. She's in front of me, skipping happily into the woods. I'm always happy to see her smile. The sight of it just m
WINTER I dread waking up to this morning because I know what it means for us. Nikolai wants us to do this. He wants us to pay Jacob a visit, but I don't think I'm ready. Jacob was the man who hurt me. Although he seems repentant, I still can't tell what his heart would be like. I'm stepping out of the bathroom when he meets me halfway. Nikolai hugs me. Last night brought us a lot closer intimately. I was so darn sure I would have his babies after that. He made sure of it. But then, would the curse of Rose find me now that I am Winter. Will I still not be able to have kids of my own? "Hey, babe." Nikolai calls me, resting his forehead against mine. "You look stressed. Don't be stressed." "You know why I'm stressed." "I'll be right there with you. You don't have to be scared because you have me protecting you always." He has a point. I know he will never abandon me. Nikolai loves me so much. He proved that last night, and I'm certain he will always have my back in everything. I do
HUNTER I walk ahead as soon as I walk towards my room in the Alpha's home. She's right behind me in the next minute. I saw her hold back her words before Nikolai was out of respect. I knew the second she was in the clear, she was going to come at me with everything she's got. Funny enough, I'm anticipating it. I'm also anticipating seeing more of her in those pretty clothes. It's new for Tara. "Ever heard of give people their flowers, Hunter?" She crosses her arms as she falls in step with me. Nikolai and Winter have occupied the main stairs, so we are going all around to get to my room. Tara is just following me without a clue about where she's going. "That's the most senseless thing I've ever heard." She blocks my path, walking with her back when I don't stop coming forward. "Take that back." Tara slaps my chest. Coming from a werewolf, her hit does justice, and I almost break a wince. "I won't take it back, Tara. Because it's my opinion." "I found you empathetic at first