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
NIKOLAI. I can’t stand how pathetic I look right now. How did it all come down to this? Was my father right about Winter after all?I’m not shocked about the whole story because I’m not stupid. I kind of figured out that something was wrong since the day her scent changed. I couldn’t fit the pieces together but now it all makes sense. I’m so glad I didn’t ignore my instincts to look into witches. It felt bad at the time but now all I feel is anger and distrust. “Jacob was the man you were married to?!” I ask again to confirm that I’ve not misheard anything. It makes sense that Jacob was part of the whole thing but it doesn’t make it hurt less. “I fought a war with Jacob, I invited him into my home but at least I don’t owe him a favor anymore. I know exactly where his wife is.” Winter starts to cry and immediately falls on her knees. It annoys me that she thinks she can beg her way out of this. Why does she think it’s so easy? “What makes you think I’m going to forgive you? You d
WINTERIt wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I said that I’d prefer death to what I’m feeling right now. When I was new to this body, I thought very little of it, I was disgusted by it. It irritated me so much buy I wanted to live so I stayed in it, I got used to it and I made the best of it but now? Now it feels like Winter is a much better person than I am. Like I don’t even deserve to be in this body at all.How could I even refer to myself as a person when I behaved like an animal? I made the man that I claimed to love blind, sought a witch, fell in love with another man and lied to him about it. He’s hurting terribly and it’s all my fault. His life is on the line and I have to take credit for that too. His life would have been better off if he never met me. He and his father would have ruled side by side and maintained the upper hand. I guess Patrick was right about me after all, I make Nikolai weak. I’m not good for him.I’m shamelessly lying down on the bed we share, it user
HUNTERI stare at her while I try to catch my breath. She’s asleep or dead from hunger! “Tara!” I yell as soon as I get that thought and she springs up from the ground.“I thought you were dead.” I say thoughtlessly with my hand and on my chest.” “Didn’t you want me dead?” She asks and I blink my eyes rapidly.“How could you say something like that? If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have brought you back home and then throw you in a cell when you were just starting to get well.” I think I see it now. I open the cell door with the handling keys in my hands and let her out.“I’m sorry I didn’t come for you sooner.” I find myself saying instead of “you did this to yourself” like I rehearsed. She glares at me and pushes me aside. Her confidence marvels me, how can she act like she’s the boss when she’s clearly not.“You look like you fell in a well, what the hell happened to you?” Do I tell her that I ran all the way from a place that I’ve never been on foot because I suddenly remem
HUNTERI get to Nikolai in time but as expected, he’s real mad. “Are you going to give me the silent treatment or do you prefer we just punch this our like real men?”“You know what, I was going to ignore you but your idea sounds good too. Whoever wins gets to keep the horse.”“Oh, I see what this is, your determination to walk has drained the life out of you and now you’re trying to fight your way into getting a horse?” “What?” He pretends not to know what I’m talking about and motions for me to get down from the horse and face him which I do.“You can just have the horse, I don’t feel like getting punched.” I hand over the horse to him and he points at something behind me, I turn to look at it and then he lands a punch on my face.“That’s for leaving without a good reason.” He says and blows off invisible steam from his knuckles and we both chuckle. I seriously can’t believe this guy but I can understand him.“What are you going to do about the witch?” I ask and the mood changes.
NIKOLAI "You want progress, Isador? That's a shock considering the stunt you pulled yesterday." I scoff, still glaring at her. I don't believe a word the witch is saying. I'm also certain she has something against Winter, something that has to do with her deal with her. There's a plan I have to find out, but it won't be easy because Isador has always been cunning. "Do you expect us to believe you after everything? If you really wanted progress, why haven't you spoken up since?" Hunter accuses her, and he's making a valid point. "Look at your reactions now. Yet you have the guts to ask me why. Isn't it clear to both of you why I didn't come to you sooner. Patrick hated my kind!" Hunter screams back. "Well, this is his son and not him. Nikolai is the Alpha now. Not his father. You could have just sat down to tea with him instead of causing all the trouble with Winter." Isador paces in small circles. She's frustrated, and then she throws her hands in the air and makes a comeback
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