NIKOLAI'S POV. Sometimes, i just don’t understand Hunter. Whose side his he even on? I return to the house with Winter, hand in hand. The maids stare at me as I walk in but they don’t dare to say anything. “Get me a towel and a bowl of warm water.” I say to one of them. “There's no need, I’m fine.” Winter protests but I ignore her. She has bruises all over and it’s hard to even look at, maybe I should just take her to the doctor but I don’t want to draw attention to us. My father just died, I can’t be seen parading the pack with a woman. It’ll raise a lot of suspicions and they’ll consider it disrespect to my dead Father even though we all know the man deserves no respect whatsoever. The maid comes back with towel and warm water. Their presence seems to make Winter uncomfortable so I asked them to leave before pulling her to sit beside me on the couch. “Do you even know what you’re doing?” she asks as I hopelessly fondle with the towel. “I may not look like it but I’ve do
PRIEST'S POV. I awake at the first crow of the cock to prepare for the meeting at the palace. I wonder what it is going to be like, truly. Since the spirits have refused to speak to me, I can no longer see far and beyond like I used to, I am left to predict things with my half-baked wits and I’m now reduced to “wondering” like the rest of the pack instead of “knowing” like I used to. I slick my hair back with saliva and hope that it stays in place but it doesn’t so I just give up. No one is going to be looking at me anyway. That’s one thing about being a priest; if you’re not passing on a message, no one sees you, it’s like you’re invincible. If they don’t have a problem to solve, you’re practically useless to them. So unless you’re solving a problem or being a mouthpiece of the goddess, you can not be seen. Invincibility has kind of become kind of my superpower these past few days. I grab everything that I think is necessary before making my way to the Palace. It would have been
NIKOLAI'S POV. These old men are starting to get on my nerves with all these questions about how my father died. Why do they want to know? To thank who did it? Because we both know they’re not asking because they care, they’re just curious. My father never really respected them or their opinions and I know they wanted him gone so what is this hypocritical behaviour they’re exhibiting? “The burial should take place immediately.” The eldest says and I couldn’t agree more. He’s the first to say something reasonable since the start of this meeting. The priest looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here, I guess he’s not a big fan of the elders either. “Are there any special rites of passage that we should be performing?” They ask the priest and he shakes his head sideways. “It will be done in the normal way.” He answers and I begin to wonder why the spirits are still silent. I used to think that the day my father dies, it’s going to be a big deal and we’re going to have to perform a
NIKIOAI'S POV. “I’m not going with Sherry and that is final.” I say to Winter and leave the room without slamming the door. I can’t believe she can still say a thing like this after everything I just told her. I don’t want Sherry, I want her and if she can’t go with me to the funeral, then that’s fine. I don’t mind going alone. We still have plenty of other events to attend together. “Nikolai” she calls after me but I don’t reply or even look back. I should just leave and we can talk about it when I get back. I don’t want to say anything I might regret and not be able to take back. I inform the chief of staff, Mrs. Hyacinth about the funeral and she does the rest. She’s the most capable woman I know, I wonder how my father was able to keep her for so long after mother died. My mother was the one who brought Hyacinth to our house to work as a maid, my father was very skeptical about her eye color, he always referred to her as a witch but she never seem to mind my father’s disres
HYACINTH'S POV.I’ve been in this house for a very very long time and I have to say this is the first time that I actually enjoy being here, since the queen died that is. All the king's other wives or as I like to call them; extra wives are gone and so is the king. Living in this house for as long as I have was certainly not an easy task. It was practically torture but I had to stay, not because like torture but because I had to fulfil my promise to the late queen. She was the only person that treated me like a person when everyone else considered me an animal. She brought me into her home regardless of what her husband and everyone thought, she dedicated her time and energy to training me on how to do things that I never imagined I could. How could I not fulfill her wish? It was a very small price to pay for everything she had done for me. She practically saved my life, so I took care of the prince like he was my own and now that he’s all grown up fully capable of taking care of h
WINTER'S POV. “I love you too.” I say to Nikolai and he kisses the top of my nose. He hasn’t been able to contain his excitement since I agreed to attend his coronation and I’m really glad I talked to the scary woman who doesn’t seem so scary anymore and whose name I now know is Hyacinth. She seems to care a lot about Nikolai as much as he cares about her too. I guess she’s more than just a maid to him. She’s like his guardian. I can’t stop thinking about what she said about his mother accepting me before she even knew me. It makes me curious as to what kind of person she was. Nikolai never talks about her. When I hear the sound of the door click as Nikolai shuts it, I lay down on the bed and drown myself in my own thoughts. I’ve come a long way since I arrived in this pack, this body. I remember being enslaved by the very man I can’t do without right now. Life works in very mysterious ways, my life especially. The knob twists and the door creaks open, I sit up to see who it is
NIKOLAI'S POV. Winter sneezes for the third time in a row and I can’t stop blowing snot out of my nose, It’s a disaster. The ceremony is in just a few hours and I plan to introduce Winter to the pack tomorrow as well but if I was given a chance to start the day all over, I’ll make the exact same choices and I wouldn’t change a thing. I had fun with Winter today. A lot of fun. The feel of the water against my skin was electric and I couldn’t even tell if it was because it was cold or because Winter was in the water with me and her clothes stuck to her body like a second skin hugging all her curves and making her features more. . . .prominent. Her hair draped over her shoulders like she was the goddess of the goddamn ocean and maybe it was just me but I think she illuminated in the water. We played in the water for quite a while before finding our way back up. We kept splashing water on each other like children and competing with each other who could hold their breath under the wa
NKOLAI'S POV.“This is the woman that I intend to marry.” I say pointing at Winter and showing her off to the people. They begin murmur to each other and the elders are in obvious shock.“Yes, I know.” I continue. “She’s not the woman from the mating ceremony, but if my father’s death has taught me anything; it’s to do what you want to do and not hold back on single thing.” I say and they’re no longer murmuring, I think they are starting to agree with me.“I’ve loved Winter since the first time I set eyes on her and the reason I went through with the mating ceremony is because my father didn’t approve of Winter but on the last day we saw each other, he finally approved. I was wondering why he did that in the middle of the ceremony. If only I knew he was going to die.” I shed a tear and Winter was quick to wrap her arms around me. I gained the people’s sympathy too.“As the new Alpha, my first wish is that my people approve of my mate. It’s all I ask.”The entire pack went silent. If t
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