NIKOLAI'S POV.“Can I get your attention every one?” I say purposefully and every pair of greedy, unforgiving eyes turn to look at me. It feels gratifying, I’ve not even yet start to take their money but I’m already loving it.“Now that the artefacts have arrived, I'll quickly read through the rules so we can get this auction started. Some of us have travelled a really long distance.” I sound considerate.“The artefacts have been put on display and on each of your tables is a placard. If you turn to the other side of it, there’s a number written on there, everyone has a different number.” I explain and they all start to turn their cards. I can’t read some of their expressions but so far this is going well.“When I name the price of an artefact you like, you raise your placard and the bidding begins. Do we all get it?” I ask and they nod, it feels like talking to children. I’m taking my time to explain because I know some of them have never been to an auction before.“The auction start
WINTER'S POVIt can’t be him. There are a ton of people with the same name. I need to calm down. “Alpha Jacob?” Nikolai asks sounding both surprised and pleased. Maybe they’re friends. Maybe I’ve got them mixed up. “I didn’t peg him for someone who likes to socialize.” Nikolai is beaming with smiles. I’m as still as a lake but my heart is fighting a war within me, a war that I think it might win. “I’ll be right there.” Nikolai told the guard and dismissed him. He turns to look at me with a smile, one that I return with a half smile and half scowl. “Why can’t he stay at an inn? We have those right?” I pout and Nikolai’s smile goes even wider.“I doubt he’ll want to stay at in. He’s visually impaired.” There, my heart won. Its officially out of it’s cage and on it’s way to find a way out of my body. It's abandoning me and it’s not going alone. My voice seems to have it’s bag packed too, my brain is yet to decide seeing as I’m still unable to move.“Don’t worry, he’ll only he here a
NIKOLAI'S POVI’ve exceeded my goal of two million dollars by a million more but why stop here when they’re still so willing to spend?Perhaps I should bring out more of the artefacts? Hunter is no where in sight and it might draw the wrong kind of attention to my father’s room, so maybe not.The last thing I want is for anyone to find out about the secret passage, it would be a disaster.The guards put the last of the artefact on the auction table. It’s a rather small item but by far the most valuable, by my assessment. I read up on all of these artefacts to know as much as I can make from them before auctioning them away, their worth, their history. Everything.If I am to consider what they’re worth now, then I have sold them at least seven times their actual prices but to consider what they will be worth in the future, I don’t think I’m taking enough from them.Although many of them don’t even realize this, they might even gift out these items as a proud show of affluence but again
NIKOLAI'S POV.“Alpha Jacob has requested for his meal to be served in his room, he’s apparently not as social as I presumed.” I whine to aunt Hyacinth and she cracks a smile. “It was a long day, maybe he’s just tired.” She explains but its not comforting. I was really looking forward to picking his brains tonight but may be she’s right. It was a really long day. I walk past all the rooms in the hallway and go down the stairs, the living room looks like it’s never housed guests before, it’s spotless. There are only a handful of guests still roaming the palace and they’ll be gone as soon as they figure things out with the guards. Counting cash is a lot more tedious than it looks but the guards are not going to let go until they’ve confirmed the amount is right. It’s their lives on the line after all.“Alpha Nikolai.” A raspy voice calls out and for a split second, I thought it was my father. I know it’s insane but my father is the only one I know with that kind of crack in his voic
WINTER.I’m screwed.I underestimated what kind of trouble that comes with living with someone whose eyes you plucked out and whose entire family thinks you’re dead except him, of course.I thought; how hard could it be? Little did I know what I was signing up for. Nikolai is standing right in front of me now and asking which of the two clothes he’s holding up is more suitable for his walk with Jacob. He’s acting like he’s going on a date.They both look the same to me but I’m not about to tell him that. “This one.” I say pointing to the maroon short sleeved shirt that’s hanging loosely from his right hand. “My choice too.” He beams at me and I force smile in return. His features are annoyingly distracting. I want to think about a plan that will prevent him from going on this walk with Jacob but I can’t think straight with him dangling those sexy arm muscles in front of me and smiling at me so innocently, he’s completely clueless and that should make me feel guilty but it turns me
Winter My heart aches. It aches really bad. Seeing Jacob relying on a cane to take him places and not being able to see the things that surround him, is not what’s making my heart ache, it’s what he did to me. His face refreshes every memory I’ve tried to bury and peels open every wound I thought was healed. I never really had the time to deal with everything he did to me. I was too busy trying to save my life and before I could even process my own thoughts or pull myself together, I’m Winter. A whole new person, an entirely different life to adapt to. All the emotions that I’ve kept in for so long are finding their way back to the surface. He looks so pitiful holding that cane, like he couldn’t hurt a fly even if he tried. His voice comes out weaker than he probably intended so I reply in the same tone, subtly mocking him but he doesn’t notice, no-one does because I have an excuse for sounding weak, I’m ‘sick'. "Nice to finally meet you,” he says, his voice gaining more m
NIKOLAI.“How was your walk with Jacob?” Winter asks and I smile at her.“It was eye-opening.” I tell her and watch her brows crease together.“Whatever do you mean?” She asks and I notice the ease with she talks now. Aunt Hyacinth must have taken good care of her and the doctor was right, she just needed rest. She probably hasn’t full adopted to this place yet.“I mean we discussed a lot of things. Politics and the likes of it.” I mutter casually and shrug. I’m trying to put an end to this topic but it’s only making her even more interested.“Care to share some details?” she says sweetly and I’m almost tempted to spill all the details of my conversation with Jacob but I don’t.“I would but I ache everywhere, it’s been ages since I went anywhere on my feet. And you need to rest.” I change into a more comfortable cloth and climb unto the bed next to her. She pouts and moves closer to me on the bed. She’s never done it before, she’s so close I want punch her in the lips. . .with my lip
WINTER.The concept of day and night fascinates me. It’s a miracle how it was dark a few hours ago and now the sky is purging light the next hour.Nikolai spent the night in the office, I know because I was up all night. He didn’t even come back once to check on me. I put my feet on the ground and take long strides towards the dressing table to take a look at myself in the mirror. My hair is a complete mess.It’s the third time he’s doing this, spending the night in the office, going out in the morning and coming back late at night, only to sleep in the office again. He says he’s busy but its starting to seem like he’s avoiding me.I run my fingers through my hair, who wouldn’t avoid this? I look like an electrocuted porcupine but I feel even worse.I don’t know what I’m supposed to do around here. Nikolai is not saying anything about our mating ceremony and I can’t play the ro
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