ORLAWhen I'd been goading Ophelia to kill me, I didn't actually think that she would have gone through with it. Maybe it was because I hadn't been eating well that I was crazy enough to push her to the edge.At the same time, I wondered where I'd gone wrong in being her sister.My parents had adopted her when I was five, as they had trouble conceiving a second child after me. My parents went out one day after making me a promise that they'd find me a new friend that I could be with for the rest of my life.They returned with four year old Ophelia, who looked so small and so fragile that I instinctively went to give her a big hug, shouting, "I'll protect you forever."Maybe I should have expected the worst from her when she simply pouted and burst into tears, shouting gibberish that sounded like she was making accusations at me.In the days that had followed, the same aloof attitude continued, but I forcefully pried my way into her life, thinking that she was simply a shy girl that was
ORLAI couldn't believe what I'd just heard from Maverick's mouth. His mate? But how?Shortly after that big confession, he simply fell asleep as though he hadn't just unleashed a total bomb on my head. Sleep refused to come, as I only tossed and turned on the hard floor. Closing one's eyes was the only thing that actually helped me pass the time in this place. Especially when the thoughts became too loud and too heavy to ponder on. I knew that there was no way that I'd sit back and allow Ryker's father to take over Saint Terrir like his plans had said. If he did, many lives would be lost.As for Ophelia, I had no idea where she had gone after she unceremoniously tried to end my life. She stabbed me in the shoulder and then, as though thinking better of her choice, left the cell in a flash. There were a lot of things going on with her that I didn’t understand, and sadly, it would be that way for a while because she wasn't ready to explain anything to me.The doors of my cell opened,
AUTHOR'S POVFrom his brief interaction with Ophelia, Alec deduced that indeed, things were going on beneath the surface. The way she had been acting during their brief talk led him to believe that she knew exactly where her sister was. The only problem was getting her to talk.He relayed this information to Ella back in his apartment. For clarity, after a few days, Ella's parents were able to track her down and requested that she returned home. Since she didn't want to do that, and her hiding place had already been compromised, she asked Alec if he could accommodate her for a few days.Alec would have suggested it anyway, but he was glad that she took the initiative. He didn't want her to think that just because they were mates, he was supposed to have access to her.Come to thjnk of it, they hadn't even had a proper discussion concerning their mate bond. He didn't have a clear image of how she felt, although he sensed that she didn't have much of an issue with it. Unless he was read
ORLASWIFT CLAW PACKThe past few hours were hell. Pure, unadulterated hellish suffering that Maverick and I were made to witness, and we could do nothing about it. Even if we had resolved to fight back the moment we arrived at the destination we were being moved to, nothing could have ever prepared us for the trouble that we faced.First off, it turned out that Makila and Daniel had targeted Swift Claw, Maverick’s pack, as their new base of operations.We were initially received at the main pack house with wary stares and questions, as the wolves there wondered why their alpha stood before them in chains and looked like he had been through ages of untold suffering.I couldn’t answer their questions because we were still under duress, and acting out at a crucial moment such as that would have caused even more damage. So I clamped my lips shut, kept my eyes open, and prayed deep in my heart that Daniel would spare the people there—even if I knew that his plan was to ensure that those t
AUTHOR’S POVThe thing that Makila had been trying to avoid had finally come right to her doorstep. She thought that things would have been different, but they weren’t. She wished and wished deep in her heart that it was all a hazy dream or facade that she was forced to see, but it wasn’t. The man standing before her—Everett, was truly a member of Maverick’s pack, and he now looked at her with so much shock in his eyes. He hadn’t been expecting to see her. How could she have been such a fool? She had a hunch right from the moment she dreamwalked and saw a little bit of who he really was. With the budding friendship that had been blossoming between them through their frequent chats and calls, she had started to lose sight of who he truly was, and that in the end, he wasn’t Marc, he wouldn’t choose her when it came down to it. \He didn’t know her. And she didn’t know him.Everything had been going so well. Why now? Why!“Makila, dear, do something about this nuisance. I don’t like b
ORLAMakila didn’t fight back. Instead, she stood, watching Everett as he held her tightly by the throat, growling right in her face.Another thing that I noticed was that even Everett didn’t do more than hold her by the neck. As he bared his sharpened teeth in a show of anger, he refrained from doing much else.Still, it didn’t do much to assuage my worries. I still needed him to get away from her, fearing deeply for his life. Even Maverick, who stood by my side, was on the brink of unleashing his wolf, even after we had agreed that it would have been best if he continued to act as though he couldn’t do any harm. We wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, but with the way things were going right now, there was no telling what could happen.I was pulled in different directions, wondering how I could diffuse the situation before it became a blood bath. I’d already seen too much death. Too much. Seeing someone like Everett get killed would destabilize me.I picked the only
AUTHOR'S POVELLA & ALECThe chilly wind of the evening brought Ella back to her senses. She'd been lost in thought since Alec told her that they'd be infiltrating the Blackwood Manor where he had gotten intel that Maverick and Orla were being held. Luckily, the information had gotten sent out right before Daniel's men seized the manor and took every inhabitant hostage—including Alec's inside men.Ella rubbed her arms aggressively, blowing hot hair from between her puckered lips. "It's really cold." Her face had gone slightly pink, and her jaw looked close to chattering.Alec, without even giving it a thought, took off the fur lined sweater he was wearing, revealing the black long-sleeved vest he wore underneath, and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Here. That should keep you warm."Ella started to protest, but Alec had already returned to his hyper focused conversation over the phone with his pack member."Look, we're going there now . . . There's no time to wait anymore, don't you
AUTHOR'S POVELLAAs the two men dragged Alec into the side entrance of the manor, Ella couldn't help but wonder how and why Daniel, Ryker's father that had been believed to be dead for years, returned with this malicious intent and power. Of course, she knew since the time she got kidnapped, that there were higher forces working in the background, watching and waiting for the time where they would finally be able to stand unopposed.It just made her worry even more.She clenched her fists and took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down and focus on the work she had to do. The two large men had taken Alec inside, and closed the door behind them, but before it could completely click shut, she dashed forward and used her foot to stop it.One thing that gave her a little confidence concerning this was the fact that the two men seemed oblivious that they were being followed. They didn't seem so smart either.Maybe she'd be able to take them without issue after all.After listening an
AUTHOR'S POVA YEAR LATERThe usual belief about life is that a person only lives once. For Orla, though, that wasn't the case. From being mistreated, abused, and ultimately killed in her previous life, she awakened to find herself given another chance to make things right. A chance to fix the wrongs that led to her unfortunate demise. A chance to build that which she should have lost.Another chance . . . to find love.+_+_+Orla bent down, crouching as far as she could go to pat the last heap of rich brown earth into place. She'd always wanted to try gardening since she was a child, and now she had finally made that dream come true.She sighed contentedly, and sat back on her haunches, looking up at the sky whilst wiping off her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. Although it was still quite chilly, and the ice hadn't completely thawed, strenuous physical activity could still make a person feel like they were stuck inside a furnace.The advice Alec had given her was to plant
ORLAIt felt like an eternity. The darkness. It had neither a beginning or an end. It took me—grabbed me in a suffocating hug and refused to let me go.At some point—I didn't know how long it took, but it came to my understanding that the darkness was of my own making, and only I could free myself from its clutches.So, I opened my eyes, and welcomed the light back in.The first thing I saw was a face. One too familiar, and at the same time, dreadfully disturbing.Blood seeped out of his nose, ears and mouth and dripped on my shirt. His eyes had gone blank, with its usual icy colour sucked into the cold emptiness of death.Ryker was dead.I pulled my hand out of his neck, unable to ignore the feeling of gore and slippery blood. His weight had become suffocating since life no longer flowed through his veins.I pushed his corpse off me, and sat up with a groan. The wound in my chest was still struggling to knit itself back together, but with the bullet still lodged inside of me, it wou
ORLAA gun. That was what he had been holding. I'd failed to recognise the hidden shape in his hand on time. I had been too occupied with other things to think about the fact that he'd probably had a plan B.He fired three rounds without pausing.I only had milliseconds to respond, but I wasn't fast enough. He'd surprised me, and I had to deal with the consequences.Cold descended on me as I realised that I had indeed acted too irrationally. Searing pain bloomed in the left side of my chest, and another in my thigh. The last one grazed my cheekbone, and that was only because I pushed my head to the side just before the bully made impact with my flesh.Blood rapidly started to pool in my mouth, filling up my throat until air couldn't pass through and I had to spit it out before it choked me.I fell on my good leg, clutching my bleeding chest.I hadn't foreseen this. I'd been so eager to get him that I had forgotten how cunning he could be. There was no way he would have just been here
ORLA'Don't think. Don't feel. Just act.'Those were the words ringing in my head as I swung the wooden log into the side of Sonja's head with every power that my body could muster, bursting it open like a balloon. Blood splattered all over my clothes, but I didn't matter. I had killed her. She was dead, and she would never, ever hurt my family again.I had made a promise to go as low as killing just to save my child, and I was glad that I hadn't hesitated when it mattered the most. Although it was a flimsy defence, I had no other option. She had raised her knife to stab Amaranthine, and Maverick was too far away to get anything done.Makila had spotted her and her counterpart from a distance, and was able to perform a spell that teleported us right behind them. We'd also seen the vampires that seemed to also be trying to help her, and decided that it was best to stay out of their line of sight.Sonja's body went limp, and her remaining eye remained wide in horror and shock. She mus
MAVERICKWe followed the trail judiciously, paying attention to the location the trackers had presented us with. We'd gone by car to eat up the most of the distance, but since the trail eventually led into a dense, seemingly unused path, we had to turn to out feet for transport.Under the guidance of the moon, we pressed on, too determined to even stop for a moment to speak to each other. I took mental note of the people with me, and found myself grateful for having such wonderful packmates that were willing to do this with me. Of course, the years had strengthened our bond, but I still was baffled sometimes by their immense loyalty and dedication to me. Amaranthine's kidnapping had been a huge blow to the pack, but it didn't change the fact that she was my daughter, and most of the pressure to find her fell on Orla and I, but they all took the issue and placed it on their shoulders as well, making the weight a little bit easier for me to hear.We kept walking, keeping caution close
ORLANight came, and all our hearts were ready and prepared for what was to come.I stood in the bathroom, staring at my reflection for the second time in six four hours. The time was already a couple of minutes past seven, and as Maverick had told us, it was go time.Everyone else had gotten ready, and those that were at the first part of the plan had left a little while ago. Tim, Everett, Blair, and Avery had gone with Maverick, following the coordinates given on Everett's tracker. From what we'd seen, Ryker and his witch friends hadn't left their positions since the time we had deliberated on the plan. The plan was quite straightforward. Maverick would go with his people to scout the area and then proceed to lure the witches and Ryker out. Again, I had been thinking that I had been sidelined from the plan itself, until Maverick told me that I would go in with Makila to get Amaranthine. Makila's presence couldn't be downplayed simply because she was the only one with prior knowled
ORLAI was sick and tired of waiting for things to happen. The day after my last discussion with Maverick, I'd been unable to rest my jittery nerves. Every second, minute or hour physically disturbed me. I wanted my child. I needed her back in my arms.The fact that I had no idea what they could have been doing to her made me panic even more. What if they were abusing her? Or casting marks on her smooth skin just to cause her pain? What if they were starving her, and watching as life slowly seeped out of her little body?I had to hold on to the hope that she still lived. I couldn't think about anything else.Maverick had called for a compulsory meeting, and as much as I wanted to keep avoiding him, I couldn't turn away when my child came into the picture.The noon was blazing hot, so I already dressed in a black tank top and some denim shorts, baring the skin of my arms and legs. In this, the mark Maverick had branded me with was on full display—an oddly symmetrical line of five dots
ORLA"She's waking up," someone whispered. My eyes couldn't fathom anything but darkness. My mouth felt like something was keeping it from opening, and pain spread at different points of my body, like I'd been run over by something.I opened my mouth to speak, and only a groan could find freedom."Shhh, don't talk. You might hurt yourself."'I already feel hurt,' I wanted to say, but speaking still seemed like a hassle to me. I reached out blindly, and warmth came to my hand. A familiar touch. "It's okay now, you're safe."With a painful flash, the memories of what I'd gone through previously ran through my mind. Makila yelled at me to go.Getting attacked by a woman.Ryker threatening Amaranthine's life.Just like that, my eyes flew open, and a scream finally came out of my throat, wrapped in somebody's name. "Ryker! He has Amaranthine!" I shouted despite my sore throat. Maverick came to my side, rubbing my back and softly whispering, "We know."I looked up at him, recalling my
ORLAIt couldn't be though, that witch was dead. Even if she had escaped death before, it couldn't be possible that she happened to resurrect again . . . Right?The woman before me laughed softly. "Why are you looking at me like that? Does my face ring a bell in your head?""Where is my daughter?" I asked, deciding to go straight to the point. There was nothing worth more than her safety right now. Not even my own curiosity.She frowned playfully. "Your daughter? Hmm." She lazily patted a finger against her chin. "Probably dead by now."Another thing that I found different about her was her behaviour. Sonia had been incredibly loyal to Daniel, and hardly spoke unless it was so say something that showed that. This one had a lighter disposition.The woman didn't even seem bothered at the sound of those approaching. If anything, she seemed to get even bolder. "And what's that I hear? You brought backup?"I looked down at Makila, who still sat behind the shrub, pressing the bottom of her