★DARIUS’ POV★The morning after Finn died, the air in the pack house felt heavy, thick with grief and unspoken fear. Six of my men, gone. Just like that. Torn apart in those cursed woods. It should have made me stop. Made me rethink. Made me listen to the fear that was gripping the pack.But it didn’t.It only made me harder. More determined. If my best warriors couldn’t get those herbs, if the Crying Woods was too much for a trained team, then there was only one person left who could go. Me. The Alpha.I didn’t waste time. I called Sylas into my study first. He was the most skilled, the bravest of my advisors.He walked in, his face etched with the sorrow of the previous night. He knew why I’d called him. He could probably smell the grim resolve on me.“Alpha,” he said quietly.“Sylas,” I nodded, getting straight to the point. No need for pleasantries. Not now. “You know what happened last night.”He closed his eyes for a brief moment, a flicker of pain crossing his face. “Yes, Alpha
★EMMELINE’S POV★I woke up slowly, the dull ache in my body a familiar companion now. But something else felt wrong. Deeper. Colder. I reached out instinctively, my hand searching the space beside me in the bed. Empty.Darius wasn’t there.That wasn’t unusual. He was the Alpha, always busy. But this felt different. The bond, the constant hum of his presence in the back of my mind, felt… distant. Like a faint whisper across a wide, empty space. Not gone, not broken, but stretched thin, strained.Panic, cold and sharp, pricked at me. I pushed myself up, ignoring the protest from my aching muscles. “Darius?” I called out, my voice raspy from sleep.No answer.I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet finding the floor. I pulled on a robe quickly, my hands fumbling with the tie. Where was he? Why did the bond feel so… far away?I opened the door to our chambers. A maid was outside, tidying the hall.“Where is the Alpha?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.She curtsied. “Good
★DARIUS’ POV★Damn, that place was even worse than the stories. The Crying Woods… they weren’t kidding with the name. The air hung thick and heavy, clinging to my skin like a shroud. It reeked of stale blood, rot, and something else… despair, maybe? Twisted trees clawed at the perpetually grey sky, their branches like skeletal fingers. It was unnervingly quiet in some ways, but the silence was punctuated by sounds that made the hairs on my arms stand up – distant growls echoing through the suffocating woods, the rustle of unseen things in the undergrowth.And the eyes. Glowing pairs of them, tracking me from the deepest shadows. Yellow, green, cold pinpricks of hate watching my every step. The rogues. They said rogues were just mindless beasts, driven mad by isolation. Bullshit. Those bastards were smart, cunning. They were hunting me, I could feel it. Packs of them, flanking me, testing my path, waiting for an opening.Being alone sucked right then, made every shadow seem like a thre
EMMELINEThey are never going to find the bodies of the men I killed on the day of my mating ceremony.Neither would they find me. My name is Emmeline Carrington, and I am King Carrington's daughter and the last female Lycan. Six Months EarlierAs I stood before Jonas, my fated mate, our hands intertwined and our smiles beaming, I couldn't think of a more perfect day. It was the day of our mating ceremony, and to say that I was still in awe of everything playing out would be a sheer understatement. I just couldn't believe a day like this had finally come, that something this good, this perfect, would ever happen to a girl like me.Several times today, I'd paused and waited with bated breath, half expecting to awaken from whatever dream this was. But it wasn't a dream. I was getting mated to Jonas Sharpe! For the first time in my life, it didn't feel like I had been cursed. To be bound to a man like Jonas as a mate was the greatest blessing of all. He was a top-ranking warrior in
EMMELINEFearful screams arose from every corner of the hall as everyone present flew into a frenzy. My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest as I staggered backwards from a mix of confusion and fear.Because everything had happened so fast, I barely had time to process anything. One second my father was officiating my mating ceremony, and the next he had flown to the center of the madness, fighting off the werewolves that were storming into our estate. WE WERE TRULY UNDER ATTACK!ON THE DAY OF MY MATING CEREMONY!All around the hall, combat had ensued with Lycans being cut down mercilessly and killed brutally. It was a bloodbath. I had never felt so much horror. Blood rushed through my ears as I looked around for Jonas, barely escaping the people zooming past me and causing a stampede. "Jonas!!" I screamed helplessly, fighting my way through the crowd and simultaneously struggling to avoid the silver bullets whizzing left and right. I couldn't believe that the best d
EMMELINE (MARY)Present Day“Hurry up with the drink, bartender! I don't have all bloody day!” A man seated at one of the tables in the small bar yelled at me. I nearly jumped out of my skin, slightly dizzy from the suddenness of it all. I realized then that I had zoned out. Again. As fast as my legs could carry me, I rushed out from behind the counter, balancing his order in one hand as I made for his table. I managed to get there without spilling anything. "Y-Your drink, s-sir…" I stuttered, keeping my eyes down apologetically lest I get into more trouble. "Give me that!" He barked, snatching it from me and shooting me a glare sharp. Shuddering, I headed back to my position behind the counter. It had been four months since I was employed at this bar, and still the job hadn't gotten easier. My life hadn't gotten any easier. That seemed like a more fitting conclusion. I still felt heavy and hollow, the hole in the chest never closing up completely. After the death of my family, I
EMMELINEI was locked up in the back of the van on it’s way to the slave house. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my new reality dawned on me. It was over for me. What could possibly become of my life once I started living in the slave house? That was, if such a life could be considered living.I wanted to scream my lungs out in desperation. The guards had made sure I had no means of escape by binding both my arms and legs tightly so that it was impossible to even move. Tears of frustration formed in my eyes again as I trembled in the back of the van. Things were by no means perfect, but at least I'd had some sense of stability. A job, a roof over my head, and plans to relocate as soon as possible. There were just a few months left. And now everything had been turned upside down. All my plans had crumbled into one meaningless blob of nothing. Perhaps I was cursed. Maybe happiness just wasn't something meant for me. Every time it seemed within reach, something happened that would bring
EMMELINEWhy did he buy me?This was the question that continued to resound in my mind all through the ride back to Alpha Darius' pack. After I'd been sold, some of his men had bundled me off the stage and taken me outside to a waiting car. I hadn't seen much of the Alpha because he was in another car.Even when we arrived at Fletch Pack, Alpha Darius did not say much to me. He just handed me over to two maids in waiting and ordered them to clean me up. Still blindfolded, I was taken to what I assumed to be the bathroom. It was only after I shoved into the bathroom that the blindfold was finally taken off. The women got to work immediately, scrubbing me thoroughly. It felt like a repeat of what had happened earlier at the slave trade. I didn't even bother to fight back this time. I was exhausted to the bone, so I just sat there and let them do their job. They were so harsh with it that I wondered briefly if they were doing it on purpose. I couldn't help but notice that the women wer
★DARIUS’ POV★Damn, that place was even worse than the stories. The Crying Woods… they weren’t kidding with the name. The air hung thick and heavy, clinging to my skin like a shroud. It reeked of stale blood, rot, and something else… despair, maybe? Twisted trees clawed at the perpetually grey sky, their branches like skeletal fingers. It was unnervingly quiet in some ways, but the silence was punctuated by sounds that made the hairs on my arms stand up – distant growls echoing through the suffocating woods, the rustle of unseen things in the undergrowth.And the eyes. Glowing pairs of them, tracking me from the deepest shadows. Yellow, green, cold pinpricks of hate watching my every step. The rogues. They said rogues were just mindless beasts, driven mad by isolation. Bullshit. Those bastards were smart, cunning. They were hunting me, I could feel it. Packs of them, flanking me, testing my path, waiting for an opening.Being alone sucked right then, made every shadow seem like a thre
★EMMELINE’S POV★I woke up slowly, the dull ache in my body a familiar companion now. But something else felt wrong. Deeper. Colder. I reached out instinctively, my hand searching the space beside me in the bed. Empty.Darius wasn’t there.That wasn’t unusual. He was the Alpha, always busy. But this felt different. The bond, the constant hum of his presence in the back of my mind, felt… distant. Like a faint whisper across a wide, empty space. Not gone, not broken, but stretched thin, strained.Panic, cold and sharp, pricked at me. I pushed myself up, ignoring the protest from my aching muscles. “Darius?” I called out, my voice raspy from sleep.No answer.I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet finding the floor. I pulled on a robe quickly, my hands fumbling with the tie. Where was he? Why did the bond feel so… far away?I opened the door to our chambers. A maid was outside, tidying the hall.“Where is the Alpha?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.She curtsied. “Good
★DARIUS’ POV★The morning after Finn died, the air in the pack house felt heavy, thick with grief and unspoken fear. Six of my men, gone. Just like that. Torn apart in those cursed woods. It should have made me stop. Made me rethink. Made me listen to the fear that was gripping the pack.But it didn’t.It only made me harder. More determined. If my best warriors couldn’t get those herbs, if the Crying Woods was too much for a trained team, then there was only one person left who could go. Me. The Alpha.I didn’t waste time. I called Sylas into my study first. He was the most skilled, the bravest of my advisors.He walked in, his face etched with the sorrow of the previous night. He knew why I’d called him. He could probably smell the grim resolve on me.“Alpha,” he said quietly.“Sylas,” I nodded, getting straight to the point. No need for pleasantries. Not now. “You know what happened last night.”He closed his eyes for a brief moment, a flicker of pain crossing his face. “Yes, Alpha
★DARIUS’ POV★I stood before them, my best warriors. Their faces were grim, expectant. They knew something was wrong. My mate was sick, and when the Alpha’s mate is sick, the pack feels it. The air in the room was thick with unspoken worry.“Listen up,” I began with a rough voice. “You know the situation with Luna Emmeline. The healer says there’s a way to help her, a tonic. But the herbs needed… they’re in the Crying Woods.”A ripple went through the group. The Crying Woods. Even the bravest among them shifted uncomfortably. They knew the stories. Everyone did.“Yeah, Alpha,” one of them spoke up. “The Crying Woods. That place is a shithole. Full of rogues.”“Exactly,” I confirmed, meeting each of their eyes. “Not just any rogues. These are the ones who lost their minds. Banished, twisted by rage and isolation. They live like animals in there. Savage. Violent. They kill anything that crosses their path.”I held up the parchment Anastasia had given me. “The healer gave me the descript
★DARIUS’ POV★“There has to be something.” My voice was low, a dangerous rumble I barely recognized. I stood over Anastasia, the healer, my fists clenched at my sides. Her face a roadmap of wrinkles, but her eyes held a weariness that wasn't just age. It was the look of someone who had seen too much, too many things go wrong.She sighed, a thin, reedy sound. “Alpha Darius, I understand your… distress. But I have told you. A hybrid pregnancy is… unnatural. The child grows too fast. It takes too much from the mother.”“Unnatural?” I scoffed, the sound sharp. “She’s carrying my child. There’s nothing unnatural about that.”Anastasia flinched slightly but held her ground. “With respect, Alpha, the mixing of bloodlines this strong… it creates complications. The child’s wolf nature is dominant, even in the womb. It draws on the mother’s life force to fuel its growth. It’s why… why hybrids are so rare now. The mothers…” She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor.“The mothers what?” I p
★EMMELINE’S POV★It was a quiet afternoon. One of the rare ones where I wasn't meeting anyone, or having Elara check on me, or listening to Darius go over security plans. I was just... alone in my room. The sun was streaming in through the window, warm and peaceful. I was sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of the bed, my hand resting on my stomach.The baby had been calm for a while, just little wiggles here and there. It felt nice. Peaceful. I closed my eyes, just enjoying the quiet, enjoying the feeling of this little life inside me.And then it happened.Not a wiggle. Not a kick.It felt like... like something exploding inside me. A sudden, violent lurch, so powerful it stole my breath. My eyes flew open, and I gasped, a sharp, painful sound."Whoa," I whispered, putting both hands on my belly, trying to brace myself. "Okay, little one, that was... that was a big one."But it didn't stop. It wasn't just one kick. It was a series of them, rapid and brutal. It felt like t
★DARIUS’ POV★The whispers hadn't stopped, not entirely. Even after the council meeting, even after Sylas and Lena started their 'educational talks,' I could still feel the undercurrent of unease in the pack. It was like a low-grade fever, always present. And it was all centered around the baby. My baby.Emmeline was trying to be strong, I knew she was. But I saw the way she'd sometimes flinch when a maid was a little too quiet, or how she'd touch her stomach protectively when someone looked at her a little too long. The incident with Clara and the shoes, and how her anger had triggered the baby's kicks... it only confirmed my fears. This wasn't just a normal pregnancy. This child was... reacting. Responding. And that kind of connection, that kind of power, was exactly what the pack was afraid of.I needed more than Elara's observations, as good as she was. I needed someone who understood the truly ‘unusual’. Someone who specialized in the weird, the rare, the supernatural pregnancies
★EMMELINE’S POV★Things were getting weirder. Not just the Alpha visits, which were still a thing, but the baby. My baby. Elara said it was unique, strong, and yeah, I was starting to feel exactly what she meant.It wasn't just random kicks anymore. It felt... connected. Like my emotions were having a direct line to the little person inside me.Yesterday, for example. I was trying to get ready for another stupid Alpha tea with another set of Alphas who were scheduled for that day, and one of the maids, a girl named Clara, brought me the wrong shoes. Again. It was the third time she'd messed up a simple errand that morning. I was already stressed about meeting another stranger who might be secretly judging me or my baby, and this just... tipped me."Clara," I said, trying to keep my voice even, but I could feel the annoyance bubbling up. "These aren't the shoes I asked for. These are the ones from Tuesday. I need the black ones with the silver buckle."She just stood there, looking flu
★DARIUS’ POV★Something was off. I could feel it in the air, a subtle shift in the pack's energy. It wasn't fear like when we were under attack, not that sharp, immediate terror. This was... quieter. More insidious. It was whispers. Hushed tones that stopped the moment I walked into a room. Eyes that flicked away too quickly.At first, I thought it was just the usual pack gossip, maybe about the Alpha visits or the new security measures. But the feeling persisted, a low hum of unease that seemed to follow me. I started paying closer attention, listening in on conversations I usually wouldn't bother with.And then I heard it. Bits and pieces."...the Luna's baby...""...so early, and so strong...""...a pure hybrid... like the old stories...""...what if it's too much?"Too much. That was the phrase that kept coming up. Too much power. Too much difference. Too much... unknown.I knew exactly what they were afraid of. Hybrids weren't unheard of, not entirely. I had Lycan blood myself, a