EMMELINE'S POVI wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.Not really.But when two warriors started whispering about Michael and some deal right next to me, what was I supposed to do? Just walk away and pretend I didn’t hear it?Yeah, no chance in hell.When you live in a house full of dominant wolves plotting against each other, it’s hard not to pick up on things.And right now, standing at the corner of the hall just outside the training grounds, I was picking up on something bigSo I slowed my steps, pretending to fix the strap on my boot while keeping my head down. My heart pounded as I strained to hear every word.“…said he’s got it locked in,” one of them muttered. “An Alpha from outside. Big pack, strong. He’ll bring warriors in exchange for—”The other one shushed him sharply. “Not here, dumbass.”My stomach twisted into a tight knot.Michael was bringing in outside help?That wasn’t just a power move. That was a fucking declaration of war.I forced myself to keep walking, staying just far
EMMELINEI barely had time to react before the door shut behind him.Michael stood there, his sharp gaze locking onto me like a predator who had just found his prey. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk as he leaned against the doorframe, completely blocking my only exit.“Looking for something?” he drawled.My grip on the letter tightened behind my back, my mind racing. He knew. Maybe not exactly what I had found, but he knew I had been searching for something. And now, he had me cornered.I forced my expression to remain calm, lifting my chin slightly. “Just curious,” I said evenly.Michael chuckled. “Curiosity can be dangerous,” he murmured, stepping toward me. His eyes flickered with amusement, but there was something darker lurking beneath the surface—something cold and calculating. “Especially for someone like you.”I swallowed but held my ground. I couldn’t let him see me panic.He took another slow step forward, tilting his head as he studied me. “You’ve been spending a
EMMELINE’S POVI hurried after Darius as we left Michael’s room, my heart still pounding. My mind was racing, piecing everything together.“Darius, you don’t understand. I found a letter in Michael’s room—he’s working with an Alpha from another pack. He—”“I know,” Darius cut me off, his voice calm. Too calm.I stared at him. “You know?”His jaw tightened as he kept walking, not even looking at me. “Michael won’t play fair. But it doesn’t matter—I’m ready for him.”I let out a frustrated breath, catching up to him. “You’re ready for him? Darius, this isn’t just about the fight! He has spies in the Estate. His people are feeding him information. If you don’t do something about it—”“We won’t do anything,” Darius interrupted.I stopped in my tracks. “What?”Darius turned to me, his expression unreadable. “Michael already challenged me. If anything happens to him before the fight, the pack will assume I had a hand in it. I’m not giving him the satisfaction of playing the victim.”I folde
DARIUSI walked into the main hall, my eyes immediately landing on Michael. He stood there, arms crossed, a smug expression plastered on his face. Around him, five Alphas sat at the long wooden table, their gazes sharp and unreadable.I didn’t need anyone to tell me what this was. I already knew.Michael was pulling every damn trick he could to make himself seem like a real threat. But he wasn’t.Not to me.I strode forward, my presence alone shifting the tension in the room. Emmeline stayed near the entrance, watching carefully, but I could feel the storm raging inside her.I didn’t look at Michael. I looked at the others.“You all came into my pack without prior notice.” My voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. “Tell me why I shouldn’t consider this an act of disrespect.”One of the Alphas, a broad-shouldered man with streaks of silver in his beard, leaned forward. “We only came to talk.”I scoffed. “You came to talk about my leadership, didn’t you?”The room went still.The
DARIUSMy gaze swept over the two hundred or so faces gathered to witness this… spectacle. Alphas, Betas, and every rank in between, all here to watch me potentially get my ass handed to me—Elders, warriors, and others who thought they had a say in how this ended. A good chunk of them were on my side, I could feel it. But a disturbing number seemed to be leaning towards Michael.That prick.And the rest? The cowards who waited to see who won before picking a side.Typical.My gaze flickered to Emmeline, and something in my chest tightened.She was hiding behind my beta Dawson, her slender frame partially covered by his, as if she were afraid to even be seen there. That damn veil she insisted on wearing did nothing to hide the fear in her eyes. Even though it did cover her face, it didn’t hide the way her shoulders were drawn tight, the way her fingers gripped the fabric of her dress like she was bracing herself for the worst. The sight of it made my teeth clench.Why the hell did she
EMMELINE'S POV Waiting sucks. Big time. My hands were slick with sweat, and I couldn't stop picking at a loose thread on the worn couch cushion. The roar of the crowd had finally died down. The duel was over. But the silence that followed? Way worse. It was thick and heavy, like a wet blanket smothering me. The only sound I could hear was the frantic thump-thump-thumping of my own damn heart.Why had I even doubted him? Why was that tiny little voice in the back of my head whispering, ‘What if… what if… what if…’Darius was… well, he was Darius. Strong, powerful, practically invincible. Michael was nothing compared to him. He didn’t stand a chance. Not a snowball’s chance in hell.I knew Darius would win. Deep down, I really did.But damn, fear was a sneaky little bastard. It crawls under your skin, whisper doubts in your ear, makes you question everything.The creak of the door made me jump. My breath caught in my throat. And then… there he was.Darius.He stood in the doorway, loo
EMMELINEI woke up to an empty bed, the space beside me cold.I groaned, stretching my arm across the mattress as if that would magically make Darius appear. He was here last night. I remembered falling asleep with him right next to me.Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and sighed. Where the hell did he go?Annoyance bubbled up inside me as I got dressed. He hadn’t even woken me up before leaving. Urgent matters, I bet. Darius was always handling something. But after everything we had just been through, he could’ve at least told me where he was going.I stepped outside the room, spotting two of his guards standing post. They straightened the moment they saw me.“Where is Darius?” I asked, crossing my arms.One of them cleared his throat. “The Alpha left early this morning. Said he had urgent matters to attend to.”I frowned. Urgent matters? What could be more urgent than making sure Michael’s supporters didn’t try something stupid?“And he didn’t tell me?” I muttered under my breath.The g
EMMELINEMy head throbbed, a dull, insistent ache that pulsed with every sluggish beat of my heart. Groaning, I peeled open my eyelids, greeted by a disorienting darkness. Where the hell…? I blinked, trying to focus, but the darkness clung to everything, thick and suffocating. I tried to move, to sit up, and a sharp jolt of pain shot through my wrists. I was chained. Chained to… a pole? What the actual fuck?Then, like a punch to the gut, the memories slammed back. The crash.Michael. That smug, bastardly grin.The struggle. The blow to the back of my head.And then, DarknessShit.I got knocked out. And now I’m here. Wherever here is.I scanned the room—or at least, what little I could see of it. The only light came from a dim, flickering bulb in the corner, barely illuminating the concrete walls. There were no windows. No doors in sight.A basement? A dungeon?Whatever it is, one thing was certain—I’m trapped.Panic clawed at my throat. I strained as I gritted my teeth and pulled
★DARIUS★Damn it, looking at her sleeping there, all peaceful and shit, made my blood boil. Seraphine was locked up, should be scared out of her mind, but she looked like she was taking a damn nap on a Sunday afternoon. Not a twitch, not a sign of worry that she was rotting away in my cells. Any normal prisoner would've been screaming their innocence, begging for mercy, maybe even trying to pick the damn lock with a hairpin. But not her. Just this eerie calm that sent a shiver of unease down my spine.Just as I was about to lose my temper staring at her smug face, Dawson, my beta, showed up. He looked grim, holding a rolled-up scroll in his hand. “Alpha,” he said, his voice low, “we got him.”“Ronan Voss?” I asked, a knot of anticipation tightening in my gut.Dawson nodded. “Yeah. Tracked him down like you said. Wasn’t too keen on talking at first, but… well, you know how it goes.” He didn’t need to elaborate. We weren't exactly known for our gentle interrogation methods when push cam
☆EMMELINE☆Hearing that Seraphine was locked up and refusing to say a damn word, didn’t bring me any peace. Not even a single ounce of relief. Instead, a nasty knot tightened in my stomach, twisting with a fear that felt colder and sharper than anything before. It wasn’t over. I actually wanted her out. Gone. Either out of this Estate or just… six feet under—gone for good. There was something about her quietness, the way she hadn't broken down, hadn't begged or pleaded, that freaked me out way more than any of her damn lies. It was like she was just sitting there, biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And that thought? It sent shivers down my spine.Later that night, when the rest of the Estate was probably settling down, I found myself walking towards the cells. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat in the silence. What the hell was I doing? Darius had told me to stay away, to let him handle it. But I couldn’t shake this feeling, this gnawing anxi
DARIUS’ POV★★★★★★Emmeline was pacing in our bedroom, her frustration practically radiating off her in waves. "I told you, Darius! She's lying through her teeth! That whole story about the embarrassing letter and the list? Bullshit!"I watched her, my own anger simmering beneath the surface. I knew she was probably right. My gut had been screaming at me since she first told me about the man in the garden. But I had to play it smart. Rushing in with accusations based on a hunch wasn't going to get us anywhere."I know it feels that way, Em," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "But we can't just throw her out. Not yet. We need to know what she knows, what she's up to.""Knowing what she knows has been going on for days now!" Emmeline exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "And you know what else? I feel… uncomfortable around her. She's been making these little comments, these subtle threats… I don't like it, Darius. I really don't."My jaw tightened. Threats against Emmel
DARIUS’ POV★★★★★★At last, Seraphine arrived, flanked by the guards. They informed me that Beta Dawson had come to see me, and I told them to ask him to wait until I was done with Seraphine. Seraphine looked surprised, her normally calm expression slightly marred with a hint of confusion. “Darius? What is it?”"Who was the man you were talking to in the garden this morning?" I asked, my voice tight, trying to keep my anger in check.She blinked, her eyes wide and innocent. "Oh, that was just an old friend…he's a former soldier from my father's pack. He was just passing through and wanted to say hello.""Passing through and just happened to find you in our garden?" I challenged, my skepticism thick in the air."Well, yes," she said, her voice calm, almost too calm. "He knew I was staying here with you.""Did he?" I pressed. "Because Emmeline here saw him too. And she didn't get the impression it was just a casual hello."Seraphine turned to Emmeline, a hint of annoyance flashing in he
EMMELINE★★★★★★That damn letter. It was burning a hole in my mind, and my head was practically screaming for me to tell Darius. But something held me back. What if it was nothing? Just some random piece of paper that Seraphine had picked up? I’d look like a right fool, constantly sniffing around her business for no reason. And honestly, the thought of Darius looking at me like I was being paranoid… nah, I couldn’t risk it. Not yet anyway.I needed more. Concrete proof. Something solid that would make Darius sit up and actually listen. So, Operation: Get the Dirt on Seraphine was officially underway. I spent the next couple of days keeping a low profile, trying to observe without being obvious. It was like trying to sneak past a bloody elephant – Seraphine was very slippery and careful, or so it seemed.Then, this morning, I finally caught a break. I was taking a slow walk around the garden – the doctor said light exercise was good for the baby, though honestly, some days just getting
DARIUS’ POV♤♤♤▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎♤♤♤This messenger's words… they’ve burrowed into my damn skull and won’t leave. Baseless, Sylas had suggested. Just some nobody trying to stir up trouble. But what if he wasn’t? What if, against all odds, someone actually did survive? The thought alone sent a cold shiver down my spine.Another sleepless night bled into a tense evening. I was in the meeting room with Sylas and Dawson, my Beta. The air was thick with unspoken anxieties.“Alright, let’s go over this again,” I started, rubbing the exhaustion from my eyes. “Every known enemy. Every single goddamn threat we’ve ever faced. Could any of them have slipped through the cracks?”Sylas leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “Alpha, we went over this a hundred times. Every last one of those sons of bitches was executed. Massively. My men personally checked the bodies. We made damn sure there were no survivors.”Dawson, usually quieter, nodded in agreement. “We left nothing to chance, Darius. It was a cle
DARIUS◆◆◇◆◆"Alpha, we got a situation at the south border." Dawson's voice was tight, his usual easygoing demeanor gone. He stood in the doorway of my office, his chest heaving slightly. "Someone tried to sneak in. Got a couple of our guys hurt."My blood went cold. An attempted breach? This close to everything that was happening? "How bad?" I asked, already moving towards the door."Nothing life-threatening, thankfully. Bruises, a nasty gash on Marco's arm. But they managed to take the guy down." Dawson fell into step beside me as we headed towards the border. "He put up a hell of a fight.""Who the hell was it?" I growled, my mind racing through possibilities. Kaelen testing our defenses? Some other rogue pack making a move?"Don't know yet. They've got him contained. He's not talking."We reached the border in record time. The air was thick with tension. I could see a small group of my guards gathered near the treeline, their faces grim. Marco sat on a nearby log, his arm wrapped
EMMELINE◆◆◆◇◆◆◆Okay, so after every talk that went down last night with Darius, a plan started forming in my head. Just being outright cold to Seraphine wasn't going to cut it. She was slippery, I could feel it. I needed to try a different approach, something that might make her drop her guard, even just for a second. I needed to bait her, see what kind of fish this was.So, this morning, I decided to invite her for tea. Yeah, tea. It felt ridiculously polite considering the suspicions swirling around her, but I figured it might throw her off. Plus, it would give me a chance to observe her up close, see if I could pick up on any tells.I asked one of the house staff to let her know I'd like her company in the sunroom around mid-morning. Then I went about my usual routine, trying to act as normal as possible, even though my insides were churning with unease.When Seraphine finally arrived, she looked a little surprised, maybe even a bit wary. I offered her a seat by the window, where
DARIUS◆◆◇◆◆This whole Seraphine situation was giving me a bad feeling in my gut, a real gnawing one. I called a small meeting, just the people I trusted most: Seraphine herself, my beta Dawson…the guy's got my back no matter what… and Sylas, our head of intel.Seraphine started laying it all out, talking about Kaelen's allies, these rogue packs that were itching for a fight. She named names and gave details about who was leading them. Honestly, she sounded convincing, like she knew her shit. But something about her… it just didn't sit right. Maybe it was Emmeline's words echoing in my head, planting seeds of doubt."So, these packs," I started, leaning forward on the table in my study. "You're sure about their involvement?"Seraphine nodded, her eyes earnest. "Absolutely, Alpha. These are the ones Kaelen has been grooming for years. They're loyal to him, waiting for his command… and now, they can't wait to take revenge for his death."Dawson, ever the logical thinker, chimed in. "An