EMMELINE"Put that on."I froze for a moment before turning my head to look at Darius. He stood by the door, casually tossing a silky nightdress onto the bed like it was no big deal. His voice had that sharp, commanding edge, like he was barking orders at one of his guards.I stared at the flimsy piece of fabric, my eyebrows shooting up. It wasn’t just thin—it was practically see-through. The thought of wearing that in front of him made my skin crawl.“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, my arms crossing over my chest. “There’s no way I’m putting that on.”Darius let out a long sigh, his eyes narrowing at me like I was a stubborn child testing his patience. "Don’t make this harder than it needs to be," he said, his tone flat but firm.I didn’t budge. “I’m not wearing it,” I said again, this time with more bite. “You can say it a hundred times, but it’s not happening.”He pinched the bridge of his nose like I was some kind of child testing his patience. “Don’t be stubborn, Molly. Jus
DARIUS“I can see them,” Dawson muttered, crouching next to me behind the thick cluster of trees. His eyes were locked on the dimly lit windows of the run-down motel in Red Cave Pack’s territory.I followed his gaze, catching the faint shadows of two figures moving around inside one of the rooms. “They’re getting sloppy,” I said, smirking. “Tracking Molly must have exhausted them.”Dawson snorted softly. “We should wait until they’re settled. Less mess that way. Plus the element of surprise.”I nodded. He was right. The longer we waited, the less chance they’d have to put up a fight. “Stay alert. They might be dumb, but they’re still wolves.”Dawson glanced at me, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Are you sure this won’t raise suspicions if their bodies are found?”I paused, considering his question. Would killing them stir up more trouble? Probably. But leaving them alive wasn’t an option. If they found Molly, everything would unravel.Before I could answer, one of the men inside the
EMMELINEI wandered aimlessly around the estate, my bare feet brushing against the cool marble floor. The place was silent, except for the occasional chirp of birds outside or the distant sound of footsteps from the guards.I didn’t know where Darius had gone. After last night, I expected him to have me locked in, maybe post guards at every damn door, but… nothing.What the hell was his game?I shook my head, trying to make sense of him, but it was useless. One minute he was growling orders at me, the next he was acting like he… cared. Did he?And then there was me.Why wasn’t I running?I paused by the large windows overlooking the garden, staring at the trees swaying in the breeze. Freedom was just out there. All I had to do was walk—no, run—and I’d be gone.But I didn’t move. My legs stayed rooted to the ground, like they belonged here.“Pathetic,” I muttered to myself, turning away and heading back upstairs.I found myself in Darius’s room again. His scent lingered in the air—wood
EmmelineI’d been trying to keep my mind blank as I watered the flowers, but it wasn’t working. It never worked. My thoughts always wandered back to him, no matter how much I didn’t want them to.I was crouched over a cluster of daisies, the watering can dangling loosely in my hand, when I heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Two maids rushed past me, their chatter breaking the stillness of the garden.“Alpha Darius is back,” one of them said, her voice laced with both relief and excitement.I froze, the watering can slipping from my fingers and splashing water onto the soil. I picked it up almost immediately. He was back? My pulse quickened, but I couldn’t tell if it was from anger, nerves, or something else entirely.I stood there for a moment, staring at the flowers as if they could give me answers. Why the hell did I care that he was back? I set the can down, my heart pounding for reasons I didn’t want to examine. I told myself I was only curious—no, annoyed. That’s all. But bef
EmmelineDinner was surprisingly… normal.Well, as normal as it could get when you were sitting across from a man who might have murdered your family.Darius and I ate without saying a word, the only sound coming from our silverware scraping against the plates. He looked completely at ease, focused on his meal, while my thoughts were all over the place. By now, I should have been used to sitting across from him, but something about tonight felt… off.Something didn’t sit right with me. It was like the air around us was heavy and charged with something unseen, as if something was about to happen but hadn’t yet. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe I was just overthinking. Maybe I was being paranoid. Or maybe—A knock at the door made me jump.Darius, however, didn’t even flinch. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, taking his damn time before speaking. “Come in.”The door opened, and a guard stepped inside, bowing his head slightly. “Alpha, you have visitors. Alpha Crock, Alpha Matthias, and Alpha
EMMELINEMy mind was racing wildly. Dead. The trackers were dead. Murdered. Just like that. I sat on Darius’s bed, picking at a loose thread on the duvet. I tried to convince myself that Darius had nothing to do with it and it was all just a big coincidence. But if he didn't, who could have done it? And why?The door creaked open and Darius walked in. His eyes turned dark and stormy the second they landed on me."Were you listening?" he asked.I hesitated for a second, but my guilt churned in my stomach. "Yeah," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.He sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. "Molly, that's dangerous. What if someone saw you?"I leaned forward. "I can handle myself, Darius."He just shook his head and walked over to a cabinet, pulling out a bottle of wine and a glass. He poured himself a generous amount, the red liquid swirling in the glass. He took a long swig, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Did you kill them?" The question burst out of me be
EMMELINEWaking up tangled in Darius’s arms was… well, it was new and kind of awkward. My first thought was to hide under the blankets, like I could just vanish or something. Goddess, I was being such a dork.“What are you doing?” Darius chuckled sleepily.“Nothing,” I mumbled into the pillow. “Just… admiring the blanket.”He scoffed. “You’re weird.”I peeked out at him, my cheeks burning. “I’m shy, okay? Cut me some slack.”He just grinned, pulling me closer. “Shy? After last night?” He raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes.I smacked his chest playfully. “Shut up.” Just then, the door opened and a couple of maids came in carrying trays stacked with food. The smell of tea and several other dishes made my stomach rumble. We ate in comfortable silence, the awkwardness from earlier slowly dissipating. But deep down, my mind was racing. Now that I knew the truth, now that I had Darius by my side, there was only one thing on my mind: revenge.“I want to make them pay, Dariu
EMMELINEMy hand clung to Darius’s arm like a lifeline as we entered the grand hall, my fingers digging into the fabric of his sleeve. This was a mistake.My eyes darted around the room, taking in the sheer number of people. Powerful people. And holy moly, the women! So many of them, all dolled up and radiating an aura of confidence that made me feel like a stray kitten in a dog show.Then, across the room, The Alpha of the Greyfield Pack spotted us. And instead of waiting for Darius to approach, the man rushed toward us.Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around?“Darius,” he greeted, a wide grin on his face as he extended a hand.Darius clasped it firmly, nodding. “Alpha Gregor.”“I didn’t think you would make it!” Gregor boomed, shaking Darius’s hand excitedly. “Thank you for coming.” Darius gave him a nod and a curt, “It’s good to see you again Gregor,” he said, smiling. Gregor’s eyes immediately flicked to me, curiosity flashing in them.“And who is this beauty?”“Oh!” The
DARIUS' POVThe smell of blood still lingered in the air, thick and metallic, mixing with the scent of burning rubber and shattered glass. The wreckage of Emmeline’s car was crumpled like a discarded toy, flipped on its side near the edge of the road. My stomach coiled in a way I hadn’t felt in years. I had seen countless battlefields, spilled enough blood to drown a village, but this—this—was different.This was her.My fists clenched so hard my knuckles turned white as I forced myself to breathe. I had to think. Losing my shit wasn’t going to help her.Sylas crouched near the wreck, his fingers brushing over a dark smear on the dirt. Blood.I hated seeing it. Her blood.He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. His brows furrowed in concentration before his eyes snapped open.“Someone else was here,” he muttered. “Not just the driver. Someone came after the crash.”My jaw tightened. “Who?”Sylas pressed his palm into the dirt, focusing harder. “The scent is masked, but whoever it was, th
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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