EMMELINEMy legs felt heavy as I made my way to Darius’ meeting room. His guards had told me he wanted to see me, and the whole time I walked there, I couldn’t stop wondering why.Was it to apologize for what happened last night? An apology? Did I even need one?My head had been a mess all day. I kept replaying everything in my mind, trying to figure out what went wrong. Was it because I touched that strange mark on his chest? What was that mark, anyway?I let out a frustrated sigh. If he wanted to apologize, why wait until nighttime to call me? Why not come to me in the morning, like any normal person would? It didn’t make sense, and the more I thought about it, the more irritated I felt.When I reached the door, it was open just enough for me to see him inside. Darius stood near a massive wooden table, leaning forward with his hands braced on the surface, his head slightly bowed. He looked… distracted.I walked in quietly, and the moment Darius noticed me, he straightened up. His ey
Darius They found out so easily. The thought wouldn’t leave my head. How the hell did they find out so fast? How could the news have traveled this quickly, and why was it so damn easy for them to trace her? I paced back and forth, my mind racing with possibilities, each one worse than the last. I felt like I was suffocating. One of the Alphas, Crock—the same one who had always been the most eager for blood—spoke up. “What do you plan to do now, Darius? It’s important that the girl dies. We can’t have this turning into a mess.” I didn’t have the patience for this. I clenched my fists. “Once she’s caught, I’ll kill her myself,” I said, trying to sound calm, like I had control of the situation. But inside, my blood was boiling. They couldn’t know about her. They couldn’t. Crock nodded, the smallest hint of approval in his eyes. “Good. We’ll handle the trackers. They’re already on her trail. Three of our best are on the job as we speak.” I ran a hand through my hair, trying to
EMMELINEI couldn’t breathe.Did he just say that?The day my parents died?My head spun, and my entire body froze.No, no, no. He couldn’t know.I stared at him, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, trembling. Rage clawed its way up my throat, hot and furious. It made my chest ache in that familiar, horrible way that came every time I thought about that night.“I need to leave,” I muttered to myself, more to my legs than to him, willing them to move.“You’re not going anywhere,” Darius said, his voice calm. I took a shaky step back. “You have nothing to explain to me,” I snapped, though my voice was more shaky than confident.“I do.” He stepped forward. “Because I know who you are, Molly.”My heart stuttered. My breath hitched. No. He didn’t. He couldn’t.I laughed bitterly, though it sounded more like a strangled cry. “What the hell does that mean?” I demanded, my voice cracking. “You don’t know shit about me.”“Oh, but I do,” he said, steppi
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
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
EMMELINE■■□□□□■■Ugh. I swear, sometimes I just need to punch something. Or someone. Today, that someone was definitely Seraphine. I’d gone down to the training grounds hoping to catch Darius before he got too deep into whatever Alpha duties were hogging his time today. Instead, what did I find? That leech, Seraphine, perched on a rock like she owned the damn place, watching Darius go through his paces.He was looking good, I had to admit. Sweat was beading on his forehead, muscles bunching with every strike against the dummy. He was putting in the work, no doubt about it. But the sight of Seraphine just… grated on my nerves. She was clapping when he finally finished a set, her voice all sugary sweet as she called out, “Excellent work, Darius! You’re looking so strong.”My teeth practically ached from grinding them. Seriously? Strong? Like he needed her to tell him that. I could feel my blood starting to simmer. This was our territory, our pack. She was supposed to be an ally, someon
EMMELINE’S POV■■■■■□□□■■■■■The way Seraphine looked at him… it was subtle, almost imperceptible to anyone who wasn’t me. But I saw it. The slight tilt of her head, the lingering in her gaze just a fraction too long. And the way she spoke to him, her voice a little softer, a little more… sugary than it was when she addressed anyone else. It made my teeth grind.They were in the war room again, poring over maps spread across the large table. The dim light of the oil lamps cast long shadows, making the atmosphere feel even more secretive. I’d been trying to distract myself with needlepoint in the corner, but my fingers kept fumbling with the thread. Every now and then, a laugh would drift my way – Darius’s, usually, prompted by something Seraphine had said. It was a casual laugh, the kind he used with his friends, with his commanders. But it still felt like a punch to the gut.Jealous? Maybe. A little. Okay, maybe a lot. It wasn’t just about Darius, though. It was about the way she was