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
DariusThey 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 keep my com
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
DariusThey 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 keep my com
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
EMMELINEThe clinking of forks and knives against plates was the only sound in the room. I sat across from Darius at the long dining table, picking at the eggs on my plate. The silence was suffocating, the kind that wrapped around your throat and squeezed the air out of you.Darius sat with perfect posture, his piercing gaze locked on his food. He hadn’t said a word since I walked in. It was like we were strangers, but after everything that had happened last night, I couldn’t just ignore him.I stabbed a piece of sausage, chewed, and swallowed. Then, finally, I dared to look at him.He was already staring at me.My breath hitched, and I quickly looked away, focusing on the plate like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why did you give me a special room?”His eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned back in his chair, his fork resting on the edge of his plate. “Because you asked for it.”“That’s not my real question,” I blurted out, my voice sharper t