Celeste’s P.O.V“Salmon” My voice was barely above a whisper and I slowed down the way I scraped the walls with my fingers when the realization of what was about to happen dawned on me. Salmon.My greatest nightmare. Now, he was about to test me with it? Shit. My heart turned cold in my chest and fear gnawed at me as I swallowed the heavy lump that formed in my throat. Different thoughts plagued my mind concerning what to do and how to go about it. There was no way out. If I ate Salmon, I was going to die. The last time that I ate it was years back and that time, the doctors had said that it was a miracle that I didn't lose my life. However, he had given me this warning that if I ate it again, then the obvious would be inevitable.If I ate the fish, Nigel would believe that I have a mental illness but at what cost? Eating it would lead to my death and not eating it would lead to the same as well. “That cunning bastard” I muttered through gritted teeth, my fingers curling into fi
Freya’s P.O.V I was terrified. Completely terrified. I didn't know how to make sense of the situation at hand and most importantly, how in the world was someone who was announced dead for months suddenly found. And by being found— Her body. They said she passed away in an unfortunate fire accident, only for her body to be found around her father’s territory. Rumor had it that the sight of her was nothing short of grotesque. Some even claimed that it seemed more like she had undergone some sort of torture and some mentioned that vultures had begun feasting on her remains. Just the mere thought of that was horrific, and it sent a shiver down my spine, knowing that Celeste had been alive all this while. However, some speculations spread around. Some pointed hands to the neighboring packs to be the ones behind Celeste’s death. Some accused Thorne because he had the best motive for wanting her dead, which was genuinely stupid. After all, I knew that he had nothing to do w
Thorne I was about to turn when something sparkling hidden between gravel stones caught my attention. My wolf growled, clawing at the surface of my skin, but curiosity got the best part of me. I brushed past Nigel without hesitating, crouching down while staring at the shimmery stone under the scintillating sunlight. Nigel’s voice filled my ears, grating on my nerves. “Is there a problem?”I ignored him and tossed the gavels aside while removing what had caught my attention. I straightened, staring at the hairpin that had been covered with dirt, and at that moment, memories flooded through my mind. It was during the light festival years back. Before the festival ceased, it was customary to always give gifts during the festival and if I could remember vividly, I had this hairpin made for someone whose memories were starting to fade. To someone whose name was nothing but a mere torment now. Celeste. This was hers. The hairpin adorned with Swarovski crystals and a tiny diamond in t
Freya’s P.O.VI was boiling with anger. There was just something about this man that greatly unsettled me. He raised his head, forcing out a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “We were just having a conversation that didn't turn out well. She didn't want to accept the truth”A scoff escaped me while Thorne’s fingers slid over my waist as he drew me closer to him. Julie turned, lowered her head in reverence before him, and muttered. “It is nothing”Thorne didn't seem to realize that it was her until his eyes brightened. “Julie?”Her face broke into a smile. “Thank you for this job opportunity. This means a lot to me”Thorne squinted his eyes, glancing back and forth between Vleyr and Julie. “You are the photographer? You came from New York just to come here for this job?”She straightened, nodding. “Yes. I have wanted to do this a long time ago. Documenting the upcoming festivals is something that I look forward to…if you would excuse me, I would take my leave”Thorne gave a curt nod, w
Thorne’s P.O.VWas Nigel messing with me right now?I tilted my head to the side, not being able to tear my eyes away from the message on the screen. How was it possible that he was able to capture Reginald earlier than expected?How was that even possible? I mean, I had spent months trying to capture him…That would have been possible if I hadn't kept a snake next to me who did nothing but ruin my plans. I didn't know if believing Nigel’s claims about Enzo was the right thing to do.However, he was acting suspicious— Even right now, his eyes piqued with curiosity.“Who is that?” He asked. I shoved the phone down my pocket, pinning him with a hard stare. “Come with me. I believe that you need to see this”My suspicions concerning Enzo would be confirmed if he sees a captured Reginald. However, what are the chances that Nigel wasn't messing with me right now?What were the chances that he wasn't even telling a lie? Reginald’s pack was bigger than his. Reginald had the evil witches on
Freya’s P.O.V My gaze lingered on the gift box that Julie had given to me. The more I stared at it, the more I wondered what could be inside and why there was a strain between her and Enzo’s relationship. What could have happened between them? Just as I was about to get lost in my thoughts, a hand rested on my shoulder, yanking me back with so much force. Before I could process things, my back slammed against the wall and right before me was a furious Enzo with eyes blazing with fury. Confusion swirled in my mind for a second and at the same time, anger pulsed through my veins. I lifted a brow. “And what is the meaning of this? We have been having encounters often, and I don't like that we are” He barked out a caustic scoffing laughter, flicking his hair away from his face and slowly, the smile on his face died, replaced by a darkened expression that sent a shiver skating down my spine. Enzo. I hated the fear that he made me feel. I hated that with every encounter, he seem
Thorne’s P.O.VReginald's agonizing scream faded as soon as I closed the soundproof door. I rolled up my sleeves, darting my eyes to the maid who reiterated her words. “Alpha Nigel is in the dining hall”“And Freya?”She responded. “She got my message, King Thorne. Lady Freya said she would join you shortly”I blew out a breath and in the next minute, I was in the dining hall. I swiveled my eyes around and Freya wasn't anywhere to be found. Nigel lowered his head slightly and I did the same. Where was Freya?The dinner was supposed to be just for me and Nigel but despite his help, there was just something about him that made me uncomfortable. Maybe it was because I still had doubts about him. My eyes were piqued with curiosity and just when I decided to put a call through her, a thought concerning Nigel and Reginald flashed through my mind. How was he able to capture Reginald?“Alpha Nigel…” I shifted my eyes to him and when our eyes met, that feeling that he looked familiar hit me
Thorne’s P.O.VThe hairpin made with Swarovski crystals flashed through my mind briefly and at the same time, another thought appeared in my mind. What if he had killed her? The circumstances of her death revolved around him. What if what he did with Celeste was the same thing serial killers did to their victims as a form of vengeance?And now, his new target was Freya. A growl rumbled from my throat and anger slowly coursed through my veins. Before I could gather my thoughts, Enzo mind-linked with me. “Do I attack him right now?”I hated that this situation was the reason we were talking. I hated it so much but as long as it came to Cedric who now had his eyes on Freya, I couldn't afford to hesitate. “Yes!”I shifted my eyes to Nigel, taking long predatory strides towards him. “Cedric Sanchez? The same Cedric who raped Celeste and should be dead right now. Yet, you are here alive and with another name…”Freya cut in, rising to her feet and there was a mix of fear and confusion in
FreyaI laughed. Not because she was funny or anything. It was because of how absurd she sounded. Maybe it was because she was getting old. Perhaps, dementia?I tried to change the topic. “We should go back inside. Nigel would be searching for me and I promise you that I would be back to drop flowers just before…”She cut in, staring at the grave. “You do know that your father, the Lycan King, real name is Rory right?”I shook my head. “No, please let’s go inside”“Rory and Myles were friends, not best friends though. Things were going well between the two young friends until they fell in love with the same woman. However, Rory liked her first but Myles was quick to confess his feelings to her, and the beautiful thing, they were both mates”My brows knitted together in confusion and it made me wonder what she was talking about. She hated watching movies so could chances be that she was narrating a movie to me. “Is this what you do every year? Telling her about movie plots and stuf
Freya’s P.O.VAnger crawled up my spine and I stared at Ariel with eyes devoid of any emotion. Just the sight of her opened up memories—the horrible ones, the tainted ones, and most importantly, the traumatic ones. “You are supposed to be in the dungeon?”She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stepped forward, almost closing the space between us. Ariel clicked her tongue in her mouth. “Are you slow? Are you even supposed to be here? I don't like you or anything but do you honestly think that my dad has good plans for you?”She tilted her head to the side. “You are still gullible…” She heaved a sigh and took a step back. “I wasn't locked in any dungeon of any sort. I have been living a good life and…” She stretched her fingers towards me. My gaze landed on the shimmering diamond stone around her fingers. “I just got engaged two days ago. Since you have decided to leave your family and return to this hell-hole, maybe you deserve everything about to happen to you”“Anyway
Thorne’s P.O.VMy heart raced and with every passing second, the only sound that could be heard was that of my blood thrumming in my ears. Panic bled through my veins and I glanced over at Reginald with so much rage burning inside of me. I had nine minutes left. Nine minutes to save everyone’s life and the school was just an hour away. Fuck!I ran a hand through my hair frustratedly, and maybe it was because of the fear that gnawed at me or something else, but I couldn’t think. I knew that I needed to save the quadruplets and all the other kids at school but no solution crossed my mind. I stumbled back, my trembling fingers curling around my clothes. “Since today is the 9th of March, shouldn’t you be coming up with a solution and…” Before he could complete his words, I reached for the iron rod against the wall and swung it at him. It hit him directly on the head and he passed out. I needed to come up with a solution.My gaze landed on my wristwatch. It was now 12:53 pm. I had ju
Freya’s P.O.VVleyr and his two sons were captured just before the end of the festival, and it turned out that Julie’s siblings were never even adopted in the first place like she had thought. Instead, they had been sold to slavery from the very beginning. It was just despicable that he could do that to her. She had returned to New York and Thorne was doing everything in his power to ensure that he got her siblings out of slavery. But that wasn’t the issue right now, the issue was why Nigel kept mentioning my name in the plan that he had just shared with Thorne. Confusion swirled in my mind and I darted my eyes to Thorne, who gave me a nod of approval. What was that supposed to mean?I shook my head, running my hands through my hair, frustratedly. “No, this doesn’t make any sense. Why do I have to face my father? Why do I have to go with Nigel?” A small smile played on Nigel’s mouth. “No harm would come upon you…”Thorne cut in. “Since Enzo and I are going into the meeting in dis
Thorne’s P.O.VI honestly never believed that Nigel was going to honor my invitation because things turned out chaotic the last time we met. Before I could apologize for the accusations and sympathize with him for all the things that he went through because of Celeste, things had taken a dark turn. And here he was with a smile on his face. He came with gifts and introduced me to his daughter who was just a split image of himself and despite everything, things still felt awkward between us. Maybe it was my guilt or was it because I genuinely felt bad for him?As I downed my wine, I forced out a smile that didn’t reach my eyes, searching around for Freya. Where was she? She was by my side a few minutes ago, so how did she just disappear?Nigel’s voice broke the awkward silence that stretched between us as I fixed my eyes on him. “The Lycan King and his allies will be meeting in the next two days according to the information that I got. However, there are rumors that they are planning
Thorne’s P.O.V** The Light Festival **Moon-shaped lanterns hung from the trees while golden lights made in honor of the moon goddess floated through the sky. For a long time in a while, there was this sense of fulfillment that washed through me because it was the first time in many years that the festival would be celebrated. And most importantly, seeing Freya excited made me happy. Because she had lived hidden all her life, she had never experienced something like this. My eyes were fixed on Freya whose gaze mirrored the reflection of the lights.“This is so beautiful” Tears filled her eyes as she glanced at me and her face broke into a smile. She placed a hand on her chest, talking about how she couldn't contain her joy and while she did that, I reached for her hands and slipped the bracelet onto her wrists. It was a diamond bracelet. She paused, darting her eyes between the bracelet and my face. “Again?”I nodded and before I could wrap my head around things, she threw her ha
Freya’s P.O.VIt had been two weeks since Enzo recovered, and one would think that Thorne would be softer toward him since he was beating himself up for almost causing his death. But, the case was otherwise.As soon as he was discharged from the hospital, Thorne placed him under house arrest. He wasn't allowed to leave the house and no one was allowed to meet him unless it was necessary. The house arrest was to last for six months. Initially, it was set to last for four months, but Sadie’s tantrums and constant threats to Thorne made him add two more months. Since then, Thorne and Enzo hadn't spoken. And worse, it was difficult to know what was going through his mind and why he wasn't speaking to his brother when he was the one who didn't want him dead. Was he staying away from him because he was scared that Raze could take over and end Enzo’s life for good this time?The maid’s voice broke my train of thought as she wheeled in a rack of dresses. The clothes were all neon-colored,
Freya’s P.O.VI was having a conversation with Nigel, apologizing for what had happened since Thorne left my side abruptly, claiming that he wanted to check on something. My instinct had nudged me to follow him but I didn't and just before Nigel could leave, an ambulance was driven in and Thorne emerged from the path that led to the dungeon. He had carried a severely wounded Enzo on his back and that scene was terrifying. While I had placed a hand on Enzo’s stomach that looked like sharp claws had been sunk into, all the wound did was close but he wasn't opening his eyes. And for the past eight hours that he was rushed into the hospital, he still hasn't regained consciousness. Thorne sat alone, staring at his blood-filled hands in horror. That was all he had been doing except asking the werewolf doctor if his brother had regained consciousness. What the hell happened in the dungeon? What did Thorne do? The doctor had claimed that Enzo was in a critical condition and this was mor
Thorne’s P.O.V How long had I been standing? Probably since he dropped the blow, admitting to working with Reginald because he was being blackmailed by him. I had figured out that he was going to come into the torture room and that was the reason that I made sure the whole place was taped. When my eyes clashed with his face, my heart sank to the hollow of my stomach, and never in my wildest imagination have I ever imagined a day like this. A day when my brother was going to hide something as big as blackmail just because he thought that I was going to kill him for being an Anori. How does that even make any sense? I had known about his secret since we were younger. I had followed him then since he always made constant visits to the human world. When I found out the truth about him, I was determined to keep his secret to the end. To the fucking end. And now, this. My fingers turned into sharp long laws as they squeezed into folds, the claws piercing deeper into my palm as a