XAVIER’S POVHer response echoed in my head about a million times before my brain finally registered what it meant. I cocked my head to the side and forced a smile to appear on my face.This had to be a joke.Our relationship wasn’t very stable, but Anna wasn’t dumb. She would know I claimed her in front of everyone not just because I meant it but because I was also trying to defend her honor and dignity in front of my uncle and everyone…“What do you mean?” I whispered but my voice echoed in the hall and that was when I remembered that the damned microphone, I snatched from the men was still in my hands.Murmuring erupted amongst the people, and I could feel their eyes on me as they watched and stared at me with huge eyes. Some even started snickering but I still felt nothing. This had to be a mistake.Anna looked pale. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and she was already on her feet. From my position —despite the distance— I could feel her breathing coming out rough and p
XAVIER’S POV“What did you say?” My heart’s rhythm changed yet again and this time it wasn’t just the pain of what Anna had done but I felt a sharp prick deep within and I found myself struggling to stay in control of my wolf and the bond that sizzled inside.Kira waved her hand dramatically in the air and stepped away from the wall.“I said Anna had a lover. Rather than ask me what I said, I thought you would be curious as to what happened to this guy… a sweet promising guy if you ask me…” she drawled as she strutted to the bed.I wanted to ask her. Heck, I was dying to know about this person who had taken the place I wanted to take in her life… but a part of me knew that all this was just a game to Kira, and I shouldn’t let myself fall for it.“Hmm, I see that you are struggling in your head… tsk, poor guy.” Once again, she waved her hand in the air like she was speaking to a child, “I’ll tell you the little story.”My mouth hung open. I couldn’t say the words I needed to make her
ANNA’S POVMy wolf was in pain, but I couldn’t bring myself to ignore the warnings on the back of the photo I had squeezed in my hands. Tears were pushing to drop down my eyes, but I stayed strong. I wouldn’t let Lartes see how much his plan was affecting me.When I left the ballroom, his men directed me to a chamber in the lower levels of his side of the palace and I was told to wait till the coast was clear.I stayed there, fighting the pain in my heart. I couldn’t even imagine what Xavier must have been thinking at that moment. The look in his eyes was something I could never erase from my mind for years to come.The memory was forever going to remain a scar in my heart, and I knew trying to forget it was impossible. I tried to keep my mind off it though, but it was useless.Xavier’s handsome face contorting into pain as I said those horrible words caused my heart to stir over and over.It was the cruelest thing I had ever done, and I hoped he would forgive me for it. Even if he ev
XAVIER’S POVAs I left Kira’s side, there was one thing that rang in my head. Anna was in deeper trouble than I had first thought and I knew that I had to find her as soon as possible —if not, it was going to get even more complicated.If I was going to find her, I had to go all out. I had to use brute force and to do that I needed support. I marched out of the palace, knowing that there was only one person in the entire realm who could give me the sort of support I needed and that was Nico.As I got to the corridor that led out, I felt my wolf twist within me. My mate’s bond dragged me back and I wanted to ignore it but as much as I tried to do this, the force intensified, becoming a pain so strong I had to give him.I turned around and it pulled me back into the palace.It was a crazy force I couldn’t explain but the hair at the back of my neck was erect, and goosebumps appeared on my skin. Even my heart started ramming restlessly in my chest. It was as if something terrible wanted
RYKER’S POVNico’s words made sense, but it wasn’t what I needed. I needed him to support me. I didn’t need his honesty. I wanted him to help me find Anna because that was the only thing that made sense to me.Because now that she was not here, how was I supposed to move on? What was io supposed to do? Where could I even start from?The ache in my heart intensified and my frustration increased.I left his hideout, disappointed and returned to the palace, hoping to get a new idea that might be helpful this time around. On my way, I took the last part I had followed her through when we had that last misunderstanding.Somehow, my legs led me to the shore at the end of the tree lines. I watched as the ships left the land and floated deeper into the sea till, I couldn’t see them again. For the second time in one day, my wolf pulled at me.It felt like someone was trying to tell me a secret and I couldn’t decode it. My insides were screaming at me to do something, but I couldn’t tell what i
XAVIER’S POVMy brain shut down as the screams of the people I had come to know as my friends and true family burned in the flames.My heart stopped beating and things seemed to happen in slow motion. I saw their faces contorting in pain, yet no sound came. I turned to see the evil grin on my uncle’s face as he watched my reaction and enjoyed the pain on their faces.Then my eyes landed on Abigail and that was when it dawned on me that this was truly happening. She was unaffected. Never staring at the people —our people. Her eyes remained on me, and I asked myself how did we get here?It was then reality struck me. Everything came crashing back and shock took over my body. I heard the screams, and I felt the heat begin to grow.The shock took a few seconds to wash off me but when it finally did, I let out a deafening scream and my vision turned red. All I felt was anger and rage. Heat waves radiated out of my body, and I felt the rational part of me break out.I couldn’t let this happ
ANNA’S POVWe were far into sea for at least two days when they finally let me out of the box.“Where is my father?” I yelled at them, but they didn’t even respond. They just moved on to the next box and when they opened it, my father stepped out, coughing.Tears brimmed in my eyes as I ran to me. “Oh father… I am so sorry,” I cried wrapping my arms around me.He hugged me back, rubbing his hand slowly over me. “It is fine my dear child. It is all over now,” he said in a broken voice, and I realized that it was truly over.We had lost everything. Our land, our status… everything. And it was all my fault.Tears brimmed in my eyes, but I held them back. I still had my father to protect and take care of. We might have been broken but we were not dead yet.Still clutching his back, I let my eyes roam around the place we were in. We were in a cargo ship with nothing but boxes surrounding us. I couldn’t see a cabin anywhere around. It was more like a long floatable vessel that transported u
ANNA’S POV“Hi, I am Xena and please pay no attention to Charles here. You don’t have to use my title,” she said with a laugh, but I was still too shocked to speak. I only stared at the resemblance I wanted to deny but staring at me right in the face.I couldn’t tell if it was just a figment of my imagination, or it was truly staring at me in the face.Have I tried to avoid thinking about Xavier so much that he was now etched in my mind? And I was seeing him in everyone?Her eyes twinkled with worry, and she turned to bold guy who I now knew was Charles and he nodded his head. It was a code that she understood very well because when her eyes returned to me, the smile on her face returned.“You are welcome to the island of Peace. Please, come with me, I will personally show you a place to stay,” she said and waved her hand in the air.My brows raised as for a second, I thought she was going to make magic or something, but two guards appeared before us and they bowed to her.She smiled