*BRIANNE’S POV*“Brianne, can we talk?” Marcus asked as soon as he approached our table, his voice steady but with an undertone of urgency.I looked up from my coffee, my eyebrow raised in suspicion. “Are you following me?” I asked, though my tone was half-joking. I knew Marcus, this wasn’t exactly the first time he’d shown up uninvited.He shook his head, though his eyes said something different. There was something almost possessive in the way he looked at me like he was claiming a right to be there, to be part of whatever I was doing.“No, I just…I heard you were around, and I thought we could talk. Please.”Mary shot me a glance, her lips pressing into a tight line. She didn’t like Marcus, and she certainly didn’t appreciate him barging in on our time. Still, I could sense there was something more to his appearance today. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out, but curiosity pulled me in.“Alright, talk,” I said, folding my arms across my chest as I leaned back in my seat. “What i
*JORDYN’S POV*“What do we have on our table, Josh?” I asked, rubbing my temples as I leaned back in my chair. Josh sat across from me, his laptop open and papers spread across the table.Josh gave me a look that made it clear he had something more to say than just pack affairs. “I don’t think you should be worried about that right now,” He said, his tone careful but firm.I raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”Josh sighed, pushing a file aside. “The council called for a meeting, right? You know who’s behind it. Amelia and your mother—they’ve probably already filled the council with their concerns.”I exhaled sharply. Of course, they had. “They want me to move forward with the wedding.”Josh nodded, looking uncomfortable. “It’s not just that, though. There are whispers that Amelia’s trying to push the timeline because she’s…worried about something.”I crossed my arms. “Worried about what?”“She thinks you’re holding back because of Brianne,” Josh said, leaning forward. “She’s not wrong, is s
*JORDYN’S POV*I walked down the hallway toward the council meeting room, my boots echoing off the marble floor. Each step felt heavy with purpose, and I counted them in my head, trying to hold on to the last thread of my patience. I could feel the rage simmering just beneath my skin, but I needed to keep it in check. Not yet, I told myself. There was a time and place for everything, and today, I was about to show them exactly why people didn’t mess with me.The door to the council room stood ahead, tall and foreboding, but I pushed through without hesitation. As I entered, the dull murmur in the room fell silent, and a dozen pairs of eyes turned toward me. Good. Let them stare. I had no interest in pleasantries today.I scanned the room, noting the familiar faces. All of them sat in their designated spots, the council members in their long robes, pretending to be wise and impartial. My mother and Amelia were seated at the far left, side by side like conspirators. My mother had a comp
*JORDYN’S POV*“You don’t know what you’re saying!” Amelia protested, her voice rising in panic as she stood up, trying to maintain her composure. “This is ridiculous! You’re trying to ruin everything.”The council members erupted into a chorus of whispers and murmurs. But I didn’t care about their reaction. I only cared about the truth—the truth that had been hidden from me, manipulated to control my every decision. My eyes locked on Amelia’s she crumbled beneath the weight of her lies. I had waited long enough, and now, her world was about to collapse“Enough!” I shouted, my voice thundering through the room, causing everyone to go silent. The authority in my voice, one they hadn’t heard in a while, left no room for doubt. “I’ve been patient. You’ve fooled me for too long. How dare you?”Amelia’s lower lip trembled, her eyes wide with fear. Her carefully crafted façade was cracking, and she knew it.She looked like she was about to cry, but there was no sympathy left in me to give.
*JORDYN’S POV*“You don’t know what you’re saying.” Amelia tried again, her voice weak and trembling. “This is…this is all a misunderstanding.”“Misunderstanding?” I repeated, my voice sharp as a blade. “You mean you didn’t say those words? You weren’t planning to humiliate Brianne for your own twisted reasons?”Amelia flinched at Brianne’s name, but she quickly shook her head, her panic rising. “Jordyn, please. I was confused, I made a mistake, but that doesn’t mean that the baby isn’t yours. You know I…”“Enough,” I growled, cutting her off. “You’ve lied to me for the last time, Amelia. There’s nothing more to discuss.”I could see the council members exchanging glances, whispering among themselves. They were probably deliberating what this revelation meant for the future of the pack. I didn’t care. Right now, I only cared about ending this charade, about cutting the toxic threads that Amelia and my mother had woven around me.My mother who has remained silent through all this, final
*JORDYN’S POV*The room blurred around me. My chest tightened, and the only sound I could hear was the sudden pounding of my heart. For a split second, everything else—the council, the lies, the meeting—fell away.“Where?” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous, gripping his arm tightly.Josh leaned in close, his whisper barely audible but carrying the weight of the situation. “She’s been taken to a cottage deep in the woods, just outside our borders. I’ve already sent trackers, but we need to move fast.”I didn’t let him finish. The chair screeched behind me as I shot up, a cold fury boiling inside me. Brianne was in danger, and I wouldn’t waste another second here. The council members muttered amongst themselves, confused by the sudden interruption, but I couldn’t care less. Without thinking, I spun toward the door, my legs already moving to get me to Brianne. But my mother, seated at the far end of the room, stood abruptly, blocking my way with a mix of fear and defiance in her eye
*BRIANNE’S POV*My head was pounding as a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my skull. For a moment, I couldn’t think straight. I groaned softly, my eyes fluttering open, but the world around me was dim. The coldness of the air hit me first—a damp, musty chill that clung to my skin like an unwanted blanket. The scent of mildew and dust filled my nostrils, a contrast to the sterile, chemical smell of the handkerchief Marcus had used on me.I tried to move, but my wrists were bound tightly in front of me, a rope digging into my skin. Panic flared up again, and I tugged at the restraints, testing them, but they didn’t budge. My arms were sore, my muscles aching from the effort. I blinked, trying to piece together where I was, and how I got here.The room was small and windowless. The faint light that filtered through came from a single, naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, casting long shadows across the space. There were no sounds…no footsteps, no cars, nothing. It was eerily quiet.My m
*BRIANNE’S POV*The chair creaked under my weight as I struggled, pressing my feet against the floor to gain some leverage. My gaze fell to the narrow windows, high up on the wall, casting thin rays of moonlight that barely illuminated the room. If I could just loosen these ropes, maybe I’d have a chance. The thought of Jordyn walking into whatever trap they’d set fueled me, and I grit my teeth, tugging harder.Slowly, I felt a small tear in the rope where it had rubbed against my wrist. It was tiny, but it was a start. I focused on that spot, twisting my wrists again and again, ignoring the sting as the fibers began to tear. Every inch gained was an inch closer to freedom.With each movement, I whispered to myself, urging myself on. “Come on, Brianne. You can do this. For Jordyn.”My wrists throbbed, raw and bleeding, but I didn’t stop. I pushed past the pain, each thread that loosened brought a tiny rush of hope, a reminder that I wasn’t powerless here. I could fight. I would fight.