(King Damien’s POV)The smell of her blood won’t go away. It’s all over me. It’s wrong. She’s mine. She shouldn’t bleed.Her body is limp in my arms as I push through the double doors of the pack hospital. Every step feels like I’m carrying my own damn heart to the chopping block.“Aegis. Stay awake.” My voice cracks. I lower it so the nurses can’t hear. “Don’t you dare close your eyes on me again.”Her lashes don’t even twitch.I tighten my hold. She feels too light and fragile for someone who’s fought me so hard all day.Emery and Zach are already waiting in the hall. The second they see me, they step forward, hands raised to receive her.“Give her to us,” Emery says calmly.“Move.”“She needs treatment—”“I said move.” My tone drops to a growl.Zach doesn’t budge. His jaw is tight, his fists clenched at his sides.“We’ll take her, Your Highness. You’re too close—”“You take one step closer, and I’ll break your arms. Another step, and I’ll tear them off and feed them to you.”Zach f
Aegis's First Person P.O.V“I can’t breathe. I can’t—I need to get out—”The walls are closing in.No.The ceiling’s falling.It’s getting darker. The air’s thicker. My chest burns.I claw at the rock blocking the exit until my nails split.“Get me out! Get me out of here!”My voice cracks.“Please—please—let me out!”“Aegis!”His voice cuts through the blackness.“Stop—stop hurting yourself.”"I can’t be here… Please, I can’t…”I choke on a rancid sob.I can’t. I can’t stop.My hands keep scraping the stone.Something slicks down my palms, warm.Blood.I can barely feel it.His hand closes firmly around my wrist.“You’re bleeding.”“Don’t touch me! Let me out! Please let me out!”“You’re safe,” he says, voice low, careful like I’m some wild animal.“You’re not trapped. Breathe—just breathe.”Safe.The word means nothing.There’s no air. No light.Just stone and shadows pressing in.The walls are closing in on me.My chest constricts.He steps closer. Hesitant. Careful.His golden eye
Aegis's First Person P.O.VThey were watching me like I was Beyoncé reborn.No, seriously.I could feel the stares. The admiration. The whispers from girls in shiny dresses who looked like they practiced looking effortless. One of them even said—and I quote—“I wish I could be like her.”Cute. But also, awkward.Especially since the man beside me—the actual King—was being treated like he smelled faintly of wet socks.They smiled at me.They bowed at me.And they barely even nodded at him.I didn’t blame them. The King had this permanent scowl like someone had told him brunch was canceled forever.He leaned in close to me. “I hate it here.”I smiled brightly at a group of teen she-wolves ogling my boots. “I love it here.”“I’m serious.”“So am I.”His jaw clenched. “Let’s go.”“I want to stay.”“Aegis.”“You brought me here, remember?” I gave him my best sweet-evil smile. “Now you get to suffer.”He didn’t respond.He just stared like he was debating murder and taxes at the same time.W
Aegis's First Person P.O.VThey rolled out a damn red carpet.I blinked as we stepped out of the car and into Alpha Stephan’s territory. There was a literal red carpet. With golden lining. Everywhere.“Oh wow,” I muttered. “All this for little old me?”Emery chuckled behind me. The King didn’t.A group of men stood in front of the pack house like it was a royal event. At the center was Alpha Stephan. Tall. Sharp suit and he smiles like a sin.Oh me likey.He looked at me first. Not the King. Not Zach. Me.“Welcome to our pack, Female Alpha Aegis,” he said, stepping forward and taking my hand before I even offered it. He kissed it.Gross. But... a little flattering.“You’re more beautiful than the stories.”I smiled sweetly. “And you’re more dramatic than I expected.”He laughed. “You wound me. But I like it.”The King stepped forward. “Enough.”Alpha Stephan turned, still smiling. “Oh. Your Majesty. I didn’t realize you’d be coming with her.”“I wasn’t supposed to,” the King growled.
Aegis's First Person P.O.VNothing.No text. No callback. Just silence.I pressed redial and held the phone to my ear.It rang.Once.Twice.Three times.Then… voicemail.I lowered the phone slowly.Panic sat heavy in my stomach as I stared at the phone screen like it would suddenly change its mind and ring.“He didn’t answer?” Zach asked from the edge of the bed.I shook my head, swallowing hard. “Not..even.. once.”Emery leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his face equally worried tight. “It’s been hours. He’s never gone this long without checking in.”“I know,” I said.Something in my chest twisted. My instincts were screaming. It wasn’t normal. Noah always answered—especially my calls.Something was wrong.I stood. My voice came out sharper than I meant. “I need to go back.”Zach stepped in front of me. “What? Aegis—”“I have to,” I snapped. “He’s in danger.”“You don’t know that for sure.”I turned to Emery. “You saw the files. You saw what they do. Noah is the last piece. And
AEGIS'S FIRST PERSON P.O.V"Alpha Aegis And Beta Noah will be presenting to us today."The King sat at the head of the table as usual. Beta Jaxon sat to his right. General Terel across from him. The remaining cuncil members filled the seats like shadows watching me breathe. All except the Vampire.Noah wasn’t beside me.I cleared my throat. “I’ll be presenting alone. Beta Noah had to return to our pack early this morning. There was an emergency that demanded his presence.” General Terel nodded and the King smirked.Zach and Emery placed the flash drive on the screen console, uploaded the presentation on the large screen in front of us and i started. “We were finally able to decrypt the contents of the drive yesterday night. It holds records of all ritual killings. It also shows that the packs attacked weren’t picked at random.” I pointed to the first slide. “They're all Alphas. All strong bloodlines. And all their deaths… seemed to ba a part of an experiment.”Someone shifted in the