The children shouldn't have been there. The girl knew it. The Boy knew it too. And yet here they were.Their mother had warned them never to wander into the deep forest. Yet here they were, standing in the middle of a vast clearing, their tiny figures swallowed by towering trees and the endless shadows of the terrifying rogue forest. "I'm telling Mom," the girl hissed, gripping her brother’s sleeve as some unfortunate animal raced beside nearly tripping her. "Scaredy-cat." The boy smirked and shook her off. He pointed to the ball lying a few feet away, its bright red surface standing out against the grass."Beta said he saw it here. It’s fine.""It’s not fine! Mom said...." "And the Beta said it was safe." He crossed his arms and glared, daring her to argue. "Who’s right? Mom or him?"She glared back. With a loud huff, he sprinted forward and grabbed the ball before she could protest. When he returned, triumphant, she huffed back. "There. Now let’s go." "Not yet," he said, toss
AEGIS'S P.O.V"Ahhhhhvggvvgvg""Please I'm begging you please it hurts.""It hurts plea..se.se.. Just let me die. Just..ju.ju.st let me d..iiii...e..Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."I don’t know whose voice it is anymore. It all got blurred together at the end. Maybe it’s mine. Maybe it’s one of the kids begging them to spare me, for mercy that won’t come.But their screams were what made me do it. The scent of blood around us is thick. It clung to my skin and seeped into my clothes to join my bleeding body. The damp, rotting walls of the Hunters’ prison press in, trapping me in the hell I was. "Bring them," the Hunter leader orders in a smooth, sickly sweet, rotten honey voice. The guards drag Clara and Mike into the room. Clara fights back and so she's pulled in by the hair. kicking and screaming, but Mike is silent. His eyes find mine and he nodded in acceptance .No it can't be."You know what I want, Aegis," the leader murmurs, stepping toward me. "And you also know what happens if you refu
Aegis's P.o.v I hate paperwork. I mean, I really, really hate paperwork. If I’d known being Alpha involved signing my soul away to endless reports, requests, and financial breakdowns, I would have let Brianna keep the damn title. I tapped my half chewed pen as I glare at the towering stack of documents. Yes I chewed the to part off but you can't exactly blame me. I tried to focus. I really did. But after five minutes, my brain starts to feel like it’s melting.I groan, dragging my hands down my face. "This is actual torture." With a dramatic sigh, I slam my head onto the desk. Maybe if I knock myself unconscious, I can get out of this. Or…A slow grin spreads across my face. I mind-link Noah. Hi, lovely Beta Noah. A pause.Then, "Yesss?""I need some help." "No."I gasp. "Noo? But I didn’t even say with what!" "You don’t have to. If it’s paperwork, the answer is no." I whine. "Noah, please. It’s so much. My brain is rotting." "Nope." "But..." The mind-link cuts off. I b
Aegis's P.O.V"We need a way in."The Boardroom is tense. Noah, Emery, and Zach are hunched over the map marking the the elder rogue’s location in red. I'm seated in my roller chair as we brainstormed on what to do.We've been searching for this particular rogue for 6 months now. He's an expert at hiding in plain sight and being able to bypass all of our attempts to capture him. From rape, kidnap and trafficking, this guy was the Lord of all of them. Pulling him down would sever a lot of thing for the trafficking and inhumane experiments business. It'll put them in chaos and we all know chaos makes people do very stupid things.That's phase one of my revenge plan. "We know he’s a womanizer," Noah says. "Always surrounded by prostitutes. That’s our best bet at getting to him." Zach nods. "We send a woman in, someone he won’t recognize or someone he wouldn't suspect at all." A pause. We all look at each other. No one speaks. Then Noah sighs. "This won’t work unless we have the right
Aegis's P.o.v"A FAE??” I nod grimly more to myself than anyone else. Noah leans back in his chair, rubbing his jaw. “Fae don’t just show up, Aegis.” “Exactly,” Emery agrees. “They only appear when something big in history is about to happen.” I scowl. “Great. Just what we need. More complications.” But there’s no time for this now. The elder rogue is rotting in our basement, waiting for his turn. Talia is recovering in the hospital. We need to run some errands and get some things done for the pack. There are too many things that need handling. Answers will come later. “We'll find out what it means later. But for now...” I say with a smile. "Let's go." They know what I mean. We all rise from our seats and headed to the basement. He looks miserable, tied to a steel chair with his arms strapped down so tightly his skin is turning purple. His face is already swollen from the first few rounds, his breath shallow and uneven. The metallic scent of his wretched blood is thick in
Aegis's First person P.O.V"The security here is lacking," he remarks dripping with disdain. "Even a child could slip past your borders."Brianna, ever the picture of patience, keeps her voice level. "We handle our security just fine your Highness." "Are you?" He raises a brow, scanning the room. "Because from where I’m standing, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen." That’s it. I step forward. "Then why don’t you leave if we’re such a mess? I mean surely you have better places to be than bothering us at 3 in the morning."He turns around at my voice and sure enough, there's a big smirk on his face. The guys shift uncomfortably under his gaze looking everywhere but at him. But I look at him just fine. He surveys all of us and our outfits with cold, critical eyes. His lips pulled up in distaste at what I was wearing but I really don't care. Fuck him.I plant my feet firmly."If you don’t like what you see, Your Royal Highness, you’re free to leave." His head snaps toward me. The
Aegis's P.O.V."I Am Not Going." Brianna crosses her arms, giving me that look-the one that says she’s already won. But not on this. I don't want to go and I won't. Especially not with that overgrown Ape. "Sit down Aegis", she noted. She took a sip of the tea in front of her slowly peering at me over the rim of the cup. Soon enough, she was smiling presumably at the stubbornness in my eyes and putting the cup back down on the brown oak table of her office. She watched me seat before she continued, "Now let's seal this. You will go with the king to that pack and do fantastic job."" Hell no."" You're being unreasonable Aegis and also when did you start cussing.""See, it's not even being a day with him and I'm already cussing. Who knows what'll happen after a month." " It's not going to be a month, Aegis. It's just a week. A week Aegis."" You can't leave me alone with him. He's insane and therefore he'll drive me insane." I reasoned petulantly."Perfect.The two of you have someth
Aegis's P.O.VHe crouched beside me for just a moment. He wiped the tears from my eyes and drew me even closer to him. He looked at me with warm eyes and his hands still on my shoulders.“Why do you keep asking questions you know the answers to, little one?” he said with a frown.“Because maybe one day the answer will be different Elijah. It hurts so bad.”He smiled softly and shook his head. “The dead never reply, Aegis. Only the living carry the truth. And the pain," He smiled sadly to me before raising my chin to wipe the tears away from my face. "One that has managed to escape the worst of earth finds ultimate peace and freedom. That is the secret of death."He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and pressed a kiss to my forehead before he stood up. He stretched a hand to me, “Come. Let’s go home before the stars forget us my love.”****************************************I had to keep reminding myself of that little quote as I carefully place the white lilies on Elijah’s grave,
Aegis's Point Of View.He isn't supposed to be here.Blood soaked through the knife still buried in his chest. But it wasn’t the blood that scared me. It was the look in his eyes.“I want you. You will give yourself to me,” Elias growled. His voice wasn’t his own. It was deeper and broken. His wolf had taken over.I backed away slowly shortening my own breath to not agitate him. Locked in a room with an Alpha I could handle, but a wolf. An unhinged wolf. Nahh.“You’re not well,” I whispered. He crawled toward me, crazed and growling nonsense. His claws scraped the floor as he tried to grab my leg.I raised my foot and kicked him hard in the jaw.He slumped and his body finally stilled just beside my bed. His face turned toward me like he's in a twisted kind of sleep and I jumped back.The door burst open and Damian stormed in. His eyes swept through the room until it finally settled on me. I watched as he took it all in. The knife. The blood. Elias.“Are you hurt?” he asked in a clipped
Aegis's P.o.vI’ve never been more proud of Noah than in this moment. They always said the truth burns. And tget were right.Because tonight, it burned everything.From the way he got all of their numbers to the synchronized dropping... I owe that man some flowers.The pack went dead quiet at first. Then it erupted like a storm.Phones lit up in every hand.Shocked gasps.Whispers.A woman dropped her drink.Someone cursed.And Elias froze.His eyes locked on the picture on his phone.The flash drive the Elder Rogue left behind contained some very interesting information--like the paternity of the Alpha’s son.The truth was visible on everyone’s screens.Vela’s son stood beside a man who wasn’t Elias.Anyone with eyes could see the resemblance.“You stupid whore!” Elias’s voice cracked as he stood. “Whose child is that?!”Sheila stood still, pale and trembling.“What are you talking about?” she said.“Whose goddamn child have I been raising?” he roared, raising his phone for her to se
AEGIS'S P.O.V “I’m not getting into that car with you.” I stand arms crossed, chin raised in defiance at the sight in front of me. We only have about thirty minutes before we have to leave for Elias's Pack and we're arguing. Again.The King leans against his velvet black Lamborghini Aventador with his arms folded over his chest, watching me with that insufferable smirk. “Then I hope you have a high stamina, little rose. It’s going to be a long walk to Elias’s pack.” I scowl. He’s enjoying this too much. I have my own car but apparently his royal asshat wants me in his. And while his car is probably the sexiest car in the world. It doesn't change the fact that I don't want to drive with him."Aegis. Please just get in the car, it's getting late.""Nuh uh. I don't see why this is such a big deal. I have my own car."Brianna hugs me from behind, whispering, “Just humor him and try not to kill each other.” I snort. “ I make no promises.” "Alpha Aegis, can I see you for a second," N
Aegis's P.O.VHe crouched beside me for just a moment. He wiped the tears from my eyes and drew me even closer to him. He looked at me with warm eyes and his hands still on my shoulders.“Why do you keep asking questions you know the answers to, little one?” he said with a frown.“Because maybe one day the answer will be different Elijah. It hurts so bad.”He smiled softly and shook his head. “The dead never reply, Aegis. Only the living carry the truth. And the pain," He smiled sadly to me before raising my chin to wipe the tears away from my face. "One that has managed to escape the worst of earth finds ultimate peace and freedom. That is the secret of death."He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and pressed a kiss to my forehead before he stood up. He stretched a hand to me, “Come. Let’s go home before the stars forget us my love.”****************************************I had to keep reminding myself of that little quote as I carefully place the white lilies on Elijah’s grave,
Aegis's P.O.V."I Am Not Going." Brianna crosses her arms, giving me that look-the one that says she’s already won. But not on this. I don't want to go and I won't. Especially not with that overgrown Ape. "Sit down Aegis", she noted. She took a sip of the tea in front of her slowly peering at me over the rim of the cup. Soon enough, she was smiling presumably at the stubbornness in my eyes and putting the cup back down on the brown oak table of her office. She watched me seat before she continued, "Now let's seal this. You will go with the king to that pack and do fantastic job."" Hell no."" You're being unreasonable Aegis and also when did you start cussing.""See, it's not even being a day with him and I'm already cussing. Who knows what'll happen after a month." " It's not going to be a month, Aegis. It's just a week. A week Aegis."" You can't leave me alone with him. He's insane and therefore he'll drive me insane." I reasoned petulantly."Perfect.The two of you have someth
Aegis's First person P.O.V"The security here is lacking," he remarks dripping with disdain. "Even a child could slip past your borders."Brianna, ever the picture of patience, keeps her voice level. "We handle our security just fine your Highness." "Are you?" He raises a brow, scanning the room. "Because from where I’m standing, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen." That’s it. I step forward. "Then why don’t you leave if we’re such a mess? I mean surely you have better places to be than bothering us at 3 in the morning."He turns around at my voice and sure enough, there's a big smirk on his face. The guys shift uncomfortably under his gaze looking everywhere but at him. But I look at him just fine. He surveys all of us and our outfits with cold, critical eyes. His lips pulled up in distaste at what I was wearing but I really don't care. Fuck him.I plant my feet firmly."If you don’t like what you see, Your Royal Highness, you’re free to leave." His head snaps toward me. The
Aegis's P.o.v"A FAE??” I nod grimly more to myself than anyone else. Noah leans back in his chair, rubbing his jaw. “Fae don’t just show up, Aegis.” “Exactly,” Emery agrees. “They only appear when something big in history is about to happen.” I scowl. “Great. Just what we need. More complications.” But there’s no time for this now. The elder rogue is rotting in our basement, waiting for his turn. Talia is recovering in the hospital. We need to run some errands and get some things done for the pack. There are too many things that need handling. Answers will come later. “We'll find out what it means later. But for now...” I say with a smile. "Let's go." They know what I mean. We all rise from our seats and headed to the basement. He looks miserable, tied to a steel chair with his arms strapped down so tightly his skin is turning purple. His face is already swollen from the first few rounds, his breath shallow and uneven. The metallic scent of his wretched blood is thick in
Aegis's P.O.V"We need a way in."The Boardroom is tense. Noah, Emery, and Zach are hunched over the map marking the the elder rogue’s location in red. I'm seated in my roller chair as we brainstormed on what to do.We've been searching for this particular rogue for 6 months now. He's an expert at hiding in plain sight and being able to bypass all of our attempts to capture him. From rape, kidnap and trafficking, this guy was the Lord of all of them. Pulling him down would sever a lot of thing for the trafficking and inhumane experiments business. It'll put them in chaos and we all know chaos makes people do very stupid things.That's phase one of my revenge plan. "We know he’s a womanizer," Noah says. "Always surrounded by prostitutes. That’s our best bet at getting to him." Zach nods. "We send a woman in, someone he won’t recognize or someone he wouldn't suspect at all." A pause. We all look at each other. No one speaks. Then Noah sighs. "This won’t work unless we have the right
Aegis's P.o.v I hate paperwork. I mean, I really, really hate paperwork. If I’d known being Alpha involved signing my soul away to endless reports, requests, and financial breakdowns, I would have let Brianna keep the damn title. I tapped my half chewed pen as I glare at the towering stack of documents. Yes I chewed the to part off but you can't exactly blame me. I tried to focus. I really did. But after five minutes, my brain starts to feel like it’s melting.I groan, dragging my hands down my face. "This is actual torture." With a dramatic sigh, I slam my head onto the desk. Maybe if I knock myself unconscious, I can get out of this. Or…A slow grin spreads across my face. I mind-link Noah. Hi, lovely Beta Noah. A pause.Then, "Yesss?""I need some help." "No."I gasp. "Noo? But I didn’t even say with what!" "You don’t have to. If it’s paperwork, the answer is no." I whine. "Noah, please. It’s so much. My brain is rotting." "Nope." "But..." The mind-link cuts off. I b