RILEY'S POV
I had trouble falling asleep. It got worse when I noticed Ava breathing steadily next to me. I couldn't blame her; she had no idea what was going on inside of me. How could I break the news to her? How could I acknowledge that I broke her trust and compromised our pack?
Ava had been inquiring, insisting on knowing my whereabouts and my activities. I made an effort to divert and hide the truth, but it was like attempting to stop a flood with my own hands. I was engulfed in a leaden fog of guilt that choked off any hope of peace.
Not only did our job as Alpha and Beta suffer, though. My secrets were causing our love and relationship to crumble. Ava had changed, she was more sentimental than I had ever seen. She was worth more than this, more than a partner who was incapable of being sincere with herself.
AVA'S POVRiley was nowhere to be found even days later, his presence only a fading memory that troubled my every thought. The ruckus inside the pack only got worse, one after the other serving as a constant reminder of the cracks that might split us apart.However, in the middle of the mayhem, there was a ray of hope—a chance for atonement and reconciliation. And knowing that I had to face the demons that haunt us at whatever cost, as I stood at the crossroads of doubt. I hated to admit it, but Riley made everything seems peaceful and him not being with me was making me go crazy.I went looking for Riley again, my determination burning strong as I confronted him. I said, "We need to talk," my voice firm in the face of the chaos rolling inside of me.His eyes reflected my own sadness as they met mine with a hint of resignati
RILEY'S POVThe tension in the arena was palpable, with each heartbeat underscoring the seriousness of the situation. My muscles tensed and my breath came in short gasps from what was to come. I stood at one end of the ring. Marcus stood opposite me, his glare a tacit promise of judgment to come."There has to be another way, Ava," I begged as I turned to face her. "Do you really want me killed? You cannot do this to me."But, Ava's look stayed grave, her determination unwavering. “Riley, there isn't another option. You are aware of the repercussions of your actions. You supported a rebel, in my regime. That is treason!"I had a sharp twinge of remorse and guilt that served as a painful reminder of my error. In a fit of petty weakness, I had betrayed Ava and our relationship."I acknowledge
CIARA'S POVSheila, the young girl confined to the cell across from me, could not stop humming. Her song rang around the dark cage, providing a peculiar sort of solace in the face of all the uncertainty. How long had we been imprisoned here, cut off from the outer world? I wondered incessantly. Ava had not yet determined our destiny, so we were in the dark.Sheila was quiet today, which surprised me as we had become friendly because we would only have each other to talk to until we were let free."I wonder if they'll ever let us out," I said, a hint of resignation in my voice. "We will just have to wait and hope for the best, right?"Sheila continued to hum while staring at the chilly stone floor. She continued to hum in tune, seemingly unaffected by anything, and then c
AVA'S POVMy heart thumping with rage and frustration, I stormed into the council chamber. My emotional control was wearing thin, and everything was collapsing around me. The murdered guards, Riley's betrayal, and Alex's escape were all too much. In addition to that, the food and information lines were being interfered with, leaving us in famine, unprotected and exposed.I could feel their disapproving looks on me as the council members, led by Sarah and Leo, came into the room. They were prepared to criticize my leadership and judgment. But I was not going to give up. No matter how challenging things got, it was my duty as the alpha to guide the pack. I took a seat at the head of the table.Sarah was the first to speak."Ava," Sarah spoke up, her tone sharp and accusato
NOAH'S POVBefore I even opened my eyes, I smelled the metallic tang of blood; the smell was strong and filled my senses with a dreadful urgency. My body felt like lead, my head pounded with every heartbeat, and I was throbbing with sickness, yet the smell woke me up. Something was not right. The sickness had dimmed my senses, but there was something unique about the scent. The smell, that indisputable scent, lifted me out of the fog of misery even though the illness was weighing me down. It was the blood of Ciara.A few guards stormed into my cell, their hefty boots thumping the cold ground. Then they hauled her limp body into my dark prison. Ciara was severely beaten and wounded that she was hardly recognizable, yet she was still alive. Despite my weakness, I forced myself to get off the cot regardless of every muscle in me aching but my actions were being dr
NATHAN'S POVI paced erratically in our hiding place, impatience and irritation overwhelming me. One of our reliable members, a servant from the packhouse, Steven, was running late. Finally, he crept between the thin shrubs, his eyes darting tensely about the bushes before focusing on me."Nathan," he whispered, "I have some news regarding Alex."His name alone made my heart skip a beat. "What about him?" I questioned, trying not to let the chaos inside of me show in my voice.Steven moved uncomfortably, his eyes darting to Jude, who was sitting quietly in the corner, his face as expressionless as ever. With an anxious look around him, Steven leaned in closer. "He attempted to flee and killed numerous guards in the process. Steven muttered, his voice just heard over the
MARCUS' POVI understood that making difficult choices was necessary to ensure our pack's survival. Ava was unable to make a decision at the time since she was not thinking clearly. The illusion of oneness had crumbled beneath the weight of the revelations, revealing the weakness in the basis of our pack.The food shortages had gotten out of hand, and it was obvious that something drastic was required to keep Ava, the council, and myself from going hungry. We could assign blame later; for now, we just needed to make sure we had enough food to survive.I firmly said, "It's not time to assign blame," my voice breaking through the rigid atmosphere of the council meeting."We need to act quickly and decisively to address this crisis."Ava's gaze wavered, showing signs
Steven's POVI never imagined that I would find such important information. Usually, being a servant means remaining unseen, but on that particular day, fate had different ideas.It was simply another typical morning at the packhouse. A sense of tension pervaded the room as I stepped inside in the low light. With solemn expressions on their faces, Ava and the council members sat around the enormous oak table. As a servant, I knew better than to interfere, yet I had to be there."Ava, we need more supplies for ourselves. Or did you bring us to this pack to suffer?," a very authoritative voice challenged from one of the council members.Ava narrowed her gaze.Everyone wanted to express their ideas at the same moment, thus there