Ricky’s POVAs we delved deeper into our investigation of Gina’s activities, my brothers and I uncovered disturbing evidence that she was manipulating Dad.It was a bitter pill to swallow, realizing that our own father was being used by a stranger. But confronting Dad about Gina’s deceit was not easy.We knew he wouldn’t take kindly to our accusations, but we had to make him see the truth. However, our attempts to reason with him only seemed to fuel Gina’s poison in his mind.When we finally mustered the courage to confront Dad, Gina was quick to intercede, poisoning his thoughts against us. It was a heartbreaking moment, watching our father turn against us under her influence.“Dad, we need to talk.” I said, as the three of us appeared in his study.“About what?” Dad responded, setting a file down on his table.“Cole stepped forward. “It’s about Gina, Dad. We’ve been looking into her, and we’ve found some troubling things.”“Troubling things? Like what?” Dad raised an eyebrow.“She’s
Shannon’s POV“What?”As I sat in the unfamiliar room with Jaime, the revelation that he was the mysterious hooded figure who visited my mother’s grave left me speechless. My mind struggled to process the whole thing crashing over me.Jaime must have sensed my turmoil, for he spoke softly, his voice tinged with regret. “I know this must come as a shock, Shannon,” he began, his eyes filled with sorrow. “But there are things you need to know.”I was speechless, my mind playing with the implications of his confession. “But why? Why have you been visiting my mother’s grave?”Jaime’s expression softened, and he moved closer, taking a seat beside me. “Your mother… she was someone special to me. We were lovers.” He explained, his voice hinting sadness. “This was long before you and your mother joined the pack, and I was banished so I couldn’t be with her anymore.”I was overcome with a mix of emotions—confusion, and a hint of gratitude. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, my voice barely abov
Shannon’s POVAs the tension between Gina and the triplets continued, I couldn’t help feel myself that something was definitely off about her. She remained closed off, deceptive and secretive, and her icy demeanor only fueled my suspicions.I tried to get closer to get so I could find out something, but despite my efforts to connect with her, Gina rebuffed me at every turn, leaving me with a growing sense of unease.Seeking the company of my mates, I made my way to the triplets’ apartment one evening. As I entered, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, reminding me of our time away in the small town, when we were all together.“Hey, Shannon,” Cole greeted me with a warm smile, his eyes reflecting the same longing I felt for our shared bond. “What brings you here?”“I just wanted to see you all,” I admitted, feeling a pang of longing for the comfort of their presence. “I miss having you around.”Jules nodded in understanding, his expression mirroring my own sentiments. “We miss being the
Cole’s POVAs the relentless bandits closed in on us, my brothers and I fought tooth and nail to reach Shannon, our son in her arms, and Dad. With each swing of our claws and every snap of our jaws, we carved a path through the enemy ranks, desperate to reach them.Finally, we reached their side, relieved to find them unharmed. As the bandits continued to pour into the throne room, we turned to face them, ready to defend our home and our family to the last breath.Their numbers increased and became impossible for us to fight off just the three of us. But just as the tide seemed to turn against us, a sudden shift in the air caught my attention.I glanced at Dad as he shouted a familiar war cry. I was confused, but before I could question him thinking he was joining the fight, a wave of relief washed over me as the royal army emerged from the shadows upstairs and all over the room, the tips of their arrows gleaming in the dim light.Dad gave the order as soon as I am my brothers realize
Jaime’s POVAs the boys set out on their hunting trip, I couldn’t shake the feeling of responsibility that weighed heavily on my shoulders as their uncle. I knew the dangers that awaited them in the barren lands, I couldn’t bear the thought of them facing it alone.Since I knew it wasn’t forbidden, I followed them, keeping a watchful eye as we ventured deeper into the wilderness. They were happy to have me with them. As I followed the boys on their journey, I kept a close watch on their progress.“Stay close, boys,” I urged as we ventured deeper into the unknown. “We must remain vigilant in these lands.”Ricky, eager to prove himself, nodded in agreement. “We’re ready for whatever comes our way, Uncle Jaime. We’ve trained for this moment all our lives.”As we walked on, our peace was shattered by the appearance of a horde of strange creatures within the first hour, their twisted forms illuminated by the glow of the sun. I knew the boys’ training would be put to the test that moment.“
Shannon’s POVAs the sun began to set, reflecting shadows across the castle compound, I found myself pacing anxiously by the window, my heart heavy with worry.The triplets were supposed to return hours ago from their hunting trip, but there was still no sign of them. Every passing minute felt long and dreadful, and with each one that ticked by, my anxiety grew.“Will they be okay?” I asked Robin for what felt like the hundredth time, my voice filled with fear.“They’ll be fine, Shannon,” Robin replied, his tone calm and reassuring. “They’re strong boys, and they know how to take care of themselves.”I wanted desperately to believe him, but the gnawing feeling of worry in the pit of my stomach refused to go away. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.As the hours stretched on, I busied myself with caring for Michael, trying to distract myself from the overwhelming sense of dread that threatened to consume me.But no matter how much I tried to focus on my
Shannon’s POVSoon, as Michael took his first wobbly steps, his laughter echoing through the room, my heart swelled with pride and joy. He was growing so fast, becoming more and more like his fathers every day.But as he stumbled towards Jules, arms outstretched and calling “dada,” a pang of jealousy tugged at my heart.I longed to hear him call me “mama” or something close, but it seemed like that moment would never come. Still, I plastered on a smile and cheered along with the rest of the family as Michael reached Jules and was scooped up into his arms.Robin, too, seemed to revel in Michael’s presence more and more each day. Despite his initial reservations about Michael’s birth, he had grown to adore his grandson, spending hours playing with him and doting on him like any proud grandfather would.But amidst the joy of Michael’s milestone, a cloud of sorrow still hung over our family. Ricky, in particular, seemed to be struggling more and more with Uncle Jaime’s death. His grief we
One year later.Jules’ POVIt had been a year since Ricky left, and his return brought a wave of emotions. As he walked through the front door, I couldn’t help but notice how much he had changed.The beard framing his face gave him a more mature look, and there was a sense of wisdom in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.“Ricky!” I exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug. “It’s good to have you back, bro.”Ricky returned the hug, a smile spreading across his face. “It’s good to be back,” he replied, his voice filled with warmth.Shannon greeted him with a kiss, her eyes shining with happiness at his return. And Michael, now a year older, toddled over to Ricky, reaching up to grab his hand with chubby fingers.“Hey there, little guy. Oh my god, look how much you’ve grown!” Ricky said, scooping Michael into his arms and lifting him into the air. Michael giggled with delight, his laughter filling the room.We spent the evening catching up, reminiscing about old times and sharing stor
Shannon, five years later.As the sun streamed through the windows, filling the room with warmth, I found myself chasing after our energetic twins, boy and girl, who are barely five years old. Laughter echoed through the house as they raced around the living room.“Slow down, you two!” I called out, trying in vain to keep up with their energy.But Jules walking in just chuckled from the doorway, his eyes shining with amusement. “Let them play, my love,” he said, his voice filled with affection. “They’re just having fun.”I sighed, knowing he was right. As much as I wanted to keep them safe, I couldn’t deny them the simple joy of being young and carefree. With a resigned smile, I watched as they continued their game of chase and catch, their laughs filling the air with screams.Just then, I felt Jules’ arms wrap around my once again pregnant belly from behind, his embrace warm and comforting. I leaned back into his arms, relishing the feel of his strong arms around me. “How are you and
Shannon’s POVThe atmosphere in the castle had shifted since Matthew’s capture. With him out of the picture, the pack felt safer, even at the borders. Ricky and Cole had returned after several days of patrolling, their faces weary but relieved.As we gathered around the dinner table, there was a sense of peace and contentment in the air. Jules sat at the head of the table, his presence reassuring and strong. I couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride as I looked at him, knowing he had risked everything to protect our pack.Ricky and Cole filled our ears with tales of their adventures at the boarders, their voices filled with excitement as they recounted their encounters with rival packs and rogue wolves. Despite the dangers they faced, they had emerged victorious and the pack now was finally safe.As we shared our meal, laughter echoed through the hall, the tension of recent events fading into the background. Even Dora and Ellie had joined in the festivities, as I’d insisted on invitin
Shannon’s POVTwo days after the investigation for Jules’ attempted murder, as I entered his room, I found him fuming in his bed, his face twisted with frustration.“They couldn’t find him,” he muttered to me before I said anything, his voice dripping with irritation. “Matthew has slipped through our fingers again.”I sighed as I watched Jules’ restless movements, knowing this was going to be a long conversation. “You need to rest, Jules. Let the guards handle this.” I said firmly, approaching his bedside. “You’re not in any condition to be worrying about Matthew right now.”Jules shot me a glare, but I could see the pain in his eyes. “I can’t just sit here while that traitor is out there,” he grumbled, shifting uncomfortably against his pillows.I gently placed a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. “You need to focus on getting better,” I urged. “The guards will find Matthew eventually. You need to trust them.”He let out a frustrated sigh, but finally relented. “Fine,” he grum
Shannon’s POVI walked back to the castle, my mind swirling with thoughts about Matthew. He didn’t deny it. He didn’t even try to. My suspicions were like shadows creeping over me, chilling me to the bone. But without solid proof, I felt like I was playing with smoke.I found Jules in his study, buried under a mountain of paperwork. His tired eyes glanced up at me, and I could tell he was bracing himself for another round of my suspicions.“Jules, I need to talk to you about Matthew,” I blurted out before he could stop me.He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. “Shannon, we’ve been over this. You’re letting your imagination run wild.”I shook my head, frustration bubbling inside me. “But Jules, I just need you to listen. I know something’s not right.”He looked at me with a mix of sympathy and exasperation. “Shannon, I understand you’re scared after everything that’s happened. But maybe you’re seeing things that aren’t there. It’s understandable, given the trauma you’ve been through.
Shannon’s POV“I’m not lying to you Jules, you need to believe me when I say that Mathew is not a good person. He is trying to pot against you and why won’t you believe me?” I inquired with a very stern countenance plastered on my face.“Oh please Shannon can you please just stop all of this drama? Why are you bothering yourself over something that you shouldn’t? I don’t know what is feeding you with lies but you know better than to believe everything you hear.” Jules snapped at me, walking back to his desk, and sunk into it without giving me any more regard.I knew he wasn’t going to believe me from the start but why? I’ve been on Mathew’s trial forever and it’s enough for me to know that he is planning on hurting Jules.But why won’t Jules listen? Why is he so certain that Mathew can’t do anything to him? Why am I looking like the crazy one here? All I’m trying to do is to avert him from the danger that is heading right towards him.I couldn’t let anything happen to Jules but at thi
Shannon’s POVI knew the answers I needed were not going to come that easily. I knew my instincts weren’t wrong about Matthew and he had something up his sleeves.I intended to find out because one way or the other it was going to affect someone I cared about.I had second thoughts on the fact that I might be overthinking and he wasn’t doing anything wrong.But what if he was actually what I thought he was? Doing research won’t make me lose anything but ignoring this would.I knew he had been working here and I knew exactly where to start my investigation from. The best way to get my answers is through the maids.They were the eyes and ears of everything, all I needed was to convince a maid to tell me everything. Of course, she would resist at first but later she’ll give in to some persuasion.I paced around my room thinking hard if this was the right way to go about it. What if I was wrong and I got blamed along with being called paranoid?This just has to work so I won’t get blamed
Shannon’s POVI stormed into the castle, my heart pounding in my chest. The situation with Matthew had left me unsettled, and I know I had to find a way to make Jules listen to my warnings about him.As I entered the main hall, my eyes immediately fell on Michael, playing innocently with a toy on the floor. Beside him stood Matthew, the man I found so suspicious.My instincts screamed at me to grab Michael and run, but I forced myself to stay calm. I hurried over to my son, scooping him up into my arms protectively. Michael grinned up at me, holding out the toy he had been playing with.I turned to face Matthew, my expression hard and suspicious. “What are you doing here?” I demanded, my voice laced with tension.Matthew blinked in surprise, taken aback by my abruptness. “I came to see Jules,” he replied, gesturing vaguely. “One of the maids told me to wait here, and I saw Michael, so I thought I’d keep him company.”My grip on Michael tightened, my protective instincts in overdrive.
Shannon’s POV.The next day Jules and I moved into the pack house.It was still so surreal to me that I was an Alpha.Jules was almost completely healed now and he kept talking about how it was all because of his training yesterday. I mentioned to him that it was probably because of the training he’s still not properly healed yet but he just laughed in my face.As soon as we arrived in the pack house, we were welcomed by the slaves. They were all lined up in the living room in a straight line dressed in black and whiteThey had to be at least fifty to a hundred of them.What on earth did we need so many slaves for?I wondered as I scanned their faces.I glanced over at Jukes who seemed a little too confident. I wish I had his confidence. It seemed like he was used to it, unlike me.“These are the palace slaves, they are always at your service, They all have been assigned different stations. You will eventually get used to them but for now, these are the most important faces you will
Jules POVI woke up in a brightly lit room. I blinked, trying to adjust to the harsh fluorescent light.“Jules!” A familiar sounding voice called out and I frowned as her face came into view.“Shannon,” I sat up a little too quickly and groaned out in absolute pain.“Hey Jules,” she smiled at me.“Don’t move too much. You have not yet healed up.” She said, her sweet voice wrapping around me like a blanket.“You’ve been released?” it was supposed to be an observation but it came out as a question. I was so happy to see her, I couldn’t believe I had won. At some point, I had completely blacked out but if she was here with me then I had won.“Thanks to you. I’m so sorry for what you had to go through for my sake.* She said, hugging me.I winced at the pain and she quickly let go of me as if I were some fragile glass.“No,” I protested at the absence of her warmth. I wanted it back but I knew she would be too afraid to hurt me. That was just who Shannon was.“I’m sorry, you seem to still