AXEL’S POV:From where the car stopped, a jet was already waiting on the tarmac, beneath the pale morning sky. Less than two hours later, I was in our new location—a fortress tucked deep into the outskirts, reinforced and brimming with security. I showered, shaved, trimmed the unruly beard. Cedric stitched the gash on my brow and reset two of my ribs without a complaint. My knuckles were still bruised, but the fresh set of clothes—black shirt, tactical trousers, leather boots—made me feel human again. Strange how luxury used to feel normal. Now, even clean water felt sacred.Cedric didn’t speak much, but I could tell from his eyes that he knew we were standing in the middle of a long war—and that everything, even moments like this, had consequences. He’d been brought by Baron, apparently to save Ryan. Since then, he hadn’t stopped working. He patched, treated, and kept morale up without asking for thanks. That alone earned him more of my respect.Ryan had updated me as soon as we lan
AVERY’S POV:I stopped counting the days. Time moved like molasses, thick and slow, as we lived under the constant shadow of fear. We were caged like animals—patrolled, watched, starved of dignity. Devon wasn’t the man I remembered. Whatever light used to be in his eyes had long been smothered by something cruel and cold. The once-easy smile he wore like a badge was now replaced by a stone-hard jaw and the hollow stare of a man long lost to the dark.He used to be kind.Now, he hit my brothers for speaking too loud.But I didn’t hate Devon.I hated the man who turned him into this. The one who gave the orders. Who turned my protector into a monster.Axel.I couldn’t fight back. I didn’t have the strength. And worse—I’d brought this ruin to my people. The earth was ransacked, torn apart by metal and greed. The same land that once glistened under the sun was now a wounded body, bled dry by machines. They dug up every corner, searching for a 'precious mineral' as I overheard one of the g
AVERY’S POV:I was drenched in blood. It had soaked into the white of my temple robe, turned my hands sticky, and clung to my skin like guilt. Akira’s body—now wrapped in linen, still and pale—lay in front of me. Her death had left a hollow in my chest that no scream could fill. I cried until I couldn’t anymore, until the pain became dry and raw like my throat. She had just begun to teach me how to live through this pregnancy, how to breathe again in a world that felt so suffocating. And just like that, she was gone. Snatched from me as quickly as she'd come.The others sat quietly around her body. No chants. No songs. Just silence thick enough to choke on.Then came the chaos.Gunshots. Screams. The kind of terror that twists reality in half. My head jerked toward the sound, and my heart thudded in my throat. I scrambled to my feet, wiping at my tears, suddenly alert."What’s happening?" I asked the nearest person—a small Orion boy, no older than eight, trembling beside a pillar."T
AVERY’S POV:Axel coughed violently, blood splattering the stone beneath him. His limbs were twitching now—shock setting in. His breaths were ragged like each one hurt more than the last. The kind of pain that looks more animal than human. Still, he tried to speak."Devon…” he managed, gasping between words. “How… did I ruin your life? You… you pledged allegiance to me. Swore on your mother’s life. You said I saved you. You—”“Oh, please,” Devon cut him off, sneering. “I told you what you wanted to hear. You’re so arrogant. So hungry to be worshipped. That story about the boy you saved? It was real. I just found him. Killed him. Took his place.”The courtyard stilled.Devon’s voice turned cold. “He was a drunk, anyway. I did the world a favor.”My blood chilled. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.Axel’s face twitched. Whether from pain or betrayal, I didn’t know. His hands were slick with blood now, trying weakly to press down on his wounds. His lips quivered, mumbling words I could
AVERY’S POV:"If I could, I'd kill London a second time," Axel growled, his voice gravel-coated and bitter. "She was a traitor. A whore. Imagine the woman I loved, bent over for the Don of a rival cartel like a common street slut. Not just once—but again and again, even when she was carrying my child."He wasn’t yelling. That made it worse. His voice was calm, even fond in a twisted way, as if the memory had hardened into something precious—just not in the way love is supposed to be.His lip curled, disgust tightening every word. “She didn’t just betray me. She betrayed her father. Our family.”I stood frozen, every inch of me recoiling. My mouth went dry. Axel’s rage was volcanic—rising, spilling, burning everything in its path.“At first, I had my suspicions,” he said, almost too calmly. “But I dismissed them. Turned a blind eye. You know why?” He scoffed and looked away, his jaw twitching. “Because I loved that loose hole.”He laughed, but there was no joy in it—only the sound of a
AXEL’S POV:When I heard the gunfire erupt, instinct screamed at me to move. To throw myself in front of her. Protect her.But I couldn’t.I couldn’t even lift my damn hand.My body was giving in. Muscles seizing. Vision dimming. I was slipping—fast—into the cold grip of darkness. Then I felt it.Warm droplets hitting my face. Wet. Heavy. Like a slow rain of grief.I forced my eyes open.There she was—hovering over me, her face twisted in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed and screamed for help.God, I hated seeing her cry.Not her. Not my woman.With what strength I had left, I reached up. My fingers trembled like an old man's, but I managed to cup her cheek. Her skin was soft beneath my bloodstained hand. Still warm. Still alive.“Stop crying, Wifey,” I rasped, coughing. More blood oozed from the corner of my mouth, thick and metallic. “This was bound to happen anyway. I’ve got too many enemies not to die like this.” I tried to chuckle but winced—everything hurt.
AVERY’S POV:When Axel’s hand slipped from my face and hit the cold stone floor, limp and lifeless, I couldn’t breathe. “No—no—NO!”The scream tore out of me like my soul was being ripped open. It wasn't just a sound—it was a shattering. A wail so raw that it echoed through the temple walls, spilling into the evening, carried by the wind across the ruined grounds. Everyone around froze. Even the birds outside the temple scattered into the sky like they couldn’t bear to witness what had just happened."AXEL!" I screamed again, my voice hoarse, my throat burning, my body shaking with violent sobs as I clutched his blood-warm body. “Please—please—wake up. Don’t do this. Don’t leave me!”Ryan and Baron rushed forward, but I shoved them away.“Don’t touch him!” I cried. “He’s still warm. He’s not gone. He can’t be gone—he can’t!”They tried again, gently, carefully. “Avery… we have to—”“Where the hell were you?” I shrieked, eyes burning through tears as I turned on them. “You should’ve
AVERY’S POV:I didn’t wait to hear anything else. I stormed out, marching past the crowd, past Ryan’s calls, past Baron’s wary glances, right into the open center of the temple where the keepers stood in their quiet circle.“Take me to my husband,” I demanded. They looked at me with reverence—but also restraint.“You cannot enter to see them,” one said, stepping forward. “You are still soiled by blood.”I blinked. “Them?” I repeated, eyes narrowing.“Yes,” the elder said, nodding solemnly. “Because Axel was placed next to Akira.”Remembering that she was also gone electrified me. “You must first bathe,” the woman continued. “Cleanse the blood from your body and soul. Then change into white. Only purity can walk where the spirits linger.”I wasted no time.The water was freezing, my wounds aching, but I scrubbed until the skin on my hands turned pink. Dressed in a flowing white gown they handed me, I followed the keepers as they led me through the temple’s winding stone corridors. Th
AVERY’S POV:I didn’t know what I was doing. I was lost. Helpless.The stillness of the temple overwhelming. It left me questioning, "what darkness has descended upon this sacred place?"I couldn’t shake off that feeling. I reached out, trembling, and gently dragged Axel’s form closer to Akira’s. My tears came fast, burning hot paths down my face, dripping onto his chest. I wiped them, only to see something glint faintly from the corner of my eye.A dagger.It was nestled beside Akira’s body, resting as if it had always belonged there—like it was waiting for me.I picked it up slowly, reverently, brushing my thumb across the metal. It was nothing like the blades I’d seen in life. This was ancient—its hilt carved from obsidian, engraved with spirals and sunbursts that shimmered faintly under the moonlight. The blade itself curved slightly, etched with a language I couldn’t read but somehow understood. The tip was impossibly sharp, the weight of it perfect in my hand.I stared at it, co
AVERY’S POV:I didn’t wait to hear anything else. I stormed out, marching past the crowd, past Ryan’s calls, past Baron’s wary glances, right into the open center of the temple where the keepers stood in their quiet circle.“Take me to my husband,” I demanded. They looked at me with reverence—but also restraint.“You cannot enter to see them,” one said, stepping forward. “You are still soiled by blood.”I blinked. “Them?” I repeated, eyes narrowing.“Yes,” the elder said, nodding solemnly. “Because Axel was placed next to Akira.”Remembering that she was also gone electrified me. “You must first bathe,” the woman continued. “Cleanse the blood from your body and soul. Then change into white. Only purity can walk where the spirits linger.”I wasted no time.The water was freezing, my wounds aching, but I scrubbed until the skin on my hands turned pink. Dressed in a flowing white gown they handed me, I followed the keepers as they led me through the temple’s winding stone corridors. Th
AVERY’S POV:When Axel’s hand slipped from my face and hit the cold stone floor, limp and lifeless, I couldn’t breathe. “No—no—NO!”The scream tore out of me like my soul was being ripped open. It wasn't just a sound—it was a shattering. A wail so raw that it echoed through the temple walls, spilling into the evening, carried by the wind across the ruined grounds. Everyone around froze. Even the birds outside the temple scattered into the sky like they couldn’t bear to witness what had just happened."AXEL!" I screamed again, my voice hoarse, my throat burning, my body shaking with violent sobs as I clutched his blood-warm body. “Please—please—wake up. Don’t do this. Don’t leave me!”Ryan and Baron rushed forward, but I shoved them away.“Don’t touch him!” I cried. “He’s still warm. He’s not gone. He can’t be gone—he can’t!”They tried again, gently, carefully. “Avery… we have to—”“Where the hell were you?” I shrieked, eyes burning through tears as I turned on them. “You should’ve
AXEL’S POV:When I heard the gunfire erupt, instinct screamed at me to move. To throw myself in front of her. Protect her.But I couldn’t.I couldn’t even lift my damn hand.My body was giving in. Muscles seizing. Vision dimming. I was slipping—fast—into the cold grip of darkness. Then I felt it.Warm droplets hitting my face. Wet. Heavy. Like a slow rain of grief.I forced my eyes open.There she was—hovering over me, her face twisted in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed and screamed for help.God, I hated seeing her cry.Not her. Not my woman.With what strength I had left, I reached up. My fingers trembled like an old man's, but I managed to cup her cheek. Her skin was soft beneath my bloodstained hand. Still warm. Still alive.“Stop crying, Wifey,” I rasped, coughing. More blood oozed from the corner of my mouth, thick and metallic. “This was bound to happen anyway. I’ve got too many enemies not to die like this.” I tried to chuckle but winced—everything hurt.
AVERY’S POV:"If I could, I'd kill London a second time," Axel growled, his voice gravel-coated and bitter. "She was a traitor. A whore. Imagine the woman I loved, bent over for the Don of a rival cartel like a common street slut. Not just once—but again and again, even when she was carrying my child."He wasn’t yelling. That made it worse. His voice was calm, even fond in a twisted way, as if the memory had hardened into something precious—just not in the way love is supposed to be.His lip curled, disgust tightening every word. “She didn’t just betray me. She betrayed her father. Our family.”I stood frozen, every inch of me recoiling. My mouth went dry. Axel’s rage was volcanic—rising, spilling, burning everything in its path.“At first, I had my suspicions,” he said, almost too calmly. “But I dismissed them. Turned a blind eye. You know why?” He scoffed and looked away, his jaw twitching. “Because I loved that loose hole.”He laughed, but there was no joy in it—only the sound of a
AVERY’S POV:Axel coughed violently, blood splattering the stone beneath him. His limbs were twitching now—shock setting in. His breaths were ragged like each one hurt more than the last. The kind of pain that looks more animal than human. Still, he tried to speak."Devon…” he managed, gasping between words. “How… did I ruin your life? You… you pledged allegiance to me. Swore on your mother’s life. You said I saved you. You—”“Oh, please,” Devon cut him off, sneering. “I told you what you wanted to hear. You’re so arrogant. So hungry to be worshipped. That story about the boy you saved? It was real. I just found him. Killed him. Took his place.”The courtyard stilled.Devon’s voice turned cold. “He was a drunk, anyway. I did the world a favor.”My blood chilled. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.Axel’s face twitched. Whether from pain or betrayal, I didn’t know. His hands were slick with blood now, trying weakly to press down on his wounds. His lips quivered, mumbling words I could
AVERY’S POV:I was drenched in blood. It had soaked into the white of my temple robe, turned my hands sticky, and clung to my skin like guilt. Akira’s body—now wrapped in linen, still and pale—lay in front of me. Her death had left a hollow in my chest that no scream could fill. I cried until I couldn’t anymore, until the pain became dry and raw like my throat. She had just begun to teach me how to live through this pregnancy, how to breathe again in a world that felt so suffocating. And just like that, she was gone. Snatched from me as quickly as she'd come.The others sat quietly around her body. No chants. No songs. Just silence thick enough to choke on.Then came the chaos.Gunshots. Screams. The kind of terror that twists reality in half. My head jerked toward the sound, and my heart thudded in my throat. I scrambled to my feet, wiping at my tears, suddenly alert."What’s happening?" I asked the nearest person—a small Orion boy, no older than eight, trembling beside a pillar."T
AVERY’S POV:I stopped counting the days. Time moved like molasses, thick and slow, as we lived under the constant shadow of fear. We were caged like animals—patrolled, watched, starved of dignity. Devon wasn’t the man I remembered. Whatever light used to be in his eyes had long been smothered by something cruel and cold. The once-easy smile he wore like a badge was now replaced by a stone-hard jaw and the hollow stare of a man long lost to the dark.He used to be kind.Now, he hit my brothers for speaking too loud.But I didn’t hate Devon.I hated the man who turned him into this. The one who gave the orders. Who turned my protector into a monster.Axel.I couldn’t fight back. I didn’t have the strength. And worse—I’d brought this ruin to my people. The earth was ransacked, torn apart by metal and greed. The same land that once glistened under the sun was now a wounded body, bled dry by machines. They dug up every corner, searching for a 'precious mineral' as I overheard one of the g
AXEL’S POV:From where the car stopped, a jet was already waiting on the tarmac, beneath the pale morning sky. Less than two hours later, I was in our new location—a fortress tucked deep into the outskirts, reinforced and brimming with security. I showered, shaved, trimmed the unruly beard. Cedric stitched the gash on my brow and reset two of my ribs without a complaint. My knuckles were still bruised, but the fresh set of clothes—black shirt, tactical trousers, leather boots—made me feel human again. Strange how luxury used to feel normal. Now, even clean water felt sacred.Cedric didn’t speak much, but I could tell from his eyes that he knew we were standing in the middle of a long war—and that everything, even moments like this, had consequences. He’d been brought by Baron, apparently to save Ryan. Since then, he hadn’t stopped working. He patched, treated, and kept morale up without asking for thanks. That alone earned him more of my respect.Ryan had updated me as soon as we lan