Author’s POVRobert gazed down at the twin children, their wide eyes and contagious grins instantly tugging at his heartstrings. Jessica's children—a boy and a girl—have brown locks that mirror the image of their mother's.Mr. Parker quickly shushed the kids, waving them away. "Shush, go away, I have told you, little troublemakers, times without number to stop calling everyone you see 'Daddy'! You know your mother isn't married."But the children refused to budge, looking up at Robert with uncontrolled adoration. "If you want to marry Mommy, we would love it!" the girl beamed.The older man's expression soured. "Naughty kids! Go away, or I won't let you have your birthday party!"The twins grumbled under their breath but scurried away, disappearing up the grand staircase.Robert turned to Mr. Parker, his brow furrowed. "Um, if Jessica isn't married, how did she have these kids? Is there something I am missing? Perhaps they are my..." He trailed off, his eyes widened in surprise. The
Author’s POVResting restlessly in the bed, Emily was holding a pillow to her chest inside the dark room. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of her son. How was Winston doing? Was the pain from his heart condition growing unbearable without his mother by his side?The sudden creak of the door had her sitting up, her heart was galloping so fast. Looking into the darkness, she could make out a ghostly figure approaching, their silhouette becoming clearer as they neared the bed.Gripping the spoon she had used for her meal, Emily scrambled to the edge of the bed, her legs curled protectively against her chest. "Stay back!" she cried, waving the spoon threateningly. "Don’t come any closer, or I won't hesitate to use this!"The mysterious person chuckled, and Emily's body relaxed as Carol's familiar face appeared in the darkness. "Am I really that scary?" the woman inquired, moving closer.Emily released a shaky breath. "Scary? I wasn't expecting someone to sneak in here like a ghost!" She
Author’s POVRobert's eyes fluttered open to the persistent slapping of Nicholas's palm against his cheek. Frowning, he glanced up at his new ally, who regarded him impatiently."Wake up, sleepyhead, we don't have all day," Nicholas scolded. "Time to get moving to the Duskfall pack, we don't want Marcus's henchmen to catch up to us, do we?"Handing Robert a wrapped burger, he added, "Eat up. You will need the energy."Accepting the food with a cautious glare, Robert took a hesitant bite, chewing thoughtfully. "Which side are you really on?" he questioned, his tone serious. "Are you seriously trying to make this deal happen, or what?"Nicholas's expression darkened. "I have to sell off some of the disease at the Duskfall pack," he admitted. "And I don't have a choice, we still need Marcus's trust if we are going to win this war, and the only way to have his full trust is by selling some of the containers and sending the money back to him."Robert's brow furrowed, his doubts persisting
Author’s POVAs the Duskfall warriors began offloading the containers of disease, the Alpha and his beta ushered Robert and Nicholas into the grand living room. But the two men came to a sudden stop, their gazes engrossed on the familiar person lounging on the couch."Michael?" Robert breathed, his brow furrowing in confusion.The Alpha gestured grandly. "Make yourselves at home. My beta will finalize the deal with you, I have another business to attend to."Without another word, he turned and began climbing the grand staircase, Michael getting up to follow him. Nicholas seized the younger Alpha's arm, whispering urgently. "What are you doing here? Didn't you refuse to join me yesterday? How did you get here so fast on your own anyway?"Michael offered a mysterious smile. "Sheesh, you ask way too many questions, you sound like my brother. I came here for another reason, I will let you know how it turns out." With that, he broke free and hurried after the retreating Alpha.The older ma
Alpha James’s POVThe cool waters of the lake lapped at my feet as I sat on its edge, staring out into the inky darkness. My heart ached with longing for Emily's return. I missed her so desperately, craving the feel of her in my arms once more.A sudden snapping sound behind me made me turn around. One of my warriors stood there, eyes wide with fear."I-I was just leaving, I didn't mean to interrupt," he stammered, attempting to walk away.I could tell something was clearly bothering the young man. He was never the brightest of my warriors-in-training, but I gestured for him to come closer."You weren’t interrupting anything, tell me, what’s eating you up?" I inquired, patting the ground beside me.Gulping nervously, the warrior sat down beside me, his pose tense. "I'm worried, Alpha. We are still outnumbered by the warriors at the packhouse. They have more numbers, and access to so many weapons than we do."He shifted uncomfortable. "Not to mention, I'm afraid I won't be able to prot
Author’s POVThe once-lively park now sat in a sad, strange silence, different from the carefree days of the past. Emily gazed around the unhappy surroundings, her eyes resting on her son, who sat beside her on the bench, completely engrossed in playing with the Spiderman figurines Robert had given him.A bittersweet smile tugged at her lips as she watched him, so oblivious to the darkness that had fallen upon their pack. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew the phone and wanted poster she'd borrowed from the daycare. Emily’s own face stared back at her, a stupid reminder that she was now a wanted criminal in her pack.Fingers trembling slightly, she dialed the Packhouse landline number printed at the bottom, her heart pounding against her ribs like a hammer as the line rang. On the second ring, a familiar voice answered."Carol, it's me, Emily!" She shouted urgently. "I need you to give the phone to your husband; I have some information for him!"But Carol's response was strong. "N
Author's POVThe lush greenery of the park surrounded Emily and Jessica as they sat side by side on the bench, their children playing melodiously on the grassy floor. Jessica's voice was abnormally soft as she addressed the youngsters."You are all family now, so no fighting or bullying, alright?"The twins and Winston looked up in surprise but quickly resumed their game, sharing toys and laughter. Emily felt tears well in her eyes as she watched the kids play, Jessica's words stirring up emotions she had long suppressed.Sensing her distress, Jessica turned to her, her expression somber. "Um, I know the past five years have been hard on you," she murmured. "The bullying, the loneliness—even my own mother didn't shed a tear for me when I was brutally raped by those rogue wolves. She made it look like it was my fault, I got kidnapped and she told me to get rid of the twins."Emily opened her mouth to respond, but Jessica raised a hand, silencing her. Slowly, she slid off the bench, kne
Author’s POVThe first crow's call pierced the pre-dawn air, awakening the Demontail Pack members from their sleep. In the campsite, warriors sharpened their weapons, readying themselves for the coming war.Sarah, Mrs. Blackwood, and Geneva worked in the kitchen, distributing the precious cure to the waiting pack members. The bitter liquid elicited comical expressions as it was consumed, but the urgency of their job allowed no room for fun."The alpha and the warriors at the lake need some cure too!" A warrior shouted, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.Geneva gathered some glasses onto a tray in her hand and shouted back. "I’m on it!"She rushed outside the border of the campsite towards the lake, where Alpha James and the other warriors were bathing naked. The sun was beaming and directing down rays on the water, making it shine and sparkle as she approached. The other warriors were splashing around, having a good time, as they laughed and joked. She couldn't help but sta