Trigger Warning: The whole chapter is a heavy one, with discussions of sexual assault. Please skip this chapter (and wait for the next chapter) if this will trigger you. NADINE. The sound of the main gate being opened made me stand up from the ground. My hand held the dagger tightly as I faced the entrance of my cell. I could smell Xander, but he was not alone. I smelled Maddox, too, and many others. I swallowed and let my eyes dilate. I should not let them see the fear in me. Maybe this was it. I would be taken out of the cell and paraded to the crowd. I could finally challenge Maddox. And may the Goddess help me that if I weren’t to succeed, Jace was already here. “I know you’re holding a dagger, my sweet Nadine.” Maddox’s evil voice echoed around the walls of this prison. “In your dreams...” I muttered under my breath.“Drop it, or Xander will lay dead on your feet.”“The hell I care!” I exclaimed, only to be taken aback when Xander’s body came into view. It made me step back
XANDER. “Xander… No.” Nadine begged.“It’s either me or them, Nadine.” I was doing my best not to break down. I could attempt to stop them, and Maddox could fire the gun at me, and then what would happen to Nadine next? He would still order someone to rape her. Or, he would shoot at her.“I know. Better you…” She spoke without opening her mouth.“No… No…” She cried loudly this time. “That’s it, little mouse. Cry. Let them see you beg him.” Maddox was clearly enjoying this. Nadine kept shaking her head, but the moment I took her hands and pinned them up against the wall, our eyes locked for a split second. Her eyes told me everything I needed to keep going. She trusted me. I could hear Maddox and the others laughing while I was doing my best to get her permission. It took too much of me not to ravage her. The sex pill was taking effect on my whole body, but Orion was doing his best not to add to the lust I felt. He kept telling me to stay focused and not hurt Nadine.“I love you
THEODORE. (NADINE'S FATHER, The next in line as Alpha of the Dark Forest Pack before Maximus took over the pack)The helicopter I was in roamed above the vast forest of the Dark Forest Pack.I couldn’t help the pang of pain that hit my chest as I looked at the territory below. Although I hadn’t seen it in four decades, the familiarity and the warmth it brought to me didn’t change.I was supposed to be the next Alpha of this pack until that night my father, Alpha Carlos Montrell, the then Alpha, was killed. For some reason, the power of the Alpha didn’t transfer to me automatically. It went to Maximus—the man who was ten years older than me and the man my father took under his wing.Maximus and my mother, Teresa, came from the same pack. He was the son of my mother’s personal bodyguard before she met my father. So when Dad took my mother home after finding out she was his fated mate, Maximus’ father came with them to this territory to make sure she was protected. He took his whole fa
FUTURE BETA FEMALE MINDY. Matthew drove me out of the Dark Forest territory into the nearby city. We dropped my luggage inside the hotel that Xander reserved for me before we drove back home, using the route Alpha Maddox seldom takes. Matthew didn’t ask a question and just followed what I asked him, as Xander had already told him what to do. Xander also instructed him that if the Alpha inquired about my whereabouts, he should merely respond that he had brought me to the city without any mention of taking me back here.So he dropped me in the middle of the neutral forest and drove himself home. This area was connected to the forest inside our territory, where no cameras were placed. This was a big risk. I was alone and weak, and it would take a long trek to get inside and reach where I was supposed to meet Arlo. I didn’t tell my mate how long and dangerous this path was, but I had no choice. I didn’t want to be out of the territory while they were trying to save Nadine. I knew I co
BETA ARLO. ‘Alpha Riley!’ He was in, and that meant the others, too. ‘Motherfucker! You got in!’ He exclaimed back, and I could sense the relief in his tone. ‘I told you I would.’ I answered proudly. ‘I know, son.’ ‘Where is Kenzo?’ I asked. ‘He’s with Tyler. They went to the other side. Jace took him in his pack so he could link him for now, and he removed that asshole’s command from him. But we don’t know what’s happening inside. Do you know where Nadine is?’‘Where are you first?’ I asked first instead of answering. I listened as he described the landmark he was seeing. I told him that a hundred meters to the right of where he was was where I was supposed to meet Mindy.I told him what he needed to know about Mindy and me, as well as where Nadine was and why the fuck I ended up running.‘If you can get Mindy to safety, I will lead these wolves there. Because I need help. They were too many. And then we can go back to Nadine.’‘Got it. Lead them here. It’d been too long since
FORMER ALPHA MAXIMUS (Xander and Maddox's Grandfather). When Maddox told me he was set to put his action into motion today, I mocked him and said that he had finally grown a backbone. I couldn’t understand why he waited so long to kill the female in the cell. If it were me, she was dead in the first twenty-four hours of captivity. She might look like Teresa, which was a valid reason for me to like her. But it didn’t happen. Because, in reality, she was a reminder that even in the face of death, Teresa chose Carlos Montrell over me.I was nine years old when I realized I was smitten by her. She was beautiful, and she would let me be around her. Everything was perfect, but then she met her mate, Carlos Montrell, and broke my young heart in the process.I moved on with my life until I found myself with nothing.Everything I worked hard for turned to dust. I was removed as a warrior and outcast from my own pack because of one single mistake—letting the Alpha’s son commit crimes with me
XANDER. As soon as Maddox roared for his men to find Arlo, I sprung into action. His attention was directed toward Arlo that he didn’t see me launching at him. I was able to ram my elbow into his arm, making it easier to grab his weapon from him. Before he could react, I was already pointing the gun at his head. The crowd fell silent, and all I could hear was Maddox and Nadine’s heartbeats. “Give me your phone,” I told him.“You’ve got a gun, and all you want is my phone? Are you terrified that someone…” He was not able to finish his words because I pushed the gun more into his temple, and his eyes immediately shot closed.“Your fucking phone, Maddox,” I repeated, and he slid his hand into his back pocket before giving it to me. I operated the phone without taking my eyes off him, occasionally glancing at it until I found Nadine’s video. I deleted it and scrolled down his messages. He sent the video to Alpha Jace. My jaw tightened, but I kept my expression stoic. Nadine didn’t n
XANDER.“You cannot command an Alpha heir. I am one, even if the title is not mine.” I told Maddox in a low voice, just enough that only he could hear — unless someone was really paying attention. “So all this time you were asking me to do something, I just pretend to be doing it. I can defy you, even from day one.” I continued as I lowered the gun, but I was still watching his movement. I could hear the rumbling in his chest, and for some reason, it was satisfying to hear. “By the way, so that this one is out between the two of us. It was me who let Catherine out of the territory. I told her which way her father’s car had taken so they were able to find her right away. And you were right. I let Kenzo run away, so I’m sure when he comes back, he has forces with him. And lastly, I never raped Nadine. My mate knew I was playing the part, and she allowed me to touch her.”His breathing hitched as we continued walking. So, I added more salt to his injury. “No one also gave me any order