Here's for today/tonight. To new readers asking for an Update Schedule, I do update daily as much as I can and will take a one-day break in a week without any notice. But this is just a guide. I'm human, and there are days that I don't have the energy and inspiration to write, but rest assured, I never abandon my books. 💛 Thank you for all the comments and gems. Please keep them coming. #InCassandraWeTrust #TrustTheProcess 💛 P.S: We will see Mindy soon
NADINE. I had no idea how I was able to stand still and face all the egging without flinching or screaming for every hit. It wasn’t easy, especially if the crowd before me was more than hundreds. Aside from the sticky, icky feeling, I knew I had cuts on my forehead as I smelled and tasted blood. But no matter how I tried not to cry, I couldn’t stop the tears. I had always envisioned much further torture than this if Maddox were to find out about me, so this was nothing. The tears streaming down my cheeks were not for me, but for the agony I saw in the eyes of every mother standing in front of me. While their kids were having fun throwing eggs at me, their mothers were obviously distraught. I was sure Maddox had used his Alpha command again, as no one dared touch me at the beginning except for Carlotta.‘Use it as much as you want, coward. One day, it will be the main reason you’ll fall.’ I mumbled to myself as I kept my head high. I had to. I had to remind myself that I am a Montre
NADINE.“What happened?” Mindy’s face showed concern as she crouched in front of me. I pulled on the chains that held me in order to make some sound. I was not even sure if it could be heard in the corridor because the water was also making a lot of noise. But I wanted to mask our voices more. “I’m a Montrell, Mindy,” I said in a low voice. I kept my eyes on her, not wanting to miss any reaction. Up to this moment, I was not sure how Mindy took our last encounter. But if there was any doubt in my heart that she hated me, it went away the moment her face softened and tears welled in her eyes. Without letting go of the high-pressure hose in one hand, she wrapped her free arm around my neck and hugged me. Her warmth enveloped my whole body, just what I needed at the moment.“You’re crazy for coming here!” She mumbled, but she began peppering me with kisses on the side of my head. “But I’m glad to meet you.”She pulled away from hugging me, and a wide smile was plastered on her face. “
XANDER. We left Nadine at the central plaza and headed back to the packhouse. I didn’t want to leave her, but I had to play my part. I knew she was safer with Maddox’s men around her than if he were there.They would not kill or hurt her without him, as my evil brother wanted to see Nadine suffer. I was just buying time and trying to think of the best approach. I didn’t want to make hasty decisions because one wrong move could cost Nadine’s life. So even if I had to swallow my pride and act like a puppet to my brother, even if it meant the people who liked Nadine might end up hating me, I had to do it. Nadine above all. Maddox asked me to eat a late lunch with him, which I did. After that, he went directly to his office and locked himself there. And I hurried upstairs to the guest room, where I found Nadine on the phone. I was still grieving, knowing she was in love with someone else, but I had decided to let it go for now. I needed to save her. When I was sure no one was on the s
XANDER.It had been more than a week, and I was not able to get near Nadine anymore.If there was any consolation, no one had touched or tortured her after the first day. I had no idea what Maddox had in mind, but he had Gray here most of the time, and they would lock themselves in his office. I was his Beta, but I no longer felt like his second in command, except when it was about the usual pack concerns—not anything relating to Nadine and whatever he was conniving with Gray. Kenzo felt the same way. He had asked Maddox to let him and his men take charge of Nadine, but Maddox had dismissed the request right away. He told him to concentrate on his work and leave Nadine to himself.Kenzo was still treating me coldly. He was not in agreement with how I had just abandoned Nadine, but I had no choice but to shut my mouth. I was also concerned about him, as I could see him becoming agitated whenever the topic shifted to her. Maddox had already slipped, and he told me he was watching him.
MINDY.“Can you get me some water? I forgot to take one.” I asked Carter. He had been the one in here most of the time, and I had been doing my best to smile at him more often. And I could tell it was working, as he would flirt with me on some days. I was not comfortable with flirting. The truth was, I was not comfortable around any other men except for Xander. But I swallowed it all and just let him flirt with me. I never flirted back because I didn’t know how, but I kept smiling and nodding my head at him.“Where will I get bottled water here? I don’t want to run upstairs to the security room. It takes too much time.” He then cocked his head to the other side before smirking at me. “I’ll pull down the hose here. She can drink from it.”“Yes, she can, but then it would be a big mess, and I’m the one who’ll end up cleaning up the mess. The Alpha ordered me to keep her cell clean and dry to avoid molds,” I said in a soft voice before biting my bottom lip. “I can also go up there and
MINDY.“Arlo?” My voice almost didn’t come out. My heart was thudding so loudly that it felt like it would jump out of my chest. I was nervous, but I couldn’t deny the excitement I felt when I heard his voice. “This is Arlo. Who is this?” He asked. I could picture him smiling at the other end, and it made my shoulders relax.“Mindy. My name is Mindy…” I answered, but I got lost in what to say next.“Hello, Mindy. Do you need something from me?”“I need you.” I blurted out.Dead air.What did I just say to him? I felt my cheeks burning. I sounded so needy. It shouldn't be like that.“Okay.” I expected him to laugh or mock me, but there was nothing. His voice turned serious when he spoke. “Are you okay?”“Nadine is…” I attempted to continue, but I nearly choked, so I decided to stop. I didn't want to experience the pain of not being able to breathe like what happened when Nadine took me out of the territory.The Alpha command. The Alpha specifically instructed me not to discuss the Mo
XANDER.“Are you fucking nuts? Why would I run as Council Head?” Maddox chuckled and shook his head after Gray said that they could file a candidacy for him. “I can assure you, I have people who will support you. If Dad was not in a bad place, I would nominate myself.”“Still a no.”“Are you afraid of Jacob?” Alpha Gray asked.“Fuck, no. But I’m not stupid enough to run, so all attention will shift to me when I'm trying to lie low at the moment. I made the mistake of showing Catherine the big warehouse. Running against her father for that election meant they would campaign against me. I cannot afford them using her against me.”“Then you’re afraid of him.”“I don’t care what you think, but I’m not going to put my ass on the problem that you started.”“I need help! Or we will both rot in hell!”“Just you. You and your father made a big mess on the Council. I’m not part of that.”“We gave you a permit to transport…”“Stop your fucking mouth from talking!” Maddox growled as his coiled ha
XANDER.It was almost dinner time, and I remained seated in my chair inside my office at the training building, facing the window adjacent to the security building entrance. I’d been watching this view for many hours already, waiting to see if Maddox would visit Nadine so I could go there as well. I needed to sort out a lot of paperwork, but I couldn’t concentrate. All I could think of was my conversation with Carlotta earlier. **FLASHBACK TO A FEW HOURS AGO.After lunch, I headed to the training building to start working on the paperwork that I’d been ignoring for the past couple of days. I used it as an excuse to get away from Maddox while thinking of a diversion that I needed to do tomorrow night to make sure Nadine would be safe.I was not even in my office for ten minutes when a knock came through the door.Carlotta. She followed me here as she ate lunch with us at the packhouse. “Come in,” I told her as I closed the folder that I was holding and secured all the documents on my