ALLISON.While River looked as equally bewildered as I was, Mason looked strangely composed. Did he already suspect about this when he brought me here?Memories of how he was so eager to make me stay in his mansion flashed in my mind and how Melissa occasionally mentioned my sensitive ‘condition’. I felt a bile rising in my throat. Have they known about it all this time? Somehow, that thought pissed me off.“Allison, you have to relax.” Wesley rolled his sleeves up as he sat on the chair beside my bed.“Relax? I just bled on my thighs! And… and… my period is late! Oh, goddess. I can’t be pregnant, right? It’s just… it’s…” my voice broke.“Shh, Allison. We’re going to find out, okay? I just need you to calm down first,” Wesley gently stroked my knuckles. I didn’t realize that it had gotten white because I was clenching the sheets tightly.Wesley whispered comforting words to me and although I could still feel the panic brewing in my chest, I tried my best to relax. I have so many quest
ALLISON.There were two reasons why my packmates hated me—one was the fact that I was different. I didn’t have an inner wolf and I was only able to wolf out thrice, well four times now. But the it didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t normal. Werewolves thrive with similarity, that was why packs were formed. Lycans didn’t like uniqueness, it was viewed as a curse.But Stanley Evans, Quinn’s father and the former Alpha of Flower Moon Pack, accepted me. He didn’t treat me differently or viewed me as an outcast. Primarily because of my father, Tieran Young. My father was Alpha Stanley’s Beta, friend, and cousin—which bring brings us to the second reason why my packmates hate me… my father wasn’t part of the Young family by blood.The Young family had served the Evans as their Betas for generations. But when Sebastian Young and Renly Evans didn’t have a child after years of marriage, they decided to adopt instead. They took in an orphan rogue they found in a forest one winter and named him
ALLISON.Alphas were, to say the least, stubborn creatures. They lived according to their own rules and they won’t do something unless they get to do it in their own terms. Alphas were the epitome of authority—the top of the Lycan food chain. They love to talk shit but they would never tolerate any insult directed to them.So, I wasn’t shock that our supposedly peaceful breakfast turned out like this…“I dare you say that again, you fucking miserable prick!” Mason lunged at River, shoving off some of the plates and silverwares as he angrily grabbed him across the table.Damn! These Alphas were driving me nuts!River let out a humorless cackle as he effortlessly brushed off Mason’s grip. “I said Allison shouldn’t stay with a brute like you. Who knows how many vampires you’re hiding in this goddamn hellhole?”Mason gritted his teeth, fury burning in his eyes. “You should mince your words while you’re in my turf, Perez or I swear I’ll rip your motherfucking jaw off,” he warned in a guttu
ALLISON."Look, you know that the fragment is the only thing that can save my cousin. You know how bad her curse is. You said you’d help me. So now I’m here, asking for it. Give me another task in exchange for that. If you want, I will track down those vampires who stole the Mollagona filed. I’d do it.”River looked at me for a moment, his gaze unreadable. For a second, he didn’t speak, and I could feel the weight of his silence pressing down. The way he kept everything locked inside. He didn’t like giving things away. He didn’t care about people like that. He knew damn well how to drive people crazy in times like this!“Let’s get something straight, Allison,” River began in a low voice, his tone almost bored. “You think I’m some kind of monster who only cares about what’s convenient for me?”I didn’t flinch. “I think you’re a businessman. You don’t do things for free.”Didn’t he make that pretty clear when I met him at his club?His jaw tightened slightly, though the rest of him rema
ALLISON.“Don’t try to sweet talk me now. You’re an Alpha and not just any Alpha—a Morgan at that. You wouldn’t come all the way here without getting anything in return. Just say what you really want from me and let’s get this over with,” I said.Wesley held my gaze for a few seconds before he heaved a sigh. “You’re sharp, I’d give you that.” He placed the glass on a table and turned to me. “Allison, what happened during the Howling Night was one for the books, that’s for sure. But I didn’t expect that I’d meet you again, especially after you ditched us the next morning…”My face flushed red as I remembered how I frantically scrambled out of the room that morning. Well, there was no way I could face the five men after all the freaky things we did the previous night.“We didn’t get to know your name or any of your whereabouts. I thought that would be the end of it until Mason called me four days ago, telling me that he’d found you. That you’re unconscious in his mansion and he wasn’t s
ALLISON.“W-We don’t know that yet,” I stammered as I felt the heat rushed to my cheeks.“I know.” Wesley smiled and kissed my forehead. My heart skipped a beat. “But that doesn’t mean you can get rid of me, Allison.”Wesley Morgan, the charming man that you are.He smiled as he twirled my hair with his fingers. "If you plan to talk with Mason next, you can check the library. He'd probably there.""You seem to know him a lot. Are you two friends?"Come to think of it, Mason even told Wesley that he'd found me. The viper seemed comfortable sharing information with him.Wesley chuckled. "Worse. We're cousins.""What?""Yeah, our grandfathers are brothers, so that makes him my third degree cousin," Wesley replied.Now, that's news. I didn't know that the infamous Mason Green descended from the legendary Morgan bloodline."Go on. I know you needed to talk to him too."Following Wesley's suggestion, I went to the library and he was right. Mason Green was there, settled on a plush couch whi
ALLISON.I felt my pulse quicken. “If you knew who I was… why’d you let me get close? Why let me…?” I trailed off, too flustered to finish the sentence. I gave this man a freaking lap dance because I thought I was doing a good job as a spy! I thought I was distracting him but it turned out he was having his own damn show!A ghost of a smirk played on his lips. “Because I wanted to feel you again. I’ve been craving your touch since the Howling Night. I hated it but I also desperately crave for it.”I swallowed hard. My cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.“I brought you here because I knew I’d never forgive myself if I something bad happen to you that night. I knew I’d never be able to sleep again if I couldn’t save you. But when you woke up, the first thing you did was to demand to get out of here.” His voice grew hard, his jaw clenched. “To what? Just to meet with the very same bastard who put you in danger in the first place! How can you easily brushed me off while you desperately l
ALLISON.“Are you all packed?” River asked me the next day. We’re set to go back to Missouri today so he came dropped by the Green residence to pick me up.Miraculously, Mason didn’t try to kill him this time. I guess our little talk yesterday helped him calm down a bit. Life was peaceful when I didn’t have three Alphas who were actively trying to rip each other’s throats.“I don’t really have anything to pack. The only thing I came here with was a silver bullet buried in my body,” I said which was true. Mason provided me some clothes that I wore for the past days that I stayed here but they weren’t originally mine. Melissa said that they were new clothes that Mason’s personal shopper bought for me but I couldn’t bring myself to claim that it was mine.“In that case, let’s get a move on before that viper decides to bomb my jet,” River said and I nodded my head. We walked to the great expanse of the golden-plated hallways leading to the main foyer.River offered that we use his private
RIVER.The third stop was the supermarket. The endless aisles felt like a maze designed to frustrate the shit out of me. I wasn’t used to doing groceries.We roamed around the huge supermarket but we couldn’t find the aisle with baby products in it. At some point, we’ve come to the women’s section where we found some sanitary napkins. This was more frustrating than I thought.“I think we’re lost,” Wesley said while looking around the nearby aisles with canned goods.“Let’s try the aisle on the left,” Liam suggested, leading us straight into the pasta section.“You might be a genius, Miller.” I crossed my arms, staring at the rows of spaghetti and penne. “Are we looking for diapers or ingredients for a damn pesto?”“You’re one to talk. You mistook a sanitary pad for an infant diaper,” Liam shot back.Fucker.“You’re all useless. Let’s try over there,” Mason groaned.Eventually, we found the right aisle and loaded up on diapers, wipes, and baby soap. Liam and I raced to the cashier, but
RIVER.“They’re all wonderful.” Daniel nodded in approval.“Awesome! So, what clothes did catch your attention?” the lady asked.“Everything.” Wesley crossed his arms. “We’ll take them all.”Her eyes widened. “All of them?”Wesley nodded and reached for his card, only for the rest of us to do the same. Fuck.“Woah—I, uh…”The poor woman looked utterly flustered as five black cards were thrust at her.“Put your disgusting cards away. I’ll pay,” I said in a sharp voice.“How about you burn yours? Wouldn’t want it to get declined,” Mason retorted.This bastard…“We’re in Colorado, it’s my turf. I’ll pay,” Daniel insisted, waving his card towards the poor lady.“Don’t act like you’re the prince of this state, Angel. The sales lady will get my damn card,” Liam argued, frowning.“Keep it up, guys. I have ten more of this,” Wesley said boredly.These goddamn idiots, I swear…The sales lady looked torn. She chewed on her lips while glancing at each of our cards demanding to get a swipe at the
RIVER.The first few hours after the baby was born were chaotic, to say the least. Allison’s vitals stabilized, but she was still in a magic-induced coma. While Quinn, Emily, and the three idiots were down in the nursery, cooing over the baby, I chose to stay back and check on Allison. Someone had to keep watch over Allison. Wesley was busy doing another round of checkups on her.I sat by her bedside, holding her hand. It felt small, fragile in mine, very different from her usual fiery strength. I missed the sound of her voice, her feisty attitude, the usual scowl on her face. Fuck, I missed her so much. My thumb brushed over her knuckles, and I pressed a kiss to her hand.Please wake up, Allison. Please be okay. The baby needs you. I need you.Wesley’s hand clapped my shoulder, jolting me out of my thoughts. "She’ll pull through, River," he said. His voice was calm, but there was a quiet reassurance to it that somehow made me believe him. Maybe because he was doctor or maybe because
DANIEL.“You’re not holding her right,” I chided him, carefully supporting the baby’s neck with my hand since River couldn’t hold a baby to save his life.River adjusted his grip awkwardly. “Hey, I’m trying, man. Stop nagging me.”His voice was a little too loud, and the baby let out a startled cry.“Great job, Perez,” Liam growled from the corner and stepped forward. “You’ve got a talent for making babies cry. Hand her over to me before you scar her for life.”River shot Liam a glare but he was already panicking because of the baby’s incessant cries so he reluctantly handed the baby over. To everyone’s surprise, her cries stopped almost immediately as Liam cradled her with surprising ease.“Shh, don’t worry, little one, it’s okay. I’m here.” Liam murmured; his deep voice soft. The baby hiccupped once but didn’t cry again, her tiny fists clutching at the air. Liam smiled faintly, the corners of his mouth twitching as he brought one of her hands close to his lips and kissed it lightly.
DANIEL.I thought it would be a quick recovery for Allison, or maybe at least a few weeks would be enough to get her all patched up but I was wrong.Eight months had passed and Allison still hadn’t woken up. Her belly had grown with the baby, but her heartbeat remained weak. She looked peaceful, but it wasn’t enough.Quinn held her hand, her face etched with worry. “What’s the plan now?”Quinn and Emily were here today. After settling the aftermath of the vampire attack in their pack, they would visit Allison in Colorado to check on her. I would also do the same thing. I would go back to Chicago for three days to tie up some loose ends in my pack before staying here to check on Allison for four days. That has been my routine for the past eight months and the other Alphas pretty much had the same routine too.I still hated the fact that I would get to see their faces every time I visit Allison. But I didn’t have the energy to fuck with them when all I could think about was Allison’s fu
RIVER.I’ve seen this scene before.How life slowly faded in the eyes of the woman who meant so much to me.“Allison!” I called her name as I struggled to dive deep into the river, catching her in my arms before she sunk even further.Her body felt so cold, like a bucket of ice, devoid of the warmth of life. No, it shouldn’t be like this. My fingers trembled as I stroked her face pale. She should be warm, alive.Not like this.“River, we need to get her to the bank. Let’s go!” Wesley’s voice snapped me back to reality.We waded through the freezing water, my arms wrapped around Allison’s body as I pulled her with me.The icy river bit at my skin, but I didn’t care. My arms were wrapped tightly around Allison’s limp body. Wesley’s voice was distant, almost drowned out by the pounding in my ears, but I forced myself to focus.“Get her to the bank, River!” he urged as he swam through the freezing water along with Mason and the remaining survivors from our men.The cold water slowed my mo
ALLISON.“Start the fucking jet. Now!” River yelled at the pilot to take off.Wesley took my hand and stroked my knuckles. He was so tensed as he glanced at the window too, checking the vampires outside. As the jet ascended, I thought we were safe, until I heard the metallic screech of vampires tearing into the fuselage.“Fuck!” Mason exclaimed.The fight wasn’t over.The sound of metal shrieking made my blood run cold. They were tearing into the jet!"They’re on the jet!" Hudson’s shout rang through the cabin.I turned in my seat just in time to see the flash of claws ripping through the fuselage. Ten vampires clung to the outside of the plane, their glowing red eyes glaring at us through the gaping tear in the metal."Bloody parasites," River growled, his voice dripping with venom. He yanked a silver crucifix from his belt, the edges were sharp, almost like a dagger. A crucifix was one of a vampire’s fatal weakness.He twisted it in his hand like he couldn’t wait to put it to use. H
ALLISON.But just when I thought that we would be doomed tonight, the white car who has been tailing them earlier pulled over. Four more of Wesley’s men poured out. Now, there was seven of us. The odds were looking better.The vampire ringleader didn’t look impressed. He let out a humorless laugh while gazing to our lot.“Oh, come on, bringing a couple of spare men to fight us? How predictable. I guess the Morgans aren’t shit, after all,” he mocked.As he stepped closer, I could see him clearly now. He stood tall and lean, his long, bleach-blonde hair cascading over his shoulders. His face was sharp, with a chiseled jaw and a devious grin that was dripping with pure wickedness.“You’ll be shitting on your grave once I’m done with you,” Wesley growled.The ringleader shook his head. He looked almost bored.“Hand that girl over, come on. I’ll give you a treat if you act like good boys,” he taunted.That only made Wesley snap. He shifted into his wolf form and I was at awe at his appeara
“Wesley… there’s still something you’re not telling me.” I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes at him.He took a careful breath. “They’re coming back, Allison. Daniel spotted the masked attackers a few miles away from your pack. He had some of his men with him that time, so they were able to stop them before advancing to your pack.”That must be the reason why Wesley has been acting tensed since morning and the thing about Daniel…“Is Daniel okay? Did he got hurt? Injured?” I asked, worried.“Daniel’s fine. He got off with minimal injuries and even managed to capture some of those masked attackers.”“Then why are we running?”There was still something he wasn’t telling me. I could feel it.Wesley’s jaw tightened. Then, he blew a heavy breath and gave up.“Because it’s not just them. Daniel found out during interrogation that there are… other organizations involved. They’re targeting you.”“Why?” My stomach churned.Quinn has also suspected this much but until now, I still didn’t kno