Emily's POV"Seriously, Willow!" I growled under my breath, pissed at her."What?" She asked innocently. She was wagging her tail excitedly to give Alex a go. "I will help; you know I will.""I know you will, but I don't want to humiliate Alex!" I said. "He lacks the skill and experience to take me down, and you know that!"I knew I could easily give Alex a run for his money, and it might even be as easy as taking candy from a baby.How does Willow expect me to be nice if I have the most experience around here? I have protected packs from rogue attacks and have killed hundreds of rogues in my life. I have even gained the reputation of being ruthless."I know," she replied. "I will let you go easy on him."I sighed, chuckling as I shook my head.Willow just wanted to toy with Alex. She wanted him to get a taste of our strength and abilities; I, on the other hand, just wanted to get this over and done without breaking a sweat or giving much away.Xavier personally trained me, and he hel
Alexander’s POV "You are such a fool!" Ghost roared inside my head, scratching to be released. He was angry at me for the loss of focus. "How could you be so stupid?" He continued ranting at me. "Couldn't you see she was toying with you? I can't believe you fell for that silly plan of hers. Everyone could smell it a mile away!""I..." I shook my head in disbelief. It happened so fast that I didn't see it coming—in less than an eye blink, she had me on my ass eating dust.Ghost shook his head in disappointment at me and was about to say something more when his ears twitched, and he turned and ran off."Where the hell are you going?" I called after him."Nowhere in particular," he yelled back, and before I could ask anything more, he disappeared from my mind."Now what!" I sighed, feeling frustrated and embarrassed.Not only did I humiliate myself in front of my warriors, but I did that in front of her father and mine. The elders will believe I am not capable of being Alpha.My gaze fe
Alexanders' POV"Willow is staying out of the fight," Ghost said. "And I have agreed to do the same. I will be sitting this one out too."I knitted my eyebrows together—what were Ghost and Willow up to?Were the two wolves teaming up?"Give the pack a show; make the fight worth her while," Ghost continued. "But for heaven's sake, do not lose focus."Ghost got onto his feet, nodded, and ran off, wagging his tail. He reminded me of a happy kid.I nodded at Luke, and he came closer, shifting his head to Emily and then me."Keep it clean," he said. "No use of abilities. This is a clean fight."Both of us nodded and stepped back."Begin!" Luke said, moving out of the way.For the next few minutes, Emily and I moved around the mat, sizing up one another."It looks like the Alpha and the girl are dancing," someone said. "It is exciting to watch!""Yeah," another whispered. "You can feel the sexual tension growing between them. Are they mates?.""She looks familiar. Isn't she the girl of the
Emily's POVI was so aware of every move Alex's body made, every sound that left his lips, and every look he gave me.I couldn't get enough of him.We spoke about random things, and before long, we arrived at his quarters."This is us," he said, unlocking the door.'Us' was such a simple word, yet it sounded so good hearing the word leave Alex's lips that my heart fluttered in my chest and my face warmed.I wasn't sure if Alex noticed my flustered face as I followed him in.Alex left his towel on the dining room chair and moved toward the hallway, leaving me in awe as I stared at his crafted back. I had the urge to squeeze his behind."Make yourself at home!" Alex yelled over his shoulder, and a taunting smile followed on his lips."Sh*t!" I muttered to myself, feeling my face heat up—he caught me staring!I took an unwilling step forward, wanting to follow him. I hadn't been in his room yet, and I was burning with desire to take a look."Go ahead, take a peek!" Willow said, suddenly
Alexander’s POVI could feel Emily's eyes following me toward my room, her cheeks still rosy."Leave the door open," Ghost said, purring. "Maybe our mate will be bold enough to follow.""I doubt that," I argued."Just do it!" Ghost ordered."Fine!" I said, rolling my eyes. I had nothing to lose.I stripped my clothes from my body and headed to the bathroom, opening the shower tap and getting in.The cold, crystal-clear water danced on my heated skin, cooling the blazing fire inside me.It had become harder to control myself around Emily; the bond was making it difficult and was slowly forcing us together.If I don't get to mark Emily soon, instinct will kick in, overwriting my self-control.I will have no self-control whatsoever if she goes into heat.I sighed. Things will end up complicated quickly, and then what?I can't force her to stay. I understand that she needs to fulfill her duties to the king, but what about her duties as my mate and Luna? Doesn't that count as something?I
Emily's POV No! No! No! No! No!This can't be happening!There is no way I can be in heat!How the hell did this happen? I have never gone into heat!I have heard stories about the she-wolf going in heat only when they find their mate, and they refuse to mark their mate. Mila had gone in heat when she found Jax, two weeks after they met. Our wolves were hot-wired like that.But why-That's when it hit me—I didn’t have my wolf when Alex and I found out that we were mates."You!" I growled at Willow. "You did this to me!""Well, not exactly," she said, snickering. "I just helped it on!""What do you mean you helped it on?" I hissed in agony.My body was in so much pain—it felt as if a wildfire had let loose, spreading underneath my skin, and it was slowly heating the blood in my veins.A hiss escaped my lips, the burning increasing.My mind went into overdrive, hoping to find some way out of this predicament. Letting Alex touch me might mean that he could lose control and mark me.Some
Alexander’s POV "F*ck!" I swore, jumping to my feet and searching for my towel to cover myself. "Where did the damn thing go? I swear it was right here!"Emily chuckled and scrambled to her feet, grabbing the sheet from the bed to cover herself. Her face was flustered, and her eyes were huge; she wasn't sure what to do.Footsteps enter the foyer, and the door closes a second later.Both of us froze, listening."Alpha?" Luke's voice filled the department-I had forgotten that I had given him a key. It was only for emergencies."Wait here," I said, picking up my boxers from the floor and pulling them on. "I'll go find out what he wants," I said.Emily bit her lips and nodded, and it spiked another round of lust inside me. I wanted to suck and nibble on her pink, juicy lips of hers and was now contemplating just going to her and ignoring Luke, yet I knew it wasn't that easy. If I ignored him, he would eventually barge in, and from the look on Emily's face, she wasn't ready to reveal her
Alexander’s POV Meetings. Just the thought of attending them made me nauseous. I hated them, and I hated them even more when I had them with the council. It felt like a never-ending story, and everyone wanted a turn to talk and give their ten cents. I sighed under my breath and pulled my body up straight. My back was hurting, my ass was numb, and my neck was cramping. Who bought these dumb, uncomfortable chairs in the first place? "You did," Ghost muttered. He was just as annoyed as I was. "You changed the seating to ensure the meetings didn't take long." "Well, it isn't working, is it!? I growled. "No!" He snapped. "It's as if it helps to prolong the f*cking meeting!" He was right. The council was discussing everything except the reason I was called, and my mind had wandered in all directions, not listening to a word they were saying. I had better things to do than sit here and listen to other things. At that moment, nothing except my mate was more important. My gaze moved
Emily's POV I was getting dressed for tonight's proceedings. We were celebrating the first anniversary of the fall of King Xavier and his rogue kingdom, and I was exceptionally excited about tonight. The event tonight was expected to draw in all the packs. Everyone heard of the battle, and they were thankful for having their pack members back. Not only was it the first anniversary of Xavier's passing, but it was also the first commemorative anniversary of the Lycans' ascent to power. I heard a faint knock on my bedroom door, and Sasha peeked her head around it a moment later. Sasha discovered me applying makeup at the vanity, her gaze lingering over me. "Luna," she uttered as she pushed open the door. "You look amazing. Alpha Alexander will fall deeply in love with you once more." "I appreciate it, Sasha," I said, reaching for the brush and giving it to her. "It means so much to me." Sasha moved in closer, grabbed the brush from me, and began fixing my hair. I could sense som
Emily's POV "You are back!" I reached out to Willow in a tired whisper. "I thought you were gone." "I never left," Willow said as she slowly made her way toward me from the depths of my mind. She looked terrible. Her fur was matted, her eyes had lost their brilliant spark, and she appeared to be in excruciating pain. "I am happy you are here with me," I said. "At least you will be by my side when we are dying." "Don't even think about it! It's not your time!" Willow growled, but it sounded more like a whimper than a growl, which made me laugh and cough. "I am too weak," I said. "It would be ineffective even if you attempted to heal me. I am aware of your state, and you are incapable of curing me. Xavier won. It's over! I desire a peaceful death." The outside world quieted down to a murmur, and I felt peaceful for the first time in several days. After stumbling over to my side, Willow rested her head on my chest. I reached over and started petting her behind her ears. "He will
Alexander’s POV "Alpha Alexander Black!" Xavier's voice shot out from behind me when I was crouching next to Emily's body. "Were you really thinking that I would not see you and your beta slinking closer?"While my father went back to my mother's side, Luke helped me get back to Emily sooner than I had anticipated. My parents proceeded to help Sasha and Lula free the pack members."It is over," I said, flinching unwillingly at the sight of his beast up close. "It ends now. You will not win this!"Xavier's ability to remain upright despite the blood spurting from his side shocked me. His neck and chest were covered in a few badly broken scratches and claw marks that would not heal.Was it Basilia who had done that to him?And if she did, where is she?Xavier's thin lips turned up into a grin as he raised his eyebrows."She's dead," he declared. "By the way."Furrowing my brows, I was unable to comprehend his words."Emily is fine," I argued.Xavier laughed and tossed his head back."N
Alexander’s POVI gripped Emily's limp body while I extracted my canines from her nape. I swear, I saw a brief flash of light in her dull eyes.Was I successful?Was she getting any better?Is she going to be okay?"Emily," I whispered as I softly stroked the side of her face. "Return to me, please!"A roar sounded behind me, then a loud rumbling noise, and in the blink of an eye, I was launched into the air and separated from Emily. I came down, crashing into a massive tree, and dropped through the branches to the ground.Am I dead?I let out a moan as a sharp twinge of pain shot through my arm."That confirms it," Ghost yapped angrily. "We are very much alive!"A painful hiss that sounded more like a chuckle crossed my lips as I reached for my arm."Sh*t!" I muttered, realizing that the bone had snapped in two and had broken through the skin. I will require medical attention—a doctor must realign my arm—before Ghost can heal the bone.I yanked my eyes open, seeing leaves and other d
Alexander’s POVIt only took me a second to realize who and why I was called.Sarah stood outside the pack house, holding a body in her arms."Mate!" Ghosts howled in my mind, grabbing control of my body and mind."They found her!" I muttered in disbelief. "Emily's mother managed to find and save her."Ghost shifted, responded to Sarah's frantic cry for help, and swept through the sea of rogues.My lips released another howl that shook the air and summoned all the wolves to come to my aid.The rogues were diving toward Sarah at an incredible speed in an attempt to reach Emily; their famished expression sent shivers down my spine. Their only goal was to get hold of her and destroy her.The heads of my parents jerked in my direction. They appeared relieved for a brief moment upon witnessing me approach Sarah. My call was answered, and the groups of wolves gathered together with short, urgent howls.My parents' thoughts were audible to me while they gave their next orders.The wolves adv
Emily's POVI waited for the impact to come. I waited for the sensation of Xavier's claws tearing through my body, taking me with them.My last cry would come from that. The only scream that would ever be heard in this horrifying room.The vile, lethal expression in Xavier's wolf's eyes briefly caught my attention. My soul was deeply pierced by the coldness that resided within him.That was it!My final moments.The last seconds of my life on Earth!At least I had my mom with me.My life abruptly flashed before my eyes in those milliseconds.Do we go to a better place after we die?I regret things so much now.I should never have left the pack after I discovered Alexander to be my mate. If I had stayed and spent more time with him, it would have been better. Life is so short. He will make a wonderful father to Lex.My heart ached thinking of my unborn pup. There was no way he could be hanging on this long. My body was not strong enough, and the agony was too much.I looked up at the c
Alexander’s POVThe fighting behind the pack house was getting out of control.Luke had succeeded in releasing me from Axel's grasp. He had flung me to the side like a worthless rag doll, leaving me with an open slash back.Not only was I in terrible pain from the wound on my back, but the poison was also slowly seeping into my veins. I had to shift back into my human form to conserve energy."That is going to leave a hefty scar," Ghost hissed in agony. He was trying his best to heal us, but the process was slow and painful."Battle scars," I replied, with a playful undertone. "This pain is nothing compared to the agony we will be in should we lose our mate."A fierce roar grabbed my attention, and I shifted my gaze toward the sound.Luke's beast was roaming next to me in a protective stance, defending my broken and bleeding body. His posture looked strong and dominant, while his face was twisted with different emotions."He appears... angry," Ghost said."Too angry," I replied. "Whic
Emily's POVThe door swung open with such force that it knocked Xavier off his feet and flung him against the wall. He came crashing down on top of the table with his precious toys.A fierce growl erupted from the entrance, shaking me to my core. This was no normal werewolf at the door."You are too late!" Xavier yelled, stammering to his feet with a silver knife embedded in his side. "She will-""Over my dead body!" The familiar female voice blew some life into me.With all of my remaining strength, I lifted my eyes and looked for my rescuer."Mom?" I whispered. "You came for me?"My mother looked different. She had shifted into a dark gray, almost black Lycan wolf. She was surrounded by a gentle, warm breeze that gave her a mythological appearance as it lazily ruffled her fur. Yet her demeanor looked fearless and strong, and her aura was suffocating.My mother stalked closer to me, reaching out to the shackles around my wrists."Honey, everyone came to find you," she said in a reass
Alexander’s POVThe task of attacking the open area below was given to the werewolf packs. They were instructed to create a diversion to lure the rogues out, while the rest of us went around and entered the buildings.It ended up being a bloodbath.Before we even reached the pack house, rogue bodies were scattered around us, covering the surroundings in a river of blood.However, this did not halt the rogue invasion; an increasing number of rogues emerged from all available hellholes, striking from every direction.Compared to the average wolf, they were more skilled in combat."We are surrounded," Ghost grumbled, annoyed. He wasn't scared; he was just irritated that it was going to delay us getting to Emily."Head towards the pack house," my father linked. "Your mother and I will keep them off. Locate Emily and ensure her safety."I hesitated, seeing the rogues stalk closer and nip at my father's tail.That did not sit well with my father's beast, and like magic, a ray of ice materia