Alexander’s POVEmily was left on her own after Beta John and his mate departed for the festival opening. A group of young she-wolves had surrounded Emily, and she looked annoyed while standing stranded in the center.I went forward, curious to know what was happening."Don't," Ghost warned. "Emily can handle herself. Don't intrude.""She is still my mate," I argued. "And I need to protect her.""Protect her from what?" Ghost asked. "Herself?"I huffed, rolling my eyes, annoyed at Ghost."No," I said. "I do not like how those she-wolves are staring at her.""She'll be fine," Ghost yapped. "Now leave her alone!""But...""Alex," Ghost growled, cutting me off. "Listen to me! Leave Emily alone. You have caused enough harm in a single day!""What's going on?" Luke asked. He must have sensed how frustrated I was."Well..." I faltered."Don't you dare!" Ghost gave me a warning growl."I see Sasha has gathered a group to witness her shift," Luke remarked, and I quickly turned my attention ba
Alexander’s POV "Did you sleep well?" I whispered, seeing Emily lying silently in my arms. She had been awake for a while now, yet she didn't put an effort into moving."I did," she said, lifting her gaze to look back at me. Her blue eyes were darker than usual, and she looked happy and relaxed."And you?" She asked, her voice warm like a summer breeze."Same," I said huskily, kissing her on the forehead.Last night was one of the most memorable nights of my life.We had cleared out most of our differences, and it didn't take much effort—just thirty minutes of pure listening and understanding.Besides that, Emily managed to help Sasha."With your help," Ghost yapped, stretching his body lazily.When we left with Emily, I had let down the invisible wall that separated Ghost and me.I decided to give Ghost the benefit of the doubt and let him go after Emily stroked my arm and calmed him down.A small smile appeared as my thoughts quickly returned to what had happened last night.I coul
Emily's POVI have told him.I opened my heart and was honest with him.And it felt so good. Bloody good!A giggle erupted from deep inside me, making my whole body shake out of excitement. Happiness bubbles from the deepest pit inside me—who would have thought that talking would cure our frustration?"It feels good, doesn't it?" Willow asked."It does!" I answered truthfully. "I should have done it a long time ago!""I am happy you did," Willow replied, lying lazily on her back. She was happy and relaxed too, but most of all, she met Ghost last night."He is so," Willow mused dreamily."He is," I said, remembering how the two ran up the highest hill, chasing one another. It was the happiest I ever saw Willow in my life."Did you hear him tell me how beautiful I am?" Willow asked and sighed."I did," I chuckled.I let Willow take control after our talk, surprising Alex.I didn't shift like any other wolf; my shift was a bit different and more terrifying."Wow!" Luke gasped, seeing the
Emily's POVThe remarkable little café my parents owned was small but cozy. Their amount of activity impressed me.The wolves were lining up outside patiently for their morning coffee.There were only eight tables in the café, and most of them were already occupied by regular customers.Luke had already reserved a table, so we were fortunate to get one.My parents were excited when they saw us arrive, and my mother took charge of serving us.My eyes swept across the café's light gray walls. On them hang large printed photos of the pack and wolves.My family and I were positioned in the center of the wall."Is it this busy every day?" I muttered to myself, amazed.Wolves were coming and going, all smiling after they had a chat with my parents.Luke turned the page of the newspaper he was holding and said, "This is a slow day."I was interested to know why he was acting a little differently this morning."Have you chosen what to order?" My mother asked, approaching with a pen and noteboo
Alexander’s POV"Why the f*ck are you in here?" I roared upon entering my office.My anger sent shockwaves through the office, bringing the temperature down.With a shudder, Axel's men bowed their heads in deference and moved in the direction of the door.I interpreted their fear of me as a positive indication.Axel was seated behind my desk, his feet propped up on the surface, reviewing the rogue reports that I needed to approve. He looked at the door idly, ignoring my angry outburst.Pushing the reports back onto my desk and moving his feet off the table, Axel uttered, "Temper, temper, dear cousin. I am completely entitled to be here."I snarled, "Not in here." He did not have permission to be in my office."Well, when I take over the pack, this will be my office soon," he stated. "It is ideal. You truly exceeded expectations. This viewpoint is breathtaking."I am not going anywhere!" I barked."Tick, tick, tick," Axel's right hand said. He then turned to face his friend Vito and smi
Emily's POVFor the remainder of the day, I had not heard from or seen Alex, and I was beginning to worry.My insides were feeling strange because Alex's emotions were seeping into our bond.Luke reassured me, saying not to worry, but I could not shake the unholy sense that something was seriously wrong.I was not sure how to put it, but at times it seemed like Alex was in excruciating pain or hurting, and at other times he was frustrated and angry, and he was making a great effort to keep his feelings outside the bond.I sighed.It was already past 3 p.m., and Luke took me down to the gym to start warming up for my fight starting at 5 p.m.My stomach started to churn, and I started to feel a little uneasy.I wasn't sure what to expect from Angelica. Even though I knew she was an Omega, I could not get rid of the unsettling feeling I had.I could not stop asking myself why she would challenge me to a duel if she knew I was stronger.What was she planning?Do I need to worry?"She is j
Alexander’s POV"Aaah! Just stop!" I yelled through the excruciating pain. "It's no use! It's not working!"My father motioned to Emily's father, the former Beta, to release me, and his mate, Sarah, released the side of my head and hurried away from me.Sarah did not appear to be enjoying this at all, as I could see in her eyes.With a frustrated sigh, my father stepped away from me and ran his hands through his gray hair. He was now running out of ideas."Son, if you keep insisting that we stop, we will not break through the conjuration. The magic that holds the memory seems to be much stronger than we thought," my father said, turning back to face me.Old magic was used to lock the memory, and whoever did it knew exactly what they were doing. No one knows how to free the memory, and they are now grasping at straws.In the last few hours, we tried to break through a concrete wall to see what was on the other side.I looked at Basilia, who was sitting in the chair quietly watching us,
Emily's POVCurious pack members flocked to the stadium, all eager to see today's duel."It seems like the word spread like wildfire about today," muttered an irate Willow. "I wonder who they are going to support.""That is what you get, I suppose, when someone says they are the pack's chosen future Luna," I snapped back.The crowd fell silent as the sound of a wolf's cry reverberated throughout the boisterous stadium. Everyone turned to face Alex and the council, who were seated in the ranked area.It hurt a little that Alex did not even try to visit me before the duel."Maybe he doesn't want to distract you," Willow said sadly.I glanced over to where he was sitting; he appeared somewhat worn out. His eyes appeared dim, as though they had lost their glimmer, and his face was flushed."I don't think it's because of that," I said. "He appears ill."Alpha Colt rose from his seat and made his way over to the podium.Will he be doing the opening and announcements?"Wolves, she-wolves, pu
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