SELENE POV"That aside, she has not been performing the duties of a queen, I even heard that she's always gloomy and devoid of life. Another information that got to us was that our archenemy, the Redvine pack called you weak for having a weak Queen who is also a…the word is abominable."The offers murmured in approval and I sighed. They had all been brainwashed."But you all gave your approval before and during the mating ritual," I pointed out."That was..that was our mistake, your highness," another member of the council chipped in."Well, I have heard you all and I appreciate the concern. But there is nothing we can do about that.""Your Highness, on the contrary, there are things we can do."I furrowed my brows, wondering what nonsense they were going to spew this time around. "And what are they?"He glanced at the other and from the way he looked nervous, I knew that I wasn't going to like whatever he was going to say. "Your Highness, we could change the queen…"He was still talk
ZEUS POV"A butterfly.""It's a handkerchief?" She nodded, saying nothing and I smiled."For me, I hope?"She didn't say anything for a while, as if she was thinking about it. And then she nodded. "For you.""Why?""Because you asked."I stood up, suddenly angry. I knew I shouldn't be, but with everything going on at the moment, my temper was rising by the minute. I had come to see her in a bid to calm myself down after everything that had happened.I was going through all of this because of her. Yet, here she was, giving me one-worded replies and telling me that she was making a handkerchief for me because I asked."What is wrong with you? I have tried everything! Done everything! For you and yet you…" I flung my arms, willing myself to not say anymore unless I was going to hurt her and regret it.She glanced up at me, clearly surprised at my outburst, but not reacting in any way whatsoever. "Are you a fucking vegetable! Don't you have emotions? You just sit here all day, not doing a
SELENE POVSuddenly, the wolf transformed and I furrowed my brows as I saw that it was a beautiful woman around my age."Who are you?" she questioned as she regarded me, an amused look on her face.I was surprised that she was asking me if everyone in the mansion knew who I was."I asked a question," she stated again in an authoritative tone, and I knew that whoever this woman was, she was a high-ranked wolf, and somehow, she had no idea who I was."I'm the..""Your Highness!" We both turned to the source of the voice. It was Julia and I internally rolled my eyes."What are you doing here?" She then turned to the woman."Lady Crane. I never thought you'd be here now.""Your Highness… you're the queen," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. She nodded and I noticed that she didn't bow or be courteous."Here, my lady," Julia handed a robe to the woman that she had called Lady Crane."I am Maya Crane," She said, holding out her hand toward me. I was surprised that she would offer
SELENE'S POVI wanted to ask her if she wanted to be Queen. I wanted to confirm what the maids were saying. If indeed, the entire council was supporting her, then there was no stopping it from happening; she was going to become Queen.I wondered if Zeus wanted her to be his queen and if that was why she was here in the mansion. Plus, they seemed very close."You know, I never thought I'd ever be back here…."There was a knock again and she stood up and walked to the door.The door opened, and Ben entered, a smile on his face, and I wondered what had brought him here."You're here," he said as he glanced at Maya."How have you been, Ben?" She said and I watched her face to see if her expression was going to show that she supported him.She was smiling, but it was the same smile she always had on whenever she looked at me."Your Highness, may I speak to you alone?" For the first time, he had a serious expression etched on his face and I glanced at Maya."You want me to leave?" Her lips
SELENE POVShe was saying something else, but I wasn't listening as my eyes caught sight of a figure hurriedly walking out through the back door. It was unmistakably the same long, dark, wavy hair I was familiar with. Maya crane.I wondered where she was hurrying to and through the back door when she was supposed to be down with Flu. I had a bad feeling about it and I immediately turned to Julia."Go get me an Apple tart.""Annalise! Please go get an…"She was still talking when I interrupted her."You should get it yourself.""Your Highness?" Her brows were raised, but she was smart enough to avert her gaze. It was probably the longest gear wires I had spoken at once to her."If I wanted an apple Tart from Annalise or whoever, I would ask them to get it. I want you to get it for me and I want you to be there when it's baked. You know how I like it," I said and she nodded slowly as she still stood there.I was getting impatient. I wanted to leave quickly. I was curious to see what had
SELENE POVI didn't care about what I was going to see, all I knew was that I was going to be fine. I didn't have any feelings for him and I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity.A small photograph dropped from the envelope and I bent to pick it up, a gasp escaping from my lips as I did so.I never thought anything could hurt me again, not after what happened to my parents, but this, felt like a knife was wedged deep inside me, making a home for itself in my heart.In the photo was a child, a boy of not more than three years with dark hair and blue eyes.The same shade of blue I was all too familiar with.ZEUS.I know you're hurting, but so am I. Each moment spent without you is in pain. A pain so raw, that it feels as though a hot knife is searing through my heart.I promised not to come back to the town, but it's time we stop hiding when we're not some dirty little secret.You're married now and I respect your decision to do so, however, it would be nice to see you, even if it has to
SELENE POV I wondered if she was aware of the romance between Maya and the Alpha king. If I was the only one in the dark. Perhaps, the other maids and guards looked at me with pity."I'll be back with the doctor, Your Highness," She said and almost immediately, walked out of the room, only to arrive a few minutes later with a doctor."I'll be back, Your Highness," she hurriedly walked out of the room again and I glanced at her without a word."Your Highness, I am Doctor Mark and I'll check you…""There's no need for that, Doctor," I stood up and that seemed to surprise him, judging by the look of surprise etched on his face."Are you…are you sure, Your Highness? I have to check just in case..""I'm fine, Doctor. I was just tired."He nodded and walked out of the room, not looking the least bit convinced.I swallowed hard, noting that my husband, who was supposed to be by my side at the moment, was nowhere to be seen, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was at their rendezvous.Julia
ZEUS POV"Out of my room, and this mansion…""My friend doesn't want me to leave. Shall I ask her?" A smile was playing on her lips now and she moved away from me and plopped back on the sofa."She doesn't love you, you know. She feels nothing for you. Anyway, I'm sure you know all that already. When will you divorce her?"I scoffed, realizing that once again, my intuition was right. This was her father's ploy."The council might not be that patient..""Shut up and get out!" I snapped, pointing at the door and she glanced at me, the smile replaced by something entirely different, a mix of disbelief and surprise.She smiled again, but this time, I could see the nervousness hidden beneath the smile. "When you need me, which I'm telling you, you will. You know where to find me," with that, she stood up and walked out of the room.Those sly idiots!They must've thought that because Maya and I were once engaged, I must still feel something for her; how wrong they were.Perhaps, they had fo
Brent’s POVThe hallway was empty save for the faint sound of footsteps echoing in the distance. My hands clenched into fists as I walked quickly away after the encounter with Candice. That woman had a way of getting under my skin, her words like needles pricking at my pride and patience. The audacity to question my competence after everything that had happened — after what my men had faced — was infuriating.I pushed the door to my quarters open with more force than necessary, the sound of it hitting the wall startling one of the soldiers stationed nearby. He glanced at me, then quickly looked away, recognizing my mood. Smart man.Dropping into the chair at my desk, I ran a hand through my hair, trying to settle the boiling frustration that Candice had expertly ignited. She always had to have the last word, always had to prove she was the smartest person in the room. And the worst part? She wasn’t entirely wrong about Zeus.I hated admitting it, even to myself, but her insight into h
Candice’s POVI was utterly annoyed when the news of the failed operation got to me. I had expected Brent to have been more aware and prepared. It was certain he had underestimated Zeus. This was the same reason I had wanted to be involved with the operation and not just give ideas on what should be done.I needed to go and talk to Rodrigo and give him a piece of my mind. He and his men had fumbled up a perfectly laid-out plan, and I wasn’t going to sit idly and watch them continue like this. If I was going to have my revenge on Zeus, then I was going to do more than just give advice and sit in this gigantic castle. I needed to be directly involved with every operation; from planning to execution. If there was one person who knew Zeus as much as he knew himself, it was me.I stepped out of the room, completely ignoring Lucia who kept on calling out and running after me. I wasn’t going to allow anyone to stop me from giving Rodrigo a piece of my mind. I was about to round a corner to t
Selene’s POVThe day went by slowly. I had barely left the room since my encounter with the goddess. Eleanor was the best guardian anyone could ask for. She dotted on me like I was her child. Constantly checking to make sure nothing went wrong. With her, I knew I was completely safe from immediate harm.Her son had recovered from the injuries he had gotten from the fight with Zeus and Evan. The perks of being a wolf were the accelerated healing, amongst other things. He was up and about, getting involved in the activities around the safe house. He had been in to check on me a few times too. Eleanor and her son had become the family I had always prayed for.I spent my time indoors knitting, using it as a form of distraction. I know the goddess had asked me not to worry or disturb myself again but I couldn’t help the thoughts running about in my head.It was almost noon when I heard movements coming from the compound. I got up from the bed and stepped out of the room. From the look of t
Brent’s POVRodrigo was furious. I could hear the commotion from outside his office door. I didn’t need to go in to know that he would have tumbled his office by the time I’d gotten there. We all stood outside, everyone afraid to approach the office.I stood in patience waiting for the moment Rodrigo would be calm enough for me to approach him and talk to him. I’d known from experience that approaching him when he was raging wasn’t the best move for anyone to make.Minutes passed as the muffled sounds of Rodrigo’s rage subsided. The soldiers who had been standing around glanced at me nervously. I kept my face neutral, masking my own unease. Dealing with Rodrigo when he was angry was like walking on hot coals and expecting your foot to not get burned.Finally, silence could be heard from inside the office. I stood for a few minutes, listening for sounds so I wouldn’t walk into another fit that was waiting to explode. When I was sure he had calmed down a little bit, I took a deep breath
Zeus’ POVThe room was filled with a heavy silence as I sat at the head of the table, my fingers tapping an irregular rhythm on the table surface. The shadows cast by the firelight seemed to dance mockingly as if they knew the war raging inside of me. The betrayal of Marcus and Gregory was a deep wound, a knife in my back from men I had once trusted wholeheartedly. My thoughts were restless, wandering endlessly over their disloyalty.A knock at the door broke through my cloud of anger.“Enter,” I commanded, my voice cold and calculating at the same time.Evan and Jack stepped inside, their expressions humorless but firm. They bowed briefly before straightening. I could see the tiredness in their eyes despite their attempt to hide it. Evan’s uniform had little cuts around it, a faint line of dirt across his sleeve, and a small tear near his shoulder. Jack had almost the same look about him, though his demeanor was as sharp as ever.“Guys, good job today,” I said, leaning forward slight
Evan’s POVThe door closed behind Jack and me as we exited Zeus’ office. The importance of the mission was becoming very evident with each passing minute. The stakes had never been higher, and there was no room for error. Zeus had trusted us with this plan, and failure wasn’t an option.“We need to move now,” I said to Jack, my voice low but firm. He nodded, his expression as sharp as mine. There was no time to waste.Within minutes, I assembled the soldiers in the strategy room, dividing them into four different teams. Each soldier’s face was tight with focus, their postures rigid as they awaited my instructions. I moved to the front of the room, letting my gaze run across them, making sure I had the attention of everybody in the room.“Listen carefully,” I began. “This mission is crucial to uncovering the traitors in our midst. Each of you has been selected because I trust your tact, skills, and discretion. There will be no second chances. We need absolute stealth and precision.”I
Brent’s POVThe rustling in the control room filled my ears as I watched the large screens mounted on the walls. Each one displayed live feeds from the soldiers stationed at the western woods and the eastern outpost. A dozen men moved around me, monitoring the signals, communications, and camera angles. This was a delicate operation — one I couldn’t afford to mess up.I paced back and forth, eyes darting between the screens. The western woods appeared cold and dark, with tall trees surrounding it, the pathway barely visible under the weak moonlight. The eastern outpost was a bit different. It was quiet, almost peaceful, with the rustle of trees and faint chirps of crickets in the background. Both locations were deadly silent, and that made me uneasy.“Keep the feeds clear,” I ordered sharply, hovering behind a technician. “I want eyes on everything. And tell the units to proceed with caution. I don’t want mistakes.”“Yes, sir,” the technician replied, typing furiously on the keyboard.
Rodrigo’s POVThe soft scratching of my pen against the stack of papers in front of me was beginning to drive me mad. Line after line, I signed my name, my focus slipping with every word I read. Financial summaries, border patrol updates, pack development plans — it was endless. I leaned back in my chair, pressing two fingers to my temple, feeling the weight of boredom press down on me.How did it come to this?This office, with its dark oak walls and giant shelves of old records, felt more like a prison than the command post it was supposed to be. I was Rodrigo, the man who thrived on strategy and war, not some clerk meant to push papers all day. I was built for action, not for sitting here, suffocating under reports.With a groan, I flung my pen onto the table and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The progress against Zeus was moving at a snail’s pace. The conspiracy had been months in the making, and while small steps had been taken, nothing decisive had yet happened. Zeus still
Selene’s POVThe words from the goddess filtered into my mind, interrupting my thoughts. When I had been recuperating in the hospital and had the vision, she had said that a war, a great war, was coming, and the only person who could save my kind was me.The war she showed me was intense, razing everything in its path. How was I supposed to stop something of that magnitude? I couldn’t even save myself. I’m here, hidden in a safe house so I’d be safe. Guards have been posted around the compound to make sure no threats come close. All these to keep me safe because I wasn’t capable of something as simple as that. Yet, I was supposed to save my kind from the war coming. The goddess must have been mistaken.I stood from the bed and walked to the window, staring out into the night. The moon hung in the night sky. It would be a full moon in a few days. I was tired of being hurled up in this room. My wolf wanted to run, to feel the air rush across her body. She wanted to enjoy the feeling of