ALAYNA’s POVThe memorial hall is packed. Hundreds, if not thousands, have come to mourn for the fallen. I stand at the back of the hall, my eyes fixed on Ezra as he makes his way to the stage, his tall frame cutting through the sea of mourners.There is a hush when Ezra reaches the stage, and all eyes fall on him.“Northlanders,” his gaze sweeps across the room. “This is not just a loss we mourn. This is a betrayal. A shadow has fallen over us, and the lives of our pack have been taken—taken by a hand that we still do not know. But I vow, as your Alpha, that we will find the bastards who did this. We will hunt them down, we will make them pay a thousand fold for what they have done and we will annihilate them!”I find myself leaning forward, afraid I might miss something. His eyes briefly meet mine in the crowd. I lower my head, unable to bear the weight of his stare any longer.When he speaks next, his voice is lower, more dangerous and I detect a hint of murderous wrath in them.“A
ALAYNA’s POVI stare at my hand, my fingers trembling, unable to stop the shake. I had slapped Ezra.I should not have done that. That was sooo wrong.My heart pounds in my ears as I lift my gaze. Ezra glares at me, his massive hands still cupping my face, ambers of rage swirling in his irises. For some reason, a mahogany table behind him catches my eye.It is broken into two.The sight of the splintered wood sends a cold shiver down my spine. Is Ezra going to break me into two as well?I gulp. I am as good as dead now. He is going to punch my face, break my nose and tear me from limb to limb before feeding me to the piranhas in his pond. Those piranhas are always hungry. They would probably enjoy eating me.I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the first punch.And wait and wait.But nothing comes.Instead, I hear a sigh. It is a sigh of resignation, a sound I have never heard Ezra make before. Slowly, I open my eyes and Ezra lets go of my face, his hands dropping to his side.He turns
ALAYNA’s POV “Whore.” “Slut. ” “Pathetic mute bitch.” Whispers slice through the air and hit me the moment I step into the brightly lit ballroom. I take a deep breath and lift my head high as I make my way towards the main table, where Ezra, my husband sits. The verbal abuse does not affect me, at least, not anymore. I have gotten used to it after three years of marriage to Ezra Nightwalker, Alpha King of the North. I finally reach the grand banquet table and quietly take my seat. Laughter, loud and boisterous, fills the air as guests sip wine and congratulate Ezra on his latest conquest. “To cLord Ezra, the great Alpha!” they toast, and I lift my glass in sync, my fingers trembling just slightly.He has just conquered the Southlands, successfully taking over the Alpha King of the South’s throne. With his latest conquest, Ezra has made more enemies, but he has also gained immense power, power that no one would dare defy. His jaw is strong, his cheekbones high and his midnight
ALAYNA’s POV “Then show me her dead body.”Ezra’s words echo in my mind, it is like a cruel loop I cannot escape.“Then show me her dead body.”Ezra has never cared about me. He has always been distant, detached—cold, even when I tried to reach out to him. No matter how hard I tried, he never looked at me the way I needed him to. Not with warmth, not with tenderness.But this is too much. This abandonment is too, too much.Ezra does not care if I am dead or alive.I just want to die.But now is not the time.I hear the crazed man with the golden eye dialling his phone again, frustration clear in his voice as the line rings. He is calling Ezra again. The ringing stretches out, long and endless, until the call goes to voicemail.I do not need to see the man’s face to know what he is feeling. I can hear it in his growl. He is not happy, not one bit. Guess things aren’t going according to plan, Golden Eye.“You call this man your husband?”His sudden words hit me like a slap to the face
ALAYNA’s POVI stand in the middle of the room, with Drake beside me.The room is barren, its walls cold and uninviting. The cement floor is cracked in places, with faded marks of what was once a storeroom. There is only one small window, a narrow slit barely big enough for a hand to pass through. And through the window, a pale glow of moonlight filters into the space, casting long, distorted shadows across the floor.Outside, the sky is in turmoil, the thunder of an approaching storm reverberating in my chest, while lightning dances wildly, crackling against the horizon. But I can only hear the sound of my wild beating heart.This is not right.The man who held me hostage is nowhere to be found. Gone are the bloodstains that puddled the floor just moments ago. It is as if no one had ever been here.It does not make sense!My breathing quickens as I scan the room again, my mind racing to piece things together. I remember hitting him. I remember the weight of his body as he collapsed,
ALAYNA’s POV“What are you two doing?”Ezra’s voice cuts through the silence like a blade—deep, sharp and commanding. It demands attention, makes the air thicken in the room, and I cannot breathe properly.Drake stiffens too. His usual calm demeanour falters, his face tightening as he turns toward Ezra and bows. "Ezra, Alayna was... held hostage here. She—"Drake continues, but I can hardly make out his words now. Ezra’s presence is too overwhelming. I feel as if am caught in a storm, the air heavy with tension that presses in from all sides. My pulse quickens. I think about Ezra’s last words, those cold, calculated words, “Then show me her dead body.”Ezra does not care about me. Why did I ever think he did? Even the blind can see this.Just that moment, Ezra’s eyes of midnight slice over me. Our eyes meet briefly and I see nothing in them. It is as if I am staring into the abyss. No flicker of emotion, no warmth, nothing. Just cold, impenetrable darkness.I suddenly feel anxious, as
EZRA’s POV(Moments before Alayna is held hostage)I am Ezra , Alpha of the North and I sit at the head of the long banqueting table. My presence alone commands attention—black eyes like pits, a face carved from shadow.My dark hair falls just enough to graze my collar, completing the cold, dangerous image I have cultivated. The room hums with expectation, every eye on me, waiting for the words that will mark this night as mine.The banquet hall crackles with energy and laughter rings out as guests mingle, drink, and celebrate the conquest of the South pack—another victory for me.“Lord Ezra,” a voice calls out, the speaker approaching with a glass of wine in hand. The others follow in suit, a line of pack members and allies, all eager to pay their respects. Their movements are stiff, their smiles tight, as if they cannot afford to do otherwise. Fear lingers in their eyes, they dare not offend me.“To Lord Ezra, our great Alpha!” The toast is made. They all raise their glasses.I meet
EZRA’s POVThe phone line goes dead.What the fuck?I stare at my phone’s screen, watching the lifeless display as if willing it to come back to life, but the battery icon mockingly flashes 0% before it turns off.Damn it! I should never have bought a Samsung.My blood turns to ice, and I feel my pulse hammering in my throat, a fierce drumbeat of anxiety.I had only meant to scare the bastard, to make him back off—threaten him in some way, but now, what if he really hurt her? What if Alayna is already in danger? The thought rips through me like a wildfire.I curse, low and guttural, and my fist slams down onto the table before I can stop myself. The force sends the silverware flying, the clattering crash echoing through the grand hall like gunfire.The room goes silent. The guests freeze. All eyes, every single one turn toward me, wide with shock. Someone asks, “Lord Ezra, is the music not to your liking?”I do not care. I am beyond caring.I cannot sit here anymore. I need to find Al
ALAYNA’s POVI stare at my hand, my fingers trembling, unable to stop the shake. I had slapped Ezra.I should not have done that. That was sooo wrong.My heart pounds in my ears as I lift my gaze. Ezra glares at me, his massive hands still cupping my face, ambers of rage swirling in his irises. For some reason, a mahogany table behind him catches my eye.It is broken into two.The sight of the splintered wood sends a cold shiver down my spine. Is Ezra going to break me into two as well?I gulp. I am as good as dead now. He is going to punch my face, break my nose and tear me from limb to limb before feeding me to the piranhas in his pond. Those piranhas are always hungry. They would probably enjoy eating me.I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the first punch.And wait and wait.But nothing comes.Instead, I hear a sigh. It is a sigh of resignation, a sound I have never heard Ezra make before. Slowly, I open my eyes and Ezra lets go of my face, his hands dropping to his side.He turns
ALAYNA’s POVThe memorial hall is packed. Hundreds, if not thousands, have come to mourn for the fallen. I stand at the back of the hall, my eyes fixed on Ezra as he makes his way to the stage, his tall frame cutting through the sea of mourners.There is a hush when Ezra reaches the stage, and all eyes fall on him.“Northlanders,” his gaze sweeps across the room. “This is not just a loss we mourn. This is a betrayal. A shadow has fallen over us, and the lives of our pack have been taken—taken by a hand that we still do not know. But I vow, as your Alpha, that we will find the bastards who did this. We will hunt them down, we will make them pay a thousand fold for what they have done and we will annihilate them!”I find myself leaning forward, afraid I might miss something. His eyes briefly meet mine in the crowd. I lower my head, unable to bear the weight of his stare any longer.When he speaks next, his voice is lower, more dangerous and I detect a hint of murderous wrath in them.“A
EZRA’s POVWe are at the memorial hall. I sit at the head of a long mahogany table in a private room. Portraits of all the former Alphas hang above my head as I lean back into the armchair and drum my fingers against the smooth wood.The quiet hum of the memorial hall surrounds us, distant murmurs drifting through the thick stone walls, but in this room, I am alone with Drake and Colin.“What’s the status?”Drake leans against the far wall, his hands buried in the pockets of his jeans. He walks over to me and hands me a document. “I’ve got our men looking into the explosion, but whoever did it is good. We’ve got nothing solid to go on except for a witness who saw a golden-eyed man running away. The bombing wasn’t random—it was precise.”“Then we need to be just as precise,” I growl, feeling the anger rise within me. “I want the perimeter reinforced. No one gets in or out of our pack without our knowing. Colin, you’re on that.”Colin has a buffoon’s nose and a rabbit’s ears, plus fair
ALAYNA’s POV(A few days later)I stand in front of the mirror, my reflection a broken version of the girl I once knew. A tiny vial rests in my hand, dark red liquid swirling around inside. It came in a parcel this morning, just as Golden Eye said it would when he called the night before. An unmarked box, wrapped in plain brown paper, with no return address.“Poison him.”The weight of Golden Eye’s words rests heavily in my mind as I turn the vial over and over, my fingers trembling. Ezra…Maybe I do love him. I had sworn to, the day I married him. I had told myself that in time, perhaps he too would come to love me. And even though he never has, even though he keeps hurting me over and over again, I still cannot bring myself to hurt him.Yet, here I am, holding his death in my hands. I know the consequences of refusing. I know the dangers that loom if I do not carry out this task. But the thought of seeing Ezra’s lifeless body… it tears me apart.I cannot do it.A sharp knock on the d
ALAYNA’s POVThe line goes dead.Father…The phone slips out of my hand and falls to the carpeted ground with a soft thud. I stare at it, trying to force my mind to find something, anything, to hold onto as my breath comes out in shallow gasps, fogging the air. The room around me changes horribly and an invisible cloud of fear begins to seep through the walls. It comes for me. Clutching my abdomen, I bend over and put my head between my knees. Purple dots dance behind my eyes. I am going to vomit. I am going to faint.NO!!!Now is not the time to panic! I force myself to think. I have to get to Father. I have to get to him now!I wipe away the tears on my face with the back of my hands and rise from the floor, swiping the phone off the ground. Then quickly, I hurry towards my wardrobe and yank out the bottommost drawer before shoving the phone beneath the pile of fabric. It should be safe here, no one is going to rummage through my underwear and bras. I think.I slam the drawer shu
ALAYNA’s POVThe moon hangs high in the sky, casting a pale silver glow over the garden maze below. Its light filters through the window and the sheer curtains sway gently in the breeze. The night feels unsettling as if the calm is only a facade for something darker just out of reach.I sit alone on the window sill of my own bedroom, my knees tucked under my nightgown and drawn up to my chest, staring at the moon. Thoughts of Ezra fills my mind. No one has ever touched me the way he did. The dominance as his lips devoured mine, the way he demanded full authority over my body as he thrust his tongue within me...they rattle me to the core. And without realising it, I find myself pressing my thighs together, trying to ignore the throbbing that is beginning to form. Why did he do that to me? Why did he touch me like that, why did he make me want him, need him only to push me away?My brows furrow and I grind my teeth, a bad habit I have when I am stressed out. Does he suspect me of being
EZRA’s POV This was not meant to happen. I stare down at Alayna, my hands gripping her wrists as she lies beneath me, her body tense. She is so small, so delicate, that it catches me off guard every time. I had not meant to do this. I never meant to pin her down, to bring us back to my room, my bed. But then her scent pulled me in. That sweet, intoxicating scent of hers that has always driven me mad with hunger and heat. It fills the room, and makes everything else fade into the background. My senses heighten, sharpen. My breath quickens. More than that, there is an overwhelming desire to touch her, to hold her face in my hands and run my thumb along her lips just to know how they feel. She is so beautiful. Long auburn hair spreads out beneath her beautiful face. Big emerald eyes. Soft, natural features that no one could distrust. The façade is so good, so convincing that I should not even doubt her. But I do. “You’ve never even seen the birthmark on her thigh either,
ALAYNA’s POV "What are you doing?" Ezra growls, snapping me back to reality and I look back up into his eyes once more. His eyes are dark, filled with something I cannot quite place. And before I even realize what I am doing, I let go of his tuxedo and quickly pull away. My legs betray me—they buckle and down I go. Thud, right on my butt. How graceful. Ezra peers down at me, cocking his head to one side. Then his eyes narrow and something flickers in his irises. Amusement? Pity? No, probably not pity. He just... looks at me like I am a ragdoll. Maybe I should give him the finger. “Don’t move,” he orders, scooping me up without hesitation and lifting me effortlessly from the stone courtyard. I wince at the sudden shift in position, the weight of my body feeling heavier than ever, my legs dangling beneath me. Ezra strides forward and the soft clink of his boots echoes against the paved stones. Soon, the mansion looms ahead. It is Ezra’s home and its towering stone structure and i
ALAYNA’s POVIt is not Ezra.A tidal wave of relief crashes into me like a tsunami and I sink onto the cold, tiled floor.Thank you…thank you Goddess of the Moon. It is not Ezra…thank you, thank you.Around me, the chaos continues. In the far corner, a nurse is suturing a deep gash in a man’s leg. A young woman beside her is being hooked up to an IV even as she cries in pain. I can hear the soft hiss of an oxygen mask being adjusted on another patient’s face as he moans. Yet, despite the urgency of it all, despite how wrong it is, I feel relieved. And grateful. Grateful that the man on the stretcher is not Ezra.Then I hear Mother’s voice, as clear as day, cutting through the chaos of the clinic.“A man with a golden eye was seen fleeing the banquet hall just before the explosion,” she tells one of the nurses, her tone casual, like she is gossiping about the weather. “Tall, thin and lean. Might be from an enemy pack.”I freeze. Golden Eye.Grabbing the handle of a nearby medical cart,