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 POVI stand at the doorway of Ezra’s bedroom, watching him as he lies unconscious in his bed. His once-tanned skin is now a sickly shade of pale and his chest rises and falls with shallow breaths as endless numbers of medical tubes go in and out of his body.I do not understand. Why is he like this?Wanda moves around Ezra’s bed as two nurses set up a gastric lavage machine to pump out the poison from Ezra’s digestive system. Wanda presses her fingers into his pulse, checking his vitals, her face a mask of controlled fear.She looks across her shoulder and sees me. Quickly, she walks over and drags me to the corner of Ezra’s room, far away from anyone’s earshot. Her lips curl into a thin line of contempt.“What did you do, Alayna?” she hisses.What did I do? I cannot think straight. All I can feel is a phantom pain in my heart. The pain is indescribable, it is everywhere. Why is Ezra like this?Wanda’s eyes narrow and she stabs a finger at my chest. “You did this, didn’t you?
ALAYNA’s POVEven as a child, I have always known that Mother loved my sister more. Aurora would have the best clothes, the best teachers, the best toys. She would have the best of everything. Once, I fell very ill. But Mother chose to go sightseeing with Aurora instead of looking after me.But the nail in the coffin came three years ago.That fateful day, on the battlefield in the woods, I was left to defend myself while Mother fled with Aurora. Had it not been for the Black Wolf, I would have died.I have never asked Mother why. I never dared to. I was afraid of her answer. So I did everything she asked me to, in hopes that one day, she would come to me and say, “Alayne, I am proud of you.”I have always hoped that at the end of the day, Mother would take my side if I ever needed her.I was a fool.***“It was her!” Wanda points a finger at me, her voice cuts through the air. “She poisoned Lord Ezra!”Her words hit me like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs. I want t
ALAYNA’s POV The sound of footsteps echoes through the prison's cold stone walls, and the door opens with a creak. I become very still. Who is it? A stout, muscular guard with a thick, braided brown beard sticks his head in, the metal keys jingling at his side. My brows furrow and I fist my fingers. What does he want? “Lord Ezra has awakened. He asks for you,” he says simply in a chipmunk-like voice, belying his muscular image. Oh. Ezra is awake! I would jump up and run to him in a heartbeat if I could, but my legs are still wobbly. The guard frowns a little and extends his hand to me. “Let’s go, Luna. The dungeon is no place for a little lady like you.” This particular guard’s words surprise me. His compassion is a far cry from the two former guards. I pick up the empty flask next to me and the guard helps me to my feet, patiently guiding me towards the prison door. And right before I step through the door, I turn around to take one last look at my prison. I swear I wi
ALAYNA’s POV Ezra glances down at his chest and laughs, his voice ringing heartily through the silence of the room. It is the first time I have heard him laugh so freely. “Are you that eager to touch me?” he asks, and a ghost of a smile fleets across his face. Oh. I quickly pull my hands off his chest but Ezra is faster. He grabs my arms and flips us around so that he goes on top, and I am pinned beneath him. “How should I punish you, Alayna?” Ezra asks. His eyes trail my body, stripping me with his gaze. Heat flushes my face and I try to look away. But Ezra slides a hand underneath my head and curls his fingers into my hair, pulling my head back so that I stare into his eyes once more. “Should I punish you like this?” He closes the gap between us, his free hand brushing my cheek. Goddess…a scorching sensation races through me and pools between my thighs. “Or like this?” A flick of his thumb against my lips has my body trembling like a leaf. My core starts to throb with need a
ALAYNA’s POV I wake to the gentle rays of the morning sun brushing against my skin. My body aches, my muscles sore and my skin feels raw and bruised even beneath the silken blanket covering my…..oh. My naked body. I immediately shoot up from the pillows, my face burning as I clutch the blanket up to my chest. “Good morning.” My head shoots to the side and I find myself staring at Ezra. He sits fully clothed, his chin resting on a hand propped up by the arm of his chair. His hair is still damp, he must have just taken a shower. Subconsciously, I run my fingers lightly over the soft spot between my neck and shoulder, feeling the indents of a mark left by – “Me. You belong only to me, Alayna.” Ezra tilts his head and lifts one side of his lips in a knowing smile. My breath hitches I quickly let go of my shoulder to tighten my grip on the blanket, knowing all too well how hard my nipples have become under the silken fabric. And before I know it, he leans forward, bracing himself
EZRA’s POVI miss her already.The meeting is dragging on too long. I look at the rectangular clock on the wall, its thin black hands are crawling at a snail’s pace. Maybe it is not telling the right time. Maybe it needs a change of battery.‘You’ve only been in this meeting for ten minutes,’ my wolf chides.‘Shut up,’ I tell my wolf.‘You shut up,’ my wolf answers back.Both of us are not in a good mood.Damn.I cannot wait to feel Alayna in my arms again, the scent of her skin and the softness of her hair brushing against my face.Maybe I should just –"Ezra." Colin’s voice slices through my thoughts, “Earth to Ezra. Or is your mind on the moon?I let out an irritated sigh, taking in the faces around me. One of the council members standing in front of the projector screen immediately stops presenting, th
ALAYNA’s POV(The events take place simultaneously during Ezra’s tactical meeting)I step out of Ezra’s bedroom and collide with Sarah.“Ooof!” She drops the laundry bag and immediately bows. “Luna, my apologies. I did not see you come out of the door….” Her words trail off as she stares at me, her hand scratching her head. “Are you going out dressed in that?”I look down and feel my cheeks burn crimson red. I had found a plain black button-up shirt in Ezra's closet, it hangs modestly all the way to my knees. I had nothing to wear, not after my dress was torn in two by Ezra last night, and certainly not when my panties were soaked through and through.“I brought you a fresh set of clothes, but I think you look nice, just as you are,” Sarah gives me a knowing smile and before I can reach out for the laundry bag, she nudges it away fr
EZRA’s POV(The event takes place concurrently with Alayna and Drake’s Wedding)There is pain. At first, it is everywhere, heavy and unbearable, and I struggle to return to unconsciousness. But my aching body drags me awake, taking back its many parts, each with its own special hurt: my head throbbing, my arms burning, my back cramping. I open my eyes reluctantly, feeling the sting of light.No.Not lights. The lights, theymove, fluttering like fireflies but pulsing brighter and slower, as if aware of their own glow. Strange.Then I sit up. Too fast. Way too fast.Pain crackles across my ribs like dry twigs snapping beneath heavy boots and I take in a painful breath. Damn, it hurts to breathe but the scent that wraps around my senses is so pure I have to wonder if it is real. I place a palm to my sides and inhale again. Lavender, sweet and sharp. There i
DRAKE’s POVI stand at the top of the staircase and stare down into the cold stone steps that spiral beneath me like a serpent, its spine descending into the bowels of the mansion. And at the bottom, she lies.Alayna. My Luna.Her lips are closed, matching her closed eyes. She looks so peaceful. Yet something is very wrong.A halo of dark crimson spreads beneath her head, leeching into the cracks of the stone. She lies in a pool of red. The reason is very simple.Her skull is cracked.My fingers curl tightly around the bannister, knuckles pale against the black iron. What have I done?Then I hear the frantic footfalls behind me. Wanda appears at my side and she gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Goddess…”She shoves past me and races down the steps.I follow suit but each step feels like an eternity. Why am I moving so slowly? Why is my heart slamming against my
ALAYNA’s POVThe prisoners had breached the mansion grounds before I even reached it.I push through the shattered front gate of the mansion, once the pride of the Northlands. Now, it groans like a dying animal beneath the weight of chaos.The grand arch that used to gleam with carved wolf sigils is scorched black. The night is truly filled with filth. The stars labour through thick smoke, mixing with the moans of the wails and the fast-spreading crackle of flames.The front lawn is littered with debris and torn banners, the crest of the Nightwalker pack trampled into the mud like it was never worth the blood it took Ezra to earn. The air is thick with fear, not just the scent of it but the sound, too. Screams. Pleading. The sharp crack of whips.I cross into the grand foyer and freeze.The portraits lining the walls, of past alphas and their victories have been slashed to shreds. Miniature marble statues
ALAYNA’s POVColin is slumped against the far wall in a crumpled heap, chained by wrists and ankles to iron rings set in the stone. His shirt is shredded, soaked in blood, both dry and fresh. His face is almost unrecognizable. Swollen, one eye completely shut, the other barely open.And yet, when he sees me, his lips twist into something resembling a grin.“Hello, Luna. You’re late.”“Goddess…” I gasp.“I’m pretty sure I still look like a man, not some lady from the moon.”“Colin!” I run towards him. My hands tremble as I reach out, not even knowing where to start. So much blood. He reeks of it, the coppery tang heavy in the air.“Well damn,” he croaks. “Didn’t think the queen herself would come down to see little ol’ me.”“Did Drake do this to you?”“Long story cut
ALAYNA’s POVGolden Eye is here. And he is with Drake.Red, searing pain and black despair. These two colors, these two forms of torture are all I know for the next few seconds. It is not as if I lose sight of the room, it is just that I see it from another angle.To realize that I have been married all along to the enemy, that I was in fact his greatest ally, is too much for me. Death, if it would just involve oblivion, would be more than welcome. But I know there must be a special hell prepared for the one who betrayed Ezra and I.I force my hands still as they tremble against the folds of the curtain and my bare toes curl against the cool marble, trying to anchor me, to stop the rising rage clawing up my throat.How dare he? How dare they?!Golden Eye chuckles low and sharp. “A toast to our victory then.”I hear a slow swirl of whiskey in glasses before they clink. They are drinking and I imagine Drak
ALAYNA’s POVIt is past midnight.I sit with my back against the bedroom door, knees tucked into my chest, eyes wide open.Outside my bedroom, all has gone silent. No footsteps. No murmurs. Not even the usual creak of the floorboards under heavy boots. That is good. That means everyone has gone to sleep.Including Drake.I press my palm flat against the cool wood of the door. My breath trembles in my throat, barely there, like it is afraid of being heard. Slowly, I twist the handle. It gives without a sound, thank the Goddess and I ease the door open just a crack. The hallway reveals itself, bathed in a wash of silver moonlight spilling through the window at the far end.My bare feet make no sound as I slip out and close the door behind me. One soft click. That is all.I tiptoe through the corridor, rubbing the itch in my nose caused by the scent of lemon polish lingering faintly in the air. There
ALAYNA’s POVSarah is dead.Her head rests in my lap, heavy and still like a doll left too long in the rain. I cradle her as best I can, my arms trembling beneath the weight of grief and guilt. Her skin is clammy, pale against the red welts and bruises on her neck and arms. Her lips are slightly parted, as if caught mid-sentence but her breath is long gone.I cannot stop rocking her.Back and forth I go, as though motion might stir her heart again. My tears fall freely onto her face, tracing the path of bloodstains and dirt. With a trembling hand, I smooth back a lock of hair from her temple—tangled, stiff with dried blood and whisper her name.“Sarah, I am sorry.”I do not know how long I stay like that, kneeling on the cold dungeon floor, cradling her ruined body. Torches flicker overhead, casting a wavering orange light on the stone walls but the world feels dim and s
Those we love don’t go away,They walk beside us every day.Unseen, unheard but always near,Still loved, still missed and very dear.-Author unknown-ALAYNA’s POVThe morning sun is cruel this morning.Its light slants through the window in thick, golden shards, making everything too warm, too bright. I sit at the edge of my bed and stare at the new maid incredulously. What madness is this?“She poisoned you,” the maid repeats with arms crossed around her chest, looking as if she is bored out of her mind.The around me tilts and I have to palm my head to stop the spinning.“No, Sarah couldn’t have done that. She would never do that.”“Well she did, Luna. The guards drew the confession out of her. She’s in the dungeon now, punished for the murder of your chi
ALAYNA’s POVI am dreaming again. And like all the ones that came before, it does not feel like a dream.The sun is setting and I stand in the middle of a vast meadow, the air heavy with the scent of wildflowers and damp earth. A gentle breeze tugs at the edges of my hair, carrying with it petals that drift lazily across the sky. I close my eyes for a moment, taking in all the serenity that surrounds me. The quiet, the softness of the wind and the colors of the sky melt into each other. Everything is so perfect, so still.When I open my eyes again, I see her.A little girl, no older than five with raven-black hair that cascades down her back like silk stands at the far end of the meadow. She is wearing a simple white dress that billows out behind her as she skips through the tall grass. Her laughter is light, almost melodic and it fills the meadow.Strange, I think I know her.“Hell