Shawn's POVThe hardest part of my plan wasn't killing King Adonis, it was escaping and the sweetest part was not in the joy of his death but in that of Smithson.Five years ago, he plunged his claws into parents right before my eyes and said that he would do me the pleasure of watching him have my sister over and over again before killing me in her front.Men like Smithson deserved to be cleansed from the surface of the earth and men who had the potential to be like him. Men like Marcus.“Get him! He flipped to the outside of the mansion!" I heard the guards scream.I was still in Smithson's form and build. I needed the men of the Twilight Ridge Pack, to believe that Smithson was the traitor.I ran along the servant's wing, and I entered into the last room on the block. The room felt deserted and bare to belong to even a servant. Slaves were better cared for by their masters.I walked a bit till I found a closet. “Hello!" I called, but there was no response.I went into the closet an
Marcus's POVWalking back inside the Mansion, it felt so much different, like a cold, lifeless shell. Everything that happened tonight drowning me in, weighing heavily on me. I was as troubled as the storm growing inside me.Who could have thought that the great alpha king Adonis could be brought down by a knight he honored and adored so much?Even I thought my father loved Smithson more than he loved me. If treason was perceived, I would suspect Leila Darkwood and her power-seeking father and not Smithson.But something doesn't feel right.As Smithson drew his last breath, he said, “I didn't…” and somewhere beneath, I felt he wasn't the one who killed my father.Winston came to me at the entrance of the mansion. His eyes filled with both sympathy and pity- something I didn't appreciate at all.“I–I-I am so sorry,” he began gently, stuttering for the right words of consolation. " I wish there was something I could do..”"There is nothing you or anybody can do, Winston,” I cut him off
Lucas's POVI was sitting in the meadow, listening to the cool night breeze. I was going to get Lily no matter what. Initially, it felt like I was only joking, even to myself. But now, I was more determined and I would stop at nothing until she said yes to me.I rested my back on the rock behind me, trying to allow nature to calm my nerves. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a tint of silver on the bare lands.Just as I was beginning to enjoy the comfort of the evening, I felt the atmosphere begin to change and a gust of wind came in my direction after which, a note materialized before me.I tried reaching for it, but I could not hold it with my hands. “Hmmm, witch's doing,"I stood up to have a clearer view, then I read the content of the note. “So she knows of the kids too," I chuckled.Fate must really want those kids out of the goddamn way.This is my lucky chance.The delicate parchment was as expected: brief but yet, to the point. Leila Darkwood wanted the children out of the
Leila’s POV"Not a hair on my mother's or Lily's body must be touched!”I looked at the man standing in front of me and already knew he had ended from the beginning. He was in love. Love and our plans didn't mix.He wasn't going to survive long despite having such strong magical energy. “Do you have plans to stop a revenge attack on Lily's part?" I asked him.“Do you have for Marcus's own?" He retorted.“Marcus won't live beyond two months of his reign after we get married," I replied almost immediately.He looked shocked and unprepared to hear that coming from me. Maybe he thinks I'm a fool for love like he is. Shame.“When I get to that bridge, I'll cross it," He replied.Wrong answer. “Okay," I replied."I will send word when there is a lead,” The young man replied."You may leave,” I said.He nodded and turned to leave. The young man was quite skinny but handsome. He had freckles on his face with well-defined facial features. His brown hair made it easy to know who he was.“Lucas
Lily’s POVDinner was not as memorable as I imagined it would be. I was dining with the people I loved for the first time in five years at the same table.Still, there was no happy chattering, no laughing, no banter between the kids, and not even the basic smile.I tried to focus on the plate of food set in front of me. I took a spoonful of the tangy soup into my mouth.“Thank you, mother," Fiona said as she rose from the table after her brother.“Hmmm," I replied with a smile but my mind was elsewhere.Marcus.The dinner table was quickly missing seats and in no time, I found myself alone with Shawn. His presence was both comforting and unnerving.He had changed so much since we were younger, hardened by the experiences and losses we had both endured. Tonight, though, there was a fire in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before, he felt like a villain.“We need to talk,” Shawn said, his voice low and strained. He must have thought about this conversation for a long time before initiating i
Shawn’s POVHeartbreak. That was the only word that could describe the ache in my chest as I walked away from the lodge.Her refusal to join our mission of revenge felt like a dagger to my soul. I had thought, hoped, that she would understand, that she would stand with me. But she had chosen a different path, leaving me to face the coming storm alone.As I walked through the now quiet streets, my mind wandered back to how everything at Crimson Valley was as peaceful as the night was.I kicked a stone into a wall. “We will be kinder than they were anyway," I said sulkily.Lily was my elder sister and it would have been nice to have her support. I knew she was scared of another bloodbath, but we were planning to only execute the Twilight Ridge pack and their allies.I sighed as I arrived at the outskirts of Mistwood Creek. I turned back in the direction of the village and smiled sadly.Earlier on after I left Lily's presence, I noticed that Martins and Clara were standing outside, whisp
Lily’s POVDawn had yet to come into full light when I woke up with a start. I heard disturbing sounds of wood and chairs and cups smashing against the wall. There were loud thuds and screams alongside it.Startled, I searched around the room but I could not find my kids. Heart pounding, I sat up in bed and strained to hear what was happening.I heard the sounds of hurried footsteps and muffled voices. I threw off the covers and hurried out of the room to find my kids.As I stepped into the hallway, I saw my children, Raymond and Fiona, already awake and clutching rods they found in the room.Clara and Martin stood with them, their expressions tense and alert as they watched the door to the room we had lodged in.I sighed in temporary relief.“What’s going on?” I whispered urgently as I joined them.Clara glanced at me, her eyes wide with fear. “We think we’re being robbed,” she said quietly.My heart sank as I saw their scared stances. I looked at my kids and realized how exposed the
Shawn’s POVI helped Lily to pack up the remaining items that belonged to them in the lodge. Clara was already well packed, but I had not seen Martin since Shadowvale left.“Do you have an idea of where Martin might be?” I asked Clara as I walked up to where she sat.She sighed. “He is sulking on the balcony,”“Thank you,” I replied and made for the balcony, but she held my wrist back.“Shawn, I know I cannot fight yet, but I will do whatever I can to ensure we are all safe,” she said, her voice firm and resolute.I smiled with whatever strength I had left. “Thank you,” I said again, sincerely.I patted her palms before gently releasing myself from her grip with a calm smile. But my mind was far from calm. I felt a strange pull towards her, an inexplicable connection that was hard to ignore.She was beautiful, smart, and hardworking. Traits that would attract any man, but there was something more. She was strong-willed, a quality I admired deeply.She faced her fears head-on and seeme