STARLETTEThe four bodyguards trailed me closely as I left the room. Changing into a female soldier’s uniform was no longer a viable option, so I needed to devise a smarter plan to escape. My mind raced, searching desperately for a solution. Then I remembered the alarm system installed throughout the pack house. I hadn’t been explicitly told its purpose, but I knew it was for emergencies—whether fires or rogue attacks. My only chance of escaping now depended on creating chaos in the pack; only then would I be able to slip out of the guards’ sight.Yes! That was the perfect plan, I thought. I sped down the corridor, my eyes scanning for one of the alarm systems. I was so focused on my search that I turned a corner and bumped into what felt like a wall. My heart rate quickened, knowing who it was before even raising my head to see his face. Silas.“Oh, my pretty girl,” his voice sounded as I felt his arm wrap around my waist. “Where were you rushing to?”“I was coming to look for you. G
MAXIMUS“Do you know why you are here?” I asked Maeve and Sabrina, looking at them dangerously.They shook their heads vigorously, their fear evident. “No,” their voices shook.“If your father hasn’t told you, then I will. He kidnapped your sister, Starlette, and killed all the warriors sent to escort her. Now, I want him to tell me where he has kept Starlette or reveal his accomplices. He refuses. And you know—” I slowly unlocked the cell gate, opening it. They veered backward, trembling as I walked in. “Starlette is my mate, and I would do anything to find her.”“Do not touch my daughters!” Isaac screamed from behind. “Please!”My gaze snapped to him, cold and unforgiving. “Does that mean you’re ready to talk?”He pressed his lips together, nothing but silence filling the air.“No,” I answered for him, then returned my gaze to the two girls. “Ask your father to tell me where she is so that you don’t have to suffer for his sins.”“Father, please,” one of them cried. “Please, just tel
STARLETTEFrom the book I had read about the Invisibles, I learned their power was tied to a burning candle. If the candle were extinguished, their invisibility would cease. I had a strong suspicion that the candle burning on the stone before me was the very source of their power. Its presence here, in Silas’ pack, could mean only one thing—Silas was the mastermind we had been hunting all along. And the red-haired witch we encountered the other day was none other than Lila.I moved closer to the candle, determined to snuff it out, when a sharp voice cut through the air.“What are you doing here?”I snapped my gaze to the side to find Lila standing there, rage burning in her eyes.“You!” I growled, baring my canines. “You control the Invisibles. Gabriel is your father!”She tilted her head to the side as she continued staring at me. “Looks like Silas let his pet wander too far.”“To what end?” I growled, fire burning within me. “Why do you keep attacking my pack?”“Because I want to ta
MAXIMUSAfter putting two and two together, I knew immediately that Silas had paid Isaac to lure his daughter out of my pack. That man was greedy and wouldn’t mind trading his daughter’s life for money. And Silas? The bastard played me, and he would pay with his life. I should have realized from the start that Lila was the witch since she was also a redhead. But that suspicion never crossed my mind because I thought we all had the same goal—putting an end to the invisibles. I never knew they were the culprits we had been looking for all along, hidden in plain sight.I rushed to the dungeon to get confirmation from Isaac. The moment I entered, Maeve and Sabrina whimpered, their bodies trembling in fear. But I ignored them. I wasn’t there for them.“Isaac!” I roared, unlocking the gate and marching into the cell. He recoiled, fear evident in his eyes. “You sold Starlette to the southern Alpha King, Silas.”His face froze in shock, his guilty expression confirming my suspicions.“Speak!”
STARLETTE“Now, you want to rape me?” I asked. “What happened to you wanting me to willingly give it to you?”“What?” His brows creased as he looked at me in confusion. “When I said force you, I meant force the answer out of you. Why did you say Lila seems to have her own agenda?”I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the tension leave my body. He wasn’t going to rape me. “Get off me first,” I glared at him. “I can't tell you while you are on top of me.”He jumped off immediately, his eyes never leaving mine. “So, tell me. What did you mean by that?”I shrugged as I sat up. “I don’t know. Why did Gabriel and Lila agree to work with you? I don’t know what the reason was, but they must have their own motive.”“Gabriel had a motive, and that was why I got rid of him—with your and Maximus’s help, of course.”My forehead creased. “And Lila?”“What do you think? She just wants to be with me.” A smirk curved his lips, as if he truly believed what he was saying. “Everyone wants me, except you.
STARLETTE“What did I do?” Sandra asked, confused.I met her question with silence, not intending to talk to her.“Starlette.” She sat by the bed and reached for the duvet, trying to pull it off me. But I clutched it tightly, grunting in frustration.She paused for a moment before speaking again. “Is this because you couldn’t escape?”“Yes!” I exclaimed, throwing the duvet off and sitting up to glare at her. “Yes, Sandra. I couldn’t escape, and you knew that from the very beginning. You planned this with Silas just to see me fail. Admit it.”“I didn’t.” She shook her head. “I genuinely wanted you to leave this place and be free.”“Then how do you explain that witch being in the cave, stopping me? You said the place was unguarded, and that gave me hope that I could escape,” I said, raising my voice. “What other security does a place need if there’s a witch there?”“Starlette, believe me.” She took my hands in hers, sincerity saturating her features. “I didn’t know the witch was there.
STARLETTEWhatever this was, whatever made me control Silas, I hoped it worked on Lila as well. I slowly approached her, my gaze fixed on her. “Lila, I want you to turn around and pretend you never saw me.”Her brows furrowed before she let out full-blown laughter. “Is this supposed to be a joke?”It didn’t work. I sighed exasperatedly.“What do you want?” I spat.“If you are trying to run, forget that idea. I would never allow you to escape. I need you,” she groaned.“Why?” I asked, venom lacing my voice. “Because you want to use every last drop of my blood for your evil plan? Never, Lila! Never will I allow you to harm me or my child.”Her eyes darted to my belly. “Your child?”“Yes. When I eventually conceive. With Maximus’ child, of course,” I quickly added to dispel her suspicion that I was already pregnant. “Isn’t that when you’ll need my blood? When there’s life growing inside me?”She moved closer to me, her eyes boring into mine. “You are never going back to the north. You wi
MAXIMUSMy heart shattered into pieces the moment I saw the condition my mate was in. Scrambling out of the car, I ran straight to her, gathering Iris into my arms. She was fading fast, and before long, she lost consciousness entirely.“I never thought you’d find out she was here,” Silas said, his voice cold. I lifted my head to see him standing by his car, a smirk of defiance etched on his face.“Let me carry her,” Lucius offered, holding out his arms. Trusting my brother, I handed her over, watching as he carefully took her to the car. My heart broke even more as I wondered how much she had had to endure. Silas would pay for it with his life.I returned my gaze to Silas, growling with burning fury as I unsheathed my sword and launched toward him. “I will kill you!”Silas unsheathed his own sword immediately, ready for my attack. My sword hit his powerfully, making a loud clank. And so the war began. Every other soldier around us attacked each other, fighting with relentless vigor an
STARLETTEI was ready to face the truth. This time, I wasn’t going to beg for his fatherly love as I had done countless times before. I was going to demand answers—to know what Silas had promised him in exchange for me, what he deemed more valuable than his own daughter. And most importantly, to spite him. Despite everything he had done, I had triumphed once again.Maximus was initially hesitant about taking me to the dungeon. After much persuasion, he finally agreed, though reluctantly. He didn’t want me to set foot in such a filthy place, especially in my condition.“Starlette!” my father’s voice rang out the moment he saw me. He leaped to his feet and rushed toward the bars, his face lighting up with excitement. “You’re alive! Oh, that’s wonderful.”“For someone who orchestrated my abduction, you look far too happy to see me,” I spat, my voice cold and unyielding. I wasn’t going to fall for his façade. Not again.“Sweetheart, I would never do that to you,” he said, his expression
MAXIMUS“Who?” I curiously asked Tom.“The Eastern Alpha King,” he informed me. “He is here and is asking for you.”My brows furrowed as I tried to comprehend why he had suddenly shown up. The North had not associated with the East or the West in a long time. Sometimes, I even forgot about their existence. Each kingdom had kept to its own affairs, living peacefully for decades. The only exception was the ongoing tension between the North and the South, fueled by a never-ending conflict over that disputed piece of land.“Where is he?” I asked Tom.“In the meeting room, with the other Alphas,” he said.“Okay.” I returned my attention to my mate, muttering, “He says the Alphas are here to see you. If you don’t feel comfortable yet, I could tell them to leave and maybe come back another time—or never, if you never want to see them.”“It’s fine,” she told me as she took the baby from my arms and stared at her adorably. “Sorry, baby. We have to leave now.”She walked toward a nurse and han
MAXIMUSThe baby wasn’t mine, so I didn’t care if she was in labor or not. But what I did care about was that the baby was innocent, and regardless of its mother’s atrocities, the pup was still a member of my pack, and I wouldn’t let it suffer.I mind-linked Kade. “Lauren is in labor. Go there, take the baby from her, make sure the pup is well taken care of, and throw the mother in the dungeon afterward.”“Okay, Alpha,” he said before the mind link ended.I turned my attention to my brother and his mate. “I don’t see you both leaving. Off you go. Now.”I needed time with my mate—I had missed her so much.The witch rolled her eyes. “We missed her too, you know? And we also want to spend time with her.”Lucius dipped his hand into his pocket, and, ignoring what I had just said, he asked, “What do you plan to do with Lauren’s pup?”“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “Maybe find an adoptive parent for it.”Before Lucius could respond, Kade mind-linked me again. “Lauren is having a difficu
STARLETTEJohn Smith was taken to the dungeon afterward, leaving only Maximus in the room.He moved closer to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning into my neck to take in my scent. “I cannot overemphasize how much I missed you.”“I missed you too,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck. “So very much.”“He is going to pay for this,” he said, and I could feel his body stiffen as he continued. “Silas will pay for this.”I nodded, savoring the mesmerizing blend of cedarwood, musk, and a sweet hint of lavender that I had missed so much.He abruptly pulled away and held me by my shoulders, worry saturating his features.“What?” I asked with a raised brow.“I want to ask. Did he...” His voice faltered, and he swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence.“No,” I replied, knowing what he was going to ask. “He didn’t touch me. He wanted me to give it to him willingly.”Relief crossed his features as he pulled me in again, holding me so tightly. “I’m just glad you’re okay
STARLETTE“How did you do that?” Maximus asked, amazed and confused.I rubbed my belly gently, a small smile gracing my lips. “I think the baby came with gifts. It was those gifts that helped me escape Silas’ captivity before you rescued me. I have the ability to control minds.”After thinking about it, I had come to the realization that it was the baby who had those abilities, and it only allowed me to tap into them. I could only imagine how powerful my pup would be.“That’s... incredible,” Maximus muttered, though it was evident that he was still confused. I was still grappling with this newfound ability myself, but I planned to exploit its full potential nevertheless.“What did you do to me?” Lauren yelled as she snapped out of the trance I had put her in. Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head. “I would never have said that. You made me lie against my will.” She turned to Maximus, begging desperately. “Please do not believe all that I just said. That wasn’t me speaking.
STARLETTEMaximus wouldn’t leave my side as I headed to Lauren’s room. He had promised to never let me out of his sight ever again. I also didn’t plan on making dumb moves ever again. What was I even thinking, going to my father’s pack without him? I should’ve known it was a trap; I mean, no one changes overnight. But I was too blinded by my desire for even a glimmer of fatherly love that I fell for it, and it had cost us a lot. From the moment we were ambushed, I knew my father was behind it. But I deliberately pushed that thought away while I was still in captivity, not wanting to break myself even more.Anyway, I was really grateful for my newfound gift that helped me escape; if not, the rescue plan would have been more difficult and more deadly. And I planned on using that gift on Lauren. Hopefully, I would be able to tell if the baby was really Maximus’ or someone else’s.We came to a stop in front of her room and pushed the door open. She was lying on the bed but quickly sat up
MAXIMUSI rushed back to my mate and held her in my arms as the driver sped back to the pack. Once we arrived, I carried her straight to the hospital, where the doctor was already prepared for our arrival. Starlette was still unconscious, and my worry grew with every passing moment. If anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself for failing to protect her.Without hesitation, the doctor began examining her, and I lingered by the hospital bed, refusing to let her out of my sight again.The doctor turned to look at me. “Alpha, please, can you excuse me while I—”“I am going nowhere!” I growled. “I’m not disturbing your work, so get on with it. And make sure she survives. If she doesn’t, you will have to follow her.”Fear flashed in his eyes before he turned back to Starlette, working with urgency. He examined her thoroughly before finally addressing me again.“She is fine,” he said.“Then make her wake up!” I groaned with frustration. How could she be fine when she was still
MAXIMUSMy heart shattered into pieces the moment I saw the condition my mate was in. Scrambling out of the car, I ran straight to her, gathering Iris into my arms. She was fading fast, and before long, she lost consciousness entirely.“I never thought you’d find out she was here,” Silas said, his voice cold. I lifted my head to see him standing by his car, a smirk of defiance etched on his face.“Let me carry her,” Lucius offered, holding out his arms. Trusting my brother, I handed her over, watching as he carefully took her to the car. My heart broke even more as I wondered how much she had had to endure. Silas would pay for it with his life.I returned my gaze to Silas, growling with burning fury as I unsheathed my sword and launched toward him. “I will kill you!”Silas unsheathed his own sword immediately, ready for my attack. My sword hit his powerfully, making a loud clank. And so the war began. Every other soldier around us attacked each other, fighting with relentless vigor an
STARLETTEWhatever this was, whatever made me control Silas, I hoped it worked on Lila as well. I slowly approached her, my gaze fixed on her. “Lila, I want you to turn around and pretend you never saw me.”Her brows furrowed before she let out full-blown laughter. “Is this supposed to be a joke?”It didn’t work. I sighed exasperatedly.“What do you want?” I spat.“If you are trying to run, forget that idea. I would never allow you to escape. I need you,” she groaned.“Why?” I asked, venom lacing my voice. “Because you want to use every last drop of my blood for your evil plan? Never, Lila! Never will I allow you to harm me or my child.”Her eyes darted to my belly. “Your child?”“Yes. When I eventually conceive. With Maximus’ child, of course,” I quickly added to dispel her suspicion that I was already pregnant. “Isn’t that when you’ll need my blood? When there’s life growing inside me?”She moved closer to me, her eyes boring into mine. “You are never going back to the north. You wi