Alex's P.O.V I went back to the packhouse late next morning. I knew I was going to get in trouble as soon as I stepped into the dining area to sneak something to eat back to my room but came face to face with Freya instead. Luna in training and a powerful witch in her own right, Cameron's mate raised her eyebrows at me as soon as she saw me sneak in. "Judging from the stench of alcohol on your clothes, I'd say you're sneaking back in after some wild late night endeavors." She shook her head in disappointment. "Sit down, Alex. I'll get you something to eat." Sighing, I took a seat at the little dining table especially for the higher rank members, the table that we had been using since we were kids. Hardly ten minutes later, Freya laid out an entire feast in front of me that included almost all of my favorite breakfast items and a large cup of piping hot coffee. My eyes narrowed at her absolutely angelic expression. "You're babying m
Rogue Wolf's P.O.V My wolf howled inside my mind, drowning out every other voice in the vicinity. My vision was red and I knew exactly what it meant…but I couldn't do anything. I was no longer myself. I was no longer in control. I was a rogue. I tried my best to revisit old memories; comb through the fog that clouded me in from every direction, but I couldn't move past the haze. All I could do was watch through the fog as my wolf ran through miles and miles of woods, searching…raging… I could hear the ferocious noises that came out of my mind, feel the saliva dripping from the side of my mouth…and yet, I couldn't do anything. I was a spectator inside my own body; almost like I was in a coma. Someone who could see everything, feel everything…but do nothing. Why was I in this state? Why was I suddenly a rogue? How did I get here? Did I have anyone who had caused me to become rogue? My mind was so jumbled that I had no idea what I was even s
Alex's P.O.V "Get me the tranquilizer." I shouted at the man following behind me as I held out my hand for the gun. He did so immediately, without hesitation. If the guards were right and this was really a rogue, then there would be no reasoning with it. The best option should have been to get an actual gun and shoot it through the head… But there was this nagging feeling inside my mind that I shouldn't kill it. 'Are you sure we should keep it alive?' One of the patrol guards asked via the mental link. They were currently in the clearing near the beach where the rogue had been spotted, with tattered clothes and blood all over her body. 'Positive', I replied to the guard. 'Keep the patrol unit armed with tranqs, just in case there are more of them to follow.' 'Affirmative.' It was a high risk, keeping a rogue alive, but I had to. My wolf kept telling me that I 'had' to. My wolf had never been this desperate before, especial
Alex's P.O.V "Do you have any idea what's going to happen when Alpha Charles gets back?" Freya snapped at me, pacing the now empty room like a caged tigress. "Cameron was fuming when he heard the news. I can only imagine what Alpha Charles would do when he returns." "She's my mate, Freya!" I told her now, my voice coming out harsher than I had intended. "Did you really expect me to kill her?" "No! God, no!" Freya stopped pacing to look at me wide eyed. "I didn't say you had to kill her, but neither did I say to bring her back to the pack house! And when on earth was I going to find out that we have a fucking dungeon at the basement?" "It…it's a holding cell." I told her hesitantly. "For wolves." "A fucking dungeon!" She snapped, narrowing her eyes at me. "So how about you tell me…what to do next, Alex? Because I don't have a freaking clue! And I'm on the verge of
Alex's P.O.V "Magic?" I asked her incredulously. "As in a witch?" "No." Freya shook her head immediately. "This isn't witch magic…this is different. It's faint, but it's definitely some kind of magic." "You can tell different kinds of magic?" I frowned. I didn't even know magic had sub-divisions. Freya's training must really be paying off. Not to mention she comes from a family of witches that were once a part of their council. "It's not something you notice immediately, but all supernatural creatures possess some form of magic, even wolves." She explained. "For her though, the magic of her wolf is the strongest, but there is an undertone of something else…something that is just as much a part of her as her wolf." "A hybrid." I whispered, looking back at my mate. "They're extremely rare, aren't they?" Freya asked quietly. "I've hardly ever seen a wolf pair
Rogue Wolf's P.O.V "Mom!" I called out as soon as I stepped inside the house. "I'm home!" Only eerie silence greeted me from inside the wide space. I paused, looking around at the open windows and watching the curtains blow back in the warm afternoon wind. The wind chime on one of the windows made a twinkling sound, one that I often found pleasing. But for some reason, that same sound felt ominous today…like the chimes of a knell… "Mom?" I called again. "Dad? Maze?" I called my family one by one, but that eerie silence remained. I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to go further inside. Fear gripped my heart in a vice grip, slowly tightening its hold. My father had warned me about this day. The day we might get discovered…the day they might come for us. But I hadn't expected it to be today…I hadn't expected them to ever show up. We hid so well… "M-om? Da-d?" This time
Freya's P.O.V The woman dropped to the floor mid-jump, right after the shot reverberated inside the room. Both Alex and I turned to face the cell door, to find out who had fired the shot…to find Cameron standing with a gun in his hand, followed closely by Sarah. My heart hammered against my ribcage and I desperately wanted to run into the arms of my mate, to be surrounded by his embrace, but my head turned towards the woman instead. "Wh…what?" I swallowed hard, hoping and praying that I didn't see blood gushing out of her body. Alex had gone unnaturally still next to me and I feared that he might snap if I touched him. "She's alive." Cameron's voice was hard, angry, as he stepped inside the cell and grabbed a hold of my hand. "Get to the Alpha's chambers, Alex. We need to talk." With that, he began dragging me out of the cell and out of the dungeons…err, holding rooms. I glanced back to find Alex still standing lik
Alex's P.O.V I don't know how long I stood there, looking down at my mate's fallen form, but it wasn't until Sarah placed a hand on my shoulders that I was finally able to snap out of my trance. "You should go back up," I told her quietly, my voice sounding hoarse to my own ears. "I'll follow soon." "I'll wait, Alex." Sarah came to stand beside me. "I know just how difficult this is for you, even though I can't even begin to understand your pain." "Why did it have to be like this, Sarah?" I tried but failed to hide the tremor in my voice as I knelt down next to her and lifted my mate up carefully into a sitting position. "Why did it have to be like this?" But Sarah didn't have any answers for me as I unlodged the tranquilizer from her shoulder. Blood oozed out of the wound that had been caused by the tranq bullet hitting her at too close proximity. Placing her more comfortably so that
Lilac's P.O.V It's been a long ride and a very eventful one at that and anytime I think about what Krimson and I have been through, I'm just grateful we had the strength to go through everything we went through and we were able to come out of it even stronger than how we were before. As the sun cast its warm, golden rays across the university campus, I found myself sitting on a bench, the weight of decisions pressing against my chest. The soft whispers of the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze mirrored the conflicted thoughts swirling in my mind. Krimson, my mate, had offered a future tied to our pack, an enticing prospect for many, but not for me. I gazed at the sprawling grounds, feeling a tug in my heart that wasn't just about academic pursuits. The university held promises beyond the textbooks and lectures. It offered freedom—freedom to carve my own identity, to explore knowledge that extended far beyond the boundaries of our pack's traditions. I yearned to brea
Krimson's P.O.V I woke up to the pale light filtering through the hospital room, the faint beeping of monitors sounding in the background. My vision was hazy at first, the events leading up to this moment a jumbled mess in my mind. As I blinked and slowly tried to focus, the first thing that became clear was Lilac's form, peacefully asleep in a chair next to my bed. Relief washed over me as memories flooded back, fragments piecing together into a coherent narrative. "Lilac," I whispered softly, my voice hoarse from disuse. She stirred slightly, a faint flutter of eyelashes against her cheeks, but she remained deep in slumber. The sight of her there, unwavering by my side, despite everything that had transpired, filled me with an inexplicable warmth. I couldn't help but recall the chaos of that night—the confrontation, the whirlwind of emotions, and then the blankness as consciousness slipped away from me. But here I was, waking up to her steadfast presence. It m
Lilac's P.O.V I watched Silver hurl accusations at me, adding to my guilt. I wanted to explain, to make her understand that it wasn't intentional, that the circumstances had shifted beyond my control. But words seemed to desert me in that moment as I grappled with the weight of her accusation. However, Krimson's voice echoed in the room then, commanding even though weak. "Silver, it's not Lilac's fault," he said firmly, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "I made the decision. I took action to protect." Silver's gaze snapped toward Krimson, her eyes filled with disbelief. "What are you saying, Krimson? You hated her, didn't you? Then why would you risk your life to save her?" Krimson shook his head solemnly. "No, Silver. I never hated Lilac, it was our circumstances that I hated. It felt like the Goddess had played a cruel joke on me. But I couldn't run away from a bond fated by the goddess herself, Silver. I had caused Lilac enough pain as it is…I
Lilac's P.O.V I nodded, my mind racing with the urgency of the situation. I moved towards Silver, hoping against hope that all of this worked. "Silver…" I called out to her slowly, making her head snap in my direction. "Please…you need to stop all of this." But Silver's face twisted in a sinister smirk. "It's too late to stop any of this, Lilac. This ends with one of us." "It doesn't have to be that way, Silvia." I shook my head, pleading with her. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Del approaching her steadily from behind her, while I kept on engaging her in conversion. "It does, Lilac." Silver snapped at me, turning her body around so she was facing me completely. "You don't understand-" It was all Del needed, for her to turn away, so that our plan worked. Without wasting a second, he came up behind Silver and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her in place as he took her by surprise
Lilac's P.O.V For a moment, time seemed suspended, the tableau frozen in an eerie stillness. Silver hesitated, her gaze flickering between me and Krimson, the dagger held poised in the air, its lethal purpose momentarily forgotten in the face of Krimson's interruption. "Step away from her, Silver," Krimson's voice cut through the tension, unwavering and authoritative. His stance was firm, commanding obedience without question. The grip of Silver's magic lessened, the pressure easing just enough for me to draw a ragged breath. My muscles protested as I struggled against the binds anew, though I didn't dare to take my eyes off Silver, her expression a maelstrom of conflicting emotions - anger, desperation, and a hint of something I couldn't quite place. "Krimson, you shouldn't be here," Silver's voice wavered, a tremor betraying the turmoil within her. Her grip on the dagger faltered, uncertainty clouding her features. "You know I couldn't stand by and
Lilac's P.O.V The air was thick with tension, a palpable energy that crackled around us like a storm waiting to break. "Silver, you're fooling yourself if you think you can wield that kind of power," I said softly, my gaze fixed on the gleaming knife in her hands. "You're not a true Silver Alpha Breeder, you never will be. You can't ever access my full potential." Silver's laughter cut through the serene air, a sound that held a hint of something darker beneath its surface. "Oh, you have no idea, do you?" Her eyes glinted with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "You underestimate what a witch can do, what I can do. I'm part wolf, part witch. I'm a hybrid that is already stronger than both a wolf and a witch! There's nothing I cannot do, Lilac!" "You think I chose you to lead our pack because of some noble sentiment? No, Lilac." Her voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. "I chose you because I knew the stronger you became, the more that dormant p
Lilac's P.O.V My eyes brimmed with confusion and hurt as I confronted Silver in the dimly lit room I was being held captive in. "Did you…ever really consider me a friend, Silver?" my voice trembled with a mixture of fear and desperation, my heart aching with the weight of betrayal. Silver, her gaze heavy with sorrow and a haunted past, met my eyes. "I used to belong to a peaceful pack, a pack that had been my home since the day I was born," she began, her voice tinged with a raw emotion that spoke volumes of her pain. "We lived in harmony, in unity. It was everything to me." Tears welled up in Silver's eyes, reflecting the agony of memories etched deep within her soul. "Your father," she whispered, the words heavy with anguish. "He... he attacked our pack. In the dead of night, when darkness cloaked the land, he led a brutal assault." I felt my heart ache for the woman that I had once considered my biggest alley, but now, she had turned out to be my bigges
Krimson's P.O.V The night hung heavy around us as we tore through the city streets, the engine's roar mingling with the howling wind. Del and I were on a mission—racing against time to reach Silver's apartment. It was imperative that we find Lilac before anything sinister unfolded. "Alpha Krimson, step on it!" Del's voice cut through the adrenaline-charged air, urgency lacing every word. His grip tightened on the door handle as we swerved through the dimly lit alleys, the neon signs blurring into streaks of color. "I'm pushing it as hard as I can!" I shouted back, my eyes fixed on the road ahead. The weight of worry pressed on me like a leaden cloak. We had to reach Silver's place, and had to find Lilac safe and sound. Finally, screeching to a halt outside Silver's building, we leaped out of the car. Breathless and tense, we dashed up the stairs, each step echoing the pounding of our hearts. As we reached Silver's door, our hopes soared, but a hollow silence gre
Lilac's P.O.V As I slowly arose to consciousness, I found myself grappling with the weight of my heavy eyelids. My mind sluggishly pieced together the fragments of reality, pushing through a dense fog of disorientation. The air felt heavy, each inhale a laborious effort that failed to fill my lungs as it should. A peculiar lightheadedness swept over me, a disconcerting sensation akin to floating on the edge of a dream. My initial attempt to stretch my arms, to move, met an unexpected resistance. Panic flickered through my drowsy mind as the realization hit home—I was restrained. My fingertips brushed against something coarse and unyielding, confirming my fear. The sensation sent a jolt of adrenaline through my groggy state, clearing the haze momentarily. I tried to rise, only to discover the cruel truth of my predicament: bound, not just by ropes or chains, but tied firmly to what appeared to be a marble table. The cool surface pressed against my skin, a s