Mirage's P.O.V "If you see the blood-works closely, both Mirage and Alpha Krimson have the same proteins in their blood in higher quantities." Daisy pointed out to the projector screen, which had an image of several circular or oval shaped bug-like "cells" swimming in a pit of more such bug-like cells. "The two images are nearly identical. The only difference is the amount of adrenaline in definitely higher for both of them, but more so in case of Mirage." "Alpha Krimson," Daisy asked the man sitting to my left. "This is to cross-check the data you provided us with; in Mirage's case, does the higher cortisol and adrenaline level significant with the time she has been a rogue or the time she has been free of her wolf's control? We've estimated somewhere between 3 days to a week in her case and she's been injected with the antidote only five days prior. "It's the time she has been free of her wolf," Alpha Krimson co
Mirage's P.O.V "Mirage, was it?" Alpha Krimson's husky voice stopped me in my tracks just as I was about to exit the meeting room behind Alex and Daisy. Halting mid-step, I turned back to look towards Krimson with a frown. "I thought you would have learned it by now." I scowled. "Or do you prefer 'test-subject zero, zero-something '?" "Mirage sounds better," he rounded the table and headed straight for me, stopping until he was only a few mere inches away from me. "Would you like to take a walk with me? I would like to get to know you better." "Do you do that with all your test-subjects or am I an exception?" My frown deepened. "No other test-subjects of mine have ended up being females." He lowered his face closer to mine as he whispered those words to me; the warmth of his breath hitting the side of my neck. His words sent a shiver down my spine and I immediately took a step back
Mirage's P.O.V "Hey Sarah…can I talk to you for a bit?" I asked the blonde woman who was leaning over her phone, her plate of food almost untouched as she typed away at the speed of light. "Hmmm…" She hummed, not really paying attention to me. "Sarah, Darcia will be back by tomorrow," Freya picked up the spoon and fed Sarah a piece of ripe mango. "Stop panicking and listen to what Mirage has to say." "Hmmm…" I narrowed my eyes at Freya as she continued to feed Sarah little bites as she typed away. Seriously, I had heard that the two of them were as close, or probably even closer than sisters, but did Sarah really have to be such good friends with 'her' of all people? She got on my nerves for no apparent reason. "Seriously!" Freya snatched away her phone, much to Sarah's horror, before fixing her a glare. "Pay attention! I'm confiscating the phone. I'll be back in ten minutes, after disc
Mirage's P.O.V Everything was going fine and dandy until dinner time, when Krimson deliberately sat next to me on the large formal table, even though there were several other tables available on every other side. From across the table, I saw Cameron and Freya exchange a secret look with each other before both of them turned towards Alex. I think I saw him shake his head discretely from the corner of my eyes, but I could've been mistaken. Seriously? What was wrong with everyone? Especially Alex and Krimson? Why were they suddenly caging me in, as if they were trying to see who I would favor first? Alex, I could understand. I was his mate and as Sarah had pointed out, mates can get extremely territorial when it came to their mated pair. And to top it off, the fact that I was Alex's mate, had been kept a secret from Krimson because the Alpha and the rest of the higher-ranking people in the pack wanted to figure out what Krimson's motives were. But what I didn
Mirage's P.O.V "Alpha Krimson?" I looked behind him down the corridors, but it was all empty. "What are you doing here at this time of the night?" "I wanted to speak to you alone, without interruptions." He tilted his head to the side. "May I come in?" I looked around a little uneasily. Finding him here after everything that had happened today was more than a little odd. But Alex was right next door, right? So he'd understand if something were to happen to me…right? I eyed Krimson's honed figure carefully. Even in a black t-shirt and jeans, he looked hella intimidating. But at the same time, I had this vague sense of…intrigue. I found him quiet fascinating…intriguing. It was nothing like how I felt for Alex. There was no flutter in my heart; there was no giddiness…nothing that made me feel like I wanted to jump his bones; and yet…I was unable to peel my eyes off of him. Whatever I felt for Krimson, it seemed to
Mirage's P.O.V Facing Alex felt increasingly difficult the next morning. There was a boulder the side of Mt. Everest on my heart and the guilt kept on eating me up from the inside out. Nothing happened between me and Krimson…absolutely nothing. In fact, I had pushed him away. I had blocked his advances and told him to leave…but that still didn't change the fact that I had let him inside my room, in the middle of the night. At breakfast the next morning, Alex sat across from me, but Krimson still insisted on sitting right beside me. And when I saw the others exchanging glances once again…I understood then that they all knew. About Krimson coming into my room last night. Since I hadn't told anyone and neither did Alex seem like the person who would gossip about others behind their backs…I had to assume that either Krimson had been the one to gossip…or someone had seen him coming out of my room. Getting up from my seat suddenly, I took my plate and move
Mirage's P.O.V "Why do I need to go to a greenhouse again?" I asked Freya as she walked beside me, a small basket in her hands that held a bunch of seedlings she planned on planting at the greenhouse. First of all, why did the pack even have a greenhouse? They could get anything they wanted from the market or just order in deliveries or something? But instead of all that, we were now standing in front of a humongous greenhouse, made almost completely of glass. It was at least twenty feet tall and I could already see several plants and trees inside. It was located towards the outskirts of the forest, right at the end of the pack territory, away from all the hustle and bustle of the pack. The environment here was peaceful, quiet. Freya went ahead and opened the glass doors to the greenhouse before stepping inside. My curiosity got the better of me and I found myself following behind her as I entered the greenhouse. Immediately, several kinds of beautiful
Alex's P.O.V A searing pain filled my chest as I dropped to the ground, just after Cameron dropped to the floor on his knees, clutching his head in his hands. A ferocious growl tore through his lips. Something wasn't right… Freya was hurt…and so was Mirage… "What's going on?" I heard Alpha Krimson ask past the white noise. "What's happening?" Working past the pain, I reached out towards Cameron, taking a hold of his shoulders to get him back to his senses. Cameron nodded his head and stood up on shaky feet. He then held out a hand for me and pulled me up to my feet. The effect of the initial shock began to subside and sensations began to return slowly. "You felt it too?" I asked Cameron, who nodded his head. "Freya and Mirage." He confirmed. "Something just happened to the both of them." Turning towards Alpha Krimson, Cameron gave him a tight smile. "We'll continue the conversat
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