Freya's P.O.V "Fae…" Alpha Krimson's voice was almost an absentminded whisper, but I was sure everyone had heard him just fine. "Yes." I nodded, looking at each of them in turn. "Before I called Cameron for help…just before I was rendered unconscious, I saw Mirage use photokinesis. It's the power to use light however they please…and only two species have that power in the entire world…angels…and-" "Fae." Alpha Krimson finished that sentence once again, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "Are you certain?" "I think you're the second clue to Mirage's origin, Alpha Krimson." I told him, calling Sarah over to my side. "I've heard that you have been trying to pursue her to leave the pack with you. Why did you do that?" It was a direct accusation, something only an Alpha was allowed to make of another Alpha. But in this case, the exception was that I was a witch and Mirage had been confiding in
Mirage's P.O.V "Why?" I screamed, my voice scrubbed raw as I looked at the woman I was a splitting image of. "Why do I have to follow you around all this time? Why can't I just…stop! I'm fed up of all this, mom! I just want this to end!" Maya Alejandro, former beta to the Dark Water pack, a powerful wolf who had lost everything in the name of love, and the woman who was my mother…slapped me across the face. "You think I'm not?" She asked; her voice soft, yet firm. "You think I've been doing this for the last twenty one years just for fun? Moving from one place to another; making sure all our traces has been erased. Constantly changing jobs to try to keep putting food on the table. Your father and I are trying our best, Mira. The least you can do if be grateful for what we have!" "To what end, mom?" A broken sob escaped my lips. "We're all alone. We don't have family, we don't have friends. When my classmates
Mirage's P.O.V Opening my eyes to look directly into the face of Freya Wilder wasn't something I had expected. However, it brought me immense relief to find out that she was alright…for now. "Feeling better?" She asked as I sat up in bed, looking around the infirmary room groggily as I tried to remember how I ended up coming to the infirmary in the first place. "No." I told her truthfully. "I remember." "And what do you remember, Mirage?" Freya's voice was soft; almost like she was trying to handle me with care. Fucking hell! I'd rather she be bickering and shouting at me than showing me pity. "I remember who I am," I told her straight up, because there was no point in skirting around the subject anymore. "But you already know about it too, don't you?" "There had been some…interesting developments…while you were passed out." Freya nodded her head. "Do you know why Witche
Mirage's P.O.V Daisy opened the cell door to reveal the reddish brown wolf lying on the cold marble floor. "Be careful." She warned me while handing me the blanket she had been holding in her hand. I nodded at her, a small smile on my face that I had to force myself to stay in place. As soon as the doors closed behind me, I slid the spare key into my pocket and walked towards the unconscious wolf. It looked like he was sleeping, but from the blood on the floor, I could tell that he had been injured. I placed the blanket on his lower half, to protect his modesty when he turned back. And then I sat down on the floor beside him and took his head onto my lap. There were wounds on his neck. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I saw those fang marks. The marks were from getting into a fight with Krimson and Cameron has to pull him off of the other Alpha before Alex did major damage. Now that I finally understood what was happen
Mirage's P.O.V Our breaths mingled as his lips claimed mine…owned me in a way that left no room for doubt in my mind that I was made for this man alone. Alex reached out behind me and took off my bra, throwing it to the side and baring me to his eyes to feast on. His hands stayed on my waist; holding me firmly in place as he broke the kiss to make his way down my neck. The tingling of my skin followed the wet traces he left down the column of my neck, and stopped just at my collarbone. And that was when he raised his hands up to cup my bare breasts. I bit down on my bottom lip as heat rush to my womanhood, making my stomach clench. "I can scent your arousal, Mirage." Alex drew back, his voice hoarse and his eyes unfocused. "It makes me want to lick you up from head to toe." Damnit! If I bit down on my lips any harder, I'd pierce skin. I thought Alex would be too well reserved and sophisticated for dirty talk, but clearly all
Mirage's P.O.V Somchai and Krimson packed up and were ready to leave the next morning, and honestly, I didn't feel the least bit sad or gloomy. In fact, I felt relieved. The connection I felt with Krimson was long gone, along with that voice inside my head. Freya believed that it might have been a manifestation of my sire bond to him that had given birth to that voice. Or, the voice might have belonged to my Fae side, which had now been pushed back after Alex had marked me as his mate. Whatever the reason, I was glad that it wasn't messing with my head anymore. I stood next to Alex, my hand intertwined with his as Krimson's luggage was being loaded in the trunk of the car that was to drop him off at the airport. It was a shame, really. He could've made something valuable with the antidote. He could've been a symbol of hope for so many families whose loved ones had gone dark. But instead, he was now going to be a sign of tyranny. A man who was going t
Mirage's P.O.V The wind from the open car windows blew back my hair from my face, but even though I knew those tangles will be hell to untangle later on, it didn't stop me from enjoying the wind; from enjoying my tiny moment of freedom as Alex drove me to Lincoln County in his jeep, followed by Sarah, Darcia, Frey and Cameron, each couple following behind us in their own car. "I never thought I'd see the my old house again." I told Alex as he navigated swiftly through the highways, his attention completely on the road ahead. But something told me that there was a lot going on in his mind. He seemed almost distracted as he answered me with a 'hmmm…', instead of reassuring me, or providing me with comforting words like he usually did. "Alex?" I frowned. "Are you alright?" "Huh?" He seemed to snap out of his thoughts before looking at me. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He tried to give me a miserable excuse f
Mirage's P.O.V A wave of nostalgia hit me the second I set foot inside my old apartment. Almost like a movie playing out in front of me, I saw me and my sister fighting for the last slice of pizza on the couch in the living room…My mother's heartfelt laughter echoing through the room as she cooked us dinner on a Sunday afternoon…My father singing karaoke with us late at night, his voice enchanting and mesmerizing as he sang the lyrics to perfection… And just like that, those memories blew away like dust, leaving behind an old, worn down house that was decaying like it had been abandoned for centuries. The kitchen was right opposite to the entrance, followed by the dining room and then the living area to the side. There were no large windows where the wind chimes could be hung…no stairs that led to the attic…no separate rooms for me and my sister. There were just two large doors at the back of the living area whose doors had been ripped off of its hinges and from
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