~AZALEA~I could feel it in his gaze—the worry stretching through those eyes. He looked worn out, like he had just completed a marathon race.I waited patiently for his words, staring into his eyes like a lost lamb waiting to meet its owner. Then he cleared his throat, breaking the choking silence.“I'm sincerely getting worried about all the troubles looming over this pack.” He said, sighing deeply. His eyes wandered afar off, like he was lost in a trance.He remained still, gazing into thin air and saying nothing else. He held my hands for comfort, and at that instance, his gaze returned to me.I nodded, encouraging him to go ahead with what he had to say. “Azalea, I seriously do not want to bother you with the pack's troubles. It is more than you can control.”“And who says you are bothering me, August? This is where I belong right? Don't I deserve to know what happens around and outside here?” I asked.For a moment, I just stared at him, my heartbeat accelerating as I studied hi
~AZALEA~My heart raced with unanswered questions as I waited for August to step out and tell me this was all a prank.He had left the packhouse, but I never expected him to have returned with Zoe. I thought he said he never liked her. I paced about restlessly, my mind racing with endless thoughts and what-ifs.While I was still trying to figure out what to do next, the door screeched open and Zoe stepped out, striding majestically towards me like she owned the house.She let out a menacing smile, arms crossed. “I see the king's favorite is having a great time staying here all alone. I thought you were going to join us for some fun.” She said, her voice dripping with mockery.My jaw clenched and the anger in me boiled. I was trying so hard not to do something stupid to her.I looked on silently, masking my anger with a subtle frown. Zoe really had some guts to stand before me and say those words to me. But that was not the point right now. The fact still remains that August was in t
~AZALEA~“You are going nowhere, Azalea. Step back!” He yelled, his hand clutched firmly around my neck. I gasped for air, screaming endlessly for help but none came. He eventually left me, but not before he had made sure that the gates were locked and out of my reach.“Last I remember, you are still my mate. You are mine and nothing or no one can stop that!”“You already have Zoe, of what use am I to you?” I asked, tears already filling the brim of my eyelids. He grabbed my wrists firmly, and I struggled to get out of his grip, but all efforts seemed futile. “Let me go! I no longer want to be with you.”“In your wildest dreams, sweetheart.” His loud voice filled the air. Merely staring at him, I couldn't help but shudder in fear. Everything seemed to have changed about him. He was no longer the sweet Alpha I used to know and love back in the days.He looked more like a stranger to me right now—someone I couldn't even tell what his next move would be.His eyes narrowed and he furrowe
~AUGUST~I ran out of the manor as soon as I heard the guard's announcement. As I left, I couldn't help but wonder what the problem might be this time.Upon arriving at the gate, my eyes widened at the person standing before me. Gray was standing right in front of me, and the most surprising part of it all was that he didn't look like he had come to cause trouble.He was as calm as a storm, and I couldn't help but stare at him in awe. “Gray?” I muttered slowly, trying to be sure I wasn't actually dreaming. He nodded, a welcoming smile on his lips. He stretched his hand for a handshake and I immediately grabbed his hand, not thinking twice.“May I come in?” He asked, gesturing towards the entrance. “Of course! After you.” I said in excitement as I made the way for him to pass. I was quick to notice the shocked expression on Azalea's face the moment Gray walked into the manor. She fidgeted, hands trembling as she suddenly lowered her head.To my utter surprise, Gray ignored her com
~AZALEA~My eyes traveled from where Gray was, then to August, my heart racing with fear. How was I supposed to explain to them that he was one of my father's workers? They would surely rip me apart for being related to their killers.I gulped hard, noticing August's hands clenched into fists. I was aware of the fact that he now despised me badly, following Zoe's reappearance into his life.I lowered my head and took a second glance at the corpse, terror washing over me. Realizing the kind of trouble I would put myself into if I attested to the fact that I knew who this man was, I came to the conclusion that I would deny him.That seemed to be the only way out of this looming trouble. There was no way they would find out if I lied to them, right?“I don't know who this is.” I said, masking my initial fear with boldness.August exchanged puzzled glances with Gray, their faces shone with disbelief.Doubt was written all over August's face, but he chose not to go further with the questio
~AZALEA~He turned to face me, a mischievous smile creeping on his lips. “From the picture which I have just shown you all, it's obvious Azalea here is related to the man in the picture. And since the man in question is a human hunter, I suspect she is working with him underground, and is obviously planning to get us all captured.”The hall erupted into a loud noise as everyone turned their gazes on me, their mouths wide agape.It felt like the whole world was crumbling on me as their stares lingered around me.I slowly turned to face August, and I was met with the coldest reaction I have ever received.His face stiffened, his jaw clenched in anger as his eyes remained glued to me. “Azalea, is this true? Tell me this is all a joke.” He yelled, anger seeping through his voice.I was both ashamed and frightened by his words. I lowered my head in fear, unable to clear my name off these accusations, because they were actually true.But how was I ever going to say that to them? How was I g
~AUGUST~This was the highest humiliation I had ever received in my lifetime, and I swear never to let it slide this time.Zoe was right about Azalea after all, but I was so blinded, thinking she was only speaking from a side of hatred and anger. As soon as the guards had locked Azalea in the dungeon, I dismissed the rest of the pack members, rescheduling the meeting for another date when I must have made my decision on what to do next concerning her.But something surprising happened after she had been locked up—Gray, who used to be solely against me, was now weirdly close to me and always visited my packhouse more frequently than I can count.It got so strange to the point that he became a vital part of us in no time. Everyone in the pack respected him and sang his praises for saving the pack from such a huge damage despite our differences.Things took a great turn following Azalea's detainment in the dungeon. It was as though she had been a barrier hindering the pack's progress al
~GRAY~That was a close catch, I guess. My legs trembled as August questioned me repeatedly. I felt hot within me and I prayed silently that he doesn't find out about anything that happened between Zoe and I.Well, it was as though the moon goddess listened to my prayer instantly. The fact that he didn't bother anymore with the questions was what baffled me most.He instantly gave up asking further the moment I made him understand that Zoe was no longer in the packhouse.I couldn't imagine what would have become of me if he had found out that Zoe and I had a hand in everything that was happening to Azalea at the moment.I heaved a deep sigh of relief as I saw him off to the gate, and as soon as he had left, I dashed into the manor to fetch Zoe.“You have to leave right away because he is just on his way to the packhouse, and he would be worried about you if he gets there and doesn't find you.” I explained as soon as I saw Zoe come out of her hiding place.Her eyes rolled in panic as t
~Azalea~August's eyes remained glued to mine, and at that point, though I was still upset with him for the way he had treated me, I was determined to tell him everything that had transpired behind his back between Zoe and Gray.I lowered my head slightly, anxiety clawing at my chest all of a sudden.“It’s about Zoe and Gray.” I started, not sure if I had said the right thing. I could feel my legs trembling from the weight of his stares. “What about them?” His voice, deep and coarse, resounded in my ear, creating a lasting effect of panic on me.I was suddenly growing cold feet towards telling him about it. What if he doesn't believe me? What if Zoe steps out from nowhere and twists the story to her favor?It's no longer news that August had changed drastically since that woman came into his life. He had turned into a nuisance entirely and no one could tell when he would get out of her spell.After a long thought, I finally mustered the courage to say something—anything. The least he
~August~“What just happened in there?” She asked, her voice calm yet demanding.I shot her a puzzled look, wondering if it was really me she was speaking to. “What do you mean? I just saw your father in bed with my mate, yet you stand here and ask me what happened? Are you serious right now?”“Your mate?” She asked, feeling no ounce of shame in what her father had done. “Do I need to remind you that she is no longer your mate? I am your mate, not her!”“Is that what you think?” I asked boldly, closing in the gap between us. For the first time since her arrival in my life, I felt fulfilled telling her my mind.Her eyes narrowed, anger brewing in her eyes. There was no doubt that those words had hurt her deeply.She turned on her heels and walked away, not sparing me a second glance.I headed back at once to the king's chamber, but this time, Azalea was not there.I walked up to the king, and as I got closer to where he was, I couldn't shake off the anger I felt towards him.He had ju
~August~Zoe withdrew her gaze, obviously shying away from me.I was trying so hard not to believe that she had said anything about Azalea's whereabouts to Gray, but it was clear enough that she really had.My fists clenched in my sides, my gaze fixed on her. Then I turned to Gray who was still fuming with anger. “Gray, I–”“Save it!” He cut in, shooting a terrifying glare at me. “Save yourself the stress. Why did you have to lie to me when you knew fully well that the person in question was no longer in the pack? Why?!” “Listen, I was about to. But—” “But you didn't deem it fit to tell me? No, go ahead and say it. Just tell me I wasn't supposed to know about it.” His voice laced with venom as he raged out and went on his feet.He turned towards the exit, his heels clicking on the marble ground as he walked away.I walked up to Zoe at once. She had a lot of explaining to do concerning what just happened.“Why did you do that?” I asked, gradually losing my patience. “Talk to me, Zoe
~August~“Okay, what now?” I asked, keeping my eyes glued to the paper like my whole life depended on it. I couldn't help but wonder where he was trying to go with all these.Gray sighed and locked his eyes in mine. “I was just thinking we could come up with something. You know, maybe we should restrategize and make out a way to capture the real culprit—the man behind that face in the picture which Azalea was found in. What do you think?”“Oh. Of course, that's a good idea. But I'm still skeptical about how we're going to achieve this considering the fact that they are also on the lookout for us. I mean, we are literally a prey before them.” Gray nodded, hand slightly inclined below his chin. He remained silent for a while before raising his head to speak.“Well, in that case, I would only advise that we carry it out in the smartest way possible.” He said, staring at me for affirmation. “We need to be extra careful this time, and we need the guards also to be on the lookout. We can't
~August~I felt so fulfilled as I returned to the packhouse with Zoe by my side. For us, it was a mission accomplished. We had finally gotten rid of Azalea and that was obviously the best decision I had ever made in a long time.When we arrived, Gray walked up to us. At first, I was worried, seeing him in the packhouse at such an hour. I never expected him to be here, let alone sitting patiently and awaiting our arrival. But I maintain my composure, approaching him with a smile.“August, where are you coming from?” He asked, looking around restlessly like he had lost something. His gaze came resting on me all of a sudden, and he paused, grabbing my clothes. “Where is Azalea?”My eyes narrowed, reeling in suspense from what I just heard. I raised a brow at him, expecting that he would rephrase his statement, but he never did. His eyes were like a burning fire, fierce and filled with intense anger. “Where the hell is she?!” He asked once again, pushing me slightly.I staggered and man
~AZALEA~“Aug…August?” I managed to choke out, my voice trembled, feeling the entire world crash around me. Time seemed to stretch endlessly and I thought he was bluffing until I saw some men marching towards me boldly.They grabbed my hands and pinned my knees down to the floor, forcing my head up.My eyes locked into August's once again, but this time, it looked like nothing but betrayal. I could feel the remaining pieces of my heart being shattered as I met his gaze.I waited earnestly to see if he would go back on his words and tell these hungry-looking fellows that he never actually meant what he had said earlier.But none of that happened. Instead, he nodded in approval, and it was as if that was the only thing the men were waiting for as they lifted me to my feet and dragged me out of the meeting arena.“Where are you taking me?” I asked in tears, not minding what the repercussion of my question would be. At this point, they had done their worst, and there was absolutely nothin
~AZALEA~As we marched on to the entrance, it became clear enough that the person walking towards us was no other person but Zoe!My eyes widened as they traveled to August. I was expecting him to give an explanation for this. Why was Zoe in the supposed place of relaxation he had brought me to? Why does she have to show up now?I was terribly shocked to my marrow as August extended his hand and shook her, offering her a smile. He seemed to have forgotten so soon that he was actually here with me. He was so absentminded that he got lost in a discussion with Zoe, and soon, they were heading towards the entrance door, leaving me behind with the guards.My jaw clenched, a mix of anger and fear engulfing me as I watched them leave. I suddenly felt a bit relieved when August turned around, locking his eyes with mine.He gestured to the guards, pointing an index finger at me. “Bring her with you. She is the sole reason why we are here.” He said and returned his hand to rest on Zoe's shoulde
~AZALEA~Of what use was it speaking up anyway, when no one would be willing to listen to what I had to say? Not even August would take me seriously if I told him that Zoe's intentions towards him were not genuine.How else am I supposed to go about this if not keeping my lips sealed—at least for now? As much as I wished to save August from the trouble he was about to get himself into, I couldn't just lay down my life in exchange for his safety.The following morning after the encounter with Zoe, I woke up only to find myself lying next to August.It was hard to believe it at first but after taking a close glance at the person lying beside me, my suspicions were confirmed. It was indeed August.His hand was crossed over my shoulder, pinning me in a possessive manner.I rolled my eyes in disbelief and quietly rolled his hand away, but that was before his eyes went open.I scampered in fear, rolling myself quickly away from him. His eyes trailed mine cautiously, his hands scribbling the
~AZALEA~I gritted my teeth in pain as the guards howled me back into the same place I had tried to escape from. This was not just any kind of pain. It was an indescribable pain of agony and regrets—a pain of not being able to get out of my bondage and probably meet my father once again, a pain of being drawn back to my worst nightmare when I thought I was finally out.At this point, I gave up trying to leave the dungeon ever again, as it was clearly obvious that I was never going to get a chance ever again.August didn't look like he was going to let me out of his sight once again. He was so determined to make me pay dearly for attempting to leave at the first instance.I still wondered how he had changed so quickly, just within a few days of Zoe's arrival. If only he knew her real motive of being with him. If only he had an idea that she was in a relationship with his brother and not him, and that they were only using him as a tool to achieve what they wanted.How could he be so bli