~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~“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
~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
~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~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~“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
~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
~Azalea~August came running into the room at the sound of my voice. He froze at the spot as soon as he saw Zoe. His eyes reeled with confusion, traveling between Zoe and I. “What's going on here?” He asked, but before he could get closer, Zoe fell on her knees, screaming her lungs out.“Help me! She tried to kill me.” She cried. August was quick enough to grab her and stop her from falling completely. His eyes burned with rage as they met mine, his fists clenched beside him. I stared in awe, utterly surprised by what just happened. Zoe was such a drama queen. How could she have accused me of trying to kill her when in the right essence she was the one who had kicked me and tried to dismantle my legs?I stood there, perplexed and unable to say a word. It was of no use trying to explain myself anyway, because I was certain August would always take sides with her.And of course, he did! He squeezed his eyes shut, yelling aloud to announce his emotions.“What is going on here?” He ask
~Bruce~My eyes stayed glued to Gray's, and at this point, I was no longer holding onto Zoe. I had to embrace myself for whatever his theatrics were.I sat up, watching him with amusement. I bet he has forgotten quickly how I warned him earlier. Now isn't it clear enough to him that I had the ultimate power to get whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted it?I've been waiting for this opportunity all my life, after lying to almost everyone that Zoe and I were cousins. But right now, I can't hold back my feelings anymore. Zoe is clearly everything I have been searching for in a woman.Gray aimed at me, anger seeping through his veins. But before he could get any closer, I trapped his legs and hauled him to the ground, pinning him to the floor with one hand.“Can't you see you are in no way close to my league? Why do you keep trying when it's obvious you can't get anywhere close to me?” I quizzed, trapping his neck with my leg.He twisted and turned, desperate to free himself from my gri
~Gray~As I remembered Zoe's words, I knew I had no choice but to say what I had in mind. Who knows, Bruce might just be of help in the best way possible. And clearly, I needed his help more than I ever have.“I’m out on my way to have her and every single thing that belongs to me which August has taken from me. I can't afford to sit back and watch him have it all.” He sucked in a deep breath, his gaze menacing and at the same time, oddly calm. His brows furrowed as his dark eyes bored into mine.“Is that so?” He quizzed, his voice barely a whisper. He took a step forward, his bold frame towering over me. “Do you realize Azalea also belongs to me? What do you intend to give to have her?”I froze on the spot, his words echoing in my head. “I… I thought—” I choked out when I heard his cocky voice.“Thought what? That I would leave her for you on a platter?” He quizzed, his voice dripping with amusement. He shook his head and cupped my jaw, tilting my head up to face him. “Listen to me
~Gray~Left to me, I would never have thought of taking this route, but they left me no other choice.Azalea and August would surely not succumb to whatever I say unless I took it the hard way. Well, maybe they would come to their senses this time and realize that I will always have an edge over them.Now I have the support of the grand alpha, and not just that, I also have them both at my fingertips, making it easy for me to crush them at will.As soon as I was out of the prison room, I went out to feast with Zoe. How could I possibly forget her? She has been a crucial part of this journey right from time, and it's only right that I take her along in every aspect.Thankfully, I met her right before the king's throne room. From the look on her face, I could tell that she had also been searching for me.“How's she coping? I hope she won't be a threat to us later on?” She asked, a bit of skepticism etched across her face.I offered her a warm smile, hugging her to myself. “Of course not
~Azalea~Amidst the heated argument between August and Gray, strong hands grabbed me from behind, pulling me forcefully out of the scene. A rough palm covered my mouth before I could scream. My heart pounded as I kicked and struggled, but the person holding me was too strong. I was hauled into a waiting vehicle, and before I could dare to raise an alarm, the vehicle zoomed off, its tyres screeching on the tarred floor.After so many minutes of moving, the car finally came to a halt, stopping in front of a strange building.The doors opened and I was pulled out, kicked towards the open gates of the building.Everything about the building spelt danger—confusion.The men held my hands firmly, their grip so tight that I could barely feel my fingers. Then they led me into a room—an empty room.As we stepped into the room, I was completely caught off guard as I beheld the person standing before me.Gray?What the hell is he doing here? Studying his face, I instantly sensed something was o
~August~It's sickening to realize that Gray had taken virtually everyone from me, including the maids and the guards. And the part which broke me was the fact that he didn't stop there; he went ahead to capture Azalea, leaving me with practically nothing and no one.My beta was literally the only one I had left, and even at that, it felt like the whole world was against me. It felt like I was all alone, forced to face all these troubles on my own.When I was back to my palace, Henry, the butler came running towards me. Apparently, he had been hiding behind the palace all this while.His breath came out in ragged gasps, his eyes flashing with anguish. “Alpha, it's a good thing you're back. Alpha Gray just left quite some hours ago and I overheard him discussing with some elders that your company must be blacklisted. He has succeeded in turning everyone's heart against you by lying to them that you tried to kill him for exposing your mate before everyone. And now, the elders had come i
~August~Before I could ask her anything, she zoomed off without notice. Just then, the palace maid returned. Her eyes flashed with excitement as she took in my frame.“Woah! How is this even possible?” She asked, her voice evident with confusion. I couldn't fathom what she was talking about until she pressed her nails into my skin–the places where I was injured.I sucked in a deep breath, surprised that I wasn't feeling any pain as usual. “What just happened? How am I not feeling any pain anymore?” I asked, turning to the maid who looked just as confused as I was.In a fleeting moment, she grabbed my wrist without thinking twice. “We need to leave here right away. I just passed by the palace and I saw some elders gathered around. I have a feeling Alpha Gray is about to say something mischievous to them.”My breath caught in my throat. Then, suddenly, my body moved on its own. I dashed out of the hut, racing fiercely towards the palace.I had barely covered a little distance when I ca
~August~Azalea was yet to return after a long hour of being away from the ward. Each minute, my eyes were traveling to the door side for any sign of her, but she wasn't forthcoming. I finally gave up waiting. Maybe the Alpha King has succeeded in brainwashing her and giving her enough reasons to abandon me right there on the hospital bed.It wasn't her fault anyways. If I hadn't betrayed her for a worthless and vile woman, this would never have happened in the first place.My heart was filled with regret, and all I could think of was a way to win her over for a second time. If I eventually do, I swear I won't let her off this time.The door burst open all of a sudden, and at once, I turned my gaze in that direction, eager to see Azalea walk in through the door. But I was greatly disappointed when the doctor stepped in instead.He marched straight to my bedside, having some nurses behind him who had some files in their hands.He wore a sad look, making me fear I was going to be dead
~Azalea~As soon as I stepped into the doctor's office, I was stunned to meet Bruce instead. He blocked my path, his countenance a clear evidence of how furious he was. But why the hell was he upset? Did he really expect me to leave August right there to die? I know August had wronged me so many times in the past, but that was still not enough reason to let him off just like that. He clearly needed my help—our help.Before I knew what was happening, Bruce grabbed my hands, lifting me effortlessly towards the doctor's table. He forced me to sit, and when I did, he clenched my face, his eyes burning with rage. I was so terrified because I have never witnessed this side of him before.“You still love him, don't you?” He asked, his gaze suddenly melting, like he was broken. My jaw dropped. “What?” How could he even think of such a thing about me? “What's the meaning of this? Don't tell me you're jealous because of a simple gesture I rendered to a helpless person.”“Your ex lover you mea
~August~“Okay? How about them?” Bruce asked, stealing glances at Azalea. There was something about Azalea's countenance that suggested that she wasn't really surprised anyways. Of course, she wouldn't be. I could remember vividly she had warned me about them, but all I did was take her words as a joke. So I never even expected her to display any form of surprise.I could see the sudden interest spewing from Bruce's gaze, and that gave me an edge to be confident and say what I had to say.“Zoe is not who you think she is.” I began. Bruce crossed his arms, his brows creased with enthusiasm as he adjusted his stance. “Okay, this is what happened. Remember when you locked me up in your dungeon for days. By the time I was released and returned back to my palace, I realized that everything had been turned upside down.”“How?” Bruce and Azalea chorused at the same time, cutting in abruptly.Their enthusiasm was palpable, and I couldn't stop thanking them in my heart for paying attention to