LORRAINE'S POVLater that week, I managed to get a job as a receptionist at a small office downtown. The pay wasn’t great, and the hours were long, but it was better than nothing. My first paycheck went straight to getting new clothes for the boys. Seeing their smiles when they put on their new outfits made all the exhaustion worth it. Something strange was going on in the mansion next door. I kept hearing strange noises coming from there, like someone crying and calling out for help. I ignored it most of the time but lately, it was becoming more disturbing. Every evening, as I prepared dinner, I heard it—it sounded like something, or someone, being beaten. I felt goosebumps down my arms every time the noises started, but I tried to push it out of my mind, focusing on the things I had to do. One evening, as I was stirring a pot of stew, the sounds became louder. "Mom, what's that?" Alex asked me. He seemed bothered by the noise. Even Aiden looked worried. It meant I wasn't bein
LORRAINE'S POVI paced my living room. My heart pounded in my chest as I thought of everything that happened. The thought of Kelly going through something like that didn't sit right with me. I remembered Kelly’s haunted eyes and the bruises on her face. I couldn't ignore this. I had to do something. Rose entered the house. She came by to check on us. "Lorraine, what's going on? You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin." she said. I stopped pacing and turned to her, taking a deep breath."Rose, I need to talk to you about something serious."She frowned "What is it? Is everything alright?"I shook my head "No, it’s about Kelly. Remember when I told you that I had been hearing noises? I saw it for myself one night. She’s... she’s being abused by her husband."Rose’s eyes widened in shock. "Kelly? Oh my God, Lorraine. That’s horrible.""I know," I said "And it’s not just occasional. It’s been going on for a while" "Well, I think I've heard of the rumours. People have been
LORRAINE'S POVI ran down the street as fast as I could. My breaths came in ragged gasps as I ran. My heart pounded so loudly in my chest that it drowned out everything else—the sound of Mr. Stevens' heavy footsteps behind me, the blood roaring in my ears and the distant sounds of the crickets.. All I could focus on was running and putting as much distance between us as possible.Mr Stevens was fast. He got downstairs and ran after me as fast as possible. I guess that's what happens when you have something to hide. You have no other choice but to be quick. “Get back here!” Mr. Stevens screamed. His voice was closer than I wanted it to be. He was catching up to me. I couldn't let that happen. If he caught up to me, I'd be dead. I pushed myself harder to run faster. My legs burned from the effort. I could feel him getting closer to me. As I reached the edge of the yard, I made a split-second decision. I had an idea on how to lose him. Instead of going straight, I veered to the left,
LORRAINE'S POVI looked at them in shock. Why wouldn't they let me in? Sure, I know it's late and all but they should understand that this is an emergency. "Please, I need to speak to the head of the pack," I pleaded, holding up my phone. "I have evidence of violence. A woman is in danger. This is an emergency"One of the guards snorted "You and every other nutcase. Move along, lady.""No, you don't understand," I insisted "I have proof. Just let me show you."I held out my phone and played the video. But before I could press play, one of the guards lunged forward with his hand outstretched to snatch it from me."Hey! Get back!" I shouted, pulling my phone away just in time. "What are you doing?""You're not showing anyone anything," the guard growled. "Mr. Stevens doesn't like nosy people."The mention of Mr. Stevens' name made my blood run cold. I knew he had his hands in many dirty dealings, but I hadn't realized his reach extended to the town head's security. He really did have c
LORRAINE'S POVAs I walked home, I replayed the events that happened that night over and over again in my mind. It all felt so surreal. I could still feel the adrenaline pumping in my veins. I still couldn't believe it. I had done it. I had stood up to Mr. Stevens. I never knew I had it in me. I was proud of myself for helping a woman in need. The memory of his shocked face as he was dragged away by the guards filled me with so much satisfaction. I was glad that Kelly could live a life without fear now. She deserved it. Everyone did. When I reached my house, I noticed the lights in the living room were turned on. That's odd. I turned them off before I went outside. When I entered, I found Rose pacing up and down the living room. She sighed in relief when she saw me. "Lorraine!" she exclaimed, rushing over to hug me. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! I was so worried about you."I hugged her back tightly "I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean to scare you."She pulled back to look at me
NEIL'S POVMy friends and I travelled back to the village. It had been days since we left for the neighboring pack to get supplies for the village. I leaned back against the seat and stared outside the window, lost in thought. My fingers brushed against my wallet in my back pocket. I pulled it out, flipping it open to reveal a small photo of Lorraine.In this picture, she was smiling widely. I couldn't help but smile back as I looked at it. She was so beautiful. Her smile could light up a whole room, even without her trying. My heart ached as I traced the edges of the picture with my thumb. Every day, I thought of her. Everyday, I wondered where it had all gone wrong.I knew I'd messed up with Gina, but I'd been drunk. It was a moment of weakness for me. I should have pushed Gina away harder. If I had, Lorraine and I would still be together. Lorraine was the love of my life, and things had been going so well between us before that night. I missed her more than I could explain. I prom
NEIL'S POVAs we drove towards the village hospital, the wounded man groaned softly, resting his head against the window. His breathing was shallow. I kept glancing at him, making sure he was okay. The drive seemed to take forever. "We're almost there," I murmured, more to myself than to him.When we finally arrived, I practically jumped out of the car. I ran around to open his door. My friends and I gently carried him out. A nurse spotted us and rushed over. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood on him. "Help! We need help here!" she called out. Within moments, a team of doctors and nurses surrounded us. They took the man away on a stretcher.I followed them inside to make sure there were no issues. One of the doctors walked towards me. "What happened?" he asked."We found him in the woods," I replied "He was attacked by bandits. He was barely conscious when we found him."The doctor nodded. "We'll do everything we can. It's surprising he's still alive with these injuries."
NEIL'S POVI stood in the waiting room of the hospital. The doctors told me that the stranger was getting better day by day and that, I was grateful for. I couldn't wait for him to wake up and be stable. I had so many questions. I needed to know who he was, where he was from and where he was going. The answers to these questions would make it easier for me to help him. I had to make sure he was safe. I leaned my head back on my chair. My thoughts were filled with Lorraine. I couldn't visit her just yet. I had to make sure the stranger was settled before I go to see her. I heard she moved out of the village. I hoped Alex and Aiden told her that they had seen me. It had been too long since I last saw her, and every moment apart felt like an eternity. I missed her so much. I turned my gaze towards the hospital door. The stranger was still unconscious, but the doctors were positive about his recovery.Everyday, I brought supplies needed for the stranger. One day, I carried a tray of m
MOLLY'S POV. I had a perfect plan. Every step I took was meant to secure my position of power. But there was one crack I hadn't anticipated—Kylian hated me. He didn’t just dislike me; he despised me in a way that seeped into every glance, every word. He treated me worse than the maids, worse than the guards, like I was less than nothing.And now, the staff was starting to notice. They no longer gave me the respect due to a Luna. The way they looked at me—it was unsettling. No. This couldn’t go on. I needed to make Kylian like me, at the very least respect me as his Luna.Killing Lorraine had crossed my mind more times than I cared to admit. But the truth was, the second she dropped dead, suspicion would fall squarely on me. Kylian wouldn’t even need proof. He’d throw me in the dungeons without a second thought, and what good would all my plotting and power be if I was rotting away in a cell?So, I searched for another way. Something quieter. I asked around, made some discreet inquiri
KYLIAN'S POV The pack was finally restored to its natural state. It hadn’t been easy—trust was fragile, but over time, the pack members began to heal, learning to live once again in peace and harmony under my leadership. The shadows of Yaz’s reign gradually faded. I hadn’t expected Yaz to step down willingly. The day he discovered the truth, he climbed onto the stage, addressing everyone. His voice was heavy with regret as he apologized for the trauma he had caused. But his words were met with silence, and the pack didn’t believe him until he publicly denounced his desire to lead and declared he would step down.It wasn’t until the moment he stepped off the stage that I realized how deep their wounds ran. Stones, shoes, food—everything imaginable—was hurled at him. The shouts and curses came fast.“You beast! You killed my daughter!”“I have nightmares because of you!”The scene was chaotic, heart-wrenching. Yaz, once feared, now stood vulnerable, bearing the wrath of a broken pack.
YAZ'S POVIt was the day of the fight. The one Kylian, that bastard, had challenged me to.For the hundredth time, I cursed myself for not ending him when I had the chance. I could’ve killed him, and no one would’ve batted an eye.What about Cole? And his formidable soldiers?Cole’s weakness was simple—his mother. I could use that, easy.As for Kylian’s soldiers...I clenched my teeth at the memory of how stubborn they were. After we returned to my pack, I’d crammed them into three of the largest cells we had. They fit into three separate rooms, and I went to each one, offering them riches and power, attempting to sway them to my side. But they stood firm. “We only answer to Kylian,” they had said in unison.I hissed under my breath, adjusting my fighting gear. "Fools."The battlefield loomed ahead. The ground was cold beneath my feet. Kylian was already there, and the sight of him made my heart skip—he looked...stronger. How? I’d locked him in that cell, barely feeding him enough to
KYLIAN'S POV “I’ve got your back, man. Do as he says,” Cole whispered to me. I wanted to yell in his face, to scream at the injustice of it all, but I saw the truth in his words. There was no choice. Not with Yaz standing there with his cold eyes watching me like a predator about to strike. I’d heard stories of Yaz’s cruelty, his ruthlessness, but seeing it now—the hard lines on his face, the smug twist of his lips—was enough to make the hair on my neck stand up.This was once my Beta, someone who stood by my side for years. Now, I realized he wasn't who I thought he was. Yaz was my best friend, my best man, the person I trusted. He had my family in his hands. My pack. My people.My nails bit into my palms as I fought to control the rage boiling inside me. How had I let this happen? Right under my nose, that bastard had gotten his claws into everything and everyone that mattered to me. My men stood shackled, helpless. I couldn’t protect them. Not yet.I glanced at Rose. Her chest r
LORRAINE'S POV "No!" Aiden's screamed "I won’t leave you, Mommy!" He started climbing the ladder again, his small hands gripping each rung."Aiden, please," I whispered My pulse thundered in my ears. "Please, go."But Aiden wasn’t listening. His little body moved back toward me.The soldiers were closing in fast. Their boots pounded against the earth, rattling my bones. I saw Rose rush from the house in a futile attempt to stop them, but they struck her hard across the face and bound her wrists instantly. I wanted to scream, to run, to fight, but every plan I thought out didn't make sense. There was nothing I could do in this moment. Too much happened all at once. Even if I ran with Aiden, I knew they’d shoot. My boy—they would kill my boy.So I stayed. I stayed rooted to the spot, paralyzed as the soldiers finally reached us and pulled Aiden from the ladder, their rough hands gripping him too tight. Aiden cried. I struggled, my own hands clawing at their arms, trying to free him. B
KYLIAN'S POV “Are you sure we can trust this man? How do we know he’s not tied to Yaz somehow?” Cole’s voice was thick with WORRY. I sighed, keeping my eyes on the road. “For the last time, Cole, the guy’s not interested in politics or alliances. He just wants to do business. You tell him how many soldiers you need, he gives you a price, you pay, and that’s it. He’s a mercenary, not one of Yaz’s lackeys.”Cole grunted, “I just don’t want us walking into a trap. Yaz has become a monster—he controls everyone through fear. One wrong move, and these mercenaries could turn on us in the middle of a fight.”“I get it, I do. But trust me, brother. This guy is solid. He doesn’t care about Yaz or anyone else. All he wants is his gold.” I kept my voice steady, though I understood his hesitation. The stakes had never been higher, and one misstep could cost us everything.Silence settled between us as the car hummed along the road. Since Oscar's funeral, I’d been working every contact I had to f
WES' POVI thought the goddess was punishing me. That was the only explanation for what my life had become.After days of endless torment, I'd stopped trying to survive. The pain was relentless, pulling at me until I was nothing more than a shell. Cole had promised to take care of Lorraine, and I believed him. He always kept his word, even when he acted like he didn’t care. There was nothing left for me to fight for. I wasn’t living—I was simply enduring, and each day brought new horrors.When Cole left, my world spiraled into endless agony. They introduced me to tortures I hadn’t known existed, using my body as a test subject for their newest, most sadistic weapons. I prayed for death, begged the goddess to take me, but she never did. I could still hear the sharp crack of the whip, the searing hiss as fire scorched my skin. My body was nothing but pain, a ragged thing barely holding on.My voice had long since given out. My screams echoed in the dark until they became part of the sil
KYLIAN'S POVI pulled my eyes from Lorraine, though the connection lingered in the air between us, as Oscar’s voice filled the space."Rose and I," he began, his voice shaky but firm, "we’re both related to Kylian."The room fell silent as both Rose and Oscar's gazes landed on me. The weight of their attention was palpable. I blinked, my mind racing, trying to piece together the puzzle they were laying before me. How could this be? I didn’t know Rose, not at all. Oscar had worked for me since I was a kid, yet nothing in our relationship hinted at anything beyond employee and employer. I knew how close he was to my father. That was all. But I didn’t say any of this aloud. No one did. We all waited. The tension was thick as Oscar took a breath, pressing his bruised hands to his chest.“I am your grandfather,” he said, his voice breaking slightly, “and Rose here is your mother.”I should have laughed. If I hadn’t already regained my memory, I might have believed them. But I had. I knew
LORRAINE'S POV Rose had finally convinced me to let one of the nurses take Aiden to the children’s section. Though my heart ached to leave him, I knew he would be safe, surrounded by others his age. I watched him settle in. His cute face looked back at me with a smile before I turned away.Once we were sure Aiden was in good hands, I rushed after Rose, following her down the corridors to Oscar's ward. My heartbeat quickened with every step. I could feel an unshakable sense of dread building within me. When we burst into his room, the sight that greeted us left me frozen.Oscar lay battered, bruised, and broken. The bandage wrapped around his head, the casts on both legs, and the sheer number of cuts scattered across his body—he looked like a man barely holding on.“Oh Goddess,” I gasped, my hand flying to cover my mouth. The world tilted slightly as I absorbed the state he was in. Yet somehow, through all that pain, he managed a weak smile.“How did this happen?” My voice was barely