KYLIAN'S POVMy wolf's senses were all at high alert as I tried to trace Lorraine’s scent. I noticed that at Neil's place, there was no scent of any human. The only scent I could pick up were that of dust and sand. He must have deserted his home for a while now, I thought. Where could he have gone to? He was usually with Lorraine or doing his job in town, according to Lorraine. I thought of going into town, perhaps I'd find him there and he'd hopefully have an idea where Lorraine was but I couldn't go to town after I'd just broke out of prison. Not if I wanted to make sure Lorraine was fine.Finally, I decided to let my heart lead me. I turned in the direction wherever the pull was the strongest. After a few minutes of turning the way I thought was the best route, I suddenly caught Lorraine's scent. It was as strong as ever. It pulled at my heart strings and I just knew I had found her. I followed her scent. The closer I got, the more certain I was that something was terribly wron
KYLIAN'S POVWe all watched as the police cars drove away into the night, taking Neil's shouts with them. The place grew silent as the car went out of sight. Suddenly, I felt tiny arms wrap around my legs.“Dad! We missed you."I looked down at the kids with a smile on my face.. My heart warmed at the sight of them. I hugged them tightly, ruffling their hairs “I missed you too, buddies," I told them and hoisted them up in my arms.I was glad when they started to narrate all that they'd been up to since I was taken. I had half expected that they might be shaken up by what just happened. They also said that Neil treated them well so they were surprised when he started to hit mom. After a while, they fell asleep in my arms. Lorraine finally walked to me with a nervous expression. “Thank you," she muttered as she took Alex from me.She made to take Aiden too but I shook my head, “Let me deal with this one."My gaze lowered to her bruised chin. It was starting to heal but it was still
LORRAINE'S POVAfter a long while of staring into space even after the car was long gone out of sight, I finally turned around slowly and dragged myself back to the house.Inside, Kylian stood there waiting for me. He now had a shirt and pants on. “Is everything cool with you guys?” He asked in a worried tone. .“Yeah," I muttered back absentmindedly as I made my way to my room.“What would you like to have for dinner?" He called out to me before I opened the door to my room.I turned to face him and saw the concern and worry on his face. I didn't want him to feel as if he caused Rose's hostility to me so I flashed him a smile. “Anything. As long as the boys love it."Usually, I would insist to cook but tonight, I just wanted to curl around myself and sleep.***It'd been some days since the incident with Rose. I had tried to reach her but all my efforts had been in vain. She wasn't returning any of my calls. It'd also been days of hiding my sadness from Kylian and the boys as I kne
MOLLYKane didn't bother to use his words anymore. The second I heard the cock of the rifle, I stopped hesitating and fully stepped out.My head was blank as I gently closed the cupboard behind me. I looked ahead at Kane, my heart in my throat. He had his rifle pointed at me and there was something in his eyes that broke my heart. Hurt. Betrayal. My eyes watered at the sight of him.I wanted to say something, anything but I feared that I would say the wrong thing. What could I even say at a moment like this? We stayed like that for a while. Kane looked at me as though he was seeing me for the first time and he couldn't understand what he was seeing. I wracked my brain for what to say and how to say it. How do I spare myself from his wrath? What do I do to get rid of the hurt and betrayal that was naked in his eyes? The only way was to blackmail him. I decided. I will blackmail him emotionally and spare myself.“Yaz made me do this,” I blurted. It wasn't like I was selling Yaz out
YAZ'S POV As I stepped out of the car, my heart leaped with a triumph I’ve long awaited. I closed my eyes, taking in the moment. Soon, this world—this kingdom—would bend to my will. I could already taste the fear I’ll instill, the respect I’d demand. The reign I’d dreamt of was just within reach.A low chuckle escaped me, and I caught some of the guards throwing puzzled glances my way. Let them wonder. Soon enough, they'd understand. My reign wast some distant dream. It wasn't just within reach—it was a few strokes of ink on a piece of paper away.I spotted the head of my bodyguards approaching with the black leather bag, the one containing the file Molly got for me. My smile widened. I could almost feel the crown on my head. Just a signature, and it would all be mine.“I'll accompany you,” he says, stopping before me, and bowing slightly.I wave him off. “No need,” I told him with a grin. “Today, I want to do this on my own.” I yook the bag from him. I turned and headed for the pa
COLE'S POVI had barely sunk into the couch in my chambers when I heard a knock at the door.I closed my eyes, exhaling heavily. Can’t I get a moment of peace? Of solitude?The knock came again, sharper this time. Urgent.“What do you want?" I snapped, my patience hanging by a thread. I silently hoped it wasn’t Yaz. He’d walked past me earlier, saying nonsense like the fool he was, likely still drunk from his nights out.“It’s me," a voice replied.For a moment, I frowned, rubbing my temples. The voice was familiar, but with all the Alpha duties mother had been drilling into my head, I couldn’t place it immediately.“Alpha? May I come in?”Then it clicked. I bolted upright and walked to the door, pulling it open to reveal my most trusted spy. He was drenched in sweat, his breath labored as if he’d just escaped death itself.I gestured for him to enter, glancing down the hallway to ensure we were alone. "What's happened now?" I asked "Who’s trying to kill who this time?"“It’s Yaz,”
COLE'S POVHours had passed since my confrontation with Yaz. After leaving his chambers, I’d gone to the only place that usually brought me peace, if only for a moment. But even my canvas, with its half-finished painting and the silent muse posing nude before me, did nothing to calm my nerves. My hand trembled as I attempted to paint, the brush slipping and ruining the curve of her figure.Frustration flared inside me. For the first time, not even the strokes of my brush could ease the uneasy feeling inside me. The documents, the mounting danger, Yaz's threats - it was all too much. I tossed the brush aside and stormed out, knowing that painting wouldn't solve this problem. Not today.I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off the chaos that Yaz had unleashed. Perhaps burying myself in the pack's endless reports would clear my head. But as I walked back to my chambers, the sight of smoke rising in the distance made my heart race. I quickened my pace. “What’s happening?” I
COLE'S POVI had made my decision. There was no going back now.I walked through the palace gates. I knew Yaz would be there, waiting, savoring every moment of his so-called victory. He always relished the chance to gloat, to twist the knife even deeper.And there he was, standing in the middle of the throne room like he owned it already, feet spread apart and with a gun in his hand. His smile was as vile as ever.“Ah, the Alpha graces us with his presence,” Yaz sneered, rubbing his thumb along the metal of the gun. “Here to hand over your title, or here to die trying to keep it?”“Cole, no!” A voice cut through the tension.I turned sharply, my heart freezing in my chest. My mother knelt to the side, her hands bound behind her back. Bruises covered her swollen face, and the whip marks across her arms and legs turned my stomach. Her torn dress and disheveled hair, streaked with dirt and leaves, told the story of how they’d dragged her here, how they’d broken her. Pain gripped my ches