[Nol’s POV]"Now remember," I announce, looking at the group that surrounds me. "When we arrive, keep to yourself and don’t make eye contact with anyone."After an eventful morning, everyone was fully packed and ready to leave for our safe haven in the underworld, but there were a few ground rules that needed to be put in place."If you do, I won’t be held liable for what happens," I continue. "You’ll have to deal with the issue yourself.""Yeah, yeah," Alexandria huffs, rolling her eyes. "Do you really think we’re worried? We’re more than capable of taking care of ourselves.""Cockiness will get you killed," I point out.It would also get her taken advantage of, which was proven after her little outburst this morning thanks to Blaine’s shenanigans. If he thought I had forgiven him for making such a fucking slight, he was wrong."Then I die," she shrugs. "Do you think I really care?"Frowning, I eye her as her expression turns from annoyed to amused."What?" She giggles. "Did you real
[Zane’s POV]I eyed Nol, trying to decide if he was being serious or not. He wanted me to go with him to meet this person who knew about lycans. Was this some ploy to kill me without anyone knowing, or was he being serious?"Or don’t come," he shrugs when I take a moment too long. "I just thought you’d like to know more about your Lycan side as well.""I…" I began, still not fully sure of what was going on. "Do.""Then come on.""Are you sure they’ll all be fine together?"As I speak, I let my eyes scan Alexandria and Eliana, who still stand in place, not bothering to look at one another. Luckily, Blaine had already roamed upstairs to claim his space, but I wasn’t sure if the two women would be okay alone."This is the reason you’re hurting her," Nol huffs, narrowing his gaze on me. "You’re too fucking concerned with everyone around you.""Pardon?" I hiss. "What the hell do you...""Doesn’t matter," he shrugs. "I’m leaving; you decide what you want to do."Finished speaking, he turns
[Zane’s POV]"Twins?" I repeat, unable to believe what I’m hearing. "Did you just say that we’re twins?"Frowning, I turn my gaze to Nol and take him in. It was true that we both had similar features if you looked closely, but aside from that, we looked too unalike."That’s correct," Windel confirms. "But isn’t it strange that neither of you were aware? Nol here has no memories of his past, and you didn’t even realize that you had a different mother and brother. Doesn’t it seem odd?"It did; I couldn’t deny that. Did this mean that someone intentionally separated us at birth to make sure that we didn’t know about each other’s existence? And if that was the case, why?"I think I may understand," Nol announces, drawing me out of my head. "And if my thought was correct, then in a way, I can’t blame him for doing it.""Him? Who are you referring to?" I ask."Jeckel," Nol responds. "Or rather, our father. In a way, he was using us both separately to achieve his goals. He was using you to b
[Eliana’s POV]I stand in the shower, letting scolding hot water run down my body while I try to clear my head. Since the previous night, all I could see was Nol’s pain-filled expression every time I closed my eyes. I needed to stop. I needed to get it together. I rejected him, and I needed to stick with that decision, but something in me screamed no.Letting out a sigh, I turn off the water and step out, realizing that until I actually got out from under his thumb, I was going to continue to be tortured by the sight of him.For now, I just needed to focus on staying safe and healthy for the little life that was growing in me. I didn’t need to focus on mates or love because, in the end, that was never meant for me.I quickly wrap a towel around my body and then make my way out of the bathroom to find Alexandria lounging on my bed."Why are you here?" I ask, going on guard. "You have your own room.""I’m bored," she shrugs, sitting up and throwing one long leg over the other so the t-s
[Alexandria’s POV]I stroll out of Eliana’s room just in time to hear the sound of the door opening. Moving forward, I look down to find Zane and Nol walking in. Both men have looks of agitation on their faces, and I can’t help but wonder what happened between them.It most certainly had something to do with Eliana. Probably both men claiming their love and waging war with one another. It made me sick to even think about it."Welcome back," I call, shaking off my disgust and making my way downstairs. "Hopefully your mission was a success.""Something like that," Zane responds as Nol continues to move, ignoring me entirely."What’s his problem?" I ask, keeping my gaze fixed on his back. "Did I do something to offend him?""No," Zane responds immediately as Nol shoots him a glare. "Would you come with me for a moment so we can talk?""Sure," I respond, feeling a sudden bit of unease. "There was something that I wanted to discuss with you too," I continue. "And you!" I shout at the giant
[Eliana’s POV]I sneak out of my room, being cautious not to run into Nol, and then make my way downstairs. I needed some air, especially after having Alexandria lecture me about Zane.Who was she to tell me that it was a bad idea to be close to him? Even I knew that! That was the reason that I was working so hard to keep my distance from him, because I knew that in the end he would get hurt.There was also the matter of my own feelings. As much as I wanted to deny it, I felt that damned bond anytime Nol was around. Was it because he already marked me? Or was it because finally, something related to my wolf was awakening in me?I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to think too hard about it. Instead, I just wanted to forget, even for a while, and that’s why I wanted to let myself get lost in nature.Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I begin to look around and am happy to find that no one is around to see me. I could only assume that everyone had gone to their respective areas for the
[Nol’s POV]I sit on the grass with Eliana nestled in my arms, fast asleep. I hadn’t meant to wear her out, but once I got started, I couldn’t stop.Letting a slow smile spread across my lips, I reach up and brush a loose strand of hair back that is threatening to enter her mouth as she quietly snores."Mmmm," she mumbles, turning away from the touch so that her face buries deep into my chest. "Ah," she sighs, taking in a deep breath as if she’s finding comfort in my smell.I had to admit it was cute, and I wanted to see more of these small actions of hers, but I knew when she woke up we would simply go back to how we were before.‘You’re the one that caused this,’ the small voice in my head points out. ‘If you didn’t try to kill her, you wouldn’t have been rejected.’A low growl escapes me, causing Eliana’s head to turn so that she can look up at me with sleepy eyes."Nol?" she murmurs, reaching up and rubbing one. "Why are you here?""Waiting for you to wake up," I respond, feeling
[Eliana’s POV]I close my eyes and find myself back there in that place with those men and all the women who constantly pawned them off on me. It was a living hell, but in the end, it wasn’t the biggest hell I would experience in that place."What happened to you there?" Nol asks gently.Opening my eyes, I look up into his silver gaze and feel my heart tug painfully. Would he still consider me to be so pure and beautiful when he knew?Maybe this was for the best. Once he knew we could truly go our separate ways, no matter how painful it truly was."I spent two years in the Tumescere House," I begin, deciding there was no point in trying to hide it. "When my pack was killed by..." the word you want to leave my lips, but I stop it since he was only working for Zane’s father at that time. "Well, when they were killed and wiped clean from the map, I was taken there and sold to Madam Ophilia."Now that I am finally speaking of this, images of that time begin to come faster. All the lessons
Flames surround me, but for some reason they don’t burn. I don’t quite understand why I’m here, but I feel something beckoning me, drawing me further and further in until I see him.He sits on a throne made of skulls and stares down at me with a look of boredom. He’s so familiar but so different at the same time.Unable to quite believe what I’m seeing, I move slightly closer, only to find that a strong force doesn’t allow me to go near him."Zane?" I whisper, trying to make sense of what is happening. "That’s you, isn’t it?"It had already been two years since his disappearance, but I never truly accepted that he was gone. I mean, how could he be when there wasn’t even a body to bury? Or any sort of feeling toward his existence vanishing from this world—wouldn't I be able to feel it given the fact he wore my mark?This was why I held onto hope no matter the amount of time that passed, even when others continuously told me to let go. And now here he was in front of me, but where exactl
[Eliana’s POV]Warm sun beats down on my skin while I lounge by the pool, watching Nol wade on the steps with Ryker. Never in my life did I ever think I would see such a strong and arrogant man act like a child, but here he was splashing and laughing along with our son.Since Ryker’s birth, I have been seeing many sides of Nol that I didn’t think would exist, like him changing diapers, making bottles, and even cuddling while Ryker was sick. I even caught him singing to him a few times, but he insisted that he wasn’t.To say that life was perfect was a bit extreme, but it was damn near close. There was only one thing missing, and that was Zane.Two years had passed since his disappearance, and despite multiple searches, contacting a medium, and even asking rogue mages for help, no one was able to locate him. It was almost as though he disappeared entirely, but Nol was certain that wasn’t possible since he was aware of the consequences of bringing the hellhounds to this earth.Sighing,
[Nol’s POV]I don’t know how long Eliana sobbed on me while I helplessly watched because I knew that there was nothing that I could do since there was no bringing Zane back. Beside us, Alexandria continued to fight Blaine until she became so exhausted that all she could do was cling to him while her gaze stayed fixed on the rubble.By the time the police arrived, there was nothing left to be found, but Alexandria’s friends had managed to bring them the evidence needed to prove not only Alexandria’s innocence but that of all of us.In the end, all the blame fell on Jeckel since he was already accused of being part of a human trafficking ring. It didn’t take long for the rest of his corruption and misdeeds to be found and his name to be tarnished.Afterward, we waited to see if any remains could be found, but all that were deceased were too burned to make out and would simply be thrown in a mass grave for Disastria and Romando to be mourned by those who were oblivious to all that both a
[Zane’s POV]A howl of disappointment escapes me as I attempt to make my way to the window where Eliana and the others disappeared."No you fucking don’t!" Nol snarls, beginning to shift into his lycan form. "If you want to kill someone, then you’ll have to get through me."Snapping my gaze from the window, I feel my body beginning to move again, making its way to the very weak-looking lycan behind me.‘That’s it,’ Nol’s voice announces in my head. ‘Come get me.’As I move, he rushes forward, meeting me halfway and throwing me against a wall before jumping on me and wrapping a hand around my throat.‘Snap out of it, Zane,’ he hisses in my head. ‘Before you do something you regret.’‘I…’ I try, hoping he can hear me. ‘Can’t. Please kill me.’That was the only thing that was going to end this—my death—and I was more than willing to accept it.‘I won’t,’ Nol responds, loosening his hold. ‘If you die, Eliana will be sad.’Eliana… Of course, the only thing he cares about is her, and I can’
[Nol’s POV]The world around me begins to move in slow motion as I release Zane and rush toward where Jeckel stands with Eliana in his clutches, but before I can reach her, her eyes are widening and blood is erupting from her lips, and then she is being dropped so that I can take in the hilt of a knife that is sticking out of her back.No… This couldn’t be fucking happening. Jeckel… He…In that moment, something in me snaps, and I feel a red-hot rage begin to bubble up in me and explode as I kneel and pull Eliana into my arms to take in her ragged breathing and her white complexion.Lifting my gaze, I take in Jeckel, who stands in place looking proud of what he did.‘You,’ I hiss through mindlink, beginning to see red. ‘You…’"I did what was necessary for you to rise to greatness," he shrugs unphased. "She was nothing more than a hindrance, driving a wedge between you and your brother."A wedge… A hindrance… If anyone was any of that, it was the bastard in front of me!Letting out a s
[Zane’s POV]Stop.Stop this!You’ve gotta stop!These thoughts echo in my mind as I stare at Alexandria’s flushed face and desperate eyes.I had to stop, but no amount of trying seemed to work. Each time I thought maybe I was regaining control again, my body would act on its own, and I was left to helplessly watch.Even back in the hospital with Eliana, my claws were laced with poison, and I was the one who reduced her to what she was.As this thought hits me, my gaze drifts to where she lies on the ground, surrounded by shadowy wolves with glowing red eyes. It was clear they were protecting her, which was good, but the need to kill her still spurred me to move."Sorry, we’re late."The voice reaches me, and I find myself hopeful that this will be the end and I will be free, but the desperate need to kill continues to hold me.Releasing Alexandria, I shift and barrel into the wolves, ignoring their teeth and claws that attack my skin, threatening to shred me while Nol and the others
[Alexandria’s POV]The next morning comes too damn quick, and before I even manage to fully wake up, I’m being yanked out of my cell and dragged down a long hall while I ignore everything in me that screams to fight.There was a plan in place, and I had to trust that the plan would work out and all of this would finally be over. For now, I just needed to cooperate with whatever went down.With this thought in mind, I let myself be pushed into a room where two women wait to do my hair and makeup while I fix my gaze on the puffy white dress that sits against the wall.In the past, I always dreamed of my perfect wedding dress, but when I lost Jeremiah, I never gave it much thought. Even knowing that there was a possibility I would marry Zane, I never thought about a dress or a big wedding.Feeling my heart tug, I tear my gaze away as guilt toward Jeremiah begins to slam into me.Fuck, now wasn’t the time to be feeling this, not when I knew that this wedding wouldn’t happen, but now that
[Nol’s POV]After Jeckel’s ridiculous dinner, I’m thrown into a cell where Blaine lies motionless on the ground. While Eliana and Alexandria are placed in one beside us.Since seeing her mother and father’s heads on a platter, the usually loud she-wolf hadn’t spoken a word, but by the darkness I see in her eyes, I know that she is silently plotting Jeckel’s death."Hey," I call, trying to draw her attention. "You!"As I speak, the two men in the cell across from mine begin to groan. Tearing my gaze from Alexandria, I take them in and try to determine exactly what the relationship between them and Alexandria was to the point where she would go along with Jeckel’s scheme for them.Sighing in frustration, I turn my attention back to Blaine and watch as he begins to twitch."You finally waking up?" I ask, wishing I could knock him across the head for getting as hurt as he was. "It’s about damn time.""Fuck," he hisses, slowly sitting up only to stop as the chains on his wrists pull agains
[Nol’s POV]Pain radiates through me as my vision finally begins to come back, so that I find myself sitting at a large table. Anger rolling over being tricked, I attempt to move only to find that I’m bound by spiked metal that tears into my skin with each movement.Cursing, I continue to take in the area until my eyes come to rest on an unconscious Eliana and a fighting Alexandria."What the hell?" I growl, beginning to fight even more, only to find that the fucking chains won’t budge. "What the hell is going on here?""About time you woke up, giant!" Alexandria huffs. "We’ve got an issue here.""No shit," I snap, snapping my gaze to Eliana once again.As I take in her pale complexion and slack figure, I realize instantly that something is wrong."Eliana!" I hiss, trying to rouse her. "Open your eyes!""She won’t be waking up."Feeling my heart drop, I tear my gaze away from Eliana to Jeckel and Zane, who are making their way towards us. Confusion building, I take in Zane, whose face