[Eliana’s POV]"So you’re the new toy."Blaine’s voice drifts through my daze, snapping my attention from the quickly passing scenery outside of my window to him."Hm?"Maybe I didn’t hear him right. At least, that was what I preferred to think over accepting what the asshole had just called me.From the minute we met, he had been eyeing me like I was some piece of meat. Of course, that would be what I was considered to be, given the circumstances leading up to my staying with Nol."Don’t play coy," Blaine sighs. "We both know the reason you’re with Nol. There’s no reason to try to pretend otherwise."Twitching, I try to keep my temper in check as I eye Blaine.Who the hell was he to think he knew me? He only knew what he was told. He was just like everyone else who had surrounded me for my entire life. They never consider the reasons why someone like me ended up where I am. They only see a person with no power who has to work their way up the fucking totem pole."Come on," Blaine con
[Zane’s POV]Shock and pain shoot through me as Alexandria’s words repeat themselves again and again.She has moved on.She has moved on.She has moved on.I was the only one still living in the past and the only one who was hurting."Zane."My father’s voice rips through my quickly spiraling mood, drawing my attention to the handsome blonde that stands beside him, watching me curiously."Where are your manners?""Sorry," I huff, getting up from my seat and moving forward while Eliana shifts just enough to be hidden behind the one she came with. "My apologies," I continue, keeping my expression neutral. "I am Zane Castro, but I’m sure you already guessed that."As I speak, I hold out my hand and wince when Nol grips it harder than he should. I guess this meant that he didn’t miss me eyeing his woman.His woman… That phrase alone left a sour taste in my mouth. How could Eliana belong to anyone other than me? Easy, a small voice in the back of my head says. This is all because you were
TRIGGER WARNING: The following chapter may contain content that might be tough for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.[Eliana’s POV]My heart clenches painfully as I watch betrayal and pain flit across Zane’s features. Good, this was exactly what I hoped for. If he came to hate me, he wouldn’t waste his time trying to chase me anymore, and we could become strangers who simply shared a few beautiful moments in the past."Does anyone work?" he asks, taking me by surprise. "Anyone will do, right?""What?" I gasp as he reaches out and grabs my wrist, then yanks, pulling me close against him so I can feel his rage seeping into my skin. "What are you?""If anyone will work," he growls, cutting me off before I can finish my protest. "Then why not me?"My eyes grow wide at his words. They’re almost like a slap to the face that leaves me shocked and feeling like my heart is shattering into a million pieces."Zane," I hiss, trying to keep the tears at bay that want to escape. "Stop thi
[Eliana’s POV]I don’t move as the intruder's blade digs deeper into my flesh, causing warm blood to begin trickling down my skin. Shit, why had I been so damn impulsive?Because of him, a small voice in the back of my head responds. It is all Zane’s fault for leaving you in that state.Zane… His face flashes across my mind, making my heart hurt as I desperately find myself wishing he was here to save me like he always was in the past.No, I hiss inwardly, shoving my ridiculous desires aside. I needed to figure out a way out of this instead of expecting someone to come save me. I was an adult, and I wasn’t weak like I was in the past. And all I would end up doing if I let this go any further is getting Nol into trouble.Deciding to take my chances, I lift my foot and stomp on the intruder's foot. When he hisses and loosens his grip on me, I move, slamming my elbow into his stomach and jumping out of the way as he slashes out with his knife.Whirling around, I begin to move, making my
[Nol’s POV]I work to clean and bandage Eliana’s wounds, being cautious not to be too rough out of fear of hurting her.With each minute that passed, my anger grew more and more. That damned man had done a number to her, and if he wasn’t already dead, I would kill him again and again until I calmed down. I would be sure to return each injury tenfold if I could.Once I finish, I sit back and take in her exposed skin, being sure that I managed to catch each and every scratch and bruise.Satisfied that I had, I begin to pack up the first aid kit that sits at my side, but stop as an intoxicating scent drifts up to my nose.Stopping my actions, I sniff at the air, trying to determine exactly what it is that I’m smelling, and when I turn to find that Eliana’s skin is flushed and her thighs are rubbing together, I realize exactly what it is.A low growl escapes me as her body tenses, and she keeps her gaze fixed straight ahead so I can’t see whatever face she is making, but it’s already too
[Eliana’s POV]I toss and turn, trying to fall asleep, only to see Zane’s face whenever I begin to drift, but it isn’t the Zane from my past; instead, it is the one from this evening that attempted to take advantage of me.Each time his face would appear, my eyes would fly open, and I would feel like I was going to hyperventilate.In the end, I simply laid in bed until the sun finally began to rise and I was able to head downstairs to make breakfast.Since Nol had made it clear that he slept during the day due to his job keeping him up all night, it was a safe time for me to be alone with my thoughts. At least, that was what I thought until the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs reached my ears.Pretending like I didn’t hear them, I focused on frying myself an egg and brewed a cup of coffee. Once both are finished, I plop down at the kitchen table and begin to eat while whoever is up and about in the mansion makes their way toward me."You’re up early."I don’t know exactly who
[Eliana’s POV]For the first half of the day, Blaine gave me a rundown of everything that I would be doing in the company, from answering phones to filing paperwork and taking information. Once that was finished, he announced that we would be taking a trip to one of Nol’s many hotels.Going along with his flow, I follow silently out of Noland Enterprises and into a car that is waiting for us out front."Where are we going?" I ask only when we are seated and beginning to move. "Is there an issue that needs to be handled?""No," Blaine responds simply, tossing one leg over the other. "We actually have to meet with a client that is having an engagement banquet this Saturday.""Oh."So it wasn’t anything serious. That was good because my lack of sleep the night before was beginning to catch up with me, and with the silence and the movements of the car, I was starting to have trouble keeping my eyes open."Do you think it is appropriate to nap on the clock?" Blaine asks before I can actual
[Alexandria’s POV]Excitement bubbles up in me over the chance to be alone with the woman my fiance was mated to once again. However, where I had just given her a friendly warning, I was going to make sure that she understood that he was mine, and I had the perfect thing to do that.Smiling, I shove my hand in the pocket of my jacket and clasp my hand around my phone.Little did Zaney poo know, I had recorded our entire time together to use at a later date. Little did I know that I would be able to use it so soon."What’s the matter?" Eliana asks, turning and meeting my gaze. "Why are you stopping?""Oh, nothing," I respond, beginning to move again. "I was just thinking of my honey.""Right."Eliana doesn’t say anything more as we enter a storage room where all the plates, silverware, and bowls are kept for special occasions. I only knew of this place because my father and I visited earlier, before anyone else arrived."Do any of these jump out at you?" Eliana asks, slowly letting her
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