[Zane’s POV]"Just up ahead," Nol announces as we move down the tunnel that seems to go on forever. "This will be where we part ways," he continues, shooting me a look. "From this point on, you’re on your own.""Got it," I nod.We had already parted ways with Blaine so that he could go through the hospital records where Nol and I were born. And since the atmosphere between Nol and I had been extremely uncomfortable, I was sure I knew why.After landing one hell of a blow to my dick the night before, Eliana had disappeared, and despite wanting to claim it wasn’t true, I knew that she went straight to Nol."Try not to get yourself into any trouble," Nol continues, snapping me out of my head. "Because if you do manage to run into your father’s men, I won’t be coming to save your ass.""Noted," I huff, not missing the hostility in his voice. "Then I’ll…" I begin, but stop as I feel Alexandria’s fear and desperation slam into me.‘Zane!’ she wails, filling my head with images of multiple m
TRIGGER WARNING: The following chapter may contain content that isn’t suitable for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.[Eliana’s POV]I wake to find that I’m in a small cage with men standing around me with paddles in their hands. My body is exposed due to everything but my bra and underwear being removed, and a huge mask covers my face.However, despite that, their men’s eyes take me in with a hunger that screams they want to destroy me.Shivering, I attempt to move, only to find that my hands and feet are tied."Shit," I hiss, beginning to struggle against my bindings. "Where the hell is this?""Oh, you’re awake."A chill races down my spine as the voice that I recognize too well reaches my ears. Trying to calm my heart, I turn and take in the face of Zane’s father as he beams at me from just outside the bars of my cage."You," I growl, narrowing my gaze. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?""Eliminating a nuisance," he responds easily. "It seems that you’re harder to
[Zane’s POV]"I know where Eliana is!"Nol’s voice echoes around us, startling the shit out of me as he pushes the gas to the floor, sending us surging forward."Where?" I ask, feeling my hope rise. "Is it far?""No," he responds immediately. "We’ll be there soon."Nodding, I don’t ask any further questions as we speed through the streets, swerving in and out of traffic and barely avoiding hitting pedestrians.When we reach our destination, he slams the brakes and throws the car in park before barging out and making his way toward a building that looks like a theater with its flashing lights and sign marquee that reads ‘auction in progress.’"An auction house?" I hiss, feeling my heart do a flip.Fuck, what in the hell was my father up to right now?"Don’t just stand there!" Nol roars, beginning to rush forward while pulling a gun from his hip. "This is going to end here!"Nodding, I begin to move, following closely behind as he kicks in the glass door to the building and rushes insid
[Nol’s POV]I stare down at Eliana as she bites at her lip, trying desperately to stay in the present, as if she thinks she is still with that bastard Jeckel."Don’t worry," I murmur, gently sliding my finger in her mouth so her teeth bite against my own skin. "You’re safe."If it weren’t for the fact that she was so bad off, I would have stayed and burned that whole fucking place down, then turned the underworld upside down to find the bastard that put her in this condition, but the only thing I could focus on was helping Eliana however I could.Back there, I could see the war that was taking place in Zane as he handed her over to me. In that moment, he made it clear that he was giving up, and in a way, I almost felt bad for the bastard because I knew how fucking painful the rejection that was to come would be. I could only hope that one day he would find someone who would make the sting go away."Nol!" Eliana whimpers, clinging tighter to me. "Please make it stop.""Make what stop,
[Alexandria’s POV]I remain by Zane’s side until he finally wakes, and then I feel my resolve begin to build."Alexandria?" He grunts, slowly sitting up. "Why?""I figured that my presence would just piss everyone off," I announce, though my real reason was fear of Blaine attempting to kill me again. "How are you feeling?""I’ve been better," he admits, smirking. "How’s Eliana? Is she alright now?"Of course, his first thought when waking up would be of her, but it still stung just a bit that no one gave a damn about me or how I was after being attacked. Granted, I wasn’t the one that was kidnapped, but it would still be nice to know that someone was on my side."I’m sure she’s fine," I huff, narrowing my gaze. "She’s with the giant."At my words, pain flashes in Zanes eyes, but he quickly hides it before I can say anything. "Did something happen?" I ask, realizing that he seemed a bit off. "Better yet, what exactly happened back there to exhaust you so much you’d sleep for an entire
[Zane’s POV]My eyes grew wide as Alexandria’s declaration and question hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew that she was bold, but to be that bold when she was a wanted woman was..."You know as well as I do that that isn’t possible," I respond slowly. "We’re both wanted and...""And I don’t care," Alexandria counters. "Once our fathers have been handled by the giant, that won’t be an issue, correct? So things will eventually settle, and when that happens, we can come back and resume our lives."Resume our lives. She made it sound so simple when it wasn’t. Too much had happened in the past few weeks, and there was still so much more that was to come our way; there was no going back to how things were."I…" I begin, looking to Eliana, who is quietly watching, and try to see what she thinks of this, but her expression remains neutral, further confirming that there is no place for me in her heart anymore. "Can’t just leave."There was too much riding on all of this, and I couldn’t just l
[Eliana’s POV]I remain in place for a moment longer, staring at the bed that Zane had been lying in while my heart squeezes painfully and memories of the past begin to attack me, but unlike before, when it started to stir up the emotions I felt back then, all I can feel now is an odd sense of loss and nostalgia.This was goodbye to that girl and that boy from that time and the start of our separate journeys into the future, as I finally realized that his purpose in my life at that time was to keep me going so that I could meet the one that would end up being my future.Letting out a sigh, I turn and begin to make my way to the room that I’m sharing with that particular man, and when I enter, I find him sitting at a desk staring at a laptop.Being as quiet as I can, I make my way across the room and stop beside him."What are you looking so hard at?" I ask, eyeing the screen and the records there."Come see," he announces, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me into his lap. "I foun
[Nol’s POV]I stare down at Eliana’s quivering body as she waits for me to begin my attack. After her agreeing to be with me and even mark me so that I had proof she had chosen me in the end, I couldn’t stop myself from ripping off her clothes and then my own, as I wanted to be able to feel every inch of her against me so that I knew this moment was real and not a figment of my imagination. It was still so hard to believe after being rejected only a few days prior, but now here we were."Do you know how fucking beautiful you are?" I growl, leaning down and kissing her lips. "How damn perfect and utterly ethereal you truly are?""Not hardly," she counters, her eyes traveling to the scars that mar her skin. "I’m far from it.""These," I announce, slowly beginning to kiss each and every one. "Are proof that you’re stronger than most."I knew that each one must have hurt, and to have to endure so much for so long but still continue to live on so that we could eventually meet made her the
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