[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
[Nol’s POV]After spending a few more minutes with Eliana, I head downstairs, where Blaine is busy working on his laptop."Have you spread the news?" I ask, taking a seat."Come tomorrow, it will be in every newspaper," he responds, lifting his gaze. Instantly, his eyes widen in shock before he quickly composes himself. "I see you’ve finally managed to win her over. Congratulations.""Thanks," I smirk. "Now we need to find you someone to settle down with.""Don’t be ridiculous," Blaine huffs, narrowing his gaze. "Anyway, the only thing we should be focusing on is being prepared for when Jeckel retaliates."He was right, especially given how big a hit his reputation and that of many others would take when the world saw that they were responsible for a human trafficking ring.I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to find out who was responsible, and once he found out, he would act. There was a chance all of my dirty deeds would be aired out, but I didn’t give a shit. We already wasted enough time
[Alexandria’s POV]The next morning, I roam downstairs to find everyone already awake and gathered around the TV. Slowly, I make my way forward while the voice of a newscaster reaches my ears."Just in our studio this morning, Gray Castro of Castro Enterprises was found to be part of a sex trafficking ring that has been under investigation for years."Frowning, I move forward until I spot Nol, Blaine, and Zane sitting on a couch with their gazes fixed on the TV."We have reached out to Mr. Castro for a statement in the matter, but he has yet to respond."I can’t stop the smile that begins to spread across my face at what I’m hearing. Finally, he and my father were going to get exactly what they deserved. It had been a long time coming, and I couldn’t wait to see both those bastards behind bars.Satisfied with the direction things were going, I began to move but immediately stopped as the sound of guns going off reached my ears just before the walls and windows around us began to explo
[Alexandria’s POV]I wrap my teeth around the first man I reach and bite down hard until I hear bones snapping. When a loud yell of anger escapes him, I release and jump backwards to avoid him crashing down into me, and then attack again, wrapping my teeth around his shoulder and pulling.Spitting the chunk of skin that I removed aside, I dug my teeth into the other side, ripping him apart bit by bit until finally putting him out of his misery.As he lay on the ground twitching, I looked around, taking in the group that had surrounded me, and prepared to attack, but before I could, a large golden wolf burst through the wall of bodies, easily taking three men down purely because of his size.Lifting his muzzle, he gives a howl before digging his claws deep into one man’s face while he wraps his teeth around another.It doesn’t take me long to realize that the wolf is Blaine, and from how swiftly and efficiently he kills the three men, it’s easy to tell that he is a well-trained killing
[Eliana’s POV]The world around me fades in and out, but I can tell that I’m in a vehicle of some sort. How I got here was beyond me, as everything was fuzzy up until this point.Beside me, I can feel such painful worry that it makes me want to reach out and touch the one it is coming from and assure him that I am fine. However, I’m unable to move."Just hang on."The words are filled with so much pain that it damn near kills me."Just a little longer."I will… I want to say it to him, but I feel myself fading again, and when I come to once more, the smell of disinfectant attacks my senses and bright spots blur my vision.With confusion growing, I attempt to move my neck only to find that it is being held in place just like the rest of my body."She has lost a lot of blood."The one speaking isn’t familiar, and it sets my heart into a panic that causes machines around me to go crazy."What is that?" Nol’s voice hisses. "What the hell is happening?""She may be aware," the other voice
[Alexandria’s POV]"Can you drive any quicker?" I hiss, cradling Zane’s unmoving form in my lap. "He’s fading!""I’m going as fast as I can," Blaine snaps, shooting me a glare in the rearview. "How much faster do you expect me to go?"I bit back my initial response, realizing that no amount of nagging would make this damn car go any faster, but I couldn’t stop the suffocating panic I was feeling."Hang on," I murmur, trying to keep my gaze away from all the wounds on Zane’s body. "Don’t you dare fucking die, idiot."How could he have done this? Why would he have done this? He should have just left me to die so that I could be with Jeremiah again, but instead he took all those bullets for me, and now he might be the one seeing him.Fuck! This stubborn bastard was truly going to end up being the death of me."El…" Zane rasps, causing my eyes to widen. "Lana."Of course, when he was on the brink of death, he would be thinking of Eliana over anyone else, but right now she wasn’t the one w
[Eliana’s POV]I sit in bed, trying to calm my racing heart. Since the dull ache in my chest began, the only thing I could think about was Zane and whether or not he was okay.Despite his saying that it wasn’t bothering him, I knew that Nol had left me to be alone because he couldn’t continue to watch me hurt over another man.What in the world am I even doing right now? There was absolutely no way that I could suddenly want to be with Zane after telling Nol that I wanted to be with him and even marking him.However, a world where Zane didn’t exist left me feeling hollow.Sighing, I curl in on myself, but before I can drift deeper into my thoughts, the door to my room opens."Are you done with…"Before I can finish my sentence, I find that the one standing in the doorway isn’t Nol but instead is Alexandria."Disappointed?" She asks, putting on her normal smug expression. "Sorry, sweetie."Frowning, I remain silent as I wait for her to announce the reason that she is here, while my hea
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