[Eliana’s POV]My body trembles, and I’m not exactly sure if it is from fear or anticipation. The fact that I couldn’t determine which it was scared me more than the possibility of what could come next.This man bought me to be his babymaker; how could I feel anything other than disgust for him? Was I crazy? Maybe a masochist? I didn’t know, but I knew that I needed to stop things before they went any further."You should," I begin, lifting my hands and touching his chest. Where I touch, I can feel his strong muscles; fuck, he was well built. This was bad. Even if I had no interest in him, I wasn’t blind, and I wasn’t a saint."I should what?" He smirks, lifting me and placing me on the counter. "Continue?"Before I can react, his mouth is slamming into mine once more, and his hands are wrapping around my waist and coming to rest on the center of my back. His dick, which is now positioned perfectly between my legs, presses against my core, causing me to grow wet."N-no!" I gasp, turni
[Zane’s POV]Wham!My fist connects with the bag in front of me, sending ripples racing up my arm and into my body.Whack!Another blow lands, followed by another and another, until I’m in the zone.Huff, huff, huff.My breath comes out in puffs, one out as I strike and one in as I pull back.The cadence helps clear my head and ease the beast that is deep within, wanting to escape, but no amount of hits or exertion erases her face from my mind."DAMMIT!" I roar, striking out again and again and again until the punching explodes and spews sand and sawdust all around.Letting out a snarl of frustration, I kick out, sending the fucking bag flying into the wall and exploding even more.Collapsing, I rest my head in my hands as images of that day continue to attack me, taunting me and proving to me just how big a fucking coward I was.When I took Eliana to our special place, I never wanted anything to happen. I simply wanted to help her feel better, like I had in the past, but I was carele
[Alexandria’s POV]"Come on," Zane hisses, beginning to make his way toward the garage where his car is waiting for us. "I’m sure you would follow me anyway.""You know me well," I giggle. "Anyway, I should be there to comfort you, shouldn’t I?"At my words, he turns and takes me in with both curiosity and distrust.Whoops, it seemed like I may have almost revealed too much. I needed to be cautious of my words until he discovered that his precious woman was no longer at the station and that she had been busted out by a mysterious stranger."What?" I ask, acting nonchalant. "Why are you looking at me like that?""Do you know something?""Hm, maybe," I admit, deciding that lying was useless. "My father is the chief after all."Instead of questioning me, Zane begins to move again, climbing into his car and then shoving open the passenger door for me."Such a gentleman," I sigh, hopping in and buckling up. "And here I thought you didn’t like me at all.""I don’t," he confirms, shoving his
[Zane’s POV]"Is she your mate?"Alexandria’s question hovers around us like a thick cloud of smoke, making it difficult to breathe and causing my panic to begin to build. Had I been too obvious?The answer was yes; yes, I was being too damn obvious, especially when I decided to lay hands on her."She’s…" I begin wanting to lie through my teeth to protect Eliana. "Just a really good childhood friend."Ha, like she was actually going to believe that. Even to me, that sounded really lame and almost unbelievable."Oh ho, this is good," Alexandria beams, yanking my hand free of her throat. "Here, I thought she was just your first love, but she’s actually your mate. Imagine what your father would think if he were to find this out, especially since she can’t help you climb up in power."Immediately, the thought of killing Alexandria to keep her quiet flashed across my mind, but I knew that wouldn’t work. She was too well known.Fuck, what the hell had I done? I needed to fix this quickly."
[Zane’s POV]When Alexandria’s pussywalls wrap around my dick, I feel like I’m going mad. Where one part of me felt like this was the most delicious sensation I had ever felt, another part knew that this was wrong. However, the part that liked it slowly began to take over until my hands were wrapping around her waist so that my hands could clamp down on her ass cheeks and pull, making her faster on top of me."Oh, you like this, baby?" Alexandria pants, beginning to sway her hips so that my dick was rubbed just right. "Do you want me to go faster?""Yeah," I pant, losing control of myself. "More."Fuck, it felt amazing to have her bouncing on top of me, but even this wasn’t enough. I needed more, so much more. I wanted to feel so good that I forgot entirely who the one I was fucking was.Unable to take it, I sit up and pull her off of me. As she tries to figure out what is happening, I shove her onto the bed, pinning her beneath me as I shove into her and take the lead."Ah, Zane!" Al
Eliana’s POV]"Miss Eliana," the voice is soft as it drifts through my bedroom door. "I’ve been sent to help you get ready to go out."Go out?Frowning, I slowly get out of bed, where I had spent most of my morning due to not wanting to face Nol after what happened between us the night before. I knew that it was a ridiculous thing to do since this was his home and he could come barging in here at any moment, but I needed to try to process."Are you awake, miss?" the voice calls once more. "I don’t mean to be pushy, but I was asked to have you ready and downstairs by noon."Sighing, I look at the clock on my bedside table and gasp."It’s already this late?" I hiss, jumping out of bed and quickly rushing to the door. When I yank it open, I see a tiny brunette with soft hazel eyes that glint with nervousness. "Sorry," I say quickly, hoping that I didn’t cause her any trouble. "I was asleep."It was a piss-poor lie, but I was sure that she wouldn’t question it too much. When she nods and
[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
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