[Zane’s POV]I stare at Nol in disbelief, taking in his defeated form. It was shocking to see such an arrogant and powerful man like that, and all because of a woman. Did he truly care for Eliana that much? I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to think about it."Are you really asking me to comfort her?" I ask slowly, expecting all of this to be some type of trick. "Are you even thinking correctly?""Go!" Nol snarls, "NOW!"He didn’t have to tell me again. Giving him one more look, I began to move, making my way toward the room I knew she was sharing with Alexandria.When I arrive, I only get the chance to knock once before the door opens and Alexandria’s annoyed gaze meets mine."Of course it’s you," she huffs. "You’re really pathetic; did you know that?""Not now," I snap, looking over her shoulder to find Eliana’s hunched form sitting by the window staring out. "Did you say anything?""No," Alexandria responds, shooting her a look. "She just came in looking like her puppy died and then
[Alexandria’s POV]I stroll down the stairs and into the kitchen in hopes of finding some booze in this place. However, when I reach my destination, I find a tall, blonde, brooding man leaning against the kitchen island with a glass of what looks like champagne in hand."Mind if I join you?" I call, slowly moving forward just in case the asshole decides to attack. "I come in peace, I swear.""Do what you want," he shrugs, finishing the rest of his drink. "I was just about to...""Go check on the moping giant." I try, looking around the area until I find a wine cabinet. "Do you really think he wants your attention right now?""No, but I need to make sure he doesn’t do something stupid.""He’s an adult," I point out, grabbing a bottle of red and then a glass. Placing it on the counter, I fill it to the brim and then chug it down before pouring myself another. "Why are you treating him like a child?" I continue once drink number two is in hand."Because someone has to," Blaine chuckles.
[Alexandria’s POV]Heat thrums through me as Blaine’s large fingers find their way beneath my shirt and up my back so his palms can press against my skin, pulling me even closer while his tongue attacks mine, trying to claim dominance."Are we just gonna fuck right here?" I pant, pulling away and looking around the kitchen. "I mean, I’m not opposed to it, but I don’t think you want your master seeing you."A low growl escapes Blaine’s lips as he throws me over his shoulder and makes his way up the stairs and into what I can only assume is his room.After throwing me down on the bed, he extends a claw and hooks it in my shirt and pulls, easily ripping the fabric so he can remove it, and then does the same to my pants.Once I’m fully naked, he moves to one side of the bed, pulls up a pair of cuffs, and places them on my wrist. Moving around to the other side, he does the same and then steps aside so he can pull his shirt off.As the fabric moves, I slowly take in all the scars that cove
[Eliana’s POV]Soft light creeps through the darkness that envelops me, threatening to pull me out of the nightmareless sleep that I’m in. It had been so long since I had slept so well, and I found myself wondering if maybe revealing some of my secrets the night before had helped.Sighing, I attempt to roll over so that the light is against my back and not my face, only to find that something warm and heavy, radiating a comforting thrum of energy, is wrapped around my waist.Frowning, I open my eyes and look down to find an arm. As I let my gaze travel up that arm, I found that it was attached to a sleeping Zane.Biting back the yelp of shock that wants to escape me, I stare into his handsome sleeping face, taking in the light freckles that scatter across his nose and cheeks and his full lips, which aren’t pressed into a line of unease like they had been since we reunited.Even his features seemed softer, as if he were finally at peace. I find myself wishing that he would look like th
[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
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