Andrew’s POVThe tension in my office was almost a tangible thing, thanks to the presence of another Alpha. Dorian reclined in one of the leather chairs opposite my desk, his posture casual, but his eyes were anything but amused. Mira sat next to him, her legs crossed and her smirk sharp enough, it rubbed me off the wrong way. Behind me, Michael stood like a guard, his arms folded across his chest.The confrontation outside had left a bitter taste in my mouth. My wolves disobeyed me, Elara took a beating and probably hates me—though it’s the least of my concerns. Now, I had to deal with Dorian's smug face in my territory.I didn’t bother with pleasantries. “What’s so urgent that you had to discuss it in private?”Dorian’s smirk widened as if he’d been waiting for me to ask. “Ah, straight to the point. I like that about you, Andrew.”I didn’t respond. My patience was already at its last stretch.“Well,” he drawled, leaning forward, “some weeks ago, you came to my pack and... let’s say,
Andrew’s POVI didn’t answer immediately. Dorian’s smug grin and hidden threats still remained in my mind, but it was Mira’s sharp words about Elara that stuck with me the most. Her malicious tone, the way she spat out the word “Omega” like it was a curse—it had grated against at my very core like nothing had in a while.Michael’s voice broke into my thoughts. “You noticed Mira was the one doing most of the talking, right? Dorian barely had to say a word. She’s like his mouthpiece, stirring the pot while he stays clean.”I nodded, my jaw tightening. “I noticed. It’s a calculated move, as always. Keeps his hands clean while the rest of us are left dealing with the fallout.”Michael shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly. “Speaking of fallout… why did you let her get under your skin like that?”I frowned, my gaze snapping to his. “What do you mean?”He leaned back again, his tone consciously casual. “I’m talking about Mira and her little comments about Elara. You were ready to bi
Elara’s POVThe dining hall was alive with the sounds of the pack—laughter, chatter, and the occasional clinking of plates. It was an odd sort of connection, one that always made me feel like an outsider. Sitting at a corner table farthest from the others, I kept my head low, tracing idle patterns on the wooden surface with my fingertip.The hall was warm from the large hearth near the center, but I felt cold. I always did.A harsh smile tugged at my lips as I imagined the scene playing out in my head—Andrew and his pack members seated at their table, eating heartily without a care in the world. And then all of a sudden, the food turns to poison in their mouths, their smug smiles changing into expressions of agony as one by one they fell. Andrew would fall last, his golden eyes wide with shock and helplessness.For a moment, the thought brought a cruel satisfaction. A cursed wolf like me had no place here. They’d made that abundantly clear from the start. So why should I care what hap
Elara’s POVThe room was loud again, chatter and the scraping of chairs filling the room as everyone prepared for the meal, but my mind was anything but calm. My hands trembled under the table, and I clenched them into fists to stop the tremor.This couldn’t be happening.The word “mine” echoed in my head like a haunting reminder of it meant. My wolf’s voice—the voice I thought I’d never hear again—had claimed Andrew, of all people. The Alpha I had spent weeks resenting. The man I had plotted against.It was almost hilarious, but there was nothing funny about it. It was crazy. A sick game played by fate.Why now? I demanded to myself hoping for an answer from my wolf. Why him?But there was only silence. The same maddening silence that had been my companion for such long I sometimes forgot I was a werewolf. My wolf had stirred just long enough to wreck my plans and then gone quiet again, leaving me to face the implications alone.I glanced up, my eyes following Andrew as he moved with
Andrew’s POVAfter Elara's words, the silence that followed was stifling. No one spoke, no one moved. Everyone was too shock to do anything.Elara stood at the far side of the hall, her chest heaving as if she’d ran a mile. All eyes were on her now, the pack’s full attention pressing down on her as they tried to digest what she had just said. All of a sudden, the room erupted. Voices rose in outrage, disbelief rippling through the crowd.My jaw tightened as I studied her, my initial confusion quickly giving way to irritation.“Silence!” I commanded making everyone go quiet in an instant.“What’s the meaning of this?” I asked, my tone cold as I turned back towards Elara.This had to end. Everything was gradually going into chaos because she had said the food we were about to eat was poisoned. Now, I needed answers.She didn’t answer immediately, her wide eyes locked on mine. Something in her expression—panic, fear, determination—made my wolf stir uneasily. The bond I’d felt earlier, f
Andrew’s POVThe commotion that followed Elara's fall in the dining hall was deafening. Plates clattered to the floor as my pack abandoned their meals, horror-stricken murmurs and panicked gasps filling the air. My heart thundered in my chest as I knelt beside Elara’s lifeless form. Her pale face, slack and devoid of emotion was burned into my mind.The memory of the other night we were attacked at the pack’s border flashed before me. She had taken a bullet meant for me then, her body collapsing to the ground as I tried fighting off the rogue wolves, hoping she doesn't die.And now, here she was again, lying on the cold stone floor of the dining hall, and the fear that I might lose her was clawing at me with as much ferocity as I couldn’t ignore.“Elara,” I whispered, my voice breaking.My wolf growled low in my chest, restless and angry. The bond between us, faint before, was now stronger with undeniable clarity. She wasn’t just another pack member. She was my mate.“Alpha, what do w
Andrew’s POVMirabel's outburst sent a chill of panic coursing through me. My muscles tightened, and my wolf stirred with agitation, growling softly in my mind. The atmosphere in the room felt heavy, the walls pressing in as I waited for her to clarify."What’s going on?" I asked sharply, moving closer to the table where Elara lay still.Mirabel hesitated, her hands pausing above Elara's arm. She shot me a look filled with disbelief and awe.“It’s not… an issue, Alpha,” she finally responded, her voice wavering.“Then what is it?” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “Speak up, Mirabel.”She took a deep breath, as if she were gathering her thoughts before meeting my gaze once more. “Her body… It's healing itself. At an alarming rate. I’ve never witnessed anything like it.”I looked at her, struggling to comprehend what she had just said. “Healing itself?”“Exactly, it is.” Mirabel nodded, indicating Elara. “Most of the poison has already been removed from her system. Her body is worki
Elara’s POVThe only thing I could perceive was darkness. It enveloped me like a choking shroud, drawing me further into the abyss. I felt both weightless and confined, my senses numbed and my thoughts hazy. A remote voice echoed in the void, deep and authoritative, sending a chill through my body.Then I glimpsed the source. The spirit.It emerged from the shadows, its figure cloaked in darkness, its eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. The sight ignited a blend of fear and rage within me.“Not you again,” I said, fixing my gaze on the figure before me.“That's not how you should greet a friend,” he answered, tilting his head slightly.“We are not friends.”“That is out of point. You lost,” the spirit spat, its voice slicing through the air like a whip. “Once more.”I clenched my fists, though I wasn’t certain if I even possessed a body in this bizarre, otherworldly realm. “I didn’t fail,” I shot back, my voice steely.I refused to let a strange entity, who expected me to murder som
Andrew’s POVAfter my short visit to the health center to see Micheal and get a review on his life status, I was more than ready to go see my mate.When I first saw Michael in the state he was in, I couldn't help but worry that something really bad must've happened to him during the mission.But from what I had gathered so far, from Greg, the other lady—Lora, and Mirabel, it was safe to say that Michael will be up and about in no time.That was all I wanted to know.When I finally got to Elara's door, I was a bit nervous. As an alpha I shouldn't be but as a man, I was. My mate had been kidnapped and somehow, I wasn't able to go after her.The thought of it made me feel weak.So I was worried that she will use that against me. After a long pause, I simply took a deep breath, knocked and waited for her to come open the door.When she finally did, the death stare she had in her eyes were enough to make my wolf take a step back, something he never does.I guess her anger was justified. My
Elara's POVIt hadn't been an easy journey. I thought escaping Deveruid's claws and making sure we survived long enough to come back home was a huge task on its own.Until Michael collapsed all of a sudden. For a moment I was seriously scared that he would die on our way back but luckily it seemed the fates were finally on our side after abandoning us for so long.As we crossed the border to the Salientmoon pack—my pack—my blood got heated with excitement. After such a long time, I was finally going to meet my mate.It had barely been over a day since I last saw him, but the events that have happened in between had made it feel like it's been over a year.But when we finally got to meet after hours of impatiently waiting to finally see him, I was annoyed by the way he dismissed me. I was hoping for some nice welcome, at least a hug or something—heaven knows I needed one but he just looked at me and said “Elara it's good to have you back.”What the hell did that even mean?Frustrated
Andrew's POVOh shit. He looked terrible.“What happened to him?” I asked surprised to see the large wound in his shoulder. “Shouldn't that be healing by now?”My eyes roamed the worn out and tired faces of them before settling on the person that carried him.“It should, but I don't understand why it isn't.” Greg replied his voice tinged with exasperation. “And there was nothing any of you could do about it?” I blurted.I sounded almost ungrateful and it didn't sit well with me.Before anyone could answer, I turned away. That's when I spotted someone to carryout the assignment I had in my head. “Max, go tell Mirabel to get a room ready for Micheal in the health center. We're bringing him in now.”With a nod, he ran towards the direction of the health center. “And you Greg, you've done well bringing Micheal back. Take him to the health center, I will be right behind you.”“Sure boss.” He replied stalking away with Micheal on his back. I would've ordered some people to take him instea
Andrew’s POVIt's been more than twenty-four hours since Elara had been kidnapped and there have been no word about her or those that went to rescue her.For the longest time, all I remember doing is pacing around and making as much calls as I can to know what the new update was.I tried to sit still and wait but the thought of Michael and the rest of the rescue team being captured or worse killed had me calling Max and Tom to my office.They were the ones I gave charge to keep an eye out for the people we were waiting for, but I was done waiting around.I wouldn't have bothered with them if there were other persons that could go on this mission with me without any worries.As it turned out, most had gone with the first rescue team while the others remaining I would prefer to keep watch over the pack.“I'm sure you have an idea why I called the both of you to my office right?” I asked staring straight into their eyes daring them to match my stare but they didn't.Their eyes were fixed
Lora's POVWe had narrowly escaped the detection of Deveruid's men. Overcome with joy, I didn't know what to do.I wanted to scream out loud at the fuckers that I had escaped but obviously that will be giving us away.Under the afternoon sun, it was difficult to hide away from men determined to catch us but thank the fates that Michael accounted for this situation.The giant bush and the thick smell of grass was all we needed to lay low for a few minutes as the men ran past.He chose a place we could easily hide from both nasal and visual detection. My mate.I didn't know him before coming to this place, but I already wanted to kiss him senseless for his wonderful plan.Immediately our pursuers had disappeared into the woods, we came out of our hiding, smiles gracing all our faces. It was time to get out of here.Before we could take the first actual step to freedom, I caught sight of Micheal clutching his shoulder as he stumbled for a moment, grunting. Before I could reach him, he f
Elara's POVAs they rushed towards us, I take my stance to begin the fight when Lora takes my arm and pulls me back.“What the hell are you doing?” I asked struggling against her grip. “We should fight them off.”We were in a narrow path, rocky walls on both sides of us but I thought we could use that to our advantage.“We don't have time for this.” She stated still pulling me as the men began charging towards us. “Let's get out of here.”“We can't just—” I began.“Elara get out of there right now.” Michael called.Turning, I noticed that Michael had already turned back and was running ahead us while I argued with Lora.What's wrong with them? By the sound of the shouts and grunts, I could tell we were close. All we had to do was get past the wall of werewolves.At last, I let Lora drag me along as she began running, dragging me along. What's happening? I thought we were going to face them head on. Craning my head to the side, I could see the men chasing after us. When I turned back
Elara's POVFor a minute, I was sure that Deveruid was going to rip Lora's throat in front of me. The grin he wore on his face and the look of malice he had to match it made my stomach squirm and my heart pound from the threat. I don't remember being this terrified since my last encounter with that ghost.I could still the dampness on my cheek from crying. I tried to convince Deveruid to release Lora using everything I had including tears but he turned out to be a cold hearted monster.As I watched Lora rush into the arms of Michael, I couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if he hadn't shown up in time to avert the disaster.Seeing Micheal return Lora's embrace with as much passion, his hands disappearing into her hair as he shut his eyes, suggested that there was something going on between them.What could it be and how did they even meet in the first place?I was curious but this was no time for questions, I needed to get out of here. Looking down at the limp body of Deve
Lora's POVAs I stood there my back pressed against the chest of Deveruid, I couldn't help but shiver at the fact that this could be the end for me.Some moments ago I was sure he was going to let me go. Now, I knew otherwise.My not so quiet insults really got him angry. I should've known better than to anger him any further.“Oh, so you're trembling now?” Deveruid asked, his breath hot against my ears. “You sounded so fearless some moments ago I thought you could handle a little heat.”For the first time, I had no retort for him. This was no little heat. This was practically a threat to my life. Nothing little about that. I knew he was mocking me because of how confident I sounded earlier and all I wished was to disappear from here. I felt embarrassed despite being in the face of death. It just felt like I was all mouth and no action.“We had an agreement.” I croaked.That was the only thing I could think up. My mind had somehow shut down.“And that agreement is off. Not that we h
Andrew's POVAs I stared out my window at the brightening sky, I couldn't help but feel guilty and helpless at thesame time.I should be out there doing something. I should be with the rescue team to bring back my mate.Yet, here I am, waiting for them to return like some princess trapped in a building waiting for her lover to come rescue her.It's been hours since I sent my men after Elara and they are not yet back. I wondered if they got into some problem.I turned away from the window and continued my pacing, as I thought of the next line of action to take.“You are going to wear a hole on the floor if you keep that up.” Rhea stated as she sat in the extra chair close to the door watching me.What did she know? She didn't have a mate and she was no Alpha.“I don't care, I need my pack back.” I stated trying to control the urge to let my wolf loose. It was as antsy as I am.“You could've just followed the rescue team instead of pacing this floor like an excited dog.” She stated. “Th