Kavan’s POVI pounded my fist on the desk, the sound resonating across the quiet of my workplace. Reversing the incident on the training grounds over and over in my memory sent a surge of irritation over me. Why had Autumn been defended? Why had I enabled Marcus's comments to irritate me? She was a liar, a manipulator, a lady with a covert goal, I knew. Still, the sight of her weak and alone self had set off a basic need to guard her from the poisonous remarks of my packmates.I ran a hand through my hair, the motion not helping much to release the tension coursed through my body. Tucked between allegiance to my pack and a forbidden attraction to a lady who might bring about its demise, I was a wolf imprisoned between two worlds.Marcus walked in when my door cracked open, his face a mask of disgust. With contempt in his voice, "What was that all about?" he asked. "Defending that gold digger in front of the pack as a whole?"Marcus's charge hung in the air, heavy with his contempt. I
Autumn’s POVThe nursery had been a swirl of laughs and fat cheeks, a brief haven from the constant stress that pervaded the packhouse. Even the pups' pure delight, though, couldn't completely divert me from the agony churning inside.Leaving the nursery, my steps carried me towards the training area. There were loud commands from the coaches and the repetitive thuds of sparring. My eyes followed the image until they landed on Kavan, moving through a set of fluid, practiced moves. His every action demonstrated his military might; his strength and grace were hypnotic.But he had a shade in his eyes, a diversion that seemed to draw his attention off the current work. Our eyes locked across the training pitch, and he looked with a flash of recognition. He pulled away from his sparring partner, striding towards me with a smile that fell short of his eyes.But Mathias materialized at my side, his arm defensively brushing over mine before he could get to me. Kevan's smile wavered, then gave
Autumn’s POVTension permeated the air, a physical cold that crept into my bones. Originally a cozy refuge, the packhouse felt foreign and chilly. Usually the happy conversation filling the hallways had been replaced with quiet murmurs and cautious looks. Their criticism felt as weighty as it was stifling me.Cold glances and unpleasant comments greeted me as I moved through the packhouse. Some pack members even made disparaging comments about my parenting, their words like venomous daggers cutting my heart.I tried to ignore them and concentrate on the current work, but their judgment was so weighty it was destroying. I hadn't felt so alienated or so alone. The outcast, the pariah, was the reason this pack might fall apart.I caused two strong leaders, the Alpha and the Lycan King, conflict. Their once-unwavering friendship had fallen apart, replaced by a simmering resentment that might explode into overt warfare at any time.From the inside out, the regret and shame tore at me like
Autumn’s POVThe day wore on, each hour bearing a weight on my shoulders. I scarcely remembered the material Elara taught as I rushed through her courses. The approaching meeting dominated my thoughts, a maelstrom of anxiety and expectation.A dull ache throbbed in my temples as the afternoon light started to dim; a handy justification started to develop on my tongue. I held my stomach, a convincing scowl wriggling my face. "Mrs. Pott," I tapped her, giving her a sign, "I'm not feeling well. I ought to lie down, too.Mrs. Pott's expression showed instant and real concern. She whirled about me, her hands dancing like anxious birds. "Oh, dear!" You poor thing, she clucked gently. "Let me help you to reach your room."Her worry radiating warmth like a consoling hearth, she led me to my rooms with a light hand on my back. Once inside, she made sure I got into bed and tucked the sheets about me with a motherly compassion I hadn't known in years.She said, "You just rest now, dear," strokin
Autumn’s POVAs I gradually came to my senses, the smell of moist ground and stale urine assaulted my senses. Head throbbing with a dull discomfort, my vision swirled as I tried to concentrate on my surroundings.My limbs hurt, and my body was battered head to toe as I lay on a cold, hard floor. If you could call it that, the room was faintly lighted by a flickering fluorescent lamp that exposed grubby graffiti-covered walls and a single, barred window far over my head.I battled to sit up, my muscles protesting with every action. My eyes flew about the space, looking for my captors. But I was alone, my only friend, the stench of putridity filling the air and the silent echo.The darkness smushed in on me like a smothering blanket that took my breath and chilled my head. I was in an odd, foreign environment when consciousness gradually came back. The strong stink of rotting trash and stale urine hung thick in the air, making my stomach turn over.I blink, my eyes straying to meet the
Autumn's POV.My eyelids felt quite heavy for me as I tried getting a glimpse of where I was. I could hear his heartbeat palpitate as he called out my name quietly. The voice sounded very familiar, and at the same time, it felt like an echo whispering into my consciousness, but at the same time, it brought back all the anguish I passed through when the thugs that kidnapped were hitting me mercilessly. I slowly opened my eyes as I regained my consciousness. My head still hurts from the beating I received hours ago, though I can't really tell how long I have laid down here. For some seconds, I couldn't actually recognize the place I was in. The first thing I could recognize as I walked around the place was the healers that surrounded me, treating my wounds. I wondered how I got there. The last thing I remembered was when some group of men ambushed me, kidnapped me, and went to the building where they beat me to stupor and break my legs. I lost my consciousness on the process as a resu
Kavan's POV.I couldn't process what just happened. Why is Autumn mad at me? Why the sudden cold attitude and annoyance? I thought she would be happy to see me by her side. I'm very sure we didn't have any form of misunderstanding before her disappearance, and I didn't display any rash attitude towards her now, so why the sudden change? I couldn't understand why she did what she just did. I know I do mistreat her sometimes, especially in front of my father just to hide my secret desires for her, but she knows I was just putting up an act; besides, my dad was yet to come into the chamber, so I didn't display any form of madness. Her sudden change disorganized me, pulling me out of the happy mood I was just as she opened her eyes.I was apprehensive about her and prayed secretly for her revival, only to receive a cold attitude at the end of everything. I was angry and, at the same time, confused. I tried figuring out what the problem might be. The last time I recalled in the dining hal
Kavan's POV.There was no name written on the note, and I was so furious at what I just saw on the note. The location of the place she was asked to come to is a very dangerous place. So sort of strange lured her out of her chamber. I blamed myself secretly for this mishap. I knew very well that she followed the instructions in the note because she must have thought I was the one who dropped the note. My mind immediately went to the last incident that occurred at the training ground. She must think that I called her out to talk about it. I know how eager Autumn can be to please me and the lengths she can go to sort things out with me. Her feelings for me were never undoubted to me. I know very much about it.The location of the building on the note was one of the unsafe places in the outer sketch of the pack, and I'm pretty sure she is not aware of that. She is still a novice in the pack, and she is not yet conversant with most places in the pack. She must have traced the building thr