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
KAVAN'S POV After searching almost all corners of the house, I still could not find her nor traces of her whereabouts. I reluctantly followed the faint trail that I saw earlier; my senses had led me right to the spot. The path I was walking through was bushy and dark, but I didn't get anxious because I was an alpha wolf. I summoned up the last bit of courage in me and continued walking. I quickly picked up her scent before I heard her screaming loudly. For her to scream that loud, that means she was in danger and someone was trying to mute her from screaming or being loud. A wave of panic rushed through my veins, but because I was an alpha wolf, I had to summon the last bit of courage in me. Autumn was very dear to me; I still could not believe that I was in love with a woman I wanted to use for my selfish reasons. I got to realize that I didn't want to lose or leave her. I wanted her to be mine forever. I carried no weapons with me because I did not anticipate this and did not
All did not sit well with me seeing Autumn become so flirty with my dad. I knew she had to be up to something, but I could not quite wrap my fingers around it yet.After my dad and she left, I was worried, and I decided to follow my instincts to go check up on her. I knew something bad was happening, and I could not just stay by and think about it.“Sunny, I have to go now. I will be right back,” I said. “Where are you going, Kavan?" She asked. “No, you don't have to worry; I will be right back in no time,” I responded. “Okay, I will be waiting for you here. Do not take too long,” she added. I faked a smile and left, heading to my dad's room.I could hear someone screaming and shouting from his room, and I knew all hell has finally broken loose; he must be trying to force himself on her again.I banged at the door, and I slammed the door open. My hunch was right. The sight in front of me was so gruesome, as I could see my dad on top of Autumn, trying to force himself on her.“What do
MATHIAS’S POV Autumn was being flirty with me, and she made it so obvious to everyone. I was sure she did not know if Kavan was being serious about Sunny or not, but I believed him either way."Mathias, can we go to your room, please? I feel like spending the night with you,” she said. Kavan looked stunned when he heard her say that and was looking at her for some sort of explanation; she ignored him and was persistent in going with me to my room.I took the opportunity and grabbed her waist, gesturing her to my room and leading the way. Oh yes, finally!” I said. I was filled with excitement as I beamed with smiles all plastered on my face. Autumn was trying to make Kavan regret his decisions by getting him jealous of me. Either way, I was enjoying it, so I did not bother to think much of it.“Kavan, I think we should go too. We have told dad what we came here to say,” Sunny said, almost dragging Kavan away. Kavan did not want to leave as he continued staring at Autumn, waiting for h
AUTUMN'S POV Marcus dragged me by my hair and forcefully started kissing all over my body. I felt so disgusted as I struggled to pull him off me. His grip on me was too tight, and I was unable to get him off. At this point, I was screaming and shouting, hoping someone would hear and come to my rescue. This was not the first time Mathias had tried forcing himself on me.The last time was when Kavan luckily came to my aid. Mathias had dragged me from Mrs. Potts room to his room and tried molesting me. I was trying to fight my way out, but his grip on me made it so difficult and hard to leave. I could hear banging at the door, and Kavan suddenly slammed the door open. He came to my aid again, and I knew he had a hunch about this earlier because he knew I would not willingly go to Mathias’s room unless I had a plan. “What do you think you are doing, dad?” Kavan said, pushing his dad off me. “Why are you here?” Mathias responded. “Shouldn't you be with your pregnant wife?” he added. “W
AUTUMN'S POV I was being flirty with Marcus, and I made it so obvious to everyone. I did not know if Kavan was being real with the pregnancy with Sunny, but I suspected it to be only an act to get his dad deceived."Mathias, can we go to your room, please? I feel like spending the night with you,” I said. Kavan looked stunned when he heard me say that and was looking at me for some sort of explanation. I ignored him and was persistent in going with his dad.Mathias took the opportunity and grabbed my waist, gesturing me to his room and leading the way. Oh yes, finally!” Mathias said. He was filled with excitement as he beamed with a smile all plastered on his face. This was part of my plan and also to make Kavan feel a bit jealous about it. I could see the jealousy all over his face, and he was very terrible at hiding it.“Kavan, I think we should go too. We have told dad what we came here to say,” Sunny said, almost dragging Kavan away. Kavan did not want to leave as he continued st
MATHIAS’S POV “You have always been selfish, Mathias; you have never truly cared about me or my feelings,” she said, trying to gaslight me. “Me selfish? How dare you say that to me?” I responded. “That is the truth; why don't you want to accept that fact?” she added, trying to instigate me to respond. I knew all she was doing and just played along with her tricks.“You are lucky, Autumn, that I am in a good mood, or else you know what I would have done to you,” I responded. “What haven't you done, Mathias? I still remember vividly how you raised your hands on me,” she said. “I cannot believe you would do such to me,” she added. “I did not mean that, Autumn, and you know that, you keep pushing me to the wall,” I responded.She was about to respond back at me, but then Sunny and Kavan suddenly showed up and told me that they had something to tell me..Kavan saw me and Autumn already there; it was as if she wanted to leave, but I was stopping her from leaving. Kavan and Autumn looked at
AUTUMN’S POV “You have always been selfish, Mathias; you have never truly cared about me or my feelings,” I said, trying to gaslight him. “Me selfish? How dare you say that to me?” Marcus said. “That is the truth; why don't you want to accept that fact?” I added, trying to instigate him to respond. “You are lucky, Autumn, that I am in a good mood, or else you know what I would have done to you,” he responded. “What haven't you done, Mathias? I still remember vividly how you raised your hands on me,” I said. “I cannot believe you would do such to me,” I added. “I did not mean that, Autumn, and you know that, you keep pushing me to the wall,” he responded.I was about to respond back at him, then Sunny and Kavan suddenly showed up and told Mathias that they had something to tell him.Kavan saw his dad and I already there; it was as if I wanted to leave, but he was stopping me from leaving. Kavan and I looked at each other briefly before we avoided each other's eye contact. We had to ma
KAVAN'S POV Sunny and I went to look for my dad. We had gone to his room after revising for the plan I told her already. “You know what to do, right?” I asked her. “Yes, I do,” she responded. "Okay, give me an example; express yourself,” I added.“No, it is not needed. I will do that when I see your dad,” she said. I did not argue with her and just nodded in response to her. We first went to my dad's room to see if he was there, but he was nowhere to be found."Dad,” I said, knocking softly on the door. “Are you in there?” I added. “Maybe he is not in the room,” Sunny said. “I guess too; let's go to the balcony or the dining hall,” I added. “Let us go to the balcony first,” she responded, and we both left and headed to the manor's balcony.There we saw my dad and Autumn already there; it was as if she wanted to leave, but he was stopping her from leaving. Autumn and I looked at each other briefly before we avoided each other's eye contact. We had to make it look like we got betrayed
MATHIAS'S POV “Did he catch you hiding?” Kavan asked her. She responded and told him that I did not, but I noticed her presence. “He did not see me; I made sure to hide very well,” she responded to him. “So when they both left, I came out of my hiding spot and quickly went to Mrs. Potts room, and then, I think, after a few minutes, he also came by to check up on her,” she added.“Did you try leaving when you saw him?” Kavan asked her. "Yes, I did try to leave, but he held me back,” she replied. I was spying on Kavan and Autumn and also listening to their conversations. After some while, I got bored of it and went to the library to cool my head off. After some minutes there, I asked a guard to request for Marcus to come to the manor. “Hey you, come here,” I said, sighting one of the guards I saw. "Yes, sir,” he responded. “I want you to call Marcus for me, get in touch with him, and tell him that I want to see him at the manor right now,” I said. “Okay, sir,” he responded and left.
AUTUMN'S POV I do not owe you any reply, Marcus.“ I responded to him. “Why can you not get that you are just a tool for Mathias? He is never going to trust or actually love you like his son; you are just doing this for nothing. Are you blind to see that?” I added.“Shut up,” he said. “You are working so hard for him, but when he is done using you, he is going to leave and dumb you without even looking back at all,” I responded. “Who asked for your opinion, Autumn? Why can you not just keep your mouth shut?” He fired back at me.“You don't own me, so I can speak and give my opinions whenever I want to,” I said. “You are not the boss of me, and you cannot control me, scumbag,” I added. I have had it enough with both him and Mathias; people have been calling me names, but I have just decided to keep calm all this while, but now I am so tired of it, I cannot take it anymore.“Since you are done barking Marcus, how about you leave?” I said. “I already told you to mind your business,” he r