Alastor POV - Alastor had woken up many times with a sore head, from too much training, a bad sleep, drinking too much alcohol, but the groggy fog that clouded his mind now was worse. It was thick, unrelenting, dulling every sense. That was a death sentence to a warrior. Panic spiked in his veins, as he jerked under the weight of the fog trying to pull him back into the realms of sleep. It was as if a heavy weight blanketed his brain, keeping his movements sluggish, his eyes closed, but he fought against it. His heart pounded his frustrations, being the first of his muscles to come alive again. It flooded his system with adrenaline, enough to make the fog begin to clear. Something was wrong. He could feel it like a sixth sense from the shiver along his spine to the prickle beneath his skin. The discomfort got him moving, waking him up with a force that made every part of his body alert, ready. He reached out with a groan, trying to understand his surroundings with blurry eyes. Th
Alastor POV - Once he was awake, it didn’t take long for Roman to recover. Alastor helped him to his feet, before yanking him into his arms. With Mina missing and the situation beyond their nest uncertain, they weren’t safe yet, but he sunk into his mate’s embrace with a sagging relief he felt through his entire body. Strong arms wrapped around him, clutching at him as Roman steadied himself. One of his mates was okay and he wasn’t alone to face what had happened. Before they left the cabin, Roman inspected the darts. He also smelt the lingering traces of silver upon its needle, but no longer felt the effects of the toxic metal. Neither understood how they were okay. Having silver directly injected into the blood stream was dangerous, deadly. They should’ve been suffering the consequences of letting the enemy slip through their defences, instead, they were fine. Though neither of them understood it, it was a small blessing they could decipher later. For now, they turned their attent
Roman POV - A dark mood encompassed him, swelling in every part of Roman as time ticked by. It was a maelstrom of anger and frustration which simmered in a pool of everlasting worry. They had attacked his entire family. The family he was supposed to protect. He did that now, keeping watch over them as they recovered from the sleeping drug, relieved that none of them had any lingering silver poisoning. Their conclusions about their Legacy bond abilities were right and they put them to good use. As soon as Jo came to, they carried her back to the village and checked on the rest of his family. Every single one had been taken out. Every single one had been suffering from silver poisoning. His jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached. How dare anyone go after his family. How dare anyone take his mate. There was no sign of the enemy or Mini around the village, they were gone, but it wasn’t hard to guess who was behind it. Even though his instincts about these things were often correct, Jo a
Roman POV - His skin crawled as they stepped out of Ashbourne Forest and into the territory beyond. It wasn’t as if Roman hadn’t been beyond the land he considered his family’s borders, but it was usually for quick trips to neighbouring packs and old allies. This was different. A group of Clear Blue warriors waited for them at the edge of the trees, standing far enough away from its trunks to keep clear of potential blind spots. For a friendly escort, they were sure on edge, eyes to the trees as if they knew his family lurked among the shadows. They had all insisted on coming to greet the escort meant for Mini, to look upon the faces of the wolves that might’ve betrayed their Luna. Roman stood strong with them at his back, but stronger still with Allie at his side. Neither of them had talked on the way to greet the escort. Betrayal stung in the air, harsh and sour. It was a bitter pill to swallow to know his previous pack had sold out their Luna, but it must’ve been harder for Allie
Mina POV - The shadow cast by the mountain, as the sun sunk behind its depths, swallowed them an hour before they reached its base. It loomed over them, dark and treacherous, a far cry from the clear terrain of her home pack. Mina stumbled to keep up with the native Blood Mountain wolves, and somehow managed to catch her feet on every large rock and dip in the path. For the first time, she was thankful for the silver cuffs she wore, their long steel chain in Blake's grip. On more than one occasion he had caught her from falling on her face, though she refused to thank him. If not for him and his entire shitty pack, she’d be in her nests surrounded by her mates, rather than climbing a fucking mountain.She had never seen terrain like it. Mina’s whole body ached from the day of travelling and was quickly tiring at the incline, but she made sure they all knew it. “I’m tired.” The whole group groaned at her newest complaint, but she wasn’t perturbed. “And I’m bored.” She had been slow
Mina POV - Of all the warriors chosen to keep guard, Mina was certain Blake would be one to stay awake the entire night. He had been watching her like a hawk all day, but her moaning had seemingly got the better of him. When the escort announced the guard shifts split between three wolves, he wasn’t among them, and merely grunted his approval before leaving them to deal with setting up the campsite. Not that they had to put much effort in. They built a small fire, handed out some food, and then found a place on the path to settle. Most of them glared at her. She supposed she was the one keeping them from their homes and beds. Not that she cared. They had literally taken her from her nest. They were only feeling a sliver of the discomfort she was.Mina made sure to lay so that she was facing Blake. There were a few wolves between them, already sound asleep, but she resisted the same pull. She had to escape the group before they reached the pack. It’d be far harder, if not impossible,
Mina POV - The screech of the beast and the fear in its eyes barely registered as Mina fixed her attention to her mate. Her third mate. Most Lunas got two, others only one. She had never heard of a woman with three mates before. And yet, there he stood, between her and the danger, a snarl on his lips, his pheromones pooling wildly around them. The beast veered back as if the scent promised its death and bolted, only a whisper of noise following it into the dark depths of the mountain side. All fell silent again apart from their laboured breaths. Relief should’ve flooded her, but her body was alive with adrenaline, the sudden surge of dopamine still trying to fight it back. It tried to coax her forward, to stand at her mate’s side, but she stayed put, her feet rooted. Neither of them moved for one breath, two. Not until the last hints of the beast’s presence was long gone and they had recovered. Still, neither moved. Why was he hesitating? Mina realised the answer when her mate tu
Mina POV - As soon as Blake finished carrying her back to the makeshift camp, he dumped her on the floor, and announced they were continuing on to the pack. The warriors already looked pissed, but she endured their glares with an easy smile. She had fooled them and they all knew it. Before anyone could comment, silver cuffs were slapped around her wrists, her chain passed to a random wolf, and they were off. Blake didn't even bother to look at her as he led the way.Each step was arduous. Though Mina was given some spare clothes, her feet were bare. They felt every stone and dip in the path, but it was the incessant pulling of the chain that pissed her off. For wolves that claimed that she was their Luna, they didn’t care to treat her like one. However, none stepped over the line. They kept their distance, content to throw her glares or ignore her entirely. She didn't know where the hostility came from, but she just wished they would leave her be. If they did she could go home. Her m