[Diego’s POV]My gaze stays fixed on the woman as she continues to cradle the deceased child in her arms. Her expression screams everything she is feeling, and I can’t help but wonder how she can care so much for someone she doesn’t even know. It was unsettling and inspiring. Even despite everything, she was still capable of having so much compassion, unlike me, who became a cold-hearted bastard.Did you really? The small voice in the back of my head counters. Since the very beginning, you’ve only wanted to do what was best for your pack.Did I? I push, knowing that my reasons for trying to find a cure were selfish and were only because of my sister falling ill from the plague. Or did I just use that as an excuse to hide the very compassion that could make me a target?Tearing my gaze away, I turn to Giddeon, who is giving me an annoying look.“Why are you just standing there?” I snap, causing his creepy smile to broaden. “Shouldn’t you be helping prepare the child for her sendoff?”“
[Diego’s POV]I continue to watch as the woman obliviously sleeps. She really wasn’t very good at knowing when danger was near, was she? Here, I was able to gobble her up entirely while she slept so soundly, and she didn’t even know it.Sighing, I reach out, preparing to wake her up, but stop as she lets out a shuttery breath and flips over, curling in on herself as if she is attempting to stop something from happening.“I guess you aren’t as oblivious as I thought,” I chuckle, dropping my hand once again. “Wait, why the hell do I even care?”It was well known that she found herself in prison because she killed an alpha and his subordinates. There was absolutely no reason to feel anything but disgust toward her, yet the more time we spent together, the more I couldn’t help but find myself pitying her. She truly was dealt a bad hand when it came to life.“...no…” she whimpers, snapping me out of my head. “Please…don’t…”Frowning, I watch as the woman’s face begins to contort with what
[Rosalie’s POV]I stare in disbelief at the door as it closes behind Diego. The man truly was hot and cold. One minute he was kind and caring; the next he was venomous as a snake. Did he have multiple personalities or something?Sighing, I collapse on the couch while pressing my fingers against the cuts on my cheek and pulling away so I can examine the blood on them.“He went all out,” I sigh, rolling over and curling in on myself. “I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.”Closing my eyes, I once again see his enraged expression, but it quickly shifts to that gentle one that he has used around me a few times. I truly was a fool to let my guard down even for a second just because he showed that expression, but it wasn’t only that expression that was making me do something so crazy.“What is it that I keep feeling?” I whisper, touching my lips as if that thrum of delicious energy would come from my own touch. “Is it a desperateness for some sort of human connection?”I didn’t know, and hon
[Rosalie’s POV]I keep my gaze fixed on Diego’s as he continues to stare me down, clearly uncertain of what he is even hearing and seeing. I had to admit, it was kind of amusing seeing him so perplexed; it definitely looked a lot better than his normal scowl.“Who said that you could leave the hut?” He asks slowly, composing himself once more.“No one,” I respond. “I got bored, so I just left.”“Just left,” he repeats, raising a brow. “And the guards I set there just let you?”Not really, but it was better that I didn’t tell him that I easily climbed out of a window because it wasn’t being watched. I was more than aware that would just make him angrier, and even now I feel bad for my guards since I knew they would suffer his wrath.“Uh…” Gabby stammers, reminding us that she was also there. “I can handle things from here.”Her words make my heart squeeze, and I wonder if Diego will blame her as well for allowing me to help. I couldn’t let that happen, and I wouldn’t. I was the one who
[Rosalie’s POV]I don’t move as the woman throws herself against Diego, wrapping her arms tightly around him. With a sigh of contentment, she squeezes him before peeking around his large body and eyeing me.“Oh,” she gasps, as if remembering once again that I was there. “How rude of me!”Releasing Diego, she moves forward and holds out a hand.“I’m Chanel; it’s nice to meet you, uh...”“Rosalie,” I say slowly, eyeing her.Now that I was getting a better look at her and she wasn’t bent over Diego’s desk with her face contorted with passion, she truly was a beautiful woman. With her long, raven black hair and glowing golden eyes, she was quite a looker. Add in her lean frame and height, and she truly was a knockout.“It’s nice to meet you, Rosalie!” She beams, shaking my hand vigorously.“Chanel,” Diego warns as she releases me and takes a seat beside me. “What do you think you’re doing?”“I already told you,” she responds, leaning against me while grabbing my chin so she can get a good
[Diego’s POV]“Now that she’s gone, should we...”Chanel’s body presses against me, and I can smell her arousal, but unlike the other times she has come onto me, I don’t feel anything. What the hell was this?As this thought hits, that woman’s face flashes in my mind, and I feel an odd sensation in my chest.“Something the matter?”Snapping out of my daze, I look down into Chanel’s dark eyes. They’re filled with curiosity and mischief, and I realize too late that she has gotten a whiff of something she would consider interesting.“Nothing,” I respond, snaking my arms around her and letting my hands rest on her ass. “I’m only curious why you’ve come.”“I already said...”“Tell the truth,” I warn, pulling her hard against me. “To believe you actually missed me and came here because of that is like believing the sky is falling.”“You know me too well,” she sighs, giving a grin. “I’ve actually come with word from your father.”My father. Of course, he would send Chanel to report to me sin
[Diego’s POV]Anger rolls through me as Anthrose’s words hit me like a ton of fucking bricks. Who the hell was he calling weak when he was making cheap hits at a mere woman? But was I really the one to speak?“Why are you here?” I growl, holding tight to him, even though everything in me screams to let go. “I thought you abandoned this place a long time ago.”As I speak, I let myself really take him in, from his haggard face to his shaggy hair, which was overdue for a cut, but the thing that surprises me the most is his eyes. In the past, those very eyes would shine brightly with amusement and dissatisfaction as I sparred with him. But now, they held none of the light and were unseeing.“What the hell happened to you?” I murmur, letting my gaze travel down to his lean form. “You look like shit.”“Age will do that to you,” he puffs.Age. He was a wolf, which meant that his life span was a lot longer than most. Of course, it wasn’t longer than a lycan’s, but given his age, he shouldn’t
[Rosalie’s POV]I stare at Anthrose, trying to make sense of his words, as healer Murdoch’s hand comes to rest on my shoulder.“I think you should head out for now,” he murmurs as I turn to meet his gaze. “It’s clear that Alpha doesn’t think you’re in the right condition to do anything here.”“But…” I begin but stop as the healer gives a slight shake of his head. “Alright.”I guess for now I would do as I was told, but that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t come back tomorrow, at least if I was allowed to escape the watchful eye of Diego.Nodding, I let my gaze trail over Anthrose one last time before I begin to move, making my way through the bodies of those infected and out into the day to find that the moon is already high in the sky.“Now what to do?” I murmur, looking around me at the slowly emptying streets.I could go back to the hut, but there was a good chance that Diego and Chanel were probably busy. But if I roamed around out here, would another large shadow beast appear?Shiveri
[Ciaran’s POV]I lead my little mate through the bar and out toward the parking lot while everything in me screams to stop this and just leave her. However, unlike the first time we met, the bond feels so much stronger, and I can’t stop my wolf as it begs to have a taste of her. And frankly, this evening I wasn’t in the mood to be cautious, not when fate was continuing to bring her to me. However, there was something that didn’t make sense and that bugged the fuck out of me.She recognized me and my threat.Frowning, I reach my car and yank open the door to the backseat, and not wasting any time, I throw her inside and then climb in, slamming the door behind me. And once inside, I’m trapping her wrists between my hand, taking note of how fucking tiny they feel in my grasp. All I had to do was squeeze a little, and they would break.A human. I was mated to a fucking human. Me. Mated to such a weak being. What kind of fucking joke was this?“Why?” I grunt, trying to make sense of what w
[Chanel’s POV]My body buzzes with a delicious energy due to Anthrose marking me. Even though I’m exhausted from the ordeal that I’ve suffered through, I feel so invigorated that it leaves me stunned. However, by the looks of Anthrose and even Gil, who silently slumps to the side, I know that not all of us are going to be able to search for the artifacts needed to save Rosalie and Diego.“Anthrose,” I say quietly, letting him slump against me. “We should let Sam and the others find the artifacts.”“What are you saying?” Anthrose demands, jerking away. “How can we possibly…”He doesn’t finish his words before he is collapsing again, and I know that he isn’t going to fight me if I drag his ass out of here. But I know that even I won’t be able to do that, not when I needed to support Gil.“Are you able to walk?” I ask, deciding to not scold him for trying to act like he was fine. “Or should I…”“I can walk.” He assures me, slowly standing. “What about you?”“I’m fine,” I admit, joining h
[Anthrose’s POV]Joy rushes through me as the taste of blood explodes on my tongue. Goddess, it tastes so good, especially mixed with the fear that is trickling from the one that I’m slowly ripping limb from limb. It’s all I can taste, all I can feel, all I can focus on.That’s it. The darkness in me purrs. Kill. Kill everyone.Kill everyone. Right. I needed to kill everyone because they’re the ones who did this. This was their fault. They were the reason I was left with no other choice but to embrace the beast that I always kept in the shadows.Kill.The word repeats itself in my mind again and again until I feel hands wrapping around me, pulling at me, all of them attempting to stop me from killing the one beneath me.“Anthrose.”“Stop it.”“We need him alive.”Bullshit. We didn’t need this bastard alive! He deserved to die because he…The rest of my thought gets lost as a sweet scent slams into me, drawing my gaze to the single figure who lays on the ground clutching their abdomen.
[Chanel’s POV]I stare on, watching as Anthrose and the rest of his group surge forward, attacking the guards who were just sneering at me, and I can’t help but laugh at the difference in their demeanors.“Cowards,” I spit, sitting up and snapping my thumbs back into place. “Acting all high and mighty until actual danger appears.”As I speak, I grab the chains that are holding my ankles and begin to pull while ignoring the pain that shoots through me. Fuck, they were strong, but I was stronger. Soon enough, they begin to crack and then break apart, allowing me to finally get up and move to Gil’s side.“Just hang in there a bit longer, alright?” I tell him, clutching his cuff and starting to fight with it. “Then we will get you out of here and…”“No!” Gil gasps before breaking into a coughing fit. “We can’t just leave!”Frowning, I take in his words, trying to make sense of what it is that he is saying, but I don’t get to question him further before pain shoots through me and my body a
[Anthrose’s POV]The next morning we move out the minute the warm sun begins to paint the ground that we sleep on. After a quick breakfast, we head out with me leading the way since I’m the only one who can get a feel for the location that we are searching for.Together, we silently move across the island while keeping our senses alert in case of a surprise attack. However, the expected never happens, and by the time we are close to our destination, I can’t help but feel like all of this is too easy, and by the tension I feel from my companions, I know that they’re feeling the same.“Up ahead,” Sam murmurs, coming to my side. “I can see it.”Nodding, I take in the shining figure that I’m certain is the temple, noting the dark aura that radiates around it. Even from here I could tell that the things residing within were something the normal wolf wouldn’t want to approach, but given what we were fighting for, I wasn’t going to let it stop me.“Prepare yourselves.” I announce, letting my
[Anthrose’s POV]For the rest of the day, I search the island for a sign of where Chanel and Gil may be, but come up empty. And when my group can’t seem to move anymore, I have to call the search to a halt. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t continue to keep my connection with the earth, searching while dinner is made.It’s a silent ordeal, as I’m certain that the entire group is feeling the weight of what is at hand and what we may encounter when we find the ones we are searching for. I could only assume that a fight was waiting for us, and it was because of that that I even agreed to res.Sighing, I close my eyes and let myself slip deeper into a trance, searching until I feel something press against my consciousness that snaps me to alertness as hope flares through me along with a longing that I’ve never felt before.‘Chanel,’ I whisper, not daring to truly believe that I’m feeling what I am. ‘Is that you?’For a moment, all I’m met with is silence, causing me to believe that
[Anthrose’s POV]My body screams at me, begging me to stop, to take a break, but I can’t stop moving. Behind me, I can hear noises of complaint and exhaustion escaping my companions, making it clear that they’re feeling the same thing as me. However, I can’t stop moving; I won’t stop moving; just the thought of stopping makes me so damn anxious I want to fucking destroy something. I can’t stop the feeling that if I stop looking even for a second, Chanel will vanish completely.Shivering, I try not to think of a world where she doesn’t exist somewhere. Sure, it was one thing to keep my distance and allow her to live the life that she deserves, but to even think of her not being somewhere alive and happy damn near kills me.‘Chanel.’ I call to the darkness, hoping and praying that by some miracle she will respond to me. ‘Where are you? Why aren’t you answering me?’“Anthrose.”I immediately freeze as the voice reaches me, but I realize a moment too late that it wasn’t Chanel’s voice, it
[Chanel’s POV]I look around me, taking in the stone walls around me, noting how they’re cracking, allowing vines to grow through them while my intrusive thoughts try to get the better of me. They’re screaming things like what if this place were to collapse. What if you find yourself at a dead end? What if you run out of air? It’s irritating as fuck, and even though I keep telling them to shut up, they just won’t.“Hey,” I call to Tyson, who leads the way in hopes of distracting myself. “Are you certain that we are going in the right direction?”Since he was the one to choose our path and take the lead, I could only hope that he somehow could track the way out of this place, but what if he was just leading us deeper into this underground labyrinth?“Hey,” I repeat when he doesn’t respond to me. “I’m talking to you.”Frustration growing, I move forward and grab his shoulder, forcing him to turn and look at me, but I’m not met with the same gaze that I was used to. Instead, I’m met with
[Anthrose’s POV]We spend the rest of the day searching for any sign of Chanel or Tyson, but all we come up with is nothing. It’s almost like neither of them existed or were somehow spirited away from earth.“We should rest.” Henry, one of Ulrick’s warriors, suggests later that evening. “We will be useless in helping them if we are exhausted.”“Are you saying that this little bit of action exhausts you?” I demand. “If that's the case, you are more than welcome to rest, but I’m going to keep searching.”“But, sir…”“I said I was going to keep searching!” I growl, not giving two fucks if I came across as argumentative or defiant. “There’s no fucking way that I’m going to stop until I find her.”Even though only a couple of hours had passed, I couldn’t help but feel like days, even weeks, had already gone by without Chanel’s presence. It was fucking maddening, and I was beginning to feel like a crazy man. How the hell did I manage to stay away from her for so many years in the past?No.