[Rosalie’s POV]I stare straight ahead as one of the latest hopefuls who wants to work with Gil’s company goes on about why they’re a good choice. Despite knowing that I should be listening in and taking notes, I can’t stop my mind from wandering back to what happened the previous night.Again and again, Diego’s shocked and hurt expression appears, causing my heart to hurt even more. Even if it was there for a split second before he managed to compose himself again, I saw it and knew that my big reveal left some type of wound deep inside him. And even if I wish I hadn’t said a thing, it was something that he needed to know.Going forward, my connection to his lycan would play a big part in what would happen, especially since it was his lycan that was causing the darkness to torment Crystal Fang, it was what I needed to somehow defeat. But how was I supposed to do that if my body and even my mind were weak to it?Sighing, I lean forward, burying my head in my hands, until the room arou
[Rosalie’s POV]“I got it.” I sigh, knowing there is no arguing with Gil. “I’ll tell him.”After that, Gil doesn’t say anymore; he just heads out of the meeting room, leaving me alone to finish cleaning up. Once I finish, I head back to my office, where I attempt to get some work done, but by the end of the day, I feel like I’ve piled up more than I did when it started.Sighing, I get up and head out while my stomach churns with nerves over Diego and Gil's meeting.“It’s going to be okay.”I tell myself this again and again during the ride home and as I head up the elevator to where Diego and everyone else are waiting. When I reach the door, it bursts open, and Geo rushes toward me.“Welcome home, mommy!” He announces, immediately erasing all my anxiety. “Did you have a good day?”Opening my mouth, I prepare to respond, but stop as Landon peeks from behind Geo shyly.“W-welcome home.” He says, and I’m certain that he too wants to say, Mommy.“I’m home.” I beam, kneeling down and openi
[Diego’s POV]I stare at Gil, who watches me carefully. If you ask me whether or not I expected this to be what our conversation was about, I would say no, but now that it was happening, I shouldn’t be surprised. Especially when the biggest threat to Rosalie and Geo was my mother.“It isn’t that easy.” I say slowly.“Isn’t it?” Gil counters, frowning in disapproval.Even if we didn’t get along and they were trying to control every fucking aspect of my life, from the way I ran the pack to who I married and made my luna, I couldn’t just off them. They held too much power and had too many followers for that. The minute I moved to do such a thing, I was certain that most of Moon Storm would turn against me.“Just because you come from a pack and family that are on good terms, don’t try to pretend that you know what my situation is.” I growl. “If it were that easy, I would have done that ages ago.”“You’ve failed the test.”Smirking, Gil lifts his fingers and snaps so that his women return
[Rosalie’s POV]I stare wide-eyed at the tent with fairy lights strung about it, which sits in the middle of the balcony in front of me. Inside, there are two air mattresses with soft blankets and pillows laying on top of them and flashlights.“When did you?” I ask, turning to find Diego watching with a proud look on his face.“I put it together when I got back.” He admits. “I thought the kids might enjoy it.”Nodding, I watch as Landon’s eyes light up with delight.“Come on, Geo!” He announces, grabbing Geo’s hand and tugging. “Let’s go inside!”For a moment, Geo doesn’t move as he gives me a look that screams he isn’t sure about this. And when I give him an encouraging smile, he lets Landon lead him in.“Something must have happened.” I murmur once Diego and I are alone. “For you to do something like this.”“Why would something have had to happen?” He asks, giving me a look. “Can’t I just do something nice for my family?”Biting back on my initial response to him calling us family,
[Rosalie’s POV]My eyes grow wide, and fear trickles through me as Diego’s lycan stares at me with the same face as Diego.“Miss me?” He asks when I don’t speak. “Although we were just together the other night,” he continues, pulling me to him so that our bodies mesh. “But I can’t stop myself from yearning for you, my little mate.”Letting out a gasp, I try to ignore the fire that begins to flare through my veins over being so close to the one the goddess created for me.“Don’t give me that look; otherwise, I won’t be able to control myself.” He murmurs, wrapping his arms around me and letting his hands trail dangerously close to my ass. “Do you know how jealous I get when you’re together with that man and I’m forced to simply watch?”“But why?” I whisper, unable to make sense of all of this. “You’re part of Diego, so why?”“Why are we not one and the same?” He asks, smirking. “It is because he has always fought me.”Always fought. As these two words hit me, memories of Diego’s restle
[Diego’s POV]For the next few days, I find myself replaying the conversation I had with Geo again and again. How was he so aware of what was happening at such a young age? Was there more to him than just mine and his mother’s curses? I didn’t know, but I also didn’t have the heart to ask. How could I when every time I looked at him, he seemed like just a child? My issue and his mother's issue were meant for adults, not children, from the start.Along with replaying that damned conversation, I couldn’t help but keep my distance from Rosalie so that she wouldn’t question too much. I wasn’t sure if Geo told me all that in confidence, but I didn’t want to break the little guys trust.However, by the third day of my zoning and avoidance, it was clear that Rosalie was becoming suspicious. Just the way her gaze would come to rest on me and an unspoken question lingered there, I knew that she wasn’t missing my actions.That’s why the minute she came home from work, I found Giddeon and convin
[Diego’s POV]I stare at the woman in front of me as I consider her words. What the fuck was all this talk of a new dynasty? Was she suggesting that mine and Rosalie’s being together would cause some type of apocalypse? She was out of her fucking mind.“Wow,” Giddeon whistles as I prepare to tell the woman she was full of shit. “This is like some scifi shit.”“Possibly,” the woman agrees. “It all depends on what your friends next move is.”My next move. Was she referring to whether or not I leave Rosalie, or was she talking about something else? This was the problem with this damned clan; they didn’t know how to speak directly.“What would you suggest I do?” I ask, deciding not to waste any energy thinking about it. “Since you know all.”“Me,” she says sweetly, flashing her white teeth. “I would eliminate the thing that would cause this to happen.”“Are you suggesting my boss unalive himself?” Giddeon huffs. “Lady, you’re crazy.”“There is another component to all this.” The woman cou
[Rosalie’s POV]Pain shoots through me, a piercing pain that radiates through my whole body, but the pain is slowly being washed away by a numbness that is trickling through my body. Along with this feeling is a deep rage that I haven’t felt in years.“Just die already.” Kate growls, shoving her weapon deeper into me. “And stay out of mine and Dieog’s lives.”“Rosalie!” Chanel gasps, attempting to move toward us but stopping as I shake my head.“Take the kids and leave.” I say slowly, understanding what is about to happen. “Get as far away from here as you can.”As I speak, I work to keep the rage I’m feeling at bay while Hana starts to snarl and claw at my consciousness.“But what about you?” Chanel asks, clearly not willing to listen. “I can’t just...”“LEAVE!” I repeat. “Get the kids and get as far away from this place as you can.”I knew once I snapped, I wouldn’t be able to control what happened, and because of that, I didn’t want them to be caught in the crossfire. Hell, I didn’
[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.
[Chanel’s POV]I watch as the crevice above me grows farther and farther away until my body is hitting the wolf beneath me, who takes most of the impact. Together, we lay there, watching as the ground slowly begins to close once more, eliminating the little bit of light around us until we are plunged into darkness.Snapping out of it, I jump up and then look to the wolf beside me, taking him in while wondering what exactly he was thinking. And once I shift back into my human form, I wait as he stares at me.“What?” I demand, my annoyance flaring. “Don’t look at me like that.”Letting out what sounds almost like a huff of annoyance, he begins to shift until Tyson is lying on the ground in the wolf’s place.“What?” He asks as I narrow my gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”Why? Because he was the reason we were here right now. He wasn’t paying attention to where he was going when he saved me.“Do I really need to answer that?” I sigh, beginning to look around, taking in the tun
[Chanel’s POV]“Right.”I give Anthrose one last look before turning my gaze toward the creatures that are slowly making their way toward us. They’re different from the beasts that we’ve encountered until this point, but they’re also the same.These look almost like worms, but they have legs and buglike faces. I guess if I had to compare them to anything, it would be centipedes. Just watching them move gave me the heebie jeebies, but I wasn’t about to let them stop me from getting to what I wanted.Giving Anthrose one last look, I begin to shift, and once I’m in my wolf form, I move, surging forward and attacking the creepy crawly closest to me. When we clash, it immediately attempts to roll its body around me, but I leap out of the way.Landing on top of it, I watch as the rest of our group joins in the fray, beginning our first official battle since arriving on the island.‘Don’t get yourself killed.’Anthrose's voice reverberates in my mind, causing my heart to race and giving me t
[Anthrose’s POV]I don’t speak as Chanel’s question flows over me, settling into the deepest pits of my soul along with the loathing and disgust that I’ve felt since the day the thing she is asking about happened, and as much as I would like to say, I know that I can’t.“The plague.” I respond instead, deciding that was a good enough explanation. “It affected my eyes.”“You’re lying.”Chanel’s response is firm, and I know that due to our bond, there was just no way that I would be able to get away with lying to her.“How did it really happen?”How? That was an easy fucking response, but again, I knew that if I were to speak it out loud, then there was a good chance it would dig out the skeletons that I was trying so hard to not think about anymore.“Anthrose,” Chanel’s voice drifts through my muddled thoughts. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”I did. But this was something that didn’t only involve me. It also involved her, and I knew if I were to open up about it, then