ScarlettMy blood turned to ice in my veins. Dickson’s grip tightened around my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh like claws.“Did you really think you could hide from me forever?” he asked, his voice a silky whisper that carried more menace than any shout. “That you could just walk away from what’s mine?”I tried to yank my arm free, but his grip was like iron. “I’m not yours,” I spat, summoning every ounce of contempt I could muster. “I was never yours.”His laugh was cold, devoid of any warmth. “Look at you, playing human in this pathetic little town. Running a coffee shop, training with that broken excuse for a warrior.” His eyes glinted dangerously. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out about him?”My heart skipped a beat. Peter. How long had Dickson been watching me?“You’ve been busy, Luna,” he continued, stepping closer until I could feel his breath on my face. “Making friends, building a life, pretending you’re free.” His free hand came up to brush my cheek, and I jerked aw
ScarlettI tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy, weighted down. Memories crashed over me in waves – Dickson, the confrontation, Alisha, the sudden attack from behind. My wolf stirred restlessly within me, a caged animal sensing danger.“She’s waking up,” a voice muttered nearby. Not Dickson’s. Not Alisha’s.I forced my eyes open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent light. I was in a room – no, a cell. White walls. A single metal door. No windows. The kind of place designed to hold someone against their will.My training with Peter kicked in. Stay calm. Assess. Survive.I looked around and finally located the source of the voice. A woman stood in the corner, staring at me with something that looked like pity.“Who are you?” My voice came out weak, unfamiliar. Something was wrong – I was never this powerless. My head throbbed with each heartbeat.“You don’t need to know who I am,” she replied softly. “Luna.”“Luna.” The name rolled off my tongue like poison – that cursed title. “I’
Scarlett“Ray,” I called, trying to connect with my wolf, but she only stirred.I didn’t know how long I lay there, my mind drifting in and out of consciousness as the wolfsbane poisoned my system. Hours? Days? Time lost all meaning in this windowless cell. The fluorescent lights never dimmed, creating an endless, artificial day that made it impossible to track time.Every so often, the elderly woman would return with another dose. She never spoke anymore, just administered the injection with trembling hands and sorrowful eyes. I’d stopped fighting - not because I’d given up, but because I needed to conserve what little strength remained.My wolf was still present but distant, like a faint radio signal struggling to break through static. The separation was more agonizing than the physical pain. We had always been inseparable, my wolf and I united in everything. Now, I felt empty, like a part of me was missing.Alisha’s betrayal burned worse than the wolfsbane. Five years ago, she’d be
DicksonFive Years AgoThe cell reeked of victory – her victory. I inhaled deeply, letting the rage build in my chest as I stared at the broken chains. Gone. She was gone. My fingers traced the metal bars she’d somehow managed to break, despite her weakening body.“Alpha,” Henry, my beta, approached with the caution of a man who’d seen my rage before. “We found evidence that—”“That one of my own servants helped her escape?” I turned slowly, enjoying how he flinched. “Yes, I’m aware. It must be that little maid – Alisha, the one I assigned to her.”“Should we hunt them down? We could—”“No.” I smoothed down my jacket, regaining my composure. Control was everything. “Let them run. Let them think they’ve won.”“But sir, after what she did to Vanessa…”My hand shot out, gripping his throat. “Don’t say her name.” I released him, watching him gasp for air. “My mistress’s death will be avenged, but not yet. Sometimes, Henry, the best revenge requires patience.”I walked to the window, looki
DicksonThe sound of Scarlett’s rebellion echoed in my mind as I walked down the corridor. My footsteps measured and precise. Her words – “I fucking hate you” – brought a smile to my face. Such spirit, even now. Breaking her would be even more satisfying than I’d imagined.“Alpha,” Henry approached, bowing his head. “The preparations are complete.”“And our guest?”“The warrior’s body has been... brought and displayed, as you ordered. When she’s moved to the viewing room, she won’t be able to miss it.”Perfect. I adjusted my cufflinks, imagining her reaction when she saw what remained of her precious trainer. “And Alisha?”“In the conditioning chamber, sir. She’s... resistant. Her body and brain are trying to fight off your manipulation.”I paused, turning to face him. “Resistant?” Henry wasn’t lying. The way she behaved in front of Scarlett made me realize there were still feelings.I thought she could be cold as ice when she confronted her, like I wanted. I thought she could say some
ScarlettThe guards came for me when the wolfsbane was at its peak in my system. Every movement sent fire through my veins as they dragged me from my cell, my feet barely able to support my weight. I tried to focus, to memorize the route they were taking, but the corridors blurred together in an endless maze of sterile white walls.We stopped at a large metal door. One of the guards punched in a code – my dulled senses couldn’t catch the numbers – and pushed me inside.The viewing room. My heart stopped.Peter.Or what was left of him.They’d positioned him like a grotesque artwork, suspended against the far wall. His missing hand. His gouged eye. The cavity in his chest where his heart should have been. The message was clear: this is what happens to those who dare to help you.“Beautiful, isn’t it?”Alisha’s voice. But wrong. Cold. Empty. I turned to face her, and the person I saw wasn’t the sister I’d known for five years. Her eyes were different – harder, filled with a hatred that
ScarlettThe first thing I noticed was the cold. Not the biting chill of the viewing room, but the deep, penetrating cold of the isolation cells beneath the pack house. My body ached, each breath sending shards of pain through my ribs. Alisha’s handiwork. I looked around and I realized I was in a different cell.I was in deep pain. My bones ached, but underneath the pain, something was different. Ray’s presence was stronger, more focused. The wolfsbane should have kept her subdued for hours more, yet I could feel her stirring, pushing against the chemical chains that bound her.Focus, I told myself, forcing my eyes open. The cell was pitch black, but my enhanced vision picked out details my human sight would have missed. Fresh scratches on the walls. The lingering scent of fear. Blood—not just mine.Others had been here recently.I pressed my palms against the cold concrete, testing my strength. My arms trembled but held. Whatever game Dickson was playing, he’d made his first mistake:
FinnFive years since I walked away from her, letting my pride and hatred blind me.From my position on the pack house balcony, I watched young wolves sparring on the training grounds below. Their laughter felt out of place, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within me.“You’re brooding again," David remarked with a hint of displeasure as he approached, carrying two glasses of whiskey. “Third night this week.”I accepted the offered drink without turning. “I’m not brooding.”“Right.” He leaned against the railing. “And I suppose you’re staring at nothing in particular, not thinking about your mate and how she rejected you, right?”The glass cracked in my grip. “Shut up, David. If you have nothing good to say, just keep quiet and don’t add to my anger.”David set his drink down, his usual playful demeanor slipping. “You’ve been a ghost these past months, Finn. The pack feels it. I feel it, both as your beta and as your friend. And we both know why.”“I made a promise,” I said quie
NinaI couldn’t contain my scream as the pain tore through me.“That’s more like it,” Jack murmured, satisfaction darkening his features. “Now tell me, Nina. Was it worth it?”Tears blurred my vision, but I lifted my chin, forcing a smirk onto my lips despite the agony. “You tell me, Jack. Does this make you feel powerful?” I let out a shaky breath, my voice dripping with mockery. “Or does it remind you that you once loved me?”“Really?” His smirk turned cruel as he plunged the silver blade deep into my chest, stopping just short of a fatal wound. My scream echoed off the walls, raw and primordial. The pack’s cheers rose around us like a grotesque chorus, celebrating my torment.“Scream more,” he snarled, twisting the silver deeper. My body obeyed, another agonized cry ripping from my throat. This pain was beyond anything I could contain, beyond anything I could fight.“It hurts so much. Please.”“Tell me, why did you choose to hurt me despite how much I loved you, Nina? Why did you c
NinaWeeks crawled by in silence, each day without a word from Jack leaving me weaker. The guards’ sporadic meals – mere scraps twice a week – barely kept me alive. My body had become a hollow shell of what it once was.I huddled in the corner, gnawing absently at my fingertips when footsteps echoed down the corridor. I didn’t bother looking up, expecting another cold-faced guard.But then his scent hit me – that familiar, intoxicating aroma that made my mouth water. I raised my head to find Jack looming over me, his face twisted with contempt.I scrambled to my feet, my heart surging with a desperate joy. Something stirred deep within me, electric and primal, awakening every dormant cell in my body. The wolf inside me howled in recognition. I felt alive.“Jack,” I breathed. “Is it really you?”“Does seeing me make you this happy?” His voice was ice.“Yes,” I whispered, drawing closer. “I’ve missed you so much, honey.”His eyes blazed with such fury that I staggered back. This wasn’t
NinaThe cold stone walls of my cell seem to close in with each passing hour. How long have I been here? Days? Weeks?Time bleeds together in this darkness, broken only by the dim light filtering through the tiny window near the ceiling.My hands trace the rough surface of the wall, fingers catching on jagged edges, a sensation that’s become almost comforting in its familiarity.Jack. His name burns in my mind like acid. He should be dead. He should be rotting in the ground by now, not walking around, breathing, living. I did everything perfectly.The poison was untraceable, so much so that even the most thorough autopsy wouldn’t have detected it.I watched him drink it, watched the bottle empty as he swallowed every last drop. I remember fighting to keep my expression neutral, to stop the satisfaction from showing on my face as he thanked me for “taking care of him.”A bitter laugh escapes my throat, echoing off the walls. Taking care of him, oh, I took care of him alright. Or at lea
DianaThe walk to the main hall felt like an eternity, each step bringing us closer to the moment I’d been waiting for.Jack walked beside me, his presence steady and strong, while my husband followed close behind.The whispers of servants and guards echoed through the corridors, spreading news of Nina’s arrival like wildfire through the pack.The alpha had already announced before her arrival that everyone should make her life a living hell for attempting to kill their beta, but they were strictly forbidden from taking her life.When we entered the main hall, I saw her standing there; her posture straight and proud despite being surrounded by our guards.For a split second, I caught the flash of shock in her eyes when she saw Jack, alive and well, before she quickly masked it.My wolf snarled beneath my skin. She thought she could fool us again, playing the role of the innocent mate. I watched as she made herself appear smaller, more fragile, her eyes wide with pretended concern.“Ja
DianaThe moment those words left my husband’s lips, my world shattered all over again.Lucy.My sweet, brave Lucy.The truth of her death hit me so hard that, suddenly, I was transported back in time, to when we were young, and the world seemed full of possibility despite its cruelties. I was just a low pack member until I met her.I remember the first time I saw her as if it were yesterday. I was sixteen, the awkward daughter of a low-ranking pack member, always an easy target for the others.That day, a group of girls had cornered me behind the pack school, their taunts cutting deeper than I had imagined.They weren’t just bullies – they were architects of misery, experts at finding the hairline cracks in someone’s confidence and splitting them wide open. Their wickedness went beyond simple meanness.“Look at her! Can’t even shift properly yet. What kind of wolf are you?”“My grandmother shifts faster than you, and she’s practically dead!”Their laughter rang in my ears as I presse
JackMy breath came in short, sharp gasps.“She is Jack’s mate.”The words echoed in my head over and over, like a cruel joke the universe had played on me. My mate. Nina.My stomach twisted violently. My hands trembled as I clutched the letter, crumpling the edges, but I couldn’t loosen my grip. My lungs burned like I was drowning, yet no matter how hard I gasped for air, I couldn’t breathe.This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.But the truth stared back at me from the inked words on the page, clear and undeniable.I felt Alex’s eyes boring into me, his shock a tangible thing between us. He wasn’t the only one. Lucas stood frozen, his face locked in a mask of unreadable emotion.The silence was unbearable.Then Alex scoffed, a sharp, disbelieving laugh that made my skin prickle. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”I wanted to agree with him. I wanted to tear this letter apart, throw it into the fire, and erase this moment from existence.But fate had already decided for me.“Jack
JackI quickly left, leaving Alex alone with him. My heart pounded as I searched the grounds until my gaze landed on Scar, and the sight knocked the breath from my lungs. The woman before me was unrecognizable, a ghost of her former glory.The designer clothes she once wore with such pride now hung in tatters from her skeletal frame, like flags surrendered to decay. Her hair, which used to cascade in glossy waves, had become a matted mess the color of dead leaves.But it was her eyes that haunted me the most. Those eyes that once flashed with wit and confidence were now hollow caves ringed by exhaustion’s purple bruises.Her skin, sallow and lined, told stories of endless nights spent running from demons I had helped create.“Scar,” I called softly, taking a hesitant step forward. Her gaze fell on me.The raw emotion in her gaze hit me hard. Hurt, hatred, and revulsion churning together in a toxic brew.I understood every ounce of her contempt, but I prayed she might find it in her he
Jack“How can that be?” The words escaped me in a whisper. “She can’t do that.”“She can’t do what?” Mother leaned forward, concern etching her features. “Tell me, speak up, son.”I forced a smile, though my eyes caught my father’s furious gaze. “Nothing, Mother.” Then, turning to Dad, I added, “I can’t remember anything.” The lie tasted bitter. I refused to believe my mate could do something vile like that.She wasn’t capable of such things. There had to be another explanation – perhaps the maids in that wretched pack had manipulated her, handed her poison while claiming it was medicine for my wounds.I could feel my father’s heated gaze on me as it burned into my skin. I knew he saw through my deception. I knew he didn’t trust a single word I spoke. But it didn’t matter. For Nina, I would endure anything.“I understand,” he finally said, his voice heavy with judgment. “Sooner or later, you will get to know the real her.” Without another word, he strode out of the room.Mother’s gent
Jack“Where is she?” my sister leaned forward, eyes bright with curiosity. “Is she from the Crescent Pack?”I frowned. I knew exactly who she was, and how she’d found her way to our pack.My stomach churned at the thought of telling my parents that the woman destined to be my mate had been sold by her own family to serve as Lucas’s mistress.Father’s brow furrowed as he studied my face. “Something troubling you, son?”I forced my lips into what I hoped was a reassuring smile. They needed to know. The Moon Goddess had chosen her for me, and that truth couldn’t be hidden forever.“You... actually know her,” I began, choosing my words carefully.Mother’s face lit up. “Really?” my mother asked, beaming with happiness. “Is she from this pack?”“No, Mum,” I muttered.“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” she urged, practically vibrating with anticipation.I drew in a deep breath and met their eager gazes. The silence stretched between us for a heartbeat, then two, before I finally spoke.“She