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
Finn"We found him." Edward’s words through the phone made my blood run cold. "But Finn... you’re not going to like this."My claws extended involuntarily, piercing the leather of my steering wheel. "Tell me.""He’s holding her in his pack. My sources confirm she’s alive, but..." Edward hesitated, something he never did. "Dickson’s planning a marking ceremony. Two days from now, during the full moon."The world stopped.My wolf howled in pure rage, the sound echoing both in my mind and through my chest. The steering wheel crumpled under my grip."What did you just say?" My voice came out distorted, barely human."He’s going to mark her in front of his entire pack. Make it official. He’s inviting representatives from other packs to witness it - to show everyone that he’s claiming his mate.""She isn’t his mate," I howled. "She is mine."The windshield cracked from the force of my anger. Marking ceremonies were sacred, meant to be a celebration of true mates finding each other. The thou
FinnThe Northern pack house loomed ahead, its dark silhouette a stain against the night sky. From my position in the surrounding forest, I could see guards patrolling the perimeter – too many to count, all heavily armed.My phone buzzed. David again.“I’m thirty minutes out with reinforcements,” he said without preamble. “Don’t do anything stupid, Alpha.”I ended the call without responding. Thirty minutes was too long. Whatever Dickson was doing to her, I wouldn’t wait to find out.The guards were disciplined, I’d give them that. Regular rotations, overlapping patrol routes. But they had one critical weakness - they weren’t expecting an Alpha to come alone. The very audacity of it would work in my favor.I closed my eyes, letting my wolf surge forward. The shift was violent, bones cracking and reforming as rage fueled our transformation. When I opened my eyes again, the world was sharper, clearer. Every scent carried a story.And there – underneath the mingled odors of wolfsbane and
DicksonThere isn’t a single soul here. Not one. A place that was once bustling with rogues and outcasts has fallen deathly silent, mutated into a graveyard of memories and broken ambitions.The emptiness mocks me as I stand amid the ruins of my former glory. The bitter taste of regret floods my mouth as my thoughts drift to Scarlett—that woman who had seemed so insignificant, so easily controlled.If I had known she would become someone like this; this force of nature, this omen of destruction - I would have crushed her rebellion before it could take root.I would have held her down, broken her will, forced her to submit to my every command.By now, I would have been crowned Alpha King, with packs bowing before me instead of lying here, surrounded by the ashes of my mate and my dreams.“Who are you?” someone suddenly asked.My head snaps up, instincts instantly alert. I hadn’t detected anyone approaching—not a scent, not a sound, not even the subtle shift in air that usually betrays
Dickson.“How DARE you!” Scar’s voice shattered the silence, her amber eyes flashing with such venomous rage. She spat her words, each one aiming directly at my heart.Her beautiful face contorted with disgust, transforming the woman I loved into someone I barely recognized. “If I had known you were such a pathetic, spineless FAILURE, do you honestly believe I would have bound myself to you? You worthless bastard.”“Scar, please, just listen—” My desperate plea withered under her furious glare.“SHUT UP!” she snarled. “I thought you were something special- something magnificent. A true Alpha with the strength to crush that goddamn pack beneath your heel.”Her lips curled back, revealing her canines. “But I was catastrophically wrong. You’re nothing but a coward hiding behind excuses.”She paused, drawing a ragged breath, the contempt rolling off her in waves. “I lie awake at night wondering how moon goddess could have made such a grievous error in allowing you to become an Alpha.” Her
Leonardo“But...” A howl vibrated from deep within my chest, loud, raw and dangerous, making her freeze in place, fear flickering across her eyes.“Out!” I thundered, watching with savage satisfaction as they all scattered like terrified mice.I exhaled slowly, tension draining from my shoulders. These ants, always underfoot, always intruding.As she scurried away, I turned back to the mirror, straightening my cuffs.Now, it was time to meet my guest. The one I’d been waiting for.I walked as fast as my legs could carry me, finally reaching the throne room.“Here comes the king,” the guards announced. As they swung the doors open, my breath caught in my throat. I was awestruck by her beauty.Her aura pulsed with power, different and extraordinary in a way I’d never encountered. A possessive thought blazed through my mind: This woman must be mine.I forced myself to walk past her, even as my senses heightened to catch her scent, noting how she bowed her head in submission and respect.
LeonardoThe clash of bodies and the sharp scent of blood reached my ears before the dust settled. From the high balcony of my palace, I watched as the woman tore through my guards like they were nothing but paper dolls.Interesting.The Crescent Pack’s Luna, Scarlett. I had heard much about her; an ordinary omega turned Alpha’s mate, a woman marked by both suffering and defiance.And now, here she was, standing amidst the fallen, her chest rising and falling with steady breaths, her hands bloodied but unwavering.She was not what I expected.I had anticipated someone broken by rejection, tamed by the harsh hand of fate. Instead, what I saw was fire. A warrior. A queen in her own right, even if she did not bear the title.Beside me, my Beta Giovanni shifted uncomfortably. “Should I intervene, my king?”I held up a hand, stopping him. “No. Let’s see what she does next.”Below, Scarlett stepped forward, her boots crunching against the dirt as she towered over the wounded guards. A slow
Scarlett“Ray,” Seraiah muttered. “I believe she is Seraphina’s weaker version.”“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet as I struggled to process her words.My mind refused to accept what I was hearing, scrambling for any other explanation.“Are they joking? This can’t be real.” My thoughts raced frantically. “My Ray can never become something sinister like this.”Ray’s memories cascaded through me like a warm, familiar tide—her gentle presence when I needed comfort, her unwavering loyalty when everyone else had abandoned me.I remembered how she had nuzzled against me during those endless nights when darkness threatened to consume me. How her soft whimpers had somehow formed words of courage when I was drowning in despair. She had stayed beside me when no one else would even look my way.So how... how is it possible for her to be this wolf?“I guess you don’t understand what I’m saying,” Seraphina said. Her smug, superior
ScarlettThe battlefield smelled of burnt flesh and blood; an intoxicating mixture of death and destruction.I stood in the center of it all, my hands still tingling with the lingering heat of my flames.The scent of the rogues’ burned remains filled my senses, but instead of loathing, I felt something else entirely.Satisfaction.I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. My power, the thing that had been locked away for so long, now coursed through me like an untamed storm, crackling under my skin.When I opened my eyes again, I saw Finn watching me.His ocean-blue gaze was filled with something I couldn’t quite place, something between awe and… fear. The thought sent a strange thrill through me.I understood why he was behaving like this. He thought my power might have controlled me, consumed my soul, and that I might kill his people after dealing with all these rogues.But he was wrong. I am the sole owner of this power. I can easily control it now.“Fin—”“Watch out!” he screamed as he l
FinnI was burning with rage as I followed my Beta to my office. Why? Why did it have to be now when I was finally with my mate? It had been weeks since I had held her in my arms.Kissing her and feeling her warmth had been pure bliss—until Beta David decided to shatter our moment.“You’re here, sir,” Gamma said, rising to his feet as soon as he spotted me.“Why are you still here?” I asked, unable to mask my shock. “I remember you leaving after me.”“Yes, we have an urgent matter, Alpha,” he said, making a path for me. I strode to my chair and sank into it, my jaw clenched tight.“What is so important? What is so urgent that it demands my attention?” I scoffed. All I needed was to escape this room and return to my mate’s bed.“We noticed some changes at the pack border,” David responded, his voice tense. “And we needed to treat it with urgency, sir.”“What?” I slammed my fist on the table, making both men flinch. “Is that why I was dragged here? Don’t tell me you can’t handle a bunch
Scarlett“Here you are, Alpha,” someone said, breaking the spell and making me push him away.“Ha,” David breathed out, his eyes darting around nervously. He looked at me before focusing on Finn, his gaze held both apology and discomfort.I was red; red with embarrassment that burned through my entire body. I nearly wanted to dig a hole and hide inside, mortification making my skin tingle.“Why are you here, Beta?” Finn asked through gritted teeth. He was burning with rage, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscles working beneath his skin. “What you needed to say must be important for you to come here at this point… at this time.”“I’m sorry,” David pleaded, his voice strained with genuine regret. “I didn’t know that…” He trailed off, sneaking a peep at me. I blushed harder, trying to hide my face behind a shroud of hair. “You were in the middle of something important, Alpha.”A loud roar vibrated in Finn’s chest as he spoke. “Go straight to the point, Beta.”“Alpha, we have
ScarlettDarkness.That was all I had known.I had screamed, I had clawed, I had begged, but the monster inside me had laughed. It had worn my body like a second skin, moved my limbs as if they were its own, twisted my voice into something sinister and cruel.I had watched helplessly as it used me to hurt the people I cared about. Watched as Finn stood before me, unwavering, even as I burned him. Even as I tried to hurt and break him.But he never fought back.He had spoken to me - not to the monster, not to the entity that had taken over, but to me. The part of me that was drowning, slipping away. His voice had been a lifeline, and I had grasped it with everything I had left.And now…I was back.I barely registered the trembling of my limbs as Finn held me against his chest. My body felt like it had been through a war, every muscle aching, my skin raw from the flames I had wielded.The scent of scorched earth lingered in the air, but I could feel something else now—warmth, solid and