Matthew smiled to himself as he felt himself and his wolf getting stronger after the mate mark on Lily's shoulder had been removed. He did feel a little regret for her pain, but she would get over it. A little pain and sacrifice are normal for a budding relationship to flourish. 'Do you realize how crazy you sound? I can't believe you did this to our mate,' Baldur growled within him. 'Isn't this what you wanted? You wanted our mate back. This is how we do it,' Matthew responded. 'No, this is wrong. You have caused her harm and humiliation. She will never want us,' Baldur said. His tone was defeated as he went silent again. Matthew ignored him. He wanted to jump in between the argument between Kenneth and Elad, but things got out of hand, and Elders requested a recess. Matthew smiled, hopeful. He was going to see Lily and discuss plans for their future. Matthew could smell Garrett's pain and sorrow in the air and grinned. He would speak with Lily, but first with Garrett. It
Elder Dominic accepted the folder from the scout with the Alpha King's crest, his mind swirling with questions. The scout quickly retreated down the hallway, leaving Dominic alone with the weight of the documents in his hands. He couldn't help but wonder why Ethan hadn't used the usual mind link to contact him. Ethan had always reached out through that channel for matters of importance. Closing the door behind him, Elder Dominic wasted no time. He carefully unfolded the folder, revealing a trove of letters, ledgers, transcripts of phone calls, and reports. His eyes scanned the contents, his initial confusion giving way to anger as he pieced together the disturbing puzzle before him. Meanwhile, within the private chamber where the Elders deliberated on decisions, Elder Richard found himself under the stern gaze of his fellow council members. Suspicion had simmered for years, with rumors of favoritism and covert dealings with Alpha Kenneth circulating throughout the pack. Today, th
The world around Lily was a blur of chaos and destruction. The deafening roar of the onslaught reverberated in her ears as she fought to regain her bearings. The blast had launched her, and she wasn't sure where she was right now. Her vision blurred, and she could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth and smell the poisonous wolfsbane in the air. With every labored breath, she tried to push through the pain and disorientation. 'Move. We have to move, Lily,' Dina said within her. 'Get up or let me take control.' Lily forced her eyes open, her heart sinking at the nightmarish scene that unfolded before her. Rubble and debris were strewn about, limbs were strewn everywhere, and bodies lay motionless in the rubble. The sanctum, once a place of council meetings and decisions, had been transformed into a battlefield. 'Was there a bomb? How could this have happened?' Lily thought. 'This was a planned attack in case Kenneth didn't get his way. We have to keep moving and find
The adrenaline coursed through Garrett's veins, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He stood amidst the chaos of the battleground, panting heavily, his wolf form still dominant. With a guttural growl, he crushed the last remaining hunter in his mouth. Garrett's breaths came in ragged bursts as he released the lifeless body and turned to face Adam, his Beta, who looked ragged. The blade of a dagger was still stuck in his eye. He was surprised to see him as he assumed that Matthew would have remained with his mate. "Adam," Garrett panted, his eyes wild with the remnants of the battle's frenzy. "How many casualties?" Adam's golden eyes met Garrett's with an understanding that ran deeper than words. He nodded, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. "Many. Everyone has lost someone and some have been lucky. One of the prides that was closest to the bomb, the son only remains. The hunters have retreated. Whatever they came here for, they have gotten," he began. Garrett shifte
When Lily came to, she found herself lying on a cold metal table, surrounded by surgical instruments and unfamiliar technology. She tried to move, but restraints around her wrists and ankles held her firmly in place. 'Dina, Dina, help me. We are strapped down. We need to get out of here,' Lily called out to her wolf, but there was silence. She couldn't even feel Dina. Panic surged within her as she strained against her bonds with a feral growl. "So interesting. The color of your eyes changes when you reach out to your beast. So very interesting." A figure stepped out from the shadows at the sound of her struggles. It was a woman with sharp features and piercing green eyes. She wore a white lab coat, and Lily could tell that she was the one responsible for her being bound to the table. The woman regarded Lily with a cool detachment, as if she were nothing more than an object to be studied. "I'm pleased that you're awake. I was worried they may have given you too much of the se
Brandy entered the room where her mother was sitting. A quiet storm of resentment and confusion swirled within Brandy. Things were getting out of hand, and she needed to say something. "What do you want, Brandy? If you're not going to say anything and just stand there annoying me, you can get out," Mandy said, breaking the silence. "We need to talk about getting this slave bond removed from me. I did not sign up for this," Brandy stated. Mandy regarded her daughter with a mix of condescension and annoyance. "Brandy, must we revisit this tiresome topic again? You brought this predicament upon yourself; you chose to lie to get Matthew. You knew the consequences of your actions. You can figure out a way out of this situation." Brandy's eyes glimmered with tears, but she refused to let them fall. "How can you talk to me like this? You didn't want Lily to be with Matthew, either. You told me to pursue him." "Hmm, I did no such thing," Mandy said matter-of-factly. "You did, and
[Sexual Assualt] "Nothing," Brandy quickly lied, "she just woke up." Matthew turned his full attention to Brandy. He gripped both sides of her face harshly causing her to yelp in pain. "What did I tell you about lying, Brandy?" "Stop it! Leave her alone," Lily said. "Really, Lily? You're still protecting her after everything she has done. But, for you, my love, I will let her go this time," Matthew said, and he then slung Brandy away from him. "I am not your love," Lily stated. "And I am just defending my sister. You don't think I can't smell the mate bond on you. You're disgusting." "You hurt me, Lily. What you're smelling is not a mate bond, but a slave bond. I told you that the only mate for me was you," Matthew responded, causing Lily to look from Matthew to Brandy in disbelief. Brandy didn't meet her gaze, which confirmed that Matthew was telling the truth. "You dishonor her by doing this. Why? Why would you do this to her?" Lily exclaimed. "Because she kept m
"No! No, please!" Matthew pleaded with Kenneth. He could feel Baldur fading away. Tears streamed down his face as he realized what he had done. The excruciating pain from the loss was making him slip into unconsciousness. "It's already done. Normally, a wolf would fight against the poison. How sad that even your wolf would rather die than be bound to you," Kenneth said coldly. "Our blood pact has been fulfilled. Be thankful that I didn’t just kill you. Now you can start a new life as a human." Dina howled in agony within Lily. She never wanted this fate for Baldur. He had been unfortunate to be tied to such an awful person. ‘Baldur!’ Dina cried out, trying to connect with him to say goodbye, but it was too late. His essence was gone. Lily was having whiplash from everything happening. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Kenneth and then back at Matthew, who was now lying motionless on the ground. Losing your wolf was one of the most painful experiences, and how did he