Alpha LorenzoAs dawn approached, the first rays of sunlight breaking through the darkness, I stood on the balcony once more.The pack house was now quiet, with the sounds of the battle replaced by the soft murmurs of those tending to the injured and preparing for the next assault.Queen Xylie joined me, her expression contemplative. "You fought well tonight, Lorenzo," she said."So did you," I replied, offering her a small smile. "Without your assistance, we would not have succeeded.”She nodded, her eyes distant. "We have just just begun. The rogue witches will not be easily defeated.”"I know," I said, my voice firm. "But we'll be ready for them."Queen Xylie placed a hand on my shoulder, her grip strong and reassuring. "We'll get through this, Lorenzo. Together."I stayed on the balcony, my mind racing, as she went off to join the others. I knew the rogue witches would come back even stronger than before; they had been a formidable foe.But we were ready. Our pack's strength and r
Alpha LorenzoAs dawn approached, the first rays of sunlight breaking through the darkness, I stood on the balcony once more.The pack house was now quiet, with the sounds of the battle replaced by the soft murmurs of those tending to the injured and preparing for the next assault.Queen Xylie joined me, her expression contemplative. "You fought well tonight, Lorenzo," she said."So did you," I replied, offering her a small smile. "Without your assistance, we would not have succeeded.”She nodded, her eyes distant. "We have just begun. The rogue witches will not be easily defeated.”"I know," I said, my voice firm. "But we'll be ready for them."Queen Xylie placed a hand on my shoulder, her grip strong and reassuring. "We'll get through this, Lorenzo. Together."I stayed on the balcony, my mind racing, as she went off to join the others. I knew the rogue witches would come back even stronger than before; they had been a formidable foe.But we were ready. Our pack's strength and resili
Alpha LorenzoThe next morning, as the sun rose, casting a warm glow over the pack house, the atmosphere was one of determination and resolve.The wounds from the previous night's battle were being treated, but there was no time to rest. The rogue witches had shown their hand, and we had to be ready for whatever came next.Queen Xylie and I convened a council meeting with our top warriors and strategists. The room was filled with tension, but also with a shared sense of purpose."We need to be proactive," I said, my voice echoing through the room."Waiting for them to strike again puts us at a disadvantage. We need to take the fight to them."Queen Xylie nodded in agreement."Our magic can help locate their base. Once we know where they are, we can plan an offensive strike.""Agreed," Conan said, his expression serious. "But we need to ensure our defences here are solid before we leave. The pack must be protected at all costs."“We’ll divide our forces,” I said. “Half will stay behind
RaelynnIt was a strangely quiet night, with an almost unnerving stillness. I had always been a light sleeper, the type of person who wakes up at the first hint of a floorboard creak or a breeze tapping on the windows.However, it was not the customary creaks and groans of the ancient Nightshade mansion that awoke me tonight. It was something else…a sound that didn’t belong.I had trouble identifying it at first since my head was still clouded from sleep. But the noise became clearer and louder as I lay there straining to listen.The quiet night was broken by the low rumble of a car's engine. My eyes snapped open, and I scurried from the bed, stepping onto the chilly hardwood floor.I made my way to the window and carefully pushed aside the thick curtain to get a glimpse outside. My breath caught in my throat as I noticed the sleek black sedan speeding up the long, winding driveway, its headlights piercing through the darkness.It was unusual for someone to stop by the Nightshade mano
RaelynnDays began to meld, one with the next and another. My days had become nothing more than a repetitive cycle of housework and Alexis´s psycho recovery.From the night she had been dragged back in bloody, passed out two weeks before until now I spent most of my time by her side at that clinic.It was a routine where I would get up each morning early, prior to the sun had completely peaked over the horizon. The house was always silent; there seemed to be a heavyness that came with stillness. I would then shower quickly, dress in my now-flimsiest clothing (there was no sense worrying about looks for days you spent near-chamber) and go downstairs to see how Alexis was.Dr. Brianca Sharpe had visited every day without fail, sometimes more than once. She was a woman of few words, her attention was always on the patient in front of her, but I could see by Alexis working with Brianca that she appreciated his work.I helped her change the bandages, give Alexis medication and take vitals
RaelynnThe impact of seeing Alexis open her eyes after two weeks stunned me. I knew what I had to do next. My hands shook as I grabbed my phone. Its bright screen stood out in the dark room. I searched my contacts with unsteady fingers to find Valentine's number. Without delay, I tapped the call button and put the phone to my ear, my heart pounding.The phone rang twice before he picked up."Raelynn?" His voice sounded tense, like he expected bad news."It's Alexis," I said , my voice full of urgency. "She's awake."There was a short silence on the other end of the line, and I could almost hear him thinking hard. "Awake?" he echoed, his voice full of doubt."Yes," I said. "She just opened her eyes. I think she's still not strong, but... she's alert, Valentine. She talked to me.""I'll be there soon," he replied sounding urgent. He hung up leaving me looking at the phone, his words still echoing in my head.I called Dr. Sharpe right away, my thoughts spinning as I shared the same deta
RaelynnA weird fog hung over the days after Alexis woke up. Valentine's crazy mood changes stopped for a bit bringing an unusual quiet to the house. The stress that had a grip on our lives seemed to loosen up even if just a little.It felt like the house could finally breathe after being choked for ages. Alexis was still getting better regaining her strength, but she wasn't well enough to eat breakfast with us yet. She spent most of her time resting in her room, with Valentine keeping an eye on her and Dr. Sharpe dropping by now and then.The morning air felt chilly, and sunlight peeked through the dining room curtains bathing the table in a warm golden light. I wanted today to be quiet just a simple breakfast with Valentine before the council members showed up for their meeting. But as I took my seat at the table, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.Valentine walked in, his presence as powerful as always, though he seemed less tense than usual. He held a small
Unknown's povValentine cruised down the dark roads, his sleek black car's tires humming on the asphalt. Quiet filled the car broken by the occasional flash of streetlights as he passed. His thoughts raced, but his face stayed blank as he neared his target.The Dawn Institute of Scientific Research stood ahead, a big intimidating structure that seemed to eat up the night around it.Its cold, clean outside clashed with the darkness it held inside. Valentine parked and got out, his shoes making sharp sounds on the shiny stone as he walked to the door.The big glass doors opened with a quiet sound, and he walked into the building right away. Bright lights lit up the inside, with plain white walls and shiny floors showing how neat everything was.A few scientists in lab coats moved around looking serious and busy, but they moved aside when Valentine walked by looking down as he passed.He walked with intent, his footsteps ringing through the plain hallway until he came to a pair of strong
RaelynnThe sun shone through the thick velvet curtains of our room and illuminated everything with a warm, golden light. The warmth of it kissed my skin, reminding me that this was no dream...this was my reality.A reality that only a few years ago, seemed like a world impossible to conceive, completely shattered into pieces that I would never be able to pick up. Yet here I am, so much stronger and smarter and more at peace than I have ever been in my life.As I lay in bed, listening to the soft rustling of the leaves outside and the distant chirping of birds welcoming the new day, I couldn’t help but reflect on how far I’ve come. The memories of my past, once sharp and painful, now seemed like faded shadows in the back of my mind.The pain of loss and betrayal, the paralyzing fear that I experienced during those days of darkness seemed like a dream…a nightmare that I had finally woken up from.My life had changed so much since those days. I thought of the darkness that had so nearly
Alpha LorenzoI wait outside the door to the dungeon the cold stone walls closing in around me. My hear beats faster the rage just below the surface.I need to do this. For Raelynn. For my pack. For all those who have been tormented by the life of valentine and his warped disciples.The door squeaks and I enter the somewhat dark hallway. It is damp and musty in there, with the drip of water bouncing off the walls.The guards nod their heads to me, with a very serious look on their faces. They know why I’m here. They know what I’m about to do.Valentine's cell is all the way at the end of the dungeon, away from all the others. I would have wanted him alone, removed from the rest of his nasty little gang. The man deserves no comfort, no company. Not after everything he’s done.I stand before his cell holding the cold iron bars. Valentine sits in there, perched on a little bench with his hands cuffed together in front of him.The look of pride and arrogance is no longer there, but instea
Alpha LorenzoWe step outside of the building and the heat from the fire engulfs us, and at that moment, I feel Raelynn's body drop from my arms. She's out of breath, out of energy, and I pick her up and carry her the remainder of the way.“Conan, take care of Valentine and his scientists, I shout over my shoulder as we make our way to the waiting SUVs. “Round them all up. No one gets away.”Conan nods, his expression grim. “You got it, Alpha. We’ll make sure they pay for what they’ve done.”I nod, my focus on Raelynn as I lay her gently in the back seat of one of the SUVs. She’s unconscious, her breathing shallow, and I feel a surge of panic. I can’t lose her. Not now.“Go! I shout to the driver, and the SUV speeds away from the burning building, the flames reflected in the rearview mirror. I cradle Raelynn in my arms, my heart beating hard against my chest.“We’re almost there, I whisper, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Just hold on a little longer, love. You’re going to b
Alpha LorenzoSo I pound my fist on the aluminum door as hard as I can, and I keep pounding and the door starts to cave in. Every hit vibrates up my arm, but I bite down on my tongue and continue. Raelynn is on the other side. I can feel her presence through our bond, faint but unmistakable.My entire body is on fire from the exertion, beads of sweat drip from my face into my eyes, but I will not give up. I can’t. Not when I’m this close. The dent in the door is minor, almost unnoticeable, but it is there. So I put all of my strength, and my anger, and my hopelessness into one last punch and I hope that it is.Then, without warning, a rush of warmth washes over the door. I yank my hand back, startled. The metal is red hot and I have to back up so I don't get burnt.I stare in disbelief as fire dances around the border of the door and the metal contorts and melts like some unseen force is wrenching it asunder.“What the hell…” I mutter, my eyes wide. This isn’t just fire; it’s somethin
RaelynnI’ ve been planning this for weeks. The smallest mistakes could cost me everything, so I’ve waited, watching, studying every guard’s routine. I’ve observed their movements, noted their shifts, even the way they carry themselves when they think no one is looking.One guard, in particular, caught my eye…small, unassuming, always on edge as if the very walls were closing in on him. I could see it in his eyes, the fear, the sweat above his brow whenever he was around me. And that made him my target.Well, this morning he was on walking post by my cell and I just knew it was time. He did not even realize how easily he was being played with.The shadows that had been my friends in darkness reached out to take his thoughts, pushing his focus away. A ripple of my fingers and the shadows told him of distant cares and his mind floated just enough for me to move.I moved silently, my fingers deft and quick, slipping into his pocket as he turned away. The cold metal of the key against my
Alpha LorenzoI can't remember the last time I was this tense. The past few months have been a nightmare, each day worse than the one before. I can barely sleep, my thoughts constantly consumed by Raelynn. My mate. My Luna. She’s out there, somewhere, suffering God knows what, and it’s my fault. I let her down, failed to protect her. And now, I’m desperate. Desperate to make things right, to find her, to bring her home. I’ve spent every waking moment planning, strategizing, preparing for this. There’s no room for error. Not this time.We’re in the war room, a dimly lit space in the pack house that’s become our headquarters for this mission. Conan, Alison, Ashley, and I are huddled around a large table, a detailed map of the Dawn Scientific Institute for Research spread out before us. The DSIR is an imposing fortress, heavily guarded, and getting in won’t be easy. But we have no choice. Raelynn is in there. I can feel it in my bones. “Alright,” I say, my voice steady but hard. “We
Alpha LorenzoI can't remember the last time I was this tense. The past few months have been a nightmare, each day worse than the one before. I can barely sleep, my thoughts constantly consumed by Raelynn. My mate. My Luna. She’s out there, somewhere, suffering God knows what, and it’s my fault. I let her down, failed to protect her. And now, I’m desperate. Desperate to make things right, to find her, to bring her home. I’ve spent every waking moment planning, strategizing, preparing for this. There’s no room for error. Not this time.We’re in the war room, a dimly lit space in the pack house that’s become our headquarters for this mission. Conan, Alison, Ashley, and I are huddled around a large table, a detailed map of the Dawn Scientific Institute for Research spread out before us. The DSIR is an imposing fortress, heavily guarded, and getting in won’t be easy. But we have no choice. Raelynn is in there. I can feel it in my bones. “Alright,” I say, my voice steady but hard. “We
RaelynnDarkness. It has been my constant companion for what feels like an eternity. My sense of time in this cold, damp cell is lost, days and nights running together in one continuous void of nothingness.I have no idea how long it’s been since I was tossed into this hell, since I was deprived of my dignity and my wolf. I don’t even know if it matters anymore. This place, this emptiness, it consumes you.I resemble now and again when the guards bring out their needles I test myself to see if I can remember what I was like before all this. I try to remember what it felt like to be free, to be whole.But those memories are as fragments of a dream. They are so beautiful and so elusive, and they dissolve before I can catch them. I have nothing but the pain to grasp on to. It’s the only thing that feels real anymore.I roll over on the cold floor and the chains that bind my wrists and ankles rattle. My body hurts in places I never knew I had.They don't feed me very much. Enough to keep
Alpha LorenzoIt's been a week since Alexis was incarcerated and I discovered the truth. A full week of searching and scouring every inch of our territory, and then some. The feeling of desperation claws at my insides, a gnawing ache that won’t go away no matter how many leads we chase, no matter how many faces I growl at in frustration. Every day without her feels like an eternity, every moment a fresh wound reopening. Max is restless, prowling just beneath the surface, ready to break free and tear apart anyone who gets in my way.I shouldn’t be here, pacing in my study with my phone clenched in my hand. I should be out there, tracking her down myself. But even alphas have duties, responsibilities, and meetings they can’t avoid. Today, it’s the damn council meeting, and if I don’t show up, there’ll be more questions than I’m prepared to answer. I need to keep up appearances. I need to make them believe everything is fine, that my world isn’t shattering around me piece by piece.“E