Asher's P.O.VThe helicopter blades whirr a deafening rhythm against my skull, each thwack a physical manifestation of the rage churning in my gut. Across from me, Derek sat nonchalantly, his face a mask of smug satisfaction. The roar of the engine drowned out everything except the pounding of my own blood."You think it's nothing, don't you?" I practically spat the words at him, my voice hoarse over the din. "Threatening children! Like flicking flies off a picnic blanket! You clearly had no qualms about getting rid of my mother either!"He just smiled, a dark, humorless twist of his lips. "Proof, Asher? You have no proof."My body tensed. No proof? They'd as good as admitted it! "Everyone knew!" I bellowed. "Everyone knew you drove Mom to…" I choked on the words, the memory still raw after all these years."Suicide," Derek finished coolly with a chilling glint in his eyes. "A mental breakdown. It's quite clear to anyone with half a brain."Fury choked me, rendering me speechless
The next few days passed in a blur and thankfully after I told Vira to fuck off out of my pack, she hadn't returned. The only problem I had was my stepmother announcing wedding dates between Vira and me.News that I had my stepmother under house arrest traveled all the way to Mallory and I had to let her out.Since then, she'd been a menace but from the glimpse of what I'd seen that night when we arrived at Mallory, I was sure Camila wasn't acting on her own. She was like a damned puppet.Suddenly I was jerked out of my thoughts when the abandoned fax machine in my study began whirring.What the fuck?At the same time, the new replacement for my mobile phone vibrated with a new notification.Frowning, I picked it up and saw it was a text message from Sen.–YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT I FUCKING FOUND! Check the fax and your mailbox too. Remember to save the images once you're done viewing. I placed a view timer on it.Frowning, I slowly stood up from my desk, approaching the fax machine tha
Asher's P.O.VMaking myself comfortable on the pillow before the throne, I rested my palms on my knees, deliberately taking my time before raising my head to meet my father's gaze. His Ruddy face was scrunched into a heavy frown and he was glaring daggers at me.I bet he'd wished I was a minute late so he could have his Beta announce that visiting time before "his Majesty" was over.I intentionally stayed back until the last minute before coming in, knowing he would be prepared to retire for his evening seclusion. It was a small victory, a subtle act of defiance that warmed him from the inside out.Guess I learned how to be a fucking sadist from the best.Honestly, staring at my father, all hunched in his throne seat, he looked pitiful, nothing like the fucking monster he was beyond the courts of this castle. I glanced at his beta over my shoulders, wondering if he knew what monster his Alpha was, if he knew about the experiments, the sick research, the exploitations of innocent girls
Asher's P.O.V"Three discreet knocks, just like you asked," A sultry female voice filtered through the door and I pressed my lips together to stifle a chuckle. "May I come in, Alpha.""Knock with your knuckles, Rose. I didn't ask you to say the words." I responded rising from the bed to pad across to the door. "Secret agent style?" Her voice was rich with humor and the humor reached her crinkling eyes as I unlocked the door and found her hitched against the door way, clad in full black leather catsuit. Her red lips shimmered in the dim light as they twisted into a teasing smile. "No, I'd rather the priceless look on your face as I took your words... literally..."Her eyes ran over me in appraisal. "Are we finally hitching up the risk to hooking up in hotel rooms? No more getting it on where we at?""I didn't invite you to fuck, Rose." I smiled without mirth this time and waved her inside the penthouse. "Shame," She pouted as she sashayed into the room. "I certainly dressed the part.
Asher's P.O.VI couldn't hear anything above the blood pounding in my veins. My heart raced like a wild animal, pounding in my chest as I gripped the steering wheel tightly. My mind was a jumbled mess, thoughts swirling in a chaotic storm. Anna was missing. My Beta, Sen, had just called to deliver the devastating news. Two hours, she'd been gone for two hours, and no one had seen or heard from her or. I asked him to check for Black Rose and she wasn't seen by anyone either. My father's sinister face flashed in my mind, his cruel smile and cold eyes mocking me. This was his doing, I was sure of it. He wanted to teach me a lesson, to show me who was still in control.Just as I was about to lose my grip on sanity, my phone rang, shrill in the silence of the car. I answered, my voice barely above a growl. "Delta, what is it?""Asher, it's me, Kael. I have some strange news. Some men, they...they took Camila in the middle of the night."My stomach dropped like a stone, my mind reeling wit
Anna's p.o.vThe muffled whimpers were the only soundtrack to my terror. Blindfolded and bound, I strained against the ropes that dug into my wrists. My head throbbed, a dull ache that pulsed with each panicked heartbeat. The last thing I remembered was the sharp crack against my skull as I hit the ground, the world dissolving into an inky blackness. Had it been a drink? A spiked napkin? All I knew was the darkness, the suffocating silence, and now, the chilling chorus of whimpers.Then, a choked cry shattered the silence. A small, high-pitched sound that sent a jolt of primal fear straight to my core. "Mommy! Help us Mommy!" Those voices I knew from the depths of my soul followed and shivers racked down my spine. "Evan? Ivan?" I croaked, my voice rusty from disuse. More whimpers, this time mixed with mumbled pleas that I couldn't decipher. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the darkness behind my blindfold. My babies. They were here too. I strained against my binds, the knots
Asher's P.o.vFury coursed through me, a white-hot fire that threatened to consume me whole. The image on my phone – Anna, strapped to some kind of metal contraption, her face contorted in pain – was seared into my brain. Vira, that sadistic bitch, had crossed a line. I wanted nothing more than to rip her throat out, to make her pay for the terror she inflicted on Anna and my boys.But rage wouldn't save them. It wouldn't break down the steel doors holding them captive. I had to be smarter. I had to play her game.With a growl that vibrated in my chest, I typed a message to Vira. "Meet me at the abandoned warehouse on Elm Street. Midnight."There was no response, but that didn't surprise me. Vira reveled in control, in making me sweat.When the clock struck twelve, I was waiting in the shadows, a panther ready to pounce. The warehouse loomed hugely, a skeletal frame against the moonlit sky. As the minutes ticked by, doubt gnawed at me. Was this a trap? Was I about to walk into a waiti
Anna's P.O.VMy eyes snapped open, only for me to squeeze them back as a harsh fluorescent light shine directly into my eyes. Groaning, I carefully opened my eyes bit by bit until they acclimated to the lighting. I think I'd fallen asleep in this contraption after Tony left me here.What woke me up? I wondered and tried to turn my head to the side but it felt like there was something strapping my neck down to the bed too, minimizing my movement.Tears stung my eyes at the inhuman treatment but I blinked it back immediately. No need to be weak.A figure suddenly materialized at the corner of my eyes. His lab coat was stained a dull crimson and I trembled wondering if that was blood from innocent people. There was an oddly bright smile on his face. "Welcome back, Anna," he chirped, his voice dripping with a false sweetness. "I'm sure you've been given a little orientation as to what's going to happen here."I shook my head as tears filled my eyes. "Whoever you are, I promise you Vira ha
ASHER'S POV~“Let me go! Let me go, you stupid disgusting things! I'm going to ruin you! You're going to regret putting your disgusting hands on me!" The guards dragged Vira towards me as I say quietly in the dark room, my cold eyes on her. Her struggle against their hold was ferocious. Snarls ripped from her throat, her body writhing and twisting, her muscles tensed and coiled like a feral beast. But the guards were impassive, their faces stoic as they held her securely in their grasp.“Here you are. I've being wanting to meet you… step mother.” My lips curved upward, the corners of my mouth stretching into a sadistic grin. I watched as the guards hauled Vira towards me, a low, guttural chuckle rumbling in my chest.She gasped in shock before faking a broken expression. “Asher… what's the meaning of this? You asked these cruel assholes to hurl me like a criminal just for us to talk? Couldn't you send a text or something?” Her voice quivered. What a cunning bitch! Her eyes kept dar
ASHER'S POV~Finally, the day had arrived. Yet again, I didn't seem to sleep a wink. I kept turning on the bed, sending several messages to Anna who in turn returned all of them. She was anxious like I was. She was my perfect fit. I watched how the sun slowly began to rise in the sky and for the first time in my life, this was the first time I acknowledged the sun was indeed beautiful. It helped to light up my day.It didn't take me up to an hour to get dressed. I already gave an earlier instruction to Anna's stylists to dress her up quickly, I wouldn't want anything to delay my bride from coming on time. I was fucking dying to see her. I made sure every single thing in the venue was the best. Made from the very best.I wouldn't mind taking a drive to the hotel where she's been dressed up but Sen kicked against it and mentioned it to be a taboo for a groom to see a bride before their wedding day.Finally, I arrived at the venue. Sen made sure to scatter the guards at every station, m
ASHER'S POV~Last night I couldn't bring myself to sleep a wink. Tossing and turning in the bed, I fought against the grip of sleep. Anger, disappointment, and confusion mingled within me, keeping me wide awake.I couldn't think straight. No, I just couldn't. I thought about the several possibilities of me not appearing on time, what could have happened? Anna would have said yes, wouldn't she? My heart instantly clenched, I groaned while I pulled some strands of my hair in anger. Last night, I couldn't face Anna, not now, not while I was still struggling to make sense of it all. So I avoided sleeping in the same room as her. Someone suddenly knocked on the door. My eyes that were shadowed with dark circles lazily made their way to the door before I began to rise. My movements were sluggish and unfocused. “You look like shit, to be honest." I heard Sen mutter the very moment I let the door open for him. I rumbled under my breath, “So you came to taunt me about that?” I raised a br
ANNA'S POV~“For fuck's sake, Anna you're going to get me killed!" Tony groaned, pulling his hair as he turned around and refused to stare at me. I grinned, my cheeks widening and I went ahead to poke Tony's back which faced me but he softly slapped my hands away. “Heavens bear me a witness that I'm clearly the one chasing you away, Anna." The thought of seeing Asher storm into this place like a bull, his face set in a fierce scowl, his brows furrowed, his nostrils flaring, and his steps heavy to come ruin this playdate made adrenaline to curse through my veins. It made me so excited and I was looking forward to it. “Come on… Asher doesn't bite!” I brushed past him, only coming to stand right in front of him and I saw him turn around again from me, giving me his back and I barked out a laugh. “Jeez, Anna, go away. Asher would think you're dressed sexily for me when in reality this is just a prank. Go away! I don't want to lose a tooth.” He whined and I giggled more. I intentional
A year laterASHER'S POV~My mind was a swirl of thoughts, each one circling back to Anna. No matter how much I tried to make it stop, try to even focus, my thoughts kept drifting back to her—especially when she declared she was going for a vacation which was absolutely weird. I hated how suspicious it made me feel. I didn't sleep a wink last night and had spent the entire late hours of the day to search on several search engines on their search bars on ‘WHY WOULD A WOMAN SUDDENLY DECIDE TO GO ON A VACATION ALONE WITHOUT HER PARTNER.’My heart kept pounding in my chest as I waited for the results to load. As page after page revealed the same terrifying possibility, my face had gone pale and my fingers trembled. The realization that she might be losing interest in me, that she might have someone else, had filled me with dread and despair.The silence of our room was deafening, every tick of the clock in our room was a cruel reminder that my girl was about not to return to me anymore.
(Anna’s Pov) Darkness. Stifling, all-encompassing darkness. My lungs burned, a primal panic clawing at my throat. I was trapped. A metal cube, cold and unforgiving, held me prisoner, stealing my air bit by agonizing bit. This was it. This was how I'd die. They locked me in this cube that didn't have oxygen in it.As I tried to give up, my fist suddenly tightened around the object in my hand and I froze..A crazy idea, born of desperation, took root. My breath hitched, but not from lack of air. This time, it was anticipation.With trembling fingers, I flicked the lighter and the gas ignited in a blinding explosion, fire and debris hurling me through the air.Pain exploded in my limbs as I hit the ground and the force of the blast turned the room into a chaotic inferno, flames licking the walls.But I forced myself to move, crawling through the debris, my lungs burning with each gasps of smoke filled air. The acrid scent of burning metal and plastic filled my nostrils. Suddenly, a b
Asher’s P.O.VThe crisp white tux felt suffocating as I fumbled with the buttons, my reflection in the mirror absolutely mocking me. Was this really happening? Was I about to marrying a monster? How none-the wiser everyone would be, blind to the truth unfolding beneath their champagne flutes.Just then, a knock on the door startled me. “Alpha.” Came the voice through the heavy wood.“Come in, Sen.” I called in a rough voice.The door creaked open, revealing my Beta’s stoic face. He scanned the room, his gaze landing on the hidden remote nestled right under my sleeve. A flicker of understanding pasted between us and he gave me a curt nod.“Everything is in place, Alpha.” he reported. “The projector and screen are set up in the main hall, discreetly hidden behind the floral arrangements.”I nodded curtly and my stomach tightened in worry. This was the only way to do this. The door cracked open without an introduction this time and Vira appeared at the doorway. In a white silk lace dres
Anna’s P.O.VDrip, Drip, Drip.That’s the mix of sweat and blood running down my spine from where I was hung. Trying to move sent pain like a million darts ripping into my skin. So with gritted teeth, I stood on tiptoes, tears burning behind my lids.Vira was a crazy psychopath, no doubt, but what if her words had some truth to them? After all the million ways her team of doctors had tortured me to activate my phantom powers, I was starting to believe it.But why? Why won’t the so called fucking powers manifest so this torture could end? All my fucking life, I’d felt useless, hating myself for not having a wolf when my peers got theirs. I only had a useless shapeshifting ability. Now I was told I had such great powers at the tip of my fingers and I still couldn’t save myself, my babies and the others.The tear I’d been holding since I was locked in a tube without oxygen poured down my eyes and choked sobs seeped out of me. Goddess, please save my babies. I cried to myself as my sh
Asher’s P.O.V: My knuckles were white-hot around the steering wheel, the leather cool and slick beneath my clammy palms. Every muscle in my body felt coiled tight, a knot of churning anxiety that had taken root in my gut and refused to loosen it grip. It had been days since Anna’s kidnap, days that had stretched into an agoninzing eternity. To make matters worse, the wedding loomed ahead on my calender, a fucking deadline that mocked my helplessness. Marrying Vira. The very thought made my stomach churn. The woman was a viper, a fucking sicko and the last person I’d consider spending the rest of my life with. But what choice did I have? It was the only leverage I had, the only flimsy thread keeeping Anna and the kids alive. Tony had mentioned a possible lead but said I had to come to a hidden location to speak to him. It was a long shot, but fuck, it was all i had. The city soon gave way to sprawling surburbs as I droce, then slowly dissolved into a desolate landscape that h