Chapter 53Dine with the DevilAsher's POVThe silence of the night was like a thick, oppressive blanket, the kind that weighs down on your chest and stifles every breath. It had been a long journey, one filled with secrets, lies, and betrayal, and I was finally nearing the end. I made my way to the final location after collecting two separate packages. The first stop had been a successful exchange, a mountain of cash handed over for a much-needed brief respite. Now, with everything packed away in my duffel bag, I was headed toward the last meeting. Marcelle was waiting for me. He always was. The leader of the kidnapping squad. A man who made his living through fear and bloodshed, orchestrating the worst of crimes in the shadowed corners of the world. The kind of man I had hoped I would never have to deal with. But here I was, standing before him, the weight of responsibility heavy on my shoulders. The antidote for Axel, my brother, hung in the balance, and time was running out.I wa
Chapter 54Saved by the BellWillow’s POVTwo days. It had been two days since I’d last heard from Kingston. Two days that felt like an eternity. I had called, I had texted, and I had even left messages for him. But each time, my phone screen stayed silent. The number I had for him kept ringing, and every time, there was no answer. My stomach twisted with dread. I had done everything I could, everything short of throwing myself at his doorstep, but Kingston had not returned my calls. I knew he had promised me that the antidote would arrive, but I was starting to lose faith. Axel’s condition was deteriorating. His heart rate had been dropping steadily over the last 48 hours, despite the temporary solution they had given him. It was only a matter of time before it became irreversible, and I couldn’t let that happen. The thought of losing Axel, of losing him to something that might have been preventable, ate at me with every passing moment. Aiden had been on my case, too. Every time I
Chapter 55Slow RevengeAsher’s POVWhen I regained consciousness, the world felt wrong. It was the kind of wrong you sense in your gut, but your mind is too clouded to process at first. My body ached, a deep, dull pain radiating from my neck and limbs. I tried to move, but the restraints holding me were tight and unforgiving. I could barely move my wrists, let alone my legs. My surroundings were unfamiliar, cold, metallic, and humming with the low, steady rumble of an engine. I blinked several times, trying to adjust to the dim light.The realization hit me slowly. I’m on a plane.I jerked my head to the side, feeling the sharp tug of the ropes, but nothing gave. There was no escape. The air around me was thin, carrying a stale scent that made my stomach churn. As I struggled to orient myself, I saw Elena. She was seated across from me, her gaze locked on mine, unwavering and predatory. “How long?” I rasped, my throat sore from the silence. My words felt foreign like they hadn’t bee
Chapter 56Becoming SmartAsher’s POVIt had only been a week. Seven days, and I had already become someone else entirely. "Smarts," they called me. The men here had a strange respect for me, but it wasn’t one I had earned, at least not in the way I would have liked. They didn’t know who I truly was, or what I had done before I was brought to this hellhole. They only knew me as the guy who could read a map faster than most of them, or who could figure out the right tools to use before anyone else. They had no idea that I was here because I had failed my brother. Because my father had traded me away like some worthless pawn to settle his debts.And still, I was "Smarts." Even my cellmate, Leon, seemed to get a kick out of it. He was the type who found joy in the simplest things, like claiming me as his best friend the moment he could. I hadn’t asked for it, but it didn’t seem to matter. Leon was persistent. He was the one who would tell everyone that we were tight like we had a bond t
Chapter 57Wonders of WonderWillow’s POVIt felt like the weight on my chest had finally lightened, just a little. Axel was recovering. It wasn’t fast, but it was steady. The doctor had given us good news this morning, and I could almost taste the relief on my tongue. It was still hard to believe that we’d made it this far, after everything that had happened, the poison, the desperation, and the fear that Axel might not make it, now we were here. Axel was going to be fine. It was just a matter of time.Still, something tugged at the back of my mind. The one thing I couldn’t shake. Asher. We hadn’t been able to reach him for days, and it was starting to wear on me. I’d tried everything I could think of, calling his phone, instructing Aiden to reach out to those people who might know where he was, and even trying to reach my pack, but nothing. Silence. He was out there, somewhere, and I had no idea where.As I walked out of the doctor’s office, Aiden was waiting for me in the hallway.
Chapter 58Like Father, Not Like SonAiden's POVThe silence in the house was suffocating. I stood just outside the door to my father's chambers, my heart pounding in my chest. I had made up my mind, this confrontation was long overdue. The lies, the secrecy, the power games. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I needed to know where Asher was.As I opened the door, I immediately felt the weight of his presence, like an oppressive cloud that darkened everything around him. He was sitting behind his desk, his eyes cold and calculating. When he saw me, his lips barely twitched into a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I was the nerd of the trio and somehow being forced to take a front-row responsibility was not something I was cut out for.“Aiden,” my father greeted me, his voice as smooth as ever, though there was a hint of something I couldn’t quite place. “What brings you here?”I wasted no time, walking straight to the point. “Where is Asher?”His eyes narrowed slightly, and for the b
Chapter 59An EscapeAsher's POVI woke up with the heaviness of the chains still clinging to my limbs, and yet, today was different. Today, I was going to escape. I could feel the anticipation vibrating through every cell of my body. The cell I had been trapped in for the past week had become a cage, and I was ready to break out. The whole place was beginning to irritate me and every day, I hoped what Tomas said about a chance of Axel still being alive.Leon was already awake, sitting on his cot with a look of determination etched into his face. His eyes met mine as soon as I stirred, and I saw the flicker of excitement there, the same one I was feeling. He had proven to be more useful than I ever expected. When I first arrived, I thought I was alone, just another pawn in a game too dangerous to play. But Leon had helped me and showed me how to move through this place without drawing too much attention. He had connections, allies, and most importantly, he had a plan.“I’ve got the re
Chapter 60Blood and WaterWillow’s POVThe sound of my phone buzzing jolted me out of my thoughts. The name on the screen, Kingston, immediately put me on edge. There was something about him that always felt... unsettled. Necessary, but unsettling. “Kingston,” I answered, keeping my voice steady. “I’ve got what you asked for,” he said curtly. “Information on the triplets’ father.” The words hung in the air for a moment, heavier than I expected. “You’re sure?” I asked, bracing myself. “Dead sure,” he replied. “Meet me at the hospital. Aiden texted you, didn’t he?” I frowned and quickly checked my notifications. Aiden had texted earlier, asking me to come to the hospital, but I hadn’t had time to respond. “Yes, he did, and how did you know that he had texted me, is there something I should know?” I said slowly. “We will speak in the car, on the way there. I don't want to bore you with details I can't show you right now. So, I’ll meet you there.” “Wait.” My voice sharp
Chapter 70OverreactionAsher's POVI paced the floor, checking my watch for what felt like the hundredth time. It was past the time Willow was supposed to have arrived. The evening air outside had grown cooler, and the shadows in the room seemed to stretch farther as if reflecting the tension gnawing at my insides. Willow should have been here by now. We had planned for her to get picked up by mid-day but it was almost dusk and there was still no word from her.Axel had already tried calling her more times than I cared to count, his face growing darker with each unanswered ring. We even called the hotel, only to be told that she wasn’t picking up her room phone either. A knot formed in my stomach. What was going on? "She’ll turn up," Aiden said, trying to reassure us, though the uncertainty in his voice betrayed him. Axel’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know, Aiden. I feel like she might have left. Everything she came here to do is done, she’s helped me recover, helped you get back, an
Chapter 69Ended RealitiesWillow's POVThe ride back to my hotel felt like an eternity. The world outside was a blur of lights and shadows as the car sped through the city streets, but all I could focus on was the whirlwind of emotions churning inside me. I had barely been able to think straight since I left Jason’s hotel room. His words echoed in my mind, sharp and accusing, and then, just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, he confessed that he loved me. Love. The word seemed so out of place, so foreign coming from him. My heart ached at the thought of it, not because I wanted to return those feelings but because of the way he had said it like it was a plea, a desperate cry for me to see him the way he wanted me to. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was truth in some of the things Jason had said. He had called me cheap and made me feel like I had somehow been used by the triplets. There had been a part of me, a dark corner I didn’t want to acknowledge, that wondered if he
Chapter 68A Thin LineWillow's POV I stared at the phone in my hand, the weight of the decision I was about to make settling into my bones. It wasn’t that I wanted to confront him, Jason. He had been there for me, I couldn’t deny that. But sometimes, his protectiveness over me, his constant need to guard me from every little thing, felt like a chain wrapped around my heart. It was smothering. He needed to know that. I pressed the dial button, and the phone once, twice, three times before he picked up. “Willow,” Jason’s voice was flat, tired like he already knew what I was going to say. “I don’t want to talk right now.” My heart tightened. I wanted to scream at him, but I forced the words out instead, keeping my voice steady. “I’m not giving you a choice, Jason. I need you to tell me where you are.” There was a long silence on the other end. I could almost feel him weighing his options, deciding whether to comply or push me away further. I couldn’t let him. Not this time. F
Chapter 67A Romantic HorrorAxel's POVI couldn’t shake the feeling. Every minute since we returned from Willow’s hotel room, the tension had settled in my chest like a weight. My thoughts were consumed by the idea of our father. The old man, where was he? What would he do when he returned? How far had he gone in his plan? I tried to push it out of my mind, but it wasn’t easy. Asher, of course, noticed my mood shift. He always did. “You alright?” Asher asked, his voice cutting through the quiet of the living room. I had been staring into the empty space in front of me for what felt like hours. I blinked, the reality of the question pulling me back to the present. “Yeah, just… wondering what our father will do when he comes back.” His brow furrowed, and I could tell he wasn’t buying it. He knew better. I had to be careful. “You think the poison from the bullet is acting up again too?” he asked and I wondered why he thought that. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake
Chapter 66Proof of BondWillow's POVThe soft, golden light of afternoon seeped through the blinds, caressing my skin with a warmth that stirred me awake. My eyelids fluttered open, and as soon as they did, I knew, this wasn’t just any sleep. No, this was the kind of sleep that made everything feel distant like I had traveled somewhere far away and then returned. The best sleep I’d had in eight years.The weight of everything, the trauma, the heartbreak, the loss that had been crushing me for as long as I could remember had been lifted in that quiet, undisturbed rest. I felt light, lighter than I had in so long. There was no tension in my body, no gnawing worry. I could finally breathe. For a fleeting moment, I believed that maybe I was okay again. That everything would somehow be okay. But as the fog of sleep started to lift, the reality of my situation slammed back into my consciousness. The triplets. Asher, Axel, Aiden.I reached out instinctively, hoping to find their warmth
Chapter 65Desperate Measures Asher's POVThe first light of dawn was soft, creeping through the curtains of Willow’s hotel room. I could still hear the steady rhythm of her breathing next to me, her body tucked into the sheets as she slept soundly. I wanted to stay, to lie next to her forever, to savor the fleeting moments when the world seemed perfect when nothing outside this room mattered. But Axel’s sharp voice broke the spell.“We can’t stay, Ash. We have to go. Now.” I sat up, rubbing my eyes, but I already knew what he meant. We couldn’t risk waking her up, not after everything that had happened, not after everything we had left finished. Our time here was temporary. Willow needed rest, and we couldn’t afford to stay any longer.Axel was already moving, gathering his things and moving as quietly as he could. A small part of me wished I could stay longer, and hold Willow in my arms just a little bit more, but Axel was right. There was too much at stake, and if we stayed, we
Chapter 64Debt RepaidWillow’s POVThe pull was undeniable. It wasn’t just them; I felt it too. A simmering heat, an ache that had lingered for years, now amplified in the small hospital room. The triplets tried to hide it, masking their desperation under layers of stoicism, but I saw the truth. Their wolves were battling for control, and I could feel their struggle like it was my own. It wasn’t just the bond, it was what they had done. They had saved my children without even knowing they existed. For that, they deserved something, even if it was temporary. My body trembled as I came to a decision. I had to just not make it look like this was also coming from a place of need for me, it made more sense for me to justify it as that than as anything else. “I need to step out for a moment,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. The three of them looked at me, their eyes glowing faintly, as though their wolves didn’t want me to leave. I reassured them with a small smile before ste
Chapter 63A New EmotionAxel’s POVThe first thing I noticed was the pull, sharp, undeniable, and wild. My wolf surged forward, its growl resonating in my chest as I gripped the edge of the bed. My vision blurred, the room spinning around me. Across the room, I saw Asher stagger, his fists clenched, his entire body trembling. Aiden wasn’t far behind; he leaned against the wall, his glowing eyes betraying his own internal struggle. “What’s going on?” Willow’s voice cut through the haze. The sound hit me like lightning, reigniting the fire that was already roaring inside. My wolf clawed at the walls of my control, desperate, relentless. Every word she spoke only made it worse. Aiden’s voice was low and rough, his struggle evident. “We feel… like letting them take over. Letting our wolves do what they want.” Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What do they want?” Asher’s growl rumbled through the room. “You,” he said, his voice raw and guttural. “They want you. Our mate. It's be
Chapter 62Bonded and Broken Willow’s POVI didn’t know what had drawn me back to Axel’s hospital room at that exact moment. Maybe it was the lingering tension in the air or the unsettling energy that had been nagging at me all day. Aiden had texted again, asking me to come by, but his message had been more cryptic this time around and not as always. It was almost like something had happened and he now just wanted to tell me. Even though I knew the men felt disappointed with what Kingston could come up with after accusing their father of so many terrible things. Jason trailed behind me, his footsteps heavy against the polished floor as we walked down the corridor. I could feel his presence like a protective shadow, and while I appreciated his support, I wasn’t sure how much of it was necessary or welcome today. Then I heard it. “Asher?” Jason’s voice was puzzled, but I barely registered it. My ears buzzed, and my heart stuttered in my chest. That voice. I hadn’t heard it in t