Lilith's POV The evening had dragged past as I stood watching the women speak about everything and nothing and me... Everyone had noted the mark that evidentally sat on my neck, and I had wondered what exactly they had been interested in, why it was so magnificent to them. It wasn't until everyone had left and I was allowed to retire to my room, the one I have always stayed in... the one I showered that I had the chance to see what was so enthralling. I looked into the mirror, free of steam from the shower this time. My once burning purple mark was now a deep black trifecta. The mark makes a strange six-looped shape. Well, at least it isn't burning bright purple now... and saying that, as I look at myself, I notice my eyes, too, have changed back to my standard blue colour. I had gotten so used to seeing myself with purple-hued eyes that it must have escaped my notice this morning that they had indeed changed. I show again, letting the warmth of the water pelt my skin and

Theo's POVTabby's laughing as she runs around with those kids Khai's friends arrive with, and I'm watching them.They are out in the yard, the four children running around to let off steam as Tabby and Arlo play tag with them as if they, too, were young children enjoying the right of passage of running freely."It's weird, watching children find happiness in the most mundane thing, isn't it?" My father asks me with one of those confident smiles that makes me want to make a witty remark back.I don't take my eyes off the children, but I do answer him after a long moment of thought and exercising control over my childish ways."Yes, father. It is hypnotising. What is it?""How do you know there is something? I might only want a small conversation about the orphan children we have within our pack now.""They aren't orphaned; we don't know that yet..." "Damian has habits, son. Those he steals from, he does so after murdering them. It's an unfortunate truth but a truth nevertheless."That

Lilith's POVCeleste and Theseus show me upstairs to a grand bedroom that is dressed down in pink and gold. It looks as if once, it may have been a nursery.There are safety catches on everything, and there are stoppers in all of the plugs, but where there should be a crib, there's a large double bed. I walk around the room, looking at the handmade bedding—the printed photos on the wall and the baby pink draping curtains. Outside two doors that I had previously presumed were windows is a balcony that is lined with black iron fences to prevent anyone from falling off to their death.It's pretty out here with the wildlife and the trees swaying not far away. It's serene.Just standing here looking out over a more beautiful land than anything I have ever seen makes me sad.This could have been my life. I could have lived here as a child with the two people who were supposed to be my parents.I could have grown in this room and watched life pass by each year out here on the balcony.I

Theo's POVLeo is having his warriors ready to infiltrate Damian's land from the north whilst I lead my own to cross the south side.Three days, that's how long I agree to wait.It shouldn't be that long. I should have gone there that day. Bowled in there and got my girl back, but Leo and Khai had made a valid argument.We don't want to lose anyone. Leo has stated he has no ambition to go to those parents in his pack to reveal that whilst he had his warriors helping out a friend, their son lost their life to Damian, of all people, and I get it. I think about Arlo or Sebation, two aspiring warriors in my pack and I'd hate to have to tell Lucas or Sebation's parents that I had led them into a war that caused their death. It is almost unthinkable to relay those words, and I haven't yet had to do it since I've taken over as Alpha of this pack, so I guess I am blissfully unaware of how exactly it feels to lose a young member of my pack and do the alpha duty of revealing such a thing to

Khai's POVLilith introduces us to Theseus as if we wouldn't know who he is, and he's far too humble to make out he's more than an ordinary man when in fact, he owns more power over this world and half the population inside it than the next man. He is tall, his hair long, and he's a brute of a man, which I hadn't expected. I knew who he was in an instant, but the old books I have read featuring him far from accurately describing him. I suppose he's been around for centuries, and maybe he has nothing better to do with his time other than work out. Or perhaps Gods have his physic... I know I've heard stories about Zeus and his god-like features. Not that he's been down to this realm in a long time. We stay in the living room talking amongst ourselves until there's nothing left to say. Theseus looks around, almost dismissing us in an instant as he nods to the stairs and asks where he can retire. Retire?Theo jumps into his alpha mode, quickly interpreting that Theseus is tired or