Elena - POVThe car stopped after fifteen minutes of driving; I knew we had to still be in New York City. The door swung open, and a hand clamped onto my arm, guiding me to step out."Lyra, are you okay?" I asked. I could see nothing with the blindfold over my eyes, yet my mouth was not gagged."I'm fine," Lyra whispered from beside me, her proximity relieving me. My backside hit the hard surface of a chair as they bound my wrists and ankles."Do you want money? I can give you the money. Just name your price and let us go free. I swear I won't notify the police," I attempted to reason with my captors, who showed no indication of interest in my proposal."Please let us go," I pleaded."You need to pipe down, lady. It won't end well if you keep talking," a man's grating voice warned. His ominous words sent a shiver down my spine."What do you want from us? I'm certain you're not after a ransom," Lyra ventured in a defiant tone.A whack echoed in the room, followed by a low moan from Lyra
Elena - POV"Enough," I hissed in frustration. "Jake, I need some time to think about this. Can't you see that, Silas?" Silas shot an indignant glance at Jake, but when he looked at me, Silas's gaze was full of hurt. With this, Silas marched out of the room."Thank you, Elena; I'll wait for your response." As I processed Jake's words, he gently kissed my forehead. After Jake departed, only Janice and I remained."Are you sure, Ms. Hayes, that you want to reconcile your differences with Mr. Smith?" Janice asked. "I realize this isn't the time or the place to bring this up, but he treats you like trash, and yet, you want him back.""Janice, you're my secretary, so kindly leave," I snapped. Janice exited the room. Her face twisted in pain. I somewhat agreed with her, but as Jake pleaded for a second chance, memories of the three years I had spent with him overcame me. I felt a yearning to build a home with him.I wanted to give my ex another chance. Simply put, I wanted to enjoy the time
Silas - POV"Why did our mate reconcile with that jerk who mistreated her?" Ray questioned me as I settled into my hotel suite."Elena's choices are her own, Ray. I can't force her to cut ties with Jake.""But how will you convince her you're the man she deserves?" Ray countered."I have no intention of proving anything to Elena; my memories of Maya still haunt me, and I pledged fidelity to Maya till the end of my life. You made the same promise to her, too," I retorted—the mention of Maya and Yota, her wolf, silenced Ray."But they're gone, Silas. It's hard to let go of Maya and Yota, I know. But do you want our second mate to suffer because you can't move on from Maya?" His words stung, invoking the image of Elena hurt in the warehouse. I was steadfast in my resolution not to see her in distress again.One thing was certain: I wouldn't let Elena remain with that dangerous jerk, Jake. I'd also keep an eye on this Drake character. After getting dressed, I went to find Elena's assistant
Silas - POVI introduced Elena to the pack elders, likening the government to our system, with myself as the president. Elena chuckled at my explanation, but I hadn't yet enlightened her on the workings of the wolf realm. Emma greeted Elena warmly, contrasting with Henry, whose gaze bore hostility. However, he quickly masked his emotions when he noticed my sharp eyes on him."Elena, would you like a tour of our town after meeting Yuri?" Emma proposed. Confusion flickered in Elena's eyes as she glanced at me. Nodding in agreement with Emma's suggestion, I understood Elena's questioning look. Earlier, I'd made Elena feel unwelcome, escorting her out of my pack without delay.Following Emma and Henry's departure, Mac, Elena, and I headed to the infirmary. Mac updated me that Letty had been discharged from the infirmary and was resting at home, while Yuri had regained consciousness but couldn't recall who had attacked their vehicle."Oh, what a surprise, Elena," Yuri greeted, her mother fe
Elena - POVI rolled out of bed and stared at the dawn rays on the skyline, remembering the glimmers of last night's memories. When I entered the Moonflower Chapel, I heard a female voice in my head calling my name and suddenly felt a sharp pain. For a split second, I felt a strange surge in my body. Maybe the side effects of my sickness were taking a toll. After a workout and a bath, I dressed up for the shoot and dialed Jake. The call went to voicemail. I fed Bruno, who looked cheerful today. Bruno had been gloomy since I returned from the hospital; I kissed him, his joyful licks brightening my morning."Relax, little buddy; Mom will come back soon. Be a good boy," I said as the dog sitter arrived to take care of Bruno. I took a few deep breaths in the elevator. At the entrance, I saw Janice waiting."Weren't you supposed to meet me at the shoot's location?" I asked, puzzled."Babe," I turned to see Jake holding a bouquet of roses. "What a pleasant surprise!" I hugged him as he hand
Silas -POV"I'll rephrase it. I need you to play the role of my boyfriend," Elena replied, stumbling over her words."I'm happy to help, Elena. So, what's your plan?" I could sense something was going on, and the thrill and energy emanating from Elena confirmed my suspicions."I was going to take my fake actor out on a date and pretend he was my boyfriend to get back at my ex-fiancé, to be honest with you. But I agree to go on a dinner date with you to make it seem like we're dating. I didn't mean to use you like that, Silas. I'm sorry," Elena confessed remorsefully. "I've called the paparazzi and media to cover this news. I'm sorry again.""Don't apologize, Elena. I'll pretend to be your fake boyfriend," I assured her. Elena let out a sigh of relief. Elena looked so beautiful that every fiber wanted to claim Elena as my mate. But another part of me fought against the surges of desire, determined to remain unaffected by our mate bond."Thank you, Silas, for helping me out. You're alway
Elena - POV “My head feels like I smacked my head against the wall,” I said as I stared at the bright sunshine dazzling my vision. “Fuck, someone put the drapes back up,” I growled. After my eyes had adjusted to the bright environment, I blinked. I saw the chamber setting looked different from mine. I looked undercover to find myself naked—the doorknob moved. I saw Silas step in a while, carrying a bag of food and a cup of coffee. “Oh, my gosh, did I sleep with Silas?” Inwardly, I let out a groan. “You’ve woken up.” Silas said, “I informed Janice you’d be late for a shoot.” At the same time as Silas walked towards me, I wrapped the bedsheets over my frame and pulled them as firmly as I could. “Silas, did we?” “No, we didn’t have sex. I am not the kind to take advantage of tipsy females. When I sleep with a woman, I need her to be aware of everything I do to her body.” A sensual purr from Silas. The mere notion of his touching me caused my face to flush scarlet. Silas handed me a
Mac - POVWhere the heck did those witches disappear to, anyway? They usually stay in the woodland. The town looked deserted. I sniffed the air around me and caught the scent of a single witch. Following the trail, I arrived at an old, craggy cottage.With caution, I partially opened the door and entered the room. "Who are you?" an elderly witch inquired."I'm from Silver Canine's pack. My Alpha needs help," I stated, observing the frail-looking woman and doubting her ability to assist. "By the way, where have all the witches gone?""The Dark Angels' warning frightened everyone," she whispered."I'm sorry, who are they? I've never heard of them," I admitted."Please take a seat," she instructed, and I complied."If all the other witches left town, why didn't you?" I asked. She smiled at my curiosity."The Dark Angels don't scare me," the elderly witch said as she poured me a cup of tea. "How should I address you?""Mac Coates.""My name is Emily. By the way, why are you here?" she inqu