LOGINHayes's POV The four elders walked into my study.Elder Victor. Elder Samuel. Elder Bjorn.And Old Man Howl.I watched them carefully as they entered. None of them spoke immediately.I gestured toward the chairs in front of my desk."Sit."They exchanged brief looks."No, Alpha," Elder Victor said.I narrowed my eyes slightly. Something was wrong.Victor stepped forward. "We need to discuss Lillian."My jaw tightened at the sound of her name. "What about her?"Victor looked at me seriously. "How are we going to find her now? We need her here as soon as possible."I stared at him. He continued before I could answer. "She has the heir."My fingers slowly curled against the arm of my chair.Elder Bjorn stepped forward. "Yes, Alpha. We need to think about what happens next. What if something happens to the heir?"My expression hardened. "What are you suggesting?"Bjorn swallowed. "What if she causes harm to the child because of what was done to her bloodline?"My fingers clenched. For a
Hayes's POV The celebration continued around me.Everyone was thanking the Creator. Everyone was talking about the heir. Everyone was celebrating the end of the curse.But all I could think about was Lillian.Then Elder Victor spoke. "You are all missing something."The room slowly quieted. I looked at him.He wasn't celebrating. There was something wrong with his expression.He tried to hide it beneath disbelief, but I had spent enough time around people to know when someone wasn't reacting the way they should."What are you saying?" Old Man Howl asked."This is great news."Victor looked at the golden mark on my arm."The curse was supposed to be transferred to the Alpha's heir before we could find a way to break it."Elder Bjorn nodded. "Yes, we know."He smiled. "But a miracle has happened. We are free."Victor didn't smile.Old Man Howl seemed to think of something. "It must be the power in the Eclipse bloodline."Everyone looked at him."The Eclipse Wolves were the source of th
Hayes's POV I sat at the head of the table, listening to the elders discuss matters concerning the pack and finding my heir. At least, I was supposed to be listening.But my mind was somewhere else. Lillian.No matter how hard I tried to focus on the meeting, my thoughts always found their way back to her.Where was she? Was she safe? Was she hurt? Was someone taking care of her?I had searched everywhere.Every part of the surrounding territories had been searched. Trackers had been sent out repeatedly, and sorcerers capable of detecting and tracing portal magic had been brought in to help.Nothing. It was as if Lillian had disappeared into thin air.There wasn't a single trail strong enough to lead us to her.Every passing day without her felt worse than the one before.I couldn't sleep properly. I barely ate.Even when I closed my eyes, I kept seeing her face the last time she looked at me.The pain in her eyes. The tears. The way she flinched when I tried to touch her.I had nev
Lillian's POV After what felt like forever, the bears finally began to slow down.I could barely keep my eyes open.The pain in my leg was getting worse, and the pain in my stomach had become almost unbearable. I kept one hand pressed against my stomach, terrified of what was happening to my baby.Then I saw something ahead.A tent.It looked like someone had made camp deep in the woods.The bear carrying me ran toward it, and almost immediately, several shirtless men with red hair came rushing out of the tent.They stopped when they saw us."What happened?""Who's she?"The bear slowly lowered me onto the ground.I thought that was strange enough.Then I watched in complete shock as the massive creature's body changed.Its bones shifted. Its fur disappeared. Its enormous body transformed until a man was standing where the bear had been.I stared at him in disbelief.Another bear shifted too.I had never seen anything like it.I had grown up believing wolves were the only supernatura
Lillian's POV I took a slow step backward. Then another.I had to try something.I suddenly turned and ran."Grab her!"One of the men jumped down from the jeep.Another pulled out a gun.My heart stopped. He raised it and pointed it straight at me.They needed me alive. They needed my baby alive..They wouldn't shoot me.At least, that's what I told myself.So I ran.A gunshot exploded through the forest.Pain tore through my leg.I cried out.My leg gave way beneath me, and I stumbled forward before crashing hard onto the ground.For a moment, I couldn't breathe.I tried to push myself up. I couldn't.Something heavy seemed to settle over me, pressing down on my body and making it difficult to move.My vision blurred. The voices around me became distant.I reached for my stomach. "Baby..." My fingers trembled against my bump.I tried to push myself up.My entire body felt weak, and dizziness washed over me, but I refused to stay on the ground.I planted my hands against the earth an
Lillian's POV Another man came at me from behind. I heard his footsteps before he reached me.I turned. His fist came toward my face.I ducked. Then I struck him across the jaw.The force sent him stumbling sideways.He looked at me as though he couldn't believe what had just happened.Neither could the others.They had expected a pregnant woman who had been chained to a bed for days.They hadn't expected me. Another man rushed in. Then another. Six of them now.I didn't stop.My body moved before I had time to think.I dodged one punch, blocked another and drove my knee into a man's stomach. When he bent forward, I grabbed the back of his shirt and slammed him into the floor.Another tried to grab me from the side.I turned and struck him hard across the chest, sending him stumbling backward into one of the others.They crashed into each other.I moved between them, using everything Ronan had taught me.Footwork. Timing. Balance. Defense.I didn't need my powers. I didn't need Xath







