ROSANNETrust is a luxury, and now I have learnt the hard way that it is one luxury that I can’t afford, “I am sorry,” I mumbled in a low tone, my hand pressing his side trying to stop the bleeding.Ryan smiled a bitter smile, his lips paling as he struggled to speak, “I know, you wouldn’t have thought of me any less,” he said.His words were meant to comfort me, but rather they sliced through my chest like a dagger had been plunged through me. I had been so blind with anger that I had failed to see through Maverick’s façade.“We are going to get out of this,” I swore, my voice filled with determination.Ryan’s eyes were closing, from the way he was losing blood, I could tell I was going to lose him, “Stay with me,” I said, my hand gently tapping his cheeks to keep him awake.The silver chain burned into my hand, and I hissed at the pain. Not only was I bound with silver but I was locked in a silver cage, it was like he was trying to make sure that I suffered through my last minutes w
ROSANNEThe air in the room felt thick with tension, coupled with the tangy smell of blood. Derek was dead, the game had changed right before Maverick’s eyes. Gone was the smug-looking man who thought he had everything under control, now, he was reduced to nothing; kneeling before Knox with his head hung low in shame.Knox stood beside me, the aura around him felt smug, and the large grin on his face showed the obvious truth, he had won and no one could contend with him.“You have the girl and her blood mage, please leave,” Maverick moaned, clutching his hand that Knox had stepped on.Knox chuckled, the dry laugh sounded like a bunch of hyenas roaring in the night, “But I want something more,” he mused, smiling broadly at him.“There is nothing here,” Maverick coughed.“You don’t see it? The land you have accumulated all through these years, the vastness, the fertile grounds, I want it all. And I am sure you have enough ladies to keep my men warm at night, huh?” he mocked.Maverick st
ROSANNEThe warriors barely had time to grasp what was happening, with their swords drawn it did nothing to protect them from the wild beast that had been set free.Axel tore thrown the men, his eyes burning with molten fury as he made sure that they all felt the vengeance of his claws.It was carnage, a scene out of a grotesque book, and I dwelled in it, enjoying it.“Rosanne! Look out!” Ryan yelled, pushing me out of the way as an arrow whizzed past my ear, its tip missing my head in an inch.“Thank you,” I breathed, my heart slamming through my chest.“Just be careful,” he mumbled, picking up a sword as he blocked the next arrow that was shot at us.Axel was surrounded, his eyes fixed on the lost souls that dared to fight him. The only difference about the scene was that, while they were fighting to defend their lives, Axel was hunting to kill.Axel let out a roar, the primal sound of it vibrating through the walls of the room.“Save the rest of your elders,” I commanded Ryan, pick
ROSANNEMaverick coughed, the sound drawing my attention from Knox, who lay at my feet, blood pooled around him. His heartbeat was faint, in just a matter of seconds he was going to die a slow painful death.Maverick was afraid, his eyes flickering between Axel and me, trying to put as much needed distance between us.I moved away from Knox, my eyes glaring at the man, who had betrayed his people, “What was that promise you made again about my children?” I asked, my blood-stained hand tapping my chin just like he had done a few minutes ago.Maverick winced, his hand holding his rib tightly, hoping to dull the pain that was forming, “Rosanne…” he tried to plead.“Remind me, or should I say it?” I hissed, cutting him off.Maverick stared at the floor, fear etched on his face. I loved this power, the control that I had over him was next to nothing. “Oh! I remember you were going to cut them piece by piece, right?” I mused.I dropped to my knees, keeping my gaze even with his, as I looke
ANITAThe war was over, but its scars lingered. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew that something had happened in that room; the Rosanne I was seeing wasn’t the same lady I had left a few hours ago.“Hey,” Axel sighed, his hand touching my shoulders gently as he walked into the room.I smiled softly at him, my body melting softly into his touch, he looked fresh; no signs of blood and the stench of war, “I can’t leave them alone,” I mumbled, pointing to Rosanne and her children, sleeping peacefully on the bed.“What happened?” I asked, trying to get a little information about the ordeal. Rumours of Maverick’s betrayal had echoed through the walls, spits spat out in disgust as his name was mentioned.“Maverick had tried to be slick, thinking he could betray us,” he muttered, frowning at the memory that popped up in his mind. “She was great and handled it well. A true leader,” he added, smiling softly at Rosanne.I knew she was, Rosanne was the embodiment of strength and resilie
ROSANNE“Whatever it is that you have to say, you can say it here,” I replied in a clipped tone. I wasn’t going to be separated from my children again.Ryan smiled, “No one is planning to take you away,” he said in a soft tone.“What do you want?” Axel interrupted, his eyes looking around the men who had been loyal to Maverick. “As you can see we are on a time crunch and we need to leave,” he hissed.I gently squeezed his shoulders, signalling that there was no harm in hearing them out. “What he is trying to say is that we are most grateful for your kindness and letting us dwell with you. But we must leave now. And we are sorry for any harm that might have come to you. All of you,” I said, sounding more diplomatic than Axel.Ryan smiled, his eyes sparkling with delight as he heard my little speech, “We know what you have suffered in the hands of Maverick and we would like to apologise for that,” he muttered.I kept a straight face, hiding my true emotion from showing at the mention o
MIKHAILTrusting Blair to be the compass to No man’s land was one of the most terrible mistakes I had ever made, “Would you stop grinning or I will make sure Hudson pulls out all your teeth,” I hissed, my patience growing thin.It has been more than a day since we had set out to bring Rosanne and my child back. Blair had forbidden us from using the cars, her excuse; cars make her sick, and when she is sick, her powers seem to disappear.I wonder why I still keep her around. She has been nothing but a pain in the ass all through this journey, blabbering and sharing jokes that sounded like torture to the ears.“Sorry,” she muttered, completely unaffected by my threat.I rolled my eyes at her, “Are we anywhere close to Maverick’s land?” I asked, looking at the dense forest that we had been trapped in.I had taken a few men, the journey wasn’t meant to be this long. The plan was simple, find Ross, and bring her and my baby back. And for the traitors, make sure that they find their end at
MIKHAILMy heart clenched at the large claw mark on the wall, just where Maverick’s head rested.Not a message, just a deep primal warning.Fear crawled up my spine. But not for myself or my men; but the thought of something, someone harming Rosanne and my child.My Rosanne.“We have to keep on searching,” Hudson muttered behind me, his voice sound far, like he was buried among the bodies littered here. “She has got to be here somewhere, she is a fighter,” he mumbled. His words felt like they were meant to comfort himself and not me.He was still fighting hard to see the positive in all this.The once thriving rogue settlement, No man’s land had been reduced to ashes, bodies thrown around like…The thought made me shudder, I should be happy that Rosanne’s body wasn’t in the rumble, but then where was she? Shouldn’t she have been patiently waiting for me to come and save her? Wasn’t she scared of the new, and real world she was seeing?My ears strained, and the sound of a faint heartbe
LANDONHiding away in the human world wasn’t going to make me forget about her. Her smiles, her eyes, even her scent; they drove me crazy. Or at least they did.“Would you like another coffee?” a soothing soft voice serenaded my eardrums and filled my body with warmth.I had thought that I would never be able to get over Rosanne but I was wrong. After her escape from my brother, I had done the only right thing I could have imagined. I decided to leave too. Staying back at the pack would have led me to destruction; I would have chased after her, trying to claim her as mine.But she was Mikhail’s, I could see it in her eyes, beyond those layers of hate, was a glimmer of love. As the saying goes, there is a thin line between love and hate.“Excuse me, do you need any other thing?” the voice called out, snapping me out of my reverie.I smiled, shaking my head as I cleared the fog that had gathered, “I am sorry,” I said in a low tone, my eyes staring into her soft blue orbs. “A cup of coff
ROSANNE“I don’t know what to say,” the nurse muttered, her voice dripping with surprise as she stared at my daughter Aria. “I think the blood mage’s power in flowing through her too,” she mumbled, her fingers touching her face as she spoke.Aria cried, her wails breaking my heart as I watched the nurses poke her arm, trying to draw blood from her veins. At nine months, Aria had two discoloured pupils, one bright brown like mine and the other red, burning brightly like fire.Her tantrums were different, loud, cruel, like her soul was hurting, “How is that possible?” I muttered, my hands wrapped tightly around Ace and Aiden.The nurse shrugged, we were short on medical facilities, and her theories would be abstract. My heart ached, there was nothing that I could do to help her. Returning to Mikhail was out of the question. I had thought about seeking help from any pack who was willing to look our way, but I knew the dangers I would be putting her through. Axel had spent his whole life
ANITAA year had passed, but the journey was unending. Watching Rosanne grow into the woman she was now filled me with pride. Gone was the scared girl, who lived a manipulated life, but standing now, strong with a fierce aura surrounding her was a different person; grown, better and most importantly a mother.Watching her with her kids filled me with longing. Axel and I have barely talked about our future, we were mates, but the constant running and fighting hadn’t given us a chance to decide our path.The door creaked open, the room was instantly filled with the strong smell of cedar wood, “How was the meeting?” I asked.Axel sighed, tired lines forming on his forehead, he wouldn’t say it, but he was stressed. Teaching the warriors how to fight, and being Rosanne’s guard. It was taking a toll on him. But I knew Axel, he enjoyed every moment of it.“Reading through files of people is a kind of torture I never knew existed,” he mumbled, his lips brushing against my neck as he spoke.My
HUDSON“Don’t touch me!” Jade screamed, her eyes shut as she cried.It has been like this, constant nightmares right from the first night I had brought her here. I had made the mistake of rushing to her the first time, trying to hold her back from harming herself, but the minute she felt my touch, her screams became louder, her claws drawn as she fought to free herself from my hold.The truth had cut deeper than the whipping I had received— I was her terror, the one thing she feared more than death.My wolf was restlessly, howling in pain as we watched our mate scream, unable to reach out to her to hold her. Be her protector. The one thing we had been designed to do, and we had failed.“I can’t,” I rasped, my chest tightening as I stared at the scene before me.“You can’t leave, she needs you,” Blair said, her voice filled with pity as she stared at Jade.It was nice, their blossoming friendship made me feel somewhat fine. She wasn’t alone, she had Blair, the quirky witch.“How is my
MIKHAILIt’s been a year and ten months, the world had spun through moons and suns, but still there was no sign of Rosanne. The bitter taste of defeat cloaked me, no one knew a thing. It was like she had vanished.The tail had gone cold, colder than the lonely path to Hades. Knox screamed louder, his pleas echoing through the walls, “I have told you everything that I know, please,” he cried, his voice muffled from how swollen his lips were.“Tell me again!” I snarled, the silver blade cutting through his back.This was the pattern. Torturing Knox until he was at the brink of death, and just before he crosses over, I stop; giving him the best medical help he can ever have.“Lycan King,” a guard called out, his eyes fixed to the ground as he avoided my gaze.“What!” I barked out.I had one rule, no one interrupted my section with Knox, if the kingdom was burning, and they were to keep it standing till I came out.“His heartbeat is dropping,” he said, his tone quivering.I growled, Kno
ROSANNEONE YEAR LATERThe fresh smell of pines and citrus danced in the cold morning breeze. The sweet melody of birds singing in the trees echoed around.Gone was the burning smell of wood and blood; everything smelled fresher— warmer. “Morning, Alpha Rosanne,” some kids greeted, running through the cornfield, obviously playing a game.Alpha Rosanne. The name that had stopped sounding after a few months. It had been tough, leading a group of broken souls, all lost but hopeful. It wasn’t an easy road, there were moments of breakdowns, fights, and pain. But we had gotten stronger— a family.It had been tough, months spent in fear, wondering when Mikhail would show up. Breaking down the fences we had made, demanding for his breeder and heirs.Some months were dark, the constant battle with myself, breaking the invisible chains that had caged my mind.I doubted myself, spent nights crying, praying for the goddess to have mercy on us, keeping us safe from Mikhail.“I knew I would find
MIKHAILI stared at my phone, trying to decipher the text, Landon had sent, “Will be staying longer than expected, something came up,” The words made no sense, “Xavier, have you heard a word from Landon since he travelled to the human world?” I asked.“Xavier!” I growled, throwing a book in his direction.“Would it kill you to use your words?” he hissed, his hand rubbing the part the book had made contact with.“If you had paid attention, rather than stay fixated on that device, maybe you would have seen it coming,” I snapped.I was angry, not at him but at the way things had been in the past few days. Knox couldn’t be tortured until he had fully recovered, and until then I had to sit on my hands waiting for something— a sign to drop from the sky pointing to where Rosanne could be.“You need to get laid,” Xavier grumbled.I growled, the sound snapping him into shape, “You will lead the next war,” I threatened walking out of the room.I was lenient on him, letting him enjoy the privil
HUDSONThe silence never disturbed me, and neither did the angry glares that my men sent my way. Killing one of our own was abominable, a law I would happily break a thousand times over.My eyes flickered to the enchantress in my arms, a soft smile coiled across my lips as I watched her furrow her face deeper into my body.The action filled with me with a fussy feeling, I was excited, and even though she was passed out in my arms, I liked it. It calmed my wolf and took away the rage I had felt earlier.And in that minute it dawned on me, that I was weak, a broken soul, waiting for her to fix me. Change me. I wasn’t going to fight her—never! Not when she is everything that I have always longed for— prayed for.A gentle breeze blew, and my lungs exploded with her scent, reminding me of the colour that had been added to my grey world.My body tensed, we were just by our border. I would be reporting to Mikhail, and for the first time ever, I felt doubt.What was going to be his cause of a
HUDSONWolves circled her, their fangs bared as they tried to scare her.I had jumped down the minute after she did, but I was too late, my men had already had her cornered. They were toying with her, waiting for her to move, then they would attack, tear her piece by piece until she was nothing but bones, a reminder of who she was.“Stand down!” I barked, my wolf surging forward. But my words were on deaf ears, Mikhail’s order stood firm, commanding their will.Her green eyes met mine, and instantly I was filled with a new order—protect.I lunged, landing right in the middle, blocking her from their vicious eyes, “Stay behind me,” I growled.She nodded, her heart beating loudly in her chest, the sound reverberating through my body. Her touch was soft against my back, a buzzing feeling surrounded the spot where she touched.“No one harms her,” I sneered, my claws drawn.For her, I would go to the end of the world—killing the men I called my family if need be.“Get out of our way beta H