ROSANNEWe moved in silence, each man understood the severity of our quietness. The darkness and the trees were perfect covers, hiding us from anything that might have been hovering around.Aiden cooed, his lips moving against my chest looking for my nipple. These were moments that I should be enjoying, smiling as I fed my children, but I couldn’t. We were here in a forest running from an unseen but scary danger. Trying to be alive. We were nomads. Lost souls wandering around without a place to call home.My eyes looked around the group of people that were with us, their faces stricken with pain and determination, all looking for a better life, a new hope.We all wanted the same thing, a place we could call home. A place we could believe in.The ground rumbled, the forest coming to life. Birds moved through the trees out of fright. And from the silence, a growl echoed, deep, primal, hurt.“Lycan king,” Axel muttered, his eyes looking back to where we had come from.My heartbeat spiked
ROSANNE'S POVDreams, they say, are messages from the subconscious mind, while nightmares are said to be warnings from the subconscious. I'd never had a nightmare, not even for a second, that my life would be ruined as soon as I turned twenty-one years old.At twenty-one, I should probably have been enjoying my youthful days in college with my mate, but here I was, standing in front of a dressing mirror, wearing a white wedding gown. The gown clung to my body, accentuating every curve.It was a masterpiece, a work of art designed to make me look like a queen.But I didn't feel like royalty.Who would feel like royalty when they are being sold off to the most powerful Lycan King of all time, not only as a wife but also as a breeder – a machine that produces pups? I felt like a pawn in a game I didn't understand.My mind wandered back to the events that led me to this moment. Axel, my older brother, had been arrested and thrown into prison for a crime I had only just discovered. Th
ROSANNE'S POVI stepped out of the catedral, the bright sunlight making me squint. My wedding gown felt like it was suffocating me, the layers of lace and satin felt heavier than it should. Landon signaled for me to follow him, and I did.We stopped in front of a black limo, with tinted windows. He opened the door, and I slid in, trying to pulling the long dress train. My mother's voice echoed outside, probably giving some sort of advice, but I ignored her, slamming the door shut. Her voice was the last thing i needed to hear.I closed my eyes taking in series of short breaths as I tried to calm my racing heart. But as I turned to sit back, my side gaze caught a glimpse of someone sitting beside me. I sat up straight, alarm ringing in my head. He was dressed in a black suit, his hair fell down like a curtain hiding most of his face. He scrolled through his phone like no one was in the car with him. He finally lifted his face and it turned out to be Xavier, Alpha ki
MIKHAIL’S POV Mate. That word always left a bitter taste in my mouth. While most wolves wished for it once turning eighteen. I never wanted to be tied down. I never wanted a mate. But I needed an heir, therefore, the only option that sounded good to me was a breeder. And so, when Rosanne's name had been brought up for an exchange. I took itIn fact, I'd barely given it a thought. She was a means to an end, nothing more. A pawn in my game of power and legacy. And I would use her as such. Besides she was a beauty and from an alpha family.I strode into my mansion, taking off my suit jacket and tie as I handed them over to my waiting butler. I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt, my eyes narrowing as I dialed Xavier's phone. "How did it go?" I asked, my voice low and even as I climbed up the stairs."It's been more than eight hours, brother," Xavier replied, his tone laced with mockery.I felt a spark of irritation burn within me. "I don't need you to tell me the time,"
ROSANNE'S POVI had not left my room in a week, unable to shake off the feeling of depression that had settled in. Every time I thought about how my dreams had been washed away, a fresh wave of grief hit me.I stood at the window, lost in thought, when a knock at the door brought me out of the daze. I turned to and my gaze met Anita. "I'm sorry to intrude, Miss, but Alpha said it's time to get introduced to the pack."I couldn't help but feel a little nervous, OK, scratch that i was very nervous. I had barely seen anyone since I moved here, and the thought of facing the pack seemed scarier than it should be."I'm not ready," I stuttered, turning back to the window.HAnita's voice was soft yet loud "I'm sorry, Miss, but Alpha said you are to come down or be dragged down."I took a shaky breath, nodding reluctantly. "Awesome, let's go."As Anita led me to the pack house, my heart raced with anticipation. The room was filled with pack members, all foreign faces. I searched for Mikhai
ROSANNE'S POV I was forced awake by the loud banging at my door. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Four men stood in my room, their faces stern."Excuse me, please, what's the matter?" I asked, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, my body's still aching from the fight."King Mikhail has ordered your presence," one of them replied, their tone firm.I was instantly wide awake, my heart racing. "For what?" I asked, tying the belt on my robe.The ginger-haired guard stepped forward, his expression unyielding. "We have been told to take you there with or without your consent."My eyes widened in alarm. "You're joking, right?" I asked, but no one answered. Instead, they closed in on me, three of the held onto my leg while i squirmed trying to get away. One of them cover my face with a damp cloth that smelled weird. I tried my best not to inhale but i lost. The gas did its job and soon i was out cold. ******* A splitting headache greeted me the mo
MIKHAIL'S P.O.VA week had passed since I'd brought Rosanne to my room, and every night since then had been a repeat performance. We barely spoke, our interactions limited to the lustful urges that drove us together.I'd tried to push her away, to maintain some semblance of control, but my self-control had grown thinner with each passing day. Everything about Rosanne drove my wolf mad - her scent, the soft feel of her hair, the way she was perfect for me.I shook my head, chasing away the thoughts that threatened to consume me. "I need to go for a run," I growled, running a hand through my already scattered hair.My gaze drifted back to the laptop screen in front of me, trying to recall what I'd been working on, I had barely spent three minutes when Irene burst in, her face red and her chest heaving."This isn't a place for jogs," I said, not bothering to look up, my tone dismissive. I was already fustrated enough. I could not handle another contact with this pest."Tell me I'm wrong"
ROSANNE'S POVThe last time I saw or heard anything from Mikhail had been over week. The silence was deafening, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness. Despite the fact that I hated him for ruining my life, I was getting used to his touch, to the way he felt around me very night.But now, nothing. No summons to his room, no whispered commands, no gentle caresses. It was as if I'd been deleted from his brain.I couldn't help but wonder what I'd done wrong. Had I displeased him somehow? The only silver lining was that Irene had backed off. She no longer taunted me or made stupid comments. We existed in an uneasy truce, each of us minding our own business. Anita walked in, and I responded before she could even speak. "I'm coming down for lunch," I said, laughing, feeling a sense of normalcy wash over me.As we walked downstairs together, I noticed the mansion was filled with unfamiliar workers. I tried to piece together the reason for their presence, but my mind came up bl
ROSANNEWe moved in silence, each man understood the severity of our quietness. The darkness and the trees were perfect covers, hiding us from anything that might have been hovering around.Aiden cooed, his lips moving against my chest looking for my nipple. These were moments that I should be enjoying, smiling as I fed my children, but I couldn’t. We were here in a forest running from an unseen but scary danger. Trying to be alive. We were nomads. Lost souls wandering around without a place to call home.My eyes looked around the group of people that were with us, their faces stricken with pain and determination, all looking for a better life, a new hope.We all wanted the same thing, a place we could call home. A place we could believe in.The ground rumbled, the forest coming to life. Birds moved through the trees out of fright. And from the silence, a growl echoed, deep, primal, hurt.“Lycan king,” Axel muttered, his eyes looking back to where we had come from.My heartbeat spiked
MIKHAIL“Names!” I yelled, my fist clenched as I stared at Knox, he was fighting, barely living. I needed to know the people that I would be hunting down.Knox coughed, blood slipping out of his mouth as he tried to move, “Here,” Blair said, placing a cup by his lips. “It will give you energy for the journey ahead,” she muttered.“Speak, or I will rip your tongue out,” I commanded, my voice heavy with authority.“Rosanne,” he coughed. “She was a monster, her powers…”I lunged, my fist colliding with his cheek, how dare he called Rosanne, my Rosanne a monster. She was peace, beauty and a ray of peace. I was the monster, not her.“Mikhail!” Hudson screamed, pulling me off the man who looked like he was about to die. “Are you going to kill our only lead?” he yelled. I straightened myself, shoving him off of my body, “Don’t you ever talk to me like that again,” I hissed.Hudson bowed, his neck bared as he showed mem the respect that I deserved, “I am sorry Lycan King,” he said, keep a mu
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
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
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
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
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
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
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