Lenox povAs we walk away from the little piece of paradise, I wonder how ignorant that fool is. He's grinning like he just saw his first sunrise, and sadly, he can't notice everything wrong with this situation. "That friend of yours isn't a friend," I mutter to check his reaction. Either he's blissfully stupid, or he's pretending. It doesn't matter which one it is because sooner or later, he will pay the price of his doings. Not that I want to warn this moron about everything Fenton could and most likely will do, but the least I can do to get more information is to come somewhat clean. First, when I decided to follow Luka, I thought he left because of me, because of the words I never meant. Yet, of all the possibilities, kidnapping wasn't one I considered as I roamed the woods. But now that I have enough information to put facts together, I slowly start accepting the seriousness of this shitstorm. The only thing I truly fear is the possible consequences. If I don't find Luka bef
Sarah pov“Lazarus Vincent, you are a dead man walking!” I scream at the top of my lungs as soon as I step out of the darn building. The nurses kept fussing about how I’m not allowed to leave the premises and try to find my husband, but I’ll be damned if I miss a chance to catch him red-handed. Excuse after excuse flooded in whenever I asked for him. Even when some of the nurses had to leave the hospital and look for him – the man had balls big enough to dismiss my pleas for him. Just like in an old tale – if the mountain won’t come to me, I will walk to the damn mountain. In this case, however, the mountain in question is dangerously close to losing the things he loves the most. A body part less or more, who cares? I don’t. But he will. “Please, let us help you get back to your room. You can’t leave yet, we don’t know if it’s safe for you to walk around,” one of the nurses jumps in front of me. Haven’t these women figured out that I’m stubborn enough to ignore their words jus
Sarah pov“They want us to mark you.” All I can do is stare at his lips and hope he will repeat the same thing, and somehow, his lips will move in a different way to prove I’m hearing things. Mark me. What the actual hell?I get it, marking is important, but given my past and the things the triplets found out about me – if anyone, Lazarus should understand how I might feel about such a possibility. And above that, how does the Council have so much power over three Alphas, ruling the biggest pack known to shifters, to demand something?Aren’t they getting ahead of themselves? Won’t anyone ask the triplets if that’s what they want? Won’t they ask for my opinion?I shake my head in denial and clear my throat. “Excuse me, could you repeat that?” My voice breaks mid-sentence as my heart starts racing even faster. Lazarus brings his hand to his face and pinches the bridge of his nose as he lets out a deep, frustrated breath. “They want us to mark you,” he repeats the exact words, and to
Lazarus povI leave the room. But not because Sarah told me to, I do it because I want to. Alright, maybe, just a tiny bit maybe because she told me to go.More arguments are the last thing we need right now. With Luka and Lenox technically going missing, we should try to stay closer, as a family. Her reaction seems a bit unjustified. I know the importance of communication when it comes to Sarah, but I also don’t feel like we should be completely transparent with each other. Yes, that would be for the best, but then again, what’s the harm of a little white lie? Besides, if I try to hide something – I do it for her good. In no way am I intending to hurt her, quite the opposite. Laying out the truth might sound like the best thing in her books, but she just gave birth, God damn it. On top of that, she was in a life-threatening state just hours ago. I can’t dump all that information on her shoulders as if it won’t affect her. Are my attempts to protect her really that bad of an ide
Lenox pov Shit. Fuck. Chickenshit fucksticks! How in the hell did we get here? Like seriously, I’m missing my daily tea party with the fucking devil because of this bullshit. I pinch the bridge of my nose and groan, just like Laz would in moments of great stress. Honestly, no idea why he does this because shit isn’t helping the rising frustration to fade. Someone’s about to die, and I don’t care who’s the damn victim for as long as I get to taste the blood and enjoy it dripping down my fingers. Speaking of which, I think I have an idea. “Well, asshole, you better get yourself together because we have places to be, chainsaws to play with, and bitches to kill. I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world and all that bullshit; I’m sure you’re catching my vibe.” I poke the guy in the gut and wink at him. One thing I love about criminals is how clueless and stupid they get once they swim deeper into my imaginary ocean and meet a fish much bigger and way more dangerous than themselves.
Sarah pov I know I was too harsh with Lazarus, but sometimes, that’s exactly how I must be to get my point across with the triplets. I never intended to make him feel like there’s no trust in our relationship, yet if that’s how I came across when I spoke my mind, I will deal with the consequences. I just wish they would understand why I’m so adamant to keep open communication with them. Right now, all I want is to stay close to my little miracle and see all of her dads next to us. We’re a family, so we should act like one. I wonder how Seth would feel about the mess if she were to find out about how secretive her sons are. Of course, they do this only behind her back to ensure their mother won’t intervene. As a heavy sigh leaves me, someone knocks on the door and doesn’t wait for me to invite them in to open it. Speak of the devil; it’s the one and only, Seth. My eyes follow her as she slides inside the room, hiding something behind her back. “Hey, what are you hiding?” I get st
Sarah pov “What kind of issues?” I raise an eyebrow at Seth as she awkwardly glances at Than. This can’t be good. Seth is a woman of grace and power, and I don’t know anyone who’s more confident in themselves than she is. The only thing Than does is clear his throat and shrug his shoulders while Seth still seeks some support from the demon. Yeah, if they thought I wasn’t suspicious of their behaviour earlier, I definitely am now. I mean, how do they expect me to react if both are acting so strange? Besides, whenever she describes her son’s doings as ‘dealing with some issues, the whole thing is bound to end up in disaster. I roll my eyes at the adults that clearly act like toddlers and clear my throat to catch their attention. “I am not leaving unless I get details. Chop, chop, spit them out.” Although my voice is stern, I feel like I might burst out in laughter any second now. The looks on their faces are priceless, and if I had a camera, I would make sure to keep this moment
Than pov Oh no, the woman is looking at me. No, to describe the feeling more precisely, I need to find other words. If I had a soul, she would be staring right at it, tearing it apart and squeezing out any juices she could get out of it. That’s exactly how Sarah’s gaze looks. And that wicked smirk? Shit, it reminds me of all the things I feared about her. Sure, I’m bigger and stronger, but, fuck me, some women can inflict so much more damage than a man ever could. And so it happens that my lovely Goddess has a few things in common with her daughter-in-law. The stare would be one. The ability to burn the world to ashes just because they were bored would be another. The need to castrate a man because he refuses to give out a piece of information is another talent both of them surely have. I glance at Seth, seeking the much-needed support, but she’s looking away. Wasn’t she the one who pulled me into this mess? Why must I be the one who deals with the aftermath? I clear my th
Than povReturning home has never felt like this before. Not in a sense that I’ve been eagerly awaited, which obviously is the case here since everyone around me seems very pleased to see me. What I mean is the feeling that I don’t belong here anymore. It’s not about others, it’s about what has changed within me - it’s deep rooted, captivating, something that has gripped me so hard, I don’t think it will ever let me go. Seth. It has to be the change she has brought me - the sense of belongingness I have whenever I’m around her. With that woman, I feel at peace, wanted, respected and needed. With her I feel everything I don’t have here. Home, on the other hand, hasn’t changed much, if anything at all. The same dark, slimy cave walls, those same faces of the demonic creatures that surround me. I could say something has shifted, but I’m not sure if it’s more my problem than any other. “My Lord, we have been waiting for your next visit. It’s such an honor to be present when the Lord
Sarah povI feel weird. Something about me feels different, but I struggle to pin-point why and if anything has changed. A little obsessed with the need to figure out what has changed, I start by touching my arms and legs. Then, I count my fingers and toes - all intact. I can’t check if anything inside has changed without an x-ray, so I don’t focus on that possibility. A minute of me wondering passes, then three and then I don’t even know how long until I realize something. The voice in my head is gone, it has stopped haunting me, stopped screaming at me and demanding for something. “A-are you there?” I stutter as I whisper into the darkness, but there’s no answer, both from outside the cell and inside my head. “This isn’t funny. Stop messing with me and speak up,” I say, a little louder to appear like I’m challenging the thing, yet still nothing. The only thing that happens is some footsteps in the distance that I hear slowly approach me. Looks like I haven’t been as silent as
Lenox povThe little shit is persistent, that much credit I can give him. I’m not one to grant first chances, let alone second and he sure as fuck doesn’t deserve any, given he kidnapped Luka and all that. However, here I stand, becoming a better man than I ever was and changing my way. Except, the shit head isn’t taking the goddamn hint at all. Lord have mercy on my soul because I’m about to bash someone’s head in with my trusty spoon. Speaking of which, where did I put it? As I start patting down my pockets in search of my magic weapon, the damsel in distress clears his throat and starts nervously scanning the damn surroundings. “What?” I grumble, half-assedly paying attention to him. “Nothing, I’m just worried, you know,” he mutters and casts his gaze down. “Yeah, yeah,” I grunt and give up. “Where the fuck did my spoon go this time?” I shout, a little louder than intended. How am I supposed to make this sacrifice and kick the demonic asses of whatever is on the other side of
Felix pov“Go on, run. Shoo, shoo, little pet, you’re free now. Don’t make me shoot at the sky or some shit just to scare you away. That bullet will come back down and there ain’t no way in flippity flappity fuck hell I’m standing here to accidentally take myself out with it. Nope, ain’t happening.” Lenox mutters in a baby voice. First of all, this approach of his, acting as if I’m some kind of a kid is downright disrespectful. And mean. Yes, mean too. Sure, I didn’t want to follow him at the beginning, but the guy has grown on me now and I really don’t want to watch him head into danger alone. So, like any proper brainless moron, I shake my head and refuse to move for an inch. If this guy is about to die, I’m doing the same. Besides, it’s not like I have anything better to do with my life anyway - why not become an unlike hero, huh?“Come on, man,” Lenox grunts and rolls his eyes. “I’m allowing you to live and see the day your balls finally drop. Don’t take this experience from yo
Lazarus povBy the time Alister finally wakes up, I manage to do a quick trip to the car and back. I grabbed some food and blankets to cover him and in the meantime, I started a fire to warm up some food for us. Every once in a while, I glance at Ophelia and for most part, check her pulse. Babies aren’t supposed to be this calm and sleep this long - she has to eat, but instead, she’s just sleeping. When Alister stirs awake, his eyes instantly seek me out. Once our gazes meet, he flashes me a smile and something within me shatters. That is my son - the little boy who’s been forced to grow up too soon, all thanks to my inability to be the father he deserves. “Dad, why are you sad?” He asks, instantly picking up on the change in my mood. Like the selfish, scared fool I am, I just shake my head in denial. “I’m not sad, just thinking.” Wordlessy, he kicks off the blanket, gets back to his feet and walks closer to me just to plop down next to me. Again, he rests his head against my upp
Luka povLeaving Sarah in the cell has to be close to the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The pleading look on her face, the desperation and sadness in her eyes paired with her words will forever haunt me. As I move through the halls, my mind instantly kicks into the right gear. First and foremost, I need to figure out how to fix this mess and then, we can move along with whatever has to be done next. Rounding the corner, I manage to run into the man she begged me to seek for - Than. “Luka? What are you doing here?” He asks, looking like he has just been caught red-handed, doing drugs or some shit. I raise an eyebrow and remain silent, waiting for an explanation to come, but that doesn’t happen so I groan and shake my head. “I was looking for you, actually.” Than tilts his head, obviously intrigued, “why?” If I wouldn’t be in such a hurry, I would use this moment to fuck around a little, but since we don’t have time for foolish behavior, I get straight to the point. “I went
Lazarus povI have no idea how much time has passed and while I sit here, with a baby in my arms, I can’t help but feel completely fucking useless. My son is in a place I don’t trust. The baby I’m holding keeps sleeping as if she’s in a coma - no signs of life other than the obvious raising and falling of her tiny chest. My wife is locked away, parents do whatever the fuck they do and my brothers - I don’t even have any idea what is up with them both. How the fuck did we get stuck in this loop of madness? Another roar of thunder echoes around me, so I look up at the sky. Perhaps Alister is right - it really looks like the sky is raging because it demands something to be returned. Or, more precisely - someone. I pry my eyes off the sky and look back at the calmly sleeping baby. She’s a thing of beauty - perfection, no matter how long I look at her. Ophelia looks like a mix of Sarah and Lenox, in a way, as if mother nature gifted her the best parts from each parent. At one point, I
Lenox pov“You can’t be serious,” my sidekick gasps. “N-no, y-you just c-can’t,” he starts stuttering as his hand grabs my upper arm and he tries to pull me back. Too bad he doesn’t realise that his strength has nothing on me. No matter how much he tries to hold me back - he simply doesn’t have it in him to stop me. Ever. No army has stopped me before and I don’t plan on changing that. “I’ve made up my mind, my beautiful mutt. Come on, let’s go, we have no time to waste,” I flash him the weakest smile. Truth be told, I don’t want to do this. Really, I don’t. But, by putting my priorities where they really should be, I save them all. And then, the downside is that I’m willingly missing out on my daughter’s future. I won’t be there for her first word, first steps and first milestones. “Totally worth it for as long as we ensure she has a future.” Atlas grumbles. I can’t help but agree with him. “You crazy bastard!” My sidekick snarls. “How can you give up on everything you have? D
Felix povOkay, I might have underestimated how far those bloody shadow forests are. Seriously, it’s already getting dark and I feel like I have been walking for years. It doesn’t help that everything in this part of the forest is starting to merge into one, big mess. I can’t keep track of the times I already tripped on something and I keep doing the same nearly every two steps I take. “Lenox Vincent, where are you? Come here and grab your death tools, I’m tired,” I hiss under my breath but still push forward. If he is already there, doing whatever a crazy person does in the middle of a creepy forest, he needs me to get there as soon as possible. I’m not sure when I changed my opinion of him as someone I need to escape to someone I need to reach as fast as I can, but that doesn’t matter. What does is he can’t do without his tools, the same things I’m carrying around. After another time of nearly kissing the ground, I stop and lean against the tree to rest a little. The water is g