WILLA’S POVA moan of pain slipped through my harshly gritted teeth as the pain ignited within my body.Hurt. Hurt. Hurt.It was so unbearable that the thought of death wandered back to the surface. This time, it was accompanied by desperation for the suffering to end.My face was utterly wet with sweat, tears, snot and saliva as I writhed and writhed like an earthworm doused with salt.Fuck.Please… Just kill me.The plea rang in my head louder and louder with every second my body endured the effects of the Wolfsbane.Kill me. Kill me. Kill me. Just kill me. Please kill me. Please…My eyes rolled back as I continued to convulse for nearly two minutes straight.Everything was just excruciatingly painful. Yet, I also felt numb as if I was no longer in my own body, and time seemed to move oddly while the torturous effect mounted.It could’ve been a minute or an hour since he injected me with another dose… I wouldn’t really be able to tell anymore. I was too overwhelmed by the tormenting
WILLA’S POVPain.Everywhere.My entire body was screaming in pure pain. My every fiber felt like it was being torn to shreds. Every vein seemed like hot lava and not blood that flowed within. And every nerve throbbed as if it had been hammered and ground by a giant iron pestle.My insides were burning, and yet, my skin felt hauntingly cold and clammy.I didn’t think pain to this degree was possible until this very moment.Death would’ve been a mercy compared to this. I would’ve walked willingly towards the end of my life if it meant I wouldn’t have to suffer through this excruciating agony for much longer.But the thoughts of my children…My dearest Calisto and Gillian…I couldn’t bring myself to entertain the idea of death for much longer than a couple of seconds.My children still needed me. They…They…They…Whimpers and moans left my mouth as I curled further into myself.Bloody fucking hell…I could barely string coherent thoughts anymore with how drowned I was with the ache of
GALLAHAN’S POVWilliam took the twins, scooping them into his arms with practiced ease and carrying them as if they were still as light as the day they were born.“I’ll come with you,” he said evenly, his face lined with grimness that the situation warranted. “The twins will stay in the Alfiero Manor. They’ll be safe there and-”“No,” Wendell interjected, stepping in closer and putting a firm hand on William’s shoulder.“But Dad-”“I said no. The twins…” The harsh severity in Wendell’s eyes softened with fear for a fleeting moment. Then, with a tone that my own father loved to use whenever I acted particularly stubborn, he said, “You are the twin of their mother. So with Willa’s and Gallahan’s absence, they will find your scent and inner wolf are the most comforting at this time of distress. So stay.”A conflicted look crossed William’s face. “But…”“I will go with Mr. Wick.”“Thank you,” I piped in before the father-and-son pair could descend into an argument. “But I would like to go
GALLAHAN’S POV My body seemed to falter, then freeze upon hearing Gillian’s and Calisto’s voices calling me. But my heart stuttered and launched into a wild thundering against my lungs. ‘Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill,’ my inner wolf clamored impatiently in my mind. I pulled my arms free from the weak hold and took another step forward as the urge to spill blood and take lives with my bare hands roared back and flared in my veins. Yes. Of course. Those fucking creature hunters hurt my mate and my little cubs. They had dared to ruin the peace in our lives, ruining the happy memories of our home by sullying it with a traumatic night. They would pay. And I intended to collect the debt they owed me. Yes. A war. I would make sure no other humans could walk free with their heads held high. They deserve nothing and… “Daddy! Daddy! Where are you going? Are you leaving us?” “I need a hug, Daddy.” “Me too. I’m scared.” The voices sounded so small and scared and just
GALLAHAN’S POVEverything was all a blur, sans the tightness I felt in my chest as well as the unrelenting roil of nauseating fear that made my mouth taste sour and bitter at the same time.So before I knew it, I was already in Fen Cottage, clutching the enchanted key Willa had given me all those months ago.It was quiet and still, as if nothing was amiss. It looked exactly the same as it was when I left.No fallen knick-knacks. No upturned pieces of furniture. No scratches on anything. No drops of blood.Nothing told of a story that my family was in danger.And yet, the more I lingered in the heart of the living room, the more I could smell the lingering scent of humans. One that told of multiple men.Maliya, who had teleported to Banfey Manor only a minute after she received word from Zuleika, squeezed my arm in obvious hope of being comforting.But there was no comfort until I saw and held my mate and my children. Alive and well.“Search the perimeter for Calisto and Gillian. They
GALLAHAN’S POVMy entire body went cold in a single heartbeat. Fear seized my heart and gripped it in an unforgiving tightness. It almost seemed like all of the air had left my lungs in a swift swoosh, leaving me breathless.Bile rose to my throat as a sense of nauseating dread, reminiscent of a thick black tar, slithered in my veins, making me feel like my limbs were made of steel instead of bones and flesh.I gaped at Zuleika with wide eyes, my lips ajar in surprise.Calisto’s and Gillian’s voices, which quivered beneath the weight of their fright and panic, continued to ring all over the room despite the absence of their sources.“Dad! Da-daddy! Please! W-we left Mommy! It’s just me and Gil.”“Daddy! Help, please. P-please. Where are you… Daddy… Hic… Come and g-get us. Please. Daddy… We’re scared. I’m scared.”Choked sobs and heart-wrenching whimpers broke into their pleas in the same way it broke my soul.“Gallahan, you gave them the bracelet?” Zuleika asked with a sense of urgenc