River POVThe second my eyes met Chase I knew it was her that caused his pain. My stomach had a sword run through it, but I knew my brother's pain cut so much deeper. He didn't stand before me as the playful deviant I always knew him to be. His body was tense, eyes black with fury, and lips in a deep frown. I didn't even remember what my brother looked liked without his cocky smile."She will pay. We need to retreat for now, but she will pay." I reassured him."Yes, she will." Chase spoke with a dark tone. I never heard him so serious in my life. I had no idea what happened between them, and I didn't need to know. Kiera hurt my brother, my family, and no one gets away with hurting one of us.Drake growled at us both, then quickly turned to kneel on the ground to remove a hidden grate under leaves and brush. I knew he was angry our brother was hurt, but something deeper cut through him too. He was good at hiding his feelings, but he couldn't keep us out completely."We will quickly re
Drake POVI could feel my brothers taking pleasure with a woman all night, but I had no desire for any. That night I found my mate at the dingy club everything snapped in place for me. She enraged me to have such control over my body. I wanted to break her pretty little neck to cause such a whirlwind inside me. Then I wanted to stab myself in the heart for daring to hurt her. For ten years, I dedicated myself to honing my skills, aiming for the pinnacle of control. One second with her little body as mine and I no longer knew who I was. It was exhilarating bathing in her all night, but when morning came, I had to walk away. I steeled my emotions and resolved to erase her existence from my mind. Despite my efforts, it didn't unfold as planned. I found myself growing increasingly determined to rid her from my thoughts, but my efforts were futile.Then there she stood, resembling a goddess, and only a mere hundred feet away. My heartbeat quickened, palms sweating, and mouth dry. The urg
Kiera POV"You two can sleep in there. I hope by morning you're both gone." Albert, the old man giving us shelter for the night sneered."We need a few provisions and then will be on our way." Devon spoke without an ounce of fear to the man. "Thank you for the food and bed." I gave the man a small smile, hoping to break up some of the tension between us all."Don't thank me when I wasn't given a choice in the matter." "Oh Al, be kind to the young woman." His wife gave him a look that had him softening instantly."Fated?" I asked her."Yes, dear. I cursed the goddess the day I found out she gave me such a cold and emotionless man to spend my life with. In time, I learned he was just a little puppy desperate for love.""Martha!" Albert warned her with a look that would have her six feet under. The woman simply smiled at him."Don't make me upset, dear. Eat your food. Try smiling, you know how much it pleases me." Martha spoke to him like he were a child. The old man with hate engrave
Kiera POV"I didn't know her well. We met in passing only once. I didn't even get her name. She was like a goddess though, lavender eyes and a single strip of purple in her hair. I remember she had a small child clutching her leg.""Where did you met her?" Hope was blossoming inside me. I tried researching about my family, but there was literally nothing to be found. "It was near the border, at a market. The night before we encountered each other, there was an auction house raided by a lone wolf. Witnesses described a woman with purple eyes and a fierce wolf, calling her a witch possessed by demons. She killed nearly a hundred men and rescued numerous women. My husband and I assisted survivors, helping them hide or begin anew. We met at the market to exchange locations of our safe houses, and that was the extent of it."I smiled brightly, imagining this woman as my mother. The idea that someone so fierce could have been my own brought a sense of joy. However, my mood quickly shifted a
Chase POV"Where is our little Beta traitor?" I asked, twirling a thorny white rose in my hand. It reminded me of Kiera and I liked its beauty even as it stabbed my fingers."Alpha Jackson requested his services and is unable to get away." Katherine stood before me, prim and proper with the right kind of sex appeal."Where is our little Alpha?" My tone playfully tinged with annoyance."He and the other Alphas are taking protection in our old pack house.""Old pack house?" I was curious now. I never heard of a territory having two pack houses."It's said to be haunted," she explained, a hint of fear in her voice. "The Alpha and Luna of the old South were brutally murdered there. Some claim the Luna walks the grounds, avenging her death, while others believe she emerges at night in search of her lost daughter.""A haunted pack house? Now I’ve heard of everything!" I laughed at the stupid superstition."I've been there, Chase. There's something not right with the place." Katherine now lo
Kiera POVI couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. It felt unreal, as if this couldn't be my life. Collapsing to my knees, tears of disbelief streamed down my face. My best friend lay lifeless before me, leaving me lost and unsure of what to do or how to feel. If Athena's strength resided within me, I might have surrendered, letting her take over as I crumbled deep within my soul. Yet, she wasn't here, and the harsh reality of being truly alone set in.Madness seethed within me, originally fueled by anger toward Devon, yet I would have never wished for this grim reality. The fury consumed me, a blazing inferno that surged within, scorching every fiber of my being. Without hesitation, I lunged at the man before me. Athena's claws tore through my fingertips, a visceral pain coursing through me in relentless waves. Despite the agony, I pushed it aside, determined to avenge my friend's tragic end, even if it meant facing my own death. My claws tore through his throat, and he gaspe
I swallowed hard, sinking further into my seat. The little girl in my arms clung tighter in fear of the man, and I wanted to show her I could protect her. Deep down, I knew it wasn't true. I was the weakest werewolf in this truck, a harsh reality that weighed heavily on my shoulders. I couldn't let anyone be harmed though. I needed to let my anger simmer out for now and I really needed to rest. The best I could hope for at this point was to strike some kind of deal with the triplets.Closing my eyes, I welcomed the exhaustion to take over. My body was broken, and my soul felt like it was on fire. I knew Athena was hurting too. She pushed too far, and the silver weakened her even more.As blackness took over, my thoughts turned to nightmares. Devon stood before me, tears streaming down his face, pleading for me to understand. Martha and Albert stood by my side, desperately trying to save me. Tracy, Devon's fated mate, appeared in my dreams, crying in pain over her mate's death. Her be
Chase POVMy brothers and I arrived home early in the morning, just before our second troops. The three of us were exhausted from wielding the power Zeus lent us, and still a little spooked by the ghost we encountered. Though unspoken, the absence of Kiera hung heavily among us. I needed to know she was at least safe, but the harsh reality was she was likely with her degrading husband, perhaps plotting our demise.We played rock-paper-scissors to determine who would handle the sorting of our prisoners, and, unsurprisingly, I lost. I was not in the mood for the mayhem that came with ungrateful prisoners. River grinned at me as he took Elizabeth in his arms, leading her towards a long bath, while Drake sought peace in his private cottage out back. As for me, I embarked on the daunting task of managing thousands of women and children, likely scared out of their minds.As I approached the throne room, a divine scent enveloped me, nearly knocking me off balance. I knew instantly who it w