Tristan was a despicable male—of that I had no doubt. But watching him force me to put on a collar with his name engraved on it… that was too much. I knew the black wolf pack was different from the others, that they were crueler, more violent, more vile. Still, had some part of me foolishly believed that, once he discovered we were siblings, he might be… gentler?A foolish mistake, because it was now clear to me that he would remain as cruel and malicious as ever.I drew in a shaky breath, the collar around my neck an unbearable weight, but I forced myself to focus on the answers I so desperately needed.“What was her name? Is she here?” I asked.Tristan rolled his eyes as if bored, then rose to his feet and closed the distance between us. He was several inches taller, his catlike eyes fixed on me. I waited anxiously for his reply until he exhaled slowly and pointed toward the door.“I’ll take you to her,” he muttered.I blinked, hardly believing his words.Tristan turned and strode t
JaneI could barely focus on washing my hair; my hands trembled the entire time.When I finally stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white blouse Meg had handed me just minutes before, Tristan was still in nothing but a towel, leaning against the hallway wall.Meg was nowhere to be seen. The corridor was silent, and the lights had begun to dim.Tristan drew a deep breath, then turned and jerked his head, signaling me to follow.As I trailed after him down the darkening corridor, the word “relative” kept bubbling in my mind.He was my kin. He had inherited the same birthmark as me—one I hadn’t even known came from my mother.I had been left on the orphanage doorstep as a baby; I had no memory of my parents.Yet as I walked behind Tristan, something twisted inside me, in my stomach, in my heart.A terrible unease rose within me, as if I was standing on the edge of some dreadful truth.Tristan moved in silence, until he suddenly stopped and spun around. His abrup
Kilian“You only just found out about this, Soren?” I asked.Soren shook his head in affirmation. He was standing on the other side of the mahogany table. I took a deep breath and looked over the paperwork for the Dark Claws Pack business.We existed in the shadows of wolf society, communicating sporadically with other packs across the country.Yet, at that moment, I had no patience to review those documents; my mind was entirely on Marius. Would he still insist on hiding in that forest? Or had he been caught by the wolves of the Delister Pack?“Alpha, he should be on his way. I did exactly as you asked—sent anonymous information to the Delister Pack about the whereabouts of the killer of the Alpha’s son. Even if he hesitates to come after her, he’ll see the wolves closing in on his hideout and will be forced to move,” Soren affirmed.I lifted my gaze to the dark-eyed male. He had a shaved head and piercings on his nose and lower lip. He wore a black trench coat, freshly returned.I e
Tristan turned me toward him, and I was suddenly met with those sharp, green, wicked eyes.My heart raced as he smirked to the side and motioned with his other hand, signaling Meg and the other male, Sebastian, to leave.Once I was alone with him in the hallway, fear and the insecurity he always stirred in me engulfed me. The wolf was only wearing a towel, his hand still gripping the back of my neck, showing me he intended to control my movements.“Not bad… you’re pretty,” he said, “but I don’t smell another male on you no mating scent. What was Marius doing with you all those months?” He asked, and I refused to answer that question again.I saw the malice in his eyes, and the disdain in his voice when he spoke of Marius.Who was he to despise Marius like that?His hand left the back of my neck and closed around my throat.“Answer me. I’m not very patient,” he commanded.“He didn’t force me to sleep with him. He’s not like the rest of you.”I wanted him to feel all the contempt I had
The male took a step toward me, and I instinctively backed away. Meg tried to dissuade him, gesturing frantically in ways I couldn’t understand. She seemed to be begging him to stay calm with her hands.The tall male shoved her aside, knocking her to the floor.I looked at Meg. Her expression was distressed and worried, and as she tried to get up, I raised a hand to stop her.“It’s alright. Stay there,” I said, afraid he would hurt her again.Seconds later, the male grabbed me by the throat, slamming me hard against the wall and pinning me there.His hand closed around my neck like steel, and I could see how much he was enjoying himself as he slowly choked me. To him, this was nothing but a sadistic game.“What’s the matter? Can’t breathe?” he said, his tone dripping with cruelty.I tried to pry his hand from my throat, struggling against him, but the wolf was far too strong. I thought I’d soon pass out if it continued like this.When my vision started to blur and my body stopped figh
I swallowed hard at the words of that she-wolf. I could see in her eyes that she truly believed what she was saying—but I wasn’t like her.“I’m Lena, and the one who’s been taking care of you is Meg. She’s a red wolf, which is why she doesn’t speak.”I glanced involuntarily at Meg, who lowered her gaze in shame.Oh, poor thing, I thought immediately. Red wolves were born with some kind of defect that even wolf genes couldn’t overcome, and in Meg’s case, it was that she couldn’t speak. But the scar on her face intrigued me, though I didn’t have time to dwell on it.“I don’t intend to stay here. I need to find a way out, but I don’t even know exactly where we are. That bastard hit me in the head a second time.”Lena brought a hand to her mouth and looked around as if she feared I might have somehow summoned Kilian. She turned, locked the door, and came toward me.“If you’re talking about Alpha Kilian, the one who brought you here, you must never speak of him like that, understand? And y