Alpha Darien’s POV When Soren, one of my bodyguards, had told me a few hours ago that he noticed Thorne was gathering some men in secret, I had known something was wrong. Tell me—why would Thorne gather armies when I never asked him to? Why would my Beta hide soldiers like some rat unless he was preparing to bite the hand that fed him? And when Thorne had come to me himself, pretending to be loyal, saying we should meet the supplier here of all places… my suspicions had been confirmed. He thought I was blind. Fool. That was when I had prepared my own army. Taking Thorne down myself would have been nothing but a piece of cake, a sweet little reminder of who made him. But I wanted to end things quicker, so I had ordered my soldiers to stay back at home and watch the clan instead, to kill anyone trying to break through. No matter what little plan Thorne had cooked, I had thought I was ten steps ahead. “You’re too weak, Thorne. I told you…” I scoffed, twisting the blade inside his si
Ava's POV My gaze stayed locked on the door like it would open any second and Thorne would walk through. I moved slowly and sat on the bed, but my chest kept rising and falling fast, like I had just been running. I pressed my palm against my stomach, trying to calm the butterflies that refused to settle. “He’s gone,” I whispered to myself, my voice shaking. “He’s really going to do it.” But the silence of the room made my thoughts echo louder. The weight of reality pressed hard on me. Darien, the monster who had controlled every single breath I took…soon, he would be gone. It didn’t feel real. It felt like some kind of dream I might wake up from at any second. A small laugh escaped my lips, nervous and shaky. Was freedom really this close? Could it really be mine? But what if something went wrong? My throat tightened. What if Darien already suspected him? What if Darien hurt him during their fight? No, no, Ava. Be positive. You can’t let your mind go there now. You’ll break apart
Thorne's POV My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out quickly, hiding the movement from Darien, who was still walking a few steps ahead of me, his hands folded neatly behind his back. I unlocked the phone and opened Nathan’s text: “It has been done. Mira is safe and the soldiers are walking closely at a distance behind you. What next?” Relief spread through me, but I didn’t let my face show it. My eyes flicked back up to Darien’s broad back. He still walked with that proud, heavy step, like a man who thought he owned the ground itself. He had no idea he was walking straight into his end. I typed back quickly: “Take Ava from her room and take her somewhere safe with Mira. Clear the guards in the mansion and save the maids as well. Take care of Luna Alina but don’t kill her. I’ll join you soon.” My hand shook slightly as I hit send. Almost at once, he replied: “Okay.” I slid the phone back into my pocket, exhaling quietly. Ava is safe. Mira is safe. This has to work. “Where
Ava's POV "Ava!" Briane’s voice rang out, pulling me out of my rushing thoughts. My heart skipped painfully. No, no, no. Not now. Not again. I can’t be exposed now. Every time I try, something ruins it. Why can’t I ever succeed in my plan? Am I destined to die here? Is this my fate? My stomach twisted with fear and anger. "Ava!" Rhea’s voice joined, sharper, closer. My eyes snapped open and I looked at them both, breath caught in my throat. Rhea tilted her head slightly, her eyes flicking forward, urging me to look. No…my chest tightened. I forced myself to slowly turn. There she was. Lyra. On her knees in front of the waste bin, scattering dirt all over the floor with frantic hands. Her hair fell into her face as she muttered to herself, digging deeper and deeper like someone possessed. "No, it must be here. This is where she dropped it," she whispered over and over, her voice shaking with desperation. I froze. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt. Wait. What? She…
Ava's POV I’m fucking loving the look on Lyra’s face. She looked like she had just witnessed a woman being slit right in front of her. Her wide eyes, her mouth falling open, the way she kept glancing at me like I was some disgusting bug. How dare she look down on me like that?Thankfully, Thorne had warned me before all this. He had said I could take the poison and it wouldn’t affect me at all. If not, that stupid Lyra would have succeeded in embarrassing me in front of everyone.“No. I swear I saw her adding the poison, Alpha.” Lyra’s voice shook as she spoke, but her eyes were sharp, burning into me like she wanted to skin me alive.I stepped back from the dining table, my fingers brushing the edge. “I warned you, didn’t I?” Alpha Darien growled, his gaze snapping to Lyra like fire. His voice made the room heavy. My heart thudded, but Lyra’s lips trembled as she shook her head.“No, I swear I’m not lying.” Her voice cracked, but her stubbornness shone through. She didn’t care if th
Lyra’s POV **************Lyra, get a proper hold of yourself! You can't keep lying down all day. Your enemies would just think they had won. I scolded myself silently, even though my body felt like it was made of stone. My limbs were so heavy, so weak, like I hadn’t moved in years.I tried sitting up, my arms trembling under my own weight. Heck, I was so weak. My stomach growled so loudly it almost echoed in the room. I hadn’t eaten anything for two whole days. Not a single bite. Maybe that was why my head kept spinning, why my chest felt hollow, why every movement made my bones ache."I need to eat something or I’ll faint again," I muttered under my breath, my voice rough and cracked like sandpaper. I hadn't talked for two days straight. And the last scream had made my voice rough.I pushed myself up slowly, but my body screamed at me with pain. My back ached, my legs felt stiff, and I cursed under my breath. Damn it.My blurry gaze drifted around the room until it landed on the sm