Se connecterThorne's POV FLASHBACK 1 CONTINUES I looked at Laron bowing again to me, his head lowered respectfully. I hadn't made the wrong choice by pulling him into my room out of everybody else passing in the hallway. He would definitely want to do what I needed him to do...he owed me his sister's life. Then, after everything that happened with the children, I had told Darien that I had successfully delivered the children to the buyer. But I'd claimed that the Alpha buyer had lied about me not delivering the kids, trying to get them for free without paying. I had also made Laron testify to support my story, and he'd done it perfectly, backing up every word I said. The kids had been taken safely to their families by Laron, each child returned to crying, grateful parents who'd thought they'd never see their children again. Some of the youngest ones couldn't talk clearly enough or describe where they lived, so those had been placed in good orphanage homes where they'd be properly cared for.
Thorne's POVFLASHBACK 2 BEGINS"I'm the soldier on duty that will be going with you today." A guard announced, stepping closer toward me as he bowed respectfully.His uniform was crisp and neat, and he looked young...probably no more than twenty-five years old. His face was earnest and eager, like he was trying to make a good impression."Okay, that's very good. Count the children in the van and check if the numbers are complete." I instructed, my voice flat.I tried to keep any emotion out of my tone, tried to sound like this was just another routine job instead of something that made my stomach turn with disgust.He bowed again, deeper this time. "I'll get to it right away, Beta." He said, and then headed toward the large van parked nearby.I followed behind him, my boots crunching on the gravel driveway. The van was white and unmarked, completely ordinary-looking from the outside. No one would guess what cargo it was carrying—two hundred and fifty children stolen from their famili
# Darien's POV "I'll get going now." Velra announced, standing up from the comfortable chair she'd been sitting in for the past few hours. She stretched slightly, her back making a small cracking sound from sitting for so long. "Hopefully we see each other before the ceremony again or maybe just after then." She was clutching Kaelen in her arms, the baby who had finally stopped crying about thirty minutes ago. The child's face was red and puffy from all the tears, his eyes half-closed with exhaustion. His small chest was rising and falling with deep, tired breaths. "Yeah, you should get going. It's getting late." I agreed, standing up as well. My knees protested slightly from sitting for so long, but I ignored the discomfort. I reached down and picked up her bag from beside the chair—a large, expensive-looking leather bag that probably cost more than most people made in a month. She collected it from me with her free hand, adjusting Kaelen in her other arm so she could grip the
Darien's POV "I'll get going now." Velra announced, standing up from the comfortable chair she'd been sitting in for the past few hours. She stretched slightly, her back making a small cracking sound from sitting for so long. "Hopefully we see each other before the ceremony again or maybe just after then." She was clutching Kaelen in her arms, the baby who had finally stopped crying about thirty minutes ago. The child's face was red and puffy from all the tears, his eyes half-closed with exhaustion. His small chest was rising and falling with deep, tired breaths. "Yeah, you should get going. It's getting late." I agreed, standing up as well. My knees protested slightly from sitting for so long, but I ignored the discomfort. I reached down and picked up her bag from beside the chair—a large, expensive-looking leather bag that probably cost more than most people made in a month. She collected it from me with her free hand, adjusting Kaelen in her other arm so she could grip the bag
# Darien's POV "I'll get going now." Velra announced, standing up from the comfortable chair she'd been sitting in for the past few hours. She stretched slightly, her back making a small cracking sound from sitting for so long. "Hopefully we see each other before the ceremony again or maybe just after then." She was clutching Kaelen in her arms, the baby who had finally stopped crying about thirty minutes ago. The child's face was red and puffy from all the tears, his eyes half-closed with exhaustion. His small chest was rising and falling with deep, tired breaths. "Yeah, you should get going. It's getting late." I agreed, standing up as well. My knees protested slightly from sitting for so long, but I ignored the discomfort. I reached down and picked up her bag from beside the chair—a large, expensive-looking leather bag that probably cost more than most people made in a month. She collected it from me with her free hand, adjusting Kaelen in her other arm so she could grip the
Mira's POV "What are you talking about?" Rhea asked, her voice rising sharply with disbelief. Her eyes were wide open, so wide I could see the whites all around her irises. Her mouth hung open slightly and she took a step forward, staring at Nathan like he'd lost his mind. "Yes, that's literally the best thing we can do right now." Nathan responded firmly, nodding his head. "If Thorne is here with us, we can help him regain part of his memory, if not all of it, before the ceremony happens. And that would make it so much easier to get Kaelen back and ruin the whole ceremony. We just need Thorne on our side." The room went quiet for a moment as everyone processed what he was saying. I could see people's faces changing as they thought through the implications, their expressions shifting from shock to consideration. "But how's that going to be possible?" Briane asked, throwing her hands up in frustration. Her voice was high and stressed, her eyebrows drawn together so tight they







