“Now that everyone is here,” I begin, my voice hoarse. “Let’s get to-““Wait,” Carmine says.When all eyes turn towards her, she pouts, “You didn’t answer my question.”I don't have to look at everyone to see the anger in their eyes. Even the people who are not from my pack have looks of disgust on their faces.I don't smile or get angry. Instead, I study her, "What are you doing here? I should ask that question. You are not allowed to be here.”“Don't be ridiculous, Sarah,” Lucas frowns. “We are here to -““I don't believe I was talking to you,” I meet his eyes. “Did I say so otherwise, she is going to jeopardize this mission and she's not allowed to be in the room. In fact, neither are you.”Lucas’s face darkens, “Hold up-““As of this moment, you have become a liability, Lucas,” I say, coldly. “I'm speaking as your Alpha, in case there are any misunderstandings. If you are warming her bed, then you cannot be trusted. Carmine has proven herself to deliberately
“How could you think I would poison you?” Lucas’s voice is unsteady.I shrug, “I wouldn’t put anything past you at this point. Either way, you are no longer in a position to tell me what to do.”“I was never in a-““Yes, well,” I straighten up. “I have things to get done. From now on, you can sleep in Carmine’s room. You are no longer welcome to my bed. You wanted to starve me of touch like Hunter did? I’m not as weak as I was then. I will do the same now. Carmine is welcome to you.”I can feel myself crumble even more but I hold my head high as I walk down the steps, my head held high.Whatever Kayla did to me last night to get rid of the poison, the phantom isn’t going away. I can feel the sharp agony with each step as if the healing is still taking place inside of me. I almost welcome the pain.It drives away the mental anguish that I’m forcing back with each breath. The letter that I had Clara write for me in in my pocket.I know it's a relatively s
I just want to know what kind of poisons I have been given. And if that means, I have to give Samantha sanctuary, I’ll do that. Considering her life here, she won’t be missing out on much.Later that night, I step into the woods, feeling weary and exhausted.And yet, I can feel that the poison is out of my system. I feel better. A part of me knows that it wasn’t Lucas who was poisoning me but after how he has been behaving, I don't know what to believe. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he lied to me. Maybe if one mate of the true bond pair dies, the other has a way out rather than madness.Everything I know about the true bond mating is from him.Even putting that aside, I had known my previous fiancé for my entire life. I have trusted him and loved him and not once have I considered that he would stab me in the back the way he did. So why did I believe that Lucas wouldn't do the same?He's been in my life for barely over a year.My hands tremble as I think back to all t
He just gives me a patient smile, “How are you feeling?”I blink, stretching my neck a little, "Just a bump on the head but nothing serious. What are you-?”My question trails off when I see the bodies lying on the ground around me. They seem to be almost sleeping except for how pale and waxy their skin is.“Ah,” I move back from the one closest to me. “Did you-?”“I was a little peckish,” Malcolm shrugs. “I knocked them out before I fed from them. But I sadly had to kill them. They weren't very good people.”“I see,” I mutter, feeling dazed. “What are you doing here?” He shrugs, “Passing by. I've been hearing whispers so I was curious about this village. This seems to have been an odd infestation in the surrounding villages.”He seems almost amused and a little bit intrigued.“But you seem different from the last time we met, little one.”Now that I look at him, there is no hiding the age in his eyes.He is the first vampire, the original Sire. “Yes, w
“I know it sounds hard to believe," Malcolm says after a brief moment. "How do I not witnessed it myself, I would not have believed it either. But I watched that half-breed feed one of the mated pair the blood, and I watched as a transformation came over him. He went from threatening them for daring to touch his woman, to threatening her.”It would be so easy to believe him, to think that Lucas has just been under some spell, but I can't shake everything that has happened to me at his hands recently. Each and every incident is like a separate slash against my heart.I just want this whole nightmare to be over but even if something is done about it, the relationship between Lucas and I has been altered forever. The kind of scabs he has turn off from my previous wounds and the damage that he has wrought upon my heart, I don't think I'm capable of recovering from that again. A part of me has become broken forever.It is the girl that I locked in the cage that begs me to save him.
Kayla steps out of the woods and I freeze when I see that both her eyes and her hair are fire.Before I can say anything, her words register on me and a slow horror builds inside of me, “What? What is she saying?”“Aife,” Malcolm breathes. “You’ve awoken.”“Not entirely,” The Phoenix speaks, her voice so melodious and cruel that it makes me wince. “I felt your presence. I warned you, didn’t I? I told you what would happen with your greed and ambition for power. You left the world in shambles. Did you finally find what you were seeking? You even imprisoned me. You used me, your oldest companion, the one I once called mine.”There is a burning energy in the clearing and I can hear the wealth of pain and anger in the Phoenix’s voice. When I look at Malcolm, his face is pale and filled with a deep regret, “I was foolish, Aife. Ever since - ever since you fell, I have wandered this earth, my own punishment.”I want to say something about there's no room for me in this con
“How sure are you?”Sandy, Clara’s mate, is a senior soldier in the pack and he looks tense. The whole room is filled with people. Aside from the people of the Midnight Wolves pack, everyone is here. Lucas is silent, standing at the back, his eyes burning. He’s looking at me but he’s not once uttered a word since he came in.I’m trying not to look at him because every time I do, I think back to Malcolm’s words.Now that I know what’s going on, I thought it would ease some of the pain but the wounds his actions have left inside of me are showing no signs of easing. “Here,” I hand over the torn part of the uniform which holds the insignia. “I took this off one of the bodies. All of them had a similar one one on their arms.”“So, they’re watching you,” Wyatt says, warily. “Why?”“They’ve attacked me three times so far,” I say, tightly. “This is no longer coincidence. They’re definitely not the Hunters we are looking for. These people are different. I've asked ar
The look on my face is blank.Never again will I make myself vulnerable to someone else.“Is that so?” I ask, softly.He just arches an arrogant brow.“Alright,” I turn my attention away from him to the two wolves from the Midnight Wolves Pack, “Since my mate is so incompetent, I am putting you two on that duty. Two days. You have two days to figure out the patterns and look for any holes in their defence.”The two shifters look almost stunned at my cool dismissal of Lucas and they bob their heads up and down in quick agreement.“Wyatt, I would like two of your soldiers to assist them. And, since it seems that you are more than welcome by the townspeople because you’re a healer, maybe you can find out more information about this Taskforce.” I can see Lucas bristling near the door but I ignore him, “Sandy, Clara, I want to talk to you in private. Come to my room later.”Everybody begins to file out of the room but I see that Lucas hasn't moved.Readying mysel