AUDREY'S POVโLuna,โ I turned to see Mane panting. โWhy were you running?โโI've been looking for you all over.โ He bent down and held his knees. What an old man!โWhy? What's the matter?โโI need to ask you something.โ He said when he got his breath back.โGo on.โโCan I be Earl the Second's godfather?โ He looked like a little boy, asking for candy. Hopeful.I looked at him for a long time, just to fuck with him. I looked him up and down, and then I circled him very slowly.โHmmm, that's a tricky question.โ I said finally, and he looked crushed.โWhat, why? Did someone ask before me? Who?โI smiled at him. โOf course you can be his godfather. For even calling his full name, you deserve it.โโLuna, really?โโYes.โHe hugged me as tightly as he could, given the condition of my stomach. โThank you very much. It's such an honor.โ Then he bent to my stomach level. โWe're going to have so much fun.โHe skipped away after that, and I wondered if I had made the right decision.Magnus has b
MAGNUS POVI finally cuddled her back to sleep after I assured her that it was just a dream and that Paul was not dead.I slept fitfully after that. I finally got out of bed a few minutes before 6 a.m., while the woman that kept me up didn't even turn in her sleep.I arranged the pillows around her and went for a run. I don't know what to make of her having nightmares about this Paul boy.I eventually exhausted myself and ran back to the pack. She was still sleeping when I entered. I glared at her sleeping form.How dare she sleep soundly when I couldn't even stop thinking about her dream? I took my bath and went to work.Mane entered shortly after.โGood morning, Alpha.โI simply nodded at him.โThere's something you should know, Alpha.โโAbout the man that jumped out of the woods?โโHow did you know? Oh, Luna.โโYes, Luna. What happened?โ I was grumpy from the lack of sleep.โIt was one of the men we sent to the Blue Moon Pack.โโHe's back so soon?โ He has my attention now.โApparen
AUDREY'S POVโLuna ?โโHi, Mane. What's up?โโNothing. Estelle told me to reach you. She says she wants to see you urgently.โMy heart sank. โUrgently? Is everything okay?โโI think so, yeah. I'm sure there's no need to panic because she didn't tell me anything.โโMaybe she's in need of female company.โโMaybe.โ He shrugged and left. What could Estelle want to see me for?โHey.โ I hollered after him.โWhat?โ I beckoned for him to come closer.โTell Magnus I'm off to see Estelle and that I've had my lunch.โHe looked confused. โOkay?โโGo.โ I left the flowers, and off I went.I remembered after I was a house away that Magnus warned me to always take a guard with me everywhere.โEven in the pack?โโYes.โโEven if I'm going to the square to see the ladies?โโEven then.โ I was dumbfounded.โYou're being paranoid.โ I told him. โIsn't that too much?โโYou're the Luna; they will understand, and honestly, I could care less if they do or not. As long as you have a guard with you.โI grumbled.
MAGNUS' POVโWhat is that even supposed to mean?โ Audrey held her hands akimbo and tried to look fierce. The only thing she succeeded in doing was being cute. I'm sure that was not what she was aiming for, so I wisely kept my mouth shut.โIt means I'm not getting him treated. Not on my watch.โShe laughed. โYou won't let an injured man get treated because you're jealous.โโJealous?โโYes, Magnus. You are jealous. Mane, tell him.โ โLeave me out of it.โโWhy else won't you let him get treated then?โ She turned back to me when she saw that Mane was not going to help her.โBecause why should I?โ I said lamely.โSee? Jealous!!โ She laughed in my face.Maybe I was a little bit jealous. In her dream, he died. Why didn't he just drop dead in real life too?โโHow did he know Estelle was here?โ Mane asked.โExactly. How did he know you were here?โโHe didn't even know until Estelle called me. Estelle's grandmother told Elder Tella where she would go after he got banished.โโWhat do they have
MAGNUS'POVโDid you get to see who it was?โโYeah.โ He sighed.โWhat? Who?โโIt was Alpha Jaxon.โMane and I were stunned into silence. โMane? Did you hear that?โโAre you sure? You saw him?โโNo.โI got angry then. โDon't fuck with me. I'm not joking with you. You said it was him, but you didn't see him? Are you serious?โโRelax. I didn't see him, but I know it was him.โโHow?โโI saw three of his soldiers. I'm pretty sure it was them. The one that came to drag my grandfather out recognized him. I'm pretty sure that's why he killed him. If they didn't think the Alpha beat me to death, they would have looked for me and killed me too.โโYou are absolutely sure of what you saw?โโAbsolutely.โI motioned for us to leave him alone.โWe are in trouble.โ He told me once we got back to the office.โI know.โ I sighed. This was not a good time at all. But an attacker wasn't going to wait until you were comfortable.โHe's basically amassing soldiers to fight us.โโI know.โ I know all these thin
AUDREY'S POV TEN YEARS AGOโMom?โโYes, baby?โโWill Daddy be back tonight?โโI don't know. He has some work to do for the Alpha.โI pouted. โI haven't seen him in so long.โโIf you want, you can go and see him in the pack house.โโI can?โโAbsolutely.โโYes.โ I kissed her on the cheek where she was knitting. โKiss your baby brother too.โ I kissed her belly and skipped away.Since my mother's pregnancy, our house has been peaceful again. My mother always wanted to have another child, preferably a son for my father. All the physicians she went to told her the chances were slim to none. She didn't give up, though, and I'm all the better for it.We are now having dinner together again. We were starting to feel like a real family.My father was an important soldier in our pack. He was always working for the Alpha. The guards recognized me at once, and they let me in.โDaddy.โ I spotted him right away.โAudrey.โ He picked me up in his arms. โWhat are you doing here? Did you come by yourse
AUDREY'S POVTEN YEARS AGOโYour mother gave me a girl.โ He said it with so much disgust that one would think he doesn't have a daughter.โA dead girl.โ He completed it before he turned his back to me.I was shaken by his words. I stumbled back at his harsh words. โI have a sister.โ I whispered to myself. โShe's dead.โI ran out of the room. I went back a few minutes later. I wondered if I would be able to see my mother now when I saw the physician and some nurses rushing into her room.They wrestled my father away so they could operate on her. I have never seen my father look as broken as he did in that moment.I quickly backed away from him before he saw me.My father and I waited in front of her hospital room for about thirty minutes before one of the nurses came out.โWhat's going on, Nurse?โ โShe is being operated on at the moment.โ The nurse said.โWhy? She was fine.โโHer birth complications are more complicated than we thought.โโMore complicated?โ The nurse used his distrac
MAGNUS POVAGE FIFTEENโWhy do I have to be there?โ I whined.โWhy do you have to go to your pack?โ My mother scoffed. โBoy, don't annoy me.โโButโฆI haven't been there in so long.โโExactly. Every wolf needs to be around his pack.โโI don't want to.โโWell, you have no choice. Start packing.โ She ordered.My parents moved to the city when I was very young. I honestly had no recollection of ever being there. I do know that we were practically royalty over there.โYour uncle Lawson is the Alpha there.โ My father explained to me. He explained everything that was related to packs and pack business to me when I was 6.โIs Dad going, too?โ I eventually dragged out my suitcase. I filled it with things I thought I'd need. โYeah. He will come straight from work, and we will be off.โโYes.โ The only part that cheered me up about this trip was that we were going to be driving all night. I love traveling at night.My mom dragged out two suitcases, and I stood there, perplexed. โAre we moving the
FINAL CHAPTERMAGNUS POV"What are we doing then?" Mane asked."He will be waiting for an attack. We won't give him one.""So we are not attacking him?""We definitely are.""I'm confused, Alpha.""It's simple. We are still going to go with the strategy you drafted, except that I'll go in first. Distract him.""Oh. That's much better; the spy said he's getting passports done, so we know he's leaving soon, and he will be at his pack.""Exactly." I stood up, battle-ready. "Let's get a move on then. I would hate to miss him.""Yes, Alpha.""I'll go first. Lead the men and meet me there.""Yes, Alpha." I got in my car and drove off. This was the third time I was traveling this route in months, and I hope this will be the last time I'm going with fear and uncertainty in my heart.If our plan works, then this will be an easy win. I packed my car about ten meters from his house at the edge of the park and waited until the coast was clear."Alpha, come in." Mane's voice filled the earpiece I
JAXON'S POVI brought her back to the old place where it all started. The house at the edge of the pack was where she hid when she was still in her right senses. When she still saw Magnus for the hypocrite that he is,"Why are we here?" She was even more beautiful than before."You will see.""Is my baby in here?""Do you want to see for yourself?" Why was I answering her questions with a question?I pushed the door open. "I fixed the door. You know the one Magnus threw me into?""Jaxon, I really am not interested. I don't feel sorry for you or anything. I just want to see my baby. How hard is that to comprehend?""I'm sorry, my lady." He smirked. He finds her adorable with her smart mouth. "Your baby is right up ahead."She climbed the stairs and went into his room. There was the baby. There was a maid with him."Who are you?" She jumped up."His mother, that's who. Get out.""No, Alpha Jaxon said...""I don't care what Jaxon said. Get the fuck away from my son." She yelled at him. I
MAGNUS' POVImmediately after I discovered the note, I ran out of my room to Mane's."Mane." I pounded the door. "Mane.""What? What's happening?" He opened the door and joined me outside."This." I handed him the note Audrey left me. Soon after, Estelle joined me too."What's happening?" He showed her the note. "Oh Goddess." She groaned."What?" We both turned to her. "Do you know something?""She suddenly wanted to be alone yesterday. This might be what she was plotting.""Why didn't you say something?""I didn't think it was important. I didn't know she was planning anything. I'm sorry."I relented. "There was no way you could have known." Mane said."She obviously got a letter." "What?" We turned to her again. "What are you talking about?""She said she was going to be long gone, meaning she knew where she was going.""That's not hard to guess. She's going to go to the Blue Moon Pack.""Jaxon would not go back to his pack with a baby. No one is that stupid. He must still be nea
AUDREY'S POVLAST NIGHT"Where are the men now?" I asked Estelle. It was a rhetorical question. I didn't expect her to know."Last I heard, they were searching all the empty houses.""Why?""They say there is a possibility that the kidnapper might still be on ground." My nerves spiked up. "Is it possible?""I don't want us to put our hopes up." She said gently. "I believe the Alpha will do everything he can to bring him home.""I know."About twenty minutes later, I left her to go back upstairs. We came down earlier to see what was happening."What is happening?" I pulled one of the guards aside."The Alpha got injured.""What?""He is at the physician's already.""Oh No. Is he okay?" I couldn't afford to lose my husband either."Yes, Luna. He might be unconscious for a while because he was hit pretty badly.""Thank you for scaring her, you jerk." Estelle sneered at him, and I patted her hand."Can I go see him?""No, Luna. I have strict orders to keep you here.""I see." I sighed. "
MAGNUS' POV THREE YEARS AGOโWhat are you doing?โ I jumped at the sound. โWhy are you so restless?โ Jaxon laughed at me.โI was just surprised, is all.โ I defended myself.โYou still don't feel at home yet?โโHonestly, I've never felt at home anywhere before.โโWhy is that?โ He sat beside me on the floor.I sighed. Was I really ready to tell him my life story?โYou don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.โ He said. It wouldn't hurt to tell someone.โNo, it's cool. What did you ask again?โโI want to know why you have never felt at home anywhere.โโSo my parents died in my last year of high school. Rogue attack or something like that. I stayed with a friend of theirs until I could leave for college. The point is, I've always been on the move. I never stay in the same place long enough to feel at home there.โโI see.โ What did he see? โIt sounds like an eventful life.โโA sad, eventful life.โโMy life has been very boring. There's nothing spectacular about my life. My father
MAGNUS' POVโThis house has been unoccupied for a while now.โ One of the guards said,โGo on.โ They broke the door down and went in. โIt's all clear, Alpha.โโLet's go.โThe second house was empty too. Same as the third.โAll clear, Alpha.โ I was beginning to think this was a futile effort.We reached Audrey's old house.โDo you know where this is?โ I said to Mane.โNo, Alpha.โโThis is Audrey's old house. This was where she lived for the first twenty years or so of her life.โโOh. Are we checking it?โโIt's not necessary. I still send maids to clean this place out regularly.โโYes, Alpha.โWe moved on from the house.โAlpha.โ One of the guards caught up with us.โYes.โโI think I saw a curtain move.โโAre you sure?โ Mane asked.โWell, why didn't you say anything?โโI'm sorry, Alpha.โโIt won't hurt to check it out.โ I directed them to go back.โI don't have the key, shit.โโWe could break it down.โ Mane suggested.I thought about it for a while. If it turns out to be nothing, I coul
MAGNUS' POVโHow could she keep something like that from me?โ I asked Mane.โI'm not defending her, but I think I see where she's coming from.โโWhere is she coming from?โโI have a question, Alpha.โโGo on.โโIf she had told you that two days ago, what would you have done?โโGone straight to him, of course.โโExactly. That is exactly what she feared. You would have waged war against them. She just gave birth. I'm sure she doesn't want to see the father of her child injured or, worse, dead.โI thought about that. He was right. โWhat do you suppose I do now?โโWait it out. Let's wait for the search party to come back. We will join them in the morning and lead the search party to Blue Moon Pack.โโHmm. We can do that.โโThe kidnapper has the advantage of the night. Besides, the person might still be in the pack.โโYou think so?โโI feel strongly about that.โโHmm.โ I went back to the office. Audrey was staring blankly into space while Estelle rubbed her back mindlessly.โEstelle, excus
AUDREY'S POVโI'll just head to the kitchen. I need a glass of water after all the talking I just did. I'm parched.โ I laid down Earl the Second beside Estelle.โAlright.โ โYou can go up to sleep when I come back.โ I could see that she was already dozing.โAlright.โI went down to get that drink.โLuna Audrey.โ Elsa greeted.โHi, Elsa.โโI can see that you're up and about now.โโYes. What are you cooking?โโJust some soup for the guards.โโGive me some.โ I don't know why I was suddenly craving soup.โYes, Luna.โ I sat on the stool and waited for her to set up the dish. โHere you go.โโThank you.โI slurped up the soup, and I was surprised by how tasty it was. โThis is delicious, Elsa. How come you never make soup for us?โShe smiled. โI didn't think you would like it, Luna.โโWell, I do.โ I smiled. โPlease include it in the meal plan.โโYes, Luna.โ I took a big swig of water. I went back up to my baby to relieve Estelle of her duty.โEstelle ?โ I shook her awake when I reached the nu
JAXON'S POVI sent my gift that evening through the same spy.โYou better make sure she gets it. I don't care how you do it as long as she gets it.โโYes, Alpha.โโOne more thing: don't get caught.โโYes, Alpha.โโYou would be better off killing yourself than associating yourself with me, do you understand?โโYes, Alpha.โโGood.โThat was taken care of. I wish there was a way I could see her reaction when she got the gift. Would it be too much if I fashioned a secret camera into the jewelry?It's too late, anyway. I couldn't call him back now.Would I get a response? This could go two ways: a war or a war. I had to prepare and be ready to go.โHey, Pete.โโYes, Alpha.โโFor the shift tonight, double the guards and make sure there are some guards at all the borders we share with other packs.โโYes, Alpha.โ Smart man. He didn't ask me any unnecessary questions. Just do the work.I know she might be doubting where the gift came from, so I signed it. As far as I was concerned, I was the