HELIOS’ POV
“Yukon!” I call out in a hoarse whisper as he walks away and his rogues close in on me.
He pauses. “Yes?”
“It’s…not over.”
“For you, it is,” he laughs mockingly. Someone smacks my head with a rock and my vision darkens. But right before I lose consciousness, I see Yukon turn towards where Ares is now pinned down. He fights valiantly, throwing them off him only to have more clamour on him.
Too late I realize what Yukon plans to do. He raises the dagger over his head and lets it fly.
The dagger hits Ares. No, my Gamma, my friend….
“Ares….”
And then I know no more.
*****
My eyes open to see a labyrinth of smoke filling the night sky and the first thought that crosses my mind is, “I’m alive.”
But not for long.
I am lying on my back with a
HELIOS’ POV When I was young, my father taught me many things. But the one thing that I embody the most is this; Until you are home, leave no man behind. Father's teaching was simple and clear, it is the basic principle that I have engraved in both my heart and soul. In battle and on foreign soil, I, the Alpha of Morningstar am to take care of my pack. I am not to be concerned with my own welfare, but only on the welfare of my fellow warriors. “We are a pack that looks after its own in every way. Those who stand by you are your family and it is my hope that you, my son will never leave your men’s side when the time comes.” Those were the very words father told me the day before he died. I still remember them. It is easier said than done though. Especially with Ares. He is heavy. And he is drooling all over my chest. “We should just dump him here,” Apollo suggests. I grunt. “It's not funny.” “I'm serious, I've never met anyone who drools as much as he does,” my wolf points out.
HELIOS’ POVI stare at the Sorceress, struggling to hold back my laughter. “You want the heart of my fated mate?”She nods, all serious and wiping away the stains on her dress. The strange thing is, as she wipes away the blood with the palm of her hand, the blood disappears into thin air, returning her dress into its pristine white condition once more.Perhaps it is a good thing I did not laugh out loud. One wrong move and Ares and I might end up like the bird.“Sorceress, I do not have a mate.”She raises an eyebrow at me and cocks her head. “You do. You just do not realize it yet.”She is speaking in riddles. Does she mean to say that I will meet my mate soon? My thought goes to Laurel. I do not know what will happen in the future but right now, at this point in time, she is my everything.Even so, I cannot simply hand over an innocent life to the Sorceress. No
HELIOS’ POVThe land of Crimsonhill is filled with filth. The midnight stars labour through thick smoke and tortured screams can be heard from the holding pens even from a mile away.I kneel by the bushes not far from the entrance of Crimsonhill’s gate and raise a closed fist. My warriors, the chosen eight crouch silently behind me, all waiting for my order to attack. I have chosen eight of my best fighters; their stealth, speed and strength combine should be able to take out an entire army of Crimsonhill.Marty was never one to train his warriors, and neither is he one who looks out for the wellbeing of his pack. As I look out from underneath a hood that covers my face, I see bodies; dead bodies piled one on top of the other right outside his pack gate, all rotting and filling the night air with the stench of death. Some were torture victims, others were pack members who tried to rise up against Marty’s inhumane
LAUREL’s POVHave you ever had a dream, a dream so dark and fearsome you wish that you had never fallen asleep? But no matter how much you struggle, you just cannot seem to wake up?Right now, it feels to me as if I am in that dream. For right before me lies my greatest fear.Laurel in a pool of blood.There is a blade in her abdomen and she is lying facedown in a pool of red, not moving.Goddess, please, no.I had left my heaven to raise hell on the woman who took my father’s life. But never once did I think that there would be a price to pay for my choice. A price that I simply cannot afford.Laurel’s life.There are others in the room; Marty, he is dead, and Jamie is sitting next to Laurel, sobbing uncontrollably. Her head snaps up the moment she sees me and tears rain down her green face, “Alpha Helios! Laurel…she…she…”She chokes on he
LAUREL’s POV There is pain. At first, it is everywhere, heavy and unbearable and I struggle to return to consciousness. But when I finally managed to open my eyes, I am greeted by a magnificent dark blue skyline outside the window. It was breaking dawn. This is Helios’ chamber. Odd, how did I end up here? I frown, trying to jog my memory but for some reason, everything feels muddled. I do not remember closing my eyes, neither do I know how I ended up in this room. My last conscious thought is of… Is of… I do not remember. Why can I not remember? The chamber door opens and light pours into the room from the hallway out side. I blink at the sudden onslaught of brightness. “Laurel?” The silhouette standing at the doorway calls out and my breath hitches. Slowly, but surely, my eyes adjust to the brightness. My mouth opens to a soundless gasp for I am staring at someone impossible.
LAUREL’s POVTwo days have passed since my awakening. I sit on a stone bench, soaking in the morning sunlight and look at two butterflies that are fluttering around a bush. One is yellow, the other is white. They are beautiful, and they seemingly simply flap their wings as they dance around the plants without a care in this world.A mother and child walks by and they wave at me. The child is happy, she skips along the pavement as her mother holds her with one hand and carries a bag of groceries in the other. It is a beautiful sight, truly, it is but my heart aches just looking at them.I turn away and wipe away a lone tear, telling myself there is no use crying over spilt milk. What is done is done. I should look at the future instead.I get up from the bench and start my walk back towards the town hall. Against Helios’ order, I insisted on reporting for work. It is much better than staying at home and wallowing
LAUREL’s POV Time is lost to me and in a blink of an eye, the sky goes dark. I look up, past the branches overhead and see the sky filled with a million stars. So many are the stars that they seemingly light up the sky like a concert of sorts. The air becomes so silent that I think I can hear an ant walking…but where did the voice come from? I frown, bringing my eyes back to my level and scan the now darkened surroundings but there is nothing but bushes and trees. “Laurel…” I whirl around, that voice again. “Who’s there?” I call out. Strangely, I am not afraid. The voice does not sound threatening, and neither does it feel that way. In fact, it is hauntingly familiar. It calls out to me like an old friend, as if we have known each other for years. “Don’t you remember me?” the voice asks. “Show yourself.” I can feel the voice coming nearer. I take a few steps forward but see nothing. “I am already here,” the voice calls out again. My head snaps to my left and right as perspirat
LAUREL’s POV “Rhode.” Seriously? I have to do a double take and my jaw almost drops to the ground. Goddess, this is Rhode we are talking about. This guy has the hots for men, not women. My heart feels like it is about to wither…surely it cannot be. But I force myself to stare into his eyes for the eyes are the windows to our soul. I will know for sure if he is my one true mate. But please don’t let him be the one. Time seems to slow down and my eyes rake over his face and all at once, I notice things about Rhode that I have never seen before. I hear him swallow a gulp and see his Adam's apple bob up and down. There are premature grey streaks of hair sticking out from his sideburns, and a mole rests underneath his lips. He smiles and I see a dimple on the left side of his lips too. Wait, there is a piece of meat stuck between his two front teeth. Oh dear. A bead of sweat rolls down his forehead and drips onto his nose. He goes to rub it, making a sc