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Alpha Edward POVThe office door bursts open and my luna Edith dashes inside. Concern flashes across her face. โHoney, have you seen Bethany? Her parents contacted me this morning to see if we have seen her today. I told them I hadnโt been out of the house, but I would ask you.โHer normally perfectly combed blonde hair has several strands sticking out all over along her long braid down the back of her head. Besides concern, her eyes hold a slightly crazy look as she paces back and forth in front of my desk while she fidgets with her fingers. I shake my head. โNo. I havenโt seen her since last night at the dining hall for our pack meal. Did she tell her parents she was going to see some friends or something? She isnโt one to run off without telling her parents first.โShe frantically shakes her head while still pacing. โNo. I asked them. That was the first thing I did. They said she told them she was going to go to bed early, but when they went to get her this morning be
Trinity POVI burst through the private hospital room door and come to a screeching halt at the foot of the bed as my gaze falls on Bethany. Several machines line up along either side of the bed while she lays unconscious. Each monitor flashes a different number or graph, while a few steadily beep. She has bandages wrapped around her arms and head with blood soaking through. Her once beautiful face is filled with scratches and cuts, along with a black eye and a busted lip. My heart shatters. Who could have done this to her? I canโt hide my pain as my voice waivers. โHow bad is it?โ If her looks are any sign, it is bad. I take a deep breath and brace for the worse as my feet slowly inch closer to her. Lance gently rubs my back and steps beside me. โIโm not completely sure. I havenโt gotten the full medical report yet.โTears well up in my eyes as my gaze stops on a deep bloody burn with tiny little cuts around her neck. โTell me everything. I can see from here, the monst
Trinity POVโYou canโt go!! It isnโt safe for you!!โ Lance steps in front of me and blocks my path to the bedroom door. Waves of anger flow off me as I snarl at him. โI canโt let the monster get away with this! He needs to be punished! AND HARD!!โI pour my rage into my words and direct the full force of it at him, but it doesnโt faze him. Sympathy pools in his gaze as he nods. โYes. The jerk who did this will pay, but you canโt run off like a crazy person and seek revenge by yourself. This is why we have the council and laws. They need to handle it for us. My father has already told them to include Bethanyโs case in their investigation, so they will stay in your fatherโs pack longer. They had no plan to leave early. It was only a ploy to trick the culprit into messing up and revealing themselves. Iโm not sure if it worked or not, but this situation with your friend has made the council scrap any other plans they had for the time being.โI know he is right, but my alpha
The King POV All eyes turn towards me as I stride into the meeting room. Ignoring everyone and their anxious gazes, I turn my focus towards the council behind the long table. โDid you get the information Iโve sent you?โ They stand and bow their heads. A few members reply, โYes.โ โGood.โ As I stop at the end of the table, my gaze scans the other people in the room. โHave you found additional information to corroborate it?โ โYes.โ My eyes narrow slightly as I analyze everyoneโs reaction to the new information. Trinityโs father stares at me with a blank expression, but not before a flicker of confusion appears in his eyes. โWhat do you mean? Do we have answers regarding my daughterโs attack?โ The lead council woman in the middle of the table answers. โWe have more information on your daughterโs case, but what his majesty sent to us were reports on Bethany.โ An array of gasps fills the room as the council woman continues. โWe have kept it a secret, but Bethany was discover
Trinity POVTears well up in my eyes as I stare down at Bethany. Her body is still wrapped in bandages as the steady beeps from the machines remind me she is alive. The rise and fall of her chest is her only moment. My eyes drift to her neck and the deep burns. Anger bubbles up within me. She doesnโt deserve any of this. How could Drake do this to her? Or better yet, why? The fact he got his rocks off on this sick sadistic torture is another reason for me to hate the man. I canโt believe I had agreed to marry him. Lance steps up beside me and gently rubs my back. โShe is getting better. It is very slow, but it is an improvement.โI nod, but it doesnโt make the pain go away or the regret for not protecting her. He leans his side against me. โHer parents will come soon. Do you want to go back to the palace before they get here? Remember, we are trying to keep your location hidden. They might tell someone about you.โThe corner of my mouth slides down as I shake my head
Drake POVHow dare they do this to us? We donโt deserve to be treated like this, and in the pack which I was supposed to run and lead. I have married Trinity, but those idiots somehow justify dissolving the marriage. This makes no sense!The muscle along the side of my jaw twitches as I ball my hands into fists and pace back and forth in the middle of my room. I might as well call it a prison, because of the guards standing outside. From the stern look on their faces, they donโt plan to let us out anytime soon. UghโฆMy mind zips into overtime, trying to find a solution to this horrible nightmare, but no matter what I think of, it wonโt work. I need Trinity here to tell everyone to back off. Bethany is of no use to me now. Plus, she is too weak. How could the moon goddess give her to me as my mate? Was the moon goddess drunk or insane when she decided my fate? I will do great things in the future, and I need someone of a certain level to stand beside me. Trinity is my m
Trinity POVThe private hospital room door bursts open and a ball of flurry rushes inside. โTrinity! My baby!โA guard scurries behind, trying to stop her. โMaโam, you canโt barge into here. Only authorized people are allowed in, and you arenโt on the list.โHer feet come to a grinding stop, and fire glows in her green eyes as she spins around on her heals. Her long blonde hair flies out and wraps around her neck when she abruptly stops, facing the man. I donโt need to see her face. Her rigid shoulders tell me everything I need to know. The guard gulps as he hesitantly adds, โIt is by order of the King.โMy mother straightens her back and plants her hand on her hip. Her shrill voice effortlessly slices right through the tall, muscular guard. โThe King! No one can stop me from visiting my daughter!โI shake my head and give the guard a silent apology with my eyes while pleading for him to forgive her. โIt is alright. She can come in.โThe guard turns his attention to me, s
The King POVKnock. Knock. Knock. My conversation with the council abruptly stops and all eyes turn towards the meeting room door. Within a few seconds, the door opens and one of my lycan bodyguards darts into the room. His normal calm demeanor is gone, and his movements are frantic and hurried as he blurts out. โYour majesty, there is a situation.โI raise my eyebrow. โA situation. What do you mean?โHe points over his shoulder towards the door. โI think it is better for you to see it than to explain it to you.โMy stomach twists. This doesnโt sound good. He quickly adds, โYou should go right now.โMy guards are trained to keep their emotions in check at all times. His frenzied emotional state immediately puts me on edge as I bolt out of my chair and rush towards the door. The guard scurries ahead of me. โThis way, your majesty.โA faint noise in the distance reinforces the guardโs words and his urgency. A sense of dread settles over me as we near the buildingโs side e
Trinity POV *** Two years later *** โYou look amazing.โ A smile erupts from me as I turn and face my parents and brother while they walk into the bedroom. Bright smiles adorn my parentsโ faces and my brother cracks a small grin, which Iโm still not used to seeing. Through the years growing up, he usually would carry a look of frustration and irritation when dealing with me. But now, he has slowly won the pack over, and they have accepted him as the packโs alpha. It wasnโt a small thing, either. A few of the pack members held out for what felt like forever. In the end, his heroic actions in various battles, including saving a group of small children, won them over. They couldnโt deny it any longer. My brother deserves the alpha title. His continued effort to improve his alpha skills and knowledge has also helped show everyone he is the right person for the job. I carefully step forward, making sure not to step on the floor length ornate robe. โYou made it. Iโm so hap
Lance POVMy heart pounds as fear consumes me. It isnโt time yet. The baby shouldnโt be coming now. Something is wrong. I know it. With Trinity in my arms, I run through the mansion towards the front door. The doctors had been preparing a special delivery room in the mansion, so she wouldnโt have to leave. But it isnโt ready yet. They thought they had more time. โUGH!!!!โ Her body tightens in my arms while her hands cradle her stomach. Pain, like Iโve never felt before, shoots through our bond and my body. My knees almost buckle as her scream echoes down the hall. Iโve been in plenty of battles and have been wounded many times, but this almost stops me in my tracks. Iโve already told the medical staff we are coming. My gaze stays focused ahead as a couple of staff walk into the hall. I shout, โOpen the door!โBethany and her parents run beside me. Bethany caresses the top of Trinityโs head. โEverything will be alright. They know what they are doing. You are in the b
Trinity POV โHow are you doing? You are smiling. Does it mean things are going well?โ I ease down in the dining room chair across the table from Bethany. My hand caresses the side of my large baby bump. I almost thought there were two in there, but the doctor has proved to me there is only one, really large pup. A shiver runs through my body. Hopefully, there wonโt be any complications when the time comes. Bethany glances up from her plate of breakfast food and nods. โLuckily, things are going better. Iโm still not able to eat with everyone in the dining hall, but the doctor thinks I can ease myself into it soon. One good sign is seeing the male staff doesnโt cause me to flinch anymore. Iโm so thankful for the King allowing his friend to come and help me. When the doctor first arrived, I was too afraid of him, and all men. But Iโm so much better now.โ She has come a long way but has so much farther to go. Her scars are deep. โGood. Regardless of where you are at, I wi
Lance POVThe scent of blood and sweat, along with something rotten, assaults my nose and has me wishing I would have brought something to counteract it. Trinity marches beside me, but the stench doesnโt seem to affect her. Her eyes are fixed on the door a short distance ahead of us. Muffled screams of agony seep out from under the solid metal door, while the determination in her gaze never wavers and stays strong. Our heavy footsteps echo through the corridor, signaling the end is coming soon. In a hushed tone, I huff, โIโll handle the interrogation. There is no need for you to put yourself in danger. You haveโฆโHer lip twitches as she steps ahead of me and grabs the door handle. With steam rolling off her, she growls, โIโm fine. You donโt need to worry.โShe yanks the door open and lets it slam against the wall before she storms inside.If I have thought the stench was bad in the hallway, it is nothing compared to the overwhelming foul smell in the dingy room. Blood
Trinity POVPeople. Everywhere. My feet slowly drag along the cement floor as I make my way through the bunker. Every spot has been converted into a hospital area. The medical staff have packed beds in any place where one will fit. Each patient has the same symptoms as the next. As soon as the white mist got near them, they collapsed.Luckily, all the medical staff had gotten to the bunker in time before any explosions happened or any chemicals were released into the air. I still have heard nothing from my father regarding his pack, but Iโm going to assume the same thing has happened there. I silently pray to the moon goddess he got all the medical staff safely in the bunker before the chemical attack started. My stomach churns, and a sense of dread gnaws at me. If the goal was to break Alpha Derrick out of his cell, his brother has gone through all this and has come up short. The lycans had prepared for this and were waiting. Anyone stepping close to the dungeon or the al
Trent POV My fatherโs voice booms in my head. โThe King and Queen are under attack!โ My stomach sinks. It can only mean one thing. The wait is over. Seconds later, a howl reverberates through the training grounds, and my head whips around in its direction. Luckily, after healing me with my sisterโs blood, I feel like a kid again. My energy is off the charts, and I seem to have a spring to my step, even when Iโm angrily stomping around. I turn back to the field full of warriors. โThis is it. We have known this is coming. Use your training and donโt let them get to the pack house. They must be stopped at all costs.โ My alpha voice confidently roars out with my last sentence. It doesnโt hold the force and authority it will once I officially take my title and go through the ceremony, but it is still a command they must follow. The large group nods before turning towards the warning cries. Through the pack link, my father barks orders and the group scatters in all dir
Trinity POVSeveral weeks have gone by without an incident. The information the King had gotten must be wrong, but I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. This isnโt over yet.Everyone in the two packs was getting restless and wanted out of the bunkers, so my father and the King had no choice but to allow it. Neither of them wanted to agree. The two could have stood their ground, but they didnโt have a solid reason to deny the peopleโs demands. Plus, everyone was lashing out at each other. Being locked up for a few weeks, even though both bunkers are fairly large, was getting on everyoneโs nerves. If they had to stay down there much longer, there would have been a fight within packs. Something tells me they will regret their requests. Lance tightens his arm around my bare back and pulls me closer to his broad chest. โBabe, what is wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is there something wrong with the baby?โ The corner of my mouth curls downward as I shake my head and s
Trinity POVโWhy do you need more blood? Is something wrong with me?โ A flicker of fear takes hold of me, and my throat tightens. โIs there something wrong with the baby?โPlease donโt let there be anything wrong with my pup. Please. The Queen looks up from her table full of medical supplies and shakes her head. Confusion fills her eyes. โNo. Nothing is wrong. Iโm wanting to see if I can isolate and reproduce the qualities in your blood which provide the healing powers to my son, your brother, and Bethany. If I can isolate what makes your blood different from others, I can generate enough for whatever may come our way.โMy eyebrows knot together as I tilt my head and stare at her. โI donโt understand. Yes, my blood heals people faster, both lycans and werewolves. But what does that have to do with trying to isolate the reason for it?โShe gives me a faint smile and a soft chuckle. โIs your pregnancy having this much effect on your thinking?โI scrunch my eyebrows closer
Lance POVโAre you sure?โI glance across the desk at my father as he rests his elbows on his desk and drums his fingers together. The slight smirk and spark in his eyes dare me to answer incorrectly. Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly shake my head. โI donโt know. Iโve been coming home late and leaving early to avoid her as much as possible. She has said nothing.โHe raises an eyebrow. โHas she even been awake to say anything?โI shift nervously in the chair as he stares at me. His gaze is like a spotlight I donโt want to be under. After a few seconds, I slowly shake my head. โI think she has been asleep.โHe snorts and rests his arms on the desk. โI donโt think โthinkโ will work. If she is anything like your mother, she has been awake and waiting to see what you will do. She has probably called her parents and has gotten all the information she wants about the attack and her brother already. There is nothing to hide or sneak away from. If she was going to go to her fa