EMMELINE♧♧♧♣︎♣︎♣︎They hauled me through the corridors of the Estate like a sack of potatoes, my feet dragging on the plush carpets. I tried to dig in my heels, to resist, but their grip was like iron. Fear, cold and sharp, clawed at my throat. Where were they taking me? What did they want?Then they shoved me through the double doors of the main meeting hall, the very place where Darius held court, made his decisions, the heart of his power. My breath hitched in my chest, and my blood ran cold. Standing at the head of the long table, looking entirely too comfortable, was Kaelen.So, it was him. That slimy, manipulative bastard. He was behind this. The realization hit me like a physical blow, and a raw, animalistic scream tore from my throat.“KAELEN! You son of a bitch! Why are you doing this?!” Tears streamed down my face, hot and angry. My body trembled, partly from fear, partly from pure, unadulterated rage. How could he? After everything? After I’d told him…The men holding me,
DARIUS☆☆☆☆☆We pulled up to the Estate, Sylas driving like a maniac, Dawson white-knuckling the passenger seat. I was just staring, my heart hammering against my ribs. What the hell? It looked like a goddamn war zone. Guards everywhere, more than I’d ever seen, and they weren’t even my guards.“What in the actual fuck…?” I muttered, my eyes scanning the scene.It wasn’t just a few extra guards. This was a full-blown invasion. A complete takeover. I wanted to throw the car door open and rip them apart with my bare hands.I was about to charge in there, guns blazing if I had to, when Sylas grabbed my arm. “Hold it, Darius! Just… hold it.” His voice was low, calm, but I could see the tension in his jaw.“Hold it? Sylas, look at this! And Emmeline is in there!” My voice was rising. “I know. But barging in like that? It’ll be a bloodbath, and we don’t even know what’s happening inside. Or Emmeline’s condition. Look around. This isn’t a fight we can just win with brute force. Not now.”He
EMMELINE☆☆☆☆☆☆Trapped. That’s the only damn word for it. Here I am, stuck in Darius’s study. His study! The one place I always felt safe, like it was our little world, now feels like a bloody prison. And these gorillas Kaelen sent? They're standing guard like I'm some kind of dangerous criminal. Seriously?I tried talking to one of them, you know, just a simple “Hey, can you please just let me out of here?” or maybe a more desperate “Please, you have to help me! He’s crazy!” But they just stood there, like statues carved out of stone, eyes straight ahead, not even a twitch. It was like I was invisible, a ghost haunting my own life.Panic started bubbling up inside me, that familiar icy grip tightening around my chest. Breathe, Emmeline, breathe. I had to get it together. Losing it wasn't going to help anyone, least of all me.My mind drifted back to that damn conversation with Kaelen. ‘I want what I want.’ His voice, so calm, so sure, still sent shivers down my spine. Oh Moon Godde
DARIUS★★☆★★The whole damn situation was a nightmare. A complete and utter nightmare. There I was, huddled in the woods like some kind of fugitive, with Sylas, Dawson, and a few of our best fighters. We’ve set up a makeshift camp, a pathetic excuse for a base of operations, while my Emmeline is trapped in my own damn house, thanks to that snake Kaelen.Dawson, bless his loyal heart, had spread out a map of the Estate on a fallen log. It was covered in all sorts of markings—known entrances, patrol routes, even some hidden pathways I hadn’t even known existed. The guy was a bloody genius when it came to this kind of stuff.“Alright, Darius,” Dawson said, his voice low and serious, “storming the front gates is out of the question. It’ll be a bloodbath. Kaelen’s got his men everywhere, thick as thieves. We don’t even know if Emmeline is safe. We can’t risk a direct assault without knowing her location and the layout inside.”I swear, I felt my blood boil. Not safe? My Emmeline? And my ba
KAELEN’S POV☆☆☆☆▪♧♧♧♧The mahogany table in the Estate’s meeting room gleamed under the dim chandelier light, reflecting the tense faces of the men gathered around it. I had tightened my grip on the Estate, replacing Darius’s loyalists with men I could trust. There were a few whispers of dissent, rumblings of discontent, and they needed to be crushed swiftly and decisively.I sat at the head of the long table, my gaze sweeping over the faces of my so-called allies. They looked at me, some with a semblance of respect, others with a flicker of doubt in their eyes. It was the doubt I needed to squash.“Darius,” I began, my voice calm, even, “ruled this Estate like it was his personal playground. Like we were his toys to command. He made decisions without consulting anyone, as if his word was law, and ours meant nothing. Did he ever once consider us, the strength of this territory, in his decisions?”A murmur rippled through the room. Good. They were listening, their resentment simmering
DARIUS’ POV☆☆☆☆☆☆I crept through the hidden tunnel, my heart pounding like a war drum, flanked by two of Sylas’s men who owed me more than a few favors. The passage was damp and dark, and every sound echoed in my ears as if warning me of what lay ahead. I had to be silent, every step measured, every breath controlled. My mind raced with thoughts of betrayal and impending danger.That snake. Kaelen. I’d been so blind. He wasn’t just some ordinary beta, no way. He had power, real power, and plans I never saw coming. He played me, the bastard. Pretended to be nothing, just another face in the crowd, while he was plotting, waiting for his chance to stab me in the back. And he took it. He actually did it.Now, his presence corrupted the estate like a cancer.I could see that changes had been made. The familiar architecture was still there, but it was overrun by new guards and unfamiliar symbols. It was clear that Kaelen had strong allies, ones I never expected him to have. I scanned the
DARIUS’S POV☆☆☆☆☆☆☆“Darius?” She whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.“Emmeline,” I breathed, my heart aching at the sight of her. She looked pale and thinner. Her eyes, usually so bright and full of life, were clouded with fear.“How… how did you get here?” she asked, taking a step towards me.“Who's there!?”A guard appeared in the doorway before I could respond, his eyes widening in alarm. I could see his eyes narrow as he reached for his weapon.“Intruder!” he yelled, raising his weapon.“Get behind me, Emmeline!” I shouted, pushing her back.The guard lunged, and I met him head-on. He was strong, but I was fueled by adrenaline and pure, unadulterated rage. We exchanged a few brutal blows. I blocked his punch and drove my fist into his gut. He doubled over, groaning. I didn’t wait—I kicked him in the side, sending him sprawling to the ground, his weapon clattering away.But the noise had attracted attention. I could hear more guards approaching, their heavy footsteps poun
EMMELINE’S POV☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆His roar shook the very air around me. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut as the sound bounced off the walls of this… this prison. Vases shattered against the wall, the heavy wooden chair he’d been sitting on splintered into pieces as he hurled it across the room. I flinched with every crash, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. Darius’s failed rescue attempt had lit a fire in him that I hadn’t seen before, a wild, uncontrollable rage that was now directed squarely at me, even though I hadn't done a damn thing.“You stupid girl!” he bellowed, his voice thick with fury. I didn’t dare open my eyes. I just curled in on myself, wishing I could disappear, become invisible.His footsteps came closer, heavy and menacing. I could feel his presence looming over me. “Look at me!” he snarled, and I finally forced my eyes open. His face was contorted with rage, his eyes blazing with a dangerous light.“That… that idiot!” He yelled, and another crash fo
★DARIUS’ POV★My gut twisted tighter with every second Anastasia worked. She moved fast, thank the goddess, her hands a blur as she crushed herbs, mixing them into some kind of paste, then adding liquid. It felt like an eternity, though. Every rasping breath Emmeline took, every weak tremor that still ran through her tiny body was a hammer blow to my chest. Hurry, damn it. Please, just hurry.Finally, Anastasia held up a small, dark vial. "It's ready," she said, her voice calm but her eyes holding a flicker of urgency that mirrored my own fear.I knelt beside the cot, my heart in my throat. Gently, so damn gently, I lifted Emmeline's head, supporting the fragile weight with my hand. Her skin was still too pale, her lips almost blue. Anastasia carefully brought the vial to her mouth.The first few drops went down, and Emmeline coughed, a weak, pathetic sound that tore right through me. My jaw tightened. Swallow, Em. Please, just swallow. Anastasia waited patiently, then tried again. Th
★EMMELINE’S POV★My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, heavy and distant. Every breath was a struggle, a shallow, rattling thing that didn't seem to bring enough air. I was floating, drifting somewhere between here and... well, somewhere else. Somewhere quiet and dark. It felt peaceful, in a terrifying sort of way. Like I was letting go."Emmeline? Stay with me. Please."Sylas. His voice. It sounded tight, strained, like he was trying not to break. I wanted to answer, to tell him I was trying, but my tongue felt thick and useless. I managed a small, weak squeeze of the hand he was holding. His grip tightened instantly, almost painfully."She's fading, Sylas," a softer voice said. Anastasia. The healer. I could feel her cool fingers on my wrist, checking my pulse. "The damage... it's spreading faster than I can counter it without the proper herbs."Fading. Yeah, that felt about right. Like a candle sputtering out. The pain was a dull throb now, constant and heavy, but almost se
★DARIUS★Hours. It had been damn hours. My body screamed with every step, every bend, every time I had to push aside a thorny branch that clawed at my already torn clothes and skin. The Crying Woods lived up to its name; the wind seemed to moan through the trees, and the shadows felt heavy, pressing down on me. And for what? Nothing. I hadn't found a damn thing.My eyes scanned the forest floor, blurry with exhaustion and pain. Silver plants, they said. Surrounded by thorny roots. Sounded like something out of a twisted fairytale, and right now, I felt less like a prince on a quest and more like a broken-down mule lost in a maze.I stumbled, catching myself on a tree trunk, the rough bark scraping my cheek. "Son of a bitch," I muttered, leaning my forehead against the cool wood. My lungs burned, my muscles felt like they were tearing, and the dull ache in my ribs was a constant reminder of the fight I'd barely survived. This was insane. I was running on fumes and sheer, unadulterated
★DARIUS' POV★The air tasted like blood and dirt, thick and metallic. This bastard, this rogue Alpha, was fast, I'll give him that. He came at me, claws out, a snarling mess of muscle and rage. My own snarl ripped from my throat, a low rumble that promised pain. He swiped, a blur of grey fur. I ducked under it, the wind of his miss whipping past my ear. Instinct took over. My jaws snapped shut, finding purchase on his hind leg. God, the feel of tearing muscle and sinew... it sent a jolt of brutal satisfaction through me. I yanked hard.He howled, a sound that was music to my ears, stumbling, off-balance. That was my chance. Don't hesitate. Never hesitate. I surged upward, putting everything into it. My claws raked across his face. I felt the warm, wet spray of blood, heard his shriek of agony as one eye was taken. Good. Let him see what happens when you cross me.He didn't back down though. Credit where it's due, the son of a bitch had guts. His rage doubled, making him sloppy, predic
★DARIUS’ POV★Damn, that place was even worse than the stories. The Crying Woods… they weren’t kidding with the name. The air hung thick and heavy, clinging to my skin like a shroud. It reeked of stale blood, rot, and something else… despair, maybe? Twisted trees clawed at the perpetually grey sky, their branches like skeletal fingers. It was unnervingly quiet in some ways, but the silence was punctuated by sounds that made the hairs on my arms stand up – distant growls echoing through the suffocating woods, the rustle of unseen things in the undergrowth.And the eyes. Glowing pairs of them, tracking me from the deepest shadows. Yellow, green, cold pinpricks of hate watching my every step. The rogues. They said rogues were just mindless beasts, driven mad by isolation. Bullshit. Those bastards were smart, cunning. They were hunting me, I could feel it. Packs of them, flanking me, testing my path, waiting for an opening.Being alone sucked right then, made every shadow seem like a thre
★EMMELINE’S POV★I woke up slowly, the dull ache in my body a familiar companion now. But something else felt wrong. Deeper. Colder. I reached out instinctively, my hand searching the space beside me in the bed. Empty.Darius wasn’t there.That wasn’t unusual. He was the Alpha, always busy. But this felt different. The bond, the constant hum of his presence in the back of my mind, felt… distant. Like a faint whisper across a wide, empty space. Not gone, not broken, but stretched thin, strained.Panic, cold and sharp, pricked at me. I pushed myself up, ignoring the protest from my aching muscles. “Darius?” I called out, my voice raspy from sleep.No answer.I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet finding the floor. I pulled on a robe quickly, my hands fumbling with the tie. Where was he? Why did the bond feel so… far away?I opened the door to our chambers. A maid was outside, tidying the hall.“Where is the Alpha?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.She curtsied. “Good
★DARIUS’ POV★The morning after Finn died, the air in the pack house felt heavy, thick with grief and unspoken fear. Six of my men, gone. Just like that. Torn apart in those cursed woods. It should have made me stop. Made me rethink. Made me listen to the fear that was gripping the pack.But it didn’t.It only made me harder. More determined. If my best warriors couldn’t get those herbs, if the Crying Woods was too much for a trained team, then there was only one person left who could go. Me. The Alpha.I didn’t waste time. I called Sylas into my study first. He was the most skilled, the bravest of my advisors.He walked in, his face etched with the sorrow of the previous night. He knew why I’d called him. He could probably smell the grim resolve on me.“Alpha,” he said quietly.“Sylas,” I nodded, getting straight to the point. No need for pleasantries. Not now. “You know what happened last night.”He closed his eyes for a brief moment, a flicker of pain crossing his face. “Yes, Alpha
★DARIUS’ POV★I stood before them, my best warriors. Their faces were grim, expectant. They knew something was wrong. My mate was sick, and when the Alpha’s mate is sick, the pack feels it. The air in the room was thick with unspoken worry.“Listen up,” I began with a rough voice. “You know the situation with Luna Emmeline. The healer says there’s a way to help her, a tonic. But the herbs needed… they’re in the Crying Woods.”A ripple went through the group. The Crying Woods. Even the bravest among them shifted uncomfortably. They knew the stories. Everyone did.“Yeah, Alpha,” one of them spoke up. “The Crying Woods. That place is a shithole. Full of rogues.”“Exactly,” I confirmed, meeting each of their eyes. “Not just any rogues. These are the ones who lost their minds. Banished, twisted by rage and isolation. They live like animals in there. Savage. Violent. They kill anything that crosses their path.”I held up the parchment Anastasia had given me. “The healer gave me the descript
★DARIUS’ POV★“There has to be something.” My voice was low, a dangerous rumble I barely recognized. I stood over Anastasia, the healer, my fists clenched at my sides. Her face a roadmap of wrinkles, but her eyes held a weariness that wasn't just age. It was the look of someone who had seen too much, too many things go wrong.She sighed, a thin, reedy sound. “Alpha Darius, I understand your… distress. But I have told you. A hybrid pregnancy is… unnatural. The child grows too fast. It takes too much from the mother.”“Unnatural?” I scoffed, the sound sharp. “She’s carrying my child. There’s nothing unnatural about that.”Anastasia flinched slightly but held her ground. “With respect, Alpha, the mixing of bloodlines this strong… it creates complications. The child’s wolf nature is dominant, even in the womb. It draws on the mother’s life force to fuel its growth. It’s why… why hybrids are so rare now. The mothers…” She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor.“The mothers what?” I p