Leo The evening air was thick with tension as I yanked open the car door, only for flashing red and blue lights to blind me. The shouts came againโsharp, authoritative, cutting through the pounding in my skull. "Hands where we can see them!" "Step away from the vehicle, now!" A dozen police officers surrounded me, weapons drawn, their expressions grim. I clenched my jaw, irritation flaring. These fools were wasting my time. Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone, fingers moving swiftly as I dialed the one person who could put an end to this bullshit. Someone who owes me his life.The line clicked. "Who is in charge here?" I barked, my voice cold, cutting. "You're wasting my damn time." One officer, a tall man with a hard stare, stepped forward cautiously. "Sir, we need you toโ" The call connected. "Commissioner Jared speaking," came the voice on the other end. I didn't bother with pleasantries. "Your officers are pointing their guns at me." Silence. Then, a
It's been two days since Ivy was kidnapped. Two long, agonizing days, and there was still no sign of Ivy. Leo was losing his mind. He had turned over every inch of the city, organized a special squad with the police to search every possible hiding place in the city, and scoured every lead, but nothing. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. But he knew better. Someone had taken her. And every instinct in his body told him exactly who that someone was. Dina. Something about the black rose and the envelope had triggered a memory buried deep in his mind. It was the kind of signature move Dina would pullโsubtle yet taunting, poetic in its cruelty. But what solidified his suspicion was the talisman. Ivyโs protection had been left behind, as if whoever took her wanted her vulnerable. And that reeked of Dina. The problem was, Dina was like the wind. She had no real home, no place to track her down. She appeared when she wanted and vanished just as easily. He had order
Connorโs breath hitched, his wolf clawing at his skin, demanding he rip the smirk off Lilaโs face. But he held himself backโjust barely. He had learned long ago that Lila thrived on control and manipulation. If he let his rage get the best of him, sheโd only enjoy it.Instead, he stepped forward slowly, his voice eerily calm. โYouโre going to tell me everything you know.โLila cocked her head, her lips curling. โAnd if I donโt?โConnor didnโt answer. He didnโt need to. The air in the room thickened, his power pressing against her like a suffocating wave.Her smirk wavered, but she held her ground.โTell me what you know, Lila,โ he repeated, softer this time, almost dangerous in its quietness.She let out a dramatic sigh, flicking invisible dust off her sleeve. โFine. But if I talk, I want something in return.โConnorโs hands curled into fists. โYouโre in no position to bargain.โโOh, but I am,โ she purred. โBecause while you and your Mr Leo have been running in circles, Iโve been payi
IvyThe walls around me seemed to breathe, shifting in the dimly lit space.Two days. Forty-eight endless hours since I was taken.I counted them through the steady drip of water somewhere in the distance, the only sound breaking the suffocating silence of this prison.No one had come for me. No one was coming. The realization settled deep in my bones like a sickness.I curled on the small, grimy mattress they had given me, my hands and feet bound, my body aching from lying on the damp, filthy fabric. The air was thick with rot, the stench of mold and stagnant water clinging to my skin. The walls were cracked, peeling, revealing the decaying structure beneath. Rats skittered in the corners, their tiny claws scratching against the concrete. The only light seeped in through a high, grimy window, casting sickly yellow streaks across the floor. The silence was unbearable. Does my father even know Iโve been taken? Will Leo inform him or will he be too busy with his mate?I swallowed
Ivyโs POVHow? I hadnโt moved. I was tied down, helpless. So how could I possibly haveโ No. No, it wasnโt me. It couldnโt have been. But the blood was warm, fresh, trickling down my fingertips like a confession I wasnโt ready to hear. The metallic scent filled my nostrils, thick and overwhelming. My breath came in ragged gasps as I fought the nausea rolling through me. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out the silence that had settled in the room. Then, I remembered. The voice. The same one Iโd heard when I was being kidnapped, a whisper at the edge of my consciousness, lurking in the shadows of my mind. I had dismissed it then, thinking it was nothing but the remnants of an old nightmare. But now? Could it be? Was my wolf awakening? Will I finally get to shift?Tears pricked at my eyes as I struggled against the ropes binding my wrists. Any werewolf could snap out of thisโso why couldnโt I? Why was I still so weak? โHello?โ I whispered hoarsely, my voice b
Connorโs POVThe woman stood before me, cloaked in the shadows of the dimly lit corridor, her presence an eerie stillness in the chaos unraveling within me. My wolf, Zik, surged forward with a growl, protective and on edge as I approached her. There was something unnatural about herโsomething that made my instincts scream in warning.โYou again,โ I growled, eyes narrowing. โWhat the hell are you doing in my packโs territory?โShe tilted her head, her smile unnervingly serene. โI came to warn you, Alpha Connor.โI clenched my fists, barely holding back my rage. โWarn me about what exactly?โShe took a step closer, and the air around us seemed to shift, growing colder. โIvyโs wolf is waking,โ she whispered, her tone laced with something almost sacred. โAnd if it awakens fully, it will bring doom upon us all.โA snarl ripped from my throat. โHold onโlet me get this straight. Ivy has never shifted in her entire life, and now that there's finally a chance, you're hitting me with some vague
LilaWhen my ears picked up the warning cry, my first instinct was that it came from the pack house. But as I started moving with the others, another cry rang through the nightโthis time from the east border.That howlโraw, gutturalโsent ice splintering through my veins. It was the kind of sound that made your instincts seize, the kind that whispered death was near.Jaxon stiffened, his eyes snapping toward the direction of the call. Leahโs head tilted slightly, listening, her body already shifting into a defensive stance. For a brief second, we were all just wolvesโpredators assessing danger, our rivalry momentarily forgotten.But the tension between us snapped back just as quickly.Leahโs gaze flicked back to me, sharp with suspicion. โYou better not have brought something into our territory, Lila. We all know you to be a harbinger of bad luck.โI sneered, masking the flicker of unease curling in my chest. โDonโt flatter yourself. If I wanted to bring something in, youโd already be
IvyDarkness swallowed me whole.I could feel the damp, cold stone beneath me, the air thick with the scent of mold and decay. My wrists ached where the chains had dug in, my throat raw from screaming. Shadows moved at the edges of my visionโno, not shadows.The Keeper.The voice slithered through the dark, thick as tar, wrapping around my mind. You thought you could run? Thought you could escape me?I tried to move, but my limbs felt like they were sinking into the floor, melting into the filth. My breath came in ragged gasps. The walls pulsed, closing in, the ceiling stretching impossibly high. A handโbony, coldโclosed around my ankle, yanking me back.I screamed.Thenโlight.I jolted upright, my chest heaving, my skin damp with sweat. But the filth, the chains, the Keeperโthey were gone.Instead, I was in one of the softest beds I had ever felt, the sheets clean, smelling of fresh linen. My body no longer reeked of mold and damp, my skin scrubbed clean. My fingers curled into the f
Meanwhile, inside the palace.Raulโs eyes widened as his sorcererโs spell faltered. He stared at the empty space where Ivy had stood, and then back at the guard who shot the arrow.โHow dare you shoot an arrow at your Luna?! My queen?!โ He roared.โIโm sorryโฆAlpha. IโโBut he never got to finish his statement. Raul tore through his throat with his claws and watched with empty eyes as the man struggled to breathe.โShe's gone...โ Raul whispered in defeat, his voice shaking, as though the very idea of her escaping was too much to bear.His sorcerers cursed, their eyes darting frantically around the room. โShe... Sheโs strong. But sheโs wounded.โ The tone was unsettling. There was both fear and reverence in the manโs words.โAnd you, Anto,โ he barked, turning to look at the new sorcerer that came in. โI sent for you two nights ago. Why are you just showing up now?โโYour majesty, I wanted to make sure thatโฆโโWhat now?โ Raul demanded, cutting him off, his voice dangerously cold.โWe will
Ivyโs POVRaul stepped in front of me like a shield.Pathetic.โShe came to kill you, my Nyxara," he snarled, voice booming off the stone walls. "But I won't let that happen. I won't lose you. Again. You must be mine.โHis hand lifted, two fingers snapping sharply.A low rumble answered.From the smoke outside, figures entered โ this one robed in red and silver, face obscured by a bone-white mask.Another of his personal sorcerers? Or some kind of demented cult leader?"Seize her," Raul commanded.The new sorcerer, together with the one from earlier, raised their staff. Runes carved in old, forgotten tongues shimmered to life, burning through the air in spirals of light and sound.Chains of searing blue magic shot toward Dina.But she only laughed โ a cruel, knowing laugh that made the walls seem to shudder."You fool," Dina hissed, her arms thrown wide as if embracing the chaos. "I only came to help you. But instead, you just dug your own grave!"The chains wrapped around her wrists
IVY'S POVNo. This canโt be happening. The figure drifted forward through the shattered doorway, her form blurred by the black smoke that oozed from her steps, as if the shadows themselves bowed to her. The air grew thick, sour with memory. I knew her. How can I forget?Every night since the forest, she had crept into my dreamsโno, my nightmares. The Keeper. The one who had chained me, broken me, left scars on my spirit deeper than any wound to my flesh. The child in me, the Aria I once was, shrieked and recoiled, curling into the farthest corner of my mind, clutching invisible knees to her chest, sobbing without sound. But not Nyxara. No. Nyxara straightened, her lips curling into a feral grin. The Keeper drifted closer, the folds of her dark robe trailing embers along the floor, black flames licking the stone, humming that lullaby. That cursed lullaby. The one that had driven me to madness when I was nothing more than a helpless, trembling girl.Nyxara bared he
IVY'S POVโNo!โ I thrashed, every limb rebelling as I strained against the chains. โGet your filthy hands off me! Youโre all monsters!โThe burn of the restraints cut deeper, but I didnโt care. My voice tore through the chamber like a wounded beast. โYou think this makes you powerful? You think having your way with a chained woman makes you a king? Youโre nothing, Alpha. Nothing but a coward too weak to accept rejection. Your mate despised you. I despise you too!โThe Alpha stood in front of me, unshaken. His eyes gleamedโnot with rage, but something worse. Hunger. Satisfaction. Humor.He turned to the sorcerer, his voice low, almost casual. โIf I spill my seed into herโฆ will it hold?โThe sorcererโs breath caught, then his face lit up as if struck by divine revelation.โOhโฆ oh, my King,โ he murmured, sinking to one knee. โYou are brilliant beyond compare. A true leader. Of course! Of course! If she bears your heir, the bond will be forever weakened. No Alpha would dare claim a woman
The estate loomed into view like a palace of memories she wanted to bury. The towering gates, the long marble driveway, the manicured hedges. To anyone else, it looked like luxury.To her, it looked like a trap.A trap that could destroy all her plans.The moment they stepped inside, staff rushed to greet her. She didnโt recognize any of them despite their attempts to be friendly. They all wore the same annoying expressionโconcern mingled with curiosity.As if wondering what had really happened to Miss Ivy.Lila smiled.Fake. Perfect. Practiced.She had no choice now.โItโs good to be home,โ she said smoothly.Richard narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing.They led her up to her room, the unfamiliar halls pressing in around her like the walls of a tomb. The maids bustled in behind her, changing the sheets, restocking the drawers, pretending not to notice the tension radiating from her.When they left, she stood in the center of the room, staring at her reflection.Ivy stared bac
The scent of antiseptic hung thick in the air, cold and suffocating, clinging to the sterile white walls like a ghost that refused to leave. The room, though bathed in daylight streaming through a narrow, barred window, held no warmth. The only sounds were the distant echo of shoes on tile and the low, mechanical hum of machines monitoring the fragile boundary between sanity and madness.In the center of it all lay Lila.Or as the staff here knew her: Ivy Blackwood.Her brown hair was disheveled, matted to her forehead with sweat. Her pale skin, once radiant with carefully curated poise, now looked wan and haunted. Her eyes, wild and rimmed with exhaustion, flicked around the room like a cornered animal searching for an escape. But there was none. The straightjacket bound her arms tightly to her torso, and leather restraints anchored her ankles to the bed frame.She hadnโt spoken since the screaming stopped.The nurses whispered when they thought she couldnโt hear. Said she was mad. T
Leoโs POVThe battlefield quieted, save for the crackling fires and the groans of the dying. My pulse still thundered in my ears, but the bloodlust began to ebb, leaving behind a sharp, aching clarity.I stood among the ruins of Malrikโs failed rebellion, blood soaking my skin, teeth still stained from the life I had ripped from their veins. The night was far from overโI could feel it, like a splinter in my mind. Something dark was coming.The air shifted.Colder. Heavier.Even my warriors sensed it. Their post-battle roars died out, one by one, and an unnatural silence swallowed the clearing. Connorโs lips curled into a snarl, Zaneโs claws still dripped red, but their eyes darted to the treeline.Then I saw her.She stepped out of the shadows like smoke made flesh.Dina.The last time I saw her, she stood in front of my throne room, asking me to sacrifice my mate. She hadnโt changedโstill dressed in her dark robes that rippled like oil in the wind, her face pale and ageless, her eye
Ivyโs POVThe fourth day turned out to be the worst.Worse because I am still alive. Worse because every time Alpha Raul marked me, the pain got sharper. Deeper.And every time, my wolfโvaliantly, defiantlyโrejected him.The room stank of sweat, old blood, and Alpha Raulโs scentโthick and clinging like rot. My body was raw, my neck a patchwork of torn flesh where Raul had tried to mark me over and over. But my wolfโthe last spark of resistance I had leftโrejected him every time. And each rejection felt like death.The mark was slow to heal, and before it could fully fade, Alpha Raul would sink his teeth into the same spotโreopening the wound and claiming it all over again.Each time he sank his fangs into me, it was as if my soul was being torn in half, only to be stitched together by burning wire. I would scream until my voice gave out, until my throat was ragged and raw, until the pain folded me into unconsciousness. But every time I came back, chained and shivering, he would try a
Leoโs POVThe air crackled with energy as I stepped onto the battlefield, the scent of war thick on the windโblood, sweat, steel. The moon hung low, bloated and red like it was thirsty for carnage. Good. It would feast tonight.My boots crushed charred earth as I led my warriors across the eastern border of the palace, where Malrikโs pathetic rebellion had gathered like a swarm of diseased rats. I could hear their howls echoing in the distance, could hear the roar of their chantsโwild, desperate, undisciplined. Fools.Zane met me at the front lines, blood already staining his cheek and his blade. โTheyโve broken through the outer ring,โ he said breathlessly, โbut theyโre sloppy. No formation. Just brute force.โI sneered. โThen letโs show them what real force looks like.โI shifted.Bones cracked, flesh tore, and a searing fire ignited in my veins as my wolf burst free. My muscles expanded, fur black as shadow blanketing me, claws gleaming like blades. But it wasnโt just my wolfโmy va