Emily’s POVAlpha James cleared his throat, drawing my attention away from the sick man in the room. "My grandfather is... unwell," he stated, his tone clipped. "That's why we have hired you to care for him and to be with him at all times, so he doesn’t go astray."I frowned, peeking back into the room where the old man muttered to himself, oblivious to our presence. Turning to face James, I steeled my expression."I didn't sign up to be a babysitter," I retorted, my brow furrowing. "And no one told me he was, well, a madman. I think a mental hospital will be the best place for him right now. I don't want any part of this, I am leaving for real this time. You can keep your damn money, I don’t need it."The moment the words left my lips, I saw a flash of fury ignite in James' eyes. Before I could react, his hand shot out, wrapping around my throat and slamming me against the wall. I stared wide-eyed as his gaze narrowed, the irises shifting to a piercing yellow, his fangs bared."My gr
Emily’s POV"Why are you asking such a ridiculous question?" Robert inquired, moving closer to Michael. "This packhouse belongs to me as much as it belongs to you, no one can stop me from coming in here, neither you nor the pack warriors, even if they wanted to!” Memories of the night—he had told me that he was an orphan and lost his family in a car accident—ran on an unforgiving reel in my head. They were all lies, and it made me wonder what else he had lied to me about. "Leave now!" Michael shouted, "Leave if you know what’s best for you, I still haven’t forgiven you for what you did last—" "What did he do?" I demanded, my curiosity finally getting the better of me. "Because I know you wouldn’t just ban someone from coming into the packhouse for no solid reason."But Michael cut me off, his gaze never leaving his cousin. "It's none of your business, Little Omega," he snapped. "Stay out of it."Robert, however, refused to be silenced. "Emily has every right to know what happened b
Emily’s POV"Shut up!" Michael bellowed, his hand slamming against the back of my thigh in a stinging slap.I groaned in pain, the impact halting my struggles as he gently set me down in front of a door in the dark corridor. I tensed, ready to lash out, but before I could react, he caught my hand in a vice-like grip, chuckling as I fought to free myself."You look like an angry little rabbit," he taunted, his grip tightening. "But hitting me won't save you from what I'm about to do.""Alpha—" I opened my mouth to scream for Alpha James, but Michael pulled me flush against his chest, his hand clamping over my lips. I watched in alarm as he made a gesture to someone behind me, and the next thing I knew, a handkerchief was being pressed against my face, the strong scent of wolfsbane overwhelming my senses.As I struggled in Michael's rigid hold, the person began tying the handkerchief tightly around my mouth, followed by my hands being bound behind my back. I felt violated, Michael's han
Alpha James’s POVI pummeled the punching bag with aggressive intensity, my movements swift and precise as I channeled my emotions through the powerful strikes. My potential beta, who had just arrived from the Duskfall pack, Nicholas stood nearby, concern imprinted across his face."Alpha, I think you should take a break," Nicholas urged, his voice rumbling with worry. "You have been at this for over three hours and haven’t taken a sip of water. Are you perhaps torturing yourself?"But I couldn't stop, my need to punish myself was overwhelming. I had hurt my mate and made her bleed—the very thought of it tearing me apart. Davin growled in my mind, voicing his own displeasure."She wasn't wrong, you know," Davin rumbled. "Your grandfather is a madman. He should be in an asylum, not this packhouse, your coronation is tomorrow; you need to make preparations, don’t torture yourself, I told you not to hurt her, didn’t I?"I grunted, my chest tightening with pain. "You did, I just couldn’t
Alpha James’s POVI watched with my face tight with anger as my warriors chained Michael to the ceiling of the softly lit room. They bound his wrists and ankles, stretching his limbs taut, leaving him utterly vulnerable. He stared at me, his face still flushed from the slap I had delivered."Brother, please," he begged, his voice wobbled at the end, and my anger intensified. "Free me. I won't harm her again, I swear to the moon goddess. I’m your brother, you are supposed to put me first before your mate."I cut him off with a sharp crack of the whip that Nicholas had placed in my hand. "I don’t think you are my brother, the brother I remember isn’t so heartless," I snarled. "You didn't just endanger Emily, you left our grandfather out in the cold as well. The maids had to go find him, you were so engrossed in your revenge that you became a monster."Michael's eyes widened, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I’m so sorry, brother!" he cried. "I was just so angry that she rejec
Emily’s POVA sharp pain pierced through my head as I opened my eyes, and I gasped for air, my hands instinctively reaching to touch my body. "I…I’m alive," I murmured, relief flooding through me.My questing fingers brushed against the warm, solid expanse of a sizable arm wrapped firmly around my waist, and my eyes widened in shock. Slowly, I traced the limb back to its owner, my heart racing as I realized it was none other than Alpha James, sleeping soundly beside me.A startled scream threatened to tear from my throat, but before the sound could fully escape, his large hand clamped down over my mouth, his piercing gray eyes snapping open to lock onto mine."Shush, you have to calm down and listen to me," he whispered, his fingers pressing firmly against his lips in a silencing gesture. I blinked slowly, signaling my submission, and he cautiously withdrew his hand. In a sudden burst of defiance, I shoved him off the bed, watching with no small amount of satisfaction as he stumbled t
Emily’s POVWith a refreshed mood, I strode into the kitchen, the chatter among the chefs and maids instantly dying down as I entered. Ignoring their curious, sidelong glances, I swept my gaze across the room, single-minded in my search for the coffee machine.Just as I reached for a mug from the bottom drawer, a maid swiftly stepped into my path, blocking my access. "What are you doing in the kitchen?" she demanded, her tone critical. "And why didn't you greet us? Acting like you own the place, just because the Alpha has taken an interest in you."Another maid cut in, her voice rumbling with hatred. "Don't get your hopes up, dear. The Alpha is only pretending to care because of what his brother did. You are not truly his mate, you are just a nobody."I couldn't help but chuckle at their blatant hostility. "If I was truly a nobody, as you say, you wouldn't be so bothered by my presence," I responded, shoving the maid aside as I retrieved a mug. Filling it with the fresh coffee, I turn
Emily’s POVI stood there, my mouth opening and closing as I struggled to find the words. The weight of Mrs. Blackwood's gaze made it difficult to maintain my composure, and I found myself strangely unsure of how to proceed.Thankfully, Mrs. Blackwood's phone rang, saving me from having to respond. As she stepped away to take the call, James turned to me, his expression expectant."Since you know these two," he said, gesturing casually towards Robert and Jessica, "Why don't you show them around the packhouse?"I couldn't help the audible groan that escaped my lips as I rolled my eyes in frustration. "Do I have a choice?" I muttered, already dreading the prospect.James merely smirked. "No," he replied simply before striding off, leaving me to deal with the two unwelcome guests.Turning to face them, I couldn't help but notice the way Jessica’s gaze followed James, a look of pure adoration on her face. "Is he real? He…is so handsome," she murmured, almost to herself. "And beautiful. Ho