Alpha Michael’s POVA piercing headache throbbed behind my eyes, the sound of heavy footsteps assaulting my senses. Groaning, I tried to raise a hand to my temple, but found my arms bound tightly behind the chair."Wake up, Michael!" Nicholas's voice cut through the cloud, fastened with a note of worry. "They are already here!"I forced my eyes open, blinking against the dim light. As my vision cleared, I took in the sight of Nicholas, similarly restrained in a chair across from me. His face was contorted with deep sadness."We are doomed," he murmured. "Why did you have to fall asleep? We could have at least pretended the warriors were still here. If you had gone with my plan and set the traps, but no, you just had to fall asleep at the wrong time."I had no response, the weight of my exhaustion settling heavily on me. I'd spent the entire night carrying the incapacitated pack members, trying my best to bring them to safety. It had been backbreaking work, both physically and mentally
Emily's POVThe sounds of arguing and discontent filled the cramped space of the storage room, grating against my pounding headache. Try as I might, I couldn't block out their voices, each one rising in a loud noise."I can't stay here any longer!""The attackers want the Alpha, not us! We should leave this place, you can't keep us trapped in here like a bunch of prisoners!"Through the noise, a stern voice cut through, scolding the restless crowd. "Quiet! The walls aren't soundproof, they will find us here, if you guys keep making a lot of noise, like kids, the rogue alpha has already wiped out a large number of the pack residents."Mustering what little strength I had, I forced my eyes open, my gaze settling on the doctor, his face set in a grave expression as he addressed the gathered pack members. Many sat on hastily arranged mats, their faces obscured by medical-grade masks."What makes you guys think you are special? His henchmen are looking for us," the doctor continued. "We ca
Alpha Michael’s POV"Open your eyes, you coward!" Marcus shouted, his face mere inches from mine.I squeezed my eyelids shut, unwilling to watch the torture happening before me. The tormented screams of Jasmine and Carol pierced the air, driving my wolf to the edge of madness.I felt the sharp stab of Marcus's claws against my skin as he forced my eyes open, the bright afternoon sun burning my retinas. And there, in front of me, were the monsters that were torturing two of the people I had come to care about.Carol and Jasmine, their heads being shoved again and again into a large, steaming pool. The henchmen, their grip tough, kept their hostages soaked for longer than the human body could endure.Jasmine's muffled cries reached me through the water, her wolf's pain searing into my very soul. I could feel the razor-sharp claws bursting forth from my fingertips, my wolf howling for revenge.But I remained paralyzed, trapped in this waking nightmare, unable to act. Marcus's taunting vo
Emily’s POVThe storage room had grown dark as night fell, throwing gloomy shade across the confined space. Michael and Nicholas still had not returned, and an intense sense of unease had settled over the gathered pack members.I moved alongside the doctor, distributing water and canned foods to the anxious servants seated on the floor. As I approached the leader of the warriors, our eyes met, and I felt the kind of cold that had nothing to do with the weather. I wished I could avoid him, but duty compelled me to continue with my task.Extending a water bottle and can of food, I braced myself for another confrontation. The warrior snatched the items from my grasp, his expression consumed with anger."Is this some sick joke? You think just one can will be enough for me?" he snapped. "I'm not on the same level as these lowlifes. Give me more, now that I am asking nicely."I shook my head, forcing myself to remain calm. "We need to ration the supplies. As a leader, you should understand
Emily’s POVThe doctor rushed to Michael's side, quickly searching for his pulse. "Uh, he is alive, just unconscious," he reported. "We need to resuscitate him, he just passed out temporarily."The warrior leader approached, urging me not too gently. "Well, don't just sit there, whore. Do it, it's not like you haven't kissed him or his brother before."I swallowed hard, hating the man but knowing I couldn't afford to provoke him further. Toughening my nerves, I leaned over Michael, whispering a silent prayer before pressing my lips to his in a desperate attempt to revive him.His dry, cracked lips felt foreign against mine, but I pushed past the discomfort, exhaling deeply into his mouth. I repeated the process, pausing only to press my hands against his still chest, pushing with all my might.Finally, Michael gasped, coughing up a mouthful of blood as his eyes flew open. For a moment, he simply stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, to my surprise, he reached up, cradling my
Alpha Michael's POV A frown of concern creased my brow as I watched Sarah cling desperately to my right hand, her eyes struggling to open. She was lying on a small mat, her body extremely cold and her skin pale. "Nick?" she rasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is that you?""Yes, it's me," I replied, leaning in closer to her. "Uh, please let me carry you out of here."She sniffed the air, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Your voice... your scent—it's different, are you really my Nick?"A small whimper escaped her lips, and I felt my heart clench. Why hadn't she and my mother gained consciousness like the others? Was it because of Sarah's pregnancy?I couldn't waste any more time. If Nicholas was... dead, I shuddered at the thought. I needed to get Sarah to safety after my mother, so she could bring the next generation of our pack into the world. Bracing myself, I moved to lift her, but she suddenly lashed out, her fangs sinking into the flesh of my hand. I flinched, pain cut
Emily's POV Carol grabbed me by the arm, shoving me roughly towards the waiting truck that was outside the packhouse. "Get in and drive," she commanded, her tone serious. "The other pack members are already inside, not all but the ones I was able to find after all the mess."I gripped the steering wheel, hesitating for a moment. "But Michael and his family are still inside, including my pregnant best friend," I protested. "I—I can’t just leave them behind, and to make matters worse, I haven’t driven a truck before.""Michael is an Alpha, he will be able to protect his family. I am staying back to help him. And as for the driving thing, I have got that covered," Carol snapped, waving someone forward.To my greatest surprise, the warrior leader stepped up, shoving Carol aside as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Hold on tight, sweetheart," he sneered. "This is a job for a real man, not some joke of a woman."I bristled, folding my arms across my chest. "I hate when you open your mout
Emily’s POVBefore I could catch up to Michael, a person wearing thick battle armor appeared out of nowhere, knocking Michael away from James just as he was about to stab him."What the hell?" Michael shouted, his fist colliding with the armored stranger's face.The person flinched, spitting onto the ground before retaliating with a hard punch that sent Michael staggering backward. I couldn't make out who it was, but the familiarity of his silhouette nagged at me.As the two men grappled on the concrete floor, the stranger gained the upper hand, twisting Michael's hand and causing the little dagger to slip from his grasp. Seizing the opportunity, the stranger rained down blows on my friend's face, Michael struggling helplessly beneath his assault.Michael’s head snapped to the right, blood gushing from his nose holes. But the stranger didn’t stop punching him repeatedly, across the face. It was as if he wanted to kill him, and my heart kicked up a notch."Stop!" I cried, rushing towar