Alpha James’s POVThe heavy rain pounded against the window of my office, the downpour threatening to breach the glass barrier. With a grunt, I strained to close the window, the cold droplets sprinkling my face as I wiped the moisture from my hair.Just as I was about to turn away, the sound of footsteps echoed behind me. Whirling around, I found my mother, Mrs. Blackwood, standing in the dimly lit room, her floral dress clinging to her drenched frame, tears streaking down her face."Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, my brow furrowing with worry as I moved to wrap my arm around her.She sniffled, her gaze meeting mine. "Son, it's your grandfather," she breathed. "H- he is missing. The rumor is that he has run away from the hospital, and the pack warriors are searching for him now."Rage flared within me, and I clenched my jaw. "Who was in charge of looking after him?" I demanded."There were actually two warriors; one is in the living room, while the other still out in the rain looking for
Alpha James’s POVExhausted from the day's events, I collapsed onto my bed, closing my eyes in a desperate attempt to find some rest. The constant calls to secure my grandfather's accounts and arrange for a round-the-clock caretaker had left me drained, both physically and mentally.Just as I was about to drift off, a sharp knock at the door jolted me from my reverie. I let out a low growl, thoroughly annoyed at the interruption. "Come in," I grumbled.Without hesitation, my brother strode through the door, his expression unusually serious. I shook my head, regarding him with a wary gaze. "What do you want, Michael?"He sat down on the edge of the bed, his voice taking on an almost pleading tone. "Brother, I need you to grant me a wish."I furrowed my brow, perplexed by his request. "A wish? What are you talking about?"Michael inched closer, his eyes locked onto mine. "It's my birthday gift, since you missed it. I need you to grant it, without question."I let out a heavy sigh, my re
Emily’s POVI groaned as my back collided with the hard floor, Michael's forceful toss leaving me winded. Glaring up at him, I slowly sat up, wincing at the dull ache in my spine."What was that for?" I demanded, but Michael merely grinned down at me, his expression dripping with hatred.He extended a hand, as if to help me up, and I grabbed it, attempting to regain my footing. But just as I felt his grip begin to loosen, I yanked him down, sending him crashing to the floor beside me with a satisfying thud.Bursting into laughter, I got to my feet, hurrying to retrieve my luggage. "I didn't sign up to be tortured by you," I declared, fixing him with a pointed stare. "I came because I had no other choice, but since you are taking this as an opportunity to torment me, I will be leaving, you can hire someone else for the job."As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of Alpha James—was that a faint smile playing on his lips? The sight of it only encouraged my determination, and I clutche
Emily’s POVAlpha James remained silent, his piercing gaze fixed on me. Before I could react, he moved closer, his striking body hovering over me until the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed, causing me to tumble backwards onto the soft mattress.I stared up at him, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest as my eyes landed on the toned abs visible through the thin fabric of his robe. He leaned in, his previously warm expression hardening into a cold mask."Since you are already in my room," he murmured, his voice low. "I might as well tell you, my rules."I swallowed hard, unable to tear my gaze away as he moved closer, as if to kiss me. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, feeling utterly powerless under his influence.Suddenly, he let out a low chuckle, the unexpected sound causing me to snap my eyes open in surprise. "What were you thinking about, Braveheart?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I didn't know you could be so naughty; did you think I was going to kiss you?"I
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