Zane’s POV
“NOAH!”
I bellowed the name, making my Beta snap his head up, his brows already furrowed with concern and worry.
“We need to talk!”
I growled the words and jerked my head toward the underground offices that the Elite Enforcers often used. Noah flinched, but wordlessly, he followed, his shoulders squared but his steps cautious.
The air in the office crackled with tension the moment I slammed the door shut behind us. My wolf was pacing restlessly just beneath the surface, claws scraping against the edges of my control. I hadn’t planned for this confrontation to explode, but something snapped when I saw him.
With a guttural grunt, I grabbed Noah by the collar and slammed him against the wall. The impact was hard enough to shake the room, dust sifting from the cracks in the stone.
“What the hell is your problem with Arella?!” I snarled, my hands fisting his shirt-
Arella's POV“Fuck you!” I shot back, before snapping my attention to the woman whom I had actually begun to consider being my friend. I now felt disgusted by the very thought…“Why, Selena?” I growled, finally upright. “He’s your brother!”“My YOUNGER brother,” she shrieked, her voice dripping with venom. “I should have been queen! It was MY birthright and he stole it! Just because he was male, and I wasn’t.”Seriously?!She’d been holding in this resentment her whole life? That Zane had – by no fault of his own – stolen her birthright from her, taken away the crown that she felt was rightfully hers? Blame him for having a more dominant wolf, as if he’d sucked all her power beginning in the womb.It was as insane as it was sick!“You couldn’t kill him, so you killed Helena instead,&rdqu
Present time...Arella’s POVMy head was still throbbing, but there was no way I was giving in to the darkness that wanted to lure me away. Not when I was alone in an unknown location with – not one! – but TWO psychotic murderers.Speaking off---I forced my eyes open, seeing the two people who’d kidnapped me standing just a few feet away. We were in some kind of tiny cellar that smelled like ass! I couldn’t see any window, but there was a pale light source that hung from the ceiling, casting an eerie shadow on the entire situation...“I can’t kill her,” Bali growled, rubbing his chin in annoyance as he paced the small, dark room. “My wolf won’t let me!”Lucky fucking me…I tried to lift my head off the floor, which felt damp and uncomfortably hard. It didn’t take me long to realize that the floor was just
Still a few moments agoArella's POVShe had just confirmed that she at least did have full access to the system. That she held the key to the entire castle’s digital fortress. And so my suspicions deepened, as this mystery took an entirely new turn.Outwardly, however, I quickly plastered on an apologetic expression.“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said innocently, softening my tone and lowering my gaze. Time to play the submissive runt. “I can see that I’ve upset you. That-that wasn’t my intention. I’m so sorry.”You came a long way with half-truths!“It’s quite alright,” she said curtly, though her posture remained tense as she straightened out invisible wrinkles in her dress. And then, as if someone had flipped a switch, she turned to me once more, all smiles and everything! “You’re still new to the whole werewolf order of th
A few moments earlier…Arella’s POV“Arella?”I just about jumped out of my skin, when Selena’s voice was gently carried to my ear and yanking me from the tangled web of thoughts. I’d been submersed in my thoughts about Noah and what motivations he might have to betray Zane. Wondering if there was something I’d missed…It just didn’t make any sense!The guy was either the world’s greatest actor or I was completely off my mark. I’d seen Noah with Cain. He loved the kid, he would never be able to hurt him. Manipulate him, maybe, but--- why? What was the point? Why did he want the crown so badly?“Ah, Selena!” I gasped, clutching at my chest and hoping I hadn’t pissed myself. “You scared me!”“I’m sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile and stepped into the office. She took a qui
Zane's POV"I found my mate,” Noah admitted, his voice thick with grief. Shock rippled through me, silencing my wolf.WHAT?!“It was about four years ago now,” he continued in a gruff voice. As if confessing it out loud was painful. “But she was already mated to someone else.”The room seemed to tilt for a moment, the air feeling suffocatingly dry. I blinked, my mind racing to process his words.Four years ago?!“They say that chosen mate bonds are as strong and powerful as fated ones,” Noah said bitterly, his teeth clenched as he spat the words. “But--- yeah, that’s bullshit! She was claimed by someone else and still, I felt our bond just as strongly; just as vibrantly. And fuck, it hurt like hell to see her with someone else. I couldn’t--- I just wanted---.”He let out a sardonic laugh to hide his pain. His head leaned back,
Zane’s POV“NOAH!”I bellowed the name, making my Beta snap his head up, his brows already furrowed with concern and worry.“We need to talk!”I growled the words and jerked my head toward the underground offices that the Elite Enforcers often used. Noah flinched, but wordlessly, he followed, his shoulders squared but his steps cautious.The air in the office crackled with tension the moment I slammed the door shut behind us. My wolf was pacing restlessly just beneath the surface, claws scraping against the edges of my control. I hadn’t planned for this confrontation to explode, but something snapped when I saw him.With a guttural grunt, I grabbed Noah by the collar and slammed him against the wall. The impact was hard enough to shake the room, dust sifting from the cracks in the stone.“What the hell is your problem with Arella?!” I snarled, my hands fisting his shirt-