Michaelโs POVโMichael!โ I heard Hercules call out to me, but I didnโt stop to answer.โNora!โI banged on her door, but all I could hear were crickets. When Hercules caught up with me, he was panting. And so did others. Mia, Zen, and Mila."Damn, has he ever taught of entering into the running game?โ Mila whispered to Mia as she put her hands on her knee while breathing through her mouth."Agnar, sheโs with the Pack doctor andโโ Hercules began.โExcuse me," I said as I walked straight to the pack doctorโs room. I left a raspy knock on the door, and I was immediately ushered in.โYour highness, we have been waiting for you,โ she said as she stood up. I immediately rushed to Noraโs side.โTell me the truth; do you think she would survive it?โ I stared at Nora. She looked peaceful. I would be happy if I were honest.โYour highness, we donโt know yet; we just have to watch her,โ she said. I sighed as I nodded. What must have happened?Who poisoned Nora? Who is that unfortunate person? I wo
Noraโs POVAs I slowly opened my eyes, the harsh white light of the room pierced through the haze in my mind.Everything felt fuzzy, like trying to grasp at a memory just beyond my reach. I struggled to piece together what had happened, my thoughts swirling like a whirlpool in my head. It was like the more I tried to recall the previous happenings, the more foggy my head became. Where was I? When I looked around, I saw that the walls were painted white. Did Michael request room paint? I mean, I just moved into this room. Everything is still new. Speaking of Michael, where was he? I tried to move around, but then there was an excruciating pain in my belly. What happened? I groaned, and that seemed to attract someone who was standing outside."Nora? Oh my god, you're awake!" A familiar voice broke through the fog, and I turned my head to see Mia standing by my bedside, her eyes filled with concern. She had bags under her eyes, and I wondered how long she must have been here with me. "M
Noraโs POVThe sun filtered into the room, as if it were peeping in. I began to sit up when I felt hands on my body. It was Michael.โYou never left?โ I croaked. He helped me sit up and gave me water from the sippy cup."No,โ he said."Oh, baby,โ I said, giving him a weak smile.As I lay still on the sterile patient bed in the pack doctorโs quarters, the stark whiteness of the room contrasted with the chaos swirling in my mind. Michael sat beside her, his worried gaze never leaving me.โI am fine,โ I smiled.โFunny you.โ He said. I turned to the other side of the bed as he busied himself with sighing some papers when a nurse came in.I couldnโt understand what had happened. The words echoed in my mind like a haunting refrain: โBecause it was Mila who poisoned you.โHow could it be? I had trusted it so well. I confided in her my deepest fears and secrets. She knows everything with regards to Jake and Dylan. Even she had saved me from being raped by Jake. Made me meet my son after weeks
Noraโs POVMichael nudged me slightly by putting his hands on my waist. โWhat are you doing? They are beginning to look in our direction,โ he whispered into my ear. I didnโt know that I had been staring for too long."Babe, I need to get into that VIP lounge,โ I said.โHuh?โ"Please, I need to do that. Please, can you make it possible?" Michael looked at me like I was going crazy. โTrust me, baby. I will tell you everything later.โ If I tell Michael that I think Mila is innocent, he will try to talk me out of my actions. He always said that I had a beautiful heart and did not deserve to be treated with betrayal. So on until things begin to make sense, I will keep all this to myself.He stared at me longer before he took my hands. He began to walk towards the VIP lounge. As we got closer to the lounge, the utter look of disregard on the faces of Claire and Lara was so palpable.โHello Jake,โ Michael said wickedly as we got in. Jake raised an eyebrow. He had been shooting daggers our w
Noraโs POVSo Mila was released, and Claire, Lara, and the maids took her place.The following morning was their trial. Everyone gathered at the court as Claire, Lara, and the maids stood on the guilty stand. I looked around. As we waited for Jake to arrive, I couldnโt help but remember some things. The last time I was here, I was living in fear. I looked strong on the inside, but I shook like a leaf at what Jake would do to me. I turned and made eye contact with Mila.โMemories huh?โ she smiled. I chuckled. โYeahโJust then, Jake arrived, and everyone stood up. And then the session began. Michael stood and walked to Jake. He smirked.โYour highness,โ Michael said while rolling his eyes. I and Mia snickered. I turned around to stare at her and saw that most people had a ghostly smile on their faces.โI will not waste your time or mine. Let us cut to the chase. These womenโhe gestured towards Claire and coโhave tried to take a life, and as per your commands, you have said that their pu
Jakeโs POVI watched keenly as the animals were being counted. This was not meant to be. How did he get all those animals? I gave my Beta a death glare as he evaded my eyes. Michael and his pack were not meant to see those. I clenched and unclenched my palms.The announcer took the microphone. He cleared his throat. โNow we will count the animals,โ he said to the public."Shit,โ I muttered. I instantly knew that we were not winning this.โThirteen! Fourteen! Fifteen!โ The announcer smiled. โThere we have it. The Nexton pack has won this yearโs Wolf Fest.โThe crowd erupted in applause, and cheers came mostly from Michaelโs pack. Right now, all I wanted to do was grab my beta and strangle him. Michael smirked as we exchanged looks. I smirked back. This is not the end of it. I was about to walk away when my eyes caught sight of someone.Claire? What was Claire doing in the Nexton pack? That traitor. I knew I shouldnโt have trusted her. But then I turned and saw Mila hugging Claire. What
Milaโs POVYesterdayThe announcer called the result of the wolf festival, and I leaped up. My lips spread out in a smile that could reach my ears as I was casually hugged by someone I knew next to nothing about. I hugged some more people as the audience drowned us with their clapping.Finally, Nora would be away from that monster. The happiness in the Nexton pack washed away the questions of why and where Zen had gotten his wounds. What mattered now was that they had won.Nora slammed her body into mine as she helped me tightly. She squeezed me as I fell over with laughter. I sensed that she was about to cry when she put her head on my chest."No, no, we will not do that here. Now is not the right time to do that,โ I threatened. She sniffed and chuckled."But,โ she began."Sshh, donโt speak,โ I say into her hair."Nora,โ Michael beckoned for her to come. She stared at me and sniffed.โGo to him. Get a room if the both of you canโt handle it,โ I said, and she laughed. As I stood there
Michaelโs POVLast night was a blur of euphoria and victory. Drinks, cheers, and fireworks were up in the air as I cradled Nora close while stealing kisses at her. She was quite tipsy; she wasnโt shy as usual.Nora and I basked in the afterglow of our triumph, our bodies entwined in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the window as we engaged in a game of passion and moans. But as the morning sun pierced through the curtains, I woke up alone.Where is Nora? I checked the bathroom; she wasnโt there. I checked our son's room, which was in my quarter, and still couldnโt find her. Then my anxiety kicked in.A gnawing unease settled in the pit of my stomach. It reminded me of a memory I thought I had quietly tucked away. It was the night she fled. Nora loves me. I mean, why would she want to leave? I shook my head as I brushed my teeth. I promised myself that I would not always think the worst of every situation. When I got back to my room and Nora had not come back, I became wor
Noraโs POV5 years laterโNora! Come on, we will be late,โ Michael yelled from downstairs.โComing!โ I ran downstairs. But at a slow pace, โplease hold her,โ I handed Danielle to her father.Today was a game day for Dylan. He had begged us all to come. And when I mean all, I mean me, Michael, Hercules, Mia, Malia, and Zen.Michael cleared his schedule, and for the others, they didnโt have much to do in the park. I was also lucky that my 1-year-old daughter was not fussy today.A lot has happened since I got married to Michael. After I was made Luna, my previous pack came to apologize for some of the things they had done to me. I forgave them. Michael had pity on them; instead of taking ownership of the pack, he made one of them an Alpha, and the moon goddess did the choosing. Hercules and Mia had their child, Arla. Four years ago, she was the most beautiful child I had ever had. She keeps Hercules on his toes, just like her mother. As for Zen, Malia is 5 months old. We also cannot wai
Noraโs POV6 days later.I was woken up by a pesky mosquito that wouldnโt stop screaming in my ear, no matter how I tried to swat it away sleepily. It was on my third attempt that I mistakenly smacked myself across the face. I felt an excruciating pain in my head.โAargh!!!โ I cried. It was then that I took in my environment. I recognized the room. I tried to move more, but I couldnโt. I realized there was an IV drip connected to my wrist."Guys, sheโs up,โ I heard someone say from outside of the room. Then they all come in. Malia, Zen, Hercules, and Mia. They had a huge grin on their faces.โHi guys,โ I smiled back. โWhere is Michael?โโ I blurted. They all turned their gazes to the side, and there he was. Sleeping on a small cushion. He was a giant in that chair."Aww,โ my heart melted. The girls chuckled as the guys laughed. I think that was what woke him up. He stirred around and was about to fall off the chair, but he caught himself. He peaked an eye open as he stared at everyoneโ
Michaelโs POVAll through the night, I felt like someone was calling out to me. My wolf was awakened. I had to do something to calm him down. I had to go towards where I heard that voice. I stood up and began to walk.โWhere are you going?โ Hercules turned to me. Someone was going into the underground house. The one we saw Zen go into last night.โI need to go in,โ I said as I began pacing.โIf you do, we would get caught. We still have no plans yet,โ Hercules said. I nodded. He had a point, but the longer I stayed without going towards where my wolf was leading me, the more agitated I was. I kept pacing till I had it up to here."Okay, fuck this shit! I need to go inside. Now this is the plan. Once I go in and make sure the coast is clear, I howl out to you guys,โ and with that, I left.The moment I walked into the house and found someone kicking Nora to the ground and trying to claw Dylan on the throat, anger rose to my head, and I lost it. I jumped in the air and immediately transi
Noraโs POVThe first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a cat. It was staring intently at me, or rather, at me and Dylan. My heart began to race as I thought of what next to do. I wanted to scream, but then I remembered. I was not at home. I had been kidnapped. I stared at my lap, and there he was. Dylan. The son I thought I had lost. I fixed him properly on the carton we lay on and stretched my leg. When I turned back, the cat was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasnโt too sure of what the time was, but I think it was 4 a.m.ish. I was up, and I couldnโt sleep any more. So I stayed up, watching the sun rise from the little reflection of the sun in the small room.Sitting there, yesterdayโs event rang fresh in my mind. I was this close to getting killed. I feared for my life and that of Dylan. Zen looked hell-bent on exacting his revenge on Michael. My eyes went to the door. What if he still tries to kill me again? What am I going to do? I sighed and began to bite my nails. Wha
Miaโs POVThe next thing I know, I am being dragged out of the car, and the car zooms off. I turn my head around. No one was in sight. All I could see were trees and grasses. Tears began to well up in my eyes. Where am I? I stood up and limped to a corner. It was an abandoned building. I took shelter under it. Not wanting to go in, danger might be lurking, or you might stand outside the building for fear of being attacked. My legs were swollen. Partly because of my pregnancy and also because they made me walk half the way. I squinted. I saw no one. Just then, a car sped past me.Wait, was that Nora? Yes, that was Nora. Immediately, I began to jump.โNora!โ I ran after the car, and just before I rounded the corner, I bumped into someone.โWatch whereโโwait a minute. I knew that smell came from somewhere. Hercules? I looked up, and it was him. I jumped on him, screaming and crying. Hercules kept wiping my tears. I tried to speak, but he put his hand on my lips.โItโs you. Itโs really you
Noraโs POVMy heart raced at the thought of what had just happened. I had been forcibly dragged into the backseat of a car, my screams muffled by a hand over my mouth. Panic surged through my veins, and my mind was a whirlwind of fear and confusion. I struggled against my captors, but their grip on me was firm."Let me go! Help! Someone, please!" I cried out, and my voice choked with terror. Oh no. This was all shades of wrong. And so go all our plans and what-ifs. Nothing matters now."Shut up, you little brat!" one of the kidnappers growled, his voice harsh and menacing. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not."My eyes darted around the dimly lit interior of the car, searching desperately for a way to escape. But the windows were locked, and the doors were sealed shut. I felt trapped, helpless, and utterly alone. I wanted to cry, but I blinked back my tears. It was as if I had left all my courage and determination on the ground while being shoved into the car.As the car
Noraโs POVImmediately, sleep vanished from my eyes. I blinked a couple of times before it all seemed so real.A letter for me.That could be the answer to my questions. My closure. Was my Dylan dead? Is this a torture letter? Maybe they have a picture of my dead son. Oh, Zenโs brother, you must hate Michael so much. So much that he had to hurt a child to drive home a point. My heart stomped in my chest. Maybe it would not be a good idea to open it yet.The letter trembled in my hands as I stared at it. I stared so long at it that it began to look like another object. I put the letter in my other hand as I rubbed the clammy, shaky one on my dress. Suddenly, everything had changed. The memories of the previous night with Michael.I looked from Michael to the letter. It might look like some piece of paper, but to me, it was as heavy as a rock. Was it blank like the last time, or does it mean my son is still alive? My Dylan.โI... I think I should open it." I looked at Michael. He nodded
Michaelโs POVHercules rose up and charged towards Eleanor. The guards were fast, as they grabbed him before his hands could touch her.โWhere is she?" Hercules demanded. I grabbed him.โHerc, be calm, please,โ I said.โ What? Did you just hear her? She said she knows where Mia is!โโPlease be calm, Herc. We will find Mia, I promise you,โ and did my brother sit still? He glared at the Eleanor girl. She ducked. I told her to stand aside.โTell me what you know," I said. She looked scared.โSome days ago, I saw Nyla leave the pack.โโNyla?โ I asked, and she nodded.I always knew that girl had something to hide. โGo on!"โShe was headed towards the side of the white oak forest. I told Luna... I mean Miss Nora. Then, later, after the attack, when we were saved, she was angry. I decided to follow her. It was there I saw Zen.โ My eyes widened.โYou did?โ she nodded.โAre you sure? Did you take pictures?โ She shook her head, and all my hopes fell.โThen, your highness, I had told Miss Mia abo
Michaelโs POVโWhat do you mean you canโt find her?โ I walked in on Hercules, grabbing the neck of one of the search guards.โHerc!โ I called out to him.โWhere have you looked?โ Hercules released him as he glared down on him.I walked to him and pushed him aside. โDonโt touch me,โ he snapped as he shoved me away. My blood began to boil.โEverybody out!โ I barked. All the guards scramble, like little children, out of the house. Hercules stood with his hands on his hips, and he sighed deeply. Then he ran his hand over his hair.One word. Frustration.โhey Herculesโ I tried to touch him, but he slapped my hands away. โI mean it, Michael. Don't touch me!โ He pushed me aside.Oh hell, naw.I grabbed him by his hands and landed a blow on him. He fell to the floor. He struggled to stand, and when he did, he checked his nose. Thereโsblood running.โHas it kicked in yet?โ I asked. I am not prepared for what Hercules does next. He grabbed a chair and broke it on my back. The broken chair falls