Elise Pov Him...who could that be?My memories were getting messed up the more I take the potion or whatever Drake was feeding me. Judging by their words, I could tell that Drake was trying to wipe out a particular memory from me.It wasn't just about the essence. Something else was cooking. His schemes were darker than I could ever imagined. I crept closer to the hedge, careful not to make any noise. Through a small gap in the foliage, I could see Drake talking with a man I didn't recognize – tall, thin, with graying hair and the bearing of someone accustomed to authority.There was a mysterious aura around him, one similar to the Seeker. But it was darker and ominous. Whoever that was, he wasn't to be trifle with. Drake snapped, my thoughts drifting back to the present. "Elise isn't just any werewolf. Her bloodline... her mother's gift... it's exactly what we need right now. But something else about her lineage. Her father..
Elise Pov With a swift, brutal motion, Drake had reached out and grasp her head, his fingers closing around her skull like a vice. I watched in terror as he twisted his hands, and the maid's neck snapped with a sickening sound.Her head lolled limply, her eyes still wide with fear, and her mouth frozen in a silent scream. The sound of her body crashing to the floor was like a nightmare in the morning sun. I felt bile rise in my throat as Drake dropped the maid's lifeless body, her head twisted at an unnatural angle.The room was silent, except for the sound of my own ragged breathing. I froze in fear, unable to look away from the gruesome sight. Alpha Drake's eyes met mine, a reminder of his power and ruthlessness." You killed her..." I mumbled, my knees weak.How could someone be so ruthless even to his own pack members? He killed without blinking an eye! This was his first brutal killing since I came to the pack. This was when I realised I was truly dealing with a deadly monster.
Elise's POV" One wrong move and we are all dead."Those words kept ringing in my head as I lay on my bed. I stared at the ceiling in my well furnished chamber. Alpha Drake had decorated the chambers to my taste and everything in it screamed luxury. Rich, dark wood paneling adorns the walls, and plush pink-colored rugs cover the floors. The four-poster bed was draped in deep purple velvet, matching the pack's insignia, and features. A large window looked out over the forest, with stained glass depicting a full moon.It was a sanctuary fit for a queen. Drake had been nothing but kind to me since my arrival. He had given me everything I could possibly need – beautiful clothes, comfortable rooms, access to the entire pack territory. He treated me like precious porcelain, always careful, always gentle. But there was something in his eyes when he looked at me that made my skin crawl.Obsession.Amelia had warned me about it during one of our conversations."Be careful, Alia," she had whi
Xander Pov" Elise is pregnant, Xander. Your mate just got fucked by your enemy," Lucia whispered, gloating.The air froze and I felt the shackles around burn, literally. The sound that came from my throat was barely human – a roar of anguish that seemed to echo from the depths of my soul. I could feel it, even if I was the bearer. My heart was shattering just like how my growl was deafening. I struggled to get away but I thrashed against my chains with renewed fury, the silver burning deeper into my flesh as I fought against bonds that wouldn't break." Lucia!!!" I threatened, my claws elongating as Skye awakened. I struggled, ignoring the searing pain from the shackles that were obviously laced with wolfsbane. I couldn't care less how my skin tore while blood sputtered all over. Skye wouldn't let go as it reared it's head, fighting to break free from the doomed shackle.But his whimpering sound, amidst the piercing pain all over my battered body reminded me that this wasn't just a
Xander Pov"The night she vanished, I was patrolling the eastern border like you ordered. But I felt something – a disturbance in the pack bonds. By the time I got back to the house, she was already gone." Jason's hands clenched into fists. "But there were traces, Xander. Magic traces. Strong magic.""Could it be Lucia," I whispered."I didn't know it was her then. But I knew someone had used magic to take Elise. I tried to track the signature, but it was too well-hidden. By the time I could follow the trail, it had gone cold."My mind was reeling. "If you knew she was taken by magic, why didn't you tell me?""I tried!" Jason's voice rose, then dropped back to a whisper. "But you were so angry, so ready to blame me for everything. And when that spy came back with reports of seeing her at Drake's pack, you stopped listening to anything I had to say."The memory hit me like a physical blow. Jason trying to speak to me in those desp
Xander's POVStill shackled, I let out a growl. Muffled yet filled with the bitterness of what Lucia just shared about my mate. I couldn't think straight neither could I fight my already tired self.I wanted to make an excuse for Elise, tell myself that perhaps there was a reason she accepted Drake. But I couldn't. My muddled mind couldn't point out any reason." Elise, we promised forever..."Yes, we promised forever. Maybe I didn't love her enough. Maybe she blamed me for not being there when she was taken. Maybe she blamed my love for her. Yes, my love for wasn't enough to shield her from all the mockery of the pack members. It wasn't enough to shield her from her father's cruelty.It wasn't enough to shield her from being captured by Drake.Hours passed. Or maybe days. Time had no meaning in this stone tomb where they'd buried me alive. The only constant thing was the pain – the silver burning my skin, the poison weakening my wolf, and worst of all, the image of Elise in another m