Silas’s P.O.V
A dagger stuck out of her abdomen, bathed in her blood. It was the weapon that had taken her life…the reason her body was no longer warm…the reason she was no longer smiling at me with those beautiful lips.
It was a futile idea ; I knew I couldn't save her, but desperate men often had desperate thoughts. All logic and rational thinking had left my mind; I couldn't care less if the plans that I had come up with to try and save her wouldn't even work. Perhaps that was due to the fact that deep down, I knew that it was hopeless, and trying to come up with a solution, no matter how improbable was just my way of coping with the situation.
I thought about pulling the dagger out and giving her all of my blood, if that was what it took to bring her back. It was stupid and impossible, but my brain was splintering into pieces, trying to grasp at straws — anything, anything at all that I could do to put her back together.
In this moment, I wished I was a god. If I were, then I could have breathed life back into Lily. I could have saved her. I could have been able to pull out the knife without worrying that I was killing her even faster by causing more bleeding. If I had such a power, I would not have had to worry about the lack of warmth of her body, or the fact that her heart had literally stopped beating.
I stared at Lily's lifeless face and, in my hunger for her, I conjured up images, memories, of her, back when she was still alive — her warm skin that used to turn slightly pink when she laughed or when she was embarrassed, her brilliant smile that would leave you dazed and buzzed in its wake, her hair that fell around her face and shoulders so perfectly as if she had spent a few thousand hours a day trying to perfect it instead of just giving it one touch-up.
I remembered when we were children, we used to play tag in our wide backyard, and I would chase her around, and she would run from me, laughing and teasing me. She had always been the faster runner between the two of us, always two, three, or even four steps ahead of me. I had never been able to catch up with her, and in the rare times that I manage to do so, she would always eventually slip from my hold, and I would have to go and chase after her once more.
Even tonight she is a lifetime ahead of me. Even tonight, she was the first, between the two of us, to cross the line between life and death.
Lily used to be so full of joy and energy, and now, here she was, lying in front of me, motionless, dead. She looked so fragile in this light, so broken. And yet I did not pity her, because an angel like Lily did not deserve to be simply pitied in death. She deserved to be revered, to be remembered as the glorious shower of gold that she was.
As the seconds ticked by, she grew heavier in my grasp, but still, I did not let her go, because I did not want to. I wanted to hold her, if it would help to make her feel less lonely as she departed from this world in the wake of this injustice. And I knew that she could not feel anything anymore, nor would she know this last act of kindness that I was going to bestow upon her, but I did it anyway, if only to console the grieving, writhing creature thrashing and growing in the depths of me.
My wolf cried and clawed at my skull, begging to be let out. It longer to have one last contact with its playmate as well. But my wolf was a feral being that I did not trust at the moment. It wasn’t a creature of emotion, but of instinct…and if instinct told it, it might as well rip Lily to pieces in a fit of rage and grief.
With a heavy heart and a shaking hand, I curled my fingers around the dark hilt of the sharp dagger, and with a single, determined tug, I pulled it out of her body. The puncture wound left behind made me wince, and as it clearly had not yet been hours since her death, some blood squirted out of the wound, in the same way that an injured creature would cough out blood.
I let myself cry and feel the pain that was pulsating throughout me at the moment, running from my heart and to the rest of my body in waves that ebbed and flowed. It was not a physical type of pain, but I felt it so strongly that it might as well have been. I had always prided myself in being able to handle pain way better than the average wolf, but it seemed that this was not the case now, not tonight.
I shivered, grimacing, tucking the stray strands of Lily's golden hair behind her ear, just so I could see her face clearly. She was pale and still like a doll, so different from the unstoppable force of nature that she once was, that I once knew her to be.
In another fit of desperation, I looked around and tried to sense and smell other scents in the apartment, but all I could find were traces of Lily and my brother, Ezra.
Who did this?! I wanted to scream, but no voice would come out, so the sound was trapped in my head, in the four walls of my mind and skull. Why her?! What did Lily ever do to anyone? She was a sweet angel who would never so much as harm a fly; what could she have possibly done to anger someone enough that they would do this atrocity, this devastation, to her?
If only I was a god. I'm starting to think that the title of Alpha was no good nor use for me after all. What was the sense in being the Alpha of the pack if I could not even protect or save the person I loved the most? Even if she wasn't my mate, I should have still been able to protect her. I should have saved her.
In my despair, I failed to notice the arrival of Ezra and the fellow members of our pack. I only realized they were here when one of them let out a gasp, and chaos ensued. The others began shouting and pointing and accusing and talking over each other, and it all got so loud, and I got so sick of it that I yelled, “Stop!” with my arm raised to silence them.
That was my fatal mistake.
Because in my grief, I had forgotten that I was still holding the knife that I had just extracted from Lily’s body…the weapon that had taken her life.
Silas’ P.O.VI watched in surprise as Anika loaded her suitcases into the trunk of her car by the time I got outside.The celebration was still in full swing inside, but she seemed determined to leave. "Anika, where are you going?" I asked, my voice tinged with concern.She turned to face me, her expression a mix of determination and vulnerability, as if she didn’t expect to see me here. "Silas," she began, "all my life, I've lived for others. First, it was for my pack, then it was for revenge, and lately, it's been for you, to help you achieve your dream."“What is this about?” I stepped closer, my brows furrowing with understanding. "You've been an incredible friend and confidant, you know. I don't know where I'd be without you."She smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes. "Thank you, Silas. But now, I want to live for my own dreams and aspirations. I've realized that it's time for me to find my own path."Anika and I stood in the quiet darkness of the night, the moonlight cast
Silas’ P.O.V4 Months later…The hospital room was filled with an air of anticipation and excitement as we waited for the arrival of Zoya and Ezra's first child.The soft hum of machinery and the subdued chatter of the medical staff created a soothing backdrop to the momentous occasion.Zoya lay in her hospital bed, a serene smile on her face despite the labor pains.She gripped Ezra's hand tightly as contractions came and went. I stood outside the doors, an indescribable whirlwind of emotions swirling within me.I was excited to meet the newest member of our extended family but also reflective, thinking of the journey that had brought us here. It seemed like such a long time, a thousand lifetimes ago.As the doctor announced the baby's imminent arrival, a sense of joy and unity washed over us all.Zoya's determination and Ezra's unwavering support had led them to this beautiful moment. It was a reminder that love and resilience could conquer even the darkest of shadows.Some months a
Zoya’s P.O.VI gasped, my mind struggling to process this revelation. "What? No way! How could they?"My father chimed in, his voice filled with bitterness. "It gets worse, Zoya. Ravi, he... he wasn't even a real surgeon. He had forged his medical degree. It came to light when a patient died during a simple operation he performed."I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions.Anger, sadness, and betrayal swirled within me, but at the same time, I felt a glimmer of relief.The demons of my past, the constant need for approval, had been based on a false sense of superiority that Ravi and Tania had projected.It was a painful realization, but it was also an opportunity for healing and growth.As I sat there, absorbing the shocking revelations about one of the many people that made my life a living hell, a heavy silence settled over our table.My parents' tearful confessions hung in the air, mingling with the ambiance of the restaurant.It was a surreal moment, one I had never anti
Zoya’s P.O.VAs we drove home, Ezra and I fell into our usual banter, exchanging playful remarks and laughter.It was a familiar and comforting rhythm, one that made me appreciate our bond even more.As we drove along the familiar roads, a sense of contentment washed over me. The events of the past, the terrifying ordeal we had faced, now felt like distant memories.In their place was the simple joy of being with Ezra, the man I loved, and the anticipation of our future together.It was moments like this that made me very excited to be a mother. I wanted our child to be part of the good life that we had going on as soon as possible, and I knew for a fact that Ezra would be a very good father.However, as we continued along the road, I noticed that we were heading in a different direction. Confusion tugged at the corners of my mind, and I couldn't help but ask, “Babe, where are we going? Our place is in the opposite direction."He turned to me, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and repl
Zoya’s P.O.VAs I watched them, a sense of pride welled up within me.Our family had weathered the storm, emerging stronger and more united than ever.And as we faced an uncertain future, I couldn't help but feel optimistic, knowing that the bonds of family and friendship would always guide us through the darkest of times.I sighed, leaning back against my pillow. I was in the clinic today, having undergone my examinations for the month.Cam, with her warm smile and caring demeanor, entered my chamber, her eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.She was like a ray of sunshine in the room, and her presence was always a source of comfort. In a room as dull and stale as a hospital chamber, I was glad that her presence brought me some semblance of comfort."Hey, Zoya," she greeted me, her voice soft and gentle. "How did your examinations with your doctor go? For real this time?” She laughed, referencing the time I lied to Ezra about getting some examinations done so I could snoop aroun
Zoya’s P.O.VIn the immediate aftermath of our harrowing encounter with the demon, the memories of my close calls with death haunted me relentlessly.It was as if the specter of that malevolent presence still clung to my very soul, refusing to let go.I almost died. I almost took my baby with me. If we had been any later in stopping the demon, that would have been the end for all of us.The trauma ran deep, and I could see it etched on the faces of my pack members, especially in the haunted expressions of Ezra and Silas, no matter how hard they tried to conceal it.Ezra's eyes, which had once sparkled with laughter, now held a shadow of something darker. He would often wake in the middle of the night, his body drenched in sweat, reliving the horrors we had faced together. And he would continue to check if I was doing alright, making sure that I was just sleeping.Silas, too, was changed by the experience. His typically carefree demeanor had been replaced by moments of brooding contemp