Ava's breath caught in her throat, but she did not budge."Well, if the king is her mate, we will kill him too," Ava's icy voice suddenly echoed and sent shivers down my spine."He will declare war on whoever hurts his Luna? Then we will have war.""But Luna," Alpha Benedict interrupted, his voice strict yet calculated. "We cannot just hurt them without repercussions."Ava disregarded his comment, her face toughening. With one quick movement, she charged her gun and aimed it squarely at my head. My heart lodged in my throat. My heartbeat deafened me. My fists contracted as I realized this lunatic woman actually was going to kill me.She squeezed her finger tighter on the trigger. My muscles stiffened, my brain scrambling for an exit. Just as I prepared myself for the worst, a low, throaty growl echoed through the air. Gamma Teddy sprang forward, his body changing mid-air into a massive brown wolf. He barreled into Ava, sending her tumbling to the ground with a shocked gasp.The wolf positio
We found a tiny bar set back on a deserted street and stepped inside, welcomed by the dim lighting and sparse clientele. The establishment had the distant aroma of fried food and low-class beer, the worn wooden counter running the length of the back. A lone bartender had a rack of glasses in his hand as he wiped them absentmindedly, and a handful of scattered customers sat slumped over their beverages. The wall-mounted television flickered with an image of a basketball game, sound muted but audible. Keeping my head down, I walked over to the counter and asked for chicken with rice and beverages for myself and Lilet, while Teddy ordered chicken and a cold beer. We paid, then found a corner booth, positioning ourselves so we had a clear view of the door but were not so visible. The food came when the TV screen broke away from the game and went into breaking news."Four days ago, Alpha Edgar was abducted," read the news anchor in a somber voice. "His Beta, Ronnie, is missing as well. Th
Before Teddy could answer Rick, the line went dead. A cold silence hung in the air, the abrupt end of the call leaving a knot of unease in my chest.We didn’t have time to dwell on it. Spotting a bus heading toward the city, we quickly boarded. To avoid drawing attention, We sat separately. I pulled my hood over my head, sinking low into my seat, my heart pounding in my ears. The rumble of the engine did little to calm my nerves.As the bus rolled closer to the city center, the air grew thick with tension. The hum of traffic shifted into angry shouts. The bus slowed to a crawl, then jolted to a stop. I peered out the window — the street was blocked.Crowds of furious protesters flooded the road, their faces twisted in rage as they waved handmade signs high above their heads. My breath caught when I saw my name sprawled across several posters, thick red slashes crossing out my face."Punish Bella! Punish Lilet!" someone screamed."An eye for an eye!""Justice for Alpha Edgar! We demand
The Tet Kitchen and Resto Bar door opened with a resounding creak. Lilet entered, her Gamma, Cedric, right behind her, accompanied by two men. Her face was stern."Georgina is missing," Lilet declared, her tone strained."What?" I leaped from my chair.Rick snarled next to me, his fists clenching. "That idiot Alpha Cole! We'll get her. And if Cole's not going to kill her on Blood Stone Land, I'll carry her down to the Riverbed myself and do it myself." His anger was real."Who assisted Georgina's escape? Her father? Jason?" I spat.Lilet shook her head. "We'll discover it."But I held up my hand to interrupt her. "No. We're going to Crimson Petals Pack. We have to see our brother. Let Cole deal with Georgina first."Lilet paused, then agreed. "Okay. But we should go alone with just Gamma Teddy."By dawn, we had taken the earliest flight to Crimson Petals Pack, but it wasn't departing for four hours. The airport gradually became packed with people, the crowd agitated. Three and a half
The familiar scent of Rick enveloped me and assisted in soothing my pounding heart. I edged closer, speaking hardly above a whisper. "What are you doing here? Don't you have work to do?"His jaw clenched, eyes blazing with something fierce. "Nothing is more important than you," he answered sternly.But then his eyes flicked to Georgina, icy and unforgiving. "Last words? I can forward them with your corpse to your boyfriend."Georgina shook with uncontrollable fright, her face bloody and tear-streaked. Her lips parted, as if she wished to speak, but all that emerged were fragmented moans. Her pride was broken, and in its wake was raw, abject terror.Rick held up his hand, prepared to put an end to it, but I grabbed him. "Don't do it."His head snapped around to face me, eyes opened wide with shock. "Don't tell me you still pity this woman." His tone was full of skepticism, bordering on a growl."Of course not," I barked. "I just don't think she's worth getting your hands dirty. Let Cole hand
"You goddamn lying bitch," Cole snarled.Georgina's eyes widened in feigned outrage. "What's the matter with you? You're defending that woman?"The reporters spun their cameras toward Georgina and Cole.Cole's rage was explosive. He seized Georgina by the collar, pulling her up a few inches. "You shameless, lying whore! I should never have trusted you!"Georgina dug at his hands. "Lost your mind or something, Cole? It's me, your Luna!Newsmen! Cut that out, pay attention to her! "She jabbed her finger at me, but the cameras were stuck on the confrontation between her and Cole."You lied to me about being with a renegade!" Cole shouted, his red-rimmed eyes crazed. "David and the baby you're having, they're not mine! You lied, Georgina! Dirty liar!" Gasps echoed through the room. Investors, stockholders, and newsmen were stuck in place, their eyes wide with shock.Cole did not let up. "You foisted that scoundrel's child on me and told me it was mine!"Georgina struggled in his arms, her face pu