TRIGGER WARNING. THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES FAIRLY DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE. ‘Keep your eyes closed and don’t move.’ Justice calmly tells me as I begin to regain consciousness. ‘What happened?’ my head feels like it’s splitting and the urge to reach up and feel where the pain is radiating from is strong. My legs hang limply over an arm, another arm cradles my back and my body jolts as the person carrying me takes clumsy lumbering steps. ‘Can’t you smell him? It’s Beta Vinny. He has been carrying us for a while now. I have no idea where we are. You can’t open your eyes yet, we need his guard down if we are going to get away. I need more time to heal you. Your body is tired from our run, it shouldn’t be much longer.’ It’s a good thing Justice is so calm and collected under pressure. All I can remember is seeing the Beta’s boots, feeling bile crawling up my throat, then nothing. I must have passed out. As my foggy mind clears, my senses become heightened. The mild, lingering od
Christian’s POVI was the first through the door when we finally came to the abandoned hunting lodge in the Southern Mountains. It took our best trackers over an hour to pick up the trail and my imagination has been running away with me the whole run here. Kendrick’s biggest mistake was stationing rogues as lookouts along the way, their stink led us right to her. The slaughter of Kendrick’s men happening behind us is nothing compared to the sight that greets me as the shitty, rotting door falls in front of me.Liberty is naked and tied to the bed at her neck with her legs spread wide and bound to the frame. A body flies through the air and hits the wall so hard the flimsy building rocks with the force.Zander pushes past me and runs straight over to Liberty, she is shaking so hard I can hear her teeth chattering from where I’m stood, frozen to the spot. It takes a moment for me to process what is going on, what has been happening in this room.There is a hint of blood in the air. When
Hunter’s POVIt was common knowledge in the pack that our Alphas have claimed a mate. The bond we all felt was too strong for her to be anything less than their fated mate. The effect of the pack tethering to her crackled through the pack house like an electric shock wave. The excitement was palpable, and there have been excited whispers about the packs future being secure in the days since.Myself and a few others knew about the young wolf they found at the border. Gabe and Uriel have been convinced since day one that she was their mate. Even during training, they gabber like old women, sharing pack gossip like it’s a knitting circle or some shit, and the young she-wolf was the hot topic.Since Chris and Zand filled us in on Kendrick and some of the Luna’s history, I regretted not accepting their request to become Beta years ago. I had my reasons at the time, one of which still stands. Two Alphas should have two Betas. It’s simple math and I have no desire to be a third wheel. My mai
Alpha Kendrick’s POVChristian.Zander.Hunter.Liberty.That is they order in which they will suffer then die.They may think they have won. They probably believe they can break me, the arrogant fucks. I’m ashamed to admit I have been broken before, by my father, and I will not allow myself to crack again. I should be grateful really. His betrayal showed me that the only person I can count on is myself, that life lesson is the only thing he passed on to me. He walked away from me before I was born, not that I knew until years later. I am the bastard son of a pretender.If we are going to get hung up on technicalities, Shadow ridge should have passed to my younger brother, the true heir. It is unfortunate for him that he happened to meet his untimely end during his sacred day celebration hunt, leaving me as the only successor. Mother had her suspicions about my involvement that day, she wasn’t as blinded as I had allowed myself to believe. Up until Luca’s death, she had always chosen
Liberty’s POVYou know those mornings when you wake up, but you’re yet to open your eyes, and you tell yourself you will, just five more minutes? This morning is not one of those mornings. Five minutes wouldn’t scratch the surface. Five days, now that might put a dent in the monumental mound of emotional bullshit I’ve been suppressing.“I know you’re awake little one.” Zander’s deep, rich voice comes from the chair beside the bed. His voice would usually settle the under current of shame and confusion rolling inside me. Not today, maybe never again. Guilt creeps to the surface and leaks out of my eyes. Vinny almost broke me, and he would have if Justice hadn’t forced the command. How will Zander and Christian ever forgive me? They were so close, literally right there, they must have felt it.“Open your eyes baby.” A rough, calloused finger lifts a tear from my cheek and sends tingles up into my scalp. Even though I have betrayed him, he is right beside me, he deserves better.“I can f
Hunter’s POV“Sweetheart, this is Hunter, Uriel and Gabriel.” Christian’s face softens as he beams at Liberty and gestures to the three of us.“Pleased to meet you Luna, and everyone calls me Gabe.” Gabe stands and gives a small bow of his head in a show of respect. None of us know quite what to do with ourselves, seeing Christian smile and the way he talks to her so softly, it’s like seeing a fish out of water.“Good morning Luna.” I stand up, pushing my seat back with my legs. “I’m Hunter, your Beta. It’s my honour to serve you.” I can see why the brothers would be so taken with her. Sure, she is beautiful to look at, but it’s more than that. There is something I can’t put my finger on. The moment I laid my eyes on her I felt a deep urge to protect her and keep her happy. Maybe it’s because Zander told us about what she endured when Kendrick had her, but I think it’s more. It’s not the first time a she-wolf has escaped abuse and been taken in by the pack, and they never affected me
Liberty’s POVTingles erupted up and down my arms and legs and everyone around me sounded like they were under water. It’s the weirdest feeling, like Justice is just beneath the surface but not in control, more like she becomes part of me in my human form, I can’t explain it properly.The edge of the table comes rushing towards my face and there is nothing I can do to stop my head smashing right into it. One sickening thud followed by another draws everybody’s attention to me and a flurry of blurred faces hover above me before it’s lights out.I know I’m unconscious, I’m fully aware of the burning sting coming from above my eyebrow, and the heavy weight of my limp body being carried. I don’t have any visions or see anything really, apart from the occasional flash of faces from my past. I have a feeling though. Like a voice inside my head, telling me to follow my gut, I know what needs to be done, but it won’t be easy.My gut is telling me there is more happening here than meets the ey
Christian’s POVIt’s hard, fighting the urge to be out on the front line. I should be overseeing the fortification at the border, ensuring weapons and men are properly distributed. With over fifty miles of dense forest at the border of our pack, a two mile wide ribbon of no man’s land, then Kendrick’s territory, it’s a lot of land to cover. We need to occupy the neutral territory before Kendrick’s men, if we are to have the upper hand. I know Zander is more than capable, but it's what I have always done. The only thing that has kept me in this bed is the weight of Liberty’s arm and leg slung across me. Since her arrival in my life, she has a somewhat disturbing ability to quench the constant fire burning inside me. I say quench in the loosest sense of the word. It's more like the darkness and hunger for vengeance has been replaced with a longing or need to feel her, protect her and always keep her close. A therapist would probably call it transference, and they might be right.“How a