Wendy's P.O.V. I listen to Prince Adrian tell us the festival will be rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances, and I'm filled with rage. I know it has to do with that bitch who thinks she's Joel's mate. How dare she say there's no one here good enough for him? I'm a lycan, and she's nothing but an unwanted she-wolf who was raised by humans. I had plans for the festival to expose her as an incompetent princess. At least they haven't marked each other yet. I still have a chance as long as that hasn't happened. Maybe this is a good thing; it will give me time to plan something even bigger to ruin their happiness. I walk past the palace in anger. The guards still refuse to let me in even though Joel is gone. I've tried to bribe them, but they say I'm not worth it. They're wrong. I'm worth more than all of them. When I get home, I slam the door. My stepdad glares at me. "What's your problem?" He asks. "They're postponing the festival because most of the family is out of town
Teegan's P.O.V. We pull into the driveway of the first wolf pack near Flint, Michigan. I see wolves on either side running along with us. I'm sure they can smell the lycan royalty in the vehicle, so they stay back. When we reach the packhouse, several people are standing outside looking at us nervously. Joel takes my hand as we approach the group. "Hello everyone, we're sorry for the surprise visit. I'm Prince Joel, and this is my mate Teegan. My sister Kiana and Teegan's brothers Damon and Anton are also with us. We would like a word with the alpha and luna, please." Joel sounds official, and I understand. We don't know this pack, and if pups were brought here, what did they do with them. I turn when I hear another car pull up and see six royal guards get out. "I'm Alpha Tyler, and this is my mate Amber. Please follow me to my office." The man who speaks sends a chill down my spine. I instantly don't like him. His mate won't meet our eyes, and it concerns me. "Have some of t
Joel's P.O.V. I'm sickened by what Tyler and his men have done to the people in the cages. They had raped and abused the men and the women. There were only a few pups, and besides being terrified, we didn't see any marks on them. Although some marks we may never be able to see. Once we have all the cages cleared out and the people in them taken to the packhouse to get treated, I have two guards bring Tyler. I also have Mike go around with the other guards to point out anyone in the pack who worked with Tyler besides the ones we caught in the building. There were a total of twenty-two men and three women. "The things you have done to people over the years disgust me. If we had time, I would torture you for years, but I want your existence to be wiped from the earth as soon as possible. You will suffer, and we will be able to tell your captives and their families that your deaths weren't pleasant. Strip them and put them into cages." I yell to the guards. They try to fight, but t
Fort Wayne, IndianaTeegan's P.O.V. We arrive at the next pack, and I'm already prepared for the worst. However, what greets us isn't what I expected. The pack is extremely small, and when we pull up, only a few people come out to greet us. I don't see any guards anywhere, like in the last pack. "Everyone, wait here. Teegan and I will go first." Joel tells the others as he and I get out of the vehicle. "Can we help you?" An older man asks, looking at us wearily. I don't pick up anything from any of them other than fear. "I'm Prince Joel, and this is my mate, Princess Teegan. Can we speak to the alpha, please?" Joel uses a much softer tone than he did at the last pack. The man looks down and shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but we have no alpha or any leaders anymore. Our pack was attacked several years ago, so only a few of us are left." Joel and I exchange a look. "Can you tell us what happened?" I ask gently. A few mo
Anton's P.O.V. As soon as Teegan waves for us to join them inside, I get out of the SUV, and the most intoxicating scent I've ever smelt surrounds me. I know it's coming from inside the house. When I rush past Teegan and Joel, I see a beautiful woman looking back at me with wide green eyes. I've found her. I've found my mate. However, when I say the word I've wanted to say for so long, I wasn't expecting her to fall onto her knees sobbing. I'm scared to move. Did I do something wrong? Is she already mated? The woman beside her squats down and wraps her arms around my mate. Yes, I'm claiming her as mine until I'm told otherwise. "It's okay, sweetheart." The woman says to her. I look at Teegan, who pulls me aside. “Jelena and Garett run the house. The woman crying; her name is Petra. They said she's been here a long time. I think she's scared based on how she looked at you when you came in." She whispers to me. Petra. That's a beautiful name.
Petra's P.O.V. I look at Anton as he speaks with the others about where they will go to look for the pups, and I can't believe he's my mate. When he pulled me into his arms on the floor, I wanted to resist, but I didn't fight much. His touch felt too good, and my wolf, Lila, told me he wasn't trying to hurt me. After talking with him, I realized he was nothing like the pack that took me. The man in that pack who was determined to mate with me when I turned eighteen had left me tied to a wall covered in wolfsbane for days. He would come to beat me a couple times a day. Jelena and Garrett found me like that when they came to our pack. I was ten. Other than Garrett and Grant, I haven't had any other men to show me how a mate is supposed to be treated. I thought they were only kind because they were werelions. I believed all wolves were like the pack that took me, but Anton quickly showed me I was wrong. I want to go with them to find the pups. It will be my
Springfield, IllinoisTeegan's P.O.V. I watch Petra's face as we drive toward the first pack, which is thankfully not far. Kiana and I had seen how unsure she was around everyone. It makes me think she's been trying to hide her whole life, afraid of the unknown. That's why we did the little pillow fight to ease her nervousness. When Jelena had taken us out of the room so Anton could comfort her in peace. She told us that Petra hadn't left the house much, and sometimes, new things could be overwhelming for her. That was another reason I wanted to help her pack her things. I wanted to let her know that we're all her friends and she's not alone. I'm happy that she agreed to come with us. I think it will do her good, and Anton would have gone mad if she had stayed behind. "Have you ever been to any of the packs around here?" I ask Petra. I already can guess the answer, but I want to give her a chance to open up. I know how much Anton wants to look into what happened to her pack. She
Teegan's P.O.V. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. When Petra ran over to hug Lindsey, she began glowing. The glow got brighter and brighter the more she hugged her. From how she looked at herself in the mirror, I believe this is the first time something like this has happened. I wonder if it has to do with what Joel said about her pack having magic. Why would it suddenly show itself now? "This has never happened before," Petra says softly. Lindsey pulls away from her slightly, and the glow dims. "When she hugged me, it felt like she was wrapping me in a warm blanket and taking away my pain," Lindsey says, still not fully letting go of Petra. Joel steps forward. "Petra, you said your pack was the Mystic Moonlighters. I didn't say anything because I didn't know how much you knew about your pack, but they were known to have magical powers." He tells her. She looks between all of us and then looks far away. "M