RYDER’s POV The breaking dawn is such a friend; it always has been. When I was younger, I would run wild and free in the forest during the wee hours of the morning with my father in our wolf forms. The snapping of tree branches, the brush of leaves and little animals scattering at our presence…those were the days of innocence. Then came the hunting. I remember my first kill and how frightened I was, crying as my prey breathed its last. But these days, the sight of blood no longer bothers me. Not even the memory of my parents’ blood-stained wolves when they fought to protect our pack from rogues years ago. It doesn’t make the memory any less painful though. I tighten my hold on a sleeping Alisa, the touch of her skin against mine somehow helps soothe the invisible pain I feel inside. She is asleep and I as spoon her from behind, I listen to her soft rhythmic breathing. I had been rough with her. ‘She can take more of us,’ Bane coos. Bane wants

ALISA’s POV Everything happens in a blur next. One minute I am with Julianne at the balcony and the next thing I know, people come rushing out to their rooms yelling, “ROGUES! Then the strangest thing happens. One by one, men and women jump from their balconies, free-falling to the ground. My blood turns to ice. What are they doing? They’ll kill themselves! “NOOOO!” I scream. But as they fall, something even more uncanny takes place; their bodies change. The fabrics that wrap around their bodies rip and tear and all around, I hear the snapping of bones. The sound echoes throughout the night sky as tens if not hundreds of bodies catapult to the ground. Only, what reaches the ground are no longer the people who had jumped off the balconies, rather, what lands on the ground are a pack of fearsome black and brown wolves. They snap and snarl, all ready to attack at a moment’s notice. I lean over the balcony's railing and look down. A lone w

ALISA’s POV “She brought the rogues here. She is the mastermind.”What?I blink and lift my head to see everyone staring at me. Did I hear wrongly?“What are you talking about?” I ask Beta Zion as confusion swims in my head. Ryder pushes Zion’s hand away and steps in front of me, shielding me with his body from the Beta’s deadly gaze.“Watch your mouth Zion,” Ryder hisses and Zion takes one more menacing step forward, ignoring Hayden who tries to hold him back.“I speak the truth!” Zion cocks his head to one side and I see his eyes, they flash with fury.“The rogues started breaching our defence the moment she appeared, and tonight when you brought her to the packhouse, the rogues attacked!”“Beta, it’s just a coincidence,” Hayden tries to reason with him.Zion snarls in response. “I’d say it’s

ALISA’s POV   Ryder thinks I am asleep, but the truth is, I am not. How can I fall into slumber when he has to leave? My heart aches as I hear him whisper, “Dream of me Alisa. I’ll see you soon.” But I keep my eyes shut, allowing him to think that I am resting peacefully. I do not want to pile any more worries onto his already full plate of troubles. Let him go on his journey in peace and I can only hope and pray for him to come back soon. The door to the beach house gently closes and it is only then that I open my eyes and take a peek at my surrounding. Pulling out the note underneath my pillow, I take a look at it and my lips quiver. His words, they are so beautifully written. They are akin to a beautiful; landscape ricked by daydreams and don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. His note reads: ‘Love you, Through it all. Ryder.’ The words are simple, and yet they are gent

ALISA’s POV “Hello, Alisa…looking for this?”It is Liam.The Beta’s son dangles my clothes in his hand as he kneels right next to the lake. He dips a finger into the water and twirls his finger around, making ripples in the cold lake. His manner is arrogant, with the cockiness of the damned.It was a mistake to swim in the lake.He pauses and stares at me with a ferocious grin. I am lucky that he cannot see my naked form underneath the water.“Come, Alisa, let me help you out,” he offers his free hand and I shake my head defiantly. I’d be a fool to let him touch me.I wade deeper and deeper into the lake, desperately looking to my left and right, trying to find something…anything to fend for myself but there is none.“Oh Alisa, aren’t the naughty one. Playing hard to get?” He dumps my clothes on the ground and in an instant, he dives into th