***"At least take someone with you. Henry, let Henry go with you," I argued, still trying to convince him. I was strongly against the idea of Ace meeting those two devils alone. "No. It'll be risky if I go with anyone.""But it's the same if you go alone. You can't do this alone, Ace. Let Henry help you. He can hide and watch you in case of an emergency, or if Derek tries to play smart," I reasoned. "What if he's caught? Ryker and Derek are not that dumb, they would suspect and in no time figure out that I didn't come alone. I won't be able to save you if that happens." "What about you? Ace-"My love, please. This is the only way we can save you right now. We don't know how effective the drugs are, even the doctor is not sure. If you keep worrying like this, how do you expect me to feel? I'm worried enough about what you're going through, please let me do this," Ace said, taking my hands. "It's the only way you can live. For me, for us. Please.""I don't trust Ryker, I've stayed w

"Derek," I spoke, "I'm not going back. I would slit my throat myself if it's the only way to keep me away from that hellish pack." "Ace will decide that.""This is my life, okay? Not his. I am not going with you, even if it's at the expense of my life. I would gladly embrace death than serve the pack that ruined my life!" I yanked at him. "Luna.." Henry whispered, urging me to calm down due to my state of health. I ignored him. "You are mine, Ellen.""You're so crazy, Derek. You are so damn crazy and stupid that you don't see what Ryker is doing to you. To us. He's using you, he's using you to ruin our packs. If he gets the Eastern border, how do we export smoothly? It'll affect every pack and it'll be your fault! The Rogues are trying to take what we have, what makes us powerful. They're trying to be as strong as we are and then use it against us. First, they get a heavy discount for wolfsbane, a core business of the Crimson Pack. Now they want the most resourceful border of our p

The first thing I did when I woke up with the worst jerk of my life, and with my body shuddering, was trying to contact Ace through the mind-link. I just had the most horrifying nightmare of my life. It was a nightmare of Ace being tortured to death. Ryker and Derek stood side by side with smirks on their faces as their henchmen whipped Ace with strong cords. His hands and feet were bounded with strong chains and his lips were strapped shut with duct tape that had already broken off. Ace looked half-dead but they wouldn't stop hitting him. He was burned with red hot iron and most of his skin was missing its outer layer. The sizzling sound of his ripping flesh rang in my head as they burnt him but not once did Ace express pain by crying. His teeth were tightly clenched and his gaze, filled with hatred and pain, was plastered on both Ryker and Derek. With how hard his face was, I knew he must have bled from the clinch. I watched with tears in my eyes as his face first loosened up an

***I paced outside the ward, my cladded feet slapping against the tiled floor. Henry and Georgia were seated but one could see how worried they were. A strong stench of hope hung in the atmosphere as we awaited the doctor's call. A few hours ago, the crew that was on the lookout for Ace returned with a body. They had found it at the shore, washed out by the sea. It was in an unrecognizable state as it had stayed in the sea for what seemed to be many weeks. Ace had been missing for three days now and this was the first clue we had since the incident. I had sniffed the body and there was no trace of Ace but I insisted the doctor run it through some machines to confirm the identity, and now we awaited the result. I was in a frenzy just being in that space knowing that Ace could be dead or still missing, and both options scared me. A part of me hoped the body would be someone else's, but another part felt that it was better to have his body at hand and perform a proper burial rite th

***His face started to lower towards my neck and Amy began resisting but before I could act, the door was pushed open and Ryker was shoved away from me. I first moved away and fixed my cloth before turning to see Derek holding Ryker against a wall and glaring at him. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!" He screamed in his face. "What?" Ryker grinned, still locked in Derek's grip. "I was just having a little chat with her.""That didn't look like you were talking. How dare you try to mark her? We had a fucking deal! If you violate the contract, I will not sit back and watch you." Derek fumed. "Get your hands off me," Ryker pushed Derek off, adjusting himself. "I'm not following the rules anymore. I have enough to help me get to wherever I want. Not only do I now own the eastern border of the Ocean Howls Pack, your pack is starting to crumble because I am now in possession of your major asset. The two most powerful packs are at the brink of crumbling to the ground. Do you t