Malia's POV“You bitch,” Lila screeched from behind us. I froze in alarm for a moment. To my dismay, Ryder didn't let go of me. I dug my nails hard into his side and he instantly let me go.I moved to stand behind him because she looked like she wanted to rip my heart out of its cage. Ryder rubbed the back of his neck. “How are you doing, Lila? He asked. She scoffed. “Are you kidding me right now?”Her eyes had narrowed to slits and her hands were clenched into fists. “This is well beneath you, Ryder. She's nothing. How could you allow her to seduce you?” she demanded in fury. I wanted to protest. If anyone was the seducer it was the Alpha and not me. But I remained silent. There was no need adding gasoline to fire. “Lila, please stay calm,” he pleaded, walking slowly towards her.She looked like she was going to explode.Immediately he got close enough to her, she drew back her hand and landed a slap on his cheek. I gasped. “Hopefully that is enough to bring you back to your

Zade's POV“So what do we do now? We've checked all the packs in this country and we've checked with all the airports. One thing we're sure of is that she's still here and she doesn't want to be found,” my beta said to me. I rested my face in my palms and tried not to scream out in frustration. My pack was in danger and it was all my fault. “Zade, I have a suggestion,” he said. “Let's hear it,” I replied. “Why don't we involve others in this search?” He asked. “What do you mean?” I wondered. “We should discuss with the heads of the other packs about placing a price on her. Whoever finds her is going to be well rewarded. People will be more motivated to look out for her if they stand to gain a lot,” he reasoned. I suddenly felt hopeful. “That's brilliant. Why didn't we think about doing this before?” I wondered. “Sometimes fear and stress affect our thinking and our ability to handle things effectively. Which is why I'm suggesting now that the troops should be allowed to return

Malia's POVAfter Penelope left my room to go attend to something else, I mulled over her question. What was I going to do if I proved that Lila and Derek were having an affair? If Ryder found out about it, it was going to make it easier for him to call off their engagement. Well, one thing was certain. He wasn't going to find out from me. I wasn't a fan of Lila but still, I wasn't going to be the one to snitch on her. I thought about asking Derek directly but waved the thought away. Although he was my friend, I knew he was flat out going to deny it, probably to protect Lila. Since I was all alone and starting to get bored, I picked up the book and began to read. This is the thing about reading on your bed. You're bound to sleep off. I awoke in the middle of the night, and as expected, I was hungry. Not too hungry that I couldn't ignore it though. But my throat was parched and the water jug in my room was empty. “Great,” I muttered and walked towards my door. I shut it quietl

Malia's POV“Why are you being so mysterious? Just tell me already,” I pressed as we rounded another corner and walked down another long hallway. “Don't you like that about me? The mystery. It adds to my charm,” he said smugly. I scoffed. “It only makes you more annoying to me.”He chuckled. “You're in denial, Malia.”“Whatever.”“But don't you think we're not supposed to be walking together so soon, after what happened yesterday? Lila will not be pleased,” I said. “Well, if it makes you feel better or less afraid, Lila is not in the palace. She's on her way to her uncle's pack as we speak.”“It still doesn't matter. What if she has asked someone to spy on us?” I asked, my voice laced with worry. He stopped and turned around. “I don't see or hear anybody following us. Trust me I'd know. That's why the Moon Goddess blessed us with these abilities,” he answered. “Indeed,” I murmured, painfully aware of my curse. Not being able to transform into a wolf also comes with not being able

Ronan's POV“What? Did you think you'd be left off the hook just because you're not the Alpha?” He asked. “You seem to have forgotten that you're also supposed to choose a suitable mate as soon as you can.”I rolled my eyes. “Let's focus on my brother first,” I replied. He trained his intelligent blue eyes on me. “You already have eyes on a certain woman right?” He queried. I shrugged. “I'll take that as a yes. I'd love to meet her,” he said, a bright smile on his face. “You can't meet her now.”“Why not?” He questioned. “It's complicated at the moment. Something close to unrequited love,” I answered. “You know you can have any woman you want right? You're a great catch. You don't have to pine after a woman who doesn't return your affection.”I closed my eyes and released a frustrated sigh. “But I don't want any other woman.”He shook his head. “You're just as bad as your brother.”“No, I'm not,” I disagreed rather vehemently. He looked taken aback. I took a deep breath and c